Chapter Text
The carriage rolled slowly on the dirt trail. Inside, it held a handful of passengers. One in particular though looked as happy as can be with a wide, cheerful smile.
“Are you excited, Garf?”
Hearing that question, a young man with ruffled blonde hair and jagged teeth gave a wide smile.
“Heh. Am I that obvious?”
Sitting next to him, an older woman with the same blonde hair and pointy teeth ruffled his hair in response. “You’re so easy to read, Garf! You’re like an open book!”
“Aww shaddup, Sis! Same could be said fer everyone in this camp!”
“That better not be a dig at me, Garfiel!” a voice shouted from the front. Garfiel grinned before poking his head out of the window and shouting back.
“Y’know damn well it is, Cap’n! Everyone can see the giddy look on yer face whenever y’re ‘round Emilia-sama or Rem!”
“Gack!”
Subaru, who was riding the carriage in front of Garfiel, had a look of despair etched onto his face. The blonde girl with twintails sitting in his lap Beatrice, and the silver-haired half-elf Emilia sitting next to him both gave exasperated sighs.
“Goodness sake. Betty’s Subaru is so easy to tease, I suppose,” Beatrice huffed.
“You shouldn’t let Garfiel get the upper hand on you, Subaru! You oughta teach him a lesson!” Emilia then said.
Across from them sat two girls. One with auburn hair, the other a pale blue. They both exchanged looks of embarrassment at the shenanigans happening before them.
“Yeah! You’re right, Emilia-tan!” Subaru exclaimed. “Hey Garf! Don’t think this is over yet! I got the perfect comeback just waiting for you!”
“Oh yeah? My amazin’ self’d love ta hear it then!”
While Subaru laughed loudly in response, the girl with blue hair sighed before leaning forward.
“Okay…look…” she began. She clasped her hands together before holding them up in front of her face, then pointing at Subaru. “Subaru. You know I love ya like a brother, right?”
Perplexed, Subaru furrowed a brow. “Yeeaaaahhh…?”
“And as such, that means I can be totally honest with you when needed, right?”
Subaru narrowed his eyes and squinted. “Meili. Where is this going?”
The girl then sighed. “Look… All I’m saying is…you’re kind of a loser, dude.”
The girl sitting next to Meili gasped, before then slapping her shoulder. “Meili! You shouldn’t be so rude!” She then pouted and crossed her arms, before addressing Subaru. “Sorry about that. Don’t listen to her.”
Subaru then laughed. “I guess I can always count on you to have my back, Petra,” he said. Emilia and Beatrice then pouted.
“What about me?!”
“And Betty, in fact?!”
“Eeep!!”
As the banter continued in the carriage in front, the other passengers in the one behind shared similar exasperations.
“I get they like to goof off and all, but just a little bit of silence would be nice…” a man said. With full green attire, Otto hung his head.
“Agreed,” a pink-haired woman stated. “Ram has had enough of their incessant chatter.”
“I think it’s cute,” a similarly-looking woman stated. With blue hair instead of pink, the woman named Rem spoke.
“I sort of concur with Otto-sama,” Frederica spoke up. “I think it best to rest and stay quiet for a few moments. At least until we reach our destination.”
Everyone else in the carriage nodded. Garfiel especially. He was the most excited out of everyone.
Because the Emilia Camp was going out on vacation in Vollachia, where one of Garfiel’s closest friends lived.
“And…done!”
Twirling around in a circle for the mirror in front of her, a young girl smiled to herself as she admired her attire.
“Balleroy really did have exquisite taste when it came to clothing…” she murmured. The girl had sky-blue hair and was wearing a similarly colored dress with white spots and frills. Pink bows aligned the dress and—more importantly—she possessed two blue dragon wings and black dragon horns.
Her name was Madelyn Eschart, and she wasn’t usually one to monitor her appearance, but today was a special day. For her brother-not-by-blood and his companions were coming to stay in Vollachia for a short while. If it had just been him, she wouldn’t have cared as much. But with Subaru, Emilia and the rest coming along as well, she had to make a good impression.
“Madelyn? Are you ready?” a voice emanated from the door. Adjusting the bow on one of her horns, Madelyn affirmed with a hum.
“Mm. The dragon is ready. You may enter.”
Opening the door, a tall man with dark skin and green hair entered the room. His attire was completely different from Madelyn’s, sporting long, baggy black pants and a black vest.
