Hey guys! How's everyone doing today? I am so sorry about how late this chapter is. I was hoping to get it out by the end of April but then I hit a personal writing milestone and I always tend to lose motivation to do anything else after those for a while and then it took me a while to figure out what to do with the Nord section of this chapter and by the time I finally finished writing and editing, I realized it was now the end of May. Anyways, I hope this chapter will make up for the long wait. It centers around the rest of Class VII and what they were up to before Rean's search and reunion quest. Enjoy!
As always, I enjoy any comments, except for those that are just full of negativity and not constructive at all. Just give me something to work with instead of just "It's bad." I also appreciate any positive constructive criticism since I'm always looking to improve my writing and storytelling capabilities. Thanks for reading this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by any medium, and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the games or Drama CDs.
Warning: No beta, we die like Rean's ability to understand anyone's feelings for him.
Prologue: Even Divided, We are still United
XXXXXX
S.1204
~ Legram ~
Laura calmly sat at her father's desk, cutting a regal and imposing figure with a presence reminiscent of the Radiant Blademaster himself.
Standing across from her was a soldier from the Kreuzen Provincial Army, a messenger essentially, who droned on and on about the benefits of siding with the Noble Alliance in the ongoing civil war.
"And that is why it is in the best interest of Legram to ally itself with the Noble Alliance so that it may be under its protection," he completed his rather boring sales pitch with a flourish.
The soldier looked expectantly at Laura and she could only feel tired. Tired of the weight of being the Lord of Legram, a role she believed only her father could fill. Tired of trying to do her best by the people who depended on her family for support and protection. And most of all, tired of this damned civil war and how utterly useless it had made her feel.
She took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, putting on her best polite but neutral expression. "While what you have said certainly sounds appealing and beneficial to Legram, my only concern is what benefit could Legram give to the Noble Alliance? And do not tell me that there are no expectations when messengers are still being sent here despite my father declaring Legram's neutrality before war even broke out and myself continuing to stand by that declaration afterward."
The soldier opened his mouth to respond but she cut him off before he could start again.
"We are a small town on the outskirts of the Kreuzen Province, almost geographically isolated from the rest of the country. We will not draft any able-bodied men or women to fight for the Alliance. Students of the Arseid School are here on strictly voluntary circumstances so you cannot make us draft them either."
She laced her hands together on the desk and leaned forward. The soldier flinched when she narrowed her eyes at him.
"You may list all the benefits of joining the Noble Alliance until you're blue in the face but I see little reason to agree when we are as far removed from the Civil War as we can be that we might as well be in another country entirely."
"But-" The soldier tried to protest only for Laura to cut him off again.
"Do you know what Legram is famous for?"
"Ummm…" The soldier looked confused by her question and tried his best to answer, "The lakeside view I've heard. Not that there's much of a view with all this fog here."
She nodded. "Exactly. Now when do you think this fog first appeared?"
The soldier grew even more confused, wondering where she was going with this line of questioning. "Today I assume? I don't know. Fog doesn't usually last long right?"
"Exactly," she stated matter of fact, "But you see, this particular fog appeared the day the Civil War began and has yet to leave. In fact, it grows thicker with each day the war continues."
"But that's not possible," the soldier said, growing unnerved, "That just sounds like something out of a myth or fairy tale."
"And yet Legram, while famous for its lake, is known as the town of mist and legends," Laura said with a nonchalance that only served to unnerve the soldier further, "And being a town know for its mist and legends, we are a particularly superstitious people. The fog…it's unnatural. A sign. An omen."
She gave the soldier a wide, disarming smile. "And the Noble Alliance wouldn't want to ally with such a town now, would it?"
The soldier swallowed thickly and shook his head. "No. It wouldn't."
"Excellent! Now inform Duke Cayenne that this will be the last messenger we accept. Otherwise, the next one might meet an…unfortunate end."
The soldier nodded vigorously as he broke out in nervous sweat. "I'll be sure to inform him. Have a good day, Lady Arseid."
He bowed and beat a hasty retreat. Once the doors closed behind him, Laura slumped back in her chair with a sigh.
"Well done, Lady Laura," Klaus genuinely complimented, "You do your father proud with your excellent display of leadership and diplomacy."
"I hope so," she said, smiling tiredly at him, "Honestly, I don't quite feel like a leader. I feel like a child playing around in her father's clothes."
Klaus smiled sadly back at her. "I am saddened to hear you feel this way but please be assured by this humble old man's belief that you are a worthy leader for the people of Legram."
Her smile became a little brighter at his words. "Thank you Klaus. Have you heard from Emma yet?"
"She is due to arrive momentarily from her investigation of Lohengrin Castle."
As if on cue, someone knocked on the door.
