The sky of remnant is generally a very clear one, only shrouded when nature takes its course or a Nevermore claims it as its territory. Today, the skies are home to one of Atlas militaries stellar flagships. Alongside the normal crew that maintains the order of the massive airship there is a fairly large group of Huntsmen-in-Training from the various schools gathered for the Vytal Festival Tournament in the next month. You, Dylan, RWBY, JNPR, ORKD, and plenty of other students are gathered on the bow. You're standing between Ruby and Dylan as everyone retains their attention on Ms. Goodwitch, who's leading this escapade.
"Reports showed that a large pack of Grimm were enclosing on the village down below. Atlesian Knights are already combatting the Grimm, and we will support them," Glynda prominently speaks.
You yawn, intertwine your hands behind your head, and slowly walk away from the pack. Your timing is just right so Glynda doesn't see you pass by her and reach her blind spot. Everyone in the group notices your departure and the majority keep watching you rather than looking at the speaker.
"I expect you to all work together. Remember, you signed up for this so there are no excuses," Glynda says, raising her finger to enforce her words. "Now…" She looks into everyone's eyes and notices their utter lack of attention towards her.
At the same time you reach the edge of the ship and look over the edge. All the way down is the village, Grimm, and robots. Just the sight of the black specks on the ground gets your heart pumping. You haven't had any action since your battle a week ago and you've been dying for something. Ruby and Weiss haven't even let you practice or take part of Glynda's class training. You swear they talked to Glynda because she hasn't even considered you when choosing battle partners. To that extent, you're surprised you even made it on this mission. Originally it was just you and ORKD, but the moment Dior mentioned it around Ruby she signed her team and JNPR up.
Still, the battle below seems mighty enticing. You look a little farther when…
"Mr. Slater, what are you doing?"
You quickly spin on your heel and smile innocently.
"Oh, nothing Ms. Goodwitch," you answer in a goody two-shoes tone. "Just looking at the fighting, you know, getting my bearings and everything."
Glynda rolls her eyes.
"I don't believe you. Come back here already."
You nod and take a step. Somehow your foot magically hovers over the ground and you start to fall backwards.
"Oh no, I'm falling. Noooooo," you sarcastically whine as you fall over the edge.
Glynda sighs, resting her head in her hands.
"Oh no, it was totally an accident!" You shout for everyone to hear.
Most of the students begin laughing at your antics, aside from Rogue, Ruby, Weiss, Dylan, and Blake.
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You plummet down to the ground, laughing at your own actions. You reach for your blade and realize it's not there.
Oh crap… right… we left them inside… well.
You flip over so you're facing the ship and throw your arm out.
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Returning to her students, the all the Huntsmen and Huntresses hear a rumbling in the ship. One of the doors finally open and a sheathed blade zooms through the crowd of students. Dylan leans his head to the side and dodges the sheathe passing him. He's dealt with that enough over the past week to know when that torture device is coming for him. It flies over the edge and straight down to you.
Dior smiles at his handiwork. Even being encased inside the ship, his genius allows the sheath to find you without causing major damage to the environment around it. Still, it's not a perfected craft yet.
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You spot your soulmate coming back to you after being separated for so long. Unfortunately it flies past you and towards the ground.
"Hey!" You whine, spinning back to facing the ground.
Unintentionally you move your wrist to the left which sends the sheath to the left. You raise your brow what you just saw. To your knowledge the sheath can only move forwards and backwards. A beautiful thought crawls into your head which you'll test right now. You flick your wrist to the right, and the sheath follows your command.
"Oh… oh hohoho… that's awesome. I love you," you gleefully say as you retract the sheath to you and give it a quick kiss.
You hold your sheath in your hand as you scan the area below. As far as you can see you don't spot any of Atlas' robots fighting the Grimm. Unfortunate for the people down there, but at least you don't have to worry about any metal heads possibly shooting at you. You do take interest in a King Taijitu prominently roaming through the large village.
"Target acquired. Alright, how do I do this? Should I say something as I land? Hm… I know Nora would be all like, 'SMASH!" Ruby would… hm, I do sorta like Nora's idea, though."
You unsheathe your blade and throw the sheath ahead of you, pushing it farther and faster with the glove. The sheath starts inching closer and closer towards the sound barrier as you push it to its limits. Finally it lands right on the white head of the Grimm, pinning it to the ground. You follow suite, landing closer to the Grimm's neck and cutting its head clean off in one fatal swoop. The ground below you crashes at your arrival, but you're unaffected thanks to your aura. You dance the blade between your fingers as you unstick your sheath from your target before it disappears.
