To start, I know very few people, if any, will ever read this story, but I want to, and have to, write it anyway. I love the Trails Of Cold Steel games and the characters within, Rean, Fie, Crow, Sara and Millium especially, in that order, but that's neither here nor there. And I find myself unable to bury or otherwise get rid of the urge and need to write a story with the characters I love so much, in the world I love so much, with the lore I am growing to adore. So...this was born. As you may have guessed, it is indeed an AU. That being the case, a great many things are subject to change. With that said, the general plot outline will remain, but I will be adding my own spin on things though, with additional events, new twists and turns, and a grittier, somewhat more realistic approach to things, including the action and dialogue, from certain characters at least.
Now before you jump to conclusions, allow me to clarify. All I mean by this, besides the aforementioned battles and dialogue, is that wounds, injuries and such will play more of a role in this than in the games, and that when, and if, it comes time for the Erebonian Civil War, there will be far more casualties, as that's a major part of war and they failed to portray it as such, or at least I feel that way. That said, this story will cover more than Cold Steel one and two, as it will cover the third entry as well. Since it's a ways off from being released, even more so here in the States, odds are I'll be coming up with the plot of that all on my own. I'm rather excited at the prospect of that to be honest. All I'll say on the matter is that it will involve the main characters from other Legend Of Heroes games.
Just so everyone who ends up taking an interest in this story knows, if anyone ever does, updates will be infrequent. Why? A multitude of reasons. I'm busy with life, I won't bore you with the details, I have other stories to write for, and I rarely have access to the internet longer than a few hours, for a few days, about every two weeks or so. Not to mention the fact that I can only write for fandoms I'm in the mood to write for...I've explained what I mean by that so many times that it's starting to get old, so I'll just sum it up the best I can. When I write, I can only focus on one particular universe, One Piece, Rosario Vampire, DBZ, Trails, and so on and so forth. I get in the zone and think up dozens of ideas for different stories, chapters and events for them, but am unable to really do so for anything else when in such a zone. If I wrote a chapter for one fandom while having my mind on another, not only does it frustrate me to no freaking end trying to write it, it cripples the quality and ends up burning me out, making me not want to write at all for a few days. So...yeah, unless I'm in the state of mind to write something, trying to go at it is a big no, no.
Also, as I said, this is an AU, which starts from the beginning of the first game. Things will, of course, be similar for awhile, not exactly the same mind you as there will definitely be differences, but similar. Not to mention all that I intend to add to the overall story. As it progress though, the differences will become more noticeable and the larger the changes will become. That said, it will be slow in the beginning, so be prepared for that. If you guys, if anyone ends up liking this story enough to keep up with it, stick with me though, you just might find yourselves enjoying the story. Then again, maybe not. It just depends I suppose, as everyone has their own tastes and all that. Either way, I'm rambling now, so I'll just get to the point. I appreciate anyone taking the time to read this at all, so thank you in advance. :) And if you do, drop me a review, let me know what you liked, what you didn't, what you think I could do better, etcetera, etcetera.
Anyway...
I do not own the rights to any characters or ideas from the video game series The Legend Of Heroes, or it's Trails Of Cold Steel entries. They are the sole property of the company that created them, Nihon Falcom, and no attempt will be made to obtain any profit from the use of said property. I also do not own this awesome fanart that I'm using for the story cover, I found it using google search.
Without further ado, let part 1 of the prologue begin. Please read, review and enjoy.
The night was as cold as it was dark, and all was silent. Even the sound of the whipping winds of the blizzard could no longer be heard, the only evidence of it ever having existed in the first place being the the snow that covered every inch of the area. Not all of it was white however, as splashes of blood tainted parts of it, coloring it crimson.
Suddenly, the sound of panting penetrated the barrier of silence, said sound coming from a young silver haired girl, no older than seven, who even though was bleeding profusely for someone so small, stood, or tried to stand, as she struggled to stay on her feet in front of two other children. They were a black haired boy and a dark purple haired girl, the former older than her and the latter seemingly of the same age as her.
They watched, mouths agape, as she fought to keep her footing, gasping for air as she once more put her arms out protectively in front of them. "I...I w-won't le-let you h-hu-hurt t-th-them..."
Across from them stood a man, a tall, imposing man, bearing light skin, purple eyes and black hair, who carried a large machete, which had traces of the silver haired girl's blood smeared across it. And all he did at the young girl's words was cackle. "Hahahahahahahahaha! Like you could actually stop me girl!" He clearly found her statement quite amusing. "You tried and failed already, what makes you think you could do it now, not two minutes later?" It was unclear whether his question was rhetorical or not, it mattered little though, as the seven year old made no effort to answer it.
A smug smirk crossed his face as he spoke once more, "Why don't you just stand aside kid, I'll let you go if you do. Consider it a reward for showing me how tough you are. I mean, it's not like I want to kill you, but if you keep getting in my way, I'll have no choice, ya know?" He paused for a moment, as if expecting an answer, before continuing. "We're both jaegers, aren't we? You should know how this goes. I've got a contract to complete, and I don't care who I have to go through to get it done. Even if it means killing Zephyr's little urchin tag-along and pissing them off in the process." His smirk had fallen away at that, his gaze intense, his eyes managing to portray his power. Needless to say, for three children especially, it was intimidating.
Nevertheless, the girl did not falter. "N-no...they...they're m-my f-fa-fam-family, I wo-won't le-let y-yo-you t-tou-touch th-them!" She asserted with what little strength she had left.
"Family? You've got to be kidding me." The man remarked with a roll of his eyes. "You've only been here since Zephyr started duking it out with my corp, so, like six months at most? I swear, such melodramatics could only come from idiotic children like you." He was scowling as he derided her. "You've taken up more than enough of my time stupid girl, move it or you die with them." With that ultimatum put forth, he moved toward the three, beginning to raise his machete as he did.
Even still, the girl made no move to get out of the way. She had every intention of protecting the two other kids with her life. Seeing this, the oldest of the three finally found his voice and shouted, "Run away Fie!" His call managed to snap the other girl out of it as well, as she repeated his sentiment. "Run Fie!" Neither wished any harm to befall their fellow child, they'd rather she flee and save herself than die trying to protect them.
Ignoring them, she forced herself forward and jumped at the man as he drew too close, intercepting a cleave of his weapon, only to receive a large slash across her tiny body for her efforts, the red of her blood mixing with the white of the snow as it splattered onto the ground. With a cry of agony, she hit the ground along with the ruby liquid that had been drawn from her body, clutching at her new wound and writhing around as she did, the pain so intense it wracked her entire body. Little girls weren't meant to withstand such grievous injuries, it was a miracle she was even still alive. But she was, her ear piercing screams of agony were proof of that.
With a flick of his wrist, the man shook most of the blood from the steel of his weapon, the red substance landing on more of the snow and dyeing it in the process. "Stupid brat, you've no idea what being a jaeger really means. Your lack of combat training and your attachment to these two shows that through and through." He disparaged the seven year old, before turning his attention away from her, once more laying eyes on his two targets as he did. One of whom was screaming their head off, the girl, crying out the other girl's name with horror and concern while tears flowed down her face like a waterfall, and the other...
The nine year old boy simply fell to his knees, the snow crunching beneath him as his knees smacked the ground. His eyes were as wide as they could possibly be, his pupils were dilated, his vision consumed with nothing but his dying friend and the bloody snow that she lie on. His senses faded as he honed in on her, his hearing fading along with his surroundings, not to mention his sense of feeling, not able to even feel any part of his own body, the whole thing seemingly having gone completely numb. He was in a state of complete shock, unable to properly process anything...
