Chapter X: Rude Awakening
Ruby and her team had joined JNPR, and PING at the library for a little study session to prepare them for their upcoming test, they were all currently seated around a circled table and she couldn't help but notice the absence of the leader of PING.
"Hey, Prompto. Where's Noctis?" The young girl asked as she took out her studying material from her bookbag "I haven't really seen him in a while."
"Don't really know. When we left Peach's classroom Gladio said something about them working out and when we turned around he was gone. He really doesn't like working out."
The young Huntress in training looked down with a saddened expression "Oh."
"You will most likely find the young Prince outside somewhere, enjoying mother nature." Ignis said almost encouraging Ruby to go look for him.
"And taking a nap." Prompto added.
"W-Well maybe I should go look for him, he might want to study with us!" The young girl got up from her chair and took of in a full sprint out of the library.
Just then a familiar bunny eared girl walked up to the group with her own books in hand.
"H-Hey Gladio."
Gladio turned towards the shy, soft voice and is welcomed to Velvet's blushing smile.
"Hey Velvet, why don't you take a seat as he nearly knocks Prompto out of his seat, freeing it for the young Faunus girl."
"Dude, there's a magical word called excuse me, you should use it sometime." Prompto said giving Gladio the stink eye as he got up from the floor and made his way to the empty seat next to Yang.
"So, Velvet what are you up to?" Gladio asked his Faunus friend.
Velvet's blush had gotten deeper as she looked down, trying to hide it. "W-Well I told my team about what had happened with Cardin and they were surprised to hear that someone had actually been nice enough to help me and they wanted to meet you."
"Sure" Gladiolus said with a smile on his face
"Really?" Velvet replied with joy in her voice "Well we're actually going into town this weekend to do some shopping if you'd like to join us?"
"Sure, sounds like a plan!"
"Great! Well I'll let them know you'll be tagging along. I'll see you guys later!" Velvet waves goodbye at the three teams seated at the table and heads out of the library.
Prompto gets back into his original seat and gives Gladiolus a teasing smile "Looks like the big guy has gotten himself a girlfriend."
"She's not my girlfriend Prompto." He said as he gave Prompto a threatening look, making Prompto raise his hands in surrender "I was nice to her and she wants to hang out, that's it."
"Whatever you say, big guy." Prompto said as his teasing smile returned to his face.
It had been 2 weeks since Noctis and his friends had began to attend Beacon. The young Prince was currently enjoying the light breeze of the cool beginning of fall weather as he relaxed under the shade of a tree in the school's courtyard. Classes had ended for the day and Noctis had been able to escape Gladiolus' brutal training that he had planned for the Prince. Noctis' eyes began to weigh heavy on him as he soon found himself drifting off into sleep, until a certain redheaded teen had popped up, seemingly out of nowhere bringing the Prince out of his half awake state.
"Hey, Noctis! I knew I'd find you here!"
Noctis sat up from his comfortable position and turns to the scarlet teen that had disturbed his almost nap. "What's up, Ruby?" He asked in an almost groggy voice.
"Well we're all at the library studying and I noticed you weren't there and I was just a little worried that you were still… You know dealing with everything that had happened."
"You were worried?" The Prince asked, giving Ruby a questioning look "Why?"
The question made Ruby blush as she rocked back and forth on her feet "W-Well because we're friends and friends worry about each other, so I worried because we're friends." Ruby replied as if she had use her semblance on her speech.
"Uh huh." was all Noctis could say in response to the young girl's speedy speech.
"Anyways, I'm fine, Ruby. I just wanted to enjoy this weather and not be stuck inside some library or worse… A gym." He said as he shivered at the thought.
Ruby chuckled at the Prince's hatred for working out and took a seat on the floor next to him. "Is it okay if I enjoy it with you?"
"Sure, why not."
THe two sat in silence, enjoying the sight of blooming flowers in front of them, until Noctis' scroll began to rang. He looked at his scroll and saw and urgent message from Ozpin, telling him and Prompto to head to his office.
Noctis gets up from his position and cleans himself off of any grass that had followed him up. "Listen, Ruby. I have to go, I'll see you later." With that Noctis had jogged his way to the school's main building, meeting up with his brother at the elevator that lead to Ozpin's clock like office.
"Hey, Prompto. Did Ozpin tell you why it was so urgent that we went to his office?"
"Nope, he just sent me a message saying to head there."
The elevator door then opened up and the two brothers head inside. Once the elevator door opens to Ozpin's office, they are greeted with the sight of a familiar face.
"Cor, what are you doing here, old man?" Prompto asked with a smile on his face.
Cor looks at the two boys with sadness and shame in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, you two."
