HOLY BALLS, GUYS, WTF HAPPENED TO 'ONE WEEK'?! OK, life happened, but you've been waiting for FAR too long, so I'll cut the intro as much as possible. SPEEDRUN, BOIZ, LET'S GO!
FE Heroes: Getting better. The Tempest feature is nice, but the rewards that a F2P can reasonably get are all terrible, for both Tempests. I finally got back to Awakening, and it's a lot better than I remember. Probably because I now know how to actually play the game (TY Heroes), but that's beside the point.
Anime: Watched a lot of stuff recently, most notably Youjo Senki (Saga of Tanya the Evil). If you haven't seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it.
YouTube: MiniLadd, Terroriser, Sagemaster15. All I'm gonna say.
RWBY: MYGODILOVEDTHESOUNDTRACKSOMUCHYOUREALLYHAVETOGETONTOTHATASSOONASPOSSIBLEGOGOGOIVEBEENLISTENINGTOBADLUCKCHARMANDTHISLIFEISMINEBASICALLYNONSTOP
Other: Finally getting around to driving. WAY too late, according to some people, but the number of fucks I give equals the number of Sasuke's living relatives at the time of Shippuuden EP 500.
The fic: I'm gonna be using a metric FUCKTON of references in this, so watch out for that. They'll range from references to other shows/movies, to language puns, to foreshadowing the canon, to YouTubers, to real life, etc. Basically, odds are there'll be stuff for a lot of people. For example, in ch. 5 (I think?), I made a crack at the DMV. In this chapter's case, two main ones, and since I'm only now releasing this info, I'll make this one easier for you guys. Example explanation: I really loved Mirai Nikki (Future Diaries), and loved the soundtrack about as much. So, I was listening to various covers on YT, and decided to look up some of the details in the OP, leading me to name Skyla's weapon. The other reference… it should be pretty easy, but I'll say it in the opening for the next chapter. However, from that point on, I may or may not throw in a reference for you guys, and say that the first person to find it (message or comment) will be mentioned somewhere in the fic. CaTastrophy (proofreader), you don't count. Anyway, it won't be every chapter, but just occasionally.
I said I was gonna cut it down, I just expanded the opening… fuck it, let's go.
Keep Moving Forward
Published July 15 2017
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"Wonderful. The partnerships have been officially made." Ozpin murmurs deliriously as he pours himself another cup of coffee from his hip flask.
"Yes, yes… wonderful. That new student does not seem to like the idea of teamwork though."
"I have the feeling that she'll be changing her tune in the near future."
"Hm. Tell me again, why exactly did you let her join?"
"I told you, I didn't expect her to actually do it. She surprised me is all."
"I see. Ozpin, how many times have I told you to never underestimate youth?"
"Uhh… let's see… there was… and then… oh… and that…"
"What exactly did you put in this stuff anyway?" she asks as she grabs the mug from his hands. "Is this where the Forever Fall sap keeps disappearing to?"
"This? No, I use the sap for something… special. This, this is simply nothing short of a miracle." he says, somehow holding a brand new mug.
"Errr… do I even want to know?"
"Most likely not."
"Very well then. Now, I've noticed that the majority of the cameras have been glitching on and off since the exam began. In addition, the camera in sector eight has been reporting static for the past ten minutes."
"Hmm…"
"What do you recommend?"
"Hmmm…"
"Shall I send Bartholomew down to check on them?"
"Hmmmm…"
"Ozpin… WAKE THE HELL UP!"
…
"Hmmm… how 'bout a cute little pony?"
"Sure…"
"Great! That wasn't too hard."
A loud scream rings out through the air, sending a shiver down Yang's spine as she flinches backwards towards her partner. "Some girl's in trouble! Blake, you heard that, right?! Please tell me you heard that!"
…
"OH, WHY?! PYRRHA! PYRRHA, HELP! PYRRHA, THIS IS NOT THE RELIC! IT'S NOT! PYRRHA, DO SOMETHING!"
"Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let… go… ahem… hehe…"
…
"Blake, what should we do? Blake?"
"I don't exa-"
"HEADS UP!" a voice calls out from above them. To Blake, the red and black haired girl falling down from what appears to be a giant Nevermore wasn't concerning in the slightest.
"RUBY! STAY CALM!"
Her partner, on the other hand…
"BLAKE! WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! MY SISTER'LL GET SQUISHED!"
