Okay, I think I'm going to make a certain New Year's Resolution.
Do my dear damnedest to update FASTER, if circumstances allow for it.
Ugh.
Also, I changed the title of the story, as the current one doesn't sit too well with me after a while. Also updated the summary as well. Are the changes for better or worse? How many title changes might it go through? Hopefully not more, I want to stick to one that I like and won't be slammed on too badly.
Guess I'll find out soon, huh?
Ruby was packing her things, preparing for the next mission she was set to take part in. The other girls were doing much the same, with particularly in regards to making sure their weapons were properly set. After having decided upon their next mission, they made a point to prepare for it as soon as they possibly could. It was in order to ensure that they were ready for departure whenever they were ready.
Weiss in particular was packing the Dust that they would be taking with them, as carefully as she could. She wanted to keep them properly organized both for identification and safety reasons. Didn't want anything with explosive results. She heard that that results in quite the messy first impressions. Good thing she didn't end up in such a situation when she first came here.
Regardless, it was important to have as much as they need, especially when it comes to which type they needed, as well as what was available and accessible to them.
"Ya still prepping, Weiss?" Yang peeked over her shoulder, getting a brief sigh of irritation from her.
"I'm indeed in the middle of such. I'd be done faster if you don't interrupt me, Xiao Long."
"Coolio. So, hey, hope ya don't mind me askin', how's this whole Dust minin' think work over there in Atlas?"
Weiss blinked and turned to Yang for a moment. "What's prompting this curiosity?"
"I was thinking back to you telling us about your family, especially how your Grandpa played a pretty big role in getting every together and working towards success. Dust mining had a lot to do with that, right?"
Weiss blinked again, then simply nodded and turned to her Scroll. "To an extent, yes. Dust naturally generates in great abundance in the mines of Atlas, more than anywhere else in the world. As such, the entire of mining are greatest there, obviously." Weiss pulled up images in her Scroll. "You can probably see why it was somewhat difficult to mine most of them before things improved."
Yang took a look, only for her eyes to widen in shock. "What the...I've never seen Dust chunks that size! Ruby, check this out!"
Ruby blinked as she too peered over to see what Yang was fussing about. Her eyes widened just as much as she saw what they looked like. "What the wow! Look at the size of those Dust Crystals! They're huge!"
"The largest piece of Dust that I've seen was the size of my fist." Blake admitted with genuine surprise. "Those look to be the size of...boulders."
"Now you're beginning to see why the Dust mines have become such a huge source of profit for Atlas, as well as the SDC itself. It's provided the greatest source of natural energy." Weiss hummed. "Though, I suppose that it becomes even more understandable that Grandfather eventually became ill from being in those mines for too long. He was most exposed to it all without protection."
"People didn't still keep working down in those mines after that, right?"
"Not completely, no." Weiss turned to the group. "It was decided that after Grandfather fell ill, and there have been one two many accidents involving collapsing mines, it was decided that robots and machines were to be used to do the mining instead, while they're being handled by people so they don't unnecessarily risk themselves. Entire crews, some being from Mantle, play a role in that line of work, to make sure everything works as smoothly and safely as possible."
"And yet despite that..." Blake muttered sourly, and Weiss nodded.
"The damage did during those various incidents has already been done. Maybe, had we been able to manage these issues sooner..." Weiss closed her eyes. "It doesn't matter. What does is that there are many enemies to the SDC. And as an extension, my entire family has enemies."
"And yet you still felt courageous enough to leave the safety of your home to be a Huntress."
"I had to prove myself first, obviously. But I was determined to do it. I can't live my life in fear." Weiss shook her head. "I refuse to allow them that kind of control over me."
"Huh. Gotta say, I can appreciate that." Yang smiles as she rolled her arm. "That some Schnee courage giving you power or somethin'?"
"I suppose." Weiss huffed while flipping her hair. "Ruby, you haven't forgotten about what we need, did you?"
"No, of course I didn't! We've gotten everything!" Ruby pouted while folding her arms. "Everything's packed on my end. I'm all set! What about you, huh?"
"Of course I'm prepared! I'm the one who helped you all buy some of these supplies!" Weiss retorted incredulously, pointing her finger. "You insult me in such a manner?!"
"You started it..."
"I'm finishing it, too!"
Blake briefly checked the ammunition she had for Gambol Shroud, taking note of the sharpness of the katana and sheathe. After a moment of observation, she looked towards Weiss. "What you said about potential enemies. You already know that one of your biggest will be the White Fang, every time you go outside of places or safety."
"I've thought about that possibility, and mentally prepared myself for it." Weiss acknowledged. "I'll fight them if that's what it comes to, which is likely."
Blake nodded, then placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "In that case, you can count me as your ally against them, for sure. Whenever we come across them, I'll be sure to fight by your side. They are my enemies, too."
"Are you sure about that, Blake?" Ruby turned towards her with a bit of a frown. "The White Fang was important to you, long ago. Are you really going to be able to fight them like that?"
