The Private's Promotion

Mel sat at her desk staring off into space. She held her head in her hands with her elbows on the table. A pen was being held between her nose and pressed lips. She heard a knock at the door and immediately put herself into a more professional stature. "Come i-... er Enter." It was a soldier who held a piece of paper in his hand.

"Lady Melissa..." The soldier stood there to greet her, but he stopped when he saw Mel's face rush to a reddish color.

"How many times I have I told you numbskulls to stop calling me Melissa. It's Mel or Fancy Mel. Even in my training I have spoken out of context of how I hated that name." Mel sighed and tapped her index finger on her desk. "Now what is it?"

The soldier sighed in relief, for he thought he was going to be hit in the face with a flashy word like the last soldier was. "We have a knight in our ranks who has made a name in our ranks. We recommend him promoted to Lieutenant. From what it looks like though, we can't have it put through unless you allow it Ma'am."

Mel stood up and smiled. "Oh really. Then I will test his strength out myself." Mel walked down the hall and the knight followed behind her.

"Why are we headed towards the vault, Ma'am."

Mel sneered to the knight. "Well... there's an item of mine in there that was unearthed. It was placed in here because of all the chaos it caused. I want to see how he reacts to it." She opened the vault and the Knight stood watch while Mel walked around to find the artifact that she had lost. "Ah ha..." She grabbed a golden ball and walked out of the vault with it.

"Ma'am that artifact has aged so much it couldn't be activated." The knight said. "Why did you--" The knight was hit on the head with the metal ball in Mel's hands. The knight fell over and passed out.

"Well then... Forget what you saw." Mel said as she walked away. She walked out into the training area of the Knights to find the soldier she was to test. "Why hello there," Mel said. "My name is Fancy Mel, it's a pleasure to meet you. I have heard good things about you." She stepped out of the shade of the halls and into the light to reveal her rather gaudy way of fashion. She tapped a clog on the ground and held up the ball in her mitten sleeved shirt. "What I hold in my hand is a special item I made when I was first experimenting with my magic," She giggled as it began to glow. "Ready to be promoted?"

"I'm sure you have. I haven't gotten the pleasure to meet you yet, Fancy Mel. I'm Shaku Hitsumo. I'm also surprised that you made that object you're holding." he said, greeting the proctor of his examination. She has no idea what she's holding. I can feel the power vibrating from that ball, and it's powerful. Only a chaos mage could feel it though, and since it's a tad forbidden, I doubt too many could realize what that ball it he thought as he stepped closer. "What do you need me to do Mel? I've been waiting for a chance to prove myself to the Council for a while now, so I won't blow the shot I've gotten now" he said, eager to begin his rank up exam to lieutenant of the defense division.

He wore nothing as fancy as this strange woman before him. No, Shaku stuck to his long sleeved white shirt, open at the chest as always. Breathable, open clothes were essential to be the quickest to strike. I wonder why she's wearing clogs. And how she created that golden ball. I haven't seen one of those since White Wolf gave me one just like it when I mastered chaos requip...

Mel giggled. "It's a dimensional tool." Mel said. "The point of this exam is simple. Close the portal to the dimension that I opened, but be ware. I don't even know what realm I'm going to open. So it could be good or it could be bad. We will see. Now the last man to find this item and actually use it was looking for a Greater cause." Mel stated as she tossed the ball up in the air. The ball exploded with yellow and pink light. Then the portal opened. Immediately out of the chaos of the portal two monsters jumped out. Strawberry shortcake monsters. Mel clapped her hand in amusement. "Oh my! It seems we found an interesting world! Let's see what else pops out!"

Monsters made out of sweets, brownies, mont blancs, fruit cakes, and more came out of the portal all lining up in front of it. As if they were protecting the opening. Then a voice was heard.

"Yeeeesss... at long last... You have released me yet again Melissa Sewell."

Mel looked up and her cheeks went red in frustration. "I told you DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

A big beige paw stepped out of the portal and then a huge purple cat with a rather large grin popped out of the portal. "Change of plan, Shaku, toss him back into the portal and I'll close it."

