A brand new day had arrived in Erebonia and Rean couldn't help but feel refreshed. Now that everything was out in the open he actually felt light as a feather, he hadn't realized how much everything was weighing down on him, how used he had become with carrying that burden, pretending it wasn't there and hoping it would simply go away.
He was still far from an exemplary specimen of mental health, all of his insecurities were still there and there was much left to be done, but Rean was starting to have a better grasp of his feelings as well as of those around him. His friends cared about him just as much as he cared about them and he couldn't pretend they were wrong, nobody would've gone through the lengths they did if it wasn't genuine, especially not Laura.
The way they exchanged blows that day, how much could be said with the swinging of a blade… He would never forget it. It was thanks to Laura's efforts, the fact she never gave up on him, that she pushed him to be honest with himself and proceeded to accept him for who he was, that he could regain his sense of self. And she was right, he had to take the first step forward in bettering himself, not just to honor her resolve and trust but for his own sake as well.
It was in that state of mind that Rean left Ymir along with the rest of the Crimson Wings. They couldn't stay at the hot springs village as it was pretty crowded with all the civilians they had rescued, instead opting to spend the night in Roer where the Courageous went through a dash of routine maintenance to ensure it would be up and running for the upcoming operation: taking back Trista.
The Courageous was en route to the town, with its ground team gathered at the bridge while Toval relayed the information he had gathered to the ground team. It might have seemed like a daunting task to leave for just the Crimson Wings but not only had they proved themselves again and again, the Noble Alliance had withdrawn from the town to tighten the security closer to Heimdallr, leaving only a handful of men guarding Trista.
"Hmm…" Laura stroked her chin thoughtfully. "While I do see how it's more advantageous for them to concentrate their forces in the capital, Trista is still a valuable target. By taking it we will be able to establish a base of operations right at their doorstep."
"Right, by the looks of it they consider the town as lost already," added Machias.
"Yeah, I was about to get to that part. Another tidbit of info I got was that aside from the provincial forces keeping an eye on things was that there's also a sympathizing faction that managed to convince the Noble Alliance to leave them in charge of guarding Trista," the bracer's voice took a grave tone and even his expression, normally easy going, seemed to get more serious at the mention of this new threat. "They're a group of noble students from Thors that call themselves the Order of the Lion and they are led by Patrick T. Hyarms, the youngest son of Marquis Hyarms."
Silence descended on the bridge as Class VII seemed to contemplate the information for a moment, but then that was broken by Rean, tilting his head to the side with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay, and what else?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" The bracer reciprocated with the same quizzical look.
"He means what else awaits us in Trista," Jusis explained.
"Yeah, like, is there an Enforcer there too or did Xeno plant a bomb in our dorm or something?" Asked Fie.
"What? No. That's all there is."
Sara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Toval, I know this is me talking but we don't have time for jokes."
"I'm not joking! Trista is under control of Patrick Hyarms and his fellow classmates!"
Toval's desperate tone sent everyone into silence once again as even the other members of the crew were taken aback, staring at each other a little bit lost, a little confused. Some were wincing.
Emma let out a simple "Oh," in response.
"Hmm, that's… Well…" Gaius scratched his neck awkwardly.
"There's still those provincial soldiers in there, I guess that's something to watch out for," said Elliot.
"Oh this is going to be easy peasy!" Millium blurt out, throwing her hands behind her head lackadaisical.
"Millium, come on, that's not polite," Alisa rebuked her, although at the same time she was stifling a laugh. "I'm sure they're going to try their best."
"Oof, for a second you had us there, Toval. Well, I guess…" Rean's shoulders sagged in visible relief as he cast his eyes around the bridge. "Does anyone want to stay on the ship, maybe get something done while a couple of us takes care of things down there? Wanna go down there and stretch your legs a bit, Angelica?"
"As much as I'd rather punch Hyarms in the face, I think it's better I watch the skies in case of a real threat," Angelica waved her hand dismissively.
"What about you, Towa?"
"I still am the president of the student council so I feel it's my duty to see this through. And… Uhm, well…" The acting captain shuffled on her seat, her voice going down to a whisper. "It's not like it's going to be any dangerous."
"We should meet their challenge with all of our might, anything less would be a dishonor to us and our adversaries," Laura said what was expected of her but then she added: "Even if it might be overkill."
"I'm gonna take a nap," Fie yawned.
"Wow, you guys are taking this way better than I expected," Toval said with surprise.
"Look, Toby, I trained those Class I and II students so I know what they're capable of but… I trained those Class I and II students so I know what they're capable of," Sara shrugged then pointed at the Class VII students around her. "And them against these guys? Let's be real for a second."
"I mean, it's not that surprising knowing Patrick. I thought he had mellowed out after a while but old habits die hard I guess," Rean shrugged. "Kind of impressive he managed to put himself in charge though."
"Hardly," Jusis scoffed. "As a son of one of the Four Great Houses, I imagine it was easy for Hyarms, along with his circle of sycophants, to ingratiate themselves with the Noble Alliance after Trista was taken over then he was put in a command position for his collaboration. That dolt himself didn't lift a single finger."
"Principal Vandyck stayed in the school along with some of the faculty, right? I hope they are okay," said Machias.
"I'm sure the principal didn't want to risk the students and citizens of Trista to be caught up in the fighting, so after the initial attack he surrendered peacefully," suggested Gaius, which seemed in line with what everyone knew about the military veteran.
"Do you guys think they'll use the rest of the students and the civilians as hostages?" Emma asked apprehensively.