“I didn’t expect you to take so long,” he murmured. “Usually you’re the one to rush things.”
Madelyn turned red from embarrassment. “Sh-Shut up, Kafma! I need to show them all how cool and cute I look! You care about that too, right?!”
The man, Kafka, scratched his cheek. “Well…not really. I’ve only really ever focused on my honor and tribe—”
“Okay, the dragon stops you right there,” Madelyn deadpanned. “I do not want to hear another hour long sad story from you.”
“I—” Kafma gawked. “I don’t talk for an hour!”
Madelyn pulled her lips into a straight line. “Hmm… You’re right. More like three.”
Losing his temper, Kafma flared at the younger girl. “Shut it! I won’t take such disrespect!”
Despite his outburst, Madelyn didn’t seem frightened. “Your wings are showing,” she pointed out.
“Huh?” Kafma then went to check. “Oh. You’re right.” He quickly tucked them back. “Anyways… What were we talking about again?”
Madelyn then shrugged her shoulders. “Beats me. The dragon doesn’t pay much attention to conversation lest jewels and gold are involved.”
“Oh, now I remember,” Kafma stated. “Garfiel and his friends are here. That’s why I came to see if you were—”
“They’re here?!!” Madelyn shouted. “WHY THE FRIG DIDN’T YOU SAY SO YOU DOLT?!!”
Racing out the room, Madelyn blurred past Kafma before the man could even get a word out. As he looked back at the exit, he exhaled a small breath, before then giving a faint smile.
She really has changed since he first met her. She was still a bit of a hothead. And arrogant. And pushy. But…at least they got along now.
And it was all thanks to him.
“Yahooo!! Subaruuu!!”
Bounding forward, a man with blue hair and a kimono laughed playfully. Subaru seemed happy to see him, if a little nervous.
“Hey, Cecilus!” he greeted. “Have things been going good for you?”
Cecilus nodded fervently. “Oh you betcha!! I just got like…twelve different swords this morning! I can’t wait to test them out!”
“That’s great!” Subaru exclaimed. “Just… Don’t try them out on people, please.”
It had been quite some time since Subaru had met with his allies in Vollachia. Things have changed drastically after the Great Disaster, with Yorna now ruling and Vincent going his own separate path. Thankfully though, things seemed to be holding together here. It helped put Subaru’s anxiety at ease.
Him and his nine other friends were currently at the Crystal Palace, where they would also be staying for the time being. They needed someone to arrange rooms for them though. Luckily that person was just around the corner.
“Yorna!!” Emilia shouted. “You look as beautiful as ever!”
Making her entrance, a woman with fox ears and tails and regal attire smiled at her guests. She outstretched her arm to welcome them inside.
“Greetings, you all. I’m happy to see you here. You must be tired. Please set down your bags and come to the dining room. I have a little surprise waiting for you all.”
Cecilus gave one last wink to Subaru before racing forward, already next to Yorna in a flash. “Come on guys, hurry up! We spent all of last night workin’ on this!”
With no further ado, the group of Lugunicans set down their bags before following after the two former Divine Generals. Shortly, they then found themselves in a wide, spacious dining hall.
“Woaahh..” Petra gasped. “It’s huge!”
“It’s bigger than Roswaal’s…” Ram murmured.
“Ew,” Meili gagged.
Before they could even fully take in the beauty of the dining hall, they were then greeted by another wonderful sight.
That would be Goz in a cooking apron with a tall white chef’s hat.
“Haha! Finally!” he boomed. Grinning wildly, he presented what was on the table to his guests. “Everyone, feast your eyes! And then you may feast with your mouths, after!”
Standing next to Goz in similar attire was a short hyena human who pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dammit Goz… Enough with the jokes…”
Two other former Divine Generals, Goz and Groovy, had cooked a bountiful meal for the Emilia Camp. The response they got was everything they desired and more, with some like Rem and Otto even clapping.
“Goz-san!” Rem beamed. “Rem didn’t know you could cook! It looks delicious!”
Goz stood proud, hands on his hips. “Heh. My beloved Nel taught me everything. You all have her to thank.”
Rem cooed. “Daww… I wish she could have come too, though. How’s Luke? Is he doing all right?”
“Hah! He’s growing into a strong young man, just like his father!” Goz boasted. Ram shook her head.
