The Island of Misfit Toys

“Examinee 129, please step forward.”

There was a derisive snicker barely masked by a half-cough to Kaiser’s left. He didn’t turn to see whose it was though he heard his vice-captain huff. She turned her head, no doubt to glare daggers at whoever it was.

Kaiser sighed. Maris had much less patience for the haughty, pretentious, and often patronizing attitudes of many of the Magic Knights and much less restraint in expressing her disapproval of such behavior. He could almost hear her now: You don’t have to raise your hand for every applicant, but you don’t have to be rude and maliciously superior about it.

While Kaiser agreed with her, he did not see the point in expressing his own displeasure, especially at a Magic Knights’ Entrance Exam which he believed merited a certain level of decorum. Besides, a glare from him wasn’t going to change anything. In Kaiser’s opinion, it was much better and more effective to lead by example—show respect to everyone: royal, noble, or commoner.

Kaiser sighed again. It seemed this opinion was grossly unpopular.

As Examinee 129 stepped forward, there were even more condescending sniffs and snorts from both the Magic Knight gallery and the other entrance exam applicants. Maris huffed again, crossing her arms, but she turned towards the examinee and offered him a sympathetic smile. She no doubt recognized him. Kaiser did himself, after all. He was pretty hard to forget: tall, muscular, with unruly, bright red hair, and a beaming smile and most memorable of all, the fact he was a commoner who had participated in over a decade of Magic Knights Entrance Exams.

Kaiser had to admit the man’s fortitude was admirable. No matter how many times he pushed himself to his limit in the entrance exam and stood before the Magic Knight captains only to be rejected, he still returned year after year having improved and grown stronger. Truthfully, this had been his best year yet—the first time he had been won his duel. Kaiser supposed he had had a type advantage which contributed to his victory, but still…a commoner besting a noble at all was practically unheard of and, as far as he knew, a first in the entire history of the Magic Knights.

The examinee should be proud of such an accomplishment, and as he raised his head towards the captains’ gallery and smiled, it appeared he was. Kaiser’s mouth twitched in its corners, a subtle sign of his approval before the examination arena grew silent as they awaited what was likely to be yet another announcement of “no hands.”

Despite Examinee 129’s feat, the truth was he still lacked the magical prowess of the majority of the other applicants, many of whom had already been rejected from the Magic Knights’ selection. Even if Kaiser’s fellow captains hadn’t prejudicially ruled him out simply for being a peasant, they likely would have rejected him anyway for his abilities alone or out of the fear that his potential would eventual plateau far earlier than a knight with a strong, magical pedigree and more training. It was unfair, but the fact of the matter was that a Magic Knight squad simply could not take everyone and no Magic Knight squad had ever taken a commoner. It was too much of a risk. There was no telling if this examinee would even have what it takes to be a Magic Knight.

Kaiser felt a hand gripping his shoulder. He looked up at Maris who was still standing at his side. Tilting her head, she pushed a piece of scraggly, dark hair out of her face and quirked an eyebrow at him. Her blue eyes narrowed, and Kaiser fidgeted, suddenly, and somewhat irrationally, concerned that she could somehow read his mind. He could almost hear her again—countering his reservations: There’s more to being a Magic Knight than just raw power, and he has something no one else here has.

He couldn’t argue with her, especially when she was right. He let out a conciliatory sigh, and Maris’ mouth twitched into a triumphant smirk. Still, he shook his head. Even if this examinee’s heart and fortitude were without equal amongst his peers, it would still be a risk to select him for their squad, and Kaiser was a quiet, humble man. He was not one to take such risks—to rock the boat, to do what had never been done before.

Surely, Maris knew this. Even if she was not like him—was bold, fearless, and unafraid of risks—she had to at least understand that not every risk could be taken. There was something to be said for prudence, for thoughtfulness, for planning.

