Here's the third chapter of the four! This one is a pretty light chapter, no scary things for now. Enjoy :D!
Chapter 80: Heading Home For Real
Winter woke up one morning with a really bad headache. The repairs on Atlas Academy and the city were going smoothly, the border was back up and things were finally on track again yet for some reason she felt this feeling of immense dread creeping up her spine.
Stumbling out of bed and making a cup of coffee in her new office, she sighed, looking out on the city, "It's fine Winter, everything is fine. It's just paranoia"
A soft knock came at the door.
"Come in," she said putting on a formal smile.
Marrow stepped in with a nervous look on his face.
"Um… General Schnee?"
She folded her arms, "Yes, out with it. What's wrong?"
"The uh, emergency phoneline has been contacted by Nova…"
Her eyes widened, "Oh god is he in trouble? Rally the airships we need to…"
Marrow eased her, "Oh no, he's um… well here, I'll just play the message." He hit the play button on the voice recording.
"Hey Cousin, I know it's been a while but I have some great news that I think you need to hear."
Winter raised her eyebrow staring down at the phone.
"We took back Vale! Woohooo!" his voice was overly cheery.
Her face cracked a smile, "Wow… the madman actually did it…"
"And on that note, Menagerie is gonna start repairing the city in hopes of making it liveable again!"
"Oh wow, this just keeps getting better."
"Anyway… I sorta told them they could charge you guys for supplies and protection. Have fun!"
Her face went from smiling with pride to morphed horror in a fraction of a second. Marrow could see quite clearly the exact moment when she lost it.
"YOU FUCKING DID WHAT?!"
-One month later in Vacuo-
Ruby was out on a mission with her team, it was a recon mission to the South near the coast again, apparently Citrine discovered another ruins location she said could be another encampment spot, a potential area to expand their forces, this time it was in the forest further in. They still had no clues as to where the remnants of the White Fang were hiding in Vacuo, but they still kept looking for any sign of activity.
The red leader figured this was just Citrine's excuse to get her out of the Acadamy, after all when she wasn't teaching a class she was training with Raisa, trying to master control over the Silver Eyes.
-Flashback to two days ago-
Ruby was in the training hall with Raisa, the short old woman standing at the same height as Ruby's sitting position as they were gathered on the arena floor.
"The Silver Eyes is a powerful weapon, but if used incorrectly can cause great harm to the user," Raisa said evenly as she hobbled in circles around Ruby.
Ruby scrunched her brow, "I get that... overusing them can cause blindness or drain me more than I need and..."
"Not just that!" she said tapping Ruby hard on the head with her stick, "Have you ever heard the phrase, the eyes are the window to the soul?"
Ruby nodded.
"That's more than just a fancy saying, at least when it comes to Silver Eyes. By using that power, you are siphoning the energy stored within your soul, setting it free to defeat your enemies. That is why your soul energy needs to remain pure. Overusing that power can not just cause physical damage but spiritual as well. The body can mend and be replaced but the soul cannot!"
"What do you mean by 'soul damage'?"
"Have you ever seen a person in a vegetative state? That could happen to you, trapped in an endless loop of your own darkest thoughts... or you could die. It's hard to explain what damage to the soul is without a subject." Raisa said, stopping and sitting in front of Ruby.
"H-How do I stop that from happening then?"
"You must stay calm while channeling the powers, you must let it flow like a steady stream, controllable and tame. If it runs wild then you'd be lucky to be coherent afterward."
"I know this might sound bad but, wouldn't constricting it mean I don't get to use its full potential?" Ruby raised the question.
Raisa hummed, "That is true, but in order to really use them to the fullest extent, you would need to acquire the final piece of the puzzle. You have the eyes and the Silver Heart," she tapped the necklace Ruby wore, "But what you need is The Silver Soul"
"What's that? Another gemstone?"
"No. The Silver Soul is a manifestation of your energies rooted deep within you, like an anchor to ensure you never lose control over the powers... but to attain it is something even I've never managed to do. It requires a few things to work, but I don't have them."
"Tell me what you need then. Please, Rai, I need to get stronger... staying like this I feel that... I'm just holding on by threads. If push comes to shove... I'll lose it all..." Ruby's voice was a solemn plea.
Raisa sighed, "We can talk about this later. I'll talk to Maria and see if we can't figure out something."
-End Flashback-
Ruby found herself replaying that conversation while she washed off, "The Silver Soul..." she muttered, drying her hair after changing, and she walked back to camp.
Currently, they were camped out at night, a large fire was going where all of team GRVE was sitting around talking. Gawain was staring intently at the blaze while Violet was on the opposite end sharpening her weapons.
Regis was stuffing his face while Ether was making tea… no one knew where she kept the teapots and cups nor where they came from.
"Gawain, buddy, you good?" Violet asked, leaning across the fire to peer at his intense gaze.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I just keep thinking about how to be a better leader, like Miss Rose… or that Nova person."
Regis groaned, "Dude you've been singing that same song for months, you're fine as you are. We can't all be the Teach, she's literally seen war."
"You guys talking about me?" Ruby's voice chirped in as she walked through the camp drying her hair with a towel. She was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with lace again accompanied by grey shorts.