While they wanted to say that not even Patrick could stoop so low, they couldn't discard that possibility or any other underhanded tactics, so they devised a plan of action that consisted in making a show of challenge the so-called Order of the Lion with Rean at the forefront, drawing Patrick's attention, while Sara would sneak in from the outskirts of Trista, entering Thors through the back and catch them off guard. Simple and elegant.
With their game plan set and Trista rapidly approaching, Class VII and Towa started on their way towards the hangar and were followed by the unanimous cheers from the rest of the crew, wishing them good luck in taking back Thors.
"You guys go on ahead, Elliot and I have something to talk about," Rean said while the others got in the elevator, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. The musician was a little confused on what this was about, especially how Rean looked a little embarrassed. "So… I'm strong, good looking and super popular, huh?"
Elliot immediately panicked. "O-oh, that," he gulped. "Compared to what everyone said, it's kinda sil-"
"Thank you, Elliot," Rean interrupted him. "I know it wasn't easy to admit to something like that in front of everyone and you did it for my sake, that level of honesty takes more strength than you give yourself credit for, more strength than I've been capable of at times. So, from the bottom of my heart, thanks. And come on, you're not popular? Everyone loves your music, once you've graduated you're going to be a huge success!" He finished cheerfully with a slap on Elliot's shoulder. "So, while I do appreciate the compliments, don't put yourself down, you have your own amazing qualities as well."
Caught by surprise, the redhead was taken aback for a moment before laughing and thanking Rean for the support, and he felt relief that this wasn't as awkward as it seemed it was going to be at first. At first that is, because one matter still remained, one that Elliot really should just let go.
"W-what about the other part? You know, the good looking one?" He asked sheepishly.
"Err…" Rean cringed internally and the confidence he was exuding vanished. Maybe broaching this topic was a bad idea.
Elliot hung his head low. "O-oh…"
"It's just… It's your haircut, Elliot. I'm sorry but it's not great, bowl cuts don't look good."
The musician's hands went over to his head as if that could hide his hair. "My dad used to cut my hair and after I left for Thors I didn't know what to do with it."
"Hey, don't look so glum," Rean put his arm around Elliot's shoulders. "It's easy to fix, just get a new one! It's already grown a little since this mess started, so how about getting a ponytail? Kinda like Prince Olivert's?" Gradually, Elliot's expression changed and he perked up as he tried to picture himself and Rean couldn't help but grin. "Pretty cool, right? So cheer up!"
Elliot chuckled. "Okay, alright, message received. Now, let's get going before the others start to get impatient."
"Sure," Rean said as he called the elevator back. "By the way, how's the progress on the sound based Arts project? Did you get to finish what you were telling me about?"
"Yep, me, Alisa and George got it done a little before you and Laura came back yesterday.
"Good, because today might be its trial run."
The sun was high in the sky as the Courageous approached the town of Trista with Valimar standing on its deck, zemurian ore tachi in hand. Holding it again felt better than the test drive at the Reinford facility. Now, more than just how it felt like it perfectly fit the Divine Knight's hands, more than notions of weight distribution and measurements, Rean felt connected with the sword, like it was just as much of a part of him the same way Valimar was.
A reorganized mind, so that's what Master Ka-fai meant. One step closer.
"Are you ready, Valimar?" Rean asked aloud, preferring to speak over using their telepathic link.
"Affirmative."
Heh, of course, what other way could it be, right?
"You know, I was wondering about what Laura experienced, my own thoughts and feelings in my lowest moments. Both times they happened while I was controlling you, weren't they?"
"Hmm… Albeit rudimentary, your ARCUS devices and its combat-link capabilities closely resemble the Deus Excellion-Awakener connection. Your simultaneous use of both during moments of intense stress might have resulted in an abnormality."
Rean nodded. "I figured that might be the case."
"It could also be related to my unique ability."
"Your… Oh, I see, I see," Rean nodded again, stroking his chin in thought. "Interesting. It's not Ordine's Boost Mode but I'm not about to dismiss it. But that's talk for another time, heads up."
Trista had finally come into view and with it a line formed of five panzer soldats: three Spiegel models armed with rifles, a Goliath and a Kestrel.
"We've tried to reach them but our calls are being ignored," Towa said to Rean over the ARCUS. "I suppose there's no other option."
"Understood, Towa. I'll take care so the fighting is limited to outside of town, compared to fighting a magic knight in the middle of Ordis this will be a breeze. Everyone else, get ready because once I'm done there we're taking our school!"
"And we're kicking Patrick in the butt!" Millium exclaimed, pumping her fist up excitedly.
"Heh, you know it," Rean chuckled then Valimar jettison from the Courageous deck, leaving a glistering trail of mana behind and in that brief moment, for those who had a sharp eye and who had watched Rean and Valimar dozens of times by now, that simple motioned seemed more natural than anything they had seen before.
At high speed, Valimar flew straight towards Trista and the defensive line that had been mounted over its eastern exit and upon seen the ashen bullet coming at their direction, the Spiegels and Goliath immediately opened fire, bullets and missiles meeting Valimar head on, but a combination of evasive maneuvers and use of his sword as a shield meant next to no damage being inflicted on the Divine Knight.
Closing in on the ground, Valimar continued on his path towards the Noble Alliance's forces and the Kestrel met him head on, brandishing a sword and moving at a much higher speed than any other panzer soldat Rean had ever encountered, but that mattered little because once both zemurian ore and steel blade clashed, the latter was sliced in half and along with it, the arms that wielded it in a glorious shower of sparks and smoke.
One down.
With Valimar on the ground, the Spiegels mobilized to try to surround him but they couldn't move fast enough and, one by one, they easily fell to Rean and his Divine Knight, disabling the soldats without killing their pilots. The last one remaining gave Rean pause, a Goliath just like Vulcan's, but this time he knew exactly what he was up against, he wouldn't make the same mistake.
