The Synchronization Project

The Combat Alarm went off bright and early. It was time for the Combatants to get up, it was workout time. There was black energy in the room, and it would wake the young Combat initiates from whatever dream they had.

"Everybody in the gymnasium in five minutes. Your uniform is on the inside of your door." Dmitri sounded cold.

The uniform he described was the one of student combatants. It was a jumpsuit of sorts, with red and gray down the sides of the legs and the arms. The Instructors wore the colors they had chosen upon being initiated to the Royal Guard.

Most of them wore their house colors, but they have an explanation, anyway.

Kassandra spoke first, seeing as she was leader.

"The colors of House Ambrosia have been red and gold for centuries. Red, for passion, blood, and love. Gold, for regality, loyalty, and pelf. We were the Phoenix, not only for Grecian heritage, but also for the symbolism of being to rise from the ashes after we have been taken down."

Dmitri spoke next. "House Cryroch wears the colors of blue and gold. Blue, for coldness, truth, and intelligence. Gold, for regality, success, and luxury. The bear, because of strength and terribleness."

Gilbert now spoke. "Red, for desire, charity, and love. Grey, for clarity, humbleness, and neutrality. The eagle, for bravery and swiftness."

It was time for the non-royals to speak up.

"Red, black, and grey, for one is always a student and should always be learning more." Haruki spoke up. She was a non-royal, with no animal to represent her.

Lux looked up. "Grey. For Loners wear no other colors."

"All of you, pick an Instructor who suits you best." Kassandra ordered.

Erasai moved forward slowly, looking to Haruki silently. The woman did make her nervous a bit, but that was a good sign. She knew she would respect the woman. Drawing closer, she looked at the colors Haruki supported. Colors didn't really matter to her, nor did the crests. She was just happy to be here.

The Japanese woman watched as she approached. She wrapped a red, black, and grey band around Erasai's arm. "Those are my colors. You are my apprentice, and I promise to assist you so long as you work to your limit." Her voice was monotonous as ever, no smile graced her face, and her eyes did not give way to her expression.

Still pulling on her outfit, her hair clearly untouched by any means other then maybe her own fingers Viola steps forward towards Kassandra. Every part of her body told her this was the right choice, one that could make her better. While her body said one thing, her mind hoped her body was right but otherwise had no objections.

"So here we are again. This will be interesting won't it?!" while her voice carried some excitement, her expression gave the impression she was still half asleep.

Kassandra's own band, which shone gold and red, was tied around the girl's arm. "You're better off. Lux follows me, since we sync connected on accident. Even though you're his apprentice, you are also mine." She said, as the scythe-wielding man appeared next to Kassandra at the mere mention of his name.

Dmitri started speaking directly after this. "Since there are only two of you at the moment, we should get moving. Both of you, do as many push-ups as you can manage and give us the count." He said in a loud tone. He was still half-asleep, too, judging by his quieter voice.

Erasai seemed to perk up when the work out was mentioned. This was something she was good at. She had done things like this most of her life. Immediately, she got down, straightening her body why supporting herself with her toes and hands, arms bent at 90 degrees so she was just hovering above the floor.

And then she began, counting aloud as she did, "Three, four, five..." she counted. As she went on, slowly, her breath grew short the higher the numbers got. "One hundred Forty Five... One Hundred... Forty Six... One Hundred ---" She couldn't go past that and collapsed on the floor. It had been a little while since she had worked out, so her stamina was a little low.

She felt a little defeated, not being able to do as much as she thought she could.

"One forty-six. Now do fifteen more without dropping." Haruki looked down at her after giving the command. It wasn't hard for her, clearly. She was cool, calm, and collected. She had no qualms in making her students work for their ultimate goal.

It took her a moment to finish zipping up her outfit before she to dropped down. Compared to Erasai her posture was somewhat sloppy, despite her fairly decent shape it was clear Viola had never really done any pushups. Sliding slightly backwards each time, counting with each slide she began adding small rhythms to each "Forty-eight...help a snake. Forty-nine...make a rhyme. Fifty...nifty?" she seemed to not like her choice for fifty.

Huffing slightly she counts "F-fifty-one...not fun bun." before coming almost to fifty-two, coming down only to end up staying there on the ground. Pushups clearly were not her thing.

The Russian stood over the princess as she did push-ups. He snickered at her. "Schneiders aren't supposed to be combatants. Father replaced the Berlitz's so there would be no Combatant Royals in Germany. "Fifty-two is a pathetic number."

Catching her breathe Viola gets up "What's your point? I'm not exactly like the rest of them...Worried this cute little girl could upset the balance? Be strong like the Berlitz?" Thanks to the difference in size between the two of them she was having to look up, and was even on her tip toes "I-I've never done push ups! F-fifty-two is f-f-fine!" it seemed that she was more upset about her amount of push-ups being called pathetic then anything else, enough to make her stutter slightly. It was something she had not done in a long time.

Dmitri didn't take that well. At all. He punched her in the chest at half strength, having some control over himself. He didn't want to kill her, he couldn't have Kassandra getting angry with him yet. She hadn't picked her co-captain yet, and that's where he needed to be. She'd flipped her shit last time he broke something, but that could've been because the leg he'd broken belonged to one of her own blood.

"Remember what happened to the Berlitz. Only two are alive."

Erasai had started to do more push ups, or at least try to, when she heard the commotion. In an instant she was between Dmitri and Viola after he had punched her. "What do you think you are doing...?!" she said angrily, glaring at the man. Something seemed to have sparked in her, because she didn't show a bit of fear.

"How dare you threaten, or even hurt, someone who is your fellow comrade, especially someone new. And don't give me that bullshit about she's got to learn to be tough, because what you said was more than personal..."

Perhaps she didn't know who she was speaking to, or perhaps she just didn't care. She didn't like the idea of someone just attacking another for no reason.

Dmitri's sync energy started to make the room cold. It was sparking off his body. He would've attacked the girl, but all it took was a flash of black to stop him. Haruki stood in front of her apprentice, protecting her from the man who was clearly taller than both of them. He sneered.

"And here we see a disowned noble girl protecting a student."

The girl's glare only grew, and the pressure soon started to build up in the room, making Dmitri fall to his knees. The black aura had trapped him. He wouldn't be getting up any time soon.

"I-it's done, let him up...H-h-he's not w-wo-worth it." Viola was still sitting on the floor rubbing the center of her chest after having easily toppled over, due in part to her stance when she'd been hit. Where she'd been hit really hurt and she had no doubt there would be a bruise later from it.

Standing up she straightens her uniform out "Th-thank you though...both of you." with thanks out of the way for now at least. She'd have to thank them more openly later. For now she was looking at Lux and Kassandra, waiting for whatever punishment she might possibly receive if she was going to receive one. After all, this was partially her fault as well.

"He needed it. Dmitri has tyrant blood, he can't help it. His sync energy corrodes him occasionally, and Haruki has to shut him down." Gilbert stood over the blonde boy.

Kassandra looked at the students.

"Enough. Let's be done for now. Wash yourselves, we have to look decent for tonight. Father dearest will be coming." She watched as the Russian on the floor screamed in pain, shaking.

"He'll be fine." She agreed with Gilbert.