Gracia felt a tug on her dress from the boy at her side.

          She turned to face her son, who was looking up at her with concern and worry.

“Mommy?” He called out to her plaintively. “Why did you make Mabel roll up the ramp herself, after you yelled at her for rolling her wheely-chair outside?”

          

Gracia smiled down at her son, who was nervously worried about his older sister, and whether or not she was in trouble with Gracia.

                      She ended the healing spell in her hand, then reached down and stroked Jacob’s hair lovingly, while giving him a reassuring smile.

“You do not have to worry sweetheart, I’m not mad at your sister.” She told him. “As to why I made her finish her journey; it is exactly that: as a Brigit, we always finish what we started.” She informed her son.

                 “While I wasn’t happy to see that Mabel had wheeled herself out here. Because, a noble must always be ready and able to receive guests if they must; a noble must always be presentable and well maintained.” She waved a lazy hand towards the slumped and tired form of her daughter in her lap, as an example for the boy.

“And this is precisely the reason, she should have thought ahead, before preforming such an experiment with her body or to test her limits.” But despite her disparaging words. Gracia maintained a smile on her face, as she turned to look at her daughter with a proud expression.

                      “The reason I yelled at her. Is because, before we are a noble family; we are a Brigit: And Brigits never give up before we accomplish our goals.” She said to both her son and daughter. The latter of which was slumped and panting at Gracia’s waist.

         

Gracia moved Mabel’s hair out of the way of her forehead; a proud expression of hers, looking down at the face a the sweat drenched brow of her prodigy.

        

Jacob was staring up at his mother with a confused expression on his face.

“I don’t really get it, mommy. But I’m just glad you’re not really mad at Mabel.” He told his mother with a huge grin.

Gracia chortled at her son’s response, and reached down to stroke his head affectionately as well.

              

“Huhuhu~ What a lovely family moment~”

After hearing her long time friend speak, Gracia remembered herself about their present company.

“Ehem!” Gracia coughed in embarrassment at having shown an undignified appearance in front of her friend and fellow nobel. “Please forgive this unusual behavior we’ve been demonstrating, your majesty.” Gracia bowed her head from her half standing position.

“Huhuhu~ You know full well that it doesn’t bother me in the slightest: I don’t tend to stand on ceremony often; especially when it comes to close personal friends of our family.”

Gracia chortled at her friend’s words, with a smile on her face for her gracious allowance of their breach in etiquette.

While continuing to bow, Gracia spoke.

“Be that as it may, you majesty. I also don’t wish to take advantage of that, despite out friendship.” Gracia finally looked up at her friend with a fond smile on her face. “Because, what kind of friend would I be. I besmirch every tradition because our friendship allows it; I wouldn’t be such a good friend, would I?”

“Huhuhu~ probably a better noble and friend than I am, Gracia. That’s for sure,” The forest green haired woman said to her friend, as she turned to look at the figures out past the pavilion she, her friend, and their children were currently residing.

“You know for a fact that I would rather be out there with the boys right now.” She reminded Gracia.

Gracia rolled her eyes as she righted her daughter back into a sitting position on her chair, before sitting back down next to her youngest.

“Of that, I never doubted Yulinia. Despite your adaptation to high society, you really haven’t changed since you and his majesty first met.”

                    

Gracia smiled at the elven huntress, turned empress of the human empire.

                   She reminisced about how she, Mark and his majesty. Came as a delegation to the elven forest, hoping to secure an alliance with the elves for the war they were participating in. Only to run into a blood soaked huntress, who had just finished killing and dressing a deer from within the forest.

The green eyed, green haired elf stood there glaring at them, looking larger than life. she shouldered a deer larger than her own frame over her shoulders. The deer’s exposed flesh dripping blood down and over her shoulders and head. Dying her hair an almost muddy brown color. The deer’s head, tied to her side as a trophy

                Her eyes, piercing as she stared at these would be intruders to the elven forest. Her height towering over the largest in their group; which was her now husband, Mark.

              

Gracia released a chuckle at the memory.

                    “Yes,” Gracia said. “To think that the intimidating huntress we met that day, would eventually go on to become my best friend, and then empress of our nation. Just goes to show that, life has a way of surprising you.”

