'They have Rean.' Those three words kept repeating themselves in Fie's head, with each repeat causing a lance of agony straight into her heart. It reminded her of their panicked flight from the Gral, but far far worse in her opinion. That event had led all of Erebonia into the Great Twilight, while this was her own personal Great Twilight, a moment that threatened to plunge her into absolute darkness, from which she might never feel the light again.

Despite that, however, she was not that lost little girl who could do nothing when her family left her. A surge of determination that rose up in her sea of despair. Desperately, she clung onto it like a lifeline, and let it fill her with a surge of strength. The others were startled when she rose from her seat and started walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" A concerned Sara asked. When no reply was forthcoming she stepped forward and placed a firm hand on the distraught girls' shoulders. "Fie?"

"Where do you think? I'm going to bring Rean back."

The older woman grimaced, she had been afraid of that answer. Her grip became a lot stronger as she pinned the girl. "Not like this. You need to calm down, Fie."

"Let me go!" She yelled as she struggled to free herself from Sara's grip. Her mentor's response was to simply use her other hand to grab Fie's other shoulder, locking her in place. Her struggles continued, but she was helpless against Sara's unrelenting grip. A part of her knew she was being irrational, but it was all she could think of in the moment. "...Please, just let me go. I have to save Rean." Her voice lowered to barely a whisper as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

Sara's eyes softened as she looked at the vulnerable girl. "I know you do. And you will. But not like this. If you just charge in without a plan you won't only be putting yourself in danger, but who knows what they'll do to Rean."

"I-I know that, b-but what do I-" And in that moment the dam that had been holding back her emotions burst, and Fie could no longer hold it in. All the pain and fear came rushing to the front as the tears began to flow freely. Her mentor was quick to release her grip, instead opting to pull her into a gentle hug. The next few minutes passed as Fie sobbed uncontrollably into Sara's shoulder.

"It'll be alright, I promise." Sara comforted as she held Fie close and gently stroked her hair. Eventually the tears stopped and the girl allowed herself to relax into the embrace. "Hehe. It's been one of the greatest joys in my life watching you grow into such a fierce little lioness. I promise you, we will get Rean back, but you can't do it alone. You aren't the only one that cares about him, you know?"

Toval, who had been watching the interaction silently as he dealt with his own grief, finally interjected. "Sara's right. I'm about to put an alert out to all of our Erebonian branches. The Bracer Guild won't take this lightly."

"And I am going to shove my boot right up the first military asshole I find and demand they stop being stubborn and make themselves useful for a change. And if they still refuse to help I will march straight down to Valflame Palace and find someone who will, even if it means complaining straight to the Emperor himself."

"And what should I do?" Fie repeated her earlier question as she reluctantly pulled herself from Sara's hug, a lot calmer now, but still looking quite miserable.

"Right now I want you to go home and relax." The younger girl opened her mouth to protest, but Sara cut her off. "I know, it won't be easy, but as you are you're no good to any of us, let alone Rean. I have a feeling that you will have a big role to play in all this and you're going to need to be at your best if you want to save him."

"But I-" It was at this moment that Fie realized just how tired she actually was. Her earlier physical tiredness was nothing compared to the emotional exhaustion she was now experiencing. She knew there was no way she could sleep, but perhaps she could find some way to keep herself occupied to stave off the grief, however briefly. "Fine. But if you find out anything at all, I need to know."

A reasonable request. "Of course." With that, the younger girl reluctantly shuffled to the door, shot one last look towards the remaining duo, and walked away.

"Is it alright leaving her on her own right now?" A concerned Toval asked.

"Probably not, but I don't think she will be alone for long." Was Sara's reply as she pulled her ARCUS out and quickly started tapping the buttons.


Despite only being a twenty minute drive, the ride back to Trista was the longest in Fie's life. Even knowing how bad of an idea it was, her brain couldn't help but conjure all kinds of what if scenarios that could have prevented this crisis. What if he had had taken this bike and not left it with her. What if she had punched Sara in her stupid face when she suggested that Rean follow her to the distant ends of the country. What if Rean wasn't a stupid selfless bastard and valued his own safety a little more.

