FSE

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For Freya Crescent, the five years since her adventures with the rest of the party had saw much change. Burmecia was rebuilt as were the other nations devastated by Kuja's scheme, Fratley regained some of his memories, and they had married. However, the pair had been mindful of a harsh post-war fact: There were many orphans in Burmecia, and still need for capable fighters, both to deal with monsters and train others. Biological parenthood was not an option at this time, and so, the couple had opted to take in a pair of orphaned twins.

Meaning she was now the adoptive mother to two twelve year olds. Puck, named ironically enough for the now King of Burmecia who was effectively his new Godfather, was an aspiring Dragoon following in both the footsteps of his new guardians and his biological parents. His sister Cornelia, however, sought to be a mage. More precisely, a Red Mage in the newly revived order.

Which is what had led to this rather unusual moment.

"...Can you say that again, Cornelia, I think I misheard you," Freya said.

"Can I turn you to stone for some class tests?"

"Walk me through what these tests are about."

"Basically, we've learned Break and Stona and we're meant to get a volunteer to show we can cast and cure it. But we need to show we can cast it and the status actually lasts more than a few hours, so we can't use other students."

"Well, I have faith in you, so I don't see a problem with this, though I'll probably need to be sure it's on a day I'm not busy from the sound of things..."

"Um, well, the Geomancer class is meant to be doing an exam on earth manipulation the day before, they're meant to make a copy of something stone with their magic out of clay. So we were told if we could petrify our volunteers, have them be copied, and then be cured the next day instead of being petrified in the morning and cured in the afternoon we'd get extra credit - if a petrification lasts over a day on its own it proves you really mastered the spell. And my friend Liam is in that class and the more detailed a thing he can copy the better a grade he gets. So if he could copy you...."

Ah yes, Liam, her not-boyfriend.

"So I basically need to clear two days. I'll see what I can do..."

***

Freya had managed to clear her schedule for the classes, and made her way to the Mage Guild with her adoptive daughter. There, their teacher explained things.

"To reiterate the rules of this test, for those taking the casting portion early. No use of any potions to inflict or cure the petrification. You have five attempts to make the spell hit, gaining extra points for accuracy within the first three attempts. Your volunteer must remain petrified overnight and be cured with other volunteers tomorrow afternoon. Mages will watch over and observe them tonight, ensuring that if your volunteers do revert the precise time will be measured. If your volunteer does not revert early you will be given extra credit, but if they revert any time before twenty four hours is up you will only gain a regular passing grade - unless of course the revert occurs within six hours. Are you clear on the rules of this test?"

The five trainee mages taking this portion nodded.

"Your names will be called in order to the test room, and once your volunteer is ready you may go to your regular classes."

The testing began, using the art classroom for ease of the later Geomancer test, and as 'Crescent, Cornelia', Freya's adoptive daughter was second. One of her classmate's fathers was already now a statue inside, apparently waiting to be the subject for duplication for his other daughter.

"Begin," the teacher said, and Cornelia raised her staff, casting the magic.

The illusion of spires of rock burst forth from the ground, and Freya knew her daughter had managed it first time. A small swell of pride in her chest was soon to be replaced by the cold sensation of petrification, but knowing that she had managed to cast a spell even Vivi in his prime had only had about 2 in 5 accuracy with warmed her even as she turned to stone, the chill erupting in quick blossoms across her body.

As the illusion part of the spell casting vanished, Freya now stood as a stone statue, a small smile on her face.

"Excellent work, Cornelia. You may head to your other classes."

"Thank you, master. See you later, mom!"

And with that, Freya was left to watch as the other three volunteers joined her. None of the rest got their volunteer first try, though....

***

Freya waited for the Geomancer class to begin, having been forewarned that using the magic for precision work like this could take some time. However, with her eyes locked forward, and Liam manipulating a block of clay beside her, she was forced to watch more as a Geomancer across the classroom was working to get an idea of what was going on.

She presumed that the small feelings of something flowing around her for a few seconds was the same green glow the young mage opposite was using, going over a part of the statue he was working on, and then trying to shape the clay to match it. His subject was not one of the volunteers, but apparently one of the supplied subjects, an urn with embossed decorative patterns. Apparently quite tricky as he needed a perfect duplication - a larger object like, say, a statue had more leeway.

The Geomancer teacher walked over a few times, looking quite impressed, if Freya was any judge. However, whatever the finished product of Liam's work was, Freya would not see it for some time, for it was wheeled out the wrong way for her frozen stare when being taken away to cast a firing spell on them, hardening the soft clay slowly overnight using magic in place of a kiln.

***

Freya found the overnight part dull as it neared six in the morning. Apparently all four of Cornelia's friends were set to pass with extra credit, since not one of the five volunteers had reverted overnight. The rather disinterested mages that had observing them were playing various card games, mainly Tetra Master, having apparently come to the same conclusion. Their conversations had been quiet, lest they talk over the noise of someone starting to revert, but from what Freya could make out, the night watch were all recently graduated students of this same academy.

And then came the next school day, and more waiting, though at least there was some brief 'excitement' as she learned that whatever copy Liam had made of her had earned her daughter's not-boyfriend an Outstanding with Full Credits as the Geomancer class had sat down

Whatever that all meant, Dragoon Academy had used a letter system. Maybe an A Plus?

Eventually, though, the Grey Mage class returned, or at least five of them did, and Freya found herself once more flesh and blood, feeling a little stiff, but quite proud.

"Excellent, Cornelia, Outstanding with Full Credits. Thank you very much for your time, Lady Freya, you and your daughter may leave when you wish," the teacher said.

Cornelia cheered and jumped to hug her mother, Freya happily returning the gesture.

"Great work, Cornelia! I think that's the highest grade possible?"

"It is," the trainee mage confirmed.

"I gather Liam got the same grade?"

"He did, actually, he wanted you to come see him, actually. The finished copies are all downstairs, he wanted you to see the one he made of you."

Freya followed her daughter, feeling suitably pleased that Liam looked rather nervous when he caught her eye after Cornelia and he spoke, but her gaze was soon rather drawn to the copy the boy had made of her petrified form.

Apart from being glazed clay, and with her hair and fur slightly more clumped than she imagined they would be when petrified, it looked like an almost perfect copy of herself.

"...That's quite impressive. What happens with it now?" Freya asked.

"Well, uh, normally they're turned back into normal clay to save resources but the best can get submitted to a contest... i-if you're okay with that, Lady Freya, I mean. If it wins it might become one of the examples for future classes to copy."

"I assume yours is one of the best? Then you can submit it."

As it happened, the knowledge of the duplicate caught the attention of certain royals. Liam would wind up with a lucrative summer job making further copies of his exam project on commission to the King of Burmecia, and also the Queen of Alexandria.

She was so impressed by the boy's success she ensured that the talk Fratley and her gave was only Slightly Terrifying rather than Fear of God Inspiring when he indeed became Cornelia's boyfriend without denials a few months later.