I sit beside the fire and think

of how the world will be

when winter comes without a spring

that I shall never see.

********

Glynda watched Pricilla weave around her foes.

The dragon girl winced as a crystal weapon struck her side but managed to swing her scythe through the construct. Her unique ability, Lifehunt, instantly drained all magic, Aura, and Haki from it, and the humanoid figure fell to pieces on the ground.

Glynda focused momentarily, four more crystalline figures attacking the hybrid while the teacher reassembled their fallen comrade from scratch.

Strictly speaking, using her semblance to construct and move the crystals as a humanoid figure was inefficient. Glynda would see greater success in a real fight by piloting the pieces individually.

But this was training for both herself and Priscila.

The dragon girl needed more combat experience, and Glynda needed finer control with her much-improved senses.

Could she construct and pilot the puppets faster than Priscilla could destroy them?

Glynda had discovered that the answer was yes, so long as Priscilla was her only foe. Her burgeoning Observation warned her of an incoming attack, and the teacher managed to tilt her head to the side to avoid the arm that appeared.

Introducing Robin to atomic theory had been a mistake Glynda regretted almost instantly.

Apparently, her flower-flower fruit needed a foundation on which to 'bloom.'

Once she realized that air, and other fluids and gases, were made up of the same materials as solid objects, she took to forming her appendages in mid-air at a moment's notice.

This caused her no extra strain, judging by the pirate continuing to read her book from several hundred yards away.

This distraction cost Glynda as her control over her forming construct waned, and Priscilla managed to destroy three more in a matter of moments while turning invisible.

Not that it helped.

Atomic theory had also aided Glynda, which was why she had pointed it out to Robin.

Using the Semblance and Observation Haki mix that quickly became her primary tool, the teacher felt the air molecules being displaced and had her seven remaining constructs attack the unseen woman.

Not expecting it, Pricilla took a few hits. Though it was blocked by her Aura, Glynda was happy to see the dragon girl recover quickly. More than anything else in the field, adaptability saw hunters survive the horrors of the Grimm.

The spar continued for another quarter of an hour before the combinations of Robin's interference and Pricilla's fighting simultaneously managed to down all enemies. By then, the dragon girl had lost her Aura and was bleeding in a few places.

The crossbreed had gotten better in the combat sense, but her physical abilities were not improving in the slightest.

Tsunade sat on the sidelines with Robin and watched the various training fields, and had her patched up in moments.

Glynda took the chance for a breather, not physically tired but mentally strained, and watched the others spar.

Artoria and Diana, two of the strongest fighters of the women, decimated the landscape with their duel. They kept it within manageable levels so Medea could repair the field later. Artoria did not release her Noble Phantasms, nor did Diana employ her various blessings.

The only techniques they used, besides their burgeoning Haki and Aura skill, were their summoning skills. Artoria fought side by side with a massive lion made of lightning. It was a skill derived from one of her knights, one of many, as Glynda understood it.

Diana, by contrast, led a small team of aura constructs. The amazon's semblance, they had discovered, allowed her to summon images of other women from her home island of Thymescria.

The absolutely massive lion towered over half a dozen of said constructs. This was a battle between an Ursa and a pack of Beowolves. Watching them, Glynda once again reaffirmed her belief that either of these women would have been one of the greatest huntresses to ever live.

Glynda did not envy them.

She merely respected their strength and appreciated their skill. (The part of her who had spent many nights 'learning' from Scathach also appreciated their beauty.)

Instead, the huntress envied another combatant.

The reason this group training session had become an almost daily occurrence was faced off against Scathach.

Emma was sweating with exertion, while the Celt looked barely the worse for wear.

For all that the pair were the same Tier, the blonde was a much less experienced fighter. In fact, the group had been rather shocked when, at breakfast one morning, the telepath had asked for training.

More than happy to help and get to know the White Queen better, many other women had pitched their support for the idea.

