Kurt Vander exhaled heavily as he went through another set of sword repetitions. Perhaps it was unwise of him to be practicing so soon after the ordeals of that day – that would explain why he was the only one in the modest training room of the dormitory – but he couldn't help himself. The practiced motions of swinging the dual blades of Vander wasn't merely an exercise for him. It was a way for him to calm his mind to reflect upon earlier events.
His first day at the so-called trash bin known as Thors Branch Campus had not been anything like what he had expected. To be placed in such a unique squad as Class VII was and being forced to spend the day in some metal labyrinth fighting hordes of monsters... Maybe he had made a mistake in choosing to come here instead of the main campus? Not to mention the others in Class VII: Special Operations...
He had always been told to keep an open mind about things and not to pass judgment without seeing everything there was to see, but he couldn't help but be woefully underwhelmed by the Ashen Chevalier. Sure the guy was mostly famous for his Divine Knight, but as a fellow swordsman Kurt had been hoping for something more from his new teacher. He seemed competent enough, but could Kurt truly benefit from being under the tutelage of someone so inexperienced himself?
Then again, his brother and uncle always had positive things to say about the hero the few times he came up in conversation, and Kurt was well aware that they were wiser than he ever could hope to be. And even if he didn't stand out during most of the battles, there was that one time when he and Juna had let their guards down around a monster and the instructor had stepped in before Fie or Altina could to vanquish it...
Perhaps he could understand why he was always told to keep an open mind. He would simply have to continue observing the man to discern the truth of the matter.
As for his fellow classmates... His first impression of Juna Crawford had been... soft.
The young swordsman flushed and completely messed up his current swing. Although he had played it off at the time, that was a most humiliating experience and it would be best to wipe it from his mind... Something easier said than done, unfortunately.
Beyond that unfortunate accident, it was clear that the pink-haired girl had a massive chip on her shoulder, one that he was fairly certain was due to her status as a Crossbellian native. While he personally could not understand her current attitude, he could at least appreciate the complexities of the situation that brought her to Erebonia. Best to simply avoid bringing up the recently annexed territory while in her presence.
Altina Orion was an enigma. Between her young age, her weird combat shell, her prior affiliation, her mysterious past with their instructor, and her quiet nature, Kurt was left with many questions regarding that classmate. She was a hard individual for him to trust, but at the very least she seemed approachable enough.
Which was a lot more than he could say for his final classmate. Fie Claussell might be even more mysterious. The girl revealed absolutely nothing about herself beyond her name. And while Altina might have conducted herself in a robotic manner, everything Fie said or did was wrapped up in an all-encompassing air of apathy and indifference.
As he unleashed a spinning assault with his blades he laid eyes upon his ARCUS II unit resting comfortably on his discarded jacket. That reminded him of his first true interaction with the silver-haired girl...
Progress through Einhel Keep – while not particularly quick – had been proceeding safely for the students and instructor of Class VII. The first few monster encounters they had had were vanquished with ease, letting Kurt understand that at the very least his new comrades were competent enough for this trial.
Things changed, however, when they came across a rather dangerous looking large monster. "A Fate Spinner, huh..." For some reason Instructor Rean sounded oddly nostalgic as they gazed upon the enemy from a safe distance. Shaking his head the older man turned and addressed the group. "This seems as good a time as any to make use of your combat links."
Although Kurt had never utilized this feature of the ARCUS before, he had heard about it from his family multiple times and was quite looking forward to taking advantage of the most notable feature of the orbment. He and the others listened patiently as his fellow sword user explained how to go about creating a link and the benefits it provided.
Being able to link up with someone else to take advantage of their senses and thoughts in combat... It still sounded so absurd, even to him. Rean must have understood their disbelief as he let out a brief chuckle before briefly forming a link with each and every one of them. It was such an odd feeling, as if he was just now discovering a sixth sense that he had possessed all along, only to feel a hollow emptiness once he terminated the connection.
After the demonstration the instructor told them all to link up before the battle began. Juna – as impetuous as ever – was first to make her decision, snubbing her nose at him before turning to the youngest girl in the group. "I'm with Altina!"
