Chapter Text
Exactly one week later
The preceding weekend, Cinder had visited Mary one more time, to update her on things. She had hugged her, and said “Go get ‘em, kid.” While the reunion had been short, it felt perfectly adequate.
Before boarding the airship, Cinder saw Sil sitting on a bench nearby.
“Oh…hey, Sil.”
“Mm,” he grunted. “What do you want?”
Lately, Cinder had been in an apologetic mood.
“Just making sure…there weren’t any hard feelings from that fight we did. I didn’t know Archer would lose it like that so suddenly.”
…
Sil suddenly laughed.
“You’re kidding.”
“…what?”
“You’re still hung up on that shit? I forgot about that a long time ago. I never really cared about any of that stuff, really.”
“You don’t?”
“Nah. ‘Prestige,’ all this righteous stuff – I don’t give a damn. I already know what I’m doing. As long as I’m paid for my work, I’m happy.”
“Money? …I guess you’re right.”
Sil raised a brow.
“…I do like making money too,” Cinder clarified.
Another laugh.
“Whatever. Have fun on your little ‘field trip,’ I guess.”
“…thanks.”
“Whoa…” Cinder’s face was glued to the window. The sight below the airship was…certainly something.
In the middle of this wintery landmass known as Solitas sat a massive, floating island, full of vibrant colors and life. Tall skyscrapers stretched so high Cinder thought she could reach down and touch them from up here. Large overpasses held rail lines that criss-crossed the entire city. Every single design detail had been perfected to an brilliant elegance Cinder had never seen before.
“I had the opportunity to exchange pleasantries with brother Azami recently,” Rosie took a seat besides Cinder. “Would thou desire some…previews?”
“Sure.”
“Very well. The floating landmass there is Atlas, the capital. Just below it is the former capital, Mantle.” Cinder shifted her vision downward; indeed, she could see some dimmer lights and smoke trails directly below the floating city.
“Despite being the youngest kingdom, Atlas enjoys a level of technological advancement seen nowhere else,” Rosie continued. “It has become the premier supplier of Dust in all of Remnant.”
“Additionally, the Atlesian Military possesses great influence. The Academy grounds are also their headquarters. Look yonder, there.”
At the very center of the city, a large tower stood high above the rest, flanked by four smaller ones. It was as impressive as it was slightly ominous.
“Statistics show that the denizens of this city hath the highest standard of living ever seen.”
“…and they’re one of the most discriminatory against Faunus,” Trifa added; Cinder took a glance at her, sitting alone.
“…that is also true.”
Cinder pursed her lips; the events from last week were still fresh in her head.
I have to make this up to her.
So, if what she just said is true…
But at the same time…I don’t want her to feel like I’m pampering her. She’ll most likely take that as an insult.
…Agh, stupid Cinder! Just because you were curious…
An eerie hum echoed from outside. Looking out the window again, Cinder could see two ships that had fallen in to escort this slow, lumbering airship in. Based on their smaller size and sleek, sharp polygonal edges, these were some sort of air-to-air fighters.
*Touchdown in one minute,* the pilot’s voice crackled through the intercom.
“Come,” Rosie beckoned Cinder towards an empty seat. “It might become bumpy.”
After landing, only the rear doors opened; it revealed a two long lines of soldiers marking a path straight to the Atlas Academy gates. They were all equipped with futuristic-looking white armor, as well as fancy-looking rifles. Standing right in the middle was a single man, sharply dressed in a military uniform. As the students began to slowly disembark, he approached.
“Good afternoon. You must be the contingent from Mistral. I am Major Queenan of the Atlesian Military. On behalf of the entire kingdom, I welcome you to Atlas. Follow me.”
“sir, yes sir,” Cinder heard Archer mutter sarcastically.
Looking around, Cinder could see multiple airships of different designs all at this dock; she assumed those were the ships from the other kingdoms. All of their students were getting the same treatment.
“Uhh…excuse me, major?” Pyke pushed his way to the front. “What about our luggage? I mean, I personally brought a lot-“
“No need to worry about them. They will be waiting for you in your accommodations,” the major interrupted.
