I just remembered that I never answered Anthony Glider's question from a while ago. I've actually had a few plans for Sienna Khan, so without actually spoiling anything, yes she will live, I never intended to have her killed because I also think there was potential with her character that RT wasted.
Sorry if this Chapter comes out late, I had a lot of stuff to do this week, and next two weeks will be even worse so I'm not sure if I'll be able to do 2 chapters a week, but I'll try.
Chapter 42: She Went Where?!
Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, the face of the Schnee family and famous singer. Boasting of numerous academic and field accolades, having been seen fighting bravely at the Battle of Beacon, and the Breach. She was, in every sense of the word, the esteemed princess she was made out to be… so why did she feel so… empty?
There she sat, against the ever clear skies of the prestige city of Atlas, in her own little ivory tower, in the grand home of the Schnee Family. Many people would kill to be in her position, as from the outside it looked like a lush life with everything she'd ever wanted, but Weiss Schnee would trade it all in a heartbeat if it meant being with her friends again.
She never even got to say goodbye to them, as mere moments after the chaos died down, her father had her escorted from the area and flown directly back to Atlas. No room for protests, no room for argument, Jaques Schnee, head of the SDC, always got what he wanted.
The world outside saw the Schnees as the blue bloods of society, perfectly happy with everything at their fingertips… but on the inside, all that was left was a broken home with no love.
Between her younger brother, Whitely, whose personality was about as twisted as the lack of empathy in his eyes, or the mother who'd been driven into an alcoholic depression, the father who'd never known anything other than business, or the older sister who'd long since left them, Weiss wasn't sure where she stood.
She'd become the glue that held the pride of the Schnee family together, but… at the cost of herself, her individuality.
"At the end of the day… I'm just a puppet for that man…" she cursed under her breath, staring longingly out of the window.
The life she led was stifling, she longed to see their faces again, Luna, Ruby, Yang, Blake, Hex, Nitro... and Nova. The thought of his name hammered in her head like a bad omen. Her stomach churned and she wanted to tear her insides out, as the sickening feeling returned.
She hadn't seen it herself… but the cries of Ruby, the flash of White… and silhouetted body falling off the side of the tower far beyond her reach… the tears staining the eyes of Pyrrha as they escorted her on a stretcher. Nova was dead. Her mind said that this was all false, that he was alive and well, but the state of everyone, even if she didn't get to see it herself, it was undeniable.
Her heart ached at the thought she'd never gotten to tell him goodbye, to give him one last hug. Nova was more family to her than anyone in her direct household, Luna was basically her sister. To know that one was gone, and the other in pain, and she was beyond all power to help them… it stung.
Tears began to well in her eyes as her mind drifted into darker thoughts. A sudden knock on the door tore her out of her daze, forcing her to wipe away the tears.
"Come in," she said curtly.
In came a rather short man with an almost bald head. He had brown hair growing around the side and light brown eyes. "Pardon the interruption Miss Schnee, but your father wishes to speak with you…" the man said.
Weiss sighed, "Thank you, Klein…" and proceeded to walk into the grand halls of the Schnee manor. Her head hung in sulking as she trudged on unwillingly.
She was stopped by a young man, with eyes and hair just the same as hers, her brother Whitely.
"Good morning sister, it's nice to see you out of your room for a change…" he said overly cheerful. The smile and tone were fake yet he did not attempt to cover for it.
Weiss sighed, "What do you want?"
"MMmnnn, nothing… just that I heard father yelling earlier…"
"Was it mother?" she asked, trying to think of why her dreaded father was fuming this early.
Whitely put his hand on his chin, "No… she's already drinking out in the garden… it was a man, I think…"
"And why are you telling me this?"
"Because, I'd heard he'd asked to speak with you, figured I'd warn you," Whitely said smiling, and placing his hands behind his back.
Weiss rubbed her right arm, "I… I'll be fine…"
"I know you will… you're strong. Like Winter!" Whitely returned.
This caused Weiss to stare at him shocked, "You never liked Winter!"
"True… but you have to admire her resolve…"
"You seem… different…" Weiss said suspecting something. When they were kids, Whitely was never this… nice, even if he sounded a little strained.
"I've been growing while you were away at Beacon…" he said trailing off, "Good luck with father!"