Said girl subtly glanced towards Rean, but at his nod let out a sigh. "Very well." After a couple short seconds their orbments lit up as a connection was established.
By the process of elimination that left him with only one possible partner candidate. "Very well." He muttered before turning his attention to Fie. "Shall we give it a shot?" She merely hummed in agreement before the two dual blade users focused on their ARCUS II units.
For a while nothing happened and Kurt wondered if they were doing something wrong, but after a very long delay he felt it. He was pretty sure it was a combat link, but... "It feels so weak..."
"Understandable." Rean was quick to interject. "The strength of a combat link is tied to the trust between the users. Two of my old classmates couldn't even form a stable link for a few months, so don't feel bad. I am positive that in time all of you will be able to instantly form extremely stable links with all of your classmates."
Despite his assurances, Kurt was still bothered. Sure the girls needed some time to form their link, but neither of them seemed all that bothered by the strength of their connection. Did he just have a trust problem. Or...
He turned towards his new partner, only to find her already walking towards the monster with her usual indifference.
He later got his answer when during the final battle against the absurd Magic Knight after it had knocked both he and Juna away with a mighty blow, leaving only Instructor Rean and Fie locked in melee with it. Taking the fight seriously the instructor was quick to abandon his neutrality and form a link with the gunblade user, leaving Kurt without a partner. As he got back to his feet he noticed that Juna was dazed and would be out of the fight for a few seconds. Locking eyes with Altina the younger girl nodded and shortly after a link was established between the two. One that was nearly as strong as the demonstration link Rean had formed with him.
So if he wasn't the one struggling with forming a stable link it stood to reason that the quietest girl in the class was. Some level of trepidation at fighting alongside complete strangers in an unfamiliar setting was understandable, but even still...
And yet even through that greatly diminished combat link Kurt understood very well that the girl was skilled. Extremely so, in fact. With their weapons being so similar it wasn't at all hard to notice that she was always a step ahead of him and her evasive maneuvers were quicker. Her instincts were also extremely sharp and the young swordsman had been startled upon realizing that he had been relying on her senses through the link over his own at times.
So much of his life had been dedicated towards a singular goal. Having that goal taken away from him had stung a lot, but he had assumed that with his skills he would be able to recover eventually and find a new purpose. Even if his skills paled in comparison to the titans of his family he still believed in them. So to have some mysterious unknown girl show up and put all of that to shame...
It stung. It stung a lot.
He let out a sigh as he stopped his training session. There was no point in continuing as his attempts at calming his mind had had the opposite effect, and his swings were getting unusually sloppy. Mayhap getting some sorely needed rest would do his body and mind what training could not.
Still, as distressful as the current situation was, Kurt Vander was not one to give up. At the very least he was now confident that his classmates and instructor were at least worthy of observation. He had to believe that by studying his peers he could achieve some modest improvement in his usage of the Vander Dual Blade Style.
'Fie Claussell...' Even if the girl had inadvertently hurt his pride he couldn't help but find himself curious. A quiet girl with trust issues and a skill level that far exceeded what someone of her age should possess? It didn't escape his notice that Instructor Rean seemingly knew something about it, based on the occasional glances he sent her both before and during the trial.
Class VII: Special Operations. What a fascinating mystery.
"Urgh! How come we were the only class who had to go through some shady trial today?" The pink-haired girl growled as she placed some object from her bag onto the table with far more force than was necessary.
"I would assume it has to with our class designation of 'Special Operations.' The much softer and calmer voice of her other classmate replied.
Given the large room she had been assigned Fie knew it was inevitable that she would eventually be stuck with roommates and she wasn't at all surprised when it ended up being both Juna and Altina. Still, for someone who had spent the greater part of the last two years living on her own it was a surprisingly disconcerting feeling. Those two days with Sara had not prepared her for just how loud Juna Crawford could be, even if the bracer's snoring came damn close.