Thus it was a relief for her when she finally arrived at the little suburb and their shared home. She wondered how long the peaceful atmosphere would last once word of the event got out. Given how many people were there on that train there was zero chance the government would be able to keep it covered up and she knew she would have to be mentally prepared to see her lost love's face on the front page of tomorrows Imperial Chronicle.

Being at home presented its own set of problems, however. What could she do to kill time while also keeping her thoughts from going down dangerous routes. Sleeping was obviously out of the option despite her current state of exhaustion; if she struggled to sleep when Rean was merely away, how could she sleep knowing he was in mortal danger?

She needed an activity that was simple to execute, but still involved enough to keep her brain focused on the task. Something that could keep her occupied for as long as possible. Something like... She paused as she stared at the little plot of land outside of their house that she had designated for her eventual garden. Perfect.

She had already been in the process of purchasing seeds and tools since moving here, so it was a simple enough matter to start in. The first step, was to till the soil. Even in her current poor physical state the task was easy enough for the veteran warrior to accomplish, but one that still took quite time.

The afternoon sun was already starting to set by the time she was ready to start planting seeds, which was ideal for plants planted in the summer, as it gave them the best chance to acclimate in the cooler evening temperatures before facing the full brunt of the next day's heat. Allowing herself a breather after the physically demanding till, she took a look at the seeds she would be planting.

She was actually planning on planting two different sets of seeds. The first was a simple bed of flowers. These she had the most experience with and thought it would make a lovely addition to their home. The lady running the flower shop had actually gifted her a nice mix of seeds when they arrived in Trista and she was excited to see what would grow from that.

The second set was a little more foreign to the girl. After all the trips to Ymir she had developed an appreciation for Lucia Schwarzer's vegetable garden and wanted to try one of her own. Their meeting with Edel earlier that week was fortuitous indeed, as the older woman was absolutely delighted at the idea and proceeded to impart all kinds of wisdom to her former club member. Although she would never be much of a cook, she had been excited at the idea of using vegetables she grew to feed Rean-

She shook her head violently to clear her thoughts. She needed to avoid thinking about that right now, as her solitude would only work against her. They had recovered from the Gral and survived the Twilight, so she truly believed things would work out in the end, but that belief mattered little in her current state of mind. Just the thought of him being locked away somewhere, suffering greatly in darkness-

'Stop it!' She mentally chastised herself. Using a meditation exercise, and doing her best to ignore the fact that Rean was the one to teach it to her, she managed to clear her mind and refocused on the task at hand. Diligently she worked to plant each seed, making sure to shower each one with water and love as she went.

Eventually, the task was finished, and after wiping the sweat off her brow the girl stood and started collecting her tools. She was just about to head inside and seek something else to do when-

"Fie!" She must have been truly out of sync as she hadn't sensed anyone approaching. Still, she recovered quickly and turned to the voice before her reputation for being ever vigilant could take a hit.

She easily recognized the two figures approaching her."Laura? And-" She was unable to finish, as a white blur slammed into her and threatened to knock her onto her rear. "Altina?" Sure enough, it was the younger girl who had wrapped her in an embrace. "What are you two doing here?"

She couldn't help but wilt slightly as Laura gave her a look like she was an idiot, and she strongly suspected Altina would if she wasn't still buried in her hug. "Instructor Sara told us what happened. I wanted to see how you are doing. Altina must have had the same idea as she joined me in Celdic."

Ah, so they knew. "I'm fine."

She knew the second those words left her mouth that they were the wrong ones to say. If it wasn't obvious from Laura's disapproving look it was Altina pulling away from the hug and giving her the flattest glare possible that did it."You have let Instructor Rean influence you, and not in a good way." Finally getting to see the younger girl's face made Fie realize that she had probably cried as much as she herself had been.

"Right, sorry." Laura was her best friend and Altina was someone extremely precious to Rean, which meant that she had become extremely precious to Fie in the past couple years. Of course they would be able to notice her turmoil. "I'm terrified. Terrified and anxious. Sara had to stop me when I first found out and even now a part of me still wants to just charge right in, consequences be damned. Just sitting around here being unable to do anything... it's pure agony."

"I-Its just not fair." Altina tried to hide her emotions by burying her head back onto Fie, but the hitch in her words made it clear she was close to crying once again. "Instructor Rean has only ever wanted to help people. Why do these things keep happening to him?"

