Hey, guys! So... I felt like a dad who missed his kid's birthday party when I missed my deadline, but I had a good reason. I was staying at a beach house in Florida and the wifi went out the second day we were there so I couldn't upload anything. Don't worry, though, because I made this one extra long and enjoyable as both an apology and a thank you for everyone who reads the story. It means a lot to me, so thank you all. As always be sure to follow, favorite, and leave any thoughts or questions on the story. All story ideas are appreciated. Enjoy this special chapter!
"I don't think I like this very much," Ruby said from behind the changing room curtain.
"Come on, Ruby," said Weiss. "I'm sure it will look good on you."
"But there's barely anything on me at all!" she shouted back.
Weiss just laughed to herself and continued sitting on the bench in anticipation, ignoring the glare of her younger teammate's older sister.
"What exactly did you make her try on?" Yang asked angrily.
"Just a swimsuit," said the heiress, not making eye contact. "We are going to the beach afterall."
The blonde brawler kept a suspicious eye on the fencer, but Weiss simply ignored her and looked toward the curtain. A day at the beach was what summer was all about and, in all honesty, the heiress was barely able to hold in her excitement. With the hottest summers in Atlas being lukewarm at best, and the fact her father wasn't one for outings, the idea of a whole day by the water, getting tan, and cooking out, felt almost like a guilty pleasure.
Speaking of guilty pleasures…
"No," Yang said adamantly.
"But…" interjected Weiss.
"No."
"Uh…" said Ruby. The youngest of the girls had peeked her head out from behind the curtain, sighed a bit when she realized the store was practically empty, and took a timid step in front of her friends, wearing…
"No!" Yang said again.
"It's just a bikini, Yang," Blake said with a small laugh. "Besides, we all know you'll be wearing one too."
"Uhh…" the youngest said again with a blush.
"T-that's different!" the blonde said in defiance.
"How?" Weiss asked.
"Uhhh…"
"It just is! Okay!? My baby sister is not going to be seen in that!"
"I don't think I'm very comfortable either," Ruby said in a small voice. "Maybe something a bit less… Yang-y."
What the heck, Ruby! WE AGREED ON THIS!
Weiss turned to her partner with a look of betrayal before covering her face with her hands. So much of what she had planned for the day rested on those pieces of clothing. His initial reaction, helping with putting on lotion, and "completely accidental"… well, maybe she wouldn't go that far… , but everything rested on this!
"See, Ice Queen," Yang said triumphantly, "she doesn't like it. I guess it's all up to big sis to pick out an appropriate piece of swi- wait, what did you say?"
"What exactly should she wear?" asked Blake. "A diving suit?"
"… perhaps."
"Ughh, fine," Weiss said. She made her way over to another rack of the store and skimmed her way through swimsuit after swimsuit. They didn't have much time before they were going to meet back with the boys, but she pushed that constraint from her mind as she searched diligently for something that would work. Finally, near the end of the peg, something pinkish-red caught her eye and she held it infront of her team for approval.
"How about this?" she asked, raising the garments for her team to see.
"I think it looks fine," said Blake.
"It's definitely better than this," the youngest said as she hid behind the curtain. "It looks a bit girly though."
That's the point!
"Hmm…" said Yang, inspecting every piece of the fabric. "I'd still like the full suit idea, but…"
"Perfect!" Weiss shouted, taking advantage of her teammate's hesitation. "Now let's hurry and check out. Today is just getting started."
-x-
"I don't think I like this very much," Aero shouted, feeling the wind bounce away from his light green aura. His faunus friend was about to respond when he pointed down towards the water and took off toward the surface. The prince let out a sigh and followed suit, his cargo in hand. A few moments later, both boys landed on the white sands next to a possibly intoxicated Qrow passed out in a chair with a pair of sunglasses, though neither knew how he'd gotten there.
"Which part exactly?" Zek asked, placing the coolers on the ground. "The way I see it, transportation by air is much faster than ground. Would you rather be stuck riding with this stuff in the back of a crowded car?"
"That's not what I'm talking about," the prince responded, still walking off Zeta's weightless effect.
