Chapter 5: Keep on Keeping On
The distant sound of sirens echoed in his mind, sounding both close and far off at the same time. He looked around for a moment, trying to follow after them, only to be greeted by nothing. His ears perked up a bit, causing him to swiftly turn around, having drawn Shiva from his holster. Levi looked around, his eyes scanning his surroundings.
"Where… am I?" he mumbled, as he took in the sight of the buildings. His sight cleared a bit, allowing him to see everything clearer. The familiar buildings of downtown Vale left him stunned. He could see cars moving around at blazing speeds, and people running in all directions. "What the hell is going on?"
His ears perked up a bit, an ear shattering screech echoing through the city. The glass windows shattered, causing glass to rain all around him. Levi looked up, spotting a giant grimm in the distance. He could see it heading toward Beacon Academy. He tried taking a step forward, but didn't make it far before the area around him started to melt. He looked around in confusion, watching as the cityscape turned into a blurred mess of water. He swiftly turned around, jumping back a bit when he found himself inside Amity Arena.
"What the hell?"
"Well, would you look at what the cat dragged in?!" a familiar voice called out, causing him to spin around, clutching Shiva tightly. He let out a gasp, his eyes widening a bit when he saw his team leader, Aria Blaze standing in front of him. She had her arms crossed, her cerulean eyes glaring into his. "Did you come back here to insult me some more?"
"Huh? I didn't come to insult you, Aria. I want to apologize to you, what I said was wrong, I shouldn't have said what I said." he said, gazing at the floor. "I want to be your friend, and your partner. Someone you can rely on, I just want you to give me a chance."
"Pfft… give you a chance? That's hilarious. As if I could find myself ever being your friend. You are just a useless waste of space. You think because your mother is a professor at Beacon, you have a decent chance at being a Huntsman? Don't lie to yourself, you are barely passing as it is."
"I don't think anything, Aria! I genuinely want to be your friend!" he exclaimed. Aria growled angrily, taking a step forward. With a flick of her wrists, she activated her signature weapons, Crime and Punishment. The glowed blue and orange, fire and ice, her preferred elements. She raised her left hand up, Crime swirling blue with ice. He coward back, hands shaking a bit. She clicked her tongue, lowering her arm.
"Tch. You aren't even worth it." she spat, looking away from him. "You want to be my friend after the bullshit you pulled on us? It's thanks to you that Cadence is dead. It's thanks to you that Sonata is in a coma, and it's thanks to you that I'm dead."
"What? No… but you aren't, this isn't a…"
"Get it into your head, asshole. You did this. Because of your hissy fit, you split our team up. You left us in Amity Arena, you weren't even at Beacon. You go around, telling people that you were part of the Battle at Beacon when you were out on the streets killing Grimm. You thought saving your friends and neighbors was more important than fighting with us at the Academy!"
"That isn't true!" he shouted back, taking a step forward. "I was at Beacon! I was fighting the androids too! My mother told me to help as many people as I could. I left Beacon Academy to help the citizens who couldn't fight. I tried finding you, but I couldn't!"
"Ha, are you trying to lie to me, or yourself? We both know you didn't even bother calling us. Cadence was your partner, you trained together but you didn't even watch her back. She was carried off by a Nevermore and likely killed in the forest. Sonata was left defenseless, her aura was shattered and her body was battered and broken, and I had to give my life to defend her. But that's cool, you left us to die to save some useless faunus and dumb humans. Congratulations, you are officially a Huntsman."
The wolf faunus clapped her hands loudly, letting out a laugh as she did so. "Face it, you aren't capable of being a huntsman. All you did was get your team killed, all because of a petty argument, all because you didn't listen to your team leader. Now we're dead and you are alive, searching for ghosts in the wind."
"I…"
"What about your mom? You loved her so much but you weren't there for her either. She killed eight Nevermores that night, and guided the students to safety. What were you doing? Absolutely nothing! So much for the mighty Miqo'te race eh? A capable huntress and adult miqo'te dead and buried all because her son was a useless wretch who didn't listen to his leader." Aria said, turning away from him. "But that's none of my business. All I know is her soul is likely suffering, because of how useless her little boy turned out to be."
Levi grit his teeth as he bowed his head, feeling the tears brimming his eyes. Aria continued walking around him, her laugh filling his ears. "This is all your fault, Levi. You should have died that night, not me, not Cadence. It should be you in a coma, not Sonata. It should be you who died, not your mother. But I guess we are just remnants of what could have been, while you are a piece of what is still left."
"I'm sorry, Aria."
Aria grabbed a hold of his chin, forcing him to look directly into her eyes. She had her fangs bared, her eyes glowing a bright blue. "I will never forgive you."
xxx
Levi snapped awake, panting a bit as he clutched his chest. He looked around for a moment, finding himself in an empty room. He was laying on the solitary bed, a basic nightstand and lamp resting beside him. A single blade of sunlight shone on his face, helping him to wake up. His eyes slowly fell to the table, where he saw a glass filled with water. He grabbed a hold of it, downing it in a single go, not caring that it was a bit stale from the previous night. He took a deep breath, hand shaking as he looked at the empty glass.
"It was just a dream," he mumbled, ears folded tightly against his head. "Just a stupid dream."
He rubbed his eyes with his hand, pulling the covers off of himself. His feet touched the bare wood, causing him to shudder a bit from the cold. He stepped into the adjacent bathroom, opening the tap water, splashing a bit onto his face. He looked up at his reflection, taking in his tired appearance. He traced his facial scar with his finger, it was thin and not that deep, but it ran across his face. He had gotten it during a training session with his mother, who had pushed him a bit too far. His aura broke and he ended up not listening to her advice. It was a reminder of how foolish he had been.
He looked down at the edge of the sink, seeing a small white container by the faucet. He sighed, shaking his head. "Better get ready for the day."
It didn't take him long to do just that. He started by getting dressed first, having taken a quick shower and brushed his hair down. Once he had his clothes on he grabbed his paints, and started with the long process of applying his tribal marks. He used a bit of foundation to cover the scar, and once he had done a decent job, he started with the paint itself. He started by drawing the red markings first, right below his eyes, keeping the brush strokes even. He let them dry a bit before reaching for the white paint, outlining the red markings with a thinner brush. Finally, he finished the marks by applying a bit of black right under the white markings. He added a few more details, finally finishing his work.
It was a methodical application, one that his mother had taught him from a rather young age. It was something that all miqo'te apparently did. Their markings were meant to represent their tribes, each one had unique markings. The Hearth Tribe had two red marks, outlined with white and accented by black, but he knew of other tribes that used other markings. White, blue, red, green and even magenta markings. It was honestly impressive to see just how many marks existed.
Finally finished, he put away his paints, shoving them inside Shiva's holster. He made sure he had everything he had come with, before stepping out of the room. It was rather early in the morning, around 8am or so. He and Neo had been lucky to have found an inn when they did. He walked down the stairs, looking around for a moment before spotting his friend, sitting by herself at an empty table, a cup of tea sat before her. She looked away from the window for a moment, giving him a small wave. She gestured for him to join her, the young man crossing the room in a few short steps.
"Morning Neo, I hope you slept well." he said softly, as he sat down across from the girl. She gave him a thumbs up, grabbing a hold of the kettle. She poured him a cup, sliding it toward him. He gratefully accepted it, taking a sip from it. "So, any missions catch your eye?"
She shook her head, opening her scroll. She tapped on it for a few seconds, connecting to the Mistral Guild Database, showing the available missions for huntsman and huntresses. She sifted through it for a moment before tapping an icon, showing it to Levi. He took a hold of the device, frowning a bit when he read what she had found.
"Missions can only be accepted by Licensed Huntsman. In order to accept them, a legal ID must be presented. Huntsman and Huntresses in Training must receive the approval of their Academy Headmaster to take low leveled missions. Non-Licensed 3rd Parties are not allowed to accept official missions."
"Fantastic. If I want to take a mission here I have to talk to Headmaster Ozpin." he said, downing a bit of his tea. "I suppose I'll have to go back to Beacon, dig up his corpse and ask him if I can take little Susy to school at nine am."
