"The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
XXX
Sun Wukong groaned at the ringing in his ears growing into an unbearable thunderclap as the sunlight burned into him. He slowly rose from his slumber, pulling free from his sleeping bag. He blinked, taking in his surroundings. He looked around, noting the canopy of leaves above him. Vines swung from tree branches and water flowed from a small stream. He blinked again.
"The hell?"
He looked around, "How did…" He clambered out of the sleeping bag, "Okay…" He took a breath, shaking his head, "Hell of a morning." He looked down at himself, noting that he still shirtless and in track pants. "In my pajamas, no less." He shrugged, "Usually, I have a pretty nice night before I wind up in the middle of shit."
The teen took in his surroundings once more, searching for what he had missed. He spotted the strap of a bag on the other side of a fallen tree trunk. He hopped over the log, keeping an eye on his surroundings. Strapped to the side of the bag, there was the hilt of his staff. Within the bag, he found his combat attire, his six of Spades, and his shotgun laid at the bottom. Alongside those items, he found rations, camping utilities, and a compass.
He scratched at the stumble along his jawline before dragging the bag behind a standing tree. "First, getting dressed… Next, I need to find Ruby…"
-\ X /-
Sun adjusted the pack on his back as he started onward. The traveler's pack was thrown over his shoulder with his sleeping bag tied to its top. He held the strange compass in his left hand. Its make was a gilded metal decorated with green gems. The needle glowed with a lavender light as it shook and turned. The teen took a moment to compare the needle's direction to the rising sun.
"An Anemoi…" he murmured to himself. He hitched the compass to his left gauntlet, "Probably pointing at a nearby town… Or some place to meet up with everybody?" He examined the compass before beginning his trek forward.
The rainforests of Vacuo weren't foreign to the young man. After all, he had traveled through them on his trek to Vacuo. The rainforest-scape was to the north of the city, with an ocean of sand sitting between them. The Grimm of the rainforest were less overt compared to the desert-dwellers. Their advantage was held in their ability to ambush those amongst the difficult terrain.
Sun felt the sunlight's heat pool more onto the top of his head as he traveled, "Noon…" He shook his head, "What exactly are ya planning Theodora…? Some of these guys got no clue what Vacuo's like…" He twirled his hilt in between his fingers, "…You can't expect all these guys to make it, do ya…?" Behind him, red eyes blazed underneath the foliage of a large fern. "…Surviving… Guess that's all Vacuo's known for… I guess even a huntsman academy can't be anything but cutthroat in Vacuo…" The monster lifted its body from its elevated terrain, and it growled.
The Grimm was a primate that stood eight-foot tall. Its torso was covered in bone-armor and its shoulders were protected with spikey, thorn-like pads. Its limbs were thin and disproportionately long. Its arms held bone-armor as gauntlets and elbow pads. Its face was covered in bone armor arranged in some spiral-like pattern while leaving space for its pitch-black eyes.
It let out a low guttural growl as it twitched and twisted its head. The monster leapt into the trees, ricocheting off one and off another. The Grimm's speed began to build upon itself more and more. It soon became a blur of fur and bone. It landed against one last tree before lunging at the teen and rendering it to splinters. The top of the tree fell away as the Grimm flew at Sun.
The Faunus turned on his heel, raising his arm and hand. The primate twisted its body to alter its flight, zooming past the teen and landing against a boulder. The stone cracked and shattered as it stood on its hind legs. It's head twitched as primate turned to primate.
Sun smirked as he looked between his finger-gun and the Grimm. Its head practically snapped from its stump as it let out a growl. The bones over its face twisted and pulled out of the way, unveiling its cracked and distorted face. It was almost Human—almost. The Grimm beat its fists against its chest, letting out a howl and scream at the teen.
It became a blur, lung at the student and rendering the boulder's surface into dust. The Faunus quickly leapt into the air, dodging the bullet. His tail caught the hilt of its staff before it hissed to life. Magma became lava, lava turned to metal, and the air hissed when they met.
