Here we are at Chapter 38. People have been asking about Agnika's new form, so hears a little appetizer, his new form will be revealed within the next few chapters. Just be patient until then (I do have other stories to work on after all). Anyway, I do not own RWBY or Gundam IBO. They belong to their respective owners. Here's chapter 38. Enjoy.
Chapter 38: A Happy Reunion?
Ruby and Blake continue searching in their section of Mistral as they look for signs of the White Fang. Blake said to look for what appears to be three claw marks on the wall as a sign for a nearby White Fang outpost. Unfortunately, it seems that they have changed tactics since the pair has found any.
"I wonder if the others are having any luck," Ruby wonders as she moves a dumpster out of the way to find now claw marks.
"We'll just have to keep looking. We need to speak with Sienna Khan and try to form an alliance with her. I don't like what the White Fang has become, but they are still Faunus that I want to save from the Andras. They can't face this threat alone. No one can," Blake says, but then remembers something and looks back at Ruby. "By the way, why were you so defensive earlier with Sun? You're usually not like that," Blake notes.
Ruby bolts up a bit and glances back at Blake before she turns away, "Um well, I mean it's not that I didn't like Sun. He's our friend, it's just…" Ruby trails off as she plays with a lock of her hair and keeps her back to Blake.
Seeing Ruby act like this makes Blake suspicious so she walks up to Ruby, places her hand on her shoulder, and turns her around to face her, though Ruby still refrains from looking her in the eye.
"Ruby, what is this about?" Blake asks softly.
Ruby sighs before she finally finds the strength to look Blake in the eye, "Well, I just, I was scared, that you'd switch me with him and…" Ruby trails off again as she looks to the side with a noticeable blush.
Blake's eyes start to widen a little bit, but before she can say anything, she notices something move behind Ruby.
"Ruby, look out!" Blake yells as she pushes Ruby out of the way.
Suddenly, a metal whip comes out of the shadows at them, but Blake reacts fast enough to pull out her sword and deflects the attack. The assailant jumps out of the shadows, revealing to be a girl with a White Fang mask with horns and a long pony-tail. The girl swings her whip around as it glows yellow with lightning Dust, but Ruby pulls out her scythe and deflects each attack, allowing lake to come in from the side and make a swing at the girl. The girl jumps out of the way, only for Ruby to use her semblance to zoom around the girl, disorienting her and allowing the two to deal a pincer strike that knocks her to the ground. Just as the girl tries to get up, she finds a heeled boot on her chest and a blade aimed at her head.
"Don't move. Ruby, are you alright?" Blake asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the save," Ruby says as she keeps her scythe aimed at the girl.
"Now then, you're going to take off that mask, and then we're going to talk," Blake demands of their prisoner. Seeing no way out of this, the girl slowly moves her right hand to take off her mask and show a face Blake is all too familiar with. "…Ilia," Blake says.
"Been a while, Blake," Ilia replies.
"Wait, you know her?" Ruby asks.
"We were friends back when I was with the White Fang. We worked together until I eventually left," Blake explains.
"Heh, and now you finally decide to show up, traitor. You shouldn't have come back," Ilia says.
"Look, we came because we need to speak to Sienna Khan. It's about forming an alliance. My father, the Chieftan of Menagerie is here as well. We didn't come to fight," Blake says as she slowly lifts her foot off of Ilia.
Ilia slowly gets up and grunts, "And yet, here you are, working with the enemy," she says, venom in her voice when she glares at Ruby.
"Ruby is not like the humans that have been terrible to Faunus, Ilia. And she's not the only one. I've met other humans that truly treat Faunus as equals. Like I said, we need to speak to Sienna. It's about the Grimm attacks. We know some things that she may need to know, but only if she agrees to meet with us and help us," Blake explains as she stands protectively in front of Ruby.
"Why would she want to speak with you, or with those humans you came with? You left the White Fang. You abandoned our cause, and for what? To work with the people that have stomped us into the dirt for so long?! Why should I believe you?" Ilia retorts.
"Because of the Andras," Blake says.