"I don't care that you got a special soldat with you, not even that thing can survive this!" The Goliath's pilot bellowed as he readied all of his soldat's weapons at Valimar but Rean did not spare a single second and seeing an opportunity, unleashed a movement of the sixth form of the Eight Leaves, Scarlet Sky, producing an immense shockwave that raged across the field and smacked the Goliath with enough force to disorient or downright destroy its targeting systems.
Valimar then rushed down the massive soldat, slicing off its limbs and cleaving through its armor as Rean made sure to destroy its redundant systems, ensuring the pilot would have no chance of attacking or, Aidios forbid it, attempt a suicidal attack. Once he saw an opening, Valimar reached for the cockpit's hatch and tore it open and removed the pilot, who kicked and screamed and tried to shoot the Divine Knight with his service weapon as he was pulled out of his soldat.
Using Valimar, Rean had an easy time of rounding up the panzer soldat pilots before they could escape and cause any sort of problems in Trista. It wasn't without them throwing a dozen insults at him and claiming that true justice would prevail in the end but Rean just rolled his eyes at them. Once the battle was over, the Courageous landed and the prisoners were detained on the airship's brig to be picked up later by the RMP.
"You've become even more proficient in piloting Valimar," Laura remarked once she and the rest of Class VII and Towa met up with Rean and once again he saw that smile on her, one that signaled she felt proud of him and his abilities. It was enough to dispel any lingering doubts Rean might have.
"Couldn't have done it without you guys," he responded, casting his eyes over to his friends as his expression turned serious. "The fight ahead might not be the hardest one we'll see in this war but we shouldn't take it any less seriously than anything we've faced so far. This is Thors we're talking about, it's what brought all of us together in the first place. It's our home and we're taking it back!"
If anyone wasn't taking the mission seriously before, now they were. How couldn't they when Rean put it so succinctly? So without any more fanfare, Class VII marched towards Trista.
They moved in a tight formation past the entrance gates in a circle formation with Towa safely in the middle. The streets were deserted and Class VII kept their eyes and ears perked up for any ambushes or traps lying in wait and as fortunate as it was that they hadn't detected any, that just made the situation more eerie. Past the first few blocks, the only presences they felt were of the town's residents staring at them from behind the windows of their houses.
The creaking of a door slowly opening got their attention but instead of an enemy, it was one of the townsfolk, an elderly man, who was reluctantly checking on the new arrivals from behind the half opened door of his house.
"Y-you are the kids from Thors, right? Class VII?" He asked.
There was a pause between the students at first as they were unsure how to proceed. To not waste any more time, Rean nodded, affirming that yes, they were Class VII and that they were there to liberate Trista.
"Oh thank Aidios, finally!" The news made the man's eyes brighten as he fully stepped out of his house and threw his arms in the air in joy.
That was followed by the rest of the street's residents who had been spying on Class VII as well, opening their doors and windows and coming out of their homes to cheer on the students. That was, of course, a nightmare scenario because if a fight were to break out in that moment, civilians could end up getting hurt.
"Get those Noble Alliance's bastards out of our town!" A woman yelled.
"Teach them a lesson!" Another man hollered.
"We're counting on you!"
"Give 'em a good ol' Thors thrashing!"
"Good folk, I understand you're excited for the Noble Alliance's occupation to end but we ask you return to your homes," Laura said out loud, her voice calm but commanding. "The fighting is not over yet."
"Oh let them have their fun," a gruff voice said casually and from a corner walked in Micht, the owner of the local pawn shop.
"Micht? Are you sure it's okay to be walking in the middle of the streets like this?" Asked Rean.
"Sure," the older man shrugged. "The only big mobilization from the Noble Alliance's forces in the town were the ones in those soldats which…" He looked over Class VII in the direction of the eastern exit, where faint columns of smoke could still be seen. "I guess you kids took care of, and the rest moved to Thors, probably barricaded themselves for some glorious final stand off or whatever. I don't see Sara anywhere so my guess is she's going around the back?"
"Uh yeah, that's the gist of it."
"Good plan. Well, don't let me keep y'all," Micht stepped aside to let a somewhat befuddled Class VII pass through.
"I suppose he isn't a successful writer and informant for nothing," Gaius suggested.
"I can't believe my assertion that Trista was pretty much abandoned was so accurate," said Machias, adjusting his glasses.
"They could still have one last card up on their sleeves, we never know," said Alisa.
"Right, let's get a move on and keep our eyes peeled," Rean said and they picked up their pace, running past the cobblestone streets although never fully lowering their guards.
When they passed by their dorm there was a slight pause but they quickly moved on, certain that they would have time to check it later. Arriving at the town square they were met with even more people cheering them on and celebrating, while some confirmed that soldiers bearing the colors of Lamarre's provincial army had run to the school when the fighting started, which meant that whatever the Order of the Lion had planned would happen at Thors.
A mix of tension and excitement grew within Class VII as they walked up the road to their school. The fact they would have to fight schoolmates, or former schoolmates, didn't go unnoticed by them. It wasn't a desirable position to be in, even if some of them had their scuffles with them, nobody wanted to turn their weapons against fellow students, but this was a necessary step towards their future and whatever would come out of it, Class VII would face it together.
Going over the slope they could see past the school's gate and their adversaries standing there, waiting for them. Considering they made no immediate movements, it seemed they were set on a head on confrontation.
"Patrick!" Rean shouted out, hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ready to attack, while his eyes carefully watched for any sneak attacks coming from the main building.
Standing in front of the school's main building was Patrick Hyarms, looking intense as ever. Next to him were Vincent as well as Edel, neither looking as fierce as their presumed leader however.
