Manu259: Good to be back! :)
Not a lot of them, no. And it's not because I don't want them to happen, it's just that...well, you'll see before the next field study why there won't be too many moments of the other members of Class VII pushing them together, or shipping them as you put it. I can't say any more than that, lest I give it away.
Pretty much, yeah. Still glad you liked it.
I said that what happened last chapter could be 'described' as shit hitting the fan. That's not what I, personally, would describe last chapter as. I'd describe what's coming in Nord as shit hitting the fan. When that comes around and you still don't agree, then that'll be that. But first, wait for what I actually classify as shit hitting the fan, as...well, it's...it's something incredible, I assure you. As for the civil war, yeah, I'd say that's a little beyond the scope of the term we've been using, as it's quite the ordeal, after all. Anyway, moving on.
Who the heck is R indeed. Trust me, he's not the only person you'll see in this story that'll make you ask that question. As for whether he's an actual character or an OC, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. All I'll say on the matter is this, he has just as much reason for being a part of the ILF as the other members.
Yep, I've mentioned it. Oh most definitely. In fact, I plan on playing all the Legend of Heroes games currently in English a month or so in advance of 3's release, in preparation for it, and then diving into it headfirst the day it comes out.
Thank you, and I'm looking forward to it.
RedBurningDragon: You make a fair point. I probably will end up doing that, more than likely anyway. Not a hundred percent decided, but yeah, I'm leaning that way. Anyway, you are correct indeed. Millium broke down the door to the waterway that Emma had unlocked with her magic, glad you picked up on that without me having to actually mention it. Pretty much.
Indeed.
Usually that's pretty true. Bonds of friendship prior to the event can also help a great deal in that regard.
No, no, they will not.
You'll see whether that's true or not below, so read on.
omegazero2718: I let him live? Yeah, I suppose I did. Why? Because despite his foul mouth, his wicked conduct and just a general asshole demeanor, he was far stronger than Group A. Strength, more often than not, decides who wins and who loses, who's right and who's wrong. And in this instance, even with their combined might, Rean, Fie, and the rest of Group A lost to Warrick. They pushed him to his limit, mostly because he didn't dual wield the entire time, but even those points aside, Warrick was the one still standing while his opponents, three unconscious, and the other two without much energy left to fight, were just about done. That fight, considering Sara's interference, ended in a draw.
If she hadn't, Warrick would have been the victor. So the only one who could have killed him was Sara, who was more concerned with protecting the lives of her students. And considering they, Group A, were all in danger of dying from blood loss without medical treatment, the smart thing to do would be to avoid a fight and get them to a hospital, not drag things out with another battle. That only leaves killing Warrick by having him bleed out in some random back alley. Did that happen? If you read on, you'll find out. I will say though, that would be a hell of a waste of a character, in my opinion.
What's wrong with me? I'm just gonna assume you're jesting. As such, I shall respond with a joke answer. So much. XP
I can see where you're coming from, but he still has role to play in this story, so...yeah, he ain't going anywhere, yet.
Sor-Rin: Thanks.
Raven armata: No, they haven't fought Patrick yet. As for Rean going demon against him, that's just laughable. Like that punk could draw it out of him. The only possible way he could do such a thing would be to stoop to levels at a low that even he is above, so yeah, it ain't happening. I will agree on that though, it would most certainly be funny to see. Yeah, I figured that was you based on what you've said so far. Thanks for the continued support.
Apex85: Yeah, you probably won't be able to. Where that leaves things, well, we'll see when the time comes, I suppose.
I'm glad you liked the fight. Annoyed you? Annoyed you how? Like annoyed you as in you felt his characterization sucked and he was poorly written? Or annoyed you as in, his behavior and demeanor annoyed you, as in you didn't like him for exactly who he is? If it's the second of the two options, than I succeeded, because that was what he was supposed to do. He was meant to annoy you, in a, 'Ugh, I can't stand this guy. Kick his ass already!' sort of way. He was also meant to elicit a few chuckles from you guys, but clearly I'm the only one who finds his dialogue, some of it anyway, rather amusing.
Eh, whatever, you win some, you lose some. As for him getting knocked down a notch, well...believe me when I say this, he'll get what's coming to him. Sooner rather than later, in fact.
Heero de Fanel: Oh, he most certainly does. Foul-mouthed is one of his defining characteristics, to be sure. You'll see what comes next for him, I assure you. His part in this story isn't over yet.
That was the intention. Was hoping everyone would enjoy the long fight scene. Of course, how could I not? The changes I've made have effectively fast tracked their progress as a class, in terms of strength among other things, Rean and Fie especially, but they're far from being ready to take on the likes of a veteran jaeger like Warrick. Their combined might, along with the combat links, allowed them to push him to his limit, with a caveat. He is at his best when using both his machetes, which he neglected to do until the very end of the battle, when he busted out his greatest technique. He had been fighting them at full strength, of course, but he wasn't fighting them with everything he had, as he restrained from dual wielding until he realized he'd have to so as to survive and win. So while the five were quite impressive in the long run, what with pushing him so far, they couldn't have possibly emerged victorious against him in this encounter.
Thanks, I'd been planning that part all along. Most definitely.
rikotch: Thank you for taking the time, I really appreciate it. :)
Thanks! Glad to hear it, I do my best to make my action scenes as vivid and exhilarating as I can. I stumble here and there, sometimes all over the place, but I do believe I've managed to do relatively well for myself thus far. I shall continue to strive to make them even better though, of course. That's what I was going for regarding the links between those four, I'm happy it seemed to land so well. Oh, trust me, it will certainly affect things to come...
As am I! I've been waiting to write the next arc, Nord and the days leading up to it, from the very beginning of this story. And after this chapter, we'll be diving headfirst right into it! Trust me, I plan to utilize Gaius much more than the first two games did, and as for Alisa, I plan to be impartial, mostly, and give her the development she is due as well.
