October 25, S.1204 - Remains of Garrelia Fortress
If it weren't for the rays of sunlight since it was the middle of the day, the utterly destroyed Garrelia Fortress could have been viewed as the beginning of a new dark age. The impact of the destruction was no less fierce, however, only leaving ruins in its wake. She could only imagine what had caused it on the day of its downfall.
…
Words couldn't even begin to describe the desolation of the once proud fortress. In its ruins sat a massive gaping hole that took the place of the gate that she had to pass through on her way to Trista. The damage was clean—far too neat—for the cause to be from natural forces.
As much as she wanted to praise her deduction skills, Juna knew that knowledge wasn't some revelatory discovery.
She overheard some of the soldiers who were tasked with escorting her home. Word on the street was that it may have been caused by a state-of-the-art weapon that Crossbell's government had in its possession. She could sense the icy glares sent her way. No need to be trained by the youngest detective in the CPD to speculate on their reasoning.
But, to Alfin's credit, she was glad that Lt. General Craig was more than willing to jump to her defense. She had about the same amount of information as they did on the situation. With all the recent events that have been occurring, her knowledge of what the hell was going on was as bountiful as Amorica's crop fields in the winter. A whole lot of nothing.
"I'm afraid this is as far as I can take you, Miss Crawford." Lt. General Craig stated.
They were in the middle of the highway, not that far from Bellguard Gate. After a few moments, Juna discerned that perhaps sending her back to the city was probably not the best idea. The Imperial Army had to be wary of whatever Crossbell was capable of. They were already risking a lot just bringing her this far.
"That's fine, sir. I can make my way back myself."
"Good. I've heard from my son that you're close friends with one of his classmates. Bringing you this far was the least I could do. Do take care of yourself until your next visit."
He gave her a slight bow before commanding his subordinates to return to whatever remained of the fortress.
She watched the men retreat to their side of the border until their vehicle was completely out of view. Once it did, she faced the city. Her city.
Encased within a blue dome, there was no way she would be able to make it back to Crossbell as she is now. Unfortunately, that meant she was stuck in the western part of the state until further notice. Perhaps she could make it to St. Ursula's in the meantime. The first part of any good investigation was to acquire information, and she wasn't going to get any here.
She gave her cheeks a firm slap, instantly perking her up.
"All right, let's go! It's gonna be a long one, so there's no time like the present!"
She did a quick double-check on her belongings and started her long journey, making sure to stick close to the orbal lamps as much as possible. If her trek was going to be a tedious one, might as well try to steer clear of any monsters roaming the roads.
But before Garrelia Fortress (or at least what was left of it) faded from sight, she gave it one last look.
…
"'Close friends', huh?" she whispered solemnly.
There was something about that argument that didn't sit well with her. There were plenty of things she and Rean disagreed with over the years, but things never got that heated. Or that silent, for that matter. Though it was a brief conversation, Juna could tell he was vehement about keeping her out of whatever happened back there.
…
Nothing… bad happened, right?
Obviously, something happened here—the big blue barrier said as much. But she could sense that Rean was acting pensive when she regaled him of the goings-on of Crossbell. Did he know something that she didn't? And why didn't he voice his concerns with her?
Did he think she was too weak to handle such information?
Did he not trust her?
It sounded ridiculous no matter how many times she repeated it in her head. She and Rean talked about everything they could possibly imagine together. The only things that could be any more open than them were literal open books. Why would he be keeping secrets now?
She couldn't make heads or tails of it and yet it was the only explanation she could come up with.
…
She had been standing there longer than she anticipated.
She really should get going-
"Is anyone there?!"
A sudden chill ran down her spine. The way that that voice called out didn't sound as friendly or inviting as she would've hoped. It rang in her ear with an authoritative malevolence that she would rather not associate with and stay far the hell away from.
Who could it be though? She had a few candidates in mind.
Possibly some Erebonian soldiers stayed behind to capture her? Juna recalled Rean and Elise telling her about how nationalistic some Erebonians got. It was usually more ingrained with the nobility than the common folk, but as with the rumors: the weapon that destroyed Garrelia was done by something created by the Crossbell government. Even as a police officer in training, her status was suspect.
However, Lt. General Craig did give his word that his soldiers will not step out of line. She knew better to put complete trust in a stranger, but thanks to her connection with Rean, she had a feeling that she could take him by his word.
Then who did that leave?
She still didn't fully comprehend the sudden formation of the "Crossbell Defense Force". Based on what she heard on the radio, it was built from a merger of the Crossbell Police Department and Guardian Force. Due to the agreement of the suzerain states, Erebonia and Calvard forbade Crossbell from ever having a formal military force and even restricted what equipment the CGF could hold. Now that Crossbell declared its independence, that was no longer an issue.
Was she able to trust anyone there? It pained her to even suggest that her old comrades could be traitors or untrustworthy, but she had to consider as many possibilities as possible. Without a significant grasp of the situation, she had to consider everything.
But no matter who it was, she needed to get out of there. Her best bet was to make her way to St. Ursula, but she needed to be sneaky about it. Complete stealth. Whoever her mystery pursuer was, they were already hot on her tail. It wouldn't do her any good to paint a bigger target on her back. She had to slip away and make a run for it as soon as she was out of sight.
Channeling her inner Cobalt Panther! Stealth Mode activate!
…
…
She really needed to cut back on the superhero shows… Not her fault they were so damn adrenaline pumping!
Juna sidled her way into the nearby woods. The bushes were able to provide enough camouflage for her benefit, even if the branches did pierce into her skin ever so slightly. She made sure not to let her luggage get in contact with stray thorns in hopes of keeping her new dress intact. In theory, it should have been able to even come close to the outfit, but better safe than sorry. The worst thing she could do to it was let it tear before she even got a chance to try it on.
Juna sighed.
It was a wonderful memento to bring home to remind her of her brief yet joyous time at Thors' school festival.
Too bad that the only thing that stuck in her mind was her whole fight with Rean.
She violently shook her head.
No! She couldn't let her mind wander too far in that direction. No matter how he said it, Rean was still right. She needed to be here and protect Crossbell when it needed her. She had the opportunity to help in the effort, so she should seize the chance to do so.
She exited from the other side of the woods. With her suitcase pressed against her chest, she heaved to catch her breath. If she was already growing tired, this was about to be a long trek to her destination. She needed to get to safety first and foremost…!
She heard a gun cock.
"Stay where you are! Hands where I can see them!"
Well, so much for stealth…
She did as directed, not even sparing her captor a glance. She could try grabbing one of her gunbreakers and knocking the opposition out. If she was quick, she would be able to escape before they called any reinforcements to apprehend her. She weighed her options carefully, mentally noting the pros and cons of each action. It was now or never.
"Juna?"
Hang on, she recognized that voice.
"Noel?!"
As she suspected, one of the members of the SSS stood at the fore. One of her mentors and friends, Noel Seeker. Even though she was only a temporary member, Juna and everyone else valued her just as much as the main team.
Running into her lifted a gargantuan weight off her chest.
"Am I glad to see you! Ever since coming back from Erebonia, it's been crazy. Though, I guess you'd already know that, huh?"
"Uhhh, y-yeah." Noel awkwardly replied, lowering her gun.
"Good thing I ran into you though. I have so many questions that I was gonna ask at St. Ursula. But since you're here, I might as well ask you!"
