Chapter 3: Onwards to Mistral

"It's been a few days since leaving Vale. I didn't exactly have a plan, just follow the leads until I found her. But I managed to get lucky. That boy that helped me the day after the Fall came to Juniors. He was looking for someone to kill Cinder. It was my luck. After all, I have my own score to settle with her.

Not only will she go down but so will that insufferable Ruby Rose. If not for her then I would have been there with you, Roman. I could have helped you fight. I could have… I could have…"

Neo took a deep breath, calming her nerves as she looked back at her scroll. She has been keeping a personal diary for weeks. This was just another passage for her. She retook her scroll, continuing where he had left off.

"Levi seems like a good person but I can tell his motivations are skewed. He wants revenge on Cinder but he also wants to be a Huntsman. He's a good fighter but he could seriously use some work. Well, at least he was easily fooled by my charms. He doesn't know the kind of person he's working with and if he did well…

It doesn't matter. He's just another stepping stone, someone who will help me get what I want. Right now, all I want is Cinder's head on a platter. She forced you to work for her Roman. We were desperate for money but working for Cinder was just too risky.

For now, I'll keep up my training. Keep my skills sharp and make sure I'm ready for Cinder. All I know is that this partnership with Levi is going to prove rather useful. Under the guise of a huntress, I'll be able to move around easier. Here's to hoping we make it to Haven Academy as soon as possible."

Nodding to herself, she closed her scroll, deciding to get ready for the day. After all, Levi had told her they were set to get their payout and she was in need of new clothes.

xxx

"Well, you weren't messing around kid. Those bandits you caught were part of a splinter cell working out of Vacuo. They found out about the overrun cities and came here to steal things. They had 5,000 Lien per head, and you caught ten of them so that's a solid 50,000 Lien." the Vale Military officer said, handing Levi a card with his reward. "Where did you say you were from again?"

"Originally, Vacuo, but my mother moved us to Vale before I was born. She was a professor back at Beacon Academy. I was a Huntsman-in-Training there, before the attack." he said, frowning a bit.

"I'm… sorry to hear that, son. We lost a lot of good people during that shit storm, you would think an army as great as Atlas' would be able to handle some Grimm. But no, their stupid robots got reprogrammed, ended up killing more Civies than actual Creatures. That's probably why Vale is so pissed off with em." he said, shaking his head. "Anyway, I'll be sure to jot your name down on the report for a job well done. I'm sure your Professors will be proud of ya."

"Yeah, I'm sure they will too," Levi said. The man offered him the mission report, signing his name at the bottom. He gave the man his thanks before leaving the station, meeting up with Neo who had been waiting outside, looking through her scroll.

"Well, we won't have to worry about funds for a while." the young man said, flashing his Lien at the girl. She gave him a small smile. "Now then, how about we find ourselves that ship and get to Port Vista?"

As he was about to head off, he felt his friend tugging on his sleeve. He stopped, glancing down at her, curiosity written on his face. She pointed toward a nearby storefront, which had some outfits on display. A high-end clothing store, geared toward making durable clothing for fighting encounters. She pointed at herself, and then at him before pointing back to the store. It was clear what she wanted.

"You want a new set of clothes?"

She nodded firmly, giving him a pleading look. He rolled his eyes. "Sure, let's go take a look."

The young woman clapped gleefully, skipping toward the store. He had noticed Neo acted a bit younger than she appeared to be. He figured it was a feint of some sort, likely to forget about how shitty the world around her was. It was either that or an after effect of her Semblance, which he was still trying to figure out. He waited for a few carts to go by before joining her inside the store, looking around for a moment.

"Hmm… I should probably get something for myself too. I still look like a Beacon Academy student. I'm going to be heading into the thick of things, so a durable set of clothes will go a long way." he thought, as he headed toward the men's section. He stopped in front of a mirror, looking himself over.

He was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt, with dark markings on the fringes. He wore a set of light armor over it, which he had forged himself. It was made of high-grade steel, with the outer edges lined in bronze. The left breast featured a rose bloom, which had taken him a week to etch out. He wore a pair of thick pants on his legs, along with armored leg plates matching the body armor he was wearing. He wore matching black boots with steel toes. Around his waist was the brown holster that held Shiva along with the rest of his gear. Finally, he wore a snow-white cloak over his shoulders, the inside being crimson red.

He never adopted a personal emblem. He knew people drew theirs out, often being family crests, while other times it was things that symbolized who they were as a person and as a huntsman or huntress. He personally never bothered with it, finding the notion silly. He remembered the emblems of his teammates rather well. Aria's was a wolf howling at the moon, Cadence's had been a swan surrounded by an etching of her weapon, Brilliant Diamond, and Sonata's had been a piccolo, as a reference to her name and her weapon.

He shook his head, his focus returning to the task at hand, finding an outfit. He would worry about an emblem at another point in time. He decided to just look around for something, eventually, he'd find an outfit that worked for him.

"Hmm… maybe a flannel shirt? I do seem to enjoy those. Mistral will be colder than Vale, so I'll need a bit of protection from that. My armor is becoming a bit snug too, eventually, I'll have to get it reforged." he thought, pursing his lips a bit. "Ugh… What do I do? I can't seem to find anything."

"Would you like some help, sir?" a voice said, causing him to turn around. A young woman stood before him, a coyote faunus from the looks of it. She was wearing a uniform consisting of a white shirt, a black pencil skirt, and some black heels. She had a warm smile on her face. "I've been watching you from the counter for a while. Are you perhaps a Huntsman?"

"Sort of." he shrugged, ears wiggling a bit. "I just need some more durable clothing, I'll be heading to Mistral and I don't want to spend money on mending clothes."

"Well, that shouldn't be an issue. The clothes sold here are made with Huntsman and Huntresses in mind. They are crafted from a thick and durable silk thread cultivated in the deserts of Vacuo. It's woven using a special loom created by Atlas. So you needn't worry about that. What we do need to worry about is your style." she said, humming to herself, her ears wiggling a bit. "Would you mind if I gave you a few random articles?"

"Sure, I don't mind that," he said, reaching for his cloak straps. He pulled them loose, taking his cloak off. He spared a glance at it before folding it. "This cloak belonged to my mother, she was killed in Beacon Academy not long ago."

"I'm so sorry for your loss. I'll keep your cloak in mind when I choose some things. The fitting rooms are over there, pick one and I'll get started."

He nodded, heading toward the rooms. He undid Shiva's sheath from his belt loops, hanging it from the hook inside the fitting room. He placed his cloak over it, glancing at himself in the mirror. He looked away, almost in embarrassment as he unclipped his armor, placing it down on the corner of the room, followed by his leg protectors, boots, pants and shirt.

