Gamer4 in. Thank you all very much for your well-wishes and the outpouring of support after the last episode. It means a lot. So, for the first time in a while, let's actually do what we said we were gonna do and get started on an episode featuring Blake this time around! Technically, this one's mostly Georgie's universe, as I'll explain to the others. Even roughly the first half was written pretty much all by him, with only a little minor proofreading on my part. Hope you all enjoy- let's commence.
Disclaimer: Fire Emblem Three Houses is owned by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems, a company I'd never be allowed to work at, if the fact that I'm still writing these stories is any indication.
Episode XXIII
A Tale of Three Nations
"What?" Blake asked flatly.
"You heard me!" Crazy did not move his finger. "It's time for Blake Belladonna to step up to the plate!"
"Oh, sweet, I was wondering if we were gonna see a world starring Blakie!" Yang grinned.
"Sounds interesting," Jaune agreed with a light smile of his own.
"I did not ask for this!" Blake objected.
"But Blake," Ruby piped up. "We've seen so many with Jaune, we've seen Yang and even Ren... but not you!"
"But I... Ren, help me out here!"
"I'll offer all the support you offered me when that Dark Tower universe began," Ren answered simply.
"Oh, flashback time!" Crazy grinned.
XXXX
"You want a Ren, I'll give you a Ren. This world stars Ren!"
"I did not agree to this!" Ren objected.
Nora's eyes shone with excitement. "But Reeeeen! If it's you, it's gotta be awesome!"
"I am curious to see a story featuring you," Blake nodded with a finger on her chin.
A look of shocked betrayal crossed Ren's face momentarily, and though Crazy was the only one to see it, a brief line of text appeared just over his head and to the left: 'Ren will remember that.'
XXXX
"Tch," Blake bit her lip.
"Relax, it's not all bad," George put in. "This isn't one of his universes- this one is mine."
Blake hesitated. "I guess you do seem more stable..."
"That's the spirit," George nodded. "Alright, enough talk, let's get this started!"
"Oh, a world by their Renny- this oughtta be good!" Nora settled happily.
The screen brought forth an image of three small flowers set on a dirt road, the rain
pouring down on them. There was a certain peace to it, a beautiful stillness that would capture the eye of anyone that were to take the time to view it, completely mesmerizing them and making them forget their troubles for a moment.
"Ohhh, pretty," Ruby smiled wistfully. "Kinda wish there were some roses, though."
"Oh, by the time we get to the end of Childe Ren," Crazy supplied, "you'll have seen more roses than you know what to do with."
Glenn Fields, Imperial Year 91
An armored boot came crashing down on the flowers, breaking the fragile peace and leaving broken petals to float on the puddle left in its wake. Several more boots immediately stepped in the same area, similar to the first and heading towards the same direction, creating a stampede that would shake the earth to its core.
"Oh, snap, things just got real!" Nora cried, shortly before Crazy snatched back the book of outdated slang she'd found on the floor.
The image changes to a sea of armored soldiers, all carrying weapons from swords to lances and even axes. In the sky a flock of winged horses, pegasi, can be seen, their riders
holding their own spears. And at the front, a herd of mounted horses galloped forward, their riders holding their own lances and readying themselves to battle against an army of warriors adorning horned helmets and animal fur that barely covered their vital parts. Despite their lack of armor, the axes they carried were sharp and covered in dried blood.
It wasn't long before the armies clashed, steel meeting steel as a dance of death played out
on the barren fields. One by one, the bodies of soldiers and bandits alike littered the earth, all while those still standing continued where their fallen comrades left off.
"Welp, we didn't waste any time diving into this one, did we?" Yang tilted her head slightly. "I think this is the quickest we've gotten started yet."
A whistle could be heard from the sky, causing a Paladin to look up, only to be caught in a fiery explosion. Anyone unfortunate enough to be near the blast radius was set alight, the sounds of their screams echoing throughout the fields as their blood boiled and their skin charred.
From the center of the ring of fire emerged the silhouette of a man. As the fire died
down, the man was revealed to be a War Master, an expert in close combat. He wore a fur belt around his waist and leather greaves while makeshift armor covered his shoulders, arms, and legs. His chest was left bare, a foolish decision for any soldier, yet the numerous scars left over his bulging muscles, alongside the strange blade he wielded, made for an effectively intimidating opponent.
"I'd say so," Jaune shuddered. "That was... quite an entrance. Do we know this guy?"
"I don't think we've seen him before, no," George shook his head. "Crazy?"
Crazy shrugged while making an 'iunno' sound in the back of his throat. George sighed.
"Why do I even bother?"
The man looked unimpressed as he was quickly surrounded by a dozen enemy soldiers, both mounted and on foot. Holding the flat side of the blade, an unusual blade with a segmented side that appeared to be made out of bone, over his shoulder, he lifted his free hand and dared his opponents to face him, his golden eyes a beacon, warning them of what was to come. For a moment, all was still. The soldiers sizing their target as he popped his neck, not even considering them a threat. The silence was broken by the war cry of a Knight, then a Paladin, until the chorus of shouts flowed through the wind as the soldiers charged at the man.
