A Cosmic Journey
A/N: What's up, everybody? Sorry again for last week's delay, trying my best to stick to a set time range for updates, but needs must occasionally. I'm glad to see people were still willing to get to it the next day, for those who live really far away. I'm thankful again for the support, so without further ado, here's the start of Year 2!
Chapter 6: The Best-laid Plans
Chapter Date: 09/30/19
'Ye gods, I hate the rotation.'
Ren and Nora charged at me from opposite sides, Ren firing Stormflower while Nora triggered Magnhild's grenade explosion to propel herself forward for a swing.
'Crapcrapcrap…' "No headshots for me!" I shouted, swinging Mirror's Edge in its greatsword form. Both weapons collided as the shock ran down Nora's and my arms. Her strength and momentum overpowering mine, I used the force and pivoted, holding out Mirror's Edge to block Stormflower's bullets as I dashed towards Ren using Burst. Closing in, the gunfire against my blade ceased, and I split Mirror's Edge into its longsword forms as Ren and I stepped into close-quarters range. Taking an immediate step back, I launched into my perpetually striking ecrima form, creating a web of steel to box Ren in. As he gave ground and deflected my blades with his own, the low thrum of Magnhild approached. Disengaging, I spun both longswords at an angle like a propeller. One kept Ren at bay while the other met Magnhild before it reached the arc of its swing. Its superior weight and Nora's raw power still launched me back, and I quickly turned to swing down at Ren. Smiling, he diverted the swing with one of Stormflower's blades, and as he released the weapon from his right hand, he curled his fingers back and launched an Aura-infused palm forward.
'Well, damn.' The strike carried me back towards Nora, who wound Magnhild up and swung down at my torso, thankfully without discharging a grenade and with one of my blades between it and my chest. That being said, the ground still cracked under the force, and spittle flew from my mouth as my Aura shattered.
"Mother of...how long was that?" I wheezed, Magnhild still parked on my chest.
"Twenty seconds." Ren's answer was a painful reminder of how far I had to go.
"Hey, at least you blocked two swings from Magnhild and didn't get hit in the head! Or the legs, both would be bad," Nora mused.
"Nora…as someone who just got hit in the chest with a mitigated blow from Magnhild, I attest that getting hit anywhere would be bad," I snarked.
"Your improvement is steady, however," Ren said. "To last even twenty seconds against two opponents, both more experienced than you, is impressive."
"So if you fight a bunch of people, this time you can last long enough to call for help so we can bail you out!" Nora exclaimed proudly.
"…Nora, I believe he was looking for encouragement that he could win."
"OOHHHHHHH…well, he can totally fight like four thugs at a time."
"There's the ego-booster," I groaned, getting to my feet and connecting Mirror's Edge back to its greatsword form, placing the sword on the magnetic back holster strapped to my torso. Working out the kinks in my neck, I signaled a thumbs-up to Nora and Ren so we could head back. Although slightly slower with my Aura shattered, I remembered what life was like before Aura, so being low didn't bother me, especially considering how often it shattered.
The lion's share of the past year had been filled with even harder challenges compared to the first. For starters, with actual weapons our time spent training with them, a la sparring, increased. And thanks to the scare I'd given Nora and Ren from fighting the traffickers in Wind Path, our previous sparring schedule changed. Now the rotations included a third daily fight for everyone, wherein two of us would fight the third. Six of the seven days cycled between unarmed and armed fights against multiple opponents, with the seventh being a rest day because dust, we needed it.
Physical conditioning had ramped up as well, with my abilities truly beginning to pass into superhuman levels. My muscle density had surpassed Ren's, giving me an edge in spars when it came to raw speed, strength and endurance. However, he was still leagues above me when it came to agility, skill and admittedly, flexibility. Seriously, the man was limber beyond anything else I'd encountered!
My Aura control had also thankfully sharpened, though Aura projections like Ren's were still beyond me. I made up for it by further developing Burst, lowering the strength factor in favor of a smoother, longer-lasting power-up.
All these kept me alive during our now-sanctioned excursions into Yozakura's woods. After the village elders heard of our actions in Wind Path, they were suddenly more receptive to the idea of our training in preparation for Huntsmen Academies. They even provided pseudo-missions requesting regular Grimm extermination outside the village, in exchange for some lien. It wasn't much, but the three of us steadily built up some sizeable reserves. When asked on whose idea it was, the elders were tight-lipped, but a framed letter in Ms. Fujiko's room from Chief Jarrah, thanking us for our actions gave some clues.
However, any unspoken approval for our tenacity did not translate to her lessons. Class was still very much in session, and my already-learned knowledge in math and writing could only stave her off so much. Though my history, language and dust acumen quickly progressed, there was still too much to be taught. One scientific discovery had my attention however, one I should've known beforehand.
Remnant didn't have dinosaurs. Yes, given Remnant's canonical history and all of RoosterTeeth's background videos that should've been obvious, and it was. What wasn't immediately so were the implications of such a fact. Without dinosaurs or their equivalent, there was no such thing as fossil fuels, and therefore no gasoline or oil-based technology. Sure, lightning dust was a handy replacement for electricity, but it meant Remnant was essentially entirely powered by clean energy, among other things. Quite negligible when civilization was under the constant threat of extinction by Grimm, but it was important to take the small victories.
Additionally, as Ren and Nora trained with Stormflower and Magnhild's firearm functions, I discovered their ammunition was propelled by dust. Again, immediately obvious, but I meant that their ammunition was entirely propelled by dust. As in, no gunpowder. Inspection of the village's guns and research online revealed a pervasive lack of gunpowder whatsoever.
The implications were staggering. Remnant had the same periodic elements as Earth, for sure. Some form of a periodic table also existed, albeit with different names for some of the elements. But the scientific field of chemistry had largely taken a backseat to studies in dust. When Nature's wrath neatly handled requirements for heat, electricity, water, energy, explosives and more, clearly other fields of study fell by the wayside.
But my knowledge of chemistry was first and foremost quite limited, and any advantages I could gain from such knowledge would have to wait, as Ren, Nora and I prepared for our vacation. It wasn't actually a vacation, more a mission involving travel to another distant city. Although an official journey, the break from classes and opportunity to travel once more definitely highlighted itself as a vacation, especially given our objectives and destination.
