A/N: So, before we get on to the real show, I would just like to take a moment to reply to a few questions from our guest reviewers.
To Zela: Welcome back to the fold! You've been missed. Cyan and Arianna are my windows into Vacuo, even more so than Raine who has decided to put that life behind him. It provides me an outlet to headcanons that form over lore that RT hasn't been clear on yet. As for the ship, you'll just have to read on to see where that goes. *wink*
To Guest (Chp 37): Nocturne, in terms of power, would be ahead of both Pyrrha and Raine. He's not OP per say, but he has put his nose to the grindstone with training, and is also two years their senior. As you may have guessed by his last name, he has a bit of a legacy following him, as well as big shoes to fill, but his role here is more introductory than anything else. I will say that this won't be the only time you get to see him, Fuchsia, or even the rest of their team. Our heroes, strong as they are, still have a lot to learn and grow. It'd be no fun if they stood at the top amongst all of their peers.
I hope that answered some questions. To my account reviewers, I try to keep the replies to PM. Author notes are simply that; notes, not essays. Now, back to the show!
Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY. RWBY belongs to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.
"Oh my gosh, you two were amazing!" cheered Ruby as she jumped on Raine.
He laughed as he swung her around with their embrace, their friends surrounding him and Cyan.
"That was a most impressive display. Congratulations," agreed Pyrrha with a smile.
"Simba!" yelled Nora as she broke out of Ren's restraining arms and charged ahead, grasping at Cyan's arm with stars in her eyes. "Teach me your ways of smashing things!"
"I didn't expect having to use my Semblance like that," grumbled Cyan with a scowl, ignoring the hammer maiden's request as he struggled to free his arm from her grip.
Ren gave Cyan a silent apology for his partner's hyperactivity, one that Cyan stoically accepted.
"Don't sweat it, big guy," Yang cheerfully supplied as she clapped him on the shoulder. "You didn't hurt Mercury too much. And besides, you transforming like that was freaking sweet."
"Well at least you guys approve," he relented with a small smile.
"I'm still curious though. Where did you learn to do that?" Blake questioned. "I didn't think it was possible for a Faunus to transform into their animal."
Cyan frowned for a moment as he glanced at the shuffling crowd filing out around them. Once again, he was reminded why he always kept that side of him under wraps as more than a few humans shot him looks of disgust and fear. Two throngs of people shuffled around them, and while some Faunus looked upon him with awe and respect, the majority of the audience went out of their way to give his group a wide berth. He growled under his breath.
"Not here, and not now. Right now, I need a drink," he grumbled his answer.
Blake nodded in understanding, aware of how people were acting around the Lion of Vacuo.
"In that case, I know just the place where you can blow off some steam," offered Yang as she threw an arm around the much larger young man's shoulders, a smirk on her face. "You game?"
Cyan raised a brow at the offer, then smiled a great, toothy grin.
"Lead the way, mighty dragon," he answered with an amused rumble. "Just try to keep up once we get started."
"Clearly you don't know me that well," Yang fired back.
"Then let's change that," he retorted as they dragged each other away.
"Try not to wreck the place! That goes for both of you!" Raine called out to them.
"Easy peasy, lemon squeazy," Yang answered in a sing-song without looking back.
Arianna watched them leave with amazement.
"Huh, I've never seen Cyan so readily trust in someone outside of our team before," she mused out-loud.
"Should uh... should we be worried?" asked an uneasy Jaune as he watched the two brawlers disappear around the corner to the docks. "I mean, it's pretty clear they both have some massive tempers."
"Worried about what?" Blake questioned flatly. "Yang or the bar?"
"Yes," Raine answered for them as he brought a palm to his face. "I hope they don't do anything stupid. Cyan can turn into a handful when he's drunk. Hopefully he can still hold his liquor like I remember."
"Well maybe now she'll leave us alone," said a hopeful Ruby as she nuzzled into Raine's chest. "By the way, did you have anything planned after your doubles match?"
Raine looked at her curiously.
"No. Why?"
"Because Penny is fighting next and I really want to see her in action!" Ruby answered him with sparkles in her eyes. "You gotta see her too! She's super awesome! She can control all of these swords without touching them, she can shoot lasers from her hands, and she's so strong and-"
"Ok ok Rubes, I'll stay," Raine laughed at her excitement. "Just let me get a bite to eat first and we can watch her fight."
She nodded giddily, her hands clasped together as she did a little dance. It'd been so long since she watched Penny fight on the docks. She couldn't wait to see what her robot friend had in store for the tournament. Eager to get back to their seats, the young reaper grabbed her boyfriend's hand and dragged him off to find the concession booth. She didn't want to miss a single second of Penny's doubles match.
