(Sorry for the long wait, especially if you were waiting for a new chapter to the crossover story; been having a bit of writers block on the crossover. Due to the holidays, I have been busy but I also have a habit of not writing another chapter until I first post so that also did not help me. My normal beta had also been busy and finding another beta is also very hard to find.)
"This again, huh?"
It was exactly as Qrow remembered it as he ran through the forest as quickly as he could manage. It was a cold winter night and the snow had just begun to fall around him, giving an air of purity to the surrounding landscape. He had been running since he had heard what happened, and fatigue had begun to set in; his lungs hurt and his throat felt dry; he drudged through anyway.
He knew how this ended, but there was a small wish, a hope, that if he was just a little faster then maybe he could help; that maybe, he could wake up to something nice.
The wooden cabin was now in view, and he pushed himself harder to get there faster. A Bullhead VTOL had landed just a hundred meters away and next to it, stood Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch. For a moment he made eye contact with Ozpin, as if Ozpin knew what Qrow was asking, he answered by averting his gaze.
Within seconds he reached the cabin, and Qrow then turned his attention to the doorknob as he reached out for it, but barely gave himself enough time to slow down as he busted right through the door.
He knew how it was going to end before he made it inside the cabin,. It wasn't ever going to change, and that reminder constantly haunted him. His friend frozen on the couch in the middle of the room, his eyes blank and devoid of emotion as he stared off into the distance.
"Dad, where's Mom?" He heard a young Yang ask.
"S-Summer," Tai mumbled continuously.
His attention then switched over to the staircase as he saw an innocent, yet curious face peek through the wooden railings. It was one of the many instances where he was glad that she was too young to understand what was happening, but as she grew older, he realized that she too would have had this memory burned into her mind.
There was never a good ending to this dream, no matter how hard he yelled at himself before, but he could at least do something to help. So Qrow did the only thing he could do: he closed the door behind him and took a step forward.
And that was when he woke up.
His eyes burned beneath his eyelids as the light from the window shone into the room. He lifted his hand to block the rays and peeked before he took in a deep breath and looked down at the bed.
A Huntress lay in it but her breathing was shallow and almost nonexistent. She was young and had just graduated from Beacon a couple years prior but was eager to fight for their cause. However, such was the price for fighting in a secret war; casualties were going to happen, even begin to mount on both sides. In the meantime, his comrade Amber, lay upon the bed next to him.
Qrow knew that this was almost certainly the work of Ash, but after the last he had seen of him in Mistral, how could he have appeared in Vale so quickly? Qrow burned with anger; if he had just killed Ash then and there, all of this could have been avoided. However, he knew how much Ash had grown since the last time they met many years ago, and unlike Qrow, Ash trained to kill not only Grimm, but people; it was anathema to Qrow, but Ash had no qualms about it.
The guilt set in again, and Qrow reached for the flask that he kept tucked in his jacket, then uncapped it before moving the mouthpiece to his lips. He leaned his head back but was stopped when he heard Amber shuffle on the bed.
He lowered the flask and looked down to see the young woman grimace in pain, and tried to open her eyes.
"Tai!" Qrow exclaimed as he stood up slowly, his eyes fixated on Amber, who turned to look back at him as a smile grew upon her face.
"Hey, Qrow," Amber said in her usual soft voice, but it was mixed with a croak.
"Tai!" Qrow yelled again; this time he turned for the door.
"Let him rest, Qrow."
Qrow was just about to step towards the door but then he felt something touch his hand. He stopped to look behind him and saw that Amber before he sat back down, Amber's hand gently holding his. He guessed that the tremor in her hand was because she was trying to grip his hand tightly, but simply lacked the strength to do so. She was fading fast, even more so now than even a few minutes ago.
A momentary silence filled the room.
"Heh, you don't look so bad," Qrow quipped, but from what Tai had described, he knew she did not have much longer, and she knew it too, but she tried her best to smile playfully.
"You look worse," Amber quipped but noticed as the grin on his face slowly faded.
"I know this was Ash," Qrow growled. "I saw him in Mistral; I could have stopped him."
"No, Qrow, don't think that. You don't need that," Amber replied and winced in pain before she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. "You carry such a heavy burden already, Qrow. Please, don't add my death to it."
"Who says you are going to die?" Qrow said, defiantly, but Amber slowly shook her head.
