Wait a minute. Her sibling calls her Lulu, her runic name is going to be The Zero, she will have a claim to the Tristainian throne via adoption AND possesses an ancient magic ability that gives her unimaginable power against her foes, that no one else has.
............Shade, are you trying to turn Louise into fem!Lelouch Lamperouge? Because if you are, then Halkeginia won't know what hit her.
In fact, have this angsty omake thanks to your Muse tickling mine.
Omake: The Pink Knight Rises
It was a dark and stormy night in the land of Tristain. The peasants of the nearby villages had gathered inside their houses to protect themselves from the rain, while the nobles feasted inside their mighty castles, enjoying the warmth their marble fireplace was giving their well-endowed forms.
Inside an unknown underground cave, a lone figure was sitting in a wooden desk, going through a large pile of papers on it's left, a small candle illuminating the rocky interior. The room itself was fairly spartan, with the small bed on the side being the only other furniture apart from the desk and the chair in which the figure was sitting. Said person would be fairly unremarkable, with it's average height and cloak that concealed any familiar characteristics, if not for the vibrant short-cropped pink hair on it's head.
Louise The Zero, formerly Louise Le Blanc De La Valliere rubbed her tired eyes as she put her signature on another damn requisition paper before she deposited it on the finished pile to her right.
Paperwork,
she hated paperwork. It was dull, repetitive and never-ending. If there was any sort of Hell in the Afterlife, it would probably be filling in paper the names of every S.O.B that entered this cursed place, something the world didn't have in small storage.
"I had rather face Mother again than read one more paper" Henry would always bemoan.
She scowled as that particular memory entered her head, her fist clenching around the quill and bending it with sheer force. She dropped it in her desk, while with her other hand, she reached for one of her drawers. Opening it up, she drew a large bottle of red wine, half-empty but still good for what she wanted it for.
Closing the drawer, she decided to take a break before she took vengeance on all that blasted paper and walked to her bed, sitting on top of it and popping the cork from the bottle. She then took a huge gulp from it's contents, the sweet and sour taste of the wine stinging her throat, but making her slightly more relaxed as it deposited on her stomach.
If someone had told her that the mere sound of anything that reminded her of her brother would make her want to be silly drunk, then she would have laughed at her faces. After all, Henry was one of the few things in her miserable childhood that could make her truly happy.
Despite what everybody else says, it wasn't easy being the youngest sibling, especially to a prestigious family like the De Vallieres. Eleanor accepted into the prestigious Academy, Cattleya able to tame even the most nomadic of animals and Henry becoming the Prince-Consort of one of Halkeginia's superpowers, left her, little abnormal Louise.
Hell, she was probably only good as breeding stock, married to some fat unimportant earl, churning out babies with the Valliere name, to be introduced into the Rule of Steel and be very important and powerful nobles and blablabla, who gives a shit!
Not a bad life though, to be honest. After a baby or two, her husband would have an unfortunate 'accident', leaving her with enough money and prestige to die a fat and slow death and deposited in the nice and comfy family crypt to ride out the Afterlife.
She took another gulp of wine, letting the alcohol run through her blood stream and calm down her fraying nerves. Of course that was not meant to be, instead she had to get a loving and caring brother who wanted to make sure she unlocked her true potential and prove herself to the world.
When she whined about producing only explosions, he said that they were pretty impressive and useful and showed her ways to exploit them.
"Always remember Lulu, there is no such thing as a useless power. A low powered man with a huge imagination will always beat someone who uses a high power straightforward".
When she cried herself dry over her 'flattering' runic name, he was there to lend a shoulder to cry on and told her an interesting theory that made accept her nickname a little.
"They call you The Zero and think it is an insult. They forget that an explosion from you will turn them into zeroes if you are ever on opposite sides. A little intimidation and demonstration will make them reconsider their stance on you". They most certainly did, when they saw what she did to an orc they encountered in a field trip. Her blood-spattered form would remain in their minds for years and it only cost her one clean uniform.
And when she was distressed over her small and unattractive stature, he just showed her an old portrait of Mother and effectively smothered her worries to nothing.
"Let them mock your appearance behind your back. When they are old and wrinkly, they will look at your beauty and pristine form with envy and hate. Then you will have the last laugh over their unflattering forms".
