RWBY: The Verdant Light of Remnant
Chapter 20: More Than Meets The Eye
Author's Notes: Before this chapter begins, i want to apologize this took as long as it did, especially since this chapter was due to April. Due to my work as an editor & my brother hogging the computer in the evenings, it's been kinda difficult writing this story... This wouldn't be a problem if i say- Had an editor or some kind of helping hand to help me write my story... But um... Ya'know, life often gives me the middle finger & tells me to deal with it... Point is, this chapter didn't release under the 1 per month schedule i promised you guys last year & i'm really sorry i couldn't fully keep my promise, i'm just happy that those who keep reading this story can understand what i'm going through at times.
Another thing i wanna say before we begin, this chapter is releasing at May 15th, which is Weiss Schnee's bithday in canon RWBY. She was always my least favorite of the team, but given how i love Team RWBY as characters, she's still a very important character for me. I really like her character arc (for the most part) & i'm so happy to see her enjoying her life now that she has people who actually give a shit about her & don't give her the look when she does something they don't like & constantly make stupid decisions themselves, WINTER!... So yeah, Happy Birthday Weiss, hope you're having a great one.
Alright, i've done enough stalling for now, let's finally get things started. I hope you enjoy this new chapter of this story & always remember...
The following is a non-profit Alternate Universe fanfiction.
RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, Warner Bros. & the late Monty Oum. While Fire Emblem: Three Houses is owned by Nintendo, Intelligent Systems & Koei Tecmo. Please support the original release.
Also, major spoilers for both RWBY & Fire Emblem: Three Houses, specifically the Verdant Wind Route. If you haven't caught up with either of them, it's recommended that you catch up with both of them before reading this story.
& On that note, enjoy this chapter.
With their strategy now ready to go, the Garnet Papillons all go towards their destination where their first mission will take place… Well, almost… Due to concern from Byleth's end, Sothis wasn't allowed to come to fight by her side, even after everything they did together… Furious at her, Sothis left before Byleth could say anything else.
Before they left, Ruby had a moment with Prof. Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy & King of Vale. Ruby learned more about her late Mother: Summer Rose & how she got into Beacon, her history & even bits of Summer's own Mother, Garnet Rose. Perhaps this will lead Ruby to the truth she's after?
Once the time came for them to leave, a large air pirate ship landed & picked them up. The Captain of the ship was Sapphire Mayil, a Peacock Faunus girl from The Menagerie Archipelago. Having a dept to pay to Ozpin for aiding her & her crew in the past, Sapphire decided to aid him in whatever she could & this was the perfect opportunity for it. Our heroes now have a large airship at their disposal, as well as some newfound allies that will aid them in their missions during their time at Beacon Academy. Will they be ready for what's to come or will they bite more than they can chew? Find out all & more now!
We begin our story through the eyes of Sothis' who's by herself at the woods close to the dormroom building of Team RWBY & the others, still looking as upset as she did when she left Byleth's classroom after being told to stay put. She's meditating by herself, trying to activate her Foresight at will… With little success, she gets another headache after she gives it another shot. Sothis groans in frustration as she slams her fist to the ground in anger, hating this feeling of powerlessness.
Sothis: GODDAMNIT! What the hell am I doing wrong?! Everyone else can activate their Semblances at will, so why can't I do the same?! This is fucking BULLSHIT!
Sothis sighs in annoyance as she lowers her head with a defeated expression on her face, unaware that somebody's watching her struggles from afar… Or rather, 2 people are watching her struggles, those being Glynda Goodwitch & her Daughter: Gayelette. The latter can't help but feel bad for Sothis, knowing how it feels to be in a situation like that.
Gayelette: Sothis…
Glynda: She's not going anywhere like this, fully using a Passive Semblance like the one she possesses is impossible… At this rate, she'll only get even more frustrated.
As they both talk to themselves, Sothis tries to use her Semblance once again & just like her previous attempts, she can't do it. She slams her firsts in the ground once again while cursing, with Glynda kneeling down at Gayelette before telling her something.
Glynda: What are you waiting for? Go talk to her.
Gayelette immediately freaks out as she turns to her Mother.
Gayelette: Me?! Why do I have to go? I don't even know what to say to her!
Glynda smiles as she places her hands on Gayelette's shoulders.
Glynda: It's not about "knowing what to say", dear. It's about being there for someone when they need help, even if they don't immediately ask for it… Sometimes, just being there for them is good enough.
Gayelette thinks about what her Mother told her for a moment before nodding at her.