“I see. Must be hell for babysitters though,” she quipped. Everyone gave a short laugh at her joke.
Groovy looked off to the side. Unlike Cecilus and Goz, he wasn’t too friendly with these guys. He awkwardly shuffled his feet, staying silent like he knew he should.
But… After giving a quick glance at the group standing before him, his eyes briefly met with the jade orbs of Frederica. She noticed instantly, and gave a genuine smile in response.
Feeling his heartstrings twang, a sudden surge of confidence flew through Groovy as he exhaled a deep breath.
Making eye contact with Frederica again, he tried to play it cool. “Yo…Fred… Long time no see.” He said those smooth lines while propping his hand against one of the chair legs next to him. Unfortunately for him, it decided to slide at that moment, causing him to fall flat on his face.
Awkward silence followed after that, with everyone standing still in shock. The only one to move was a hulking giant of metal that picked up Groovy before setting him back onto his feet.
“Th-Thanks Moguro…” he mumbled, embarrassed.
“No…problem…” the giant responded. With their arrival, the mood was lifted once again.
“Moguro! Old buddy old pal old friend! How ya been?!” Subaru shouted, trying to liven things up again.
“Moguro…existing…” they responded.
“I see!” Subaru hummed. “That’s fascinating!”
“Is he an idiot?” Meili whispered.
Ram nodded. “Yes. Very much so.”
“A cute one though,” Rem added.
Yorna couldn’t help but laugh. Before Subaru had set foot in Vollachia, most of the Divine Generals were at each other’s throats. Now though, everything seemed jovial and light-hearted. In all her years of living in Vollachia, it had never felt this joyous. And she had none other than Subaru and his friends for making it happen.
“Psst! Yorna!” Looking down, Yorna saw Emilia not so subtly whispering to her.
“Hm? What is it, darling?” Yorna asked, whispering as well. Even though anyone could obviously hear them.
“I tried those flirting techniques on Subaru a week ago. And just like you said! He was a blushing mess!” Emilia almost kicked her feet in excitement. “He looked soooo cute!!”
Yorna then stroked Emilia’s hair. “I’m proud of you,” she said softly. “Go get ‘im, girl.”
Emilia beamed with fiery intent, while Otto just looked at them confused. He didn’t even want to know.
He then saw someone out of the corner of his eye, peeking. Petra noticed it too, and she and Otto exchanged a glance before nodding.
“Arakiya-san. We can see you.”
“Huh?!”
Almost yelping, the figure then slowly revealed themselves as a dog-human with slightly revealing attire and tan skin. She looked nervous and even a little frightened. But that was because of the events of the Great Disaster that still lingered.
After making up with Priscilla, the normally stoic and brutal Arakiya had grown more meek and timid. Not because she lost any of her strength, but because she still found herself undeserving of the kindness that surrounded her. Yet despite her efforts to distance herself, her comrades always found a way to reel her back in.
With Petra’s declaration, Cecilus glanced over before hurriedly waving her over. “C’mon, Arakiya! It wouldn’t be complete without you here!”
Exhaling a heavy breath, Arakiya then stepped fully into view before slowly making her way towards everyone. She maintained a grimace, but behind her her tail had been wagging with unkempt excitement.
Everyone thought it was adorable.
“It’s great ta see all o’ y’all but,” Garfiel spoke. “It feels like we’re missin’ a couple people.”
“Garrrfff!!!”
Shouting loudly from the top of the balcony, everyone looked up to see Madelyn smiling from ear to ear as she leaned over the balcony’s edge. The one whom the call had been addressed to shouted back.
“Oi Maddy! The hell’re ya doin’ up there?! Hurry up an’ join us already!”
Grinning, Madelyn then did the unthinkable. She leapt up and jumped off of the balcony, launching herself down several meters before then landing perfectly on her feet, a couple arms length apart from Garfiel. She then launched herself forward, tackling into Garfiel who then spun her around before holding her in a headlock and giving her a noogie.
“Haha! Missed ya ya Blue Brat!”
“Shut up Tiger Boy! Ya barely grew at all! The dragon will surpass you soon in that regard!”
As the friends continued to play fight some more, Kafma then made his appearance, slightly out of breath. “Sorry I’m late everyone,” he huffed. “I had to find something to wear.”
