Authors Note: Hello my Dark Readers and welcome to the ninth chapter of "Derelicts in Black". First I would like to say thank you to all the readers who have given their free time to give this story a read and a special thanks to all who reviewed, followed, and favorite. Please be sure to review and comment what you think. I'd appreciate the feedback. Whether you like or dislike, it's all welcomed. I hope you favorite and follow. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Now then, I hope you enjoy because it's time to continue the story.
P.S.: I cannot believe I have reached 23,000+readers. It truly makes my mind shocked to see so many people actually enjoying what I add here. Thank you all so much.
P.S.: A special thanks to Slendersean for becoming the 200th follower
Answering Questions: (If you want your question answered just leave it in the reviews)
To Littlest1: Thank you for your review. Yes, Yang being Bi will play very well in this story as I have some plans with her because of it. Giving Ren some time to show his development is something I feel he needed. Despite him being a main character in canon, his background was covered all that much. As for Nora… there is a grand surprise that I am sure will shock some readers. Ruby has been through a lot and the tease was actually something I planned to bring them in together instead of having to find each other independently. Her partner is confirmed and it will be revealed in this chapter. As for the team name… I have one thing I wanna say about that. Prepare, that is all.
To Authorofthefall: Its fine if you did not review before. Yes, my plan to rewrite was a very good effort strategy to make time for as now I feel I am working well within the path I set out for this story. I appreciate how this could relate to you. In fact this story is very relatable to me in some aspects and I wrote what I have seen and been through here.
To EndlessChains: The loophole was certainly something I have thought about even when watching the canon series. IF one didn't like the person they didn't have to look into their eyes to be their partners. The way I portrayed Weiss was actually a risk I took, I did have two different ways of continuing her development with the story's progression, but I couldn't choose which one I wanted. So instead I merged both of them together and I think it worked out pretty well.
To Yaksher: I appreciate you going out of your way to listen to the songs I had added. Also for your thoughts on Ruby, it may have seemed odd to you but when I wrote it, it was an interrogation to see what she was doing there and all. And when seeing the head master of her dream school you can understand how mix feelings would come out. However, I did make sure to have Ruby still be self-aware of her words and to be careful with her actions rather than her canon self simply blurting everything out with all sorts of emotions.
To Imoshen88: I am sorry for the wait and I do aim to please. And Weiss' crush is more complicated than that and will be further explained in the future. As for the partnership… I know I felt bad writing things out like this but it just seemed the best method of bringing them all together. Now the partnerships will be created and the overall story will be moving at a much greater pace.
To Tusbasa0129: Don't worry the partnership will sail immediately.
To ArkD4v1d: I actually have something planned with the names of teams so stay tune for that.
To N1ghtw0lf95: Thank you for actually thinking my writing was similar to Edgar Allen Poe, that is probably the nicest comment I received here yet. And the idea of Salem… I'm still figuring out what I can do in volume 2 XD but she will definitely get a huge role once I learn more about her in volume 4 (Which I am happy is getting darker, means more ideas for me)
To Fear6010: While I respect all pairings, no matter how common or uncommon, I am afraid there will be no white rose in this fiction, or any pairings for that matter. (unless things change in my ideas, but I doubt it.)
End of Questions: (I answered as best I could, thank you for asking!)
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY; all rights go to the Legendary Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. I do not also own any of the music that will be shown in the story
Opening Theme: The Brilliant Green: Ash Like Snow, English version
Chapter 9: Reunions
For as long as Ruby could remember, she was always on her own for long periods of time. And when she wasn't, the people around her, with the exception of Qrow, made her life a living hell. Never had she been able to trust anyone other than her mentor. Those she did in the past, broke that trust and violated her secrecy with a happy grin and excited tongue, spewing all that was not meant to be heard to the public ear.
Sometimes Ruby thought that it was all her own fault for being too naïve, too trusting for her own good. It was clear that trust was nonexistent and it was a curse to be different. She knew she was a freak to like the sort of things that she did. She supposed the insults were understandable to an extent.
Of course she would be labeled a freak for being attracted to the abnormal; it wasn't very common for someone to be so attached to the darkness, the night, or the gothic. These sort of subjects were looked upon as eldritch, taboo, forbidden, and evil. Many did not understand them thus fearing them.
Ruby knew the consequences she would face; and yet she continued to love them without batting an eye. She continued to enjoy the shades of black, the beauty of the moon, the eeriness of the night, and the excitement of the spooky and creepy realm of fiction and fantasy.
These thoughts weighed heavily on her young heart. She did not want to be the outcast; never did she want to be. Without fairness, the role fell to her because of how against the mundane and majority were towards the gothic and night. Many did not even realize the beauty behind it all. That it was a gift to see beauty in the darkness. A gift Ruby saw and loved with all her heart.
For years these judgments were made upon her and she endured them all because of her love. Teachers from Signal believed the whole thing as a phase and were confident that it will eventually leave her system thus acting like a normal girl one day. How very wrong they were. Instead of growing weaker, her love grew stronger; and the interests she had for these strange things became a passion that she could not live, or picture herself, without.
And so, she sealed her own fate; built up her walls, and prepared for the bombardment of insults, harassment, pain, and sorrow that she chose to accept rather than conform. As the years went by, the harder it got. Until her Uncle Qrow thought enough was enough and took the young girl under his wing.
In the beginning she was a broken mess, traumatized, vulnerable, and afraid. She was a failure and a mess to work with. Despite the difficulty, Qrow was determined and the years of training changed her. No more was she the timid, shy little girl that was always the prey. In her place, arose a calm, stoic, emotionless being that was now the predator. But no matter how far she progressed, the pain still remained; and trust was still an uncertainty for Ruby to obtain or even give, unless to the right people.
Now fast-forwarding into the present, standing right before her, in the middle of a grassy clearing, were three whom she never thought, in all her years, could lessen the title of strangers as they did since their meeting. Blake, Ren, and Adam were the very first few individuals Ruby felt at ease with. It was weird but comfortable to be able to talk to others after years of solitude. However, this feeling of ease only made her fearful. In the past, her trust had been betrayed more than once and she was not willing to make the same mistake twice.
She glanced at each of them, and felt an uncomfortable feeling inside. Somewhere deep within her conscience, there was a voice trying to reason with her decision. It spoke of moving on, change, and to make better opportunities in her life. While the thoughts were tempting, the pain of betrayal still plagued her mind and she did not know if she was ready to start trusting again. Especially with something serious as a partnership.
