Chapter 14:
"UNBELIEVABLE!" roared Ironwood, the force of his voice actually causing a surge of static through the sound system connected to the CCT.
Ozpin, with much practice, and a great deal of will, forced down the grimace that tried to work its way up his face. Standing to his right and slightly behind him, Glynda made no such effort to suppress her expression. Qrow lounged on the front side of the desk, seeming completely unconcerned by Ironwood's wrath.
"It's true, Sir," said Winter stiffly. "Mr. Whitaker was, in fact, an old friend and comrade of Kyo's. However, he attacked anyway."
"He attacked to kill," added Qrow. "So you can relax Jimmy, he did what you wanted, just not for the reason you wanted him to."
"So...Kyo is dead then," said Ironwood, slumping slightly in relief.
"Nope," said Qrow, prompting Winter to throw a shocked glare at him.
"WHAT?" Winter winced at Ironwood's voice.
"He tried," said Qrow casually. "But he lost. He came close though."
"If you're worried about former allegiances, don't," said Glynda. "I can assure you that Nigel attacked to kill. At one point, he had the complete upper hand, until Kyo was able to rally."
"I doubt that," said Ironwood grimly. "People do not abandon their allegiances so easily. They clearly conspired to make it look like a serious fight. If I had known that Nigel Whitaker was one of Kyo's old companions, I would have ordered his arrest as well."
"Your troops would be just as dead," said Qrow. "He's one of the few guys who's up in Kyo's league. Your armies would have had about as much luck against him as they had against Kyo himself."
The holographic image of Ironwood bared his teeth in a low growl. "I'm beginning to think you are all conspiring against me."
Winter paled noticeably. Her arms were folded behind her back, which kept her hands out of Ironwood's sight as they clenched tightly, her nails drawing lines on her arms.
"There are no conspiracies, save those you imagine," said Ozpin. "If anything, you are the one who has gotten out of hand, James. Atlas' buildup of armaments has become excessive. The other Kingdoms have become very mistrustful of you, wondering when you might decide to use your armadas to enforce your own view of the world upon them."
"I'm taking the initiative," said Ironwood. "With the destruction of Salem, the world has not become any safer. Queen and Taurus are both still at large. The White Fang is more violent than ever. Yet I seem to be the only one who has taken steps to counter these threats...again."
"Don't you remember what your 'steps' got you the last time?" snapped Glynda, glaring at Ironwood's hologram. "Your networks were infiltrated. Your ships were rendered worthless. Your own android forces were made to turn on the very people they were supposed to be protecting. Every time you insist on relying on overwhelming power, our enemies turn that to their advantage. It's high time you realized that you can't use a hammer to do a scalpel's work."
Ironwood glowered at her.
Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "We've been over this a dozen times, James. The last crisis has shown that overwhelming force is not the answer. We should aspire to train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can, people who can go where they are needed to enforce peace and protect this world. Despite your valid concerns about our enemies...I am feeling most reassured."
"How can you?" demanded Ironwood.
"Because we have, without question, eight of the best Huntsmen and Huntresses in the world right here," said Ozpin with a smile, one that was shared by Glynda, Qrow, and even Winter, though she forced hers down quickly. "Not even finished with their first year of schooling, they thwarted a foe that, for all of your strength and all of your weapons and technology, was too much for you, or any of us. They succeeded where overwhelming power would have accomplished nothing. And they are still only students. With each passing year, month, week, even day, they are growing stronger and wiser. Imagine the things they will be able to accomplish once they are fully trained and have graduated." Ozpin chuckled. "I trust them with the future of our world far more than I could ever trust your armies, James."
"That is beside the point," said James. "The real problem is that Demon Eyes Kyo still lives. And now he has an accomplice at Beacon."
"I would never call Nigel and accomplice," said Ozpin. "I fully expect him to go his own way once he's recovered, which should be fairly soon. He's already promised to track Kyo down and try to kill him once more."
"I doubt that," said Ironwood. "I will be adding Nigel Whitaker to the wanted list. I won't allow a single one of these scum to get away. Every known associate of Demon Eyes Kyo will receive their own bounty."
"So you would include my own students in that?" asked Ozpin. "They have been associating with Kyo quite a bit, you know."