"Argus, here we come!" Nora exclaimed, pumping her fist in the air. "Beauutiful northern coastline…and plenty of Sanctum students to spar against!"
"Nora, we aren't leaving until tomorrow," Ren reminded her. "Furthermore, we will be traveling through mostly wilderness with some small villages along the way, and will likely be beset with Grimm."
"Yeah, but so long as we don't come across a Beringel or King Taijitu, we'll be just fine," I breezed. "And once we get there, we'll see Sun again. Can't wait to see what he's picked up at Sanctum. OW!"
"You just jinxed us again, I swear…," Nora grumbled.
… … …
"Remember, your mission is to request the installation of a CCT relay tower for Yozakura. We've already scheduled an appointment with CCT officials in Argus. I don't think I need to remind you such an addition would bring massive boosts to Yozaukra's community and tourism."
"You just did…OW!" I jerked to the side, away from Ms. Fujiko's iron hand. Seriously, the ability to make her chops hurt as much as they did through Aura had to be a semblance or magic! "You already know that I know the financial impact."
Ms. Fujiko and I shared a wry grin with each other. Chief among the Remnant-relevant knowledge from my years on Earth was the finance education I'd received in college. As a teenager with little lien to his name last year, I hadn't been in much of a position to utilize my degree. Now older, and quite a bit wealthier thanks to last year's bet, I could make use of my acumen to put Nora, Ren and I's lien to work. The investments I'd made on Remnant's stock market, along with conversations I'd had with some of the elders regarding budget policies and reform, would've looked downright eerie coming from a pre-teen with no supposed economic background. But a teenager with basic lessons on the subject and a penchant and passion for learning? Far less so.
One such suggestion I'd made was for Yozakura to lean into its natural attractions to boost its tourism and economy. The star of the show was the annual flower viewing festival, with the sakura trees coming into bloom. Likely limited to specific regions of Anima, they would be a sight to see for citizens of any other kingdom. And when you added the electric blue butterflies that migrated for the festival every year, the view was worth a million words, and hopefully a few lien as well. That was the selling point Yozakura was running with in our pitch to CCT officials.
"One day I'll figure out how you know so much on subjects that should be beyond your age. And don't give me another yarn on how you're some savant," Ms. Fujiko headed off my automatic retort. "We both already know Nora is one herself, and if you try to claim that I've been raising two in this village I'll get an inflated head."
"Aww, Mother Fujiko called me a genius!" Nora gushed bashfully, before a glare from Ms. Fujiko had her gulping silent.
"Genius in Grimm-smashing and dust, perhaps. In other foundational subjects, much less so." Ms. Fujiko sighed and rubbed her temples, before turning to Ren. "I would say they should follow your example, but you can be far too passive for your own good sometimes, little lotus."
"I like to think of it as being cautious," Ren replied amiably. "And I'm not aware of what I may be too passive in." Both Ms. Fujiko and I deadpanned. He lasted maybe five seconds under our combined stares before glancing at Nora, blushing, coughing, and looked pointedly away.
"Well, I shouldn't hold you three up any longer," Ms. Fujiko sighed. "The journey to Argus is long, longer than Wind Path, and there is an appointment to keep. Not to mention I expect you three back before the next festival, otherwise I'll make sure to bury you in schoolwork."
All three of us collectively paled, stiffly waved our goodbyes and pivoted before making our swift exit.
"Do you think she'll ever stop being intimidating?" Nora whispered, hoping that Ms. Fujiko couldn't still hear us.
"Probably not," I replied, thinking of a certain deputy headmistress. "But there are more intimidating people out there, I'm sure."
"Impossible…" Nora shuddered.
… … …
Our travels took us past Wind Path, though we stopped in the city to restock on supplies, as well as check in with Jarrah and Weylin. Weylin, as always, was unpredictable, and tossed a barrel of metal scraps at us after wheeling from the back. Liberal use of our weapons deflected the scrap, which Weylin took to mean our training was progressing well and our weapons were in fine shape. Jarrah, on the other hand, was far less physical, and offered us updates on the Cleansers case. Thankfully, the huntsman I'd "fought", now revealed to be named Slate, had been apprehended after Wind Path Authorities had swarmed the warehouse and found him under a cage's remains, covered in burns and pink dust. After further reminders to keep our involvement in the matter hidden, we continued on our journey. Having debated whether to visit Preto as well, I determined he was a busy man, and that visiting him might be considered using the "favor" he'd spoken of.
'Considering having an audience with Little Miss Malachite took Cinder tossing a bag of lien, having casually approached Preto last year was a remarkably ballsy move that I will not be repeating. Dust, If we weren't kids that could've been dangerous.'
Along with human interactions, there was also quite a bit of Grimm interaction as well, involving sharp objects and lots of stabbing. Traversing forests had us battling numerous Beowolves, more than a few Ursai, Nevermore in all sizes and even a colorful encounter with a Manticore. Colorful due to how we dealt with it…
… … …
"Are we sure about this? Extreme heights and human and faunus tend not to mix well together," I inquired, shielded behind Mirror's Edge as I tanked another blast of fire from the Manticore.
"Definitely! I've been meaning to work on a landing strategy anyways," Nora breezed, peeking around the tree to fire a grenade as the Manticore veered.
I turned to Ren, standing in plain sight and using his semblance. "How about you? Fancy working on a landing strategy right now?"
"…I might require some assistance upon landing." With another blast, Nora dove away from the tree as the Manticore set it aflame, landing next to Ren as he proceeded to cloak all three of us in his semblance.
