Ugh, finals, job hunting, and roleplaying management is quite the pain when it comes to finding time to write. Especially when you finish all that and all you want to do is sit back and play a nice RPG while listening to The Black Mages. But I'm done now and I'm back to writing with HunterXRWBY, Remnants of RWBY, and Guardians of Wakfu. If you want to give them a read go ahead as it will take me time to release the other chapters, but until then you'll have to settle for this one.
Chapter 9- The Sea of Sand
Ruby and Co survive their ordeal against the Reds and Blues only to have themselves thrust into the third phase of the Exam with no time for rest. Bartholomew Oobleck hosts this phase, and to Ruby's concern they know nothing about this Hunter other than his fondness for coffee. A challenging trial of mental fortitude is about to unfold…
Ruby looked through the sea of faces as they walked into the burning sun and she looked over the cliff behind them. The miles of tunnels beneath them had led them far from the forest as it was merely a wave of green on the horizon, while before them stretched a vast expanse of desert. "Hello there everyone, my name is Bartholomew Oobleck!" A voice called from above as they redirected their attention towards the sky where they saw a man in a hot air balloon. "And as of this moment you will relinquish all of your non-essential items to me, including but not limited to: Backpacks, phones, snacks, bottled water, jewelry, and any remote GPS." He finished as the balloon descended to land before them. "If you do not, you will be dropped from the exam here and now."
Everyone looked at one another before walking up to the balloon and taking everything from their pockets and dropping them on the ground, and those with satchels or backpacks dropped them in front of the man. He quickly gathered everything into one large cloth bag that he lifted onto his shoulder. "Now, you will wait here for another few minutes as Glynda and the others come here to tell you the rules of my examination. I'd stick around, but there's simply no time to waste." He said before taking off faster than their eyes could follow across the desert, kicking up a miniature sandstorm in his wake across the dunes.
"Holy shit." Knives said next to Ruby, "That must have easily weighed about a ton, and to be able to move faster than a high end sports car while carrying all that," He said pausing in wonder, "that's what it is to be a Hunter." He finished grinning in excitement.
She smiled as well, "Well we've come this far, might as well see it through to the end." She finished as they all took a seat on the warm sand, feeling it's heat beneath them like a warm summer day at the beach. "If only there were some water around here I'd love to go swimming."
Yang laughed, "And I'd like to show off my swimsuit, but too bad it's with that Oobleck guy."
"Well this is the first time we've had a rest period," Luxus added, "Maybe we should get to know each other?" He asked, but was quickly cut off by a loud thud, as he turned to see Glynda Goodwitch with Walker and Ozpin.
"Geez, typical you'd make us carry your luggage." Walker complained as Ozpin chuckled.
"Well we are gentlemen after all." He commented as Glynda gave them both a glare.
"Right, shutting up now." Walker said as he walked past them all and hopped into the hot air balloon to check the weights and the torch.
"All right ladies and gentlemen," Glynda started, "Based on your performance in the last phase we will be splitting you up into groups based on ability and level of familiarity. Meaning you will be paired with strangers in order to ensure a degree of difficulty as you cross the Vacuo Divide to Vacuo City and Vacuo Harbor. You will be in pair of two with one of you carrying a pack of supplies and the other carrying a pack full of rocks, you are not allowed to open these to check them until you reach the end. Remember that in order to pass you must reach the other side with your pack intact. Now I shall distribute the teams." She finished as she began calling names and badge numbers as everyone began to move towards her to grab their packs.
Ruby looked around nervously as people's pairs truly were random. She began to go through the list until she reached those who'd made it in last, "102, Todo you'll be with number 157 Zepile. Number 10, Caradin Cross is with number 166 Deverou Tenebrous." With this Deverou looked worriedly at Weiss before grabbing his pack with Caradin. "Number 490 Pyron Kasai with Number 204 David Frystalik. Number 491 Newt Peater with Number 278 Luxus Rayfor von Wurfel." Newt looked panicked and looked from Pyron to Luxus as she growled angrily.
"Number 89 Pyrrha Nikos with Number 165 Weiss Schnee." With this Deverou sighed relief as Pyrrha and Weiss walked over and happily got their packs.
"Number 486 Yang Xiao-Long with Number 118 Nora Valkyrie. Number 489 Blake Belladonna with Number 117 Lie Ren." Yang looked at Ruby with sadness before Nora grabbed her by the shoulder and skipped over to get their packs while Ren and Blake walked in silence.