"Well, can't say my training has gone to waste. I used to be a bit flabbier before Beacon." he thought, as he looked himself over. He had built a lot of muscle on his arms, and his pectorals had been very well defined. He had an exercise regimen back at Beacon to keep himself healthy. It was his mother's advice after all. Perhaps he would keep doing it in order to stay fit.

"Alright sir, I picked some things out." the woman said, placing them over the door. He snagged a hold of them, looking at them over. "Just come out when you're ready."

"Thanks!" Levi said, looking the clothes over. He shrugged his shoulders, putting the pants on first. Form-fitting and a dark gray, almost black in color. They fit him perfectly. The pockets were quite spacious as well, which would help with his ammunition. He grabbed ahold of the shirt, placing it on.

A rich royal blue, with a firm collar which he immediately folded down. He made sure the buttons were straight before stuffing them in his pants. He was glad the pants had been modified with tailed faunus in mind, or else he'd have to modify it himself. He looked himself over in the mirror before stepping out. The woman tilted her head a bit, giving him a scrutinizing gaze.

"Hmm… alright, turn."

He did as she asked, doing a full spin. She shook her head, gesturing for him to go back. "I like the pants but the shirt doesn't go well. Keep the pants, I'll bring you another shirt."

"Okay," he said, returning to the fitting room. He unbuttoned his shirt, letting it slide off his body. The woman returned with a different colored one, a light green shirt with a black tee shirt. He shrugged, trying them both on.

The process repeated for what he assumed was an hour. With every combination, the woman just sent him back, claiming she hadn't found the perfect outfit. At some point, Neo had joined them, having dropped her disguise, clearly too amused to keep it up. She held some bags in her hands but had kept her outfit the same, likely wanting to surprise him when he was done. After another failed attempt, the woman finally claimed to have found something. This had been the final outfit.

"Alright, Levi, let's see it," she said, calling him back out. Levi sighed, finally exiting the fitting room.

This time, he was dressed in black pants, the legs fading to a soft silvery gray. He had been wearing a brand new pair of boots, with steel toes, his leg protectors shielding his shins and knees. He was wearing a vibrant blue tee-shirt, with dark orange markings on the hem. Beneath it, he was wearing a long-sleeved, black and red flannel shirt, which went quite well with his cloak. He was wearing his armor over it, the polished metal shining brightly in the light. He had put his cloak back on, the shredded edges adding to the chic look of the outfit. Finally, he had placed Shiva's holster back around his hips, adding the final touch to the outfit. Neo gave him a thumbs up, a grin on her face.

"Tres Magnifique! I knew I would find it!" the woman said, happily clapping her hands. "Oh, you look so dashing in it, and mature too. Like a proper Huntsman."

"I like it a lot too," he said, tugging on Glyph, his Dust-Infused gloves. The arm guards and leg guards were a little snug but they would do for now. "It only took an hour but it was an hour well spent."

"It sure was! Let's go to the front and ring this all up, I'll just take the tags from ya," she said cheerfully, removing all of the tags from the clothes he had been wearing. Neo handed him the card with their money on it, giving him a shove forward.

"Alright, alright. No need to rush me." he chuckled, finally reaching the counter. The coyote faunus had already rung him up, the total coming out to just over 120 Lien.

"I gave you a bit of a discount, on me of course. You just look so handsome in that outfit. Not only that, but it's very durable and should be sufficiently warm for the Mistralian weather. If you don't mind my asking, why are you heading to Mistral?" she asked, as he handed her his card.

"We're trying to find someone," Levi said, glancing down at Neo, whose expression had changed to one of anger. "The one responsible for the death of my mother, my teammates, and my friend's loved one. We believe she's going to attack Haven Academy next. It's my hope to not only warn the Headmaster but also put a stop to it if the need arises."

"Oh my… putting yourself in such danger. Are you sure that's wise?"

"I wouldn't necessarily say it's wise, but I do know more people will die if she isn't stopped. Haven Academy can't fall, I won't have a repeat of what happened in Beacon," he said, his voice becoming firm. The woman forced a smile onto her face, returning the card to his hand.

"Then I wish you the best of luck, Huntsman. You might still be in training, but I have no doubt you will do great things for Remnant. Things will be hard, but I believe in you." she said happily. He flushed, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"Gosh, that's probably the first time someone said that to me. I won't let ya down I guess, oh! And I'll definitely recommend this store to people too!"

"Excellent, that's all I could ever ask for. Have a good day you two, and be careful!" the coyote faunus said, giving them a wave as the pair left the store.

xxx

"So I see those bags on your arm, what exactly did you end up buying?" Levi said as he leaned back against the wall. The pair were waiting at the airship station, having found a military ship that would take them to Port Vista. Neo set her bags down, taking a few steps back.

She gave the young man a wink, leaning forward a bit as she snapped her fingers. His eyes widened a bit as a stream of light pink energy washed over her body, enveloping it almost entirely. She had indeed been using her Semblance to hide her new duds, which she seemed very proud of, judging by the gleeful smile upon her face.

"Wow, you clean up nice," Levi said, admiring her outfit.

She was wearing a vanilla white blouse with poofy sleeves, tied firmly around her wrists with black ribbons. It had a wide collar with frilled edges, a two-toned bow, pink and brown, tied around her next. She was wearing a pair of black shorts with pink pockets, she was wearing a long see-through black and pink striped stocking, along with matching pink and black heels. Her hair had been tied into twin tails, with brown and pink ribbons, which had golden bells attached to them. Finally, her weapon Hush was strapped behind her back, held by a pair of velcro straps, attached to the back of her outfit. Overall, she looked very cute, which she was clearly aiming for.

"You look like a waitress, is that your aim?" he questioned, earning a nod from the young woman. He shrugged. "Well, no one would expect a waitress to be packing heat."

"No, they wouldn't. Now then, what's the plan from Port Vista? It'll take us several months to reach Mistral. Are you seriously planning on speaking with Haven's Headmaster?" she typed, causing him to shake his head.

"Of course not. Haven Academy will likely be on guard after what happened to Beacon, there's no way Headmaster Leonheart wouldn't put the students on alert. No, our aim is getting to Mistral and gathering information. Once we figure out where Cinder is, we lay an ambush and attack her."

Neo quirked a brow, quickly typing out her reply. "Are you sure about that? Cinder is a lot stronger than you give her credit for, you know."

