Xianthos, or Xia for short, had been having a great day.

The new batch of students had entered, and all went well. Though there was a slight incident where Headmistress Wynn had to come in, she didn’t think much of it. Probably just a troublemaking kid.

No, what she was more focused on was the little problem she had. There was a rat, she was sure of it! Every night, she created macaroons, to honor her best friend, (curse those bastards), and every morning, they were chewed off.

Every single one of them just nibbled on. Not even a full bite.

So, being the smart and logical person she was, Xia deduced they were rats.

Now, the only problem was, how to get to them? Regular rat traps didn't seem to work so that only left one option. Xia had to create a pulley system, installed inside the ceiling and going down through the table and under the plate. Then, when the last macaron was being nibbled on, BAM! Rope, and game over.

So imagine her surprise when Xia walked in and found her best friend, who was supposed to be hundreds of miles away, dangling in the trap.

“I-I-uh,” she stammered. Xia wanted to smack herself. This was no way to properly respond to her best friend! She prided herself on being calm and aloof, but even the best of the best was allowed to be taken completely off guard when your friend who you never thought was going to see again appeared out of nowhere.

“Hey! This isn’t what it looks like!” Reina repeated. Xia took this time to hungrily devour what her best friend looked like. She was still as short as ever, and still had those bright hopeful eyes.

The only real thing that had changed physically was the fact that her cream hair was now fully grown, all the way out to her waist.

So, she was fine. But what about the rest?

Xia shook her head. No time for that. Right now, she needed to deal with her.

“I came here and found my best friend dangling like a piñata, and a plate of her favorite snacks empty. Care to explain?” Xia crossed her arms, but couldn't properly convey her disappointment. Probably because her brain was going around, whooping and throwing parties everywhere. She was back! She was really back!

Reina pouted adorably, puffing out her cheeks. “I will if you get me down!”

Xia shook her head as she pressed a button. The line was released and Reina dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks.

“Ow! Xia, you meanie!” Reina patted her head and tried puppy-dog eyes on her.

Xia forced herself to look away, and busy herself by cleaning up her lab. She needed time to recollect her mind, then bust into Wynn’s room and demand some well-deserved explanations.

“Come on, Xia! Don't be like that! You meanie!” Reina followed her around, tugging on her sleeves.

Xia took a deep breath and faced her friend. Instantly, a wave of nostalgia hit her, but this time, she managed to remain calm.

“So, Reina, how’ve you been?”

Reina beamed. “Great! There were huge buildings and I got to sleep on a bed!”

Xia sweat-dropped. “You got to sleep in a bed here too, you know.”

Reina paused briefly. “Yeah, but that was different!”

“How so, exactly?”

Reina decided to ignore that, and Xia inwardly groaned. Just like to only answer what she wanted. Still, she thought with a fond smile as she viewed Reina, she had missed that about her.

“And then there was a storm and I was scared but Sis came and-“

“Woah woah woah, calm down,” Xia said. Reina took a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks. Xia nodded. “That’s better. Now. . .” Xia leaned in closer to Reina’s face and smirked. “I’m guessing you came to me first because I’m just so awesome?”

Reina cocked her head in adorable confusion. “But I talked to Veriy and Wynn first.”

Xia gasped exaggeratedly, but inside, she was planning the death of those two.

Of course! she realized. The reason Wynn went down there was probably because of Reina! She cursed herself for not figuring that out earlier.

Then again, Reina came to her first out of her own free will. The smirk slid back on.

Reina jumped on top of Xia. “Oof!” Xia’s breath got knocked out of her.

Reina either didn’t notice or didn't care and continued hopping up and down.

“So so so?! What have you been up to!?” Reina squealed.

Xia panted. “I’ll tell you if you get off, you big lug!”

Reina stopped and slapped Xia on the head. “Why are you so mean?”

Xia sighed and picked up Reina, before throwing her onto the bed. “Do you need something? I’m kind of busy here.” Yeah, itching to go punch Wynn in the face.

Reina frowned. “Fine, if that’s how you want it! I need a new one.”

Xia rolled her eyes. “A new one? You do know your old one is supposed to last 50 lifetimes, right?”

