Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfic.
Enjoy the read.
Chapter Cover: Blake seating alone as she looks up toward the moon.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Sometimes you just got to slow Down
Snow had started to fall from the sky the following days covering the city of Vale into a white blanket. The air had become considerably colder than normal and the soft chill caused the habitants of the city to dress up more warmly against the chillier weather compared to the warm they have been getting for the past two months.
At school, Ruby was seating at her desk glad that the final day of the semester was here. Now without school in the way, Ruby could finally focus her time at learning and growing stronger as a Huntress. It had been a few hours before Yang woke up compared to the Faunus girl Blake who had probably had more wounded than her sister had been. Yang had been throwing herself into her training ever since she had faced whoever that person was.
When Ruby had felt that strange power on that day, that power which reminded her of the Grimm, both her and Weiss had went ahead to see if they needed help but what they had found was destruction on that side of the city. Ruby had been baffled as to what could have had such destructive power and even Weiss had been in the dark about it but the white haired girl had promised her that she will figure out what was going on truly and Ruby hoped that she could figure it out.
The last time that they had felt a power similar to that was when the White Fang attacked Vale and then there had been that giant creature that had popped it's head from the Shadow World and had tried to destroy Vale.
The sound of the ringing bell drew Ruby from her thought as the class started to stand up and talking loudly about what they were going to do over the holidays. Ruby placed her books into her bag before standing and walking out of the room with the rest of the class.
"Hey Ruby,"
It was Jaune and the young man had this smile upon his face as he came to stand beside her. Ruby turned toward her friend and she was surprised that Nora or Ren weren't with him. She hardly ever see the trio apart.
"Hey Jaune," she greeted with a light smile, "Ren and Nora aren't with you?"
"No," Jaune answered, "They're not. Something they have to do over the holidays I think. So…tell me Ruby do you have any plan on what you want to do?"
The girl thought for a few moments.
"I…well, I did have plans," she said.
"Oh…Hey did you hear about Weiss pulling out of school?" Jaune asked her.
"Yeah actually."
"It was a pretty good shocker for me," Jaune said with a sigh, "I mean…I always thought that she was a little bit too smart in her class and even when she didn't even come to school she somehow managed to stay head of the class."
The young man placed both of his hands behind his back.
"It makes you think about it for a while," he said, "I never expected out of everyone here she'd be the one to drop out of school…but since you have the whole world at your fingertips…"
Ruby gave him a weird glance.
"I don't think that Weiss dropped out of school just because she could do it," she said.
Jaune smirked.
"I guess," he said as they reached their lockers.
Ruby pulled out her red coat and placed it on and as she was doing so, she felt Yang approach her. The smaller girl turned her attention toward her sister and noticed that the blonde was talking to two girls and she seems to be laughing about something with them. After noticing her staring, Yang gave the two girls a small hug before heading toward her.
"Hey sis," Yang smiled brightly, "What's up?"
"Oh…I'm fine," Ruby said closing the locker that was behind her, "You're not going to stay with your friends?"
"Well they won't be in Vale for the holidays so I said goodbye to them," Yang answered her.
"You're going to come by the Manor later?" Ruby asked her.
Yang nodded.
"Weiss did say we can come by anytime we wished," she said, "And I am curious about those guys who I faced that day."
Ruby stared at her sister seeing the frustration in her eyes. If there was one thing she knew about her sister is that she hated losing. While she did lost against that White Fang guy, Yang was able to pay him back with interest in their rematch and for her to lose against someone, Yang had been throwing herself into her training to grow stronger so that she won't get defeated again.
"Why do I have feeling we're going to be fighting again?" Ruby asked her as the two sisters made their way out of the school building.
"Hey, we chose this life remember?" Yang told her.
Ruby let out a soft sigh.
"I know," she said, "Weiss said something like that a few days ago…I gained this power so that I could fight side-by-side with you…I wasn't really thinking about anything else…but Uncle Qrow did say that this life was different."
"That he did," Yang said, "C'mon let's head home first and then we'll go by Weiss's place."
The two walked together through the white colored road as the snow was continuing to fall over Vale. Ruby was used to this weather back at Thatch, and she remembers playing with her friends back then in the snow. Thought she did make friends with Jaune and others there, but she doesn't feel like they could ever truly be normal friends since Ruby now know that she was going to be a Huntress that is fighting for the safety of the people that doesn't even know if people like her exist.
