Chapter 5: Meet The Team
Reshan yawned, stretching in the early morning sunlight. The bed had been extremely comfortable. Dr. Oobleck had certainly come through for him, getting him such a room. Reshan sighed as he got out of bed.
"It appears I am in his debt yet again. Will I ever be able to repay him? Every time I think he can't be any nicer, he proves me wrong."
He put the events of last night in the back of his head. He would process it later. For now, it was time for Reshan to examine the resources Doctor Oobleck had mentioned last night.
Padding barefoot to the dresser, he opened the shelves. In the top four, there were clothes of all sorts. Shirts, both long and short sleeved, along with some that had none. The trousers were either black or blue, with the blue made of a tough material that Reshan didn't recognize. He scratched his head, then continued. There were also socks and undergarments, which he appreciated. He then opened the bottom two drawers, then leaned back in shock.
Inside were books! He took out six textbooks along with five notebooks. They were on several topics, from combat to Grimm theory to Dust and its applications. There was a smaller book with a black cover, with the title Seeker of Glory on it. Inside was a small note.
This was written by Reshan The Rememberer, your namesake. I thought you might find it interesting.
It would make for a good read, so he set it on his nightstand. The others went on the bookshelf. Looking back in, he saw various writing utensils in a small, see-through box. Reshan set those on his desk. Looking back in the drawer, he saw a piece of glass. Frowning in confusion, he gingerly picked it up, examining it in the sunlight coming through the window.
"This must be one of these 'Scrolls' that Professor Goodwitch was using yesterday," he realized. The frown didn't disappear, however. "Why would I be given this? I have no idea how to use it." Shrugging, he put it back in the drawer. As he did, the glass briefly flashed three numbers, before fading.
"What on Remnant?"
Reshan picked it back up. As he did, a button on the top right became apparent. He pressed it, and the numbers flashed permanently, showing a series of numbers. "What in blazes is this? Some kind of cipher?" He slid the glass onto his bedside, then proceeded to get dressed.
There was a uniform in the academy, which he'd found in his closet last night. Reshan put it on, then stretched, testing the fabric. It was much softer than he'd expected, which was to his relief. It wouldn't do to sit in an itchy suit all day long. He had quite a while until breakfast, so he decided to read the new textbooks. Reshan picked one with a drawing of a Beowolf on the cover, and put it in his rucksack. "Let's see what this world has to offer."
"Well, that was… boring."
Obviously the weak spot on a Boartatusk was the belly, not the snout! What kind of amateur wrote this book? It didn't even describe the jaw of a Beowolf as being the weak point! All it said was some shite about "The spirit of a Huntsman must prevail under dire circumstances." What a waste of time. Why had Professor Port decided to use it as a class textbook? It made no sense to Reshan.
Reshan was sitting in the mess hall, where cadets were gathering for the day. He had arrived before team RWBY. Figuring that it would be rude to eat without them, he decided to simply take a seat and wait. He was nervous, if he was being honest. This would be his first social setting with his peers. What would happen? How would he get along with them?
"Sup, fancypants."
Reshan was jolted out of his thoughts. Coco was standing behind him, arms crossed with a frown on her face. Unlike yesterday, she wore the school uniform.
"Greetings, Miss Adel," he greeted, turning to face her. "I trust you are well?"
"Yup," she responded. "Just wanted to give you a bit of advice for your next combat session- don't go around destroying people's weapons. Not a good way to make yourself popular."
Reshan was dumbstruck. "I beg your pardon?"
Coco raised an eyebrow. "Your Semblance."
He paused, confused. "What about it?"
She sighed. "Are you seriously telling me you don't know what your Semblance does?"
Reshan shook his head. "Yesterday was the first time I've ever used it. What happened to your weapon?"
Coco frowned. "You fried all the Dust components in the weapon. Do you know just how expensive that is?"
Reshan shrugged. "About thirty gold pieces?" "How would I know?"
Coco growled, glaring at the teen. "Wrong answer. Try around 900 Lien, smartass."
Reshan didn't know exactly how much that was, but he sensed that it would be smart to apologize. He'd dug a deep enough hole for himself. "I am deeply sorry, Coco. I did not intend for that to happen." Inwardly, he cursed himself for his stupidity. What the hell was a Lien?
Her glower lessened. "It was your first time, yeah? Accidents happen. Just thought you should know the damage you could cause. Try to be careful. Causing chaos is more Fox's department. You seem more Yatsu's type." With that, she strutted away, leaving Reshan sitting awkwardly. Turning back to the table, he sighed.
"Well, that could have gone better," he said aloud to no one in particular. Reshan put his arms on the table, then plopped his head on top.