Qrow, Glynda, and Winter all looked sharply at Ozpin, their expressions shocked.
Ironwood's eyes narrowed. "You're depraved Ozpin. Are you really so desperate to court the Mibu Clan's favor that you would use your own students as a shield for a wanted criminal?"
"Hardly a shield," said Ozpin with a chuckle. "Kyo welcomes your efforts to bring him down, particularly because it means he gets to enjoy a good fight. He won't allow my students to get in the way of that. But, I meant it when I said that they are associating with Kyo. At least one of them has gotten quite close to him. They have even been learning advanced Aura-manipulation techniques from him, the kind that are not taught in any of the Academies, the kind that Kyo used to become as dangerous as he is now."
"You know that's forbidden, Ozpin," said Ironwood sternly. "Teaching students forbidden skills is a violation of the treaty."
"Ah, but I'm not teaching them anything," said Ozpin with a smile that, on any lesser man, would have been called taunting. "Kyo has taken it upon himself to instruct them in the basics of Aura-control as taught to him by his own clan. Of course, I have expressed disapproval of this, but one cannot control such a criminal with words alone."
Qrow coughed, desperately trying to hide the laugh that was forcing its way up and out of his throat. "The thing 'bout being the most wanted criminal in the world is that you're free to not give a hoot about the law," he said, smirking at Ironwood.
"You deliberately allowed him to do this," growled Ironwood. "That's the real reason you brought him to Beacon."
"I will deny any such allegations strenuously," said Ozpin. "My intention was merely to use Kyo as a means of establishing contact with the Mibu Clan, so that we might orchestrate the beginnings of a fruitful relationship."
"I wonder if Vale's Council will share your view if I take my misgivings to them," said Ironwood.
"You may," said Ozpin. "The Council may even agree with you. However, they know better than to interfere with the running of my school, after what happened last time."
"They'll still make him listen while they complain," muttered Glynda irritably.
Ironwood snorted and glared at Ozpin. "This isn't over," he said. His hologram cut out.
"I'm sure it isn't," agreed Ozpin, with a sigh, lowering his head.
Winter shuddered and sagged. Qrow wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "Easy there," he said.
"We've put you in a rather difficult position, I'm afraid," said Ozpin, looking at Winter. "For that, you have my sincerest apology."
"It's fine," said Winter. "But I'm afraid we can't keep this up much longer. General Ironwood is nearing his breaking point."
"And when that happens, it's gonna be Atlas against the world," said Qrow sourly. "His forces have bulked up enough, he could bring the fight to all three other Kingdoms at once, if he wanted to."
"Ever since the fight with Salem, the Kingdoms' militaries have been mostly decimated," said Glynda. "They were never anything approaching the Atlesian Military, even before the conflict and Ironwood's buildup."
"Jimmy can make up for the difference in manpower with his drones," said Qrow. "He can churn those things out by the thousands. They don't need to be trained and they don't eat or drink. He's set up Atlas Academy to feed him Huntsmen and Huntresses for his Special Forces. Then there's his partnership with Old Man Schnee..."
Winter shook her head. "Father has established a stranglehold over Atlas' Dust supply. Since SDC Dust is the main supplier for Dust in the other Kingdoms as well, Father could cut off supplies to Vacuo, Mistral, and Vale, which would leave them helpless."
"And this whole time, Councilmen are griping over old treaties that keep us from propagating methods of fighting that would free us from our dependence on Dust," groused Glynda.
"I'm not overly concerned," said Ozpin, drawing everyone's confused looks. "Even if we could take the measures necessary to free ourself from that dependence, it would take a military buildup exceeding James' own to put our Kingdoms on even footing with Atlas. Even then, all we would be doing was laying the groundwork for the next Great War. If war does break out, then we will have already lost, and Salem will get her wish from beyond the grave."
"So what do we do then?" asked Qrow. "You don't suggest we roll over and let Jimmy do what he wants, do ya?"
Ozpin shook his head. "What we require is an intercession by a power with capacity to render James' armies meaningless on the battlefield."
Qrow's eyes narrowed. "You mean a power like the power of one man to decimate an entire brigade."
"The Mibu Clan," said Glynda, her voice almost a whisper.
"Kyo alone might be enough," said Winter.
