A/N: Good day, people! Finally on to the tournament proper, and approaching the end of Volume 3! Now is the time to start expecting some larger deviations from canon, after this chapter. Some people will like this, as it's going to start bringing in more Final Fantasy stuff to Remnant as Aran and co. explore more than just an academy and its grounds.
On a separate note, that Endwalker trailer! I'm a big fan of grunge music as it was what was popular during my later childhood and teenage years. And once more, Square Enix is on point with the cinematography as well! Made me go back and rewatch Flames of Truth.
As always, let me know what you all think, either through reviews or through PMs!
"Good evening, Vale. This is Lisa Lavender, reporting for the Vale News Network. The first thing we will be talking about tonight are the results of the Grimm Hunt event of the Vytal Festival Tournament. For those of you who have not seen the last few hours of the event, I'll give a recap. Early last night, the Grimm inside the Forever Fall Forest gathered and assaulted the tournament participants in an unprecedented event. Leading them was none other than the Alpha Teryx hinted at by King Braylor Vale, although even he himself was unaware that General Ironwood of Atlas had brought in an Alpha. As of this moment, General Ironwood has refused to comment. The Alpha Teryx was halted through the actions of Miss Y'Shtola Rhul of Team ARY, though not killed. In an impressive display of the use of her Semblance, Miss Rhul held the beast behind a barrier, what she called a 'seal', for upwards of three hours.
"What followed the moment she sealed the Teryx was a battle for survival, with the primary point of defense centered around Miss Rhul and any injured participants. Leading these students were Beacon First Year students Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester, both of whom are noted to be close friends to Team ARY's leader, Aran Vinland. Why is this relevant, you ask? Because citizens of Vale, it is this woman who came to the rescue of these students when it seemed all hope was lost.
"Mere moments before Miss Rhul could no longer hold the Teryx at bay, Aran Vinland took to the field from the forest behind the Grimm. And she did not look like she had an easy time getting there. Beaten, out of breath, and absolutely tired from not resting since before the Hunt had started, just the mere appearance of our Erzan hero raised morale to heights that could have inspired even the dead. What has this woman done to deserve this reaction before now? I don't have that answer, but I can be sure to tell you that after last night, I can understand why they would now.
"The moment Miss Rhul's Semblance faltered, Miss Vinland fought the Alpha Teryx one on one. You heard me right, one person took on an Alpha Teryx, and killed it at the cost of her own health. Miss Vinland killed the Teryx high above the battlefield with a suicide technique, sending her unconscious form to the ground below. The actions of Pyrrha Nikos saved the woman from death, while the rest of the participants ended the now-leaderless Grimm threat.
"At the end of the Grimm Hunt, no participants were KIA. Once all the tallies were added together at noon today, it was revealed that rightfully so, the slayers of the Teryx were guaranteed to progress onwards into the Team Tournament. Team ARY moving forward is a certainty, and so we shall list the other teams to progress. To start off, we have teams RWBY, JNPR, CRDL, CFVY-"
Whatever else was going to be said was silenced as Aran turned off the TV. She was still laying in bed within her room in Beacon's infirmary, frowning as she replayed Lavender's report in her mind. She already knew all the teams that made it into the Team Tournament, having watched the official tally be added together earlier when it had been broadcast live.
"Any more of that, and you might get a big head," Y'Shtola stated next to her with a wry grin. It lasted only for a moment, however. "But that is for later. What happened with Mercury?"
"He's dead." Aran said shortly, causing her lover to roll her eyes. The Miqo'te was sitting on her bed, while Ryne stood near the foot.
"So you have said. But you won't tell us how."
"Does it matter how at this moment?" Aran asked sourly, earning a reproachful glare from her friends.
"It could matter, yes. What if his body is found?" Y'Shtola asked.
"It won't be found. There isn't a body left to find."
"And what did you do to him then? Burn him to ashes? Ashes are still evidence, and it is obvious that your absence was noted by anyone that watched the Hunt." Ryne stated. The moment she asked however, her face blanched. "Wait, you didn't actually burn him to ashes with magick, did you? Any use of magick would have broken your control of the Light."
Aran looked away, guilt on her face. Ryne clasped a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened.
"You lost control, didn't you? You turned him into a sin eater on accident."
"It wasn't an accident," Aran mumbled. "It was a last resort. I was paralyzed while I was regaining control of it, and he started choking me. I would be dead if I didn't do it."
The Warrior felt her lover shift, until she realized that the Miqo'te was nearly flush with her on top of the covers. Potions ensured her fractures healed quickly and nicely, as Y'Shtola was still spent. Replenishment of mana and aether was incredibly slow on Remnant, and even now helped Aran and Y'Shtola understand why aether manipulation had evolved on Remnant the way it did; Aura kept all aether within its user, draining only for protection and the use of one's Semblance. It allowed for the body to focus solely on replenishing its aether in a world that otherwise lacked the abundance of aether present on the other Shards.
"Then you did the right thing. You survived, and for once the Light was a blessing instead of a curse."
Aran said nothing, opting instead to place an arm around her lover's shoulders. Inside, she still felt the fear of losing control. Across the room, Ardbert sighed.
"She's right, you know. But I'm staying with you from now on. I think I might have figured something out."
"Care to share, Ardbert?" Aran asked. His name being stated made her companions give a futile look around.
