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havecourage-darling · 5 years

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Weasleys’ Wildfire Whiz-bangs

A/N: Hello! It’s been a while. Can be read as a stand-alone. As a reminder, Golden Trio would be pre- sixth year and reader would be pre seventh year. The twins have already graduated. Hope you like it!

*Please note, I will no longer be posting to Tumblr due to lack of - well, response? feedback? I’ll still be posting to AO3 and the masterlist should always be updated. If you want to follow the rest of the story - please check there. Thanks! [11/29/19]*

Pairing: George Weasley x Reader

Warning: N/A

Words: ~6.3k

Previous, 9. Coyotes. | Next, 11. Identical Twins

Masterlist | AO3

You were not the greatest keeper of secrets.

In your defense, it was not that you weren’t able to keep a secret! No, it was simply the fact that you were quite an honest person. You weren’t one for gossip and you were generally an open book. George always said he’d found it endearing but your father would always laugh and inform you that you’d inherited that from your American side of the family. Now, however, you wished you’d practice the ability.

Soon after the twins’ dramatic departure, Helga landed at your plate one morning carrying a large letter with what you recognized as professor McGonagall’s handwriting.

Please wait for me outside your common room tonight at ten. I will come collect you - bring your wand and a cloak, we will be walking to Greenhouse No. 3. Do not tell anyone. Destroy this note.

You had to sneak away from your best friend without raising suspicion, which was incredibly hard to do without having George as an excuse.

McGonagall had given you no indication as to why you were being escorted to a greenhouse and when you tried to ask, she’d shushed you.

“Professor Sprout?” You said, even more confused. Sprout sat at her usual desk, tending to a mandrake. You looked to McGonagall who had a tense expression on her face. “Is this - is this about Fred and George leaving? I couldn’t have stopped them if I wanted, honest!”

“Miss-” McGonagall started and you steamrolled over her.

“And if this is about that prank me and Lee set on Umbridge - it was harmless! I mean, her office is going to stink but she didn’t get hurt!”

“Dear,” Sprout caught your face in her hands. “You’re not in trouble.”

“I’m not?” You asked, your panic dying down.

“No,” McGonagall said, her eyes twinkling. “If I may, it seems that we’ve been given instructions to help you with a task.”

“A task?” You asked dumbly.

Sprout nodded and patted the mandrake happily. “Yes, straight from the headmaster.”

“Dumbledore?” Your eyes widened. “A task for me?”

“Yes dear,” Sprout said, waving her wand towards the door. You heard it lock and a muffled echo. “It is crucial that you not tell anyone what we’re about to tell you.”

“Pomona,” McGonagall said quietly. Sprout’s eyes never left yours. You nodded and she smiled.

“We were notified that you were one of the first of Dumbledore’s Army to be able to produce a patronus.” McGonagall said, voice tinted with something that sounded like respect.

You nodded sheepishly at Sprout, who smiled proudly. “Yes Professor.”

“Would you mind showing me?” McGonagall asked.

Frowning, you pulled out your wand warily. After performing it so often for lessons, it had become like second nature. “Expecto patronum.”

The familiar coyote burst out of your wand. It padded around the room a few times before evaporating.

“Let’s try a few more things.” McGonagall smiled and her eyes sharpened. “Let’s try a duel, shall we?”

You tentatively raised your wand when she raised hers. You blocked multiple spells and managed to almost hit her with one when she held up a hand. You straightened and chewed on her your lip. “I’m sorry professor!”

She shook her head and Professor Sprout was beaming. She pushed a set of plants towards you. “What do each of these do?”

You recited their uses and multiple purposes. She nodded and turned to McGonagall.

“You’ve just taken your apparition exam?”

Nodding, you winced. “I’m not the most graceful but I can do it.”

“You have a gift with transfiguration,” McGonagall said finally.

Smiling, you gave her a small smile. “I’ve always liked your class professor.”

McGonagall straightened, looking pleased. “Well, it seems that all your professors hold you in high regard and Dumbledore has tasked us with teaching you something that would be an incredibly difficult feat.”

You nodded. Everyone could feel that things were changing and while you didn’t necessarily agree with Dumbledore's ways, you were a Hufflepuff. Harry was loyal to Dumbledore and you were loyal to Harry.

“I’ll do it,” you said with no hesitation. “If this can help beat Vol - You-Know-Who - and help Harry, I’ll do it.”

Sprout beamed. “I told you Minerva.”

“This will be incredibly complex,” McGonagall said, looking disgruntled. “I had Dumbledore himself teach me but we’ll need to be discreet what with that - that woman around.”

You stifled a laugh at the disgruntled expression she always adopted when talking about Umbridge.

“Hagrid has said we’re welcome to use his home and I dare say we will need to take him up on it.”

“My dear, you cannot speak of this to anyone,” Sprout said seriously. “The only people who will know of your transformation are in this room.”

“And the headmaster,” McGonagall added.

You frowned and nodded. “Transformation?”

Sprout glanced and McGonagall and patted the mandrake again. “I’ve been taking good care of this myself. The leaves will be ready in a week and that’s when we’ll start trying. It depends on the full moon next month.”

“It took me under a year to finally get this right, and we must assume that this feat will take just as long. However, it could be shorter – we must get you to take the potion at the right time,” she said with a deep inhale. “Dumbledore believes it might be beneficial if you are able to become an animagus.”

Straightening, you gaped at her. “An - an animagus?”

McGonagall nodded. “We assume that the form you’ll take is that of a coyote. However, it is imperative that you keep this to yourself. Tell no other professor, not your parents, not any of your friends; as anyone who has this information is in danger.”

“Danger?” You frowned, wringing your hands together nervously. “Why would they be in danger?”

“Because, dear, Dumbledore believes it best not to register this fact with the ministry… should it ever fall.”

You stayed quiet for a moment and nodded. If Dumbledore was worried that the Ministry of Magic would fall one day – you should be too. You had people you needed to protect. “We’d have another animagus that could travel under their noses without them knowing,” you said, “like Sirius.”

Sprout frowned but McGonagall pursed her lips. “Yes, I do believe that’s the reasoning. I feel like I must remind you that this is not mandatory, you do not need to do this. In fact, I’ve argued against this - not due to lack of belief in you but, oh honestly, you’re still a child.”

She huffed and Sprout patted her arm. “Dumbledore left it up to us to decide.”

McGonagall nodded. “If you’re going to be - galivanting - out there doing Merlin knows what, I wanted to be certain that you know how to defend yourself.”

“My dear,” Sprout said quietly, pulling your attention to her. She smiled kindly and took one of your hands in hers. “You do not have to do this. However, should you want to, we’ll help you.”

You thought back to the families that have been destroyed by this war, of Neville and Harry’s parents, of your own Weasleys - of Arthur after the attack - of the children the death eaters had tortured. You were of age now and the reality was that this war was not one that could be avoided and you owed it to your own family to fight with them.

Nodding, you straightened your shoulders. “I’ll do it. What do I need to do?”

/////

The first face you saw coming off the train was George’s. His arms lifted you right off the steps of the Hogwarts Express and you shrieked.

“George!” You laughed, surprised. “You scared me!”

“I’ve missed you,” he said loudly, kissing you right then and there. You smiled into the kiss and squirmed when he deepened it.

“For Merlin’s sake, George! Let her breathe, you’re suffocating her!” Molly’s voice came from behind him.

You huffed a laugh and George leaned back, placing you down on your feet. “Is she still mad at you two?” You whispered.

“She was, then she saw our shop - it’s coming along. We’re close to opening now,” he said, the smile on his face wide.

“Am I finally going to get a tour?” You smiled at him, your arms still around his shoulders.

“A tour of your future home?” Fred asked, coming up behind George. You released George and smacked his shoulder.

“Stop going around telling people that we’re moving in together,” you whispered harshly.

George shrugged, nonchalant. “It’s the truth, we all know it’s going to happen eventually.”

“That’s the only reason why you got the bigger room,” Fred joked.

You rolled your eyes and gave Fred a quick hug before moving onto Molly and your parents.

“My dear,” Molly grabbed your hand, “I really must say you’re so brave.”

Freezing, your heart started to pound. “W-what do you mean?”

“For staying with that son of mine,” Molly said, narrowing her eyes towards the twins. “Oh, I could’ve just killed the two of you when you dropped in without a care in the world! Just pleased as could be.”

“You liked the shop mum!” Fred protested. “You cried and everything!”

You smiled at their indignant expressions.

“Shop?” Your dad asked, his eyes lighting up.

Fred explained to your parents about the shop they managed to buy and some of their products.

“I actually have one with me,” George said pulling a firecracker from his pocket.

“Don’t you dare!” Molly shrieked but it was too late.

The platform lit up and you heard some of the students cheering. Harry popped up next to you and smiled at Molly’s disgruntled expression. “That helped find you quickly,” he said with a dull smile.

“-mortifying! I can’t even look at them in the eyes!” Molly wacked each twin with her bag. “You could’ve gone into the Ministry! She’s going to be a healer! Perfectly respectable!”

Your parents, however, didn’t seem to mind a bit. Your father was laughing, following the fireworks and your mother was smiling as she spoke with Hermione’s parents.

“Hey.” You nudged Harry’s shoulder with your own and he turned his eyes towards you. “If you need me, anytime during the holidays, I’ll be there okay?”

Harry nodded, his eyes still sad, but his smile was genuine. You grabbed him and he hugged you back. “Mum and Dad won’t mind having you over either. I’m serious Potter, I better see Hedwig at least once a week.”

“Alright, alright,” he said huffing a laugh. “See you.”

You waved and watched him approach Hermione and Ron.

“What’s going on?” A voice next to you said. You turned to see Ginny lugging her case behind her.

Molly was still trying to stop the fire crackers to stop multiplying. You shrugged. “Fred and George being Fred and George.”

“It’s been less than five minutes and mum’s already screaming at them?” Ginny asked, her arm linking with yours.

“You know how it goes,” you said, smiling along with her.

/////

Your clock rung, shrill, and you scrambled to shut it off. You froze, turning to look over at George, who smacked his lips and tightened his hold around your waist.

With a quick look to the brightening sky, you slipped out of George’s hold and out of the room. You jumped to get your shoes on and you quietly made your way to the roof of the shop.

Glancing at the watch George had given you, the one he’d inherited from his father, you gripped your wand tightly. You tried to shake the sleep from your head – you’d been doing this for months now, the last leg of your journey. Sprout told you that it’d be any day now -you couldn’t afford to slip up. You’d been lucky to get a clear full moon when you did. So if you made a mistake, you’d need to start over again and months of work would be for nothing.

As the first rays of sun peeked over the horizon, you started. “Amato Animo Animato Animagus. Amato Animo Animato Animagus. Amato Animo Animato Animagus…”

You kept going until the sun had finished its ascension into the sky. You took a moment to sunbathe, stretching out your limbs before slipping back into the flat. You were never able to get back to sleep after you’d spent the good part of the hour chanting, so you settled into your new routine. You opened your textbooks onto the kitchen table and started working on your summer assignments.

After a few hours, you stretched and sighed when you rolled your shoulders. Glancing at the time, you started on breakfast.

As you knew it would, the smell of food woke the boys. George stumbled out first, his hair sticking up wildly and shirt slipping off his shoulder. He smiled sleepily when he saw you. George wrapped his arms around you and dropped his chin on your shoulder.

You stayed there, wrapped around each other for a moment. Turning to press a quick kiss to his cheek, you flipped the pancakes in the pan.

“Smells good, love,” he said quietly.

Their flat felt new even after a few weeks. Some of the twins’ belongings were still in boxes strewn around the small living room. While you’d spent the last few days helping unpack their things, there always seemed to be more to unpack.

You’d be starting the new term soon and the closer you got to leaving, the more worried George seemed to get. He was trying to hide it, but you knew they were both feeling on edge. For that reason, and that reason alone, was why both Molly and your parents let you stay with them for two weeks before start of term.

“Should be ready soon.” You shut off the fire and reached for the one muggle machine you managed to drag into their apartment – a coffee maker. “Just waiting on a fresh pot. Could you wake Fred up for me?”

“Or,” he said pressing a kiss to the sensitive patch of skin below your ear, “we could find something to occupy ourselves until he wakes up.”

“George,” you said warningly.

“I love it when you scold me,” he joked, flipping you around.

Before you could get any further argument out, he pulled you up onto the counter and pressed his lips to yours. Quickly, all rebuttals flew out your head and you found yourself leaning into the kiss.

You ran your fingers through his hair and tugged lightly. As predicted, he let out a soft sound that you kissed away.

“We’ll see each other in Hogsmeade,” you said reassuringly. “If anything seems off, I’ll owl you right away.”

He frowned and you swept your thumb across the soft skin under his eyes. “What’s got you so worried? Umbridge is gone, Dumbledore’s back. It’ll be safe - you would normally be stuffing my suitcase full with pranks.”

“I don’t know. We’ve never been at Hogwarts without each other,” he said quietly, “everything’s changing now.”

It was true, everything felt like you were standing on an edge that no one seemed to be able to pull back from. After what happened at the Ministry - after Sirius…

“You were at Hogwarts a whole year before I got there,” you said lightly, trying to get him to smile. “First Year George did just fine without me.”

At last, George grinned. “That poor git had no idea what was coming for him.”

You laughed and pulled him towards you. The sudden sound of a door slamming made you jump.

“For the love of – we agreed!” Fred shouted, his hand over his eyes, “you two were to respect the common areas and not subject me to this torture. Merlin’s beard, you’ve been attached to the face since our fourth year, shouldn’t you be used to each other by now?”

You snorted and hopped off the counter. “You’re just as bad when Angelina’s here, don’t point fingers.”

Fred huffed. “Yes, but at least we have the decency to not to be caught snogging in the kitchen.” He bumped into the sofa and went headfirst into the cushions.

“For Helga’s sake Fred, we’re both fully clothed. You can open your eyes!” You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the disgruntled expression he shot to you. “Quiet. Sit and eat your eggs.”

Starving, you managed to eat quicker than either of them. Fred continued to whine about the both of you when George straightened.

“You know,” George said thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t have to chase after my girlfriend if she managed to not wake up with the sun. I’d like to have a cuddle in the morning.”

You rolled your eyes. “You sleep like the dead and are a horrible morning person.”

“You’re right,” George said with a mock stern expression. “But I’d like the option!”

“What?” Fred said, bits of toast flying with his exclamation. “Since when does our badger wake up early? You always rush through breakfast before your first class ‘cos you overslept.”

George seemed to realize this, his eyes lighting up and turning towards you.

You immediately darted up, placing your half-finished plate into the sink. “I don’t know, I like switching up my schedule. I’m going down to get some pastries for later, do you two want anything?”

“Badger-” You waved a hand and closed the bedroom door before they could continue.

Helga blinked her eyes at you from her perch. “Don’t look at me like that, you know what Sprout said.” She huffed and you sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

/////

You sat on the counter, next to the cashier’s box, chewing absently on a lemon bar you’d bought on the way to the shop. Glancing around at the few people milling around, you couldn’t help but smile. The shop was exactly what you thought it would be like. Products were spilling from the shelves, there were a group of girls giggling by the love potions, and a few boys admiring the firecrackers.

“That looks good,” a voice to your left said. You turned to glance over your shoulder and smiled when you found George with his chin propped on his palm.

“It’s from Alberta’s Sugar and Potions.” You waved it in your hand. “She baked it this morning, you want a taste?”

His eyes lit up and nodded. You reached up to offer him a piece when he caught you by surprise and pressed his lips to yours. You smiled into the kiss, your free hand coming up to his neck and pulled back after a moment. “What was that for?”

“You offered up a taste.” He winked and you laughed.

“Oi, I don’t pay you two to sit around and snog all day,” Fred shouted from the stairs.

“You don’t pay me at all,” you shouted back. “I could leave-”

“No,” George tightened his hold on your hips, and tucked his nose into your neck. “We’re closing soon anyway.”

You craned your neck to look at the large clock by the stairs. “Closing early today?”

George nodded. “You’ve only got a few days left now, best make the most of them.”

You grinned, threading your fingers through his hair and scratched at his scalp. “I don’t mind waiting until after you close, this is important.”

“What’s a bloke have to do around here to get some time with a witch?” He asked loudly and you flushed.

“Alright, alright!”

“You know, you’d think he’d remember I’m his twin,” you heard Fred telling a nearby customer, “but no. His girlfriend is going away in a week and all of a sudden I’m invisible.”

Verity snorted as she came out of the stock room. “Mister Weasley, where do you want me to put the new shipment of expendable ears?”

Fred sighed. “Next to the wands - wait no, up there, here let me take that.” Fred grabbed one of the boxes and walked off towards the front of the shop.

“How do you know who she’s talking to when she says that?” You asked, tracing the freckles on his chin.

George’s eyes slid closed and he hummed. “When she says what?” He leaned into your touch and you smiled.

You leaned forward and brought your lips to the shell of his ear. “Mister Weasely.”

He stiffened and a light pink blush made its way up his neck and across his face. You smiled, delighted in his discomfort and he sighed. “You find too much enjoyment in that.”

“I like seeing you blush especially since you’re both so shameless.” You shrugged a shoulder and smiled at his glare. “I won’t be able to tease you regularly now, I’ve got to get it in while I can.”

George’s disgruntled expression morphed into a frown, his eyes losing their mirth. “Don’t remind me.” He hooked his chin on your shoulder and you felt his sigh against your neck.

“Bloody hell, are you two still snogging? Merlin’s sake- will one of you at least help Verity load the last of the new shipment?” Fred exclaimed, exasperated.

You kissed George’s temple and hopped off the counter. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist, I’m going - for free I might add.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Fred rounded the counter and nudged George’s elbow. You watched them whisper together, their heads bent towards each other and you frowned.

The clock tower rang twice and an announcement drifted down from the rafters.

“Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes will be closing in thirty minutes.”

Fred and George clapped from the back of the store and grinned at the stragglers. “Get all you can now and remember, we open tomorrow morning for any other purchases you may want.”

You walked around the store, waving your wand and making sure most of the products were placed back on their shelves. Focused on levitating the canary cream puffs onto a top shelf, you stumbled and fell into someone’s arms.

“I’m so sorry,” you said, righting yourself. A smiling face greeted you and you beamed. “Neville!”

“Hello,” he said, face pink. “Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“S’all right, it’s my fault too,” you said with a warm smile. You’d always had a soft spot for Neville. “How was your summer?”

“Good, Gran’s finally stopped telling people on the street about what happened at the Ministry,” he mumbled.

“You should be proud,” you said fiercely, “you did great Neville. I’m still mad at you all for not taking me with you.”

Neville’s face was starting to resemble a tomato. “W-we didn’t know, it happened too quickly-”

“I’m just joking Neville,” you said softly, “I’m glad you’re doing better.”

Before you could continue your conversation, you saw a group of boys huddled in the far corner of the shop. Narrowing your eyes, you frowned. “Sorry Neville, I’ll be right back.”

“Just stuff them in your cloak,” one of the boys whispered to the other.

“You scoop those out of your pockets before I jinx you,” you said, pointing at a group of third years.

They all froze at the sound of your voice. They turned and you crossed your arms. Glaring at them, you faintly recognized them from Gryffindor. “Put them back,” you used your Head Girl voice, “now.” Cowed, all except one emptied their pockets and ran off. The biggest one shot you a contemptuous look and you sighed. Why was there always one?

“I would listen to her if I were you,” George said, coming to stand by you. “I’ve never seen anyone do what this one can do with a jinx.”

Undeterred, the boy turned - his hands filled with fire-crackers - and you sighed. “Alright then, s’always got to be the difficult way with you Gryffindors.”

George snorted.

“Admorsus,” you said, pointing your wand at the crackers in his hands.

The boy shrieked loudly, shaking his hands as a few of the packages grew teeth and latched themselves onto his hand.

Fred scooped up the items dropped, cackled, and went to help another customer.

“Not so smug now are ya?” George kissed your temple and smiled. “I always knew you were meant to work here.”

You huffed. “I can’t be your security detail forever.”

“Again with the reminders,” he mumbled.

The boy ran, still trying to shake one of the packages off his hands, and slammed down on the crackers - igniting them.

Verity sighed and lifted her wand, pointing towards the fireworks. You ran forward, moving past the boys laughing from the side. “Verity, no!” The three of you shouted but it was too late.

“Stupefy!”

The fireworks doubled and you sighed. The crowd ducked and you could hear Neville scream as one of them grazed his head.

“It’s always chaos with you Weasleys’.”

George laughed, his eyes lighting up, and doubled over with an arm around his stomach. Well, you sighed, at least he got a good laugh out of it.

Fred rolled up his sleeves and sighed. “Alright, we’re officially closed. Now we just need to bring the pygmys out and get the crackers to stop. Badger you’re the best at-”

You let out a strangled sound at the sight of the sun setting. “I’m sorry- I forgot - I have to- I’ll be right back!” You sprinted up the steps and through the apartment. Trying to calm your pounding heart, you started chanting the spell as you climbed the steps to the roof.

“Amato Animo Animato Animagus…”

/////

You sighed as the sun fell and the sky was dark. Crossing your fingers, you hoped that you weren’t too late. McGonagall would have your head if it was. It’d taken you three tries to even get the potion - you couldn’t handle having another mandrake in your mouth for another month.