Weiss eyed him curiously he disappeared, "Thanks…"
She entered her father's study to find him arguing with none other than General Ironwood, over matters she didn't quite hear.
As she entered, Ironwood was prepared to leave. "Just know Miss Schnee, you have a home at Atlas Academy…" he said before leaving Weiss to wonder just what they were talking about.
"Can you believe there are still people out there that blame Atlas for what happened to Beacon?! To Vale?!" Jaques said as soon as Ironwood was gone. The older Schnee was an aged looking man, with a thick white mustache and a white head of hair, in a sparkling white suit.
"Well… they weren't there…" Weiss responded as she walked up to the desk.
"It's a wonder that bloody fool wasn't stripped of his position or his rank… I guess the council trusts him…" Jaques said stroking his mustache.
Weiss hesitated, "I trust him…?"
Jaques huffed, "Thanks to him Atlas is forbidden from exporting Dust to other kingdoms! A 'precautionary measure' as he puts it until we're certain no one is going to declare war. How anyone could find that logic sound is beyond me…"
Weiss bit back the urge to vehemently curse. That's what he was fuming about?! Not being able to sell Dust to other kingdoms?! People are out there dying, homeless or worse because of what happened, but he's concerned about money?!
She wanted nothing more than to have Myrtenaster tear his mustache off and pin him to the wall in shame but, like all her other items from her time at Beacon, they were stowed away. A symbol representing that her time as a Huntress… was over.
"The Schnee Dust company will be holding a charity concert in the coming weeks," Jaques said rousing Weiss out of her thoughts. She looked on in surprise.
"To show the people that we're still on their side…"
"T-that's wonderful news!" Weiss said genuinely surprised.
"I know… and I would like you to perform there…"
"Excuse me?!" Weiss asked incredulously.
Jaques held a sly smile, "Yes… many people forget that you were there! You fought bravely for the people of Vale!"
Weiss felt it ring through her body like a chime, bringing her back to the reality that she was nothing more than a trophy daughter…
"Are you asking me? Or telling me...?" Weiss said disdainfully.
Jaques folded his arms across his chin, "I think it would make a lot of people happy…"
Weiss fought the urge to punch him right there, and instead, sighed, "I'll… do it…"
"Good…" and with that, she was off.
-With Team MNRNJR-
The team was moving at a rather brisk pace through the forests of the Anima continent, with Ruby holding a physical map, and Hex holding a more accurate, Dust powered holographic map that depicted landscape and terrain elevations. Ruby's map was mostly to let the red-leader feel like she was contributing to navigations…
"According to this… the next town is… the village of Shion!" Ruby said proudly, having accurately plotted their course of pathing.
Hex snickered and pulled out her own map, scanning the road ahead and planning their route, "Indeed, it would seem we're actually a few miles off…"
"Yeah! Shion Village! I used to go there all the time with my family!" Jaune said recalling his childhood.
"Oh yeah… don't you have like… four sisters?" Ruby asked turning back to her friend.
Jaune faltered, "I uh…. Seven actually…"
Ruby burst out in a fit of giggles, as did Nora and Nitro, "You know that does explain a lot…" the orange-haired Valkyrie said placing a hand on her chin.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jaune asked incredulously.
The gang kept walking on, chatting happily with one another, as if they weren't on a life-threatening quest for the fate of the world. As they approached the village, no one noticed when the clear blue skies suddenly turned a sour grey.
The subtle shift in environment drew their eyes forward to see the once-proud village of Shion, up in flames. Instantly they were on alert, rushing into the middle of town only to see burnt remains of houses and strewn bodies that were either half-eaten or already decomposing.
A single male soldier lay at the centre of town, injured and beaten, his legs twisted at ungodly angles as blood poured ever so slowly out of his mouth.
"What happened here? Who killed all these people?!" Jaune asked the barely conscious man.
He coughed, "Bandits, the whole tribe. Then in the panic…"
"The Grimm…" Nitro finished for him, clenching his fist in rage.
"We can't just leave him here…. I can carry him, Nora you can do first-aid, Hex is there something in your…"
"Jaune…" Ren said drawing his leader's attention. They locked eyes for a moment and Ren shook his head solemnly. "He's gone…"
Jaune felt his heart sting, "Then we bury him…"
Ruby averted her eyes, no matter how many corpses she'd seen, every single one of them reminded her of Nova's final moments. The light of life was gone from their eyes, the pale skin, the empty looks.