"Let go of me!" The purple hair girl yelled, as the man yanked her toward him by her long strands. "Come to think of it..." He began. "The contract didn't pertain to you girl, meaning I can do what I see fit. And I'd bet you fetch a nice ransom, what with you being the daughter of a baron and all." He noted to himself. "So why don't you sit tight while I kill your brother, and I promise I won't hurt you." He assured her.
"NO!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs, grabbing him by his wrist, the one of the hand that held her by her hair, so as to try and keep him from moving toward her sibling. She was scared out of her mind, but she feared for her brother even more than herself. Unfortunately, all she got for her attempt to stop the man was a back hand to the face, knocking her to the ground.
"Elise!" The boy called her name with great concern, his tunnel-like vision shifting to her as she was knocked down.
"St-stop!" Fie shouted desperately, barely able to get the words out with the state she was in. Yet still, she struggled on, going so far as to reach out and grab the assailant by one of his ankles, almost causing him to trip as he tried to take a step forward.
"Damn brat!" He spat with anger, his attention on the silver haired kid once more. "You're just an annoying little bug aren't you? Fine, I'll just finish you off." He stated, raising his weapon to deliver a swift end to the girl. "I gave you a chance, but you didn't take it. You've only got yourself to blame!" He proclaimed darkly.
"Fie, Elise..." The dark haired boy muttered their names under his breath, watching in complete disbelief, his eyes having fallen to the younger girl, as his best friend and his sister were manhandled by the man before him, one of whom he was about to kill. The whole thing seemed to transpire in slow motion, the child able to perceive every little detail of every single movement that was made, the horrendous implications of what was about to happen somehow eluding his comprehension. While the scene before him moved at a snails pace, the sounds of it, their voices, the screams and grunts and the crunching of the snow, it was all muffled, as if the nine year old was hearing it from underwater. And yet, a moment later, it blasted in his eardrums with enough force to rupture them, the dark reality of the situation finally sinking in as everything sped back up. "FIE! ELISE!" He cried their names with despair, the tears he had been holding back all this time breaking free and beginning to flood down his face, as one of the two girls he cared about most in his life was going to be taken away, and the other one killed, to not just be taken away, but taken away forever.
And with that realization, something inside the young boy snapped. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Something akin to a cry of pain ripped itself from his throat, and yet that wasn't what it was, or rather it was a mixture of that along with one of rage and distress. Despite his incredibly loud shriek, which continued for who knows how long, the only thing the boy could hear was the constant thump, thump, thump of his heartbeat, which sped up drastically, it's pace erratic and without rhythm, said sound reverberating through his ear canals.
Power began to leak from his small body in copious amounts, gaining the attention of the other three, as while he forced himself to his feet, a demonic red aura formed around him, dark as sin black splashes, shaped almost like lightning bolts, mixed in with the almost flame like crimson energy. That wasn't the only thing that occurred either, as the small boy's hair began to change, his dark locks bleeding into a white, almost silver color, and his eyes, which were originally a dark fuschia with a grey tint, were now the same red as the blood that stained the snow. All the while, his scream continued ringing out, the boy now holding his head in his hands as he felt like his mind would shatter, from the incredible surge of power and the frightful prospect of losing two of those closest to him. And as it threatened to do just that, even his voice seemed to change, dropping an octave or so, while taking on some strange characteristics.
Completely taken back by what they were seeing, neither Fie, Elise or the man could so much as blink, frozen by the mere feel of the power before them. It was abundant and was nothing like any of them had ever felt before, containing qualities of pure, unadulterated rage, supreme bloodlust and potent malice. And these only grew, as the child's cry came to an end, and he lifted his head to look at the three.
Fie and Elise couldn't help but gasp at his appearance, the change fully complete. This was...so far beyond having never been seen before, this was out of this realm. They could hardly believe their eyes...
"Rean..." They both whispered his name at once.
Without warning, he proceeded to vanish. Only to reappear a second later, the man sent hard to the ground and tumbling through the snow, having been knocked off his feet by a blow from the child, which in turn caused him to drop his weapon.
Now standing over Fie and Elise, the two were exposed to the full brunt of his aura, along with the emotions swirling in his dark eyes, rage being the most prominent. It needn't be said that they were overwhelmed by it all, neither able to do anything more than gawk at him and utter his name once more. "Rean..."
"What the fuck!?" The man exclaimed in great pain and just utter shock, as he sat up, after having come to a stop, only having tumbled about ten feet. "How could a kid like him possibly...!?" He didn't even bother to finish his self-query, looking toward the one who had just knocked him down a peg. Taking in his unnatural appearance and energy once more, he questioned with vexation, "Just what kind of freak are you kid!?"
Rean's eyes remained wide open, seemingly frozen in the state of perma-shock he was in before, that didn't mean that one couldn't discern the hate and rage located within his red orbs though. Which was why, when his eyes went straight to the jaeger's machete, which he had dropped, and had buried itself blade first in the snow, the man knew exactly what the boy was planning to do. He was all too right, as the child reached out and took hold of the weapon by the handle and pulled it from the snow, flipping it right-side up, he wielded it with his right hand, and began to slowly approach the downed mercenary.
As the demonic-like nine year old came closer, the thirty something man couldn't help it as a bone-chilling shiver ran down his spine. This single child possessed more killing intent than most grown men did, and that was just absolutely insane. Beating down his ever mounting fear, refusing to admit to himself that he did indeed fear the child as he did, the jaeger began to hurriedly get to his feet.
In doing this, he made a huge mistake, as he took his eyes off the child, having done so as he got to his knees. Once on his knees, he raised his head to put the being one would hesitate to call human in his line of sight again, only to come face to face with the possibly psychotic, judging by the look in his eyes, nine year old. He had failed to keep track of his movements, and now he would pay for it. Tightening his grip on the machete, Rean used it without hesitation, bringing it up and burying the blade deep into the jaeger's left shoulder, nearly severing his arm from his torso in the process.
"AAAAAAGGGHHHHH!" The man screamed at the top of his lungs in great pain, blood splattering onto the white snow once more, while he clutched at his severely injured shoulder and fell back, after the white haired child removed the blade from his flesh, causing more blood to hit the ground in the process. Holding his hand against the wound, he tried to keep it from bleeding as best he could as he writhed in intense pain. "SUNUVA BITCH!" He exclaimed as loudly as he possibly could, cursing simply out of frustration and, of course, pain.
Rean was far, far from done however, moving to the man's side, he raised the blade once more, every intention of killing him. Bringing the blade down again, he cut into the flesh of his torso, spilling even more of his life liquid and causing him to cry out in agony. So deep did he slice, that he came dangerously close to causing a meeting between the steel of the machete and the bone of the man's spine.
Now clutching at his deep abdomen wound, he tried to keep himself from bleeding out, as there was just so much coming out. Even as he did, he had the sense of mind to evade the next down-swing of his own weapon, rolling quickly to the side, avoiding a potentially fatal slash. Not that it did him much good, as the blade still met flesh, tearing a deep gash into his previously uninjured arm and causing him to shout again. Still, this would at least give him a chance, and he took that chance, forcing himself to his knees once again, preparing to jerk himself to his feet, only...his predator was there waiting for him, just as before.
Eyes wide with shock and fear, the man almost failed to utilize his mental faculties as the kid made to rend his head from his shoulders. His survival instinct won out though, forcing his mental faculties into gear, causing him to throw himself backward in the snow, landing none too gently as he did. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get off scot-free, as the child took one step forward and brought the machete down upon his legs, carving into his flesh and clanking the steel against bone, ripping another cry of incredible pain from the grown man's throat. It need not be said, but unless he got medical treatment, not only would he be unable to use his legs now or ever again, he would bleed out fairly quickly if not careful.
