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Arc IV - Linked Horizons

Chapter 28: Strength of Bonds

[Ozpin's Office]

Ok, didn't think I'd be back in Ozpin's office. Not since Merlot, and ultimately, my 'interesting' conversation with Mars the night of the dance. But here I was, as I listened to the gears turning above me in the massive clockwork, but my purple gaze was upon both Ozpin and Ironwood, the ladder clearly not liking my presence.

Me and him were at slight odds since I did carry around a weapon created by an unknown enemy, and blah-blah-blah, it was pointless to bring up, in short, we can work together, but not always see eye-to-eye.

"Hello~" I greeted them before blinked at the silence. "So...you needed me for something?"

"Yes." Ozpin began, leaning on his arms as he looked at me. "As you know, the tournament is a large event that is held to test both the cooperation, and skill of Huntsmen, and Huntresses from around the world. But above all else, it is a sign to show that we are past our differences from long ago."

"However, a team of five is a rare trait, and not one regulated by the rules. So as such, we have had to come to the conclusion of keeping you from participating." Oh? Was that it? I tilted my head at that before I nodded

"Yeah. Figured that be the case, I did mention it to the others, and they said they'd be alright to fight without me. I have no doubt about that." Much as I 'really' wanted to hit people. But then Ozpin nodded to Ironwood, the man himself unfolding his arms, giving me a stern look

"Yes, that would be the problem. However, I have purposed an idea to help not only test your skills but to...assess a project of mine." Hmm, this seems odd. "Should you agree, you may compete for a special round, just you, against my project."

"And what might be the catch?" I asked bluntly. Then I saw it, the glint in his eyes

"If you win, I will no longer try to gain access to your 'weapon', despite the danger it places on every student here." Ouch. Rude much? "But if you lose..."

"I hand it over to you." I finished. My frown slowly turning into a cocky smirk. Then a grin. "Yeah. Ok 'General', i'll play your game."

Then I let all three of us speak up, as I gave him an evil glare.

"I wonder, which of us will be on the ground first?"

"I wonder, which of us will be on the ground first?"

"I wonder, which of us will be on the ground first?"

"Getting cocky would not help you against these combatants of mine." He warned, and I simply turned around, walking back towards the elevator as I waved Cognitum in the air

"You want Cognitum? You want to stop the greatest that is me, Iota, and Eric? Well..." I said in a smug tone. "Then come and get me."

[Sometime Later...]

"Hey, Kai? There are two people walking over to us." At my sister's voice, I opened an eye, only to see the shades looking down on me with a smile, although the brow was raised curiously

"Sup, Coco?" I greeted, before I propped myself upright, turning on the warm grass to face her, and Velvet, giving the Faunus girl a small courteous bow. "Hello, Velvet."

"Nice to see you again, Sky." Velvet waved kindly, while Coco huffed, quickly throwing a right-hook directly at me, only for my arms to reach out, grabbing her fist, and her arm, twisting to throw her to the grass beside me. Velvet of course gasped and yelled at her leader. "Coco!"

"Not the same Sky, Coco. I win." I grinned with an evil laugh, as Coco flipped herself to sit beside me and Erika, to which both Velvet and Erika sighed in disbelief at our usual greeting

"Idiots..." They sighed together, while me and Coco just shared a look

"Hey! I'll have you know, I helped train this idiot!" Coco pointed out to Erika, yet I grimaced at her so-called 'Training'

"Yeah...if you call hitting me constantly, training..." I muttered dryly, yet the cool girl merely wrapped an arm around me. "So, what might an evil leader, and her kind bunny, want from a fragmented individual, such as myself?" I asked with a very posh accent

"Well, I was going to say that your team's been looking for you since they never saw you at the stadium. That, and Ruby was curious," Coco replied, as I shook my head, then Coco smirked. "So...any plans you got set for yourself and Rubes during the Festival?"

"Yes, and No." I smiled, nervously poking my index fingers together. "I've been thinking of some ideas, but nothing sort-of pokes out at me...I really don't know how this whole dating works - I've never had a partner - Kind of freaking-"

Coco quickly slapped me across the face, stunning my sister and Velvet, all while I took a moment to register the contact. "You done?" Her eyes looked over the rim of her shades curiously

"Thank you; But while I have been thinking, I'm still processing everything else, from my awesome sister being here and my moral on the rise." I returned to a more stable conversation, giving my sister a hug with my left arm. "Ain't nothing gunna bring me down!"