In one fluid motion, the man brought up his blade as it started glowing red, rearing his arm back in preparation for an attack. While the charging soldiers were expecting him to react, they did not expect the blade to suddenly extend as it glowed, its segmented parts separating, connected by a string that glowed as bright as the sword. Swinging his arm
back, the man attacked with his sword turned whip, creating a wave of destruction that swept the charging soldiers, immediately adding their bodies to the hundreds already littering the ground.
"Well, crap, I hope he's the good guy," Yang grunted uneasily.
"Such things are rarely so clear-cut in war," Blake quietly pointed out.
"Yup," George agreed with her assessment. "Who's the good guy? Who's the bad guy? Sit down and watch- that answer's gonna take a while."
Bringing the sword back to its stationary form, the man sighed in frustration.
"Is this the best that witch can bring forth against me? After all the suffering her people
caused through their selfishness and neglect, she'll send her dogs to fight her war instead of
facing me herself?"
"Well, there's clearly someone around he doesn't like," Weiss started, only to be cut off by-
"RAINART!"
Turning his head towards the voice, he felt his anger and determination grow at the sight of the woman responsible for his tragedy. Readying his sword, he charged towards the woman.
"SALEM!"
For a moment, both sized each other up, gold and blue eyes staring daggers at each
other. Rainart's controlled anger against Salem's volatile rage, an unfamiliar characteristic on the blonde woman's face. In their eyes, they were the only two people in the world.
"Wait, Salem?" Ruby asked. "As in, Big Bad of our entire world, Salem?"
"That's what it sounds like," Jaune nodded. "She doesn't look much like she did last time we saw her, though..."
"So, I guess the big guy is the good guy?" Yang speculated.
"Eh, eh," George shrugged, waving his hand in a 'kinda, sorta, maybe not' kind of way.
"I see," Pyrrha closed her eyes. "Even in this, it is not so simple..."
As if in an unspoken cue, both units charged at each, striking their blades in a chorus of grunts and war cries. Steel met bone as fast as insults, both fighters unaware of both their armies forming a large circle around them, a temporary truce in order to witness this battle of gods amongst men.
They met at a stalemate, blades crossed against each other, neither backing down.
"Do you remember the Red Canyon, Rainart? All the bodies you left in the wake of your massacre?" Her glare, almost psychotic in its rage, remained directed at him. "Because I do."
The venom in her words held no effect on him, an unamused stare as he responded,
"You let her die, Salem. Where were the Nabateans when my people were killed by those
mindless beasts? When we prayed for salvation when it never arrived?"
With his last word, Rainart pushed Salem back and sent her struggling to keep her
balance, but he did not stop there. Activating his sword into its whip form, Rainart let his rage bleed into his words.
"GRETCHEN DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!"
"So, clearly, something happened between these two we're not in on," Nora groaned. "It's that world with Jaune as a thief all over again!"
"Holy crap, this version of Hazel actually has a brain!" Crazy gasped. "Of all the bizarre things in all the worlds I've seen, I never thought I'd see him actually using that junk between his ears!"
Left on the defensive, Salem was forced to dodge away from her opponent's assault.
His first strike nicked her robe instead of her chest, while his second had her rolling
underneath to avoid being cut in two. It wasn't until his fifth strike that she noticed a pattern.
Rainart was letting his anger take control, powering his strikes but leaving little to his planning.
Salem knew that would lead to his defeat.
"Hmm... losing due to one's anger overpowering all else... I'm so glad I don't know anybody else with such weaknesses," Weiss crossed her arms.
"Yeah, that'd suck, wouldn't it?" Yang agreed. She looked around to find everyone staring at her. "...What?"
Rainart raised his arm to strike again, likely believing he was toying with her.
Salem held her blade at the ready, waiting for the opportune moment to turn the tides.
'Wait for it… Wait for it… There!'
At the last moment before she was struck, Salem parried the whip into her blade,
allowing it to wrap itself around her sword and leaving it momentarily useless. Salem jerked the weapon out of his hands and, before he could overcome his shock at being disarmed, rushed him with two jabs and a flying kick to the face, leaving him dazed and on the ground courtesy of her heeled boots.
"Yes! Or no! I don't know!" Ruby seemed uncertain whether to cheer or not.
Unsheathing a dagger strapped to her thigh, she pinned him down and held it to his neck.
"You took everything that I ever loved, Rainart!"
The last thing Rainart saw before she stabbed his heart were her dark gold eyes
reflecting nothing but rage at him.
"Die! Die! Die!"
Each yell was punctuated by a stab to his chest, Salem no longer caring that the body was dead after her first what felt like hours, she dragged her attention away from Rainart and onto the rest of the armies. Some of her men were cheering in victory and euphoria, the relief of having lived through and won such an arduous battle palpable in the air among them.