"Meh, I like the silent entry. Not like anything about that was silent," you chuckle.
The majority of the pack turns their attention to you, which gives you a clearer idea of what you're dealing with. The majority are Beowolves with an Ursa littered here and there. To your surprise there's a Goliath further in the back. It's no problem for you, though, but this makes it clear why Ironwood's toys all got trampled. You won't be taken down so easily, though.
"Alright," you shout, gathering the attention of the Grimm. "I'm happy you all enjoyed your entrees, but the meal is about to begin. If you need a moment to prepare, please do so. I have all day."
As you speak the other half of the King Taijitu prepares to attack. Evidently you forgot the second head during your entrance, and it's making full use of that. It readies itself then strikes, engulfing you in its mouth. Instead of it feeling a human struggling to free itself, the Grimm feels someone standing atop its head.
"Well, looks like someone's impatient. Hungry, huh?" You chuckle. "But gluttony is frowned upon, big guy," you tap your foot on his head.
The King Taijitu throws his head around to try and shake you off, but you decide to get off on your own accord. You leap off of him, executing a few extravagant flips as you unsheathe your sword. You assure you descend atop an unsuspecting Beowolf and drive your blade into it as you land. The Taijitu pursues you instantly, pushing past a few Beowolves to make you its dinner. You slide under the head of the snake holding your sword up so the snake voluntarily tears its underside open as it attacks you. You unstick your sword and roll onto your side, flipping a few times to gain distance and get to your feet. The Taijitu disappears second after.
"See, that's what happens when you," you move your hand behind you and expertly stab a Beowolf through the maw as it attempts to get you from behind. "Are too eager, sheesh," you turn yourself around to see the dead Beowolf. "Did you NOT see the lesson your friend just demonstrated. I mean, I always ignore lessons, but, hey, Slaters' gonna Slate," you shake your head with a smile.
The herd of Beowolves growl at you as they circle your position. You smile at them all. This is going to be your kind of fun. You attract your sheath to your side, holding both segments of your weapon.
"Alright, let's see what I can do with this."
You jump forward, flipping around so your feet are facing the Beowolf. You kick him right in the stomach and push him to the ground, now standing on it. You swiftly decapitate it then leap back towards the oncoming group. They leap for you but only manage to grab shrouds of shadow where you once were. You stand behind then, patting your mouth as you yawn. You toss the sheath and begin controlling it, making it pass by a Beowolf and latch onto its stomach, pulling it closer to you. You steady your blade horizontally as you drag the Beowolf towards it.
"How low can you go?" You chant to yourself, having fun with it all.
The sheath pushes past your blade and cuts the Beowolf in two, both halves flopping near your location.
"Hm… not very low, apparently." You look up and see a Beowolf leaping for you. "Whaop!"
You step to the side, completely dodging the Beowolf's attack. You look back to the village and notice many of the Grimm are still focused on it. You need to draw their attention away and to you, even if that does mean more Grimm following you. You step on top of one a building and scan the area. Most of them are in on condensed area with one or two littered about. All you have to do is gather their attention. Easy enough; you're a professional in the field of annoyance. You leap high into the air and throw your sheath down. Oddly enough the Ursa you were aiming at looks up with his mouth open, allowing your sheath to enter his body fluently.
"Oh, huh… that actually works out."
You flick your wrist to the side to send the Ursa flying into a group of Beowolves, crushing some of them between a building and the spiky Ursa. You flip your whole body frontwards as you send him in that direction, zooming away into another Ursa. You land between a few Grimm and easily dispatch them with a quick crescent slice, cutting the Beowolves down to size. You spot the Goliath marching towards you and decide to have a little fun with it. You take the Ursa and start slamming it into the Goliath's face over and over. You start laughing as you do this purely due to how funny it looks.
"If Dylan could see me now… Haha, he'd totally-"
You front flip high into the air, dodging a Beowolf. You throw your hand towards him so the Ursa collides with him and hits another group like a bowling ball. You land above the Goliath's trunk and spring off of it, knocking it back a foot or two. You step over the Ursa and Beowolf, coming down on them with a spinning attack. The Ursa dissipates and your sheath returns to your belt.
"You complete me," you smile, looking down at your accessory.
Being a true threat to the Grimm, they all begin to converge on your location. You roll your wrist as you see all the Beowolves, the two remaining Ursas, and the Goliath close in on your position. All you can do is smile at the sight.
