A/N: Thank you all for your support! I had a bit of trouble making this. Mainly because this chapter has a lot of action and action scenes aren't my strength in stories :/ But hopefully I wrote it okay.
Also, I watched episode 11, and it was AWESOME. And Blake's semblance including dust totally confirms what I'm going to do with my story (laughs evilly) But, in all seriousness, one of the best episodes.
REVIEW TIME:
Skye Air: Thanks for you nice review. I'm glad you liked the hints I gave about Pyrrha.
TigerRaiken: Thanks for the review. And if you don't mind can I use Mistralian because I actually need like a certain title to give the people of Mistral so I can call them anything but...the people of Mistral. So, yeah. Thanks!
Kegi Springfield: Thanks for the review. And yes, Jaune does need to improve his pick up lines, but Jaune is Jaune so that'll be very unlikely.
Ragglefraggle97: By the way, I like your name, and thanks for the review!
ShaunyRedComet: Thanks for the review, and yes I will keep writing.
Koye: Thanks for the review. And technically Blake is by herself since she got separated from Weiss, but I have a general idea of how I'll get her to join team RWY (Ruby, Weiss and Yang). Aura is used by almost everyone, as I feel like in the show it didn't make sense when Pyrrha had to go through that long speech, so I don't want every character unlocking their aura that way. Besides, they're going to need aura later on, so, yeah, not EVERY character will get there's unlocked that way. Yes, there will be romance (not saying who) No, fingers cannot reattach, but I may look into that, and lastly, I'll try to add more RVB references. (This chapter will hopefully show some)
Ikasury: Your review made me laugh so hard. I looked up Legend of Dragoon and it took me about ten minutes to realize that you didn't mistype and it's actually spelled Dragoon instead of Dragon. And concerning Yang being responsible, I've always had this feeling that beneath her wild personality she truly is a very protective and responsible sister towards Ruby. Thank you for your support!
*Takes deep breath* Okay. Now that I'm done with that, onto the chapter! Please read and review!
Chapter 7: The Invincible Thief Part 2
Everyone is entitled to their own sorrow, for the heart has no metrics or form of measure. And all of it... irreplaceable.
8 Years Ago
The girl ran, her legs burning, her watery tears blurring with the rain falling onto her face. The distant howl of a beast sent chills down her spine, or maybe that was because of the cold, slick rain coating her body. Where was her father? She had just been with him when the bad guys attacked. He said he was just behind her. All around her the trees seemed to taunt the girl's very existence, their towering branches and height causing her to want to climb under a rock and hide. But her father had told her to run, and she never disobeyed him. Suddenly, a sharp pain emancipated in her ankle as the girl failed to notice the tree root sticking up from the rocky ground. Her body twisted at an odd angle as she tripped and fell over the ledge of a small hill. Screaming, she tumbled down the hill at an alarming rate, her hair mixing with sticks and her skin breaking apart as blood flowed out freely.
Then, she abruptly stopped. Something had grabbed her. Someone had grabbed her. Afraid that the person was another bandit, the girl didn't dare to move from her now fetal position.
"Are...are you okay?" It didn't sound like a criminal. It sounded like...a boy. A young boy to be exact. Bandits weren't young boys, were they? The girl figured no, and reluctantly opened her eyes.
The first thing she noticed was his eyes. Blue like the sea and soft and kind. His tousled blond hair seemed a bit unruly and long. Maybe he hadn't gotten it cut in a while? The girl gulped, not sure what to make of the stranger, and stayed silent.
"Um...are you okay?" The boy asked again, rain drizzling onto his already wet hair. The girl slowly uncurled her body and sat up. He seemed nice, and definitely not a murderer.
"I-I'm, f-f-fine," She stammered, not just because she was freezing, but because her speech had always been a problem since she was born, "I-I'm..."
"Wait a sec-" The boy said quickly, and put his fingers to his lips. The sound of growling caused the girl's blood to run cold and she froze. Behind them, the noise continued to grow, sending spikes of terror to her heart. She watched the boy carefully stand up, motioning for her to do the same, and they both started to tiptoe away towards the safe haven of trees.
Almost...there.
Too late. The boy pushed the girl down as a silver haired wolf came leaping at them both. She shrieked and forced herself to stand up and try to remain calm. The wolf's menacing eyes locked onto not her, but the blond boy, and the animal lunged at him. The girl swiftly grasped a long stick off the ground and tried to stab the creature, her scrawny arms swinging wildly in the air and keeping the wolf at bay.
"Keep distracting it!" The boy to her left shouted, "I have a dagger but it fell somewhere!" He dropped to the earth and ran his fingers into the long grass to try and find the weapon.
"O-o-okay," The girl said nervously. The wolf growled and jumped at her once more, forcing her to tumble to the left and aim her makeshift sword at the beast's body. It's fangs nearly sunk into her heart as the beast continued its merciless onslaught. She couldn't go on like this any longer.
"Got it!" The boy cried, causing the wolf to turn its head and direct its attention to the blond. Gulping, the boy raised his dagger and waited for the creature to try and strike. The girl, seeing her chance to sneak up on the creature, quietly sauntered towards the wolf, arm also raised with the stick held high. The boy looked at her and curtly nodded, signaling his thanks. Lightning suddenly struck from the sky, blinding the girl for a split moment and allowing the wolf to jump at the boy. The beast's teeth sunk into his wrist, causing him to yell out in pain and drop his dagger. The girl cried out in sorrow, but despite her fear, sprinted towards the fallen weapon and soared into the open air before stabbing the monster in the heart. The wolf's body went slack, and soon fell off of his prey.
"A-a-a y-you a-alright?" She stumbled over her words and her eyes widened as the boy began to fall from his loss of blood. She hastily cached him and set him carefully on a rock before inspecting his wound. Two gaping holes of red were located on his arm, and the girl tried not to panic as the boy's face turned a ghost-white. Her trembling fingers found her dirty shirt and she ripped off good chunk of fabric. Her father had taught her how to treat bleeding. Something called a ban-de-age? Wrapping the cloth around the injury, she muttered a quick prayer for the boy, as well as herself, and tied to know tightly. Looking around, she realized that she and the boy couldn't just stay out in the frigid and pouring rain. Attaching the dagger to the boy's belt, she placed both her hands under her armpits and dragged him into the forest in hopes of finding shelter. He stirred slightly, his mind fading in and out of reality, but the girl could hear him mutter two words over and over again.
"I'm Jaune, I'm Jaune..."
Jaune, the girl thought. The color of the sun, of light, the color of yellow.
It seemed to fit him.
Mistral
Present Time
"Well," Jaune stopped in front of the store. The only store, in fact, that was fortunately unharmed in the Invincible Thief's rampage, "Benjamen's Bountiful Blacksmith Shop. That...is like the worst name ever...of all time."
"Come on, Prince Jaune," Ren sighed, and opened the store door. The two had been spending the last twenty minutes gathering the needed supplies and materials, which included new clothes as having to drag oneself all over a country sort of soiled ones outfit. As they entered the shop, an apprentice with dark brown hair looked at them with curious eyes.
"Good morrow," He said, "I'm James, what can I help you both with?"
"I'm Ren, this is Jaune. We were wondering if you had any weapons-" Ren glanced at his friend, "-and a shield."
"Sure. The weapon racks are over there," James pointed to the corner of the shop, where several rows of swords and daggers hung loosely, "But we don't have many finished shields."
"What do you mean by finished?" Jaune asked.
"Just painted, decorated. Most folks ask for a custom designed shield," James explained.
"Are you willing to decorate one for me?"
"Sure, if you're willing to pay," James laughed, and Jaune put the large sack of money on a nearby table. James's eyes widened as he heard the rich sound of golden lien hit the surface, "Come with me into the back and we can get started." He waved for Jaune to follow.
"You know what you want?" Jaune said to Ren before he left. The raven-haired boy nodded silently.
"Just go, Prince Jaune."
"Don't call me that!" Jaune said, disappeared behind the corner as he and James went to get his new shield. Ren strolled over to the weapons on the wall and sighed. He couldn't recall the last time he picked up a sword, let alone a training one, and prayed that he could remember his father's lessons in fighting. Most of his life had been using aura, which came in handy, but Ren knew it would be unwise to depend on the fragile power. And besides, Jaune was pretty good at using a sword and he was Jaune, so how hard would it be? Ren extended his hand and grabbed a seemingly lightweight sword off the wall, only for the weapon to immediately fall to the ground. Nope, something was telling him that long-swords weren't his muse. Ren carefully placed the sword back up and looked around again. Out of the corner of his eye, a bright light flashed, and he turned his head quickly.
Hmm...those looked like they could work...
"So, where do you come from?" James inquired as he and Jaune walked towards the back store room, "If you don't mind me asking?"
"No, it's alright," Jaune said, "I traveled here from Vale." A pang of sadness stabbed his heart, but he forced a smile at the shop's apprentice.
"Wow, you must've had to travel for quite a while."
"It actually wasn't that bad. I live near the border of the land."
"What brings you to Mistral?" James asked while opening a door.
"Just sightseeing," Jaune lied. He and James entered the supply room and the latter reached up to grab a gray Heater shield.
"Here we go," James gently dropped the shield onto the nearby table, "Now here's the part where you tell me what you want designed on it."