Ruby sighed. In the minimalist, they were indeed her comrades, all reaching for a common goal. While not fully comfortable with the idea of calling them… friends, as of yet, she confidently knew they were not her enemies. Whatever difference it made, whether trusting or not, they were the closest to ever receiving a modicum of respect from her; and she was willing to let them in just a little. While not exactly a leap of change into her new life, it was at least a small step. A spark, that would eventually ignite.
Ruby glanced at Ren, Blake, and Adam again, this time she looked into each of their eyes, despite Adam's sunglasses, and nodded to them. Any one of them could have been her partner and, in honesty, she would not have had a problem with either one. While trust was something she would have to work up to eventually, for now, she had a good positon to try with the creation of her first partnership. She was certain now that fate was indeed playing with her strings of destiny.
Ren was the first person she glanced to. Her silver eyes met his magenta. The two did not show any type of facial expression to each other but that was common. Ruby thought back at how he was the first person she, technically, met. He was calm, and silent much like herself. He was proper, and elegant, which Ruby admired, and seemed to have a good sense of honor and valor as a living being.
She then turned to Adam. His black sunglasses got in the way, but she could still picture looking into his crimson eyes. Adam was indeed an interesting one. From the moment she first looked into his eyes, she could see how distant they were. He has definitely seen his share of demons and she could relate. Even among his hardship, he was level headed, calm and had a competitive nature that could rival her own. Plus, he was a Faunus and she would have found them interesting to work with.
Finally, Ruby turned and looked into Blake's golden yellow eyes. From the moment she saw them, she thought of them relatable to a cat's. Even now it still does. Blake was no doubt the strong, silent type. She was vigilant and a woman of few words. She was certainly someone Ruby would have no problems with. The two already got along fairly well in the time they've known each other and a partnership would not change, but rather increase, their mutual respect for one another.
Sighing, Ruby crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. She felt she had waited long enough and wanted to know the answer to her question. She looked at them all with her best curious face.
"So," she started in a low tone. "Which one of you is my partner?"
Adam, Blake, and Ren quietly exchanged a few glances to one another then turned back to Ruby. With slow momentum, one of them took a single step forward and walked towards her. Ruby glanced at the advancer and acknowledged her new partner speechlessly approaching.
'So it's you.' she thought and dropped the curious look on her face. It really shouldn't be all that surprising anyway.
As her partner stopped right in front of her, Ruby dropped her arms to her sides.
"I look forward to working with you Ruby."
She didn't respond at first and only nodded. If she was forced to work with someone, then at least it was someone she knew. Ruby slowly extended her hand outwards and looked up at the face of her partner.
'It shouldn't be all this surprising but still… what are the odds.' She thought.
"As do I… Ren." Ruby gave him a small smile.
Ren looked into her eyes and nodded with a confidant shake in his hand as he gripped hers firmly. Though not verbally said, both knew the handshake they shared sealed their agreement as partners; an agreement neither felt displeased with. For Ren it was a long term agreement to work towards a common goal. For Ruby, it was the start of developing a good level of trust in people.
As the two shook, Ruby noticed, from the corner of her eye, Adam and Blake already approaching them. The four stood in an open circle where Ruby turned a good angle to have all three of them in her line of sight.
"I wanted to thank you all for your assistance earlier but it was not really required." She said and raised her hood.
Adam shrugged. "There is no doubt that you didn't" He said. "However we are still taking the exam so it's better that we save time."
Ren and Blake both nodded in agreement. Still on guard, Adam turned to the Beowulves' deceased corpses. A majority of their bodies were already completed in turning into rose petals as the wind gently carried them away.
He was always fascinated by this sort of sight, as well as curious. Why did the Grimm turn into rose petals? What was the connection between the two? The answers would most likely never be solved anytime soon and Adam felt he would probably never know in his lifetime. But whatever the meaning meant, it was still one of life's greatest mysteries and that was the fun in speculating. But that was a thought for another time.
"Besides, the scent of dead Beowulves will attract more to come and investigate. And I would rather not waste my time here if they find us." He said.
Ruby could hear the seriousness in his voice and glanced at the Beowulf corpses.
"Point taken." She sighed. "Speaking of finding, how did you all link up anyways?" She asked. It bewildered her when she first saw all three of them together. The fact that five hundred students were all sent into the forest at once, in multiple directions, seemed to make reuniting with those you knew almost impossible.
Ren didn't reply, nor did Adam. However, Ruby did notice Blake's shrug as she pointed to her step brother.
"Adam and I found each other first. We have tracking devices in our weapons to locate each other if needed." Adam nodded in confirmation.
"I see." Ruby raised a hand up to her chin. "Smart idea". She muttered. The idea was certainly a good one, it was no wonder they found each other so quickly and easily. She then turned to Ren. "And what about you?"
The long haired boy rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly. "They were the ones who found me." He answered truthfully.
Adam nodded and crossed his arms. "We heard gunfire not too far from our rendezvous. We were curious and decided to see what was happening."
"He was fighting an Ursa." Blake further explained. "After he defeated it, he noticed us and without a word, we simply began moving through the forest together."
"And that was how you stumbled upon me?" Ruby asked. Everyone nodded.
Whether it was sheer coincidence or luck, it didn't matter anymore. "Alright then." Ruby said and checked the time at her scroll.
They were already a half hour into the test and so far, she successfully acquired a partner; one who she could work with at that. It was off to a rough start but things seemed to settle down now. "Since we have already found our partners, we'd best make haste if we want to succeed."
"Then we should head to the location Professor Ozpin mentioned." Said Blake.
Adam raised a hand up to his chin. "Where do we even start looking?"
"The headmaster said the location was east of the cliff side." Said Ruby. "But which way is east." She wondered and began to think.
While Ruby thought of the directions, Adam started thinking of the routes they could take. Many were very similar and weren't that trust worthy without a proper map of the surroundings. If they were to move, they would be walking almost blind. He looked over to Blake, and witnessed her narrowing her eyes at the ground. It seemed she was having no luck either.
With everyone else occupied in their thoughts. Ren looked up and studied the angle of the sun. He stared it's positon for a few seconds before closing his eyes. He mentally calculated their positon and the designated location Headmaster Ozpin recommended, including the sun's angle. It took him a few seconds before putting the pieces together.
'Thank you survival guidebooks. I knew it was not a waste of currency.' He nodded to himself and cleared his throat.
"The sun is rising east." He said earning everyone's attention. "Our examination spot, was pointed south of the school and 220 meters up the slope."
Ruby was confused at first but after thinking about it, she quickly caught on. "Which means the launch pads were located in… the southwest of the school's perimeter."
