Chapter 4 – Suspension of Victory

Cheers were flying and screams were soaring through the air in all directions. The Vytal Festival Tournament was in full force and the hype was uncaged. So far, three matches in the teams round had been fought.

Team RWBY had successfully triumphed over the motley Team ABRN of Haven Academy with unpredictable strategy and synergy from Blake Belladonna; versatility and control over the icy battlefield from Weiss Schnee, long range and team support from Ruby Rose and the raw power and strength from Yang Xiao Long. It had been a close battle and difficult to win due to how unconventional Team ABRN members and their fighting styles were, but they prevailed in the end as Blake cunningly threw Reese Chloris out of the ring, and Yang managed to knock out Arslan Atlan, Bolin Hori and Nadir Shiko in one punch with the assistance of momentum from her team.

The excitement was just beginning and it was only going to get better from then onwards.


Following RWBY's victory, their good friends – Team JNPR – consisting of leader Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, took on the tough eggs – Team BRNZ – of Shade Academy. The match was especially tough for Team JNPR, due to the harassment of May Zedong: Team BRNZ's sniper. In the end however, after Team JNPR unintentionally paused the match to have a conversation about team attack names, Nora single-handedly knocked Team BRNZ across the entire arena with her hammer "Magnhild".

But now it was time for Team SSSN of Haven Academy to clash with Team NDGO of Shade Academy. Professor Peter Port and Dr Bartholomew Oobleck were giving commentary to enhance the atmosphere.

'Ah, well, Vacuo fans are sure to be hurting after that one,' said Oobleck as a photo of Nora hitting Team BRNZ with terrified expressions was displayed across televisions and computers all across Remnant. 'but this next round will have them on the edge of their seats.'

Port took over and introduced the next round. 'Team NDGO of Shade is certainly a crowd favourite. But these lovely ladies are going against some of the toughest, testosterone filled, teammates we've seen so far. I'm of course talking about Team SSSN!' Some of the Haven students in the audience were waving large portraits of Team SNNN members: Sun Wukong, Scarlet David, Sage Ayana and Neptune Vasilias. 'Sun Wukong and his team are certainly a force to be reckoned with. And although he'll be representing the Mistral academy of Haven, I'm sure his friends and family back in Vacuo will be cheering him along.'

Team SSSN were smiling and waving to the crowd. They then turned to view their competition: Team NDGO, consisting of Nebula Violette, Dew Gayl, Gwen Darcy and Octavia Ember.

'Ladies.' said Neptune flirtingly.

In the audience, Weiss looked outraged.

'Alright girls, try and remember. Hands… above the waist.' he gestured with his hands.

'Ignore him, for he… yeah he's dumb.' Sun said apologetically.

Neptune winked and Team NDGO averted their eyes away from Neptune in disgust.

The Amity cycled through the environmental biomes for each side. The desert biome was Team NDGO's side. The audience put on sunglasses to protect their eyes. 'Alright, home field advantage!' said Nebula happily.

'Don't get too cocky, that's my turf too.' Sun interjected.

'I hope I don't get sand in my shoes.' said Scarlet anxiously.

'Be cool, man.' said Neptune reassuringly.

'Hey, the ocean!' Gwen commented as the ocean biome was selected for Team SSSN's side. Neptune turned around. He became rigid with a petrified look on his face.


Oobleck counted down, 'Three, two, one, begin!' and the frantic match began. Neptune immediately ran at lightning speed, right past Team NDGO, up the hill on their side.

'Neptune! What are you doing?!' Sage cried out, displeased.

'Oh, you know, just, uh, getting to higher ground.' he answered nervously. His voice was now very high-pitched.

'On the enemy's side?!' Sun asked questioningly.

'They would never expect it!'

'He's not wrong.' Dew commented.

Nebula hesitated no longer and commanded her team to charge. 'Open fire!' she cried.

Sage, Sun and Scarlet ran to meet NDGO. Octavia and Scarlet danced in battle. Both of them were fast and were unable to hit each other. Sage raised his impressively massive sword above his head and roared as he swung it downwards towards Dew, only to be countered by how quickly she could spin her spear. Sage skidded backwards and looked up in shock.
Dew began to draw a circle in the air with the tip of her spear and conjured multiple sand tornados. They converged around Sage and sent him high up into the air. He screamed as it spat him out of the ring. Already, Team SSSN's burliest member was eliminated.

