Chapter 52: Welcome to Haven
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He stood atop the tower, feeling the cool breeze brush past him as he overlooked all of Mistral from on high, standing on naught but a small spire with a flat surface. His weapon had been placed in front of him, allowing the man to rest his hands atop the butt of his sword.
He kept his eyes closed, feeling every form of life beneath him. Small, unnecessary people that did not matter to him. Too few were in this city that had strong enough Aura Signatures. There was only one he was concerned with.
Someone he had once known. Someone that was once close to him, if only for a short time. He was the reason why he stood there in wait.
And if he was coming to Mistral… then the other one would be following close behind.
That being said… he could feel something. Rather, he had been feeling something for quite a time. While weak, it was an Aura Signature he could not mistake.
It was her.
It couldn't have been. She was dead for the last thirteen years.
…
Then again, she was always a tenacious one. But how was she here? What force brought her back to Creation? Or maybe…
She brought herself back.
...
Clever.
Regardless of her presence in the kingdom of Mistral, he would stay and wait. When the time was right…
The act would begin.
Being tense while in the Dark was… a first for Dante. Usually, he felt his safest when in the Dark. Usually… he was more , he noticed something strange.
He was weaker.
Not by an overly large amount, but he felt completely sapped as of late. And… it wasn't because of his… late night escapades either. His actual power was burning low.
The fault might be mine, Master.
Ecylpse wasn't present among the group of Dante, Ruby, Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Qrow. At least, not physically. She was in her sword form, and currently, said sword was in a space connected to the once immortal's inner thoughts, waiting in case she was needed.
How could it be your fault?
Technically speaking, when we were reconnected, I had the higher Aura Reserves by a far larger margin. Unfortunately… I think I may be unwillingly leeching off of you as part of a… power imbalance glitch.
Power imbalance… He remembered now. Usually when two beings like Eclypse and Dante are synced to one another, their power is automatically balanced out if the beings are on fairly equal levels of power. However, if one is stronger than the other, the stronger one will slowly leech off the weaker one, dominating them over time.
Eclypse has been stockpiling untold amounts of Aura for years while she remained trapped inside her prison. It wasn't a surprise that she would be the stronger one in terms of Aura.
If I'm right, then it'll even out eventually. Just gonna be harder to fight is all.
I'm… sorry for impeding you…
Don't be sorry for that. It's not your fault, and you aren't impeding anyone. These things just… happen. So relax. Just help keep watch for anything that might want to jab us with pointy things.
Dante could hear an amused hum from Eclypse inside his head as he smiled, Understood.
…
How long was this tunnel?! It was hard enough walking as was.
"Are you doing okay?" Ruby asked, touching Dante's arm as they walked.
"I'm alright. Figured complaining would be wasting energy, so I thought I might as well just shut it."
She giggled at the statement.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing! It's just… That's such a 'you' thing to say, you know? You're a lot less…"
"Reserved?" Dante answered quickly for the little reaper.
"Yeah! Less of that!"
The teen chuckled lightly as he continued forward with his crutches, looking to Qrow Branwen.
"Hey old man…"
"I'm not old." Qrow grumbled.
"Yeah, and I'm Pope Francis…" Dante silently muttered to himself, "We just about there?"
"Just about here."
"Ugh! It's about time!" Nora complained.
The brick tunnel they walked through was barely illuminated by translucent lanterns that hung on the walls, still making it fairly dark.
Dante wasn't a particular fan of tunnels, not after a run-in he had with a headless spirit that… tried to do some not so kind things aside from killing him.
"Whose idea was it to walk again?" Nora asked.
Dante wanted to know that too. He would've preferred taking the airship with Inuba and the others to go on ahead and secure the living quarters, but he wanted to walk. Ruby, Inuba and Blaire wanted him to rest, but something like that was impossible for him to do given he didn't like sitting around without real reason.
If it was a game, reading, or something he was interested in, he was all for it. But sitting down and recovering wasn't too much of an option for him. Begrudgingly, Inuba fitted him with a specialized cast for his right leg and arm; it was remarkably thin instead of being chunky, so he could wear his clothes and footwear normally. Not to mention, it was perfectly flexible around the joints to allow free movement without compromising the purpose of the cast.
Best of all was Inuba's special ointment. It relieved a great deal of the pain, and kept his leg fresh and cool.
"We faced a great many obstacles and hardships. Broken airships, destroyed settlements…"
"Oh, and, you know, all those people, monsters, and monster-people that tried to murder us." Jaune finished for Ren.
"We were fine. Only one of us almost died."
Right after saying that, Ruby's body jolted up as she, Jaune, Ren and Nora looked nervously at Dante.
"What?" The teen answered, "I died for a while. So what? It's not like it's a sensitive topic or anything. For me at least." Dante shrugged.
"Doesn't hurt to ask." Nora shrugged in response.
"So, how much farther to Haven Academy?" Jaune asked.
"Almost there. Figured I'd take you kids on the scenic route, even if one of you's a little bit crippled." Qrow said glancing to Dante.
I'll show you crippled when I shove my broken foot in your-
Before the teen had a chance to finish his thought, the group approached a pair of large, wooden double doors that Qrow pushed open, flooding the tunnel with a sudden burst of sunlight. Ruby ran out onto a massive platform that seemingly doubled as an elevator, stopping at the railing to gaze out over the city in wide-eyed awe as Dante joined her side.
"Wow..!"
The view was full of buildings and stone stairways perched atop and onto the mountains around them. Their architecture reminded Dante much of the Apparition World's Eastern influenced style when it came to buildings. They were very similar in design almost, but Mistralians had a different approach to it all that Dante couldn't quite put his finger on.
Maybe his brain was still foggy…
He really did like the look of it all. Especially the waterfalls.
"This... is... awesome!"