Gayelette: Okay, I'll give it a shot.
Glynda pats her Daughter on the head in response.
Glynda: Good girl. I'll stay here if you girls need me, okay?
Gayelette nods before she takes a deep breath before going towards Sothis, the latter still really bitter about her unsuccessful attempts so far. After she gets close enough to her friend, she finally makes her presence known by clearing her throat.
Sothis: Huh? *Turns around* Oh… Hey Gayelette, what are you doing here?
Gayelette: I could ask you the same, you look rather… Upset…
Sothis: Oh, I'm upset alright! I got rejected by my own Sister after everything we've been through together in our lives, that Ronin jackass calls me & my Semblance worthless & said Semblance refuses to fucking work with me right now!
"Ok, she's REALLY upset!" Gayelette thought to herself, she's even sweating nervously from seeing how mad Sothis is right now. She goes next to Sothis & adjusts her skirt before she sits down next to her.
Gayelette: If it's okay to ask, could you tell me more about it? I thought you disliked fighting… Or rather, you don't enjoy it like Prof. Eisner does.
Sothis: & I don't! I just didn't care as much since I knew she was around, we were always together, walking through the world side by side as we kicked everyone's assess… But now that she's an "Official Huntress", she doesn't see it like that anymore… & Keep in mind, we saved her ungrateful ass earlier this month! If it weren't for us, those brats would've died to Cardin since Byleth wouldn't been able to get there in time!
Gayelette doesn't know what to say that might cheer up Sothis, saying something along the lines of "Well maybe she's just trying to protect you" will only make it worse.
Gayelette: I cannot say I don't understand where you're coming from, I don't like being left behind myself… But the difference is that I'm not ready yet, I still have much to learn before I even think of going to the frontlines… Besides, Mother would never allow me to be as reckless as Ruby Rose for example. *Blushes* Please don't tell her I said that…
Sothis: *Sighs* Don't worry, I won't tell Little Red a thing. I'm good at keeping secrets… *Looks at her hands* I just-… Now that I have this new power, I want to use it to help Byleth… But I can't use it at will, no matter how hard I try it… *Lowers her head* Maybe Blake was right in calling such an ability useless…
Gayelette takes a bit of offense to that last part, as if Sothis is calling herself useless by referring to her Foresight as useless, simply because she can't use it at will like most of the other Semblances across Remnant. She places her hands on Sothis' shoulders before making the young Goddess look at her in the eye.
Gayelette: It's not useless! A truly useless Semblance doesn't exist! Everyone has their own personal power that only they can call their own, that only they can find a way to use it to its fullest potential! Not everyone's Semblance is going to be the same, but none of them can be considered truly useless!
Sothis' eyes widen in surprise from Gayelette's words.
Sothis: You really mean that?
Gayelette: *Nods* Of course I do!
Sothis: Well… In that case, what is your Semblance? If you even have one, that is.
Gayelette smiles before letting go of Sothis, kneeling down & placing a hand on the grass. She closes her eyes as her Aura flows through her body, only for the ground to suddenly start moving, eventually, large roots are summoned & Gayelette creates a small tree right in front of them. Sothis' jaw drops at the sight of what Gayelette just did, with the young girl just getting back up to her feet while dusting off her hands.
Gayelette: This is my Semblance: "Mother Nature", it allows me to bend the plantlife around me & preserve my health by absorbing sunlike like a plant itself. Not bad, right?
Sothis: "Not Bad"?! THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME! I've never seen anything like this before in my life! Since when could you do that?!
Gayelette blushes while scratching her cheek, getting flustered by Sothis' praises.
Gayelette: Heheheh… Since I was a little kid, if I recall correctly… That said, it wasn't of much use back in Solitas, due to the lack of greenery & plantlife.
Sothis: Even so, your Semblance is amazing! You told me that you weren't ready before, right? Then how do explain what you just did?! If you ask me, you're more than ready!
Gayelette: No, nonono! Please don't say such things! My power may be great, sure… But great power alone isn't enough I'm afraid, I still have so much to learn if I want to be a true Huntress like my Mother… It's not a matter of strength alone, it's also a matter of wisdom & benevolence, both of which I'm still rather lacking on…
After a moment of silence for Sothis to cool down a bit from what Gayelette just did, she asks her something that she's been thinking about for a while.
Sothis: About that, I don't think I asked you why you want to be a Huntress in the first place. If you don't mind me asking, what's your deal here?
Gayelette looked at Sothis innocently before sighing, adjusting her skirt before sitting down once again, with Sothis following suit.
