It was quiet in the halls of the academy, where Ferain was walking silently with some papers held to her chest. A short distance in front of her was Guji Hakamura, his back straight and his attention directed forward as he moved. Ferain’s own focus was being drawn to everything around them more so than just ahead. She eyed the doors of the offices and classes they passed, stared up at the ceiling lights from time to time, and every so often, she looked out the occasional window they passed to see the cooling gray skies that made up the horizon. After a few stops of meeting with teachers and handing out papers, she finally found the courage she’d been searching for since starting her elective period.
“Sir?” she asked quietly, causing Guji to look over his shoulder. He didn’t stop walking, but with a simple “Yes?” coming from him, she knew she had his attention. “Sir, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course, Ferain. I’m always willing to talk. What’s on your mind?”
She sucked in a breath and slowly exhaled. “It… It’s about the other academies. Anita told me about some things she read about them and I was wondering if they were true. Do they really take their wielder training more seriously than us?”
Guji looked ahead for a moment and remained quiet. A few seconds later, he replied with a single word. “Yes.” After another pause, he continued. “I’m assuming you’re primarily referring to the Eagle Nation’s Freerider Academy, and in that case, yes, they do. Over there, it’s more of a training facility than an educational one. When wielders over there are younger, they look up to the students there as future heroes and leaders, people that are trained to lay down their lives for their countries. It’s seen as an honor, being trained how to kill and subdue. The Crown Nation’s Titania Academy is somewhere in between my own views and those of Director Hartmann.”
Ferain hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask her next question. “Sir, if that’s the case, don’t you think we might be a bit unprepared by comparison?”
“Unprepared for what exactly?” asked Guji.
“Umm…” Fera paused for a brief moment before replying properly. “The fighting back home. I mean, Professor Haris doesn’t teach anything at all, and neither do the other higher level teachers. Itani is the only one above lvl-3 that’s trying to actually make the students stronger. I heard that we’ll have to fight if some sort of war starts, so if that happens, won’t we be…” Fera looked up and saw Guji looking back at her, stopped in his tracks and bearing an extremely serious expression.
“Ferain, in return for your inquiries, is it alright if I ask you one of my own?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Why did you come here? What was your original purpose in applying for this academy?”
“I wanted to be normal.” Fera replied.
“Normal.” he repeated. “You didn’t come here to be a soldier, you came here to be a child in search of friends and a life you could be happy with. You came here looking for a place to belong. Ferain, I once told you my goal, my reason for rising up to my current position.”
“It’s to give wielders humanity.”
“Yes, the one thing that we were bred to be without. Over the years, our kind have gained some on their own, just by being around humans for as long as we have. However, our violent tendencies still exist, which I’m sure you know rather well how easy it is to give into them. That is why I decided from an early age, I would actually say I was around your age, that I would not give into my urges as a weapon. Freerider Academy is a military institution, and Titania gives priority to teaching wielders how to be skilled combatants. I wanted to take a different approach. I wanted to give students a chance to not just be what the past presents us as. Don’t take this the wrong way, Ferain, I don’t do this because I want to hide what we are or that I’m ashamed of our history. In fact, I’m rather proud of my heritage and where I come from. I do this, I want to do this, because I want to show the world what we can be if given the time and the chance to choose that for ourselves.”
“But won’t it make us weaker than the other nations?” Fera asked.
“Yes, perhaps. But is that such a bad thing, Ferain? Is it really that terrible that we don’t have the same military might?” He shook his head. “Also, taking a step back, I have another question for you. Do you think it’s our responsibility to make that sacrifice? Human children go to schools to learn how to be adults in the working world. They study to become doctors, laborers, lawyers, politicians. The military is there, of course, but with the wielders around, they hardly ever choose to sign up for service. Why would they? We don’t have that choice. Because of our origins, if conflict breaks out, we are required to serve. Humans forget that part about our lives, and the laws our governments hold us to. Whether you were a student here or not, whether I trained you to be a killer or an ordinary girl, it doesn’t matter. If war bled the world, you would be the knife that creates the wound, that’s just the simple truth of it.”
He gave Ferain a long, pitying look, possibly hoping she was understanding what he was saying. “Because of that truth, I didn’t want to set it in stone. I wanted to offer young wielders a chance to be normal, just as you wanted to be. I prioritize educational courses because I want to prepare my students in the same way humans do, so they can have the same opportunities in this world instead of being forced into their designated places. It’s only fair when you look back at the world’s history. Humanity created us for war, but that’s the thing. It was a war they started, and they created us weapons to help them finish it. They claim we’re nothing but violent creatures, but in doing so, they show their ignorance to the fact that long before we existed, they had warred amongst themselves since the dawn of man. Our own drive for anger and bloodshed comes from their very nature, as we are created from parts of their own genetics. So, given all of this, I ask you again. Do you honestly believe that we should make that sacrifice while they do not? Why should our children have to grow up to be soldiers while they get to be whatever they desire?”
