Chapter 8: Aura Training and Research


Disclaimer: RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. All other mentioned franchises belong to their respective owners.


(August 20, 2015) Hello everyone! This is TTOA and I am here with the newest Chapter of RWBY: THFE. Well, you guys voted and now romance between Cinder Fall and myself will be in this fic; but not necessarily in this Chapter, but it will happen. I find it funny because I haven't really had this kind of thing happen to me so I can't have any kind of reference to pull from. I'm tempted to get a Beta Reader, but since I am nervous about asking others for help it has proven to be rather difficult.

I've also been working on the next Chapter for The White Demon as well as the sequel to this story. In fact at the time of me writing this I have 3 Chapters of the sequel story done. This is because that is when I am a Huntsman and it is just me meeting team RWBY and JNPR while going through the motions of the show with bits and pieces changed. I plan on continuing to write Chapters for the sequel as I write this story and The White Demon and the Chapters should be uploaded whenever I get done with THFE (within a couple of days after I complete it, which will take a bit). If Volume 3 of RWBY is out by the time I upload the sequel, I will be adding its content to that story (even though it seems to be mostly focused on the tournament which I've seen many other fics do before so it really shouldn't be an issue).

I also have another RWBY story that I am planning on making soon although I don't know when I will upload that one since it is still in the works.

Also, due to college starting again for me soon it will be difficult for me to upload new Chapters.

With that said, let's get started!


(August 23, 2015) I realized something that I didn't really take into account until now and I feel stupid because of it. When I came to Remnant I said in my last Chapter that it was mid-November. I was going to make this Chapter focus on combat training, but I realized that it hasn't even been one year that I would've been on Remnant since I arrived in August. This means that I am still focusing on my aura training and a lot of the ideas I had originally planned for this Chapter would have to be placed on the back burner for a while because I wanted combat training to be the focus on my second year on Remnant. So basically I will be having this Chapter being focused on aura training for this year and then the next year be about combat. I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner.


"Speech"

Thought

*Actions within dialogue*

{Letters/Notes}

[Flashback] begins/ends

Emphasis

Narration/Log

X-X-X Scene Change

[#] Author's Comments which will be shown at the official end of the Chapter and before the ending A/N.


January

Opallios's Log

I honestly don't have much to say in this entry. I guess it is the beginning of a new year. I still have a long way to go before I'm ready for Beacon. I'm just focusing on my aura training for the time being. Something very interesting happened near the end of last year and I feel it is something I will be interested in seeing how it all turns out. I'm still kind of bummed that Christmas doesn't exist in this world (maybe I can introduce it. I doubt it would really mean much).

Other than that, there really hasn't been much going on so I guess I'll put my pen down and wait for tonight's next entry...


"Dammit I was so close that time!" I shouted as I made my landed on the ground and stared at the tree I was trying to climb. It was a lot taller than the one I first climbed when I began my aura training in November, but I also had to deal with the cold weather and the ice that formed on its surface. It was actually because of the ice that I decided to climb this tree so I had an elemental hindrance and I wanted to test myself to see if I could overcome that. I could see my breath in the crisp air as I brushed the snow off of me. I had made some really good progress in the last couple of months, and I wanted to see if there was anything else I would be able to do. I found a rock for me to sit on to take a break after I wiped the snow off of it. I looked around me and I saw the sunlight shining off of the snow and it was honestly a beautiful sight. When I was younger, I used to think the reason for liking winter was because I didn't have to worry about my childhood fear of bugs that I had for over 13 years. After I got over said fear, I realized that it wasn't because of the lack of bugs, but I think it was because of how quiet and almost serene a winter forest felt for me. It was a very peaceful quiet and it was something I enjoyed a lot. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. I have read this paper a least a hundred times, and it was something I had hoped of mastering before I went to Beacon.

{Rasengan}

Created by the Fourth Hokage, taught by Pervy Sage, and quickly mastered by the Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja. One of my absolute favorites and I wanted to recreate it in this world. The problem that I was having trouble controlling my aura. I originally thought about taking the somewhat easy route and absorb a Wind Dust crystal, but I had no idea what kind of effects it would have on my body and my aura. There were too many risks involved that I didn't want to take. Plus, I thought it would be more fun doing it the old fashion way instead. Another issue was I haven't mastered maintaining a steady stream of aura. The tree climbing makes it so I can apply my aura to certain things while maintaining a steady stream was done through water-walking. If I didn't master those two things then there is no way I could use Rasengan. One day. As I looked at the ball of aura that I drew to represent the attack, my mind drifted back towards the end of last year and the events that took place.


