If I Looking For Frog

Oh shit, whaddup

Ace slowly sat up and rubbed his head, eyes slowly opening as he caught glimpses of something magnificent before him. A gorgeous, horse-like creature, with flowing white hair and regal, ivory horns. Scales glazed over what wasn't covered by the fur, and an electric blue gaze gave the waking boy something to focus on in the snow blind.

Ace blinked.

He now sat before an elegant young lady, who seemed to be looking back to him, in a somewhat kind manner. His eyes batted open and closed a few more times as Ace tried to make sure that what he'd just seen was real, but couldn't find any evidence of the creature, nor did he want to at this point. A pretty lady was just as welcome a thing to wake up to. Of course, a cave was not, and the Weapon couldn't help but feel a yearning for another glimpse at the creature he saw moments ago.

All that aside... Ace was seriously just in a fucking cave. Wasn't I in the Death Room, like... just a little while ago? He thought to himself. Then, of course he had to speak his mind. "The hell happened? Where am I?"

Emalia sat nearby, perched up on a rock in content, humming a gently tune. When Ace came to, she glanced over to him. "You blacked out in the Death Room after our match." She responded, almost with an amused giggle as she hopped off of the rock. "It took a bit of negotiating, but I convinced them to let me handle your recovery and take you with me so that we could get used to eachother. We're in a cave about a half mile from the city's limit." The witch finished, walking over to Ace and crouching beside him.

"Does anything still hurt?" Emalia asked, giving the weapon a warm smile. She was mostly relieved to see that she hadn't put the weapon into any kind of coma. Though, the battle wasn't really that intense. Perhaps she had been worried over nothing.

Ace couldn't help but find himself blushing before the woman. She approached like a caring mother, offering to take him and cradle him in her tender arms. The feeling made Ace's head throb. He wasn't reminded of a mother caring for her child, he was reminded specifically of his mother.

Red slowly filled the fair, flesh plane that was Emalia's neck. Ace could see her throat slit open, crimson life draining- no, spraying from her mangled trachea. His vision blurred and he raised both hands to cover his head. No... am I really about to lose it? The boy pleaded with himself, trying to fight back the madness.

Ace's eyes snapped shut, and he curled his legs up to his chest, mind still slamming against the cage-like confines of its skull. He didn't want to lose control. Didn't want to injure this Witch again, especially now that they were no longer sparring. Soon, Ace began to shiver, and his claws dug so deep into his scalp, they looked as though they could pull something out.

Emalia gave a concerned look, placing a hand gently on Ace's head. "You poor thing... You didn't know what that soul was going to do to you, did you...?" She questioned, though was prepared to back away if need be. "I won't let your mind be swallowed though... You're a very special weapon, and your mind is a big part of that... " She added, letting out a light sigh. She could guide his mutations, and help him through, but overcoming his body's drive to become a monster was all on Ace himself... If he lost himself, all she could do was talk him down...

The Witch's touch eased the pain. It lulled Ace's mind into a surreal state of calm. He couldn't help but lift his gaze to meet her inhuman stare. His hands fell to his sides while he contemplated this newfound serenity. "Wh-why..... why are you being so kind to me?" Ace had every right to this question. Emalia may be his partner, but they had met not even a whole day prior. There was no bond yet, so why treat him as though they'd been together for years. It was a kind of affection that was alien to Ace. He and this Witch could be having a fight to the death, but instead they were nestled into a cave, while Emalia licked his psychological wounds without even trying.

Emalia placed her forehead against the weapon's head. "I told you, you're special, Ace. I've been watching you from the shadows for quite some time. Of all the weapons I could have picked, I demanded you. If it didn't have to be you, I wouldn't have bothered going to Lord Death and risking my soul." The woman gave a light sigh, relaxing when he fell off guard. Calming the boy didn't seem to be as hard as she had anticipated. Perhaps it was confusion, but the boy had relaxed a lot faster than expected.

Continuously stroking Ace's ego was most certainly an easy way to get on his good side, but that's not what was responsible for his sudden acceptance of his new partner. "Okay, I'll trust you then. But since you know so much about me, I want to know more about you. That's only fair." Subconsciously, without any forethought at all, Ace's body moved closer to the Witch's. It was such a foreign act, that he, at one point, looked back at the space around him, and began wondering why he was now further from the cave wall. He didn't think too deeply though, as his mind was locked on Emalia's.

