Hey there guys! How's everyone doing today? Ta-da! A new chapter only a few weeks after the last double update! Don't worry, I didn't push myself to get this done or anything. I was pretty excited to finally reach the part that I've been waiting to reach for this entire AU which is the buildup and first true reveal of AU Jusis' backstory and lore drop for the AU canon of the series. The actual reveal will be the next chapter so I hope you guys enjoy the buildup and can make sense of it. Enjoy!
Like always, I enjoy comments, in fact I thrive off of positive comments and love constructive critique ones cause it shows an author that their readers are actually paying attention and enjoying their work. Thanks for reading this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by Falcom, and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the games/drama CDs.
Warning: No beta, we die like Rean's ability to comprehend a girl's feelings.
Chapter 12: Progressive Chaos
XXXXXX
9.15 S.1204
Half a month has passed since the incidents at Garrelia Fortress and Crossbell. A sense of unease lingers throughout the Empire. In Trista, there is a constant tension that blankets the town. While none besides us know exactly what occurred, no amount of reassurance has been able to assuage the citizens' concerns.
The Imperial government increased RMP patrols as part of their 'counter-terrorism measures' while the Noble Faction bolstered the provincial armies. The Imperial Liberation Front stands at the center of all this chaos, allying with the Calvard Republic's terrorist groups to cause the incident that occurred in Crossbell. I have also heard troubling rumors regarding the ILF's possible ties to the Noble Faction. While I know Dukes Rogner and Hyarms find dealing with terrorists distasteful, Dukes Cayenne and Albarea hold no such qualms and would gladly ally with the most immoral of people if it would grant them the slightest bit of power.
Then my brother would be forced to play along with a smile, falling into his role as the dutiful Albarea heir and ace of the Noble Faction. I've spoken to Angelica many times and she always expressed how thankful she is to have some semblance of independence from her father that allows her the freedom to act in a way that Rufus will never be able to. It saddens me that my brother has grown to become a pawn for the Noble Faction. I know he tries to take as much control over his role as possible to have some degree of freedom, but a pawn is a pawn no matter how valuable it may be.
In addition, Crossbell had declared its intention to become an independent nation and break free from the suffocating grasp of Calvard and Erebonia. To no one's surprise, both countries dismissed such talk as only delusional raving. However, I believe Crossbell could become a true threat considering all that has happened within its boundaries. Estelle's tales of what occurred with the SSS paints an unpleasant picture for the future of Zemuria.
Speaking of Estelle, she and the others continue to contact me regularly, checking on my well being in between insistent offers for me to come over to Liberl or for them to go to Erebonia. I spend most of these conversations persuading them that I am alright and refusing their offers to travel. I know that they can tell that I'm shaken by what occurred in Garrelia and I understand their worry all too well...but I've always been an expert at never dealing with my issues.
It's easier that way.
For today's update, the academy's board of directors gathered today for their annual meeting. One of the topics of discussion would be our field studies and whether they should be continued or canceled. During the meeting, we should have focused on our attraction for the upcoming Academy Festival. However, we were much too preoccupied with thoughts pertaining to the future of our class that our brainstorming session was completely useless.
Thankfully, Sara arrived to assure us before we could lose our minds from uncertainty. It seems we will still have our scheduled field study for this month. Then she dismissed us for the day, allowing us to speak with the board members before they departed.
I spoke to Rufus, intent on discussing my concerns over the current political climate and what it could mean for the future. My brother did his best to calm my worries and insisted I focus on my own role in the possible coming conflict. He urged me to work through the issues that still lingered from my time with Ouroboros, having heard what occurred at Garrelia. I promised him I would but he smiled in the way that showed he knew I was lying but was hoping I would follow through regardless of my reluctance to do so.
When he left, instead of feeling surety as to which direction I should be taking, I felt...conflicted.
XXXXXX
9.18 S.1204
It has been three days since the board of directors meeting. Now that our concerns over the fate of our field studies were addressed, we could finally focus on next month's academy festival.
However, the pressure was on to find a good idea that could be run by our small class number and little preparation time due to the unpredictable nature of our field studies. Unfortunately, no matter how much we brainstormed, we couldn't think of any compelling ideas we could pull off.
Sara tried to spark a fire under us by threatening to show our field study reports in an exhibit to which we all 'politely' declined. After classes ended, we spent some time bouncing more ideas.
Fie decided to be a little brat and suggested a cross-dressing cafe, referencing the embarrassing incident in Heimdallr. Crow and Millium were understandably confused. They prodded the smiling she-devil for answers but I managed to buy her silence with the promise of free meals for the rest of the school year.
When it was clear that none of us had any more inspiration, we decided to try and spend the rest of the day looking for it.
I went for a ride down the Trista Highway, thinking about the festival and Rufus' words. Eventually, I grew weary from all the worry and anxiety I was feeling. I spent the rest of the afternoon racing along the wind, the elation of riding freeing me of my burdens if only for a time.
XXXXXX
"I still think you should do something involving cross-dressing, Sis," Renne gleefully suggested.
"I agree! You looked so beautiful in a dress, same with Joshua," Estelle gushed gleefully, "If it weren't for the fact that I love you guys so much, I'd pretty jealous that you both looked cuter in that maid outfit than I did!"
Jusis groaned and palmed at his face, regretting the idiotic decision to ask his family for suggestions on what Class VII could do for the festival. "Denied."
"And why did you have to bring that up again?" Joshua said, sounding deeply pained by the reminder of 'that,' "I already managed to forget that happened and there you go again, making me remember that it did happen."
Jusis could hear Estelle slap Joshua playfully on the back as she laughed. "Oh come on, Joshua! Don't be embarrassed. Even though you're a boy, you managed to rock those dresses better than Schera could!"
"That is not a compliment," Joshua deadpanned.
"Honestly," Jusis sighed, "What in Aidios' name goes through a girl's head that they find great joy in shoving men into women's clothing?"
