❃ Ｑｕａｌｉａ

     “Your… parents?” Klaus’s expression withered at those words, uncertainty falling over him. After all the stories Coda had told of how they mistreated him… still his heart ached to know what they felt? His brow creased, and he desperately wracked his brain to understand just what the boy was feeling in that moment. What was he to say to that? Cruel parents were something he had the privilege of never having to bear, so did he truly have any place to speak on that matter? Could he possibly find the words Coda needed to hear?

     Perhaps not, but… he had to. Both as his friend and someone who dearly wanted to help him. Time and time he had come to Klaus for support, and he refused to fail him now.

     “…Although I could never quite understand what things must have been like for you there, I do believe that they would miss you. But… not for the right reasons. I can only imagine selfishness from those parents you told of.” He carefully selected each word he spoke, his voice slow and soft. The only thing he could do with certainty was place a hand on Coda’s shoulder, his fingers flexing in a gentle squeeze. “If you wish for my opinion, please try not to spare them your thoughts. I know well the pain of being torn from your place in life, but those people are not the ones who deserve an ounce of your heartache.”

      Every word from Klaus was so sweet yet so sad it was hard to believe he was the infamous traitor. But perhaps his role as an unwilling traitor only made the sadness lacing his words even more depressing. Coda had propped himself up on his arms but surrendered to letting his head plop down where they sat together. Truthfully he really wanted to lean on Klaus but he wasn’t sure if that too personal or not. Better safe than sorry.

      “...Yeah, you’re right,” Coda mumbled in resignation. He knew his parent’s behavior well enough by now to venture a guess into their reactions. Probably wondering where he is so they have someone to yell at and scold. They scolded Jennette forever, and once she walked out their negativity, formerly split between them, was thrown at him full force. Coda could only imagine them screaming at each other instead.

      Still, as much as Coda wanted to know there was.... some genuine worry for his well being, he tried to push it from his thoughts. Turning his head to gaze up at Klaus Coda tried to offer a different change of pace. He could use this as an opportunity to get to know the apparent traitor king. Coda was certain Klaus was a kind hearted individual, but he couldn’t deny wanting to dig deeper purely due to how astonishing it was that he kickstarted the Second Angel War.

She watched idly, ascertaining her little mannerisms; the fidgeting, the flushed cheeks. Hilda waited for her to compose herself out of politeness that she hadn’t needed to use prior to joining the Tuning Knights. No one would have cared either way before then, anyway - the Witch of Destruction was still a title that bore down heavily upon her. Thankfully, she wasn’t alone in bearing it. Her family kept her grounded in such. She’d hoped for a speedier introduction than this being a woman who liked to get to the point; but it seemed her short trip might take a bit longer.

“Correct. Tomoko is it? My name is -  “ How quickly this girl’s emotions did change. The somber feeling left something twisting slightly in her stomach. 

“Why such a long face? Has she taken ill? She just visited the capital recently, but it seems something is amiss here. You speak as if…” She halted, looking around. 

It didn’t seem too different but one thing struck her as apparent.

The merchandise was gone. 

Sakuya as the Head Priestess and ‘living god’ of Amatsu had propaganda in droves while Hilda had ever had torches, weaponry and wanted posters for her name. It was always a subject of irony among them and their strange but eventual friendship. The fact that they’d bonded at all made her often question the Priestess’ sanity, but Hilda was secretly thankful for the contact. The young Witches of the present were highly skilled, and she cared more than just leading them in song with the Celestial Hymn prior to the end of the War. 

“Lady would imply the title of the Head Priestess of Amatsu, if I remember correctly. You speak as if you are the next Fire Witch. That simply isn’t possible. Let me be more direct: You speak as if Sakuya has died when she visited my family and I months ago. “ Perhaps her golden gaze was more piercing than the poor girl should face, but if she was off the mark then something far worse than lost merchandise was at stake. Something insidious.

She’d need to alert Alto and the others of this upon her return. But her time here might be a bit longer than even she had calculated. How ironic.

      She... she visited the capital recently? No... No, that was impossible. Unless the dead were were walking among the living again, which Tomoko desperately hoped would never happen. If she had to meet Sakuya in the flesh, be that flesh decaying or not, Tomoko might actually start sobbing.

      Perplexed, Tomoko glanced over her shoulder to the woman with a raised eyebrow. But her curious look was met with daggers staring back at her. She would have been startled were it not for how truly odd it was. A minute ago Tomoko had been apologizing and stumbling over her words but something about Sakuya suddenly bothered this woman. But Tomoko couldn’t place what since she clearly came here to visit Sakuya’s Site. Tons of people came! Very often, too, no less! 