"Hmm..."
"I'm not as good as the owner of the place, but I can do circles, squares, arcs-"
"Arcs?"
"Yeah."
"Can you do two for me?"
"Sure, what color would you like? I need three. One for the outline, one for the base color, and one for the color of the arcs."
"Gold, white and gold," Jaune said instantly, remembering his country's colors and emblem design.
"Sure. I'll get the supplies needed, but you can draw on this-" James put down a blank sheet of paper, "To show me where you want the arcs and everything else."
"Thanks," Jaune said, and James gave him a pencil. The prince slowly pressed the lead on the paper and closed his eyes, trying his very best to envision his family's flag...
"Hey, Jaune, are you done?" Ren asked as he ambled down the hallway. It had been a half-hour since first entering the store and he knew that the Invincible Thief wasn't going to catch herself.
"Yeah, yeah, Ren, I'm coming!" Jaune called, and the sound of a door opening and closing made Ren stop. Suddenly, his friend turned the corner, a shining and slightly wet-from-paint shield in his hand. Ren whistled and studied the piece of art, and the magenta eyed boy could guess that Jaune wanted to honor his family, as the shield looked exactly like Vale's flag. The Heater was a white color, with a golden outline and the same colored arcs smack dab in the center.
"I like it," Ren said after a long pause, "How much?"
"Not that much, only about 20 lien," Jaune shrugged, "Did you get a suitable weapon?"
"Two, actually," Ren gave a rare smile and held up two green handled daggers, both razor-sharp and a bit curvy in the middle.
"Ooh, they're pointy," Jaune stated the obvious, "You know how to use those, right?"
"Sort of," Ren admitted, "But I'm fairly sure it'll be fine." The two rounded the corner and payed James the required money before heading out. A windy breeze hit the raven-haired boy's face, causing shivers to run up his spine, "Where's the solider supposed to meet us?"
"Right there," Jaune pointed to a knight with regular Mistralian armor running towards them. His dark eyes seemed to scan the area with a hint of paranoia.
"You Jaune Arc?" He asked in a gruff manner. Jaune nodded, "Come with me." The man turned and headed down the stone street and into an alleyway. Jaune and Ren quickly sprinted after him and saw that he had stopped at a local tavern.
"Edgar's Hole," Ren read the shop's name, "Home to Beer, Money, and Trapped Cows...what the bloody hell."
"What kind of bastard would trap cows..." Jaune muttered.
"Here's where the person you need to find lives," The knight said, "His name's Ryan Haywood, and he's a fairly sane person."
"Fairly sane?" Jaune gulped.
"You'll be fine," The knight smirked, "And he knows how to get to the Mistral Underground Blackmarket, or M.U.M."
"Mum?" Jaune said, trying to hide a laugh.
"Hey, the name wasn't my choice," The knight shrugged, and began to walk away.
"Thanks for helping," Jaune said, and entered the tavern, Ren closely behind. The strong aroma of puke and alcohol instantly engulfed his senses, causing the prince to gag and cover his mouth in hopes of keeping his lunch where it belonged, "Dear lord this place reeks." Ren rolled his eyes and scanned the tavern for anyone that looked the owner. Ignoring the drunkards beating the hell out of one another, he walked over to the bar and sat down casually.
"Ugh, I'm going to be sick," Jaune groaned, holding onto his stomach, his face the color of pea-soup.
"Why must your stomach be so sensitive?" Ren asked.
"Get it from my father," Jaune stated, "That's why he never drinks alcohol unless on special occasions."
"Oh, well-"
"You two seem a little young to be here," A voice cut through Ren's sentence. The magenta eyed boy turned to see a middle-aged man with red hair staring back at him.
"That's because we are," Ren said, "But we're not here for a drink."
"Aw, too bad, you look like ya need one." He grinned while polishing his beer cup, "What brings you to this fine establishment?"
"We need to find someone," Ren shouted, trying to yell over all the noise the drunk men in the bar were creating. A loud crash was heard and several bits of glass flew in the air.
"Ugh, there goes another one of my fine glassware," The red man sighed, "Names Ryan Haywood," He held out his hand, "Owner of Edgar's Hole."
"Okay...then," Ren reluctantly shook his grease stained palm. The man named Ryan leaned in towards the magenta eyed boy, his breath smelling of garlic and trash, "We need to get to the Mistral Underground Market, and fast."
"What's yer business with it?" Haywood asked.
"We're looking for a person. A girl to be more exact. She stole something of mine and it's imperative that we get it back," Ren scowled, and narrowed his eyes.
"And what would this fanciful object be?" Haywood inquired.
"That's our business and our business only," Ren said coldly.
"Are you sure I can trust you with the entrance to a place where highly wanted thieves and cons live?"
"Abosolu-"
"BLEGH!" The sound of Jaune puking filled Ren's ears and he flinched.
"Seriously, Prince Jaune?!"
"Curse my stomach!" Jaune fell to the floor and gasped for air.
Haywood peered over the counter.
"Is he a drinker?" The bar owner asked.
"No, just an idiot," Ren corrected, and rubbed his temples, "Listen, we really need to get into this illegal place or whatever."
"If Vomit Boy cleans up his puke I might be able to help ya."
"Say what now?" Jaune raised his hand and grabbed onto the counter before weakly hoisting himself up.
"You heard the man, Jaune," Ren smirked, and watched as Haywood threw a broom at the blond, "Clean up time."
"I bloody hate you."
The girl stopped, her breathing short and irregular and her head spinning from the lack of food in her stomach. It had been almost an hour since escaping the wolf, and by then the rain had ceased and the sun had begun to shine. Beside her, the blond boy with the less-than-decent bandage lazily opened his eyes and gasped. He instantly shot up and looked left and right several times.
"Where..." His voice trailed off as he realized that he wasn't dead.
"A-are, y-you a-a-alright?" She stammered. The boy nodded and lifted up his arm.
"Did you make this?" He asked.
"Mmhm," She said.
"Thanks," He rubbed his hand through his hair, "I'm Jaune, by the way."
"P-Pyrrha A-A-Avair," Pyrrha said, and held out her hand. Her father had always told her to be polite.
"Keira?"
"Pyrrha."
"Mira?"
"P-Pyrrha."
"Oh...Lira?"
"N-nevermind," Pyrrha groaned.
"Okay, Pyrrha," Jaune's face lit up, "Hey, I got it!"
"Y-yes y-you did," Pyrrha chuckled a little.
"So, Pyrrha, where are we?"
"D-don't k-know," Pyrrha admitted, "A-after t-the wolf bit y-you I d-dragged y-you h-here."
"Well..thanks again," Jaune said and tried to stand up, only to immediately fall down. He yelped in pain and Pyrrha helped him sit back up.
"I d-don't t-think y-you should m-move," She said.
"I wish my father was here," Jaune's voice cracked a bit and his eyes watered up.
"M-me too," Pyrrha said sadly, "W-why i-isn't y-your f-father here?"
"I...it's a long story."
"I'm w-willing t-to l-listen,"" Pyrrha said in an earnest tone.
"Really?"
"S-sure. I-it'll be l-like w-we're t-telling one a-another bedtime s-stories."
"Hmm, I guess it is!" Jaune laughed slightly, "Okay then, Pyrrha. I'm a prince."
"A prince?" Pyrrha said in awe.
"Yeah. It seems nice, but it really isn't."
"Why n-not?"
"Nobody listens to what I want to do, or even where I want to go," Jaune's face darkened, "My mom and dad don't even listen to what I say sometimes."
"That doesn't sound good," Pyrrha could never imagine her father neglecting her.
"That's why I ran away."
"You r-ran a-way?"
"Yeah. Now I don't know what to do."
"M-my d-daddy m-may f-find m-me s-soon," Pyrrha said hopefully, "W-we g-got l-lost from each o-other."
"Do you think we'll be able to get some food soon," Right on cue Jaune's stomach growled, "I'm hungry."
"M-me t-too."
After about ten minutes of vomit cleaning, which may or may not have caused more puke to exit Jaune's stomach, and a somewhat large bribe to Haywood, the bar owner opened up the back room and took Ren and Jaune to the M.U.M secret entrance.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Haywood asked again.
"We have to," Ren said simply. Haywood turned the corner and unlocked a small room with one of his keys.
"Here we are. One of the many entrances to The Mistral Underground Blackmarket," He pointed to the wine-colored rug on the floor, "Under this is an entrance to the place."
"This...is it?" Jaune said.
"What did ya expect? A royal red carpet? Some trumpets going off to signal ya arrival? Most entrances are different, but at least mine is subtle," The bar owner moved the rug and opened the wooden latch underneath, revealing a black hole, "Here we go."
"We have to jump!?" Jaune exclaimed, a frightened expression on his face as he stared down the entrance to the illegal black market, "This is a HOLE!"
"So?"
"So!?" Jaune backed away slowly.
"Uh, ye do realize that we don't have mile long ladders in Mistral, right?" Haywood said dryly.
"Well, yeah, but can't you add like, stairs or something?" Jaune protested.
Ren looked over the edge of the hole, "How do you even get back up?"
"You'll figure that part out when you get down there."
"How does that even make sense?!" Jaune exclaimed.
