Emmy and Fischl arrived at a small inn west of Mondstadt where they stopped in front of the door. With a quick gesture, the two girls went toward the back of the inn, which faced the giant wall enclosing Mondstadt. Emmy knocked on the door after looking at her friend Fischl and stepped back, waiting for a response.
A few moments later, it came.
The small rectangular section on the door slid open to reveal a pair of green eyes that seemed incredibly familiar to Fischl. She tried to get a closer look but the person seemed to notice and ducked. A voice came from space.
"Is there anything that can be done for you two? Why have you come here?"
The person asked the two young girls, their voice was surprisingly young. Emmy gestured to her friend and the girl took out the queen piece that she had in her pocket, she held it up so the person on the other could see it.
A voice came out of the door soon after, "I see, you have obtained the piece. As it is the queen piece you are now our queen so by right I should let you enter our stronghold. But first I should inform you that both of you must don a blindfold."
Fischl nodded excitedly, not worried at all that this might be an elaborate kidnapping. It wasn't possible, after all, Emmy was here with her, so she didn't think she was in any danger.
"I don't see why not?" Emmy said as she looked at the side of the door, where a small circular section that has cut off from the wall opened up to reveal a hand and it gave up two blindfolds.
It was a large white hand that seemingly had no calluses but judging by how the blindfold blocked the full view of the user's hand, she may just be wrong.
The little girls grab the black blindfolds and Fischl went to put on her blindfold but Emmy didn't put on hers. The girl watched silently as a friend put on the blindfold and left her own in her hands. When Fischl put on her blindfold the girl sent a signal to the one behind the door to tell them that the coast was clear.
The one behind the door Harlin opened it and give a thumbs up to Emmy and she entered the inn.
The girl looks inside the inn to see various gifts and decorations on the place along with what looked to be a redecorated version of the standard inn located in Mondstadt. They consist of what looked to be various amounts of black and purple decorations along with a very large cake.
"Hmm…" Emmy nodded at each of the others that was her to attend the celebration and then she quickly started pushing Fischl up the stairs while saying, "Ah, this massive role-playing event we just happened to stumble upon. Let's go upstairs to get dressed for it right, they have clothes of all sizes it seems."
Fischl tilted her head, "How do you know, aren't you blindfolded?"
"As your knight shouldn't I be the one to guide you? I removed my blindfold so I could guide you up the stairs. Don't worry they have already told me where the room was so I only need to bring you up there to get dressed. As for how I knew well I asked him to tell me without you knowing, and he whispered it to me."
Fischl hummed and then started walking up the stairs quickly as she was guided by her friend, Emmy quickly did a couple of hand signs for the others to get ready and they excitedly raised up their confetti and other tools.
As for who was there, they were; Harlin, Noelle, Sebastian, Ansgar, Andre, and, Aries who were from Emmy's main group, and the other two were Lynx and Lynn who would be playing the music and setting the ambiance of a royal banquette.
Emmy smiled as she guided Fischl toward the room for her to get dressed, seeing the door she opened it and pushed Fischl inside lightly. Then she entered.
"You can do it on your right? The dressing I mean?"
"Hmph! What can't this Prinzessin not do? Alas, for mine subject to doubt me so, punishment may be in order."
Emmy smiled at her arrogant or was it confident response, the girl was still blindfolded yet she spoke as if everything was in her hands. Emmy cooked up a response.
"Spare me!" Emmy said dramatically as she removed Fischl's blindfold for her to see the monstrosity she had to put on herself. The girl gasped and gulped as she looked at Emmy who now had an amused smile.
"You still think you can do it on your own?"
"..."
"Don't give me that begging look, I'll always do something for you, right? Anyway, I trained hard for this very day," Emmy looked at the princessy purple dress in front of them in a room that seemed so purple it was mildly disgusting but the only expression that was on Fischl's face was elation.
That girl loves purple to an excessive degree.
And so with a common from the Prinzessin herself, the knight began to help her Princess dress in her royal garbs which they were as they were made with, while not the highest quality material, it was still a Rank 4 dress. It was a gift from her grandmother to Fischl and had various properties that would be discovered later.
Like a self-fitting effect and also a growth effect, so Fischl could use it when she wanted at any age.
A full 20 minutes later and finally Fischl, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung was finished dressing, Emmy doing the finishing touches on her hair before she released the young girl from her misery of being dressed for so long.
She never wanted to experience it again.
But the results were worth it.
"Wow…"
Fischl expressed her amazement at how the dress looked. It was a purple dress that started with a white midriff section that gradually became purple the further it went until it became a dark purple at the bottom of the skirt.
It had intricately drawn white arrows that went from the waist down near the bottom of the skirt. Butterflies in various shades of purple lines the dress at the bottom and became sparse approaching the top.
"It's amazing," Fischl said as she touched the rings on her middle fingers and drove her index finger along the fabric to touch her shoulder, marveling at how soft everything was. She expected this thick dress to make her hot and uncomfortable but surprisingly—it was quite brisk.
"Finally."
"Hehe, art thou enchanted by this Prinzessin's good looks?"
"Very."
"Really? Then one should work to enter this one's good graces should you not? A hall of praises should be sufficient to sustain me."