Fie had thought she had run out of tears earlier, but listening to the younger girl start sobbing proved that false, as now her own tears threatened to fall again. "I wish I knew..." She once believed her days in Zephyr had desensitized her to how cruel the world could be, but sometimes it really loved providing her with reminders at just how wrong she was.

Both girls were surrounded as the third member of the group joined in on the hug. "I too wish to punish the cretins who dared abduct Rean, but we have to be patient. Our chance will come, I am sure of it. And it won't just be us, either. All of Class VII will have heard about this by now and I know they all share the same opinion. We will get Rean back, I swear it."

The three remained in that position for a few minutes, but eventually broke apart. With the moment at an end the two newcomers turned their curious gazes onto the nice little house they found themselves outside. For Laura it was the simple pleasure of nostalgia, as memories of their days at Thors came back to her as she gazed upon the house and surrounding area.

For Altina it was her first time seeing the place, so she couldn't help but look upon the home of her favorite instructor with wonderment. Neither of the two senior members of Class VII were at all surprised at the eager expression the younger girl showed when Fie offered a tour. It only took a few minutes to complete, but the little bunny was grateful for the experience.

Laura, meanwhile, had made her way into their kitchen and was browsing their limited stock of ingredients. "How about I make something for dinner?" She flushed slightly at the dubious look Fie sent her, but stood firm. "I will have you know I have continued to train hard at cooking these past few years. I am confident that I can make something worthwhile, and I have a feeling that you haven't been taking care of yourself."

The silver-haired woman had to concede that point. She hadn't touched anything edible since she heard that devastating news. Truth be told she still didn't have much of an appetite, but was intelligent enough to know she probably should at least make the attempt. Fie turned to the youngest member of their little group. "Anything you want?"

Altina stared for a second before giving an emphatic nod. "I would like pancakes."

Fie couldn't help but giggle slightly at the expected response. "Well, how 'bout it Laura? Think you can make some pancakes?"

"I will strive to meet your expectations."

It was quiet as the two girls sat at the table and watched as the Arseid practitioner sat about her work, humming a tune to herself as she prepared the fluffy meal. Fie could tell that Laura hadn't been lying as the swordmaiden moved across the kitchen with surprising grace. Fie made a mental note to polish up her own culinary skills once everything as settled down, as she would love to be able to share the burden and cook something interesting for Rean on occasion.

It wasn't long before she finished cooking and brought three stacks of pancakes to the table, before sitting down alongside them. Both members of the original Class VII watched curiously as the junior member immediately dug in without a word. After a few bites Altina turned to the cook. "They're adequate."

Fie couldn't quite hide the grin as Laura deflated from that comment, but she knew better. Altina might be Erebonia's foremost expert on the fluffy cakes and might be even blunter than she was. Calling them adequate was actually fairly high praise. Maybe it was due to the present company, but as soon as Fie took her first bite she finally realized just how hungry she was and wasted no time digging in with gusto.

It only took a few minutes for her to finish, and her body celebrated the filling of her stomach by letting out a loud yawn, drawing the attention of her friends. "Perhaps we should call an early night?" Laura suggested, getting a nod in agreement from Altina.

"Huh? But what about you two?"

"We are staying here, of course."

Fie couldn't help but be surprised at Laura's response. "I suppose that's alright, but we only have the one bed..."

"Please, Fie. I... I don't want to be alone tonight." The bracer's gaze softened at Altina's vulnerable expression.

Of course she wasn't feeling much different right now. "...I don't either." She admitted. "Alright, it'll be crowded, but you can stay."

Another sign that Fie had been out of sync that day was shown when both visitors started rummaging through packs that she hadn't even notice them bring into her home. Eventually all three girls had changed into nightwear and settled into the bed. It was a bit cramped, but none of them complained. Although neither provided the comforting warmth or scent of her beloved, laying there surrounded by dear friends was enough to allow her to relax, and eventually she managed to drift off into a much needed rest.


While all of this was happening, word was spreading about the events that had transpired. All across Erebonia and beyond, things had begun to move. An outside force had threatened the happiness that many had fought for, and that was not something any of them would allow to happen.

In Roer, a General Manager finished delegating her tasks to her subordinates before departing, stopping only to meet with and receive the blessing of her maid and closest confidant.

