Chapter 10: Falls
All the students followed Ms. Goodwitch closely, making sure to stay close to each other's teammates at all times. The only exceptions to this pattern were Jaune, Suzaku, and Euphie.
Suzaku and Euphemia walked through the forest of red trees and grass, looking around in wonder at the scene in front of them. It had been about a week since Jaune had started training with Pyrrha, and already his skills were improving. Sadly, not all was well.
Suzaku had noticed the bags under Jaune's eyes. He always appeared to be tired. He barely got any sleep. Along with the fact that he had been staying with Cardin and his group far more than he should have.
"Suzaku, don't look so glum. Today is 'us' time," Euphie said.
Jaune could handle himself. It had been far too long since Suzaku and Euphie had had any time to themselves. And with this project coming up, Suzaku thought it might be a good idea to focus his attention on Euphie for a change - even though the other students were all around them.
"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Falls is indeed beautiful, but we are not here to sightsee," Ms. Goodwitch said as she walked in the front of the group, leading them through the forest with her crop held tightly in her grip. "Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I am here to make sure that none of you die while doing so," she finished as she stopped, before spinning around to look at all of the students.
Suzaku and Euphie were a bit antsy, but restrained enough to wait. They stood quietly as Ms. Goodwitch explained in detail the task that was assigned.
"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap." Ms. Goodwitch pulled out a jar of red sap to give the students an idea of what was required. "However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at four o'clock. Have fun!"
All of the teams went their separate ways. However, Jaune was grabbed by Cardin, leaving team JNPR just one man short.
(=+=)
Suzaku and Euphie stopped in a wild, secluded section of the woods. Both sighed in relief as they sat down at the base of one of the trees of the forest, basking in the warm rays of the sun. Suzaku had already gathered a jar of sap. He didn't need to worry about his teammates as they could handle themselves.
"Suzaku?" Euphie asked.
Suzaku turned his head towards her as he put his arms behind his head. "Yeah, Euphie?"
Euphie's expression was one of deep thought, before she raised her eyes to his.
"How is Britannia? How is Earth? When you were last there, what was it like?" Euphie asked with curiosity.
Suzaku's eyes widened at the question. He hadn't really thought about it much.
"Suzaku?" Euphie prompted with concern.
"I'm fine. I just haven't thought about it much," Suzaku said, before he continued. "The world is far more peaceful than it once was."
Euphie was now more curious than ever. What had happened when she was gone? She prodded for more. "And?"
Sigh... "Lelouch had brought peace through something called the Zero Requiem. It worked for a time, but eventually people started fighting again," Suzaku said with a bit of regret in his voice. "I had to use my authority in the UFE, a coalition of nations to get the fighting to stop. Ever since then, everything was quiet."
"And what of Lelouch?" Euphie asked, a smile adorning her face.
Suzaku bit his tongue at the mentioning of Lelouch's name. "Lelouch is…"
Euphie's smile faded.
Suzaku wished he hadn't said anything. "I'm sorry."
"No it's fine," Euphie said, "No one can live forever."
Both of them sat in a solemn silence. Neither of them wanted to make a move, but Suzaku broke the tension. He brought Euphie into his embrace, an embrace which she gladly accepted.
"Let's not worry about any of that. The past is the past. Let's try to live this life to the fullest," Suzaku said as he looked into Euphie's eyes.
"Yes, let's," Euphie said, before she raised her head and brought her lips to his.
The kiss was long overdue and passionate. They stayed in the embrace for a time, until Suzaku broke the kiss and smiled at her. He stroked her cheek to make sure this moment was real. He was so glad to have a second chance. He knew he had to break the moment or he would never want to leave.
"I'm getting kind of hungry. Do you want to set up that picnic?" Suzaku asked.
Euphie nodded as she went off to grab the picnic basket that she had brought.
(=+=)
"Yang, this is a terrible idea," Ruby said plainly.
The girls of team RWBY walked quietly through the woods of Forever Falls. All of them kept quiet as Yang led the way.