"It's not that far," Ren said, "We're wasting time, Jaune."
"I am NOT jumping down a hole that's leading to Remnant knows where."
"Aw, c'mon!" Haywood gave a hearty laugh, "If cows can do it, so can you!" He raised his beefy hand.
"What are you-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-" Haywood shoved Jaune into the hole and Ren watched as the dignified Prince of Vale screamed like a little girl, "-OOF"! The sound of Jaune's body hitting something caused Ren to laugh a little.
"He sounds like a pretty pansy, I might say," Haywood chuckled.
"Are you dead, yet, Prince Jaune?" Ren asked innocently, not being able to see his friend's body because of the long distance.
"Your an ass, ya know that, right? Jaune yelled.
"Oh, yeah," Ren smirked.
"So, is this where we part?" Haywood said.
"Afraid so," Ren prepared himself to drop down, "Thanks for the help!"
"No problem, and a word of advice, if I might."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Don't get killed. 'Cause chances are you might."
"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind," Ren said, and without another moments hesitation flung himself into darkness.
He totally forgot about Jaune.
Oh...the pain.
CRASH! THUD! CRACK-"MY BACK!" A blur of colors flashed everywhere and Ren slammed into a hard object. Stars danced in Ren's vision as reality came back to him. Crap, that was not going to help his injured arm. He looked to his right and saw that he and Jaune had landed on a huge pile of straw, hay, and meshes. Something warm was under him, why was-?
"REN, GET OFF ME!" Jaune yelled. His friend, seeing the position they were both currently in, immediately hopped off and brushed his sleeves, sending a jab of pain up to the wound he received at the Arc Castle.
"You alright?" Ren asked.
"No. You just fell on my from, like, 100 feet on my back. I'm perfectly fine," Jaune said sarcastically while rubbing his injured spine at the same time.
"I thought you had moved!" Ren defended. Before Jaune could be a comment back the sound of swords being drawn echoed behind their ears.
"State your business coming here-" A woman's voice said sternly. Ren and Jaune turned around to see a group of peasants aiming their weapons at the two sojourners' faces, "Or else die."
"Woah, woah, woah!" Jaune took a step back, "T-take it easy. We're here because we're looking for someone who stole something from my friend."
"You...aren't related to King Nikos?" The woman asked, her murky brown eyes narrowed.
"No," Jaune said, though he technically remembered that General Nyx was. But having a dozen people with potential life-threatening swords aimed at him caused that part to slip his mind.
"He's telling the truth," Ren said slowly, "We're only here to get something that belongs to us." The woman seemed to consider his statement before finally putting away her glaive.
"Fine, they're in," She stated to her friends, and they all sheathed their weapons as well. The woman extended her hand and gave a forced smile, "I'm Imogen. Welcome to the West Side of the Inferus."
"Inferus?" Ren said in a confused tone.
"West Side?" Jaune said.
"We call this place Inferus, as it means a lower world in Latin," Imogen explained.
"It's a step up from M.U.M," Jaune mumbled, "And whatever this place is, it doesn't really look like a blackmarket area." He looked around to see more than a dozen happy children chasing one another.
"Inferus is split into four parts," Imogen explained as she, Ren, and Jaune strolled down the secret city's path, the latter taking in the remarkable sights as they walked. A vast assortment of handmade shops and stores were lined up along the stone walls. A water fountain to his left gushed out clear spring liquid while kids laughed and encircled around it.
"If you're looking for a thief-" Imogen's words brought Jaune back to the conversation, "Or a conman, or even someone to do your dirty work, the Northern and Eastern part it the place you wish to be." Ren suddenly stopped as he felt small tug on his shirt. Glancing down, a young girl with bright blue eyes and brown hair smiled warmly.
"You accidentally stepped on Lucy," She said in a matter-of-fact voice. Ren lifted his foot and saw that he had indeed put his foot on her doll.
"Er. Sorry," He reached down and handed the doll to the girl, who instantly ran away afterwards.
"Wow, you're really good with kids," Jaune said.
"Belt it, Jaune," Ren grumbled, "Anyways, about this whole place. Why is it all split up?"
"Mainly because each person has different opinions on how to this is be be ran," Imogen said, "Here is where the peasants and everyone trying to avoid Nikos's collapsing economy gather. In the Northern and Eastern parts is where illegal trade happens, as well as sword matches and other types of brawling. And in return for us giving them food, they have vowed to protect us in case Nikos's soldiers try to attack."
"You grow food down here?" Ren said in a surprised tone.
"Aye. Mostly wheat, though. But lately we've been having problems with the soil, so food has been slightly scarce. Usually when this happens we just send some people up the surface to trade or buy, but Nikos' soldiers have been patrolling like nobodies bloody business."
"You seem to have a pretty stable home here."
"Indeed. Up there is too dangerous," Imogen gave a sad look, "I can just...sense it in the air that something is about to happen to Remnant. Call me a loony bird but it's just a bad feeling. That's why I moved down here with my family."
"Sometimes it's important to expect the unexpected," Ren stated, "And there's no harm in living down here where it's safe and secure."
"I guess you are right," Imogen.
"So, do you have any idea how we can get to the Northern and Eastern parts?" Jaune inquired.
"Just follow this path-" Imogen stomped her foot on the stone path underneath her body, "But, I warn you, once you reach where you want to go the atmosphere may become a bit...changed."
"Yeah, we've been told," Ren said.
"And, not trying to be a downer or anything, but whatever you're searching for, it's probably been sold by now."
"Well, we don't really have much of a choice," Jaune said grimly.
"If that's the case, then I wish you luck," Imogen began to stride away.
"Thank you-" Jaune sighed, "We'll probably need it."
"Why didn't you use your aura back there?" Ren's question popped out of the blue, and Jaune struggled to find an answer.
"I-I, well, you see-"
"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, but it's just that at times when I was watching you and your father duel, you never used it unless instructed to," Ren said, "And aura would of been useful to, you know, assist your injured back."
"Er...I don't exactly have control over my aura."
"Huh?"
"My aura wasn't exactly unlocked correctly."
"What? I thought your father unlocked yours."
"Yeah...I lied."
"Oh. Then...how?"
"It's a long story."
"Well-" Ren shrugged, "Maybe I can help you unlock your aura all the way if you tell me what happened."
"Okay then. I guess it all started when I realized being a prince was a completely overrated job profession. My dad was mad at me for missing one of my history lectures or something...or maybe sparring. Anyways, it doesn't matter. But I had basically ran away. Long story short, I got utterly lost and met a girl. We ended up getting hurt or something and she unlocked my aura so I could heal her. But...she wasn't able to do it properly because she had a bad stutter."
"Quite a story there."
"I know, right."
"How are you able to control yours so easily?"
"I'm just used to it," Ren said. Suddenly, the sound of a chatter and fighting filled the air the closer he and Jaune got to turning the tunnel corner.
"Hmm, I wonder what everyone is so riled up about," Jaune muttered, and the two friends looked around the tunnel's bend. No sooner had Jaune did this when a bladed battle axe came flying at his head, "What the-!?" He cursorily ducked and his face dug into hard dirt as the shiny weapon lodged itself into the wall behind him. Trying hard not to have a mental breakdown at his near death experience, he jumped up, eyes trailing towards the seemingly insane person that had just thrown axe.
"This...is not good," Ren said in a stoic voice, and Jaune followed his friend's gaze to what he saw staring at.
Well...Imogen was telling the truth about how the atmosphere would change. Nearly every top-of-the-line criminal seemed to be in the Mistral Blackmarket Center. The bustling place was full of high-class tents and stores perfect for trading and selling. Rows of torches aligned on the walls illuminated the market with an eerier glow, sending peoples' shadows dancing across the floor. A burly man was beating up another man at a local pub just like in Edgar's Hole, and several horse-run-carts strolled down the streets with goods in their trunks. Jaune gulped, and scooted closer to the wall in hopes of avoiding anyone more flying weapons.
"What the hell do we do?" Jaune asked softly.
"Er...act normal?"
"Act normal!?"
"Well, I haven't exactly been in this kind of situation before, Prince Jaune!"
"Okay, okay. How about this? We just walk down the street and hope that no one tries to pummel us. Then, we ask someone who, once again, won't pummel us for information on the Invincible Thief."
"Walk and don't die. That sounds like the kind of plan you would create," Ren said jokingly.
"Yeah, yeah it is," Jaune took a deep breath before rounding the corner. Head held high, he ignored the strange looks that the people were giving him and continued making his way down the street. His perpendicular vision informed him that no one was running up to him saying 'DIE NEW GUY' so he figured he was in the clear. Sneaking a glance at Ren, he saw that his friend was as stoic as ever, face passive despite the odd stares he was getting, but his hands were resting on his daggers just in case someone tried something. Soon, the criminals and thieves decided that the two friends weren't worth the time, and resumed their daily business of killing and stealing.
"So," Ren said as soon as he thought he and Jaune were away from harm, "What should we do now?"
"Find the thief. I'm pretty sure that someone around here knows her. Maybe we should split up and try to cover more ground."
"Are you sure about that?" Ren asked, "No offense but these people are down here for a reason."
"Look, Ren. They don't give a Remnant about us, they didn't even wave. And I'm sure that we'll be fine," Jaune reasoned.