"I-I know that!" Juna retorted hotly. "But still! We're the only ones still unpacking! All the other students arrived here much earlier!"
Altina's shrug was minute, but still noticeable. "I fail to see the problem. It isn't as if we were able to bring much of our personal belongings here." Especially true for the intelligence agent who seemed to possess little more than Fie herself did.
The Crossbellian clucked her tongue in annoyance as she set a framed picture down gently. Even from across the room Fie could tell that it was a family photo of some sort. There was no other explanation for that much pink.
"And what about you?" Damn. Her curious look hadn't gone unnoticed. "All your stuff was already unpacked. What gives?"
Fie took the time to ponder between answering or ignoring her classmate. Sadly her conclusion was that ignoring Juna would lead to more hassle, especially as Altina was also glancing at her with interest. "I've been here for a week already."
"I was under the impression that students only started arriving here yesterday."
She let out a groan before rising from her bed to look at the other two. "My reasons are... complicated. Let's just say that it definitely wasn't by choice." That was all she was willing to admit to these complete unknowns.
"Ahhh." For some reason Juna seemed satisfied by her vague answer. "I get that much."
For a time it was quiet as she laid back on her bed while the other two finished decorating their sections of the room. As much as she would have loved to go to sleep then and there she had a feeling that the others still had more to say.
And sure enough, it happened. "Classes begin tomorrow morning. Given the distance we need to travel and the necessity of breakfast I do believe it will be prudent to wake up at an early hour. Do either of you object to a 0630 wake-up?"
Fie did. She absolutely did. Given the audible groan Juna let out it was clear that she did too. Unfortunately, the girl was a coward who capitulated immediately in the face of their classmate. "I... Fine. It's gonna suck, but I would rather not be late on our first day."
Although considering Juna a coward when she herself never bothered with a counter might have been a bit unnecessary. Whatever. If she needed to she could simply turn off the alarm clock as soon as they stop paying attention. "Very well." Altina intoned. "Claiomh Solais has been set to wake us up at that hour."
...Or not. Fie had a sinking suspicion that the combat shell did not have an off switch anywhere. Especially as it didn't seem to be in the room with them. Did it perhaps have some kind of stealth functionality?
Either way it was clear that she was now doomed to early mornings.
If that was her fate than it would be best to sleep sooner rather than later and thankfully it seemed that the other two girls had the same idea. After a few brief words that she did not partake in the lights were turned off and the three of them settled in for the night.
Fie found herself unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed, even as she continued to stare blankly at the spot where it had all happened.
She was the only one still planted there, however, as the area around her was a flurry of activity. One by one everyone began to depart, with the imposing Sigmund Orlando hefting up the body of his deceased brother before leading the Red Constellation away. All of this she saw as she continued to stare, but none of it penetrated the haze of shock and confusion that commanded her brain.
"Well, damn." A lazy voice drawled near her. "This sucks."
"An unfortunate result, but not entirely unexpected." His partner confirmed with just the tiniest tinge of melancholy in his deep voice.
"Yep. He didn't win, but at least he can rest knowing he didn't lose either. And given how wild the fight was... I'm sure he's happy in Gehenna right now. Still..." The first man let out a sigh. "Hard to believe that this it for Zephyr."
That was enough to break through Fie's shock. "What!?" Wide eyes turned towards the two men even as her brain began to process that many of her friends were already gone.
"His final orders." Leo explained. "Were he to fall in this battle than we all were to go our separate ways." Although his voice was level the veteran jaeger had a hard time looking her in the eyes.
"What!?" She repeated, voice cracking. "Zephyr's... disbanding?" And why were they so calm about his death? Sure she knew that deaths were common among jaegers, but this was the Boss. The sole pillar in her life. The invincible figure that had taken her in and given her a purpose in life.
And now he was gone.
"...What am I supposed to do now?" She pleaded for an answer.
"Don't worry about it." Xeno tried to reassure her to no avail. "Just hang out here for a bit and I'm sure you'll find your answer." Did he know something she didn't?
