"Alright everyone, just form up and walk through the gate. Please...PLEASE remain calm."
"Guys, let's stay at the back of the line," Jaune suggested. The rest of Team RNJR agreed.
Ruby allowed herself to relax a little. They had finally made it! Or, to be honest, they had just finished the first step of the journey. They were standing at a port of entry to Mistral, near the city of Kuchinashi. Looking left and right, the shortest member of Team RNJR noted the high wall, completely filling a gap between two high peaks, with a wide gate allowing entrance to and exit from the kingdom.
"Don't be concerned," the voice announced over the speaker above the gate. "Everyone will get in. Just please, don't start shoving and arguing."
A smaller secondary gate, to the side of the one Team RWBY was cuing up to pass through, opened and allowed a dozen armed men, wearing armor that bore the Mystral Sigil, to exit. The gate quickly closed behind them and the men marched past the group of entrance seekers and down the dusty road that Team RWBY had traveled up a short time ago. The soldiers passed over a ridge and vanished from sight. Ruby looked over the team's fellow travelers.
Most seemed to be traders, with wagons loaded with various goods. A distressing number looked like refugees; men, women and children carrying their possessions with them. The teen noted shock, despair and fear in their eyes; emotions she had become all too familiar with in the last few weeks.
Suddenly, yells and screams sounded from the direction the soldiers had gone, followed by shouted commands. Moments later, the staccato bark of gunshots could be heard.
"Everyone, inside!" The speaker announced. "We'll sort things out later!"
More soldiers emerged, pushing the travelers through the gate.
"Not us," Jaune told his team. "We go to trouble, not away from it!"
The team offered tight nods in response. The four young adults broke into a run, keeping together, towards the sounds of fighting. Cresting the ridgeline, the team found themselves looking at a broad valley, covered with high grass and playing host to a firefight. Dust rounds crisscrossed as the soldiers attempted to cover a handful of civilians, who were fleeing towards the safety of the port of entry. The assailants were not visible; only their dust rounds bursting from concealed positions in the tall grass announced their presence.
A civilian dropped to the ground, writhing in pain and grasping a wound on his stomach. A woman wouldn't leave him as the rest of the civilians fled over the ridgeline and out of the direct line of fire.
"Ruby! Nora! Covering fire!" Jaune roared, rushing to the wounded civilian.
The blonde placed himself between the attackers and the civilians, blocking several dust rounds with his shield. Ren and one of the soldiers rushed to the wounded man while the remaining soldiers increased their fire, trying to keep the assailants pinned down. Ruby braced Crescent Rose and scanned for targets, firing at muzzle flashes. Nora's weapon proved to be a difference maker. When a grenade hit close to a hidden marksman, the target was sent sprawling. Nora's first target was knocked out of his concealed location and hit multiple times by the soldiers' fire, leaving him motionless on the ground. Nora's next target dove to avoid the grenade, exposing herself to a barrage from the Mistral Soldiers. She was hit at least twice, but she must have had an active aura as she was able to find concealment again.
Then the rounds were coming Nora's way and the huntress was forced to duck below the ridge's peak. Ruby continued to fire at muzzle-flashes but now dust rounds sought her out. She allowed her latest round's recoil to push her below the ridgeline. Once out of the line of fire she ran several feet to her right, while loading a fresh magazine into her weapon. Behind her, Nora had already relocated and fired another grenade, which prompted another burst of fire from the soldiers. Nora ducked back down as dust rounds kicked up dirt and grass around where she had fired. Now Ruby hurled herself above the ridgeline and brought Crescent Rose into play.
Ruby took a moment to see that Jaune still covered the wounded man and those who were assisting him. Then she scanned the grasslands and focused on one muzzle flash. Through her scope, she actually spotted the gunman and got in a shot. She saw her round hit and open a wound on his shoulder before he slithered into deeper grass and out of sight. She pumped out two more shots at muzzle-flashes before she felt the hard slap in the chest of a round hitting her aura. She repeated her relocation drill while Nora fired another grenade and the soldier with the wounded civilian yelled 'Stable!'.
When Ruby jumped up to fire again, she first saw that the soldier and Ren were now carrying the wounded civilian towards the ridgeline while Jaune still protected them with his shield and his body. The soldiers were pouring fire at the attackers, desperately trying to keep them down while the wounded man was evacuated. Ruby fired three shots, not knowing if she hit anyone or not. Ren and the soldier drug the wounded civilian over the ridgeline and out of immediate danger. The woman was right on their heels. Once they were safe, Jaune scrambled over, as well.
Rounds were striking all around Ruby, so she rushed to change her position again. She heard Nora fire another grenade. The return fire from the assailants seemed to be slacking off when she heard another soldier's voice.
