Chapter 52:
Weiss was silent for a long moment, after Hayate finished his story. Hayate felt her arms tighten around him as her body trembled slightly. Then he heard a sniffling sound. "Why are you crying?"
"Why wouldn't I cry?" asked Weiss. "I never imagined that you went through something like that."
"Why would you?" asked Hayate, raising an eyebrow. "It's only natural to not know someone else's history, right off the bat. There's nothing there that you were obligated to know."
"But...even so..." said Weiss. "Someone should be able to cry for you. Have you ever cried for yourself."
"Not really," said Hayate. "I've gotten...detached from those memories. For the most part, I've forgotten what it was like. I don't even miss what I've lost...except for little things."
"Little things?"
Hayate looked down. "Like the sound of my mom's voice...or what my dad's face looked like...I can't remember those anymore, and I wish that I'd tried harder."
"I'm sorry," said Weiss.
Hayate sighed. "I'm not. Kyo and Sasame became my family. They were practically my parents, or elder siblings at least. Sasame taught me how to read and write. Kyo taught me how to use my Aura and trained me relentlessly. Sasame would always heal me when I got hurt. She'd even hold me at night, when I had nightmares about what happened to my village. Then we met Nigel, which was a bit like getting a big brother...or a little brother, considering the way he acts most of the time."
That last part made Weiss giggle.
"Kyo even gave me my name," said Hayate. "In the Old Tongue, it means 'the sound of wind.' I can't even remember what name I used to have anymore. Then they brought me back here for a while, and Murasame gave me my sword."
"How old were you?" asked Weiss.
"A little over eight," said Hayate.
Weiss hugged him all the tighter. "So when you were talking about me...?"
"I saw you, and heard you sing," said Hayate. "You always seemed lost, confused, angry, maybe all those at once. That was how I felt for those first couple years, after Kyo and Sasame took me with them. I was gaining all this strength, but I just had no idea what to do with it. Then, a few years back, Kyo disbanded us and we went our separate ways."
"How could he leave you like that?" asked Weiss.
Hayate snorted. "He was doing me a favor. It was supposed to be because Sasame had to go back to the Mibu and assume her station as Saisei, but I think it was for me too. I had nothing. So I'd latched onto Kyo and the others as the sole purpose of my existence. Disbanding us like that forced me to confront what I really wanted to do with my life, what I wanted to hold onto. I was angry at first, but I soon realized why he'd done that. After that, I wandered for a while. I experienced the plight of the faunus throughout much of the world first-hand. I thought about fighting for them. I even considered joining the White Fang for a time."
Weiss felt a chill go down through her spine. If Hayate had joined the White Fang, then there was every chance that he would have been drawn into Salem's schemes, and the first meeting between them would have been as enemies. Weiss had experienced Hayate's strength and skill first-hand in their sparring matches. And, even then, she knew he wasn't using his full strength. He was the Lightning Lord, the terrorist who had thwarted every effort by the Schnee Dust Company and the Atlesian military to kill or capture him, freeing captive faunus by the hundreds or thousands, and then guiding them through the wilderness to safety. If he had turned that strength and skill to the White Fang's or, worse, Salem's ends, she had a feeling things could have turned out very differently.
Hayate continued, apparently oblivious to Weiss' reaction to what he'd just said. "But I decided I didn't like the way the White Fang were doing things, so I did what I could on my own. I found faunus settlements and helped to protect them from the Grimm or human attackers. I went to places where humans were enslaving faunus and freed them. Then, after the big conflict last year, I went up to Solitas and wound up spending most of my time freeing the faunus interned by Ironwood and Schnee. That's how I decided to use my strength."
He turned his head around so he could get a glimpse of Weiss' face. "But you still have that look in your eyes. If anything, you seem even more confused about what you want to do now."
Weiss smiled and pressed her face into Hayate's hair. "You're not wrong," she admitted. "I've been thinking about this a lot. But the more I think about it, the more confusing things seem."
"Then maybe you should stop thinking about it for a while," said Hayate.
"Huh?"
He smiled. "Don't think about what you might or might not want to do. For now, just focus on the things right in front of you, the things you want to do in the immediate moment. See where that leads you, then pull back and see if that gives you a better picture of what you want to do with your life. That's what worked for me."
Weiss smiled. "I think that might be a good idea." She tightened her arms around Hayate and kissed the back of his head. "Thank you."
The next morning, the students were largely free to do as they wished. However, the adults, the Council Members from the four Kingdoms, as well as the Headmasters of the Academies, met in the conference room, where Sora had finalized her agreements with Ghira and Kali. Sora and the other three members of the Taishiro sat together. Across from her, Radcliff, Nilam, Gwenyth, and Ironwood all sat together. Occupying another section of seats were the three Academy Headmasters, Ozpin sitting between Ozma and Pastoria. Kyoichiro was nowhere to be seen.
