User blog:Zolnir/Rebels Within The Academy

Dear all - okay I can't get past that line without typing this like an email, so back to the norm.

So of course this topic has been brought up and discussed in many places before, but I don't think we've had a serious one after the completion of Season 2. At least, not in a blog post since most of our attention were placed on Ironwood.

As you all know, Cinder keeps a name list of people within the Academy. Judging from Pyrrha alone (since she is the only confirmed person in Cinder's list), these people have to be at the very least, competent.

The Point: Assuming that Cinder plans to somehow convert these people to her side, or at least rouse them enough for a singular purpose. We know that there are students from all over the Kingdoms, and there has to be a few among them who may be considered rebels among many reasons such as revenge, poverty, relationship issues and such. People who can be exploited in taking... drastic actions. With Ironwood in charge and his streak for discipline and perfection, it will become even easier for fan up dissent among the very different communities.

The exterior motive seems simple: prove that the peace between Kingdoms is a farce. And what better way to do so than to show the Huntsmen and Huntresses from different Kingdoms, people who are supposed to protect the peace trying to kill each other? What better way to make the common people distrust Huntsmen and Huntresses? This is like Episode 11 all over again - the invasion's failure didn't matter one bit - certainly it will be far better if they could raise the casualties and prove that even the most secure cities of the Kingdom, watched over by the best Combat Academy in Vale could fail - but the moment the breach happened and the Grimm came pouring in, Cinder has already won. Again, the moment Huntsmen and Huntresses from all Kingdoms start fighting each other to the death LIVE during the Vytal Festival, it will give every Kingdom's leaders the excuse to start another war among each other.

So, the question: what is the level of chaos do you guys think will happen, if these dissenting groups were to 'rebel' all at once on a certain day? Who will betray who?

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For known characters, below are my predictions:

In Pyrrha's case, I believe her mentality will be very weak once she is defeated in combat. We know enough from the lyrics that she isn't as perfect as everyone assumes to be, and her heart definitely has holes where Cinder may exploit and manipulate her to their side. Of course, it will be Jaune - the polar opposite of 'always winning' Pyrrha, which is also exactly why it'll work - who pulls her back from the villain's clutches, but whether he'll do that in time remains to be seen.

Within Team CDRL - if Cinder would actually bother to persuade them, that is - I believe Dove Bronzewing has the highest chance of helping Cinder because he's 'tired of being second fiddle' even though he's more skilled than his leader, Cardin. That will be interesting to watch. Speaking of which, I feel like there's a very low chance Cardin Winchester will betray Beacon, when worst comes to worst, because his interaction with Jaune shows that he IS capable of gratitude, and in his own twisted and childish way before Jaune woke him up, actually thought Jaune as a friend. He has his own stupid pride.

Sky Lark has no personality as of today. Russel Thrush seems too cowardly to do something like this (and in a good way this time), even if Bronze tries to convince his partner to follow.