(A/N): Hey everyone, welcome back to Destiny's Divide! A couple of housekeeping things before we start:
First off, we have a story cover now! Isn't it the coolest thing ever aaaaaaaaugh?! If you haven't seen the incredible artwork by my friend Icario that I commissioned (in its full glory), please do so! It's pinned on my Twitter profile, or (if you haven't already seen it) you can find it on Reddit! FFNet is rather draconian about URLs, so I can't link it directly, but it shouldn't be too hard to find! (And to those of you who found the fic through the fanart: hi there! Thanks for stopping by and leaving the kind words, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!)
Second off, holy crap things have been happening in both fandoms! RWBY is getting a full-fledged anime from industry veterans, Bionicle is getting an adorable little tribute in a LEGO Classics set...seems I picked the worst time to take a break from the story, haha! But don't worry - I once again have a backlog of chapters at this point, so for now we're back to regular Friday updates until that runs out. Again, apologies for taking so long to return - work really ramped up in these last few weeks, the stress of all the bad stuff in the world finally wore me down, and to top it all off I came down with a nasty cough that turned out to be bronchitis. I'm feeling much better now, though, so let's start with something I'm sure you've all been waiting for: the reunion between the girls, and the first meeting of the Toa!
Enjoy!
Blake hadn't realized how much she missed the sky.
A rich red and gold band stretched across the horizon, bathing the trees and forest in a pale warm light. Despite being half-hidden by the edge of the world, the setting sun nearly blinded her after spending so many days underground. She wasn't alone in that regard, at least - Onua's glowing green eyes squinted as he kept walking through the woodlands, though he said nothing or complained in any way.
"You don't have to carry me the whole way to Kini-Nui," remarked Blake as she looked at the biomechanical arms that still cradled her. "My Aura's back and the sting's healed, so I'm fine to walk on my own."
The Toa of Earth gave a low chuckle. "Perhaps, but it will be faster this way. I take larger steps than you, after all."
She scoffed. "Don't remind me," she said with a mock pout. Her cat-like ears flattened against her head, and she resolved herself to be carried through the thick forest. Small woodland creatures - or whatever passed for such on Mata Nui - scurried up into the trees as they passed by, curling up in their nests or disappearing behind blankets of leaves. Night would fall soon, but she wasn't worried - both Blake and Onua possessed excellent night vision, and the stars and moon would give them all the light they'd need.
Eventually, the trees gave way to a clearing of fresh green grass, which surrounded the temple.
And what a temple it was!
During Whenua's explanation of the island and all its features, Blake had pictured Kini-Nui as nothing more than a small ruined structure that had been lost to time and reclaimed by the elements, much like the ruins that dotted the landscape of her own home world. What she didn't expect was a perfectly pristine chiseled dome, one that was nearly forty feet tall and over a hundred feet in diameter. There were four massive ramps carved of the same material that led to the dome's peak with gentle slopes, stretching outwards in every cardinal direction to make the temple seem bigger than it actually was. Enormous angular spires of stone out from the space between each pair of ramps, towering over the surrounding treeline like a four-fingered claw reaching to the heavens. The entire structure was the clean, smooth tan of polished sandstone, and even in the fading light it was evident that it was well-cared for…or it retained its luster even without Matoran hands, as if not even the choking growth and weeds of the forest dared to intrude.
And that was just the temple itself. The scenery around Kini-Nui was just as breathtaking and gorgeous, from the lush and verdant eastern forest to the enormous river that flowed in from the west. The northern horizon was broken up by a jagged range of snow-capped mountains, while the south gave way to a huge volcano that seemed to breathe heat and smoke. The significance of all these features being present here was not lost on Blake - this was a sacred site where the elements themselves gathered and communed, waiting for the day when their respective Toa would do the same.
And hopefully today's that day, she mused to herself.
It was a long moment before Onua finally found his voice. "Magnificent…" he intoned softly. "An absolute marvel of both art and craftsmanship, undisturbed even this far from any of the villages. I shudder to imagine how long it took to carve such a site…"
"Yeah…" Blake agreed with a nod. "We've got ancient temples and historical sites all over Remnant. Stuff that was built by past civilizations that were lost to time…but we've never managed to find anything as grand as this. It's… beautiful."
The two of them spent another moment gazing and marveling at Kini-Nui, before the Huntress in the Toa's arms spoke again. She almost hated to break the spell with her question, but it was one that had to be asked eventually.