"Was it the flight itself? I know you aren't good on your own, but you're flying with an expert. No need to worry."
"It's not that either," he responded, looking at the clear water. "Our country has been destroyed, our friends are missing, and monsters are rising from the grave. Does right now really seem like the time to go swimming?"
"I'm obligated by Selena to say "yes."
"… you got me there."
"Listen, brother," the faunus said, wrapping an arm around the prince, "everyone needs some R&R now and again."
"What's an R?"
"It's one of the letters in today's- you know, it doesn't matter," Zek said, shaking his head. "The point is, we've been working hard this past year. Now it's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy some obligatory anime-inspired beach special entertainment, with all the sun, surf, and fanservice that entails."
"… I have absolutely no idea what you just said."
"You boys sure are loud," said Qrow, who apparently wasn't as knocked out as they had thought, "and what's this I hear about "fanservice?"
"Oh, nothing."
The wicked smile on Zek's face didn't reassure Aero in the slightest, but the prince's attention turned to the approaching car before he had time to inquire further. Through the window, he could make out a flash of blonde hair and the some very concerned faces in the back seats. He and the faunus took a few cautious steps backwards as the vehicle finally came to a stop and the doors started to open.
The first to exit was a yellow-bikini clad Yang, who came out of the driver's door with a smile nearly as devious as Zek's. The brawler made her way to the side and pulled out a terrified looking Taiyang, picked him up piggyback style, and walked him down to sit in the chair next to his teammate/brother, all while Zwei waddled behind them without a care in the world.
"Was it really a good idea for you to come?" Qrow asked, taking a sip from his drink. "The doc did say to not get your cast wet, and this isn't exactly the driest place in Remnant."
"What, and miss beach day?" Taiyang replied, clearly trying to calm himself after the car ride. "Come on, this is the perfect place to relax, especially when I won't be out of commission for long."
"You're just excited me and Yang won't be throwing you into the deeper part, aren't you?"
Holding back a laugh, Aero started walking toward the car to help unload what the rest of their party had brought. Tents, nets, umbrellas, and even two small boats were tied down to the top and a beach robe wearing Blake was already pulling what she could down.
"Do you need any help?" the prince asked. Before Blake could answer, their eyes were treated to what looked like the blazing sun walking around from the other side of the car. Aero and Blake shielded their eyes from the blinding light while Zek let out screams of agony.
"MY EYES!" he yelled. "MY BEAUTIFUL, EMERALD EYES! THEY BURN!"
"Hey!"
As their eyes slowly attuned to the blinding light, they realized it wasn't some fiery spirit sent to torment their pupils, but was instead a certain white-themed heiress hitting the sunlight just right… or wrong, depending on how you looked at it.
"I'm talking to you, birdbrain," Weiss said. "How dare you react to seeing me in such a way. I'm not that pale skinned."
"You have white skin, hair, eyes, and bikini," Zek said, still covering his eyes. "At least your normal outfits have some black and red to balance it out. I'm not too worried though. I'm sure you'll be more than a little tan by noon."
Aero watched as the icy girl grunted angrily, grabbed an umbrella, and looked like she was about to knock Zek over the head, when he saw something pink and red in the corner of his eye. He turned to see Ruby wearing a light red, single piece swimsuit with pinkish frills along her waist. Seeing at the small, bashful smile on her face as she looked at him, the boy noticed the summer heat had suddenly kicked in. He couldn't help but stare for a moment, thinking she looked…
Stop it.
"So," Ruby said with her hands behind her back, "how do I look?"
"You look… I mean… you're… uh…"
"What I think my royal friend is trying to say," Zek said while using Aero to block Weiss' attack, "is that you look absolutely ravishing, though he'd probably prefer a little less on the top, and maybe the botto- ouch!"
"Thank you, Weiss," the prince said with sincerity.
"I don't know what he said," Weiss said as she hit the faunus once more, "but I take it he deserved this."
"This is discrimina- ow!"
"We could use a little help here." Aero, with some difficulty, for some reason, turned to see Blake and Yang bringing their cargo onto the beach, with the latter seemingly trying for some new world record. Feeling guilty about having his hosts work for him, the swordsman took what he could from the car and carried it to their spot.
