It's that time of the year, when I post several chapters before disappearing back into the void! Yay!
Chapter 14
CoverArt: KegiSpringfield
Beat: (?I think he's still alive?)
Gynda narrowed her gaze as she watched the two students duke it out on stage. Her eye twitching ever so slightly behind the rims of her glasses.
Mr Yatsuhashi Daichi brought his over sized Fulcrum rushing downward towards his opponent, only for said opponent to parry the strike downwards. She was going to have to schedule maintenance for the ring again. Thankfully, this was the last fight of the day.
The student facing the giant of team CFVY was the team leader of RATH. Why she had thought to place any teammates of any of the four teams against each other, when they were already in competition for Mr Arc's class, she hadn't the slightest clue.
Lesson learned she supposed.
The sound of clashing steel brought her attention back to the duo as Mr Jason Redds launched into a counter assault. Putting to use his lighter weapon - still a Claymore, she reminded herself - to use by feigning a strike to Mr Daichi's thigh, before reversing to clip his shoulder while the other man attempted to save his head.
They are certainly doing away with the flashy attacks. She mused to herself, Though I'm sure there is more riding on this fight than a simple win for either team.
Glynda hid a wince as another section of training ring was damaged as Mr Daichi was able to grab Mr Redds by one leg and repeatedly beat him against the ground. Thankfully, with only enough force to rapidly deplete his opponent's aura, it still dented the floor.
She was about to end the match, even though Mr Redds still had plenty of aura, when a loud bang and a splashing sound made her sigh.
A new paint job seemed in order as well, it seemed.
The fight continued for another minute before the timer expired, ringing shrilly over the sound of combat. A draw.
As annoying as it is, I am glad I installed that. Glynda thought, still miffed over the last time a match had gone on for half the class time.
The two combatants dusted themselves off and stood at attention, awaiting her comments and criticisms. Glynda stepped forward with a restrained twitch in her right eye.
"Mr Redds. While I applaud creativity and ingenuity that does not involve endangering the audience." She said, blocking out the sniggers from said audience, "I am afraid I am going to have to bring back The A-List."
The fox faunus winced as she glared at him, sheepishly hiding the ruined pouch behind his back.
"I would like to reiterate that any weapons or equipment that is NOT personally sanctioned by me, will not be allowed in the arena." Her glare continued from Mr Redds up into the crowd, making sure each and every one of them nodded back. "Seeing as I neglected to enforce this before the match, however, I shall not make you clean up this mess, Mr Redds." She finished with a sigh.
The young man straightened back up.
Glynda resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "I believe having to spend yet another week with your face painted pink is punishment enough." Not that Mr Diachi deserved it.
Mr Redds sucked air through his teeth at the realization of what he'd done to himself. Incidentally inhaling some paint at the same time. Mr Daichi gave him a few helpful pats on the back, but appeared to have taken to breathing through his nose to help deal with the amount of pink dye paint that was currently soaking both of them.
"You are dismissed." She sighed. Watching the rest of the class depart while two teams came to collect their tie-dyed teammates, waiting for them to leave before turning and pinching her nose with one hand.
"How you manage to disrupt my combat class when you aren't even in it, disturbs me, Mr Arc. It truly does." Glynda muttered as she gingerly stepped around the large splash of paint, sending out a work order for basic repairs and a large amount of dye-remover.
Nora moved down the corridors like a predator in search of her prey. Students fled from her intensely focused glare. She cornered one likely looking - from behind and a hunched position - suspect, only to growl when said suspect turned out to be a girl.
Blast.
Slowly she made another lap around the halls, on the constant lookout for a tall, scraggly - but strong - blond, time travelling noodle. Nora did not like being denied her prey.
...
About ten feet behind, the rest of the 'hunting party' trailed along. Ruby, Pyrrha, and Yang simply accepting Nora's antics. While the energetic bomber continued to startle unsuspecting students, Yang glanced over at the taller redhead.
"Hey, you holding up okay there, Champ?" She asked, keeping her voice low enough only the other two girls could hear her.
Pyrrha looked over with a questioning look, one that fell into a pained expression immediately. She coughed into a fist, "Um. Well, I was a little worse for wear earlier. Ruby gave me some advice though."
Ruby beamed up at her partner, giving the older girl a reassuring nudge. Yang smiled too, her little sister was growing up. Between becoming a team leader and everything else, Ruby certainly had her moments.
"That's good." She said, rubbing her little sisters hair. Her smile faltering a moment as Ruby didn't instantly fight back, instead leaning slightly into her hand. She slammed her smile back into place before anyone could notice. "H-how'd she do that?"
Pyrrha took a deep breath, "By reminding me that… that just because I was supposed to die up on the tower, Jaune spent so long - actually breaking time - to keep it from happening." A brilliant smile broke across her face, "So, our lives aren't set in set in stone, and Destiny isn't a certainty, either."
Yang stared at her slack jawed, before looking down at her cute little sister. "Wha- Ruby said that?" That was extremely profound. Even Yang wouldn't have came up with that kind of answer.
Pyrrha snickered, tapping her chin as if deep in thought, "Well. I asked her if she believed in Destiny, and she said 'nope'. And that she was gladAGCK-"
The Champion was cut off as a swirl of angry red and black huntress cut her off, forcing her to try and keep her team leader from gagging her mouth. Yang just laughed along.
Weiss waited patiently at the edge of a private training ring, listening to her own heart beat steadily in her chest as she focused on her breathing.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
A subtle breeze shifted across her skin.
In.
Out.
The clack of shoes on the floor sounded in her ears.
In.
Out.
"Ya ready kiddo?" A gruff voice asked as Weiss cracked her eyes open. Mr Bra- Qrow stood a few feet from her, a haggard look on his face. He looked slightly more hunched than normal and she could smell the alcohol from where she sat. Unfortunately, Miss Goodwitch was still in class, so Weiss turned to the next person who could help train her.
Taking another breath, she slowly stood up and faced him. "No smart aleck remarks?" She asked, taking a step forward despite the smell. She winced a moment later, she wasn't meaning to be sharp. Perhaps earlier was still bothering her.
Qrow's eyes sharpened, "Easy, brat. I ain't always got all the best lines."
"Forgive me. It's been a… trying morning already." Wiess bowed, berating herself. He was more than likely still reeling from the night as well.
The old huntsman sighed, "It's fine… I get it. Speaking of irritating, annoying, and unconventional, where is Wonderboy?" He asked, looking around the empty room. "When you asked for training, I kinda figured he'd be Johnny on the spot."