Gayelette: If I may be honest for a moment, my true reasons for wanting to become a Huntress are rather- Selfish… It'd be easy to just say I wish to follow in the footsteps of my Mother, which is certainly part of it… But in actuality, I just wish to become… Useful!
Sothis looked at her awkwardly before speaking up.
Sothis: I'm sorry, "useful"?
Gayelette: Correct… All I wish is to be of use to others, to not be seen a burden to those around me… That is my wish.
Sothis' expression slowly grows soft, having a good idea as to why Gayelette would feel this way towards herself.
Gayelette: That is why I wish to learn all that I can, so that I can finally be of use to others.
Sothis: Well… I certainly wouldn't have saved Byleth without your help, so you were sure as hell useful back there.
Gayelette: *Blushes* Please, your far too kind… Unfortunately, that's all I can do for the moment… I still have much to learn before I can actually fight alongside you all, it is not something I can just do overnight.
Sothis: If you ask me, you're already on the right path!
Gayelette looks at Sothis confusingly before she continues speaking.
Sothis: You said that you lack wisdom & benevolence, right? If you ask me, I don't think that's completely true. You're very intelligent for your age & you're far more mature than most of the students here, who are older than you. As for benevolence, you're a really cool person. Who wouldn't want to hang out & be friends with someone like you?
Gayelette smiles as she feels her eyes getting a little teary, but she wipes them out before Sothis could take notice of them, all the while adjusting her glasses.
Gayelette: Sothis… Thank you…
Sothis: Hey now, shouldn't you be the one comforting me here?
Gayelette: *Chuckles* Right, of course! My apologies, it seems we got a bit off track.
As she says that, Gayelette gets back up to her feet, with Sothis following suit.
Gayelette: Let's head back inside Beacon, there might be something that could help you with your own struggles in the library.
Sothis: Well then, lead the way.
Gayelette rolls her eyes as she begins walking back towards her Mother, with Sothis following right behind her. Eventually, they returned to Beacon Academy & learn about Sothis' Semblance & how she could use it properly.
We cut back to the Garnet Papillons, traveling through the skies with Sapphire's large ship. Ruby's taking the nice fresh air as they all soar through the sky, with Ruby still in amazement that they get to ride on what's essentially a sky pirate ship. Byleth is there with her, looking through the clouds alongside her student.
Ruby: Man, this feels great! I've never crossed the skies like this before, it's incredible! It feels like I can touch anything now, like nothing's unreachable anymore!
Byleth: My, someone's excited. You say that like you've never been on a ship before.
Ruby: Not like this one, at least! The bullheads are so freaking small & cramped up, not to mention being very slow. It makes the rides themselves so boring~!
Byleth: Well, you're not necessarily wrong. Getting to ride something this big & getting to see what's below us isn't an opportunity you get every day.
Ruby: Yeah… Makes me wish I could fly myself…
Byleth: Ruby, you're so fast that you can break the sound barrier, I think that's enough.
Ruby: Let me dream, darn it!
Byleth rolls her eyes at Ruby's response, ignoring her childish nature for the moment. As they take a good look of their surroundings, Sapphire comes by to see how they're doing.
Sapphire: Well, someone's enjoying their time here. Nice to see that there are still those who live their lives to the fullest!
Ruby: Huh? *Turns around* Oh, hey Sapphire. How can we help you?
Sapphire: Just checking on you girls, wanted to see how you were doing.
Byleth: I see. King Ozpin asked that you guys won't be helping us in the actual fight on the mission, is that truly the case?
Sapphire: I'm afraid so, Lass. We're not allowed to interfere in your actual missions, it would defeat the purpose of you guys having to learn stuff on your own.
Ruby: Alright, I think I understand. Still, it'd be cool to see you & your friends fight with us down there.
Sapphire: *Chuckles* Don't feel bad about it, I'm sure our time will come sooner or later. Speaking of which, we've just prepared a feast for you guys. I figured that you'd all be a little hungry, so how about a lunch break?
As Sapphire says that, Ruby's stomach growls loudly, with Ruby blushing in response.
Ruby: Heheheh… Guess I didn't really eat all that much during lunch today, huh?
Right as Ruby finished speaking, Byleth's own stomach suddenly growls loudly. With the Ashen Demon turning the other way with her arms crossed without saying a word. Sapphire just laughs this off as she motions them to come along.
Sapphire: Well, don't just stand there. Come on, let's get going!
The 3 girls all begin heading inside of the ship itself, with Ruby looking back for a moment before she follows Byleth & Sapphire.
