The Master Corps
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated.
Edited by: dashboardgecko
Chapter 25- Preparation
Trance snapped his arm up quickly, raising his foil just in time to block a high swipe from Corrin. Throwing his opponent's blade from his own, the brown-haired man thrust his blade towards Corrin's chest, though the black-haired officer reacted swiftly enough to parry the attempt. Thinking quickly, Trance leapt back to evade Corrin's follow up attack, just barely coming short of the protective white coat he wore. Landing solidly on his feet, Trance pushed off with his back leg, striking Corrin dead center with a lunge as he recovered.
"And that's a match!" Trance said triumphantly, removing his protective mask and raising his sword arm high in victory. "Close one that time. What was it, fifteen-twelve?"
"Fifteen-fourteen actually," Corrin replied, taking his mask off as well and shaking hands with his acquaintance. "You forgot about the two penalty points from when you tripped."
"Ah, right, I guess I did! Still, I could have sworn we got rid of all the stones on the strip before starting. I have no idea where that one came from."
"Well, pebbles aside, you're still leading our scoreboard by three wins. I got some catching up to do now, huh?"
"With two matches a day? Hardly! Don't you remember that week where you just destroyed me? Just get a groove like that going again and you'll be even with me in no time."
"I'm still wondering what Katarina put in those biscuits the weekend before. I had one of them and I just felt like I was on fire, y'know?"
"Didn't you say the lady's cooking was awful?" Trance asked, seating himself on the bench and taking a swig of water.
"Eh, it's getting better, but those biscuits. I cannot describe to you how good those were."
"Maybe you can share some next time? Imagine how intense our matches would get then!"
"Trance, don't put that thought in my head. Remember the fiasco with those energy drinks? We couldn't sleep for three days after that, and knowing you, we'd go through them in half an hour."
"Hah, I suppose you do have a point there. I never knew that I could smell colors… Anyways, you know about the Hunter's Examination tomorrow?"
"How could I not? You've been reminding me every day for the last week about it," Corrin replied, stuffing the last of his gear into his bag and taking a seat on the bench. "Your younger brother is taking part in it, right?"
"Yeah, well, Sir Balestra agreed to letting me have tomorrow off so I could go watch!"
"Wait, what? But tomorrow's debriefing and report day!"
"I know, isn't it great?" Trance said, chuckling at his friend's baffled expression. "Have fun writing all of those papers about that Savage Deviljho for me, would you?"
"I guess this is payback for taking that weekend off, huh? Talk about passive-aggressiveness… Did you only bring that up to spite me?"
"Well, not really. Aquila and his team are coming into Loc Lac today, so I was planning on taking a little… time off to go and see him in. Think you can cover for me while I'm doing so?"
"After the whole 'have fun doing all my work tomorrow' thing? You are really lucky you're my friend, Trance. Not like it'd be that hard anyways, I can just say you got stuck in the elevator again. Everyone would believe that."
"Hey, I'll have you know I'm well equipped in case that happens again," the officer stated, opening a side pouch on his bag and procuring a red crowbar from within.
"Didn't the last one you bought break in half on the first try?" Corrin asked wryly.
"The merchant said this one was industrial grade carbalite steel. It's not going to break any time soon. I think he said something about… crab heads or something? I dunno, but he said it was a good defense option against those too."
"Uh huh… Well, what time was your brother supposed to be coming in?"
"Pretty soon, actually. I was going to get changed and head out to the docks as soon as I could. So, if you could keep this on the down low, that'd be great."
"You really owe me for this… Alright, c'mon, let's get you out of here before things get busy."
Trance nodded and pushed himself up, hearing a slight grunt and a thud far off to the left. Glancing over, he saw Wes and Viper were practicing unarmed combat again. It was a welcome sight after the blonde hunter's long coma; he'd often watched the two go at it in between bouts, and had come to miss seeing them the past few months. It looked as though they were just finishing up as well: Viper helped Wes to his feet and the two made their way to the bench beside the ring for a swig of water. Trance gave the pair a short wave before heading into the HQ building alongside Corrin.
"Still, I'm impressed that you managed to get a day off from the boss, Trance. He's been extremely busy lately, especially with all those council meetings. Did you hear about the Guild situation too?"
"Huh? What situation?"
"I dunno, I just heard rumors from a few Guild employees that something happened out in the desert. As for what, I have no idea. I have a theory that Sir Balestra may be involved with whatever the Guild and the council are doing to handle it, which is why he's been so in and out lately."
"Doesn't surprise me. He's always getting involved with the city's business, even more so now. Seems he just can't catch a break… Maybe we should plan an office party or a vacation or something? Give him a break for a change, yeah?"
"Well well, aren't you just a regular employee of the month," Corrin chuckled, making Trance roll his eyes.
"We'll see who's laughing when you get slammed with a mountain of paperwork tomorrow."
"That wasn't half bad for a morning workout," Viper huffed, seating himself beside his friend.
"I just wish I still wasn't so stiff from the fight with Hades," Wes replied. "That mark on my chest hasn't exactly left yet. It's really uncomfortable to try any complex moves."
"At least you aren't crippled like Kat or Harlin. I talked to them the other day, and they mentioned you stopped in."
"Well, I was already at the ward and all, but yeah, I thought it'd be nice to stop in for a quick visit. I'm not ignoring the things you all said to me before, Viper. I gotta act like a friend, not just assume I am one."
"Glad you at least paid attention to that," the archer smirked. "So, you said your parents were coming in later today, yeah?"
"For the exam. I got a letter earlier in the week saying they'd be arriving around noon. You want to come along?"
"Sure, why not? I only got to meet 'em for a little while before. I'd like to find out more about where you get your crazy from."
"That's mostly from my pa," the dual blade wielder laughed. "Still, let's remember to keep the Hades thing on the down low, alright? You almost mouthed off about it at the tavern the other day, and that's the last thing my mom needs to hear about."
"My lips are sealed, bud. Think we should invite Frost and Snow along too?"
"We can try, I guess. I don't think Connor will let Frost leave the ward though. He kept saying that every time Frost comes back from a hunt his arm is even worse than the time before, and he's serious about waiting until it's actually completely healed before turning him loose again."
"That makes sense. Hard to believe Frost would be willing to let that one slide, though. He never seemed like the kind of guy that liked sitting around, considering how many dummies he goes through in a single training session. And… let's be honest, he's probably a little too intimidating for a bunch of rookies. I still find him intimidating, man!"
"Hah, he's not that bad. You're just blowing it out of proportion. What, you think he's going to throw you over the city walls or something?"
"Hey, you never know with those strong, silent types. Emphasis on the strong part. Anywho, let's see if we can find Snow and greet our soon-to-be hunters. I'd like to firmly establish myself as a role model to them before they take the exam."