[Flashback to late December]

I was walking around Vale with my hands in the pockets of my hoodie as I passed by others going to wherever they needed to go. I didn't really have a whole lot of things to do so I did one of my usual things which is to pull out my Scroll and call Saga. After a few moments it picked up.

"Sup, Opals?"

"Nothing much. I want you to meet me in the park."

"Alright, I'll be there in a bit." he hung up the phone.

I smiled to myself as I knew what I wanted to do and made my way over to the meeting place.

X-X-X

I sat on a park bench as I waited for Saga to show up. I noticed that there weren't a whole lot of people out there. There was the occasional couple walking along the path as well as a few ice-skaters on a lake, but the field next to this surprisingly large park was empty and it was perfect for what I had in store. I heard the crunching of boots on snow and I saw that Saga had arrived. His winter clothing were the same color as his normal outfit, but just made for winter conditions. He smiled at me.

"So, what did you want me here for?" he asked.

"I want to have a snowball fight." I told him.

Saga had a puzzled expression on his face. "What's a snowball fight?"

"You're kidding? You never had a snowball fight?" I asked with a bit of disbelief.

"I am just kidding." he said with a smug smile on his face. I face-palmed as Saga chuckled. "You are so gullible sometimes."

"And you are such an annoyance." I had a small smile. "But props to your acting. I honestly thought you never had a snowball fight."

"I used to have those with a couple of my neighbors." he said with a shrug. "So then, what are the rules going to be?"

"We each have 20 minutes to build our fort, after that the fight begins. Losers admit defeat. Also, no weapons or Semblances."

Saga nodded. "Seems simple enough. But it's only just the two of us. I don't know if that'll make it much fun."

"Think of it as training." I said and he smiled at that. "Good luck." I brought my fist out.

"Same to you." he said with a chuckle and we bumped fists and went over to the opposite sides of the field to begin building our forts.

As I was building my fort, I was trying to see if I could think of some kind of strategy. I wanted to use my aura sensing ability, but it was still really finicky and most like unreliable. I glanced over at Saga's fort and his was turning out quite nicely. The walls were at a decent height and covered his area relatively well. It made me think about how I should go and build up my own wall a bit more. As I made some snowballs for me to throw later, I noticed that a large group of people were walking along a path. It looked to be a family of ten with most of the family being girls. One of the smaller ones made a glance at me and we made eye contact. I smiled and made a small wave and her face seem to brighten up and she tugged on her mother's sleeve and pointed to me. The mother looked up at me and she seemed to be thinking about something. It was then after an exchange of words with her husband that the family made their way over to me.

One of the smaller girls made it over to me first. "Hi! Whatcha doin?" she asked.

I looked down at her and smiled. "I'm building a snow fort because I'm going to have a snowball fight with my best friend over there *points to Saga* although it is only just him and I at the moment. Would you like to join?"

"I would love to! I can have my sisters and brother play as well!" she beamed at me and she ran back over to the family and lead them over to me.

I turned towards Saga "Hey!" Saga looked up at me. "We have more people to play with, you cool with that?"

"Of course I am!" he called out.

I turned towards the family and I noticed that it was only the sisters that joined. Besides the girl I spoke to, most of them seemed to be around the same age. Three of them were taller than me while two were around my height and the girl I spoke to and someone else were shorter than me.

"It seems I have forgotten my manners. My name is Opallios Stone, buy you can just call me Opals. My friend over there is Saga Cilario."

The tallest of the group looked at me. "Well I'm Julie Arc, the oldest." She looked to have the most authority over the rest of them.

I had a shocked expression on my face. 'The Arc family?!'

"I'm Jessica, the party-goer!" she kept eyeing me for some reason.

"Jayden." she simply said and she looked kinda bored by this and her body language clearly showed little interest.

"Don't mind her, she's always like this. I'm Jackie by the way." She was the one that was my height.

"Just call me Jamie." one of them answered.

"I'm Jill." She was the girl I first spoke to.

"J-Jena." She seemed kind of shy and appeared to be the youngest out of all of them.

So these are the Arc sisters. At least in this universe. "It's nice to meet you all."

Jill spoke up. "How old are you Opals?"

"I'm 20."

Julia asked her question, "I'm surprised by that. Are you a Huntsman?"

