Ok, I think I am so going to try and go to Anime Boston this year. The anime crew I was a part of in High School planned on trying to go several times, but we never did, or they went without me. I can't remember, since they kept on watching Adventure Time with Finn and Jake, Which is NOT Anime, but an American cartoon and a real stupid one, in my opinion. Shame though, I probably missed out seeing more Gundam, Area 88 and other anime that I like. Maybe even heard about Sword Art Online earlier. Man, I really feel old, but I like what I like no matter how old I am. Hope I get a few good pics to post on DeviantArt account.
Anyway, time for another story-based chapter before I break off with another battle chapter with new Grimm. Grimm that I might add are based on aliens from another series. So, until then there isn't going to be any action until next chapter.
Also, Five Hundred reviews!? YEAH!
Ok, onto the reviews.
54godamora: Funny you should mention Trigger, because he's coming back along with Neo, the Galm Team and Mickey next chapter, along with the project that the two of them are working on. Maybe even Pyrrha. Here's a hint, it has to do with their armor. Still, the idea about his semblance does give me an idea. Now in regard to Salem and her immortality, what's to say that her immortality will keep her alive in space or if she loses her head? Though, in my opinion, I think that the Gods must have left a secret weapon in the form of Silver Eyes.
Monster King: Thanks
Luffy L Deathwalker: Like I said, I didn't know about that Skillet song or album. I haven't been keeping up with music for a while. I'm afraid Ozpin's secret will remain a secret for the moment since Faye is currently assisting the colonel in the MSDF.
Spartan-626: Damn right Raven is a terrible mother. It's one of the reasons I hate her. I won't spoil anything about the new Grimm, other than they are from another of my favorite movies.
Ok, onto the story.
Disclaimers are the same as usual.
Chapter 69: Rest and Resolutions
The dinner table was abuzz with activity as the current members of Team's RWBY, JNPR and GARM all talked over each other indistinctly while the clones, Joan, Ahsoka and Kara sat quietly. With the kids laughing and smiling, even Crosshair smiled at the sight while he ate his own food. "How do you lose your map at a time like that?" he heard Yang laugh.
"Believe me, I asked myself the same thing ever since." Jaune said embarrassed.
"I still can't believe my brother is a Jedi!" Joan said in amazement.
"Wait? You're a Jedi Jaune?" Weiss asked.
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm a full-fledged Jedi, I only just realized I was connected to the Force months ago." Jaune clarified, smiling at his progress.
"Hey, but you made up for it, Mister Muscles! You should've seen this guy take a giant Grimm head on!" Nora exclaimed.
"I couldn't have done it without Ruby, Galen and Qrow wearing it down." Jaune clarified.
"Uh, me? Did you see Ren during that fight? He was out of control!" Ruby reminded the group.
"I'm sorry, I may have lost my temper momentarily." Ren apologized before Ruby clarified that saying he went out of control meant he was awesome. "Well, thank you."
"You think that's awesome; you should have seen Galen take on a whole horde of Grimm singlehandedly, even a Geist made up of multiple wrecked military vehicles. Kid sure lives up to the title of Demon Lord!" Wrecker laughed.
"I just did what I had to do. Besides, I wasn't going to let that settlement get overrun by Grimm and I wasn't alone." Galen said in agreement, giving a glance to Hunter and his squad. "I had some of the best clone commandos alongside me."
"Damn, I wish I could have seen that." March commented in amazement.
As dinner continued, Weiss told her story about her accidental summoning of a Boarbatusk at the charity ball her father held. "You did not!" Ruby gasped as Weiss held her face in her hands.
"Yeah, right in the middle of the party." Weiss clarified.
"Please tell me you let that lady have it." Yang asked.
"Of course not! Even if I did really want to." Weiss answered.
"No way, I don't believe it." Nora said with her arms crossed, skeptical to Weiss's claim. She soon believed the former heiress when they summoned their Boarbatusk next to the orange haired girl, growling and causing her to yelp and fall to her side. Everybody laughed at this.