"Uh yeah, just saying how much of a great leader you are!" Ether chirped as she offered Ruby some tea.
The reaper giggled and sipped it gratefully, "Thanks guys, but you should really get some sleep soon. We pack up early in the morning remember?" she took the cup and headed toward her tent. "Don't stay up too late."
"Yes, Miss Rose!" Gawain saluted.
Regis rolled his eyes, "Come on dude, I mean she's cool and all, and a badass fighter but the way you attach yourself to her… it's almost like someone has a crush~"
Gawain turned beet red, "N-NO! Dude, she's just... it's not like that. I just admire her, that's all it is."
"Mhm, keep telling yourself that."
"I'm serious, besides, there's no way I'd even stand a chance with her."
Ether sat down and sipped her third cup of tea, "I don't know… doesn't seem like she has a boyfriend or girlfriend for that matter."
Regis, with a mouthful of sandwich, said, "Wait, she doesn't? I find that hard to believe, a girl like her is a literal keeper if I've ever seen one."
Violet hummed, "I heard she's rejected every confession that's been made to her over the last seven months. Doesn't stop them from trying though."
Gawain held a stoic gaze, "Come on guys, even though she hasn't said it, I'm pretty sure she and Nova were at the very least extremely close. Maybe she has a crush on him?"
"You think? Dude, they keep talking about him like he's some kind of legend but I'm starting to think he isn't even real. I mean if he was real why would he just leave his team alone and go off on a solo mission?" Violet sheathed her scissors and folded her legs over each other on the log.
"But the stories! They have to be real." Gawain said with hope in his eyes, like a child denying that Santa Claus wasn't real.
"I don't know man, that Nova guy sounds like a real asshole. I bet he isn't even real!" a voice said from the bushes causing everyone to turn on alert, each unsheathing their weapons, trained in its direction. The first thing that stuck out to them was his eyes… they were mismatched and glowing in the darkness, the irises shaped like a dragon's.
"Woah, easy guys. I'm just uh… a traveler heading for Vacuo." It was a hooded teen, about as old as they were. He wore a black hood that covered his face and eyes, a mask over his mouth but you could still see the flecks of white hair sticking out from under the hood. A large sheathe was strapped to his waist and both hands were gloved.
"Who are you, how did you find us," Gawain said, his sword not moving an inch from the man's direction.
The person simply walked up and poked the tip of the blade with his left gloved hand and chuckled, "Listen if I wanted to hurt you I would have already. I just got here by boat and I'm trying to get directions to Shade Academy, I saw your fire so I thought you guys can help me out."
Regis eyed him up and down, "Seems earnest enough, but I don't think you could hurt us. Grab a seat friend."
-A few hours earlier, Vacuo coast-
They finally made it, after three weeks of preparation and traveling, Nova, Pyrrha, Adam, and Belle were on their way to Vacuo, accompanying the party was none other than the resident ball of cuteness Mira, and a handful of volunteers from Menagerie.
"Uncle Pointy it's the beach!" Mira said scampering up to Nova's leg as they stood on the deck of the ship, watching it drive into the port.
The dragon laughed and picked her up, "Yes indeed you adorable little goblin, we're heading for a new place!" he pinched her nose. She squealed in delight.
Adam followed behind her, "I'm starting to regret letting you meet my daughter," he sighed.
Nova looked on in confusion.
"In the last month, she's set four fires and tried to fight a mongoose with a butcher knife. I don't even know where she got that! You are a terrible influence!"
"Oh no, I will spoil my niece senseless." He looked at the mint green-haired mermaid girl in his hands, "We're gonna set fire to daddy's bed next right?"
"YAY!"
"That's it!" Adam took Mira from him, "No more fires."
"Awww…" both Nova and Mira pouted simultaneously.
The boat finally came to a halt as the passengers disembarked at the port. Vacuo's seaside city was quite impressive. Unlike Atlas' fancy city, it was a more rustic and closed area. There were no large buildings, instead only moderately sized buildings made from beige concrete like sandstone. Many of the shops were street stalls. The bright red colours glow in the setting sun. It was very reminiscent of Menagerie, there was just a lot more sand.
"How long do you think it'll take before we find passage to Vacuo?" Pyrrha asked as they stood on the streets.
Belle smirked, "Leave it to me, I'll find us a ride and we aren't gonna get conned out of a single cent!" before anyone could object, she scampered off into the streets and disappeared, leaving the band confused.
About five minutes later a series of jeeps came strolling down the street, Belle was in the front seat of the first car, next to a dark-skinned man who looked like he'd seen God for a few minutes.
"This is them, pull up here," Belle instructed, and the driver stiffly followed, the three other cars behind did the same. "Hop in boys, mama's got us a ride!"
The volunteers from Menagerie filed into the other cars while Nova and the crew climbed into the one with Belle.
"Uh… honey? What did you…" Adam leaned over from the backseat whispering to his girlfriend.
She shushed him with a smug smile, "Shhh, don't ask."
Nova took a look at the man's shaken features and deposited about six hundred Lien into a small pouch and put it on his lap, patting him gently on the head, "For your trauma my good man."
