Four years had passed since the Second Civil War. Out in the courtyard of a Silvermoon Knight academy, two male Knight Cadets sat next to each other on a bench during break. The sixteen year olds were minding their own business, when one of them watched as a tall foxgirl their age walked past in the school’s blazer uniform, with a bit of a pep to her step. She was a knockout in his eyes – a perfect ten. Way above a mob like him.
“Skylar is exactly my type,” he said dreamily to his friend, not taking his eyes off the girl.
“Yeah?” The friend said, not looking up from his phone. He seemed totally uninterested.
“Yeah,” the first boy continued. “That happy, good girl vibe. That short, blonde hair and fur. Those long legs, that toned body, that silky tail, those pinchable ears! She’s a great upcoming swordfighter and mage, but she doesn’t even let that get to her. Has there ever been a more perfect pokkit? No wonder she’s the Golden Ace of Level One.”
“Mood. You don’t have any chance with her though,” the other said, still not looking up.
“Eh, why not?” The first teen looked disappointed. “I know she’s out of my league, but yesterday, she even picked up my wallet for me! And when I thanked her, she gave me a big smile. Like, super friendly. I think she might actually have a thing for me!”
The second finally looked up, sighed while rolling his eyes, and gave his friend a look. “You’re an idiot,” he said, with withering words. “Don’t get so full of yourself – she’s friendly with everyone. The other day, I saw her helping an old man make a phone call, and she gave him a smile too. Do you think she has a thing for him?”
“No way! That’d be weird,” the first protested.
“Yeah. Exactly my point,” the second said, turning back to his phone and typing something. “She doesn’t feel anything for you. Besides, you wouldn’t know this since you just transferred in, but guys like us don’t have a chance. I’d explain, but… I think you can see for yourself.”
He pointed with his left index finger, while still looking down at his phone.
“Keep watching.”
The first watched as Skylar approached another pokkit girl, who was sat on a bench and reading some complex textbook about advanced magic – way above Level One grade, and even above Level Two grade. This was a Level Three grade magic book. It had lots of highlighter marks, and sticky notes poking out of it.
The girl had a serious expression and aura, as if to keep ‘keep away.’ Her silver hair was long and straight, and she had some reddish whisker-like marks on her cheeks. They identified her as one of the many clones of Elder Kirith Silvermoon.
Skylar plopped herself on a bench across from the other girl, and gazed at her longingly as she continued to read. It wasn’t just a look of friendliness – there was a faint blush in Skylar’s face. Her foxy tail swished slowly as she watched with hearts in her eyes, and a faint but stupid smile on her face.
“Oh,” the first Cadet said. All of his hopes and dreams had instantly been crushed. He could practically see the lilies floating around the two girls.
“Yeah. You’ve got no chance against Allegra, the Silver Queen of Level One,” the second said. “She and Skylar are practically made for each other. The smartest first-year, and the strongest first-year.”
“Do you think Skylar just has a thing for clones? Maybe if I-”
“Don’t,” the second Cadet said, looking up again. He had a more serious expression on his face this time. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s definitely messed up. Besides, it’s not just any of the clones she has a thing for. She only acts this way around Allegra.”
There was some awkward silence.
“So… how does she tell the clones apart?” The first wondered.
“Stop. I’m losing respect for you with every word.”
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Skylar stared at Allegra, the foxy ears on the sides of her head twitching. She just stayed like this for several minutes, as the slightly younger pokkit continued to study while engrossed in her book.
Allegra’s mana heart – her Leviathan Core – had a very calming and steady presence, like that of a clear lake without a single ripple. To Skylar, it was so smooth that it looked like a mirror, but that wasn’t objectively true. If it was, then it wouldn’t be detectable at all.
“You’re not doing a good job hiding yourself,” Allegra remarked dryly, without looking up at the intruding Skylar. “You’re not even trying to hide your mana heart.” Her expression didn’t change one bit – it was impossible to tell how she felt about being watched.
Skylar jumped with a sheepish look on her face, as she promptly put both her hands on her tail to stop it from wagging.
