A/N: As we've got long weekend, productivity has been flowing fast! So here's chapter two!
Thanks to superecho (long time no see and of course! Expect more Vayne/Anna :D), Xinkenn Clenrew (thank you very much for your criticsm, I appreciate it), and Kira Ria 18 (thank you for waiting!) for the reviews!
Disclaimer: No, Mana-Khemia is not my property. Just a fan with an imagination working overtime.
Sulpher's ears tilted up. Immediately, the black cat stopped in his tracks and looked sideways, to his left.
"What's wrong, Sulpher?"
"No... It's nothing."
Vayne looked at the cat for a while, who had suddenly stopped while walking. Their morning classes had already finished, and since Philo went over to call Nike for lunch, he went ahead to the workshop. The abrupt stop of the cat was immediately forgotten, as said cat began to trot ahead again.
"You sure you're fine?" Vayne inquired again, catching up to Sulpher.
"You worry too much. I said it was nothing," came the reply of the cat.
"Vayne-sempai?" A girlish voice called out behind them.
Turning around, Vayne saw his kouhai, Anna, walking over to them, and he stopped. "Ah, Anna. Are you heading to the workshop, too?"
The turquoise-haired girl nodded. "Yes. I planned to have my lunch and to get a couple of items I need for my next class. Isn't Philo-sempai and Nike-sempai with you?"
"Oh... Philo went to call Nike for lunch, so I went ahead. Philo also did say that she'll try pulling along Gunnar-sempai with them."
Anna wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Well. I surely hope not. Sempai tends to make a lot of mess just like Nike-sempai, and I just cleaned the workshop this morning!"
Vayne chuckled. "Well, it is Gunnar-sempai after all. Are you headed directly for the workshop, or are you heading to the cafeteria to get your lunch first?"
"I intended to head for the workshop already, since I already bought my lunch earlier..." Anna replied, and tilted her head in a questioning manner. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, since we're both heading for the workshop, why don't we both walk together?" Vayne offered.
A small smile tugged on Anna's lips. "Well, I don't mind," she replied, and they began walking.
"I'm surprised that you're already taking the shorter route, sempai."
"Well... We did notice that it did take a shorter while than our usual route to the workshop... So, I guess we've got to thank you for it."
"No... It's quite alright. I easily get lost myself, so I tried to see if there are easier routes for me to remember."
"Hmm... I guess you have a point," Vayne smiled. "You're always so diligent, Anna."
Anna flushed slightly. "T-thank you very much, but you speak as if you aren't diligent yourself, sempai!"
Vayne pondered on her words. "You think so? I think I'm not that diligent..."
"Of course not!" Anna raised her voice and looked at him suddenly, startling the white-haired boy. "You're a very respectable and hardworking person, sempai! I, myself, look up to you!"
Vayne blinked for a bit, registering her words. She really looks up to me? His kouhai was still staring at him intently, and that's when he knew. I guess she really does. He smiled. "Thank you, Anna."
They resumed walking again, and she sighed. "Sempai, I worry that you think so lowly of yourself."
A worried look plastered on his face. "I-I don't think lowly of myself... It's just that I'm not really conscious of what I do, I think."
She stayed quiet for a while, thinking. "I guess so."
Anna turned to look at the cat, whose tail was swaying as it walked its way up the stairs. She hadn't noticed that they walked their way past the Athanor room, and were already nearing the workshop.
"Ne, sempai, Sulpher-san has been your companion for a long time, right?"
"Yeah. Sulpher taught me a lot about everything."
"I don't mean to intrude, but..." Anna frowned. "Wasn't it lonely?"
"... It was." Vayne reminisced, a sad expression forming on his face. "Whenever I tried going into town, people would shout at me and told me to go away. I only had Sulpher as a friend. But now..." Vayne stopped walking, and Anna turned to look at him, not hearing his footsteps. She had already reached the top step of the stairs, and he had still remained there at the bottom.
"I have you, Philo, Nike, Gunnar-sempai, Pamela, everyone, even Roxis, as friends." Vayne smiled. "I'm glad that I got invited here."
For some unknown reason, Anna blushed. She spun on her heel immediately, and Vayne blinked.
"Anna?" Vayne called as he caught up to her. "What's wrong?"
"I-it's nothing!" Anna rushed towards the workshop door, hiding her still-red face. Why on earth am I blushing...?!
Vayne shrugged, confused. Was it something I said?
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.
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"I dunno about you guys, but I feel like I've been glued to a feather pillow."
"Lucresia... You're lying on my fur."
"Oh. Your fur's fluffy, by the way."
"I know."
"What happened?" Velvet rose from the cold floor and rubbed her head, which pretty much felt like it was ringing. "Oh, my head...!"
The manas regained consciousness, and they pretty much felt terrible. They were still on the rooftop, however...
