Mission Improbable
by aightaight2

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Gallia
Versailles
Tuileries Palace

"The doll has arrived," said the major domo as Tabitha entered the opulent study.

"That's right! You finally got it right! She's nothing but a doll – a puppet. My puppet. That's right, isn't it, Tabitha?" asked Isabella, cheerfully.

As usual, the shorter mage with equally blue hair remained silent, only the briefest tilt of her head showing her acknowledgement of her superior's words.

"You're doing well, Tabitha! I told you to go fight one of the biggest monsters that the Fae brought along with them, and I've heard all about your role defeating that – what was it called –"

The major-domo leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"– that Field Boss Llhamthanc. Now that we know how strong these new monsters are, we can plan our own moves accordingly."

Expecting a reaction from her cousin, she was sadly disappointed when Tabitha maintained her cold, emotionless visage.

"Humph. Anyway, since you succeeded I have another task in need of you skills! Our other agents have failed dismally, but I know that you'll succeed where they failed!"

The girl remained stoic, not even a flicker of discomfort crossed her face.

"Have you been informed about the task?"

Tabitha shook her head.

"Your mission, Tabitha, should you choose to accept it," Isabella almost giggled out loud at that thought (as if my puppet could refuse!), "involves the retrieval of a Faerie book from Arrun Central Library. Every agent that we've sent so far to sneak out a book has failed. They enter the library, and the next morning their handlers find them dumped in the back alleys of the city, with no memory of what happened to them."

Tabitha nodded.

"I want you to go and get me a book."

Tabitha nodded again.

"You must understand, Tabitha, that this is a very important mission. You're a Knight of the Northern Parterre, and if you fail... well… let me just say that the consequences will be dire. The Knights have a reputation for success, and I can't let anyone taint that reputation. You understand, don't you?"

Tabitha stared blankly at Isabella's face with cold eyes. Waiting. Refusing to respond.

Isabella squinted at the non-response, then huffed in dissatisfaction.

"Well then. Here's your orders. I had hoped that you might thank me for giving you such a splendid opportunity to assist the Crown in such an incredibly important task, but I suppose one can't have everything."

She smiled coldly at the young Chevalier, then turned with a supercilious smile to major domo, waving him forward to place the letter of instruction in Tabitha's hand.

"Don't forget, the orders will self-destruct in 5 minutes after you open them! Good luck!" she finished with a smirk.

Receiving the letter silently, Tabitha gave a brief acknowledgement, more a tilt of the head than a bow, and left.

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Tristain
Arrun
Central Markets

"Nee-sama! nee-sama!" the buxom girl with the vibrant blue hair called to her master. Despite being much taller than her purported sister, her energy and verve hinted at her immaturity, causing the Fae around them to pay her no mind.

With a little application of water magic to tweak their features, they looked just like a pair of Undines. Irukukwu appeared to be about 20, and her 'sister' looked no older than 14, but the Fae knew well that looks could be deceiving. They wouldn't be only pair where the older sibling had ended up playing a younger avatar.

Tabitha continued reading her book, unfazed by Irukukwu's theatrics.

Of course, Irukukwu's 'body' was a lot newer than even the Fae would expect.

After their return to Arrun, Sylphid had followed Tabitha's instructions and had landed in a secluded area of the Northern District. After a few words from her master, she had reluctantly surrounded herself with primal magic. Her draconic body was covered with a green swirl of whirling winds, and she emerged a few seconds later in her human form.

"Woohoo, Tabitha-nee, look over here!"

Tabitha paused to turn over a leaf in her book, then continued to meander through the market, ignoring her familiar's antics.

"Look, look, lookatit, look at it! It's Pina! Kyuikyui!"

Finally she hit on the right keyword to garner her master's attention. Tabitha peeked over the top of her book. A soft blush came over her features.

There, in front of them, was a stall overflowing with fluffy feathers, soft fur, and bright fabrics.

The sign hanging from the awning said Maki & Yolko's Soft Cuddle-Toys, and a group of young Faeries were clustered around, watching as the young woman in charge of the store made pretend Feathery Dragon noises as she demonstrated with one of her hand-puppets.

Taking centre stage in the store were two piles, one black, the other light blue, formed from life-sized replicas of Pina and Schwartz.

"Nee-sama, can I have one? Can I? Can I?" Irukukwu started gallivanting around Tabitha, pointing at the toys as she bounced about in an energetic fervor.

"Ah, young Undine. I see your sister has an eye for the best. Bluey and Blackie are two of our best selling toys, and for today only, if you buy a pair of them, we'll throw in two of our SAO chibi dolls! Here, take a look. This is the Black Swordsman, and the White Flash; we also have the Red Samurai, the Golden Guardian Kains, and even the Old Fisherman! Or if you prefer, we also have some ALO chibis – this is Big Sis, the Lackadaisical Cat, Caramel the Swordswoman, our Leprechaun in a Red Coat, and Bastion the Imp! We even have two special editions, a pretty black haired girl wielding two swords - just like the Black Swordsman of Aincrad - and a Faerie in a cloak with a mouse pixie that goes in her pocket. We call that one The Cat and the Rat!