“Hehe. I guess not,” she replied, letting go with her right hand to scratch the back of her right ear.
“Is there something fun about watching me study?” Allegra asked, turning a page.
“Uhhh.” Skylar scrambled for words, her face and brain both overheating from being put on the spot by her crush. “Being around you is comfortable?” In the end, she just wound up saying the first thing that came to mind.
“Why?”
“Um.” Skylar swallowed. “Before I tell you. Promise me you won’t laugh, or call me creepy?” She asked, fidgeting with her hands as her face continued to redden.
“I won’t.”
“Okay.” Skylar closed her eyes and took a deep breath, building up her courage. She tried to keep her fiery mana heart from revealing her emotions too strongly. Finally, she stood, and approached Allegra with steps more rigid than a plank of metal. Her heart was beating out of her chest.
“…I like you! Please, go out with me?”
There, she’d said it.
There was an excruciating pause, as Allegra finally looked up at Skylar with her sharp, ruby-red eyes. Even now, her expression was stoic and difficult to read. But she did seem mildly interested by the Golden Ace’s confession.
“What do you even like about me?” She asked, tilting her head.
That blank look with the head tilt was so unfair – Skylar felt her heart skip a beat, as her brain continued to melt down. Her tail was wagging with excitement. “You, uh… you smell nice?” She said clumsily.
For a human, this might qualify as sexual harassment, but pokkits could identify people by scent, even over considerable distances. Complimenting someone’s smell was much like complimenting their face or hair. Normally, one might respond with a thank you, or otherwise not think twice of it.
However, Allegra’s left ear twitched, and there was a faint bit of tension in her lips. It was the first time that day that she showed any sign of expression. There were some turbulent ripples that Skylar could feel from Allegra’s mana heart – she was unhappy.
“I smell exactly like all the other clones who study here,” she pointed out. “If you’re just going to make fun of me, then please leave.”
Skylar’s ears and tail drooped. A crushed expression came to her face, as she realized how her words must have come off. She felt horrible for saying something that could be misunderstood so easily by anyone, let alone the target of her affections.
“No! I’m not making fun of you! Honest!” She protested desperately. “So I won’t leave!”
“Then I will,” Allegra said, closing her book. She stood, turned, and began to walk away without giving Skylar another glance, her fluffy tail trailing behind her without moving.
“Wait!” Skylar called out, reaching with her hand.
Allegra didn’t respond, only continuing to leave behind a heartbroken Skylar.
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The first male Cadet watched the drama unfold, as Allegra exited the courtyard through a gate.
“Do you think I have a chance-” He began.
“Stop,” the second said, interrupting him. “Are you kidding me? How rude can you get?”
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Following that break period came combat exercises in the training grounds – non-magic, in this case. Skylar didn’t have much time to regret her actions, as she hurriedly changed into her combat uniform and made her way to the field.
Even without magic, Skylar was a great fighter. But now, she just felt so out of it after her interaction with Allegra went so poorly. She replayed the events over and over in her head, and thought about how the two of them could possibly make up.
“Eyes up!”
Skylar’s eyes widened as she hastily parried the instructor’s sword with her own with a clang. However, her sloppy movements caused her to lose her grip. Her longsword went tumbling out of her hands and thudded into the grass.
Skylar hurriedly scrambled off to retrieve her weapon. Meanwhile, the instructor looked at her with a frown, and deep concern.
“Cadet Skylar,” she said, softly but firmly. “If you’re not feeling well, then I ask that you sit the practical training out.”
Skylar retrieved her sword and bowed stiffly to the instructor. “Wait. I’m so close to getting this! Give me another chance,” she begged. She didn’t want to fall behind – as the Golden Ace, she had a bit of an image to live up to.
The instructor shook her head. “I understand that you’re eager to learn, and that’s commendable,” she replied. “But your safety comes first. Don’t push yourself – even the best Phoenix Knights take breaks when they have to.”
Skylar was about to continue protesting, but held herself back, and just nodded silently and dejectedly. She sheathed her sword, and shambled off to the benches off to the side of the training field. A few fellow Level One Cadets watched.