"Alpha team, pull back!" The roar sounded.
Ruby got into a firing position in time to see half of the soldiers scramble back over the ridgeline while their companions increased their fire. Once the moving soldiers were over the peak, they took up positions and started to fire.
"Bravo team, bound!" The voice roared again.
Ruby fired twice more, but there were fewer muzzle-flashes to shoot at. The soldiers still on the dangerous side of the ridge now scrambled to the safe side, while their comrades poured fire at the enemy. Once over the ridge, this second group of soldiers sprinted down the slope and took up concealed positions in the grass on either side of the road.
"Alpha team, bound!" This time, Ruby noted the soldier who was shouting the orders. He appeared to be a little older, perhaps in his late twenties. In response to the command, the soldiers on the ridgeline slid out of the line of fire and hurried down the road, taking up positions farther on the way to the port of entry. Nora and Ruby rejoined their teammates.
Ren seemed fine and Jaune winced a little and favored his right side. While he had blocked most of the dust rounds, at least one had gotten by his shield. His aura and armor had prevented serious injury, but he was in a little pain. Now that all of his men were out of the line of fire, the leader of the soldiers saw to his own wounded. Two of the men sported bloody, but not life-threatening, wounds on their limbs.
"Huntsmen," the older man addressed the team. "Please stay with the wounded civilian. We will cover your retreat to the entry fort!"
"You drove the attackers off," Jaune protested. "Why do they need more protect..."
A loud roar in the distance interrupted the young blonde.
"That's why!" The leader snarled back. "Those bastards don't give a damn if they kill people, they just want to draw the grimm and flee, leaving us to deal with the beasts!"
"Right!" Jaune agreed. "Team, let's stick with the wounded man!"
Prompted by their leader's order, and the logic from the soldier, Team RNJR formed around the wounded man, the soldier who was now carrying him, and the woman. Ren was in the lead, Ruby and Nora to either side, while Jaune brought up the rear. As they passed alpha team, Ruby noted that the soldiers were assembling the components of some sort of heavy weapon.
"Not the time to study it," Nora chided her, noting her professional interest. "Let's get the poor man to safety first."
"Bravo team, bound!" The older soldiers voice called out, as Ruby nodded her understanding to Nora and regretfully pulled her attention away from the weapon taking shape. Behind them, the soldiers of the bravo team rushed past their comrades, closer to the port of entry, before taking up positions again. That's when shots started to sound again.
Ruby looked over her shoulder to see several grimm pour over the ridge, to be met by a hail of gunfire from alpha team. A couple of creeps and beowolves were dropped immediately but then a boarbatusk appeared, shrugging off the soldiers' rounds. Ruby instinctively turned to face the stronger beast.
"Stay with the mission!"Jaune snarled at her.
"But..." Ruby started to protest, only to be interrupted by a louder explosion. The boarbatusk seemed to come apart in mid charge.
"The soldiers know what they're doing," Jaune chided her, his head snapping back and forth like some kind of machine. "Nora, one coming from your side!"
Now Ruby saw a creep rushing the party from their left...Nora's side. "On it!" the young woman shouted with her usual enthusiasm. She stepped slightly away from the party and met the onrushing creature with a single swipe of her hammer, sending it flying back. Behind them, they could hear the older soldier call for alpha team to bound. The entry fort was now visible ahead of them.
There were no more civilians outside of the wall and both gates were closed. On top of the wall, two teams of soldiers were setting up crew served weapons. One crew apparently spotted some threat, for one of the weapons started to fire off to the party's right. Behind them, the firing continued without slowing.
"More from the left!" Jaune shouted. Ruby spun and saw the blonde rush to back up Nora. Two more creeps and an ursa were charging. Fighting the urge to rush over and fight, the younger teen stayed at her position while Nora dispatched both creeps with two spinning blows and Jaune eliminated the ursa with three slashes and a thrust.
"Ahead of us!" Ren shouted. Looking that direction, Ruby saw a deathstalker rush along the wall before turning upon them, cutting off their path.
The soldiers on the wall were no fools; they had spotted the large grimm. While one weapon continued to rapid fire upon unseen attackers off to Team RNJR's right, the other trained on the giant scorpion and started to spit heavy rounds at a slow rate. Angered, the grimm turned on the wall and started to climb the smooth structure. The men on the top were unable to depress their weapon enough to continue firing on the creature.
"Ren, cover the flank!" Jaune yelled. "The rest of us, take out the deathstalker! Light it up when I get under it!" The blonde boy ran towards the grimm.
"When you what?" Nora demanded.
