A/N: Hiya guys! So here's chapter 6 and so far I think it's my favorite I've written so far, we get a little bit of a few ships and family relationships. I'm gonna try and include as many moments as I can, and I apologize if I take a bit to answer comments, I've been a little busy lately the past few days. But I hope you all enjoy~!
———
Asta's eyes widened as Ciel finished explaining what had happened and why Yuno wasn't there. Kya was missing? That wasn't like the young girl to run off without telling someone where she was going. And from what Asta had heard, there was about to be another very bad snowstorm in the region that evening, which meant, if they didn't find Kya soon, she would end up being caught in it. He quickly jumped up and had a determined look on his face.
" I'm coming up there to help look for her," Asta said, but Ciel quickly shook her head.
" You don't have to do that, we have all of our Mage Defense Force members out searching for her, as are Neva and Yuno. We'll find her soon," Ciel trailed off, she tried to sound positive, but he could hear the worry and unsureness in her voice.
" But she's my niece, I need to help look for her..." Asta trailed off. He knew if it was one of his daughters that was missing, Yuno and Neva would immediately fly to Clover to come and help him look for them. Ciel smiled in understanding.
" I know, but you're the Wizard King now, you can't just suddenly drop everything to come to Spade. And besides, if you were to leave now, you would end up getting caught in the snowstorm. So just...wait, and if for some reason we don't find her by the morning, then you can come and help. Does that sound fair?"
Asta hesitated, he knew what Ciel was saying was right. He couldn't just take off with only a moment's notice anymore, well he could, but he would end up getting into a lot of trouble with Marx. And the last thing he wanted to do was stress Marx out on his last day of work. But at the same time, he didn't want to wait until morning to go to Spade.
But really...what else could he do?
" Okay. I'll wait until morning, but if I don't hear from you or Yuno by the time the sun begins coming up, I'm coming to Spade." Asta said seriously, and Ciel nodded in agreement before the two ended the call. Asta sighed heavily before he leaned back in his chair.
" I'm surprised," He suddenly heard from the doorway, and he saw his wife Noelle standing there with her arms crossed. " I figured you would already be looking for Finral, so he could take you to Spade."
" I thought about it...but I don't think Finral couldn't make the complete trip, and Queen Ciel made a good point, I can't just up and leave. Not anymore." Noelle nodded as she listened to her husband speak, she silently walked over to him and sat down at the edge of the desk.
" I mean, you could, but Marx and William would have a cow when they discovered you were gone," Noelle said, and Asta suddenly laughed.
" That's what I was thinking earlier, too!" Noelle gave a small laugh before tossing her hair over her shoulder.
" Well, I am your wife, so, of course, I would know how you think," Noelle said with a fake air of arrogance. " Which is why I'm surprised you're actually listening to Queen Ciel instead of just going to Spade." Asta sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.
" I know, and I'll admit I'm kind of surprised too. Every fiber of my being is screaming at me just to drop everything and go, but something's stopping me, something besides Finral's well-being." Asta admitted softly as he slowly opened his green eyes and looked at Noelle.
" Responsibility?" Noelle asked and Asta shrugged.
" I don't know, but that sounds like what it is."
" Why don't you send the Black Bulls up there to help? That way, you can still be here while also helping Spade with the search?' Noelle suggested, and Asta tilted his head.
" I thought about that, but they just got back from a mission and the kids just got promotions, so I want them to just focus on relaxing and celebrating tonight," Asta said with a small, but proud, smile. Noelle put a thoughtful hand under her chin.
" Why not just send me, then? I'm not a Black Bull or the Wizard King, so it should be fine if I go." Noelle said, and Asta looked up at her, she had a point. And just as he was about to say so, he suddenly remembered that Ciel had said there was going to be a bad snowstorm.
" You can't, not yet anyway."
" Why not?"