"At least I figured out my Semblance. Looks like I can destroy Dust." It was a silver lining, to be sure. Reshan just wished that it hadn't caused so much damage.
After a minute of contemplating on his Semblance, Reshan picked his head up, trying to see if team RWBY had arrived.
He wasn't disappointed. A golden mane bobbed in the crowd at the entranceway, along with a mass of black hair moving smoothly. The crowd of students parted, revealing the other two members. All four seemed to be in similar states of sleepiness; if Reshan had to guess, they had just woken up.
"They look like a crow's nest," he thought. Had they not brushed their hair? Or was this another custom of Beacon that he didn't know about?
As they got closer, Reshan waved to them. The red one, Ruby if he recalled correctly, waved back, beckoning for him to join them as the team got on line for breakfast. Her wolf ears stuck out from bloodred hair, indicating her Beastfolk heritage.
He got up, striding over to the girls. When he arrived, he noticed that the white one had at least taken time to do a ponytail. She seemed to not notice that she'd done it wrong- it hung sideways, instead of wearing it evenly.
All four were in the school uniform, with one exception. The red one wore a cape with a hood attached. While the students may have been disheveled, the uniforms they wore practically shined. It was clear that they put effort into keeping their clothes clean, if not themselves.
"Sup, fancypants!" The yellow one spoke. How had she learned his title? "Nice to meet ya. Name's Yang." She seemed incredibly bubbly, her lavender eyes shining.
"A pleasure to meet you, Yang. How do you fare this morning?" It was relieving to have a polite conversation. Maybe this wouldn't go as bad as he'd feared previously.
"Eh? Erm… pretty good." Why did she seem so uncomfortable?
The white one yawned. "A pleasure to meet you. I am Weiss Schnee."
Politeness galore! Thank the Brothers!
"The pleasure is mine, Miss Schnee. I am Reshan Oobleck." The black one rolled her eyes. She seemed rather skeptical. Reshan sighed, then proceeded to give his cover story, just in case.
Doing so bothered him. He knew that these would be his partners in combat, entrusting their very lives to him. To deceive them would only do harm when he revealed his past. So why do it?
Because he was afraid.
Because he was afraid that he would be mocked. He also did not trust them, not fully. Reshan still recalled the looks he had gotten last night, and he was suspicious. Yang's actions today had only served to solidify those suspicions.
"I am a cousin of Doctor Oobleck, from Mistral." The words seemed to soothe the Beastfolk.
Why did she cover her ears? It wasn't hard to tell, what with the twitching bow and all. He'd have to ask her later. In private, if possible. It wouldn't do for him to reveal her race in public. That would only cause trouble, if what Miss Goodwitch had said was true.
"I'm Blake." The words were soft and short.
"Greetings, Blake." He turned to the last one. The leader, if he recalled correctly.
"Hello!" The red one's voice was chipper. Apparently the team wasn't as sleepy as he'd thought. "I'm Ruby Rose! Nice to meet you!"
Reshan smiled. "It is good to meet you, Ruby Rose. You are the leader of this team, correct?" She blushed at the statement, ear twitching, but nodded resolutely.
So this was the commander of the group. It would be advantageous to put his best foot forward.
He put a fist to his breast, and bowed slightly. "It is my honor to serve under your command, milady. Your wish is my command."
Aaaaand there were the looks again. Yang's jaw had dropped, her face full of incredulousness. Blake was slightly more reserved, but her eyes had widened to saucers. Weiss stammered, her hands covering her mouth. And Ruby…
Poor Ruby. Her face was the same colour as her hair. Reshan didn't even think people could turn that shade of red. Her eyes were shut tight as a bowstring. Reshan got the sinking feeling that he had made a faux pas. He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Apologies, milady. I did not mean to embarrass you."
Ruby mumbled something that he couldn't quite hear. When he cocked his head, she squeaked, then said, "ItsokayReshan." Afterwards, the group fell into an awkward silence that lasted well past breakfast.
After the disaster that was breakfast, the team headed off for combat class. As they neared, Yang stretched. She was stoked for this. No more dusty lectures, awkward Vomit Boy, or "I eat with my hands" fancypants. She'd nearly fallen asleep in Port's class yesterday. The prospect of combat got her blood thrumming. It would be just her, and someone she could hit. Hopefully, a certain weirdo…
"Um, Yang?"
Yang looked down to see her little sister whispering to her. Not hard to imagine why, given the new company.
Reshan strolled at the back of the group, a soft smile on his face as he gazed around the campus. It gave Yang the shivers, that smile. Why was it always there? And what was he smiling about? While she was asking about him, why not ask about the whole 'milady' thing, or that crap? This wasn't some sort of medieval recreation!
"What's up, Rubes?" Yang kept her voice to a whisper. There would be only one person they would be whispering about.