Ren nodded. "The cliff side was at a forty-five-degree angle facing away from the school. Our launchings sent us in the adjacent direction."
"Meaning we were launched northeast into the Emerald forest." Adam added on, now understanding.
Again Ren nodded.
"I remember spotting the cliff side a good distance from here in that direction." Blake said and pointed behind herself.
Adam narrowed his eyes and fixed his sunglasses. "So if that direction is southwest then…"
"Then east is to our right." Ruby finished. "Good work Ren."
Ren nodded and bowed gracefully. He was mentally pleased with himself.
The four wasted no time in sprinting out of the clearing and into the trees. They traveled quickly in the direction Ruby pointed to and decided to play it safe midway.
Without a word, they each jumped onto trees and began jumping tree branch to tree branch with Ren taking the lead followed by Ruby, Blake, and Adam bringing up the rear. The idea was to be safer on higher ground rather than on the surface floor.
They moved one after another in a single line, fast and silently along the way. They kept their landings on the branches as brief and quiet as possible to avoid drawing any attention. Ruby was pleased with how easy things were going so far. She was especially pleased with how smooth their mobility was. She would not lie, part of her felt weird but intrigued to be traveling in a group. It felt similar to the time she ran with the local wolf pack in her home forest one autumn night all those years ago. It was a memorable time moving cunning and swiftly through the silence of the forest. Only this time, she was with people, not animals.
However, it didn't take long for the silence of the Emerald Forest to end. As they ventured east, every now and again, they would hear gunfire and explosions in distant directions. At first it seemed minor, but the further they traveled, the louder the noises grew. It didn't help when the noises sounded closer as well.
"Do you all hear that?" Adam asked as he jumped towards a new branch.
Blake looked slightly back at her brother. "Do you mean the gunfire and explosions?" she asked. He nodded.
"The sounds of battle have grown closer the more we move. It must be steadily growing." Ren said, jumping another branch.
Ruby narrowed her eyes and looked around. She too had been wondering about the sounds of combat since she started hearing them. It was minor but then grew louder, and even closer, to their location despite them moving. Ren was indeed correct much to her dislike, the sounds of battle were certainly arising and whatever it was, they could be potentially crossing paths. She didn't like it at all.
"I can only surmise our fellow students are engaging the enemy." She said and flipped over a short branch.
Blake grew cautious. Her senses were already on high alert and thanks to her gifted abilities, she would be able to detect any soundwaves near them if anything drew close. She turned and looked at Adam. She knew he too was on guard and if anything was to come out, he would spot it with his almost perfect vision. One of the reasons for being deadly when fighting together.
"What do you think they could be fighting." She wondered out loud.
"It could be anything," Adam replied. "The whole damn forest is infested with Grimm so who knows what could be lurking out here." The thought did not ease anyone's mind.
"I see something up ahead!" Ren called out and narrowed his eyes. "Everyone, land!"
Immediately, Ruby, Blake, and Adam followed Ren's example and jumped down onto the grass with soft thumps coming from their shoe's landing. Everyone remained crouched and silently hid behind a few trees trunks near them.
There were no noises or threats detects so Ruby peaked out and glanced ahead to see what Ren found. When she looked over, she narrowed her eyes at what she saw.
"Damn… this might be a problem." She muttered. Blake and Adam looked out as well and both silently agreed.
In front of them laid a large, wide clearing full of tall, thin grass reaching lengths of three to four feet. This field made the clearing Ruby was in previous look miniature at a best. Every grass curved to the left, letting none of the group see how brown the dirt and soil was below. Around the field were boulders of various sizes, some coated in moss, scattered across the clearing along with a few shrubs and bushes.
Ruby gazed around with cautious eyes. While it was free of any trees, the area seemed surprisingly dark despite it being morning and with very few clouds in the sky. That was when she looked up to see a wall of tree branches, covering the sky allowing selected spots to shine some sunlight through.
"Doesn't that look ominous." Muttered Adam.
On the other side of the clearing, Ruby could see the other side of the forest they needed to proceed through; the only way to get to it was going over a small grassy slope on the other side of the field. The only problem would be going through the long grass.
Any amateur warrior, or traveler would simply cross it without a second thought. It did look relatively danger free. But to the untrained eye, things might not always be as it seems in a forest crawling with creatures of darkness. Even the simplest of things could easily be illusions for something far more dangerous.
'Just like how Uncle Qrow said to use your vulnerable state as a weapon of deception.' Thought Ruby.
Blake inspected both ends of the field. The area was too wide to go around without wasting time and the only logical thing to do was to go through it. She mentally sighed at the thought. Her instincts were throwing red flags at her, but they had to reach the location fast and there may not have been any other way.
Ren examined the ground to see if anything was there, nothing seemed out of the ordinary until he noticed something roundish and white a few inches in front of him. It looked thick, and hard, with part of it slightly submerged beneath the ground. He took a few steps forward and kneeled down to inspect it as Adam and Ruby moved up to see it as well.
Blake stood up and kept vigilant around them. Without hesitation, Ren reached down and plucked the white roundish thing out of the ground. The material felt warm, and dry. Some parts of it even felt similar to a fingernail while the rest was slightly bumpy. He examined it closer, tilting it in all angles and after comparing it with many mental images, he realized what it was and narrowed his eyes.
"What is that?" Ruby quietly asked.
"This," Ren held it higher for everyone to see. "Is a reptile scale."
Adam raised an eyebrow. "That's impossible. There is no reptile on Remnant with scales that big."
"You are correct." Ren replied. "Not a normal reptile. But perhaps… something worse."
Blake sighed as she crossed her arms. "Well doesn't that sound… delightful." She said sarcastically and rolled her eyes. "So, what's our plan?"
Ruby stood up and wiped some grass stains off her leggings. "There is no choice; we have to cross through or risk losing the relics to others."
Blake and Adam both shared grim faces. They didn't like the idea of crossing, neither did Ren. But they knew there was no other alternative.
With a displeasing sigh, Adam stood and gripped his weapon firmly. "Well I guess there's no way around it."
Ren stared at the scale for a few seconds longer before tucking it away in his back pocket. He rose and summoned Storm Flower where he proceeded to check his magazines. Blake had already retracted her weapon from her back and waited patiently to proceed.
Despite the tension in the air, Ruby couldn't help but admire both Blake and Adam's weapons. She wasn't able to see them well enough before the exam, so seeing them up close now sparked some admiration in their designs.
Adam was holding an abnormal sword case with the scabbard shaped in the hind form of a gun. There was also a trigger guard and trigger right near the cord of the weapon. Ruby had to commend him on the creativity but wondered how the weapon would fire if used as a sheath for that sword.