"Fine, but meet back here if anyone goes wrong," Ren brought out his daggers and held them tightly in his hands, "Now, let's find that thief."
"Just go, Pyrrha!"
"I'm not leaving you!" Pyrrha blinked back the tears overflowing her face as she and an injured Jaune raced down the lonesome street.
Almost lonesome, that is. The two had been traveling for quite a while until they had run into a band of marauders. Jaune had, once again, saved the crimson haired girl's life by taking an arrow for her.
She had to admit, he was selfless, but also stupid. Now, she was half-dragging/half-carrying the prince with the thieves still on their tails. Her legs wouldn't stop shaking and her head felt like it was going to explode from her deprivation of sleep. Pyrrha would have used her aura, a skill her father taught her, but she wanted to save it for Jaune for later.
If they survived, however. Suddenly, an arrow grazed Pyrrha's head, causing the young girl to stumble and fall onto the street. Blood ran down the side of her cheeks and she mentally cursed herself for her inability to dodge attacks. She felt Jaune slip out from her grasp and tried to yell his name, but a rough hand grabbed her mouth and neck before slamming her into the earth again. Pyrrha activated her aura, allowing her mind to heal see what was going on. The thieves had indeed caught up with them, one slinging Jaune over his shoulder, and Pyrrha scowled. The man who had seized her gave a cruel smile, and pinned her arms down before getting on top of her legs.
"Now for some fun," He said. Pyrrha closed her eyes and tried to ignore the tingling sensation in her fingers.
Wait...a tingling sensation? Pyrrha glanced at her hands and was shocked to discover they were glowing a vibrant dark red. Green eyes wide, she saw that when she wiggled her finger tips a nearby fallen sword began to move.
My semblance, she realized. Her father had told her that she would unlock hers when the time was right.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune's voice called out. The man on top of Pyrrha was about to lean in when the crimson haired girl flicked her wrist, causing the sword to fly up into the air and race towards the man's chest. The sickening sound of flesh being impaled caused the nine year old to close her eyes as flecks of warm blood splattered on her cheeks. She pushed the man over to the side and lifted both her hands. The band of thieves were starting to back away, their weapons rattling every time Pyrrha waved her fingers. Suddenly, with a thrust of her arms, the swords and axes turned against their owners, cutting open their skin and stabbing every inch of their bodies. She watched as Jaune wiggled his way out of the a thief's grasp and ran towards her. A deafening silence filled their ears as their eyes scanned the mass of dead bodies littering the empty road. Hands no longer illuminated, Pyrrha let them fall to her side and her knees gave way.
"Pyrrha!" She felt Jaune's arms grab hers before everything turned to black.
Finding a thief was easier said than done. After about fifteen minutes of countless searching, bumping into people, and nearly getting hit by 7...no 10 flying knives and swords, Jaune was about to crack. No one seemed to know where the Invincible Thief was.
"You should try the Inferus Battle Arena."
Almost everyone.
"The what?" Jaune was taking a rest at a makeshift bar and trying his very best not to anger the drunk men surrounding the area, "The battle arena?"
"Yep," The bar tender said, "I've been there once or twice, never really my thing, but she's popular around those parts."
"The Battle Arena..." Jaune nearly slapped himself for not figuring that out earlier, "Thanks for the help."
"No problem," The man said, and gave a half-toothless grin, "Here, take this as a Inferus gift," He tossed a glass of odd-smelling beer towards the prince.
"Uh...thanks," Jaune said, and jumped up from his bar seat before taking a sharp left.
CRASH! Jaune felt the beer filled cup slip from his fingers and shatter on the floor as he smacked into another person. He stumbled back before a fist shot out from the air and grabbed his shirt.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" A female voice snapped, and Jaune blinked several times to make out the mysterious figure, "You just got beer all over my shirt!" She pulled the blond forwards so that he got a good look at her angry face.
The first thing Jaune noticed was her eyes. They were a vivid emerald green color that seemed to grow brighter with every blink she took. Wearing her signature cloak, she was also dressed in bronze and red armor everywhere instead of her hands, and her lush crimson hair fell over her shoulder in a wavy manner. Flashes of strange past memories and scenes rolled over Jaune's mind. Ones full of silver wolfs twirling and blood spraying everywhere. He remembered this from somewhere, but...where? The prince could only gape as the girl continued to scowl at him.
"Excuse me? Are you brain dead?" She asked rudely.
"Um..."
"Well, I suppose that's a yes," The girl shoved Jaune back and began to stalk away.
"Hey!" Jaune yelled and put his hand on the girl's shoulder. She instantly spun around and twisted Jaune's wrist towards the Inferus ground. And despite the massive pain of his breaking arm, Jaune decided to continue talking, "I remember you from somewhere."
"I'm well-known around here," The girl scoffed, not letting her grip loosen.
"No, no. Not from here. From before."
"Please. Do you even know who I am?" The girl asked, her tone cold and sharp.
"Not exactly."
"Then stop acting like a fool and use your brain." Her voice made Jaune grit his teeth, "If you have one."
"Course I do, sunshine," Jaune's mind zoomed back to his encounters with Weiss and her snobbish nature. Dealing with this girl's attitude would be a piece of cake, "Afraid you don't, though."
Her strength however.
"What makes you think you have the right to talk to me like that?" She scowled, and Jaune yelped out in pain as she twisted his wrist even more. He had to get out of there before she permanently rearranged his bones.
"I don't know, hot-stuff," Jaune smirked, "But I'll answer you if you let me go."
"Ever heard of the Mistral Tournament?"
"Nope."
"Best Fighter of the Year Award?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"Okay..." She gave a wicked grin, "How...about...this," Her other hand flicked up, revealing a light green dust crystal, and Jaune would have fallen down from shock if she wasn't holding his arm.
"You!" He exclaimed, and used his free hand to try and reach the dust.
"I recognize a face when I see one," The girl said simply, "Especially from a bumbling idiot like yourself. Thanks for letting me escape, by the way."
"L-letting you-I need that back!" Jaune shouted. The girl's crimson hair smacked his face as she let go of his arm and spun around. Jaune rubbed his wrist and stood up.
"Please. Do you know how much this thing will give me? It's not everyday that you get your hands on dust, sweetie."
"Listen," Jaune didn't care how pathetic he sounded, "I really, really need that and-"
"And what?" Her eyes narrowed, "You think that your well-being is more important than others? Than the ones who actually need money or food?"
"No, I just-"
"Well, it's not. So I think I'll hold onto this for safe-keeping," The girl's smug expression caused Jaune to clench his fists in anger.
"Listen, I don't know who the hell you are-" He took a few steps forward, "But what gives you the right to take what's not yours?"
"Stealing because you just want to and stealing for a purpose it different," The thief smirked, "So, I think that I'll hold onto this while I can."
"You have no right to take that!"
"Well, it could be a repentance from the fact you spilled beer on my battle armor," She pointed to the very noticeable stain on her shirt. Jaune's vision suddenly filled with another flickering memory, a memory containing a bone sticking out in an odd angle and an arrow whizzing towards his chest.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Uh, the Invincible Thief," She said.
"No, the real you. The one that I remember from my past."
"Sorry, you must have me confused with someone else," She said, "Listen, whoever you are, I've got some business to attend to." The thief gave one last arrogant grin before sprinting away, pushing away anyone that got in her path.
"No, come back here!" Jaune unsheathed his sword and began to run after the Invincible Thief. Keeping up was fairly simple, considering the fact that her crimson hair stuck out like white in black, and he maneuvered his body past the congested crowd. The girl glanced back and scowled before bringing out what looked like to be a spear, and cut a nearby rope holing up a platform of supplies. Jaune barely had time to put up his shield before getting pelted by raining barrels and boxes. More memories went through his mind as he remembered a very stormy night and a very scared-
CRASH! "Aw, crap." Jaune jumped over a rolling barrel. His eyes scanned the road of people before finding the flash of bronze in the crowd. He quickened his pace and shouted for anyone in his way to move. Soon, the Invincible Thief could be fully spot, and he sprinted towards her. His eyes trailed to the girl's ankle, where Ren had hit, and noticed that it was oddly protruding a bit out to the side, like someone didn't properly attach the joint.
Oh crap, Jaune's mind zapped back to reality as he saw the thief extend her illuminated palm out to her side.
Polarity.
CLASH! The blond cursed the thief as her semblance went into action and some blackmarket weapons suddenly banged into his shield. Jaune's vision flashed with scenes of his past. Of weapons flying and a familiar looking girl waving her hands like crazy, a maniacal expression of her face. He tumbled down to the ground and his mouth filled up with dirt and gravel. Not wanting the annoying thief to escape, he pushed himself up and-
"Prince-?"
"GAH, REN?!" Jaune didn't have time to question the sudden appearance of his friend, as the prince's head butted into Ren's stomach, sending the two soaring into a tent. The sticks holding up the makeshift home fell down, causing the tarp to collapse and ultimately engulf the two. Jaune heard Ren curse and the raven-haired boy instantly blew the tent to shreds using his aura, a look of frustration etched on his face. The prince gulped, and shakily scooted to the right to avoid Ren's obvious vexation.
"..."
"Ren?"
"..."
"Ren?"