"I think our new partner is even more awkward than I am," Ruby confided. Yang gasped sarcastically.
"You don't say! I thought he was doing pretty good before… y'know…" No need to specify that.
He'd done it in the middle of the cafeteria too! It was bad enough that he'd practically pledged himself to her little sister- but having the whole school watch? Yang's ears had been burning. Normally she liked being the center of attention. But this? She had heard the snickers as they ate. When she looked around, she'd been met by sideways glances and whispers behind raised hands. As they left, Yang could have sworn she'd heard laughter.
Reshan would pay for embarrassing her sister. He would pay dearly. Maybe she should take a page out of Nora's book and break his legs.
"You want me to get him for ya? He looks like he could use a little breaking in." Yang accentuated her point by slamming her fists together. Ruby shook her head.
"He's only trying to help. Leave him alone, Yang. He didn't mean anything bad."
As they neared the combat class, Reshan zoned back in from whatever he was thinking about. The smile disappeared, replaced by a look of concentration. At least he was taking combat seriously. He started looking at the other students, taking in his surroundings in the meantime.
The combat arena was almost as large as the amphitheater they'd gathered in a couple of days ago. It was shaped like a semicircular bowl, with the actual arena at the center. Stairs led down to the arena, flanked on either side by desks arranged in pods of four. Ruby immediately claimed one next to JNPR, who were already present. Nora's energy was in sharp contrast to her partner, who was trying to get a small nap in before class started. The team filed in, only to realize that with Reshan's addition, they were one too many. Before anyone could say something, he nodded to the desks.
"You four should take a seat. I'll be fine with standing." At least he was polite. Gods, why was it always the polite ones?
Weiss tilted her head in appreciation towards him, then did just that. Blake shrugged, then followed suit. Why did she keep looking at him? Blake had barely taken her eyes off of the new addition since they'd met up.
Yang put that to the back of her head. Time enough for that after they'd beaten the snot out of each other. The blonde put her backpack behind the chair. Taking a seat, she grinned at Reshan. "Thanks, fancypants. You sure you don't want a seat? I've got some room here." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Yang had seen quite a few reactions to her flirting before. Some guys had stammered so hard, she had to use all her self control not to burst out laughing. A couple flirted back, and she was fine with that. It was all fun and games, nothing serious.
It appeared Reshan was the first type. A wave of scarlet crept up his neck, and he avoided eye contact. "Erm… uh… b-beg your pardon?"
Yang smirked. Then she burst out laughing. So much for self control. "YANG!" Her mirth was cut through by Ruby's indignant yell. She scratched her head, turning to Reshan. "Uh, sorry about Yang. If you want, I can ask her to stop…"
Reshan smiled. "Forgive me, milady. I was merely caught off guard." He stood to the side, watching the incoming tide cease to a trickle.
The bell rang, causing a hush to fall over the assembled students. Professor Goodwitch stepped forward, riding crop in hand. "Welcome to combat class, students. In this session, we will be learning the art of combat. Some of you may believe that there is nothing left for you to learn, that you have achieved your peak. Those of you will be disabused of this notion. Your time here at Beacon is time for you to hone your craft. It will not be wasted coddling you."
"For starters, we will have your teams split into pairs of two. This will help you better understand your partners, and their method of combat." She paused to push her glasses back up. "On the battlefield, this knowledge can mean the difference between life and death. I would recommend you pay close attention. Changing rooms are in the back. Meet me on the sparring grounds in fifteen minutes." She strode up the stairs, cape flapping behind her.
The team looked at each other. What would they do? Reshan didn't have a partner. Would he join one of their pairs?
It looked like the solution was marching towards them. Professor Goodwitch stopped briefly by team RWBY's pod. "Miss Xiao Long, a word with you?" She continued on her way, not waiting to see if Yang had heard. The blonde Huntress scrambled after her, pausing only to pick up her bag.
As the two approached the sparring grounds, Yang couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
To be fair, this was a good method. It was the way she'd learned, as well as her father. But that knowledge didn't help with what she'd been told to do. This wouldn't go well, she was sure of it.
Professor Goodwitch didn't seem to share her reservations. When Yang had asked, she'd only said "This is the best way." And to be fair, this was far better than a trial by fire approach. Reshan would be fine. He'd forgive her, right?
Right?
The sparring grounds lay before them. It was a fancy name for what basically amounted to a flat piece of land. The class occupied a small corner of the field, the rest being bare except for the odd clump of grass. Her classmates were already beginning to square off, the sounds of gunfire disturbing the peaceful morning air. Her teammates had already arrived, bringing their addition with them.