'Perhaps he will let me examine it one day.' She thought.
She then turned to Blake. Her weapon was indeed more complex than Adam's. While it was assembled with the same advanced craftsmanship as his, Ruby could see the smaller details indicating the weapon to be a modified black sword that was collapsible into a ballistic chain scythe with a pistol built into its hilt. The black sheath, she had with it, was flat and rectangular and had a sharp edge on one side with a small handle on the other on the bottom corner. All together the sheath and sword looked similar to that of an oversized cleaver.
The large variety of weapon choices within one package impressed Ruby. While a common design would be a collaboration of one close quarter and one firing weapon, the idea of four weapons in one seemed surreal and yet astonishing.
While Ruby thought more on the topic of weapons, Ren had just finished loading one of his Storm Flowers with a fresh new magazine. He stared at the clearing again. There was a feeling of uncertainty running through his head. In a forest full of Grimm, one never knew what kind of evil dorms until it reveals itself. It was then that he got an idea, not a good one per say but one that would play efficient enough; if done correctly.
"Alright, let's go." Said Adam and slowly began to move. Ruby and Blake followed right behind until Ren extended a hand preventing Adam from proceeding past him.
"I think I should go first." he whispered. "Alone."
He felt all eyes staring at him. Not that he didn't expect that.
"That sounds… incredibly risky." Said Blake. She gave him an unsure look.
In honesty moving alone through a field of tall grass was a perfect set up for an ambush. No escape, no cover, potentially surrounded, you would have been a sitting target. She would know. She had experienced that well enough, from both ends.
Ren understood Blake's statement and nodded. "It is better to risk one than the whole lot."
Adam scoffed at the answer. "We still don't know what's out there." he argued. "You could be potentially walking to your death going alone."
Ren nodded and sighed. He understood the tension this choice brought but it did not sway his decision. He gave Adam a slight smile. "Do not worry, I have no intention of dying just yet."
Ruby looked back and forth at all three of her comrades. The decision did indeed seem risky, but still she had to put in her own two cents into the thought.
"The idea is hazardous but… it is possible that there might not even be something there." The idea was doubtful but it was still an idea.
Ren, Blake, and Adam all turned to Ruby with blunt looks on their faces. The emotionless expressions were clear enough on what they thought of her idea.
Sighing, Ruby shrugged. "Just a thought." She muttered.
"It was a worthy spark of hope Ruby, but I have a plan." Ren said. Everyone started paying closer attention. "I will take point up ahead, towards the middle of the field. No Grimm would pass on the chance of a lone prey. Whatever roams the tall grass will come at me with excitement and once it appears, I can take care of it. Should anything look too difficult for me to handle alone, I will call for your assistance."
Adam and Ruby looked at each other while Blake raised an eyebrow. Each still had a doubtful look on their faces but Ren gave them all a reassuring smile. "Trust me, it will work."
No one replied. So with a brief nod, Ren turned and slowly walked into the tall grass, alone. The rest could only stand there and watch silently.
When he entered, Ren could not sense any movement. His pace was slow and, aside from the cracking of grass below each step he took, there was no sound to be heard. He could hear his own heartbeat; it thumped slow and steady. It was essential that he remained calm in times like these. If not, his fear and excitement would cloud his rational thinking thus leaving him a vulnerable state where death would rise in percentage.
He was almost towards the center now and so far, nothing seemed to react. No grass movement, no wind changing, and no sound vibration. Just when the thought of the area actually being cleared crossed his mind, he stopped. He was only eight or nine steps away from being halfway through the tall grass too. He felt an odd vibration. It was faint but he was sure it was there. Ren stood still as a board.
'I know you are in here. But where...?' That was when the back of Ren's neck stood up and an odd sensation crawled through his stomach.
It was a familiar feeling in all honesty; one he had encountered during his last day living in the forest. It was difficult to explain but it was similar to the feeling of being watched. His eyes darted back and forth. There was still no movement that he could see. But he was now hearing something new, a hissing sound and it was coming from right behind him.
It was quiet at first but then grew louder and louder. The sound even rose above him where it echoed through the air. Ren dared not to make any sudden movement. The temptation to look behind him could easily cause many mistakes.
There was movement now. Rumbling noises that slightly vibrated the ground. The movement generated some wind that blew against his pants. Whatever moved behind him seemed to be stacking a great deal of height and yet did not cause a ruckus. It acted like a silent giant. And this grew curiosity in Ren.
Suddenly, his curiosity ceased when the hissing stopped and turned into a low growl that echoed making it sound louder than it actually was. And the next thing Ren knew, all he could see was black.
Ruby, Blake, and Adam were watching Ren intently as he walked through the grass slowly. His stance was cautious and guarded, eyeing everything around him carefully before taking another step.
Blake had to commend his courage for facing the potential dangers for the rest of them. Despite still being a stranger to her and the others, he seemed to have a good heart. He was not just a piece of eye candy after all, he actually had personality and even care behind his expressionless face. And yet within his eyes, Blake could always spot the signs of great sadness in the boy's magenta irises. While it wasn't any of her business really, but she couldn't help relating to them. There really was more than meets the eye.
Adam was watching Ren's movement with hawk like eyes. He didn't like how insisting he was with testing the dangers for strangers he barely knew. He would normally call someone like this an idiot. But he could not really think of Ren like that, mostly because that would make him a hypocrite. Memories of his youth swelled Adam's mind as he remembered the days he would spend looking out for Blake when they were children. He was always the one to face many trials to protect her, to ensure that she never had to. Even with the situation being different now, Adam couldn't help but give respect to Ren's decision.
When Ren started walking, Ruby immediately summoned her Crescent Rose and jammed the scythe into the ground, deep enough to become sturdy. She locked in on Ren's body and was scoping around his personal space. While the two had known each other the longest, at least more than the others, they still had long ways to go before earning one another's trust. However, his little action did give him slightly more than a modicum of respect from her. Even if he was still a stranger, he was her partner now and his life was her responsibility; just like hers was his. That was possibly one of the reasons why he is doing this now.
The fact that he was this kind was intriguing to Ruby. She had heard stories from her uncle about partnerships and teams that formed unbreakable bonds. These bonds represented how they fought to the bitter end together; some even dying for one another. He often said compassion and care would come from being on a team and could ultimately build you to be a better person. However, it would still be the greatest challenge in keeping and if not careful, it could lead to hardships one might not be ready for.
'Is this an example of compassion… or care?' Ruby wondered as she stared at Ren's back. Whatever the answer was, she doubted even understanding it.
