❝ fourteen. ❞
little one
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»»————- ♔ ————-««
note: written this as a birthday
gift for estellaux. this is only the
first part of the oneshot. :")
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
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DOUBLE KILL!
TRIPLE KILL!
MANIAC!
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"Go, Harley!" Lesley cheered, her voice resonating around the spectator's area. She jumped excitedly when she saw her brother chasing his final opponent, and she couldn't help but shriek while shaking the shoulder of the person who was sitting next to her—which was, unfortunately, Gusion. "That's my brother!" she exclaimed excitedly. "That's my brother!"
"Yes, Lesley, we all know he's your brother," Gusion said, letting out a sigh. Since he often got Maniacs and Savages, this was barely something to be amazed about. But since it was Harley, he should've expected Lesley to be all crazy about it. "But can you please sit down? I can't see the–"
"GO, MY BROTHER!" Lesley yelled, waving her gun in the air. She had placed her foot onto the rail in front of her seat, and she was now doing a fist pump in the air. "GO! GET THE SAVAGE YOU DESERVE! SHOW WHAT THE VANCE FAMILY IS MADE OUT OF!"
Gusion, who could feel everyone's eyes onto them, started sinking in his seat. He hid his face due to the rising embarrassment, and he inwardly prayed for Harley to just get a Savage already so that his sister would be satisfied.
Meanwhile, Harley, who was not aware that his sister was acting like a lunatic, continued running for the last enemy. The last person surviving on the opponent's team was Tigreal, and his health was really low. All he needed to do was cast his fire ring, throw some cards, and he would definitely get his Savage. However, the moment he created a fire ring around the tank, that was when the match was suddenly paused.
"Wait, what?" Lesley asked, looking around. The lights were suddenly dimmed, and the screen suddenly displayed Harley's name. "What's going–"
"We apologise for the inconvenience, but this match has been cancelled. Harley Vance, please go to the main hall. I repeat, Harley Vance, please go to the main hall. The Headmaster has assigned you to a mission, and you must depart immediately."
"No..." Lesley said, her eyes widening.
Gusion frowned. He knew how worried Lesley would be whenever Harley goes on a mission. So, seeing how her brother was assigned to a mission now, he could only imagine the amount of worry she was feeling right–
"At least let him get his Savage first!" Lesley shouted, firing a bullet in the air. The crowd gasped when she did that, and some quickly left the place before she starts throwing a fit. "You bastards! I know you're doing this on purpose!"
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Harith's ears perked up when he spotted a certain Mage Genius approaching his way. A gloomy atmosphere seemed to surround him as he walked, with his shoulders sagged and his lips curving downwards. He could only guess the reason for his current discouraged expression. He had heard that Harley almost got a Savage, but his match was cancelled due to him being assigned on a mission. It must've been hard for him, because it wasn't every day he would get a Savage.
Harith, on the other hand, was lucky that he wasn't in a match like Harley. He was actually training with Sir Gord, when the Headmaster suddenly told him that he needed to go for a mission. He was kind of disappointed that he wasn't able to spectate the Mage Genius in battle, but at least he could be with him now. Though, he couldn't help but feel bad about the near Savage the mage almost got.
"Hey, Harley," Harith greeted, and the mage merely responded him with a faint smile. He watched as Harley moved to stand beside him, and he couldn't help but give him a sympathetic look. "I heard that you almost got a Savage."
Harley scoffed, before he crossed his arms. His voice was in a mumble when he said, "If only they didn't cancel it midway. And when we almost finished the match too."
"But hey, look on the bright side." Harith moved his face closer towards the mage, and he waggled his eyebrows vigorously. "At least we get to be together, right?"
Harley only let out a disinterested hum, before he looked away.
Wait, don't tell me he cares more about that Savage?! Harith thought.
Harith could feel his ears drooping at the thought of it, but he was surprised when he heard Harley say, "Yeah, who cares about that Savage—when I get to be with you."
He could feel his heart fluttering in his chest, and he threw his arms around the mage. He was about to give him a kiss, when Harley just shoved his face away from him.
"Not here, idiot," Harley grumbled, his cheeks slightly tainted with crimson. Only now Harith realised that they were in public, and that people were watching them. Not that he really cared.
Harith pouted, and he slowly pulled away. "But I want to kiss you, Harley. It had been ages since we–"
"Harith, you just kissed me this morning. And that was like—what? Only two hours ago?"
"It felt like it had been ages!" Harith quickly said. Then, his lips were pulled into a playful smile. "Ah, but it wouldn't hurt to kiss each other more often, right?"
Harley's face turned a brighter shade of red, and he quickly lowered his head. "Whatever."
The two of them could hear the sound of footsteps, and they found Claude, Kimmy, Ruby, and Lolita approaching them. It was weird how the Headmaster had assigned one fighter, two marksmen and two mages in one team. Or was it three mages?
"Hey, my fellow dudes," Kimmy said, pointing finger guns at the two of them. When she glanced at all of them, abruptly, her brows furrowed. "Honestly, this is one weird match up. But I like it."
It was Ruby's turn to look at all of them, and she nodded her head. "True. If this was a Rank match, the enemies would be laughing."
"Hey, we might still win though," Claude said, shrugging. "We once did a full marksmen team in Rank, and everything turned out fine. Sure, we got bullied in the first half of the match, but we totally showed them who's boss in late game."
Kimmy snickered. "I can't believe the enemies surrendered after that."
It only took them seconds before Claude and Kimmy bursted out laughing. It was true that marksmen dominate in late game. Unlike fighting in real battles, when entering a match, it was like playing in a game. You have to raise your level, earn money, make sure you don't lose your turrets. It was a good way of improving a hero's skill when creating strategies, and it teaches you to end the game fast. Though, there are several idiots who end up provoking the enemy—by recalling in front of their base, and not destroying it—and that leads the enemies to having an Epic Comeback.
"So, Kimmy," Harith said, once the two marksmen were done snorting like pigs. "Are you a mage or a marksman this time?"
"Oh, I'm a mage," Kimmy said, showing him her gun. "The Headmaster advised me to use magical damage, so here I am."
