… … …
"I have helped you… now you must help me."
Understanding flooded the woman. This girl, whoever she was, clearly meant for this exchange to happen. Regardless of the intent or the methods, she had truly helped Sapphire out. The Schnee woman nodded. She would repay the debt, no matter what it took.
Death before dishonor, after all.
The shorter girl stared deep into Sapphire's eyes as she said, "The journey before you is a long one, full of lives to defend, enemies to defeat, and mysteries to solve – the greatest one being your own. Are you ready?"
Sapphire tensed, clutching the token under her uniform with a shaking hand. She swallowed hard and nodded.
The girl pulled out another device from a pouch around her waist and hit a button, forming a brilliant light in midair that seemed to break apart space itself. A glaring blue-green light flooded the woman's eyes.
"When you get to the other side, look for Carmine. She'll give you the next steps."
"Carmine…" Sapphire looked over at the girl with a raised eyebrow, "…so what do I call you?"
"Rain."
… … …
…
… … …
… … … … …
Chapter 11:
Old Habits
… … … … …
… … …
…
…
… … …
… … … … …
4:43 PM, Friday
Beacon Academy Dormitory, Fourth Floor, Hallway
(Evening of Day 4)
…
Sapphire had done almost nothing for the last several days. Sure there was that excitement in the city, but other than that she had kept almost entirely to herself. It wasn't by choice, either – that little blowup she had on the first day had turned out badly for almost everyone involved, and she'd been trying to lay low ever since.
In her defense, Sapphire was only trying to enforce the rules. Glynda made it quite clear that her actions, while commendable, were completely out of line. Her tone of voice was what hurt the most, however. Sapphire did not want to hear her sister sound like that when she got home.
Her scolding paled in comparison to Cardin Winchester's punishment, however. The young man had a lot of potential for combating the Grimm, but only if he could keep his head squarely on his shoulders. She had found him in a rather sorry state of having an ego that couldn't fit inside the room with him. Sapphire had felt quite vindicated in telling him off when she caught him and his team loitering in one of the gardens. So what if she had to toss him away when he got too close? So what if she'd used a glyph to throw that brick back at him? He threw it at her first, it was only fair.
After it was over, she had merely hinted to Ozpin that the boy needed to be kept under watch. How was she to know that he would dig his own grave because of that? To her knowledge, team CRDL had no future.
The tall woman stood in the hallway of the top floor of the dorms, staring out the window at the world. She was still in full uniform, a habit that no amount of other-worldly prodding could stop. Her hair was in it's usual state, most of it pulled up in a tight bun atop her head, with a generous amount hanging over the side of her face. This let her proudly display the streak of snowy white hair she had earned several years ago, the day she mastered the Schnee family semblance in front of Father. She was Sapphire Schnee, proud member of the Schnee family… no matter what her mother had told her.
Mother. She fingered the token under her jacket as she thought of the woman, just as she did every time before.
Her thoughts had just started to linger on Weiss, and whether or not the two of them had more in common than simply their last names, when a new sound jarred her attention away. The clatter and clang of weapons. A sound she knew well. She was just able to make out two students on the roof just off to the side, level with her windows.
She remembered these two: Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc. Some secret training sessions, huh? Well why not? With a half smile, Sapphire walked out to join them.
…
They didn't even notice as the military woman stepped out to watch the scene. They were too invested in their combat drills. She couldn't help but smile as she watched them, ducking and weaving with a half-decent level of skill. It was also clear that Jaune had been learning his stuff from Pyrrha – much of his movements were like hers.
Sapphire also noticed how much Pyrrha was holding herself back. She noticed numerous instances where the amazon clearly spotted an opening, but then let it slide. It was almost funny to watch someone else teaching this stuff.
After several minutes, the pair stopped to catch their breath – Jaune, of course, had more to catch. Pyrrha spoke first, "You are getting much better, Jaune. It won't be long before you surpass me, I think."
Sapphire snorted a laugh before she could stop herself. Was this girl serious? A good fighter she may be, but a teacher she was not.
Jaune caught the noise and nearly jumped off the edge of the roof. "Whoa, uh, hey Ru- I mean, um… Sapphire? Yeah, that's right." He scratched his head in an awkward way. "Sorry, didn't see you there."