"No need to be so sarcastic," Neo signed, leaning back in her seat. She reached inside her shirt, pulling out a black scroll. She placed it down on the table, giving him a smirk. "Do you know what this is?"
Levi looked at it, narrowing his eyes a bit. He felt his pockets, searching for the second scroll he had been carrying around since he had been on the Atlas Flagship. He looked up at her, a frown on his face. "You pickpocketed me?"
"You make it too easy," she signed, holding back a silent laugh. She took her own scroll back, typing out a message. "I was messing with it and found out what it is. Whoever was aboard that flagship, used this scroll. It has some sort of malware installed on it. It can be used to hack systems, but sadly there's not much else that can be done. There was one thing I was able to do though."
She placed the black scroll on top of her own, tapping on the screen. It brought up a menu he couldn't see too well. She tapped it again, causing something to be transferred to her scroll. One she had, she closed the black scroll, sliding it over to him. She typed a few other things on hers before turning it to him, giving him a grin.
"A… huntress in training license. Haven Academy, Year 2." he read, as he looked at the other false information on the license. She had a picture of herself, of course, along with her name. Neo. No surname. He looked up at her, brow quirked slightly. "I don't think this will pass for real."
She swiped her profile away, bringing back the message application. "It might look fake, but it's real. I was able to use an identification from a deceased Haven Academy student. I renamed it and gave myself that license. It'll work better for us."
He had to admit, it was an ingenious plan. Neo was a criminal, he wasn't sure on what capacity, but he knew it was likely she had killed in the past. A normal person would likely be bothered by that, but Levi honestly didn't care too much. After all, he was on a mission to kill the person behind the attack on Beacon Academy. It didn't make him any less likely to trust her.
"I wish it would allow us to get actual licenses."
"It likely could, but in order to do that, it'd have to pull your file from the Beacon Academy mainframe. Sadly we can't do that, since Beacon's CCT is destroyed. The only reason I was able to get access to Haven's files is because they were already on here. Whoever owned this scroll likely came from Haven Academy, or rather, used Haven as a cover."
Levi closed his eyes, already knowing who that was. "Cinder… I remember now. Her team was supposedly from Haven Academy. It would make sense for this scroll to have that information. Whatever, it's one less thing to focus on, I guess. We'll be able to move around without much issues now."
Neo nodded, giving him a wink. "See? It all works out. Now I can move around Mistral without being labeled a criminal, and take low leveled missions from cities and towns."
The faunus nodded, grabbing a hold of his tea cup. The amber liquid had gone cold by now, but he still drank it, pouring a bit more into his cup. The lukewarm tea helped him relax a bit, as he glanced around the inn's lobby. He cleared his throat, leaning a bit forward. "Neo, be honest with me. Have you killed people?"
She gave him a deadpanned look, nodding her head. She typed something out, holding her scroll out to the young man. "My friend and I were in deep, sometimes that led us to do shit we weren't exactly proud of. But we had to survive somehow. If that meant taking people down, then we did it. Just so you know, I personally haven't killed any Huntsman. Just other criminals and people who didn't pay up when they were due."
"I see." he said, after reading the text. He sat up a bit in his chair, forcing a smile onto his face. "It doesn't matter… I already knew you likely had but, well… sometimes a Huntsman has to do what's right. If that means breaking a few eggs, then those eggs have to be broken. Not like I'll be free of guilt after we're through in Haven."
Neo furrowed her brows a bit. "Free of guilt?" her scroll spoke, his lip twitched a bit, as he forced himself to stand up.
"We should get moving. It was nice of Abacus to bring us to Konoha, but if we can't get missions here then we are wasting time. We have a long road ahead of us. Let's stop by the blacksmith and pick up my new armor, we can get some food along the way, alright?" he asked. Neo closed her scroll, standing up from her seat. She knew there was something bothering the young man, but if he wasn't ready to talk about it, she wasn't going to force him.
xxx
Levi awkwardly stood in the center of the room, glancing around at the weapons that were forged. He could see various swords, shields, axes, lances and other weapons hanging proudly from the walls. It was nothing as interesting as the weapons he had seen at Beacon Academy or out on the road. It looked more like the kind of weapons used by average fighters defending against bandits and Grimm.
Despite that, he had been assured by Abacus and Lotus that this place was the best blacksmith in the area. So he decided to trust them. He didn't have much, aside from his old armor, spare metal and some money. The blacksmith had assured him that he could make something, but he wasn't a miracle worker. Without good ore, he wasn't assured anything. Despite that, he decided to stick around for the week he had promised, helping people out and checking in with Abacus and Lotus, in case they needed some extra protection during their deliveries.
Neo had been looking around, having taken an interest in some of the swords, her parasol clutched tightly in her hand. She had been swinging a few of them around, giving them a close look before setting them back. Levi figured she was testing their weight and balance, but he wasn't so sure. She looked rather bored, and he couldn't blame her for wanting to occupy her time. Finally, the pair heard a door open, causing Levi to snap his eyes back to the front.
"Alright, I managed to remake your armor, using the specifications you gave me. I was wondering why you asked for such light armor when you gave me so much metal. But that hardly matters." the blacksmith, a large, ox-faunus said, giving the young man a smile. He looked past him at Neo, who was swinging one of his prized swords around. "Ah, miss? Would you mind not swinging those inside? I don't want you to hurt yourself."
Neo turned to him, giving him a firm look. She set the sword down, slowly walking toward the counter, giving Hush a twist. She slowly slid her sword out, twirling it around her hand before pointing it at his face. The man didn't even look phased, in fact he looked rather impressed by this action, letting out a hearty laugh. "Ha, alright. Ya got me, wasn't expecting you to be packing heat."
"Neo is uh… full of surprises." Levi said, clearing his throat. "So about that armor?"
"Right, right." the man said, lifting up a chest plate. It was a lot larger than the one he had been wearing before. It was a polished steel in color, connecting to a protective backplate with thin, but durable looking straps. It was outlined with red metal, which had been polished to a sheen. He noticed the center area was slightly bent outward, and looked a lot thicker than the other parts of the set. "The chestplate was rather easy to forge. I ended up taking the old one you gave me, melting it down and adding some of that extra metal you gave me. I had so much left over that I added a backplate for extra protection."
He pulled out a pair of matching arm guards and leg guards, along with a shoulder pauldron, all polished to a shimmer. They were a lot bigger than his old ones, and had various flower-like markings etched out on the sides, lined with the same crimson metal that had been used on the chest plate. "These are a bit heavier than your last ones, but they will offer more protection. Those training guards you had couldn't block bullets, these will. They've been infused with energy dust, allowing them to deflect most projectiles. But don't rely on it too much. While I did my best work, you must reapply dust whenever the effects start to waver."
"I'll keep that in mind, thanks. It came out looking great." he said, trying to sound cheerful. The blacksmith gave him a grin.
"Well go on, try it on! If it doesn't fit now is the time to make adjustments."
Levi nodded, slowly undoing his cloak. He handed it to Neo, who hung it over her arm, watching as he grabbed his new set of armor. He slipped the chest plate on, making sure the clips were firmly locked and that it fit without giving him too much trouble. He grabbed the leg guards next, kneeling down to place them on his feet. His previous ones only covered his shins, but these went up to his knees, giving him full leg protection. Finally, he donned his arm guards and pauldrons, making sure they didn't snag on his clothes. He looked himself over in a nearby mirror, taking in his new appearance.
"You look a lot different than when you came in last week. They say the clothes make the man, but I like to think the armor helps out too. I was right about using that red metal to accent the silver. You look like a proper huntsman." the blacksmith said, giving him a smile.
"Yeah." he replied softly, ears drooping a bit. The blacksmith sighed, looking at the far wall, a hand on the back of his neck.
"You remind me of her, you know." he said, making Levi look back at him. "Terra was a fantastic huntress, and an excellent mother. She always talked about you whenever she was in Mistral. Always came here for weapons repair and to get the dents out of her armor. I knew instantly what I was working with the moment you handed it to me."
"You knew my mom?"