"Qrow, I can't feel anything, but luckily for me, if Ash didn't like to play with his prey then maybe he would have had the sense to finish the job," Amber said and then pointed behind Qrow, who turned and saw a sack that lay slumped in the corner of the room.
"Take those notes to Ozpin. He needs to see them," Amber continued while Qrow stood up and went for the bag and picked it up. He felt the contents of the bag by first weighing it in his hand, and feeling through the fabric.
"And please, Qrow…"
Qrow turned back and went to kneel at the side of Amber's bed, her breathing non-existent.
"Don't feel guilty. I knew what I was getting into when I joined the fight. I have no regrets." Amber's voice turned into a whimper as she tried to muster the strength to finish, her strength leaving her, but she slowly reached out for Qrow, who grabbed her hand softly. "You are strong, Qrow; you carry so much on you already, but you need to continue the fight. Don't give up and don't fall into despair. You have always had such… a good… soul."
With that, Qrow could feel her grip loosen as he stared into space. His eyes burned and his throat and mouth felt dry and he immediately reached for his flask; he quickly uncapped it and without thinking, he took a swig.
He could hear the door behind him open, and when the flask was empty, Qrow turned to see Tai in the doorway as he stared at Amber. He sighed and turned his attention to the bag in Qrow's hand, then finally, to Qrow.
"Come on," Tai said under his breath before he left, but left the door open for Qrow. Qrow paused, then turned back to Amber and reached for the quilted blanket and pulled it over her head. Her battle was over, now it was up to everyone else to pick up where she had left off.
Downstairs, Qrow sat at the kitchen table as he worked on unlocking Amber's Scroll, all while Tai removed a steaming hot kettle off the stove and poured them both some coffee.
"I called the morgue in Vale. Told them the Grimm got her," Tai said with a huff and sat down across from Qrow, who didn't answer. "She will have a proper burial in Vale; she will be remembered, Qrow."
"Will she now?" Qrow retorted with a sarcastic chuckle. "She gave her life fighting in a war no one knows exists against an enemy that they also don't know exists; whose ideas are so crazy that no one in their right mind would believe them."
Tai had no response to this.
"How many friends have we lost already?" Qrow asked.
"I never thought to keep track, Qrow," Tai replied incredulously, and this time Qrow couldn't answer. "What did she find?"
"About to find out," Qrow replied and the screen lit up as he managed to open the Scroll. He began to skim through the reports quickly as he slid his finger along the screen to move the images down.
"Well, first off: Martin, Brunn, as well as Buddy are dead," Qrow mentioned, to which Tai responded with a groan and a shake of his head.
"They seem to know more about us than we know about them," Tai growled.
"Hmm," Qrow nodded. "Some other stuff to note: A White Fang cell has been destroyed in Haven… A few pieces of Atlesian tech have been stolen… Dust robberies…"
Tai continued to listen quietly, but then Qrow paused as he then fixated on another diary entry.
"Amber, you really dug too far, huh?" Qrow said with a sigh.
"What?" Tai asked as Qrow slid the Scroll across the table to him and Qrow watched as he read the entry.
"Possible…" Tai mumbled. "Possible insurgents planted in Haven, Atlas, and Shade Academies. Perhaps even the Intelligence Division of Mistral and even the Atlesian military."
Qrow stared at Tai as his eyes widened.
"Damn it, if they have this much reach then our own people are in trouble," Tai slid the Scroll back to Qrow and stood up. "How could these people side with Umbra, knowing what it is he fights for?"
"I think you just answered your own question: he doesn't tell them," Qrow replied. "He plays them for fools, and that is exactly how he likes it."
"We need to get this to Ozpin! We need to warn Ironwood and Lionheart!" Tai exclaimed.
"I'll get it to Oz," Qrow likewise stood, and slid the Scroll into his jacket.
"I guess I need to get involved in this fight too," Tai said, his eyes narrowed as he rolled his shoulders.
"No, stay. You are doing enough by using your home as a safe house," Qrow said.
"Friends and loved ones die left and right; it's time I get involved too," Tai said.
"For all we know, Umbra and Ash don't think too much of you, and its best that its kept that way," Qrow replied and placed a hand on Tai's shoulder, who froze and looked back. "The kids already lost a parent, don't turn them into orphans, Tai."