We cut to the Garnet Papillons (Minus Weiss & Blake, who were not present) eating at the dining area of Sapphire's ship, their cooking was very delicious. All the while, a larger woman comes every now & then to place some more food. This woman was around 190 Cm tall & had a somewhat pale skin color. She's wearing a sleeveless white coat that she leaves it open & an icy blue T-shirt. She also wears white jeans & a pair of leather boots. Her defining trait is her long, very fluffy white hair that looks like a cloud & her pair of Polar Bear ears (& Her extra thick body). This was Solta Sky, the navigator of the crew. After putting the plates down, she speaks to the Garnet Papillons with a very soft & kind voice, not to different from a caring Older Sister or a Mother.
Solta: It's wonderful to see you all eat with your hearts content, feel free to eat as much as you wish.
The food itself wasn't so different from Buccellati's Flowing Waves, being more focused on seafood. That said, it had a lot of variety as well. It had Chinese food as well, alongside many different kinds of meat. Yang in particular takes a huge meat on a bone & starts eating it, finding it very delicious.
Yang: Man, you guys make some incredible food! It's not every day you eat huge chunks of meat as delicious as this!
Ren: This is truly wonderful indeed… If you don't mind, I'd like to learn some of your culinary techniques.
Solta: *Chuckles* I'm sure Ossian & I wouldn't mind teaching you a thing or 2. While I'm the one who gets the food for our small crew, it's our little "Boy Scout" that makes sure it's always well-seasoned & kept in good condition through our travels.
As she says that, Ossian Umber – or Ossian for short – comes from the kitchen counter to see what's going on, looking a little bit upset from getting called a "Boy Scout".
Ossian: Will you cut me some slack, Sol?! I already have Cyn in my case with that little nickname as it is, I don't need you to treat me like that too!
Ossian himself is a 177 Cm tall young boy with an Olive Brown skin color, with a short, dark brown hair which is just as spiky as Ruby's. His outfit consists of a dark green coat, a pair of black pants, leathered boots & gloves, the gloves themselves being fingerless. He also carries a large cylinder case on his back, alongside a folded bow. His Faunus trait was a pair of deer antlers, making him a Deer Faunus, Ossian's role is being the crew's personal cook. Solta chuckles as she turns to face her crewmate.
Solta: Oh, you know I don't mean any harm in it.
Ossian: *Huffs* Whatever...
As Ossian looks away embarrassed, Ruby takes noticed of how they have someone here nicknamed Cyn… Unfortunately, as much as she hoped it would be the one, she knows that whoever this Cyn person they're talking about isn't the same Cin Ruby's familiar with. She becomes a little bit upset when she realizes that, something her friends took notice of right away.
Jaune: Hey uh, Rubes? Something wrong there?
Ruby snaps back to reality when Jaune called her name, she smiles while brushing off whatever was on her mind a moment ago.
Ruby: No, it's nothing. Just something on my mind, that's all. Don't worry about it.
Jaune: Oh! Well, if you say so, then okay.
While the others were rather confused by what Ruby was actually thinking about, Yang looks at her Little Sister with a concerned look on her face. She can tell that Ruby greatly misses her close friends from a distant past, she remembers how happy she looked back then. As everyone's still eating, Ossian takes notice that Ren is looking at his plate with a very careful eye. The young deer lad goes to see what's up with the young ninja.
Ossian: Hey there. Ren, was it? I see that you have a good eye for cooking.
Ren: Huh? Oh! Yeah, I do… You somehow use leftovers & bones to create these fried fish balls, didn't you? I've never seen anyone else use these kinds of techniques in a very long time… It's incredible!
Ossian blushes sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.
Ossian: Is that so?... By the way you phrased that, I guess you do the same?
Right as Ren was about to speak up, Nora chimes in to speak up for him while having her mouth full of food.
Nora: Oh yeah, he's an amazing cook! You really gotta try out his pancakes sometime, they're amazing!
Ren: *Blushes* Nora, will you please quiet down! We're not at Beacon at the moment, remember? & Don't eat with your mouth full!
Nora swallows the food before giggling at Ren & going back to her seat, Ren can't help but have a small smile grow on his face despite his partner's lack of manners.
Ren: Honestly, she's always like this… I sometimes don't know what to do with her… Then again, I never wanted to see her without that smile ever again… That's a big reason why I wanted to become a cook, so she can smile more.
Ossian smiles at that comment as he looks back at the others eating, mainly Pyrrha helping out Jaune from not getting a stroke for eating too much at once.