"Hard not to, not a lot of miqo'te faunus are left in the world. She was one of the few who was both a trained huntress and a professor. I'm sure wherever she is, she'd be proud of you, boy." the blacksmith said firmly. "I owed her a favor, a caravan of workers bringing ore from the mountains was attacked by Nevermores, and she took care of them for me. So all of this armor is on the house."
"Are you sure? I have no issue paying you sir. This work is exquisite, I can't just take advantage of it." the young miqo'te said, causing him to shake his head.
"Nah, take it. I'm sure it'll serve you well, wherever it is you are going. Ah and before I forget, I have that custom order you asked me for." he said. Neo, who had been looking at her scroll, looked up, giving him a confused look. The ox faunus set down another set of arm guards and leg guards on the counter, his eyes falling on Neo. "This set is for the lady."
Neo pointed at herself, causing Levi to chuckle. He placed his hand on her back, slightly pushing her forward. "I figured, since you were a hand to hand combatant, that you'd need to protect your main weapons. Your arms and legs. I can't have you snapping a shin or busting your arm again, especially after what happened last time."
The young woman looked it over for a moment, before giving the man a grin. She handed Hush to him, as she slowly started putting the armor on. Once she had, she threw a few punches and kicks, surprised at how light the plates were.
"Surprised? Levi here told me about your fighting style, and how it's mostly geared toward blocking and counter attacking. I figured light armor would be your best friend, especially something comfortable that didn't hinder your movements. It's reinforced with Gravity dust, channel your aura through it and you'll be golden." the blacksmith said, a proud look on his face.
"Are you sure you don't want money? I feel bad taking all of this stuff without paying for your work." the young man said, earning a laugh from the man.
"I told you. I owed your mom a favor, consider us squared. Now then, you mentioned heading toward Haven Academy right? I suppose you two are looking to further your huntsman careers?"
"Something like that." Levi said, slowly putting his cloak back on, making sure it wasn't snagged on his new armor. "We're looking for someone."
"Oh, I see. It's weird, you aren't the only Trainees who are headed to Beacon. About a month ago, another group set out from here heading that way. All of them were from Beacon Academy. Apparently they came all the way from Vale, hoping to make it to Mistral before the new semester started." the blacksmith said. Neo pulled out her scroll, quickly typing out a message.
"A group from Beacon? Did you happen to get their names by any chance?" her scroll said, causing the man to lean back a bit in thought.
"Hmm… I remember the tall blond boy's name. It was Jaune Arc, said he was descended from warriors who fought in the great war. There was a mostly silent kid, a peppy ginger haired girl and… ah! There was a short girl with a red cloak, she was carrying around a huge bolt action sniper scythe. She asked me to do maintenance on it and sharpen the blades. I think her name was Ruby Rose."
"Ruby Rose? Ruby was here?" Levi asked, taken aback by what he had heard.
"You a friend of hers?"
"Not exactly, we knew each other, yes. I was one of the upperclassmen who was told to teach them about missions, getting them ready for their second year and such. I wasn't expecting her to me all the way here in Mistral though." he mumbled, glancing at Neo. He took notice of the expression on her face.
It was unlike anything he had seen before. Her eyes had changed colors, having gone from pink and brown to pink in color. Her fist was clenched tightly around Hush, he could almost hear the weapon crying under her grasp. Levi placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump a bit. She bumped into a shelf, almost knocking over a few weapons that had been placed on it.
"Whoa, you okay? You look like you saw a ghost."
She huffed silently, looking away from the young man. He wasn't exactly sure what he had done, but it was likely he wasn't going to be figuring it out soon. Shaking his head, he turned back to the blacksmith, giving him a bright smile. "I can't thank you enough for this."
"Meh, you proudly wearing something I made is enough. It'll get the word out. Now then, you best get a move on if you want to make it to the next town. There's supposed to be a rainstorm coming down from the south. The last thing anyone needs is to be caught in that."
"You make an excellent point, we definitely should get going." He said, giving the man a bow. "Thank you for everything."
"Come again!" the faunus said cheerfully, as the pair made their way out of the store.
The sun was shining brightly over Konoha, but Levi could sense the change in the air. It was subtle, but the drop in pressure was enough to let him know of the coming storm. The townspeople were going about their business, peddling their wares and attempting to get the attention of tourists. He and Neo decided to ignore that, keen on getting out of the small village as fast as possible. He pulled out his map, looking for a moment until he found Konoha. He noticed the next town over was one called Higanbana. He nodded to himself, tracing the path with his eyes.
"Hmm, it should take us about two...maybe three days to reach Higanbana from here. If we keep to the main road that is. Though getting from Higanbana to Mistral is going to be a bit tough." he said, holding the map out for Neo to see. He pointed to a large patch between the Kingdom of Mistral and Higanbana. "It's all swampland and marshes. We can try to make it to some of the villages, but the paths are crawling with Grimm. I'd rather avoid that if possible."
She held a finger out, pointing to a spot just north of Higanbana. She tapped it a couple of times, holding her scroll out. "Ah right, your contact. So, they're located around here?"
"They move around a lot, staying under the radar and such. But my friend was always able to speak with them. We had a lot of dealings whenever we were in Mistral for work. Ever since meeting Cinder though, we stuck to Vale, so I don't know what they have been up to. Hopefully, they don't have an issue with us popping in unannounced." her scroll said, making Levi frown.
"A contact that constantly moves around eh? Let's hope they give us a warm welcome, the last thing I need is for something bad to happen to us." he thought, giving Neo a nod. "Alright, then let's get a move on."
Neo decided to take the lead, swinging her parasol around as she walked, taking in as much sunlight as possible. Levi folded his map, placing it inside his pocket as he walked, following after his friend. He glanced to his right for a moment, eyes widening a bit when he saw Aria standing not far from the path. He tripped a bit, almost falling onto his face. Neo saw this and stopped, turning to fully face him.
"Levi, is something the matter?" her scroll chirped, a look of concern on her face. Levi's shoulders dropped a bit as he tightened his bag straps. He gave Neo a nod, glancing back at where he had spotted his former leader. Though he knew she was dead, he couldn't help but see the sneer on her face, as she leaned against the body of a tree.
"Don't worry, Levi. I'll watch your back, even though you didn't return the favor to me when I was attacked. Then again, I was the one who said I'd rather die than to have you save me." she spoke, as she picked her nails.
Levi felt his sleeve being tugged, his eyes slowly shifting down to Neo, who had a look of genuine concern on her face. Her lips were pursed outward, eyes filled with worry. He forced a smile onto his face, giving her a pat on the head. "I'm fine. Just thought I saw something."
Her expression changed to one of curiosity, but she didn't press the issue further. Rather, she pushed him forward, deciding to let him take the lead. As she did so, she looked around the town, wondering briefly if they were being followed. She didn't know why, but she felt something in her, telling her to head for the hills. But she couldn't. Not while Cinder was still out there.
xxx
"It's been a while since I've written in you hasn't it? Well, my life has been a bit hectic as of late. After leaving Vale, me and Levi started traveling through Mistral. We've been having an… interesting time here. Levi continues to stride forward, but I can see he is having a lot of issues.
He claims to be a good huntsman, but continues to question himself. In fact, he took down a Goliath pretty much on his own. It was rather impressive. He's asked me to teach him how to fight, but I am just going to refine what he already has going for him. He's training his aura daily, and if I care to admit, it's stronger than when we met. Not to my levels, of course, but still very strong.
Currently, we're in the village of Konoha. We've stayed here for a while, taking some meager quests for money. I had to fake a license just to get these people to trust me. I'm sure you would be very proud of my pretty little lies, wouldn't you, Roman?"
She frowned as she looked up from her screen. Levi was a few paces in front of her, eyes scanning their surroundings. Though a part of him was looking out for danger, another part was just admiring the beauty around him. She could tell it was his first time in Mistral. She took a deep breath, eyes back on screen.
"My plan continues as normal. I will continue traveling with Levi until we make it to Mistral. We have to find Cinder and end her life. That's where our relationship ends. I hardly consider him a friend… and yet… I dunno. He seems lost, like he doesn't know what to do with his life. He pushes forward but seems to just be forcing himself. We've gotten to know each other a bit, he's shared stories with him. I can tell he's in a lot of emotional pain.
