Cracktastic-ness
So milieva will stop badgering me....here is my "2000 Years" Omake/Side story #1....which turned out to be a good deal longer than I thought it would...and more cracktastic.
And keeping with the theme of warping the space / time continuumm for the fic, it is set nowhere near the time of the last chapter (Clef is alive and well, but Aria's famous battle was looong ago.) Although its meant to be read with chapter 3...so there are lots of fun little allusions back to it. Oh, and I did not edit it, so don't complain about my grammar.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the crack, if it is well recieved or a particularly good bunny comes (or is suggested *hint*) I might write you more crack.
On with the fic.
Omake (erroneous as that is) #1!
~Bonus LJ Feature!~
(It’s kinda like buying the DVD, except less cool and cheaper)
Disclaimer: I only own Aria and Apsu, who can be used with permission. Otherwise, ain't mine.
~By (Her Majesty) Sciathan File~
Occasionally small groups of apprentices would gather and, with the pride (and probably a touch of egoism as well) that is especially evident in the young, they would make not so subtle expositions of their skills. Sometimes they would hold tournaments or merely cast a few of their flashier spells for the benefit of their audience.
…Normally it wouldn’t be fashionable for the Head Councilman’s son to appear at such functions (they were decidedly beneath him, or so his father said), but Apsu had ignored this.
Purposefully.
She only appeared at these gatherings. That was not something his father would have ever understood.
Thinking about it, the entire affair was a bit ridiculous. He could tell from her pennant that she was an apprentice of the Master Mage himself….and it still made him a little bit angry that, if not for his father’s objections, he might also have been an apprentice of the Master Mage and then have gotten to know her better outside of these ridiculous functions.
But, she was still fun to watch. Apsu was entranced by the way her long lavender hair blew in the wind and her deep blue eyes flashed whenever she fried her opponents with a lightning spell. When she was not displaying her skills to the other apprentices (and she was without a doubt, one of the most impressive there), she looked on calmly with the barest hint of a smirk on her face. She did not gab with the other apprentices like some 50 year old.
He had even heard a rumor that she had beaten an Ile at the rank of Rin. But no doubt such an attractive girl was a magnet for many such rumors.
Apsu himself really didn’t know, but the one thing he did know what that he entered into these bouts against his father’s wishes solely for the purpose of gaining a chance to talk to this Aria girl.
She had calmly defeated every opponent she had faced thus far, and they had formed a skulking, whining group in the corner of the field.
At the moment she was waiting for her next round to commence while critically observing a rather one-sided battle between a wind and a fire mage.
He sidled up next to her and stood observing the fire that once again was ravishing its own user. But he did not speak of this.
After merely standing beside her for a while he ventured, “you’re rather good.”
“You could use a bit more finessed command of your lightning strikes, “she answered evenly, not so much as skipping a beat, “A bit deeper focus would do.”
He was a bit taken aback. This was definitely not how he had envisioned their first real conversation together.
“Your water spells tend to be a bit ill-timed.”
It had just slipped out. This was not going well at all.
She turned to him and gave him an excessively piercing look before responding, “Yes, that’s what my master always says.” This was followed by an indecipherable smile.
Aria was called away for the second to last round. He watched - this bout her timing was perfect -as the other unfortunate Ile was defeated in what had to be record time.
She returned to his side.
“You’re right, I was off. Thanks.”
He laughed a bit stopping only when she frowned.
“Name?” she demanded a tad imperiously.
“Apsu.”
One of her eyebrows shot up.
“Sizing up the competition, are we, Apsu?”
“Had to see if being an apprentice of the Master Mage was all it was cracked up to be.”
“I believe you’re the final competitor then.”
It was time to begin. He bowed a bit exaggeratedly, a bow perhaps worthy of the Pillar herself, and said a tad too gallantly, “After you!”
Rolling her eyes, she swept past him in a whirl of red and gold, a peculiar mix of tranquility and impishness in her smile.
She was certainly something else.
What exactly, he was certainly about to find out.
Arete, being the most senior from among them, was declared the unofficial moderator of the tournament. She winked at Aria and sent up a puff of smoke to denote the beginning of the match.
Aria, to his surprise, stood perfectly still, a serious look on her face and a gaze upon him that seemed as if she could read all of his internal thoughts.