"You know, I'd absolutely love to just mess around with you guys but I'm sure my fellow students will be landing any minute now, and… well I think you'd rather be killed by me then some of those other ones. That Rogue girl, for instance, she can be quite scary, believe you me." You huff, puffing your cheeks at the dreaded thoughts.
Of course the Grimm care little for what you say and instead opt to rip you apart. Beowolves howl before getting on all fours and charge you. You snicker at their actions and decide to stop messing around. You step to the outside of their circle and dash forwards. You swing your sword with expert precision as you cut through half a dozen Beowolves before making your way back to the center. You keep sliding across the ground as you approach more Beowolves. You switch to a reverse grip style and proceed from there. You step above the first Beowolf, spin yourself forward, and cut the Beowolf evenly in two. You turn around and cut another Beowolf's arm off, then follow the momentum for a swift decapitation. You leap towards one, kicking it in the stomach then springing off his face to drill into another's stomach.
The Goliath charges you, catching both you and the Beowolf in his tusk and throwing you into the air. You push off the Beowolf and smirk.
"Ha! You didn't even-"
A large caw erupts from behind you, drawing your attention. A Nevermore comes down upon you, catching you in its beak. You manage to lock yourself in its maw by holding its top beak with your left arm and pressing down with your feet.
"Very clever, I didn't even see you," you compliment.
You wind your arm back and slice in its maw, releasing a sonic wave into the Grimm. The Nevermore struggles to remain in the air, which gives you a chance to jump out of its mouth. You land easier than the Nevermore did, but you're immediately attacked by more Grimm.
The waves keep coming, but they never even get a hit on you. You soon come to a point where more Grimm have arrived, attracted by the battle. You scan the overwhelming force of Grimm around you to see how many new arrivals there are. You need to finish this fast or Ms. Goodwitch will have your head. You stand up straight, casually, and toss Crimson Blaze into your left hand.
"I guess you've done well enough to earn this. Normally I wouldn't have to use a technique this powerful on Grimm like you, but…" You breathe in through your teeth as you continue your jester-like act. "I'm on a tight schedule. I'm sure you all understand."
You cut your hand then return Crimson Blaze to it. Blood flows through the blade and shifts the black steel into a deep crimson look. You twirl the blade in your hand once more until it's facing the ground, then you plunge it deep into the earth. Blood seeps out from the blade onto the ground, expanding until it encompasses all the Grimm around you. You look up at the Grimm in front of you and smile.
"Begone."
The red floor erupts in near invisible spikes of blood that tears through every Grimm at such a rapid pace. They howl as their bodies are torn apart by the unstoppable barrage of blood coming from their feet. Within ten seconds all the Grimm are torn to shreds, with what's left quickly evaporating. You pull your blade out of the ground and sheathe it.
"Yep, still uses a lot of blood. Good thing I don't need that for anything else, like… ha… aaaaaaah thank god Yang isn't here," you whisper under your breath.
You intertwine your fingers behind your head and relax. All you have to wait for is everyone to arrive and you'll be fine… or you could just return to Beacon before Ms. Goodwitch catches you. That'd keep you alive for a few more hours, at least. The idea does sound solid in you-
"Mr. Slater," a prominent, angry voice shouts.
Your body tenses and your eyes shoot open. You slowly look towards the source where Ms. Goodwitch and the rest of the students are. The young ones are all laughing at your impending destruction.
"O-Oh heeeeeeey," you smile, letting your hands fall only to clap as you approach them. "I'm sooooo glad you found me, like, I fell… and then there were Grimm. I mean, I fell! I know!" You throw your arms in the air, then cross them and shake your head. "I really have to work on my balance; it's severely lacking."
You open one eye and look up at Ms. Goodwitch. Her arms are crossed with one finger tapping on her arm. She's staring at you with no mercy or belief. You close your eye, hoping that if you don't see her she can't see you.
"Hey… where are the Grimm?" One student points out as they examine the area.
"Or the General's Knights?" Another brings up.
"I did nothing to the Knights!" You shout, raising one hand but keeping your eyes closed.
"And the Grimm?" Someone shouts from the back.
Everyone who knows you, including ORKD and Ms. Goodwitch, know the answer to that question. You open your eyes and move your hands to your hips.
"I talked to'em. Nice ones, actually. We're going on an ice-cream date tomorrow."
"So you'll take them on a date, huh?"
"Rogue," you huff, holding the bridge of your nose. "Now? Really..?"
"He took me on a date," Ruby smugly smiles.