" Because if you go right now and get caught in that snowstorm you could get hurt or worse, and I...I don't know what I would do if you got hurt because of me." Asta trailed off softly, and Noelle reached out to place a hand on his cheek.
'
" Nothing's going to happen to me, I can get there before the storm hits," Noelle argued. She could see where Asta's worry and hesitation were coming from, but she was a grown woman and was more than capable of taking care of herself.
" I know, and I don't doubt that you could beat that storm, but accidents still happen," Asta said softly.
After the couple fell silent for a few moments, Noelle heard her husband push his chair back and slam his hands against the desk in determination.
" Alright, here's what we're gonna do," Asta said as he turned to look at Noelle. " You and I are gonna leave the girls with the Black Bulls tonight, and then we're gonna go to Hage and stay there until the storm in Spade clears!"
" And what about Marx and William?"
" I'll just tell them that you weren't feeling well, and so I have to take care of you for a few days," Asta said with a shrug, and Noelle snorted.
" You're going to use me as an excuse?"
" Yep!" Noelle suddenly laughed and shook her head.
" And you wonder where Brielle gets her ideas from," Noelle said before standing up beside her husband. " I'll contact Charlotte and let her know while you inform William and Marx." She added before she kissed Asta on the cheek and walked out of his office.
As Asta grabbed his things and began to walk out of his office, he silently hoped that they would find Kya before the snowstorm came in.
—--
In The Spade Kingdom
Shouts rang out all throughout the woods that surrounded the Spade Kingdom's Castle. Mage Defense Force members, the Royal Guards, and even some servants were out in full force searching for the 8-year-old girl. They knew they only had a limited time to find her before she developed hypothermia, and before the impending snowstorm that they knew would grind their search to a halt.
Standing in a small circle in the first were Yuno, Neva, Ralph the current Royal Guard Captain, and the Commander in Chief of the Mage Defense Force, Freya Ravenna. They were currently using one of Freya's tracking spells to try to find Kya but were having no luck.
" It's like she's just disappeared," Freya said in confusion as she placed a hand under her chin. " My tracking spell can usually find anyone and everyone."
Yuno glanced over at Neva and saw that, while on the outside she appeared calm, on the inside she was a complete mess. This was one of her biggest fears, that she would either lose him or their children. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on the small of her back, she turned to look at him.
" It'll be alright," His amber eyes told her amethyst ones. " We'll find her and bring her back safely."
" I know, I know we'll find her," Her eyes told his. " But I'm still so afraid..." They admitted before she turned away, and Yuno pulled her close to his side and held her tightly against him.
" Could someone have used a mana-suppressing device and that's why your spell isn't working?" Ralph asked and Freya shrugged.
" It's possible. If the Princess was kidnapped, they could easily be using a cloaking device or mana-suppressing handcuffs, and if that's the case," Freya looked over at Neva and Yuno. " Then it'll be almost impossible to find her."
The couple felt their hearts sink to the pit of their stomachs at her words, but the two held determined gazes in their eyes. They were going to find their daughter, even if it seemed impossible, they would find her. And if it was true that she had been kidnapped? Oh, there would certainly be hell to pay.
Soon, the four dispersed and began searching with the others. Freya, still using her tracking spell, made sure to stay within earshot of the others in case it pinged. Yuno used his wind magic to fly in the air in order to get an aerial view, but he also began to feel suffocated.
He was trying to keep it together, not only for Neva's sake but for his own as well. He couldn't allow himself to fall apart, at least not until they found Kya, once their youngest daughter was home safe and sound then he would allow himself to break. But right now he needed to keep a calm and level head. Which was why he took to the sky, his comfort place.
But soon the afternoon turned to evening, it was growing colder, and it was just beginning to snow. Yuno lowered himself to the ground and walked over to Ralph.
" How much longer do you think we have?" He asked, and Ralph shrugged.
" At least another hour before it gets dark, and then another two hours before the snowstorm rolls in," Ralph said softly, so Neva couldn't hear.
