"Your… purpose?" the Plain Doll asked, befuddled. "Whatever do you mean by that, Good Hunter?"
The Good Hunter paced back and forth in the Hunter's Dream, her arms crossed. "It… It is just that all these endless cycles, I have had one mission; end the Night of the Hunt, and awaken to a new day. This new world… It is not Yharnam."
"Is that such a terrible thing?" the Doll asked. She reached towards the Good Hunter, uncrossing her arms to hold the Hunter's hands in her own. "You have shed oceans of blood, and lived countless lifetimes in Yharnam filled with dying and killing, reliving unspeakable horrors any normal mortal would have been driven to madness. This new world, with its people unaffected by the Beast's Scourge… surely this is an improvement?"
"Of course," the Hunter agreed. "I simply do not feel that it would have a place for a foreigner like myself. I know nothing of this world or its strange arcane forces. My Hunter Tools… they seem stronger in some ways. The Hunter's Bone allowed me to sense dangers unseen, and the Executioner's Gloves radiated stronger arcane magic that I was ever able to conjure." She touched her abdomen, phantom pain of the Bloodletter lingering. "However, I seem to be more susceptible to some adverse effects as well."
The Plain Doll nodded, placing her hands in their usual place in front of her. "Good Hunter, perhaps the Moon Presence's passing has affected the world around in ways yet to be seen. You were a foreigner to Yharnam when you first arrived, yet you surpassed all those before you: I believe you can do that again."
The Hunter took in the Doll's words, slightly nodding. Thinking back to her travels in the forest, she only felt comfortable when she sensed danger. In some sick perverted way, she knew that she could no longer function without spilling blood. Still, her life in Yharnam did not diminish the fundamental good that she knew she had. Eileen's simple but effective words rang in her head.
A Hunter must hunt.
But what was it that she needed to hunt?
"A question, if I may, Good Hunter," the Plain Doll called out, almost hesitantly. The Good Hunter nodded for her to continue. "What did you intend to do once you got your blood transfusion? If memory serves correctly, you traveled to Yharnam to heal an illness."
The Good Hunter wanted to provide an answer honestly, but she had none. "I… had not thought of that… not in a long while. Had I known what awaited me in Yharnam, I would have allowed the illness to overtake me."
"Perhaps this would be an opportune time to explore those thoughts once again," the Doll offered.
"What of you? If you were not bound to this dream, what would you have liked to have done?"
The Doll laughed gently. "Dear Hunter, I do not possess the capacity to yearn for anything outside this dream. This is all I have known, all I know and all I will ever know. It is how I was created."
"Nonsense," the Hunter denied. "With your help, I was able to escape the Hunter's Night when I had long accepted that I solely existed to relive that nightmare. Hells, you were the one who killed Gehrman. I shall return that favor to you, my dear Doll. So I suggest you begin thinking of things to yearn for." The Good Hunter gave the Doll a bow before heading back to the headstone. "I will see you soon."
As the Good Hunter began to disappear, the Plain Doll smiled softly.
Team JNPR sighed as they all crashed in their beds. After dropping off the strange amnesia stricken woman they had met, Glynda took them directly to report to Professor Ozpin. While they knew that Glynda was strict, she was very honest when it came to her report of the events.
"I mean, as far as missions go, I think we did alright," Jaune said with an almost defeated shrug. He leaned back into the head of his bed, stretching out his legs. "At least that woman didn't die."
"She was capable of wielding that axe of hers," Pyrrha pointed out, sitting next to Jaune. The leader had long since become accustomed to this, and no longer found it as awkward as he once did. "I'm surprised she isn't a Huntress."
"Maybe she was," said Ren, as he was booped by Nora. The two sat across from the first pair, Nora playing with Ren's hair. He didn't seem to mind very much though.
Jaune narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment and nodded. "You're right. I mean, she didn't even remember her own name, she probably doesn't remember much of her past. What do you think Pyrrha? You talked to her the most out of all of us."
The redhead straightened up on Jaune's bed and nodded. She thought back to the fight she had at her side. They were not the movements of a novice. From having trained Jaune so much, she could tell. "I don't think she was lying about that," she admitted, "but the way she moved around those Grimm… she isn't just some civilian. She had a ton of combat experience."
Nora also seemed to agree. She plopped on her bed, looking up to the ceiling. "It was weird that she was super calm about having a Nevermore feather sticking out of her for so long. Not to mention that she never seemed to panic."
"Panic would only have attracted the Grim to her," Ren pointed out. "If she really has been living outside the walls, I wouldn't be surprised if she was able to control her emotions."
There was a collective sigh that filled the room. They all silently hoped the woman was alright.
"I mean, she seemed nice enough," Jaune offered. "She made an opening for me and Ren when we got surrounded. I dunno if many people would have been willing to do that, much less able."
Pyrrha nodded, but something was still bothering her. She wasn't well-versed in memory loss, but the woman seemed to be completely clueless about the world. She kept this to herself for now, determined to do some research before jumping to conclusions.
"Oh, Ruby just texted me," Jaune informed. "Do you guys wanna grab a bite to eat with them? They're going to Vale on the next airship."
A general chatter of agreement washed over the room, and the four headed out the door.
Awakening in Vale, the Good Hunter was surprised to see that the sky seemed darker. Her first instinct was to draw her weapons, but she didn't sense any danger. Walking out of the dingy alley, she began to wander around, her instincts on edge. As she did, the quiet sound of flickering on caused her to jump back and point her Hunter's Pistol at the lamp post.
"Whoa watch it lady!" shouted a man's voice who happened to be walking in her direction. He immediately crossed the street, shaking his head at her, muttering under his breath, "Paranoid freak…"
The Good Hunter dismissed her weapon ignoring the man's comment. She couldn't remember the last time a stranger's opinion held any significance to her. Continuing her trek around the town, she kept an eye out for another beast around any and every corner. To her strange disappointment, it appeared that this city had little to nothing to worry about. Yharman's streets were filled with beasts and kin, and seeing a city this large without any felt wrong. She kept her guard up, although she decided that not having her weapons out would likely draw less attention to her.