"Meh, I wouldn't worry about it." Blake assures her partner as she reaches to her back for Gambol Shroud.
"What? Why?!"
With a snort, she snarks "Well, if this were a superhero movie, something else would come in last second to save the day."
"Like what?! What could POSSIBLY SAVE HER HERE?!"
"I dunno, probably something stupid."
A loud thud and two loud groans come from the treetop to the left of where Ruby would've fallen, leaving Blake to realize that, despite the fact that she was making a gigantic joke, her prediction came true.
"Oh. Hi, Jaune."
"Well damn girl, you weren't kidding." Yang mutters under her breath, stomping over to the tree, likely to thank and then pulverize whoever saved/hurt her sister. Probably not in that particular order.
"Could today get any weirder?" Blake asks herself, readjusting Gambol Shroud's handle.
"HELLO FRIENDO, don't give us the endo!" a high pitched voice calls out from right next to her. Panicking, she swivels her head to see a ginger haired girl holding onto Gambol Shroud, mimicking a stabbing motion with it.
"NORA!"
"Oh, coming, Ren!" As soon as she appeared, she seemingly teleported to the other side of the clearing, onto… an Ursa Major, collapsed onto the ground. And someone else collapsed onto it. "Aww… it's broken…" the girl sobs as she pulls out a giant hammer and begins tapping the downed Grimm.
"NORA!" the now visible boy sputters as he stands up, clutching his stomach. "Please… don't ever do that again… wha… NORA!"
"'I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle!'" she sings randomly from the ruins, having seemingly teleported over again.
"NORA!"
"Oh, coming, Ren!"
"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Yang asks her partner, having just pulled Ruby out of the tree.
"I… er…"
With a loud scoff, the blonde cocks her gauntlets and crosses her arms. "Well, it's dead, anyways. At least it can't get any crazier."
Another loud roar alerts them to a large Deathstalker chasing a redheaded student, somehow barely able to outrun it.
"Did she just run all the way here with a Deathstalker on her tail?!" Blake asks nobody in particular, stunned at the girl's endurance. An explosion next to the Faunus catches her off guard, causing her to jump backwards.
"Oh, COME ON!" Yang roars, hair and eyes blazing. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! WHO'S IDEA WAS IT TO PUT THE GOAL IN A PLACE WHERE EVERY GRIMM IN THE AREA CAN KILL US AT ONCE?! AND PLEASE, PEOPLE, CAN WE JUST HAVE TWO LOUSY SECONDS WITHOUT SOMETHING HAPPENING?!"
"Um, Yang?" Ruby stutters, tapping on her sister's shoulder.
"WHAT?!"
"Weiss is still riding that Giant Nevermore."
"She's gonna fall." Blake notes.
"What?"
"I said 'she's gonna fall'..."
"Well… she'll be fine..."
"She's falling." the raven haired boy notes.
"Oh."
With a loud OOMPH, Weiss lands in front of them. On top of the blond screwup. In that instant, a loud rumble from across the field launches the redhead on top of the pile.
"Great." Yang remarks, cracking her knuckles. "Everyone's here. Now we can die TOGETHER."
…
"Aura is the manifestation of our souls. It's… our mental energy turned physical, if you want to think of it like that. The more we understand ourselves, the more powerful we become. And although emotions can provide a boost in spiritual energy, provided that they're strong enough, the main thing is mental strength, to make sure you're able to control yourself. But balance is key. You can't believe you're invincible, or else your aura will reflect your thoughts and become weaker. Convoluted… twisted… demented. Or, in other words, unusable. Get the picture?"
"What does this have to do with pinning me down?"
Jade scowls at her partner, and points to the spear stabbed into the ground. "THAT. You can't fight if you only think of your aura as a fucking shield."
"I… I can fight! You saw the smoke, we-"
"WE don't need to do anything! Our job is to find the relic and go back. That. Is. IT. You don't get involved in other people's affairs unless you know EXACTLY how to do it, so unless you know the attack patterns of the Grimm in this forest, the current mindsets of the other applicants, AND their fighting styles, you should stay the hell away!"
"But-"
"No buts!"
"Hehe."
"Just because you have some cheap, store-bought weapon does NOT mean that you know what you're doing."
"Sto-... Dii Consentes is fully functional! And for your information, I've trained with it!"
