[SFW]
March 3rd.
A very special day for a very special group of people. Because it was the birthdate of their Master, despite how long it had been since her birth.
“We should celebrate! We gotta make Master smile and make her happy! Otherwise it’s not a great birthday!”
“I agree, it needs to be the flashiest that we can make it. No expense is too great for our Master.”
“I believe so as well. But there’s a problem. What do we do? What exactly can we do to make her happy, when she frowns at all times and looks upon the world with such scorn?”
Standing in a circle, each trying their best to figure out what to do for the one that had brought them to life, were the Autoscorers. The childish and powerful Micha, the flashy and stylish Leiur, and the graceful and caring Phara. The three each wanted to praise and pamper the Alchemist that had brought them life, but…
“What are you idiots doing?”
The voice of their final member, Garie, echoed around them as she skipped towards with a spin between every hop. All while smiling like usual, her acidic words doing little to change her maliciously happy expression.
“We want to celebrate! It’s Master’s birthday! And she hasn’t woken up yet!” Micha cried out, thrusting her hands into the air. “But I dunno how!”
Leiur nodded as she brushed a hand past her hair. “Without the right tools, it won’t be flashy. And I wouldn’t want to subject our Master to something that lacks the right flashiness.” The yellow-clad Autoscorer muttered, casually letting one of her coins flick between her digits as she kept on thinking.
“Perhaps she’d enjoy a waltz with the four of us? She made us like this for a reason, no?” Phara spoke up, gently gripping the edge of her dress as she spun around. “Although, considering her size it’d be difficult for her to dance with anybody except for Micha, and she’s… Well.”
Micha’s ears steamed as she waved her hands in the direction of her green-clad ally, before the blue doll sighed and shook her head, her expression turning much more serious. “Use those brains of yours for a moment and think. What would our Master want from us, if she used herself as a template to build us upon?”
The other three Autoscorers looked at one another as they thought on Garie’s words, before each of them lit up and shouted in unison. “That’s it! Thanks, Garie!” With each of them smiling towards their blue companion.
“Hmph! This is why you need me.” The ballet-dancing doll grinned, before narrowing her eyes. “That being said… Leiur. I’m going to need your help for what I want to give her. I can’t do it on my own.”
With that, the four started scheming, as the day slowly progressed…
---
Carol Malus Dienheim. The self-proclaimed Murderer of Miracles. The girl that would reduce the world to its base components so she could understand it, just like her father had told her to…
Was not in a great mood. And it all started with none of her servants having woken her up. Not even Garie, the blue idiot that always stuck by her side.
“Of course those four have to be causing trouble, ever since I gave them enough memories to function on their own. Of COURSE!” The blonde alchemist shouted to the heavens as she jumped out of bed, her red dress appearing on her body with the snap of her fingers.
At least it gave her peace of mind. Though, what time was it? She didn’t really know, considering she usually used those dolls to keep track of time.
Carol snapped her fingers again, opening a window to the outside world with her alchemy, prompting her to nearly trip in place as she saw pure and utter darkness outside the Chateau she used as a home.
She had slept through the entire day. How was that possible!? Damnit, was her sense of time that off? Maybe she should make her next body able to tell time on its own, so she didn’t run into this problem again.
The alchemist twitched a little more as she headed straight for the innermost part of the Chateau, hoping to find the four there so she could chew them out for their absence. She didn’t give them the ability to move independently just so they could flippantly ignore her!
“Garie! Micha! Leiur! Phara! Where are you four!? AM I GOING TO UPTURN THIS ENTIRE CHATEAU JUST TO FIND YOU!?” Carol screamed, her cheeks flushing red with anger as she made her way into her throne room…
Only for a bright flash to hit her eyes, causing her to stagger backwards as she tried to get the flickering spots out of her vision. “WHO’S ATTACKING!? WHO’S DOING THIS!?” The on-edge girl shouted, swinging her arms around wildly…
“Master, you really should calm down. There’s nothing to be upset over.” The gentle voice of Phara echoed through her ears, and her vision slowly cleared up thanks to a calm breeze flowing over her…
Standing in the throne room were three of the terrible foursome. Phara, Leiur and Garie, the last currently using the Master’s throne as her own. Just because she could.
“Tell Garie to get off my throne if she knows what’s good for her. And you two, why didn’t you wake me up!?” Carol bit her lip, pouting. Even if she had been calmed by the wind’s caress, she didn’t forgive the four for what they had done. If anything, seeing them like this just made her more angry…
Leiur cleared her throat a little as she stepped forth, putting a hand on the alchemist’s shoulder. “Master. There’s something we’d like to tell you. Regarding the flashiest thing we know.”
“Indeed. Can you spare Garie your wrath for a few minutes, if not the rest of the day?” Phara asked as well, bowing before her Master with the same grace as ever.
Carol looked at both of them with one eyebrow raised. “What are you four planning? And for that matter, where exactly is Micha? What is all of this about?”