The expression in his eyes tried to compromise with her. Perhaps, next year after the examinee had trained a little more and become even stronger and Kaiser himself could work up the courage to do something so radical and revolutionary…

His thoughts were abruptly cut off as he felt Maris’ grip tighten on his shoulder. Somehow this gesture said louder than any words: “You know it’s the right thing to do. Raise your hand or I’ll never forgive you.”

Kaiser sighed. He felt her ultimatum was a bit over the top, but she was nothing if not relentless. Her grip tightened even more—her long fingernails digging into his shoulder blade until she finally felt his arm move.

Immediately, the examination arena filled with shocked gasps and appalled whisperings. Even Examinee 129 looked utterly flabbergasted—blinking at Kaiser’s raised hand until the exam moderator eventually, somewhat perplexedly stumbled his way through “The…uh…Purple Orcas?” He didn’t sound sure about that—a fact which seemed to make Maris chuckle or perhaps it was just that she was pleased.

When there was no correction, Kaiser heard a gasp from his left. He knew better than to look at the probably confused and possibly horrified faces of his fellow Magic Knight captains. Instead he met the eyes of Examinee 129. He looked relieved, proud, and grateful beyond words, and when he beamed at him, Kaiser smiled back at him: the first commoner to become a Magic Knight.

At the end of the exam, Kaiser tried his best to quickly and quietly exit the examination arena without drawing too much attention to himself. He was sure the other captains would have a lot to say about his decision to allow a commoner to join the Magic Knights for the very first time ever, but he didn’t care to hear it. There was nothing he could say to help them understand his reasoning anyway. It was a risk—and one that drew far too much attention to himself than the humble Kaiser would have wanted—but with any luck, his new recruit would prove that it was one worth taking. With any luck, he would earn the respect of the other Magic Knights by working hard and honing his magical abilities. Only then they would truly see the errors of their narrow-mindedness.

“Captain Granvorka, sir. I’m Zara Ideale.” His new recruit held out his hand to him. It was jittery, shaking a little whether out of excitement or nervousness, or perhaps both, Kaiser couldn’t be entirely sure, but he shook it with a curt nod. “This is such an honor. Thank you for giving me a chance, sir.”

Zara continued to shake his hand exuberantly. Was he ever going to let go? Kaiser wondered.

He sighed, feeling somewhat sheepish. Humbly he admitted, “You really should be thanking my wife.”

“Oh yes, of course, sir.” Zara nodded enthusiastically, but his brow furrowed in confusion before Kaiser tilted his head towards the somewhat smug Maris.

“She’s also your vice-captain.”

Maris waved, but teasingly corrected, “You should’ve led with that. I’ve been your vice-captain far longer than I’ve been your wife.” She chuckled but turned to shake Zara’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Zara. Welcome aboard.”

“Very excited and honored to be here, Ma’am,” replied Zara shaking Maris’s hand even more exuberantly. “Really, it means so much to me to be given this opportunity to serve and protect my kingdom and to prove myself as a Magic Knight.” Somehow his beaming smile grew even wider. “And to show my boy—my son, Zora—that he can do anything he sets his mind to—doesn’t matter where he’s come from.”

Kaiser’s expression softened, and Maris smiled as she said, “You were really extraordinary out there. I’m sure your son would be proud.”

Kaiser nodded in agreement. “Your magic is impressive. Your fortitude and resilience even more so. I think you’ll be an asset to the Magic Knights.”  

Zara beamed at them and finally released Maris’ hand in order to stand at attention and salute them. “Thank you. I promise I won’t let you down!”

*-*-*

He didn’t let them down—not once. Like with most things, Maris was right. Selecting Zara Ideale for their squad quickly proved a risk worth taking. He worked harder than anyone else in the Purple Orcas. He was always the first to volunteer for any mission, trained longer and harder than anyone, and, as Kaiser had suspected at the entrance exam, showed a resilience unlike anyone else on their squad. Even injuries did not stop him. He begged to be released from the infirmary and let back out into the field with broken ribs, sprained joints, twisted ankles, and even a broken arm—a request that Kaiser had promptly rejected. No matter what happened, he was always laughing, always kept an energetic and positive attitude, and, perhaps, most admirable of all, he was willing to risk his life for anyone in need: comrade or civilian—even the ones who were open in their dislike of him and their disapproval of a commoner Magic Knight.