" Alright, in an hour I want you and Freya to call everyone back to the Castle," Yuno said quietly and Ralph's eyes widened.
" But sir-!"
" Neva and I will continue the search on our own," Yuno quickly interrupted. " We don't need any of you to get sick or hurt, because of our child."
" Your Majesty," Ralph started seriously. " Everyone here loves Princess Kya just like she was one of our own, so while I appreciate your concern for our well-being, we'll continue to help you search until we find her. Even if that means we have to risk developing a cold."
Yuno stared at the older man, he knew Ralph was very loyal to House Grinberryall, but to see that loyalty, love, and concern extended to Yuno and his family...it warmed his heart a little. And made him feel very lucky to have him as a friend and Royal Guard Captain.
" Fine. But don't complain to me when you still have to work while you're sick." Yuno said seriously as he began to walk away, but Ralph chuckled a bit before he saluted his King.
Yuno and Ralph walked a bit of ways, the sun had just dropped over the horizon and the woods began to grow dark, and the snow grew heavy along with it. They were running out of time.
Suddenly Yuno saw something out of the corner of his eye, Neva, who had been walking beside him for some time, had disappeared!
" Neva...?" Yuno called out in confusion, he took a few steps to where she had just been standing. " Neva!" He shouted again, a bit more panic in his voice as he began to look around.
" Ne...va?" Yuno trailed off as he suddenly looked down towards a small embankment. He saw his wife, on her knees, shoulders shaking, and something in her arms.
No...nonono...please...
Neva slowly turned to look at her husband over her shoulder, her purple eyes full of tears.
" H...Help me."
Yuno immediately rushed down the embankment, with Ralph following behind him. He rushed to his wife's side and his eyes widened, in Neva's arms was Kya. Her little face was pale, her eyes were closed, and she had a bit of snow on her. But otherwise, she appeared to be perfectly fine.
" She's...She's..."
" Neva..." Yuno's voice became quiet as it trailed off, please don't let her say what he thought she was going to say...
" She's warm.'' Neva finished softly, and Yuno frowned. He knelt down beside her, and she was right, Kya was warm, almost feverish.
" Get a Healer now!" The couple heard Ralph shout loudly behind them, but Yuno quickly took his cloak off and wrapped it around his daughter while he wrapped his arms around his wife.
Neva was shaking like a leaf, and Yuno knew it wasn't just because she was cold. The way she gripped Kya tightly against her chest as though she would fly away, the way Neva's eyes were wide and fearful, the way her lips trembled as she tried to utter a single word, it all reminded him of that day...the day Zenon had attacked the Golden Dawn base all those years ago.
" Neva, Neva, look at me, please look at me." Yuno started softly as he placed his hands on her cheeks to get her to look at him. " She's okay, she's alive, you found her," Yuno added, trying desperately to get her mind out of that dark place he knew it was in.
" But it's my fault...I should've known where she was...because of me she nearly died." Neva softly as tears fell from her eyes onto her cheeks. " I should've known where she was..."
" No, it isn't your fault, it isn't anyone's fault," Yuno said as he wiped her tears away with his thumbs.
Before anything else could be said, a Healer arrived, and they took the princess back to the Castle. But Yuno paused as he noticed something strange.
Around the small embankment where Kya was found, there was a circle of trees, a perfect circle of trees. He frowned and committed the area to memory, so he could investigate it later.
—--
Back in Clover
The Black Bulls cheered, laughed, ate, and drank merrily as they celebrated their Children's promotions, their newly gained stars, and their much-deserved break. Lovely and Charmy were cooking and making sure everyone was fed, Vanessa handed everyone glasses of wine and champagne, while Finral went behind her and took the glasses from the underage kids. Rill and Vincent were painting a portrait in order to commemorate the day's events, while everyone else just talked and mingled.
All except Gauche and his son Aloys.
