Here we are at Chapter 103. Watched the RWBY Volume 7 finale and it was intense. Lots of stuff happened and one hell of a cliffhanger as well. The thing that hit me the most was Winter (small spoiler for those who didn't see the finale). I'm just... I'm disappointed in the choice she made. Yes, she gave them a head-start, but I just can't understand how she could essentially choose Ironwood over Weiss, her own sister. This is why I don't trust people from the Atlas military, because they're no different than the machines they make. Anyway, time to see what the gang will do in regards to getting to Atlas, and Khazhak's meeting with Midgardsormr. I do not own RWBY. They belong to Roosterteeth. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 103. Enjoy. R.I.P. Monty Oum. You are still loved and missed.
Chapter 103: Dead End
It is the morning of the next day, and Ruby and her friends are getting ready to head out to the military base to try and get an airship to Atlas. Team JNR said that it didn't exactly go well when they tried it. Time to see exactly what they meant. Ruby is in the guest room, watching over Khazhak, who is still asleep.
"Hey, Khazhak, we're heading to the military base to try and get a ride to Atlas. Hopefully, it will go well. We'll be back soon okay," Ruby says, and leans down to kiss his forehead, trying her hardest not to cry. "We're not leaving without you, so wake up soon okay. I love you," she mutters, kissing him again and then quietly leaves the room so he can rest.
Ruby head downstairs and meets up with the others, "Everything ready?" she asks.
"Yeah, we're set to go," Yang replies.
"Then let's get moving," Ruby says.
…
"Who are you?" Khazhak asks within his mind.
"I am Midgardsormr, the Dragon King," Midgardsormr replies.
"Father," Bahamut notes.
"Father?" Khazhak asks, looking between the two.
"I have been watching those who possess the power of the Dragon Spirit for eons. To think that you would be reduced to such a sorry state, my child," Midgardsormr addresses Bahamut.
"Bahamut, is this guy really your father?" Khazhak asks.
"Yes, Midgardsormr, the King of Kings, the Dragon King, and the first of our kind. The oldest of dragons, and the most powerful. But, how can this be? Your life ended eons ago," Bahamut asks.
"Even in death, my will forever remains amongst the stars and the land. I did not die, I merely transcended physical being. After I left my mortal existence, I watched over the world, merely observing the passing of time, and of our race's legacy. And now, only three of our kind truly remain on Remnant. You, Bahamut, your sister, Tiamat, and your brother, Nidhogg," Midgardsormr explains.
"But, if you knew, then why only appear now?" Khazhak asks.
"Because the conflict between Bahamut and Nidhogg stirred my will into action. It was time for me to speak with my children again after so many centuries. And to meet their descendants," Midgardsormr says, turning his attention to Khazhak.
…
Meanwhile, Ruby's group finally make it to the military base at the edge of the city, only for the front gates to suddenly close on them.
"Well, that doesn't look good," Lloyd mutters, rolling his eyes.
Yang grabs the gat bars, "Hey, you didn't even hear us out!" she says.
"Can you at least let us explain our situation?" Porphyrius adds.
"The Atlas-Mistral border is closed. Have a good day!" one of the two guards at the gate says, his hat obstructing the upper half of his face.
"Hey, I'm friends with Ironwood-," Qrow begins.
"General Ironwood!" both guards exclaim.
"Yeah, general, whatever. Listen, if that's not good enough for you guys, then we have Weiss Schnee with us, and we're trying to get her home," Qrow says.
Weiss lowers her head, a little sad at being used as a way to get to Atlas like this. Reaper gently takes her hand in his, offering a small smile to cheer her up, which does, somewhat.
The two guards look between each other and then at her, "Approach!" they say.
Weiss eventually steps up to the gate. The guards inspect her, making her uncomfortable, but then step back.
"Very well-you may speak with our commander-we will fetch her at once," the guards say together and start walking away in a weird fashion.
The group is creeped out by their behavior.
"So, anyone else think those guys were weird?" Lloyd asks, earning nods from everyone.
Maria hums to herself, gaining Oscar's attention, "What is it?" he asks.
"Well, I may know this commander of theirs," Maria says.
"Then does that mean she's your friend? Could you convince her to let us through to Atlas?" Reaper asks.