It was at this point though, that his terror took over and drove his actions, rolling several feet away and onto his stomach, he began to crawl, dragging his body across the ground, in an effort to escape the demon in human form. "Monster! Demon! Get away from me!" He exclaimed with fright. It was entirely in vain, as Rean closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, and raised the machete high in the air. Looking behind him, his eyes met the snapped kid's, and he couldn't help but shriek in horror as the blade was brought down on him yet again and cut into the flesh of his back. He screamed bloody murder because of this.
From there the nine year old would increase the pace of his attack, bringing the weapon down with more speed and force with every swing, his rage and hate flowing out of him, his inexperience showing through as his target remained alive in spite of how many times he would go on to cut into him, always managing to miss the guy's vital spots. It got to the point where the jaeger became so desperate because of the agony he was in, that he began begging for the child to stop, pleading with him for his life, only his pleas fell on deaf ears. In fact, it only seemed to enrage Rean further, as he shouted in anger and began to bring the machete down even faster and with even more force, his tears from before having yet to have stopped falling.
Screaming and grunting and panting with effort, the child brought the machete down over and over again, furiously hacking away at the man, wanting nothing more than to end his life. He was erratic, he lacked skill and poise, but that didn't stop him, as he hacked and hacked away, until, finally, the man stopped screaming and begging, stopped breathing, and he was finally dead. The moment he made the decision to take Fie's life and kidnap Elise, he had sealed his fate. He never even had a chance.
The snow ran red with the jaeger's blood, and so too did it coat the machete, Rean holding it down at his side as he breathed in and out raggedly, over and over again, every single exhale visible because of the low temperature. Drip, drip, drip came the blood, falling off the steel of the blade in thick droplets, once stained with the blood of a young girl, now covered in it's very own wielder's. He had died at the hands of a child, who used his very own weapon to slay him.
Rean wasn't sure how long he stood there, before his eyes left the butchered corpse of the mercenary, which was a dreadful sight to behold, and lifted to see Fie and his sister, who both gaped at him in a mix of emotions. By the looks on their faces it was clear just how deeply disturbed they were by what they had just witnessed. However, despite the fact that they had watched him tear that grown man apart from start to finish, and his demonic energy, and his appearance, nearly his entire body covered in his victim's blood, not one of those emotions was fear. They may have been disturbed, but, even after seeing what he had just done, they weren't afraid of him.
And that was the last thing his mind registered, besides the sound of voices calling all three of their names in the distance in worry and the sound of snow being crunched under frantic footsteps, before he lost consciousness.
Septian Calendar 1204
3/31 - Wednesday
Rean woke with a start, jerking awake and nearly falling out of his seat as he did, but managed to prevent that as he caught himself by the armrest of the booth he sat in. No one noticed in the slightest as he did this, mostly in thanks to how silent he was as he did it. Taking a few deep breathes, he began to calm his rapidly beating heart, his eyes locked on his feet as he tried to reign his mind in, the thing running a thousand miles a minute as he subconsciously tried to decipher where he was, having been somewhere else entirely not two seconds prior. It was wasted effort however, as the answer was given to him almost immediately after he awoke.
"The Ministry of Railways wishes to thank all passengers for their patronage. This train is bound for Bareahard via Celdic. The next stop is...Trista. Trista. We will be stopped at Trista for one minute. When disembarking, please ensure no belongings are left behind." Came a female voice over the intercom.
Instantly aware of his surroundings, the message having snapped everything in place before he did so himself, the tension faded from the seventeen year old's body. He was on a train, on his way to Trista for his first day of school, not...back there. Muscles untensed, he leaned back in his seat and breathed a sigh of relief to himself, closing his eyes once more as he did. "It was just a nightmare." He remarked quietly to himself.
"No, not a nightmare." He corrected himself, reopening his eyes as he did. "Just an awful memory." He acknowledged, turning his head and glancing out the window to watch the scenery whizz by as he did.
'Seems I'm almost there.' He thought to himself after a few seconds of watching everything go by. 'Man, spring really seems to be in full bloom here. I hardly even realized it was this time of year back home because of all the snow. ' This thought was brought on by the trees and other plant life he caught sight of as he drew closer to his destination.
After a dozen or so moments, his eyes wandered from the view to the other students present in the train car with him. Because of this, once more his attention was brought to the difference between his uniform and theirs. The girls, of course, wore skirts, but his was different in another regard, even when it came to fellow male students. They wore the standard buttoned blazers along with white undershirt and red tie and slacks, but their jackets were green and white and their slacks tan. While he wore the same uniform, his jacket was colored red and white, his pants black and his tie blue. He couldn't help but wonder why that was.
'Maybe it's indicative of my class? That's the only explanation I can think of at least...' He wasn't exactly confident about that theory, but it really was the only one he could come up with. 'If that is the case, then I've yet to run into any of my classmates.' It was an assumption based on a theory he had no real proof for, however, it still made good sense. 'I'm pretty curious honestly. I mean, I'm gonna be spending two years with them after all. It certainly wouldn't hurt to get to know them...' Before his train of thought could go along such a track any further, the actual train he was riding in began to come to a stop, as it pulled into the station.
"Looks like I'm here." He stated to himself, standing once the vehicle had come to a complete stop. Taking hold of his unusually long, dark purple bag by it's relatively lengthy strap, he moved to deboard the train.
After exiting Trista Station, bag slung over his shoulder, Rean came to halt not even five feet from the entrance as his gaze wandered and he took it all in. "Wow..." The town was somewhat small, but was beautiful and even almost welcoming just by it's appearance. The happy faces that moved about only added to such a thing, especially as they would stop to greet one and other, even talk for a bit before moving on.
"Are those lino flowers?" The teen queried to himself, looking at a few of the several trees located within the square. "I've never seen so many blossoming at once." He commented, taking in the sight of so many blooming flowers upon said trees.
Eyes continuing to move about, he took a few more steps forward, taking notice of the signs on the buildings. There was Brandon's General Goods, Kirsche's Cafe and Inn, Keynes's Bookstore, a Le Sage Boutique, and a flower shop. There were more of course, however, just as his grey tinted dark fuschia orbs reached the flower shop, he stepped foot in the park in the center of town, taking notice of something peculiar as he did, which detracted his attention from everything else. There, on one of the benches, was a girl. Not just a girl, but a girl wearing the same uniform as him, with the exception of the grey plaid skirt, non-standard blue necktie, and the big blue bow on the back of her blazer, and on top of that, she was asleep. She was just lying there, on her back, dead to the world. Now while that wasn't exactly normal, what it was about her that really got Rean's attention was her short, silver hair. Eyes widening, he thought, 'No way...'
Moving closer to get a better look, stopping about three or so feet from her, he was able to get a good look at her face. Gentle features, light skin, somewhat pale even, and the face of an angel, there was no doubt she was beautiful, or that she was younger than him, but it was the familiarity of her face that really struck the seventeen year old. His suspicion of who this girl was was greatly strengthened. 'It couldn't be...is...is this really her...?'
In a state of shock, he was unable to do anything but gawk at the sleeping girl, at a loss as to whether she could really be the same one from eight long years ago, there was just no way, and that if she was, at a loss as to what to do about it. Somehow, simply going up and shaking her awake and saying, 'Hey aren't you that girl from eight years ago?' didn't seem like the most appropriate approach. Yet, it was hard to think of much else, as his brain all but shutdown, overwhelmed at the possibility that he had found the girl that in a simple six months, had become his best friend and a part of his life that never faded even after she disappeared. He had searched for her while training under Master Ka-Fai after all, or at least he searched for her everywhere said master took him anyway.