Harley raised a brow. "So now we have three mages?"
Kimmy grinned before bobbing her head. "You got it, my dude."
All of them were silent as they let things sink in for her. Thankfully, it only took her a minute to understand what the Mage Genius was trying to imply.
"Wait, we have three mages?!" Kimmy exclaimed, her eyes darting back and forth from Harley to Harith. She then threw a glance at Lolita, and the Steel Elf gave her a questioning look. "And we only have one tank?!"
"Pfft, I'm sure all of you will be fine," Lolita said, waving a hand nonchalantly in the air. But then, she seemed to hit a realisation as well. "Wait, I have to take care of four squishy heroes?!"
"Four?" Claude asked, looking up. "But Ruby isn't squishy. She's quite tanky with her lifesteal."
Harith sighed. "Four as in—including you, Claude."
Claude stared at all of them in silence. But then, he exclaimed, "Hey! Who are you calling squishy?!
"Heroes." Everyone whipped their head to where the voice came from, and they all fell silent when a woman was standing next to them. She wore a card around her neck, and it was an indication that she was one of the staff of the academy. "Your transportation is ready. You will be heading towards Askati Forest in five minutes."
"Who will we be fighting?" Harith couldn't help but ask.
The woman took out a tablet, and she started to swipe her finger against the screen. "You will be fighting some unusual creatures that has spawned in the forest. It is said that there is a wizard responsible for creating those creatures, so you must capture him and bring him back to the academy."
"Are those creatures dangerous?" Kimmy asked.
"Indeed, they are," the woman said, nodding her head. Her eyes landed back onto the tablet in her hand. "They are currently causing some destruction in the forest. If they reach to the city or a nearby village, it can cause a lot of chaos."
"I see," Claude said, his face growing solemn. He then clapped his hands and grinned excitedly. "All right, people. Let's capture this wizard!"
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It had been a few hours since they walked through the forest, and none of them found the wizard that they were supposed to capture. In fact, they encountered no magical creatures so far. Though, they did notice that some parts of the forest were destroyed. Some trees had been chopped down brutally, and there were large scratch marks on some of the barks. All of them had no idea what they would be dealing with soon, but one thing for sure was that they were ready.
Or at least they thought they were.
"Ugh, we've been walking for four hours now," Claude groaned, letting his arms dangle above the ground as he bent his body. "This sucks. We should just tell the Headmaster that we couldn't find this stupid wizard and go home."
Harley shook his head at Claude's impatience. They haven't even spent a day here, and the marksman was already whining. "This forest is huge, Claude. Of course it would take a while before we find something."
"Yeah, Harley's right," Lolita said, nodding her head in agreement. She then pointed towards Harith, who was leaping from one tree to another. "You should be like Harith. He had been excited ever since we got here."
Claude rolled his eyes. "The forest is like his home, so of course he would be excited." He then turned his head to face Dexter. "Why aren't you jumping around like Harith though? You're a monkey, aren't you?"
Dexter took a moment to inspect himself, before he let out a shrug.
All of a sudden, Harith leapt down from the tree, and Harley was startled when the leonin instantly pushed him to the side. A split second later, a large root emerged from the ground—right at where he was standing a moment ago—and all of them moved away when more roots started to appear from the ground.
Harith and Harley both tumbled onto the soft earth, and Harith quickly moved away when he realised that he was laying right on top of Harley.
"Sorry," Harith said, looking at Harley. The Mage Genius seemed to be in a state of shock, and he quickly helped him move into a sitting position. "You all right?"
"Yeah," Harley said, giving him a nod of gratitude. His eyes then flickered at the giant roots. "What is that thing?"
Harith took a moment to stare at the roots, before he shook his head. "I don't know, but one thing I do know is that I can sense magic coming from it."
"Are you guys okay?!" Ruby asked, running towards them. Claude, Kimmy and Lolita were following right after.
"We're fine," Harith answered, brushing some of the dirt off from his clothes.
"Geez, Harith, you could've at least warned us," Claude scoffed, sticking his nose in the air as his arms were crossed in front of his chest. "I mean, not everything is about Harley. We're here too, you know."
"Sorry, but I can't let anything happen to my sweet, little, precious Harley," Harith said, cupping the Mage Genius' cheek. "Right, babe?"
Smack!
Harley let out an annoyed huff, before he looked away. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much."
Harith rubbed at where an upcoming lump was about to form on his head. Nonetheless, there was still a toothy grin on his face. "See? He said thank you."
The ground started to shake, and everyone became alert when the roots moved once again. However, this time, the roots doesn't seem to attack them. It just moved aimlessly on the ground, but their eyes widened when something seemed to come out from underneath.
"It seems I have visitors." There was an old man standing on top of the roots, which held him above the ground. He had a long, white beard, and in one of his hands was a wooden staff. "Heroes from the well-known academy, aye? What brings you here in my forest?"
"It has brought to our attention that you've been creating magical creatures in your forest," Harith said.
"Yes. And?"
"We would like you to stop it immediately," Harith continued, taking a step forward. "The creatures are dangerous since it causes destruction. If it gets to the city or a village, it may harm people."
"Ah, yes," the man said, using his staff to scratch the back of his head. "That is quite true. But it doesn't take a snap of my fingers to create it. It cost a lot of my Mana, so what makes you think I would simply disregard it?"
"It's dangerous," Harith said slowly. If possible, he wanted to settle this without a fight. However, judging by the narrowed eyes the old man was giving him, it looked like a fight was bound to happen soon. "Unless you know how to tame it, we need you to cease their existence. The academy has already ordered us to capture you, so I suggest you comply."
The man let out an exasperated sigh, before he straightened his back. A shadow loomed over his face, and his eyes seemed to darken when he said, "No."
"Welp," Claude said, taking a step forward. He took out his gun, and he aimed it directly at the wizard. "I guess someone really needs to teach you a lesson, old man."
All of them prepared for a battle when the ground shook. Since they had experienced with the giant roots, it wasn't hard to guess that it would make an appearance again. They jumped out of the way when the roots started to pop out of the ground, and they dodged it when it started flailing in the air.
