Had they really been lounging around in the classroom for so long that day had turned to night? That was actually somewhat alarming and spoke volumes of just how out of it they had been after the concert. Still, that respite was worth it as they at least had enough energy to handle this one final event before they could finally go back home and accomplish a whole lot of nothing.

As they reached the field they were unsurprised to discover that they were the last group not present as the other classes and most of the attending guests were already there. The other instructors were just lighting the fires that would illuminate the field and provide warmth for that chilly autumn night. Several of the members of Class VII broke away from the group to go greet their family members or other invited guests.

Rean planned on doing the same, but first... "Crow, Elliot." He called to the two males in front of him, stopping them in their tracks. It was something that had been on his mind, and especially now that it was over and a huge success... He wanted to thank the two for leading the class in preparing for the concert.

Elliot seemed appreciative of the praise, but more so the fact that he was put into a spot to rekindle his love for music like that. Crow meanwhile just found the entire scene sappy and teased the two mercilessly about it. Or at least he would have if the booming voice of Olaf Craig didn't overwhelm any and all conversation as he called out for his beloved son to join him, much to Elliot's eternal embarrassment and secret joy.

With Elliot gone it just left Rean with the second-year slacker and his mood soured somewhat when he realized that things in Class VII were going to change very soon, as Crow's tenure with the class was almost at an end. He hoped that things wouldn't change too much between them, but he couldn't help but tease him about it, even slipping in a 'Mr. Armbrust' at the end, much to the older boy's annoyance.

On the plus side it did cause Crow to remember the fifty mira coin he owed Rean, making the swordsman that much richer. That being said, if Crow thought he could simply walk away without paying interest, he was sorely mistaken.

"Geez. Don't you have something better to do then try and swindle some poor second-year student? The dance is starting, after all. Or do you intend to sweet-talk me the same way you did Gaius? You wouldn't be the first person to fall victim to my charms, after all."

Was everyone going to hold that against him forever? It only happened once! As a matter of fact he had actually thought about what he would do tonight and had a solution that he believed would work well. With confidence on his expression he approached the part of the field where Laura and Fie were at.

Something which the two noticed. "You seem awfully confident." Fie noted as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"I suppose that means you've taken our words to heart?"

"Nah." Fie instantly disagreed with her companion. "It's Rean. He totally found some loophole or excuse that would let him pick without having to offend anyone..."

His confident smile wavered. "That's not true at all!"

"It totally is." She retorted without missing a beat. "Laura, you have the same noble upbringing as Rean, so use that brain of yours to figure out what excuse he came up with."

"I am not sure I'm the best person to be asking-" Laura trailed off as she witnessed Fie's hopeful stare. "I can give it a shot?"

Rean couldn't help but groan, both in exasperation and the just the slightest hint of worry. "Is this really necessary?"

"Hush. Let her think."

After a minute the greatsword wielder shook her head. "Sorry, I don't think I am cut out for these kinds of mental exerci- Oh!" She jolted as a thought came to mind.

Something which both others immediately noticed. "You got something?" Fie asked in barely concealed excitement. Rean did not share any of that positive feeling at that moment.

"I... Maybe? You did mention that you did not know how to dance, correct? Logically speaking it would make sense to ask you first so as to give you extra time to learn if needed."

That earlier confidence on Rean's face? That was now completely erased with only sheer horror replacing it.

"Bingo." Which was impossible not to notice. "You nailed it. Nice one, Laura."

"Haha, thanks." She seemed quite happy with her accomplishment. "In that case, would you care to join me for a dance? I should be sufficient to teach you the basics."

"That sounds good. Let's do it. Should give Rean a few minutes to come up with a real answer." The two glanced at the boy who appeared frozen in horror, causing them to giggle in unison. Not sparing him a second look the two left hand in hand to find a nice spot for their dance.

There he remained, frozen in place, as time slowly passed. Deep down he logically knew that they were just doing this to mess with him, but damnit it was working! Eventually he was rescued by his sister, and while he couldn't at all recall any of the conversation he had with her, it was enough to at least get his brain and body moving again.