"You sure you want to know?" Renne slyly asked, "Though I suppose it's pretty easy to figure out what's going on in Estelle's mind. It's pretty empty most of the time, after all."
"Hey! My head is not empty!" Estelle cried out indignantly, "I'm always thinking about stuff like the newest strega model and my training and my bracer duties…"
"Isn't that what you think about on a daily basis, though?" Jusis jokingly said.
"Estelle's so simple," Renne giggled and sang out, "Simple, simple Estelle!"
"This is bullying! Joshua! Make them stop!" Estelle shouted, no doubt shaking Joshua by the shoulders.
"Isn't it par for the course that the younger siblings make fun of the older siblings?" Joshua managed to say through the shaking.
"It goes both ways in my case. Aidios help us all if Rufus manages to take Renne under his wing. Then we'll never have a moment of peace," Jusis dryly remarked.
Estelle and Joshua shuddered at the thought while Renne cackled.
"Anyways, I think we're getting a bit off topic here," Joshua said, "Jusis, why don't you suggest something involving singing or performing? Like a concert or play? Maybe even a café with some musical entertainment. It'd be easy to pull any of those off with small numbers and one of your classmates is a musician isn't he?"
Jusis hummed thoughtfully at the suggestion. "You may be onto something there."
"Oh! I love a good concert and with Yu-chan singing, that would make it even more spectacular!" Estelle eagerly agreed.
"Yeah! Sis has a great voice after all," Renne said before cackling deviously, "And it'd be even better if you wore a costume. You'd knock everyone's socks off while singing in a cute little skirt."
"Renne," Jusis groaned in exasperation.
Renne laughed at his pain and eventually the call came to an end. While there was lingering embarrassment, it was a productive call and he always enjoyed talking with his family. Jusis was especially elated to hear how happy Renne sounded, how freely she spoke with none of her usual mature and calculative mannerisms that she wore like a protective cloak in the Society. He was glad that she was living freely and finally receiving the familial love that had been stolen from her so long ago.
As he got ready to turn in for the night, someone knocked on his door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me," Sara responded.
He sighed and reluctantly said, "Come in."
Sara walked in and tried to come off as casual as she closed the door behind her. "Yo! How's it going?"
He gave her a look to drop the act. "You needn't beat around the bush, Sara. We both know why you're here."
"Alright then, if you insist," she shrugged and dropped the facade, pinning him with a familiar gaze from his childhood. The one of stern lecturing that only appeared as a warning before an intervention would be staged. "So…care to explain what happened at Garrelia? I've never known you to freeze like that, at least, not unless you were literally freezing."
"It was nothing," he said dismissively, "What happened was just a fluke and it won't happen again."
Her gaze intensified as her bullshit radar went off with multiple red flags. "Now why don't I believe you?"
"Really Sara, it was nothing," he said, now the one playing it casual, "I was just…overwhelmed by the whole situation."
Her gaze somehow intensified even more as she scrutinized him. "Don't think you can pull one over me kid. I've known you since the day you were born. I have seen you overwhelmed before and that was most certainly not it."
He huffed and continued to try and deflect. "Well what would you like me to say? I am still a teenage boy after all. Despite all my training, we're very temperamental and prone to irrationality at this age."
Sara crossed her arms and silently prayed to Aidios for the patience needed to talk to a teenage boy. "I'm just trying to help you, Jusis. But I can't do anything if you won't let me."
"Help me with what?" Jusis said, continuing to play dumb, "There's nothing for you to help me with except maybe my school work but even that is a bit questionable considering how you are in regards to paperwork."
She groaned in frustration. "Paperwork may be the bane of my existence but people who flip my mind games back onto me are even worse. Clearly I've taught you too well," she muttered to herself.
"What was that?" He innocently asked.
She threw her hands up in exasperation and surrendered. "Alright, fine. If you don't want to deal with or even admit you have issues, then I'll stop pushing," she said, pointing threateningly at his triumphant expression, "For now."
He scowled.
She softened and sighed. "Jusis, please," she said with the utmost seriousness, "One way or another, you're going to have to face your issues head on and I would rather you do so while under my care instead of out in the world where it has another chance at dragging you back down again."
Jusis was silent and that encouraged her to continue speaking.
"You were making such great progress after coming back from Liberl," she said, "Estelle was clearly a good influence on you cause of how easily you opened up to us and managed to befriend Fie when you first met but now…now it's like you've gone back to how you were before we sent you off with that letter."
"Your mother wouldn't have wanted something like this to eat you alive. She did all she could to make sure that I accepted that the past was the past and all I could do was take that as a lesson to do better in the future and keep moving forward in the present. She-"
"Shut up!" Jusis angrily shouted as something snapped within him as it always did whenever Sara dared to try and appeal to him by using his mother. "You don't know what my mother would've wanted because she's dead! She's gone!"
His anger grew and clouded his vision. He could feel the air growing cold around him. "She left me alone to fend for myself with barely any knowledge on the abilities that I never asked for nor wanted! With enemies who can now only get at her through me! So don't stand there like you know anything because you don't!"
His anger was met with silence and slowly, the haze faded away and his vision cleared. He paled at the sight before him - several sharp shards of ice hovered only reges away from impaling Sara. The shards instantly fell to the ground and shattered into particles that faded away.
"Oh Aidios, I'm so sorry, Sara," he rushed to apologize, still rooted to where he stood in fear.
Sara was clearly rattled by her close brush with death. But there was a realization and understanding that dawned on her face. "Jusis, you-"
A knock on the door startled them and they froze where they stood.
"Is everything alright in there?" Rean's voice called out from behind the door.
"We heard shouting," Emma added.
"Is Sara trying to make you ice her booze again? Cause you could totally just freeze it solid instead," Fie chimed in after.
Jusis and Sara took a moment to gather themselves before responding.
"No, nothing like that. Just a bit of a…disagreement in regards to something bracer related," Jusis reassured.