“I guess even the Golden Ace has off-days, huh?” One of them whispered.
“Shh! She can hear you,” another hissed.
Unbeknownst to Skylar, this incident actually made her more relatable to other Cadets, which later increased her popularity further.
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Skylar hoped she would have more chances to talk to Allegra, but the rest of the day passed by without the two of them seeing one another again.
As it was time to head home, Skylar sat at her desk in her classroom while staring blankly at her phone, looking something up. Her ears, tail, and entire body were held low.
“How to make up with a clone friend who I want to date,” a voice said from behind her.
“AAAAAA!” Skylar jumped as every strand of fur on her tail stood up, making it look like a giant fuzzball. She swiveled to look behind her. “Don’t do that, Laila! Haven’t you ever heard of personal space?”
“Normally, you can tell that I’m coming,” the catgirl replied. She was an ailuran – a cat-person – and her dark skin indicated some Southern ancestry, where the sun was stronger. “You’ve been out of it the whole day. This is about Allegra, isn’t it?”
Skylar paused, before her annoyed look quickly changed to one of sadness, as her mind went back to her bad slip-up that led to her hurting Allegra. Then she leaned forward and clung to Laila’s shirt desperately, bawling her eyes out.
“Lailaaaa! Help meeeee!” She wailed.
Classmates stopped, stared, and commented about what they were witnessing. It was so rare to see the Golden Ace in such a pathetic state.
Laila looked around in a panic, not liking the attention as her tail flicked in agitation. Her earthen mana heart quaked.
“Wait! Don’t make a scene! Let’s take this somewhere else!” She hissed.
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After some finagling, the two of them finally found a quiet space in the infirmary.
“My gods, don’t do that,” Laila scolded Skylar, sitting across from her on a chair. The academy nurse was off doing something else, leaving the two of them alone.
“I’m sorry,” Skylar said, sat on a bed as she wiped tears from her eyes, her face red with embarrassment. She looked down at her thighs.
“Whatever. So, let me guess what happened,” Laila said. “You finally worked up the guts to confess, but then you said something really stupid in a panic, and she shot you down.”
“Yeah,” Skylar replied gloomily.
“No way, really?” Laila seemed a bit surprised that she’d gotten it right, and yet part of her didn’t seem surprised at all. “I guess even though you’ve gotten so much better around other people, you’re still a big dork when it comes to your crush.”
The words pierced through Skylar like swords, as she recalled her less glamorous past.
“You don’t have to remind me,” she said, cringing as she looked up at Laila.
“So, what was it that you said?”
“She asked what I liked about her. I… told her that she smelled nice.”
Laila raised an eyebrow. “Did you at least begin by telling her that you have a crazy good nose, and she smells different from the other clones?” She asked pointedly.
Skylar shook her head. Laila gave Skylar a look of disappointment.
“Oh my gods, you’re a moron! All that food you eat must be going to your muscles and tail instead of your head.”
Another bunch of swords pierced through Skylar.
“I couldn’t help it!” She blurted, raising her fists in front of her like a fangirl cheering for an idol. Words came tumbling out of her mouth, one after another like a waterfall.
“My mind goes blank when I’m around Allegra. I love how she’s such a hard worker. I love how she can just ignore all the people who insult her. I love the gap between her serious and happy sides. The other day, I saw her petting a fox with the biggest smile on her face! She was so cute! Like a million times cuter than the fox! I can’t get enough of her!”
“You need to be telling Allegra these things, not me,” Laila pointed out. “If you’d just began like that, there wouldn’t be a problem.”
Skylar looked up at the ceiling as she put her hands to her head in despair. “Ugh, I knowwww!” She wailed. “But I don’t want to come off as creepy. I’m going to disappoint her if she knows I’m really like this!”
“You can’t disappoint her more than you already have,” Laila observed with more piercing words.
“Ugh.”
“If you want, I can talk to Allegra and help clear up this misunderstanding,” the catgirl offered.