Those moments of Class VII interaction without Rean are already planned, my friend, don't you worry. They may not be plentiful at first, but they are coming. As for who'll they consist and when they'll take place, you'll just have to see as things develop.
Happy to hear that. You are most welcome, and allow me to thank you in return. Oh it most definitely is, rest assured.
Ouchanrrul: I could be wrong, but I do believe those are good wows, so thanks. Is that so? Well, regardless, you shall find out in Nord, so you'd best prepare yourself!
Speechless? That's quite the compliment, thank you very much! Oh yeah, I had always intended to write out epic collisions between unstoppable forces, and while I've still got a ways to go before that happens, I still strive to write the best kind of fight scene I can. This early in the story, I'm limited with what I can do, since a lot of the flashier moves don't come around until later. Not to mention that I'm not used to writing action scenes that are more than one on one battles, as those are my specialty, and I'm still rather new to writing group fights. I've dabbled in team battle scenes previously, but this story is my first time really pushing my limits and seeing what I can do with them. I'm sure that shows, since I struggle to reflect the state of everyone's presence, but I'm working on it.
Well, I can help with that...sort of. Here's the next chapter. As for anticipating Nord, so am I. And it's coming, just try to hold tight til it gets here.
Blood and Steel is rated M because of gore, yes, and it will only become more graphic as the story goes on. There are a number of more brutal kills to come, after all. Besides graphic violence, the M rating is for language, a lot of it when Warrick is around, and the mild sexual content that will pop up eventually. And when I say mild, I mean mild. Suggestive scenes, lewd remarks, teasing, all of this will be found in this story, as it progresses. However, there will not be any sort of Lemons, period. Got nothing against'em, but I don't write them, simple as that. Taking these things into account, I preemptively rated the story M for mature. That makes it harder to find, of course, but I'm just abiding by the rules and guidelines of the site, so...yeah, s'all I can do.
Once more, allow me to thank all those who reviewed, and allow me to thank those who have added this story to their favorites and alerts since the last update as well. ZETA36, person987, rikotch, Ouchanrrul, tavin56, BarajasTM, show me your true self, thank you!
UPDATE
Just some touch-ups, that's all.
Second intermission, hope ya like the breather. Please read, review, and enjoy.
ACT I - INTERMISSION II
...
Septian Calendar 1204
5/31 - Monday
In the heart of the Erebonian Capital of Heimdallr
A man of great stature, figuratively and literally, sat at a desk within a grand office. The back of his chair was to the door, leaving him to face the window overlooking the city; the position he was in concealed him almost entirely from view.
He was alone, in spite of that, he carried on a conversation, an orbal communication device pressed against his ear. "I see."
"Yeah, I was honestly surprised. They couldn't have had better timing if they'd tried." The voice, one with the characteristics of a young man, told him from the other end of the line. "The five of them saved our little White Rabbit from her precarious situation; she shouldn't have been in a predicament such as that in the first place, of course, however..."
"Yes, it seems our adversaries had anticipated our reconnaissance and were ready to move the moment she was spotted." The man finished for the other party in his deep, baritone voice.
"According to her report, it's safe to assume that there are more members of this group than we'd originally accounted for. One by the alias R, and another man known as Warrick, no recorded last name, a mercenary for hire, apparently one of the last vestiges of a defunct jaeger corp by the title Silver Serpent." The young man informed the older man. "It's more than likely they aren't the only ones they've recruited to bolster their ranks." He added.
"Of that, I am certain." The deep-voiced man responded.
"Oh, and get this. One of those military academy students that bailed our troublemaker out? His name is Rean Schwarzer."
At that, the man could not help but laugh.
The outskirts of Celdic
Two men were sequestered in a dank, isolated cave...
"Shit!" Warrick hissed in agony, hugging his bandage-clad midsection with one arm, as if that would somehow alleviate some of the pain wracking his body.
"My whole goddamn torso feels like it's going to fall apart!" He exclaimed through grit teeth.
"Considering you looked like the latest hunk of flesh to be carved up at a butcher shop, that's not surprising." Came a second voice, drawing attention to the cloaked man known as R.
"You brought this on yourself." He stated bluntly, clearly lacking any sympathy for the grievously wounded jaeger.
"The fuck'd you say!?" The mercenary barked angrily in response.
R's face could not be seen in that moment, but it was a safe bet he was rolling his eyes. "You heard me." He replied simply. "You nearly died down there, and you have no one to blame but yourself." He told him matter-of-factly.
"Oh yeah?! Care to enlighten me, dickhead!? How, exactly, is it my fault!?" The purple-haired retrograde bit back.
"The fact that you don't already know speaks volumes to how stupid and bullheaded you are." The cloaked figure criticized harshly.
"You'd best get to explaining, or injuries be damned, I will come over there and fuck you up!" The amoral man threatened.
Unfazed by the other man's threats, he nevertheless expounded on the subject. "You underestimated a group of Erebonian military academy students."
It was a single sentence, and, on the surface at least, didn't truly give much meaning to his point. So, he spoke further. "Let me put it into perspective for you. You made the mistake of underestimating a bunch of students from the most prestigious military academy in the entire nation of Erebonia, an obscenely militaristic country hailed as a superpower, and arguably the strongest military force on the continent." He elaborated. "Are you starting to get the picture?"
Warrick growled in frustration, as while nothing pissed him off like being talked down to, he could recognize when he was wrong. When it was overwhelmingly evident, at least.
As such, he did nothing more than express this feeling of aggravation vocally.
"You said you didn't pull your punches, and I believe that. However, your mistake was thinking you wouldn't need to fight them at your best, with both your weapons in play. In your arrogance, you nearly got yourself killed." The cloaked man continued on. "If I hadn't come back for you, you would have bled out in that back alley. There's no mistaking that." He apprised his ally candidly.