"Oh? Care to explain?" he asked. She let out a silent sigh, typing out her next message. She gave him the scroll after she was done, letting him read the paragraph she had written.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Levi. I'm a criminal, as evil as they come. The only reason I chose to work with you is that you saved my life. Anyone else would have taken me into the military or just left me to die, but you didn't. So as a form of trust, I'll tell you what I know. I've worked with Cinder before, I know her tricks and her tactics. She works swiftly and quietly and shows no mercy on her prey. She gets what she wants and there is no stopping her. But there's also something else I don't like about her. Her Semblance is rather odd."

"An odd semblance?" he asked, as he looked at the woman. She gave him a look of surprise, seemingly not caring about her confession. She wrote her next reply.

"Don't you care about what I said? About being a criminal?"

"Hey, I told you when I hired you, I don't care who you've killed. You've earned my trust, just like I'm sure I've earned yours. That isn't the issue here, nor who you worked for or what you did. That's all in the past. What I need to know is about that Semblance of hers." the faunus said firmly.

"It's fire… but not fire at the same time. It seemed almost like magic, but whenever she used it, her dress lit up. It's supposedly an old technique, dust woven into fabric. She can make things out of Cinder, and control flames as well. She alone was able to kill Professor Ozpin after all, and he was a Headmaster and trained Huntsman. What do you think she'll do to a Huntsman in Training?" she questioned, earning a sigh from the young man, who handed the scroll back to her.

"I… hadn't considered that. I was a bit blinded by revenge, I'll admit. But we also can't let her get away. We need to strike her down as swiftly as possible. How long did you work for her?"

"Not much, a few months or so. My friend had worked with her for far longer, he knew her better. She forced him into cooperating, forced his hand and that ended up getting him killed. All thanks to that red-cloaked… What I am trying to say is, if we want to take her down, we need to be sure we can handle her. How do we do that? Information."

She took her scroll back, opening her contact list. She held it out to him, showing him a few names, before typing her next reply. "These people were trusted contacts when I was working with… my friend. A network of sorts that we spent some time building. They have connections to Lil Miss Malachite's gang, who practically run all of Mistral's Underground. If anyone has information, it's them. We'll have to meet with them around Kuchinashi. There's a woman there who will help us."

"Yeah, let's hope so."

Levi remained silent for a moment, his eyes firmly closed. He could hear everything around him, the people speaking, the sounds of walking. He could even hear the distant vendors shouting out their prices. It had been a while since he had heard so much hustle and bustle. Of course, this didn't beat Vale, but it did remind him a bit of the big city. His ears twitched a bit as he heard his friend stand beside him. He opened a single eye, seeing she was mimicking his stance, arms crossed, a single leg on the ground, the other up against the wall. She was having a bit of trouble due to her heels, but she managed. He quickly gathered his thoughts, having processed everything she had said, there was something that had stuck out, especially concerning Cinder.

"You said you worked with her before, under what capacity?"

She gave him a look of confusion, holding her hand up in a gesture for him to elaborate. He pushed himself away from the wall, standing in front of her. "What did she have you do? Did you have anything to do with Beacon?"

He reached behind his back for Shiva, slowly drawing his weapon. With a flick of his wrist, he had the girl pinned to the wall, the edge of his blade at her throat. She didn't even look phased or even bothered. She quirked a brow, head tilted a bit as he pressed the blade to her throat.

"Because if you did have anything to do with that, I will kill you. You've earned my trust Neo, try not to squander it, alright?"

He took a step back, sheathing his blade behind himself. Neo rubbed her neck, fixing her bowtie a bit. She reached for her scroll, rapidly typing out a message, holding it out for him to read. "I had nothing to do with the attack on Beacon. All I did for her was gather intel and dispatch those who got in her way. But I wasn't involved in the big plans for the Academy. I made sure I wasn't even near her when they were being talked about."

"And that friend of yours she got killed?" he asked firmly. She bowed her head, writing out her next response.

"Got forced into it, he did some things he wasn't proud of. He enjoyed it, but he wanted more money, more authority. He bit off more than he could chew and in the end, he got himself killed." she replied, giving him a look of sadness. He looked away from her, walking toward the edge of the platform.

"We'll talk about it later, I believe what you told me. But if you lied to me, well… let's just hope you didn't do that." he said, earning an eye roll from the young woman.

It wasn't long before a bullhead eased into the station, a pristine white airship with the emblem of Vale's Royal Family printed on the side. The side door slowly opened, an officer hanging onto the edge of it. He leaned forward, looking the pair over. "We heard from Officer Shamus that a pair of Huntsman needed a lift to Port Vista. I wasn't expecting it to be kids."

"We're in training, and could really use the lift! We'll pay for lunch!" Levi said, showing the man some Lien.

"Sure, hop aboard. There's a place in Port Vista me and the guys usually go to, we're sure you'll like it too."

Levi hopped up, landing safely inside the ship. He held his hand out, helping Neo up onto the ship. Once they had taken their seats, the man closed the door, telling the pilot to take off. The young faunus took a deep calming breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he steeled his nerves.

"One step closer to Mistral. After this, all we have to do is cross the ocean. That'll be a lot easier said than done. At least miqo'te aren't the type to get seasick." he thought to himself.

"So, you two from Beacon?" the soldier asked, causing Levi to grunt in response. "Were you in the fight?"

"Nah. I was in Vale when it happened, my teammates were in Amity though. We got eliminated in the second round so all we had to do was sit around, watch the other teams. But I had a fight with my team leader and…" Levi paused, shaking his head. "I'd rather not talk about it."

The soldier cringed inwardly, fixing his helmet a bit. "Right, I apologize. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine, you didn't know. Were you a graduate?"

"No, being a Huntsman wasn't for me. I did want to protect the weak though, which is why I ended up joining the military instead. We keep the borders safe while the Huntsman and Huntresses take care of the big boy battles even we can't handle." the soldier said, earning a chuckle from Levi. "You got any crazy stories of your time in school?"

"Not really, unless you wanna hear the sad tale of a faunus who couldn't get a date to the annual Beacon Dance," he said, leaning back in his seat. Neo looked up from her scroll, brows furrowing a bit. "What? You want me to tell you? Well, if you wanna hear it, then I guess I'll tell it."

(Flashback, Seven Months Prior)

It was time for the annual Beacon Dance. It was a mandatory affair, meaning all of the students were expected to show up. Levi didn't much care for events like this, but this year would be a little different. Team ACPL had been allowed to go on with their normal performance, meaning he would be singing alongside his teammates this year. He had been practicing this for weeks, wanting to show his talents to the others. But there was one obstacle in his way, his team leader, Aria.

She didn't want him to sing with her, Cadence, and Sonata. She had said as much, but Cadence had told her it wasn't fair of her to decide that. They had all been practicing as a team and they were going to sing together. But that was the least of his worries. Levi hadn't found a date for the dance.