It wasn't like she had actually up and disappeared, rather it was that after she had left, he was never able to find hide nor hair of her, not so much as even a trace. In that sense she did disappear, as for how she left...well, it was shortly after the incident with that jaeger, very shortly. The day after in fact. He only got to see her once after the whole debacle before she left with those two guys from her corps. She had been distressed about something, most likely relating to the incident in question, but the boy was never able to find out what the cause was because she refused to tell him. He had, for the briefest moment, feared that it was because of what she had seen, that she was afraid of him for what he did to that man. He wouldn't have blamed her if she had, he was certainly terrified of himself afterward. Her last words to him before she vanished from his life put those fears to rest though. "I'm not afraid of you." She had said those words with more conviction and certainty than any child her age should ever of had the right to have.
Lost in his own head with his thoughts, uncertainty hanging heavily over him, Rean failed to notice as someone exited the establishment known as Kirsche's, waving goodbye to the owner as the door closed behind him, before turning toward the park. This someone quickly took note of the dark haired teen standing over the sleeping girl, and spoke up, "Dude, girls don't like that sort of thing ya know."
Rean nearly jumped at the sound of the voice, hurriedly turning to face the owner. As he did, he saw said voice belonged to a teen who was slightly taller than him, clearly a year or two older than him, had light skin, bottom neck length white hair and red eyes. He wore the standard uniform with the exception of a blue tie instead of red, cargo pants instead of slacks, and his green blazer was worn open rather than closed. His own personal touches to the outfit consisted of a white bandanna he wore around his forehead, darkly colored shin length boots and two belts worn half on his waist and then pulled upward. One was dark brown and thicker than the other, while also possessing a holster, the other being thinner and of a lighter brown. He was leaning against the railing around the park, looking down at the younger teen from his slightly elevated position.
"W-What?" Was the dark haired seventeen year old's eloquent response.
"Watching them sleep. They don't like it." The older boy clarified. "Downright hate it in fact. They find it creepy, really creepy." He elucidated, his voice lacking any accusation despite his words.
"Wh-what!? N-No!" Rean protested, now knowing what his fellow teen was talking about. "I-I wasn't-I mean-I know it looks like that's what I was doing, but I-"
As the younger of the two spluttered on, trying to explain himself, the older one simply smirked amusedly at him. "Hey, you don't have to explain yourself to me. To each his own and all that jazz. If watching girls sleep is your thing, far be it from me to stop you." He told him, his smirk widening as he did. "It's not like you're hurting her or anything." He added.
"No, you don't understand! That's not what I was doing!" The red jacket wearing teen insisted, keeping his voice from getting too loud as he did. The last thing he needed was to be caught up in such a big misunderstanding with everyone in the entire town, on his first day here no less.
Before either of the two could speak any further than that though, their attention was pulled to the girl in question, as with a yawn, she sat up. "What are you doing?" She questioned the two, wiping the sleep out of her still half closed eyes as she did, clearly having known of their presence the moment she had begun to move.
"He was staring at you real hard, so I came over to see what the big deal was. I mean, you're cute yeah, but he was just about gaping at you, like you were the first pretty girl the guy had ever seen or something." The white haired teen informed her bluntly. "He didn't elaborate why though." He further informed.
Looking toward his fellow male, it was clear Rean couldn't believe he had just said that. Whipping his head back toward the girl, he frantically attempted to explain himself. "I-it's not like that! You just look really familiar is all! I was just getting a closer look to see if you were who I thought you were! I swear that that's all! I would never-" The raven haired youth's words died in his throat, as the silver haired girl finally opened her eyes fully, revealing her strikingly yellow-green orbs.
Those eyes sealed the deal. Without a doubt, this girl was Fie, the same girl from eight years ago. Eyes now as wide as they possibly could be, Rean tripped over his words to an even greater degree. "Y-Yo-You-You're..." At the teen's stammering, she looked toward him, her eyes meeting his dead on. As they did, her eyes widened considerably as well, to match his, recognition flashing in her colored orbs.
Just as soon as it appeared however, it vanished, her eyes returning to normal size, and a calm, almost bored look came upon to her face.
"Fie-" The moment that name left Rean's mouth, the silver haired girl was off the bench and on her feet. "I need to get going." She stated abruptly, her departure just as abrupt, exiting the park and taking the path that led north, away from the square and deeper into Trista, moving at a brisk pace. She didn't run, but she certainly didn't walk either.
"Wait! I-" The raven haired seventeen year old's attempt to call out to her was in vain, as she was already gone. Sighing heavily, Rean consoled himself with the thought that he would see her again. 'She wore the red uniform just like me, so she's more than likely my classmate. So I should get another chance to talk to her soon enough. Even still...that was her, I know it.' With that in mind, he couldn't help but give a small smile. His first day and he had already accomplished one of his major life goals, to reconnect with the girl who had become a part of his family, even if it had only been for a short while. 'Well, maybe accomplish isn't the right word...' He admitted to himself, as he hadn't quite reconnected with her just yet. She did just kind of fast-walk away from him after taking one look at his face after all.
Then there was the fact that he had no other life goals besides finding her, as he had absolutely no idea what he wanted to do with his life, not even in the slightest. Which was one of the main reasons he had made the decision to attend this academy located in Trista, that he had yet to even step foot on campus of, in the first place. So, for obvious reasons, his smile fell away, and he fought the urge to hang his head.
"Hahaha, I do believe you've just been rejected my friend." Came the mirthful voice of the older teen, his junior turning back to look at him just in time to see him hop the railing, doing so for no obvious reason since the park was only a few steps down.
"Yeah, I guess that's a fair way to put it." Rean granted with another heavy sigh.
"Don't sweat it guy, happens to everyone." The taller of the two consoled, coming to a stop a few feet from the slightly shorter of the two.
"Trying to cheer me up?" Rean inquired. "That's nice of you and all, but it kind of flies in the face of the fact that you were trying to get me slapped just a minute ago, doesn't it?" His annoyance, while small, was very clear as he asked this.
"Hey, that's not what I was trying to do at all. I was playing your wingman, helping you get a shot with the girl and all that." The older teen explained with a wink and a wry smile, the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice making it clear that he was joking.
The dry look he received in return for his response made it clear that the young teen didn't find him amusing. "Okay, okay. She was going to figure out that you were watching her while she had been asleep whether I said anything or not, either by the fact that you were standing so close to her or that you were tripping over your words and stuttering like some kind of nervous wreck. So I simply mitigated the situation by playing up the fact that you found her attractive, and don't say you don't because I can tell you do, and made the suggestion that was why you were staring at her. After all, nothing cools a girl off like being told she's pretty." He clarified his actions. "It didn't guarantee you wouldn't have an angry girl on your hands of course, but hey, it lessened the chance at least, and that's better than nothing right?"
"But that wasn't even what was going on. As I was trying to explain to you before, I thought I recognized her and was just getting a better look to see if she was who I thought she was. That's all." The dark haired youth asserted calmly, if a bit piteously.
"Alright, alright, I believe you. That doesn't mean she was going to though. It was for the best that I covered for you, trust me." The the white haired youth assured him.
"But you don't even know me, why would you cover for me at all? For all you know, I really could be some kind of creep." Was the red jacket wearing teen's questioning response.
"Yeah, I'd believe that about as much as I'd believe the sky was green. I'm pretty good at reading people, and nothing about you says anything about you being a creep." The green jacket wearing teen expounded.
"Is that so?"
"Totally. The way you speak, along with the way you carry yourself and your weapon, paints you more as the earnest, straightforward type. " The bandanna wearing boy explicated, indicating the bag the other boy carried with one hand over his shoulder with a tilt of his head as he did.