"Ah! I believe that is her now," he said, "I shall get the door." Klaus walked over and opened the door, revealing Emma who entered the office with her trusty orbal staff in hand.
She smiled sympathetically when she saw how exhausted Laura looked. "I'm guessing the Noble Alliance sent another messenger?"
"How could you tell?" Laura wryly asked.
"You look as if you'd like to go a few rounds of sparring at the training hall," Emma responded, "Plus I ran into the soldier they sent on my way in."
Laura sighed. "That's the 12th messenger they've sent so far."
"And hopefully the last one considering the masterful way Lady Laura dealt with him," Klaus added with a pleased grin.
"That's wonderful!" Emma said, smiling more happily for the small victory.
Laura chuckled nervously. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We'll only know if my words truly had any effect in a few days whether it be in the form of another messenger or a regiment of Provincial soldiers bearing down our doors."
"I believe wholeheartedly that such an outcome will not occur," Klaus confidently said, "Now if you'll excuse me, I shall fetch some tea and snacks for you both."
"Thank you Klaus!" Emma said.
Laura nodded to him appreciatively. "Yes, thank you Klaus."
Klaus bowed to her with a smile and left, closing the doors behind him.
Laura turned to Emma and asked, "Now then, how was your investigation of Lohengrin, Emma?"
"It was as I suspected," Emma said with a serious expression.
"So then the castle is truly the source of the fog?" Laura asked with a dejected sigh.
Emma nodded firmly. "Indeed. But it'd be more accurate to say that Lohengrin acts as a conduit rather than being the true cause of the strange energy permeating throughout Legram. From what I can tell, the Civil War has caused a great disruption in the leylines of the land, making the energy fluctuate to a dangerous degree."
"It seems everything keeps circling back to the Civil War," Laura observed with a scowl, "But how could it have caused all of this?"
"I don't know but I can only theorize that it has something to do with the awakening of the Divine Knights…"
Laura perked up at that. "Speaking of, is there any more information you could share about the Divine Knights?"
Emma shook her head, looking deeply troubled. "No. I shared everything I knew with you and Jusis and…I-I," she grew visibly more distressed as she continued to speak, "I don't know anything more. I only know what grandmother shared with me and that was only my duty as a witch of the Hexen Clan, which was to guide Rean in the trials. But I don't know why he was chosen or why the Ashen Knight was hidden at Thors or how Crow is involved in this or what Vita is doing and…and…"
She fell to her knees with a sob. Laura jumped up from her seat in alarm and rushed over to her. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
Laura patted her consolingly on the back. "Emma…you have nothing to apologize for."
"B-But if I had only told everyone everything about the trials and the Divine Knights before the festival then maybe we would've been better prepared, Rean would've been better prepared, and Class VII wouldn't have been forced to separate and-"
"Emma," Laura cut her off firmly. She looked at the blue haired sword maiden through teary eyes and Laura softened. "Emma, answer me truthfully. Did you cause the take over of Thors?"
"No…"
"Did you choose Rean to be an awakener?"
"No."
"Did you have anything to do with Crow being an awakener?"
"No but Vita was with him and she's my sister in all but blood so-"
"But Vita Clotilde is not you, Emma," Laura said, placing steady hands on the witch's shoulders, "Now final question, did you cause the Civil War?"
"Of course not!" Emma said, affronted that the other would dare to say such a thing.
Laura smiled satisfactorily. "Then you have nothing to apologize for." She reached down to gently hold Emma's hands. "Emma, I want you to listen carefully. Everything about our current situation…none of it is your fault, alright? None of it."
"But-"
"But nothing. I think I can speak for the rest of us when I say no one blames you nor would they ever accuse you of causing the events that occurred at Thors. If anything, I'm sure Rean would be the one to blame himself since he's just like that."
Emma chuckled wetly. "Yes. He does have a bit of a savior complex doesn't he?"
"More like a martyr complex," Laura wryly said, "My condolences to Jusis once Rean finally gets his head out of the sand and the two get together."
"It'd be a miracle if that were to happen without intervention from Aidios herself," Emma said with a smile.
Laura winked. "I think the intervention of Class VII will be just enough but I wouldn't be opposed to a little assistance from Aidios."
Emma giggled and Laura nodded approvingly.
"There. That's the Emma I want to see. No more worrying about the 'what if's' and 'what could have been's' anymore alright? Instead focus on what you can do now at this very moment." She smiled reassuringly at her. "Have faith Emma, in me, in Rean, in the rest of our friends, and more importantly, in yourself. Never forget you are an important part of Class VII just as much as the rest of us."
Emma was both shocked and touched by her words. "Thank you Laura…you're always so confident and composed. How do you do it?"