This gets Ilia's attention, "What's this Andras?" Ilia asks.
"Bring us to Sienna, and you'll find out. If it helps, my father will be doing the negotiating. You and I both know that many Faunus are loyal to him, and not to Sienna or the White Fang…Look, I have always believed in the cause that the White Fang stood for. For peace and equality for Faunus. I left because they forgot that cause, and became something they were never meant to be. Ilia, I don't like fighting my own kind, but if all we do is fight with each other, then we'll all be destroyed by the Grimm. I don't want that to happen, to you, to my teammates, to anyone. Please Ilia, if we're going to survive, and finally make some real progress, then we have to work together. Yes, I originally didn't trust humans, but thanks to Ruby…" Blake says as she looks back and smiles at her. "I've found friends, both human and Faunus, that I've come to love like family. Ilia, all I'm asking is a chance to prove all of this to you. We just need to speak to Sienna. Please," Blake pleads with her.
Ilia looks away for a moment, thinking, wondering whether any of this was true. One thing she can agree on though is that the Grimm have become stronger, and just like Sienna, Ilia knows that they can't defeat them by themselves.
Eventually, Ilia sighs, "Fine, I'll see what I can do, but no promises. You're dad really is here?" she asks.
"Yes, along with a few others. But he'll be doing the negotiating," Blake replies.
"Okay, I'll go talk to Sienna. If she agrees to meet with you, then I'll come find you and let you know," Ilia says.
"Okay, we're staying at a house not too far from Haven. Thanks for this, Ilia," Blake says.
"Don't get your hopes up. I'm just bringing the message to Sienna. It's up to her whether or not you'll get a foot in the door. Would SHE and any other humans be coming with you?" Ilia asks, glaring at Ruby.
"If we are allowed to speak to Sienna, then yes, but only a few. I know that those in the White Fang will not like that, but it is necessary to tell Sienna what's really going on," Blake says.
"I'll have to tell Sienna that. But, I'll do what I can to let them in, though it won't be easy," Ilia says.
"Thank you, Ilia," Blake replies.
Ilia puts her mask back on and uses her whip to take her leave, leaving just Ruby and Blake.
"Well, at least we were able to get our message across. We still have a chance now," Ruby notes.
"It's still easier said than done Ruby. Sienna really doesn't trust humans, and she won't exactly be keen on seeing a deserter like me coming back. And then of course…there's Adam to deal with. As difficult as Sienna will be to convince, there will most likely be no chances of convincing him," Blake notes sadly.
Ruby places a comforting hand on her shoulder," We'll worry about that later. For now, let's go get the others and let them know what happened. It may have been a small step, but at least we're making progress," Ruby says.
Blake sighs and nods to her, "You're right. Let's go," Blake says and they turn to make their way back to the group. "By the way, we never did finish our conversation from earlier," Blake says, making Ruby freeze in place. Blake stops to face her again, "Ruby, you still haven't given me your answer," Blake says.
Ruby shuffles her feet against the ground, blushing a little bit, "Well…when we were leaving Menagerie and I was unconscious, I actually woke up a little earlier than I did during the flight back and I noticed how you were holding me close to you…I was going to tell you that I was awake then, but I actually liked being in your arms like that. I felt…safe, and I didn't want to let it end so soon for some reason. After that, I found myself always being a little happier when I was near you, but when Sun showed up and wanted to go with you, I got mad for some reason. I don't know what's wrong with me," Ruby admits.
Blake's eyes widen in realization, "Oh, you sweet, innocent girl," she thinks as she slowly moves closer and holds Ruby's cheeks in her hands, making her blush even more. "Ruby, there is nothing wrong with you. From what I can tell, it sounds like you have a crush…on me," Blake says, a tinge of pink on her cheeks.
Ruby starts to connect the dots from hearing this, "Oh…So that's why, but aren't you mad?" she asks with worry.
Blake smiles, "No, I'm not mad. Honestly, I'm glad. Truth be told…I've been interested in you for a while now," Blake admits.
"Really?" Ruby silently gasps.