She had one goal, which was to find beasts to slaughter, but it seemed that it was pointless to find any within the city. Her disappointment was now at the forefront of her mind as she wandered to a busier street. Dozens of people walking around carelessly, some with children and none with any fear for their safety. While not difficult to understand, she found it difficult to accept. She had seen the creatures that wander around this world, she had seen the damage they can do with just their feathers, yet these people either didn't seem to know about them or care. Finding nothing, she decided that, perhaps, she should seek counsel from the Doll once more. As she turned around to leave, she heard a familiar voice.
"I believe we had come to an agreement," Glynda said coldly. She had her arms crossed, her riding crop loosely gripped. "When were you discharged?"
"I was never formally admitted," she confessed. Given Glynda's no-nonsense attitude, the Good Hunter figured being honest would be the best policy. "By the time we had arrived, my wound had closed. I would rather not take the place of a patient who was in actual need of medical attention." Not exactly a lie.
"You should have sought me out," Glynda replied evenly.
The Good Hunter crossed her arms. "I am not exactly familiar with those strange devices you summon others with. The only thing I have is…" she trailed off. Would her Beckoning Bell work in this world?
"Have what?" asked Glynda, annoyed. She took a few steps forward, uncrossing her arms and attaching her riding crop back on her belt. The Good Hunter reached into her coat and took out a small bell. She held it out to Glynda who looked thoroughly unamused. "A bell?"
The Good Hunter shook it a few times. Suddenly the atmosphere became heavier and a distant chime could be heard. The Good Hunter did not react, having long since become accustomed to the feeling of the worlds connecting. "Do you feel it?" she asked.
"You did not have that when we searched your belongings," she pointed out, seemingly unfazed. "What is the point of having a bell that doesn't ring?"
"It does not ring? Ah, of course," she mused to herself. Glynda was not a Hunter like herself, of course she would not hear it. "I suppose I must see to repairing it."
She placed the bell back into her coat, looking up to see a man approaching from behind Glynda. "Hello, miss," he greeted, a pleasant smile gracing his face. "I heard you had a run in with some of my students while they were out on their mission. Glynda has informed me that you were injured and were unable to answer some questions. If you aren't too busy now, perhaps we can all get a cup of coffee and discuss this."
The Good Hunter could feel something off about this man, but he didn't seem to be a hostile threat. She nodded, accepting the thinly disguised means to interrogate her. She didn't exactly have much to hide.
Team JNPR finished recounting their mission to their friends as they finished up their dinner. "It was pretty lucky that she was there when she was," Jaune said a bit defeated. "I didn't have any idea how I was gonna get Ren and I out of that situation."
Ruby smiled at him and tried to brush it off. "Oh, I'm sure you would have figured something out! So tell me more about her weapon! Did her axe burst into fire when she swung? Or did the end of it fly off on a chain like some sort of flail? Was her blunderbuss part of her axe, or did you say there were two different weapons?"
"Don't you get tired of talking about weapons?" Weiss asked a bit annoyed. "They're just tools for our job."
Yang sighed as she prepared for Ruby's 'weapons are an extension of ourselves' speech. Surprisingly, Pyrrha answered before she could start.
"It was a large two-handed axe," she informed. "She swung it in wide sweeps that kept most of the Beowolves from swarming her. What really surprised me was when she made the handle shorter and took out her blunderbuss. I didn't even notice she had one on her until she took it out."
Ruby seemed interested still, and leaned forward. "Oooh, was it, like, really small or something?"
"I can't say that it was. It was comparable to Professor Port's weapon. Actually, now that I think about it, if you were to combine her weapons, it'd pretty much be Port's."
"So… it was just two weapons?" asked Yang. "Sounds kind of lame, actually."
"Don't say that Yang!" Ruby chastised. "Not everybody gets to build their own weapon." Her quick glance to JNPR's leader went unnoticed by all but Jaune. He smiled at her thankfully. "I still wish I could've seen it."
"I'm sure you'll get to see a bunch of cool fights when we go on our training mission," Yang assured.
The two professors stared at the Good Hunter as she sat across from them with her arms crossed, her mug of coffee untouched. None of them had ordered any food from the diner, Ozpin having ordered the Good Hunter's coffee. Ozpin took a sip from his own mug as he mulled over the woman's story.
"To summarize, you were wandering south of Vale in the forest infested with Grimm, heard a conflict and decided to intervene, which is when you met Glynda. However, you have no memory of anything before that."
The Good Hunter's expression became distant. She began to recall her nights in Yharnam and the many times she had died. "I have some memories, but they are murky. The only thing that I am sure of is that I have slain countless beasts in my lifetime," she said to them, uncrossing her arms. "I have not known peace in many moons. To suddenly find myself in a city where beasts do not roam freely, I have yet to accustom myself to this. I only know how to hunt."
"Hunt what exactly?" asked Glynda. "According to my students, you excelled at killing Grimm, but your choice of weapons are a tad outdated to be a Huntress, not to mention I have no reports of you infusing any Dust into them either. It's almost as if you hunted game from Vacuo, with what you're armed with."
"Are Huntresses, as you call them, the only ones who may wield weapons in this world?"
Ozpin raised his hand to stop Glynda from responding. "I apologize if this feels like an interrogation, I just must ensure that you are not a threat to our Kingdom or students. That bell you rang earlier, what is the source behind that strange power?"
The Good Hunter arched an eyebrow. Had he felt its power? Why didn't Glynda? "Strange power? Are you implying that my arcane abilities differ from those of your colleague here?"
"Arcane?" Ozpin question. He shared a look with Glynda before turning back to the Good Hunter. "If you don't mind sharing, what is your Semblance, young lady?"