Arianna smiled as the pair rushed off. She was happy that Raine finally had someone by his side in ways she and Cyan could never be. A slight twang of sadness tugged at her heartstrings with that thought. It was going to be difficult to leave once the tournament was over. As much as she adored the blue-haired swordsman, Vacuo was still home to her. Raine had made a new home here in Vale, along with new friends and a new life. She couldn't bear the thought of asking him to leave, no matter how badly a part of her wanted to do exactly that. Thankfully, she didn't have to dwell on the issue for long with Blake tapping her on the shoulder.
"Can we talk?" the cat Faunus asked.
Arianna broke out with a smirk.
"Why? You didn't like how Cyan brushed you off, so you decided to come interrogate me?" she teased, making Blake blush with embarrassment.
"I-I didn't mean-"
"No worries," Arianna said waving her off. "I'm just joking with you. I was actually expecting it, but even still, this isn't the place to have that discussion. You wanna lead or should I?"
"I do have a place in mind, actually," Blake agreed with a nod as she waved the monkey girl to follow. "It should be pretty quiet with how everyone is here at the arena and the fairgrounds."
"Oh oh! Can we come too?" begged Nora as she jumped in. "I wanna learn about Simba's origins!"
"Nora, you can't just make demands of people like that," admonished Ren. "It's rude!"
"But Reeeeennnn, how many lion people do you know?" Nora whined back as the two Faunus looked on with astonishment. "This could be our only chance before the tournament is over!"
Jaune shook his head wearily at the hammer maiden's demeanor.
"You don't have to drag us along. We'll understand if you want to keep this conversation private," he offered with a sympathetic smile.
"Actually... I'd feel more comfortable if you did come along," Blake admitted. "I can't be the only one that noticed a shift in the crowd, and even though Arianna and I are both skilled, I don't want to get into any trouble with a random racist if I can avoid it."
Arianna nodded in agreement.
"It's sometimes hard to forget that Vale treats us differently than in Vacuo. Sure, feel free to join us, and don't worry about asking any questions that are too personal. I'll make sure to keep that for only Cyan to share."
Mercury sucked in a breath as Emerald helped him apply some disinfectant to his wound, the mercenary now stripped of his top and seated on his bed. The lacerations stubbornly refused to heal with his aura drained so low. At the rate he was going, he wouldn't be back up at a hundred percent when they would need it most. The defeated pair had gone back to their dorm room to lick their wounds and nurse their beaten pride. Emerald shuddered to think about what Cinder would do when she returned to find them, though Mercury could scarcely care less. He hissed loudly when Emerald went to apply the dressing with more pressure than he was ready for.
"Hey! Watch it!" he snapped, earning him a withering look of ire.
"Shut up," she shot back. "You're lucky this was the worst he did to you. Any longer and your guts would've been all over the floor."
"Tch, don't remind me," he growled as he clenched his fist. "Next time, it's going to be him crawling away like a beaten puppy, and I'll laugh as I stomp his face in."
Emerald finished up wrapping the bandages in place, and promptly smacked Mercury over top of the head, making him yelp with surprise.
"What was that for?" he demanded with an angry frown.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Emerald said forcefully as she strode to the bathroom. "I know you'd love nothing more than to get even with Zaffre and his team, and as much as I would love to do the same, we can't risk blowing our cover. You're going to wait until Cinder gives us the green light."
Mercury snorted loudly as he laid back on his bed, throwing his hands behind his head.
"Of course I'm not going to do that. Do I look like an idiot to you?" he asked indignantly.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Emerald answered with a flat tone.
"I think you're just worried about a gorgeous guy like me getting done in," he retorted with a smirk.
Rather than wash the towel she had used to clean Mercury's injuries of excessive blood and dirt, Emerald chose instead to chuck the dirtied rag at her partner's face, which he easily caught with reflexive hands.
"You know, asshole..." she lectured with her arms crossed. "One of these days you're going to make the wrong comment at the wrong time. Cinder will immolate you, and I will stand there laughing."
"Bed's big enough," he suggested as he outstretched his arms as if waiting for her to jump in. "How about we get it over with now before my untimely demise has a chance to happen? I bet I'll have you screaming my name in the first ten minutes."
"Assuming you can even make it past two," she replied with a disgusted shudder, the illusionist slamming the bathroom door behind her back.
Emerald gripped tightly at the sink as she forced the bile back down her throat. Even after all these years, she still wasn't used to Mercury's crass behavior. With a frown on her face, she set about cleaning her hands of dirt, grime, and mercenary blood, her brow furrowing as unwelcome thoughts danced through her head. If only he wasn't such a bastard, she might even enjoy his company for once. Of course, such a drastic change in personality would be too much to ask. She sighed as her mind returned to her failure of a battle.