Smiling at her comment, Dante peeked over the railing, watching large crowds of people going about their day; walking around, talking and buying merchandise legally and otherwise.
He actually just watched a dead-drop happen and no one but him noticed.
"Oh my gosh, look at all the weapons!"
Of course she was eyeing-up the weapons.
…
Not that he wasn't either. He was more concerned with Eclypse getting peeved or jealous that he was looking at other weapons.
For the record, I'm not either, Dante heard Eclypse say in his mind with a proud huff, There's no reason for me to be that way, especially since there can't possibly be any other weapon in the world out there that can compare to me and my magnificence.
Of course she's bragging… Dante thought with a roll of his eyes and a smile.
"Vendors here'll sell you just about anything…" Qrow's voice filtered in, "Whether they should or not."
"They really made the most out of these mountains…" Jaune commented.
"Every inch. But stay away from the lower levels. The higher up you go, the nicer it gets."
That was another thing he noticed looking down. The further down he looked, the more he could spot huge distinguishments in class, all the way from the clothes people wore to the condition of some of the buildings.
It was a sad thing to see, but it didn't change the fact it existed.
Back home, problems like this had been mostly fixed and rarely existed. Everyone lived happily and comfortably given the numerous programs and opportunities in place to help those in need. It wasn't utopian by any standard, but the one thing Dante loved about Primordial the most was that the people stopped trying to kill one another and focused on helping and benefiting one another.
The only problem they ever had was interference from… outside sources of the supernatural and mystical kind.
"Elevator going up!" Nora shouted, pointing upward as the platform they all stood on began lifting up.
Haven Academy… Haven't heard much of anything about it, much less seen anything. First time for everyone I guess…
This was… strange. Eerie even.
The campus was completely devoid of people. If Dante remembered all the schools' semester dates, Haven Academy was supposed to be in session still, their next break not until about two months from now.
So why wasn't there any students or teachers on campus?
"We made it!" Ruby said, bumping her hip against Dante's to snap him out of his train of thought, "Aren't you excited?"
"Thrilled." The teen said, quirking his eyebrows as he continued looking around.
Well… She certainly has a cute sense of naivety…
Cut her some slack Eclypse. She's not like us.
Paranoid of any form of peace?
There's that but… We need to try and change things up. Change our old ways of thinking.
Our old ways of thinking have kept others alive.
Well, we need new ways. Can't stay the same as we've been forever. Not with the kind of people we're rolling with nowadays. We need to be more… What's that term people use…
Chill?
Yeah, chill. We gotta start doing things Ruby and everyone else's way. Meaning-
Yes yes, more naive optimism. I understand.
Good.
"Hello?" Ruby called out, her voice barely carrying across the campus.
The group moved inside walking down one of the empty hallways of the academy, as Qrow lead the way, Ruby calling out once again, only louder.
"Hello?!"
"Maybe louder?" Nora suggested.
"There doesn't seem to be anyone here..." Ren noted.
"Well, I guess school isn't really in session right now. Maybe that's it."
"Even if that were the case, there'd still be some faculty on campus, maybe a few crews like clean up and maintenance." Dante pointed out.
"This isn't right… Come on." Qrow said hurrying on ahead.
The teens began to pick up the pace to catch up to the Huntsman, all five running until they saw a pair of wooden double doors. Qrow came to a stop in front of them, drawing his sword as it's blade extended.
"Get ready. There could be trouble."
Following his instructions, RNJR drew their weapons as Dante extended his left arm, summoning Eclypse to his hand and gripping her handle tightly.
Ahn~!
Eclypse's rather suggestive moan rang out through Dante's head as he jolted upward in surprise upon hearing the sound.
Are you serious right now?!
Sorry sorry, I couldn't help myself. You just… handle me so well…
The teen rolled his eyes as he readied himself, pointing his blade at the doorway. Qrow brought up his foot and kicked the door open in one strike. Just on the other side however was a man who widened his eyes in surprise, throwing his hands into the air and letting out a frightened scream.
Jaune, Ruby, Nora and Dante widened their eyes in shock, the two girls screaming as well, while Ren and Dante gave the older man a quick and simple "Ah" and stared in confusion.
Standing on one foot with his eyes wide, Qrow suddenly looked down, losing his balance before falling on his back. Shortly after, the lion-like man squealed silently before fainting a brief moment after, the teens letting their weapons down, dumbfounded, while Qrow sat himself up.
For someone called Lionheart, he sure isn't Lion-like…
Agreed… Very disappointing…
Stop it.
"Uh, Professor Lionheart?" Ruby called out, the man gasping as jolted up.
"Qrow! For crying out loud, you nearly scared me half to death!"
More like he was scared to death…
Eclypse.
"Me?! Why weren't you waiting for us at the entrance?!" Qrow questioned as he stood back up, dusting himself off.
"Hmm?" He pulled a pocket watch from his coat, briefly checking it, "Oh, right. Apologies. I guess time slipped away from me."
"You're joking."
How does someone like him become a Headmaster?
Beats me… Dante thought out, pondering the idea himself.
"So, Headmaster..." the once immortal called out to the older man as he lowered Eclypse, "Where's everyone else?"
"Ah yes, you must be the students Qrow mentioned."
"Yes, sir!" Ruby said as she gave a loose salute, "Ruby Rose."
"Jaune Arc."
"Nora Valkyrie!" The oranges haired girl spoke, proudly posing with her arms held stiffly out to the sides.
"Lie Ren." The teen spot up, putting his arms behind his back.
"Dante. Errr…" The teen forgot for a moment he had a last name, "Dante Aetherveil." He quickly corrected.
"A pleasure to meet you all. Leonardo Lionheart, at your service. I'm afraid most of my staff is currently away until classes resume, but-"
"What?! Leo, you can't be serious! Who's guarding the Relic?!" Qrow asked.
"Qrow, the children!" Lionheart hushed, looking across the teen's.