"Semblance?" she asked. She leaned forward a bit put off by the one-sided interrogation. She didn't raise her voice, but there was an edge to it. "Allow me some questions, professors. Why have you two brought me here? I am not aware of any laws I have violated, nor have I proven myself to be a threat to your students. I was merely at the wrong place at the wrong time."
Ozpin placed his mug down and cleared his throat. "Do you know who I am?" he asked curiously. The Hunter shook her head. "I am the headmaster of Beacon Academy."
"Am I supposed to be impressed by that?" she asked dryly. It seemed to rub Glynda off the wrong way, but Ozpin simply laughed. It seemed that he got all the information that he needed from that remark.
"No, I suppose not," he said with a chuckle. He stood up from the table, Glynda quickly following. "However, you are right, you haven't broken any laws and you've helped my students when they were in danger. If anything, I am in your debt, Miss… dear, it is strange to not have anything to call you. Do you not have a nickname or title?"
"The closest thing I have to a title is Hunter," she replied.
"Hunter… Well, Miss Hunter, as I was saying, you've done me a great service in assisting my students. While I am sure they would have managed, it is a kindness I can't leave unpaid. If you ever need something, please, do not hesitate to ask."
The Good Hunter watched the two leave the diner, and looked back at the coffee that was ordered for her. It had not occurred to her yet, but she could not remember what normal food or beverage tasted like. She only knew the sweet coppery taste of blood. Hesitantly, she lowered her Hunter's mask and lifted the mug to her lips. The scent of the coffee was intense, especially for her sensitive nose. "How… bitter," she remarked, placing the mug down. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, but didn't want to drink any more. Putting her mask back on, she reached into her coat and took out a handful of shining coins. She had no idea what the value of them were in Vale, but she had more than she knew what to do with. As far as she knew, gold and silver has always been sought out, and she had no other way of paying. As she stepped out of the diner, she looked around to ensure that the two professors were out of sight. Once she confirmed she was not being watched, she headed towards the lamp in the alley not too far away.
"Good Hunter, you have returned," greeted the Doll with a bow. "How were your travels?"
The Good Hunter sighed and took a seat by the doll. "I am lost, dear Doll. The people… they are in no danger within the city and from what I have gathered only the ones who call themselves Huntress and Huntsman travel to where the beasts dwell." She leaned back into the brick wall and fully let her guard down. It was only in the dream and in the Doll's presence that she could relax. "I was interrogated by two professors from a school named Beacon. They seem to hold some authority in their world…" She looked over to the Doll who looked at her with her ever present smile. Had she not grown used to how disarming the Doll's presence was, she would be paranoid that the Doll would use these moments to attack her. "I have compared my sanity with that of the other Hunters in Yharnam, forgetting that nobody in that world is truly sane. We are all sick, I just managed to avoid showing symptoms. I… I fear that without the distraction of the Hunt, I truly will descend into madness."
"Whatever do you mean, dear Hunter? You've consumed countless Beast Blood Pellets yet your mind is sound. You hold more insight than any Hunter that has dreamed, yet you do not frenzy. The Winter Lanterns have long since been unable to harm you… unless something has changed?"
The Good Hunter summoned the Bloodletter in her hand. "When I first obtained this weapon, I hesitated in its use due to how it would tear at my mind…a side effect that I have not felt in many cycles."
"You felt its effects once more?" the Doll asked. The Good Hunter nodded, dismissing the weapon.
"My arsenal is not lacking, but not knowing how they will affect me in this new world does not bode well with me. I wish to experiment, but do not have anyone who would be able to slay me should I descend into beasthood." Suddenly a thought came into the Hunter's mind. "Tell me, Doll, are the other headstones still active? Can I still reawaken in Yharnam? Should I lose myself there, Eileen the Crow can surely put me down."
"The only headstone that remains unmarred is the Hunter's Nightmare headstone. The others have deteriorated, but I have never been able to awaken like you, dear Hunter, so I am unsure."
The Good Hunter nodded, and walked over to the first headstone. As she placed her hand on it, a strange sensation jolted through her body. The names of the locations appeared in her mind, but began to blur and disappear. She tried again with the other headstones, finding only one that still functioned. "It seems it's no use," she announced to the Doll. "The only lamp still lit resides atop Cainhurst Castle, in Queen Annalise's throne room. Without the Altar of Despair, I can no longer resurrect her."
"What exactly is it that you seek, Good Hunter?" asked the Doll. "Forgive me if I overstep my bounds, but you seem lost in more ways than one. What is plaguing your mind?"
"It would appear that you know me better than I know myself," mused the Hunter, walking back to the Doll's usual spot. She looked at her only and oldest companion. "I simply have too many thoughts in my head to narrow it down, my Doll. Perhaps I shall clear my head in the forest outside of the city."
"Of course, Good Hunter. Do you have enough Blood Vials?"
"You worry too much," the Hunter laughed softly. She placed a hand on the headstone ready to reawaken. "We shall see each other soon." The Plain Doll smiled as the Good Hunter faded.
The Good Hunter looked around the fishing shack as she awakened. To her surprise and delight, it was now night. While the forest across the river didn't resemble the Forbidden Forest very much, a wave of twisted nostalgia washed over her. She could feel the bloodlust in the air, and the thrill of the hunt filled her senses. It wasn't very long before she heard a familiar growling.
The Good Hunter felt a wicked smile form. She summoned the Bloodletter and the Chikage. These would be the first two weapons she would test out, considering the drawbacks. She made her way into the forest when she heard slithering past the trees. She did not want to risk frenzy just yet, so she dismissed the Bloodletter.
"Come at me, beast," she called out to the dark. As if obliging, a massive snake head appeared coiled and ready to strike. Amused, she walked over to it, studying its movements. Its head twitched for a moment, and the Hunter sprang into action. As suspected, it went for a bite that was easily side-stepped, which the Hunter used to cut at the snake's neck. The Chikage sank into it much easier than she expected, making her wonder how the humans seem to have more durability than the beasts.