"You're also fortunate that I have experience with first aid, otherwise your fate would have been the same regardless. That said, you'd best keep your threats empty, because I can't guarantee you'll survive reopening even one of those wounds. Not until we get someone experienced with healing arts to tend to them, at least." He warned him.
The veteran jaeger grumbled discontentedly at that, but noted that point so that he wouldn't end up killing himself by acting recklessly.
...
Nearly half an hour passed in silence, as the two men waited for their pick-up.
Growing restless and bored, Warrick decided striking up a conversation with his less than friendly acquaintance was better than sitting in the quiet void.
"You seem like the earthy type, how do you stand working for rich assholes who command you to do their bidding?" The usually violent mercenary asked straight out.
"How do you?" R turned it around on him immediately.
"Nice try." The wounded man said with an obscenely immodest grin. "But I work for your little group, not the guys you answer to. There's a distinct difference. I do the jobs you give me. I'm not required, or willing, for that matter, to do as the likes of those snobs tell me to." He elucidated. "So, answer the question."
The cloaked man gave a sigh at that. "If you must know, I'm in a similar position to you on the matter. Our organization is given a certain extent of autonomy, as it is Comrade C who calls the shots. We may be backed and funded by the nobility, but they do not command us." He explicated. "It's a mutually beneficial agreement."
"Yeah, if you say so. But why are you even willing to put up with their bullshit in the first place? What's so goddamned important that you'd even associate with pompous shitheads like them? Do you hate this Osborne guy that much?" Warrick inquired skeptically.
For a moment, it seemed as if the cloaked man would not respond. That is until he reached up to pull back the hood of the cloak and proceeded to reveal his face.
He was a man who appeared to be in his late thirties, had fair skin, short honey-brown hair, light stubble of the same color spreading across his face, and chestnut colored eyes.
"Why?" The recently uncloaked R repeated. "That's more complicated than you might think. But, I suppose, I could start from the beginning." He preambled.
"I'm sure you know of the Hundred Days War..."
The sounds of children arguing...
Hurtful words are thrown...
Things turn physical...
As little Elise ran off to get her parents, the three snotty noble children went the opposite direction, retreating to the Phoenix Wings Inn, no doubt to give their own version of events to their parents.
Young Rean could only sigh at this point.
"Glad that's over." He remarked, wincing in pain as he did.
'They hit me pretty hard.' He thought to himself. 'Can't whine about it I guess, I hit them first.'
That he did, as he had come upon the scene of the two brats pushing Fie and Elise around, both figuratively and literally.
"Rean." Came the voice of child Fie, getting his attention.
"Yeah, Fie?" He regarded her, only to be caught off guard as she suddenly wrapped her arms around him, causing him to wince again.
"Thank you." She said simply, as she hugged him tightly.
Ignoring the mild pain she'd caused him, the young Schwarzer responded to her. "For what?" He questioned, looking genuinely oblivious as to what the show of gratitude was for.
"For standing up for us. For me." She supplied.
"You don't gotta thank me for that." He assured her.
The tiny girl smiled at that.
"I really like you." She blurted out suddenly, speaking in such a manner you'd think she had merely been commenting on the weather.
Rean couldn't help but laugh, as he replied, "I really like you too, Fie."
...
An older boy, passive-aggressive, mean-spirited, liked to harass other children...
Bullying a younger boy, a commoner, he hadn't expected to be rebuffed; caught off guard as the son of the lord, who's land his own family vacationed at, reprimanded him for his behavior...
Irritation, embarrassment, anger, he held a grudge...to make matters worse, it wasn't a real noble he'd been told off by. It was just a commoner pretending to be nobility...
"W-What did you just say...?" Rean stuttered for the briefest of moments, perplexed by what'd just been said to him.
"You heard me." The older boy, some middling noble's heir, replied. "I asked you how it feels being an unwanted brat?" He repeated snidely.
"I-I-I don't understand...what are you saying...?" The nine-year-old stammered as he inquired after clarification, nonplussed by the preteen's words.
"You're adopted, right? Don't you know? That means your real parents didn't want you." The brat spat venomously. "They abandoned you." He conjectured maliciously, presuming the worst out of spite.
Rean had long since known of his status of adoption. However, despite the circumstances surrounding the Schwarzers taking him in, he never really dwelled on the possibility that he'd been abandoned, not for any extended period of time, at least. It was a bitter and disheartening thought, so he always pushed it to the back of his mind and tried not to think on it.
But now, here was this older boy, just straight up throwing it in his face, as if it was an obvious conclusion, a simple fact of life.
Why? Why would he be so cruel to say such things? They barely even knew each other! How could he hate him so much!? Simply because he'd stood up for Luke when the noble boy had been picking on him? Was that all?
The real answer would elude Rean for a few years to come, til he was finally old enough to understand, when he was the same age as the preteen trying so hard to hurt him.
He was regarded as an a parasite of sorts, an unworthy urchin brought into the holier-than-thou fold of the nobility. Some street rat who had no true right or claim to the prestige their lineage brought them. His mere existence, at least in the station of life he'd been placed in, was an affront to them in every possible way.
There were plenty of nobles who didn't think this way, however, there were far more that did. And this boy was a part of the latter camp. Whether the opinions and beliefs he held were his own, or were taught to him by his parents, Rean would never know.
"So tell me goody two-shoes, how does that feel?" The snotty twelve year old repeated with a sneer.
"I don't-I-you can't-shouldn't-I..." The nine-year-old fumbled with his words, his auditory response a muddled mess, as he attempted to suppress his body's urge to show the overwhelming sadness he felt, the tears building in his eyes evidence of this.