"Just trust me on this one!" Jaune yelled back. Ruby noticed that he was running faster than usual, another indication that he was gaining greater mastery of his aura.
Ruby and Nora exchanged a concerned glance, but nodded to each other. The younger teen planted Crescent Rose's point in the ground and sighted on the creature. When Jaune reached the wall, directly under it, he made a trigger pulling motion to the two girls and swung his blade, releasing a jolt of force up the side of the wall.
There were only had two grenades left in Manghild's chamber, but this was the place to use them. Nora fired both in quick succession at the giant scorpion while Ruby fired several rounds. Between the projectiles and the force striking it's grasping feet, the deathstalker was knocked free of the wall. For a moment, Ruby was afraid that Jaune was going to be crushed but the blonde managed to dive and tumble fairly gracefully, regaining his feet in a sprint and leading the angry grimm away from the entry fort.
"You need to clear the path quickly," Ren informed them. Ruby took a quick glance at the boy and discovered that he was faced off against two beowolves. More grim were visible in the distance. The soldier was breathing heavily but he showed no sign of faltering as he carried the wounded civilian, a testament to his conditioning.
"Nora, you have its head!" Jaune yelled. "Ruby, hit the stinger!"
The blonde turned on the deathstalker, parrying one of its pincers with a sword slash and kicking the other away from him. He blocked the stinger with his shield. Both girls saw their openings. Ruby moved first, using her semblance to zip by the creature, hacking at the joint where the stinger met the tail. The younger teen rebounded off of the wall and hacked at the joint again on her way back, chopping the stinger free from the tail. Now Nora arrived.
With a shout of pure joy, Nora vaulted into the air and performed a front flip, bringing Manghild down on the over-sized arthropod's head with devastating force. The deathstalker staggered back and flailed at her with its pincers. Jaune provided her defense, swatting one appendage away with his sword and blocking the other with his shield, allowing her to pirouette gracefully on one foot before unleashing another savage blow, right where she had hit the creature before. The carapace cracked open like an eggshell and the grimm sprawled on its belly, twitching feebly.
"Ren!" Nora yelped.
Her teammates looked up to see the object of her concern finish off his last opponent, giving the soldier and the two civilians an open path to the wall. The secondary gate opened and the burdened man staggered through, followed by the woman. Team RNJR, however, stayed outside.
"We have to keep the way open for the rest of the soldiers!" Ruby insisted.
The rest of the team nodded, even though Ren and Jaune were gasping for breath. The four set off back down the road again, determined to keep the route open for the retreating, Mistral men. Before they went a dozen strides they saw half the soldiers retreat and take up firing positions. Minutes later, the other half rushed past and the first group opened fire at grimm approaching from the distance. From the wall, one heavy weapon fired off to the right at targets those on the ground could not see while the other performed the same action to their left.
"Bravo team, to the wall!" The leader yelled. Half the soldiers rushed back to the wall itself, forming a semi-circle, centered on the secondary gate, facing outwards. The gate opened again.
"Alpha team, inside!" Came the next order. Team RNJR followed this group through the secondary gate. Now that they were close to the troops, Ruby noted that several of them sported wounds on their limbs. Still, the combination of armor, training, solid tactics and luck held; none of the men were incapacitated. Ruby had just enough time to note that an inner wall, with closed gates, prevented them from passing into the kingdom before the leader shouted again.
"Alpha call out!" He commanded.
"Alpha team all present!" One of the men responded.
"Bravo team, inside!" The leader bellowed. The men who were still outside rushed through the gate. All of the soldiers trained their weapons on the open gate.
"Bravo, call out!" The leader shouted.
"Bravo team all present!" Another man barked in return.
"Close the gate!" The leader roared.
Before the gate could close, a fast-moving creep rushed through the opening, only to be shredded by massed fire.
"Gate is secure!" A voice over a speaker declared.
"Open the inner gate!" The leader ordered. "All able bodied soldiers to the wall! All wounded to the infirmary! Huntsman party, stay here, I'll return in a few moments." The leader rushed through an inner doorway.
Now that things had calmed down, Ruby had the chance to look over her companions, remembering that Jaune had been in pain when they cleared the ridge. The blonde man was staring at his shield. With a shock, Ruby realized that a small hole had been punched through it. Judging where the shield would have been while he was holding it, she examined his armor and found a dent on the man's right side. The two shared a concerned look: What could punch through an aura-enhanced shield and then have enough power to dent aura-enhanced armor? Jaune pulled his scroll out and activated the device. Ruby saw the reading; his aura was still at over seventy percent.
The brunette girl and the blonde boy shared a concerned look: Whatever had hit him hadn't depleted his aura; it had punched through it.