"DON'T MAKE THIS WORSE FOR ME!" You explode.
Ms. Goodwitch clears her throat, gathering the attention of everyone.
"Well, it seems we only served to provide a trip outside the Kingdom for you. Everyone return to the ship. You, Mr. Slater," she turns to you with a venomous look. "We will speak once we're back at the school."
You hunch your shoulders, pouting. Ruby approaches you and pats your arm.
"You tried."
"I always do. Welp," you roll your shoulders then wrap an arm around your shorter girlfriend. "Guess we should go. I can tell you how I totally made friends with all those Grimm."
Ruby giggles.
"Oh, I can't wait to hear it."
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"You jumped off my airship?" Ironwood repeats in disbelief.
You shrug in an over exaggerated manner.
"I mean… to be fair nobody was down there anyway. I took charge of the situation, I'd say," you respond, smacking your chest like a soldier.
Ironwood and Ozpin share a look, then return their gaze to you. They're both serious and, admittedly, intimidating, making you shrink in your seat.
"(Y/N), I realize you like to do things on your own… which is why I'm going to send you on a mission as punishment," Ozpin decides.
You scratch your head at his words.
"I… okay? How does this… what am I going to be doing?"
"There's someone who needs an escort, and they've requested some professionals. You'll be sent alongside another team to escort him through Vale to the border of Vacuo where you'll trade him off."
You stand up and stretch your arms in the air.
"Sounds simple enough. Can I guess the team?" Ozpin lightly shrugs, giving you the okay. "Team RWBY?"
Ozpin shakes his head.
"No. You'll be alongside team JNPR for this mission."
"Oh… well, that's still cool," you say, spinning on your heel and heading to the elevator.
"Remember, (Y/N). Jaune is your leader. You can't go around making decisions for the group."
You spin around, saluting while facing Ozpin, then return to your path. You enter the elevator and let it take you away.
Ozpin rests his head in his hands, huffing. Ironwood merely chuckles.
"I have a feeling he'll do well in the tournament."
"Yes, but I have a feeling that he won't let his partner do anything." Ozpin leaves his chair and looks out his window. "He may have learned the lesson but he's had a hard time applying it. He still can't function in a team properly."
Ironwood moves beside Ozpin, holding one hand in the other behind his back.
"That is a lesson even Jet perfected. But, you never know. He is still a kid, and maybe you can teach him a thing or two?" Ozpin raises his brow at his old friend. "Well," Ironwood begins to clarify. "He is 'your son.' Would it not be fitting for a father to teach their son?"
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You casually march your way through the grounds of Beacon, avoiding Rogue at all costs, and return to your building. You head straight for JNPRs dorm and, once there, knock on the door. Pyrrha is the one to answer.
"Hello!" She greets, cheery as always.
"Heya, Pyrrha! So apparently I'm accompanying you on your next mission."
"Oh, well I was just about to join my team to go."
"Lucky me, huh. May I walk with such an elegant and beautiful woman like yourself?" You ask, changing your voice and bowing in front of the Spartan.
Pyrrha giggles.
"Of course, I'd love your company."
You and Pyrrha leave the dorm and make your way out of the building and towards the airpad where a Bullhead is waiting. You wave at Jaune, Nora, and Ren who are waiting for their last teammate. Of course Nora is blabbering on about something or another, but she's cut off by Ren when he sees you coming.
"Hello, (Y/N), Seeing us off?"
You shake your head.
"No, actually. I'm tagging along for your mission!"
"Oh, cool!" Jaune pipes up. "We get to see the two best in action!"
"Well, hopefully our journey won't be filled with battle," Pyrrha laughs.
"Well, if it is then maybe (Y/N) can do what he did earlier," Jaune chuckles.
You wave your finger in front of Jaune in a scorning manner
"Hatatata, don't get lazy on my account, Jaune. I might just fight you guys along the way to keep you on edge."
Jaune looks at you with slight terror.
"You… you're kidding, right?"
You dramatically shrug, walking to the Bullhead.
"We'll see," you chuckle. "Come on, let's get it going."
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The Bullhead sets down outside Vale at a small outpost for Beacon Academy Huntsmen. An outpost is giving it some credit, though. It's more just a clearing with a single tent. Apparently the teacher is always there for students but you've never heard of this girl before… then again you didn't ask for their name. You were told that the convoy had already started moving and you five are supposed to catch up to it.