“Wait!” Skylar said, looking back at Laila with determination. She couldn’t allow that. “I know I asked for your help, but offending her was my fault. I need to clear up the misunderstanding myself!”
Laila sighed. “There you go again, insisting on solving your own problems, even though you like going around solving other peoples’ problems,” she said.
Yet another sword stabbed through Skylar.
“Is that… hypocritical of me?” She asked, timidly.
Laila shrugged. “Everyone’s a hypocrite in some way,” she replied. “You’re the good kind. You’re so nice that you don’t want to burden other people with your problems. But I’m telling you this as your childhood friend – I want to help you, so you don’t just burn yourself out.”
Skylar gave Laila a twisted smile. “Thanks. But I still want to try solving this on my own first.”
“Well, suit yourself.”
“Also, uh. Thanks for the help. I think talking helped me out a little.”
Laila smirked. “Anytime. What are friends for?”
Skylar was now determined to find Allegra when she could, and make up with her. If they couldn’t date, then at least they wouldn’t be on bad terms.
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However, the next day came and went. Then the next one. Then the next. Every time Skylar approached Allegra, she snubbed her and left, without giving her a chance to explain herself. Every time, Skylar got more and more hung up over it.
“Lailaaaaa. I’m running low on Allegra juice,” Skylar moaned, lying down on a bed in the infirmary with an arm over her eyes. Four days had passed, and it was currently lunchtime, but she didn’t feel hungry. She looked more haggard than she had in a long time – her normally silky hair and fur were losing their usual shine.
Laila made a face and was about to comment on Skylar’s choice of words, but thought things over more carefully.
“…Look, are you sure you don’t want me to talk to her for you? It seems like she’s been avoiding you, and neither of us know why,” she prompted.
“Ughhh, fine. I’m just a useless, horrible person who isn’t worth talking to,” Skylar said, moving her arm off her face, but not looking at Laila and still staring up at the ceiling.
“Skylar, snap out of it. I know this is hard on you, but it’s only been a few days.”
Skylar rolled her head to look over at Laila. “Only a few days? It might as well be years, with how hard she’s avoiding me.”
Laila stood, and grabbed Skylar’s arm. “Ugh, get up! You need to eat lunch, and you can’t think straight on an empty stomach!”
“But I’ve never been straight-”
“Shush! Just get food!”
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Laila practically had to drag Skylar to the cafeteria, which was bustling with people. As the two finally got their food and looked around for a table, Skylar looked a bit concerned, and scanned around a bit more quickly. The scents of the cafeteria were normal, and overwhelmed by that of rote food and the many Cadets, except…
“I don’t smell Allegra,” Skylar said, as her concern grew. She had a mild frown on her face, as she sniffed around.
“Huh?” Laila raised an eyebrow.
“Allegra always keeps to a fixed schedule. Normally, she would have been here by now, before heading to the courtyard,” Skylar said, with absolute certainty. “But her scent is weaker than it was yesterday.”
Laila had a look of both awe and mild disgust. “First of all, it’s weird that you know her schedule that well,” she began. “Second of all, I can’t believe you can tell she hasn’t been here, with-”
“I have a bad feeling about this!” Skylar handed her food tray off to Laila, then ran off.
“Oi!” Laila protested, watching Skylar hurry away. She looked over at some boys who were sitting at a nearby table, then set both trays down on said table. “Sorry!” She said.
“Don’t sweat it,” one of them said, waving it off.
“The power of love sure is crazy, huh?” Another remarked.
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Skylar dropped by the courtyard, where Allegra usually had lunch alone. She scanned around, looking. Then, she cupped her hands around her mouth to make herself more heard.
“Hey!! Allegra?!” She called out loudly, drawing the attention of several other Cadets.
There was no sign of Allegra. No sight of her silvery hair, no trace of her minty scent, nothing.
Laila caught her breath, finally catching up to Skylar. She put her hands on her knees, having struggled to keep up with the Golden Ace’s fast running speed.
“…Oi,” she said, looking up.