"Alright, fine. Have it your own damn way!" With Burst, I swung Mirror's Edge around three times, and on the third revolution Nora placed her feet on the blade and jumped. With my strength adding to Nora's, she soared high into the air and drew level with the Manticore. Carrying a payload dressed in green still using his semblance, this went unnoticed by the Manticore, who spewed more hellfire at me as I covered myself with Mirror's Edge. As her arc slowed, Nora twisted around and swung Magnhild upwards, boosting Ren to even higher altitudes. Now visible to the Manticore, the Grimm swung its head to her and readied another blast. With Ren cloaked high above, he spinned with his arms out and clutching Stormflower, turning into a bladed twister as he closed in on the Manticore, while I separated Mirror's Edge and threw one of the longswords upwards like a javelin. With the Grimm's attention on Nora, Stormflower and Mirror's Edge punctured the Manticore from two ends as it roared its death throes.
Meanwhile, Nora was already descending, and as she neared the ground I saw her manic smile. Pointing Magnhild downwards, she fired a grenade into the ground, the recoil slowing her momentum slightly. Plunging into the cloud of pink dust, there was a soft boom as the cloud dispersed, Nora in a three-point landing surrounded by clouds of pink dust.
"How was that?" Nora questioned, panting slightly from adrenaline. I readied my answer, but quickly diverted my attention as Ren plunged to Remnant with an increasingly louder, "gggguuuuuuyyYYYYYYSSSSSS!"
"Grab onto the sword!" I yelled, aiming my other longsword. As Ren grasped the other half of Mirror's Edge, I threw the second half at a tree nearby, my Aura ceasing to reinforce the blade as it left my hand. As the sword pierced the tree, its magnetic properties kicked in and its other half zipped towards it, Ren trailing behind like a streamer on a kite. Just before the swords joined back together, Ren let go and carved Stormflower around the tree trunk until safely disengaging onto the ground, then staggering and toppling to the ground. 'Yeah, I can see how that level of rotation would affect someone of his constitution.'
… … …
As we neared the walls of Argus, Nora's scroll rang.
"Seriously, it's like he's got a sixth sense about these things," I muttered, looking around to make sure he hadn't snuck up on us. 'Considering he's done it to Blake, Team RWBY and the White Fang, anything's possible.'
Shrugging, Nora answered the call, and a familiar smiling blonde faunus appeared on the screen. "Hey, looks like you guys have service again. I called a couple days back but I guess you were still out of range between the Wind Path and Argus towers. How was the walk up?"
"Grimm. Lots of Grimm," I summarized, Ren nodding along at my succinct answer.
"AAND we figured out some landing strategies! Or at least Ren and I did, Kouzai's still catching up," Nora added.
"Wow, that's a year or two ahead of the curve. Most everyone here spent the last year learning the basics, though some have gotten a solid handle on their style," Sun offered. "Well, except for Pyrrha Nikos. That girl is a machine, I swear. You heard that she won the regional tournament again?"
"How could I not?" I chuckled. Though there wasn't any betting this time, seeing Pyrrha tear through the tournament and watching her return as champion was a real treat. "How is it being in the same school and year as her?"
"Impossible. Getting a win off her is harder than me becoming an Atlesian general, and her perfect grades don't make conversation any easier," Sun grumbled as I frowned. 'Guess she's having trouble making friends already, especially since she's a repeat champion.'
I was about to suggest putting Pyrrha's status aside to Sun when some movement caught my eye. Towards the left, by the higher of the two mountains sandwiching Argus, two nondescript cars turned off the main road and started up the mountain. 'Huh, guess they're going for the scenery. The view would be nice up…there…'
As the vehicles ascended, I saw the landmark at the left mountain's peak, and Volume 6 came back to me as I grimaced. "Sun, we'll have to call you back. And we might be a bit late getting into the city."
"Sure, I don't have much going on. Do you have to make a stop somewhere or something?" Sun questioned.
I gestured towards the cars for Nora and Ren, then at the CCT relay tower at the mountain's summit. "Or something…"
… … …
"Perhaps they're merely going to take in the coastline," Ren reasoned.
"It is the higher of the two mountains," Nora added.
"Even so, there's a perfectly good mountain to the right without a CCT relay tower blocking the view," I countered. "That, and do you really think the Atlesian military just casually lets civilians within range just for photos and picnics?"
Nearing the peak, we heard the faint but unmistakable noise of gunshots, and we kicked it into high-but-stealthy gear. Sticking to the trees, we snuck up right by the cars. And there laid the grim sight. Men and women dressed in drab blacks, browns, greys and reds patrolled the CCT tower entrance. Up above, a couple more guards walked each level, and I was sure there were more out of view. Splayed on the ground were soldiers of the Atlesian military.
'Are you kidding me? Bandits? This is like five or six years early, and it's not even the main characters this time!' I gripped my face as I turned to Nora and Ren. "Ok, clearly they're not here to sightsee. What do we know?"
"There's eight within our sight, but I estimate upwards of ten present, given the size of their vehicles. All have some form of crude weapon, be it brass knuckles, guns, or swords," Ren recounted.
"Fantastic. So they're clearly here for something, but what?" I questioned, just as there was a sound of breaking glass, and a feminine shriek rang out. "Crap! No time to plan, we need to get to the control room, and fast! Stack up like we did with the Manticore."
Despite their apprehension at leaving me to fend for myself, they complied as I began spinning. "Here WE GO!" Once again, Nora and Ren streaked into the air, then Ren climbed even higher as they landed on different levels of the tower. Unlike the Manticore however, in broad daylight Ren's semblance wouldn't hide him, and shouts came from all around as bandits readied their weapons. Pre-empting their attack, I lunged towards the group of four by the tower's entrance and spun in a full-rotation swing. Three bandits dove away in time, but the fourth tried to stand his ground, rusty blade held out in a block. That bandit's Aura shattered as a wall of steel collided with his body, and I unceremoniously batted him into the tower's base, where he slumped down.
The other three bandits were not idle though, and two opened fire with bayoneted shotguns, while the third rushed to flank me. Holding Mirror's Edge out as cover, I tensed, then shot to the side with Burst, swinging one of the detached longswords and driving the bandit down to her knees. I had no sympathy as I spun and clocked her jaw with a roundhouse kick. As she hit the ground, I took a spread shotgun blast to the side, and kicked Burst into high gear as I weaved around the two gunmen. Ducking behind some trees, I caught sight of my other longsword still dug into the ground, and dashed out in front of the gunmen, pointing behind them.