"At first, it was curiosity, then admiration and respect for how much of an amazing leader and person you are. Over time, my feelings just, grew. When you unleashed your powers back home, I got so worried that I thought I would lose you, even if it was just for a short moment. I've never met someone so pure and honest, and caring like you. I just thought 'I want to be there to protect her' and that was that. A lot has been going on, so I had to keep those feelings off to the sidelines for now, but after hearing you, they just all came rushing back. I don't know how far my feelings for you really go, but I'm willing to give it a try," Blake explains.
Ruby actually starts to tear up a little bit at this, "Really, are you sure?" she asks with anticipation.
"I am, but for right now let's take it slow, okay. We still have a lot going on right now," Blake suggests.
"Okay, that's fine," Ruby replies. "As long as I have a chance, it's worth it."
"And don't worry about Sun. He's a nice guy, but I honestly see him more as a friend, or even a brother, but that's it. I'll break it to him the next time we see him," Blake calms her worries.
"Okay. Well, let's go," Ruby says and they continue on their way, but not before Ruby wraps her right pinky finger around Blake's left pinkie, something the cat Faunus doesn't mind one bit.
…
Meanwhile, during Blake and Ruby's meeting with Ilia, and surprise confessions, Yang, Ghira, and Mikazuki were in their own section of Mistral. Of course, it was hard for Mikazuki to check some parts of their section, given his size. It didn't help that some people who saw him quickly turned tail and left the place to avoid him.
"I think they don't like Mr. Mikazuki," Ghira notes.
"Eh, he's not gonna care. Trust me on that. Though I am a little annoyed by it, after all, they don't know him like I do. After all, he's been through the same feeling of discrimination like Faunus have, and in some cases, even worse. But even with all that, he's still a pretty cool guy," Yang notes.
Ghira raises an eyebrow at her, "You're pretty protective of him. And I've noticed how he's always been close to you whenever that boy with the blue hair hits on you. Is there something between the two of you?" Ghira asks, a little curious.
Yang blushes at that, "N-No! It's just, we're just good friends," she tries to play it off.
"Yes, I thought the same thing once, before I fell in love with and married my wife, Kali. It is a bit strange that you would be falling for what is essentially a machine," Ghira notes.
"He's a not a machine! He's a person, and he's strong, and always there when we need him, and-," Yang stops when she sees the smirk on Ghira's face. "…Shut up," Yang pouts with a noticeable blush.
Ghira chuckles, "It's alright, I didn't mean any offense. It's fine really. Being in love is what young people are supposed to do. Not everyone finds that special someone in their lives. Consider yourself lucky. Now come on, let's keep looking," Ghira says as he walks ahead of Yang.
Yang follows suit until she is approached by Mikazuki, "What is it, Mikazuki?" she asks.
"Are you alright? Your face is all red," he notes as he gets a little too close for her liking right now.
"I-I'm fine. Come on, let's keep going," she says as she walks around him, to which he shortly follows in behind her.
…
Back at Haven, Coco and her team see an airship approaching and land in the center of the school. A moment later, they are surprised to see Weiss step out along with Raven and Vernal step out behind her.
"Weiss! What are you doing here?" Coco asks as she moves to greet her.
"What I should've done a long time ago. Helping my teammates. Do you know where they are?" Weiss asks, getting right to business.
"Well, I don't know where they are right now, but I know where they are staying at. I'll give you the address. By the way, who are they?" Coco asks, pointing to her company.
"Don't worry about them. They're just extra muscle. The address, if you will," Weiss says, making Raven roll her eyes.
…
A little later, the members regroup and return to the house to discuss what they found.
"So, have you guys found out anything regarding the white Fang?" Qrow asks.
"Yes, we managed to make contact with one member named Ilia. She and I were close once when I was still with the White Fang. We told her our story, and she agreed to inform Sienna about our desire to meet with her. She said she will contact us with Sienna's answer soon enough," Blake says.
"Okay, well at least that's something. Anyone else?" Qrow asks.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't find much on our ends. The White Fang have made it harder to find them. It seems many things have changed since I stepped down," Ghira says.
