A/N: Sorry for the wait. Massive laziness and slight writer's block hit me hard but I'm back and we're nearing the end of Season 1. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Zero no Tsukaima or Cardfight! Vanguard.
Chapter 13
That evening…
I haven't seen Louise or Wardes ever since they had left the restaurant and it began to irk me. A person as capable as Wardes shouldn't be keeping the people he is escorting waiting, especially when the time for us to set sail is near. Currently, I was waiting on a large balcony the hotel had where I had a great view of the town and evening sky. I had had enough of waiting for them among the townsfolk and left Guiche to watch over the luggage, much to his chagrin.
"I think you're overreacting, Partner." Deflinger suggested. "I mean, that Wardes is the captain PRINCESS's Royal Guard. Why would he be a threat?"
"Did you forget, Derflinger? He seems to be aware of the fact that Louise is a Void mage and that knowledge should only be known to me, Colbert, and Osmond." I pointed out. If Wardes really was just the captain of the Royal Guard, then there's no way for him to have learned about Louise. Before we began our journey, he even claimed to have not seen Louise in years. So how?
"If that's the case, then what does it mean?" Derflinger asked.
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this."
Suddenly, the earth began to shake and dirt and stones began to gather in one place down below the balcony in the road. The townsfolk nearby panicked and immediately ran away as a massive golem formed.
"We meet again, Gandalfr." A familiar woman's voice said. I turned around to see a woman walking towards me with her hood down.
"Fouquet," I said. "How did you get out of prison?"
"That's not important right now. What's important right now…" Fouquet said before a dark aura began to surround her. My shock grew further when those all-to-familiar red markings appeared under her eyes.
"Is your death!"
There's no way! She was Reversed! How?!
"You…! How?" I muttered.
Just then, Guiche appeared from the hotel halls onto the balcony.
"Sir Amos! What's going on-" Guiche was cut-off midsentence upon seeing Fouquet and her golem. "Fouquet? Sir Amos, what's going on?"
"Take our stuff and get to the ship, Guiche!" I commanded him.
"But Sir Amos!" pleaded Guiche.
"Now!" I yelled before donning my armor. Guiche looked unsure and clenched his fists before nodding his head and left in a hurry.
"How cute," Fouquet commented. "But do you seriously think I'll just let you go to Albion?"
"How do you know about that?" I sneered. "Better yet, where did you get that power? It shouldn't exist here."
"Oh? You are familiar with this power? I must say, it feels amazing. My magic is stronger than ever." Fouquet marveled. "All thanks to our master."
"Who?!" I demanded before slashing at her, firing a sword beam. She jumped high into the air to evade it and landed on top of her golem.
"Now, now," she mocked. "Let's not be too hasty. I'm going to enjoy crushing you slowly."
"I'd like to see you try."
Elsewhere…
"Where's Amos and Guiche?" Louise asked Wardes as he secured the last of their luggage onto the griffin.
"Earlier, Amos said they were going to head back." He lied.
"What? Why? That doesn't sound like Amos." Louise argued.
"Yes, it was quite a shock to me as well but he said that he received word to return to the palace and that a few of us would continue the mission. He gave me whatever supplies he bought and left."
"How long ago was this? I'm going to have a word with him! If I leave now, I can catch up!" Louise said before getting off the griffin.
"Louise, the ship will depart very soon. We don't have time." Wardes sighed.
"Then you take me to him! Your griffin should be fast enough, right?"
"I just told you he was ordered to return." Wardes replied.
"And I want to know why! He's my familiar and as his master I deserve to know!" Louise huffed before turning to leave.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that."
Wardes hand chopped the back of Louise's neck, causing her world to go dark before she collapsed into his arms.
"I've come much too far to have you not cooperate, little Louise."
…
"Kugh!" I grunted as I skidded backward.
"What's wrong? What happened to all that power you showed me before?" Fouquet laughed.
I underestimated her power. To think the power of Reverse would increase her strength this much… Try as I may, I had no reliable way to utterly destroy her golem. Everything I did was useless because it would simply regenerate thanks to the abundance of earth in this area. To top it off, it was empowered by Fouquet's Reverse magic which made it stronger and much more durable.
What could I do?
Suddenly, a blast of fire hit Fouquet in her abdomen, causing her to shriek in pain. A dragon's cry filled the air and I turned and looked up to see Sylpheed. Riding her was her master Tabitha and Kirche!
"You two…" I started as the landed next to me. "What are you doing here?"
"Darling, I missed you!" Kirche chirped in delight. Tabitha was reading her book as usual, uninterested in anything else.
"You bitch!" Fouquet snarled angrily from atop her golem.
"Well, well, if it isn't the old hag." Kirche mocked.
"Old?! I'm only twenty-three you egotistical kid!"