"Look out!" I shouted, gesturing as I ducked under a shotgun spread.
"Yeah, like we're falling for-GUUHH!" Both faces flew towards the ground as I held Mirror's Edge horizontal in front me without Aura reinforcement, as its other half brained them from behind. Catching the second longsword before they could rejoin, I leapt and brought both blades down on their skulls flat-end first. As they hit the dirt, I noticed their Auras hadn't shattered, but they were definitely unconscious.
"OH, oh gods. Did I just nearly kill them?" I quickly recounted my moves, and thankfully the only one that would've definitely ended a non-Aura combatant was the full swing that'd taken out the one with Aura. A cough behind sharply diverted my attention, as I whirled to the female bandit that I'd kicked, now sprawled on the ground and struggling to rise.
"Who the hell are you?" she snarled, words possibly a little rawer from the possible jaw fracture. Further gunshots and explosions had us both looking up, as one bandit fell from the upper levels, hitting the ground and silencing his Wilhelm scream. His shattered Aura let me breathe in relief that Nora, because who else could it have been, didn't just kill someone.
"We," I made sure to stress, "are some concerned citizens that had no time for games. Now, what do bandits want with the CCT tower?"
"Not giving shit!" the bandit growled. "You don't know who you're messing with!"
More pained shouts took precedent. "I'll stay tuned." Socking the bandit in the face, albeit a little softer, I left her unconscious body and entered the tower. Dashing up the stairs, I glanced out at the middle levels at four pulverized bandits, five if including the one who took a fall. Continuing up, I stepped out on the control room level, just as Magnhild streaked towards my face.
"No headshot!" I yelled, and the hammer paused as Nora's face brightened. "Alright, if you're here I'm assuming Ren has everything handled. I took care of the ones on the ground, so is everything alright?"
"Yup!" Nora replied, then sagged a little and scratched her cheek. "It's just, there's a tiny thing we didn't anticipate…"
"And that would be?" I asked, freezing as I walked into the control room.
A navy shirt tucked under a blue cardigan matched well with gray jeans. Adding to the ensemble were red sneakers and red glasses, the latter framed over brown eyes and underneath short brown hair. More important however was the sleek, standard-issue-looking pistol now pointed at me.
"I'm not a bandit," I spit out automatically, hands out peacefully. I could tank another bullet or two, but there was no reason to purposely do so and even less to spook family of one of the main characters. "Ren, are you in here?"
"I'm here," Ren replied, slowly stepping out from another area of the control room, making sure to make himself as obvious as possible for the woman before he slowly gestured to her. "This is Terra Cotta."
"Pleased to meet you," I greeted cordially, noting her name as I looked at her hands again. There, on her left ring finger, was-
"OOH, is that an engagement ring?" Nora asked, grasping my shoulders and leaning over me. I flinched slightly, then relaxed and sighed at Nora's antics. Terra relaxed as well after seeing Nora's joviality.
"I'm actually getting married in two days," Terra responded, and Nora's and my jaws dropped. Nora because of how soon it was, and me because of how soon it was. "I was actually scheduled to work that day, but I arranged to perform the maintenance check a bit earlier than normal. A lot of good that did…"
'Yeah, my god, talk about putting the cart before the horse! I nearly forgot she was a technician, guess it makes sense she would occasionally check the systems, especially when all the towers are still functional.' I straightened slightly and smiled as disarmingly as I could. "We can stay with you for as long as it takes for the authorities to arrive, if that's alright with you."
"Are you kidding me? You three probably saved my life. For that, you guys are coming to the wedding, it's the least I can do, and gods know Jaune could probably use some support against those sisters of his," Terra mused as Nora and Ren looked on in confusion.
"I'm sorry, who-
"-or what is a Jaune? And what's this about sisters?"
'Your future leader and brother to seven sisters,' I thought faintly, heartbeats matching the growing volume of bullhead engines nearing the CCT tower. 'At least we'll be jumping the line to meet with the CCT officials."
… … …
"The great kingdom of Atlas must decline your request for a relay tower. Such wondrous and masterful technology must be placed with the interests of Atlas in mind, and I'm afraid that your…quaint village does not meet the importance required to qualify for installation of a relay tower."
'Oh yeah…most Atlesian tech comes from the military.' Meaning we were dealing with…
Caroline Cordovin smiled a sickly sweet smile. "Now…if that concludes our business, I believe you have no further reason to be on our premises. The Atlesian military wishes you a good day."
"But-"
"A good day!"
"BUT-"
"A GOOD DAY!"
A quick escort from Argus base premises had the gates closing in our faces.
"…Wow, that is annoying to experience."
With the three of us out of luck regarding our official mission, there was only visiting Sun and now attending Terra's wedding that kept us in Argus.
"GRRR, that, that….hah, what do we do?" Nora asked, looking worried. It was a long shot that we'd get a relay tower, but to get shut down so hard must have been disconcerting to the two of them, after experiencing success last year in Wind Path. Luckily however, I had years and years of failure over them to rely on.
'…that didn't sound quite like I thought it would.'
"It's not the end, not yet at least," I replied, stretching my back out. "We still have one more shot at Cordovin, and we're going to take advantage of it."
Ren's eyes widened. "Our official meeting date with CCT officials…"
"Meaning a stick-in-the-mud like our specialist will honor that appointment, so we have until then to find an angle to make a passionate Atlesian patriot consider a village in the middle of Mistral as worthy of a relay tower." I pulled out my phone and saw the muted calls from Sun. "Until then, we've got a mischievous faunus to reunite with."
One dust-powered trolley ride later, we were strolling up to an apartment building housing some students of Sanctum. And parked right outside on a bench, smile as wide as the bench itself, was Sun Wukong. Changed, however, was the monkey faunus since we'd last saw him.
Sun had clearly not attended Sanctum in the original timeline, because he clearly wasn't used to Argus' climate this time around. Adding to his white button-up was a black tailcoat, red on the inside with gold trim and cloud patterns decorating the outside. This clothing was unbuttoned.
"Aw man, it's great to see you all again!" Sun exclaimed, then glanced at our faces. "I take it your little detour on the call earlier lead to some trouble?"