"I have to do something," Tai continued.
"Okay," Qrow conceited. "Not that I don't believe in your fighting abilities Tai, heck, I can still feel the sting of your punches, but I think you are best suited to checking out the other safe houses. Make sure everyone is accounted for."
"Fine," Tai responded. "Should probably also take a couple missions while I am out. Get some money for travels, and extra."
"And what about Zwei?" Qrow chuckled, and at the sound of his name, Zwei ran downstairs and sat at attention.
"I will mail him over to the girls," Tai said as he turned to the pantry and pulled out a cardboard tube.
"Again?" Qrow said as he quirked a brow.
"What? He's used to it," Tai quipped and looked down at the cheerful pooch. "Hey Zwei! Wanna see the girls early this year?"
Zwei stood on his hind-legs and barked happily as Tai talked to him like one would with a child; all while Qrow left out the front door, shaking his head. Once he had closed the door behind him, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he reached into his jacket and felt at Amber's Scroll again before reaching for the flask, it was lighter than he liked but he was forced to resort to go without filling it, for now.
He began to walk down the path leading out into the forest as he made his way to the harbor in Patch.
0-RWBY-0
It was after classes and the students enjoyed the momentary break between study sessions and meals to mingle amongst one another. Meanwhile, Haiiden went to visit Professor Port as the year had kept him busy, and today his team had split up to run their own errands; Haiiden felt it would be the best time to meet with him.
He stopped in front of Professor Port's classroom door, which had a plaque nailed to it which read "Grimm Studies", which sounded a little funny to him every time he read it.
He knocked on the door a couple times before opening it and stepped inside. Some students stayed behind after classes to ask questions and catch up on notes before they were removed from the board. Haiiden stepped down the staircase to the lower part of the class, where students had encircled the Professor and asked questions, as well as praising him for his work.
One by one, the Professor answered the students' questions; while he was not showboating, and telling others of his achievements, like Oobleck, he was a font of knowledge and had a lot to offer to the students.
As he addressed the remainder of the class, his gaze fell upon Haiiden, and his mustache rose as he beckoned him to come forward.
"Now students, reflect on what I taught you and use it to your advantage. It will prove invaluable against upcoming battles against the Grimm, I assure you," Professor Port continued.
"Professor, I heard you have done research about the Grimm all throughout the four Kingdoms. Will you be doing any more lectures on Grimm that have evolved in, let's say, Mistral's environment?" One student asked.
"We will be going over the different types of Grimm, including the ones indigenous of the other Kingdoms in future lectures, yes," Port answered and the student replied with a bow of his head. "Now go on, I have business to attend to."
The students all parted ways all while whispering to each other about the class. From what Haiiden managed to overhear as they passed by, most of the exchanges between them were positive.
Port waited, his hands behind his back as he watched Haiiden descend the stairs.
"Do you have any questions for me, Haiiden?" Port asked as he quirked a brow.
"No sir, just came by to see you," Haiiden replied and smiled.
"And it's good to see you, my boy," Port remarked, his mustache rising a little higher as he turned while signaling for Haiiden to follow.
"I'm sorry that we haven't spoke as much since the school year started," Haiiden apologized as he walked beside Port. "The school year has been tough."
"So I have heard," Port replied as he walked towards a door in the corner of the classroom. "Infighting between teammates and missions to Mistral, to name a couple. How do you feel about that?"
"I believe Cecilia and I have resolved our issues. I can't say she has fully forgiven me, yet but I think she trusts me, since she stopped throwing punches every time she sees me," Haiiden chuckled as they both stopped in front of the door, and waited for Professor Port to unlock it.
"Good," Professor Port answered and held the door open for Haiiden to step inside. It was Port's own office which was a bright red and just like his classroom, there were simulated Grimm heads mounted on the walls. Replicas that he had commissioned to remember his kills, since the Grimm would disappear quickly after they died.
While Haiiden had visited the room before he still took the time to marvel at each trophy. The head of a Beowolf here, a Creep there, and the head of a Boarbatusk, which was Professor Port's first kill.
"How do you feel about your mission to Mistral?" Professor Port asked, and Haiiden turned his attention back to him. "Huntsmen are trained to fight the Grimm, not people, but honestly, bounty hunting missions are not unheard of."
Haiiden felt queasy.
