Small note the Guest who left the nice review earlier; Thank you for taking notice of a logical error I did indeed make in an earlier chapter. However, I can't simply say that Aura is my explanation for why neither Roy nor Pyrrha were injured by the shockwave during their duel. However, it is a smaller detail that went unnoticed simply because there was no need to put further thought into it, similar to certain other books, games, and movies where similar events occur where something that should've injured both parties does nothing.
Anyway, I am thankful that you noticed it, and I will try to make battles in the future with a better attention for detail. Like this chapter, for example.
Here's the next chapter; enjoy!
Chapter 9
The small crowd watched with great anticipation, well aware now of the bitterness between the two fencers. Roy and Hyena watched with the most interest, keenly observing closely. The other teens watched with a different level of interest, as they haven't seen the other hunter in battle yet.
Weiss held her blade at the ready, as she and Aloe moved slowly towards each other. Aloe held the tip of her blade near the ground, while Weiss' was held pointing at an upward angle. The heiress kept a look of determination as the two came close enough to touch each other with their blades.
Then Weiss struck out, going for a swift slash.
This was deflected by a deft movement of Aloe's blade, an upward slash which pushed Weiss' sword just off target. The two entered a fierce and rapid clash of blades, deflecting and striking with no strikes hitting their intended targets. Weiss gritted her teeth in frustration when she saw that Aloe had a disinterested expression on her face. Jumping back, Weiss spun the canisters in her sword until they came onto a yellow crystal. Aloe reached into her pouch, grabbing a canister of a copper-colored mixture of Dust. Opening the pommel of her sword, she pushed it in and closed the pommel back up. Flicking her sword downward, the sword then filled up with Dust, shown through previously unseen runes on the sword.
Weiss thrust forward, and a massive bolt of electricity was sent forward at high speeds. Aloe thrust her sword downward, and a pillar of red stone shot upwards. The pillar took the blast, sending lightning outward from its surface in every direction. Stepping forward, Aloe stomped forward with a heavy foot and a punch into the construct, sending the pillar speeding towards Weiss. The heiress dodged, leaping out of the way and using a hand to spring back to her feet. However, her graceful dodge was interrupted when Aloe grabbed onto her ankle. Whirling around, the hunter tossed the heiress straight upwards, sending her up spiraling out of control.
Preparing her sword, Aloe then leapt after Weiss, readying a slash. Her eyes narrowed in focus as she honed in on her target, who was still spinning.
Weiss arched her back in an attempt to regain control, seeing that Aloe was moving quickly towards her. Creating a glyph above her, she came to a brief stop in midair before leaping downwards at her opponent. The two clashed blades, bringing each other to a stop in the air before blasting from each other to opposite sides of the arena.
"You fight well, Schnee. It seems that behind the name there is a real fighter," Aloe commented, swiping her sword idly to remove the excess Dust left in her sword.
"And behind all that arrogant smarm is a mediocre swordswoman," Weiss retorted, narrowing her eyes bitterly. Aloe chuckled to herself, further baiting the heiress into anger.
"Tell me, Weiss. Does the name 'Viola HearthFire' mean anything to you?" Aloe asked, closing her eyes in thought.
"No, I don't. Care to tell me?" Weiss replied coldly, raising her blade in preparation.
"To give you an idea…do you recognize this?" Aloe sheathed her sword, and surprised Weiss when she took a familiar hand-to-hand combat stance. Right arm cocked backwards, left arm raised in a guard. She blinked, and Aloe dashed forward in an instant. Throwing a fast punch, Weiss was only just able to dodge her. Backing away, Weiss glared at her opponent as she drew her sword once again.
"His mother taught all three of us. And the first rule we're all taught…Never show anyone your full strength unless you're fighting for your life," Aloe smugly raised her blade, though Weiss could only shiver at the sudden coldness in Aloe's voice.
None of them are fighting at their best? That can't be right…Weiss tried her best to fight the feeling in her chest, a sudden sense of intimidation growing in her mind.
In the stands, both Hyena and Roy had gone silent and pale, knowing that the bystanders around them were now looking at them with wide eyes. Roy swallowed, while Hyena adjusted his vest nervously. Garnet's face didn't change, only her eyes had gone distant in thought.