Aloys had ducked out of the party a while ago and Gauche had debated on following him, as he wasn't one for big parties either, but Maelie had asked him to stay, and so he did. But now the young girl was asleep and Gauche had a good excuse to leave.
" I'm gonna go put her to bed," Gauche quietly told Grey, who nodded before going back to talk with Gordon.
Gauche quietly picked his daughter up, carried her to her room, and carefully tucked her into bed. He softly told her goodnight, kissed the top of her head, and walked out of the room. He quietly closed the door behind him and was about to go to his and Grey's room when he suddenly paused and looked to the side. Aloys's bedroom door was open slightly, and so Gauche decided to peer inside.
Aloys was sitting at his desk, with a dimly lit candle at the corner, and appeared to be working on something.
" Can I help you, old man?" Aloys asked without turning around, Gauche glared at him for a moment but didn't say anything.
Gauche walked over and stood beside his desk, he leaned against it before looking it down.
" What're you doing?" Gauche asked curiously. " Are you...repairing a book?" Aloys immediately glared before moving the book out of view.
" So what if I am? Is that illegal?" Aloys asked as he finished adding glue to the binding.
" No, I was just wondering, was all," Gauche said as he crossed his arms.
The two fell into an awkward, and tense silence. Aloys continued repairing the book as Gauche tried to think of a way to talk to him, just as Grey suggested. The last thing he wanted was for his son to have to transfer to a different squad just because the two couldn't get along.
" Is that...Alice's book?" Gauche suddenly asked as he noticed handwritten notes on the side of the pages, Aloys quickly moved the book.
" Yeah,"
" And you're fixing it for her?" Gauche asked with a tilt of his head. " Do...you have a crush on her?"
" No, I'm just fixing it for her," Aloys said quickly and icily before he finally turned to look at his father. " Cut the small talk and get to the point, old man." He snapped, and he watched as one of Gauche's eyebrows twitched in annoyance.
" I hate it when you call me that, you punk," Gauche muttered through gritted teeth. " But that's beside the point, your mom...wanted me to talk to you about what happened the other day." He watched Aloys scoff.
" Ah, I see, so it's Mom who convinced you to talk to me, not because you felt sorry and wanted to talk it out or anything," Aloys said as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
" Why should I feel sorry?" Gauche asked with a frown, and Aloys laughed humorlessly.
" Gee, I dunno, maybe because you scolded me in front of our squad and the Crimson Lions but praised everyone else?!" Aloys said loudly as he stood up from his seat, and Gauche stood up straight as well.
" Watch your tone, kid," Gauche growled in warning. " And I didn't scold you-."
" Yes, you did!" Aloys shouted. " You told me that I was being reckless and that a 'Good Magic Knight doesn't freeze up in front of an enemy!', how do you think that made me feel?!" Aloys asked, and Gauche winced.
" I didn't mean-."
" Yes, you did! You always push me harder than anyone else, you always scold me for even the smallest of things, and then when I think I've done something good you don't even say you're proud of me!" Aloys continued to shout, and Gauche just stood there silently.
" You praise Maelie as though she is the best thing since sliced bread, you're always telling her that you're proud of her, that you love her, why can't you treat me the same freaking way, huh?!" He finished, tears of anger welling up in his blue eyes. Gauche suddenly felt his heart tighten in his chest.
" Aloys-."
" Get out. Now!" Aloys said before sitting back down at his desk and going back to working on repairing Alice's book. Gauche reached a hand out to pat his son comfortingly on the head but stopped, and lowered his hand back to his side. The older man then walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
He let out a heavy sigh as he leaned against the door. He suddenly saw something move out of the corner of his eye and turned his head to see his wife, Grey, standing there with a nervous and sad look on her face.
" Well, that went well."
—---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Black Bull's Hideout
Yami took a deep breath of the crisp, warm air as a gust of wind swept by him. He could hear his brats partying it up downstairs and smiled, they had all earned it. The past few weeks, everyone had been working their hardest to try and beat the Golden Dawn, and so far, it seemed to be paying off very well.