"S-Sure…"
Juna took notice of Noel's non-committal response and caught sight of the shine in her eyes.
Or to be more accurate, the lack of it.
It took a while to sink in, but Juna also realized that Noel had been wearing a different set of clothes. Something reminiscent of her old uniform in the Guardian Force, but lighter in color and topped with a white beret instead of her usual dark-colored ones.
"Noel, is something wrong?"
"W-Well, you see…"
"You know, we could skip the questions for another time if you need to talk. I'm always here to lend an ea-!"
A sudden pain flared on the back of her neck. In the brief moment it made contact, she was able to barely discern a blunt object striking her from behind. But before she could make sense of anything, she blacked out.
…
…
Two men sent Noel a salute, respectfully acknowledging her role in the operation.
"Good job at distracting the target, 2nd Lieutenant Seeker. We'll take her into custody."
"R-Right…" She nodded, allowing the men to carry Juna back to Bellguard Gate.
She picked up the suitcase Juna "left" behind and carefully rummaged through its contents, making sure she didn't damage anything.
Other than the gunbreakers that she would need to confiscate, she saw little that required removing. Only some souvenirs, clothes, and travel toiletries. However, one thing stood out.
It was a beautiful dress, neatly folded up and wrapped in a protective film. She never recalled Juna owning such a nice outfit before, but despite it all, she would have loved to see her wear it.
She probably didn't even deserve that small privilege anymore.
Inside the film, she noticed a small note.
…
From your friends from Erebonia. I can't wait for you to try it on. I'm sure you'll love it. Make sure to show your friends back home too.
- Rean Schwarzer
…
Noel fell to her knees, her dam of tears finally breaking down. Everything that had happened since yesterday flowed back into her mind. Letting the Aion destroy Garrelia Fortress. Forcing KeA to become the Sept-Terrion of Zero. Arresting her own friends all due to an order made by the mayor. It all hurt so indescribably much.
She tried justifying it. She wanted to believe this was all to give Crossbell a successful future.
But even she had a hard time buying that masquerade.
"I'm sorry, Juna. I'm so, so sorry…"
He peered at her with cold, dead eyes. The sweet and warm lilac were gone, replaced with imposing and apathetic crimson.
She stepped back slowly, unable to bear his suffocating aura. What was once comforting now felt a noxious and deadly gas.
"Rean…?"
"What makes you think you could ever solve Erebonia's problems? What about my problems? You can't even help Crossbell in its time of need."
Its voice was empty, yet furious. Cold, yet burning. Completely and utterly terrifying.
"No, you're wrong!"
The apparition that took her best friend's appearance chuckled.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe I am wrong. What would I know? Me and my 'hero complex', was it?"
"I… I never said-" Her voice quivered.
"Ah, but you did want to say it, didn't you? We've been friends long enough. I can tell what you want to say at a glance."
"But Rean, I-I didn't mean it like that! I-"
"You what?" Venom dripped from his voice. "Do you think me so pathetic that I need your help all the time?"
"Of course not!"
"Then why?!"
"Because I wanted to help you! Is that so much to ask? I was already there and you and Elise mean so much to me! What else would I have done?"
The apparition fell silent and glared at her.
"Would you be so willing to abandon Crossbell and everyone in it to fight an impossible battle on our side?"
"Why would you think it's impossible? Once I'm done there, I'll come back right away! I won't know until I try!"
"And who's to say your contribution would change the tides so easily?"
"I-"
"You probably thought the same thing when I told you to go back." His eyes briefly shined their usual color before reverting back. "'He's only one person. How could he do this all alone?'"
It was her turn to be silent.
"You must hate it. Needing to protect someone so pathetic. Feeling you need to stay by my side all the time just to keep me safe."
The pain in his voice hurt her. He no longer emanated anger and fury, but sadness and regret. He didn't make eye contact with her, looking away wistfully.
She hadn't realized how hard she clenched her fists until she released them. She slowly approached the apparition and wrapped her arms around it.
"That's not true, Rean. I want to stand by your side because I care. You… You look down on yourself so much. I just want to be there to remind you that there will always be someone in your court. Someone to support you, unconditionally."
"Juna…"
"But you're right. No matter what I did over there, I don't think my actions would accomplish anything." She loosened her grip, giving him a determined smile. "So I gotta do my part here while you do your thing there, okay?"
"...Yeah. Yeah, you're right."
He smiled back.
"We all have our parts to play. So why don't we start with yours?"
"What do you mean-?"
The apparition brandished its blade and targeted her heart.
November 1, S.1204 - Bellguard Gate
Juna shot awake. Her eyes blurred, adjusting to the light. The last thing she remembered was talking to Noel and everything after that was a total blank.
With her sight fully operational, she took in her surroundings. She recognized it. She recognized everything.
A rather spacious room. The walls were sturdy, with a solid foundation you'd find any normal home. A desk was situated in front of a window with an orbal radio on its side. She found a few bookshelves throughout the room as well, stacked with books of all sorts: novels, textbooks, and a few comics as well. The closet was mostly empty, but it looked like someone hung up the clothes she had in her luggage, neatly ironed and washed.
Such a room seemed mundane. Common. Quotidian. But she knew its true nature.
She was in prison.
It was much nicer than one would think of when hearing the word "prison cell", but a pretty cage was still a cage nonetheless.
Part of her panicked. Why was she locked up? Was she right in her assumption that not even her fellow Crossbellans were to be trusted? Did Noel betray them? She had so many questions and no source of answers.
But the rest of her dealt with a different problem.
That dream of hers felt too… real. Rean's resentment of her. His nasty assumptions and goading. It all culminated in some disgusting creature that only cared about playing with her emotions. Whatever it was, it succeeded in that department.
It pissed her off. Why would it make Rean spout such ugly things to her? Why would it make her feel guilty for things she didn't even say?
…
Perhaps it was because part of her did feel that way. She hated it. There were so many things she wanted to say to him that night. So many things that would've surely made him hate her. But she wanted to say them anyway if it meant keeping him safe.
She hated herself for it, so why wouldn't he be the same? Knowing Rean, he would've taken her words to heart and pushed himself even further into a downward spiral. Yet, she still wanted to say them so she could watch over him. Was that just admitting to his weakness? She wasn't sure.
…
She heard a knock at the door.
"W-who is it?" She hesitated to ask. Given her position, she should've demanded answers from her mysterious captor. Pried it from them if she had to. But from the circumstances of her recent memory, she was afraid of what she'd learn of Crossbell's current predicament.
Gah! She had too many problems to think about right now! Erebonia! Crossbell! Man, it would've been nice for things to slow down so she could organize her thoughts better.
"It's me."
Juna perked up upon hearing the voice but slunk down once she remembered the present circumstances. That wasn't the voice she wanted to hear right now, but it was better than nothing.
"...Come in."
The door crept open to reveal the woman she was talking to just earlier. Her friend (at least she hoped she still was), Noel Seeker.
"You're finally awake."
Juna didn't meet her eyes. "...How long was I out?"
"A week. The guy must've hit you a bit too hard."
…
"H-hey, Juna?"
"...What's been going on? The first thing I hear is some WMD comes in and destroys Garrelia Fortress, then I get into a fight with my best friend only to come crawling back home and meet up back with you, and the next thing I know I get whacked in the back of the head and out of it for an entire week. The least I deserve is some answers."