Once there, Aero decided to take his first steps into the salty water in who knows how many years. Despite the millennia that had passed, the cool feeling of the waves washing over his feet felt just like they did on his childhood trips; however, there was something else he felt, something he couldn't quite describe. For a moment, he could have sworn he felt Delta's energy run across his skin.
"Is something wrong, Aero? Don't tell me you're still afraid after our little fishing mishap."
"That was not a mishap!" the boy said as his friend laughed.
"Whatever," Zek said as he opened his wings. "I'm gonna do a quick flyby. We wouldn't want any sccaaarrryy Cthulhu to sneak up on us."
"That isn't funny, Zek."
"It is to me!" the bird shouted as he jumped across the water, splashing a wave in Aero's face. Instead of being angry, the prince was debating whether or not to mention the feeling to his winged friend. Part of him knew Zek of all people would want to know if Selena were near, but that wasn't what Aero felt. The energy relaxed him, and, against his better judgement, he decided to hold out for just a little longer. The smuggler woman wouldn't forgive either of them if they spent their day off worrying about anything but having fun.
"Ahh," came Ruby's voice from next to him. He turned to see her jumping back away from the waves with one foot barely wet.
"Sorry," she said. "I guess the water was a bit cooler than I thought it would be."
"It is a little cold when it's so early in the morning," he replied with nervous laughter.
"I should probably put on some sun lotion before I get in the water anyway," she said as she jumped further onto the sand. "This suit is a bit tight though, so I don't think I'll be able to get the back on my lotion."
"Huh?"
"I mean, the straps on my back. No, the straps are on my back. I mean my suit. Not my back but the things on the back of my suit. No, I mean… don't forget to wear sunscreen!"
With that, the girl ran back to their now assembled tent in a blinding speed, looking a bit down. Aero would have thought more of it, if it weren't for the thought of Ruby and… her suit, and… and…
Practically feeling the smirks Zek and Selena would be having right at that moment, the boy turned back to the water, hoping the day would be as uneventful as possible.
-x-
The waters off the launching dock were surprisingly cool as Dunden slowly waded his feet to and fro. Delta spread a similar feeling across the rest of his body, a sensation that felt both nostalgic and uneasy for the boy, a conflict he couldn't explain. He continued to cause ripples across the dark liquid and think about the situation he found himself in.
"Glass shoes don't do much for stealth, do they?" he asked as he heard the approaching clicks.
"You'd be surprised just how stealthy I am when I intend to be," Cinder responded. "If I didn't want you to see me, we wouldn't be speaking now."
"Yet here we are," he replied, "so I assume you don't mind if I look at you."
"Not at all," she replied with a smirk. "I do have have news, though. With our outpost near Vale having been lost, we've had trouble securing safe transport to and from the city, but it shouldn't be but a few days before a ship that can make it to Vale undetected arrives. Then, you can find the person you're looking for."
Dunden looked into the young woman's golden eyes and knew she was observing him, though he wasn't sure of her true purpose. The look on her face was like the feeling of Delta on his finger, relaxing, yet also putting him on edge. Regardless, he knew that, whatever her interest in him before was, their encounter with Ziz and his own revelation put him into a new perspective.
"Thank you," he said, in full knowledge transport would have been easy to acquire. He turned his attention back to the small ripples in the underground pool and waited for her next move. It was only a few moments later the pyromancer took a seat next to him and kicked the water with her bare feet.
"I never really liked the water," she said, slowly lifting a single leg straight across the water. Dunden couldn't help but look at the girl and think-
Stop it.
"It isn't really my element," she said, putting her leg back in the water.
The boy sat silently next to her with his blank expression. It may have looked like he was simply listening, but, in reality, he was mentally slapping himself.
"So," Cinder continued, "what exactly do you plan on doing when you find your brother? Do you have a plan?"
"Finding him is the first step," he replied, "everything else will take time and energy to figure out." The Totomian was still shocked at how well his host had taken the news of his true identity. He had purposely left out specific details of what had happened to him, however, something that appeared to bother the girl to no end. For some reason, he enjoyed the rare moments her expression let him know she was frustrated.