"Did they not see her just go completely insane on that guy?" Yang asked.
"It's war," Blake reminded. "Everybody's crazy."
"No, just me," Crazy objected, only to narrowly dodge a swipe from George.
"Quit it."
Walking over to his fallen weapon, Salem tore a piece of her robe and gently wrapped it around the blade, taking great care in handling it. As she looked at the weapon that caused so much death and destruction by such a cruel man, she felt tears running down her face as she gave a small smile and hugged it close to her face.
"He's gone, Mother. You can rest for now."
"Mother?" Ruby gasped. "She... a mother?"
"Even Jason Voorhees loved his mama," Stephen supplied.
"I mean, so did Norman Bates," Crazy added.
As the screen came back in, a dark haired woman woke up surrounded by complete blackness.
"Oh! Oh!" Nora perked up. "I spy with my little eye... a Blakey!"
"I almost forgot this universe was supposed to be about me," Blake admitted.
Alarmed, but not panicked, she checked her surroundings to get an idea of her situation.
She still had her dark vest and her heeled boots, as well as the tattered cape she liked to wear whenever she wasn't in battle. Checking her waist and her boots, she realized she didn't have her sword, her vulneraries, or any of her hidden daggers.
"Vulna-what now?" Ruby blinked.
"A healing potion- in the simplest terms," George answered quickly.
She concluded that she must've been kidnapped and stripped of her weapons, not that it mattered to her. There were more ways to kill a man with her hands than with a blade.
"You know... sometimes, you can be scary, Blake," Jaune shivered. He quailed further under her gaze. "Like right now."
Her stealth training urged her to find a hiding spot and get an idea of where she's at, but for the life of her she could not understand how on Remnant she got herself in this situation.
Her line of thought was cut off as she heard a distant sound. It wasn't meant to be loud, yet in this oppressive silence, it might as well be thunder. Remaining cautious, she made her way towards where she heard the sound. As she got closer, she heard it again and realized it wasn't at all what she would've expected.
It was the sound of someone yawning.
"Oh- yeah, it is!" Nora piped up. "Renny makes that sound all the time!"
"...Indeed."
It left her confused. Did the sun set so long ago that her captors were all exhausted? And if they were, did they not realize the danger they faced in letting their guard down around her, the Fanged Devil, without at least making sure she was subdued? If they bothered to take her weapons off her, then how were they not smart enough to at least tie her hands so she wouldn't be able to sneak on them? It didn't matter, their mistake would give her the advantage she needed.
"Fanged Devil?" Blake repeated. "I'm... not sure how to feel about that..."
"Eh, it's a badass name, just take it as a compliment," Yang advised.
The unknown person yawned once more, and this time, she noticed this wasn't the yawn of a common bandit or a malicious person.
It was the voice of a child.
How did she end up taken by a child? What was even going on?
"Man, I thought your skills might be getting a little rusty, but I didn't realize they were that bad!" Yang guffawed, slapping Blake on the back.
Blake pulled away, ears flattening. "...Shut up..."
"Oh? What's this?"
She looked up, having been lost in her thoughts and being taken by surprise.
Surrounded by light as if it had always been there was a stone throne about a meter high.
The soft green glow it seemed to radiate was a direct contrast to the vast blackness that she woke up to. Despite her question about how the throne was there despite her knowing said throne was not there before, her attention was on the person sitting on said throne.
It was a young girl, most likely in her teenage years. She wore a violet garb that
appeared to be ceremonial. Her feet were bare and she wore a bored but curious
expression, her amber eyes zoning in on the woman.
"How did you even get here?"
She stood there gaping like the fish she eats as one thing ran through her mind.
'This child looks just like me.'
And it was true. Despite the age difference and different clothes, the two girls looked
identical to each other. The same long black hair, same amber colored eyes, and the same facial structures. It's as if they were staring at their own reflection.
"Oh, my gosh, it's Blakey as a kid!" Nora squealed. "She so cute!"
"Beep beep, Nora!" Blake felt herself compelled to say. Her feline ears were as far back as they could go, her human ears a blazing shade of red.
"Well? Are you going to answer my question or just stare at my splendor in silence?"
"How did you kidnap me?"
The woman was expecting the child to look confused at such a statement, angered at
such an accusation, or even to not know what the word 'kidnap' meant. What she did not expect was for the child to burst out in laughter."Look at me!" The child said after recomposing herself and pointing towards herself. "Do you think this small body of mine would be able to haul you up against your will? I'd be flattened under your heavy weight."
And now Blake was pouting, too. "I'm not that heavy..."
Seeing as the woman was left more confused at the face of her own teasing, the child
spoke again. "Perhaps we've started on the wrong foot. Why don't we introduce ourselves?" The girl clapped her hands and stood from her throne, "I'll go first. My name is Haruhime, and I was born on the 17th day of the Guardian Moon."
"Guardian moon?" Pyrrha asked, glancing at George.
"January," he answered simply.