"I'm not inclined to, no. It'll hopefully be a nice surprise for you, though I'm not completely sure what will happen."
"If you shared, then I'd probably be able to tell you if your plan would work or not. You smacked things with an axe, you weren't the aether specialist."
That caused Ardbert to chuckle and raise a finger to his temple, tapping it as he spoke.
"Full true that may be, but you're not the only one with some memories from who we are. I wandered for a hundred years, alone, wondering why I was cursed to roam as I have. But with your arrival, things started happening up here. One of those things is perhaps the answer to what has been happening with the Light you've taken. You have much on your plate already, let me keep this burden. Please."
She could feel the man practically pleading behind the mask that was his cheery demeanor. Whatever it was that he had figured out, he was certain of what would happen despite what he had said.
"Fine. But at least give Y'Shtola and I some privacy when we wish to be intimate. Or don't; you're me, after all."
Beside her, Y'Shtola smacked her shoulder halfheartedly before speaking.
"He's probably already peeped. Not that I blame him for his impropriety, but should I find that to be the case then I will of course find a way to make him suffer."
At the foot of the bed, Ryne rolled her eyes.
"Of course. Because you have not already displayed your affection for one another in some questionable places. Not at all. Aran, I would expect that from, but you, Y'Shtola?"
Aran chuckled as her lover began to defend herself.
"Just because I never displayed public affection before Aran doesn't mean I was ever against it. I just never had anyone to show it to."
"Public affection? Is that what you call-"
Aran shook her head in amusement as Y'Shtola and Ryne continued for the next hour.
It wasn't until the next day that Holly had marched into Aran's room after Y'Shtola and Ryne had gone to get lunch, followed closely by Pyrrha, Cardin, Amy, Ruby, and Blake. Shortly after Blake followed Amber, to Aran's surprise. Anyone who had come with her into the infirmary that night had been ushered out except for her team, she had learned. Even Pyrrha, who was widely known to be ARY's unofficial fourth team member through the school, was barred from entry once the doors had closed and Holly went to work stabilizing her patient.
What came after was a cacophony of greetings and well wishes, whilst most in the room looked at Amber with curious glances. They had never seen the woman before, though somewhere in Ruby's mind she thought the woman looked vaguely familiar. When asked, Amber introduced herself.
"I'm Amber Strath. I used to be a student here at Beacon around five years ago."
Ruby's eyes seemed to light up.
"Wait! I remember you, you were one of the finalists in the Vytal Festival Tournament held in Mistral!"
Amber shook her head sadly.
"Not quite. I had a sister who participated, but she… died last year. Her name was Autumn." Not a lie, the woman had been killed by one of Salem's agents according to Qrow.
Ruby began to apologize, but was waved off by Amber.
"Don't worry about it, Ruby. Anyhow, I'm here to check on Aran just as all of you are. She saved me, so I figured it was only fair that I at least drop by."
"You look like you should still be in a bed yourself," Aran chuckled.
"Probably. My guardian would probably not be happy to know I came to visit, but I haven't had the chance to thank you yet. So, erm… thank you."
The Warrior shrugged.
"You should honestly be thanking Y'Shtola. She did all the research, I just provided the aether she needed to make it work."
Amber rolled her eyes with a smirk.
"You do yourself no credit. I've seen the process which restored me, and it is nothing short of miracle work from the both of you. So again, thank you."
Finally, Aran bowed her head from her bed.
"You're welcome."
Pyrrha smiled and laid down on the bed next to Aran, crossing her legs and putting her hands beneath her head.
"You're too humble."
"Coming from you, Pyrrha?" Aran asked, left eyebrow raised.
"Yes. You saved lives over the past couple of weeks. Don't forget, I know your past unlike most." It was true; Pyrrha perhaps knew Aran the best out of anyone alive, except for Hades. The woman's control of her Echo allowed her to see Aran's past on demand if she was near her, something Aran had yet to see from anyone possessing the Echo, including herself. She had lived a vast majority of Aran's life as a Viera in mere hours over the past year, and it had paid off in dividends. The Invincible Girl had become even more fearsome, her talents combined with the experience Aran had garnered over three centuries of life and warfare. While Pyrrha was still herself, she no longer hesitated to use her Semblance openly. She no longer would second guess herself about if she struck an ally in a spar too hard. And she certainly would not shy away from taking a life if it was necessary. The last part, Aran knew, would have to be instilled into the other students.
And perhaps, she filled a place in Aran's being that not even Y'Shtola could. A sister with whom Aran could share anything, for the other already knew everything. Her doubts, her flaws, her fears, and her failures. Not once had Pyrrha judged Aran for her actions, where most would call her murderer, monster, and abomination. And while Pyrrha looked up to Aran and respected her, she did not display the incessant adoration of those that Aran had fought beside, raising her upon a pedestal for simply doing what she must. Not even the Scions were capable of doing as much, and though Aran loved Alphinaud like a son, he was the worst of them in that regard. It was nice to have had that break from it all, but it seemed that it was starting yet again with the students of Beacon and the faunus of Vale.
"Aran?" Blake asked, drawing the woman from her wandering thoughts.
"What?"
"You were staring blankly at the ceiling for five minutes. I asked if you wanted anything to eat."
"Y'Shtola and Ryne are bringing me food, but thank you."
The next few minutes passed in friendly banter, until her guests left with the exception of Pyrrha and Amber. When the Fall Maiden asked Pyrrha for a moment of privacy with Aran, the Warrior responded by informing her that Pyrrha knew everything.
