^^ Yanina Hidden ^^

--- Oscar Hidden ---

The equation for Momentum gave way without much fight, after I'd stripped off all the useless baggage.

The end result, my version of the Equation of Momentum, was a rather unassuming circle, devoid of any words or symbols. A hexagon held a single set of waves, which represented mechanical force being redirected and moved around by other forces.

I finished it, and nodded. "And that's a wrap."

"What are you resting for? Keep going, while the juices are still flowing!" Bacchus said, waving at the other walls.

I nodded and sat in front of the second wall, Gravity.

It broke down easily, now that I'd discovered and decoded his methods of obscuring his work, and so I got to work much quicker this time.

The bare bones was just the same as the other one, boring and plain, and I hummed, adding it to the first one, as they went hand in hand. A gravity well (simple ripple effect,) found itself situated in each of the troughs of the wavelengths for the Momentum Equation.

"Oh? Connecting them?" Bacchus hummed.

I continued working, moving to the 3rd Equation, Space.

Space was the most complex of the three I'd seen so far, even after it was stripped down, but I managed to solve it, and move the resulting collection of dots and constellations into my circle, as a background. The circle was 3D now, just barely.

The fourth was Time, which was actually rather simple, despite my thoughts otherwise, and so I added it into the Circle as another gravity well, along with several small tick marks along the edge for flair.

I impressed the finished product into a piece of clay, and showed it to Elder Bacchus.

He nodded slowly, tracing it. "Rather clever... I like your flair, here, not too much, but noticeable. Fun, but functional... and your equations work perfectly, of course... I'd like to see you cast it." He handed the clay back.

I nodded and placed a hand on the ground, inscribing the circle slowly, and carefully. Then I stepped into it as it activated, and smiled as I directed it to interfere with my natural abilities.

My meridians pulsed painfully, as magic was forced into them, instead of pulled from them, to allow the Magic to spread evenly throughout my body.

The circle appeared on the back of my palm, and I slowly adjusted it like a dial, adding and removing the Psychic Safeguards I'd just built.

Elder Bacchus clapped slowly. "Well done... well done, indeed."

I noticed the light outside was different. "What time is it?" I asked.

"It is 5 o'clock." He hummed. "And I'm a bit peaked. How about you?" He nodded and started off towards the restaurants in the Residential Tower.

I led him towards the noodle place, and sat us at the bar. "Whatever you're cooking, for me, and whatever the Elder wants." I called out.

"Same, just whatever you're making." Bacchus added swiftly.

The chef nodded and served up two plates of thick-cut balls of rice, filled with vegetables and fish. "Japanese Sushi." He said, and grinned, waiting for me to try it.

I nodded and popped one of the morsels in my mouth, curious.

"Hmm... crunchy, but then the soft rice cuts through that. Very nice. I like it." I nodded, and quickly ate the entire roll, then the second, and leaned back, my stomach reasonably full.

Someone went to speak, and then the entire castle shook slightly.

Elder Bacchus blinked. "That's... not possible."

"It is for a Hidden Clan Matriarch." I nodded, and darted down the Magic stairs, slamming my shoulder into the front doors.

They slammed open, and I plowed through them, straight into my mother's arms.

She blinked slowly. "Ah. There he is. I told you I'd find him, David." She smirked at Father, who was standing behind her curiously, his massive arms crossed over his equally massive chest.

"Papa!" I leapt into his arms, grinning.

"Hmph." Mother frowned.

"It's okay, I love you to, mama, I just see you more often." I grinned at her happily.

She chuckled. "I see. Well then, David, let's continue?" She cracked her knuckles slowly, and then hauled back her left fist, aiming at the castle.

I yelped and grabbed her hand, turning her just in time to direct her attack over the ocean.

She raised an eyebrow slowly. "Excuse me?"

"I can explain?" I grinned uncertainly.

"I believe the situation has made itself clear, at least on my part..." Count Fallon said, sitting on the edge of the bridge casually.

"Count Fallon, this is my mother, Duchess Yanina Hidden, and my father, Chief David Atreyu." I introduced them quickly.

Mother stood straight, primping her hair swiftly and meticulously, then offered her hand to him primly.

He kissed her knuckles, and then leaned back, releasing her hand. "So! A rather... perilous entrance. You do realize you had an open invitation?" He asked dryly.

She blinked slowly. "Ah, that must've been lost in translation... I was under the impression my son was for ransom."

Father nodded. "That was my understanding as well... I should probably call off your siblings... they're causing a ruckus in the city." He set me on my feet, and then simply disappeared, causing the Count to stiffen.

"Papa does that. He's fast, mama is strong, that's their duality." I explained.

She sighed. "I'm also quite intelligent, thank you!"

"I know, but so is he. It's not much of a duality if there's no difference." I explained logically.

She nodded. "True. Now I'd like an explanation? If you're not here for ransom, why are you in England?"

"Uhm... how to say this..."

"Speak, Boy." She frowned slowly.

"I may have run away from home to see the city again... and accidentally killed a... small few people?" I started.

She raised an eyebrow.

"And then I impulsively enrolled in classes at a Magic University."

The other eyebrow quirked into an arch.

"And I also solved 4 of the 13 Cardinal Equations, and conquered the Immovable Object Spell." I added clearly.

