I'm just gonna pretend like I haven't been gone for a month.
I've been thinking about a lot of things story wise, and I don't know how it'll pan out.
Also tell me what you guys think about my first "Arc Bridging" chapter.
As the night coated sky lingered above Beacon academy, one would assume that after a tiring day of classes, combat, and teenage adventure. The occupants of the school would be busy within their dorms, resting and recuperating, and attempting homework and extra readings on the side.
Not this pair of particular students, however.
As the sound of metal crashing against metal sounded off all throughout the training hall, Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka crossed their blades.
The white haired heiress shoved the male off her, ending the contact their blades had. She kept Myrtenaster pointed to the side, being mindful of its sharp point as she circled her opponent.
"Good, you're learning." Shirou called out, in his hand was a rapier of his own. From the history Weiss' weapon had imparted on him, it became clear that she was trained in the art of fencing, it was however heavily adapted to do battle with the Creatures of Grimm and not for one on one duels. "Let's pick up the pace shall we?"
Rin nodded, as she and Shirou launched forward. Their blades meeting once more in a vicious dance of parries and thrusts.
Calling on the wisdom of The Knight of the White Lily: Chevalier d'Eon, Shirou was determined to properly instruct Rin in the ways of the sword. It had occurred to him to simply trace Myrtenaster and use the knowledge within the weapon, reteaching her the style of combat that Weiss Schnee had become accustomed to. However, the Schnee heiress' fighting style was built upon experience and mastery of the fundamentals, both things Rin did not have. So Shirou had taken it upon himself to teach her, even if he had to beat it into her.
Shirou let out a vocalization as he struck, his rapier meeting Myrtenaster with a screech that only metal on metal contact could create. Rin grit her teeth, Shirou's rapier was beginning to slide down the length of Myrtenaster's blade.
"This is how you lost Spar #23 Tohsaka." Shirou reminded. "Adapt or lose."
Rin sent her free hand to the length of her blade, pushing and bracing it to stop Shirou's advance. "Good." He complimented. "Now wha-AAA!" Shirou exclaimed, arms swinging wildly as he dismissed the blade in his hands before he tasted the training room's floor.
Shirou sent her a dirty look as she laughed at his expense. He looked at the spot where he once stood, just in time to see a white snowflake like symbol on the ground vanished.
"Oops?" She smirked.
"I thought we agreed, no Semblance." Said Shirou as he sat himself up.
"Hey, you said I could experiment with it Emiya." She countered.
"I'll give you that." Shirou replied. "But I thought we agreed, sword practice is for swords only." He shook his head. "Did you think of a cover story yet? Explaining your Finn Shots are hard enough, now we have to explain your...what did you call them?"
"Glyphs." Rin corrected.
"Right, your Glyphs." Shirou finished.
It had been an eventful few days since classes had begun, according to their plans. Shirou had begun training Rin in swordplay, something the white haired girl was very quick to learn. He supposed it was because of Weiss' experience, she was in a way guiding Rin's movements when fighting, but despite this Rin still made many mistakes that were very easy to capitalize on. He wondered if that was Rin's doing, or some bad habits that Weiss herself had.
In one particular sparring match they had, Rin had shoved Shirou back several feet and kept him pinned to a wall. He had to admit, while being an accidental usage, Weiss' Semblance was powerful. It had kept him pinned to the wall for over half an hour, and if it weren't for the fact that Rin was a quick study in learning control, he would have never have gotten down.
"Alright." Shirou announced. "One more time, then we'll call it a night."
"Finally." Rin said with a smile. "It feels like your training sessions become longer each time." Oh they were, but what Rin didn't know wouldn't hurt her. She had to build up endurance somehow.
As Shirou traced the rapier he had previously once again, Rin simply raised Myrtenaster. It was finally starting to feel like a part of her, and not just some borrowed tool.
"En garde." She smirked.
Within the confines of the Headmaster's office, the silver haired Professor surveyed the video feed on the screen to his side. He dismissed the feed of the training session that was currently going on with a wave of his hand, returning his attention to the group of people that were before him.
"I'm glad you all could make it." Ozpin began. "I hope I didn't interrupt any plans you may have had."
"While I appreciate the theatrics Oz, tell us why summoned us here." Said Brutus Geel from near the elevator. The other occupants of the room namely: Professor Peter Port, Thumbelina Peach, and Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck looked to the Headmaster expectantly.
Glynda who stood beside him was silent, choosing to remain neutral and not speak. She knew the reason why the Headmaster had summoned these people in particular after all.
"I'll cut to the chase." said Ozpin. "I'd like to know how a certain student is performing in your classes."
"You're referring to Mr. Emiya, yes?" Bartholomew asked.
Ozpin nodded. "Correct, he is someone who's progress I'd like to know about."
"Playing favorites again, Oz?" asked Peach with a sigh. "Why am I not surprised? There's bound to be a student you can't keep your eyes off every year." Brushing away a strand of hair that matched the color of her name, the Plant Sciences Professor gave a brief chuckle. "I suppose I'll start first. He's such a nice boy, he's so gentle with my plants and equipment, and attentive to boot." she sighed. "If only all the students were like him."