Blake narrowed her eyes. "My bond with the White Fang as an organization, was severed when they had my father killed and actively participated and encouraged the destruction of Menagerie. As things are right now, aside from a select individual few that I wish to save from it, I can't view the organization itself as anything other than my enemy, now. And as soon as they fully realize I'm still alive, the feeling is likely to be mutual."
"I see." Weiss returned the gesture and placed a hand on Blake's shoulder in return. "In any case, I agree with your sentiment. In terms of the White Fang, I'm well aware that they are an enemy we might soon face outside the walls of safety. Should we have an encounter with them, you can count on me to fight against them by your side, so long as you support me in return."
"Nn."
Ruby smiled and gently nodded. "Okay. In a case like that, you can rely on me and Yang to help you out, too."
"Definitely." Yang agreed with a sunny thumbs up.
Weiss and Blake smiled at the half-sisters, before the former stretched and picked up her things. "Alright then, enough delay. We'd better move quickly, or we'll be reprimanded for our punctuality."
"Right, don't wanna stall for any longer." Yang stretched her arms upwards with a yawn, cracking her knuckles. "Alrighty then, without further ado, let's go and get a move on!"
There was a collective nod if agreement, before each of them grabbed them things and set out for the bullhead that would take them to their destination. Ruby was already wondering with great curiosity, just what would be lying ahead of them in their latest mission.
Though, even if Weiss was the one who suggested they hurry up, there was a beeping from her Scroll. And seeing who was contacting her made her pause.
"... Actually, can we wait a few more minutes? I need to take this call." Weiss meekly admitted to her friends. They looked at her a bit strangely, especially after the brief grief she gave them over taking too long. "Yes yes, I'm aware I sound like a slight hypocrite for requesting this. I promise I won't be long." Weiss soon moved away, leaving her team slightly confused but otherwise shrugging off the delay. Ruby was really eager to get going, though.
Weiss sighed as she soon turned towards her Scroll, and eventually answered the call that's been ringing for a minute now.
"It took you quite a bit to answer, Weiss."
Winter Schnee appeared on her screen, and Weiss resisted breaking composure seeing her. She didn't want to just sprout a big smile at the mere sight of her.
"Sorry, I was just speaking with my team, Winter. We were just about to head off on another mission."
"Is that so? I'm not interrupting, am I?"
"No, of course not! I just wasn't expecting you, is all!" Weiss shook her head. It was a bit embarrassing, though. She was the one who was trying to hurry everyone along to be on time, yet she's setting aside a few minutes of time for this. She couldn't help herself.
"Well, regardless, I don't want to keep you for too long. I just wanted to let you know that after getting through such a busy time, I've managed to find out about your recent promotion. Congratulations."
"Hm. It really isn't anything much. I just went from D Rank Junior to C Rank. No big deal." Weiss brushed off while pushing her hair away, trying to hide just how happy she was with her sister's praise. Though at the time, and even a bit right now, she doesn't feel like she's completely earned it.
"Progression is always important for you, Weiss. I won't let you devalue how much of it you made, which means devaluing yourself."
"It just feels so soon, still..."
"Honestly Weiss, you're not going to get anywhere if you don't accept the credit you actually managed to earn."
Weiss recognized her little brother's tone as he casually stepped into view on the monitor. Seeing both siblings on the other side of the screen brought her a bit of happiness, though still kept it mostly hidden for composure.
"You clearly have the potential to succeed through merits, Weiss. But that's not going to mean anything if you don't accept the merits you've actually earned. You'll stagnate that way. Such an approach to accomplishments tends to damage your standing if you let it persist."
Weiss lightly scratched her cheek and briefly looked away. "That is true..."
"You'll have to take yourself more seriously, Weiss. If you want people to acknowledge you, you'll have to further build upon that merit, and do something truly worthwhile with it. It's through consistent effort and results that you'll be able to truly make a standing for yourself. You're allowed to have pride in your merits, every single one of them through your own efforts."
"A much simpler answer: You worry too much."
Weiss' eyebrow twitched. "I worry an adequate amount, thank you very much! Especially about you, Whitley! Have you been eating well?"
"I eat plenty, thank you very much."
"Whitley..."
"Do you require video evidence of me eating?"
"Perhaps."
"You're being ridiculous!"
""No no, I think she's being quite reasonable, little brother." Winter deadpanned.
"What is this?!"
Both sisters looked cold for a moment, before they both managed a small chuckle despite themselves, with Winter's being more refined and disciplined. Whitley just looked quietly annoyed. Though there was no serious ire in his annoyed gaze, he was still very much annoyed. Regardless, he simply sighed and brushed it off for the most part.
"Alright, I have to go now. My team is waiting for me."
"Very well." Winter nodded. "And Weiss...do be careful out there. You made the decision to leave Atlas and venture out to carve your path. You've earned that fulfilled wish, and I will respect it. However, it means I cannot immediately come to your aid if something were to happen. And while I prefer that you be able to protect and save yourself from trouble...I can't help but be worried anyway."
