Laura let out a sigh as she sank deeper into the water. "This feeling is sensational." She muttered blissfully.
"Mmm." Came the agreeable noise from her companion, as she too enjoyed the sensation of the warm water on her skin.
"So... Do you intend to tell me what it is you wanted to say?" Laura had originally been planning on bathing with Alisa before the younger girl had barged in and insisted that she needed to speak with Laura in private.
"In a minute. Let me enjoy this first." Fie replied as she stretched herself out in the water, an action reminiscent of a cat.
Laura couldn't help but roll her eyes in amusement at her friend's behavior. "Very well." She was curious, but knew well enough that pressing the mischievous girl would accomplish little. Instead she took her advice and allowed her body to relax.
"You ever been in anything like this?" Fie's question earned her a shake of the head. "Kinda surprising. Seems like the kind of thing pampered nobles would enjoy."
Laura arched an eye at her companion. She didn't really think she was in any way a pampered noble, right?. The teasing grin she got in return confirmed he suspicions. Really now... "Unfortunately, Legram isn't the kind of place where you would find something like this."
"One day I will get a chance to visit your home." She wasn't upset that she missed the chance to visit Laura's home during their field study, not at all. "Heard there aren't many real hot springs in Erebonia."
"Indeed. Supposedly they are fairly common in Calvard, but it's a luxury that we have unfortunately missed out on. Something like this would be amazing after a day of hard training..."
Fie giggled slightly. "Sounds like you're jealous of Rean. I'm sure he did exactly that."
"He probably did." Laura muttered out loud. She wasn't one to get jealous over something so petty. Nope. Any minor feelings of resentment she currently possessed towards her fellow sword practitioner had nothing at all to do with the hot springs she was currently relaxing in.
The two continued like that, making small talk while enjoying the warm water and unique ambiance that the darkness provided. It was enjoyable, but the Arseid practitioner was starting to get impatient, which must have been plainly visible on her face as the former jaeger grew more and more amused as time passed.
Eventually, she could take it no longer. "So as nice as this is I am assuming you actually did have a reason for wanting to talk with me, correct?
Fie was just about to reply when she sensed a presence making its approach towards the springs. She thought about informing Laura, but quickly thought otherwise. The older girl probably didn't realize that this time was for mixed-gender bathing and she suspected Rean had his guard down and would walk right in without checking to see if anyone was still about. Why speak up and spoil the surprise when she could just relax and enjoy the incoming fireworks display?
Just as she has predicted, an oblivious towel-clad Rean entered the area, only stopping once he spotted the two girls. Confused lilac met amused lime and an amber that went from shocked to enraged as the situation finally dawned on her.
"Rean!" She hissed as she checked to make sure her towel was securely on her.
"I'm sorry!" His voice came out at a higher octave.
Given the situation, it was understandable that the boy was more terrified than aroused at the sight of a towel-clad Laura advancing towards him. "Why are you here?! This is the women's bathing time!"
Eyes widened in horror as he realized that he was in grave peril due to this miscommunication. "W-Wait, no it's-"
"I thought you were better than this, Rean!" To emphasis her anger, Laura pulled a large stick from... somewhere as she continued her advance upon the petrified swordsman.
"H-Hey, wait-"
"You'll pay for your shamelessness!" She held the stick like it was her sword as she closed the distance between her and Rean.
"...Where did she even get that from anyway?" Fie mused as she watched the unfolding drama. This was definitely living up to her expectations and it was taking all the resolve she had to keep her laughter in check.
Fortunately for Rean, Laura took a deep breath and appeared to regain her composure, with cold fury replacing the previous rage. "Fear not, your end will be swift and painless." Unfortunately, it still meant his end was imminent.
"Put your weapon down, please!" He desperately pleaded. "There's a perfectly good reason why I'm here!"
"No excuses! Prepare for judgment!"
Just as she raised her stick to strike and he accepted his grisly end, he was saved by a most unexpected source. Loud, uproarious laughter from the third person in the hot springs. It was a valiant attempt, but the girl could keep it in no longer.