"You know, you could always stay with me," she said, sliding a bit closer. "You may not always have your own room when we travel, but you wouldn't mind sharing, would you?"
She's good…
"Not if I had to, but I prefer my privacy." The boy didn't dare look at her as he spoke, but a strange force somewhere in him made him take a quick glance. For a moment, her expression, in spite of what he suspected she truly wanted, looked genuinely sad, if only for a split second.
"I'll… consider your offer, though," he added. With that, the young woman smiled, a sign to Dunder he had lost this particular duel. He was a bit distracted by the suddenly warming water, but his attention was pulled back as Cinder stood up, her legs steaming with the heat she put off. Instantly dry, she put back on her glass slippers and began walking back into the main compound.
"Be sure to tell me what you think of," she said as she swayed away. "I'll be waiting."
Dunden turned back to face the water, the feeling in chest now turned to dread and, dare he say it, excitement. He focused his Grip through Delta and telekinetically splashed a bit of water in his face, hoping it would cool off his warm face.
Except he was distracted and forgot the water was now hot.
… damn that woman…
-x-
"Going up!" Yang shouted as she lobbed the volleyball into the air. Blake followed through by jumping and executing a perfect spike into their opponent's zone.
"Zek!"
"I'm on it," the eagle replied, diving in the ball's direction. For a moment, Aero actually thought he was going to make it, but the sharp sound of volleyball on face let him know this round was going to the girls.
"It's not my fault," Zek said with a pain filled expression. "The suns were in my eyes."
"What do you mean "suns?" There's only one…" Aero stopped himself as he watched as the bikini clad Blake and Yang, though mostly the latter, jump up to do some kind of hand slapping thing he assumed was called a "high five." His own expression then dropped to a level even Dunden would find impressive, now knowing full well what Zek meant.
"You deserved to get hit in the face."
"I know."
-x-
I wonder how long it would take to drown if I just stayed like this.
"Ruby," came Weiss' voice, though muffled in the water, "get up here."
Just a little while longer. I feel it work- no, this isn't working!
The young huntress-in-training lifted her head above the surface and started gasping for air. Once her vision was cleared, she saw her white haired teammate wading in the water beside her, wearing an expression with the weirdest mixture of annoyance and pity. Next to her was Zwei, who was joyfully swimming circles around them; however, even seeing that adorableness couldn't make the girl forget her failure, and she proceeded to lower her head back beneath the waves.
"You're not getting away that easily, young lady." Ruby then felt a tug on her hair as her teammate pulled her from her watery grave.
"But I messed up!" the scythe wielder shouted as she jumped up in the water. She quickly realized the others may have heard her yell, but turned to see everyone still enjoying themselves on the shore. Her father and uncle were sipping drinks and watching something on their scrolls while their friends were still playing their game of volleyball. Based on the prideful look on Yang's face and the fact Zek's face was in the sand, she had a fairly confident guess on who was winning.
"Yes, you did," said Weiss, not helping Ruby's confidence, "but I take partial responsibility for that. Maybe the bikini was a little much, and I admit trying to get him to rub sunscreen on your back was probably doomed to fail, but we cannot give up!"
"I don't know Weiss," she said with a red, downtrodden face. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this kind of stuff. Can't I just act normal?"
"Did you not see the look on his face when he saw you earlier? He was totally checking you out. Don't you want him to notice you?"
-x-
Zek suddenly rose from the sand with a determined look on his face.
"Feeling better, you pervert?"
"I feel like I just missed a potential senpai joke, so no, not really."
"That's too bad," Aero replied. "Yang, Zek just said he thought you were putting on weight."
"What?!"
"No wait!"
Smack!
-x-
"I d-d-don't think I c-can…!" The blushing girl couldn't properly answer her friend as the words "checking you out" rang in her head.
"See?" the heiress said with a proud smile. "I can already tell you're excited for my plan, and don't worry, it isn't asking nearly as much from you… in my opinion.
"Why did you have to add that part?!"