"Remember! Your weapon is only a very small portion of what makes a warrior! You must learn to predict everything your opponent does. Or else, you die. Simple as that."
"YOU HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING!" she cries out. A black and green spark shoots out of her fingertips. It was only visible for a split second, but it causes her to flinch, just enough for Skyla to push Jade off of her and scramble away before Jade realizes what happened.
"Whoops. My bad. Nothing nearby though." Cautiously, she readies her arm and darts her head around, trying to detect any traces of Grimm, before slowly lowering her wrist.
Looking to the side, the bluenette is pulling her weapon out of the ground, frowning as she pulls a lever on its side, causing the spear's head to retract and be replaced. Sighing, Jade stands back up and faces her partner. "Look, I'm sorry for being harsh, but I'll say it again. It's not a good idea to rush into a situation without knowing what's going on. And besides, the smoke's clearing up, and you can't hear any more gunfire. They were probably able to handle themselves."
"Oh. Well, I guess you're right."
"And to boot, we would've had to go in the exact opposite direction, which would've reduced our own chances of getting through the challenge. What do you think would've happened if the relics were gone by the time we got there?"
"You've made your point, you don't have to drag us down into the doom and gloom."
A loud howl pierces the air, Jade summoning her sword off of instinct. She looks down, and chuckles at Skyla's sheepish expression. "Should I assume that was your stomach?" Not even bothering to look at her partner, Jade goes over to one of the trees next to them and swings her sword into it a few times until a few chunks of bark fall off. Stabbing her sword into the ground, she picks up the scraps and throws it at Skyla.
"You want me to eat this?"
"I've seen these trees before, the bark is fine. People can't eat the leaves, but no poison in the bark."
"I'm sorry, poison?!"
"What, you didn't know that? You're the medical nut, isn't this part of training?"
"No… since when is eating plants considered training?"
"Identifying plants, nitwit."
"Oh. Eh, not particularly."
Jade shrugs and sits down, laying her back against the tree.
"Weather sure is nice today…"
"Seen better. Say, you seem awfully chatty every since the prez pumped you with that stuff."
"The medicine?" She frowns at her recollection of the meeting, biting her lip trying to remember the dialogue.
"Even worse, your memory's shot. That stuff seems to have screwed with your system."
"He did say it messes with the user… but it can't be that bad."
"Oh? When's the last time you forgot something? When's the last time you talked with someone this deeply? About yourself? Telling the TRUTH, no less? When's the last time you showed off Zetsu to a nobody? Hell, when's the last time you attacked a kid?"
Her frown deepens into a scowl. "I… I-"
"That stuff's fucked you up, big time. I know I screwed up and took the mask off back in Vacuo, but this could get you in serious trouble. I mean, if you die, I'm going along with, and then if we escaped from wherever, we'd be on the news, and"
"I get it, I get it…" she grumbles, scowl beginning to lift. "Ok, you actually seem like you're trying to help for once. What's your plan?"
"Finally, I get a say in this. Erm… well, you need to burn it out of your system. And if you insist on going to those ruins, then just use your semblance."
Her grimace returns almost immediately after hearing the suggestion. "No. I can't risk it."
"Well then, just transform. It'll do the same."
"Shut up."
"Come ON! Let me take control, I can handle it!"
"Shut up!"
"It's another, what, fifteen minutes on foot from here? More, if you guys keep making pit stops. You're sick of the scenery, I can tell. Besides, any later, and you might not make it in time."
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
"Geez, I won't ask again…" Skyla mutters from nearby.
Jade opens her eyes, not remembering closing them. "What? What do you… oh… no, I was… talking to myself. That wasn't to you. What'd you ask?"
"I've been asking if you were going to have any of this stuff with me. It's kinda bitter, but still good."
Sitting up to stretch her back, the Faunus looks at the tree behind her, and shakes her head. "No, not really. Not hungry."
"So then, you must've had a big breakfast. Was it good?"
"No, I didn't eat breakfast."
"So… huge dinner?"
"No, I haven't eaten anything for about two weeks. I was apparently in a coma. Woke up about an hour ago, maybe two."
"Two weeks?! And you're taking the initiation?! You're either ridiculously OP, or a chronic liar."
"Why not both?" she jokes nonchalantly, picking up a pebble and tossing it aside after inspecting it. "Meh, kinda used to not eating."