Zaffre saw through her far too quickly. Her trump card was revealed in that fight as he forced his way back on top. A sliver of doubt and worry then crept into her mind, fearful of what he might do should he see through their scheme, or what Cinder might do to her now that this portion of the plan was ruined. She and Mercury were supposed to go to the finals, he would set himself up to get maimed by his opponent and, with a little added touch from her Semblance, convince the world that Ozpin's Hunters were no better than wild savages, just like those animals in the White Fang. Instead, they got their metaphorical rear ends handed back to them. She pounded her fist against the side of the sink. Cinder wasn't going to be happy about this.
"Whoa, you sure didn't waste anytime getting here, huh?" came Mercury's voice from outside of the bathroom.
"Speak of the devil," Emerald groaned to herself silently.
Turning on her heel, she braced herself for the lashing that was sure to come. With a shaky hand, she turned the knob of the door and swung it open, revealing her master in all of her glory.
"Cinder, I-" Emerald started, but the faux Maiden had cut her off.
"Silence," Cinder commanded as she leaned up against the frame of the front door with her arms crossed.
Emerald froze on the spot and meekly bowed her head, her tongue effectively cut. Mercury, fool as he was, wasn't fool enough to ignore the shift in tone and promptly got to his feet, joining his partner's side in a rare moment of cowed humility.
"How... disappointing," Cinder sighed with a frown. "I expected far more from the both of you. Perhaps I've put too much faith and confidence in your abilities."
Mercury made to defend himself, but his employer stopped the words in his mouth with a fiery glare.
"If you speak, it shall either be yes ma'am, no ma'am, or I don't understand," she commanded, her eyes burning with amber fire. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am," the two teenagers replied submissively.
"Good. Now, I want to make certain you know exactly what you'll being doing for the next couple days," she continued as she strode gracefully into the room, pulling the door shut behind her. "The both of you will have strict assignments in preparation for our attack. As valuable as your individual abilities are, I will not hesitate to vaporize either of you should you disobey my will. These recent changes in events require adaptations to the plan if we are to continue to succeed."
She circled them with poise befitting of a queen, and every word she spoke came with similar weight.
"Mercury, because of your failure to advance to the finals, you will be meeting with Neopolitan at Junior Xiong's club tomorrow evening. You will assist her in springing Roman free from his prison aboard General Ironwood's flagship."
Mercury bit back a retort, knowing this task would put him far away from the animal that humiliated him. His sudden stiffening in his posture was not lost on Cinder.
"What's wrong, Mercury?" she asked feigning innocence. "Does this task displease you?"
"No ma'am," he answered quietly.
"Oh but it does," she continued as she approached him from behind. "You thirst for vengeance, to deliver retribution upon the Faunus that humiliated you; Cyan Gideon. Isn't that right?"
"Yes ma'am," he admitted, against his better judgment.
"You opportunity will come... in time," she whispered into his ear. "But for now, you shall do as I command. Make no mistake dear boy; you have a great many talents that are of value to me, but don't overestimate that value."
A single finger with a crimson nail lifted to his neck, the tip of the nail igniting with a blue-white flame. Mercury bit back a scream as Cinder burned into the flesh of his neck, leaving behind a single, blistering tally mark upon what used to be perfect skin. He refused to show weakness, especially in front of her. Emerald cast frightened glances at her partner as their master gave him a branding befitting of a slave.
"Let this be a reminder to you, should you ever get an idea to disobey me again," she cooed. "Three marks, and consider yourself expended. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am," he forced out through gritted teeth.
With a little smile on her face, Cinder turned to her protege.
"Emerald, your task remains the same but your target has changed. It is clear that Raine Zaffre is beyond your capabilities, so will not be breaking him directly."
"I... don't understand," Emerald meekly admitted.
"His compassion for his old team will be key. Maiming them during the finals will not only cause the necessary shock and despair for our Grimm to feed upon, but more importantly, you will do so in a way to drive a wedge between him and Team RWBY. We need him at the breaking point so that he doesn't derail our operations. He has personally interfered by reviving the Fall Maiden, so he must be punished appropriately."
"Ma'am... he knows about my Semblance," Emerald blurted out with terror. "He figured it out during the battle and will know if something is wrong."
Cinder examined Emerald with a frown.
"You will figure it out regardless. Should you fail again Emerald, you will no longer be of use to me," Cinder declared dismissively. "The road to power is filled with unexpected turns such as this. Consider this a trial of your resolve, to see if you will prove to be worthy of that power, or to be discarded like the rest of the Human Race."
Veiled threats left lingering in their minds, Cinder made to leave, striding purposefully to the door.
"The rest of the day is yours," she declared as she swung the door open. "I suggest you make good use of your time. Do try to make the most of it."