Perhaps it was the unexpectedness of the noise, or maybe it was the fact that it came from such a quiet individual, but it was enough to give Laura pause. What was so funny to cause such a reaction. Tears were starting to stream down her face, for Aidios sake! With her righteous feminine fury overridden by confusion, she reluctantly lowered her improvised weapon and turned to her friend. "Fie?"
"Sorry, sorry. Just ignore me and carry on." Sadly, it didn't carry on and she sighed, but the grin never left her face. "Oh well. I tried. You do know it is mixed bathing hours now, right Laura?"
Eyes widened in horror at how her lack of knowledge almost caused her to lash out at a friend. "Rean, I am so sorry!"
"It's... fine." Was all he could say as he worked to recover from the near death experience. He actually saw his life flashing before his eyes for a minute there! "I should have been more aware of my surroundings before coming out here."
"That's no excusing my behavior! I allowed my embarrassment to cloud my judgment and cause me to doubt a dear friend..." Laura trailed off as a thought came to mind, and she turned to her other dear friend. "But wait, if you knew that Rean wasn't in the wrong, why didn't you say anything?"
The younger girl smirked at the pair. "It was funny to watch."
"Fie!"
"I regret nothing."
With the tension passed the awkwardness set in, with the two towel-clad sword users realizing the situation they were in while the ex-jaeger merely watched with amusement from her spot in the water. "I guess I should just leave and come back later." Rean finally suggested.
"Nonsense. You have every right to be here. We have been in here long enough already."
It was pretty entertaining to the silver-haired girl as she watched her two noble friends get all flustered by a little skin, but also annoying. "Just join us already. It's not that big a deal."
"Are you sure that's alright?" His question was directed towards the other girl, but again it was Fie who answered.
"I mean it would be less awkward than having the two of you standing there constantly checking each other out, right?" Now that earned a reaction, as a red-faced Laura quickly sat back in the water and an equally red Rean hurried to join them. "Honestly, I'm kinda jealous. I wonder if either of you would have looked at me like that if I was the one standing there like an idiot..."
Fie still wasn't fully sure she was on board with Laura's crazy idea, but if it gave her free reign to tease her more sheltered friends? Well maybe the idea wasn't so bad after all. Watching the two sword users get all shy and unable to look anyone in the eye? This was a treat she didn't know she needed.
The three relaxed in the waters for a minute, with two of them working to regain their composure while the third was content to bask in the awkwardness. "So how did you know this was mixed-gender bathing hours, anyway?" A curious Rean asked once he had calmed down.
"I overheard you mentioning it to the others." She turned her attention to Laura. "That's why I suggested we did this now. With all the festival stuff coming up we probably won't have any free time, so I thought it would be good for the three of us to hang out again. And maybe discuss some things..."
"Oh..." Laura couldn't help but be impressed yet again with just how loyal Fie was to those she cherished, yet at the same time she felt the nervousness building up as the other girl shot her a very pointed look when she mentioned wanting to discuss 'some things'. Mentally she cursed the girl for putting her in such a spot without warning, but knew that this was indeed probably the best opportunity they would have to follow through with what they had discussed.
"...That's fine with me." Rean muttered awkwardly as he mentally reminded himself that these were two of his closest friends and not just a pair of attractive females. It helped the situation a little bit, but his eyes refused to obey his brain and he was sure the two girls opposite him were observant enough to notice.
"So, um, I noticed you seemed distracted during dinner, Rean. Did something happen during your visit with your family?"
As he had with Angelica just a few minutes prior, Rean recounted the story of his return home and the letter from his master, along with his promotion to intermediate rank in the Eight Leaves One Blade school of swordsmanship.
"I suppose congratulations are in order. I knew from the first day we met that you had the potential to be a good rival and partner in the blade, and it is wonderful to see you reach that level at last. Now we can begin the long climb towards mastery together."
"Well I dunno much about ranks and stuff, but grats. You're strong. But I'm confused. The promotion is a good thing, right? So why did you seem so nervous about it?"
Surprisingly, it was Laura who answered the question. "There is a lot of added pressure that comes from attaining intermediate. It's like..." She paused as she considered her words, "it's like you become an ambassador for your school at that level. People start to take note of you and your actions can reflect upon your entire school, for good or ill. I remember feeling the same reservation when father told me I was ready for the title and responsibilities."