I should know a thing or two about that. It isn't fun to be in his position, losing his mother, his partner, his friend. His whole life ended, and I was involved in it. Have I fallen this low? Where I take pleasure in taking lives and causing mayhem forgetting what happened to myself? Has this life twisted me beyond repair?
I'm starting to regret joining Levi. Perhaps if I had just stayed in Vale, things would be different. But then again, Cinder would still be alive, and Roman wouldn't. I made you a promise, and I will keep it. Even if I am beginning to warm up to the kitten, I can't get attached. Conceal, don't feel, don't get attached and remember the four basic rules.
Lie, Cheat, Steal, Survive.
Lie, Cheat, Steal, Survive.
Lie, Cheat, Steal, Survive.
Neo closed her eyes for a moment, glancing at what she had written for a moment before typing out one more word.
"Survive."
xxx
"I haven't really told you about my mom, have I, Neo?" Levi asked, causing his friend to shake her head. They had been traveling together for a while now. And despite that, they were still strangers to each other. Yes, he had opened up a bit, but Neo had kept her life rather tight-lipped. He figured it would be better for him to open up than the other way around. He found himself smiling a bit, as he looked up at the cloudy sky. "She was somethin' alright."
"You said you were from Vacuo originally right? But were born in Vale?"
"Mhmm… my mom said that our village was located about fifteen to twenty kilometers away from Feldspar. Eorzea was, all things considered, an oasis. It was a town deep in a crater, so the outer edges blocked the raging sandstorms, and we had a lake of natural spring water, so we had a lot of travelers who would come and stay just to avoid the storms. But it was also a town that was targeted by thieves."
He drew his scroll from his pocket, flicking it open. He sifted through his gallery, pulling up pictures of Vacuo. He had salvaged them from his mother's scroll before Professor Goodwitch had reclaimed it. "Eorzea was named after the original Miqo'te country, which was destroyed about 500 years ago. We were a group of about 50, with several other tribes spread out all over Remnant. They usually had other miqo'te visit them from time to time, but it was a rare occurrence. That stopped the night they were attacked though. Vacuo is a lawless kingdom, so it wasn't long before our tribe was destroyed. My mom was likely one of the few that managed to get out of there alive."
He flipped through a few other pictures, showing her images of Vacuo. There was a picture of his mother, 17 years young, holding a bundle tightly against herself. She had a tired, but warm smile on her face, as she flashed a peace sign at the camera. "This was taken a year after I was born. She had made it to Vale by then, and had caught the attention of Professor Ozpin. My mother was a great fighter, she was one of the few who could defend Eorzea, and when he found out she was a survivor, he decided to train her."
"So, four years of training later and she was a pro Huntress? When did she take up the teaching job?" the woman asked curiously. Levi bit his lower lip, humming in thought.
"It must have been, around the time I was twelve. I wanted to go to Signal Academy to hone my skills, but I wasn't accepted into the Academy. She had one of her friends teach me on his own time, this morose drunkard named Qrow. Always in a bad mood, but he was awesome. He showed me his weapon, dude fights with a goddamn scythe, and he's pretty dangerous with it too. With his and mom's help, I was able to forge Shiva." he said, drawing his weapon from his holster. He flicked his hand, transforming it into its sword form, tracing his finger over the blunt part of the blade. "Imagine being thirteen years old and standing over an industrial smelter, throwing pieces of iron ingot into a furnace and forming your own blade. It was a hell of an experience."
"I wouldn't know about that, I had my weapon custom made. My designs of course, but I didn't make it myself." Neo's scroll said softly.
"That's fine too, a lot of people have their weapons custom made. But I thought it was a lot better to make it myself. No one knows Shiva's inner workings but myself, and my mother I guess. She taught students at Beacon about Dust Systems and Weaponry, making sure that their weapons were primed and ready. After all, they are an extension of ourselves, and if they fail in battle, then we're pretty much screwed."
He closed his scroll, stuffing it back in his pocket, holstering Shiva moments later. "But, as much as she tried to be there for me, my mother wasn't. She was always out on an active mission, taking down Grimm or handling things for Professor Ozpin. All of it was pretty much classified, so I wasn't told much about missions. Eight months gone, the last four were spent with me. Even then, those four months were the greatest moments I could ask for."
Levi closed his eyes for a moment, thinking back on a few moments with his mother, which caused him to laugh. "She would always check up on me the same way. She'd wait until I was training and would just jump in. I copied some of my fighting style from hers, but obviously she pulled it off more than I could. She gave the scar on my face during one of those, and she felt so sorry afterward, she couldn't stop hugging me and apologizing. I thought it made me look tough. She took an extended vacation after that, just to make sure I was alright."
Neo smiled happily, picturing the interaction in her mind. "She sounded like a wonderful person."
"She was. She was my best friend, taught me all about the world and how it worked, and never shied me away from current events. She also taught me to ignore racism and help everyone in need, because it was what a Huntsman did best. I still remember what she told me before my second year started. I wasn't a kid anymore, Year 2 is when shit started getting real for Huntsmen-in-Training, after all."
(Flashback: Beacon Academy, One Year Prior)
"Very good son, it seems you've managed to learn something while you've been here. Good to know I'm putting my money to good use." Terra said, giving her son a proud smile. Levi straightened up a bit, holstering Shiva. He slowly turned to face her, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes.
"What do you take me for, Mom? I mean sure, Professor Port's lessons are boring, and Professor Oobleck should seriously stop drinking jet fuel. But they are very informative! Also could tell Professor Goodwitch not to push us so damn hard? I know we should be training for the Vytal Festival but no one can fight well if we keep getting kicked into brick walls." he said, subconsciously rubbing his back.
"Pfft, is that it? You can't handle being thrown at brick walls? Sweetheart, do you forget where I come from? In Vacuo you'd be lucky if being thrown at a wall is the lightest thing you have to deal with. I had it easy. Besides, I had my fair share of blood stains on Beacon Academy's floor. You can thank Qrow and Raven Branwen for that."
"Good to know, maybe when I have my own kids, I can point out the blood stains I left on the ground. I'll let them know their grandma has blood on the floor too." he said, almost jokingly. Terra shook her head, ruffling his hair a bit. "Ah… mom! Do you know how long it takes me to brush my hair?"
"You actually brush that mane? I thought it was bedhead." she said playfully, earning a huff from the young man. She let out a sigh, becoming a bit serious for a moment. "Son, I have a few things I wanted to say to you. Now that you are going to be entering your second year here, things are going to be a lot different than before."
She placed a hand on his shoulder, guiding him away from the outdoor training area, toward the large gardens near the back of the CCT. She looked up for a brief moment, spotting a few birds flying high above them. "You have a year of training under your belt now. You are in a team, and now you'll be able to take missions. They still won't be the "real deal" kind of missions, but they will serve into easing you into the job. But make no mistake, they are dangerous and you will get hurt. You could even die. So I need you to pay close attention in class, keep up your training and most of all, listen to your team leader."
"As if I don't already do that." he sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'm convinced Aria hates me. I mean, we've been together for an entire school year. Yet she treats me like I'm a dog. Sonata and Cadence have been helping me improve my singing voice, so I could join their acapella performances, but Aria just keeps pushing me away. Half the time I feel like I don't even exist."
"Aria is just a… tough cookie to crack. I'm sure if you get to know her better, you'll be able to put aside your differences." Terra said cheerfully. The young man sighed, pursing his lips a bit.
"I seriously doubt it," he muttered under his breath. Terra's ears perked up a bit, having heard his mutters.
"Okay, I know it looks bad but… well, it took me a long time to get along with my teammates." his mother said, causing him to look up at her. "We had our differences, sure. But we still got along."
"Right, and now they are all solo-huntsmen and huntresses while you have a cushy job teaching the next generation." he said, making her frown. She lowered her head a bit, her tail drooping behind her.
"You aren't wrong, but we all decided to go our separate ways, on good terms. My partner, Heather, still chats with me from time to time. Hell, she invited me to her wedding next month. Which reminds me, I have to find you something nice to wear. You'll be my plus one." she said with a wink, making him roll his eyes.