"It seems I just have to teach you youngsters some respect," the old man said, lifting his staff in the air. There was an indistinct roar, and everyone tensed when they could hear something trotting towards their way. "I'll show you what my power is really made out of."
All of them anticipated for something to appear, and Lolita pushed Ruby out of the way when a giant deer charged straight towards them. The deer ended up piercing its horns towards a tree, and they all watched as the tree toppled to the ground due to the impact.
"What the hell..." Ruby said, her eyes widening.
The deer turned around when it realised that it hadn't hit its target, and they noticed how its eyes were glowing red when it looked at them. Judging by its size and strength, they could tell that this was not really a deer, but a creature created by the wizard that resembled like one.
"Make sure you stay close to me," Lolita said, grabbing her hammer. She shifted into a battle stance, before she eyed the deer in the distance. "Not only is this deer like a tank, but it's power is strong too."
The deer let out a loud roar, before it started advancing towards them. Lolita took this opportunity to slow it down by lifting her hammer. A large amount of energy gathered in her hammer, its power ready to burst when she had fully charged it. Once she had reached its charge to a maximum, she let out all of that energy, and the deer was stunned just as it was about to hit all of them.
Kimmy, Claude, Ruby, Harley and Harith wasted no time to attack the deer. Kimmy started firing her magical bullets, while Harley threw his cards at it. The deer let out a cry when their attacks hit it, and it immediately made an attempt to run away. Claude, Ruby, and Harith wouldn't let it go just like that. They were about to finish it off with their skills, but they had to leap away when the roots tried to hit them.
Kimmy groaned, aiming her gun at the roots now. "Ugh, this thing again."
"It's going to get away!" Harith, yelled, his eyes focusing onto the injured deer. He was about to dash towards it, when, all of a sudden, something snatched him in the air.
"Harith!" Harley cried.
Harith grunted when he felt nails threatening to pierce his body, but his eyes widened when he realised that he was in a grasp of a giant eagle. He could already feel his instincts kicking at him, telling him that he was in danger, and he didn't have to look down to know that he was already meters above the ground.
"Harith!" Harley yelled, running to where the eagle was flying. He left his hat to increase his movement speed, but his steps were halted when the roots suddenly moved to block his path.
"Poor kitty, I bet he'll just be that bird's lunch," the old man said, letting out a cackle. He let the roots bring him so that he would stand in front of the Mage Genius, and he playfully twisted his staff. "Oh, but he's a strong one, isn't he? I can tell that he won't be an easy lunch."
Harley gritted his teeth, his hand clenching into a fist. "You asshole..."
The man stared at him for a moment, before his eyes widened in bewilderment. "Wait, aren't you the son of the Vance–"
The old man never got to finish his sentence when Harley just casted a fire ring around him. A cry of agony escaped from the man's lips, and he quickly used the roots as a barrier to block out the cards that were thrown directly at his way. Though, there were still a few cards that managed to penetrate the roots, and he had to dodge them, or it will surely slice his skin if it managed to hit him.
Ruby, who noticed that Harley was fighting the wizard all alone, instantly tried to assist him. "Harley, wait! Don't fight–"
Something huge landed in front of her, and she had to block her vision to prevent the dirt from flying into her eye. Slowly, she tilted her head to see what was ahead, and her expression became indifferent when a wolf let out a loud roar in front of her face.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Meanwhile, Harley was still aiming his attacks at the old man. The man tried to use the roots to defend himself, but it proved to him that it was futile when the mage's cards just kept going through, as if the roots was nothing to him. It was weird, because the roots should be as strong as metal, but Harley's cards were like knives—probably sharper than them.
Maybe he had made a wrong move by capturing that leonin, because it seemed that the leonin's captivity was enhancing the mage's magical abilities.
"Wait!" the man said, but Harley wasn't slowing down, not even a bit. He blocked another set of cards that was thrown at his way, and he dodged when the cards sliced through more of his roots. "You're the Vance family's child, aren't you?!"
Harley paused for a while, before he glared at the man. "So?"
"Don't you remember me?" the man asked, taking a step forward. He raised his hands in a nonthreatening manner, but he could still see Harley shifting into an offensive stance. "I visited your home years ago. I was the one who made sure that you were growing healthily. Because you weren't talking much when you were a child, so your parents called me to inspect your health."
Harley narrowed his eyes. "No, I don't remember you, and I don't care. If you really were the one who took care of me, you wouldn't be doing this."
"But it is you and your friends who have invaded my home—my forest. If you leave now, I promise I will not harm you nor your friends. You can forget about me, and we will never see each other again."
Harley was about to argue that this wasn't the man's forest, when he heard Lolita's voice coming from behind him.
"Harley!" Lolita called, running towards the Mage Genius. When the mage turned his head, she immediately realised her mistake. "No, wait– Look out!"
It took Harley only a moment of distraction to be captured by the giant roots, and the old man let out a gleeful chuckle when he finally had the troublesome mage in his grasp.
"Fools!" the man exclaimed, using his magic to shift the roots. The roots slowly lifted the Mage Genius in the air, and he laughed when the mage struggled to get out of its grasp. "This is what happens when you mess with the most powerful wizard! I warned you!"
"Let go of me!" Harley yelled. He tried to summon a card in his hand, but it was hard when he could barely move. "Gah! You annoying piece of shi–"
"Hey!" the man shouted, pointing his staff directly at Harley. "I'm pretty sure your mother taught you better!"
Harley could feel the roots squeezing him as a warning, but it still wasn't enough to stop him from saying, "If I could move my hand right now, I would definitely give you the middle finger, you old geezer!"
"What did you say?!"
Kimmy, Claude, Ruby and Lolita could only watch as Harley kept throwing insults at the wizard. They had already finished battling the creatures that tried to attack them, and they could now focus their attacks onto the old man. However, since Harley was in the wizard's grasp, it was going to be hard to attack him, especially when the wizard could use the mage as a hostage.
"Harley has no boundaries when it comes to provoking people," Kimmy said, letting out a sigh. Right now, it was like watching two children arguing to see who uses the better curse word. "I blame Harith for this."
Ruby nodded. "I agree."