"Yeah!" Erika nodded, as we fist-bumped like idiots. Causing the two girls to giggle

"Ok, so besides from you both being MIA, how's about we grab something to eat? Since that was my plan from the end of our round." Coco suggested, so being the hungry people we were, we decided to join them on this quest for festival food. I mean, they're paying. So free food!

[Sometime Ago...]

This view never gets old. I was staring off towards the shattered moon above from the balcony I rested my arms on, I stared up at the clear, black sky, the stars igniting the night like a dazzling performance. I loved stargazing, one of the many things I had remembered since my personality returned to normal-ish.

"Why is it that I always meet you either here, or in the hallway leading here?" Ah, so fate has brought us together once more. I glanced to see Weiss beside me, looking off towards the stars also. "Not that I mind, today has been rather eventful."

"True. I finally admitted I like-like Ruby, even kissed her. Got my head screwed on right again, and my sister is here. Can't see any faults today." I listed off, a small hue of embarrassment crossing my face at the memory of the warmth I felt from that kiss...hehehe... "I kissed Ruby~"

"Hehehe, someone's very happy?" Weiss teased me with a soft smile, as I nodded with glee.

"Well if not for you, I'd have taken longer to admit it myself. Ruby is...truly an amazing person." Clearing my throat, I crossed my arms. "Now, the real question is, what's on your mind? You seem tense?"

"Only a few hours, and you've already figured that out, huh?" Weiss smiled sadly before her frown returned

"I've dealt with liars, cheats, and psychos most of my life, believe me, you can acquire a sixth-sense to this stuff." I proudly stated with a half-beaten attitude. "Still, come on sis, what's eating away at you?"

"Kai...you might find this stupid...but I can't help but think about what will happen now." At that, I glanced in her direction. "With everything about your personality changing, your 'real' sister-" Oh, I see...

I didn't let her finish, it was rude, but I needed her to hear this. I turned her to look at me, her crystal-blue gaze on my new purple one. Then with a stern look, I spoke.

"Weiss. Just because my fragmented mind is back together again, doesn't mean the Sky you know is gone, he's here, and he's just another shard of me. Erika is my sister, but that doesn't mean I still don't love you the same way." I stated. Before blinking a little with slight hesitation

"Weiss, when I was scared, and I felt too weak to protect all of you, you decided to help me, just as I helped you, and when you thought of me like your own brother, it made me so happy again, I felt like the void that I felt from Erika being gone was filled again, with just the same amount of affection." I then hugged her, holding her close to me again. "I still think of you as my older sister, Weiss. And with Erika here, it only makes me more happy to have two now that I love."

Calmly, Weiss returned the embrace, as I rested my head on her shoulder, she breathed in a sigh of relief, before whispering something softly to me. It was strange, the rare moments Weiss' shell would break a little more to reveal a kind-hearted and strong woman underneath, a real heir to her family's name.

"Thank you. Kai."

[Sky's POV]

"-Hello~ You there?" At the voice, I nearly jumped from my seat, as I turned to look at Coco who was knocking me on the head like a door. So I shook the thoughts from my head, focusing back on her

"Y-yes. Sorry, zoned out." I apologized before she nodded, then she pointed to the monitor above us, as Erika gulped down the massive bowl of ramen like it was nothing, letting out a steamy sigh into the air in satisfaction. But I just looked at the screen before us

Sun's team had beaten Team NDGO with Neptune tip-toeing towards the pool of water to shock the team with an electrical current. Now, the two were dancing like idiots, but proud idiots nonetheless.

~You know what I would call that victory?~ Professor Port asked Oobleck

~Shocking?~ His pun made myself, Coco, Velvet and Erika face-palm at the joke, making Yang sound bearable

~No. Well-earned, what you said was stupid~ He answered, as the screen cut to advertisements for the moment, but I knew what was next. However, I needed to say it

"I don't know what's worse. His puns, or teaching Erika how to fight." I muttered, earning a chopstick to the head, and a dark glare from my sister, but it was mingled with a pout

"Not my fault I just got dragged here..." She grumbled with her arms crossed, yet I rolled my eyes and noticed something appear on Cognitum, more specifically, where my Scroll was linked too

'Make your way to the arena, good luck' - Ozpin

"Huh? What's that about?" Velvet asked me with a tilt of her head, but I just patted her on the head, seeing her recoil with a sheepish look

"Just keep watching, you'll figure it out." She hated me doing that, but it was fun. So I quickly turned around, before I made my way to the airports. But not before Erika yelled to me

"Break a leg, bro!" Will do. You guys ready?

"Ready!"

"Ready!"

Then lets get this party started.

[A Few Days Ago...]