I shook my head. "I'm not. I'll actually be going to Beacon in a couple of years. I know, it's odd of me to be going to a school with me being as old as I am, but it's really not that big of a deal for me."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Jessica asked me to which the rest of the girls looked from her to me.

I blushed. "Not really, but I guess you could say I'm seeing someone. It's complicated." I honestly couldn't convince myself of giving a decent answer, but Jessica seemed to show slight disappointment. "I don't think Saga has one, but he shows off way too much for his own good." Jill and Jena giggled at that.

"I heard that!" he called out.

"Was counting on it!" I called back.

I then looked around at all of them and they all were admittedly beautiful. Jill and Jena were down right adorable; Jayden had an air of mystery to her; Julie had the looks of being a total boss at everything and it reminded me of Samus Aran; Jessica reminded me of a party-girl, but one who will also destroy you if you tried anything funny; and Jackie and Jamie seemed to be the down-to-earth kind of people;. However, there was someone who I really wanted to see and I looked back over at the parents for any sign of him. It was then I noticed a small boy with a white winter jacket with yellow trimming and a mess of blond hair trying to hide behind his beast of a father. Seriously the dad looked to be an accomplished Huntsman and he had a really great build. He was also really tall, taller than my own dad who was 5'9''.

Oh my god he looks so small he can't be more than 10.

Jessica noticed I wasn't looking at them and she followed my gaze. "I see you saw our brother. Hey Jaune! Come over here and join us!" 10-year-old Jaune slowly let go of his father and quickly but cautiously made his way over to his sisters. He looked up at me with his ocean blue eyes.

"I'-I'm Jaune." he stuttered.

I gave him a warm smile. "Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, and rolls off the tongue. I like it." He seemed to be comforted by me saying that. "Well then, it seems we now have eight people here now. I think the teams should be slit up via oldest vs. youngest. Saga is actually older than me by a month. Who is the fourth youngest among you?"

"I am." Jackie answered.

"Then from Jackie under you are with me. The rest of you are with Saga. The rules him and I have made are 20 minutes to build our forts, but since you all are joining we'll add another 10 minutes. After that the fight begins. No weapons or Semblances are allowed. Loser admits defeat. Good luck."

As we began to work on the fort, the older ones nodded while Jayden just shrugged and they made their way over to Saga. My team had Jackie, Jaune, Jill and Jena while Saga had Julie, Jessica, Jayden and Jamie. I noticed that Saga was trying to hit on them, and his expression showed that he was turned down. I chuckled at that.

"What's so funny?" Jaune asked me.

"Saga has a track record which involves him trying to hit on a girl and then get turned down. It happens every time and it never gets old."

"Why did we have to be paired up with you? I don't think we can win." Jena said the rest of them nodded in agreement.

"I wanted it to be an old vs. young rivalry. It was something my little sister and I used to have." I said that last sentence with a saddened tone.

Jaune noticed my change. "Is your sister not with you?"

"She's just very far away right now. It has been a while since I've seen her as well as my parents. I do things such as this to remind me of my family so the memories don't fade." Jena and Jill seemed to be on the verge of tears from my statement. "However, they are the reason I am doing what I am able to do. Their teachings and guidance has carried me this far and it will continue to do so." The group seemed to be encouraged by my words. I wasn't sure how long had passed, but I saw a snowball hit my back. I turned around and saw a few more coming at me. "Get down!" I called out and we all dove behind the cover of our fort. It seems the battle has begun. We then gathered some snowballs and we hurled them at each other. I made one hit Saga in his face and it was covered in snow. He stared at me as I laughed at his expression, but karma came back to bite me as I was hit with one in my face. I turned and I saw it came from Julie who had a smirk on her face. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. I noticed that Jaune was doing really well despite his earlier concerns, but he was breathing heavy and I had to provide some cover fire. We were actually holding our own. Jill was out as she was too tired to play anymore and Jena wasn't that far behind. I managed to hit Jayden with one and she gave me a look that would kill most men and it made me sweat-drop. She had three snowballs in each hand and threw them all at me so quickly I was barely able to dodge. One of them hit Jena and she gave up. Jamie was pelted and she had to retreat. It was only just Jaune and I left. I turned to the blond boy. "Jaune, this doesn't look so good, but we can take them."

"How do you expect that to happen?" He asked as snowballs were flying above us.

"I have a plan, but you are going to have to trust me. It is going to involve you in a big way. I won't be able to do this without you."

Jaune hesitated for a moment. "I don't know. What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we would've lost in a spectacular fashion and it would be among friends."