"Ugh, enough!" the man finally shouted, after he had exchanged numerous of curses with the Mage Genius. He aimed his staff at Harley, and all of them watched in horror as the staff begin to glow. "You were definitely a lot cuter back then, you–"
The wizard shuddered when he felt some of his power dissipating, and he momentarily stopped his attack due to the shock he was feeling. Lolita, Claude, Ruby and Kimmy took this opportunity to attack the man, but the wizard quickly regained his senses by shifting some of the giant roots so that it would block their path.
The man could feel a large amount of power coming from behind him, and he dodged when Harith tried to send a ball of his magic directly at him. He managed to keep an amount of distance from the leonin as he landed onto another giant root, and it turned out that he had landed right beside Harley—who was still trapped within his grasp.
Harley couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when he realised that Harith wasn't hurt. He had no idea how the leonin managed to get away from the eagle, unscatched, but that would be a question he would ask later. "Harith!"
Harith's ears perked up upon hearing the Mage Genius call his name, and he instantly sent him a smirk, followed by a playful wink. "Hey, babe."
Harley's grin disappeared just as fast as it appeared, and he was now giving the leonin a deadpan stare. How many times had he told him not to call him that? It was embarrassing. "Just shut up and get me out of here already."
"You got it, babe," Harith said, and a nerve popped through Harley's temple. The leonin was doing this on purpose—Harley knew—but he couldn't do anything about it with the roots keeping him in place. "Hold on, I'll get you out of there soon!"
Harith focused onto his magic, and a ball of energy started forming in his hands. He then bent his knees a little, and he used his strength to push himself into a high leap.
The wizard narrowly missed the ball of energy that was sent his way, and his eyes widened when Harith suddenly changed directions to aim his attack at him. Only now he realised how fast the leonin was—probably even faster than Harley—and this was going to be dangerous for him if he doesn't defend himself quick enough.
Still, the man managed to lift some roots to block the ball of magic that Harith tried firing at him. But it wasn't enough. With ease, Harith just leapt over the roots, and a dagger-shaped light started glowing underneath them.
It was Zaman Force.
The wizard was baffled when Harith kept on dashing towards him. Each time he moved to another direction, the leonin just seemed to keep up. He could only focus his magic onto strengthening the roots, but it would only serve as a barrier. There was no way he could land an attack, not at this rate. It wasn't helping that the leonin's friends were attacking the other roots too. That costed another fraction of his energy to keep the wall of roots up.
How was this possible? It was as if the leonin's magic had no cooldown. It was absurd!
Harith suddenly dashed behind him, and the wizard knew that this was a game over for him. He was already tired from all the dodging, and his Mana had went into moving his roots. The only root nearby to protect him was the one he had used to capture Harley, and that–
Wait a second.
A devious smile crept on the wizard's lips, and he used his remaining magic to move the root that was holding Harley. Using the root, he threw Harley into the air—right into Harith's direction—and the leonin's eyes were widened when the Mage Genius was flying his way.
The two mages collided with each other, and they both tumbled to the ground with a harsh roll. Harley ended up laying on top of Harith this time, and they both let out a groan at the pain that ached their bodies.
"Y-You all right?" Harith asked, glancing at Harley. Even though he took most of the impact, but he just didn't want the Mage Genius to get hurt.
Harley slowly pushed himself up, and he forced himself to give him a faint smile. "I'm fine."
"Okay, I just had enough with you heroes," the wizard spat angrily, lifting his staff in the air. His wooden staff started to glow, and he aimed it directly at Harley and Harith. "You two are the most irritating mages I've ever dealt in a while. Take this!"
Seeing the beam of light heading towards their direction, Harley instinctively moved to shield Harith from getting hit. Harith's eyes widened in terror when it registered to him that Harley was going to get hit, but he didn't have enough time to move nor push the mage out of the way.
"HARLEY!"
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The blinding light was slowly starting to fade away, and Harith was finally able to see properly again. It took a while for him to adjust his vision, and his eyes widened when he realised that the giant roots and the wizard was gone. Not only that, but Harley was gone too. His clothes were lying on the ground, but the mage was nowhere to be seen.
What happened to Harley?
He didn't want to think of the worst, so all he could think of was the possibility of Harley disappearing. Maybe the wizard had brought him somewhere? But wouldn't that mean Harley was now captured? Thinking of the mage being in that old man's grasp, it made Harith's stomach churn. What was he going to do to him? Torture him? Kill him?
All of these dark thoughts were not helping him in this situation, so Harith quickly shook his head to get rid of them. His eyes then landed back onto the clothes laying in front of him, and his ears drooped at the reminder that he had failed to protect Harley. If only he had moved fast enough to block Harley from getting hit. If only he had pulled Harley away. If only he didn't allow Harley to protect him.
He was such a failure.
"You idiot," Harith whispered, his eyes glaring at the clothes. His hands were curled into a tight ball, and he could feel his body shaking at the rage building inside of him. "Why would you sacrifice your life for me? Didn't I tell you that I was going to be the one who will protect you?"
He received no answer, for it was only the mage's clothes he was talking to. He knew that. He knew that it was only Harley's clothes and not the mage himself. But it hurts to know that the Mage Genius was gone—god only knows where he is right now—and it hurts to imagine all the bad things that could happen to him.
Slowly, Harith could feel the tears prickling at his eyes, and he quickly bowed his head. His voice was barely above a whisper when he said, "I'm sorry."
Again, there was no response.
"Harith..." Kimmy said, her voice drifting off. He didn't realise when she and the others had stood next to him. They were now looking at the clothes that belonged to the Mage Genius. "It's okay, Harith. I'm sure we can find him."
He didn't say anything. The sight of Harley gone got his words to be stuck in his throat, and it wasn't helping that he was on the verge of breaking down. If he said something, he was sure that he would just let out everything that was bottling inside of him, and that thought alone scares him.
Thankfully, no one else said another word. Silence was really what he needed right now, and he was glad when no one urged him to go back yet. He kept staring at Harley's clothes, and his eyes widened when he suddenly saw some movement under it.
"What the hell?" Ruby asked, moving closer towards the clothing. It seemed that she noticed it too.