Lass…these games ye play just aren't good for anyone…
"So, tell me Weiss, what causes your anger towards the Faunus? Is it a personal vendetta? Your parents?" Aloe questioned, when suddenly the heiress rushed her with her sword ready. Aloe deflected this, and swiftly slammed her sword's hand guard into Weiss' stomach.
"Parents, there it is. Father, I'd assume," Aloe continued, while Weiss clutched her stomach in pain. "I'd bet he was ranting about all the White Fang raids on his precious company, wasn't he?" Weiss started to stand back up, and Aloe watched with a cold leer.
Blake gripped down on her chair's armrest, her eyes shifting downwards. She had watched this rather one-sided fight with disgust, but was fully aware of what Aloe was doing. She hadn't expected it to go this far, though…
Roy and Hyena knew that this needed to end soon, whether it be calling the fight off or someone's Aura running out. Roy saw Hyena tapping his armrest, and then he gave a tilt of his head once Roy had his eyes on him. The two got up, and moved from their seats to where Garnet stood.
"Grandmother, how long will you let this go?" Roy stepped up first, whispering in a low tone.
"Granny, I know she needed the lesson, but this is-"Hyena spoke up, but Garnet raised her hand slowly.
"Weiss has this, lads. Aloe's forgetting her own training, see…" The sage woman pointed, and the two hunters' eyes widened when they saw that Weiss had a glyph created behind Aloe, floating behind her.
"Aloe…That's enough," Weiss stood to full height, her sword held at her side.
"What?" Aloe's eyes narrowed, her hand becoming tense on her own blade.
"I understand what you're trying to teach me. If I defeat you, I'll overcome my anger…and I'll forgive the Faunus. You wanted me to get past it, and I have. Now let me show you the real gap between us," Weiss raised her free hand, and a glyph blasted her towards Aloe. Slamming her with a thrust, she smashed Aloe into the glyph behind her. Caught in the symbol, Aloe was caught vulnerable when Weiss slashed with a blast of ice Dust that sent her flying across the arena. Aloe caught herself with a hand, but her eyes widened when she saw Weiss directly in front of her.
Met with a rapid onslaught of slashes, Aloe could only do her best to take the punishment in her stance. The huntress was blasted backwards with lightning, and Weiss took the moment to recover. She took up her stance, sword ready. Aloe rose from the ground, her hair slightly disheveled. Her white blouse was in tatters, revealing a cuirass of pure red metal. Without the blouse, it was shown that the lower half of her dress was actually connected to the armor plate. Moving her foot forward, she then showed that her legs were also covered in this red armor.
Aloe then reached to the back part of her belt, grabbing a canister of Dust that was almost blood-red in color. Slamming it into her sword, she flicked her blade downwards, and her sword changed to that color.
Garnet's eyes widened slightly, and she began to reinforce the shields on the arena walls. Roy and Hyena both spotted the movement as well, and both seemed to instinctively run for cover. Hyena jumped away, hiding his face using Blake's legs, holding onto her calves tightly. Roy jumped behind Pyrrha and Nora, holding his hands over his head.
Aloe then flared her Aura into the entirety of her sword, her eyes seeming to glow with a fiery energy. Slashing her sword rapidly in the air, she created a strange symbol in the air as dark energy started to form in a circle in front of her, honing in on Weiss. The heiress readied herself, watching carefully. Once the symbol was created, Aloe then created a crosshair with two final slashes, directly over Weiss. Pulling up her pistol from her hip, Aloe then lined up her shot.
"Comet Gun!" Aloe called out as she pulled the trigger. When the bullet pierced the glyph, the whole thing seemed to bend with the bullet, becoming a massive blast of red energy as Aura and Dust came together in a massive blast. True to its namesake, the 'Comet' sped towards Weiss in a blinding mass of light. Creating a glyph, Weiss then struck her sword downwards, creating a massive wall of ice as the comet smashed into it.
