Fun and festivals, a time for celebration and revelations. The ripples of change both related and unrelated to our new heroes become more apparent. What awaits them ahead and how long will their golden days last?
The school was bustling, representatives from Haven Academy would be arriving and everyone worked to ensure they were welcomed.
Classes were temporarily suspended to allow for a long break which led to many personal celebrations among the students.
Ms. Goodwitch was busy levitating the decorations into place assisted by the other professors and any volunteers or students with detention they had conscripted.
Velvet was perusing the different stalls, they were still empty and covered with tarp but she wanted to show the various stages of preparation.
What a wonderful time, she thought, snapping another photo.
This one was of Nora balancing Ren on her shoulders. He was carefully tying a sign to its post; he was still unfurling it but the word 'Vytal' could be made out in large letters. Nora gave Velvet a big thumbs-up for the picture. Taking a hand off Ren caused him to lose balance and nearly fall but Nora caught him easily, holding him in her arms for a moment before setting him back down.
Team JNPR had been among the volunteers assisting with the preparations that day. Velvet was sure Jaune and Pyrrha were around here somewhere…
Everyone working together, memories that will last forever as we get to meet our friends from around the world. If only this happened more than once every two years.
Velvet knew the next festival would be more somber as it would be in the year of Team CFVY's graduation from Beacon.
Velvet rounded a corner, not paying attention she slammed into another student knocking her to the ground.
"Sorry, I wasn't look…" she froze upon the realization the form towering over her was none other than Cardin Winchester.
He was carrying a large stack of ornament boxes in his arms; he looked confused as to what just happened.
Velvet's ears folded down in fear, Cardin had been nothing but a terror since the year started. Her team leader Coco had voiced more than once she'd be more than happy to have a strong word with him but Velvet didn't want to cause trouble just for her.
Not again, why is he even here? Was Team CRDL in some sort of trouble and got conscripted into the preparations? What could he possibly have plan…"
Her thoughts stopped dead as Cardin shifted the stack to one arm and extended a hand to her, Velvet just stared at it, unsure what he was getting at.
"I'm…sorry," Cardin whispered.
Velvet looked into Cardin's face; she had learned to avoid it after he first started picking on her. This time was different, his normal sinister smirk was gone…instead his face was calm. He could barely keep eye contact with her and seemed almost…remorseful?
"What?" she asked, finally realizing he was extending his hand to help her to her feet.
"I'm…sorry," he repeated. "For everything."
Velvet hesitantly extended her hand, taking his. With little effort he pulled her up, she must have been light as a feather to him.
Cardin readjusted the boxes in his arms; he kept looking away from Velvet and back as if he didn't quite know what to do next.
After a moment he nodded to her and turned, continuing on the path he had originally been walking.
"Um…" Velvet squeaked before he got too far. "Are you…helping with the festival too?"
"Yea…I heard there was a lot of heavy lifting needed so I got my team to help a bit. To be honest it wasn't as bad as I heard."
Team CRDL is…volunteering?
"See ya later, have a…nice day." Cardin said awkwardly before turning to leave again.
Velvet stood there shell shocked…was he trying to be…polite?
What the heck happened? Cardin turning over a new leaf? If it were true that would be the story of the century!
"M-maybe I can help," she called out, her courage getting the better of her.
Cardin froze but did not refute her offer.
Slowly he lowered his arms, giving Velvet a chance to grab a small but precariously perched package on the top.
"So where are these meant for?"
"Storage room 2nd floor of the gymnasium. I think they mentioned these will be used to decorate for the Beacon Dance coming up."
Velvet hid the blush forming on her cheeks, she had almost completely forgotten about the dance her team was going to be organizing... not that she had anyone to go with...
The two continued on their way, after a while Velvet started humming one of her favorite tunes...even Cardin joined in after a few seconds of awkward silence.
At the Dorms…
Students were given permission to visit Vale during their time off; local shops saw a boom in business and were open to everyone.
Team HERO was busy preparing for their excursion into Vale. Horatio, Esmerelda and Olivia were wearing their normal clothes finally glad they did not have to wear their school uniforms. Roland, on the other hand, had donned an array he saved for special occasions.
