Hey everyone, with the holidays done, I finally got back into writing again. Boy a lot has happened since the last chapter. We finally got a release date for Volume 9. I hope you're as excited as I am. Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy.
With everyone now calm and tea made for those who wanted some, Ritsuka, Ruby, and the whole gang all sat down to discuss what was going on. They agreed to tell the truth to each other. After sipping some of her tea, Ritsuka placed her cup on the coffee table.
"I guess I'll start first," Ritsuka said before taking deep breath.
Mash and Scáthach only watched as Ritsuka was about to tell Ruby and her friends who they really were and their purpose here.
"My name is Ritsuka Fujimaru. Mash, Scáthach, and I are part of a group known as the Chaldea Security Oganization, or Chaldea for short."
"Never heard of it," Jaune commented, clearly still skeptical about Ritsuka.
"Me neither," Ruby said. "Is that supposed to be some secret underground organization or…?"
Ritsuka replied. "See, that's where it gets a little crazy. The thing is…we're not from your world."
The room was silent. Everyone was left confused by what Ritsuka just said. No one was sure how to process what Ritsuka just said.
"Well…I wasn't expecting an answer like that," Yang said.
"You and everyone else," Blake replied.
Ruby looked confused. "I don't understand. What do you mean 'another world'?"
Ritsuka answered. "We're from a planet known as Earth. Chaldea's mission is to protect our world by ensuring its continued growth. We came to Remnant because we detected a phenomenon that is putting our own world in danger. If we don't stop it, our world could die."
"Okay…but how did you even get here?"
"Chaldea possesses technology made through the use of magic and science that allows us to travel through time and space. Once we detected the signal, it was just a matter of following it back to your world. Normally we only use it to travel within our own world, but this case was an exception for us."
"Hold up," Oscar interrupted. "You said magic. Like…actual magic?"
"Well…a weaker version of it, but yeah, essentially," Ritsuka replied. "I'm guessing magic exists here as well?"
"It did at one point," Oscar replied, looking down at Ozpin's cane. "Although, most of it is gone from this world."
Ritsuka found that interesting. To think that other types of magic could exist in other worlds as well.
"So, if your world can do magic, you think you could show us something," Jaune requested.
Ritsuka sighed. "Unfortunately my skills in Magecraft are minimal." She grabbed hold of the Mystic Code she was wearing. "That's why I wear this outfit. It helps me to bring out what little potential I have in Magecraft. That way I can at least be somewhat useful in battle."
"Wait!" She quickly realized who was with her. "Scáthach can do Magic!"
She turned over to Scáthach. "Would you be willing them to show them something?"
"Very well, Master," Scáthach replied.
Scáthach made some space for herself and began drawing Runes into the air. When she was done, fire had manifested from the symbols, which Scáthach held in her hand and showed to Ruby and her friends. With a clench of her hand, the fire disappeared. The group was impressed by her ability to suddenly spawn and manipulate the fire so freely. She drew some more Runes, which allowed her to float a few feet in the air. The others were once again left amazed. Her abilities were not like any Semblance, so perhaps it really was otherworldly magic.
Scáthach landed back on the ground. "With these symbols known as Runes, I can do an assortment of things. Such as fly like I did back on the train."
Ritsuka turned back to Ruby and her friends. "Convinced?"
They all nodded. Not like they could argue against it. They saw it with their own eyes after all.
"Any other questions?" Ritsuka asked.
Ren raised his hand, "I have one for Scáthach. You called Ritsuka your Master. What's that about?"
Ritsuka noticed some of the others nod to Ren's question. There was clearly a misunderstanding that needed to be cleared out.
Ritsuka stepped in. "I can answer that."
"So in order to protect the world, Chaldea has created a technology that allows us to summon what we call Heroic Sprits; legends and historical figures from our world's past. When they're summoned, they become Servants who use their strength to help us in our mission. Scáthach, here, is one such Servant. In our world she was known as a great warrior who was a teacher of many other warriors. Some of them even became legends in their own right, which we were able to summon as Heroic Spirits."