Raising two fingers, she muttered an incantation. Lightning flashed on either side of him, one singeing the hem of his robe as he barely dodged it.
He wondered briefly if she was just toying with her previous opponents in this manner.
Shielding himself from another barrage, he sent a fire spell in her direction.
A water spell must have been used - again with excellent timing - because there was a sudden cloud of steam that completely obscured Aria from his view.
Suddenly, she came barreling through, and a close range lightning spell crashed directly into his serendipitously placed fireball.
The two spells, not finding themselves true opposites merely fizzled together and exploded.
Having miraculously avoided the explosion entirely, Aria landed directly behind him, but as she passed he distinctly heard her say, “You’re nothing but a child.”
Beautiful and outrageously difficult - what a combination.
He countered with his most powerful spell, and by some merciful act of the Creator, her water spell was a tad bit late and did not succeed in countering the entire force.
She was then forced to put up a shield, leaving her vulnerable for a precious few moments.
Apsu knew that such an opportunity was unlikely to present itself again. Taking advantage of this fact, he sent another wave of flame in pursuit. There was a momentary bright flash that was immediately followed by the sounds of a sudden downpour and a gasp from the spectators.
The very next thing he knew there was a blade held at his throat…and the hand holding the blade had the elaborate ring of an apprentice of the Master Mage,
“Concede.”
“Isn’t this supposed to be limited to magic?”
“No. It is a duel. It’s simply not very common for a mage to have any sort of skills with a sword.”
“So we’re pretty evenly matched then?” He wanted to nettle her a little, even if she did have the means necessary to decapitate him at the moment. Perhaps not the wisest choice on his part.
She pointed this out to him as well.
“I’ll call it even if you can escape without being skewered.”
He laughed and put up his hands in defeat.
The sword, luckily, vanished.
Apsu looked around and realized that she was now walking away, and instead of gasping from her exertions, was instead yawning.
She didn’t make anything easy for him, did she.
Sighing resignedly, he followed.
For a long while she stubbornly ignored his presence entirely and merely continued on in silence. Finally she felt forced to acknowledge him.
“Why are you following me?”
Again, Apsu surprised himself with his answer.
“It’s not as if you are allowing me to walk beside you.”
Sighing, she put her hand out to him, inviting him to move into the space.
“Where are you leading us, my Lady?”
She raised an eyebrow at his excessive bravado.
“The library, on an errand for my Master.”
“Ah, and what does the Master Mage wish of his star apprentice?”
The eyebrow rose again.
“More folktale books.”
This seemed a rather frivolous thing for such an important person to have such odd requests.
“He seems like an odd fellow.”
Aria chuckled briefly before wistfully stating, “Oh, Cephiro really doesn’t know how odd.”
He threw a glance in her direction. There was a weird half smile on her face.
“How is the Supreme Yil as an instructor anyways?”
She gave him another rather strange look, one that clearly indicated (for reasons completely unknown to him) that she considered him to be more than a little bit dense.
“I’m not a very good person to ask.”
Pillar! She was confusing.
“Why not?”
That same look again.
“I would not give a very good answer.”
They had by now reached the large, intricately carved doors of the Chephiran library.
Aria turned to him and asked pointedly, “Do you intend to follow me in here as well?”
“I won’t if you agree to meet me in the gardens tomorrow.”
She frowned deeply.
“You’re saying,” she paused, holding up a censuring finger, “I have to trade annoyance now for annoyance later?”
He nodded solemnly.
She laughed.
“Very well, you will allow you to annoy me tomorrow.”
Apsu bowed a final time, “I live to serve, my Lady.”
-------------------------
Aria had allowed him to meet her several times before he had even worked up the courage to hold her hand.
During the entire affair she had never lost her scathing tongue nor her slightly imperious attitude.
But Apsu wouldn’t have it any other way…her inherent…well, difficultness, made her interesting.
At this point, as his sweating hand held her dry, warm one, she thought it fit to mention something he hadn’t yet thought of.
“Cephiro has a specific tradition regarding courtship, Apsu-“
“-that is so old fashioned that no one follows it any longer.”
A sudden thought struck him.
“…That is unless your parents happen to be of the more traditional variety…but that is something I wouldn’t know.”