"Wow, look at you being the big ego this time around! Never thought you'd be the one to make an impression on the newer crowd, Viper."
"Well, think about it: we're in the Master Corps! Ain't that a goal most newer hunters might wanna achieve some day?"
"I get your point, but you're making it seem like they aren't almost as old as we are, bow boy. Just because we worked our butts off a little more doesn't mean we have to rub it in their faces."
"Ah c'mon man, just think about it! Lead by example and all of that!"
"That sounds more like showing off to me, Viper. I'm trying to, y'know, not do that anymore."
"Irk, guess you really are serious about it then," the yellow-eyed hunter grinned. "I was hoping to catch you off guard with that one!"
"You'll have to try harder than that! You were way too obvious."
"You think so? Acting was never really one of my strong suits. I'd like to say I'm at least kind of believable."
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. Alright, let's go find Snow."
The pair got to their feet and headed into the HQ, stopping off at the white-haired woman's room. She was more than happy to accompany them, though she said she'd need a little while to get ready. Viper noted that she gave Wes a rather pronounced wink when they were departing for their rooms, as well as a slightly long pat on the shoulder that Viper could only interpret as being some kind of affection, which he hadn't noticed at all before. Come to think of it, they had been spending a lot more time together recently…
"So, what's the story with you two?" Viper asked as they climbed the stairs to the next floor up.
"What do you mean?"
"I saw the look she gave you, bud. C'mon, don't leave me in the dark! Are you two… y'know?" The archer crossed his fingers to accentuate his point, immediately causing the dual blade wielder's face to flush.
"No, no, no… No! We aren't together or anything, we're just close friends. Why do you automatically assume that I'm dating whatever woman smiles at me? I might as well be dating half of Loc Lac in that case."
"Hah! I can only imagine how that would turn out! But seriously, I've seen that look on girls' faces before. You sure she isn't crushing on you or anything?"
"Why are you so interested? The great womanizer Viper isn't getting jealous now, is he?"
"Jealous? Of you? As if! I just want to know whether two of my closest teammates are getting busy behind closed doors or something."
"Yeah, you are definitely jealous. No one else is interested in the next lady you bring in for the night, bow boy. Hell, I didn't even make a fuss when I walked in on you and Emerald."
"Wes, I told you never to bring that up again! That was strictly a competition, nothing more!"
"Alright, alright, calm down," the blue-and green-eyed hunter chuckled. "No need to get your small clothes in a bunch, it was just a joke."
"Riiiight."
"Look, we're just getting to know each other a bit better, alright? You don't have anything to worry about. If she's your next conquest or something, go right on ahead. I'm not going to stop you."
"Good! I mean, uh… Thanks, but that wasn't exactly what I was… What I mean to say is-"
"See? Not so funny when it's you this time, is it?"
"I am so going to get you back for this…"
A short while later, Wes was making his way towards the southern docks of the city alongside Viper, Snow, and Trance. The officer had mentioned his brother arriving on the same vessel and asked to accompany them, which the hunters were more than happy to allow. The man talked almost incessantly about seeing his sibling though, and while Wes didn't say anything, he laughed when Viper finally told the brown-haired man to quiet down a little.
Wes found himself thinking back to what the archer had asked him earlier. Snow had been spending a lot more time with him ever since revealing her nature as a Hybrid. At one point she even practiced sword fighting with him in the training yard, and while he could tell that he was almost completely outmatched in every way, the huntress seemed more like she was just having fun and trying to help him improve more than anything. To anyone who didn't know better, he guessed it would seem like they were a couple, though the thought of that still sent a shiver down his spine.
Frost had been more open to him as well. Aside from a short meeting in a self-service equipment tending store the week prior, Wes had managed to get a few infrequent words from the tall man after his talk with Snow. Whenever he was certain they weren't able to be heard he'd make a few comments about his own thoughts and feelings about his and Snow's past, though because of how often Frost was sent out on missions lately, the conversations were few and far between.
From what he could gather, Frost seemed far more similar to what Wes assumed most Hybrids were like than Snow was. He never really showed it before, but the hunter could see just how much of a thrill the idea of a fight brought to Frost's eyes. The man was able to retell the exact events surrounding a hunt he and Snow had been on in the Tundra years before, barely missing a detail when it came to his sword or the movement of the beast's body. The closest thing Wes could equate it to was poetry. Really, really violent poetry.
He had to admit, the knowledge that two of his closest friends were these strange, unnatural beings did unsettle him. He didn't fear or despise them; the feeling stemmed from him not having known before. He wasn't even sure he would have known if Snow hadn't told him. The idea that there was a race that could look so remarkably human, yet be something far different was… intimidating? No, that wasn't the word he would use. Wes felt it was something unexplainable, yet he still yearned to find an explanation for it.
Wes allowed his mind to wander and speak with Silver, though the hunter was still mostly aware of his surroundings. He'd grown more accustomed to paying attention to the environment around him as he thought, mostly to avoid mistakenly walking into stationary objects and people. It was his talks with Silver that helped him get more used to it; the entity actively encouraged him to try and be more aware of the world around him so that he wouldn't become too reliant on Silver. The blonde-haired hunter could see the groups of people around him going about their business, hunters coming and going on quests, merchants shouting out to passerbys to take a look at the wares they had for sale, even the gradual shift of older cobblestone roads to the newer stone paved ones as they moved out of the older parts of the city. There were still a few close calls, particularly one involving a Felyne riding on a Gargwa-driven carriage, but he'd been able to avoid that with some quick thinking. Eventually, the group passed between a tall pair of obelisk-like towers that acted as a gate of sorts, coming to a stop on the road connected to the sandship docks.
"Hoo wee, that was a bit of a walk, huh?" Trance stated, taking his wide brimmed hat off and wiping his brow. "Sometimes it seems like you just fly between parts of the city, y'know? Other times… Not so much."
"No offense, but I have no idea what that even means, Scrabble," Viper sighed, shaking his head in confusion. "Walking is walking, not teleporting."
"Give him a break Viper, he's just excited," Snow said, glancing over at the black-haired man. "Wouldn't you be too if you had a younger brother coming out to take part in the exam?"
"Depends, would he be a good shot with a bow? …I'm kidding!"
"I still think it's funny that your brother is one of my pa's students though," Wes noted, turning his gaze out towards the sand sea. "That means he's on a team with Cass and Ilia."
"He mentioned them in his letters, and another guy named Jango," the officer replied. "I can't wait to hear about all the hunts he went on out in Moga! And it'll be a real treat to see him in the arena tomorrow! If I could just-"
"Trance, seriously, before you start gushing again, we know."
"Viper!"
"Ahaha, it's alright Snow, I know I'm kinda overdoing it. But can you blame me? I haven't seen Aquila in months! And now he's this close to becoming a hunter. It's pretty exciting for me, at least."