"I agree." Port interjected. "I haven't had any trouble with the boy myself, but he's proactive and is meticulous with his work."
"I can tolerate him." The former soldier turned Professor added from his spot at the back of the room. "He isn't naive, he knows how the world works, a shame that he and the Schnee aren't on the same team, those two together would be quite the force."
Glynda raised a brow at this. "I don't think I've ever seen you this expressive Brutus." She smirked. "I see you have your favorite students."
Brutus replied with a scoff. "Any student who I don't have to remind that the world of Huntsmen isn't a romantic fairytale, is a student I will gladly continue to teach."
"That being said." Oobleck cleared his throat. "Mr. Emiya does seem to struggle in my class, earlier this week I called upon him to answer a simple question. He struggled and fumbled, as if he didn't know the answer."
"Bartholomew, we've talked about this." Peach interjected. "Questions that are easy for you, may not be easy for everyone else."
"But this was common knowledge!" Oobleck exploded. "I refuse to believe that there exists a human on Remnant that doesn't know when the Great War took place." The green haired Professor coughed into his hand, somewhat embarrassed that he had exclaimed in such a manner. "I apologize, though I suppose history isn't Mr. Emiya's strong suit. However, like Peter said: the young man is proactive. After my class, I managed to spot him and Miss Schnee in the library going over the discussion from my class, and gathering supplemental data."
"Miss Schnee again?" Ozpin muttered, the white haired heiress seemed to be a central figure in Shirou's life. However, he'd never mentioned her but they acted with such a sense of familiarity. Just how were they connected?
Ozpin glanced over to the blonde Professor. "Glynda? How is he in your classes?"
Glynda tapped a few times on her tablet, allowing a projection of her screen to hover in the air before her. "He's quite stellar, aside from his first match with Miss Xiao Long." A small window had appeared displaying Shirou being tossed about by his blonde opponent. "Shirou has shown incredible mastery of multiple weapons, and I make it a habit to allow him one match per class."
"Shirou? Not Mr. Emiya?" Peach smirked. "My my, it seems that Ozpin isn't the only one to take a liking to our talented freshman. Right Glyndie?"
Ozpin chuckled, letting the opportunity to tease Glynda pass him by. Then returned his thoughts to Shirou. He was a warrior of such prowess, and at such a young age. Ozpin smiled, it made him remember a time long passed. Of where young men and women ventured out into the world, seeking glory or just to hone their craft.
"I see." Said Ozpin, pushing away those thoughts of a bygone era. If Shirou Emiya was a modern day hero, then he'd have to be observed. Figure out how he operated, and perhaps sway him.
He needed all the help he could get.
Rin let out a huff as she shut the door to her locker, Myrtenaster safely stored inside. "Stupid Shirou." she grumbled, another sparring match lost. She was making steady progress, but she was no prodigy swordswoman by any means.
Turning away, Rin headed for the entrance of the locker room and over to the meeting place she and Shirou had decided on.
Upon exiting she had paused, her light aqua blue eyes making eye contact with a pair of darker ones. "Hello, Jaune." Rin greeted, she immediately took note of how Jaune was dressed and the fact that he carried his weapon with him. "If you're going to train tonight, then I suggest sticking to the training dummies." she smirked. "I may or may not have thrown Shirou over my shoulder, and into the hard light construct generator."
"Wow." Jaune commented. "You beat Shirou? That's amazing."
"I never said that." She sighed. "I just threw him around for a bit, but that's it." As much as she'd like to claim she beat Shirou during their spars, she didn't and she wasn't really a braggart...anymore at least.
"O-Oh." Jaune had replied, then fell silent. He stood there awkwardly, glancing at her person every now and then.
"Well...I'll be going now Jaune." Rin said, excusing herself as she walked past the male.
"Y-Yeah, bye." Jaune replied weakly, Rin had seen his hand go up in an attempt to wave but he'd seem to decide against it. She paid it no mind, and instead opted to move on, she'd kept Shirou waiting long enough.
Rounding the next corner the hall had presented to her, Rin was met with the ever patient visage of Shirou Emiya. It warmed her heart, seeing him waiting for her without a complaint waiting to be uttered was nice.
Sometimes it made her think, how unfortunate it was that they'd broken up.
Rin shook her head, this wasn't the time to be thinking of what could have been. They'd gone their separate ways after a mutual decision, it wasn't something because of some petty argument or whatever. They'd just wanted to go in different directions, and neither was willing to alter their paths.
She had just began shadowing Lord El-Melloi, to accompany him on his travels outside the clocktower. Shirou wanted to fulfill his dream of becoming a hero. She'd be lying if they didn't try to make it work between them those first few months, but they ultimately decided that it was best to go their separate ways.
Her first relationship lasted only three and a half years, not bad if she had anything to say about it.
Her feelings for Shirou remained, that was always a given. There was only one Shirou Emiya after all, she'd be hard pressed to find someone like him again in another lifetime. Though, perhaps this was the second chance she was looking for…
As unlikely as it was, Rin treasured Shirou's friendship. It was rare of exes to be on such good terms with each other, but that was because their relationship was forged through the mental and physical suffering known as the Holy Grail War.
"Hey E-miya!" She greeted, putting emphasis on the E in his surname. "I didn't keep you waiting did I?"