“Oh, ok! Thanks!”
Ah, Pyke. Always the joyful one.
Major Queenan led the students down several very long hallways. Overall, everything felt very sterile. Everything was painted a utilitarian white, with no other extraneous decorations. It certainly did not help the constant sense of uncanny valley Cinder had been feeling from the moment they walked in.
The group was herded into a giant auditorium; the size reminded Cinder of the coliseum from the Regional Tournament. It looked like it could hold every single student here and then some.
“This is your section,” Major Queenan referred to a section of seats marked off with a sign. “Please wait patiently.”
“As I stated,” Rosie took a seat next to Cinder. “The military is fully integrated with the Academy and the government.”
The wait wasn’t long. Soon, some doors on the center stage opened, raising a platform up. Standing on it was a gray-haired, middle-aged woman, and a younger man. Behind them, a giant screen turned on, projecting the woman’s face clearly to the auditorium. There was a large scar going vertically through her right eye.
“Welcome, one and all students. I am General Anya Wolffe, Headmaster of Atlas Academy. I would like to formally welcome you into the great halls of this institution.”
“To simply be here is a great honor. Your presence means that you have been deemed worthy to represent your respective kingdoms. Regardless of what may lie ahead, cherish this moment. Additionally…”
“Say, who’s that next to her?” Cinder whispered to Rosie.
“I do believe that is Lieutenant-General Ironwood,” Rosie whispered back. “General Wolffe’s handpicked successor.”
“Really?”
“Indeed. There are rumors that Wolffe is retiring at the end of this year. She will still likely retain her positions within the military, but headmaster she will no longer be.”
“…interesting…”
*Click*
A sound from Cinder’s armrest made her jump. A small panel opened, poking something out.
“…Our R&D Department have worked tirelessly to advance technology, not just for the good of Atlas, but for all of Remnant. We have decided that for this year’s festival, we will be beginning trials for a new form of mobile communications device.”
Cinder pulled the object out, a compactly sized rectangle. There was a hinge on one end; she flipped it open. Two digital screens, one on each end of the hinge, turned on.
“We call these ‘scrolls.’ All the functions of a standard telephone or pager, all condensed into a portable device. Additionally, it can access information, execute commands, and much more.”
“It would appear they are also testing different designs,” Rosie remarked. Her scroll was larger in size, roughly equivalent to Cinder’s unfolded, but with no hinge. There was a retractable antenna built in on one side.
“Oh yeah…mine doesn’t have an antenna,” Cinder flipped hers over.
“If you open up your contact lists, you will note that there is one already preset.”
After some figuring out, Cinder got to the “contacts” page. Indeed, there was already a single entry.
“Throughout your stay here, each and every one of you will be ‘shadowed’ by either a student here or an esteemed member of the military. Barring any extreme emergencies, your first point of contact should be them.”
So, like a personal tour guide. Neat.
Cinder looked back down at her scroll: her “guide” was someone called Ciel. Huh.
“Now, I imagine you are rather tired of hearing my voice at this point,” Wolffe admitted. Heh, at least she’s self-aware, Cinder thought. “I would now like to cordially invite you all to the dining hall, where you can introduce yourselves to your guides.”
Cinder had noticed that there were no Atlesian students in the auditorium.
“Hmm…very impressive…” Rosie kept messing with her scroll. “Should we establish contacts, you and I?”
“Sure, go for it.”
“Splendid. If you don’t mind…”
Rosie flipped Cinder’s scroll over, showing a logo etched in the back of it. Clicking a button on her own scroll, it emitted some sort of light.
“…and done!”
Cinder went back to her contacts list; indeed, Rosie’s name was now on it.
“Now, no time to waste, tally ho! I have heard nothing but good things about Atlesian cuisine!”
Judging by the signs posted on the walls, there were actually two dining halls on the premises. And judging by how big this one was…
…yeah, it’s larger than Haven’s.