You settled on sending Helga to Sprout, to make sure everything was still okay. You descended the steep stairs into the flat and absently chewed on your nail. The summer had brought many showers but you needed a lightning storm - sooner rather than later. Without Sirius, you were the last advantage the Order would have.

“Hello,” a voice said, scaring you out of your thoughts. George sat on the sofa, arms behind his head. “Should I bother asking where you’re running off to all the time or will you manage to talk your way around that too?”

You sputtered, not sure what to say. He stared at you in tense silence for a moment. George had no temper so you usually got nervous at the sight of it. You wrung your fingers, feeling the weight of his silence. You tentatively sat next to him. He didn’t reach out and neither did you.

“Is it something serious?” He asked quietly.

“Yes,” you said honestly.

“Are you sick?”

You shook your head. “No, I’m fine.”

He watched you for another moment and then nodded, satisfied with your answer.

“I’m assuming that if you could tell me, you would’ve already,” he said. “Which means it’s something Order related.”

You took his hand between your own and brought it to your face. “You would’ve been the first person I’d tell. Please don’t ask me anything else.”

“Alright,” he said, bringing you towards his chest. “I trust you.”

Fred’s footsteps echoed as he climbed the stairs. He opened the door and eyed you two warily. “Is everything alright now?”

“Peachy,” George said, the smile returning to his face. You squeezed his hand gratefully.

“Are you - what’s that?” Fred asked, his head tilting. “It’s an owl.”

George opened the window and a tawny owl fluttered onto a nearby chair. It chirped urgently at you and shoved it’s leg out. You unwrapped the letter quickly and recognized Sprout’s scrambled penmanship.

It’s time. Meet us at the Leaky Cauldron as soon as you recieve this.

Your heart started pounding in your chest and George called out your name. As if planned, thunder rumbled outside.

“Who’s it from?” “What’s going on?” “Let me see what it says.”

Before either twin could take a look at the note, it shrieked and ripped itself to pieces. You scrambled to get your wand and your cloak.

“Badger?” George called out.

“Trust me?” You said, turning around and grabbing his hand. “Please.”

He searched your face and then nodded. “Okay, just – be careful.”

You smiled, relieved, and surged forward to kiss him. Within minutes, you ran down the stairs and out into Diagon Alley.

/////

“You got here quickly, did you apparate?” Sprout asked as she ushered you into the room they occupied.

“No, I’m staying with George at their shop until term starts,” you told her, “it’s only a few streets down.”

“Well, that certainly will be helpful,” she said bringing the potion out of its dark casing.

McGonagall pulled out a few potions herself and set them down on the desk in the far corner. “I dare say you’ll need a few calming droughts afterwards.”

“We’ll take you to the Weasleys - it wouldn’t do well to have your parents see you like that. Besides, I know Mr. Fred Weasley has a good eye for potions,” Sprout said with a small smile, “no matter how hard he tried to hide it.”

“Do you think that’s wise?” McGonagall asked. “They’ll be quick to recognize what’s happened to her. The more people who know...”

You frowned, anxiety building within you. “I don’t know…”

“Oh Minerva, you know those Weasley boys joined the Order the moment they became of age. They’ll find out eventually. Afterall, you know these two have been attached at the hip since she came to Hogwarts. I’ve never seen anyone so enamored.”

McGonagall rolled her eyes and you managed to smile. “Alright, if you’re sure.”

You chewed on your lip and nodded. “Yes. They’ll be able to help me if we need it.”

The first bout of lightning shone through the window and Sprout clapped her hands. “Alright, it’s time.”

McGonagall handed you the vial and you slowly pulled the cork. Sniffing it cautiously, you scrunched your nose and Sprouted tutted. “Don’t sniff it, just hold your breath, it’ll work instantly.”

You sighed and tightened the hold on your wand. Without overthinking it, you swallowed the vial and fought the urge to spit it out.

“Alright, you’ll feel it working from your feet up. It’ll start to get painful quickly - Pomona, are the charms in place?”

“Yes, the silencing charm should hold,” she said.

Just as your feet started to become numb, an invisible fist seemed to grab at your stomach and pulled. You stumbled to your knees, your chest heaving. Your skin felt impossibly itchy, like you had a thousand ants crawling all over you but you couldn’t get them off of you.

“Please, make it stop,” you screamed, your spine felt like it’d been replaced with a burning metal rod.

“You’re almost there,” someone said, sound was starting to warp - your eyesight becoming spotty. “It won’t be long now, concentrate dear girl!”

With a few more jabs to your abdomen, it happened quickly. The pain disappeared so suddenly, you’re lightheaded. Habit told you to get off the floor but when you leaned back, you find yourself sitting on your hind legs. Surprised, you scramble back to all fours.

“She’s beautiful, look at the coat on her,” Sprout said with a proud smile. McGonagall looked close to tears.

“You did it, you’ve done it!” She beamed, pleased. “Now, can you hear us?”

Opening your mouth to answer, the only sound that came out was a warbled howling. You quickly stop it and lifted up one of your paws experimentally. You ran your tongue against a row of sharp teeth.

“Don’t try to speak,” McGonagall said, “it takes time to get used to. Nod if you can understand me.”

You nodded, stretching out each of your limbs. Your tail hit the end of the bed frame and you jumped, startled again. Helga, this was going to take getting used to.

“Let’s make sure everything went to plan, then we’ll help you adjust to your new form,” Sprout said, patting your head. “Coyotes are by no means native to England but, you look close enough to a dog that if we get the color of your fur darker.”

“Now, how’s your eyesight?” McGonagall asked, her wand hovering over you. “Let’s test that first.”

However, it quickly becomes apparent to everyone that the potion worked as well as it could have.

“Alright dear, shifting back will be easier than the first transformation but most wizards sleep for days afterwards,” McGonagall smiled, her eyes beaming. “I slept for the entire weekend after my first shift. We should assume you will as well.”

With a few words of encouragement, your shift back is significantly smoother. You’re on two feet again and you feel as if you’d just been zapped with energy. You felt like you’d burst at any moment.

“How do you feel?” Sprout asked, her hands out in front of you - cautious.

“I feel great!” You said, your blood rushing through your ears. “I feel like I could run a marathon!”

“A what?” Sprout asked, her brows furrowing.

“Easy now,” McGonagall said, her hand coming to your elbow when you stumbled.

“Really,” you said, “I think I’ve got it.”

Just as you moved towards the window, the room spun and you felt your knees give out from under you.

/////

The next time you opened your eyes, you came face to face with bright red hair. You blinked and craned your head to see who was lying on your pillow. George sighed with your movement and tightened his grip on you. You smiled and pushed some of his hair back.

A soft cough brought your attention towards the corner of the room. Fred smiled, wariness in his eyes.

“Don’t get any ideas, I’m still in the room,” he said with a snort.

You rolled your eyes and groaned when the action caused the room to spin.

“Okay,” you said rubbing your eyes. “Note to self, don’t do that again.”

Fred huffed and you frowned.

“How’d I get here?”

Pulling your hand from your face, Fred shot you a look. “You could’ve warned us. George went mad, pacing around the living room and watching the door. When you didn’t come back after a few hours he was this close to calling mum.”

You shot him a panicked look.

“Don’t worry, I stopped him.” He sat down at the edge of the bed. “Imagine our shock when bloomin’ Sprout and McGonagall show up at our door with an unconscious badger.”

“I-I don’t know what to say,” you whispered.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Georgie here so worried before, didn’t think it was possible even,” he joked. You grimaced and he sighed. “McGonagall said not to tell anyone what’d happened to you.”

“Even though both of them refused to say what was going on, I never thought I’d ever want to hit a professor,” George said groggily, from beside you.

You turned to him, the skin under his eyes was dark and red, like he’d rubbed them for too long. “I’m sorry,” you said quietly.

“You’ve been asleep for two days. Sprout won’t answer any of our owls. McGonagall said to tell her if you didn’t wake up in time for term.”

“Two days?” You hissed as you sat up, your back cracking with the movement.

“Easy now,” Fred said, his hand on your shoulder.

“What else did Sprout say?” You asked, your vision swimming.

George pointed to the table on your right where a vase of flowers sat. “She left you this.” There was a note at the base. You lifted it and ran your thumb over the words.

I’ve never been more proud.

The bouquet was filled with daffodils, orange gladiolus, and irises. You smiled and brushed a finger over one of the petals. You knew they meant something and tried to remember.

Honesty, strength, and hope.

You took a deep breath and nodded. “If something goes wrong, you need to owl McGonagall. She’ll be able to help. You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to show you. I’m serious, you need to swear. You can’t tell Molly, Ron, Harry - no one.”

“Help with what?” Fred asked, incredulous. “What is going on?”

“Swear,” you insisted. You turned to George, his brows were furrowed but you grabbed his hands. “George, swear on my life – swear.”

Without hesitation, he nodded. “I swear. I promise.”

You turned to Fred and he sighed. “I swear badger, just – tell us what’s happening.”

With a small smile, you felt your skin start to itch, your stomach flipped, and there was no pain – only a faint ache. “I’ve got something to show you two – it’ll blow your pants off.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you,” Fred joked.

You rolled your eyes and let the pull in your chest take over. You shook your body out, the bed dipping with your added weight. You dug your snout into George’s neck and huffed when he jumped.

“Bloody hell.”

A/N: For this bit to work let’s pretend Fred and George have a dramatic exit earlier than both the movies and books indicate. Additionally, I'm not entirely sure how the animagus shift would take to learn and went by what I found on pottermore. Let's just look over it, shall we?

@yallgotkik @cutie-bug @anomynousauthor @awkwardnesshabitat @strangerliaa @vainsofroses

if you don’t want to be tagged anymore, lmk.

#george weasley x reader #george weasley imagine #reader insert #hufflepuff!reader #muggleborn reader #george weasley x you #harry potter ff

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mimiplaysgames · 5 years

Text

Beloved Memories, in Notes (Vol. VII)

Pairing: Aqua/Terra Rating: T (for horror elements) Word Count: 11,074

Summary: His mission was to be her friend, but she didn’t want any. Terra and Aqua meet. Terra is 9, Aqua is 8.

Read on AO3

A/N: This chapter was always going to be the angsty one of this collection (kind of, it ends well). This specific story is honestly my favorite in this collection, and I’m so excited to move on with it. I’m very proud of the ending to this tale, and I just want to be able to cover it lmao.

****

A Tale of Stars, Pt. 2

It was hot, and it sucked.

There was still hay sticking to Terra's arms after he brushed them all off, his sweat just as sticky as the humidity that clinched him. The Master was in just as much of a grumpy mood.

Cows always made Terra laugh though, and Abigail's moos were a welcome cheer for a morning that could either go really well or really badly. Terra needed to be on his best behavior, for this was his very first mission - and he barely even started real Keyblade training.

He already had a to-do list to make him successful. The first step (and the most important): to be Aqua's friend.

But this was also the hardest.

Aqua was in the backyard, pumping water into a pail out of an iron press, before dragging it back to the Widow Tweed's quaint farmhouse, with Tod the fox tailing her feet closely. He noticed that she barely gave either of them the courtesy of a glance when they strolled out of Abigail's barn.

An owl stood at a tree watching them, and Terra didn't know which was weirder: that an owl was out at dawn, or that it enjoyed the company of a sparrow and a woodpecker.

Mrs. Tweed handed them their breakfast (plain old sausage with a sprinkle of salt), and Terra only finished half when Aqua appeared again, hair in classic long pigtails as usual, with Tod following her like he was her best friend. She straggled toward the woods in a daze that made her seem more like a zombie than anything, as if this was the most basic routine for the most basic day and she didn't know what else there was to do.

"You should join her," he heard the Master say.

Terra chewed on his meat with spite. "She doesn't like me."

"She does not know you as a person."

"Still hates me."

"Then she'd be the fool," Eraqus said with confidence. "To pass judgment on mere glance would say much about her and nothing of you… You still have your responsibilities, however, so you must try."

Terra stopped a piece from reaching his mouth, his fingers grasped tightly around his fork. "What if she says no?"

"Then you respect her decision."

A more frightening possibility crept into his mind. "What if she says yes?"

"Then you join her." Like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Terra stuffed as much sausage into his mouth until his cheeks almost burst because he hated all the answers and pouted at his Master. It didn't work.

"Continue with that and your cheeks will sag," the Master grinned.

The image of long flabby cheeks terrified him, so brave Terra faced his fears, swallowed all the sausage at once (which hurt), and raced over before she disappeared into the trees. This was still a mission, and he was still being tested.

"Aqua," he panted, and she at least treated him with the decency of acknowledging his presence. "Are you going out to play?"

"Yeah," she said lowly. Honestly, she looked super-exhausted, despite that it was morning.

"Can I join you?"

She turned and left him behind. "Sure."

Now what was Terra supposed to do? Follow, he supposed.

Aqua walked with the grace of someone who memorized where all the uplifted tree roots would snag her, barely putting any thought of where to step her feet while Terra took an extra second or two just to make sure he wouldn't trip. Tod led the way, excitedly rushing onward only to have to come back because they were going too slow for him.

They walked in silence - Terra didn't know what to talk about.

Toys - does she still have any? Pets - I don't know a thing about them, much less foxes. School - well, we obviously don't take the same classes, and I don't study math, so we can't even talk about something we hate.

Her silence sucked just as much as the heat, and why, oh why did Terra have to deal with this?

They reached a pond, where a creek ran the end of its trail into its reservoir, and willow trees overlooking the surface and dragonflies dancing on longrass.

"Do you want to skip rocks?" Terra asked. "It's really fun."

She sat on a log, bringing her knees to her chin and saying nothing in return.

Tod went ahead and buried his nose in the crooks of pebbles that littered the ground, sometimes yipping at something he found, which were mostly uninteresting - frogs, maybe.

"It's really hot," Terra said, and he didn't know if she agreed - she said nothing.

"Maybe we can swim?" he asked, and immediately blushed. Normally he'd strip to his shorts but he probably shouldn't be asking girls to take off their clothes to go swimming with him.

Again, she said nothing, her eyes drifting off into some made-up land. Terra had never seen a child, even at the orphanage, who looked this horrible.

The adults running the orphanage always said that having parents was the best thing that could ever happen, and that each child could have a pair as long as they behaved well. Terra never really wondered if having them (or losing them) would hurt just as much, too.

It was suddenly too quiet. Tod stopped his hustling of innocent forest insects, and slumped his shoulders while he waited.

He and Aqua looked the same: abandoned.

Finally, she spoke. "Copper is late."

"The hounddog?"

"He always comes," she said with a tighter grip around her knees, like she was remembering a punishment.

Copper was late and Tod was sad about it, too. That was what hurt them: missing someone.

Aqua huffed, willing whatever cloudy thoughts that haunted her to go away and stood up with her head held high, marching deeper into the forest. If Terra didn't know any better, he'd say that she was ready to punch somebody.

He and Tod followed, and it turned out that they hiked somewhere uphill, where they eventually reached a rundown farm within several acres of empty land, half-neglected and half-loved.

She gasped - Copper was there, a rope tied around his neck for a leash, where the weight of an empty barrel kept him grounded. Nearby, a much, much bigger gray dog snuggled in his own barrel and snored.

The children sneaked up to the wooden fence that marked the beginning of the forest and the end of this farm's territory. Aqua held Tod closely, quieting his fidgeting and stopping him from racing across to the dogs.

"Mr. Slade is so mean," she whispered with disdain. "He's always trying to keep Copper and Tod apart. Who would do such a thing?"

It was still Terra's opinion that a fox and a hound were strange friends indeed considering their nature.

Maybe he expected Aqua to know better, and yet here she was on the verge of going back to hiding in her mind.

Well, his mission was to be her friend, and he read in books in that friends made each other happy. If she wanted Tod and Copper to play together, as weird as that was, then he was going to do just that.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, Tod squirming more in her arms.

Terra had lifted one leg in between the logs barring up the fence, and ducked under to get to the other side. "I'm getting Copper, what does it look like?"

"Chief will hear you."

If she was talking about the snoring dog, then he didn't know what she was so worried about. Terra was training to be a Keyblade Master, after all, what was a mangey old mutt going to do?

"I can sneak."

"You're going to get in trouble," she barked like a mean teacher.

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will."

He liked her less when she talked.

"Calm down." He dismissed her with a wave and crept, keeping his body close to the ground as he waddled over, the grass patches taller than him. This farm really needed a lawnmower.

Aqua huddled behind a bush, watching him closely and mumbling small prayers to herself as she kept a firm hand around Tod's snout. She worried too much.

Terra, on the other hand, crawled confidently - he was more afraid of Mr. Slade catching him in the act than of an old, tired dog sniffing him out.

He chose to do this for her, and was going to see it through.

Copper was very smart and perceptive, understanding the consequences of being caught by a large quadruped such as Chief, so he shied away from Terra at first.

Of course, Copper was still a young puppy, and the moment Terra followed through on some unspoken promise of releasing him from his prison, he yipped.

"Shhh," Terra said, ever so gently holding Copper's snout. He held his breath for a few seconds, Chief wiggling and kicking his feet from the sudden noise -

Only to go back to sleep.

Terra was more relieved than he wanted to admit. "Don't you wanna play with your friend?" he whispered, and started to head back to Aqua and Tod with the puppy riding in his arms.

But then Chief finally got a whiff, and finally started barking.

Chief spit, Chief noticed exactly who was in Terra's arms, and when he did, Chief lunged with a loud growl. Terra's heart jumped straight up into his throat at the sight of such carnivores, and he swallowed it back into place.

Luck smiled on him though, since Terra only managed to escape because Chief, too, was leashed.

Aqua immediately bolted back into the thicket, with Terra and a pup in his arms following closely, the bark of an angry, old man inching closer, throwing a gunshot for a warning but even then, that faded into the background, too.

*****

Tod and Copper reuniting turned Aqua into a different person - though she was still stuffy, ungrateful at worst, as she yapped about how they were teaching these little innocent animals terrible lessons that could get them into trouble later on, and wasn't this considered dognapping, blah blah blah.

(Honestly, it wasn't dognapping if they were going to return Copper, right?)

But - and that was a huge but - Aqua was at least more willing to talk, more brave to look him in the eye when she did (he realized she had very large, bright eyes, making it hard not to stare).

Who knew that all he had to do was steal someone's pet to open her up?

He could have snarked back by saying that she wasn't a perfect princess either since she was now happy that Tod and Copper were together, but he kept his mouth shut.

She did make some good points, after all. If the Master ever found out what he did, he'd fail the mission.

But... if he didn't do this for her, then she would definitely refuse to be his friend, and that meant he failed, too.

Ugh, Mr. Slade shouldn't have been a jerk in the first place because he made Terra's life miserable (and everyone else's included).

As Tod and Copper rolled in the dirt, Terra kicked a rock and said, "No one should know."

She fiddled with her apron, her dress sprawled over the log they sat on. "Okay. I won't tell a soul."

The worst feeling was keeping this from the Master, and Terra never expected this would ever happen in his entire life.

Was it worth it?

He didn't know. He knew he felt content when Copper approached him with a wagging tail, when the pup crawled onto his lap for a short snooze, alongside his best friend Tod, who helped himself to Aqua's lap.

They looked peaceful, like they had been given a second chance at something important to them. Terra felt like he was a hero, which was always what he wanted to be… and the Master did always say to do what was his heart told him was right.

So would he really get into that much trouble if Terra argued that this was the right thing to do?

Maybe.

That uncertainty was too much of a risk, and Terra didn't know how to feel.

It suddenly dawned on him - this was his first secret that he shared with someone else. Anyone else in his entire nine-year-life!

Wait, it wasn't like they actually promised to keep it to themselves - they merely agreed to never speak about it. She gave him a simple nod when she complied, afraid of the consequences that would chase her if it ever got out. It was not a pinky-squeeze, not a handspit, or a blood oath.

He understood perfectly. This was about survival, not friendship.

*****

By evening, Mr. Slade blamed Tod for the dognapping - he didn't actually see the fox though, and therefore had no basis for his arguments.

The Master's presence was imposing enough to shut it all down. Eraqus was so much taller than Amos Slade that a shotgun to the chest didn't really diminish how intimidating he was, and since everyone thought of him as an investigator, his dismissal of the Case of the Missing Puppy was final.

By morning, it was time for Aqua to go back to school, and Eraqus offered to take her (for protection protocol).

The three of them traversed twisted, muddy backroads to the town square, since the main road would take her right by her destroyed house and it was best to avoid all of that for now. It would have been a pretty stroll, tucked away in the forest trees with the sun shining through the canopies, if it wasn't for the heat. Terra couldn't wait to leave this world and never come back.

It didn't help that Aqua wasn't very receptive to Eraqus trying to open conversations with her, and it left Terra feeling like he had to start back at square one all over again. It was a wonder how the Master didn't feel so personally attacked by her silence.

Being such a small world where everyone knew everything, the people in town cast looks on Aqua as they walked by, whispering gossip and identifiers as they pointed to the girl whose parents were brutally murdered in a town where such things never happened.

When they approached the schoolhouse, children gathered in the windows to look down on her as she crept closer to the entrance, and while Terra couldn't hear what they were saying, they were absolutely riled up like she was a spectacle at a zoo. It was rude.

Since Terra couldn't join her because he wasn't a student, Eraqus took him to the public library - a small wooden thing that was pathetic in comparison to the castle's massive archive.

Eraqus left him behind so Terra wouldn't be in danger, since he was going straight to the outskirts of the town to investigate the last sightings of the demon wrecking this town apart, appearing as a man seemingly named Ardyn.