"Yeah, it's not like I only have booze on the mind," Sara played along.
"Debatable subject there, Instructor," Crow wryly remarked.
"Hey, come on! Have a little more faith in my guys," Sara cried out in protest.
"We certainly do try but you don't exactly give us many reasons to, Instructor," Gaius jokingly said.
"Nice one, Gaius!" Millium cackled gleefully.
"Alright, alright. That's enough out of you all," Sara said, sulking at her students' lack of faith in her as a responsible adult, "It's already late so go back to your rooms."
"Of course, Instructor," Machias said.
"Have a good night Jusis, Instructor Sara," Laura said.
"And try not to murder each other in there. We don't need to give the service staff of the academy more work by making them clean out bloodstains," Alisa dryly remarked.
"Alisa!" Rean cried out in admonishment.
"Oh hush, Rean. I was only saying what we were all thinking," Alisa scoffed.
"But…oh forget it," Rean said with a defeated sigh, "Have a good night everyone."
Jusis and Sara heard the rest of Class VII exchange good nights as they all left. Multiple doors closed throughout the building and then silence. Awkwardness settled between them.
"So…" Sara said.
"So…" Jusis repeated.
The two engaged in a stare down with Sara insisting that they continue the conversation and Jusis insisting that they do anything but. Eventually, she conceded.
"Alright. It is late so we'll end the conversation here for today. But!" She said and pinned him with a stern glare, "We will have to continue this one way or another. You can't keep going down this path of denial and suppressing your issues, Jusis. It always, always, backfires."
"Good night, Sara," he pointedly said.
She sighed. "Good night, Jusis."
Then she left, practically shoved out of the room, and Jusis closed the door behind her as soon as she stepped past the threshold. He leaned his back against the door and slid down to sit on the ground. He pulled his mother's necklace out and stared bitterly at the icy blue gem attached to a simple metal fixture that hung from a leather cord. He let the necklace drop back down onto his chest and looked at his trembling hands.
He watched as frost slowly appeared on his fingers, spreading down towards his arms and creeping out on the ground from where he sat. He curled his hands into fists and leaned his head back against the door as he choked back a frustrated sob.
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9.19 S.1204
~ Free Day ~
With festival preparations beginning a month early, Jusis decided to split his time between the Riding Club and the Student Council. He went to help the Riding Club first as it only held three members which meant their preparations needed to begin as soon as possible. The Lacrosse Club members were also helping as its second year members were not required to hold events like the first years were. Alisa spent her time acting as a buffer between him and Paula, who'd given up on her misplaced rage towards him and instead was attempting to foster a passionate rivalry that he resolutely ignored.
All in all, the time he spent at the Riding Club was more enjoyable than it had been before when all he truly had for company were the horses. Now he had Alisa, Lambert, to an extent as the noble gushed over Witcomb, Paula, who was no longer glaring daggers at him, and...Rean?
Jusis looked to his left to find Rean walking over, waving to them all in greeting.
"Hey guys! What are you up to over here?"
"The Lacrosse Club's helping the Riding Club out with their attraction," Alisa said as she held a small box of supplies in her arms. "In fact, I need to go get these into the stable and organize some stuff. I'll see you later, Rean."
She winked at the two of them before making her escape. She grabbed at Paula and Lambert, who'd been combing horses nearby, and pulled them along with her into the stable. Jusis resisted the urge to sigh at her obvious attempt to leave the two of them alone.
"Sooo..." Rean dragged out, eyes darting back and forth from the stable to Jusis in confusion. "What are you up to?"
"If you must know, I'm helping the Riding Club with their attraction for the festival." Jusis explained, "They're planning to hold a contest of sorts, largely helmed by the second years. There will also be a trial corner for those without much experience with horse riding."
"That sounds pretty interesting. I really like the idea of giving people who don't usually get a chance to go riding the opportunity to experience it," Rean said.
"Well for that to be a possibility, we need to make sure the horses are well-trained in order to reduce the risk of accidents," Jusis said, "So most of my attention will be focused on that. But I will have an idea ready to propose to our class by this evening."
"Hey, there's no rush on that and you shouldn't force yourself to come up with something either," Rean said, flailing his arms about as if to dissuade him through flapping gestures. He perked up in realization. "Oh! I'm free right now, so let me lend you a hand if you need any."
Jusis hummed, crossing his arms and tapping his chin in thought. Then he nodded to himself and gestured for Rean to follow. "Follow me then. I think I have just the job for you."
Rean tilted his head in confusion but followed after him to two horses stationed by the stables. Jusis instructed him to climb upon the brown horse while climbing upon the white one. Alisa watched them from behind a narrow opening of the stable doors and let out a silent cheer while Paula and Lambert looked at her in confusion and a hint of fear.
"This is one relaxed horse," Rean commented, marveling at the calm nature of his steed.
"We're planning to let beginners ride him during the academy festival," Jusis explained, "He's very calm and patient, even with the most inexperienced riders."
Rean nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I can't imagine you'd have anything to worry about with a horse this gentle."
Jusis shook his head, smiling in amusement. "I wouldn't make any assumptions just yet. We still need to test the limits of his stamina, which is where you come in. Follow me. We're heading to the highway."
The two guided their steeds at a comfortable walking pace out of the academy and onto the Trista Highway. A soft breeze rustled their hair and the sun shone brightly from up high. It was a welcome contrast from the emotional turbulence of the night before.
"This brings back memories," Jusis said, closing his eyes to better enjoy the peace of the moment. "Rufus and I used to go riding like this whenever something troubled us. We could always find solace from our problems through the passing of the peaceful landscape and exhilaration of the ride."
"There certainly is nothing like going horseback riding to make your troubles fly away with the wind," Rean agreed, "I think this was especially true in the highlands. Riding there was definitely an experience I'll never forget."
"I agree. I hope to take my family there one day. Estelle was certainly jealous upon hearing that I'd gone to Nord for a field study," Jusis remarked amusedly.
