Well, it's taken me a while to write this and anything else really as I've been going through a financial and emotional crisis which has finally seen fit to resolve itself. I've taken three vacations over three weekends and dear God I want another one T^T BUT you all come first and so I must declare the most of my stories will be on hiatus until I can write again.
Chapter 2: Troubling Times
After a tough time convincing Taiyang Xiao-Long to let them go, Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao-Long embarked for this year's Hunter Exam. Crossing the treacherous ocean on the boat of Pro-Hunter Walker Hembree, they arrived at the port town of Vale with their new friends Jaune and Blake. Now on their way to Beacon City, what manner of tests will they face on their way to become great Huntsmen?
"Ugh," Jaune groaned as they stood by the map of Vale, "I think that stinking captain messing with my whatever-he-called-it has upset my balance. The land feels weird." He finished as he gripped his stomach.
"Jaune, he corrected your balance by adjusting the flow of your vestibular system." Blake said as she rolled her eyes as Jaune's stomach growled, "And you're just hungry!"
"Oh yeah," He chuckled, "I guess the sea air really cleared me out, better refuel and get acquainted with the land again." He finished with a goofy grin.
"Well I hope you're buying because I'm starving!" Yang added as she approached with a slip of paper. "Besides you should reward me on finding out how to get to the exam easier."
"But the captain said to just head towards Forever Fall." Ruby said with a frown.
"Yes, but this is all one big test, so he could have been lying." Yang added, "You shouldn't be too trusting of others Ruby. Now I've analyzed what dad told us, the captain said, as well as what some people have said around town and the best way to go is actually by a train that runs through the forest itself." She said with a cocky grin.
"But my mom told me not to take the train." Jaune said with a confused look.
"I was told by a contact of mine that any mode of transportation is no doubt a ruse to take Hunter Hopefuls away from the exam site." Blake said flashing her phone's screen.
"Ah," Yang started, "well I-I found the information?"
Ruby laughed at her sister, "Well then it's decided, we take the forest path!"
Yang sighed, "Fine, how do we get there?
"It's my understanding you are supposed to take the direct route to the scenic nature hike." Blake added as she pointed towards the large blue banner with yellow writing that said 'Tour'.
They all stood in shock at how they had missed such a sign before carrying on towards the tour site joined by other Hunter Hopefuls and local tourists. "Welcome, one and all to the Grand Forever Fall Forest Tour!" cried the man before them who wore a green robe with black accents, a brown shirt and long black pants with strange white cloth shoes from some desert region. He had short black unruly hair and large glasses. "My name is Derek Anderson, and I will be your guide on this lovely tour through the dangerous and mysterious Forever Fall Forest! Now tourists if you will please cross over here to where I am, you're going to participate in this preliminary evaluation of these Hunter Hopefuls before you with me!" The tourists crossed the line, giggling like this was some big sort of game. "Now there's a good bit of you, how about you split up into groups of say, six people?" Ruby flinched and looked to her friends who seemed to be sharing the same expression.
"Hey, let's team up!" A boy called to them as they turned to look at him. He had black hair and bright orange eyes with pale skin and a slender frame. He wore denim jeans with tennis shoes a grey sleeveless shirt with a Phoenix on it and a black jacket with flames on the cuffs and sleeves. Next to him stood a girl who looked rather bored wearing a white tank top and a buttoned up beige vest. She wore khaki cargo shorts and sandals as she totted a sledgehammer on her narrow shoulders. They approached the group with confidence the boy practically bouncing off the street as the girl's stride couldn't be broken. "If we need six members I think it'd be best if we had a group that could indefinitely pass." The boy said with a grin, "I'm Pyron Kasai, and this is my sister Newt Peater."
"Those are interesting names." Yang said, "I'm Yang, and this is my sister Ruby."
"Hello."
"I'm Blake." The girl beside them added.
"And uh, I'm Jaune, the Hero of this story." He said pointing to his chest with his thumb.
"Cool!" Pyron said as he raised his hand to high-five Jaune who reluctantly accepted.
"Alright kids and grownups alike, I hope you've chosen your partners because here's where the real fun begins." Derek declared as he clapped his hands together. "The tourists here most definitely want to see something amazing from Forever Fall, so I've made a list of cards of cool places, plants, and animals to see. Bring your tourist what's on their card and I'll show you the way to the Hunter Exam, however if you injure the surrounding area or your tourist in any way. You fail." He said as he took off his glasses revealing his hazel eyes. "So make sure to succeed. One more thing, the tourist will tell you what they want to see, but under no circumstances must you look at their card. If you do, you fail. Now go on, your tourist will pick you."