"So, January seventeenth?" Blake asked, eyes widening. "But... that's... that's my-"
The woman looked at the newly named Haruhime, and wondered whether it was a
coincidence or…
"Blake…, and I share the same birthdate."
Weiss's eyes narrowed. "There's no way that's a coincidence."
"Ah, you're overthinking it, Ice Queen," Yang brushed her aside. "Coincidences happen all the time."
"Not in these universes, they don't."
The look of surprise on Haruhime's face quickly changed to excitement. "That's
marvelous news. That must mean that we're connected."
"Well, Haruhime seems to think it's important, at least," Jaune pointed out. He glanced at Blake out of the corner of his eye. "Someone you know? A long-lost twin, maybe?"
Blake shook her head. "I think you've been watching a few too many soap operas."
"Yeah, what is this, Twin Peaks?" Crazy grinned- and only narrowly dodged a swing from George's mace.
Blake didn't share the same sentiment, only growing more confused over why she was here and who Haruhime is. If she wasn't kidnapped and dragged here, then how did she end up here?
"But alas, we'll be able to talk more in your next visit. It is almost time to begin and I believe you must be heading back."
"Back?"
"Begin?" the real Blake followed up.
That was all Blake managed to say before both the girl and throne disappeared into
darkness and she felt her consciousness fade.
"This world is weird!" Ruby cried. "All these worlds are weird! Why are all these worlds so weird?!"
"Just how the cookie crumbles, I guess," Crazy shrugged.
The screen faded to black, and a new voice spoke- deep, almost a comforting growl. "Hey, time to wake up."
Blake's eyes opened- she was no longer in the vast darkness, but in the cabin she'd spent the past few weeks in alongside her father, Ghira. Speaking of whom...
"Were you having that dream again?" the voice growled as the speaker came into view- a hulking man in a long fur coat. His black hair and amber eyes were perfect matches for his daughter as she sat up in her bed.
Blake's heart nearly stopped. "...Dad..."
"Oh, that's your dad?" Ruby asked, beaming. "Oh, he looks like a big teddy bear!"
"He... he kinda is..." Blake admitted, more to herself than anyone else. Perhaps sensing her sudden discomfort, the others allowed the issue to drop.
"It started that way," Blake nodded as she pulled herself to her feet. "That war... then... then I was in this dark place, with... a girl..."
She quickly described the girl she'd dreamed of.
"Hmm... no, I don't believe I've ever met anyone like that," Ghira pondered with a hand on his chin. "I suppose it's best to lay these dreams aside, if only for the moment- the battlefield is no place for idle thoughts."
"Are you sure?" Blake asked. "What if-"
"Try not to worry so much about what-ifs," Ghira advised. "As mercenaries, we risk our lives every day- letting our minds wander is a sure path to an early grave."
"Mercenaries?" Blake repeated, looking even more uncomfortable. "You don't mean-"
"No, no, nothing like the Fang," George assured her.
Weiss looked as if she wanted to say something, but she wisely held her tongue.
"Regardless," Ghira decided, "it's time we got moving. It's quite the march to our next job- the sooner we leave, the better."
"The next job... right," Blake agreed hesitantly.
Ghira gave an exasperated shake of his head. "Wake up, girl! Everyone else is already waiting for us outside!"
As if to prove the point, the door swung open and another faunus ran in, a lengthy lizard tail extending behind him. "Ghira, sir! Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed!"
Just like that, all signs of annoyance dropped from Ghira's face, and all signs of weariness from Blake's. Both were sharp, ready to hear what this man had to say. "What is it? What's happened?" Ghira demanded.
"I suppose he's part of the same... mercenary guild?" Blake guessed slowly- George nodded in agreement.
The screen abruptly cut to outside the bungalow, where Blake and Ghira encountered two young men and one young woman in what seemed to be colored variants of the same uniform- one in yellow, one in blue, the woman in red.
"Sun?" Blake raised her eyebrows at the man in yellow.
"Oh- there's Weiss!" Ruby beamed at the woman in red- no relation to Childe Ren's.
"And Jaune!" Pyrrha beamed proudly at Jaune's more dignified appearance in his blue uniform.
The man in blue, his uniform matching his crystal blue eyes beneath his blond hair, bowed slightly and apologetically. "Please forgive our intrusion. We'd not impose if the situation weren't so dire."
Ghira crossed his arms, glancing from one face to the next. "What do a bunch of kids want at this hour?"
Again, blue-cloak answered. "We're being pursued by a group of bandits- we were hoping you'd be so kind as to lend us your assistance."
"Bandits? Here?" Ghira frowned.
"Indeed," the red-cloaked woman agreed. "They'd normally give us no trouble, but they attacked us while we were at rest."
"Oh! Oh! Red cloak! Red cloak buddies!" Ruby cheered, pulling Weiss into a tight hug.
"Ruby... get... off!"
"We got separated from our buddies in the confusion," Yellow-Cloak contributed. "They're out for blood... and gold," he added as an afterthought.