"Yes, you are cute. Darling even. Adorable if you will. Endearing, to say the least. Winsome basicall—"
"Okay, I get it. You can stop now," Fischl blushed as Emmy decided to pull out a mental dictionary to shower Fischl with praises.
"Hmm. Now that you understand that you are simply stunning and no one can compare to you, I too shall go to get dressed. If you would excuse me, my lady."
"You are excused, my knight."
Emmy bowed with a hand on her heart before she went outside the door, both girls smiling but for different reasons.
'Finally, it was time,' Emmy entered the room adjacent to Fischl's and rapidly dressed, akin to the soldiers who were under her family's jurisdiction. Not a single wasted movement. Within 3 minutes the girl finished dressing.
She turned and looked at herself in the mirror, the military-style clothing she wore was extremely fitting when paired with her short black hair and bright–blue eyes. She had some nice and intimidating–-to her–-boots that would be a good tool to kick someone in the face.
As if to test it the girl threw a few fast and precise kicks to no one in particular and even jumped in the air to throw one as well. She bounced around on the balls of her feet and executed a few punches as well, the air exploded as the girl's technique allowed her power to reach a realm it shouldn't have otherwise.
She was about to continue when she noticed herself in the mirror once more in the military uniform and then she quickly settled down, patting herself down to make sure her clothes were not torn.
She scratched her cheek sheepishly, "Got a bit too excited."
[The Host is speaking to herself again.]
'System!? You're awake?'
[Indeed. The system has finished its upgrades, but there is something I would like the Host to know–]
"I know."
[???]
Seeing the three question marks, Emmy once again said, 'I know. It's my body, I know what's happening. While not to a full extent like you do, I know it's bad.'
[So why do you—]
'You know, Fischl's really important to me. I would hate it if her friend couldn't make it because of some supernatural bullshit she probably would never know or be told. If you were in her place, wouldn't you be indignant as well?'
[Host…]
'After this party, I'll go along with what you want okay? But just this once I wanna do something that even with my messed up fate and horrible–broken personality, I want to do something I enjoy for once.'
Emmy's eyes shined with a feeling she wouldn't understand, "I want to see her smile."
Even if fate and destiny seemed to be against her for being too talented and blessed, Emmy didn't care. But… No one, absolutely no one would stop her from making her friend happy on this day. Not even the system.
[Too stubborn. The Host is too perceptive and stubborn.]
The system felt that the host was a bit too much of a passionate idiot sometimes. It was making it and the instructors worried, it was an open secret that most of them were glad that they would partially be separated in 3 months.
It wasn't like they disapproved but having a crutch for Emmy's emotion like Fischl was an easily exploitable weakness and if she were to be killed, the world would not survive the wrath of a person who could learn anything related to combat.
"Emmy?!"
"I'll be there in a while!"
The girl smiled, 'I know. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm Emmy Edgar, Kamiko of Kujou house. I'm too talented to die… Hopefully.'
Emmy at this point still thought that she would die because she was too talented and not because of who she was or what she represented. Only time will tell of the day she finds out whether the initial hypothesis stays true or falls flat.
The system no longer responded and Emmy took that as a signal for her to go back to Fischl's room. Upon entry, she saw the girl sitting on a chair in the room and she elegantly held a book in her hands. She blinked and then looked at the door where she delivered a blinding smile toward Emmy.
"Emmy!"
"Your highness, shall we proceed towards the ball," Emmy's face was mildly red, partly because of Fischl's smile but mostly because of the words she had to say. She approached to go on one knee and gently took up Fischl's hand and kissed it with a bit more fever than required.
Soft. Emmy thought as she caressed the girl's palm, she looked up toward the girl to see her face red and a confused look on her face. She nudged her and the girl finally got out of her stupor and muttered before standing suddenly as the chair clattered.
"S-Shall we go?"
"Hn… Ah, is our dear Amy blushing? How cute," Emmy teased and the girl in question started walking toward the door to avoid further embarrassment. Emmy followed after her with a smile and with a snap of her fingers something flew from her palm to the windows, it went down towards a window on the ground floor.
It begins.
***
Fischl grabbed the sides of her dress as she walked down the stairs, once again in a blindfold for some reason. She didn't mind it though as she waited for the roleplay event she got to, they even got her a dress. Though she did wonder how they got her size.
Her suspicion was canceled out by how happy she was, however. After all, this was her first roleplay event. She hadn't even heard of such a thing before, she would see new people, which she may or may not be afraid to talk to.
She would make friends, which would probably be undesirable as her current friends were all she needed.
'Though having a few more would not be a total waste,' Fischl sniffed and she caught a vaguely sweet scent and her head tilted in confusion, knocking it on something hard. Emmy being so close to her person and her gloved hand in hers.
Her friend had once again taken the job of guiding her once more Fischl to her credit no longer blushed when her friend took her hand, but a few flickers of warmth still makes their way into her chest.
They came to a stop and she was now on, what she believed to be the last step of the stairs. A voice came from the front. The same one as before, though now that she thought about it–seemed familiar.
"Ehem! Now welcoming her highness, Fischl. Heir to the Immernachtreich and one of outstanding prowess for her age. She has subdued many a nation and controls an infinite kingdom."
What—
The blindfold came off rapidly and the light from the windows assaulted her but not as much as what happened next.
Pop!
A layer of what she deemed colorful paper leaped at her and the sound caused the girl to jump back in surprise.