"What's Edel doing with those douchebags?" Fie whispered. "There's no way she took the Noble Alliance's side."
"Maybe she's a hostage?" Emma suggested but then the president of the gardening club waved and that completely threw them off.
"Took you long enough, Class VII," said the youngest son of House Hyarms, his voice with the unmistakable haughty tone they knew him for.
"So, how are we going to do this?" Rean squinted his eyes.
"It'll be rather simple, actually," the leader of the Order of the Lion responded and snapped his fingers and the gesture caused the front doors of the school to be thrown open as… Lambert, Friedel and the Hyarms butler, Celestine, dragged out the Noble Alliance soldiers, all bound and gagged? There were seven in total, all of them thrashing and grunting and trying to break free but to no avail.
"What is going on?" Laura looked at Rean but he was just as lost as she was and the tachi wielder directed his confused expression at Patrick, who seemed incredibly satisfied with himself.
"With its mission concluded, I, as its leader, declare the Order of the Lion disbanded. Vincent, Edel, Lambert, Friedel and Celestine, it was an honor to serve with you."
Edel tittered. "It was rather fun."
"Yes, although these soldiers could've provided some challenge," Friedel said with a disappointed look on her face.
"You're just upset you got vetoed on actually challenging Class VII to a fight," Lambert laughed.
"She can swing her sword how much she likes as long as it doesn't involve me," Vicented shrugged. "I'm a lover, not a fighter, and I would rather not get hurt just as the war is about to end."
Machias almost shrieked at the performance going on in front of them. "Can someone explain what the hell is going on!?"
Getting the gist of the situation rather quickly after the initial shock, Rean couldn't help but palm his face and groan. "I can't believe we fell for it."
Soon realization dawned on the rest of Class VII, whose reactions were a mix of relief and embarrassment, especially when a hearty laugh came out of the school and they watched as Principal Vandyck and the rest of faculty along with Sara walked out of the main building.
"Well played, young Hyarms. It seems your idea caught even Class VII by surprise," said the military veteran.
"Were you in on this, instructor?" Elliot asked Sara.
"Nah, I'm just as surprised as you all are. I was about to burst through the back when standing there was Beatrix over here waiting for me and explained the whole deal for me."
It was rather obvious what had happened now: the so-called Order of the Lion was nothing but a farce to gain the trust of the Noble Alliance. Jusis wasn't wrong with his assumption that Patrick had used his position as part of the Four Great Houses to curry favor with the Noble Alliance's forces, what Class VII hadn't expected was for the youngest Hyarms to use that to keep the alliance's interference in the town and school to a minimum and that they were biding their time to make their move, taking down the remnants of the soldiers stationed there.
It was rather brilliant all things considered.
"You kids and your theatrics, what a waste of time," Makarov griped, earning a playful slap on the shoulder from Mary, telling him to not be such a grouch.
"We would have contacted the Crimson Wings but I'm sure all of you understand the need for operational security. We couldn't risk information of our plans being leaked," Patrick said to Rean. "Besides, the look on your faces is priceless."
Rean couldn't even get mad at the smarmy expression Patrick had, it was a well earned one. He could only sigh and admit that he and the rest of his class had jumped to an unkind conclusion.
"You did but I will admit it, since we've known each other I haven't conducted myself in a manner that left any other interpretations to be drawn. However, make no mistake, I haven't changed my opinions on the class system. I still believe it is an essential facet of Erebonian society that distinguishes us from the rest of the world, that strengthens us as a nation and that benefits the whole of our society, but it's not flawless and this war is not how we should go about maintaining it."
"Well, that's fair. It's kind of a relief, we weren't exactly looking forward to fighting any of you guys," said Rean.
"Oh? My swordsmanship has grown since our last duel, certainly, but I doubt we could've posed a challenge against Class VII."
"We thought we were going to kick your-" Millium started to say before Jusis covered her mouth while Rean faked a cough to distract Patrick.
"Yes, challenge, that's totally what I meant," Rean said and walked over to the young Hyarms with a stretched hand. "Anyway, thank you and the rest of the noble students who stayed for taking care of Trista and our school."
Patrick hesitated for a moment but then accepted the gesture and gave Rean's hand a firm shake, signaling a new page between them. Although he hadn't dwelled much on it, part of Rean did felt a tinge of guilt for the way he beat Patrick that fateful day at the beginning of school but the blow to his family's honor had been deep and as someone trying to reinvent himself, it felt like the right thing to do. It was a relief that it didn't leave any bad blood between them and by the looks of it, maybe Rean should start considering Patrick a friend now.
"Now, Rean, as I understand it, your sister has been incarcerated with the members of the Royal Family. If I may offer my support in her resc-" Patrick suppressed a yelp as he suddenly felt his hand being crushed.
"Don't push your luck, Hyarms."
And there went all the good will Patrick managed to gather down the drain. It was nice while it lasted.
"Oh, where's Vice-Principal Heinrich? He's the only missing member of the faculty," said Towa, looking around in search for him.
"Now that you mention it, where's that pain in the ass to tell us how this isn't behavior befitting for nobles or whatever?" Sara groused, already annoyed at the mere mention of the man.
Patrick and the rest of the noble students exchanged uncomfortable glances between each other and Principal Vandyck sighed, his hulking form slouching in a way that said he wasn't glad about the situation. "Class VII, if you would please follow us."
The veteran guided them through the corridors of Thors until they reached the janitor's broom closet where Ferris, armed with an orbal staff, was standing guard.
"Oh, principal, Patrick, Class VII! I suppose everything went according to plan?" She asked.
"Indeed, Ferris. Matters have been settled with Class VII and now they wish to see what's been done about the vice-principal," said Patrick.