He had to hurry as he probably only had a few minutes to come up with his decision. A quick glance showed his two girlfriends engrossed in their dance, but the music wouldn't last forever. The evening was long enough that he had plenty of time to dance with both of them so the decision really didn't matter much, but at the same time they were expecting him to make a choice.

And it was an impossible choice to make. How could he pick one over the other when both had become such indispensable parts of his life? They were like two sides of the same coin and-

Wait.

The coin! That fifty mira coin Crow gave him was still in his pocket. Now there was an idea. Nobody could fault him for making his decision solely based on chance, right? Perhaps he wouldn't have to charge his friend as much interest as he originally intended...

"Think we were too harsh on him?"

"Naw, this is funny. And I'm sure he knows we aren't serious. Mostly."

It was fortunate that the two girls had found a spot far enough away from the other students for them to converse openly while they danced. Unsurprisingly, given the simple movements of the slow dance and Fie's natural agility the younger girl was quick to figure it out with only the bare minimum of stepping on feet. This allowed the two to focus on more important things, such as watching Rean freeze up and have a mental breakdown.

"It is." Laura felt a little bad about agreeing, but she couldn't deny it. "Are you not curious about what he will decide?"

Fie's initial response was to shrug, but given that they were in the middle of a dance was forced to settle for a shake of the head instead. "Not really. Rean's a big softy. I'm more interested in how he will end up deciding, but we both know he's too nice to pick between us."

"And does that bother you?" Their arrangement was supposed to exist for both girls to figure out how genuine their feelings for the black-haired swordsman were, and not as a permanent thing. Laura had her own feelings on the current state of the arrangement, but was curious as to what her younger friend thought.

"Honestly? Not really. I know it's weird, but I've been having a lot of fun. Don't you think so?"

Interesting, so it seems her feelings on the matter weren't that dissimilar to her own. "It has. I just wish we got more opportunity together..."

Between the festival, Sara, their classmates, Sara, the other students and faculty, Sara, and the Old Schoolhouse...

"Well at least the festival is over now." Fie pointed out, but she didn't seem all that happy about that good news. "But..."

Right. All the news coming out of the East in Crossbell. "Do you think it's that bad?" Certainly she understood the gravity of the news, especially as she would have had to been blind to not notice her father's own concern, but she still hoped that things might work out.

"I want to say that cooler heads will prevail, but it sounds like we're already beyond that point, which means..." Where once Laura might have considered Fie's beliefs to be jaded and cynical, now she instead saw them for what they were. Reality could be harsh indeed, but it was better to look upon such things for what they were instead of looking away. If the former jaeger thought that things were now spiraling out of control than she had no recourse but to believe her and ponder on what might happen and how Class VII should respond.

Fortunately, the morbid conversation was interrupted as she noticed something of interest. "Oh. Elise is talking to Rean."

"Well that should get him moving again..."

"It does feel somewhat inappropriate that we are spying on him like this..."

"Nah, we're not spying on him. We're dancing. And if our eyes just so happen to glance in that direction for a few seconds at a time oh well."

Laura couldn't help but let out a rather unladylike snort. That was a silly excuse, but if it worked for Fie then it was good enough for her. "I suppose you are right. I must admit I did not think you would be so proficient at dancing."

"It's not hard. Kinda a letdown, to be honest. Still, I can't say I hate it, although I guess having the right partners makes all the difference, huh?"

Laura was about to voice her agreement, but both just so happened to be conveniently glancing over in Rean's direction as Elise walked away and the boy lit up, as if an idea had come to mind. Curiously they watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out...

"Pffft! A coin! That's what he came up with!?" Never had Fie had to work so hard to keep up her stoic demeanor as she did in that instant. It was too funny!

A sentiment that was shared by her partner as Laura couldn't help but chuckle quietly herself. "I... suppose it's an unbiased way to decide things?"

"Sure, but we still need to mess with him about it." They observed as he flipped the coin into the air and caught it in his hand. Fie was just able to make out the result thanks to her sharp eyes. "Well whichever one of us is 'heads' just won."