Indeed, he had no clue. She didn’t speak overly much about her parents to anyone…only her Master, occasionally. If her parents were rooted in Cephiran tradition he would need to ask her father for approval to formally court her.
Because “marriage” began with the first intimate union, the old thinking held that paternal consent would prevent unauthorized (and illicit not entirely thought out) unions.
Aria, meanwhile, was frowning.
“Well, my mother…she isn’t from Cephiro, really…I don’t think she minds and perhaps she doesn’t even know.”
That was certainly something he hadn’t known.
“My father, on the other hand….is gravely rooted in most Cephiran traditions…and although he doesn’t look like it, he can be rather intimidating and stubborn.”
“And this means…”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
Apsu felt his world swim a bit. However, thinking it over, it really shouldn’t be that hard to ask. Sighing he asked, “Are there any tricks to this?”
Aria looked very thoughtful for a moment.
In the silence, another thought occurred to him…what is she took after her father...or maybe he was worse…?
The whole affair was beginning to become quite a nerve-wracking proposition.
“If my mother likes you, there’s no way my father can refuse. It’s not good for his health.”
On second thought, her mother was also taking on a rather scary aura in his mind as well.
He sighed deeply. This was turning out to be quite an undertaking.
-------------------------
Apsu had no idea where Aria was even taking him. He had expected to go to some outlying village or something to that effect…and now they were walking through the corridors of the castle.
At first he had just assumed that she needed to run another errand for her master and had merely forgotten to inform him of that fact…
…But they had passed both libraries…
…And all of the entrances to the outside grounds…
…and the chambers used by the apprentices…
…and the practice rooms…
And now they were here.
And Apsu had no idea whatsoever as to where here was.
They were obviously at an upper level of the castle’s residence halls. Additionally, the décor had altered quite a bit from the proceeding floors.
The corridors were lined with deep blue columns with golden dragons wrapping about them. The walks were lined with two separate streams that made a soft gurgling sound that on any other occasion would have given him a peaceful, sleepy feeling.
That would have been if he wasn’t going to meet a potential consort’s parents and if he had any idea whatsoever where in Cephiro she was taking him.
Even more perplexing were the number of incredibly intricate and incredibly powerful wards that Aria simply walked through as if she owned the place.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly missed the giant doors looming up in front of him (for he had a rather poor habit of mulling over matters while staring pensively at the ground).
Aria looked at him and laughed, pushing the heavy doors open as if they were light as feathers.
Looking at him curiously, she held her arm out, mimicking his over gallant manner and gesturing for him to enter.
“Welcome to my humble abode.”
This was where she lived?
He mentally kicked himself in the head for not ever forcing her to tell her more about her everyday life.
But if she lived here…who could her parents possibly be…?
“Aria-chan, you’re home?”
Chan? Was that an honorary last name? A familial ranking?
A woman was walking towards them…a strangely familiar woman. She was dressed in a blue, elegantly draped robe that complimented her delicate features and long, slick blue hair.
If this was her mother, it was easy to see where Aria received her beauty from…but he couldn’t think innocuous things like that in such a perilous situation.
Aria, meanwhile, was ignoring him and asking her mother, “Is Father at home yet?”
And then it dawned on him.
He had seen the statues, the tapestries, heard the rumors, the descriptions…everything...
Aria’s mother was the Dragon Princess, the Magic Knight of Water…and that meant that her father was…
“Aria,” a gentle male voice came, “Are you going to tell us what is so important that you couldn’t explain it to us earlier?”
At that moment the Master Mage of Cephiro, Guru Clef looked past his daughter’s figure and met Apsu’s eyes…
Clef’s eyes narrowed and he stated simply, “I see.”
For someone who had the form of the child, his eyes felt like they could see every somewhat dubious thing that Apsu had ever done in his entire life.
Her mother meanwhile, simply stood regarding him with a quizzical expression on her face.
It suddenly made a terrifying sort of sense…Aria had always been reticent to show her parentage and had always concentrated on her own achievements in their conversations.
Not because she was ashamed…simply because it was difficult to build a reputation based on one’s own merits with such parents.
…However, it would have helped to know that it wasn’t simply her father, but the Master Mage of Cephiro and the Dragon Princess together that he would have to talk to.