Suddenly, her wonder ceased when Ruby noticed something peculiar coming from the grass. It was moving on its own but she did not sense anything beneath it other than Ren's presence, nor did she see any abnormal movement. And then, without a sound, she saw something big, shrouded in black.
'Oh no.' Her eyes narrowed.
She held her breath, watching as it rose with a low hissing sound that grew louder the higher it rose. Its height far surpassed Ren's body and he was now completely gone from her line of sight; blocked off behind this towering monstrosity as its length amazed Ruby. On the back of its head she easily recognized the Grimm Markings, symbols that were still a mystery today as it was for ancient civilizations. They covered the entire top of white boned plates, said to be ten times stronger than human bones, protruding from its wide, flat head.
Ruby was both amazed and concerned. She had only read about this particular Grimm in the books she kept or the tales her Uncle told her of his adventures. She had never even seen one in person until now but the name was still something she would never forget.
'So this is a King Taijitu. Uncle Qrow was not lying when he said this Grimm was a towering snake.' She exhaled her breath and raised her scythe's scope to the Grimm's head.
The beast simply stood there and towered over Ren eyeing him down like a small rat. She couldn't tell if he knew it was behind him. The tree branches darkened the area so shadows could not form below them. Then it growled and slithered its body to the left wrapping itself around Ren's space so he could not escape.
Instinctively, Ruby cocked her weapon, aimed for the Grimm's head and prepared to fire until Adam placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned in confusion and saw Adam shaking his head. He didn't want her to shoot?
She raised an eyebrow in slight disarray. Was he really not going to aid Ren? It somewhat angered her and was about to reply until he spoke in a low voice. "Let's wait and observe first."
Ruby stopped and pondered the thought deeply. She was greatly against the idea of leaving Ren to fight alone. He was a comrade and fellow student, but more than that, he was her partner and she would not forgive herself if she stood by while an ally's death could have been prevented.
"Are we seriously considering just sitting here while a comrade fights for his life?" She asked, sounding a little more aggressive than she intended. "That is not an ordinary Grimm."
"Your misunderstanding Little Red." Adam replied, there was no anger in his voice, rather he sounded calm. "I would help him of course, but he said he for us to wait and will call to us if he needs us. I am simply obeying what he requests at the moment."
Ruby could see the Taijitu moving around Ren, faster now, as its body began to spiral upwards into a circular tower of itself. She slightly gritted her teeth. She wanted to fire but in the back of her mind she knew Adam was right. Ren did say he will notify them for help but he did say to also trust him. While she could still only imagine the "what ifs" of worst case scenarios, with a heavy resistance Ruby nodded and slowly lowered her scope.
"I hope you know what your deciding." She muttered and sighed.
Adam nodded and turned back to the battle, already retracting his hand off her shoulder. "Believe me, I am only putting my trust in his plan. He is a hunter in training like us, we should never doubt his skills for that is an insult."
That statement made Ruby nod once more with a frown. She knew all too well that, that was something deeply relatable and she felt disgusted with herself for doubting Ren's abilities without even seeing them yet. Even after years of training she still had much to learn. She mentally noted an apology to Ren and a thank you to Adam when the time was right.
As the beast continued spiraling around, Ruby couldn't tell what Ren was doing. The Taijitu's head now started looking down the center where Ren would be standing and roared as it exposed its blood red eyes and large, thin fangs.
'Ren, what is your next move?' Wondered Ruby and as if her question was answered, the long haired boy suddenly came into view.
(Combat Music Start: Emphatic - Stronger)
He jumped out from the Taijitu's spiraling body encircling him and into the sky where the Grimm shrieked in surprise and anger. In a desperate attempt to restrain it's prey, the Taijitu lunged towards Ren with its mouth wide open. Ren predicted this and twirled to the left allowing him to kick the beast's jaw with enough force to shove it away. It fell to the floor and flailed its body for a few seconds causing it to entangled itself.
As Ren landed, Ruby had to admit that the timing could not be any more perfect; he waited for the right time to strike and even had the element of surprise for a brief few seconds to stun the Grimm. She glanced atAdam who was merely watching with crossed arms and then to Blake who was eyeing Ren's every move. She herself turned back when the Taijitu roared.
Within seconds the Grimm lunged again as Ren he took a defensive stance. When its head was dangerously close, Ren back flipped away as the Taijitu's face implanted the ground, creating a small crater where Ren stood. It shook off the debris with little effort and was on the offensive again, it caused the Grimm little damage.
Ren back flipped again to avoid a bite that nearly grasped him and then again once more to gain some distance. However, the beast was faster this time and charged towards Ren with intense speed. Knowing there was no time to dodge, Ren curled himself into a tight defense with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs bent up. Successfully, the Grimm rammed its head into the boy's defenses where it's sheer strength knocked Ren back a few yards. His body spun out of control for a few seconds before making an abrasive landing.
His heels grinded into the grass as he bent forward to slow himself down. Finally stopping, Ren looked up and noticed the Taijitu was not letting up in it's attack. Once again it was encircling him but this time it was closing itself entirely in hopes of crushing him. Without thinking, Ren summoned Storm Flower and jumped out of it's spiral body again. He jumped higher than before and starting firing rounds below into the Grimm's head. The bullets offered some aid as a few punctured its body while the rest simply bounced off its boney armor.
Growing enraged the Taijitu thrusted only to be kicked in it's jaw by Ren again. However, the impact wasn't as strong as before. The beast was not surprised this time so it's recoil lessened as it landed on the ground. Ren only had a few seconds to do serious damage and rushed the monster's body. He jumped and twirled near its neck slashing, creating two gashes on it's left side. The pain caused the beast to roar and used its head to push Ren away as it slithered around him. Ren eyed it carefully as it gained momentum on it's speed and circled back around to strike. With precision timing, he leaped backwards as the Grimm's head impacted the ground creating a larger crater than before.
Realizing the Taijitu's head was slightly stuck under a few loads of dirt, Ren took the chance and directed his landing above it's head. With a smooth move he landed on the Grimm's flat cranium and stabbed both weapons into its neck. The injury actually hit it's nerve and paralyze it temporarily where it couldn't even muster the smallest movement. As it laid there the Grimm was full of Rage and with one last bit of strength, it hissed a loud cry that echoed through the forest. Ren raised an eyebrow before he felt rumbling behind him.
Adam, Blake, and Ruby all watched with intrigue. There was no doubt that Ren was good, perhaps even better than they expected. Ruby was silently relieved that he was victorious, she had indeed found a good partner. However, she really did owe him an apology for doubting him. Despite not really thinking or saying it, her actions did show that she doubted his skills. He was trained well and knew when to use certain tactics to his advantage. She made note to be mindful of her actions even further.