"...what were you doing?"
"Um...chasing down the thief."
"...Oh."
"...are you okay?"
"...yes," Ren stood up and brushed the dirt off his sleeves, "I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah," Ren sighed and readjusted his daggers, "Listen. Where was the thief headed?"
"That way-" Jaune pointed to the path the Invincible Thief had taken.
"That's the way to the Inferus Battle Arena," Ren stated.
"Oh, well that's just great."
"She'll most likely be hiding there."
"Yeah, that's what I figured," Jaune said, "Hey, Ren?"
"Yes, Prince Jaune?"
"I recognized her from somewhere."
"Huh?" Ren's face turned to confusion.
"I remember her from somewhere, but I just can't...remember where exactly."
"Does it matter now?"
Jaune considered his question.
"No, I guess not," Jaune muttered, and picked up his fallen shield. He slipped his arms into the handles and gave a grim smile, "Okay. To the battle arena it is, then?"
"Hey, Pyrrhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-"
"G-GAH!" Pyrrha's head shot up and she almost smacked Jaune's face as her arms flared around wildly. The prince, seeing her distress, hastily grasped her hands and shoved them to her side.
"Pyrrha!" He shouted.
"W-where am I-I?" She stuttered, and gasped when she saw the massive wound in Jaune's shoulder, "A-are y-you okay?
"I've been a lot better," Jaune laughed, then winced as he moved his chest, "No. No I'm not okay. My shoulder hurts."
"What...w-what h-happened?" Pyrrha asked, studying the area that she and her new friend were in. The two seemed to be taking refuge in a small, damp cave full of sharp stalagmites and dripping water from the ceiling. Jaune was resting on a rock next to her.
"You sort of went a bit...mad," Jaune said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"M-mad?"
"Well, not exactly bonkers, but your hands sort of glowed and all these swords started to stab the bad guys," Jaune explained. Pyrrha brought up her palms, her face expressionless. She had done it. She had unlocked her semblance. A feeling of terror took hold of her heart at the thought of all the damage she could've done to Jaune or anyone else if awake.
"Pyrrha?" Jaune asked, and tried to touch her, but she flinched away.
"D-don't t-touch me," She stammered, and pushed herself up against the cold cave wall.
"Hey, hey!" Jaune said, "Listen. I don't care what you did to those guys. They were bad, no, they were evil. And they deserved it. If it weren't for you, we would be dead."
"R-really?"
"Really," His sincere tone calmed the crimson haired girl down a bit, and she allowed Jaune to pull her into a light hug, "I know everything is going to be alright."
"H-how?"
"Because it's like what my mother always said to me: Things can only get better."
"Y-your m-mother sounds s-smart," Pyrrha said, her voice a bit muffled by her mouth being in Jaune's chest armor. Outside, a new storm had begun to form, and the faint sound of rain filled the cave's inside.
"After the storm ends we'll have to find a nearby village or something."
"I-I w-want my d-daddy," Pyrrha said, feeling a bit childish.
"Yeah...yeah I want mine too."
"Well...this is new," Jaune's mouth was practically about to come off his head as he gaped at the massive Inferus Battle Arena. The arena was located at the very edge of the Norther part. It was a vast place, with a humongous circular shaped battle zone placed in the center of ringed stands. Numerous torches and other sources of light managed to make the arena visible and the seats were almost packed full. Jaune and Ren ran down the stands and scanned the crowd for the Invincible Thief.
"Crap, I don't see her anywhere," Ren stated.
"Maybe she went underneath the arena."
"Underneath?"
"Well, I would guess that there needs to be someplace where the fighters take rest or something."
"LADIES ANS GENTLEMEN!" A gruff voice boomed, "PLEASE STEP AWAY FROM THE ARENA." Jaune and Ren looked down towards the battle zone arena to see a stout man with lively blue eyes holding a torch, "WE ARE BEGINNING OUR FIRST MATCH OF THE DAY!" The crowd cheered with delight and the man smiled, "As you all know, I'm John Keith, owner of the Arena, and it is my pleasure to have these fighters and warriors showcase their skills." Jaune noticed a couple of men handing each other lien to make bets, "And it is also a pleasure to welcome our unbeatable champion." The crowd started to get restless as Keith continued, "This is a special match. Four against one."
"Four against one?" Jaune exclaimed, "Who's mad enough to do..." His voice trailed off as the to-be-fighters ran onto the stage. He could immediately spot out the team of four. They each had heavy armor on their bodies, and the guy who Jaune presumed was the leader had light brown hair and a scowl on his face.
"Team CRDL!" Keith announced, and the stands erupted with violent roars of approval, "Led by Cardin Winchester!" The leader stepped up and waved his stone mace around. His teammates only rolled their eyes and readied their weapons.
"And..." The crowd went silent as Keith continued, "Your champion, the Invincible Thief!"
"Are you serious!?" Jaune yelled, much to the chagrin of the people around him, who gave him disapproving frowns. The Invincible Thief entered the stage, her cloak now gone and a now metal container attached to her waist belt. She brandished her spear, causing the crowd to howl with delight, and walked over next to Keith.
"Is that her?" Ren asked.
"Yep," Jaune answered.
"She must have entered herself into a match to avoid a confrontation with us," Ren deduced.
"Yeah, yeah I've got that now," Jaune mumbled in defeat, his gaze glued onto the thief's smug smile. Keith held up his palm to silence the arena.
"As you know, the rules of a regular fighting match are simple: You're not allowed to kill, and the winner is determined if all opponents are thrown off the stage area or are unable to continue. Any questions?" Neither CRDL or the thief replied, "Very well then, let the match begin!" Team CRDL immediately backpedaled and lifted their weapons. The Invincible Thief brought up her spear as well, face turned passive, and for the next few moments the two sides only studied one another in hopes of finding a weak spot.
Suddenly, the second member of CRDL, a blue haired boy, sprinted forwards, axe raised, and brought the weapon down. The thief, seeing his attack, preformed a swift backflip, and the axe buried itself into the arena ground. The other members of CRDL raced forwards, each one taking a position around the thief. Jaune could practically see the gears in her mind zooming and turning around as she formulated a plan to take down her enemies. She tossed her second weapon/line of defense, a golden colored shield, at a green haired member of CRDL, causing him to duck. He gave a look of victory as the shield harmlessly flew over his head.
BANG! Jaune winced in sympathy as the shield hurtled back and promptly smacked the man in the back of his brain. He fell to the floor with a thud. The thief gasped as Cardin swung his mace at her neck, and she quickly ducked and used her spear to trip his legs. Cardin growled, and got up before trying to attack the girl again.
Ren narrowed his eyes, watching the thief practically murder her opponents. Bright blurs of bronze and crimson swirled in the air as the thief threw her spear and shield before they came back with a flick of her hand. The blue haired man flung his axe again but she managed to block it. The girl's spear then sliced him on the shoulder and he fell back.
CRASH! Another of the thief's enemies stabbed his gray sword into the ground, allowing him to jump up and swing his leg into the girl's face. Her emerald eyes widened before she was tossed back into the arms of the blue haired man. Not wasting another second, the girl swiftly jabbed her elbow into his chest and grabbed his arms before twisting them back and pushing him into another oncoming enemy. With another flick of her arm her spear appeared and she hurled the sharp weapon towards Cardin's head, barely missing his face by an inch. The spear embedded itself into the ground next to his feet, and the Invincible Thief sprinted to the left as his mace swung in the air. The man she had bonked on the head with her spear, hit the thief's shield as his knives went into full action. His wrists twisted and turned as the girl kept dodging his attacks, making sure to keep her shield up and prepped. Behind the two's duel, Cardin heaved himself up and scowled. The brown haired man watched as the thief and his partner's fighting continued without success, and Cardin charged towards the two. The thief gave a somewhat banal look before tumbling to the left and tripping the green clad boy with her shield. Her arm raised up and she ducked Cardin's full-on attack before quickly hoisting herself onto his back and using her legs to push him to the arena floor. The crowd cheered on as she continued her onslaught of pain. The thief's expression, however, only seemed to become more bored. She propelled herself off of Cardin and towards her spear...
Ren narrowed his eyes.
...palm turning a dark red as she grew closer to the weapon.
"So that's how..."
The spear instantly leaped into the air and into her hand, which she soon threw at the last remaining enemy. Time seemed to stop as the spear pierced Cardin's shoulder armor, sending him flying back onto the floor with an echoing thud. The girl brushed a few loose strands of hair out of her eyes and positioned herself in a defensive stance in case Cardin decided to stand up again. A deafening silence filled the battle arena and for several moments, the only noise being created as the thief's heavy panting.
1...2...3...Cardin and his teammates didn't rise.
Which meant...
"Your winner!" Keith exclaimed, face beaming, "THE INVINCIBLE THIEF!" Jaune's ears nearly exploded from the crowd's abrupt yells and shouts of joy and anguish. Money was thrown into the air from earlier made bets and a few curses were heard as some lost their own lien. The Invincible Thief gave a smug smile, the only true expression shown during the whole entire time, and Keith raised her sweaty hand into the air.
"That...is one hell of a fighter," Jaune muttered out loud.
"She used her semblance to retrieve her spear," Ren said in a blunt manner. Jaune looked at his friend in surprise.