"Well, that's a stretch," said Qrow. "Yeah, he destroyed an entire Mobile Brigade, but even that's a far cry from being able to take on the whole of the Atlesian Military."
"It's just so fortunate that Kyo apparently has friends whose power matches his own," said Ozpin with a sly smile. "Under the right conditions, we might be able to induce them to come back together and combine their strength. In which case..."
"You're starting to scare me, Ozpin," said Qrow. "That's an awfully big stretch there. We can't get Kyo to do anything he doesn't want to."
"Well, it's fortunate that Kyo is making new friends then," said Ozpin. "During this last fight, we saw that his desire to protect them can draw out strength far beyond our wildest imaginings."
"So that's why you had him brought here," said Winter.
"Among other things, yes," said Ozpin. He got up and turned to gaze out the window. "But all of this is merely meant to serve as a catalyst for even greater change."
"Ah...that feels good," said Kyo as he stepped out of the room he'd been given. After taking a shower, he'd dressed in the casual clothes that Yang had bought for him, leaving his kimono to get mended again.
Yang looked him over, noticing that the cuts were already beginning to fade. "Is that healing ability another technique?" she asked.
"Ah...it's a variant of suppression," said Kyo. "You draw your Aura inward and concentrate its circulation through your body, rather than around it, which speeds your healing. However, it only really works for the most superficial of wounds. For anything deeper, proper treatment is necessary."
"So Nigel wouldn't be getting up on his own?" asked Yang.
"Not really," said Kyo. "He could stabilize himself. But, without assistance, it could be weeks before he had the strength to move under his own power."
"Oh," said Yang.
"So...I see you got a new arm already," said Kyo, looking at Yang's right arm.
The hand that extended from her sleeve was white, its structure extremely bare and light. "This...This is just a temp," she said, flexing her hand. "It works well enough for my basic needs, but I can't use it in a fight. That's why I'm hoping that your clan can really fix me."
"Well...I hope they can too," said Kyo, scratching his head. "I'm not a hundred-percent certain, but close enough."
"Well, even if they can't, the trip'll still be worth it," said Yang. "I'm glad we'll have you though. Then we won't have to worry about Grimm."
"That much is true," said Kyo as they made their way down to the common room, which was deserted, as usual.
They relaxed on a couch, Yang leaning against Kyo. "So...what did you mean when you said that I helped you win?" she asked.
"Well...when you lost against Nigel, I realized that you'd become very important to me," said Kyo. "I didn't want anything to happen to you. That essentially woke my body up so that I could use all of my strength."
"So you got stronger because you wanted to protect me?" asked Yang. "That's so cliche."
"Ah well, even if it's a cliche, it works, so I don't mind," said Kyo with a laugh.
I suppose that's true, thought Yang. She thought back to what she knew about Kyo and his travels. Qrow had called him the Festival Bringer, because his presence promised a time of safety that allowed the constantly endangered settlements he visited to let down their guard and celebrate. It occurred to her that Kyo traveled so much precisely because of that quality. He visited as many places as he could to give them a reprieve from the Grimm, allowing their strength and morale to recover. As aimless as he claimed his traveling was, even his seemingly random journeys were motivated by a desire to protect others.
"To be honest, a fight doesn't feel as important if there's nothing at stake," said Kyo. "Which isn't to say that I want you to be threatened," he added quickly. "But...I just don't feel as motivated to give it my all if there isn't a real reason behind it."
"I can understand that," said Yang. Turning her head, she lightly kissed Kyo's cheek. "It's sweet of you. Thanks."
"You're welcome," said Kyo, blushing slightly.
"So then, you travel to all kinds of different places," Yang noted. "Is there anything special about them?"
"Quite a few," said Kyo, raising a hand and counting off his fingers. "There's Verdan. Besides, their sake, they have wonderful hot springs. A little to the south and east is Brandywine. They grow the best tomatoes there, and have a Caprese salad that's to die for. Over by Mistral is Anduin, where they have some of the best pumpkin products every fall..."
Yang listened in fascination as she listened to Kyo describe all the places he had been. It seemed that he'd wandered far and wide over Remnant, visiting settlements on every continent. She imagined what it would be like to go so many places, and meet so many people. There was something magical about the idea.