"You seem pretty sure for someone who doesn't even know my name..." Began the younger teen, a little sullen as he spoke. "...but regardless, thanks." He managed another small smile at that. "I appreciate the gesture if nothing else."
"Don't even mention it." He dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Name's Crow by the way, Crow Armbrust." He extended his hand to his fellow student as he gave his name.
Taking it with his own free one, Rean shook Crow's hand. "Rean Schwarzer. Nice to meet you Crow." His smile widened as he introduced himself.
"Feeling's mutual." Crow returned the sentiment with a smile of his own, this one of the non-wry nature. "Oh and, by the way, that girl, just curious, who did you think she was anyway?"
"Oh, uh...well...she just looked like an old friend of mine is al-" A little more than halfway through his purposely vague sentence, for some reason or another, he found himself wanting to tell his fellow teen the truth. Not everything, of course, as it wasn't his place to tell him all of it, but still. And as he made direct eye contact once more, he thought better of it, while not exactly lying to him, he wasn't exactly being honest. So, he opted to be as honest as possible. "Actually, she was the spitting image of this girl I know from some years back. She came to my hometown and ended up staying with my me and my family for awhile. It was a long time ago, we were just kids, even still...she was my best friend. She was all but a part of the family by the time she left. I hadn't seen her since then until...well now." He disclosed.
"So she was who you thought she was then? Huh, what are the odds?" The older teen's open query was accompanied by a shrug of his shoulders, not reacting in the slightest to the fact that his fellow youth changed course mid-sentence and told him something else than he had originally intended as he did.
"Yeah, and the first time we see each other again after so long, and I end up looking like a creep." Dejected, the younger teen hung his head as he finished saying this.
"Yeah, that's gotta suck." The white haired youth admitted with a nod of his head.
"You didn't help matters." The raven haired youth pointed out, raising his head as he did to gaze pointedly at his fellow teen with halfhearted vexation.
Crow simply laughed at this.
"He sure was an interesting guy..." Rean muttered to himself as he made his way down the same path he had seen Fie take, which he knew for a fact led to his new school, mostly because of the guidebook he had received upon being accepted into the school which stated as such. 'I mean, I barely know the guy and yet, when I was talking to him, I just felt comfortable. Like I was talking to an old friend and could just be myself. I wouldn't have told him about Fie otherwise, even if I did leave out most of the details...' He thought to himself. 'I probably wouldn't have worn my irritation so openly either.'
This was far from a bad thing in the teen's mind, it was just different is all. He was used to keeping things to himself. He didn't want anyone worrying about him, nor did he feel that it was right to bog other people down with his problems. In short, he was a listener, not a talker. Not in the strictest sense of course, just that he was used to talking about other people's problems and not his own. And that didn't bother him either. He preferred it that way. So when someone gets him to act like he did with Crow...well, it's weird. Strange even. Especially considering that was their first meeting and that Crow himself, arguably, played a role in the problem.
"Well, no reason to stress over it." He told himself with half a sigh. "And it'd be best to put it out of my head for now anyway. I should just focus on not being late on my first day, especially to a prestigious academy like Thors." He reminded himself, picking up the pace as he did. Even still, he couldn't help but think, 'Between seeing Fie again and meeting someone like Crow, I can already tell my two years here are going to be far from normal.'
Far from normal was right. On his way to the entrance ceremony alone, he had come across an entire cast of colorful characters. First he had ran into a rather tall teen, who was clearly from abroad judging by his darker skin pigment and his stature, who had dark brown haired tied back in a short ponytail and a peculiar shade of blue eyes. He had seemed rather kind, at least going by the short conversation they had where he introduced himself as Gaius Worzel. Then he met another teen with glasses, green eyes, light skin and dark green hair, who went by the name Machias Regnitz. While he was nice enough, he caught his attention because of the fact that he seemed to have a chip on his shoulder when it came to nobles. At least judging by how he reacted to one simply getting out of his limo anyway. A young woman with dark blue hair and a large case came next, having been handed said case by who appeared to be her butler. The noble who got out of the limo was after that, sporting blonde hair, vibrant blue eyes and a regal air.
Two more came after that, both girls, one blonde and the other a brunette, said brunette also wore glasses. There was really only one thing about them that stuck out, they shared this with most of the others, and that was what they were wearing. He spotted them talking with, who he found out shortly afterward, were two second years, one being a somewhat heavyset boy named George Nome and the other a small, petite girl named Towa Herschel, who was apparently the student council president. They were taking their cases, which Rean was sure were their weapons as he and the spectacled teen had to give their luggage as well, which, of course, contained their armaments. Finally, after having just taken his seat in the auditorium, where the entrance ceremony was being held, he met a teen with bright orange hair, light skin and emerald green eyes who gave his name as Elliot Craig, and was quite pleasant and seemed easy to get along with.
All of these people, with the exception of Towa and George, sported the same red blazer as him. Gaius's was more like a vest and Elliot's more like an overshirt, but that wasn't important. So if his theory on them being classmates turned out to be true, he's managed to spot eight of them counting Fie. And all things considered, it seemed more and more likely they were all a part of the same class. Only there was one problem, nine people don't make a class. So either there were more people with red jackets that he had yet to see, or his idea of them being classmates didn't hold any water. Before he could really think such a thing over though, the beginning of the end of the entrance ceremony came about.
"Now, if I may, I'd like to say a few words in closing about this academy's illustrious history." Principal Vandyck, a tall, well dressed and broad shouldered man, with fair skin, long grey hair and matching grey facial hair, pronounced from the stage he stood on and the podium he stood behind. "Thors Military Academy was founded almost two hundred twenty years ago. It's founder, as I'm sure you're all aware, was none other than the great Emperor Dreichels. The very same Emperor who ended the War of the Lions and returned prosperity to the Erebonian Empire. Thirty years after becoming Emperor, in the later years of his life, he opened the doors of this institution. It was to be a place where young people like yourselves could learn the art of war. But with the mechanization of the military, many of our graduates now pursue careers outside the army. Our mission however, remains the same. To prepare our students to fulfill Emperor Dreichels famous mandate...'Arise, O youth, and become the foundation of the world.' Though much has happened these past two and a quarter centuries, the world is still the domain of the young. Yet the question still remains, what qualities must one possess to become a part of its foundation?" That question was allowed to linger for several long moments, most likely so that the full weight of such a query could sink in, before the principal finished his speech. "I hope this credo will serve as a guide and an inspiration to you during your two years at this academy. Go forth, my students. The world awaits the great things you will one day accomplish."
'The foundation of the world huh?' Rean contemplated the notion as Vandyck finished speaking. Only to be brought out of his state of thought a few moments later, as Elliot, who sat next to him on his right, commented, "Haha. No pressure, right?"
"No kidding. Though, this is Dreichels the Lionheart we're talking about. He didn't earn his nickname by taking the easy road." The raven haired teen remarked.
"True, but still, that's quite the set of expectations to place on students such as ourselves. Almost overbearingly lofty in fact. It's the simple fact that this is Thors Military Academy that keeps me from balking at the idea entirely. After all, this is the most prestigious school in the entirety of Erebonia. It's only expected that graduates would go on to do great things." Machias interjected from his seat on the left.
"Guess we've got more to worry about than just passing exams then huh?" Rean replied with a bit of mirth in his voice.
"Ahaha, I guess we do." Elliot agreed. "Indeed." Machias echoed the agreement.
"So, have you guys noticed that there are only nine of us wearing red?" Rean inquired suddenly, after taking another quick look around at all the students gathered in the auditorium.
"Now that you mention it..." The orange haired teen trailed off, his eyes beginning to wander the room to double check, just in case.