He had traded out the Beacon boys' uniform for a long-sleeve green dress shirt with black vest. He had broken out his blue-jeans with the fewest wrinkles and even shined his shoes. For a final touch he fastened his belt adorned with gold and silver wings on the buckle and clipped on an old-style wristwatch.
Olivia whistled as he completed his preparations.
"Looking good, I had no idea you were so excited about welcoming the Haven Academy students."
There was a knock at the door.
"I'll get it," Roland answered almost before the first knock had finished. "I'll meet you guys at the docks before the other Kingdom Representatives are set to arrive."
"But we got a ride into town, how are you going to…"
Her question became irrelevant as the door swung open revealing Yang Xiao Long who had also chosen an attire outside her norm.
Her ensemble consisted of a white-cream sleeveless vest and a black shrug with sleeves not quite reaching her wrist. Black boots and a matching mini skirt completed the outfit with a purple scarf tied at the belt to add a flair of color matching her eyes.
Horatio and Esmerelda became very interested in the walls closest to them as just Olivia stood gawking.
"Ready to go?" Yang asked playfully, pulling down her sunglasses and revealing her eyes with a wink.
"Anytime," he answered, linking his arm with Yang's. With a quick farewell wave to his team they disappeared into the hall.
"They are so adorable!" Olivia shouted as soon as she was certain they were out of range.
Esmerelda and Horatio could only smile and shake their heads.
Vale…
Welcome signs adorned the sidewalks near the docks, a preview of how Beacon Academy would soon be when the Vytal Festival started in earnest. The remnants of Team HERO and RWBY had met and were ready to begin having fun.
"There's a store here that boasts sweets from all over Remnant," Olivia read from her pamphlet. "We NEED to hit that at some point!"
"Tukson's Book Trade," Blake announced loudly. "I have a novel I need to pick up. He can get books no one else can in Vale."
Horatio's ears perked up at her last statement.
"Does he have anything on pre-technological Huntsman society?"
Blake just looked at him, mouth hanging open trying to process what he had just said.
"Uh….maybe? He claims to have every book under the sun."
"We can split up," Weiss offered. "Hit each place we want and meet up at the Monty café near the docks for the ship's arrival."
"Dibs on the sweets!" Ruby shouted teleporting next to Olivia. The two of them disappeared, only leaving behind their silhouettes in a puff of smoke and rose petals.
"I'll go with Blake to this book store," Horatio smiled, checking his wallet. "Depending what he has I may be light this month."
Weiss and Esmerelda were the last ones remaining as the dust settled. The two looked at each other; it was the first time they could remember it was just them without their teams.
"So…wanna hang out at the café?" Esmerelda asked as politely as possible.
"That sounds lovely."
Not far…
A chime greeted them as Blake and Horaito pushed open the door to Tukson's Book Trade, it appeared they were the only ones there.
Horatio's jaw hit the floor as he looked around the store. For as small and quaint as it appeared from outside it was filled nearly wall to wall with books. Not only the walls, but stands were positioned throughout the store, turning it into a sort of miniature maze. Blake navigated her way to the front while Horatio browsed the shelves.
Blake rang the small bell sitting on the front wood desk.
"Just a moment!" a voice called from the backroom visible through a set of double doors.
Horatio looked up and down the shelves; he had never seen such a diverse collection except in the largest of libraries.
Comics…magazines, fiction, non-fiction…aha…Historical non-fiction.
"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the…" the man stopped as he saw the ones in his shop.
"Blake!" He shouted, leaning over the desk. "How have you been? I haven't seen you since you started classes at Beacon!"
"I've been doing well Tukson, I hope you have too."
Horatio glanced over at mention of the man's name, same as the shop. He was clearly a Faunus based on his cat-like eyes, perhaps a Puma Faunus…which also explained his magnificent side burns and hairy arms.
"Well enough," he chuckled. "I know why you are here, just a moment." He disappeared into the back.
Horatio scanned the books, disappointed he could find nothing predating the Great War only eighty years earlier.
Tukson emerged from the back with a book already gift wrapped and presented it to Blake.
"There ya go, enjoy…you'd think this guy would have enough souls by now," he chuckled.
"O thank you," Blake replied with restrained jubilation. "I don't know how you got this; I thought I'd have to wait months for it to get out of Vacuo."
"Well I still have some of my old connec…"
Tukson stopped as he spotted Horatio making his way to the desk, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Who is he?" He asked.