Ferain looked away from his piercing eyes and stared at the floor, not really knowing how to respond to that. All of it’s true, of course. War was not a new concept that was birthed with the wielders. There had to be wars before that, given the fact that they were brought into one, they weren’t the cause of it. It was also true that there were many wielders here that, like Ferain, desired to be something other than a soldier or a killer or any of the other violent sorts of trades that they were forced into on a regular basis. Marrow’s sister was one such example. Mamane didn’t want to cause harm, but to cure it. She wanted to be a nurse, somebody that helped stop the pain and suffering of others. She wasn’t the only one either. Even Ferain, while not having much of a mind for what her future would hold, was still certain that she didn’t want to be a soldier.
In fact, recently, she thought about opening some kind of store or something. She wanted to live a quiet life that would keep her far away from any further hate and violence, mainly because after tasting so much hatred in the past year, she knew how difficult it was to fight against it. After a while of pondering Guji’s words, she inhaled again.
“No, I don’t think that’s fair.” Fera said quietly. “I would like to believe that we deserve every chance they have.”
“That’s my belief as well.” said Guji, smiling down at her. “That is why I became a teacher, and later the headmaster. I did it all so I could change things. I will never end the discrimination against our people. Growing up, wielders are ridiculed, abused, mistreated, and honestly, segregated at times. It’s because we’re different, and by the very nature of humanity, they sometimes fear what is different from them, and they fear what they have difficulty controlling. Wielders are immensely different, and they wield power that is unimaginable in a human's mind. Because of this, they react to us out of that fear. I will never change that, I’ve come to accept that simple truth. However, while I can’t cure everything that ails our kind, I can at the very least make it better. That is why I instruct my teachers to not do their jobs properly. I do it because it is my way of rebelling, my way to make a change in this world. Do you understand?”
“I do,” said Ferain.
“Good, I was hoping you might. Now, as for the rising conflict back home. I wish I could say it’ll get better, but I would be lying. Things are escalating at a pace they’ve never reached before. I won’t sweeten my words when I tell you that things are not looking good. The truth is, things are terrible, and with Governor Moon’s election, things are bound to get worse.”
“The new governor?” asked Ferain, giving him a curious glance.
“Moon’s entire campaign has been in support of humanity, and not so much for wielders. Most of his promises come in the way of mistreatment for us, all to win over the majority that humans represent. The recent acts of violence all played into his hand, driving every frightened human his way in search of comfort and protection against the unrest we represent. If he has his way, and I fear he will, our futures are looking rather bleak.”
“What sort of promises is he making?” Fera questioned.
Guji gave her a sad look, as if he was pained and apologetic for ever bringing her into this world. “I don’t want to worry you any further, Ferain. If you are still curious about it, and if you still desire to learn more later, you can seek those answers on your own. For the time being, we have a couple more stops to make before lunch is upon us. Come, let’s continue our duties.”
“Very well, sir.” Fera said softly, watching grimly as Guji turned and continued down the corridor. After he got several steps ahead, Ferain sighed and followed suit.
When the lunch break came, Fera met with her friends in the cafeteria. Anita was sitting at the table across from Maple and Victor, who seemed to be avoiding each other’s gazes. It didn’t seem like they were mad at each other, seeing as they were holding hands beneath the table, but they appeared to be embarrassed about something. Both had bright red faces, and when Ferain got closer, she noticed some bandages near Victor’s neck. She gave them a curious look as she took her spot next to her partner, who seemed pretty amused by the sight in front of her.
“What’s going on?” asked Ferain, shifting her gaze between all of them. Victor and Maple both shifted awkwardly but Anita held firm when it came to staring at the pair. She laughed quietly and stabbed a fork into a piece of diced up meat.
“They did something but they won’t tell me what it is.” Anita said. “It’s okay though, I have a pretty good idea.”
Fera raised an eyebrow for a moment, but her ignorance didn’t last long. Her eyes widened as she looked from Anita to the pair in front of her again. “You didn’t.” Maple sank in her seat and Victor lightly scratched near his neck bandages. “You did.”
“Shut up!” Maple said sharply, her cheeks growing a deep crimson. “Fine, we did it, okay? Are you happy now, you nosy people.” she whispered furiously. She then blushed harder as she turned away once more.