"And you're okay with that Scáthach? Being a Servant and all?" Blake followed up.
"Aye," she answered. "I see that it could be a bit concerning for those who do not understand, so let me reassure you all. I answered my Master's call willingly. I have chosen to use my strength to protect her and anyone else she desires. I will slay any enemy who may get in our way. I will obey any command of hers, especially those cast by her Command Spells."
Scáthach looked at Ritsuka with annoyance. The young Master only laughed nervously.
"Is that what we saw earlier?" Blake asked.
Ritsuka showed them her hand with the Command Spells. "Yes, these are my Command Spells. They're incredibly powerful spells that can be used in a variety of ways, such of giving my Servants a big temporary boost in strength or giving them an absolute order that they cannot refuse."
"Which is why I was upset that she used one so hastily just earlier," Scáthach said.
Ritsuka laughed nervously again. She showed them the Command Spells closer. "As you can see, one of the Command Spells has been used up. I can only use them three times before I run out."
Scáthach turned to Ruby and her friends. "Hopefully you understand just how much she was willing to gamble in order to gain your trust."
Ruby thought for a moment. Ritsuka had used her greatly finite resource to intentionally put herself at a disadvantage in hopes of convincing her that she wasn't an enemy. Normally, it would be foolish to willingly put yourself in such a position, but it was obvious that Ritsuka was serious about being their allies.
"Any more questions?" Ritsuka asked.
Team RWBY, Team JNR, and Oscar all looked at each other. They all remained silent, as they had nothing else to ask. They were convinced with what Ritsuka had told them.
"I think we're good," Ruby replied.
Ruby took a deep breath then gave a big exhale. "Okay, guess it's our turn now."
She looked back at her friends. They all gave her nods of encouragement. Weiss gave her a smile of confidence. Yang even gave her little sister a thumbs Feeling self-assured, Ruby turned back to Ritsuka and her friends who all had their full attention on her.
"Let me start by asking," Ruby began. "How much do you know about Remnant?"
Ritsuka pondered for a moment. "Hmm, well we know about the Grimm, obviously. Since we got here, we've learned about the Faunus, Aura, and a little bit about Dust. Oh, and Jaune even told us about how you all met at Beacon and…about your friend Pyrrha."
"I see," Ruby replied. "Well since you know about Beacon, that saves a lot of explaining. So as Jaune might've told you, we attended Beacon to learn to become Huntsmen, lead by its headmaster, Professor Ozpin. At the time, we were so naïve. We had no idea what was happening right under our noses. That's when she made her move."
"Who?" Ritsuka asked.
"Cinder," Jaune answered. He got up from his seat and started pacing around in frustration.
"During a tournament at Beacon, Cinder had tricked Pyrrha into accidentally killing a good friend of mine. Her name was Penny," Ruby explained.
"How horrible," Mash commented.
"Yes." Ruby continued. "After Penny was killed, it caused a downward spiral that lead more Grimm to attacking the school than we could handle. Despite our best efforts, we couldn't stop them. In a last ditch effort to stop Cinder, Pyrrha decided to try and fight her on her own and well…Jaune told you what happened after."
Jaune looked like he was about to burst into tears, but managed to hold his composure. His teammates comforted him again. It was difficult for all of them.
Ruby continued her explanation. "After Beacon fell, things only got worse. Weiss was forcefully taken home by her father, Yang had been severely injured, and some of us…left without even a goodbye."
Hearing that, Yang looked over at Blake. The Faunus turned away from Yang, too ashamed to look at her partner. Despite what Yang had said, she still felt guilty for running away and abandoning her team; and most importantly, abandoning Yang. She felt someone grab her hand. She looked back and saw Yang sitting next to her with a smile on her face and her hand intertwined with her own. Her warm smile was all she needed to be reassured about what Yang had said before. Thing were going to be different now. It might not be easy, but whatever happened, they would face it together. Blake gave a smile back, knowing that she truly did have Yang's full support again.
