CHAPTER 149(Morning Revelations)

Please read the author's notes. (Examples and explanation of moves and appearance+ Monster Sources)

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CHAPTER START---

---7 AM...

Walking through the hallways of Twilight Manor, Lefiya held a tray of eggs, pancakes with a bowl of fruits, and a glass of orange juice in her hands. Her eyes droopy, a result of yesterday's events keeping her awake.

Seeing your mentor have a breakdown was not something an apprentice is ever prepared for.

Ascending the final stairway she gave Rakta, a bunny girl and one of their best cartographers a small nod. The woman was making her way down to the breakfast hall to join the rest of their familia.

Walking against the traffic Lefiya quickly arrives at Riveria's door. Taking a deep breath she pauses, considering what she should do.

Maybe she shouldn't be here, the woman likely wanted to be left alone.

But she couldn't just leave her be, she had to support Riveria just like everyone always supported her.

"Ok, here goes," she mutters quietly before tapping her foot on the door three times.

A tense moment passes, the girl receives no response.

Trying her luck again she knocks on more time...nothing.

"Lady Riveria, I brought you breakfast!" the girl announces, hoping that maybe, just maybe Riveria would open up if she knew who it was.

"Come in," a shy voice responds from in the room, it seemed her hope was right.

Pushing the door open Lefiya was met with a dimly lit room, completely clean as always. Riveria's robes were thrown across her desk, her staff and a dagger laid out nearby. Standard adventuring equipment for the great mage.

Walking up to the bed Lefiya sees Riveria leaning against the headboard, completely wrapped up in her light green blanket, her face barely visible with everything else shrouded in the fabric.

"You shouldn't start skipping meals again," Lefiya says, placing the tray in front of the woman and sitting down on the bed to look at her.

Riveria doesn't answer, only stares down at the food, her slightly swollen, dry eyes narrowing at the tray as if it offended her.

"I know," was all the woman said, not making any motion to begin eating.

"Mmm," Lefiya frowns at this, looking down at her lap not quite sure what to say. "I-I thought you'd want to be alone...like before, thank you for letting me in. I didn't like leaving the food at your door last time," Lefiya says.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Riveria mumbles. "You already know how pathetic I am, and besides, I don't like being alone," she shamefully admits.

"You aren't pathetic!" Lefiya immediately argues. "You're just having a hard time right now, there's nothing wrong with that!"

"Lefiya," Riveria's voice was low, hesitant but still trying to protest.

"You're smart, and kind, and you always look out for me, you're amazing!"

"Lefiya," Riveria's voice was regular speaking volume, her patience wearing thin with the girl.

"You have amazing magic and know so much, plus you always know what to do and take care of us! You're the beautiful---"

"Lefiya!" Riveria yells. That was the last thing she wanted to hear, 'beautiful', that word was too much.

"---princess," Lefiya finishes in a low mumble, taken aback by Riveria snapping at her.

"Look!" The woman says, opening her blanket to reveal herself. Only wearing her panties allowing the girl to see the scars spread all across her body. "I'm not that person anymore," Riveria says bitterly before closing the blanket once more, now refusing to meet what she was sure would be the disgusting gaze of the girl.

She couldn't even begin to understand what was going on a moment later.

Lefiya had moved the tray and launched herself forward, pulling Riveria into a tight hug and bringing them both down onto the mattress.

"You're still the beautiful princess of the elves," the girl says as she tightens her hold on the petrified woman.

Laying there staring up at the ceiling, Riveria wasn't sure what to do, "I'm... I---"

"You're just being a little stupid right now, that's ok," Lefiya says as she lets go of the woman to lay beside her.

"Our people will never accept their queen like this, you know that," Riveria points out.

"Then they aren't our people," Lefiya replies without missing a beat. Such a simple solution.

This throws Riveria for a loop, she expected to be alone, never did she expect a pure Elf from a high-class forest to support her like this.

"Lefiya, do you realize what you're saying?" The woman asks, hesitation in her voice, trying to sound brave but truly scared the girl would change her mind.

"You're the only elven princess I'll follow. You always take care of me, teach me how to do things and how to control my magic. Anyone who thinks you aren't amazing just because of those scars doesn't deserve you," Lefiya says with absolute certainty.

"Mmm... I'm sorry for embarrassing you yesterday, I thought I would be ok, but everyone was staring and I just---"

"It's ok, you didn't embarrass me. I was just worried," Lefiya says, both the mages just lay in silence and stare up at the ceiling.

Their minds constantly running through recent events, trying to figure out where to go from here.

"I think I'll be ok...eventually," Riveria whispers as if she was telling a secret.

"Mhm, I know you will be. Nothing can stop you," Lefiya says as they fall into another comfortable silence.

Eventually, a question pops up in Lefiya's mind that she just can't ignore. "What happened?" she asks, her words barely reaching the Elf laying right beside her.

Riveria freezes, she could tell her the truth, but Lefiya and Ais had been growing close since the blonde was on 'Guard Duty'. Seeing how fond her student was of the swordsman the last thing Riveria wanted to do was be petty and ruing their relationship.

"A monster caught me off-guard, I paid the price. This is why I always stress you be aware of your surroundings when chanting. I wasn't aware and this is the result," she lied, not the most believable lie to anyone who knew her as well as Finn or Gareth. But Lefiya ate it up.

"Oh," Lefiya felt a cold chill run down her spine, in truth she had been slacking a bit on her training lately. Becoming far too relaxed since their familia always had people to pick up her slack. "I should be training harder then," she says.

"Yes, you should, the last that you want is to end up looking like me," Riveria says in a warning tone.