Ren and Nora stood at the center of the town where the man was, on the ground was a footprint, large and circular, like a giant horseshoe. It could only allude to one thing… a Grimm they hoped never to see again for the rest of their lives.
-Menagerie, Village of KuoKuana-
"LUNA?! ELAIN?!" Blake said incredulously, unbelieving of the sight before her. Two people she'd never expected to see again, were standing right before her.
Elain chuckled, "It's nice to see you again dear," she said lifting her hood to reveal her unmistakable blue and orange hair, and matching pair of wolf ears.
"What're you guys doing here?!" Blake asked again, genuinely surprised, and slightly miffed that her attempts at distancing herself from them only resulted in their reuniting.
"Carrying out… a final mission…" Luna said solemnly, daring not to take off her hood as, unlike her mother, her appearance was way too striking and iconic.
"What do you mean…?" Blake asked hesitantly.
Luna shook her head, "Not here, not out in the open… is there somewhere we can talk? In private?"
Blake bit her lip, then looked between Sun and the two girls, "Follow me…" she was going to have to face this sooner or later.
The four made their way down the main path of KuoKuana, approaching the large house that sat neatly in the middle of it all. In Menagerie, there were only two noticeably large houses, commonly named the Pillars of Menagerie. One was the grand house that sat in the center of town, the other was a large oriental style mansion, with a gorgeous orange flowering tree outside, surrounded by a tall wall.
The central house was known as the Belladonna household, and the once-proud house on the hill behind it, that was reduced to its skeletal remains, with scorch marks and ash stains marring its every feature, as if untouched for nine years, was the House of Dragons, the Flareheart Manor.
"So uh… which house is yours?" Blake asked looking around, wrapping an arm around Blake's shoulder. "Can we see it from here?"
Luna and Elain snickered while Blake's ears drooped in embarrassment, "Uh… kinda…"
"Is it that one?" Sun asked pointing to a small one-off to the right. Luna and Elain burst out laughing.
"Close enough sweetheart," Elain chuckled making the monkey Faunus scratch his face in confusion.
"It's… that one…" Blake said pointing to the massive mansion in the middle.
Sun's jaw dropped, "WHAT?!"
"Yup, and ours… or what's left of it… is that one…" Elain pointed to the remains beside the flowering tree, far behind the Belladonna household.
Again Sun was flabbergasted, "Ah- wah… ah…"
"Surprising as it sounded, we weren't kidding when we said we were 'Royalty'," Elain said using air quotes. They were royals in name only, having only seats at the council table alongside the Belladonnas, and the Frostfangs… the Grey Wolves. Though, their kind had long since left the Island.
The party approached the grand doors of the Belladonna household, and Blake hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Sun asked concerned.
Blake sighed, "I just… haven't seen my family in a long time…" with that she gave a resounding heavy knock, while the rest of them waited off to the sides, awaiting an answer to the door.
Not too long after, the door opened to reveal a short woman, with the lines of age in her eyes, though she looked quite young, with black cat ears, exactly like Blake's, staring wide-eyed at the girl.
Instantly Blake was wrapped up in a tight hug, "Oh my baby, my sweet baby girl has come home…"
Blake wasn't sure what she was expecting, but a warm welcome with open arms was something she'd never thought to receive after the state she left them in. Gratefully, she accepted the hug and returned it.
After they released, the woman spotted Sun and the two hooded girls. She as about to hesitate to invite them in since she was a little suspicious of cloaked individuals, but her jaw dropped when Elain and Luna lifted their hoods to reveal who they were.
"E-Ellie?" The woman gasped in shock, barely able to hold back her surprise as tears began to form in her eyes.
Elain smiled warmly, "It's been a too long Kali… nine years too long…" she choked out before the two mothers ran up and hugged each other tightly.
"First my daughter and now my best friend… today truly is a gift…" Kali said squeezing Elain. The wolf Faunus chuckled and returned the squeeze. "And this little one… Luna! I haven't seen you since you were but a baby…"
"Kali? Whose at the door…" A male voice said as a tall man, he was quite large, almost as tall as Onyx, his chest was hairy and he sported a full beard, his eyes were gold, just like Blake's.