"You could say that," Nora grumbled, muttering something about shorter people. "Let's just get inside to an actual bed."
"Well, I've got a spare mattress in my apartment, but one of you might have to bunk with my friend for the next few days since he's the one with the other spare mattress. You guys'll love him though, he's a really cool dude," Sun explained.
"Does this 'cool dude' also dress in red and have blue hair?" I asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"No reason…"
… … …
"Sooo, is anyone else worried we may be underdressed?" I asked as we approached the venue.
"…Well, I wasn't until you mentioned it," Nora grumbled as she glanced down. Although our clothes had been cleaned at Sun's, even our put-together outfits weren't exactly formal.
"Considering that we are guests of the bride, I believe that it's understandable our attendance was a matter of short notice," Ren commented dryly. As we neared the building, I took notice of the number of people around. Not a vast amount, but enough to indicate the invitees went beyond just family. 'I wonder how Mistral and Remnant altogether handles non-heterosexual relationships. Definitely flew over my head to look those up.'
Of particular interest was the man standing by the fountain, so much so that my pace slowed to crawl as I took in his features. Gold-spun hair and ocean-blue eyes were definitely similar, but the small amount of scruff was new. At a height well beyond six feet, with subtle shifts in posture revealing an extremely solid physique, the familial resemblance was far too strong, even if the show had never described who he was or what he looked like.
It was only after this analysis that I realized he was staring just as intently at me, and I would've shrunk back were he an enemy. As it stood, he was likely the furthest thing from one. Approaching him, with Nora and Ren gazing curiously at our non-verbal reaction, the silence was broken as he asked, "Hello there. Is there anything I can help you with? Do you happen to be lost?"
'Well, he's just as friendly to strangers as Jaune.' I waved as I replied, "Good afternoon. We were told to come to this venue as last-minute guests of the bride."
"Hmm, you seem a bit young to be friends of Saphron's, but then…wait, you're the three that Terra mentioned? The ones that saved her life yesterday? The ones that defeated over a dozen armed bandits?"
"Uhh, I think so, yes and yes, in that order," I replied, and we watched as the man threw his head back and released a full-bellied laugh, continued for about ten seconds, then did it again.
"Oh, that's amazing…wow…ok. I apologize for the strong reaction," the man said, running his hands through his hair in a habit that must've been passed down. "When I heard the news yesterday, I couldn't help but be worried that Terra invited some rough characters to the ceremony, so I offered to show them in. I was aiming to size them up in case of trouble, but to think that she was saved by three children. I thought she was exaggerating, but clearly it was I who was mistaken!"
Sticking his hand out, the man added, "Nicholas Arc at your service. Father of the bride, or one of them, anyway."
Ren and Nora's eyes widened, but I took it in stride and grasped Nicholas' hand. "Kouzai." His palm callouses were a cautionary tale to any non-civilian, a subtle sign with the message, "Don't screw with me."
"Lie Ren. You may call me Ren if you prefer"
"And I'm NORA!" After pumping Nicholas' arm with vigor that had the man amusedly impressed, Nora bounced back to Ren and I.
"I'm pleased to meet you all, and eternally grateful for the service that you have done for my daughter, and therefore my family." Nicholas gestured towards the open doors. "Come inside, please. I'm sure the rest of the attendees will want to meet the heroes of the day."
Tongue-tied at the praise, we followed him inside the elegantly decorated building. Passing through the entrance hall, we entered what I assumed was the reception area, given the tables spaced around the wooden center area. Well, that and the groups of finely dressed men, women and children, all of whom turned our way as Nicholas swept into the room, followed by us. Not a sound was uttered, until Nicholas reached the podium and microphone. Clearing his throat, he leaned in. "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present, the saviors of the Argus CCT tower, and the rescuers of our lovely Terra Cotta. Please welcome, Nora, Ren and Kouzai!"
Silence permeated the room, before thunderous applause rang out, every guest and even employee in the room on their feet. Tearing right down the center of the room came Terra, and a woman the show told me was Saphron Arc. Both ladies circled around us to wrap the three of us in a tight hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you…" Saphron whispered into our ears as her eyes were shut, little flecks of moisture threatening to spill out. Meanwhile, Terra rolled her eyes but was hugging us just as tight.
"I'd call her dramatic, but in this instance it's well-warranted. I can't thank you enough for letting me come home to her." Now Terra's eyes were misty, a fact noticeable given her current lack of glasses. Then the three of us were bodily dragged along by the two brides, until arriving at a table of seven. Seven blonde-haired, blue-eyed, misty-eyed siblings.
"Ren, Nora, Kouzai, these are my siblings, six sisters and one Jaune." "Hey!" "Would you be willing to sit at their table during the rehearsal dinner and tomorrow at the reception?"
'Of all the long shots, this one is pretty far. Even if Adrian was a toddler in canon, even if Jaune and his family would visit Mistral often, to be here? Now?' My face would've out-bluffed the poker world champions. "We'd be happy to, provided that we aren't ruining the ceremony of course."
"Of course not! Anyone who thinks that an invitation or fancy clothes are required after all this can shove it," Saphron huffed heatedly. Meanwhile, I was keeping an eye on one Arc sibling in particular.
He looked almost identical to his appearance during the Beacon dance. In the suit, not the dress. With his growth spurt just beginning, he lacked the towering height and decent muscle mass to stand up to Ursa Majors and Deathstalkers. Admittedly though, his tousled blonde hair had been combed into submission, but a fourteen-year-old Jaune Arc stared at the three of us with awe in his eyes.
As Nora, Ren and I took our hastily-provided seats, the eldest sister cleared her throat. "Welcome to the Cotta-Arc wedding. I am Rouge Arc, and seated with me are my siblings Olivia, the twins Cerulean and Delphine, Aqua, Lavender and our only brother, Jaune."
"Pleased to meet you."
"What's up."
"Hey."
"Delighted."
"Hiya!"
"Uh, hi."
Ren and Nora blinked in sheer amazement, and even after having seen the family photo, so was I. 'So…much…blonde! So..much…friendly!'