The caravans drove through the desert and then eventually through the thick forest. The road had changed into a rocky dirt path that was barely passable as a track. Nightfall had come and it was getting well into the night, the road was getting worse as they came to the vast desert, which was still nowhere in sight.
They had fallen into a comfortable silence, Mira was quietly dozing off on Adam's lap, and Nova felt his eyes drifting close as well when suddenly his ears twitched.
*Giggle*
It was soft, far away but there was no mistaking the high-pitched jingle of laughter, like the sweetest music Nova had heard in a long time. "No way…" he muttered.
*Laughter and muffled talking*
"It's her…" he said softly, so quietly no one heard.
Steeling his resolve, he stood up in the open-air jeep.
"Nova what are you…" Pyrrha started but then cried out in alarm as Nova did a somersault and landed on the side of the road, abandoning the car. "What are you doing?!"
Nova saluted as the car came to a halt, "Go on without me. I'll catch up with you guys in a little bit. I got something to take care of." And with that, he bolted in the direction of the voices.
Pyrrha groaned, "Ugh he always does this…"
"Eh, small loss, he'll find his way. Come on driver, step on it! I wanna get to Shade before morning!" Belle yelled surprisingly not waking Mira in the slightest.
Nova sprinted toward the sound of the voice; he smelled the fire before he spotted it. Taking action, he ducked into the dense shrubbery that surrounded the clearing and observed what appeared to be a bunch of teenagers all talking around a fire. Ruby was standing there with a cup of tea in her hand, a bright smile on her face. He felt his heart melt at the sight of her standing there, alive, and well. He spotted the long scar that traveled down her torso to her hip, she had been through so much, yet she could still give out such a genuine smile.
"You never change, do you?" he said to himself, a soft smile gracing his lips. He watched her disappear into her tent when the others began talking, somehow his name was being brought up in the conversation, a lot.
He contemplated just walking in there when a sneaky idea crossed his mind. Digging into his pocket he pulled out his old mask, a keepsake from a time long ago. Folding Summer's cloak neatly and packing it into his bag, he pulled up his hoodie and put on the mask, stepping forth from the bushes.
"I don't know man, that Nova guy sounds like a real asshole. I bet he isn't even real!" He said stepping forward with confidence. All of them instantly trained their weapons on him and he let out a silent breath, quite impressed at their reaction.
"Woah, easy guys. I'm just uh… a traveler heading for Vacuo." He said trying to come up with a reasonable alibi.
"Who are you, how did you find us." The blonde one said, his sword not moving an inch from Nova's direction.
"Listen if I wanted to hurt you I would have already. I just got here by boat and I'm trying to get directions to Shade Academy, I saw your fire so I thought you guys can help me out."
The super edgy one eyed him up and down, "Seems earnest enough, but I don't think you could hurt us. Grab a seat friend."
Nova obliged, taking up a place next to the white-haired girl with the tea, "So… who are you guys?"
Gawain sheathed his blade, "I'm Gawain, this is Regis, Violet and the one next to you is Ether," he said introducing everyone one by one. "We're team GRVE from Shade Academy."
Nova hummed.
"Tea?" Ether offered him.
He shook his head, "No thanks miss."
Regis folded his arms, "You know, you're here in our camp wearing a mask, pretty suspicious if you ask me."
Nova shrugged, "Sorry the desert dust gets to my allergies."
He eyed him, "What did you say your name was?"
Gawain was sitting there broodingly, glaring at Nova the whole time. Instead of answering Regis, Nova looked at Gawain, "Hey buddy, if you stare any harder at me you'll pierce a hole through my head. Did I say something to offend you?"
"You did."
"Oh? Enlighten me."
Gawain got up, "You talked shit about Nova, someone our teacher holds in high regard, and someone heralded as a hero. Who are you to mouth off such things against him? You don't even know him!"
"Getting defensive? I don't think you've met him either…" Nova said coyly.
"I don't need to meet him to know he's a great person. I want you to take back what you just said about him."
Nova got up as well, dusting off his pants, "Alright, I'll take it back… on one condition."
"What's that?"
"You beat me in a duel," Nova wasn't usually one to pick fights but the whole situation was just filled to the brim with comedic irony, and he wanted to see how well Ruby's little squad was trained. "As a bonus, I'll even tell you my name if you win!"
"Oooooh" Violet made sound effects with her mouth watching the interaction.
Regis smirked and folded his arms, reclining on the log, "I wanna see this. Dude stands no chance!"
Gawain drew his sword, "I accept."
The two stepped away from the fireplace and into a more open area as the others cleared crates away to create a makeshift arena.
The blonde swordsman readied his blade and took up a battle stance, "Are you not going to draw your weapon?"
"I will if I need to."
"Are you looking down on me?" Gawain looked angry for the first time in a long while. First, this interloper insults his heroes and now he was looking down on him!
"Fine," he said, "Don't blame me for what happens next…" Gawain launched himself at Nova with surprising speed, his sword cleaving down toward Nova's head.
The dragon simply marveled for a moment before side-stepping it within a hair's breadth.
Gawain instantly followed up with a side-swipe which Nova narrowly avoided again. This kept up for a few more moments until the swordsman stepped back and changed strategy, firing off bolts of light from his bow.