"I trust everyone enjoyed their breakfasts," said Sora pleasantly. She and her fellows had left their weapons behind for the conference, not needing to to make the same demonstration they had upon the delegation's arrival.
"It was splendid," said Nilam pleasantly. "I take it your agricultural products will be among your primary exports."
"That is the plan," said Sora. "Currently, we are easily able to clear land for farming, and our crops have been modified to be quite productive."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Ironwood tersely. "No one has yet agreed that we can allow the Mibu to publicly declare themselves."
"Ah...you seem to be under the misconception that we require your agreement for that, General," said Sora airily. "That matter has already been decided upon. What is left is to determine our relationship with the other Kingdoms."
"That is not acceptable," said Ironwood. "In the current world, the emergence of a new faction threatens instability and will create chaos. We need to preserve order."
"I think what you fear is that we will threaten the status quo," said Murasame simply. "I think you might be concerned about the impact of the world finding out that there is a Kingdom that is led by a faunus, one where humans and faunus can live together peacefully, where the latter are not oppressed in any fashion, and feel no need to fight against the former."
"You would like to present that image, wouldn't you?" snarled Ironwood, leaning across the table. "Perhaps you would like to lure more faunus out of their Kingdoms so that you can bolster your own population, like you did with ours."
"Perhaps that wouldn't have been an issue if you treated them with an iota of consideration," said Makoto calmly, picking up a cup of tea and sipping it. "I have treated the faunus who have fled Atlas, and seen the mark of your Kingdom's regard for them. If you wish to encourage your countrymen, regardless of species, to be loyal to your Kingdom, then you should start by treating them as real citizens, instead of herding them into pens like criminals or animals...or both."
"We did what was necessary," said Ironwood firmly. "The violence perpetrated by the White Fang is out of control. We needed to maintain order, to ensure that their agents did not infiltrate our Kingdom to cause further chaos."
"Oh..." Sora raised an eyebrow. "And have your methods shown any success? Has the incidence of White Fang attacks fallen any?"
Ironwood grunted, scowling. In truth, the number of White Fang attacks upon Atlas and its settlements had only increased. Not only that, but their intensity had increased as well. Despite the strict monitoring of the faunus population, plenty of White Fang agents seemed to slip through the cracks to afflict atrocities upon the human populace.
"So it seems that you've been busy to no purpose then," said Sora. "It's no wonder that those faunus decided that they would be happier elsewhere."
"Action needed to be taken!" snapped Ironwood, slamming his fist, thankfully his left, on the table, making the cups, tea, and coffee pots on it jump. "The people needed to see their leaders doing something, not just sitting back and waiting for the enemy's next strike."
"That's unwise." This time, it was not one of the Mibu that had spoken, but Nilam, who calmly picked up her cup of tea from the table and took a sip. "Many a time, a leader seeking to come off as decisive, and give the appearance of being quick to take action, has only made matters worse by acting in haste, resorting to grandstanding actions that simply exist for the sake of appearance."
"Are you telling me you wouldn't do the same, if your nation wasn't under constant attack by terrorists?" demanded Ironwood, turning to glare at the Councilwoman from Vacuo.
"It might be hard for me to say," said Nilam. "The White Fang are nowhere near as persistent in their attacks upon our Kingdom. Perhaps that is because our human population has a better relationship with faunus than most other Kingdoms do. It's based upon a foundation of mutual respect for those who are able to survive our environment, which is harsh upon all alike. Because of that, and because we don't try ridiculous moves like segregating the faunus population, White Fang attacks have a tendency to harm our faunus just as often as they harm our humans, which does not improve their standing among the people they claim to fight for."
She narrowed her eyes, giving Ironwood a look that was just shy of a glare. "You, however, are practically a one man White Fang propaganda machine. You do more to incite faunus to join them than any number of pamphlets, rallies, or incendiary speeches ever could. And that's not even factoring in Mr. Schnee and his doings. Together, the two of you make a perfect diumverate for faunus to rally against. One of you oppresses them harshly for the sake of maintaining the illusion of decisiveness, while the other then exploits that oppression to the fullest in order to line his own pockets."
"Enough," growled Ironwood. "We didn't come here to discuss domestic policy. This conference is supposed to be about what to do with the Mibu."
"I think you're mistaken in that respect," rumbled Radcliff. "It is true that we are gathered here to assess the future of our relationship with the Mibu, but anytime we leaders of the Kingdoms can get together is a perfect opportunity to review our relationships with each other. Right now, Nilam has argued an excellent point that Atlas' treatment of the faunus has proved to be a serious threat to our citizens' security, by serving as a rallying cry for the White Fang."