"You're just in time for dinner to be served, the speeches just finished," Rouge continued. "A portion of them were devoted to the three of you. Should you be available to attend the reception tomorrow, you will doubtlessly hear them."
"Yaaay…" I replied weakly, as Nora stammered and blushed while Ren stiffened like a board. 'Yeah, still not used to the whole praise thing.'
"What does intrigue me, however," Rouge added, "are the stories Terra provided about your combat capabilities. Do the three of you attend Sanctum?"
"We, uhh, we actually don't attend any combat school. We're self-trained," I managed to get out, almost mesmerized by the hereditary blue of the Arc family eyes. It didn't help that this was one of the first women I'd interacted with around my Earth age, or that I was a sucker for blue eyes. 'No! Bad! Fictional characters, and she's probably a decade older than you currently!'
Rouge seemed deep in thought, and I caught a couple glances over to Jaune's position. "Quite impressive, taking on a baker's dozen bandits by yourselves. Tell me, do you three have aspirations of becoming Huntsmen in the future?"
"Yup!" Nora seemed to be over her bashfulness. "We're aiming for Beacon in a few years!"
Jaune made a sound between a choke, whine, and gasp at the same time, the result being that he actually choked, to the humor of his sisters. And Nora.
"It is heartwarming that the youth are as enthusiastic about defending Remnant as the Huntsmen of now and old. I confess to being curious as to your proficiency. Call it a professional interest in the standards of the future." Rouge casually drummed her fingers, and I noticed the very defined muscles of her arm. "Would you three be interested in a spar tomorrow with me? I would volunteer our father, but he would likely crush your spirits."
"It would be interesting to experience facing an actual huntress in single combat," Ren mused.
"Yeah, been there, almost done in for it," I remarked dryly, before Rouge brought her hand to her mouth and giggled.
"I believe you misunderstand me. I was not offering a spar with each of you individually." Ren's eyes widened as Nora's smile grew to proportions usually reserved for pancake-eating or leg-breaking. I internally made a piteous sound, but couldn't help the ember of challenge inside. All through our conversation though, I noticed Jaune looking on with an undecipherable expression.
… … …
"You can't beat all three of us!" Nora called out, waving Magnhild around like a banner and not a giant hammer. Ren had no words, merely deploying Stormflower and assuming a neutral position. I took the time to analyze whatever I could about the opponent, hoping to God she had some Jaune-like weaknesses to exploit.
Rouge Arc stood confident and imposing, wearing a chestplate, gauntlets and boots over a white-and-red dress. With her outfit, hair and eyes, she looked like a more aggressive Saber. 'Given her mother's name and appearance, it's not surprising.'
"Oh this? Trust me…this…is going to be fun," Rouge Arc grinned. Reaching behind her back, she pulled out her armaments, a sword and shield. Contrary to the established design of Crocea Mors, however, the sword was closer to that of a short sword, while her shield looked closer to that of a hexagonal-patterned circular shield. Strangely, I felt as though I'd seen similar weapons before.
Nicholas Arc stood off to the side, an amused smile on his face and his hand raised. Meanwhile, Jaune was seated close by with wide eyes.
"This bout will be dictated by formal sparring rules. Your Auras have been linked to the scroll system here, and upon being reduced to 20% of your Aura or under you will be removed from the spar. Seeing how two of you don't have your semblances, Rouge has agreed not to use hers either. Otherwise, there is no time limit, and there are no rules. Are all combatants ready?
Too focused on Rouge, the three of us nodded, as Rouge gave a cheeky thumbs up towards her father. "Very well then…3,2,1…Begin!
Fast.
I blinked and she was nearly on me. Reflexively joining Mirror's' Edge together, I shielded myself in time to take a stab right in the center of my blade, pushing me back a few yards. Rouge didn't stop there, pivoting on her feet to stab towards Ren, forcing him to jam Stormflower's blades in between to parry her. Meanwhile, her shield was held out as Nora swung Magnhild, slamming the shield dead-on as Rouge skidded to the side, the momentum freeing her blade from Stormflower.
'Fast, strong, and very, very skilled. Not a good combination for us.' I had the classic plan for when you outnumbered an opponent though. "Ren, rain fire down on her left side! I'm going for the right. Nora, charge straight down the middle!"
Regrouping, we split apart and dashed towards Rouge, and the plan was holding up. Stormflower's rapid shots kept Rouge's shield up and Rouge circling to avoid fire. Mirror's Edge kept Rouge's short sword in constant motion deflecting my two blades. Meaning…
"HERE'S NORA!" Magnhild swung down with the combined force of a grenade discharge, gravity and Nora's full strength. As Rouge raised her shield to block, I saw her front open and slashed with both blades. Nora and I hit at the same time, as Rouge's shield and sword were interspersed to block our weapons. The force knocked her back however, and she back-flipped and landed on her feet, still looking immaculate as we regrouped.
"You kids aren't bad at all! Certainly better than the average bandit group." Rouge seemed more pleased than anything else. "I didn't think I would be using this so soon, but needs must."
Pressing a switch somewhere on her sword, the pommel collapsed and a considerably longer shaft sprouted, turning the sword into a spear. Re-gripping the weapon, the position of her shield also shifted slightly as it expanded in size, and suddenly the resemblance in weapons became much clearer.
'Welp, that explains why Jaune was able to pick up on Pyrrha's style that quickly.' Rouge's posture had some differences compared to Pyrrha's however, being much more defensive with the spear held to the shield's side.
"I was proficient in the sword, spear and shield before attending Mistral Academy, but a regional combat style I encountered while studying there fit my own rather well, so I learned it and modified my weapons as such," Rouge explained. Grimly, I tried to account for the difference in weapons and style.
"Nora, occupy her spear. Ren, circle around to her back. I'm going for her front."
Splitting apart again, we'd barely begun as I marveled at how much she'd been holding back. Rouge Arc was far from uncomfortable with the sword and shield, but this new style she exhibited looked fluid. Using arm strength belying her already muscular physique, she whirled her spear around Magnhild in dizzying circles that had Nora struggling to parry, let alone attack. Her other arm alone was moving her massive shield around and covering her body from Stormflower's shots. And when I tried to close in and take advantage of the opening?