"Well, credit where it's due, you're quite calm, considering the situation," Ghira praised. He leaned closer. "Hold on... your uniforms..."
"I was about to ask myself..." Jaune agreed.
Before Ghira could ask properly, the lizard-tailed faunus appeared again, seemingly to confirm the visitors' story. "Bandits spotted in the village- damn, there's a lot!"
Ghira turned a disapproving gaze to the arrivals. "They followed you here." He shook his head as they looked down in what seemed like shame. "No point fretting now- we can't abandon the village. Ready, Blake?"
Blake drew her curved blade. "But of course."
"Yeah, Blake's a bit of a badass!" Yang whooped, pumping her hand in the air.
Blake retreated into herself a tad.
The camera had shifted again, showing a birds-eye view of what appeared to be a village square as Blake, Ghira, and the three childes entered, across from a small mob of bandits led by a long, brown-haired man with rather crooked teeth indicating he'd already been in his fair share of scuffles.
"They seem common thieves," Ghira assessed. "Take down the enemies in front first- that should remove the wind from their sails."
"You feel like lendin' a hand, old man?" Sun raised a brow.
Ghira leaned back astride a great stallion. "I will interfere as needed. No more."
"Trial by fire, huh?" Jaune pieced together.
"He wants his daughter to spread her wings," Pyrrha surmised. "Respectable in its own way, I suppose."
"I suppose," Blake nodded, only half paying attention.
Sun took the first initiative, moving slightly ahead of the others and drawing the attention of one of the thieves with a well-placed arrow from the bow he slung over his back. Within seconds, Blake had followed up and finished the bandit off.
Sun chuckled. "Huh- didn't expect to run into mercenaries like you in a remote village like this- gods of fortune must be smilin' on me!"
"I don't remember Sun using a bow and arrow," Ruby pondered, and, given her affinity with weapons, they were willing to take her at her word.
"Not many universes have the... unique weapons that your world does," George pointed out.
"Shoot..." Ruby looked down, tapping her index fingers together.
Jaune, meanwhile, launched an attack against two bandits at once- it took Blake's timely intervention to save him when one attempted to stab him in the back. When he realized what had happened, he seemed appropriately humbled. "Thank you. We are in your debt- it wouldn't do for us to fall in a place like this."
"When did Jaune start talking in purple prose?" Blake asked, tilting her head.
"Purple what now?" Jaune repeated, confused.
"My point exactly."
"I mean, different world... we're on episode... what, twenty-five now, and you don't remember that?" George countered.
To one side, Weiss watched as Blake continued to fight her way through the thieves, having already dispatched her fair share. "You... you have a strange aura about you."
She turned to block an incoming attack with her axe, followed with an immediate counter. "Well, you say you're a mercenary- show us what you can do!"
"I would never wield an axe!" Weiss spoke up indignantly. "So inelegant!"
"Clearly, your other feels differently," Ren commented drily. "After all, when's the last time we saw Jaune using a lance?"
"Last time he and Pyrrha were practicing-" Nora started.
"I know, Nora, I was being rhetorical," Ren sighed wearily.
"I thought we agreed to never speak of that again," Jaune shuddered.
At last, they witnessed the bandit leader- he of the crooked teeth- watching in horror as his men were slaughtered by what seemed, to his eye, a group of children. "I signed up to take those kids on, not an entire merc unit!" he moaned. "Well... can't go back empty handed..."
He moved into the shadows, creeping through the carnage, eyes set on what he made out the easiest mark- which is to say, Weiss. A dark smirk crossed his face. "I'll kill you where you stand!"
He unsheathed his knife and leapt forward.
"Weiss, no!" Ruby screamed.
Weiss turned, but was too late, and the man moving too quickly. For a moment, her life seemed forfeit- until Blake appeared, using her own body as a shield, her eyes widening as the knife pierced her ribs.
"Oh my gosh!" Ruby squealed. "They killed Blake!"
"You bastard!" Yang snarled, smashing her fists together.
"Did he?" Blake wondered. "According to George and the Hand, this is my universe- I very much doubt I'd die so early on."
Seeing reason in her words, they steadied themselves.
The world went dark around Blake, but it didn't feel like death- the pain from the wound immediately vanished, likely because the wound itself had as well. She looked around and found her once more in the court of that strange girl- Haruhime. And this time around, she seemed very agitated.
"And what did you think you would accomplish with that little stunt?" she scolded. "Are you trying to get me killed?!"
"Er..." Blake wasn't sure how to respond to seemingly being reprimanded by her own child self.
"Yeah... I wouldn't know how to respond to that either," Jaune agreed.
"Do you not know the value of your own life?" Haruhime asked, her voice easing up a bit. "That's the only explanation I can think of. In that case, I suppose it's up to me to guide you from now on."
"I'm sorry," Blake took a deep breath, "but who are you again?"
"I told you, I'm Haruhime!" Haruhime repeated. "Though some call me 'The Guardian,' or 'The Beginning.'