      Canting her head in confusion Tomoko turned back around to the woman. One hand instinctively reached up to clutch her braid and nervously twirl it around her fingers. So not only did this woman come to see Sakuya’s Site but she’s been unaware of her death for.... three hundred years. 

      “Um.... Yes,” Tomoko began, her hand now tightly wrapped around her braid. “Lady Sakuya’s been gone for three hundred years. Y’know, the whole... Second Angel War thing? That legend?”

      Tomoko unconsciously started glancing around the area for any familiar sign of Yuichi. Not that she suspected this woman of being crazy or anything but, uh, in case something did escalate she wanted him there. He had to be. He promised he would be. All Tomoko’s magic was good for was support and summoning familiars. that was barely enough to defend herself.

      Well that was…. Okay. She had a point. If this really was the future, things would be a lot different than they were in the past. Alto frowned as she handed his sword back towards him. Reluctantly, he took it back staring at the sheathe for a moment in thought. It really was nice of her to lend her support, even if all Alto did was help her out of a scrape. He didn’t really understand her situation, but it must be important if she was all the way out here. 

      Either way, there was a lot at work here neither of them understood. Sticking together never was a bad idea. But wait… What was that reaction? She really must know about Callia if she’s making that sort of expression. At the same time, Alto felt his heart clench in his chest. Time witch… so she was Hilda’s successor then? 

      His heart hurt. Just thinking about her made his chest ache. Was she okay back home? Technically he had broken his promise… Alto didn’t exactly know the mechanics of something like time travel, but all he could really hope for is she was safe wherever she was. He would hold onto that thought instead of dwelling on the inevitable for now. Instead, Alto forced himself to focus on Tomoko’s words instead.

      “I guess that makes sense… I don’t actually know a whole lot about time witch stuff myself.” Alto cupped his chin in thought. Hilda usually would tease him about asking stuff like ‘Alto don’t you know its rude to ask a girl something like that?’ so… it wasn’t like he really wanted to pry into her business. The “bad things” though did have Alto giving her a concerned look. Was it just in normal with time witches and causing problems…? Alto guessed he never would really know.

      “If it’s not to much trouble, if she knows anything it’d be a really big help… but hey, don’t say that! You’ve been a big help already!” Even if it was minor, just having some information made him feel less lost. That was worth it enough to Alto. Either way, he guessed it was a start. Better than wandering aimlessly in the woods with wolves hanging around. He finally took his sword and wrapped it back securely around his waist.

       Her words surprised him a little, especially after he insisted she didn’t have to involve herself. Really, he couldn’t help but smile. It was reassuring at least to know someone was willing to help him out. It made him miss Lisette, miss his home where all his friends were but… if Tomoko was the one he met way out here, he was glad it was her. Even if she was sort of self-depreciating her role.

       “Well, thanks Tomoko. I really do appreciate it. I promise I’ll help you out too with whatever you need.” Alto gently raised a fist out of reassurance. Well, until he lowered it with an unsure expression, “Er– well, where exactly were you heading then?”

        “Man, me either! The time qualia is so weird!” Tomoko huffed but she was still smiling through her indignant tone. “You ever see ‘em warp around? Well, if y’know Hilda, you probably do but like--!! Callia jus’ straight up warps into the shrine! Past all the guards an’ staff!” Tomoko giggled, trying to cover her mouth. “Magics just so weird! Hahah!”

      Tomoko inhaled sharply and planted her hands on her hips, shaking her head briefly. “But... Callia’s so talented at it. She’s supposedly tapped into the extent of the qualia’s power and abilities.” There was a fond smile splaying over her lips before it disappeared into a frown. “She’s also been messin’ with time a lot... so if you’re suddenly here, Alto, it might have something to do with her.... Haaah,” Tomoko let out a sigh and dropped her arms to her side. “I just hope she’s in Fahrenheit.”

      It would be a real pain to travel through all that snow only to find the Queen disappeared again, off to rend another village to a wasteland. She wanted to help Alto out as best as she could, and she would rather not camp out in Fahrenheit until Callia returned. Sleepovers at Fahrenheit were always terrifying, mainly because of Vasilia. The last thing Tomoko wanted to do was wake up to a halberd pointed at her. Please, anything but that. She was confidant Callia wouldn’t let anything harm her but... she wasn’t confidant in Vasilia holding back.

      All that aside, it was important to get his situation sorted out. They just had to avoid going to Amatsu, hopefully Alto would be fine with that. The upside about camping out in Fahrenheit was at least nobody could touch her there. The downside being she hated the cold more than anything. 

      Tomoko grinned and reached her own fist out to bump gently against his. “No problem, man! We’re buds now!”

      ....Wait, was that too forward of her? Suddenly she felt a lot more self conscious.