Rean chuckled. "The same thing happened with Elise when I told her about it in one of my letters. She was pretty mad I didn't take my orbal camera with me and said she'd make our dad take us all there for a family vacation, not that it'd be too hard to convince him."
"Your father enjoys hunting, correct?" Jusis asked curiously, "At least, that's what I assumed considering his interests in falconry and horseback riding."
Rean nodded. "Yup. I used to always ask him to take me along whenever he went hunting. It was like our version of bonding."
"I'd like to meet your father one day, properly that is," Jusis said, "I was much too young to remember him that one time when Rufus took me along with him when your father was teaching falconry in Heimdallr."
"Of course! I'm sure he'd love to meet you too," Rean cheerfully said, "And I'd like to meet your side of the family from Liberl if that's alright. They sound like really interesting people."
Jusis scoffed though there wasn't any heat behind it. "Interesting is one way to describe them. Another is that they're a bunch of worrywarts who worry over nothing," he said with a small smile that contrasted his exasperated tone.
"That's what family does. They care about you and worry whenever you're not there with them," Rean said in understanding, "I've certainly caused my fair share of concern when I was a kid, especially when my power first awakened."
Jusis looked away uncomfortably at the mention, feeling a sense of inadequacy and jealousy at how easily Rean had been able to accept that part of himself in comparison to Jusis who continued to shove those issues as far down as they could go.
Rean didn't clock his reaction and continued on obliviously. "But I'm glad that I'm finally managing to take a step in the right direction because I know my family and all my friends in Class VII will have my back and remind me that I'm not alone." He looked to Jusis. "And I hope you remember that too. Even if you can't tell us what's wrong, we'll still support you anyway."
Jusis knew he was talking about what occurred during their last field study and the argument with Sara last night. He nodded half-heartedly. "Of course. I won't forget."
Rean smiled even though he could tell the other didn't really mean what he said. Then his expression became contemplative. "You know…you and I have pretty similar backgrounds. And not just in the sense that we're nobles."
Jusis hummed thoughtfully as the other did have a point now that he mentioned it. "I suppose so."
Rean nodded to himself. "Yup. Though your history seems more colorful than mine, I believe the biggest similarity between us is that, by common standards, we're not true nobles."
"That is true. However," Jusis said as he gave Rean a scolding look for being self-deprecating again, "You shouldn't shortchange yourself just because your past is not as chaotic as mine. There is much I find myself curious about regarding your upbringing. Another reason for me to meet your father I suppose."
Rean chuckled and puffed his chest out in pride for his father. "Yeah, dad is pretty awesome if I do say so myself. I can't wait to invite you all to Ymir so I can show off all the great friends I've made here at Thors!"
Jusis shook his head in fond exasperation. "You're as saccharine as always."
"Awww, you think I'm sweet?" Rean teasingly asked.
Jusis scoffed. "I hardly meant that as a compliment."
"Well if that was supposed to be an insult, you really need to freshen up your knowledge cause I'm pretty sure calling someone sweet is a compliment," Rean playfully retorted.
"And I think you need to work on your witty comebacks because that was a bit weak don't you think?" Jusis jokingly rebuked.
The two shared a laugh and fell into a companionable silence. Jusis smiled to himself. Despite making no progress on dealing with his issues, he couldn't help but feel comforted by the close connection he shared with Rean. As painfully oblivious as the other may be, he certainly had a special way with words. Jusis murmured softly under his breath, "Thank you."
Rean turned to him in confusion. "Did you say something?"
"Let's go back to the academy," Jusis said, completely ignoring the question. "Don't drag your heels!"
Then he whipped his reins and urged his horse into a swift galloping pace.
"H-Hey!" Rean exclaimed, completely caught off guard. It took him a moment to shake off his surprise before he was urging his own horse to follow before Jusis left him in the dust.
The two raced back to the academy, laughing and trading playful barbs down the highway.
XXXXXX
"Sooo..." Towa casually drawled as she rapidly scanned through and signed sheet after sheet of forms. "You and Rean, huh?"
Jusis didn't even bother to hold back the exasperated groan that ripped out of his throat. "Is this to be my life now? To be pestered about a nonexistent relationship with the infamous Rean Schwarzer?"
"I was only commenting on your close friendship with him, Jusis," Towa slyly remarked with a twinkle in her eyes, "Does that mean you secretly wish to be more than that?"
"And since when do you have the time to meddle with the perceived relationships of your juniors?" He scoffed, focusing way too much attention on the form in his hands.
She hummed thoughtfully. "If what I'm seeing between you and Rean is just a product of my imagination, then there must be a mass hallucination gripping the academy since I'm not the only one who's seeing it."
He gave up on reading the form and dropped his head down onto a stack of papers with a groan.
"Awww, there's no need to be embarrassed," Towa said, patting his shoulder in comfort but the gesture felt more mocking than comforting. "I think the two of you would look pretty cute together."
A strangled sound escaped as his ears burned from embarrassment. "Return your focus to the abhorrently large stack of paperwork we still need to get through, please and thank you."
She giggled. "Oh very well." She smiled gently at him when he raised his head from the stack. "I hope you know I'm not making fun of you. If you two did get together, I'll be rooting for you with all I've got!"
He sighed, rifling through a sheaf of paper. "I highly doubt that would ever happen considering how oblivious Rean can be. Alisa is correct in the assumption that it would take a brick to the face for him to realize anyone's true feelings. And even then, there would need to be another brick thrown to make sure it got through his thick skull."
She giggled again. "I hope that won't stop you from pursuing a relationship with him if that's what you want." She smiled empathetically. "With the way the country is as of now, everyone needs all the happiness they can get. It seems things are changing more quickly than we would like and I don't want any of you to have any regrets should something terrible happen. In fact..."