Suddenly, a second snake, this one white, struck at her from behind. She managed to evade the worse of the attack, but still felt her bones creak from the strain. Fumbling forward, she turned back to see that the snake's body tailed off towards the snake she had just killed. "I should have known. When have I had the fortune of fighting a snake with a single head?" she spat out. She grabbed a blood vial from her pocket and stabbed it into her leg. Soon, she felt her body stitch itself back together from the inside. She sheathed her blade and drew on the Vilebloods' rite.
The blade, coated in cursed blood, sang to life, eating away at her essence. As expected, she could feel the sword draining her much faster than she was used to, but knew she needed to endure it. Rushing the snake, she provoked it to attack again. Easily telegraphed, she dodged left and plunged her sword into the skull of the snake. Just as easily as the first head, the second fell. With a simple flick of her wrist, the blood on the blade spattered to the ground below. The blade had sapped a decent amount of her strength, despite only having used it for a few seconds.
She took a couple of Blood Vials and injected herself. Feeling renewed vigor, she stood back up and wandered deeper into the forest. The snake had an interesting gimmick, but not one she would ever fall for again. As she wandered, she began to realize that she had not made any attempt to learn about this new world. Too busy she was with comparing and contrasting what she saw on the surface with Yharnam that she never considered learning about the world at its source. Despite this, she knew it was best if she remained incognito until she could get her bearings.
She heard more Grimm nearby, surrounding her. If her memory recalled correctly, the lycantropes were the ones that typically engaged in this tactic, whereas the bears tended to wander alone. To her amusement, several more of those birds, albeit smaller than the one from before, circles the sky above her. "My, my," she said with a grin. She summoned the Beast Cutter and piercing rifle. The forest was sparse enough for her to be able to freely sweep with her weapon. Before the fight began, she thought back to the Doll's words once more. Was her resistance to Beast Blood Pellets as strong as before, or did it, like the Bloodletter, dwindle?
Popping one, she could feel the beasthood spread inside her almost immediately. She grinned at the effects. It seemed she didn't need to 'build up' the pellet's power, as she could already feel much more feral. She could feel her back curl forward slightly, and her shoulders tense up with the desire to tear the beasts apart.
The Grimm roared and charged at her at once. Their reckless abandon… it was amusing to her, enough to elicit a giggle from her as she swung the heavy weapon, crushing many of them. The dying squeals only brought her more delight, and the giggling turned to laughter. The birds above swooped down in an attempt to tear at her flesh. Her Beast Cutter snapped back into place, and she easily clubbed them away, feeling the crunch of their armor as she did. A deeper pair of roars alerted her to three bear-like beasts running towards her. As if taking the challenge, she roared back. The force of her Beast Roar was amplified tenfold as they were knocked back, splintering the trees they collided with.
She let out a maniacal laugh, her eyes darting around wildly. She could feel it, somebody was watching her.
Then she heard it. Her Beckoning Bell had been ringing all this time, and in front of her an outline began to manifest. She fought down her beasthood and tried to regain her composure before the other Hunter arrived fully, but it was futile. The Beasthood had a firm grip on her, but she was still sound in her mind. The other Hunter wore Executioner's garb, sans the Gold Ardeo. He held the Church Pick in its transformed state.
"Fellow Hunter," she said through her teeth. "Welcome." She dismissed her weapons, to greet him with a proper Hunter's bow, but as she did, she felt the other Hunter's weapon pierce her in the stomach. She looked up to see him scowl.
"Filthy Vileblood," he spat. He tore the weapon out of her, further ripping open the wound. "Do not speak to me with such familiarity." He shifted the church pick back into its one-handed state and took out a Rosmarinus. He looked at her with disgust. "Not only do you have the blood of the beasts coursing through your veins, you have aligned yourself with the Vilebloods. You are beyond saving, scum."
The Good Hunter jumped back, stabbing a couple of blood vials into her leg as she did. As she got a better look at him, he did have a murky purple glow around him. "An Executioner, huh?" she asked aloud. The other Hunter ignored her, and prepared himself for battle. "These beasts do not put up much of a fight anyway," she grinned. The Beasthood in her had stopped building, but by no means did it abandon her. She was brimming with the pellet's effects, unsure of when they would subside.
"Submit your life if you have any humanity left in you," he ordered. The Good Hunter laughed at his choice of words. Had the Good Hunter not spoken to the Doll about that particular topic, she may have paused for a moment. Turning her thoughts back to her foe, she manifested the Beast Claws. If the pretentious Executioner wanted to make a Beast of her, she was more than happy to prove him right. "Perhaps I expected too much."
"Oh, not at all. You will soon see that I will exceed what you thought was possible." The Good Hunter rushed towards the Executioner with reckless abandon. Or so it would seem. As predicted, the Executioner went for the most obvious opening. The Good Hunter ducked under his swipe, plunging one of the claws deep into the Executioner's stomach. His pained grunt was music to her ears. Twisting the weapon, she tore it out and prepared for a second strike.
To his credit, the Executioner did not panic from the wound, and managed to block the second swipe. He backstepped, getting ready to strike back, but the Good Hunter rushed towards him, not giving him time to recompose himself. She continued to swipe at him until he rolled behind her and transformed his Church Pick again. Using the added range, he kept out of her melee range. Thinking on her feet, she shifted to her transformed Threaded Cane, wrapping around the end of his weapon. She knew that it was unlikely that she'd be able to take the weapon from him, but she was able to control it to some extent.