"Blake…?" The man said, his voice failing as he ran up and tackled his daughter in a hug. Then he noticed Kali hugging another woman with blue and orange hair. "AND ELLIE?!"
Kali snickered, "Yes come now, inside. I'm sure you have a lot to tell us… given that we thought you were dead for nine years…"
Once inside the group sat together at a small table, drinking tea.
"It must have been so awful… Vale wasn't perfect, but it didn't deserve what happened to it… all those innocent people…" Kali said looking concerned at the group.
Blake grimaced, "It was god… I can't…" she said rubbing her arms.
"We were so worried about you…" Blake's father, Ghira, said.
Sun chuckled, "You had nothing to worry about. I've seen your daughter in action, she puts up a great fight!" he fist pumped.
Ghira glared daggers at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Sun turned red, realizing how the statement sounded, "Ah what I mean is… she's an amazing fighter, and we've fought side by side a lot, and I've seen how well she can handle combat!" he said flustered.
Luna and Elain chuckled, "Ghira… calm yourself…" Kali warned and instantly the large man simmered down.
"And you, Elain… how in the world are you here right now…? We saw your house burn to the ground…!" Ghira asked turning to the wolf Faunus.
Elain didn't get to answer as another knock was heard at the door. Elain and Luna's noses perked up, smelling an unfamiliar scent. Instantly their hoods went up.
Ghira grumbled and trudged to answer the door. Blake, Sun, and Kali followed closely behind, while Luna and Elain sat back in the room watching from the open doorway.
Standing outside were two White Fang members, though they didn't look like normal soldiers. They looked like identical twins, sporting dark brown skin and long ears.
"Dad what're you doing talking to these people?!" Blake seethed, glaring daggers at them, practically baring her fangs, even Sun was on edge.
"Ah Blake, these two are Corsac and Fennec Albain. They represent the White Fang here in Menagerie now," Ghira explained gesturing to them.
"You mean those psychos are here too?!" Sun exclaimed looking ready to tear them apart.
"I'm not sure what you've heard about our organization young man, but I can assure you, it's not true…" Corsac said staring at him.
"Not true? Your people are the cause of all this!" Sun fumed.
"What're you talking about?!" Ghira turned to Sun and Blake looking alarmed.
Blake went wide-eyed, "YOU MEAN YOU SERIOUSLY DON'T KNOW?!"
"Know what?"
Blake felt her anger boil, "The White Fang were there at the Fall of Beacon. They opened the gates and set the Grimm loose on all of us… they're the reason countless lives are lost…"
Ghira felt a shock reverberate through his body, and he turned to them in anger, "Explain yourselves…"
Corsac and Fennec were quite calm, "That is precisely why we came to speak with you today your grace. The actions of the Onyx faction of the White Fang are not echoed to the rest of our organization…" Corsac said.
Blake fought the urge to skin them alive, "Are you kidding me?!"
"Yes… while the council has had no evidence before… this recent incident has given us sufficient proof to bring him down, and his followers…" Fennec explained.
"Incident?! PEOPLE ARE DEAD!" Blake screamed.
"And while it is a tragedy… we'd like your response to… cull these strays…" Fennec continued, turning to Ghira.
The large man grimaced and saw the rising conflict, and made the decision to end it now, "I'd like some time to reconnect with my daughter…"
The two bowed, "As you wish your grace…" and with that they were gone, leaving the party to return inside.
"Ghira… what's your connection to the White Fang…?" Elain asked darkly, eyeing the man intently.
The man sighed, "The White Fang is quite prominent in Menagerie, and while I'm no longer a part of them, the people still see them as freedom fighters, representatives of our people… and as such, I attend to matters concerning their council from time to time… though if what Blake and her friend here said is true… I'm not sure associating with them is the correct course of action anymore…"
Elain nodded, taking down her hood, "The White Fang is responsible for the fire nine years ago."
The words echoed like a deafening ring through the Belladonnas. "What?"
Elain nodded, "Onyx and his men burnt our home to the ground, and took me and my husband away, forcing us to abandon our children…"
Kali gasped and Ghira stood wide-eyed, staring at Luna.