Blake, while not showing it, was indeed impressed with the fluidity in his fighting style. He used his overall body as a weapon and seemed well trained in fighting midair, close quarters, and long range. In a sense they both fought in similar styles and she had to admit, she wanted to know more about his training and would ask him one day.
Adam nodded, to himself, in approval. At first he was a bit unsure if Ren could pull it off; but he surprised them all when he showed great decision making and tactical moves on the battlefield. It was nice to see he was no stranger to combating Grimm and had some bit of experience in fighting larger opponents. With the Grimm, disabled, Ruby was ready to walk out into the clearing to join Ren, but she then stopped when a realization hit her. Something extremely important that she read about King Taijitu.
'When in contact, there's never just one of them.' She remembered.
That was the moment when they all heard the fallen Grimm's sudden cry and felt rumbling a few seconds after. Then, they saw something massive and white appear out from the ground directly behind Ren.
Narrowing his eyes, Ren turned slightly behind him when he heard hissing. He gritted his teeth and turned fully around when he came in contact with a new King Taijitu. This one was essentially the white half inverse of the black one. It too had large, blood-red eyes; however, the bony covering on the top of its head was deep gray with the same red markings as the black one.
The new Taijitu rushed the long haired boy off of it's fellow Grimm's head as it hissed in anger. Ren gained some distance away and saw that the White Taijitu was injecting something into the black one with it's fangs. Soon enough the black one began to rise and the two were cuddling each other as they hissed towards Ren.
'This might be a problem.' Ren thought and narrowed his eyes.
Then without waiting, both Taijitu charged. With little options, Ren charged as well and jumped onto the black one, gliding along the beast's back, shooting it everywhere. The jolts of pain irritated the Grimm as it tried intensely to shake him off. Yet Ren still maintained his balance and kept shooting as his bullets penetrated the soft tissue of it's body causing it to roar.
As he fired, the white Taijitu rushed alongside the gliding Ren and tried to bite him. It narrowly missed as he twirled over it and slashed its neck causing the Grimm to flinch in pain. It was only temporary as it returned to aid it's fellow Grimm once more. Waiting for the right moment to strike, the white one cleverly hid behind part of its body as Ren shot it. Ignoring the pain, the white Taijitu thrusted it's head forward, sending a direct hit into Ren's abdomen and knocking him into the grass while dropping his weapons.
Ren tumbled onto the ground and coughed slightly as the impact knocked the wind out of him. He gently rubbed his stomach as he got to his knees. Thanks to his aura he activated previous to the battle, he felt little pain but still the loss of air was enough to distract him from both creatures of Grimm. As he raised his head up, Ren could see the black one turning and immediately going for the kill. It's mouth hung wide open and ready to swallow him whole. There was barely any time to dodge leaving him defenseless.
'Oh no.' Ren thought as he jumped to his feet and raised his hands towards the black Taijitu.
Suddenly an explosion was heard and impacted next to the black Grimm which caused it to lose its focus for a few seconds. This allowed Ren to channel into his Goddess' Gloves. The lotus symbols on the gloves forehand started to glow pink and soon the tips of his fingers and palms were also emitting pink light. As the beast cleared it's head and lunged again, Ren was ready this time. He activated his gloves and out came a barrier of pink light that glowed brighter as soon as the Black Taijitu's fangs came into contact with Ren's hands.
Both sides pushed with all their might. The Taijitu was confused and angered as to why the prey wasn't dead yet while Ren remained calmed and held his ground. The aura barrier that he created was maintaining quite well but he could not keep it up forever. So when the Grimm lowered itself near the ground he got an idea as he stared into those blood-red soulless eyes.
Waiting just a little longer, the beast lowered itself more and when it was within range, Ren deactivated his barrier, causing the beast to tumble slightly forward, grabbing the two front fangs of the Taijitu and, with amazing speed and strength, pulled them out from the Grimm's mouth. It roared in pain as Ren gripped the fangs as replacement weapons. Despite the injury the Taijitu rushed forward still determined to end Ren's life. However, with the wound affecting its concentration it was far too slow thus allowing Ren to spin to the side and jam one of its own fangs deep within its right eye. It shrieked with agonizing pain as Ren moved in to finish it off.
Leaning slight back, Ren's right hand recoiled back as he channeled his aura into his right palm. And within a few seconds he thrusted his palm forward into the fang and with great force, sent it directly into, and then through, the Grimm. The Taijitu head started to swelled up from within until it exploded into pieces of itself everywhere as they all started turning into rose petals Ren felt proud but his work was not over as he turned to the remaining White Taijitu.
He got into a defensive position as the Grimm and himself stared each other down. The beast seemed a little hesitant but in it's blind rage from the death of its fellow Taijitu, it rushed.
Ren braced himself until he heard a gunshot that impacted the Taijitu and sent it tumbling to it's side. He turned to his left and saw Ruby crouching with her sniper locked onto the Grimm as Blake and Adam rushed it.
Seeing new prey, the Taijitu quickly recovered and rushed towards Blake who back flipped away as Adam rolled to the side, stabbing his blade into the beast's right side and ran cutting through it's body. Ruby continued to shoot the vital areas of it's face to keep it from attacking Adam as Blake jumped onto its back and started slicing it.
Ren took this oppertunity to sprint towards his weapons and picked them up. He quickly examined them to make sure they were fine and ran back to join the fray. At this point Adam had cut a completely straight line down it's side as Blake did the same with its back. The Taijitu roared and shook its entire body to get them off. It was in excruciating pain and would not stop its shrieking and hissing. It rose it's head and tried to move but Ruby already jumped towards it as she activated her weapon's scythe mode and slashed its neck creating a large gash showing nothing but black inside it's body. The Taijitu grew furious and tried to ram Ruby but she disappeared within a flash leaving some rose petals in her place. It was sign to the Grimm, letting it know that, that was what it will become soon enough.
As the Grimm's head collided with the ground, the impact created another crater. Ren took this opportunity to jump on its head and stabbed his weapons into the beast's neck like he did the last one. Only this time, there will be no third Taijitu to save it.
"Everyone now" Ren yelled and leaped high off the Grimm.