Kaiser knew there was even such discontent on their squad, as they had, of course, expected. He had immediately and matter-of-factly declared that while he respected the right of his subordinates to disagree with his decision to allow a commoner onto their squad, he would not tolerate any in-fighting, friction, or mistreatment of Zara on account of his background and he expected the Purple Orcas to act respectfully and work together as normal. He liked to think that his squad had agreed due to their own character or willingness to grow as people—failing that, out of respect for him as their captain, at least. If Kaiser had to guess, however, it was most likely Maris’ fervent promise to give the boot to anyone who had a problem with that policy and her accompanying fierce scowls that quieted most of the disagreement.

Still, Kaiser was not stupid. He knew that just because it was quiet, didn’t mean it wasn’t there. Luckily and admirably, Zara never let it bother him and tried his best to earn the respect of his fellow squad members. Kaiser liked to think he had succeeded in that, at least a little. After all, there was no uptick in discontent following the retirement of Maris and her death glares. It made Kaiser hopeful that Zara would continue to win over the Orcas and the rest of the Magic Knight squads, even after Kaiser himself was gone.

Truthfully, he had been considering permanent retirement ever since his daughter was born, but it was only a terrible injury that forced him to realize he was no longer in his prime and to confront his mortality.

“Captain, sir. What are you doing out of bed?”

Zara’s exuberant voice pulled Kaiser out of his thoughts. Whipping around to look at him made his dislocated shoulder ache—made him feel old, useless. He stifled a groan of pain.

“It’s alright. I just wanted some fresh air and quiet time to think.”

“What are you thinking about?” Zara asked as he helped him over to a nearby bench in the hospital courtyard.

Kaiser sighed, but his expression softened affectionately as he said, “My wife and daughter.”

Zara smiled himself and laughed lightly as he dug for something in his pocket. “That reminds me—I have a doll for Billie.” He handed Kaiser a little rag doll—a Magic Knight from the looks of it with a shiny cape and long sage-green hair just like his little girl. Kaiser couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you, Zara. I’m sure she’ll love it, but you really didn’t have to do this.”

“She seemed so upset when she visited you—was really worried and scared,” he explained with a shake of his head. “So I started making her a doll to help distract her. I hadn’t finished it until tonight, but I thought it might help her feel better until you’re all healed up and released. I’m not the most crafty, but my boy, Zora”—he beamed just talking about him—“always liked the doll I made him. It always made him happy or at least made him laugh.”

There was something about the love that Zara had for his son that warmed Kaiser’s heart. He hoped to have that same kind of relationship with his own daughter one day, but…

His face fell and he swallowed hard. He knew he wouldn’t be able to have that if he was never around and was always worrying her by putting himself in harm’s way. And he definitely wouldn’t if he was dead.

“Is something the matter, sir?” asked Zara, and Kaiser sighed heavily. He considered shrugging the whole matter off, but then he remembered how no one had been more excited at Kaiser’s announcement that had become a father than Zara, how Zara always asked after his dear little Wilhelmina or “Billie” as her mother had so affectionately nicknamed her, and how Zara always said that being a father was a greatest gift life had to offer. Surely, he of all people would understand why Kaiser wanted to leave the Magic Knights to spend time with his little girl and be a part of her childhood.

“I think it might be time for me to retire,” he admitted matter-of-factly as his injured shoulder throbbed with pain despite Dr. Owen’s best efforts to put him back together again. “You’re not as spry as you used to be, Kaiser,” he had warned him. “Be careful out there.”

“Because of your injury?” asked Zara, pulling him out of his thoughts. “I thought Dr. Owen said you’d recover.”

“This time,” mumbled Kaiser with a somewhat imbittered nod.

After a pause, he let out a long breath. “It’s selfish,” he admitted, almost guiltily. “But I want to see my little girl grow up.”