Suddenly, she paused, a look of deep thought crossing her face. "Those other names... they came so naturally to me, but... who actually called me by them?"
"'Guardian, Beginning...' strange names for a child," Blake commented.
Haruhime frowned. "Is that what you think of me? A mere child who can barely remember her own name?" She crossed her arms. "Well, remember that this 'child' saved your life, which makes you...?"
Blake hesitated. Deciding to placate the strange being for now, she answered, "Less than...a child?"
Haruhime's lips twitched upward. "Perhaps you are wiser than I believed."
"Harsh," Yang blinked. "You gonna take that?"
Blake did not. "What do you mean by that?"
"Please," Haruhime rolled her eyes. "Recall why you are here, if you will- you threw yourself in the way of a knife to save a stranger."
"Should I not have?" Blake retorted.
"I... well, I'm glad you did," Weiss admitted, "but I can't say I condone such reckless behavior, either."
"I'd do it in our world, too," Blake stated sincerely, meeting her gaze.
Weiss met her steadily. "I'll do my best to ensure you never have to."
Haruhime shook her head. "That is neither here nor there. I have stalled the flow of time- by my intervention, your life is saved."
Blake did a double take. "You... you stopped time?!"
"What sort of being has that power?!" Weiss asked, eyes widening.
"She said it herself, didn't she?" Crazy piped up. "She's a guardian- a guardian of the Da-Ack!"
"We'll get back to your universes later, Crazy," George grunted, putting away his spray bottle.
"A silent guardian," came Stephen's voice. "A watchful protector- a dark kn-aaaarrrrrgggghhhhh!"
Both Crazy and Georgie had turned to spray him down. "Shut up, Stephen, you're out of your element."
"I'll admit, even I'm surprised at some of my capabilities," Haruhime nodded. "But yes, time has stopped, albeit momentarily."
"So... when time resumes..." Blake wanted to ask, but did not at the same time.
Haruhime understood. "When time resumes, your blood will flow, and you will die," she confirmed. "And, rude woman that you are, you will drag me down with you."
"Well, crap," Nora winced. "Kinda up shit creek without a paddle, huh?"
"So it would seem," Blake murmured.
Blake thought for a moment, then looked her in the eye. "If you can stop time, perhaps... can you turn it back as well?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...What?"
Haruhime, however, visibly brightened. "Hold on..." She raised her hands, a magic circle of sorts appearing before her, woven from pure light. "Yes, yes! I believe it can be done!" She chuckled to herself. "You are one troublesome person, you know that?"
"You can do it?" Blake asked eagerly.
"Only a moment," Haruhime clarified, "but if you are the mercenary you purport to be, a moment should be all you need. You are aware of what's to come- you can protect yourself this time. Now, go!"
From Blake's perspective, everything played out once again- in reverse. The man's knife pulled from her body, the wound healed flawlessly, and the man retreated back into the shadows. She closed her eyes, opened them, and things were moving forward again. She struck just as he emerged this time, knocking the knife from his hand and kicking back to the ground.
"She did it," Yang grinned. "That crazy bitch actually did it!"
"Weiss- hey, Weiss, you okay?!"
That was Sun, rushing in to check on his companion, Jaune not far behind. A pile of fallen thieves lay in their wake.
The man grimaced, forcing himself back to his feet, and turned, dashing away as fast as his legs could carry him.
Before Blake could even consider following, she heard the sound of hooves- Ghira rode his horse up to the youths, pulling up and dismounting. "Hey, did you just-"
"Aha!" Still another voice cut him off, this one loud and bombastic. "Fear no longer, my children, for the Knights of Salem have arrived! We'll cut these evildoers down where they stand!"
"Oh, good, exactly what we needed," Weiss rolled her eyes heavily. "Port."
"Wait, did he say Knights of Salem?" Jaune asked, aghast.
"Yeah, well, remember that whole deal at the beginning?" George explained. "Yeah, that was over a thousand years ago. The Knights of Salem were formed kind of in her honor."
"But... isn't she...?"
"I told you, trying to explain who's bad or good in this universe gets pretty complicated pretty quickly," George reminded him.
"Greetings, Port," Ghira turned to face the man- large, gray-haired, and bushy-moustache in place as always. Only the thick armor and flowing cape were anything different. "As punctual as always, I see."
"Ghira?!" Port gasped dramatically. "Can it really be Captain Ghira Belladonna?! My goodness, it is you! My friend, it's been far too long! 20 years, isn't it? Everyone thought you were dead- not me, of course, I knew you still lived!"
"I suppose it's good to see some things don't change," Ghira said with a weary sigh. "Though I'd rather you'd stop calling me captain- I'm no captain. Not any longer."
"Sounds like they've got some history together," Jaune calculated.
"I don't think they've ever met in our world..." Blake mused.
"Nevertheless, we are both men of honor!" Port declared boisterously. "I must insist you return to Beacon with me!"