       Despite sharing the same name as Bianca’s store, it definitely was different. When he saw the name his heart practically leaped in his chest. Was this what it should’ve been like if he woke up as Elcrest, remembering all these things from mere titles alone? Nah, no use in dwelling on that. He’s just getting worked up over nothing. He hadn’t even realized the person at the counter spoke to him.

       Wait, how old was this kid? Did Bianca really hire kids this young? Er– wait Bianca probably wasn’t around either… and then again she could be just as greedy as Ewan anyway.

       “Oh, uh, sorry… I wasn’t really looking for anything specific.” Alto confessed, scratching behind his head, “I just knew a friend who, uh, started this shop so it brought back some memories that’s all…” But… If he’s here…

       “Actually, do you guys still sell hunting knives?” What? If he’s here, might as well ask!

        Just browsing then? That was less of a hassle, hopefully he wouldn’t be here for too long. Coda nodded once and was ready to stare into space again until the customer spoke again. But what he said piqued Coda’s interest.

      He knew the original owner? Boss always told him it was named after the real Bianca, but that was 300 years ago. During the Second Angel War. This guy had to be pulling his leg, there was no way he knew the real Bianca!

      “....Huh,” Coda answered dumbly, ever so slowly turning his head to stare at the boy. Once he realized he was staring he shook his head rapidly and raised his hands. “I-I mean, uh, that’s cool. I thought the real Bianca passed away, but...like.... Um--!! Yes, we have hunting knives in that corner right there!” He said and pointed off to a far corner on the opposite wall.

      “--Do you think they miss me? My parents, I mean.”

      Coda didn’t quite understand time shenanigans, or how he traveled back 300 years in the first place, but Klaus had been the most receptive to his troubles so far. Coda had never expected to be talking to anyone from that era, let alone be comforted by someone practically older than time, but... nonetheless he was thankful for Klaus lending an ear.

My. The girl, who undoubtedly with her apparel made her question quite a few things, had the Time Witch arching a brow. “Hush.” The words caused a few listeners to stare in disbelief at her blunt yet surprisingly calm tone, laced with an odd gentility. “You haven’t offended me whatsoever. You are not the first by far of many who question whether my clothing is adequate for my health. Perhaps I’ll seek one of the shops. No harm is done. Although your clothing lends itself a new question - it reminds me of an ally. “ Hilda dare not call her friend, finding herself still battling with whether she was worthy or not of such. Even if Sakuya treated her with more kindness than she felt deserved. 

“I was merely visiting Amatsu from Lambert - I meant to visit said ally I mentioned. Priestess Sakuya. I assume you are one of the priestesses within this vast lordship. “ She gestured with a finger, looking briefly amused. “Admittedly I’m told white suits me better, but old habits die hard. Could you gain me an audience, perhaps?”

“…I’m curious to know your name, as well.”

      Tomoko didn’t know if it was better or worse that the woman wasn’t upset. On one hand she didn’t have anything to worry about and could try to relax. But on the other hand, she made a complete fool of herself. Not just herself, but the priestess name. Tomoko had an image to maintain and here she was ruining it with every word. Okay, breathe, she could recover from this. She had to.

      First she peeked out from under bangs then gradually stood back up as the woman continued. Her clothing reminded her of someone too? Funny how they had that in common. Tomoko knew her clothing style was similar to most of the residents of Amatsu (or aspects of it, really, nobody could imitate the fire qualia perfectly) and if this woman was from Fahrenheit maybe that clothing was normal there. Callia was another victim to the qualia’s magical designs but maybe her first idea was right and this woman was a follower of her. Although... that wasn’t really a good thing to be in this day and age....

      But as she spoke she rendered Tomoko’s first idea obsolete, while at the same time perking her curiosity. “You’re from Lambert? I’ve never been there before. That’s where the Queen liv--”

                                                      S a k u y a.

      ...Oh. This happened now and again. People would come to pray to Lady Sakuya’s site. Which was...fine, she guessed, less people she would have to deal with. Tomoko’s former anxious tone melted into something more quiet and composed as she nodded slowly, averting her eyes.

@stellarwiitches

“Hey– this is, uh, Bianca’s right?” Guess her name really did go far if she managed to keep it for this long. Color him impressed if he weren’t bummed about it.

      Coda was so excited that Boss was letting him off early today! Something about expecting a fragile delivery and he didn’t want Coda there to screw things up, but that was just fine with him! Sure he would have to go home to his parents but he could hide upstairs and take a nap instead of listen to them. 

      So admittedly he was in a bit of a daze when the usual flow of customers ceased altogether. One elbow on the counter to prop his head up Coda was staring off into space when the door chimed. He half expected Boss but instead it was someone about his age.

      Ah, hell, now he had to talk and act like he cared. Ten minutes before his shift ended! Just his luck.