"We managed to ask a few local Faunus if they heard anything, but they haven't. They've only seen the White Fang when they're looking for new members. Of course, most refuse, and the White Fang make themselves scarce after that, so we can't retrace their steps," Sun says as he and Neptune are there with them.
"What about you, Uncle Qrow? Were you able to find anyone that could help us out?" Ruby asks.
Qrow shakes his head, "Nope. I couldn't find anyone that could help us out. Anyone I could think of that could've helped us out were either already out on a mission…or dead. Some have been out on missions for weeks now, so it's not that hard to figure out that they're not coming back. Even a few teams from Haven were sent out and have yet to return. We're on our own," he says.
"Not quite," a voice says behind them and they all turn around to see Weiss along with Raven and Vernal behind her.
"Weiss!" Ruby cheers and runs up to hug her. "What are you doing here?!" she asks as she releases her.
"What I should've been doing from the start. I'm sorry for worrying all of you. I just wasn't myself for a while," Weiss apologizes to them.
"It's fine, Weiss. We all know how much Agnika means to you. You needed some time. We're just glad to have you back," Blake says.
"By the way, what are THEY doing here?" Qrow asks as he narrows his eyes at Raven and Vernal.
"What's wrong, brother? A girl can't come to see her family?" she says obnoxiously.
"She can, but you're not," Qrow retorts, crossing his arms. "Ruby, you can fill Weiss in on our progress. I'll let Lionheart know what's up. For now, you should all get some rest," Qrow says as he walks away.
Raven and Vernal walk past everyone, but not before Raven glances at Yang, who glares right back at her.
Weiss goes to sit down with her teammates, but just when she does, Neptune walks up to her.
"Why hello there. I'm Neptune. It's an honor to meet you, snow angel," he flirts with her.
Weiss goes wide-eyed and confused, "Um, hello?" she replies.
Yang gags, Ugh, don't fall for it Weiss. This guy tried hitting on me the second he saw me. He's moving on to you because he doesn't know about Agnika, and because Mikazuki would kill him if he didn't stop flirting with me," she says.
Weiss deadpans, "I see…A pleasure to meet you, Neptune…Don't get your hopes up. I'm currently…interested in someone else," Weiss says as she looks away with a slight huff.
Neptune hunches over in shock and defeat, "What? Aw man," he says as he hangs his head, and Sun pats him on the back in support.
…
Meanwhile, back at Beacon, Ozpin enters Agnika's station to check on his repairs.
"Good evening, Dr. How goes the repairs?" he asks.
Dr. Polendina is working on what appears to be one of Agnika's arms before he turns back to him, "Oh, Professor Ozpin. It'll take a little more time, but I can assure you, the repairs will be done soon enough. I'm already half way done with the repairs and upgrades. He'll be ready soon," he says before he pulls up a new schematic on Agnika's screens, showing his new body.
Ozpin looked on in awe, "You sure can't underestimate Atlasian scientists," he mutters.
…
Later that night, Adam Taurus is in his quarters until someone knocks on his door.
"Enter," he says and the door opens to reveal Yuma on the other side. "Brother Yuma, what is it?" he asks.
"Brother Adam, we have received information from an unknown source about a possible meeting between High Leader Khan and Ghira Belladonna. And that Blake Belladonna and her compatriots will be attending," Yuma explains.
"Who's the source?" Adam asks.
"I'm not sure. Only that it was a Faunus…from Haven Academy," Yuma says.
Adam then smiles, "This is our chance. Prepare the rest of our forces. The time has come to take what is ours, and destroy the Belladonna name…"
And that's the chapter. Things are coming to a head in Mistral. Meanwhile, Agnika's repairs are almost done. Blake and Ruby have started to realize their feelings for each other, just as Yang realizes her feelings for Mikazuki. As for Neptune, I just put him in that position, because one, it doesn't go with my story, and two, I don't like womanizers like him. Soon, the next big dance of blades will begin. What will happen at the meeting with the White Fang? Who will be there, and who will survive? Until then, please Read and Review.