"I… I don't know." Weiss admitted, chewing on her lip. "The others are out looking for him. He… he woke up earlier and didn't know where - when - he was."
Qrow paled for a moment, "Oh. Oh shit."
Weiss paused, "Yes, well… It took him a few minutes to realize where. We… we tussled."
There was a moment where she was sure he was going to make some wisecrack, instead, Qrow gave her a critical look. "You hurt?" He asked.
She shook her head, "I pinned him for a moment while he was confused, but he threw me off." The memory of his expression made her wince, "That was when he seemed to remember where he was and… I yelled at him. I was so angry…"
The last part was what hurt the most. He was still drunk, or at least still confused, even after sitting out on the roof with them all, they'd only stayed there maybe a quarter of an hour. Then everyone had kind of broken off, with her and Jaune heading back to the room. He doubtless had no idea what was going on and she had just snapped at him like that.
"I don't even know why I was angry… I'm an awful-"
"Hey, hey, easy." Qrow said, waving a finger at her, "Everyone's a little scattered brained right now. It ain't your fault. None of this is." He growled, "You ain't responsible for this shit show one way or another."
"I am responsible for my actions and words," Weiss retorted, standing a little taller to shoot a glare at him.
"Yea?" Qrow challenged, doing the same, "Well news flash Princess, you're human and humans make mistakes. You made a mistake, accept that and move on."
Weiss bristled, cursing the fact that he was so much taller than her, "Well, I have to be more than human now, don't I? I have a duty, I have to be the strongest and-"
"No." The vicious tone cut her off, actually making her take a step back.
"But-"
"But nothing." Qrow snarled, holding his ground, "You're a teenage girl learning to fight monsters and just got an unholy amount of bullshit heaped on you. You can be as strong as you want, but the moment you believe that strength is all that matters? You become a monster."
Weiss recoiled, staring at him, "B-but the Maiden Po-"
"Piss on the Powers." Qrow cut in again, "You've got just about the biggest bullseye in Remnant on your back, but that doesn't make you any more or less human." He sighed and pulled out his flask, "You've still got a boyfriend, you've still got goals in life."
Qrow broke eye contact with her for a moment to glare at the flask, "You still got a life. The Power of the Maidens are just another headache you're gonna have to deal with."
Weiss didn't protest as silence descended between them as he reached to unscrew the flask. With a great sigh, his hand dropped and he hid the flask back in his vest.
"I ain't got no problem helping you get stronger. So long as you never forget it's NOT the most important thing in life." He said softly. "I might not be as good at this as Glynda, but I was Amber's prote - I was supposed to be Amber's protector. I fucked up and it cost her everything."
"I ain't saying I won't fail you either, but I've got one life and I'm going to do my damnedest to do the best I can." Qrow met her gaze as he spoke, "If Jaune could withstand failure for a thousand failures to get us here, then I'm gonna do what I can to make it worth it."
Weiss drew a breath, "You…"
"I believe him, yea." Qrow grinned, "Ain't the most asinine thing I've read of today."
"Thank you." Weiss sighed, for some reason feeling a little better.
Qrow grunted, "Thank me in ten years. For now, let's focus on making you a little stronger. Only a little," He said, holding his finger up again, "We still have to go track down the Wonderboy before he… I don't know, turns off gravity or something."
Weiss let a small smile, "Very well. Where do we start?"
Qrow gave a vicious grin, "Well, I hear Glynda's been sticking to helping you control the weather, how about something a little more… direct."
Ozpin read over the final draft of his speech for the council. He sighed, more pointless pandering and trigger phrases. Yet another tragedy - the kingdom would come back stronger. A thousand more lives lost - memories and legacies to honor. A hundred more lies fed to the powerful.
Not that any one of those 'powerful individuals' could hold a candle to the worth of any student.
The Old Wizard gave a defeated sigh as he took his coffee and strode to the other side of his desk, desperate to not have to look at the statistics and fanciful words that played across his terminal. It was days like this that made him long for those times long passed.
He took a sip of coffee, letting his mind drift back. Though it was a different body, his memories still held the rush of the fight, the thrum of adrenaline through his veins. Back when he'd been a Soldier, a Warrior. His hands tightened into fists at the phantom feeling of fighting grimm with his staff and powers.
Simpler times. Not easier for sure, but times when heart and character meant more than wealth and reputation. Back when a daring spirit, one willing to risk everything, was more sought after than those who promised safety through repetition and submission to rules.
Heaving a deep sigh, he let the feelings go. He wasn't that any more. Even when this body passed and he moved on to the next, he would yet again have to take up the mantle of leadership. It was his duty, his Destiny, until he could complete the task set be the God of Light.
His terminal beeped.
Ozpin ignored it, opting to lean heavily against his desk.
He took a sip of coffee, idly trying to remember exactly which notification he'd assigned that beep to.
While others might never be able to tell, save a few with very acute hearing, each and every beep his terminal and scroll made had a specific pitch and length. A variable hundred plus notifications indistinguishable to any but he.
He took another sip. Ah, that's right. Don't remember why I had the remote terminal for the launch pads send me notifications though. He thought.
A second bedeep sound pinged. Ozpin sighed, That would be the good Counselor Sabastian. No doubt with more rabble about raising the people's spirit. More festival plans not doubt. He grumbled as he took a longer sip. He was going to have to refill his cup at this rate. Does the man really not comprehend that people MIGHT be a little…..
Ozpin choked mid sip.
"Wait." He coughed, holding a sleeve over his mouth to try and keep from spluttering coffee all over his new glass floor.
Taking three long steps back to the other side of the desk. The Old Wizard waved one of his screens clear, taking care not to delete anything, and pulled up the camera control panel. A massive network spiderwebbed in front of him as he tapped a cluster off to the side, displaying the initiation launch pads.
There was nothing there.
A few more swift clicks pulled up the last few minutes of activity.
Ozpin pressed 'play'. Making sure to keep his eyes on the monitor, he refilled his coffee cup. I am both impressed and slightly depressed with myself that I can operate a coffee machine without looking. He mused as the camera replayed the last five minutes.
A figure with wild golden hair and a blue long coat approached a rock set to the side of the area, "Ah. Jaune," Ozpin raised his mug and took a sip, "What are you up to today?"
The figure fiddled with the rock for a moment, stood and turned to the camera, flipping it the bird before moving back to stand on one of the large pads set into the earth. Ozpin raised an eyebrow, watching the young man disappear into the forest below.
Ozpin sat back, letting the warmth of the mug seep into his hands. A sharp pang of jealousy made him twitch. Oh to be young and free. Able to fling myself off a cliff again to test myself against our oldest enemy. The thought made the old man sigh.