Emalia took a moment to think before giving an approving nod. "You're absolutely right. I'll answer anything you ask." The woman responded, contently sitting still in the dim light of the fire. It wasn't like there was anything she really needed to hide from him at this point. It seemed that she had earned his trust for now, and she didn't plan on losing it. If she did, she had probably failed her mission anyways. No matter how she looked at it, they needed to trust each-other in order to be successful. Even if that meant throwing away a few of the trump cards she had against him.

The spot on Ace's forehead, where Emalia's had touched her own to, was left with an unnoticeably apparent impression. This woman was not like many Witches. She was gentle and kind, but not in the way that many of his classmates were. Ace could easily blow off those always-chipper girls that thought they could turn his attitude around, but Emalia was sincere... accepting. She wasn't pushing herself on him any more than she had to--was staying within his personal boundaries--but genuinely seemed to have an invested interest in him, not only as a Weapon, but as a person.

"You keep saying that it has to be me. But what does it 'have to be me' for? What puzzle am I a piece to?" Ace narrowed his eyes a little, trying to make sure he really got the answer he was seeking. "I AM concerned about you personally as well, however this matter is a bit more pressing.... Last time me and my mind were 'important' for something, I ended up an experiment, and shortly after..... I don't even remember. So you'll have to understand my cautious approach..."

Emalia took a moment to pause. "Long ago, a man named Kibriya ruled a small land of humans and witches far away. He was a very powerful warlock, and it's even believed that he had a Grimoire by his side... I'm not as strong as him, but I am his descendant. I want to return my family's name to the former glory that Kibriya once held. If I'm to do that, I need help. I figured that the best place to start would be to find myself a weapon, so that I may be respected for the power that it lends me. The next step, a general. Someone intelligent and strong to help me formulate a plan. You fit the first two roles splendidly, you know? With you at the lead, no army would fall, don't you agree?" The woman rambled, seeming to become rather excited by the end. It was almost like a child formulating a plan for free ice cream... Except this case was much more severe than a company losing a bit of ice cream...

Ace visibly grew more concerned and appreciative of the situation he was in with each new piece of information. The fact that he was being so revered for his natural talents was uplifting, but this plan that the girl spoke of wasn't very inviting. "Okay, I'm with you so far, but for what reason do you need me to lead an army?" Even if she wants to destroy the DWMA.... can i turn her down? He thought. I can't overpower her, so she could take me by force anyways. Of course, that issue aside, an opportunity like this may never come along again.

Emalia took a moment to think. "I don't have one now, but I'm sure we'll gain a following. If we were to raise an army, we could offer a lot more out of an alliance with any group we sought to. For example, the DWMA trusts me enough to hand you to me. If I were to ask them for an alliance once the army was raised, I could offer them a hand in the event that anything happens. With tensions being so high between themselves and the Kishin Eggs right now, and select Kishin Eggs seeming to grow in power with each day, it's only a matter of time before the DWMA is at war unless they do something. Helping them in something like that may award us a favorable place in the DWMA's books and provide me with the recognition I'd need to found a small city and begin again the legend that Kibriya set for my family." She replied, seeming to be deep in thought.

"A pretty noble cause," he smirked "for a Witch, anyways. Alright, I'll agree to help you, and cooperate to the best of my abilities. Don't think for a second though, that if you become dead weight I won't just kill you for your soul." Ace rose with his gaze averted from hers. Some sort of switch had flipped there, and at the moment, he wasn't as captivated by his new partner as he was before. It wasn't anything either of them had said, it had just happened, and Ace was now more concerned with discussing business than feelings.

Emalia took a moment to think. "If I become dead weight, I don't deserve the Kirin, and my soul is yours to take. It seems like a fair trade to me. However, it goes without saying that I expect the same of you." She replied, standing and brushing off her dress. The next order of business was pretty simple. Enrollment.

"So..... It's pretty late now. I'll go and handle enrollment tomorrow morning. For now... I guess we should work on...." The words were hard for Ace to say. In fact, it almost sounded as though he were choking. He never would have thought to make this suggestion in a normal partnership anyways, but this was different. Not only was Emalia someone Ace found to be capable of being his Meister.... or Witch(?), but she was also incredibly stunning and graceful. In fact, this Witch reminded Ace of the kind of woman he would have expected his parents to produce in an arranged marriage. So given that this Kirin was now the one exception to the rule, Ace had to stomach his pride and take a step forward. "Perhaps, bonding exercises?" The last bit came out like a hopeful child asking a girl on a date, rather than a man requesting training with his partner.