Jaune's eyes widened. "You think I'm your friend?"

"Of course I do. You are like the little brother I always wanted." Jaune smiled at that. "Now then, how about we try out that plan?" I began whispering in his ear.

With Saga

Seems like Opals is either giving up, or is planning something big. This is our chance. "Hey! It's now or never! We have to attack while we still have the advantage!" The older Arcs nodded and jumped from behind cover and charged with snowballs in their hands.

With Opallios

"I hear them coming, ready Jaune?"

"Let's do this."

What happened next was something unexpected to our enemies. Our fort exploded in a shower of snow which made the older team stop in their tracks as they shielded themselves from the amount of snow coming towards them. Jessica, Jayden, and Jamie were unfortunately caught in it while Julie and Saga got out of the way. What they saw was a tall pile of snow rushing towards them and two little arms were sticking out. Julie was too stunned by this and she was hit with the snowballs which had her fall back into the pile of snow behind her and disappear. Jaune and I revealed ourselves and I had Jaune on my shoulders I then had faltered in my step. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Saga's face turn to shock, whether it was from my sudden trip or Jaune's apparent fall I was unsure. Speaking of Jaune, it was then the older Arcs heads popped out of the snow that they saw Jaune he leaping off of me as a footstool and was in the air as he was going to land on Saga. Unknown to me the rest of the Arc family looked shocked at Jaune's move. Saga was forced to catch Jaune, but the look in Jaune's eyes showed determination and not fear. He tackled Saga and despite Saga being twice Jaune's age, even he had a bit of trouble being hit by an airborne 10 year old. It was then that I made a rolling stop and pelted Saga with snowballs which the final nail in the coffin and it made him disappear in the pile of snow. Jaune was able to safely land on top of the snow pile and I hopped on top of it as well. The older Arc sisters and Saga looked at us in awe. (more so the Arcs looking at Jaune in awe). The sun was behind us as we towered over them. From our team's angle we looked like heroes who have just won an epic battle.

Saga sighed. "We admit defeat." Our teammates cheered as they ran over to us. I brought out my fist to Jaune. He looked at it confused.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked innocently.

I chuckled at his cluelessness. "I want to to fistbump me. It is my way of showing true companionship, Sworn Brothers if you will [1]." Jaune beamed at me and he fist-bumped me. The older ones pulled themselves out of the snow and made their way down. I saw Jaune's parents rushing over. Jaune's mom was being your typical worried mother and I knew Jaune was fine. I saw his dad analyzing me, but he had no comment. Saga walked up to me.

"That was an interesting strategy. Using Jaune's weight as a way to distract me while you dealt the final blow. Nice job."

I nodded. "I really could not have pulled it off without him."

"That reminds me. How did you make your fort explode like that? I know that wasn't your Semblance."

I slightly flinched. "It's something I am working on. It's currently in the Alpha stage." I said not wanting to spoil my attempt at making the Rasengan despite the fact I had no control of my aura. Saga shrugged. I noticed that some of the Arc family was starting to shiver from the cold and just being wet. "Hey everyone, I know of a place that has some absolutely amazing hot chocolate. How about we all head there? My treat!" My team cheered and we all headed over to where I knew of the place.

X-X-X

Jaune, Jackie, Jayden and myself occupied one booth; Saga was with Jessica, Julie, and Jamie. Jill and Jena were with their the parents. All of us were happily sipping our hot chocolate and making small conversations. I saw Jaune had barely touched his.

"You know Jaune, there is a reason it's called hot chocolate." I said as I took a sip from mine.

"I know. It's just that, even though we won that battle, I don't think I did that well." Jaune had a downed look on his face.

Jackie said. "You shouldn't bring yourself down like that. The way you leaped off of Opals's shoulders was freaking awesome!" the others nodded in agreement.

Jayden spoke next. "I think you have what it takes to be a Huntsman." Jaune visibly sighed at that.

"I don't think I'll be strong enough. I always wanted to be a Huntsman like you, Julie, and Jessica; but I don't think I'll ever be good enough."