"She did? I didn't see it."
"That's because she makes sure to use it at the right time," Ren explained, "I'm guessing maybe she doesn't want others to figure out her semblance."
"Would make sense," Ren watched as Keith whispered something in the Invincible Thief's ear.
"Now. As a...special occasion. I would like to call up anyone who is willing to challenge The Invincible Thief," Keith announced. Almost instantly the people in the front rows started to scoot back.
"Now, now," The thief flashed a fake smile, "I believe that you will find this deal very...intriguing." Jaune felt a hint of suspicion nag the corner of his mind.
"What is she doing..." He whispered to himself.
"I have stumbled upon a somewhat interesting object that I will be willing to trade if one person is able to beat me," The Invincible Thief put her belt and brought out the metal container that was hanging from the side. Uncorking the container, she put her hand in and brought out a bright green piece of dust. A few dozen gasps emitted from the crowd.
"Uh...Ren?" Jaune glanced at his friend whose face was a mixture between fury and shock.
"I'm thinking..." Ren scowled softly.
"As I was saying. Whoever can beat me in this test of skill, can have this dust crystal. If you lose, well, I can't promise that you'll get out of the battle in one piece, let alone alive."
Jaune gulped.
"So..." Emerald green eyes met blue as she looked at Jaune, "Who will take this one in a life time offer?"
She wants me to do it, The truth dawned onto the Valean Prince, But why? What does she want?
"I'm doing it," Ren said.
Yeah, let Ren do it, Jaune thought, Besides, he's a better fighter than me. But even though Jaune knew that was true, the Invincible Thief wanted Jaune to fight, not anyone else. As Ren began to stand up, the blond instantly pushed him down and raised his arm.
"I'll do it!" He yelled, causing several people around him to snicker.
"Jaune," Ren hissed, "What are you-"
"I pick him," The Invincible Thief said, and pointed at the scraggly blond in the midst of the crowd. The laughs quieted down as they realized she was serious.
"Er, are you sure about that?" Keith asked, and The Invincible Thief gave him a death glare, "Fine, okay, okay." Keith waved at Jaune, "Hey you! Come down to the arena!" Jaune's legs felt like stone as he ignored Ren's protests and slowly walked down towards the battle zone.
"All woman love confidence. If I can show her that I'm not afraid, maybe she won't kill me," Jaune mumbled, trying to ease his mental worries. He could feet beads of sweat forming on his head and quickly wiped the water off. Soon, he was on the stage and staring directly at his new opponent. Her crimson hair seemed to sway ever so slightly, and her emerald eyes filled with a wicked glint.
"So, what's your name? I never got it before," She asked.
"Um..." Jaune's mind raced as he tried to think of an alias, "J-John...Doe."
"John Doe, huh?" She smirked, "Well, I don't blame you for wanting to keep your identity a secret." The Invincible Thief waved her hand to send Keith off the stage, "So, are you ready?"
Hell no, "Yeah, I'm ready." Jaune unsheathed his sword and held up his shield in preparation for his incoming attacks. The Invincible Thief gave a smug grin before casually strolling around the stage, spear useless at her side.
"Well, aren't you going to attack?" She asked.
"I-I thought you were going to-"
"Number 1 rule of fighting," In a flash of gold the girl suddenly flicked her shield up and thrust it at Jaune's head. he yelped and instantly hit the deck, watching as the round object circled back to the thief's hand, "Always be prepared."
"P-Pyrrha I-I just need you to calm down-" Jaune stammered, trying to quiet down the crying girl. He and the redhead had left the cave of two days ago, barely managing to survive on berries and animals Jaune caught. However, while fleeing from a group of White Serfs, Pyrrha had fallen down a small ravine and the outcome: A very, very broken ankle.
"I-it h-h-hurts," Pyrrha sobbed while clutching Jaune's palm like nobodies business.
"I-I know, I know," Jaune said, "But we have to stay calm, alright?" Jaune's voice shook and he knew his facade of being brave was about to break. He couldn't remember anything on how to fix broken bones, other than aura could only do so much, and was losing faith that they would survive the next few days, "We...we have to keep hope." Jaune put his hand on Pyrrha's broken ankle, causing her to flinch away.
"W-what are y-you doing?" She asked.
"Trying to see I can feel where the bone broke."
"O-oh. W-why don't y-you j-just use aura?"
"Huh?" Jaune said, and Pyrrha put her own hand on Jaune's chest, "What are you-"
"A-aura is a mani-something of our s-soul. M-my f-father said that it p-protects u-us when we n-need i-it most."
"Really?"
"J-Jaune...haven't y-you e-ever heard of a-aura?"
"No. My dad was supposed to teach it to me, but then I...you know.
"Oh...I-I could u-unlock it for you s-so you can h-help h-heal my a-ankle."
"How do you unlock aura?"
"M-my f-father unlocked mine when I was l-little. S-said that it was i-important to l-learn a-at a young a-age," She closed her eyes and her palm lit up a dark red.
"Um...no offense, but do you mind not stuttering while doing this?"
"I-it's not my f-fault I stutter."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry."
"T-this is a delicate process, my daddy says. If I do it wrong I could p-p-p-paralyze you."
"What does that mean?"
"J-just t-trust me and let me d-do my j-job."
"Alright then."
"F-for we c-come into passing," Pyrrha spoke slowly, "That w-we achieve i-immortality, through this we become a something of v-virtue and glory to rise a-above all. I-infinite in d-d-distance and unbound b-by d-death," She stopped.
"You can do this," Jaune said.
"I-I release y-your soul, a-and by m-my shoulder, p-protect thee." Jaune raised his arms and saw that they were glowing a faint white. Pyrrha opened her eyes and gasped.
"D-did i-it w-work?" She asked, afraid that she might have done something wrong.
"I-I don't know," Jaune said. The white light died down and he placed his palms on Pyrrha's ankle once more, "Okay aura. Do your thing!"
Nothing. Not even a spark of aura. Jaune frowned, "Why isn't it work-"
SNAP! Jaune and Pyrrha both shrieked as a sudden bolt of energy surged from Jaune's hands into Pyrrha's leg. The redhead felt a cooling sensation flow through her whole entire body, and relaxed a bit.
"Did I fix it?" Jaune asked. Pyrrha tried to move her ankle, but the bone was still broken.
"I-I think y-you just gave me some e-energy," Pyrrha said sadly, "T-try a-again."
"Er...okay. Aura, activate or something!" Jaune stared at his palms, "I don't think you unlocked it correctly."
"I-I'm s-sorry."
"Don't be. At least I have aura. That's a step up from, ya know, not having aura," Jaune gave a quirky smile and Pyrrha giggled.
"I-I'm glad t-that your p-positive," She said in between her laughs.
"Yeah, I've been told that before."
Jaune groaned, and stood up. Remnant, was she getting on his nerves, and that was hard to do since being near Weiss all the time sort of set up an "annoying nature immune system". He tightened the grip on his sword and took a step forwards.
"So, John Doe. What brings you to Mistral?" The girl asked.
"If I had a lien for every time someone's asked me that today, then I would have-" He mentally counted, "Actually not that much money. But you get what I mean!" The Invincible Thief let out a small laugh, and Jaune felt his cheeks grow warm.
Jaune. She's about to kick your ass. Do not get all embarrassed and crap around her.
"Ahem. Still waiting for my answer," She tapped her foot impatiently.
"Oh, well. We just came here to sight-see. Explore the world. The usual sojourner stuff."
"Hmm. Well, I doubt coming to an illegal blackmarket city would be called "sight-seeing", but then again, I'm not a traveling person." The thief rubbed her palm against the cold metal of shield, "Heads up!" She tossed the round weapon at Jaune's head, the latter promptly bringing up his sword and blocking the attack.
"What the? Are you insane?"
"Yes," The girl grabbed her spear, "Now that I know you're not truly a horrible fighter-"
"Oh, I feel so flattered-"
"-only a really bad one-"
"Yep, should of seen that one coming-"
"Then I believe it's time to duel," She pointed to the restless crowd, all except Ren who were eager for bloodshed, "Or else they'll do it for us."
"Yeah, that would be bad," Jaune said.
"Indeed," The thief said with a curt nod of her head, "Are you ready?"
"Um..."
"Hi-yah!" Without a warning the crimson haired girl lunged forwards, spear raised in a deadly manner. Jaune immediately leaped back and brought up his shield to block her weapon's hit. The thief picked up her own defensive shield and twisted her wrist so that the spear would hit Jaune horizontally. Jaune ushered his sword up and the clanging of metal resonated through the arena air with a dull note.
"Hmm, have you ever considered becoming a knight, John?" The thief asked as they pressed their weapons against one another.
"..." Jaune's adrenaline was pumping to much for him to come up with a fast answer.
"Guess not," She kicked her leg up into his arm, causing the blond to fall back in pain, "You get too easily distracted."
"I do not!" Jaune jumped up and brought his sword towards the girl's chest, only for her to swiftly block it with her shield and conduct the same attack back towards him. They went like this for quite a while, the only difference being Jaune's slowly disappearing stamina and energy. He could feel the crowd's growing impatience at the fact that their undefeated hero hadn't pummeled him yet.
