Chroma Moon | Black Clover Side Story

Chapter 1: Unlikely Friends

  "They're playing together again" Lady Cho sighed as she stared out the window. Beside her, Chiyako stood, peering out at her sister with grey eyes.
  "Just a few more days untill I get my Grimoire" Nikki smiled at Youko, her pink eyes glimmering in the sunlight.
   "I hope yours is as pretty as mine!" Youko squealed, holding up her book. It's cover bared an upsidedown three-leaf-clover with antenna on top. It resembled a butterfly, with intricate filigree decorating around it.
   "Me too..." Nikki looked up at Youko's home with an uneasy feeling. She could see Lady Cho and Chiyako looking down on them with distaine. She wondered if getting a powerful Grimoire would make them finally approve of her and her friendship with Youko.
...
   "That was two years ago" Nikki sighed, leaning back in her chair. Across the room Youko sipped her tea, nodding at her friend.
   "I'm sorry my family has always been so harsh towards you." Youko muttered, looking into her tea.
   "It's not your fault!" Nikki cooed, smiling up at her friend. "I thought they'd approve once I received my Grimoire but apparently this thing didn't mean anything to them!" She held up a thick, ruby coloured book with the image of a spider on the front. A web radiated out from the spider, merging into delicate filigree.
   "I did too, considering that thing is bigger then mine!" Youko giggled, "Maybe it's because it looks so scary."
   "No way!" Nikki laughed, placing her book back in her belt. "Anyway... This baby is going to help me join the magic knights."
   "Oh yeah, that's coming up isn't it?" Youko sipped her tea, finishing the cup before placing it down on the table.
   "I have too..." The pink haired girl mumbled, staring off into the distance. "If I wanna get your parents approval and stop the nobels from treating commoners like me as if we were garbage..."
   Youko smiled at her friend, nodding in approval. She knew that she wouldn't be aloud to take the Knights exam, but that wouldn't stop her from supporting her best friend.
   "Oh, it's getting dark!" Nikki said, noticing the light from the window had dimmed. She saw the red sky signaling to them that it was time to go.
   "Yeah..." Youko signed. "If only my parents would let me stay out later. But they 'don't trust the commoners not to hurt me'" she mimicked her parents words with a silly voice, scowling as she did. Nikki laughed.
   The girls both got up and headed towards the door. Nikki opened it and gave a bittersweet smile.
   "I'll walk you home." She said quietly, escorting Youko outside.
   The shadows from the trees gave the forest a dark haze, constasting the beauty of the red-orange sky. Youko walked next to Nikki down the dimly lit path, her deep purple hair blending in with the shadows.
   "If Chiyako gives you a hard time, just come back." Nikki pouted, crossing her arms as they approached the opening in the trees. Youko giggled before responding;
   "Don't worry darling, I will!" Her purple eyes glimmered as she looked back at her friend. Behind her, house Cho stood tall at the top of the hill.
   Of course the family felt the need to distance themselves from the village. The nobels enjoyed their privacy, especially when it ment that the commoners wouldn't bother them. The only time the family interacted with the village was to collect the dues.
   Youko continued on the path up the hill, the last of the sun's light fleeting. As she approached the side door of the mansion the sun was all but gone. She looked back at the forest, watching as Nikki's pink hair dissapeared into the trees.
   "You're late." Chiyako's monotone voice came from infront of her. Youko jumped, realizing her sister was standing infront of her in the open doorway.
   "Don't sneek up on me like that!" Youko squealed, "I didn't even hear the door open!"
   "How many times must mother tell you to stop seeing that filthy commoner girl?" Chiyako's white hair fell infront of her face.
   "How many times must mother tell you to take more pride in your appearance?" Youko hissed in reply, examining Chiyako's messy hairdo.
   The girls were encouraged to wear traditional hairstyles, but somehow Chiyako always had hair over her eyes. Two long hair pins stuck out from her bun, mirroring Youko's own hair pins that stood neatly up in her own ponytail.
   "You can try all you want to present as a noble, but you will always be tainted by the air of those commoners." Chiyako muttered under her breath. "I, however, am allowed the luxury of a leisurely appearance because I make mother happy. I am a real Nobel, unlike you."