I clasped my hand on Jaune's shoulder and he was startled by this and he looked up at me. "Jaune, I may not know you very well, but I can assure you that you definitely have the means of being a Huntsman. I saw the way you were fighting and you had a lot of determination. I may have a bit more training than you, but even when I was getting tired you weren't even close to it. That just shows that you have the determination to keep going long after most would give up." I took a large gulp of my mug. "Strength is a factor that plays a role as a Huntsman, but it will only take you so far. I can tell just by looking at you that you show compassion towards complete strangers. You will fight for what you believe in and achieve your dreams." I finished off my mug. "I have read an absurdly large amount of books in my life, and it turn I have learned a few things and have started to quote some of my favorites. There was one in particular I like a lot. "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure." You fear that you will become a failure and not live up to your own expectations. You need to hold on to your dreams, for I know that you will achieve them even if you may think you won't. Your courage reminds me of a hero I have a huge amount of admiration for. He would be able to dispel even the greatest of darkness. His courage is so great that his courage is the very thing that gives him his strength. You have that deep inside you, it just needs to be brought out." He had a big smile on his face and I looked into his eyes and they were full of admiration. The rest of the tables gotten silent. I ruffled Jaune's hair. "I hope we will see each other again. I can't wait to see what kind of person you will turn out to be." I paid for the bill and everyone began to leave. I was getting up myself as I was the second to last person to leave when I felt a hand clasp my shoulder. I turned around and I saw that it was Jaune's dad.

"Opallios, you have done my family a great service. You have given my son hope. I had my own doubts of him, but now I see that he has what it takes. I have never seen him so happy. I wanted to thank you for what you have done. My name is Jeremiah. I heard that you haven't seen your family in a long time. You are always welcomed in the Arc household." I was stunned at his words. "I will begin training him. He is going to do great things. Your parents would be proud of what you have been doing. Thank you so much." I couldn't form words as I rubbed my eyes. Jeremiah left and I stood there for a few moments before I made my way back to the cabin.

[End flashback]


I hope you are proud of me Mom; Dad. I wiped my eyes and placed the paper back in my pocket and began to climb the tree again with new vigor. I was able to see the very top before I had to climb down. Deciding that I wanted to take a break, I headed inside to rest before I would go back outside and try to sense aura. I decided to see if I could sense some plants that only grow at this time of year so I could add them to my collection of ingredients for potions and poisons. I have been doing relatively well at mixing the various alchemy ingredients I have been able to gather around here. Due to me reading various alchemy books, I have been able to tell the differences between each ingredient I have gathered. Some of them acted as medicine, some could be cooked or made into tea, some could be made into a poison. As I would study the properties of each ingredient I would recognize their aura since it would help me distinguish some from others as I remembered that some plants mimic a poisonous version of itself as a defense mechanism [2]. I sat down near the rock I was sitting at and began to meditate. Although my eyes weren't open, I could feel the aura around me. I decided to focus on finding some more Angel's Teardrops since I was beginning to run a bit low on them. I recalled from {Herbalist's Guide to Remnant} that Angel's Teardrops usually grew in mountainous regions, but since wind carries their seeds downwards, they also can grow by lakes and rivers; however, Angel's Teardrops are only available during the winter so the time to gather them would be now. There's a frozen lake I knew wasn't too far from where I currently was due to how much tracking I would do on my own. After I opened my eyes, I hopped into the trees and began to make my way over to where I needed to go. When I got to the lake it didn't take me long to locate them and I fumbled around in my pockets for the small book I use to preserve my alchemy ingredients only to realize I left it back in the cabin. Dammit. I groaned as I had to turn around and go back to get my book. Might as well take my pack as well in-case I find anything of use. I hopped back into the trees.

One quick trip later

I located the Angel's Teardrops with my aura and they were on the other side of the lake. I could try to cross it, but I wasn't sure how the ice was, and since I had some things in my pack that were valuable I didn't want to risk getting them wet. I put my hands in my pockets and casually walked over to the other side. Taking in my current surrounds, I saw the sunlight shining off of the frozen lake and on the snow on the ground. I would have to blink a few times so wouldn't stare at it for too long as it was very bright. It was also really quiet here. The only sounds being made were my boots crunching on the snow. It was almost surreal and I thought this was the best thing for me as someone who prefers to be alone in a quiet area. Despite this, having this area be this quiet also means something is bound to go wrong. I can't even count how many times in movies and books and video games there has been a scene when it's the 'it's-quiet-too-quiet cliché'. Depending the genre, it usually results in a jump-scare or having a surprise battle take place. It is because of this cliché that I am on my guard and I feel like I am basically waiting for something to happen. As if my mind was read, I heard a low growl coming from somewhere nearby. Instinct told me to take higher ground. I leaped into the trees while I activated my armor and as soon as I made contact with my landing I pulled out The Messenger and scanned my area. I checked my radar for any signs of movement. I didn't move from my spot unless something was right beneath me. I waited a few seconds, then minutes. There was silence. I knew that it wasn't just my head messing with me; something was nearby. I noticed movement near the north-eastern section of my radar. I aim my crossbow in that direction and paused to see what it was.