Reina flung her hands into the air. “I don’t know what happened. Maybe you’re not as good as you think.”

Xia gaped at the little devil and began tickling her. “Want to say that again, brat?!”

“No, stop! Please, mercy! Uncle, Uncle!” Tears swam down Reina’s face.

Xia cackled. “Beg, girl, beg!”

This reminded her so much of the good old times that it made tears come to her eyes as well. She’d missed Reina so much!

Finally, she decided to be merciful and backed off. Reina clutched her stomach and glared woefully at her.

“Stop!”

Xia raised her hands in surrender. “All right, all right. Now, you little brat, tell me what you have in mind.

At those words, Reina immediately perked up and handed Xia a piece of paper, with stars shining in her eyes. Xia smiled. It has always been a quirk of hers to get overexcited about designs.

Xia took a look at the paper and whistled. “Wow, much fancier than your old one, huh?”

Reina blushed and tugged at the weathered cloak. “I’m still going to wear it, Xia. I just want something else underneath!”

Xia got a dumbfounded look in her eyes. “You want to wear two? Geez, Reina. Even for you, I’m not sure that’s safe.”

Reina blinked her eyes innocently. “Come on! Wynn wants me to wear two! Something about me getting stronger or something!” She waved it off like it was nothing.

Xia had a sneaky look on her face as she leaned in and whispered, “You just want to use this as an excuse for better clothes by yours truly.”

Reina snapped her fingers. “Exactly!” Then she realized what she said and stammered, “No, I meant-“

Xia laughed and patted her on the head. “No worries, it's cool.” Reina let out a sigh of relief.

Xia checked the paper again. It was a slightly baggy sweater, with two pockets, a hood, and a zipper. There was a checker mark pattern on her shoulders, and a teal band around her upper body and arms. More teals lines that angled from a rectangle to a triangle were at the bottom of her design. Nothing too intricate or difficult, but Xia suspected there was more in the next pages that Reina would undoubtedly give her.

Reina stuck out her lips. “Think you can do it?”

How can you say no to that face? Xia wondered as she nodded. “No problem!”

. . . . . . .

4 hours.

It took her 4 hours to make Reina a sweater.

As Xia had expected, there had been more papers. Xia just hadn’t anticipated an entire packet!

She sighed mournfully. After all those years without her, Reina must have had loads of designing energy bottled up inside of her, just begging to be let out.

At least Reina was enjoying it if the way she twirled around and stuck up poses was any indication.

“Thanks a lot, Xia!” Reina stuck out a leg and did some sort of funny ballerina pose. “I feel so cool!”

Xia had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from laughing. “Yep. You look cool as well!” Reina beamed.

She wasn’t really lying. If not for the ridiculous pose, she would have been the definition of cool. With her sweater making her look like a popular kid, emanating a constant silver glow, and her rugged cloak making her look mysterious, she was pretty cool.

Xia wiped the sweat off her forehead. If it had been for anyone else, even for Wynn, she wouldn’t have done so. The amount of power required for that creation was at least B level! Still, this was Reina, and even when she’d first met her, Xia and felt a deep connection with her. This only grew after getting to know each other.

“Looking pretty good. But, I think there’s one more thing.”

Reina paused. “What?”

Xia smiled devilishly despite her tiredness and held up a pair of scissors. “Snip snip.”

Reina paled. “No! Bad Xia! Bad Xia!” She attempted to scramble back into the mess of blankets, but Xia grabbed her by the leg and pulled her back.

“This is payback!” Xia yelled as she started cutting at Reina’s hair.

It was later told to both that the wailing was heard all over the school.

The result was that there was a whole lot of hair on the floor and Reina was happily patting the top of her head. Xia scoffed and set to work on cleaning up the area.

It always went like this. Reina would complain, then she would cry while they were doing it, and right after that, she would like it so much.

“Geez, you’re such a hassle,” Xia said. Reina’s flailing caused a lot of the hair to get into the bed, and now she was going to have to wash it.

“Sorry!” Reina said it in a way that made Xia suspect she wasn’t truly sorry. Xia narrowed her eyes.