"You want to hear something funny? The moment after her father disinherited her and confided her to her room. Hevy gave Jacque a black eye, dislocated his shoulder, twisted his arm and kicked him right in the crotch! Hah! I bet a lot of people have been wanting to do that to the old man for a long time!" Hardcase said with a laugh, while Jaune put his hands over his own crotch at the mention of a nut shot.
"Hey! The bastard was asking for it, especially after he called Arthur an animal and a terrorist. Guy has no respect for anyone but himself." Hevy stated.
"I agree with you there, Hevy was it?" Kara said in agreement. "My father and I went to Atlas a few times because Weiss's father wanted to buy the patents for my rifle, but he refused. That man tried every dirty trick in the book to try and get the weapon, but my father refused every time, no matter how much money he was offered."
"It sounds like your father was a man of morals and didn't care about money. He certainly would give Lott Dod and Tambor a run for their credits. They'd probably have a field day with him." Ahsoka said to Kara.
As dinner drew to a close, Yang showed off her prosthetic arm to the rest of the group who all reacted in awe. "It's not a replacement for the real thing, but I'll make sure to make good use of it." Yang told her friends. "Plus, it's got some really nifty blades March and his sister installed, made of that metal those Mandalorian's use for their armor." She added.
"That's amazing." Jaune said.
"Incredible." Ren added.
"I've always heard about Mandalorian's from my Master, but I don't think I've ever met a real Mandalorian before. Well, you could count Boba and the others, even if they are clones of a Mandalorian." Kara said in awe, looking at the prosthetic.
"Beskar is one of the strongest metals in the galaxy. It's not that easy to break. Trust me, I know it better than anyone. Mandalorian's use it for their armor, weapons and many other things. They are pretty protective about it being given to someone who isn't of Mandalorian blood, unless they have proven themselves worthy of wearing it." Ahsoka told them.
Ruby went all starry-eyed and quickly zoomed over to her sisters' side to admire her arm and even held it. "And it's just as strong?" she asked.
"Sure is." Yang said with confidence. Shortly after that, they heard a bang on the table where Nora had her arm out ready for an arm wrestle.
"Wanna bet?" she challenged, much to Weiss's protest which fell on deaf ears and the two brawlers of both first-year teams began to arm wrestle. Jaune, March and Ren were cheering for Nora while Ruby and Wrecker were cheering for Yang.
"Don't let her beat you! You can do it! Come on!" Jaune cheered.
"You can do this! Show 'em what Team JNPR's made of!" Ren shouted.
"C'mon, sis! Aw you can't lose to a girl in a skirt!" Ruby cheered for Yang, with Weiss reminding her she also wore a skirt. "Weiss, you're not cheering loud enough!" she shouted to her teammate, shaking Weiss who was still frowning.
"Come on Yang! Show 'em why they call you a brawler!" Wrecker cheered.
Both Yang and Nora weren't giving each other an inch, until Yang's arm made a noise and suddenly detached from Yang, sending Nora into the wall holding the detached arm who after groaning looked in concern that she was holding Yang's arm, screaming and throwing it away while Yang had a smug grin on her face, catching her arm. "Did she… win?" Jaune asked.
"Ok! I'm fighting the winner!" Wrecker exclaimed, readying his own hand for a match, but Yang refused. "Aw man! Come on!"
After cleaning up the dishes, all the students noticed that they had come a long since their time at Beacon. Yang wasn't as gung-ho as she used to be, Weiss wasn't such a jerk as she used to be, Ruby didn't have to try and prove herself like she thought she had to, March started to be less insane than he used to be. "Well, that embarrassment- that desire to go back and tell yourself not to be so stupid – that just proves you're not the same person you used to be. You're smarter, you're kinder, you're stronger, and you're not done growing. None of us are." Ren stated.
"Yeah, turns out Ren gets really deep when he feels like talking." Ruby said, getting a giggle from everyone, even their new allies.
"Well, hold on, I thought I was pretty great in school!" Nora bragged, until Yang mentioned the school dance, which Nora tried to deny something that happened. "Well, what about Arthur? I mean, aside from March not being so crazy as he used to be, Arthur doesn't look like he changed all that much."