"Say…who were those people you fought against anyway?" Ruby asked her.
"I don't know," Yang answered, "That guy…whoever he was, my attacks didn't even seems to faze him at all….and Noir was the one who came to my help again. Me, I want to become stronger so I can take down any enemy that attacks this city without help."
Ruby glanced at her.
"Then I'm going to have to up my training as well," she said, "Without school, I will have more time to actually train rather than working on school projects."
Yang simply gave her a smirk before the two girls continued to walk.
"It will be fun, the two of us training together," she smirked, "Just so you know…I'm not going to lose to you and that oversized weapon of yours."
Qrow was seating in his dining room and was staring straight toward the other man across him. The man had messy silver hair and had small round glasses seating upon his nose. He was dressed in a green suit and had a walking stick leaning on the side of the chair he was on. He was also seeping upon the drink before placing his cup down upon the table in front of him.
"So…what do you think?" Qrow asked.
"I think…your tea making skills still need some work," the man said, a light teasing tone in his voice.
"Oz…please," the man said sighing.
A light smile appeared upon the silver haired man lips before melting into a serious look.
"I think you did well in contacting me," he said, "For the White Clan to lose the White Star is quite a serious situation."
"Do you think Ezekiel was right?" Qrow asked him, "That someone is actually gathering them?"
"It is a worrying thought," Ozpin said, "These ancient Artifacts have stayed out of the way of the world for many centuries since the Dark Ages…if someone is gathering them, I hate to imagine what they have planned for the future."
"They could declare war on us," Qrow said simply, "With the power the Pieces have, no Huntsman or Huntress could even stand a chance against them."
"I wouldn't be so hasty to think of war," Ozpin told him, "While it is wise to be cautious, I have a feeling that Black's mysterious leader has a more sinister goal in mind…I will give out the warning to the Warrior Clan when I return to them. If the Pieces of Light are indeed being targeted, then all of the Clans are in danger of an attack…which reminds me Qrow, what really did happen to the Piece that the Rose Clan had before the joining?"
Qrow stared at him.
"Summer was the one who had it," he said, "At least, as far as I know. Since she disappeared as well as Taiyang, it makes me wonder if they don't already have it."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Ozpin said, "If there is one thing I knew about Summer Rose, is that she is quite a resilient one…but it is indeed worrying that she had disappeared without a trace."
Qrow stared at him.
"Still no trace of her?"
"I am still searching," Ozpin said, a trace of sadness appearing on his eyes, "But…there is nothing at all."
Qrow stared at the man across him. When he was in his youth, Ozpin was someone that he knew quite well back when Summer was still there along with Raven and Taiyang. Summer was the one who introduced them to the awkward silver haired teen that had become the man he was observing now. Summer had known him longer and there was something going on between these two even back then but he had never asked about it after all, he was only a young man back there himself.
"How is Ruby doing?" Ozpin asked, his eyes staring up at him.
"She…She is going alright," Qrow said, "She has taken to be a Huntress quite well and she had grown a lot since the fight against the White Fang…she has a lot of natural born talent…a lot like how Summer used to be."
Ozpin actually smiled lightly.
"She is her mother's daughter after all," the man said standing up.
Qrow stood up as well, "There is something I have been meaning to ask you since back then Oz. How long have you known Summer really?"
Ozpin smiled.
"Since she was nothing more than a small girl," he said, then started to chuckle as if laughing at a private joke, "She used to call me Fairy Prince because of my silver hair…"
He shook his head, "We'll keep in touch Qrow and I'll let you know when I have something."
Qrow stood up as well and made his way toward him, "One last thing Oz…do you think there is a way that I can get my Aura back?"
Ozpin came to a stop before glancing back at him with a light frown upon his face.
"Qrow…something like this is impossible," he said.
"But you think it can be done," Qrow asked, "I know you researched into it when I first lost my Aura before Summer's disappearance."
Ozpin frowned.
"My research is nothing more than that…research," he said, "You've lost your power because you made a sacrifice Qrow. Such a procedure will have risks…some I am not willing to take and leave these two girls without the last member of their family."
"It's going to become a war Oz," Qrow said, "You can't expect me to just stand aside and let those girls fight by themselves."