"How does it work?"
Onua blinked and hummed. "Whenua said that the arrival of one Toa will send a signal for the others…perhaps if I make contact with the stone itself? Forgive me, Blake, but I may have to set you down…"
Blake chuckled. "By all means, feel free. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to check it out myself."
The Toa let out another rumbling laugh of his own, gently lowering his passenger to the ground and allowing her to hop off his claws. She looked back with a nod and immediately started approaching the temple, running her fingers over the smooth grain of the sandstone while Onua made his way up the ramp to check the center of the domed top. Amber eyes gazed over the stonework, eventually picking out unpainted murals and angled figures carved into the side of Kini-Nui - clearly they were meant to represent stories and historical events, but without any context or ability to understand the circular language, Blake couldn't make heads or tails of them.
Or at least…that was the case for most of them.
Her breath caught in her chest as she came across one stretch of wall that jumped out at her. Six more of those rough figures were etched into the stone with runes above their heads, vigilantly watching over a bed of sand that had six differently-colored glowing stones. What really grabbed her attention was that one of those ten-foot-tall murals was a dead ringer for Onua, complete with claws and diamond-shaped mask. The other five carvings had similar shapes with different masks and tools, which she could only assume were meant to represent the other Toa. Oddly enough, each figure had an indentation in its chest, as if they were meant to fit something particular to each Toa. The recesses ranged from narrow slits for swords to curved crevices for axes and hooks, along with a wedged opening for a rather large foot and three grooved channels that seemed the perfect size for…
Wait.
"Onua?" Blake called out. "Better get over here, think I found something."
The Toa of Earth slid down the side of Kini-Nui, raking his claws lightly against the stone to slow his descent. He barely left a scratch as he dropped and approached, falling into stunned silence yet again.
"Is that…me?" he finally asked simply.
"Sure looks like it," said Blake with a small smile. "Don't suppose you can read the names above them, can you?"
Onua nodded. "Of course I can. There is…Tahu, Toa of Fire. Kopaka, Toa of Ice. Lewa, Toa of Air. Gali, Toa of Water. Pohatu, Toa of Stone. And…my name. These must be the names of my brothers…but why would they be here?"
"Maybe it's a sign you were always meant to arrive." Blake said with a shrug. "Or maybe some bored Matoran got creative and started chiseling. I wouldn't know, and it's not what I called you over here to see. Look at that groove on your mural - doesn't it look like your claw would fit there?"
The Toa of Earth held up an ebon-black claw to the opening, snapped his gaze between the two, and hummed thoughtfully.
"I suppose there is only one way to find out…" he intoned after a moment's thought. "Be ready."
She nodded and drew the sheath of Gambol Shroud off her back, bracing herself as Onua slowly lowered his articulated digging tool into the grooved channels. It fit perfectly - almost too perfectly. At her nod of approval he kept pushing deeper with his claw, guiding it through the unseen stone within until it finally stopped against a hidden button.
CLICK. CLUNK. GRRRRRRRRR…
A moment after the satisfying click and heavy clunk, the silence was filled with the sound of stone scraping against itself. Blake's ears twitched as her Faunus hearing picked up on rumbling from deep within the temple's dome, feeling her hairs stand on their end when unfamiliar energy began to hum in the twilight air. Each breath felt laced with static as electricity gathered, seemingly pulled out of the ground itself - and before it could get too uncomfortable, a massive pillar of light erupted out of the top of Kini-Nui, painting the horizon in a cluster of colors.
Onua pulled his claw free and looked up at the beam, his eyes flashing between their usual green and a strange violet glow. The Faunus tracked her gaze between the Toa and the temple, trying to stare at the light through narrowed eyes in an attempt to examine it without blinding herself. As it turned out, she didn't need to bother - the intense beam of light soon softened to an ephemeral wisp, one that softly hummed as its relaxing glow cycled between smooth blues and reds and greens.
The Toa of Earth blinked several times as his own green eyes returned in full, then clutched the forehead of his mask. "That was…Mata Nui, that was intense."
"What was it?"
"I think it was…a beacon of some sort," Onua said slowly. He shook his head to try and clear the daze. "As soon as the light began shining, I received an intense mental image. I saw Kini-Nui, as though I were hovering in the sky, and then it fell away and I saw the rest of the island. Then I felt an intense urge to go there, as though my mechanical parts were programmed to seek out the temple…and I am certain that if I were not already on the temple's steppes, I would feel that urge still."