"Well that's silly, but I don't see what you two have to worry about. Jaegers never really respected formal sword styles much. Sure, they knew to fear the likes of Arios MacLaine and Cassius Bright, but those were the exceptions to the rule." Fie paused in her words as she thought about how to continue. She didn't want them to think she was disparaging their training, after all. "But since meeting you two? Well, maybe it's not all bad cause you two are awesome. I've seen some serious shit in the corp, but I think the world would be a far better place with more people like you around. So I guess in that way you are doing good jobs as ambassadors?"
Laura and Rean gaped at Fie after her speech. "What?" She muttered, feeling surprisingly self-conscious.
"It's nothing, just... I don't think I've ever heard you say that much so passionately before." Rean answered sheepishly.
"It's true. You're usually a lot more reserved, but it's endearing to see you be so unguarded with us. I truly appreciate it."
It was funny seeing those two being awkward and embarrassed, but now that the shoe was on the other foot Fie was not having much fun at all. "S-Shut up." She muttered bashfully as she tried and failed to keep the redness from her face, which the other two clearly noticed as they grinned at her expense.
Fortunately for the young girl, the others were distracted from teasing her as they began to notice flakes of white descending from the sky. "Snow?" Rean muttered in confusion. "But it's only October..."
The three paused to watch the snowflakes slowly descending towards the ground while picking up in intensity. The two girls were fascinated, as snow was extremely rare in southern Erebonia, and while Zephyr had occasionally gone to colder climates, it wasn't nearly enough to make such an event any less of a treat. Although he had far more experience with it, Rean found himself getting distracted as the early storm caused memories from the past to surface.
"Maybe it's time we head back inside..." He muttered out loud as he continued to gaze at the precipitation. He stood stood up and turned towards the door.
"Wait!" But found himself halted before he could leave. He turned back in surprise to look at Laura after her exclamation.
"We... We have something we want to say to you before you go." Fie continued nervously after it was clear that Laura was unable to find the words to continue.
Laura shouting? Fie being nervous? Whatever they wanted to say had to be something important to cause reactions like that. Snow forgotten, Rean returned to his original spot to listen to whatever they wanted to say.
His curiosity only grew as neither said anything, instead they appeared to be having a silent conversation with their eyes, trying to compel the other to start talking. Occasionally they would glance in his direction, but would quickly avert their eyes. Their silent battle of wills continued for a very long handful of seconds, until eventually...
Laura sighed, causing Fie to smirk victoriously. The older girl girl seemed to contemplate her words for a minute. "This is something I have been considering for a while now, but it's only after this past month that I am choosing to act. What I am trying to say is..." She trailed off as she realized she was merely rambling.
"We like you." Perhaps it was to save Laura from making a fool of herself, or maybe it was because of the opening she provided, but a red-faced Fie was able to say the words that had been plaguing the two for some time. "And not just as friends, either."
"W-What?" Perhaps he had heard wrong? For someone who struggled with placing his own value, the idea that girls could be romantically interested in him was laughable.
"It's as Fie said." With the floodgates finally opened it was far easier for Laura to admit her feelings. "You are a wonderful person, Rean. You are diligent, kind, and dedicated to your training. You are someone that we all feel we can count on, and someone that I would like to grow alongside."
Fie nodded in agreement. "Yup. I feel comfortable around you two and feel like I can be myself. Laura's my best friend, but what I feel with you is something different. Something... unknown. Wouldn't mind figuring it out together."
"I- But... What?" Was all he could mutter as his brain did its best to reboot himself. His reaction must have been comical indeed, as both girls couldn't help but giggle at his confusion.
"Originally when Fie and I realized we shared the same feelings we resolved to tell you in our own ways, but..."
"Come to find out, we suck at things like this." The silver-haired girl added with a hint of amusement on her face.
His brain was still struggling to comprehend the past few minutes, but one question managed to push its way to the forefront of his mind. "B-But if you're both saying this..."
"If you're worried that we intend to put you on the spot and force you to choose between us, don't be. We know how kind you are and how cruel a decision like that would be. We just want time to explore our feelings, and have decided it would be easier if we did it together for a time."