Skylar jumped, and turned, having been so focused on finding Allegra that she hadn’t noticed Laila’s presence at all.
“Laila?! I didn’t think you’d follow me,” she said.
“I’m your friend! If you’re worried, then I’m worried,” Laila replied, standing upright.
Skylar stumbled for words again, unsure what to think, before a grateful expression finally crossed her face. “…Thanks,” she said.
“What are friends for? Anyway, let me call her,” Laila said, pulling her phone from her pocket. “I’m sure this is nothing.”
Skylar looked at Laila dumbly. “You have her contact info?” She asked.
“Yeah. You don’t?” Laila asked back.
“How could I dare ask for her contact info??” Skylar looked immensely frustrated that Laila had beaten her to the punch.
“True. You’re a useless lesbian, after all,” Laila remarked, calling up Allegra’s phone number.
Skylar was about to reply in protest, but shut up.
Allegra’s phone rang as she held it to her ear. Both Skylar and Allegra waited with bated breath. Finally, the ringing stopped, as someone picked up on the other end.
“Hi. Who’s this?” An unfamiliar female voice replied from the other end.
Skylar and Laila both froze upon hearing this. A lot of bad possibilities immediately started crossing Skylar’s mind, but she did her absolute best to ignore them. Without speaking, she just nodded to Laila. Laila nodded back.
“…I’m a friend of Allegra’s. Who am I speaking to?” The catgirl asked carefully, doing her best to be polite and nonthreatening.
There was a bit of confusion on the other end, and some muffled sounds.
“Shit. I didn’t think that bitch had any friends,” a boy said in the background of the call.
“What do we do now? The teachers will-” Another person began.
“Shut up!” The caller ordered. “Hey, Allegra’s friend – are you still there? Let’s pretend that this didn’t happen, alright~? Otherwise, we’re gonna-”
All of a sudden, there was a violent surge of watery mana from the far reaches of the campus. It was easy to confuse for other people, but Skylar could tell – that was Allegra’s Leviathan Core.
Without missing a beat, Skylar bolted off in that direction.
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Skylar rocketed herself over a metal fence with fire magic, arriving at a restricted storage area of the campus. Normally, only staff were allowed back here. There weren’t even any guards, since most upstanding Knight Cadets wouldn’t dare trespass.
There were several large metal sheds lined up, all slightly rusted with age, and the ground was largely paved over in concrete. Various supplies were stacked up outside the sheds as well – metal beams, crates, and a couple of forklifts.
Now that she was here, Skylar could faintly smell Allegra and some other clones amid the metal, oil, and rust, along with the unfamiliar scents of other people. These people were all on the younger side – somewhere around her age. They were probably fellow Knight Cadets.
Skylar ran in the direction she sensed the mana from, smelling iron and blood in the air. She couldn’t tell whose blood it was – her nose wasn’t quite that good. But finally, she reached a grisly scene.
One of the sheds had been torn to shreds, with water and metal debris strewn all over the place. Three clone Knight Cadets stood in the middle of it, bleeding and in various states of injury. They were surrounded by other Cadets, some standing and some knocked out. Those who were still up numbered six, and they all wielded weapons of different types.
Whatever they’d been doing before, they all looked over at Skylar, the Golden Ace who’d just shown up like some big damn hero. Skylar wished she had her longsword right now – it would help with control against so many opponents. But there was something more pressing than that.
“Allegra!” She called out. She could feel that the clones’ remaining magic stamina was quite low, after what was presumably a giant outburst of water.
Before anyone could respond, two of the rogue Cadets approached her, brandishing their swords threateningly and blocking her view.
“Hey, Golden Ace,” one of them said, disparagingly. “Don’t think you can just ignore us.”
“Why are you doing this?” Skylar asked, clenching her fists. She felt tension and anger building up in her body. They hurt fellow Cadets – they were seriously out of their minds. More importantly, they hurt Allegra. They would pay for this.
A familiar voice spoke up. It was the one who spoke over the phone. She was a fluffy white-furred ailuran who carried herself like a leader – definitely the alpha bitch of the group. She approached Skylar, twirling a katana. Her mana heart gusted with wind.