She blinked, and then grinned, picking me up and spinning, laughing. "I knew you could do it, child! Four of the Cardinals, all in a few days? Extraordinary! Just what I'd expect from a Hidden Clan!" She giggled, kissing my cheeks.

"Just one day, actually." I smirked.

She laughed and poked my nose. "None of that sass, you brat, you're still on the ropes for leaving home without my permission!"

"What's all this merrymaking?" Papa hummed, standing next to us with my siblings.

The count jumped, clutching his heart. "My gods that's amazing..." he grumbled.

"My son has conquered the Immovable Object by applying 4 of the 13 Cardinal Equations, which he solved himself in one day!" She smirked proudly.

He grinned and patted my head. "Well done, my child! And what else did I miss?"

"We are definitely not here on a warpath... and we might need to apologize." She frowned.

Father nodded. "Alright. Count Fallon, was it?" He asked.

"Indeed, Lord Atreyu." The count bowed a bit.

"Wonderful. Let us retire to your offices, please, I fear this is far too public a venue." He suggested.

"Agreed. This way, then, Madams, Sirs." He started walking, and my eldest sibling tossed me up onto his shoulders.

"Hey, 'sup, Squirt?" He grinned.

"Conquering Magical Mathematics. You?" I grinned back, upside down.

"Won a Go tournament. Fun stuff." He nodded.

"And you guys? Anything more interesting than Pietro's Go Tournament?" I looked at the other two.

My sister shrugged, cleaning her knuckles fastidiously. "Been painting a lot. Some poetry. Nothing interesting."

"Discovered a really old Cache of Pin-Up Porn. That was interesting." My second eldest sibling said casually.

"What's-"

"Tander!" Father growled softly.

"Sorry pa." He shrugged unapologetically.

Elder Bacchus finally reached us as we approached the stairs, and huffed for breath for a moment. "I'm not... too late... for the fight... right?"

"Fight's over." I shrugged.

"Agh! Always!" He grumbled. "I'm Elder Bacchus Cordova, 1st-Tier Grand-Wizard, and Chairman of the Western-European Mages Guild. I think I understand that you are young Oscar's Parents?" He looked at mother and father.

Mother smiled. "Indeed. I am Yanina Hidden, his mother, and this is the father of my children, David Atreyu. I hope Oscar hasn't caused you too much trouble?"

"No, no, anything but! We just finished a meal, after a few hours solving some of the most difficult mathematical equations known to mankind! He's been a real treat to work with, honestly." He nodded, and stepped onto the stairs. "Going up?"

We all stepped onto the stairs, and then they whipped up to the top floor, which was as terrifying and exhilarating as the first time.

Mitra leaned against the post for a moment, when it stopped. "Give me a moment..." she murmured in response to mother's questions about how well she was.

We continued on, and entered the Count's Office.

More chairs appeared, and I sat with father, pointing at the star-maps silently.

He smiled and nodded, patting my head.

"Now! Let's clear the air. Your son is not under arrest. He acted in self defense, at the most, and didn't even act at all, at best, and I'm not going to condemn him for it. He is a licensed member of this Academy, however, and I would like him to continue his studies, here. Finishing the 13 Cardinal Equations would be a very beautiful thing for this Academy." He stated clearly.

Mother hummed softly. "I see... I would normally simply take him and leave, but he has found an intellectual stimulant here that was apparently absent in my private tutoring, and so I cannot, with all honesty, say that I am the best teacher for him... so I think I will allow him to stay, provided he has adult supervision at all times. He gets into the oddest types of trouble."

I sighed. "Mother. I'm not an invalid. I can handle being on my own."

"If, for a moment, you believed that I would allow you to live outside of my eyesight, without proper security at all times, you are sorely mistaken." She said simply.

"Fine, there's plenty of guards, having one of the bored ones following me around shouldn't be too annoying." I sighed.

"Good. Now, his living quarters don't ever have to be something special, the boy likes simplicity, in his living situation, he gets it from his father." She raised an eyebrow at him.

Father grinned. "Guilty. My living situation is very militaristic."

The count hummed. "Understood, that's very good! However, I'd really like one of you to stay with us here, just so he has a family member nearby? I've studied overseas before, and I have to say that it's rather lonely. You won't notice, while you're working, but it'll get you at different times." He shook his head slowly.

"I like him, he's rather unapologetically manipulative." Father nodded.

"Agreed." Mother smiled. "I also agree with him. Mitra?" She asked curiously.

"I'm not doing anything more important, I guess, but I'm not a mage, so..." She shrugged in response, and went back to drawing on her arm with a pen.

"Okay... Tander?" Mother looked at him.

He scratched his cheek. "I got responsibilities in the Horde, Ma, I can't just leave..."

"Right... Pietro?" She asked desperately.

"My schedule is free until Late April of next year, so I'm open." He nodded.

"Perfect! I can always trust my eldest to look after him." Mother nodded.

The count hummed. "Alright, and would he be a students or guest?"

"Pietro isn't much of a mage, so... guest? Though he's very knowledgeable in things like chemistry and strategy, and he might be able to tutor your students." Mother hummed softly.

Pietro nodded. "I'll earn my keep, then. Easily enough."

The count nodded. "Wonderful! Now that that's all figured out, why don't you go tour the premises, and Elder Bacchus will show you where you'll be staying?"

"That's sounds splendid, sir! Lead the way." Mother stood up, and stroked my hair gently, while he spoke to Elder Bacchus quietly.