The Master had only one request: "Let us not kidnap any more puppies today, shall we?"

Terra feigned innocence. "Sir?" When that didn't work, he continued, "Yes, sir."

Equipped with only one ceiling fan for reprieve (it barely worked to keep him cool), Terra busied himself to a number of random books; a good Keyblade wielder spent his time studying about the world he was investigating, as it helped him fit in better.

He tried really hard to be quiet - really, he did. He was the only one there aside from the librarian, a young woman wearing a bun and glasses that made her look older. But he did a spectacular job at being noisy even though it wasn't his fault; the wooden floorboards under him just wouldn't stop squeaking with every step he took.

It turned out that Terra didn't have to be so respectful with keeping up the integrity of the library - a young guy marched into the library, his muddy boots stomping like crackling whips onto the wood beneath.

Immediately, he and the librarian hit it off like they were flirting, and Terra wondered why he ever tried so hard being quiet.

Much of the talk was boring - news of someone's married cousin, and whether she had time Saturday night to go look at some horses… Hopefully she realized that this guy chatting her up was the lamest of the lame and she wouldn't agree to it.

She dodged his question entirely by changing the subject, acting like she didn't hear him. This was where it got interesting - she brought up the subject of the murderer, and asked the guy if he heard anything new.

"Yer tellin' me you didn' hear?" he gargled. His teeth were yellow. "They found the preacher's daughter."

The librarian hesitated. "Is she…?"

He shook his head. "All mangled up by the river. Funny thing is the fog's still rollin' when it shouldn'." He wasn't creeped out about the death, but acted like he was important enough to deliver such news. "Word is she was covered in oil when they found her."

The librarian at least had the decency to be upset. "The poor thing. Who found her?"

"That investigator comin' from the city." They were talking about the Master. Terra pretended to read, with one stack of finished books to his left, and a dwindling shorter stack of unread ones to his right, but he inched a little closer to listen more. The man continued, "If he hadn' found her, she'd continue ter sit there and rot."

Images of the Master finding a dead body burned in Terra's mind. Eraqus was strong, always had been - a hero had adopted Terra the day they met. But suddenly it scared him to think about the Master following Ardyn's trail.

"Makes me wonder," the man continued, his finger lifted in the air as if to make a point, "if Jim Bob'll get his fair share."

"Jim Bob, was that the one who beat his horses?"

"Is that what you 'eard?" He pulled on his suspenders. "Ha! I 'eard he poisoned 'em."

"Well, I don't believe any of it. Jim Bob loves his horses, I figured that nastiness was the work of that creeper."

"Did ya hear? Jim Bob claims the creeper doin' all of this lives in his paintings. Crazy loon. And 'pparently the creeper fancies hisself a fedora. Can you believe that?"

The librarian leaned forward, making sure she heard correctly. "You don't say?"

At this, Terra stood up, and the two adults suddenly quieted, as if their conversation was too inappropriate for a kid.

Not like Terra cared, waltzing up to the front desk with a very specific task in mind.

"Ma'am," he began, giving her a smile. "May I ask for a book about fedoras?"

She blushed at the proof that he heard their every word. "W-what are you needing, exactly?"

"I want to know what one looks like." Terra smiled wider, ignoring the way the man cleaned his own teeth with his tongue.

The librarian nodded quickly, like she had just been given orders by someone very important, and rushed off to find a book from a nearby shelf. She did Terra the favor of flipping through it for him, handing it over with pages showing off hats: fedoras, some with large rims, others short, all of them with similar dips at the top.

"You're a very smart boy," he heard her say, making him look up.

"Thank you, ma'am."

She squealed with glee. "And so very polite, too, they don't make kids like you these days no more." She leaned on her hands, looking down on him from her desk. "I've never seen you 'round here before."

Terra cleared his throat. He was instructed to tell very specific stories should anyone ask. "I'm from the city, miss."

She leaned further at the sound of his answer, like he was just as much of a specimen - it reminded him of the way people gawked at Aqua. "You don't happen to be the investigator's son now, are you?"

My dad?

That was right, if anyone asked, he was supposed to agree. Eraqus was so focused on proper obedience that the most proper way to address him was always "Master," and Terra wondered if it meant he was doing something bad if he lied about their relationship.

Was he, really, if he was lying for a mission?

Either way, it made him feel good to say yes.

*****

When school was over, Terra had instructions to find her.

He'd spent so long being the only kid at the Land of Departure that seeing a mass of children rummaging through the school grounds was like a punch to his heart, reminding him of the orphanage. It made him wonder how the ones he left behind were doing… did they find parents? Did they still hope for some or did they give up? What about Miss Quistis, the lady who ran the orphanage - was she still there? She always smiled.

Terra spotted Aqua, surrounded by other girls and one boy, who asked her incessant questions and ate all of her answers. Aqua was either uncomfortable or shy - he couldn't tell.

This was where Terra was completely useless, making new friends. He was going to be a Keyblade Master, a hero and savior to anyone who needed help, so sure, he'd be brave in the face of danger, or in the game between life and death.

But he remembered the lesson he kept facing again and again at the orphanage: other kids didn't want him around.

So he did what he thought he'd never do again: sit on a bench by himself and watch the others talk and play ball.

He was already so good at staring at rocks that he didn't notice that another child approached him -

Aqua, with her hand extended. He almost thought she wanted him to save her from her nosy friends, but he wasn't going to be fooled that he was necessary in a predicament like this.

"Come play with us," she said.

What was that about being a savior when she was the one to save him?

He was shaking when he took her hand, and didn't know if he was shaking harder as she led him through groups of wandering kids that broke off into their own cliques. Mostly he just stood there when she introduced him to her friends, and needed verbal permission to play skip rope with them.

Terra was smart and got the hang of it, and let himself enjoy some of the games - that is, until the other kids gaped with eyes wide open at someone behind him. The yard surrounding the school dulled into silence - and it wasn't because the kids went home.

Some pudgy kid with a round face, a mean look, a swollen eye, and oily hair approached their group, and with such vigor that everyone else made space for him, like he was king and they were terrified of him, and he knew he terrified them and he took pride in that.

"Looks like the cursed girl is back," he chipped in, and no one had anything to retort.

"Shut up, Pap," Aqua snarked, and the other kids stared in shock.

"Best be on the lookout or else being 'round her will curse your parents, too," he said with cackle, searching for nods of agreement from the other children nearby. He was a giant of a child, definitely a head taller than Terra.

What was most surprising was how literally no one mentioned how cruel that was to say - it nearly made Terra want to punch this Pap in the face… but adults always punished him for getting into fights.

Aqua's lip quivered for a moment before she went cold. "The only reason why no one went after your dad was because his breath stinks. Who'd go near him?"

Pap's face twitched at the sound of giggles from the other kids. "You know," he said with a crunch of his knuckles, "Preacher said your parents must have sinned an awful lot to get what was coming to 'em."

Terra searched for any adults who might be watching. There was no one.

Pap continued his crap. "So yer one to talk. I normally don't hit girls."

"Try me!" Aqua shrieked, pushing him like she didn't care in the world what could happen to her.

That pissed Pap off.

He went ahead, fist in the air for a clean strike.

Despite urging him on, Aqua scrunched her fists into her skirt, like she didn't know what she got herself into.

Terra had no choice.

Grabbing the fist, twisting the arm over, and tripping Pap by the ankle came so fluidly, so naturally, that all the children blinked once just to realize that his huge butt landed on the ground before he even got close to Aqua.

"That was easy," Terra smirked, now standing in between an idiot covered in dirt and Aqua.

It was easy. No one compared to Master Eraqus.

There were some loud gasps and name-calling from the crowd, followed by silence.

"Y-you don't belong here, ain't got no reason to-" Pap's surprised stutters and the drool coming out of his mouth was the first sign of him turning his heel and leaving them alone, yelling something like "I'mma tell my pa!" before he disappeared.

The crowd dissipated slowly, giving Terra and Aqua stares like they were the next most dangerous thing. Like they were freaks, even though Terra had just stood up to the one bully terrorizing them. Why? Not even her friends wanted to be near her, acting like she wasn't even there.

Aqua sniffled behind him, but she just left him alone when he asked if she was okay, taking a place on a bench near the road.

Maybe Terra was used to that by now, but he followed her, paying no mind how she refused to look at him. "Don't think about Pap, he's stupid," he said.

"He is stupid," she croaked, before raising her voice to a yell. "And school is stupid and everything is stupid."

She glared at her lap and Terra didn't know what to say. The other children eventually left the school in droves, some walking together to wherever they've decided to go, while others had their parents pick them up.

"Who usually picks you up?" Terra asked after a while, hating the silence.

Aqua raised her head to meet him in the eye. She didn't cry, but she looked like a pet anxiously waiting at a windowsill for its owner. She looked like Tod.

"My daddy."

Terra didn't have a good reply to that. Eraqus wasn't around - Eraqus wasn't around, and a horrid thought lurked in his stomach. What if they were both now left alone here for good?

It lasted for merely a second. Thankfully.

"I apologize for my late arrival," the Master said, which didn't matter. He still came and Terra found his breath again. "Would any of you like treats? Maybe some flavored ice for this dastardly weather?" He wiped his brow with a handkerchief.

Aqua didn't reply, but reached out to hold his hand with both of hers, and hid her face in his robe. Terra was still processing whatever it was that made him nauseous.

Eraqus smiled but acted like nothing out of the ordinary happened. "I am quite fond of lemon flavor myself."

******

The walk back to Mrs. Tweed's farm seemed longer, and the Master filled it with random stories of the games he used to play as a child. Terra had heard some stories about the past before, but Eraqus left out certain key details that would have marked him as a foreigner to this world, and one day Terra would have to do the same.

Aqua didn't say much, just gripped the Master's hand tightly as she followed him, her eyes lazy and missing, like the road she was staring at didn't exist.

It didn't matter that she never spoke back, the Master kept looking over his shoulder to see if she was listening, smiling at her like she gave him acknowledgement of his words.

Then, she stopped on her feet, and the Master complied. By now, the sun was halfway down to setting.

"I told them," she whimpered.

"Told who what?" the Master asked.

"I told my parents about the bad man."

What dropped first was the Master's smile, then he knelt before her. "The bad man?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "We met him at the summer fair. At night. He sat at a table drinking ale and we passed by him. He asked about me, and my parents answered some questions like I went to school and I danced."

"Was that all?"

She shook her head. "I told them he was bad."

Eraqus cocked his head, more attentive than ever. "How did you know this?"

Her face contorted, her brows scrunching into wrinkles and her lips bending at the center. "I just knew he was bad. I pulled on mama and told daddy to stay away, but they said I was rude."

Then the first tears Terra saw on her face fell, and she struggled to breathe. "They didn't believe me," she said.

She wailed, the most horrid sound Terra had ever heard, and it was so loud that it filled his ears and invaded his chest, and he nearly cried from it, too. It hurt to hear it and it hurt to think about why.

Eraqus picked her up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist, with words that said, There, there, you are safe and sound, safe, safe, safe, as they trudged down the road, leaving Terra to carry her bookbag.

She was limp, all her energy seeping into sobs on the Master's shoulder, and all the noise she made frightened the rabbits and the birds nearby.

******

Since they got back, Abigail fussed hard like the air was suffocating her.

"She's doing a little better," the Master observed when he found Terra alone in the barn, brushing the cow, which really helped her calm down.

But now it was Terra willed into silence, Abigail's chewing of hay filling the room.

"Are you alright?"

Terra nodded. "Is it true you found the preacher's daughter?"

Eraqus' nostrils flared and he inhaled. "Word surely spreads far in this world. Yes, Terra, I did."

The Master took his place on a short stool normally setup for milking, but instead of fetching a pail, he rubbed on the hairs of his mustache with his thumb and forefinger.

"This man, if he could still be called one, is very predatory… I saw him today."

Terra nearly dropped the brush. "What?"

"Ardyn, I came into contact with him at the horse farmer's home. It's become a dreary place. Even with the sunshine, the halls of that house stay dark." Eraqus cleared his throat and took the milking pail, though he did nothing with it. "A terrible thing, the darkness. Being near it for too long will compel anyone to commit atrocities they otherwise would not do with a sane mind." He raised a finger at Terra, ready to lecture. "This is why you must never tread on that path, lest you want regrets, Terra."

"Yes, sir."

"Ardyn had found refuge within the oil paintings across the farmer's house, and I've chased him. He would appear and disappear at a whim, taking occupancy in frames he didn't belong… until he stepped out of one."

"And then what happened?" Terra asked quietly. "Did you fight?"

Eraqus nodded, and Terra's stomach dropped. "Unfortunately, he melted into his own shadows, escaping." He took a side glance. "I do not believe this beast is blind like it describes in my records."

"Sir?"

"Terra, do you remember your lessons about the nature of light and darkness?"

Of course he did, he was a good student. He recited, "Light attracts darkness, and darkness will hunt down the light. They are designed to recognize each other."

"Yes. Yes, indeed." Eraqus stared at nothing, gathering thoughts before he put them to words. "Aqua's intuition in recognizing the darkness only asserts my suspicions - I believe he hunted her down for the immensely bright light within her."

"... Why did he go after her parents?"

"Hmmm… the more I ponder over it, the more I see why the records have him labeled as blind. As a hunter, he is barely decent. When I fought him, nothing about his movements and his aversions to my presence gave me the impression that he couldn't see. It was more of… he can sense light when it is near. It alarms him but it deceives him. What I have noticed is his breath, it is so deep when he fights it as though he is drowning."

"So he sniffs the light when it's around?"

"In a way. He approached Aqua's house in daylight, when she was in school, so it would be sensible that her presence would be smeared all over her home, where her parents resided unaware."

"Then why doesn't he find her now?"

Eraqus, pensive and tense this entire time, sighed, like he just remembered that he was talking about human beings. "She is grieving. We all have light and darkness within us, Terra. Grief and rage will cloak our very best selves, and while she is under that state, it hides her from him.

"This is why," Eraqus continued, needing Terra's attention, "it is important that she understands there are others who care about her. To give her inner light a chance to shine again, and remember what it feels like to be happy. A dark mind lends to a dark heart and too much of that will warp her. Do you understand what I am saying, Terra?"

"Yes, sir. I've been trying to make her smile."

"Good. I know I can count on you." Eraqus' smile was brief as if he didn't have the time for it. "As for the preacher's daughter, unfortunately I believe she was mere collateral. A source of light that he found confusing, and he attacked her as such. There is so much darkness to be found in many worlds, Terra, and they wear many faces but this is the most gruesome that I've seen in my lifetime."

So Ardyn could find anyone with enough light, and just… end it all.

"Why?" Terra choked. "Why would anyone do that?"

Eraqus rubbed his student's head. "The reason will differ for each, but it is all senseless and primitive."

The tears were hot and Terra wasn't strong enough to stop them.

Eraqus reached to hold him, alarmed at the sight. "What has gotten into you? Are you frightened?"

Terra sniffed quietly and nodded, using his forearm to wipe his face.

"What if you die?" he squeaked.

"Terra, look at me." He was gentle, but firm. "I will not die."

"Aqua's parents died. And the preacher's daughter."

His Master sighed, rubbing Terra's arms before brushing his hair out of his tear-stained face. "Terra… they had no means of defending themselves, but I am very different. You have no reason to fear. Dry those tears."

He swallowed. "Y-yes, sir."

"If this is too much for you, I can send you home where you'll feel safe."

"No, sir." He stared at his Master's shoes. Under no circumstances did Terra want to go home, abandoning the mission, wondering for days if everyone was okay. And Aqua was so sad, today. "If I leave, then Aqua will be all alone, and I want to be brave."

"You possess an extraordinary amount of courage, capable and necessary for any true Keyblade wielder." Eraqus leaned over to make sure that Terra understood correctly. "The amulet I gave you, Terra, do you still mind it?"

"Y-yes, sir." Terra hurried to pull the knotted, looped cross from under his shirt. "I don't even take it off for a bath."

"Very good. You remember what I told you?"

"If anything-" He swallowed. He didn't want anything to happen. Now he wanted to go home and have Eraqus all to himself. "If anything happened, I need to stay calm and find you."

"And it will protect you. Be mindful of the fickleness of protection spells, Terra. They are powerful but they expire."

"Yes, sir."

The Master wiped Terra's face with his robe, and brushed through his hair with his fingers. Then he took the pail near him, ready to take on Abigail. "You are dismissed, Terra. Take some fresh air outside." He gave a smirk. "Let us hope the next time we speak of such evils, you would be a stronger, braver Keybearer ready to take on the challenge."

"Yes, sir."

******

Dragging his feet on the ground as he welcomed the cool breeze that hit his face, the vastness of the stars above him made this world seem bigger than it truly was. The forests beyond faded into darkness, the shadows mean under the moonlight.

At least Aqua was there, settled in the grass where Tod curled on her lap, his bright red fur the only spec of color to be seen in a night like this one. She was watching the forest but she was not really on her guard, like she didn't consider that something dangerous could be hiding where she couldn't see.

She wasn't crying anymore but her face was still puffy, and Terra took a spot next to her. She nudged over to give him more space, lending him a half-smile as a greeting. The grass was soft but itchy, too tall and in need of grooming.

"Everyone at school now knows me as the girl with no parents," Aqua said, eyes downcast with her hand sunk in Tod's vibrant red fur, and a tone that said she'd rather be known as literally anything else. She sounded tired, too - sick of being sad.

"I don't have any parents either."

She gaped at him with a pity he didn't comprehend. "Mr. Eraqus…?"

For once, Terra shook his head. "He's my teacher."

"Oh…" And there she was again, sad, and he got the notion that it was for him even though he didn't need it. "What happened to them?"

"They gave me up when I was a baby," he said simply. He lived with this knowledge all his life; it wasn't a big deal. Well… it kind of was. All the children went through a phase at some point that maybe they didn't deserve to have a family. But it really wasn't that big of a deal. It wasn't. "I grew up in an orphanage… but I have Master Eraqus now. Everything's great."

"But you live with your teacher."

"The best teacher ever."

She quieted. "...Do you even go to school?"

Terra didn't know what to say. He was supposed to talk about Eraqus being his father this entire time that he didn't have backup answers. "Sorta. I'm his only apprentice. We live in a special academy up in the mountains."

"Really?" She eyed the West, toward the direction of what these townspeople called mountains in this world. "Where?"

"Uh, very far away."

"Hm. So is it a lie that you're from the city?"

"No!" He said too quickly. "I come from a city - a really big one. All the buildings there are taller than your mountains here."

She gave him a… snooty look. "There's no such thing as a city like that."

"Yes, there is."

"No, there isn't."

"It's true," he pleaded. She was such a hard nut to crack. "Okay fine, there's more to it but... can you keep a secret?"

She lit up. "Yeah."

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, or I'll get in trouble."

"Cross my heart."

If she put her heart on the line, then she was serious. "The Master and I aren't from around here."

"Well," she scoffed, "duh."

"No, I mean…" He waved to the sky above them, stars twinkling like they wanted to be noticed. "We're from very, very far away."

It took her a second to think about what he was saying, then she rolled her eyes. "Are you saying you're aliens? That's ridiculous."

He laughed – it wasn't the response he expected, but it wasn't exactly the wrong interpretation either. "Kind of? We are from a distant star, and we flew from there."

"Pfft."

"I'm not lying."

"Sure, you're an alien."

Why she had to be such a snob at all times, he didn't know. Still, Terra felt like a complete idiot – here was someone finally willing to listen to him, to share a secret with and be his friend, and he blew it. He hated the silence penetrating between them now.

Aqua suddenly threw her hands in the air, as if she had enough exasperation to last her the day. "Aliens are supposed to have green skin, okay? They look like bugs, with antennas, and they're bald-"

Like she was the expert.

She said it in a way as if asking him to prove her wrong, and he swayed right back into smiling. Maybe he didn't blow it after all.

"There's more to the stars than you think," he said smugly.

Aqua crossed her arms and studied him for a bit.

What she said next surprised him - not because she believed him, or because she had her own secret to tell, but because he never really experienced someone who missed him before.

"Does that mean you'll have to leave soon?"

Those brief moments where she was smiling were so short.

"Maybe…" And Terra found himself sad, too. "Yeah. When the Master catches Ardyn, we'll have to go back home."

He didn't know if she was going to cry, but she didn't. She turned her nose up at him.

"You can't leave."

"Why not?"

"Because you're my friend now, and I won't let you."

Terra laughed because he had no other reaction. He didn't want to leave either, but he didn't say that out loud. What he realized instead was why she was so attached to Tod and Copper staying together: friendship meant a lot to her, maybe even as much as him, even though he didn't have any.

"We should find Copper tomorrow," he said. "It's wrong that they're separated."

She lit up. "Tod is lonely without him."

And Terra didn't want Tod to be lonely. "We could think of ways to get him back so we aren't caught."

"Promise?" She leaned near him, scanning his eyes for his oath.

Terra traced over his heart with one finger, and swore his first promise to someone who wasn't Eraqus. "Cross my heart."

******

After school the next day, Aqua minded her chores with such focus and speed that she finished earlier than expected and sought out Master Eraqus in the barn.

When she asked, "Mr. Eraqus, can Terra come out to play?" it was proof that yes, Terra did have a new friend. She was ready for the woods, replacing her dress with overalls and an excitable Tod by her feet.