*♫*
That was Cinder’s scroll. Opening it up, she saw that she had already received a message from Ciel:
<Third table from the left.>
Following the instructions, she came up to one of the many round tables set up in here. While there were six chairs, there was only one person seated at the moment. She had dark skin, teal-blue hair, and some sort of gold marking on her forehead.
“…You must be Ciel,” Cinder said, taking a seat directly across from her. She nodded.
“Ciel Soleil,” she finished her name. “Team WICK, second year. And you’re Cinder Fall.”
“That’s me.”
“I must say, your file was…interesting to read.”
…file? As in, a profile?
“Hit me.”
“Why would I strike you?”
“Huh?” Cinder gave Ciel a confused look. “Oh…I didn’t mean that literally, like actually hit me. You said my file was ‘interesting,’ so I meant ‘give me some examples.’”
“Ah. Is this one of those so-called ‘figures of speech’?”
“…I guess.”
“Noted. As for your file…it is one of the...'emptiest' I have ever seen. It marks your date of birth as September 13th, but there is a sidenote that says ‘assumed.’”
“Yeah, I don’t really know my birthday.”
“You have no known family, immediate or distant. Until the age of ten, you were lodged at Greene’s Orphanage, just outside Mistral.”
“…unfortunately.”
“You were presumed deceased when the orphanage was destroyed in a Grimm attack. However, seven years later, you suddenly resurfaced, as a participant at the Regional Tournament.”
“Oh yeah…a huntress saved me from the Grimm that night. Took me in, trained me.”
Ciel took out her scroll; it looked a tad bit more advanced than Cinder’s. She opened something on the translucent widescreen.
“Is there a name for this huntress?”
“Mary,” Cinder answered. “Sorry, I actually don’t know her last name.”
“So, your current last name…”
“…is something I made up, yes.”
Ciel’s gloved hands quickly tapped on the screen.
“Is there anything else?”
“…none that I’d like to share, no.”
“Noted,” Ciel closed her scroll.
“Where’s everyone else?” Cinder looked around. While there were still some open seats at the other tables, all of them had more than two people.
Ciel looked at her watch.
“…twelve seconds.”
“Huh?”
Exactly twelve seconds later, someone enveloped Ciel in a hug.
“Agghhhhh! Cieeellllll!” she exclaimed. “Help meee! This blondie won’t stop talking!”
…blondie? Cinder turned around.
“Oh, hey Cinder!” Pyke walked up to the table, taking a seat. “Is this your mentor?”
“I am,” Ciel confirmed, still somehow undisturbed by the person clinging onto her. “Ciel Soleil, team WICK, second year.”
“Oh, you’re also from Team WICK?” Pyke said. “That means you’re…”
“Teammates, duh,” the other girl pinched Ciel’s cheek.
“…Ivy,” Ciel said, expression still unchanging. “I’ve reminded you precisely 1623 times that taking your beret off during operating hours is a violation of dress codes.”
“And I’ve told you one-thousand-whatever times that I hate wearing hats,” the girl flipped some of her brown hair to one side. “My hair’s gotta breathe, man!”
This person called Ivy then caught sight of Cinder.
“..and you’re the firebender.”
“Fire…wha?”
“’Cause you can heat things up with your hands. That means you can bend metal. Damn, does everyone need to have this explained to them?”
Almost immediately, Cinder could sense Ivy’s similarities to a certain teammate of hers. So, she knew exactly how to deal with her.
“Says the person who needs the dress code explained to them,” she shot back.
In an instant, Ivy grabbed Cinder by the collar.
“What the fuck did you just say?” she hissed, her green eyes burning lasers into Cinder’s.
“Ivy,” Ciel repeated. “Language.”
Cinder didn’t back down, giving Ivy a smug smile. The staredown continued until Ivy suddenly scoffed.
“I’ll be watching you, hot stuff,” she said, letting go of Cinder’s collar.
The last two seats remained empty for a bit, until…
“Whew! Sorry I’m late, guys!”
Another Atlesian student, similar in complexion to Ciel, but with dark pink eyes, screeched to a halt before she took out the entire table.
