War was never easy, and the war between the Discs was no different. The support from Clericath had been invaluable, and Earth would surely have been taken over without it. Days passed and it became apparant that things were going south. Only so many attacks could be intercepted by the Clerican Shifters, and while casualties were low they were still high enough to make a difference that everyone noticed.
In the days following Lily's conversation with Sylphide, and the one with Tsukiko, a force of a few hundred Endolan and Malnican Shifters had arrived at South Africa, aiming for a research facility in Johannesburg. A response team of a thousand Graduates had been dispatched, and met the enemy. Casualties on both sides were high, with all but a mere three scores of the Malnican Shifters who surrendered being killed. The Endolans fought to the death.
Local Mythics had shielded what civillians they could, but still a full sixth of the population of Johannesburg was killed in the surprise attack. Some few Civillians start to question why the Mythics refuse to fight, and only ever put up shields and safe zones for those not involved in the fighting. Still, they refuse to answer when asked. Luckily, however, the research facility survived with only one wing of relatively unimportant items being destroyed by a stray blast.
The atmosphere in the Academy is as usual. Mostly. Two weeks had passed since the attack on Johannesburg, but no more attacks had been sent forth. Shifters--Graduates and Students alike--wonder why, and the atmosphere becomes considerably more tense every time the question is asked. Some wonder--fear, even--what is happening. No word had come from Cleritcath that the Endolans had surrendered, nor that Malnica had shifted sides; or even that the war was shifting in their favour. It was simply a spot of darkness: No attacks, no probing strikes or anything. Nothing.
One thing, however, made sure that morale was on the rise despite everything happening. A festival would soon be held in the nearby city, and more than a few Students--and even some staff--were very much looking forward to participating. Despite the circumstances, the festival happening in just a few days certainly lit up a fire of excitement.
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Lily walked along the corridors, one hand tracing the concrete wall while the other idly played with her braid. Things had gotten... considerably better. For her, at least. Her talk with Tsukiko had helped immensely, and lifted a heavy weight off her shoulders. She knew, however, that there was still things she needed to do. Chief among them was talking to someone whom she wasn't exactly the best of friends with. Sylphide's words rang in her ears.
"Remember that you are not school students who got into a fight, but soldiers whose purpose is to defend your Disc. As it is, nothing is keeping you from acting against such taunts again."
She was right, and even if it pissed her off she couldn't deny it. They weren't students of some highschool where the only concern was to pass whatever tests were thrown at them. They were soldiers, and creatures with so much power that a hundred human soldiers would be an easy foe. If they could not trust the one standing beside them, then who could they trust? If she did not move forward to stop being such a pathetic coward that clinged to her past, then she would likely become the kind of person nobody could, or would, trust.
I don't want that. She sighed and stopped, turning on her heel, and faced the door. We are soldiers, and we need to be able to trust the person next to us, to cover our backs. She knocked once and pushed open the door, stepping inside before any response could be given. "Alice. We need to talk."