Shirou shook his head, considerate as always. "You didn't take that long, Tohsaka."
She sighed. "Shirou, you really need to stop calling me that. It's either Rin or Weiss, calling me a third thing will be harder to explain." After confirming their suspicions that the Headmaster knew more than he was letting on, the duo had decided to play things closer to their chests. Their abilities were to be used more sparingly, that was the first thing they'd decided on.
Shirou was free to use his Projections, but should keep his repertoire of weapons he showed off to a minimum. She'd cautioned him about using some of his stronger Noble Phantasms, the sheer number of weapons he'd seen and held within himself was mind-boggling sometimes. She supposed it was to be expected, his trump card was literally called: Unlimited Blade Works, but where in the Tohsaka's great name did Shirou manage to find weapons like Balmung?!
Being the one who decided on most of the terms, Rin's restrictions were mere annoyances at best. A majority of her Magecraft was unusable, unless she wanted to attract attention. Her Finn Shots however were non-negotiable, she'd keep using them.
"I understand, so Rin." Shirou began, she turned to him. "Shall we go?"
"Yes let's-" The sound of what could only be described as a constipated walrus sounded off, Shirou's face tried to remain as neutral as possible. For the white haired girl before him had colored to liken that of her casual attire in another life. Shirou did not speak, to speak was to be slapped or at worse be used as a test dummy for Rin's Bajiquan techniques.
"So..what would you like for dinner?" Shirou cautiously asked, and turned away to signal her to begin walking. Plus, it served as a way of protecting his face and groin. The clever boy, Rin smirked and walked beside the auburn haired boy.
"Ochazuke." Rin beamed, she remembered the time Shirou had made the tea and rice dish for her. It was during one of the rare moments of respite they had during the War. She could vividly remember the scene, Saber and Shirou sat before her as they ate. The warm colors of the setting sun painted the sky, while Rin enjoyed the flavor of the rice, tea, and salted salmon in her mouth.
The thought alone was enough to make her salivate.
"You're in luck." Shirou chimed. "I've got tea, rice, and salmon." Rin felt the sides of her lips rise upwards. She would be eating well tonight.
"Glad to see you remember." she said, and couldn't help but feel proud that she had a companion that remembered what she liked. She and Shirou had fallen into a routine, wake up and attend classes, they'd do their standard school related routines, after classes they'd train, and then head to Shirou's dorm for dinner.
However, just because they had fallen into a routine did not mean they had gone complacent. The Headmaster still had his secrets, and Rin hadn't really been trying to hide the fact that she was suspicious of him. If anything he knew, and she was sure they were under surveillance. He was hiding something, and Rin just needed to figure out what.
Still…
She looked to Emiya, for once Shirou seemed to be content with where he was. There was no hidden desire to move on, to jump head first into the next crisis with no regard for his own safety. Rin was glad she had helped him work through that specific tendency. Shirou now had some modicum of a self preservation instinct.
She tugged at his arm. "Pick up the pace, I'm hungry Shirou!" Rin urged, she could see the small smile on Shirou's lips.
"Alright, I get it." He chuckled, rounding the next corner of the hall. Then they stopped, their eyes locking onto an individual who stood ready to knock at Shirou's door. She turned to the pair, her emerald eyes just not registering their presence.
"Pyrrha, came to visit Shirou?" Rin found herself asking.
Pyrrha Nikos was considered by most to be ahead of her peers, a sentiment that was oftentimes shared by those that surrounded her. She was talented in combat, adaptable, and was capable of following set plans when presented to her.
So how?
How did she get into this position? Her plan was to simply knock on Shirou's dorm room, and ask him about the things that had been plaguing her thoughts since initiation. Then exit once she and Shirou had come to an understanding.
She wasn't supposed to be seated on the floor at Shirou's modest coffee table. Weiss sat beside her, the heiress' eyes shut in a tranquil visage.
"You should calm down." Weiss told her, the heiress' hands cradling a cup of tea. "You'll find that you'll be able to speak better if you're relaxed." Pyrrha blinked at her words, then eyed the similar cup of tea that rested before her.
Pyrrha supposed Weiss was right, she was getting nervous over a conversation. She sighed, she supposed it was drilled into her. Whenever she was with new people, these people usually found ways to direct the conversation to her achievements. Now Pyrrha wasn't a mean person by any means, but she had trouble speaking her mind especially when it came to matters like these.
She glanced over to Shirou who was busy slaving away over a hot stove, she wanted to ask but supposed since Shirou was a special case he had special privileges. Pyrrha glanced over to Shirou's little "kitchen" where sliced ginger, cucumbers, and some slabs of salmon were spread out beside him.
"Shirou…" groaned Weiss. "Is dinner ready yet?"
"Gimmie a minute." Shirou replied, not even bothering to turn around. "Do you still have enough tea?"
"Yeah, of course." Said Weiss, then fell back into silence.
Pyrrha couldn't help but feel like she was intruding in the business of a married couple, she didn't know why. That was the feeling she was getting from Shirou and Weiss, were they dating by chance?
