Volume 2

Chapter 10: A Moment's Reprieve

It almost felt unreal, what Cedar had watched in the arena. From the joy of seeing Silas overcome a gang of bullies from Atlas, to watching them tear down his victory in bitterness. Now, as his team hurried along the corridor and toward the infirmary, his teeth grit in worry. When they arrived, they were already there, Silas and Terrance in the beds, Remus and April watching over them. Terrance had a bandage over his eyes. Cedar felt his heart sink for the once antagonistic teens.

"Are they…?" He dared to ask.

"Cut, but not too deep." Nurse Gelb said quickly, the blonde ditzy nurse looking shockingly lucid and serious. "They'll heal with time, but for now he's effectively blind."

"Ye gods…" Isaac frowned, the cowboy standing near the back.

"And, Silas?" Cedar asked.

"Internal bleeding. Not as bad, but he won't be fighting for a while." Gelb replied. Cedar felt his heart sink. In one move, that girl they were fighting had dropped them both out of the next round. And if Cedar knew this team at all, he could already tell who they would've sent to the next round. Remus and April stood by, heads bowed like they were in mourning.

"Typical, isn't it?" Silas spoke up, looking even more sour than usual. "Finally pulled it off… and now she's made sure i'm not going any further." His head turned away, hiding his sadness.

"Silas…" Lariah's lip trembled a little.

"So, I suppose you two will have to carry the torch into round two." Yasmin looked over to April and Remus. They remained quiet.

"I… I don't think we can do this without Silas." April said quietly, her hood shadowing her eyes but not hiding the fact she was crying. "It… it wouldn't feel right."

"Yeah." Remus nodded. "We want to support our team. Can't do that if they're both injured."

"Wait, are you seriously gonna drop out?!" Lariah was shocked.

"No… you don't have to…" Silas tried to sit up, wincing at the pain.

"We don't." Remus agreed. "But it wouldn't be right without you." Silas looked paintively at his team, the two standing and the one resting in bed. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

"You're too forgiving… idiots." He looked aside and covered his face, unable to face them. And then and there in that small room, team STAR dropped out of the competition. Cedar couldn't help but feel sorry for them, for those who once acted so poorly to him and his team. No-one deserved to go out like this, not even them, at the actions of a spiteful foe.

Still… he couldn't afford to fuss over it too much. Cedar gave them his best wishes and left. He had his own goals waiting at the top. And winning their first round was just the first step.

With the day's rounds over, the teams departed from the arena and went back down to Vault, bathed in the familiar glow of the orange sun. Cedar felt an odd melancholy as he stepped off the airship, not even realising how natural it felt since his first time on the flying machine. Success and failure swarmed him like insects chasing each other in a haze, self doubt biting at his heels and worry tickling his senses.

"Why so glum, Mr Fox?" An unfamiliar voice alerted him to a new presence. A pair of girls were approaching him and his team, a ginger girl in camo shorts was the one speaking. She was joined by a tall blonde girl in a yellow and black striped dress. "Can't find your den?"

"Excuse me?" Cedar blinked a few times. Being approached by two pretty girls wasn't something he was used to, even with his team being around him so much.

"Just a joke." She waved her hand assuringly. "You're in team Icicle, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Then on behalf of team Dahlia and several others, we cordially invite you to supper." The blonde girl said, putting her gloved hands together. "A summit between all Vytal teams."

"Ya mean the ones crazy enough to party it up with their enemies." The shorter girl nudged her in the ribs.

"I know what I said." The blonde affirmed with the slightest of smirks. Their approach offset Cedar a little bit, but he liked the idea they were spinning. A friendly meal with the other teams, a chance to mingle. Maybe back when this festival began he wouldn't have considered hanging out with the other teams, but after how nice team Joker had been, perhaps he should consider it?

"I guess it can't hurt." Cedar shrugged and forced a smile. "I need something to take my mind off of today anyway."

"That's the spirit!" The short girl bounded over and grabbed his hand, shaking it forcibly. "Call me Diana! Diana Veridi, team Dahlia's proud leader!" Her energy was positively infectious as poor Cedar felt his form shake and shudder.

"Forgive her energy. My name is Abella Honeysickle." The blonde introduced herself, adjusting her fluffy boa, emanating an aura of class and sophistication with her excellent taste in fashion. "Come, it's not too far from here."