"A-Are you sure? You've been out for an entire week and from the looks of things," She gave the pink-haired girl a long look. Her hair was untied and disheveled. Her clothes were wrinkled and the way she slouched signalled that her sleep was restless. "That must've been one heck of a dream you just woke up from."
"Answers. Now."
The glare Juna sent Noel's way felt like daggers piercing her very heart. No amount of Tear Balms could heal that wound.
Noel sighed. "Okay. You deserve at least that much, I agree. But, can we at least talk over some lunch? All the information in the world would do you no good if you're trying to process it on an empty stomach."
Noel held out a picnic basket in her hand. The moment Juna caught a whiff of its contents, her stomach immediately growled.
"Fine, you win."
Judging by the smell, the lunch was homemade. Hearty sandwiches reminiscent of what she used to enjoy at the SSS Building at the times when they invited her for meals. It reminded her of the times when she, Elie, and KeA all took turns to create celebratory feasts whenever the SSS would crack a big case. It felt nostalgic…
Funny she should think that, considering that those days were not even that long ago. But something happened since then that made those times feel like a distant memory.
Once Noel watched Juna scarf down a few sandwiches, she spoke up.
"So where do I even begin…?"
"You can start with what happened the day of the declaration. I tried pushing it out of my mind when I heard about it on the radio, but it's pretty clear that's a good jumping point."
Noel nodded. While she couldn't maintain eye contact with Juna, she began.
"Ever since the trade conference, Mayor—no, President Crois has been pushing for Crossbell's independence and it wasn't until a little over a week ago when he made his national address. Any nations not recognizing our independence will have their assets at the IBC indefinitely frozen. Obviously, neither Erebonia nor Calvard were having that, so they both threatened military intervention if the freeze wasn't lifted. It was around that time that after I had returned to the Guardian Force… and eventually became a part of the newly christened Crossbell Defense Force."
"So it wasn't that long after the attack on the city incited by the Red Constellation…" Juna muttered. Sadly, her initial impression of everything being planned started making more sense.
"Before the Empire or the Republic could retaliate, President Crois made the first move. He used an enormous archaism to destroy Garrelia Fortress and its two railway guns off the map as a show of force. That way, the Empire would have their hands full internally while Calvard would scramble to protect themselves."
"'Internally' how?" Juna helped herself to another bite of her lunch. Being unconscious for a week really built up an appetite.
Noel's eyes darted back and forth; this time, refusing to make contact.
"Noel," Juna spoke sternly. "What. Happened?"
Noel winced at her tone. She let out a small huff and informed Juna of the grave events.
"Shortly after you came back… Chancellor Osborne was shot and killed during a national address in Heimdallr. As of now, all of Erebonia has been consumed by civil war."
…
Juna stared at her agape. Erebonia was ravaged… by war? But why? She was only gone for a week! Was this caused by Crossbell's archaism? The destruction of Garrelia Fortress? What came of Uncle Teo and Aunt Lucia? What about Rean and Elise?
What the hell happened?
"Do you have any more information on that front?" She asked quietly, attempting to keep calm.
Noel shook her head. "Nothing more than that, I'm afraid. All we know is that the two sides participating are the Imperial Army and the nation's various provincial armies."
"So it's between the reformists and the nobles, huh? Just like he predicted…"
"I'm… sorry, Juna. I don't have anything else to share with you. I know you must be worried for your friend."
"..."
"Juna?"
"No, it's fine," Juna assured. "Rean can take care of himself. He saw this coming, but probably not to this scale. This is something only he can do. I'll have to put my faith in him in the meantime. Now, I need to focus on what's been happening here. Please continue, Noel."
Noel was briefly taken aback. Juna had grown since her enrollment in the academy. She had always been brash and eager to help, but she came to realize that even she had her limits and responsibilities to take on.
She grinned at that thought, but still dreaded to enlighten Juna on the recent ongoings.
She told her everything. After President Crois made his inaugural speech at Orchis Tower, he called for the Special Support Section to be subdued. Arios left the Bracer Guild to become the Crossbell Secretary of Defense. And ever since the merger between the Guardian Force and Police Department to become the Defense Force, she was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.
Once Noel began, everything came pouring out like a broken dam. She told Juna about how Crois and Mariabell had plans to install a new government with the help of some… conspirators. She didn't know how, but they used KeA for that end. She told her about how the SSS tried to stop them but were subdued and arrested… by the Divine Blade of Wind and hers truly.
…
The room fell silent, neither of them daring to speak up upon the recent revelations. It was a lot to sink in. Gaining independence through acts of violence was nothing new. In some cases, it was an absolute necessity. But if her speculation was correct, Crois himself hired Red Constellation to attack the city and instill fear in the citizens to push for said independence. If that was true, Dieter Crois could not be forgiven. Anyone who would gain power through falsehoods and manipulation did not deserve any position of leadership.
Juna couldn't even begin to fathom Arios's position. She held the firm belief that the Police Department lost two rising stars after he resigned following his partner's death. Of course, she didn't mind that he became part of the Bracer Guild, but it confused her even more as to why he would join the Defense Force and help arrest the SSS.
And then there was the elephant in the room.
"...And what about you, Noel?" Juna looked at the brunette dead in the eyes. "Are you okay with all this? Do you regret your decision?"
…
Noel averted her eyes. "No, I don't. It is… unfortunate that Lloyd and the others couldn't see eye-to-eye with me. But I believe this is the best course of action to secure Crossbell's future. I… I can't waver now."
"I… see." Juna neatly reassembled the picnic basket and handed it back to Noel. "Then I have nothing more to say to you. Thank you for the food."
Noel wordlessly took the basket from Juna's hands and nodded. Knowing Juna, it was probably hard for her to not comment on her actions. If it were a few months ago, she'd be up in arms in defending Crossbell's safety above all else no matter who was threatening it.
But now, knowing that her friends were on opposite sides of the conflict, she must've had very little to say to convince Noel otherwise. It devastated Noel that she became the source of this suffering, but she knew she had to follow through and face the consequences of her actions.
With a silent farewell, Noel left the room. She heard the door lock and footsteps, those belonging to another officer perhaps, stopping in front of her door. Of course they'd assign a guard to her.
Juna sighed and plopped back onto the bed. Thoughts swirled through her head as she attempted to make sense of all the new information that she'd been given. But the more she contemplated her options, the more her head wanted to split open. Not to also mention that the civil war in Erebonia was a source of concern.
She looked towards the desk in the corner of her room. Pretty much empty as she expected, but apparently someone had left her luggage by the side. That sparked an idea.
It didn't help to overthink everything mentally and she's been asleep for far too long to take a nap to pass the time. Maybe it was best to put her jumbled mind to use. It was clear that she wouldn't be able to leave her room and of course they'd confiscate her weapons, but she was able to at least ask for some blank stationery.
Taking up some empty sheets and pulling out a few pens from her bags, she got to work.
Rean was right.
She needed to be here in Crossbell.
November 14, S.1204
Two weeks.
Two weeks of writing, drawing, connecting the dots. If she walked in on herself, she'd think she was some sort of conspiracy theorist. She probably scared Noel the few times she came to deliver her meals. The way her eyes grew into saucers was a pretty good indicator.