"Ruby, relax. We're just checking on them," Yang said with a devious grin on her face. "Besides, they won't even know we're there."
Weiss sped up her pace to walk beside Yang, before she spoke. "Yang, I know you like to have a bit of gossip, but this is ridiculous!"
Yang gave her a quick glance, before she turned her head back to the path, "Then why are you following me?" Yang asked.
Weiss crossed her arms, before she responded, "Professor Goodwitch said that we were to stay together," and then mumbled under her breath, "Like you'd listen to the professor anyways."
"Hey! What's that suppose to mean!" Yang retorted.
Both began to bicker as Ruby tried to calm their frustration. Blake stood behind the three of the girls, preferring not to get involved. She was rather preoccupied as other thoughts nagged her.
Blake was curious about the Faunus support group that Euphemia had started. She wanted to join, maybe it would help to have the support of other Faunus, but she worried. What if her team found out? What if the whole school found out? Rejection was the only thing keeping her from trying it.
Ruby was able to finally calm both sides, but it appeared that Yang had won the argument as Weiss and Ruby began to follow her once again, albeit begrudgingly. Blake followed behind as well. She knew this was a bad idea, but she kind of wanted to know what was going on between Suzaku and Euphemia. Just thinking about it made her think of her book 'Ninja's in Love'. She was, after all, a fanatic lover of romance novels.
The team came to a halt when Yang raised her hand, signalling to everyone to stop. All of the team gathered around and peeked through the bush to see Suzaku and Euphemia having a... picnic.
Yang's grin grew with each passing second as the two lovers talked, their arms wrapped around each other affectionately. Yang pulled out her scroll and began to take a few pictures.
"What are you doing?" Ruby whispered to her sister with a blush.
"I'm sorry, Ruby, but this is too good!" Yang quietly said with a giddy smile. She was taking far too much joy in snooping around in Suzaku's and Euphemia's love life. "It's just like those romance books Blake reads."
Blake blushed at the statement. "I-I do no such thing!" Blake said. Everyone rolled their eyes at the statement, before going back to watching the two lovers. Blake was a horrible liar when flustered.
As team RWBY was watching Suzaku and Euphemia under the guise of observation, team CRDL was observing the two with much more sinister intent.
Team CRDL stood around Jaune, the leader of team JNPR, menacingly. A box, humming with the sounds of insects laid beside Cardin, leader of team CRDL, along with a jar of red sap from the trees of the forest.
"Alright, boys," Cardin started with a sinister smirk, "Jaune here managed to gather up an entire box of rapier wasps, and now we're gonna use them."
All of Cardin's team smirked with him as Jaune gave a nervous chuckle - a look of horror on his face. Jaune was having some serious regrets.
Cardin continued. "Now, according to one of the essay's Jaune wrote for me last week, these nasty things love sweets. I'm thinking it's time we teach those two love birds a lesson."
Team CRDL stood up, as Jaune continued to look on in horror. Cardin's hand reached out as he pulled Jaune off the ground, before shoving the jar of red sap into Jaune's hands.
"Now you're gonna throw this jar at Suzaku, or you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon," Cardin threatened as he pointed Jaune at Suzaku and Euphemia.
Both of them looked like they were having an enjoyable time. Both were laughing and, from the sounds of things, flirting with each other.
Jaune looked at Cardin and then back to Suzaku and Euphemia a few times. He was in inner turmoil. He couldn't just leave Beacon! He had a team, friends. He was actually learning from Pyrrha!
But it would also be a breach of trust if he threw the sap at Suzaku and Euphemia. He was Suzaku's friend. Along with the fact that he was a huntsman.
Jaune thought hard on the topic, but one thought helped him finally decide. What would Pyrrha do. In fact, what would any huntsman do? They were suppose to be pillars of justice. He couldn't just let this happen. It was his duty as a huntsman to protect others.
"No," Jaune said.
Cardin narrowed his eyes at Jaune, bringing his mace into his hands.
"What did you say?" Cardin hissed.