Everyone was expected to join whenever a group training session was ongoing. All the women took turns learning from one another in various fields, bringing them much closer than the disparate groups and cliques they had been before.

That still didn't help the pang of envy Glynda felt at seeing Emma, in her diamond form, dodge a strike from her opponent and respond with a punch from a fist coated in black.

It wasn't her fighting abilities but her raw talent with Haki that the huntress wanted.

Apparently, Observation and Armament were very complimentary towards her natural mutations, and the psychic had picked them up like a duck to water.

Already she was as good as Glynda, despite having trained only a fraction of the time. While nobody had yet achieved the ability to predict the future or attack internally, the huntress suspected that Emma would overtake them all and be the first.

Baring Robin, of course.

"It is pointless feeling jealous," the pirate looked up from her book to tell the teacher. "Compared to the people of my world, you all are progressing at absurd rates. Even my captain, a monster of talent in Haki, took years to get where you all have reached in months."

"So you've told us," Glynda knew she was making significant progress. She knew it would be a slaughter if she faced off against herself from four months ago. "It is simply our nature. Humans are always envious creatures. It is only by self-discipline that we can control ourselves."

"What a dark way to think." Though her words were sarcastic, Robin smiled at the blonde.

"Get your grub, everyone," Yoruichi yelled, halting the ongoing spars. The mocha-skinned woman was followed by Raven, floating a table covered in food towards the group.

Looking over the food, Glynda felt her stomach rumble. It seemed like Yoruichi had once more cooked some dishes from her homeland.

They were a particular favourite of the blondes.

Sitting beside Artoria, who had practically teleported to the table, Glynda filled her plate much more sedately than the King.

Once again, the food was exquisite, one of the best parts about being trapped on the Island.

Once Glynda had polished off her second plate and emerged from her food trance, she looked around.

Artoria was, of course, still going strong with a pile of dishes at her side. How she could eat so properly yet so quickly, Glynda would never know.

The others were talking, Scathach advising Emma after their most recent bout, and Yoruichi was telling a bawdy joke that had Robin giggling and Priscilla looking scandalized.

Raven sat quietly, eating to the side while Tsunade healed a few cuts and bruises that Diana had accumulated. Unlike her foe, the amazon didn't have an artifact of incredible power that healed her instantly.

"Glynda?" Medea drew the huntress' attention from across the table. "It's your turn at 3, right?"

"It is," she answered simply.

"Would you mind asking him to collect a few more of the red fans the desert sorceress use? I need another dozen or so for a project," the witch explained.

"Of course." It would be no trouble and an excellent chance to repay the witch for indulging in the huntress' more 'creative' requests for clothing.

"I appreciate it."

"What is the nature of this new project?" Artoria had taken a moment to pause in her gluttony to ask the question. As soon as she finished speaking, more food was in her mouth.

"I've been studying the nature of fire in that world," the greek explained. "It is such a key concept that I figured that if I could learn more about its uses, I might build a Bonfire on this end that Mikael could travel to."

"Any success?" Glynda couldn't help the hope that crept into her voice.

"None so far," Medea shook her head, sounding frustrated. "I have been able to replicate most of the pyromancies Mikael knows of, even creating a few of my own, but Bonfires are another subject entirely. From what he has explained, they are made by burning humanity, the spiritual fragments, and the undead to act as kindling. Since nothing 'alive' can travel through the portal but us, I have tried various materials to replicate it. So far, I have seen the most success with the fans of the sorceresses. I don't think it will be what I need, but everything I learn now can help later."

"Is there any way I can aid you?" Artoria asked seriously.

"Not right now." The witch shook her head, looking regretfully at the King. "Your help evaluating the dragon materials was appreciated, but this work is a bit delicate."

"Then I might be of assistance," Glynda offered. The elfin woman eyed her for a moment in contemplation before responding.

"You don't have circuits, so the magecraft will be beyond you. But your semblance could help with construction. Aura might also be able to help since it is soul-based, like many things in that world. After you return from Mikael, drop by my workshop, and we'll see what we can do."

