Suzuki Shinji's(Brat nr. 2) POV:
As winter arrived. I was returning to my house alongside my half-brother, Suzuki Haruto. As I entered the carriage I was pushed aside into the cold snow.
"OUT OF THE WAY, TRASH!"
My younger brother has always been treated like the most precious thing in the world by my family. Just because he has a better affinity than mine, I was always treated as an afterthought. But for the first time in my life, at this academy, thanks to a certain mad professor, I had gotten the taste of the good life, short as it was.
"You know what you did wrong, right!"
My brother said, while we were in the carriage. I began to tune him out since I already knew what he was going to say. I looked out the window. As we passed by my classmates having a snowball fight, I started chuckling to myself.
"She really got good at making those." I muttered to myself.
"What was that-?"
*THUD*
Just then, we felt something hit the carriage as it stopped.
"What happened?" My brother yelled.
"I'm not sure young master. I think the carriage just banged into something while slipping on the icy road. Apologies for the disturbance. We'll resume traveling momentarily."
"Hm. Lucky you! You got to live a little longer."
I started tuning him out again, as I started thinking about how much I'm going to miss them all. Kenji, the idiot who was always concerned for my health, while also being the butt of my many pranks and jokes. I still recall how he helped me clean the hallways despite the magical feather prank I pulled on him back then. Aiko, that golem maniac who helped me break into the mad professor's room, because I didn't have a costume for Halloween. We supported each other through thick and thin. Whether it was helping each other with our homework or surviving the hellish camping trip to the Equestrian Mountains. We laughed and cried under the iron fist of that mad professor. In my short but fleeting life, I'll always remember them. Even that awful professor.
"Hey! Are you crying?" My brother asked.
He was right. For some reason tears just kept coming out. I knew this was going to happen anyway so there is no reason I should be feeling sad, but.
"HAHAHA! Well, it's too late to regret your actions now, trash! When we get home, father is going to kill you."
As soon as the carriage arrived, I moved to the empty shed I had been living in before going to the academy. I closed the door as I got into bed and put my head on my pillow to hide my tears, while waiting for death.
I was born ill and without talent. I was mostly left alone with no one to care for me. The servants only did the essentials by bringing me food and water. For a long while, many of the servants didn't even know I was the son of the family head. They just thought I was some weird cousin or nephew or whatever other reason you could think of for a wealthy family to shelter some kid. I had no one, but then one day, during a thunderstorm.
"Help, someone! Anyone!"
I heard a faint cry coming from outside. At first, I just thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but since I had nothing better to do, I decided to just go outdoors. Half expecting to die from my weak constitution, while wondering around looking for that voice in a storm of rain and thunder. But instead, I found two little spirits swept away in the wind. They had been badly injured and were begging for help, so I took them in. They were the first to ever show me any form of kindness, as they became my first ever friends. I lived day by day, growing weaker and weaker as I watched them flutter around playing silly pranks and making banter. As I could feel the end approaching, my only worry was what would happen to them once I was gone, though I felt rest assured they would probably just look for someone else to be their friends, given how innocent and naïve they are. Not that they would have much trouble. Any mage would love to contract a spirit as they can help and enhance their magic, but then.
"Oh yeah! That reminds me. if you don't want your angry little spriggans to be lynched by an angry mob, then make sure nobody else sees them."
After being sent to the academy to be my brother's servant and plaything, I mostly just ran away to some secluded place where he couldn't find me. However, one day during my second year, I happened to meet a crazed professor. He told me the true identity of my spirits who turned out to be spriggans. And he explained that because of the spirit kings, the highest-ranking spirits of each element. All spriggans are being persecuted by other spirits, hence if I die, then they most likely will follow not long after. That's why I was attending those lessons at the beginning. I was pestering the boss to take them in after I die, since he doesn't seem to hate them, given the fact they were still alive, but all he did was pour more buckets of hot and cold water on me while saying:
"I AIN'T NO CHARITY KID! ONLY YOU CAN PROTECT THE THINGS YOU LOVE, SO STOP BEGGING AND DO IT YOURSELF!"