It was another peaceful day, and I decided to take some time off for myself, since everything for the last few days has been crazy, even leading up to the tournament has been mental, it's like Black Friday 24/7. So I sat under a tree, as the shade provided me with a balance of warmth, and coolness. I was in heaven.

"Enjoy yourself, are we?" Wait. That voice! So...Specter, how are you? "Still not a fan of my alias I see?"

"What gave it away? My dry thoughts or my dry tone?" I answered calmly, my eyes closed under the rays of the sun, yet before she answered back, I added with a soft frown, but I was happy internally. "Thank you by the way, for talking me out of my despair back on Merlot's Island."

"You're welcome. I did say that your friends needed you, and I wasn't exaggerating." She answered, then she added. "Especially with how you and Ruby turned out."

"Hehe, yeah, well I can't complain. But she let me have some downtime, so i'll take it in full." I replied as I opened my eyes again to make sure no one was around. "Besides, I want to know something."

"Hmm?" She mused, and I kept my casual look on

"Who are you? Or better yet, what are you?" I asked cause it seems that Eric and iota don't seem to speak when she came around the last time, Eric isn't one to keep quiet in these situations, like at all. "You've aided me before, but I want to know who you are, why you know so much?"

"I can't tell you 'who' I am, not yet, but maybe one day I might." Ok? So she went quite sad there, why? "As for 'what' I am...I'm...well, I don't know what I am..."

That made me pause in my analyzing, as I felt my chest tighten at the words. Then I frowned, looking up towards the blue sky through the tree.

"You're dead." I gulped, then I breathed as I thought of my next question, yet she added in with a tone of relief

"No...I am alive...but it's that I don't understand, how?" Now I was really confused. Specter sighed, almost like she was caught in the middle of a headache. "I died, I know that much, but here I am, sitting in my Sanctuary in the mountains surrounding me, just a girl with no clues to herself."

"That's...unbelievable," I breathed. She had died, or atleast it's what she can remember or imagine, yet how she spoke, the layers of lost confusion was too real to be a lie or misleading answer, but if she did pass away, how was she alive at all? "A thirst for water yet not a drop in sight."

"Wise words, too true for a Specter to this world." Ignoring Specter's little pun of her own alias, I sighed again, pressing my head against the tree and wiggling a little to get comfortable

"Then I guess we have ourselves a bound cause, don't we?" My reply made her release a breath of confusion

"Wh-What?"

"You and I have only one way of answering our questions. Mars, he knows so much of this world, Cognitum, and he may know about you since you too have been tracking him using me," I answered fully, our common interests made more clarity, why she trusted me with her knowledge, she and I were after the same Grimm. "So, are we still allies? Or am I wrong?"

"N-No...I see you are far smarter than you make yourself out to be, even collecting what little knowledge I've given you and using it to form the complete mystery of why I'm helping you." She replied cooly, yet I laughed once

"I thought we were friends, comrades-in-arms, two lone Huntsmen working towards the same goal." I joked with her, yet no reply came, atleast not in the way of her calm and sometimes serious outward tone, instead, it was something more akin to...innocent

"I-I really am a fool...of course, you saw me as your friend, and I...I wasn't." Specter sounded almost sick of her own words, so I smiled and tapped Cognitum's casing

"Well then, a pleasure to meet you, Specter, my name is Sky Zaffre of Team RWBYS, nice to be your friend." I grinned sheepishly, yet it felt...right in saying that to her, even as I heard a faint sniff from the other end of the call

"The pleasure is mine, Sky, my name is, Specter, the Soul of Wind." Soul of Wind? Nice title, maybe I should get one. "I am glad to be your friend too."

[Present Day]

At last, my time has finally arrived. I get to fight among an amazing audience, and I get to shove Ironwood's metal where his mouth is. It's a win-win, well, if I win, I have no idea what to expect from this. But then I heard the crowd go a little quieter as I stood at the edge of the entrance of the ring, the light of day stretching into the passage from the invisible barrier over the Arena.

~Now, this may seem a little strange. But after some careful deliberation, we have organized a small match between one of Beacon's students, and General Ironwood's new, top-of-the-line combat proxies!~ Port explained, as the crowd quickly picked up, so I took that as my cue to enter the arena

As I entered, the sheer size of the gigantic stage before me was overshadowed by the mass of colors dancing around the arena like a rainbow, the roars of the crowds were near ear-bursting. But I just smiled, keeping my gaze to the two entities ahead of me.

When I walked up to the platform, I turned to where Cognitum told me the scrolls of my team were, so I turned, only to see their gaping expressions, so I waved to them, winking a Ruby as I did. Then I once I was in the center of the ring, I looked at my opponents with a clear sense of something unnerving once I met their cold gazes.