"Short version, don't get killed." Whitley deadpanned, which earned a gentle, irritated ear tug from Winter. "H-Hey, ow! What?! That's basically what it boils down to!"
"Some tact would have been nice, Whitley. Can you not help yourself when it's us?"
Weiss rolled her eyes, but soon smiled. "Take care, you two. Love you."
"I love you too."
"I...have a deep fondness for you as well, Weiss." Winter glowered at Whitley again, who smiled and shrugged. "What? It basically means the same thing!"
Weiss chuckled as she eventually ended the call. It was good to speak with them every now and then, it had its way of lifting her spirit. That being said, she hoped that they would keep doing well.
Besides, they were both right to an extent. At least regarding this, she couldn't keep on worrying to the extent that she stops progressing. If all she does is worry and overthink things too much, then she won't be able to advance. Advancing and improving was the only way she's going to feel more secure of her accomplishments, to make them feel earned. In a way, Glynda has already laid this out to her, while her siblings simply emphasized the issue further.
If it bothered her so much, then she should focus on advancing more and more so that it feels more earned. Progress was necessary if she were to support her earnings and her words.
She should, therefore she will.
"Weiss! Are you done yet?!"
Weiss could hear Ruby calling for her, making her roll her eyes at how long she ended up taking despite her fussing over everyone needing to be in a hurry. As such, she pushed her hair away from her face and made way to catch up with her comrades.
For better or worse, this next mission shall be another step towards her advancement.
The team was on their way to the target location, riding within a Bullhead. It was a good distance away, a bit farther than they went when they had their mission in Aurora. But not so far that they wouldn't be able to call for pickup once their mission was complete.
So for the time being, the team attempted to fill their waiting time via satisfying their curiosity to an extent, as at least a few of things on their minds. For instance, Ruby was currently searching through something on her Scroll, which relates to the incoming mission at hand.
"The town is literally called Circle..." Ruby hummed while reading from her Scroll. "At least it's easy to remember. But for a while there wasn't a lot of information on the name, despite how simple it sounds."
"It's most likely the reference to it being an organization. The Circle as an organization was heard to have been brutally destroyed." Blake pointed out as her with twitching ears. "At least, that was their fate by the end of the fairy tale involving them."
"The Circle got wiped out?" Yang blinked while rubbing her chin. "Dark. So, what? Are these guys paying homage to it or something?" Yang gasped while pounding a fist into her palm. "Maybe they're the real deal and they are the revival!"
"Oooh!" Ruby seemed quite interested in the idea, given her curious sparkling eyes.
"Don't be preposterous." Weiss waved it off.
"Its not as impossible as it sounds, Weiss." Blake hummed while rubbing her chin. If she recalled correctly, one of the core purposes of a group known as the Circle was to help others, especially with the mastery of their Aura and Semblance. They seemed to very much be a group built upon the concept of self-improvement.
In that case, perhaps there was someone there, perhaps a Faunus, that could give her a hint or two about how to attain evolution? It certainly wouldn't hurt to give it a try, to at least ask. She obviously knew that she wouldn't get every single answer she wanted from one location, that was expecting a bit too much. But something tangible would definitely make it worth the attempt.
"I also noticed something weird. I think." Ruby brought everyone's attention. "From the fairy tale, it's been said that the Circle goes around helping others and spreading the teachings of Aura and Semblances. Isn't that what the facilities like Signal and Pharos are for?"
"To a degree. Though those facilities are mostly for training you when you wanna be a Huntsmen for a living. These guys might simply teach people how to use their Aura and Semblances to fight." Yang wondered while scratching her head. "Now that I think about it, they might not be as helpless as we might be thinking. They just need some backup cause things might be getting too overwhelming for them."
"Whatever the circumstances, we won't know for sure until we get there and see for ourselves." Weiss declared firmly. "And we must perform at our best and then some, in order to get the best results we can. I'll be counting on all of you."
"Same here." Ruby nodded with a quiet smile.
"Hey, I'm not gonna argue with it."
"Neither will I."
Yang blinked as she looked forward, pointing forward. "Hey, check that out. Looks like there's some fighting going on!" Yang called out, gaining the others attention.
They were coming along what appeared to be another town, a little bit more sizable than the one back at Aurora, and if seemed to better fortified, in a sense. And they could see some people outside, fighting Grimm. One of them struck an Ursa right in the skull, and sent them soaring outwards.
"Woah, they're scrappin!' I don't even think they need our help right then and there!" Yang sighed, closing her eyes. Before she reopened them with her eyes flashing crimson. "That being said, let's not take any chances."
"Agreed." Weiss nodded, brandishing Myrtenaster.
"We're gonna have to make a leap." Ruby declared, standing up and grabbing Crescent Rose. "Let's get going!"
"Nn." Blake also stood up, ears flicking slightly.