Nova saw the arrows moving toward him with a speed he couldn't dodge, instead, he got into a drawing stance and shot Helios out, catching the blade and began deflecting each arrow with precision.
"Oh, impressive," Nova whistled.
"It'll be more impressive when I beat you!" Gawain had thoroughly lost his cool at his enemy's taunting. Mixing the sword strikes with dust arrow shots, Gawain assaulted Nova with all his efforts but the dragon simply danced around each attack like it was nothing but child's play.
"This guy is seriously good!" Regis whistled, impressed.
"Don't be impressed, go Gawain you got this!" Ether cheered.
The swordsman had become thoroughly exhausted after five minutes of frantic attacks, not a single one landed.
"I gotta say kid, you're pretty good! A little green but you got skills," Nova said with an impressed whistle. "To honour your efforts, I'll take you seriously."
"Wha…?" Gawain panted.
Nova sheathed his blade, clicked the switch, and unfurled Helios' scythe.
Gawain watched the large weapon in awe. "One of the two best scythes I've ever had the pleasure of working on" Hex's words echoed in his head for some reason.
"Don't get hurt too badly," Nova said as he set the scythe in a reaping position. There was a fraction of a second from when Gawain saw him and then he blinked, his world began spinning then it was upside down, his Aura breaking instantly as he found himself lying flat on his back.
"What just happened…?" he mouthed, still staring at the night sky.
Violet peered over him, "You got your ass kicked is what happened."
Nova laughed and offered him a hand, "Come on dude, you should still be able to stand."
The swordsman took the outstretched hand and got up, staring at the stranger with bewilderment, "Who… who are you?"
"What's all this ruckus?! I thought I told you guys to go to bed early! I can't get any sleep with all this…" Ruby complained, rushing outside with an irritated twitch in her brow. She stopped completely when she saw the person standing before her. Time slowed to a halt for her as she felt all the air in her lungs leave in a split second. "No way…"
The height, the frame, the soft silver, and orange hair that glowed in the firelight, and those gorgeous, mismatched eyes. There was no mistaking it.
"N-Nova…?" her voice cracked as she spoke.
Nova pulled off his hood and mask and gave Ruby a sheepish smile, "Hey Red, it's been a while."
She couldn't wait anymore, months of longing and waiting to just see his face…
"Sorry Miss Rose, this person just walked into camp and…" Gawain tried to explain but Ruby brushed right past him, walking up to Nova with tears brimming in her eyes. "Miss Rose…?"
Their leader stopped a few inches from the man, they were so close that the rest of the world seemed to disappear from their view.
The dragon on the other hand was struggling to find words. He'd replayed this scenario in his head over and over but having it happen now was overwhelming his mind. He wanted to reach out, to hold her and never let go again, instead, he opted for a more subtle approach.
Nova rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, still not shifting his eyes from hers, "I… I know I've been gone for a while. I was heading to the academy when I saw your camp and…" he was silenced when a pair of strong yet soft and gentle arms embraced him tightly. He could hear the subtle sound of her sobbing as she began to soak his shirt with tears. Smiling softly, he gently stroked her hair and buried his nose into the top of her head. They were finally back together, his missing piece, his other half.
The others looked on in awe, this was the first time any of them had seen Ruby like this. Ether tugged on each of them, leading them away from the two, giving them space.
"What's going on?" Regis whispered as they all ducked behind a tent and watched the interaction with confusion.
"Not sure but whatever it is, looks personal." Violet voiced quietly.
Once Ruby was done crying, she looked up and into Nova's eyes, "It's… really you? I'm not dreaming?" she sniffled.
Nova's heart broke as he watched her tear-stained face, all the months of loneliness… it took hold of him too as tears began to leak from his own eyes, "Yeah, it's me. I'm home."
She felt her face break out into a grin, "This isn't home you, dork, it's the middle of the woods."
"My home is wherever you are."
She giggled sweetly, holding onto him, "I forgot how cheesy you are."
"Don't tell me you didn't miss it," he smirked back, unable to calm the smile on his face from hearing the musical sound of her laughter.
She didn't deny it, "Not for one second did I spend not wishing you were here. I missed you so much…" she reached up placing her palm around his face, tracing his scales under his eyes.
"I missed you too, my love. Gods, I missed you so much…" he reached his own hand now un-gloved, around her cheek, brushing away the stray tears. Her skin tingled at his warmth, the comfortable loving warmth that made her feel safe and whole again.
Her breath was hot as it hit his face, tingling his lips as the distance between them seemed to become smaller and smaller by the second.
"Hey… I've been dying to say this to you for the longest while…" he whispered, now leaning his nose against hers.
She closed her eyes, "Go on…"
"I love you," it came out with such confidence that she felt her heart pick up.
"I love you too."
Without any hesitation, he crashed his lips onto hers pulling her into a gentle kiss. With just as much fervor, she found herself kissing him back hard. Months of longing and pain, pent-up love and care flowing out with each contact of their lips.
"What are they doing?" Regis asked struggling to peek around the tent.
"Looks like they're… hugging? Really tightly… and talking. Ruby's crying but she looks happy… the happiest I've seen her in the time we've known her." Violet narrated.