"Well, the only thing that has changed is that Arthur and I… are now a couple." Weiss admitted shyly.
There was a long silence before everyone said the same thing they were thinking at the same time. "WHAT!?"
"Yeah, it was right after I was nearly drowned by a sadistic child killer who Arthur's father tried to take down years ago. It wasn't the most… normal of situations. Seeing as I was bound, gagged, stripped down, chained up and thrown into Lake Matsu. If it weren't for Arthur, I wouldn't be here." Weiss explained, hiding the blush on her face.
"At least the man who took my fathers sight is dead. He will never harm another child again." Arthur spoke.
"How can so many kids possibly make so much noise eating dinner?!" Qrow questioned as he, Oscar, Rex, Cody, Fordo, Tech, Hunter, Kix and Echo stood next to Jaune near the kitchen entrance.
After the craziness had died down, everyone had relocated to the second floor living room where Weiss and Yang had been filled in on what everyone else had already been made aware of. "So, the Maidens. Magic. Salem. It's all true?" Weiss asked.
"Uh-huh." Qrow responded.
"Miss Xiao Long, is this more or less what your mother told you?" Ozpin asked from within Oscar's body. Yang didn't respond, her arms still crossed, and Weiss answered it was for the most part what Raven had told them.
"She also said that she killed a Jedi who survived Order 66 and took their lightsaber." Ahsoka added.
"You forgot something. You forgot to tell everyone what you did to Qrow and my mother." Yang said, getting Ruby to gasp and Jaune to ask what she was talking about, much to Qrow's annoyance.
"Hm, that's not a secret I thought she would give up so easily. Your mother must trust you a great deal." Ozpin noted, while Yang scowled at him. "My ability to reincarnate, though a curse, isn't without a few key benefits. Much like the Maiden, I too possess a certain… 'magical' power." He began as he stood up and walked next to Qrow. "Using this power, I was able to gift the Branwen twins the ability to 'see' more, to move freely and be unburdened by their natural bodies. I… well… gave them the ability to turn into birds. Rather ridiculous sound out loud, isn't it?" Ozpin explained with a chuckle.
"Wait, what?" Oscar questioned mentally.
"You turned them… into birds?" Ren repeated in confusion.
"Alright, now you're just messing with us." Nora said with disbelief.
"He's telling the truth. We saw it. Yang's mom… changed, right in front of us." Weiss confirmed.
"Why would you do something like that? I mean, what is wrong with you?" Yang angrily shouted at Ozpin.
"Take it easy, Yang. Ozpin had his reasons." Rex said to Yang, trying to calm her down before he glanced at the boy with two souls. "You had a reason, right?"
"I did, Captain. Granting this power to them was no trival task, and I can assure you it was not done frivolously. I required assistance in gathering information on Salem's plans, as well as searching for the Maidens when their hosts became unclear." He began.
"Okay, so, have you done this with others? Like General Ironwood? Or Professor Goodwitch?" Ruby asked.
"I think Ironwood is the last person we'd want to have that kind of ability." Hunter spoke up, holding his knife in his hands. "Ever since Beacon, I've been hearing rumors coming from Atlas about the General taking extreme measures to protect the kingdom. The Dust Embargo? It's to keep people from preparing for a war with Atlas. Closing the borders? Recalling his troops? He's afraid of Salem and is letting his fear get the better of him. Then there's also the fact that he would rather act instead of waiting for all the information being gathered. That's a surefire way to get a lot of his men killed. He brought his army to Atlas and blames the Jedi, the Rebellion and us clones for his defeat. He's acting paranoid and anyone who doesn't agree with him is against him." He stated.
"That's describing Jimmy to a t." Qrow said in agreement before Ozpin continued.
"As helpful as that might be, unfortunately, it is not that simple. My power is finite, and if I'm being honest, dwindling. The amount that I gifted to Qrow and Raven was, all things considered, rather miniscule. You see, centuries ago, I sacrificed a great deal of magic to four young women, who I hoped would use my gift for good. They were the first Maidens." He answered, causing everyone to be silent for a moment before he turned to Yang. "Miss Xiao Long, it was never my intention to lie to you. To any of you. There are just some matters that I prefer to… 'play close to the chest'. I believe that's how your phrased it?" Ozpin said to Qrow, who confirmed with a chuckle.
