Fourth of July everybody! Here's a little celebratory gift- A transition chapter! So much fun right? Enjoy!
"Why the hell are we here?" Natsu- known to those in the room as Brand- asked the blond woman he had fought beside a mere hour before. Currently he and his sister were locked in an interrogation room at the Vale City police department with the woman- recently introduced as Glynda Goodwitch- glared at them.
"You two put yourselves and many others in great danger tonight." She told him, "Confronting armed criminals and getting into high level fights in the middle of the city could have caused any amount of damages and could have gotten you or innocent bystanders killed."
The slayer scowled at that, "Didn't my sister and that shopkeeper say that Ruby didn't get involved until after those robbers held her at sword point? And I know for a fact that I didn't get involved until the same time you did when we were saving my sister from being burned alive. Seems like self-defense on Ruby's part and defense of a family member on mine. So I ask again why are we here?" What? After all the times in Earthland where he got arrested he decided to at least know the laws even if he knew he would be breaking them sooner or later either way.
At this point Ruby was starting to get nervous. She knew her brother was brash- he did leave home to live as a wonderer in the Grimlands at twelve after all- but this was a Huntress he was talking to. A fully trained, highly skilled, glaring Huntress at that. It wasn't that Ruby didn't agree with what Brand was saying, it's just that she thought he shouldn't say it in such a way that makes the really scary lady madder.
"That would have been the case," Goodwitch told them, "Had Ms. Rose not pursued Torchwick when he ran away, and had you Mr. Xiao Long not taken it upon yourself to throw an explosive at a Dust-copter and almost make it crash in the middle of the city."
"Hey all I did was knock out some of their movement thrusters, all their landing gear and engines were fine. Any two bit piolet could have landed the damn thing as long as they didn't try to go anywhere but down." Natsu defended his actions.
"That doesn't change the fact that you threw an explosive at an aircraft." She told him.
"You made a freaking snowstorm of death! How is throwing those asshole's own damn explosive back at them worse?" He demanded.
Before Goodwitch could continue their argument a new presence made itself known. "Now now, let's all calm down." The new member told them. From the shadows that housed the interrogation room's door a gray haired, gray eyed man with glasses and wearing a black suit and green scarf stepped forward a plate of cookies in hand. A brief use of a magic sensory spell reworked to detect Aura levels revealed him to be nearly three times more powerful than Goodwitch, standing roughly on par with Erigor when they fought for the Lullaby flute if not a little stronger than the Grim Reaper. 'No that's not right. He's suppressing his power, but I can't tell exactly how much, no more than half from what I can tell, but that's still a big gap from what he's showing heck for all I know he's only hiding a tenth of his power from me it's all a fear ploy, he's good I'll give him that.'
Walking up to the interrogation table the grey haired man continued to speak, "Ruby Rose… You have, silver eyes" He said, leaning in to take a closer look at the cloak wearing girl's orbs.
Ruby, for her part, seemed uncomfortable at the near breach of her personal space and didn't know how to respond.
"So," The man continued, "where did you learn to do this?" He asked her, gesturing to Goodwitch who had brought up a recording of what appeared to be a fight between Ruby and several run of the mill thugs on the street.
"S-Signal academy…" Ruby mumbled.
"They taught you how to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?"
"Well, one teacher in particular." She admitted.
"I see," The man said, sliding her the plate of cookies. Natsu quickly nabbed one while the younger teen began to attack the treats with unmatched gusto. Sometimes Natsu forgot how much she loved cookies.
While the two were helping themselves to the baked goods, the green clad man continued his train of thought, "It's just I've only ever seen one other scythe wielder of that skill before, a dusty old crow…" He mused.
"Mmm, vhats var unkol Qvow." Ruby told him enthusiastically with her mouth full.
"Either swallow or get better at full mouth speak sis." Natsu told her his sister, his own mouth full of confection.
Swallowing hard Ruby began again, "Sorry Brand. I said that's our uncle Qrow." She told the man, "He's a teacher at Signal" she explained, "I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. Now I'm all like 'Hwwwaaa, wichaaa'." She said enthusiastically waving her arms around into 'cool' ninja fight poses.
"So I've noticed." The man told her before turning to face Natsu, "And you Mister Brand Xiao Long, where did you learn how to catch an active Dust spell and return it at twice its original power?" He questioned the Dragon Slayer.
With a shrug Natsu told the man a facet of the truth, "Skill and badassery." He told him honestly.
The man frowned, "You truly are your father's son." He said bluntly, "Now what is a wanderer like you doing in a city like Vale? And why is an adorable girl like miss Rose doing at a school designed to train warriors?" He asked them.