"I don't want to think of it as a bounty hunting mission, Professor," Haiiden responded.
"I know, you were sent to help with security and to protect the people of Mistral, and no one can fault you on that," Professor Port explained.
"We tried our best to not kill anyone," Haiiden defended.
"I am not accusing you of anything, my boy," Professor Port said as his mustache lowered. "Just a personal question; the mission would have certainly conflicted with your reasons for becoming a Huntsman."
"Without a doubt, Professor," Haiiden replied. "Headmaster Ozpin assured us that he would not volunteer us for that kind of mission again."
"He did all he could to keep you from that," Professor Port sighed. "Since the Faunus War, the Councils have been tightening its grip on the Huntsman. No action or mission goes on without their knowledge. Things have… changed."
Haiiden didn't answer for a long time. He obviously did not want to discuss this topic further.
"If there was anything good that came out of Mistral, it was that I met someone there," Haiiden said and Professor Port chuckled as he reached for an electric kettle and poured himself some hot water before placing a tea bag into it.
"Who was this person?" Professor Port asked.
"Don't know, she hasn't told me her name yet," Haiiden said, to which Professor Port quirked a brow. "Just a little game she is playing. Says she won't tell me her name until I become famous."
Professor Port laughed.
"Tell me about her," Professor Port said as he set another cup down for Haiiden, who took it with both hands.
"Not much to tell, Professor. Only spoke with her twice," Haiiden replied.
"Yet she left an impression on you, otherwise, we would not be discussing her," Professor Port retorted.
"Hmmm." Haiiden thought. "Well, both times I have interacted with her she was always glowing."
"Glowing?" Professor Port paused. "Did you-?"
"No, Professor Port," Haiiden interrupted as he stared blankly into space. "I did not use my Semblance. I try not to use it all the time."
Professor Port did not answer, but instead stared at Haiiden for a few moments.
"Sorry if I brought up any bad memories," Professor Port said softly.
"Don't be, bad choice of wording on my part," Haiiden said right before he took a sip of his tea.
"Perhaps, but go on; what did you mean by, 'glowing?'" Professor Port inquired.
Haiiden took a deep breath and smiled back at Port.
"I guess joyous would be the best word," Haiiden replied, the smile on his face grew wider. "She also has this way with words which just adds to that aura she emanates. Its… calming."
"Have you spoken recently?" Port asked.
"Yes. Just yesterday. She came in with Haven Academy," Haiiden answered.
"Ah. A Huntress-to-be," Port smiled.
"Yeah. The way she acts, you would think that she is oblivious to the Grimm," Haiiden continued.
"Oh, I highly doubt that is the case," Port shook his head. "Everyone very well knows about the threat of the Grimm. No one comes here blind."
"True," Haiiden agreed. "There is something else about her…"
Professor Port nodded.
"It's almost as if she can see right through me," Haiiden said, it sounded just as strange when it came out. "We only shared a dance and talked a little bit, and I felt like she immediately knew everything about me."
"Sounds like an interesting young woman," Professor Port commented.
"She really is," Haiiden mumbled, his thoughts reverted back to when he met her in Mistral.
"Well, that is enough of that, my boy," Port said and with a huff, he pushed himself out of his chair and turned to Haiiden. "I must prepare for when the training missions start.
"Sure thing, Professor, thank you for your time," Haiiden said as he set the cup down onto the desk and got up to leave. Professor Port once again held the door open as Haiiden walked past.
"If you were to ever meet with her again, perhaps, it should be you should learn more about her, hmm?" Port suggested.
"I'll try Professor, but not sure when I would have the time to be able to do that," Haiiden replied with a shaky voice.
"Perhaps you should find some time," Professor Port smiled and nodded before he closed the door.
0-RWBY-0
Since they met, she has been on his mind and as hard as he tried, Haiiden could not stop thinking about her. Perhaps it was that he did now know her name that made him so curious. However, he had not seen her around since she came to Beacon, so maybe she was busy with other matters.
Still…
"Haiiden? You there?"
Haiiden flinched and blinked a few times as he remembered that he was sitting inside the school's dining hall; he was met with expectant stares as Coco looked at him intently.
"I'm sorry, what?" Haiiden sputtered.
"Now what's got you so distracted?" Coco asked.