"Well, I suppose anyone would be curious," she conceded with a shrug and fished out a key from her purse and unlocked the door.
As if that day hadn't been strange enough, Class VII was then beholden to the view of Thors' vice-principal strapped to a chair. He, understandably, looked incredibly furious as he tried to break himself free from his prison qhile his attempts at yelling were muffled by a piece of cloth that covered his mouth.
"As you might surmise, the vice-principal was a staunch supporter of the Noble Alliance's take over," Vandyck once again sighed, clear regret in his voice. "As such, he was the only member of the faculty kept in the dark about our plan until the moment of its execution, at which moment I thought he could be convinced that continuing to fight would be fruitless endeavor but instead he tried to oppose us, calling for the noble students to take on arms while we took care of immobilizing the provincial soldiers that attempted to barricade themselves here. Brilliant academic that he is, unfortunately vice-principal Heinrich's views are set in stone."
"I get it but isn't this a bit much?" Rean said and walked over to the vice-principal, removing the piece of cloth that covered his mouth.
"Madness!" Heinrich yelled first thing as his lips were freed. "Absolute madness! Vandyck you traitorous vermin, this is no way to treat a man of my station! And you, Schwarzer, this is all you fault, had you and your rabble not-"
Rean put the cloth back on its place without saying a single word to the vice-principal and turned his back to the man as he continued to scream until his face was red. "Alright, looks like everything here is taken care of. What should we do next?"
Thors and Trista had been taken back from the Noble Alliance and it had happened in a faster and cleaner manner than anyone expected, but it was a relief for students and townsfolk alike that their beloved town hadn't become a battlefield. The Courageous landed on the school's field symbolizing that the deal was done and brought a reunion between the students who had managed to flee when the war started and those who had stayed. It was a very joyous occasion all around.
It didn't take long for the students who had been away for the past month to rush to their dorms, desperate to know if their belongings were in order, and Class VII was no exception. Sure, Patrick had assured them that nobody had entered the rooms of the students who were absent but there was nothing like actual seeing for themselves to ease their minds.
Fortunately, the Class VII dorm had been left alone aside from Celestine having kept the communal spaces clean and their rooms were just as they had left them that fateful day. Elliot's instruments were in order as were Machias' books, Emma's witch paraphernalia and Sara's secret liquor cabinet. Millium's room looked like a war zone but that was its natural state.
Laura's room was tidy as always, albeit a stuffy so she opened a window to air it out. Looking around, she couldn't help but smile at the Mishy doll sitting on top of her cabinet, its goofy but charming face bringing comfort to her. From there, Laura moved to her closet where the t-shirt celebrating Mishelam Wonderland's 2nd anniversary that Rean gifted her laid in all its glory and the swordswoman almost put it on but decided against it, if only because they had business to attend to as soon as they were done checking their rooms. Instead, she decided to go check on Rean in his room.
"Hey, Laura. I trust everything in your room was in place," he greeted her with a warm smile. In his hand was a framed photo which upon closer inspection pictured Rean, his parents and Elise together.
"Yes, everything that mattered was its rightful place," she said as she walked over next to him. "We're getting her back, Rean, I assure you. I swear we will reunite your family."
"I know we will because we're together, right?" He said earnestly.
"Right," Laura said with a nod and reassuring smile. She knew he couldn't help but worry about his sister's safety but she also could feel how assured he was in saving her.
"Speaking of which I guess I should finish here so we can-" As Rean spoke, he put the framed photo down on top of his bedside table and absentmindedly opened the top drawer but as soon as he did and his eyes registered what was inside, he quickly closed it back but it was not fast enough to hide a certain content it held from Laura.
"Rean…"
Her voice had a dangerous, threatening tone and he couldn't help but hang his head in defeat and open the drawer back, from there pulling a photo but not just any photo.
"So this is that photo you told me about, the one that Rex somehow took of me without my knowledge."
"Y-yes. I was always going to give it to you, I swear, it's just that there was never the right time to-"
She swiftly grabbed the photo from his hand to take a closer look at it herself and what she saw rendered her speechless for a moment. "I know you said it wasn't anything improper but I didn't expect it to be so… Is that truly how I look when practicing?"
Now, it would be very conceited of Laura to try to say she was the perfect blend of beauty and strength, but that was exactly what the photograph was portraying. The way it captured the fierce look on her face, how the light shined on her sword, the shot's composition, everything about it was perfect. How did Rex even manage to get this picture without her noticing?
"Yeah, when you are really focused with your training you look kind of amazing, and the photo is just so good that I thought it would be a waste to just burn it."
Warmth quickly crept over her face and Laura tried to hold on a serious facade to hide it. "Yes, well, nevertheless, I'll be keeping this now and eventually decide its fate. Also, I'll be having a chat with Rex later."
Again there was that tone of danger on her voice. Rean did not envy Rex at all but then the photographer brought it on himself, though Rean wasn't one to talk.
"Absolutely, by all rights that photo belongs to you."
"I'm glad you agree," Laura replied, putting the photo on her skirt's pocket. "Now I wonder what other insidious secrets you are hiding," she continued but her tone changed from threatening to a more teasing one as she opened the drawer again.
"Be my guest," he gestured towards the drawer. "I've got nothing else to hide from you, you're already aware of all the stupid stuff I've done," raising his hands in the air in a gesture of defeat, Rean stepped away and turned his back to Laura as she pretended to rummage through his things. It was just a little joke between them of course, Laura would never invade his privacy this way and Rean knew it, and he truly didn't have anything in there to hide from her.
Which was why it was strange when he heard her let out a startled yelp and drop something on the floor.