Dates weren't mandatory, of course. But it would make the event a little more passable. Most students would be bringing their significant others, or close friends willing to share a dance. Those that weren't would find themselves hanging out by the punch bowl, staring at the others and basking in their loneliness. He didn't want to be that guy. He had been that guy the previous year. Cadence and Sonata had been nice enough to offer him dances, but he felt even worse, knowing they were just pity dances.

But it was far too late for him to ask anyone out. After all, what girl would want to date someone like him? He was a faunus, a miqo'te, a special breed of faunus that was slowly dying out. Even now, only around 50 to 100 existed in Remnant. The only other miqo'te he had known had been his mother, as he hadn't met anyone else with the same traits as him. People always questioned why it was he wore face paint and other traditional markings, and they always laughed at his response. Well… his fellow faunus didn't. At least some of them didn't.

"Ugh… this is fucking stupid," he mumbled under his breath, as he set his comb down. He was wearing a suit, a black silk suit that his mother had rented for him. He had been wearing his dust-infused gloves, not wanting to be without them during an emergency. He was also wearing a bright blue tie around his neck, along with polished dress shoes. He didn't look anything like his usual self. He heard footsteps behind him, already knowing who it was. "I know what you are going to say, Cadence, but I am not going to have fun."

"You say that about every single performance we have. The last one we did in the cafeteria last week was very enjoyable," she said with a grin.

"Yeah, to everyone but me. Remember, I was the one who was filming everything on Sonata's scroll," he said, arms crossed over his chest. "Seriously, I don't know why I even bother. I try, and I try, and Aria still manages to shit on me."

"Bah, don't let that silly puppy bother you! I made it abundantly clear that you would be participating in this year's dance performance whether she wants you to or not. I didn't quit my afternoon ballet for six months for you to stand by the loser's punch bowl."

"The punch bowl has a name now?" he asked, quirking a brow. He finished up with his tie, turning to face his partner.

"Yep, it was Coco who named it. Too bad she's out on an assignment, she would have loved our performance," she said cheerfully. She stood before the man, giving him a grin. "So, how do I look? Be honest."

She had styled her hair in curls, making her look rather beautiful. Her vibrant eyes were outlined with dark violet eye shadow, accenting her sun-kissed complexion. She was wearing a sleeveless dress, reaching down past her knees. The fancy embroidery was laced with glittering diamonds, taking the shape of a swan in flight. She wore a big silky bow on her back, trailing down behind her. Finally, she had traded her usual ballet slippers for a pair of rose gold slippers, with rounded toes. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

"You look… wow."

"Hehe, I'm glad you like how I look." she happily replied, picking up the edges of her skirt. "Sonata got it for me last week. She said that it was my style, but honestly, I don't dig fancy outfits. I might be from Atlas but that doesn't mean I dress like I'm high class."

"Well technically speaking, you are from Mantle. The Di Capriccio family is famous for their opera singing. I've heard a few songs, your mother has a very pretty voice, and your father. Ah, I wish I had his lungs."

"Years of practice, I'm afraid," she said sternly. "Erm, anyway. We should probably start heading to the auditorium. Sonata should be done setting up for our performance. Are you excited?"

"Not really. The girl I asked to the dance rejected my offer, so I'm a single pringle tonight."

"No you aren't, I promised you a dance didn't I?"

"I don't want pity dances, Cady, I already told Sona this as well. I mean…" he sighed, shaking his head. "Is there something wrong with me? I'm eighteen years old and I haven't even had my first kiss. Tell me, am I ugly?"

"You aren't ugly. You are a very handsome young man, those tribal markings make you look even more handsome. Any woman would be lucky to have you. It's just… well… you know how people are these days." she said, rubbing her arms. "My people haven't been exactly kind to your people. Racism is rampant, and so is inequality. I want to fight to make sure our races could live equally, especially growing up in a place like Mantle."

"I know, and I don't blame you in particular for anything. Though if I'm being honest, I have a few choice words for Jacques Schnee and the bastards in his company. Hell, if I could I would tell his little girl to deliver them for me. But Weiss is trying, I think." Levi said with a shrug. "Come on, let's get to the dance. Before Headmaster Ozpin sends Goodwitch after us."

Cadence grabbed her jacket, sliding it over her shoulders. Once they had their scrolls, they started heading out of the dormitory building, and toward Beacon Hall. The large auditorium where the dance was being held. It was a cold night, the stars were twinkling, and the moon was shining brightly. He looked at it, tracing all of the shattered pieces with his eyes. There were far too many to count, but scientists had estimated over 300,000. Cadence tapped his shoulder, causing him to look down.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Hmm… what do you think happened to the moon?"

"I… I dunno," she replied, taking a look for herself.

"There are a few theories, but the commonly believed one is a meteor strike. Without the power to visit the moon ourselves, we likely will never figure it out."

"Oh, maybe we can build a rocket and shoot ourselves up there! We can be the first-ever moon travelers!" the girl said cheerfully, causing Levi to sigh, shaking his head.

"Dust loses propulsion high in the atmosphere, Cady. Don't you remember that rocket a few years ago? It didn't even get past the stratosphere." the young faunus replied. "Until we can figure that out, I doubt we'll be able to explore the cosmos. At least we'll be able to break meteors apart if they get too close though."

The two huntsmen in training finally arrived at the auditorium. There had been a pair in front of them, who swiftly entered once they were checked in. Levi and Cadence stepped up next, being greeted by the busty blonde kickboxer of Team RWBY, Yang Xiao Long. She gave the pair a once over, wiggling her brows a bit.

"So, did my favorite kitten confess his feelings to the pretty ballerina?"

"Real funny, Yang. I'm just escorting Cadence to the dance, no dating involved and no confession either. Also, I am not a cat." Levi said, his tail wagging slowly behind him, ears twitching in the wind. Yang gave him a bit of a troll face as she crossed their names off the list.

"Sure, whatever you say, Boss. The whole school is going to love your performance. Sona and Aria finished setting up a little while ago. Go on inside." the blonde said, allowing them entree. Cadence handed her jacket to Yang, who quickly folded it. "I'll put this with the others, and don't you worry, it'll be safe."

"Thanks, Yang, come on, Levi. Let's get some punch, loosen up your vocal cords a bit." the pink-haired woman said, dragging him toward the other end of the auditorium, to the refreshment table.

She grabbed ahold of the ladle, pouring some punch into a glass, along with some fruit slices. She did the same for herself, leaning back against the table, eyeing the crowd. "Pretty big crowd, I'd say… half if not all of Beacon is here?"