"I'd like to go with you someday," she said. "I'd like to see all the places you've been."
Kyo beamed. "I'd love to show them to you," he said. "It's not just settlements. Out in the wilderness, there are all kinds of things that are more amazing than you can imagine. Over in Mistralian territory, there's a mountain range where I found a cave that sings when the wind blows through it. Up north, there are hot springs that look like rainbows captured in water. To the mountains southwest of Vale, there are enormous aspen groves. When fall comes, entire mountainsides turn as gold as your hair." Kyo gently ran his fingers through Yang's hair and held it up for her to see. Yang tried to imagine a sight like that.
"There are just so many things to see and do," said Kyo with a sigh as he leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "There's so much beauty in this world."
His words made Yang's heart skip. So that's the real reason he travels so much, she thought. It wasn't just a matter of visiting different settlements. Kyo was an explorer at heart. For most, it was a risky occupation. The outside world was fraught with Grimm and exploration meant fighting your way through the wilderness with little or no support. But Kyo, with the aversion the Grimm had to him, was free to wander wherever he liked, which meant he could see things that anyone else from the Kingdom wouldn't be able to without putting their lives on the line. Hearing him describe those things made Yang want to see them for herself.
But that would have to wait. She still had to finish out her schooling at Beacon and she figured she would spend at least the first few years as a fully-fledged Huntress with her team before she was well-situated enough to strike out on her own. She wondered if either she or Kyo could wait that long.
A look at the clock told her it was time to catch the airship back to Vale. Yang slumped a little. She didn't really want to leave right now. She and her friends had already ended up skipping out on the seminar class they'd signed up for because of Kyo's fight with Nigel. The others had already headed back to Vale, while Yang had stayed behind. But now, she either had to leave, or spend the night at Beacon.
"I guess it's time for me to go," said Yang, getting up.
"I can at least walk you to the dock," said Kyo, taking her hand in his as they headed out the door.
They walked in silence as they left the guest dorms, enjoying one another's company as they made their way out to the docks. There, Yang gave Kyo one last kiss on the cheek before embarking on the airship heading to Vale. Kyo watched it fly away before turning back and heading in for the night. As he did, he didn't notice a figure crouched atop the roof of the guest dorms, watching him intently.
The next morning, RWBY and JNNR returned to Beacon to resume their Aura training. Once again, they spent the morning practicing their Projection. Their seminar had been rescheduled for later in the day, so Weiss lacked any real complaints. Any complaints that might have been made about the tedious practice regimen were quickly dismissed when they found out how much their Auras had strengthened from just one day of practice.
"To be honest, even I'm amazed at how quickly you're developing," noted Kyo as they made their way into the dining hall. Once again, they fell under the scrutiny of countless gazes. However, the hostility that had been so oppressive the previous day was absent. In its place was an apparent grudging respect for Kyo and his strength as the students had learned just why he had such a massive bounty on his head.
"I guess it's because we've always been using our Auras," said Ruby as she nibbled on a cookie idly. "If we wear ourselves out in the morning, we can use Suppression to bounce back for more training in the afternoon."
"We can always do combat sessions," suggested Blake. "That would give us a chance to put our new skills to work."
"Well, it's not like we have anything else to do with our days until we leave to go to Kyo's homeland," said Jaune. "When are we doing that, by the way?"
"I'm figuring our departure will be in two weeks, give or take," said Kyo. "We'll have some extra time, thanks to your plan to take an airship out to the furthest settlement we can reach, and start for there, so that gives us some extra time to work with."
"We can probably train on the road," added Yang.
"Ugh," grunted Weiss with a grimace. "As if we won't be grimy and sweaty enough from slogging through the wilderness."
"If you don't want to work outdoors, you shouldn't have signed up to be a Huntress, Princess," teased Jaune.
"Hey, I can handle being outdoors just fine," protested Weiss. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Don't worry," said Kyo. "I think you'll find life with my Clan to be plenty luxurious. Granted, we don't have the more modern amenities of the outside world, like scrolls or the Dustnet or television. But I think you'll find that it is a quite appealing place to live."
"If it's so appealing, then why are you out wandering the world?" asked Weiss skeptically.