“Wow.” said Anita. “I probably shouldn’t be surprised, but here I am.” she added, grinning as she leaned on the table. “How was it?” she asked.
“Anita!” Fera hissed, nudging her partner. “Don’t pry.”
“I’m just curious.” Anita said. “It’s only natural to be curious about it, right? We’re almost adults, it’s how it is.”
“Umm…” Victor grumbled. “Well… It was… awkward.” he said quietly.
“A bit.” Maple agreed, giggling faintly. She even smiled, and when Fera looked, she saw Victor grinning too.
Ferain, despite how much she was blushing at the mere thought of what transpired, couldn’t fight back a smile of her own. She knew that they both liked each other, she’d known since shortly after meeting them. When they told her that they became a couple, she was proud of them for taking that step, but now… now it was more than just a sense of pride. She was relieved, happy, and somehow inspired. She glanced over in Anita’s direction, who was grinning in the pair’s direction. A new heat rose in her body that caused her to shift uncomfortably, and a familiar dream appeared in the forefront of her mind.
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“So, when was it?” asked Anita. “Last night?”
“The night before, on Saturday,” said Maple.
“We were on a date and got stuck out in the rain. We had to get a hotel and then Maple was–” Maple quickly punched him to shut him up. “Sorry,” he quickly said.
“Anyway, it just sort of happened.” Maple finished for him.
“Did you… you know… protect yourselves?” Anita then questioned, almost teasingly. She knew what she was doing, but after putting up with all of Maple’s own dirty inquiries throughout the duration of their friendship, maybe she thought now was a good time for some payback.
“Anita?!” Fera gasped again.
“What?!” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m just looking out for my friends.”
“No.” Maple said quietly. “We didn’t have any. But that’s okay, we didn’t… umm…”
“I didn’t…” Victor started, and now, both of them seemed too flustered to talk any further.
“Didn’t what?” Anita asked, leaning even closer over the table. “Come on, you can tell me.”
“Enough of this.” Fera said, sounding tired and aggravated now. She let a small current of electricity flow through the table, which then jumped to all of her friends. They all yelped, mostly from surprise, and they all turned to look at her. “We’re moving on, changing subjects. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Fine, fine. I was just curious about whether he finished inside of her or not.” Anita said in a knowing tone, because she knew full well that once she said it, the damage was already done. Even Fera’s face burned bright now, and once the image was in her head, she had to bury her face in her hands to avoid looking at the two across from her. Ferain was always weak to this sort of subject. She typically got flustered over the mere mention of the lightest of stuff, so this sort of extreme comment leaving Anita’s lips caused her to nearly combust.
“He d-didn’t.” Maple forced herself to say.
“Oh?” asked Anita, happy to have gotten her wish. “Mouth or body?” she asked, which made Fera feel faint.
“Anita, stooop.” she begged, resting her head on the table, and probably melting the hard material it was made out of.
“Hmm.” Anita hummed, taking note of Maple’s expression, and how Victor looked over at her mouth. “I see. Well, congratulations.” she said, looking extraordinarily pleased with herself. “And now that’s three birds with one stone. I hope you’re all happy for all the nonsense you’ve put me through this last year. You deserved all of this.” Anita sipped from her juice pouch and smiled after sighing with satisfaction.
Even in her flustered state, Fera didn’t fail to remember that most of the time, Anita was more of an enabler than she ever was, but at this point, she couldn't possibly argue. She had to calm herself down first, and she suspected that the other two did as well. It also didn’t help that her morning had now existed in two entirely different headspaces. She had her serious, more grim topic of discussion with Guji earlier, and with that still on her mind, she came here expecting to discuss it with her friends. Only, when she arrived, it was like a sort of mental whiplash with how quickly the coin flipped. She went from one extreme to the other, and her mind didn’t know how to deal with it properly. It wasn’t until two classes later when she finally had a leveled head again, and when she was walking home with Anita, she was finally calm enough to be by her side without getting red all over again.
“I’ve never seen Maple like that.” Fera said quietly, walking alongside Anita.
“I know, it was kinda cute, wasn’t it? She’s like a glass cannon, huh? She dishes it out all the time but can’t take it without breaking apart. I thought it was pretty amusing.”
“That’s because you were being a jerk.” said Ferain. “Why’d you have to get into their business like that? That was sensitive stuff you were bothering them about. What if they ask us when we fina–” Fera stopped short, cutting her own words off. Anita gave her a wicked smirk and a sideways glance as she continued forward.