"He told me that he met with a young bird yesterday from Haven," Zed replied instead, with a grin. "Someone that he had met back when we were in Mistral; maybe he's thinking about her."
Haiiden replied by ramming his elbow into Zed's ribs, who choked out a laugh while the twins minded their own business as they ate.
"Awww, is Haiiden crushing on someone?" Coco said mockingly.
"It's not that," Haiiden replied.
"Well," Coco said as she tried to hide a grin. "Back to the topic at hand: I wanted to ask if you thought we should get a DJ?"
"A DJ would be nice, but aren't they expensive?" Haiiden asked, as he remembered that they were discussing details for the upcoming dance.
"Yes, but I was able to convince Ozpin to help with any expenses," Coco said with a wink. "I can be very persuasive."
"Oh, that's cool," Haiiden said.
"Anything else you want to add?" Coco asked.
"Not really sure to be honest; I am not really paying attention," Haiiden mumbled.
"Oh, so this girl really is on your mind, huh?" Coco teased.
"I'll admit, she has been on my mind, just something so interesting about her," Haiiden replied, and he could feel himself turning red.
"Oh? Who is this interesting girl?" A voice that he recognized spoke from behind him, and he turned to see the young lady from Mistral.
"Hello again, Hero," she said playfully.
Haiiden stood from his seat and it suddenly occurred to him that he had absolutely no idea what had prompted him to do that.
"Hey," he stammered.
"Oh, is this her?" Coco asked, and Haiiden noticed a mischievous grin appear on her face.
"Y-yeah," He answered.
"We were just talking about you," Coco said as she leaned onto the table. "Says he has been thinking about you."
"Oh? Is that true, Hero?" the girl asked curiously, her eyes stared intently into Haiiden's.
"Ummm," Haiiden stammered and stared daggers at Coco, whose grin only grew wider.
"To be honest, Hero, I have been thinking about you, too," the girl said.
"You have?" Haiiden swallowed.
"Uh-huh. The Festival grounds have been opened to the public, and I was wondering if you would like take a walk through it," she continued, all while Zed watched as he eagerly anticipated his friend's answer.
"I would love to, but…" Haiiden answered, and the girl tilted her head slightly. "The team and I have some practice to get to before we go on our missions for the year."
"Oh jeez…" Haiiden heard and he saw that Coco had hidden her face in her hands and was shaking her head. All while Zed groaned in pain.
"Mate, mate," Zed said, as he put his arm around his friend. "You don't say no to a pretty bird like this."
"He is right, you know," the girl joked. "However, I don't want to intrude if your team has plans to train."
Zed casually waved her off.
"Its okay; he is available," Zed assured.
"So, you don't mind then if I steal him away?" The girl beamed.
"Steal away, away!" Zed exclaimed as he stepped back from Haiiden.
"Wait, what?" Haiiden stammered as the girl quickly stepped to his side, and looped her arm around his.
"I promise I will bring him back in one piece," the girl said with a wink, as she pulled a reluctant Haiiden along with her as everyone else at the table watched.
"Nice save, Zed," Cecilia said. "He totally dropped the ball on that one."
"He is usually so composed; I have never seen him this nervous before," Vaughn commented.
"I like it," Zed replied. "Shows that even he has his weaknesses. And that, apparently, is pretty girls."
Coco and Cecilia responded with a harsh glare.
"Hey, not saying that you aren't pretty," Zed replied nervously but the girls kept glaring at him and that was when he decided to simply keep his mouth shut and count his blessings that his head was still attached to his shoulders.
0-RWBY-0
People crowded at the Festival grounds as representatives from each Kingdom came together at the entrance. The festival grounds were well within the Kingdom's protective zone in the neighboring forest, so everyone paid no mind to any thoughts of the Grimm.
"We declare the this bi-annual Vytal Festival of Vale officially opened," they declared as the \ribbon was cut, and people uniformly but excitedly entered the grounds.
Haiiden was still being dragged along by the girl as she pulled him away to the different attractions around the Festival grounds. Games were on one end, shows were on another, and another pocket of the grounds were reserved for those who wished to relax and enjoy themselves with a hot meal.
First, they stopped by a stand where the game was to knock over old bottles with a ball. The prizes were lined up for visitors to try their skill and win one of them; the girl tucked at his hand and pointed towards a Beowolf plushie.