He turned slightly as he felt a familiar Ki walk up behind him.
" What are you thinking about so intently?" Charlotte asked curiously as she walked over to her husband and stood beside him outside on their balcony. Yami gave her a half-shrug.
" Nothing much, just thinking about how proud I am of the kids," He answered honestly, and Charlotte nodded in agreement.
" I'm proud of all of them as well, especially considering what happened on their last mission," Charlotte said softly. " I can only imagine how traumatizing that was for them."
" They're gonna see a lot worse stuff the longer they're a Magic Knight," Yami said softly as he turned to look at his wife. " They're gonna see a lot of stuff that'll make them sick, angry, depressed, it doesn't make it right, but...they knew what they were getting into when joining the Knights."
" I know, I just wish they hadn't seen it so soon," Charlotte said with a sigh and shake of her head. She suddenly rested her head on her husband's shoulder as the two stared out into the clear evening sky.
" I'm surprised you aren't asking where Hikari is since I know you felt her Ki leaving the Hideout," Charlotte said curiously after a few minutes of silence, and she suddenly heard her husband snort.
" There's only one place she could go, and that's the Golden Dawn," Yami said in a matter-of-fact tone, and Charlotte suddenly raised her head to look at him.
" And you're fine with that?"
" Nope, when she gets back I plan on grounding her for a while...at least 5–10 years," Yami said, and Charlotte rolled her eyes.
" Geez you act like Hikari's still a child and not a young woman," Charlotte said with a shake of her head. " What are you going to do when she starts dating?" Yami scoffed.
" I don't see her dating for a long time, she's too busy working on obtaining her dream," Yami said, and Charlotte suddenly raised a brow at her husband.
" And if she starts dating before then?"
" Then...I gotta make sure they're good enough for her," Yami said with a shrug, of course, he wasn't going to let just anyone date his eldest daughter, and Charlotte knew that all too well.
" Has William told Alistar about his illness yet?" She asked suddenly, changing the subject. Yami let out a sigh and shook his head. " Seriously? I understand not telling him today, but, he needs to tell him soon."
" He does, especially before the shit hits the fan," Yami said as he looked back at his wife. " I feel like a storm's coming, Charlotte, and there isn't anything we can do to stop it." He admitted softly.
" Well, it wouldn't be the first time we've dealt with a storm," Charlotte reminded him. " But then again, we were a lot younger than we are now."
" Ain't that the truth."
" But y'know what? Even though we're older, we'll still be able to handle it. Because we're Magic Knights, and we all have each other, there isn't anything in this world that can defeat us." Charlotte told her husband proudly as she turned to look at him. Yami suddenly leaned forward and captured her lips in a sweet and passionate kiss, causing her to blush as he pulled away.
" Damn, I love you."
—----
At the Golden Dawn Base
Alistar flopped on his bed with a tired sigh, it was as though all the stress of the day just melted away into his warm and comforting sheets. He looked over in the corner of his room where his Golden Dawn uniform hung on the back of his wardrobe with a Captain's robe hanging right beside it. For some reason, he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that he was the Captain of the Golden Dawn now, and not his father. It just...didn't feel right.
It felt like he was in some alternate or parallel universe.
He suddenly turned as he heard a loud 'tink, tink' outside his balcony door. He sat up in bed and saw Hikari standing outside on the balcony, throwing small pebbles against it with a grin on her face. Alistar smiled and shook his head before he stood up and walked towards it.
" What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be celebrating with your squad?" Alistar asked in confusion as he opened the door and moved to the side to allow her to walk in.
" I did celebrate with them, but now it's my turn to celebrate with you," Hikari said as she held up a tall glass bottle and a pair of glasses.
" Is that alcohol?" Alistar asked, his tone already getting ready to scold her, but she quickly shook her head before turning around to face him.