Eraqus of course was pleased to hear that and sent Terra a smug grin before agreeing, which was probably the first time that Terra could remember being let go from his chores early.

Finding Copper was easy, and getting him out wasn't as hard as anticipated. Amos Slade relied too much on his intimidations, apparently, because Copper was there just the same. It took stealing a dog muzzle to contain Chief's barking so no one would be alerted.

Terra felt bad. He promised Chief that they'd all come back, even though Aqua told him that Chief hated Tod and wasn't nice either to anyone either.

Little Copper though was delighted.

And it turned out, babysitting small animals was tiring, and the two of them still went at it with their games while Terra and Aqua took turns lazily guessing the shapes of clouds.

They even talked some more about what he did as Eraqus' apprentice: what kind of classes he took, how far into defense training he had progressed so far, and whether he ever had to tolerate something dumb like math.

His answers were pretty honest except he never once mentioned the word Keyblade. It was a Keybearer's most important clause to keep that secret.

Watching dog and fox toss and tumble, practicing their survival skills on each other, gave Aqua a peculiar idea.

"Can you teach me how to fight?"

"That'd be fun. You're gonna show Pap's who's boss?"

"It's something I've always wanted to do, but Mama said it wasn't ladylike. It's too ferocious."

Terra stood up, at the ready. "It's not hard."

She hopped to a stance, her hands already in lifted. "Then show me."

"Well first…" He grabbed her wrists and brought them closer to her face. "You need to always protect yourself, and this will make it easier."

Then he lifted one open palm. "Try hitting me."

She threw her fist, and it smacked enough to sting.

"Ow," he whined.

Aqua's knuckles were already red from one punch, and she winced.

Terra shook his hand to relieve the pressure. "You hit hard, which isn't bad, but you're also hurting yourself." He lifted his other palm to spare the first. He remembered the way Eraqus spoke to him when he taught, going back to his earliest lessons. "Try thinking about your strength coming from your back, and use that to direct the punch."

It took several times, and Terra often switched palms for her to strike (it helped ease his pain). But Aqua took his lessons much faster than he expected, honestly, finally getting the proper amount of force in her punches without expecting her fingers to break.

"We use the same advice in ballet," she said.

"Really?"

"It's to make sure you're in alignment and you're moving properly."

"Oh!" He dropped a hand after she finished another throw straight into the center of it, now leveled off so that it didn't sting him anymore. "The Master and I talk about that stuff all the time. I didn't think it'd be useful in dance."

"Pfft." Suddenly she leaned off her focus on slugging and stood as straight as a rod. "Observe."

With feet turned out and a curve at her elbows, Aqua started to… well, bend her knees repeatedly.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"It's called a plié," she said as though he should know better. "Try it with me."

Turning out his feet was more uncomfortable than it looked, and he copied her movements, even when she brought one arm out to her side and swept the other across and over her head.

It looked easy to copy and honestly he got bored, but she started laughing -

He realized he never really heard her laugh before. It sounded like small bells, with a sparkle to her eyes. She looked different, alive almost.

"What's so funny?"

She mimicked what he was doing: hunched over, with his arms so curved that it looked like he was about to scratch his side and his head. "You look like a monkey."

"I do not."

He gave up, stomped his foot on the ground and swore to himself that he'd never dance again.

"Aww," she breathed, swallowing the rest of her loose laughs to regain some composure. "I didn't mean it that way. We can try something different."

"How about this," he interrupted, with a finger to command her attention. "We do a little competition and whoever wins gets to decide what game we should play."

Terra already had an idea in mind where he was sure he'd win.

"That sounds fun! What should we do?"

"Whoever does a handstand the longest wins."

Initially, he expected her to be intimidated, but she replied with, "That sounds easy. Let's do it."

It sunk his stomach, but he knew that he was good with this, so he should still be fine.

They bent over, and on his count of three, they lifted their legs into the air and balanced on their hands.

The blood rushed to his head, but he'd done this so many times that he breathed through it.

"Should we count it out?" he heard her say, his gaze somewhere off to the forest where Tod and Copper took a break from their roughhousing.

"What?"

"Count it out, like how many seconds it takes to do this?"

What was harder than breathing was talking in this position. "Nah."

"Okay." She sounded like she had no struggle in the world. "I used to take lots of gymnastics. I really miss it."

He really wished she would stop talking so he could concentrate on staying still.

"Cool," he muttered.

"I had a teacher who thought I would do well in competing," she continued, "but Papa wanted me to stay in school."

"Okay," he huffed.

"I've always wondered-"

He groaned, falling over onto his stomach into the thick grass underneath him, his head light. She glanced behind her, and with a smirk, gracefully went back on her feet and looked over him.

"I win!"

"Obviously."

"And I choose the game of…" She took a finger to her chin, very proud and very dismissive of his utter disappointment. "Hide and seek."

"Seriously?" He was going to refuse because he had pride and hurting it made him fume.

"I won, so we have to play. But Tod and Copper stay with you."

"Why?"

She waved her arm at him, already on her way, like he asked her a silly question. "They'd give my location away, and I'm not gonna let you cheat."

"Fine." He buried his face in arms against a tree and started to count out loud, listening closely to the direction of her steps so he had as many clues as possible; he was going to find her so quickly, she'd know immediately that he was worthy of respect, and she shouldn't ever laugh at him again.

"... Eight, nine, ten. Ready or not, here I come!" he yelled, the branches and bushes that surround him lightly swaying to a song he couldn't hear. The wind was just as gentle, leaving him alone to hear his own breath.

Copper sniffed the air, and Terra had the sinister thought of asking him to track her down - but that would be cheating, and Terra was better than that.

When he started his trek, the animals took notice. Tod's ears perked a little too much, like trying to decipher a sound that was garbled.

Terra went down the trail he believed she took. "Aqua?" he called - this never worked in hide and seek, but maybe it would trick her into giggling.

Tod and Copper followed closely at his ankles, never running ahead, never falling behind - which was weird, wouldn't they immediately react if she was nearby?

"Aqua," he called again, listening in for any ruffling.

It was quiet, like the forest was dead despite its lush green vitality, despite that it was daylight.

At this point, Tod's fluffy tail curled underneath him, and Copper dagged himself too close to the ground, chasing a scent in the dirt that took him in circles.

At this point, Terra spotted an owl - an owl - up at this hour, watching him like he was prey.

Getting into a staring contest with an owl was useless, and the longer Terra looked at her, the more he realized that she was waiting for something to happen.

The owl hooted, and against such quiet, it was thundered in his ears. Tod and Copper perked up at the warning -

And split from him, sprinting so quickly it was like they had to win a race to be allowed to live.

"Wait a min-"

They were gone, the owl leaving with them.

Aqua probably would yell at him for losing them.

If he'd ever talk to her again, that is.

"Aqua?" he called again, desperate for an answer. Praying that he'd find her fast, tripping over loose tree branches, hearing nothing but the noise of his own footsteps.

"Looking for someone?"

The voice came from behind.

A tall, tall man watched him with a diabolic smile. Wavy hair to his shoulders the same color as wine like it begged to be touched, thickly dressed in messy layers like he was homeless, like he was cold (it was way too hot for that).

Terra's heart beat and it went cold the moment he noticed the large-brimmed fedora.

"I-" Terra swallowed. A Keybearer was supposed to be brave. "I'm not, mister."

"Hmm," the man named Ardyn rubbed his chin. "I was wondering if you could point me in the correct direction," he said, words clearly pronounced and laced with an amusement that'd never die even if threatened. "I seem to have lost my way."

Terra nearly asked to please not hurt him, he didn't do anything wrong. "Town's over that way, mister." He pointed north, away from the Widow Tweed's farm.

Another voice rushed to his side. "Terra, don't!"

It was Aqua, breathless when she grabbed his hand. Her pupils shrunk to the size of flies, and she whispered to his ear, "It's the bad man."

"Aha!" Ardyn exclaimed like greeting an old friend he forgot about. "How long it has been to see you, Aqua." Ardyn slipped off his hat and bowed his head to give her a more respectful greeting.

Aqua shuddered, her grip on Terra's hand cutting off circulation to his fingers.

Terra didn't know what to do. This man looked bigger than his Master, and Terra never defeated his teacher in hand-to-hand combat before.

So he froze.

Worse - the moment Ardyn straightened out, his face was different: glowing yellow eyes, black oil seeping from them and from his scalp and from his mouth. He was already a dead man who spoke.

"It's been a pleasure," he said as he wore his hat again. "Good night, sweet child. Sleep will certainly hurt less."

Terra gripped her hand back.

Aqua hid behind his shoulder.

Ardyn raised a palm, the glow of magenta and black puffs of smoke electrifying at his fingertips.

Terra looked away, shut his eyes, got closer to her.

It hurt. It was sore like a dull hit to his chest and it banged loudly -

But he flew, with Aqua grabbing him by the waist and flying with him, as the blast threw them background and they used the momentum to float away, past the trees, past Tod and Copper who were still running, until they were dropped to the ground, rolling in a mess of fallen leaves.

Terra was alive, and finally he breathed. They were near Mrs. Tweed's house, her chimney sticking up above the trees.

He scurried to his knees and fiddled with his necklace, pulling out the knotted symbol. It disintegrated into dust after carrying them here.

The plan! Stay calm. Find the Master. Immediately he stood on his feet, and slipped on leaves.

The mission! He still had to protect the mission. He turned heel and went back to Aqua.

"What was that?" he heard Aqua mumble. She was still picking herself up, removing leaves from her hair.

"Magic. C'mon." He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her, running as fast as he could.

"Master!" he cried when they got near the farmhouse, Tod and Copper yipping from their fright.

Abigail fussed and she was loud enough that they heard her from the barn. In the distance, Chief wouldn't stop barking. The wind howled, and the clouds darkened. A gunshot ruptured in the distance.

Eraqus stepped off the front porch, telling the widow to stay indoors. "Step inside," he instructed Terra and Aqua. "And stay inside."

"Master-"

"Now."

Another gunshot, closer this time.

Copper and Tod followed them inside the house, rushing under furniture. Mrs. Tweed locked the door behind them as Eraqus continued his way into the field. Terra climbed the kitchen counter to take a look.

"Stay away from the windows!" she commanded, and Terra jumped off to head upstairs.

"Wait for me," he heard Aqua squeak but he paid no attention to her.

He rushed through the upstairs hallway, into the master bedroom, right to the windows where he threw the curtains open.

Moments ago it was broad daylight but now it threatened to storm.

Eraqus summoned his Keyblade in a crackle of light, Ardyn now creeping close.

The demon hunched over, the oil dripping out of his coat-sleeve. Sparks of purple light surrounding him, and the ghosts of swords and axes and cleavers swirled in the air in a cycle, a record of ages that passed by for how long this thing had been living.

He used them to strike the Master, slicing and dicing and scratching metal with metal.

Deflected, far enough to strike a tree nearby the second-floor window and Terra and Aqua had to duck.

"Your Master is a sorcerer?" she asked.

It wasn't incorrect. "Eh?"

"I read about them in books," she said as they peeked over the windowsill.

"Shh."

Eraqus summoned chains, gold and blinding and huge, to whip Ardyn - it was the coolest thing Terra had ever seen him do.

Ardyn said something indecipherable, and with a yell, Eraqus summoned something larger: a giant warp that swallowed the demon away before reshaping into a giant keyhole in the sky.

One that the Master promptly locked, the sound of the turnkey snapping everything into silence.

The sun fought through the clouds, and the wind calmed slowly.

Eraqus trudged back to the house, holding his arm as he dismissed his Keyblade, and he limped enough for Terra to bolt back downstairs, leaving Aqua to follow him once again.

The house was messier, like it survived a small earthquake with books toppled over and desks in the wrong position.

He found the Master settled on a loveseat while Mrs. Tweed rushed to get him water.

"I was unable to vanquish him," Eraqus said through large breaths. "But he has been barred from ever coming back to this world."

"Miracles do exist!" Mrs. Tweed exclaimed as she handed him a mug. "Bless you, good sir. I never in my life expected such a spectacle when you showed up around here."

"Miracles," the Master repeated. That was going to be the story for the rest of time to these people, of a man who came from nowhere to perform miracles that saved the town, Mrs. Tweed being the only witness to a harsh storm that raged and died in a matter of minutes.

Terra sat closely to his Master, not to take his hand or to hug him, but to listen to him calm down.

In the chaos, Terra didn't realize that it made him scared to watch Eraqus march his way to battle. Knowing now that everything was alright, it took all his strength to look like he wasn't overwhelmed.

Now the people of this world were safe, and Eraqus was the hero. The thing about his Master was that he showed no fear in the heat of battle, when Terra nearly wet his pants earlier. If he was ever going to get better, he had a long way to go.

Mainly, Terra was just happy that he still had family at the end of it all.

"I want to do what you do," he heard a small voice pipe up.

Aqua stared hard at Eraqus, determination on fire in her eyes, awed and fierce and hopeful.

The Master wasn't surprised by her admission. "You want to save people?"

"Yes," she said simply.

Mrs. Tweed threw her hand to her chest. "In all my life-"

"I want to banish demons," Aqua continued.

"That sounds perfectly unsafe," Mrs. Tweed said.

Eraqus chuckled. Terra thought that he may have succeeded his first mission because it gave the Master what he wanted - a new, promising student. "It can be a dangerous life, but I assure you that she would be safe with me."

Mrs. Tweed eyed Terra, suspicions mounting in her mind. "The young boy, he is…?"

"Yes, ma'am," Terra said. "I'm his apprentice, and I'm training to do the very same thing."

"Aqua," Mrs. Tweed implored, "you are certain?"

A sad cloud hovered over Aqua's eyes before dissipating in an instant. "Thank you so much for taking care of me, Mrs. Tweed… but I've been called a hippie all my life for my name. I don't belong here. I never did."

Eraqus stood straighter, interlacing his fingers and addressing the widow. "I only take children who have no families nor a place to go, children who I am certain will perform spectacularly."

Aqua leaned forward with a hand to her heart. "Please take me. I'll be a good student. I can do ballet and gymnastics, I'll make perfect grades and-"

"You have a strong heart," Eraqus said to her with a warm smile.

She blinked, not understanding what he really meant but she nodded anyway.

And Terra saw it - or felt it, he wasn't sure. It was like a tug to his own heart, a flash and a tickle before it faded. This was what Eraqus was talking about.

He saw the light within Aqua, a warm, strong embrace, like he was meant to feel safe with her and meant to keep it protected.

It was pretty even though he couldn't really see it.

And Terra wondered if he emanated the same. He thought that one night when he tried to bring it out of himself and he couldn't, and how he went to sleep wondering if he had it at all.

He wondered if his was as strong as hers, and if he was doomed to fail because it wasn't.

******

Aqua said she cried more than she expected when she said goodbye to Mrs. Tweed, even though Terra never saw anything.

She was stronger when she said goodbye to Tod, rubbing the fur on his chest a little while longer because she never wanted to forget the way it felt.

"Do you think they'll stay friends forever?" she asked Terra.

If she was talking about Copper… "Of course they will." A fox and a hound were opposites by nature, in a violent cycle that would never end but friendship was supposed to be strong and indestructible, and Tod and Copper were the very best of friends. Nothing would tear them apart.

"Always stay together, okay Tod?" she whispered to the fox, before giving him a quiet farewell.

This was a few days after the battle with Ardyn. By this time, people started visiting the farmhouse to ask Eraqus all sorts of questions: if he was a magician, if he was sent from the heavens, if he was the devil, if all the demonic stuff was nonsense, if the murderer was killed…

Either way, Eraqus respected the laws of the world and they all had to wait until papers were written, agreed upon, and signed for his protection over Aqua as one of his own.

Today was the day to finally take her to the Land of Departure. She didn't have much: one pack of luggage, and one hard, gray folder.

When Terra asked what was inside, she said it was the only picture of her parents that survived the fire.

The three of them hiked into the woods. She started asking the basic need-to-know: what a Keyblade was, the eternal fight between light and darkness, where the Land of Departure was located -

"We're going to fly there, right?" Aqua asked.

Eraqus shot Terra a look, now that she admitted that she knew information she wasn't supposed to know.

"We are indeed." Eraqus stopped the hike, halting the other two behind him, and bent to his knees. "I have one question left for you, Aqua."

By the sound of his voice, Terra knew he was testing her.

"In the deepest part of your heart, why is it that you want to wield the Keyblade?" he asked.

She took a moment, the folder with her parent's photo wrapped in her arms. "I want to make my parents proud. I want to make sure nothing like this ever happens again to someone else."

By the way the Master nodded, she passed. "The Keyblade is a powerful weapon, Aqua. You are still young, and you won't be able to conjure your own for a few years, but you must always know that your strength is bright and strong. It is not to be used for purposes of vengeance."

Aqua nodded. "Revenge feels yucky to me."

With that, the Master was relieved. He patted her head. "Admirable. When we arrive at the castle, you will spend the rest of the day for leisure, but tomorrow we will start your first formal class."

She beamed, and Terra remembered similar excitement at the thought of starting classes with Eraqus, too. He used to be called a nerd for liking school.

"We're going to be students in the same class," she said to Terra, like she was looking forward to it.

Terra didn't know how to respond. Class was class, students were students. Friends were… they acted like they cared. "Uh, yeah."

"I can't wait, Mr. Eraqus," she said. "I'm going to make the best grades."

"W-wha?" Terra stuttered.

"First I must start your bequeathing, Aqua. Come." He gestured to her over by the nearby creek.

"This is going to be fun," she said to Terra before hopping over.

He watched the bequeathing, similar to how he went through it for the first time years ago, when the Master summoned a giant key and spoke a few fancy words. The energy from the magic passed from the weapon through his fingertips, up to his heart to ignite something that Terra later realized was probably always there.

The Keyblade was picky about who it chose and it chose Aqua today.

What it'd be like to wake up to a new person in his home, Terra had no idea what to expect. They would play and swap stories, he'd have a new fighting partner. Maybe he'd be allowed to go into the woods without supervision.

Something about it bugged him, though. Was it possible that he could be kicked out of the academy if he didn't measure up? What if Eraqus liked her better and liquified his adoption?

What would happen once Eraqus found out that her light was brighter than Terra's?

Suddenly, having a friend sounded like more trouble than it's worth.

To be continued...

This chapter makes references to the Fox and the Hound (1981).

#terraqua #terra #aqua #eraqus #ardyn izunia #the fox and the hound #kingdom hearts fanfic #kh fanfic #LOOK WHAT CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD #my fic

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anne-lister-adventures · 4 years

Text

Wednesday, 5 March 1840

9 40/’’

Dubowka a little Gorod – Good Station House, but too late to stop now – Slumbering and asleep till roused by a stoppage about, before, 5 as I felt by my watch, for our wax light too long –

The lantern a pother for fixing a light in – The light had jolted out – Put my head out to ask if it was the Station – Nobody answered – All flat, and snow, no House – But soon the plunging of the horses in water and the noise of the men, and the bracking of ice shewed that our Station was on the bursting ice of the Volga – Luckily A-[Ann] was not apparently aware of danger – The servants Kibitka (always following) had avoided the badplace and were on glace ferme 20 or 30 yards to the right and ahead of us – They said our man did not know the road but their man did know of this place – No danger because plenty of thickness of ice beneath! – I doubt this – We were luckily sufficiently near to the right bank to be not over deep water – One of the horses sunk almost overhead – I think his feet were on the ground – Luckily the ice on which the carriage rested did not give way so as to let the water get inside – Gross came to us and advised our not getting out as he had got up to the knees in water –

We took their horses and were at last after 10 minutes or more skewed round on to fine ice, and pursued our way without further désagrément to Pitschouga good Station House and, at a little distance, the village and neat little white church steep ravine-pitch again down upon our Volga – I desired we might not go на волга (Na Volga, on the Volga) again in the right, but nothing against it, supposing they could see their way, in the day time –

Alight at Tzarizine at 9 35/’’ – 3 good neat white churches in a line on the height above the Volga – Largeish Gastinoi Dvor and square full of Drovni and people and hay and stuff (Drovni is I suppose plural and only employed in the plural vide Heard’s Grammar p.[page] 66 at the top сани one of the larger sledges and Drovi the smaller sledges) one or 2 goodish looking largeish houses (offices or inhabited by Government Employés) and all the rest log or board houses – Largeish shabbyish looking villagy town –

View of Tsaritsyn (today’s Volgograd) before 1917.

28 v.[versts] to Sarepta ∴[therefore] stop to breakfast – A little room to ourselves more than we had at the large good Station House (private house – No Eagle – Not belonging to Government) at Ust Salah vide p.[page] 56 – But still our Station House here (Tzariztine) is not a very spruce looking place – No Semovar – Glad of our own – ‘What, said A-[Ann], a fortified Town and no Semovar!’