Weiss just held her head high and started dragging her friend to shore. The sandbar reached out fairly far into the cove, but the shallow water was easy enough for the girls and the puppy to quickly move through. When they reached the beach, they saw everyone gathered around her father, watching his scroll, with the exception of Zek, who was still lying in the sand.
"What are you guys watching?" Ruby asked.
"An exhibition round from the Mistral Regional Tournament," Qrow replied.
"And guess who's fighting," Yang said excitedly.
Both girls watched the screen to see Pyrrha facing of a younger looking boy with a battleaxe. The boy, though visibly tired, swung a very powerful looking swing at the female warrior. She easily evaded the attack, however, tripped her opponent, and slammed him into the ground with her shield, ending the match.
"She was going easy on him," Weiss commented.
The group kept watching the feed as Pyrrha helped the boy up, probably congratulating him on a hard fought battle. With shaking knees, the boy bowed to Pyrrha, who nodded in return. The screen then moved back to show a greater part of the coliseum-like arena they had been fighting in. Looking closely, Ruby noticed something familiar in the front row of the crowd.
"Can you zoom in there, Dad?" she asked. Her father paused and zoomed the picture in to reveal Jaune, Nora, and Ren all cheering, with the hammer wielder literally jumping out of her seat in excitement.
"I guess Pyrrha hooked them up with good seats," Yang said. "Good for th- wait, why weren't we invited?"
"They may have thought you girls were preoccupied with something," Aero said to the brawler.
"Like what?"
The boy sighed and pointed at himself.
"… fair enough."
"Yeah, yeah, that's all well and good," the heiress said, "but now it's time for a competition of our own."
"As long as it's not volleyball," Zek said as he spit out sand, "I am in."
"Alright then," Weiss continued, "the game is this: first team to make it all the way around the course wins." The fencer went over to their pile of beach supplies, pointed at the small, kayak size boats they had brought, and grabbed Myrtenaster. Point the rapier out toward the water, she let out a white blast into the distance. Making contact with the water, the light exploded to reveal a patch up ice sticking out of the surf.
"Now then, who's first?"
The group looked amongst themselves, waiting for someone to speak up. It took a moment for Ruby to notice the look Weiss was shooting her and realized she was meant to volunteer. She was about to speak up, when the faunus boy started waving his hands in the air.
"I call first round," he said excitedly. "This'll be no problem for me. I was practically born on a boat."
"Well, I actually was born on a boat," said Aero. "I don't think it's much of an advantage."
"Looks like the boys will be on opposing teams this time," the heiress said. "Aero, would you want to be paired up with Ruby?" The scythe wielder shot a frustrated look at her teammate and her choice of words, but quickly perked up after hearing the boy's response.
"Sure. There's no way the Little Speedster and I are gonna lose a race."
"That team's settled then," Weiss said with a smug. "Now, who would you like Z-"
"Blake," he said in a quick, serious tone. "I choose Blake."
"I don't really like the wat-"
"The other option is to stay on the beach with Zwei," he interjected. The cat faunus looked down at the soaking wet puppy beside her as was treated to a splash in the face as he shook himself dry. Without a word, she made her way over and sat down in the boat, ready to begin.
"Can I make one addition to to this little game, though?" the eagle asked.
"That depends," Weiss said skeptically, "what is it?"
-x-
"On your mark," said Yang, "get set…!"
Ruby readied the oar in her hand, while still being painfully aware of how close Aero was behind her. The boats weren't exactly the roomiest things in the world, and she was sure Weiss had thought of that. The thought distracted her, but not as much as she was to see the two swords lying in the small space beside her.
I wish I had Crescent Rose with me, but this is still a great idea!
"Go…" the heiress said with no enthusiasm.
"Come on, Snow, you've gotta give us more than…"
"GO!" she shouted angrily. The silver eyed girl and the prince started plunging their oars into the water as fast as they could, until a loud bang went off beside them. Before anyone could say "Who brings a gun to a kayak race?," Blake fired a few rounds into their boat and Zek pushed off with a gust of air. The two sat there for a moment, just staring at the water slowly seeping leaking into their boat.