"The grim are dispersing," the leader declared, returning to the team and breaking Ruby out of her musings. "I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I need to ask you your business in Mistral."
"We're former students from Beacon," Jaune told him. "We're hoping to apply to Haven to continue our training."
"Do you have any transcripts, or other identification from Beacon?" He asked. "I won't let you in without some sort of proof."
"Are the border guards always like this?" Nora demanded, as each of them pulled out their scrolls and called up their transcripts from the Huntsman Academy. "We just did you a favor out there!"
"It could be a very convenient favor," the leader countered, his face and eyes hard. "Rather convenient that the four of you just happen to be at a port of entry at the time it just happens to come under attack."
"That was not our intent," Ren told him, handing his scroll.
"If the four of you are what you claim to be, you'll have both my gratitude and apologies," The leader told them, scanning Ren's scroll with a larger device that he pulled from a pouch. He then proceeded to scan the other three.
"I can't afford to take chances," he continued. "You'll be detained here until I can have these transcripts confirmed by...what!?"
When he scanned Ruby's scroll, his own device sounded an alert and flashed a message to him. He looked them over with suspicious eyes before...
"Come with me, please," he ordered the teens. He then shouted, "Vakt! You're in charge until I take care of an issue!"
The team heard some sort of affirmation shouted from the top of the wall as the leader ushered them through an inner gate. Once through the inner wall, the team noted the civilians who were cued up outside the gate earlier. Some were being questioned by men in uniforms bearing the Mistral symbol, others such uniformed men were inspecting the contents of wagons and trucks.
"Are those civilians going to be okay?" Ruby asked their host. "How about the man who was wounded?"
"The civilians will be fine," he informed her, not sparing the activity a second glance. "If there can be a good thing about troubled times, it's that labor is in demand. Those refugees who are looking for safety will be evaluated for their skills and sent to where those skills will be in demand. Even labor is valuable at this time. The wounded man will be treated and when he's on his feet again, he'll be evaluated like all the rest. The traders will be allowed to make their deals and leave."
He led the way into a building that Ruby was pretty sure served as both a dining hall and a meeting area. The leader quickly made sure that they were alone.
"My name is lieutenant Arvaken," the told them, once he offered them seats at a long table. "The young lady's scroll had a code that tells me you are on business vital to Headmaster Lionheart of Haven Academy. My apologies for my earlier suspicions."
"You don't sound all that apologetic," Ren noted. "Yet, suspicion might be both a wise course of action as well as your duty."
The lieutenant offered a short nod, "My duty is to now speed your way to Mistral City and Haven. Hold out your scrolls, I'll scan a code into them that will give you free passage on any train. However, I have a favor to ask."
The four members of Team RNJR set their scrolls on the table. Ruby nodded for him to make his request.
"Please tell someone, anyone in Haven what's happening here," he asked, transferring code to each device in turn.
"I don't see how bandit and grimm attacks would go unnoticed," Ren countered.
"These aren't simple attacks," the lieutenant countered. "And this isn't the only border fort that's suffered them. The bandits attack civilians outside the walls, knowing that we won't just sit back and watch people get killed. They inflict painful, but not immediately fatal injuries then retreat. Of course, maimed people means the grimm show up and we wind up fighting them."
"Have you had many casualties?" Jaune asked.
"More than I care to count," he told them, his voice very quiet. "But more than that, they're burning up our supply of dust! Atlas has an embargo in place, so very little dust is getting to Mistral from there. Vacuo is a long way away, so most of their dust exports go to Vale. I have family in Mistral City; dust is getting very expensive as the supplies are being used."
"What?" He demanded, seeing the team exchange a concerned look.
"This is how it started in Vale," Ruby told him. "Only there, a thief was stealing all of the dust. Here, it looks like someone is manipulating soldiers into using it."
"And Atlas' embargo is making it worse," Nora added.
"So, Salem is using the same plan," Jaune grumbled. "Why not? It worked before."
"Who?" Lieutenant Arvaken asked.
"A name I probably shouldn't have said," Jaune told him. "An...agent...of the headmasters traveled with us for awhile. According to him, someone named Salem is trying to bring down civilization. He thought it was important enough that he gave us that code that let you know to pass us through."
"Fair enough," the Lieutenant nodded, after a few moments' thought. "We all have secrets we need to keep. I wish you luck, because I think a whole lot more than just killing grimm is involved here."
"I wish it wasn't up to us," Jaune admitted. "But as a smart man told us, you have to deal with the situation, not with what you want the situation to be."