Off at 11 20/’’, and in going down the steep ravine to the Volga, pass (right) part of a thick Pierre de Taille (calcarious sandstone?) low wall, cracked and probably partly let down by the washing over the water – A small remain of the old fortress or fortification – No appearance of fortifications nor need for them now – all along, on, the Volga, apparently about midway the river – The effect of the sun on the snow in many places, was singularly beautiful – It looked like fine white glistening spun glass, or mother of pearl –

Nothing seen of Sarepta from the river except 2 or 3 common cottages and a few trees – Could not believe we were so near the place – No church dome or clocher – No picturesque line of houses stretching along the higher ground – Drove up steepish pitch (but the ravine less deep and picturesque than on the opposite bank) and soon in the neat, little comfortable, well built, partly stone, partly board, town of Sarepta – Our comfortable Auberge in a large square into which several little streets open – The very neat clean church is on the opposite side the square – Its small clocher with one little bell rising too little from the centre of the ridged roof to be seen at any great distance –

Alight at 1 55/’’ having entered the Town under a Schlagbaum barrier a relic as our Cicerone afterwards told us of the cholera-time – This terrible scourge did not come here and many families came and staid here during the time and ∴[therefore] the barriers were put up to keep people away who had not permission to come – Dissatisfied at paying 15/- a day (as at Saratoff) came myself about rooms – Only 3 for us – The girl said 1/- per day each but did not know – The master said 5/- a day! for the 3 – Took them and soon settled and comfortable – Taking the best room for ourselves and leaving the 2 others for the servants – Both rooms good – One of them nearly if not quite as large as ours but looking to the courtyard full of people and cattle and Drovnis &c. like a fair –

Sarepta in 1810 (Image source).

A civil respectable looking man a tradesman here offered or consented to go about with us – And he came to us out at 2 55/’’ direct to the church after we had been in the church (door open) – Beautifully neat and clean – Benches some with backs some without – Table covered with a black cloth and chair for the clergyman – No appearance of pulpit – An oblong quadrangular room – Organ and loft at one end, and a little corresponding gallery at the other the boarded floor clean enough to eat off – 2 of the largest and best buildings in the Town, and near the church the House of the Brothers, and the Town-house burnt down and only 2 stories of the blueish green coloured, irregular shaped stone, plastered-over walls standing – Want help and money from the head of the Maravian Community at …. near Erfurth in Germany before they can rebuild these houses – People not rich here but live very well – Have no taxes to pay – Are free of everything –

The 2 singular looking goat-sheep-like white animals we had seen in a little wattled off court, are 2 Caucasian wild goats that were taken here last winter having come so far in search of something to eat – The animals have a very singular head – The male has 2 fluted sharp pointed rather spiral horns about 12 in.[inches] + ? long – The female none – But the face of each is broad with large fat chops and broad fleshed muzzle – Like a broad flabby sheep’s face – The countenance very grave and striking – The animals about the size of a fine 4 or 5 months old calf –

Our friend took us 1st to to a nice woman, 2 years since from Magdebourg, head of 36 sisters, who knit, and wind silk, (a few mulberry trees and silk-worms here) and work little things which are sent to Moscow Kazan Saratoff Astrakhan so that little to be seen here – A-[Ann] bought a little knitted waist for an infant = 5/- the nicest thing she shewed us was a brown cloth worsted-worked table cover 45/- probably would be quite as cheap at Moscow &c. as here –

Saw over the house – Sufficiently good and comfortable – Good comfortable kitchen large raised square of boilers perhaps 6 large iron boilers (of 18 or 20 galleries?) in 2 rows, heated by fires underneath like our set-pots – Dine at 12 – Sup at 6 – Large room upstairs where the lady reads family prayers night and morning – Some of the silk a good red or crimson colour – They dye it themselves – There were some girls at the end of this long pile of building knitting –

Then across the court and past the back of the church to a stocking weaver, a very civil man – Only him and a boy there for some time when our 2 more men came – Perhaps 1/2 dozen stocking looms in the room – All woollen socks or women’s cotton stockings the latter much too small and short in the leg for any but those who garter below the knee and did not wear natural or cork calves – Asked for nightcaps – A-[Ann] bought 1 for Captain Sutherland white with red horizontal stripes 2/20 and I a black with ditto ditto 2/50 both cotton –

Here we staid perhaps near an hour I asking a multiplicity of questions Gross with us en qualité de Dragoman Allemand – My own German is not yet beyond a few words of speaking and about twice as many of understanding – Herschen a little round grain, like a large mustered seed – Gross has sought in vain for it in the dictionary – Knows not what to call it in English – When the chaff or outside of the grain is taken off, and the little largeish-pin-head-sized yellowish boule de farine is left, it is then used to make Kasha – Vide Káwa, Gruau Cuit, Mille-Feuille (herbe) a mass = 48 to 50 Russian lbs.[pounds] and Herschen per mass sells for 1/- per mass

Wheat = 1/80 .. ..

Rye = 1/10 to 1/20

Oats or barley = 1/- to 1/10

the rotation of crops in Herschen

Wheat

Rye

Oats or Barley

And the land is left to rest 4 or 5

and then the same rotation as above – The Germans use their manure but the Russians let the river wash it away because they are too idle to put it on the land – And as the land will produce the 4 crops as above after 4 or 5 years rest, and there is plenty of land to allow of this system; there is no absolute need of a better system – In very good years 10 mass yield 123 mass or 123/10 = 12 3/10 say at most 12 1/2 to 13 fold - In middling years _____________ 40 to 50 mass = 4 or 5 fold - In very bad years _______ will not yield itself again = sometimes nothing – The best cows, from Odessa

1 good, the best, from 120/- to 150/-

1 ditto of this country (hereabouts) 40/- to 50/-

good fresh butter per lb.[pound] -/50 to -/60

Beef - -/14

Mutton .. -/14

Bacon .. -/15

Cheese made by a German farmer near Saratoff -/50 to -/60 per lb.[pound]

New milk per Stoff = 1 English quart? -/5

Cream .. .. ______________ -/50

The baths which nobody knew anything about at Saratoff or Ust Salah (or Tzaritzine, nothing to be learnt there at the Station House) are 7 v.[versts] from here on the road to Tzarizine and one v.[verst] from the high road – Our Cicerone did not know of them having any name – Never heard them called d’Ecatherine vide Dictionary of Geography vol.[volume] 2 article Saratoff p.[page] 187 ‘Eaux Minerales d’Ecatherine, qui se trouvent près de Tzaritzine’ – But our Magdebourg lady said they were called Gesundt Brun (health spring) and that several people still go there in the summer – There is one house there – A great many people used to go there formerly – When I 1st mentioned baths our Cicerone immediately said they were in the Cavcase – Stavropol – Pettigorsk – These and the Bains de Boue in the Crimea seem to be all the baths of any present name in Russia – On inquiring for the great Salt Lake, and if there was a road from here to it (Lake Ilton) 300 v.[versts] from here –

Calmucks here – 50 Kibitkas – 50 families – A priest Gillon (Ghillon) and more of these people (pagans) 60 or 70 v.[versts] from here – The great encampment about 100 v.[versts] from Astrakhan, North East – Had best go to it from A-[Astrakhan] the Calmucks pay no taxes except to their own Prince – The Kibitkas just out of the Town here – Nearer to the river, northwards – All near together –

We went into 2 of them – A man and his wife and daughter and little boy in one, and a couple of women in the other – But each had a little wood (board) door painted green beside the felt curtain that hung over the little entrance thro’ which we crept – About 3 ft.[feet] high by 2 ft.[feet]? wide – Literally a ground floor – The man was lying on his bed opposite the door – The little fire in the centre, the smoke escaping thro’ the circular opening of perhaps 2 ft.[feet] diameter – All the tents those of the lower order and apparently of the same size about 5 yards or something more? diameter – Would take down in 1/2 hour – Good strong felt – 1st I ever saw – The mainstay of the tent seems to be the diamond trellis about 3 ft.[feet] high – Of sticks about an inch in diameter – That forms as it were the skirting board, and to which all the rafter-sticks (thick and not more than 1 1/2 in.[inch] diameter) are tied – And tied likewise to a hoop at the top which forms the chimney –

All the sticks of the trellis I am not certain that there were any uprights the people in dirty Shubes women too the latter only distinguishable by their gold ear-rings and long black in 2 long tresses reaching down to the hip, and the top 1/2 in a sort of case, or like dark dirty cotton velvet long narrow bag – A little queer something or the hair itself towards the bottom made a little thin round queue, with a few thin longer-than-the-rest hairs finishing the whole in a point – The faces of the people resembling all the types I have seen of the Mongoli – Small dark rather sunk eyes highish cheekbones and rather tapering chins – smoke brown complexions – Good white teeth –

Portrait of woman from Kalmykia. (c. 1810) Reference: CLARKE, Edward Daniel. Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia and Africa by Edward Daniel Clarke LL.D. Part the First. Russia Tatary and Turkey, London, Printed for T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1810. (Image Source)

I thought the people dirty as they were, so much less ugly than I expected, that I asked our Cicerone to tell one the women I thought her handsome – She grinned her satisfaction – The urchin of a boy (Æt [aetatis] 4 to 6) was sitting over the fire with his face bloated and smoke red and his eyes almost buried, but said to be quite well –

From the Kibitkas (Yourtes?) to the cattle shed – A long, good, wattled, straw-thatched shed, full of Calmuch sheep, some dark brown some white, with a Tail the whole breadth of the 2 buttocks (whole breadth of the seat) and about 6 in.[inches] long a soft, squeezable, moveable, cushiony mass of fat – The sheep as large as a large South down – A tallish, large, well made large thick nosed sheep – These are the sheep which furnish the families Shubes which when really black (not dyed like ours) are very excellent things – The wool is rather of a hairy nature – The animals are thus kept up and fed on hay from the Steppes (looked nice and fresh coloured, but coarseish) during the severe cold – They all looked healthy –

It began to snow a little before we went to the Kibitkas – (Yourtes) – Then passed the good houses of the Horloger часы Clock-maker with neat little garden before it – And the Coppersmith’s close upon the street – All the houses tidy – Then to the Bread-baker’s – Bought some nice little ring-cakes, and another sort of spiced slice hard of little cake with almonds in it – He had no white bread left – The clock and watchmaker here gains a very good living – The Coppersmith, the Baker, the everybody – Plenty of work – 400 inhabitants – It seems they do not farm – The Russians grow the corn of which we got samples yesterday – But some of the families make butter ∴[therefore] they keep cows – And everybody seems to have a sort of farm courtyard as in general in Russia –

A Kalmyk, or as Anne calls it, Calmuck encampment.

Came in at 5 3/4 – Dinner ordered at 5 – Sat down to it at 6 20/’’ – Very good dinner and enjoyed it – Good cinnamoned soup with white tender chicken in it – pigeons? cut in 2 and nicely done (baked?) they passed for game with A-[Ann] and good potatoes cut into 2 and browned and in the dish with the birds – And a salad very pretty and good dressed – With vinegar and sugar Red and white cabbage cut into very fine shreds and well mixed 1/2 and 1/2 – Think of this for a pretty salad for home – And an excellent little dish of rice browned and cinnamoned over – And preserved plums and apples on our little dish to eat with the birds of which we had 3 ate 2 and put one away in our casserole – No tea –

Fine day but cold wind – Snowing a little between 4 and 5 p.m. and George said snowing this evening

Br[ou]ght ov[e]r fr[om] p.[page] 56 . . 266 1/2 + 26

Volga a.m. 12 38/’’ to 3 10/’’ Sanodnoy to Dubowka (Gorod) 24

D[itt]o .. .. 4 to 6 33/60 D-[Dubowka] to Pitschouga 20 1/2

Br[eak]f[a]st [ditt]o .. .. 6 57/’’ to 9 35/’’ P-[Pitschouga] to Tzarizine (Gorod) 28 1/2

D[itt]o .. ... 11 20/’’ to 1 55/’’ p.m. T-[Tzarizine] to Sarepta 28

367 1/2

393 1/2

[symbols in left margin of the page:] +

[in the margin of the page:] Plunge in the Volga

[in the margin of the page:] Tzarizine. Sani and Drovni

[in the margin of the page:] vide p.[page] 56

[in the margin of the page:] Sarepta

[in the margin of the page:] Rooms. Dinner for ourselves (2) 3/50

[in the margin of the page:] Caucasian wild goats

[in the margin of the page:] Sarepta

[in the margin of the page:] Rotation of crops

[in the margin of the page:] Russian too idle to manure their land

[in the margin of the page:] Baths near Sarepta

[in the margin of the page:] Calmucks

[in the margin of the page:] Calmuck sheep

[in the margin of the page:] Salad

[in the margin of the page:] Reaumur 12 3/4º now at 9 35/’’ on our dinner table

Page References: SH:7/ML/E/24/0032 SH:7/ML/E/24/0033 SH:7/ML/E/24/0034

#anne lister code breaker #anne lister #ann walker #moscow to baku 1840

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sapphic-sustrai · 4 years

Text

RWBY OC Team Building Questionnaire.

So, I came across this one post by @prismaticbrave, which had team building questions for your RWBY OC Team. So, I decided to answer the questions for Team DMNO!! You can find the post here, if you want to answer the questions yourself!! If there are any errors, I’ll go back and fix them later, more will be underneath the cut!!

1) Introduce your team!

My team is called DMNO {pronounced domino}.

They’re an all Faunus team.

During the events of Vol. 1-3, they’re a 2nd year team from Atlas Academy, who are participating in the Vytal Festival Tournament.

The team consists of Douglas Craig {sea otter Faunus}, Melanie Hertz {highland cow Faunus}, Norbert Beaumont {mountain lion Faunus} & Olwen Kunik {polar bear Faunus}.

2) Who’s the leader and how do they lead?

Douglas is the leader of DMNO. He views his team as his loyal crew and himself as the captain. While he may be easy-going most of the time, he knows when it’s time to get serious. He’s always open to hear any sort of advice that his team has to offer and encourages them to speak up whenever necessary. He loves and respects his team with all of his heart!

3) Does the team get along with each other overall?

Yes they do, for the most part. They just need to watch out for Douglas & Melanie because they’ll sometimes get into tiffs, due to differing personalities/their egos clashing with each other.

4) How does each member act with their partner?

Douglas @ Norbert: With a lot of patience and understanding. They always value whatever input that they share. He wants to always show them that he appreciates what they do for him and the rest of the team.

Melanie @ Olwen: Views her as a friendly rival, sparring partner and as a good friend. She has a lot of respect for Olwen as a fighter. She isn’t afraid to roughhouse with her though.

Norbert @ Douglas: They always take the time to listen to what Douglas has to say. Douglas is one of the few people that they feel like they can be themselves around. They care about him a lot and just want to be as helpful as they can be.

Olwen @ Melanie: What was said for Melanie, could be also said for Olwen to be honest. Except, she doesn’t roughhouse, she instead feels comfortable uttering playful/snarky comments at her partner. She does have to reign Melanie in, whenever she gets a bit too, “big for her britches”, which the other girl appreciates.

5) How does each member act with those that aren’t their partner?

Douglas @ Olwen & Melanie: Douglas & Olwen are basically as tight as family. He views her as his closest friend and someone who he can fully depend on. He views Melanie as a good friend and he does care about her. However, as mentioned above, they do often clash with each other.

Melanie @ Norbert & Douglas: She loves Norbert to bits and they’re the only member of the team that she doesn’t roughhouse/be extremely harsh towards. What was said for Douglas could be said for Melanie to be honest.

Norbert @ Melanie & Olwen: They view Melanie almost like the supportive sister that they never had. She’s probably their closest friend on the team, but they do have to remind her to use their indoor voice often. They’re honestly a bit intimidated by Olwen, but they still see them as a good friend. They want to try and talk to her more.

Olwen @ Douglas & Norbert: What was said for Douglas could be said for Olwen, however he was her first ever friend, so she really does cherish their friendship. She considers Norbert to be a good friend, but sometimes she has a bit of trouble initiating conversations with them. She wants to try and change that.

6) What weapons does each member have?

Douglas: A two-barreled shotgun katana mix named Black Marlin and a pair of switchblade/water pistol mixes named the Dorado Daggers.

Melanie: A pair of buckaroo-style cowboy boots named Blazin’ Buckaroos.

Norbert: A Heckler & Koch MP7 & compound crossbow mix named the Compound Piercer MP7.

Olwen: She wields three swords. The first is a katana/pana {snow knife} mix named Tekkeitsertok {Tekk for short}, the other two are both falchion/pana mixes named Qailertetang {Qail for short} & Sedna.

7) What semblances do they have?

Douglas: His semblance is called Ocean Mist. It allows the user to disappear and evaporate as a misty vapour, then reappears just a few seconds later. They can either reappear in the same spot or teleport to a new spot a few feet away.

Melanie: Her semblance is called Engine Burst. It allows the user to develop engine-like protrusions made of aura that manifest around her calves. This grants the user increased speed and extra kicking power for a brief period of time.

Norbert: Their semblance is called Flash Grenade. It allows the user to create a small aura-based stun grenade in the palm of their hand, which they can launch at the opposition. The targets will feel disoriented and stunned for a brief period of time.

Olwen: Her semblance is called Temperature Control/PATE. It allows the user to orient the semblance in three different ways: passively, actively & empowerment. Passive mode allows the user to keep things {including herself} in her immediate area/within 5 meters at an ambient temperature. Active mode allows the user to heat up or cool down her surroundings/things {as well as an inherent resistance to the effect her semblance has as a result} to the degree & speed of her choosing. Finally, Empowerment mode allows the user to become stronger, a little bit faster, durable, etc… when they come into contact with thermal energy.

8) Do they have a team strategist?

Norbert is the designated team strategist.

9) Do they have any combat roles on their team? {ex: a party’s dps, healer, tank, etc…}.

Douglas is a ranged/melee dps.

Melanie is a melee dps.

Norbert is a ranged flanker/support/strategist mix.

Olwen is ranged/melee tank.

10) How does your fight together overall?

The team fights incredibly well together, with good communication. They just need to watch out for the following:

A) Douglas’, “unpredictability”, becomes a negative, instead of a positive.

B) Melanie getting too cocky or losing her temper.

C) Norbert’s anxiety starts to overpower their critical thinking skills.

D) Olwen closing off from the rest of the team if something is bothering her.

E) Douglas & Melanie start squabbling with each other.

11) How does each member fight with their partner?

Douglas & Norbert make a great team! They usually have each other’s backs, like Douglas will cover Norbert if they’re trying to find a vantage point to snipe from. Usually, Douglas will be the primary attacker, while Norbert offers support.

Melanie & Olwen make for a deadly combination. They will usually fight on their own, but they will try and stay as close by to each other as possible. Their primary strategy is to tag-team their opponents and overpower them.

12) How do they fight with the other members?

Because of their close bond, Douglas & Olwen are often on the same wavelength, even without saying a word. Olwen usually keeps the enemy on their toes with a strong defense, while Douglas gets in as many quick hits as possible.

Douglas & Melanie have to communicate a lot with each other, in order for their team ups to work. However, they can work well with one another, once that communication is established. They both like to go for super quick attacks that overpower/overwhelm the enemy.

Norbert with both Melanie & Olwen, is the same as they are with Douglas. They offer support, while Melanie & Olwen are the primary attackers. Norbert will team up with Melanie, more often then with Olwen. However, Norbert can work well with both of them.

13) Any team combos/strategies {ex: checkmate, iceflower, bumbleby, etc...}

I’m still in the process of coming up with a lot of the team’s combos, however I do have one that I can share. This is a four-person maneuver, which Douglas called, “Toppling Dominoes”.

To let the team know that it’s time to use the move, Douglas will typically shout, “Okay DMNO, time to knock em’ down!” or some other variation.

They start things off by trying to trap the target/multiple targets in a singular area, where they can’t escape.

Next, Norbert shoots out one of their gravpolines {a jelly trampoline, with gravity dust inside that bursts from a bullet} from their weapon. Then Melanie gets ready to kick Olwen off of her leg, while using her semblance to boost her kick’s power.

Douglas runs and jumps onto the gravpoline, Olwen gets launched into the air, then Melanie & Norbert provide cover on the ground.

When Douglas & Olwen intersect, Olwen uses one of her sword attacks {sometimes she’ll use her thermal empowerment part of her semblance to boost its power} to launch Douglas forward with incredible force at high speeds towards the target{s}.

Finally, Douglas will perform a couple of somersaults and yells, “CANNONBALL!”, as he crashes into the target{s}, toppling them over like a row of dominoes.

14) Does your team have any plans on sticking together in the future {e.g: post Fall of Beacon, post graduation, etc…}?

I’m still planning a lot of DMNO’s future out {both post Fall of Beacon and after Salem’s defeat}, but after the F.O.B, the team does split up for a bit. After graduation, realistically the team can’t stay together because Norbert wants to join the Atlesian Military and no one else on the team has the same plans. However, they’ll still probably team up together from time to time, if it’s possible. Douglas has said that even if they’re apart, DMNO will never disband and that they’re still a team.

15) Any other team related trivia/thoughts {e.g: shenanigans, fun memories, etc…}?

I have a couple of shenanigans/things that happened during their 1st year together in mind.

After the Atlas Academy initiation test/getting their dorm room clean, Olwen made them all an, “everything but the kitchen sink”, stew out of random ingredients from their dorm floor’s kitchen. It quickly became the team’s favourite meal whenever they eat together. They spent the rest of the night sitting on the floor, eating snacks and telling stories about each other.

A few weeks into their first year, Douglas, Melanie & Team FNKI managed to get a dance party/hoedown/conga line going in the dorms. Norbert, Olwen & Ironwood are still confused as to how they managed to pull this off in such a short amount of time.

Norbert once snuck their pet/emotional support ferret Scout into their first combat class of the year with them because they were feeling anxious about sparring with some of the other students/their own teammates. Eventually Scout made their presence known and almost everyone in the class was freaking out. Norbert was in a hurry that morning and had forgotten Scout’s vest, so most thought that she was just some random animal. After talking things over with the General, Norbert is now allowed to bring Scout to all of their classes... they just need to make sure that Scout was wearing her vest.