"What's with the weird make-up? It SO does not look good on you." Kirche noted.
"What's going on over here?"
"What's that?"
A huge group of townsfolk holding up torches began to gather to where we were while chattering amongst themselves.
"Tch! I've overstayed my welcome." Fouquet whispered. "No matter, I've held you here long enough, Gandalfr. Next time we meet, your life is mine!"
Fouquet then jumped high into the air and disappeared into the moons in a cloud of black and red dust.
Held us here long enough? That means-
*Ding, ding, ding*
"What's that sound?" Kirche asked.
"That's the sound of departure!" Guiche pointed out.
Damn it! We missed our flight! That meant that Louise was alone with Wardes and could be in danger!
"Wait, Fouquet said that she held us here long enough," Guiche realized. "Does that mean she was trying to prevent us from going to Albion?"
"She may be in league with Wardes."
"What? Then that would mean…"
"Louise is with the enemy."
"Oh, are you talking about that dandy bearded fellow? Such a shame, I heard about your mission and wanted to get close with him but it looks like I won't get the chance to." Kirche pouted.
"Tabitha." I said, causing her to look up from her reading. "Is Sylpheed strong enough to carry at least one person to Albion?"
"Difficult." She said simply.
"The next flight is not until tomorrow." Kirche informed. "We have no choice but to wait."
I clenched my fists angrily.
"By then it would be too late. There must be something we could do."
Just then, the ground began to erupt below Guiche before toppling him backward. Guiche yelped girlishly as he fell onto his back.
"What in the world?"
A familiar nose stuck out of the hole that was created before sticking its head out entirely.
"Verdande?"
Albion
Louise closed Wales's door behind her while staying deep in thought about the flight to Albion until now. Though she was angry that Wardes would do something like knocking her out, she soon forgave him after realizing her error. She promised the Princess that she would complete this mission and her actions back at the hotel jeopardized it. Louise reasoned with herself that Wardes did it for her own good and for the mission and figured she'd be better off with Wardes anyway.
Right! She didn't that stupid familiar anyway! …Right?
Yet, she still couldn't stop thinking about it. Just what exactly did they need Amos back for? It was times like this where she needed his guidance. She had just finished talking with Wales about coming back with them to Tristain to be with the Princess but he had refused. He explained that Albion needed him and that he wouldn't be a proper ruler for them if he didn't lay down his life for his country.
How was she going to tell this to the Princess? Just then, Wardes came up to Louise and snapped her out of her thoughts.
"I assume that is the letter in question?" Wardes asked, looking at Louise's hand which held the letter. Louise turned to him and nodded her head.
"Then the mission is completed." Wardes then placed his hands on her shoulders. "By the way, I'm going to ask Prince Wales to oversee our wedding."
"Eh?" Louise's eyes widened. "We are going to marry here?"
"Of course. I'm sure the Prince would be happy to oblige."
"It's too sudden! I can't go through with this!" Louise denied before tearing away from Wardes's grasp. "Besides, did you not say that it would be at least after the mission?"
Wardes then wrapped his arms around her, this time much tighter than normal.
"I need you, Louise…" Wardes stated before red markings appeared under his eyes, making his face more sinister. "No, we, the Reconquista need you!"
"The Reconquista?!" Louise gasped. "That means… Wardes… you're…!"
"You don't have to think about anything, Louise. Just follow me." Wardes said.
"No way! I refuse to associate myself any longer with you! Especially Albion's enemy!" Louise yelled. She then elbowed Wardes in the stomach, causing him to bend over coughing to catch his breath. Louise then drew the sword that Amos had given her back at the town and put the blade at Wardes's neck.
"You are no longer the man I once loved. By my pride as a Valliere and of Tristain, I will bring you to justice!"
A blonde man wearing a green robe suddenly appeared and approached them.
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, you who carries the Void's seed." The man said.
"Who are you?" Louise demanded, turning her blade to the newcomer.
"That's none of your concern... You don't have to think about anything." he suggested before holding up his left fist which had a ring with a purple gem embedded in it.
A/N: Yeah, I know this chapter was short even though I've been gone a long time. I just wanted to get this one out there so that I can focus purely on wrapping up Season 1 because Season 2 is the one where I have the most ideas. I know there's a lot of people who like my Jurassic Halkeginia story so I'll be working on updating that one. I'm actually rewriting the first chapter for it and adding on much more content to it so it will basically be better than it currently is plus extra content so it's like I uploaded another chapter.
I was also thinking of doing a self-insert for Nisekoi and a Devil May Cry/Fairy Tail crossover. If it does happen then I hope you guys like them.
Anyways, hopefully the next string of updates won't take so long. I promise the next chapter for Shining Swordsman will be lengthy and nice.