Further north in Jurai, a once laid-back man made sure all of his weapons were in working order, not a trace of humor to be seen in his eyes. There would be no mercy for those who threatened his best friend.

In a training facility to the south, a young guardian once again took up his ancestor's twin blades in defense of that which he held dear.

A Duke finished an emergency meeting with the ranking officers of his provincial army before departing his estate, meeting up with...

A young girl and her combat shell. With a forced smile she hugged the older male and the two took comfort with each other as they departed on a trip together.

Another leader, this time further west, frowned as there were too many unknown variables for her to calculate a plan. But she had learned that she could always rely on her gun and her classmates even when no solution presented itself.

An inspector of the government scowled in barely contained rage at how the stubbornness of the army allowed such a tragedy to occur. He vowed that there would be a reckoning, but only after he saved his friend.

A young witch frowned as she walked through a forest. She was not normally one prone to anger, but even she felt resentment towards the cruelty of those who would harm the innocent in their selfish desires.

Alongside her was her most trusted companion. Despite the apathetic expression on her feline face she couldn't help but share in the anger and sadness her partner shared, especially as it came at the expense of a human she deeply cared about, even if she would never admit it.

Crowds scattered as a dangerous looking young man rode his bike through the streets at a high speed. The look of anger on his face made it clear that he had no intention of stopping until he brutally punished those who had pissed him off.

In distant Calvard, hundreds of fans were dismayed when they found out the concert was canceled without notice. They could only speculate what could cause such a great musician to abandon his tour so abruptly.

Even farther away a kind man began the vast journey with the blessing of his current comrades. He prayed to the skies and winds to carry him the large distance. Those, and his own personal airship, of course.

In Crossbell a policewoman reassured her current team that the strength of her old team would be sufficient to rescue their friend before departing on the train heading west.

And they weren't the only ones. Multiple generations of Thors graduates and other allies took up arms as they prepared to march to the defense of one of their own. Even those who lacked the training to fight sought roles that would allow them to contribute. If those who were stuck in the old ways wished to resort to violence to accomplish their goals, than those who brought the winds of change to Erebonia would be ready to defend that change in kind.


The sun was already high in the sky when Fie awoke the next morning. It wasn't until she completed her morning ritual of yawns and stretching that she realized the bed was empty save for her. That was surprising, as Rean would either wake her up or rest in bed alongside her. It wasn't until a minute later that the events of the past day came back to her. The pain of having that old wound reopened was dulled by another feeling: curiosity. Rean not being there made sense, but where were Laura and Altina?

She had just gotten herself dressed when the answer revealed itself in the form of the front door opening and the two young women in question entered. "Good morning, Fie." Greeted Altina as she noticed the bracer was awake. "We brought breakfast."

"Sorry for not waking you, but you looked like you could use the rest. I hope you don't mind Kirsche's?" Laura added as she held up a bag from the cafe.

"That's fine, thanks." She had eaten at the cafe with Laura many times during their year at Thors and she had no doubts that her best friend still remembered what she liked.

She was indeed correct, and the trio enjoyed a quiet, but enjoyable meal. It was just as they were finishing that Fie's ARCUS chimed, letting her know she had a message. She quickly checked it, before furrowing her brow in evident confusion.

"Sara wants to meet me at the racecourse and not either of the Bracer Guilds?" She questioned aloud. She didn't notice both of her companions wearing identical knowing smirks at that comment.

"Well, it sounds like we should get moving. I am sure you are curious as to what Instructor Sara wants to tell you." Fie agreed with the older girl's suggestion and rushed to get ready. She didn't know what Sara wanted to tell her, but it obviously had to do with Rean. It wasn't long until they were all ready, and not wanting to bother with installing the side-car opted to instead take the train to the capital.

In hindsight, that was a mistake, as her fears from the previous day proved accurate. Despite the trip from her home to the station being so short, and the fact that not many people were out and about at that early hour, she still found herself subjected to numerous pitying stares, confirming that some form of the story had reached the newspapers. As well-intentioned as they were, they still hurt and Fie was grateful for the presence of her friends as they did their best to keep her attention on them.