"A friend from school, he's good I swear."
Tukson's demeanor softened immediately.
"Ah well in that case, what can I do for you son?"
"I um, was wondering if you had any books that predate the Great War." Horatio asked. "I was looking through the Historical non-fiction section and couldn't find any."
"Ah, that's easy; you are looking in the wrong place."
Tukson pointed just past them…to the Historical-fiction section.
"Sorry kid, very few events before the Great War can be verified. As a result I had to re-catalogue them so…anything in particular you were looking for?"
"As far back as I can find!" Horatio proclaimed. He was practically channeling Ruby in his enthusiasm.
"Hmmm, give me a second, be right back."
Tukson disappeared into the back again and was gone for several minutes. This gave Horatio ample time to look over the Historical-Fiction section.
"Legends of the Warrior King...Grimm Beginnings!" He read off to Blake as he pulled book after book from the shelves. "How to Pick Up Fair Maidens?" He slipped that one back onto the shelf.
When Tukson returned he was approached by Horatio holding a stack of half a dozen books.
"Um…one of each please," he asked sheepishly.
"He IS a good one," Tukson joked as he rang up the books, adding the one he had brought from the back to the top.
"Twin Worlds: The Birth of an Age?" Horatio read aloud, looking over the book. "I've never even heard of this one."
"Picked it up from an acquaintance in Vacuo who claimed not many copies were left. I usually keep it in the back but any friend of Blake's who is interested in history and literature is more than welcome to borrow it."
"Th-thank you sir! I will take good care of it." Horatio stuttered, suddenly acting as if the book in his hands was about to fall apart at any moment. He gently lowered it into the bag, cushioning it with the other books he had purchased.
"So, you two out for the welcome celebrations? Glad to see you met another intellectual Blake."
"Yes, we had the day off and decided to make the most of it. We'll be greeting the other Kingdom representatives by the docks."
"Well if any of them love books you know where to send them," he smiled. "And be sure to come back soon…I am sure that guy in your books will be up to five souls in no time."
Blake blushed as she slid the book into her bag.
The two exited the shop, waving goodbye to Tukson as the door swung shut behind them.
"You should have told me about this place before Blake," Horatio remarked, still excited over his purchases. "Their selection was excellent."
"Not many people use his store unfortunately. Faunus business owners have it rough, especially after all the White Fang have done."
Horatio knew of the White Fang, there were few who didn't. A group of Pro-Faunus individuals who used violence to try and improve rights for their people. Their goal may be noble…but their actions had proven to be anything but in recent years.
"That is terrible…I mean how would humans feel if Faunus judged us by just looking at one individual or group? Imagine if they treated us like we were all that Roman Torchwick guy the authorities are after."
Blake smiled wider at that than Horatio had ever seen.
Horatio did not notice the bow on her head bob slightly.
Tukson was right…he is a good one…just like my team. Maybe I can finally tell them…
At the Monty Café…
Esmerelda chuckled as Weiss completed her story.
"So that's why your drapes look like that …Ruby had no idea?"
"Not one bit," Weiss smiled back. "I had to point out her scythe had gone clean through them…now they just look tacky."
The two had been regaling each other with tales of their respective teammates. So far Weiss was winning as Ruby seemed to surpass even Olivia in her excitable nature and overall cheeriness.
"And Roland's action figures…' model figurines' he calls them," Esmerelda laughed, gripping her cup with a second hand to prevent it from spilling. "I swear they multiply when we're not looking…they are everywhere!"
Taking a final sip, Esmerelda laid down her empty coffee cup, she'd never had it before but Weiss insisted she try it. Apparently Weiss was a big fan of coffee with two lumps of sugar no cream.
I could grow to like this.
The two had decided to just relax until the ship was set to dock. It was a welcome change from the classes, exams and training they had endured the past few weeks. They would be meeting the others soon, but for now…this was nice.
Olivia and Ruby were the first to show up carrying several boxes full of chocolate, assorted candy and ice cream. After some begging Weiss was kind enough to place a miniature glyph on the boxes to ensure they did not melt before returning to Beacon.
Surprisingly, Yang was with them along with another girl they did not recognize. She was wearing a grey overall-dress with a white undershirt that looked very old fashioned. She had bright orange hair and piercing green eyes, a smile on her face as she seemed to be enjoying carrying the packages of assorted sweets.