That's what you're doing right now. The five of you run, Jaune being at the head of the group with Nora and Ren opposite to each other in the middle, followed by you and Pyrrha paralleling them. It's fairly easy to navigate thanks to the linear dirt road and Ren noting the fresh tracks. It takes you guys little time to catch up to the convoy, as Jaune spots it going up a small hill. It's very simple looking, being a horse drawn carriage covered in a white fabric. You all pick up the pace to catch up, which is a simple task seeing as they're moving at a relatively slow pace.
"Hey!" Jaune calls out as your group catches up.
The horse slow to a stop and a man hops out of the front. He pets the horse before meeting with you all. He's of average height, being only a bit taller than you, with proper black hair and slightly darker complexion. His clothing opposes his hair, however, as he's wearing extremely casual clothing that blends well with the mode of transportation.
"Oh, you must be the Huntsmen assigned to me," he smiles, taking the time to shake everyone's hand. "My name's Neru. I assume you already know your task?"
"We're to escort you to the border," Jaune confidently answers.
"As simple as jobs go, eh?" Neru chuckles. "Well, get in the back. I'll drive for now," he says as he makes his way back to the front. "Oh, does anyone here know how to drive a carriage?"
You raise your hand.
"Yeah, I can."
Neru clicks his tongue, smiling at you.
"Then we'll be trading places when the night comes. Get some rest."
He saddles up in the driver's seat whilst the five of you find space under the fabric. It's not very spacious, but there's room for three people to sit and two to lie down. You hop in first, laying down on one of the makeshift beds.
"Ah, this'll be a cake walk," you declare as you get comfy in your seat.
Ren, Nora, and Jaune sit along the sides. Pyrrha lays next to you, placing her weapons beside her.
"Hopefully it will be a smooth mission. I'll get some rest too and help guard during the night," Pyrrha plans.
"Right. The rest of us will take care of things until then."
You set Crimson Blaze between you and Pyrrha, resting it with her weapons. You lay on your back and rest your head on your hands.
"Hey Neru, can I ask a question?" You shout loud enough for him to hear it.
"Sure, go ahead."
"Why do you need a guard, anyway?"
JNPR look between you and Neru during the awkward silence. Originally they assumed it was in case of Grimm, but his silence places slight doubt in all of them.
"Well… you know, Grimm, bandits; the roads aren't too safe anymore."
You close your eyes.
"Alright, just curious."
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Already someone starts shaking you, disrupting your sleeping. You just closed your eyes and people are already annoying you. You open your eyes and look at Pyrrha, the one shaking you. Immediately you notice the darkness around you, contrary to the light that surrounded you mere minutes ago.
"It's our turn. Come on," she whispers.
You look around and see Nora and Ren laying down on either side, with Jaune being where Pyrrha once was. You rub your eyes as you get on your knees, turning towards the driver's seat.
"Sheesh, I must have slept like a baby," you yawn, moving out of the back.
Neru notices you coming and quickly scoots out of the way. You take his place, grabbing the ropes and getting a handle on the horse.
"They're at a steady pace so far. You'll have to give the horse a break in a few hours for some rest. She'll let you know," he smiles.
You nod to acknowledge his words, so he slips into the back and takes your bed. Pyrrha leaves the back and sits beside you, taking a look around the area.
"It's peaceful at night."
"Yeah, I guess so," you chuckle. "Perhaps we're just lucky. Either way, I'm sure you and me could take down any Grimm that attack."
"Indeed, though from what you displayed earlier you don't need us," she teases. You both chuckle but silence quickly returns only to be broken by Pyrrha. "Why do you act on your own, (Y/N)? You have a teammate in Dylan, and you have friends in us."
You huff, keeping an eye on the road.
"Force of habit, maybe?" You answer, looking at Pyrrha for a moment with a shy smile, then return your eyes to the road. "Or maybe because I couldn't sit back and wait for everyone. I mean, I took them all out before you all got there. Hell, I could have killed them all long before if I wasn't… messing around," you preach.
"Or maybe you wanted to get away from Rogue?" Pyrrha giggles.
"Huh… you heard about that?" You ask, contorting your face.
"I did. Seems you have very interesting admirers."
"Well, only two, really."
Pyrrha lightly shakes her head, laughing internally at the obliviousness of you and Jaune. It's definitely a guy thing, but it adds to both of your charm for sure.
"Still, maybe waiting for your friends would be a better idea. What would happen if things went bad?"
You lick your bottom lip as your eyes drift to the left, opposite Pyrrha.