"Very well then," Amber said as she leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Emerald Sustrai was captured the same night you killed the Teryx. She infiltrated the CCT and was apprehended by the Kingsguard on her way out."
That got Aran's attention.
"What was she doing there, and were they able to find Cinder's whereabouts through her?"
Amber shrugged.
"I don't know. I'm not told anything by Ozpin, and we all know how secretive the Kingsguard is. I only know she was captured because I was around when Ozpin and the others got the call."
A pregnant pause followed Amber's words until Aran chuckled.
"You'll have to do better than that to convince me, Amber. I've lived long enough to detect a deception."
"So I've heard. King Braylor did say that you were no stranger to politics, I should have guessed I wouldn't be able to pull the wool over your eyes." She moved away from the wall to stand closer to Aran and Pyrrha. "Very well then. From what I've heard, Emerald doesn't actually know where Cinder is. She and Mercury were sent out to perform separate jobs, and then told to lay low until they were called upon. While Emerald knows nothing of Mercury's death, I'm sure Cinder-"
"How do you know about his death?" Aran suddenly interrupted.
Amber looked away before mumbling out an answer.
"The glade he confronted you in has an old camera set up by Ozpin. Not for you, but for something in the past. It detected motion and turned on, alerting Ozpin. We… saw everything. But I think nothing less of you for what it's worth, and neither do Qrow or Glynda."
Aran's eyes narrowed, as did Pyrrha's. The two thought on a similar scale at times.
"And who else saw what happened?" Pyrrha asked. While she did not know what happened herself, she knew enough to figure out what had happened in a similar vein to Ryne.
"Ozpin, Ironwood, and King Braylor. As far as I know, anyhow."
"And if Braylor knows," Aran muttered, "so too does Arget. Could be worse, all things considered, but Ironwood will be a problem."
Amber glanced at Aran with curiosity.
"Why is that?"
"If Ironwood knows, then he has something to use against me. Something to try to take me into custody over. Not that I would let him, but it will prove a wrinkle in any plans to try and unite the Kingdoms."
Amber released a very unladylike snort.
"What, you think that man cares about any plans that aren't his own? He tolerates Ozpin because of his knowledge of our common foe. He doesn't respect Ozpin, and both Headmasters know it. If it weren't for his familiarity with our foe, then I have no doubt that Ironwood would have blown off Ozpin long ago."
"So what became of Emerald, and what was she doing in the CCT?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't think she was killed. As for her reason for being there, she claims she was there to plant a virus in the system. Apparently you stopped Cinder from doing it before, and destroyed the virus' container when you were fighting her, so they had to make do with a hastily designed virus that Mercury threw together. She won't say what it was for, and any scans done by Ironwood's team can't detect anything amiss in the system."
The disdain in Amber's tone took Aran by surprise.
"Do you know her?"
"She was among the three that attacked me. I almost killed her, but Cinder's intervention saved her."
Silence reigned for a few minutes until a knock on the door signalled the return of Ryne and Y'Shtola. Amber dismissed herself, leaving the team and Pyrrha alone.
That night, Aran was released from the infirmary with a skeptical look from Holly, along with doctor's orders to relax.
It was safe to say that Aran ignored those, beelining for Beacon's armory. The hilt of her Lakeland gunblade was swiftly melted down as another project came to mind as she toiled, much to nearly all of her friends' chagrin. The only ones who seemed unperturbed by her refusal to rest were Y'Shtola and Pyrrha, while nearly everyone else had dropped by at least once through the night in an attempt to dissuade her. Both women stayed with her through the night, keeping out of her way and occasionally helping where she could, in Pyrrha's case.
Near midnight, Ruby had entered the armory, Aran's Ishgardian manatrigger in hand per the Viera's request. The girl was bouncing with energy, something that Aran had come to learn happened whenever Ruby was working on a weapon of any kind. And truly, this fifteen, nearly sixteen year old girl knew things that could put masters of the Hand to shame in the Source. Something that Aran has mentioned to the girl before.
"With your talents, you could be running your own weapon development team, Ruby. Start your own business, perhaps branch into weaponized prosthetics and the like." Aran had once said months ago.
"Really? You think so? But… then I wouldn't have time to be a Huntress. And I'd have to worry about my creations being used for bad purposes. I don't want anything bad to happen to people because of my weapons."
Cid would have had a field day with Ruby, Aran realized. Neither of them wanted to build machines that would be used to harm people, and both of them were certified geniuses in their respective crafts. Together, they could probably find some way to make the impossible possible.
It was a shame they would never meet each other.
Or couldn't they?
If the Exarch had found a way to speak to her in a roundabout fashion whilst she was still in the Source, who's to say that there couldn't be another way to connect these two brilliant minds?
She had dug through all of her books and Y'Shtola's that mentioned the process of how linkpearls and linkshells worked. While she had found no answers there, the beginnings of an idea had taken hold. She merely needed to confirm some things with both Hades and the Exarch to make sure nothing catastrophic came from her idea.
But that was then, while she was forging a tool in the here and now.
The Ishgardian manatrigger was swiftly melted down by Ruby, with specific instructions given by Aran as she toiled on shaping the new hilt and mechanisms of her new gunblade. Night slowly changed to early morning, and they finally stopped as the sun began to rise. The two blacksmiths stepped back from putting on the finishing touches of the weapon, and nodded in satisfaction.