"This certainly is different..." Iota mused. Yeah, definitely, but... "What? Cold feet?" No, just...do they seem...odd to you? "Hmm..."

I stared at the two knights before me, one clad in black armor, the other in white, with the left (White) glowing with blue dust, as it held a broadsword in its grasp. The one on the right (Black) was glowing a sickening red, as it held a shield on its opposite arm, but has a weird pulse in the center of it.

Ok. Eric, start it up!

"Oh, this is gunna be fun~!" He laughed maniacally, yet before I could begin to sense the formation of my armor, something static fed into my comms, causing my smug facade to fall to irritation

~O-o-o-oh, I-I'm sorry-y-y, did t-t-that hurt?~ No... ~Connections can be...irritating to bypass at times when multiple lines of networking are in the way~

I knew it! Stepping back slightly, I saw the two robotic entities of the General's military fall to the ground, a sharp, jagged hand releasing the black knight, the scalp falling off completely by my feet. With a clad step of steel, the new challenger came to tower over me completely, even as my gaze hesitated at the sight, the crowd now a dull murmur of questions.

The blackish-purple armor; Behind him, a slim, sharp tail recoiled to the back of the armored man, as he crossed his arms with a dark chuckle. The armour-clad knight stood tall again. It was human in posture, with black, twisted European armor, with the visor on the helmet being a menacing crimson. Whilst small ribbons flowed from the back of its helmet, ending in jagged spikes, as it clasped it's hands together, sharp like talons.

~Allow me to introduce myself to not just you...but everyone here~ Mars motioned to the crowd, then back to me, not a soul dared to speak, not even me. ~My name is Mars, Horseman of War, and I'd like to say...hello~

"Why are you here?" I near growled at the Grimm I'd been after like smoke, yet now, now he stood here, no longer hiding behind pawns and puppets, he was really before me, and yet...it was terrifying, the mere size and energy given off was the mere thought of nightmares and fantasy, he was the living embodiment of War

~I am here to kill you~ Simple, yet deeply unnerving, he meant it, no longer skating his words with half-truths, no more secrets here, just the cold fact that he was after my head. ~Now, I do believe we are in the middle of a ring, so shall we begin?~

That was his game. I bit the inside of my cheek, my eyes drifting over to where my friends were, and even though I couldn't see it, I doubt they looked happy. Yet mumbles and questions danced in the crowd, even the Professors were dumbfounded at what to do. It was clear, Mars knew panic would be disastrous, but if I played along, I could take down the very being responsible for all the events caused to me.

Was it worth that cost? To fight him? He didn't move, only waited like always.

"Professors, start the match." I held the button on Cognitum

~Are you sure? We can-~ Oobleck attempted to reason with me, but it was out of the question now

"I'm sure, I can take him down, we can't cause a panic." My reply left them in silence, then, the speakers of the arena blared once more

~Ladies and Gentlemen! The sudden event has now begun with a surprising turn of a switch! Now, Sky Zaffre of Team RWBYS will face off with the mysterious opponent before him, Mars, Horseman of War!~ With blissful ignorance, the crowd was back in an uproar of cheers, and all the Professors said became null and void between us

~Very risky move, but you are wise to take the route of a selfless hero, but we all know how selflessness ends~ Mars replied calmly, lowering his arms against his thighs, while Yin/Yang closed around my body, my blades sharpened to a gleam. ~That will be the last transformation you will ever have the pleasure in using, boy~

At his final words, I watched the screens around us begin to flick and change. Then, they finally landed on two different settings. 'Digital', and 'Ruin'. Then, from around us, their side of the arena turned into a strange world of black, and blue cubes, as they turned, drifted, and levitated in the air. The one behind me turned into a massive tower, scaffolding, and ruined landscape greeted me. Mountain Glenn inspired.

~Now then. Let the match. BEGIN!~ Port exclaimed, and at the call of the horn. Mars raised his arms into a small stance, his waves of energy sending invisible waves of uneasiness through my bones, it was hauntingly real, no proxy this time, but no other Horsemen to back him up either, just me, Eric and Iota against Mars

"...Ante Up." I grinned under my helmet, my blades raised and ready

To Be Continued...

And like that, a cliff-hanger, ha! Lots of stuff happened in this one, and I think it helps to fill in the week leading up to the Tournament. And as always, I hoped you enjoyed, and I'll see you all in the next chapter Hunters!

Next Chapter: Roar of Awakening

Their fates finally come to a crossroads, yet who will prevail? The weight of identity or The Desire for Change?