'And NDGO gains the advantage.' said Oobleck, his voice blasting across the stadium for everyone to hear how Sage had been utterly defeated.

Octavia skidded towards Sun and Scarlet with a cocky visage. She swung her dagger and it sent a major shockwave of sand into their faces. Sun retreated and called for Neptune to help, who was still idling on the mountain. He put on his goggles to protect his eyes from the sand and turned his guandao into a gun. He shot a blast of electricity at Octavia to distract her as Sun leaped out of the sky to kick her in the head. She staggered backwards and retaliated angrily, but her strength paled in comparison to Sun. He blocked her thrust and swung his staff multiple times into Octavia. She fell to the ground on her back and the buzzer sounded to signal that she was out.
'Oh! And we're down to 3-on-3!' exclaimed Port. Sun looked around to see how the rest of his team were doing.

Dew conjured another sand tornado that caught Scarlet in its grasp. He was sent soaring through the air out of control, but he managed to regain it and glided towards the ocean biome. He used his cutlass to land on the boom of the ship in the arena. Nebula shot an arrow from her crossbow into the mast and used it as a spring to launch herself up to the boom to go toe to toe with Scarlet. She transformed the crossbow into a sword. They both held their balance and exchanged swings and clashes from their blades. Nebula hit Scarlet in the face with the hilt of her sword and he immediately retaliated by kicking hers. She circled herself around the mast to stop herself from falling off and swung her blade down to try and knock Scarlet down. It looked like she had the advantage, but Scarlet overpowered Nebula and elbowed her off the boom. She landed flat on her back.
Scarlet saw Gwen pirouetting on the ground. He pulled out the grappling hook component of his gun to catch her by the ankle. Using his body weight as he jumped down, she was sent reeling upwards. As she was hanging upside down, the all knives stored in her armoured skirt dropped down. Scarlet looked up in terror. He stood still and was unable to move, but all of the knives fortuitously managed to miss him. 'Phew.' he breathed.

Dew jumped towards Sun with a determined grin. He was standing next to a palm tree, punched it, two coconuts that fell from it and he threw them with great accuracy at Dew. She reflected them effortlessly though. Sun dodged but the coconuts found a new target. The first one hit Scarlet squarely in the face. He spun around dazed, only to be immediate hit by the second one in the groin. He was knocked out instantly.

'Nuts.' said Sun dejectedly.

It was now two versus three and Neptune was still contributing very little to the fight. Dew summoned another set of tornados. Sun used his agility to dodge but was getting annoyed at Neptune's lack of assistance. 'Uh, Neptune?! Could use some help buddy!' he shouted as he cartwheeled through Dew's tornados.

'Uh, ya know, it would probably be better if you came over here! Yeah. I can guard this… sector! We're in lockdown mode!' he said from the desert biome.

'What are you talking about?! There's nothing to lock down!'

'Lockdown! Right! You got it!'

Nebula shot an arrow to let Gwen down and Dew once again jumped to try and impale Sun. He hopped out of the way and held his hands up in frustration. 'Dude, I know you're afraid of water but you gotta -' Dew sprang into the air again and tried to stab Sun once again, but Neptune shot a bolt of electricity at her to intercept the attack and was knocked back into the water.

'There, I helped! Are you happy now?! Also, I am not afraid of water and I have no idea YOU are talking about!'

Nebula and Gwen leaped into the water to where Dew had landed. She picked herself up and three of them posed, ready to attack.

'NEPTUNE!' Sun shouted angrily.

'Okay, fine! Just get out of the water!' Neptune turned his gun back into a guandao, tiptoed gingerly up the water and thrust it down. An electrical surge was sent through the water. The three members of team NDGO were electrocuted and eliminated as a trio. Team SSSN had won.

'And with that, Team SSSN moves on to the doubles round!' Port announced. 'You know what I'd call that victory?'

'Shocking?' said Oobleck.

'No. Well earned. What you said is stupid.' Port replied disappointedly.

Sun danced triumphantly with Neptune. He spotted Blake in the audience and winked at her. Blake blushed and then she and her team left the stadium.


Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Sun and Neptune were gathered inside the library the next day. Scarlet and Sage were still in their dormitories in convalescence after the match.

'Well, those were some good matches.' said Sun.