"Hello, Miss Schnee," Pyrrha was naturally polite, as usual.
It took her a moment to compose herself, but Sapphire waved a hand and said, "Oh don't mind me… by all means, keep going." Keep making fools of yourselves, please!
Pyrrha seemed to sense the unspoken words. Her smile faded slightly as she told Jaune, "Maybe we should… stop for now. Too much exercise can be bad for the body…"
"I can keep going if you can, Pyrrha," Jaune replied, proudly patting his chest. He did seem ready to go again. Sapphire made a mental note to not take this boy too lightly in the future.
Sapphire heard herself say, "May I…?" as her hands reached out to Jaune. When did she even move closer to them?
The blonde boy quickly got the hint and handed Sapphire his sword and shield. The woman took them, gave the sword a few practice swings, then looked at the redhead. Still not sure of just what she was doing or why, her voice came out again, saying, "Shall we?"
Pyrrha at least had the good sense to look confused. Still, she raised her own spear and shield combination, taking her own ready stance. Just as Sapphire lunged forward, she had time to think What in the nine hells am I doing?
…
… … …
…
Jaune had seen some of the teachers at Beacon in combat. He was there for the Breach, after all. He had even watched Pyrrha go full-out in a few sparring sessions. But nothing could have prepared him for the sight he was witnessing right now.
Pyrrha was being driven back with relative ease. This woman, who looked so much like a grown-up version of Ruby, and who had only been holding his sword for mere seconds before now, was using it like a master. Blow, counterblow, parry, blow, slash, duck – he was barely able to follow them at all.
Then, to his utter surprise, he realized what she was doing. Sapphire was fighting using the same style he was learning! She was moving the same way, swinging and blocking the same way, even her footwork was the same. Had she learned what he was trying so hard to master in just a few minutes of watching? That simply wasn't fair!
After about three hard minutes, they took a breath – if you could call it that. They barely looked winded, yet Jaune found himself panting. He'd never seen such an …intense duel. A little further, a little longer, and Pyrrha might well have fallen. Incredible.
"And that…" the tall woman stated, "…was how far Jaune will go… if he only learns from you."
Both Pyrrha and Jaune blinked in shock. What was she saying…?
"However…" she started saying, only to finish by raising his weapons again… only this time in a different pose. Pyrrha readied herself again, they charged forward.
It was over in the blink of an eye. Neither Jaune nor Pyrrha saw what the Schnee woman did. Both of Pyrrha's weapons clattered to the floor at Jaunes feet after she had been bested, the tip of the sword hovering inches from the girl's throat.
Jaune's eyes were as big as saucers, glittering in the sunlight. Now that was cool.
With a single, deft move, Sapphire dropped sword into collapsed shield, sheathing it. She then handed it over to Jaune, but the blonde was still rather stunned. "How did you do that…?" he breathed. It was starting to become clear to him that no matter how good a student Pyrrha was, this woman was a freaking combat instructor.
"You want to know?" Sapphire's silver eyes gleamed with mischief, glancing briefly at Pyrrha.
All he could do was nod eagerly. He didn't trust his voice at that moment.
"I usually charge for lessons like this, but for you…" her eyes swept over both of them, "I'll do it for free. Meet me in the training hall early tomorrow. I don't have much time to drill you, so be ready to learn… … … both of you." And with that, the elegant woman strode to the door and left the two students with their thoughts. Jaune could have sworn she was strutting just a bit.
Pyrrha cleared her throat lightly, bringing his attention back. She rubbed a hand over her neck, seemingly unable to believe there had been a sword pointed at it just moments ago. Jaune patted her shoulder, trying to be friendly, and said, "You okay?"
"Yeah," she answered. She still sounded rattled. "Did you see what she did?"
"Nope," he replied, popping the 'p' sound like Ruby did.
"You going?"
"Yep," popping again. He just knew he was grinning like an idiot.
…
… … …
… … … … …
8:27 PM
City of Vale, Nguyen Pub
…
What the hell am I doing, offering to train them? Seriously…
As one of the few members of the so-called Ruby Squad who was old enough to drink, Sapphire now sat in the mostly empty pub nursing a glass of watered-down whiskey. She had come here to think, really. To get away from the other 'kids.' She wasn't a drinker, not really… but it was a handy place to escape to when she needed some time alone.