The thing underneath was moving again, and everyone stared at Harley's clothes in anticipation to see what was actually moving. None of them were bold enough to check it themselves, so all they did was wait for the thing to emerge by its own. They didn't have to wait long though. All of a sudden, a tiny head popped out through the small opening of the clothes, and everyone let out a loud shriek once its eyes met them.
"AHHH! WHAT IS THAT THING?!" Claude screeched, jumping behind Lolita to use her as a shield. The Steel Elf just shook her head when the marksman added, "Get it away from me! Get away!"
Kimmy, who had just finished shrieking, slowly looked at the thing that had popped up. She let out a sigh of relief when she realised what it really was, and she turned her head to look at Harith. "Wait, isn't that Harley?"
But Harith was already trapped in his own world as he gazed at the small child. It was the most adorable thing he had ever seen. The child had fluffy, ginger hair, with curls at the end. Even though his hair was little, but it looked really soft, and it wasn't helping that it was sticking upwards. The child was currently looking at him, with large, green eyes, and Harith found himself mesmerised by this small, precious being.
"Harley?" Harith asked, and those green eyes couldn't grow any wider. Gently, he placed a hand over the child's shoulder, and he gave it a light squeeze. "Is it... is it really you?"
The child took a moment to stare at him, before he nodded his head.
"Thank god," Harith said, and he felt the urge to throw his arms around the mage. However, seeing how small he was, he didn't want to end up suffocating him. "I'm so glad that you're okay!" He then added as an afterthought, "Kind of."
Harley just blinked a few times, before he struggled to get out of the gigantic clothes. But, with his arms hidden underneath it, it was hard for him to get his body out.
"You should help him, Harith," Lolita suggested. The other three just nodded their head.
"I—okay." Harith looked around Harley for a way to release him from his own clothes, and he had an idea when he spotted the buttons. Carefully, he started unbuttoning Harley's shirt, and he grinned when the Mage Genius could free his arms and legs. "There you go."
But all of them gasped when Harley stood up, his body naked like the day he was born. They quickly covered their eyes to give the tiny mage his privacy, and they could only hope for Harith to dress him a little more decently. Meanwhile, Harith was panicking as he tried to find a way to cover up Harley, but he couldn't find something small enough to wrap the mage's body inside it.
"Cover him, Harith!" Claude shrieked, placing both of his hands over his eyes. The marksman wasn't helping in this situation at all. "Hurry! I can't bear to watch!"
"Shut up, I'm trying here!" Harith's eyes darted around, and he spotted Harley's coat. He immediately reached for it and outspread it in front of the tiny mage. "Come here, Harley..."
But the Mage Genius looked at him fearfully, and he started running away. Harith was horrified when the mage's body swayed left and right—as if he could easily lose his balance. "No, no, no– Harley, wait! Don't run!"
Just as he had feared, Harley tripped over his own feet, and he fell over his stomach. Tension was filled in the air as the mage moved into a sitting position, and Harith let out a sigh of relief when nothing happened.
But that was when he heard the most heartbreaking sound ever.
Harley's voice was so small as he cried, giant tears falling off from his cheeks. Harith could feel his ears flattening on top of his head at the sound of it, and he quickly dashed towards Harley to examine him. By now, his friends had already opened their eyes, and they, too, were running towards Harley to check on him.
"What happened?!" Lolita exclaimed, her eyes widening when she spotted Harley sitting on the ground, with some dirt attached to his body. "Oh my god–"
"I was just trying to put on some clothes for him, but then he just started running away!"' Harith answered, the distress in his voice evident. "Then he fell and–" He groaned. "Ugh, I can't do this!"
"Forget it. Right now, you have to carry him," Kimmy said, pointing towards the still wailing Harley. "Just lift him up and pat him on the back or something."
Harith gave the marksman mage a pleading look. "Can't you do it?"
"I think he ran away from you because he's afraid of you," Kimmy said, crossing her arms. "You should make him feel at ease with you. Since you were the one who scared him, you should be the one comforting him. Don't you want him to warm up to you?"
Harith doesn't want Harley to fear him, but he didn't want to hold him either. Looking at the crying child in front of him, he could only imagine how fragile he was. What if he accidentally dropped him? Of worse, what if he holds him in a position that would hurt him?
"You can do it, Harith," Kimmy said, a reassuring smile on her face. "Trust your instincts. Don't you feel sorry for him?"
Harith does feel sorry for him. Hearing his tiny voice, it sounded like his cries were hurting his own throat. He would do anything to stop it. So, swallowing the lump in his throat, he moved a little closer towards the mage, and he gently placed a hand over his head.
Harley's cries subsided into sobs, and he watched as the Mage Genius looked at him with eyes brimming with tears. This looked like a good start. Slowly, he rubbed the mage's head, and he couldn't help but feel awestruck by the softness of the mage's hair.
"There, there," Harith said, and he smiled when he felt Harley lean closer towards his touch. The mage still let out a sniffle, but at least he wasn't crying anymore. "I'm sorry for scaring you, Harley."
When he felt like the Mage Genius had calmed down, only then he wrapped the clothing around him. He could tell that his action caught the mage by surprise, but at least he wasn't trying to run away.
Harith soon found Harley gazing at him, and he noticed how the mage's eyes were focused onto his ears. It didn't take long before the mage spoke. "Cat?"
Harith couldn't help but look at the mage in content. His voice was so cute. It was like hearing a baby trying to talk. Okay, but now that Harley was turned into a baby, maybe he should've expected that.
"I'm not a cat, Harley," Harith said, his lips pulling into a grin. He then purposely twitched his ears on top of his head, and he watched as the mage's eyes widen in awe. "I'm a leonin."
Harley observed him in wonderstruck for a moment, before he repeated, "'Nin."
"Close enough," Harith chuckled. He then shifted a little so that he was facing the mage properly, and he outstretched his hand in front of him. "I'm Harith, by the way. You actually know me, but I guess you lost your memories, now that you've turned into a baby."
Harley stared at his hand, before he said, "'Rith."
"No," Harith said, shaking his head. "Ha-rith."
Harley blinked a few times. "'Rith."