While Cattleya always tried to cheer her up, her usual expression was that of 'everything would be alright in the end'. Brother believed that she should grab everything by the hair and make it do it alright by force if necessary.
Her life was getting better day by day. Between Tiffania, Josette and Charlotte at her side in the academy, Matilda and Cattleya in her home, Princess Henrietta at the castle and the occasional visits from Henry and Eleanor, she was the happiest girl in the whole of Halkeginia.
Of course, life had to come take it away from her.
When Reconquista took Albion, a month before she was about to begin her second year, no one really thought much of it. Tristain was in an alliance with Gallia and Germania had the strongest Military in the world, which meant that unless they didn't want to risk getting destroyed by one of the two powerful countries, they had to content themselves with just the White Country.
No one thought that they would have the guts to kidnap Henry De La Valliere de Gallia, Prince-Consort and husband of the royal heir, Isabella de Gallia, right under the noses of his royal guards.
The only reason they knew it was Reconquista, was because the filthy scum had the gall to sent a letter, requesting the abolishment of the alliance between Tristain and Gallia and the marriage of Princess Isabella with the new ruler of Albion, Oliver Cromwell, if they didn't want to get Henry back in pieces.
As proof of their capture, they sent a foul-smelling bag containing one of 'Valliere's most precious things in the world'. While it was pretty mangled, the eyes had been gauged out and it was in a advanced stage of decomposition, she would never mistake
Raven's rotten head as it hit the floor with a wet slap.
If Albion believed that they would threaten Tristain to submission, then they thought wrong. Princess Isabella was beyond outraged at Reconquista's actions and immediately called the Petite Armee to arms against the Albion goverment. King Joseph not only did not contradict her actions, but also lend her Henry's Marshal duties until he was returned safe and sound. If not for the bored and callous tone he used while he did that, she would have thought he actually cared for him.
While the armies were getting prepared, Louise was busy fighting her own war with her parents.
'Absolutely not, I forbid you from going to Albion'
'Mother, I am near 17 years old. I am old enough to be responsible for my actions'
'Louise, my dear. Your mother and I are just worried that you are not thinking straight, that you are getting ahead of yourself'
'Ahead of myself? Father, this is Henry we are talking about, YOUR SON and my brother. I can not stand and do nothing while these scum do who knows what to him'
'Your sisters are actually calmly thinking this through.....'
'Big Sis Eleanor had to be bodily restrained by the Academy professors to not get herself enlisted and Cattleya made Wardes promise to 'make the bastards who hurt her twin pay'. Cattleya said that, Father, did she sound calm to you?'
'It matters not Louise, you are still not joining the war and that is final'
'I am here for neither your permission nor your blessing, Mother. I am going to go rescue Big Brother with or without your help'
'Then you leave me no choice. Louise Le Blanc De La Valliere, as Matriarch of the Valliere Family, I hereby order you to stay in this house until the end of this war. Disobey and you will be stripped of your rank and no longer be welcome in Valliere lands.
'Dear! I think that is a bit excessive.....'
'Silence, Pierre. Louise needs to learn her place as a noble and as to who is in charge in this house'
'If that's the case, then I suppose this is goodbye'
'Louise, what are you....'
'Thank you Mother, Father, for selflessly taking care of me all these years'
'Stop, this is not funny.....'
'Tell Eleanor and Cattleya that I love them and I wish them all the happiness in the world'
'This isn't a game, you can never come back here. Do you even comprehend what are you doing?'
'I am well aware of that, Father. But Henry is more important to me than all the prestige and money in the world. I will rescue him even if it's the last thing I will do. Farewell and may the Founder be with you'
'Please don't go'
Louise could have sworn she heard that last part from her mother, but it was so soft and barely audible, it could have just been her imagination. Still she opened the door of her house and walked away without hesitation, leaving her old name behind and fresh tears marring her face , as she was now effectively an orphan.
The first thing she did was travel to the nearest recruitment office out of Valliere territory. When she classified herself as a fallen noble, she was immediately assigned to the Petitee Armee's 4th Battalion, under the command of Captain Agnes De Milan. While she was pleasantly surprised to find her CO was a woman (and a very pretty one at that), all of that was squashed away once she proved why exactly she earned her position.