He turned around to see Laura's cheeks were even redder than before and her wide eyes were glued to the floor. Following her gaze to see what had left her so shocked had a sense of mortified dread creep up on Rean as he saw a small square-shaped plastic package.
Silence hung between the couple for a good minute as if they had just witnessed a tragic car accident right in front of them, the only thing waking them up from their stupor being Machias yelling something from the corridor, startling them and prompting Rean to rush to close the door for a reason he wasn't really sure why.
"I-I got that from when we had a sex ed class," Rean finally said in a haste as if he was confessing to some major crime. "We all got one."
"Y-yes…" Laura cleared her throat. "I do recall that Instructor Beatrix distributed those at the end of the class. I don't know why I acted so surprised, it's perfectly normal to have a condom as a young person. And, ah, very responsible as well."
"Right."
"Right."
"…"
"…"
Both stood there in silence again, too embarrassed to look at each other. Slowly, Rean made his way to pick up the condom package from the floor, walking carefully as if a sudden move would set off some disaster in his room. "I'll just put this back in its place…"
"Rean," Laura abruptly said, her voice higher than she intended to, which caused Rean to slightly jump. "I believe we still have some things to say to each other," she took a hold of his hands, squeezing them between hers.
"Y-yeah…" he said almost without breath as Laura, bashful as she looked, forced herself to meet his gaze. "How about we meet here, in front of my room, maybe by 9 o'clock? Just, you know, take some time to get ready and stuff?"
With a timid smile on her lips, Laura simply nodded in response to his barely functional string of words as both basked in each other's glow and it took them an enormous amount of effort to step away and leave Rean's room. Duty called them again as they had to meet with the others and discuss the following day's operation, but it was okay, it wouldn't long before they were together again, just the two of them.
It was all hands on deck as representatives of the Imperial Army, Intelligence Division and RMP as well as Prince Olivert, Viscount Arseid, Toval and, of course, the Crimson Wings, discussed the next steps of what would be the final act of the war, the meeting extending itself well into the evening.
It was nothing short of exhausting but by the end of it they had a clear path to follow, and once it was over everyone was more than happy to have some time off before retiring for the night. Luckily, while Class VII was busy, the rest of the Thors students and the townsfolk organized a little celebration of sorts in the front of the school's main building, with food, drinks and music to commemorate the liberation of Trista as well as to send off those who would be fighting the next day. Although it was much more thrown together than the school festival that preceded the start of the war, it had the same feeling as that fateful day, of happiness and unity.
Rean couldn't help reminisce on that night, on that entire day actually, when everything seemed to be so perfect. He wouldn't change one thing about it, not the concert, not the after party, not Crow sending him off with a gift to close off a perfect night with Laura, someone who kept accepting him despite Rean doing best to mess everything up. He would always carry that memory with him, no matter what would come next.
His reminiscence fueled wandering led Rean to duck out of the festivals for a minute and go over to the academy field, where Valimar stood in rest mode next to the Courageous. The Divine Knight had become the hot topic of discussion in Trista, with many of the townsfolk wanting to come in and take a peek at him, though they were rebuffed by the school staff. Words calling the Ashen Knight and his pilot some sort of hero or liberator had spread through Erebonia and Rean was decidedly uncomfortable with that but that would be something he'd have to deal with later.
"Hey, Valimar. Are you ready for tomorrow?"
"As ready as you are, Rean," the Divine Knight responded and Rean couldn't help but chuckle at hearing his name coming from Valimar. It seemed that night in the Nord skies hadn't been a fluke.
"No pressure, huh?"
"Remember, we have a covenant between us which I have a duty to honor as well. We fight as one, we win as one and we lose as one, as it is the bond between Awakener and Divine Knight. Besides, I also wish to pay back Ordine and the Azure Awakener for our previous defeats."
Rean stared wide eyed at the giant for a second before shaking his head at himself and his treatment of Valimar at first. That was undeniable pride in the Knight's voice, decisively a very human emotion.
"You've changed a lot, Valimar."
"Haha," the Divine Knight laughed. "You have grown a lot as well, my friend."
The gesture was automatic, without thinking Rean raised his balled fist towards Valimar and the Divine Knight took a knee to lower himself, mimicking his Awakener and ever so gently, both bumped fists.
Rean thought if Crow and Ordine had the same kind of bond just to quickly dismiss it. Of course they had, they wouldn't have beaten him and Valimar so easily. But now things were different, he could feel how much better he had become in piloting Valimar, how much more precise, faster and efficient their movements had become. Crow had the advantage of experience so it wouldn't be easy but Rean wouldn't make it easy for him either, for his own sake, that of the people who were counting on him and even Crow's.
The time for the meeting with Laura was drawing near and as such Rean left the field, returning to the front of the main school building, but with his previous line of thought still in his mind, he knew he had something to do yet before getting back to the Class VII dorms.
"Hey, guys," he waved at Towa, Angelica and George, the trio enjoying some of the banquet.
"Oh, Rean," said Towa before taking a bite out of a meat skewer in her hand. "Having fun?"
"Sure am, it's great to see everyone together like this again. Or, well, not everybody…" He scratched that back of his head awkwardly and the three second years sighed. "Which is what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Look, Rean, you-"
"I'm bringing him back," he interrupted George, leaving them dumbfounded for a moment. "As much as I wish I could say I'd get Crow to graduate with you all, I know that's not possible. I know his actions can't be undone and that things between us can't be the same but he's still our friend and you three deserve to settle things with him as much as I do. I'm not sure how things are going to play out tomorrow and what his role will end up being but I'm bringing Crow back even if I have to drag him kicking and screaming, that I promise."