As crude as it looked, she organized all her thoughts as best she could. Due to lack of access to any credible newspapers, she had to make use of all the information she could muster. Not that Noel and the other soldiers of the Defense Force were unbiased, but it seemed more believable than anything she could glean from her other sources. Even if it was all war propaganda, she would've appreciated any copies of the Imperial Chronicle just to make sure Rean and Elise were safe.
So what could she conclude from this?
She… had no idea.
It wasn't like she couldn't make sense of the information she had on her, but she didn't know how it all connected.
Frankly, she never did like the Crois family. It was more of a gut feeling than a concrete reason, so she couldn't exactly oust them for anything. She didn't appreciate how poorly Mariabell treated Lloyd and her father seemed pretty skeevy on the side. But she couldn't deny that both played pivotal roles contributing to Crossbell's success as an autonomous state. Wouldn't they only have the wellbeing of Crossbell on their minds?
And how exactly did they use KeA? What was her role in this? She couldn't imagine KeA being anyone else but the adorable little girl that the SSS knew and loved. Her mind hurt just thinking about it, but it did seem like KeA possessed several abilities far beyond that of a normal person. But still, if they did anything to hurt her or coerce her into doing so, they're all gonna get full greetings to Juna's friend Knuckle Sandwich.
But that still begged the question, where were all her friends now? The Special Support Section was subdued and arrested. If the enemy was smart, then there was no way in Gehenna that they would keep them all in the same place. Considering that she heard no word of someone coming here and it was unlikely that they would keep anyone in the city, that left quite a few places in mind.
Amorica, Mainz, Mishelam, St. Ursula, and possibly Tangram Gate.
…
And if worse comes to worst, she might have to break into Knox Prison too.
It may have been presumptuous of her to even think about escaping Bellguard Gate, but in the event that she could, she had to account for any future prospects to get to the bottom of this.
…
She knew she had to push it out of her mind, but her mind often wandered to what was happening in Erebonia. Her information pool was just as sparse as it was two weeks ago when Noel told her that the war was happening at all. With Trista being so close to the capital, Rean was far too close to the action than she would've liked. That went double for Elise, seeing as how she went to school in Heimdallr.
...She needed to apologize to Rean as soon as she could.
Objectively speaking, the fact that the war broke out at the same time as the events here in Crossbell were going on was far too much of a coincidence. Did Crois plan this so that he could exert his power when the Empire was at its weakest? If that was the case, he could focus more of the Defense Force and his archaisms against Calvard instead of worrying about the western country getting in his way.
That seemed a bit too coincidental. Like Noel mentioned, Crois had either hired people to pull some strings for him, or he was conspiring with them for mutual benefit. For example, He saw to benefit the most from the Red Constellation attack so he was the most likely candidate to act as their client. He got control of the city and they got paid. Typical client-jaeger relationship.
So was it Revache? Probably not. Most of their big guys are all in prison.
The D∴G Cult was out of the question since the SSS took in their only remaining members in Crossbell.
The Imperial Liberation Front may be likely, but when would they even find the time to communicate?
Whoever he's conspiring with, he couldn't incite a civil war in a neighboring country on his own. There were too many variables in play to just focus on this one issue.
There was also the question of Arios MacLaine. The Divine Blade of Wind was certainly not someone you would want as an enemy, but here they were. What was his stake in this? Were they blackmailing him? Were they threatening his daughter Shizuku? He was one big blank.
And how did Mariabell play into this? It was easy to make the connection that she is simply helping her father, but it feels more than that. She noticed the leers she sent KeA's way throughout their trip to Mishelam after the Trade Conference incident. She never brought it up though out of respect for her being Elie's best friend.
This… was going to be a lot more complicated than she thought.
She gripped her necklace tightly.
Rean, please. Give me strength.
…
She's done about as much as she could do. Without a wellspring of information to draw from, she could not advance any further in her theorycrafting. Any further speculation would just be sophistry.
While she needed to be supervised, Juna was allowed to leave her room on occasion. She knew Bellguard Gate like the back of her hand, but it was memorizing a good route from her room to the outside without getting caught that provided the main challenge.
Thankfully, she spent the better part of the past two weeks planning her escape route. She needed something to take her mind off looking at her notes all the time. She wrote so much that she could probably write her own novel one day.
It was likely that she would have to abandon her gunbreakers and luggage to heighten her chances of success. The former was easily replaceable—even if that meant falling back to a support role temporarily—but the latter… Well, she'd have to get on her knees and apologize to Howard next time she's in the imperial capital.
The evening bell began to ring. Now was prime time.
She slowly pried open the air vent in her room and prepared to crawl through. It was tight, but she expected as much. No one managed to crawl through a vent without being confined to a tight space after all. Though part of her felt like she might have to expect making such maneuvers a lot in the future.
"Crawford."
Juna immediately jumped up. Well, she would have had her head weren't already halfway inside the air duct. The loud and painful thud rang out through the ventilation system and forced Juna to pull out before she could even go all the way through.
"What are you doing?"
"Uh, C-Commander Sonya!" She stood up and gave an awkward salute. "I-I-I was just checking the air! Yeah! It's been crazy dusty in here so I thought it might've gotten dirty and I-"
The woman sighed. "Enough. You and I both know your true intentions."
Juna let out a quiet whine, but left it at that. There was no way you were getting anything past Sonya Baelz.
"However, I think your chance might come sooner than you'd expect."
"...Ma'am?"
"Grab your things and come with me. There's something we should discuss."
Walking right into Sonya's office and seeing Noel with the brightest shade of red colored over her face wasn't something she was expecting to do after weeks of being confined in a room.
Over on the other side was certainly a sight for sore eyes. A wide grin was plastered onto her face as she went to go greet her friends.
Wazy, Rixia, Randy, Tio, Zeit, Lloyd.
It wasn't everyone, but it was great to see them together. They all exchanged pleasantries before getting to the matter at hand.
Based on the information she had been given, Juna already knew that the SSS were wanted by the state. By some miracle, Lloyd managed to escape confinement from Knox Prison. From there, he met up with Wazy and Zeit (and were told quite the incredible story about both their backgrounds) and reunited with Tio, Rixia, and Randy on the way to Bellguard. As much as she wanted to hear the details, Juna thought it best to ask another time.
They explained everything. The conspiracy between Red Constellation, Ouroboros, and President Crois (confirming Juna's prior suspicions), his use of KeA to artificially create the Sept-Terrion of Zero, and his control over the entire state as a result of both aspects.
Despite Lloyd's pleading for the State Guard to assist, it seemed that their hands were tied. So long as the President stood in power, the soldiers wouldn't be allowed to use military might to their discretion. A predictable conclusion.
"Even with the entire backing of Bellguard, Secretary MacLaine would annihilate us in a blink of an eye if he had command of the main unit." Sonya explained.
Randy sneered. "Damn. Even as a commander, the old man is gonna be formidable."
"As one would expect from Sergei's former subordinate and one who earned the title of 'Divine Blade'. I've even heard his tactical mind rivals even his Eight Leaves senior, Brigadier General Cassius Bright of the Liberl Royal Army."
"Then we'd be in one hell of a brawl if ever came down to just us." Juna mused. "A friend of mine is also trained in the Eight Leaves and he's only just become intermediate rank. And he's good. If Arios is well above that, then no wonder we'd be hard-pressed to get much support."
"B-But…!" Noel spoke up. "Even if Secretary MacLaine was our opponent, if we could cooperate with Tangram Gate and Vice Commander Douglas…!"