"Salutations!" The girl exclaimed to everyone as they approached.
"Um…hello," Weiss greeted the new girl. "Have we met?"
"No," she answered, pausing for an uncomfortable amount of time before continuing. "But I have met Ruby and Olivia….Ruby called me a friend."
"I um…sort of ran into her when checking out a special on cookies they were having," Ruby explained embarrassed. "She absolutely insisted on helping us carry the packages."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Esmerelda held out her hand to the girl. "My name is Esmerelda."
"I am Penny!" She blurted out, taking Esmerelda's hand.
That is a strong grip!
"They had so many packages for you," Penny explained. "I absolutely had to help!"
"For us?"
"Blueberry Frozen Yogurt for Weiss, Strawberry for Yang and Rocky Road for Esmerelda," Ruby announced, laying the packages containing each in front of their respective owners.
Stars shimmered in each of the girl's eyes for a moment but quickly disappeared as they attempted to hide their delight.
"Ahem…thank you" Weiss muttered before sneaking a spoonful.
"So where'd Roland sneak off to?" Ruby finally asked, noticing his absence. "I thought you two were going to hit up the arcade."
"O we did, he seemed to hold his own at first but he took a BIG hit on the shooters. We agreed the loser had to buy drinks, he said he would catch up here."
"So how is your first crush big sis?"
"You crushed this man?" Penny asked, looking both confused and horrified at Ruby's question.
"Nono, crush ON him," Ruby tried to explain. "Um…you see Penny, when a Huntsman and Huntress love each other very much….
Yang took a swipe at Ruby who barely managed to duck, shielding her cookie box with her life.
"He is a perfect gentleman," Yang announced proudly. "He holds doors open, loves sparring and actually likes having fun. Too many guys these days don't appreciate a woman who can beat them to a pulp."
Ruby smiled, she had seen Yang flirt with and talk about other guys. With how utterly gorgeous she was it was hard to avoid the attention. How she was acting now though…it was different.
"Have you told Dad or Uncle Qrow yet?"
Yang nearly choked on her ice cream.
"I-I'll tell them when it's time…DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT…."
Ruby raised her hands in the air.
"Wouldn't dream of it!"
"So…." Weiss started, turning to the new girl, Penny, to change the subject. "What brings you to Vale?"
"I'll be competing in the Tournament."
"You'll be fighting? Where is the rest of your team?"
"I am combat ready!" Penny announced, giving Weiss a quick salute. "My compatriots did not wish to partake in the celebrations so I left on my own."
They stopped talking as Roland finally rejoined them, panting as if he'd run pretty far, he looked surprised as he saw the rest of the team and Penny present. He was holding his hands behind his back suspiciously.
"Yang! I…I didn't know everyone would be here already….and…" he glanced at Penny.
"I'm Penny, it's a pleasure to meet you," She greeted, her smile never fading as she spoke.
"…likewise," Roland replied, clearly confused.
"Almost everyone," Yang caught him up to speed. "We're still waiting on Blake and Horatio to get back…why do you look so guilty?"
"Guilty?" Roland asked, visibly sweating. "Me?"
"That would fit the evidence," Penny stepped in, talking faster than anyone he'd ever met and placing her face uncomfortably close to his. "You are hiding your arms from view, your internal temperature has risen with visible perspiration on your outer skin and your pupils appear to be dilated…"
As Roland struggled to find a defense, Yang walked up to him, eyes never wavering from his. With a quick motion she reached behind him and snatched what he was holding before he could pull back.
It was a small box wrapped in black and yellow paper just big enough to fit in the palm of Yang's hand.
Yang looked at him, her face a mix of appreciation and regret that she had called him out on the gift.
"I was…hoping to give that to you more privately," he groaned, glancing at their audience.
Every member of Team RWBY and HERO present immediately diverted their heads, looking in various directions and whistling nonchalantly. Penny was the only exception watching the two of them intently, still smiling.
Yang opened the package, inside was a small round purple pendent affixed onto a silver disk. A silver chain was wrapped around it to be used as a necklace.
"I…saw it in that store window near the arcade and it reminded me of your eyes…I knew I could never sneak over while we were there so…"
Yang punched him in the arm.