"Not quite. We're not exactly friends. More like... enemies. You see I come through here every ten years to get my eyes checked at Atlas... Ugh, you bring outside cashews on ONE flight, and suddenly, you're on the additional screening list for LIFE!" Maria explains, earning groans from everyone.
"Great, well, if things weren't bad before, it sounds like they're about to be now," Porphyrius notes.
"Now, now, let's not give up hope yet... Maybe she's dead," Maria says jokingly, earning a roll of the eyes from everyone else.
Suddenly, the gates open up in front of them and the two guards return.
"Introducing Special Operative Caroline Cordovin!" the guards yell.
An older woman walks forth, apparently being the same height as Maria, with short gray hair, and wearing at Atlas military uniform with a gray belt.
Cordovin steps up to Maria, "Witch," she mutters with disgust.
"She-devil," Maria replies with equal venom.
"Hmph. I see you've chosen larger contraband to smuggle this time," Cordovin notes.
"Oh, Cordo. You know, they say that time changes people, but I see that you still have that stick up your-," Maria begins, before Ruby stops her.
"Hello, Miss, uh, Cordovin. My name is Ruby Rose, and I was hoping that you would hear what we have to say," Ruby says, trying to keep the situation from boiling over.
"I have already heard what you have to say from your other friends, Miss Rose," Cordovin says, looking behind Ruby to see Team JNR standing a short distance away. "What are you doing here?! I thought I told you to leave!" she yells at them, flipping out.
"AND I TOLD YOU WE WOULDN'T REST UNTIL YOU LET US THROUGH!" Nora shouts while Ren and Jaune hold her back from doing something stupid.
"Nice to see you again as well," Ren replies, trying to be diplomatic about the situation.
Porphyrius only groans, while Lloyd facepalms.
Cordovin turns her attention back to Ruby, "You civilians are clearly incapable of comprehending the importance of our mission here in Argus. So allow me to say this slowly, with smaller words: This base, that relay tower, the very safety of Argus are all gifts from the glorious Kingdom of Atlas! And it is my duty to uphold them, as only I have the wit and tenacity for such a task," she makes a big speech.
"More like they sent you here to keep you as far away from Atlas as possible," Reaper mentally notes.
"I see you're still as crazy as ever, Cordo," Maria notes.
Cordovin growls, "Ugh, this city wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for our Atlesian ancestors. And yet, how are we repaid for that kindness, with a world ready to slice a knife across our throats," Cordovin says, slicing a thumb across her neck.
"Look, we know that Atlas wasn't responsible for what happened in Vale during the Vytal Festival. We know that your machines were hacked. We were all students at Beacon when it fell. We were there," Lloyd says.
"No one is happy about the Dust embargo or the closing of borders, but Ironwood is just worried. If we could just talk to him-," Weiss adds, only for Cordovin to interrupt her.
"The General is not a coward! Atlas is strong! If the world palns to make us it's enemy, then so be it. Atlas will prevail!" she cheers.
"Atlas will prevail!" her guards cheer with her.
"Man, that's getting annoying," Porphyrius notes, loudly enough so they can hear.
Cordovin takes a breath, "If Miss Schnee has truly comes to her senses and wishes to return home, then the Atlas military will happily escort her back to her family. But the kingdom will not be responsible for her friends of... questionable character," she says, glaring at Blake for her Faunus heritage, making Blake feel bad, and Yang looking shocked that she would say something like that about her partner.
"If she were to go back to Atlas, there's no way I would let her go alone," Reaper says.
Cordovin turns to him, "And who are you?" she demands, looking him over.
Reaper removes his mask, "My name... is Edom Wilson, son of Atlesian scientist Dr. Cobalt Wilson, and nephew of his brother, Dr. Onyx Wilson, who was worked with the Atlas Military in the past. I have been assigned as Miss Schnee's personal bodyguard on her journey here, and thus wherever Miss Schnee goes, I will follow as it is my duty to ensure her protection," Reaper says.
Cordovin remains silent for a moment, "And your face?" she asks, eyeing the burns.
"An injury I sustained long ago when I was younger. It is why I normally wear a mask, another precaution to protect Miss Schnee," Reaper replies coolly.
The others remain silent as he speaks, a little surprised by his change in demeanor and his impressive improvisation skills. Cordovin just stares at him for a moment.
"...Very well, Miss Schnee and her bodyguard may go, but the others are a different story," she says.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang asks.