"Sorry for the wait." Shirou called out as he approached the table, tray in hand. Placing the tray down, Pyrrha eyed the dishes Shirou had prepared. Three small bowls of rice that were topped with the sliced cucumbers she'd spotted earlier, as well as the salmon. The latter had been shredded and mixed into the rice. Shirou had bent down, distributing the dishes to first Weiss then herself, along with a pair of chopsticks. "Please dig in."
Shirou sat before Pyrrha, tucking his legs underneath the coffee table as he placed his hands together. "Itadakimasu." He and Weiss said in unison, then moved to eating.
"Shirou, tea please!" Weiss called out, presenting her bowl to Shirou.
"Weiss? I think you've mixed up your cup and bowl." Pyrrha warned, Weiss merely smiled at her. The heiress sent a nod to Shirou who poured tea atop her rice, then turned to Pyrrha.
"Pyrrha." Shirou began, raising two nearly identical teapots. "Would you prefer tea or broth on yours?"
"I...uh?" Pyrrha shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't even know what this is." She recognized the ingredients Shirou had used in the dish, as a Mistralian she'd be a fool not to recognize rice; but she'd never had it in this combination. Much less putting tea into the rice to act as a sort of soup."
"Give her the tea Emiya." Weiss called out, already enjoying her bowl of food. "She's never had Ochazuke before, best to give her the default experience." Ochazuke? The word felt Mistralian in nature, but it didn't sound familiar.
Shirou turned to her. "Will that be okay with you?" He asked.
"Y-Yes." Pyrrha stuttered, thanking Shirou for the meal as he poured an amount of tea on top of her rice. Shirou had seemed to prefer the broth on his, and began to eat himself.
Pyrrha calmed herself, and moved to retrieve her chopsticks. Then proceeded to take a piece of her rice, along with some of the toppings and popped it into her mouth. Her eyes widening at the influx of flavors that graced her tongue. The salmon was perfectly seasoned, the cucumbers tasted incredibly fresh, while the rice and tea made it feel oh so light in her mouth.
Pyrrha savored the meal, each bite was exquisite. She found it hard to believe that Shirou just made this with a few simple ingredients, but quickly abandoned that train of thought in favor of shoving more food into her awaiting mouth.
Tick!
"Eh?" Pyrrha found herself looking into an empty bowl, the sound of her chopsticks hitting the bottom was the only thing that had made her realize she was out of food. Shirou chuckled, and continued to enjoy his own bowl, before setting it down.
"Would you like seconds?" Shirou asked, holding out his hand as an invitation to hand her bowl to him. "Don't worry, there's plenty more." Shirou assured, reluctantly the now red faced Pyrrha Nikos handed Shirou her bowl.
"How unladylike." Pyrrha muttered underneath her breath.
"That doesn't matter." Weiss had spoken, her bowl was still somewhat full. Pyrrha glanced at the heiress, and raised a brow. "What you just said." Weiss reiterated. "You shouldn't care too much." Placing her bowl down, Weiss patted down her lips with a handkerchief. "If you find it enjoyable, then who cares?"
"But I have an image-" Pyrrha countered.
"As do I." Weiss simply said. "But is that image of yours so strict, that you'd even decline food like this?" Pyrrha fell silent, and watched as the heiress began to eat once again. Her Image...something that was both; blessing and curse for her. Beacon was far from the city of Argus where she'd trained, but tales of her accomplishments would be the first thing people would bring up. She'd never get to introduce herself, but with these two she was allowed to say her name for the first time in a public setting.
"Shirou." Pyrrha called out, getting his attention. "C-Could I have extra salmon on mine?"
"Coming right up." Shirou smiled, somewhat setting Pyrrha at ease. These people were her friends, not strangers, not admirers, and they were certainly not fans. They could see her for her, and she wanted that to stay that way.
As Shirou returned with her bowl, Pyrrha opted to drizzle broth atop her bowl of goodness this time. By the time Shirou had sat before her, Pyrrha was already digging into her meal.
"So Pyrrha, what's the reason for your visit?" Shirou asked. "Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against visits from friends; but we aren't exactly especially close."
In that moment, Pyrrha had forgotten her reason for visiting. She placed her half finished bowl down, and glanced at Shirou. "I...I came here because there are things that have been bothering me." She admitted. "And I was hoping you could help by providing me with some answers."
There was a pause in the natural flow of the conversation for the briefest moment. Shirou and Rin already knew what Pyrrha was going to ask of them.
Shirou set down his bowl, and sat up straighter. "Sure Pyrrha, we'd be happy to answer your questions." Lies and Deceit, one of the most basic things a Mage needs to learn.
"I-Im sorry if I'm coming off as rude." Pyrrha continued. "Even after you just made me dinner, but I needed to know."
"Like Shirou said, its fine." Rin assured, then sent a glance at him. "You know what to do" said the gaze, to which he replied with a simple nod.
"So, where to begin?" Asked Shirou.
Pyrrha thought for a moment, then locked her gaze on him. "How are you alive Shirou?" She asked. "You were so close to death, and then suddenly…" he was sure it was a shock, and he was sure he could think of an explanation; whether or not Pyrrha would believe it was a different story.