"Isn't that cute?" She asked, and Haiiden looked at it for a moment. The Grimm was not exactly something he would call 'cute' but this particular plushie did tickle him just the right way.
"Yeah, it kind of is. Like something you'd see from some kids' show," Haiiden replied.
"Now, Hero," she said slyly. "Want to try your hand at winning that for me? Please?"
Haiiden swallowed and then tried his best to smile confidently; he paid the owner, who then gave him a heavy leather-bound ball. Haiiden took aim as he raised his left hand out and wound his right arm; he took a deep breath and threw the ball.
He was greeted with a loud clacking as the metal bottles fell to the ground. The girl clapped excitedly as Haiiden then pointed toward the plushie, and then gave it to the girl.
"Thank you, Hero," she said happily as she hugged the plushie, her eyes peeking above its head.
"It was nothing," Haiiden said. "You keep calling me Hero, by the way, and I still don't know what to call you."
"Uh-huh," the girl giggled. "Isn't it fun? Just adds a bit of mystery."
"Still, I have to call you something, and you won't tell me your name," Haiiden replied.
"Hmmm, lets see what others have called me," the girl said as she hugged the toy closer. "There was one who called me 'weirdo'. I loved that one."
Haiiden scoffed. "That kind of fits."
"Now, Hero," she said with a smile. "That's just mean. It made sense for him to call me weird but not you. Now, there was also: Songbird and, well… Buddy."
"I assume these are names that other guys who you have kidnapped gave you?" Haiiden chuckled.
"Nope, those were the names my teammates gave me when we first met on our initiation," she said with a smile.
"Oh," Haiiden replied.
"Yep, feel free to call me any one of those," she continued.
"I want to be original though," Haiiden said and he took a moment to think while she looked at him intently. "How about just: Lady?"
"That could work! When I was younger dreamed about being one of those high-class women back in the old days. Called Lady and I would walk with a dreamy man with whom I would hook arms with and walk down a ballroom and have men and women look at me with envy," Lady giggled, as she held the plushie in one arm and hooked her arm around Haiiden.
"You will have to do," she smiled.
"And now you are in Haven Academy, where you are trained to fight monsters," Haiiden quipped.
"Well, I like to think of myself as a realist," Lady retorted.
Haiiden chuckled. "So, Lady, tell me about you; who are you?"
"I'm just a girl from a well-off town in Mistral. Really not much else to me than that," Lady replied.
"Oh," Haiiden said grimly, which she seemed to detect his tone and stopped. "Is that why you chose to become a Huntress?"
"Hmmm? What do you mean?" she asked curiously.
"I mean, did something happen to you or the town that made you want to become a Huntress?" Haiiden continued, to which Lady replied by setting down the plushie on top of a nearby bench, as she stood with her fists on her hips as she glared at Haiiden.
"Now Hero, are you trying to say that I have some kind of dark past?" Lady replied.
"Well-" Haiiden began, but was cut off.
"That I have some deep scars within me that I must hide from the world?" Lady continued, as she pulled her arms in as if to mimic a close hug.
"Where I must go on a crusade to take out my pain, hatred and anger on the very monsters that have wounded me?" she asked as she spun in a lovely pirouette, and when she faced him again, the back of her hand was pressed against her forehead; her eyes closed as she fell back into a swoon.
Instinctively, Haiiden rushed forward and caught her, and when she was in his arms, he noticed a mischievous smile on her face. The sun shone brightly on her face and when the gag was over, the smile turned into a sincere one as she opened one of her eyes in a sly wink.
"Nice catch, Hero," Lady joked as she then stood up. "In all seriousness, however, no, I can say for certain that I have had a very safe and comfortable life."
"That only makes me more curious about why you chose to be a Huntress," Haiiden said inquisitively as he and Lady both sat down together on the bench; Lady having picked up the plushie and set it upon her lap.
"I had many dreams as a child, Hero," Lady replied. "As I got older, I realized some of those were boring and I yearned for something more exciting."
"So, you chose to be a Huntress for excitement?" Haiiden asked.
"At first," Lady continued, but Haiiden then noticed as her smile began to fade. "I have had a comfortable life, Hero, but I can't say the same for others in my town."
Haiiden didn't answer as he listened quietly.
"The town was well protected, but the Grimm are tenacious. You don't see them out there, but you know that they see you and they will take any opportunity they can get to inflict pain on someone," Lady said grimly, as she hugged the plushie in a childlike affectation.