Ruby continued her explanation to Ritsuka, "At first we thought Cinder was the end of it, but we were wrong. We never realized how deep it actually went. Cinder was merely a pawn in someone else's game. Afterwards, I traveled with Team JNPR to Mistral. On our journey, that's when we learned that Cinder was working for someone else. A woman named Salem."
Salem. That was the name that she had heard earlier.
"You claimed I was working for someone with that name earlier. Who is she?" Ritsuka asked.
Ruby thought for a moment. "I don't even know how to even begin describing her."
"How about start with monster?" Weiss replied.
Ruby nodded in agreement. "All you need to know is that her and her followers are the ones behind everything. The Grimm, the fall of Beacon, all of it was because of her."
Ritsuka processed this new information. If this Salem character has several people working for her, maybe she had someone with brains under her thumb as well. Perhaps she was the one responsible for the draining of Earth's Mana. It was a big assumption, but the theory had some weight to it. For now Ritsuka decided to leave it at that and let Holmes be the hypothesis maker.
"Have you tried stopping her yet?" Ritsuka asked.
Ruby shook her head.
"We've never even met her," Ruby replied. "Even if we did, it would be pointless anyway."
Ritsuka looked confused, "Why is that?"
"She can't be killed," Yang replied.
"What do you mean, like at all?" Ritsuka asked.
She saw Team RWBY shake their heads.
"It was a curse placed upon her," Weiss explained. "Because of it, no weapons can harm her. Even completely destroying would prove futile."
Ritsuka thought to herself. "A being that can't be killed. That could prove to be troublesome."
While thinking, she noticed Scáthach staring at Ruby's friend, Oscar. She didn't say anything. It was as if she was analyzing him.
"Something wrong, Scáthach?" Ritsuka asked, getting everyone's attention.
The Celtic Queen didn't respond. She slowly started walking towards Oscar. Everyone remained silent, wondering what she was trying to do. Oscar was taken aback as Scáthach walked up to him. He stood there, confused and worried. He felt intimidated by her approach. Scáthach looked him dead in the eyes, but still refused to speak. Oscar wasn't sure what to do. He felt one wrong move could be the death of him. When she was done, she took a few steps back.
"You're name is Oscar, correct?" she asked.
Oscar hesitated to respond. The sheer power emanating from Scáthach had left him stunned. He had to say something though.
" Y-yes," was the only word that Oscar could get out.
Ritsuka was confused. "What are you doing Scáthach?"
"It seems you friends have not been 100% honest with you, Master," Scáthach replied looking back at Ritsuka.
"What are you talking about?"
Scáthach crossed her arms. "There's a unique aura coming from that boy. Rather, there's a second one coming from you as well. The other being much more powerful than your own."
Ritsuka wasn't sure where this was going. "What are you getting at Scáthach?"
Scáthach turned back to Oscar. "You're not alone in that body of yours, are you boy?"
Oscar looked away with complete guilt. "No."
Ritsuka wasn't catching on. "Do you know what she's talking about Ruby?"
Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "Guess we should explain that too."
Ruby explained that Oscar was special because he was possessed by the soul of their former Headmaster, Ozpin. They mentioned that they had used the artifact on Ruby's belt, the Relic of Knowledge, to learn more about Salem and Ozpin. And now he had also gone into hiding inside Oscar's mind, unable to make contact with him since discovering the truth.
"I see," Ritsuka said. "So this Ozpin person is inside Oscars mind. And thanks to your Relic thing revealing his secrets, he's now gone into hibernation."
"That pretty much sums it up," Yang replied.
"Even though I keep trying to talk to him, he still won't say anything," Oscar said.
"Just keep at it Oscar," Ritsuka suggested. "Surely he's got to respond eventually."
Oscar nodded at Ritsuka's words of encouragement.
"So…are we good?" Ruby asked.
Ritsuka looked at Mash and Scáthach, who both gave her nods of approval.
"We're good," Ritsuka answered.
Ruby smiled, "Good."
"So what are you all going to do now?"
"Well, before we were trying to get this Relic to Atlas. The General of Atlas' Military would be able to keep it safe and away from Salem's hands."
That name was familiar to Ritsuka, "Atlas?"