Juna sent a quick quizzical glance at her. She was surprised how fast Noel changed her tune since locking her up. Sure, she didn't seem too on board with the whole situation at first, but something must've happened to heavily sway her opinion.
She looked over at Lloyd and the others, noticing wide grins on Wazy, Randy, and Tio's faces as they gave Lloyd a knowing look.
"Haha, sounds like that one-to-one from before was more effective than we thought." Wazy remarked with a titter.
Juna raised her eyebrow. A few moments later, she recalled Noel's red face when she entered Commander Sonya's office.
Yeah… she probably had a good idea.
Noel's romantic endeavors aside, Juna began noticing cracks within the infrastructure of the state government. Ones that they could take full advantage of.
The main reason why the current Defense Force had their hands tied to assist the Resistance was due to the president's power and influence. It would be an astronomical undertaking for a state's military force to rise against its own government without valid reasoning. Completely unheard of, even. But…
"Commander Sonya," she invoked her name, ready to take the next step. "What if, hypothetically, the president and the validity of the Independent State of Crossbell were to be called into question? What would be of the State Guard?"
That caught everyone by surprise.
Lloyd chuckled. "Seems like we had the same idea, Juna."
"You raise a good question, Miss Crawford." Sonya simpered, clearly impressed with the girl. "It would ultimately depend on the extent of the sway, but we would have to see things through until the matter is clarified of its authenticity. If we can confirm—without a shadow of a doubt—that the declaration is in fact invalid, then we would be forced to take action."
"I see," Wazy mused. "Looks like we have a clear goal in front of us now."
"I agree." Lloyd nodded. "Out of the SSS, Elie's judgment would be the most reliable thing to help us in this matter. And as much as I want to get her back too, I think we have a stronger card to play here."
Juna nodded at Lloyd's words. "You mean Chairman MacDowell, don't you?"
"Madamois-Elie's grandfather, huh? Not a bad idea."
"If I remember correctly, he's one of the representatives of Crossbell, right?"
Ah right, Juna forgot that Rixia wasn't a Crossbell native. Even if she had been living there for a while now, she wouldn't totally get the ins and outs of the state.
…
Wait, hang on, why was Rixia here?
And what was she wearing?!
…
Juna would have to ask a lot of questions after this.
Wazy broke her from her thoughts. "Sounds like we got our next destination. We can head back to the Merkabah and start our preparations to infiltrate Mishelam."
Lloyd turned to face her. "So, what say you, Juna? How do you feel about liberating Crossbell for your first mission as an honorary SSS member?"
She smirked and bumped the side of her fist to her chest in triumph. "I thought you'd never ask!"
When she heard that Wazy Hemisphere - the guy she had always known to be just "the nicer looking gang leader punk" - had a personal airship, she came set with certain expectations.
Sure, Wazy may have been one hell of a nuisance to the police force and had a… less than reputable esteem due to his fights with the Saber Vipers, but he did have some classy tastes. The bar that the Testaments ran at least looked nice.
According to Lloyd, he also worked part-time as a host in Mishelam. He knew how to dress himself nicely and was quite a hit with the ladies, which didn't seem totally unbelievable. Though there was apparently a whole debacle between him and a married couple. Lloyd kept his lips sealed on that.
Though she wasn't expecting one of the local delinquents to be an owner of a personal airship, she still thought it would be one of those fancy, luxurious types. Maybe not one of those with marble flooring and an open bar, but something decently nice like comfy seats and beds. Like a floating hotel, maybe? Something like that.
But what she got was far from she expected.
Sure, it was small. At least she understood that part. For a guy who doesn't fly much, it would be hell to maintain her whole "floating hotel" idea. She even felt a little stupid for thinking he'd own such a ship considering that, as she stated before, he was a delinquent. In retrospect, she probably shouldn't have had such expectations in the first place.
It wasn't like she was disappointed. But seeing that the ship was not only small, but more… high-techy than she was expecting, it raised more questions than answers.
She was learning all sorts of new facts today.
As they made their preparations to rescue Elie at Mishelam, Lloyd was more than happy to give her the explanations she seeked.
First was Rixia. If Juna was given five guesses and then a genie appeared to give her ten more, she would've never guessed that one of her favorite performers - and possibly her best friend's crush (No, she was not letting that slide) - was from a long line of legendary assassins from Calvard. She also wanted to ask why would an assassin carry such a large ass sword, but it was best not to comment on that.
Next up was Zeit. Part of her always realized that he was far from a normal wolf turned police dog. He was much smarter than most animals were, even though the only things he wanted to do most of the time was bask in the sunlight and nap in the afternoons. But to think he was in truth, one of the Holy Beasts of Aidios. When she heard him talk for the first time, she almost screamed. Good thing Lloyd told her that he was normally much bigger or else she would've spouted how she had different expectations of a Holy Beast's size.
…Whoops, looks like Zeit's giving her the stink eye.
And lastly, there was Wazy. Apparently he was some bigwig of the Septian Church. Some points flew over her head, but she understood that he basically led a sector of the church and that was why he had his own personal aircraft outfitted for special operations. The "Gralsritter", they were called. She was unfamiliar with the term, but that may have been the point. Still, she was shocked to hear how much there was to Wazy behind his facade as Crossbell's resident gadfly.
The next few weeks got hectic.
Since leaving Bellguard Gate, Juna worked tirelessly to assist the SSS in their endeavors.
Their first objective was to rescue Elie and Chairman MacDowell from Mishelam. Seeing as how Mishelam was one of her favorite places in Crossbell, she was more than willing to participate in the operation. You know how there's always those places you feel like you'll never truly grow out of? That was how she felt about MWL through and through. Despite its recent opening, she loved the place. She envied that Ken and Nana got to grow up with it.
The mission could've gone smoother, but she got a lot out of it. She was completely mesmerized by Zeit's true form, that of a majestic sapphire wolf. Certainly hitting all the mystical checklists, that's for sure.
Oh yeah, and she got to say hi to her dad too! Good thing too because she was worried about keeping her luggage on the Merkabah. Never know when she'd have to leave it behind for… unsavory reasons.
Once the MacDowells were back in their ranks, the chairman delivered his declaration of invalidity for Crossbell's independence. It personally hurt her to hear about native Crossbellans denying their own independence, but liberty gained through force was no liberty at all.
The next course of action was to stop the bells from resonating. According to Jeorg Rosenburg, one of the Support Section's acquaintances, the bells from the Moon Temple and Stargazers' Tower were the sources of the barrier surrounding the city. If they could stop them, they could proceed with their infiltration.
Annnnnd as much as she'd love to indulge in the details, Juna knew that it wasn't her story to tell. Just know that she'll never look at chili peppers the same way again and she'll be sore for a while after their encounter with the Steel Maiden and her Stahlritter.
…
It was December now.
The barrier over Crossbell City had been removed.
…
Victory was nearly in their grasp.
Not much longer now.
…
She wondered how Rean was doing.
November 30, S.1204 - Ymir
One whole month.
He had lost an entire month.
Knocked the hell out in the middle of nowhere; sleeping in some ancient robot that he and his classmates found in the basement of some ramshackled piece of shit building with a talking cat.
Just to clarify, he meant that he was sleeping in the robot with the talking cat, not that the talking cat lived inside the crappy building.
…
You know what he meant.