No need to tell the others twice. For as soon as she gave the call, they were given space to jump out of the airship, in favor of not endangering the pilot.
One of the townsfolk fighting off the Grimm managed to forcefully punch back a Beowolf, only to be knocked down by another slashing at her shoulder with it's claws. "Agh!"
Again! It's happening again! These Grimm are getting stronger every time they attack! If this keeps up...!
The Beowolf above her raised it's claws to swipe at her again, only to be swiftly decapitated. A blur of rose petals followed as Ruby appeared behind it, it's body falling to the ground. She held Crescent Rose across her shoulders while gazing at the others.
"You looked pretty awesome, fighting as you did." Ruby admitted. "Take a break, we'll tag in."
A Huntress?
Soon after, Blake appeared as a shadow, with Gambol Shroud slashing right through another Beowolf with nary a problem, landing across from the others. "It doesn't look like anyone's too hurt, but they're definitely getting exhausted."
"Then allow us!"
"To provide the relief!"
Weiss and Yang shouted together as the former pierced Myrtenaster into the ground, while the latter simply punched it hard. It resulted in pillars of ice shooting up and piercing through the Grimm around Weiss, while pillars of flames shot out from the ground and incinerated the Grimm around Yang.
Icy mist and glowing embers closed around them briefly, before they slowly dissipated around the duo. They both stood up side by side, before nodding to each other.
The Grimm seemed to have been cleared out for the time being. The quartet nodded to each other before they proceeded to tend to the others that have been fighting before they arrived.
"T-Thank you...it was getting a little bit overwhelming for us there." There was a brief sigh, before the townfolk in question addressed them in a calmer demeanor. "By the way, you're the Huntresses that were sent to provide assistance, aren't you?"
"That's us." Weiss confirmed while sheathing Myrtenaster.
"Thank goodness. Really, thank you." There was a mutter as Ruby and Blake were busy helping the more injured fighters up. "These attacks have been getting worse. The Grimm around here are getting more aggressive, and more powerful. We're able to keep them back quite a bit, but it's making it difficult to breach past them."
"There have already been several casualties so far. People have either gotten killed or have gone missing during the several incidents we weren't able to drive them away fast enough. And it's taking longer every time as they're getting more ferocious..."
"Do you have any idea what might be the cause of this phenomenon?" Blake wondered, feline ears flicking.
"Not a clue. Believe us, we have tried to find answers on our own, but we can't even leave the safety of our barriers." There was an irritated sigh. "It's a bit shameful of us to trouble others and ask for help, but we're sitting ducks right now. If we don't do something about this soon, we're going to be wiped out..."
Ruby turned to the others, seeing that they understood the situation well enough as well. With a curt nod, Ruby turned back to the folks. "We're here to help."
After voicing their assurance, the girls were soon allowed into the Circle, with them making sure to close and entire the barriers behind them since their latest attempt at expedition was deemed yet another failure. Yang could feel their frustration to an extent. Several times now, they've tried getting out, and yet Grimm were always there to completely negate their efforts, and seemed to be getting stronger. It might be that older Grimm are making their way here, but could they really?
There has to be a cause behind it. But she's wracking her head trying to think of one.
In the meantime, Ruby was busy getting a feel for her knew surroundings, since they were inside and there won't be another attack for a little while.
"So...this is the Circle? As a town?"
It was actually quite humble looking for a town, now that she thought about it. If she remembered correctly from the Fairy Tale, the Circle started out as a more nomadic group that would travel all over Remnant to help people better understand Aura and Semblance, so that they may be able to stand up to threats such as the Grimm, or perhaps even worse than the Grimm. Though she had no idea what could really be worse than the Grimm, she wouldn't deny that the possibility could exist.
After all, Melanthia was still in the back of her head, to a degree. Grimm, as far as she and most people of Remnant, were mostly a danger they simply had to deal with every day they brave the world outside of safety. People like Melanthia, they deliberately chose to be as malevolent as they were. And there were possibly more like her.
It wouldn't do well for Ruby to ponder it for a very long time, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to just forget about it.
She snapped back to attention. It didn't take her long for her to recognize a constant image that she could see all around her. It was the image of a tree filled with life, and plenty of healthy leaves on them. And below it, would be a somewhat lifeless tree that was completely bare. And as she and Yang noticed, they seemed to be contained...
Within a circle.
The Circle...
Weiss and Blake looked to the side, seeing a gathering on their right. Blake's especially curious about it, given that the one leading it was a Faunus. More specifically, a Faunus she was not quite familiar with seeing, which was a Panda Faunus. She appeared to be quite plump and rounded. Wearing a yellow and white flower dress, as well as a gentle pink cloak around her shoulders, she seemed to dress simply. She was wearing quite a sweet and nurturing smile across her face, as she seemed to be directing what appeared to be a mixed group or Human and Faunus children listening to her closely.