Harith smiled. "I guess we'll just go with whatever you're comfortable with." But he was taken aback when Harley suddenly leaned forward, and, the next thing he knew, the mage was laying his head on top of his palm. "H-Harley?"
Harley didn't move, but he could see his eyes drooping. His voice was in a whisper when he said, "'Rith."
Harith could only stare, wide-eyed, at the child who was now using his hand as a pillow.
So small.
He turned around to see how his friends were reacting to this, and he was shocked to find all of them looking at him teary-eyed. Ruby wiped a lone tear that slipped down her cheek, Lolita had a huge smile, Kimmy placed a hand over her chest, and Claude was saluting him.
Okay, his friends were really creeping him out right now.
"Congratulations, Harith," Claude said, taking a step forward. He gave a pat over his shoulder. "You just turned from number one daddy, into number one dad."
Harith almost choked at his sentence.
What did he just say?!
On instinct, he sent his fist right on top of the marksman's head, causing him to wince.
"Ow! What the– I was just stating facts!"
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Harith and his friends were now heading back to the academy. It was a shame that they couldn't finish their mission. The wizard may have fled because he was low on Mana, but they couldn't risk finding him with Harley now turned into a baby. Who knows, what if the old man had other creatures that he could send to attack them? It would be really troublesome with Harley as a child.
"Are you sure I'm holding him right?" Harith asked, glancing at the sleeping Harley for the hundredth time now. The mage was all wrapped up like a bundle in his arms, and he couldn't help but shift him a little. "I don't want to end up hurting his neck."
Kimmy rolled her eyes, before she smiled. She patted his shoulder reassuringly. "You're doing great, Harith. If he was hurting, he wouldn't be sleeping like that."
Harith still had doubts that he was holding Harley right, but he still nodded his head. He ended up watching the small rise and fall of the mage's chest as he continued sleeping.
Kimmy noticed how he was eyeing Harley, and she moved closer towards him.. "Have you ever held a kid before?"
Harith shook his head. "Honestly, no. This is the first time I'm doing it."
"For your first time, you really looked like you're experienced with it," Ruby commented, looking at Harley from the corner of her eye. "If only I know how to handle kids too."
Lolita let out a chuckle. "I think it's best if you don't try, Ruby. Last time I checked, you set the playground on fire because you wanted to impress some kids."
"That's not true!" Ruby said, glowering at Lolita. She then scoffed before placing her hands over her hips. "I told you, it was all Valir's idea. He wanted to use his power so much."
Lolita snickered. "Whatever you say~"
Ruby gripped her scythe, before she started swinging it at Lolita's direction. With ease, the Steel Elf dodged it, and she started making a run for it.
"Come back here!" Ruby yelled.
Lolita stuck her tongue out as she lifted her hammer in victory. "Just try to catch me!"
Harith, Kimmy and Claude could only watch as the two of them started running inside the academy. They could only imagine the chaos the two of them would make once they enter the academy building, and it didn't take long before they hear some glass shattering before some people shrieking.
Harith sighed. He was sure that the Headmaster would call Lolita and Ruby's name very soon. "The two of them never change."
Claude let out an indifferent shrug. "And you guys call me a troublemaker."
"That's because you," Kimmy pulled Claude's ear, "love stealing things."
"Ow, ow, ow– Kimmy! You know I returned them already!"
Harith wondered how Harley wasn't awake despite all this noise, and he decided to look down to check on him. To his surprise, the Mage Genius was already awake, and he was now looking at him with those wide, green eyes.
"You're awake already?" Harith asked, his eyebrows raised. Harley just blinked a few times before yawning. The corner of Harith's lips twitched upwards at the sight of him, and he shifted Harley so that he was now carrying the mage over his shoulder. "Hold on, okay? We're almost home."
He waved goodbye to Kimmy and Claude, and the two of them went to their seperate ways. Thank goodness the two marksmen offered to report to the Headmaster, and that allowed him to focus solely on Harley.
It was silent as Harith made his way back home, and he stole a glance at Harley to see whether the mage had fallen asleep again. It turned out that the mage was just staring at his surroundings, and he wondered why he was so quiet.
"You okay?" Harith asked, and Harley nodded his head. The mage then tilted his head to the side to see where they were going, and Harith helped him by explaining, "That's our house, if you're wondering."
Frankly, it was weird speaking to Harley like this, but Harith doesn't have experience with kids, so he didn't know what he should actually say or do. He was kind of hoping that Kimmy would assist him, but he didn't want to bother her since she was going to see the Headmaster.
Harith unlocked the door, and he placed Harley down once they were inside. The Mage Genius was hesitant to move since he was in a foreign place, but it didn't take long before he gathered enough courage to start exploring. Harith couldn't help but grin at the way Harley walks—he could've sworn that mage walks like a duckling—and he moved to grab his phone on the table next to the stairs.
Harith stared at the list of contacts he had, and he took a moment to weigh his options again. But, looking at Harley, he realised that he really needed to contact that person. So, taking a deep breath, he pressed onto the name Lesley, and it only took him three rings before he received an answer.
"Hello?" Lesley said, her voice slightly muffled. Probably because of the bad connection. "Harith, is everything all right?"
"Uh..." Harith glanced at Harley, who was now patting his hand onto the coffee table. "Are you free right now?"
"I am, at the moment," Lesley said slowly. Something about her tone hinted Harith that she was suspicious on why he called her. "Harith? What's wrong? Is Harley okay?"
Harith took in a deep breath. Of course Lesley would suspect the instant he called her. It was rare for him to call her, unless he needed help with her brother. He could only imagine her wrath once she finds out what had happened to Harley. "Um, Harley is... kind of okay."
"I don't really like the sound of that," Lesley said, and Harith could practically hear her frowning. There was some rustling noise, before she asked, "What happened to him, Harith?"
Harith glanced at Harley again, and the mage was now flipping through the pages of a magazine. "Uh... so we fought a wizard..."
"And?"
"He is now a baby," Harith said, and he prepared himself to hear a yell, a shriek or an I am so going to kill you. But, when he heard nothing, he couldn't help but ask, "L-Lesley?"
