A/N: My Oum… You guys have are spoiling me. 300 viewers, of which 20 of you are following and 15 favoriting. Because I was so happy at this, I present to you Chapter 03 almost a week earlier. I honestly hadn't expected for this story of mine to garner so much interest. But you guys have gone and hit two of my goals, nay, dreams, since I didn't expect to reach them so soon. I felt I would have 100 viewers within a couple of weeks. Not with a single day. And 20 followers? Much less nearly the same amount of favorites? I expected that after a month or three. Not after Chapter 02 by the end of the first week.
Now then we finally get into a little action! I will have the pace move a bit quicker after this chapter. As for the reason that I placed Red a couple of months before Yellow and then S1E1, it was mostly to give Mato time to acclimate herself to this world.
Also, a double thank you today. One to 'elfenlied1012' and his stories, 'Snowy Vale' and 'Melting Vale'. And one to 'Cavetroll001' and his story, 'Steamed Petals'. Their stories have helped me with ideas for world and back-story building, as well as fighting techniques, aura description and usage, and personality. In particular, 'elfenlied1012' helped me with Weiss's character (One of the absolute best iterations of her character in my most humble opinion.), and 'Cavetroll001' with Ruby's (Which thankfully matched my idea that she should be much more composed than the web-series showed her as. I won't spoil his story, but a great one if you like Ruby acting as she SHOULD, instead of an eight year old in the body of a fifteen year-old.) As a thank you, I have cemented White Rose as the second pair. (And posted their names and stories here to shamelessly promote them as well. XD )
And as per usual, please check out CushionySiren3's story 'The (Un)Forgettable Team TAPE'. I am telling you, it is a great OC story. And Eve is the absolute cutest and most adorable character ever. (To the point that I have actually commissioned artwork for her… Eve needs to be brought to the world!)
...Ummm… Got carried away there. Without further ado, I bring you Chapter 03 as a HUGE thank you to ALL of you. ENJOY!
Outside Taiyang Xiao Long's Home
December 24th, 2013 - Late Morning
Ruby Rose was stunned. In her defense, so were the beowulfs being ripped to pieces. Already dozens had been torn to shreds, and most were still trying to figure out what was happening. Ruby couldn't blame them for it either. She was trying to do the same.
One moment, it was peaceful, she was planning on bringing her new friend and adopted cousin or sister, who was actually more of an awkward grandaunt in the body of a teenager, into town to do some clothes shopping, and getting a few books from the library to start getting her familiarized with the world. The next it was interrupted by some Grimm attacking them.
Then Oum's balls dropped and loosed an army of Grimm, literally at her doorstep. She was already apologizing to her family, Dad, Yang, Uncle Qrow, and Mom for failing them and not being able to complete her dream that they helped her towards.
The next moment Mato decided to die beside her. Ruby was astonished to say the least. Pissed the moment immediately afterwards. But before she could even start arguing with the insane woman, her entire body was assaulted with one of the strongest killing intents she ever felt, and had retreated a few feet instinctively.
Even Qrow and some of the stronger Grimm she had come across could only put out a portion of what she felt at that moment. And she had never felt one that was so… cold. Normally when one releases KI, the other party feels their anger, rage, and in many cases sorry. Mato's was unlike any of those, it was a cold, empty KI. It was telling her that she would die. Nothing else, it didn't tell you that you would die because they were angry, or because you took all that mattered from them. No, it was like looking at a true reaper, at Death itself. It would kill you, simply because that was what it would do, nothing personal.
Thankfully it immediately dispersed and Ruby was able to look back at Mato. Only to be further shocked into silence. A blue flame was rising from her left eye. Those circular rings all focused on the Grimm before her. It was then that Ruby noticed that the killing intent hadn't dispersed, it was just directed. Those eyes holding them all in place as they vowed complete destruction upon them.
If Ruby had been shocked by the killing intent, those Grimm were absolutely petrified. But there is only so much that glaring could do, so Ruby shook herself together and prepared to attack them while they were caught in Mato's gaze. Preparing to rush the beowulfs in an attempt to help push them back.
She needn't have bothered.
Mato proceeded to calmly create a pair of heavy gatling guns from seemingly thin air, and aimed them into the army before her. Ruby was honestly getting tired of all the surprises and her mind was already marking such things as normal to allow it to continue functioning without anymore interruptions.
The world erupted into gunfire, ichor and gore before Ruby's mind settled back into place.
Path to Patch Town from Taiyang Xiao Long's Home
December 24th, 2013 - Early Afternoon
Mato had been firing non stop into the army of shadows for nearly forty minutes now.
They had been forced to backpedal the entire time. The army of Grimm just kept charging without a care to their health, into the deadly storm of bullets that her Rock Cannons unleashed into their midst. Ruby was a blur beside her, shooting at them with what Mato now realized was a sniper-scythe, or cutting them down when they got too close to her flanks. But they kept being pushed back.