"It's a Kingdom far north from here."
"And where I'm from," Weiss said with disgust.
"The only problem is that the Atlas Military isn't cooperating and refuses to take us there," Jaune added.
"General Ironwood put an embargo on the whole Kingdom. Now no one can get in or out," Weiss explained.
"So as you can see, we're at a standstill," Ruby said.
Ritsuka put her hand on her chin. "So you need to get to Atlas?"
A big smile grew on her face. "I think I may be able to help on that end."
Everyone perked up after hearing Ritsuka say that.
"Really?" Ruby asked, now excited.
"All I have to do is make a call my Director to make sure he's okay with it."
"Do you think he'll say yes, Senpai?" Mash asked.
"Goredolf's a nice guy," she replied. "I'm sure he'll say yes without a doubt."
"Absolutely not!" Director Goredolf replied through the communicator.
"Aw come on, Director," Ritsuka pleaded.
"Ms. Ritsuka, we can't be involving ourselves with the people of this world too much. It's already a risk that you told them who we are as is."
"They're good people, Director. They wouldn't do anything bad with that information."
Da Vinci stepped in. "I'm gonna have to side with Ritsuka on this one, Gordy. It might not be a bad idea to gain a few local allies. Having folks who know this world better than we ever could would be beneficial and a lot more efficient than just running around in the dark."
Holmes agreed. "Indeed. And while I do not want to jump to conclusions, Ms. Fujimaru's theory does hold some weight. If this Salem woman is involved, she could pose a real problem for us in the future. It will be even more dangerous if she ended up possessing something similar to lacking a Concept of Death."
Goredolf closed his eyes and grunted as he thought about what Da Vinci and Holmes had to say. They did make some good points. It was definitely better than running into unknown with nothing but their confidence keeping them going. And if the reports of Chaldea's battle with Tiamat were anything to go by, Salem could prove to be just as, if not more, dangerous.
The Director opened his eyes back up. "What about you Captain? Do you oppose Ritsuka's new friends joining us?"
Nemo shook his head. "As long as they agree to follow the rules of my ship, I have no objections."
"Hmph. Very well then," Goredolf replied. "I will allow your new friends to join us in traveling to Atlas."
The group cheered. Finally, after some setbacks, things were starting to look up. Everyone started looking a little more optimistic. Ruby smiled at Ritsuka, which Ritsuka responded with a smile in return.
"You're the best, Goredolf," Ritsuka said.
Goredolf chuckled. "Yes, well. Since we'll be working together for the time being, we should give some proper introductions. Ahem, my name is Goredolf Musik. I am Chaldea's Director."
Da Vinci followed. "Hello there, my name is Leonardo Da Vinci, but you can just call me Da Vinci. I'm a certified genius and Chealdea's Technical Advisor. I too am a Heroic Spirit. Well, kinda, but let's not worry about the minor details, hmm?"
Holmes introduced himself afterwards. "Greetings. My name is Sherlock Holmes. Like Da Vinci, I am also a Heroic Spirit. I serve as Chaldea's Administrative Advisor. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Lastly, the Captain quickly introduced himself, "I'm Captain Nemo, but you can just call me Captain. I'm in charge of our ship: The Storm Border."
With introductions out of the way Ritsuka decided to ask her question.
"So how are repairs coming along on the Storm Border?" she asked.
"A lot better than before," Da Vinci replied. "The Nemos have been hard at work at the repairs. Luckily we haven't had any more Grimm attack us since last time. The Captain estimates they should be done by tomorrow."
Nemo stepped in. "Yes, but the damage to the engines are still pretty severe. While we got them to a stable state, we can't use them at their full potential as of now. It shouldn't be a problem though. As long as we don't try to go at full speed, it should be smooth sailing."
Da Vinci nodded. "Yes, so for now you three should just relax. You've done a lot already."
Ritsuka was grateful for the recommendation. "Thanks Da Vinci. We'll contact you in the morning for our rendezvous point."
Da Vinci nodded. "See you then."
With that, their contact with Chaldea was disconnected for now.