"Who brings a gun to a kayak race?!" Aero shouted.
"Come on!" Ruby said as she drove her paddle into the water. "We've gotta catch up!"
Try as they might, the duo knew there was no way they would catch up in their sinking ship. Ruby felt a bit dejected for a moment, but then remembered how Aero put his trust in her. A fire lit up inside her, and she wouldn't let him down.
"Hold on," she said as she jumped out of the boat.
"Ruby, what are you-?"
Aero was cut off by the rush of speed overtaking the boat. Though physical strength wasn't her strong point, the girl was going to earn her nickname, and started kicking the boat forward with as much strength as she could muster.
"We're catching up!" the boy shouted.
"I can't really see!" she responded.
Aero knew the girl probably wouldn't last long at the speed she was going, but they only needed a bit more time before they caught up to Blake and Zek. The two had slowed down considerably and Zek stopped using his wings. Apparently they were confident in their victory, something the boy wanted them to regret. The faunus duo looked shocked as their opponents came up beside them, just as Ruby took a moment to breathe.
"Good work, Speedster," the boy said as he picked up his swords. Despite her fatigue, the girl smiled happily at the compliment while Aero raised himself up and swung a blade at their foes, making a flooding gash in their vessel. Blake literally didn't take that sitting down and stood up to match Aero's attacks with Gambol Shroud. Zek tried to counter by pushing them with his wings, but kept pulling back to avoid getting sliced.
"Hey! I'd rather not lose my wings today! Or my head, for that matter."
The action came to an end when both boats simultaneously crashed into the ice pillar that marked their course. It didn't take long before every teenager to be floating in the water as the ships sank beneath the surface.
Dad is gonna kill us.
"Ouch!" Zek yelled. "Are you sure you don't have claws?" The eagle faunus was attempting to fly out of the surf, but Blake was desperately trying to get out of the water by any means necessary, even if it meant maiming Zek.
"Ouch!" he yelled again, as he slowly started flying to the shore. "The race-ouch!- is still- ahh- on!"
Ruby tried to swim in their direction, but it was no use. Her exhausted legs were barely treading water. If there was a way to catch up, she didn't know it.
"We can… still… make it…" she said between breathes.
"Yes, we will," the boy said. "Just… please don't slap me."
"Why… would I…" Before she knew it, the girl felt a pair of arms around her waist and a warm glow around her body. She then found herself lifted just above the water with her face next to Aero's chest. Part of her hoped she was sunburned, if just to mask how red her whole body was turning.
"Here we go!" he shouted, and they took toward their faunus friends. They were getting close to shore and still found themselves behind.
"We're not gonna make it," Aero said with a tired, yet determined look on his face. Seeing the effort he was putting in, Ruby decided to play her part as well. She put what energy she had left into a rose-covered kick to the water that sent them flying forward. They were moving so fast that, for a moment, the girl could have sworn the world was actually moving in slow motion.
The momentum of the blast carried the two just far enough to reach the shore, where both crashed and rested at the edge of the breaking waves. They were both breathing heavily, but smiled all the same. Blake and Zek were in their windshield, and they knew they had won.
"You did it, Little Speedster," the boy said with a tired laugh. "You were spectacular."
"Not as much as you were," she replied.
"How about we agree both of us were great?"
"Sounds fair." Both laughed together and basked in their victory, until a blast of sand covered them as the faunus crashed onto the beach. Blake hesitantly released her iron grip on the boy and walked over to the spectators, obviously trying to pretend nothing had happened. Zek, however, laid down on his stomach, moaning in pain, with red marks all over his body.
"Hey, Zek," the prince said.
"Whaaaatttt?" he moaned.
"The losers have to go get the winner's weapons out of the water," he said with a smirk.
"And drag the boats back in," Ruby added with a smirk just as devious. "Well, what's left of them anyway."
"...aaaaaahhhhhh!"
-x-
"I'd say this day turned out pretty great," Ruby said as they finished loading the the top of the car.
"Speak for yourself," a near crispy Weiss replied. The heiress painfully crawled her way into her seat, something everyone got a good laugh from.