"That must be the signal that Whenua told us about," mused Blake. "An island-wide message, broadcasting the temple's location. And just like standing in front of a blaring siren, you must have gotten hit the hardest considering you were right here. Let's just hope that it was strong enough to reach the other Toa…wherever they are."
She looked up to the sky, gazing wistfully at the fading daylight. "So what now? Do we just…sit here and wait for them to come to us? How long would we be waiting? It took us two whole days just to get here - what if it takes them even longer?"
Onua shook his head. "Onu-Koro was farther north than the other villages, the furthest from Kini-Nui. With luck, the remaining journeys will not be so long - although it may take a while, still. The island is a large place, and filled with treacherous terrain. Even a Toa may struggle to move quickly, as we know firsthand."
Blake let out a deflated sigh and sat down on the ground, curling into a ball with a sour expression on her face. The Toa of Earth seemed to sense her disappointment, because he reached out to rest a claw on top of her head. Annoyance was replaced by the urge for comfort as she instinctively nuzzled her ears against the hand, her Faunus trait twitching under the soft scratches. It didn't feel quite as good as it did when Yang massaged her behind the ears…but it was better than nothing.
"Get some rest, Blake," intoned Onua. "I will keep watch for any dangers…and for the others. In the event of either, I shall wake you."
With a reluctant nod Blake shed her coat and folded it into a little pile underneath her, resting her head against it like it was a makeshift pillow. A thousand dark thoughts crept into her mind when she closed her eyes - that the other Toa wouldn't follow the signal, that her friends hadn't found their own Toa after all, that none of this would have happened if she'd just managed to catch Yang in the first place - but she pushed them out as best she could, hugging her knees with increasing force as she tried to get comfortable.
Hopefully she and Onua wouldn't be waiting long.
"Again."
The cold air of Ko-Wahi was filled once more with the sound of clashing steel as Kopaka brought his weapon to meet Weiss's, the blade of his ivory-white broadsword striking against a thin silvery rapier. If the human girl in front of him struggled to bear the weight of his blows, she didn't show it - the only expression on her face was one of grim, focused determination. Her white hair had been pulled back behind her head and tied with a strip of cloth, revealing more of her bare upper body and keeping the snow-colored fibers out of her face as she sparred with the Toa of Ice.
Kopaka kept his footing firm and his stance even as he fended off a flurry of thrusts, doing his best to deflect them with his sword alone before relenting and raising his shield. Weiss instantly switched tactics and drew the second sword off her back, striking at his exposed ankle armor with an ebon-black blade. It didn't hurt, and the blow did little more than leave a scratch, but it was an annoyance all the same - one that would be repaid in full.
He kept blocking and defending against the sudden surge of attacks, looking and waiting for an opening to strike. When he saw one, he did so ruthlessly and precisely, ending the little sparring match in four quick moves. A shield bash to the face knocked Weiss off-balance. Two strokes to the left and right knocked the weapons out of her hands and into the snowbanks. And a horizontal sweep brought the edge of his sword right against her neck, an act that would have been deadly if he hadn't forced himself to stop just before it met skin.
"Dead," he said icily.
Weiss scoffed and pushed his sword down. "Yes, yes, I get it. You've 'killed' me seven times already."
"Eight." Kopaka narrowed his gaze through the visible eyehole, the one that wasn't covered by the array of lenses. "And that's already more than enough to see the flaw in your current dueling style."
"Oh really?" she said with an annoyed huff. "Let me guess. My footing is off, or my posture is all wrong?"
"It's more fundamental than that." The Toa of Ice shook his head. "You begin each fight with a flurry of aggressive blows, clearly intending to overwhelm your opponent before they get a chance to fight back. That might work against the soft-bodied Grimm and Huntsmen of your world...but here on Mata Nui everything wears armor of some kind, and so you struggle to maintain that level of offense for long periods of time. When you wield the second sword alongside your first, this problem only increases - you end up sacrificing defensiveness and sure footing for raw power and attack, and if you run out of stamina before your foe falls, it might be the end of you."
Weiss's furrowed brow softened slightly as she looked at the fallen weapons, sighing after a moment. She couldn't disagree with his analysis - not in good faith, at least.
"So…what? Are you saying I need to start from scratch? Forget over ten years' worth of training just so I can learn a new way to fight?"