The loud ringing of a bell from out in the sand sea drew the dual blade wielder from his thoughts, though. Wes and the others turned their gaze towards the expanse of desert as a ship came into view outside of the large gateway. It took a moment, but Wes recognized that the ship was the Righteous Law; that meant Dustin must've been the one to pick up the group in Moga. Perhaps his father had requested that the captain be the one to ferry them to the city? Dustin normally worked the routes between the Sandy Plains and Loc Lac, though his ship was specially equipped for ocean voyages as well.
Wes watched as the large vessel entered the city, sailors working quickly to tie up the sails pulling it forwards and allowing the ship to ease to a stop beside a large wooden dock. Several workers caught the ropes those on board threw out to tie the ship down, and a few moments later a long gangway was lowered onto the dock. A few sailors made their way off the ship first, most of them working to secure the ropes or carry some heavy looking equipment chests off the sandship. A few moments after them, though, another group of people disembarked, drawing a smile from the dual blade wielder as he approached them.
"Welcome to Loc Lac, strangers!" he greeted, holding his arms out welcomingly. The hunter let out a surprised yelp as his mother rushed forwards and embraced him tightly, his father trailing after her by a few steps with a grin.
"It is so good to see you, Wes!" Rose stated, pulling away slightly so that she could look at his face. "We were so worried about you! How are you feeling? You aren't feverish, are you? You feel so much thinner than I remember… You've been eating enough, right? Three square meals a day? And what about-"
"Ma, I'm okay, really," the blue- and green-eyed hunter laughed, patting her shoulder assuredly. "And, for the record, I've been having four meals a day. Second breakfast, remember?"
"Oh, you know I do. A mother has to worry though. Especially after all that crap you put us through! Don't ever scare me like that again, you hear me?!"
"Y-yes Ma!"
The hunter glanced over as York put a hand on Rose's shoulder. She glanced back quickly, though after a moment she released her hold on Wes and allowed the one-eyed man to step forwards. Wes and York stared at each other for several moments in silence, as though they were sizing each other up. After almost a full minute, York finally broke the silence.
"Your hair's gotten longer."
"Yours got grayer."
"You've got a few more scars on your face."
"You have a few more wrinkles."
"You haven't grown a beard."
"You haven't shaved yours off yet."
"You have both your eyes, I see."
"You managed to keep your other one intact."
"You've gotten taller."
"You're just shrinking."
"You've been practicing outside lately."
"You've been working inside all week."
"Good to see you again, Wes."
"Good to see you too, Pa."
The hunters shook hands firmly before embracing as well, laughing as they did so. Wes was glad to see that his parents hadn't changed at all since he'd seen them last.
"But seriously, what's with the new hairdo?" York said after a few moments, ruffling his hand through Wes' hair. "I thought you said you liked the old one enough to never change it!"
"Have you seen how much the barber costs?" the blue- and green-eyed hunter replied with a wry smirk. "Besides, I think the newer look is pretty good. No one else is complaining."
"Rose, what do you have to say about it?"
"I've given up on that years ago, dear. That's one victory I'll let him keep."
"Well, looks like we won't be complaining either then."
Wes rolled his eyes and chuckled, though after a moment he caught sight of a few other familiar faces.
"Cass, Ilia, what're you doing hanging' out back there? C'mon, I won't bite; a year and a half in Loc Lac didn't turn me into a Delex!"
"And here I was thinkin' you'd have greeted us with a Jhen Mohran's tusk!" Cassian said, stepping past York and patting the dual blade wielder roughly on the shoulder, which Wes responded to in kind. "Glad to see that hanging out with your elite buddies hasn't made ya forget about your pals a few steps behind ya!"
"C'mon, like I could forget the guy that flooded the bottom floor of the school with me. Mud party, remember?"
"I think you mean… Mud Partyyyyyy!"
The two laughed and bumped fists as Iliana came up beside them, shaking her head yet smiling at them.
"Personally, I'm just glad to see that you two can still act like idiots together. At least that means I can probably still bail you out of trouble whenever you royally screw something up again."
"Good to see you too, Ilia. Been keeping Cass on a tight leash while I was gone?"
"Oh trust me, have I ever. He's been a good boy for the most part. Isn't that right, little Cassian?"
"Hey, I ain't a dog, y'know!"
"You always were whenever we played house."
"House ain't a three player game!"
"It was whenever you were around, tough guy," Wes chuckled. "So, you think you're all ready for the exam then? You haven't been messing around all week, right?"
"C'mon, you know us better than that!" the bowgunner laughed. "I mean, Cass probably could have afforded to wake up a little earlier a few times, but we haven't just been kicking dirt around while you've been having your fun out here."
"Yeah, we've gotten tons better since you've been out here!" the great sword user added. "Just you wait until tomorrow, then you'll see what we can do!"
"Heh, I hope so! After all, I'd like to join you guys on a hunt sometime once you've passed. I've picked up a few new tricks of my own, after all. Ah, I almost forgot, I brought a few friends along. They're in the Master Corps too. That's Viper, and Snow's right behind him."
"How's it goin', rookies?" Viper greeted, giving them a short wave as he and the short sword wielder neared them.
"So, these are your old friends from Moga?" Snow asked, glancing between the pair. "They don't look half bad! Nice to meet you both!"
"Aside from them, the guy in uniform is Trance. He's- wait, where is he?"
"He's over there, talking with Aquila," Cass grumbled, nodding back towards the pair. They were a closer to the gangway, talking excitedly to each other about who knows what. Wes hadn't even noticed when Trance walked past him! "The guy barely talks about anything on his off time aside from his brother. Kinda drives me nuts."
"I like this guy already!" the archer laughed. "Guess those two are like peas in a pod, huh?"
"Well, I think I'll let you all break the ice then," Wes said, glancing between the hunters. "Hope you don't mind me backing out, but hey, my parents are here too."
"Ahh, go right ahead, mate! I'd like to see what our two elite hunters here have to say!" Cassian laughed, waving him off. The dual blade wielder gave a quick smile before turning to face his parents once again.
"So, how've you been holding up, Wes?" York asked, pushing himself up from his seat on his equipment chest. "You don't look half bad for coming out of a three month coma."
"I've been better, I'll admit, but not that bad. I've mostly been working on pulling myself together so I'll be ready for more hunts in the future. I don't really want to get into that situation again."
"You said in your last letter you were taking on a Stygian Zinogre," Rose noted, giving him a concerned look. "Did it go well? Regular Zinogres can be hard enough, but a Stygian shouldn't be taken lightly."
"It went pretty good… Er… Actually, good might be pushing it," the blue- and green-eyed hunter corrected, scratching the back of his head awkwardly and looking to the side. "It went down after a tough fight, and one of the hits I took sorta… completely ruined the armor set you gave me, Pa. I lost the scimitars you sent me too; they fell into lava along with the thing's body."