"Already know. I filled them in. What do you mean your staff is away?"
The "lion-like" man, as if he suddenly realized what Qrow had said, spoke up, "You... filled them in?"
Silence briefly filled the room until Nora spoke up, "So… is this not going at all like anyone thought it would?"
Inuba was… concerned at the moment, evidenced by the fact her nine tails flicked about in a manner that reflected their owner's current state of mind.
They secured a room without issue, rather, they secured a huge condo that would accommodate everyone. The issue was that she allowed Dante back out there when he hadn't fully recovered yet. He was in good company, without doubt, but Inuba was more fearful of him making too many extraneous movements than he should in his current condition. She was the teen's doctor and nurse, her word was like law.
But how he pleaded with her to let him walk around… She couldn't just say no…
Inuba's head moved up, looking out across the room to see what everyone else was up to at the moment. Perhaps if one of them was free…
Ciel and Musashi sat on one of the couch's, the smaller girl comfortably resting her head on the dragon Faunus' lap while she cooed silently. Flashing a smile of content, Musashi stroked the side of Ciel's head as she napped, the dragon reading her book all the while.
Leonard and Alice Lianna were in one corner of the living room, a holographic chess table between them and the girl seemingly keeping up with Leonard, all while Bailey Lianna worked on SOL from a table directly next to them.
Blaire seemed to be doing light exercise in another corner of the room, swapping now and then between push-ups and sit-ups.
Dawn was sitting on the couch Inuba was on and … reading some sort of book that was foreign to kitsune. Rather, the book she was currently reading was her fifteenth in under an hour…
Was Inuba the only one to have some form of worry about Dante at the moment?
"You're nervous." Dawn called out, not taking her eyes off her book, "As someone who is essentially a highly qualified doctor, I can understand your worry for him. But… knowing your relationship with him…"
"I-I'm thinking of nothing illicit, honest!" The kitsune quickly defended.
"N-No! Not that I care really, but-! Uh, well..! Y-You know what I mean!"
Suddenly Inuba felt a lot more embarrassed, but snapped out of it once Dawn cleared her throat.
"I-In any case, you needn't worry Ms. Kitsukami. Dante may be injured, but he isn't foolish. Most of the time anyway." The sister shrugged, "But after the stern talking you gave him, I'm sure he'll limit himself as to not go to any… extremes quite yet."
"Hopefully he'll keep that in mind… He's always so…"
"Reckless?"
"Yes, but…"
"He'll be fine Inuba. Don't forget that he has Eclypse with him, and in spite of her… quirks… she has his best interests in mind. She'll take care of him, even if he forgets to do so."
…
She was right… Eclypse was… an oddity on all accounts for many reasons, but… she was reliable. Especially when it came to the one they both loved.
Inuba let out a sigh, her ears folding against her head. Just as she relaxed however, her ears jolted up and her tails stiffened to a halt. She felt… a presence. A rather large one that was different… almost…
Celestial..!
What was odd was that no one else felt it either.
…
…
Was the person whose Aura Signature this belonged to limiting people's ability to perceive them intentionally? How come Dawn didn't sense it? Surely her sensory skills were on par with Inuba's.
…
Was this person or being specifically focusing on Inuba?
"Ms. Aetherveil?" The kitsune spoke up suddenly, "Would you accompany me into town for a time?"
"I can, but… Is there something you need?" Dawn asked.
"Not in particular, but… I feel as though downtown is worth investigating."
"I have to say, Qrow, this all seems very reckless, even for you."
"No, reckless is leaving one of the Relics completely unguarded. It's not checking in with Oz for ages!" Qrow replied to Lionheart.
"There was nothing to check in about before the fall of Beacon, but since that day, Mistral has been in chaos!" The man said, standing from his chair with his fists clenched, "Vale wasn't the only Kingdom to suffer that night, everyone was watching! Every house in every Kingdom saw that poor girl ripped to pieces, saw monsters crawling over the city, Atlesian Knights attacking citizens... And then nothing! You could feel the dread in the air! With all that negativity, you can imagine what it was like when the Grimm came for us!" He said, walking to a window and looking outside.
Widespread panic that moved beyond Vale would be disastrous. People didn't need to be there to experience the fear, terror and negativity that came with that… awful night. Anyone looking to spread fear beyond Vale would certainly make an impact by simply broadcasting the events that transpired. Live television, radio… It didn't matter how it was distributed, so long as it evoked those negative emotions.
That in turn would stir up the Grimm.
"Mistral's territory is the widest reaching in the world, you know, and that makes it infinitely harder to protect! We lost so many great Huntsmen, teachers from this very institution. And it's only gotten worse." Lionheart spoke, drawing back Dante's attention.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked hesitantly.
"We may have dealt with the Grimm, but the Mistral council's still at odds with representatives from Atlas. First, it was the Dust embargo, now it's the closing of borders." The lion-like man spoke as he turned to Qrow, "I'm not sure what happened to James in Vale, but it seems to have only worsened some of his more unfortunate tendencies."
Of course Ironwood was going over-the-top. All military types like him did that whenever there was a threat present, great or otherwise. They think their actions are of benefit, but they only serve as a detriment to many in the long run of things. Technically speaking, yes, that was the point, but the effect on those in opposition varied greatly from strong to weak, often weak if anything. And then, when it came to their friends, or would be allies, they would be harming them instead of helping them.
Dante knew these types all too well. Most did it out of greed or selfish attitudes. Others because they think they're trying to be helpful. As much as Dante hated to admit it, Ironwood didn't seem like the greedy, selfish type. He seemed like he truly wanted to do the right thing and protect people. But even then, one's pursuit in attempting to protect others is often blind, and may cause more harm than good.
"On top of everything, we still don't know where the Spring Maiden is."
Maidens… Women that could control the elements without using Dust. Extremely powerful, especially when they're more experienced with their abilities, like Cinder Fall.