“After we do what, Ferain?” Anita said slyly.
Fera’s eyes shifted upwards as she kept her head lowered, peering though her hanging bangs to see Anita slowly walking further away. “Well, you know.” said Fera.
“I don’t, actually. What are you talking about?”
Fera puffed out her cheeks. “Come on, cut it out with the teasing. Haven’t you had your fill yet?”
“Fera, you left me worried sick for months. I’m nowhere near done getting my revenge. Now, what is it you’re talking about, my sweet, lovable girlfriend?”
“When we have sex, okay? Happy? I said it.”
“I am.” said Anita, though when she stopped and looked back, her face was cherry red. “And, to answer your question. If they ask, I don’t mind giving them details.”
“Anita, why are you like this?”
“Because I’ve become rather vengeful, that's why. I think a little embarrassment on your part is a light sentence.” Anita laughed quietly. “Really though, I’ll keep it between us. Whenever we finally take that next step, it will be our moment, nobody else's. I want your details all to myself, after all.”
“Why did you have to say it like that?” Fera murmured, catching up to her partner. “You make it sound so dirty.”
“That’s because it is.” Anita whispered in a soft, seductive tone.
When Fera reached her side, Anita shoved her into the side of a nearby building and reached for the hem of her shirt. Her warm hand slipped under it and Fera felt Anita touching her bare stomach. Her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest and she instantly lost her breath. Fera’s shirt lifted up enough to reveal her stomach for anybody to see while Anita wrapped both arms around her. Their bodies were pressed firmly against each other’s, and Ferain had to look up a bit to see Anita’s glistening gray eyes.
“You look so innocent like this.” Anita said, squeezing her tighter. One of her hands went further up Fera’s shirt, caressing her back and almost reaching her shoulder blade. “Knowing that they already did it… It makes me a little impatient.” Fera’s eyes peered up through her fringe, and this would be the look that Anita sometimes compared to a puppy. “You’re so cute, you know that?”
Anita’s other hand left Fera’s lower back and then touched her cheek softly. Fera’s shirt only slightly lowered, though Anita’s other hand kept it from returning to normal. Her mouth was right in front of Ferain’s now too, and she kissed her. Fera felt Anita’s tongue intertwining with hers, and she closed her eyes as she let herself drown in the sensation of their connection. From behind her eyelids, Fera’s yellow irises glowed dimly. Anita shivered as a small amount of electricity ran through her from their connection, and when they broke apart, the trail of saliva between them glowed with blue and white currents. Ferain was breathing hastily now, barely able to catch her breath, and her softly illuminated eyes were somewhat closed as they looked at the warming face of her closest friend.
“T-there’s people around.” Fera said nervously.
“So?” Anita replied, changing her hand from Fera’s face to her left thigh. It slithered up under her skirt a bit, hiking it up a ways. “Does it bother you?” she then asked.
“N-not really.” Fera answered timidly. “B-but… I… I…”
“Not here, right?” Anita said, knowing what Fera was thinking. “Sorry… I got a bit carried away.” Anita took her hands away and pulled Fera’s shirt back down to hide her midriff. “Good as new.”
Anita sighed, kissed Fera one more time on the lips, and then turned to continue their journey home. Fera hurriedly reached out and grabbed Anita’s arm to stop her. Just as she made contact, the world around them changed, or the scenery did. In a flash, they were alone, standing atop a building that was nearby. Anita was off balance from the sudden blink, but Fera, being used to it by now, was as steady as she could be in this situation. She dropped her school bag and grabbed Anita’s face with both hands, forcing her lips against those of her partner. She continued walking forward while kissing her until both of them stumbled over. Fera fell atop Anita’s body, but she didn’t let their connection break. Even as her powers began coursing around and through her, she made sure they remained together.
Anita reached up and shakily undid the buttons of Fera’s shirt, revealing the pull over bra she wore that day, which was black with blue outlines. Her smooth and scarred stomach was growing sweaty from how hot her body was getting, and her chest heaved rapidly as she took one hand away to grab Anita’s arm. It was mostly to support herself, but there was also just a desire to touch her. It didn't matter where, she just wanted some kind of constant contact. Several seconds later, Anita forced Fera’s lips away from hers and heaved a long breath. Her body trembled as small glowing blue currents coursed beneath her skin, and she had tears in her beautiful eyes as they gazed up at Fera with excitement and confusion both. Both of them were panting heavily and Fera sat up a bit, her loosened shirt draping around her body like an open hoodie.
“S-sorry.” Fera panted. “I… I don’t know what came over me.”
