Chapter Text
Rean Schwarzer
He was somewhere between dreams and reality…in that weird in-between where he had just fought Cassius for his right for Mastery. And yet…there was something distinctly off. The waters were still. The air was calm. And…
A door opened. A man stepped through, dressed in a white coat and with three swords strapped to his person - one on his back, and one on each hip.
“Who are you?” Rean reflexively put a hand on his tachi and blunted the Curse’s growth in his heart.
“That’s…a complicated question,” the man rubbed the back of his head - a suspiciously similar color and style to his own, back before he had become the Sacrifice. “I’m…you. Or a you.”
“What?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t make sense either,” the man gave a loose shrug. “But I’m…hm. Where in the timeline are you?”
“I don’t really get what you mean, but the Great War starts tomorrow.”
“Ahhh, I see. So that means I’m…about four years in your future.”
“Still haven’t told me who you are.”
“Yeah, a proper introduction’s probably necessary. I am Rean Osborne, of Class VII.” Osborne tipped his head as he spoke. “I’m from a branched timeline.”
“Wait…so you were raised as the Chancellor’s son? Are you an Ironblood?” Rean fully drew his tachi, but the other man’s kind gaze stilled his hand.
“No. You’re the prime timeline - the base. All others spring from you.”
“...sure.”
“I didn’t believe it either until mother’s texts explained it fully,” Osborne traced a boot through the waters.
“You mean Kasia? I wish I had learned her name sooner, too…and wait, timelines?”
“Ah, yeah. One thing at a - heh - time. In your timeline, Giliath Osborne sacrificed his heart for his son, Rean. After taking Ishmelga’s deal, he strove to become the Chancellor and lead the world to war, so that Ishmelga could be quelled.”
“I’m familiar with the events. I saw them in the Spectral Moon Mirror.”
“Ahh, yeah. The Witches’ artifact. You were then raised by the Schwarzers, and have prodigious strength befitting the Sacrifice.”
“I didn’t ask for it, though,” Rean shook his head, a frown tugging at his lips. “I never asked for any of this!”
“But you - we - still did our best.”
“You’re right. And you?”
“I’m…one of many other timelines. Branching choices, you know? There are realities where we’re a girl, or where Giliath did raise us as an Ironblood, or where we’re in Ouroboros, or we traveled with Master Yun for a while, or where Elise becomes the Ashen Awakener…but for me…on that day before the Hamel Incident, when jaegers attacked the house…for me, Lianne Sandlot saved the day. Father lost his right arm, but she saved him and me. They then retired and raised me in Ymir alongside the Schwarzers.”
“Huh. That’s…a lot to take in.”
“I know, right?” Osborne chuckled, and Rean saw a flash of light on his left hand. “Oh, this? No spoilers.”
“You are me from the future, so that means we’re successful, yes? Yes?”
“I…” Osborne looked oddly pained. “I can’t tell you that. You’re the Sacrifice. I wasn’t. I might have achieved the rank of Master earlier than you and had direct training from Saint Sandlot, but in terms of raw physical and emotional strength, you surpass me by far. But if you do your best and believe in your friends…how could you lose?”
“Now you sound like Class VII.”
“We had the same classmates, you and I. Elliot, Alisa, Laura, Emma, Fie, Jusis, Machias, Gaius, Millium, Crow, Sara…and then our students. Juna, Kurt, Altina, Ash, and Musse. And that’s not counting all the others who supported us through thick and thin. The royal family, Claire, Rose, Sharon, Vita, Angie, Towa, George, Aurelia, Toval, and everyone else.”
“What was it like? Being raised by…him.”
“I had my own experience, being raised by Giliath and Lianne. He was not the villain you face, nor was Lianne the Steel Maiden of Ouroboros. They were my parents. But I try to repay their love everyday, in every way.”
“You’re quite blessed.”
“As are you. Teo and Lucia cared for you enough to give you their name and their love.” Osborne took a deep, rattling breath that seemed to shake the heavens. “Anyway. I just wanted to drop by and wish you the best.”
“I’ll need it,” Rean massaged his aching wrist. “Besides, I think you got me with at most four more hours to sleep before we roll out.”
“Then two more things,” Osborne looked around furtively, as if someone was observing them. “First - always remember that love is always there. Second - make sure to get the Earthen Prison. You’ll need it - oops, and there’s the Goddess getting upset with my planes-walking.”
“The Goddess is real?!”
“Yeah, but I have other concerns. So go, Rean Schwarzer of Class VII! No matter what happens, never give up - !” And Osborne vanished, but not before leaving behind a gift. There was a leather-bound tome resting an arge above the water. Rean grabbed it, and woke up in his bed.
“Mmm…what are you doing still awake?” His beloved rolled over, getting hair in his mouth. “It’s early…”
“Just…had an interesting dream,” Rean chuckled, curling an arm around their waist. “I can’t remember a lot, but…”
“Tell me about it later,” his beloved tossed and turned before settling in the crook of his neck. “Just…go back…to bed…” and they drifted off.
“Yeah…later,” Rean nodded into their head as he drifted off. As he turned, he saw the morning sun begin to drift over Erebonia, and felt an odd sense of contentment.
Fin.