//------------------------------// // The Key to Testing // Story: May Your Heart Be Your Guiding Key // by SoulboundAlchemist //------------------------------// May Your Heart Be Your Guiding Key By SoulboundAlchemist and MicroMiniMouse Chapter 13: The Key to Testing Melissa’s POV “One, two, three, four Five, six, seven, eight, nine” I’m standing in a back room of my lab, alongside four of my Figure 17 units, one dressed as Aaron Burr, one dressed as Charles Lee, one dressed as John Laurens, and one dressed as a doctor. We faced each other as we began singing. “It's the Ten Duel Commandments” Lee and Burr broke away, turning their backs to us, while the doctor moved to the side of the room. “It's the Ten Duel Commandments Number one” The unit dressed as Laurens rapped out its part “The challenge, demand satisfaction If they apologize, no need for further action Number two” Laurens then grabbed my shoulder. “If they don't, grab a friend, that's your second” I grinned as I rapped my part. “Your lieutenant, when there's reckoning to be reckoned Number three” Lee and Burr turned back to us, with Lee rapping the next line as Burr and I met in the middle of the room. “Have your seconds meet face-to-face” “Negotiate a peace” “Or negotiate a time and place” “This is commonplace, 'specially 'tween recruits” We all then turned towards the door, right as Haley entered the room with wide eyes. “Most disputes die, and no one shoots Number four” Laurens turned and walked to the doctor in the corner, guiding him to the front of the room as Lee pulled some blasters from the wall. The Star Wars style blasters, of course. Haley just strides over towards a chair against the wall, sitting in it with crossed legs, watching us intently with a sheepish smirk on her face. “If they don't reach a peace, that's alright Time to get some pistols and a doctor on site” I come up next to the doctor, pretending to pay him, while Burr comes and turns him around. “You pay him in advance, you treat him with civility” “You have him turn around so he can have deniability” “Five” Lee strode to the center of the room, a cocky smirk on his face as he gazes towards where Haley sat, munching on popcorn. “Duel before the sun is in the sky” “Pick a place to die where it’s high and dry Number six!” Lee turned to Burr, pulling a scrap of paper out of his coat, handing it to him, as Laurens does the same with me. “Leave a note for your next of kin Tell ‘em where you been. Pray that hell or heaven lets you in” “Seven!” Lee stepped forward again, a bloodthirsty grin on his face. “Confess your sins. Ready for the moment of adrenaline when you finally face your opponent” “Number eight!” We all turned to each other as Burr and I stepped to the center of the room. “Your last chance to negotiate Send in your seconds, see if they can set the record straight…” Burr smiled in greeting as we met. “Alexander.” “Aaron Burr, sir,” I replied, matching his smile. “Can we agree that duels are dumb and immature?” he asked. “Sure,” I shrugged in reply. “But your man has to answer for his words, Burr.” Burr frowned. “With his life? We both know that’s absurd, sir.” “Hang on, how many men died because Lee was inexperienced and ruinous?” I shot back with a glare. Honestly, I never thought I’d ever be so immersed in a theatrical role. Maybe I should try it out at some point. “Okay, so we’re doin’ this,” Burr replied with a sigh. “Number nine!” Burr and I returned to Lee and Laurens respectively, handing them their blasters. “Look ‘em in the eye, aim no higher Summon all the courage you require Then count!” “One, two, three, four Five, six, seven, eight, nine.” We all shouted the final line as Lee and Laurens fired, Lauren’s blaster bolt striking Lee in the leg. “Number Ten paces! Fire!” Right after we finished the song, we all kept our ending positions while panting heavily. After a minute or two of silence, I suddenly heard a slow clap coming from the direction of the entrance to the room, where I see Haley slowly applauding us with a pretty surprised look on her face. “Wow. I mean, I’ve listened to this musical a lot but never fully saw it live. Does this count?” Haley asked as she placed her hands on her hips. “I’d think so, yes,” I replied with a smirk, signalling the four Figure 17 units to return to their posts around the Tree of Harmony, before moving