Sun landed on his feet, twirling his staff. The Grimm bounced from tree to tree once more, decimating the tree line around them. The Faunus leapt out of the way of the fallen treetops and covered his face from the raining splinters of wood.
The Faunus rested the hissing metal on his shoulder, coughing and waving his hand, "Forecast didn't call for rain." The Grimm let out a howl as it lunged at him once again.
He spun, following the primate's flight with his eyes. As the blur flew on, the sound of its impact never came—as if it never landed. His eyes narrowed, turning on his heel and looking for the beast. All he saw were decimated trees and shattered boulders. The monster's howls were gone, and the teen was left in silence.
His eyes narrowed as wood dust stung his eyes. He pivoted again and again, looking for the beast, but finding nothing. He slowed his breathing and shut his eyes. Listening and waiting. The birds were disturbed, running away in their flocks. And then… a resounding crack of splintering wood in the distance.
Sun's hand landed on the hissing metal before his aura brought it to life. The blackened metal shone with smoldering red. He lifted the staff off his shoulder, bringing about smoke and crumbling ash. It raised through the air before he brought it down, blocking the Grimm's path with blackness and fire.
The Grimm quickly redirected its body through the heat and dark. It crashed against the ground, rolling across it before its back slapped against the base of a tree. Its body snapped and bent before it launched itself into the tree branches.
The monster growled as it glared below. Its prey was hidden behind the smoke. It let out a howl, beating its chest with its fists. Negativity didn't radiate from the Faunus—fear was nonexistent. The anger it once detected was gone. It beat its knuckles against his skull before it let out another howl. Though, its venting was interrupted as the burning staff speared through its mouth and pinning it to the tree.
Sun leapt from the smoke, grasping the staff once more. His aura flowed and it burned through the monster's flesh. He planted his feet against the branch before using it as an anchor to rip his staff skyward. The metal burned through the Grimm's face. A choked cry escaped its lips as its head was split in half.
The Faunus flipped from the tree, landing on the ground. He then twirled the staff before the metal was cooled into brittle icicles. He smacked one end against the ground, causing it to shatter. A twirl and another strike shattered the other.
Sun twirled the hilt, "Fucking hate Shanxiaos…" He looked around at the fallen trees and splinters, coughing from the wooden dust. "Something probably heard that mess." He pumped his aura into his legs before leaping onto a branch. "Should stick to the treetops from now on…"
-\ XXX /-
Ruby groaned as she chopped through another set of bushes. She stabbed Crescent Rose into the ground before looking about the rainforest's ground. She lifted her arm, examining the strange compass on the underside of her wrist. "It's not pointing north…" She pulled her scythe along as she trekked onward. "…Sun sets in the west, so… I'm heading south…?"
Her eyes fell on the teetering needle before scowling, "The needle keeps moving!" She tossed her arms into the air, smacking Crescent Rose on a low-hanging branch, "What good is a compass that doesn't point north?" She quickly brought her baby down, looking her over, "Crescent Rose!" She shook her head, glaring at the compass on her wrist, "What are you pointing at!?"
She took a deep breath before sighing, "I really should've done more research before coming here…"
Ruby blinked as she felt the device tug at her wrist. She stumbled after the pull, resting her scythe on her shoulder. She looked between the compass and the path onward. Her arm was pulled upward into the tree-line. Her gaze landed on a branch above her. Her eyes widened at the sight of a darkened figure with amber eyes staring back at her.
She let out a yelp as she stumbled back. Both hands landed on Crescent Rose, and she would've lowered yourself into a battle-stance—if not for that overgrown root she stumbled over. Her skirt covered bottom hit the hard dirt ground, forcing out a cry of pain.
The dark figure landed before her as she struggled with her weapon, but a voice brought about hesitation. "Calm down."
Ruby blinked as her silver re-met amber, rising to see cat-ears, "I… Uh…"
Blake Nightshade extended her hand to the reaper, "You okay?"