Ritsuka got up from her seat. "Well, everything's set. Now how about some more tea?"
Blake was the first to ask for another cup. She joined Ritsuka and Mash in going to the kitchen to get everything ready. Jaune, however decided he needed to step away for a bit to process everything that had happened just now.
"If you all don't mind, I'm gonna go out for a bit. Get some fresh air," he said.
Nora and Ren looked at each other.
"We'll join you," They both said.
"Me too," Oscar chipped in.
The four of them headed out the door with no word of where they were going. Ruby and Weiss looked at each other, worried for their friend. At the very least he wasn't going off alone.
In the kitchen, Ritsuka was preparing some boiling water for their tea. Mash prepared some snacks that they had brought along with them from the Storm Border. Blake gathered a few extra cups for anyone else who might want some tea. As Ritsuka was managing the kettle of water, she looked over at Blake as she grabbed cups from the cupboard; her cat ears twitched as she did so. When she was done, she turned around and caught Ritsuka staring at her. Busted, Ritsuka quickly turned her attention away from the cat Faunus.
Blake knew what Ritsuka was staring at. They were probably strange and unusual to someone like Ritsuka. It's not like the people of Remnant were that much different in that matter.
"Do they bother you?" Blake asked.
Ritsuka stuttered. "N-n-not at all. It's just…they remind me of another Heroic Spirit that I know. I actually think they're kind of cute."
Blake blushed a bit. She wasn't expecting that sort of compliment. Blake hadn't known Ritsuka for long, but she was happy to hear her response.
"Thanks," Blake said, giving Ritsuka a warm smile.
Ritsuka smiled back. She was glad that she was able to connect with Ruby's friends. The whistling of the kettle interrupted their moment. With the tea ready, Ritsuka removed the kettle from the stove. Ritsuka took the tea, Mash took the snacks, and Blake took a tray with cups for everyone.
With some tea and snacks to go with it, Ritsuka, Mash, Scáthach, and Team RWBY began mingling with each other. They asked each other random questions about each other's world, skills, etc.
Ritsuka even asked about Dust, which resulted in a long speech from Weiss about the fine details on the subject matter. From its history to the different elements and the practical uses of Dust, Weiss spared no detail. Her explanation ended in a short rant about her father, Jacques Schnee. By the time Weiss was done, Ritsuka's head was spinning from all the info that was dumped on her all at once by the former Heiress. The rest of Team RWBY could only feel pity for the poor Master.
Mash, on the other hand, was very intrigued. She continued to ask questions, which only resulted in long answers from Weiss. It was only a matter of time before Ritsuka tried to find a way to change the subject.
Ruby and the others wanted to know more about Chaldea and what they did. Ritsuka told them all about their adventures through the Singularities. She used her hands to emphasize how grand some moments were. She even imitated some of the Servants and characters they met to paint an even clearer picture. One such was King Gilgamesh himself. Ruby couldn't help but laugh at Ritsuka's impression of the great Mesopotamian King. Weiss was not impressed.
"This Gilgamesh fellow sounds incredibly insufferable," she said. "I don't get how you could tolerate being around someone like that."
Ruby put her arm around Weiss. "Don't worry Weiss. You learn to get used to it."
Blake and Yang snickered at Ruby's comment. Weiss looked at her leader with annoyance. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"
The rest of her team burst out laughing. Even Ritsuka and Mash joined in. Scáthach only smiled, seeing that her Master was enjoying herself in the company of her new friends.
"Was she really that bad?" Ritsuka asked.
Ruby caught her breath before continuing. "Let's just say she wasn't the most pleasant person to be around when we first got to Beacon."
"I wasn't that bad," Weiss retorted.
"Are you kidding? The first thing you did when we met was yell at me."
"Well who nearly blew us up with Dust on the first day?"
Yang stepped in. "Not to mention you threw a fit when you found out you were on the same team with a Faunus."
Weiss tried to defend herself. "I…no…I have no excuse for that. Okay, I was pretty bad, but I won't tolerate anyone saying I'm the same person since then."