"Alright, just like we practiced yesterday, okay?" She mentored kindly, as she gently raised her hands, before bringing them together. As she did so, a brief yellowish glow surrounded her, shining and wrapping itself around her body. "Project your Aura in the manner of a personal shield around yourself. Like wrapping yourself in a blanket that can protect you."
It took a moment, but with a bit of focus, the children were able to form a shield of Aura around themselves. Weiss could see the multitudes of different colors as they were shining around them.
"Aura flows through our bodies, naturally enhances and augmenting them to great heights, including increasing our physical durability. Through this type Aura projection, it can function as an extra layer of defense around our bodies, akin to a second skin, reducing the damage done to us in battle." She gently instructed, taking a brief breath. "Now then, try to expand this very shield outwards around yourself, like you're inside of a bubble."
She watched as the children attempted to project their Auras around them outward as she instructed, in the form of a shield shaped like a bubble. Some of them managed to sustain it for a moment, some for longer. But there were several instances where the shield either vanishes due to not enough focus, or it pops from being too focused and trying to force it.
"Ugh! Popped again!"
"Don't be discouraged. You did much better today." She hummed as she gently helps them up, lightly patting their head. "Concentration is very much key to maintaining your shield, especially since you won't always be in a calm environment. We'll be working on that as well."
"Still, it's sucks that I haven't gotten it down, yet."
"Yet is the key word, there. You will get there eventually. Diligence will do you well." She gently encouraged, standing back up. "You must be visitors here. Or, the Huntresses that were summoned." She accidentally guessed while turning to Weiss and Blake, briefly startling the former before she regained her composure.
"That is us."
"Oh, thank goodness. We were worried that help would not come." She sighed gently while gazing around. "As you've already known, the Grimm attacks around us have steadily gotten more intense. Focused."
"Focused?"
"Not only do they seem to be getting stronger and more vicious, but they seem violently determined to keep any of us from leaving. We manage to keep them from fully pushing through from time to time, but we can't clear a path through them. The attacks simply get more intense." She sighed while gently holding her cheek as she turned to the children under her care. "It's resulted in more than a few casualties. Some of these poor children have been orphaned. Others...were even less fortunate."
"Is...is that so..." Weiss muttered. The Faunus' face briefly twisted at the memories, closing her eyes and turning away, tightly holding the hem of her dress.
It seems that the gathered children noticed the distress she tried to keep under composure. They stopped their current practice, turning to their mentor worriedly. There was a brief murmur amongst them, before they all decided to gather around her and embrace her in an expanded group hug. The suddenness of it brought her out of her funk quickly, as she chuckled and lightly patted a few of their heads, reassuring them that she was fine.
Yang took a brief look around once more, several things taking her attention. It wasn't just the children with this Panda Faunus, others appeared to be doing somewhat similar things. Controlling their Aura as it gently pulsed around them. Some of them slowly began to dissipate the glow, before it was hidden away and they couldn't sense it anymore. It seemed to be a sort of concealment.
Blake's ears twitched curiously. Learning to hone that could come in handy for her, she felt.
Ruby for her part, could sense that others were concentrating Aura into a single part of their body, likely to further increase whatever blow they might make. Then she could see some swinging away with their weapons while encasing them in Aura, resulting in something like a wooden stick being able to smash through solid stone. There were even a few times where they could sense certain bits of Aura increase in intensity in some parts of people's bodies more than others. Not only that, there was a certain usefulness from being able to expand ones Aura to a certain distance and sense whatever's within that space. It could certainly help with her sniping with Crescent Rose!
"Hey, Yang. Doesn't it seem like most of these are stuff Dad taught us?"
"Yeah, but the way they do it seems to go a little bit further." Yang rubbed her chin curiously.
"There are many people who don't always see the expanded possibilities that lie within Aura and Semblances." Their company briefly called for them, as she held out her hand and channeled Aura through it. To their surprise, the Aura manifested and took the shape of a bear claw. "There is much for the world to learn in the context of both."
"Ya don't say?"
She smiled softly, as her Aura calmed. "For instance, many would sometimes consider that having Aura Constructs be considered a Semblance. When in actuality, it is a rather advanced form of Aura Manipulation. Some people might be more powerful and skilled in one specific element of Aura Manipulation than others." She chuckled. "Though for a more simple, fun, and alliterative term, some may call them Aura Arts."
"Okay, now I definitely remember Pops talking about that." Yang points with an enlightened blink.
She gently held her hand upwards, Aura flowing around it. "A Semblance awakens differently from advanced Aura Arts. You'll know the difference, you'll feel it. They are unique to your own life force, through your soul or perhaps through genetics. Some may be more similar to one another than others, but the way Auras and Semblances manifest will signify the key differences." She briefly sighed while scratching her cheek. "Alas, not many have much of a deeper and nuanced understanding of Aura and Semblances. You could consider that an objective of the Circle, to expand and share that understanding. So that fewer people will have to rely on Huntsmen to combat threats to their lives."
"Don't wanna rely on Huntsmen all that much?" Ruby tilted her head.