She was surprised during her brief interim in Amatsu, places she had laid siege to in the past now being an open field for her to explore once things had finally been put to rest. A thousand year rest for an immortal witch who finally had let her clock begin to tick. 

“…” Hilda was briefly surprised to be spoken to, as some still gave her mistrustful glares, but she was not hurt by them - if anything she accepted the hatred or distrust as ever despite being part of the Tuning Knights as one of its leading figures. 

“My..clothing? I see. Rather courteous of you to ask, but I don’t grow cold easily. Besides, the natural heat of your country is somewhat refreshing on the skin. “ Her lips had their internal struggle of remembering how to smile. “I appreciate the concern, however you ought to keep it for yourself.”

      Tomoko nodded along in reply as she listened to the response, mainly out of habit. She had grown accustomed to nodding along with whatever the shrine staff explained to her (even though at the time she zoned out). It wasn’t until the woman finished off with ‘you ought to keep it for yourself’ that Tomoko realized just how rude her prior question was.

      “Oh, no, I-- Shoot I didn’t-!!” Take a minute to inhale, moving on, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean anything weird by it, I just-- my friend wears somethin’ like you do an’ she gets cold so I guess i just- Oh, heck, that makes it weirder, I--!”

      “D’you, like... need a coat or somethin’, Miss?”

      She didn’t mean to stare, honestly, Tomoko was simply... baffled by the woman’s choice of attire. It reminded her of the current Queen of Hildegaria so maybe this woman was a fan or follower of her? Hard to say but Tomoko was certainly concerned. Sure that scarf was long but it didn’t cover the rest of her body!

    The way she talked all sounded completely impossible… but Alto had seen the impossible with his own two eyes. Hell, he lived through the impossible. Becoming someone entirely new from the past, defeating and “tuning” God, awakening to a power beyond him after 1000 years… why was this the one thing that was so hard to believe? Maybe it was the fact it was different from his awakening with Elcrest. 

     Everything had been so normal up until the point he met Tomoko. It wasn’t her fault for any of this… but at the same time Alto wasn’t sure how he could wrap his brain around it all. Instead of dwelling on it too much, Alto decided to do what was within his own power. That was merely to just listen to Tomoko’s explanation and piece together this already confusing mess. 

     While her memory on the “second angel war” subject didn’t help much, it did give him a relative idea. That was, at least, until he heard the time stamp she gave. 

    His blood ran cold at that. Two hundred years? His mind swam at that. He couldn’t mask the sheer look of terror that crossed over his face. Did that mean everyone was… everyone… He felt his chest well up in that moment of despair, but he forced it down into the pit his stomach had become. Tomoko did at least explain why the name ”Alto” wasn’t familiar to her; she just didn’t remember it. 

    Not that him saying his name would change anything… she probably would just think he was named after him and not that said “Hero” himself.

   “Popo…. Lisette… Mordimort… That’s their names.” Alto found himself idly correcting her on that, though his words felt hollow. They were all gone, weren’t they? Not just them but even Hilda too. Everyone he knew from his era was completely erased, only mere stories by this point. This really had to be some bad dream he just couldn’t wake up from. His legs felt like jelly, but he refused to fall to them.

    There had to be something he could do! Some reason for being placed in this future… maybe Doctor Veronica was still alive? Or Marie…? There had to be once person from the past still here, right? That was what Alto was going to tell himself. At least, until he plucked some answers for himself. Tomoko’s next words, however, caught him off guard. While it was true he saved her, he was surprised she didn’t mind him tagging along if she was running away from something.

    “Are you sure…? Weren’t you on the run in the first place? I wouldn’t want to jeopardize your safety either.” Alto couldn’t help, but ask that. While it would be nice to travel with someone who had a semblance of an idea of what the hell was going on, he didn’t want to put her at risk either. Something else tickled at the back of his thoughts too. Would Tomoko even really believe him if he came out and said he was from the past itself? Well, she already probably thought he was crazy. Lying to her about that wouldn’t help things either.

    “Who’s this Callia person then? Is she another witch? If she knows about the past, then maybe I should talk to her…” Alto ended letting that slip out loud, but there wasn’t much point in covering it up, “…It’s not that I can’t remember anything, it’s that I don’t know this place at all, Tomoko. I think something must’ve happened to send me all the way out here in the first place. While I’d appreciate any help understanding what’s going on, I don’t want to involve you in more than your own problems.”

      Popo, Lisette, and Mordimort? So then Alto knew about the second angel war! ... Wait, what? Back up a moment. Tomoko just had to explain, albeit terribly, the details of the second war. Alto didn’t know anything about that. Why did he remember the names of the past witches? This whole thing was fishy no matter how one looked at it. Tomoko should’ve been extremely wary considering the circumstances. She was alone in the woods with someone who didn’t know any current facts (sort of?) that could easily over power her even without a sword. 