Douglas usually wears sandals to class, instead of the standard dress shoes. Most of the student body were surprised that he didn’t have frostbitten feet/toes by the end of the school year.

When DMNO got back from their first mission, Olwen came back with a couple of salmon that she fished up and two reindeer that she hunted. She said that she wanted to do a bit of hunting during any sort of down time that they had. The female student body see it as her being resourceful and the male student body see it as her being scary.

#rwby #rwby oc #team dmno

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davidmann95 · 5 years

Note

Thoughts on this week's comics?

Once & Future #1: On the final day of my local comic book store’s operation (don’t worry, I’ve I think found a new place close to where I work) they finally got the sixth and last printing of this baby, and what an odd comic. I absolutely dig it, but just in terms of pacing and the rhythms of the dialogue, this feels much more to me like a Morrison joint than Gillen? Maybe it’s just because I associate Dan Mora with Klaus. Anyway, I’m late to the party on this one but yeah, it’s good.

No One Left To Fight #4: It hasn’t been as good as the first issue got me to hope, and I don’t think it’s going to change that with apparently just one issue left, but this is still solid and definitely worth a look once it drops in trade for DBZ fans.

DIE #8: Gillen’s always been a guy who works best for me on reread, but between this and Peter Cannon he’s working overtime lately to jump a few notches even further upward in my estimation. And I cannot believe a monthly comic, even one with breaks built in, can look this gorgeous.

Marvel Comics #1001: God what a shitshow! I repeatedly referred to Marvel Comics #1000 as nothing short of a minor miracle, and I’ll stand by that. But while that was an exceptional if by no means perfect realization of its intent as a celebration of Marvel’s history, this is a truly shameless dumping ground, with only two teasing story-lite bookending Ewing pages to lure in chumps like me. I think there’s something like 3-4 notably at least *okay* other stories in here, with everything else ranging from empty calories to bizarre to total crap. Worst I’ve spent about dropping my money on a book in some time.

Fantastic Four #15: I’ll admit to being a little perplexed about the strength of the negative reaction to the title right now. I’d be the first to admit it’s a complete embarrassment in the context of being the Richards families’ grand return, but it’s perfectly fine superhero comics, even if I’ll likely drop it after this arc.

Absolute Carnage: Immortal Hulk #1: The gold standard of event tie-ins - it fits well with the event, with the main book (even if Ewing’s assured nothing plotwise here is going to feed back into the main title...though honestly, I’m a touch skeptical depending on how Absolute Carnage proper goes, I could see something in here playing out in Immortal while requiring fairly minimal explanation), and it hits us with an extra little dose of seeing how the current status quo plays with Marvel at large since it’s typically in isolation without diluting the flavor of either side. A+.

Bizarre Adventures #1: Actually really good but it should be a federal crime that the initial solicit promised a Chris Onstad story and this didn’t deliver, without even at least some sort of formal apology.

Daredevil #12: Oh, Willie. WhatEVER are we going to do with you?

House of X #6: Okay, I’ve tried to avoid blanket “anyone who doesn’t like these books just doesn’t GET IT, MAN” statements, but I haven’t been subtle in finding a lot of the criticisms of how the X-Men are changing up how they operate/express themselves as a minority metaphor...charged. I’ve already had reason recently to think I was being too broad even with that though, but with this issue? The idea that Professor X was psychically manipulating people into going along with this seemed like a dumb, boring as shit way of reckoning with the new status quo, but maybe that merits a rethink, because holy shit. Anyway this is still fire and I can’t believe I give a fuck about the X-Men now, one issue left until this run properly starts. Jesus.

The Immortal Hulk #24: I’ll admit I’ve been finding the conclusion of the General Fortean story merely excellent rather than mind-blowingly transcendent recently, and while I wasn’t disappointed I was ready for things to properly kick back into high gear. THAT IS CERTAINLY NOT A PROBLEM ANYMORE, TRUE BELIEVERS.

Batman #80: I’m still down for it, both this bit in isolation as the triumphant comeback lead in to the finale, and the run as a whole. And while I think he’s been doing his best work in a VERY long time recently and I’m glad to see he’ll be joining Tynion, I’m glad Daniel is taking a backseat to Mann, Romita Jr., and soon Janin for concluding City of Bane, given it’s now also the ending of King’s time on Batman proper even if he’s still finishing his story elsewhere.

Lois Lane #4: It’s extremely weird that this is a Renee Montoya book co-starring Lois Lane but if Greg Rucka wants to write a Gotham Central/52 followup I’m not gonna...question it.

Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #2: DANG! Taken as a whole with the first issue given it clearly should have been a big one-shot, this is easily the best thing Bendis has done since the DC jump outside the Superman books, and I’m properly pumped for Legion now. Jeff Dekal and Ryan Sook in particular take my breath away once apiece in here.

The Green Lantern #12: With the season finale on the stands, I’d say it’s now more than fair to call Green Lantern Morrison’s weakest superhero output of the 21st century. Which doesn’t mean it’s not a hoot, it’s still Morrison, but again, I’ve yet to see anything at all that convinces me Morrison isn’t doing this on autopilot in-between his TV commitments. Admittedly Morrison on autopilot has its own unique charms, just spraying odd archetypal superhero concepts and sci-fi jargon at you to fill up space; this feels like one of his ad-hoc superhero teams such as the Status Quorum or the Cometeers or one of the throwaway Multiversity Earth ideas slouching to a sort of independent pseudo-life and throwing off neat ideas like an isotope bursting radiation, not fully-formed but perhaps in its own way all the more beautifully off-kilter and primally iconic in the process. Not enough to make up for the absence of him actually trying, you understand, but certainly unique and still an experience I enjoy every month. Please god though, don’t let this and Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 3 whenever that happens be his last major superhero works. One last Justice League story, Arkham Asylum 2 like he said, Superman Squad, something.

Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #4: Venom exists in the DCU and it’s an evil speedo, this is objectively a perfect comic book. I liked the original Way run a lot even if I could never remember what was going on, but I’m stunned with every issue what a level-up this second volume has been, at least for my money.

Justice League #33: I think the book’s sagging a bit at the moment, since Justice/Doom War is clearly a feint for whatever the real finale is going to be in 2020 and I don’t think Snyder/Tynion work quite as well as an apparently full-on writing team as they do when simply trading off issues and letting their individual strengths shine. Still the best straight-take capeshit on the stands though, make no mistake.

Young Justice #9: If Namoi was the return of the Bendis who tried writing sincere stuff near the end of his time at Marvel but was too burned out at that point to make it work anymore, this is the Avengers guy who’s freewheeling and kinda screwing around where he should be getting to brass tacks but still has his moments. I might end up dropping this book, but it’s still at least got me through the end of this arc.

DCeased #5: This book’s been disappointing me more than a bit the last couple issues given how good it SHOULD be with how much it plays into Tom Taylor’s greatest strengths. The ending on this one, however? Is one I’m going to remember forever, and Trevor Hairsine sells the absolute hell out of it. Propelled to my favorite of the week just on the back of that.

#Week's Comics #House of X #Jonathan Hickman #X Men #Grant Morrison #Opinion

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thedcdunce · 5 years

Text

Superboy

“This looks like a job for Superboy!” - Superboy

Real Name: Kon-El

Aliases:

Conner Kent

Carl Grummett

Metropolis Kid

Superman

Gender: Male

Height: 5′ 9″

Weight: 150 lbs (68 kg)

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Black

Race: DNAlien

Powers:

Kryptonian Physiology

Tactile Telekinesis

Weaknesses:

Kryptonian Physiology

Vulnerability to Red Sun Radiation

Yellow Sun Processing

Equipment:

Visor

Universe: New Earth

Base of Operations:

San Francisco

Smallville

Metropolis

Hawaii

Citizenship: American

Marital Status: Single

Occupation: Student

Education: Smallville High School

First Appearance: Adventures of Superman#500 (June, 1993)

Last Appearance: Teen Titans Vol 3 #100 (October, 2011)

Powers

Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Superboy possesses the same potential powers as an average Kryptonian.

Solar Energy Absorption: Under optimal conditions, this is the main source of Superboy's super powers as they are contingent upon exposure to solar radiation from a yellow sun star system. His biological make up includes a number of organs which lack analogues in humans and whose functions are unknown. It is believed that between one or more of these and his bio-cellular matrix, "yellow" solar energy is stored for later use. This allows for the use of these powers to fade when yellow solar radiation is not available instead of immediate failure.

Heat Vision: Superboy can, as a conscious act, fire beams of intense heat at a target by looking at it. He can vary the heat and area affected.

Super-Hearing: Superboy's hearing is sensitive enough to hear any sound at any volume or pitch. With skill and concentration, he can block out ambient sounds to focus on a specific source or frequency.

Enhanced Vision: Superboy's vision processes the entire electromagnetic spectrum as well as allowing vast control over selective perception and focus.

Electromagnetic Spectrum Vision: Superboy can see well into most of the electromagnetic spectrum. He can see and identify radio and television signals as well as all other broadcast or transmitted frequencies. Using this ability, he can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the aura generated by living thing.

Telescopic Vision: This is the ability to see something at a great distance, without violating the laws of physics. Though limited, the exact extent of the ability is undetermined. In function, it is similar to the zoom lens on a camera.

X-Ray Vision: This is the ability to see through any volume of matter except lead. Superboy can see things behind a solid, opaque object as if it were not there. He can focus this ability to "peel back" layers of an object, allowing hidden image or inner workings to be observed. The exact type of energy perceived - such as x-rays, cosmic rays, or some other energy invisible to normal humans - is unclear. This ability perceives an ambient energy source though, it does not involve the eye projecting a concentrated, possibly toxic, beam to be reflected back from objects.

Microscopic Vision: This is the ability to see extremely small objects and images down to the atomic level.

Infrared Vision: Superboy can see with better acuity in darkness, and to a degree in total darkness.

Flight: Superboy is able to manipulate graviton particles to defy the forces of gravity and achieve flight. This ranges from hovering to moving in any posture, in any direction.

Invulnerability: Due to the interaction of his dense molecular structure and supercharged bio-electric aura, Superboy is nigh-invulnerable to extreme energy forces. In addition, his extends this protection against toxins and diseases.

Superhuman Stamina: Superboy is able to maintain continuous strenuous physical action for an indefinite period of time. This based on his body converting yellow solar radiation directly to energy, but is limited by physiological and psychological needs to eat, drink, and sleep.

Superhuman Strength: Superboy's strength is augmented by yellow solar radiation interacting with the greater than human density, resilience and biological efficiency of his musculature. His strength is more an act of conscious will on energy fields than actual physical strength. It is this act of conscious will that enables him to perform physical feats that are beyond the mere application force, such as moving a mountain top without said rock crumbling under its own mass.

Superhuman Speed: Superboy is able to move at incredible speed by sheer force of will. This extends to his perceptions and allows for feats such as catching bullets in mid flight as well as covering vast distances in little or no time. This also confers:

Superhuman Agility

Superhuman Reflexes

Super-Breath: Superboy is able to create hurricane force winds by exhaling air from his lungs. He can chill the air as it leaves his lungs to freeze targets. He can also reverse the process to pull large volumes of air or vapor into his lungs.

Tactile Telekinesis: At first, Superboy's only superpower was "tactile telekinesis", a telekinetic force field that surrounded his body as a protective shield allowing him to simulate Superman-level speed, strength, flight and invulnerability. The TK field also let Superboy break free of an opponent's grip by pushing the field outward to force the opponent away. Other creative uses include rendering an opponent immobile by extending the TK field as long as they were both standing on the same ground.

Telekinetic Superhuman Strength: He was able to lift almost anything he could conceive of. He lifted the world's largest yacht and threw a football at Mach 5. Objects lifted with his telekinetic strength did not crumble under their own weight or internal stresses. This was not super strength in the traditional sense, as Superboy had been bound with chains that were surrounded by an energy field which he was unable to escape because he could not directly affect the chains with his power. It was stated he could lift a battleship.

Telekinetic Flight: Superboy was able to fly at high supersonic speeds using a reflexive action of his telekinesis, literally dragging himself through the sky. Concentration was required to maintain great speeds which could reach roughly speeds of Mach 5.

Telekinetic Force-Field: By creating a field around his body Conner was able to resist or reduce injury from non-energy based attacks by causing the object to be deflected from his personal force field. Bullets and shrapnel were easily deflected. This field did not repel gases or energy based attacks as well, though his skill in deflecting energy attacks improved.

Tactile Telekinetic Disassemble: Conner could exert his force into an object to explode or disassemble it. It's assumed that he could conceivably put an object back together, if he understood how the object functioned in the first place. He could also manipulate aggregate solid masses such as volumes of sand or dust in the same way, causing the individual particles to fly apart in an explosive manner to create particle clouds or a forceful attack. Superboy's hands glowed blue when he did this.

Telekinetic Force Blasts: Superboy also learned that he could project bursts of raw energy bolts. He mostly projected the energy from his hands, but his TK field permeated from his entire body. The blasts he emitted had concussive force equivalent to 5,000 pounds of TNT.

Telekinetic Super Hearing: Superboy's TK allows him to hear sounds from far away and through glass.

Weaknesses

Kryptonian Physiology: Under the effects of a "yellow" sun, Superboy possesses the same potential weaknesses as an average Kryptonian.

Vulnerability to Kryptonite

Vulnerability to Magic

Vulnerability to Red Sun Radiation: The damage from the Red Sun seems to be less effective on him than the full Kryptonians.

Yellow Sun Processing: Because Superboy absorbed less solar energy than Superman as an adult, Superboy was unable to process as much yellow sun energy as Superman could; as a result, overexerting his powers could spell his death, as his body would literally begin to feed on itself, unable to absorb solar energy fast enough to restore itself.

Equipment

Visor: Superboy briefly had a visor that allowed him to simulate Superman's vision powers. He lost the visor and it was recovered by the Technician. When he got it back, Superboy destroyed it, rationalizing that he would probably lose it again somehow and then it would put others at risk.

History

Superboy, also known as Kon-El and Conner Kent, was a DNAlien designed to replace Superman after the hero's death touted as Superman's direct clone.

Project 13

Superboy was created by Project Cadmus using Kryptonian DNA, intended as a replacement for Superman who died fighting Doomsday. Artificially aged to his mid-teens and implanted with the equivalent of a high school education, Superboy was set free by the Newsboy Legion before he could be implanted with safeguards to control him. One of the boys gave him a leather jacket before he set out into the city, where he had his first encounter with a villain when he found Sidearm attempting to steal money from an ATM.

Don't Ever Call Me "Superboy"!

The clone's arrival in Metropolis coincided with three others taking up the mantle of "Superman". Two of them, "the Man of Tomorrow" and "the Last Son of Krypton", insisted they were the real Superman resurrected, while "the Man of Steel" made no such claim, nor did the young clone who was open about his origin to Lois Lane, thought he insisted on being called "Superman" not "Superboy"! He became enamored with reporter Tana Moon, who he granted an exclusive live on WGBS, a station under the direction of the unscrupulous Vinnie Edge. Edge arranged for Superboy to go into Suicide Slum where he apprehend a gangster named Steel Hand, and encountered Guardian who gave the cocky kid some friendly advice.

"Superman" loved the limelight and attention from beautiful women, but was blinded by naiveté. His reckless heroics led to the death of a Daily Planet helicopter pilot, for which he was severely reproached for by Steel. Superman's arrogance was knocked down a peg, and he repaid Steel's lesson in humility by saving him from a fire. He was soon approached by Supergirl to work with her at LexCorp. While informally agreeing to Lex Luthor's proposal, the young Superman went back on his word, seduced into an exclusive contract with Rex Leech, effectively persuaded upon meeting his teenage daughter Roxy.

Vinnie Edge, eager to boost ratings, hired an assassin known only as Stinger to attack his Superman on live television. After a destructive battle between the two, Supergirl joined the inexperienced hero's side, forcing Stinger to enact his escape plan of destroying the Hobsneck Bridge. The teen worked together with his female counterpart to rescue as many people as they could from the tragically engineered disaster.

After hearing Coast City had been destroyed, Superman rushed to ground zero where he was duped by the Cyborg Superman into joining him in a mock investigation. The ruse ended in the kid's imprisonment inside Engine City. The Cyborg and his servant, Mongul, used young Superman's image via video feed to trick the Justice League of America into going off world on a wild goose chase. In a surreptitious play for power, Mongul told Superboy Metropolis was their next target for obliteration, hoping it would prompt the captive into escaping and defeat the Cyborg for him. The teen Superman was able to flee back to Metropolis, arriving to find Steel, Luthor, Lois Lane and Supergirl gathered near the harbor. He warned everyone that the Cyborg Superman was responsible and Metropolis was in danger, when a humongous Kryptonian War Suit emerged from the water. The warsuit miraculously housed the real Superman who was still very weakened from his resurrection. While the young clone and Steel were skeptical about his claim, they joined him to attack Engine City, discovering a huge missile capable of wiping out a city inside. The teen clung to the missile as it was launched and managed to alter its course before it reached Metropolis. Despite minor injuries, Superboy returned to the fight in Engine City, saving the life of Steel. With the defeat of the Cyborg, the clone acknowledged that the "man in black" was indeed the one, true Superman. He returned to Metropolis with Supergirl and Steel, where Tana visited him, informing him that she quit her job and was leaving town for good.

Superboy

With the real Superman back in action, his younger clone relinquished the rights to the name and symbol — to the annoyance of Rex Leech — and decided to leave Metropolis; formally accepting the name Superboy. He decided to go on a world tour in order to establish himself as an individual, returning first to Cadmus where he learned he was not in fact a direct clone of Superman, but rather a human clone genetically engineered to look like Superman and mimic his major powers by way of tactile telekinesis. Despite Director Westfield's initial protests, Cadmus agreed to stop trying to bring him back to the Project. Dubbilex was chosen to act as a chaperone, in part because Westfield tried to hide the fact he had sent Payback of the DNAliens against Superboy earlier that day. Superboy packed up his things and returned his apartment to Clark Kent, officially leaving Metropolis behind.

The Hero of Hawaii

After a few weeks of travelling, Superboy and Dubbilex arrived in Hawaii, joined by Rex and Roxy Leech. After a running battle with Sidearm on the beach, Superboy learned that Tana Moon had moved to Hawaii. Superboy decided to stay on the islands, stylizing himself as the "Hero of Hawaii." Island life was not all that laid back, with Superboy soon encountering the former Fury, Knockout, and fighting the insane Scavenger over the mystical Spear of Lona. Superboy fell ill, and after a brief fight with Silver Sword, he collapsed after the battle and was rushed to Metropolis while the Navy took custody of Silver Sword.

Superboy was diagnosed as suffering from the Clone Plague that was ravaging most of the Underworlders and other Cadmus clones. The first of the few survivors, Superboy was successfully cured thanks to Cadmus' efforts and had to help fight off members of Team Luthor when they tried to steal the cure. He then joined Superman and Supergirl, trying to minimise the damage as much as possible while apprehending Lex Luthor, although most of downtown Metropolis was destroyed. Cadmus suffered major damage and Westfield was murdered by Dabney Donovan, but most of the staff and clones survived. Superboy stayed in Metropolis for a while, battling Parasite and getting caught up in a skirmish with an alternate earth.

To his reluctance, Dubbilex was asked to take in Krypto by Bibbo. On his way back to Hawaii, Superboy was forced to make a pit stop in Smallville, where he met Ma and Pa Kent and the Superboy of yet another reality, who was there because of the effects of the time disruption. The two worked together on another threat to their respective worlds. Superboy also learned that the DNA donor was in fact the late Cadmus director, Paul Westfield, as well as a revelation from Carl Packard that Superboy had been the thirteenth attempt by Cadmus to clone Superman. The first had utilized Dr. Teng's "Bizarro" technique, resulting in a Bizarro Superboy that was still being held by the lab. The Bizarro escaped, but died shortly thereafter. When Superboy returned to Hawaii, Tana threw him a birthday party, making Superboy officially one year old.

Back in Hawaii, Superboy battled King Shark, B.E.M., Techno and the Silicon Dragons who became consistent foes. The youthful hero gradually matured after each encounter, culminating when a celebrity look-a-like of him was shot and killed by the Dragons who thought the actor was the real Superboy. He also clashed with Aquaman at Pearl Harbor with the King of the Seas putting the kid in his place with the help of a pod of blue whales.

With help from Dr. Emil Hamilton, Superboy acquired a visor that simulated Superman's x-ray, heat and infra-vision powers while the scientist was on vacation in Hawaii, inadvertently assisting Superboy in defeating Sidearm who had returned. Superboy settled in a new residence with Dubbilex and the Leeches called the Compound, located in a secluded spot near the beach. He stopped the assassin Copperhead who had been hired to collect a debt from Rex.

Superboy and Tana officially became a couple around the time Special Agent Sam Makoa decided to organize a task force to go after the Silicon Dragons, which was none other than Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad. Superboy forced himself onto the team, which consisted of Knockout, Sidearm, King Shark, Captain Boomerang, and Deadshot. Despite the death of Sidearm, the mission successfully destroyed the lair of the Silicon Dragons, even though their leader, Lady Dragon, escaped after engaging with Superboy one-on-one.