With a smirk and sashay of her hips, Cinder left her two charges to their thoughts, the door shutting behind her with a soft click. Left alone once more, Emerald and Mercury both let out breaths they hadn't realized they held, their pulses racing from the apparent brush with death.
"I'm really starting to hate her," Mercury voiced as a hand lifted to gingerly inspect his brand.
"For once, I actually agree with you," Emerald admitted. "She made it clear to the both of us that we're expendable."
They shared a look.
"So... what was that about two minutes?" Mercury offered with a raised brow.
Emerald stared at him with shock for a moment, then recomposed herself.
"Fuck it," she admitted as she shoved him back onto the bed.
Bastard or not, he still had one hell of a body.
General Ironwood rubbed his temple as he mulled over another report on his scroll, this one from his reconnaissance teams scouring the wilderness outside of Vale at Ozpin's behest. No matter where they looked or what they did, they couldn't find hide nor hair of the White Fang forces Adam was hiding since they abandoned Mountain Glenn. It didn't make any sense. If the numbers were true, he literally had legions of Faunus at his beck and call. To completely vanish as if out of thin air was an impossibility.
"You really should relax and enjoy the festivities a bit more, General. You'll just end up ripping your hair out at this rate," came an elderly, cheery voice on his right.
Ironwood sighed as he glanced at the portly and wizened old man. Dressed in a crisp, Atlas officer's uniform, the man clapped along happily as Penny's team went to work on Coco and Yatsuhashi of Team CFVY. Snow white hair framed his visage, and while much of his crown had long-since gone bald, what was left melded seamlessly with his voluminous beard. Small, blue eyes twinkled over rosy cheeks, dancing merrily with delight as Penny sent a dizzying display of blades against the much larger young man. He was bowled over as the swords knocked him aside as if they were a spinning top.
"I appreciate your concern for my well being, Dr. Polendina, but pleasure is a luxury I can't exactly afford right now," Ironwood answered as he reluctantly set aside his scroll.
"Nonsense my dear boy!" the old engineer and scientist rebuffed as he clapped a hand on the General's shoulder. "This is our moment of triumph! This is a moment that all the kingdoms of Mankind should savor!"
"I'm afraid I don't share that sentiment."
"And why ever not?" Polendina asked as he took a sip from his champagne. "The future is here, James. Just look at her... my daughter. My greatest achievement in life."
Ferrer Polendina looked on in pride as Penny happily commanded her blades with the expertise of a master puppeteer. They spun in a rotating shield as she braced herself against a shower of bullets from the haughty fashionista Coco Adel, the crowd roaring along. Two blades suddenly broke from formation, their glinting forms speeding off to flank the otherwise preoccupied machine gunner. This change in tactics forced Coco to break contact and dive for cover, the swords scratching deeply into the ground where she stood just moments prior.
"That girl is the key to making Atlas the supreme power in the world," Ferrer continued. "Our enemies would never dare lay a finger against us once she steps foot upon the battlefield. Adam and his zoo may have you and your command concerned, but I for one am quite content with our situation."
"And just what could a single girl do against an army?" Ironwood questioned with skepticism.
"Single? You honestly think she is the only one?" Polendina rebuffed. "Penny is but the maiden voyage, the prototype if you will."
Ironwood raised a brow at that announcement.
"What have you done?"
"Nothing drastic that you need to concern yourself with. Just know that my androids will be the pinnacle of Human achievement," Polendina declared confidently as he waved the General off.
Ever the wary commander, Ironwood kept his suspicious gaze upon the jovial computer engineer, not fully convinced of the older man's intentions. Silent and impassive, the General returned to his reports.
Back down on the battlefield, Coco took cover behind a large boulder at the foot of a mountain, as did Yatsuhashi at a similar rock mere meters to her side, the pair seeking shelter from the deadly blades that swiped at their heads.
"Got any ideas?" the fashionista asked as another razor sharp blade sparked against her boulder.
"Not sure," Yatsu grunted back. "How many rounds do you have left?"
"One belt," Coco replied with a grimace as she set about feeding her last belt into the drum. "Her defense is insane."
"Yeah, I might have one, and her partner hasn't stepped in yet either," Yatsu told her as he frowned. "Just give me some co-"
He didn't get a chance to finish as both boulders were lifted from the ground, each of them with a sword embedded into their forms. Coco lowered her shades in awe at the gravity defying feat, with Penny holding her hands aloft, a wide grin plastered upon her face. A downward swing of her arms brought the two boulders crashing towards their targets. Coco was blasted away and into the mountain from the impact, her aura taking a heavy hit down to 22% and her form showered by rubble, but Yatsuhashi remained still and waiting patiently. With a roar and a swing of his blade, he cleaved the rock in two, the halves splitting around him and falling harmlessly to the side.
"That was most impressive, opponent Yatsuhashi!" praised Penny in all of her innocence with a giddy nod.