Kaiser fidgeted, but something in Zara’s face brought him pause. His expression was so kind—so understanding as he smiled at him.

“That’s noble too,” he said as he leaned back on his hands and glanced up at the starry night sky. “I mean, I love being a Magic Knight—it’s my dream, always has been, but my son”—his voice trailed, grew wistful—“he is the greatest joy of my life and there is nothing better in this world than getting to be his dad.” He beamed but shifted, scratching the back of his neck with a laugh. “I’m not a perfect father, by any means, but all we can do is try our best to be the dads our kids deserve right? And while I might have a lot of regrets about a lot of things, I don’t regret one second I got to spend with him.”

Zara paused and turned to look Kaiser square in the face, right in the eyes. “That time is precious, and I can’t imagine a greater tragedy than a parent who doesn’t get to see their child grow up.”

A bittersweet smile tugged at Kaiser’s lips as he looked away to stare down at the doll Zara had thoughtfully made for his daughter. As strange as it was, he felt relieved—thankful, somehow, to have permission to do what he knew was the right thing even if it was a risk. So it always seemed to be in his life—he needed someone else there, Maris or Zara, to give him that final push in the right direction.

“Thank you,” he said with a nod, thankful for the what had to be the hundredth time that he had taken that risk and let Zara onto his squad—that Zara Ideale, one of the greatest men he had ever had the pleasure to know, was the first commoner ever to become a Magic Knight. He didn’t quite have to the words to say it, but he hoped that he knew that and knew how much his encouragement meant to him.

Whether he did or not, Kaiser couldn’t be sure because, per usual, Zara merely laughed and smiled at him—patting his shoulder, though thankfully his non-injured one. However, there was something almost bittersweet in his voice when he said, “We’re really gonna miss you, Captain.”

*-*-*

After Kaiser’s retirement, Zara kept in touch through letters. Kaiser appreciated the chance to get to hear how his former squad member was doing, even though most of his letters consisted of stories about his son, Zora, and how proud he was of him. Kaiser couldn’t complain. After all, he spent a majority of his letters writing about own wife and daughter, the prides and joys of his life. He never regretted his decision to retire—to spend more time with them, to be a part Billie’s childhood and watch her grow.

Well…never regretted it except once. When a final letter came—not from Zara but from an old comrade from the Purple Orcas, someone brave enough to tell him the truth.

He had been sitting in the garden watching Billie try to water the flowers with little gusts of rainclouds made by her magic, when Maris ran out with a letter clutched in her fist. The tears in her eyes made him assume the worst, but even then he was unprepared—could never have imagined something so cruel, so heartless from the squad he would have given his life to protect.

“It’s not your fault,” Maris insisted.

“Isn’t it?” Kaiser’s eyes burned as he stared at the letter, at the words too painful to read. “I put him on that squad. I knew what they’d think of him.”

“You couldn’t have known they’d kill him,” she interrupted, more forcefully than Kaiser would have liked. “And those men that did—they weren’t ours. They were new recruits, after our time. You would’ve never let them be Orcas.”

“Exactly.” His voice was cold, matter-of-fact. It didn’t feel like his. “I left—I left him there knowing what the Magic Knights were like—how little they thought of commoners. I thought he could earn their respect…but they killed him.” His voice hitched. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. “And it’s my fault. I was selfish—I wasn’t there to protect him.”

Maris let out a long shaky breath. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook her head. “Then it’s both our faults. We knew it was a risk but still, we let him onto our squad—made him the first commoner to ever become a Magic Knight. And then we just left him there like a lamb to the slaughter.”

Despite her biting delivery, the final words got garbled in the back of her throat. He knew she felt far more guilty than angry.  

Abruptly, Kaiser turned away. The old injury in his shoulder ached, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t look at her. Couldn’t stand the sight of her in pain.

Instead, he looked up at the sky. The dark swirling rainclouds Billie had made suddenly felt appropriate.