"Surprise!"
Up until that moment, Fischl still wondered how she ended up in Emmy's arms with a large crowd of her friends shouting at her in a good-natured manner. Confused and joyful the girl blinked and squealed to express her surprise.
If not jumping into someone's arms wasn't enough.
***
The party came quickly.
After Fischl's initial surprise and her feat of jumping almost 2 meters into the air, the group of friends immediately began to joyously wish the girl a happy birthday. The girl was quickly frankly overwhelmed by the "nobles" who came after her.
So her knight finally stepped in.
"Guys, restrain your adoration before her highness."
"Aye, your highness we were too hasty before you forgive us."
"Indeed."
"I agree with my good sirs, this one asks for forgiveness."
The others quickly joined in on the charade and put their best foot forward in the performance. Emmy looked at them in approval, their ability to act was quite satisfactory.
Contrary to expectations, Emmy wasn't just making her friends do work for Fischl's birthday. It also served as an evaluation of their abilities and strengths in subjects other than combat. Things like business, social ability, and organization, all of which were done acceptably for children their age.
Emmy thought she was still quite fortunate despite her cursed fate. These gems had handed themselves to her the moment she stepped outside her house, she wouldn't mind a bit more as well. More promising subordinates wouldn't hurt.
Without her notice, Emmy had begun to accept the position of boss, a position she hadn't desired in the beginning.
Emmy clapped her hands and the others started moving, they stood in a line she also joined and all together they bowed and said;
"Fischl Happy Birthday! You may order us as much as you like for today!"
A pleasant smile blossomed on Fischl's face and Lynx's face was filled with dread. Already seeing himself enduring a gruesome fate.
"My first order is," Fischl opened her mouth and eyed all of them, "I say, we have fun!"
"Yes, your highness!"
Thus began the celebrations. No one noticed the few tears in Fischl's eyes, the happy tears. She never imagine herself having friends throw her a birthday party, hell she never expected a weird person like her to get friends at all. She looked at Emmy and the girl smiled at her.
This person.
It was all thanks to this person.
At this moment Fischl's heart was filled with a strange warmth and her eyes shone with a feeling she didn't understand, not until a few years passed. But such a time had yet to come, all the little Fischl of the present knew was at this moment…
She likes Emmy, a lot. She was the best friend ever.
***
Despite all the build-up and preparation for the party, it did last as long as they thought it would last. It went a little like this.
"Emmy," Fischl said as the tables were cleared out of the way currently the young lady seemed a bit more shy than usual, with her hands held behind her back as she rocked back and forth. She placed her long hair behind her hair with a flushed face.
"Hn."
"I–"
"Shh…" Emmy place her finger on the girl's lips, it had become late since the party had begone and they were just arriving at the end. It was the most important part.
Most of the party at the beginning consisted of Fischl ordering them around to get her drinks or something she wanted but she never took it too far. Then they would play some chess or some other game, like cards.
Emmy admitted that she hadn't thought of the middle section of the party that much, because the beginning and the end took up most of her effort.
'I bet everyone is going to be surprised at what I have in store after this part.'
Emmy smiled as the music in the background intensified and she saw both Lynx and Lynn sitting down without their instruments. In the beginning, she was confused as to how he managed it but then she used elemental sight on a whim.
He was using his vision to make clones of himself. Each clone was an [Master] at a specific instrument and Lynx himself was a [Half–Saint], it wouldn't be long until he arrived at the [Saint] level mastery for music either.
Indeed, he was just as his title stated. The Prince of The Ballad.
Lynn while not as proficient as his counterpart had a splendid singing voice and was able to harmonize with Lynx, they were the perfect pair. A match made in heaven so to speak.
"Ehem, may I have all of your attention," Harlin started, the jacket that Fischl made for him a while ago was on his person along with a black suit.
The Grimwald twins always wore the same types of clothes but with small differences to them. Andre's bow tie was white which matched his black attire and Aries had a red tie, he didn't like a bow as much.
He said, "It's not as professional looking." but Emmy guessed it was just his preference.
Noelle stood by her brother's side as he came up to deliver a speech on the last part of the party that would come up soon enough.
Well…
The last part that he and the rest knew of anyway.
"Heh."
"Now that I have your attention, I would like to announce the beginning of the dance section of the party, pick your partners. They are incredibly few,"
At his words, Andre, Ansgar, Sebastian, and Aries sneered.
He and Lynx were the only ones here who had a female to accompany them. There were no others.
Hmm? Emmy and Fischl.
Stop playing around.
Those two wouldn't let anyone approach them and so the four boys could only linger in the upcoming dance.
Well, it wasn't like they held any feelings for any girl at this place. They had no time for that honestly, after this they would have to go and make up for all those missed days of training.
It was hell but they did miss it. Pushing themselves past the limit.
So the four boys dispersed as the three "couples" came forward. Harlin and his adopted sister Noelle, Emmy, and Fischl then Lynx and Lynn. The music in the background changed into a slightly sugary symphony.
"Hmm," Emmy came up in front of Fischl to go on one knee elaborately and waved her hand to put it on her chest in a flourish as she asked, "My dear fair lady, may I have this dance."