Where before Aran had used a rather simple gunblade, she would now be using something that she had only speculated on before.
The hilt was large, starting with a brass rondel leading to a black leather hand-and-a-half hilt fitted to her own hands. It curved slightly, leading to the brass revolving mechanism for cartridges and something new; a miniaturized aetheric converter used by mechanists. With Ruby's help, she had worked into the design a way to use Dust to charge the device in addition to its usual function of using aether around it. She would be able to fire more than a simple Lightning Shot.
The blade, single edged and rather thick, curved forward into a jagged hook akin to an anchor. Grimm bone plates were thick and hard, and this new weapon would be able to pierce those with what should be little issue. On the back end of the hook, a deep dark blue crystal that reminded one who looked upon it of the deepest depths of the seas lay embedded into the blade. By the design of the weapon, very few people would possess the strength to use the weapon properly. Fortunately, Aran had that strength. Very little finesse would be used with it, and that suited her just fine. She was worried about using it in the Tournament however; it would be more than difficult to use the weapon properly without using too much strength to pierce someone's Aura entirely.
That was why next to the gunblade, a nearly identical weapon, sized down to a long dagger and missing the crystal, rested.
It would take some practice to regain her previous skill in fighting with a sword and dagger, but she would manage. A memory from Aranaea's past came to mind, reminding her of the very similarly styled weapons she had wielded when the Planet was whole. The crystal was similar to the one used in those weapons, but it was not magickal, and would not allow her easy use of her black magick like a proper focus should. Nor did she have a proper focus on hand to use, unless she was willing to sacrifice her staff from the Range. She was not.
Ruby looked at the weapons with stars in her eyes.
"These are amazing! The mechanism for your aetheric conversion thingy looks so great with these! I mean, they don't change shape like Crescent Rose, but those alone are extremely complex. You don't even need Dust to fire them! And you said you could aspect the aether or whatever, and do a bunch of other things, but-"
"Yes Ruby," Aran said with a tired chuckle. She grasped the smaller of the two weapons and flipped it around. "Do you still insist that I name them?"
"Yes!"
The Warrior sighed as she placed the dagger through a leather loop on her belt, then reached for the larger weapon.
"Memory and Spite, then." She hoisted the gunblade she had termed Memory with an ease that made Ruby somewhat envious and self conscious about her own strength, and gave it an experimental swing. She nodded to herself with content and placed it on her back.
"You are done monkeying with your bits of metal, I presume?" Y'Shtola asked with a small yawn. She and Pyrrhe were seated near the door, having found chairs and not wanting to stand the entire time.
"For now. They might need some adjustments later; I'm not entirely sure how the converters will hold up over time."
Pyrrha chuckled lightly before standing up.
"Of course not, that would be too much to expect from two people who could revolutionize Remnant's technological developments." She pulled out Aran's scroll and handed it back to its owner. "Someone sent you a message after began to fuse the two metals into the blades."
The Warrior nodded in thanks, opening the scroll to read a message from Neo.
Torchwick may have been stuck in their dorm room, but Neo was able to disguise herself. More often than not, it was to cause mischief with Team ARY.
This was no different, as she found a picture of what looked to be herself in her old armor standing next to Blake and Sun with a mischievous smile, the scroll which took the picture clearly in one hand while the fake-Aran held up a container of glue.
Inwardly, Aran groaned. While she didn't care what others thought of her, she could already feel the headache forming from trying to prove that it was Neo that sis whatever she did with the glue, and to prevent the two faunus from attacking the criminal.
"She's alive, I don't see what all this fuss is about." Emet-Selch muttered as he listened to his companions bicker. The sun had risen nearly six hours ago, leaving the group to shelter inside their host's home from the heat.
"Perhaps, but should we not be there to provide succor?" Alphinaud asked. "We have done naught but sit around exchanging stories and slaying the odd Grimm that comes this way."
Thancred rubbed his temple. Louisoix's grandson had been pushing to leave for Vale for the better part of the last day, ever since they knew of Aran, Y'Shtola, and Ryne's location for certain.
"Alphinaud, even if we did leave now, we wouldn't arrive in time to provide any sort of aid. Even you must realize that. And even if we did have some way to get there in a timely fashion, who would stay here and protect Urianger and G'raha Tia?"
Even as he spoke, their host entered the room that the Scions had been debating in.
The woman seemed to roll her eyes.
"And what am I, spoilt meat?"
"No, of course not. But they could attract unwanted attention. You said yourself that you wished to keep any and all attention away from you and -"
"Yes, I did." The woman interrupted. Her eyes seemed to narrow in thought. "But I think the time for us to reveal ourselves may be drawing near."
Alisaie huffed from off to the side.
"Fine. Show yourselves. But who will protect your own charge that you've taken upon yourself? If anything happens, then you cannot protect three people who are comatose. At least one of us should stay with you."
Thancred crossed his arms in thought. The girl had a point, he would readily admit. And they were here at the woman's expense; it was no small amount of money required to feed six additional mouths, even if two of them were in a comatose state and placed under a stasis spell by Emet-Selch. They ought to repay her kindness in some way beyond just aiding her hunts.
"Ms. Rainart, Alisaie speaks truth. But we have no way to get there, so the point is moot."
Their host's face brightened at his words, and he felt his stomach sink as he realized she probably did have a way.