"And what have you done?" asked Gwenyth skeptically. "Can Mistral claim to treat its faunus population as well as Vacuo has?"
"That we can't," said Radcliff. "Unfortunately, we are not fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to be stuck with a naturally hostile environment that fosters a mutual respect, save for the same environmental factor that plagues us all. However, we've made a start with our recent reforms, and we've had impressive success in combating the White Fang as well. Casualties caused by White Fang terrorism have been reduced by forty-eight percent since we started applying new strategies."
"That much?" It seemed that Radcliff's claim had hooked the interest of Vale's Councilwoman. "What did you do?"
"Well, the reforms did a good job in helping reduce overall recruitment," said Radcliff, leaning back in his seat. "But our best results have come from actively integrating faunus into our police and intelligence agencies."
"You'd trust faunus with enforcing the law and protecting your citizens?" asked Ironwood, outraged. "How do you know you haven't been infiltrated? They're in a perfect position to completely undermine your agencies!"
"Just the opposite," said Radcliff in a relaxed tone. "The faunus we've recruited have proven invaluable for infiltrating White Fang cells, obtaining intelligence on planned attacks, and evidence we can use to arrest the actual perpetrators. What's more, the faunus are encouraged by the trust we place in them, which reduces the draw of the White Fang's rhetoric even further."
"You'll come to regret this foolishness, mark my words," said Ironwood, folding his arms and closing his eyes stubbornly.
"I'll consider them duly marked," replied Radcliff dismissively. "As far as I and the rest of Mistral's Council are concerned, the results speak for themselves. In any case, we're preparing to take the next step. It's fortunate that we're all here together, because this does involve Atlas to a certain extent."
Ironwood stiffened and glared at Radcliff. "What have you done?"
"Our reforms were established to affirm the faunus' civil rights," explained Radcliff, pulling out a sheaf of papers. "That includes making it illegal to discriminate against them in the workplace, and making it a requirement to ensure that any working environment, whether it consists of a majority of humans or faunus or an even distribution of both, is up to our national safety standards. We will be conducting regular intensive inspections of workplaces to ensure that our regulations are being followed. As a part of that, we've closed the loopholes that might allow foreign-owned companies to get away with such lapses."
"What?" snapped Ironwood, his eyes widening.
"Naturally, that means we will be looking over the SDC-owned mines within Mistral's territory very carefully," said Radcliff. "In the event that they are found noncompliant, depending on the severity of the violations, Jacques could find himself and his company faced with very stiff fines, or even have the right to operate within our Kingdom's territory revoked, in which case, the Dust deposits will be auctioned off to companies with better records of compliance."
"My...that's quite interesting," said Nilam.
"Well, we can't let Vacuo get ahead of us, now can we?" said Radcliff with a grin.
"Is there any chance I might get a copy of your legislation regarding that?" asked Nilam with interest.
"Of course, I brought copies for everyone," said Radcliff with a chuckle, splitting the sheaf into multiple packets, and handing them to the other Council members present, even passing a copy across the table to Sora, who accepted them with a smile. Radcliff turned his grin on Ironwood next. "I've even brought enough copies that you could give one to Jacques, since he was nice enough to come here himself. He deserves to know what's coming. Consider it a grace period for him to clean up his act."
Ironwood took the copy of Mistral's legislation in his right hand, the papers crumpling in his grip. Nilam was already looking over them with a keen interest. It was likely that Vacuo wouldn't be long in enacting similar legislation, probably even edging their legislation to favor the seizure of property belonging to non-compliant companies, with even less of a grace period for companies to adjust their policies. Thanks to the Kingdom's turbulent history, the majority of companies operating in Vacuo were foreign-owned. Besides being a PR coup with the faunus, legislation like this would give them a chance to seize assets and distribute them to domestic companies, reducing the control of foreign interests.
"I suppose it's worth considering," said Gwenyth, paging through her copy. Despite Vale's current close ties to Atlas, not even Vale's Councilwoman was immune to the allure of increasing her Kingdom's own wealth, and reducing possible foreign influence.
Sora smiled indulgently, resting her elbows on the table and meshing her fingers together, so that she could rest her chin over them. "There, you see, General?" she said. "The Mibu are already a positive influence upon the world, and we've barely even gotten past the opening remarks of this conference."
Ironwood growled, tightening his grip and further crumpling the papers in his grasp.
"So...how do we start?" asked Hayate, sitting with his legs crossed on the stone tiles.