"Trying to render us obsolete?" Yang held a hand up to her mouth with a mock gasp.
"Oh no, it's not like that at all!" She quickly shook her head. "We seek to lighten the burden Huntsmen have on protecting the people, by giving others the faith and ability to protect what's important to them, to do so themselves. That's the belief we wish to expand through the Circle. This way, more Huntsmen can focus on threats that more urgently require their attention, not having to worry about defenseless bystanders as much." She gently placed her hands together. "We simply wish to help people realize their inner strength, to stand up for and protect themselves and what they care about, without waiting for someone else to do so for them. Such a cycle will result in complacency. And complacency is your biggest enemy in a world like ours."
"Especially when the world doesn't value life." Blake unexpectedly chimed in, without a change in her aloof expression. "Complacency means death. If you can't fight, you can't survive...and if you can't survive first, you'll won't be able to create that opportunity to truly live." Blake's ear flicked, having said her briefly impulsive piece. Though Ruby did take the time to place her hand on her shoulder, somewhat snapping her to attention. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
"Just making sure, Blake."
"Ah, pardon me. Didn't introduce myself." Their guide briefly placed a hand on her chest. "My name is Liliana Petunia. Though you may also refer to me as Lily, or Nia. I hope to be of assistance to you during your mission here."
"It will be appreciated." Weiss reassured.
"So of we are to break things down super simply." Yang began. "You're under from these Grimm attacks, and you're able to hold them back, but you can't venture out because more are waiting stronger than the last attack. You need our help to break the stalemate in your favor?"
"Precisely."
"Gotcha! We've have your backs on this so don't worry about it!" Yang threw a thumbs up. "The Circle being able to hold their own is gonna make things easier for the both of us. We'll help ya break this stalemate!"
With their mission further confirmed, the quartet briefly separated from Lily and went to their own spot to discuss. Ruby briefly looked back to see the children gathering around her again. She smiled and ended up playing with and comforting them, again reassuring them that she was fine. She was putting up quite a brave demeanor, but Ruby had a feeling she was getting exhausted and afraid. Plenty of people have been lost to these attacks, including children, and she was doing her best to reduce the casualties and helping the ones suffering.
They needed to do something, this can't keep going hopelessly unresolved.
"The Circle. I must say, they're a intriguing kind of organization, to say the least." Weiss wondered while rubbing her chin. "Their practice and goal is to develop the practices of Aura and Semblances, and share that knowledge with others around them. And given how they described different kinds of Aura projecting, or Aura Arts, we may have encountered some of their members without ever realizing it." She wondered further, as a certain member of the Atlas military crossed her mind. Could he have been a member...?
"It wouldn't surprise me if the Circle had more than one Branch, like this one in Vale." Blake looked around, seeing that some people were still being treated of their wounds. "Though it would seem that this Branch appears to be in dire straits. They can't escape from these relentless Grimm attacks."
"They can get the Grimm to back off, but they always need to recover afterwards. And when they do enough to try again, another brutal attack is waiting for them." Yang hummed. "If we're gonna break this stalemate, we gotta figure out where these Grimm are coming from. Sure they're always roaming around and stuff, but these attacks seem very focused. I think we might be dealing with a smarter batch of Grimm than usual."
Ruby looked about, lowering her eyes slightly, before shaking her head and narrowing them in a more focused manner. "There might be a bit more to this than we think. We have to get to the bottom of all of this, and quick. It won't be enough to just keep stopping these Grimm, we have to find out what's drawing them, or maybe pushing them, into the direction of the Circle."
"I for one, believe we should split our duties." Weiss put forth. "Investigation is needed to know more about this, but we also can't leave the Circle completely unattended. This isn't out of lack of faith of them holding their own. It's better to have peace of mind that some of us are staying behind to support them just in case of another Grimm attack."
"That seems reasonable. How do we divide ourselves?" Blake asked.
Ruby thought it over for a moment, crossing her arm and tilting her head. She seemed to get an idea, as she turned to Blake and Weiss. "I think you two should stay with the town and give them support whenever there's another Grimm attack heading it's way, maybe ask around a bit more about what's been happening. Me and Yang will venture a bit outwards from town and see if we can find any clues about what's going on with the Grimm."
"Me...and Blake?" Weiss briefly repeated, turning towards the Faunus in question, who looked back at her with an aloof stare. They're leaving her with Blake? Alone?
Alone with Blake?
"Hey, Weiss. You good?" Yang briefly placed a hand on her shoulder, recalling her experiences with Faunus and the White Fang, and remembering that Blake has a history with the latter. Sure she knows that Blake has no further ties with them due to their horrific betrayal of her and her family. But she guessed that something in the back of her head, and within the depths of her soul...there was still the smallest bit of doubt, perhaps even fear, of being alone with Faunus.
Regardless, Weiss shook her head, clearing it for the moment.
"Of course. This is no problem for me. If that's to be our course of action, then expect success from us with flying colors." Weiss turned back to Blake with a much more confident stare. "We've both been given an important task, Blake. We'll need to cooperate to see it to fruition."