'But we sure as hell have made them pay for every inch they gained. I think we have already killed more of these things than Dead Master had skeletons to send against Black Rock Shooter back in the day.'
"MATO! There too many in the house now, I can't get any more ammo!"
Mato looked over to Ruby who had shouted that over the ever increasing whine of Rock Cannon's gatling version, then over to her home for a day, as the combined weight of the Grimm's bodies brought it down even as she looked at it. Realizing it as a lost cause, Mato directed her right Rock Cannon to the home and fired upon it. Hoping to hit whatever ammo was left there, or anything capable of going boom.
"MATO! I know the house is down but why are you making it worse!? Did you dislike it that much? It isn't the prettiest, but it was definitely a cozy and war-"
Ruby's tirade was interrupted by the explosion Mato was hoping would happen. It was actually much worse than she expected and dealt quite the concussive wave, killing a score of the beasts, and knocking down many more. It actually stilled the non stop onslaught for a moment. A beautiful moment where they both took a deep breath and observed the scene hoping that it would stay stagnant.
Well, at least they would have if Mato wasn't still firing her left Rock Cannon at the mass of wriggling bodies. Bringing the right vulcan to bear again, Mato turned around to Ruby and lifted just her right eyebrow, perfectly conveying her comment towards the carnage the explosion caused.
Ruby didn't even bother opening her mouth, instead replying by swinging Crescent Rose over head, decapitating one of the beowulfs who took advantage of their distraction to close in on their left flank. Mato quickly lifted her weapons, and jumped back to gain some more distance, before she continued raining death into the enemy lines.
"SO! Is this kind of thing normal? Or is this some kind of special festival event? Because I am pretty sure we have killed at least a couple thousand of these things, and I don't see an end to it."
"No, not normal. I know there are usually a couple hundred Grimm - on this island. -Possibly a couple thousand. But they are usually spread - out across the entire thing. - - This combined group? Unusual to say the least. - But hey! At least they are - only beowulfs. This island has no - other - kind of Grimm. So even - if the entire island worth - of Grimm decided to attack us right now. We - should be done soon. - - Also - I don't want to jinx it - but - - - HOW MUCH AMMO DO YOU HAVE!?" Ruby replied, her sentences broken up every time her scythe took another life, sometimes many in one swing.
"Oh, good to know. That probably means that we won't be bothered by them after this. We will be able to enjoy shopping for some clothes to replace my empty wardrobe, and the wardrobe itself. You will be able to get some clothes to replace the ones the beowulfs tore to pieces. And then we can enjoy some ice cream with a couple books from the library. Then head into a hotel to -"
Mato's bored drawl was interrupted by a different kind of screaming coming from behind them, Mato wasn't even able to turn around before Ruby had gripped her by the waist and attempted to drag her away. If Mato hadn't let go of her Rock Cannons, making them disappear, she probably would have failed, but Mato decided that if Ruby wanted to tackle her, or carry her out of the way of something. It was probably best to let her.
'Thank you combat instincts and experience.'
No sooner had Mato let go of her weapons, that she found herself nearly twenty meters away held by Ruby, and watched as the entire area they were in begin to explode. Wave after wave of missiles landing in a standard carpet bombing pattern. After the first wave cleared the entire field for a couple hundred meters in length, four giant jet like plane things showed up. Mato had never seen any like it, but it looked like a combination squat cargo plane, with large rotating jet engines, one on each of the wings. Bristling with missile pods and two large vulcan guns that actually looked bigger and heavier than even her own.
Mato turned around to Ruby, smiling from ear to ear. "Well you were right. We did finish soon. Now about that ice cream?" Mato's face suddenly frowned. "Wait. There is ice cream in this world, right?" Letting the tension of battle leave her, her flame faded.
Ruby just stared at her newest friend and future family member in complete bewilderment. "Yes there is ice cream. And why are you so calm? We have been fighting for three quarters of an hour against enormous odds, and you are acting like we just finished window shopping."
Mato shrugged. "Because I have faced worse. Neither of us even received a single scratch. Granted, your house did blow up. But still not too bad all things considered. And if you must know. Ice cream is one of my guilty pleasures. When things were down, I ate ice cream. When things were up, I ate ice cream." Mato shrugged again. "Ice cream is just like that for me. I am sure you have something similar."
Against Mato's expectations, Ruby actually turned serious and nodded, her arms crossed in front of her after having already stowed Crescent Rose. "You are right. Cookies are like that for me. You can never have enough cookies. So we should definitely go get Ice Cream with cookies first. Then we can figure out where we are sleeping and what we are doing afterwards."
"I would love to join you for that girls," a new voice said from behind the two. Forcing them to turn around to look at the black leather clad and cloaked male behind them. "Although I want something a bit stronger as well after the scare I just got."
"UNCLE QROW!"
