Caspian spent what was apparently the next couple of hours in varying states of consciousness.

His eyes opened just long enough to see a rugged-looking man with a scarred face and black hair pulled into a bun leaning over him. Caspian's sleeve rolled to his elbow, and a steel eye examined his arm. The man lacked Sentinel's security badge, and a dark cloak covered much of his body, but Caspian recognized him. Sure, he couldn't have fought back if the man was a stranger, given his state. But as he scooped him from the mud, Caspian felt a twinge of relief before drifting away again.

"He's alright. Not bleeding, but the bruising on his arm is bad," a gravelly voice commented. Caspian felt his weight transfer to something much softer than the cloaked man's arms. "Probably passed out from pain once the adrenaline wore off. Or the kick of his gun did it. Important thing is, he's alive."

"Oh, my baby!" his mother's voice wept in elation. Both voices were muffled, as if they spoke behind a closed door. Yet, Caspian distinctly remembered feeling his mother's arms around him. "Thank you, you and Kita both! Really, I... I can never thank you enough!"

"As head of security, this is simply my job. No thanks is necessary," a woman's voice responded. Ichigo's mother, Caspian guessed by the accent. A rare one, from the mountains of Northern Mistral. She paused. "...It is appreciated, though."

"She said it well," the gruff voice added. "Gotta give props to the kid though, he held his own against that thing. I can see a bit of his dad in him."

"My dad... right."

Caspian's eyes opened once to an empty room. He felt safe, but the space seemed uninviting in a way. The chaste grey curtains were drawn over the window. A near-empty desk sat at the far corner accompanied by a minimalist chair. The walls, apart from those covered by cabinets above the desk, were a barren off-white. He was rigged to an array of wires and medical equipment, right arm secured by a sling and a cast. His eyes still could not stay open, and he drifted off once more.

He heard another voice. A man's he had heard many times before. He couldn't make out his uncle's words, but heard bouts of laughter perforate them every now and then.

A clear memory began to play out in Caspian's mind like a dream.

The Winter Holiday had just passed, Remnant's annual celebration of the end of the Great War just over a hundred years before. All of his friends had stayed overnight with their parents, and upon waking had found themselves trapped by nearly a foot of snow. His friends- Rowan, Ichigo, Laurel, and Lazula, gathered in the living room playing a board game; the particular one he could no longer recall.

His father strode out from the kitchen, Holoband raised to his chin as he cut through the living room and into the hall. A hush fell over the boisterous crowd, the pounding of the Headmaster's cane on the hardwood floor filling the room with each of his labored steps.

"You... you what?" the Headmaster hissed. His eyes flicked to Caspian and the rest, then back to his door at the end of the hall. "No, no. I'm glad, this is just unexpected..."

His father took to his room for a few minutes, during which the game resumed and spirits lifted again. But with the unlocking of his door, another hush fell over the house. Everyone's eyes landed on the Headmaster, prompting an answer.

"That was Douglas," he spoke. "He wants to introduce you all to someone. They'll be here in about an hour."

Caspian awaited the knock on the door with bated breath. His father had been quiet since, the sole hint to the mystery guest's identity being "one of Frontline's patients." When the knock on the door came, Caspian sprung up to meet it. Yet, his father was faster.

His uncle stood at the door, trying his best to hold back a grin. Behind him was a girl. She was slender and short, standing level with Caspian's chin. Between boots, collared shirt, pale skin, stark hair and colorless eyes, she blended in with the snowy yard behind her. Her shirt and short denim overalls carried the creases of clothes fresh from the store. Caspian bid her a welcoming smile as their eyes met, but it faded as she stared at him without expression.

"Everyone," Uncle Douglas announced, indicating the girl. "This is Snow. She'll be living with Holly and I for the time being, at least until she enrolls in Sentinel with you." He smirked. "I hope you kids can play well together."

Caspian was crowded from behind, and heard a cascade of questions tumble down on the poor girl.

"How did you end up at Frontline?"

"You're coming to Sentinel with us?"

"Show us your weapon!"

"What's your semblance?"

Snow stepped into the doorway, looking at no one in particular. "My name is Snow Hudson. I was taken in by Frontline Biomedical Technology for treatment, and will be joining you in applying to Sentinel Academy. My weapon includes four hard-light dust configurations, taking the shape of a sword, military-grade dust rifle, an axe, and a whip. These configurations are labelled A through D, respectively. My semblance allows me to analyze nearly all of an object's physical properties, such as mass, velocity, and chemical composition."

The room was quiet.

"Well, i-it's nice to meet you, Snow," Caspian concluded.

Her head turned until she looked to him with a blank gaze. The white of her eyes struck him.

"It's nice to meet you as well."

The next thing Caspian remembered, after realizing Snow was even more awkward around new people than he, was Snow leaving the room to consult with his father. Uncle Douglas sat down, wringing his hands and leaning in with an uncharacteristically serious look painting his face.