Cinder Fall… If ever he saw her again…
We'll kill her, won't we?
…
Master… I've seen this woman through your eyes. She is a being that selfishly steals life for a vain pursuit of power. She will not stop, she will not rest. Mercy will only provide her with more opportunities to re-strategize and strike again. And should she be knocked down… she will return with a vengeance.
I get that Eclypse…
I understand your will to protect life, all life if possible. But it is impossible with a woman like Cinder Fall. She is too far gone to turn from her ways. She will only continue to harm and kill others in her pursuit for power. That is why if no one else will kill her… you and I must do so.
…
I understand.
"All the more reason we need the Huntsmen and Huntresses here!" Qrow shouted, the man's voice filtering through Dante's ears and bringing back his attention.
"Okay! Things are bad, but we can figure this out. Why is the Spring Maiden so important?" Ruby asked.
"I thought you filled them in." Lionheart said, looking to Qrow.
"Mostly filled in. There's a lot to cover, okay? I quit teaching for a reason." Qrow stated, removing his flask from his shirt and taking a quick swig.
"The four Maidens each have the power to perform feats of magic, and they are the only ones capable of reaching the Relics."
"What?" Jaune asked.
"They're essentially the keys to relics."
"Spot on, kid." Ruby's uncle told the Dante, "The Relics are each locked inside a chamber that can only be opened by a specific Maiden. Winter for the gift of Creation, Summer for Destruction, Fall for Choice and Spring for Knowledge." He stopped briefly to take another drink from his flask, "Spring is the problem."
"What happened to her?" asked Ren.
"She was determined, at first, when she inherited her powers, but the weight of responsibility proved to be too much for the child. She... ran. Abandoned her training, everyone. That was over a decade ago. There's no telling where she could be now." Lionheart told them.
"I... know. At least... I have a pretty good idea." Qrow said.
Lionheart widened his eyes and as he stood up, "Are you serious?"
"It's not exactly good news."
"What are you talking about?! This is incredible news!" The man said as he stepped around his desk, taking Qrow by the shoulders and shaking him, "After all these years! Where?!"
"I did some digging around. Looks like, after Spring ran away, she was picked up by bandits, specifically the Branwen tribe."
Tribe?
"Raven."
Yang Xiao Long's mother. The one we saw on the train that day that Roman Torchwick commandeered.
"Yang's mom?" Jaune asked.
"That's right."
Qrow pulled out his Scroll, walking over to and placing it on Lionheart's desk, the hologram monitor on the desk displaying a map of Remnant that zoomed in on a specific section.
"That's about where they've set up their main camp. It's where they fall back to after raids and scouting missions. Raven's managed to gain a lot of followers since she returned to the tribe, and I'm sure when the Spring Maiden showed up, it only made things easier."
"Well, Qrow, I've got to hand it to you. With these coordinates, we can mount a retrieval force and head out in a few weeks."
Is it me, or does he reek of timidness?
He's a cowardly lion, what'd you expect?
He's nervous around us. Cautious even. Why?
We're all strangers except for Qrow. Maybe he's nervous with new faces?
Could be the case...
"A few weeks?"
"That's right."
"Leo, maybe you didn't hear me. My sister has the Spring Maiden, and I know where she is! We need to go, as soon as possible!" Qrow demanded, slamming his hands on the desk and knocking a few books over.
"And perhaps you didn't hear me! This Kingdom is in shambles! 'As soon as possible' does not mean tomorrow. It means, as soon as I can convince the council that I need Huntsmen more than they do. Unfortunately, bandit tribes aren't very high on their list of priorities when the threat of war is just on the horizon!"
"Then damn the council! We'll do it ourselves! You and I are trained Huntsmen, and these four kids aren't exactly pushovers. The other one's… a bit of a freak of nature, but he's damn good and reliable."
He isn't wrong. But you're our freak of nature that we love and adore.
You know… oddly enough, I see that phrase as a compliment now.
"Perhaps there's a more peaceful way to approach this?" Ren asked.
"We need to get Spring as far away from here as possible. And Raven isn't going to give up her most prized possession without a fight." Qrow quickly answered.
"Unfortunately, you and your sister are evenly matched. And I'm not the fighter I used to be. No offense, but these students and I can't take on an entire bandit tribe and a Maiden that's no doubt had years to hone her skills, even with the help of this young man Ozpin spoke highly about."
Ozpin… talked to others about me?
Seems as though he bragged time to time about his best student.
Come on, I'm not his best student…
You set record highs for almost all possible scores at Beacon. I'm fairly certain you were his best student yet.
"We need to be positive we can apprehend Spring, because if we fail Raven and her tribe will scatter. And we'll be lost. We get one shot at this. And it needs to be perfect." Lionheart continued.
"You know Oz wouldn't be happy with any of this if he were here."
"Perhaps you're right. But he's not. I'm doing the very best I can."
"There has to be something we can do." Ruby said.
"What about Cinder? She came with Emerald and Mercury from Haven. Do you have anything on them?" Jaune quickly cut in.
"We pulled their files after the Fall of Beacon. Nothing but lies and forgeries."
Jaune tightened his fists and glared at the floor in anger as soon as he heard that.
Dante could only assume Jaune had a burning vengeance lingering deep within him, one that would be unleashed when he saw Cinder, or rather, if ever he saw her. Previously, Dante would have done everything in his power to prevent such an instance from occurring. But now… Now Jaune was stronger, and had some new power like Ruby, Nora and Ren.
Would him achieving vengeance against Cinder be possible now?
"Well, I can't say this has been a warm reunion, Leo.
"I'm sorry. I know you've all traveled a long way. But I will do everything I can to help."
"Sure. We'll stay in the city for the time being. Local comms are still up. Keep in touch." Qrow said as he turned to the teens, "Come on, kids."