Garfiel recognized the man, and ceased his tussle with Madelyn to acknowledge him. “Oi, Kafma! How’re ya doin’?!”
The man chuckled. “Couldn’t be better. Thanks to you.”
“We all couldn’t be better,” Yorna then stated, before then addressing Subaru and the rest with warm blue eyes. “Thanks to you. All of you.”
A pleasant sensation bathed in the dining hall, alighting everyone’s hearts with joy.
And thus, the feast officially began.
Everyone took their seats, their plates, and then dug in. Happily enjoying the merry meals that had been cooked up, knowing that there would plenty more to come as the Emilia Camp’s stay in Vollachia would continue.
The banter and cheer was as if they were all lifelong friends. Cecilus gleefully told Subaru all about his exploits and what journeys he had gone on. Arakiya listened to Otto’s reports on the other different royal camps, especially regarding Priscilla. Goz bragged about his wife and kid to Rem and Ram, even showing pictures his son had drawn which he always had stashed on him. Groovy tried to make conversation with Frederica, failing miserably which left the blonde beast maid to take initiative and come up with topics. Yorna continued to give advice to Emilia on how to win a man’s heart, even though she didn’t need it. Moguro looked from side to side as Meili and Petra poked and played with them, feeling some sense of happiness in that stone heart of theirs. And Kafma and Madelyn both conversed with Garfiel, the boy that they had fought, and the boy that had changed their lives.
Although Kafma ate his meal slowly, both Garfiel and Madelyn scarfed theirs down like a bunch of wild animals. He grimaced with disgust, thinking it slightly disrespectful towards Goz and Groovy who had worked so hard on it.
However, he pushed his gripes to the back of his mind, aware that he would almost certainly ruin the mood. Besides, it’s not as if that since they were down they were gonna run off and—
“Hey! The dragon has something wonderful to present to her Blood Brother. As such, we will depart!” Madelyn suddenly shouted.
Kafma sputtered, baffled by such rudeness. No one else seemed to mind, however.
“Very well. Just be back before dark,” Yorna said like a concerned mother.
“Be careful,” Frederica advised her younger brother.
Garfiel blinked a few times, before then smiling and standing up. “Yeah! See y’all later!”
He waved to the rest as he quickly followed Madelyn to wherever she was going. He had no idea what she could possibly have in mind to show him at this moment.
“Whatcha draggin’ me out fer, Maddy?” he asked. “It somethin’ important?” He quickly caught up to Madelyn, who was now at a steady walking pace.
Madelyn smiled, before then going into a speed walk and heading out towards a grassy hill. “Yeah. Follow me.”
With that command uttered, Madelyn then didn’t say another word the entire trek. They walked up tall hills, crossed rivers, even scaled a mountain. The hike went on and the sun rose high into the sky as time slowly passed.
Eventually, Madelyn’s walking had finally ceased, with Garfiel following close behind her. She stood overlooking a tall mountain, the wind blowing through her sky-blue hair.
Walking up so he was standing next to her, Garfiel then got to see what was so incredible.
His eyes widened in child-like joy at what he saw. Down below him were dozens—no, hundreds—of dragons. Real, genuine dragons. His jaw opened in a wide smile as he took in the scenery.
“It took quite some time, but…” Madelyn began. “The dragon has found her people. They accept me. They see me as family,” she said softly. “And I thought it only fair to bring my Blood Brother to see with me.”
Garfiel slowly turned to face Madelyn, eyes popped open.
“I uh… I don’t think I’m worthy…” he said softly. Madelyn then smacked his arm.
“Of course you are worthy,” she said with a smirk. “You have defeated this dragon many times before, so it is only fair that you get to meet many dragons like these.”
Garfiel exhaled, still amazed at the gorgeous sight before him. He then smiled, before a chuckle then escaped his lips.
“Ya really have changed from the angry li’l brat I saw in that forest a long while ago,” he mused.
Madelyn smiled genuinely. “That is correct. And the dragon has you to thank for that. Now—” she said, getting into a running stance. “Are you ready to acquaint yourself with the mighty dragons?”
Garfiel gave a wild grin in response. “Are ya kiddin’?”
He then leapt off the cliff.
“I WAS BORN READY!!!”
Madelyn soon followed suit, jumping down to see all of the powerful and amazing dragons below.
At long last, she had found her desired family.