Yulinia chuckled at her friend’s thought.

“Yes,” The former huntress laughed as she to recalled their first encounter. “And to think I let that scrawny, would be mage, eventually sweep me off my feet.” The empress said with a fond smile towards the figures at the open field in the garden. “How embarrassing~“ She sighed with a voice full of affection. As she leaned her head on her hand, which was propped up by the table.

                       Gracia followed her gaze. As it lead over towards their husbands. Who were currently standing in the field of the garden, facing off with each other.

“Yes,” Gracia also sighed fondly at the man who had wooed her. “I find myself in that same dilemma as I watch our men make fools of themselves.” She berated with a smile.

Yulinia chortled at her friend’s words.

“Prattle and complain all you want, my dear friend.” Yulinia said to Gracia with a side eyed glance. “I know you find it just as thrilling and just as sexy to watch them fight, as I do~“

         

Gracia scoffed at Yulinia’s crassness.

“Yuli! Please! Not in front of the children.” She scolded.

This just made the empress laugh more.

“If you’re worried about me harming their child like sensibilities. You should have never allowed us over for tea, Gracia.” Yulinia told her friend with a shrug. “Besides,” She waved a hand towards the children. “These three are old enough to at least comprehend and understand it by now. And they youngest will barely pay attention to our words. Look,” Yulinia pointed towards Jacob.

                      “He is totally enthralled with what is happening in the field.”

Gracia let out a disappointed sigh.

“That is not the point Yulinia.” Gracia groused as she reached up and touched her forehead. “You can’t just—“

      

“#M-Mom?#” Called a groggy voice from beside her.

               

Gracia turned around to face her bleary daughter. Who was just now sitting back up right in her chair.

“Huhuhu~ Welcome back to the world of the living, Mabel.” She waved a hand to her daughter, ushering her forward.

                        “Come.” Gracia told her. “You don’t want to miss this.”

          

MKB-9000 looked at her mother unit curiously.

“#QUERY: Miss what?—“

              

                  

*BOOM*

                        

                   

In a flash of light and a resounding blast from a short distance away.

MKB-9000 stared in awe at the scene in front of her.

        

What is this?!

                 

She watched as she saw at a distance, her father unit. Standing off against a well dressed figure wielding a scepter in his hand. Her father unit, wielding a sword in his own hand.

                       The two figures stared at one another, as they circled and lunged at each other.

The man staring down her father unit. Was a clean shaven man, with slick back golden hair and bright blue eyes. His features were soft yet determined; there was a smile on his face, even as the man faced off with her father unit in combat.

Once again, both men took off towards each other.

             

*BANG*

                 

The resounding strikes of their weapons, sounded as if small scale detonators had been going off instead of melee weapons clashing.

W-What is this? How are they doing that?!

She watched as her father unit and the man, run at each other at speeds that she could only estimate with her unit’s untrained eyes.

                   They must be charging at each other at a speed of over 320 kilometers-per-hour… how was this possible?!

“#T-They’re vanishing and reappearing faster than one could blink at such close range! #ERROR: This does not compute!# Mabel started to look towards her mother unit. “#QUERY: Mother! How are they—“

“Shh, darling.” Gracia hushed Mabel, without turning to look at her. “Just watch, you’ll miss it if you look away.” She warned.

             

So MKB-9000 did as her mother unit bade her, and focused on the match her father unit was participating.

                    

*BANG*       *BOOM*

              *CLANG*

              

The sparks and strikes the blade and golden bejeweled club made against each other was fantastically destructive.

                             Each strike, sounded explosive in nature.

      

And the longer Mabel watched. The more accustomed she grew in tracking their movements.

It was then, and only then. That she could see it.

                  Their weapons held a glow over them. Much like a subatomic particle shield generator would create around an object.

She could, if only for the brief moments they clash, see that their weapons, were in fact, not actually hitting each other. But were instead, smacking into this small energy field that engulfed their weapons.

        

*BOOM*        *BOOM*

            *BOOM*

                   

And each of them strikes they made against their weapons hit with a force, that sent shockwaves across the expanse.

MKB-9000 could feel the deep bass and resounded reverberations within her own core, as each detonation of the clashing weapons interacted.