The bystanders were met with the massive shockwave, watching the spectacle protected but amazed by the sheer power of the attack. Pyrrha's eyes went wide at the massive explosion, and Jaune started screaming like…a small girl. Nora started grinning widely at the sight, while Ren seemed only to get slightly nervous. Ruby and Yang let out loud cheers for Weiss, while Blake's eyes were as wide as dinner-plates at the sight.
As the dust settled, Aloe looked at the wall of ice, not seeing anything past the now shattered ice. Her eyes then lost all their confidence when she saw the formation of glyphs all around her. She gave a small noise, and turned around. Weiss stood there, with a confident smile and sword ready.
"Go ahead. My Aura can take it," Aloe took up a defensive stance, a defeated smile coming over her face.
In an instant, Weiss raced by her, becoming a hurricane among her glyphs. Aloe's Aura began to take massive hits, each attack becoming more powerful in succession. Weiss then came in front of Aloe, whose eyes widened when she saw the blast of electricity collide with her cuirass. She was knocked off her feet, and the wind was knocked from Aloe's chest as she hit the ground again. Aloe laughed slightly when she heard Garnet's voice.
"Weiss wins! Good show, lasses," Garnet smiled down at the girls, as Weiss helped Aloe back up to her feet.
"You know, it's been a long time since I last lost a battle," Aloe smiled, while Weiss sheathed her sword.
"Well, then we'll have to do this more often," Weiss remarked, causing Aloe to laugh a bit. Aloe gave her a more serious look, before she spoke again.
"Will you give up your hatred for the Faunus? Truly?" Weiss nodded, and Aloe gave her a wary look.
"I'll try. It'll take…some work, Aloe," Weiss looked down, and Aloe rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Nothing good comes from nothing, Weiss. I'll help you, and I'm sure Elroy will be of most help," Aloe nodded to her, and Weiss did the same.
In the stands, everyone was silent. This silence was broken by Ruby and Nora getting up and yelling. Pyrrha, Ren, and Blake seemed to visibly relax when the two started cheering. Yang simply watched her younger sister with a smile, and Jaune watched Nora with a tinge of fear for himself.
Blake then remembered that Hyena was on her legs, and looked down at the hunter. She moved her legs, and Hyena peered around her calves with wide eyes. "Did we die?" Hyena asked as he looked around. He looked up at Blake, who was looking at him with a mix of annoyance and amiable curiosity. Nervously chuckling, Hyena slid out from underneath the chairs, and dropped himself onto a chair next to the black-haired girl. Blake rolled her eyes, but had a tinge of pink in her cheeks.
"Is it over?" Roy rose from behind the seats, his hands still over his head. Pyrrha and Nora turned around, the Spartan resting her hand on Roy's shoulder sympathetically.
A few hours later…
The remainder of their time was well spent; after everyone else took turns in the Ring, they took part in a massive meal, cheerfully enjoying the food and company through into the evening. When everything was said and done, the two groups had to say goodbye. Aloe, Alden, and Hyena stood opposite Roy and his teams at the Bullhead docks.
"Well, we'll be seeing you, Elroy," Alden smiled, holding his nephew by the shoulders.
"Certainly, Uncle. I'll have more skins to sell, so I'll be by the shop often," Roy beamed back, before turning to the Bullhead.
Before the two groups departed, Aloe pulled Blake aside for a small chat.
"Blake, I had a request of you," Aloe started, the two girls standing apart from the others at the railing overlooking the bay of Vale.
"What is it?" Blake didn't show much interest, but was inwardly curious to a fault as to what the huntress could need. Aloe held out a piece of paper towards her, which she slowly took.
"Please call this number at your earliest convenience. Tell him Aloe said 'Trust me'," Aloe replied, her voice was calm, but her eyes were serious.
"Who..?" was Blake's response, though she then saw the name on the piece of paper above the Scroll number; 'Hyena'.
"I'll be seeing you later, yes?" Aloe gave her a smile, and Blake nodded slowly.
"Yeah…" Blake muttered as she put the paper in her pocket, and joined her friends on the Bullhead.
As the nine friends flew back to Beacon, Blake stared at the paper she was handed. Her brow furrowed as she tried to understand the reasoning behind it. What does Aloe want from this..? Blake couldn't see the reasoning, and didn't even notice Roy as he walked across the Bullhead and sat next to her.