“Why? We’re doing everyone a favor, you know?” She said confidently.
“By beating up fellow students?!” Skylar snapped.
“By taking care of these violent clones, of course! After all, they’re a product of terrorists who wanted to recreate Elder Kirith’s power,” the catgirl reminded her, as if this was a matter of course. “Look, they even went and attacked us! Who knows if they’re still in cahoots? Maybe they’re only studying hard so they can steal-”
Skylar yelled and punched the air. A giant ball of raging fire roared out, exploding forward with concussive force. It scorched the concrete, its strong heat blasting the three rogue Cadets. The first two were grunts, and easily knocked flat to the ground.
The leader was more resilient, taking a deep stance. With a loud shout, she infused her katana with mana and swung it hard, breaking through the shock wave. Despite this, it forced her to skid backwards.
Skylar bent down and seized one of the swords from one of the Cadets. It was a one-handed shortsword with a broad and strongly tapered blade – not the longsword she was used to. But it would have to do for now. She ignited it with a surge of mana, its blade glowing with red-hot flames.
“Alright, you asked for it!” The leader hissed, swinging at Skylar with her katana from a distance. The blade became enveloped in sharp jets of wind, and launched an air blade at the pokkit. Skylar deflected this easily, growled, and with a series of light swings, she shot back with several arcs of fire, which her opponent was forced to parry.
Using the opening, Skylar let out a war cry and charged forward, and the two clashed blades, sending sparks and gusts of wind outwards. Skylar was more talented, and despite not using a weapon she was proficient in, she managed to begin putting pressure on the leader.
Chaotic fighting broke out among the other Cadets, and it quickly became hard to tell who was fighting who – especially with three clones in the mix.
“Fuck! I guess you’re not the Golden Ace for nothing!” The leader grunted, parrying another heavy blow from Skylar’s strong frame. “Rowan! Plan B!”
“But that’s-” One of the grunts began.
“Just do it!!”
Rowan reluctantly fired upon a nearby forklift with a bolt of electricity. The forklift burst into flames, and began to emit big plumes of heavy white smoke that started to fall upon all the combatants. Dense vapor sheets curled along the ground and into the air, sharply decreasing visibility.
Skylar coughed and held her left hand over her mouth and nose. The smell was strong and kind of fruity, yet also caustic and irritating. It was lithium battery smoke. This also afflicted all the other Cadets – even the grunts.
Meanwhile, the leader cast quick gusts of wind to keep the smoke away from herself, creating a zone of breathable air around her body.
“You might be strong, Golden Ace, but you’re cooked without a plan!” She sneered, swinging her sword again at Skylar.
Skylar was forced onto the defensive as she parried while holding her breath. The leader’s mana medium was her katana – if Skylar could somehow disarm her, then she would likely not have the control needed to create her bubble of clear air. But she was rapidly losing focus.
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Laila arrived at the storage depot to witness a horrendous sight. There was a raging fire, and big clouds of toxic, opaque white smoke. From the chaos fled coughing and wheezing Cadets, their eyes tearing up from irritation. She shielded her face, unable to make out the specifics of what was happening through all the fog.
An injured clone Cadet hurriedly approached her from the smoke, a bubble of water around her head keeping the fumes from her face. Laila couldn’t tell the clones apart from each other, but she was immediately concerned that this water mage hadn’t addressed the issue yet.
“Hey! Why haven’t you put out the fire?! Is it too strong?” Laila asked. She could feel that the clone was running low on magic.
The clone shook her head and quickly scrawled out some writing in the air with a finger and some water magic. It was the fastest that Laila had ever seen anyone write this way.
BATTERY FIRE, WATER BAD MUST USE SAND.
Laila paused, then nodded in understanding.
“I got it,” she said.
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Skylar struggled to maintain consciousness, as her head was getting very foggy from the lack of oxygen. She was squinting, her eyes tearing up as she was barely able to keep deflecting the leader’s katana. All of her muscles screamed, as she pushed her senses, body, and talent as hard as they could possibly go.