Leo stepped forward and placed a massive hand on her shoulder in what was supposed to be a reassuring squeeze. It did anything but for her. "I am certain that we will meet again, but for now we have our own duty."
Xeno let out a sigh. "Someones gotta take care of Boss, you know? Well, see ya, Fie." With a lazy wave he departed at a high speed, with Leo silently following him but a second later. Neither of them bothered to look back at her.
And just like that, she was completely alone. Breathing became difficult as she began to process the abandonment that had just occurred. Still, she refused to cry. Jaegers did not cry.
Xeno said that she was supposed to just wait there for some reason, but could she really do that? Not even the hardest moments of her jaeger career had left her feeling this confused or afraid. Every second spent in this accursed place left her feeling lonelier and lonelier. Could she really continue to endure this misery?
Her legs made her decision before her brain could. She was Sylphid. Running was what she did best.
She had no destination in mind, but that was fine. Anywhere else was better than remaining there. Even the local monsters gave her a wide berth, as if supporting her decision.
She ran. On and on she went. She continued running until day gave way to night, but even that did not stop her. Her legs were burning, but that was good. The pain kept her mind from focusing on other things.
Sadly for her reality dictated that she could not run forever. A simple tree branch - hidden in the darkness and aided by her exhausted state – was enough to end her journey. The now former jaeger let out a yelp as she tumbled messily into the ground.
Try as she might her tired body was unable to rise again. And what was the point? Everything she knew was now gone.
As she lay there in a tumbled heap she couldn't hold it in any longer. For the first time in years she sobbed freely, both lamenting the life she had lost and terrified for what a now uncertain future held in store for her.
With a jolt Fie woke. She was breathing hard and sweat drenched her body, but in that moment she didn't notice any of it. That nightmare again...
She had always been told that nightmares were the worst scenes that a person's mind could conjure. Their greatest fears made manifest. So what did it say about her that her most frequent nightmare was an actual event that had happened in her past?
Letting out a miserable groan Fie sat up. One didn't need a clock to tell that it was still the middle of the night. Just great.
Not wanting to immediately risk a perilous sleep again the troubled girl took a moment to look around the room. There was no real purpose to her action, but time spent mindlessly observing her surroundings in the dark was time not spent laying in her bed dreading the hours to come.
Her casual observation came to a half when she noticed a pair of green eyes staring back at her in apparent concern. Dammit! She didn't think she had been that loud, but somehow she had managed to catch the attention of a now awake Altina.
Silence filled the room as Fie dreaded whatever her classmate was about to say. A part of her wanted to warn Altina to mind her own business and leave her alone, but she did kinda feel bad about waking the younger girl up. Still, she had no desire to answer the unspoken question that she knew was coming-
Eyes widened in shock when Altina merely gave the tiniest of nods before turning away and resting her head back on the pillow. That was it? She wasn't going to press her?
Thinking about it more rationally she supposed it did make some sense. From her earlier observations it was clear that the other girl was almost as quiet as she was. Either she was being considerate of Fie's feelings or simply didn't see the need to make a scene out of it. Either way, Fie appreciated it.
Of course given that Altina was a (former?) member of the Intelligence Division she was sure that this scene wouldn't actually be forgotten anytime soon, even if it was never mentioned again.
For some reason this all made her feel a little better. Her current situation still sucked, but at least it didn't seem to be the worst case scenario she had feared. It would be a long time before she even considered trusting the other members of Class VII, but...
With a tired yawn the girl laid back down. She was still wary of the nightmare coming back, but now she was calm enough to risk dreamland once again. And it would be best to be well rested before classes tomorrow-
Oh, right. Classes. Nope. This was still the worst case scenario.
The worst case scenario wasn't realized the next day, but only because the teachers dedicated the first day towards classroom orientation instead of actual teaching. She and the rest of Class VII were ushered from room to room – often alongside one of the larger classes – to listen to all the teachers go on and on about what they would be going over during the year. She assumed that was the case for most schools, not that she had any real experience in the matter. Still, it was an unexpected boon and one she would gladly take.