"No, Hero, my reasons are different. While the town I lived in tried its best to stay positive and didn't want to talk about the Grimm or the accidents that happened because of them, my reasons are of the kind you only hear behind closed doors.
'Did you hear about Maple and her kids? She was out doing the gardening and the kids strayed too far and a Creep snatched them.'"
Haiiden winced as he listened.
"'We lost contact with another nearby village. The Grimm proved too much for the Huntsmen to handle; Poor Oak returned to see his home in ruins, his family nowhere to be found.'
My reasons, Hero, are the people who were not as fortunate as I am."
"I see, I'm sorry," Haiiden replied.
"Now, don't be so grim," Lady nudged with a smile. "I try not to let memories like those affect me, but they are the reasons why I chose to be a Huntress. Especially since I discovered my Semblance, I have had a deeper appreciation for other people's lives, good and bad."
"Hmm? What is your Semblance?" Haiiden asked.
"Hard to explain," Lady replied, as she stared up at the sky as she thought about it. "I guess the best word I can use to describe it would be Intuition?"
Haiiden tilted his head curiously, a question in his eyes.
"In battle, it helps really well, I can feel and almost even see what my opponent will do, even before they do it," Lady replied happily. "However, it does help outside of battle too. I can often feel what someone else is thinking or feeling just by their words, tone and body language."
"That's really interesting," Haiiden replied but then his thoughts changed to the idea of his own Semblance.
"I will admit, it's also what got me so interested in you," Lady said as she turned to look at Haiiden, who was shocked.
"Why me?" He asked.
"I also saw that same appreciation and love for the people around you. I saw you walk through the streets of Mistral and I saw this expression on your face, as if you were admiring something beautiful," Lady continued.
"To some extent, I kind of was," Haiiden replied softly, to which Lady pressed in closer.
"Hmm? What was it, then?" She inquired.
"It's hard to explain," Haiiden said as he turned away.
"I don't mean to bring up anything too personal, but the way you reacted before, does it have anything to do with your mother?" she asked, and almost flinched as Haiiden suddenly turned back at her, his eyes narrowed angrily at her but then his expression softened.
"Sorry," he said. "Yeah, it does involve my mother, and my Semblance."
Haiiden blinked, he had no idea why he had just revealed that.
"What is your Semblance?" Lady asked, and Haiiden swallowed.
"I- uh, I can see a person's soul," Haiiden replied quietly, and he saw that Lady was taken aback by this but quickly regained her composure and smiled brightly.
"That is interesting indeed," Lady replied and Haiiden noticed how sultry and velvety her voice was.
"You think so?" Haiiden asked. "You believe me, then?"
"Why wouldn't I?" she asked in return.
"It's not exactly a Semblance that people would find to be real," Haiiden replied.
"Remember, I can sense what you feel. And I know that you aren't lying," Lady said. "But that doesn't answer the question about your mother. What I felt when I spoke to you in Mistral was-"
"Loss," Haiiden interrupted.
"Yes," Lady confirmed, her smile softening.
"She was the one who taught me who to use my Semblance. I inherited it from her," Haiiden continued and blinked as he wondered once again, why he was revealing this to her.
"Such occurrences are not unheard of, but they are rare," Lady said.
"Yes, she was the one that taught me the significance of my Semblance. That we are all bound to a common power that is the soul, the Fire, as she called it," Haiiden said.
"That is an apt way of describing it," Lady smiled at the word.
"Yeah, she taught me that this Fire is what made us special from everything else in the world. It is also why the Grimm hate us. They are a void that devours all light," Haiiden said.
"And you can see this? Can you see it in me?" Lady asked.
"I am not using it right now," Haiiden replied.
"O-oh," Lady replied, at first confused but as she examined Haiiden further she deduced why and gasped lightly. "I see."
"Yeah," Haiiden mumbled but then came to his senses. "I am sorry, I don't know why I told you this."
"Sorry, I have that effect on people sometimes," Lady replied as she scratched the back of her head nervously.
"Don't be sorry; if anything, I should be the one apologizing," Haiiden said, and Lady turned red. "If anything, I felt at peace talking to you and I felt that I can talk to you about anything. I am sorry if I've burdened you with my past."