"Fantastic, being brought to a wedding for people you've never even met."
"Oh, it won't be that bad. Don't act like such a debbie downer." she jabbed him in the side with her elbow. She cleared her throat, becoming rather serious. "As I was saying before, the longer you spend time here, the more you'll learn about our world. There are things I can't tell you about, because I've sworn I wouldn't. But that doesn't mean I won't try to guide you when I can."
Levi remained silent. He honestly didn't like her tone, there was something she was hiding from him, but he wasn't going to question it. He knew she was one of Professor Ozpin's trusted friends. There was bound to be a lot of things that she couldn't tell him. "I know I haven't been there to see you grow up. For that I'm sorry, son. Truly."
"It's fine mom. I know it's been hard for you, being a single mother and all. It wasn't your fault that our home was attacked by murderers. You just have to do what's best for the both of that, and for that I commend you. Even if I miss you for 8 months of the year, I appreciate the four months I get you to myself."
She hugged him tightly, giving him a kiss on the forehead. Normally he'd complain, but since no one was around, he didn't really care. He loved getting hugs and kisses from his mother, he didn't get them often after all.
"Things will get better soon, I promise. Not only that, now that you are a second year student, you'll be able to take good missions. And if you are lucky, you'll be able to shadow a professional huntsman or huntress. That means we'll be working together! I can't wait to see you and your team in action."
"You'll have to wait until the Vytal Tournament for that," he said with a laugh. He cleared his throat, turning to fully face her. "Mom, I have a few questions. I want you to be honest with me, alright?"
She gave him a nod, gesturing for him to continue. "It's going to sound odd but… I heard Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch talking about something. I didn't mean to overhear it, but… well you know. I wanted to know, who's Amber, and why is she so important?"
His mother stiffened a bit, almost tripping over her feet. Levi could sense something was wrong. Terra's attitude had changed entirely. She went from happy mother to stern professor at the drop of a hat. "Now, listen here, Levi. That is a question that I can't answer for you. I don't know when or how you even found out about Amber, but you best not even mention her. Don't even think about her, is that understood?"
"But mom, she's dying. I heard Professor Ozpin say she doesn't have much longer, and something about a Fall Maiden?"
"I'm serious, Levi. I forbid you to talk about that, it is of vital importance that you keep this information to yourself." she said firmly.
"Why?"
"Just listen to me, alright?" Terra snapped, her eyes glowing with anger. He shied away from her a bit, being a bit startled. She sighed, kneeling down before him, placing a hand on his cheek. She looked straight into his eyes, giving him a smile. "I know you must be curious and confused as to why I am reacting like this. But you have to listen to me. It's best you forget about what you heard. There are people out there that are searching for this information, dangerous people. The last thing I need is my son being put in harm's way because of something he heard. Don't ask questions, and most importantly, don't let Professor Ozpin hear those names. Perhaps when you are older, and ready, I'll approach him about the topic, but for now, it's off limits. Understood?"
He gave her a nod. "I understand mom. I'm sorry, I don't mean to cause you trouble or anything, I'll make sure to keep this to myself."
"Great, good. That's all I ask, alright sweetheart?" she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He flush a vibrant red, especially when he saw a group of third year girls walking by, all of them giggling at her sign of affection.
"And there goes my chance at getting a date." he mumbled softly.
"Ah, there you are. I've been looking everywhere for you!" a cheerful voice said, causing the pair to turn around. Levi tilted his head a bit, giving his friend a wave.
"Hiya Velvet! I didn't know you were still on campus, I thought you were visiting your folks?"
"I was, but I decided to come back a little early. It won't be long before the first year students start rolling in, so I figured I could get started on my collection." she said, holding her camera out. "Speaking of which, would you two mind? I need new pictures, just in case."
"Not at all." Levi said, drawing Shiva from his holster. He kept it in gun form, holding it up so that she could get a good shot. Once she did, he flicked his wrist, changing it into sword form. "What happened to the other ones? Get into a little scuffle with some kids back home?"
"Sadly no. I had to fight off some Grimm near the borders of my village. That lead to me using a good supply of pics, Coco was pissed at me, but I didn't have a choice. You should have seen my parent's reactions when I handled the pack on my own, I'm pretty sure my father was crying tears of pride." she said, giggling. She shifted her gaze toward Terra. "Would you mind, Professor? I've already asked the others and they didn't mind."
"I… suppose." she said, reaching behind her back. She pulled out her personal weapon, which she had named Mezzaluna. With a flick of her wrist, the pole arms extended outward, twin blades springing out from within, glowing slightly from the dust crystals embedded in the blade. Velvet took a picture of the weapon, admiring the dust crystals and their glow. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting such a beautiful weapon."
"Thanks, sweetie. It was based on my father's weapon, back in his time he wasn't a huntsman. He was just an axe user. But he had this idea of turning his weapon into a sword of axe glaive. I managed to pull it off, but you wouldn't believe all the times I cut myself with the damn thing." she said, pulling the glaive apart. She held them out, allowing Velvet to take another picture. Finally, she snapped them back together, forming a large battle two sided battle axe. "I don't believe I've taught you before. Would you mind telling me what your semblance is?"
"Photographic Memory." Levi chimed in, earning a curious look from his mother. "Velvet has the ability to copy the fighting styles of other fighters. Her weapon is that camera in her hands, Anesidora. It makes Hard Light Copies of the weapons belonging to those huntsmen and huntresses. She has to keep her collection vast so she can cover all her bases. But with Hard Light Dust being so expensive, she has to sit on the sidelines and let her teammates fight."
"It is quite a shame, but I can still fight by mimicking others, it's just less effective without their weapons." Velvet admitted, flushing a bit. She looked through the pictures, giving the pair a bright smile. "Thank you, this helps me out a bunch."
"No problem, dear. Glad I could help, I am a professor here. Though if you'd like, perhaps we can get you another weapon? Perhaps something to help you defend yourself when you can't use your main one?"
"While that would be ideal, I've decided against it. Mostly because I don't have my own style, all my life I've been using the fighting techniques of others. So learning how to use my own weapon without prior training… I doubt I'd get far." she said, rubbing her neck a bit. "But it's a kind offer, I really appreciate it. Perhaps you can talk Headmaster Ozpin into securing more Hard Light Dust for the students?"
"Barking up the wrong tree there, Vel. I tried asking for more Combustion Dust and he said that If I was going to use it to blast chunks out of Beacon Academy's training room then I should buy it with my own money." Levi said, arms crossed over his chest. "It isn't my fault my combustion glyph has a tendency to explode. I told him I'm still working out the math, the fact that it's staying together tells me I'm a few numbers off."
"It's a miracle you haven't blown yourself up yet." Terra said, with a shake of her head. She cleared her throat, glancing back at Velvet. "So, Miss Velvet, are you free tonight?"
"My team isn't back from their homes, and I'll mostly be sorting the pictures I took. I'm also going to be looking at my Grimm Studies notes, since we'll be taking real missions this year. As for tonight, no. I don't have any plans."
"Excellent. My son here is in desperate need of a girlfriend, would you mind going out with him tonight?"
"MOM!"
"Oh my, that's certainly not what I was expecting." Velvet said, clearly amused. She held back a giggle, giving Terra a nod. "Sure, Professor. I wouldn't mind going on a date with your son. He is rather cute."
"VELVET!"
"Wonderful! He'll pick you up at six tonight, don't worry about food costs and transportation to Vale, I have you two covered." she said, patting Levi's back. "I hope you two have fun, alright?"
"God, if you truly exist, please end my existence." he silently prayed, as he looked up at the sky. There was nothing more embarrassing than your mother getting dates for you.
(Flashback Ends)
"Your mother seriously hooked you up with a girl?" Neo's scroll cried. She was trying not to laugh, though even if she did, she doubted her scroll could convey it. "That's so embarrassing."
"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. My mom got me my first date, if you must know, Velvet and I had a great time. We dated for a month, but due to the increasing pressure of being in training, we broke up on mutual terms." he said firmly.
"Did you kiss her? Did you hit second base? Third?"
