The dark haired one said something, paused as he got partially up, then continued making some odd noises.
"Oh, he's cute," noted Kirche aloud. "Is that pink one there a relative of yours?"
"Not that I know of," said Louise. "What exactly is this?"
"You summoned commoners, Louise?" asked Guiche, sounding dismissive.
The three children recovered quickly, taking defensive stances. One made sounds that could have been a question, another replied. Each was listening to the other and making weird sing-song noises in reply.
"Is that some odd barbarian tongue?" asked Montmorency. "Well, maybe you summoned peasants - but they're at least from far away?"
"You're going to have to finish the ritual, Miss Valliere," said Colbert.
Sasuke had just finished admonishing Sakura when the scenery finally unblurred enough, or their eyes adapted back to seeing things in the usual manner.
"Did you see that veil of stars or hear that chorus?" said Naruto. "What WAS that?"
"No idea what you're talking about, dobe," said Sasuke. "Concentrate. Where do you suppose we are? Iwa?"
"Nobody has any headbands, so maybe they're civilians?" asked Sakura.
"They're all dressed the same," noted Naruto. "All with weird creatures but they're all different weird creatures."
"So, not like Kiba's clan with their dogs," said Sasuke, picking up what Naruto was referencing. "You think this is a clan compound?"
"Well, I don't know what else they could be," noted Naruto. "Hey, Sakura. Do you got a big sister here?"
"No sisters," said Sakura as the pink-haired girl approached them. "What language is that? Everyone in the Elemental Countries speaks the same language, so maybe we're off in the Nonaligned Nations?"
The pink-haired girl stood in front of Sakura, drew a small stick out of her sleeve, and made a gesture.
Ka-thwack!
The pink-haired girl looked very surprised and picked up her wand, staring at the kunai in it.
"Naruto!" scolded Sakura. "You could have hit me!"
"She looks a bit like you so I was kinda expecting her to hit someone with it," noted Naruto.
"Let's just keep things calm for now," said Sakura as the older guy held up his staff in one hand, the stick in the other, and said something. The stick snapped together, the break healing itself.
"Was that a Wood Release technique?" asked Sakura eagerly.
"I don't think so," said Sasuke. "There were no hand seals and it didn't sound right."
"Well, I," began the distracted Sakura before she was abruptly kissed by the pink-haired girl.
Naruto and Sasuke broke off their current activity to stare.
"WAGH!" yelled Sakura, leaping back after a moment of shock.
"What the hell?!" asked Naruto, pointing.
The girl with the long pink hair was obviously complaining about something as she walked towards Sasuke now, making angry gestures with that stick of hers.
"What the hell? Is this a local custom or..." Sakura stopped complaining as she realized the girl was now going after Sasuke. "STOP THAT! Sasuke is MINE!"
The girl got in front of Sasuke, who'd backed up against a wall.
"AIIEE! WHAT?!" asked Sakura, holding one hand up and snarling at the sudden bloom of pain as smoke began trailing up from the back of that hand.
"It's some kind of attack?" asked Naruto. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!"
Fifty Naruto appeared and surrounded Sakura.
The older guy started throwing little bursts of fire that incinerated clones.
Kirche heard the odd language, but an odd idea had occurred to her and she felt she needed to see if anyone else thought it likely. "That pink one. A sport perhaps?"
Tabitha made a thoughtful sound.
"Maybe," said Montmorency. It wasn't unheard of for a noble to fancy a commoner and bed them. It also wasn't exactly unheard of for there to be a bastard child resulting from that. Raised out of sight, and therefore scandal, the child sometimes had magical abilities and could sometimes become quietly associated with the main family. Such scandals were known by a number of terms, as there was still some scandal involved, and the excuse for this odd person to become associated with the family was usually pretty transparent.
"I see," said Guiche, also seeing it. "The other two?"
"Most likely just peasants added to confuse the issue?" tried Kirche.
"Go ahead, Miss Valliere, complete the ceremony," said Mister Colbert, apparently tired of Louise arguing about this.
"With ALL THREE?!" asked Louise, her voice rising to the point where it was plainly audible even over the discussion between Yvonne and Kenan about the care and feeding of their own familiars.
"While you seem to have done things with the Springtime Summons ritual that have never been done before, proper form must be maintained," stated Colbert. "You summoned three human children. They are now your responsibility."
"But - three? Peasants?!"
"Now, Miss Valliere, or I shall recommend your expulsion."
"Yes sir," grumpily said Louise, moving to her fellow pink-haired girl.
"Ah, proof that's a relative," guessed Montmorency. "And Louise is clearly unhappy about the familial duty."
"Or it could be just the thought of kissing anyone," said Kirche. "The Valliere family is SO terribly restrained in their passions."
Louise lightly kissed the pink-haired girl, at which point she began stalking towards the dark-haired boy.
The young pink-haired girl used the back of her hand to wipe her mouth and then start yelling something at Louise.
"Come on, Louise, you can do it," called out Kirche.
"AIEEE!" yelped the young girl/familiar, runes apparently burning themselves into place on one hand.
At which point things started going straight into the compost heap as the orange-clad boy made a gesture and was suddenly a large crowd of identical boys. AFTER splitting Louise's wand in half with a throwing knife. The dark-haired boy drew another throwing knife and brandished it at Louise.
Apparently Mister Colbert had enough at this point, as he slammed his staff down on the ground.
Kirche, not wanting to see Louise get sliced open, used a Levitate on the dark-haired child in order to keep him where Louise could finish.
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(Posted Tue, 05 Aug 2014 17:17)
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