"So, Invincible Thief?" Jaune decided to take a risk and try to strike up a conversation. His sword clanged against hers, "Why are you here?"
"I was born in Mistral if that's what you mean," The Invincible Thief answered, "Lived here my whole life."
"Family?"
"I've got them!" A soldier shouted, and seized Pyrrha's shirt before tossing her onto the gravel road. The redhead's vision was blurred with bright colors, and she called out for Jaune.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled, but she could tell that he was having trouble of his own. Unsheathing the sword she got her hands on a few days before, Pyrrha swung at the soldier and scowled.
"G-get away from m-me," Her stutter was still active, but the prince had helping her improve her speech and bravery, "NOW!" Her semblance went into action, causing the soldier's weapon to zoom into the air and cut the man in the arm. He let out a cry of pain and fell back as blood gushed out of his wound. Pyrrha sprinted over to the soldier trying to tie Jaune, "Leave him a-alone!" She slashed at the guard's arm and he stumbled back in surprise. Jaune cut his ropes and began to run as well.
"Stop, what in the name of Remnant is going on!?" A male's voice screamed, and almost instantly the soldiers attacking Pyrrha and Jaune stopped and saluted.
"Who is that?" Jaune questioned. A bronze carriage suddenly appeared on the street and a man exited the vehicle. Pyrrha immediately recognized him as a royal, and turned around.
"Wait-" Jaune grasped her hand, "He might be able to help."
"A-are y-you sure?" She asked.
"Positive." Pyrrha gulped, but allowed Jaune to help her hobble over to the carriage. Her ankle was starting to feel better,
"Sir," A soldier said, "We spotted two thieves trying to steal from our camp and were beginning to arrest them." Jaune's face turned red; he was the one who convinced Pyrrha to rob the men.
"Well," The unknown royal said, "Let me see these 'thieves.'" A solider roughly pushed the two kids up, and Pyrrha could make out the royal's face clearly now. He had soft brown eyes and hair, with pale skin and a frowning mouth.
"Why were you stealing from my men?" He asked.
"W-we were hungry, sir," Jaune spoke up.
"That girl is dangerous, King Nikos," The soldier who Pyrrha had attacked pointed at her, "She has a polarity semblance, and gave a deep gash in my arm."
"A polarity semblance..." The man named Nikos mused, a strange glint in his eyes.
"Please, sir," Jaune took a deep breath, "I'm Prince Jaune from Vale."
"Are you now?" The king said, slightly amused.
"Yes, yes I am," Jaune raised his sword at an angle to reveal the Arc Crest, "I ran away from my home and met Pyrrha here," Pyrrha gave a sheepish wave, "We've been on the run for over a week, and I ask that you don't punish her because it was my idea to rob the soldiers."
"Aeetes, what is going on out there?" A woman's voice said from the carriage, and out popped a golden haired lady with bronze colored clothing on, "Who are these children?" She gracefully walked towards her husband and smiled warmly, "Well, hello there." Her eyes fell on Pyrrha.
"H-hello," Pyrrha said softly, partially hiding behind her blond friend.
"This is Prince Jaune and his friend Pyrrha," Nikos introduced.
"Why are they all the way in Mistral?" The queen asked.
"I...I ran away," Jaune said, "And ran into Pyrrha while doing so."
"They were caught stealing from some soldiers, but Prince Jaune here requests for Pyrrha to not be harmed. The girl has a polarity semblance, apparently."
"They seem interested in your power," Jaune whispered to Pyrrha, "Maybe if you show them then you won't get in trouble." Pyrrha nodded her head and brought her palms up before they ignited in a dark red aura, causing all the soldier's weapon suddenly started to shake violently.
"Amazing," Nikos said, and Pyrrha smiled nervously, "I've never seen a polarity semblance before." He glanced at his wife, "I won't punish you two-"
Pyrrha and Jaune let out a sigh of relief.
"-but...I will have to inform your family, Prince Jaune, that you're here."
Jaune merely shrugged.
"And for you, Miss Pyrrha..."
"Avair."
"Would you like to come with us to Mistral?"
"E-excuse m-me?" Pyrrha stammered, shocked at the king's request.
"We've been trying to have a child for the past five years," The Queen stated, and bent down on one knee so that she was at Pyrrha's level, "Would you like to come and...stay with us a while."
"My family is none of your business," She replied coldly, and Jaune saw that he had struck a nerve there.
Better keep her on your good side for now, He thought, "So, besides living in Mistral, why are you here, in this underground city?"
"Oh. I've been here most of my life as well. Discovered this place by accident, decided to learn the art of the spear and whatnot." The emerald eyed girl dodged Jaune's oncoming strike and sliced her weapon at his face. The prince put his shield up and was thrown back from the impact. His leg tripped over the other and Jaune fell down to the ground onto his spine.
"I expected a bit more, John Doe," The girl said, and began to run towards Jaune to finish him off.
"Heh, I'm just warming up," Jaune's mind flashed back to his lessons with his father on defensive moves and tactics. The thief was good, but her own cockiness kept her from completely winning. If he could just use that attitude to make her slip...
The thief's spear and body lunged at Jaune and he hastily lifted his foot and shield at the same time. Her eyes narrowed as Jaune placed his foot on her torso and collided his shield against her spear. Without wasting another second the prince kicked up, forcing the girl to fly up into the air and over his head. The Invincible Thief quickly extended her glowing red palm.
Glowing red palm. Jaune's eyes trailed to where her spear was located and saw that it was moving slightly to the left and off of his shield. She forced her body to swerve upwards as her weapon dug into the earthy arena and slammed her knee right into Jaune's chest.
Ah hell, Jaune closed his eyes and felt a searing bolt of pain emit in his heart as her leg pushed him off the floor. His hands fumbled for his sword, but just as he grabbed the hilt another wave of pain crashed into his head as the thief's blunt end of the spear knocked him flat onto the ground. The crowd roared with delight as he was injured and Jaune opened his eyes once more. The metallic taste of blood pooled his mouth and his arms shook violently as Jaune pushed himself off the dirty arena.
"Still up?"
Jaune grit his teeth and turned around to see the thief leaning on her spear in a casual manner.
"Yeah," He muttered.
"I admit, you have guts, John Doe," The girl complimented, and tipped her head to signal her respect towards the blond, "But, unfortunately, you're also dead meat."
"Then why did you call on me?" Jaune asked, determined to at least get an answer on the thief's motives, "Why choose me?"
"I never chose you," The thief said, "You chose yourself, to be up here, I mean. You chose to face me despite the fact you knew you would lose."
"Then why did you look at me like you were daring me to fight?"
"I didn't. I just looked at you like I did everyone else," The girl said in an honest tone, "Where I come from, choosing something for my own sake is a delicacy."
"Trust me, I know how that feels," Jaune mumbled.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing," Jaune took a couple of steps forwards. He could feel a bit of blood trickle down his chin and tried to ignore it.
"You're bleeding."
"Yeah, I know. Why do you care all of a sudden?" Jaune asked.
"I don't. In fact, I still wish you were lying on that cold, dead ground," She scowled.
"Why are you acting so tough? Like you have something to hide," Jaune said, seeing right through her facade, "Listen, I know you from somewhere, and I'm not leaving until I figure it out and get that dust crystal back."
"Then I'm afraid your journey's been in vain," But her face flashed a hint of alarm when she heard Jaune knew her from someplace. She dashed towards the prince, spear drawn, and jumped. It wasn't a game, anymore, Jaune could tell. She truly wanted him gone, but not out of money or dust, but out of fear.
Yes, Jaune had seen her before, and that's what she was scared of.
So...who was she?
STOP DAYDREAMING FOR THE LOVE OF REMNANT, JAUNE!" His mind screamed, and Jaune tumbled to the side as her weapon came barreling at the arena ground. Despite the fact that his mouth was all bloody and his arms about to break off from exhaustion, Jaune knew that he had to keep fighting in order to get some answers. Without a warning, the thief's leg flew up and collided with Jaune's gut, sending the prince backwards and into her zooming gold shield. His head rattled as the metal knocked him squarely in the skull and he nearly dropped to his knees.
"Who are you?" He yelled, dodging another attack, "I know you from somewhere and I'm not from Mistral."
"Well, I don't know you," The thief retorted, and landed a hit on his shoulder, causing blood to flow freely, "So you must be mistaken."
"That's the thing," Jaune tried not to scream in frustration, as he had dropped his sword in order to stop the blood from leaving his body. Now, he was utterly weaponless minus his newly made shield, "I do know you from somewhere, I just can't figure it out." Ignoring the boos from the crowd, he walked slowly towards the girl, shield raised in a surrendering motion, "Maybe...maybe that's why I chose to fight you, not just because you have something that's could possibly blow this place to bits."
"I..."
Jaune peered closer at her face, at her vivid emerald eyes. At her crimson hair and at her now insecure expression. That same expression that he remembered from over eight years ago.
A stuttering girl. A rainy night. A promise. A broken ankle. Jaune glanced at the somewhat crooked thief's foot.
A faulty ankle that could only be caused by a broken bone not healing correctly.
Jaune's mouth fell open as the sudden realization hit him, "Y-your. You're Pyrrha."
"What did you say?" The girl said in a dangerously soft voice.