"It was nice meeting you, Professor." Ruby said.
"Likewise."
Ruby and Dante were the last to leave, but only the once immortal briefly glanced back at Lionheart to see the man hang his head, looking stressed and… afraid. These days, who wasn't afraid of what was happening out in the world? But…
Was Lionheart afraid of something else entirely?
"So, what do we do now?" Nora asked, everyone now standing in the hallway again.
"You four head back to the house." Qrow said with a sigh as he walked off, "I need a drink."
At this hour?
"You guys go ahead." Dante told them, watching Qrow turn a corner.
"What? Where are you going?" Ruby asked.
"Gonna go sightseeing for a bit. My leg could use the exercise."
"W-Wait, what'll I tell Inuba and everyone else?"
"I'll be fine Ruby. I've got Eclypse to watch my back out there in case I run into trouble."
"That's right." Eclypse said appearing in a burst of black and white Aura, brining Dante closer to her, "I'll be very sure to… watch his back."
Does everything you say have to sound so suggestive?!
Looking to Ruby, it looked like she was ready to have a few words for the taller girl, but all she did was give a pout.
"It'll be fine." Dante said with a sigh as Eclypse let go, allowing him to use his crutches to move closer to Ruby, "I figured I'd also keep an eye on the old man. Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."
"Oh…" Ruby said, realizing what Dante intended from the start, "Thanks."
"I'll see you later then." Dante waved, roaming down the hallway Qrow did.
"I suppose now would be the time to go get some clothes for me."
"Right… Almost forgot you don't have any casual clothes…"
"I also need underwear." she said with a sly smile.
Dante jolted upwards when he heard her say that, and then untensed himself, moving forward as if nothing happened while Eclypse followed behind him, letting out a small giggle.
That… was something he'd never try again. Not willingly anyway.
Eclypse decided to go a women's underwear store first and pick out a few pairs to her liking. She did so, but also dragged Dante inside to give him a "personal viewing" in one of the changing rooms. Things… also got physical in the room as well, which only reminded Dante just how voracious Eclypse's "appetite" was. More importantly…
How did they not get caught with the noise alone?!
"The answer is obvious. Or should I tell you anyway?" Eclypse said as she peeked her head out of the curtain.
"P-Please, enlighten me…" Dante asked as he sat on a chair close to the curtains.
"I drowned the sound out in the room using my Aura, turning it into a makeshift soundproofed room. No one could hear us inside."
So that was how…
In spite of how she used her abilities, she was incredibly versatile.
"It pays to be the best, doesn't it?" She said as she disappeared behind the curtain once more.
Her attitude… She was always so confident, like nothing could hurt her. It was likely nothing could hurt her really after her imprisonment. Maybe that's why she exuded such an untouchable persona. Nothing could be worse than having your existence stripped away from you. Not even death.
As far back as Dante remembered, she was always like that; confident and boastful to the point it seemed liked ill-tempered arrogance. But it was nothing of the sort. She was right to be so confident and boastful because of how powerful and intelligent she was.
But there was such a thing as being overconfident.
"Not for me there isn't~" Eclypse called out from behind the curtain.
Dante let out a sigh, "Are you done yet?"
The curtain finally drew back, and the teen looked up over his shoulder to see Eclypse standing there in her new attire.
For footwear, she wore high-top, strapped, black stiletto boots that each reached up to just below her knees, opening up into pale, bare skin that showed the entirety of her thighs. Both of her legs disappeared into the hem of a zipped up, sleeveless black dress, its short skirt only reaching the center pf her upper thighs, and its zipper going all the way to near her collar bone. Only a small amount of skin showed just beneath her neck.
An open midnight blue coat adorned her arms and draped over her dress, its trim, lapels and interior a black color, the same being seen inside of her coat tails that reached just above her knees. Black fur adorned the cuffs at the ends of her slim sleeves, and fluttered just around her nape, encompassing her shoulders.
"It's a bit tight around the chest." Eclypse commented, looking down to her bust to notice how well it stuck-out and smiled, "I like it."
Dante… couldn't find the words at the moment with how awestruck he was. He snapped out of his confusion as soon as Eclypse leaned down, smiling at him all the while.
"Are you getting excited again?"
"N-No!" the once immortal quickly shot back.
"Are you sure?"
…
…
"I don't want to answer…"
The girl let out an amused hum as she pulled one of the chairs nearby to sit down next to him.
"You don't need to. I can read you like a book." she said poking his cheek, "All that matters is that you like it just as much as I do. Now then… don't we have a drunk Qrow to go check up on?"
"Right… He's not that far away…" Dante said as he looked off to the right, feeling Qrow's Aura a few dozen yards away.
"Are you ready to check out sir?"
"Hmm?"
Dante looked up at the store clerk who had walked up to them, holding a sort of scanning tool.
"We are." The teen said, nodding towards Eclypse.
The lady hovered the scanner over Eclypse, pressed a few keys, and the total came onto the holographic screen.
"That'll be 110,000 Lien!"
Dante silently groaned before looking over to Eclypse, who only offered him a smile and a shrug.
For once… the teen was grateful that his one time occurence of illicit gambling paid off. He racked up over 10 million Lien in one night across numerous gambling locales, and carefully deposited 2 million a week to avoid questions. The bank clerk lady was nice enough not to question him, though if he remembered correctly, he could have sworn she gave him her number…
Regardless, he hadn't needed to spend so much, and with a copy of the card he made and gave to Weiss, he also saw she didn't purchase anything too… extravagant. Only a few necessities.
Speaking of… he was wondering what she was doing. Last he heard, she was back home in Atlas with her family, so she was safe. At least, he hoped she was.
Once the clerk swiped his card, she handed it back to him, saying "T-Thank you sir! Have a wonderful day!"
"Thanks."