Lesley was silent for a moment, but then he heard a gunshot. Harith had to pull away when the sound hurt his ears, and he could feel his heart beating quickly in his chest at the fear that was making itself prominent.
Oh god.
He was going to die.
He was going to die by his lover-who-had-just-turned-into-a-baby's sister.
"Sorry, what were you saying?" Lesley suddenly asked.
Harith swallowed the lump in his throat, and he managed to ask, "W-What was the gunshot for?"
"Oh, a guy was spying on me just now," Lesley said nonchalantly. As if she could see his mouth falling agape, she added, "Don't worry, I already sent a bullet straight to his head. Now, what did you say just now?"
Harith considered lying and telling her that everything was fine, but he didn't want to be the next victim of Lesley's rifle. His voice was barely audible when he said, "The wizard turned Harley into a baby."
Silence. Then, "Really?!"
Harith had to momentarily pull the phone away from his ear. "Y-Yeah..."
"Oh my god– video call me. Now."
And with that, the call ended.
Harith could only guess that he was in so much trouble, and he had to take in a few deep breaths to calm himself. He was surprised when he found Harley crawling on top his lap, and he had to adjust the giant coat he had wrapped around the mage—which was now slipping off from his shoulders. "Hold still, Harley. This thing is too big on you."
Harley actually stopped moving to let him adjust the coat, and the mage gave him an appreciative smile once it was securely wrapped around him. "Thank."
He was sure that the mage meant 'thank you', but that was good too. "Your welcome, Harley. Now, let me video chat with your sister."
Harith pressed the video call button, and he waited with apprehension for the sniper to answer it. Meanwhile, Harley looked like he was anticipating for his sister's response, because his eyes were focused onto the blank screen. Harith really wished that he could be like Harley right now. It must be nice not having to worry about a thing.
After a few rings, Lesley finally answered the call. The video took a few seconds to load, and Harith was startled when Lesley suddenly exclaimed, "Harleeeeeey!"
Harley took a moment to comprehend who he was staring at, and, all of a sudden, he let out a high-pitched squeal. Harith had to keep him in place when the mage started bouncing on his lap. "Les'!"
"Yes, it's me," Lesley said, grinning, and she pushed some of her hair that had flew to her face. It must've been windy over there, because Lesley's clothes looked like it was swaying. "Are you okay, Harley?"
Thank god Harley bobbed his head up and down. At least he was happy in front of his sister. That saved him some trouble.
"My sweet little angel," Lesley cooed, and Harley giggled as if he understood what she was saying. (Or maybe he does?) Lesley then flicked her gaze towards Harith. "Is his condition permanent?"
Harith shook his head, and he adjusted Harley, who was slowly sliding off from his lap. "I'm not sure. I haven't visited Rafaela yet. I thought of bathing him first and then bringing him to her."
Lesley looked up thoughtfully before nodding her head. "All right then." She then looked at Harley, and she smiled when she found her brother sticking his fist into his mouth. "I want you to take care of him properly, Harith. I don't want anything bad happening to him."
Harith nodded. "I will."
"Do you know how to take care of a child though?" Lesley asked, a brow raised. There was a look of amusement on her face, and Harith could feel his face heating up in embarrassment as he slowly shook his head. "I've thought that much. I'm sure you wouldn't have called me if you knew how to handle him."
"If you can, please tell me the basics of taking care of a baby," Harith said, giving her a pleading look.
"All right," Lesley said, and she hung her rifle over her shoulder. She then placed her free hand onto her hip. "Here are a few things you need to do, especially when you're taking care of a Harley."
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Harith dipped his hand in the tub for the fifth time, and he finally concluded that the water's temperature was just right enough for Harley. He then threw a glance at the Mage Genius, and he couldn't help but grin when he found the mage with his hands holding the edge of the tub, and his face excited to enter the water.
Harley noticed that he was looking at him, and he pointed towards the bathtub. "'Tub."
"Yes, you can enter it now," Harith chuckled as he stood up. Harley had been waiting for him to fill up the water, and he was honestly surprised when the mage was patient enough to wait until he finished adjusting the temperature. Unlike the kids he had seen in his every day life, most of them would whine if they don't get what they want. "Let me carry you, Harley."
Harith lifted Harley by the armpits, and he carefully placed him in the tub. He made sure that the mage ended up sitting, and he let out a sigh of relief when Harley sat upright. The Mage Genius clapped his hands excitedly once he was in the tub, and he started slapping the water, causing a few small splashes.
"Hey, you're going to splash at my clothes like this," Harith said, yet he was smiling. He cupped some water with his hand before pouring it over Harley's back. "We need to visit Rafaela after this, so we can't stay here for long."
Thankfully, Harley let him wash him as he played with water. Harith was careful when he poured water over his head, and he couldn't help but laugh when Harley blew at the water that hit his face. He spent a few minutes rubbing the mage with some soap, and it didn't take long before he washed him again with water.
"Okay, time to come out," Harith said. Harley lifted his arms expectantly, and Harith carried him out of the tub. He carefully placed the mage so that he was standing on the floor, and he grabbed a towel he had prepared so that he could wipe the mage. "Come here, Harley."
Harley took a few steps closer towards him, and Harith started drying him with the towel. He wiped his head first, and he was surprised when he realised that his hair dried quickly. Maybe it was because his hair was little. He then proceeded with wiping his body, and he paused for a moment when he remembered something.
"Damn it." Harith slowly looked up, and he found Harley looking at him questioningly. "We don't have diapers here."
But Harley wrinkled his nose in disgust, and he shook his head. "No."
"No?" Harith asked, his brows furrowing in confusion. "You don't wear diapers?"
Harley shook his head again.
Harith took a moment to think. He examined Harley, and he concluded that the mage was probably a year old in this form. Maybe the mage didn't understand what he was saying. "Do you even know what's a diaper?"
Harley nodded his head.
Harith rubbed his chin. If Harley didn't understand his question, then the mage would definitely had shaken his head. But his response was totally different. "Do you even understand what I'm saying?"
Harley just stared at his face, before he nodded again.
Harith let out a deep breath, and he ran a hand through his hair. "Damn. I knew you were a genius, but I didn't know you were this smart as a baby."