"Why, thank you for asking about a way to get to Vale!" She said mischievously. "If you'll follow me out into the sands tonight, I'll show you something that most kids would call 'quite cool'. Bonus fact: it flies!"
Thancred groaned as an Ascian stepped over and patted his back in mock sympathy.
"Oh dear, you seemed to have walked into a trap." Emet-Selch whispered audibly.
"Quite." Came the Gunbreaker's tart reply as he shrugged off the Ascian's hand. "Then I shall remain here, and aid Ms. Rainart in the protection of our allies and her own protector."
Alisaie's head swiveled.
"Are you sure, Thancred? Don't you want to see Ryne again?"
The man nodded and smiled.
"Of course. But she's doing fine without me, perhaps even better than if I had remained around and kept her out of Aran's shenanigans. I can stand to wait a little longer, knowing she's in good hands. Besides, I'm sure Aran would prefer to see you two over me any day. Can't say anything about our cloaked friend, however."
Emet-Selch sighed.
"Truthfully, I've no idea myself. I'm of the mind to remain here as well. I do need to remain in proximity to my stasis spell to keep it active, anyhow."
Their host walked to the couch that remained unoccupied and sat down, crossing her legs.
"You said their aether was stabilized, yes? Then they would just need food more often than once a month. I can feed them every night like I do to my guardian. It is no issue."
The Ascian sighed again.
"Fine. But if Aran decides to turn Vale's countryside into a new Carteneau, then know that my blame is on you, Gretchen."
The woman chuckled.
Wednesday had come again, signaling the start of the Vytal Festival's Tournament in the flying Colosseum.
Over the next three days, every team will have fought once, and the winners will have advanced on to the triples stage.
Three fights had already occured today, signaling the advancement of teams JNPR, SSSN, and RWBY. Any other teams ARY was acquainted with would fight later on.
But right now was one of the fights that many people had been looking forward to after seeing the effect that the Erzan Team ARY had in the Grimm Hunt.
ARY stood in the center of the arena alongside Team MGLD (Marigold), a third year team that came from Shade Academy. Their leader, a reckless young man named Magna Volt, was someone Aran had talked to in the past once or twice.
They listened to Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck introduce them and finally address the strange circumstance of ARY only possessing three members.
"Ah, yes. Something all of those watching are surely curious about! Put simply, there is no change from the normal setup of the match," Port's voice boomed. "It would simply be as if they had lost a member during the round already! However, our Erzan friends do have something unique that we need to discuss. Their Auras, put simply, do not read like usual. Doctor?"
"Yes indeed! A strange phenomena that can only be attributed to their place of origin in Erza and perhaps the unique way that they both unlocked and utilized their Auras, Team ARY must have their Auras read in a unique way for this tournament! Something that must be noted is that their Aura does not protect them from physical blows, and so a fatal wound could very easily be struck against this team! However, even with this deadly handicap, the team has performed above and beyond any others when it comes to combat. In fact, I do believe that with the way their Auras are-"
"Thank you Doctor!" Port interrupted, stopping Oobleck from continuing his hypothesis. "I'm sure our viewers would love to hear this tonight, once the fights are over! But for right now, let us discuss Team MGLD! A third year team from Shade, these young ruffians have racked up an impressive list of completed missions! Some of you may recognize them from the previous Tournament, as first year hopefuls who advanced all the way to the semifinals!"
"Quite so! With their record and teamwork, I dare say even Team ARY will be put to the test! The teamwork that MGLD has displayed in the past far outstrips most teams that have been operating together for a decade!"
"Let us see what stages our two teams will be fighting in today!
The stage randomizer landed on four terrains. Immediately, the stage separated to allow for forest, tundra, icecap, and plains quadrants to emerge.
"Forest terrain! Team MGLD may be in trouble if Aran Vinland is allowed to retreat to that quadrant." Oobleck announced. "During the Grimm Hunt, Miss Vinland displayed what can only be described as a supernatural affinity for traversing and fighting within forests."
As Oobleck spoke, the teams separated with the commencement of the fight. Almost immediately, the floor of the arena shook as earthen walls rose from the ground, separating the members of each team. Aran stood in the center with Magna, while Y'Shtola was left with the two members of MGLD that had long ranged weapons on the tundra biome. Ryne slid into the forest, taunting MGLD's G and drawing her into the forest with her. On the loudspeakers, Port took over.
"And there they go! Miss Y'Shtola Rhul of Team ARY has just separated the members of MGLD, potentially eliminating the Shade team's greatest asset! But yes, when reached for a comment about her capabilities within the forest, Miss Vinland stated that the forest was her home. To quote the woman closely, 'the Forest is her blood, and her blood is the Forest. To survive in the Wood, one must allow it to give its gift to those it wishes to see survive.' Sounds to me like some sort of religious talk in regards to the forest."
"Precisely! When scrutinized further, it could signify that- ouch, there goes MGLD's long range support! Delvin and Linus are out, with their Auras dropped nearly instantaneously by an earth shattering manifestation of Miss Rhul's Semblance, causing the tundra around them to swallow them up and spit them back out!"
"And the young Miss Waters is handily dealing with MGLD's Miss Gelda Spring! In the center, it seems Miss Vinland is content allowing Magna Volt to attack her. So far, she has offered no counter attack, opting instead to block or deflect each of his blows with ease! Not an easy feat, considering the strength Mr. Volt displayed in the past. I wonder if Miss Vinland's new weapons have anything to do with that?"