"Really? Well, that's a damned shame… Have you already looked into getting a new set, or were you hoping I'd fix the old one today?"
"It's a bit too damaged for a quick fix, Pa. I already got a new set covered though, so don't you worry about that. I think you'll like it, if that counts for anything. I'd still like it if you could fix up the old one though."
"Hand it off to me before I head back to Moga, and I'll get right to it," the one-eyed hunter said. "I know this is a one-in-a-million guess and all, but I'm assuming it was dragon element that did your suit in. That crap has always been a pain in the ass… It'll take some time to get to, and I'll most likely have to substitute some parts, but I can get it back to you before too long."
"Well, I'm just glad to hear that you're okay," his mother added. "You can lose weapons, and you can lose armor, but if you lose your life, there's no replacing it."
"Alright, why not move onto a less morbid topic now," York said, giving Rose a knowing look. "I'm looking forward to seeing this new set of yours, Wes. I think you'll be just as surprised to see my new set tomorrow though."
"Wait, what? You got a new set?" Wes was flabbergasted; his father had used the same gear for as long as he could remember! "What made you ditch the old one?"
"Like I told your mother; you can only wear the same thing for so long before you get tired of it. For me, it took a couple decades."
"Talk about old fashioned… Well, I guess we oughta see who's got the better set tomorrow then! Mine's gonna be tough to beat though, fair warning."
"Hah! You know I'm not one to be upstaged by some standard cookie cutter sets on the open market, son. Still, I can tell you think you've found a real doozy this time, so I'll give it a chance."
"Well, York?" Rose asked after a brief moment of silence between them. "Aren't you going to ask about the hunt itself? You were saying earlier how badly you wanted to hear about it, considering you've only fought a handful of Stygians yourself."
"I, er, was getting to that. So, why not tell us about this epic battle, son?"
"Ah, well that's… Hmm, where do I even start? There were a few parts to the fight…"
Thinking quickly as he spoke, Wes wove together a rather believable story using parts from both the fight in the town and the encounter with Hades in the underground tower. Silver occasionally quipped in from the back of his head that some details needed changes before he said them, but aside from that he had no trouble in concocting a tale for his parents. After mentioning the part about the white aura, though, Wes noticed his father's expression changed drastically, though he didn't speak until after the blonde-haired hunter was finished.
"Rose, would you mind giving Jango a hand with his things over there? I… need a second to talk in private with Wes."
"Oh! Sure thing." The green-eyed woman gave Wes a concerned, if somewhat confused look before going to assist the other hunter in pulling his item chest from the boat. Before he could ask what his father wanted to discuss, York pulled him away a short distance, putting them just out of earshot of the others.
"What's this about, Pa?"
"How long have you known about the aura?" the blue-eyed hunter asked, his voice low and his tone rather serious. "When did you first learn about it?"
"Uh… A few months, I guess. I used it the first time against the Silver Rathalos when I was defending the others. Only other times I used it were against the Stygian Zinogre and once during training earlier this week. I can summon it up now if-"
"Don't! Er… Sorry about that, but not here, Wes. I'll tell you about it later, but for now-"
"Why? Now I'm just getting more curious! Is there something wrong with it?"
York looked aside for a moment and raised a hand to his chin, as though he were thinking of a way to answer the question before letting out a short sigh.
"Guess I'll just make it quick… Yes and no. Can you tell me what it felt like when you activated that aura?"
"I felt a lot stronger. Quicker too. And… I dunno, lighter? Like I could jump and land easier without getting hurt. Now that I think about it, I felt a lot better using it, like any aches I had kind of… vanished."
"And when you first activated it, it was when you were protecting the others from the Silver Rathalos?"
"Well, yes, but Pa, can't you tell me what all these questions are about? It isn't exactly like you to get this worked up about anything. What is that aura?"
"It's a powerful ability called Spirit Mode," the older man sighed. "Best way I can describe it is a super-powered Demon Mode."
"Wait, so it is better than Demon Mode? That's awesome! I mean, I wasn't too sure about-"
"Wes, I need you to listen close. Do not ever use Spirit Mode unless it's absolutely necessary to survive. It isn't safe to use it very often, especially not in regular combat. I'll tell you now that as far as I know, only you and I are capable of using it, but it's not something you want to flaunt like any other skill. I don't know as much about it, but from what I can tell Demon Mode's effects are more immediate: burning muscles, low stamina, rashes in weird places, stuff like that. You get over it quick. Spirit Mode isn't the same. It shortens your lifespan each time you use it."
"S-shortens my lifespan? So… I'll die sooner if I use it too much? How much time does it shave off? I only used it a few times, but… Wait, how many times have you used it? And how did you learn about all of this anyways?"
"I'd prefer to keep how I found that info out to myself, but I'll admit that I've used Spirit Mode a lot in my life. It's the reason I look like I aged six years since you saw me last. I mean, that and the stress you caused your mother and I after nearly getting yourself killed, but I won't beat a dead horse. You shouldn't have much to worry about after only using it a handful of times, but I just want to tell you earlier so you don't wind up dropping dead after overusing it too much. Point is, Spirit Mode is for emergencies only, understand?"
"Yeah… yeah, I get it. I do want to find out how you learned all this sometime, though."
"Maybe one day I'll tell you, but now isn't exactly the time for that. After all, now's not the time to worry about something like that; these guys need to pass their exam, remember? So focus on giving them some support, alright?"
"I think I can manage that," Wes assured, nodding and giving his father a confident smile. A loud rattling sound behind him drew the hunter's attention, though, and the blonde-haired man turned around to locate the source of the noise. What he saw shocked him beyond words, though his father seemed to have some… choice comments that accurately described how he was feeling.
"What in the name of the gods is that abomination?"
A large, opulent wagon drawn by a medium-sized Aptonoth rolled to a stop at the base of the docks. The thing was a real piece of work; it was painted primarily gold, with various red highlights accentuating the bright colored wagon. In fact, some parts of the carriage seemed to have been made from gold, or at least gilded to look as such based on how reflective it was. The wheels in particular looked like they were custom crafted, with each one being embedded with several gemstones. What really sold it, though, was the large lion-shaped figurehead that adorned the top of the cabin. Say what he would, Wes had to admit that the owner of the wagon really had gotten all the bells and whistles for this thing. The pair watched as the double doors on the side of the carriage flung open, and a familiar shape dropped out of the cabin, a wide grin plastered onto his face.
"So, York, whattya think of my ride?! Pretty fancy, ain't it?"
"Of all the ways to flaunt your inflated bank account, you decided to blow it on the ugliest carriage you could possibly imagine? Somehow that makes perfect sense for you, Hugh."
