The missing Box and the Blue Lions

As far as the Blue Lions were concerned, their fun with the box was over. The night before, their professor, Byleth, had entered Annette's room in what appeared to them to be a foul mood, seeing her a woman transformed (literally, since her hair had been green). She'd snatched away their toy and left them in their underwear; the party was, in all senses, over.

After a restless night, the three of them had awoken expecting to face a harsh mixture of disciplinary action and a drab, boring day. The truth had been something different...

First off, if there was a punishment coming for them, it was taking its sweet time. Throughout the day's classes, Byleth (who'd resumed her ordinary blue-haired form) was as emotionless as always. There was no scornful frown or even winking acknowledgement that she'd seen any of the three girls last night, nonetheless taken a magical artifact from them. While each of them was burning with curiosity to know the reason, none of them could complain about a stay on her execution. Thus, each woman kept her mouth shut, and Byleth stayed entirely out of their business.

Second, each of them, it turned out, had a very interesting day in store for them. The days were so interesting, in fact, that each forgot there ought to be any just desserts coming for them.

That is, until the evening came, and a special meeting of the Blue Lions House was announced.

Six Blue Lions students sat in varying degrees of discomfort and restlessness, waiting for the teacher they were sure had called this meeting to demand some answers about the box she'd reclaimed. Inadvertently, they had sat themselves in pairs along the benches and desks: Felix and Annette, Mercedes and Ashe, Sylvain and Ingrid. All heads turned when they heard the door open and close.

Instead of Byleth, it was their House Leader, the Crown Prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. The statuesque, blonde-haired young man, wearing a royal blue cape over his uniform, greeted each of them as he made his way to the podium.

A House Meeting called by Dimitri was a rare thing, considering the young man's reticence in giving speeches, but the peculiarities stacked up. Dimitri was wearing his sunniest, most genial expression, which is to say he was wearing a stiff (if handsome) smile, his cool blue eyes scanning the others. Byleth was nowhere in sight. Notably, Dedue Molinaro, the muscular man most saw as Dimitri's most loyal and intimidating retainer, was missing as well.

Dimitri leaned forward at the podium, and there was an audible "creak" of the wood under his freakishly strong grip. "Good evening, Blue Lions. Although we're classmates, we too-rarely enjoy each other's company and fellowship under ordinary circumstances. As we all depend on each other, it would do us well to change that."

"Get on with it, Boar," Felix heckled from his audience, already looking fed up. "We all know you haven't suddenly grown a warm-hearted desire to break bread with us. Why are we here?"

"Now, there's no reason for hostility. All of us here are the proud Blue Lions, after all. I simply wanted to address some rumors spreading around the school regarding our House, and for each of you to lend me your ears and thoughts."

Five gulps and one click of the teeth sounded from his audience.

Dimitri seemed slightly perplexed. "Am I that intimidating? I swear to you, this isn't any kind of trial. I'm sure you're aware I treat you with a unique respect and value your talents and efforts. All I want to do is put rout to certain baseless rumors that have been brought to my attention. Needless to say, once I've done my due diligence rooting out any doubt, each of you will find me a staunch defender of your honor and good name... Annette."

The young woman's big blue eyes went wide at hearing her name called and she nearly fell out of her chair. "M-m-me?! Um, yes, Dimitri?"

"Annette, I've heard what I'm sure is slander against your character, but as it was so terribly impugning, I felt I had to address it immediately."

"Wh-whatever could it be?" The orange-haired young woman scooted a bit further from Felix on the school bench and, in a less-than-furtive gesture, turned the brooch of a flashy necklace she was wearing around to the other side of her neck. "A-actually, is it something appropriate to say in front of all our classmates? I'll answer for it, just-"

"Training," Dimitri interrupted with a small smile. "I heard you've been spotted at the training ground more often, and the library less. Honestly, Annette, I approve. I feel you'll benefit from trying the sword and broadening your horizons. I must also point out Felix has been seen at the training grounds less. Could it be you're dabbling in the magic arts? Well, I know you two aren't the closest, but do share the grounds with each other, won't you?"

Annette gave a small, uneasy chuckle, then let out a breath she'd been holding. Felix looked stunned, raising an eyebrow. "Boar. Are you seriously this dense?"

"I beg your pardon?" Dimitri responded.