" No, it isn't alcohol, Goldie Guts Jr., it's sparkling water. Even though we've both drank before." Hikari muttered as she set the bottle down on a small table he had in his room. Alistar shook his head at the memory.
" I wouldn't consider accidentally eating fermented fruit as drinking, but," Alistar said with a grin before he walked over to her.
This wasn't the first time Hikari had snuck into the Golden Dawn and up to Alistar's room. The first time she had done so was when they were 12, and she wanted to check on him after the 'incident'. She got into a lot of trouble with Yami and Charlotte for that, but it didn't stop her. She did it many more times and even stayed the night once or twice. Much to Yami's anger.
" It still counts since we got drunk!" Hikari argued as she opened the bottle with a loud 'pop' and then began to pour it into the champagne flutes.
" Do your parents know you're here?" Alistar asked curiously as he took the offered glass with a small 'thank you' before Hikari scoffed and shook her head.
" I'm sure they do even though I didn't tell them," Hikari said, and she could easily sense Alistar's disapproving glare. " What? I know for a fact my dad sensed my Ki leave the Hideout.''
" I'm sure he did, and I have a feeling he's gonna be glaring at me all day at tomorrow's Captain's meeting." Alistar pointed out, and Hikari held out her glass to him.
" A toast, to the newly appointed Golden Dawn Captain, Alistar Vangeance. May he lead his squad valiantly, graciously, and compassionately, just as he has led himself and his life!" Hikari said softly as she smiled brightly at him. Alistar felt his heart skip a beat for a moment and a tinge of pink graced his cheeks, but he smiled warmly at her and raised his glass.
" Thank you, Hikari, I'll do my best not to let anyone down."
The two laughed, drank, and talked for a few hours before they fell silent. Hikari had silently wondered if Alistar just naturally relaxed because he was around her, or if Vanessa had accidentally spiked the sparkling water.
" Have you talked to your dad yet about why he retired?" Hikari asked, and she watched her friend pout.
" I'm sick of everyone asking me that. No, I haven't asked him about it yet, but if he took a job with the Wizard King, surely it can't be that bad." Alistar said with a tinge of hope in his voice, and Hikari nodded in agreement.
" I'm sorry about Virgil calling you a foreigner," Alistar said softly as he took another drink. " Tomorrow, I'm going to make sure he and everyone else knows that I won't tolerate it."
" You're still apologizing over that? Geez, I already told you that it's him that needs to apologize, not you. And he isn't completely wrong, I am half Hinoian-Half Cloverian, but I'm not ashamed of it. I'm very proud of my Hino heritage, and I'm very proud of my Clover heritage." Hikari said proudly as she took a drink.
" That still doesn't make what he said right, and you're still allowed to get pissed off when people say terrible things like that to you." Alistar pointed out as he laid back on his bed, and Hikari followed suit.
" Oh my," Hikari gasped dramatically. " The Alistar Vangeance said 'pissed off', someone call a Healer, I think he's sick." She continued, causing the white-haired man to snort.
" I've used worse language than that before," Alistar said with a chuckle and a roll of his eyes, and Hikari chuckled with him.
" I know you have, but what would your fan club say if they heard you talk that way."
" They'd probably think it's hot," Alistar said bluntly, causing Hikari to laugh loudly.
The two fell silent again, and Alistar felt his eyes begin to grow heavy as he lay next to his friend. Today had been a very eventful one, and it seemed that it was finally catching up to him.
" Get some sleep, Pretty Boy," He heard Hikari's voice say faintly from beside him.
" Will you stay until I fall asleep?" He asked tiredly as he reached a hand out towards her, he felt something soft in his hand and realized that it was the sleeve of Hikari's shirt.
" Don't I always?" She asked as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Alistar nodded and muttered a soft 'goodnight' as he felt Hikari run her fingers through his hair, she had learned fairly quickly that was the quickest way to get him to go to sleep.
The next morning, Alistar woke up with a disappointed feeling in his heart as he saw that Hikari was no longer beside him.