She put her papers down and folded her hands on top of them. "I wanted to thank you for everything you guys did at Garrelia Fortress. When the terrorists attacked, I was thankfully on the ground floor so I was away from most of the chaos. But when I found out about the attack to take control of the railway guns, I never felt so scared in my life." She sniffed lightly, brushing away a tear that appeared in her eye. "I'm really thankful for all Class VII has done to save me and everyone else in Crossbell that day."
"You needn't thank us, Towa," Jusis said, "We did what we felt was right and were greatly relieved when we were informed you were safe and uninjured. We even heard how you took charge of evacuation efforts and brought some semblance of control to the chaos that occurred away from the action. You truly are an amazing person."
She waved her hands in embarrassment. "Oh! I'm really not as amazing as you think. I was just doing what I felt needed to be done. You guys were the ones who did most of the heavy lifting."
"How about we both agree that we did good work and leave it at that?" He suggested, smiling at her in amusement.
"Sure!" She cheerfully chirped.
A companionable silence fell upon them as they continued their steady deconstruction of the stacks of paperwork tilting precariously on Towa's desk. Sometime during their mind-numbing slog through the endless amount of paper, Fie came by with Rean in tow.
"Hello you two!" Towa greeted them, "Was there something you needed?"
"Umm…" Fie mumbled, fidgeting shyly with something behind her back.
Jusis watched her in concern. "Is everything alright, Fie?"
Rean shook his head and nudged her forward encouragingly. She glared at him and he grinned back at her. She sighed and took a deep breath. She walked forward and pulled out what was behind her back - a pot of purple pink flowers that looked to be across between hyacinth and bluebells.
Jusis recognized it as a floral herb with valuable properties relating to field medicine. He also remembered it as one of the flowers Fie pointed out during their journey to Heimdallr way back when he and Sara had picked her up from the war torn battlefield of the jaeger corps.
"I grew these as part of my responsibilities as a member of the gardening club," she explained, "And I…wanted to share them with people I wanted to thank for looking out for me and…uhh…"
She glanced over uncertainly at Rean who nodded encouragingly and she continued. "I've also noticed that you've been having a hard time recently and thought these could help cheer you up…"
Jusis felt his heart swell with many emotions as she held the pot out to him. "I know you probably remember what these are for but apparently, in addition to having many practical applications, they also symbolize familial love and-"
Jusis got up from his seat and took the flowerpot from her. He gently put it down on the table and immediately pulled her into a hug.
She jerked a bit, startled at the sudden action. She looked at him in surprise since he'd never really been a touchy feely person, preferring to show how he felt through his actions rather than grand words or gestures. But she gratefully returned the hug, wrapping her arms around him as he squeezed her gently in response.
Off to the side, Towa and Rean watched the sweet moment with bright smiles. Then Towa glanced at Rean and her smile gained a sly edge when she saw the infatuated look in his eyes. She nudged him with a knowing expression and he blushed, prompting her to quietly giggle.
XXXXXX
"All right, who's ready for another trip into the unknown?" Rean asked, addressing his gathered classmates consisting of Jusis, Fie, Emma, Alisa, and Crow. "This'll be our sixth time down here but don't get too comfortable," he warned, "There's no telling what we'll find next."
"Of course," Fie nodded in confirmation, her expression a mixture of serious and bored.
"Don't you worry, bud, I'm ready for anything," Crow cheerfully remarked, "It's my third time down here and you know what they say. Third time's the charm!"
"The charm for what," Alisa snorted in amusement. "Still, this place is full of surprises. It's already been half a year since we've started our investigation but we still have more questions than answers," she sighed, feeling a bit discouraged.
Jusis nodded solemnly. "Indeed. For all that we've managed to discover, it only seems to bring more mysteries that serve to show how little we continue to know about this place."
"Yeah. I didn't think the mystery would go this deep, both literally and figuratively," Rean agreed, also feeling discouraged.
"That is true," Emma remarked sympathetically. Jusis glanced over to give her a pointed look. She looked away from his scrutiny, refusing to meet his eyes.
"We'll just have to keep pressing forward then, bit by bit," Crow said with a wink. "You never know how much a gamble will pay off if you don't even make one in the first place."
Rean nodded, smiling gratefully at the second year. "I guess you're right. Let's go check out the elevator console then."
The group made their way into the elevator room and walked onto the platform.
"Huh," Rean breathed out in surprise, "The sixth floor icon is lit up but it's the last one. All the lights on the panel are lit up now."
Crow looked at him in surprise. "Then that means..."
"The sixth floor is the final floor," Fie concluded.
Alisa hummed in disappointment. "I don't know what I was expecting when we finally reached the last floor but I thought it would be a bit more...grand, I guess?"
Emma nodded in agreement. "You're right. It does seem a little too soon to have reached the final floor," she said, her voice betraying the hint that she knew more than she was letting on.
Rean glanced at Emma with a thoughtful expression. Then he shrugged. "Well there's no way to know for sure until we actually see what's waiting for us down there. Maybe the sixth floor's different somehow..."
He tapped the sixth floor icon and the elevator slowly descended to the final floor in the building. Once the platform came to a halt, they all stepped off and looked around the room.
"So this is the sixth floor," Jusis quietly remarked.
"It doesn't really look too different from the previous floors we've been on," Alisa said, looking uncertain. "Is this really the last floor?"
"Well, considering what we've seen of this place, there's no telling what we'll find further in," Rean responded. "So stay on guard everyone."
They all voiced their affirmation and then made their way through the large stone doors to begin their exploration. The sixth and final floor was certainly more expansive than the previous floors, consisting of multiple areas and mini floors full of puzzles that needed to be solved in order to advance further.
The monsters on the floor were as dangerous as ever, proving themselves to be quite the challenge as it took way more effort to defeat them. Despite this being the final floor though, there was no sense of finality as they explored. There was only a feeling of incompleteness that frayed at their nerves as they attempted to find anything that could provide answers but there were none to be found.