Laura huffed in amusement. "I must be a better actress than I give myself credit for then."
"What do you mean?" Emma asked in confusion.
"I am not as confident and composed as you think I am," Laura carefully responded, "I am always plagued with doubts about my every decision and it takes all I have to remain composed when my fears threaten to overwhelm me every day."
"Laura…"
She looked away from Emma's empathetic gaze. "I'm scared, Emma. Well and truly scared. I'm scared for what could become of Legram the longer this war goes on. Scared of the ramifications it will have on the innocents that will not doubt be caught in its crossfire. I worry constantly about the well being of my father and those of Class VII who are still missing. And more importantly, I'm scared that I am not strong enough to protect what matters most to me."
Emma was taken aback by Laura's confession but her expression became one of determination and she wiped away the tears still lingering in her eyes. She gently put a hand on Laura's shoulder and Laura turned to look at her with such a vulnerable expression that it almost brought her to tears again.
She smiled understandingly and said, "If you're scared and uncertain, then why don't we be scared and uncertain together? At least that way, we'll always be reminded that we're not alone."
Laura was surprised by her suggestion but gave a shy smile and nodded in agreement. "Right. Because we are both part of Class VII."
"And Class VII always overcomes whatever challenges stand in our way because we're never alone," Emma finished.
"We are united even when we are divided," Laura concluded.
Emma beamed. "Exactly!"
"Thank you, Emma," Laura said appreciatively.
"And thank you Laura," Emma said, "I'm glad to be your friend and a part of Class VII."
"Me too."
The two shared a hug and outside the office with the door cracked open enough to allow a view inside, Klaus stood by and watched with pride at the strength of the two women before him. Eventually, they broke the hug and Laura brushed herself off as she stood up.
She held her hand out to Emma. "Now then, we shall investigate Lohengrin Castle again tomorrow. Together."
Emma grinned. "Yes!" And accepted the offered hand.
XXXXXX
S.1204
~ Lake Lacrima, Nord Highlands ~
It was late in the night as Alisa sat down by the lakeside, trying to find solace in the stars that shone brightly above her. However, she was unable to relax as complicated emotions continued to swirl within. The thoughts she'd been trying to suppress since their escape screamed in her head, drowning out the quiet sounds of the highlands around her.
"Can't sleep?"
She startled at the sudden voice and turned to see Gaius and Millium standing behind her. Gaius smiled sympathetically and Millium cheerfully waved though her entire demeanor was somewhat subdued.
Alisa tried to smile back but it came out as a grimace. "Yeah, something like that."
"Mind if we join you?" Gaius asked.
She waved for them to go ahead and they went to sit down on each side of her - Gaius to her left and Millium to her right.
For a moment, nobody spoke. The three of them just let the sounds of the highland nighttime fill their ears as a gentle breeze brushed past them.
"How was patrol today?" Gaius casually asked, breaking the silence.
Alisa was grateful that they weren't just jumping straight into it and answered, "It was alright for the most part. The monsters weren't difficult to handle but they've definitely gotten more aggressive these past couple weeks."
"I think it's cause of all the tension between Erebonia and Calvard," Millium chimed in, "Even if you don't take the Civil War into account, having two major countries basically playing a game of 'will they, won't they' makes for a pretty tense atmosphere."
"That's true," Alisa agreed, "How about you Gaius? How were things here while we were gone?"
"It was pleasantly peaceful for the most part," Gaius responded, "Sheeda has been teaching Lily how to sew and Thoma's been getting closer to Sharl though it is amusing to see how much he fumbles about considering her father is constantly supervising them."
She smiled. "Nice to hear that at least the war hasn't stopped people from continuing to live their life."
"Yeah…"
"But you said for the most part, did something happen?"
Gaius shook his head. "Not quite. We spotted both Calvardian and Ereboninan patrol ships in the distance but thankfully, they kept to the mountains on their respective sides."
Alisa slowly nodded as she processed the information. "I see. I think we also saw the same ships you're talking about during patrol. But they seemed to avoid flying over or near us."
"It might be because both sides are trying to avoid turning the highlands into a battlefield for as long as possible," Millium theorized, "After all, even if it is pretty big, there are still people living here who have nothing to do with everything that's going on."
Gaius sighed and shook his head. "I can only hope that is the case and pray to Aidios that it remains this way."
Millium nodded empathetically. "Me too. But honestly, that might just be me being optimistic. The more likely scenario is that Erebonia doesn't want to start another war while they're still fighting one and Calvard doesn't want to start anything until they can confirm what's going on in Crossbell," she said with uncharacteristic grimness.
Alisa shuddered at the thought. "Hopefully that's not actually the case."