"Very well," Glynda returned to her meal.

She vaguely noticed Medea and Artoria gesturing to one another in silent communication before the King addressed her again.

"Glynda," her fellow blonde leaned in as she spoke in a whisper. Her face was red and wouldn't meet her eyes. "I have been made aware of some relationships I wasn't privy to. It is true that you and Scathact are entangled... romantically?"

"What of it?" Though her face slightly flushed, Glynda fought to keep her voice even.

If there was one thing you learned while teaching super-powered teenagers, it was to never let them see you squirm.

"I meant no insult," Artoria hurriedly replied, still keeping her voice down. "I simply have no knowledge of such subjects and was curious."

"Oh." While the huntress had never been worried about judgement from her peers on the Island, a weight did ease from her at the Lion King's words. Glynda thought they had been discreet. Her face was still flushed, and she squirmed awkwardly in her seat, but she did answer. "What would you like to know?"

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"Ah," Artoria had clearly not expected the question as she looked to Medea for help. The greek witch, the only one within whispering distance, watched the conversation with a smile. Seeing no help from the bluenette, the knight turned back to the teacher. "I suppose I would ask what brought it on? It wasn't common in my day, though I hear it is so in different cultures."

"Well," Glynda shifted awkwardly in her seat, trying to find the most diplomatic way to explain. "It wasn't uncommon where I come from, though not the norm. I confess to having no experience with romance either, so Scathach has been a great help. Even if she can get a bit... wild."

Medea grinned harder, and Glynda's flush deepened. The witch had been the one to provide the pair with many of the 'tools' they had requested.

Thank Oum for Aura and its healing effects.

Also, thank Oum that Scathach had told no one that those 'tools' had been her idea.

Decades of repression had led so a desire to... experiment now that Glynda had a willing outlet for her 'curiosity.'

"Pardon if this is too delicate a question." Artoria was still red-faced, but she stared at Glynda thoughtfully. "I was under the impression that you were interested in Sir Mikeal? Do you intend to pursue him or Scathach?"

"Can it not be both?" Glynda tilted her head in confusion.

Two pairs of green eyes stared at each other for a moment. A silent challenge in each gaze.

A perverse giggle interrupted their focus.

The pair turned to look at Medea. The witch barely noticed. Instead, she continued to stare, giggling to herself.

Looking down, Glynda realized why.

To remain quiet, the pair had leaned closer. In their visual confrontation, they hadn't noticed that their large busts had been pressed against each other.

The image was certainly one that could inflame lust.

Realizing the same thing, Artoria leaned back with an awkward cough.

"Again, I meant no insult," the Lion King explained. "I would simply like to know if you would be opposed to working together to ensure success in our mission of courting Sir Mikael?"

"You mean you both are trying to seduce him?" Glynda asked, though she already knew the answer.

The huntress had long given up hope of anything exclusive with the man.

Scathach, she had come to find, could be very persuasive.

"We have already enlisted the aid of Diana and Priscilla," Artoria said with all seriousness of one of her students handing in an After Action Report. "With your and Scathach support, we will command a majority force of the Island's inhabitants. Yoruichi, too, is an object of recruitment. The remaining four have not shown nor declared a romantic interest in our target yet. Should they do so in the future, with our superior numbers, we could enlist them to our aid if they proved agreeable. Should they attempt a solo action, they could be hindered by our coalition."

"I am not opposed to working together," Glynda said seriously. Neither Scathach nor herself had much luck swaying Mikael's determination to leave them once they were free. "I would just like to make one thing clear."

"Very well," Artoria looked relieved that the conversation was drawing closed. She continued eating throughout the talk, and her large meal was almost done. "State your terms."

"It is not required to be romantically involved with each other, correct?"

Artoria choked on her food.

The Lion King flushed a deep scarlet as she hacked for air.