"It means we're done here," Cordovin says, and then the gates are shut in their faces once again.
"Well, that went smoothly," Lloyd sarcastically notes.
The others aren't in a joking mood.
"I don't-," Weiss begins as she looks at Ruby.
"Weiss, remember what I said before. We're not leaving your side for second," she says, calming her worries.
"Nice improve there, Reaper," Blake notes.
"Well, both my father and my uncle are well regarded scientists in Atlas, so I felt it couldn't hurt... as much as it pained me to mention their names even if it would've helped the situation, which it didn't do much of," Reaper says.
"So, those are your father and uncle's names. You haven't seen them in a long time, right?" Weiss asks.
"Not since I left Atlas, and when I was kicked out of my home," Reaper bitterly notes.
"It's going to be alright guys. We'll find another way to get to Atlas. Together," Ruby says, making Weiss smile, but then they notice Qrow walking away. "Uncle Qrow, what's the plan now?" she asks.
Qrow stops and glances back at them, "The plan? The plan just got shut in our face three times over. I'm going for a drink," he says and walks off.
Ruby and Yang sigh.
"Well, he sure is in a cherry mood? What's eating him?" Jaune asks.
"Look, we'll deal with him later. Let's just focus on coming up with a new plan. I mean, come on, we've got Ozpin after all. He usually knows what to do," Nora says, gesturing to Oscar, but this makes Team RWBY, KEPL, and Oscar look down melancholy.
This gets Team JNR's attention, "What is it?" Ren asks.
…
Back at the house, Jaune suddenly smashes his right fist into the wall, cracking it.
"Jaune!" Ruby yells.
Jaune is seething, "Everything we've been through was for nothing!" Jaune yells in anger.
"Hey, no it wasn't," Porphyrius retorts.
"Really, well it sure sounds like it," Nora argues back.
"If Salem can't be killed, then how are we supposed to win this?" Ren asks as Jaune stands next to him, his arms crossed.
"The same way we did back at Haven... Together. If we give up now, then everything we've been through really WILL be for nothing, and we can't let that happen," Lloyd says.
"Why should that matter if we can't kill Salem. As long as she's around, this mess will never end, and unlike her apparently, we CAN die!" Jaune retorts and turns his back to them.
Lloyd growls at Jaune, but Oscar steps up to try and defuse the situation.
"Look, none of this is good, we know. But, we're not the bad guys here," Oscar says.
"Are we sure about that?" Jaune asks, getting their attention as he turns and faces Oscar. "He's in your head, isn't he? Did you already know about this?" Jaune asks, walking towards Oscar with his fists clenched.
"He didn't know about any of it!" Weiss tries to stop him.
But Jaune quickly grabs Oscar by his green jacket and shoves him against the wall, "How mucn longer can we even trust him? How do we know it's really him?! What if we've been talking to that liar all this time?!" Jaune yells as he starts roughly shaking Oscar.
"That's enough!" Lloyd yells and pulls Jaune away from Oscar.
Jaune lets his anger get the better of him and he throws a punch at Lloyd, but Lloyd easily catches it and starts crushing it in his fist, forcing Jaune onto one knee in pain. Ren and Nora try to help, but Porphyrius uses his semblance to force them onto the ground and keep them there.
"You need to get a grip. No one here likes any of this, me especially since Brother is still unconscious. But if we break down now, then we play right into Salem's hands," Lloyd says and releases Jaune, as does Porphyrius with Ren and Nora. "Oscar didn't know about any of this. He's as much a victim as the rest of us, even more so because of who he is. Taking your anger out on him won't solve anything," Lloyd says.
Jaune looks between him and Oscar, and then at everyone else, and calms down, starting to feel bad about the situation.
"I suggest you three take some time to calm down and think upon some things. When you're ready to talk, we'll talk. Khazhak is still sleeping, and I'd prefer we didn't interrupt his rest while he recovers from his injuries," Voshkie'ahk says.
Jaune looks away before heading outside through the backdoor.
"Is... he going to be okay?" Yang asks.
"I don't know!" Nora says and stalks off to follow Jaune.
"Voshkie'ahk is right. We need some time to ourselves," Ren adds and follows her, closing the backdoor behind him.
The rest of the group look on sadly, with Lloyd sighing.
"Maybe we could all use some space," Blake suggests.