"Speaking of Crossbell," Gaius said in a clear attempt to change the subject, "Have either you or Gwen made any headway on communication?"
Alisa frowned and shook her head. "Grandfather's been spending so much time trying to fine-tune and rewire the orbal radio to make contact with anyone outside the highlands but no dice."
"I don't think we're gonna get any info as long as that jammer's on top of the watchtower," Millium remarked.
"And from what my father told us last night, Zechs is still insisting on maintaining as little contact as possible for the safety of the nomads," Gaius said with a sigh.
"So we're still essentially on our own," Alisa concluded.
Millium nodded with a grimace. "Yeah…"
Gaius sighed as he looked up, finding only token comfort in the night sky he'd grown up under and loved with all his heart. "It would seem that my fears are slowly coming to pass."
"What do you mean?" Millium asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Are you talking about what you told us during our field study here? How you left your home behind and went to Thors in order to learn how to protect it?" Alisa asked.
Gaius nodded. "Yes. I wished with all my heart that my home, the Nord Highlands, would be untouched by the conflict of our neighboring countries even though I knew it would not always remain so, which is why I went to Thors in the first place. What better place to learn how to protect my home than where the Lionheart, who considered the nomads his family, built his school? But I never thought it would happen so soon during my lifetime. No, that's not right. I hoped it wouldn't, but now it is and there's nothing I nor anyone else can do about it."
He smiled sardonically. "That day, when we first arrived at the border, I was hopeful that the highlands were still removed from the surrounding conflicts when Zechs let us pass unimpeded and swore to keep our arrival a secret from the rest of the imperial army."
"I remember as we raced across the plains that the landscape I loved no longer brought the sense of joy it always had before and the wind felt more like a warning than a rush of freedom. I remember how my heart dropped to my stomach when we saw Erebonian and Calvardian ships patrolling the area. And most of all, I remember the panic and fear that made the beating of my heart fill my ears when we arrived at the settlement, only to find tents that had long been abandoned in haste."
"Gaius…" Alisa softly murmured as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He looked at her with a grateful smile that he also shared with Millium.
"I was seconds away from a breakdown that threatened to overwhelm me as I thought about where my family could have gone, what might've happened to them. It was only thanks to you two that I was able to gather myself enough to search instead of curling up and crying like a helpless child."
"Aw shucks, it was nothing really," Millium waved off his gratitude like it was no biggie, "All I did was give you a big ol' hug. That's what I always do!"
Alisa nodded in agreement with her sentiment. "Yeah. It wasn't hard to see that you were having a hard time. As your friend, the least I could do was make sure you weren't overwhelmed by negative thoughts."
"Still, I want to thank you," Gaius said sincerely, "I don't know what could've happened that day if neither of you were with me."
The girls smiled at him and he closed his eyes with a sigh.
"Yes, it was because of you two that we were able to begin our search so quickly. We'd gone to Lake Lacrima in order to seek out Gwen for answers only to see that the nomads had settled in the lake area. I'm sure you remember how I reacted, the relief I felt was enough to bring me to tears when I reunited with my family."
Alisa squeezed his shoulder to get him to look at her again. "Of course I do. I was also moved to tears when we saw that your family and the nomads were safe and sound. And now we're here helping them in any way we can, so don't get too stuck in your head alright?"
He nodded. "You're right." Then he chuckled to himself and shook his head. "It seems I've managed to finally get everything I've been feeling off my chest. Perhaps you two should do the same as well. I am more than happy to listen to you both the way you listened to me."
Alisa grew flustered and waved her hands about in rejection. "Oh no, I couldn't." Then she lowered her hands and looked out at the calm lake surface. "And even if I did, I wouldn't even know where to start."
"Me too," Millium chimed in as she tilted her head with a hum, "Actually, I don't even know what I'm feeling at all. I've never felt like this before."
"Maybe if you describe it, we can help you figure it out?" Alisa suggested.
Millium shrugged. "Well, okay. I'll give it a shot." She took a moment to 'hem' and 'ha' for a bit before she finally spoke. "Alright, so my stomach doesn't feel too good even though I know I didn't eat too much tonight. My hands get a bit sweaty even when it isn't that hot. And my heart keeps beating suuuper fast sometimes whenever I think about the others which ends up being a lot of the time cause whenever I'm not doing anything, I'm thinking about if everyone's okay and then I feel super icky when I realize I don't know if they are. Does that make sense?"
Alisa and Gaius nodded sympathetically.
"I guess we're so used to you being a ball of sunshine that we forget even you can feel scared too, Millum," Alisa said.
Millium looked surprised by that and then became thoughtful. "Oh! So that's what it feels like to be scared…"
"Have you…never felt scared before?" Gaius asked, confused.