Jaune tightened his fist. "I said, no!" Jaune threw the jar of sap at Cardin, covering him in the sticky substance. Cardin and his team looked at Jaune, like tigers ready for the pounce.
"Oh, you've done it now, Jauney boy," Cardin said as he and his team grabbed Jaune and dragged him off deeper into the forest.
(=+=)
Suzaku and Euphie sat around flirting with each other. As time had passed, the two had gotten more and more comfortable. Team RWBY watched with interest at the lover's interactions. How did it even reach this point? In fact, was that really grape juice?
"Uncle Qrow's gonna love this!" Yang said with mirth. Blake watched with a blush on her cheeks as well. Ruby and Weiss had to stop watching five minutes prior. They just couldn't continue to watch such… bombastic displays of affection.
"I can't believe them. Such perverts," Weiss said with disgust towards Yang.
Yang turned her head and gave her a stink-eye, before she went back to watching the lovers. Ruby nodded her head in agreement with Weiss.
"I'm sorry, Weiss. My sister tends to have an interest with- erm… I don't even know," Ruby said with a sigh. Too many had fallen to Yang's gossip. It was a tragedy.
As team RWBY continued to watch, Jaune was in a rather dire predicament.
Cardin held Jaune's form in his hand. Jaune's face was covered with bruises as he hang motionless in Cardin's grasp.
"I'm gonna send you back to your mommy in teeny, tiny pieces.," Cardin said to Jaune with his fist raised.
Jaune simply said back to him, "I don't care what you do to me, but you are not messing with my team."
Cardin sneered at this response as he threw Jaune to the ground. The rest of his team stood around them and watched. "Do you think talk like that makes you tough?" Cardin teased, "You think you're a big strong man now?"
Jaune, through the pain and fear, managed to smile a small smile, as if he was amused. Cardin punched him in anger, only to find his fist meeting Jaune's aura. Cardin winced in pain, before Russell, one of Cardin's teammates, kicked Jaune in the back.
Cardin stood back up and sneered. "Let's see how much of a man you really are."
However, before the fight could begin, a loud roar rang out through the forest. Team CRDL looked around for the origin of the sound, but found something that they weren't looking for. A massive ursa stomped heavily through the brush of the forest and towards the bullies and their victim. But, seeing at how massive the ursa was, it would be a better observation to say that they were all going to be the victims...had everyone on team CRDL, with the exception of Cardin and Jaune, not run away.
Cardin stood his ground, but was swatted away like a fly. Jaune winced at the sight. That must have hurt. Cardin put his mace up to act as a defense, but it was thrown out of his grasp like a twig by the ursa.
Jaune stood up to see why the Grimm had not attacked him. What made the Grimm want to attack Cardin. Jaune's eyes then saw it. The sap!
Jaune looked into the forest. He could run away now and leave Cardin for dead or…
Jaune sighed. He couldn't believe he was about to do this.
(=+=)
Yang and Blake were watching intently as Suzaku's and Euphie's lips drew closer to each other. Their eyes were shut. This was it! Yang held up her scroll, waiting to take the shot until they heard a loud roar echo throughout the forest.
"Did you guys hear that?" Ruby asked.
Everyone looked around for the source of the noise.
Suddenly, team CRDL ran through the brush in terror.
"Ursa! Ursa!" Russell screamed. Yang stood from her hiding spot and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"Where?" Yang asked with force behind her words. Russell pointed back in the opposite direction from where he came.
"Back there! It's got Cardin!" Russell said with worry.
Rustling could be heard behind Yang as she turned around, throwing Russell away as she did so. Green eyes met her purple ones.
Weiss spoke plainly. "Yep, Yang, you are royally screwed."
Suzaku stood looking at his team with anger seething in his eyes. Yang gave a dry chuckle as she raised her hands in defense. "Hi."
"I will scold you later, but right now Jaune and Cardin are in danger," Suzaku said coldly as he walked past all of them before he began to sprint.