"It… won't. I mean come on, Pyrrha, you're talking about me!" You speak in a more confident tone. "The only thing I can die from is Ruby and them. No Grimm can take me down. Same goes for you, you know," you turn to her, smiling. "People say you're close to a one woman army too. What could beat you?"
"You," she quickly answers.
You pout.
"Fair point. Hehe, just makes me think…"
"About?" Pyrrha tilts her head as she asks.
"I wonder who could beat us if we worked together."
Pyrrha hoists her elbow on her leg and taps her chin.
"Hm… I don't know. Probably all your jealous admirers."
You both laugh.
"Yeah, I wouldn't want to see Little Red angry. Who knows what she would do."
"I'd be more worried about Yang if I were you."
"They both scare me, honestly," you smirk.
You and Pyrrha continue talking for some time as the journey goes on. Thankfully no Grimm attack you for the entire ride. Funny enough, after a few hours, Pyrrha falls asleep on you, her head resting on your shoulder. You don't really mind it since you can take care of the driving and, worst comes to worst, you can wake her up at any point. The only problem now is that horse is becomes restless. You immediately think back to what Neru said and realize it's time to take a break. You lead the horse off the path and into a clearing right beside the stone road for a rest.
You carefully lay Pyrrha along the bench so she can sleep, then hop off. You free the horse of all its constraints and let it find a spot to sleep. As it does that, you grab some of the supplies tied along the side of the wagon. You really don't know if this is where the horse's food is, but it's just an educated guess. You shuffle through the bags on the left side, finding rations more fitting for humans and Faunus rather than a horse. You leap to the other side where you find more fitting food for your companion.
Grabbing some food and water, you make your way to the horse and lay it all out for him. Surprisingly the horse doesn't care for the food right away. Instead its ears are up as it scans the area. You rub its side, looking around.
"You alright, buddy? Is something out there?" You ask, keeping the horse as calm as you can.
Soon enough the horse looks down at his provided meal and digs in. You shrug it off as you keep petting the beast. You leave it soon after and lean against the wagon, eyes closed but mind wide open. Everyone but you is asleep so you're the only guardian of this camp.
So you remain silent, practicing something you haven't done in a long time – spatial awareness. True, you're always using this, but your current situation provides a perfect time to practice. You take in a deep breath and really open your mind. You imagine your entire surroundings from memory. The horse eating away, which you can still hear. The slight snores of your peers inside the wagon helps your imagination. The short tweets of the birds, rustling of small animals through the trees. Everything adds to your perception of the environment. You can imagine everything within a fair distance, even if creatures move or leaves break off from their branch. You know and see it all.
This is one of your favourite techniques you learned whilst in Atlas, and it was a stepping stone to your advanced shadow sparing which you haven't done in a while. You were somewhat of a prodigy when it comes to spatial awareness, which, now having your semblance, seems like that talent was a hint to your eventual Shadow Transmission. That could be another reason why you managed to master your ability so quickly, despite what Ms. Goodwitch says.
So you remain as silent and as still as possible whilst the world around you proceeds as normal. You have no idea how much time passes before you hear the horse awaken from its sleep. You open your eyes and approach the horse to see how she's feeling. You quickly refill her water and food, which she consumes rather quickly. With the horse rested you saddle up and hit the road once more though you take an awkward position at the helm to let Pyrrha sleep peacefully.
It's a silent ride until the sun starts to rise and your crew begin to rustle in their sleep. Pyrrha is the first to wake. She pushes herself up into a sitting position then wipes her eyes.
"Oh… I fell asleep…" She yawns.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. We're almost there, anyway."
Pyrrha looks back into the wagon and sees everyone start to slowly wake up.
"No trouble last night?" Neru speaks in a groggy voice.
"Not at all. In fact, your horse picked up the pace. We should be there… meh, in an hour. Maybe less."
Immediately you hear a shot from the trees and feel the wagon shake.
"Or earlier," you huff, setting the ropes aside and leaping off the wagon and landing closer to the forest.
"(Y/N)!" Pyrrha shouts, grabbing her weapons and hopping out of the back.
"Don't bother, Pyrrha. You four stay with Neru and get him to the checkpoint. I'll deal with these ones."
Jaune exits next, positioned beside Pyrrha.
"But we're supposed to-"
"Do you want to waste time?" You shout, glaring back at him.
You raise your hand causing Crimson Blaze to fly out of the wagon over everyone's heads and landing right in your hand. You swing your sheathed blade, blocking another bullet headed for the wagon.
"I'll catch up later. Go!"
Jaune rests his hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, getting her attention.