      Despite the oddity of it all, Tomoko was mainly puzzled by the absurdity than worried for her safety. There was something about Alto, his reactions felt genuine. Tomoko knew when people were being fake around her, when all they wanted was the priestess’s affection and attention. Alto was different from that. Perhaps there was more to this situation than she knew. One thing was for certain: she wanted to help.

      Tomoko shrugged a shoulder. “Well, think about it like this. Y’don’t really remember most of the details surrounding the angel war. Whatcha gonna do when you walk into town and don’t recognize anythin’ or know where you’re goin’? Someone asks you a question and you can’t answer it.” She then smiled, offering Alto’s sword back at him with the hilt extended. “I don’t think you’d be jeopardizing my safety. You’ve already proven you’re capable of defending yourself. I do a lotta moving around but if you stick with us for a little while we can help you understand the situation better.”

      Her smile disappeared when Alto asked for more information on Callia. Tomoko wasn’t frowning though. Rather she looked embarrassed and rubbed the back of her neck, shifting around in place. If Alto really stared he would be able to see a tinge of a blush. “E-Err... Yeah, I know Callia. Well, everyone knows Callia. But- Like-- uhm..”

      “She’s the Time Witch an’ Hildegaria’s Queen so I guess I jus’... figured with all this history stuff it’d apply to her. But, uh, point is she’s been doin’ a lotta bad things lately. Kinda worried about her... Though I kinda have a feelin’ if you really wanted t’see her I... could arrange that... She an’ I are on good enough terms that we could walk up t’Fahrenheit and see her, no questions asked. She’d probably be a lot more useful than me...”

       Cough. Tomoko straightened up and rubbed her nose with her long white sleeve. Moving on from her technically-enemy-yet-still-friend, they had bigger things to worry about. Like Alto and this strange memory business. It was sweet that he didn’t want to involve her but Tomoko figured there was no going back now. She would feel awful leaving him without any answers. Admittedly she didn’t know how to approach this situation if Alto didn’t know anything about this. It wasn’t everyday she ran into someone with a this problem. Tomoko wasn’t sure she entirely understood what he meant by not knowing anything versus can’t remembering. Yet he knew the past witches names.

      Pursing her lips, Tomoko rested her cheek in one hand as she thought this over. She hated to say it but... Maybe seeing Callia would be a good idea. Off the top of her head, if there was anyone who could tell her about time shenanigans it was the Time Witch. Heck, Callia even played with time and warped into the shrine to check on her before. Even a simple clue might be able to help. If not Callia, her next guess would be to check with the other witches. Them or the knight squad. Alto looked like a knight, they might be able to help him.

      Tomoko picked her head up and nodded while pounding her fist into her palm. “Alright, I’ve decided. I’m gonna help you whether you like it or not, Alto! I’ve got nothin’ better t’do and I can’t jus’ leave you alone in the woods! I'mma shitty priestess, but I’m not shitty enough to turn down someone who needs help.”

      Klaus knew full well that he was out of line with his reaction, but still he hadn’t expected to be laughed at. He could feel heat rising to his cheeks, and no matter how strong he was, he had no choice but to sheepishly glance away. “Cute..?” His voice was hardly above a whisper as he uttered the word, bewildered that his humiliating behavior could be perceived in such a way. Lord, he couldn’t remember the last time he had embarrassed himself this badly…

      The spell of fluster was broken when he felt something drop onto his lap, and he quickly glanced down to investigate. What he saw shocked him, not having expected the girl to take initiative and give him the pastry while his attention was elsewhere. He supposed there was no helping it now, and he took the Moon of Amatsu into his hands and quietly inspected it, though he listened to her words all the while. “I see… I suppose that makes sense, although your acquirement of the recipe is still quite baffling. However, as grateful as I am for your offer, I will have to pass for the time being. I still have much work to do in refining my baking skills past the basics… but, perhaps at a later date, if the offer still stands?”

     With that said Klaus took a small bite of the pastry, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. He most certainly received the absolute best from it, however, more so than he had expected. The Moon of Amatsu had the same taste he knew and loved so much, but there was something more to it. He knew immediately that it must have been baked with more loved than the commercialized ones he had at Kaochan, and it reminded him all too fondly of the ones Kaede had made for him long ago.

      Before he knew it, Klaus found himself lost in thought as he savored the divine taste. It was only when an introduction came that he looked back up at the girl with a start, pastry still hanging loosely in his hands. “Ah! Yes, how rude of me… I am Klaus. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Tsuru.” He took a moment to wipe the crumbs from his mouth with his napkin, and then set it and the half-eaten Moon back on his lap. “I must say, you most certainly have remarkable talent if you made this yourself. It tastes absolutely splendid.”