"Of course not," Kopaka countered coldly. "But you need to learn how to protect yourself. Not with your Semblance, or Aura, or Dust…but with just you. Because at the end of the day, when the chips are down, that's the one thing you'll always have. The one thing you can always depend on, even if all else fails."
Ice blue eyes narrowed slightly, then she let out another sigh as she retrieved the swords.
"...maybe you're right. And you might have a point about the thing with the swords. It does feel too easy to slip into a 'guts-or-glory' mindset when both of them come out." She looked down at the black curved sword. "...I shouldn't even be using this one, anyways. It's not mine to wield."
Kopaka was just about to ask what that meant when a strange sensation came over him, chilling him to the nerves and making him freeze on the spot. An image of a massive temple flashed in his mind, one he'd never seen before. Despite this, the name escaped his lips on one reverent breath.
"Kini-Nui."
"Hmm?" Behind him, Weiss tilted her head. "Kopaka? Is everything alright?"
He wasn't sure how to answer that. He wasn't sure if he could answer that. The only thing he was sure about was that he needed to get there as soon as possible - and that it wasn't too far away.
Just like Nuju saw in that vision he told me about, thought the Toa of Ice to himself.
"Pack up the camp. We're leaving."
The Huntress's eyes widened. "Seriously? The sun's almost down and I just got the fire going. Where do we need to be all of a sudden?"
"Somewhere important." Kopaka threw down his shield and prepared to slide down the side of the snowy mountain. He glanced to the side as Weiss sighed and scooped up some snow, throwing it on top of the meager little flame before she climbed onto his shield in preparation.
"Alright…" said the former heiress with a resigned frown, "but if I end up falling asleep on the way there you'd better make sure I don't fall off."
The Toa of Ice stepped onto the shield with a small nod, pushing off the snowbank and letting gravity and his own elemental power do most of the work as the pair took off down the slope. As they raced across the frozen terrain he couldn't help but wonder why he was feeling this urge now of all times, nor could he begin to guess what he'd find at this so-called Kini-Nui.
More secrets and mysteries to puzzle out, he thought with a frown. This island certainly seems to have a fondness for them.
The moment Tahu felt the pulse, he knew what it meant.
He snapped his gaze towards the horizon, crimson eyes narrowing as they brightened and dimmed in a brief and rapid pattern. The terrain was blocked by the natural woodlands of inner Ga-Wahi, but he knew what lay beyond the trees. A temple, one of great importance and meaning, one that called out to him even now. And if he could feel it from this far away, then surely the other Toa could feel it as well.
It was time for him to be the leader the legends regarded him as.
Yang paused halfway through her roasted fruit, looking up at the Toa of Fire with a raised eyebrow. "Hey, you good?"
Tahu nodded. "Better than merely 'good,' Yang. I feel…summoned. Called to something in the middle of the island. Something…important."
The Huntress tilted her head. "How far is it?"
"Not far. If we leave now, we should arrive by the next sunrise."
"And what do you think you'll find there?"
The Toa of Fire narrowed his eyes. "My Destiny."
Yang chuckled as she stood up, taking another bite out of her kebab of berries. "Well, hopefully your Destiny's less of a prissy stuck-up than the one I knew back at Signal. Let's go, Big Red."
He nodded again and turned to walk towards the temple, confident that the loud one was following him.
Lewa hated not being in control of himself.
He was most at home when he was as free and limitless as the wind he commanded, soaring through the trees and swinging from vines. Right now the moon and stars shone down on him as he did just that, using his Mask of Levitation to stay above the treetops on windy currents. He couldn't see in the dark, but he could see well enough as he stayed in the uppermost layer of the jungle, and each leap and jump reaffirmed his love of freedom and independence. The wind didn't need to rely on anyone. It didn't need to listen to stuffy old Turaga. It just existed, flowing and blowing wherever it pleased, and the Toa of Air knew he felt the same.
That was why this urge, this instinct to race to the middle of the island, was so maddening to him. And why he was so eager to follow it, even in the dead of night. The sooner he arrived at whatever this "Kini-Nui" was, the sooner he could purge this sensation out of his system like scratching an irritating itch…or, if it ended up being a trick of Makuta, the sooner he could destroy it.