Ruby went into leader mode as she pointed to Yang and Blake. "You, perv- whatever that word is, go get Professor Goodwitch," Ruby ordered.
Both nodded begrudgingly as they ran to get the professor. People could be so judgemental. It was just for gossip, at least for Yang anyway. All Blake could think about was her romance novels.
Ruby and Weiss ran with Suzaku - all of them rushing to the location. Pyrrha appeared beside them.
"We need to move," Pyrrha said with worry.
All of team RWBY nodded as they sped up. They finally reached the location to see Cardin getting beaten pretty badly by the ursa.
The final blow was about to come from the ursa, but, to everyone's surprise, Jaune blocked the strike with his shield. Jaune struggled to hold back the Grimm, but managed to push the claw of the ursa away and slashed at the Grimm with his sword, cutting it. The ursa swung at Jaune, but this time Jaune rolled to avoid it. His eyes were on the Grimm as he raised his sword and shield.
Jaune charged, but was knocked away with a swat of its paw. Jaune stood back up and charged again, only for the same result. Jaune looked at his scroll to see his aura was in the red. Jaune looked at the Grimm once more, before he charged one final time.
Jaune raised his sword for a jab, but left himself vulnerable to the ursa's incoming claw. Pyrrha's eyes widened as she raised her hand. Jaune's shield glowed as it moved itself to block the ursa's incoming strike. Jaune successfully blocked the attack, and swung his sword. He cut the ursa's head clean off.
Pyrrha lowered her hand and sighed. Ruby and Weiss looked at her in confusion.
"What..." Ruby said with mild curiosity.
Weiss looked closely at Pyrrha. "How did you…"
Pyrrha smiled, "Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs, while my semblance is polarity."
Ruby smiled with wonder. "Woah, you can control poles."
"No, you dunce!" Weiss corrected, "It means she has control over magnetism!"
Suzaku took a step away from her with a bit of uncertainty. "Remind me not to let you near the Albion," Suzaku said with a chuckle.
Pyrrha turned around and began to walk away, before Ruby and Weiss asked her where she was going.
"We have to tell the professor what happened," Ruby said.
Pyrrha gave a small smile. "Perhaps… or perhaps we could just keep it our little secret."
Suzaku smirked at that. Pyrrha, trying to protect Jaune... how kind.
Meanwhile, Jaune sheathed his sword as he walked over to Cardin and offered his hand. Cardin accepted it with his eyes looking towards the ground.
When Cardin stood up, he spoke, "Jaune, that was awesome,"
Jaune looked him in the eyes, never turning away. "Don't mess with my team - my friends - ever again. Got it?" Jaune said.
Cardin gave a curt nod as Jaune walked back to his friends. "Let's go."
Everyone followed behind Jaune as they met back with all the other students.
(=+=)
Suzaku and Euphie prepared for bed, tucking themselves under the covers.
Suzaku smiled, "This was not what I was expecting when Alpha said new life."
"Neither did I," Euphie replied with a soft smile, "I thought that everything would change, and it did… except for one thing."
"What's that?" Suzaku asked.
Suzaku's eyes widened as their lips met together. Both fell into the embrace quickly. Euphie parted from the kiss with a knowing smile.
"Our love," Euphie said.
Suzaku couldn't help but agree. This love he would cherish until the end of time.
Author's notes: Happy New Year and Merry Christmas! It's a bit late I suppose, sorry about that! I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope I fulfilled some of the requests for some Suzaku x Euphie. I did promise it, after all. ;-)
Thank you for reading my book. If you like the book, please do follow and favorite it. If you like me, please do follow and favorite me. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day.
P.S.
I have written another RWBY related story about the beginning of Remnant. Sadly, it's no longer canon with the release of volume four, but it's still a good read and I recommend you check it out. Thank you and bye.
P.P.S.
I've also decided that I won't put this book on hiatus. I love my fans too much to do that. So instead, I plan on releasing a chapter for each book. I'll do a chapter for FullMetal Alchemist: Reborn, then one for this book, rinse and repeat. That way, I can update both. Hooray!