"Aloe gave you something?" Roy looked over her shoulder, spotting Hyena's name on the sheet. He nodded in understanding, and a knowing smile came over his face.
"I would call him tomorrow, before he takes off again. He's like the wind, he comes and goes without warning," Roy said wistfully, looking away with a dreamy smile. Blake watched him with curiosity, but shook her head as she looked back at her hands.
The next day…
Blake sat in the library by herself, reading quietly to herself. Her mind was aloof as she turned the page, and her mind recalled the events from the day before. The black-haired girl pulled out the small tab of paper, and let out a sigh before she pulled out her Scroll. Typing in the number, she made the call. There was only one ring on the other end before it was picked up, and a chipper voice came on from the other end.
"Fastest Thing Alive speaking. Who's this?" Blake rolled her eyes at Hyena's statement, but spoke up.
"It's Blake. Roy's teammate?" On the other end, Blake heard what sounded like loud static before Hyena replied.
"Oh yeah! What's up, Blake?" Under Hyena's voice could be heard the sounds of other people talking in what sounded like another language.
"Well-Aloe said 'Trust me'. What does that mean?" There was a silence on the other end before Hyena made a small laugh.
"I'll tell you when I get there. Where are you?" Hyena asked, and Blake made a face. What, is he going to come here?
"I'm at Beacon, in the library, second floor," Blake answered, and the sounds of static went wild for about twenty seconds.
"Whatcha reading there, Blake?" Blake let out a yelp when rather than hearing Hyena through the phone, his voice was coming from right beside her. Indeed, the hunter was leaning right over her shoulder. She fell backwards, but Hyena caught her and set her chair upright. She stared at him in bewilderment as he looked over her book, his thumb holding her page.
"Ninjas of Love, huh? Love the series, just can't stand how slow Hanji is to realize that the girl's in love with him," Hyena smiled, though Blake swiped her book back with a pout. "So, Aloe thinks you should know," Hyena gave her a smile, resting his chin in his hands and resting his elbows on the table in front of Blake.
"Know what, exactly?" Blake turned her head slightly, a bit nervous as to what he could mean.
"Can you run your hand through my hair, please?" Hyena held his head towards the black-haired girl, who backed away. "Go ahead," Hyena's voice took a less playful tone for a moment, and Blake stopped.
Fine…She rolled her eyes, and slowly ran her hand into his hair. Her eyes went wide when she felt something else.
"Ears..?" She whispered, almost retracting her hand in fear.
"What's left of them, at least. Had them…removed at a young age. Shame, 'Fastest Faunus Alive' has a better ring to it," Hyena chuckled, but his voice took a tone of melancholy for only a moment. "If I had to guess, Aloe didn't want you to be alone."
"Alone?" Blake asked, taking her hand back slowly as she tried to understand what was going on.
"You're not the only one running away from their problems. And…you're not the only one hiding in plain sight, either." Hyena gave her a smile, though she could only sit in shock. Hyena raised his hands defensively before sitting down next to her.
"Don't worry, I can hold secrets. Just call me if you need someone to talk to, okay?" Hyena asked, holding his face mere inches away from Blake's own. She nodded dumbly, and Hyena kissed her on the forehead.
"Later!" And in the blink of an eye, Hyena was gone. Blake leaned back into her chair, her mind spinning and her heart pounding like a drum. Her hand unconsciously went to her bow, and she came back slowly to reality once her fingers felt the fabric.
"I…" Blake got up, walking out of the library in a hurry with her book in her hand. Unbeknownst to her, Roy sat on the opposite side of the bookshelf, his eyes distant but wide in focus. His teammate passed by him without notice, but Roy sat there in quiet contemplation without moving from his seat.
I guess I'm not the only one with demons instead of skeletons in my closet…
Well, this was shorter than I wanted it, but at the same time, I think it's a good way to move into the next arc! And, for the sake of all you shippers out there, I will be writing some ship-worthy chapters next! I will be doing three chapters, for the top three voted Ships, starting with third and going to first! If anyone wants to leave suggestions for these chapters (maybe what I could try?) please leave them in the reviews!
As always, have a great day, and hope you enjoyed!