"That came out of the blue. What brought this on exactly?" The dark green haired youth queried.
"Just something I've been wondering about since I got here. Most people here are wearing the green uniform, while the rest are dressed in white. Then there's us three, and the six others spread about the room, who are the odd ones out since we're all wearing red." The raven haired seventeen year old pointed out.
"I see what you mean." The bespectacled boy admitted, as he took a look around himself. "Considering the lower number of them, and their snobbish attitudes, it's safe to assume those in white are the nobles." He concluded, returning his eyes to his two acquaintances.
"And those who aren't nobles are in green. So...where does that leave us, the guys in red?" Elliot pondered aloud.
Before either of the two teens he was speaking with could respond, their attention was brought forward to the stage once again. "And that brings us to the close of Thors' two hundred and fifteenth entrance ceremony." The voice of Vice Principal Heinrich announced, a noble looking man with fancy purple clothing and glasses, who possessed fair skin, long brown hair tied in a downward ponytail and a thin matching brown mustache. "Next, please proceed to the class designated in your guidebook. There, you will go over the school rules, as well as your class' curriculum. That is all. Dismissed!" And with that, the ceremony came to an end, as all the students, excluding the nine in red of course, stood and began filing out of the auditorium, the teachers of the academy and the principal and vice principal doing the same.
By the time they had all vacated the building, only said nine red wearing students remained, along with a single teacher, that all of them but one failed to notice.
"The class designated in our guidebook?" Elliot, who was now standing, repeated, his confusion clear. "I don't remember seeing anything like that." He added, turning to face the only two people present he had truly met.
"There wasn't any information on that in mine either." Rean stated with a shake of his head, also now standing. "I just assumed they'd tell us where to go after the ceremony." He confessed.
"I admit it's the same for me. There wasn't any information regarding it in the guidebook, so I too had assumed they'd give us our class assignments after the entrance ceremony." Machias, who too was now standing, disclosed.
As he tried to figure out what they should do next, the raven haired teen's eyes traveled the room, taking note of the fact that the other red uniform wearing students, while standing just like them, didn't seem any more in the know of where to go than they were. At least, as far as he could tell anyway. It was because of this traveling of his eyes, that his grey tinted fuschia orbs found Fie once more, having picked her out of the crowd earlier but had to cease focus on her as the ceremony began. Now there was no ceremony to pay attention to though, so now upon her, they stayed there, as the boy they belonged to stared at her. Why? For a multitude of reasons. First being that he still couldn't believe it was her, second was definitely wondering why she had taken one look at him and all but rushed away, and third, she, unlike everyone else, wasn't looking towards the exit, or the other students, rather her eyes were on something else. Someone else actually, as he quickly found out, following her gaze to the person.
Said person was a very beautiful young woman, clearly older than them though. She had light skin, bright yellow eyes and pink hair, though it was done it up a certain way, so that her locks didn't reach past the bottom of her neck. As for what she wore, a long sleeve, yellow thigh length dress, with three thick black stripes down one side and black and white trimming, dark see-through thigh level stockings with three thin white stripes going down the front, comfortable looking black open shoes and what appeared to black choker around her neck. Finally, she wore a dark blue trench coat over it all, with white trimming designs and three white belt-like straps, buckles included, two of which were loose, while the other was locked in place just under the woman's generous bust.
"All riiiiight! Students in red uniforms, if I can have your attention please?" Said woman spoke, getting everyone's attention as she did, just as she had wanted. "By now, you're probably all confused. 'Where's MY class assignment?', you're probably thinking. That's perfectly understandable. Your situation though is just a liiiittle more complicated than the other students. But before I explain, I'd like all of you to join me for a special orienteering exercise." She expounded.
"What?!" Machias exclaimed.
"Hmm..." The blue haired girl hummed in thought.
"Did you mean an orientation exercise?" The blonde girl asked.
Fie, unlike everyone else, didn't seem the slightest bit concerned about any of what was going on or being said. Her eyes remained on the pink haired woman the whole time.
"Worry not. Everything will be made clear soon enough." The woman assured them. "Now, right this way, if you would." She directed them, heading toward the doors they had originally entered through earlier as she did.
"E-erm, uh..."The brunette girl with glasses opened her mouth but failed to truly speak, clearly not sure what to say about this.
"Looks like we're gonna have to follow her if we want any answers." Gaius stated, speaking for the first time since Rean had run into him back at the church on the way here.
The blonde of the males simply sighed at this.
So, with not much other choice, they began to follow after the woman, Rean and Elliot lagging behind the others momentarily to exchange words.
"What do you think this is all about?" Elliot questioned his fellow teen.
"I have no idea, but we're not going to accomplish anything just standing around here. So the only real choice is to go with her." Rean replied.
"Yeah, I suppose so."
And with that, the two moved to catch up with the others who followed the pink haired woman.
The nine students were led out of the auditorium, across the campus, and down the path at the very back of the grounds, following behind the pink haired woman as she led them. Until, eventually, they reached an old, run down schoolhouse, the stone having dulled considerably from it's age, even the red of the building that was basically the entirety of the roof, looked rather lifeless from all the time that had obviously passed since the building had first been erected. Not even the bell appeared to be in good shape, as it lacked any shine and looked just as old as the building itself, it entirely possible that it could crack from the slightest amount of force impacting it.
Such a battered and decrepit place was in stark contrast to the rest of the campus, which was grand and in pristine condition. No real sign of age to that of the main building, the auditorium, the gym, or any of the buildings for that matter. This, however, was clearly an exception.
"Wh-what is this place?" Elliot wondered aloud from his spot beside Rean, both at the rear of the group.
"Why is there a building this dilapidated on school grounds? It looks like it should have been torn down ages ago." Rean remarked, before letting his eyes wander the area. It was cut off from the rest of the campus, surrounded by grass and trees, with the exception of the two benches present and two stone markers.
No one paid the two's words on the matter any mind, the woman especially, as she hummed to herself and ascended the steps up to the portico of the schoolhouse, and proceeded to unlock the double doors and enter the building, no word to anyone else as she did so. She also left said doors open, obviously expecting them to do the same as she had.
Rean's eyes wandered to Fie yet again as the woman did this, his thoughts regarding the young girl still all jumbled up. They would remain that way until he could talk with her, that he was sure of. When the opportunity would present itself was anyone's guess. Especially considering the fact that it was entirely possible, judging by her previous reaction to seeing him, that she was purposely avoiding looking his way.
"What does she even want us to do here?" The blonde girl queried no one in particular, bringing the raven haired seventeen year old's attention back to the situation at hand.
"Is she ever going to tell us what's going on?" Machias questioned with an irritated sigh.
"I suppose we'll just have to go inside and see for ourselves what awaits us." Stated the blue haired girl.
With that, they all followed after the pink haired woman once more.
"Th-this place looks like some old haunted mansion or something..." The orange haired teen commented with a sliver of nervousness in his voice.
"Now that you mention it, it kinda does." Rean agreed, doing nothing to absolve that nervousness his acquaintance felt as they too entered the building.
...
Unbeknownst to those two, or any of the others for that matter, there were two individuals not far from them, behind the trees, who watched them from an elevated position on a hillock.
"So...these are our new underclassmen, huh?" The first one, Crow, inquired unnecessarily.
"Yep. They've got a different set of hoops to jump through than we did though." The second one, a tall, beautiful young woman, with light skin, aqua colored eyes and just barely neck length dark magenta hair, who was clad in a black leather biker suit with a beige belt, confirmed. "Honestly though, I'm just glad all our work's paying off. I'd hate to have put in a year's worth of effort for nothing."