"Beacon?" Ruby's ears perked up, a smile crossing her face. "We're gonna see another version of Beacon?"
"That's what it sounds like, sis," Yang smirked. "Get excited!" And she took the opportunity to ruffle her hair.
"Yang... stahp!"
Ghira frowned. "Beacon Monastery, hmm? I suppose it was inevitable..."
"Wait, a monastery?" Weiss blinked. "Not a school?"
"No reason it can't be both," Ren shrugged.
Port's eyes roved until they picked out Blake, who shrunk into herself under his gaze. "A-HA! And you must be the captain's daughter!"
"That... is correct," Blake answered, in a somewhat stilted fashion.
"Yes, yes, I see!" Port nodded eagerly. "In appearance and mannerisms alike, you are truly his one true heir! You must come with us- I'm sure you'd love it at the monastery!"
"As long as it's quiet and there's plenty of books," Yang chuckled.
Blake frowned, but did nothing to refute the point.
Ghira was frowning himself.
"What troubles you, my captain? I insist- confess to me your strife!"
"It's nothing," Ghira shook his head. "Even I'm not fool enough to try and outrun the Knights of Salem..."
With that, he followed Port out of the clearing. Blake was on the verge of following when a voice spoke, not into her ear, but into her very mind:
"'Knights of Salem,' hmm? They do seem rather skilled..."
"Haru-" Blake gasped aloud.
"Hold your tongue, unless you wish to be thought mad," Haruhime advised. "Also, on your left."
Blake turned and found the three uniformed youths approaching her. Weiss bowed deeply. "My deepest thanks for your assistance. Your skill is truly beyond question. And your father... even in Atlas, we've heard of Ghira Belladonna, the blade-breaker. Former captain of the Knights of Salem, often praised as the strongest knight to ever live... does that sound correct?"
Nora let out a low whistle. "Belladonna's got some street cred!"
"Yes... indeed..." Blake agreed uncomfortably.
"That's... the first I'm hearing of it," Blake shook her head, bemused. Did her father truly have such a sterling reputation?
"It is?" Weiss asked, surprised. "I sense a fascinating story there..."
"As do I," Weiss agreed with her other.
Sun slid up to Blake, a wide grin forming on his face. "So, sounds like you'll be comin' back to Beacon with us?"
"Assuming my father doesn't back down, which he never does," Blake agreed.
"Niiiiice... can't wait to bend your ear on the way there," Sun beamed. "Oh- we never got around to introducing ourselves, did we? You're looking at the three heads of house of the Officers Academy of Beacon Monastery- lots of 'ofs.'"
"Indeed," Blake nodded her agreement.
"So it is a school as well," Pyrrha concurred with a nod.
"Tonight was supposed to be a routine exercise when those bandits decided to get involved," Sun recalled, stretching his arms behind his head. "Don't mind sayin' I got the worst of it."
"Because you ran away," Weiss interjected coldly.
"Ran away?" Blake repeated. "That doesn't sound like him..."
"She's got me," Sun admitted, raising his hands. "I was the first to make a strategic retreat. All part of my master plan, of course- and it would have gone so perfectly, too, if these two hadn't followed me."
"Wait- your plan wasn't to act as a decoy?" Jaune asked, surprised.
Weiss groaned. "His intentions were clear as day, Arc. What sort of ruler will you become if you cannot see the truth behind a man's words?"
"Wait, waitwaitwaitwait... ruler?" Ruby repeated.
"I mean, Sun said they were the heads of their... houses..." Pyrrha slowed a bit as she crossed the unfamiliar terminology. "Perhaps that is a microcosm of greater leadership they will be expected to take on later?"
Jaune said nothing, suddenly looking almost as uncomfortable as Blake.
"Well, I don't think looking for lies in every word would make me much better," Jaune fired back.
Sun sidled up to Blake. "And for your viewing pleasure, milady, a royal debate between the twin highnesses. How do you think sheer predictability will affect their ability to wield power?"
"At least he's enjoying himself," Blake rolled her eyes.
"To be honest," Sun spoke louder, catching both his fellows' attention, "I sense naivete in both your words!"
Weiss crossed her arms as she turned to face him. "Truly? And is your lack of self-awareness a condition unto itself?"
Jaune, however, blushed furiously as he turned to Blake. "Forgive our digression. May I speak with you a moment?"
Blake looked to be fighting back laughter. "I believe I have some time."
"The way you fought was... captivating," he declared. "I realize now, how much I still have to learn..."
A shudder went up Ruby and Pyrrha's spines.
"Yes, indeed," Weiss agreed, turning towards Blake herself. "I feel I must ask you to consider lending your skills to the service of the Atlesian Empire. I speak, of course, not as a mere student, but as the empire's-"
"Halt, Weiss," Jaune interrupted. "I began my proposition first!"
When she realized what was happening, Yang's eyes lit up as though Christmas had come early. "Oh, Blakey, it looks like you've got admirers!"