Ruby brought Weiss in for a hug, catching the Ice Queen off guard. "We know. We're just teasing you Weiss."
Blake stepped in as well. "I'll be the first to say for certain that you've definitely changed since our time at Beacon, Weiss. You've changed a lot."
"We all have," Ruby said.
Ritsuka was touched by the bond between Team RWBY. Their conversaion was interrupted by the door opening up, revealing that Jaune and the others had returned from whatever they were doing.
"Well, look who's back," Yang said.
"Heya," Nora said as she burst through the door and into Saphron and Terra's living room. She presented the bags she was holding to Team RWBY and Ritsuka. "We brought stuff for dinner."
"Sis said that she and Terra were gonna be late, so we got some stuff while we were out," Jaune explained.
Nora looked back. "And that's not all."
Everyone watched as Oscar came in no longer wearing the farm clothes he was before; now sporting a green coat, red shoulder pads, black pants, and red boots. He looked a lot more suited for combat now than he did before. Everyone was impressed by his choice of clothes.
Nora put her arm around Oscar, causing the boy to get a bit embarrassed. "He was fascinated by them the moment he saw them, so we convinced him to get them."
"So what do you all think?" Oscar asked.
Everyone approved of his new look. He was glad to hear everyone's compliments.
Ren stepped through into the kitchen. "Well, I'm going to get dinner started. Any volunteers to help will be appreciated."
Ritsuka and Mash volunteered to help Ren out, which he was grateful for.
While dinner was being prepared in the kitchen, Qrow had also returned completely drunk as expected from Ruby. He was barely being supported up by Maria, who had found him lying outside on the stoop half asleep. Ruby only sighed as she played the role of the good niece by taking Qrow up to his room so he could sleep off whatever alcohol was currently in his system. She wasn't mad at him. She understood he was upset after learning about everything with Ozpin. She just didn't like the way he was expressing it. Ruby had also wanted to introduce Qrow to Ritsuka, but that was impossible in his current state. It would just have to wait until the morning. Hopefully hearing the news of acquiring Ritsuka's help would put him in better spirits.
As Ruby walked back downstairs, Ritsuka called out that everything was ready. The whole group mingled as they enjoyed the fruits of Ren's labor; with the help of Mash and Ritsuka, of course. Ritsuka finally got to meet Maria as well, who was brought up to speed about their new situation.
"Other worldly visitors? And I thought Salem was the craziest thing I'd ever hear of," Maria commented.
Everyone laughed after hearing what she had to say. The merry making continued for a few more hours until everyone decided it was time to rest. They had to be ready since Nemo was going to be finished with repairs on the Storm Border tomorrow. Knowing their group, they found it was best to be ready in case something went wrong. While Ritsuka assured everyone there would be no problems, history showed otherwise.
The next day, everyone was up bright and early to prepare for their departure. Once everyone was up and breakfast was had, Ritsuka contacted the Storm Border to see what their current status was.
"Good morning Ritsuka. I trust y'all are raring to go?" Da Vinci asked with great enthusiasm.
Ritsuka nodded. "Has the Captain finished repairs on the Storm Border?"
"Yep. We're all good to go on our end. We'll be heading towards you momentarily."
Weiss spoke up. "There's just one problem. Atlas has a Military base established here in Argus. Their technology can detect even the smallest of ships from miles away. How do you plan on getting past that? Because I can promise you they aren't just gonna let you waltz right into their space."
Da Vinci smiled with confidence. "Hmmm, that is a fair concern Weiss, but worry not. Our technology can most certainly keep us clear of anything they may have. So just leave that to us, okay?"
Weiss crossed her arms, still doubtful of Da Vinci's words. "Well, if you say so. We've seen some pretty crazy stuff come from you all already. Guess it shouldn't surprise us that much."
"Does anyone else have any questions?" Da Vinci asked.
Ruby stepped up. "I just wanna say thank you to all of you. You, Ritsuka, Mash, Mr. Goredolf, all of you, for going out of your way to do this for us. I know we haven't known each other for very long and we've already had some rough patches, but I look forward to our new adventures together. Even if they're only for a short time."