"What's going on?" Noctis asked as he read the vibes in the room. Cor, Ozpin, and Glynda had been looking at the boys with sadness present in their eyes as soon as the elevators had opened up.
Ozpin puts down his coffee cup and clears his throat as he prepares to break the news to the boys, seeing that Cor is unable to do so. "Cor…. Has brought us some terrible news." Ozpin said as he clearly tried to hold back tears as he spoke. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way…. Insomnia has fallen… and King Regis… was killed in the attack."
The room fell in a deafening silence as both brothers took in the information that was laid out to them.
"Y-You can't be serious!" Noctis shouted, his voice full of anger "Is this your idea of a joke, Cor?"
"I wish it were, kid. Your father had sent me away before the ceremony and when I tried to return Imperials had taken over the entrance so I fought my way through them and when I made it to the plaza where the ceremony was being shown… I saw them… holding up your father's body like it was some kind of trophy." Cor responded still unable to look Noctis is in the eyes.
Prompto just stood there, not saying a word with his head held down. His right hand began to ball up into a fist as tears began to fall. "How… How could this happen?"
"Niflheim was using the ceremony as a cover, a cover so that they would be able to steal the crystal and get their armies in without too much trouble." Cor replied.
Noctis went over to Ozpin's desk and slammed his fist down, creating a crack in the wooden desk "They played our father for a damn fool!"
"Reggie was no fool." Ozpin said in his usual calm voice as he sat down in his chair and placed his coffee cup on his now damaged desk. "There's no doubt in my mind that your father saw this coming a mile away, I believe that is the reason he sent you both here."
"Is that the kind of King my father was? One that would sacrifice his own people to save his sons?! We should've been there, we should've helped protect Insomnia." Noctis said with his fist still on the desk.
"Your father believed that you two were made for much more, Noct. That's why he did what he did." Cor said as he put his hand on Noctis' shoulder.
Noctis shoves Cor away and makes his way towards the elevator.
"Where are you going?"
"To take back my kingdom!"
"You'll get yourself killed, Noct!" Cor shouted causing Noctis to stop in his tracks and turn towards the old Huntsman "You may be stronger than your father was when he was your age, but you are still not strong enough to take on a whole army!"
"I can't just sit here and do nothing while those bastards terrorize my home!"
"I'm not telling you to do nothing, I'm asking you to wait. Your father sent me out on a secret assignment before all this happened and now it's starting to make sense, so just hear me out before you go and do something irrational."
"No, screw that! They're gonna pay for what they've done." Noctis said as he entered the elevator.
"And what do you plan to do against a whole army?!"
"Kill every last imperial that gets in my way."
The elevator door closes and descends leaving the room in the same silence that had fallen on it a few minutes ago. Cor looks to Prompto who had surprisingly stayed quiet during the whole ordeal and put his hand on his shoulder. "Prompto… Are you alright."
"King Regis… took me in when I had nowhere else to go…" He looks up to Cor with tear filled eyes "And I never got to thank him."
Cor embraces Prompto in a hug and the two remain there in silence until Ozpin interrupts them "Prompto, I believe you feel the same way as Noctis, am I right?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you must feel the need for revenge, do you not?"
"Of course I do."
"Then go, join Noctis. Maybe you can stop him from getting himself killed."
Prompto nods at Ozpin's request and does his best to hide the evidence that he had been crying and makes his way for the elevator.
"They don't stand a chance, Ozpin. Not without the arsenal."
"I know."
"Then why did you allow them to leave? You could've stopped Noctis."
"So that he may see that he doesn't stand a chance the way he is now."
Cor and Glynda both give Ozpin questioning looks as he sits in silence and takes a sip of his coffee.
"I'm sorry Ozpin but I can't let Noctis get himself killed" Glynda said as she took out her scroll "All security personnel switch to sleep rounds and make our way to the airships. If Noctis is seen do not let him leave Beacon, I repeat do not let him leave Beacon. If he manages to leave I will have each and every one of your jobs.
"You know that won't stop him, Glynda." Ozpin said as he took a sip from his coffee cup "He is YOUR son."
Back in the library
Ruby had joined back up with the rest of her friends back at the library and the 10 young Huntsman and Huntresses in training were helping each other study for an upcoming test. Ignis' scroll begins to vibrate and he checks it and sees a message from Noctis "Meet me by the airships and bring Gladio."
"What is it, Iggy?" Gladiolus asked as he put his book down on the table.
"The young Prince wants us to meet him by the airships."
"By the airships? Why?" The young crimson teen asked.
"He didn't say. Just wants me and Gladio to meet him there." Ignis replied as he and Gladio put their stuff away and made their way out of the library.
