Episode 4

After the sparring match the class went to the locker rooms to change out of their combat clothes, and into their school uniforms. Well almost all of them got into their school uniforms, Raiden wasn't wearing his school uniform, and Karma was still in his school uniform due to not participating in any of the matches. Carmen, Akaze, and Karma all went to the lunch room while Raiden, Riku, and Lotus decided to go and scope out some nice hang out spots for them to individually hang out. Carmen, Karma, and Akaze all sat in the lunch room at varying locations; Carmen and Akaze sat together neither one of them wanting to be alone, the two conserved among each other, while Karma sat further away from the two of them.

Raiden was unable to find a spot for him to hang out at, so he just stayed in the lunchroom. He got what he wanted and headed out, or rather he tried to but due to the amount of students piling in it made things difficult. Lotus was by herself unlike the others; she didn't like school food so she brought her own lunch which was a cup of Ramen noodle soup, and a water bottle. Now that she was alone she went through her book bag, and took out a sketchbook to doodle. As she doodled some upper class men walking by, she decided to make fun of her for no reason. The upperclassmen that decided to do the bullying was a girl. She walked up to Lotus snatched her sketchbook, and looked through the sketch book. The girl made a few remarks, and looked back at Lotus.

"u-um c-can I h-have my sketch book b-back?" asked Lotus.

"Yeah, after all this is such bad art...it's cute you think someone can love a disgusting and ugly faunus like yourself" said the girl.

"I-it can't hurt to d-dream..." said Lotus, her voice trailing off.

"What's the matter am I hurting your feelings? Grow up you aren't a three year old" said the girl.

"W-what n-no?" said Lotus as she tried to mask that she wanted to cry while keeping her face straight.

"What's that on your arm? Are those cuts? Oh your one of those Emo girls huh? So you're gonna cut yourself instead of crying?" asked the girl.

"I-I've b-been sober for f-five years" said Lotus as her anxiety overwhelms her to the point she can hear her heart pumping in her ears.

"If you kill yourself nobody will notice Tiger...not even that boy that you think likes you" said the girl as she used what looked like explosive magic to ruin the sketch book then throw it someplace unable to be retrieved. The girl left Lotus all alone to be there with her own thoughts that consumed her.

Lotus looked at her lap, and once she was sure the girl was gone started to cry heavily. She wasn't great with confrontation, nor was she good at socializing with people anyway. Some of the other students that saw Lotus crying began to make fun of her for crying, and this caused her to run into the restroom. Once she entered she went into one of the stalls while locking said stall to avoid anyone else that entered the restroom. Back in the cafeteria Carmen and Akaze were silently eating when Akaze had felt a change in the wind. "Excuse me Carmen, there has been a change in the wind. I'll be right back" said Akaze.

"Whatever," said Carmen.

Once Akaze had left Carmen be, a group of kids started trying to pick on Carmen. On the other side of the lunchroom Raiden had noticed them picking on her or trying to at least. Raiden walked over to Carmen and the group of boys that were picking on her.

"Don't you idiots have anything better to do, than piss off a lady?" asked Raiden.

"Great the white knight type" said the biggest one among the group.

"If that's what you think? Do you have a name big guy?" asked Raiden.

"I'm Wolf," said the big guy.

"I'm Raiden, now Wolf I'm gonna have to ask you and your pack to leave that there lady alone" said Raiden.

"Or else what?" asked Wolf.

"I can handle myself...." Carmen said.

"I'll destroy the three of you in one go," said Raiden.

Wolf laughed at Raiden's remark as he looked down at the mage from class 2-C. The mage before Raiden just smirked then turned back to Carmen to make fun of her, or rather they were trying to challenge her to a duel. Raiden growled as he made Wolf turn towards him then struck him directly in his gut hard enough to make him slide a few feet back. Carmen gasped 'Raiden is obviously smaller than that guy...did he use magic? or is that just his raw strength?' Carmen thought. "People like you piss me off, you're taller than me and obviously have more muscle mass than I do, but disregarding me so easily will be why the three of you will be obliterated" said Raiden.

"Raiden!" Carmen yelled angrily at her classmate.

"What? it doesn't look like he's gonna try to fight back, it's almost as if he knows he's outclassed," said Raiden.

"What are you talking about you idiot!" Carmen yelled.

"Everyone has two Mana natures, well for those of us that use nature type magics" Raiden dodged an incoming punch as he grabbed the other student's wrist then pinned him to the ground. "Each of those different natures represent who we are as people take me for instance lightning, but my nature types are lightning and wind. Though my lightning grants me speed, focus, and concentration my wind represents my combat skills, and wildness" Raiden said.

"I had the situation handled you neanderthal," Carmen scolded.

"I'm sure you had the situation handled by Fireball, but the last thing we need is you hearing something that will piss you off so much you'll torch everyone in the room" said Raiden.

This statement caused Carmen to groan and walk away while some of the faculty members got Raiden off the student that was trying to battle Carmen. Once she was out of distance she went to the restroom, and began having a panic attack. Though hearing someone sobbing in the stalls broke her from her thoughts, thus Carmen went to where she heard the sobbing get louder.

Meanwhile Raiden was pulled off the student he had on the ground, but was given a warning. He merely sighed and walked off placing his hands in his pockets. This sucks...I tried to impress her, but it didn't even work Raiden thought. "Something on your mind?" asked Karma.

"Lost is all" Raiden responded.

"Tell me something...Raiden is it? Your last name is Murasame. That's a powerful group of mages...who're your parents?" asked Karma.

"That is none of your concern" said Raiden with a hint of aggression.

"Yikes, sounds to me like you despise them" Karma replied.

Raiden ignored Karma and kept walking, not really going into a particular direction this was merely the first day of school, yet already so much has happened. Sparring, Seeing the others magic, and 2 fights this was definitely not how Raiden assumed the first day would go. Though things with Carmen could have been better right?

Carmen managed to have gotten herself composed, and once she had a lock on the stall that the crying came from she decided to speak up.

"Lotus?" She asked.

"Why...were they so mean..?" Lotus had muttered under her breath but Carmen still heard her.

"People with animal traits are not...common. They're scared of new things, and their defense mechanisms often result in bullying" said Carmen.

"I was dumb to think that the bullying would stop...." Lotus said while looking at Carmen through the crack in the door.

"I understand that, but hey. You have all of us in 2-C now...right?" asked Carmen

Lotus couldn't forma response to what Carmen had just said, after all who could form a response when you all barely met. Though the words were encouraging enough for Lotus to open the stall door. The tiger girl had a smile on her face that was rarely ever seen, and if it was then it was typically faked.

"I promise I'll always be your friend," said Carmen.

"No matter what?" Lotus asked.

"Without a doubt" said Carmen with confidence.

For people to be putting down someone so...innocent is almost unbelievable but it just shows us the worst side of humanity willing to bully someone over the fact that she looks like a badass tiger...man people really suck Carmen thought to herself.

"See all better" said Carmen as Lotus came out of the stall that she had locked herself in, and hugged Carmen for talking to her.

"For someone with a tough exterior you're sweeter than you let on....kinda like a s'more" said Lotus.

"Don't tell anybody that. I just...know what it's like to be hurt. I don't want anybody to feel that way" said Carmen.

"Your secrets are safe with me..." said Lotus.