Two hours later, team RJNR was seated in a comfortable train, watching the miles fly past on the way to Mistral City and Haven Academy. For some reason, Ruby couldn't shake the feeling that the easy part of the journey was over.
"Miss Xiao Long, there's someone here to see you."
No matter how many times she heard the title, Yang didn't think she would get used to it. When called 'Miss', it was supposed to be polite term from someone older, not a term of respect.
"Oh, who is it?" Yang asked. She was just finishing up her latest evaluations before heading home from work.
"She won't give her name, but she hardly looks respectable," the principal's assistant informed her, with a sniff. "Covered with grease and grime, you can hardly tell she's a female."
"Well, my family is known as being a little rough around the edges," Yang chuckled. "Send her in to see me. If the custodian complains about anything, I'll make him a batch of cookies."
The assistant tried not to smile at that last remark...but failed. She turned and vanished from the office door while Yang returned her attention to the evaluations.
"If someone had told me that I would ever come to visit you in your office and find you doing paperwork I would have said they were crazy."
The voice immediately grabbed Yang's attention. Looking up, her mouth open, she saw a short figure covered in a rough jacket and trousers. The clothing and the face were greasy and muddy, as was the battered dufflebag over one shoulder. If it wasn't for the familiar voice, Yang wouldn't have been able to recognize.
"Weiss!"
Yang didn't take the time to go around her desk; she jumped over her desk, rushed to the doorway and enfolded the smaller woman in a massive hug.
"I'm glad to see you too," Weiss managed to gasp out, her feet a good six inches above the floor. "But I still need to breathe!"
"I was so worried about you!" There were tears in Yang's eyes.
"Yes, but my ribs were never in danger of cracking until now," Weiss pointed out. "I'm starting to lose feeling in my arms!"
Yang's mind finally returned to the here and now. She released her friend, who dropped to the ground hard enough that her shoes made an audible click on the tiles, pulled her into her office and closed the door.
"So what brings you here?" Yang demanded. "Have you heard from Ruby or Blake?"
"Ruby and Blake are missing?" Weiss demanded in return.
"Well, yes!" Yang started to explain, then thought better of it. "What brings you here and in this...condition?" A wave of her arm indicated Weiss's...less than fashionable...attire.
"I'm officially a missing person," the Atlesian answered, with a smirk. "Or more accurately, I'm a runaway and I'm looking for someplace to lay low."
"So you want me to shelter you and defy all of the Schnee Dust Company's resources?" Yang glared at her. "Sounds like fun! Actually, the company will be nice. It's been just Zwei and me, so conversations have been a little lacking."
"Your father's gone?" Weiss was surprised again. "I thought you had a really close family!"
"We do," Yang answered, while gathering her notes and packing them in a satchel. "I'm done for the day, so why don't we head home so we can talk with a little more privacy?"
Seeing the wisdom of this suggestion, the disinherited teen accompanied the teacher. They left the Signal Academy Campus and walked to a market, where Yang picked up some extra food for dinner. After that, it was a twenty minute walk to the Xiao Long home...time that the two spent getting caught up with each other.
"So there's been no word from Ruby, the rest of Team JNPR, or Blake?" Weiss asked.
"I don't even know where Blake came from," Yang told her teammate. "Even after she warmed up to us, she wasn't very comfortable talking about her past. As for Ruby; well, I figured out where the ship dropped them off on Anima but that's it. All I know is that they're trying to get to Mistral and Haven. I don't know why they took a ship that dropped them off on the west coast. I don't know if they went overland from there or if they took another ship."
"And your dad?" Weiss asked.
"Just off on a mission somewhere," Yang shook her head. "I want to try to run down my sister but I have to stay here, in case she comes home."
The two walked the next couple of minutes in silence.
"So, just how did you get out of Atlas?" Yang asked. "I've read about the dust embargo and the Council closing the borders. You're an underage runaway and the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. I'd figure your face would be on every billboard and scroll alert in the kingdom."
"Hence, my current attire and hygiene," Weiss pointed out. "I pawned off some of my smaller pieces of jewelry and bribed my way onto a smuggler ship."
"That was risky," Yang commented.
"Not really," Weiss shrugged. "I had to dish out a few cuts to let the crew know they weren't going to just take me back to my father and collect a reward but once I did that, we actually got along pretty well. Once I was in Vale, my face wasn't all that well knows so I was able to catch a ship to Patch. After that, I was looking up your name when I came across a newspaper article about you being a replacement faculty member."
"Oh, I read that article," Yang flinched. "Not exactly flattering, was it?"
"Well, no." Weiss admitted. "Something about having someone so unstable that she'd attack a guy she just beat at a tournament teaching the kids not being a great idea."
"Aw, the kids love me," Yang smiled.