Even with the benefits of contracting an elemental spirit he still refused.
Somewhere along the way my desperation was washed away as I started having fun with the others. Even when we were running for our lives in that mountain, I could never say I have ever felt more alive. But then, I made a mistake.
"HOW DARE YOUS' ATTACK OUR BOSS!"
"YOUS' BETTER BE READY TO PAY!!!"
"STOP!! ACK! SHINJI YOU BASTARD! UGH! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!!!"
"WE'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY! AIN'T THAT RIGHT BOSS!"
I picked a fight with my brother after the whole class started beating him up. At the time I was too swept up in the game to realize, offending my snob of a brother meant certain death. Because as I mentioned…
"GET OUT HERE! YOU BASTARD!"
To my family I'm just an afterthought, barely worth keeping alive. And now that I've laid a hand on he who shall never be touched, my father is either going to kick me out on the street to die or kill me himself. Either way it means my death.
My father kicked the door down, breaking the rusty old hinges that kept it in place. He walked in with murder in his eyes, as he dragged me out of bed by my hair.
"Who do you think you are? I made you by mistake, and you had the guts to bite the hand that fed you. You should be grateful I didn't just leave you to die with the dogs, you mut!"
He said as he punched me, so hard blood came out of my mouth.
"So fragile, just like your mother!"
"At *cough* least I'm not the one who killed her."
That's right, this bastard had been the one who killed my mother. She was a servant who my father had taken a fancy to. From what I learned by eavesdropping on the servants over the years, in his youth this bastard would take a servant he fancied to his chambers where he would toy with them until they broke. My mother happened to be one of his favorites for a period. They say he continued playing with her even during pregnancy. His rough treatment of my mother was likely the reason for her water breaking prematurely, and why her already poor health took a turn for the worse after. And this scumbag got away with this time and again. After all she was just a lowly made, who would care if the lord of the house killed a servant. That's just the kind of world we live in, where assholes like him gets to do what they want, while the rest of us has to suffer for it.
"YOU LITTLE!!!"
*BANG*
This bastard just cast a 2nd tier earth spell called 'Dirt Shot' at me. It gathers surrounding debris like dust from this dirty old room, to fire an earth-based projectile. In my current state, even with my improving health, I could still die from a direct hit, but then.
"STOP HURTING SHINJI" 'Little Flower' My earth and ice elemental spirit, slipped out of my body and used her power to make the rock return to dust before hitting me.
"YOU BULLY!" 'Little Thunder' Yelled as she slipped out and sent an electrical discharge from my hair into my father's fingers causing him to lose his grip and drop me.
I fell to the floor as I watched my first friends protect me.
"Get *cough* away!"
"These are? Hehe. You have kept quite the secret, you little brat!"
He said as he pulled out an enchanted glove from his spatial storage ring and used it to grab little thunder and little flower out of the air before shoving them into an enchanted glass jar. They looked like multi-colored fireflies trapped in a jar. He then kicked me while I was on the floor.
"I made you, that means I own you, and everything you have. Which means your spirits don't belong to you. They belong to me, and you dared steal them away."
*cough*splatter*
"When I'm done with you, I think I'll give these little things to Haruto. At least then they might have a more deserving master!"
"No. Anything. But. That. They. Won't. Survive. Please."
I know what kind of guy he is from experience. It's why I never went to class after the first day at the academy, because he would catch me there, and use me for his sick games. If he got his hands on them, he would tear them limb from limb the moment they gave a complaint. And given how short tempered they can be, there is no way they're going to survive.
"What was that? Did you just ask me for something?"
"Please. Don't-!"
*bang*
*Cough*Splatter*
He just kicked me in the face, breaking my teeth.
"How dare you ask me for another favor! I let you live in this house for 17 years and this is how you repay me! You may be trash, but I am still your father, and you will show me the respect I am owed!" He said as he was preparing another spell.
As I lay there about to die, I could hear the boss's words echo in my head.
"I AIN'T NO CHARITY KID! ONLY YOU CAN PROTECT THE THINGS YOU LOVE, SO STOP BEGGING AND DO IT YOURSELF!"