WHAM
I reeled back as a kick nearly took my head clean off my shoulders. I had little doubt I was bruised through my Aura. "Did Mistral teach you how to throw mean kicks like that as well?"
Rouge Arc smirked as she swung her spear, warding off Ren as he tried closing in while meeting Magnhild with a solid clang. "Actually, you may dancing for that."
'Yeah, go figure.' I rubbed my jaw as I readied Mirror's Edge again. Before I could charge in, however, Rouge did the unexpected by placing her shield in front as Nora charged with Magnhild. 'Her spear's been fine fending off Magnhild so far, so why…oh damn!'
"Nora, watch out!" I shouted, but Nora was already swinging Magnhild, meeting the upper part of Rouge's shield. From the side, I could see Rouge's shifted grip on her shield, leaving the center open. With a thrust, her spear shot through an opening in the center of the shield, slamming into Nora's stomach and halting all of Nora's momentum.
"NORA!" Ren peppered Rouge with gunfire as he closed in, but using the shots as reference, Rouge pulled her spear back through the opening and bashed Ren's forehead with the butt of the shaft, sending him into the dirt.
"Aw, crap," I muttered, knowing the game was pretty much up. Nevertheless, I charged in with both blades of Mirror's Edge, and as Rouge faced me with her shield, I threw one of the swords and leapt into the air. As the blade skittered off the shield, I sliced down towards Rouge's unprotected head, meeting shield again as she orbited the shield over her head to her other side. Gritting my teeth, I disengaged the Aura reinforcement as my other blade streaked back towards me, but Rouge swung her spear around and knocked the blade away with stunning precision. Her arm a blur, the spear continued and crashed into my side, and I dipped to nurse my ribs. The opening was all Rouge needed as her shield streaked towards my face and collided in a wall of metal as I hit the ground.
"GAAHHH!...Did anyone catch the number of the bullhead that hit me?" I joked weakly, staring up at Rouge as Nicholas called the end of the spar.
As Nora and Ren picked themselves off the ground, I could see they were slightly dejected at having lost to a single outnumbered opponent. As the unequivocal weakest member of our group, I slung my arms around their shoulders, despite the pain the movement cost me. "Now you know how I felt against that huntsman last year. And for reference, he sucked way more than Rouge did. There's always a bigger fish, we just happened to run into a pretty big one."
"Kouzai is correct in his wisdom," Rouge added, placing her weapons on her back. "Even for a huntress such as myself, my father is stronger than I, and others in Remnant are certainly stronger than him. What lies ahead is certainly important, but only if you take in perspective how far you have come as well."
Ren digested that, as Nora rotated her arm from the shoulder. "Let's just say you were a super-strong huntress. That'll make me feel reeeaaalllly good about myself."
Rouge giggled and replied, "I wouldn't want you to inflate my ego, but I suppose I can accept the compliment in good faith. Now, I'm sure it has been a long night for everyone, so we should return to our abodes, and rest for the reception tomorrow. Else I would have two murderous brides after my head, and that is a fight I am not willing to take." All present shared a laugh as we said our goodbyes to the Arcs and Terra for the night, then began our trek back to Sun's.
"Man, those guys were awesome! You think every family is like that?" Nora asked, hugging herself in excitement before flinching as her bruises throbbed.
"Perhaps not, otherwise Remnant would be a far safer and far friendlier world," Ren lamented. "I would not be opposed to maintaining a rapport with them after our departure from Argus. They were all wonderful individuals, and I am interested in conversing further with Jaune."
"OOH, Jaune-Jaune and Ren-Ren are going to be best buddies! With Koze and Sun, that makes three guy friends for Ren!" Nora gushed, and I smiled behind them.
'Well, definitely not planned, but having Jaune, Ren and Nora meeting prior to canon should only further cement JNPR's bond in Beacon. Maybe Jaune will be more willing to get help from the other three for training and prevent Cardin's transcript blackmail. Ehh, baby steps. There'll be time to plan everything later.'
… … …
"Ow…ow…oww…" Nora repeated as she walked gingerly, bruises clearly visible on her pale skin.
"I admit, I did not expect a single spar to result in such fatigue and soreness," Ren added, moving normally but at a much slower pace.
"Welcome to my life," I replied dryly, shrugging off the bruises and aches as I trudged ahead. "After daily butt-kickings from you two for nearly two years, my ability to take hard knocks and keep going is huntsmen-level by now."
Walking through one of Argus' parks nearby Sanctum's dorms, the three of us were working out the kinks from the spar and sleeping in snug apartments. Upon waking this morning and moving like a pack of rusty animatronics, we'd been pretty much laughed out of the apartment by Sun and Neptune.
'Whatever, it's a nice day out. We've got a wedding to attend today, we're dealing with Cordovin not today, and we've got a plan in place for that." I turned and swept my arms out to gesture at the trees, marble pillars and people around. "The sun's out, the air is fresh, let's just sit back, relax and-"
"I saw her somewhere around here! Let's get an autograph!"
"-get an autograph! Wait, what?" I turned back at the groups of people chattering, many of whom held markers, scrolls, t-shirts with even a shirtless man present.
'This many people…autograph…Argus…Oh, for the love of gods!' I scanned the park around us, noting every pillar, tree and shrub. Seeing something, I sighed and walked back to Ren. "Ren, can you cloak me in your semblance for thirty seconds?"
Confused, Ren nodded, then knelt on the ground and focused as a wave of calm came over me. With my easily-forgotten presence on top of that, I was essentially unnoticeable as I walked to a bench and sat down, laying my arms across the back.
"I spy with my little eye, a champion tournament fighter," I droned out, Ren's semblance not preventing my satisfaction at the small yelp from the bush behind me. "I spy with my little eye, a little celebrity that needs help. Shake the bush for no, do nothing if yes."