Soon they reached the room before the final chamber and took a moment to rest before advancing forward. Like clockwork, powerful monsters appeared before them. The Elvavria were floating monstrosities with armored shoulders mounted with guns and sharp sword-like limbs. Strangely enough, the monsters were not as hard to combat against as they thought. The other final foes they'd encountered on previous floors proved to be more of a challenge with the Walking Armor from the red door being the hardest opponent ever faced. Honestly, the Elvavria were more nuisances due to how spread apart they were so the group's area type attacks were not as effective as they should've been. The battle came to an anticlimactic end and the monsters disappeared into bursts of bright light.
"We won," Fie casually stated as they all sheathed their weapons.
Rean looked around and waited for something to happen. "And nothing's happening. No sign of a new door appearing either."
"It certainly seems that way," Emma remarked with a frown.
"Man, talk about an anti-climactic ending," Crow lamented with arms crossed behind his head.
Alisa sighed. "Yeah, for the final floor, this kind of feels like such a letdown. But, come to think of it, it's all been business as usual after the fourth floor, hasn't it?"
"Indeed, we've been granted access to a new floor every month but that is all," Jusis said. "The only difference would be that the presence of the higher elements has increased the further down we've gone but nothing special has occurred because of it."
"Guess we can't do much here right now so let's head outside," Rean suggested.
They all agreed and used the teleportation device to bring them back to the entrance of the floor. They took the elevator up to the surface and exited the Old Schoolhouse.
"Well, congratulations guys. We survived another month of exploration," Rean said. "And sure enough, nothing strange happened on our way out."
"But if the sixth floor really was the last one, doesn't that mean our investigation of the Old Schoolhouse is over now?" Alisa asked, crossing her arms and looking rather uncertain.
"We still know nothing about it," Fie bluntly stated.
"It does seem that way," Jusis said, glancing over at Emma who kept her mouth firmly shut.
Crow shrugged good-naturedly. "Talk about the worst designed dungeon ever."
Rean hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know about that. This is just a hunch but I've got a feeling this isn't our last trip to the Old Schoolhouse. Let's go report to the principal and see what he thinks..."
The soft chiming of a bell caught their attention. They all turned to see a sleek purple furred cat with a blue bow on its tail prowling up to them.
"Oh! It's a cat," Alisa said.
"Celine?" Emma asked in surprise.
"What's she doing here?" Jusis asked, equally if not more surprised.
"You all know this cat?" Crow asked.
Rean nodded. "Yeah. She hangs around the school sometimes and Emma takes care of her often enough that it seems she's grown fond of her." He looked at Emma. "So you're really not her owner?"
"Th-That's right. She's more like a...um...really close friend. Like a confidante," Emma stammered out in a panic. Jusis resisted the urge to have his hand meet his face at her terrible lying skills.
"I've seen the two of you hang out often enough to believe that," Fie chimed in, unexpectedly helpful, "Especially since I've seen you talking to her in out of the way places sometimes."
"You've seen that!" Emma cried out in horror.
"Never close enough to hear what you're saying," Fie said, "Thought you just wanted the privacy so no one would think you were a crazy cat lady or something."
"Well she's certainly got some soft-looking fur," Crow complimented with a wink, "You are definitely one beautiful lady, Celine."
Alisa nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind giving her a scratch if she'd let me."
Celine purred from all the attention she was receiving. Then she meandered over to sit before Rean, staring at him in a way that was much too soul-searching for a simple cat to express. Emma and Jusis frowned at the stare down between the two. Then Celine turned away, breaking Rean out of whatever daze he'd fallen into under her gaze. She ran off and disappeared into the bushes.
"Looks like she had enough affection for the day," Alisa said with a sigh. "And I really wanted to pet her too."
"Wonder if she'll be alright," Crow mused, "Wouldn't want her to accidentally wander into the Old Schoolhouse and get hurt or anything."
"I'm sure she'll be fine," Emma said, shaking her head. "She seems to have been wandering around here for quite some time so I'm sure she knows her way around by now."
"Really? That's a relief," Rean said. "Anyway, we might as well call it a day."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Alisa agreed. Then she perked up in realization. "Oh yeah! When we all get back to the dorms, we need to get together and talk about what we're doing for the festival."
"Whoops. Almost forgot about that," Fie flatly remarked in a way that said she most certainly did not but definitely wanted to.
Rean sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "It sounds like we got plenty to keep us busy tonight."
XXXXXX
Later that night, the members of Class VII sat around the table deep in discussion as they threw ideas out and shot them down just as quickly as they were proposed. After another riveting round of toss, aim, and fire, they all collectively decided to slow down and build their way up to an idea instead.
They first spoke of what the other classes were doing, making sure to write down the general ideas they shouldn't do. Then they listed the restrictions of what they could do given their small class size of only eleven students compared to the other classes twenty plus numbers.
They tried to draw Crow into the conversation but the second year refused to participate as that would've been 'cheating.' That just gave everyone the urge to slap the winking teen. Something that Alisa followed through on when he smirked roguishly at her. But the conundrum of what they could do still remained.
Then another round of toss, aim, and fire began with a very violent bout of firing occurring when Crow suggested something that almost had the girls' drawing their weapons on him.
Jusis decided to help the poor teen out and proposed the suggestions that his family had given, albeit without the cross-dressing aspect. Thankfully, the girls' attention turned away from the perverted second year and back towards the original subject. Rean seconded the concert proposal and brought up the appeal of the idea based on a video Towa had shown him. He explained everything to the others and the way Elliot's eyes lit up was actually rather concerning.
The idea of a concert had piqued everyone's interest and they agreed to meet up tomorrow during lunch to view the video. Only after viewing it would they finally decide on whether they would do a concert or go back to another round of desperate brainstorming.
XXXXXX
9.20 S.1204
~ Lunch Break ~
Class VII gathered in the computer lab where Rean uploaded the drive Towa gave him and played the video recording of the concert. They were all in awe at the sight of Towa, George, Crow, and Angelica playing a genre of music known as 'heavy metal' to a screaming and cheering crowd as colorful lights flashed around them in a stunning backdrop.