"It's too bad the day has to end so soon," said Blake. "I actually had some fun today."
"You mean when you ripped apart my flesh?" the bird asked.
"Yes."
"Alright, everyone," Taiyang said as he laid his leg across the seat. "Let's get home and get to bed early, because tomorrow is the day we fix the boats."
There was a collective groan from everyone in the car as the doors slowly closed. Aero and Zek were left standing outside the vehicle alone when one of the side windows rolled down.
"Are you sure you guys don't want to ride with us?" Ruby asked. "We could squeeze in. Maybe we could get Uncle Qrow in."
"Not with his wings you couldn't," Aero replied, "and I don't think he's going anywhere. We'll see you guys back at the house."
"Strap in everyone," Yang said from the driver's seat. "It's gonna be bumpy ride."
The last thing the Totomians saw as the car left quickly sped off was the terrified look on the passenger's faces. As wary as Aero was of flying, he figured having a thrill seeker in the driver's seat may have been a bit more dangerous. He then felt a hand on his shoulder, followed by the weightlessness of Zeta wash over him.
"Thank's Zek," he said, "but I'm gonna try and use my own power this time. I'll keep this in reserve.
"Just don't fall," the eagle said with smile. "I can't be friends with someone who can't even fly right. It's my pride as a faunus."
"I can keep myself for a long time," he said. "I just need to learn to pace myself." Aero covered himself with his silver light and slowly started rising above the sandy shore. He looked back down to see Zek still standing on the ground, a content smile on his face.
"Are you coming?"
"I'll just wait until the sun fully sets. There's nothing like flying in a star filled sky."
The prince nodded and flew up into the darkening sky, leaving the archer alone. He walked over to the beach and felt the warm waves wash over his slightly burned skin, knowing Selena would have laughed at him if he admitted it stung a bit, though not nearly as much as Blake's fingernails. He took a seat at the water's edge and let out a relaxing sigh as the sun dipped beneath the horizon.
"A whole year, huh," he said out loud. "It's weird to think we're still so close to the beginning, though when you're based on a show that took three volumes to get the plot going I guess it's to be expected. Anyway, I guess I'll just leave everyone who's been with us so far with a thank you, and if you're new, just pretend I'm saying something that doesn't totally date this chapter."
The faunus let out a small laugh and stood up to look at the full moon.
"By the way, he lied to you. The wifi did go out, but he didn't even have the chapter ready to go. The lazy guy was lying around the beach instead of writing this. He also could've written it sooner, but apparently Pokemon Go is the same thing as writer's block."
The Totomian spread out his wings and prepared to take off into the night.
"Last thing. If any of you thought me getting hurt was funny, shame on you… though I guessed I'd laugh at me too. Talk to you later!"
With that, the boy launched himself into the star filled sky, leaving the beach empty, with nothing but the gentle crashing of the sea filling the night like music.
That is, of course, except for the drunkard in the beach chair as he grumbled himself out of his sleep.
"Who the heck was he talking to?" the beyond buzzed scythe wielder asked as he looked around the dark beach. "And where the hell did everyone go?"
-x-
"Hmm…" the white skinned woman said. "Did he say anything else?"
"No," Cinder replied. "What do you want me to do?"
"I believe a test is in order," she replied, not turning to face her disciple. "You've already done a good job of… welcoming him, but I want you to find out what he's capable of. Report back to me then, and we'll discuss our next move."
The red eyed woman then turned to face her disciple and waved her hand as she slowly started to fade, the connection breaking.
"Until then, rest, child."
The witch could feel the disdain in her apprentice's voice from being called such a thing, but she took pleasure in the negative emotion as the girl's consciousness dissipated. Contact directly through the mind was effective, and she almost felt pity on humanity for relying so much their technology instead… almost. Their dependency was something she was patiently waiting to exploit.
She looked up at the full moon with a small scowl, thinking about all those who were sleeping peacefully beneath the sphere. If what her student said was true, however, she could take delight in knowing how soon their dreams would be overcome with nightmares. She had felt it before, but now knew old pieces were now in play.
"Oh, yes," Salem said at the thought of the violet eyed boy. "My child indeed."