"My body feels incredibly heavy..." Lucresia huffed as she tried rising from Azterion's fur.
"I don't know if my vision's just hazy, but..." Azterion pointed out. "Are those students lying on the floor?"
"Huh?" Velvet turned to her left. Beside her was a male student, his face flat on the floor. "I think so, there's a guy who's just..." She registered that thought, and her eyes widened.
"Kyaaah!" She immediately scooted away. "Is he...?"
"No..." Escalder's voice came soft voice came from afar. "They've been... targeted."
"Targeted... By Alicia?" Lucresia mumbled as she was finally able to rise from her friend's fur. She floated towards one of the students.
Velvet suddenly remembered. "Alicia! We've got to find her!"
Escalder nodded, looking worried. "There are students... So it's already lunch time."
Lucresia looked grim as she floated away from the student. "They're fine, but... I think they got a dose of Alicia's illusions."
"No... My Puni doll... Noooo! Don't take it awaaay!" A male student suddenly bursted out, startling them.
"I guess they really did," Azterion looked around. "She's already hit five unlucky people who decided to go here."
"Ahhh!" Another male student shouted. "I don't want that injection, Miss Melanie! No! Go away!"
In another corner, another student started wailing. "My hard-earned pictures... Of Miss Isolde... In flames...! Whyyy!"
All of them sweat dropped, realizing that the student was a girl, who was now hugging herself.
"Thank heavens we didn't get a dose of illusions too," Velvet sighed.
"Can we still use our powers?" Lucresia wondered.
Escalder nodded. He produced a little sapling from his palm. "Alicia only knocked us unconscious, I think..."
"Well, that's good at least," Azterion made quickly his way through the bodies. "We'd better find Alicia before she causes anymore havoc."
Velvet started to look worried. "Oh... I hope she doesn't go after Anna-chan or the others..."
"Hopefully not," Lucresia frowned. "We'd better get going."
"No... boys... on earth... only girls..." a male student started screaming. "No...! Get away! Don't go near!"
The manas laughed to themselves as they made their way, and descended down the steps.
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.
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Anna couldn't believe her eyes as she opened the door to the workshop. Her face immediately fell.
Vayne couldn't either. His eyes were wide open and were fixed on the floor.
The unmoving figure of Alicia Terranfia was there, in the very middle. Sulpher looked at her sharply.
"Alicia!" Anna shouted immediately, running towards her mana, who was unusually in her human form. "W-what happened!?"
"Oh...?" Alicia raised her head sloppily. With her hazy vision, she could make out the figures of her master, Anna. "Anna-sama~!"
With that she threw herself cheerfully on her master. "I showed everyone~~~! I did my very, very, very, best~!"
"Is there something wrong with Alicia-san, Sulpher...?" Vayne finally recovered from his shock.
"I don't know... But she's not acting like herself." Sulpher watched her intently. Maybe that's the power I sensed earlier...
"Ahahaha, Vayne-san's, here, too!" Alicia smiled lopsidedly as she noticed Vayne. "Why don't I show you, too?"
"Alicia, are you alright...?" Anna looked worriedly at her mana. Alicia's not acting like herself... What happened to her...? And what happened here...?
"Here I goooo~!" As Alicia raised her hand, Sulpher's eyes widened. A bright light started engulfing the room.
"What is this? Kyaaah!" Anna covered her eyes.
"Vayne, watch..." But before he could even warn his master, Vayne immediately rushed towards Anna.
"Anna, look out!"
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.
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"We're too late!" Lucresia shouted as she saw a bright light emerging from the workshop. After a while, it completely disappeared, as if nothing happened.
"Philo!" Velvet immediately rushed down the stairs and headed towards the open door, the other manas just behind her.
Instead of rushing to their masters, they stood there witless, staring at the floor.
Alicia was there in the center, unconscious, back in her mana form.
The others were there too, however...
Escalder looked pale.
Azterion looked half amused and un-amused at the same time.
Velvet was speechless, absolutely at a loss for words.
Lucresia had a dreadful look upon on her face.
"Velvet Wrienrest... I therefore conclude," Lucresia said tonelessly. "You are, indeed, Philomel Hartung's mana. A real genius at creating chaos."
Velvet would usually protest that she wasn't a chaotic genius. But seeing the situation, she conceded.
"At least we got a saving grace," Azterion pointed over to a corner, breaking the silence.
"... That's nice," Velvet said, gaining her voice again. "... I think."
"But we're still..." Escalder stopped, looking for a better word.
"We're still screwed though." Lucresia's eye twitched.
They all nodded, sharing the sentiment.
This was going to be a long day.
Change in this chapter: I pretty much changed everything in this chapter. The conversation between Vayne and Anna was particularly the greatest change here as I just added it (it was not in the original). It fits nicely, I think.
I'm pretty much satisfied on how this is turning out. Chapter three coming soon!
Please read and review! Thank you very much!