For the next two weeks, Louise was put through what they referred to as 'Boot Camp', although 'Hell on Halkeginia' was a better suited name in her mind. She learned everything from sword fighting to tactical thinking, to accuracy testing, even her cooking skills were put to the test, because as Captain De Milan put it:
'Dying by putting your head in front of an enemy musket is damn stupid. Dying puking blood because you didn't know that this mushroom was poisonous is fucking retarded'.
While back then she loathed the woman and wished her a most violent and foul death, later she admitted to herself that if not for her training, she would have died way sooner than she thought.
She also found out that wars were nothing like what they told in the fairy tails. No honorable duels, no maids in distress, no armies fighting while classing swords valiantly with one another. Instead what she got was screaming, explosions and lots of smoke that burned her eyes.
She remembered her first kill: a young Dragon Knight that swooped low enough to kill the Sargeant next to her, but not high enough to evade her point blank blast that completely evaporated his head, leaving only a bloody mist. Thankfully the Captain's
'kill first, cry later' mindset was firmly established on her head and thus she didn't freeze, scoring more hits and adding future nightmares that would accompany many other ones in the future.
Her actions didn't go unnoticed by her fellow soldiers and she earned a new Runic name: The Pink Mist, which she had to admit sounded way cooler than The Zero. Even the officers started to get more interested in her ability to turn people to chunky salsa and considering her for a promotion.
By the time they reached the capital city of Londonium, she was a freshly minted Sargeant, leading her own squad, who had just recieved the important mission of rescuing Prince Henry while the Albionese Army was busy fighting their main force.
Thanks to her set of skills and her experienced squad, she managed to reach the prison cell where Henry was held and experience one of the worst memories in her life.
She remembered Henry as being tall and proud, with long black hair and slightly tan skin, dressed in fine silk clothes and a long cape, with a bright and sunny smile that made everyone feel warm just be seeing it.
This.....
thing was not the Henry she knew. It was gnarly and boney like, to the point that she could see it's ribs from the chest like area. It's head was bald, with some thin greasy black strings coming out of the top, like dry weeds in a desert and the eye sockets were black and dripping with yellow puss, as if someone had poked them with a hot iron. It's legs and arms were mangled and twisted in wrong directions, scars making criss cross patterns on the wrinkly skin, completing the macabre spectacle. As if that wasn't enough, it opened it's mouth, revealing the few rotting and black teeth that hadn't fallen off and let out some sort of sound.
'u-uuuuu'
'Henry, is that you? You, get some water magic on him, stat!'
'Yes, ma'am!'
'uuuuuuuuu- uccccccccccc'
'Don't you recognise me? It's me, Louise'
'uuuccccccccccc- uccccccccccciiiiiiiii'
'Your little Lulu, yes. I have come for you, big brother!'
'uuuuccccccccccciiiiiiddddddddd'
'Yes, Isabella is on her way here as well. Tiffania, Matilda, Charlotte, Josette, Captain Wardes and De Milan, Henriette, Antoine, Andre and even Mother and Father are all here for you'
'uuuucccccciidiiiiiii'
'Please, Brother, just hang on a while longer. Our army will soon win and get you out of this dreadful place'
'uccciiiiiiidddddddiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiii'
'What? Brother, what are you saying?'
'uccciiiddiiimmiiiii'
'No, I am not hearing this right. My Romalian must be rusty, yes that must be it! You are my brave Henry, you would never ask this of me.
'U-CCI-DI-MI'
'You can't give up now, Brother. You will soon be back home, with your family. Cattleya and Eleanor both wish you back dearly. Do you want to make them sad?'
'Uccidimi, p-per fffavvvore'
'Never, you hear me! I will make sure you get out alive even if I have to carry you out'
't-ttroppo tardiiiiiiiii'
'What do you mean it's too late? Brother, what's wrong, why did you stop moving?'
'mmmooooorenttttttttteeeeee'
'No, no, NO. You won't die, stupid Henry, you will leave here alive and come back to us. Pump more water magic on him'
'I am trying, but his wounds are too severe and I can't heal them faster than new ones open'
'Try harder then!'