"They won't be alone," Ozpin told him, "Ruby and Yang…won't be alone if it ever did come to war."
The sound of the front door being opened drew the two men attention as footsteps filled the entire room.
"Uncle Qrow," Ruby's familiar voice called, "You home?"
"In here," Qrow called back.
The two girls appeared in the room and their eyes were instantly fixed upon Ozpin. Qrow noticed the odd look that appeared upon Ruby's face as she stared at the silver haired man and Yang had this confused look upon her face as she did as well.
"I didn't know you had company," Ruby said.
"Don't worry Ruby," Ozpin said his voice kind, "I was just about to leave."
With a light nod to Qrow, Ozpin walked out of the room leaving the two girls alone with their uncle.
Ruby stood there watching the strange man go. Something about the man was oddly familiar in a way and she was frowning lightly, wondering if she had met him somewhere before today but all that she was bringing up was a large blank wall.
"Something the matter Ruby?" Qrow asked.
"W…Who was that?" Ruby asked, turning her gaze at him.
"That was Ozpin," Qrow answered, "He was an old friend of your mother when we were about your age…thought we still stay in contact over the years…why is something the matter?"
Ruby shook her head.
"It's not that…it's just," she said, "I feel like I saw him somewhere before."
Schnee Manor
Weiss was standing in front the White Clan Council at least…a projection of the White Clan Council. They had summoned a meeting after receiving her reports about what Blake had revealed to her about Las Hazard. Ezekiel Schnee was there as well as her sister Winter as it was a official meeting with a Captain of the White Clan.
"The reports you have given us is quite troubling Captain Schnee," the male Councilmen said, "Not only that…despite the reports we've received of his death, that man Saddler is still alive."
"Those Grimm are the ones that sounds troubling," Winter said, "It could cause an unrest not seeing since the Dark Ages. If Saddler has enough to create them, I wonder who is funding him."
"This situation is not something that we can ignore," Ezekiel said, "While we don't know how strong these individual your Huntsman had faced, we need to put a stop to it immediately. Using human experiments is the most inhuman act in existence."
Weiss stared at the man.
"When should we begin this operation?" she asked.
"We will begin in two days," Ezekiel said, "Weiss, I want you to alert the Huntsman and Huntress that you have working with you in Vale and tell them to get ready for battle. Our success in this operation might decide the fate of Remnant itself. Dismissed."
With that the projection around her disappeared and Weiss let out a soft sigh. The young woman made her way out of the room and closed the door behind her. She looked up finding both Blake and Noir standing on there, the young man still having his arm into a sling.
"Well…what's the verdict?" he asked.
"We move out in two days," the white haired girl answered him, "Send word to Ruby and Yang, and tell them that we have a mission to accomplish."
Las Hazard
The pod opened as water spilled everywhere revealing the person that was within it. The young man had opened his eyes and with a burst of strength, he ripped off the binds that were holding him and he jumped forward landing down on the ground in a crouch.
Dark shadows grew from around his form as he kneeled there before he slowly stood up, his wet red hair sticking to his face, revealing the two horns that were upon his head revealing that the man was a Faunus. He was breathing heavily as he stood there glancing around himself before focusing on his hand and flexing his fingers almost as if he was testing himself.
"So…how does it feel…?" a man asked.
The redhead Faunus turned his eyes toward where it came from finding the man standing across him. He had a labcoat on, his darkish gray hair falling upon his back. The Faunus knew this man…Saddler…
"I…I feel…," the Faunus said, "I feel..powerful."
As he said that last word, dark shadows started to grow around his form and upon his face, a Grimm mask started to form until it completely covered his eyes…thought in the slit of the mask, glowing red eyes could be seen.
"What is your name?" Saddler asked.
The Faunus turned toward him.
"My name…is Adam Taurus," he growled.
"Good…good," Saddler said, "I guess Project Rebirth is going as expected."
Adam glowing red eyes fixed upon him.
"What about the others?" he asked.
"They will be ready in two days from the way things are going despite our little setback," Saddler told him, "Rest up and get used to your new…abilities Adam. I have a feeling that we're going to need them soon."
Wheels starts to turn in Las Hazard...
Next Time: Training for the Days
Jacques0 out.
R&R