Reshan was wearing the same outfit as he wore yesterday, with one exception. Instead of black pants, he wore jeans. If Yang was being honest, he looked pretty good in the gettup. Not drop dead handsome, but kinda nice. He ranked about 6 out of 10.
Yang strode towards him, grinning. He had acquired a new sword from the armory, following his accidental disarmament of himself yesterday. He was watching Jaune and Pyrrha, observing the blonde leader's form. Judging from his look, he was… less than impressed. He looked up to see Yang waving. He rolled his shoulders as she approached him.
"Are you going to be my opponent today?" he asked. Well, they might as well get it over with. The sooner this was done, the better. Why was he frowning?
"Yup. Ready?" He nodded after clearing his expression, then glanced around.
Blake had joined Ruby and Weiss. They were switching off every so often, so they could all get used to each other's combat strategy. Yang led Reshan off a short distance, to where they wouldn't be heard. She winced, then decided to rip off the bandage.
"I really hope you're right, professor," she muttered. If this backfired…
She stopped the thought before it could get any further. It was time. She stopped dead, then looked Reshan square in the eye. "You're not really related to Professor Oobleck, are you?"
He blinked rapidly. "And what makes you say that, Miss Xiao Long?" He'd gone formal. No one used her last name unless they were being uppity.
"The fact that until last night, you didn't exist." He frowned.
"Explain." The word was short, terse. Yang sighed.
"Beacon has a database of students, and you weren't on it when you dueled Coco. That's illegal, you know. You need to be a registered student to fight a Huntress in training." Hopefully, Professor Goodwitch knew her legal jargon. Otherwise, she'd basically put her foot in her own mouth. "Add that to the fact that Professor Oobleck is from Vale, and has no registered living relatives aside from his wife, and, well, you know." Yang honestly hadn't known. Professor Goodwitch had told her all of this before the match, as well as a couple other interesting tidbits.
Reshan sighed, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "You are correct. I am not his kin. What of it?"
Inwardly, Yang winced. Outwardly, she gave him a glare. "So why hide it? Where are you really from, Reshan?" She knew the answer. The only reason she asked was for the next part. The worst part, if she was being honest.
"I don't know. I woke up-" Yang interrupted him with a rising voice.
"Oh, you 'don't know', is that it? Yeah, and my mom is the Queen of Atlas. Bullshit. You know." Yang got up in his face, snarling. "So, let me ask you again. Where. Are. You. From."
If that didn't get him to lose his cool, she'd drink from her uncle's flask.
Yang knew that she was pushing almost all of his buttons. Inwardly, she wanted to break down. This was horrible. God, was this how Qrow had felt when he'd done it? No wonder he'd gotten smashed right afterwards. Yang was contemplating doing the same thing.
"I. Don't. Know." The words came out of gritted teeth. Reshan's eyes were flaring dangerously. He looked like he was about to tear her apart.
"Nope, still brown. Looks like I'm going all in." Damn Professor Goodwitch! Why did she have to be the one?
She nodded, then smiled evilly. "Aw, poor little Reshan doesn't remember himself. All alone in the big bad world, right? Guess that means he has to take charity, doesn't he. Be a good little beggar and run off. You don't belong here."
Reshan's jaw dropped. Then he started shaking. "What… how… how dare you! You take that back, you-" Words seemed to fail him. His mouth moved, but no words came out. His eyes burned into hers. "You… I have been nothing but polite. Why do this? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!" The words came out in a scream. "What have I done to deserve this, Yang! You insult my honor-"
"YOU LIED TO US!" Yang found she was yelling, too. If she was looking in a mirror, she was sure she'd see red eyes staring back at her. If this was going to work, she'd have to go the whole nine yards. "You're a creep! You're full of it!"
Reshan's eyes darkened. "You know, my room is pretty bare. I could use some decoration." He unsheathed his blade. "Your head on my mantlepiece will do."
Yang's eyes widened. She opened her mouth for a comeback.
"...Crapbaskets."
As she flew through the air, Yang had good cause to regret her decisions in life. She regretted not applying herself in her studies. She regretted not spending more time with her mother before she died. She regretted not getting insurance for Bumblebee.
What Yang regretted most was the berserk teenager that had flung her back into her classmates.
She crashed back down with more than considerable force. Students paused in their fights briefly, then turned back to their partners. It was a spar between students, so seeing someone get knocked back wasn't so unusual. Hopefully Professor Goodwitch had noticed. Otherwise, Yang was about to get thoroughly wrecked.
Yang got up off the ground, scanning the grounds for her opponent. As she gazed, she grew nervous. Reshan was nowhere to be seen. Where-
"HOW DARE YOU!" The voice erupted from behind her. Yang whirled around, but she was too slow. She felt a hand on her hair before it pushed down, trying to drag her with it.