"Everyone has a choice. The Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And later, one of them chose to abandon her duties in favor of her own self-interest. Now, all of you have a choice. If anyone wishes to leave, now is the time. There's no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat." He continued.
Everyone was silent for a moment before Yang was the first to speak up and said that she would stay if Ruby stuck around, since her sister would always do the right thing. The only condition she had was that there would be no more lies and half-truths. Ozpin agreed before he turned to the rest of his students who agreed to stay as well.
"I think…" Rex began, holding his helmet in his hands. "I speak for all my brothers currently with us in saying that we'll be staying as well. If Salem's as big a threat as you make her out to be, then you're going to need all the help you can get. We're still in the dark about the Empire's involvement in all this, especially with the droids she's got. And about those Mutants and Widows, the Manti were wiped out years ago and someone must have told her about them, allowing her to create those things. If she can make those things, I'm pretty sure she can create Grimm based on some of the more dangerous species out in the galaxy, species that are extinct. Besides, General Skywalker wouldn't leave this planet to suffer at the hands of Salem, so neither will I."
"Couldn't have put it better myself, Rex. I'm staying to." Ahsoka agreed.
"Commander Tano's always had our backs even in the toughest of battles. Where she goes, we'll go." Cody added.
"Jaune's going to need a lot of help with training, so I'm staying as well. Besides, we Arc's stick together." Joan voiced.
"I'm in no matter what." Kara piped in.
"Where Weiss goes, I go." Arthur agreed.
"I'm not going to turn tail and run. My sis would have my head." March joked.
"If Salem want's a war, we'll give her one." Hunter agreed.
"It is the most logical choice." Tech voiced.
"Not like we have anything better to do." Crosshair added.
"If it means bashing more bad guys, then you can count on me!" Wrecker exclaimed.
Everyone then turned to Galen who was silent the entire time. "Salem's a threat and if we leave it to a guy like Ironwood, he'll only make things worse. She doesn't care whether her opponents are Faunus, Human, Jedi, Clones or aliens. To her, we're all her enemy and if she went after Ruby, I'll do everything I can to protect her. I made a promise after all." The Demon Lord said, getting a smile from Ruby.
"So… what now? I mean, what can we do?" Jaune asked.
"Mm, that is a difficult question. One that I believe is best answered tomorrow. The road ahead is undoubtedly filled with hardships and peril. However, it's been far too long since you have all been together. Please, take tonight, enjoy this moment. The upcoming lantern festival is also around the corner so that will be something to look forward to." Ozpin answered before he gave Oscar control of his body once more.
"Oooohhh. Raven? Qrow? They're birds! Cracked it!" Nora exclaimed while Ren shakes his head at Nora for being slow on the uptake.
"Hey, Oscar." Galen called out to the boy. "Ask Ozpin if he ever met a Jedi named Yoda. I want to know how he knew about the Jedi." He asked the boy.
No one knew that back at the Branwen Tribe's camp, Shay and two other bandits were gunned down by blaster fire as Cad Bane, Mercury, Emerald, Cinder, Watts and a cloaked Maul walked out of the forest while an unseen Boba Fett watched with concern from nearby. "This isn't good." The cloned son of Jango Fett said to himself.
Alright, finished. Next chapter will be something of an action-packed chapter with plenty of excitement for you all.
Before anyone gets on my ass, I'm still trying to figure out how Galen, Rex and the other clones will react about Ozpin's hidden secret about his relationship with Salem. Actually, that's a lie… I've already figured out how Galen will react along with a revelation that I have been suspecting for some time.
Until next time, please read and review and I will see all then. Oh, and before anyone thinks I've forgotten, I will be including the events of a New Hope after Volume 5, along with a mention of Star Wars: Lethal Alliance, involving a certain Planet Killer we all hate, unless we are fans of the Empire.