Mato watched as Ruby simply appeared around the newcomers waist, hugging him in what she could only expect to be an even worse version of the bear hug she herself had been dealt with earlier that day. She stared in amusement as Ruby afterimage disappeared from beside her, and the newcomer fought to break Ruby's grasp before she broke his spine. Thankfully Ruby ended the hug faster than she had with Mato, and let the poor man catch his breath.
"I am glad you are learning so quickly Ruby. First you avoid going into winding tirades, and now you are avoiding murder by hugs. You are making granny proud." Mato dabbed at the fake tears on her eyes.
"Stop calling yourself granny! Seriously! Out of ALL the things you could use, all the kick-ass lines you could spout. THAT is your choice? And I won't kill anyone with hugs!"
"You won't kill anyone anymore, thanks to having had it pointed out before you crossed that line. I can only imagine this poor child's gravestone. 'Beloved Uncle, killed by loving hug.' Sweet as they may sound, it also looks really, really bad. On that note, although I have pretty much figured out who he is from your shout and actions. It is the first time we are meeting, so please be a good girl and introduce us."
Ruby pouted at Mato's reply, which only intensified once she heard Qrow's chuckle. "Mato, this is Uncle Qrow. My teacher in the art of being a badass, and the one who is paying for our meals today. Uncle, this is Kuroi Mato, the girl I told you about on the phone. The one who is actually a hundred year old granny in the body of teenager."
Mato faced Qrow and bowed a bit, "A pleasure to meet you Qrow, and my thanks for the splendid timing. We were getting so bored of shredding Grimm and wanted to go enjoy a girl's day out." Qrow openly laughed at that. Smiling, Mato turned to Ruby, "And Ruby, it is most egregious to lie about a woman's age. I am still only ninety-seven. Which should really be kept between us since as you stated, I look sixteen anyway."
"You look quite a bit younger actually." Responded Qrow in between the dying breaths of his laughter.
"I will ignore that comment young man as a courtesy to your timely assistance in our battle today. But you must curb such comments and keep them to yourself, otherwise you will one day end with a furious woman repeatedly testing her new equipment on you."
Qrow started laughing again when Mato's stern face turned into a twinkling grin halfway through her reply. "I am sorry about that. And although I still have many questions for both of you, there is a time and a place. Now come, the ships are going to be doing a couple more sweeps to make sure they finished off all the remaining Grimm, so we are hiking it to town, and telling them the good news. Good job you two though, if you hadn't held them for so long, we would have a lot more casualties than just the miner's friends."
Ruby got serious again, "So the man that ran past us had already lost his friends by the time he reached us."
"Don't get down on yourself, short of clairvoyance, you would not have been able to save them. And they died making a path so that the man could run and warn the town. He was the fastest of them, so they put their hopes on him and did their part. And then you two gave him and us enough time to do our part." Qrow put an arm around Ruby as they walked down the winding path to the port town. Ruby merely nodded her head, and continued walking.
Mato looked back at the smoking corpses behind them and the four ships that flew in the air.
'You would think that someone who loves me and wants the best for me, would send me to a peaceful world...' Mato shook her head, grinning, 'Then again, that would be boring, and that kind of life wouldn't be worth it.'
Mato turned around once again, and trotted after her first two acquaintances of Remnant.
A/N: Ok. So it was rather short, and didn't have much action. Sorry about that, there is only so many ways you can describe a girl with two gatling guns facing an army of soulless beasts with no hesitation to throw away their lives to the unending stream of high caliber bullets ripping their bodies into pieces. At least only so many ways before it starts becoming an info dump. I promise that proper fights, in other words, fights against STRONG Grimm, or against other hunters/huntresses will be more detailed. I actually just finished writing a rather nice one between Weiss and an Alpha Beowulf, and one between Mato and … well, I can't actually say it without spoiling the story a bit. But needless to say, there will be better detailed fights in the future.
I might also make a flashy fight between a character and a bunch of weaklings if I decide to give the character a handicap. Like Ruby killing a group of Beowulfs without Cresent Rose and her semblance. But those are for another day.
As stated at the beginning, starting next chapter, expect time skips. I will be fast forwarding the story a bit, until we hit day 1 at Beacon. That is not to say that there will be nothing during those time jumps. Oh no.
Certainly, some of it will be obvious things, like Mato reading up on her new world's geography and history, etcetera etcetera, but I will have some events in between there, that will almost resemble noodle incidents… only that they WILL be explained given time. Thanks to the power of FLASHBACKS!
All of this is being done to build specific characters, the world, and the plot when I feel it would be most beneficial. Think of it, as adding a bit of mystery to the story. Wouldn't be as fun if I just went ahead and told you the plot and ending of the story now, right?
Well then, once again THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING! And till next chapter. Which should be posted on Thursday (My original schedule.) unless by some miracle we hit my next dream goal before then. Who knows, you guys already shocked me with reaching them FAR before I literally even dreamed of getting them. So maybe the third goal will be met far prior to expectations as well.
Oh, and please don't forget to Review or send me a PM if you have thoughts, questions, or comments. I take all, negative, neutral, or positive.