"In that case, should we go find out?" With Fie's approval the two ended their dance and made their way over to where Rean was standing.

The boy noticed their approach and tried to hastily pocket the coin, but as the two were already aware of it it was impossible to not notice. "Oh, hey you two. Finished already?" He asked nervously once they arrived.

"Yup. Wasn't hard at all. So...?"

"Right. Umm..." He couldn't help but stammer slightly. "Laura, would you care to join me for a dance?"

Fie pouted. "Damn..."

"I would be delighted to, but before we begin I would like to know why?"

"Huh?"

"While I am flattered you asked me, I am curious as to why you picked me over Fie. You must have a valid reason I assume..."

And thus was the flaw in his brilliant plan revealed. "Uhh..." Frantically he wracked his mind seeking some sort of answer to this impossible question.

"Mm... Should have known I couldn't compare with you, Laura."

"Urk!" He expected to see a hurt look in Fie's eyes, but instead was greeted with an amused grin, one that Laura was sharing. He quickly put the pieces together. "...You were watching me, weren't you?"

Fie's grin grew. "A coin flip? Really?"

"Now, now. I thought it was a perfectly reasonably solution. Don't be upset that I am the one who ended up... ahead." The Arseid swordswoman was proud of that one, she really was. It was the kind of joke she could expect her father to make, after all.

"Boo! That was awful! Someone end me now..." Fie was just sore that she lost out on the coin flip, right?

She found the answer when she turned to Rean, and while the kind boy didn't say anything, the fact he was unable to look her in the eyes spoke volumes. "...Oh." A wave of mortification washed over her and the red-faced woman quickly grabbed the arm of her partner. "Cmon, let's go." She didn't even noticed how unusually clipped her speech was as she rushed to exit away from Fie's judging eyes with Rean in tow.

Eventually the feeling of embarrassment went away, but her face remained red for another reason as she began her dance with Rean. While the two had experienced more intimate moments in the past, this was the first time they were doing something in a public setting. They were surrounded by their classmates, friends, faculty, guests, and most ominously, her father. She loved her father dearly, but the way she could feel his gaze on the two was starting to upset her a bit. Given the way Rean initially stiffened across from her he was probably feeling that same intense gaze upon himself.

Thankfully, just like with the concert, once they truly began to dance it became a lot easier to tune out their surroundings and focus solely on each other. Nothing else mattered as the two swayed in unison save for the closeness of their bodies and the beating of their hearts.

"Master once told me that the greatest of rewards could only be achieved after overcoming the hardest of ordeals. This probably wasn't what he meant, but I'm starting to believe it. These last couple days don't seem so bad right now..."

Laura took a second to reflect on his words. In the past twenty four hours they had gone to a place far beyond their comprehension, fought an enemy of great power, successfully performed a concert in front of the entire school, and were now dancing together under the light of the moon. It was almost absurd to think about, and yet... "Those are wise words indeed, and I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly." All that accumulated fatigue and stress seemed to vanish completely as they continued to dance.

"I want to thank you." He said after a minute long pause.

"Huh?" Came Laura's ineloquent answer, but she was confused by his statement.

"When I first arrived at Thors I was lost. I needed answers to questions that I didn't even know. I was a complete mess and didn't know how to move forward. And it was something you noticed as early as Celdic, as the wavering of my blade reflected that of my heart."

He paused and chuckled ruefully. "But even while I was lost I was able to keep going forward as I met someone who represented all that I aspired to be. With grace and eloquence in her nobility, confidence and poise in her swordsmanship, and an unwavering drive to seek improvement, both in herself and in those around her. You were everything I wanted to be and even if I thought it was an impossible dream it was that desire that kept me moving forward."

His smile grew wider and more warmer. "And that was before what happened in Legram. A part of me truly thought that you and the others would begin to fear me after that display, but that never crossed your mind, did it? Instead your first reaction to finding out the crux of all my fears was to find a way to help me overcome them.