"It's appealing, but when you've seen it all for so long, you yearn to see something else," replied Kyo with a grin. "It is a wonderful place, but only a small portion of a much larger world. I wanted to see and experience the rest."
"I can understand that," said Yang. "I mean, Patch is a wonderful place and all, but I'd hate to be stuck there my entire life and miss the chance to see what else is out there."
They made their way across a courtyard, heading for the rescheduled seminar that Weiss had signed the two teams up for. Kyo had decided to tag along, curious as to what kind of material Beacon's classes covered.
The class Weiss had signed them up for turned out to be a history seminar taught by Dr. Oobleck. Seminars were more discussion and participation based than they were lectures that the students were required to listen to and take notes for. Their grades were determined primarily by their participation, and papers that they wrote afterwords, rather than any tests on the material. The class Weiss had signed them up for was the history of the Northern Territories, which included Atlas and its attendant settlements.
"Curious about something?" asked Yang as they filed into the classroom.
"I wanted to see if the class would bring up anything about the Mibu Clan or even Leng," said Weiss. If nothing really came up, she intended to press Dr. Oobleck for answers regarding the Mibu Clan personally.
"Ah yes," said Oobleck as Weiss brought the question up. "That is a very interesting question for you to ask, Ms. Schnee. It is also a very dangerous one."
"Dangerous?" asked Weiss, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"
"I'm sure your friend has told you about the Mibu Clan's previous conflict with Vale and Atlas," said Oobleck to the collective nods of the girls. "Because of that, any acknowledgment of the Mibu Clan's existence, or the fact that Leng is occupied by settlers not from any of the four known Kingdoms, is considered taboo to historians like myself."
"Just taboo?" asked Ren. "You mean it isn't forbidden outright?"
Oobleck frowned. "Forbidding the mention of something is also an acknowledgment of its existence," he said. "As such, any discussion of this subject matter will attract substantial unofficial censure, and even restriction, by the authorities, but no outright legal penalties." Oobleck's eyes narrowed. "However, keep in mind that there is still plenty the authorities subservient to the Council and Atlas can do, even without the weight of the law behind them. When it comes to this topic, they are perfectly happy to bend the rules to keep it from being discussed. As such, when you are outside of this classroom, I expect you all to keep your queries as discreet as humanly possible."
"Why is everyone so adamant about denying their existence?" inquired Blake.
Oobleck sighed. "Partly because their attempt to forcefully annex the Mibu Clan into Vale's territory ended in severe humiliation for the militaries of both Vale and Atlas. The Kingdoms' pride was badly shaken by the ease with which they were defeated. However, the other reason is that many of the facts of the Mibu Clan's existence undermine many of the pillars of our current society."
"You mean their Aura?" asked Yang, leaning forward.
"That one is particularly formidable," said Oobleck. "There are a great many Huntsmen and Huntresses who owe their success to their skill at utilizing Dust. However, if they were able to achieve similar results without Dust and, consequently, drop their consumption, it would be a serious blow to the backbone of the economies of certain Kingdoms, Atlas in particular. If the Huntsmen and Huntresses forgo the use of Dust, then the militaries will gradually follow suit and demand for Dust will drop across the board. However, there are other issues. It is a complex affair, with many factors affecting it."
"Have you ever studied the Mibu Clan?" asked Blake.
"Not personally," said Oobleck, drinking down another mug of coffee. "Besides the issue of the subject's...controversial nature...there is also the issue of contacting the Mibu Clan directly. It involves travel to another continent, primarily on foot, as there are no air routes that are allowed to infringe upon their territory. The journey is not an easy one to make. However, I have spoken to Professor Ozpin about the nature of the Mibu, which was quite an enlightening discussion. I believe that there is a great deal more you can learn about them if you ask him personally. Although...I believe you have an even more effective source sitting a row behind you."
Kyo smiled and waved as everyone's eyes went to him.
"Since you were so kind as to grace us with your presence, perhaps you can provide us with more information about your clan," suggested Oobleck.
"If that's your wish, I'll answer what questions I can," said Kyo, getting up and coming to the front of the room.
For a moment, an awkward silence reined. No one had expected their seminar class to be diverted so extensively.
"Are you okay with this?" asked Yang, feeling like they were maybe overstepping their bounds.