It would have helped a lot.
He could feel himself begin to sweat.
“Aria,” he said quietly, not bothering to formally greet the guest, “Is there a reason that you have brought the son of the Head Councilman here to visit us…?”
His tone could be called nothing but measured and pleasant…and if it had not have emerged from a face that lacked any of the qualities of the tone (and perhaps even more frightening was the fact that the diminutive mage now seemed to be gripping the handle of his staff all the harder) he would have felt almost welcome.
Aria rolled her eyes and began, “Father-“
“Clef,” Umi interrupted her before she could say anything further. She was shooting her consort a look that would have sent most people flying away in fear…indeed, Apsu himself felt like doing that and he wasn’t even the recipient of the gaze. “Don’t you think we should invite our guest in and show him some hospitality and manners?”
This was certainly not the sort of behavior he had expected from either of these figures.
Suddenly, however, her Father seemed to regain his composure. He coughed delicately and said very formally, “Young man, why don’t you come take a seat -“
Umi jabbed him with her elbow and gave him another scathing look…it sounded like she whispered something that ended in the words, “if you don’t want your only precious daughter to hate you.”
“…and” he continued, “have some tea with all of us.”
Aria had her hand leaned against her forehead and simply looked a bit embarrassed.
Clef looked as if he was waiting for Apsu to pass and looked vaguely like he might explode as Aria took his hand as she passed.
Umi seemed to have once more jabbed him (and a good deal harder as he gave a strained yelp) with her elbow, but the look did not entirely pass from his face this time.
The temper of the Master Mage was legendary…and unfortunately, Apsu had accidentally gotten on the wrong side of it.
They all sat down in a large sitting room. Aria sat next to him, incurring another look of ire from her father.
Both Aria and Umi sent him back a very pointed look, he seemed to ignore it and instead sipped his tea.
Aria stood up and formally and fluidly introduced him, including his long list of titles and lineages.
She had certainly done a thorough investigation because he had not told her most of the information she now relayed to her audience. Apsu once again berated himself from not having such forethought.
But she had finished talking, meaning it was time for him to say something.
Clef mumbled something that sounded distinctly like “If I had only known what Aria had planned I would not have canceled the conference with Queen Scion’s ambassador.”
There could be no doubt that Aria had heard as well, because she rolled her eyes, and placing both hands on her hips, she turned to Apsu and stated, “I apologize for my father’s stubbornness but, “ and here she took an impish pause before continuing on, “he usually brings more of his political tact home with him.”
What an incredibly rude thing to say to your father, was the only mental response he could muster at the moment.
And, in response…her mother began laughing.
Events had definitely taken a turn for the weird.
He stood up and a very formal, deep bow to both of the important figures opposite of him.
“You’ll have to excuse me if I’m very nervous,” he began, garnering an encouraging look from Aria and her mother and one that seemed to say “you should be” from her father, “because Aria didn’t explain her…well, unique family situation to me…so I was not aware that I would be addressing the Guru and the Dragon Princess today. So, I sincerely hope no one can accuse me if less than pure motives for what I am about to ask.”
He threw his own pointed look at Aria. She pulled off an amazingly innocent look. Umi stifled a laugh, seeing her daughter’s reaction.
“However, I have come, as you both no doubt know, to ask for permission to court your daughter.”
There was barely any pause before Clef answered, “No.”
And then all hell broke lose.
Apsu could no longer differentiate between Umi and Clef and Aria as they seemed to have hurdled themselves into a brawling match…and activity they did not seem at all unfamiliar with. He merely remained standing watching the dizzying displays of the whirls of lavender and blue (and he could have sworn there was some water and lightning magic occurring as well…) and wondering if he should perhaps do something to help or merely attempt to prevent any physical harm to his person.
However, against a Magic Knight, the Master Mage, and his top apprentice (and daughter, he reminded himself) he wouldn’t stand a chance. He took a few steps back and remained observing the spectacle before him.
“Unique” hardly covered what he was seeing.
Finally, from amidst the shouting, wrestling mob the Master Mage shouted, “Fine…but if you do anything that I don’t approve of…” The threat he intended to make was lost as his consort somehow managed to beat upon his head with his own staff.