"Yang, I didn't know where else to go," Weiss said, using her cover story. "I know that I'm putting you in danger by coming here."
"I'm not chasing you out," Yang assured her. "At the very least, we can figure out where you can go next."
"Thank you," while she was grateful for Yang's generosity, her heart dropped, knowing that the loyalty and compassion were being displayed in response to a lie.
"Anyway, maybe we should see if we can find work for you here, something to keep you busy." Yang suggested. "Once you turn eighteen, you won't have to keep things secre...someone's been in my house!"
"What?" Weiss demanded.
"There, that's my house," Yang pointed to a house.
Weiss took a moment to study the structure. It was made of logs, yet the windows and door were modern. It had a large chimney, suggesting a fireplace, even though she couldn't see a stack of firewood from the front. It was considerably larger than most of the houses that they had passed, even though it wasn't a fraction of the size of the mansion she had grown up in. There were a couple of outbuildings and everything, from the buildings to the lawn, was impeccably maintained. Weiss also noted that there were planters sporting sunflowers on the front; pretty, but an odd touch for a widower's home.
In short, it looked like a house that would be great to grow up in.
"How do you know?" Weiss asked her hostess.
"I left the porch lights on when I left," Yang answered, striding purposefully towards the building. "I didn't think I would be home until later and I hate trying to fit the key in the lock in the dark. The lights are off now." Yang broke into a run towards the front door.
"What kind of burglar is concerned with the electric bill?" Weiss questioned, as she fell in step behind her friend.
"The door is unlocked," Yang declared, upon trying the knob.
"I guess I wouldn't expect a burglar to lock up after himself," Weiss answered.
"Family type burglar's tend to be more considerate than most," another voice informed them. Looking to the side, the two young women spotted a tall and slender form.
"Uncle Qrow!" Yang burst out, before hurling herself towards the man.
"Yang, normal greetings probably aren't a good idea...ow!" The hunter's eyes flew wide when his niece hugged him.
As much as she despised the man, Weiss sympathized.
"Uncle Qrow?" Yang released the man, then quickly got under one of his arms to help support him. "What's wrong?"
"Took some hurts," he gasped. "And I brought a guest along."
As much as she tried to hide it, Weiss knew her eyes widened a little. Qrow was watching her at the time, so she was pretty sure she had just given something away.
"You were hurt?" Yang asked. "Have you seen Ruby? Do you know where dad went? Who's the guest? What's happening?"
"All in due time," the older man assured her. "For now, let's just say that my guest knows his way around a kitchen. He was preparing dinner for three, but if you run in and give him what you bought, I'm sure he'll be able to make it enough for four. I also think that the little ice sculpture here would like to clean up. I'm tempted to take a picture for her big sister."
"You recognized me?" Weiss gasped.
"It's my job," he offered her a condescending smile. "Kinda interesting, I just get here with my guest on the same day you arrive. Quite the coincidence, don't you think?"
"I, uh..."
"Why don't I give you the first go at the shower?" He suggested. "I think we're all going to have a long talk after dinner."
Weiss couldn't bring herself to argue. After scrubbing off the grease and grime, and putting on her usual clothing, she felt much more herself. Despite being a hooligan, Qrow wasn't lying about the newcomer, Ron, knowing his way around a kitchen. The food was excellent. After dinner, Ron cleared the table and insisted on doing the dishes, giving uncle and niece some time to catch up. Deciding that she couldn't just come out and ask Ron if he was from a different world, Weiss offered to help him.
She studied the young man while she dried the dishes he washed. From the shoulders and on down, he could be any fit young man. His facial features, however, were different. His nose was large and his mouth wider than was normal. He still had freckles at his age, which gave him a boyish look and his chin was rounded rather than pointed. These differences weren't glaring but they made him look...unusual. When he looked at her, she noted that his eyes were a darker shade of brown than normal.
Weiss quickly looked away with a slight blush, realizing that she must have been staring at the young man.
"So, Ron," she tried to start a conversation. "Where are you from?"
"Someplace a lot farther than Anima," he told her. "I can't really describe it."
"Was it a pleasant trip to Sanus? I've heard that the seas can be rough."
"It was nerve-wracking," he answered, draining the wash water. "For some reason, the ship kept springing leaks and having engine trouble."
Weiss didn't have any idea how to continuing the conversation without appearing to be grilling him, so she contented herself with a slight, sympathetic hum before drying the last of the dishes. The chore completed, the two returned to the dining room, where Qrow and Yang were still talking. Clearly, Yang wasn't happy with some of the answers she was hearing.