The giant grinning cat wagged its tail back and forth. "You mean to tell me that after these past few years you leave me in this world of sweets you still give me ill will? After all I was the cause of your condition."

Mel looked at the cat and growled. "And you're intelligence ceases to exist to this day!" Mel sighed as she pointed to the cat and put her head down so that her rabbit ears hung with her head. "This is Chessy. Whom I fired long ago. You can't kill him. You have to put him back." She pointed to Shaku. "That's Shaku. He's going to put you back, Chessy."

The cat growled and slammed his paw down. "Not unless my MINIONS... Ahem... Your former Minions take him down."

She used one of the greatest potentials for power in such a wasteful way, creating a portal to a random dimension. What a fool Mel is... oh well... at least she doesn't know how to use it properly. That could potentially make Fiore... I don't even want to think about it he thought as he carefully watched the bite sized monsters pour from the portal, as well as a single cat. Not only did this cat talk, it apparently knew Fancy Mel somehow. Has she opened a portal to this dessert world before? Who the hell puts a person like this in charge of the military. he thought again, listening in on the cat's challenge. "Chessy, I don't think you realize, but these are just a tad more threatening than sponge cake, so I suggest running" he said as he kicked over one of the creatures which looked like a really angry muffin.

He knew that cutting through sponge was probably not the way to go, since that would probably just cause them to multiply. Shaku has been in plenty of situations where quite aggravating enemies pulled that kind of power on him, so he was content with just punches and kicks if it meant that he'd avoid that. Chessy was getting a little worried, seeing as how Shaku was just kicking over cakes and stepping on frosting, so he tried to get away. Lucky for him, however, he had a quite handy magic that allowed him to perceive movement much slower than it actually was, so he used it. Sanguine eyes he thought while blinking, causing his eyes to go red, save for the two black shapes around his iris and the grey ring they were "attached" to. Shaku grabbed the cat mid air and tossed it as hard as he could back into the portal. "Should I take care of the desserts now? Or do we feast"

The desserts fell to the ground. However the giant cat growled and spread a pair of large bat wings. Mel sighed and looked at Shaku. "Did I forget to mention he uses magic too?" The cat hissed as stars began to circle around it it. "Aaaaand you made him mad."

Chessy began to send out ten homing stars at the mage. "With my portal still opened I can summon forth as many creatures as I want." The stars rushed towards Shaku with sharp edges like throwing stars.

Mel scratched her head as she wrote out the word FLOAT and began to hover above the mess. "I'm certain you can handle my creations..."

Out of the portal came bread and butterflies. They began to rush toward Shaku along with the stars. A swarm of 50 came out. These were special butterflies. If cut around Shaku, he would be greasy and covered in butter. Mel on the other hand was shocked that she had finally opened a portal to the dimension she had banished all of her failed creations still. This is so awesome... Too bad I gotta close the portal after he puts Chessy back in.

"Yeah, that probably would've been a good thing to mention Mel" he said, squinting his gaze at his forgetful leader. The cat wasn't too thrilled about being hurled into the portal, so he retaliated with attacks of his own. First was the casting of sharp stars, ten of them to be exact, which seemed to follow him as he made subtle movements. Act now he thought before making a one eighty and bolting away as the magic stars seemed to encroach on his position. Shaku ran faster and faster until he eventually got to one of the walls that surrounded the training area and taking a step on it. One he thought before taking his second step and leaping off the wall, causing all of the stars to embed themselves into the concrete.

Although he didn't quite stick the landing, coming off balance and nearly falling over, it was better than getting hit with those things. Laruna. A sleek black revolver appeared in his right hand after this thought, one of his preferred weapons. Then, something unexpected. He rushed forth into the cloud of butterflies, getting a good amount of grease smeared on him before emerging out the other side, covered in butter. He looked down at the cat and smiled before firing all six rounds at the cats head, back, and sides. Two each. Should he try to run, his eyes would more than likely be able to follow him. Shock tactics should work on this cat...

"Well... I'm sorry about that," Mel said floating around. She looked on as the cat hissed and growled in frustration as he moved slowly about the room. He was knocked back a bit. Mel put her finger under her eye then pulled down her lower eye lid and stuck her tongue out to the cat. "Tell me something Chessy, why are you so bitter? I gave you a world you can stomp around on."