"S-Shut up! Just...just leave me alone!"
He didn't, of course. Such a banal response from Rean didn't do anything to dissuade the older boy from continuing to bully him.
He'd heard such things a hundred times before, didn't stop him then, wouldn't stop him now. So he tried to torment him further, even when the younger child walked away and tried to get away from him, he just followed. Though, to his dissatisfaction, all he got was more stubborn insistence that he leave him alone.
Eventually, Rean recognized the fact that unless he resorted to physical force, the older boy would continue to hound him. However, as much as his words hurt him, the Schwarzer child did not feel this was proper provocation for such an action.
As it turned out, Fie, who'd come upon the scene a few moments prior and had heard a few choice mean-spirited words from the older kid, didn't feel the same.
Before either boy knew what'd happened, the little silver-haired girl was on the twelve-year-old and, for a lack of better word, proceeded to kick the crap out of him.
The preteen noble tried to fight back, but quickly found he couldn't do much against the six-year-old. So for his health, and what little dignity he had left, he fled, possessing more bruises than just the one to his ego.
There wouldn't be any repercussions for the stoic child's actions, as no boy wanted to admit they'd been beaten up by a girl, let alone one half his age. The fact that she was a commoner made it even worse. So, it was a sure thing this incident wouldn't reach the ears of anyone else.
Rean did his best to stifle his sniffles, choked back a sob, and attempted to speak. "F-Fie-"
Before he could say anything more, the younger girl had closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
While the damage had already been done, simply amplifying thoughts he'd had about himself regarding his status in the Schwarzer family already, the comforting gesture was more than appreciated.
"T-Thank you." He verbalized his gratitude for her in that moment.
...
Simple words, but she said them with meaning, conviction."I'm not afraid of you."
In that moment, those five words meant the world to him. To know he hadn't terrorized his closest friend, to know she did not fear him...it was a burden he was freed from.
"I've missed you."
The feel of her lips on his skin, brushing against his cheek as she kissed it. "Thank you."
"I just want to understand...and help you..."
Her melodic voice, as she confided in him. "Because to me, you'll always be the boy that changed my life."
"What I'm trying to say is...you're special to me, Rean."
Her kindness, her caring nature, and the sheer love she seemed to exude for those she held dear. "It doesn't matter what other people say about you or how they think of you. They're wrong. As your friend...as family, I know you better than they ever will. So believe me when I say, you're the best."
Her heartwarming devotion. "I wish I could have been there then, to take care of you like this, but I wasn't. So let me make up for it now."
Her smile, something that brightened his day anytime he saw it, was always a welcome sight to his sore eyes. "I don't know. I don't think I'd mind too much playing the damsel in distress, so long as you were my knight in shining armor."
Desperation personified, she pleaded for herself to be blamed for what he'd done. She sought nothing more than to be held accountable for his actions. Anything to save his life, to keep him safe. Even if it meant her own demise. "He's lying! Rean is just trying to cover for me! It was me, I killed your brother, not him! You hear me Warrick, it was me!"
Her honesty, in the face of all things. Her blunt nature. It was a breath of fresh air. "You may not value your life all that much, but I do."
In spite of everything he'd come to believe in his life, all that he'd been told by the nobility he'd found himself drafted into without his knowledge or consent, she did not think him lowly or without worth. Everyone else could judge him however they saw fit, himself included, but to her... "Your life...is precious. You are precious..."
What's more, she had seen his 'power' first hand. She said this to him, even knowing what was hidden inside...
She said what the others in his life that were close to him could, or would not. His father, his mother, his sister...whether they thought they had already conveyed this to him, or they found themselves reluctant to express it in such words, she'd made it all too real for him.
He knew he was loved, that played a large part in his lack of self-worth, as he felt he didn't deserve it, he could admit to that flawed logic. However, she'd made it explicitly clear that whether or not he felt he deserved it or not, through her words, and more importantly, her actions; shielding him with her own body, that she cared for him, wholly and deeply.
"I don't know what I'd do without you..."
...
His heart had nearly stopped when her wounded form was pressed against him, his arms around her, hands consumed in the warm crimson liquid that was her life essence.
The thought of losing her had terrified him, wracked his entire being with a deep, primal fear. He'd just gotten her back, he couldn't possibly lose her...she was the only one that made him feel...
...
"Rean."
That was Fie's voice. She was calling him.
"Rean."
The scene changed, as everything faded out of existence, and only Fie was left. She was no longer wounded, simply standing there, smiling.
"Rean." She called his name again.
Seeing her there, smiling at him, made him feel at peace. No stray thoughts or concerns about himself or anything around him, nothing to worry about...he was just content. For the first time in a long time.
"Rean."
6/1 - Tuesday
Trista, Thors Military Academy
"Rean."
The Schwarzer heir awoke to the sound of his childhood friend's voice calling his name; bleary eyes blinking away the sleep, his vision focused, allowing him to see the face of one Fie Claussell, a mere ten rege from his own.
She was so close, that in that moment, unbidden, his fuchsia colored orbs were able to run along her visage and absorb every little aspect and detail.
Her small nose, her silver bangs, her vibrantly striking lime-green eyes, her pale skin almost like snow; she had such gentle features, angelic even...she was quite lovely, in his eyes.
So much so that in that moment, the humble swordsman, his mind still sleep-addled, found the concept of her not being of angelic descent simply absurd.
'She's so beautiful...'
"Rean." Hearing her speak his name once more seemed to do the trick, as the fog of sleep finished receding and he fully joined the waking world.
Heart rate picking up, he blushed heavily at their close proximity and the thoughts that had occupied his mind moments prior; he sat up in the bed he was in. Willing the flush on his face to vanish, to no avail, of course, he finally responded to the calls of his name.