"I'm not trying to hide anything, you're simply too thick-skulled to see. Fine, then. If I said Annette and I were off doing secret training with each other lately, would that spell anything out better for you? Must I make it even more plain-"

Annette elbowed him sharply in the side. "Felix!"

"Gh!" The dark-haired young man flinched from her surprising strength. "Well, it's as you see. The secret must be kept. Sorry if you wanted in on the special training," Felix added with a rare smirk.

"Ah..." Dimitri didn't seem to know what to say, considering what he'd just seen carefully. He turned to Mercedes and Ashe, hoping for a less cryptic conversation. "Now, Ashe, we need to talk. I must say I'm terribly surprised at your recent behavior. It's not at all what I expected from you."

The freckled young man looked dismayed. "Dimitri, I... I can explain! The stresses... I was just looking for an outlet..."

"And you turned to Mercedes, a woman of faith," Dimitri continued, nodding his head in the woman's direction.

"Ah!" the blonde started, wringing her hands together nervously, although she kept her smile. "Oh my, well... Y-yes, I was surprised when Ashe came to me. I didn't expect he'd want those kinds of services from me..."

"And it surprises me that you'd offer them," Dimitri added, nodding with a stern expression. "After all... I've never seen Ashe explain clear interest in the teachings of the Church, and I thought you'd left your role as a teacher of faith. I'm heartened to see the two of you taking strength in religion, however. It's a cornerstone of life and stability in Faerghus. I've heard that lately you two tend to disappear into the confessional together. I... I'm sorry, was that too personal?"

Both Ashe and Mercedes had gone terribly red, but since they understood they were somehow getting away with this, they were no longer scared. When Ashe started to speak, Mercedes hushed him. "Sorry, Dimitri. For Ashe, our sessions at the confessional are very private. If you don't mind, I think he'd rather keep his confessions to me than announce them to the room. That is to say... I have to get him very comfortable before he's willing to pay out." When she saw Dimitri had moved on, she leaned over to whisper in Ashe's ear privately. She giggled and Ashe hushed her, fidgeting and looking eager to have the attention off of him.

"Yes... seems like most of us are experiencing some development," Dimitri added with an approving nod. "Which leaves us, last, with you, Sylvain."

Ingrid was tense, but Sylvain seemed relaxed. In comparison to the other pairs that were displaying strange new dynamics, those two were basically keeping their same distance. The red-headed young man leaned across the desk towards Dimitri. "What's on your mind?"

"The box you had," Dimitri replied, looking thoughtful.

"... Ah," Sylvain replied with a dry throat, feeling the air suck out of the room. He'd fallen into the comedic timing of the other tribunals and was caught completely off guard. Had he been less focused on his own sudden peril, he might have noticed everyone else was now sweating over what he was thinking of as a personal problem that concerned only him, and maybe Ingrid. "Yeah... Okay, let's talk about it."

"There was an incident in the marketplace reported by some other students. You were present during this incident with a merchant... Some of the women there claimed you instigated it, but I'm not so foolish as to take every word spoken against you as truth. So I'd like to hear your side of it."

Sylvain took a deep breath and then began to explain, right up to the point where he'd encountered Ingrid. He left off there entirely, concluding that the box was stolen from him by an unknown assailant. "I wouldn't lose sleep over it, though, Dimitri. I saw the effects myself. The box just makes women dance. Maybe toss a wink here or there. Once the music's turned off, they're back to normal. Nothing wrong with some stuffy cravats getting loosened around here, is there?"

"Yes, well, about those cravats," Dimitri replied in an unamused voice. "Ingrid, Annette, Mercedes... Would you mind standing up for a moment?"

The three of them stood, seeming unaware of what he was referring to. The men, on the other hand, all had a keen idea of what he meant. None of them had directly tied it to an effect of the box, but now that it was being laid out before them, it all seemed perfectly obvious.

Annette stood in a sleeveless uniform, open at the neck to reveal honest-to-Goddess cleavage that seemed impossible for the figure the young woman had sported just days ago. Her skirt was so short it constantly threatened to reveal the tight spats she wore beneath, which had no legs to speak of. Her legs and hips looked toned and fantastic, as though her training with Felix had been exclusively squats. Also, she was wearing a backward necklace, although that didn't have much to do with Dimitri's point.