"All we did was kiss, and make out a few times. She's one of the shiest girl's I know, so she likely wasn't going to get serious until we were at least 10 months into a relationship. She was a real sweetheart though. Ended up getting bullied a lot by this asshole first year. Despite that, she ended up saving his sorry ass during the Fall, or so I heard." Levi said, glancing up at the sky, noticing the dark clouds swiftly approaching.
"Is she dead?"
"Velvet? Nah, she and her team transferred to Shade Academy. We had a lot of classes together while we were in Beacon. She's probably kicking ass alongside Coco, Fox and Yatsuhashi." he replied. Neo gave him a pat on the arm, smiling up at him.
"Hey, I'm sure you'll see them again. They're your contemporaries right?"
"They are but… well, they're still together, and I…" the young faunus sighed, shaking his head. "We should find some shelter, we aren't going to make it to Higanbana before the storm starts. We should weather the brunt of it somewhere and head out when it lightens up."
Neo was about to protest, when she felt a droplet of water strike her head. She looked up for a moment, feeling a few more pinpricks on her face. She reached behind her back, drawing Hush in a swift motion, flicking it open. The soft patter of rain on her parasol made her smile. Levi raised his hood, tucking it forward a bit.
"Well, at least I came prepared for the weather." he happily said, reaching inside his holster for an umbrella. He pulled the strap, holding outward, his thumb pressing the button. Neo watched curiously, twisting her own parasol. The umbrella sprung outward, but rather than opening, the entire top exploded outward, remaining closed as it hit the ground. It opened the second it did, being carried away by the wind that had suddenly picked up. Levi stood still, holding the handle in his hand, slack jawed at what had happened. "I… I paid twelve lien for that."
Lightning crackled above them as the rain started getting heavier. Feeling bad for her friend, Neo held Hush out, silently asking him to take it. He wrapped his hand around the handle, allowing the young woman to wrap her arm around his. She pointed forward, holding her nose up high.
"Alright then, away we go, I guess."
As the rain tightened, the pair kept walking down the dusty path, which was slowly becoming muddier and muddier as they moved. They didn't have much of a choice, especially since there weren't any places of cover nearby. They just hoped the rain couldn't get harder until they found shelter for the day. Neither noticed the figure hiding behind some trees, a few paces away from them. Levi's ear twitched, causing him to look over his shoulder. But when he looked behind himself, he saw nothing. Nothing but the canopy of a nearby tree, blowing softly in the wind. He felt Neo tugging on his arm, causing him to look down at her.
"Sorry, just thought I saw something."
She kept the blank look on her face, eyes filled with concern. She didn't question him, rather she pulled his arm, urging him forward. She didn't want to be out here more than she needed to.
Location: Schnee Manor, Kingdom of Atlas
Weiss absolutely detested chatter.
It was mindless, senseless and downright stupid. The people around her always spoke about the same thing. Even after she was gone for nearly an entire year, Atlas High Society hadn't changed. The rich continued to flaunt their wealth and look down on those that rightfully belonged below them.
She desperately wanted to bring them down a peg. But she knew that wasn't ideal. And most of all, it wasn't at all ladylike. Not to mention she wasn't wielding Myrtenaster at the moment, so she'd probably embarrass herself more than anything. Still, she couldn't help but grow anxious being around so many people. Her father had already forced her to perform, treated her like a doll and had actively offered her hand to several suitors she didn't even know. Case in point. He was currently speaking to some people about her singing voice, mixing in his politics as well as his new hatred toward James Ironwood.
Atlas was in a bit of hot water. After the Fall of Beacon, the Atlas Council had been in heavy talks with Vale, Mistral and Vacuo. This had resulted in many arguments, and in the end, General Ironwood had decided to put an embargo on the kingdoms. As of now, no dust was being exported from the Kingdom of Atlas, for fear that the other kingdoms would use it to wage war on Atlas itself. Jacques Schnee, her father and current CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, had been livid. He was losing millions by the day due to the embargo, and he made sure to voice his opinions whenever possible.
Weiss didn't want to be there, but she couldn't defy her father either. He was a tall man, of imposing stature, slicked back hair, a pressed white suit, white gloves and a fancy drink in his hand. He acted quite high and mighty, for someone who had married into the family. Of course if she even thought about saying this, she'd be slapped harder than her sister had when she defied his orders. She briefly wondered how Winter was doing. She wasn't in Atlas currently, so she felt more alone than usual.
She couldn't help but abhor it all. She was already anxious enough as it was, thinking back on her friends, her teammates. She wondered how Ruby was doing, and if she was recovering from witnessing a close friend fall. She wondered if Yang had recovered from losing her limb. She wondered why Blake had left after making sure everyone had been fine. Even Jaune, Nora and Ren filled her thoughts, the sole survivors of Team JNPR, who had lost Pyrrha Nikos. She wondered where everyone that had attended Beacon had been, and if they were all doing alright. The uncertainty was driving her nuts. And it was even worse knowing she couldn't just call them on her scroll, seeing as Global Communications were still down due to the loss of Beacon's CCT.
The gala she was forced to attend just added to the stress. Another event for her to show her pretty face, for her to act as an heiress, as her father's tool. Another chess piece on the board. Another pretty doll to be carted around, married off and forced to continue the legacy. Is this how her mother had felt? When she found out her father didn't truly love her, and had only married her to take the name?
"That's precisely my point, we offer faunus the same wages as our human workers. So their argument is completely invalid right out of the gate." Jacques said, sipping on his drink. "Honestly speaking, they are just looking for attention. I do not condone what has happened at some of our facilities, but for them to say the things they do about my humble company? Well, that's just appalling. It truly shows their animalistic nature."
"Well, I think our society as a whole is the real issue here." one of his friend's said, causing the man to chuckle.
"What? You mean Atlas?"
"Atlas? Mantle? You cannot deny the economic disparity between the two." the man continued, stirring his drink a bit. "Even before the embargo, Mantle wasn't doing well, and they have the audacity to blame us? Even after all we do for them?"
"What exactly are you suggesting?"
"I'm just saying, it's not so much an issue as it is…"
She shook her head deciding to tune the conversation out. All it did was give her a headache. She licked her lips, her throat feeling rather dry. Ever so slowly, she turned away, glancing around for the refreshment table, keen on grabbing a drink, only for her arm to be forcefully grabbed by her father. He didn't even bother looking away from his friend's as he addressed her.
"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice gruff and stern. She looked around for a moment, glad no one had caught their attention. She looked up at him, giving him a slight frown.
"I'm just a little thirsty," she responded, causing the man to sigh.
"Sweetheart, we have people for that," he said, holding his hand up. Weiss quickly lowered it, giving him a firm look.
"What? No, that's alright. I can get it."
He narrowed his eyes, looking deeply into her own. She held his gaze, hoping she didn't do anything to anger him. After about a second or two, he relented, slowly returning to his conversation. She slowly, but surely, stepped away from the group, just as they began laughing at his terrible joke. She could tell it was forced. All of it was so forced, it made her sick. She grabbed one of the many drinks at the table, making sure it wasn't champagne or anything with alcohol. Just because she was in Atlas, didn't mean she could get tipsy whenever she wanted. After seeing her mother downing two bottles of vodka a day, she had started to detest alcohol in general.
The cool feel of her drink served to relax her a bit, and after three straight hours of singing, she had definitely earned it. Despite her promise to her father, she felt herself start to wander. He wouldn't get mad if she took a few minutes for herself. She found herself standing in front of the large painting they had been auctioning. A beautifully recreated portrait of Beacon Academy, in all its glory, before the fall.
So many emotions stirred within her as she looked at the painting. The artist had captured everything perfectly, from the gentle color of the leaves falling from the trees, to the firm lines that accented the academy building. She closed her eyes for a moment, seeing herself at the academy for a moment, walking down the main avenue, heading toward the main building. She remembered the first day she had arrived there. Meeting her future leader, and being blown up by her wayward sneeze.
"Jeez, she left a serious impression on me if that's the first thing I think of when I think about her." she thought, holding back the urge to laugh. She remembered racing to class, all of the spars with the older students, the dance.