For several long moments, the Headmaster sat staring at the screen before him. Sip after sip, his brows gradually drawing down. He adjusted the feed to the forest cams. There had been an increase in activity lately. One hand fell to the desk, drumming out a tune long forgotten.
Peter reported a record success against rising numbers after his extermination mission with Ms Xiao Long… And he has been bragging about that for the last few mornings. Peter was an exemplary huntsman, experienced, bold and daring.
A deep frown etched its way across his face.
A soft bebeep sounded from the terminal. His eyes tracked from the randomly circulating camera feeds of the forest to the screen occupied by the vast amounts of paperwork and speeches he'd written over the last few weeks.
Ozpin took another sip of coffee.
"I used to be a warrior." He mused. A small hint of a smile played at his mouth, "I do believe I needed to speak to Mr Arc anyways."
Blake and Ren completed their third lap of the exterior of the Beacon grounds, stopping to rest at a shady bench not far from the gates to the school. Gates might have been an exaggeration, given that it was a wide, cobblestone path through a large ring of arches that led to the main doors of the school.
"I think it's safe to say he isn't on school grounds." Blake let out a huff, leaning back into the bench. While far from satisfied, having experienced Ren's semblance was serving to keep her from lashing out. It wasn't affecting her anymore, but just having experiencing it had been enough to snuff out some of her more outlandish thoughts.
Semblances were weird.
Ren chose to answer with a soft hum. The green garbed ninja had been as quiet as she had throughout their search. Speaking up to answer questions or suggest a location, but otherwise simply following her lead.
"Assuming Nora hasn't found him inside - and I am willing to bet lien that we would have heard if she had - you are more than likely correct." Ren answered, resting his hands in his lap.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Blake said, eyes tracking around the courtyard for the blond haired leader. "It's a little unsettling to think that he's better at disappearing than I am."
Ren glanced over with a raised eyebrow.
Blake rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean. I was a trained saboteur in a terrorist organization."
"You were?" Ren asked, sarcasm dripping in his voice, "I didn't know that."
Yellow eyes narrowed dangerously at the reserved man.
"My semblance doesn't continuously suppress emotions." He said with an eye roll, "I only said that continued exposure will prolong its effects."
Blake mumbled to herself and crossed her arms. Everyone was a comedian these days. Blake rubbed the bridge of her nose for a moment before turning her attention back to her surroundings. Classes were out by now, so students were milling about enjoying the weather. Most were moving to claim their favorite spots on the grounds.
A soft frown crossed her face. There were so many who carried their weapons - even in uniform- or small, odd numbered groups. Some moved to a place, only to stop short and turn in a different direction, bitter looks on their faces.
"Loss changes everyone in different ways." Ren spoke up, "Everyone has their own way of expressing it. Everyone deals with it differently."
Blake blinked, "They say time heals all wounds." She smiled bitterly, "They never say how much time it takes."
Ren nodded softly, "It makes me wonder how deep a wound Jaune carries."
Ruby collapsed back on her bed, Yang following suit a moment later.
"Soo…." Yang left the question hanging in the air above them.
"Pyrrha will be fine, she's used to dealing with Nora." Ruby reassured her, waving a hand above herself, "At least better then Jaune will be after Nora gets ahold of him. Her snuggle hugs are far deadlier than yours."
"I'd take that as a challenge if I hadn't already experienced them." Yang dismissed, letting her arms fall above her head.
A minute ticked by.
"Hey, do you… never mind."
A minute ticked by.
"Rube's? Do you think… nah."
A minute ticked by.
"Yang?"
"Yea, Rubes?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure. Shoot."
"Do you remember that night?"
Yang pushed herself up to one elbow and looked at her sister. "What do you mean by that?" She asked.
"Just… You know. Grimm dragon, invasion, terrorists. Things like that."
Yang closed her eyes and let out a breath, a small amount of fear weighed on her. "Yea… I remember it, I remember snarking about you had never seen a dragon before and how Beacon was trained to kill grimm." She let out a shaky breath.
With a wince, she sat up, pivoting so she sat towards Ruby. "Why? What do you remember about it?"
Ruby was quiet for a long time, long enough that Yang began to stroke her hair out of habit. It reminded her of back when they were little. It was… crazy and scary back then. Back when she was burning mac and cheese because dad was out on a hunt and they needed to eat, she remembered bawling her eyes out in her room afterwards. Trying to understand the picture instructions on the washing machine…. Those times were hard. Losing Summer had been a heart wrenching struggle growing up, having to be mature and grow up in ways no one should have to.
Yang held back the wet pricks in her eyes as she relived the fear and uncertainty that had flooded her mind that night.
"I was so scared…" Ruby finally whispered, "The dragon was wrecking everything and the explosions and I didn't know where you were in all of it. But I knew… I knew if I could hurt it, I could give everyone else time to make a plan of how to kill it… I just had to trust someone had a plan."
Yang held a breath as she watched her little sister blink away tears at the memory of that night. Gods, she'd fought a psychopath with magic while Ruby had faced down a monster from every little kids - and adults- nightmare.
Yang growled, "When I hit the top of the elevator, I knew something wasn't right. I mean, Weiss was on her last leg." Yang pulled Ruby up into a hug, "It was scary, Th-that bitch looked so smug… so proud about everything." Yang smothered a sniffle.
"I knew Jaune had a plan. He always has a plan. The asshole." Yang took a deep breath, " And then I couldn't tell which way was up when we left the tower… I didn't know if you… if you were okay…" Ruby hugged her back. The feeling of Ruby's arms clasping around her back let Yang gain a breath she hadn't realized she'd lost.
I… I couldn't save her… Yang I… I'm so sorry…. I fucked up and she was gone….
Yang pulled out the hug, looking up and down every inch of her little sister. The black and red trimmed combat skirt, the hood and cape, the red trimmed tips of hair and silver eyes. The sad smile that said she wished she could help, but didn't really know how.
"I was so scared," She whispered, "I knew Weiss was going to die… I was too. I was so scared I was going to leave you… that you might not be there."
A heavy lump hit her stomach as she swallowed and held her little sister in a hug. There was no protests. Only small, strong arms to hug her back.
Yang's eyes burned hot and bright, I won't lose anyone else. Not now, not ever.
"Alright. That's enough." Qrow called.
Weiss lowered Myrtenaster before turning with a frown. "But I was getting so close."
With a raised eyebrow, Qrow glanced over her shoulder at the target he'd told her to hit. Forty or fifty icicles, each the size of his arm, were lodged at various intervals in the twenty feet between them and the target. And the ten feet past.