"Well, in that case, should we get going? I'm ready any time."
"Yeah, sure." With one movement, she fluidly rocks back and jumps onto her feet, extending her arm to help Skyla stand, plucking the spear from the younger girl at the same time. Running her hand over it, Jade sees the intricate design, as well as the various knobs and switches running along the length of it. Quickly scanning over it, she counts 12 overall. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. You know, this actually isn't that bad of a weapon."
"Finally, you see how I feel."
"Buuut… it's a bit complex. And now that I think about it, didn't you say you didn't realize you could throw things harder with that gravity manipulation of yours? If not that way, how'd you train with this?"
"Uh, I-"
"GET OUT. NOW."
Barely noticing the warning's tone, she pulls her partner aside and rolls back towards the treeline, to see a gigantic hole in the middle of the clearing that they were standing in moments earlier. The sound coming from the pit was that of corrosion, its cause slowly approaching the pair from behind the hole.
"Shit… I can't believe it snuck up on us."
"What kind of Grimm is that?!"
"Taijitu… but not like any I've ever seen…"
It was clearly a Taijitu, but obviously much older than most. It had somehow metamorphosed white spikes all over its body, the cluster on its head forming to shape something similar to a crown. Golden eyes flickered at the two girls as it twisted itself to unhinge its frill, making the monster look even more menacing than before, almost comically so. The Grimm slithers towards them, hissing as it bares its fangs with its black end. Jade could see a toxic-green liquid, presumably its venom, drip from its fangs and fall onto the ground close to them.
"Aaaand it has acid venom. That it can spray. Perfect. Just. Fuckin'. Perfect. How the hell did something this close to a school grow so much?"
"What do we do against THAT?!"
She turns to see the black head unhinge its jaw, and spray venom at the cluster of trees where they're standing. Instinctively, she summons her shield to protect them from the stream, and turns to face Skyla.
"WE do nothing. There's not much time until it gets through, so listen close: I'm our best shot at getting out of here, so I'll distract it, while you get to the temple, grab the artifact, and run somewhere safe. I'll catch up with you later."
"What? NO! I can't do that!"
"Why not?!"
"You're my friend! I can't leave you here to fight THAT!"
"Friend? Did she…" Her shield breaks, and Jade pulls them away again, barely avoiding the debris caused by the Taijitu's headbutt.
"I can't leave you here! I won't do it!"
"Who said you had a choice?" Jade asks nervously as she summons her bow and shoots an arrow through Skyla's shirt collar, causing said girl to fly off into the air. A sharp stinging in her leg forces her to hide behind a tree and look down. A shard of her shield is lodged in the surface of her skin, slowly dissolving as a few drops of blood leak from the scrape. Her vision turns bright red for a moment, causing the voice to begin laughing.
"YEAAAA BOIII! FINALLY! C'MON, GIVE ME CONTROL!"
"No… I can handle it this time. Quick in, quick out. I don't want you making a mess."
"Tch."
Walking out from behind the tree, she extends her arm to reform her shield, and transform it into her sword. Grinning, she cocks her head to the side, and begins snickering.
"Now then. I suppose you're here for me? Of course you are. Why else would you stay here and not go for the easier prey? In any case, the outcome is the same: I summoned you, I deal with you."
The snake hisses, as if laughing, idly summoning its white head to join the hunt.
"Well, at least you think highly of me. Shall we dance?"
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Longest chapter so far, I think. Nice. Anyways, thanks for sticking around, and extra thanks to those who added this in the time between these past two chapters. Next chapter will be the SUPERULTRAAMAZING-fuck it, it's been a pain to write. The scenes themselves aren't hard, it's just spacing it. Did I mention what it'd be in a previous chapter? I'll assume I didn't and keep it a secret. And based on the lack of comments, I'll assume you guys are ok with reading something written in the present tense. 'S cool. Oh, and before I forget, I made a slight edit to chapter 3. Very minor, only a two word change, but it kinda foreshadows this. What else… I'll try to work on ch. 8 soon… fuck me if it gets uploaded in September. Can't think of anything else to add, so I'll just cap it there.
Keep Moving Forward
EDIT: Forgot to mention. Anyone who knows me will know that Qrow is my all-time FAV character in the show. Ergo, keep an eye out for Bad Luck Charm lyrics sprinkled throughout the fic from now on.