She recalled practicing her golf stroke with her upperclassmen, teaching him about her semblance and how he could control his. She'd never forget having to chase after golfballs the following day, or having to shadow him during an emergency mission that they had been perfect for. She would also never forget the look on his face when he had been told his mother had died in battle, or that his team leader died protecting their friend, and that his partner had been taken away by a Nevermore. It never got easier. She had lost Pyrrha, and missed her dearly, but she didn't wish to be in that young boy's position.
"It's a beautiful painting,"
Her ear perked up a bit, slowly turning around. Her eyes widened a bit in surprise, almost dropping her drink. A young woman slowly wheeled herself forward, causing a few members of the crowd to part ways to let her pass. She was a beautiful young woman, with ivory colored skin, and long, sky blue hair, gently falling down her back. She was wearing a strapless black dress, filled to the brim with sparkly sequins. The dress did nothing to hide her assets, something she had once been jealous of.
Despite her natural beauty, this young woman bore the scars of battle. Both of her legs had been amputated, the stumps having been fitted with special caps, which would preserve her nerve endings. She had a mechanical arm, the latest in Atlas technology, glistening white in color, with various glowing green spots. Then there was her face. Despite her being very pretty, her left eye was missing entirely, having been replaced with a mechanical one, the outer edges of the black machinery contrasting greatly with her skin. What would have been a beautiful blue eye, was now nothing more than a glowing red dot. Never blinking, never truly closing. Just another reminder of what she had survived.
Weiss couldn't help but look away from her. Everyone had their eyes on the young woman, but she didn't seem bothered by their gazes. She still kept the smile on her face, her mechanical hand resting on her lap. "I loved your performance, Weiss. It was one of the best I've seen in recent times."
"Thank you, Sonata." she said, slowly sipping her drink. "I wasn't aware you had awoken from your coma."
"Not a lot of my friend's were informed. The General wanted me to get used to my new life, and I honestly didn't want my old Atlas friends to come visit me. All I would get from them is pity, and I get enough of that shit from my extended family," she said, twirling a strand of her hair with her mechanical finger. "Honestly, it annoys me how these people just treat me as if I were a brick. I'm a triple amputee, not a fucking paper weight."
Weiss couldn't help but laugh. She had never met Sonata before Beacon Academy, but she was glad she did. She was quite different from the rest of Atlas High Society folks. One could say she was more Mantlian than Atlasean. "It is a shame though."
"Hmm?"
Sonata slowly scooted forward, looking closely at the painting. She took in every detail, glancing at every single brush stroke. Everything was so real, so vivid. She closed her eyes, remembering that night. The screaming, the gunfire, the screeching of Grimm. She could hear the clashing of metal as Aria defended her, used her body to shield her, and then there was nothing. She felt something touching her face, and opened her eyes, only to see Weiss holding a tissue to her eye.
"I'm sorry,"
"Don't be. Don't ever be sorry, Sona." the heiress said, tucking the tissue in her pocket. "You are a survivor. You did your best to save people from those rogue Atlas mechs. Aria gave her life ensuring that you'd make it. When the two of you were found, everyone thought you were both dead. But you weren't. Aria died shielding you. They said they literally had to pry her arms open because she was hugging you so tightly."
"Despite that, I fell into a coma. Multiple shattered bones, collapsed lung, punctured liver, severed arteries, broken spine, shattered pelvis, irreparable damage to both legs, severed arm. God, it's a miracle I'm still breathing. There's so much metal inside me that when I die, I can probably be sold for scrap." the girl joked, causing Weiss to laugh, the first genuine laugh she had had in a long time.
"Oh stop it. Everything you got is top of the line, I'm sure of it."
"It is. General Ironwood spoke with Pietro Polendina, who made me this baby," she said, holding her cybernetic arm out. "It wasn't the only one either, he had one custom made for your friend Yang. She should have gotten it by now. I'll be getting my legs in a couple weeks. Thanks to my stature, and the fact that both of them were destroyed, they have to use photos to recreate them. The last thing I need is looking like a damn beanstalk."
"But you'd finally be able to tower over the little people."
"Heh, as if I don't do that already," the young woman said, holding her hand out. One of the servers handed her a glass of champagne, which she instantly downed. "Ah, that's the stuff. Been wanting a drink for a while, but the General keeps insisting I'm not ready for it. Something about the liver transplant potentially failing or whatever."
"Maybe you shouldn't then, juuust in case." Weiss suggested, causing Sonata to roll her eyes. She sat up a bit, her gaze shifting back toward the painting.
"Have you heard anything… about Levi, I mean?"
The Schnee Heiress bowed her head. She traced her glass with her fingertip, glancing at the slowly melting ice. "I'm sorry, Sona. With Beacon Tower being destroyed, the kingdoms have been cut off from each other. No one knows what's going on. I haven't heard from any of my friends in months. Levi most likely transferred to Shade like everyone else."
"Something tells me that isn't the case. Call it a gut feeling," she said, taking a sip from her glass, staring at the slow rising bubbles. "His mom was killed in action, his leader was killed in action, he believes I'm in a coma, and his partner was carted away. No one knows if she's alive or dead. He lost so much in the blink of an eye, I don't even want to imagine what he's going through."
"The General did offer him a spot in Atlas Academy, but he turned it down. The last I saw of him, he was handling Grimm defense at the refugee camp. It's been far too long since the Fall. I may not have known him too well, but I did consider him a friend. Not everyday you meet someone with a semblance similar to yours." she said, glancing at her hand. "Someone who understands how difficult it is to train it, and how much focus it takes to practice it."
"Someone you can relate to? Ironic, isn't it? The Schnee Heiress who virtually grew up without parents bonds with a faunus of all people. Someone who for all intent and purposes also had no parents and has a similar power to yours." she sipped her drink, swirling it around her mouth for a moment before swallowing it. "I call that poetic."
"Perhaps."
The two remained silent for a moment, admiring the painting for a moment more. Sonata caught someone approaching them and slowly turned, a frown appearing on her face. She could already tell this was going to be one of those situations. A handsome young man, half shaved head, hair combed over, fancy clothing, expensive looking watch tucked into his suit vest. She sucked her teeth, downing the last of her champagne, rolling her shoulders.
"Heads up, Weiss. Fuckboy incoming,"
Weiss straightened up a bit, almost expecting it to be her brother, but was instead greeted by someone else. He paused for a moment as he took in the painting, his eyes shifting back toward Weiss. "It's a lovely painting,"
"Uh yes, it is." she replied, her voice firm and apprehensive. She hoped he would take the message, but sadly he didn't. He adopted a charming smile, standing up straight and tall.
"You two match." he said. She crossed her arms, gazing away from him, hoping he would leave. Sadly, he didn't. He cleared his throat, rubbing his neck with his hand. "So uh… that was an attempt at breaking the ice. How am I doing so far?"
Weiss glanced at Sonata, who seemed rather amused by the conversation. It seemed as if the young man hadn't even noticed her. "You are leaving a lot to be desired."
"Erm… well, I always appreciate the honesty," he awkwardly replied. He looked around for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He held his hand out, deciding to introduce himself, if only to save himself more embarrassment. "I'm Henry, Henry Marigold."
She looked at it for a moment holding her own out. She felt almost disgusted when he grabbed a hold of it. She bit the inside her of her cheek, to stop herself from lashing out. "Weiss Schnee."
"I know." he said, adopting another charming smile. "I saw your performance, it was quite lovely, if I do say so myself."
"Oh brother," Sonata mumbled, leaning back in her seat. She had her face in her hand, oddly entertained by what was going on. She was just hoping he would put his foot in his mouth and take off before too long.
"You were uh… wonderful!" he continued, tugging on his vest. "I promise you, I'm not just saying that because you're pretty. Honesty, remember?"
She quirked a brow, but said nothing as she continued staring at the painting, silently hoping he would leave. Henry grabbed a hold of the felt rope, shaking the post a bit as he leaned forward, his hands awkwardly wrapped around the top. "So, you thinking about buying it?"
"Not really,"
"Yeah… it is kinda pricey," Henry said, rolling his eyes.
"I mean, it is to raise money." Sonata piped up, grabbing his attention. He jumped a bit, almost falling over the rope. "Didn't you read the sign? Or are you one of those rich illiterate folks?"