In the floor, the wall behind the target, the ceiling, the wall behind them. Just about anywhere but the target. The last one had been missed by an inch, maybe. That's where he called it though.
"You're getting close enough." He said, scratching his cheek, "I'm more impressed by how much you were able to create. How's it feel?"
Weiss closed her eyes, letting the pale fire that ringed her eyes burn out. She took a deep breath as the power was drawn back in, "Strange… honestly, it's not like Dust, or my Glyphs. More primal, I guess?"
Qrow hummed, "Well you haven't tried taking my head off in the last twenty tries, so I'm gonna guess using that tooth pick you call sword is helping?"
He grinned as she bristled slightly at the jab. Watching a little casual destruction seemed to be doing wonders for his attitude. Causing casual destruction seemed to be helping her too.
"Yes," She let the insult go without a comeback, "Trying to force it, it felt wrong I suppose… in my mind. When I try to think of it as being similar to Dust, and draw parallels to what I am used to… it feels like it shapes itself from there." She glanced down range with a wince, "Now I just have to learn to aim it properly."
"That'll come with practice." He said, sending out a work order for the cleaning crew. It was one piece of paperwork he'd learned real fast, since Glynda had made him clean up his mess after his first class. He pocketed the scroll with a wave of his hand, letting a half grin turn the corners of his mouth.
"For now, we've got a time-hopping blond to hunt down." He said, turning towards the exit. He heard her huff and step to follow him.
Glynda sat down behind her desk, letting out a breath and enjoying a short break from her responsibilities. The soft scent of her tea helping her relax for a moment before she took a drink. The routine of classes and dealing with rowdy young students let her think back over the years, while stressful, watching her charges grow and learn never ceased to give her peace of mind.
She set the cup down, only for it to tilt to the side a little.
The cracks that split her desk ruined the pleasant thoughts.
Much as the day before, she sat and stared at the damaged. Two imprints drew her attention. Just a glance at them was enough to remind her of the face that had forced her to back down. Her elbows rested gently on the desk as she let her face fall into them.
It hadn't been the first time she'd lost her temper and shouted at someone, but somehow the memory of his face hurt more than any before.
A frown flourished, Why should I feel so guilty about what I said? It was a good question, If he knew who Cinder Fall was, he should have alerted us. He should have warned us of what she was planning.
One hand lifted the cup and she took another sip. He had every opportunity to approach her or the headmaster. To tell them the truth. They could have apprehended Fall and her underlings.
"I had NO choice! If I stopped her before the Fall, something far, far worse would have come. I tried it before and FAILED! I was forced to sit back and watch everyone I love - Everyone I fucking care about - march to their deaths again and again. Pyrrha? Dead. My Team? Dead! You and Ozpin and RWBY and EVERYONE! DEAD! And then I die. Then I wake up and do it again, and again, and fucking again."
His words assaulted her again. The anger, pain, sorrow and self damnation washed over her again. The feelings washed over her again as she replayed their confrontation again and again in her mind. He had told them before? When?
Ms Nikos was still alive. There was no team RWBY.
Glynda pulled off her glasses and massaged her temples. Nothing made sense.
Another sip of her tea did little to settle her mind, she was a seasoned huntress and teacher. She'd seen everything from her students; from depression to anger, self doubt to unusual semblances. A few had thrown her off, but nothing yet had scared her, put her so much on the back foot that she couldn't stand.
She knew the world was twisted and cruel, more so than most ever would. There was so much wrong for what little good there was. She was supposed to help them, not scream at them.
Glynda wiped her eyes and put her glasses back in place. Taking a deep breath, she came to a conclusion. She had lashed out, and she needed to apologize for doing so. With a steady hand she pulled out her scroll and dialed Mr Arc's number.
It immediately went to voicemail. With a frown she tried again with the same result. A trickle of worry settled in her mind.
She dialed the Headmaster's personal scroll and waited a moment.
"Glynda? Is something wrong?" Were Ozpin's first words.
"No, nothing is wrong. I was simply trying to reach Mr Arc regarding some material for his class." The little lie came easily.
"Ah, I see. I have been unable to reach him myself and decided to take a stroll to see if I could locate him around the school. I shall pass on your message."
"Thank you, sir. Please have him meet with me as soon as possible." Glynda gave a sigh. As frustrating and irritating as Ozpin could be, he was still one of the few things she could rely on in life.
Her scroll clicked off as she set it down, a small weight lifting from her shoulders as she took another sip of her tea. This is just another hurdle that we are faced with. We shall face it as we always have, and we shall survive to face another day.
Ozpin took a deep breath as he walked easily through the forest, letting his senses grow attuned to the ambience. The way the trees creaked and groaned, the smell of grass and soil, and the way the wind rustled to leaves. It was beautiful, a smile traced his lips as he made a mental note to do this more often.
Even after seeing almost every landscape and environment on the face of Remnant, simply being out in it again gave him joy. A squirrel lept from one branch to the next as it darted above him, his eyes tracking it for a moment before it disappeared from sight.
Ozpin tilted his head and allowed a small amount of his power to swell within him, his vision sharpened and his hearing increased. Nothing dramatic, just a slight boost to help him track down a wayward young man.
A low growl and the snapping of brush drew his attention, he stopped beside a large tree and let the sounds guide him as the disturbance grew closer. A beowulf, medium size at most, was traveling rapidly towards him, Ozpin raised an eyebrow as he heard the beast grow nearer, bringing up his cane for the inevitable attack.
A moment later, his instincts proved true as the beast broke through the foliage, red eyes ablaze as it rushed forward. A blur of motion was the last thing the creature saw before his cane ended its existence, the sudden strike driving the beast's head down into the ground, its body flipping up and over as it somersaulted into the tree.
Ozpin let his cane complete a lazy circle in the air as his muscles stretched, giving only a short glance at the rapidly dissolving beast. He took another breath.
This, this is what he missed. The feeling of his muscles straining and the burst of adrenaline at facing humanity's longest enemy. His body tingled as he began to walk in the direction of where the grimm seemed to be headed.
His pace picked up from an easy stroll to brisk pace, the sound of more grimm sounded up ahead, along with the unmistakable sound of a weapon carving through flesh and bone. The grin broke into a smile at the sounds.
His path lead him closer as he drew more of his power, feeling his muscles react to heightened strength and reflexes. His eyes flickered left and right as the trees began to thin out and a flash of black drew his attention. The hulking black frame of an ursa knocked a small tree from its roots as the beast rushed towards the sounds of combat, ignoring the human not ten feet from it.