Her voice was deep and had a magnetic vibe—which was all in Fischl's head, at most Emmy made sure her voice was not as soft as it was before but Fischl had a great imagination. So things like imagining a voice were easy.
"Uhum! Well, this Prinzessin is not cruel and shall thus bless you with the right of accompanying me for a dance."
Emmy smiled, "It would be my pleasure, fair lady."
***
Fischl looked at the wall that was filled with various amounts of purple eccentricities such as—Paintings of the book [Flowers for Princess Fischl], and Sumeru roses which were purple. On the tables were gifts and vases, still purple and of various colors.
At this moment, the girl was thinking of whether to open them now or when she went home and ultimately she decided to wait for when she went home to open them.
Emmy began to speak, "Now, that we have finished the cake, even though with how large it was, it shouldn't have been possible. We have Noelle and Lynn to thank for that,"
The two girls waved as they patted their practically bloated bellies. The two guys next to them gave them a helping hand. Fischl sighed, she ate the least of her cake.
Emmy continued, "Now I have one more event planned, which most of you wouldn't even know about, So… Do you want to find out?"
***
The answer was yes.
The group came out from the inn as Emmy led them toward the wall, the gate there was always open for some reason. They greeted the guard and then walked outside, their respective footwear touching the soft grass.
Emmy quickly pulled Fischl toward the lake that surrounded Mondstadt, the rest of the group followed them. Emmy led them to one side of the lake where there was a large boat and stood there.
"Get in, all of you."
"Wah–" Andre said in surprise but saw Emmy's serious look and obediently got in the boat. The others got in without any fanfare as well and strangely there was a man there as well.
"Drive please," Emmy said as she sat on the "small" white boat she borrowed from her grandmother. It was a large artifact she got from the treasury as it didn't require any rowers to move it or mechanical parts. It only used energy.
Any type of energy, which made it a Rank 5 artifact due to its versatility but that wasn't important. What was important was the fact that while it seemed small from a certain point it was capable of hosting a large number of people.
Why?
Well, it could change itself to the will of the owner, which was currently Inu. Emmy had to admit, while it was an artifact that removed the aspect of rowing, it was still a vehicle that was hard to use. The fact that Inu could use it proved his capability.
"So boss… Why are we here?" Harlin asked in hesitation, this wasn't part of the script they had written. The script ended a long time ago.
"You'll see, all I can say is…" Emmy smiled mysteriously as she kept her eyes on the sky, "Keep your eyes on the stars."
At her words, they all looked up to see a small light shoot up with a whistle toward the sky from a small island far away from their current position and Andre was the first to notice what it was.
A firework.
A firework, in the middle of the night, when everyone in the city was about to go to sleep.
Crazy!
Wasn't she afraid of being charged by the Favonius?!
Andre and the others were covered in a cold sweat when a calming voice drifted over to them, it was Emmy's voice.
"Don't worry, they won't hear or see anything. Just enjoy it. It's gonna be so–"
Her voice was drowned out by the vigorous sound that came from the sky as the purple firework lit up the sky and the children screamed. Emmy chuckled and she found that the boatman did as well, their eyes met and Emmy's had a look of approval.
She nodded up to the sky and the boatman, who was Inu once again looked up to the sky. Enjoying the brief moment of peace the firework signified. Their respective lives were full of death and suffering but a moment like this once in a while wasn't bad.
Emmy wiped a small drop of blood off her lips and concealed it as she thought, 'It won't always be like this. Not for long. But…'
"The future is for the future, one should enjoy the present moment. For even that in reality while not everlasting, its memory is forever retained." Emmy whispered as she looked at the bright smile Fischl had, a smile full of wonder.
Emmy grinned and closed her eyes before looking at the sky as well. The cool breeze tickled her ears and her hair fluttered as the light from the fireworks bounced off the water of the lake.
Emmy closed her eyes, her expression was peaceful.
***
Drip—
A dark room and a white bed, a young girl her hands red. She was on the floor coughing hagging and struggling as around her neck a blue-black line of ink. It was a chain and it might have been taken as a tattoo by any other person but the girl.
It was her curse.
"Finally…" The girl said, her voice hoarse with anger and suffering but there was also an underlying tone of expectance, as if she expected all of this from the start, "You have revealed yourself to me."
The tattoo on the girl's neck shifted and twisted as it tighten around her neck. The girl didn't make a sound, stubbornly not trying to alert her friends who were staying in the inn.
She didn't need anyone coming here right now. This was her burden and by what those nine lights told her, it was also what was going to kill her.
She wouldn't be subdued though, she had a secret weapon. The girl opened her mouth and choked out a few words out of her constricted throat.
"System, help me!"
[Hmph! A bug dares to step within my territory! Inferior artificial intelligence should know their place— Affirmative.]
The system cut off one of the instructors who asked it for speaking rights and then made a move to restrain the "beast".
Emmy smiled, it was bloodied but it did not reduce the cuteness of the girl. It did, however—make her all the more terrifying.
"Haha, I'll be the one to win and to live," After these words, Emmy finally passed out from both blood loss and lack of oxygen.
[End of Arc 1: Unknown Birth]
[Arc 2: ???]
***
YiHuiliang
My mom came from overseas today so I had to accompany her for the whole day. Though I think I rushed this chapter a lot, maybe. I might edit it later. The side stories and then Arc 2.
Late chapter, pain.