“Hah, man, count your blessings that you don’t have to interact with this person on a daily basis!” Ivy laughed, putting a hand on Ciel’s shoulder.
“…Indeed,” Ciel agreed, tapping her watch. “Especially with your abilities…”
“Well…I made it though, right?”
“You were 7.3 seconds late.”
“Heh-hey! That’s four seconds better than last week!”
“Actually, it was three-point-“
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, I get the point,” she waved Ciel off. “Oh, damn, I didn’t just lose my shadow, did I?”
“You didn’t,” an unknown voice from beside Cinder said. Filling the last remaining seat was a girl that was strangely wearing just a black t-shirt and some jeans. It certainly stood out among the proper uniforms of the other five.
“Nice to meet you,” she greeted the table. “I’m Rowena Sunnybrook, from Shade.”
“And I’m Harriet!” The late one piped up. “How does it go again…right, Team EHRN (Heron), first year!”
With everyone now present, Cinder tried to enjoy the food. It was…fine. She could taste certain Mistrali elements in it, but it wasn’t a complete copy. More like an amalgamation of many different changes over time.
“…So!” Pyke tried speaking first. “Are we getting anyone else?”
The three Atlesian students shook their heads.
“Oh. I thought we would be assigned team-by-team, not individually…”
“The aim was to have a representative from each kingdom per table,” Ciel explained.
“And from other teams,” Harriet finished the sentence. “But I guess we’re the odd ones out, eh?”
“Inevitably, there will be-“
“Yeah, yeah, issues with the ‘spreadsheet.’ You were going to say that, right?” Ivy interrupted her. Ciel nodded.
“Anyway, most of this stuff was random. Most of it.”
…
From the general atmosphere of the entire dining hall, Cinder was getting the feeling that Atlas Academy didn’t put much emphasis on…socialization. Even Ivy and Ciel, supposed teammates, didn’t talk to each other much.
“Is this your first time here for the festival?” Rowena asked Cinder.
“Yep. I’m a first-year, actually.”
“Oh, really? Just getting started, I see. I’m a fourth-year, myself.”
“A…fourth-year?” Cinder glanced at Harriet. “And you’re paired up with a…”
“I don’t put much weight on seniority, and I’ve already made that clear with Harriet. We were all chosen from skill level alone, after all.”
“…that’s true.”
The awkward silences continued.
“Hey, firecracker!” That brought Cinder back. It was the third nickname Ivy had come up for Cinder in the past half hour.
“My name’s Cinder, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Ivy waved a hand. “Harriet’s been tryin’ to get your attention for like, five minutes!”
“Huh? Oh, sorry,” Cinder shook her head. Spacing out aside, she was getting a little tired from all the travelling.
“You’re from the northern part of Mistral, right?”
“I am.”
“You must have seen the Grimm Reaper then! Did you?”
Grimm Reaper.
That’s the second time I’ve heard that nickname.
“…no, sorry.”
“Really? Darn. I’m really wondering if it is just a myth now…”
“From the lack of information in the records, this is most likely true,” Ciel remarked.
“Aww, man…”
“Well, can’t always meet your heroes,” Pyke said.
“Regardless, they were an inspiration to us all,” Rowena commented.
Damn, just how famous was this person? To think that they’re a household name in every kingdom…
“Eh, I think it’s a waste of time, believing in superstitions like that, but knock yourselves out,” Ivy said. “I mean, have you even heard some of the stories around this person? Does that seem possible for just a single person to do?”
“I mean, they could’ve just been a very strong warrior,” Rowena responded. “If there’s a will, there’s a way.”
“Then why keep everything a secret? How did no one find out, even by accident? I just…don’t get it…”
These had all been good arguments so far; Cinder, however, had the virtue of knowing something that the other five did not.
Professor Icirrus was the first person to mention that nickname to me, and he’s ancient.
Must be some sort of myth, if people even believed in it back then…
…what was I just thinking about? Agh.
This forced conversation stuff is driving me crazy. I just want some sleep…