He cast a look back over his shoulder every now and again to check on his companion, the small Huntress who ran along branches and kicked off tree trunks to keep pace with him. Emerald's technique of leaf-running wasn't quite as refined and natural as his, but then again that wasn't surprising. She'd only mastered the art earlier that day, and she had no mechanical muscles or mask powers to aid her movements. What she did have, however, was a long chained hook that let her swing across vine-less patches, an odd device that fascinated Lewa and made him want to learn more about her and her world.
What use do I have for the other Toa-Heroes? he wondered to himself. I have a hero of my very own by my side, and that should be more than enough. I'll find the others after I get a full set of masks - that should amaze-shock them into leaving me alone.
The quest for his Kanohi, sadly, would have to wait until after he got to the temple and got rid of this overwhelming urge. So he resolved to make his way there.
Even if he had to wind-fly all night.
Morning broke without much fanfare.
Blake shuddered and tightened her grip on her knees, muttering into her folded coat as she fought both to stay asleep and to wake up. Her body demanded more rest and sleep, but her mind screamed for an escape. It was a war of two primal desires, one born of fear and another born of fatigue, and it was only decided when a large metal claw gently prodded at her bare arm.
"Wha-! No! YANG!"
She shot up to her feet, reaching for the cleaver of Gambol Shroud on her back only to grasp empty air. A few shaking breaths calmed her down enough to look up and see Onua standing over her, green eyes glowing in concern through coal-black armor. The Toa of Earth tilted his head, clearly full of questions yet he could sense that she didn't want to answer any of them. Not yet, at least.
"Sorry, little one," he rumbled apologetically. "I hope I did not intrude on your restful slumber."
Blake panted for a few moments, then finally let the tension fade from her bare shoulders. She was okay. Yang was (probably) okay. He wasn't there.
"It wasn't that restful anyways," she eventually said with a yawn, rubbing her eyes to clear out the sleep and the crimson blade that burned itself into another dream. "What's wrong?"
Onua smiled under his mask. "I believe you will want to see this for yourself. Look at the river."
Arching her back to stretch her bare arms, Blake lazily cast her gaze over to where the Toa pointed. At first she didn't notice anything unusual…but then she saw what he meant as it churned and splashed against its banks. What was more, the ground itself seemed to rumble as her Faunus-enhanced hearing picked up a distant roaring - and in that moment, she understood what was coming.
A tidal wave, coming right down the river itself!
Her first instinct was to leap into a tree. Her next instinct was to find some cover. But her ears perked up as she heard something else amidst the roaring of water and the crashing waves, a pair of voices. She didn't recognize the deeper of the two, but the other…the other was one she was very familiar with.
"Whoooooooo! Yeah, this is awesome! Gali, you're the coolest!"
"You have said that seventeen times thus far, friend!"
"Well I'm gonna say it again! You're awesome! Do another backflip!"
"As you wish!"
"WHEEEEEEEEE!"
"...Ruby?" Blake whispered, breath hitching in her chest.
Sure enough, when the massive wave finally came into view, that well-known voice only grew louder alongside its counterpart. Blake caught sight of a figure in blue armor standing on the wall of water, one that looked as tall as Onua even from this distance, as well as a red-caped girl riding on its shoulders. The newcomer surfed on the edge and rode the wave all the way to the temple, at which point it raised its glowing hooks as it leapt to the shore. Twenty feet of water and seafoam hung in the air for a motionless minute before it gently sank back into the river, barely even splashing against the banks as it diminished into little more than a ripple across its surface.
"You were right, little one," said the figure with a soft laugh, "That was far more efficient than merely swimming to Kini-Nui."
"And so much more fun!" cheered the little red reaper. "You were all like, 'Whoa!' And I was all 'Wheeee!' Then you were all like 'Whoooaaaaa!' And then I was like 'Yeaaaaaaaah baby that's what I'm talking about!' Aw that was so cool we gotta do that again sometime!" Then she whirled around with silver eyes full of wonder, which eventually locked with amber and widened with both shock and joy. "Blake?
The shadowy girl blinked in disbelief. "Ruby?"
"Blake!"
"Ruby!"
"Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!" shrieked Ruby as she streaked towards the Faunus like a hug-seeking missile, latching onto her with enough force to make her stagger under the force. She grinned and laughed and returned the embrace just as tightly, even picking her smaller team leader up and swinging her around a little. Tears born of every emotion pooled into her eyes as she held onto her friend, just like she'd done upon arriving in Mata Nui. Unlike their arrival, however, Ruby was more than able and willing to hug back this time, and Blake enjoyed every moment of it.
