Tristan’s Lab (24.11.9978 AS)

With a mechanical sound one of the many clocks in Tristan’s Lab changed the date. It was finally midnight. Tristan and Abigail though, didn’t pay it any attention since this wasn’t the first time they had spent the whole night building things or creating theories in Tristan’s Lab.

“Are you sure you can hang around here, I mean you are on a mission and all.” Abigail said, poking her head from behind the magical computer screen she had created with her ability.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love it that you couldn’t stand being without me for so long and came seeking me out, but I would prefer if you took your mission seriously.” She added as she peeled one of the lollipops next to her and started sucking on it.

*Sigh*

“How many times to I have to tell you, not to eat that thing? It’s not healthy! And I’m not neglecting my mission just because I came here to train and to look after my experiments! This is all part of my plan… I just have to figure out by myself how that plan looks like…” Tristan said troubled.

“Also, it feels like an eternity since I came here to work on new inventions with you. First, I was stranded deep into the Noir Mountains and had to hang out with that thing.” Tristan pointed at the creature made out of shadows, who was flirting?! With one of Tristan’s swords.

“And when I finally made it back, it doesn’t even take one” Tristan formed a one with his hands “Not even ONE week before I get enlisted to this stupid mission! ‘Saving a helpless Elder girl, my ass!’ All I want is time to relax while conducting my experiments with your help and time to train with whatever that thing is!” He pointed once again towards Schattenklinge, that was getting more and more intimate with the sword.

“And please remind me to throw that thing away after he is done defiling it.”

Abigail looked at him with big eyes, before she pushed the glasses that were too big for her small face so they wouldn’t fall. “So, you’re telling me you don’t have an actual plan? I thought you always have a plan.”

“I usually do, but not this time. My plan is to rely on my sixth sense.” Tristan answered after calming down a little.

“I see that’s why you’re more over the edge than usual. You always freak out when you have to rely on it, so why are you relying on it this time?” Abigail asked with great interest.

“Well, I can’t always run away from it, that ability is a part of me anyways and that thing that told me to rely more on it.” He pointed at the place where Schattenklinge and the sword had been just a few moments ago, but there was no trace of Schattenklinge nor the sword.

“Still, I don’t get it.”

“Well, you see Schattenklinge told me, that I can 100% rely on that ability, because this ability isn’t all about seeing into the future, but to see the world from another point of view and to never end up in checkmate.”

“What does chess have to do with it?”

“Well, if I can trust Schattenklinge’s words, every time I activate this ability, my world’s turns into a chessboard and it chooses my actions according to what it perceives the most efficient way of putting the enemy King in checkmate.”

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“How come Schatty knows so much about that ability?”

“Well, he said it is the same ability that Permix used to beat Dunkler without using magic over the tier of Emperor!”

“Oh, that sound amazing, but that means… The times it didn’t show you the future… It didn’t show you because you were the one in checkmate?”

Tristan expression turned bitter as he nodded to Abigail’s question.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much it. That’s why Schattenkling told me to try to rely on it a bit more, until I feel like trusting it. Didn’t work so far, just this afternoon I had to use it again in another situation than this mission and yet it felt so wrong, but don’t worry I will soon learn to control it!”

Tristan smiled at Laura, who smiled back.

“Long story short, I’m using this mission to train this ability of mine, since I don’t care about the success of this mission, I mean I don’t care about Elder’s and Humans anyways...”

“Except for you” Tristan added when he realized his words. What he wanted to say is that he didn’t care about anyone else but his friends and family, still for a certain someone it sounded completely different.

“Kyahhhh, smooth lady killer, I can’t blame you since I’m so cute, but I’m sorry, I’m still too young to start something serious with you!” The blushing Abigail said soon after she hid her face behind the computer screen she had created with her ability.

‘Did I seriously just got shut down?’ Tristan thought baffled as he realized what he had said and the reaction he had received from Abigail.

***

Solum (24.11.9978 AS)

‘Wait, what is he doing here so early?’

Ai looked like she just had seen a ghost as she saw Tristan standing next to his bike in front of the orphanage.

“Wha… What are you doing here?”

“I came to get you to go to school with me.” Tristan answered with a bright smile.

“Don’t you have your sister to go to school with?” Ai said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“She doesn’t like the idea of morning gymnastics like I do, but I think she just isn’t a morning person.”

“I see, but why did you come to my place?”

“Why not, I didn’t want to go there by myself and so I thought how about going with my new student.” Tristan said with a teasing voice.

*Sigh*

“What did I get myself into when I asked you to be my Tutor? Ok, I hope for you, you can keep the pace with me, because I won’t stop and wait for you, since we don’t have time to fool around on our way.”

“I promise, I won’t get in your way.” Tristan smiled at Ai.

Soon after they were on their way and to Ai’s displeasure she was the one falling behind Tristan.

“After that discourse before the trip you seem pretty slow.” Tristan said with a taunting voice.

“By Fors, just shut up for once please.” Ai answered.

Although, she complained about Tristan talking too much, she had never enjoyed a ride to school more than the one she had with Tristan.

“I heard you were almost as mean as I was with you to my sis.” Tristan said as he got down from his bike once they had reached the parking area for bikes in front of the school.

“…”

“Although, I can’t stand my sister, I don’t like to see her depressed and yesterday she was really depressed since she couldn’t make friends with you.” Tristan added as he looked Ai directly at her eyes.

“Well,… I didn’t mean to, I just didn’t know how to react to that new situation. Actually, I was quite happy to share my lunch time with her, as you probably realized by now, most of our classmates behave like children so I didn’t know how to react to her…”

Ai looked troubled. “I don’t know how to explain but it was really strange to suddenly have someone same ages as me act that mature for once. Same goes for you, if you weren’t such a… a goofball… I wouldn’t have been able to talk to you so casually.”

Tristan smiled at her words. “So you wouldn’t mind talking to her and setting things straight?”

“Well,.. I’m not sure… won’t she be mad and isn’t it better if just hang out with you?”

“I know her, from the way of how she reacted yesterday she isn’t mad, but sad, and it looked like she wouldn’t give up no matter what. So, you better set things straight with her or else you’ll have to bear her desperate attempts to befriend you.” Tristan said in a half joking manner.

“Oh, ok, than I will give my best.”

“Good girl” Tristan said while petting her head.

“Heyyyy, what do you think you’re doing? I’m not pet!”