Millium nodded. "Yeah. In fact, there are a bunch of things I've never felt before. Like being angry or sad or grossed out or scared or even happy. I didn't really feel much of anything for a really long time. But then I met Gramps and Lechter and Claire and Reanie and Elise and everyone in Class VII and now I feel a bunch of stuff all the time!"
Alisa and Gaius exchanged confused and concerned looks before returning their attention to Millium.
"What do you mean by that?" Alisa hesitantly asked.
Millium hummed in thought. "What indeed…" Then she shook her head. "No, it's not the right time just yet. This is something I'd rather tell everyone once we're all back together if that's okay?"
"Of course," Gaius easily agreed, "Something that's personal, it takes time to tell others and let them see the vulnerable parts of you that sometimes people prefer to hide."
"Yeah," Alisa nodded, "We don't mind waiting at all. You should only tell us whenever you're ready and not because you think we deserve to know so long as you don't bottle it up the way Rean and Jusis do."
Millium giggled in amusement. "You don't need to worry about that. I'm not gonna make people fight me and Lammy just so I can talk about my thoughts and stuff."
"And yet, that seems to be the case with at least three people in our rather small class," Alisa wryly remarked.
Millium blinked in confusion. "Three? Besides Reanie and Jusis, who's the third?"
Gaius gave her a pointed look and she had a quick moment of realization.
"Ooohhh…nevermind."
"No, no, it's okay," Alisa said with a brittle smile, "You guys don't need to walk on eggshells around me about Crow. I'm a big girl after all."
Gaius looked at her sadly. "Alisa…"
"To be honest, the reason why I'm feeling so all over the place is because of Crow," she said with a wet chuckle, "And isn't that kind of pathetic? To be all up in knots over one guy?"
"It's not pathetic," Gaius firmly stated, "You were close to Crow, closer than the rest of us were, even Rean and Jusis. It makes sense that you'd feel confused and conflicted over everything we've learned about him."
"I suppose…" she sighed, "It's just, I thought I knew him. He was lazy, a slacker, and someone who went through life like it was one big gambling game but…he was also someone who would be there for you when it really counted."
"I knew about his past, you know, before Thors and, I'm assuming, before he ever got wrapped up in the ILF. He told me about it out of the blue one day, just telling me about his grandfather and how he ended up running away from home when he was young…"
"He was from Jurai right?" Gaius asked.
Alisa nodded. "Yeah. The first territory that Erebonia claimed for itself in modern times."
Millium looked distinctly uncomfortable when Jurai was brought up and fidgeted a little nervously. But Alisa and Gaius didn't notice, or at least, they didn't act like they did.
"Now that I think about it, the day he told me all of that, was just the day before the invasion of the capital. He invited me out to lunch at Kirsche's and he had such a serious expression on his face that I thought something had happened but no, he just said that if we were going to give a serious relationship a shot, he wanted me to know more about himself," Alisa softly said as she brought her knees up and hugged them close to her body.
"I wonder if he was trying to tell me something else that day and I was just too stupid to realize or maybe I just never understood him like I thought I did…"
Gaius put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she turned to look at him with her eyes gleaming wet. "Alisa, I don't think you're ignorant at all. Even if Crow really was putting up a front, would he really act the way he did while at Thors?"
"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.
"Do you really think, if Crow was just a mask for C, that he would encourage George with his inventions, argue with Angelica over the pettiest issues, tease Towa about her height, reconnect with Jusis whom he hadn't seen in almost 10 years, watch out for each and everyone of us in Class VII the way he has during our field studies, or even fall in love with you?" He asked with the utmost seriousness.
Alisa inhaled sharply. Then she tentatively shook her head. "I don't think so but…my heart wants to believe that to be true while my head won't stop thinking about how I've been wrong about people before…"
"Well I think you should stop listening to your head and follow your heart instead," Millium said, nodding her head sagely as she crossed her arms, "Crow…I don't know how to describe it but, I could tell that C was the mask for him, not the other way around."
"I agree," Gaius said, "I know there's more to Crow's story than we've been told and I don't intend to make any final judgments until I know it."
"Me too!" Millium cheerfully exclaimed, "And besides, we promised as Class VII that we'd all reunite one day and even though he wasn't there, that promise includes Crow too. I know Reanie would totally fight him if he had to just to get him back with us so chin up Alisa!"
"Indeed. Don't be afraid to trust yourself, Alisa, and have faith in him and in us," Gaius added sincerely.
"Yeah! Everything's gonna be a-okay!" Millium finished with a wide grin.
Alisa chuckled wetly as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Thanks guys. I needed that."
"I believe we all did," Gaius said solemnly, "The Civil War and its sudden beginning, I don't believe any of us have taken the time to properly process everything until now."