That was the last straw. No one messed with her hair. Not even Ruby. Especially not some weirdo!
With a yell, Yang fired her gauntlet forward, sending her elbow flying back. It slammed into his gut, causing Reshan to let out a small grunt. His grasp on her hair vanished, and she turned to face her opponent.
His eyes were the first thing she noticed. They were burning with rage, his face locked in a snarl. He had unsheathed his sword again, roaring while he swung sideways with his blade.
Yang hopped back, then immediately punched forward, sending a projectile flying at him. Reshan blocked with his shield, but the momentary distraction was all she needed to close the distance.
She tried to perform a leg sweep, but Reshan was expecting it. He quickly slammed his sword into the ground, the blade barring her leg from getting any closer. She quickly pulled back her strike, groaning at the missed strike. Reshan darted forward, grabbing her leg as she leaned back.
"WHERE'S YOUR HONOR?!"
What was with this guy?
She felt Reshan rear back to hurl her yet again. Before he could, Yang kicked at his chest. Reshan stumbled with a curse, releasing her. Turning, she launched a barrage of punches, hoping for a quick finish to the fight.
Reshan snarled, raising his shield. He started angling his shield, causing her fists to slide away instead of directly impacting the shield. As the punches rained down, he roared in frustration. He launched a strike of his own, a kick that knocked Yang back a good dozen feet. Her feet skidded in the dirt, drawing furrows in the ground. As she caught herself, Yang noticed that a few of the fights around her had stopped, the students intrigued by the yells coming from Reshan. Said teen had retrieved his sword, and was now stalking forward.
Hair glowing, Yang grinned. This was where she shone. She'd taken some blows, but all it did was make her stronger. Reshan wouldn't know what hit him.
She punched her fists together, dashing toward her opponent. Yang reared back a fist, hoping for a quick knockout. Screaming, she let out a flying punch, using the energy she'd stockpiled to boost her strength.
Only for Reshan to simply crouch and lean to the left, avoiding the blow entirely. He displayed a feral grin, cleaving upwards at her defenseless stomach.
"Oof!" She crashed down, rolling for a moment before getting back up warily. Too late, she realized he hadn't stood still. Reshan seized her neck, growling in her ear.
"I TRUSTED YOU!" He leapt a good twenty feet, dragging Yang with him. At the apex of his jump, he flung the Huntress in training as hard as he could downward, where a crowd was beginning to assemble. A cloud of dust emerged from the point of impact, hiding her from view.
Reshan landed, hardly winded. "Had enough? Or do you want to try and hurt me some more, wench?"
A burst of power dissipated the dust cloud. Standing there was Yang, a look of rage on her face. "You take that back, creep!" She punched Ember Celica behind her, attempting to propel her in a headlong rush at the teenager. She'd wipe that stupid look right off his face. After she was done with him, he'd be nothing but a splatter on the floor!
As Yang rushed forward, she felt a force freeze her midair. Professor Goodwitch had decided to intervene. She was standing between her and Reshan, a stern look on her face. The anger drained from Yang, being replaced by guilt.
"Miss Xiao Long, that will be enough. You are excused from class. I will see you Saturday for double detention." The blonde professor turned to Reshan. "Now, as for-"
A blade crashed into Professor Goodwitch's side. Apparently, Reshan either didn't know of her reputation, or he was so pissed that he didn't give a damn. "Coward," he snapped. "Can't you fight your own battles?"
A hush fell over the crowd. Professor Goodwitch stumbled back, landing six feet away from her assailant. Yang gulped. Now there was no one between her and Reshan. The professor called out "Reshan, stand down. I can-"
"Don't. Interfere." His voice echoed off the cliffside of Beacon. He charged at Yang. Professor Goodwitch flicked her riding crop lightly, preparing for combat.
As he blitzed toward her, the professor narrowed her eyes before waving her weapon upward. Reshan's charge halted as he was levitated off the ground, losing friction, and thus mobility. He waved his arms uselessly before letting them hang at his sides. The teen closed his mouth, glaring at the professor with barely controlled frustration in his brown eyes.
Weird. Mission accomplished though, right? She'd gotten him angry.
"What is the meaning of this? She insulted my honor. Have you none, to interfere in this?" Reshan's voice dropped to a menacing whisper. The crowd took an involuntary step back. In the back, Yang saw her teammates trying to push through the throng.
"Reshan, we were attempting to assist you in triggering your Aura. It is activated by rage, as far as we could tell. Before class, I instructed Miss Xiao Long to attempt to make you lose your temper. Obviously, she succeeded, though the results were less than expected."
His jaw dropped. "So you wanted me to lose my temper?"