"Such barbaric tactics," he spat at her. He pointed at the Rosmarinus and began to spray her with the white mist. The Good Hunter manifested the Fist of Gratia in her off-hand, doing her best to ignore the arcane damage and landed a solid blow to his head, causing him to reel back. In his daze, she tore the Church Pick from him, shifting her cane back into its rigid form and drove it into his chest. The Executioner gasped for breath for only a moment before he managed to push her off. He summoned his Church Pick back into his hand, eyeing the Good Hunter carefully. "A Vileblood using a righteous weapon? Disgusting would be too kind a word for one as traitorous as yourself."
"I would rather think for myself and be branded a traitor, than have the Healing Church keep me on a leash," she countered.
The Executioner frowned at her, pointing his weapon at her once again. With a roar, he rushed at her, his Church Pick raised for a final strike. The Good Hunter raised her cane and followed suit, and met him in the middle. The two tried desperately to overpower the other, but the Good Hunter proved to be more clever. While the Executioner was getting to his feet, she had used the Hunter's Bone, and with its effect still active, she flickered behind him. He lunged forward from the sudden absence of his opponent, only to be caught by the Threaded Cane. It's segmented blades wrapped tightly around his neck. He didn't bother struggling, nor did he try to beg for mercy. When you've died as often as a Hunter who dreams, you stopped caring.
With a violent pull, the blades decapitated the Executioner, a brilliant spray of red coating the Good Hunter and the ground around her. His body, much like the Grimm, began to fade. The Good Hunter found the closest tree and leaned on it. She couldn't help but grin at the turn of events. Sure, she found that the Beast Blood Pellets' effects were much more difficult to manage, and she was attacked by a fellow Hunter and nearly died… yet the thrill of the Hunt and engaging in combat was irresistible. She decided that she should allow herself to rest in the Dream. Once she had caught her breath, the Good Hunter began to walk back towards the lamp. She only took a few steps before she realized that the Beckoning Bell was likely still ringing. Taking out her Silencing Blank, she raised it to the air, and a dull pang echoed around her. Satisfied, she continued on her trek back.
She had no way of knowing what time it was when she returned, but the sun had long since disappeared. She knelt down by the lamp and reawakened.
"What power were you talking about, Professor? I felt nothing when she rang that bell," Glynda asked, sitting across the headmaster in the Bullhead.
Ozpin looked over to ensure the pilot could not hear them before he leaned forward a bit. "There was a notifiable change in the air as she rang that bell," he informed. "It may be due to the fact that I have retained my magic from my previous lifetimes that I was able to sense it, but the power behind it was faint. Like a whisper calling out for help. If I focus, I can hear it even now."
"It was odd that brought it up when she spoke of 'summoning' others. I still don't understand how a bell would achieve that. Surely one can shout for help much louder than any chime that little bell could muster."
Ozpin leaned back, a pensive look on his face. "If it were a mundane bell, I would agree with you. The magic behind it… it felt nothing like anything I've ever experienced."
"Was it wise of us to allow her to leave if she possesses such abilities?" Glynda asked carefully. If that woman calling herself a Hunter was a threat, they would need to feel out her abilities before they attempted to approach her.
The Headmaster crossed a leg and idly fiddled with his cane, which was in its portable state. "Perhaps not," he admitted. "However, I have a hunch that we'll see her again soon. After all, she was clearly lost."
"What do you mean by that?"
"From her strange attire and the descriptions of her weapons she fought with to her manner of speech and lack of awareness… She seems to be a soul lost in time. The only way for her to get her bearings would be to ask around the general populous or visit a library of sorts."
Glynda nodded in understanding. "You've already got the Library of Vale under surveillance, don't you? What about the smaller ones? Or bookstores?"
"Those are under control as well. While not nearly as much surveillance, Vale has cameras on nearly every corner."
Glynda was aware of this fact, but never liked dwelling on it. "Best not tell the citizens that," she muttered. Ozpin chuckled, nodding in agreement. Suddenly, he realized, the distant chiming stopped. Perhaps he shouldn't have let her go so easy, not having lost his way to keep a bead on her.
The Good Hunter awoke, as usual, greeted by the Doll. "Greetings, Good Hunter," she said with a curtsey, "Have you brought peace to your mind?"
"Not quite," she admitted, "but I have made an interesting discovery."
"Oh? What is it, Good Hunter?"
She took the Beckoning Bell out, and held it out. "This bell, this wondrous bell, still works. I can beckon Hunters from other worlds here. Granted, my first encounter happened to be with an Executioner who wanted nothing but my head on a pike." The Good Hunter seemed to be in high spirits, something the Doll reveled in.
"What exciting news, dear Hunter," she said with her wooden smile. "But does that not imply that there is a beast to be slaughtered? Have you encountered such a creature?"
The Good Hunter's smile quickly faded, not having realized that fact. "You are quite right," she realized. "But I have not. This world has plenty of small beasts, but none that would require my attention. These beasts, as strong as they are, fall with a single blow of any and every weapon I have wielded. Unless there is a threat unseen that I have yet to encounter."
"Is there a way that I may be of assistance, Good Hunter?" the Doll asked, almost eager. "This Dream, while I am its host, no longer serves its original purpose. I cannot channel Echoes as these creatures have no blood."
"My Dear Doll… if we were to awaken together, what would become of you?"
The Doll fell into a deep thought. "I have never attempted to awaken… but I also never intended to become a host of this Dream. Gehrman was trapped by the Moon Presence to fulfill his duty, yet I have no such jailor."
The Good Hunter grew hopeful. "Then allow us to attempt it," she urged. "Gods above know I can use a familiar face in that strange world."
The Doll smiled gently at her declaration, and nodded. "If that is what you wish, Good Hunter, let us awaken." The Good Hunter grabbed the Doll's hand and walked to the headstone. Placing both of their hands on it, the Good Hunter decided to reawaken in Vale, where the Doll would not be under any danger from Grimm. She could see the alley in her mind, and held the Doll's hand tightly as she began to awaken.