Apsu no longer had any idea what he had actually gotten himself into.
Fin
Woot!
And keeping with the theme of warping the space / time continuumm for the fic, it is set nowhere near the time of the last chapter (Clef is alive and well, but Aria's famous battle was looong ago.) Although its meant to be read with chapter 3...so there are lots of fun little allusions back to it. Oh, and I did not edit it, so don't complain about my grammar.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the crack, if it is well recieved or a particularly good bunny comes (or is suggested *hint*) I might write you more crack.
On with the fic.
Omake (erroneous as that is) #1!
~Bonus LJ Feature!~
(It’s kinda like buying the DVD, except less cool and cheaper)
Disclaimer: I only own Aria and Apsu, who can be used with permission. Otherwise, ain't mine.
~By (Her Majesty) Sciathan File~
Occasionally small groups of apprentices would gather and, with the pride (and probably a touch of egoism as well) that is especially evident in the young, they would make not so subtle expositions of their skills. Sometimes they would hold tournaments or merely cast a few of their flashier spells for the benefit of their audience.
…Normally it wouldn’t be fashionable for the Head Councilman’s son to appear at such functions (they were decidedly beneath him, or so his father said), but Apsu had ignored this.
Purposefully.
She only appeared at these gatherings. That was not something his father would have ever understood.
Thinking about it, the entire affair was a bit ridiculous. He could tell from her pennant that she was an apprentice of the Master Mage himself….and it still made him a little bit angry that, if not for his father’s objections, he might also have been an apprentice of the Master Mage and then have gotten to know her better outside of these ridiculous functions.
But, she was still fun to watch. Apsu was entranced by the way her long lavender hair blew in the wind and her deep blue eyes flashed whenever she fried her opponents with a lightning spell. When she was not displaying her skills to the other apprentices (and she was without a doubt, one of the most impressive there), she looked on calmly with the barest hint of a smirk on her face. She did not gab with the other apprentices like some 50 year old.
He had even heard a rumor that she had beaten an Ile at the rank of Rin. But no doubt such an attractive girl was a magnet for many such rumors.
Apsu himself really didn’t know, but the one thing he did know what that he entered into these bouts against his father’s wishes solely for the purpose of gaining a chance to talk to this Aria girl.
She had calmly defeated every opponent she had faced thus far, and they had formed a skulking, whining group in the corner of the field.
At the moment she was waiting for her next round to commence while critically observing a rather one-sided battle between a wind and a fire mage.
He sidled up next to her and stood observing the fire that once again was ravishing its own user. But he did not speak of this.
After merely standing beside her for a while he ventured, “you’re rather good.”
“You could use a bit more finessed command of your lightning strikes, “she answered evenly, not so much as skipping a beat, “A bit deeper focus would do.”
He was a bit taken aback. This was definitely not how he had envisioned their first real conversation together.
“Your water spells tend to be a bit ill-timed.”
It had just slipped out. This was not going well at all.
She turned to him and gave him an excessively piercing look before responding, “Yes, that’s what my master always says.” This was followed by an indecipherable smile.
Aria was called away for the second to last round. He watched - this bout her timing was perfect -as the other unfortunate Ile was defeated in what had to be record time.
She returned to his side.
“You’re right, I was off. Thanks.”
He laughed a bit stopping only when she frowned.
“Name?” she demanded a tad imperiously.
“Apsu.”
One of her eyebrows shot up.
“Sizing up the competition, are we, Apsu?”
“Had to see if being an apprentice of the Master Mage was all it was cracked up to be.”
“I believe you’re the final competitor then.”
It was time to begin. He bowed a bit exaggeratedly, a bow perhaps worthy of the Pillar herself, and said a tad too gallantly, “After you!”
Rolling her eyes, she swept past him in a whirl of red and gold, a peculiar mix of tranquility and impishness in her smile.
She was certainly something else.
What exactly, he was certainly about to find out.
Arete, being the most senior from among them, was declared the unofficial moderator of the tournament. She winked at Aria and sent up a puff of smoke to denote the beginning of the match.
Aria, to his surprise, stood perfectly still, a serious look on her face and a gaze upon him that seemed as if she could read all of his internal thoughts.