"Correct, Mr. Oobleck. Now then, would you please calm down? There is no need for this." Her voice was calm, but Yang could tell that it was strained. The riding crop creaked as the professor's grip tightened.
"You told Yang to do this?" His voice started to lose its edge. His eyes narrowed in her direction. "Why her?"
"Because this is how I learned to control my Semblance." Yang stepped forward, hands held up in a pacifying manner. "Mine is activated by anger, just like yours. So Prof here asked me to try and break you in, so you could activate it easier. It's kinda like a muscle- more you use it, the easier it gets."
"Did you mean what you said?" Tears built in the corners of his eyes. Yang looked him in the eyes. She opened her mouth to say that of course she didn't.
Yang found she couldn't say the words. She stood there with her jaw gaping, but nothing came out. Why couldn't she just say she thought he was a good guy?
"Because you don't trust him," her mind answered. Reshan had embarrassed all of them publicly, with his stunt earlier with Ruby. He had insulted her, called her a coward. Yang was not a coward. Not like Raven. She didn't run away from responsibility.
Yang found she could speak again. "No."
Reshan's tears didn't fade. "I don't believe you."
As she opened her mouth to defend herself, Reshan cut her off. "I've seen the looks you give me. I'm not blind, you know. You don't trust me, and I get that. I'm new. You don't know me. Hell, I don't know me. I'm all of-"
"That will be enough, Reshan. If you wish to have this conversation, I recommend you have it elsewhere." Professor Goodwitch said, interrupting. Reshan paused, then nodded. He sat down on the earth, panting slightly from his earlier combat. The professor turned to the crowd. "Back to your sessions. If I catch you slacking, you'll have a lot more to worry about than a detention." The assembled students scattered, leaving Reshan alone with Yang.
She had to try and make it up. Swallowing, she approached the scarred teen.
He could barely think straight, he was so angry. How dare Yang call him a fraud! A beggar! What the bloody hell was wrong with her? What was with Professor Goodwitch, also? She had clearly put Yang up to this, given the information about Doctor Oobleck. There was no way a first year cadet would have that sort of knowledge.
And what was a 'creep', anyways?
"Every single person here is bloody crazy," he thought. "She wants to teach me my Semblance, so her idea is to piss me off?!"
It was obvious that the professor had also told Yang of his circumstances. Reshan growled as the crowd dispersed. How could she betray his judgment? He was going to have to tell the rest of the team, now. There was no way that Yang could keep it to herself, if his limited interaction with her was anything to go by.
It also didn't help that her combat uniform was so… revealing. Why didn't she at least cover her knees? Did no one have a sense of decency around here? They fought practically half clothed, for Oum's sake!
He looked up to see lavender eyes. While Reshan had moped, he had failed to notice Yang approaching. He growled.
"What do you want? Haven't you done enough already?" As the words left his mouth, he felt an inkling of shame at the words. Reshan shoved it down. There would be time for that later.
"I wanted to apologize." The words seemed sincere, but Reshan wasn't in a listening mood. All he wanted right now was to be left alone. Though, he wouldn't mind having another go at Yang. Teach her a lesson and all that.
"Leave."
"Look, I've been in your situation, okay? Just give me a chance to explain myself. After, if you want me to bug off, then fine." Yang sat across from him, resting an elbow on her crossed legs.
Reshan opened his mouth to tell her to bug off (whatever that meant), but then he thought better of it. Just a moment ago, hadn't he been the one complaining about a lack of trust? To brush her aside would make him a hypocrite. He closed his mouth, and nodded curtly.
"When I was 12, I was having trouble with my Semblance. It would trigger when I didn't want it to, or it wouldn't activate no matter how hard I tried. My father has a similar Semblance, so it really confused him that he couldn't figure it out. Then one day, he had an idea. He got my uncle to do what I just did a moment ago to me. He got me super pissed… he said that my mother left us because I wasn't good enough."
Reshan reared back in shock. What kind of uncle would say that to his own niece? He opened his mouth to express his disgust, but Yang apparently hadn't finished. She continued, idly drawing a circle in the dirt.
"I was so mad that I socked him right on the jaw. Knocked him right out." She shook her head wryly. "Turns out that it worked. From that day forward, I never had any problem with my Semblance not turning on." Yang looked at him dead on. "I didn't want to do this. Before class, Professor Goodwitch pulled me aside, and she told me to do my absolute best to piss you off. Apparently, there are a whole bunch of ways to trigger a Semblance like ours, but this is one of the best. Hit you with your darkest fears, and from then on, you have your key to turn on your Semblance."