"There are some students from Shade and Haven here too. The early ones who decided to skip class so they could watch the best school in Remnant kick ass."

"Oh? Beacon is the best school on Remnant eh?" she paused for a quick sip. "Don't let General Ironwood hear you. It might hurt his ego."

"Pfft, I doubt it'll bother him," Levi said, finishing his drink in a single go. He sighed happily, wiping his lips with his sleeves. "So uh… why do they call him Ironwood?"

"Why do you think?" the ballerina replied, a smirk on her lips. Levi narrowed his eyes a bit, thinking for a second before grimacing.

"Oh… dude."

"Hey, you asked."

"Hi, guys! Are you ready?" Sonata cried, joining the pair by the table. She was wearing a dress similar to Cadence, only hers was neon blue in color, with bright white streaks running down it. Her hair had been done up into a side ponytail, a bright blue bow holding it up. "Aria is already on stage and everything."

"Well, better now than never, I suppose. Not like I'm in a hurry for our performance, or anything." Levi said, setting his use glass in a bucket next to the table. He tugged on his jacket, heading toward the stage. "Come on, Ladies. Let's not keep them waiting."

Aria had been at the edge of the stage, checking the microphones while the band continued doing their final checks. She visibly scowled when Levi approached her, making her take a step back. "What do you want?"

"Jeez woman, I can't say hi to my leader?"

"You can say hi if you want, but I am a bit busy here," she replied. He gave her a once-over, taking note of how plain her dress was. It was silver in color, and fit her a little snugger than some of the other girl's in the building. Her breasts had filled it out quite a bit, earning her glances from most of the men in the school. "Are you excited?"

He decided to ignore her sarcasm. "Sort of, but clearly you aren't. I've been practicing hard, Aria. At least let me prove myself."

"Sure, we'll see about that. Ah, but before that, do you think you could do me a favor?" she asked, causing him to nod. She reached behind her back, pulling out a small mechanical-looking box. "This thing is a waist-powered amplifier, it allows the microphone to connect to the speakers. It needs some batteries, but we don't have any spare ones. Headmaster Ozpin said there were some Lightning Dust Crystals in the backroom to power some stuff in a pinch. Think you can get some for me?"

"I… suppose I can," he said, glancing at his watch for a moment. "Yeah, I can do that. We're going on after you get this back, right?"

"Yes sir. You'll be able to help us wow the crowd with your amazing voice, or so Cadence says. Take your time, alright?" Aria said, giving him a smile. Levi narrowed his eyes but said nothing as he walked off stage, heading to the room she had mentioned.

"Um… Aria, where is Levi going?" Sonata asked, causing her leader to turn around and face her.

"The bathroom, he said he was going to be gone for a while and that we can go on ahead without him."

"Why would he do that? He's been practicing for this performance for weeks, he wouldn't just quit because he needed to go to the bathroom. I think we should wait for him to come back." Cadence said, a stern tone in her voice.

"Well I am the team leader, and I have the final say, don't I? He said it would be fine. We can't keep the crowd waiting, right? The show must go on. You know all about that, right Cadence?" she asked, standing over her teammate. Cadence said nothing, giving her a nod. "Good, then take your spots."

Meanwhile, Levi had made it to the back room. He started looking around for the Dust Crystals Aria had mentioned. As he did so, however, he started fiddling around with the machine she had given him. He looked it cover for a moment, ears twitching a bit. "Why would a simple device need dust crystals? Wouldn't you need a conversion piece to use raw crystals?"

His ears perked up a bit, the sound of music starting to fill the room. Despite how far he was from the main hall, he could still hear it. He slowly turned around, heading back the way he had come, slowly moving until he was finally sprinting. He came to a stop at the edge of the auditorium, his eyes trained on the stage.

"Are you… serious? She sent me away so that she could start without me?" he thought, as he cut through the crowd. The song they were singing wasn't even the one they had agreed on. Aria had changed tactics and had captivated the audience with her voice.

He stopped near the center of the room, arms crossed as he looked on. Aria hadn't noticed him, but Cadence and Sonata certainly had. Of course, they couldn't stop in the middle of their song, and to keep going. Levi didn't spare them a glance, his undivided attention on Aria. His hand shook as he squeezed the box in his hand, inadvertently activating his semblance. He gave the device a final squeeze, causing it to erupt into flames. The small explosion being enough to cause Aria to stop singing.

"There is so much I wanna say to you right now, but you know what? You aren't even worth it right now," he said, throwing the broken box she had handed him on the ground.

"You ruined the song, I was about to hit my high note!"

"Oh I'm sorry, didn't mean to rob you of your well-earned spotlight, you mewling quim!" he said, causing her to gasp in surprise. "I hope you enjoy your concert, you didn't want me to sing, hey, wish granted."

"What the fuck did you just call me, you stupid alley cat?"

"Get a better insult, sweetie," Levi said, giving her the bird before leaving the auditorium. Aria growled angrily, her tail becoming still as her rage continued to boil. Cadence cleared her throat, tapping the microphone.

"Erm… we're sorry! We're having a bit of miscommunication tonight, we'll continue with the performance shortly. Sonata will be gracing all of you with her singing voice. Me and Aria have something to discuss. Sonata, the stage is yours." Cadence said as she grabbed a hold of Aria's tail, pulling her along.

"What… Me? Uh… okay." she said, grabbing ahold of her microphone. She cleared her throat, glancing back at the crowd. "Um… If it hadn't been for cotton-eyed joe, I'd have been married a long time ago, where did you come from and where did you go? Where did you come from Cotton-eyed Joe!"

xxx

A loud clack echoed through the night as a golf ball sailed over the Emerald Forest. Levi held his hand over his eyes, as he followed the ball. A low thump filled his ears, the ball striking several trees before coming to rest on the grassy floor below.

"245 meters, that's a new record," he said with a shrug. He grabbed another ball from the bucket he had brought along, placing the tee down in the soil. He lined up his shot, rolling his shoulders a bit. He waited for the right time before lifting his driver. A whistling clang filled his ears as the ball shot off into the distance. The loud thump of the ball striking stone made him cringe. "I was a little off there, might've hit a piece of the ruins."

"What are you doing?"

He straightened up, glancing over his shoulder, his eyes widening a bit as he spotted the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company standing behind him. The dance was still going, and yet here she was. She was a bit shorter than he was, with silky white hair tied in a side ponytail, held up with a glamorous silver and diamond tiara. She wore a white sleeveless dress, far less formal than he had been expecting of someone of her stature. He lowered his driver, resting some of his weight on it as if it were a cane.

"Practicing my swing."

"At 9:35 PM?" she questioned, making the man shrug.