While the huntress was fearful/hopeful of the answer, having recently discovered the pleasure of the female form, Glynda would not be pressured into anything.

What happened would either happen naturally or not at all.

Though she wouldn't say it aloud, Glynda was a romantic.

Recent changes, non-withstanding, of course.

The other women on the Island looked at the struggling blonde before returning to their conversations as she controlled her breathing.

"It is, hack, not a requirement, no," Artoria coughed out, face a deep scarlet.

Glynda let out a long breath before flushing again at Medea's following words.

"It is a bonus."

********

"What is your fascination with high places?" Glynda couldn't help but ask.

The pair were sitting atop a cliff in a small refuge. Majula, she believed it to be called.

It was a hub for refugees and those who remained sane in this world, serving as a waypoint between several essential stops in this kingdom of Drangleic.

This wasn't her first time being summoned to the small collection of battered houses.

While Mikael had shown the Island's women some beautiful sights over the last few months, Glynda could admit this little village's calming influence was something she enjoyed.

Today, the pair had been talking about their childhood over the last few hours when the question came to mind.

"It is not so much high places themselves as the views they can give." Her companion for the evening gestured out over the ocean, the setting sun painting it a vision of warm colours. "The world is a different place when viewed from up high. You see farther, little details are lost, and there is a tiny bit of fear in your stomach, no matter how protected you are from falling. That feeling is one of the only things that has remained the same for me after all these years. Even if I return from death, the primal instinct that fears the fall remains the same."

"So it reminds you of your humanity?" Glynda tried one of Medea's recommended tactics, brushing her shoulder close to his.

Though they couldn't touch, it was supposed to make him aware of her presence more than anything else. Much better than Scathach's and Yoruichi's recommendation of being summoned naked.

"Yes, but it is more than that." Mikael did not talk loudly, nor did he care to whisper. His even tone was still loud enough for other residents of the small town to look over at him askance.

Glynda could imagine what they were seeing.

A strong undead holding a conversation with thin air.

They must think him mad or at least close to hollowing.

Mikael did not care and kept up the discussion.

"High places help me think. I've always preferred broad ideas rather than getting bogged down by minutia. Some people like getting every detail right, but I like comprehension over memorization."

"I cannot say the same," Glynda shook her head. "While I enjoy wide views, I prefer having all the I's dotted and T's crossed. If we are too lax with the minutia, errors eventually accumulate."

"I imagine that happened a lot at Beacon?" He grinned at her, and her heart fluttered a bit.

That stupid grin of his.

Her emotions didn't show on her face.

"Managing the budget alone took weeks," Glynda nodded. "None of my colleagues could write an accurate report or requisition form to save their lives."

"Ah, the wonders of bureaucracy! We need it because the world is complicated, but we hate that we do. Trust me, I feel your pain. The next person to complain of lack of inventory, despite never requesting the items in the first place, I am going to throat punch."

Glynda stared at Mikeal in surprise.

"I wasn't aware that you worked in such a profession before."

"I did have a life before all this, you know?" He deadpanned at her. "I wasn't rich, but I was still a relatively successful businessman. I've worked in almost every aspect, from sales, supplies, management, and human resources to advising positions."

"I cannot imagine you in a stuffy boardroom with people like the Vale Council," Glynda giggled into her hand at the image.

Mikael was irreverent, sarcastic, playful, and laid back.

One pun and he'd be lynched by those old fools.

"Really?" He looked surprised at her words, as if not understanding her disbelief. "I could be formal with the best of them. I was often accused of being boring, working too hard, or taking things too seriously."

Glynda's giggling almost erupted into full-blown laughter, but she used her considerable self-control to stifle it.

Mikael?

Boring?

She briefly wondered if it was a cultural difference between the two worlds.

"You will pardon me if I don't believe you," she said from behind her hand.