The blue dragon rubbed her arms, "If it wasn't for Nova… I'd have been dead a long time ago. We stowed away on a ship and ran away to Mistral, under new identities."
"And while my children were alone starving on the streets, Onyx forced me to cook up… an Aegis formula…" Elain revealed.
"WHAT?!" Ghira practically flew out of his seat.
"Yeah… he's now in possession of an artificial Aegis gene, using nanomachines that act like cells in the bloodstream, amplifying one's physical, mental, and regenerative capabilities… allowing them to be recognized by the Fragments…" she said darkly.
"Why would you create something like that?!" Ghira asked looking horrified.
Elain flinched, "Not by choice… they have Flint, I don't know where, I haven't seen him since we were taken, but they still have him captive… Onyx told me that if I didn't comply then my children and my husband's lives were forfeit…"
The two Belladonna parents gasped, "That monster… you must've been through so much…"
Kali glanced at Blake, seeing her unsurprised by the events spoken about earlier, "It seems you know…"
"Yes, mom… I know about the Aspects… I know about everything…" Blake said glancing downward.
Ghira glanced her over, "Maybe not everything…"
"Uh… am I the only one out of the loop here? What the hell are you all talking about?!" Sun asked causing them all to flinch.
Blake placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'll explain later…"
There was a moment of silence that followed, to which Kali turned to Elain, "So… what brings you back to Menagerie, after all these years? I'd hardly think you'd want to come back given… the state you left in…"
"We're here to fulfill my brother's mission," Luna said speaking up. "To rally the people of Menagerie, expose Onyx and the White Fang, and turn the people's eyes to the threat that was in front of their very face… so we can take them down…"
Blake's eyes went wide, "That's… incredible… with the return of the royal family… then it might actually be possible! I would think Nova would be here to lead since his face is more well known…"
"Ah yes Elain, I've been meaning to ask… where's your son? He was quite the charmer as a boy, even if he was a little mischievous, he and my Blake would often play together as kids!" Kali smiled looking around.
Luna and Elain's faces instantly grew dark, and Kali instantly regretted asking.
Blake looked even more horrified, "Where's Nova…? He's not hurt, is he?"
"Yeah, I've been meaning to give him a piece of my mind, leaving his friends like that to fight off Grimm at Amity Arena," Sun said chuckling.
Luna and Elain shared a glance, and Elain nodded.
"Blake… when I said I was here to fulfill one last mission… I meant it as seeing my brother's last wishes come true," the blue dragon said, not looking directly at her.
Blake covered her mouth, tears forming in her eyes, "No you can't mean…"
"He… died… at the fall of Beacon…" she finished.
Kali and Ghira looked shocked, while Blake and Sun were practically tearing up, "Y-you're kidding right? Tell me this is a joke… please…" Sun stammered, showing the first signs of negative emotion in his entire life.
Luna shook her head, "We placed a memorial for him at Patch, near Ruby's home… The funeral was a few days ago,"
"Elain… I'm so sorry…" Kali choked out looking at the depressed visage of her friend.
Blake couldn't find the words as she buried her face in Sun's chest, crying her eyes out.
"If I may ask… how did he die?" Ghira asked looking to them.
Luna's sadness turned to fury in an instant, "That monster… that sack of shit they call Onyx… he cut him down." Her aura began to flare and her eyes glowing, items in the room began to hover including the table.
"Luna, please…" Elain placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder calming her. The others watched in amazement as the items began to slowly settle back down, the blue light in Luna's eyes fading.
"Sorry… I lost control for a second…"
Once they all quieted down, "So… about that plan…" Luna said with determination now.
-Emerald Forest-
It'd been roughly three days since he awoke from his near-death experience. Living with Adam and Bell didn't prove to be as mortifying as he'd thought it would be, now that their controllers or whatever were gone, the two turned out to be incredibly nice people, even if Bell was a little sarcastic and bitchy sometimes, she meant well.
Even Adam, who was originally a power-hungry madman, had simmered down, and he'd become only what Nova could describe as, a butler type personality, catering to the dragon's every need when he was unable to, talking to him like old friends.
It was early in the morning when Nova felt strong enough again that he could remove his bandages. His body had completely healed now. Donning the black shirt Adam gave him and his old pants, he began to get up.