Ruby and her group looked at one another as a young boy about six years old ran up to them. "Hi, I'd like to see the carnivorous kukuno if you don't mind!" He said with a grin. They all shared a concerned expression before setting off to find their target.
"That's a little cruel of you to do this year." A tourist said to Derek as the teams separated.
"A lot of being a Hunter is working off limited information to find something while protecting an innocent along the way. In order to learn they have to be tested." Derek replied, "Besides, since when did you care Victoria?"
She giggled, "Just wanted you to know how much of a jerk you are."
He smiled, "Right back at you."
Further within the Forest
"So this, carnivorous kukuno, does it eat people?" Jaune asked hesitantly as they walked along with the boy.
"Oh yes! It secretes a pheromone that humans find pleasing and then it gobbles them up, it's super cool!" He replied as he bounced along without a care in the world. They exchanged glances as they proceeded deeper into the woods looking for a plant which they knew almost nothing about. It wasn't long before they heard screams and a group of Hunter Hopefuls ran past them being chased by a group of oversized wild boars.
"What on earth are those?" Blake asked as one of the boars kicked off the ground and kicked a man in the back.
"Kenpo Boars, very funny if you ask me. Oh, and now they've spotted us!" He grinned.
Ruby drew her scythe and rushed in, kicking off strong and clearing the distance in one leap. The boar however, flipped overhead and got ready to kick her before Yang punched it in the spine and it thudded to the ground. More boars rushed their way and everyone got ready, Jaune drew his sword and his sheath extended into a shield as Blake drew her chain-scythe from her waist and threw it towards a boar, snaring it's legs as Jaune leapt in to stab it through the heart. The last of the boars tried to wake his unconscious companion before being caught over the head by Newt's sledgehammer as Pyron drove his sword through the boar Yang knocked out. "Disqualified!" The tourist with the other group cried. "Oh, did we forget to mention, if someone else takes your target you lose!" The Hopefuls looked at each other in disbelief as Yang turned to her group.
"We need to hurry! If it secretes a pheromone, we can smell it right?" She asked. Blake was two steps ahead of her as she climbed the trees quickly and took a deep smell of the surrounding area and began to move through the treetops. "After her!" Yang cried as they chased their friend to make sure she wasn't eaten. After twenty minutes of running they found their friend face to face with the deadly plant, along with a large bear.
"Blake, get out of there!" Ruby cried.
"Cru-tan, bear-bear." The boy beside them called, as the plant lashed out with lightning speed and snatched up the bear so the girl was unharmed as blood slowly dripped from the plants mouth as it made a sickening crunch as it chewed it's food. They stood horrified as the boy approached the plant and petted it's head, "Good Cru-tan, protecting the nice lady who let me see you! Good carnivorous plant!" He cooed as the plant actually began purring and revealing what appeared to be a smile. "Thank you for taking me to see Cru-tan, I'll go back with you now."
They began their long trek out of the forest and back towards the city where they looked up to see the banner changed to "Congratulations!" As one of the female tourists with Derek blew a party horn, "Congratulations on surviving the trials we placed before you!" Derek cried with enthusiasm as he danced about with castanets. "You were the first group to leave the forest! And as such, we will take you to the exam site as we are this year's Navigators! He declared pulling the woman close as the boy ran over to him.
"Did I do good dad?" The boy asked.
"Yes you did." He grinned.
"Dad!?" They declared.
"Well yeah, all the 'tourists' are actually my family visiting us in Vale just for the exam." He smiled, "So I made a little game out of it."
"But he's really young, and we had to find a carnivorous plant, and you're…" Jaune sputtered out before Derek raised his hand.
"I'm 24, and this is my four-year old son Virgil, and my wife Victoria. We're navigators for the exam this year since they're running a little short due to recent events." He replied. "Now, let's hop into my truck and I'll drive you to the exam site. Where are my keys?"
"You gave them to grandpa!" The boy replied as his father cried out.
"He's still in the forest! I'm coming papa!" Derek screamed as he took off at full speed into the woods as everyone just stood by with a confused expression on their faces.
"This is our examiner." Yang said bluntly.
"Yep." Ruby replied.
After navigating the forest of Forever Fall, Ruby and associates gained two new allies and proceed to the exam's real location with the eccentric Derek. They face many trials ahead of them on the road to becoming Hunters, and more adversaries who are stronger than they could imagine.
WHOO! DEREK! He's another of my real life friends and is our groups designated sexy man. He's got good brains but he is a bit forgetful and airheaded at times. So I think I captured him well. Now it's on to the exam which you all no doubt want to see, be prepared, for major characters inbound!