Adam, Blake, and Ruby knew what he meant and they all rushed the Taijitu. Adam used his sword to slice part of it's left face off. Blake ran after him an activated her weapon's sword form and slice part of its right. The Grimm could not even cry in pain as it knew it was ultimately defeated. Ruby dashed forward and jumped as she slashed the top of the Taijitu's body splitting it open in two. Ren was finally about to land from his leap and aimed down towards the dying Taijitu. Having already retracted his weapons, Ren's left palm glowed pink as he fell toward the Grimm. With incredible force Ren sent his palm into what was left of the Taijitu and watched as it exploded into pieces.
It was over and the Taijitu was now turning to hundreds of rose petals. It was over with them being victorious.
(Combat Music End)
As the wind carried the fallen Grimm, Ren started to dust himself off as Ruby, Blake, and Adam all walked up to him. They were already putting their weapons away and stood in a small circle facing one another.
"Good job Ren." Ruby said and raised her hood up. She adjusted her weapon behind her and wiped some grass stains off her shoulder. "Your tactics and power proved incredible."
Ren smiled a little and bowed for her commending. "Thank you Ruby." He said, a little out of breath. Aura was definitely no simple thing to use for attack moves and that one particular move was still new.
"She was not the only one you impressed." Said Adam and nodded to him. "Your aura levels were interesting to watch. I'm actually amazed to see such power within it."
"It was very impressive." Blake said and actually gave Ren a smile.
Ren bowed again, this time to all three as he finally caught his breath. "Thank you all." It was then that he remembered something. "I also wanted to thank whoever summoned that explosion when I was facing the black Taijitu. It was extremely helpful and bought me some time to channel my aura."
Ruby, Adam, and Blake all glanced at one another in confusion and with raised eyebrows. There was a brief silence as they all slowly turned back to Ren.
"None of us created any explosion." Said Ruby.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked confusedly.
"It's true." Blake said and crossed her arms. "We haven't moved from our spot until it was just you and the White Taijitu left."
Ren was confused and pondered this. "So… none of you created an explosion?" He wanted to be absolutely sure.
"I'm afraid not." Adam replied.
Ren nodded and the question bothered him. If they didn't do it, then who did.
Suddenly there was rustling in the trees above them. All four of the group immediately rose their guard up. Their hands were already hovering over their weapons as they stood in defensive positions in case of another Grimm attack. They certainly didn't need another one as they wanted to get to the designated location before long.
After a few seconds the rustling stopped and then something jumped down and landed right in from them. It was a person, a female more specifically. She slowly rose to her feet and glanced at the group. Ruby, Blake, and Adam, simply glanced back at her but Ren's eyes were widened. Even a small gasp escaped his lips causing the other to look at him.
Now the girl was no longer looking at them all, only Ren. Both stared into each other's eyes. She looked like she was on the verge of tears and Ren couldn't believe who he was looking at. It has been a long time since he last spoke to her, or even see her for that matter, months upon months, and yet he always thought about her during his time in exile. She hasn't even changed one bit. Still having the same short hairstyle for her orange hair that always matched her bright turquoise colored eyes.
It pained him a little to see those same eyes looking very watery. Her clothing was still a crazy mix and match of some sort, with different colors and themes. Ren supposed it was the perfect style for someone like her. She was wearing a collared black vest that ends at her waist. Her signature emblem, a hammer with a lightning bolt, imprinted on the back. Under the vest were two layers of clothing, colored red and light-blue respectively. She wore a white sleeveless top that forms a tiny heart shape in-between her cleavage and collarbone, with a white detached sleeve on each arm. She had matching fingerless gloves on each hand and sported a pink skirt that starts at the waist and ends mid-thigh. She had white mesh leggings on and her shoes were a mix of pink and white with pink laces, displaying her emblem on their soles. Wrapped around her skirt was that turquoise bow that matched her eyes exactly. The only new feature she had on was actually some armor that begins in the middle of her shoulder and neck and ended by the waist.
Ren took a step forward and so did the girl. Ruby, Blake, and Adam all watched silently and were wondering who this girl was and if he knew her. Neither of the two said a word but Ren couldn't help but smile warmly at her. That was enough to let the tears drip from her face as she covered her mouth. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ren spoke first.
"Nora," he said. Hearing him say her name sent shivers of happiness down the girl's spine as the tears started to fall faster. "I am so glad to see you again-"
"REN!" Nora couldn't take it anymore and screamed the boy's name so loud that it echoed for miles and cause everyone, including Ren himself, to flinch.
And before the long haired boy knew it, he was tackled to the ground a few yards away from everyone else receiving the hardest, biggest, and most painful hug of his entire life.
"REN I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Nora cried and embraced him tighter. She bawled into Ren's jacket, crying and screaming out of happiness as Ren simply embraced her as well and nuzzled into her hair. A part of him felt like crying but he didn't. He was simply happy to see his childhood friend once again.
Nora continued her sobbing while taking in short breaths of air. She cried for many reasons, mostly because of the last memory she had of Lie Ren. The last time she had ever seen him. She still remembered him lying on the ground beaten, nearly to death, and covered in blood as she was dragged off never to see him again. The very last thing he gave her was his signature thumbs up before he faded from her view. Recalling those memories made her cry harder into her chest. The days that went by without him after his exile sent Nora into a great depression without her best friend. She wasn't the same jolly person after he left. She turned quiet and emotionless, spending all her time in her room crying, sitting… and even cutting but then stopped over time.
With the months going by, her life slowly, very slowly, started to return to normal with the greatest of help from Ren's honorable elder. If it wasn't for her, Nora feared she would not be of this world anymore. She was even one of the reasons why Nora was even in Beacon now and she was just glad to be reunited with her best friend once more.
As a little bit of time went by Ren continued to silently rub Nora's back. She had finally stopped her heavy crying and was now whimpering in happiness. Ruby, Blake, and Adam merely watched with no apparent thought in their minds. It was clear that the girl knew him, and from the look of it, they must have been very close for her to react the way she did.
Finally, with a soft sigh, Ren tapped Nora on the shoulder causing her to look up at him. Her eyes were blood red and his heart sank but then rose when he realized she was smiling at him.
"Nora," he started slowly. "I missed you as well. But I think we should get up now."
Nora wiped her eyes and looked at him with a grin. He didn't change at all from the last time she saw him. She missed him dearly and missed how fun it was to joke and tease him. His reactions were always the best. She then got an idea and started hummed like she was mimicking thinking. Then she replied with a goofy grin.
"Nope, sorry my little black sloth but I haven't hugged you in months so this has to make up for it!" She giggled and nuzzled into his chest.
Ren sighed and shook his head with internal amusement. She was still the same as before. A part of him even felt happy to hear her call him by the long time nickname she gave him when they were kids. But the other part still hoped she wouldn't stay on him. The armor she wore was actually heavy.