Sadly for her, however, her immediate plans of avoiding all the boring lectures by taking a quick nap in class were dashed as it soon became clear that Randy, Rean, and the Major were all too observant for that. They would always notice whenever her eyes closed for an extended period. Aurelia presumably was that observant too, but she wasn't suicidal enough to even consider trying it during her lecture on arts and music and whatever.
The only class that she was sure she could get away with it in was her current class as Towa chattered on and on excitedly. Seriously, how could anyone be that happy to talk about economics? And yet even if the opportunity was there she resisted solely out of respect for the older girl who had been surprisingly helpful during her week at Leeves.
...How long that respect would last was still to be determined, but for now she forced herself to sit there combating boredom while listening to a bunch of words that didn't make any sense to her.
"How can someone that tiny be a teacher?" A confused Juna whispered loud enough for the four members of Class VII to hear. Fie suppressed a grin, glad to know that someone else shared her thoughts on the matter.
Since she wasn't able to make any sense of the plan that Towa was laying out the ex-jaeger instead focused her attention on her classmates. Subtly, of course. Altina – the person next to her – seemed to be focused on the lesson, but there was a hint of disinterest in her eyes. Next to her was Juna, who appeared to be about as bored and confused as Fie was. A kindred spirit. Kurt meanwhile had a notebook opened and was diligently jotting down notes with intense focus.
After a tediously long wait class finally ended. That was the final class of the day, but sadly that didn't mean that school was finished. There was still the final homeroom for the day. With Juna leading the way she and the others made their way back to Class VII's classroom where their instructor was busy looking over a paper.
Unsurprisingly, he was quick to notice them. "Good job on your first day, everyone. How did you find your classes?"
Fie wasn't all too inclined to answer, and given the silence it seemed that she wasn't alone in her sentiment. Eventually, however, someone had to crack under Rean's expectant smile, and she wasn't at all surprised when it was Juna who budged first. "They were fine, I guess? But is this really all we're gonna be doing here?"
Kurt nodded in agreement. "I too was led to believe that our enrollment would entail... more."
For his part Rean didn't seem all that bothered, instead giving a small smile. "I remember thinking the same thing during my time as a student. A crazy initiation followed by normal classes..." He chuckled nostalgically. "You won't need to worry about that for long. You will be given a couple weeks to settle into classes, but after that you can expect to see more. Combat lessons, club activities, Panzer Soldat training, and a fun little surprise the principal has cooked up for near the end of the month."
The others seemed placated by his response as they all returned to their seats to wait out the end of the day. Rean – ever the dutiful instructor – went over the rules the students were expected to follow in town or in the dorms. There really weren't all that many of them as it was quite clear that Aurelia Le Guin ran a very loose ship. Still, there was an unspoken warning to his message:
You are allowed to do whatever you wanted within reason, but if you somehow managed to draw the principals ire than not even Aidios herself could save you from the principal.
It was a threat that she had already heard from the woman herself, but it was still pretty intimidating to her. The others began to look a little paler as the warning sank in.
The sound of a bell chiming signaled the end of the day and she prepared to make her return to the dorms. "Before you guys go." Rean stopped them. "I discovered a nice little bakery in town last night and was thinking we could all head over there as a class. My treat."
Fie rolled her eyes. Just great. She had been worried that their teacher was one of those obnoxious overly friendly types and it seems those fears had been confirmed. Still, this wasn't an official class activity so she could simply refuse and based on the looks that both Juna and Kurt were sporting it was clear that they were in a similar boat.
"...Does this bakery have pancakes?" So it was a surprise to her when the other quiet member of their class looked oddly excited at the proposition. Pancakes, seriously?"
"They sure do. Saw plenty of fruit and syrup options for toppings, too."
"We accept the offer."
Juna rose to her feet in surprise. "Hold on!"
"You cannot simply make that decision without consulting with us first." Fie didn't say anything, but she nodded along with Kurt's words.
Altina seemed undeterred. "Last night I was looking in the Intelligence Division database. The files that have on all of you are quite substantial."