Superboy was informed by state official, Mack Harlin, that he would be required by law to attend school. He enrolled at a local high school where me met some new friends, including Hillary Chang, and discovered that he was reaching the end of the implanted knowledge Cadmus had given him. Superboy managed to balance school and friends with his romance with Tana while still fighting criminals like Loose Cannon and Loophole When Roxy unexpectedly left for Las Vegas, Superboy followed her, sensing there was trouble. Roxy was trying to put some things in her past to rest, since she had decided to enroll as a police office in Hawaii. This meant a confrontation with an old boyfriend who had since become Neon. After a brief battle, Neon blew himself up by detonating a gas station, and Superboy and Roxy returned home.

Superboy battled the amnesiac Valor, who was fighting under the name of Champion. Knockout, alive and well, decided to join the fight, and as Valor regained his memory, he remembered he was dying of lead poisoning. While Knockout took care of Ira Gamboli, who had been manipulating Valor, Superboy helped Valor escape to the Phantom Zone to save his life. Superboy also worked with Green Lantern in a rematch with Scavenger and had a first encounter with the horribly mutated Black Manta.

The Alpha Centurion recruited Superboy into the Superman Rescue Squad, after the Man of Steel was kidnapped by an alien Tribunal. Along with Supergirl, the Eradicator and Steel, the Centurion led Superboy to find Superman. On the journey, Superboy confided to the others he did not trust the Centurion — in fact, he believed he was really the Cyborg Superman in disguise. His suspicions were confirmed when the Centurion abandoned them in the midst of a battle just as the Cyborg Superman arrived soon after. The Cyborg easily defeated the entire team and turned them over to the Tribunal. While a prisoner, Superboy was confined to the same cell as the Centurion which not enough to convince him he was not a traitor. Once he escaped to find Centurion fighting Cyborg Superman, he admitted his mistake. The team freed themselves and rallied behind Superman, who confronted the Tribunal head on. The Tribunal conceded fault and exonerates Superman for his "crime".

When the Legion of Super-Heroes arrived in the past seeking Valor, Superboy explained what happened and accompanied the Legion to the 30th Century. Valor was freed from the Phantom Zone and cured with an anti-lead serum, taking the name M'Onel. The Legion rewarded Superboy for his assistance by making him an honorary Legionnaire, complete with Flight Ring, before sending him home.

Paired with Knockout

Upon returning to his own time after helping the Legion, Superboy found Knockout waiting for him at the Compound. She wants to join him as a partner to sate her desire for battle in a productive way. Together they fought Killer Frost, the Technician, and Silver Sword. Knockout taught Superboy how to use his powers in new and creative ways, such as extending his TK field to cover another person just by touching them. Superboy regained his visor but destroyed it, reasoning that he would just lose it again.

Superboy and Knockout were attacked by the Female Furies, revealing that Knockout was one of their lost "sisters". An intense battle ensued at Superboy's high school, with Superboy and Knockout — joined by Sam Makoa, Dan Turpin, and a contingent of police officers — being severely outclassed. Thanks to Dubbilex, however, the Furies were driven off, leaving much of the high school in ruins, prompting the state to decide that Superboy should be home schooled. Knockout killed a police officer during the fray and the Special Crimes Unit attempted to arrest her. Superboy refused to believe the evidence, however, and after a confrontation with Snare and the SCU at the Compound, the two briefly went on the run from the law, causing Superboy to break up with Tana. This culminated in a battle on the beach between Supergirl and Knockout. After Sparx helped separate the two women, Supergirl ripped the S-shield off Superboy's costume because of his lawlessness. Still, Superboy persisted that he was in the right and everyone just didn't understand Knockout, but her true colors were revealed during a meeting with Victor Volcanum who had risen an island for himself near Hawaii. Knockout first tried to get Superboy to kill him before she finished him off herself. With that barbaric act, Superboy realized that she did not love him the way he thought he loved her. Superboy apprehended Knockout, in part due to the training she had given him on how to use his powers, bringing her in as the island sunk back beneath the waves. Roxy returned his emblems for his costume now that he had come to his senses.

The Ravers and Rough Times

Sparx invited Superboy to the Event Horizon, an intergalactic rave party exclusively for metas and aliens, hosted by a being called Kindred Marx. His first night there, Superboy met Hero Cruz and got into a fight with Kaliber, for which they were teleported to a distant asteroid where InterC.E.P.T. attempted to place the two of them under arrest, also involving the Darkstars. Superboy and Kaliber were transported back to the event before they could be arrested, and another brawl broke out between some Khunds from the Red Shift gang and Aura, which spilled out onto Earth.

Superboy rekindled his relationship with Tana, just before Roxy revealed that she had always loved him. Despite her heartfelt confession, Superboy did not reciprocate her feelings. Roxy could not dismiss her feelings for Superboy so easily. While helping Dubbilex recovered from an injury, an organization called Agenda sent Amanda Spence to kidnap Superboy. The Agenda used Superboy to create an enhanced clone they referred to as Match, with plans of making an entire army of them. Superboy managed to defeat Match and destroy Agenda's lair, with Spence and the directors all taken into custody.

The Agenda secretly infected Superboy with a virus that began to break down his DNA. It lay dormant for weeks, until a rematch with Copperhead began to manifest symptoms. When S.T.A.R. Labs were unable to cure his condition, Superboy was rushed back to Project Cadmus. Cadmus was only able to slow the condition, not eliminate it. Superman, Supergirl, and Steel did all they could to assist, and though Superman was able to locate Match, the potential donor not interested in helping. Amanda Spence suggested a solution, explaining that she needed a DNA donor to "re-zip" the breakdown of Superboy's genetics. Roxy Leech volunteered for the procedure which was successful, except for a side effect which meant Superboy would never age beyond his sixteen year old appearance. Superboy was crushed at the news, having always dreamed of one day assuming the role of Superman. A heart-to-heart with Superman helped ease the pain a little.

Despite what Superman had to say, Superboy was still troubled by thoughts of never growing up. Nightmares plagued him, even as he has to deal with Mo-O and a married couple who pursued thrills by trying to get their picture taken with superheroes. He discovered a magic atoll where there are some "lost boys" who seemingly never grew up, and despite the temptation to stay, he left them.

Things began to break down upon returning to Hawaii. The Legion of Super-Heroes turned up once more, this time angry that Superboy had given away his flight ring to Roxy. Superboy managed to work things out with them as they fought Silver Sword together. However, his constant flirting and "devil-may-care" attitude had been wearing on Tana who was also uncomfortable with the thought that Superboy would stay a teenager forever. Despite trying to prove how responsible he was by recovering the Spear of Lono, Tana ended their relationship.

Superboy decided to travel again to clear his head. He stopped by Jersey City and ended up asking Natasha Irons on a date. Nat had fun, but told him she's not interested in a relationship because she could tell he was still very much in love with Tana.

With Kyle Rayner's help, Superboy finally brought down Silver Sword who had been serving a being known as, Pele, who he believed to be a Hawaiian goddess. But during the conflict against Pele, she threatened innocent bystanders, and Silver Sword realized she was no benevolent goddess. He turned on her which led to his death. Pele was defeated, but Superboy was feeling anything but heroic. More than ever he felt isolated. After a failed publicity stunt and wavering public opinion in Hawaii and abroad, Superboy disappeared without a trace while flying back to Hawaii, caught in a severe storm.

A New Direction with an Old Team

Superboy awoke with amnesia in the Wild Lands, an island of anthropomorphic animal-men. Superboy quickly regained his memory, but feared he was somehow in the distant future. After passing various challenges, Superboy, along with some other humans stranded on the island, were permitted to leave. Superboy befriended the Wild Men who decide to explore the world at large and leave with Superboy. They quickly discovered they were not in the distant future, but only a few months had passed since Superboy's disappearance. The islands had been created by a precursor to Project Cadmus known as the "Project Moreau" created in the '40s. Superboy did have to contend with the fallout of a coup d'état that spilled out into the world at large, but managed to work it out. Back in Hawaii, Superboy learned that most of his friends were gone and decided there was nothing really left for him.

Superboy rejoined Cadmus and began working as a field agent with Dubbilex and Guardian, after leaving Krypto with his friend Hillary Chang. For their first assignment, they traveled to Paris and battled Agenda once again, specifically Director Alpha. They also encounter Grokk the Living Gargoyle and a supermodel named Hex. They took Grokk back to Project Cadmus, where Superboy met the new Director, Mickey "the Mechanic" Cannon, new military liaison, Col. Winterbourne, and one of the new ace scientists, Serling Roquette. Superboy was at first happy to be back at the Project, but was distraught when Mickey fired the original Newsboy Legion and their clones.

Superboy became a founding member of the team Young Justice along with Robin and Impulse. The team formed after the three boys decided to have a "camp out" in the old JLA Justice Cave, where they encountered Red Tornado. Despite having some persistent troubles, Superboy, Robin, and Impulse became best friends during this time.

Superboy was attracted to Dr. Roquette who was one of the few females at Cadmus, and the only one close to his own age, but she was oblivious at first, harboring a crush for Guardian. Superboy respond when someone stole the Whiz Wagon and entered the Demolition Run, a lethal cross country race involving all manner of high-tech vehicles. The thief turned out to be Roxy, who was desperate for money to help her father. Even with Superboy and Mickey Cannon helping her, the Whiz Wagon was totaled and Fastbak won the race. Superboy realized the man running the race, Mr. Big, fixed the event so Fastbak would win. Rather than letting Mr. Big walk away with millions, he convinced Fastbak to ask for all profits Big might have made off the deal. Big honors the deal, but promises Superboy he won't forget.

Superman invited Superboy to the Fortress of Solitude where Superboy was able to see Krypton via virtual reality, and after Superman explaining how he considered Superboy part of his family, the Man of Steel offered him the Kryptonian name, Kon-El. Superboy tearfully accepted, overjoyed with the simple dignity of having a real name. From Kon-El he adapted "Conner" to use in society.

Superboy was one of the first to explore Hypertime, after a Superboy from an alternate reality arrived at the Watchtower, dying shortly thereafter from injuries. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman all explained their recent experiences with hypertime and ask Superboy to volunteer for an experiment. During the journey he met his villainous counterpart, Black Zero, from a reality where he had not been freed from Cadmus as a teenager and Superman was never resurrected. Black Zero had become a cruel tyrant in his world before setting out to conquer other worlds he had found via hypertime. He did not understand the resistance he met from the other Superboys and captured them one by one, imprisoning them in his lair. Kon-El led the other alternate versions in an uprising that defeated Black Zero before he returned to his own timeline. During the trip, he deduced that Superman was secretly Clark Kent. Superboy harbored resentment that his closest "relative" had never confided his public identity.

Superboy was ordered to revisit the Wild Lands, escorted by a number of personnel from Cadmus. They landed in Roam and were greeted warmly by King Tuftan. Winterbourne requested to be taken to the area where he was captured, so Tuftan led the way to the Glowing Swamp. There they found Ratsputin there — as well as King Shark. Tuftan and Winterbourne were almost killed when the experimental Blackbird fighter jet was located and used to impale King Shark before it detonated.

They arrived back at Cadmus to find Guardian attacking the staff, believing them to be Nazis. The delusion was driven by a magical gauntlet that had been unearthed. The Demon arrived, drawn by the eldritch aura of Hyssa's Fist. Etrigan explained the dark artifact drew upon the wearers deepest desires, regrets and inner demons to project the wearer's true colors. Superboy managed to subdue the possessed Guardian, but was suspicious about handing the sinister power over to a bona fide demon. Etrigan desired the mystic item for a spell, inciting Superboy to protect the glove by wearing it himself. He neutralizes Etrigan with his enhanced strength which was met with applause from Dabney Donovan. In a moment of clarity, Superboy noticed he was wearing an outfit similar to Black Zero's. Horrified, Superboy used his tactile telekinesis to destroyed the glove on his hand, causing a huge explosion and cave-in. Etrigan saves Donovan while Guardian recovers Superboy who decides to return to Hawaii to tie up some loose ends.

Superboy decided to drop by Smallville to visit the Kents coincidentally at the same time as Clark Kent. Superboy hinted at Clark's secret which was subtly reciprocated, yet Clark was reluctant to voice it completely, not out of distrust, but because he was afraid that eventually Superman and Clark Kent may no longer be distinguishable.

Superboy arrived in Hawaii with Roquette to discover that he was no longer well thought of among the locals now that a new hero, Kana, had risen. Kana, however, cited Superboy as being his inspiration. Superboy caught up with Sam Makoa, Hillary Chang and even visited Knockout in prison. After one last visit to the Compound, Superboy accepted nothing would ever be like it once was and decides to take Krypto with him back to Cadmus.

Still frustrated that had not confronted Superman about his dual identity, Superboy headed to Metropolis where he met with Lois Lane. At Locomotive Park they encountered the Man of Steel battling a four-armed monster, which was put down by the two heroes. Superman tells him that of all the people who wear the S-shield, Kon-El is the one he feels closest to. Superboy was still unable to speak his mind, but after Superman's departure he alluded to his suspicions, to which Lois responded by saying that everyone, even Superman, needs a little privacy.

Upon arriving back at Cadmus, Superboy was quickly knocked out by the Agenda, using Simyan and Mokkari to create an army of clones. Dubbilex had been compromised by a being known as the Gene-Gnome and Superboy was placed in holding by Amanda Spence alongside his fellow allies. Superboy rallies the forces of Cadmus, along with Grokk, Hex and even Krypto, in a desperate struggle to win back the facility. All they could do, however, was temporarily retreat, as the Gene-Gnome could not only can read their minds, but also coordinate the clone armies. As they fled, they came across Gorr, Growler and Howler who had escaped the Agenda's clutches in Alaska where they also rescued Tana Moon. Realizing the Gene-Gnome could not read the minds of non-humans, they planned a counter-attack, leaving Roquette, Tana and Krypto behind. Dubbilex managed to break the Gene-Gnome's control and knock him out as Superboy and allies put the Agenda's army to rout, wrestling control back from Amanda Spence. A holographic message from Director Beta alerted them to a contingency plan in Washington, D.C. While suspecting a trap, Superboy took off to investigate anyway.

A public outcry over Young Justice's actions at Mount Rushmore prompted an assembly of the superhero community at the Capitol. The heroes are all shocked at how Superboy betrayed his comrades to the media until the impostor was exposed as Match when the real Superboy arrived to fight him. As the tension mounted, Director Beta and Klarion the witchboy enacted their plan. Klarion's sorcery reversing the ages of everyone present; the adults reverted to kids while the younger heroes grew to adulthood — all except Superboy, whose ageless genetics kept him at sixteen.

Unable to effect Superboy as it was intended, Klarion's spell began to tear his body apart at a molecular level with confusion. Wonder Girl helped Superboy back to Cadmus only to find Match waiting for them. Director Cannon and Guardian prepared to make another stand against the Agenda clones when Dabney Donovan surprised everyone. Having escaped Simyan and Mokkari, Donovan unleashed a gas containing a virus lethal only to the newly cloned Agenda soldiers. All the evil clones disintegrated as Match escaped with a teleporter. Superboy was taken to the medical bay, Tana at his side, still very much in love with him. Dr. Roquette was able to cure his ageless condition, and by doing so, the spell succeeded in making him a full adult. Superboy embraced Tana with joy, only to have Amanda Spenc activate a device around Tana's which executed her. She gloats about her exacted revenge, causing him the pain she felt at her father's death before teleporting away from the enraged Superboy.

Tragedy and Loss

Superboy was devastated by the death of Tana. He barely had time to mourn when a teenage Superman requested his help to defeat Klarion and reverse the spell. Superman finally divulged his secret identity, asking Superboy to contact Lois to assure her everything is alright. Klarion was eventually defeated and everyone is restored to their natural ages. With his youth restored, Superboy mysteriously lost his powers as well, so Guardian encouraged him to take some time to grieve and experience the world as a "normal" kid. He tried to do just that, but in in the wake of his loss, everything he knew seemed to change at once; Dubbilex took a sabbatical from Cadmus, the Wild Men departed, Hex took Grokk to become a bounty hunter, and Heat Wave was now working for Guardian. Superboy decided he still wanted to continue the good fight, so he turned to the Gadget Guru to help him be Superboy once again.

Still in possession of a Legionnaire flight ring and had special training from Guardian, Superboy was given near indestructible, size altering shield fashioned by Gadget Guru. Superboy had barely begun his new training when he was kidnapped alongside Director Cannon and Gadget Guru by Kossak the Slaver. They managed to rally the other slaves in a successful uprising against their hated master. Kossak fled on a shuttle straight for Earth. Superboy pursued him back to Cadmus where he learned Kossak's true intent of retrieving an escaped slave — one that had fused with Roxy Leech! The alien had solar powers which restored Superboy's strength and powers, allowing the him to take down Kossak. Superboy gifted his new shield to Guardian.

The alien life form bound to Roxy used her body to break free from Cadmus, arriving in nearby Kurtzberg. The newly reformed Titans arrived on the scene to contain the situation, but Superboy placed himself between them and Roxy. When Guardian and Heat Wave arrived, a brief battle broke out, before the heroes managed to compose themselves long enough the alien separated from Roxy and returned to space. Superboy told Roxy how he thought of her as family which she reciprocated before leaving with her father.

After the battle, Guardian discovered that Jim Harper, the man he was cloned from, was related to Roy Harper. Superboy invited Guardian to New York City to introduce him to Roy and Lian Harper at Warriors. While they had their "family" reunion, Superboy subdued Negative G.

Slapstick and War

After being teased by some teenage girls and feeling despondent, Superboy fell into a rut. A talk with Superman gave him perspective and decided to shake things up a bit, starting with a new uniform.

Lex Luthor, recently elected President of the United States, appointed Amanda Waller Secretary of Meta-Human Affairs and tasked her to keep an eye on Project Cadmus. After some more training with Guardian, Superboy and Roquette headed to Los Angeles per Waller's orders to size up a situation involving alien activity. Superboy met up with Lobo there and dealt with an alien named Scizmore that fed off of rage. Superboy had to deal with some rage issues himself when he encountered a relentless gang war and released his powers in an incredible burst that destroyed nearly every gun in L.A.

Exhausted from a recent adventure with Batman and Batgirl, Superboy asked Guardian to go to Detroit to fight Shrapnel in his place. Superboy headed to a Florida bayou where he encountered Gorgeous Gilly and was nearly forced to marry her. Fleeing Gilly's clutches, he returned to Cadmus to learn that Guardian was killed in the battle with Shrapnel.

Superboy arranged a team to take down Shrapnel and was contacted by Deadman during the battle who told him that the soul of Guardian could not move on. Guardian's life force persisted as a re-cloned infant as part of a plot to create a whole army of clones based on him. The D.N.Angels were sent to recover the baby, but Superboy fought them off at a supermarket and hid the baby in a friend's house. The next day, he found out that Project Cadmus was shut down by order of the President. The site was empty save for Young Justice who insisted Superboy give them some answers.

After straightening things out with his teammates, Superboy was summoned to Metropolis by Lois Lane to join Supergirl and Steel in Pokolistan. The team met up with Superman and battled Faora, Ignition, and Kancer until the General arrived to sucker punch Superman hard enough to break his jaw, forcing the team quickly retreated.

Superboy learned that President Luthor had plans involving Strange Visitor who was held at LexCorp Towers. Catching up with Roquette, Heat Wave and the prepubescent Guardian, Superboy led the team on to extract Strange Visitor from a machine, but she angrily chided them that she was not a prisoner, but had came willingly. Talia Head, now the head of LexCorp, entered to tell them they had violated U.S. law by stealing government property. General Good arrived with the D.N.Angels to placed them under military arrest.

Superboy and the others were taken prisoner on a huge spaceship in orbit. General Good explained that he planned to create an entire army of clones based on Guardian to be used as soldiers in an upcoming war. Superboy escaped to battles the D.N.Angels and a now cybernetically enhanced Amanda Spence, until the Angels had a crisis of conscience and defected. Spence who boasted she no longer needed to eat or breathe was ejected into space by Superboy. He freed the almost adult Guardian who decided to destroy the other clones. The victory is short-lived as everyone noticed Apokolips in Earth's orbit accompanied by a vast armada. General Rock arrived to place Good under arrest and told Superboy to consider himself drafted.

Superboy's involvement in the war began by aiding injured heroes before Young Justice was recruited by President Luthor. Superboy led them on a special assignment to Apokolips where the team was captured by Granny Goodness. The young heroes eventually made it back to Earth as one of the last groups to be accounted for. The war deeply impacted Superboy, having witnessed much death and destruction, as well as the scarring to some of his closest friends. Superboy sought rest at the Kent's, but was troubled by nightmares for some time.

End of an Era

With Cadmus shut down and Wonder Girl insisting he leave Young Justice HQ, Superboy relocated to Metropolis becoming the "super" at a tenement building called Calvin Gardens where a local gang called the Run Riot Boys kept harassing the neighborhood. He also met a young woman named Trixie.

Superboy threw a housewarming party which Wonder Girl attended to find Superboy enamored with Trixie, not realizing her boyfriend, Wipeout, led the Run Riot Gang. Wipeout ordered one of the new members, Cooper, to kill Superboy. Cooper befriended Conner, initially intending to betray him, but could not go through with it when the gang attacked the building. Scavenger also resurfaced but Superboy convinced him to call a truce. Superboy agreed to meet with him at the Ace o' Clubs, but a fight with the Run Riot Gang made him stand Scavenger up and actually involved the tenement block being destroyed in a battle. Superman took Kon-El stay with his parents in Smallville, which he did for some time.