Everyone was touched by Ruby's words. Even the staff of Chaldea was warmed by what Ruby had to say. Qrow was glad to see that his niece was finally looking more optimistic, despite his own feelings. Ritsuka put her arm around Ruby and gave her a thumbs up to reassure her that she had her back.
Da Vinci continued the conversation. "Okay, so let's go over the plan. It'll be very simple, really. Based on the information Ritsuka sent us, we found a potentially good spot to rendezvous not too far from Argus. On foot, it should only take you all about an hour or so once you leave the city. That's about the same amount of time it should take us to reach you. Once we both arrive, we'll pick you up and head straight for Atlas. See? Easy, right? As long as no Grimm show up while you're waiting."
Weiss had an annoyed look on her face. "Did you really have to jinx us like that?"
Ruby couldn't help but snicker at Weiss' frustration.
Da Vinci laughed seeing that her joke got the best of Weiss. "Well, even if some did, I'm sure you can all handle your own against them. Ritsuka mentioned y'all were trained to fight them anyway. So we all clear on what to do?"
"Yes!" Everyone shouted with high morale.
"Good, then we'll see you all real soon. Da Vinci out."
The communication was cut off.
"Well, you heard her," Ritsuka said.
Everyone moved out to collect their weapons and make sure they weren't leaving anything behind. Jaune, meanwhile, bid farewell to his sister, Saphron. She was sad to see him go, but she knew that what he had to do was important. She didn't understand any of it, nor would she or Terra pry into whatever it was they were doing. With everything in order, the team moved out.
After some traveling, the group finally found themselves out of Argus. They walked along the coastline for some time towards the rendezvous point that Da Vinci had mapped out. The crackling of the ground beneath their feet and the sounds of the raging waves from cliffs below could be heard. The cool air of the tundra gently blew onto their exposed skin.
Nora groaned, still half asleep. "Have we made it yet? It feels like we've been walking for hours."
Ritsuka stopped in her tracks and looked at the area around them, causing everyone else to stop as well.
Ritsuka turned back to everyone. "Actually Nora, we have. Looks like we're a little bit ahead of schedule. In the mean time, we can go ahead and rest."
"Finally," cried out before almost falling completely to the floor.
Everyone decided to do the same and rest for a bit. Some sat on the ground while others, like Weiss, found a suitable log to sit on for the time being. The group chatted for a bit while waiting for the Storm Border to arrive. As they did, Blake's ears twitched as she heard a noise come from the trees. She looked back only to find nothing there. Her sudden jerk back caught the attention of her teammates.
"Something wrong Blake?" Yang asked.
Blake continued staring for a bit until she was certain that the coast was clear. "No…it was probably nothing."
Despite not seeing anything, Blake still had her doubts. She remembered the hallucination she had back on the train. It was a hallucination, right? Yang all the while only watched Blake. She knew what she was thinking about, but dared not bring it up. Blake had been through enough. They both had.
Some more time passed before Ritsuka was contacted by Da Vinci again. She informed them that they were almost at their location. Hearing that, everyone prepped themselves up to quickly board the ship when it arrived. For a few minutes, they could only hear the crashing waves below. That soon changed when they began to hear the sounds of engines growing louder and louder as it approached them.
Ritsuka chuckled. "Took ya long enough."
Ruby and her friends looked back towards where the Storm Border coming from. As soon as they did, all of their jaws dropped immediately. They caught eye of what was certainly a flying fortress. The Storm Border turned around and placed itself near the edge of the cliffs, floating as it prepared to have everyone board.
Ritsuka noticed all their faces. "Impressed?"
"Yeah, actually," Weiss began. "I was expecting something a lot smaller."
Jaune continued. "But this ship is…"
"It's so huge!" Ruby exclaimed in excitement. Her eyes were star struck with awe and her curiosity grew about what it could look like inside.
Nora felt the same way. She squealed as she violently shook Ren in excitement, who now awake all of a sudden. Where that sudden energy would come from was always a mystery to him.