"Shit."

What was in my sights was a dead Ursa Major and in front of it was an Alta Amur. I remembered reading about this species of Grimm and the creature instantly reminded me of Earth's Siberian tiger (sometimes called the Amur tiger) [3]. The fact that it was in this cold region as well as presumably killed the Ursa, since Siberian tiger's can fight bears, confirmed my suspicions. I figured that I had come across it while it was feeding and most likely provoked it. I would have no choice but to kill the Alta Amur. I mentally sighed since I didn't really have a reason to kill it and I was the one that disturbed it. However, I figured it would track me down later on. I fired four bolts in about three seconds. The Alta Amur didn't even get a chance to move as it dropped dead.

I really didn't want to kill it. I sighed. I decided to stay near the trees until I got to the other side of the lake.

I was able to make it to the other side and I found a small group of five Angel's Teardrops and I carefully knelt down near the plants and brought out my storage book and my harvesting knife from my pack. I carefully cut a few of the Angel's Teardrops, but not all of the ones that I found here since they should be kept around as long as they could. I opened a few empty pages in my storage book and placed the Angel's Teardrops inside the book. I slowly closed the book and placed my tools in my pack. Satisfied with how it turned out, I finished going around the lake and made my way back.

I got back to the cabin and I saw that there were a couple of books on the table as well as a note. I picked up the note first.

{Read these books.}

I figured this was from Master since I couldn't quite sense him here so I picked up the one with a picture of a menacing looking dragon-like Grimm. I got over to the leather chair and opened it up.

{Rathalos

Also comes in Azure and Silver variants.

Terrible wyverns called the 'Kings of the Skies'. Along with Rathians, they stake wide territories centered around their nests. Rathalos descend on invaders from the sky, attacking with poison claws and breath of fire. are large, bipedal wyverns with a spiny, armored hide covering their body. Their outer shell features much brighter and more vibrant colors than that of their female counterpart, the Rathian. It is primarily bright red, with black markings throughout. Like the Rathian, Rathalos possess a flame sac which is used to produce deadly flaming projectiles from the mouth.}

I would hate to go up against one of those." I read on. {The talons upon a their feet are highly poisonous and are known to to inflict toxic mortal wounds on larger prey. The only known cure for this is a Golden Potion of Healing.}

"Note to self, find out how to make these potions." {In addition, their long, thick tail features a heavy spiked club at the end. Rathalos' wing membranes feature ornate patterns which are likely used to attract potential mates. Rathalos are highly territorial monsters, and as such, are aggressive towards intruders. They will chase away or attempt to kill any monster which may pose a threat to their land. While hunting, Rathalos will stalk prey from the air before swooping in for the kill. Once they have successfully brought down their prey, they will carry it away to eat in private, safe from scavengers or other large monsters which might attempt to steal the kill. Rathalos have been spotted in many kinds of environments, from the temperate Forest and Hills to the extreme heat of the Volcano. As a master of flight, they will travel far and wide, searching for prey from the skies.}

I stopped reading so I could absorb all of this information. I searched my alchemy book to how I could create a Golden Potion of Healing; however, I was unable to find the exact ingredients. 'Maybe there is another book I could find that has it.' I got up and searched throughout the house to find it, but there wasn't anything. So I did the next best thing by heading to one of the only places I could think of that would have the books I would be looking for.

X-X-X

I walked into the bookstore to see if I could find the recipe to make the Golden Potion of Healing. I waited a few minutes and the owner of the store walked up to his desk.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade home to every book under the sun- hey Opallios! What are you looking for this time? Is it more science-fiction? Fantasy? Or are you going to dip your toes into a little romance?"

I smiled. "I don't think I'll delve into romance just yet Tukson, I am looking for something special."

"What is it then?" he asked.

"I'm going to need all of your books related to alchemy. I'm trying to figure out how to create a specific potion and none of the books I currently own have what I'm looking for."

"I think I can help you out with that, but I'm going to need to check in the back. You don't mind waiting do you?"