"Heh. Ain't that the tru-wait, when did you do any work?" The white haired teen questioned rhetorically. "You were just slacking off the whole time!"
"Ha! Says the master slacker!" She retorted.
"Eh." Was his simple answer, brushing the whole thing off at that point with a simple shrug, neither defending himself or admitting his guilt.
Their exchange completely forgotten, the woman spoke once more, after having taken one last look at the teens below. "Anyway, looks like Alisa's got some stiff competition. Quite a bevy of beauties they've got there." She remarked with a hint of excitement.
"Can't argue with you there." The red eyed eighteen year old agreed. "Wait, you know one of 'em?" He queried, continuing on without the answer to it. "Weird. Just so happens I know one of them too. Or, well, I met one of them a few hours ago anyway." He corrected himself.
Not that his fellow teen had noticed, seemingly lost in her own world. "I am seriously looking forward to getting intimately acquainted with each and every one of those girls." She stated with a light blush and a gleam of lust in her eyes.
"What!? Wait! No, no, no! Not these ones too Angelica! Stop flirting with every damned girl you lay eyes on!" Crow scolded her. "Do you have any idea how many guys at this school have gotten their hearts broken because of your libido!?" His exasperation with her was abundant, that much was clear.
Angelica clearly didn't care though, as she just chuckled at his words and gave a simple smirk.
"D-Did you just sneer at me? You did, didn't you?!" He asked with some incredulousness.
"Come on now you two, no fighting." Came a third, gentle voice, gaining both of the teens attention, the two looking back to where it came from.
Having just arrived, two people stood before them. The first was a rather small, petite thing, with light skin, long brown hair kept from flowing all about by a ponytail holder keeping it from fanning out, though it still ran down her back, and bright green eyes. She wore the standard school uniform, with her own personal modifications, of course, the most notable of which being her black tights she wore under her skirt.
The second was a somewhat heavyset, but sturdy fellow, with light skin, short brown hair and brown eyes. He sported a yellow tracksuit with white stripes down it, a brown buckled belt, brown gloves, brown boots, as well as a brown hat and some goggles.
"Towa, George, you finally made it. Nice work, you two." The leather clad girl complimented.
"You got our little chickadees all sorted out, I take it?" Crow questioned, his building tiff with his female friend not even a thought anymore.
"Yup! They're all bright eyed and ready to go." Towa affirmed cheerfully. "So from here on out we're going to have to give it all we've got to support this fledgling class!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"Haha. Now you sound the part of the Student Council president." The dark magenta haired girl remarked.
"Guess she's going all in." Crow said with a smirk.
"Well, they'd be in for a pretty rough time if we didn't help out a little. At least to start, anyway." George commented. "Everything's ready over there, right?" He proceeded to ask the two who were here before him and the smallest of the group.
"You betcha. Just like the instructor asked." Angelica assured. "Can't help but feel sorry for them, though." She admitted, turning back to look at the old schoolhouse as she did.
"Same here. They've got no idea what they're being tossed into." Crow shared the sentiment, as he too turned to look at the downtrodden building. "The class they've been picked for didn't even exist before this year." He added. "Guess all we can do is watch and see what they're made of, right?"
As the double doors closed behind the students, they let their eyes wander, taking in the rather spacious interior of the old schoolhouse. Rean, unlike the others, turned his gaze towards his fellow students though.
First was, of course, Fie. Second was the long, dark blue haired girl, said hair tied into a very long ponytail with a black hair accessory, who had light skin like the others and amber colored eyes. She sported a light blue plaid skirt with black high-heeled, knee-length boots, with white accents, that looked rather combat oriented, as her personal touches to her uniform. Third was the brunette in glasses with the really long braid down her back, who had light skin as well, and light blue eyes. Her own touches to her uniform consisted of her black leggings, a blue-green plaid skirt, and her peculiar blue necktie, which was rather like an ascot. Fourth was the long blonde haired girl, who had light skin as well, and rouge colored eyes. Her customization of her uniform probably went the farthest, as she completely forwent the white undershirt and replaced it with a pink turtleneck sweater, not to mention her vibrant green plaid skirt, the purple ribbons in her hair or her thigh high brown boots. All of them shared the blazer and big bow on the back though. 'Seems all the girls with red blazers have that big bow.' The teen noted mentally.
Fifth was Gaius, his uniform being the most unique among the boys, the girls too, among all nine of them in fact. His alterations being his dark blue slacks with dull white trimming, brown sandals, a purple sash, a mid-sleeve grey shirt rather than the standard white undershirt, no blazer to speak of, instead wearing a long red vest of similar design, and finally, but least noticeable, was that he wore his blue tie loose. Sixth was Machias. His personal modifications were a black collared undershirt, and a similar, but different style of black pants. Seventh was the blonde noble, who wore his blazer open, with a blue v-neck sweater and a white pinstripe shirt under it, as well as dark blue and black plaid pants, that being the extent of his own flare to his uniform. Eight and last was Elliot, who was the closest in proximity to Rean. The only thing different between his uniform and Rean's own, with the exception of footwear, as everyone wore different footwear, was that instead of a blazer, he wore an overshirt of similar design over a long sleeved white collared shirt.
'This is everyone I've seen with a red uniform so far, and judging by this whole orientation, I'd say we're all there is. I guess that means my hunch about us all being in the same class was correct.' Rean thought to himself. 'But what kind of class has only nine students?' He couldn't help but wonder.
"The name's Sara Valestein." The pink haired woman introduced herself, getting everyone's attention on her once more, to see her standing on a stage of some sort that none of her notice get up on. "I'm the instructor in charge of Class VII, which means you get the pleasure of seeing me all year." She informed them. "Glad to finally meet you." She greeted them with a smile.
"Wait...class seven...?" Machias repeated, sure he had heard wrong.
"No, Class VII." The twenty something corrected.
"That's what I said." The bespectacled boy contended, only to not receive a response.
"U-Us...?" Elliot asked, unsure of what it meant.
"I'm not sure I understand. I wasn't told anything about this at enrollment." The blue haired girl stated.
"E-Excuse me, Instructor Sara? I was under the impression that there were only five classes at this academy." The brunette piped up. "And that students were split among them based on their social class and home region." She added.
"Right you are, Miss Top Scorer on the Thor's entrance exam!" Sara regarded the bespectacled girl with the same merry disposition she had held since they all met her. "Students in each year are divided into five classes, two for the nobles and three for the commoners. And it's been that way for ages, right up through last year. But this year, we decided to shake things up a little." She explained.
Before anyone could ask for more details, she continued. "We now have a sixth class. Fittingly titled, Class VII. And in Class VII, we recognize no distinction between nobles and commoners." She elucidated.
"Wait, you just jumped straight from five to seven?" Rean inquired.
"VII, actually." The woman corrected for the second time.
"You're really putting nobles and commoners in the same class?" The blonde haired girl queried.
"This must be some kind of joke! And, exactly why is this the first time I've heard of it!?" Machias demanded to know, having gone from zero to sixty at the mention of sharing a class with nobles.
"Well, uh...err...who were you again...?" Sara inquired, having completely blanked on his name.
"Machias Regnitz!" Was his immediate answer. "And with all due respect Instructor, it's ludicrous to intermix nobles and commoners like this! Must I be forced to spend my next two years shoulder to shoulder with those arrogant, stuck up hedonists?!" He asked irately.
"Uh...you do know I'm not the one who made the decision, right?" She pointed out with half lidded eyes, some of her merriness fading, as if she found it ridiculous that someone thought that she had been the one to come up with this. "Besides, what's the big deal anyway? You're all kids, can't you all just...get along or something?" She posed that to him, her bit of cheer that had faded from her returning instantly as she did.