"You let me win you jerk!" She immediately followed-up the punch by wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "I love it…thank you."
They held the hug for what felt like forever, Roland pulled her as close as he could, stroking the back of her flowing hair. It was an eternity he never wanted to end.
After parting she turned around, holding up her hair she let Roland wrap the chain around her neck and affix the necklace in place.
"You could say I have an….eye for the best," he smiled, there was no stopping him.
"Aaawwwwww," Ruby and Olivia collectively sighed, unable to contain themselves any longer.
It did not take long for Horatio and Blake to return and just in time as the ship was starting its final preparations to enter dock. Penny rushed to the front of the group, straining to see as far as possible.
It was a massive ocean liner with a crew of dozens at least and the room to hold ten times more in passengers. The ship was armed with the best weaponry technology could offer, they could think of no Grimm that would even stand a chance against its defenses.
"Big smiles everyone! That means you too Weiss." Ruby exclaimed as they watched the ship.
"Hey!"
The docks were now packed with people come to welcome the representatives for the Vytal Festival. Horatio had his sketchbook out again, trying to get a quick outline of everyone he could and let his memory fill in the gaps for later.
The first to disembark was a team of four men, though only three were actually walking, the fourth with blue hair was apparently blindfolded, tied and was being carried. They appeared to have quite a fan following as hordes of girls surrounded them the whole way with signs and autograph requests.
"I knew you were lying!" the blindfolded student shouted to the others. "You told me we were taking an airship to Vale!"
"Calm down Neptune" the apparent leader, a young Faunus with blonde hair and monkey tail chided. "The airship wasn't leaving for hours, we would have been late…we save loads of time going by boat."
"That must be Team SSSN," Penny informed the group. "Led by Sun Wukong, the one in the open shirt. The other members of the team include Neptune Vasilias, Scarlet David and Sage Ayana."
As if he had heard his name Sun turned to their group, giving a flirtatious wink at Blake. She returned a smile.
Horatio and Roland looked him over. He was wearing blue shorts nearly reaching his ankles with an open white shirt that revealed his physique to the world. The two slumped over depressed, his abs were chiseled and absolutely amazing, suddenly they felt woefully out of shape.
Horatio is going to double the training reps for the rest of the year. Roland wept in his mind.
The next group consisted of two men and two women. The first to disembark was a woman with dark skin and platinum blonde hair. She wore a yellow robe though only her right arm had a sleeve; the left was bare revealing her shoulder and black tube top. A red sash tied the robe closed and she wore a set of long black pants.
"Team ABRN," Roland announced, not needing to wait for introductions. "Be right back."
He rushed down to the pier; the others close behind and headed Team ABRN off before they reached the taxi services that would take them through a tour of Vale and eventually to Beacon Academy.
"Arslan!" He shouted to the blonde, she and her teammates turned at his words.
"Roland?" The serious expression on her face never changed as she approached him.
As they came within arm's reach, both Roland and Arslan held out an arm, gripping the other up to the elbow as if they were comrades in some ancient war.
"You've gotten stronger," she finally smiled looking him over. "It's about time."
"I missed you too," Roland released his grip and motioned to the others behind him. "These are my friends; we can give better introductions at Beacon after you are settled in."
"You'd better be prepared for more sparring; you are keeping up your arm strength like I told you to right?"
"No worries there, I have been keeping up. I have a fantastic sparring partner." Roland nonchalantly motioned in Yang's direction. Arslan understood immediately.
"Excellent," her mood grew more serious as she leaned in closer. "Remember, don't overuse it...it's ok to think of yourself once in a while over others as hard as that is for you."
One of her teammates, a man with pink hair coughed loudly, motioning Arslan towards the taxis, they were on a tight schedule.
He waved goodbye as she joined her team, Roland knew they would have a hard time if they had to face Team ABRN in the Tournament. Even after his hours of sparring he was uncertain whether Yang or Arslan were stronger in terms of brute force.
There was one more Haven team left to disembark but most of the crowd had dispersed, no one seemed to be waiting for them specifically.
The first was a girl with green hair and dark skin almost matching Arslan's. She was wearing the Haven Academy uniform as were all of them consisting of a zipped up long-sleeve black jacket and white undershirt. The girl's uniform featured a skirt with a checkered gray, white and black pattern while the men wore pure black long pants.