"We're not saying we want kinky hot threesomes with you... At least not yet." Fie agreed with a mischievous look. Perhaps she had been spending too much time around Vivi, but the reactions were worth it.
"Fie!" Laura was struggling to gain mastery over her emotions and she just had to go and suggest something so crass!
"What?" She asked innocently. "You can't deny the possibility. And you're the only girl I would consider doing something like that with." Alright, that sealed it. Teasing these two was definitely becoming one of her favorite activities. Laura was so red that she could almost see the steam coming from her ears. And Rean? "Wow, you must really like that idea... Either that or you have your tachi underneath that towel."
"Eep!" One day down the line he would suffer the consequences of his actions as he would be teased relentlessly for actually 'eep'ing, but in that moment his mind was such a mess that he never noticed. Instead he was just trying to sink himself lower into the water to hide the visible reaction to this conversation.
But really, who could blame him? It was just starting to dawn on him that two of the prettiest and most awesome girls he knew were confessing to him. At the same time. And they wanted to date him together? And to top it all off... they were all dressed in towels. A part of him believed this was all some crazy dream and he would wake up at any minute.
But this was no dream, it was reality. His mind and heart were both racing a selge a minute. He couldn't help but curse his master, as none of the Eight Leaves breathing or meditation techniques designed to keep calm in a life or death situation were working now that he truly needed them. Fortunately, all it took was time, and after a long awkward minute he was finally coherent enough to turn thoughts into words.
"Wow. I mean, what do I even say to all that?" He finally asked.
"You say yes, of course. Isn't this supposed to be some big male fantasy or something?" An annoyed Fie asked in reply.
Laura, meanwhile, appeared more understanding of his confusion. "I know what we are asking is rather unorthodox, but I would greatly appreciate it if you gave it a chance."
"Haha... Fie's not wrong. If this is what you really want, there's no way I can possibly refuse. I am just surprised to find out that you felt the same about me as I do you." His answer earned him two grateful smiles, which seemed silly to him as he was clearly the fortunate one in this situation.
A companionable silence descended on the three as they allowed the actions of the last few minutes to finally sink in. For Laura and Fie the dominant feeling was relief. Relief that they finally managed to ask the question that had been bothering them for so long, and relief that they had acquired their prize, even if the method used wasn't one they would have considered not long ago. The swordsman, meanwhile, found himself less able to appreciate the silence as it felt like his heartbeat had become a loud drum.
The silence was eventually broken by Fie. "So it's great we did all this, but what now?" With both sets of eyes on her she elaborated. "Do we let the others know?"
"I... have not thought that far ahead." Laura admitted. "While I am not ashamed of the decisions we made, I can't deny feeling a little hesitant about facing the scrutiny that will come our way once the others find out..." Plus such news would inevitably make it to her father and that was not a conversation she was ready to have just yet.
Rean's eyes widened in horror as he considered the possibility. "Most of the others should be fine, but I can already picture the headache that will come once Crow or Instructor Sara find out." He can already imagine the constant teasing and sexual innuendos that would ensue.
"Vivi too..." The gardener couldn't hide the grimace as she thought about her fellow club member alongside the others. "I guess it could be kinda fun trying to keep this a secret behind their backs, but you do know they'll find out eventually, right?"
"I don't doubt your words. Still, it would afford us the time to adjust and prepare for the questions to come."
It appeared that his two... girlfriends were on the same page. "So I guess we'll keep quiet about this, at least for now." He couldn't help but exhale as he thought about that. Some of their friends could be pretty nosy when they wanted to be. It certainly wasn't going to be easy.
"Sounds good to me." Fie agreed readily.
"Indeed." As did Laura. She paused as she took stock of her surroundings, noting that the snow was already starting to cover the ground. "I think it is time we head back, Fie."
"True, the others are probably getting suspicious." A thought came to mind before she turned and sent her best friend a challenging smirk. With that done she quickly stood and strode through the water to where Rean was curiously watching her. In one quick motion she she leaned down and pecked him on the cheeks. "See you later." The darkness failed to hide the redness on her face after such a bold action.