"Okay, I know I'm not that drunk… so why am I seeing a combination of Ice Queen and my niece?" An all-too-familiar gruff voice spoke just to her left. None other than Qrow Branwen himself stood there, looking his usual bedraggled self, and staring at her like she had two heads. "No, wait… You were there in town the other day, right? Now I remember."
Sapphire made an effort to calm herself before standing up, then turned to face the man. "Qrow, I assume?" She extended one hand, proud of herself for not shaking, "Call me Sapphire." In truth, she had been practicing for this very moment ever since she saw him during the battle with Ku. Or was it Thorn? Whatever… First thing's first. The most important part was for her to remember that this was not the same Qrow she knew from back home.
The scruffy man looked at her hand, then at her, before deciding to shake it. He seemed satisfied. The pair sat down at the bar as Qrow ordered a drink.
"So what brings you out to the nicer part of town, Not-Ice-Queen?" His tone dripped with sarcasm, but no malice. Noticing her choice of drink, he added, "Trouble sleeping?"
"No, not really…" the tall woman replied before taking a prolonged sip. This was good quality. "Just needed to get away for awhile."
"Hmm…" he nodded. "A good choice for a hideout." His own drink arrived and he wasted no time in downing half of it in one go. Sapphire stared at him. "Ahh, that's the stuff."
"What about you?"
"I'm waiting for the actual Ice Queen. She should be here anytime, now… assuming the delay with the tournament doesn't change her schedule too much." There was no delay with his answer. Did this Qrow always trust strangers so easily?
In truth, Sapphire had no wish to meet Winter Schnee. In the little bit she had gleaned about the woman, she knew they would rub each other the wrong way as soon as they met. Not unlike her first encounter with Weiss, now that she thought about it…
"You getting along with my niece alright?" Qrow must have known something about what was going on, but he admitted to nothing.
"Ruby? We… haven't spoken much. Not yet, anyway," Sapphire shrugged. That girl was a typical kid as far as the Schnee woman was concerned… and she felt as though her patience with children had run out long ago.
"When you do…" the emphasis was clear, "…you won't regret it. She's a handful, but you can't stay mad at her." His face broke out into a stupid grin, obviously thinking of previous encounters that should have gotten him mad. Hmm.
The two of them sat in silence for several minutes after. Both finished their drinks without another word. When Qrow stood, Sapphire was quick to offer to pay for both drinks.
"Oh no… you don't wanna do that, Red… See, I've got this little… tab here. If you try to pay for mine, you'll have to cover all of it… heh heh… But don't worry about me, I manage." As the man walked out, swaying only slightly as he walked, Sapphire could only stare. That was, almost word-for-word, the same thing he had said back home after their first drink together. They had been celebrating her graduation. Damn, that felt like another lifetime.
She settled for grunting to her feet, slipping a few lien to the barkeep and heading out into the night. "You're not that old…" she muttered to herself. Still, it was good to talk to the man again. It had been too long. She made a mental note to check on the old man when she got home. Probably drinking like a fish, even there.
Sapphire chuckled lightly as she walked to the airship docks. Some things never changed.
…
… … …
… … … … …
? PM
Sometime in the evening, Team RWBY Dorm Room
…
The two girls sat on their respective beds, not saying a word to each other. They were studiously examining the floor. Both Blake and Weiss had woken up at the same time, and both clearly remembered what had happened… and how they had felt at the time. Because of this, both of their faces were a deep shade of red.
Weiss tried to break the silence first. "So, about what happened…"
"We do not speak of it. Ever." Blake's sharp response ended the conversation. The heiress only nodded.
Blake would remember the look on Rose's face as the muscular girl was pushed back onto the bed, a glimmer of fear in her silver eyes. She would remember… and she would like it. Weiss would remember how the girl's chiseled shoulders felt beneath her hands in that one instant. Both had wanted more, much more, and were ready to take it. Thankfully, whatever effect Rose had on them seemed to be wearing off.
"You hungry?" Weiss offered.
"I'm pretty sure we missed dinner," Blake responded, looking out into the dark sky past the window. Neither of them wanted to ask where everyone else was. Neither of them even wanted to know how long they'd been out. Or what they had missed. All each of them wanted was a cold shower.
… … … … …
… … …
…
=^w^=