“Just give up, Golden Ace!” The leader said. “Give up, and I’ll let you off before the teachers arrive!”
Skylar shook her head. The leader scowled.
“You’re really something, huh?!”
Then, Skylar felt a familiar surge of earthly mana. It was Laila’s magic – she was doing something to put out the fire, which she could now feel weakening.
The leader sensed it too, and in the split second of distraction, Skylar yelled and swung as hard as she could, flinging the katana out of the catgirl’s hands. Immediately, the winds started going haywire, and the zone of clear air filled with white smoke.
The leader stumbled and coughed, which gave Skylar time to close in and whack her in the head with the crossguard of her sword, knocking her out cold. Just in time, too – she was about ready to collapse from holding her breath. At least she’d managed to avoid the worst outcome of getting stabbed or something.
But all of a sudden, sharp and powerful gust of wind blew by, and the smoke was abruptly cleared and thrown out of the area. Skylar could just barely make out some fuzzy shapes and voices, as her senses began to come back to her. She blinked, her eyes still stinging and watering from the smoke.
“Skylar!” Laila yelled, racing towards her with the bloodied clone.
“Hey, Laila. And… Allegra?!” Skylar said, starting to get skittish in the presence of her crush, whom she could smell over the scents of blood, rust, oil, and residual lithium smoke. All the tension instantly faded from her body, replaced entirely with nerves. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.
“You shouldn’t be able to see right now. How do you know it’s me?” Allegra asked.
“I- I told you already! You smell nice.” Skylar stumbled backwards, dropping the shortsword and trying to get herself some space. She almost fell over onto her back, but Allegra grabbed her by the hands.
“I see. So you really weren’t lying,” the Silver Queen said softly, as she pulled Skylar back to her feet.
Skylar couldn’t see Allegra’s expression right now, but she really really wished she could, because it was probably something she’d never seen before.
“Keep your eyes open. I’m going to rinse them out,” Allegra said.
Skylar did her best, even though it really hurt and stung. Allegra raised a hand to Skylar’s face, and Skylar felt a gentle flow of water cleaning out her eyes – it was soothing and calming, like a gentle spring of water. Just like Allegra beneath her aloof exterior. Skylar could feel the nerves slowly leaving her body.
As this happened, she could also hear and smell other people gathering around. The teachers were here to punish the bullies and clean up the mess.
“I’m done,” Allegra said. Skylar blinked a few times, as her eyes slowly stopped watering and sharp images came back into focus. A look of shock and horror came over her face.
“Allegra. You’re really hurt,” she said. Allegra had a number of cuts and dark bruises on her arms, and probably more elsewhere that she couldn’t see. Her uniform was also dirtied and bloodied.
“Worry about yourself first,” Allegra said, a serious and worried expression on her face. “You inhaled quite a bit of smoke. Everyone here will be sent to the hospital for medical exams, before punishments are decided.”
“Oh, no, Skylar! That means you won’t be with your beloved Allegra for a while,” Laila snarked.
“Laila! Don’t interrupt us!” Skylar screeched.
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One week afterwards, Skylar was busy cleaning the stricken debris from the damaged storage depot, wearing lighter clothes than her usual Cadet uniform. It was her punishment for being so reckless, instead of contacting the staff first. However, she’d gotten off easy. The bullies were currently under trial for assault, hate crimes, and destruction of property.
As she sighed, squatting down while tying up a bag of scraps, she felt and smelled a familiar presence. She looked up.
“Take this. You need to stay hydrated,” Allegra said, handing her a metal bottle of water. She too was wearing lighter clothes, which exposed more of her arms and legs.
“Er. Thanks,” Skylar said, still nervously as she took the bottle of water.
Allegra bent down to Skylar’s level, sitting down on the concrete with her arms around her knees. Skylar sat down with one knee up, uncapped the bottle, and took a long chug of it as Allegra watched.
“I’m sorry,” Allegra said.
“Sorry for what?” Skylar asked, capping the bottle and setting it aside.