Something panged in his chest at the thought of his Billie, his dear little girl. He looked over at his daughter—blissfully unaware, still laughing as she skipped around the garden. His eyes caught sight of her favorite doll, a handmade gift from a dear old friend who had tenderly crafted this toy for a little girl scared to death of losing her papa.

Something cold, wet, and unwanted trickled down his cheek as he thought of that poor young boy all alone out there in the world who had just lost his beloved papa forever.

He couldn’t stop the tears as he remembered Zara’s words clear, as the day he had said them: I can’t imagine a greater tragedy than a parent who doesn’t get to see their child grow up.

Thanks to Zara, Kaiser would get to see his child grow up—to change, age, maybe even become a Magic Knight herself, but thanks to him, Zara never would.

The first commoner to become a Magic Knight would never come home.

Her nickname "Billie" was given to her by her mother. It is still used with affection by her parents and by her childhood friends, David and Lorelei (OC) Swallow. Most of her squad mates, however, call her Wilhelmina.

Like her father, she has a gift for mana sensing and magic control. She inherited her father's hair and eye color, but she also takes after her mother, Maris, who was a magic knight vice-captain and very powerful in her own right. Kaiser and Maris struggled to have children and had almost given up when Wilhelmina was finally born. Her birth prompted them to retire from the magic knights to raise her. As their only child, she was doted on but never spoiled. She is close with her parents who were very involved in her life and upbringing.

With a magic knight captain and vice-captain for parents, Billie had a lot of raw magical ability and talent. Both of her parents trained her to take control of her hurricane magic, and she has always wanted to follow in their footsteps and become a magic knight.

Though her parents never set unrealistic expectations for her, Billie often felt the pressures of being a "Granvorka" from other nobles, particularly the magic knights. Being the daughter of one of the most respected, now-retired Magic Knight Captains always weighed on her heavily and gave her an intense desire to prove herself--both that she could live up to her family's legacy and also showcase her own power and abilities.

Though the Golden Dawn was a relatively new squad at the time, she chose to join it because she felt it would best help her reach her goals and prove herself and also because she felt Captain Vangeance truly believed in her and actually wanted her for her own abilities not just because she was Kaiser Granvorka's daughter.

She participated in the same entrance exams as Klaus Lunettes and actually faced off against him in the dueling portion of the exam. After a grueling battle, she ultimately beat him by pulling the steel lances he had made into her hurricane, flinging them back at him, and pinning him to the wall with his own weapons. This set them off on the wrong foot even after Captain Vangeance selected them both for his squad.

As the two newest members of the Golden Dawn, she and Klaus are particularly competitive with one another and he is usually cold and standoffish to her given that he felt she humiliated him at the Magic Knights Entrance Exam. However, after many careful observations of her training and sparring sessions, he eventually develops a strategy to best her during a sparring-training session.

Eventually, she and Klaus grow to understand each other, connect over a mutual love of reading, and become friends. They drift apart after things go horribly wrong on a joint-mission but (secretly) remain very loyal to each other.

Hamon Caseus was assigned to be her and Klaus' "babysitter" when they first joined the squad (in a similar way to how Klaus eventually became "babysitter" to Yuno & Mimosa when they joined years later). He always invited them to have tea after their training sessions. Hamon eventually becomes like an older brother to her along with their (pre-series) Vice Captain, Ronan (Ren) Conglaciare (OC), but Langris Vaude (their "backup babysitter") will always feel kind of like her babysitter.

She has known David Swallow since childhood and still thinks he is a moron. He may be her friend, but she is not above sharing his battle weak spots with Letoile to help her best him during their squad's training sessions.

Though her favorite hobbies generally involve her training her magic, she is surprisingly crafty. When she was young, she and Lorelei Swallow (OC) (who was like a big sister to her) always worked on crafts, particularly knitting projects, together. She does not have a lot of time for it these days, but it is still relaxing for her.

She loves tea and collects different blends. She doesn't have a lot of personal effects in her room at the Golden Dawn base, but she does have a porcelain tea set which was given to her by her parents.