After the video was over, they were all on board with the idea of playing a concert as their attraction for the festival. Elliot immediately took charge, checking which member had what sort of musical talent before muttering a mile a minute over what kind of music they should be playing. Crow playfully volunteered himself to handle costuming to which the girls all pinned Rean with the expectation that he would be the one to rein the perverted second year in.
As Rean laughed nervously under all the glares aimed at him, everyone could collectively breathe a sigh of relief that they'd finally chosen their attraction and could now focus on preparations.
XXXXXX
9.22 S.1204
~ Practical Exam ~
Sara smiled cheerfully at them all. "Congratulations you guys! It only took you forever but you finally decided what to do for the festival! And it seems you're following in your seniors' footsteps by doing a concert. Any idea as to what kind of music you'll be playing?"
"Not exactly," Elliot said, arms crossed in thought, "We're still getting things sorted out. At the very least, it'll be easy deciding who's playing an instrument and who's on vocals."
"And it's still surprising how assertive you can get over music," Machias deadpanned.
"Yeah, you kinda reminded me of this jaeger boss we ran into once a while back," Fie commented with a faint shiver of fear, "He was a real dictator over what the members of his corp could and couldn't do."
Elliot chuckled sheepishly, scratching at his cheek in embarrassment.
"Well I'm looking forward to what kind of show you kids'll put on," Sara interjected, "I had the pleasure of seeing last year's concert live. And man, that was a spectacle for the ages." She turned to Crow and Rean. "So I know Elliot's taking care of the music and everything. You two are handling the outfits, right? Got everything under control?"
The conflicting answers from Rean and Crow had the guys sighing in exasperation and the girls pinning the two with burning glares.
"Aidios save us all," Alisa said, smacking her forehead with a groan.
Sara chuckled. "Honestly, I feel a little envious. If I were five years younger, I'd jump right up onto that stage with you all and have a grand ol' time!"
Every single member of Class VII deadpanned at her.
"H-Hey! What're you all looking at me like that for?" She flusteredly demanded.
"Umm...Instructor," Alisa began.
"How old are you again?" Fie finished with a flat stare.
"Aren't you in your late-twenties or something?" Rean asked.
"I think you forget that I know your exact age, Instructor," Jusis bluntly stated, "Even if you were five years younger, graduation is still many years behind you."
"Oh hush you!" Sara burst out indignantly, "For us ladies, everything up to the late twenties is just a warm-up! And men? They age like fine wine..." Then she realized exactly what she just said and grew flustered. "I-It's not like I'm sensitive about my age or anything! This is just another valuable life lesson that is my duty as your instructor to impart."
Everyone collectively sighed.
Sara cleared her throat. "Anyway, as much as I'm looking forward to the festival, that's not why we're here today. You'll be off the hook for your field study and practical exam next month so this will be our last practical exam for a while. I figured I'd crank things up a few notches." She drew her orbal gun and sword to everyone's surprise.
"Wait, are you saying?" Laura asked, words failing her at the end.
"You're going to be serving as our opponent then?" Gaius concluded.
Sara nodded. "Bingo. So you better give it your all cause I'm not gonna go easy on you," she said with a smirk. "Alright, Rean. You're up first so pick two for your team!"
Rean nodded in affirmation and quickly chose his two teammates, Emma and Jusis. The three of them stepped forward and drew their weapons as Sara's battle aura burst forth without warning.
Jusis sighed. "She's having way too much fun with this."
"This isn't going to be easy, but I have full confidence that we'll be able to overcome this trial," Emma said encouragingly.
"Well, if you were ever holding anything back before, now's the time to pour it all in," Rean stated.
"Indeed it is," Sara said, aiming a pointed look at Jusis, "Because if you hold back even a little bit, I'm gonna knock you down in ten seconds flat."
Jusis glared back at her as he steeled himself for the fight ahead.
"Ready then?" She asked, grinning wolfishly. "You've been studying and training here for half a year now. I think you might finally be able to stand on my level even for a little bit. Show me you've got what it takes to pass with flying colors!"
She charged at them without a moment to waste. Jusis rushed forward to meet her in the middle as Emma jumped back to act as ranged support. Rean jumped in to take advantage of each opening Jusis forced in Sara's guard. The three students worked together in beautiful tandem as their combat links allowed them to take full advantage of each other's strengths and cover for any weaknesses.
During the battle, Rean and Emma noted how tense Jusis was as he both fought with all his might while also struggling to restrain himself at the same time. However, their attention was soon pulled back to focus on their opponent as Sara darted around the field with gun a-blazing and sword taking every opportunity to slash at them when they got too close to her. It took the combined use of their ultimate attacks to finally bring their instructor to her knees.
Rean slumped forward, breathing heavily as he struggled not to fall over.
Emma used her orbal staff as a support to hold herself upright. "Did we...do it?"
Jusis planted his saber on the ground like a crutch and leaned against it, working to catch his breath. "It took all three of us to eke out this narrow victory."
Sara looked up from where she was kneeling. "Nicely done. I can't believe how far you've come in just six months. I know you've been honing your team tactics, but I wasn't expecting such a top-rate performance from you so soon." Her eyes darted to Jusis and she clearly looked like she wanted to say more but ultimately decided that now wasn't the time for it. She smiled brightly at the three of them. "But you know what? As your instructor, that's the best feeling in the world."
She stood up, straightening from her kneeling position and looking like she hadn't just gone all out and been 'defeated' by her students. Rean and Emma jerked in surprise while Jusis sighed as if he was expecting this.
"Okay! That's one group down and three more to go!" Sara cheerfully remarked. She turned to those standing on the sidelines. "I'll call you in groups of three, so be ready to jump in when I call your name!"
Three more battles later and Sara was lying on the ground, taking a few moments to catch her breath. The students of Class VII collectively groaned as they struggled to remain standing after what they'd been put through.
"Is she even human?" Elliot asked seriously.