"J-Just get along!? Ha! And how would you propose we do that?" The glasses wearing teen questioned her, it already clear that he thought it impossible.
The blonde noble simply hmphed at this, casting a sideways glance at the upset teen as he did.
"What are you looking at?" The green eyed seventeen year old asked hotly as he noticed the glance he received.
"Oh, nothing much. I just find the irony of your behavior rather humorous." The blue eyed noble replied nonchalantly.
"Is that so?" Machias's eyes narrowed ever so slightly behind his glasses. "Oh look, some scion of a noble house has left the comfort of his mansion to grace the unwashed masses with his wisdom! Please milord, do share your esteemed name with us so I can give you all the respect you deserve." The dark green haired boy mocked, using a cheesy, bad acting voice to convey false reverence as he did so. "And so I know who's money you rode in on with that limo of yours." He added rather snarkily at the end, a scowl accompanying his words.
"Jusis Albarea." The blonde responded without hesitation, not the slightest hint that he'd been offended by that. "Not that I'd expect the name of an arrogant, stuck up hedonist to lodge itself in that hard head of yours." He finished cooly.
Needless to say, the shock from hearing his name was evident on almost everyone's face.
"H-He's from one of the Four Great Houses." Elliot vocalized this fact with disbelief.
"The son of Duke Albarea, lord of the Kreuzen province in the southeast." Rean added.
"Well, you don't get much more noble than that." The blonde haired girl commented.
"Interesting. I'd heard the rumors..." The blue haired girl said to herself.
Fie, one of the few unaffected by this bit of news, simply yawned.
"D-Do you expect me to be impressed?! Your family lineage means nothing to me! I will never bend my knee to the likes of you!" Machias exclaimed crossly, taking a step closer to the noble kid as he did.
Thankfully, before a fight could break out between the two, Sara interrupted them with two quick claps, getting all of their attention on her. "Okay, okay, that's enough! Why don't you two just keep away from one and other?" She suggested. "At least for now." She added.
Neither agreed to do so, however, neither refused either. Both looked discontent on the matter though. Not that it mattered, as she continued to speak. "As for the rest of you, go ahead and introduce yourselves. It's only fair, after all. You already know the names of two of your classmates, not to mention mine, so it's your turn to share." She instructed them.
No arguments were made, as the first of them spoke up.
"M-My name is Elliot, Elliot Craig. It's nice to meet you all." He introduced himself with a small bow.
"Thank you Elliot." The young woman acknowledged. "Who's next?"
"I'm Gaius Worzel." The tall foreigner gave his name.
"Emma Millstein. Nice to make your acquaintance." She too gave a small bow.
"Okay, that's five now. Four to go. Who's next?" Sara questioned.
"I'm Alisa Re-Alisa R." The rouge colored eyed girl caught herself, giving an initial instead of her last name.
"Ooh, Alisa R. No last name. Mysterious." It wasn't clear whether the instructor was teasing the girl or patronizing her.
"I am Laura S. Arseid, from the town of Legram. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The long blue haired girl properly introduced herself.
"Wait, that would mean your father is-" Machias began, only to have Laura finish for him. "Yes, my father is Viscount Arseid, Lord of Legram. Do you take issue with that?" She questioned, no hint of anger in her tone, only curiosity.
"N-No, not at all.." The bespectacled teen was clearly taken off guard by this, and was completely unsure of what to say. "I just, uh, I..."
"I can only speak for myself, but I don't feel I've ever done anything to bring shame upon myself in Aidios's eyes. And I fully believe the same to be true of my father." The amber eyed teen stated to him.
"P-Please, I meant no offense. I'm sorry if I...if I, uh..." Machias struggled to find the right words, unsure of how to smooth this over. He hadn't expected this to happened, that's for sure.
"A truly proper introduction. Very good Laura. Onto the next." Sara interjected, sparing the glasses wearing teen from further embarrassment.
Only two left, the raven haired teen decided to go ahead and introduce himself next. "I'm Rean Schwarzer, from Ymir. Glad to meet you guys." As Rean gave his name and the name of his hometown, out the corner of his right eye, he managed to catch Fie peeking at him from out the corner of her own left eye. The moment she realized he saw her, her irises moved back to their forward position, not even bothering to acknowledge that she had been caught or that she had even been looking at him in the first place as she did.
"And then there was one." Sara remarked, looking to Fie as she did.
Only, the silver haired girl failed to take the hint and introduce herself. It was intentional, of course, Sara knew this all too well.
"We're waiting."
"You already know my name." She replied to her elder, her tone one of complete disinterest.
"I do, yes. But none of them do. They're going to be your classmates, you're gonna have to tell them your name. So go on." She prodded.
Finally, Fie gave in with a sigh. "Fie Claussell." However, give her name was all she did.
Rean didn't so much as bat an eye at hearing her name, he already knew who she was. He knew for sure the moment he saw her eyes. The fact that she looked similar to how she did before helped as well, but he had yet to meet anyone with eyes like hers, so that's what had instilled him with confidence that she was most definitely the same girl he knew so long ago.
Sara gave a sigh of her own at Fie's bare minimal cooperation. "I suppose that'll just have to do."
Shaking it off, she continued to speak. "Alright, now that you all know each other, or, well, are acquainted with one and other at least, we can begin."
At that Machias, Alisa and Emma all opened their mouths to say something, perhaps to protest, perhaps not. Regardless, they were cut off before they could even get a single syllable out. "Now, now, I'm sure at least a couple of you have a few grievances, but now's not the time. I'll hear your complaints later. Right now, you've got your orienteering exercise, and far be it from me to keep you from our fun little ice breaker."
"Ugh." Machias exhaled in annoyance.
"You mentioned this...'orienteering exercise' earlier? What does that involve exactly?" Alisa inquired.
"It's a form of outdoor competition, isn't it? Something like a cross between a map-reading exercise and a scavenger hunt?" Emma asked.
"Is that why they asked us to hand over our weapons at the gate?" Rean queried, adding to the questions posed to the instructor.
"Nothing gets by you, does it?" The instructor remarked with a smirk. "Well, I could tell you guys what it's all about, buuuuut-"As she drew that word out, she backed up several paces, to where her back was almost touching the wall. "I don't want to spoil the fun, so let's get started, shall we?" With that, her smirk widening as she did, she reached her right hand out and pressed a relatively well hidden big button, located in the middle of a pillar she was beside.
With little fanfare, the floor, a large part of it at east, the part they were all standing on ironically enough, was basically literally pulled out from beneath their feet, the thing folding downward to reveal a drop. It was a goddamn trap door.
"Oh crap." Rean spat, just before gravity took effect.
A multitude of gasps escaped the teens, most of them falling straight down, only Rean and Fie not doing so. Rean did his best to hang on, though it was an impossible task to do, as there was nothing to grab onto, and he was just going to slide off and drop himself, it was only a matter of a few, short moments. Fie, on the other hand, jumped upward at the last second, reaching for something tucked away on her person, and whipping it out and aiming for the ceiling. Only, she quickly realized, her hand held nothing but air.
Eyes widening in shock, the young silver haired girl caught the eyes of her older friend just before gravity exerted itself and sent her plummeting down. "Un-uh Fie, no cheating." Sara tsked, tsked the fifteen year old, revealing the grappling hook she had swiped from her prior to this.
The natural laws asserted themselves then, and Fie went down with the others, at the same moment Rean was about to run out of room to slide. Only, as he saw her falling as well, rather than try and keep himself from doing the same, he leapt toward her, not even thinking about it as he caught her and they dropped together.
"Huh. I'm starting to think those two know each other somehow." Sara remarked to herself as the trap door lifted itself back up into place as she pressed the button again.