Raising two fingers, she muttered an incantation. Lightning flashed on either side of him, one singeing the hem of his robe as he barely dodged it.
He wondered briefly if she was just toying with her previous opponents in this manner.
Shielding himself from another barrage, he sent a fire spell in her direction.
A water spell must have been used - again with excellent timing - because there was a sudden cloud of steam that completely obscured Aria from his view.
Suddenly, she came barreling through, and a close range lightning spell crashed directly into his serendipitously placed fireball.
The two spells, not finding themselves true opposites merely fizzled together and exploded.
Having miraculously avoided the explosion entirely, Aria landed directly behind him, but as she passed he distinctly heard her say, “You’re nothing but a child.”
Beautiful and outrageously difficult - what a combination.
He countered with his most powerful spell, and by some merciful act of the Creator, her water spell was a tad bit late and did not succeed in countering the entire force.
She was then forced to put up a shield, leaving her vulnerable for a precious few moments.
Apsu knew that such an opportunity was unlikely to present itself again. Taking advantage of this fact, he sent another wave of flame in pursuit. There was a momentary bright flash that was immediately followed by the sounds of a sudden downpour and a gasp from the spectators.
The very next thing he knew there was a blade held at his throat…and the hand holding the blade had the elaborate ring of an apprentice of the Master Mage,
“Concede.”
“Isn’t this supposed to be limited to magic?”
“No. It is a duel. It’s simply not very common for a mage to have any sort of skills with a sword.”
“So we’re pretty evenly matched then?” He wanted to nettle her a little, even if she did have the means necessary to decapitate him at the moment. Perhaps not the wisest choice on his part.
She pointed this out to him as well.
“I’ll call it even if you can escape without being skewered.”
He laughed and put up his hands in defeat.
The sword, luckily, vanished.
Apsu looked around and realized that she was now walking away, and instead of gasping from her exertions, was instead yawning.
She didn’t make anything easy for him, did she.
Sighing resignedly, he followed.
For a long while she stubbornly ignored his presence entirely and merely continued on in silence. Finally she felt forced to acknowledge him.
“Why are you following me?”
Again, Apsu surprised himself with his answer.
“It’s not as if you are allowing me to walk beside you.”
Sighing, she put her hand out to him, inviting him to move into the space.
“Where are you leading us, my Lady?”
She raised an eyebrow at his excessive bravado.
“The library, on an errand for my Master.”
“Ah, and what does the Master Mage wish of his star apprentice?”
The eyebrow rose again.
“More folktale books.”
This seemed a rather frivolous thing for such an important person to have such odd requests.
“He seems like an odd fellow.”
Aria chuckled briefly before wistfully stating, “Oh, Cephiro really doesn’t know how odd.”
He threw a glance in her direction. There was a weird half smile on her face.
“How is the Supreme Yil as an instructor anyways?”
She gave him another rather strange look, one that clearly indicated (for reasons completely unknown to him) that she considered him to be more than a little bit dense.
“I’m not a very good person to ask.”
Pillar! She was confusing.
“Why not?”
That same look again.
“I would not give a very good answer.”
They had by now reached the large, intricately carved doors of the Chephiran library.
Aria turned to him and asked pointedly, “Do you intend to follow me in here as well?”
“I won’t if you agree to meet me in the gardens tomorrow.”
She frowned deeply.
“You’re saying,” she paused, holding up a censuring finger, “I have to trade annoyance now for annoyance later?”
He nodded solemnly.
She laughed.
“Very well, you will allow you to annoy me tomorrow.”
Apsu bowed a final time, “I live to serve, my Lady.”
-------------------------
Aria had allowed him to meet her several times before he had even worked up the courage to hold her hand.
During the entire affair she had never lost her scathing tongue nor her slightly imperious attitude.
But Apsu wouldn’t have it any other way…her inherent…well, difficultness, made her interesting.
At this point, as his sweating hand held her dry, warm one, she thought it fit to mention something he hadn’t yet thought of.
“Cephiro has a specific tradition regarding courtship, Apsu-“
“-that is so old fashioned that no one follows it any longer.”
A sudden thought struck him.
“…That is unless your parents happen to be of the more traditional variety…but that is something I wouldn’t know.”