"I...I'm so sorry," she eventually choked. "I tried to hold onto you as we fell, but Neo attacked us and - "
Ruby shushed her friend by nuzzling her face against her bare shoulder. "Shhhhh...it's okay. No apologies. Just hugs right now. Your team leader demands it."
With a noise halfway between a sob and a chuckle, Blake complied and rested her chin against the young rose's head. The warmth of her adorable little team leader flooded into her, crashing against her like an overwhelming wave of relief.
After so many days of being separated, she'd finally found one of her missing teammates.
Now it's just a matter of finding the other one.
One advantage of being taller than her team leader was that she could hug her tightly and still have an unobstructed view of the world around her, as looking over Ruby's head was no trouble at all. So she got to witness Onua approach the new Toa tentatively, bowing before the blue-armored figure with warmth and reverence. Ruby's new friend gave a bow of her own, gazing down at the Toa of Earth with glowing yellow eyes.
"Judging by your appearance and ability to control the waves and the sea," he rumbled, "I presume that you must be Gali, Toa of Water?"
"You presume correctly," affirmed Gali. "Are you the one who activated Kini-Nui?"
"Indeed I am." He put a claw to his chest. "Onua, Toa of Earth, at your service. It is a pleasure to meet you, sister."
Gali smiled behind her mask. "Likewise, my friend. Let us hope that the rest of our brothers do not take very long to arrive."
As if on cue, Blake's Faunus hearing picked up on more sounds. More cheering and whooping reached her feline ears, though this time they stemmed from the trees. Moments later, two green figures emerged from the canopy and landed in the clearing - one was a Toa with emerald armor and a bird-like mask, while the other was a Huntress with darkened skin and hair the color of mint.
"Well would you look at that, big guy?" said Emerald as she dusted herself off and scanned her surroundings. "Guess you ended up meeting the other Toa, after all."
The big green figure clearly wanted to seem annoyed, but he seemed more intrigued than anything. Not as intrigued as Blake, though - she, Ruby, and Yang were the only ones who fell into the void, weren't they? So what was the former thief doing on Mata Nui?
"Wait, you're here too?" Blake finally found her voice as Ruby pulled away to face the new arrivals.
Emerald scoffed and held up her hands defensively. "Well, gee, don't act so disappointed. Sorry that I'm not a big muscly blonde with huge - oof!"
Whatever the green-haired thief was going to say next was lost in a heavy grunt as the blur of red that crashed into her. Ruby had clearly decided to move on and give her a welcoming hug now, squeezing tightly and nuzzling her ivory cheek against darkened skin. Emerald looked down at the little rose with a wary glance, then sighed and rolled her eyes as she returned the embrace with one hand and cast a helpless stare towards Blake.
"Is she always this, uh…clingy?" she asked with no enthusiasm in her voice.
Blake smiled. "Mm-hmm. And now that you're on team Good Guys, you're gonna be getting a lot more hugs."
"Oh joy, I can hardly wait…"
If Ruby was bothered by Emerald's sarcasm, she didn't show it. She instead withdrew and held the former thief's hand in both of hers, bouncing up and down excitedly as she spoke.
"Ah man…I wondered if you guys were alright!" Ruby grinned. "Penny said that you and Weiss might be here, but even she wasn't sure if - "
"Wait," Blake cut in. "Penny's here too?"
"Penny's alive?!" interjected Emerald, at almost the same time.
Amber eyes widened. "...Penny died?! "
"Who is Penny?" Onua tilted his head in confusion. "And for that matter, who are you? Are you a friend of Blake's as well?"
"Something like that. Name's Emerald." The former thief gestured to her taller friend. "The overgrown leaf blower here's Lewa. Don't let him start talking, or else he'll never shut up."
"You know you love it, sprout-leaf!" The green-armored figure chuckled, then gave a grand bow to Gali and Onua. "Greetings, earth-brother and water-sister! I am indeed Toa Lewa, the spirit of air and soaring wind-flyer himself! I'd hoped to impress-awe you with a full set of mask-powers before meeting, but it seems Destiny had other plan-ideas."
"Your presence alone is welcome enough, Toa of Air," Onua intoned with a soft laugh. "And it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Emerald. Any friend of Blake's is a friend of mine."
At Emerald's noncommittal shrug, Blake raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry if it sounded like I wasn't happy to see you," said the Faunus. "I am, I'm just...confused too. Why are you here instead of in Vacuo? And what was that about Penny dying?"