"Oh looks like they're gonna… oh my god are they kissing?!" Ether gasped.
Gawain was struck stiff with wonder; Ether quietly covered his eyes as the couple's kissing grew more intense.
When they pulled apart, they were still in each other's arms, neither of them wanting to let go. "Holy fuck how did I ever survive without your kisses," Nova mused, resting his nose against hers.
She placed a quick peck on him again, "I certainly missed it…" she looked hungry for more, and Nova was very much inclined to oblige when out of the corner of his eyes he saw the four teens hiding behind the tent.
"Looks like we have an audience," Nova said sheepishly.
Ruby turned bright red, "Fuck I forgot they were there for a second." Sighing to herself she laced her fingers in his and turned to the others, "Guys, come out, there's someone I gotta introduce you guys to."
The four filed out awkwardly, all their faces red from embarrassment.
"Who's the hottie, teach? I'd say your boyfriend by the looks of that display," Ether chirped with no censorship.
Ruby looked bashful and ran her thumb across Nova's knuckles, "Guys this is the one you've been hearing stories about."
"Huh?!" Gawain was stunned for words.
Nova smiled awkwardly, "Uh yeah, sorry for the late introduction. I'm Nova Flareheart, it's nice to meet you."
"Nova, in the flesh!" Regis marveled, "Damn I really thought you were a myth."
"Well looks like we answered the question about whether Miss Rose is taken or not," Violet glanced at them.
"Nova sir! I am so sorry I didn't know it was you and… forgive me, your highness!" Gawain instantly knelt as he hyperventilated.
"Oh, shit right he's a prince!" Regis and the others knelt as well.
"Woah, guys, Gawain breathe," Nova tried to amend, "No need to kneel. It's fine. Um, I should be the one apologizing for antagonizing you," he helped Gawain up again.
"It's fine, your highness, um if it's okay with you I'll be uh… heading to bed now," he awkwardly responded.
Violet sighed, "I think you broke him…"
Ruby yawned, "Yeah, we should all head to bed. Get some rest guys, looks like Shade Academy tomorrow is going to be a long day."
The dragon smirked, "You could say that~"
She eyed him, "What are you hiding mister?"
"Oh nothing, it's a surprise. Come on, let's get some sleep, I'm tired."
The two walked toward Ruby's tent, once they were finally alone, Nova reached into his bag and pulled out Summer's cloak and held it close to him, "Hey... Ruby there's something I need to give you."
She tilted her head in confusion.
Nova outstretched his hands with the cloak. The moment Ruby's eyes laid on them she gasped in shock, gingerly reaching out to grasp hold of the soft fabric, "I-Is this...?"
"Yeah. It's Summer's... your mom's cloak," he said softly.
She grabbed it and held it close to her chest, feeling her eyes brimming with tears again, "W-Where did you get this?! I..."
"When I was... trapped in Salem's fortress... your mom was there."
Ruby felt something inside her break, "Mom is alive...?" she asked with hope.
Nova reached out to caress her face and wipe away the tears, "It's... more complicated than that. She's... become like Cinder. Salem... she made your mom into some type of Grimm human, under her control."
"WHAT?! W-Why has she never come to see me?" Ruby was crying rivers.
The dragon pulled her close, "She's under Salem's control. She stayed away to protect you... though at the time she wasn't under Salem's complete control as she still had some semblance of free will. We got to talking and... she explained the nature of her existence. Ruby... after the explosion, I don't know what happened to your mom. She tried to fight Salem to buy me time, she gave me her cloak but... I'm sorry I couldn't do more."
Ruby balled her fists, gripping Nova's clothes hard, "I-It's not your fault," she said trying to calm down, "I... It just makes me want to take Salem down even more... that BITCH!" she screamed, growling harshly, raw anger emanating from her eyes. Eventually, she devolved into a crying mess again as Nova spent the next few minutes whispering soothing words into her ears.
"This cloak, I think you should have it." Nova said when she finally calmed down. They were resting on Ruby's bedroll.
She had a sizeable cot, more than enough room for one but thanks to her small frame Nova was able to slip under with her.
Ruby shook her head, "No... it's yours."
"But Ruby... I can't keep this. Summer was your mother and..."
"She gave it to you. It was her parting gift and I think she wanted to give it to you because she knew that you would be with me. Besides... I have my own hood and I'd a little attached to hit," she said sheepishly, "It would be better on you."
The dragon nodded stiffly, "If you're sure... then I'll gladly accept it."
She drank in his scent, cuddling closer with her head resting on his chest, "Just double checking…" she whispered, tracing circles on his chest, "I'm not hallucinating right?"
Nova responded by squeezing her close and planting a soft kiss on her forehead, "I'll still be here when you wake up in the morning."
"Good…" she yawned, "I don't think I could handle it if you left again…"
Nova felt guilt creeping through him again, but he had to do what he did, there was no time to regroup. It still didn't make it any less painful.
"I promise you, Ruby, I will never leave you again…"
She chuckled, "The last time you made a promise like that you died."
"Well, this time I have every intention of staying… say, do you still have that old piece of Asura?" Nova asked curiously.
She nodded against him and reached across the tent into her bag and fished out her necklace, "Right here. I never take it off unless I gotta shower or something."