Machias shook his head. "Multiple groups with multiple opponents in every group and she still manages to put up a fight against all of us..."
"She's on a completely different level," Laura lamented, "We'll need to redouble our efforts in training if we ever hope to match her."
"You can say that again," Alisa sighed.
Sara let out a deep breath. "Man, I'm spent...Mind if I use you as a pillow, Emma?"
"W-What? Here?" Emma squeaked, extremely flustered.
Gaius chuckled. "Looks like there's still some life left in her."
"She's the only person I know who can fight four back to back battles and still have the energy for wisecracks," Crow agreed.
"You can stop pretending that you're on the verge of dying now, Sara," Jusis said, shaking his head in exasperation. "We both know that you've still got more than enough energy to spare."
The others turned to Jusis in surprise at his statement, then looked to Sara for answers.
She chuckled. "Don't take this the wrong way, I'm genuinely impressed with how far you've all come. Now I can tell you where you're headed for your field studies without too many worries."
She pushed herself off the floor and jumped to her feet, surprising everyone but Jusis with her sudden vitality. She pulled envelopes out of her pocket and held them out for everyone to take. "Alright guys, get'em while they're hot."
XXXXXX
Everyone stared down at the field study assignments in disbelief.
Field Study: September
Group A: Rean, Alisa, Fie, Machias, Elliot, Crow
(Study Location: Roer, the Industrial Metropolis)
Group B: Emma, Laura, Jusis, Gaius, Millium
(Study Location: Ordis, the Port City)
"Interesting choices..." Rean hesitantly remarked.
"Roer and Ordis...those are two of the Empire's largest cities, right?" Gaius asked.
Elliot nodded. "Well, technically they are..."
"Roer's far from small but Ordis is on a completely different level," Machias said.
"It's the second largest city in the Empire with over 400,000 people," Laura explained. "It also happens to be the stronghold of Duke Cayenne, the Noble Faction's de facto leader."
"Are you out of your mind?" Jusis demanded. "You want us to drag this hyperactive chatterbox, who's not only affiliated with the Reformist Faction but also has a direct connection to the Chancellor himself, straight into the Noble Faction's largest stronghold?"
"He does make a good point," Alisa tentatively agreed.
Crow nodded solemnly. "Ordis is hostile territory for her, no two ways about it."
"If they find her poking around, they'll burn her at the stake," Fie bluntly stated.
Millium shrugged, smiling brightly as if completely oblivious to or uncaring of the gravity of the situation. "Eh, I'm not worried. I've snuck into Ordis so many times before and this time I've got you guys with me. So I'll be completely fine!"
Jusis clicked his tongue in irritation. "This is no laughing matter."
"I'm a bit concerned too," Rean agreed. "I know that you're capable, Millium, but with the political climate the way it is, Ordis is going to be very different from the previous times you've gone in. And since it's kinda far from here, if something were to happen..."
"Don't worry about it so much," Sara interjected, waving off their concerns. "We've spent a lot of time thinking about what to do if anything were to happen. Everything will be fine as long as our contingency plans work out. Still, you're definitely not in for a laid back vacation. That much I can say for certain. And that goes for the group heading to Roer as well."
"That's where the Reinford Group is based, isn't it?" Rean asked, turning to Alisa. "Though Roer's also part of Marquis Rogner's domain and he's the head of one of the four great houses."
Crow chuckled sardonically. "Gelica's stubborn old man, eh? He's supposed to be a real hardliner, even among the big shots of the aristocracy."
Alisa nodded. "That's true. But the Imperial Army also runs a military factory in the vicinity. The Reinford Group isn't aligned with either faction but there are more than a few ongoing complications."
"R-Really?" Elliot stammered out in panic.
Fie let out a long-suffering sigh. "Sounds like trouble if you ask me."
Machias shook his head in despair. "Why would my father and the other board members choose destinations like these during such dangerous times?"
Sara clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention back to her. "Like I said, we've thought these issues over and we've got plans in place," she said reassuringly, "With the academy's annual festival coming up next month, there's no field study being planned. So this is your chance to show off all the know-how you've gained from your previous field studies."
She crossed her arms, smiling at them all encouragingly. "Make whatever preparations you need to and when Saturday rolls around, travel with your heads held high. Class VII has done a damn good job so far. The only reputation you guys have to live up to is your own."
The members of Class VII shared looks with each other, nodding with determined expressions.
"Thank you, Instructor!" They all exclaimed.
Sara nodded in satisfaction. "Good! You're all dismissed for the day then."
They all nodded and walked off the academy field, beginning to chat among themselves about their field study preparations. Then Sara cleared her throat, drawing their attention. Her expression was uncharacteristically serious.
"Except for you, Jusis. Stay behind please."
Jusis sighed, nodding with a dejected expression as he separated from the class. He waved off their concerns, gesturing for them to go ahead and leave before he walked over to Sara. The rest of Class VII reluctantly continued on their way, glancing back in worry for their classmate as they left the field.
And scene! So how was it? Does the buildup make sense to you or are there inconsistencies that poking they're unwanted heads out? If there are any inconsistencies, please let me know so I can go back and fix them since the build up of this chapter is very important for the climax in the next. Anyways, shorter note this time cause not much has happened this chapter.
We have more development on the Rean/Jusis ship front as even Towa is actively rooting for them and wishing Jusis the best of luck in dealing with Rean's denseness. Sara's growing so concerned by the fact that Jusis is refusing to deal with his issues like a normal person should and will stage an intervention no matter how much he doesn't want one. Also, hope you guys enjoyed another cameo from the Trails in the Sky characters as I still love Estelle and Joshua to pieces and will continue to aggressively give Renne all the love she deserves.
And if anyone's curious about Sara's age, she'll be in her early 30s. Toval is also in his early to mid 30s. I decided to age up a bunch of the older characters to fit my AU timeline narrative so that things flow can flow a bit more smoothly. Anyways, until next time, have a great one guys!