"I want you all to know something about Snow," Douglas murmured. "I deal more with the... technology side of things at Frontline, but she's suffered from one of the most serious cases of abuse I've seen in my time there. It's taken her a month just to get cleared for release."

The room responded with nods of understanding.

"I hope you can all be friends. But... it would be best if you guys didn't ask her much about her past."

The honking sound of a chair scooting across the ground scraped the memory from Caspian's mind.

"Oops."

Caspian's eyes blinked open, again revealing the unwelcoming room. He looked to his side to see his uncle, hand resting on the back of the chair. He stepped around the front of the seat, and sat next to Caspian's bedside facing him. Caspian wouldn't have preferred anyone else at the moment. Uncle Doug was like a second father to him, one far more empathic than the first. Sure his work at Frontline -whatever it was- kept him busy, and he always made a point to put his wife first, but he always had time for Caspian.

"Good morning," he greeted with a wry smile.

"It's not actually morning, is it?" Caspian grumbled, rubbing an eye. He looked to Uncle Doug. "And where am I?"

"You're in Sentinel's infirmary," Douglas informed. "And no, you've been unconscious for a little over two hours."

Sentinel's infirmary. Caspian figured if he had been seriously injured, he would have been taken to Frontline's main hospital, just a couple of miles away at the tip of Port Cyrreine's Northern peninsula. But still, whether due to the cast or his injury, he could barely move his arm. With any twitch of the finger, a nagging, dull, ache would spread from wrist to elbow.

"...Did I break my arm?"

Uncle Douglas shook his head. "When your mom stopped by earlier, she checked you out. She said a couple of ligaments got twisted up in your elbow, and there were some bone bruises down your arm. You should be fine to go to the Entrance Ceremony tonight."

Caspian's functional hand gripped the blankets at his waist, and he looked wistfully to the foot of his bed.

"I don't want to go."

Douglas sighed. "Don't you want to support your friends?" he prompted.

"I do, and I'm glad they got in, but..." Caspian shook his head gently. "I don't know. I just really don't want to watch all the other people who did."

Douglas nodded. He unstrapped his Holoband from his wrist, unravelling it until it lay flat on the table beside Caspian's bed. A screen blinked to life between the two of them. "Maybe this'll change your mind," he offered. He leaned into his Holoband.

"Show news for Port Cyrreine."

The screen paused for a bit before showing two news anchors at a table, with a smaller screen imposed behind them. "Frightening moments on the campus of Sentinel Academy today, as a second Grimm attack occurs less than twenty-four hours after the first," the anchor reported.

The co-host chimed in. "This Grimm attack happened at the end of Sentinel's Final Entrance Examination. While no one was killed or seriously injured, thousands were forced to flee as the Creatures of Darkness descended on the area just North of Sentinel Stadium."

"Headmaster Skye's safety measures, along with Frontline Biomedical's Organic Androids and several huntsmen are credited with saving countless lives today. However, there is one more hero getting some special attention after today's events."

The miniature screen behind the two overtook them. A man in a blue raincoat offered a microphone to another man, whose hoodie had soaked through in the rain.

"Yeah, we- we were stuck in the stands, with this huge Grimm between us and the exit," he began, hands flailing with each animated word. "I-I-I looked to my wife and said, 'th-this might be it, I love you.' but- but just then, this kid comes out of the training grounds, I don't know if he was late or what, and he starts fighting the thing. Without him, I'm not sure if I'd be here."

The screen switched to a woman holding a bright umbrella. "Yes, I think he should get in! I think fighting a real Creature of Grimm and saving real people is as good a practical exam as any, and he passed."

"Wait, am... am I..." Caspian stumbled. He felt silly even daring let the words leave his lips.

"I can't guarantee you'll get in," Douglas said. "But, your dad isn't as 'by the books' as he lets on these days. He might make a special case for you." He stood suddenly, strapping his Holoband back to his wrist and checking the time. "I won't force you to go. But if you do, I'd start getting ready as soon as you can. It's in an hour, and seeing as no one has been let out of the stadium since the attack, all the good seats are just about gone. You might want to wash yourself off a bit, too. Showers are at the end of the hall."

Caspian had seen the hulking Sentinel Stadium from the outside, but his first time inside, he felt utterly dwarfed. A wall of spectators surrounded the center, their collective chatter coalescing into a roar. The Academy hopefuls lucky enough to get in, Caspian noticed, sat in the arena in rows between him and a temporary stage. A square of screens hovered dozens of feet above, flashing advertisements and promotions.

"You were right about the good seats filling up..." Caspian noted, walking down the steps and scanning for enough uncomfortable plastic seats for him, his Uncle Douglas, and Aunt Holly.

Douglas pointed to a trio of seats a couple of rows down, next to the aisle. "Ah, what about there?"