Blake groaned, pulling back into the couch as far as she could.
Jaune continued. "The Holy Kingdom of Vale is in dire need of extraordinary individuals such as yourself. Please, consider returning to Vale with me."
Sun threw back his head and laughed. "Look at these two," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Badgering someone they just met like this... how tactless can you be? Everyone knows you form bonds of deep, everlasting friendship, then start pestering them for favors!"
"I'm starting to think this version of Sun has the same verbal filter as Nora," Ren observed.
"You mean none, right?" Nora declared proudly.
"...Yes, Nora. Thank you for clarifying."
"Well, no point beating around the bush anymore," Sun clapped his hands together. "Cards on the table- as she is the future Empress of Atlas, and he the future king of Vale, I'm next in line to take over the Vacuo alliance- but forget all that! You must have been living in one of those places... where do your allegiances lie?"
"We... never really set down roots," Blake explained. "We're more like... nomads."
"Nomads, huh?" Sun repeated. "You with the Manni?"
"Nomads? Manni?" Ruby repeated.
Weiss sighed. "Nomads are wanderers- they don't live in any one place. As for Manni... I don't know."
Crazy was pointedly looking away and whistling, as George directed a glare in his direction. "Crazy..."
"I didn't do anything!"
"This is my world, Crazy!"
"Dindoo nuffin'!"
Weiss rolled her eye's heavily. "The Manni are pacifists, Wukong- is this-" she waved a hand at the many fallen thieves- "the work of a pacifist?"
"Good point," Sun shrugged.
From behind came Port's bombastic voice once again. "Enough idle chatter!" he declared. "It is time we set our sights on the monastery!"
"I suppose we should talk another time," Jaune decided, as he and his comrades fell into line and followed Port on a march.
Haruhime's voice returned. "Hmmm... those three are rather unique."
"Indeed," Blake agreed. "Weiss... a refined young woman... every time her eyes fell on me, I could feel her evaluating me..."
"Nothing new, then," Yang grinned, now ruffling Weiss's hair.
"Get off of me, you dunce!"
"Jaune... he seems sincere, but I can't help feeling there's something else in him, deep down..."
"I felt the same way," Pyrrha said proudly.
Blake held her tongue- she didn't think Pyrrha and her other were quite on the same wavelength here.
"And Sun... he has a striking, easy smile, but I couldn't help noticing... it doesn't reach his eyes."
"He seemed pretty cheery to me," Weiss grunted.
Crazy handed her his cell phone. "Here, read this."
"Hmmm... TvTropes?"
"And the page?"
"Sad clown... I don't understand."
"Read it- you will."
"My thoughts exactly," Haruhime agreed. "I'd like to stay and talk, but... I'm so... sleepy..."
And her voice faded away. Blake shook her head and moved to follow.
Once more, the screen changed, and the entire group was marching through the woods, sunlight gently drifting through the trees and dappling the ground.
"So, this is your first time at the monastery, right?" Jaune was saying. "I'd be happy to show you around."
"It's the perfect little slice of Remnant," Sun grinned, his head leaning into his own arms. "The best and the worst."
"We'll be there shortly," Weiss said simply, clearly not one to waste words.
Blake's eyes gazed around the group, before looking through a parting in the trees, where she finally saw it- a grand monastery perched upon a large hill. It seemed more like a castle, with at least two outer walls that she could see protecting the central buildings, where several towers climbed high into the sky. Along one edge stretched a great blue lake, perfectly mirroring the sky above. Blake's eyes widened as she took in the building's majesty.
"Beacon!" Ruby beamed.
"Beacon!" Jaune nodded happily.
"Beacon," Pyrrha agreed, almost nostalgically.
"It's only a model," Nora shrugged.
George looked like he wanted to get frustrated, but couldn't- not at Nora.
"Welcome," Weiss introduced, "to Beacon Monastery."
"It's incredible," Blake found herself smiling.
"Just wait til you see the inside," Sun beamed.
Ghira, however, had eyes only for the figure he could just barely make out, standing on a balcony overlooking the monastery- a balcony standing just outside what would be the cathedral. He knew what she looked like, even if he couldn't actually make it out from here- the tall woman with her long, blond hair, her decorations keeping it from her crystal blue eyes as she oversaw the monastery that had been entrusted to her care.
"Wait, isn't that Salem?" Ruby asked.
"You dunce, weren't you listening to George? That opening was over a thousand years ago!" Weiss chastised.
"But then, who-"
Ghira answered. "Lady Mira."
XXXX
I'm dying of heat stroke. If I die before I get the next episode up, bury me with my Xeno games. So, yes, this is Georgie's universe- extra points to anyone who can guess where his writing ends and mine begins (in the universe itself, the reactions are all me, baby!) Expect to see more of this one soon, but not next episode- next episode, I wanna finish up the first act of Childe Ren. Hopefully, things cool down a bit so I can write without risk of heart failure. Until then, long days and pleasant nights, may it do you fine- Gamer4 out.