"I don't mind." I said with a smile. Tukson nodded and he headed into the back. I decided to scan the mystery section as I figured there could be a few I could try and get into. I wasn't the biggest fan of the genre as my only exposure to it back home was my dad's two volumes of the Sherlock Holmes that supposedly included every story in those two volumes. I saw a couple that looked interesting: {Visions from Beyond the Grave} and {Figure of Darkness}. I read the summary of both of the books and decided that I would read them. It would at least give me something to read if I'm ever bored and I'm not busy training. I went ahead and placed them at my side and conveniently Tukson was back with a small stack of books which looked like they've been taken care of despite their aged look.

"These are all the ones I have here. I don't know if they will help you out, but it's all I have." he noticed I had a couple of books with me. "I see you picked a couple of other ones to read. Will this be all this time?"

"I think so. How much do I owe you this time?"

"453 Lien." My eyes slightly widened.

"I'm guessing those alchemy books are what's making the price higher than normal?"

"Yeah, these books aren't used anymore, but they are really valuable. Is that a problem?"

"I never said it was, I just figured it was pricey because the books are rare. I have enough." I pulled a card out of my pocket and gave it to Tukson. He scanned it before handing it back to me and I placed the books in my pack. I waved good-bye and went back to the cabin to do a bit of research.

X-X-X

I sat in the chair and decided to see if the book, {Potions and Poisons}, had anything. I read for about three hours, and although it didn't have the Golden Potion of Healing, I did learn how to make a shit-ton of different potions and poisons. With the ingredients I had on me, I could make various potions that cured a multitude of diseases and internal pains. In turn I could make poisons that were slow and painful, ones that caused hallucinations, ones that could freeze blood. The possibilities seemed endless. I made a mental note to make some of the poisons for only situations that may call for the possible use of said poisons as well as make the cure for each of them. The next book I decided to read was {Alchemy: A Guide to a Forgotten Art}. Seeing the book holds promise, I began reading.

{Before the common use of Aura and advancements in medicine, man would use potions as a way to cure various illnesses and diseases. They were used to help humans and Faunus survive the terrors of the Creatures of Grimm. However, with more and more people using Aura, less wounds were received and therefore potions became less used. After the Human-Faunus War, advancements in medicine became more common and potions were considered obsolete.

However, it was discovered that Aura does not function as a means to cure diseases and illness; and although medicine had improved greatly over the years, there are still some illnesses and poisons that only a potion could cure. However, the use of alchemy was considered to be a forgotten art since there were very few historical texts containing recipes for various potions.

This book was created from most of the found and preserved documents related to alchemy and will be updated with more volumes as more recipes are discovered.} I checked the index of the book to see if the potion I was looking was in here. I was able to find it and I flipped to it.

{The Golden Potion of Healing

This is one of the rarest potions ever created. It is the only one known to be able to cure the poison from a Rathalos claw. It is a potion kept in high regard of alchemists and those who are able to create it are considered to be highly skilled. It was rumored that this recipe was lost, but archaeologists were able to uncover it and document it for scientific purposes.

The ingredients to make this potion is Ithron and Red Othoilroot.}

I finally figured out what it was, I bookmarked the page and pulled out the third and final alchemy book I bought from Tukson, {The Ingredients to the Best Potions and Poisons}. I checked the index for the two ingredients and both of them were found in this book. I discovered that the Ithron used to be an extremely rare plant. The colors of the thorns are a light blue and the flower is of a darker blue. The reason why it was so rare was because pollinators only could help the plant reproduce, but the flower itself was poisonous to most. It was only through mutations and some evolution that pollinators were able to become immune to the poisonous effects of the flower and be able to spread it across Remnant making it more common. Relieved that Ithron is more common now and could be found almost anywhere, I went ahead and searched for the Red Othoilroot. What I found had me worried. The book told me Red Othoilroot was only available in very specific caves around Remnant. It is unknown how many of the caves have the plant or how it was able to spread across entire continents, but if one was lucky enough to have the cave containing the plant, you could find it deep underground and it gives off a red glow as well as emit a faint ringing sound. Its whiter variation could be found virtually anywhere and it also gave off a faint ringing sound and glowed. It's theorized that Red Othoilroot would be found in many caves in ancient times if the world was a single landmass, but if today's continents have split up from a supposed single landmass, the amount of caves containing the plant would go down. It is unknown if the plant reproduces.