"Ah, c'mon, ya big grump! Is that any way to greet your ol' hunting bro?" the man laughed, approaching the pair quickly and wrapping an arm around Wes' shoulders. "I bet this one here's already told ya all about our little hunt earlier, eh? It was one hell of a party, lemme tell ya! Sorta reminded me of the good old days with Zeph and Rose. He takes after ya, that's for sure!"
"Well, I'm not sure about all of that, but what I'm really interested in is this so-called rocket armor you were wearing. Apparently you almost burned down half the town?"
"Irk! C'mon Wes, what kinda nephew spills the beans on his uncle like that?! I thought ya said we'd keep it sounding cool, without the collateral damage part!"
"You're making it seem like the collateral damage bit didn't sound cool, Uncle," the dual blade wielder smirked.
"…He ain't wrong about that."
"So, if you went to all the trouble of hauling out that giant waste of money, why didn't you bring Zephyr along?" York asked, scanning the area around the lavishly decorated carriage for the long-haired hunter.
"I'm right here, York." The dual blade wielders looked to the side as Zephyr stepped around from behind the great sword wielder, his usual smirk crossing his lips as it always did. "I still find it hard to believe that Mr. Sneaky himself has a hard time seeing me standing behind someone shorter than I am. Do I really fade into the background that much?"
"I will not confirm nor deny anything you just said. Glad to see you made it after all."
"Pops!"
The group turned just in time to see Cassian barrel past them straight into Hugh's torso with enough force to knock both men to the ground.
"Oof! Well, if it ain't Cassian! How you doing, kiddo? You haven't been running York too ragged again, have ya?"
"You know I have! But enough about that… Ya didn't think I forgot about our little wager, didja?! Get ready to eat Aptonoth dung, old timer!"
"Hahah! Bring it on, ya little runt! I'll show ya who's boss!"
"Are the docks really the best place for one of your impromptu wrestling matches?" Ilia asked, walking up beside Zephyr to watch the pair's tussle. "People need to get through here, you know!"
"Ilia, you really should know by now that once a Leovirtus gets himself heated over something, you can't get him to stop," Zephyr chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It just gets worse the more of them there are."
"Oh, trust me, I do know that. Still, I have to at least try to keep them from doing something stupid, right?"
"Spoken like a true Soyokaze. It's good to have you back home, Iliana. Your mother was worried that Cass would be too much for you to deal with! It'll put her mind at ease to see you keeping track of everything."
"Speaking of, where is mother? I expected her and Aunt Karah to come out as well."
"They're at home preparing for a welcome party," he explained as Hugh finally managed to pin Cassian down with a victorious laugh. Before he could declare himself the victor, though, Cassian suddenly broke out of the pin by almost completely flipping Hugh over his head, almost throwing him into York. Wes and the others couldn't help but let out a loud laugh as the two fell back onto the dock and began their wrestling match anew. Hugh had a long time standing bet with Cass that if Cass could beat him in enough wrestling matches before the year was out, he'd owe the apprentice a small fortune, a new great sword, and a 'mystery gift'. Hugh had told Wes a long time ago that the gift was just a squeaky Qurupeco bath toy, and Wes had agreed to keep that a secret from his friend, if only to see his reaction when the surprise third gift turned out to be something so ridiculous. "…All I can say is, I truly hope that they don't expect our furniture to survive the occasion. Let alone the decorations."
"When does it ever with these two? It'd be a miracle if half the house is still standing after one of their matches. You should've seen him try to convince Aquila to practice with him, father. Now that was funny."
"Hah, I can imagine! Ah, but what about you, Wes?" the long sword user asked, turning to face the younger hunter. "It's been a long time since we talked! You're looking a touch better than when I saw you last. Then again, almost anything's better than being bandaged in a hospital bed."
"No arguments from me," he replied. "How's the arm treating you?"
"Hah! This ol' luggamajug got an upgrade, kid!" Hugh laughed, having once again pinned Cassian to the dock, except this time in a more reliable way to keep him from breaking free again. "C'mon, show 'em! We're all friends here!"
"Must you spoil every surprise, Hugh?" the black-haired hunter sighed, removing the glove covering his hand and pulling his sleeve up to his elbow. The prosthetic arm beneath looked far superior to the one that he had previously, and decidedly more humanoid as well. While the previous design was essentially a metallic skeletal limb, this one appeared a fair bit bulkier and was mostly black in color. The outer shell appeared to be made up of several panels, a few of which looked like they could be removed if need be. A single Lagia Sapphire was still embedded into the back of the hand, though it appeared that the one that was usually placed near the elbow was removed.
"It's less likely to malfunction than the last one, and it's more durable too," he continued, flexing his hand as the others watched curiously. "Uses less power to make it work, and to top it all off, it's thirty percent stronger than the other one. Not a bad find, wouldn't you say?"
"I'm impressed," York whistled. "I'm just wondering how many favors you owe Joshua for this one. He never accepts money from us."
"Ah… actually, this one was free. Do you recall the incident with the Gargwa and that fellow with the pink hair? Joshua said he would do it for free if I agreed to let it slide."
"Really? It's been eight years since that happened. I'd have thought he'd forget about it by now."
"York, this is Joshua we're talking about," Hugh stated, getting to his feet and dusting himself off while Cassian grumbled in defeat on the ground below. "The guy can't forget anything that involves one of his experiments. I case in point the talking Popo head."
"Okay, let's not get into that mess again," the one-eyed hunter said quickly, waving his hand to change the subject.
While the older hunters continued to converse with each other, Wes spared a glance back and saw his mother, Snow, Viper, and a fourth hunter –Jango, he thought- moving a few boxes up the docks towards the remainder of the group. Wes elected to take the chest from Rose so his mother could catch up with the others as well, and he and the others dragged the item boxes back towards Hugh's carriage. It seemed like there was enough space on the roof behind the lion figurehead to stack them and tie them down, which they did in almost no time. The apprentice seemed to catch sight of someone he knew afterwards, though, and went off to greet them, leaving the three Corps members to themselves.
"Gotta say, you definitely come from a lively bunch of people," Viper smirked, glancing over at the faux-wrestling match that was still occurring behind them. "The younger ones got potential, that's for sure. Never heard someone shove their arm down a Ludroth's throat before becoming a licensed hunter, at least. …And considering his dad's the guy that tossed Hades like a sack of potatoes, I guess I'm not surprised."
"They all seem pretty nice!" Snow added. "Cass and Ilia even asked if we could go watch them at the exam tomorrow!"
"Really? I guess you made an impression on them after all! Are you two planning on going then?"
"If Balestra doesn't decide to throw a job on my lap, then definitely," the archer replied, while Snow nodded in agreement. "It's been awhile since I've seen a few good arena fights."