"Number 488 Jaune Arc with Number 495 Cardin Winchester. Number 423 Bloody Knives and Number 143 Tonpa. Number 487 Ruby Rose and Number 321 Penny." Glynda finished as a bright orange haired girl bounded up to her.
"I guess we're partners!" She exclaimed with delight as she bound over and picked Ruby up as the smaller girl flailed while they walked over and got their packs.
"You have a week to cross the desert, after that time we will assume you are dead." Glynda said as everyone looked around in concern as the Vacuo Divide was 200 miles in length, "Be wary of sand pits, sand worms, and Goliath Antlions; for they will kill you without hesitation. Now we will be departing, and feel free to do so at your own leisure, but know you are on a deadline. Goodbye." She finished as she stepped into the balloon with Ozpin and they took off into the sky. Taurus and White Rabbit who were the first to finish had been paired together and took off into the desert at a brisk run, while many others followed them including Jaune and Cardin, Caradin and Deverou, Pyron and David, and Yang and Nora. Ruby got ready to run but saw that Penny was sitting down along with Pyrrha and Weiss, Blake and Ren, Knives and Tonpa, and Luxus.
"Um, start means go." Ruby said as Newt tried to coerce Luxus off the sand.
"The others are expending too much energy." Penny said looking out at them, "Taurus and White Rabbit could run it alone, but by dashing out so suddenly they coerced the others to run with them. The others will all die." She said blatantly as Ruby looked to the others assembled on the sand with her.
"It's best to just wait until nightfall when the desert is at it's coldest so you can use the most of your energy." Weiss said as Pyrrha nodded.
"So we're here to wait it out." Knives added as he leaned back and moved the shaded goggles over his eyes. "Wake me up in a bit, would you?" He asked Tonpa, who sat in shock of the young man's carelessness. Ruby looked at the others and figured it was best to do as they said and sat down with Penny.
"Waiting doesn't have to be boring, it can be fun!" Penny said as she began to play Cat's Craddle with some String she had with her. "If you want to help me I'd appreciate it." She beamed.
Ruby moved over to where she was and moved the string as she directed so they could complete the pattern. "So where are you from Penny?"
"Atlas, my father is a scientist and a Hunter for General Ironwood." She said as she weaved her fingers through the string artfully like a spider weaving a web, "My father loves me very much, but he doesn't let me go out and do many things like this so I took the opportunity to sneak off and try my hand at this exam. So far it's been very easy, but also very fun." She said as she finished the pattern. "What about you Ruby?"
"It's kind of the same situation, except that the two men with Glynda vouched for me and persuaded my father to let me go with them to take the exam with my sister. It's actually been a little difficult, and a little weird as well. Especially when it comes to fights, we encountered this guy Hisoka earlier and his hands and body seemed to shimmer with light." She explained.
"Like this?" Penny asked as she moved her hands and beams of light flicked across them as she formed a new Cat's Craddle out of light.
"Yeah, how are you doing that!?" Ruby asked moving closer to try and see, as her hand passed over the light and it felt like real string.
"It's a power called Nen, every Hunter can use it, and those who wish to become Hunters must learn how to. The fact that you can see it is remarkable, it means you're on the threshold of discovering it yourself. Most people spend years trying to uncover the secret, and when you do you'll be able to create your own unique talent." Penny said as the light dispelled from her hands. "But I think that's the role of the exam this year is to ensure the candidates picked have a great potential for growth, or at least that's what my father said."
Ruby pondered her words and looked at her own hands, "My own unique talent huh?" She stated out loud as she began to think of her mother and her father, what kind of powers did they have? What would she discover, and why were they so intent on getting people with powers? These questions rattled in her mind until the sun began to set, and with it her chance to ponder these more as everyone began to stir. They took their positions as the sun set over the last dune and then they took off a full speed into the dark sands.
With the next phase begun, and everyone spread apart it will be a race to the finish in order to make it in time. But the desert is unforgiving and will claim those who are unprepared to master it's terrain and match it's beasts in ferocity. And what of Ruby's slowly manifesting power, what will be the result of her metamorphosis? The current number of candidates is 98.
Ey! Finished and now we have "My Life as a Teenage Robot" Penny! JK, but seriously though Penny will serve an important purpose and so shall many others to come. But for now enjoy, and know that soon you shall see many Hunters as conflicts begin to brew and war grows among the disenfranchised. To Madness!