Ruby is then seen walking into the guest room where Khazhak is resting, trying to call her uncle on her scroll. However, when he doesn't pick up, Ruby only groans a bit and puts her scroll away, using all her self-control to keep herself from yelling.
"Well, at least you're all done yelling now, hopefully," she hears and looks over to see Maria sitting on a chair near Khazhak's bed, a small foldable table next to her with a plate of various fruits on it.
"Sorry... The others left to get food for tonight. How's Khazhak?" Ruby says as she sits next to him, gently stroking some of his hair as she stares at him for a moment.
"No changes so far, but nothing bad has happened, so that's a plus. Why not go with the others then?" Maria asks.
Ruby pulls up another chair, positioning it between Khazhak and Maria, and takes a seat.
"I don't know. I don't know anything," Ruby laments. "What do I tell Jaune and his team when we don't even have a plan? Qrow's out drinking. Ozpin still hasn't come back, and even if he did, I don't think I could trust him after what happened. There's always Jinn, but we have only one question left that we can ask her... And Khazhak still hasn't woken up yet after he got hurt by Kamir'ahk... I feel like I'm letting everyone down," she says.
"You know, you don't give yourself enough credit," Maria says.
"Oh, thanks," Ruby feels a little better from the compliment.
"That wasn't a compliment," Maria says.
Ruby bolts up a bit, "Eh? Huh?" she stutters.
Maria sighs, "If I have to explain everything to you, it would just defeat the purpose... But, if you're tired of not knowing anything, how about we discuss those eyes of yours?" Maria suggests.
"Oh, yes-I mean, I would be honored," Ruby says, happy as she stands up.
"Sit back down girl, and try not to wake Khazhak," Maria says, and Ruby sits back in her seat. "First, let's start with what you do know. Tell me," she suggests.
"Uhhh... Silver Eyed warriors are supposed to be legendary warriors... And at the Fall of Beacon, I turned a giant Wyvern into stone," Ruby speaks.
Maria shakes her head, "I didn't think it was that bad," she mutters.
"Look, if I knew everything I wouldn't be asking for help," Ruby retorts, crossing her arms.
"Calm down... It's not your fault. I had my father to teach me, and even he didn't know all the answers back then. But, what he told me makes sense, given what I've seen and learned, especially these past few day," Maria notes.
"Was your father a huntsman too?" Ruby asks.
Maria smiles, "It wasn't an official title back in his day. I only knew him as an old soldier, and an excellent teacher. I never attended one of those fancy academies of yours, but I scored higher on the license exam than any other huntsmen or huntress that day. Khazhak's grandfather, Celadon, was similar to my father in that regard. He also didn't believe that the academies would be the best place to train someone to be a huntsman. He trained his son, Azraq, out in the wilderness like my father did with me, and Azraq did the same for Khazhak. That may not work for everyone, but it certainly worked for them," Maria says as they look to Khazhak for a moment.
"Hm, your father must've been proud," Ruby says.
"He would've scolded me for showing off," Maria notes, making Ruby smile. "He had never been able to find much information about our abilities, just legends of warriors whose eyes shown like mirrors, reflecting the light of the world onto darkness. He found so little, in fact, that it made him cautious. How could such powerful bloodlines be so rare... unless something was actively seeking to destroy them," Maria says, staring at her fruits.
"Salem," Ruby realizes.
"Yes. Salem knew about the power of the Silver Eyes, and as Khazhak once said, saw it as a threat. She sees the same threat in Khazhak's power, the Dragon Spirit. She may have seen it in other descendants from the past, but never understood it... until she found Kamir'ahk, it seems. The Ryu siblings are the last line of descendants of dragons, so when they go, a once mighty power will be lost forever. Both of you possess incredible power, power that Salem can neither possess or control, which makes you two a threat, and possibly our best chance at defeating her. However, you mustn't rely solely on that power alone. I tried to keep my powers a secret, but it wasn't enough... I owe my life to my training and my semblance. At the end of the day, those are still your most powerful tools," Maria explains.
"What is your semblance?" Ruby asks, curious.
"Reflexes, my dear. I know, it's a silly name I decided on. It's a little hard to explain, but the simple version is that I can sense everything around me better than most, and react to attacks almost before they happen. Combine that with my training and my special abilities to turn Grimm to stone, or blind them, or vaporize them, and that's how you become the Grimm Reaper," Maria says.