"I'm serious," he insisted. "I think it's because you all have a distorted view of me. It's partly the lures' fault, but I haven't been precisely trying to be formal either. You all see me when I am relaxed, not focusing, nor do manners matter in this world. I've been treating you like I would close family or friends. Why wouldn't I? When we first met, I had been trapped in a cell for a month and had nothing to lose. I am a much different person in a professional setting."

"If you say so," Glynda said the words but wasn't focused on them. Instead, she fought the flush rising to her cheeks.

Like family?

"You'll see," he shook his fist comically in the air at her as if decrying his vengeance against this grave insult. "You'll all see! I will prove how boring I can be! Just watch! It'll be like watching grass grow! Only duller. Greener. And with a four-point six return on investment."

Glynda rolled her eyes fondly at the silly man.

"Do you plan on returning to the business field when free?"

"Hm? Not really." He thought about her question for a moment. "Depending on the worlds I visit, I will probably do something to get some local currency, but that would be it. One of the main reasons I invested so much into the dragon perk tree was to get the ability to travel between worlds at my leisure rather than depend on Company restrictions. There is just so much to see and do, you know?"

"Like what?" The huntress asked, curious about his long-term goals.

"I want to return to a version of my home world, only in the past," he smiled. Not playfully, but with a boyish smile. His cheeks dimpled, Glynda realized, and it emphasized his subtle freckles. "A lot was lost over history that I want to learn about. I want to visit your world, see the shattered moon and the Grimm lands. I want to visit a world covered in an ocean. I want to see various afterlives and meet and talk to famous figures. I want to watch a world be born and see the end of time. I want to try various cultures' food, see their festivals, and observe their wars."

Mikael talked at length about what he would like to see and do. He stared out over the ocean, his voice drowning with longing as he spoke.

Glynda's heart clenched in sympathy for the man.

While they were all trapped, in one form or another, it must be excruciating for him considering his Element.

"... feel the Force flow through me and pilot a starship. I want to go where no man has gone before. I want to watch heroes and villains live their lives with all the joys and sorrows it brings. I want to fight gods and monsters, visit the fey, destroy an undead horde or two, and even dip in hell pools."

"It sounds like you have a long list," Glynda interjected as he took a breath.

"Too long to count," he nodded. "The Waifu Catalogue, the challenge the story I wrote was based on, was more often than not used as an excuse to write wish-fulfillment pornography. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that, and many of the stories were good despite it."

Glynda still didn't know how she felt about the idea of there being porn of her out in the multiverse but recognized there was nothing she could do about it, so she kept her tongue.

Mikael, of course, didn't care if the entire universe saw him naked and plowed on.

"I just never found one that I thought really captured the spirit of pure joy unlimited multiversal travel could bring," he continued passionately. "Sex is great. Magical sex with your favourite characters would probably be even better, mind-control excluded. But even without it, the catalogue had so much to offer. That was one of the reasons I wrote the story. I liked to imagine somewhere out there was a version of me enjoying a never-ending journey. A happily ever after."

The pair sat in silence for a quiet moment, enjoying the setting sun, the sounds of the surf and the crackling fire behind them.

"What about you?" Mikael asked after the moment was over. "Do you have any plans when you get home? You're immortal now and stronger than Salem when you get there. You have a genuine chance of ending the Grimm threat. Even if you can't kill her, you could still trap her so deep in the earth's crust that she would never be a problem again."

"There would be no point. Salem already won." Though her voice was even, Glynda could not help the despondency that filled her at the memories.

"What?" Mikeal asked, confused.

"Salem acquired all four relics," the blonde explained in a monotone. "She summoned the gods, and Remnant is long gone. She is as dead as the rest of the world."

There was a long moment of silence before Mikael spoke again.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Don't be. It's not your fault." She wiped the bit of condensation in her eyes before continuing. "In a way, I am glad that you summoned me. Even if my world is dead, I know a form of my friends and colleagues live on in other worlds now. They are not the same people, but I like to think a bit of their souls live on as well."