Laura always knew Fie was bold, but even she hadn't been expecting such a move. Still, the Arseid couldn't help the fact that she was a competitive person, and she wasn't about to lose. Not in something like this. Steeling her resolve, she mimicked the younger girl's actions, and gently kissed Rean on the other cheek. "Good night, Rean."
The utterly overwhelmed swordsman could only stare in shock as both girls giggled to themselves as they exited the baths. All of his earlier worries were completely forgotten as he just continued to sit there, completely oblivious and uncaring of his surroundings. It would be much later when he finally regained control of himself. Unfortunately, all that time spend in the hot springs meant that getting past the dizziness to make it back to his room proved to be a massive challenge.
The snow continued to fall at a steady pace, and by the next morning the ground was completely covered in it, so deep that the entire village was at risk of being shutdown. That was the warning that Baron Schwarzer and his family brought the students the next morning. A worried Elise informed them that this was the second time such a freak storm had occurred, with the previous occurrence happening eight years prior.
For Rean, that proved to be a good excuse as to why he was so distracted that morning. It wasn't entirely false, as he truly was worried about his home and the potential harm this freak storm could bring, but it certainly wasn't the dominant thought in his mind. He did his best to retain his composure, but it was extremely difficult, especially when his eyes met those of the two responsible for his current state. He was envious of their ability to keep calm, but he couldn't help but feel Laura's eyes held a little extra warmth in them, and Fie twinkled with amusement as she observed his struggles.
He needed something to focus on, and luckily his father had the solution, as the Baron handed him an envelope addressed to the class. It was designed like one of their field study tasks, but that made little sense as Instructor Sara was there with them. His classmates gathered around him in curiosity as he opened the envelope and examined the contents.
Inside was a letter. In it, they were informed that if they wished to stop the storm they would need to head into the Ymir Valley. For a few members of the class the letter felt familiar, but none could recall from where. The notion that the storm was man made was absurd, and yet...
It was an easy decision for the students to investigate. At worse it was just a prank of poor tastes, but if the possibility existed of ending this developing crisis then it was a risk worth taking. Elise was worried, but Rean reassured her that he and the rest of Class VII would be fine. He knew she was thinking about the events that happened eight years ago, but it wasn't something he would allow to hold him back.
The traveling was difficult as he was the only one in the group who had real experience in trudging through deepening snow, but after six field studies even the least experienced among them was easily capable of enduring through the harsh conditions. A few monsters, clearly agitated by the weather, chose to attack them, but it was a big mistake on their part.
He wasn't blind to their curious looks, however, and as they trekked through the snow he regaled them with the story of the previous time this had happened. He had always thought that mentioning the beast that attacked him and Elise causing him to trigger his powers for the first time would be more difficult, but after everything that had happened recently he was unbothered and was able to tell the story matter-of-factly.
A few minutes later the group of students reached the upper part of the valley and came across an unusual discovery. It was large stone monument that was glowing, with a familiar looking symbol on it. Laura was the one to recall that it reminded her of the one they saw in Lohengrin Castle, which only served to make them more wary. The sight triggered a memory within Rean, and he realized that the last time he had seen this monument glowing like so was during the incident eight years ago. Understanding that this thing was possibly responsible for the storm, the group began to debate on what they should do to it.
The decision was taken out of their hands, however, as the monument started to glow even brighter. It became almost blinding in its intensity and the group had to close their eyes or avert their gazes. After a few agonizing seconds the light died down enough for an unpleasant surprise to be revealed.
It was a massive monster, encased entirely in ice. Despite the presence of the intimidating beast the group of students readily prepared themselves for battle. The notion that something like that had been sealed inside the monument was a shocking revelation, but not one they could really consider as they had bigger things to worry about.
A point further proven as with a loud roar the creature unleashed a massive ice attack across the entire clearing. There was simply no evading or blocking such a massive attack and soon they all felt ice beginning to form on their bodies and restricting their movements. Struggle as they might, they couldn't escape inevitably and soon were all frozen in place by the ice.
Seeing their prey captured, the beast ended its attack. Slowly, as if it was savoring its victory, the unsealed creature sauntered up to the group, ready to finish them off at its leisure. Desperately, the students tried to break themselves out of their icy prison, but even the strongest of them lacked the strength to do so.