"Can I have it? I'll give it back in a little bit but I wanna do something with it first if that's alright with you."
She kissed his cheek, "Of course babe, it's technically yours anyway."
"Ours… now get some rest."
"Love you so much…" she mumbled, drifting off into blissful slumber.
He chuckled as she began softly snoring, "Love you too."
The next morning, they all headed back to Shade Academy, Nova and Ruby were in Citrine's office after making it back while team GRVE got back to their dorms.
"So, you're the famous Nova Flareheart," Citrine said, kicking her boots up onto her desk.
"Infamous more like it, but it's nice to meet you, ma'am. I hear you're the one responsible for allowing me to communicate directly with Ruby?"
The Headmaster smirked, "Of course, and considering you two," she looked at their joined hands, seemingly inseparable, "I say I was right to bet on young love."
They both blushed but couldn't bring themselves to let go.
"Thank you, for all of your help, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask for a little more…" he said sheepishly.
Citrine reached under and took out a bottle of whiskey and drank it straight, "Vale, right? Yeah, that Adam guy came and reported it to me. Seems your little adventure was more than successful!"
Ruby gaped, "You won?! Vale's safe again?! THAT'S AMAZING!" she squealed and glomped him in a tight hug.
"Surprise haha…" Nova said awkwardly.
"Is this the surprise you had planned?" she looked up at him with her big silver eyes.
"One of them. You'll get the other one later 'kay?"
"Aw," she pouted cutely.
"On that note, I would like to hold an official announcement this afternoon, introducing the kids to the new heroes. How does that sound your highness? Up for a speech?" Citrine took another swig from the bottle, offering Nova some.
The dragon shrugged and chugged a mouthful before handing it back, "Oh wow that's strong," his cheeks were dusted pink, "Yeah I'm up for a speech, seems I've been giving those a lot lately anyway."
The Headmaster cackled, "That's royalty for yah. Anyway, you got a few hours to go let your friends know you're back. Go on, get!" she shooed them out the door.
It was a beautiful day, the sunbathed the courtyard in warmth as Ruby and Nova crossed it heading to meet everyone, that was until there was an unmistakable head of silver and blue hair standing on the far side of the stone walkway, just on the edge of the grass.
She was wearing a black gothic dress with blue trimmings.
The moment she caught their eye once more time slowed for them, the dragon was waiting on her brother as if she caught his scent the moment he stepped onto the school grounds.
As her footsteps clapped against the stone, running up to him, Nova had just enough time to take her in. Luna had grown a few inches, and there was no longer the shred of innocence and naivety that she used to carry. No, his sister had grown so much in the time he'd been away…
Small arms wrapped around him as she came crashing into his chest, eyes filled with tears she wiped them away on him, "Y-You're back!"
He smiled and hugged her, "Yeah kiddo, I'm back." He caressed her hair gently. "I missed you, little sister."
"I missed you too, you big dumb doofus! Do you have any idea how hard it was to… God don't you dare leave again!"
"Never again," he said softly before prying her away and holding her up like a child, "So, you've grown a lot"
"Yeah, and you're still the same height, if you're not careful I'll pass you!" she giggled, blue eyes staring into red and black.
"Has Oscar been treating you well? Has he confessed yet?" Nova asked with a smug grin.
"H-How did you…?!"
"Oh, so he finally grew a pair! Took him long enough," Nova tussled her hair.
She blushed, "Yeah, he's been nothing but a sweetheart."
"Hey, I'm gonna go see mom and then I gotta stop by the smithy but I'll meet you guys later okay?" Nova said placing a quick kiss on his sister's forehead and then one on Ruby's lips.
"Aw, but you just got back…" they both groaned.
"Don't worry I'm still on campus but I got some business to take care off."
"Can we come with you?" they asked simultaneously.
He sighed and put his hands on his hips, "No, it's a surprise and I don't want anyone blabbing so go on shoo!"
"Booo!" Luna groaned as he left.
He wandered the halls of Shade Academy for a while until he found the doctor's office. Knocking lightly he heard "Come in, it's my lunch break but if someone is injured I gotta look after yah."
Quietly he opened the door, Elain had her back turned to the door as she was buried in what looked to be a bowl of rice. She sat on a rolling chair that overlooked a messy wooden desk pressed against the far end of the room, a couple of beds were placed, and she had enough medical equipment around to treat a squad at once.
"Hey, is the doctor in?" he said cheekily.
She stopped chewing and slowly turned around, "Son…?"
"Hey, mom…" Nova awkwardly waved.
She jumped out of the chair, her food forgotten as she wrapped him in a tight hug, "How are you? Are you alive? Oh god, you look so skinny have you been eating?!"
Nova laughed at her antics, "It's okay mom… I'm okay now… sorta."
"What do you mean sorta?"
His eyes were distant as he began retelling the tale of everything, they did to him, his mother's face horrified at every step of the way, "The… damage they did to my body healed but…"
"Honey… that's… how could they… and Flint? Oh god, when I find those bastards, I'll rip their hearts out for hurting my baby!" she vowed, inspecting him up and down.