Indeed, he had no clue. She didn’t speak overly much about her parents to anyone…only her Master, occasionally. If her parents were rooted in Cephiran tradition he would need to ask her father for approval to formally court her.
Because “marriage” began with the first intimate union, the old thinking held that paternal consent would prevent unauthorized (and illicit not entirely thought out) unions.
Aria, meanwhile, was frowning.
“Well, my mother…she isn’t from Cephiro, really…I don’t think she minds and perhaps she doesn’t even know.”
That was certainly something he hadn’t known.
“My father, on the other hand….is gravely rooted in most Cephiran traditions…and although he doesn’t look like it, he can be rather intimidating and stubborn.”
“And this means…”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
Apsu felt his world swim a bit. However, thinking it over, it really shouldn’t be that hard to ask. Sighing he asked, “Are there any tricks to this?”
Aria looked very thoughtful for a moment.
In the silence, another thought occurred to him…what is she took after her father...or maybe he was worse…?
The whole affair was beginning to become quite a nerve-wracking proposition.
“If my mother likes you, there’s no way my father can refuse. It’s not good for his health.”
On second thought, her mother was also taking on a rather scary aura in his mind as well.
He sighed deeply. This was turning out to be quite an undertaking.
-------------------------
Apsu had no idea where Aria was even taking him. He had expected to go to some outlying village or something to that effect…and now they were walking through the corridors of the castle.
At first he had just assumed that she needed to run another errand for her master and had merely forgotten to inform him of that fact…
…But they had passed both libraries…
…And all of the entrances to the outside grounds…
…and the chambers used by the apprentices…
…and the practice rooms…
And now they were here.
And Apsu had no idea whatsoever as to where here was.
They were obviously at an upper level of the castle’s residence halls. Additionally, the décor had altered quite a bit from the proceeding floors.
The corridors were lined with deep blue columns with golden dragons wrapping about them. The walks were lined with two separate streams that made a soft gurgling sound that on any other occasion would have given him a peaceful, sleepy feeling.
That would have been if he wasn’t going to meet a potential consort’s parents and if he had any idea whatsoever where in Cephiro she was taking him.
Even more perplexing were the number of incredibly intricate and incredibly powerful wards that Aria simply walked through as if she owned the place.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly missed the giant doors looming up in front of him (for he had a rather poor habit of mulling over matters while staring pensively at the ground).
Aria looked at him and laughed, pushing the heavy doors open as if they were light as feathers.
Looking at him curiously, she held her arm out, mimicking his over gallant manner and gesturing for him to enter.
“Welcome to my humble abode.”
This was where she lived?
He mentally kicked himself in the head for not ever forcing her to tell her more about her everyday life.
But if she lived here…who could her parents possibly be…?
“Aria-chan, you’re home?”
Chan? Was that an honorary last name? A familial ranking?
A woman was walking towards them…a strangely familiar woman. She was dressed in a blue, elegantly draped robe that complimented her delicate features and long, slick blue hair.
If this was her mother, it was easy to see where Aria received her beauty from…but he couldn’t think innocuous things like that in such a perilous situation.
Aria, meanwhile, was ignoring him and asking her mother, “Is Father at home yet?”
And then it dawned on him.
He had seen the statues, the tapestries, heard the rumors, the descriptions…everything...
Aria’s mother was the Dragon Princess, the Magic Knight of Water…and that meant that her father was…
“Aria,” a gentle male voice came, “Are you going to tell us what is so important that you couldn’t explain it to us earlier?”
At that moment the Master Mage of Cephiro, Guru Clef looked past his daughter’s figure and met Apsu’s eyes…
Clef’s eyes narrowed and he stated simply, “I see.”
For someone who had the form of the child, his eyes felt like they could see every somewhat dubious thing that Apsu had ever done in his entire life.
Her mother meanwhile, simply stood regarding him with a quizzical expression on her face.
It suddenly made a terrifying sort of sense…Aria had always been reticent to show her parentage and had always concentrated on her own achievements in their conversations.
Not because she was ashamed…simply because it was difficult to build a reputation based on one’s own merits with such parents.
…However, it would have helped to know that it wasn’t simply her father, but the Master Mage of Cephiro and the Dragon Princess together that he would have to talk to.
It would have helped a lot.