It kind of reminds me of Skyrim's Crimson Ninroot and the normal Ninroot. Although I personally haven't encountered Othoilroots, I was hopeful some of the caves near Beacon had them or this will be a very difficult task. As I continued to read, Red Othoilroot could only combine with a limited amount of other alchemy ingredients. When creating potions and poisons with this plant, they are some of the most potent ones. At least I had a small chance of finding what I would be looking for and it would be a powerful one at that. I made a mental note to search as many caves as I could to see if they had Red Othoilroots. I looked at my watch and saw that it was about 5 P.M. so I decided to go see if I could try and master water-walking. I figured the best way to master this and all of my other favorite Naruto techniques was to do it like the show. I haven't read the manga, or any other manga, as I like to watch the show rather than read about it and I sometimes wondered to myself why I didn't read manga despite the fact that I enjoy reading. I still haven't figured out the reason as to why I don't and I realized that manga probably doesn't exist in this world so I would never get the chance to read any. I shook the thoughts out of my head as I made my way to the frozen lake I went to earlier.

I made it to the lake and it was surprisingly pleasant out here. I decided that it would be best if I trained now despite the fact that I haven't really mastered my tree-climbing training. I obviously could've waited for spring for me to attempt the water-walking technique, but I figured the sooner the better. I traveled out to almost the middle of the lake. I brought Black Lightning out and raised it above my head. I channeled a bit of my aura into my mace and brought it down onto the ice.

BAROOOM [4]

There were chunks of ice flying in multiple directions and I barely was able to escape the debris. I stumbled a lot as I tried to make it to the shore as the ice broke all around me. I dove towards the shore as the last of the ice broke. I was breathing heavily as I looked at my handiwork.

I think I might've overdid it. I thought with a sheepish chuckle. I got up and made a running start towards the lake. I was about to take my first step running when I planted my feet out to slow myself down. I slide for a bit before coming to the very edge and nearly lost my balance. I landed on my butt and sighed in relief, but I was slightly confused as to why I stopped. I looked out onto the lake and I figured out why I stopped.

"As much as I want to try out water-walking, I think it would be better if I don't catch hypothermia. Thanks brain for letting me know." I looked down at my reflection in the water and I noticed that I had a lot of hair on top of my head. "I seriously need a haircut." I saw that I nearly had an Afro and I usually don't let my hair grow out this much. I frowned as I remembered that my dad would always cut my hair and I was getting to the point where I would have to go find a barber. "Better start looking. I hope they can deal with my kind of hair." I decided to head back to Vale to see if they have a barbershop.

One haircut later

It was ten after six when I made it back to the cabin. I made myself a quick meal and headed back outside to practice tree-climbing. I trained until I nearly drained my aura. I could barely see my progress as it was really dark outside, but I think I made it higher than I have previously, I decided to activate my armor and it's night-vision feature to see what I've done. I saw that my highest point was about two-thirds away from the top of the tree. Somewhat disappointed with my progress I decided to go back inside and start my nightly routine. I took a shower to get all of the excess hair on my head that forms from my hair being cut. I made a mental note to remind myself to cut my hair once every few weeks since that is the amount of time it takes for it to regrow. I finished off my nightly routine with my journal entry and let sleep consume me.


[Author's Comments]

[1] Think of Killer Bee and you'll understand what I mean.

[2] Think of Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor and finding the various plants while in Wraith mode and have them glow specific colors.

[3] The Alta part comes from the Siberian tiger's scientific name Pantheria Tigris Aaltacia.

[4] When I wrote this, I said it really fast.


So I finally got this story updated. Once again I am incredibly sorry for not updating this sooner.

I kinda haphazardly wrote the Arc sisters and didn't really describe them a whole lot because I wanted to make changes to Jaune and I felt involving him and his sisters in a snowball fight was the best option for me. Plus I suck at writing characters. I may have some of them be at Beacon, but I doubt I'm going to since I didn't give them a Semblance or a weapon.

I want to know if you guys are okay with me having the potions in this story. I don't plan on using a whole lot of them and I usually have poisons along with the cure and I would only use them in dire situations. I have plans on teaching other people some of my skills later down the road.

I'm going to be changing the content rating of this story to M within a few Chapters. My reasoning is I tend to swear a lot more around my friends and the romance might get a little suggestive, but not into lemon territory (I am definitely NOT ready for that). There will also be alcohol consumption later on. I apologize if any of you are upset by this. I will let you know in an Author's Note when the change will happen and then the next Chapter after that will start the M stuff.


This has been TTOA and I will see you in Chapter 9.

Peace!


(October 3, 2015) I am going to change the content rating to M starting in Chapter 9.