They were currently in the very same practice yard where Weiss had been sparring with Hayate, a few days before.
"Um...let me see..." Weiss pulled out a small notebook and began flipping through its pages.
"What's that?" asked Hayate, squinting at the book.
"A cheat sheet," said Weiss, "or instruction manual. Murasame sent it to me this morning. He translated, condensed, and organized the information Haruka gave the other Elders regarding the crystals to create some notes to help me work out how to actually use it."
"Okay..." said Hayate.
"All right, it says that I use the crystal as a conduit for my Aura, just like I would for a weapon," said Weiss, already hefting the crystal in her left hand. She closed her eyes and her body began to shine, producing a pale-blue outline, enclosing the crystal in her hand. Gradually, the light began to intensify around the crystal.
As Hayate watched, the crystal itself began to glow, shedding light of its own. The light was primarily white, but shimmering with pearlescent colors.
"Wow..." said Weiss, not opening her eyes.
"How's it feel?" asked Hayate.
"Different," said Weiss. "It's like having someone else's Aura mixing with my own. But it doesn't feel wrong. It feels like I can control it quite naturally."
"That's good," said Hayate. "So how about trying it with one of your glyphs."
"I was getting to that," said Weiss. A white, snowflake glyph appeared beneath her feet. Like the light around the crystal, the glyph too shimmered with pearlescent color.
Abruptly, Weiss shot upward like an arrow with a terrified yelp. Hayate's eyes widened and he immediately got up, watching as she continued to rise. It wasn't just that the glyph's effect was more powerful than she'd been expecting. The glyph was still there, on the ground, seeming to continue raising her up, despite the distance between her and it.
Hayate leapt onto the glyph, combining his leg-strength with its force to shoot upward at a speed that let him catch up to Weiss as she continued to rise higher and higher.
"Cut it off!" he shouted as he got closer. "It's gonna keep pushing you up unless you shut it down!"
Weiss grunted and squeezed her eyes shut. After another second of concentration, the glyph on the ground below shattered into countless specks of light. Weiss reached the apex of her ascent and began to fall, landing in Hayate's outstretched arms as his momentum carried him up to meet her. The two of them began to fall towards the ground, which was a lot farther below than Weiss liked. In her current state, the last thing on her mind was a landing strategy.
Keeping his left arm arm around her shoulders and holding her tightly, Hayate reached down with his right hand and drew his sword. He extended it downward, and a bolt of shimmering, green and white energy descended, exploding against the stones of the practice yard in a shower of sparks. He returned the sword to its sheath and hooked his right arm under Weiss' legs. Weiss heard a hum coming from Hayate's sandaled feet, and looked down to see that the same greenish light was shining from them, matching the glow that now seemed to infuse the ground below.
Their fall gradually slowed, to the point where Hayate was able to absorb the remainder of their downward momentum by sinking into a crouch as his feet hit the ground.
"Magnetic levitation," said Weiss breathlessly, realizing what Hayate had just done.
"It's a handy trick to have," said Hayate, setting Weiss onto her feet, keeping a hand on her arm to help keep her steady. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," said Weiss, letting out a relieved breath. "That startled me."
"Was it really that much more powerful?" asked Hayate.
"A little," said Weiss. "What threw me off was how both the glyph and its effect remained in place."
She held up a finger and a tiny snowflake glyph, no more than six inches across, appeared in the air over it. Like the one that had launched her into the sky, this one too shimmered with faint colors. Weiss lowered her hand, leaving the glyph there, spinning on its own.
"It's incredible," whispered Weiss, her voice laden with awe.
"What did it do?" asked Hayate.
"I'm not expending any extra Aura to keep that glyph maintained," said Weiss. "The crystal is maintaining it all on its own. It's like it's stabilizing my glyphs, giving them a sort of permanence." The glyph shattered. "I had to shut it down myself."
"Huh..." said Hayate, turning his head as he stared at the space where the glyph had been. "So it makes your glyphs into a quasi-physical construct that maintains its own existence, without your will...that's interesting."
Weiss nodded. "And it's giving me some ideas," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "Stand back."
Hayate stepped back, looking at Weiss nervously.
She smiled at him. "Don't worry," she said. "I think I have a better grip of how much power to use."
"Be careful," said Hayate.
Weiss nodded. Another glyph appeared beneath her feet. This time, she rose slowly and smoothly up into the air, coming to a stop some ten meters up, and there she remained. The glyph also remained, continuing to spin silently on the ground below her.
"Now that's impressive," said Hayate with a whistle.
Weiss lifted one leg and extended it forward, as though stepping across midair. A new glyph, adjacent to the first one, appeared on the ground, supporting Weiss as she moved forward. The first one she'd created vanished, and she continued moving forward, creating more glyphs in sequence, making a pathway for herself that allowed her to walk on thin air as though it were solid ground.
