A/N: Well... That last chapter was a thing. Now we just have to wait for Ruby to finish building those swords.
Ruby: Can't you just show me now?
Soap: Nope. Summer gave me clear instruction to wait until you finished to show you.
Chapter 12: odds, and it
Five minutes later...
Sarah walked into the kitchen (fearing that she would take too long, Soap went back to grab Ruby) to find the WBY of team RWBY eating breakfast. No doubt Bucky was up, Sarah didn't think that any of the girls knew how to cook.
"Morning girls." she said.
An unceremonious 'morning' could be heard moments later in response. She looked around the kitchen, taking note that Sam and Drake were nowhere to be seen; probably still...asleep. She smiled deviously, she had an idea.
"Hey Yang? Do you you like to pull pranks on people?" she asked.
"Oh God." Weiss said disgusted, before she was able to respond.
"Absolutely. Why do you ask?" she responded, suddenly fully awake.
"Sweet. I have a plan if you're willing to participate."
Soap and Ruby walked in just then, "Jeez Sarah, it's been three days and you're just now trying to get them to participate in your pranks?" Soap asked.
"..." was the response he got. Sarah was afraid of being criticized for trying so soon. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Weiss smiling happily.
"About damn time. I was wondering when you were going to recruit them. What do you have in mind?" he asked. Weiss screamed out in confusion.
Sarah did a silent cheer, throwing her hands up in the air. "Sam and Drake are still asleep, right?"
"Yeah." Soap replied. Just then Bucky walked in with a carton of eggs in hand.
"Hey, Bucky?" Sarah asked, as he put the eggs down on the counter.
"Sup." He said, turning around.
"Do we have any extra cans of whipped cream?"
"Yeah, one I think. You need it for something?"
"Yep. You mind grabbing it for me?" Sarah asked.
"Sure. I'll be right back." Bucky said, leaving the room.
"Why do you nee-" Soap started to ask, but realized the answer. "You're getting Yang to prank Sam and Drake. Aren't you?"
"Yeeeaaahhhh." Sarah replied.
Soap sighed. "Ruby. You are not allowed anywhere near their room when this happens."
Ruby looked confused, "Why?"
"How do explain this without being specific and make an older sister mad? Uhhh...You'll find out when you get a boyfriend." Soap said. His words only proved to excite Yang even more than she already was.
"I'm not participating." Weiss replied, with a look of disgust on her face.
"I'm so very confused." Ruby said.
"And please continue to be until you find yourself in a relationship." Weiss said.
"Blake, you in?" Sarah asked.
"Participate? No. Watch? Now that's a different story." She responded with an interested look on her face.
"Soap?"
"I'll watch. I refuse to take the blame for this one." he said as Bucky re-entered the room, and handed her a can.
"Alright Sarah, here's your whipped cream. Enjoy."
Blake, Sarah, Soap, and Yang were now standing outside the couple's door.
Yang tried the door.
"Locked. How do we get in?" She asked.
Sarah looked at Soap with a devious grin on her face. Soap just crossed his arms and frowned. "Why me?" he asked.
"Because your semblance is less noticeable." Sarah said.
"Ughh fine. Yang, hold still and close your eyes." She did so and disappeared. Seconds later Soap reappeared next to Blake.
"How will they getting out?" She asked.
"The door locks from the inside. They'll be able to get out, IF Drake doesn't kill them first."
"IF?"
"The number of times that he has nearly killed me because of Sarah's pranks, is currently way too damn high. But to be honest, they should have seen this one coming."
Blake raised an eyebrow, "How so?"
"New people, one of whom might be stupid enough to help her with her pranks." Soap replied.
Blake let out a soft chuckle, "Fair enough."
A few minutes had passed before Blake spoke again, "How much longer do you think they'll be?"
Before she even finished asking her question, Soap was already counting, "5. 4. 3. 2. Blake grab my shoulder and close your eyes." Blake obeyed. "1. Zero." As soon as he hit zero, he teleported himself and Blake a few feet further down the hallway when the door exploded open with a laughing Sarah and Yang running from an unclothed and angry Drake.