An airtight door opened up on the side of the Storm Border and a platform extended out for everyone to walk on. Without minute to spare, Ritsuka quickly began inviting everyone to get on. Everyone obliged. Some were more enthusiastic, like Ruby and Nora, while others were still getting over their initial shock, like Jaune and Weiss.
As she began walking up the platform, Blake looked back at the trees again, still worried about whether or not she had heard something after all. Blake felt a hand touch her shoulder and turned back to see Yang, who had a worried look on her face.
"You sure you're okay?" Yang asked.
Blake took a deep. "I think I'm just being paranoid is all. I just kept feeling like we were being watched."
"I know how you feel. It's scary knowing that he still might be out there, but we promised that things were going to be different. No matter what happens, we'll face them together, right?"
Blake smiled. "Right."
Out of a spur of the moment, Blake lunged at Yang and wrapped her arms around her teammate, catching Yang by surprise. Before Yang could even respond, Blake quickly realized what she was doing and pulled herself away, leaving the Faunus girl blushing.
"Sorry," Blake apologized while rubbing her arm. "That was sudden, I know."
Yang, too, was getting a bit red in the face, "I-it's fine. Come on, they're waiting for us."
The two walked up the platform and into the Storm Border. With everyone inside, the platform retracted and the Storm Border began lifting up to prepare for takeoff. Once it was high enough, the ship turned towards the direction of Atlas and took off.
As the Storm Border flew off towards Atlas, a man watched from amongst the forest trees. He jumped down and continued his uninterrupted gaze as the Storm Border slowly disappeared into the horizon. He said no words. The only noises were the winds from the costal breeze and stretching of leather as he fastened the grip on his sword. Once the ship had vanished from sight, he took a deep breath. His breath was foggy from the hot and cold air colliding.
"You can run all you want, Blake," he mumbled to himself. "But there is nowhere where you can hide from me."
His monologue was interrupted when he head rustling from the bushes behind him. He quickly turned and positioned himself to be ready to slash at whatever was coming at him.
"Who's there? Show yourself," he demanded.
"Oh my, please don't hurt me," the voice said sarcastically as it left the safety of the bushes.
He quickly observed his stalker. It was a woman. And judging from their looks, they appeared to be a Faunus with a large, fox-like tail. Although they weren't an immediate threat, the man didn't release his grip on his sword. In fact, he was even more on guard now.
"Who are you? Some sort of assassin?" He asked.
The Faunus chuckled. "Oh no, nothing like that. I couldn't help but overhear you just now and I think we might be able to help each other out."
The man scoffed. "No thanks." He began to walk away.
The Faunus was left annoyed before shouting out a proposal. "What if I told you I could get you to wherever your little friend is going? What was her name? Blake?"
The man stopped in his tracks. If it were anyone else, he might've just kept walking. But if they had a way to get into Atlas, perhaps they were at least worth listening to.
He turned his head back to her, "I'm listening."
The Faunus smiled, now that she had his interest.
"See, I'm not from around here and I've found some things about this place that are quite interesting. If you'd be willing to help me, I'd be glad to take you wherever you want lickity split. What do you say?"
The man raised an eyebrow, "What did you have in mind?"
The Faunus woman smiled, knowing that she now had his full attention. "I just want to ask you a few questions and help me with some very simple tasks. They shouldn't be a problem for someone as strong as you. If you agree, then I'll take you wherever you want to go, no problem. What do you say? Do we have a deal?"
The man stood there for a second pondering her proposal. It seemed too good to be true, but at this point, he had little options. Getting into Atlas would be next to impossible at this rate, and if there was another potential way in, then he'd be foolish not to take it. Even if her deal was a bit shady.
"And that's all?" He asked.
"That's all."
He smirked before putting his hand out. "Deal."
The Faunus reached out and shook his hand as well.
"Now that we're in temporary business together, my name is Adam. What should I call you?"
The Faunus smiled. "You can call me Koyanskaya."
Well that's all I got this time. I hope you enjoyed it. I know this chapter was mostly a lot of dialogue, but the chapter title says it all. There will be more action in the next chapter. I promise. Until then.