"Easy there mom. They said they have a base somewhere in Vacuo… if we can find dad then maybe we can save him…"
She inhaled, "Your father is strong, I… can't worry about him right now. I'm more worried about you! That kind of torture… for weeks… Nova, you can't tell me you're okay."
"I'm not going to lie to my own mother… I still have nightmares… but it's not something I can fix."
"You can get therapy or…!"
"Mom, we can discuss my mental health when the work is done. Listen I only got a few hours left so I'm gonna go to the forge. I'll survive, I have for this long right?"
"This discussion is not over alright? Have you told Ruby?"
He flinched, "She… doesn't need to hear about that right now. I… I'll talk to her later. I just want her to be happy for now, we just got each other back after all."
With that, he left for the forge.
The Shade Academy forge was about the same size as Beacon's, the main selling point was the extremely large industrial-sized smelter, it could forge at higher temperatures and faster than what they were used to.
The sounds of hammering metal were heard clanking despite the forge being relatively empty. Nova rounded one of the heavy lathes to see none other than Nitro hammering away at what looked to be a new gauntlet.
"Knock knock, is this occupied?" he asked, alerting the boy to his presence.
"Uh yeah it's…" as Nitro turned around, he dropped his hammer, "No fucking way! YOU'RE BACK!" he wrapped one arm around Nova's head and pulled him into a noogie, "DUDE YOUR ASS IS SO LATE!"
"Better late than never, right?"
"Man, I was beginning to think something ate you when Pyrrha showed up. How have you been bro?"
Nova smiled, "I'm alright. I've been better but that's a story for when I'm ready…"
Nitro flinched, "Yeesh, yeah, I get it, what you saw is the worst of it. So, what brings you to the forge? Thought you'd be glued to Ruby's side, what's up?"
The dragon mocked offense, "Oh what, I can't come to see my bro?"
Nitro shot him an unimpressed look.
"Okay fine you got me, I actually came here to make something."
"Oooh what is it?"
"A surprise."
They all gathered in the auditorium again, with all the students present and Team ASHNRWBYJNPR back together, well the A and the P weren't there yet.
"So, what's this about?" Yang asked Ruby as they all stood together on the platform looking up at the students. "I just got out of a mission with my team, and I hear Citrine has some big surprise?"
Ruby giggled, "Oh just watch~"
Yang eyed her, "Why are you so cheerful…?"
"Well, I hope it's worth it because I skipped half of my two-hour shower for this," Weiss said, flipping her hair.
The spotlights came on, "Alright everyone, we got a pretty big announcement tonight, so I hope you guys cleared your schedule," Citrine said with a performer's flair.
"Tonight, we have a few special guests, or should I say new recruits to the cause. One of them, you heard of already, and I hope you guys can spread the love to the others because they're all heroes. I want everyone to give a hearty welcome to the Vale Conquerors!"
A group of people began walking through the main entrance which drew everyone's attention.
"I'd like everyone to meet, Pyrrha Nikos, Adam Taurus with Belle Wings, and their daughter Mira!"
Pyrrha stepped through the corridor and onto the stage, her eyes glued to one blonde in particular.
As their eyes met, Jaune couldn't hold back, running up to her and picking her up in a tight hug, "PYRRHA!" he gasped while spinning her around.
The redhead blushed and hugged him back, "Hey my knight in shining armour. I've come to join the fight."
"But I thought you were staying in Argus?!" he asked flabbergasted, still relishing in the feeling of her in his arms.
"Well… someone needed my help so…"
"Really? Who...?"
"And last but not least! His royal highness himself, who made the journey through hell and back to take back Vale and get here… It is my pleasure to announce that Nova Flareheart is back!"
A flash of fire sped through the entryway as it erupted in the center of the stage forming a giant flaming dragon before it simmered down, Nova standing in the center of the stage, his back turned to the audience as he looked at his team, "Hey guys!" he hit them with a face splitting grin.
"NOVA!" they all rushed, and the group hugged him as he was showered with love from all sides.
Yang had one arm wrapped around his shoulders, "Fuck it's good to have you back dude!"
"Come on big sis, I couldn't stay away. Right cousin?" he turned to Weiss who was smiling brightly as she jabbed his ribs.
"I was wondering why Ruby was so happy at lunch today~" The Schnee punched his arm, "Welcome back."
"Way to make an entrance!" Hex squeezed him, "Missed you, dude… you really had us worried for a while. When Ruby told us you were heading to Vale, man we were losing our shit since you didn't contact anyone for a while."
"Sorry… no signal." He smiled sheepishly, feeling slightly guilty about that.
Nova turned back to face the audience as Citrine handed him the microphone, "Many of you have heard of me, but I believe this is the first time we meet in person. Once again, I'm Nova Flareheart, and these guys with me," he pointed to Adam, Belle, and Pyrrha, "And a few others who are back on Menagerie, helped us take back Vale!"
Cheers erupted all around. Taking back Vale had reignited their morale, it was the edge they needed to prove that the war was winnable.
"I don't have any big speech planned, but I just wanted to say a few words, on behalf of the team." He cleared his throat, "they told us that Vale was a lost cause, that the kingdom was fallen, but we proved that it wasn't. With our victory there, we proved that Salem can be beaten, she can lose. She is fallible. You don't need to fear them anymore, with our strength, together, we can win this war. It'll take a lot of effort and struggle, but we're not here to think about that right now. We're here to revel in the victory now!"