So, all in all, it was easy to say that Rean was far from pleased with his current predicament.
He leaned back onto a rock. Despite the cold weather, the warmth of the hot spring heated the hard stone to a comfortable temperature. He loved coming here whenever he needed to gather his thoughts.
Part of him really hated the old schoolhouse. Such a bewildering and perplexing piece of work that confounded the mind. Every time he went in, he was only ever given more questions than answers. And he wasn't a fan of how much of the day is spent in there. Sure, he volunteered to lead the investigations every month, that's on him. But you'd think that someone, anyone would've attempted a few excursions of their own. Long before Class VII was ever established. It felt too convenient that they were the first ones to really explore the place.
To spite the inanity of it all, sometimes he'd get so frustrated that he'd just start fishing! During the whole damned investigation! Granted, it was pretty amusing to tick off his classmates with his spontaneous fascination with the reel. But now he can't even enjoy that privilege.
It irritated him.
It annoyed him that he had to be separated from his friends.
It infuriated him that he didn't know whether or not they were even alive.
And what did he get? A one-way asylum trip back home thanks to a certain giant robot and his talking cat friend.
Rean let out a dragged out sigh.
No, that wasn't fair. He shouldn't - couldn't - put all the blame on Valimar and Celine. Hell, he had trouble casting any blame on them. In the end, they did what they had to keep him alive. Even if that meant putting his friends in danger.
…
No, this was all on him. Due to his weakness and hesitation. He was naive to think that he'd be able to beat Crow that easily. He had three years of experience piloting a Divine Knight over him. There was no reality where he'd come out victorious.
None of this is their fault, Rean thought. This is all on me.
Because of that, he lost everything. He'd finally found a place where he felt he belonged, and people to share it with… and he lost it all.
He thought his life was finally gaining some direction, but now he felt totally lost again.
In spite of everything, his mind still wandered to the greatest thing he lost. The one person who he could confide in most. He lost his best friend.
He didn't need to hear her say the words. Her eyes spoke loud enough for him. She resented him for pushing her away. She hated him for not involving her. The way she marched off in frustration… She held back from truly speaking her mind.
...Maybe what he said earlier wasn't completely accurate.
He always felt at home with Juna. Despite all the banter and bickering, he felt like he belonged when he was with her. She accepted him for who he was, monster and all. They put the utmost trust in each other. She brought him up when he was at his lowest points and he encouraged her when she endeavored to do something new. There weren't any secrets between them.
...There he went deluding himself again.
Over the years, Rean had noticed how dependent he had become on Juna's presence. He was always calm around her. Peaceful. Tranquil, even. Not that anyone around them could tell. To everyone else, it looked like they were just a bunch of dumb kids who loved to mess with each other. However to him, there was nothing that could make him more at peace with himself.
But that was all the more reason why he wanted to go to Thors and find out who he truly was.
It wasn't fair to either of them for him to keep clinging onto her; using her as a way to keep himself in check. To make himself feel better about himself. It wasn't her responsibility to babysit him just because he can't control his power or his emotions.
And look where that got him. All of his schoolmates caught on to how much he talked about her. Every time he saw her since enrolling at Thors, he only wanted to stay by her side more. The amount of joy he felt when he was around her just felt so bright and warm. It was no surprise that it ended up leaking out during his time as a student. He had gotten too attached.
And now… he doesn't even get the luxury to be teased by his friends.
"Where am I gonna go from here?"
No response. He figured as much.
Not much point in trying to be heard now.
"Rean?"
Rean's ears perked up and turned his attention to the entrance. It was Elise.
"Sorry if I'm bothering you."
"Not at all." Rean waved off. "I'm guessing you want to use the springs too?"
"Y-Yeah, there's just something I wanted to talk to you about."
Rean arched his brow as he examined the area curiously.
"You sure you want to have that conversation here? I get that we're siblings and all, but aren't we a little too old to still be doing that?"
Elise sighed and facepalmed. "Rean, you didn't have to make it sound so weird! I just thought it best to discuss this when we were alone."
Well, this will be awkward…
…
…
"Th-The water's nice and toasty, huh?"
Yeah, it got awkward.
Elise continued. "Truth be told, I haven't taken a dip here for some time… I'd forgotten how pleasant it was to sit here and admire the snow."
He nodded. "Yeah, same here. Bathing during the fall when the leaves are changing has its charms, but something about watching the snow really relaxes me. And it's plenty relaxing even without a bottle of sake in hand, despite what Master Ka-fai might tell you."
Elise giggled. "He's always been a heavy drinker. To say nothing of the fact that Father can never turn down the opportunity to help him finish a bottle or three whenever he visits."
…
…
"...I'm sorry. You wanted to talk because you were worried, didn't you?" He decided to cut to the chase. As refreshing as a normal conversation with his sister would've been, he knew it wouldn't last for long. It was best to confront this now rather than later.
"...Yeah. So much has happened since the festival. I wanted to at least make sure that you were all right."
"You're not the only one. It's like everyone I meet has to go out of their way for me. It's how things have been for my whole life… How everyone feels like they have to be around me."
His mind flashes to his friends from school. To the teachers and mentors that gave him sage advice. To Juna.
"What do you mean?"
"It happened the day Dad picked me up in that blizzard twelve years ago… It happened the day when I lost control and scared you eight years ago… It happened the day Master Ka-fai cut short my years of training… It even happened only last month, when everyone risked their lives so that I, and I alone, could be saved."
"That's not…"
"And looking back on it, it baffles me why someone as kind and caring as Juna would want to be around someone like me. Not after what happened five years ago and everything since then. And yet she does, out of obligation."
That's what it felt like. It felt ridiculous to say out loud, but part of Rean felt like it was true. He had originally wanted Elise and Juna to become friends and leave it at that. A strong support system for his sister and peace of mind for himself. But then, she insisted on being friends with him too. Whether it being due to convenience since he was Elise's older brother or for some other reason… Well, it was difficult for him to tell sometimes.
"I've been too fortunate for my own good." Rean tightened his fist. "All I've done is bask in the kindness of everyone I know, giving nothing worthwhile in return. On the contrary—I've brought nothing but misfortune to them instead. Like I'm some kind of curse…"
His confessions kept pouring out like he broke open a heavily pressurized pipe and all the water came rushing out. He realized it all to be absolutely asinine. Ideally idiotic. Foolishly foolish to ever think of such things. He recognized that the people around him loved him. He knew all these things.
…
But what makes him most afraid is that he didn't truly know that. How could he be sure?
His heart and head fell into an endless, roundabout back-and-forth. He struggled to believe one over the other.
"I… I don't have the right to be treated kindly. I don't deserve to have others putting themselves out for me. Not when I seemingly can't do a thing to return that kindness and am too weak to fight for them when they need it most."
Rean watched the falling snow as it melted from the heat of the water. It was beautiful but fleeting. A flash of beauty yet ultimately served no greater purpose. Just like him.
"None of this should have ever happened… If I'd know it would… If I'd known things would ever become like this… then I'd never have gone to the academy to begin wi-"
"Stop."
Rean's body stiffened. He'd recognize that tone anywhere.
"Do you seriously mean all that you've just said?"
"I, uh-"
Elise shifted her body around, now sitting beside Rean rather than behind him. She looked him dead in the eyes.
"The 'right' to be treated kindly? And who exactly decides who has that 'right,' whatever that's supposed to be?"