The teacher let out a tired sigh. "Altina, you can't just blackmail them into agreeing with you."
"I wasn't blackmailing them." The young girl countered with an innocent tilt of her head. "I was just warning them that there may be an unfortunate slip of the tongue in the near future."
Despite herself Fie couldn't help but giggle, drawing the surprised attention of everyone else. It was annoying, but the way Altina threatened to blackmail all of them with a straight face? She could respect that. "Sure, whatever. I've seen the place a few times. The smell is good."
"Even you?" Kurt massaged his head as if warding off a headache. "...Very well. Perhaps this could be... enlightening?"
She felt it was unlikely, but free food was free food. It wasn't often, but there were some nights during the past year when a luxury such as food wasn't available to her so she could appreciate the gesture if nothing else. She still had no intention of actually saying anything in return.
The bakery was a nice enough place, Fie supposed. It was rather small for an eatery, but that didn't bother her since the only customer currently in the place was a woman at the counter chatting quietly with the owner. That conversation paused as they took notice of the five of them. "Ah! Instructor Rean! Are these four...?"
"Indeed. This is Class VII."
"Hehe. Welcome to Recette Bakery and Cafe. My name is Liza. Take a seat anywhere you want and I'll be by shortly to take your orders."
Once seated she began glancing at the menu. The food items consisted of a lot of bread, unsurprisingly. Some of it she recognized, but most of it was foreign to a former jaeger like herself. Glancing over the menu there was one item of particular interest to her. "What exactly are pancakes anyways?"
Altina, who was conveniently situated next to her, raised her eyes in surprise. "...You do not know what a pancake is?" It was as if the mere notion was heresy to her.
"Don't let her fool you." Rean chimed in from his seat opposite them. "She only found out about them around four months ago."
Altina huffed in annoyance. "Irrelevant. Not knowing pancakes in this day and age is a crime." The interaction between the two was odd. From what Fie could tell Altina was almost as reserved as she was, but when she was with Rean she seemed a little more outgoing. After a brief pout the former agent spoke up as she looked to the now approaching Liza. "The two of us will have pancakes."
While she wasn't sure she appreciated her decision being taken from her like that she couldn't deny her own curiosity. Altina must have noticed her mental decision as she gave a nod of approval.
"...You two are so weird." Juna shook her head tiredly. She and the others were quick to place their own orders.
"Hmm..." The silence between the five of them lasted for a good few minutes while Rean was obviously wracking his mind for something to say. "I know! Siblings! I myself have a younger sister. She's about your ages and is currently the student council president at St. Astraia Girls' School. I am very proud of her!" His eyes gleamed in happiness. It was kinda creepy. "Do any of you have siblings?"
"You already know my older brother." Kurt replied testily. "However if he hasn't seen fit to mention me at all then that speaks loudly of the how inadequate he must see me – both as a brother and a swordsman."
The instructor was momentarily stunned. "I-I'm sure thats not it at all! I haven't actually spoken with your brother that much!" Conversation halted momentarily as the food was delivered. The pancakes looked pretty appealing. "...How about you, Juna?"
The pink-haired girl glared up from her own sandwich. "I have two younger siblings back home, but I don't see how that is any of your business!"
It was clear that Rean now realized just how badly he had overstepped by trying to start this conversation. With a pleading look he turned his attention towards Fie. "Oh..." Yup. He definitely realized just how terrible of an idea that was.
So why not be kind enough to throw him a bone? "Haven't seen my family in two years." She wasn't sure if it were her words themselves or the flat emotionless tone she used, but the eyes of her classmates were trained on her. So she gave a nonchalant shrug in response.
"Haha..." The black-haired swordsman was on the verge of despair as he turned to the final member. "You and Millium have been getting along better lately, right?"
"Perhaps... But I still do not consider her to be my sister and nothing she or anyone else says will change my mind."
Fie snickered as Rean sank down in total defeat. Even with her own lack of social experience she could quite easily tell that Class VII was off to a rocky start. What a mess.
...At least these pancakes were really good.