      Baffling? Oh, right, Moon of Amatsu’s were supposed to be rare outside the shrine. The fact that were rare was weird to her, she couldn’t understand what was so special about a pastry. But for now she would leave it at that with a little shrug. “Guess I’m lucky,” she mumbled, taking another bite. Her legs swung back and forth as she made short work of her treat. Even if Tomoko wasn’t keen on sweets, the Moon of Amatsu was still tasty. Although she suspected there was a mite too much sugar. Note to self, less sugar next batch.

      She finished her Moon of Amatsu just as he rejected her proposal. If his baking skills weren’t up to par the whole point of lessons was to improve them. Oh well, she wasn’t going to pry. Besides, according to Yuichi Tomoko could get aggressive in the kitchen... Might not be a good idea to let Klaus see that.

      “If you can catch me, yeah,” Tomoko grinned, leaning forward to get a better look at him with her hand son either side of her knees. “I do a lotta moving around so hey, maybe next time I see ya I can give y’that baking lesson.”

      “Nice t’meetcha, Klaus! Y’know that sounds kinda familiar but I can’t really put my finger on it... I guess it’s popular.” Certainly wasn’t anyone in Amatsu with that name. Tomoko could’ve sworn she read it in a book... Perhaps Klaus was the name of a successful protagonist. That had to be it. More importantly she was just happy she met someone who was willing to have a normal conversation with her. It felt so nice to sit back and talk without worrying about Priestess junk getting in the way.

      To think in all his time Klaus had gone from King of Regnant, to Grand Master of the Regnant Knights, to… no more than a simple deliveryman. It was absolutely inconceivable, but he supposed these days he had to be grateful for any errand he was given, no matter how minuscule. It wasn’t often that he was trusted with any sort of work, even though he technically still qualified as a knight, despite his vague prisoner status. It was a messy situation no doubt, and he should be happy to be able to help out in any way he can, no matter how infrequent, but… No matter what, these kinds of chores always left a bad taste in his mouth.

      Putting aside his despondent expression, he entered Bianca’s Armory with a bit of reluctance. At least no knights were sent with me as an escort this time… I should appreciate this semblance of freedom, no matter how faint. He told himself as he stepped inside, eyes trailing off to gander at the wares on display tonight. It only felt natural to browse, but alas that wasn’t what he was here for.

      “Good evening,” He responded politely, returning the boy’s smile with one of his own, although it was about the same degree of genuine as the shopkeeper’s. As forced as his friendliness was in this unfortunate situation, it would be improper of him to forgo his usual charisma. “A quiet night, isn’t it? It was refreshing to pass through the streets with little commotion… I imagine it has been much the same here in the shop? My apologies for intruding, if so. I should not take long.”

      Rather than wasting time idly browsing the store for any longer, Klaus walked straight over to the counter, his smile still present. “I am here to pick up an order from the Regnant Knights. Weaponry, armor, polish, medicine… I believe it should be in the back awaiting my arrival.”

      Oh no, could this be... actual conversation? How awful! So much for having a quiet night. Bad luck seemed to follow Coda wherever he went, and this was no different. Quiet night in the shop, ten minutes to closing? Someone walks in and attempts to spark conversation. Look for the silver linings, Coda, at least the customer was being nice and treating him like a human. That was something.

      “It’s alright, you’re probably the last customer of the day. I hope. Last thing I need is someone to walk in and demand to see the boss. Now that would be a real intruder.” Eugh, talking was the worst. How on earth did people do this? Any sort of social activity practically drained him of any will to life or function.

       Aside from his inability to talk to people, it was odd that the knights were sending someone to pick up an order. Ever since the delivery system was implemented they either used that or came in to purchase their own weapons. Coda preferred when he could run deliveries to the knight squad so he could get a glimpse at them. Wouldn’t it be something if he could be a knight too? Heh, wishful thinking.

      Coda nodded, brushing a piece of hair out of his eyes and made his way to the back room. “Gotcha! Coming right up.” Let’s see, weaponry, armor, polish, medicine... Usual works. Coda entered the storage room and began digging through the different boxes and orders. Some due to be sent out tomorrow, some empty boxes that needed to be filled before they could be sent out. Where was this man’s package? Coda’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. He was getting deeper into a pile, and he didn’t want to keep the man waiting any longer. It was almost closing time, Boss would really give him hell if he didn’t close the store on time. Always be punctual! What was wrong with being a minute behind?

      After shoving numerous boxes away Coda finally discovered at the very bottom under several large crates in the farthest corner was a dusty package. Squirming around Coda bent down to try and read the label, using the side of his hand to wipe away a thick layer of dust. He knew this box well, Boss and him had joked about the receiver never coming back. Coda asked why he hadn’t thrown it out and Boss said he wasn’t going to risk the knights finding out. It sounded like a load of bullshit to Coda, Boss just didn’t want to throw out merchandise. Cheap bastard. 