Emmy and Fischl arrived at a small inn west of Mondstadt where they stopped in front of the door. With a quick gesture, the two girls went toward the back of the inn, which faced the giant wall enclosing Mondstadt. Emmy knocked on the door after looking at her friend Fischl and stepped back, waiting for a response.
A few moments later, it came.
The small rectangular section on the door slid open to reveal a pair of green eyes that seemed incredibly familiar to Fischl. She tried to get a closer look but the person seemed to notice and ducked. A voice came from space.
"Is there anything that can be done for you two? Why have you come here?"
The person asked the two young girls, their voice was surprisingly young. Emmy gestured to her friend and the girl took out the queen piece that she had in her pocket, she held it up so the person on the other could see it.
A voice came out of the door soon after, "I see, you have obtained the piece. As it is the queen piece you are now our queen so by right I should let you enter our stronghold. But first I should inform you that both of you must don a blindfold."
Fischl nodded excitedly, not worried at all that this might be an elaborate kidnapping. It wasn't possible, after all, Emmy was here with her, so she didn't think she was in any danger.
"I don't see why not?" Emmy said as she looked at the side of the door, where a small circular section that has cut off from the wall opened up to reveal a hand and it gave up two blindfolds.
It was a large white hand that seemingly had no calluses but judging by how the blindfold blocked the full view of the user's hand, she may just be wrong.
The little girls grab the black blindfolds and Fischl went to put on her blindfold but Emmy didn't put on hers. The girl watched silently as a friend put on the blindfold and left her own in her hands. When Fischl put on her blindfold the girl sent a signal to the one behind the door to tell them that the coast was clear.
The one behind the door Harlin opened it and give a thumbs up to Emmy and she entered the inn.
The girl looks inside the inn to see various gifts and decorations on the place along with what looked to be a redecorated version of the standard inn located in Mondstadt. They consist of what looked to be various amounts of black and purple decorations along with a very large cake.
"Hmm…" Emmy nodded at each of the others that was her to attend the celebration and then she quickly started pushing Fischl up the stairs while saying, "Ah, this massive role-playing event we just happened to stumble upon. Let's go upstairs to get dressed for it right, they have clothes of all sizes it seems."
Fischl tilted her head, "How do you know, aren't you blindfolded?"
"As your knight shouldn't I be the one to guide you? I removed my blindfold so I could guide you up the stairs. Don't worry they have already told me where the room was so I only need to bring you up there to get dressed. As for how I knew well I asked him to tell me without you knowing, and he whispered it to me."
Fischl hummed and then started walking up the stairs quickly as she was guided by her friend, Emmy quickly did a couple of hand signs for the others to get ready and they excitedly raised up their confetti and other tools.
As for who was there, they were; Harlin, Noelle, Sebastian, Ansgar, Andre, and, Aries who were from Emmy's main group, and the other two were Lynx and Lynn who would be playing the music and setting the ambiance of a royal banquette.
Emmy smiled as she guided Fischl toward the room for her to get dressed, seeing the door she opened it and pushed Fischl inside lightly. Then she entered.
"You can do it on your right? The dressing I mean?"
"Hmph! What can't this Prinzessin not do? Alas, for mine subject to doubt me so, punishment may be in order."
Emmy smiled at her arrogant or was it confident response, the girl was still blindfolded yet she spoke as if everything was in her hands. Emmy cooked up a response.
"Spare me!" Emmy said dramatically as she removed Fischl's blindfold for her to see the monstrosity she had to put on herself. The girl gasped and gulped as she looked at Emmy who now had an amused smile.
"You still think you can do it on your own?"
"..."
"Don't give me that begging look, I'll always do something for you, right? Anyway, I trained hard for this very day," Emmy looked at the princessy purple dress in front of them in a room that seemed so purple it was mildly disgusting but the only expression that was on Fischl's face was elation.
That girl loves purple to an excessive degree.
And so with a common from the Prinzessin herself, the knight began to help her Princess dress in her royal garbs which they were as they were made with, while not the highest quality material, it was still a Rank 4 dress. It was a gift from her grandmother to Fischl and had various properties that would be discovered later.
Like a self-fitting effect and also a growth effect, so Fischl could use it when she wanted at any age.
A full 20 minutes later and finally Fischl, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung was finished dressing, Emmy doing the finishing touches on her hair before she released the young girl from her misery of being dressed for so long.
She never wanted to experience it again.
But the results were worth it.
"Wow…"
Fischl expressed her amazement at how the dress looked. It was a purple dress that started with a white midriff section that gradually became purple the further it went until it became a dark purple at the bottom of the skirt.
It had intricately drawn white arrows that went from the waist down near the bottom of the skirt. Butterflies in various shades of purple lines the dress at the bottom and became sparse approaching the top.
"It's amazing," Fischl said as she touched the rings on her middle fingers and drove her index finger along the fabric to touch her shoulder, marveling at how soft everything was. She expected this thick dress to make her hot and uncomfortable but surprisingly—it was quite brisk.
"Finally."
"Hehe, art thou enchanted by this Prinzessin's good looks?"
"Very."
"Really? Then one should work to enter this one's good graces should you not? A hall of praises should be sufficient to sustain me."