"Better than being at the dance. Don't know if you were paying attention but my teammate humiliated me in front of the school. Again."

"That's why I came to talk to you. Cadence sent me, since I was the only one without a dance partner and apparently needed some fresh air," she said, shortening the distance between them. "She wanted you to know Aria isn't going to be performing again for a while, not only that but she's also writing you a three-page apology."

"Pfft, she can shove it for all I care. All she ever does is piss me off, ever since we met. I dunno what I ever did to her. But she always considers me a weak link. I used to think she just hated men, but she's treated some other guys around the school decently, especially human males. Meanwhile, I get treated like a damn dog." he said, setting up another tee. He dropped a pink golf ball onto it, lining up his shot. "You'd think racism between faunus wouldn't exist, but I'm convinced Aria hates her own race."

"Why do you say that?" Weiss asked as he swung his driver, sending the ball flying into the distance. He turned around, placing a hand on his hip.

"She's nicer to humans, has more human friends, treats me like I'm common trash, told Blake to her face she should have been born a human. Oh and there's that one time Velvet asked her about our homework and she got bitched out for no reason," he said, grabbing another ball.

"You would think she'd be sympathetic to her own kind."

"Yeah, but she isn't. Probably has to do with her being the daughter of some chieftain in Mistral, I could care less." Levi said, taking his shot. The ball sailed forward, striking one of the trees in the distance. "If your life is shit, then it's your job to fix it, but don't take it out on the rest of us. And don't make the lives of your teammates even shittier. It isn't just me, she does it to Sona too. Cadence doesn't take her shit, but if she was a bit softer, she'd likely be under her thumb."

Weiss remained silent as he took his next shot, not exactly knowing what to say. She didn't have much room to say anything. She fiddled with the hem of her dress, her eyes firmly locked on her feet. "I used to be like her, you know."

"A Schnee being racist against the faunus? That's news to me," he said sarcastically, turning to face her. "It's well known that your family forces the faunus into labor camps and treats them like property. It's nothing new."

"I said used to be for a reason, Levi. I used to hate the faunus for what they did, to my family and to close friends. So many people I knew disappeared, it wasn't until a few months ago I learned why. I don't condone what my father has done, but I am going to fix it, by becoming a good huntress. I mean, it took me a whole semester to figure out one of my teammates was a faunus."

"A whole semester?" the miqo'te said, causing her to nod. "Wait wait wait… it took you a whole semester to figure out Blake Belladonna was a faunus? Dude, it was so obvious!"

"How could I have known? She wears a bow all the time!"

"It twitches when she yawns!" he cried, throwing his hands up. "Not to mention her eyes are amber in color, have you ever seen a normal human have amber eyes? That glow at night? There's also the fact she doesn't like dogs and has a pertinence to sleeping in trees."

"I… I.." she sighed, rubbing her arms in embarrassment. "I know now, and I am trying to fix my relationship with her. In fact, we've become close friends. Thanks to her, I've learned more about the hardships of the faunus, and I've also learned to be kinder to them. It's why I am here now. We may not know each other well, but when I saw the look on your face, and that glyph formed around your hand I… well, you reminded me of me, about a year ago."

"What, did you blow your dad's mustache off his face?" he asked, causing her to giggle, probably at the sight of her father without facial hair.

"No… I accidentally activated a glyph when my father was giving me a lecture. My younger brother was next to me and I ended up freezing his legs to the ground. We had to call my sister Winter to thaw him out. I was grounded for a month. Turns out, if I hold my anger in for too long, it sort of explodes." she said, taking a step forward. "I want to impart my knowledge to you since your semblance and mine are similar."

"Oh? Does the Schnee Heiress wish to assist the little people? And a faunus no less. My if, father found out, he'd be blazing mad, wouldn't he?" he asked, a grin on his face. She huffed, looking away from him.

"Do you want my help or not?"

"Well, I didn't ask for it but you are there, and I'm here, so sure," he said, dropping his jovial facade. "What do you do to calm your anger?"

"Would you mind letting me borrow that club?" she asked, holding her hand out. He looked at his driver, shrugging his shoulders before handing it over. She took a deep breath, tapping her fingers against the cool metal of the club. He stepped back a bit as a white glyph formed around her feet, glowing a bit in size. "Emotions are connected to your semblance, strong ones will affect it more than weaker ones. Things like happiness, anger, despair, sadness, and grief will have varying effects. For glyphs, I've learned that the stronger the emotion, the more defined your glyphs become."

She held the club out, forming another glyph at the end of it, this one glowing black. "For example, I've learned that anger strengthens my resolve. I'm not just angry at my father, or the White Fang for harming people. I am angry at the Grimm, angry that the people who see me as just a doll. I am angry at those who underestimate me. I channel that anger through me, into my semblance. With the added dust, well…"

Her glyph changed color, glowing a light blue as she threw a vial of ice dust at it. With a bit more focus, hundreds of icicles shot into the Emerald Forest, raining down on the trees below. She lowered the club, her glyph slowly disappearing. She turned to face him, clasping the club tightly in her hands. "Though you've been training from a young age with your glyphs, I can tell you have much to learn. My Semblance is tied to the Schnee Bloodline, but similar glyphs have been wielded by other people. They never fully bring out the potential of a unique power such as this, which is why I am giving you this advice. Turn your anger into a weapon, hone your emotions, and make your glyphs an extension of your being."

Levi held his hand out, forming a glyph in the palm of his hand. Unlike Weiss's who had a snowflake in the center, matching the Schnee Family Crest, his had a six-pointed star in the middle and was glowing a light blue, similar to his aura. The lines were thin and defined, the outer edges had hundreds of small runes written, spelling words in an archaic language he didn't even understand. They were just letters he had written down on a notebook when he had been forming them as a child.

"My semblance is different than yours. You inherit your glyphs, I have to write mine. The only one which I didn't write was my basis. I learned early on if I didn't make the right calculations, my glyphs could shatter, backfire, and in the worst-case scenario, get people severely hurt. I had to learn college-level calculus, trigonometry, geography, and physics at the age of ten, just to stop myself from blowing a hole in the world. Emotions might tie into it all, but where I am concerned, a keen intellect and strong understanding of math are also required."

"Do you calculate things in your head?"

"Not anymore, it's second nature now. Were I to write a new glyph, I'd have to factor in several variables to see if I could even make it work," he said, sighing. "Thanks, Weiss. I appreciate the advice, I'll take it to heart. After all, I can always improve my skills if I put time into it. It's the only thing I'm ever good for in my team."

