Chapter Text
The water lapped gently at his feet as a gentle breeze blew through the trees. Laughter to his right caused him to glance over to see Visco, hand over her mouth as she laughed while the blonde next to her grinned widely.
"This is nice," Visco sighed.
"Yeah..." Metallia's expression grew thoughtful. "Hey, Hundred Knight?"
"Moque?"
"Were you ready to go?"
"Go? Go where?" the raven asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion so her pigtails fell slightly, a way she would have never moved before as it revealed the one trace of her curse she was able to hide. But she never felt the need to hide from the blonde or her familiar. "I have to go back to the capital soon, but I was hoping we'd get to spend a little longer together, before...before our paths diverged again..."
Metallia reached out and took the girl's hands gently. "Hundred Knight and I just have some business to attend to in Magolia. The tower there--"
"The Tower of Illusion?" Visco cried, rushing to her feet. "Metallia, you can't! That place is dangerous!"
The blonde climbed to her feet, meeting her friend's eyes evenly. "I'll be fine." She held out her right hand and the blade she'd used to kill the false king materialized, rotating briefly before she grasped the handle. "Besides, I'll have the Hundred Knight with me."
Visco sighed, knowing how stubborn her friend could be. She knelt down in front of the familiar. "Hundred Knight, can you promise me something?"
"Moque?"
"Take care of Metallia, okay?"
"I can take care of myself," she grumbled, even as he nodded earnestly.
"Thank you," Visco said gratefully, standing back up. She turned back to her friend, before flinging her arms around the blonde's neck.
Metallia let out a surprised gasp before she sighed, her shoulders relaxing as her sword disappeared, and she wrapped her arms around her friend, pulling her close. "I'll be back in time for your coronation. I promise. We defeated Niike. The tower will be child's play."
"Always so cocky..." She pulled away with a small sniffle. "All right. If you promise to keep that vow..."
"I'm a witch," Metallia said. "We always keep our promises." It didn't used to be that way. Witches used to be selfish and cruel. But that was the old era. This new era would work in union with humans. Her broom appeared next to her and she got on. "C'mere, Hundred Knight," she said, motioning for him.
"Moque?"
"You didn't think I'd just follow on my broom, did you? Come here, dammit." When he moved, she picked him up and settled him into her lap. "Comfortable? Good." She looked back to Visco. "I'm sorry I couldn't lift your curse."
"It's okay," she said. "I've grown used to being the Dog Princess. After all, you accepted me. As long as I have you as a friend, I'll be fine. Though I will miss our adventures."
"Hehehe! We'll just have new adventures then," Metallia said, grinning widely. She reached out and ruffled Visco's hair. "Good luck, Dog Princess. If anyone makes fun of you, I'll come and beat the shit outta them."
Visco laughed. "All right. Go take care of what you need to. I'll be taking care of what I need to."
Metallia nodded and the broom rose out of the swamp.
The princess waved until the broom and her friends were far out of sight before she pulled her outstretched hand back to her chest and closed her eyes. "Right. No time to stand around. I need to tell Arlecchino I'm heading out." She turned on her heel and walked back to the house.
They flew in silence for some time, Metallia's hands resting on her knees. "Blacky?" she said quietly.
He looked up at her, but she wasn't looking at him and her expression was conflicted at best. "You watched that seed the whole time, didn't you?" She sighed. "Thank you. I'm sorry I made you wait so long."
He shook his head and patted her hand.
"Heh. Understanding as always. Just like Visco, and yet..." She made a small sound that almost sounded like a sniffle. "Dammit, these emotions." She shook her head fiercely. "We're almost there. You ready to kick some ass?"
"Yah!"
She cackled. "Let's do it, Hundred Knight. Not as master and familiar, but as partners."
She was almost disappointed in how quickly they managed to climb the tower. I know I told Visco we could handle it, but... She sighed aloud as they reached the hundredth floor.
"I see you've made it."
"Wha--" She whirled around sword at the ready before she relaxed, recognizing the speaker. "Malia," she said simply. "Or, Magolia's Malia."
"And you are the Lia who defeated Niike and his maiden. Or do you still prefer to be called Metallia?"
She rested the blade against her shoulder as she heard the Hundred Knight relax as well. "Actually, that name reminds me of that bi--" She stopped, mildly surprised at how easily the insult came to her lips.
"Call her whatever you feel comfortable," Malia said with a gentle smile. "I know you speak of Uruka."
"Yeah, well... Dammit, I didn't come here to talk!"
Malia chuckled quietly. "Why did you come here, Lia?"
"I, I mean, Hundred Knight, well..."
The older witch crouched down in front of the once-familiar. "Shall I guess?"
"Eyah."
"You wish to provide Lia with the comfort you can't from this form."
"The hell?"
Malia rose to her feet again. "I cannot grant that wish."
"What damn good are you then?
"You misunderstand, Lia. I cannot grant that wish because the Hundred Knight has had that ability all along. He just had to realize a reason to use it."
"Really?"
Malia glanced down at him. "Try it, little one."
"Eyah!" A minute passed and Lia swore under her breath, her sword disappearing in favor of slamming her fist against the wall. She froze when she felt a hand touch her shoulder and she whirled around. "...Blacky?"
He smiled.
She grabbed his wrist and yanked him from the room, yelling "Good luck, hag!" over her shoulder, leaving the older woman to chuckle.
"Sometimes, I think she wouldn't be Lia any other way..."
When their feet their feet touched the soil of Niblhenne, her exhaustion began to set in and she leaned against his shoulder heavily.
"Why don't we rest for the night?" he suggested.
"But, Visco..."
"Will be there waiting," he said. "And she will understand a one day delay. Would you rather collapse the moment we get there and make her think the worst?"