Ozpin slowed his pace as the trees grew ever more sparse and the resounding clang of metal rang out. His fingers itched as he gripped his cane, wanting nothing more than to lash out with the power he had imbued them with. He reigned in the desire to rush blindly in, however, pausing at the edge of the trees to take in the scene before him.
There were no less than twenty or thirty grimm either circling or in combat. The ursa that had passed him a moment earlier charged straight into the middle of the melee, raising a mighty arm and brought it crashing down. A flash of silver sent the limb flying - dissolving before it even reached the ground - and the ursa stumbling forward.
Jaune Arc darted out from under where the limb once was, his blade buried into the side of the Grimm. With a growl of his own, he yanked the blade out, not bothering with looking at his latest kill. Instead, the younger hunter weaved under a leaping beowulf as it tried to pin him to the ground, earning a clean bisection for its trouble.
Ozpin quickly categorized the condition of the Huntsman. His jacket was torn in a dozen different places, his pants and boots scratched and muddy. Golden hair, while have never really been kept in order, was now an out of control mess that caught the sun every time the man moved.
He wielded his sword in one hand and his shield strapped to his arm. A pistol was gripped in his shield hand as he diverted a strike, tossing the offending paw to the side and firing into the exposed chest of a beowulf.
He also appeared to be wearing a combat vest from the Armory. Curious.
Jaune dodged a strike from another ursa, slipping from sight as he wove back into the horde, silver blade flashing like a blender as every strike claimed another monster. Ozpin's smile grew as he watched the battle. He drew power and dashed into the fray.
Green aura flashed as his cane flickered in and out of the side of a beowulf's skull, leaving the body to collapse. Four more died the same way was he began to methodically work his way in a slow circle around the group, catching flashes of Jaune every few seconds.
To say the fight was taking place in a circle may have not been accurate, given that Mr Arc was moving in, around, and through the grimm. He was sacrificing ground in every direction, though only because he was making more somewhere else.
A beowulf was thrown from the middle of the fight, crashing into its brethren and creating an opening for Ozpin to see Jaune strike down another foe, his aura flashing as a lucky beowulf landed a strike across his forearm.
Jaune carved its face in two a split second later and Ozpin was forced to reevaluate the Grimm's luck.
"Ah, Mr Arc. A pleasure to run into you." Ozpin called out over the growls and howls of the horde.
Blue eyes snapped to him as a snarl blossomed across the other man's face. "What are you doing here?" He asked, breaking eye contact and running a beowulf through, driving it to the ground.
Ozpin's cane shattered the leg of an ursa as he continued his circle. A small spike of irritation caused him to strike out again and break another limb before bringing his cane around to impale the beast through the neck. Ozpin frowned, that had been particularly cruel of him, far from the swift and surgical way he prefered to put down grimm.
"I felt the need for some fresh air," He said, trying to keep his voice casual as he shattered another grimm's face. "The day seemed pleasant enough for a stroll."
Jaune didn't respond, instead whipping the pistol around and firing into an ursa's face far more times than was strictly necessary. It seemed Mr Arc was not in the mood for conversation. Though for the moment, Ozpin felt much the same, old memories simmered in the back of his mind as he began to lash out aggressively at the grimm that seemed eager to throw themselves at him.
Fine by him, he had stress to burn.
Minutes ticked by, marked by the rapid extermination of the grimm. Ozpin's frown deepened, Peter's reports had mentioned increased activity, but this felt… wrong. The old man vaulted over an ursa, taking a moment to survey the area.
The grimm were as numerous as when he'd arrived.
A large crack and the sound of snapping trees forced Ozpin's attention to the tree line as a booming roar sounded. The Grimm around him heard it, if the way they suddenly scrambled and broke rank was any indication. All but the youngest were now moving to a half circle, still attacking and being slaughtered by Jaune and himself, but only doing so from three sides.
Ozpin caught an annoyed look cross Mr Arc's face as they were forced closer to each other. A few more strikes found the two nearly back to back as the grimm consolidated, almost herding them towards the treeline.
Another roar from the woods caused the remaining Grimm to pull back further, with one or two breaking forth to continue to keep both humans occupied.
With the lessing assault, both of them striking down the occasional grimm with slightly more force than was strictly necessary, Ozpin tried to shake the borderline anger that had begun to seep into his bones.
"While I'm not one to waste a day such as this," Ozpin spoke as he impaled a leaping beowulf, "I was wondering if I might speak with you about the incident at the grainery?"
Jaune stepped into and under a charging ursa, sliding his blade between its ribs and carving its chest open. "Why are you here?" Came the sharp reply, dark blue eyes shooting a glare at the older man.
Brows furrowed as Ozpin fought to hold back a biting retort, venting his emotions in a rather theatrical display as he slaughtered a beowulf.
"Well, to be frank," He snapped, his patience wearing unusually thin, "I wished to ask about why you lashed out at Ms Goodwitch
His eyes widened as an entire fir tree sailed past, striking off the ground with enough force to bounce another ten feet in the air before it crashed into the ranks of grimm behind them.
"What the fuck!" Jaune cursed out, having done the same as Ozpin and watching the tree decimate a dozen smaller grimm.
The two men stared at the tree for a moment before turning to look at each other, then slowly in the direction the tree had come from.
"While I disagree with your use of language," Ozpin spoke, feeling the color drain from his face, "I find myself agreeing with the sentiment."
Standing at the edge of the clearing they had been fighting in, stood an Ursa. Though the image that was so often associated with that name did little to describe the beast that was now glaring down at them.
"Is that what I think that is?" Jaune asked, dipping to the side and unloading the rest of his pistol's ammo into a particularly brave beowulf.
Ozpin let out a sigh, staring down the beast, "I believe it is, Mr Arc. I believe it is."
Yang screamed and almost jumped out of her skin as the door to her dorm room was kicked off its hinges and flew across the room. Ruby screamed too, holding to the light fixture that hung from the ceiling. Rose petals slowly drifted in the air as Peter Port stormed into the room, his blunderaxe in one hand and a broad smile on his face.
"Now now, ladies. This is not the time screaming practice!" He bellowed, raising his voice to be heard over the two terrified teens. "Grab your weapons and follow me! We have beasies to kill!"
Yang's scream cut off, a shocked expression on her face as she balanced on the bed, back to the wall as she held a lamp defensively in front of her. "WHaT ARE yo- Why did you KICK DOWN THE DOOR?!"
"No time to knock, obviously!" Professor Port loudly declared, "The good Headmaster has just requested backup in the Emerald Forest and there's not a moment to lose!"