"I'm up." Even as he did, he still found himself incapable of calming the pace of his heart beat, or ridding himself of the red coloring to his cheeks, no matter how much he attempted to banish it from his visage.
"You okay?" Fie asked him, concern evident in her irises, tone solicitous, as she touched his forehead with the back of her hand, testing the temperature of his skin.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." He assured her, as the knowledge of his whereabouts came back to him.
Once more in the Nurse's Office, he was tucked away in a bed in the infirmary area.
Unlike last month, however, he was joined by both Fie and Laura, their wounds of similar severity to his.
Jusis and Machias had been lucky in that regard, as their wounds were almost fully healed. Some high-level healing arts, used after applying a healthy does of strong anti-bacterial ointment to their injuries, as well as a medical order to avoid physically straining themselves in any regard once so ever for a span of five days, and they'd been released. There were still visible signs of the physical trauma they'd endured, but they would fade in short order, no longer than a week or so Beatrix had promised them.
The other three members of Group A, however, weren't quite as fortunate. Best case scenario though, they'd be out of here by the end of the school day. Of course, once they were released they'd be given the same medical order of plenty of rest.
Removing her hand from his head, Fie broke the contact between their skin.
"No fever." She stated, neutral expression firmly in place, her eyes the only real outside indicator that she was worried.
"I'm fine, Fie. I promise." Rean reassured, finally starting to calm his heart and the heat in his face, as he smiled at her.
"You were out of it." She countered.
"I was dreaming." He supplied easily.
"Another nightmare?" She asked with concern.
"No." He answered her quickly.
"You promised, Rean." She reminded him, tone taking on a note of annoyance.
"I know, and I'm telling you, it wasn't a nightmare. I'd tell you if it had been, I swear." He averred.
"It was a pleasant dream, for once." He explained.
'For the most part, anyway.'
"About?" She queried, part curious, part dubious.
"You, actually." He informed her as he sat up in the bed, not taking so much as a moment to consider his phrasing.
Fie blinked twice in rapid succession, honestly surprised by that information, and though she wouldn't say so aloud, also delighted.
Recovering from her minor shock rather quickly, the silver-haired maiden mimicked a feline perfectly, as she gave a cat-like grin. "I'm flattered."
Realizing instantly how his words had been taken, the raven-haired boy's face was on fire, consumed in crimson once more. "N-Not like that!" He vehemently refuted the notion, as he covered the top-half of his face with one of his hands in his embarrassment.
The usually stoic girl couldn't help it as she let out several giggles at his response.
Her laugh was like music to his ears, and even he felt like groaning at the cheesiness of that thought. Didn't change the fact that it was true, though.
Shaking his head, the Schwarzer heir took a few moments to calm down from his flustered state.
As such, a companionable silence fell between them; the affable swordsman removed his hand and met the captivating lime-green orbs of his childhood friend once more.
He was utterly incapable of wiping the smile off his face that had been brought about from the sound of her laughter, even if it had been at his expense.
She, in turn, smiled openly, freely back at him, a rare occurrence outside of their time together in Ymir.
He wasn't oblivious. He had seen the vast polarity of how Fie behaved with the other members of Class VII, and how she behaved with him. She was guarded around the others, far more than he was even. He reigned his emotions in, she all but shut herself off from others.
'I've no doubt as to why.'
But, she'd slowly been working to change that, he'd witnessed it; she would make an effort to converse with their classmates when there was no impetus for her to do so. And considering her lackadaisical nature dictated that, more often than not, if she didn't have to do it she wasn't going to take any sort of initiative, that was saying something. Furthermore, she'd become more sociable, she even teased them on occasion!
She was genuinely bonding with their fellow members of Class VII. Perhaps only in small doses, life and death situations excluded, but in time, she'd get there. He was sure of that. Slowly but surely, her walls were coming down around the others. It would take time and a lot of effort, but in the end, it would happen.
Rean had to acknowledge, however, that those walls had hardly been there in the first place with him. Despite them being apart for eight long years, their relationship was almost back to normal by the end of the day they reunited, almost as if she'd never left Ymir in the first place...almost.
And in the two months they'd attended the academy, they'd grown so much closer. There was no denying this.
'She said I was precious to her...and I feel the same way about her.'
They both had strong feelings for one and other, this was irrefutable. The nature of these feelings, however, had become rather...hazy, as of late.
They were supposed to be like family...but it wasn't that cut and dry. That, along with Fie's open, honest, and expressive nature, that only seemed to come out around Rean himself, combined with just how much she seemed to care about him, how she tended to him with a tender touch...it was hard not to draw the conclusion that she was...
He shook his head once more at the absurdity of the coming thought.
'That would never happen.' He told himself, forcing down any sort of hope that something so ludicrous could be a reality, closing his eyes as he did.
'But maybe...maybe I am...' Rean considered the very real possibility for a number of moments.
So much weight behind such a simple word...
Trying to shift his focus to the external, as dwelling too long on the internal was something he couldn't bring himself to do in that moment, he opened his eyes back up.
"I'm not sure if you're reverting back to how you used to be when we were kids, or if Crow is just starting to rub off on you." He addressed her once more, regarding her developing playfulness.
"Probably a bit of both." The fifteen-year-old commented with a shrug.
"Heh, and here I thought you couldn't care less about the guy." He opined.
"For the most part." She confirmed straight up. "But he manages to make you smile more often than not when he shows up, that's good enough for me."
"Fie..." Rean breathed her name, unsure of how to respond to that statement.
Reaching out to his childhood friend, he patted her head, stroking her hair like he'd done when they were children and she needed comforting or he simply wanted to praise her. He did this more out of habit than anything else, as it was the only thing he could think of in the moment to show her how her words had moved him.