"I'm fine with it," said Kyo with a smile. "To be frank, I was expecting these sorts of questions earlier."
"I guess I'll start then," said Weiss. "Can you tell us about your clan's military and government?"
"Ooh! Do you have Huntsmen and Huntresses too?" asked Ruby eagerly.
"Your dad's the king, right?" said Yang as Neo nodded in agreement.
"Well, now we're certainly off to a running start," said Kyo with a laugh. "All right then...I should start by saying, no, we don't have Huntsmen or Huntresses, Ruby...at least, those are not official positions within the Clan."
Ruby let out a disappointed mewl in response.
"However, you could say that the bulk of our military, if you could call it that, falls within the role taken up by Huntsmen and Huntresses in the outside world," explained Kyo. "Because we don't engage with the other Kingdoms, we have no need for a standing army to serve a defensive or offensive purpose against other nations, so our soldiers are free to concentrate their efforts on suppressing the Grimm." He paused and scratched his head. "Though I wouldn't necessarily call them soldiers either. Our military is very loosely organized and they essentially make up a warrior class charged with combat related activities."
"That does sound a lot like Huntsmen and Huntresses," mused Blake.
"In terms of hierarchy...there isn't much," said Kyo. "In groups, members will naturally defer to those who have more skill and experience. However, the overall leaders of the Mibu Clan's military wing are the Goyosei...or the Five Shining Stars in your language."
"Well...that's not ostentatious at all," said Weiss sarcastically.
Kyo laughed. "I admit that it comes off as rather melodramatic. However, they are the most powerful actively serving members of the Mibu Clan's military. As the name suggests, there are five of them at any given time. Upon entrance, they are recognized by both name and element."
"Element?" asked Yang.
"According to the classical Five Elements," explained Kyo, "fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. They earn their positions by studying the martial arts skills associated with those elements."
"That sounds pretty cool," said Jaune.
"Above the Five Stars are the actual leaders of the Mibu Clan itself," said Kyo. "They are called the Taishirou, or the Four Elders. Despite their name, they are not necessarily the true eldest members of the clan, though they often are as a matter of sheer practicality."
"Practicality?" asked Ren, raising an eyebrow.
"Entrance into the Four Elders is contingent upon showing mastery of several fields, and also possessing transcendent power even greater than the Five Stars," explained Kyo. "Because of that, those who have lived the longest amongst the Mibu Clan are generally those who have amassed the power, skill, and experience to be recognized as worthy of the position. However, there are those who have managed to earn their place there in a relatively short time and at a very young age by the standards of the Mibu Clan through sheer effort and dedication...like my mother."
Yang's eyes widened. "Wait! Your mom is one of these Four Elders."
"She is," said Kyo. "In fact, she managed to earn the position, despite being so young and being someone born outside the clan, in a mere ten years, which is a record by the standards of the Clan. She had to work harder than most, in that time, in order to avoid accusations of nepotism."
"Oh right..." said Yang, smacking her fist into the palm of her prosthetic hand, "...because your dad's the king."
"Wait! If your dad's the king, does that make you a prince?" asked Nora, jumping up.
"Nope," said Kyo.
"Why not?" asked Weiss. "You're the heir to his throne aren't you?"
"Hmm...this is probably the trickiest thing to explain," said Kyo, scratching his chin. "How to put it...Perhaps I'll start with my father. He is technically the ultimate ruler of the Mibu Clan, holding the title of the Crimson King."
"Because of the eyes, I presume," said Blake.
Kyo nodded. "Technically, the position of Crimson King is somewhat nebulous within the clan, primarily because it is the only truly hereditary position restricted to a single family line. The authority of the Crimson King tends to vary according to his preferences. In the past, some had chosen to take a more active role in the governance of the Clan, while others chose to be mere figureheads and pursue their own interests instead. I have been told that there are even gaps in the line of succession, because some ancestors of mine chose not to take up the title at all, and the throne was left empty until a descendant claimed it. Thus, while my father is technically the ruler, the primary authority within the clan lies with the Four Elders."
"That's...weird," said Yang, frowning.
Kyo shrugged. "There are some pieces of information missing. I haven't been told why our lineage is so distinct. Father said that he would only share that knowledge with me when I was ready to receive it."