"Awesome! …But now that I think about it, I'm not sure if we can all sit together. My Pa said he got some reserved seats and only had so many tickets. I think he said something about having one extra in his letter, but that was it."
"Ah, no need to worry about it. Guy's gotta get some family time every now and then, right?" Viper grinned, running a hand through the hair covering his right eye, which quickly fell back into place.
"Yeah, we can get seats somewhere else. Hopefully they haven't sold out yet; I hear the arena's been getting really busy lately. Wasn't there some talk about new species being imported or something?"
"I think so, actually. What was that one I heard about the other day? Gypceros? Some kinda poisonous rubber turkey thing. Never seen one before in my life."
"Think there's a chance they might be holding a few other species for the exam itself, bow boy?"
"Wouldn't be a surprise if they were. I mean, let's face it; the flow of information around the country is amazing. People can name every native species before they're ten years old, and maybe even a few legends too."
"Come to think of it, a lot of books I had contained a lot of info about foreign species too," Wes mused. "I thought I'd heard about Gypceros' before. Well, maybe we'll be seeing some new monsters tomorrow!"
"Hopefully! Well, it looks to me like your family's waiting for you now, Wes," Snow pointed out, gesturing over his shoulder towards them. "Viper, let's head back to HQ. I'm sure he's got a lot of catching up to do."
"Right, sure thing. Take it easy, bud!"
Wes said his good-byes to the pair as they waved and headed off back towards the Corps district before turning back to the group gathered on the docks. Hugh and Cass had once again gotten into small tussle, though the younger hunter had gained the upper hand this time and was about to pin Hugh down. The others were still looking on in amusement as Wes approached, coming to a stop beside his father.
"They're good people, Wes," York said after a moment, nodding his head towards the direction Snow and Viper had departed in. "I'm glad to see you're branching out a bit more. Books and magazines only go so far, right?"
"You can say that again. Not that I regret spending time studying monsters, of course. But… yeah, it's nicer having a few more people I can trust. Just gotta make sure they can trust me right back."
"Now you're thinking like a real hunter."
"Whattya mean by that? Not sure it gets much more real than the Corps, Pa."
"That's a piece of advice for another time," his father chuckled, patting his shoulder. "For now, I think we ought to get our asses in gear and head over to our lodging for the night."
"Yeah, about that, wouldn't it have been smarter to show up a few days ahead of time to reserve a spot at an inn or something? The day ahead of time doesn't seem like a good plan."
"It is when you're old friends with an incredibly rich man who owns a house big enough for fifty people to live inside. Plenty of space, and it's completely free. Not to mention it's a straight walk to the arena."
"Good point. So, should we head off then? All the luggage is loaded up."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
While Hugh and Cass continued to wrestle each other, York quietly ushered the group towards the man's carriage, waiting for the others to get in while he kept an eye on the pair. As he was getting in, Wes noticed that Trance was hurriedly making his way after Snow and Viper, while his younger sibling was waving after him. He afforded himself a slight chuckle at the sight; Trance always did seem to be in a rush.
York was the last one into the carriage, shifting past Rose's seat beside Wes and taking his place at the helm of the wagon, where a large open slot allowed the driver to see what was in front of them from above the Aptonoth's back. Wes had to admit, the inside was almost as opulent as the outside, with plushy red velvet seats and gold trimmings all around, as well as a number of windows next to each pair of seats. Despite there being more than half a dozen people inside, there was still enough room for them all to be comfortable.
"Hugh! Cassian!" York called out the window, bringing the great sword users' tussle to an abrupt end. "Thanks for the ride back! We'll see you at your place!"
"Waitwaitwait, York, don't you even think abou-!"
The one-eyed hunter didn't even wait for the man to finish his reply before lashing the reigns with a short yell, driving the Aptonoth leading the wagon into a steady trot and pulling the carriage along at a brisk pace. Wes and the others erupted into laughter as the Leovirtus' immediately dropped their fight and began to pursue them, shouting for them to hold up a moment. York made sure to keep the wagon going at a speed just above a light jog, so it wasn't difficult for the two to catch up and climb aboard, and though they voiced their objections to the blue-eyed hunter high jacking the carriage, eventually they broke out wide grins of their own and laughed it off.
Wes had to admit, it felt like home.
"Ah c'mon, why you gotta shoot me down like that, Snow?" Viper griped as the pair continued on down the road towards the Corps district. "Just gimme one chance, and I swear it'll be the best date of your life."
"I'm sorry Viper, I'm just not really interested in dating anyone," the white-haired huntress laughed sheepishly. "Plus, I'm kind of a weird lady. I don't think you'd like trying to get to know me that well."
"But weird people are fun! Just look at me!"
"I didn't say they weren't, but there are many different types of weird, Viper. I'm just the kind that isn't exactly a 'normal' weird."
"…What does that even mean?"
"It's like… oh, just forget it. It'd take too long to explain it all. Let's just say I'm really not looking for a relationship and leave it at that, okay?"
"But… but that makes no sense at all! Guys have been approaching you left and right all week, and you haven't even been interested in one of them?! Or, if I can be picky, me?!"
"Not really, no," she shrugged. "None of them are my type. And before you say it, no, Wes isn't my type either."
"You gotta be kidding me…" the archer mumbled, hanging his head slightly out of disappointment. "Wait, then what type does suit you? Now that I think about it, you haven't said a thing about that the entire time I've known you."
"That's for me to know and for you to never find out," Snow replied coyly, winking at the yellow-eyed man as he grumpily sighed again. "It's not like I'd be that great of a choice anyways. There are plenty other women in the Corps, let alone the entirety of Loc Lac. I've seen you with a bunch of them before, even."
"You… You're kidding, right? You're telling me you haven't heard any of the rumors or anything?"
"…Rumors?"
"Yeah, like the ones where a bunch of the guys got together and held a vote for who the most attractive woman in the Corps was?"
"Oh! Oh, right, I think the girls did something similar to that a while ago…"
"Wait, really? Where did I place?"
"I don't know, I just kinda sat there and ate the food a few of them brought. One of them had these a-mazing Popo Tongues, and… er, yeah. Kinda was focused on that."
"Aww man… Well, anyways, you were unanimously voted in as number one on the list. Hell, it wasn't even a discussion, everyone just nodded their heads."
"Well, I'm flattered by the compliment, but that still doesn't change my mind. I'm still perfectly okay with being friends, though!"
"Jeez, you're going to become the biggest heartbreaker in the country with an attitude like that… Ah, whatever. There are plenty of other fish in the sea, after all."
"There's the Viper I know," she laughed as they stepped onto the grounds of the Master Corps.