Caspian would have preferred not sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a stranger, but the redheaded woman with impeccable posture seemed good enough a neighbor. She paid him little mind as he sat next to her, even as he examined her unusual uniform. It was one he would expect of some fancy company's secretary. Maybe she just got off work, he guessed.

She turned ever slightly, allowing Caspian a glimpse at her side opposite him. Written in slim black letters, the words "Frontline Biomedical" adorned her chest.

"What?"

Caspian couldn't stop himself from whispering the word in disbelief. The android woman looked at him without a hint of expression. His eyes met hers. Something about their stony grey gaze seemed so... human. Of course he knew Organic Android skin, hair, and eyes were grown from human stem cells- hence the "Organic" in their name, but this woman looked like any other in the crowd.

Her gaze remained on him for an uncomfortable amount of time. He could feel it on him as he looked back to the stage, begging the ceremony to begin. He knew she couldn't think. She couldn't be made to feel uncomfortable by his gaze, nor could she be annoyed. Her stare carried no cognition whatsoever. It was the stare of a mindless computer collecting data through two cameras that happened to look like human eyes.

Finally, the lights dimmed, and the ceremony began.

The announcement of teams dragged on for some time, each name coupled with a bout of cheers from somewhere in the crowd, and each team coupled with a more general applause. The squirrel faunus and her partner got in, Caspian noticed. He felt happy for them. Yet with each team the Headmaster announced, and every name that wasn't his, his flicker of hope dwindled.

"This brings us down to the last two teams," the Headmaster announced. "Lazula Skye, Snow Hudson, Laurel Verdi, and Ichigo Kurayami. Would you four please come to the stage?"

Lazula strode up, with Snow behind her. More cheered for them than anyone prior, probably owing to Lazula's celebrity status. Laurel smiled as she followed, and Ichigo glanced at the onlookers, filling in behind her.

"After seeing the teamwork you four exhibited in the Final Entrance Examination, and how hard you fought during the Grimm attack after, I simply couldn't let you end up on different teams. During your time at the Academy, you will work under the name Team LSLI; lead by Lazula Skye."

The stadium erupted with cheer. Lazula drank it in, smirking and staring down the camera drone that hovered in front of the four. Her cape flowed behind her as she cleared the stage.

"And finally, I call Rowan Brown, Lilliane Corvis-Braun, and Noxis Orion to the stage."

Caspian blinked. There were only three of them. Lilly, rising onto the balls of her feet to brush sand from Rowan's nose. Rowan, complaining about the sand in his hair and clothes. And Noxis, crossing his arms and looking as if he'd rather be with anyone else. Caspian turned to his uncle, whose lips let on the beginnings of a smile.

"You three passed Sentinel's Final Entrance Exam quite handily," the Headmaster began. "But, as you may realize, there are only three of you standing on the stage right now."

A spotlight shone on Caspian, and a pair of drones gathered a couple of arms' lengths away. His heart began to pound as he realized his shocked face was on the screen, displayed to thousands in the stadium, and countless more watching from home all across Vale.

"During the attack today, something happened. Facing down danger and the very real possibility of death, this young man was given a choice. He chose to fight. I believe his actions today saved numerous lives, and exhibited exactly what it means to be a huntsman."

Caspian felt a stinging in his nose, and blinked away the beginning of tears. "Don't cry. Don't cry," he recited. "Oh gods, how many people are about to see me cry?"

"Caspian Skye, please come down to the stage."

Uncle Douglas clapped Caspian on the back as he passed into the aisle, and Aunt Holly grabbed his hand with a smile. As the stadium erupted with applause, Caspian walked down the stairs in quick, measured steps, finally reaching the arena and stage.

"You made it, man!" Rowan cheered.

"Congratulations!" Lilly beamed.

"After seeing you step up to face the Bullfiend, there was no doubt in my mind I would allow you admission into the academy," the Headmaster stated. "During your time here, you will work under the name Team CRLN, led by Caspian Skye."

"Lead by?" Caspian reflected. "...I couldn't have heard that right."

"Lead by? Is this a joke?" Noxis spat.

His words were lost in the roar of the crowd. From where Caspian stood, the stands seemed so much taller than before. The wall of spectators was over a hundred feet tall, maybe two. Shutter flashes blinked across the crowd like a swarm of fireflies. He looked down. Even his sister applauded him. Ichigo, Laurel, and Snow sat with her; and Lilly and Rowan stood to his side.

The tears he had fought to hold back all broke free at once, and he hid his face from the world.

A/N: Heya! I'm a pretty busy person, who works 20+ hours a week, is finishing his degree, and volunteering another 10-ish hours a week in a lab. I'm going to try to stick to an upload schedule of about a chapter a week for now, but if I'm not able to, that's why!

As another note, LSLI is pronounced "Lazuli," as in Lapis Lazuli. CRLN is pronounced Cerulean, a dark sky blue.