Down below, Aran was indeed doing as Port stated. In her right hand, Memory deflected any and all attacks Magna made with his axe. More than once, the young man had tried to hook her weapon away from her, yet she had handily punished each and every time with the threat of Spite nearing his throat.
The stalemate in the center of the arena came to end when the man tried to hook her weapon one too many times, causing Ardbert to give a sad chuckle as he stood several feet away.
The axe hooked near Memory's aetheric converter, causing Aran to smile as he attempted to overpower her grip on the weapon. She allowed him to drag the heavy weapon upwards until the barrel aligned with his torso and pulled the trigger, firing a Split Shot at point blank.
The man sidestepped, taking only a grazing hit, but that was Aran's intent. She burst forward suddenly, catching him by surprise as Spite slipped beneath the haft of his axe and plunged into his Aura-protected gut. His step back to create space was thwarted as Aran thrust forward again as if the heavy dagger was a rapier.
Off on the sidelines, Weiss grudgingly admitted that Aran's form was excellent even with the use of an improper weapon for the action, unknowingly mirroring her sister's own thoughts who even now watched from aboard a ship bound for Beacon.
His attention now on Spite instead of Memory, Magna failed to see the weapon begin sweeping upward behind Aran, before being brought down on the man with titanic strength.
While he wouldn't know until after he woke up a minute later, Aran used Spite to hook his axe upwards to help soften the blow, though it was at the cost of the weapon's shaft.
The downward swing of Memory cleaved through the iron haft of the weapon, a mere speed bump before it made impact with the man. He was cut down immediately as his Aura came dangerously close to shattering, though the force still pushed him to the ground. Aran very nearly reacted on instinct to stomp on his skull before she reigned herself in with a frown. This was a friendly match; there was no need to inflict more harm than necessary.
"And Mr. Volt's Aura is dropped to the low red with a single blow from Aran Vinland!" Port announced with enthusiasm. "Amazing!"
"Quite so! With quick thrusts of her dagger, Magna Volt was forced to place his attention on the smaller weapon, and the moment his attention left the bigger threat, Aran Vinland struck with astounding force! But let's not forget Miss Waters. Her opponent clearly is not experienced in the woods, tripping on roots and gnarls. But that is not dissuading Miss Spring, much to her own detriment. Her Aura is in the yellow, while her Erzan opponent remains untouched and seemingly unwinded. What's this? Is Gelda returning to the center of the arena? Why would she - she's forfeiting! Team ARY of Beacon is victorious today, with a display of skill and strength that could make anyone envious. An exciting, if short, fight!"
ARY was taken out to the fairgrounds shortly afterwards by teams RWBY and JNPR, joined by a bored Neo disguised as rather plain looking goat faunus.
This set the pace for the next week, when the triples stage took place. Once more, each of the teams that had undergone Aran's training regime had succeeded magnificently. The only potential exception was when CRDL fought against SSSN, where Sun displayed a surprising amount of tactical ability that took both Cardin and Aran by surprise. In the end however, CRDL outlasted SSSN with a technique that made Aran and Y'Shtola smile.
A well-timed Shadow Wall that seemed to have taken even Cardin by surprise allowed him to withstand an alpha strike from Sun, Sage, and Neptune, proving a theory of Aran's correct. Natives of Remnant could learn to use aether through the use of job crystals, using the crystal itself as a medium for their aether to flow through.
The match was finished when Sky and Dove struck the stunned members of SSSN, knocking them out of the arena.
JNPR fought a team from Atlas and won handily, with Ren sitting out. RWBY fought a team from Shade, and CFVY was pitted against another team from Beacon. Both won as well.
ARY had an interesting time with their triples match. Their opponents would have been Penny Polendina's team, except the team had forfeited beforehand. To fill the void, ARY had been asked to fight an exhibition match against Winter Schnee.
The fight had started well enough, with Aran pushing Weiss's sister back towards the edge of the arena, with Y'Shtola and Ryne making sure she couldn't sidestep away. It was clear that the Atlesian Specialist was growing irritated with being unable to land a blow, even with the aid of her glyphs. And so when she was pushed near the edge, she began to summon Grimm.
ARY's eyes widened in shock, before Aran and Y'Shtola's narrowed.
If this woman could summon, even if it was clearly a bastardized version of anything that they had seen, then she was dangerous.
Aran could summon Egis of the eikons she had slain; even Bahamut. The sole exception of this was Phoenix, and that was out of respect for the being who even now surfed the Lifestream. She had felt him numerous times in the time since the destruction of the Final Binding Coil of Bahamut, as if checking in on a wayward child. But Egis were something different from what Winter performed.
"She's using her own aether to summon shells of the Grimm she has felled!" Y'Shtola informed her.
Aran nodded immediately in understanding. It was not unlike necromancy then, simply replacing the physical shell for the aether with a conjured one that would likely be much more fragile. Her fears were assuaged as she bypassed a summoned Ursa.
The end result of the match was a victory for ARY, though perhaps not as flawless as they would have liked. Y'Shtola spent some time afterwards healing herself and Ryne of various inconvenient cuts and bruises.
Aran and Qrow had presented the teams with the birds they had purchased for each member. Nothing was said beyond a smile and encouragement to befriend the creatures. Torchwick had scoffed and grumbled about being stuck with chirping creatures until Aran told him that ARY would not have any. In private, she and Qrow had explained the reasoning for the birds.