And what might have been such a simple decision for you to make... It changed my life. You cannot begin to fathom just how much things have changed because of that offer of assistance. While I still believe the power inside of me is unnatural and wrong, thanks to you I believe I can treat it like I would any other weapon: Dangerous, but still capable of helping others in the right hands. And it's thanks to that that I can finally grow beyond my limits.

So again. Thank you, Laura, from the bottom of my heart."

"I-I..." All that grace and eloquence that he accused her of possessing? That was a myth. But a part of her felt like she was justified in being completely speechless in that moment. How could one even hope to respond to such a heartfelt speech?

Eventually she did a reasonable job of getting her heartbeat under control and again found the courage to look him in the eyes, although it took every fiber of her being to do so. "I think you overestimate me. Much of my 'drive' was simply the arrogance of a sheltered girl who thought she knew more than she did and tried to force her beliefs on others. Even when I was correct it was for all the wrong reasons. And helping you with your power isn't something I would have had the courage to do by myself..."

He opened his mouth, presumably to retort her claims, but she wasn't ready to let him speak. "And more importantly, I think you underestimate yourself. Even when you were stuck in your rut you were still always looking out for others. Whether it was as important as ensuring we did the right things during our field studies or something as minor as listening to a naive girl's insecurities as we went shopping together.

There's a reason you have become the heart of our class, and it's because we all trust you to do the right thing, no matter the circumstance. If I helped you overcome your own problems it was only because you shaped me into the kind of person who would do so. So perhaps I should be the one thanking you?"

Landing a successful counterattack always felt good and seeing Rean be the one all bashful and speechless after her reply gave the same feeling. Eventually he started chuckling quietly. "In that case, perhaps instead of wasting our time thanking each other, let's make a promise. A promise to keep walking the same path, so that we may continue to bring out the best in each of us."

A simple promise, but one that she liked very much so. "I had already intended to do that, but I can accept that promise. As long as we are together I believe we can continue to accomplish amazing things."

And there was only one real way to seal a promise of that magnitude. And it seemed that he was of a like mind as the two joined together in a kiss. While the one they shared the previous day was technically their first one in a public setting, sharing this romantic moment in front of all their friends and family was a lot more intense. Even the sharp gaze of Victor S. Arseid couldn't ruin the moment for the two of them. She was his and he was hers, and it was time for the world to accept that.

Well, that statement was mostly true. There was one person who might disagree with it and given the lateness of the night it was probably time for her to have her moment. "Well, I have had a wonderful time, but I think I need to take a break for a bit." Reluctantly she forced herself to separate from him before walking off to where the rest of the swimming club appeared to be gathered.

"My turn!" If it wasn't already obvious that Fie had been impatiently waiting for her turn, the fact that she had sped over and taken Rean's hand before Laura was even fully out of the picture made that point obvious. Not that he minded one bit as the two began their own dance.

"You know, we could just skip the dance and go to the part where we make out for a while?" She asked with a hopeful expression.

It was impossible to tell if she was just trying to fluster him or was genuinely hopeful, but he felt like he was starting to get a handle on her teasing, even if it was still partly successful. "That's a tempting offer, but it would be a shame if we skipped dancing when you just learned how to do it."

"Boo..." She really didn't look all that upset.

Silence descended as the two continued to dance. Laura did a good job teaching her, as he couldn't see any flaws in the agile girl's movements. Despite her joking about better things they could be doing she was clearly enjoying herself, based on the smile on her face. It wasn't one of her teasing smirks either, but a genuine expression that was becoming more and more common on the taciturn girl's face. And if was truly being honest with himself... She really does have a beautiful smile.

"W-What the hell?! You can't just say something like that with a straight face!" It was at that point that he realized he said the last part out loud. On the plus side, his slip of the tongue was responsible for the first instance he could ever recall of seeing the former jaeger well and truly flustered. It was pretty adorable watching the red-faced girl find her own feet interesting as she couldn't bare to look at him.