"Let's do it Nee-sama! They're wonderful! Amazing! I want it! Kyuii, *blush* I mean, Squeeee!"

A minute later some coins had changed hands, and Irukukwu was the proud owner of two cuddle-able feathery dragon dolls and a pair of chibis.

They continued to wander through the stalls, with Irukukwu still overcome with glee at her coup. She thanked her sister a dozen times, before pressing the chibi of the Red Samurai into her hands, telling her that she should have it for herself.

Tabitha accepted the present with grace, tucking it into the secret pocket in the sleeve of her cloak before returning to her book. Fortunately, their shopping trip wouldn't take much longer - she had finally spotted her own target, a Tristanian merchant selling local childrens books to the Fae.

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Arrun
Nighttime
Central Library Roof

Careful preparation had led Tabitha to the top of a crenellated dome in Central Arrun, half protected by a spiraling offshoot of Yggdrasil root. After visiting the library during the day, she was fairly certain that she was right on top of the section she wanted. The library's children's section.

She cast one of her specialized spells, layering wind, wind and water to produce the Mask of Shadows. A spell that combined the properties of mist and movement to give her buffs for adroitness, silence, and a blurring of her features.

She had already prized open one of the clerestory windows, and a rope harness was tied snugly around her waist. Irukukwu was still in her human form to minimize the chances of being spotted, but she still had her draconic strength.

Tabitha tripled her concentration and added a second spell on top of the first, one of the most basic wind cantrips. It connected her to Irukukwu, allowing her whispered commands to be relayed to her familiar. Even with the simplicity of the second spell, she couldn't hold them both active for more than a handful of minutes. She was already starting to sweat.

It was time to go.

She wiggled through the open window, dangling dozens of mails above the floor below.

"…down…" she whispered, and Irukukwu let the line pay out.

It was a nerve-wracking operation, holding herself steady as she dropped down into the silent archive, trying to prevent herself from spinning about like a top. Finally, she was there, held suspended only a couple of mails away from the shelf.

She drew out a copy of Wiggly Worm's Wonderful Day, then whispered her next instruction.

"…swing…"

A few seconds later, the rope twitched to the left, then the right, and with careful movements Tabitha managed to direct it into an arc that would take her directly to the shelf she wanted.

She grabbed at one of the books, taking care not to touch the bookshelf itself.

She didn't know where the Fae had placed their wards, but if she avoided touching the floor and all of the furniture, including the shelving, then she should be able to avoid being detected. On the next two swings, she managed to dislodge the target volume, and she now had a book in either hand. All she had to do was place her own book in the vacant slot…

*tap, tuu, tap, tuu*

Footsteps!

"…up, up…" she gave the command for a rapid ascent, and was promptly pulled up halfway to the roof.

Below, the Head Librarian came around the corner, cup of tea in hand. She paused directly under Tabitha to take a sip.

Tabitha held her breath, counting seconds to keep herself distracted from her precarious position. If she made a sound, or if the Librarian happened to look up…

Unfortunately, the rapid ascent and the previous swinging meant that she was now precessing in a pendulous ellipse. The chibi in her pocket was edging closer to release with every swing, and with her hands both occupied by books, she could only hope that raising her arm would keep it in place…

Beneath, Bishop glanced around, then proceeded to down the stacks and out the other door.

With a sigh, Tabitha lowered her arms.

*sslllip!*

The Red Samurai slithered from her sleeve, making the unluckiest of escapes.

As Tabitha looked on in horror, it dropped towards the floor, bouncing twice on one of the library desks before coming to a halt just before it slid off onto the floor. Fortunately, the soft stuffing meant that it made no sound.

Quickly assessing the situation, Tabitha realized that she had less than a minute before she could no longer sustain her masking spell.

"…drop…"

"…swing…"

This time, she managed to place the book in the empty slot, and with a quickly spoken "…up, up, up…" Irukukwu retrieved her just before her spells ran out.

Fae book in hand, she glanced below as she put the clerestory window back in place. The chibi samurai doll appeared to be looking up at her with the solemn sadness of being dropped, then left on his own.

*In his bed on the other side of Arrun, the Salamander Klein sneezed in his sleep*

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Aftermath

Tabitha returned to her lodgings at the Tristain Academy of Magic. On the way she passed the contraband children's book to her contact.

Another mission successfully completed. For the time being, her mother would remain safe.

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In Arrun, the Head Librarian scratched her head after she discovered a Chibi Doll on a desk in the children's section the next morning.

How did that get there?

She looked around, but couldn't see any disturbances. No chairs moved, no books out of place… not a single vibration had been transmitted to her through the floor last night.

Oh! It's a mystery. Something to look into when I have some spare Runtime.

The doll felt soft and warm in her hand. Something about it looked awfully familiar…

Her lips tilted up a fraction.

Perhaps I'll start a collection. Someone on my staff should know where these come from.