In response, her smile grew in size, as the lightest touch of the adoration he'd seen in her eyes when she was a kid shone through her colored-orbs at him. It was just a glimmer compared to back then, but it still touched his heart to be looked at in such a way, even if he felt he was the last person who deserved it.
The gravity of his feelings hit him all at once then, as he came to grips with the realization that...
'I-I...I think I'm in love with Fie...'
He suddenly felt rather lightheaded. So much so, that he he needed to lie back down.
"If you two could put a hold on your courting, that would be appreciated. I'd rather not bear witness to the two of you getting physical." The voice of a certain aloof noble interrupted, getting the childhood friends attention.
Turning his head, Rean looked toward the teen in question, to see him standing with the rest of the male half, excluding himself, of Class VII. Jusis, Machias, Gaius. and Elliot, all of them stood just beside the divider set up to provide privacy to those that rested in the infirmary section of the room.
Well, so much for trying to work through that revelation.
"H-Hey. guys, I-I didn't see you there." Rean greeted them nervously, attempting to bury his flare of anxiety at his internal realization; pulling his hand back from his childhood friend, he returned it to his lap.
"I'd imagine not." Machias posited. "What with the way the two of you were gazing into each other's eyes like that." He added, grinning as he was clearly holding back laughter.
"Kind of reminded me of the romance novels my sister read back home." Elliot remarked with a note of humor.
"We could come back later, if you wanted." Gaius offered with a smile, clearly somewhat amused by this himself.
"T-That won't be necessary!" Rean immediately insisted.
His reasons twofold: first was embarrassment, the second was that he wasn't sure he could handle being alone with the girl he was rapidly coming to the conclusion that he did indeed have romantic feelings for.
"Are you sure? Because I could accompany them, if you wish." A new voice interjected, drawing Rean's eyes, to see Laura in the bed two to his left, as she established her presence.
"L-Laura?! You didn't say anything, I thought you were asleep!" Rean exclaimed in surprise, quickly growing flustered once more; she'd more than likely heard everything.
"I didn't wish to intrude upon the moment." Laura explained herself simply enough, though in a somewhat sheepish manner, a new and odd look on the proud girl.
"Ugh." Rean just groaned as he facepalmed.
"You guys have the worst timing." Fie casually remarked. "Always showing up when we're having a moment."
"Fie, you're not helping." The affable swordsman groaned further.
The others snickered at this.
"On a more serious note, I'm glad to see you three are feeling better." Machias mercifully changed the topic, adjusting his repaired glasses as he did.
"Indeed. You were in a far worse state than us." Jusis informed them.
"Nurse Beatrix's healing arts are like the stuff of miracles." Elliot exclaimed. "The five of you would have been bedridden for months if it wasn't for her, if not worse." He apprised them, despite one of them knowing from experience how true that was.
"Be that as it may, we wouldn't have made it back to the academy alive at all if we hadn't been so swiftly stabilized. If it hadn't been for Instructor Sara rushing us to the hospital, we would have undoubtedly died down in that waterway." The bespectacled academic laid out the grim truth of the matter.
"She's rather eccentric, and has a bad habit of shrugging off her duties, even laying them at the feet of others..." The well-spoken swordswoman started.
"But the fact of the matter is, she saved our lives." The blond fencer finished. "Not something I saw coming, if I'm being honest." He openly admitted.
"Sara comes through when it matters." Fie avowed for her mentor.
They went quiet then, as they reflected on that.
Half of their class could have just not come back from their field study.
If their Instructor hadn't come when she did, they'd of perished, and odds are, no one would ever have known what happened to them. Especially not if Warrick had the foresight to clean up the mess he would have made with their bodies.
It was a somber line of thought...
Deciding they'd dwelled on such things long enough, Rean changed the subject.
"Where are Emma and Alisa? We're all basically here, I'd figure they'd of come too, if they knew you were visiting us."
"They came by earlier, actually." Laura let him know.
"Right, when I was zonked out. Makes sense." Rean acknowledged with a nod of his head.
...
"Yo, Rean-Meister, you here?" Came the familiar voice of a particular second-year.
Crow showed himself as he peeked his head around the corner of the divider, getting everyone's attention on him.
"Yep, you're here." Upon catching sight of them, the white-haired teen stepped out from behind the divider and stood with the others.
"I take it you've come to check on Rean?" Gaius queried directly.
"Undoubtedly skipping out on some sort of commitment while he's at it, no doubt." Jusis openly deprecated the older teen.
"Sounds about right." Fie agreed.
"Ah, you guys are already figuring me out. Good on ya." Crow regarded them with a grin at that.
"I was wondering when you were going to pop up." Machias commented.
"He does tend to show up around Rean quite a bit." Elliot put forth.
"Course' I do, he's my buddy." The nineteen-year-old said.
"Speaking of which..." The white-haired youth proceeded to look Rean up and down, from head to toe. "You went and got yourself hurt again." He shook his head this.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. When will you get it through your head buddy? No means no. Learn to respect boundaries." He teased his friend in a jest, grinning all the while.
Rather than blush and sputter out some sort of denial, or even express his annoyance at the joke, Rean opted to take the direct approach for once.
Before he could react, Crow found himself with a faceful of pillow, as the fluffy object was thrown at him as hard as the diffident swordsman could chuck it. "Shut up, you."
The surprise attack caused the older teen to falter backward a step or so. Still, as the pillow fell from his face to the floor, Crow just burst into a fit of laughter, everyone else following suit.
A few hours later...
Rean and Fie sat across from each other at the table located on the third floor of the Class VII dormitory, the girls' floor. Locked in a test of luck and skill; cards laid out before them, they were engaged in a rousing game of Blade.
"Mirror." Fie voiced the name of the next card she played, turning the tide in her favor.
"Good move." Rean acknowledged, as he switched their in-play cards, trading his for hers, giving her the advantage.