"Don't talk like that, I'm sure you could still get any man you want," Lefiya says as she rolls onto her side. Giving Riveria a reassuring smile.

With an exhausted sigh the woman just frowns at the ceiling, giving it a sad look, "he saw me like this and still thinks I'm beautiful, but he already has someone..." she says oh so casually. Closing her eyes to clear her mind.

After a moment Riveria opens her eyes to glace over at the girl, seeing the young Elf completely red in the face as she stares wide-eyed at her mentor.

With a confused look, Riveria tries to figure out what happened, only for her mind to recollect what information she so absentmindedly let slip only moments ago.

"Oh my go---" Lefiya's scream is cut short as the woman slaps a hand over her mouth.

"Don't scream, alright," Riveria narrows her eyes at the girl. "I need you to not freak out, this isn't anything immoral, nobody defiled my chastity in any way I assure you, just please try to stay calm," she warns the girl.

Eventually, Lefiya gives her a meek nod, eyes unblinking as she stares at the woman.

"Ok. If other elves find out about this they'll try to kill him. You know that right, assuming he isn't an Elf...is he?" Lefiya asks, trying to get some hints as to who the mystery man is.

"No, he isn't," Riveria admits as she plops back down in the bed. "But at least he's probably stronger than all elves so I don't have to worry about that..."

"Hmm, stronger than all elves," Lefiya mutters as she puts all the pieces together.

'Stronger than all elves...if that includes the three level-6 elves... plus he already has someone and he isn't an Elf,' her face twists into a mix of shock and horror as she easily pieces together who Riveria was talking about.

"Oh my god... are you trying to date my ex-boyfriend?"

---7 AM, Yang's apartment...

"Someone better explain what the hell this is!" Hephaestus's annoyed voice echoes out through the apartment as she barges through the door, Tsubaki a step behind her.

Pained groans quickly follow her words, Welf rolls off Yang's couch while Thalie immediately sits up as she was sleeping on the other. Both trying to figure out what's going on. Welf was still holding Mosoka firmly in his grip whilst Thalie instantly drew three throwing knives as she turned toward Hephaestus and Tsubaki.

"Ngh, too loud," Yang mutters as he rolls over. The man was laying on the floor hugging what looked like a piece of a pillar to his chest.

"Get your ass up!" Hephaestus says as she walks over to the trio, standing in front of them with her arms folded.

"Hephaestus, please, what is it?" Welf asks, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes.

"Yeah is something wrong?" Thalie asks.

"You tell me. I woke up to an urgent report. Apparently, I owe someone for a reconstruction job?" Hephaestus waves around a piece of paper before handing it to Thalie.

"Mhm," Thalie says while reading the paper. "Yeah this was us...well, him," she points at Yang.

Giving the man a harsh look Hephaestus pokes him a few times with her foot.

"Alright, alright I'm up, I don't even have class today," Yang mumbles as he sits up to see everyone staring at him. "What?"

"What did you do last night?" Tsubaki asks, taking a seat beside Thalie on the couch as Yang stands up.

"Uh, we went for some food and had some drinks then came back here, easy," he says.

"That doesn't explain the 150 thousand Valis bill I woke up to," Hephaestus says.

"Honestly, kinda does," Welf says. "Yang was drinking, we were keeping an eye on him, why do you think I was sleeping with this here," he raises Mosoka for them to see.

"Miracle boy is an awful drink," Thalie says. "I mean, when he's sober he's usually like a 10-year-old kid wandering around. When he drinks he becomes a three-year-old waving around magic, it's a nightmare," she says.

"That doesn't explain what he did exactly," Tsubaki says.

"Uh, he walked through a store," Welf says.

"Ok?"

"No, like he literally walked through a store," Thalie says. "He heard shouting and thought someone was calling him and just, walked through the building. Like stone walls and everything. His magic made it collapse, we got lucky it was closed," she informs them.

"Well, that explains that," Hephaestus points at the piece of stone on the floor.

"Why didn't you two stop him?" Tsubaki asks.

Welf raises a brow at her, "Yang is basically a level-7 three-year-old, the last thing we need is for his wandering playtime to end because he thinks it's fight time, so we just kinda kept him occupied with food and stuff," Welf explains.

"Why can't this team just be normal," Hephaestus groans as she massages her temple and sinks into one of the single seats. "I already paid from your team account, but I've got some actual good news..." she points directly at Thalie. "I bought you out of your contract."

The Trifecta are completely confused by this, Tsubaki and Hephaestus just give her a cheerful smile.

"What do you mean?" The woman asks.

"I mean," Hephaestus leans forward. "I had to bend over backward to do it but I made an offer Adrestria couldn't refuse. I'm expecting someone to bring the final confirmation letter from her soon, you never have to go back, you can stay in my familia forever if that's what you'd like," Hephaestus says.

Thalie completely freezes.

While Yang and Welf congratulate her on being free she can't even hear them.

'Really free. No more Adrestria, never having to go back... finally,' a smile forms on her face as tears flow from her eyes.

"Yup," Hephaestus continues. "I don't want you dealing with that damned familia anymore. You're past that now," she says.

At those words Thalie's head snaps to the goddess, eyes blinking in surprise and confusion.

"No more dealing with that familia?" the woman asks.

"Exactly, never again," Hephaestus says.

"Mmm, alright," Thalie rises to her feet, stiff as a board. "I need to go get cleaned up, I've got a lot to think about."

Receiving odd looks from everyone the woman bolts out the door.

'No... this can't be the end, I can't be done... I have to finish this,' she reminds herself once more. Freedom wasn't enough for this child of war, she needed blood...she would have blood, that's the only way this ends. Will all evidence of Adrestria purged from this world.

END CHAPTER---