"So that's why you're not a prince," said Jaune. "You don't have to ascend the throne if you don't want to."
"Mostly correct," said Kyo. "It is true that I will only ascend the throne if I decide that it's what I truly want, though Father said that I will also have to prove myself worthy of the position."
Kyo reached up and pulled off his jacket, then his shirt. His audience gaped, wondering why they were being shown his bare upper body, though Yang was drooling slightly, seeing the powerful, yet supple muscles normally hidden beneath his loose clothes.
"But, like Father, my rank within the clan is somewhat nebulous," said Kyo, turning around. "And its basis is this."
Kyo showed them his back, the sight of which was met by shocked gasps. In the center of his back was a red cross, the same, brilliant crimson as his eyes. The descending arm was longer than the cross bar, tapering to a point at the bottom end, giving it the appearance of a very long, narrow triangle. The crossbar was near the top, its ends forming downward-facing hooks that also came to a point.
It didn't appear to be a tattoo. The way the flesh outlining it seemed raised fractionally suggested it was a scar...or even a brand, something that had been burned into his flesh. However, the color was far too vivid to match the flesh beneath his skin, especially if it had been scarred.
"Did your father do that to you?" asked Yang, horrified at the idea.
"I was born with it, actually," said Kyo. "But it is no ordinary birthmark. Father says that it will change, like it did for him. His looks like this now." Taking up a piece of chalk, Kyo drew a similar shape on the board. The cross seemed slightly longer and more elaborate. Most notably, in its center, where the crossbar met the descending arm, was the taijitu symbol that Kyo wore on the back of his kimono, enclosed in a circle. "He hasn't told me how to make it change. I think it's one of those things I'm supposed to figure out on my own."
Kyo pulled his shirt and jacket back on. "Thus, within the Mibu Clan, I am recognized as the Crimson Cross Knight. I have no actual authority within the clan, and the main privilege accorded to me is the freedom to come and go at will."
"So travel to the outside world is restricted?" asked Blake, leaning forward in interest.
"Very much," said Kyo. "As you've learned from your teacher, we have largely been written out of history, and previous generations of the Clan very much preferred it that way. As such, traveling to the outside world was forbidden to most individuals, and heavily restricted to the rest, though those restrictions have been loosening in recent years."
The discussion continued, Kyo answering what questions he could. Even Oobleck was taking extensive notes as Kyo talked about his homeland, though there were plenty of gaps, thanks to Kyo's imperfect knowledge, and spotty interests in more mundane affairs. They learned that the Mibu Clan's society was loosely feudal in nature, though with a good deal more class-mobility than actual feudalism generally allowed. The Mibu Clan had apparently founded settlements all across the continent they claimed, which was why the sections of it claimed by the other Kingdoms had not been settled either.
As the time for their class drew to a close, Oobleck took back over. "Well...that was an unexpected tangent," he said. "Of course, because of the sensitive nature of this subject matter, I cannot assign you any papers or projects on it. However, given what is occurring and what you plan to do, I can say that it was a worthwhile tangent to explore, so you shall all receive a passing grade for this class. Dismissed."
They filed out of the room, stretching and yawning, eager to catch the next airship back to Vale so that they could go home for dinner.
"Seminar classes are usually more interesting than usual, but that was especially so," said Blake.
"I'm just glad we get to visit them," said Nora, skipping alongside her. "Kyo made them sound super interesting. This'll be the best field trip ever!"
"Uh...it's technically a mission," said Jaune.
"And we'll be officially representing Beacon and Vale to the Mibu Clan, so we should be on our best behavior," admonished Weiss, throwing a glare at Nora, who took it without flinching.
"Party pooper," Nora muttered.
"Don't worry about it too much," said Kyo. "Protocol is not a major issue to the upper members of the clan, especially when it comes to dealing with outsiders. Though..." He scratched his head. "...I'm not entirely sure there even is a protocol dealing with visitors, since those who come from the outside are almost always immigrating. Hmm...?"
"Even you don't know?" asked Weiss.
"Nope," said Kyo cheerfully, looking back up at her. "I've never really bothered with protocol...so maybe I just don't know about any protocol that there is."
Weiss groaned in frustration while Yang and Ruby laughed.