"SARAH!"
"Well, their up now. Head back to the kitchen, I'll clean this up." Soap said turning around. Blake nodded and headed towards the kitchen.
A few minutes later...
Soap walked in this kitchen with Sam and a now fully clothed Drake.
Soap looked to make sure everyone was there; which everybody was. "Good morning everybody. Starting today, when you are staying here at the church, you are to be here in the kitchen no later than 8:00 each morning. I will then give each of you your individual assignments. Now, before you ask why I am giving you different assignment, let me explain. Each of you specialize in different areas of combat. For instance: Ruby's weapon is a huge ass scythe with a built-in high caliber sniper rifle. The scythe portion of her weapon is close to mid range melee weapon while the sniper rifle portion is a...well, it's a sniper rifle, do I really need to explain it?" He paused for a breath. "It is for this reason that each of you will be getting different assignments regarding combat skills. However, when it comes to your aura and semblances, you will all be taught together but separate."
"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked, looking confused.
"Together being in the same room. Separate being that the four of us - Sarah, Sam, Drake, and myself - will each be taking one of you and teaching you personally. Aura and semblance training is today's lesson. Weiss you are with Drake. Ruby with Sam. Yang with Sarah, and Blake with me. Everybody will be rotating after a little bit because each of us specialize in doing different things with our semblances. Any questions?" Soap asked. There were none. "Alright then, let's begin. Everybody meet in the GYM in five minutes." Soap put his hand on Drake's shoulder and Sarah put her's on Sam's shoulder. They both teleported to the GYM and waited for the girls to arrive.
With the girls currently in position, Soap began their lesson.
"Aura. The physical manifestation of the soul, it shields us from our burdens and protects us from harm. All of this you know, and have known for many years. Semblances, a characteristic of our aura. No two are exactly the same. All of you had to unlock your aura yourselves. Am I right?"
There were nods all around.
"Good. You only know of one way to unlock aura, with lots of Dust and spells. Sam's aura was unlocked the same way as your own, while both myself and Drake's aura were unlocked a different way. Our aura was unlocked through the help of another's aura, our help being Sarah and Sam respectively. Sarah's aura was never unlocked, it just was; because of this when she unlocked mine, something strange happened. It will be easier to demonstrate than just explaining."
He held up his right hand, "My semblance," he activated his semblance, engulfing his right hand in flames, "is smoke and fire." He held up his other hand, "While I don't have two semblances like Drake, I can 'barrow' Sarah's semblance." He looked at Sarah, "However, because this is very draining for her, I will only do so at her consent. May I?"
She smiled, "Go for it."
His left hand was soon engulfed with electricity. All of Team RWBY was amazed, he was using two semblances at the same time. "If you want an in depth explanation as to how I am able to do this, please ask me later. That should be a sufficient intro for today's lesson. Everybody go to their assigned instructors. It's time to begin."
The girls separated and went to their assigned instructors.
"Hello Blake. Ready to begin?"
"Yes."
"Let's begin then. Semblances, are a characteristic of one's soul and personality. Your semblance is shadow. Is it not?"
Blake was somewhat confused at this, "My semblance is my ability to create shadow clones, not just shadow."
"That's where you are wrong. Watch." He held up his hand. "Semblances are what we want them to be. For instance, my semblance should not allow me to be able to teleport or fly. At the very most, I should be able to light my weapons on fire, light myself on fire, and throw fire balls. Anything else should not be possible, and yet I can bend my semblance to my will." He opened his palm and activated his semblance. He focused it into his hand in the shape of a ball. His hand fell away to leave the ball of smoke and fire floating in the air. "Grab it."
"Won't it burn me?"
"No. If anything, you might get frostbite. I did say that I could bend my semblance to my will."
Blake grabbed the ball of fire and held it in her hand. It was as Soap said, very cold, "This is amazing."
The ball dissipated, leaving a trail of smoke behind. "If I concentrated hard enough, I could replicate Weiss's glyphs but that's for another day. For now, I want you to try to replicate what I just did."