"I still don't understand why you didn't bring her back with you," she glared at her uncle. "She's only sixteen! For that reason, if you wanted her to go to Haven, why didn't you give her the lien to take a ship to the north coast?"
"It's complicated," Qrow protested. "And there's more to it than I can tell you at this time. Anyway, your guests are here and I think a little truth is in order. Snowflake, Ron, have a seat."
This time, Weiss's humph was of indignity rather than sympathy, but she followed the suggestion.
"Ron," Qrow instructed the younger man. "Tell them the whole story."
While Weiss payed close attention to the story Ron told, she watched Yang from the corner of her eye. The golden-haired young woman didn't snort in disbelief, but she was clearly skeptical. Finally, Ron finished his tale.
"I'm wasn't convinced at first, either," Qrow told the two, skeptical young women. "But all four of your classmates witnessed him overpower the beringal and the boarbatusk, with no aura. I saw him break a tree into sections, barehanded, with no aura."
"So I take it you believe the story?" Yang asked.
"I have a few doubts," Qrow admitted. "Tomorrow, I'm going to take Ron to Beacon and have a talk with Professor Oobleck..."
"Doctor Oobleck," both Yang and Weiss corrected him.
"Okay, doctor," Qrow shrugged. "I've got some ideas to bounce off of the the guy. Anyway, does anyone else here have anything to say?" The last statement was delivered with a smirk towards Weiss.
She took the hint.
"Yang, I ran away from my father," Weiss admitted. "But I had help from Headmaster Ironwood getting to Vale."
She told her friend the whole story. She couldn't meet Yang's gaze when she finished.
"So it was a lie," Yang finally said. "Were you ever going to tell me the truth if Qrow didn't back you into a corner?"
"I..." she started, only to have the older man interrupt her.
"Don't take it out on her," he suggested to his niece. "She wanted out of Atlas, Ironwood wanted someone to check out Ron here and I'm willing to bet she was more than happy to see you again. Weren't you happy to see her?"
"Well, yes." Yang admitted.
"And if we can convince the snowflake here that Ron's story just might be true, then she probably has some contacts to smuggle him back to Atlas, which is exactly where he needs to go."
"So, how do I go about convincing people that I'm telling the truth?" Ron asked.
"First, I want Yang and the snowflake..."
"Quit calling me that!"
"Okay, Yang and Weiss," Qrow corrected himself, smirking at the white-haired girl. "will pull out their scrolls and scan you for aura. I know we've done it before, but I'm sure Jimmy gave his spy here a special scroll to do the scanning."
Both young women did as requested, Weiss with an irritated look at Qrow.
"No aura," Yang reported. Weiss nodded her agreement.
"Okay, let's go outside," Qrow told his audience. "I notice that there's a dead tree that Taiyang has to remove from just outside his property line. Why don't we let Ron show us his way of turning a tree into firewood?"
Both Yang and Weiss were intrigued by what a Mystical Monkey Power enhanced individual was capable of doing. After Ron dropped the tree and rendered it into firewood, Qrow had Yang spar against him. It was a harsh match and while Ron was eventually dropped onto the ground, Yang had to work very hard to manage it.
"And he does it without aura," she murmured.
"Getting closer to being convinced?" Qrow asked Weiss.
"It's a far-fetched story," Weiss retorted. "But I don't have any other way of explaining what I'm seeing."
"Okay," Qrow nodded. "I want you to do the next step. Actually, it will be doing him a favor, as well. I'm going to have you awaken his aura."
"Didn't you say something about a side effect?" Ron demanded.
"Side effect?" Both Yang and Weiss demanded of the older man.
"Nothing you need to worry about," he assured them. "At least not for several more years."
"Dad said that it wasn't a good idea for inexperienced hunters and huntresses to awaken aura," Yang pointed out.
"Look, kids," Qrow told them. "I'm not exactly fond of the snowflake's headmaster or her family, but I'm not about to allow her to come to any harm right here. Trust me, I'll work her through this. So Ron, Weiss, are you game?"
"I'm willing to try, if it will help prove or disprove the story," Weiss told the older man.
"It will," Qrow told her. "Ron?"
"You're saying that this will make me a better fighter?" The younger man asked.
"It will be a sort of weightless armor at first," Qrow told him. "So yes, that will happen right away. As you continue to work with your aura, you'll get faster, stronger and more agile."
"Okay, I've seen Team RNJR do things that were absolutely amazing," Ron nodded. "I'm game."
"Very well," Qrow announced. The older man stood straight, as a soldier standing at attention. All trace of his usual mockery vanished.
"Ronald Stoppable," he said, his tone formal. "Do you agree to have your aura unlocked, to use it to protect the innocent and helpless and to stand against the forces of darkness?"