up to the main console. “Alright Haley,” I spoke, directing her to the console. “I want you to stay at that console, recording everything that happens.” “My role feels kind of simple,” she grumbles. “You sure there isn’t anything else productive I can do?” she adds, tilting her head a bit. “At this point, not really,” I replied with a shrug. “Honestly, this is the more dangerous part of development, and Kairi would beat me black and blue if I hurt you, or any of her friends.” Haley slumped her shoulders in disappointment and stomped over to a neighboring chair to the console, plopping into it. I rolled my eyes. “Alright, all you need to do, for now, is write, or in this case type out your observations of what’s happening while I use the mask. Clear?” “Crystal, Captain Boring Pants.” Haley said before giving me a sluggish salute. “Alright then, here goes,” I muttered as I lifted the mask to my face, and then… “That’s a whole lot of nothing there, chief,” “Well then, type it out,” I growled out, pulling the mask away. “I don’t understand, I can feel the magic in it. Why isn’t it working?” “What ever happened to me saying ‘I volunteer as tribute’?” Haley said with a slight smirk on her face. “Not now,” I brushed her off, beginning to pace. “I have it designed for someone with no abilities, so why isn’t it working for me? Is it the fact that it’s One For All, and I don’t know how it works? Or is it because of the Fiore-” My eyes widened in realization. “Hold on, it was made with Fiore magic, of course it won’t work for me!” I turned back to my rather bored assistant. “Haley, I changed my mind, you get to test the mask.” My words seemed to catch her attention quite quickly as her gaze quickly launched to me with slightly widened eyes. “Really?! Yes!” She says before jumping out of her chair and bowling me over in her excitement. I got up with a groan, adjusting my now crooked glasses, before standing back up. “Alright, be a little more careful. This may be a reinforced test chamber, but I’m not reinforced.” “Hehe, Sorry.” Haley said as she scratched the back of her head. “It’s fine,” I sighed. “Now, once I get to the console, I want you to place the mask on your face. I’ll be recording everything, so don’t worry about that part.” Haley nodded as I turned and made my way over to the console. As soon as I turned back to her and gave her a nod, she placed the mask over her face. Immediately, I was blinded by a flash of light. After the flash, I turned back to my assistant, and was surprised to find… “Where’d the mask go?” I asked in shock, since the mask seemed to have disappeared. “I have no idea but I feel crazy weird!” Haley replied in confusion as she examined her hands. In that moment of confusion, her whole body started glowing again, though not as intensely, before it promptly changed itself into a completely different person! Her hair was pink, and she wore a black sleeveless crop top with gold trim, and a scarf around her neck. She also wore a pair of white, puffy pants, with sandals. “What just happened?!” She asked, however her voice sounded different, much rougher, and a little bit deeper, almost like… “Did you just turn into a female version of Natsu?!?” I asked in shock. “Haha! If only Kairi could see me now! Try to throw me through your Doors of Hades now!” She yelled out as she fist pumped the air with a wide, toothy grin. Well, well, it’s been a while palm, how have you been? I silently reached over and pressed a button that released a large foam log. “Eep! Fire Dragon Iron Fist!” Haley jumped at my action before sending her fiery fist at the log, smashing it to bits. However, while she was distracted, one of the Figure 17 units came up and karate chopped her in the neck, sending her to sleepy night night time. Her body quickly reverted back to Mirajane’s as I made my way down to her with some smelling salts. She bolts upright again as I place them under her nose. “What the heck just happened?” Haley demanded. “Well,” I took a breath. “Short answer, you turned into a female Natsu, blew up a training log, and needed a Figure 17 unit to knock you out.” “Well yeah, I remember that much,” she grumbled. “But why did it happen?” “Probably because I miscalculated with the mask,” I explained. “It seems to have integrated with your magic, since it’s a match to Lex’s Fiore magic. As a