"How?"
Soap smiled. "Hold out your palm."
"OK." Blake said hesitantly.
"Good. Now, imagine that your semblance was like mine. I want you to focus your semblance into your hand." Soap said.
Blake did as she was told and watched as a ball of darkness formed in her hand. "Wow."
"Now, I want you to close your eyes and visualize the cross that you have seen all over the church, and I want you to make that ball of shadows in your hand into that cross."
After a few minutes, Blake had a fully formed elegant cross in her hands.
"Now, shrink it down, to the size of something that would go on a necklace." The cross shrank. "Good. You are almost done. I want you to put your sigil into the center of the cross on both sides and imagine what you just created as a necklace, chain and all." Blake did as she was told. "Open your eyes."
When she did, she gasped at what she saw, a cross necklace in her hands that bore her symbol.
"One last thing." Soap held up his hand and loosely grabbed the shadow chain. "When you combine two or more semblances; anything that you can create, can become reality." He activated his semblance turning the shadow necklace into a physical necklace.
Blake yelped in surprise as a figment of her imagination became reality in her hands. She stood there looking at what she just created when she realized something. "Your necklace is a cross." She said.
"Yes." Soap confirmed, nodding his head.
"Sam's necklace is a cross, as is Bucky's."
"That's correct."
"And Drake's bracelet is a cross." She paused, "To you, a cross is more than just a symbol representing a second chance."
"Did you just realize this?"
"Yes." She said.
"Do you know why that is?" Blake shook her head no. "A cross is the key to unlocking the past as well as the future." He took a breath, "Not to mention that it's literally the key to the front door."
Blake stared at him in shock.
"What?" Soap asked.
"So...I can't unlock the front door with my scroll."
"Nope."
"WHY?"
"Easy. Scrolls can be hacked. A mechanical, I will not open unless you physically match, lock and key system cannot."
"Why would you even consider doing that?"
"I was, and still am, a bounty hunter. I have hacked my way into people's houses before."
Blake let out a sigh. "Fair enough."
"Time to switch."
After another couple of hours, every member of team RWBY had keys to the church and completed the day's lesson.
Soap, being Soap, headed to the sanctuary to unwind after training with a few songs, however he found that he wasn't alone. His 'shadow' had followed him.
"You know' for a shadow, you really aren't all that stealthy." Soap said to seemingly no one.
Blake appeared in front of him. "That's really creepy how you're able to do that, you know?"
"I have two things to say to that. One, bounty hunter. I get paid to track people down and bring them to the authorities. Two, you are saying that me being able to hear you is creepy, is coming from someone who was trying to stalk me."
"Alright, fair enough."
"I know that you don't follow people for fun; what's on your mind?" Soap asked.
"I started reading that book you gave me. And I have a few questions."
"Before you ask, I have a few of my own for you. Did you make it past the Old Testament?" (Yes I am referencing the bible, and I trying to make all of this as least offensive as I can. However, I can only do so much without botching the story.)
"Yes, I am now into the book of John. But my questions are not about what I am reading; they are about the music that came from it."
"Ask away."
"All of the songs that were written, were written with the knowledge that their authors would be persecuted for what they believed in, possibly even killed. Why?"
He thought for a moment before responding, "Have you ever believed in something so strongly that it started a fire within your soul?"
Blake thought for a second. "No. I can't say that I have."
"I didn't think so." He paused, "Do you know the story behind this necklace of mine?"He asked, holding up his necklace for her to see. Blake shook her head. "It belonged to one my ancestors'. I don't know exactly where he was in my family tree other than he lived sometime during the Grimm War. I know that he was considered a hero among his people; he sacrificed himself to save them. He was a lot like me, a lot the same interests, thought processes and such. And yet he managed to incredible things."
"What was his name?"
Soap turned away, "I don't know."
"How do you know this if there are no documents that tell us what happened during the Grimm War?"
Soap smiled, "I know because I have seen parts of his memory." Blake looked extraordinarily confused when he said this. Soap held up his necklace, "This necklace is different than yours; much, much different. While yours was built with no other purpose than to be a key, his was made with the intent of being a vessel."