                At one point, the two separated. Leaving about 10 yards between each other.

                        Mabel watched fascinated, as the man with the playful smirk and confidence. Lifted his scepter up, pointing its head towards her father. The color of the energy surrounding the weapon changed from a red, to a golden brown color.

                          A moment later, five huge rocks sprang from the ground. With intimidating hexagonal features that ended in extremely dangerous looking points.

          

Gracia stood up hurriedly next to her, drawing Mabel’s attention away from what was happening.

                       Does she realize the danger of what those rocks would pose to father, would they hit him?

             

“ADRIAN!” Gracia slammed her hands down onto the railing while yelling towards the blond haired man. “If you wreck my garden any further, I will be forced to send a complaint to the capital!”

         

Mabel was stunned to hear that her father unit’s safety wasn’t her primary concern.

         MKB-9000 heard the man from the field chortle at her mother’s words.

             

“Bill me.” The man named Adrian told her mother unit.

                      

Mabel watched with wide eyes as the hexagonal tipped cylinders began to spin and whirl at high speeds.

                         All of their tips aimed and pointing towards MKB-9000’s father unit.

                  

A hollow emptiness settled inside of Mabel’s chest, as she clenched at her dress while watching the spectacle in front of her in anticipation.

                   

She watched as the energy surrounding her father’s blade change from red to blue. Just before the pointed cylinders rocketed towards him.

                   The cylinders shot out like bullets from a gun.

        

But to MKB-9000’s astonishment.

Her father unit did a quick succession of movements with his blade. Sending out what looked like several high-pressured jets and blades of water: slicing through each of the cylinders sent towards him.

          

Each being bisected and sent hurtling harmlessly away from his person.

       

The rock projectiles impaled and smashed into the dirt surrounding her father unit. Creating a dangerous field of spikes behind him.

        

But as she watched. Mabel noticed that, instead of being distraught or worried.

              

          

His expression was on of elation.

                

                     

She watched as her father unit, visually disappeared from before her eyes.

        

*CLANG*

              

And in the next moment.

MKB-9000 saw that he had travel the distance of 10 yards in an instance. Knocking away the man named Adrian’s scepter, disarming him, with her father unit’s blade against his shoulder, near the man’s neck.

          

“And that my friend: is 583 to 416.” Mark Kory Brigit told the man staring at him in surprise.

          

And to Mabel’s surprise. Rather than being angry about the apparent loss. The other man’s face morphed from surprise, to a smirking playful resignation.

“So it is,” He spoke in resignation. “And the next match marks our long awaited thousandth match.” He smiled at his friend, who was pulling his weapon away from his shoulder.

“We should set a date to hold an exhibition at the colosseum, for our thousandth duel!” The man named Adrian said to her father unit.

                 

               

“UGH!” Came a groan from next to Mabel.

She looked, along with everyone else looked up to see Gracia covering her head with her hand in exasperation.

“It has not even been a minute since your latest duel has ended, and you both are already planning your next?! What is wrong with you two?!” She flummoxed in exasperation.

Mark at least had the decency to look contrite as Gracia lectured the two of the fighters in her garden.

Adrian on the other hand, just threw back his head and laughed at the duchess’s exasperated tone.

“Come on Gracia,” He said to her in a bantering manner. “Lighten up, It’s not so often we get a chance to do this. I do wish you would be more understandable to those of us who are warriors: this is how we greet one another.” Adrian smirked at her as he moved to retrieve his fallen weapon.

                       “And beside,” He added. “It’s been almost three years since we’ve greeted each other like this;” Adrian pointed out, while thrusting a jab with his elbow at Mark behind him. “I needed to see if this one has lost his edge.”

            

Mark scoffed at his long time friend’s defamatory suggestion.

                    

“I’ll have you know,” Mark told his friend while slinging an arm around his neck. “That I have not missed a day of training once, or have neglected my duties since that day.” He explained to Adrian, as they came to a stop in front of the pavilion.

                        “But it’s not like I could afford to lose to you today,” Mark spoke to his friend and everyone around him, as he raised his hand towards the seated figure in front of him. “I had to show off to me little girl.” He said as he stroked Mabel’s hair gently.

This caused Adrian to scoff at his words.