"I… well, no. I was just captivated by Weiss's beauty is all." he stammered, clearing his throat. He licked his dried lips, looking between the two young women. "So, what's the money for?"
"What the hell do you mean, what for?" the heiress snapped angrily.
"I'll admit, I usually come to these things for the food and drinks." he said, snagging a drink from one of the servers that passed by. He took a sip from it, giving Weiss a wink. "And of course, the extraordinary company."
"That explains quite a lot," the blue haired girl said, shaking her head in disappointment. Henry ignored her, pulling his glass away from his lips.
"So, what is it for? Another Mantle fundraiser? As if we didn't already have plenty of those. I swear, every year they whine louder and louder."
Weiss's grip on her glass tightened. She didn't even notice she had been channeling her aura into until it shattered, the glass clattering to the floor. Sonata backed away a bit, already sensing her friend's growing anger.
"Get out." she hissed, taking Henry by surprise.
"Why should I leave? I haven't done anything wrong."
"Best do as she asks kiddo." Sonata said, flicking her piccolo around her fingers, the edges glowing a bright orange. "You clearly don't understand what this fundraiser is for. Don't make me get out of this wheelchair and drag you out."
Henry glared at the two of them with a scoff. "Whatever." he said, downing his drink as he walked off.
Weiss took a deep calming breath, feeling her heartbeat slowing down a bit. Sonata briefly said something, a joke that she didn't quite catch. All she could hear was the chatter around her. The people discussing dumb things, talking about politics, dumb laws, and their stocks dropping because of the embargo. It was all senseless, dumb and pointless to her. She had had enough of this place, she was going to leave, her father be damned.
"Sorry, Sona. I think I'm gonna go."
"It's alright, Weiss. Just forget that douche, he's just another Atlas kid with a silver spoon in his mouth. Someone who hasn't fought a single day in his life, like the two of us. Don't let his words get to you."
"It… it isn't just him." she answered, slowly walking away from her friend. As she did, she caught the tail end of a conversation, something that made her blood boil. She turned to glare at the woman, a haughty rich lady who clearly hadn't fought a day in her life.
"You know what I'm saying is true. Honestly, if you ask me, Vale had it coming. If they think they can get by without proper kingdom defense, then I say good riddance!"
"SHUT UP!"
The whole room went silent in an instant. The entire crowd had their eyes on the Schnee Heiress. Her fists were shaking, her face red with anger. Sonata could tell she was about to explode, and she wasn't going to stop her.
"Weiss." she heard her father say, but she ignored him, taking a step forward. She glared at the woman, her gaze shifting all around the room.
"You don't have a clue! None of you do!"
"Excuse me?" the haughty woman cried out, clearly offended.
"All of you are standing around, talking about nothing! Worrying about your stupid hair, your money, about your problems that don't mean anything. It is so sickening, so choking! It's utterly disgusting!" she barked, standing her ground. She didn't even notice her father had walked toward her until he had taken a hold of her arm.
"Weiss, stop what you are doing right now!" he demanded, only for her to pull her arm back. He kept his grip as he did, squeezing harder than before. "I mean it."
"Let go of me!"
"You are embarrassing the family!"
"I said, let go!" she cried, retching her arm free. She fell to the ground, inadvertently activating her semblance. Everyone watched as a pure white creature formed at its center, taking the shape of a large boar. Sonata instantly recognized it as a Boarbatusk, a rather common Grimm located in Vale.
The creature roared loudly, pawing the ground before it, racing toward the haughty woman. She let out a terrified scream, holding her arms out in mock defense. "No, Please I'm sorry! Just leave me alone!"
Sonata brought her piccolo to her lips, about to attack the wayward Grimm, only for a gunshot to ring through the room. The boarbatusk's head snapped to the side, its body dropping uselessly to the ground. It faded away seconds later, once again throwing the room into silence. The blue haired woman looked up, seeing General Ironwood not far from where the creature was, the barrel of his gun smoking a bit.
"Arrest her!" the woman demanded, pointing at Weiss. "She's insane, she should be locked up!"
The General spared a glance at Weiss, keeping his face firm as he holstered his weapon. "Why? She's the only one making sense around here."
Sonata held her arm out, helping Weiss back up to her feet, the young heiress brushed her dress down, keeping her head bowed.
"I don't care, I want her arrested! That… that-that thing almost killed me!"
"That thing is called a Grimm." Weiss spoke, her voice filled with anger and sadness. She looked around the room, her hands shaking a bit. She felt Sonata's mechanical arm wrapping around her wrist, the woman giving her a supportive smile. "All of you have spent your entire lives living in the lap of luxury. But you have never seen what these things can do, what they are. The fear they put into people! That was just one! Now imagine thousands of them bigger than that, surrounding you from all directions. Clawing you, slashing you, carrying you away, tearing you apart, eating you! What good will screaming and shouting do? Huh?"
She gestured to Sonata, tears forming around her eyes. "Look at what they did to my friend here! What they did to countless others! She was lucky to have survived, but many of them didn't. You know who saved her life? A huntress! Not just that, but that huntress was a faunus! The very people that mine the dust you all use to keep your beds warm at night! Now imagine that the only thing stopping that Grimm from tearing you apart, is me. Learn to have some goddamn respect!"
The room was thrown into silence once more, the only sounds coming from those who were too flabbergasted to reply. Even her own father was stunned to silence. General Ironwood gave her a nod, a firm look on his face.
"I couldn't have said it better myself. I would take her words into consideration, everyone. She might be the one to save you should Grimm ever invade our kingdom." he said, setting his glass down on an empty platter. "Great Party Jacques, thanks for the invite. Miss Piccolo, we should get a move on."
"Yes sir." Sonata said, turning her chair slightly. She pulled Weiss down into a hug, wrapping her arms firmly around her. "Nice one girl, that was awesome. Don't let these fucks ruin your life, fight for what you believe in. I'll be joining you on the frontlines sooner than you think."
With that, she trailed after the general, giving her friend another wave before finally disappearing. Despite all of the glares she was getting, Weiss felt happy. She had said what she had wanted to say since returning to Atlas. She could feel her father's cold eyes on the back of her head, but she didn't care. All she cared about was standing up for what she believed in.
And she was going to do just that, even if it took leaving it all behind. While the old her would be kicking and screaming at the thought, the new her couldn't wait to get out. It would take her a while, but she would find Ruby and her friends and return to them. She owed them that much. She wasn't going to let her father warp her thinking like he once had. She was done being a doll, it was time for her to fight for what she believed in, just like her sister before her.
A/N: Hello people of Earth, I am still on my trip but I am capable of posting chapters. I'm glad I brought my tablet along with me lol. I've been steadily at work writing and editing new chapters. It's all I can do since everything here is closed due to COVID. Except the beaches, the beaches are open for some reason. Probably for tourism. Oh Well.
This chapter was a fun one to write, especially because we get to see a bit of Levi's mother, as well as him getting his new set of armor. He is slowly, but surely, working his way to becoming a proper huntsman. We got to see Sonata Piccolo, Levi's former teammate and second survivor of Team ACPL. It was a joy to write her, so far, Levi believes her to still be in a coma. Their reunion is going to be so bittersweet. Bring on the Atlas arc! We also get to see Weiss! She's honestly my favorite of the main girls, because her development is so steady and good, not to mention she was my favorite since day one. I plan to flesh her out more than she already is, as I will do with the other main girls, especially Yang and Blake, and most importantly, Ruby. Because Ruby has been stagnant for a long time.
As an aside, there will be parts of the story where certain events will be referenced. Several things from the canon show will happen off screen, so just because they aren't explicitly seen, doesn't mean they don't happen. I want to focus as much time to the main cast as possible while also getting the ball rolling in certain areas. It's easier for Atlas than it is for Mistral, that's for sure. I've made a lot of heavy changes to the plot of Mistral, leading all the way to Argus. It's been fun to give it my own twists, and I hope you all look forward to them. As for Atlas, god I can't wait to start writing stuff for it. It is seriously my favorite setting of the show and so much shit could have happened before it was turned into Sea World. It is what it is.
That's all the news I have for now.