      Sure enough, this was the order the knight outside had come to get. Oh, jeez, now his mother was going to give him hell for all the dust he was about to get on his clothing. Coda grimaced and hiked his scarf up around his mouth to prevent breathing in the dust. With the package in hand Coda left the storage room and went to close the door with his foot. But his ankle decided it wasn’t having that today and gave out. Coda didn’t stop himself in time and fell over,surrendering the package stretch his hands out and break his fall. Fortunately he only got a few scrapes on his palms and knee, but the package went skidding forward and splayed a trail of dust behind. Right in Coda’s face. Ugh.

       Alto stared back at her as if she ate an entire watermelon right in front of him. Mikuru? No, that wasn’t even close to who he was talking about! But… six or seven years ago? It didn’t help that Tomoko tacked on the words ‘Lady Sakuya’ to boot. That was just pounding a stake right through his heart at that.

       “L-Lady Mikuru…? No, that’s not who…” Alto tried to find his words, but let them die in his throat so she could continue on. Panicking wasn’t going to get him anywhere, but he couldn’t help it. The sense of dread he had for his friend was more than unnerving. Despite what Tomoko was saying, and what Alto was trying to digest as reality, he noticed something different in her expression. If he wasn’t concerned with Sakuya’s state of being, he might have had half the mind to take a mental note of it.

       Without realized it, he had nodded when she mentioned a ‘legend’ without really comprehending it. Legend… that wasn’t exactly a legend when you lived through it. The notes of “second angel war” just sounded odd to his ears. What exactly did that mean? Had he just waltzed into the future by accident? Somehow, Alto was surprised he didn’t find that to be an all too far-fetched idea. If his past self could fall asleep in a lake for 1000 years, then anything was really possible. Or maybe it was all Veronica’s new experiment that made him imagine some weird future. 

       Or something like that. Alto was just going to tell himself that from panicking further.

       Despite Tomoko’s griping about Sakuya… Alto couldn’t help, but agree with her a little. Sakuya meant well… sometimes. When she wasn’t trying to pull a fast one over him and end up with fan mail seeping from every crack in the room. He let out a sigh at that.

      “They say all that, but really she just had Nonoka and me doing most of her paperwork… Probably Nonoka all by herself before she even met me. Most of that stuff is true at least, but I’m pretty sure that’s just an over glorified version of it. I’m at least glad she didn’t make me scrub her feet as her manager… then again if anyone found out anyone else was doing most of her work she’d be in a lot of trouble.” Alto cupped his chin at that, already getting off topic himself. It wasn’t hard to snap him back into the reality of the situation though. 

       However, at her apology he just shook his head at that. At the mention of another girl–Callia?–he paused again. Was that some other Witch then? Maybe he really did jump into the future somehow?

       Alto pressed a hand to his forehead at that, already feeling a bit light headed, and rubbed it softly. Now it was his turn to start mumbling to himself.

      “Its okay, Alto. This is fine! Everything’s okay! This is… just a dream! A very, very, vivid dream… yeah…” It wouldn’t be the first time he had taken a very long nap and woke up in a confusing state of mind. Even if he was saying that, somehow it didn’t ease the thousand pound weight that had decided to make a humble spot in the pit of his stomach. Somehow he had a feeling this really wasn’t fine. He couldn’t just start going on about being from the past himself, even if he did let that info about Sakuya slide. He’d have to do a lot more investigating now…

      “Let’s, uh, say that its a pretty big rock.” Alto swallowed hard before his attention was back on her again, “I’m sorry for the weird questions… I don’t really understand your full situation myself, but if you need to keep it a secret, I get it. J-Just so we’re clear, how long ago was that ‘second angel war’ you mentioned?”

        Everything went from weird to even weirder. Tomoko thought it odd that Alto didn’t know about Lady Mikuru but now he was talking as if he knew Lady Sakuya. Which was impossible, she was the Priestess ages ago. Nobody was even alive from the second angel war anymore. Unless Alto was secretly much older than he looked. But what were the odds of that?

      Still, Tomoko regarded him quizzically as he spoke, forgetting about her spite towards the dead Priestess. Nonoka? Who the heck was that? Manager? Just a dream? Tomoko was suddenly very aware that she was all alone with someone who didn’t know basic facts and acted like he knew Lady Sakuya. That.... just screamed crazy. But even so, he helped her. Tomoko didn’t want to drop his sword and run. Perhaps it wasn’t as bad as she thought. Maybe he hit his head and got amnesia or something along those lines. Once again, however, what were the odds of that?