"So you're going to make them kill their pets after they've bonded with them?" Torchwick asked with a raised eyebrow. "That's pretty cold."
"The must realize that their path will involve taking life at some point, be it a bandit or a soldier if the Kingdoms go to war. The Kingdoms will not allow such powerful individuals and teams to stay out of war; they will be drafted, conscripted, or otherwise pressed into service."
Roman raised an eyebrow. "You seem to know quite a bit in that department."
A shrug came from the Viera.
"More than I wish I did. The Garlean Empire is not kind. I did what I could to minimize forced conscription, but there was virtually nothing I could do about auxiliaries drafted from conquered lands. When Solus ascended to the Imperial Throne, Aran yae Galvus was named Legatus of his legion, but she was not granted the same freedoms of operation as other legions. He was her husband, and he refused to leave her alone long enough to make any such changes. Make no mistake Roman, you may be scum, but I have done worse than you ever will in my lifetime."
Qrow listened patiently off to the side. By now, the two criminals and the drunk had heard about the majority of Aran's life, at least the parts she shared freely. In his boredom, Torchwick had asked about her past with genuine curiosity, something that he normally would not do. There was only so much the man could do in the dorm room, after all.
And Aran had answered, going into detail about the Source. While Torchwick had originally thought he wouldn't really care about her past, he felt himself drawn in to the world she described. Now, he looked forward to every time he could question her.
When the quarterfinals finally came around, it was clear that Beacon students were more than above average this Tournament. Between ARY, RWBY, CFVY, JNPR, CRDL, and MOAT, six of the eight teams that remained were from Beacon. Even more exciting was that all of them were first or second years, while the remaining two teams were fourth years from Shade and Atlas.
The lots were decided simultaneously in the arena. ARY against the Atlas team, RWBY against JNPR, CFVY against the Shade team, and CRDL against MOAT.
The match against Atlas was not as impressive as the one against Winter, but the two Atlas students still performed admirably well against Aran and Ryne. Two biomes were selected, and once more one of them was a forest biome. Unlike the first round, Aran took full advantage of this against her opponent, a man dressed in an Atlas military uniform and wielding a glaive/rifle hybrid.
She left Memory on her back, using only Spite. The man followed her recklessly into the forest after a particularly wounding remark against his pride from the Warrior, an action which lead to his ambush and subsequent knockout in short order as the Viera seemed to fall upon him from all sides. Even with the noise of the crowd within the Amity Colosseum, Aran's voice had overwhelmed them all. Psychological warfare from a denizen of the Range should have been expected, if only the man had ever heard of her people. Truly, a Viera of the Forest could be just as terrifying as a Fae of Il Mheg.
Ryne's opponent was a woman also dressed in an Atlas uniform, though her weapon took the form of chained hook blades that utilized a revolving Dust mechanism similar to Weiss's Myrtenaster. While Aran lured her opponent into the forest biome, Ryne dragged her own opponent into the remaining volcanic biome.
Unlike Aran, who arrived and watched from the sidelines not too long after the match had started, Ryne took her time with her own opponent. Getting close was a difficult task with how nimble the Atlas woman was, and those hook blades possessed more reach than her own daggers. So the Oracle put to use the knowledge that Y'Shtola and Aran had begun teaching her, manipulating the aether around.
She possessed no catalyst, and as such was limited in scope with what she could do without killing herself, but it was enough.
She avoided another swipe of a hook blade and jumped over the spiked barricade of ice that the Atlas woman created with her other weapon. She landed near a volcanic vent and smiled, casting Aero beneath the gathering geyser. Her opponent clearly didn't know what the green and white aura around Ryne meant, as she charged the girl in an effort to stop whatever it was she was doing.
It backfired spectacularly as the geyser erupted. Ryne's Aero redirected the eruption towards the woman, leaving her with no chance to dodge.
"And Team ARY wins with a scorching victory!" Port announced, causing Oobleck to groan aloud.
"Stupid puns aside, my fellow commentator is correct. Team ARY will be advancing to the semifinals!"
What would have been the semifinals turned into a strange outcome. Team CFVY and the Shade team resulted in a double knockout, while CRDL triumphed over MOAT. This led to a drawing of lots to see who would get a bye for the semifinals, resulting in Pyrrha fighting against Cardin.
This fight was surprisingly more even than Aran had anticipated. It was clear that Cardin could hear the crystal now, hear the fragment of her own being that he kept on his person. It wasn't just a focus, after all. It was a teacher, a guide, a companion that could help him. It was as if Aran herself were speaking in his ear, guiding his movements.
But in the end, Pyrrha would triumph. She was the more talented combatant, and she possessed the Echo, on top of living through Aran's lifetime. Whereas Cardin was hearing what to do, Pyrrha had experienced it, and knew how to fight against a Dark Knight, much less a fledgling that didn't possess the correct weapon.
They still gave the crowd a show that would be remembered before Pyrrha was declared as the other finalist.
"Incredible prowess on both sides of that duel!" Port declared. "I must say, that has been the most exciting round yet!"