Still, as enjoyable as it was to watch, he probably needed to clarify his statement before she recovered and began teasing him. "S-Sorry! Er, not sorry! I mean, uh..." Real smooth, Rean. He took a deep breath and tried again. "I meant what I said. It's nice to see you smiling so much lately. You seem a lot happier nowadays."

"Ah..." The younger girl was able to recover, but she still seemed distinctly uncomfortable as she struggled to put words to her emotions. "I am happier. Happier than I was in Zephyr, even."

She looked pensive, which Rean caught on to immediately. "But you still want to find them?"

"I do. I still want answers. But more importantly, I want them to see the new family that I am making for myself, thanks to you and all the others."

"I know you'll get your chance someday, but until that day comes I'll do what I can to help you make that family you deserve..." His eyes widened as he realized those words could be taken in a very different manner. "Err, I mean..."

The grin now adorning her face? This was the mischievous smirk that promised all kinds of problems for him. "I always thought you were a perv, but it seems I have underestimated you yet again. Saying that to a girl you've only known for half a year? Bold."

Credit where credit was due, Rean was at least able to recover quickly. "Yeah, I walked into that one, didn't I? But you know what I meant."

"Mmm. But if you make that offer in a couple years? Well I have occasionally thought about wanting a real family of my own and lately those thoughts have been filled with little black-haired kids, so who knows?"

"W-What?" While he might have gotten somewhat better at dealing with the teasing remarks there was no sign that what she had just said was anything but truthful and he wasn't sure how to react. It was flattering, and yet... "I've never really thought about it." He admitted remorsefully. He had spent so much time caught up on his past and his own fears that he had never really paid much thought to his future. That was something he realized he needed to change.

"Don't worry about it." Her statement caught him off guard. "I was lost too, remember? It was thanks to you, Laura, and everyone else that I can finally start thinking about what's ahead. And I know that you can too." She paused and tilted her head in thought. "Well, maybe. You've always been pretty dense..."

The swordsman rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but share in her amusement. "Very funny. But... thanks, Fie. I promise that I will have an answer the next time."

"No problem." She might have said more, but instead had to do her best to fight back a yawn, which he noticed.

"I'm feeling pretty tired too. Want to call it here?" There were few people still dancing at this point so it seemed like as good a time as any,

"Sure, but first, I want my prize."

He blinked. Her prize? What did she- He received his answer as she grabbed his head and pulled him down to her level before claiming his lips for her own. Despite the initial confusion he recovered quickly and allowed himself to embrace both the moment and his current partner. There was a rather annoying whistle from their instructor and a cheer from a certain pink-haired gardener, but those were easily ignored in favor of focusing on each other.

Eventually the need for air forced the two to separate. The former jaeger looked mighty pleased with herself. "C'mon, let's go rest somewhere." The best spot for that was the small hill just beyond the field, so that's where they decided to go. En route they passed by Laura and the older girl didn't need much of an invitation before deciding to tag along.

After taking their seats the three proceeded to watch the ongoing activities in silence. The bonfires were dying down as fuel ran out and what few people were still dancing appeared to be losing steam and were merely shuffling in unison. The silence was broken as this time Fie didn't even attempt to conceal her loud yawn. Thus she decided to lean over and turn the person next to her, in this case Rean, into a pillow as she closed her eyes and...

"You probably should not do that."

The annoyed girl sent a glare across her pillow to the distraction seated opposite of her. "And why not?"

"We'll probably be returning to the dorm in a few minutes. I believe you have the fortitude to hold out until then so would it not be easier to-" Laura trailed off, surprised by the fierce glare being sent her way by the younger girl who had now returned to her sitting position. "Fie?"

"Do you know what happened the last time someone told me I shouldn't take a nap cause we'll be returning home soon?" Between them Rean paled considerably. "Yeah, you were hoping I forgot, weren't you? 'You shouldn't take a nap right now cause we're totally not gonna be fighting for our lives in some crazy battle in a weird dimension tonight.'" Her Rean impersonation was absolutely terrible, but that just made it funnier in Laura's eyes. "So you're gonna need a better reason than that."