"He's right, we should keep moving."
Pyrrha looks back to you with slight worry. You can take care of yourself, but… She shakes her head and heads into the wagon. Neru takes the helm, snapping the ropes to make his horse gallop.
Two men leave the forest, both dressed in black leather. The first and most notable one is around your height with short, messy ginger hair and sparkling blue eyes. He doesn't look special at all, but something about him catches your eye. He has two golden pistols on each hand. The other has a facemask that only reveals his brown eyes.
"So much for that, Vani," the masked one remarks.
"It's fine. We'll kill this one and chase him."
You drop your sword, letting it attach to your hip. You cross your arms and lean forward, a wide smile on your face.
"Oh man, I can't believe you guys are bad. Your outfits are soooooo incognito," you joke.
Vani rolls his eyes before aiming one pistol at you and fires. To their surprise you evaporate into shadows.
Vani raises his brow at your disappearance.
"You know…" Vani and the masked one look behind them, seeing you leaning against a tree. "Your aim could be better. That wouldn't have hit me if I didn't move."
Vani growls, aiming both pistols at you and unloading. Once again you leap out of the way, appearing right above Vani, legs spread over the guns. You tap his head lightly with your knuckles, clicking your tongue each tap. Vani pulls back his arm to fire at you, but you're gone by the time he's ready.
You appear in front the masked assailant with your back to him. With one swift movement you backhand him, sending the poor fellow flying through the air until he slams into a tree. You look behind you and sigh.
"A one pump chump, huh?" You shake your head. "Shame."
You look back to Vani with a playful smirk.
"What about you? How many will it take?"
Vani growls, aiming at you yet again and unloading. You chuckle, stepping towards him in a zig-zag pattern whilst he tries to get a shot on you. Finally you disappear from sight leaving the shooter to frantically look around for you.
"Who do you think you are?" He snarls. "You think you can make a fool out of Vani-La Tawny?"
"Probabl- no, most definitely," you nod, appearing right in front of him.
Vani hisses through his teeth before swinging his gun at you.
"Oh, my shoe's untied," you comment, kneeling down right before it hits you.
Vani uses his other gun to try and smash your skull in, but you leap a few feet away.
"Phew, sorry, I needed to do that."
Vani attempts to run at you, but his feet get caught and he falls flat on his face. From the dirt he can hear you laughing from your belly. He flips over and looks at his feet. They're tied together.
"I… I… oh my god that was the best thing I've ever seen," you manage to say before bursting into even more laughter.
Vani shoots his laces, freeing him from your childish trap, then turns to fire at you. You're not there, of course, so he quickly gets to his feet, aiming his guns in both directions to cover the most ground. His heart is racing and his breath is heavy. He has no idea what kind of power you have or how you're managing to make such a fool out of him. Nobody's been able to match him like this before, and you're acting like an idiot who isn't even trying.
"People really never do look up, do they?"
Vani looks up, seeing you suspended in the air. Your feet are latched onto your sheath while you push it away from you. It's a perfect balance that keeps you hanging in the air, though your jacket and shirt are suffering too. Vani points his guns at you and fires. Instead of using your semblance, you let yourself fall to evade the bullets. Vani predicts where you'll land and fires there instead.
You spin your body as you land, the bullets grazing your clothing. You land on one hand, then spring yourself back and onto your feet, a smile still plastered on your face.
"You know, I really don't have to use Shadow Transmission all that much, but it's REALLY funny to see you act up like you are."
"What are you?" He shouts, his veins showing through his skin from frustration.
You attach your weapon to your belt then shrug.
"I'm just… (Y/N). I'm also the one who was tasked with guarding the man you attacked, so…"
"You don't understand. It's my job to kill that man."
You let your arms fall to your side as you give an intimidating smile.
"And it's my job to protect him. I wonder who's gonna fulfill their contract."
Vani sneers at your words, but the truth is laid out. This is a botched mission with you in the way; not to mention those other two he saw with Neru. Vani holsters his guns and looks to you.
"Are you going to kill me?"
You laugh, waving your arm at him.
"No way, just piss off and we're good. Make sure to take Mr. One Pump with you too," you request as you start walking to where the cart had raced off to. "Nice meeting you, Mr. Vani-La Tawny. Maybe we'll fight again sometime… and maybe your aim'll be a bit better," you mention, looking back at him with a wink.
You take a few more steps before leapinga few miles ahead. You hear a commotion behind you so you turn around to face it. You're immediately faced with a running horse.
"GAH!"