      Her tone softened and she looked at him with concern. “The second angel war was.. Oh,” Tomoko sighed, biting her lip in thought. “I don’t really know, probably...” She tipped her head to the side and back, shrugging one shoulder. “Like over a hundred years ago? Maybe two hundred? M’not too sure, everyone at the shrine always talked about Sakuya like she was the best thing since orb technology. I think the rest of the witches were like....” Tomoko racked her brain, trying to remember how to rest of the legend went. “There was Lady Sakuya, um... Pop? Lise? Oh, Hilda, I know her ‘cause of Hildegaria. Then there was the earth witch, uh-- Moldi?” Then Tomoko straightened up and gasped quietly. “Oh, oh, an’ there was another guy! He led them into battle! I can’t tell you his name, but if I find Yuichi he can probably tell you. He’s better at remembering details than I am.”

        Aside from the legend and her terrible memory... What to do about Alto? If he wasn’t feeling good he could hang out with her and Yuichi until he was better. Or at least until his memory jogged a bit. Tomoko would feel guilty leaving him on his own (despite Alto being more than capable of taking care of himself since he fought off wolves).

      Coda knew he had to consider himself lucky he even had a job in the first place, but there was nothing lucky about closing shifts. Being the only person and worker in Bianca’s Armory while the sun began to set was maddening. Sure he liked the quiet but there wasn’t anything to do. Running deliveries meant he was stayed active and could focus. His mind wandered when it was silent. Coda supposed he could hold out for a little while longer. With the sun hanging low in the sky it would be closing time soon. Hopefully no one else would come around and cause him any trouble.

      But as soon as he thought that, the door opened and a customer walked in. Coda half hoped it would be one of the regulars but he didn’t recognize this man. Maybe he would browse their stock and then leave. The less interaction the better. Still, he had to at least give a greeting. Boss would chew him out for not greeting a customer.

     The fact she looked so surprised that he was surprised just made him wonder if he really had been that out of it. Sure, she had the powers of a Fire Witch but a Priestess on top of that? As far as he knew, there was only one Fire Witch at a time. That was held by Sakuya, at the very least.

      “I-I know that! But—” Alto cut himself off there. No mater which way Alto tried to piece it together, it just flat out didn’t make sense. It wasn’t like he had ever seen a Witch give up her qualia before… but from what Veronica made it out to be, didn’t that mean death for a Witch? Besides that, he hadn’t heard of a Priestess from Amatsu running away. The more Alto tried to process it all, the more his head started to hurt. 

      “It’s not like I’ve been there all that recently! And… I guess when you’re around singing Witches all the time its sort of… normal…? No, that’s not what I’m trying to say…” Alto fumbled for some kind of excuse, but he faltered. In fact, now that he really thought about it, wasn’t it weird that even though he didn’t recognize her that she didn’t recognize him? After saving the world and all that, his name would’ve at least been recognizable.

      It really was taking a turn into stranger and stranger territory. For now, he would have to focus on a more important factor; if she was here, then where was Sakuya? Alto took a deep breath to try and compose himself, but worry littered his face completely.

      “…If you’re the Priestess, then what happened to the former Priestess? You have to tell me if something happened to her!” Alto could feel his dread creeping in on him now. If something was wrong with her, she would’ve brought it up wouldn’t she? Or at least Nonoka would’ve mentioned it to him, right?

      The former Priestess? Why was Alto so worried about that? If he was a fanboy he should know what happened to her. However Tomoko was certain that wasn’t the case here. Maybe he woke up from a really long nap and didn’t know what was going on in the world. Hah, what were the odds of that?

      Tomoko narrowed her eyes suspiciously then huffed in resignation, shifting her weight around on her feet. “You mean Lady Mikuru? Somethin’ happened alright. She died of natural causes awhile ago, at least six or seven years. ... I remember everyone being so depressed when she passed. Everyone loved her, she was beautiful and graceful. The shrine constantly talked about how we hadn’t seen a Priestess so lovely since Lady Sakuya.”

      Her lips twitched in a small grin but there was something else beneath it. “You’ve heard the legend, right? Everyone knows it. Lady Sakuya and the other witches stopped the second angel war. She became the standard for Priestesses after that. It’s always shit like--” Tomoko rolled her eyes, her voice lowering an octave in imitation. “--’Lady Sakuya always met with her fans, Lady Sakuya always performed regularly, Lady Sakuya always did her duties’ and other garbage. ... Don’t those idiots know anything?”

      Her chest felt tight and her stomach was doing somersaults. Every time one of the workers so much as mentioned Lady Sakuya Tomoko wanted to pull her hair out. Did they think they were helping? Message received, Lady Sakuya was perfect and she wasn’t. She didn’t need anymore reminders of what a failure she was.