Mercedes' cloak covered a halfway-unbuttoned white dress shirt with no corset, leaving an enormous pair of breasts straining her remaining fastened buttons and an eye-catching gold-lined bra peeking over. Her ordinarily breezy skirt, as short as her friend's, even had hip windows sewn into the sides, revealing peeks at thin, side-tied panties. The ribbons tying those sides were so thin and long, as if designed to be yanked loose. And, needless to say, her hips were dynamite, every bit a match for her bigger chest.

Ingrid's attire was perhaps the strangest of all. It wasn't the jacket she was now wearing tied around her waist, revealing her sweat-stained white blouse and the bright blue bra pushing against it shamelessly. It wasn't the fact that she had thick, dangerous-looking legs wrapped in Academy-black, hip-hugging short shorts and fishnet leggings. The strangest thing of all was her new style. It was not just a bit of foundation and subtle lipstick. The knight-aspirant wore bold eyeliner that made her green eyes piercing, and was no longer wearing a braid at all, but had her long hair wild and down.

Sylvain couldn't help but let a disrespectful whistle out, causing both Ingrid and Annette to fix him with a glare.

Dimitri cleared his throat. "Yes, well. I have a guess as to how you'll respond, but have the three of you chosen to change up your wardrobes recently?"

Annette bristled slightly. "That's a bit of a personal question, isn't it? This necklace doesn't have anything to do with the, uh... the box you're investigating."

Dimitri's brow creased with concern. "You think I'm talking about your necklace?"

"You're not?" Annette looked relieved.

"... Hm. Onto the beast in the stable, then. All three of you have dramatically changed your style of uniform in a singular direction." He looked between the three of them, seeing nothing but improbable confusion in their eyes. "Are you not aware?"

Each of them shook their heads in turn. Mercedes chuckled lightly. "It isn't like you to pay so much attention to fashion. Well... Ingrid and Annette may have done something new, but I certainly haven't changed up anything. It's still just little old me."

Dimitri didn't laugh along with her. "Let's try another tack here. Mercedes, forgive me if this is too direct. Why is your blouse unbuttoned?"

"Why? You don't like it?" she asked good naturedly, perhaps even a bit flirtatiously.

"Ignoring my preference, Mercedes, please give a reason why you are wearing your blouse unbuttoned. Until recently, you wore it buttoned up to your neck, the common fashion of the Academy."

"Hm? I swear, I've always worn it this way, Dimitri. Perhaps you only just noticed?" In spite of the strangeness, she still didn't look concerned.

The prince tried a third time. "Why, Mercedes? Why are you wearing your shirt unbuttoned?" He could tell she was searching for an answer for him, but that hesitation was answer enough. Dimitri sighed and moved on. "Ingrid. When did you start wearing makeup?"

"I've been wearing makeup ever since I cared how I looked to other people," Ingrid replied, seriously. "Forgive me, Dimitri, but I don't see the value in these probing questions. It borders on harassment."

Sylvain let out a laugh. "What are you talking about? Ingrid, if you've worn makeup a day in your life before today, it's because someone put it on you in your sleep as a prank."

His friend gave him a look of disgust. "Just because you don't notice a woman's efforts to make herself look presentable doesn't mean those efforts are invisible to everyone else. Honestly, Sylvain, how can you be such a cad?"

Finally, Ashe cut in, determined to provide a decisive call that would get to the bottom of the mystery Dimitri was calling attention to. "All three of you, Annette, Ingrid, Mercedes... your bodies have changed, just this week. And all three of you are wearing clothes that seem designed to show off, well... your lower bodies, which changed. Do you understand what we're saying? This is definitely new!"

The three of them turned to each other, looking stunned, then flushed. Finally, Annette and Mercedes giggled and turned back to Ashe. Annette gave him a wink. "Well, we've been doing a lot of a certain exercise! I guess our efforts are paying off, if you noticed!"

"Exercise?" Felix raised an eyebrow, looking annoyed. "There's no type of exercise that will add that kind of meat to your ass."

Everyone saw Annette flinch expectantly, like she was expecting something from Felix to accompany that insensitive remark, then look tellingly surprised when she didn't get it. Realizing eyes were on her, Annette hurried to turn that expression into a scolding glare at her harasser.