"And where do you think you're going?" Bell asked as she stood in the mouth of the cave, the sunlight shining onto her back making her look silhouetted.
"I'm going to find Ruby and the others, they're probably worried sick about me…" Nova answered, stretching himself.
"Do you even know where you're going?" Adam asked, getting up from his cot, roused by the voices.
Nova shrugged, "I can track fine without a map, we're in the Emerald Forest, that's not too far off the West coast, and if I can get there then I can take a boat to Patch, which is where Ruby's house is."
"Okay… but you don't even have a fucking weapon!" Bell pointed out.
Nova grimaced, reminded of the loss of Asura. "I may not have my baby, but that doesn't mean I'm not 'armed'…" he raised his hands and drew out his claws, the ones on his left arm were particularly long and deadly.
Bell groaned, "You did not just make that joke…"
"I did and I'm going whether you like it or not…"
Adam sighed, "I guess we couldn't stop you even if we tried. West is to our left after you exit the cave, head in a straight line for about half a day and you'll make it to the coast. Port's about three miles north once you get to the beach."
Bell stared at him, "You're not fucking serious?! He's in no condition to be out there! What if he gets spotted?!"
Nova smirked, "I've got that covered…" He pushed the button on his armlet and transformed into a girl again. "This way no one will recognize me…"
"Ahem!" Bell gestured to his horns.
"Oh right… um…" he rummaged around on the ground and found his sleeping bag, and tore off a long strip, then proceeded to wrap it around his head in a neat turban, hiding his horns. "There, all better?"
The blonde groaned, "Fine… just get out of here…" she pointed out of the cave in annoyance.
Nova just chuckled as he left, "Don't forget my suggestion, head to Menagerie!"
"That dumbass is going to get himself killed for real this time…" Bell huffed.
"All we can do is trust him…" Adam replied.
It didn't take Nova long before he made it to Patch. Adam was right in his time estimations, though he didn't account for Nova's natural speed. What would've taken him half a day, he cleared in what was just four hours, and that was even with taking short stops to regain his strength. Chartering a boat wasn't hard either, even if he didn't have any lien on him, with a few flirtatious batting of his eyelashes, he used his feminine charm to distract people long enough for his sleight of hand to make quick work of their wallets.
"Girls really have too much power…" Nova smirked as he flipped through the stacks of Lien in his hand. He'd lost his card during the fall so he'd have to get one issued the next time he was in a major city, for now, he had to get by on the scraps of Lien he pickpocketed.
Once he was on Patch, however, his speedy progress had come to an abrupt halt. He had come face to face with an immense problem. He had no idea how to get to the Xiaolong-Rose family home from the docks.
When he asked for directions, most people simply gave the response of 'Probably somewhere near Signal' since Tai Xiaolong was apparently a well-known teacher there. That information did very little to help him since he had absolutely no idea where Signal Academy even was.
As a result, the young girl spent what felt like several, long hours, trekking through the vast forests of Patch. How he ended up the woods, he had no idea, it was probably the left he made at the crossroads six miles back, whichever direct 'back' was.
Eventually, the young dragon spotted a large cliff face that soared high into the air. Figuring it was probably in his best interest to gain altitude before proceeding any further, Nova made a move to scale the almost vertical drop.
His claws, which were as hard as steel, offered an easy way for him to scale the almost impossible rock face.
"These things are definitely 'growing on me'" he snickered as he finally climbed up to the top, and collapsing in a heap of exhaustion. The evening sun was now setting in the horizon, bathing the green forest in an orange glow.
"Alright now to get my bearings…" he muttered, getting up and brushing the dirt off of his clothes. Standing just in front of him were two small headstones, and Nova realized where he was. Carefully approaching the stones he saw the writing.
'In Memory of Summer Rose' and the one next to it, 'In memory of Nova Flareheart'
Nova gasped in shock, "They… thought I was dead?" he wanted to argue the logic but, thinking back, Ruby did see him 'die' and fall off the tower… and since he didn't show up right after they must've assumed the worst.
"Well… I guess I can't blame them…" he mused. Then it struck him like a chord, Ruby thought he was dead. Luna, Elain, Hex, Nitro, Weiss, and Blake… they all thought he was dead. JNPR probably also got the news.