"Hmm..." The humble swordsman considered his next move carefully, now having to account for the switch. "Bolt." The raven-haired boy did much the same as his friend, as he said the name of his card as he laid it on the table.
Removing her highest numbered card from her in-play area, the fifteen-year-old placed it in her discard pile; a click of the tongue signifying her annoyance at such an action.
"Last card." Rean noted, as both their hands consisted of only a single card now.
"Mmm." Was his childhood friend's only response, as she put her last card in play.
The eighteen-year-old followed suit, laying down his final card.
"I lost." The stoic girl stated, as that last card put her best friend's score a single point above her's.
"This time. I have a feeling I won't be so lucky next time." Rean responded with a chuckle, as he gathered the cards and put them together neatly, before beginning to shuffle them.
...
In regards to his earlier revelation, the young swordsman felt he had only one real choice.
And that was to bury the feelings as deep as he could, and ignore the whole thing entirely.
Not the healthiest or the most mature way to deal with it, even he recognized that, but everything considered, it was the only path he felt he could take.
So, that was exactly what he was doing in this moment, as he focused solely on his childhood friend and spending time with her, rather than the stirring emotions and restless feelings he was developing.
'I've had plenty of practice reigning in my emotions. I got this.' He assured himself.
"You really like this game, don't you, Fie?" Rean asked her directly, in spite of already knowing the answer.
They'd just finished their seventh round, after all.
"Yep." She replied simply.
The raven-haired youth smiled at that.
'Guess I'd better find a way to get her a deck of her own.' He decided then.
...
That was when Rean noticed Laura approaching.
He chose to remain silent, since she seemed intent on speaking with Fie, her eyes trained on said younger girl as she walked toward them.
The ex-jaeger, obviously, knew of her presence, sensing her drawing closer. Still, she waited until she was addressed directly before regarding her.
"Fie?" Laura spoke her name softly.
Rean sat back and waited, curious as to how this was going to unfold. If it got too personal, then he would simply excuse himself and turn in for the night. For now though, he'd stay where he was, if only for the reason that if Fie didn't want him here, she'd let him know.
"Pardon the intrusion. I wish to speak with you...about the schism between us." The sword maiden disclosed her intentions in a forthright manner.
"Alright then. Sit." The silver-haired maiden replied in her own candid manner.
Laura did as she was bid, taking a seat next to the younger girl.
Taking a deep breath to prepare herself; she began.
"All this time, I've been working off of a false premise." She prefaced. "If one defines knighthood as the way of the virtuous, how can the path of the jaeger be seen as anything but corrupt?" She laid out her logic on the subject. "I came to believe that because we'd been raised with such strongly opposing values, I could not accept you." She explained herself and her side of the tension.
Fie averted her eyes, aside from that, she showed no outward signs of discomfort.
But that in it of itself spoke volumes to Rean, as he fought back the forming frown; he could tell his fellow swordsman was going somewhere with this, it wasn't her fault, he just didn't like to see his close friend distressed in such a way.
"However, I was mistaken in thinking along such lines. As I said, I was going off of a false premise that I'd conceived of based off only secondhand accounts and knowledge. What I heard, what I read, I allowed it to color my perception far too easily. I understand that now." The well-spoken noble girl elucidated.
"Down in the waterway beneath Bareahard, I observed you as you fought. I watched as you struggled to survive...and to protect someone close to you. The stark contrast between Warrick's behavior and your own, both of you having been made into who you are through the trials and tribulations of jaeger life, made me realize how ignorantly I was behaving." She explicated her reasoning.
"When I realized that, I asked myself again why I felt such resistance to fighting alongside you. It was shortly after that, that I concluded that I didn't have any real reason, let alone a good one. My preconception of who you were supposed to be, how your were supposed to act, how you were supposed to think...it was irrevocably shattered when I looked on as you used your own body to shield another." She disclosed the point in time her mind had been changed and her opinion altered.
"It was honorable, valiant, in fact, something I never thought one with the title of jaeger, ex or otherwise, capable of." She admitted. "That act instilled in me an even greater respect for you. As such, I now know without a doubt that everything I held to be true about jaegers is, at best, stereotypes and hearsay, and at worst, nothing more than nescience. In the end, it's a simple lesson my father taught me at a young age, yet I seem to have failed to truly grasp until now: never judge a book by its cover." She expatiated on the matter.
"For that, and my behavior up until now, you have my deepest apologies." The blue-haired girl apologized, her sincerity and remorse all too visible in her amber orbs.
Fie was honestly touched by the genuine remorse Laura displayed, it coming through much more openly and clearly than it had back in Bareahard, effectively quelling any doubts about the genuineness of her words.
Turning her head to look back at the older girl, her lime-green eyes met the swordwoman's own amber ones, as she replied, "It's all right. I don't hold it against you. I've experienced far worse regarding my status as a jaeger back when I actually was one. Still...thank you." She expressed her appreciation of the other girl's words, managing a small smile as she did.
"With all that said, however, I still feel there is something left undone." The noble-born girl opined.
"I may have finally moved past my flawed way of thinking, the fallacy of what jaegers are done away with, but, my desire to further understand you still goes unsated." She apprised her classmate.
"Therefor, I humbly ask that you share your story with me." She exhorted the younger girl.
"Why do you want to know about my past?" A simple and blunt questioning response.
"Heh...it's very simple, really. I want to know because I like you." Laura divulged, regarding Fie with a smile as she did.
The subtle widening of the stoic girl's eyes, and the small, quick, and sharp breath she took, these illustrated her shock at such a thing.
"I find it frustrating when I'm not able to understand those I've taken an interest in or have a high opinion of." Laura illuminated her feelings on this. "I feel like that about you." She stated directly to the younger girl.