Ruby dropped from the ceiling, "What do you mean why is the Headmaster asking for help are we being attacked where are they oh gods we still haven't found Jaune!" The shorter girl began to panic more as she ran around the room, forgetting for the moment that she wasn't in her room and therefore, none of her gear was here.
"Fear not, Miss Rose, Mr Arc is already assisting the Headmaster as we speak." The large man apparently had no trouble understanding Ruby's rapid words as one of Weiss' dresses were thrown across the room.
"WHAT!" Yang yelled, rushing forward and grabbing Ember Celica off her night stand, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO! Let's go!"
Reaching out with one hand, she snagged Ruby's hood as the red cloaked girl rushed by, "Come on! I know a shortcut!" She yelled as she rushed past the Professor.
"Haha! That's the spirit lassie!"
He turned and followed as Yang drew back her arm back and discharged it into Team RRNN's door just as it was beginning to open. Pyrrha screamed as the door exploded and left her standing there with the doorknob in her hand.
Yang explained the situation by throwing Ruby into her face and shouting, "JAUNE'S IN TROUBLE! GET THE GUNS -" She dove through the window, glass and all, without slowing down, "- follow us!" Her voice trailed off as she disappeared into the distance.
Ruby untangled herself from her partner and scrambled to her feet, dodging out of the way as Professor Port thundered past with a booming laugh and a shout of "Meet us at the cliffs!" before he too threw himself out the window and vanished from view.
"W-w-what?" Was all Pyrrha was able to get out before Ruby was throwing her sword and shield at her, "Ruby! What is going on?"
Ruby said something, but Pyrrha wasn't able to make out more than a frantic "Where is it where is it where is it!?" as the small girl dug frantically under her bed.
A confused and desperate glance from Pyrrha revealed Nora stood to one side, Magneigh held at the ready with her back pushed into the corner.
"Don't ask me!" Nora defended herself, gesturing to the broken window with the barrel of her grenade launcher.
Ruby shot up from under the bed, a medium sized box in her hands, "Found it! Finally!" She declared, rushing to where Crescent Rose was resting. Said weapon suddenly flew into the air just before she reached it.
"Ruby! Explain now! Use words." Pyrrha demanded as she held one hand out, her semblance glowing around the sniper-scythe.
"I don't know!" Ruby said, spinning around, "Professor Port just kicked down the door and yelled about Jaune being in trouble and I panicked and we need to follow them right now!"
Pyrrha dropped the sniper rifle and rushed to her own bed, "Why didn't you say so!" She said, grabbing an extra bandolier of ammo and throwing on her armor on over her school clothes.
A glance showed Nora doing the same, extra grenades slung over her shoulder. "I agree with Pyrrha! But we need to find Renny and Blakey before we-"
"Already here." Ren said calmly as he darted into the room, "Doctor Oobleck explained the situation to us." He said as he retrieved his weapons. He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder, "What happened to the door?"
His question went unanswered as Blake slid into the room a moment later, Gamble Shroud already on her back as she rushed over to Ruby, "Which way?" She asked, her expression panicked.
"Follow me." Ruby shouted as she leapt out the window and making a beeline in the direction of the cliffs. Everyone else followed in short order, pausing only long enough to make sure they didn't land on one another before breaking into a dead sprint.
The Beast's haunches brushed only a few feet below the tops of the trees. A small trill of shock ran through the Headmaster as the Ancient Ursa lowered its car sized head and let loose a bone rattling growl. Incredibly thick looking plates of bone armored the chest, legs and back of the creature. Black fur showed in a few places, the armor gapped enough for it to move, as moss and foliage covered the spikes like a miniature forest.
It must have been drawn from the mountains. Ozpin's mind raced, Drawn by the Attack perhaps? Just by the increased movements of other grimm? His brows furrowed, Or perhaps She is just upset that Beacon still stands.
He took a step back and steeled himself as more magic flooded his body. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Jaune clip his sheath to his hip and reach into his coat. The young man showed a curious lack of fear. If anything, he looked angrier.
More concerning is how the patrols and surveillance drones never showed evidence of anything this large. His cane clicked to a stop in his hand, held to the side at a readied position.
"Well, this certainly puts a downer on ones day," Ozpin coughed, recovering from his shock, " And here I was hoping to take a break from the excessive amounts of paperwork." He paused as Jaune drew out a string of grenades from under his coat.
A massive paw dug into the ground a hundred yards away, drowning out the sound of pins and levers being pulled and released. From the corner of his eye he watched Jaune toss the half dozen grenades into the horde which had retreated a short distance behind them.
Black cylinders bounced and scattered between the Grimm a few seconds before they detonated. Gouts of flame and shrapnel erupted from their ranks, shredding those closest while the flames quickly caught and spread as the monsters panicked and trampled each other.
"Fire grenades?" Ozpin asked, slightly dumbfounded as the Ancient Ursa took another rumbling step towards them.
Jaune turned his attention back to the fore with a shrug, "Thermite, actually. I thought they'd come in handy while I was out for a walk." Sarcasm thick in his voice as he rolled his arm and squared his feet, "We've got a slightly bigger problem on our hands at the moment right now."
Ozpin's reply was drowned out as a great roar signalled the charge of the massive beast.
Eric and Travis finished filling out the pieces of paper and handed them over to the clerk at the front of the Requisitions Room.
"You boys know I can't just assign you this stuff," The clerk said as he read over the requests. "You have to have a Professor verify the request and sign for it in person."
Travis thumped his brother in the chest, "Told you so."
His twin rolled his eyes, "Yea, yea." He picked up the paper and gave a shrug to the guy, "Sorry for wasting your time."
Turning back down the hallway, the two met up with their teammates near the entrance.
"Well that's a shame." Harper said, "So what's the next plan?"
"Ambush CRDN in their sleep?" The twins suggested in unison.
Three sets of eyes turned to the pink faced leader, Jason rolled his eyes behind his tinted sunglasses, "Sure, why not. We got rope and climbing gear from our last mission." A hand came up to rub his painted goatee, "We could hot breach their window."
Harper laughed, "I like it. I'll pack a demo charge."
A klaxon blared through the halls as the team stopped short.
"Maybe it's a drill?" Travis asked.
"Attention all students. Please report to the main auditorium at once. This is not a drill."
Eric slapped his brother on the side of the head before breaking out in a run.
Qrow flashed back into human form, landing in a roll at the edge of the Cliffs of Beacon. "Welp, that's a big ass Ursa." He said, glancing over at the assembled teens and teachers waiting for his report.