"It isn't the only thing you are good at. My team wasn't peaches and sunshine when we formed, but now we're closer than ever. If I learned something from Ruby, it's that we have to trust each other with our lives. It's how we become close friends. You've done that with Sonata and Cadence, just keep trying with Aria. If she's a lost cause then there's nothing you can do. But don't give up without trying." she said cheerfully, spinning the club around. "Now then, I hope you don't mind if I steal a few balls from you."

"Don't you want to get back to the dance?" he asked, gesturing to the auditorium with his thumb. She rolled her eyes, placing the tee into the soil.

"Why? So I can spend my night drinking "Losers Punch"? I think I'll pass." she said, leaning down a bit. Levi noticed she was aiming to strike it from the right, despite being a lefty club.

"Erm, you're standing on the wrong side," he said, gesturing to the club. She looked at it for a moment, shaking her head in embarrassment. She was glad it was dark enough to hide the blush on her cheeks. "Don't you uh… have a date back at the dance?"

"Nope."

"Wait… no one asked you to the dance tonight? But your… Weiss Schnee!"

"That's exactly why no one asked me. They were all too scared to approach me," she said, taking a swing at the ball, only for her to miss. She realigned her drive, this time striking the ball, though instead of going far, it just dropped after a hundred feet. "I did ask one guy out… he was apparently too cool to come to the dance with me."

Levi's ears twitched at her words, eyes widening a bit. "You… asked a guy out… and he turned you down… you. He seriously turned you down?"

"Mhmm," she said, grabbing another ball. "I'm used to it, besides I didn't come to Beacon to get a boyfriend. Though finding one would be ideal. It would probably stop father from selling me to the highest bidder."

"Goddamn," Levi mumbled under his breath, unable to process what the girl had said. "I just… have a hard time understanding. How is it that a girl as pretty as you gets rejected by a guy?! If a girl like you asked a dumbass like me to the dance, I would say yes in a heartbeat."

"Oh, is that so? Maybe I should have asked you instead of the other guy," she said, holding back a giggle. She swung the driver, sending the ball out, striking the top of the trees. "Well, I just proved I suck at golf. I seriously don't see how my dad and his dusty old friends enjoy this game."

"It's fun once you get the hang of it. I usually picture the faces of the people I hate, then I project my hatred through the driver and whoosh!" he said, setting up another ball. He stood behind the heiress, taking a hold of her hands, much to her surprise. "First, don't bring the driver down on the ball as if it was a baseball. You have to ease into it, as if the driver was a mallet. Have you ever played croquet?"

"When I was a little girl, me and my mother used to play it a lot."

"Good, then picture the ball as a croquet ball and imagine the club is a mallet. Bring it up and then strike the ball on the side, not the top." he said, bringing the driver up, before stepping away from the girl. He placed his hands on her hips, fixing her posture a bit. "There you go. Swing away when you're ready."

She waited for a few seconds, looking out into the distance before bringing her gaze back down onto the ball. She let out a soft hum as she brought the driver down, sending the ball out into the distance. Levi let out a surprised whistle, straining his eyes a bit to see.

"Nice! I'd say that was around 215 meters, not bad for a first proper drive."

"It was all thanks to your pointers. Can I go again?"

"Sure, feel free to take as many swings as you like. These aren't my golf balls." Levi said with a shrug, as he set up the next tee. Weiss turned to face him, giving him a firm look.

"Whose balls are they?"

"Uh… well?"

"Ahem."

Weiss and Levi jumped a bit, seeing Headmaster Ozpin standing behind them. He looked down at the bucket of golf balls, as well as the tees and the driver in Weiss's hand. He took a quick sip from his mug, rolling his hand around the tip of his cane. "I would appreciate it if you asked for a few spare balls before taking them, Mr. Athan."

"S-sorry, Headmaster."

"I trust you'll retrieve all of those balls you've shot into the Emerald Forest by tomorrow afternoon?" the man asked, earning a nod from the faunus. "Excellent, I expect them in my office no later than 6. Miss Schnee shall be accompanying you. It will be the perfect occasion to have her shadow an older student. Ah, and before I forget, do return your Mother's scroll to her before she finds out you took it. I'd rather not deal with her yelling again."

"Yes sir, sorry sir," Levi said, bowing his head apologetically. The Headmaster nodded, before making his way back to the auditorium, once he was out of earshot, Levi started laughing, making Weiss growl at him.

"I can't believe you! How could you just take the Headmaster's golf balls like that? And not tell me?!"

"You never asked. Eh, it won't be so bad. The Grimm have likely moved away from the academy, and I only shot like 20 balls down there. We'll be done before you know it. For now, how about we head back to the Headmaster's Office and bring these balls back. We can get to know each other a bit more." he said cheerfully, grabbing the bucket from the ground. Weiss sighed, gathering up the tees as well as the driver.

"Alright, I suppose. Blake did tell me it would be best to make more faunus friends and get to understand their struggles and whatnot. Just don't ask me any dumb questions about Atlas High Society."

"Trust me, I asked Sona and Cadence all of those last year. I'd honestly just like to get to know you, I don't have many friends after all," he said, his tail wagging happily. The Schnee Heiress nodded, returning his smile with one of her own.

(Flashback Ends)

"The Schnee Heiress huh? Nice, I didn't think you'd even get close to her, with her hating faunus so much and all." the soldier said.

"She was just misguided, she learned that not all faunus are evil little shits. As for me getting close to her, let's just say our interactions after that were purely academic." Levi said, leaning back in his seat.

"We're approaching Port Vista, open the door Cyan, let them see the city." the pilot said, earning a nod from Cyan, the soldier Levi and Neo had been speaking with. He reached for the door handle and tugged on it, causing the door to automatically open. Levi and Neo peered out, gasping a bit in surprise. "Welcome to Port Vista, kids. The biggest port city in Vale."

The city was huge, almost as big, if not as big as Vale. The buildings were all made of brick and mortar, extending down toward the coast, a giant, horseshoe-shaped indent in the land. Large stone piers lined the edges of the city, with large passenger and cargo ships being docked there. There was a tram-car that cut down through the city, along with a cable car that led deep into the mountain settlement. A large, radio tower could be seen rising high into the sky, likely providing service to the city. People could be seen going about their day, gathering things, selling items, and just generally having a good time. He caught the scent of salt and fish blowing on the breeze and heard the sounds of kids having fun by the beach. It was a picturesque port town, peaceful and inviting.

"Certainly beats Vale, huh? Port Vista was constructed shortly after the great war. It serves the same purpose as Argus up in Mistral. A direct line to the Atlas Military, permanently stationed here in case something bad happens. Though recent events have strained our relationship with Atlas, we still make use of the gear they left behind." Cyan said, causing Levi to look away from the city.