Shirou sighed, he wasn't a skilled liar but he was quite good at half-truths. "You saw what my Semblance is capable of Pyrrha, correct?" She nodded. "It's capable of pretty amazing things, it's adaptable, and somewhat powerful to boot." Rin scoffed at that last part, he was underselling himself a bit.
"You'll have to forgive him, Pyrrha." Rin interrupted. "Shirou is too humble for his own good, and he doesn't really talk about this." He was thankful for Rin intervening, while he was capable of spinning tales with the truth sprinkled in every now and then, he was drawing a blank in this particular case.
"The place where Shirou is from, the place where he was from." Rin added. "They had a way of figuring out your Origin." That word seemed to have sparked memories of the discussion at the lunch table during the first day of class. "I'll refresh your memory, an Origin is a focal point of a person. It shapes you as a person, influences the way you act subtly." Rin glanced back at him, as if to add something to the conversation.
Shirou knew exactly what to say.
"体は剣で出来ている。[Karada wa tsurugi de dekiteiru]. He recited, Pyrrha seemed to be taken aback. He didn't blame her, Japanese as a language didn't exist in this world so he was sure she didn't understand anything. "It's a mantra that I use. "My body is made out of swords." Trust me when I say this isn't hyperbole."
"Pyrrha, Shirou's Semblance is a rarity among rarities." Rin cut in. "Shirou and I were worried about how to tell people this, but we suppose you're a good start." She looked at him. "Emiya, tell her how Aura functions for you."
Shirou nodded. "My Aura doesn't function like yours or Rin's, my Aura only serves to power my Semblance. It still provides me with a healing factor, but you saw what mine looks like."
Pyrrha nodded, glancing at a gloved hand that was cut when Shirou's wounds closed up. "My body is made out of swords." He shrugged. "I thought I had it all figured out, but now I'm not so sure."
"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.
"During initiation, you thought Shirou hadn't unlocked his Aura during the panic." Said Rin. "What you did was actually jumpstart his Aura, and now he's got an exterior protective Aura too." Rin shook her head. "Frankly we don't know anything about the changes Shirou's going through, but he'll make them work."
There was a moment of silence, Pyrrha looked so confused. Shirou was sure she was trying to make sense of the whole discussion, trying to link it up with what she knew naturally. Unfortunately for her, everything they'd just told her was a fabrication. There was no way he could cover something up like that, Shirou was thankful Rin was with him. Without her he was sure he would've told Pyrrha the truth, and hoped for the best.
He felt sorry for the red haired girl, he'd feel too guilty if he managed to drive Pyrrha to insanity; despite how unlikely the odds were.
PiPiPiPiPi!
The trio jolted at the sound, Pyrrha fumbled with her scroll as she shut off the alarm. "I'm sorry! I had this alarm set for my study session!"
Rin waved her off. "It's no trouble, actually I should get going too."
"Would you like to head back together, Weiss?" Pyrrha asked, but the white haired girl merely shook her head.
"You can go on ahead, I'd like to let my dinner settle for a minute then I'll go." Rin smiled. "Careful on your way to your dorm!"
As Pyrrha excused herself, and went through the door. Rin took a sip of her tea, and finally let her shoulders sag. "I thought she would never leave." She sighed.
Shirou chuckled, and refilled her cup with the fragrant smelling tea he knew Rin preferred. "Now Rin, Pyrrha's just very smart."
Rin nodded, and perched her head atop her propped up arm. "I'm just glad my plan worked, all those red herrings I threw at her were bound to get her attention eventually."
"But now that we've told her this." Shirou continued. "We'll have to refine it a bit, the story has too many holes."
"Hey!" Rin pouted. "For a plan I concocted in the span of you making dinner, I think I did pretty good."
"Hai! Hai!" Shirou chuckled, letting his Japanese come to the surface once more. He smiled at Rin, placing a small cup he'd fetched from his mini-fridge. "Here, a little treat for you, Tohsaka."
Rin uncapped the small cup, revealing its sweet frozen contents. Ice cream may have been something common in their world, but Rin loved her sweets on occasion. He'd never forget that.
Despite just tricking one of their new friends, Shirou was enjoying himself and so was Rin.
"Okay, let's review." Ruby nodded as she heard Weiss' voice, and put aside her notes. Weiss coughed into her hand, paused for a moment. "Name three common berries that can be found in Vale's wilderness."
"Blueberries, Mulberries, and…" Ruby stiffened a chuckle. "Huckleberries, sorry I think the name's funny."
It was now the first weekend since classes had started, and Ruby Rose was in the company of her partner Weiss Schnee in Shirou's personal dorm. Weiss had taken it upon herself to help Ruby with her studies, just as she'd promised. While Ruby didn't struggle with any of the material so far, she found that she retained the information easier when Weiss helped her.
Shirou meanwhile, was cooking once again. Ruby felt somewhat guilty, Weiss was the one who invited her into Shirou's dorm to study, and now he was making food for her. "Shirou." Ruby called out. "You don't have to make me food, you know that right?"
"I know." Shirou responded, not even bothering to turn around as he continued to cook.
Ruby didn't argue further, and then returned her attention to Weiss who returned to scanning her notes. "We'll we're done." Said the heiress, closing her binder and sliding it across the coffee table. That caught Ruby by surprise, they'd only been studying for…two hours. Oh, she supposed that was a long time.