"Yes, you are cute. Darling even. Adorable if you will. Endearing, to say the least. Winsome basicall—"
"Okay, I get it. You can stop now," Fischl blushed as Emmy decided to pull out a mental dictionary to shower Fischl with praises.
"Hmm. Now that you understand that you are simply stunning and no one can compare to you, I too shall go to get dressed. If you would excuse me, my lady."
"You are excused, my knight."
Emmy bowed with a hand on her heart before she went outside the door, both girls smiling but for different reasons.
'Finally, it was time,' Emmy entered the room adjacent to Fischl's and rapidly dressed, akin to the soldiers who were under her family's jurisdiction. Not a single wasted movement. Within 3 minutes the girl finished dressing.
She turned and looked at herself in the mirror, the military-style clothing she wore was extremely fitting when paired with her short black hair and bright–blue eyes. She had some nice and intimidating–-to her–-boots that would be a good tool to kick someone in the face.
As if to test it the girl threw a few fast and precise kicks to no one in particular and even jumped in the air to throw one as well. She bounced around on the balls of her feet and executed a few punches as well, the air exploded as the girl's technique allowed her power to reach a realm it shouldn't have otherwise.
She was about to continue when she noticed herself in the mirror once more in the military uniform and then she quickly settled down, patting herself down to make sure her clothes were not torn.
She scratched her cheek sheepishly, "Got a bit too excited."
[The Host is speaking to herself again.]
'System!? You're awake?'
[Indeed. The system has finished its upgrades, but there is something I would like the Host to know–]
"I know."
[???]
Seeing the three question marks, Emmy once again said, 'I know. It's my body, I know what's happening. While not to a full extent like you do, I know it's bad.'
[So why do you—]
'You know, Fischl's really important to me. I would hate it if her friend couldn't make it because of some supernatural bullshit she probably would never know or be told. If you were in her place, wouldn't you be indignant as well?'
[Host…]
'After this party, I'll go along with what you want okay? But just this once I wanna do something that even with my messed up fate and horrible–broken personality, I want to do something I enjoy for once.'
Emmy's eyes shined with a feeling she wouldn't understand, "I want to see her smile."
Even if fate and destiny seemed to be against her for being too talented and blessed, Emmy didn't care. But… No one, absolutely no one would stop her from making her friend happy on this day. Not even the system.
[Too stubborn. The Host is too perceptive and stubborn.]
The system felt that the host was a bit too much of a passionate idiot sometimes. It was making it and the instructors worried, it was an open secret that most of them were glad that they would partially be separated in 3 months.
It wasn't like they disapproved but having a crutch for Emmy's emotion like Fischl was an easily exploitable weakness and if she were to be killed, the world would not survive the wrath of a person who could learn anything related to combat.
"Emmy?!"
"I'll be there in a while!"
The girl smiled, 'I know. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm Emmy Edgar, Kamiko of Kujou house. I'm too talented to die… Hopefully.'
Emmy at this point still thought that she would die because she was too talented and not because of who she was or what she represented. Only time will tell of the day she finds out whether the initial hypothesis stays true or falls flat.
The system no longer responded and Emmy took that as a signal for her to go back to Fischl's room. Upon entry, she saw the girl sitting on a chair in the room and she elegantly held a book in her hands. She blinked and then looked at the door where she delivered a blinding smile toward Emmy.
"Emmy!"
"Your highness, shall we proceed towards the ball," Emmy's face was mildly red, partly because of Fischl's smile but mostly because of the words she had to say. She approached to go on one knee and gently took up Fischl's hand and kissed it with a bit more fever than required.
Soft. Emmy thought as she caressed the girl's palm, she looked up toward the girl to see her face red and a confused look on her face. She nudged her and the girl finally got out of her stupor and muttered before standing suddenly as the chair clattered.
"S-Shall we go?"
"Hn… Ah, is our dear Amy blushing? How cute," Emmy teased and the girl in question started walking toward the door to avoid further embarrassment. Emmy followed after her with a smile and with a snap of her fingers something flew from her palm to the windows, it went down towards a window on the ground floor.
It begins.
***
Fischl grabbed the sides of her dress as she walked down the stairs, once again in a blindfold for some reason. She didn't mind it though as she waited for the roleplay event she got to, they even got her a dress. Though she did wonder how they got her size.
Her suspicion was canceled out by how happy she was, however. After all, this was her first roleplay event. She hadn't even heard of such a thing before, she would see new people, which she may or may not be afraid to talk to.
She would make friends, which would probably be undesirable as her current friends were all she needed.
'Though having a few more would not be a total waste,' Fischl sniffed and she caught a vaguely sweet scent and her head tilted in confusion, knocking it on something hard. Emmy being so close to her person and her gloved hand in hers.
Her friend had once again taken the job of guiding her once more Fischl to her credit no longer blushed when her friend took her hand, but a few flickers of warmth still makes their way into her chest.
They came to a stop and she was now on, what she believed to be the last step of the stairs. A voice came from the front. The same one as before, though now that she thought about it–seemed familiar.
"Ehem! Now welcoming her highness, Fischl. Heir to the Immernachtreich and one of outstanding prowess for her age. She has subdued many a nation and controls an infinite kingdom."
What—
The blindfold came off rapidly and the light from the windows assaulted her but not as much as what happened next.
Pop!
A layer of what she deemed colorful paper leaped at her and the sound caused the girl to jump back in surprise.
