Proof that the remaining 10% is worth reading. It's best to assume spoilers for the first nine games in the series when reading fanfic for Cold Steel. Just to be safe.
General Fics
Thors Officer School, ToCS1 Outside the Fairy Tale
by wuolong77
- Recommended by: Progman X
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A hypothetical scenario in which Falcom didn't abandon their original plan of making the cast military officers. Everyone in Class VII is aged, up, and the narrative is far more pressing and imminent. Extremely well-thought out, wonderful character writing, and deeply introspective while still giving the worldbuilding more than enough room to breathe and expand from canon. More politics, more military themes, and even breakdowns of orbal arts and martial arts! Yes, it is THAT comprehensive and awesome.
- Recommended by: Fireminer
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: Heartbroken, empty and alone, two damaged souls find a modicum of peace in the presence of each other. How do things change if Rean never returns to Thors before he can graduate, and what ripple effects will that have on Zemuria as a whole?
- Comment: Think Rean X Elie makes no sense? You'll change your mind about this pairing after reading this fic.
So It Fits by rebbedragon
- Recommended by: Progman X
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: An exceptional character study of Elise Schwarzer, detailing the idea that she is trans. The recontextualization of Olivert's "Debaucherous Prince" titled is a stroke of genius, and it just a deeply emotionally resonant read.
- Recommended by Progman X
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: How Sara finally hit A-Rank. Among other things. And people. A canon-compliant (or, as much as is logically possible) combination character study and deconstruction of both Sara Valestein and Claire Rieveldt, told almost entirely through Sara's perspective, starting pre-FC and going all the way to the end of Cold Steel 4.
Dude, Where's My ARCUS? by Greymyst
- Recommended by: Progman X
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Elliot wakes up with no ARCUS and no memory of last night. In order to find the former, he'll unfortunately have to learn about the latter. While Elliot may not remember what he did last night, everyone else sure does.
Cry Havoc by belderiver
- Recommended by: Progman X
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Randy and Sara, growing up as jaegers and trying to work out what that means for each of them. Deeply introspective, and give so much weighty context to these two bumping into one another over the years.
Waylaid by Karthur
- Recommended by: Progman X
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lechter manages to avert a war, but can he answer an uncomfortable question for Millium with minimal embarrassment? (spoilers, no, he can't, and it is hilarious)
The Romantic Ramblings of Sara Valestein by Greymyst
- Recommended by: Progman X
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Exactly what it says on the tin, and complete with illustrations as delightful as the writing.
Dissonance by rebbedragon
- Recommended by: Progman X
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A truly amazing character study of Sharon, featuring unreliable narration and—-it's just adorable and painful and wonderful, okay? Honestly, everything by rebbbedragon in this fandom is.
Isekaid to a JRPG as a Harem Member (Can be read here) by Randomguy
- Recommended by: theresearcher and GarthSerca
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: "Yeah, I want to put someone in the role of a character in this JRPG franchise I'm playing. You know for shits and giggles, and out of around 120 people that died in the same minute as you, your name was picked randomly", so said god to me about a JRPG with harem that I know nothing about. "Okay god, if you're going to isekai me there, can't you at least have the decency to let me be the harem protag?" And god replied, "lol, no"
- Comment: This is an adaptation of Cold Steel III with the main protagonist being self inserted as Jessica Schleiden, originally a minor character and becomes a member of the New Class VII despite her insistence of staying away from the main plot. Because destiny said so. The unique aspect of her Self Insert status is that her previous self is unfamiliar with Trails Series. While she can predict the plot to certain extend, she's also prone at jumping to the wrong conclusion (Like thinking Kurt being the main protagonist of Cold Steel III and Rean's role as their teacher is to pass to torch to Kurt. When in reality, Rean is still the protagonist). Jessica herself is a pretty interesting character to read with her mature personality contrasting her being Lemony Narrator in her internal monologue.