As the three walked, Cedar sent a message on his scroll to his team. He wasn't sure if they'd show up but it was only polite to invite them. A short walk later and he realised where they were going. It was a restaurant he'd seen in passing a couple of times, one of those fancy places where even the soup probably cost more than he had. They were having a social event at such a classy place?!

"We booked the whole thing out, nobody but us." Diana grinned cheekily at him.

"The Atlas students rented it, we're here by their graces." Abella reminded her.

"Spoilsport." Diana grumbled, heading indoors with Cedar following close behind, his ears pointed up. A warm and noisy interior welcomed him, the sight of students from across Remnant perched at the tables, food and drinks intermixed with weapons and scrolls alike. So many were here from all over, all playing parley during a time of competition. Laughing, smiling, chatting about all sorts. It was genuinely heartwarming to see everyone getting along so swimmingly with the strife they'd all been through. Cedar couldn't help but smile over the scene.

"Come on, come sit with us." Diana patted him on the back, leading him over to a table around the middle of the room. Awaiting at the table was a large boy in black and dark orange robe-like clothes, reminding him a little of Yasmin's clothes. There was a fourth seat but it was empty, so Cedar decided to take it.

"So, Vault certainly is a quaint place, isn't it?" Abella tried to get the conversation going. There was a grunt of agreement from the boy nearby.

"I like it lots!" Diana said. "It's so warm and temperate, all the buildings are colourful and clean and all the red plant life looks real cool in the sunlight!"

"Yeah, it really does shine. Like rubies..." Cedar agreed. Their appreciation for Vault's natural beauty was somewhat humbling.

"You're soooooo lucky." Diana leaned over slightly. "Mistral looks real nice too but it's just green over there. And I like green!" She proudly jerked a thumb to her jungle camo tank top. Hercule grunted again in agreement.

"And it's certainly more welcoming than the cold white of Atlas." Abella nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure they're both still nice." Cedar blew it off. "Everywhere has their-"

"I know a graveyard with your name on it." A voice whispered in his ear. Cedar yelped and leapt out of his chair in fright! From out of nowhere, another girl in a frilly black dress had emerged, her skin pale as marble and her eyes sharp and crimson. "Kee kee kee! Jelly spine! Don't tell me a little whisper scared you?" She teased him, bearing a sickle smile.

"Lilith! No scaring new friends." Diana chided her.

"Aww c'mon, he was so cute and helpless I couldn't help it." A fair hand slid over her mouth as she giggled. Cedar began struggling with the mix of being called cute and being startled in such a short amount of time. Though he did happen to notice the large furry black ears hiding in her slivery hair…

"Uhh, i'm sorry to ask but… what kind of ears are those? I've never seen them before." The fox's curiosity overtook the startling feeling he'd had.

"Oh, these?" Lilith put her hands behind her ears and grinned, her notably large fangs glinting. "Vampire bat ears."

"She's not an actual vampire, she just likes the look." Hercule of all people spoke up to denounce her, earning a glare and a hiss from the female Faunus.

"It's nice to meet you, anyway." Cedar got the conversation back on track with his finest smile. As usual, it seemed to settle things down. "Are you enjoying Vault too?"

"Hee hee… I suppose it does have some peaceful spots in the dark." Lilith giggled, putting her fingers together. "Especially the alleyways at night, those pure corridors of darkness."

"...um, never heard anyone compliment that before but, good." Cedar just played along with it. For her quirky manner of speaking, Lilith seemed earnest in her own way.

Their idle chatter continued and Cedar found himself growing comfortable around these people. Though even he had to admit, once his team finally showed up to join him, he felt even more comfortable once his own team arrived.

"Making new friends? Are you fraternising with the enemy?" Yasmin teased when she sat down, fan over her mouth.

"We invited him, so if anything we're fraternising with him." Diana shot back and the two shared a sly grin. Cedar could already tell that they were going to get along and they'd likely all suffer for it. A glance at the side of the table and he could see Isaac and Hercule talking. Though it honestly looked more like they were just nodding at one another occasionally. Such silent communication, almost as subtle as telepathy. And not only that...

"Your hair is so pretty! It's so gold and shiny." Lariah fawned over Abella. "And your dress is so beautiful too!"

"Thank you. It's just a simple number I wear for comfort and combat." The blonde said humbly.

"Aww but it looks pretty AND it's functional! Makes me look like i'm wearing hand me downs."