"Understood."
"Alright then!" Ruby smiled while pumping her fists. "Let's get through this together, guys!"
The quartet nodded in agreement.
Though for a moment, Blake's ear twitched twice, and she looked behind her and towards the sky for a moment. She heard something whirring, and the sound of something hovering overhead. But nothing seemed to be there. Blake's eyes narrowed in suspicion, keeping her attention towards the spot in the sky for a moment longer, until she slowly turned away.
She wasn't going to jump to conclusions without building up to them, that's what the investigation will be for. But she had a feeling that the entire quarter will be finding the answers they seek sooner than they expected.
"Surely we're heading in the right direction by now?" There was a brief mutter in the air as the Faunus looked at the map on her Scroll, with her White Fang cloak fluttering with the wind. "Ah, yup. We're definitely on the right track."
"It would seem so." A taller, bulkier White Fang member with bare shoulders and arms replied in kind, causing her to turn towards him.
"Huh, you actually spoke up a bit. You've been silent for this entire outing, I thought you were never going to utter a word."
"We are getting closer. Closer to the Schnee."
She chuckled a bit. "We're all a bit enthusiastic about that mission, but you seem especially determined about it."
"I was sent with you to keep you focused, Ember. So that you don't get too distracted. This is too important."
"Such a lack of faith. Don't worry, I'm still very much on-target." She shrugged as she waved her Scroll. "After all, if I didn't have the mission on my mind, I wouldn't go through this trouble of gathering intel! It's not even my thing!"
"Don't get the wrong idea. As long as the mission is focused on and eventually accomplished, I don't care what you do along the way."
"I can work with that."
As she was standing up, she began walking away from what appeared to be a wreckage of an airship, having taken the supplies along the way, and rather swiftly taking down the ones protecting them. Her subordinates carried them along as she had her hands in her pockets, her cloak fluttering.
"...Ah, wait. I almost forgot." She slowly turned towards the ones they defeated. "Can't have you scampering away and calling for help."
"...Why...?" One of them gruffly managed to cough out. "White Fang...we thought you were...there are Faunus amongst us too...!"
"I fail to see why that should rattle me." Ember deadpanned, her jackal ears flicking. "Humans, along with Faunus that kowtow to them and are sympathetic to them...neither of those kinds of pests are of any worth towards the White Fang or it's ambitions. Thus, everywhere I go, whenever I see humans, or Faunus that don't show any potential or promise or spine, they are to be ruthlessly subjugated...or I can simply do this."
The moment she finished, the entire area was engulfed in a fiery explosion, managing to knock over several trees from the sheer force of it. She already began walking away without a care. As she was doing so, one of her subordinates hurried to her side with a Scroll in hand.
"Uh, Boss? You might wanna check this out. I found something on one of their Scrolls we snatched."
"Eh?" She blinked as she looked over to one of her subordinates Scrolls. Once she realized another familiar name, her eyes lit up at the promise of opportunity, and kept walking. "I smell an opportunity stacked atop another opportunity!"
Her tall male companion could only grunt as he turned and followed her, not caring about the devastation as he said. So long as they killed the Schnee as their mission decreed, he didn't care what she did. And besides, thanks to the recent discovery made by one of his companions, he has yet another reason to go in the direction of the Schnee.
Of the four names assigned to a Huntsmen mission regarding an organization known as the Circle, he found the Schnee amongst them...and Blake Belladonna.
Once he discovered that, he knew that taking part of this mission was the right decision, and now he had twice the resolve to complete it. Blake was with the Schnee. It would be worth the trip to take out both a potential threat and another from rising from the shadows. It would be especially worth it if they were also able to kill Blake.
His thoughts went to one of his superiors, Adam Taurus. And Adam's sister in arms, Ilia Amitola. Those two were shaping up to be very worthy inheritors of the White Fang's new generation, to carry out their ambitions. If they discover that Blake is alive, a shadow of their past that they've long forgotten over the last five years, she could potentially...distract them.
The tall Faunus growled, hoisting his chainsaw up a bit and continued his march. No. That couldn't be allowed to happen.
Both the Belladonna and the Schnee. They'll have to die. His higher ups could potentially hide Blake's continued existence from Adam and Ilia for as long as possible...
But he'll kill her anyways, just to be extra certain.
"Would you like to know where you went wrong today?"
"Tch!"
Roch Szalt shouted as his staff smashed right into another Beowolf, crushing it's skull and killing it. He wanted slightly as he glared at the woman taunting him, while his comrade, Kandi Floss, stood by his side. She was scratched up like he was, trying her best to stay standing. They just barely managed to defeat the Grimm that were menacing them, and thus now turned towards the woman who did the same.
Unfortunately, the ones they were attempting to escort to safety, have been messily killed by those very Grimm in the skirmish, with their bloodied corpses displayed on the ground, their eyes wide with terror in their last moments.