Viper stayed alongside her for a few moments longer, though he made his way back into the building itself while she continued on towards the medical ward to check up on how Frost was doing. Her path led her past the training yard, though she didn't really stop to watch anyone. Sure enough, she could feel a lot of eyes on her as she strode on by, as well as a few thwacks as a few hunters took advantage of their sparring partners' distracted states to land free hits.
While it concerned her to have so much attention on her, Snow was glad that it was for her looks rather than her nature as a Hybrid. That was mostly the reason she rejected all of the advances towards her, in fact: as a Hybrid, she just didn't feel anything romantic towards humans. This just made things easier on her, though. Apparently a lot of humans had told tall tales about monsters becoming human and falling for a strapping hunter, but they always had really bad endings. She wasn't one to judge either, but the writing usually seemed rather poor as well.
As she continued, though, a flash of orange caught her eye. Turning her gaze, her vision happened upon the burning remains of a practice dummy breaking against the ground, the wood quickly charring into a mass of blackened coal from the intense heat of the flames. Standing above the blazing mass was Arroyo, his Silver Rathalos long sword resting across his shoulder. The man in Sand Barioth armor brought his foot up to the target and rested the orange plates on the dummy before stomping his foot straight through it, breaking the dummy clean in half and sending a whirlwind of embers and sand into the air.
Something about the display caught her attention in particular, though. Arroyo was never short on lighting his targets on fire –if anything, everyone had gotten used to it by now- but there was something about that little dust devil… It looked like a completely natural, but there was just… something about it that made her raise an eyebrow.
She continued to walk along towards the ward, keeping her aside glance on Arroyo as he slowly removed his helmet to survey his work. A head of shaggy black hair appeared from beneath the orange helm, though many tufts of the man's hair were seemingly dyed a reddish-orange tint. She'd actually never seen him without his helmet off, come to think of it; she knew he didn't wear it as often as Frost, but the man always practiced with it on, and she'd only been on a single hunt with him. She was surprised, though, when the man turned his head in her direction, locking eyes with her for a moment as a sly smirk spread across his lips.
Snow felt her heart skip a beat the moment she saw his green eyes. She barely contained a gasp as she realized just what that dust devil was. Arroyo was always a bit showy with the pyrotechnics, but it always seemed like his sword was what did all of the work. The way the embers seemed to carry the sand into that little cyclone of air, though… She wasn't quite sure how she would've been able to, but just locking eyes with the man for half a second was enough to convince her of what she saw.
Arroyo was a Hybrid too.
The man watched her for a moment, a knowing smile on his face, before turning back to another dummy he had set up and pulling his helmet back on, obscuring his face once again. Snow shifted her gaze away from the orange-coated man and quickened her stride towards the ward, her mind racing frantically.
How did I not see it before? There was another Hybrid hiding in the Corps this entire time! What reason could he possibly have for it? If it's anything like my brother and I, things aren't looking as good as I thought. I need to tell Frost right now. None of this looks good at all…
Ruby let out a low breath as she approached the door to her father's office, striding past the guard seated beside the entrance and rapping her knuckles against the door. She heard the Corps Head reply from within, and stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. She stepped forwards, noting just how worn and aged her father appeared. Clearly the stress of managing the Master Corps and the frequent meetings with the city council had been taking their toll on him. Shaking those thoughts out of her head, the red-haired woman cleared her throat as Balestra glanced up at her expectantly with his crimson eyes.
"I'm here to report the success of our most recent assignment, Sir."
"Very well, continue," Balestra replied flatly, his stern gaze remaining as unwavering as ever.
"Myself and the other Gems were successful in locating the Savage Deviljho that's been causing immense damage to the Sandy Plain's ecosystem. While circumstances did prevent us from slaying the beast, I am… pleased to report that we were instead able to detain it, as was the wish of Professors Parry and Joshua. The Deviljho should be arriving at the waystation just outside of the city sometime tonight before being transferred into a proper container in the Underpass. We suffered minimal injuries in the process, and there were no towns or settlements disturbed by the conflict. So, all in all, it was a completely successful operation."
"That is good to hear. I will have Mr. Trance or Mr. Corrin fill out a proper report once either of them return from their break. Studies have not yet been properly conducted of a brute such as this, which I am certain enthuses Mr. Joshua's department to no end. Perhaps they may even uncover the reason as to why the Savage mutation occurs within the species. Whatever that may be, you and your team have done well today."
"Thank you, Sir. Are there any other assignments you have for us specifically?" Ruby asked, resting her arm on the handle of her hammer and shifting her weight to the left, trying to hide the fact that her right leg was injured beneath the red Volvidon plating. It hurt like hell, but this wasn't a place she allowed herself to show any sign of weakness.
"There is indeed an… occurrence that is transpiring east of here," the black-uniformed man stated, slowly pushing himself to his feet and walking off to the left, his hands folded neatly behind his back. "The details are still quite vague, but it is a matter of the utmost importance to the Guild. Completing this would potentially appease their incessant need to inspect every happening of the Corps. To 'get them off my back', so to speak."
"What kind of mission are we talking about? Expedition, hunt, defense-?"
"Extraction, Ms. Ruby."
The huntress blinked in surprise. "An extraction? Those haven't even been officially listed yet. What made them change their minds?"
"A very dire circumstance that Mr. Calistro and the other members of the Guild hierarchy are neglecting to inform me with. However, they have stated that it will be a job that requires a substantially larger group of hunters than a typical job. I believe they stated specifically that they would require eight Corps hunters for this task."
"Two teams? That seems a little excessive. Not even a Jhen Mohran attack usually requires more than a ship with four hunters aboard to drive it off."
"Indeed. I fear that whatever task they have prepared will require the absolute best the Master Corps has to offer, though."
"Well, I can see why you'd want the Gems and I assigned to the job," Ruby said, bringing her arms up in an exaggerated shrug and allowing herself a slightly prideful smirk. "So, who are the other four you're thinking about roping into this? Probably a group that can actually work together effectively, yeah?"
"Correct. Which is why I'm planning for Mr. Wes' team to accompany you."
Ruby's voice caught in her throat just before she could reply, her eyes widening and her lips curling into a snarl.
"Wes' team? Why the hell would I want my group to work alongside that idiot?! He nearly got two of my girls killed! I specifically said I wanted nothing to do with him!"
"If you must know," Balestra sighed, turning his head away from the woman, keeping his tone stoic and flat as usual, contrasting heavily with Ruby's angered inflection, "they are an even mix of skill sets that leads to a balanced team capable of handling most situations, quite similar to the Gems. They show a significant bond between them as well, a bond that inspires them to succeed when united. I've seen this on a number of different missions they've been together on, as few and far between as those may have been. Even teams comprising of two or three of them tend to be much more effective than ones with only a single one of them amidst unfamiliar faces. Coupled with their individually impressive abilities, it stands to reason that-"
"Bloody hell anything stands to reason!" Ruby blurted out, cutting the man off as she took a step forwards. "That weird-eyed prick is nothing but a hazard to me and my team! Every time he's been on a hunt with me, something has gone wrong, and almost always it was because of him screwing around and trying to show off! That same attitude almost got Amethyst and Sapphire killed! There is a reason I demanded not to ever be put on a team with him again, and-!"