The mint-haired girl scowled. "Let me give you a hint. The answer to both those questions starts with a C, rhymes with 'tinder', and if you look up the word 'bitch' in the dictionary, you'll find her stupid face smirking right back at you." Her eyes softened. "But...apparently something else happened with Penny? What's up with that? She's alive?"
Ruby nodded. "She sure is! She helped me and Gali save Ga-Koro!" Then she frowned. "Well...I mean, she's kinda alive. It's, um...complicated...but don't worry! I'll explain everything as soon as the others get here!"
"That's a long time to keep us in the dark, Red," said Emerald with a huff. "I mean, it's not like the other Toa are just gonna show up out of the blue right this second."
Of course, that was more or less exactly what happened.
The air suddenly grew very cold and crisp, to the point that Blake could feel frost form on the tips of her ears. Her Faunus trait perked up once more as a distant sound got her attention: snow crunching under the path of a metal bobsled as it slid at high speeds. She hugged herself for warmth and turned to face the source of the new noise, and sure enough she saw a localized blizzard rushing towards the clearing. Through the hazy storm she could see a figure in white and silver armor standing on a large round shield, holding some kind of glowing sword in its free hand.
"And who might this walking bringer of snow-hail be?" asked Lewa with a tilt of his head.
"With an entrance like that," laughed Onua, "I believe it is safe to assume we have just met Kopaka, Toa of Ice."
"That is a fair assumption, yes." Gali's hooks retracted into her arms, and she put a newly-formed hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Look there. Is that another one of your friends?"
Silver eyes widened with delight. "It sure is! That's Weiss!"
Sure enough, Blake could see a white-ponytailed woman clinging to the front of the shield as it skidded to a halt, spraying snow in everyone's face. The young Schnee dismounted immediately and ran at a full tilt towards her and Ruby, pulling them both into a tight, silent hug that was equally returned. Weiss was missing her coat, and she had a few new scars on her porcelain-like skin, but she looked alive and healthy and full of emotions. Yet she didn't give words to any of them for a good long moment, merely breathing heavily and letting out a few sobs as she embraced her lost friends.
"W-Weiss?" Ruby asked quietly, feeling the heiress shudder under her touch. "Weiss, are you…"
"Don't you ever scare me like that again, you dolt," choked Weiss, her grip around the waists of her friends tightening. "Either of you, for that matter. When I saw you both fall, I...I didn't know what to do. Gods, I...we all thought you were gone forever. I thought I'd be alone all over again…"
Blake slipped one hand under the former heiress's bare shoulder, giving her leverage to nuzzle against her neck. "It's okay. We're here now. You're not alone anymore."
Ruby slid both hands around Weiss's delicate waistline. "Yeah…I promised I wouldn't leave you, didn't I? We all did. And we're not going anywhere you don't want us to. You can't get rid of us that easily, Weiss Schnee."
Weiss let out a bitter laugh as she rested her forehead against two separate bare shoulders. "I don't want you to go anywhere else ever again. Not without me."
The other Toa watched their reunion in silence for a moment, then approached the silver-armored figure to introduce themselves. Kopaka made no move to reciprocate their greetings, only giving his name and answering questions with a nod or a shake of his head. Emerald stood off to the side, kicking the dirt awkwardly and rubbing her arms as one group reunited with tender embraces and the other gathered together for the first time.
After a moment of silent hugging, Weiss rolled her eyes. "Get in here, Em."
"Hm?" She put her hands up defensively once again. "Oh, no, I'm good. Really, I don't need to be part of your team hu-uuuugh!"
That was all the former thief had time to say before a glyph pushed her towards the girls, at which point Ruby reached out and pulled her into the group hug. Emerald scowled and groaned, but eventually relented, wrapping her arms around the pair and pressing her front against Weiss's back. A small shiver and sigh escaped Weiss's lips, and she nuzzled into Ruby's shoulder (who returned the gesture).
"...you just wanted another warm body, didn't you?" asked Emerald as she and Blake finally withdrew.
"It is so cold traveling with Kopaka you have no idea."
Ruby giggled and wrapped her cloak around both her own bare shoulders as well as Weiss's. "Well here! Let me warm you right up! Sorry if it's still wet, hanging out with Gali kinda means being around water all the time…"
Weiss's face went almost as red as the cape that embraced her, and she let out another contented sigh. (Was Blake imagining things, or did she hear a small moan in there? No. She must have just been imagining things.)