It was an extremely positive outlook, way more than the last times they had talked about their friend, almost idealistic, and it took them by surprise. Except for Towa, who smiled and nodded. "I see that you finally made up your mind. I'm glad, Rean."
"That's what I like to hear. That birdbrain isn't getting the easy way out of this one," Angelica cracked her knuckles with a sadistic grin on her face. "I can't wait to give him the beating of a lifetime."
"I think in this context that would be considered torturing a prisoner," George said. "Buuuuut he does deserve one punch or two to the face."
"Just be careful, okay, Rean?" Towa added. "Know that we'll be here to support you, no matter what happens."
He smiled and thanked Towa and turned to leave when Angelica called his attention. "You didn't forget the stuff I told you, did you?"
"Oh no, I got it all committed to memory. It was, erhm…"He scratched his slight red cheek. "Very informative."
Her brow furrowed in thought, Towa looked between the two of them, confused about the conversation they were having. "What's this about, Angie?"
"Oh, you know, our boy over here just needed some tips from his big sis," Angelica replied with a wink.
"About what?" The tiny student council president continued perplexed as Rean's lips closed shut in a thin slit. "I guess I did see you guys chatting when we had a break from the talks earlier."
"Oh, I get it," George nodded sagely without further explanation which only frustrated Towa more.
"You see, my dear, sweet, innocent Towa," Angelica replied with delight in her voice. Oh, she could be just downright adorable at times like these. "Rean and Laura are going to be meeting soon and, well, he needed advice about…" The Rogner girl lowered herself and started to whisper into her ear and for each word she spoke, her friend's face grew redder and redder and redder.
"I-I see," Towa tried to remain composed but couldn't stop her voice from cracking. "Y-you two are adults now, responsible ones, so I suppose you don't need me to tell you about protection and-"
"Nope, I really don't," Rean blurted out.
"Oh good, good," Towa sighed in relief. "It's just as student council president I feel it's my duty to-"
"It's really not!" Angelica cackled loudly and ruffled the brunette's hair. "Come on, Towa, chill out for a minute!"
"Angie, stop it!"
"Yeah, I'm just gonna leave you guys to it. Enjoy the rest of the party," Rean said, stepping away but not before Angelica shouted out for him to "Rock her world!"
With a bit of a blush still on his face (Did Angelica really have to yell that with so many people around?), Rean started to make his way to the school's gate, once again basking in the positive energy all around him. The members of the music club were having a concert that had captured the crowd and he spotted Instructor Sara drinking with the rest of the faculty and she, along with instructor Thomas, were nudging instructor Makarov and gesturing at instructor Mary's direction.
The chess club had set up a table for themselves an hosting an impromptu tournament open for everyone to participate that Machias seemed to be winning, Gaius was chatting with his fellow arts club members, Millium was having fun serving food to others while snacking at the same time, and Alisa and Jusis were sitting on a bench by themselves, seeming to be enraptured into a conversation Rean couldn't listen to.
Walking past the gate and along down the slope back to Trista, the sound and music started to fade behind Rean, eventually leaving only the sounds of his own footsteps on the cobblestone until he reached the town, where some people still lingered about. It was a cold night and it seemed it could snow any second now, but still wasn't as cold as Ymir could get, it was a rather comforting chill that he enjoyed.
"Wait, wait!" A voice called from behind Rean and once he turned around, he saw that it was Celine, running in his direction. "Ugh, finally caught up with you. Can't you stay put in place for one second?"
He chuckled at how out of breath she seemed. A short sprint from the school shouldn't tire her that much, shouldn't a magic cat have more energy than that? He almost made a comment about her eating too many treats but decided against it.
"Hey Celine. What can I help you with? Where's Emma?"
"Emma was dragged by her friend to their club room to check if her lewd literature had been disturbed and I dare not be exposed to that," the familiar grumbled and Rean had very much to agree. So Fie was the only Class VII unaccounted for, probably spending some quality time with Vivi he imagined. "I see that you're retiring early."
"I have some business to take care of at the dorm."
Celine acknowledged the explanation with a simple hum and a nod of her head then sat there, not saying anything and even avoiding looking directly at Rean. It was a bit of an awkward silence and if he wasn't mistaken, Rean thought she looked kind of nervous.
"You… Sure had it rough, haven't you?" The effort it took from her to get the words out seemed enormous and Rean was surprised that she even felt the need to say them. "As a member of the Hexen Clan, working with Emma to guide the Ashen Awakener has been my duty and nothing was ever more important than that. Our roles were etched in stone long before we had any say in it, intertwined with the fate of the whole world, what could be more important than that? Who cares if you're afraid and unprepared and you have your own problems, doesn't serving destiny take precedence?
"I yelled at you for neglecting your duty and for being callous to Valimar but I never lent you the same consideration, something I wouldn't have tolerated if Emma were to be spoken to in the same manner," Celine's tail curled around her as her voice became lower and lower and more remorseful with each word. "Now that I see how much is going on with you, I realize I should have spared some thought towards how all of this affects you as a person as well. Thus, I apologize. I am truly sorry for my lack of consideration, Rean Schwarzer."
Well, that was something he hadn't seen coming. Celine's were incredibly sincere and she looked genuinely remorseful.
"It's alright, Celine, I forgive you. I wasn't exactly the nicest guy to you or Emma, so I owe you an apology as well."
"Ugh, you already apologized. Why are you-" Suddenly, Rean squatted down and started to pet Celine and scratch her ear, leading her to start purring in delight until she got a hold of herself. "W-what are you doing!? Take your hand off me!"
Laughing it off, Rean did as she asked and stood up again. "Okay, okay, sorry."