result, you can essentially shapeshift into different characters from Fairy Tail, and use their magic as well. I also noticed some personality changes as well, since you seemed to act far more like Natsu than you usually do.” “So I can change into any character in Fairy Tail?! Cool!!” She cheered out in excitement. “So, how do I control it?” “Well, is there anyone else you want to try being right now?” I asked pointedly. As soon as I finished my sentence, Haley began thinking, before it seemed a lightbulb popped on above her head, and with that, the glow returned. As the glow faded, this time I was met with an older, and more filled out version of Wendy. She wore a light blue, sleeveless crop top, with a bow at the front, and a white short skirt. “I do believe you’ve answered how the power works,” I said with a smirk. She looked at me before looking down at herself and quickly covering her chest with her face as red as a tomato. “I didn’t know that I’d change into this version of her!!” She squealed out with her voice rising an octave. “Relax, try a different character.” As soon as I said that, she went back to thinking again before her soft smile turned into a devilish smirk. Another flash of light, and I’m greeted with a tall blonde woman, a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt over her right eye. She wore a purple button-up shirt, black slacks, and a fur-trimmed, black coat. “Cool. Now this is what I call power.” She said with a wide smirk on her face, before raising her hand and balling it into a fist, lightning crackling around it. I rolled my eyes as I had the Figure 17 unit from before do a repeat performance and knock her unconscious. Again. I quickly come and revive her, before explaining. “I can’t have high voltages running in a lab full of highly volatile tech. That’s just asking for trouble.” She rolled her eyes before crossing her arms over her chest, as the door to the chamber opened. “Fine.” She grumbles out. “Uh, did I interrupt something?” Kairi asked as she walked in. “Not really,” I replied with a shrug. “We were just finishing up.” “Oh good. Haley, Trixie wants you for something. Not sure what though.” Kairi said with a shrug. “Alright. I’ll go look for her. Thanks.” Haley replied as she stood up and began to walk out of the test chamber. After she left, Kairi and I stood around for a second before Kairi turned back to me. “So, how went the testing?” “Disappointing,” I sighed. “In what way?” I shrugged as I turned back to my console. “Where to begin? How about the fact that the mask didn’t work?” I was getting angry and frustrated, and as a result, Kairi noticed something that I didn’t. Sparks of green electricity sparking off of me. “Uh, Melissa?” she tried to cut in, but I was quickly building steam. “Or, how about the fact that I’m back to square one?” I growled, clenching my fist. “Melissa?” “And to add insult to injury, Haley comes out of the test with new. Frickin’. POWERS!” I screamed in frustration, bringing my fist down on the console, completely destroying it. Silence fell as we both stared at the wrecked console. I slowly brought my gaze down to my hand, which still sparked with green electricity, before it finally sank in. Somehow, while me and Lex were creating the mask, I got One for All. It must have been when we had that accident. “I tried to warn you,” Kairi sighed, breaking the silence, causing me to nod my head dumbly. “Well, looks like you have some training to do.” I nodded my head, as I noticed a glowing portal of light open behind Kairi. “And it looks like you have work to do.” She glanced behind her with a sigh. “Looks like I don’t get to put you through your paces.” “Like I need you to tell me how to train One for All. Are you forgetting who I was Displaced as?” I replied with a grin. “Oh, believe me, I haven’t forgotten,” Kairi smirks back. “But I’ve thought of something you haven’t.” “Oh?” “Because you just created it, One for All is at square one. Meaning, if you want to get on All Might, or Midoriya’s level, you’re gonna be training for a long, LONG time.” A smirk formed on my face. “Oh, I accounted for that, but proximity to the Tree of Harmony should help with that. It is a power stockpiling quirk, after all.” Kairi gave a hearty laugh as she walked through the portal, leaving me on my own to come up with a training regiment.