Anita shook her head, her hair growing messy and wet as it sprawled out around her on the roof she rested atop. “I liked it. It hurt a little, but it was a nice pain. Can you do it again?”
Fera gave her a shy examination. Her shirt was wet with sweat and a couple of the buttons had come undone in their shifting and touching. Through one of the holes, Fera saw the purple of the bra that Anita wore that day. Her skirt was lifted enough that Fera could see the bottom of her underwear, and her bag was laying in a puddle beside them, still partially linked to Anita’s arm by the strap she never had the chance to let go of.
“I think so.” Fera said in a whisper.
Fera moved down again to kiss her, but in the last second before contact, she had finally come back to her senses. She rose again to take a look around. A random building in District-B was where they blinked to, and judging by the darkening sky, it looked as if it would rain again soon. If they stayed there any longer, there was a chance they’d be stuck in a storm similar to the one that trapped Maple and Victor. Normally, it might be just as romantic for them, if it wasn’t for Fera’s instability during nasty storms. She could handle most of them nowadays, if she had enough sleep and energy, but, if it was too bad, the results were unpredictable. Even if she could control it, her powers were harder to keep in check even during mild weather.
“We can continue at home.” said Anita, apparently knowing what Fera was thinking.
She looked down at her partner sadly and caressed the arm she had latched onto. Anita’s hands touched Fera’s thighs and began riding up her skirt again, but not as far this time. They were soft, loving touches, and as much as it hurt her heart, they showed that Anita understood what was on Ferain’s mind. The moment was over now. The second Fera snapped out of her brief lust, it was done.
“Time to go, then?” Anita asked knowingly.
“I’m sorry.” Fera said, sounding defeated and heartbroken. “Later.”
“Yeah.” said Anita. “Later. Here, let me get that for you.” Anita said, smiling. She reached up and began buttoning Fera’s shirt. “You really took me by surprise, you know that?”
“You did too.” Fera muttered, recalling how forceful Anita had been back near the road. “You’ve never done anything like that before.”
“I love you, Ferain, and every day, it seems that I fall even deeper. I won’t lie, it’s getting harder to hold back. I never understood what lust was when I was alone. Obviously, I wanted somebody to love me, and I wondered what it would be like to be touched by somebody like that, but… I underestimated how strongly that desire was when the real thing was so close all the time. You’re always just a few feet away from me. You’re so close, but you’re just not quite there yet… and it frustrates me. I guess hearing about Maple and Victor, seeing what they were like, it… it made me envious. I wanted what they had. I wanted that moment between them.” Anita then laughed while fumbling with a stubborn button near Fera’s stomach. “I don’t want to force you to do something you don’t want to do. I will never ever do that to you. Today though, I… I lost myself for a second. Then you grabbed my arm and I thought you were about to…”
Fera reached down and grabbed both of Anita’s wrists, stopping her from finishing up with her shirt. “I promise we will take that next step someday soon. I hope that lapse of mine was enough proof that I want you too. I didn't want to stop but… This just isn't the time or place. I want it to be sweet and romantic and special, not on the side of some road or on top of a random building. I want it to mean something. I want the time to be the right one.”
“And how do you know when that time is, Ferain? We talked about this the other day, the world is going to hell. We might even be the ones who have to bring it there. What if that right time never comes? What if we don’t know it is the right time and we miss it? What–” Anita’s words were interrupted by Fera taking Anita’s hands in her own, her fingers sliding between Anita’s and her grip tightening. Fera bent down and kissed her on the cheek, sending small amounts of power into her partner. Anita shivered and breathed softly.
“I have faith we’ll know. I have faith in us. I love you, Anita. I never thought I would ever be able to say those words to another person, but here I am. I love you. I love you so much and I want nothing more than to be with you for as long as I can be. We’ll find that right time, and if we miss it, there’ll be more.” Fera then sat up again and smiled. “Besides, do you really want your first time to be up here? You’re lying in a dirty puddle and it’s about to start raining too. It’s dirty and gross.”
“I guess when you put it like that…” Anita started. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Of course I'm right. I’m always right.” Fera said, grinning playfully. Fera then nodded down at her still partially undone shirt. “You missed a couple.” Anita smirked before a sudden gust of wind threw Fera to the side. She yelped quietly before landing softly in a puddle and started laughing.
“Now you’re all wet too.” said Anita, sitting up and attempting to straighten her hair and clothes. Fera shook her head, stood to collect her discarded bag, and grabbed Anita’s arm when she was finished correcting herself. They blinked away from the roof in a flash of light, leaving nearly no trace of them ever having been there.