He could feel himself begin to sweat.
“Aria,” he said quietly, not bothering to formally greet the guest, “Is there a reason that you have brought the son of the Head Councilman here to visit us…?”
His tone could be called nothing but measured and pleasant…and if it had not have emerged from a face that lacked any of the qualities of the tone (and perhaps even more frightening was the fact that the diminutive mage now seemed to be gripping the handle of his staff all the harder) he would have felt almost welcome.
Aria rolled her eyes and began, “Father-“
“Clef,” Umi interrupted her before she could say anything further. She was shooting her consort a look that would have sent most people flying away in fear…indeed, Apsu himself felt like doing that and he wasn’t even the recipient of the gaze. “Don’t you think we should invite our guest in and show him some hospitality and manners?”
This was certainly not the sort of behavior he had expected from either of these figures.
Suddenly, however, her Father seemed to regain his composure. He coughed delicately and said very formally, “Young man, why don’t you come take a seat -“
Umi jabbed him with her elbow and gave him another scathing look…it sounded like she whispered something that ended in the words, “if you don’t want your only precious daughter to hate you.”
“…and” he continued, “have some tea with all of us.”
Aria had her hand leaned against her forehead and simply looked a bit embarrassed.
Clef looked as if he was waiting for Apsu to pass and looked vaguely like he might explode as Aria took his hand as she passed.
Umi seemed to have once more jabbed him (and a good deal harder as he gave a strained yelp) with her elbow, but the look did not entirely pass from his face this time.
The temper of the Master Mage was legendary…and unfortunately, Apsu had accidentally gotten on the wrong side of it.
They all sat down in a large sitting room. Aria sat next to him, incurring another look of ire from her father.
Both Aria and Umi sent him back a very pointed look, he seemed to ignore it and instead sipped his tea.
Aria stood up and formally and fluidly introduced him, including his long list of titles and lineages.
She had certainly done a thorough investigation because he had not told her most of the information she now relayed to her audience. Apsu once again berated himself from not having such forethought.
But she had finished talking, meaning it was time for him to say something.
Clef mumbled something that sounded distinctly like “If I had only known what Aria had planned I would not have canceled the conference with Queen Scion’s ambassador.”
There could be no doubt that Aria had heard as well, because she rolled her eyes, and placing both hands on her hips, she turned to Apsu and stated, “I apologize for my father’s stubbornness but, “ and here she took an impish pause before continuing on, “he usually brings more of his political tact home with him.”
What an incredibly rude thing to say to your father, was the only mental response he could muster at the moment.
And, in response…her mother began laughing.
Events had definitely taken a turn for the weird.
He stood up and a very formal, deep bow to both of the important figures opposite of him.
“You’ll have to excuse me if I’m very nervous,” he began, garnering an encouraging look from Aria and her mother and one that seemed to say “you should be” from her father, “because Aria didn’t explain her…well, unique family situation to me…so I was not aware that I would be addressing the Guru and the Dragon Princess today. So, I sincerely hope no one can accuse me if less than pure motives for what I am about to ask.”
He threw his own pointed look at Aria. She pulled off an amazingly innocent look. Umi stifled a laugh, seeing her daughter’s reaction.
“However, I have come, as you both no doubt know, to ask for permission to court your daughter.”
There was barely any pause before Clef answered, “No.”
And then all hell broke lose.
Apsu could no longer differentiate between Umi and Clef and Aria as they seemed to have hurdled themselves into a brawling match…and activity they did not seem at all unfamiliar with. He merely remained standing watching the dizzying displays of the whirls of lavender and blue (and he could have sworn there was some water and lightning magic occurring as well…) and wondering if he should perhaps do something to help or merely attempt to prevent any physical harm to his person.
However, against a Magic Knight, the Master Mage, and his top apprentice (and daughter, he reminded himself) he wouldn’t stand a chance. He took a few steps back and remained observing the spectacle before him.
“Unique” hardly covered what he was seeing.
Finally, from amidst the shouting, wrestling mob the Master Mage shouted, “Fine…but if you do anything that I don’t approve of…” The threat he intended to make was lost as his consort somehow managed to beat upon his head with his own staff.
Apsu no longer had any idea what he had actually gotten himself into.
Fin
Woot!