"Yes," Ron agreed, feeling like he did when Master Sensei first showed him the Lotus Blade.
"Weiss Schnee," he addressed the huntress with the same, respectful tone. "Do you agree to awaken this young man's aura, to unlock his potential and bear the burden of responsibility for this force in the world?"
"I do," Weiss replied.
"Very well," Qrow intoned. "Ronald, close your eyes and concentrate on why you want to unlock your aura. Concentrate on the good you will do by standing between darkness and the innocent, concentrate on how strength will make your virtue shine brighter to drive back the dark."
Ron closed his eyes and a look of peaceful determination came over his features.
"Weiss, place your right hand on his heart, from whence his aura flows," Qrow instructed the young woman. "And your left hand on the side of his head, which directs and controls his aura."
Weiss did as directed.
"Weiss Schnee, activate your aura and channel it into Ronald," Qrow instructed. "While your aura seeks his, speak the words."
Weiss felt her soul reach out and connect with the young man. Almost unbidden, the words that had implanted themselves onto her very self, years ago, emerged from her lips.
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality," she intoned. "Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."
Suddenly, she felt her aura flow into Ron, draining her yet it wasn't an unpleasant sensation. Contact was made and in that moment of his soul manifesting itself, she gained a glimpse into his deepest self and knew that he gained a glimpse into hers, as well.
Drained to exhaustion, she collapsed but strong arms surrounded her, supporting her. She opened her eyes to see Ron's concerned and amazed face, surrounded by a brown glow that matched the color of those eyes that caught her own.
"It's all true," she murmured, knowing that his unlikely story had actually happened.
"So lonely," he whispered in return.
For the first time in her life, she knew that someone actually understood her isolation and the longing for friends that she had managed to lock away for so long. The brown eyes that held hers showed no sign of wanting to take advantage of that simple human desire to be part of a group; they held understanding, sympathy and an offer of friendship, instead.
Then her eyes were too heavy to keep open. Darkness claimed her mind, but it was a warm, comforting and restful darkness.
Her last sensation was of those strong arms refusing to let her fall.
A/N: Before getting long winded, please let me thank everyone who has reviewed and PM'd me about this tale. I'm sure that those of you who also write will agree with me that reviews and PM discussions go a long way towards keeping up the motivation to keep writing. Even just a few words can make the difference between devoting a couple of hours of free time to writing, or finding something else to do.
I'd also like to thank Joe Stoppinghem for his beta reading assistance. Again, for those of you who have never beta read for another author, let me assure you that it can be a great deal of effort. These couple of sentences don't express my appreciation near enough.
For those still interested in reading my comments, I'd like to address a couple of reviews and PMs that I have received, stating that Ron is acting out of character, not acting panicked enough and showing a little too much knowledge. In this reality, when Kim went to Europe to continue her education, several of the villains thought that North America would be ripe for operations. Ron was forced to perform hero work without Kim and that forced him to change his perspective a little. He was forced to listen to Wade before the mission.
In the first chapter, I wrote that Ron had a near disaster going up against Motor Ed. After this, he realized that listening to the research that Wade put in before a mission was important. He doesn't understand the details of the high-tech weapons and devices the criminals have, but he understands their consequences. Thus, he knew that Dementor had a zero point energy generator and understood that because of this, firearms didn't work in the lair. Now that he realizes Remnant uses dust, he can guess that dust might work where a chemical explosive wouldn't. He's also capable of realizing that dust rounds don't seem to have quite the same speed and impact as the rounds that fire from Earth's weapons. Does this mean he has suddenly become super intelligent? No, he doesn't know the physics behind the generator and he wouldn't recognize one if he saw it. He doesn't realize how much faster a bullet moves compared to a dust round, he only knows that huntsmen can often dodge or deflect dust rounds where on Earth, dodging a bullet is more a saying than a reality.
This isn't to complain about receiving a negative review. Far from it, I appreciate correction and comment. However, I personally believe that a character should be capable of growing and adapting during a story. Between the end of Kim Possible's "Graduation" and the start of this tale, Ron had been forced to confront several villains as a solo hero. He had also been forced to earn and maintain a football scholarship, so a certain dedication had to have manifested itself. What I'm trying to say is that while Ron Stoppable at the beginning of this tale resembles Ron Stoppable at the end of "Graduation", the reality he lived had already forced some changes onto him.
I encourage anyone to feel free to comment, even negatively. This wasn't an effort to complain about negative reviews or PMs. Rather this was an effort to let you, the reader, know how our goofy sidekick had changed, without going through the character development on Earth before he was transported to Remnant.
That said, please accept my best wishes;
daccu65