"How are they holding up?" Dr Oobleck asked as he quickly typed away at a large scroll.
"Well they've managed to set a lot of trees and grimm on fire so far." Qrow replied, "And they're still fighting. Not making much of a dent on the damn thing though."
Port huffed, "Alright, everyone remember the plan?" He addressed the seven students, who were watching the billowing smoke cloud grow in the forest.
"Me and Pyrrha are sniper support, keep distance and aim for eyes and/or keep lesser grimm at bay." Ruby rattled off, silver eyes focused on the tree line below.
"Blake and I shall run skirmish and report blindspots." Ren spoke, "If necessary, we will break off and engage larger grimm to keep the pressure off the flanks."
"I'm gonna try and blow it's eyes out!" Nora added enthusiastically, earning a loud laugh.
"Excellent," The professor boomed, "That will allow Qrow, Bart, Ms Schnee and myself to help take the pressure off of those two down there and bring down this mighty beasty!"
Qrow rolled his eyes, glancing at Weiss and giving her a reassuring grin and nod. "They looked like they were holding well enough." He said, meeting her eyes.
"Good." She said, taking a deep breath, "I swear, I will tan his hide if he gets so much as a scratch over this."
A roar drew everyone's attention to the forest. Any reassurance from Qrow died an ugly death as Weiss watched the head, shoulders and chest of an Ursa break above the distant trees before it crashed back down out of sight.
"We are ready! Everyone prepare to launch in five seconds!" Dr Oobleck shouted as he rushed to his platform and drew his weapon, taking a sip from it a moment before the launch pads sent them hurtling through the air.
Jaune growled as he sprinted forward, his coat tattered and torn, a slight limp in his leg as he zigged and zagged, a gigantic paw slammed into the ground behind him. The claws a large as his torso carving furrows into the grown as the massive head came rushing towards him.
Whipping a hand into his ruined coat, he drew a grenade, pulled the pin and tossed it upwards and backwards. The explosive vanished into the maw as a violent explosion of green slammed into the side of its face, snapping its jaws shut.
A muffled thump was followed by a horrendously loud roar of pain as fire dust and chemicals ignited inside its mouth. Jaune was thrown from his feet as a paw blindly slammed down next to him and swept him up and away. He hurtled a dozen yards through the air and slammed harshly into the ground.
Rolling back to his feet he took a greedy breath of air, "Alright. Where in the fuck did this thing come from?!"
Ozpin landed in a flash of green, "I was asking myself that exact question, Mr Arc. An Ancient Grimm such as this should never have been able to wander this close to Vale." The old man said, panting for breath himself as he favored one arm. "Not without someone noticing."
The Ursa shook its head, turning and biting down into the earth, scraping a large amount of dirt and grass. Slowly, it turned its head back to them, burning soil dripping between its fangs.
Murder raged brightly in its eyes, the armored plates that had grown outwards along the edges of its eyes gave the look of a glaring skull.
The fire that burned around them glinted off the bone plates, the smell of blood and thick smoke served to paint the picture perfectly.
Jaune hissed under his breath, "Oh, that probably just pissed it off even more, huh." His hand dipped into his coat as he scowled, "I only have two grenades and a pistol left. Any ideas?"
The maw opened and half a ton of flaming dirt poured forth, fire and smoke licked at the edge of its mask as Jaune got his first decent look at its gullet. Three rows of teeth, each at least as long as his arm, and its incisors as large as he was tall.
"I would advise you retreat and let me handle this," Ozpin was also staring at the monster, watching as its eyes traced over them before settling on Jaune himself, "However, I am not sure it will allow that."
Jaune rolled his eyes as the Ancient Ursa crossed the distance between them in two massive leaps. "No shit!" He cursed and darted to the left, again the massive head turned to track him. "Do something you bitchass green pixie!"
Jaune ran ahead, ditching the idea of running into the trees for cover. The damn thing wouldn't care and just brush through them, while he ran the risk of tripping over something. Looked like it was time for the old reliable.
With a quick glance, he turned and darted back to the right before running under the damned thing. The Ursa, already on top of him nearly tripped as it tried to snap down on him. He fired randomly at the creature's stomach as he tried to weave between its massive legs. He very quickly stopped firing when a round ricocheted off the armor and cut his cheek.
He was nearly out from beneath it when he noticed it was suddenly very bright. Like the sun was shining in his eyes bright.
Squinting his eyes, Jaune realized the damned thing had stood up on its hind legs. The glowing red eyes glared down at him, a massive rear leg shifted. Jaune fired in up in pointless protest as he turned and ran off to the side.
An explosion sounded above him and a wave of energy washed over him.
Jaune cursed as he was picked up and thrown through the air once again. A fair bit of air time followed by an abrupt stop left him slapped against a tree. That's probably a rib or two. He growled to himself, scrabbling in the dirt and pulling himself into the bush.
A glance out of cover showed Ozpin floating in the air, surrounded by a green orb. Bolts of energy lanced outwards, the old man weaved back and forth in front of the things face as it swatted angrily at him.
It looked like Oz finally had its attention.
That was nice.
What was less nice was that there was still a 60 plus foot tall ursa on a rampage and most of the trees on the other side of the clearing were now turning into a rather large forest fire.
With a sigh, Jaune rushed back into the fray. This was just stupid. Maybe it was the hangover talking, but this was really, really stupid. Since when was some Ancient Grimm just hanging out in the damned forest?
Hell, even the Nevermore and Death Stalker from initiation were tiny compared to this thing!
Pushing Aura into his legs, Jaune rushed around and behind the beast, keeping one eye on how it balanced on its hind legs. If he was lucky, there should be… Yes. There!
Jaune sprinted in from the side, Crocea Mors flashing before his sunk it to the hilt in the patch of exposed flesh between two plates of armor.
A roar of pain threatened to bust his eardrums as his vision swam. Repercussions of dealing with titans like this were still relatively new to him. Given that they usually killed him in the first few minutes those rare times he ran into them.
He forced those past memories from his mind as he staggered away, leaving Crocea buried into its achilles tendon.
Ozpin dropped from the air like a rock, blood seeping from his eyes, ears, and nose. He'd been directly in front of its mouth when it roared.
He slammed into the ground, his breath forced from his body as his thoughts scattered. Blinking through the pain, he saw a fuzzy figure dashing towards him. Behind the fuzzy figure, a much, much larger one fell. He assumed it made a horrendous crashing noise, not that he was hearing much at the moment, what with the constant ringing sound.
His eardrums likely gone.
He registered the fact that he was being dragged back, the torn forest floor vibrating violently as the large hazy shape rolled around on the ground. Something jabbed into his back as leaves and branches filled his vision. Slowly, sound came back to him.