Dante checked his balance on his Scroll, seeing he had around 8.5 million Lien left. Given the amount of traveling he did with Inuba and his siblings, he was surprised to see he had that much left over, adding Weiss' minor expenses to the mix.
"She was checking you out."
"H-Huh?!" Dante said, snapping to attention.
"She was eyeing you up, you know? Probably had a little fantasy or two running through her head."
"N-Not even…"
"No lies, I promise. Be thankful I also have a good enough glare to chase such women away with a single glance."
"Can we just go already?" Dante said, hurriedly standing up and taking his crutches and making for the door.
Eclypse gave another small giggle and stood up, following the teen out the door as they traversed the street. The bar Qrow was in wasn't too long of a walk, maybe three blocks or so, so it only took the duo about ten minutes to get to the front entrance. Just as Dante opened the door, he suddenly felt two "pings".
"What are Inuba and Dawn doing out here?" the teen questioned as he looked further out into the distance.
"Maybe exploring. Or maybe keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't… fool around too much." Eclypse said licking her lips.
"Do you honestly not think of anything but lewd things?"
"Only when I think about you. And that's always."
Dante let out a sigh, and without saying another word, stepped inside the bar, finding it pretty empty inside. Eclypse vanished in a small burst of black and white Aura, leaving him alone. Qrow was sitting at the bar alone as well, looking down at his glass while not taking a single drink.
He looked up once he saw Dante approach and let out a light chuckle, gesturing to the seat next to him for the teen to sit down in.
"So… I heard you actually died and came back. You're a pretty stubborn kid, aren't ya?"
"Guess so. Figured I had a lot left to do, so I decided not to go dying so soon."
"'Decided'... Hah." Qrow said as he slid a glass over to the teen, "Guess I'll drink to that." He said raising his glass.
Without question, Dante raised the glass he was given and clinked it against Qrow's, the two quickly downing their drinks in mere moments as they let out a sigh.
"Figured you were gonna give me the 'I'm a minor' speech."
"Not even. I don't really refuse anyone who wants to share a drink. And since I can't get drunk, it doesn't matter if I drink."
"Point's kind of lost then…"
"Not if it's for taste it isn't."
"Can't argue there."
Silence ensued between them for a few brief moments until Dante spoke up.
"So what's the plan, if we don't find anything out like we originally intended?"
"We go after the Spring Maiden. And with any luck, we'll bring her with us."
"And what'll we do about that… shiny toy?" The teen asked.
If these relics were as powerful as they were, they needed to be kept of the hands of the mastermind behind Beacon. And if they can't get in without the Spring maiden, then they needed her to at the very least unlock the path to relic so they could take it for safekeeping.
"Protect it, if need be. From the looks of it… we may need to."
"Whatever it is, we'll get it done." Dante answered firmly, "And we'll kick whoever's ass gets in the way."
"Heh… Right you are, kid." Qrow said as he finished another drink.
"Excuse me." A smaller voice called out.
Qrow and Dante turned around, seeing a short, tanned boy with black hair and forest green irises that had accents of burnt orange around his pupils. His clothes were simple, if not a little bit ragged. Little bit of dirt too.
Was he some sort of farm boy?
"You know, I don't think they allow kids in here, pipsqueak."
The boy looked at Qrow for a quick second before looking to Dante, gasping slightly as soon as he saw him.
The teen didn't realize he was so famous… Though after the Vytal Tournament, it was hard to imagine how he wouldn't be given his performance.
"Shut up, I'm getting there." The boy whispered off to the side.
What the..? Does he have a ghost or something?
No… But there is something odd about him…
Odd?
I think this boy has two Auras within him…
Two? Wait...
"Umm... I'm supposed to tell you... I'd like my cane back." The boy stated.
Dante and Qrow's eyes blinked briefly as they widened in surprise.
No freaking way… It can't be..!
Qrow had a slight smile on his face as he stood from the bar stool and faced the boy, causing the smaller boy to take a couple steps back. Ruby's uncle reached behind his back, unhooking what looked like a collapsed cane off of his hip. But it wasn't just any old cane.
It was the one Ozpin used.
"It's good to see you again, Oz."
Dante didn't know what to say. He was completely shocked. All he could do was watch as Qrow tossed the cane at farm boy, who caught it with both hands. The cane then immediately extended itself out from the collapsed base when it touched his hands, the boy looking up at Qrow and Dante, unsure of what to do next.
"You're sure about this?" Dawn asked as she walked the streets with Inuba.
"I'm sure." Inuba said, glancing around briefly before she closed her eyes.
Specks resembling tiny flames appeared in the thousands all around her. She began filtering them out one by one to re-check until only the one Aura Signature she felt was present.
"It's similar to yours and your siblings'."
"Why can't I feel it then..?" Dawn pondered as she walked with Inuba.
"I mean no offense, but you've never had any close contact with larger beings like Angels."
"None taken, it's an accurate assessment if anything. It only means that I'll have to learn it. I know of Angels by common knowledge of the supernatural and mystical, but like you said, I've never had any primary contact like you and my brother have. But… if the presence you're sensing really is an Angel…"
"Then we have a situation on our hands…" Inuba hesitantly stated, quickening her pace.
The two girls hurriedly walked the streets, glancing around carefully for the person the presence belonged to. Eventually, their chase lead them to the front entrance of a bar.
Giving each other a quick, affirmative nod, Dawn and Inuba stepped inside the bar, seeing some of the patrons attention focused further within the establishment.
"So, you got money?" A man asked.
"Not a penny. I'll still take that chicken and beer though." A woman replied.
"Tell you what… We'll trade you. One of our little chickens… for a go at you."
"Vile ingrates…" Dawn muttered under her breath as she looked around.
Inuba let out a sigh and focused her senses once again, getting a feel for the presence once more and… tracing it to the voices further ahead.
"You want a 'go' at me, huh?" The woman asked in an unafraid tone, "You're a talker. Listening to talkers makes me thirsty."