   "I'm going to my room" Youko growled, shoving past her sister with force. Chiyako shut the door, watching as the girl retreated into the home.
   "When will you learn?" The white haired girl signed.
   Youko entered her bedroom and sighed. She sat down on her bed before picking up a box off her bed-side-table. Inside lay a pen-like object with a crystal on top.
   "Make it home safe?" The crystal glowed, a voice coming from within.
   "Yeah. Chiyako met me at the door." Youko spoke quietly into the gem.
   On the other end, Nikki layed in her own bed holding another communicator. "I'm not suprised."
   "Tomorrow let's go into town. I wanna do some shopping" Youko beemed, her voice filled with excitement.
   "I like that idea." Nikki smiled before yawning.
   "Was that just a yawn? Are you passing out on me already?" Youko laughed, leaning back into her pillows.
   "Sorry! It was a long day!"
   "Okay... Then we'll get some sleep. Goodnight Nikki" Youko whispered.
   "Goodnight Youie." Nikki purred, rolling over in her bed.
   Youko grumbled, disliking the nickname but not protesting. She placed the communicator back in it's box and layed in bed.
   "Tomorrow is going to be a good day..."
...
   The towns market was filled with vendors selling various foods and trinkets. Youko was specifically drawn to the strange fruits that the locals liked to grow.
   "You know those are super common, right?" Nikki laughed, watching the dark haired girl pick up a particular hand-fruit.
   "I picked them from deep in the forest" the lady smiled from behind the table. She wore a red hooded cloak and a sweet smile.
   "Those ones are the best quality" Nikki mumbled looking over the fresh fruits layed out on the table.
   "We'll take two!" Youko smiled as she placed a few gold coins on the table.
   "Oh, it's only one sweetheart!" The elderly woman smiled, moving the extra coins back towards Youko.
   "Huh? No it's okay! You deserve it!" She beemed. Nikki just stared at her as she headed to the next vendor.
   That was always how Youko did things. She knew that the locals didn't have as much as she did and always gave them extra. Nikki appreciated how kind her friend was, it almost made up for how cold her family had been to everyone.
   "Hey Youko..." Nikki called out to get her friends attention.
   "Hm?" She looked over, face wet with fruit pulp. In her hand was the half-eaten fruit. Nikki couldn't help but crack up.
   "Oh my." She giggled, watching her friend stuff her face with the delectable sweet flesh. "That good huh?"
   Youko nodded, "m'hm!" Finally she swolled the remaining fruit, tossing the pit into some nearby bushes. "What did you want to ask?" She inquired while wiping her face with her sleeve.
   "Ah-! Uh... Why doesn't your family live in the capital?"
   "Hmm... I'm not sure. Maybe it's because that's where my father passed? I guess my mom doesn't want the constant reminder." Youko shrugged.
   "That makes sense..." Nikki frown, looking off at her home. It sat high on the hill in the distance, dispite being so far away. "For a family that likes their privacy, you sure picked a visible spot!"
   "Yeah!" Youko laughed, looking over aswell. "Guess the builders just assumed that all nobels want to present their homes to the less fortunate." She mumbled.
   "Hey princess" a gruff voice called out from behind the girls. Both girls turned back, realizing they'd walked quite a ways into the forest.
   "Who are you?" Nikki growled at the man standing on the path back into town.
   "Who am I?" He hissed, "I'm one of the poor townsfolk that you've gouged out of house and home!" He shouted, raising his fist at them. As he opened his hand, flames burst forth from his palm and ignited his entire arm. Beside him, an average-looking Grimoire floated up, burning with red magic.
   "Get behind me!" Nikki shouted, grabbing Youko and stepping infront of her.
   "Get out of my way, pinkie! Everyone knows you're just as bad for parading this Nobel around town!" He barked, hurling a ball of fire in their direction. Nikki gasped, summoning her own Grimoire.
   "Spider magic! Silk sheild!" The pinkette squealed, throwing her hands up and summoning a large spiderweb. The web stuck itself to two trees creating a wall between the girls and the man. The fireball hit the wall, dissipating immediately.