"You're doing good Ruby." Weiss complimented, stretching her arms above her head. "You're going to do well on that recitation for Professor Peach's next class."
"You really think so?" Ruby beamed. "She looks really nice, so far she's my favorite teacher so I'd hate to disappoint."
"Rin doesn't give out compliments freely." Shirou added. "She means it." Ruby smiled at that confirmation, her smile grew wider when she watched Weiss toss a small paper ball at Shirou's head. Most likely because she took offense to that little comment he made. "Oi! No paper near the stove! You're gonna set my dorm on fire!"
"Just ask mommy Goodwitch for a new one." Weiss teased, the male by the stove cringed at that little comment.
"Mommy Goodwitch?" Ruby tilted her head, then gasped. "Shirou, is Professor Goodwitch your mom?!"
Cringing once again, Shirou lowered the intensity of the flames. "Uh...no. Ruby, she's my guardian for school related activities."
Weiss leaned in closer, cupping a hand around Ruby's ear. "Shirou doesn't talk about it much, but you remember he's an orphan right?" Ruby nodded, remembering their discussion from the lunch room. "I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you don't bring it up, it was decided for him when he applied."
Ruby nodded, she couldn't imagine what Shirou went through or was going through.
"Alright, here you go." Said Shirou, walking over to the coffee table and placed down two plates of fried rice. Ruby's eyes grew wide, her stomach preparing a growl the moment she saw it. "Have at it." Shirou instructed, then stepped back. Ruby did not linger, and began shoveling spoonfuls of fried rice into her mouth as soon as she could.
Ruby felt her cheeks fill as time went on. She didn't care how Weiss probably viewed her right now, if her experience with the Okinomiyaki (Hey she did it!) was any indication, then she had to eat without restraint.
"You know Emiya, sometimes I think you're in the wrong line of work." Weiss smiled, taking a more subtle approach to eating her meal.
"I just like cooking." Shirou replied. "That doesn't mean I'll give up my dreams." He approached the coffee table, and sat down beside Weiss. "How do you like it, Ruby?"
"It's delicious!" The hooded huntress exclaimed. "I can't believe this is fried rice, not even my dad can cook this good!"
"I'm sure Tai makes great food." Shirou answered, and took a bite. Ruby's eyes passed by her dwindling amount of rice, then noticed something beside Shirou. It was a dome shaped cover, she could faintly see steam escaping from it.
"What's that thing, Shirou?"
"Oh, it's another plate of rice." He revealed. "It's for when someone decides to come over."
Ruby raised a brow, come over? Who else visited Shirou aside from Weiss? A sudden knock on the door, it seemed that the universe was giving her the answers she wanted.
"Come in!" Shirou called out, the door slowly creaked open as a head of bright vermillion hair came into view.
"I hope I'm not intruding?" Ruby blinked, Pyrrha Nikos was bashfully hiding behind the door of Shirou's dorm.
"You're right on time for lunch." Shirou patted the dome cover that hid Pyrrha's plate of rice, and watched as the Invincible Girl came into full view and made a beeline for the free spot at the coffee table.
"Particularly hungry today, Pyrrha?" Weiss smirked.
"With food of this quality, it isn't hard to get hungry." Was Pyrrha's reply, and Ruby had to agree with her. She watched as the red haired spartan devoured the plate greedily, with no concern for appearances whatsoever. A thought occurred to her, did she look like that when she ate? "Oh, I'm sorry!" Pyrrha suddenly cried out, Ruby watched a bulge formed in Pyrrha's throat; most likely from swallowing a mouthful of food then looked to Ruby. "Good afternoon Ruby, I'm sorry I didn't greet you when I entered."
So polite...Ruby blinked in response before she too swallowed the contents of her mouth. "I-It's fine Pyrrha, we're both really hungry."
"That's not an excuse." She said. "One should always be polite, especially when it comes to new friends."
"Oh? That's odd." Weiss began. "I seem to recall a certain someone vehemently declining Shirou's offers of food. I believe the statement said during that exchange was: "It would be rude of me to come here and eat of your food everyday." Right?" Weiss chuckled, causing Pyrrha to go beet red.
As the two got into a little discussion, with Shirou mediating to make sure it didn't get out of hand. Ruby Rose simply stared forward, a small smile beginning to form on her lips. She had friends, and they were very good ones.
I wonder, can you see me now mom?
Blake Belladonna, lay comfortably on her stomach as she read her book of choosing for the day. She let out a breath through her nose, enjoying the silence of her empty dorm room.
Her first week of classes had proven to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience, Blake was sure that she could get away with not listening in class until her second year in the academy. She scoffed internally, at least her time in the White Fang had given her a headstart with some of the material.
She pushed the thought away, she'd come to Beacon to get away from her old life. Blake didn't need these thoughts lingering in her mind, she had to think of something else.
Her eyes returned to the pages of Ninja's of Love, where she was reminded that this book had a lot of adult themes. She was glad her teammates were nowhere to be found for the time being.
Her thoughts went to her teammates. Ruby Rose, her young and spunky leader. Blake didn't really mind her too much, Ruby was an...okay person. She was naive in the ways of the world, optimistic, and many more words Blake could think of that would describe the stereotypical protagonist of children's story books. Still despite that, Blake wished that there were more people like Ruby.