For a moment, she turned her attention to Rean across from them. "I feel the same about you, Rean." She informed him. "However, we can speak of that another time."
The humble swordsman in question was somewhat surprised to be addressed, let alone about that. Remaining quiet though, he took it in stride, just wondering to himself, 'What could I have possibly done to catch her interest?'
Giving Fie her full focus once more, Laura explained herself one more time. "That's why I want to know your history. I want to know what shaped you into who you are now."
Fie took a moment to contemplate that, before coming to a swift decision. "That's fine, I guess. I'll tell you."
With that decided, the young girl began her tale.
"I was once a member of the Zephyr jaeger corps." She opened with this statement.
"Before that, my earliest memories are of explosions and battlefields. I found myself wandering in a war-torn hotspot on the outskirts of some country I never even knew the name of. Jaeger corps threw themselves into battle for the highest bidder day after day, while I wandered alone." She described her lot in life. "Simply put, I'm a war orphan. I have no idea who my biological parents are, I can't even remember their faces." She bluntly informed the other girl.
"The man who eventually took me in called himself the Jaeger King; he was the leader of the infamous Zephyr jaeger corps. He was middle-aged, crafty, stubborn, and lucky. He always seemed so carefree, but he never let his guard down. To me, though, he was the closest thing to a father I've ever had." She related this to the girl beside her.
"The other members of Zephyr had their quirks, but they were all nice to me. As time went on, I started helping with the cleaning, the cooking, the packing..." The silver-haired maiden trailed off then, seemingly reminiscing about her time with the group.
It didn't last long though, as she soon picked back up.
"During my free time, they started teaching me all kinds of skills I'd need to survive on the battlefield. One thing led to another, and I ended up fighting my first real battle: I was ten. Most of the corp insisted I be made an official member after that. The boss was reluctant, even more so than he'd been about me learning to fight in the first place. The others managed to persuade him in pretty short order though, and I was made a full-fledged member of the group." She detailed the experience.
"For the next few years, we lived and fought together. I even picked up a nickname like some career jaegers do; you've heard it from Warrick more than enough times: 'Sylphid.'" She brought up.
"We roamed all across the continent together." She continued. "There were hard times. Times when we thought we might not live through the night...but we always did. Together. Until last year, when our boss died." Her tone became somewhat somber then.
"It was a clash with another jaeger corps, the Red Constellation. People used to say they were the only jaeger corps in West Zemuria who could match us. Their leader, a guy they called the War God, had been on bad terms with our boss for years. Eventually, the War God and the Jaeger King decided to settle things with one big duel. They went at it for three days and three nights. In the end, they both fell." She recounted the dreadful event. "After that, the Zephyr I grew up with disbanded. All the members who were left just kind of scattered. I don't know where they went..." The abundance of pain in Fie's eyes was discernible to even the most common person, let alone observant swordsmen like Rean and Laura.
"Then, just like that, I was alone again."
A pensive silence followed those words, none of the three saying another word for a handful of moments.
"Just when I was wondering what I'd do next, where I'd go, Sara showed up." Fie suddenly spoke back up. "She said she'd been following the situation between Zephyr and the Red Constellation. That's how we first met." She explained.
"I told her about what happened, and she dragged me to the academy. She introduced me to the principal and after several months of what equaled out to be cram school, so I'd be ready to attend Thors... Well, you know the rest." Like that, her life as she'd lived it had been summarized and laid bare.
...
"That's quite a history." Laura remarked. "Listening to you tell your story really brings into focus how limited my view of the world has been." She proclaimed.
"But I feel like I finally know 'you.' There's still so much more I want to learn, of course, but at least this gives me a base to build on." She verbally imparted her satisfaction. "Though, I am curious, why did you leave out the time you spent with Rean in Ymir?" She inquired.
"That's a whole other story." Fie answered simply.
Laura chuckled at this.
Rean smiled at the sight, as the two girls conversed further regarding other topics.
The discussion quickly grew considerably more lighthearted, and as such, both of them smiling back at each other at this point, the affable swordsman felt his presence was no longer necessary.
Excusing himself, he collected his blade deck, stood up, and proceeded to make himself scarce.
...
As he descended the steps to the second floor, where he would go straight to his room and turn in for the night, the diffident teen went through his lingering thoughts regarding the whole situation.
'I've always known Fie and I were both orphans who'd been adopted into unordinary lifestyles...but when you lay it all out like that...there are more similarities in our lives than I'd ever considered before.'
'I can't compromise what we have.'
'If I told her how I felt...I don't think I could handle the rejection. It'd hurt too much. Moreover, it wouldn't be fair to her. Putting her in that position...it would be wrong. Forcing her to reject her best friend, it'd more than likely hurt her almost as much. And...I think the pity I'd see in her eyes would kill me.'
'Above all else, I'm just not good enough for her. She deserves someone far better than me.'
Rean's scattered thoughts made it difficult to sleep, to say the least. But no matter what he did, all he could think about was Fie, and the feelings he now realized he had.
He'd contemplated them all day long, turning them over again and again in his head, and despite all his attempts, he'd been unable to justify why he shouldn't feel like this. As such, he found himself incapable of convincing himself that he wasn't in love with her.
He'd tried to reason with himself, telling himself that it was just hormones.
That was thrown out the window in about half a second, however, as he found himself attracted to the other girls of Class VII too, and he didn't feel anything like this when he was around them, even Laura, who he'd established a friendship with at this point.
Moving on, he tried to convince himself it was just strong familial love, but that didn't pan out either, as he'd felt like that about her already when they were kids, not to mention he could compare it to his love for Elise as well as his mother and father. Needless to say, it was something different than that, something...
'More.'
"Argh! What am I gonna do?" He bemoaned his predicament, feeling like pulling his hair out at this point.
These thoughts would continue to run through his head for the rest of the night.