Reshan paused. "So Lady-er, Professor Goodwitch told you everything about me?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry, man. It really blows-"
"Don't apologize." Reshan thought he had a handle on the situation. He was still angry with Yang- but from what he could gather, she hadn't had a choice in the matter. "You did what your commander instructed you to. If there is any blame to be had, it lies with her." He gazed at the professor, a fierce scowl on his face.
Yang paused her idle drawing. "Maybe, but I'm the one who said those things. I'm sorry." She stood up, extending an arm to help Reshan up. "Now come on. We can have some real sparring before class ends. Plus, who knows? Maybe your Semblance will turn on."
To be honest, Reshan was still quite mad at Yang. She knew what doing this meant, and she went through with it anyways? This world was so strange. Sometimes, he thought he would never understand it.
In any case, he was ready to go another round. Maybe it would help to relieve his stress. Plus, beating up Yang would make him feel better.
He reached up, grabbing her arm to pull himself up off the dusty ground. When he'd risen to his full height, he let go of her hand. Looking her in the eyes, he nodded. "Very well, Miss Xiao Long. Prepare yourself." Reshan walked back a few metres, then turned to face her. The sword slid smoothly out of its sheath as he readied himself, his shield held forward. "Before we begin, might I ask what your Semblance is? I would rather we fight on even terms."
Yang stretched. "I take whatever I get hit with and dish it back twice as hard."
So, a reactive Semblance. He'd have to be careful- the longer the fight went, the stronger she'd get. Typically, the opposite was true- the longer a fight, the weaker an opponent would be. With such a weak Aura, it would take only one good hit to knock him out. Especially since his earlier scuffle had worn him down by about half…
It was an extremely powerful Semblance, to be sure. Taking any hit, and getting stronger…
"That's it! That's the weakness!"
Reshan smiled inwardly. As Yang counted off the match, he tightened his grip on his weapon.
When she hit one, Reshan did the one thing all knights were taught from a young age to never do. Nine times out of ten, it resulted in the death of the warrior. However, in this case Reshan thought it would be appropriate. It was a slim chance, but it was the only way he could think of to defeat Yang's Semblance.
He threw away his sword and shield. Yang paused, visibly confused. "Uh, you sure about this?"
Reshan simply lowered himself into a martial stance, beckoning her with a hand. Yang shrugged, then punched her fists backwards, rocketing her forward with a strange fire erupting from her gauntlets.
"This must be another gun," he realized. He'd likely have to nullify her ranged option- otherwise she could pick him off like a hunter caught a sick doe. He immediately leaned backwards, letting her overshoot. As she tried to land on both feet, he grabbed her outstretched fist and pulled. The bracelet came right off Yang, who squawked in outrage.
"Gotcha," he crowed silently. Yang simply stared at her arm in shock. When she looked up, red had replaced her lilac eyes. "What the hell?"
Reshan relaxed slightly, but he didn't let his guard down. "Is something the matter?" he said cheekily.
"You took my weapon." Reshan couldn't help but chuckle. Yang glared at him. "Something funny about that, fancypants?" The question only made him laugh harder. He couldn't maintain his stance as he staggered slightly. "Oh, that slaps me on the knee! Do you have any other obvious statements?"
She growled. "Gauntlet. On my arm. Now."
He nodded seriously. "Yes, there is a gauntlet on your arm right now. Looks rather lopsided, if I'm being totally honest." He put a hand on his chin, stroking an imaginary beard. Come to think of it, he had a bit of fuzz. He'd likely need to shave.
Yang burst forward with a snarl, fist cocked. Reshan could feel his pulse rise within him as he ground his foot in the dirt to brace himself against the coming onslaught. The bracelet fell with a clank.
He caught the fist in both of his hands, then twisted, throwing the brawler over his shoulder. Yang responded by rotating so she landed feet first, jabbing with her unrestricted hand. He leaned sideways, allowing the blow to fly past him.
She crashed into his side, sending him tumbling into the ground. Reshan cleared his eyes, only to see Yang leaping over him with her two fists held together in a hammerhand fashion. He rolled right as she punched a small crater into where he'd been a millisecond ago, then rolled backwards onto his feet. If this kept going, Yang would pulverize him with her sheer strength. He'd have to try his idea now, or else he'd be eliminated promptly.
Reshan dashed forward, a small breeze at his back. He dropped a Soul Shadow behind him, to make sure he could knock down his opponent. Yang's jaw dropped momentarily, but she reset her visage quickly. He hooked an elbow with Yang's, then twirled around so he was behind her back. Grabbing her other arm, he quickly kicked the back of her knee. The Shadow Connected with his strike, and Yang fell to her knees with a yelp.
Reshan put her in a grappler's lock, her arms suspended on his shoulders and locked in place by his arms. He grasped her neck, attempting to choke his opponent out.