"Oh, my Oum… Ruby…" he placed his hand over his mouth. He needed to set things right, his girlfriend was probably wallowing in eternal grief right now, his family too.
He took a look at the graves, "Ah… Summer, Ruby's mom. It's me, Nova. I know it's probably weird seeing me like this, but, I mean I'm also a girl, I hope that's okay with you. You probably got confused when they put my gravestone here and didn't see my spirit, or whatever, I don't know how the afterlife works… but, here I am, alive and well. I'm going to see Ruby now, so… take care…" he was about to leave when something stopped him.
The fact that he even had a gravestone bothered him to no end now that he was alive, but he couldn't exactly tear it out, because that felt… wrong.
Instead, Nova outstretched his new arm and pointed a finger gun at the stone. The Agniseki glowed a hot orange as a beam shot out of his finger like a laser. He made careful movements as not to make a mistake, and changed the words.
The headstone now read 'In memory of Nova Flareheart, A Leader, A fighter, and a brother to all. Still alive and kicking'
He chuckled at his own handiwork, "Not too shabby if I do say so myself…" he turned and transformed back into a guy. "To right the wrongs…"
Tracking through the woods, Nova eventually came across the Xialong-Rose household. The lights were on inside but the air felt dead as if there was no life still left in this place.
He approached the door and inhaled deeply. "Alright Nova, you can do this…" he wasn't sure why he was nervous.
He turned the handle and pushed open the door, surprised to find it open. The living room was empty, no one around. He looked around and heard the distinct sound of running water, and humming.
Nova turned and made his way into the kitchen to find Tai with his back turned, washing up the dishes, vaguely aware someone was behind him.
"Yang, if you want more food, I already put it away, besides you shouldn't be eating at this late hour," Tai said not bothering to look back.
Nova giggled, "You have food? Great because I'm starving, it's vegetarian right? Or you got fish?"
Tai was on alert instantly, whipping his head around even Nova had to flinch. His face was furious and on guard, ready to attack at any moment, however, the moment his eyes landed on Nova, all-time stopped for the blonde.
"Hey pops, long time no see," Nova waved with a smile. The plate that Tai was holding crashed onto the floor and he just stood there, pale-faced and in shock.
"W-What sort of apparition is this? A ghost? A semblance of some sort?!" Tai said readying his fists. "IF YOU ARE SOME FOUL DEMON IMPERSONATING HIM THEN YOU BEGONE FROM THIS PLACE!"
Nova laughed, "Woah there Tai, I'm not a demon or anything. I'm real. Nova Flareheart, in the flesh!"
Tears began leaking from Tai's eyes as he dropped everything and picked Nova up in a tight hug.
"ACK! OLD MAN! YOU'RE GONNA KILL ME FOR REAL!" Nova squeaked as he felt the air leave his lungs from the tight bear hug.
Yang stormed through the kitchen door, "Dad?! What's going on? I heard a plate breaking and yelling!" her eyes fell on Nova who now stood next to her father.
The dragon smiled sweetly and waved, "Sup Yang, you're looking good…"
The blonde girl fainted from shock.
"Is she going to be alright?" Nova pointed to the passed out girl. Tai just shrugged.
Yang opened her eyes to see the smiling face of Nova, sitting next to her on the couch, "WHA?!" she recoiled in surprise.
"Hello to you too, Yang," Nova said smirking and reclining on the chair, Tai was standing behind him.
"H-How are you… y-you're supposed to be dead!" Yang stuttered out.
"Yeah, the thing about that is… I'm not? Well, at least I thought I was dead, until a few days ago." Nova shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Tai asked folding his arms in curiosity.
"For all intents and purposes, I should be dead, but thanks to the Fragment of Fire, my semblance, and those nanomachines in my blood… I'm alive, and almost whole."
"Almost?" They both asked simultaneously.
Nova raised his left arm to show them, "I lost my arm… but the Agniseki grew it back for me…"
"The what now?" Yang asked.
"The Fragment of Fire, it's bonded to me now," he pointed to the stone embedded in the arm. Tai marveled at the new appendage. It looked almost… dragon-like.
"I wish I could do the same for you…" Nova gestured to Yang's missing arm, and her expression darkened.
"It's fine… I'm over it…" she said, though her expression said she was most definitely not over it. He looked to Tai but the elder Xiaolong just sighed.