“Sorry for avoiding you.”
“Oh. Right,” Skylar said. “Well, that was my fault. I said something dumb and insulting.”
Allegra shook her head.
“That’s not it,” she replied. “I knew exactly what you meant. You wear your feelings on your ears, your tail, and your mana heart. You’re one of the easiest people to read that I know.”
Skylar could feel yet another sword piercing through her.
“Then… why did you avoid me?” She asked.
Allegra paused, looking for the words as her ears drooped. A conflicted expression came to her.
“…I was scared,” she finally admitted, quietly.
“Scared?” Skylar asked, confused.
“I’m not good at understanding people,” Allegra said, looking down at her knees. “I wondered if I was misreading you somehow. After all, you’re much too good for a clone like me. I felt like I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.”
“Wait. I’m the one who was scared!” Skylar blurted, putting a hand to her chest.
This startled Allegra, who looked up again.
Skylar’s tail slowly started to swish. “I thought you hated me! And what are you talking about?? You’re not just a clone, you’re Allegra, the smartest and hardest working person I know! Meanwhile, I’m pathetic. I’m only popular because I’m good at fighting and being nice to people.”
“That’s not-” Allegra stopped herself, looking Skylar in the eyes. “Well, maybe you’re right. But that’s the Skylar I fell in love with. That pathetic, nice, fighting Skylar who rushed into battle to try and save me. Even if she just made a bigger mess of things.”
Skylar’s face flushed bright red, as her ears and tail started to twitch. She hadn’t expected her feelings to be acknowledged, let alone mutual. Her heart fluttered and floated – right now, the mood was crazy, and she wanted it to last forever. Meanwhile, Allegra kept her cool as she uncurled herself, knelt down, and leaned forward. Her face got closer, and closer, and closer to Skylar’s.
At this distance, Skylar had a great close up of Allegra’s face – closer than she’d ever been before. Her blank, yet cute stare. Her well-kept silver hair, with not a strand out of place. Her soft features and sharp, vivid red eyes. The mole beneath her right eye. That minty scent that was so comfortable to be around. It was all so intoxicating and nerve-wracking.
Skylar closed her eyes as her whole body tensed up, trembling as she awaited what was to come.
Then, she felt a sharp flick on her forehead.
“Ow!” She wailed, her eyes snapping open as she covered the point of impact.
“We need to do things in order. Kissing comes after the first date,” Allegra said, smirking as she pulled back. It was the first time Skylar saw her smirk or act in a teasing way, and it was unbearably cute. She felt her heart throbbing as she committed this moment to memory.
“Hold up. So! Uh. That means?” With all her brainpower used up, Skylar tripped over her words one after another.
“I look forward to our first outing, um. Babe?” Allegra said, a bit uncertainly.
“Aiieeeee!” Skylar fell over backwards, completely unprepared for the one-two punch.
“Um. Are you alright?” Allegra asked, with mild concern.
“I’m fine! I just want to savor this moment.”
----------------------------------------
Out in the courtyard of a Silvermoon Knight academy, two male Knight Cadets sat next to each other on a bench during break. They both watched as two foxgirls their age walked past – one with silver hair, one with blonde. The girls were smiling, holding hands, and chatting happily to one another, their fluffy tails swishing with positive feelings.
“You were right,” the first said to his friend, not taking his eyes off the girls. “They are made for each other. I can see the lilies now.”
“Yeah,” the second said. “You’ll give up now, right?”
“Yeah – I can’t get between them. They’re off in their own world.”
“Better you realize late than never,” the second said, looking down at his phone. “You’ve always been pretty dense.”
“Ugh, I knowwww. I wonder if I’ll ever have a knightly romance,” the second thought aloud.
“Well, that might happen sooner than you think,” the second said, as he began to type something.
The first looked at him, then sighed and stared up at the sky. “I know you’re trying to be a bro, but come on. There’s no way that’s happening.”
The second glanced up at the bench across from them, where a shy redheaded foxgirl hurriedly buried her face in a book.
“Yeah. Dense,” he muttered.