Just then, I don't know why, but my body just moved on its own as I dodged the dusty rock aimed at my head by a hair's breadth. I moved to cast a spell of my own. I did what few mages my age can't and dual cast two spells at once. It's something the boss had me practice during my private lessons, normally I would have my two spirits optimize the effect of the spell with the use of spirit magic, but now that's not an option. Just as that bastard realized what I was doing he moved to stop me, but he was too late. First, I cast a 2nd tier spell called Air Burst that condenses a bubble of air and sends it floating towards a target before bursting into a small shockwave. It doesn't move that fast, which is why that bastard wouldn't have any trouble dodging, but that's not a problem since I just need him to get close enough.
Right after that bastard dodged the air bubble, I launched the 2nd tier spell, 'Fire shot'. It creates a small fast moving fire projectile. The boss said mages should fight smart not hard, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
The moment the fire hit the bubble it ignited into an explosion almost on par with the 3rd tier spell 'Fire Ball' sending him flying out the wall of the now crumbling shack he locked me away in. In the commotion he accidentally dropped the jar containing little flower and little lightning, causing it to smash open upon hitting the ground.
"YOU LITTLE RAT!"
He screamed as he got up from the winter snow that cushioned the impact after being flung outside.
Hearing the loud explosion people came to see what was going on, but the first one on the scene was a guy with long, black hair and a pretty face.
"Are you a new servant? Doesn't matter! GET THAT TRASH AND BRING HIM BEFORE ME!"
The man didn't move a muscle or say a word as he just stared smugly at the bastard. That was a bad move because this bastard of a father won't take the smallest slight on a normal day. And today has been anything, but normal for him.
"WHO THE HELL IS THAT! SOMEONE TAKE HIM TO THE-!"
"I am the great spirit of Christmas time. Past, present and future. All in one mind!"
He suddenly said without any explanation. Pissing of the bastard even further as he cut him off.
"LOOK OUT!" I yelled as I saw my bastard father pull out the family heirloom. It was a gold decorated blue spear with numerous enchantments on it.
It was classified as a unique grade artifact. It's said that my ancestors once used it to fell a dragon, which is why many consider it to border legendary grade. But the man just dodged the spear thrust with ease and slapped my father using the back of his hand, sending him flying in through the walls of the main building.
"Ack, I sound just like him!" I could hear him mutter.
Just then the bastard climbed out of the hole in the wall and shouted at us.
"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!!"
"A BASTARD OF A FATHER!"
*Giggle*
I couldn't help but let out a chuckle that made the bastard's face turn even redder than it already was.
"HOW DARE YOU!" He said as he launched another earth spell of the 3rd tier this time. It was called 'Boulder shot'. It functions much like Dirt shot, just that it creates a much larger projectile, hence the name 'Boulder Shot'. However, just as it was about to run him over, the boulder suddenly changed directions passing him by. The boulder continued to turn, doing a half circle in the snow before coming rolling back at the bastard in the wall and for some reason it suddenly exploded.
*BOOOM*
While I was watching my family estate go up in flames. The black-haired madman picked me up like a bag of potatoes and flew up into the sky, giving me a better view as we flew farther away.
As he carried me away, I just remembered a book I gave the mad professor about a month ago. After failing to explain the meaning of Halloween, I just decided to give him every book on the matter of Christmas I could find in the library. One of which was a time travel fiction about three spirits of time that sounded eerily similar to what he claimed he was. Only they weren't a handsome long-haired guy in nice clothes, and most importantly they were three separate people. This ridiculous chaos got his signature written all over it.
"Boss?"
"No, I am not! In past I said, spirit of time is with whom you've fled."
That settles it. It's him, and I'd be willing to bet he's singing Christmas carols of his own making in that crazy brain of his.
"No, you're definitely my professor in disguise." I said, hoping he would just drop the act already.
I then saw him feel salty for the first time and learned a valuable lesson.
"WHYYYY!"
My professor is a sore loser. He dropped me a kilometer in the air and let me free fall, until I almost splattered on the ground. Only stopping me moments before impact.