You jump to the side, narrowly avoiding a head on collision. The horse slows down and so does the wagon it hauls. You and Neru stare at each other in complete silence.
"Heya."
"How… did you…"
You wave your hand at him.
"Oh, you know, secret Slater magic," you answer as you hop in the back of the wagon.
The wagon starts moving once again as you take a seat next to Ren.
"I assume you handled it well?" Ren speaks.
"Oh, yeah, it was easy."
"I'm glad you came out of it okay. Are you sure you don't want to rest until we get there?" Pyrrha says.
You shrug, slipping off the bench and onto the floor.
"Sure, why not."
You settle into one of the bed rolls and rest.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
When you finally start feeling something it's… odd. For some reason you feel like a baby or a child. Your eyes slowly open and the first thing you see is Pyrrha, from a low angle. You start to look around more and realize you're actually being carried by the Spartan.
"Um… Pyrrha?"
"AH!" She yelps in fear, accidenttaly dropping you.
"Ow," you whine, rubbing just above your tail bone.
"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha whines, holding her hands close to her mouth.
You stand up, still rubbing, and look around. All of JNPR is here but there's no wagon.
"What happened?" You ask.
"We made it to the checkpoint, but there was nothing to pick us up. We're… walking," Jaune sighs.
"You wouldn't wake up so we had to carry you!" Nora elaborates further. "I wanted to do it at first but nobody would let me."
You raise an eyebrow to which Ren quickly answers.
"She's not quite as gentle as Pyrrha," he whispers.
You rub your eyes, nodding your head in acknowledgement.
"Well, I guess I'll bring us back…" You huff. "Five people… I think I can do it. Load up."
All of JNPR rest their hands on your shoulders, two on each. You close your eyes and dissociate yourself from your body, flying through nature to find your destination. In less than a minute you lock-on to Vale. It's not quite as far as you thought, making you wonder how long Pyrrha was carrying you for. Either way, you leap the group back to Vale. You instantly fall to your knee, breathing heavily.
"Are you okay?" Jaune asks, kneeling down beside you.
"Yeah… yeah… I just… that was a lot, you know?" You smirk, though in obvious distress.
You push yourself off your knee and stand once more.
"We'll report to Ozpin. You get some rest," Pyrrha suggests, to which her team agrees to.
You nod.
"Alright, I think I'll-"
"Oh, (Y/N)!" Yang shouts, running towards your group. "Just who I was looking for! I have a favour I want to ask!"
You scratch your nose and yawn once more before answering.
"Oh? What's up?"
"Well, I want to practice firing at multiple targets. I was wondering if you could use your Shadow-thing to help out. Ice Queen doesn't want to 'waste Dust on such a menial task,'" Yang mocks Weiss. "And Blake's semblance won't do the trick here."
You sigh, rubbing the back of your neck.
"I mean… I guess I can. Short range shouldn't be too much of a problem."
Yang smiles, punching your arm.
"Thanks. Lets get going!" She says, beckoning you to follow as she starts walking away.
"Why do I get the feeling you just want to shoot at me because I'm dating Little Red?"
"Whaaaaat? No way. Besides, you're supposed to dodge. That being said if I manage to get you, well, that's totally your fault and I won't be held responsible for that. Just dodge, okay?" She smiles after sadistically speaking.
You nervously chuckle, hoping you can actually dodge in your current state. You give a quick wave to your other friends before heading to your doom.
Alrighty guys, I hope you enjoyed! Believe it or not this was an important chapter. You might not know why now, but you will later on. I'm going to do a few of these… more fun chapters, I'll say. That's not saying the regular chapters aren't fun, because they are, but these are just little fun, condensed stories that I can mess with. That being said the Grimm Eclipse story line is coming soon as well. After seeing what the game has to offer story-wise I know there will be some major changes. Just, uh, think of it as the Crimson Shadow version of Grimm Eclipse, or the non-game version. You won't be fighting waves of enemies every two minutes, don't worry.
Also this is my first chapter after Volume 4's finale! I won't say anything incase any of you only watch it on YouTube, but I have all of Volume 4 planned out already. It… really wasn't a hard one to plan for, to be honest. If anything I'm just hyped for Volume 5. I'm actually most happy that we got to see what Mistral looks like! It's probably the most intriguing city out of the four, to me, and I can't wait to explore that place. But alas, we're only in Volume 2.5 so we're far from that. Let's just hope I don't catch up to the show, else Crimson Shadow will be put on hold.
Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this little adventure. I'll see you all next time!
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