He could feel the tension in the air. Elise's severe and unyielding voice pierced his body, bringing the eternal mental bout to a screeching halt.
"I don't look out for you because I expect something in return or because I want you to defend me! Acts of kindness aren't debts to be repaid!"
She grasped onto his shoulders and yanked his body towards her. She maintained eye contact.
"I look out for you because I care about you! Because you're important to me! And I'm sure that Mother, Father, Master Ka-fai, your classmates, and all of your other acquaintances feel the same."
Her brow furrowed, her glare intensifying.
"And since you decided to bring her up, Juna would one hundred percent agree with me!"
Elise let go of his shoulders and traced her hands onto his hands, still submerged under the water. She held them up and caressed them as if she were handling a small, delicate animal.
"So please... from the bottom of my heart…"
Tears began to well in her eyes. Her earlier sternness broke.
"Please don't say that you don't have the 'right to be treated kindly'. Of course you do. You just don't realize it. You care so much about the people who matter to you… and they care just as much for you."
"E-Elise?"
He never saw her this worked up before. The way her voice strained, begging - pleading - for him to understand it from her perspective.
He thought back to his friends. Right before Celine gave the command to retreat to Valimar… they were all smiling. Their weapons were at the ready and they were all prepared for the worst when facing against Crow and his Divine Knight. They wouldn't have sent him off with those hopeful expressions if they didn't believe they wouldn't reunite later down the line.
It touched him.
"Think about it, Rean. Think about everything that has happened up to this point and how happy those memories have made you. Are you willing to let that all go? Are you going to let your friends' sacrifices be in vain? Are you going to give up simply because things didn't go your way?"
"Haha…" Rean removed Elise's hold on his hand and scratched the back of his head embarrassingly. "That's one hell of a way to put it. Dunno if I'd call a civil war breaking out is a case of 'things not going my way'... but you're right, Elise."
He looked up into the sky, no longer concerning himself with the melting snow. All he could see was the faint light of the sun breaking through the clouds.
"There's nothing wrong with feeling lost and impatient from time to time. I believe in my friends… and if they see me worthy of their trust, then I'd like to try and believe in myself too. So long as I keep moving forward, I'm sure that somewhere, someday, our paths will cross again." Rean paused, contemplatively forming a small smile. "She would've said the same thing."
Elise nodded. "I'm sure she would have. I won't lie, I felt like I had to channel Juna in order to get through to you. I'm glad I was able to."
Rean laughed, picturing the two becoming one and the same. Ever since meeting her, Elise and Juna really did end up connecting like sisters.
"You shouldn't sell yourself short. Juna's pep talks are great every now and then, but she always found a way to get a jab in if she could. Sometimes literally." Rean instinctively rubbed his arm where he pictured a minor bruise would be. "Still… thanks, Elise. I'm glad I can always depend on you."
In spite of it all, Elise was still his little sister. A bit overbearing at times and a handful in others, but always knew what to say to aggrandize the people around her, himself included. As the proper heir to the Schwarzer Barony, he couldn't be prouder.
"Oh please, I didn't do much. You already had what you needed. I just helped you find it again." She giggled. "I admit, I am a little envious of your classmates, though. I don't remember you ever talk about anyone so vibrantly since meeting Juna."
In an instant, all the merriment he shared with his sister vanished. His cheeks burned red as he looked away, suddenly finding the falling snow interesting again.
"What? No way! Come on, quit messing with me, Elise."
"Oh?" Rean couldn't hear anything but the mischievous tone bleeding from her voice. "From what I remember, you only ever talked about our time with her on the trip home. Not one anecdote about what we did by ourselves."
"Y-You probably just remember differently! It's been five years since then! Hard to trust your memory when you're that young, right?" Rean chuckled nervously.
"Strange that you say that. Mother and Father seem to regale that story the exact same way at the dinner table. Father is one thing, but Mother's memory is notoriously eidetic." Elise moved around, to make sure Rean could see her playful expression. "It would be quite unusual for her to be forgetful of such a milestone in her precious son's childhood, wouldn't it?"
"E-Elise!"
The younger Schwarzer was now in hysterics, briefly followed by a certain princess currently in their care who decided to join at the most opportune moment. Luckily for him, Celine only wanted to roll her eyes at the tomfoolery that humans were capable of. Though he couldn't say for sure if that helped with the teasing and embarrassment.
Still, it wasn't like it was completely unpleasant. It was always a pleasure to see a smile on Elise's face and cheering up the princess from recent events was an additional boon.
He just wished she was there to enjoy it alongside him.
The next few hours became harrowing. Far in the distance, Rean recognized the cry of the colossal Magic Knight he and Celine encountered in the Eisengard Range just the other day. With Toval and Elise's assistance, he made his way to the valley and faced off against the towering golem.
It was hardly something they could take alone, so thanks to Valimar's help, he was able to vanquish the damned monster once and for all. But before they could celebrate… it all happened so fast. Vita was watching them the entire time - searching for Rean as an agent of Ouroboros - and with a nonchalant tone, told them about the jaegers hired by Duke Albarea to attack the village.
They raced back to Ymir as fast as their feet could take them. They were too late. The buildings were set ablaze, villagers were stuck under the rubble and debris, and his mother was protecting the princess with her own life. The volleys of machine gun fire rang in his ears.
In a moment of heroism, his father jumped in, his signature blade in hand. He held his ground against the jaegers magnificently. He was no master of any particular school of swordsmanship like Master Ka-fai, Viscount Arseid, or the Thunder God Matteus Vander, but Teo Schwarzer knew his way around a fight with the Schwarzer art of court fencing.
However, he was put in an unfavorable position once one of the children was used as a hostage. His father hesitated and instantly suffered the consequences.
A few moments past that… it was a blur. Everything went blank. His eyes could only see red. He drew his blade.
Kill them.
He heard this voice in his head before. Or more accurately speaking… it was always there. Ever since he killed that monster that winter day. Then again in Crossbell against the sepith demons. It kept whispering in his head over and over and over again.
Kill them.
Kill them.
KILL THEM!
The familiar whispers became cries of agony and rage, waiting for sweet release. And every time. Every damn time, he gave in.
He wanted these men dead for destroying his village! For harming the residents! For hurting his father!
He dashed forward, destroying one of the jaeger's large blade into unusable chunks of metal and took his arm with it. Without thinking for a second, he ended up behind two more and decimated their armaments as well in one fell swoop. The last jaeger, who had Princess Alfin as his captive, scrambled to ready his gun. Before he could even begin to aim however, Rean ran forward and slashed vertically, cutting off the man's hand and rendering the weapon useless.
"Die…"
He gathered dark energy into his blade. Otherworldly black flames prepared to turn all it touched into ashes.
But before he could deal the finishing blow, he felt arms wrap around him.
"Rean, don't!" The voice sounded fuzzy. Barely recognizable. "Don't lose yourself to anger!"
…
No, he remembered this voice. A voice that meant the world to him. One that he vowed to protect.
"Ugh… Eli… se?"
His head felt like it wanted to split open. The pain became too much to bear. Despite his sister's pleas to bring him back to his senses, he still held his tachi at the ready.
"Come back to us!"
!
That voice…
That one was as clear as day.
Even after all this time, he recognized that voice as if it were yesterday.
"Ju… na?"