"Ever since Adam Taurus took her arm… she hasn't been the same…" he whispered though Yang heard him, but made no motion to argue.
Nova grimaced at the memory, he was there when it happened. "Yang… you might not want to hear this but… it was Adam that saved me…"
The two blondes went wide-eyed, "WHAT?!"
"Turns out, there was a device, like a sort of machine, implanted in his body that made him the way he was… that fight I had with him, broke the machine and now he's back to normal," Nova explained.
"He was being controlled?" Yang asked cautiously.
"More like heavily influenced to borderline brainwashing, but yeah… he's a good person… and I'm sure he feels bad for what he did…"
"Feels bad?! BECAUSE OF HIM I CAN NO LONGER BE A HUNTRESS!" Yang exploded.
Tai glanced at her, "Hmm, maybe not all hope is lost…. I was saving this for when you looked like you were ready but it seems this is as good a time as any…" he left then returned with a box and handed it to Yang.
"What's this?" she asked hesitantly. He just motioned for her to open it. "T-This is…"
Inside the box was a prosthetic arm, and not just any normal one, a highly advanced one capable of movement and full control.
"The most advanced prosthetic limb known to Remnant. It's not even public yet, Ironwood sent this as… a form of apology, as a means of condolences…" Tai explained.
Yang held the arm tenderly, "But… after all those things… I'd lost hope…"
Nova placed an arm on her, holding a stern look, "Yang, even if I was dead, under no circumstances, should you EVER lose hope. The world of Remnant needs people to stand against the forces of evil now more than ever."
"But we're just kids! We shouldn't be fighting this war!" Yang protested, her face morphing into hurt and fear.
"I have to agree, Nova, this isn't a war you should be fighting…" Tai said.
Nova's face turned determined, "If we don't fight, then who will Tai? Those in power are useless, Ozpin is dead, and the only thing standing between Onyx and his queen, whoever that may be, is us! We have to fight now more than ever!"
Yang was silent for a moment, before clutching the arm tightly and nodding, "I… I'll do it…"
"Yang are you sure?" Tai wanted to protest. He didn't want another one of his daughters thrust into the middle of danger again.
"I've never been surer of anything in my life." She said determinedly. It was like Nova's reappearance in her life brought her courage, and Tai could see it in her eyes, the flames of determination re-igniting.
"Alright you'll have to get used to the arm though, starting tomorrow we'll be training you, right Nova?" Tai turned to the dragon.
Nova smirked, "Hell yeah!" he looked around, "Is Ruby asleep? I wanted to surprise her…"
Tai and Yang shared glances, "Um…. About that… Ruby took off to Haven, they're gone to uncover the truth about what happened…" Yang explained.
"SHE WHAT?! ALONE?! AND YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!" Nova looked at them with utter bewilderment.
"In our defence, she left without telling us anything, and she didn't go alone. That red-headed boy and the purple-haired girl went with her, and her note mentions some Jaune, Ren, and Nora," Tai said waving a note in the air.
Nova snatched it out of his hands and read it through. Once he was done he sighed in exasperation and fell back onto the couch, "Those two are probably lightyears away by now… but at least she didn't go alone… I can trust Nitro and Hex to watch her back… but what concerns me is Luna and my mom…"
Tai rubbed his head, "Those two I know for sure. The day they left they told me they were headed to Menagerie, to rally the White Fang or something…"
Nova smiled, "Luna's gone to carry out our original mission? That's actually great news… if she's successful then it would make things a lot easier…"
"Are you thinking about going after your sister? If this is like a political thing, shouldn't you be there with them?" Tai asked the boy.
Nova shook his head, "No, it's better the White Fang think I'm still dead. It means I'll have the element of surprise on my side… No… what I want to do is meet up with Ruby, though I'm not sure how…"
Yang and Tai glanced at each other again, "Well… I have an idea but… it's a long shot…" Tai said glancing at a picture of Raven that was on the wall.
I've been debating on what direction I want to take Oscar as a character. I want to know, would you like it if I found a way to separate Ozpin from Oscar? Or should I evolve him as a character with Ozpin in his head? Either way, it won't affect what I like to title 'The Arc of Oscar', but it will affect his overall character development.