"Wow," said Hayate softly.
As Weiss continued her walk, she created another glyph. However, this one flickered, then shattered, taking its neighbor, the one keeping her up, along with it. Weiss let out a startled "Eep!" as she began to fall. However, Hayate darted beneath her, catching her gently in his arms, before she could hit the ground.
Weiss blushed furiously, but relaxed after a moment. "Thank you," she said as Hayate set her on her feet again.
"I guess it's a good thing I came out here with you," said Hayate with a grin.
"It is," agreed Weiss, kissing his cheek impulsively, making both of them blush. Shaking off her embarrassment, Weiss turned her attention to the crystal. "It's...dark."
"Dark?" asked Hayate.
"I can't feel anything from it anymore," said Weiss, frowning, her eyes narrowing. "I didn't break it, did I?" For a second, there was a look of panic on her face at the idea. However, it relaxed a second later. "No! There it is. I can feel the energy again. But...just a little."
"You must have expended its power then," said Hayate, borrowing her notes, which she'd dropped on the ground the first time she'd accidentally launched herself heavenwards. "According to Murasame's notes, the crystal can only convert so much power over a given period of time. The more you use it, the more that amount increases, but it takes time and continuous use to build up the crystal's output."
"I see," said Weiss, staring at the crystal in her hand. She smiled. "I'm beginning to like this more and more. I just had a wonderful idea."
"What kind of idea?" asked Hayate.
"An idea for trying to create a new glyph," said Weiss. "I wondered what sort of glyphs I might try to make, but now I have one envisioned."
"Is it something for what you were just doing, something to make you float?" asked Hayate.
"Even better," said Weiss eagerly, "something to make me fly."
"Now then, concerning what we have the option to contribute to the world," said Sora as the conference shifted topics, "there are two primary things we would like to offer."
"You mean besides your exports?" asked Gwenyth.
"Of course," said Makoto. "While we will be settling matters regarding tariffs and taxes on trade later on, the matter of what is exported and imported shall fall to our citizens. Naturally, it's the demand of the consumers that will determine the markets. We can give you suggestions regarding that, but it will largely be up to the producers and consumers on both sides of the relationship."
"Of course," said Nilam, nodding sagely.
"We will also need to deal with the issue of currency," said Murasame. "Under the current circumstances, the best approach is probably to switch from our currency to lien to match the other Kingdoms. However, doing so too suddenly would cause issues with our economy. We'll need to have a plan to transition in place. In the meantime, we'll need to properly calculate the exchange rate."
"Understandable," said Radcliff. "We can take care of that later, of course. We'll probably need to wait until after the conference with that. All of us will have to consult with our Kingdoms' respective trade and commerce commissions, and negotiate with yours once we've established proper channels of communication."
"Of course," said Sora.
"And just what is it that the Mibu think that they have to offer the world?" asked Ironwood with acidic skepticism. "Your technological level is nothing short of pathetic. What innovations could you have that we haven't already obtained?"
"James..." rumbled Radcliff in a warning tone.
"Now now," said Sora with a small laugh, spreading her fan to cover the lower half of her face. "Though his phrasing of it is rather crass, it is a legitimate question he is posing. The first one we will discuss is, I believe, the reason the esteemed Headmasters of your Academies are in attendance today."
"Nonsense," said Ozpin, sipping down yet another mug of coffee, which the attendants continued to refill every time he drained it. "We are here because we were invited as well."
Pastoria chuckled and scratched at his own beard. "Which isn't to say that we don't have a vested interest in this conference and its outcome. We are here hoping that we can finally obtain certain permissions that we have been seeking, regarding what we may teach our students."
"What are you talking about?" asked Ironwood, his eyes narrowing.
"I believe you are all too familiar with the topic, General," said Sora, lowering her fan to reveal the small smile she had in place. "We wish for the advanced Aura techniques that the Mibu utilize to be permitted to be taught in your Huntsmen Academies."
"Nonsense!" snapped Ironwood. "What you are suggesting is just so much superstitious nonsense that will take valuable time from learning methods and techniques that truly matter."
"Really? Superstition?" Murasame raised an amused eyebrow. "Did our little demonstration yesterday seem like superstition to you?"
"It is well known that those of the Mibu Clan are born with advanced abilities," said Ironwood evasively.
"Hardly," said Sora. "It is true that those born of Mibu blood tend to show a high affinity for Aura control. However, that is just as likely to be a product of the environment in which they are raised as it is genetic."
"We are still working on building an understanding of that," added Makoto.