"Oh come now, your outfit is highly distinct."

"But it's not prettyyyyyyy…" Lariah pouted as she whined.

"Beauty is a virtue in battle, but it should never take precedence over practicality." Abella assured her. "Even my heels are combat oriented."

"Quite the forward thinker, whoever does your wardrobe." Yasmin chimed in. "You should give me their number, we could always use new combat gear."

"I'll see what I can do." Abella smirked. Looking between the two, Cedar felt quite the energy. He was sure if someone put these two together, the strongest and most fashionable woman in the world would be created. He wasn't sure he could even manage someone like that.

They continued to talk casually for a little while before another group of familiar faces came and sat next to them. It was those girls Cedar had shown around town earlier, Team Rowdy or something.

"It's team Ruby, not Rowdy." Weiss had corrected him fussily when he vocalised that mistake.

"Y'all are named after yer team's leader?" Isaac interjected.

"We know, we know, it's confusing." Ruby giggled. "But I think it's pretty catchy! Betcha no-one forgets it."

"Probably because it's your name." Yang teased her, leaning in and elbowing her.

"Yaaaaang, I don't have an ego! I don't want one!"

"I didn't say anything about egos!"

"You were thinking it!"

Watching the sisters talk back and forth like that, Cedar couldn't help but think about his own relationship with his own sister. They seemed to get on just nicely… boy, what he'd give to have a friendship like they had. His ears lowered and his gaze turned down to the table, almost shameful of his envy of these people he'd only just made friends with.

"Could you please stop looking so down?"

He was snapped out of his stupor by a voice, that of the heiress Weiss sitting close by. She shook her head slightly at the sight of him. "I can tell what you're thinking and it's not worth troubling yourself over. Aren't we here to relax? Don't think about your family."

"...but how do you…?"

"Because i've seen those looks in my mirror." She sighed slightly and turned away. "Just, try not to think about it. It isn't worth it right now." In that moment he couldn't help but wonder how similar Weiss' family problems were to his own. He wanted to confide in her, but knew she was right. Now wasn't the time to feel sad.

"Thank you." Cedar smiled slightly at her. Another round of drinks were brought over and everyone swigged their poison, Cedar sipping a lemonade next to his team. More and more teams had come to join them now, including that team from Vacuo he'd seen before, the one with the tribal looking Faunus boy with the lizard tail. In fact the only people he hadn't seen was that big guy with the gold armour and…

"Oy watcher doin?!" Ozzy leapt up at the far end of the table. "Yer havin' a bloomin' celebration without us ya dozy dingbats?!"

"Y'all weren't excluded, were ya?" Isaac put down his root beer to counter the hyperactive boy.

"No, we weren't. I've been trying to explain it to him." Martin sighed over his shoulder. Candi was with him too, as was Brock who seemed uncomfortable to be there at all. Nevertheless they joined the fun and the throng of conversation resumed, the room buzzing with activity and joviality. Everything seemed in such full swing now, the atmosphere felt warm and welcoming. It'd been a while since Cedar had felt so welcome among so many people, even when he didn't truly know all of them. Team Dahlia who'd invited him, team Ruby whom he'd shown around town and even just beside his own classmates in team Torch, whom he did know but could probably know better.

...wait a second, where did Brock go?

Whilst he'd been lost in conversation and drinks with his friends, it seemed like Brock had gone missing. No-one else had noticed yet but considering how he looked uncomfortable earlier, Cedar was worried.

"Hey uh, i'll be right back." The fox Faunus put his glass down and stood up.

"Something wrong, buddy?" Diana asked, leaning over the table.

"No no, everything's fine. Just… gotta check on something." He then hurried towards the door as his friends at the table watched him go.

"He always like that?" Diana asked Yasmin.

"Sometimes. Usually when it's something important." Her fan flicked out again. "Like being nice to his former bully."

"Hmm? Who would do something so stupid?" Lilith hissed slightly, sipping a cherryde.

"Let me tell you." Yasmin closed her fan and smiled, eager to spin this tale.

Hanging around in the moonlight streets in front of the restaurant, the badger Faunus had sat down on the smooth stones of the street, gazing up at the night skies and the stars glimmering above him. Like a thousand prying eyes, shaming him for even coming to such a public event. His hands clasped onto his face as he pulled in his knees, becoming a huddled mass shadowed in the dark. A lone solitary rock to be ignored and left in the cold.