'You can say that again.' Ruby responded.

'Those were some good matches.'

'And again!'

'Those were some good ma-' Blake put her hand over Sun's mouth. 'No, no more.' she said plainly.

'It's okay Blake. We're just celebrating our victories.' said Yang in high spirits.

'Yes!' Nora cried out. 'Just a few more rounds of brutal guts and glory and we'll be on our way to taking the trophy for ourselves with nothing getting in our way! That is, unless there IS something in our way and we just haven't seen it yet, which will hit us at the most unexpected of moments, even though we're been trained to expect the unexpected! But it might be something that we didn't foresee and our chances for victory will be tossed out the window before we even have a chance to retaliate! It could be a secret weapon that another team has up their sleeves! It could some sort superpower or magic! It could an analyser that observes us and learns about our behaviour and patterns! It could be a spy camera watching us right now! What if it's hidden on the shelves amongst the books?! What if they're listening to us right now?! Some other team will take over, humiliate us and we'll be sitting in shame with our heads low, unable to raise them up in case someone points and laughs. We'll be so depressed that we can't pass our exams because of how low we're feeling and then we'll be outcasts for the rest of our lives! Nothing is certain!' Nora was breathing heavily.

'Nora… please.' said Ren.

Neptune, who was standing, backed away from the table the teams were gathered around. 'Is she… normally like this?' he asked.

'Yes…'

'It's okay Nora.' Pyrrha said encouragingly. 'We went through this just before we fought our first match. It's okay to lose, since we've competing to have fun and engage with other schools. As long as we try our best, that's what matters the most.'

'Exactly.' Jaune agreed confidently. 'I mean, look at me: I'm still not very good and yet we've persevered and have made it through the first round. You shouldn't be worried Nora since you were the one who obliterated Team BRNZ in just one swing! If anything, I should be the one that's worried.' He gave a thumbs up and smiled. 'No need to worry guys, everything's going to be okay!'

'Yeah, we'll keep kicking butt until we fall!' said Yang ecstatically.

'Students, please!' came a voice from around the corner of a bookcase. It was Professor Goodwitch. 'This is a library, please keep your voices down.'

'Sorry Professor' said Pyrrha, after which the other students did the same.

'Hmm, I was just going to say that you guys were talking to loud.' said Weiss sycophantically.

'Pfft, yeah whatever. You didn't make any effort to, and you're just saying that right now because Professor Goodwitch is here.' Ruby retorted.

'I-I did not!' Weiss replied indignantly. 'You guys really were talking too loud!'

'That's enough!' said Goodwitch. 'I can see that you're happy so far with how you're all performing, but this is a library, not a party.

'Anyway, I was looking for Team RWBY and Team JNPR. Professor Ozpin wanted to have a word with you eight. He's in the main hall right now.' She looked at Sun and Neptune and added 'You two boys might as well come along too. It'd be worth listening to what he has to say.'

'Sure. Why not?' said Sun.

'Yeah, let's go.' Neptune concurred.

'Is something wrong Professor?' Pyrrha asked.

'The answer might be yes or no. I can't say for sure at the moment. Ozpin, General Ironwood and I have had a conversation with your Uncle Qrow' she said addressing Ruby and Yang.

'Uncle Qrow?' said Ruby startled. 'He's here?'

'Yes, he is, and he's delivered us big news: something we think students need to be aware of.'

'What kind of news?' Jaune queried.

'We'll explain everything once we get to the main hall.' said Goodwitch.


It was odd seeing the hall so empty and spacious. Usually many more people gathered in here. Ozpin was standing on the podium, along with General Ironwood and Qrow.

'Uncle Qrow!' said Ruby as she approached him. She jumped onto the podium and grabbed him. He lifted her up off the floor with just his arm. 'Hi. Ahh, it's so good to see you! Did you miss me? Did you miss me?!

'Nope.' he said jokingly.

'Thank you for coming.' said Ozpin.

'So, what's the matter Professor?' asked Pyrrha.

'I'll get on with it straight away. May I ask that you please leave questions until the end?' Ozpin then began to recount the conversation that took place yesterday.

'And there you have it, he finished. Ozpin had only excluded the part about the Fall Maiden. He believed that it was not the right time to disclose that information yet. 'Do you have any questions?'