"I could drop you off on one of those worlds," he offered. "You could see them again."

"While I wouldn't mind a visit, that is not where I want to spend the rest of my time." Glynda stared Mikael dead in the eyes, wordlessly willing him to understand her intentions.

He grimaced and looked away.

"You know I can't do that," he said, not unkindly. "It wouldn't be fair to you or me. I can promise you what I promised Scathach. You can stay with me until we find a world you like. After that, it will be goodbye. You will be free to visit the Island and see the others there, I couldn't stop you if I wanted to, but I probably would never stay."

"Isn't the Island attached to you?" Glynda narrowed her eyes at the undead man.

"It is," he agreed. "But I do not know what is happening there, nor am I compelled to visit. It would be nice to have a rest stop whenever I wanted, but I can leave it for you all to use as a base."

"So what," the teacher asked harshly. "You get your freedom, dump us at the first chance, and never meet again?"

Mikael looked resigned at her words but nodded.

"That is the plan. Finding the worlds will take some time, but it shouldn't take too long."

"You think any of us will be happy with that?" Glynda's self-control was all that kept her from snarling the words. "That Medea won't use her entire arsenal to hunt you down? That Scathach and Artoira won't join hands to kick your ass? Do you think we won't spend years on that Island pestering you till you give in? Guess what? Many of us have nothing better to do with our lives!"

"You think I want this? Any of this?" He almost shouted at her.

The other residents were definitely watching them now.

Glynda noticed more than a few take steps away from where Mikael sat.

"In any other circumstances, I would love nothing more than to have you all with me. Even if nothing romantic happens, I like you all enough that travelling with you would have been a joy. I chose you not only because you were beautiful but because I thought we would all get along. That working together would be fun rather than a challenge."

"Exactly!" The huntress interrupted his tirade. "You chose us. Now you have to live with the consequences of your choices."

"I am," Mikael replied. Far from being angry, he looked desperate.

Almost begging her to understand him. "I would love to fall in love with you all. To spend eternity travelling with you by my side. But I can't. Every second you are with me is a joy and torture. A constant reminder. My only hope is to drop you all off so you can live a happy life and never see me again. It is not fair to you, I never claimed it would be, but it is my only hope at this point."

"Then why all this?" Glynda waved a hand between the pair and then around the scenery. "Why spend so much time with us? Why be nice to us and do everything you can to make our lives easier? You work with Medea to get materials to make us stronger. You taught us that we could use Aura and Haki. I know you've pushed Emma and Raven to be more sociable. You can't claim to not like us when every action you take directly contradicts your words."

"I never said I do not like you all," Mikael sagged despondently, and Glynda's gut clenched at the pitiful sight. "Just that I can't fall in love with you. I still want what's best for you, and it costs me nothing to help."

"Then why do you not push us away? Many in your place would have taken action to make us hate them to ease their guilt."

"I've always said I wasn't one of those emo-edge lords." A sad smile played on his face as he looked up at her, and Glynda realized she had stood up at some point in their argument. "I'm selfish. I enjoy good company when I can get it. I tried that whole walking away thing in Dark Souls 1, and it barely worked. Some of you started developing feelings, no matter what I warned you about. When I chose a bunch of headstrong women, I knew we would disagree. I deliberately decided not to exert any form of control."

He stood there, a larger-than-life figure who had slain gods and monsters clad in thick metal armour.

The fear in his eyes made him look small.

"That is the thing about Freedom," Mikeal said softly. "Freedom is not Freedom from consequences. The ability to choose itself is a gift. Knowing the repercussions of your actions will be terrible, and choosing anyway. Choosing the consequence, you can live with. That is the beauty of Freedom."

Glynda did not know how to respond to his heartbroken face, not trusting herself not to say something to make it worse.

When the pale white portal opened after a few moments of silence, she stepped through it, wiping her tears as she did.

She didn't look back.

The Mikael she loved should not look that sad or scared.