Inuba still couldn't see the woman's face, but she could see a pale hand reaching across the table and snagging the man's alcohol out of his hands, downing the pint in mere seconds.
"You know what else? They also make me hungry. So I think I'll be taking two chickens."
The man was bewildered by the woman's attitude, looking back at his friends with frustration before he gave the woman an angry glare.
"I don't think you understand the situation you're in."
"I understand that if any more words come pouring out your filthy mouth, I'm gonna have to eat every single chicken in this room, and drink all the beer." The woman replied.
"You gonna die for some chickens and beer?"
"Someone is." The woman ominously replied.
Silence ensued for a few moments, but the man made the first move, attempting to draw his weapon. Before his hand could even lift off the table, a knife found itself piercing the through the top to pin him in place, followed by the woman grabbing his head and smashing it through the table, all while she still held onto her beer.
The other three men made to move, but with a quick flick of her wrist, the woman threw another knife far above the heads of the men, making them laugh at her apparent miss as she downed the pint of beer she was originally working on.
Suddenly, a loud creaking noise sounded through the room, and a black metal chandelier came crashing down on the three other men. The woman's hand found itself grabbing another pint of beer that lay on top of the remains of the table, and just like the last two pints, she downed it quickly while resting her feet on top of the head of the man she stabbed.
The duo's eyes moved from the pained man to the woman who sat in her chair, calmly drinking her alcohol as they got a full view of her now.
She was a bit older them, seemingly around thirty, but she exuded a superior air of maturity and dignity that far exceeded the appearance of her young age. The woman wore a pair of black, open-toed, sandal strap heeled shoes, and a pair of black denim jeans that fitted her rather curvaceous, slim figure. Her top was a sleeveless, white, cotton fabric shirt that almost resembled a knitted sweater, and resting in her lap was a black denim jacket, which seemingly reached down only to her noticeably large chest.
But the features that struck at Dawn and Inuba the most, was her slightly messy, long white hair that reached her waist, and her shining, bright sky blue eyes.
As if she just noticed them, the woman let out a small hum as she looked Dawn and Inuba's way, her gaze frozen on them until her face softened and she smiled.
"Well well… I wasn't expecting you so soon, but I guess you finding me sooner was better anyway."
The woman stomped her heel into the man's head once more as she used him to get up out of her seat, walking toward the two girls as she noticeably towered over them.
She had to be around Dante's height…
"I know you've got questions. You'll be glad to hear that I've got answers. So… why don't we head back together so I can give you all the details?"
Dante… wasn't enjoying himself at the moment. Not because he and Qrow had too much to drink or anything, even though the older man was immensely drunk, but because Ruby's uncle was drunk, he ended up helping the man walk back.
All while the farm boy followed next to Dante.
"I don't think he likes me…" the boy whispered.
There was silence for a few moments, but the boy immediately snapped back to Dante, seeing him look at the smaller boy, and thus making him jump a little at the focused stare of the once immortal.
"What's your name?" The teen worked up to ask.
"O-Oscar. Oscar Pine."
"Oscar, huh… You a farm boy Oscar?"
Oscar jumped at the sudden statement, and from the looks of it, he seemed intimidated by the fact Dante knew that.
"H-How-?"
"Lucky guess."
Not so much a lucky guess really. His clothes gave him away, as did the few smudges on the boy's clothes. The tan also suggested he worked outside mostly, so that only narrowed it down further for the once immortal.
…
…
Still… Dante couldn't believe it.
Ozpin was alive. Sort of. To put it simply, Ozpin's soul found a compatible body, and thus was inhabiting young Oscar Pine. Which in turn led to Qrow drinking a lot more, though more out of celebration than his usual manner of drinking.
He was right to celebrate though. Ozpin was back, one way or another. And with him back at the helm, things were bound to get better now.
"Y-You know… He was telling me to find you if I couldn't find Qrow. He said I'd 'without a doubt' be safe with you."
"Is that so?" Dante asked, "Not that he's wrong really but… Things are… different than what they used to be."
"Different?"
He was hesitant to say anything. Not because it was fresh in his mind, and that he was afraid to revisit the memory, but…
"What did Ozpin tell you about me exactly?"
"Uh… Well… He said you were different. That you were strong, and… well… that you couldn't die… Couldn't believe it at first, but he kind of showed me otherwise."
"He's right. For the most part. Only thing that's different now is that I can die."
Oscar fell silent, and Dante watched the boy closely. He wasn't exhibiting anything… Ozpin-like in terms of mannerisms or expressions, but with how his eyes were darting back and forth… He was either thinking hard about what Dante just said, or he was having a conversation with Ozpin in his head.
"He wanted me to ask if you'd mind telling him about that."
…
Doesn't seem like Ozpin's pulling this kid's strings…
You're right. No interference of any kind or manipulation. They're in mutual agreement. Though, I would say their nature is more… symbiotic, if anything.
Symbiotic?
If you think about it, this boy, Oscar Pine, is the host. That man you idolize is the foreign organism, or in this case, foreign spirit, that's latched onto this boy because of their compatibility.
I-I don't idolize him, I respect him! There's a huge difference.
Is there now?
Dante rolled his eyes and continued walking in silence.
That was until Eclypse spoke up moments after.
I could be your Mommy, you kn-
Eclypse!
Yes yes, I apologize. I will keep my inappropriateness to myself. Until we arrive home, that is.
…
…
She really was a handful…
"You okay?"
"Hmm?"
Dante looked back to Oscar, making the boy jump again.
"You look…"
"Troubled? Sort of." The teen began as he continued carrying Qrow, "I have a living being that is able to transform into a weapon stuck inside my head right now that basically thinks some really perverted thoughts all day every day. While I appreciate it time to time, it's a little stressful to deal with when in the presence of others."
"W-What?"