Ruby was the first to answer, "Well, I want to be a huntress." She told him.
"You want to slay monsters?"
"Yeah," Ruby agreed, "I only have two more years of training left at Signal!" She told him, "And then I'm going to apply to Beacon. You see my sister and brother are starting there this year and their trying to become Huntsmen and I'm trying to become a Huntress because I want to help people." She explained. "Our parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, 'Well might as well make a carrier out of it' I mean police are alright but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and really gosh you know!?" She squealed.
Here Natsu couldn't help but throw in his own two cents, "It looks like you forgot that Huntsmen and Huntresses are also way more likely to die. Glory and excitement in exchange for safely and in many cases longevity is the deal made when one chooses that path." He remined his sister. Natsu remembered well the trials he had to go through in his past life, the near death experiences, the mourning of family and friends when a guildmate died in the fields, the corpses he and his team left behind, the horrors they witnessed and had to pick up after… For Remnant things were much the same, the years he spent in the Grimmlands had led to him seeing things that would break a lesser man and forced him to the spill the blood of a dozens of wicked souls to save the lives of hundreds on innocent ones. That was the path he had chosen, the path of a Dragon Slayer, a wizard, a Huntsman, a guardian.
Hearing what her brother said instantly drained Ruby of her previous sense of joy and giddiness as his words sunk in. Her mother had died in the field fighting as a Huntress, her father and uncle had numerous scars both on their bodies and on their souls from leading the lives as Huntsmen. How could she forget that her dreams may very well become her nightmares?
Sensing the change in the emotional atmosphere of the room, the green clad man spoke again, "Do you two know who I am?" He asked them.
Natsu for his part had no idea, but it seemed his sister did, "You're professor Ozpin, the Headmaster at Beacon." She stated.
The now named Ozpin smiled at her knowledge, "Hello."
"Nice to meet you."
"You want to come to my school?" Ozpin asked Ruby.
"More than anything."
Ozpin and Goodwitch shared a look and the blond woman rolled her eyes with a sound of annoyance. Ozpin turned back to Ruby with a smile, "Well okay."
At his words Ruby's eyes widened in joy while Natsu frowned, was he saying what they thought he was saying?
"In light of your skills miss Rose, I think we can agree that two more years at Signal would be a waste of time that you could be using to further your abilities." Ozpin told her, "I've already contacted your father and he agrees with me, so if you so desire I will give you the opportunity to join your siblings at Beacon in two days' time." Yep, he was saying what they thought he was saying.
The next thing Natsu really registered was boarding the airship to Beacon combat academy two days after being arrested. Beside him was his twin sister Yang in her typical brown and yellow skin and cleavage showing outfit and her weapon Ember Celica on her wrists, and Ruby in her gothic Lolita dress and red cape with Crescent Rose on its magnetic strip on her lower back.
Natsu for his part had traded out the worn brown cloak and faded black pants he had worn during his travels for an outfit that mirrored what he wore back in Earthland, open black and gold vest with nothing underneath, matching hip cape, baggy three quarter length white pants, open toed combat slides, and white scaly scarf made of dragon scales- all spelled by yours truly to be fire proof and extra durable. Granted the scarf was made from scales he had pulled off of his Dragon Force (and damn if that didn't hurt) but it both looked and felt like the one Igneel and Anna Heartfillia had made for him. In fact the only noticeable difference between his original body and his new one was the fact that his eyes were no longer the deep black color he used to have, but a rich red like what his brother's looked like when he used his cursed magic.
Looking up at the airship that would be taking the three siblings to their new school Natsu couldn't help but feel a nugget of dread in his stomach. "This is going to suck." He stated.
"What do you mean?" Yang asked her twin, "This is going to be awesome! Our baby sister is going to be joining us at Beacon!" She said happily, giving her now very uncomfortable sister a bear hug despite her mumbled protests.
"I meant the flight." Natsu told his twin, "In case you forgot, vehicles and I don't really get along." He reminded her.
Yang did her best to hide her smirk at her brother's words, it was nice to know that even if he could knock her out with one punch despite her Semblance, without even really trying or the use of his own Semblance he still had his own form of weakness.
"Why don't you just take your motion sickness pills?" Ruby asked her brother who's head slumped at her words.
"I put them in my checked bag." He admitted.
"HA!" Yang laughed, "Don't worry bro, it's just a ten minute flight, how bad could it be?"
She just had to jinx it didn't she?
Right the gang is off to Beacon, Natsu and Ozpin have met and both know the other is hiding something, Yang seems to be a little jealous, and... that's it really. It was a transition chapter, not much really happens in transition chapters.
Please be sure to leave a review with all your thoughts, concerns, and ideas!
Wingd Knight out