People who were untouched by the cruelties of reality, it gave Blake hope. It made her want to protect Ruby, keep her innocence intact for as long as she could. She shook the thought away, that wasn't her place. It was Yang's.
Blake put her book down, a thought occurring.
Where was Yang? She'd been gone since the morning, and only came back to rest for a moment then changed into her exercise gear; telling Blake that she'd go out for a jog.
"She should be back by now." Blake said, sitting up. "All of them should be."
Blake put her book away, hiding it underneath her mattress as she stood. She stretched her arms, feeling the tense muscles in her back stretch and loosen.
She supposed she should go try and find them, who knows what trouble they could have gotten themselves into. Blake didn't put it past the girl she saw pick a fight with a Deathstalker and a Nevermore, and her gungho sister who had a temper to not get into trouble.
Weiss was the exception, then again she had a way with words that seemed to rub people the wrong way. Blake pondered on her luck, she a former member of the White Fang was on a team with a Schnee.
She wanted to look at it through a different perspective, perhaps it was her time to make Weiss realize the atrocities that she and her family had brought upon her kind. Still, she felt uneasy with Weiss it was like she was hiding something and it seemed for the most part the only time she seemed honest with anyone was with Shirou.
Shirou Emiya, the boy who Blake had tailed the night before initiation. Who had known of her presence, exposed her, then had a conversation over tea with her. The boy was enigmatic, speaking in vague cut off statements that hinted at trauma. She'd seen it many times in Faunus who'd suffered abuse at the hands of humans.
She wondered, what trauma did Shirou experience?
A commotion outside the dorm caught her attention, Blake moved to the door and partially opened it. The hall was more crowded than usual, students seemed to be rushing somewhere.
She stepped out into the hall the moment the crowd had thinned, at the same time the door to the JNPR dorm opened as Ren and Nora rushed out.
"What's going on?" Blake asked.
"Pyrrha called us." Ren had answered. "She was asking for our help, apparently Weiss and Yang are having a disagreement in the training hall."
Arriving at the training hall with Ren and Nora in tow, Blake had easily located her teammates at the center of the arena. She could see Ruby and Pyrrha there as well, the former doing her best to try and calm her elder sister.
"Yang, c'mon just calm down!" Ruby pleaded.
However, her sister did not. Who continued to glare at Weiss with an expression of utter disdain.
"Rin, step down." Shirou whispered, Blake just hoped no one noticed the twitch in her bow as she used her second set of ears to snoop on their conversation. "We don't need the conflict right now."
"I know that." She replied.
"C'mon, you and me right here right now." Yang demanded. "You think you're so much better, I won't let go of what you said that day. You're just like us, you're no better than us."
Weiss' expression remained neutral. She muttered a "Sorry Emiya." Under her breath, as she puffed up her chest and met Yang's glare with a cold and calculating expression. "I see what this is about, you're being petty. You think a beating from you will put me in my supposed place?" Weiss smirked. "All that hair must be inhibiting your brain function."
"What?!" Yang snarled.
"Was the beating Shirou gave you not enough?" She shook her head. "He was being generous, if you decide you want this I will embarrass you in front of all these people."
"You've got it backwards." Yang countered. "Now get ready."
"I already am." Weiss responded. Yang formed a wicked smile on her face, while Blake was somewhat horrified. Both of her teammates had their strengths, Yang's was her incredible physical strength, while Weiss had her Semblance that could break through the armored hide of a Boarbatusk with little effort. Whoever got the first hit in would surely injure the other.
Weiss moved to her place on the mat, but was stopped when Shirou had grabbed her forearm. "No Finn Shots." He instructed.
"Don't worry, I know how to hold back." She replied. "I'll just deplete her Aura and knock the wind out of her, see nothing lethal."
Blake paled at the word "lethal".
Weiss stepped onto the mat, and got into position. Ruby looked afraid for her sister, while Shirou seemed ready to intervene. She supposed it was natural, but that exchange from earlier made her wonder who was Shirou going to try and help when things got rough?
Weiss didn't look like she was built for hand to hand combat, while Yang was a brawler. It looked really one sided, so why was Blake anxious about how this little bout would go.
As the automated announcer announced the parameters of the spar, the hard light barriers came up around the pair. "Match will begin in 3...2...1...Begin."
Then it happened, Blake barely caught a glimpse of the act and was still in shock. Weiss had stomped the ground, and had somehow slid forward into Yang. The punch to her diaphragm that followed, launched Yang back and turned her into a crumpled heap on the floor that was gasping for air.
Ruby and Shirou rushed in, shutting off the hard light barrier and trying to separate the two.
"Yang! Yang!" Ruby cried out, shaking her sister who still struggled to breathe.
"What the hell was that?!" Shirou asked through grit teeth, Blake approached the pair. "What happened to holding back?!"
"I was." Weiss replied, then directed her gaze to the Aura display. Weiss' attack hadn't even caused Yang's Aura to drop to half, it only depleted half a quarter according to the display. "Just because their Aura protects them, doesn't mean they're immune to everything."