"You're laughing, you're not sorry! Honestly, this is what I get for trying to be nice," she grumbled and was very glad that, unlike humans, she couldn't blush. "Well, I've said my piece so I'm leaving. I saw your fisher friends at the river so I will if I can get some dinner. Tomorrow we will most likely face the Azure Awakener and Vita, be sure to rest."
"Aw, you're worried about me, Celine. Thanks."
"I'm not!" She yelled before turning away and leaving Rean and his amused grin behind.
Well, there was no way or reason to stall it anymore, so Rean continued on his way to the Class VII dorm and each step closer made his heart beat a little bit faster. He walked past the entrance's doors and was hit with the sensation that the building was empty, aside from one single presence, pacing back and forth on the floor above him.
Rean climbed the steps up and as soon as he reached the top of the stairs, he and Laura locked gazes, standing still for a minute before Rean walked the rest of the way, which felt tortuously long for both of them.
"Sorry if I kept you waiting too long," he said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.
"It's fine, Rean. I've only been here for a few minutes myself," she responded with a bit of anxiety in her voice.
And then both stood there, shuffling unsure where to look at and what to do with their hands and sporting nervous smiles. How close was too close and should they be holding each other's hands and who should go first were some of the questions that floated in their heads. They were a far cry from the confident warriors who faced down the Almighty Conflagration days prior.
"Rean-"
"Laura-"
Both spoke at the same time and interrupted each other and they laughed at themselves. Once that died down it seemed they were going to start the same song and dance again, so Rean breathed in and closed his eyes to center himself because this situation was getting ridiculous.
"Laura, I-"
"'If you follow the path of the sword, it is only a matter of time before you encounter a follower of the Eight Leaves One Blade.' That is something my father once said to me. But who could have thought I would fall in love with such a person as well? I love you, Rean Schwarzer."
The words washed over him like a gentle, warm wave that caressed his body. It was like he was hearing them for the first time and in a way it was because he was hearing them how they were meant to be said, not with desperation and anger but with care, carrying their essence with them.
"What started as mere curiosity and excitement to meet a fellow swordsman turned into something I could not have expected. I wanted to know you and the more I learned about you the more I was pulled in, and over time curiosity gave way to infatuation for a very handsome, fellow swordsman I could spar with to my heart's content. And those feelings only continued to grow until they turned into this, something that I cannot describe as anything else but love. Born out the times we've crossed blades and fought side by side, of the wise words you'd say with unabashed sincerity to console me and the comfort your mere presence brings me. Your strength, your kindness, your charisma, your vulnerability, I'm captivated by every part of you, Rean, even what you believe to be your flaws, I want to embrace and cherish the things that make you you.
"You believe yourself to be weak but to me you're one of the strongest people in the world, because no matter what happens, no matter how heavy the burden you carry, you're still capable of getting up and continuing to fight for what you believe it's right, even if it might be misguided at times. You have so much potential, Rean, and it makes me want to improve myself so I can keep up with you because if we are together, I know nothing can stand in our way. That's why…" Laura heaved and gulped, just then realizing how dry her throat was. "That's why I love you."
Only after he was sure Laura was done did Rean remember to breathe, as if his most minor reaction could shatter reality and wake him from this dream he was in. Except that it wasn't a dream and the world didn't end when he took in air and blinked and let a nervous laugh escape his lips.
"I love you too, Laura. I mean, how couldn't I fall in love with you? You're amazing! You're-" Realizing he was going too fast and about to trip in his own words, Rean stopped, chuckling at himself and appreciating how understanding Laura was being.
"I admire you, I truly do," Rean restarted, much calmer and looking straight into her eyes. "There is this aura about you that exudes so much self-assurance and pride in yourself and your abilities but despite that you're still a down to earth person, hardly the stereotype people expect of a noble. Or rather, you're the most noble person I've met, in the truest sense of the word, you're strong and smart and talented and the first thing that comes to mind for you is how to use what you have to help others, like it's the simplest and most obvious thing in the world. And whenever you make a mistake you quickly pick yourself up and reevaluate things and then you carry on, stronger and more determined than before. That confidence of yours is enviable, everything about you is. You want to be able to keep with me? I want to be able to measure up to you, to say I'm even half the amazing person that you are."
Rean closed his eyes, taking another breath, and Laura's hands reached for his, their fingers intertwining.
"When I first saw you, I didn't expect things would go this way, not in my wildest dreams. I saw this beautiful girl and the first thing I wanted to talk with her about was swords," both of them chuckled before Rean continued, voice low and timid. "I never expected someone like you to give someone like me the time of day but you did, in the most surprising and unique way possible. I don't know anyone else who can talk to me the way you do, who can push me forward the way you do. There's no-one else who can make me feel the way I do when I'm with you, there's no-one else I love the way I love you, Laura Arseid."
It was only once Rean had finished that they noticed how close they had come to each other. Their faces flushed red, hands clammy with sweat, hearts beating fast in their chest and eyes just a little bit teary. Because at that moment they weren't swordsmen or warriors, they were simply a young couple, flustered and nervous and excited and positively in love with each other, and when they leaned over for a kiss, it was a chaste one, simple and very close to their first kiss that night of the festival.
"Are you sure about this?" Rean asked, eyeing the door to his room, and Laura didn't respond, she simply pushed it open, walking inside while holding his hand. Rean followed her and closed the door behind him.
Author's notes: Hey folks, unusual sunday posting after a longer break than normal but this chapter took longer than expected so it was either that or waiting until next week. Not only was this a big chapter but I also had a two week break from work and used most of that time to beat Trails into Reverie. You know, priorities. A positively great game, not sure how or if it'll factor in on my fic, ask me again in… two to three years.
Next chapter: the sex happens.