"I had no idea Haven was so conservative on their color scheme," Esmerelda chimed in. The only vibrant color was a thin red strip on the right breast of the jacket.
Next was a man who appeared quite tall for a first year student. He had grey-silver hair spiked upward and held a serious expression on his face.
He was closely followed by a second girl. She had dark hair tied up into twin tails with large white ribbons and a kind smile on her face. She held a large black and white umbrella over her head and walked with the utmost grace and soft gentle steps.
"Any idea who they are?" Weiss whispered as they passed by.
"They must be last minute additions," Penny looked on curiously. "I do not recall seeing their faces in the Haven files."
Esmerelda reached into her pack and produced a Vytal Festival pamphlet. They were not yet distributed but Ms. Goodwitch had provided a copy to teams participating in the Tournament ahead of time.
"Team CRMS (Crimson) Horatio read aloud, leaning over Esmerelda's shoulder. "The third of the Haven Teams, the first girl was Emerald Sustrai, the second is listed as Ray Baskyn…the grey-haired guy is Mercury Black and they are led by a Cinder F….all..."
He trailed off as the final student stepped off the boat and all thought left his mind. His hands instantly started sketching off instinct alone.
The team leader Cinder Fall walked down the plank, she wore the same uniform as the previous girls had but the difference was night and day, Horatio's breath caught in his throat and his jaw hit the floor for the second time that day.
She was breathtaking, long curly hair matching the black of her uniform covering most of her left eye and falling past her shoulders. Her skin was almost as pale as Ruby's with burning bright amber eyes that stood out like the sun itself. She was smiling and waving nonchalantly to those on the dock but no one in particular. She could have been mistaken for a model.
Her eyes locked with Horatio's for a moment, it took all his will to muster a single wave back.
She returned his wave with one of her own accompanied by a wink before continuing to join her teammates.
Olivia was the first to notice their Team leader's mystified state.
"Horatio," she called, waving her hand in front of his face.
He continued to stare forward, his eyes frozen open, he did not appear to be blinking.
"Horatio! Fearless leader!" she called again, snapping her fingers in front of him, still no reaction. Glancing down she saw the sketch Horatio was working furiously on. It was clearly the leader of Team CRMS and was very detailed despite the short time since she had emerged from the ship.
Wow, that's some reaction…he wasn't this awestruck even when he first saw Ruby.
The sketch depicted Cinder walking on the pier; Horatio had already finished her outline and just about every minor detail of her clothes but had yet to complete her face.
"Wakey wakey!" she shouted, giving Horatio a smack on the back of the head.
Horatio fell forward, slamming into the ground hard and tumbling forward, the sketch pad sliding to the edge of the dock.
"What was that for?" Horatio blurted out, scrambling to retrieve it. He had been so entranced he had neglected to raise his Aura.
"I had to bring you back down to earth," she laughed. "From the look on your face you were halfway to heaven."
"You could say he was…..FALLing for her hard."
Roland woke up 2 hours later at the dorms in a daze…..
Inside the Taxi…
Cinder took a seat as the car sped off; her team had been given special permission by Haven's Headmaster to have a private vehicle.
"I thought we weren't supposed to be drawing attention to ourselves," Mercury replied snidely to Cinder.
"That's why I'm in command," she responded calmly, the serene yet sinister smile on her face unbroken. "We would have stood out more if we didn't make it seem like we were glad to be here."
"Well, we have a few hours until the tour takes us to Beacon," Emerald advised, looking over the pamphlet the visiting students had been provided. "Unfortunately we couldn't get out of it entirely."
"No problems there," Cinder's smile deepened. "I mean just look at all the fascinating stops we will be seeing: The business district, the Cross Continental Transmit System Tower, the …why we'll even get to see the Tournament Grounds before anyone else."
Her team smiled with her at the names of the locations on their route to Beacon Academy. The girl known as Ray kicked her feet up, tilting the umbrella to provide shade from the taxi sun roof.
New friends and enemies arrive at Beacon. Can our Heroes recognize which is which before it is too late? Realization of friends already among them will come to light.
The changes from canon expand due to Team HERO's involvement. Events changing in unexpected ways… Read, review, but most of all enjoy!