"And if that were all there were to it, then what of me?" asked Sora. Folding her fan all the way and lowering it below the table. "I was born outside the Clan, without a drop of Mibu blood. Yet I have grown to a level where I have been granted the title of Head of the Taishiro. I can assure you that my skill in politics was hardly the only reason I was permitted to assume this position. And, of course, Schnee-san was treated to an effective demonstration of my strength yesterday, which you all saw."
"And is your own strength really that impressive within the larger context of the Mibu?" asked Radcliff, his voice colored by genuine curiosity, not contempt or dismissiveness.
"It is," said Makoto. "She is considered equal in strength to the Crimson King himself, possessing power that surpasses our own. As the previous head of the Taishiro, I acknowledged her strength personally."
Sora focused her gaze on Ironwood. "I understand my wayward son gave one of your precious Mobile Brigades quite a thrashing."
Ironwood growled and flushed crimson.
Sora used her fan to mute a giggle at his reaction. "I imagine it would surprise you to learn that I am still quite capable of thrashing him. I can even arrange a demonstration later on, if you wish."
His hands shaking, Ironwood paled.
"Yes," said Sora softly. "Kyo is strong. But he is also young. He has much growing still to do. This is the essence of the power that we have obtained through coming to understand the fullest strength of our Auras, and nurturing that strength."
She turned her gaze upon the other leaders. "Imagine if the Huntsmen and Huntresses defending your people were able to tap into that strength. Imagine the Grimm being nothing more than errant sparks to be brushed away. We have expanded across the width and breadth of this continent, and the Grimm are naught but a minor eyesore to us. All that we owe to our mastery of Aura control and the arts that have developed as a result of it. The General scoffed at our limited level of technological development, but the security we feel in our own strength is because of that mastery, which led us to feel no need to develop our technology further."
"And what is the opinion of those tasked with training our protectors?" asked Nilam, looking to the Headmasters.
Ozma toyed with her teacup idly. "It is no small thing that we ask for," she said. "It would completely change the dynamic of how our students are raised, all the way back down through Combat School. However, the results would be equally dramatic. This knowledge, long forbidden to the Kingdoms, has applications both on and off the battlefield, in places you could scarcely imagine." She turned her eyes on Makoto. "Isn't that right, Makoto-sensei?"
Makoto chuckled. "It is as you say." He pulled out a packet of papers, dividing them out, and distributing them to members of the delegation. "This is a full list of the diseases, disabilities, and other ailments that we have developed cures and treatments for over the years. All of this is possible through mastery of our Auras, which allows us to heal people by interacting with their own life force."
The visiting Council members of the Kingdoms looked through the list with wide eyes. Their expressions startled.
"Why is it that we have not been informed of this before?" asked Gwenyth tartly as she lowered her copy. "As a physician, I would have assumed your dedication to the health of all people would be paramount to ensure that we knew about this long ago. Yet you have sat on this knowledge for how long...decades...centuries...? I assume you did so in order to improve your leverage specifically for this moment."
"Hardly," said Makoto, barely fazed by Gwenyth's accusation. "I would never willingly stint on sharing such knowledge. We have tried to make this sort of thing available to you in the past. I even permitted one of the finest students I have ever trained in the healing arts to go out and share our collective knowledge with you." He smiled and inclined his head towards Ozma, who actually blushed like a bashful schoolgirl, being praised for the first time. He turned his gaze back to Gwenyth, his expression sterner. "But I understand that such entreaties were soundly rejected, back during the first Vytal Conference."
"And why was that?" asked Nilam. "Surely none of us would have turned away such potential boons without good reason."
"The reason lies in the terms, with which the Academies and their curriculums were developed," said Ozpin. "Such healing is only possible through the use of techniques in Aura control, which we were banned from passing on to our students at the behest of...certain interests." He turned his eyes on Ironwood, who had been curiously silent.
"Ah, I see," said Radcliff. "If such methods were propagated, they would lessen Huntsmen and Huntresses' dependency on Dust, which would lower the profits of the Dust industry."
"But it seems to me that it would make them more capable in the field," mused Nilam. "Quite a few of the casualties suffered by Huntsmen in Vacuo come from our difficulty in ensuring supply throughout the region, as the terrain hinders distribution. If they were less dependent on Dust, they could operate for longer and farther away from our supply routes and sources."
Gwenyth frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It seems to me that there might be worth in reconsidering the terms by which the Academies abide."
"You can't be serious?!" shouted Ironwood, thumping the table with his left hand again. "What you propose could completely upend our economies!"