'I reckon that all of us have a ton.' said Ruby. 'Where do we start?'

'I have one.' said Blake. 'Who do you think is doing all this? If you don't believe that this can be naturally occurring, then who engineered this, and how?'

'We were having this discussion yesterday and concluded that there is no saying for now. This requires much more investigation before anything else can be said decisively.'

'And why are we being told this?' Yang asked.

'Because I think that my students have the right to know things like this. You are huntsmen and huntresses in the making. Unanticipated events like these may very well be parts of your lives if you are going down the path of a warrior. It will be up to you and fellow huntsmen and huntresses deal with situations like these. As of right now there's nothing that can be done, because we're still waiting for the Cross Continental Transmit Systems to go back online, however I would rather not spring this information on you and get you to do something without warning, because if things are looking bad, we may be looking at the possibility of going east or west to help the other kingdoms. They made need help re-establishing their villages and getting things fixed, or they may even need defending from the creatures of Grimm, or potentially something even worse. It's better to know now and have time to think about it and get into the right frame of mind before we potentially go on an arduous field trip that may be more than just a visit.'

'What about the Vytal Festival Tournament?' Sun questioned. 'Will it just be cancelled if we're needed elsewhere? Also if it isn't cancelled, how will the timings work when the cycle of day and night is all screwed up?'

'The Vytal Festival will continue for now. With regards to the extended length of day and night, we'll rework the schedule so that the fights are happening during the day. But if things turn out to be problematic, then the Vytal Festival Tournament will be put on hold until things calm down. With a calamity like the planet increasing in size and other unforetold evils out there, it might take a while for things to go back to normal. I see that you are enjoying yourselves so far and that's fine. You're engaging in a friendly competition, but let's just say in a poetic sense that there may be a suspension of glory if a problem arises. A bookmark will be placed in the current chapter.'

'Is there anything else we need to know Professor?' asked Weiss.

'Actually, there is one thing.' Ozpin reached into his pocket and pulled out a test tube that was sealed with a cork. 'I'd like you three to see it as well.' he said, looking at Goodwitch, Ironwood and Qrow. The test tube was passed around, allowing everyone to see what was inside. 'After you three left my office yesterday, I found this outside my window and had it retrieved.' It was the long, sparkling strand of hair and a piece of popcorn.'

'These were sitting outside your window Professor?' asked Goodwitch.

'Yes. It's beyond me how this one piece of popcorn managed to make it outside managed to get onto the clock hand, and I have no idea what that strand is.'

'It looks like hair, but no hair sparkles like that or is of that colour.' Ironwood commented. 'Have you felt its texture Ozpin?'

'I have, but it's now become a subject of investigation. I don't want to damage it. Does this, by any chance, mean anything to anyone here?' Everyone shook their heads.

'Then that concludes this meeting.' said Ozpin as he put the test tube back into his pocket. 'Thank you for your time students. Good luck with the tournament, your studies and whatever else stands in front of you.'

'No problem professor.' they all said unanimously.

'Uncle Qrow, do you want to come and play with us? We have some fighting games in our dorm.' said Ruby

'Do you still need me Oz?'

'No. You can feel free to spend time with your niece.' Ozpin smiled.

'Then sure, I can come and show you who's the best at showing who's boss.'

'Ahh, great, great! Let's go then! Yang, do you want to join us?'

'Alright, I can come for some action.' she said vigorously.

They all exited the main hall.

'So I guess we'll see you guys later?' Ruby said to everyone else.

'Maybe we should all head back to our rooms. Our bodies will need to get used to the longer days and nights.' suggested Ren. 'Normally it would be getting late at this time.'

'Dude, I'm a night owl. I can stay up for hours on end.' said Neptune smugly.

'What if Sage and Scarlet want some company? Maybe you should head back to your room for that reason alone.' Pyrrha recommended.

'You know that's a good point. Maybe we should.' said Sun. 'Is that okay Neptune?'

'Eh, alright. Later then guys.'
They all exchanged goodbyes and left.


Ozpin walked in the direction of his office. A new thought was growing in his head. He had vacillated between talking about the Fall Maiden. Amber was becoming weaker and weaker. Her powers needed to be transferred over to a new host soon, but he was conscious of how troubling such news, and further still a request, would be for his students.

Time was of the essence. He needed to ask Pyrrha Nikos soon.