"He means me." Eclypse called out from behind Oscar, startling him with her sudden appearance in her casual wear, "He loves it though." She said winking to the farm boy.
"O-Okay…"
He was really nervous. Far too nervous for this. Ozpin was really inside this kid?
…
This was a problem. One look at him, and Dante knew instinctively Oscar wasn't a fighter. He flinched too much, was too nervous, was too timid. He wouldn't survive long with the kind of places they were going, and some of the things they were going to do. Which meant… some of them were going to have to act as protective detail. Unless…
…
Unless somehow Ozpin was able to transmit his combat skills to young Oscar, or better yet, take control in a fight.
"Hey Oscar, can you get the door?"
"Which one?" The farm boy asked.
"The one with the black double doors. Just straight ahead. And ask for Ruby Rose."
The boy nodded and quickly moved past the once immortal, leaving him alone with Qrow and Eclypse.
"Useless. That's what I was thinking at first, in case you wanted to know."
Dante only glanced at Eclypse without saying a word.
"You know me by now, Master. I call it as it is. But to be fair to the farm boy… I soon erased that thought once I felt it."
"Felt it..?"
"His tenacity. And… his desire."
"Desire..?"
"Yes. On the surface, he's but a boy, who wants to live simply. But deeper within… is one who desires more."
"More? Like what?" Dante questioned.
Eclypse hummed as she pondered.
"I don't quite know. All I do know is that the desire for something more is present within him. It was almost the same thing I felt in the other four."
"Other four? You mean Ruby and the others?"
"Precisely. You see… their desires were simply to be stronger. Strong enough to stand with you. They cursed their own weakness in the face of a greater threat. So I gave each of them what they desired. Power to stand with you."
"So you gave them those 'upgrades' then…"
"That I did."
"Is… Are there going to be any side effects that are long term?"
"None." Eclypse answered immediately, surprising the teen, "The only thing they'll ever experience is increased fatigue. The severity depends on how long their 'armors' are in use. It isn't like our Shadow Skin, which used to tear apart your body until it became strong enough to resist those effects."
"Pseudo Shadow Skins then…"
"Right again. With small influence implanted from my own Aura, their desire for strength physically manifests through their own Aura, again, while maintaining influence from me."
"So they'll be fine."
"They'll be fine." The girl affirmed.
Dante let out a sigh of relief, knowing now their 'upgrades' wouldn't cause them any real harm.
"Um... Is there a Ruby Rose here?" The duo heard Oscar say further ahead
"Why?" Nora asked rather darkly, intimidating even Dante at the moment.
"We better help him before she turns him into paste." The teen said as he hurriedly moved forward, realizing he was no longer holding onto Qrow.
When he looked to Eclypse, she simply pointed ahead to a fumbling Qrow, who grabbed hold of Oscar in the doorway.
"I found him!" He cheerfully shouted out in the night, snorting into his hand and laughing as he stumbled into the house.
"I think her uncle could use some help…"
"You and me both…" Dante told Oscar as he moved past the boy with Eclypse.
"Dante, who is he?" Jaune asked.
"Um… Well… He's a friend. Sort of. I'll just let him do the explaining." The once immortal said, quickly finding a chair to sit down in as Qrow fell back onto the couch cushions near him.
"I found him..!" The older man whispered, folding his arms over his eyes,
"What is going on out there?!" Ruby said, stomping into the living room, "Can't a girl read her comics in peace?!"
She caught Dante pointing a thumb over to Qrow, who let out a burp and chuckled silently to himself again, making Ruby sigh.
"Well, don't just stand there. Come on in." Dante waved over at the door, prompting Oscar to walk in and close the door behind him.
The farm boy's eyes fell onto Ruby first, "Oh… You have silver eyes…"
The little reaper looked at him with surprise, looking to Dante first for an answer before looking back at Oscar.
"Who... are you?
"Uh... Well... My name is Oscar Pine."
"Wait for it..!" Qrow interjected.
"But you probably know me as... Professor Ozpin."
Ruby, Jaune, Nora and Ren gasped, but Dante and Eclypse kept themselves composed perfectly, already knowing of the revelation.
"I did it!" Qrow shouted once more in triumph, soon sliding off the couch onto the floor.
Well well, we're finally here. The volume 5 arc! Finally huh? We saw a new and important stranger, two technically speaking, Eclypse got herself a new set of clothes, and Dawn and Inuba found somebody that oddly enough looks like Dawn. I wonder why? HMMMMMMMMMM
In any case, we're progressing ahead as planned with a lot of surprises in between. And maybe a few cameos towards the end of the volume 5 section. Shhhh. It's a secret.
Also, I'm thinking of changing the schedule again. From now on, I'm gonna try to get these out as soon as they're done. The only gimmick here is to expect a chapter every week, week and half, or every two weeks. I'm finishing up college this semester, so it's going to be tough for a little while.
Either way, hoped you enjoyed this chapter, I've got nothing else much to say, so with that...
I highly recommend you all go check out the freaking amazing story Rogue Huntsman written by Xera Stark. The story overall is absolutely fantastic and is a must read, so I suggest you seriously read it. You won't want to miss out on this story. Plus, I'm working on it with him as a co-author, and my characters are in it too. So if you want to see a sort of alternate story and such with my characters in it, go on over and give Rogue Huntsman a read.
And hey! Go check out HydraFLow's story Lost in Binary! It's equally as awesome and entertaining, and tells Rogue Huntsman's story from his characters' perspective, like how Knights of White and Black (my alternate story) tells the tale from my character's perspectives.
Questions? Ask them anytime. I will try to answer without spoiling.
Please remember to review, follow and favorite this story if you really enjoyed it and want to continue seeing more of it. And hey, even tell others about this story! Remember that your support is what helps make this story grow even larger and what helps improve it. With that, I bid you all an excellent week/weekend!
Bye-bye now!