"Upend your economy, you mean," said Nilam, turning a sour gaze on Ironwood. "After all, the primary provider of Dust for all four Kingdoms is the Schnee Dust Company. Practically no one else is able to lay claim to any deposits of worth, and those that do are, more often than not, snapped up in hostile takeovers that Mr. Schnee orchestrates. At this point, he practically has a monopoly, controlling the distribution of even the Dust that is mined within the borders of our own Kingdoms."
"It would certainly do for the rest of us to get the opportunity to obtain some further financial independence, out from under Jacques' thumb," said Radcliff. He laughed merrily. "Relax, James. There'll still be plenty of demand for Dust when all is said and done."
"Indeed," said Ozpin. "Mastering Aura control on the level of the Mibu warriors requires years of training, not to mention a high level of dedication by the students of such a craft. The Mibu themselves do not have a large standing force because of how much time and effort must be spent on raising their fighters."
"In other words, it's the perfect thing for Huntsmen and Huntresses," said Gwenyth. "But the Kingdom militaries, which must train large numbers of soldiers quickly, will be reliant on methods that make better use of technology than such intensive methods of training. There might be a slight drop in dependency on Dust, but it will not vanish."
"Well, it seems to me that we've established sufficient reasons to review the arrangements we have with our Academies," said Radcliff, frowning at Ironwood. "Of course, as the Headmaster of your own Kingdom's Academy, you are free to run things as you see fit. But I can't help but wonder if you'll wind up left in the dust when all is said and done."
"The only ones who will be left in the dust are those who put their faith in archaic and outdated notions!" snapped Ironwood. "Atlas is at the forefront of technological development and our power is more than a match for old superstitions. Outside, in the very sky over our heads, lie seven perfect examples of our technological achievements." He glared at Sora, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I can arrange a demonstration of their superiority if you wish."
Radcliff and Nilam gaped openly at Ironwood, while Gwenyth looked sharply at him, her skin going pale.
However, Sora didn't even flinch. "I'm sure that would be worth seeing," she said. "It always helps to get a proper comparison." She flicked her fan open idly and once again used it to screen the lower half of her face to hide a smirk. "But, if I recall properly, my son already provided us with such a comparison, General. Granted, amongst the Mibu, he's an extreme example of the potential capabilities of our Aura mastery. Only us Taishiro and his father exceed his strength. However, it certainly shows that there is more to our techniques than mere superstition."
Nearly everyone was stunned into silence by Sora's reaction. Only her fellow Elders seemed unsurprised by what she had just said.
Pastoria pursed his lips, and let out a nearly silent whistle of admiration that was audible only to his immediate neighbors.
Ozpin rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands in front of his face, doing much the same thing with his meshed fingers that Sora did with her fan, using them to hide his mouth as he smiled. Well now...this head of the Taishiro certainly doesn't lack for nerve, he thought.
"We can continue discussing the particulars of amending policy regarding the Academies a little later," said Sora. "I think most of us can agree that it is definitely a matter worth coming back to, and achieving a final decision on. That said, we'll move onto the second thing we of the Mibu Clan wish to offer the world."
Ironwood stifled a groan, leaning forward and pressing his hands against his face. Radcliff couldn't keep down a series of chuckles and Nilam had to cover her mouth to hide a giggle.
She plays General Ironwood like a fiddle, thought Nilam. She treats with the rest of us like equals and shows us all due respect, but toys with Ironwood and plays him for a fool. Her eyes narrowed. She is, most definitely, someone we don't want for an enemy.
Sora inclined her head towards Haruka, who had remained silent for the entire discussion. Now Haruka produced documents of her own. "The other thing that we seek to offer to the world is a new power source," said Haruka, "one that we find, in many ways, to be superior to Dust, which will hopefully be an aid to your Kingdoms' technological development."
"What?!" snapped Ironwood, his head coming up and his eyes going wide.
"In the course of our history, we have discovered a new kind of energy," said Haruka, speaking as though she were reciting from a script and ignoring Ironwood's outburst. "At present, we believe the energy's nature to be extra-planar in origin. Several centuries ago, we discovered that this energy interacted with certain minerals and substances, which converted it into energy that engaged with our physical world. We spent several decades testing these substances, amalgamating them, until we ended up developing a crystalline device that converts what we call Etheric Energy into a form that we were able to tap into."
"Impossible!" snapped Ironwood.
"And what does this Etheric Energy do?" asked Radcliff, deciding to take a cue from the Mibu, and talk as though Ironwood hadn't said anything at all. "How is it applicable?"
"You've already seen its application," replied Haruka stiffly, looking at Radcliff as she answered his question. "The vessel that escorted you into our territory is propelled by harnessed Etheric Energy. We have expanded the application and discovered several varied functions by applying further catalysts to produce other forms of its energy."