"Incompetence." The woman declared calmly, first nodding to Roch. "You are reckless." Then towards Kandi. "And you weren't resolved enough." She jumped off the rock she stood on, landing a few feet in front of them. "Your shortcomings led to this result. And judging by the looks in your eyes, this isn't the first time you've tasted failure."
"Shut up!" Roch shouted, pointing his weapon towards her. "This is all your fault! You brought them here and stopped us from acting sooner! YOU killed them, not us!"
"Sounds like excuses to me. Vale's standards must have really hit the dirt if they allow people like you to be protectors." She slowly walked towards them, unsheathing one of her swords, which began sparking with lightning. "These poor folks are dead now, because they entrusted their safety in the hands of the unreliable. They placed their faith in the wrong people. I actually thought you two held some promise, and this was your test. But you failed." She casually shrugged. "Oh well. Sometimes we're just wrong about certain things."
Roch gritted his teeth as he clenched his weapon. "I've had enough of your smart mouth!"
"Have you now? I can dumb myself down if you like."
Roch shouted as he charged in to attack with his staff, with Kandi attempting to fire with her slingshot.
The woman slashed her blade once, and a blast of lightning smashed into the horizontally, blasting them and devastating the ground around them with electric charges. They ended up crashing along the ground with their weapons falling out of reach. Roch attempted to turn over and retrieve his staff.
The woman slammed her Lightning Dust infused blade into his back, and another immense charge surged right into him and around the area. There was a brief scream of pain from him due to the intensity of the lightning and the forcefulness of the blow, until he eventually went limp and silent.
Kandi groaned as she eventually pushed herself up, only to look in horror as the woman pulled her sword out of her now dead partner's back.
"...R-Roch...?"
Then turned her attention towards her, which made her heart sink with terror.
"...Want know my favorite Fairy Tale? It's called the Infinite Man." She slowly stalked towards Kandi, who began backing away. "I won't bore you by recanting the whole story, so I'll just tell you the best lesson I've learned from it. That there can be harsh consequences for putting too much power and/or faith into unreliable people. You had power,.and these people had faith in you...and yet you failed. You couldn't prove yourself useful with your strength, which makes you unreliable, thus, useless. Your friend paid for that with his life. You...I think I'll take a page from the story's book and let you live." Lightning surged through her blade again. "Of course, I can't just let you off scot-free, either. So I'm going to take another page out of that story's book, and make an example out of you."
Kandi attempted to retaliate. She tried quickly reaching for her custom slingshot, but it was easily knocked away. She turned towards the woman happening upon her.
One slash later, half the world was gone to her.
Kandi's howl's of agony filled the area, as her eye was cut. It didn't end there for her, unfortunately. As she was still attempting to crawl away from her assailant, she could hear the lightning crackling and a few more steps towards her. She desperately tried to get away, to no avail.
Next thing she knew, one of her arms was separated from her as well.
Kandi was left on the ground, a bloodied crying mess as the intense agony filled her being. The woman simply sheathed her sword with a nod.
"There. Now you'll always have a reminder of your failures. You can go on to Vale and show them off. I'm sure they'll learn something from you." She turned with a wave. "There's no Grimm around for a while, so you've got a safe journey ahead of you. Take the time to ponder over your uselessness." As she walked away, she returned to her Scroll. "I'm beginning to remember more about the Circle. If they really took inspiration from the Fairy Tale, then there's sure to be someone of worth there."
As she was casually pondering on her destination, Kandi was reduced to pained and quiet whimpering, the pain having not relented. Her remaining eye looked to her partner Roch, who was killed without a care in the world. Then it turned towards the people the Grimm slaughtered during the battle.
They were travelers. They were simply looking to be escorted safely to a new area, likely Vale within it's city. Kandi remembered volunteering with a bit of excitement, having jumped at the chance of proving that she and Roch weren't failures, that there was something they can do to be useful.
But they failed. The people they were meant to protect were dead, her partner was also dead, and she was left alone on the cold ground after having been callously maimed, just to prove a point.
She slowly crawled towards the now deceased group of people she failed to escort to safety. Amongst them, as there were plenty, one of them was a young boy, one who had been hiding fearfully with his family, who had been confident that the Huntsmen they were entrusted with would protect them and get them to safety.
That trust was rewarded with Beowolf claws tearing into his chest, along with the rest of the group, with her being too weak and incompetent to do a thing to stop it. Now his eyes were gazing lifelessly towards the sky.
She felt so worthless.
Kandi reached for him weakly, a new stream of tears streaming down her cheek. Nothing she could say was going to undo this or make it better, nothing at all. But regardless of that, saying nothing wouldn't really sit well for her either. Even though no one would or could hear her, she needed to say something.
"I'm... I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm so, so sorry..."
Yet another Team Mission begins, with a recently added Blake.
Meanwhile, trouble is heading their way, on two very malevolent fronts.
We'll call this the Circle Arc. Short and simple, maybe even a little bit silly, and easy to remember.