"You were that girl. The one I saved. You were there," Another piece of truth slapped Jaune in the face, "You're-
CRASH! A sickening crack of bone splitting almost caused Jaune to yell out in agony, but he kept his pain masked as Pyrrha pummeled his arm with her spear. Her once sparkling eyes now full of rage, her face now furious.
"That, is going too far-" She hissed, "I may not know you that well, but that does not give you any excuse to reveal my identity."
"And why shouldn't I?" Jaune asked, ignoring the immense pain he was feeling in his broken bones, "You're a princ-
BAM! Another sharp crack emitted into his ears as Pyrrha's shield slammed into his leg. Jaune brought up his shield.
"That's it!" Pyrrha yelled, and charged at the now almost unconscious prince. The world seemed to completely freeze as her spear made contact with his shield. As Jaune covered his face and waited for the final blow to happen.
It never did.
A bright light filled his vision, and Jaune didn't have time to question what was going on before a new found strength coursed through his veins and mind. His bone felt instantly better and his shield seemed to give off a burning white glow. Pyrrha's spear suddenly rocketed backwards, as well as the thief herself, and her whole body was flung carelessly out of the arena square. A loud boom echoed throughout everyone's' heads as the crowd realized what had just perspired.
Jaune had won. The once Invincible Thief had just been thrown sky-high out of the battle zone. He had actually done it.
The crowd's reply was instantaneous. The roars and shouts of those who had lost their bets, of those of who voted for the thief seemed to spiral off the arena walls and all over the place. Jaune shakily stood up, his mouth now mysteriously having stopped bleeding, and spun his head around as he saw the audience going wild over the fact that he had knocked their greatest fighter out of the ring.
Oh, wait a minute. A burst of worry shot through his mind as he noticed that the once victorious girl was swiftly exiting the scene, the dust crystal still in her hand.
"Hey!" Jaune shouted, and took off after Pyrrha. She was NOT going to get away from him again, "Come back here!" Jaune flung himself forwards and grasped her trailing sash, causing the thief to trip and fall face first, "I still need answers and that crystal."
CHING. The sound of Pyrrha's spear being brought out made Jaune's blood run cold. The thief gave a sly smile before kicking Jaune up in the air and hurling her weapon at his shoulder pads.
"Sorry, Prince Jaune," The spear glowed a dark red and was shot at the prince at a lightning fast speed. Jaune barely had time to mentally curse himself (and her) before being jolted backwards. The wind roared in his ears as he flew past the crowd and Keith before being pinned to the stone walls.
Being pinned to a stone wall by a Princess Thief in an underground secret city. Well, Jaune could cross that off of things he wanted to do before he died. He looked down below and saw that Pyrrha had managed to jam his clothing into the city's rock wall up to a pretty impressive height.
Pyrrha. Jaune knew that he remembered her from somewhere. Remnant, had she changed. From stuttering girl to super badass thief. The memory was vague, almost like a dream, and Jaune hadn't dwelt on it for a long time.
Well, until getting his ass kicked by Nikos's daughter. Jaune reached up and grabbed the hilt of the spear. With a lame grunt, he tried to pry the weapon out of the stone, but it was futile.
"Jaune!" A voice called from below, and Jaune glanced down to see Ren standing there with his arms crossed and foot tapping, "What were you thinking!?"
"Uh..." Jaune pointed to the spear embedded in his clothes, "You mind getting me down first?" Ren sighed, and snapped his hands. A faint glow of aura encircled the spear.
"Pull," The magenta eyed boy instructed.
"Er, okay," Jaune pulled on the weapon and it instantly popped out, "Finally I-"
THUD.
"I would slap you for your stupidity, but you've already slapped yourself more than the needed amount," Ren smirked as he watched his blond friend faceplant into the ground thanks to the force of gravity.
"Harsh, Ren, harsh," Jaune muttered, "You know, I just beat the bloody Invincible Thief, so can you at least give me from credit?"
"I admit, I did not expect you to survive that long," Ren helped Jaune stand up and smiled grimly, "But you did do well."
"Not well enough though," Jaune said miserably, "I let her get away."
"Why did she suddenly go a bit..."
"Insane? Because I recognized who she truly is," Jaune leaned in closer to that only Ren could hear him, "She's the Princess of Mistral. Pyrrha Nikos. I remember her from when I was, like, nine of something."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't that the story you were telling me before, when you-"
"Unlocked my aura? Yeh. In fact, it was her who did it."
"What?"
"Pyrrha. She unlocked my aura that night," Almost right on cue his own aura kicked in and the pounding in his head began to clear away, "She was adopted by the Mistral Family after a run-in with them.
"Hmm...that's a bit odd."
"That's fate for you," Jaune groaned, "Very, very painful fate." He noticed Ren picking up Pyrrha's left behind spear, "What are you-"
"It has the Nikos Emblem on it too," Ren stated, and held the spear at an angle so that the symbol was visible.
"Your point?"
"This is our way into the palace grounds. Into getting help."
"...Excuse me?"
"You know what emblems are for, right?"
"Yeah. They're basically like keys, letting important figures know that you're part of that section of the family that the emblem belongs too," Jaune, realized Ren's plan, "We can't just waltz right into Nikos's castle and expect them to let us in because of this spear. What about Nyx's soldiers?" He shuddered at the very thought of making the somewhat disturbing general angry.
"That's why we'll sneak into the castle grounds and hopefully find Nikos ourselves. I highly doubt that he's as busy as Nyx says he is. Besides, if we get caught, we'll just tell them that we came to return the spear. You can't just punish someone for trying to give something that belongs to them, back."
"Yeah, but...you can arrest someone for trespassing."
"It's the only plan I can think of, Prince Jaune. With the thief gone, not the mention the fact that she's actually the daughter of the bloody Mistral king, then we don't any other way to get into that castle!"
"Alright, alright. But you better make sure that we don't get our heads chopped off for this," Jaune let out a sigh and stared at the thief's spear. Why was she so mad at him? You would think that saving a person's life and meeting them again would lead to a pat on the back or a 'thank you'.
But, of course, thanks to Jaune's luck, he ended up angering her and getting pinned to wall.
That led to the other question nagging Jaune's mind. Why did she give him the spear? Was she really that desperate to rid herself of Jaune? Or maybe the spear meant nothing to her. Maybe she had hundreds of them at her castle.
"Uh...Prince Jaune?" Ren said, and shook his friend's shoulder lightly. Jaune blinked a few times.
"I'm fine...just thinking."
"Was she really important, you know, in your past?"
Was she? Jaune knew that Pyrrha meant a lot to him when they first met. She was shy, quiet, and gave Jaune a reason to keep fighting to survive. Because of her he managed to find a way back home to his family.
So...why was Pyrrha mad? Why did she seem furious at Jaune when he realized who she was? Remnant, Jaune felt like an idiot for not being able to figure out the most simplest, yet complex, set of questions he had dealt with in his life.
"Hey, Jaune?" Ren interrupted his thoughts again.
"Yeah?" Jaune said.
"You coming?" Ren pointed the spear, her spear, towards the arena exit tunnel, "I was poking around a bit in the crowd and found out that in order to get back to the surface you have to, er...get literally blasted up."
"What?!
"Cave geysers. A great way to travel, apparently," Ren said.
"Is any part of this city sane?!" Jaune exclaimed.
"COMING THROUGH!" A loud voice said, and Jaune felt a sharp blade nick his ear as a battle axe came zooming past his head and into the stone next to him. Eyes wide, Jaune slowly, very slowly, gulped and walked towards Ren.
"That...would be a no, Prince Jaune."
Pyrrha blinked several times, her whole body feeling numb. A daughter...a King's daughter to be more exact. For anyone that sounded wonderful, completely spectacular.
But...what about her father. What about Jaune? Did she really want to give up all that?
"Pyrrha..." Jaune said, and turned her head so that she was looking at him, "I know what you're thinking, but...we have no idea if your father's alive. If anyone you know, besides me, is alive anymore. But this is a new chance. You can turn all the bad things that have happened into good."
Pyrrha didn't speak.
"This is life-changi-"
"B-but what about y-you?" Pyrrha asked.
"I promise I'll be able to see you again," Jaune said, and held up his finger, "Pinky-promise."
"Huh?"
"It's something my mother does sometimes," He said in a hushed tone, "It's only for things that you truly mean."
"R-really?"
"Really," The two shared a knowing look, one that summed up everything they'd been through, everything they felt for each other. Pyrrha raised her own pinky and the two interlocked their fingers.
"Well, we should be going by now," The queen said, and beckoned for Pyrrha and Jaune to follow her into the carriage.
"I'll have one of my advisers send a letter to King John and his wife to let them know that their son is alive and okay," Nikos said. Jaune grasped Pyrrha's warm palm and the two swung their arms like...well, children. Not knowing that the blond was right, everything was going to change.
Yes, everything was going to change.
Just maybe not for better.
A/N: Yep, long chapter. I'm starting to like writing really long chapter, as it enables me to get more depth and volume. So, one more chapter for the Invincible Thief Arc before heading on over to Team RWY and seeing what they've been up too. *Spoiler* it may or may not involve fire.
And guess what? I have 56 followers! Thank you all so much for your support! I hope you like the chapter and don't forget to leave a review if you can!