"Surprise!"
Up until that moment, Fischl still wondered how she ended up in Emmy's arms with a large crowd of her friends shouting at her in a good-natured manner. Confused and joyful the girl blinked and squealed to express her surprise.
If not jumping into someone's arms wasn't enough.
***
The party came quickly.
After Fischl's initial surprise and her feat of jumping almost 2 meters into the air, the group of friends immediately began to joyously wish the girl a happy birthday. The girl was quickly frankly overwhelmed by the "nobles" who came after her.
So her knight finally stepped in.
"Guys, restrain your adoration before her highness."
"Aye, your highness we were too hasty before you forgive us."
"Indeed."
"I agree with my good sirs, this one asks for forgiveness."
The others quickly joined in on the charade and put their best foot forward in the performance. Emmy looked at them in approval, their ability to act was quite satisfactory.
Contrary to expectations, Emmy wasn't just making her friends do work for Fischl's birthday. It also served as an evaluation of their abilities and strengths in subjects other than combat. Things like business, social ability, and organization, all of which were done acceptably for children their age.
Emmy thought she was still quite fortunate despite her cursed fate. These gems had handed themselves to her the moment she stepped outside her house, she wouldn't mind a bit more as well. More promising subordinates wouldn't hurt.
Without her notice, Emmy had begun to accept the position of boss, a position she hadn't desired in the beginning.
Emmy clapped her hands and the others started moving, they stood in a line she also joined and all together they bowed and said;
"Fischl Happy Birthday! You may order us as much as you like for today!"
A pleasant smile blossomed on Fischl's face and Lynx's face was filled with dread. Already seeing himself enduring a gruesome fate.
"My first order is," Fischl opened her mouth and eyed all of them, "I say, we have fun!"
"Yes, your highness!"
Thus began the celebrations. No one noticed the few tears in Fischl's eyes, the happy tears. She never imagine herself having friends throw her a birthday party, hell she never expected a weird person like her to get friends at all. She looked at Emmy and the girl smiled at her.
This person.
It was all thanks to this person.
At this moment Fischl's heart was filled with a strange warmth and her eyes shone with a feeling she didn't understand, not until a few years passed. But such a time had yet to come, all the little Fischl of the present knew was at this moment…
She likes Emmy, a lot. She was the best friend ever.
***
Despite all the build-up and preparation for the party, it did last as long as they thought it would last. It went a little like this.
"Emmy," Fischl said as the tables were cleared out of the way currently the young lady seemed a bit more shy than usual, with her hands held behind her back as she rocked back and forth. She placed her long hair behind her hair with a flushed face.
"Hn."
"I–"
"Shh…" Emmy place her finger on the girl's lips, it had become late since the party had begone and they were just arriving at the end. It was the most important part.
Most of the party at the beginning consisted of Fischl ordering them around to get her drinks or something she wanted but she never took it too far. Then they would play some chess or some other game, like cards.
Emmy admitted that she hadn't thought of the middle section of the party that much, because the beginning and the end took up most of her effort.
'I bet everyone is going to be surprised at what I have in store after this part.'
Emmy smiled as the music in the background intensified and she saw both Lynx and Lynn sitting down without their instruments. In the beginning, she was confused as to how he managed it but then she used elemental sight on a whim.
He was using his vision to make clones of himself. Each clone was an [Master] at a specific instrument and Lynx himself was a [Half–Saint], it wouldn't be long until he arrived at the [Saint] level mastery for music either.
Indeed, he was just as his title stated. The Prince of The Ballad.
Lynn while not as proficient as his counterpart had a splendid singing voice and was able to harmonize with Lynx, they were the perfect pair. A match made in heaven so to speak.
"Ehem, may I have all of your attention," Harlin started, the jacket that Fischl made for him a while ago was on his person along with a black suit.
The Grimwald twins always wore the same types of clothes but with small differences to them. Andre's bow tie was white which matched his black attire and Aries had a red tie, he didn't like a bow as much.
He said, "It's not as professional looking." but Emmy guessed it was just his preference.
Noelle stood by her brother's side as he came up to deliver a speech on the last part of the party that would come up soon enough.
Well…
The last part that he and the rest knew of anyway.
"Heh."
"Now that I have your attention, I would like to announce the beginning of the dance section of the party, pick your partners. They are incredibly few,"
At his words, Andre, Ansgar, Sebastian, and Aries sneered.
He and Lynx were the only ones here who had a female to accompany them. There were no others.
Hmm? Emmy and Fischl.
Stop playing around.
Those two wouldn't let anyone approach them and so the four boys could only linger in the upcoming dance.
Well, it wasn't like they held any feelings for any girl at this place. They had no time for that honestly, after this they would have to go and make up for all those missed days of training.
It was hell but they did miss it. Pushing themselves past the limit.
So the four boys dispersed as the three "couples" came forward. Harlin and his adopted sister Noelle, Emmy, and Fischl then Lynx and Lynn. The music in the background changed into a slightly sugary symphony.
"Hmm," Emmy came up in front of Fischl to go on one knee elaborately and waved her hand to put it on her chest in a flourish as she asked, "My dear fair lady, may I have this dance."