"You forget who precisely is in charge of the Master Corps, Ruby."
The red-haired woman flinched slightly at her father's remark, which despite its usual tone still had some degree of venom to it. The man turned to face her, taking slow, meticulous steps towards her as he continued to speak.
"I agreed to your demand at the time due to a number of factors, Mr. Wes' attitude being but one of them. Truly, it was more of a way to keep you from complaining about necessary sacrifices and potentially attacking the boy. It is clear to see that you hold much contempt for him, but you are turning it into an obsession that clouds your judgment and prevents you from seeing the bigger picture.
"Mr. Wes works exceedingly well alongside Mr. Viper, Ms. Snow, and Mr. Frost. Not only that, but he also has a close relationship with Ms. Sapphire, and gets along quite well with Ms. Amethyst. Even Ms. Emerald has since begun to drop her attitude towards him, and she's often seen as more fiery than you are, considering her… preferences.
"Yet it seems you are still completely unwilling to move on and drop the subject," he stated, coming to a stop directly in front of the huntress, standing eye-to-eye with her. "Like it or not, it is not up to you to decide what is best for each mission, or even who shall accompany whom on each job. You are not any more special than the other seventy-nine members of the Master Corps, nor should you expect any sort of privileges because of our relationship. Mr. Wes will accompany you on this mission, and you will not incite a childish fuss over my decision. Am I clear?"
"But that's not-!"
"Am. I. Clear. Miss Ruby."
The hammer-wielder looked furiously into the man's eyes, every fiber of her being wishing for nothing more than to chew his head off with a long winded rant about how much she hated his guts. The only thing that kept her from doing just that was the knowledge that doing so would only prove his point further. After a few moments, she turned her head aside and crossed her arms.
"Fine. If that's the sort of respect I get for everything I've done for you, then fine. I'll play along. But so help me, if any of the Gems are hurt because of him, I'll hold you just as accountable as that jackass Wes."
The huntress turned around fully and began to stride towards the door then, not even pausing to wait for a response from the Corps Head. Just as she grasped the handle of the door, though, she turned her head to the side once more, keeping her face hidden from his view.
"Oh, and by the way? Thanks a lot for remembering my birthday, father."
With that, the red-armored huntress stormed out of the man's office, past the guard outside the door, down the numerous flights of stairs and through the few groups of hunters she came across, all the way into her room, where she slammed the door shut and locked it tight, angrily throwing off various bits of her armor around the room in her fury. Pictures and books tumbled off the shelves as she carelessly struck them with the red plates, letting out a long string of curses as she slammed her injured leg into the table beside her bed and a jolt of pain shot up her limb. Eventually, the red-haired woman collapsed face first into her bed, the pillows and sheets drowning out the sounds of her uncontrollable sobs and soaking up the tears that began flowing from her eyes the second she latched her door shut. After several minutes of this, she eventually screamed into the mattress, partly out of anger but mostly out of sadness:
"Why can't I have a real father?!"
It took the huntress several more minutes to compose herself, and she eventually sat up in her bed, wiping the wetness from her face away. Her gaze happened upon the table in the corner of her room, where she would usually sit with the other Gems while having their usual strategy meetings together. Normally, she kept it bare, but she was surprised to see that there was a trio of wrapped boxes resting upon it now, which she had completely missed when entering her room. One was colored green, a smaller one blue, and the largest of the three was purple. A few notes were attached to the tops as well, and Ruby curiously got to her feet, made her way to the table, and plucked the one off the top of the blue box.
'Hey, Rube! I gotcha something nice for your B-day! Hope it can put a smile on your face!'
-Saph
P.S. Emmy, Ammy and I all pitched in and got a reservation at a nice restaurant for us to celebrate! I made sure that they have all your favorites too! We'll be by later to go out, so make sure you got something nice to wear!
Despite herself, Ruby couldn't help but smile lightly at her friend's cramped note. Before opening the gifts, she decided she might as well read the others' notes as well. She moved onto the green box next, taking hold of the small tag and reading the messy handwriting.
'Hey girl, Happy Birthday! Here's a kickass gift from yours truly! Make sure you try to laugh a little once you see it! You really outta do that more, y'know?'
-Emmy
"Thanks for the reminder, Emerald…" she whispered, setting the note down before moving onto the final one.
'Hey. Happy Birthday. I got you fifty pairs of socks and a square watermelon with a funny face on it. I included a yellow wig so you could pretend it was Wes' head and smash it with your hammer. Or you could just eat it if you're feeling boring.
-Amethyst
The huntress couldn't help but laugh at her purple-haired friend's note. It was just so like her, yet even despite how strange and aloof she normally acted, she still cared a lot about her. They all did. Ruby was aware of the way she acted around them; she always tried to remain so professional and proper. She supposed that was one of the negative parts she got from her father…
"…Know what? Screw him. I don't need father to make today special. I've already got everyone I need."
Author Notes: Please review! Man, it's been too long since I posted a chapter, hasn't it? Despite my busier schedule though, I have been keeping up on my writing. It's just going into a few other side projects as well. I have three Supplementary Chapters in the workings, and another one completed! I'm posting both this and that simultaneously, so be sure to check it out: it's a Halloween themed chapter, after all, just in time for the holiday! I'm actually thinking about doing a few other holiday themed "special" chapters if this one is liked enough. I'd definitely appreciate your input!
So, I got around to buying Tri Force Heroes a while ago, and I gotta say, I'm surprised by how good it is! So far I've only been able to reliably play the single player for it, since the connection I usually get with others is kinda bad. Still, it survived long enough for me to at least win a battle! Message me if you want to play sometime, since I'm always up for a game or two! Same holds true for Smash Bros. and Monster Hunter (though I've been playing a lot less of MH lately, I'm sad to say).
So, I realized that perhaps part of the reason some of the reviews I've been getting aren't very detailed or asking as many questions as I'd like is because I keep on elaborating certain parts in the author notes. So, unless it's something big, I'm going to try to avoid telling anything else after the final line up there. Gotta let my readers think for themselves, after all.
Ah, and I've finally begun watching a number of shows recently! My "Watching" status below can finally be used for something aside from stupid jokes!
And that about covers everything this go around! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you next time, faithful readers! Happy Halloween!
Playing: MH4U, Super Smash Bros., Tri Force Heroes
Listening to: Avenged Sevenfold, The Offspring
Watching: Sunday Without God, Noragami, Barakamon
Reading: TLC: Shadows of the Past by dashboardgecko