"Ma'am, we really do need to finish this up," came a regimented and pressing voice.
Penny gave a small frown as she looked towards her teammate, a dark skinned young woman with navy blue hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a plain, gray button down shirt with an asymmetrical collar and matching leggings, a blue combat skirt that reached her knees, long, black fingerless gloves, and matching shoes. A pair of gold bands adorned her arms, one above each elbow, and a silver, digital watch sat upon her left wrist, a watch she was currently tapping towards her easily distracted teammate. A blue beret perched upon her crown and a golden insignia on her forehead completed her look; an oval surrounded by four smaller circles.
"But I'm having so much fun, Miss Ciel!" Penny pouted back. "Do we have to end it now?"
"Yes ma'am," Ciel curtly replied with a nod.
With a dejected sigh, Penny relented and brought her blades back to her side. Her target locked, she directed them to point towards Yatsuhashi, hands outstretched as the gleaming knives spun at an ever hastening pace. Like all those nights ago at the docks, a green ball of energy focused in her palms, her aura gathering at a central point. Satisfied with the amount of energy she had prepared, Penny brought her hands backwards as they clenched into fists, then promptly thrust them forward as she fired her aura in a focused beam.
Yatsuhashi was unprepared for the unusual attack, his eyes growing wide as the full brunt of the blast slammed into his chest. He barely managed to yell out as he was sent flying backwards, his aura reduced to 0. Whether by careful aim or dumb luck, Coco happened to have stood directly behind him, and the pair were blasted even further into the mountain, their unconscious forms left amongst the smoke of the aftermath. A buzzer rang out in the Colosseum signaling the end of the match.
"And the victory goes to Penny Polendina and Ciel Soleil of Atlas!" announced Professor Oobleck.
Penny appeared to be the only one who was pleased with the victory, the redhead placing a fist into her palm and bowing forward with a bright smile, as Ciel simply waited patiently with her hands clasped behind her back. She habitually checked her watch for the umpteenth time before leading her charge out of the arena.
Ferrer clapped jovially as he rose from his seat, cheering for the victory his "daughter" so handily delivered.
"You see, James old boy? We have nothing to worry about. She single-handedly defeated two of Ozpin's sophomores. I must say our futures are looking quite bright!"
The General muttered something noncommittally as he opened an urgent message from his fellow Headmaster. His eyes narrowed as he read over the message's contents. Without answering his colleague, Ironwood stood from his seat and turned to leave the VIP booth, much to Ferrer's bewilderment.
"One of these days, your joints are going to rust up, and you'll wish you spent more time with the finer things in life!" the old doctor called out with a glass of champagne raised, as the door slid shut behind his retreating form.
Penny walked happily as she followed Ciel towards the docks, when a cheerful voice called out to her.
"Penny!" cried Ruby as she rounded the corner after them, her hands thrown up into the air.
"Ruby!" Penny answered with pleasant surprise, the android rushing forward and barreling into the rose-themed reaper with a full-bodied hug.
"Whyyyyy..." the younger girl groaned out from underneath her friend's immense weight.
"Wow... I felt that from here," commented an astonished Raine as he joined the pair.
"And friend Raine, it is a pleasure to see you both again!" greeted Penny as she helped Ruby to her feet. "I would like you both to meet my teammate."
"Ciel Soleil," the soldier introduced herself with a graceful bow.
"Hi!" Ruby replied. "I'm-"
"Ruby Rose," Ciel answered for her. "Age 15, hails from Patch, leader of Team RWBY. Status, classified."
Penny continued smiling despite the odd looks Raine and Ruby were giving her regimental teammate.
"And Raine Zaffre," the soldier continued. "Age 17, hails from Vacuo, leader of Team ARC. Status... also classified."
Raine raised a brow at those notes.
"You seem to know a great deal about us," he commented as he crossed his arms. "I'm not sure if I should be worried about that."
"As Miss Polendina's personal bodyguard, it is my mission to remain informed about all individuals she has come into contact with," Ciel answered candidly. "It's nothing personal, sir; only orders."
Raine leveled his gaze upon the soldier for a moment, as if trying to sense an ulterior motive. Finding nothing but the stone-faced discipline Atlas took pride in, he accepted the explanation and returned his attention to Ruby and Penny.
"Soooo Penny!" Ruby said breaking the silence. "You two were incredible out there. How were you able to keep control of all those swords? It was so cool..."
"Penny?" Ciel interrupted once again, her watch raised. "I believe it is best if we moved on to our next location."
"Don't let us hold you two up..." Raine remarked dryly.
Penny gave a sympathetic smile to her friends when an idea popped into her head.
"Can we have just... one minute to talk?" she implored of her teammate.