"What's ruling a world with out you in it? Stupid witch..." The cat moved towards Shaku and howled up towards the sky. An explosion of cosmic energy occurred where he was standing. The cat was getting pretty tired.

"Hey Shaku, you got a few hits left on Chessy. You may want to strike soon. I'm certain you can put him in the portal no problem." Mel glared at the cat and smirked. "Chessy, you deserve every bit of this."

What is this cat...? he thought when the dam thing howled at the sky and the massive explosion happened in its immediate vicinity. Regardless of whatever spectacle this cat wanted to put on, Shaku needed to wrap this up before his Sanguine Eyes became unbearably difficult to maintain. And if that happened, the chances of him being able to catch the cat were slim to none. "Yes ma'm" he responded to Mel before throwing his weapon up and dispelling it and punting Chessy upwards with the force of a thousand suns. Although he preferred fighting monsters or other people, preferably degenerates, beating up an arrogant magical cat wasn't particularly bad. He only wished that it was a bit more threatening than a punching bag. I guess I can't expect too much from a furry thing locked in another dimension with infinite amounts of nonthreatening pastries

After kicking the cat up to about chest level, Shaku put his hands above him and interlocked his fingers before slamming them down on its back as if he was trying to break resistance bands. Following this move that would leave any other cat paralyzed, he would pick it up off the floor and toss it into the portal, or attempt to anyways. The tricky feline had avoided him before and acted like a positive end of a magnet whenever it came anywhere near the negative end of a magnet that was the portal he was tasked to throw it in.

Mel smirked as she reached up and the portal shut down. The ball floated to her hand. She grabbed it and tossed it up and down like a baseball. "Good job, Shaku." She turned her head to the side then put a finger on her chin. She giggled and laughed. "I have a couple of choices to give you. Ways to further your career or perhaps... Your own agenda." Mel pointed out the latter because out of all of the years of her life, she never doubted humans carried an agenda. "One... I give you a commanding slot. You will serve as more of a role model to your peers and you still follow my orders.. and only MY orders. No one elses." Mel paused for a moment to put out the next choice. "Or... You can go on a mission... alone or you may take me along. I need you to find a mysterious item. Though I feel that it will be a bust." Mel then gave mischievous smile. "You'll be greatly rewarded to the last seat. Research and Development." Mel then put her hands behind her back. "What say you, Knight."

Shaku was finished with his task, the cat was gone, and Mel was praising him for the job well done. What she offered him next was more than anything he could've possible hoped for and it essentially completed Phase Two of his plan. "Oh! That's more of a choice than I could have hoped for Fancy. I already know which I'd choose. That would be the last seat, the Research and Development of the Magic Council. It'll be fun to fight alongside you to recover whatever mysterious item you need to find. I'm sure we will." he said happily. Being the head of the Research and Development department of Fiore would give him the cover he needs to perform his atrocities with impunity, so he was simply elated at how this all played out. "I don't know why you think it'll be a waste, but I doubt you'd waste both of our times chasing ghosts. So, when do we depart?"

Mel nodded. "There's an abandoned house with a lab in the basement in town. Apparently before Research and Development actually came around, this man would do some development and projects. Most of which we knew about, but there is rumor of a project that he was working on behind our backs. After he died, that project was left open. So I want to investigate his home. Please come with me Shaku. I'm certain it may be dangerous, but we need to know what he was doing at the time." Mel began to walk away gesturing him to come with her as she walked along the hallways. "I found paper work in the archives after I joined the Rune Knights. Apparently there was nothing in the basement. Just the remnants of his body which was stabbed. The report that a man by the name Archfiend Liner sent us a formal report explaining that the murderer was his wife. She had stabbed him several times. There was nothing else." Mel smiled and walked further along. "Archfiend Liner is an anagram for Einrich Flandre. So the stories of the lightsworn knight who left were true." Her shoes tapped on the ground. "He spoke of a project that the scientist was working on. He named it Project: True Flight. So we are going to investigate further to find this project and see if we can shut it down."