"It's perfect, Ruby," breathed the young Schnee. "Just like you." (Nope. She definitely was not imagining things.)
The little rose blushed and chuckled. "Aw, Weiss…"
After drinking in her partner's warmth for another moment, Weiss reluctantly withdrew and stepped away. She pulled a long black sword off her back - one that Blake recognized instantly, for it had been at her side for many years.
"Here," said Weiss as she handed Gambol Shroud's other half to its rightful owner. "Figured you might want this back. I had to use some of the ammo to fight Cinder before I fell, and I needed the rest to stop a Rahi the other day. Our Dust is more efficient here, so what I've got in my belt should last for weeks if we use it carefully - just let me know if you need more, either for using raw or to make bullets."
Blake accepted her sword with a reverent bow, reuniting it with its cleaver-sheath after so many days of being separated. The two swords slid over each other and locked together with a click, and just the act of sheathing her sword again brought a sense of relief to her mind.
"Thanks, Weiss," said the shadowy feline. "Don't worry about paying me back with ammo or Dust - I've still got plenty of both myself. And I hope she served you well, while she was in your hands."
"She's a fine weapon," agreed the lost heiress with a smile. "But…I think I'll stick with just one sword for now. I'll need a lot more practice before I can dual-wield as effectively as Winter."
"Oh! That reminds me!" Ruby suddenly piped up and rummaged through the seaweed satchel that hung from her shoulder, somehow pulling out a jungle-green revolver with hidden sickle blades. "One of the Ga-Matoran fished this out of the water not too long after we arrived. She couldn't figure out what it was, so she gave it to me just before Gali and I left the other day. It must have fallen alongside us and landed in the ocean! Hope the rust isn't an issue…I cleaned it up the best I could, but I didn't want to take it apart without your permission."
Emerald took the other copy of Thief's Respite with an amused smile, then hummed as she examined the weapon. "Hmm…nothing a good scrubbing can't fix. Thanks, Red."
Ruby grinned. "Anytime! Now let's see…Blake's with Onua. Emerald found Lewa. Weiss teamed up with Kopaka. And Penny's traveling with Takua, one of the Matoran. So the only one who's still missing is…"
The sound of more marching footsteps caught Blake's attention. Her ears turned once again towards the source followed by the rest of her, and hope surged into her chest until it hurt to breathe. Whether it was fate or something else, the last member of Team RWBY chose that exact moment to wander out of the trees alongside a fierce-looking Toa, one with a sword of flames and armor as red as a roaring blaze. But the feline Faunus wasn't interested in the newest elemental warrior - she was far more enticed by the head full of glowing golden hair, the rippling muscles under soft tanned skin, the lilac eyes that brightened with recognition as soon as they met her own…
She couldn't contain herself any longer.
Blake lunged forward and tackled the blonde brawler to the ground, staring down at her now-prone partner with a thousand emotions flooding into her amber eyes. Her legs hugged the woman's waist, her hands pinned down her broad shoulders, and she could feel the fiery Huntress's heart pounding under her touch. Two hands - one mechanical and the other warm - reached to clasp her around her bare waist, trailing up her sides in a way that made her skin tingle and her spine shiver in delight.
Her partner, the golden-haired woman she loved more than the sun itself, seemed to wilt under her tearful gaze. "Blake…"
"Yang," she choked, her body wracked with emotions. "You're…you're alive. You're here." One hand clasped her cheek, and she leaned against the soft palm. "You're okay."
The blonde brawler chuckled breathlessly. "I'm better than okay. I'm with you now." Then she grinned a devious grin. "So, um…is this the part where we share a 'thank the gods you're alive' kiss? Or am I totally misreading the mood here?"
She managed a dry chuckle before she dove down to do just that.
The clearing went dead silent as Blake and Yang's lips crashed against each other. Ruby covered her mouth and blushed, unable to contain the small squeal of delight that escaped her lips. Emerald scoffed and rolled her eyes, fidgeting with her hands as she turned away to give the pair some privacy (and to conceal her own longing gaze). The Toa all tilted their heads in confusion, intrigue, or both as they tried to understand the odd display of affection in front of them, one that didn't seem to stop anytime soon.
Only Weiss didn't seem all that shocked at the kiss.
"Hmph, well. It's about time."