Ciel paused for a moment and went over some mental notes as she checked her watch. With a nod and a step back, she granted Penny the liberty to continue speaking to her friends.
"Is she a friend or...?" Ruby asked uncertainly.
"In a way," Penny answered. "She's like Blake, but if Blake was ordered to spend time with you."
"Oh, so Weiss."
"Precisely!"
"I dunno," commented Raine. "Ice Princess at least has some personality to go with that one-tracked mindset."
"Does she know about the... you know... beep-boop-beep does not compute?" Ruby pressed further with little robot movements.
"Oh no," Penny said with a shake of her head. "General Ironwood doesn't really want anyone to know about that. There was an incident with a magnet earlier at the fairgrounds, but I was able to pull it off."
Penny winked towards her friend, making the young reaper giggle.
"Ruby, there's something I've been wanting to tell you," Penny ventured, quieter this time as she leaned forward. "I want to stay at Beacon."
Ruby lost her laughter and looked at the redhead sadly.
"Penny, you know they'll never let you do that," she told her.
"I know..." Penny admitted as she hung her head, but that didn't seem to deject her completely. "It's ok though, because I have a plan."
She didn't get to share as Ciel stepped forward once more.
"It has been precisely one minute, ma'am," she announced as she looked at Penny expectantly.
"I will talk to you two soon, Ruby and Raine my friends!" Penny declared happily as she turned to leave, completely at ease with her teammate's off-putting behavior.
"So that's one of Penny's teammates? Wow, I'm starting to see why Weiss ran away to enroll at Beacon in the first place," mused Raine.
"It's not her fault," Ruby answered with a light shrug. "It's like what Penny said; she was only ordered to spend time with her. It's actually really sad..."
"Do you think Penny will be able to give Ironwood the slip?"
"I want to say yes, but a part of me won't let me believe it. She's too important, apparently. If she went missing, someone somewhere will definitely know that something is up."
"She did say she had a plan. Who knows, maybe we'll get an official transfer student for next semester?" Raine suggested.
"Oh! Do you think she can stay with us?" Ruby perked up hopefully, making Raine laugh.
"I honestly don't think our room can handle another bed."
"She doesn't really need a bed. She can just power down in the closet. They'll never even know she was there!"
Raine shook his head in amusement at his girlfriend's giddy behavior.
"Get Weiss and your sister to make some room with all their clothes hung about, and maybe that will work. Anyway, we got the rest of the day to ourselves. Festival?"
Ruby grinned.
"I'm so going to beat you at the Grimm Range this time!"
Arianna took a deep breath as she sipped at her tea. Seated at a large table on the balcony of Blake's cafe was the aforementioned Faunus and the entirety of Team JNPR. True to the cat Faunus' hunch, the cafe was almost completely empty. She mentally cursed both of her boys for running off with girls, though she didn't really blame them. Her only issue was where to start, or how Cyan or even Sun might take the news of her blabbing away their life stories. Still, these were Raine's friends, and he seemed to trust them immensely. Here decision made, she set the tea cup down and waited expectantly.
"So, where do you want to begin?" she asked Blake specifically, since it was she who wanted to speak in the first place.
"What is it like in Vacuo?" Blake started without hesitation. "I've never been that far west, but from what I've heard from Sun and Raine, they don't really treat us Faunus as a burden or waste of space."
Arianna nodded.
"Vacuo has only one rule for everyone trying to make a living there; the strong survive and the weak perish. Most of us don't have the time nor inclination to be bothered with the same prejudices in other parts of Remnant."
"That sounds... unnecessarily brutal..." Pyrrha said softly.
"It's not a pretty place, that's for sure, but it's still home," Arianna admitted. "Our parents, Sun and I, they moved there to get away from it all. They hated Menagerie. To them, a nation made entirely of Faunus was just another reminder how we would never be equal to humans. So they decided to strike out on their own. Vacuo seemed to be a good place to start."
"Why not try in Mistral?" questioned Ren. "If I'm not mistaken, Sun is a student of Haven, and he seems to be doing pretty well."
"Sun went to Haven because he wanted to travel the world," Arianna explained. "He looked at Vale first, but decided against it when our parents reminded him of how poorly Faunus are treated here. At the very least, Haven has a Faunus for a Headmaster, so it's not quite as bad of a place. Besides, if he didn't go, then he wouldn't have met Neptune, Sage, and Scarlet. Those three are like a second family to him, and if he didn't have them to lean on, he probably would've ended up in the White Fang."
Arianna took another sip of her tea.
"I'm sorry Blake. Raine didn't tell me directly, but I was able to work out the rest. They really don't have our best interests in mind."
"No need to apologize," Blake waved her off. "I cut ties from them a long time ago when I realized what road they were heading down. I still don't fully understand though. What is it that Vacuo does differently from the other kingdoms?"