She sighed. "We should tell Arlecchino we're back," she said, walking to her home and letting herself inside.
"Ah, Master Lia. So good to see you back. But where is Sir Hundred Knight?"
"Right here," she said, nodding towards the once-familiar.
"Ah, I see. So the mission was a success. Very good, yes. Shall I make some dinner?"
She shook her head. "I'm gonna go take a bath," she said, walking past them and up the stairs.
The butler turned his attention to the now-human Hundred Knight. "Your trip went well then."
He opened his mouth to answer when he felt a small nudge in his brain.
Good, this still works, she said.
Yes?
Could you come up here?
Arlecchino...
Oh, right... "Hey, Hundred Knight. Come up here a minute?"
He gave an apologetic smile to the butler. "Coming!" He jogged upstairs and into the bathroom, pausing when he caught sight of her.
She stood with her back almost to the door, watching the water level rise in the tub, her arms wrapped around herself, completely naked. Her clothes were tossed into a far corner.
"Oh, sorry..."
She glanced over her shoulder, her hair hanging in a curtain around her. "It's okay," she said. She turned back to the tub, now full of water, and turned it off before sliding into the water with a sigh. She leaned her head back and to the side a little to look at him. "Will you wash my hair?"
"Sure," he replied, crossing the room to sit on the edge of the tub before wetting her hair and working the shampoo into it.
They sat in silence for a time as she lathered her body while he massaged her scalp gently.
"Hey, Blacky?"
"Yeah?"
"What flies, makes its own heat, yet is cold blooded?" She could feel his hands pause in her hair and she held her breath for a moment. Maybe I was foolish to hope I could ever have this kind of--
"A dragon, right?" he asked. "Because dragons are like snakes, but they fly and breathe fire."
She couldn't help the excited squeal that escaped her throat at that. Turning around eagerly, she said "Alive without breath, as cold as death, all in mail never clinking. What am I?" She watched his face as he stared at her, processing the riddle. She'd never taken him near water, so it was perhaps a bit unfair, but surely she'd read some book about them.
"Fish," he answered.
She splashed water as she bounced happily. "Yes!" She sobered quickly and went on "You must keep it after giving it. What is it?"
"Your word."
"Mhmm! Runs smoother than any rhyme, loves to fall but cannot climb! What am I?"
He glanced down at the water briefly and for a moment, had he been anyone else, she might have questioned his motives before he splashed the water against her lightly. "Water, of course."
She giggled quietly, unable to help the smile on her face as she settled back to let him finish washing her hair. "One more, okay?"
"You enjoy this too much for me to say no."
"What always runs, but never walks, has a mouth, but never talks, has a bed, yet never sleeps, water flows, though never weeps?"
"A river."
She kicked her feet happily, splashing water out the tub again as he chuckled behind her.
"How about one for you, sleepy one?"
"I'm not--" An enormous yawn interrupted her complaint and she pouted. "Okay, maybe I am a little sleepy. But if you have a riddle for me, I'd love to hear it."
He smiled softly and rinsed out the shampoo and replaced it with conditioner before rinsing that out as well as he spoke. "You break it even if you name it. What is it?"
She bit her lip thoughtfully. Oh, of course. "Silence."
"Yep. Now let me fix these tangles..."
She sat still, her arms looped around her legs as she let him work the tangles out of her hair, before finally standing up and stepping out of the tub, wrapping a towel around herself. "You should get a bath too," she said, giving him a small smile over her shoulder. "I think I have a nightshirt from when Visco was staying here. It got mixed in with my things. I'll bring it in for you."
"Okay."
She was curled up on her stomach, her hair fanned out across her back, when he came back into the room.
"I thought you'd be asleep by now."
She shrugged slightly and glanced up at him briefly before looking away, not quickly enough for him to miss the conflicted look in her eyes.
He remembered the nightmares she'd had in the few months Visco had been there. Even with the raven next to her, she was still haunted by the memories she wanted so desperately to be rid of. He sighed softly and sat down next to her, ruffling her her hair gently. "It's okay to have feelings, Lia."
"Shut up, I know that!" Even though her words may have been harsh, she shifted and buried her face into his side with a small sniffle. "...I'm scared, Blacky," she mumbled. "I know I need sleep, but if it's just gonna bring the pain back..."
"I'm here," he said, stroking her hair gently. "I'm not leaving."
She looked up at him, her eyes looking just as wide and brimming over with emotion as they had when she was a small child, before life destroyed her innocence in the most brutal way possible for a young girl. "Thank you, Blacky." She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close. I'm not so scared when I know you're here. You always came back, even when I had no one else.
The next morning, they shared breakfast on her bed as the sun rose, laughing and joking with the same amicability they'd had before, with the added addition that he could actually respond in a way she understood. After breakfast, they dressed and packed their bags to make the journey to Amataya.
"Master Lia," Arlecchino began.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Are you going to be all right?"
"Huh?" She frowned slightly. "Whaddaya mean? I've got the Hundred Knight with me."
"Yes, I suppose. However, Master Lia, I would advise you taking your broom, just in case. You do not do much walking outside of the swamp and it would be terrible if you wore your body out before it even reached its first birthday."
Her eyes darkened briefly before she sighed. "Yeah, you're right," she replied, picking up her broom and pushing it into her bag. She'd already decided that they were traveling like humans, since she wasn't certain how far she could push her magic and she was far from willing to find herself stranded halfway across Cinque Road when her body gave out. Being defenseless was not something she fancied. She turned towards her knight. "Ready?"
"As long as you're sure we have everything."
"I've triple checked the bags," she said. "If it's not there, it wasn't important."
He had to refrain from sighing and shaking her head. Even when she was overly cautious, she was cocky and reckless. "All right."