They continued to chat as they made their way through the courtyard. Their path took them through an archway that then led out to the docks. As they were about to pass through it, their conversation was brought to a sudden halt.
A tremendous pressure descended on the group, as though the air around them had suddenly become heavier than lead. They tensed, legs bending, hands going for weapons as they looked around for the source of the sensation.
"What's going on?" asked Ruby, looking around anxiously. "What is this?"
"It's Aura," said Blake, recognizing the sensation. "It's unbelievably powerful!"
"We're about to be attacked again!" shouted Weiss, drawing her sword.
Ruby's hand reached for Crescent Rose, but paused as she hesitated. The sensation was powerful. But she couldn't shake the feeling that it was...familiar...in some way.
"Not again," groaned Jaune, looking around for the incoming attack.
A figure leapt off the top of the archway, descending like a diving hawk. Light flashed across drawn steel as a sword descended, its slashing edge aiming straight for the top of Kyo's head.
In a flash, Kyo drew Tenro from its sheath, holding the sword over his head and bracing his hand against its back. His defense caught the attacker's blade with an echoing clang, unleashing a shockwave the blew everyone else off their feet, and shattered nearby windows. The pavement underneath his feet shattered from the force behind the impact, though Kyo himself remained unbowed.
With a grunt, Kyo pushed upwards sharply, throwing his attacker off, knocking the figure back. His attacker executed a graceful flip, her fluttering cloak occasionally revealing a petite, feminine form as she twirled through the air, landing on her feet in a crouch, her sword held out to one side.
The sword was a straight-sided, double-edged blade, its sides sloping outward so that it actually widened along its length before tapering sharply into a broad tip, giving it a vaguely diamond-shape. The handle and hilt were very plain and undecorated. But the blade's spine featured a pattern of etchings and inlays enclosed in a rectangle that ran nearly all the way to the tip.
"Crap!" shouted Yang, immediately assuming a fighting stance, though she couldn't do much under these circumstances. She only had one gauntlet left, and her current prosthetic wasn't fit for combat. Under these circumstances, she was probably at less than half of her full strength.
Ruby's hand dropped away from Crescent Rose as she observed Kyo's attacker much more carefully. She was dressed in an ivory cloak, with blue stripes and a high collar that rose above her neck. Her face was hidden by a broad, circular, bamboo hat that was currently tilted down in such a way that Ruby could only make out a single bright-green eye in the space between the collar and the brim of the hat. There was something extremely familiar about that eye, something that made Ruby's fingers tremble. It can't be...
Everyone had tensed, preparing for a fight as they prepared to either defend themselves or get out of the way if the attacker went for Kyo again.
To their surprise, Kyo laughed and shouldered his sword, not seeming concerned in the slightest. "You've changed quite a bit. I don't think that's the way you normally say hello to people."
Kyo's attacker rose up. "Well I was so excited to see you, and I wanted to show you what I can do now," she said, her voice light and perky, almost like a child's.
At the sound of this voice, Yang's arms went limp and she nearly dropped to her knees, her strength all but deserting her. All the others immediately lowered their weapons, eyes widening and jaws dropping as their ears were caressed by the sound of a familiar voice, a voice they'd never expected to hear again.
"Actually, I didn't expect to find you here," continued the girl, now lowering her sword and turning it in her grip to slide it into its sheath, which hung from her waist, behind her back, the handle now extending to her right. As she did, her cloak was drawn back, revealing a familiar blouse, and feminine overalls with a black and green collar and black leggings. She lifted her head up so that the brim of her broad hat rose to reveal a light-skinned face dusted with freckles and short, curly, orange hair. "I came here because I wanted to see my friends and let them know I'm all right, so it was really lucky that you were here too."
"P-P-P..." Ruby dropped to her knees, tears streaming from her eyes at the sight of the friend she had thought she'd lost forever.
The other girl beamed cheerfully at her. "Salutations, Ruby."
"PENNY!"
I'll be honest, I had to retool some passages in earlier chapters to make Penny's fate more ambiguous, after Kyo "killed" her. I figured that the audience, at least, saw this coming, even if the characters necessarily didn't.
This chapter is mostly exposition, which I suspect will bore some people, but I felt it important to work out how the Mibu fit into the world of Remnant.