Harley smiled, and he suddenly threw his arms around his leg to hug it. "Thank."
"Aww," Harith cooed, and he gently brushed his hair. "You like compliments, do you?"
Harley grinned from ear to ear, and he bobbed his head vigorously.
What an honest kid, Harith thought, and he couldn't help but laugh. He then patted Harley's head. "All right, after this we can find you some clothes and take you to see Rafaela."
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Harith was now on his way back after visiting Rafaela, and he was happy to know that Harley's condition wasn't permanent. It would take a while before the mage reverts back to his regular self, but for now, he would just have to take care of him as a baby. Not that he minded. He had always been fond of kids. Even though he never had the chance to care for them, but maybe this would allow him to have some experience with them.
Harith glanced at Harley, who was walking right beside him. The mage's body seemed to sway as he walked, and he wondered whether it was safe to let him walk when he looked slightly... unstable. It wasn't helping that the t-shirt he was wearing reached until his toes.
"Harley, do you want me to carry you?" Harith asked. It was bad enough that the mage was walking barefoot. He didn't want him to fall next. "I can carry you, if you want."
Harley stopped walking and shook his head.
Oh well. It looked like the Mage Genius was independent.
"Harith!"
Harith whipped his head to where the voice came from, and he found Claude heading his way. Claude seemed to spot Harley, and he immediately extended his arms as a gesture that he wanted to hold him. "Harleeeey–"
But the sudden action scared the Mage Genius, and Harley immediately cried when Claude ran towards him. He hid behind Harith's leg in order to get away from the marksman, and he started weeping as he clutched the back of his leg.
Claude panicked when he realised that he had made Harley cry, and Harith gave him a deadly glower for scaring the mage like that. "Thanks a lot, Claude."
"N-No, wait!" Claude said, and he made an attempt to get closer to Harley. It only earned the academy a louder cry. "Harley, please don't cry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"
Harith sighed when none of Claude's words were comforting Harley, and he turned around to look at the mage himself. He crouched down so that he could look at the mage properly, and his face turned sympathetic when he found his face red with tears streaming down his face.
"Hey, it's okay," Harith said, and he used a hand to gently stroke his head. Harley just continued crying as he pointed his index finger at Claude's direction. "I know, I know. Claude's a jerk. But I promise you, he means no harm."
Claude opened his mouth to protest about the jerk part, but he quickly closed it when Harith sent him a side-eye glare.
"He's not going to hurt you," Harith continued, and his face softened when he found Harley looking at him with teary eyes. He gave his head a pat, and he gestured towards Claude again. "Claude is a nice guy, okay? Everyone here is. No one is going to hurt you."
Harley sniffed, and he slowly bobbed his head. Harith used his thumb to wipe some of the tears, and he was surprised when the mage suddenly pointed towards Claude again. "Claw."
Harith laughed. The way the mage pronounced the marksman's name was so adorable. "It's actually Claude, Harley."
Harley looked like he was deep in thought, before he repeated, "Claw."
Claude raised his index finger in the air. "It's actually pronounced as 'Claude'–"
"Is everything okay?!" Kimmy asked, and Claude shrieked at the mage marksman's presence. Harith was surprised too, because he seriously didn't sense her coming here at all. "Just now I heard crying, so I can only assume it was Harley."
"Yeah, Claude scared him a little just now," Harith said, and he could feel Harley moving closer towards his leg. Absentmindedly, he started stroking the mage's head, and he could feel the mage's clutch onto his leg tightening. "But everything's okay now."
"Aww," Kimmy said, and she frowned when she saw the tear stains on Harley's cheeks. Slowly, she approached the mage, and she crouched down so that she could meet his gaze. "Claude scared you just now, huh?"
Harley sniffed, before he nodded his head. "Claw."
"So cute!" Kimmy squealed, and she propped her face in her hands. "Do you know my name?"
Harley blinked a few times, before he shook his head.
"Kimmy," Kimmy said, smiling. "My name is Kimmy."
Harley's brows furrowed, as if he was trying to process the name, and then, he spoke, "Me."
"No, Kim-my."
"Me."
"Why are you so adorable?!" Kimmy said, moving her hand to pinch his cheeks. But before she could even touch them, Harley's stomach made a gurgling noise. The sound took her by surprise, and she tilted her head up to glance at Harith. "Um, Harith? Have you given him anything to eat?"
Harith realised that he hadn't, and he instantly slapped his forehead. "Shit! I totally forgot about the food that Lesley mentioned!"
But Kimmy and Claude were now looking at him with widened eyes, and he wondered why they suddenly look pale. The two marksmen then flicked their gaze towards Harley, and Harith's own eyes widened in horror when it registered to him what he had just said.
"Shet," Harley repeated.
"No, no, no– Harley! Please don't say that word!" Harith said, kneeling down on one knee. Of all things he could teach him—it just had to be a curse word!
Harley giggled at his expression, and a wide smile grew on his face. "Shet."
"Welp," Claude said, patting Harith's shoulder. "I think you may need to answer that one to Lesley yourself."
»»————- ♔ ————-««
note: firstly, i would like to say happy late late late late birthday to estellaux! i'm sorry for finishing your birthday present a month later after your birthday. i'm so slow, i know. 😭💔 i can only hope that you enjoy the first part of this oneshot. the second oneshot might take a while since i haven't written it yet (yes, please throw a shoe at me). ily girl, and thank you for always supporting me. ♡ sorry again for this super late birthday gift, and i'm sorry for not being able to upload it full :")
the reason for this oneshot's delay is because i had an internal conflict whether i should continue writing even though it already has 10k+ words, or split it into two parts. i tried continuing it, but my phone became so laggy and i've decided to just make this a two-part oneshot (but now that it has two parts, it's not really a oneshot, is it? xD). please pray that i can get it done as soon as possible. but i'm sorry if i can't write fast, because my finals are coming up in two weeks and that might hinder a bit of my progress.
anyway, happy new year to you all! yes, gotta start 2020 with some fluff. for the first time in forever, i'm not writing something angsty, so this can be counted as some kind of accomplishment, right? hope everyone else enjoyed this 1/2 oneshot. :)