"Wake up Roughnecks, it's time."
Light suddenly flooded into the small room littered with cots, rucksacks, and sleeping soldiers. Like clockwork the room began to come alive in a still silence, men waking up to "shower, shit, and shave", get into uniform, and finishing letters to loved ones to be delivered if they weren't returning home. Sergeant Major John Roman stood in the doorway grimly observing the chaotic, yet orderly scene, slowly sipping on lukewarm coffee. "Why do they have to die? They should be home right now, chasing skirts, and getting into trouble from being too drunk. Not dying in some hell hole miles from home…" His eyes shut as his throat tightened as guilt ripped at his heart. "Good morning Sgt. Major." came from a few soldiers as they walked past him to reach the showers. The brightly lit barracks slowly froze like a picture in his mind. Twenty eight bunks, twenty eight rifles, twenty eight souls ready to die, and everyone young enough to be his sons. Taking a sip of his coffee, he gritted his teeth at the burn of whiskey. "Nearly half this platoon can't drink yet….here's to them." he muttered calmly under his breath, turning down the hallway leaving the men to prep on their own.
In the far corner, a blonde headed soldier sat staring at a small well worn photo in his hand, the other clutching a small necklace around his neck. The young soldier silently rubbed his hand across the cropped blonde hair touching the long jagged scar that ran from his right temple to the base of his neck.
"Sorry for not telling you about this, I didn't want to worry you."
Gazing lovingly up in his hand, those emerald eyes reached into his soul. Her crimson hair pulled back tight in a ponytail, a golden circlet wrapped around her head. He smiled, knowing how much she hated dressing up like this. It reminded her of all of the interviews, photoshoots,and overzealous admirers bombarding her for attention and her affections. She even did her eyeliner, the emerald color complimented her eyes.
"Those eyes. Those beautiful eyes….. He could always see the love and knew that everything would be ok….."
With a heavy sigh, his body began to quake slightly as tears welled in his eyes. The picture slipped from his grasp onto the upturned helmet between his feet. A tear streaked down his cheek as his mind drifted back to happier memories when the world wasn't at war and he was home with that beautiful warrior girl, his Invincible Girl.
It was shortly before the Vital Festival when the attacks started. A storm came from the north encompassing the continent. Grimm attacked everything in Remnant, no one could understand where they came from. The world burned from Mistral to Vaccuo, Hunters and armies alike were stretched to their limits. Every kingdom was besieged for 48 hours. Then as suddenly as the attacks came, they stopped. Every Grimm slowed to a stop and retreated from the kingdoms.They disappeared in the storm and haven't been seen since.
After the attacks, the kingdoms fractured. Weeks after "The Burning Sky" as it was called, General Ironwood was ousted from his position As Commander in Chief of Atlas. His replacement, Skymarshal Grace Waltz demanded reparations from the rest of Remnant for the cost the Atlas military paid defending places like Beacon and Haven. No nation could afford to pay the exorbitant amounts that Atlas demanded and soon everything fell apart. Mistral fell to Atlas within five days, Vaccuo withdrew from the international stage to focus on rebuilding. This left Vale as the last free nation standing in the way of Atlas. Within six months, Vale was mustering an army and a draft was introduced to bolster the ranks. All males from the age of 18 to 30 were required to report to their local recruiting office. The only exception was given to Beacon and the combat schools, they were deemed too important to the future of the war effort as a majority of hunters and huntresses had been lost during The Burning Sky. This is what caused the blonde soldier to be so far from home, lost in those beautiful emerald eyes.
The sun was setting low on the horizon, painting the sky tinges of magenta and gold. The reflections of light danced lazily across the harbor. Seagulls wheeled and called to each other as the boardwalk bustled with activity. The sun's warmth touched his skin as he sat on a bench enjoying the comfort of this wonderful day. The scroll buzzed in his pocket, letting him know that she was on her way. Staring into the screen's reflection, he adjusted his messy blonde hair out of his face. A nervous excited smirk appeared as for once he wasn't late.
"What do you think? Are you going to ask her today?" The reflection called to him defiantly. "Or are you going to lose your nerve again?"
Shaking his head to clear away the doubt he felt rising in his chest, a warm soothing feeling made him smile.
"Those damn emerald eyes…"
His sky blue eyes close and he begins to sing a tune he heard from his grandfather in a rambling contented way.
"He was a famous trumpet man from out Beacon way, He had a boogie style that no one else could play, He was the top man at his craft, but then his number came up, and he was gone with the draft, He's in the army now, a-blowin' reveille, He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B.."
The ambiance of the lapping water, the clack of shoes on the cobblestone walkways, and the gentle cool breeze coming of the ocean slowly lulled him to a satisfied slumber.
"Oh Gods! I'm going to be late!"
A flurry of books, papers and pencils littered the desk and floor of the otherwise organized dorm room. A flash of crimson scrambled out of her seat as she started at her scroll, cursing herself for losing track of time. The sunset gently illuminated the carpeted floor as a young slender woman pulled off matching blue Sanctum sweat pants and t-shirt, dashing for the shower.
"I can't believe I did this, he will be so angry….."
Thoughts rushed through her mind as the icy water seemed to pound her as if to reinforce her mistakes. Stepping out of the shower and drying herself off,
"What should I wear? I don't want to give off the wrong impression or scare him away….Think!"
As her closet was thrown open, a black sweatshirt tumbled out and onto the floor. The charcoal smiling rabbit logo on the front seemed to tease her as she drifted back in time to the first time she saw the owner's blue eyes.
"Those wonderful blue eyes…."