"Left behind? What do you mean by that?"

"Atlas Military Personnel was recalled two weeks ago. They were all relocated to various points in Mistral, by order of Special Operative Winter Schnee. They left us all the tech they were using so we could defend ourselves from the Fei Long that makes its home just outside the city limits. But it hardly gets close to shore, so we've had no purpose in using it," the man said. The pilot slowly eased down on an empty patch, touching down on the ground. "Whelp, last stop kids. It was nice having someone to talk to. It can get a little boring with just Gray over there."

"Hey now, I make for good company!" the captain, a fox faunus said. He had taken his helmet off, revealing a set of silver-colored ears atop a mop of spiky gray hair. "We can take you to that restaurant we mentioned since you graciously offered."

"Awesome! I'm famished, Neo does her best cooking what we've got but even I can get tired of canned food and soup," he said, earning a glare from the ice-cream-themed human. He let out a laugh, rubbing his neck. "Oh, you know I love your food."

"Then what are we waiting for? Come on, it's this way. And since you told us a story about Beacon, we can regale you with a tale about the two of us. It's a horror story from our time in Boot Camp!" Cyan said, earning a sigh from Gray.

"Please don't tell them the latrine story, I really hate when you share that with people," he said, clutching his rifle tightly.

"Nah, it isn't that one. But it is about that time we had to get a crockpot and make gumbo for the lieutenant, all because someone ate his." the man said, causing his friend to facepalm. "So, there we were, in the barracks when one of our superior officers tells us that it's Gumbo night in the mess hall..."

xxx

"It was nice meeting you two!" Levi called out, as he hung over the railing, giving the two soldiers a wave.

"Good luck in Mistral you two! Don't be strangers, if you find yourselves back in Vale and need anything, just give us a call!" Cyan called back, giving the pair a wave. Gray stood beside him, a bright smile on his face.

"And thanks for the meal! You were right, eating with good company is always better!"

"Told you!" the faunus cheekily replied. The ship let out a massive belch, its foghorn echoing through the port. The seagulls took off at the sound, flying off into the distance. The ship slowly pulled away from the port, its next journey about to begin.

"I didn't think that Gray guy could pack it in, but damn can he eat." Neo typed out, causing Levi to roll his eyes. The pair stepped away from the railing, glancing toward the bow of the ship. It wasn't long after it had pulled out that the engines fully kicked in, causing them to lull forward into the open ocean.

"Eh, don't worry about it, Neo. We have plenty of money to spare, and they gave us a free ride. If it hadn't been for them, we would have had to make it here on foot. We're a bit early on our trip, but now we can focus on what's ahead of us." He said, placing his hands on his hips. His ears dropped a bit as he glanced at the wooden deck. "Of course, I wish I had more of a solid plan than just going to Mistral."

"That's something we'll have to figure out when we get there. The journey to Mistral will be a long one and depending on where we make port, a hard one. As I said, once we get there, we can meet up with my former contact, and see if she has information. If not, we move on." her scroll spoke, causing him to nod.

"It's as good a plan as any. We'll be out on the ocean for about two weeks, and if we're lucky, it'll take us around three to six months to make it to Mistral. We'll be fine." he said, forcing a smile onto his face. Neo wasn't so confident, but she had nothing else to rely on.

Even if it wasn't, she needed to get to Cinder, and more importantly, to Ruby Rose. She was sure that, if Cinder went to Haven, Ruby would be there as well. She was the reason she had been separated from Roman and had led to this death. Once she had her in the right spot, she could swoop in and kill them both. Only then would his life be avenged.

"It won't be long now, Roman. I'll find Little Red and kill her for you, and I'll make sure Cinder pays for forcing you to work for her. If I have to use this idiot to achieve my goals, I will. I can always get rid of him if he becomes useless to me." she thought, a tiny little smirk appearing on her face.

"What are you thinking about? Have a funny joke you wanna tell me?" Levi asked. She shook her head, lips pursed a bit. She pointed to the water, using her hand to brush away the smell around her. "Oh… you don't like the smell of seasalt?"

She shook her head no. "You'll get used to it, after a while. My mother used to love spending time out on the ocean. Even when I was little, she'd go out on missions that took her to other kingdoms. I'm pretty sure I got passed around to all of her friends before I was old enough to take care of myself. Being a Professor and a Huntress took a lot out of her."

"Would you tell me more about her?" Neo's scroll chirped, making him stiffen a bit. He reached into his armor, pulling out a folded picture of his mother and him the day he had joined Beacon Academy. He shook his head.

"Not right now. I'm… not in the mood to talk about her. Let's go see our cabins, they didn't have singles left so I hope you don't mind bunking with a faunus for the next fortnight." he said, giving her a toothy grin. She shrugged, tugging a strand of hair as she let him take the lead. She spared a glance over her shoulder, looking at the retreating landmass of Sanus. It had been a long time since she had left Vale. Maybe she'd find something new to care about, now that she had lost everything she had.

A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to the semi-final update for Promise that I will be holding. I am leaving on a trip in a few days and won't be able to post anything for around a month, so this will be the first of two chapters I will post before the 6th of April. This will also give me enough time to work on the story and its plot while I'm away, allowing me to hash things out as carefully as I can. I also plan to finish the first major arc of my Fate series or at least plot out the last 5 chapters that remain in it. I was going to post new stuff for that but life has been hectic.

This chapter gives us some more insight on Team Acapella, allowing you all to see Levi and his relationships with his other teammates. I'm actually liking these segments because while I'm not writing a school phase story, it does allow me to flesh out Team ACPL a lot more without having to write the events of Volumes 1-3. As we go on, we will get a lot more insight into Aria, Cadence, and Sonata, as well as a few other characters. While Levi will have interacted with the main cast members in the past, he won't be meeting and or interacting with them until much later, with only a main cast member joining him halfway through the first arc. Let's just say this will lead to the many improvements I wish to bring to the series. And again for some of those things to line up, I kinda sort of have to ignore the egregious placement on the timeline and just not mention time too much. As you can tell, I mentioned it a lot during the early parts of each chapter but eventually, there will come to a point where time will progress forward but won't be mentioned too much unless it has to be. We just gotta assume shit lol.

This first arc will cover the time between the latter half of Volume 4, as well as most of 5 and 6, which will be the Mistral Arc of the story. Afterwards we will move onto Atlas, which is by far the part I am the most excited to start covering. I really loved Volume 7 and even though I have my gripes with 8 I enjoyed it as well. So I am eager to start on those events. But of course, all in due time. I hope you are enjoying the story so far, it's been a blast to write it. That's all I have to say for now.

Whelp, I suppose I'll see ya when I see ya.