Millium nodded. "Yeah…I knew something might happen because Gramps has always been pushy with his policies but this? I always thought he'd be around a little longer…"
Then Alisa gasped in remembrance. "Oh Millium. I almost forgot about that. Are you sure you're alright? The Chancellor was a controversial political figure but he was still really important to you after all."
Millium hummed in thought before she nodded. "I am actually…Did you know that even us Ironbloods weren't always on his side?"
Alisa and Gaius were taken aback by the sudden change in subject but didn't say anything as Millium continued, not waiting for an answer.
"Claire was always reluctant to carry out some of his more pushy policies and Lechter had his own misgivings about Gramp's methods even though he was better at hiding it. I don't know about Rook since he never said anything but I at least know enough to know he'd hate how both sides were running themselves. And me? I was never really involved with that stuff and spent most of my time either on missions or with Reanie and Elise."
"Is that so?" Gaius asked.
"Yeah and while I do feel sad about what happened to Gramps, I already knew that the others did everything they could so all I can do is be okay with that," Millium concluded with a sad smile.
"Millium…" Alisa murmured in concern.
Then, having had enough with the serious talks, Millium jumped up and pumped her fist into the air. "Alrighty then! That's enough of the icky thoughts today. Let's think positively! We're gonna help the nomads and then get the gang back together! Cause we're Class VII and nothing's gonna get us down! Not if I have anything to say about it!" She proudly declared as Lammy appeared beside her and chirped as it copied her pose.
Alisa giggled and Gaius chuckled at the sight.
"You're right," Alisa wholeheartedly agreed, "We made a promise after all. Class VII will reunite one day, come Gehenna or high water!"
Gaius nodded and smiled. "Indeed. And I for one will help in bringing Crow back to us whether he be dragged kicking and screaming or knocked out, because one way or another, he will come back."
The girls looked at him in surprise.
"Gaius?!" Alisa cried out incredulously.
"Whoa!" Millium gasped, "I didn't know Gaius was a twist villain too! You sounded so violent and evil for such a calm, stand up guy!"
Gaius shrugged nonchalantly. "Well I did have my wild phase growing up. Now I'm just…better at hiding those impulses."
Alisa snorted in amusement. "I'll say. You got us all fooled."
He smirked and tipped his head to her. "I try."
She giggled and Millium grinned widely.
"Alright then, enough talk. Let's group hug!"
Then she and Lammy jumped at Alisa and Gaius despite their protests. The three plus one combat shell all engaged in the strangest group hug to ever exist but their thoughts were finally calm and their hearts at peace as their resolve was reignited with hope for the coming future.
XXXXXX
S.1204
~ Somewhere Around Celdic ~
Fie scanned the surrounding area of the West Celdic Highway as she sat as still as possible atop the tallest tree. The countryside was quiet for the most part besides the occasional monster roaming about. She carefully strapped a signal beacon to the trunk of the tree she was on before jumping down and landing soundlessly on the ground.
Before she could leave though, the rustling of some nearby bushes made her pause. She carefully drew her weapons and fired multiple bullets into the bushes. The dying howls of beasts filled the air as the bullets met their mark.
Once the sounds faded, she relaxed her stance but still kept hold of her weapons as she cautiously walked over to where the beasts were hidden. She pushed the bushes apart and saw the fading corpses of three armored jaeger beasts.
She closed her eyes and carefully listened to the sounds around her. Her nose twitched as she took in the smells the wind carried to her. She opened her eyes when it became clear that the jaegers beasts were the only anomaly in the area.
Without further ado, she retreated from her present location and swiftly made her way through the blind spots of the highway, cutting through into the East until she arrived at a large windmill. Carefully scanning the area to make sure there were no scouts or unintentional witnesses, she darted over into the windmill and carefully closed the door.
Once the door was secured, she turned around and saw Elliot fiddling with a large communications radio with a pair of headphones held up to one ear. The normally gentle mannered musician was growing more and more frustrated the longer he couldn't get some sort of signal on the radio.
Finally, he ended up ripping the headphones from the radio and hurling it across the room, almost hitting Fie as it smashed against the wall right next to her face.
"Damn," she whistled, "What did those headphones ever do to you?"
"F-Fie!" Elliot jumped and paled at the realization that she was there and he had almost hit her, "Oh Aidios, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there."
She shook her head. "It's fine. I get it." She picked up the discarded headphones and handed them to him with a sympathetic smile. "So it didn't work this time either?"
He slumped dejectedly. "No, it didn't."
Just then, the door opened again to reveal a fuming Machias muttering darkly under his breath as he carried a large bag of supplies in one hand and adjusted his glasses with the other.