'Addio, Lulu. S-savoiaaaaaaaaaaaaa'
'Brother, don't say goodbye, you are not going anywhere. Henry, stop playing jokes, keep talking.
'Ma'am, he is gone'
'No, he is not. Keep pumping more magic, I don't care if you run out of willpower, KEEP GOING, THAT'S AN ORDER'
'He doesn't have a pulse, he is dead'
'It's just weakened, that's all. He is just making a prank, that's all. Henry loves to make inappropiate pranks, he is such a kidder. This one time when we were children he told me th-'
'Ma'am, please. There is nothing we can do anymore'
Louise remembered how she felt her knees buckle as she fell hard to the floor in a faint, she remembers the Founder's Holy Book, a farewell gift from Henrietta, dropping from her pocket right next to her, she remembers the screams and sobs she let out despite looking unconsious, the soft light coming from the book and the shocked looks of her compatriots.
But most of all she remembers the feeling she had at this particular point in time.
HATE
She felt her body getting up as in autopilot, grabbing the book from the ground and removing her wand from her holster, steadily making her way to the roof, her worried squadmates following her, first asking questions about their destination and then in silence when she wouldn't respond.
During their walk, she was chanting words that she didn't even know the meaning of, but could feel the energygreatness
power leaking from them.
She finally made it to the building's roof and looked at the battlefield below her. Swords were clashing, lances were thrust, arrows were shot and magic blasts decimated friend and foe alike.
Louise however was looking for the monster who did this to her beloved brother
DESTROY ANNIHILATE
Her eyes scanned the sky searching for any sign of Cromwell's whereabouts. Finally she caught sight of Albion's flagship, the Lexington, fleeing the battle, possibly with the government aboard. They would not get away!
KILL MAIM BURN
She pointed her wand at the ship, letting out a scream of utter rage and hate at it's inhabitants.
EXPLOSION!
The last thing she remembers after that was a white nothingness enveloping the ship, before she dropped exhausted into the floor.
Back in the present, Louise drained the last few drops of the wine bottle, shaking for good measure before throwing it to the wall with all the force she could muster.
Ever since she returned from Albion, she had been more prone to drinking than she could ever remember before. Her impressive display during the Battle of Londomium earned the Medal of Duty and the rank of Lieutenant, with people hailing her as a hero.
Hero? Medals? Ha, what a joke! For all her power, she couldn't even save her own flesh and blood, when he was right in front of her. Hell, she couldn't even go to his funeral, because he was buried in the Valliere family crypt.
It was then that she made a promise to herself, that she would whatever was necessary to make herself worthy of being called the Vicious Wind's sister. That she would follow the Rule Of Steel better than her own mother did and that she would become the most powerful mage in the world.
So this time, when Charles murdered his own brother, exiled his niece and made himself the King of Gallia, she didn't immediately attack. When her spies in the Gallian court reported that Charles was funding Reconquista and if not for Cromwell's idiocy, Henry would have been tortured and dead in the Germanian dungeon, she did not rage and flail aimlessly.
Instead, she waited and gathered every single resource she could use.
"You have need of me, Master?'
Every resource.
She turned and look at her.... Familiar, a scowl twisting her mouth despite her best judgement. She disliked her Familiar to be honest. He was sarcastic, he joked at inappropiate times, he drunk odd drinks all the time, said phrases that made absolutely no sense and yet he somehow found them funny and worst of all, it was those facial characteristics, the hair, the eyes.
So much like his.
"I know you have a dry spell lately my Master, but Familiar inter-species relationships are generaly frowned upon these days. Please refrain from giving me the bedroom eyes".
She rolled her eyes, she didn't have time to deal with his immature behavior, today was an important day.
"Is everyone ready for today?"
"Yes, we are all waiting for you, my ever so late Master"
"I am ready, just need to put on my mask. I would prefer you refer me by my official title if you would."
"As you wish, Master Zero"
"Very well, follow me Fam-" Right, she couldn't call him Familiar without getting her cover blown as a Void Mage"Kagayaku".
"Of course, Master Zero. Your humble servant, Emiya Kagayaku, is at your beck and call".
"Let's go, it's time to begin Operation Overlord".
The End.