"Maybe Ozpin is sending them on a mission?" The Blond brawler commented as she noticed the worried look on her young sister's face.
"Why would Ozpin send them on a mission? They're only first years." The Heiress added seeming a bit upset at the idea that Ozpin would send PING on a mission and not RWBY.
A few minutes after Gladiolus and Ignis made their exit Prompto comes rushing into the library and rushes to the table where his friends are seated.
"Guys we have to get to the airships quick!" Prompto shouted earning him multiple shhhhs from the groups of students in the library.
"What's wrong, Prompto?" Yang asked
"We have to stop Noctis, he's going to get himself killed!"
As soon as Prompto finished the last word in his sentence Ruby had gotten up from her seat and dashed past him using her semblance as the rest of her friends followed suit.
Beacon Airstrip
Gladiolus and Ignis had followed a path of unconscious Beacon security guards that led to the airstrip and to a single airship, they summoned their weapons preparing for a fight and quietly make their way into the ship. They get inside and are welcomed by the sight of their leader preparing the ship for take off.
"What the hell happened here, Noct?" The muscled teen asked as he desummoned his greratsword.
"We're heading back to Insomnia." Noctis replied not taking his eyes off the control panels of the ship.
"What? Why?"
"Insomnia was attacked by Niflheim… they killed my father and taken over our home. We're going to take it back."
"Wait… what?! How do you know this? Are you sure?!" Ignis asked not able to believe what he had heard.
"Yes I'm sure, Cor had told me and Prompto. That's why we were asked to go to Ozpin's office.
Gladiolus took a seat in of the seats in the airship as he put his hands on his knees, hesitant to ask the question that had popped into his head when he heard Insomnia had been attacked "W-What about my dad… is… is he okay?" He asked afraid of the answer he might hear.
"I don't know, Cor didn't say anything about him." He turned and saw the worried look in his friend's eyes "But I'm sure he's okay, he's one tough son of a bitch."
"Yeah… he is."
"So then what's the plan?" Ignis asked
"We're gonna head to Insomnia and we're gonna clear the city of imperials. Make them pay for what they did."
"You can't be serious, Noct. we don't stand a chance against a whole army. We'll just end up getting ourselves killed." Ignis said trying to reason with his leader.
"I don't care, I'm going to Insomnia. I'll go alone if I have to."
"You're not going alone." Gladiolus said as he stood up from his seat "I've got your back, your highness."
"What about you, Specs? You coming?"
"Well… seeing that you've knocked most of security in this place unconscious I would have to deal with the repercussions if I stayed so…. Looks like I have no choice." Ignis replied as he made his way to the cockpit "But I'll be the one flying this thing."
"You can fly this?" Noctis asked giving him a questioning look.
"I took a few classes, yes."
"Good enough for me." Gladiolus said with a smirk.
Just as they were about to lift off a familiar high pitched voice called out for them
"Noctis wait!"
"Noctis turned towards the voice and saw Ruby running towards him "R-Ruby? What are you doing here?"
Just then the rest of team RWBY and JNPR showed up behind the young crimsonette along with Prompto.
"Prompto told us everything, about your home being attacked and… your father getting killed."
"Look Ruby you can't stop us from going."
"We don't want to stop you." Yang interrupted
"We want to help you." Pyrrha said as all of them took out their weapons.
"WE'LL BREAK THEIR LEGS!" Nora said in a menacing but giggling voice.
Noctis looked at all of his friend's faces of determination and smiled "Thanks guys… but this is our fight."
"Noctis, let us help you." Ruby said with pleading eyes.
"Sorry, Ruby, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you guys because of this."
"B-But" Ruby began
"This is something we have to do ourselves…"
Ruby dropped her head in sadness "O-Okay Noctis." she said as she reluctantly agreed to let them go alone.
Prompto made his way into the airship but was stopped by an arm pulling on him.
"Make sure you guys come back in one piece, okay?" Yang said as she gave Prompto a kiss on the cheek.
"Y-Yeah… of course." Prompto replied with a blush.
"Noctis, please don't do anything stupid that'll get yourselves killed, okay?" Ruby said as a small blush began to form on her face.
Noctis patted Ruby on the head and gave her a reassuring smile "We won't get ourselves killed, alright? Besides everything we do is stupid."
"That's true" Ruby said returning the smile.
Noctis and Prompto made their way into the ship as the door began to close and they took their seats.
"This is your captain speaking." Ignis said over the small intercom in the ship "Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for take off, next stop… Insomnia."
To be continued… in the next chapter
Nyx and Qrow's Bogus Journey!