"Exciting and exhilarating! The Champion of Mistral was forced to work for her victory, of that there is no doubt. These students have come far in their first year of being in a Huntsman's Academy, and I can only dream of seeing how much further they can go in their futures! Furthermore, we have not just one, but two first year students as the finalists of the Vytal Festival Tournament! This has never happened before in the history of the Vytal Festival, and it is sure to ignite some competition in the next one should these students participate."
And so came next week, the final week of both the academic year and the finals of the Vytal Festival Tournament.
But Aran felt something was off. It began the evening before the finals, with a dream.
Aran slipped around one of her fellow Adventurers, her blade finding a gap in Garlean plate. She revelled in the scent of blood and smoke around her, as her bloodthirsty inner psyche had taken over. At this moment, she couldn't care if she was her for her Free Company, or because of Louisoix's plan. Dalamud drew ever closer to the planet, pieces of the seal that kept Bahamut contained flaking off as meteors. It must be stopped, and at this moment she needed to clear the way through these Garleans.
Dalamud pulsed, stopping her on the battlefield. She looked up, taking stock of how much longer they had.
Not long.
Her attention returned to the conflict at hand, just in time as she saw more approaching Garleans. She underestimated what was arrayed against her however, as bullets began to hail in her direction.
She threw up a barrier and dropped her shortsword; now would not be the time for more bladework. She would burn these fools from the face of the planet, leaving nothing but glass in their wake.
Fire roared as she saw her companions come to her aid, fellow Adventurers that agreed to aid in Louisoix's mad plan to beseech the Twelve.
Another pulse, this time felt by all. She glanced up just in time to see one of the seals fall from Dalamud.
"Get away!" Aran cried. Then everything shook as Carteneau was enveloped by dust, dirt, and blood.
When the dust cleared, she found herself on the ground, she stood on shaky feet and glanced up in horror as untold destruction began to rain down around them. At the center of it all, was the elder eikon of the Meracydian dragons: Bahamut.
She watched helplessly as it began to destroy everything. The sheer size was… staggering.
How did Louisoix Leveilluer think they could stop that?
She woke, trembling as she remembered Carteneau. The Adventurers, her Free Company, would become known as the Warriors of Light when the old Elezen teleported them away. They were forgotten, with none remembering exactly what any of them looked like. And they left it that way, for they were not the heroes that day.
Leveilluer gave everything. He deserved to be remembered more than herself and the other 'Warriors of Light'. Not even Y'Shtola remembered her being a member of the Free Company that Louisoix contracted for Carteneau, not until she had first seen Aran disrobed with a very telling tattoo to be seen.
The flight to the Amity Colosseum seemed to take longer than usual, Aran decided. She sat in a Bullhead alongside Pyrrha and Ardbert, muscles tensed as she anticipated the crowd that would be waiting for her and Pyrrha. Even now, her thoughts dwelled on her dream as her right hand idly rested just above her left breast; the same place her Circle of Knowing tattoo rested.
"Everything will be fine." Pyrrha stated reassuringly. "You'll see."
Aran smiled, but she knew it wasn't convincing. Beyond her dream, she had also learned from Roman that not all of the Dust he had stolen from Vale for Cinder had been on the train. Nearly a third of it still remained unaccounted for, taken somewhere by the White Fang.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't know what Adam Taurus and Cinder had planned, and there was no sense dwelling on it now. She and Pyrrha would fight, and then she would talk to Ozpin one final time. Then, ARY would be taking a Bullhead with Qrow, Roman, and Neo to Vacuo. The Huntsman had already secured their transport; all that was left was to finish out their obligations.
The Bullhead landed and opened its loading ramp, letting the finalists out. True to expectations, there was a crowd of people waiting outside the walkway, cheering them on. And so they walked, until they were in the center of the arena where the large screen displayed Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck. Unlike before, there was an empty third seat in the frame.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to the Vytal Festival Finals! I am Peter Port, commentating here today alongside Doctor Oobleck and a special guest. Care to introduce yourself?"
A hand entered the frame to pull the chair away from the table they sat at and flipped the chair around. Then she recognized King Braylor's large frame, this time wearing the same shirt she had first met him in.
"Braylor Vale, at your service Professor Port, Doctor Oobleck."
The crowd cheered, making Aran twitch her ears in annoyance.
"Welcome to the booth, Your Majesty! Now then, do you have any expectations or theories about this upcoming match?"
The King stroked his beard slowly.
"I think I'll keep those to myself. Letting my expectations be known could influence the tournament, and I want both of these women to show their worth without pressure."
Aran mentally frowned. King Braylor was up to something. He did not make public appearances often, and right now the way he spoke gave away that he was putting up an act.
"Ah, most gracious of you!" Oobleck responded. "In that case, are we ready to begin?"
Aran drew Memory and Spite, even as Pyrrha drew her own weapons. The screen shrunk to display Aran and Pyrrha's Aura meters.
"Our combatants are ready! Let the round-"
Before Peter could say begin, the sound of a high-powered rifle echoed through the stadium only a moment before Aran felt pain erupt from the same place Mercury had shot a month prior, sending her to her knees.
At once, pandemonium began to break loose until Cinder's voice began to play.
"Citizens of Vale, of Remnant. This 'hero' is not who you think she is. She is a criminal, a murderer, and a monster protected by your Academies and Kingdoms. Let me show you what they have been hiding from you."
Aran's heart sank as she glanced at the screen which now displayed herself and Mercury in the Forever Fall Forest. But something was wrong.
It wasn't Mercury's hands around her throat.
Hers were around him.