"Why do I keep getting sent out for runs when I can't see jack shit without my glasses on? It's taking all I have to not act like a blind idiot whenever I'm in town around those incompetent Provincial assholes."
Fie and Elliot exchanged amused looks.
"It's cause you look so different without your glasses," Fie said in a 'no duh' tone.
Machias sighed in frustration. "I just don't see why I have to be the one always going to town and sacrificing my vision as a result. Do you know how hard it is to walk around when you can't even clearly see anything 10 reges past your face?"
"Sorry Machias," Elliot said sympathetically, "But I'm too recognizable because of my hair and Fie's better at sticking to the shadows which doesn't lend itself well to buying groceries. Not to mention how suspicious the soldiers would get if they saw her sneaking around."
"Not that they would. I'm just too good to get caught," Fie smugly chimed in.
"But it's better not to risk it, especially since we're so close to the heart of the Kreuzen Province," Elliot concluded.
Machias groaned in defeat. "Alright, alright. I get it. I'll keep doing the runs. Not like we have a lot of options anyways and we can't keep making Becky or the market manager risk their safety to get us what we need so I guess my vision's a small price to pay."
"Not like that's gonna stop you from complaining though," Fie said with a grin.
He scoffed. "Do you honestly expect anything less from me?"
"Nope," she said, popping the word at the end, "But that's just what helps make you, you, Macky."
He sputtered indignantly. "Don't call me that!"
She just held up a cheeky peace sign and he shook his head, putting the supplies away. "Anyways," he said as he looked pointedly at the radio, "Any luck this time?"
Elliot shook his head sadly. "No. It's another bust."
Machias sighed as he watched Fie walk over to a map of the region that was pinned on the wall nearby and cross out another location with a big red 'X.' The surface of the map was covered with multiple red markings and the unmarked areas were far and few in between.
"We're running out of areas to test for communication signals."
Fie nodded in agreement. "Yeah. The Noble Alliance jammers are just that good unfortunately."
"But we did have some luck getting a faint signal the further west we go from Celdic so maybe we should check out some of the areas near the forest tomorrow?" He suggested.
"That's a possibility we could try."
Machias and Fie fell into a discussion of where they could place new beacons to get some sort of communication signal when Elliot cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Hey guys," he said hesitantly, "I know this is probably a bad idea but…should we leave?"
"Huh?" Machias said, looking confused by what he meant.
"I mean, it was already a big risk settling ourselves in Celdic considering how close it is to Bareahard and I'm just worried that the longer we stay here, the more at risk we are of getting caught," Elliot carefully explained.
"That's a fair point," Fie easily agreed, "We could pack it up and try our chances at a town further away from military control."
"I get what you're saying but we can't just leave. The people of Celdic have already done so much for us and it doesn't feel right to leave them to deal with the fickle whims of the Provincial Army," Machias empathetically said, "Remember the day after we got to town? Before the market manager moved us to the windmill…"
Fie scowled and Elliot nodded darkly at the reminder of the incident caused by some of the Provincial soldiers trying to intimidate the people of Celdic into cowering before them. It was only by the grace of Aidios that the soldiers they fought hadn't retaliated against the innocent Celdic citizens which was another reason why they had stayed, to aid Celdic in case another incident occurred.
"I guess you're right," Elliot said, "It's just…I mean…I'm just scared is all."
Machias shook his head. "No, I get it. I'm scared too. Staying here means that communication is severely limited which makes the amount of information we can gather practically nil and I'm worried about where dad could be. We're all the other has had since mom and sis died."
"Yeah," Elliot nodded understandingly, "Just the thought of my dad being on the front lines and Fiona potentially being used as some sort of bargaining chip against him makes me sick to the stomach."
"Come on guys, have faith," Fie interjected before the two could send themselves into a depressive spiral, "Your families are strong and smart. You'll see them soon enough and hey, now that we managed to establish contact with Toval through Becky, we might get some news about them soon."
Elliot nodded, reassured by her encouragement. "You're right. Thanks Fie."
"Too bad we couldn't let her tell him anything about us though," Machias sighed, "Can't risk anyone overhearing our location on an unsecured signal."
"Yeah, there's that," Fie said before perking up in remembrance, "Oh and before I forget, there's something you guys gotta know."
"What is it?" Machias asked.
"When I went to go put that signal up, I confronted a pack of jaegers beasts that were nearby," she said.
Elliot and Machias gasped in surprise and horror. "Jaeger beasts?!"
"Don't worry. I dispatched them immediately and didn't sense any units in the area," Fie quickly reassured them, "They were probably beasts released into the wild to keep the townspeople in check." She smiled wryly. "Seems like the outfits under the nobles are getting bolder by the day."