Arianna smirked a bit.
"How good are you guys at history?"
Nora and Jaune shared a groan as they slid in their chairs.
"Please tell me you're not like Professor Oobleck," he begged.
"He took away my syrup..." cried Nora as she laid face-down on the table.
"It was a fair move," reasoned Ren. "He didn't want the pages in your book getting stuck together."
"As if I would waste perfectly good syrup like that! I could've licked them clean!"
"Aaaanyway..." Arianna continued, trying to redirect the conversation. "Vacuo was founded much like the other kingdoms. An expansive desert protected us from all but the most hardy of Grimm, but we had also stumbled upon a secret oasis deep within the endless dunes. This oasis had been situated upon a vast Dust deposit that brought great fortune to the early nomads. They decided to settle, and built a glittering kingdom around the crystal clear waters; the Crown Jewel of Vacuo. For many centuries, they remained hidden away, far removed from the rest of Humanity, living a life a leisure and luxury, a collective attitude which protected them from any wandering Grimm. Unfortunately, all good news spreads, and Vale had learned of their fortune. It started small, a business transaction here, another deal stricken there, but soon enough, force was brought into the picture."
Arianna grimaced as she finished off the rest of her tea.
"Vale, hardened by an almost constant struggle against the Grimm, deeply desired the vast stores of Dust that their neighbors in the desert had, in their eyes, hoarded. They sent a large invasion force into the Oasis, enslaving its people and seizing the Dust for themselves. Despite the superior weaponry that Vacuo boasted, their soldiers were soft and unprepared, putting all their trust into the desert itself to ward off other humans. It worked for bandits, but not for a neighboring kingdom. Over the course of thirty years, industry had tarnished the once glittering jewel that was the Old City. The Oasis was ripped apart and the Dust deposits exhausted. The displaced peoples were scattered, forced to live in slums surrounding the City's walls and made to toil in the mines until their bones broke. Eventually, their oppressive tyrants left when the last grains of Dust were plucked from the desert's belly, leaving her people beaten, broken, and in poverty. Unable to continue living in the ruins of their once proud City, they scattered to the dunes, until eventually settling on the coast in the East, tucked away under the cliffs overlooking a lagoon, and founded Shade Academy. Around it sprung up the modern day Vacuo everybody is familiar with."
Arianna paused for a moment in case anyone had questions. Her audience remained silent, too drawn in on her story to interrupt her. She continued.
"Their fall from grace festered in their minds. They grew strong, but remained bitter. This new outlook on life brought scores of Grimm to their new home, but this time they grew stronger for it. Those injustices would never be forgotten, and would eventually be the catalyst for Vacuo's entry into the Great War. They would also be the last to accept any attempts of reconciliation from any of the other Kingdoms, especially Vale. It wouldn't be until 45 years following the Vytal Treaty that Vacuo finally accepted their invitation into the tournament, and allowed the construction of the CCT Tower gifted from Atlas."
She motioned to a passing waiter for a refill of her cup, to which he promptly complied with a fresh, steaming pot.
"Today, Vacuo is still an oasis, but of a different sort. It has become a symbol of new life and a place to acquire a clean slate. Vacuo doesn't acknowledge most of the laws set in place by other kingdoms, and the only semblance of government is found in Shade Academy itself. This way of life attracts some of the worst of characters, not just those escaping prejudice and prosecution, but those who have lost any hope in their host kingdom. If you are strong, you will survive, and can count yourself family in a den of thieves, runaways, and vagabonds. The wealthy have often looked down upon us as criminals and anarchists, and in a manner of speaking, those people would be right, but we are strong and loyal amongst each other, and as unyielding as the Dune Seas. Collective suffering builds strong bonds for those who desire them, and the rest are swallowed up by the desert. We don't care if you're a faunus or a human."
Blake took a moment to contemplate over Arianna's story as Nora and Jaune launched into a barrage of questions. She had always thought Menagerie had been the symbol of unity for her people, that safe haven even though Humanity had essentially shoved them all into a "zoo" to be forgotten. To know that there was another place in Remnant where she could walk freely without fear of hatred and discrimination was a welcome thought, though the way Arianna had now described Vacuo had made her even more wary of the other unruly characters that fled to its shores. Raine was right; the strong survived and the weak perished, and the prejudiced humans and faunus alike, she has learned, were profoundly weak. She wondered if he thought himself as weak for leaving, but soon thought against it. He had proven his strength time and time again, though she wondered if Ruby had a hand in giving him that new-found strength. As a lull finally settled amongst Team JNPR's badgering, Blake finally asked the question that her friends had seemed to forgotten.
"Where does Cyan fit into all of this?"
Arianna paused for a moment, a flash of sorrow crossing her features.