Or at least, they lacked the strength to do so by normal means. For Rean, however, there was an alternative. As much as he still worried about the power inside of him, he no longer feared it. It was the tool he possessed to protect those precious bonds he had gained since entering Thors and it was a tool he would wield without hesitation when the situation called for it.
It didn't even take a full transformation. Just the tiniest sliver of that dark energy was enough to shatter his icy cage. And even better, doing so also caused the prisons holding his friends to break into dust as well. The monster paused in confusion as it tried to comprehend what had happened, but none of its opponents were charitable enough to let it attack again.
The barrage of bullets, arrows, and arts from the members of Class VII were enough to stop any monster in its tracks, and this one was certainly no exception. Although it created a thick wall of ice to protect itself, even that was insufficient to fully protect itself. And worst of all, doing so rendered it unable to see what the students were doing, which was enough of an opening for the ex-jaeger of the group to act upon.
Leaping through the air with grace and aplomb, Fie made it over the shield and faced the exposed creature. Since she was unsure if her blades could cut through the thick ice that made up her foe, she instead opted to utilize some of her many available tools. The two grenades she dropped went completely unnoticed, and the explosions were sufficient to blast through the ice and damage it greatly.
Which was enough of a weakness for Laura to strike. Perhaps at full strength the ice barrier would have held up against her blade, but weakened as it was it lacked the strength to oppose her mighty strike. With a yell she descended upon her foe, and her sword sliced through the ice like it was mere paper.
Disoriented, weakened, and exposed, the end was all but inevitable. And said end came at the edge of Rean's tachi, as he mimicked the technique he used back in Roer to cover it in blue flames. For a monster that relied on ice to protect it, the strike was especially effective and the Azure Flame Slash completely bisected it, leaving it dead and sealing the victory for Class VII.
It took a second for the victory to set in, but the relief was palpable on the expression of all the teens. The glowing monument had already begun to die down and presumably that would spell an end to the storm. The group was all ready to return to Ymir and enjoy the last few hours of their vacation, but...
Perhaps it was because he had reigned in his emotions to safely control his power, but surprisingly Rean was able to sense it before Fie or Gaius. A presence, alien to the group, but not entirely unfamiliar to the young swordsman. It didn't take long for him to recall where he knew it from, and so he called out to the stalker: Phantom Thief B.
The infamous thief merely laughed in amusement as he appeared before the students. The realization that this man was responsible for the monster and storm put them all on guard, but the thief appeared nonplussed. Instead he took the time to formally introduce himself as Enforcer No. X of Ouroboros.
It was obvious the thief didn't think that giving introductions would calm the tense atmosphere any, as introducing himself as a member of the mysterious society that Class VII had been hearing a lot about lately only served to make them more wary. Their affiliation with C and his terrorist group, he promised, was merely one of mutual benefit and Ouroboros didn't share their goals or lust for wanton violence.
The agent admitted his presence at Ymir was for a personal reason, as he was utterly fascinated by Class VII and Rean in particular. The son of Ymir's unknown background and mysterious power were enough to draw his attention and he wanted to see exactly what kind of person Rean Schwarzer really was. The unofficial leader was grateful to his classmates for defending him against these claims, but he was startled when he realized something important.
He just didn't care. Sure he would love to know the answers to those questions himself, but he was done letting that define him. Thanks to the love and support he got from his family and friends he was no longer hung up on his own mystery. And that's exactly what he told Phantom Thief B. If that answered displeased him at all, he certainly didn't let it show as he merely laughed uproariously at that answer before vanishing in a flurry of white petals.
With that surprise encounter at an end the group began their descent back to Ymir. The path they had used to reach that point had been almost completely buried in snow, but since the storm was clearing up the danger had passed. It wasn't easy going, but with Rean guiding them through the white landscape they eventually made it back to the town.
Since it was already past when they had originally planned to leave, Instructor Sara informed them that they would be departing immediately if they wanted any hope of making it back to Trista by the end of the day. Rean's family, who had come to see them, were somewhat disappointed by the news, but reassured when Rean promised he would return home to properly visit in the near future. Elise promised that she would find time to visit the Thors festival. With their goodbyes made, the students made their way to the cable car and began the descent down the mountain.