"WHAT THE HELL!!!" I said as he dropped me back on the ground, this time not from a height that would kill me.
"Was it not I, who showed you your life. When Christmas past came flashing before your eye."
"YEAH, AND THE REST OF MY LIFE TO!!!" I yelled back. If nothing else, this guy has a messed-up talent for making the suicidal value their own life.
"To Christmas present, let's go ahead." He said as he pointed at a pink-haired girl fleeing in our direction.
She fell on the ground in front of us as an arrow came flying through her shoulder.
"Someone, help." She begged us as she bled out in the snow.
Soon after a group of soldiers came out of the trees, with a well-dressed fat guy leading them
"KILL THAT BRAT!" He yelled as the soldiers went in for the kill. Ignoring us completely for some reason. It was like, only she could see us as if we didn't even register in their eyes.
Just as the soldiers went in for the finishing blow, my body just moved on its own after staring into those crying eyes. I sent the soldier in front flying with an Air Burst, which confirmed my theory as the man made no attempts to dodge or stop my spell from being cast. This mad professor had made us invisible to the soldiers, which means they have no way of effectively fighting back. I could feel a smile creep up on my face as I started playing with these idiots like ragdolls.
Eventually, they all just ran away, except the ones that weren't moving. I thought they were just knocked unconscious, which was what I tried to do, but when I looked closer.
"They're not breathing!"
I didn't mean to, but I had just taken a life, I started hyperventilating at the thought as I realized what I had done. I never meant to kill them, but I still did.
Just as I was about to collapse from stress and exhaustion, I could feel the mad professor's hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him, only to feel him slap my head in the direction of the pink-haired girl bleeding out in the snow. He gestured for me to go towards her. She had lost a lot of blood, but I'm sure the professor could fix her up, that is if he wasn't too stubborn to break character.
"…"
Who am I kidding. I bandaged the girl's arm with a torn part of my sleeve, since the mad professor refused to drop character and use his weird recovery magic.
After some first aid, and a lot of pestering from me, the mad professor took us to a cave, before kicking her awake with his recovery magic.
"PLEASE! I NEED TO SAVE MY FATHER!"
When she woke up, she begged us to take her home. She rambled out a quick summary of her situation, when I tried to stop her from rushing out the cave in her injured state. Apparently, her father was the head of her family, and she was on her way to warn him that her uncle was planning to stage a coup.
As she begged, something in me compelled me to help her. I was just about to pester the mad professor to take us there, but to my surprise I didn't need to. The world began to shift around us as space distorted. Suddenly we were in front of a burning mansion.
"No that can't… no, no, no, NOOOOOO!"
Just then, I noticed an elderly man's head pierced onto one of the gate grids. Judging by her reaction, I think I can guess who's it was.
"If, only I had done something. Maby if I had moved sooner!" She started muttering to herself about past regrets. Her words started sparking thought inside of my head. What could have happened had I not fought back earlier tonight. Looking at the girl going mad with grief in front of me, I think I have the answer.
"Geez boss, you really have a sick way of showing us the error of our way's" I said as I could feel tears welling up in my eyes looking at that girl.
"For the life of a noble, might seem fun. But to those without power, it only feels glum."
*snap*
And with those words he snapped his fingers as the girl disappeared, cradling her father's head.
"And with that poor Shinji, Our Christmas tale is almost done. Now to the future-"
"Wait, what about her? What happened to that girl? Where did you send her?" I cut him off, as I wanted to know what the mad professor had done with her. He has a mean streak when it comes to whining teens. I just hope he didn't go overboard, because I don't think that poor girl can take it.
"Do not despair. For Christmas time happens every year." And with that he turned back into the regular mad professor I know and… Well, the mad professor I know.
"Hey, kid. Play times over, so let's go!"
"What! where? You torched my home, and I'm pretty sure that bastard's out for my blood now."
"Ah! Never you mind. It'll all be revealed in good time. Bleh! I still got all those rhymes on the mind."
"Pft. HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
"Hey, what's so funny?"
I just had the weirdest and best Christmas ever. And I have this mad professor to thank.