"Cyan... has more reason than most of us to dislike Vale. His family... his blood... goes back to the original five families that founded Vacuo in the Oasis. He keeps it mostly in check for the sake of our friends and civility, but those feelings are only amplified when he uses his Semblance. Even when we had first met, I had never seen him consider attacking Raine like he did in the arena today. I'm... worried he might do something foolish without either myself or Raine to reel him in."
"I'm sure Yang can keep him grounded," Pyrrha offered with a soft, understanding smile. "She's strong and has an inner beast of her own. She may not be a Faunus, but there's a reason we call her a dragon. Cyan is in good hands."
Arianna quietly sipped at her tea.
"I can only hope that's the case."
The sun was setting when the giggling form of Ruby was found leaning into her nonplussed boyfriend as they headed back to their dorm, the young rose triumphantly holding a giant corgi plush that bore an uncanny resemblance to Zwei high into the air.
"I told you I'd win this time. Admit it, I totally kicked your butt," she bragged.
"Yeah yeah... don't let it go too far to your head," he grumbled as he shoved his hands into his pockets, his face glowing from his wounded pride.
"Aw, what's wrong?" she all but sang to him. "Can't admit that your girlfriend showed you up to half the guys in school?"
"I suppose I can live with it if it's you..." he relented as she pecked him on the cheek.
"You still had fun though... right?" Ruby then asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
He smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Don't be silly. Of course I did. I love every moment I spend with you, Rubes."
She breathed out a sigh of relief as she snuggled into his side, the plush clutched tightly in her arms. As soon as she had seen it hanging above the range, she just had to have it, and it reflected clearly in her shooting. This time, she had stomped him with a solid 30,000 point lead. Needless to say, it was him crying the tears on the console. As sweet as that victory was, she didn't want him to feel too bad about it, and was happy that hadn't been the case.
"Raine Zaffre!" came a familiar and shrill voice.
The boy in question lifted his gaze from the now stiffened rose in his arms to see the familiar sight of Weiss Schnee standing before them, Myrtenaster clutched tightly in her grip.
"Fight me," she all but demanded.
"Excuse me?" he questioned warily as he released his grip from Ruby.
"Weiss, what are you doing?" Ruby asked worriedly as she watched her partner all but seethe in place, her eyes darting to the gleaming rapier.
The Heiress grimaced at the question.
"Ruby... you're my team leader," she answered. "I can accept that, and if not for him, it would've taken me far longer to come to terms with that fact. But I need to know that my time here isn't being wasted. I need to know that I've been improving, not falling behind."
"Weiss, where is all of this coming from?" he asked seriously. "You're already a phenomenal Huntress; you shouldn't need something like that to reassure your confidence."
"I've been jealous of you," Weiss admitted as she focused on him. "I've been jealous since day one. Your skill, your discipline, your confidence, and lately... I've been jealous of..."
She trailed off as her eyes glanced to her partner, who now seemed more like Raine's partner than her own, and in more ways than one. She didn't voice it.
"All of those things are what I've been looking for when I came to Beacon, and for the most part I've gotten them, besides one. That's why, after thinking long and hard about it, I've decided to make you my rival. You are the standard I shall now hold myself to, and only by beating you will I be free to rid myself of that standard. That's why I am approaching you like this now. Fight me."
Raine narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, his left hand resting casually upon Tempest's pommel as Ruby looked back and forth between the two budding combatants, her palms sweaty as her heart beat loudly in her ears. She didn't know what to make of this as she was still far too innocent to the world of a normal teenager, Weiss' thinly veiled animosity over her relationship with Raine flying completely over her head. All she saw was tension shared between two of the closest people in her life. The hallway was so silent she could hear a pin drop. It only made Raine's answer that much louder.
"Ok then. Lead the way."
A/N: This chapter spent far too much time on the drawing board. I actually struggled to piece every scene together. The scene with Ironwood and Polendina has been sitting at the end of my main document since March haha. Finally, the product is finished and I can move on to other plot points that have been sitting patiently (for the most part) in my head.
Vacuo is going to be the last kingdom we see in Canon. It's completely unknown aside from the WoR episode that Qrow narrated, though he likely told it from Vale's point of view. My background that I gave of the Desert Kingdom has been a headcanon bouncing around since that episode debuted. The Oasis, the Dust Deposit, and the exploitation is all Canon, but likely the modern kingdom as I have portrayed here and all of its little details are not. We may never see how Vale is viewed by the rest of the world, but we do know that the Great War happened for a reason. I've mirrored this origin after similar exploitation we see in the real world.
At any rate, I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. If you did and haven't already, hit those fave and follow checkboxes to show your support, and if you would like to share your thoughts on this latest release, feel free to drop a review or send a PM. I'll reply as soon as I can. Till next time!