In that case... "Well it should be fine now, right? The Old Schoolhouse has seemingly been resolved so we should be safe from anything bad happening tonight, yes?"

The former jaeger sighed in dismay. "Great. You just jinxed it."

"Huh?"

"Everyone knows when you say something like that that something bad will inevitably happen. You just ruined it for all of us."

"T-That's just superstitious nonsense!" The swordswoman protested loudly.

Rean couldn't help himself. He started laughing. Listening to the two it couldn't be more obvious that they were complete opposites... and at the same time they were more similar than anyone could have believed. And there he was sitting between them. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve being blessed so, but it was something he selfishly grasped on to and wouldn't give it up for the world. Of course now both of them were staring at him like he was weird and he needed to say something before they start thinking he was insane. "Technically, Laura is right. Jinxes are just superstitious nonsense. And yet..."

Fie raised her hand and gave the 'V' sign with her fingers. "See? Even Rean gets it. You don't say something like that." On the plus side the girl no longer seemed interested in sleeping.

"Fine, fine." Laura conceded with a wry smile and a roll of her eyes. "If something bad does happen you are free to blame me for it. Happy?"

"Very."

Despite their insistence that it wasn't time for bed, there was no denying that the exertions of the past two days had taken its toll on their bodies, and as adrenaline faded that feeling became impossible to ignore. Thus, a relaxed silence fell over the group as they were content to simply bask in their near proximity to each other.

In hindsight it was a waste of time that all three of them were about to regret. "Damnit." Fie was the first to notice. Her outburst caused the others to turn to her. "That bad thing that I said was gonna happen? I think it just did. Look." There was little humor to be found in her voice as she pointed towards where the guests were mingling, causing Laura and Rean to follow with their eyes.

There was no longer any mingling to be seen, as it appeared that most of the high-ranking guests were engrossed in ARCUS calls with worried frowns on their faces. Whatever news was being told was spreading fast and was clearly nothing good. By this point the students had begun to notice and the festive atmosphere was quickly giving way to an anxious pall that covered the entire field.

"Thanks, Laura." Despite the intensity of the moment Fie couldn't resist one final parting shot.

Said girl reeled under the accusation. "I-I didn't! I mean..."

"C'mon, let's head back." Neither of the girls objected to Rean's idea and together they returned to the field. Laura split off from the group to go see her father, but Fie, having nothing better to do, stuck with Rean as he sought out his sister. They found Elise looking both completely out of place and terribly worried as she stood by herself.

She perked up when Rean came to her, followed by an interested look as she looked upon Fie. Belatedly Rean realized he never officially introduced her or Laura to his sister, but unfortunately all present knew that now was not the time for that. He was at a loss as to what to day, but thankfully an answer arrived in the form of Princess Alfin, as Elise's best friend informed her that her and her brother were being returned to Heimdallr and that she should accompany them, something which Rean agreed with wholeheartedly. After a few words with her, Prince Olivert, and Captain Claire, the four made their exit.

With them went most of the other VIPs. With the dance now at a worried end the students of Class VII reassembled to pool together what information they had, which amounted to very little. Perhaps the most interesting piece of news was from Elliot, who informed them that the call his dad received came from Instructor Neithardt, who was currently stationed at Garrelia Fortress with their armored division.

If answers were to be found, it would be with the arrival of Principal Vandyck. Accompanying him was Instructor Sara, the Vice-Principal, and Towa. All of them look grim-faced, which was especially out of place on the beacon of positivity that was Towa Herschel.

"Students and visitors..." The Principal began. "I cannot thank you enough for your attendance today. I hereby proclaim the 127th Thors Military Academy festival complete." His pause was unwelcome as everyone was dreadfully awaiting his next words. "But I am afraid I must announce this with a heavy heart, as we have just received word from the Imperial Government... That this evening, Garrelia Fortress, which rests on the eastern border of the Empire, has been destroyed. No, destruction is an inadequate word. An unknown weapon has erased the fortress in its entirety from existence."

His speech continued, but none of them could recall the rest of his words as a feeling of dread and horror consumed them all. War was coming.