Yang made a snarling noise in the back of her throat as she felt his hands clamp on her neck. She attempted to stand, but Reshan quickly put a stop to that. He pushed her forward, forcing her to fall on her stomach.
Sending a silent prayer to the Brothers, Reshan held on for dear life. Yang continued to thrash for what felt like an eternity, trying to buck her assailant again and again. He felt his Aura draining away as he grappled. There was nothing Reshan could do but keep his grip steady.
After a minute, Yang's attempts grew weaker. Reshan smiled. It was working!
When his opponent fell limp, he released his hold, and set her down gently. She had been a worthy adversary, and he'd barely won. His Aura was probably at a tenth of what he'd begun with today, making the prospect of another duel untenable.
Reshan smiled, then sat next to his unconscious sparring partner. He was exhausted, but a flame of pride glowed inside. His plan, while risky, had worked.
Yang's Semblance had meant that striking her would only make her stronger. Any combat strategy would have only ended up hurting him in the long run, as her Semblance would have made her abilities snowball, erasing any chance at victory. So how did one defeat an opponent that gets stronger with every hit?
Don't hit her. That was the answer.
Reshan got up to grab his gear, then returned to his vigil over his opponent. The other students had started to wrap it up, walking off toward lunch. A gasp came from behind him, and he turned around.
The rest of the team had arrived. Ruby had a hand on her mouth, the other holding her… box? Whatever it was, it hung off her back, almost as if it was a holstered quiver. Blake and Weiss stood behind her, exchanging worried glances. Sweat hung off the three, indicating that they'd had a productive sparring session.
"Yang, are you okay?" Ruby's voice cracked slightly, ears wilting. It was obvious that she cared for her teammate, more so than the other members.
Reshan cringed inwardly. If they had seen what had occurred while he'd been raging, it would make things incredibly awkward between them. What was he supposed to do, though? Simply let her insult him?
Even so, it felt wrong to have attacked her, almost as if he had broken a vow. He still felt hurt from what Yang had said, but that didn't excuse his own lapse in judgment. A knight had to maintain his composure. What he had done was a breach of honour, a stain on his reputation. He opened his mouth to explain when he heard Yang stir.
Yang coughed, pushing herself up. "Wha… What happened?"
In a reversal of the beginning of the match, Reshan reached down to help up Yang. "You fight well, Yang. Another few seconds and I think you would have claimed victory."
"And you decided to choke me out because why, exactly?" Yang took his hand, pulling herself up.
"It was the only way to fight you without boosting your Semblance," he explained. "Your Semblance meant that I couldn't really hit you. So I didn't. I figured that your Aura wouldn't shield you against a grappler's hold, making it my only good option. Using my weapons would only get in the way." Reshan scratched his head awkwardly. "Are you alright, milady? Did I injure you?"
Yang shook her head. "Nah, I'm good. Gotta say, you move fast. I could barely keep up with ya, fancypants."
"That's… hard to believe," Blake said. "Unless you're Aura cloning, there's no way-"
"What's Aura cloning?" Ruby piped up, her previous worry seemingly forgotten.
Blake absently twisted an ebony lock. "It's where you leave Aura copies behind you while moving extremely quickly. The copies… they 'mimic' you, catching up when you pause, amplifying the force of your strikes."
"A Soul Shadow?" Reshan cocked his head. How had Ruby not heard of this? It was an extremely difficult technique to use. However, it was perfect for last ditch attempts…
…Like what he just went through.
"I don't know what that is, but it could just be a different name." Blake shifted her weight to her left, putting a hand on her hip. "It's not a commonly used skill. If you do it incorrectly, you could damage your Aura permanently."
They all winced at the thought. After a moment, Yang piped up. "Well I dunno about you guys, but I'm pretty hungry. Wanna go grab some grub?"
"I could use a bite to eat," Weiss admitted.
"What is this 'grub' they speak of?" Reshan decided to butt in. He would need to clear the air with them, and discussions like these always went better in the mess hall.
"If I might be allowed to join you, there are some things I wish to tell you about myself," Reshan said. "I'm afraid I haven't been entirely honest with you regarding myself. I would like to rectify that."
Ruby shrugged. "Sure. But what's so secret that you couldn't tell us in the first place?"
Yang sighed, putting an arm around her leader. "Trust me, he has his reasons."
The teen looked at Ruby with a pained expression. "Miss Xiao Long is correct. My situation is… less… than ideal. For starters…."
A/N: Hey, guys! Here's a chapter I've been really pumped about- although it has gone through quite a few rewrites. Next week I will be releasing on Wednesday- I'm traveling out of town, and it throws my whole schedule out of whack.
Please leave a review! It really does help me in my writing to see what people think.
See you all next week!
Next chapter: March 2nd