As Yang took a sharp inhale and began to breathe once again, her eyes darted around. Ruby helped her sister up, and rubbed her back. "You're okay." She said.
"I...wasn't...ready." Yang said, her voice raspy and it seemed that she had difficulty in speaking and breathing in tandem.
"Let that serve as a reminder of where I stand." Weiss spoke with the same calculating tone as before. "I'm not above beating a lesson into people; make sure you choose your battles more carefully next time Yang." Then turned and left, Shirou glanced at the two sisters and bowed, then rushed after his white haired companion.
Blake meanwhile stood frozen, unsure of how to process the whole ordeal. Blake looked around the room, meeting the gaze of Pyrrha Nikos who was in a state much like her own. Her expression spoke volumes, she was in shock as well.
"Mr. Emiya and Miss Schnee, a word please." Murmurs ran through the crowd as the voice of Glynda Goodwitch rang out. The blonde Professor stood at the training area's entrance, her riding crop and glare were on full display. Blake supposed the attention was bound to be noticed by the faculty sooner or later. Professor Goodwitch turned her attention to the sizable crowd that had gathered, then dispersed them with a motion of her hand.
Blake went to scoop up the still dazed Yang, and began to assist Ruby with carrying her sister back to the dorm. "I can...take her." Yang struggled.
Blake shook her head. "No, I doubt you could." She glanced back to the spot where Weiss and Shirou once stood. "I doubt anyone could."
Hours later, after the training area had gone quiet, Jaune Arc stood right at its center. His eyes going to his Scroll, the video that had been making rounds among the students playing.
The video of Weiss seemingly crippling Yang with a single blow, without getting rid of her Aura. Jaune had been in the city exploring when it had happened, so imagine his surprise when he came back to his dorm only for Nora to begin gushing about what she'd seen.
It motivated him, he had to get better to achieve his dream of becoming a Huntsman. Jaune pocketed his Scroll, and headed to the training area filled with dummies and drew his blade. He took a breath, and stuck at the dummy. The force of his swing sending reverberations up his arm, making it tingle and drop his sword.
He growled as he picked up his weapon. He didn't know the first thing about combat, but that was what going to the Academy was for. It was to teach him how to fight, how to be a Huntsman, how to be a hero.
Jaune, honey.
He swung at the dummy again, this time harder.
Not everyone is meant to be a Huntsman.
He swung once again, a roar escaping his lips as his swing had enough force to knock his weapon out of his hands again. He heard it fall behind him, and clatter to the floor.
Maybe you're one of them.
Jaune's breath was ragged, after three swings of Crocea Mors and he was out of breath. He was out of shape, and it showed. Ruby could swing her scythe around like it was nothing, Ren and Nora had run around the Emerald Forest during initiation as if it was a leisurely stroll if Nora was to be believed, and he didn't event want to think about Pyrrha and Shirou.
"You dropped this." Jaune turned, meeting Shirou by the entrance who held the blade component of Crocea Mors. Shirou looked at the blade longingly, and passed a hand over the steel. "The craftsmanship is beautiful, and it's been through a lot."
"My grandfather used it to fight in the war." Jaune revealed.
Shirou's expression darkened somewhat. "It's a shame that something to beautiful, would be used in such a disgusting time." He said, and moved forward into the training room. "Show me how you use it."
"Huh?" Jaune was surprised, then mortified. What if Shirou could see that he didn't know how to use it, aside from wildly swinging it around? "I…"
The intercom came to life with a jingle. "All students, curfew is now in effect please head to the dormitories. Thank you." Jaune let out a sigh of relief, then put away his weapon.
"Well that's unfortunate." Shirou said. "I was hoping to work on something before I went to bed." Shirou shrugged, and walked to the exit. "C'mon Jaune, we wouldn't want to get caught by Professor Goodwitch. She's already chewed me out once today."
Jaune watched as Shirou headed for the door, and called out to him. "Shirou?"
The auburn haired male turned to him with a raised brow.
"You're strong, hypothetically. If someone wanted to become a hero, how should they go about it?" Jaune asked, perhaps Shirou could offer him some advice. He could train his body, but if he didn't do it right then it would be for nothing.
"That's somewhat vague, Jaune." Shirou replied, pocketing his hands. "Though to answer your hypothetical...I say give up."
"What?" Jaune asked, wide eyed.
"Give up, you don't want to become a hero." Shirou looked away. "Being a hero is a big responsibility, and before I wanted nothing more than to be one as well." He met Jaune's eyes. "However, meeting a certain someone made me rethink a few things, made me realize the flaws of becoming a hero."
Jaune didn't understand, what flaws?
"In short, being a hero is a hell of your own choosing." He glanced at Jaune once more. "It's something that will lead you to betray yourself, you'll hate yourself, then do it all over again because you're a hero."
"But Shirou...aren't heroes good? Everyone should aspire to be one." Jaune asked, hoping for a clearer answer. Shirou had just given him an answer that confused him.
"Everyone should aspire to save lives, and help people." Shirou nodded. "But you shouldn't aspire to be a hero, you'll simply hate yourself sooner or later."
Then Shirou was gone, leaving Jaune in the darkened training area alone and confused. His thoughts stirring, and hope fading little by little.