"I don't understand."
"Basically, this necklace contains some of his memories, his aura, and his semblance. Before you ask, I don't know how." She nodded in understanding. "Remember the question I asked you about your soul being lit on fire; well...this is why." He held out his hand. Blake grabbed it. "Everything that I am about to show to you has only been seen by one other pair of eyes on the planet, those eyes belonging to Sarah. What you are about to see is the moment that his soul was set ablaze and the person he became 10 years later. Ready?" She nodded.
Soap's necklace started to glow with an unearthly light. Soon the entire room was filled with that same light, every second looking more like a sort of glowing smoke. Eventually, the smoke turned into distinguishable shapes; shapes of people, humans and fanus alike. As the glow intensified, the people began to move. In fact, the entire room was moving. No, more than moving, it was alive. The air was filled with music that Blake had never heard before. She listened carefully to the words that were being said. 'Some might call me crazy but I'm no fool, I will dare to believe.'
Inside of her, Blake felt warmth and comfort overtake her as the music continued on. She turned to Soap, except Soap wasn't standing where he was standing before; instead the image of, who she assumed to be, Soap's ancestor and looked in his eyes. She saw what Soap had described minutes before. His soul on fire, passion burning within him.
Then the scenery changed, Blake was no longer standing among the crowd that was surrounding the stage, she was on it. She took a few steps back and took in her surroundings. The man was not in the crowd, he was where she was standing moments before with a guitar in hand, singing his heart out. She walked around him and looked into his eyes. When she did, she saw the same fire burning within him that she had seen moments before. The only difference being that the fire was evidently much stronger. She turned and looked out to the crowd, and man what a crowd, and looked into their eyes. In a lot of them, she saw the same look that the man had. In others she saw the fire just beginning to burn in humans and fanus alike.
In the instance that she was re-living, with the music blaring 'this is our time, this is our place, this is our moment', humans and fanus were together as one, the very thing that she wanted more than anything. She turned to look at Soap, she didn't expect what she saw.
Soap's eyes were filled with both joy and sadness. They were filled with a sense of longing to be in that moment in time, to be a part of the memory that he was watching. It almost looked like he missed what he was seeing. He wiped a tear away from his eyes; when he saw Blake looking at him, he turned away so that she couldn't see his eyes.
The glow that was coming from Soap's necklace started to fade, and the scene faded to old sanctuary that they started in. Blake took another look around the room and two things caught her eyes, Soap's guitar and the cross above the stage.
"That guitar, it was his, isn't it?" She asked. Soap nodded in response. "This is the very room where that all happened, isn't it?"
"Yes, I did say that that cross above me was one of the reasons that I bought this place; you now know another." He checked the time, "I think we've talked enough for tonight, it's 10:30. Just a heads up for you and your team; you will be spending the next few weeks at Beacon." Soap said turning to leave.
"Wait!"
Soap stopped.
"When will we see you again?" She asked.
"Dr. Oobleck's class tomorrow. I will be speaking to him before class; after which my team and I will be giving a lecture for during his class. Afterwards, we have a couple of loose ends that need to be tied up elsewhere in the world. However, If I think that you and the rest of your team's skills might prove useful; I will let you all know and send the Bullhead to go pick you up." He turned back around to leave, "Goodnight Blake."
A/N: No R.P. Section today. Regular SoapiestAuto780 here today.
Wow. It feels so weird typing out my entire name instead of the shortened version, well...after only using the shortened version for so long anyways.
Please don't chew me up for the biblical references, I have my reasons and if you really want to know them; send me a P.M, do not post a review, and I will explain to the best of my abilities.
If you can get past the references, I hope that you will stick with me through my story. I have to admit that while most of what I type is in the spur of the moment stuff; I do plan to keep this story going for at least 117 chapters, if not more. And while I don't have a lot planned, I do have a couple major plot points and the general ending of this story.
Anyways enough of my rambling, ONWARDS TO THE NEXT CHAPTER!