Superboy-Prime

When Young Justice dissolved, Superboy was inducted into the Teen Titans, but began to doubt himself and his abilities after learning that Lex Luthor, not Paul Westfield, was the original donor of his DNA. He retreated back to the Kent farm for longer period of time. Superboy-Prime reappeared on Earth who incited a fight with Kon-El. Superboy was greatly outmatched until he called in some allies who pulled Superboy-Prime into the Speed Force, but not without casualties. Superboy was injured and needed to be taken in for medical treatment. Conner was forced to battle Superboy-Prime again after returning even more powerful with a power-suit. To stop the madman's plan to create a new multiverse, Conner smashed Prime into his own diabolical tower to destroy it. Superboy-Prime survived the assault, but Conner was tragically killed beneath the collapse rubble. Conner was buried in Metropolis beneath a statue commemorating his sacrifice, next to the graves of Kal-L and Lois Kent. A Cult of Conner formed hoping for his return as Superman once did.

Superboy was reanimated in the 30th Century by the Legion of Super-Heroes. Brainiac 5 used the Kryptonian technology that reanimated Superman after he was killed by Doomsday, combined with a lock of Lex Luthor's hair to restore his life in order to help them defeat Superboy-Prime and his new Legion of Super-Villains. Conner later returned to the 21st century along with his friend Impulse.

The Return of Superboy

Returning to live with Martha Kent, who was overjoyed to take the young boy in after her husband's passing, Conner enrolled at Smallville High School and began keeping a journal of everything Superman had done as a costumed hero with checklist titled, What Did Superman Do? He and Bart rejoined the Teen Titans, and Conner symbolized the team being "stacked" again by destroying his memorial statue outside of Titans Tower West.

After visiting Lex Luthor's childhood home in Smallville, Superman arrived to speak with Conner about his desire to understand his "other father". Superman told Conner not to worry about Luthor, taking the burden of the megalomaniac upon himself. Conner returned home and created a similar checklist in his notebook entitled, What Does Lex Luthor Do? Conner checked off, "lies to Superman."

In his attempt to confront his shared legacy, he accepted a date with Wonder Girl. Conflicted between opening his heart to his girlfriend, and deliberately lying to avoid delicate subjects, Conner ultimately chose to share his fears and desires with Cassie; a desire to find himself by exploring both his legacies to define his true self. Cassie was touched, and despite her initial doubts, was compelled to admit her brief bond with Tim Drake. Conner quickly forgave her, considering he was dead at the time.

Blackest Night

The former Guardian, Scar, aligned herself with Nekron and foresaw that Conner would be a servant of the dead.

While visiting the grave of Jonathan Kent, Conner, Clark and Martha were targeted by the Black Lantern Superman and Lois of Earth-Two. While Superman battles Kal-L, Conner encounters the resurrected Psycho-Pirate who manipulated him into attacking Superman. However, Conner managed to come to his senses when Kal-L was on the verge of ripping out Superman's heart. Using his tactile telekinesis, Conner pushed Kal-L away from Superman. Conner quickly removed Psycho-Pirate's Medusa Mask and used its emotional control to attract the black rings from their hosts, reducing them to lifeless corpses once more.

Superboy, along with the few available members of the Teen Titans and Justice League, arrived at Coast City to battle Nekron. Despite being resurrected, Conner's experience with death made him susceptible to the black rings which transformed him into a Black Lantern. He and Superman were used to confront Lex Luthor, who been deputized as an Orange Lantern. The Black Lantern Superboy tried to break the hold of Nekron's influence when he was faced with Wonder Girl, managing to temporarily gain free will, summoning Krypto and explaining his dilemma to Cassie.

The battle moved to the Fortress of Solitude, where Conner's original body was in the rebirth matrix. The ring, confused and confronted with unexpected resistance from Conner, left its host to attach itself to his corpse, but Superboy awoke his super-breath ability to freeze the ring, which Cassie hurled into space.

New Krypton

Conner worked with Mon-El when he filling in for Superman on New Krypton. Together they joined a secret 21st Century incarnation of Legion of Super-Heroes. They traveled to New Krypton to help defeat Brainiac without destroying the bottle cities that would one day join the United Planets and were the future homes of the members of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

War of the Supermen

Superboy, Guardian, Steel, Nightwing, Flamebird and Krypto joined forces to expose and stop General Lane's plans to wipe out the Kryptonians. Conner saved the JLA and Supergirl from Non and Ursa, imprisoning them in the Phantom Zone. Soon after, he and Krypto backed Superman against Zod and his soldiers, but Zod injured Krypto causing Conner to abandon the fight to save his dog. He left the Phantom Zone Projector to Superman, who used it to imprisoned Zod and himself in the Phantom Zone. Superman was later freed by Nightwing.

Titans and Smallville

Static was kidnapped while visiting his hometown of Dakota City, and the Teen Titans headed there to rescue him. Frustrated by the lack of progress the team was having, Beast Boy phoned Cyborg for help. The Justice League member angrily told Beast Boy to handle his own problems, but later rethought his position and contacted Conner and Bart about returning to the Titans. In Dakota, Holocaust easily defeated the Titans until Conner, Bart, and Cyborg arrived to reinforce them. Conner desperately tried to defeat the villain, but Holocaust proved powerful enough to not only absorb almost all of Conner's attacks, but also injure the Kryptonian with his own. Conner and Bart distracted Holocaust long enough for the other Titans to escape, and eventually the combined might of the entire team was able to stop him. On the trip back to San Francisco, Conner wanted to know if Cassie was ignoring him. The two briefly tried to make their relationship work, but Conner decided to leave her.

Conner continued living in Smallville, where her explained to his friend Simon Valentine that if Superboy and Simon were to remain friends, Conner couldn't be seen with him. Conner avoided Lori Luthor, because her family ties, but she eventually discovered his identity after an attack by the Prime Hunters. Conner was also attacked by Parasite and Poison Ivy who wrecked the town, so Conner and Bart conceived an exhibition race between themselves to raise funds. Conner later become a founding member the Supermen of America.

Convergence

Before Zero Hour, Conner's Metropolis was taken by Brainiac and Telos, and placed under a dome, losing his powers for a year. When his powers returned, he fought the Superman, Flash and Red Robin of Earth-22. During the fight, he accidentally injured Lois Lane and threw the fight in recompense.

Fun Facts

Originally, Superboy had no name besides "Superboy". Later, Superman gave him the Kryptonian name "Kon-El", to show that he considered him family. He adopted the secret identity of "Conner Kent", posing as a younger cousin of Clark.

Superboy was also known as Experiment 13 and Project: Superman.

Conner was in love and in a relationship with Wonder Girl. He previously dated Tana Moon.

Conner was best friends with Red Robin and Kid Flash II.

Conner and Supergirl had a close friendship. Kara even considered Conner her "cousin" just as much as Kal-El.

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tobimikesan · 6 years

Text

The Cats' and The Owls' Day Before the Tournament - Haikyuu!! Light Novel Vol. 9: Spring High Inside Story

So I’ve wanted to try doing a proper translation as a practice for quite some time, and I finally made myself work on another chapter. Man, what an experience.

The title is self-explanatory. The story is about the cats’ and the owls’ antics. Translation under the cut.

Toothbrush, towel, I guess I should bring one more T shirt... As Yamamoto Taketora confirms his packed items, the door to his room bursts open. "Not fair, not fair, not fair! I want to stay in a hotel too!" He turns around and his sister Akane is at the corridor with her hands on her hips. "Hey, don't open the door without knocking!" "It's a hotel at the city center, right? It's unfair that only onii-chan will stay there. Unfair onii! Aahhh, I want to stay there too... Luxurious 5 star hotel! Suite room! Bar with a night view!" "Y, you sure barge in with a lot of questions... I'm not staying at such a place, though!" It's true that he won't spend the night at home for the next few nights, but he'll only be staying at a lodging near the venue for Spring High in order to prepare for it. That's it. There's no such thing as a bar with a night view. But his sister doesn't listen and keeps on grumbling, earning a shout from their mom, "Hey, so noisy!", and his sister gets all gloomy. Your brother has a national tournament tomorrow, don't you care about that at all... Taketora is slightly upset and scowls at his sister. "Anyway, what bar are you talking about, you middle schooler. You'll be kicked out straight away." "Hmph, I will be with Alisa-chan, so there shouldn't be a problem." She answers without missing a beat as she enters his room. "Wh, what..." He would love it if she doesn't look around his room as she pleases, but if he words it poorly she'll just say things like, "Is there something that you don't want me to find?” and look around even more, so he doesn't say anything. Lately it seems like his words and his sister doesn't get along well. "Well, if it's Lev's sister I think she'll blend in just fine..." If he scolds her directly, he'll just end up being disliked, so he just halfheartedly replies and shows her the website of a high class hotel. "Alright, but here, look at the reality. This is the cost for a suite room." "Eh, where, where?" ".... 131,652 yen, tax included? What's this, the cost for 1 month?" "Get real! Listen, this is the cost for one night." "Eh!? For one night it's 131,652 yen with tax!? 130,000 yen... How many megaphones can I buy with that..." She makes a girly gesture of covering her mouth with her tiny hand, but the things she wants is weird. Why does she want megaphones? And anyway isn't one megaphone already enough? Well, but Taketora also thinks that in all of Japan his sister would be the middle school girl that suits a megaphone the most. Akane continues stroking her chin. "I could buy a camera too to analyze the opponents’ play... The one with image stabilization..." "Wish for something more middle school girl-like. Why are you like a middle-aged man. See, put your hand away from your chin, put it away!" Akane gasps and her expression changes. "Girl..." she murmurs. Her eyes that looked like those of an old man's just a moment ago glisten, and her hands, one of which was stroking her chin, clasp in front of her as if doing a prayer. "I want to have girls hangout with Alisa-chan in a high class hotel! I want to eat lots of cute, little cakes! It's so unfair that only onii-chan gets to stay there!" "Sh, she suddenly acts like a girl again.... Like I said, the place where we'll be staying is Matatabi Manor! We'll sleep in a large room together like canned sardines, where it'll only cost each of us less than 4,000 yen per night!" "Sardines...? " At Akane's doubtful expression, Yamamoto shows her the website to the hotel Matatabi. "Here" "..... Eh" The aura of Showa era can be felt from the dimly lit picture of the entrance of Matatabi Manor. As she sees that, Akane falls silent and stands up. Without a word, she briskly exits her brother's room. As he faces the door that closes quietly, Taketora murmurs, "At least say something. Your brother feels lonely, you know...”

"Lyovochka ❤️" Haiba Lev who's just about to leave his home stops when someone calls him.

"Hm?" When he turns around, his sister Alisa stands at the entryway while hugging a pillow for God knows what reason. There's no way she only woke up just now, so why, what on earth is she doing, and so he asks. "What's that?" "You won't be staying home tonight, right? Isn't it better if you bring a pillow? People say that you won't be able to sleep if your pillow changes. Right?" His sister pushes the pillow towards him, but he thinks, I don’t need it. There's no way I need it. Why is there a need for me to bring my own pillow!? In the midst of his confusion, he is forced to hold the pillow. "Eh? Wait... Why? Eh!?" "Of course you need our family photo and mug cup as well, right? Hm, what else... Ah, that's right... " She puts the photo down and skillfully places the mug cup on top of the pillow, then she turns and heads into the living room to get some other stuffs. What, what on earth. On top of all these, she plans to bring more. "Wa, wait, nee-chan! I'm not bringing any of these!" "Eh?" Her long hair swings when Alisa stands up and stops. She looks in wonder as she tilts her head and asks, "Why? When you're on a trip, you will feel more at ease if you have stuffs from home with you, right?" "It's not a trip, and I don't need those." "Then at least bring this. Think of it as me... ", as she says that, she holds out a teddy bear. Lev gets crestfallen and his shoulder slumps. "There's no way I could bring such thing. If the senpais found out what will they say... " "Wh, what!" Alisa staggers and powerlessly tumbles down while holding the teddy bear. "To call it 'such thing'... No way... How cruel... To call my dear Misha 'such thing'.... " Looking down at his sister with her trembling shoulders, Lev can't help but thinks, How troublesome. But even if he thinks of that, if he says unnecessary stuffs it will be even more troublesome. If I’m held to stay back any longer than this, I will be late to practice. And if I’m late, I'll get scolded by Yaku-san... "Ah, my bad, my bad! But I really couldn't bring it. Anyway you'll come and see the match tomorrow, right? See you tomorrow, then!" He puts down the things given to him and rushes out. From behind, he heard his sister wails as if it's their last goodbye, "Lyovochkaaaaa!" How troublesome. Lev lets out a deep sigh and heads to school.

Kozume Kenma glances up from his game and asks, "Why are these two already looking so tired..."

Lev and Taketora who barely make it in time for the practice already look as if they have just finished a match. "Shut up, you won't get it, Kenma! Damn you only child" "That’s right! Kenma-san who's an only child won't get it!" Kenma quickly puts some distance from those two who are upset for some reason and turns his head back to his game. "... Not like I want to know," he murmurs as he thinks How troublesome. Just then shouts can be heard from Taketora and Lev, and he knits his brows. "From tonight onward we'll be living the ryokan life. Isn't it great, Lev?" "Yes, Taketora-san. Sleeping out is the best!"

For those two, who competes for the ace title and rivals based on Lev’s one-sided claim, to get along like this is unusual. Could life with sisters be really that tough...

From behind the excited Lev, Yaku Morisuke peeks out.

“You! Are you still complaining even though you have such a beautiful sister? How conceited!” Yaku’s low kick lands squarely in Lev’s shin.

“Ouch!”

“I’m so jealous about Lev’s sister!”

“Wai... It hurts! Yaku-san, you’re not making sense!”

Towards Lev who’s running around the small room, Kai Nobuyuki calmly says, “Lev, unexpectedly you bring a lot of stuffs, huh.”

“Eh, is that so? But it’s only this...”, as he checks his bag while avoiding Yaku, his face pales.

“.... There’s a pillow! Since when!?”

Looking at that, Kuroo Tetsurou bursts out laughing, “Bahahahaha! Lace! It has lace pillowcase!”

“That’s not it! My sister just... Ah, it’s not her! This is my mom’s doing. There’s also a letter from her....” With the laced pillow and letter from his mom in his hands, Lev freezes.

“A laced pillow at the national tournament! Bahahahaha!”

“Wait! Please listen to what I say!”

“Oi, Lev! Your mom is a beauty as well, huh!”

“Ah, that’s right! Once we arrive at the ryokan, let’s have a pillow fight!”

“You guys are so loud...”

Nekoma High School who features flexible and tenacious play style with its setter who acts as the brain at its center. In Interhigh, they managed to last until the Top 8. With the arrival of a 194.5 cm large rookie, could they go further in Spring High? The expectation rises.

Around the same time in Fukuroudani High School gym...

“The first match... It will be in court E, huh? E? .... Court E means... sub-arena?” Bokuto Koutarou flumps cross-legged on the floor as he looks at tomorrow’s schedule. At the same time, he grasps some vague feeling.

“......?”

There’s no way he can actually grasps it with his hand. It’s something that he feels, after all.

When he sees the schedule, some vague feeling starts to loom in his chest, that’s what it feels like. His metaphorical hand quickly grasps it to find out what it is, but he still doesn’t know what it is.

Is it excitement from Spring High which begins tomorrow? Or is it because his physique is off somewhere? Or is it just hunger? ...

Before he could put a name to this slight vague feeling, Konoha Akinori and Sarukui Yamato pop up and take a look at the schedule.

“Sub-arena means it won’t be so noisy, isn’t that great!”

“Eh?” eased by Konoha’s word, his grip is starting to loosen up on the thing he’s been holding.

“Look, there are a lot of people in the main arena, right? Especially on the first day!”

“Eh? Yeah, that’s right!” As Bokuto absentmindedly replies, the metaphorical hand opens completely. Just like a balloon which string has been released from his grip, slowly floating up then disappears, the thing that he tried so hard to grasp is now gone.

If he were to let go of a balloon inside the gymnasium it would surely be stuck on the ceiling, but if it’s a feeling that he lets go then it would just completely disappear.

It was an unease that comes from within Bokuto himself. "Main arena is better...", a childish thing like that. Once he’s caught by such childish thoughts, he even forgets himself.

Somehow, Bokuto himself is not aware of the complexity of how his feeling works, but his teammates are.

Konoha and the others quickly change the conversation topic.

“Anyway, what do you think we’ll have for dinner?”

“Ah, that’s right. Starting tonight we’ll eat at the inn...”

Refreshed that the thing that’s been bothering him is now gone, Bokuto is back to his usual excited self and says, “I wanna eat yakiniku!”

But his teammates are cold.

“If such thing exists I’d want it too.”

“There’s no way we’ll get yakiniku at the inn.”

“We don’t know yet, right?”

“No, it’s obvious!”

“Common sense is important, you know.”

Looking at the senpais who starts bickering while still sitting on the floor, Akaashi Keiji raises his voice, “Practice is starting.”

But his voice goes ignored and Bokuto and the others continue their chat on yakiniku.

“Then let’s just go eat yakiniku first before going to the inn! Problem solved!”

“You sure do things as you please. What are you, a selfish king?”

“When making the inn reservation the dinner would have been included, so you can’t just make changes like that.”

As Akaashi looks at the 3rd years that continue their bickering, he thinks, For Konoha-san and Sarukui-san to ignore it too....

But he doesn’t let it show on his face.

To honestly display one’s displeasure when things do not work out is the trademark of the great ace Bokuto, so he won’t just give up here. This is all still within the range of his expectation.

“.........” Akaashi quietly observes his senpais.

It seems like this yakiniku talk will continue for a while.

The potential held by yakiniku is huge. Yakiniku is like a bundle of possibility. That’s right, this is not a topic that can be ended easily. “Eh, yakiniku? Yakiniku?” the other 3rd years join the conversation. Of course, this is also within his expectation.

As more people gets in the conversation, Bokuto continues to ramble about his theory. “You might say that, but listen! If we eat at the yakiniku place, then eat the meal at the inn, there would be no problem, right?”

“Can you really eat that much?”

“Is your stomach stupid too?”

“That’s why, listen to me!”

Akaashi has already takes into consideration that Bokuto will get heated up, but what he says next is out of his expectation.

“Listen, okay? ‘Meat, meat, rice, meat, meat, rice’, that’s the order when you eat, right? So if you eat the ‘meat, meat’ part at the yakiniku place, then eat the ‘rice’ at the inn, you’ll be able to eat them all, right?”

“..... Wait, I don’t even get what you’re talking about.”

“What kind of mysterious reasoning is that!”

Out of nowhere a figure smoothly approaches the excited 3rd years who are now surrounding Bokuto. It’s their manager, Shirofuku Yukie.

She calmly smiles and says, “I guess I somewhat understand what Bokuto said...”

“.... Seriously?!”

Except for Bokuto, all the guys are taken aback.

Akaashi’s eyes glint, This is it!

Shirofuku-san’s word must have made Bokuto-san feels content. Conversely, the other senpais who are taken aback by her words must now want to end the topic. I have to make use of this distortion.

If I miss this timing, the topic of yakiniku will continue until who knows when. I must end it here...

This thought process takes 0.2 second.

Immediately Akaashi raises his voice to the senpais facing away from him, “Shall we begin practice soon?”

How is it? Is it heard this time?

Behind his poker face, Akaashi explores the possibilities for his next moves and the following ones. He waits for his senpais reaction.

Will they get up....

“Yeaah!” Bokuto slaps his knees. “Let’s eat yakiniku once we’re hungry!”

He got up!

Following Bokuto, the other senpais get up as well.

“Not going.”

“Go eat on your own.”

Following the cold treatment from his teammates, Bokuto shouts, “What! Once we get our energy back, let’s have a pillow fight tonight! Pillow fight!”

“Not doing it.”

“Do it on your own.”

The quarrel about pillow fight is starting to heat up, but this time all the 3rd years have stood up and is entering the court.

I won!

Without anyone noticing, Akaashi’s chest swells with a little sense of achievement as he quickly runs into the court.

Fukuroudani Academy High School with their national top 5 ace who is supported by the regular members who each has his own strength. How far can they go this year in their battle for the championship? One of the factors that affect their fate is the unpredictable mental condition of their ace.

The fated rival Nekoma High School. And the powerhouse Fukuroudani Academy High School.

They have both battled with Karasuno and are affected by them. Once again, they stand in the Spring High stage.

In their rivalry, their opponents are likely better than them. But Karasuno keep on fighting with all their might, and now here they are.

They both know each other’s strength and weaknesses in detail. Would the chance for this two school to battle it out in an official match, separated only by the net, come?

In the first round 40 schools in total will be sent home from the mens and womens side, and almost another 30 on the second round. How far will these 3 teams go? No one knows yet.

*Alisa’s bear is probably a reference to the 1980 Moscow Olympic mascot. Apparently there was an anime about the mascot.

PS. As always, thanks for reading! I’m still quite new to translating, so let me know if you notice any errors.

PPS. Support the official release! Here’s an Amazon link if you’re interested. I know it’s not translated yet, but the best way to get it licensed is to keep requesting it to the publisher (Viz). I’m so happy when I heard Heroaca light novels are getting licensed. We can get Haikyuu to be licensed too!

#haikyuu #hq #haikyuu light novel #hq light novel #translation

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