“What date is it, Master?” Garie chimed from the throne, giggling a little as she sat up straight, imitating the blonde girl with her posturing. “I’m sure you’d remember. Even with all of the memories you’ve burnt.”
The blonde Alchemist narrowed her eyes. “March the Third. There’s nothing special about that date. Never has.” Was all that the girl replied with, her glare intensifying for a moment. “Get off my Throne, Garie.”
“Reallyyyy? Oh, wow, and here I thought you’d remember your birthday.”
The last two words that left the blue doll’s lips were enough to make Carol’s eyes widen. Was that today!? Was that today of all days!?
“So all of this nonsense, all that you’ve done… All of it!? All of it is just because of this dumb day!?” The alchemist shouted, though the edge to her words was lacking. And all three of the dolls could hear the heart pumping against her chest…
All three Autoscorers smiled in tandem as they snapped their fingers, just like the girl that had created them, revealing a massive alchemical circle showing the night sky outside, as well as the red-clad doll that hadn’t joined them for this greeting.
“NOW! EXPLODE!”
Micha’s voice echoed through the ‘window’ as the sky lit up with bright colors. Explosions, courtesy of the rods that the girl could shoot from her hands. Each of them shaped after one of the dolls’ faces, smiling down upon their creator…
Another few explosions came together, forming a face that would never be made. The smiling expression of the Alchemist herself, decorating the night sky above.
Finally, a massive sequence of explosions decorated the black carpet above, forming a message that could not be more poignant…
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
The ‘window’ showing the fireworks show shut off, leaving the four alone in the Chateau’s innermost chamber for a few moments before their red friend joined them using one of the alchemical concoctions that transported her into the room.
“You four…” Carol muttered, hiding her face behind her hair as she peered down at the floor. “Why would you all go through this much trouble, disobeying my orders, just to celebrate a cursed day like this..?”
As she spoke, she noticed a warm, gentle light. A flashy one, that didn’t hurt her eyes, courtesy of the yellow-clad doll that was obsessed with the flashiness of life…
She had seen what that light represented. The Lapis Philosophorum. Otherwise known as the Philosopher’s Stone. One of the secrets of alchemy, the red gem that served as a secondary power source for anybody that wanted to use alchemy… Or, in the worst case scenario, purify a cursed song from the one that had been afflicted by it.
“We want to protect you and see you smile, Master.” Leiur said as she put the glimmering gem into her Master’s palm, forcing her fingers around it. “And if you ever abandon your plan, let this be your last resort. To free the cursed melody from our bodies.”
Carol looked at the heart-shaped gem, before noticing the damage that was on the Autoscorer’s hand. Despite the potential danger that a thing like her could go through, she still made this just for her sake…
“Of course, not all of us are fatalistic enough to imagine you might abandon your plan.” Phara said as she stepped closer to her master, who still didn’t raise her face to look at them. “I, frankly, wanted to give you something more adequate. Something that’ll fit your determination perfectly.”
Another snap echoed out as the Autoscorer’s winds wrapped around her Master, weaving through her dress and replacing it with a longer, elegant one that was themed after the clothes that she made her minions wear. Only, instead of having one color stand out besides the black, hers had all four. Red, green, blue and yellow, all split apart perfectly to let them all compliment one another.
Carol still didn’t say a word, speechless in the face of the four girls’ kindness. She hadn’t taught them to be like this. She didn’t want to be treated like this at any point. She didn’t want to acknowledge her birthday, as it reminded her of the times when she had been happy. So why, why would they-
*FLASH*
The alchemist staggered back. It was the same thing that had blinded her when she came here! What was that infernal light!?
“Hey, Master. Look at this.” Garie chimed as she came close, putting a thing into the alchemist’s hand and lifting it up for her to look at…
It was a picture. A picture of her shocked face, blushing and wet with the tears that had been pouring silently down her cheeks.
Carol looked at the picture, then at the thing in the hands of the doll. A camera. Old fashioned, but able to produce pictures instantly. “...Why would you…”
“If you’re burning memories, somebody has to preserve them. Why not through photos of our adorable Master?” The sharp-toothed girl grinned as she snapped another photo of her Master, this time without the flash so she didn’t blind her.
It wasn’t fair. Why did they all care? She was going to burn away the world, and her with it. They didn’t need to do any of this for her...
“Master! Look!” Micha giggled from further away, waving at her and her friends before pointing behind her, revealing an absolutely massive cake. “Look at what Garie helped me make!” The large-handed doll laughed, proud of herself. And hungry, considering the drool that ran down her chin.
Carol silently stared at the cake, then at her other dolls, who each smiled down at her… And slowly but surely, the tears just started rolling down. They all cared about her, despite the obvious end result.
“You… You idiots…” She muttered, as she finally looked up to reveal her tearful eyes. And the smile on her face. She couldn’t hold back her emotions, or her happiness over having people that cared about her.
All four Autoscorers smiled as they stood in front of her, bowing in their own way, even Micha who was a little late as she had to dash over, before they spoke in unison one last time.
“Happy Birthday, Master.”