He dug his blade into the ground, expelling the dark energy enveloping the cold steel. Along with his sword, he lost his balance and fell over. He breathed heavily, panting to restore any lost energy he could muster.
"Are you… Are you back to normal?" Elise asked hesitantly. "Rean, are you all right?"
"Sorry, Elise…" Inhale. Exhale. "I lost… control of myself again…"
"It's all right… It's all right…!" She supported him back up. Rean could barely stand, but his vision started to clear up. "You came back to us in the end and that's all that matters!"
"Elise…" He gazed at her, noticing the sea of her eyes becoming even more flooded with tears. "I'm sorry… I really am…"
He looked behind her, noticing a second figure smiling at him with relief. Her hair covered her eyes and her body translucent. His vision was still rather clouded, but he could've sworn…
"I'm sorry… Juna…"
He could barely process what happened next. Luckily neither of his parents were in any mortal danger. Vita re-emerged from her familiar, the blue bird he spotted in Heimdallr with Juna. She forcibly removed the jaegers from Ymir, but even in her good graces, she had an ulterior motive.
"Targets in sight."
A young girl appeared behind them, riding a black combat shell reminiscent of Airgetlam. Its bladed arm wrapped around Alfin and Elise, securing them in its grip. Rean and Toval couldn't even react in time and Vita maniacally laughed at their carelessness.
The next few moments felt like a blur, as all Rean could recall was the sight of the sister and the princess he was meant to protect being carted away from sight and his vow to bring them back safely.
"Well, that was pathetic."
The voice sneered.
"All that work and you still managed to get her kidnapped. Sorry, dude. That was just a sad sight to see."
The biting tone hurt, but it rang true. Elise gave him the pep talk of his life and she was just… spirited away. And with Princess Alfin taken with her, he endangered his entire country as he knew it.
He was a failure of an older brother and a citizen of Erebonia.
"Got nothing to say? No witty retorts? No playful comebacks?"
"...What do you want?"
"Ah, so you can speak." The voice whistled mockingly. "You know, things could've been different if you only let me stay."
…
Instead of her usual emerald, Juna's eyes were consumed in crimson. Her smile twisted, and her tone contemptuous.
Had her hair been white, it would've looked like he was staring himself down in a mirror. A shattered, yet insightful looking glass depicting his true nature.
"You know why I didn't let you stay."
"Paint it as you wish. You only wanted to save your own ego. You thought I was too weak to do anything. That I'd get in your way! Just admit it, Rean! You think I'm just a nuisance!"
"What the hell are you talking about? No, I do-"
"So why, Rean? Why were you so ready to push me aside when you needed me the most?"
"Because…"
"Because what?"
He paused. He had to choose his words carefully. "The people of Crossbell. They need you more than I do. More than we do. I appreciate that you want to help us here. Erebonia has become a second home for you, after all. But your duty is to help them, not us."
Her eyes widened for a second before shifting to an incredulous squint. "That's the same garbage you fed me last time."
"I say it because it's true. We- I don't deserve your help. Not with how everything's been going. I don't think you'll be holding me back, Juna. I think the very opposite is true instead. I don't deserve your help."
She put her hands on her hips, the crimson never leaving her eyes. In fact, he saw that her scleras were slowly being clouded by a dark, murky color. If Rean looked closely, he could also see strands of white appearing within her pink locks.
"Ha, even after that nice pep talk Elise gave you, you still refuse to listen. I thought you were finally getting somewhere, but now look at you. The moment your crutch is gone, your confidence disappears with her. Gone with the wind. Just like I said: absolutely pathetic." As she spoke, her voice changed. A distorted echo of its former self as the octaves came lower and lower. The sound, whatever it was, haunted him.
The things she said to him before… they never felt this scathing. Now… Now all he could hear was contempt. The more she talked, the more he wanted to cover his ears and scream until she stopped.
"Well, at least you're right about one thing." Juna scoffed, twirling her hair in a pompous manner. Rean looked up at her, barely registering that he fell to his knees in defeat from her piercing words. "You don't deserve my help. If you don't want me there, then I'll leave. So do whatever you want."
She walked away without another word.
December 1, S.1204
Rean slowly opened his eyes. He felt a large pool of sweat beneath him, likely due to the nightmare he just had. He'd have to apologize to his mom later.
It hurt. There wasn't any other way to put it.
Some otherworldly being—be it god or fiend—must love tormenting him. A dream where some thing took the form of his… best friend, to tell him off and get lost. And the worst part? He agreed.
He didn't deserve her help. Not after pushing her away like that. Or pushing her away ever. All she's ever done was give her support and encouragement and the only way he could repay her was with useless trinkets and accessories.
It really was pathetic. Elise poured her heart out to him. Gave him the support he needed. And what does he do? The moment he heard that derisive tone, coming from her voice, he faltered. He hated it.
It made him want to give up again. Even more so than the other day. He was letting some stupid dream decide the rest of his life. And he almost fell for it.
He just wanted to go back. Go back and relive that moment. The moment he decided to live for himself and be the best Rean Schwarzer could ever become. When he learned that he was Rean Schwarzer. No one else.
Knock knock knock
"Yo, Rean. You up?" It was Toval. "I'm done on my end, so we'll head out as soon as you're ready."
"Yeah, I'll be down in a bit." Rean replied groggily. He got out of bed to grab his things and get a change of clothes.
It was pointless to yearn for the past. What's gone is gone. There was no changing that fact.
And as much as Rean was tempted to turn back the hands of time, he knew the only way forward was towards the future. It hurt to know that he'll lose things along the way - things that are precious to him - but it was up to him to become strong enough to reclaim what he lost while striving forward.
So yes, he may have fallen down. He may have faltered. He hated that he did. But no matter what, he knew he had to keep on walking his path. He had to if he wanted to be worthy of walking by his friends' sides. By her side.
Without thinking, he put on his jacket. His favorite jacket in fact. The same one Juna gave him all that time ago for his birthday. Now that it was getting chillier and he was no longer bound to his uniform, he had a great excuse to wear it. And, in some way, it was comforting to have her by his side in a different sense.
Even if he was scared, even if he felt lost, the path forward became clearer. The first step was to find his friends. The second, find their role in this damn war. And third…
Apologize to her. For everything.
Rean clutched the jacket tighter to his person. He gave one last look to the snow outside before heading out to meet up with Toval.
I promise, Juna. I'll find my friends. I'll get Elise back. I'll make it up to you. And then…
We'll watch the fireworks again. Together.
Well, this update took longer than I thought. First, I wanted to replay Cold Steel 2 to prepare myself for this whole arc. That was back in February. Then Persona 5 Strikers came out and I binged that. Then Pyra and Mythra got into Smash and honestly? Everything after that felt like a blur.
Weirdly enough, I actually intended this chapter to cover all the major events of Cold Steel 2 and Ao's finale before the divertisement, but that frankly felt like it was too much. I'm probably gonna have to split it up into two or three more chapters until then.
Hopefully, I won't take as long for our next update since I got a better idea of what I want to do. This was very much a transitional chapter before the commencement of our next arc. I also wanted to avoid blatantly retelling some scenes, but I felt like I needed to do it here for some character establishment. Plus, this was probably Elise's best scene in the series, so I had to include it. Now that that's done, I can get on to the more original stuff.
But again, thank you for taking the time to read and bearing with the infrequent upload schedule. It really means a lot and keeps me motivated.