Her voice was deep and had a magnetic vibe—which was all in Fischl's head, at most Emmy made sure her voice was not as soft as it was before but Fischl had a great imagination. So things like imagining a voice were easy.
"Uhum! Well, this Prinzessin is not cruel and shall thus bless you with the right of accompanying me for a dance."
Emmy smiled, "It would be my pleasure, fair lady."
***
Fischl looked at the wall that was filled with various amounts of purple eccentricities such as—Paintings of the book [Flowers for Princess Fischl], and Sumeru roses which were purple. On the tables were gifts and vases, still purple and of various colors.
At this moment, the girl was thinking of whether to open them now or when she went home and ultimately she decided to wait for when she went home to open them.
Emmy began to speak, "Now, that we have finished the cake, even though with how large it was, it shouldn't have been possible. We have Noelle and Lynn to thank for that,"
The two girls waved as they patted their practically bloated bellies. The two guys next to them gave them a helping hand. Fischl sighed, she ate the least of her cake.
Emmy continued, "Now I have one more event planned, which most of you wouldn't even know about, So… Do you want to find out?"
***
The answer was yes.
The group came out from the inn as Emmy led them toward the wall, the gate there was always open for some reason. They greeted the guard and then walked outside, their respective footwear touching the soft grass.
Emmy quickly pulled Fischl toward the lake that surrounded Mondstadt, the rest of the group followed them. Emmy led them to one side of the lake where there was a large boat and stood there.
"Get in, all of you."
"Wah–" Andre said in surprise but saw Emmy's serious look and obediently got in the boat. The others got in without any fanfare as well and strangely there was a man there as well.
"Drive please," Emmy said as she sat on the "small" white boat she borrowed from her grandmother. It was a large artifact she got from the treasury as it didn't require any rowers to move it or mechanical parts. It only used energy.
Any type of energy, which made it a Rank 5 artifact due to its versatility but that wasn't important. What was important was the fact that while it seemed small from a certain point it was capable of hosting a large number of people.
Why?
Well, it could change itself to the will of the owner, which was currently Inu. Emmy had to admit, while it was an artifact that removed the aspect of rowing, it was still a vehicle that was hard to use. The fact that Inu could use it proved his capability.
"So boss… Why are we here?" Harlin asked in hesitation, this wasn't part of the script they had written. The script ended a long time ago.
"You'll see, all I can say is…" Emmy smiled mysteriously as she kept her eyes on the sky, "Keep your eyes on the stars."
At her words, they all looked up to see a small light shoot up with a whistle toward the sky from a small island far away from their current position and Andre was the first to notice what it was.
A firework.
A firework, in the middle of the night, when everyone in the city was about to go to sleep.
Crazy!
Wasn't she afraid of being charged by the Favonius?!
Andre and the others were covered in a cold sweat when a calming voice drifted over to them, it was Emmy's voice.
"Don't worry, they won't hear or see anything. Just enjoy it. It's gonna be so–"
Her voice was drowned out by the vigorous sound that came from the sky as the purple firework lit up the sky and the children screamed. Emmy chuckled and she found that the boatman did as well, their eyes met and Emmy's had a look of approval.
She nodded up to the sky and the boatman, who was Inu once again looked up to the sky. Enjoying the brief moment of peace the firework signified. Their respective lives were full of death and suffering but a moment like this once in a while wasn't bad.
Emmy wiped a small drop of blood off her lips and concealed it as she thought, 'It won't always be like this. Not for long. But…'
"The future is for the future, one should enjoy the present moment. For even that in reality while not everlasting, its memory is forever retained." Emmy whispered as she looked at the bright smile Fischl had, a smile full of wonder.
Emmy grinned and closed her eyes before looking at the sky as well. The cool breeze tickled her ears and her hair fluttered as the light from the fireworks bounced off the water of the lake.
Emmy closed her eyes, her expression was peaceful.
***
Drip—
A dark room and a white bed, a young girl her hands red. She was on the floor coughing hagging and struggling as around her neck a blue-black line of ink. It was a chain and it might have been taken as a tattoo by any other person but the girl.
It was her curse.
"Finally…" The girl said, her voice hoarse with anger and suffering but there was also an underlying tone of expectance, as if she expected all of this from the start, "You have revealed yourself to me."
The tattoo on the girl's neck shifted and twisted as it tighten around her neck. The girl didn't make a sound, stubbornly not trying to alert her friends who were staying in the inn.
She didn't need anyone coming here right now. This was her burden and by what those nine lights told her, it was also what was going to kill her.
She wouldn't be subdued though, she had a secret weapon. The girl opened her mouth and choked out a few words out of her constricted throat.
"System, help me!"
[Hmph! A bug dares to step within my territory! Inferior artificial intelligence should know their place— Affirmative.]
The system cut off one of the instructors who asked it for speaking rights and then made a move to restrain the "beast".
Emmy smiled, it was bloodied but it did not reduce the cuteness of the girl. It did, however—make her all the more terrifying.
"Haha, I'll be the one to win and to live," After these words, Emmy finally passed out from both blood loss and lack of oxygen.
[End of Arc 1: Unknown Birth]
[Arc 2: ???]
***
YiHuiliang
My mom came from overseas today so I had to accompany her for the whole day. Though I think I rushed this chapter a lot, maybe. I might edit it later. The side stories and then Arc 2.
Late chapter, pain.