Silence met my words, and I sighed. Ren's semblance would wear off soon. "Well, if you'd like help leaving, just take my hand and follow me. And yes, I know how creepy that sounds, sorry not sorry." As the seconds ticked down, I waited as the bush rustled minutely, and a head of scarlet-red slowly rose out of the bush. A tentative hand reached out and took my own as Ren's semblance extended to her as well. Nodding to Ren, he saw my intent and continued the effect as a figure emerged from the bush, dressed in casual clothing and looking slightly color-muted. Her nervousness must've been substantial however, given her strained smile, one used by overworked celebrities to greet fans.
"Um, hello," the Invincible Girl greeted my admittedly disconcerting deadpan. In response, I stood and slowly walked with her back to Nora and Ren.
"Hello, Pyrrha Nikos. Let me introduce you to my friends as we make our exit away from this frenzied mob."
… … …
… … …
Jaune swallowed as he approached his parent's hotel room. He timed his visit for when he knew his mother would be rousing his sisters. Notorious oversleeping was yet another familial Arc trait, though one overcome with enough motivation.
A quiet knock was enough to reach his father's sharp ears, and the door opened as Nicholas stood in the doorway. "Jaune! I expected you to be in bed, or at least until your mother pushed you out of it. Did you need something from either of us?"
"Uhh, yeah, I had something I wanted to ask you." Jaune took a deep breath to steel himself, an action noticed by his father as his eyes sharpened. "I know I've asked before, and I know you've refused before, but I'm doing so again. I want to ask you to train me to be a huntsman."
Nicholas' sharp blue met Jaune's own, but Jaune held his ground and stared back at his father in resoluteness. Neither said a word, and Jaune dared not even breathe, but…Nicholas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Is this about Nora, Ren and Kouzai? Their spar with Rouge yesterday?"
Jaune could deny it, say it was his own motivation, but he'd never been the best liar. "Yeah, it is. Yesterday night, those three came into the rehearsal dinner and no one could tell how tough they were, but everyone still treated them like heroes. And that spar! They were tough, and Rouge looked like she was having fun."
And not only her. He could see it in the eyes of Nora, Ren and Kouzai too. Even though they lost, there was a fire that burned in their gazes and expressions, something that sang during the fight that even Jaune, untrained as he was, could see. "I want you to train me so that I can save people like they did, so I can be a part of that world like they are."
Nicholas looked down at Jaune with weathered eyes, and Jaune forgot whatever else he would've said as he saw the echoes of pain in his father's irises. Kneeling down, Nicholas looked Jaune at relatively the same level. "Son, I've told you before, their world, Rouge's world, your mother's world, my world…that world is held by the pillars of pain and suffering. It is hard and thankless most of the time, and you see things that…that take a little bit of you every time you see them. I don't want that for you, especially when you've never had the iron will to commit to this. You're already a year behind anyone going to a combat school like Signal or Sanctum as it is."
"But I'm different than I was back then! I really, truly want to train now. And those three aren't even attending a combat school at all, and look at how good they are!"
"You're different now, you say? What's to stop you from backing out once things get hard and your motivations change yet again? Those kids, despite not training under a mentor, clearly push each other, through all of the hard work, through all the pain. Without attending a combat school, you won't have any of that, and I won't be sympathetic towards your own self-imposed plight!" Pushing his anger down, Nicholas laid a hand on Jaune's trembling shoulder, feeling the tremors still. "I mean it, son. This life isn't something one should choose on a whim, nor is it the kind that you can leave behind when you desire. It stays with you, in more ways than you can count.
But…I will be fair. I can see how these kids have had influenced your desire to become a huntsman, and I don't blame you, they are inspiring. So speak with them, truly, and find out if you wish to do so. Should you truly desire this path, I will train you to the best of my ability. But be warned, I will make no concessions. You are years behind other aspiring huntsmen, and I will train you to close and surpass that gap, heedless of your ability to keep up. And I won't allow you to throw all your eggs into this basket either. You will continue attending school, and I will train you in the spare time that you have. Just remember Jaune, an Arc-"
"Never goes back on his word." Jaune stared his father down, not smiling despite his request being granted. "I know, and whatever happens, I won't let you down."
A door down the hall opened, and Artoria Arc stepped out, saw Jaune and Nicholas, and promptly hugged Jaune, pleased her son had managed to get up on his own for once. To the side, Nicholas remembered the fierce glint that Jaune's eyes gave just then, and the resoluteness of his words, as he down at his wife and son.
'I know you won't.'
A/N: Ahh, here we go. The next part of the Countdown Arc, and it promises some interesting events. Despite the potential fragility of my plot to the plot of future volumes in the show, I think I've done a decent job at constructing a timeline that makes sense. As for the Arc sisters, there was nothing I could do but give them names that I thought would fit, but I don't expect them to be huge parts of the story. Now for the Omake.
OMAKE
"Are you sure that I'm ready for this, Ms. Goodwitch?" I alternated clenching either of my two blades as I looked out into the forest, where a dark shape rested.
"During the past year, you have performed more than adequately against Beowolves, Ursai, and even the rare Nevermore. Not to mention your involvement against criminals in Vale last year while accompanying Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long." Glynda's glare made it quite clear exactly what she thought about that course of events, before her eyes softened. "However, if you believe you are unprepared, we can focus further on the basics, and return at a later time."
I took a deep breath. "No no, if you believe that I'm ready I'll take your expertise over my doubts. I trust you, Ms. Goodwitch." Seeing Glynda smile unabashedly, I smiled back before schooling my face and Aura-reinforcing my blades. Then I stepped forward.
In the forest, the shape registered my approach, then rose slowly to behold its challenger. Four eyes blinked, as two heads gazed at me from two separate angles, one black and one white.
A Taijitu. Not a King, but still a massive double-headed snake that would strangle me if I wasn't careful. I levelled both blades, one at each head. "It's too bad Grimm parts dissolve on death. Scale armor sounds awesome." I wasn't sure if the Taijitu understood that, but both heads lunged nonetheless. Focusing, I used Barrier as both heads slammed into the dome, reeling back as if dazed. I took the chance and leapt up, swinging both blades at a pair of eyes.
Need to get stronger. Much, much stronger…
A/N: And back to Glyndapoint. Or would it be Ozpoint? Who knows, either could work. Just so long as Kouzai manages to stay alive, that is.
-SE
Next Chapter Date: 10/07/19