“Why? Just because this is the first time you could in so long?” Adrian accused playfully.

Mark chuckled at his friend’s quip.

                 “In one way, yes.” Mark told him. “And in another,” He said while smiling at the bright and curious expression on Mabel’s face. “For the first time.”

           

“Pardon?”

                 

“#QUERY: Father unit! Please explain how it was, that you were able to achieve speeds faster than most land based speeders and hovercrafts!#”

         

Adrian blinked in surprise, as he heard Mabel speak for the first time.

This only caused the well dressed man in the white coat and lushous purple cape to laugh out loud some more.

“Oh my!” He chortled. “It’s just as you said, she does have an interesting way of speaking now.”

             

The opulent man walked, to stand in front of the girl seated on a chair with wheels attached to it.

                           He stuck his hand forward towards the young girl.

“Hello there, Mabel.” He greeted her. “Remember me? Uncle Adrian?” He asked her casual.

                

“#ANSWER: I do not. QUERY: I was not under the impression that we were related in any capacity. Have the records and history of my family and yours somehow been falsified?#”

                  

Adrian looked over towards his wife, whose smile had never left her face. But she did give her husband a solemn nod of her head.

              

Adrian looked back towards the young girl as he lowered his hand.

“It appears, we’ve not met. As you’ve said. Then allow me to introduce myself. I’m—“

              

“#GREETINGS: Hello, Adrian Nicholas Nothandross: Emperor of the newly formed empire of Nothandross. Whose reign began after the calander year of N.E. Year 16.  Which you obtained after slaying your father and two eldest brothers for the rights of succession; from the tyrant King Baloris Christoph Nothandross; whom had seized and conquered all the lands after ascending the throne at 2427 P.C.  Where after he seize control of the throne from his previous father, the king before him: ending the Peace Craft agreement that stood for over 2400 years.#”

                  

The resulting silence that ensued after the young crippled girl spouted off the history and knowledge of the current and recent years of the empire’s uprising.

          

Adrian stood there blinking and in both surprise and embarrassment at having his sordid family’s history laid out in front of him.

                      He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

            

If he was a lesser man, or anything like his late father. Many a ruler would have killed someone for speaking such a way towards them.

But this was not just anyone, and he was certainly not just any ruler. He prided himself on being a just and fair emperor, along with being an understanding ruler.

                      He heard about the circumstances of his godniece, and how she has suffered from a psudo-amnesia, while at the same time; received the memories of some sort of higher being.

                  But it still didn’t take the pain away, from the fact that his family had been one of piece for so many years. Only to have one bad apple spoil a bunch.          

                 

After opening his eyes again. He saw that everyone, except the youngest boy and the youngest daughter of the Brigit family, were shocked or appalled by what they just heard.

       

“Hehehe!~ Mabel!~” Jacob giggled at his older sister. “You’re not supposed to say that to the emperor.” He chided his older sibling, much like an older sibling would to a younger one. “It is ogainst ebbiqet, to say things about the emperor’s family like that.” He reminded her.

          

Mabel turned to look at her younger brother with her dead-panned  expression still on her face.

“#CORRECTION: Against etiquette.#” The middle sister corrected the youngest.

            

This only caused more giggles to come out of Jacob, at having been corrected by his older sister.

                                  Which helped defuse the tension in the air at what had happened.

Adrian smiled and let out a chuckle of his own.

“How well educated and informed you are, traveler of the stars; inhibitor of my niece Mabel.” He said to the strange creature before him. “Tell me,” Adrian asked her with a faux sinister expression.

                       “Is there anything else you’ve learned about me while you’ve been awake?” He wondered how much more this creature had been able to study in the short amount of time its been awake.

        

“#ANSWER: That you were known as Ann in your party of traveling delegations to help you start the rebellion against your father—“

A hand slapped over MKB-9000’s mouth, as her mother unit tried to get her to stop talking.

      

*SNORT*

          

Adrian looked over at his now snickering wife, who was trying her hardest to not laugh out out loud.

Gracia was currently scolding her “daughter”. While Mark looked like he was about to pass out.

          

Adrian, on the other hand. Just smiled as he rubbed his stubbled chin at this interesting entity.

             

                             “Interesting.”