"Hey, Brock." That was, until Cedar sat down beside him. "What's the matter?" Brock's wavering eyes met Cedar's own and there was a reluctant acceptance that spread over his face, his brows lowering and his lip trembling.

"I…" He turned away again and looked into the ground. "I don't deserve to be in there with all of them."

"But why not? Everyone's just making nice in there." Cedar's head tilted slightly.

"Everyone in there is in the festival. Except my team." He rested his chin upon his knees as he held onto them, the cold wind sweeping over both boys. "It's… like a peace treaty. And I don't belong in that kind of t-thing." It was hard to tell if his stutter came from his nerves or the chill in the air. Cedar frowned at the notion.

"Cmon, you're as much a huntsman as any of them. Not being in the festival doesn't matter."

"Of course it does." Brock whined, shaking his head and making his fringe cover one eye. "All because I don't wanna fight in public… I'm so pathet-tic." Cedar remembered that night he'd met Brock's uncle, coming to understand his condition and his situation as it was. No wonder the poor boy was so full of neuroses and worries, especially with how he could probably tear most people in this tournament to shreds if given the chance.

"You're not pathetic. Not at all." Cedar shook his head. "You know? There's some bigshot team in this town that didn't even come to the party. But they invited your team and they showed up instead of them. Don't you think that says something?"

"What does it say?" Brock couldn't quite follow his line of thinking.

"It means you showed up and they didn't, even when they're in the festival and you're not." A smile crept onto Cedar's lips as he kept eye contact with Brock. "That means you want to make friends and want to mingle. But they don't. You've got more spirit for this whole thing than those guys do."

Reality was, Cedar didn't know why those guys hadn't shown up, he was generalising to help Brock feel better. Maybe there were genuine reasons they couldn't show up. But right now it didn't matter, he wanted to help Brock.

"...do you think so?" Brock seemed to lighten up a little on hearing that. "I-I just thought I'd follow my team an-"

"Come on, no you didn't." Cedar chuckled and nudged him slightly. "If that was it, you wouldn't even have gone in. But I bet you were kinda nervous being around so many, right?"

"...yeah." It was another reluctant look of admittance, the embarrassment creeping across his face. "I was nervous."

"Hey, I was too. But, you've got your team back in there to help. And i'll be there too to give you confidence." It was kind of weird, suddenly becoming his chaperone but Cedar's social skills had been improving ever since he'd started school. Why not pass them on?

"...ok-k-kay. I'll come back in." Brock got to his feet and stood close to him. "But, can you come sit with me? I'd… feel better."

"...uh, sure." This was almost starting to feel like more than something social. But Cedar ignored those feelings and instead walked with the badger Faunus back into the restaurant. The atmosphere was as warm and buzzing as when they'd left, the two taking a seat back with Brock's team.

"Oh, hey guys!" Candi turned and smiled at Brock and Cedar once they were back. "How come you're sitting with us, Cedar?"

"I'm allowed, aren't I? Besides I was having a talk with Brock about how cool some of our opponents are." No sense spilling it in public, Brock could talk to them privately about it later if he wanted to.

"Heh, some of them are! But right now, they're just kinda hooked on a story about you." Cedar blinked twice.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Listen in!" Candi pointed over to where RWBY, DAHL and most of ICYL were sitting. And it was at that precise moment, he realised that Yasmin was talking about him.

"...and even after all those silly things he did, what did this one little Faunus do? Go find him and talk it out. I bet you if he hadn't gotten through to that icy boy, he might not have won that round. And say what you want, but he's more of a hunter than that woman from Atlas." Yasmin caught Cedar watching her talk and winked slyly at him.

"Hear hear!" Diana raised her glass in a toast. "What a cool thing to do!"

"And strange." Abella agreed, shifting a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes. "Who would think of talking to someone who was so hurtful?"

"That's our fox!" Lariah grinned.

"Darn tootin. We wouldn't be half the team we are without 'im."

And now the story had gone from slightly embarrassing to heartwarming. Hearing them speak in such an unprovoked and earnest manner about him? It was so nice to hear. And as the evening rolled on and the conversations picked up, as Brock finally became comfortable enough to talk to the others and open up a little bit, those thoughts never left Cedar's head for a second.

His team was really starting to feel like a family to him...