The reaper blushed as she was helped onto her feet, "Y… Y-Yeah…" She shook her head, stepping away from the stranger, "You scared me there…"
"Sorry—just thought the tree-tops would be safer than ground-level."
Crescent Rose was in her hands again—she found comfort in that, "R-Right." She coughed, "Y-You're a student, right? At Shade?"
The cat raised a brow, "Would there be anyone else out here?"
Ruby's eyes narrowed with suspicion, "Bandits."
She shook her head, "I doubt it." She looked around the forest—the second set of ears twitching, "I haven't been in Vacuo long, but I understand that people steer clear of the forests."
"R-Really?"
"Grimm are… powerful, or extremely… stealthy."
Ruby joked, "Like you?"
A small smile crossed her lips, "Sure." She unhooked the pulsing compass from her belt, holding it up to Ruby, "It looks like we've been led to each other." The compass shifted in her hand, sliding across her palm towards the reaper—only stopped by her curled fingers.
The reaper took a step away from the stranger, shaking her head, "What? Why would it do that?" She paced away from the Faunus, "I mean its definitely not a normal compass, but…" She turned back to the cat, "Why would it point me to you?"
She shrugged, examining the compass, "I'm not sure myself."
Ruby gripped Crescent Rose, "You're a student at Shade, right?"
Blake turned, "Yes-" She saw the reaper's battle stance and her hand landed on the pommel of her katana, narrowing her eyes, "I'm not a bandit."
Genuinely: "I'm really sorry if that's true, but you came out of nowhere, watching me from the trees. You're just claiming that a compass, that was more than likely given by Shade Academy, would just lead me to someone I don't know." She shook her head, "It's just suspicious."
The reaper and cat circled each other as the brunette pondered aloud, "Um… There's probably a way to make sure that we are both students at Shade." She teetered her head, "Scrolls can be hacked and altered… The compasses can be snagged from anyone."
Blake straightened her back, "Look, I understand." She took slow and calming breaths, "It's only reasonable to be cautious of strangers, especially in a situation like this." Her mind bounced, "I can't blame her… I would probably be acting the same if the circumstances were flipped…" She then suggested, "The Headmaster's semblance, or what it was, during the card-hazing."
The reaper spoke incredulously, "I'm not going to do something you suggest."
"Right, if I were a bandit, I would suggest anything that I knew the answer to…"
Ruby blinked, "Wait, the cards…" She smiled, "The cards burned us and then became their suits and stuff, right?" Her hand left Crescent Rose before fishing through her pocket, "When people snatched cards from other students, they became blank again." She held up the metallic card, displaying a six of Spades, "Where's yours?"
The Faunus nodded before reaching into one of her pockets, "Right…" She held out her card, five of Spades.
The reaper relaxed, "Oh, thank Oum." She collapsed Crescent Rose before hitching it to the back of her belt, "I'm really sorry—I just had to make sure."
"No, no, it's okay." She gave a smile, "I would be suspicious, too."
"Can… Can we start over?" The reaper extended her hand, "I'm—I'm Ruby."
She shook it, "Blake." She raised a brow, "Do you threaten everyone you introduce yourself to?"
Ruby's cheeks flushed, "N-No!" She bowed her head, "I'm really sorry!"
Blake shook her head, "Don't worry about it." She looked at her compass, "I guess we're supposed to be partners."
"Oh, maybe we find our partners and become a team."
"More than likely."
"But, uh, how do we…" The reaper slowly unclipped the compass from her vambrace and it flew from her as the ravenette's flew from his hand. The devices collided before they both broke apart and refigured into a larger compass with both needles lining up perfectly with each other, pointing in a new direction. The cat caught the new compass as it pointed somewhere that wasn't north.
Ruby blinked, "Huh…" She shrugged, "I guess there's a part two."
XXX
AN: Howdy, folks. Not sure what to say. Devil May Cry 5 reference. Sun went to work. And Blake and Ruby meet. Sorry for the short note.
And so, thank you for reading and criticize away!