"Not at all; if anything, it only adds to this enigma that is my Hero," Lady joked, which made Haiiden smile a little. "Especially since now I know why you want to become a Huntsman. It's quite beautiful."
Haiiden thought on that as he then could feel a pain swell up inside his chest. It was a void that was left behind long ago.
"It's getting dark," Lady said, and Haiiden hadn't noticed how fast the day had gone by as he looked up into the sky and saw the sun setting. "Ready to take me home, Hero?"
Haiiden banished the thoughts from his mind and chuckled; he stood up and turned towards Lady before he offered her his hand.
0-RWBY-0
Cardin held his weapon at the ready with his finger on the trigger that would ignite the red Dust in his mace. He stood calmly as he waited for his opponent to make his next move as Jaune finally stepped forward. Whatever training Nikos had been giving to him seemed to be working as Jaune seemed to have every base covered against his advance.
His footing was even and his shield up for a possible counter; he took another step forward, his arm pulled back and ready to swing. Cardin admitted that while he lacked finesse, he made up for it with brute force. He swung his mace, but it only hit Jaune's shield as he raised it to defend himself. However, the sheer power of the hit made Jaune stagger back, which left him open for a follow up attack.
Cardin swung once more, but again, was only able to hit the shield as Jaune kept his guard up. However, he lost his footing and fell onto one knee, then raised his shield up again. Cardin stepped forward as he prepared another blow, but then Jaune moved from his cover as he thrust his blade forward towards Cardin's exposed breastplate.
Cardin pulled back on his mace and used its weight to spin himself around as Jaune's attack scraped against his armor, and his Aura. Cardin used the momentum from his spin to prepare another swing while the head of the mace burned brightly as Cardin activated the Dust and swung; this time, the swing hit its mark as the head of the mace struck Jaune in the chest.
Jaune was launched back a few feet, the air filled with smoke as it trailed from Jaune's body. He landed with a hard thud, but only rolled once before he found his footing again and stood up; to Cardin's surprise, he still showed a lack of fatigue.
Jaune suddenly pushed himself forward and swung, while Cardin braced himself. With both hands holding his mace, Cardin used the handle to parry Jaune's attack, but was then knocked back as Jaune countered by slamming the edge of his shield against Cardin's nose.
He felt no pain as his Aura protected him, but was still knocked back a few paces; with this opening Jaune pushed forward as Cardin was struck with a flurry of quick thrusts and slashes.
Every attempt by Cardin to gain purchase of the situation was foiled; any chance to strike was immediately denied as Jaune used his shield to knock away his weapon, which threw off his balance.
Frustrated, Cardin charged forward into Jaune's shield and began to push him back. Jaune tried to plant his feet into the floor but could not find his footing as Cardin continued to push him towards the other side of the sparring arena. Finally, Cardin shoved Jaune again as he flailed his arms around, attempting to regain his balance.
The momentum of the fight shifted as Cardin swung again, only to be blocked by Jaune once more, but his defenses were weak as Jaune didn't have the time to plant his feet and stand his ground. Cardin struck again, the attack went low and knocked Jaune's shield from his grip; the blonde haired young man lost his balance entirely and fell onto his back.
"Enough," Professor Goodwitch concluded. "About what I would expect from you Mr. Winchester; good work."
Cardin didn't respond and instead looked down at Jaune, who was now standing up.
"Mr. Arc, however you still need to practice when you need to activate your Aura. You still let it go to waste, but you have improved considerably," Professor Goodwitch continued.
"Yes Ma'am," Jaune said with a groan.
Cardin watched before he set his weapon down and approached Jaune.
"Mr. Winchester," Professor Goodwitch warned, but was surprised when Cardin instead reached a hand out to Jaune, who paused.
"Ummm," Jaune mumbled and hesitantly reached out, only for Cardin to grab him and pull him up with a jerk of his arm. "Thanks."
Cardin didn't reply, instead he kept his gaze low and picked up his weapon before he stormed off.
0-RWBY-0
Zed walked through Beacon's hallways as quietly as he could. When he thought back on it, he wondered why he needed to creep around when he was technically a student. He picked up the pace as he entered another wing of the school as he came closer to Blake's dorm.
She didn't meet him the day before and he wondered why she didn't respond. No note or anything. He took the piece of chalk from his jacket and wrote a "Z" on her door once more.