The gathering ended with a large party thrown on the Academy grounds, the cooks all brought out food and everyone was enjoying this moment of triumph.
Nova spent some time going around and greeting those he'd left behind, from his uncle Randolf to Olwen and the others. He kept it short because he wanted to spend as much time with his team as possible, the people he missed most of all.
The dragon sat with this team for the first time in almost a year, finally happy to be around the people he loved, where he was safe, and the world wasn't trying to eat him alive for once.
"Tell us some stories, Nova!" Nitro said, clearly drunk as they all gathered around a long table.
"Yeah! I wanna hear what you were up to!" Yang slurred as she reclined on Hex's shoulder, waving a mug of beer around.
Nova scratched his head, and took a sip of his own glass, "Uh... well where do I start? And before you ask... I'm not talking about what happened when I was captured... that'll just ruin the mood."
Luna scrunched her eyebrows, "Fine, but that doesn't mean you can get away from that. Tell us how you guys retook Vale then."
The dragon glanced at Pyrrha and Adam before shrugging, "Alright well... we started off at the edge of the Emerald Forest. The plan of attack was..."
He regaled them with their tales of heroism on the battlegrounds of Vale, earning mixed reactions of awe and surprise when he talked about the Vault.
When they were done, everyone else was thoroughly sloshed and partying, Nova glanced at Ruby, their hands interlinked under the table, "You still sober?"
She giggled, "Yeah... I can't seem to get drunk these days. The rational part of my brain always goes 'Stay sober, you need to be functional'. I guess you can leave the battlefield but it doesn't leave you huh?"
Nova sighed, "I get that... hey, Red? Wanna ditch the party for a minute?" he asked, squeezing her hand gently.
She tilted her head in confusion, "What's up?"
He rubbed the back of his head, "I just… wanna be alone with you for a little bit."
She blushed furiously and nodded as Nova led her away from the party to the edge of the plateau, the silver moonlight cascading over them as they stared out into the vast desert.
It was serene and beautiful, the fireflies dancing through the air, mingling with the millions of stars in the sky.
"So… um, remember when I said I had a surprise for you?" Nova asked nervously.
"Yeah…?"
"Well… um… fuck thinking about it now makes me so nervous." He cleared his throat and took both of her hands in his and stared into her eyes, "Ruby, we've been together for about two years now and… I know we haven't always been with each other, but I want you to know that there isn't anyone else in the world I trust more than you."
She blushed while holding a warm smile, "The same goes for me. Where are you going with this…?"
He squeezed her hands gently, "Um, I… I know that we've been through a lot. You dealt with my funeral for fuck's sake… but despite everything, through thick and thin you stuck with me and put up with my outrageous bullshit."
"And I would do it again," she said softly, reaching up and caressing his face.
He cleared his throat again, and kissed her palm, "There's still a lot of work to do… Salem is still out there and we have a ton to still get through but I'm hoping you will still be with me…"
"Every step of the way my love…" she felt butterflies in her stomach, feeling a giddy suspicion as to what was happening.
"Um… I guess what I'm trying to say… or rather ask…" he got down on one knee and fished into his pocket producing a bright golden ring with ornate carvings of a dragon and a rose along the band, in its center was a ruby, about the size of a pea, the outer layer of it was encrusted in alexandrite gemstones.
He held it up to her, "W-we're both adults now so I can formally ask this. Ruby Rose?"
She made a small 'eep', her eyes tearing up from joy.
"Will you marry me?"
It took her less than a second, and with tears springing forth she tackled him in a hug, placing a passionate kiss on his lips, her face unable to keep from smiling. "YES! YES! YES! SO MUCH YES!"
Nova kissed her back also smiling uncontrollably, "R-Really?! HOLY SHIT SHE SAID YES!" he gasped as if he didn't believe she actually would.
"I mean… are you sure?! No takebacks?" he asked in disbelief.
She giggled, "Of course no takebacks dummy! There isn't a single person in the world I would want to spend my life with more than you. I know we're pretty young, I mean I'm eighteen and you're nineteen but for the shit, we've been through… I can with the utmost confidence that, yes Nova, I will marry you."
"Phew, I said it before but I'll say it again, Dragon's mate for life," he nuzzled her cheek.
She responded by kissing his nose, "And I wouldn't have it any other way. Where'd you get the ring by the way?"
"I made it~ It's crafted from that piece of Asura you had… sorry I had to melt it down."
She beamed, "This just makes it way more important to me… will you do the honors?" she held out her left hand.
Nova slid the ring onto her finger and it fit perfectly, and he swore it danced in the light of her eyes, he found himself staring.
"How do we tell the others?" she blushed while still holding him.
"We could tell them now… not sure if they're sober enough though…"
She giggled, "Not now silly, maybe tomorrow?"
"Oh? Then what now?" he asked confused.
She placed a long kiss on his lips, "I can think of something~"
AND THEY'RE BACK TOGETHER! I hope it was as sweet as everyone was hoping. Next up, I made a promise to write a NSFW chapter so... look out for that when it's done editing!