Professor Ozpin sat at his desk, combing through several video feeds, finding the area of the diner he had invited the strange woman to. Rewinding to when the three were there, he began to watch as he and Glynda exited the establishment. Not too long after, the Hunter, as she called herself, exited and walked down the street. Opening up several more feeds, to follow her movement, he tracked her as she continued to head back to where the two professors had found her. Surprisingly, she had not traveled much further than that spot, as she ended up walking into an alley, one he knew was a dead-end. Then nothing.
He found a different view of the alley and what he saw surprised him. She walked into the alley, reached down to pick something up and suddenly vanished.
"She can teleport?" he mused to himself. His first thought was of Raven, who was notoriously hard to pin down to how easily she could traverse continents in the matter of seconds. If this woman shared a similar ability, he realized that he may have casted too small a net to catch her. The gears in his mind began to turn as he began to ponder more.
How exactly did her teleportation ability work? Surely, she would have used it when she was injured by the Nevermore. He decided to find the hospital that she was dropped off. It wasn't too difficult, as a massive Bullhead dropping off two people wasn't a common occurrence. There, he saw Glynda and the Hunter once again, only Glynda boarded the ship after escorting the Hunter. Almost as soon as the Bullhead left, the Hunter walked out of the front doors without so much as a limp.
"What are you hiding…?" he mumbled to himself. He followed her again, only for her to end up at the same alley. Once again, she knelt and disappeared. "Curious…" He fast forwarded the video to when Glynda found her, and was surprised to see her appear just as quickly as she disappeared. Armed with new information, he fast forwarded the latest video where she disappeared only to catch up to the live feed. Not a few seconds later, she appeared.
The Good Hunter awoke back in the alley and sighed in disappointment as she was no longer holding on the to Doll.
"I suppose that would have been a bit too easy," she remarked to herself. Seeing no signs of the Doll, she began to walk out of the alley. She began to wonder if her attachment to the Doll was something that she should be concerned about. Gehrman was obsessed with Lady Maria, which led to the Doll's creation, but the First Hunter wasn't the only one to succumb to a form of madness. Obsession, by comparison, was desirable.
Perhaps, she wondered, she should ring her bell once more. If an Executioner once again was summoned, she would be prepared to put him down, unlike the first one who landed a cheap shot as she tried to greet him. As she took out the bell, she paused. What did she want a cooperator for? There was no real threat to speak of here, and if she were to fight another Executioner in the middle of the city, there would be casualties. No, summoning here would be too risky. Putting the bell back into her coat, she began to wonder; where would her talents best be suited? The Grimm seemed like child's play, especially given the fact that she had encountered actual children fighting them on her first awakening . Surely there was a bigger threat around somewhere, but where? There were no signs of any Great Old Ones around, even with the massive amount of insight she possessed.
Then she thought back to the Doll. If she could manage to bring her to the Waking World, what would she even show her? The Hunter herself knew close to nothing about this world. Would the Doll even want to do anything? She did say she didn't have the capacity to yearn for anything… but the same could have been said about the Doll feeling joy, which the Good Hunter had managed to do… twice.
Suddenly the Golden Tear Stone that the Doll cried when the Good Hunter confessed her affection for the Doll came to mind. She quickly took it out of her coat, and put it up to the light. It shone brilliantly in the street light, but the Good Hunter could not find in herself to consume it. Sighing, she decided to wander around the town once again. Perhaps she'll find… something that catches her interest.
Team JNPR had stuck around Vale after Team RWBY had gone back to Beacon, having decided to check out the town. When Ruby had mentioned that she and Yang had been to Vale countless times, due to living nearby, Jaune realized that none of his teammates, himself included, really had the chance to explore the city.
"So where are we goin' Jaune?" asked Nora skipping behind.
"I thought it'd be nice to do a little sightseeing," he replied. "I mean, after that mission and classes, I think we've earned a bit of a break."
Nora narrowed her eyes playfully. "Are you sure you're not just trying to get out of training with Pyrrha?"
"W-what?! No, of course not!" he denied.
"Great! Then we can spar when we get back," Pyrrha offered with a smile. "I don't mind staying up a little later than usual."
"That's not what… never mind," he sighed. "Anybody have anything to get while we're out here?"
"Ren needs to get flour," Nora declared. "He hasn't been making pancakes lately."
The green-clad teen sighed at his friend. "Nora, there's plenty of flour, we just shouldn't indulge ourselves so often."
The team continued down the street, when Pyrrha noticed a familiar figure. "Hey, isn't that the woman from the forest? I thought Professor Goodwitch had dropped her off at the hospital this afternoon."
The other three looked up to see the woman walking aimlessly. She appeared to be in deep thought, as she didn't bother minding her surroundings. "We should make sure she's okay," said Jaune. "Maybe she's on some medication or something and left."
"She doesn't look like she's medicated," Ren pointed out. Nevertheless, the team walked over to her.
"Miss! Are you alright?" Pyrrha asked. The Good Hunter looked up to her. "Shouldn't you be getting that wound looked at?"
The Good Hunter looked down to where Pyrrha was pointing and chuckled. "Ah, I had forgotten about that," she admitted. "No, I am fine."
"You had a Nevermore feather going through you!" Jaune pointed out. "Don't you think you should get some bed rest?"
"Is that what you call those birds?" she asked, ignoring their concern. "How many of those beasts are capable of flight?"
"You mean Grimm?" asked Ren. The Good Hunter nodded, looking up for a moment.
"There are several species of Grimm that can fly," Pyrrha began, before stopping herself. "I'm sorry, but are you okay? You're acting strange."
"Have you met her?" Nora joked, getting a quick elbow from Ren. "Ow!"
The Good Hunter simply laughed at the two's antics. "It is true that I must appear strange to you all, but you four are just as strange to me." She sized the four up, noticing they didn't have their weapons. "Tell me, why are children as young as you training to fight monsters? Are they truly that much of a threat?"