The train ride wasn't much better, but at least she had the option of tuning everything out during the short ride thanks to her window seat. The same could be said for the tram ride through the capital, but Fie didn't even need to attempt to ignore the passengers, because as they got closer to their destination her nervousness over the upcoming news grew more and more until she could barely hear anything over the beating of her own heart.

It didn't take them long after they arrived before they spotted the familiar pink hair of the original Class VII instructor. She appeared to notice them at the same time, as she waved the group over to her position just in front of the racetrack entrance.

"Sara, what's going on?" Fie asked in a rush.

"I'll tell you in a minute." Her junior was clearly unhappy with that answer, but could do nothing as the A-Rank bracer turned to the other two. "Hey Laura, Altina. Been a while."

"Indeed it has. It's wonderful to see you again, Instructor."

Altina looked dutifully less impressed. "You picked the racetrack? Really?" Now that got Fie's attention. Did her friends know something that she didn't?

Sara appeared unfazed by Altina's question. "Well it's the only place I could find that's big enough for our purpose. The owner's a friend of mine and gladly let me borrow the VIP room before the afternoon races. C'mon you three."

Fie narrowed her eyes in suspicion as she followed her mentor. Her friends definitely knew something that she didn't, and that annoyed her greatly. They couldn't stop themselves from showing amusement whenever they caught her staring at them. Or at least Sara and Laura did. Altina didn't give much away from her facial expressions, but as someone who mastered the art of the flat stare Fie just knew the little rabbit was enjoying this way too much.

She was about to call them out on it, but realized that during her scrutiny the group had made it through the track and were now standing in front of their destination. The Purple Lightning opened the door with a flourish and beckoned the three in.

"Oh..." Fie muttered to herself as the surprise was revealed. Honestly, she should have expected it, but the young woman was completely floored by the presence of all of Class VII, old and new. They must have been there for a while, as the students were all scattered about in their own little conversations. Or at least they were until they noticed the final arrivals and in unison rushed over to greet them.

"Toval is currently meeting with the prince and other government big-wigs." Sara whispered to the younger bracer before the mob arrived. "Sounds like they're coordinating something big. Pretty sure our dear Duke Albarea and Duchess Cayenne know what's up, but they're being tight-lipped about it. So for now, just enjoy the moment."

No more was said as Fie found herself swept into all kinds of different conversations. Sure she had seen many of her friends in the past few months thanks to her bracer work and close proximity to the capital, but it was always a treat to see them again. And of course there were those, like Gaius, who weren't available much and for most of Class VII hadn't been seen in person that year.

"Hah. Who could have imagined our class reunion ending up like this?" Machias commented during a lull in the chat.

Juna shook her head at that comment. "No. It isn't a Class VII reunion. Not yet. We're still missing one."

"True. But that won't be a problem for long. We just need to go find Rean and drag his sorry butt back here and after that we can have ourselves one hell of a Class VII party. Right Fie?"

The former Azure Chevalier's comment caused all eyes to turn to the girl in question. Fie meanwhile, was just starting to appreciate the scene before her. They were completely in the dark at that moment. They still didn't know where Rean was, what they would be facing, or how they would accomplish their mission.

But none of that mattered. Because right now in that place was gathered the finest men and women in Erebonia and beyond. All the collective skill and experience brought together for that single objective. And most importantly for the girl at the center of all of it, their determination and resolve. In each of their eyes was the fervent belief that they would succeed and rescue their dear leader.

"Right!" So she took all that determination and resolve, and made it her own. With her trusted friends at her side there was no obstacle that could stand between her and the one who meant everything to her. They will succeed. That simple thought was enough to lighten her weary heart and gave her the strength for the trials to come.

'Please Rean, just hang on for a little longer. I'm coming for you.'


Far away from the happy reunion in Heimdallr the final member of Class VII woke with a groan. This technically wasn't the first time he had awoken, but this was the first time without the debilitating head pain that had kept him from truly being aware of his surroundings. Once he remembered his predicament his first thought was to take stock of the situation.

The first thing he noticed was that he was chained up to a wall. Again. Unlike that time in the Black Workshop, however, this time he was still himself and so understood the pain and helplessness of being constricted. A few half-hearted tugs confirmed that these were not bindings that he would be breaking very easily.