Dimitri had remained silent while he let the other men try to make sense of the mystery. Now, he spoke loudly to command everyone's attention. "I've come to a conclusion. Whatever this box is, it's clear that when Sylvain caused it to play music earlier, it released something like a curse. Now, I understand that Sylvain lost possession of the box and has not continued to play it. There's been rumors of strange music affecting students, though, and I'm inclined to believe those incidents are tied to our mystery. Needless to say, I believe you all haven't been using the Box: all reports indicate it plays incredible, disruptive noise, which would surely be noticed unless you were each carefully concealing it. I don't believe that deception is in your nature. No, I'm inclined to believe this curse is being used by a malevolent party for a prank... Or for worse. I have to assume it's capable of affecting you, whether you hear the music or not. Rest assured, I'll spare no effort to bring this guilty party to justice. Whoever has been recklessly abusing this Box for the purpose of maligning our House's good reputation, they'll answer for it. I will protect you all."

Everyone looked a little sheepish. Each of them was still debating whether to fill Dimitri in on the missing piece he still didn't understand, which was that up until the night before, the three girls had very much been using the Box and hiding it from him. There seemed to be a silent agreement not to open that can of worms, so Annette added a final thought. "Dimitri... Has Professor Byleth talked to you about the Box at all?"

"Not a word, as is her nature. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, well... Let's just say that with a responsible teacher like her around, the Box's days are probably numbered. Why, whatever curse you think you're witnessing, I wouldn't be surprised if you see the effects stop developing, or even start receding. So try not to let it bother you too much, okay? I know you have a lot to worry about already..."

Dimitri sighed, resting his hand on his forehead. "It seems I can hardly speak but to be lectured by someone about how much pressure I take on. It's true enough, I'm aware. Still, I didn't expect it from someone I'd just determined might be literally cursed. Well, rest assured, Blue Lions. Under my leadership, I will certainly see this Box and its wielder under our control."

As everyone shuffled out of the room, dispersing in predictable pairs with the exception of the crown prince, Ingrid and Sylvain moved out last. The red-headed noble kicked at the dirt, looking discontent. "I can't believe we're leaving it at this. Dimitri thinks you girls are cursed, or brainwashed, or poisoned, or some combination of things. Now, we're just going to disperse and hope whatever is happening to you three doesn't go any further?"

Ingrid sighed, as though Sylvain were being unreasonable. "Just what is it that you think is happening to us, Sylvain? Are we sprouting horns? Growing tails? Speaking in tongues? We're still ourselves."

"If only it were just that!" Sylvain retorted with a rough laugh. "Ingrid, I know I'm talking through some kind of magic barrier here, but you look like an entirely different woman!"

Ingrid's green eyes opened wide for a moment, before her face settled in a confident smile. "Oh? Like what kind of woman? The kind that you'd want to do a dance for you?" She leaned closer, lowering her voice to an unexpected whisper. "The kind that you want to sit on your face?"

Sylvain recoiled back, shaking his hand. "I didn't mean that! By the Goddess, you're going to hold that over me forever, aren't you? I'm not joking around, though. This is my fault, so I'll find a way to turn you back to normal."

The woman considered him for a moment, frowning. Finally, she sighed deeply. She muttered to herself, too low for him to hear. "Unbelievable. First, other women are so distracting, you pay no attention to your friend... Now, when your friend finally has your attention, it's just a problem for you to solve before you chase another skirt." She thought a moment longer, brushed a lock of her blonde hair aside, then cast her serious gaze towards her friend, speaking up. "Sylvain. Whatever happens with the Box... I have something I want to show you. Soon, I'll show you something I think will fix all your childish behavior. I'm still working on it. Let's make it a promise so I can't back out if some curse, magic, or whatever leaves me. If a week passes and I don't bring it up again, you can hold me to my broken promise. If that happens, you get to ask anything you want from me. I'll leave you alone for a month, if it pleases you."

Sylvain still didn't trust he was talking to the woman he'd consider the real Ingrid. He wasn't sure how to feel about that promise. "Yeah," he replied simply, turning his back to her and wandering off. "We'll see, Ingrid."

Ingrid remained outside the classroom, the evening beginning to fade into night. She thought again about Dimitri's words. "Control the Box... Is it possible? A part of me is starting to wonder. I hope Professor Byleth has taken proper care of it. She didn't seem to be affected by it at all. As exciting as it's been, maybe these crazy days are almost behind us..."