"So... how do I vaporize Grimm with my eyeballs?" Ruby asks excitedly.
Maria hits her on the head with her cane, "First, you stop thinking like that... I want you to think of all the times you've triggered your powers. What did those moments have in common?" Maria asks.
Ruby thinks on it, "I don't know exactly. I... was scared and stressed... is it emotional somehow? Like when someone unlocks their semblance?" Ruby asks.
"In a way, it's emotional, just with much more focus than that. Think hard; what is it that you wanted in those moments?" Maria asks.
Ruby clasps her hands together, "I wanted to protect the people I care about. My friends," she says.
"Precisely! It is the desire to protect and preserve life that fuels the light inside you. And believe me, it is light. Preservation is an extension of creation, or at least, and enemy of destruction. The Creatures of Grimm were made by the God of Darkness, but your light comes from the God of Light, his brother," Maria explains.
"How do you know that?" Ruby asks.
"I always knew how to use the light, but never why it only worked on the Grimm. Then Jinn showed us her vision. Weren't you paying attention?" Maria asks.
Ruby thinks back to the vision, remembering the confrontation between the two god brothers, and seeing the God of Light release a bright light that destroys the Grimm. And then, she sees his eyes. They were Silver.
Ruby gasps, "The God of Light... His eyes..." she trails off and stands up. "What about Khazhak's power? Is his like mine in a way?" she asks as she looks at him, still sleeping.
Maria shakes her head, "No, I don't think so. I think his is more related to destruction. However, that is not a bad thing in itself," Maria notes.
"How so?" Ruby asks.
"The God brothers created humans to have both the power of creation, and destruction, among other things. A balance. Nothing lasts forever. Lightning in storms, tornados, extreme climates, fires in forests. These are all forms of destruction, but they are part of nature. Salem only cares about destruction, but for everything and everyone. She does not care for the balance of things. Your power is part of creation, but his is part of destruction. Besides, his dragon, Bahamut, is said to have been the Dragon of Destruction after all. Destruction itself isn't evil. After a forest fire ends, the ashes and remnants of the burned forest left behind are used to fertilize the soil, which will allow new life to begin there. Then the process will eventually repeat itself again. Khazhak has destroyed and killed, but only in order to protect and preserve life, to protect you. Khazhak is like a storm. Its lightning destroys, but the rain his storm releases helps nourish life. That is why your powers are different. There must be balance, for if one is too much or too lacking, it could end everything," Maria explains.
Ruby looks back to Khazhak, brushing a few strands of his blonde hair to the side.
"Okay, back to my power. When do we start training?" Ruby asks.
"I'm afraid it won't be that simple. You see, the light will only activate in the presence of Grimm. That means that any training you get will be a trial by fire," Maria says.
"But... that can't be right," Ruby notes.
"How so?" Maria asks.
"I used my power at the battle for Haven. It reacted to Cinder," Ruby says as she thinks back to that battle.
Maria hums, "Hmm, interesting. Perhaps, there was something there that you didn't notice?" she suggests.
Just then, Yang opens the door to find them, "Ruby, we need to talk," she says.
Ruby raises an eyebrow in confusion, but nods and follows her sister downstairs where she meets with everyone else. Well, almost everyone.
"What's going on?" Jaune asks.
Yang and Blake frown at each other, "It's Oscar... he's missing," Blake says, earning a worried look from everyone, and a guilty one from Jaune.
…
"Okay, so Kamir'ahk's connection with the Dragon Spirit is stronger than mine. Is there any way to speed up the process for me so I can at least match it?" Khazhak asks.
"There is one way... But, it will not be so easy," Midgardsormr replies, staring at Khazhak.
And that's the chapter. Khazhak speaks with Bahamut's father, Midgardsormr, while the rest of the group hit a stalemate with getting to Atlas. Meanwhile, Oscar has now gone missing. It seems a new trial awaits Khazhak, but will he survive it? And will the others find Oscar and smooth things over before it's too late? Until then, please Read and Review.
P.S.: Watching the battle between Team RWBY and the Ace-Ops in volume 7 got me thinking about how that battle will go in my story, but I want your opinions on the matter. What would you like to see?
Team RWBY vs Ace-Ops while KEPL does something else?
Team KEPL vs Ace-Ops while RWBY does something else?
Or Teams RWBY and KEPL vs Ace-Ops?
Give me some thoughts on the matter.