The four exchanged glances for a moment. Jaune spoke up. "Well, with the proper training, no, not really, but not everybody wants to risk their lives whenever they step outside of kingdom walls."
"Not to mention that not everybody has enough Aura to become a Huntsman or Huntress," Pyrrha added.
'Aura… was that why these humans were so resilient?' wondered the Hunter. She remembered hitting the blond boy with several spells and clubbing him in the back of the head when they fought, yet he was able to get up not a few moments later to interrupt her combat with Glynda. Yet, when she and the Executioner fought, they were able to injure each other quite easily, despite being able to regenerate the worst of it. She then remembered Pyrrha and Glynda's similar ability to seemingly repel weapons.
"Ms. Nikos. Does this Aura you speak of grant you the ability to manipulate the weapons of others?" she asked. The redhead seemed alarmed at the question and grew nervous.
"I- um, what makes you say that?"
The Good Hunter realized that she may have revealed too much of her limited knowledge. "I recall seeing a pair of Huntresses display such an ability not too long ago. When their opponent attempted to bring her blade down on one of them, she raised a hand and without making contact, stopped the weapon from going any further. Another time, the other Huntress was able to wave away a series of knives as if being pulled by some invisible force." The half truth seem to put Pyrrha at ease a bit, but she kept her guard up. "Are all Huntresses and Huntsmen able to accomplish such feats?"
"They probably had similar Semblances," Jaune figured.
"Semblance…" she repeated. "What is that?"
"It's a unique ability that manifests in different ways. From what I remember, no two are exactly the same, except for the Schnee family," Pyrrha informed. Somewhat understanding, the Good Hunter nodded. "Are you sure you don't need to visit the hospital?"
"A measly feather does not compare to the injuries I have sustained, please, do not worry about my health." She began to turn to leave, but something caught her eye a fair distance away behind Team JNPR. "I… must be going." She walked past the teens, who gave her a questioning look. As she got closer, she smiled slightly as she looked down to familiar faces. "I did not expect to see you all here," she greeted softly. "A gift for me?"
In front of her were the Messengers holding a strange white device. She knelt down and picked it up. The strange creatures groaned happily, before sinking back into the ground. She inspected the device, realizing it was identical to the one Pyrrha had summoned Glynda with. She fiddled with it for a while, until it finally opened when she pressed the yellow diamond shape. The screen that popped up was full of symbols, some she recognized, others she didn't. Before she could familiarize herself with the device, she heard a gunshot. She attributed her endless nights of the Hunt for her acute hearing, as she did not see anybody else react to it. Still, she ran towards the sound, lowering her mask. The scent hit her so suddenly, she nearly felt as if she would succumb to her feral instincts.
Blood.
Freshly spilled blood, in fact. Sniffing the air like a hound, she came to a street that was mostly empty. Just as she rounded the corner, she saw two teens exiting a store, one of them reading something. The two seemed far too calm for her liking, so she approached them. The two didn't seem to notice her as they were bickering about something.
"Whoa, watch it lady," the green haired girl shouted. The male with comic book looked up with an arched eyebrow.
"Who are you supposed to be?" he asked dryly. The Good Hunter took another sniff of the air and approached the male. He took a step back, almost into a fighting stance, she noticed.
"You smell of gunpowder," she said evenly, "and blood."
The teen threw the comic at her, blocking her field of view for a moment, before she felt a strong blow to her head. She felt the bones in her neck crack.
"Fucking freak," he spat, keeping his hands raised. The Good Hunter snapped her neck back into place with a single hand, glaring at him the entire time. Without her mask, he could see the wild expression she wore and how it slowly twisted into a wicked smile.
"Mercury, let's get out of here!" the girl shouted, urging him to run after her. He did, but the Good Hunter could tell the image she was seeing was not the real one. Instead, she drew her Hunter's Pistol and shot the opposite direction.
"Ow, fuck!" she heard Mercury shout. The illusion faded, and the Good Hunter stalked over to the pair, who were now prepared to fight.
"I have lived in an illusion longer than you can imagine," she whispered to them. "You are centuries too late to be able to fool me with such simple tricks."
"Em, get out of here," Mercury ordered. "I'll catch up."
"Will you?" the Good Hunter asked. She lifted her left arm up, and several tentacles shot out, wrapping around Mercury's arms as he tried to block them. They slowly began to retract, pulling the teen in. To her surprise he didn't panic, but instead jumped up and began to fire bullets from… his feet?
Not having expected such tactics, several shots landed to her chest, having much more impact than she expected. The Augur of Ebreietas retracted, leaving Mercury unrestrained. To her surprise, he didn't run, but closed the distance between the two and began an assault on her. Summoning her Saw Spear, she raised it to intercept his attack. He didn't let up, continue a flurry of kicks that she was having trouble avoiding. Several more landed, knocking her back a few feet.
"You have considerable speed," she commented. Mercury smirked, feeling confident. The Good Hunter transformed her weapon, and summoned her Hunter's Blunderbuss. She would need the spread to tag him. She rushed towards him, her spear ready to lunge. She pulled back, only to feel the weapon be yanked back. The distraction was enough for Mercury to capitalize and land another strong kick to her chest augmented by another gunshot.
She spat blood as she felt the point blank shot tear through her body. She looked to her weapon and saw that the girl had returned and had chained her weapon with a pair of her own. A similar strategy she used herself against the Executioner earlier that night.
"What, you Aura's already broken?" taunted Mercury. He approached her, cockily, wearing a faux expression of being impressed. "You lasted longer than I thought," he replied. "About two seconds longer."
"Mercury, now's not the time! Get rid of her, and let's go!"
"You're such a buzzkill, Emerald," he said rolling his eyes. The Good Hunter dismissed her weapon, causing the chains to go limp, and summoned the Beast Saif.