His actions did not go unnoticed, as the clanking of chains appeared to alert a guard that he hadn't even noticed on the far end of the large room he was in. After confirming that the prisoner was indeed awake, the soldier left and Rean suspected he would be entertaining a guest in the near future. There was a second guard, but he appeared to be content just silently glaring at the captive.

The room he was in was quite large, with only the single guarded door and no windows. He had no idea if it was day or night or even what day it actually was. He let out a sigh at the unproductive scan, which only served to make him realize just how thirsty he actually was. He was left with no other option but to sit there and wait.

Eventually, he felt the presence of multiple people approaching. The door opened and two stepped in, while four remained out of his sight outside the room. Of the two, he recognized one as the guard who had originally left. The other, however...

"Prince Cedric?" Although he already knew about the new occupation of the prince, seeing it for himself was still very disheartening.

"Rean Schwarzer." Came the snide reply. "It is ever so wonderful to see you again."

Rean just shook his head sadly. "I can't believe that you're a part of this."

The prince lowered his voice so that only his captive could hear him. "Originally I wasn't. Our only aim was to assist these idiots and let them create all kinds of chaos. A spark that would keep Erebonia looking inward while we executed our plans elsewhere. That is, until they found a hostage."

"This won't last. You do know that."

"Of course it won't. These fools have deluded themselves into thinking that they have the strength needed to restore Erebonia to greatness. But we know better. Even with their precious Chevalier as a hostage the government won't back a couple days your dear Class VII will come storming in to rescue you and save the day, just as they always do."

"So why do all this? Why not just kill me and get it over with?" He knew that if Fie ever found out he was casually talking about his own death she would slap him, but it wasn't like he had much else he could do in that moment. Hopefully she would forgive him this once.

"I could, and I will. But not now. I want your friends to come. I want them to break through this fortress. And their reward will be your corpse. That look of horror upon the faces of Kurt, Olivert, and your precious lover! That will be my final revenge upon you for ruining everything I ever had!"

Rean didn't feel anger in that moment. No, instead he was just hit with a great deal of melancholy. To know that cheerful young boy he met all those years back had been turned into such a twisted monster. He couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different. How pitiful.

The newest Enforcer appeared to understand what was going through the swordsman's mind by the look of pity in his eyes, and that more than anything enraged him. With a furious yell the younger male reared his arm back and struck Rean with all his might. It was a blow well struck, but Rean had felt worse, and didn't allow any sound of pain escape his lips.

That only made the prince madder. Stepping back, he instead turned to the two guards who had been silently observing. "I need him to remain alive for now, but that doesn't mean he needs to stay unharmed. Do what you will to make sure he can't escape."

"Yes, your highness!" Exclaimed the two in unison as dark grins took hold of them.

"Goodbye, Instructor Rean." With that, the youngest son of the Arnor family turned and exited the room, leaving Rean with the two guards who were currently advancing upon him, weapons held like improvised clubs.


"Tch, what a shame. Would've liked to fight him." Muttered one of the observers as he lit up a cigarette and took a long drag. "Still, I hear the ones who are coming for him are no slouches either. Maybe I will get to see some action before returning to Calvard." The burly man threw the cigarette to the ground, crushed it with his boot, and walked off in the direction the prince had exited.

The other three also left, but in an opposite direction. The last sound they heard before leaving hearing range was the first crack of a weapon impacting the flesh of the defenseless prisoner. "Tch, torture. How barbaric." Muttered one of the three, a red-haired woman in armor.

"Our lord would never have condoned of this..." Her blue-haired companion muttered sadly.

The third member of their group had been deep in thought, but hearing that caused her eyes to harden as resolve set in. "No, she wouldn't."

Her two companions shared a look. "You can't be thinking to..."

"But what about our orders?"

The leader of the group waved off their concerns. "If there's anything I have learned from our lord, it's that our honor and integrity should come before any orders. And plus, our orders are only to guard this place and protect the spoiled princeling."

The archer stifled a small laugh. "My, how devious."

"It's remarkable how much you've changed since leaving the group, brief as it was. So what would you have us do?"

Having the support of her two friends was a huge weight off the young woman's armored shoulders. "For now?" Nothing. We'll just keep following along like normal. It won't be the Stahlritter who ends this farce. It will be them."

With her decision made, Duvalie the Swift set about her plan. She had a message to send.