"Oi!... You… awa…." Muted pain blossomed across his face as he forced his vision to focus. Mr Arc was kneeling over him, one hand raised as he prepared to strike again.
With a wince, Ozpin raised a hand to dissuade him.
The hand came down anyways.
"Wake up old man." Jaune said, or likely shouted, before grabbing him under the shoulders again and dragging him further into the brush and behind a tree. "Stay here." The younger huntsman ordered, peeking out from behind their cover. Blood coated one side of his face, more on his hands and clothes.
The forest trembled again.
A flaming tree crashed to the ground a dozen yards away, forcing both men to flare their aura. Mr Arc cursed vehemently and tore off in the other direction.
Ozpin took a deep breath and growled. Anger boiling through his hazy mind as he forced his aura to heal his wounds. Vision and hearing snapped back, registering gunfire, cursing, and roars as he pushed himself up to one knee.
His clothes were in tatters, he could feel blood and mud clinging to his skin.
The anger burned deeper.
An Ancient Ursa? Truely!? A hissed breath escaped him, Is it not enough for her to have taken away everything else? To lock me into a desperate corner of the world?
He found his feet, cane still clutched in one hand.
One century after another, and SHE still hunts me!? He reached deep into his mind, touching what power still remained in him. Diminished over the years, slowly sapped with each incarnation while SHE continued to build hers.
Violent energy built up as he rocketed out of the treeline, taking in the battlefield in an instant. Mr Arc was weaving between the beasts massive legs, trying to stay away from the maw capable of swallowing him whole. Expletives audible between the growls and roars as the Ursa tried to crush its prey.
Ozpin raised his cain to his shoulder, striking out as he near the beasts flank. Destructive, green energy exploded. A roar like a thousand boulders echoed through the trees. Ozpin roared back.
"These are MY students, MY school, and MY corner of the world!" He shouted, punctuating his declaration with another magic strike. Energy rippled and ripped, tearing through the bone plating that protected the monster's side.
Great chunks of the beast cracked and fell to the ground, exposing thick hide that covered tremendous cords of muscle. A feral growl escaped as his lips twisted into a snarl.
Weiss raised her rapier, a large, black glyph springing to life before her and her team. Her momentum sharply cut before she released the glyph and struck the forest floor, rolling to bleed off the remaining energy.
Blake, Yang, and Ren landed on her right as Pyrrha, Ruby, and Nora touched down on her left. Professor Port and Oobleck landed a little further ahead, the larger of the two using his aura to cannonball through a tree. Dr Oobleck opted to use some kind of flamethrower to slow his descent.
With a quick glance to make sure everyone was accounted for, she sprinted after the cawing crow that circled overhead in front of them. Not that they really needed him to guide them, the sound of battle reaching them even half a mile away.
Weiss nimbly ducked and dodged between roots and limbs as the group rushed forwards. Ruby was using her semblance to a limited extent, staying just ahead of the rest and pointing them along the fastest route.
Weiss watched as Ruby suddenly leapt into the air, leaving a blur of rose petals to drift in the breeze.
A flick of her wrist summoned a white glyph before her, with two more in front as she dashed across the air above a small river. A glance back showed the others following after her, so she pulled up on the other side to maintain the bridge. Professor Port gave her a slap on the back as he passed, "Jolly good lassie." He called, keeping easy pace with the others.
As soon as the large man passed, she dropped the glyphs and dashed after them. Her mind was running a hundred miles a minute, fear nipping at the edges as she tried not to think of what they may find.
Jaune must still be alive, the occasional sound of gunfire proved it.
"Grimm!" Ruby called from the lead, skidding to a stop near a large rock. Her scythe was deployed in the blink of an eye, the red and silver blade flashing in the sparse rays of sun that made it through the treetops.
"Keep moving Ms Rose," Dr Oobleck ordered, "Ms Belladonna, stay with me. We shall hold the rear. Peter, Ms Xioa Yong and Ms Nikos, blaze a trail. Everyone else, stay in the center. We must breach through them"
'Them', Weiss quickly discovered, was a horde of grimm that stood no less than a dozen rows deep and stretched into the forest left and right.
None of the beasts even turned towards the group of humans that had burst in behind them.
"Wh-what are they doing?" Weiss asked, unable to keep the tremble from her voice. The grimm just mingled restlessly, attention focused on something further in the forest.
"They're awaiting orders, lassie," Prof Port said, glancing back at her with a twinkle in her eye, "From their Alpha."
Ruby whipped her head over towards them, "One Grimm is capable of this? How? I see several Majors in there!"
"Maybe if you paid attention in the Prof's class," Yang cut in, "You'd know that that older Grimm can order younger ones around. Meaning that the older it gets, the bigger it gets, and the more control it has."
"Righty O, Miss Xiao Long." Port grinned broadly, "I'm glad my lessons are sinking in."
Weiss growled and slashed her rapier, "Less talking, more getting through this horde and saving Jaune!"
"Of course, of course!" Peter Port laughed before launching himself on the back of the nearest Ursa Major and fired his weapon. Yang was hot on his heels with Pyrrha tagging behind. The redhead looked a little less sure of the apparent plan, but opened fire with her rifle nonetheless.
Qrow appeared next to Weiss just as she was about to follow, "I think it might be a good time to pick up where we left off with training, don't you?"
Weiss nodded and summoned the power of the Fall Maiden. Fire flared from her eyes as she launched into the air, hovering a few yards behind Pyrrha as shards of ice consolidated around her.
Eyy, so here's another chapter. Let's see when I get another one out.
So, between traveling for holiday and work, I started rereading the comments you guys have left for me. I just want to say thank you. To the (as of now) 743 that have followed this story - I never ever thought I'd hit above maybe 200 - and everyone that reads just for kicks. You guys are amazing.
From Brig, you incognito sneek, to Blasingfire, JackTheSpades, hirshja, and Axccel.
And every other one of you glorious crazies. As much as I'd like to name drop everyone, I'd rather not inflate the word count. Just, thank you. All of you.
The praise and criticism in equal parts makes me smile. Hearing my phone buzz after I upload always makes me grin. Just knowing that you guys are enjoying this gives me a boost.
Oh, and about the spambots. Yea, you guys might want to check your accounts, I've gotten several PMs from empty accounts. No bio, no follows, nothing. Just messages asking me to join some chat server.
Anyways, I go back to the void. Thank y'all again. I'll try and track down Jaeger before the next chapter so he can help me again. Maybe if I bribe him, he'll come back.