“If you’re sorry, you’d stop making this such a big deal anymore.”

Reina bit her lips as if she was thinking about this, then shook her head no. “Nope!”

Xia groaned. “Oh well. At least you look better.”

“Hm!” Reina agreed. Xia cut her hair down to a little less than her shoulder length and had made the two sides slightly tilt away from each other.

Xia winced. Perhaps she had been too tactless? Seeing Reina for the first time in years would be hard enough for everybody. Seeing her exactly how she looked last time when she’d been crying for their help, might be too much.

Xia shook the thought out of her head vehemently. Reina deserved everything she wanted, and then some. Last time, they had chosen their needs over hers. Never again.

Something bopped her on the head and she blinked. Staring right at her were the huge orbs of Reina. Xia was instantly captivated by them. Fun fact, she had once tried to draw them after Reina kept pestering her about it, but she could never get it right. She’d tried again after Reina was taken away to have something of her, but failed so many times that she burned it all down.

Now though, she didn't need a replacement. She had the real thing in front of her, and she would never let it go.

Xia didn’t realize she was tearing up until Reina asked, “Why are you crying?”

Xia hurriedly wiped her face and smiled wobbly. “No reason. Come on!”

Xia picked Reina up and lowered her onto the floor. She gave her a grin before heading into her secret room inside the lab. Xia gave Reina 5 seconds before she knew Reina wouldn’t be able to resist and follow her.

3 seconds after, Reina caved and went after her, bumping into a thousand little things and making them plummet to the floor. Xia winced each time she heard a crash and a mumbled apology.

Finally, she found what she was searching for.

A small safe was hidden behind all her clothes in the closet. Xia placed her hand on the cool metal and waited as it took some of her blood and scanned it.

“Reina, can you give me some of your blood?” Xia asked.

Reina nodded and bounded over, placing her hand on the box as well. The safe registered her as well and slowly slid open.

Reina didn't waste any time and plunged her hand in, searching for what was so important. Xia giggled as she watched the impatient teenager try and find it.

Finally, Reina stopped and pouted. “Where is it?” Her voice was so sad it shook Xia.

“Don’t worry! It’s in here!” Xia reached inside, finding the hidden pouch against one of the walls. She retrieved the tiny box it contained and exited the safe.

“TADA!” She presented the box to the sky as if it was the Holy Grail itself.

“Yay!” Reina clapped her hands together. “What is it?”

Xia smirked. “Don’t tell me you forget your old friend already?” She opened the box to reveal a plain white eyepatch that absolutely thrummed with power.

Reina’s eyes widened comically. “Froppy!”

A snort escaped Xia’s mouth at the hilarious name Reina bestowed upon her most powerful creation. She always loved to grant inanimate objects names.

“So you do remember this?” Xia made sure. Reina empathically nodded.

Xia smiled. “Good. I think it should go back to its rightful owner then.”

Reina positively vibrated with enthusiasm as she cradled the eyepatch in her hands. She made to put it over her head before remembering something and looking up at Xia.

Xia giggled. “Want me to do it?” Reina nodded. “All right, hand it over.”

Taking the eyepatch, Xia gently lowered it down onto Reina’s face, placing it over her left eye. Something yellow flashed from behind it but the eyepatch quickly stifled it down.

Xia sighed in relief as she stepped back, examining Reina. Finally, she looked exactly as she did in the past, and all the threats were gone.

“Looking good there!” Xia crowed.

Reina gave her a thumbs up. “Thanks a lot, Xia!”

Xia gave her a fond little smile, before beginning to push her out of the room. “Come on, Reina. Don't you have school?”

Reina blanched. “I forgot!”

Xia shook her head. “Geez, keep track better. Now, why don’t you go and make some new friends, all right? You can tell me all about it later.”

Reina grinned. “Alrighty! Bye, Xia!” She skipped out of her room and headed toward her classmates.

Xia leaned against her doorway, watching her leave. Once she was out of sight, Xia slid the door close and locked it, looking down.

“Now-!” Xia snapped her head up, looking murderous. “time to have a nice chat with Wynn and Veriy!”