"Watch out!" she warned. The Good Hunter missed her attack as Mercury was able to react in time. He seemed annoyed at the fight she was still putting up. As she began to get up, the Hunter felt several gunshots to her back as Emerald peppered her with her handguns.
The Good Hunter dodged to the side, surrounded by the two teens on either side. She reached into her coat for a blood vial, but another gunshot from Mercury's strange boot-gun torn her hand clean off. "No, no," he smirked. "No reinforcements. We're ending this now."
"So be it," the Good Hunter grinned. The pain coursing through her like an old friend. She stood up as straight as she could and opened her Beast Saif. She kept her eyes on Mercury, ignoring the rather ineffective bullets Emerald continued to shoot.
Mercury seemed put off by the Hunter's state. She had several wounds that were bleeding profusely, as well as a missing hand, but she still stood straight and prepared to fight. "What the hell are you?"
Instead of answering, she used her Hunter's Bone, her only way of keeping up with her opponent. She flickered towards him in short bursts, surprising him with the sudden increase in speed. She managed to land a solid strike to his midsection, but his Aura took the brunt of the impact, as she didn't smell his blood spill. Shifting it into its short range form, she followed up with three more quick strikes, only one of which Mercury was able to block. Before she could follow up, she heard the chain of Emerald's weapon, and dodged.
She was not as fast as Mercury, but she was almost as skilled, as she began to assault the Good Hunter with quick strikes. Several went through her attempts at defending. Soon, she could feel her strength beginning to fail her. With one last attempt to block a strike, Emerald hooked on to her Saw Spear with one of her weapons, and swung for her neck with the other.
The last thing she remembered oddly, was the girl's panicked expression.
"Good Hunter," the Doll greeted. "It would appear I cannot awaken with you."
The Good Hunter touched her neck, the phantom pain still there. "Right," she replied, her thoughts lingering on the two teens. Were they also training to become Huntsmen? They had strange fighting styles, though effective. Not to mention that their pesky Aura prevented her from healing any damage to herself, as it effectively negated her ability to rally. Mercury had taunted her about her own Aura breaking, so perhaps there was an upper limit to how much damage they could mitigate before it no longer protected their flesh.
"Good Hunter, how have you fallen this time?" asked the Doll.
"I was outnumbered, again," she admitted with a humorless chuckle. "It would seem I need to strike harder before I can truly damage the residents of this world. Perhaps I should use a heavier weapon…"
"Have you found your purpose, Good Hunter?"
"No, not yet. I have merely run into more obstacles; a couple of murderers. Although I was unable to determine who their victim was."
The Plain Doll approached the Hunter, her expression soft. "Good Hunter, you do not have to force yourself to involve yourself in the affairs of this world. Perhaps you should attempt to live a normal life."
"Then why would I awaken here?" she asked, almost desperate. "I have not been in this world a full day and I have died twice. Not to mention that I was able to summon a fellow Hunter… It must mean something!"
The Doll's smile faded. "It does not, Good Hunter." She turned to the Doll, surprised at her claim. "Good Hunter, the only reason you have been damned to the Night of the Hunt and the Hunter's Dream was by the will of the Moon Presence. It is gone now, and its absence has caused ripples throughout all worlds. These Hunters you summon, if they still have allegiance to these covenants, then they must still be under the curse of the Moon Presence of their own worlds. You are now free of the Night, you need not force yourself to fight endless battles."
The Good Hunter stood silent. The Doll had always been insightful, but rarely shared her thoughts so freely. "You seem to know much of our circumstances now, Doll. What else have you learned?" The Doll took a step back, as if she had said too much. The Hunter grabbed her hands, and looked into her eyes. "Dear Doll, if what you have said is true, then why have I not been freed of the Hunter's Dream? Why do I continue to dream if the one responsible for everything has been slain?"
"I…" the Doll hesitated. "Forgive me Good Hunter…"
"For what?" she asked, her grip on the Doll's manikin hands tightening slightly. "What have you done? If it is for slaying Gehrman, then all is forgiven. We had no idea that this would happen."
"I did," she confessed. She looked away, before sighing, not able to meet the Hunter's gaze. "Good Hunter, is it wrong for a creation to love its creator?"
"Of course not," the Hunter replied, almost too quickly. "Why do you ask this?"
"I had killed Gehrman to spare you from his duties, hoping that you would be able to awaken to a new day. However, it would appear that dispelling the Moon Presence's illusion has made you unable to die, even in this new world… Dear Hunter, my actions may have forsaken you to wander the world forever."
"Then nothing has changed," the Hunter replied evenly. The Doll looked up in surprise. "I had long since accepted the endless cycle of the Hunter's Night before you freed me of it. This new world may be a mystery now, but I shall uncover its secrets like I have in Yharman. You have nothing to apologize for, my Dear Doll." She lowered her mask to smile at the Doll, who looked stunned at her words. "If anything, I should thank you for the change of scenery."
"Dear Hunter…" she said softly, relief in her voice.
"Now, my Doll, we can discuss this another time. There are a couple of soon to be murderers out in the city. This should go without saying, but my promise to you still stands, Doll. I shall relinquish you from this Dream." The Doll nodded, letting go of the Hunter's hands. The Hunter walked over to the headstone, ready to awaken. "Until next time."
"May you find your worth in the Waking World," the Doll responded.
A/N
Alrighty, so it would seem the the vast majority of those who have left a review are concerned about the resurrection mechanic. I totally understand where you're all coming from, and I wanted to address it fully in this chapter, but the more I wrote, the more it felt that I was shoe-horning in. Please be patient with me as I flesh out the in's and out's of how the Hunter adapts to the world.
However, I will say that it will not function as a 'fix everything' mechanic, for everybody who is concerned about that. The Good Hunter, like her first nights in Yharnam, learned about the world through trial and error, the errors which usually cost her life, and I wanted to capture that in this story.
Once again, thank you for those of you who reviewed, and I hope to hear some more feedback soon!
~Elvi.