"I assume that means all the typical things," said Nilam. "Aside from flight, I'm guessing that you've been working to apply it towards things like weapons and defensive fields."
"We haven't bothered experimenting with weapons," said Haruka. "But, yes, we have developed defensive fields and discovered a most important quality."
"What is that?" asked Radcliff.
"Etheric Energy repels the Grimm," said Haruka. "Our newest settlements are protected by Etheric fields. Against actual attack, they offer no more protection than a sheet of paper. But the Grimm are generally repelled from an area enclosed by an Etheric shield."
"Ridiculous!" yelled Ironwood. "These are outright lies! No such power could possibly exist."
"Really, General," said Sora. "I thought you would know better. If we were trying to fool you with lies, I would like to think that we would come up with more believable ones. However, I can understand your skepticism. Fortunately, it will not be hard for us to supply you with proof."
"You'll demonstrate this for us?" asked Gwenyth, leaning forward, her eyes lighting up.
Even Nilam and Radcliff couldn't hide their fascination, their eyes alight with the idea of a system that would keep the Grimm away from their settlements, without the need of hard-to-construct perimeter walls and expensive defensive emplacements.
"We'll do better than demonstrate," said Sora, nodding again towards Haruka, who distributed the documents she produced to the assembled delegates. "We have a gift for you all, something we've been planning since before we arranged this little conference.
"As you can see in the documents we've given you, Etheric Energy is harnessed through the use of a Core Crystal, which converts it into useable form. Our studies thus far have shown Etheric Energy to be practically omnipresent and, to the extent of our knowledge, functionally limitless in quantity."
"How can you be sure?" asked Radcliff skeptically.
"We discovered Etheric Energy by stumbling upon the means to observe it," said Haruka. "In studying it, we have been experimenting with using high conversion in limited areas to try and deplete supply within a small area, in order to test the limits of its availability. However, we were unable to make any noticeable change in its concentration. To the best of our knowledge, if it is a finite energy source, its overall limit appears to be on par with that of solar energy."
"In other words, if there is a limit, it won't be one that we can reach until billions of years have passed," noted Radcliff.
Haruka nodded.
Sora continued her earlier speech. "As I was saying, the Core Crystals convert the energy into a useable form. We have designed arrays that convert that form into electricity, which we can then channel into other conversion-type crystals to generate the forces we've been talking about, such as flight and shields.
"Rather than simply demonstrate the capabilities of our crystals, we will be providing you with a very special gift. Each Kingdom here will receive from us a pair of of our Etheric Core Crystals for study and experimentation. Along with them, we will provide at least two of each type of conversion crystal we have currently developed, so that you can test their capabilities for yourselves. We will be distributing one to the Kingdom Council and one to each Kingdom's Academy."
"Only two?" asked Ironwood. "I was sure the Mibu had more generosity than that."
Sora giggled. "Suddenly you're quite greedy, General. Our Core Crystals are currently grown through a painstaking process that requires a century to complete. At this point, mass production simply is not possible, and makes each Core Crystal produced priceless. I believe that this is more than generous."
"So we are free to do as we wish with these crystals you've given us?" inquired Radcliff. "No stipulations?"
"None," said Sora. "Do whatever you please with them, even if that is simple letting them lie in some vault to collect dust. It is my hope that you will study them thoroughly and develop an even further understanding of their capabilities."
"Hmmm…." Radcliff looked at Sora intently, evidently thinking things over very carefully. Then he favored her with an approving smile. "Very well. I think I understand what you're really after here. I look forward to letting my Kingdom's scientists loose on this technology."
Ozpin shot a glance at Ironwood, expecting some kind of further outburst from him. In today's discussions alone, the Mibu had dropped not one, but two bombshells that were deliberately targeted at undermining the Kingdoms' reliance on the Dust industry, which undermined the Schnee Dust Company's power and, through them, Atlas' power. The commercial, military, and social order that Ironwood relied upon, had tried to impress directly and indirectly upon the rest of the world, and supported almost unconditionally, was being targeted.
However, it appeared that Ironwood was at the limit of even his capacity for anger. Instead, his head was bowed, his eyes fixed upon the documents in front of him, although he didn't seem to actually be reading their contents. However, Ozpin knew for a fact that Ironwood was a long way from being beaten and that this conflict of words and ideas had only just begun.
It's pretty hard, doing this at home. Our dog is a seventy-pound lap-dog, who demands constant attention. He's currently lounging next to my chair, as I write this, looking at me like, "Why are you playing with that stupid thing? Keep scratching me."
That aside...I love trolling Ironwood. It's always so much fun to come up with ways to yank the rug out from under him.