"That's terrible!" Elliot exclaimed.
Machias clicked his tongue in disgust. "What a despicable group of people those jaegers are."
Elliot jabbed Machias in the side and he looked at him affronted. "What?" Elliot jerked his head to Fie and Machias panicked at the reminder of what Fie used to be before coming to Thors.
"Not that you're in any way, shape, or form like them Fie."
"Nice save, Machias," Elliot dryly muttered.
"Oh hush you," Machias quietly hissed back.
Fie smiled in amusement and shook her head. "It's fine. That's just the way some jaegers are unfortunately. Got bad apples in every barrel."
However, Elliot and Machias looked at her in concern.
"Are you gonna be okay Fie?" Elliot asked.
"Yeah?" She said in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Those two jaegers we saw that day…they're your family right?" Machias said.
Fie nodded. "Yeah, Xeno and Leo…the best big brothers a girl could ask for…"
"Fie…aren't you worried?" Elliot tentatively asked.
"No actually," she bluntly stated, "If anything, I'm angry."
Elliot and Machias looked at her in confusion. "Huh?"
"It's been a year since boss died. They made me believe that Zephyr had disbanded because of that and everyone had gone their separate ways. I spent that entire year trying to find them but when members of Zephyr don't want to be found, they won't be," she said with a bitter smile, "And now, after all this time, I find out the outfit's still going strong and they had willingly left me behind."
"Fie…" Elliot murmured sympathetically.
"But that just makes me all the more determined to see them and beat the answers I deserve out of them," she firmly declared with determination shining in her eyes.
Elliot and Machias were both shocked by her declaration. "What?!"
She gave them a cheeky grin. "Fighting to get what you want, that's the jaeger way. And I'm prepared to face those two with all I have."
"You're not gonna do that all by yourself though right?" Elliot worriedly asked.
She shook her head. "Nah. Unlike Rean and Jusis, I'm not the type to carry the weight of the world and then some by myself."
Elliot chuckled nervously. "Those two do have that kind of tendency, don't they?"
Machias rolled his eyes. "Understatement of the century there."
"Besides, I won't be alone," Fie said with a smile.
"What do you mean by that?" Machias asked.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head at them in disappointment. "I mean you two goobers, duh. And once Rean comes back, then everyone else will follow and I'll have all the help I need." She smiled nostalgically. "If there's one thing I learned this past year despite Sara's questionable teaching methods, it's that we're stronger together than we are apart and even if we are apart, we're never alone. We've got a real special bond connecting us after all and it's not just cause of the ARCUS."
"Damn right we do," Machias nodded in agreement, "We're proud members of Class VII after all."
"Even with Jusis?" Elliot couldn't help but teasingly ask.
"Erk!" Machias jerked at the reminder but begrudgingly grumbled, "I guess even him too as much as I hate to admit it."
Elliot and Fie laughed at his petulant grumbling.
"Don't worry Macky," Fie cooed at him, "I won't tell anyone about your friendship with that no good, stuck up noble."
"Who said anything about being friends!" Machias cried out indignantly.
Elliot and Fie couldn't help but laugh at the childish tantrum he was throwing. The mood was now light-hearted again. With their resolve reaffirmed and spirits raised, it was then that Becky chose to come rushing into their hideout. She bent over and rested her hands on her knees as she caught her breath.
"Becky!" Elliot cried out in concern as he rushed over to check her for any signs of injury, "Are you alright? Did something happen?"
She lifted her head and panted out, "You're darn rae somethin' happened!"
"Good? Bad? Both? What?! What happened?!" Machias cried out in growing anxiety.
"Ya never gon' believe wha' Toval just tol' me," she said.
"What?!" All three of them cried out, unable to take the suspense.
Becky straightened and gave them a triumphant grin. "Rean's fina been found an 'es gettin' ready ta make his move!"
The three members of Class VII were floored by her news. Once it finally registered in their minds, they all grinned at each other in anticipation.
Finally, finally!
The time for Class VII to reunite was nigh!
And scene! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter cause man, did it take me a while to figure out considering we're never told what Class VII was up in the time between the escape and the reunion. I tried to keep it more on the hopeful side of things instead of doing deep emotional dives into everyone's mental states unlike what I did last chapter only because Jusis willingly chose to go it alone with the occasional support while the rest of Class VII chose to stick together in their respective locations. I did still try to focus on giving each character time to shine and some much needed development that happens without the need for Rean. Plus, Class VII bonding without Rean at the center of it all is a must.
Anyways, the next chapter will be focusing on some key side characters and allies of Class VII and what they were up to in the days following the invasion and the lead up to Rean waking up. I'll try to get the chapter out in a timely fashion but no guarantees. Until next time!