Ren cleared his throat as he rubbed her back once more. "Fine… how long will that take?"
"SIX MONTHS!" Nora exclaimed as she raised a fist in the air. She gave him a toothy grin and winked.
A slight twitch moved in Ren's right eye. She was definitely back to her old self again alright. "Nora… you can't hug me for six months."
"Why not?! Sloths hug trees all the time. Hell even baby sloths hug their mothers for years!"
"That isn't comparable to humans."
"GASP REN, are you trying to say I can't be a sloth!" she lightly hit him on the shoulder.
"No Nora, I merely wish for us to get off the ground."
"Does that mean you wanna build a tree house and live among the sloths like we always talked about?!" She even sounded excited at her own thought.
"You mean YOU always talked about, and please Nora you're actually crushing my back."
"Oh no mister you are not changing the topic like that!"
"Nora… I can't feel my sides from your grip."
"That reminds me… have you finally been working out? Cause I'm feeling your hips right now and they feel as hard as rock!" She actually blushed when she felt gripped them.
"Nora…"
"I mean do you feel these things!" Nora squeezed Ren's hips causing him to wince. She then turned around towards Ruby, Blake, and Adam. "Hey you guys have got to feel his sides! He is really hard!... that's what she said!"
Nora high fived herself and started laughing at her own joke while the group simply stared at her. They could only look on in sympathy for Ren as he looked blue from having that girl crushing his hips right now.
"Nora… please I can't take it… you're too heavy." Ren begged.
"That's what she said- wait did you just call me fat!"
"NORA!"
Ruby couldn't help but shiver at the sight of the whole conundrum. Blake noticed this and turned to the red hooded girl.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Ruby simply shook her head. As the girl known as Nora started shaking Ren up and down explaining her diet in detail, and how she wasn't fat.
She didn't reply at first and merely sighed. "Nothing just… she reminds me of my sister…"
Blake visibly winced and nodded in understanding. She didn't say anything else and simply watched Nora trying to get Ren to pay attention to her.
'Now there's two of them.' Ruby thought and prayed that Yang never meet Nora.
After a few minutes had gone by, Nora finally got off, much to Ren's relief, and was swaying side to side while Ren dusted himself off. When he was sure he was completely dust free, he turned to Nora.
"Now listen Nora, I assume your attending Beacon correct?"
Nora nodded enthusiastically. "Yes sir I am! Isn't this great now we can see each other 24/7?! Well not really because you know… sleep and classes and… stuff like bathroom breaks- wait we have co-ed baths! That means we really can always be together- but not together–together, not that you're not handsome! You are handsome and the perfect student… while im just… ya know… me!" She laughed awkwardly and tried to hide the blush on her face by flailing her arms around. "Not to mention you have really nice hair and…those legs…."
"What was the Nora?"
The orange haired girl panicked and shook her head vigorously." N-nothing nothing, you heard nothing! Uh so… what were we talking about again?"
Ren sighed as he shook his head. "We were talking about Beacon and the exam Nora. You know we are taking an exam right now correct?"
The bubbly orange haired girl crossed her arms and grinned. "Of course I do silly! Why else would they fling us off those launcher things and bring us here? To climb trees?! Actually that sounds kinda fun!"
"She has a point there." Adam muttered. And everyone looked at him as he raised an eyebrow. "I meant everything besides the last part." He clarified, though he did secretly enjoy climbing trees himself. Ren simply nodded and continued.
"As long as you know what's going on Nora that's good. But we do have to carry out some assignments in order for us to pass. Such as finding certain relics to have and finding partners."
Nora gasped and brought her hands to her cheeks. "I almost forgot about my partner!"
Ren nodded in understanding. "Yes we have to find partners Nora. Now I am very sorry but… I already have a partner. I did not even know you were here in all honesty and I hope you will not become too upset."
Ruby felt slightly awkward about this situation. She never wanted to become a third wheel and she certainly did not want to cause any bad blood between people. Well other than Weiss.
Nora simply shook her head as she waved the worry away. "Oh don't worry Ren, I totally get it! I didn't know about you being here either! I mean it would have been totally awesome to be partners but I can't be mad at my little black sloth for not knowing I was here! But man the whole partner thing was like soooo confusing!"
Ren felt relieved in hearing that Nora was alright with it. He guessed as long as they still hung out everything would be fine and nodded to her. "It was indeed a bit odd in how partnering up works but do not worry. I'm sure we can find you a partner quickly."
Nora gave a toothy grin as she jumped back and placed her hands on her hips. "Foolish Ren who is very foolish and adorable, I don't need help with that for I, your queen of the castle, have already found a partner!"
Everyone blinked in confusion and silence as Nora started cackling rather loudly like a madwoman.
"You found a partner?" Blake asked, rather stoically.
Nora nodded several times. "Not just A partner my bow wearing friend! But one who is my equal and has shown me how compatible we really are! And together we are going to create a new world full of ice cream – she really likes ice cream by way – and sloths!"
Nora then turned towards the trees she emerged from and cupped her hands to her mouth "Brrrrwah Brrrrwah!"
Ren, Blake, Ruby, and Adam merely watched as she stood there watching the trees with a grin.
"Nora," said Ren a little confused. "What are you-"
He suddenly stopped when heard rustling noises coming from the tree. The group turned in time to see something fall to the ground. It was a person, a girl more specifically, who looked slightly shorter than Ruby when she stood up. She was wearing a white jacket with pink interior, brown pants, and gray boots that when up to her knees with high heels. Under her jacket she wore a black corset, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her hips. She also wore a multitude of necklaces, which hung haphazardly around her neck. The girl seemed to dress stylish but what caught most attention was the girl's hair and eyes. It was long and half of it was pink while the other was brown with white streaks in the pink half. The same could be said with her irises; one was brown and the other was pink. The only thing she had on her person was a small sun umbrella for whatever reason.
The girl glanced at the four new strangers and smiled as she gave everyone a small wave and a bow in an elegant manner. Nora happily skipped over towards the new comer and placed a firm hand on the girl's shoulder as the girl did the same with Nora.
"Everyone," the orange haired girl called out. "Meet MY partner, Neo!"
And thus the ninth chapter comes to an end. So what do you think of the partnership? Let me know in the reviews! My Dark Readers, the main story continues. Please leave a review, good or bad. If there are any constructive criticisms you have, please do not hesitate to tell me, it helps me to grow as a writer. Also if you have any questions or suggestions fill free to leave them in the reviews. Prepares yourselves, for the main story continues.
Until next time my Dark Readers. Forevermore – FT