Ossian: I see.
The rest of the group eats in peace, just having some fun while they're on their way towards their destination. Elsewhere on the ship, Blake is drinking her tea in peace. She was thinking about how Sapphire was able to recognize her despite how vastly different Blake herself looks from how she looked since the last time they saw each other. What Blake "doesn't notice" is someone who's slowly approaching her, someone who looks quite identical to Blake.
This young girl has spike short raven black hair & bold amber eyes, she wears a sleeveless leather jacket that appears to have a few cuts around the sides alongside a crop top. She also has a spiky choker & a pair of spiky gloves. Her legwear consists of tight torn black jeans & ankle high boots. Her Faunus Trait is a long, fluffy Black Panther Tail. This girl grins mischievously as she tries to surprise someone who he hasn't seen in many years… Only for Blake to suddenly stop sipping her tea, draw Gambol Shroud & point it behind her, fully aware that someone's behind her & knowing who it is exactly.
Blake: Nice try, Cyn, but even you can't catch me from behind.
Cynthia: AWH, COME ON~! How did you know it was me, Blakey~?!
Cynthia Coal, or Cyn for short, whines that she wasn't able to catch her old-time friend by surprise… Again… She just huffs as she goes to sit in front of Blake.
Blake: I'd recognize that powerful scent & loud footsteps of yours right away.
Cynthia: Ah-?! That's just rude!
Blake: *Sighs* I guess you're still that loud tough girl who always got herself in trouble… Never mind that, what do you want? Can't you see I'm having a moment of peace here?
Cynthia smiles before stretching her arms as she answers Blake's question.
Cynthia: Come on, Blakey~! Is that anyway to address your senior, let alone your friend from your childhood?
Blake: "Friend"? Don't kid yourself, I don't have any friends… Any friends I did once had are now dead or beyond reasoning… I don't recall ever being friends with you guys.
Cynthia: Oh? I don't quite remember it being like that, I remember how you & Sapphire used to play all of the time & how I always wrapped you & Ossian into the wildest of stunts back when we were kids.
Blake: Shove it!
Cynthia: Damn, when did you get such an attitude problem?
Blake: I don't have an attitude problem!... *Looks away* I just like being alone…
Cynthia's expression becomes a little serious as she asks Blake a question.
Cynthia: Do you "like" being alone?... Or do you "force yourself" to be alone?
Blake looks back Cynthia with a confused look on her face.
Blake: What's that supposed to mean?
Cynthia: Oh, come on… You know exactly what I mean… *Smirks* Manslayer.
Blake immediately freaks out & goes to Cynthia to cover her mouth with her hands.
Blake: {Keep it down, you dumbass! Those brats don't know about it yet & I want it to stay that way!}
Cynthia (Mouth covered): {Jeez, calm down Blakey. I won't say a word to them & I'm sure the others won't either, I promise your little secret is safe with us.}
Blake calms down a little before letting go of Cynthia & going back to her seat, all the while Cynthia takes out a written sheet of paper from her pocket.
Cynthia: Anyways, we've received your letter from a while back. From what you wrote for us, it seems you've gotten into quite a pickle.
Blake: Hm… I never expected to hear anything from you guys again, even more so after I left the White Fang last year.
Cynthia: Yeah. From the looks of it, you were going through some rough times. Went on a mission with your squad, was one of the very few survivors of said mission & after a huge argument with Bull Boy, you finally had enough & defected. Honestly, I'm surprised you were even able to escape. If you were anyone else, you wouldn't have made it far enough & would've been executed for treason the moment they captured you.
Blake looks down somberly as she remembers her escape from the White Fang last year, that night still haunts her to this very day.
Blake: Yeah, they would've… *Shakes her head* Never mind that, why are you bringing that up here & now of all times & places?
Cynthia: Tell me… How long do you intend to run away?
Blake raises an eyebrow in confusion as Cynthia keeps talking.
Cynthia: How long do you intend to run away from all of your problems? How long do you intend to run away from all of the pain you've caused on others or even your own pain? How long will you let your guilt make your decisions for you? You can act tough all you want, but you're still a child, one who clearly doesn't know what she's doing.
Blake begins to growl in anger at Cynthia's comment.
Blake: I'm not running from anything… There's nothing for me to run away from…
Cynthia: Blake, I've known you since the day you were born & you were never that good at lying, let alone keeping up facades.
Blake: Drop it!
Cynthia: No, I won't! *Slams her fist to the floor* Blake, you have to stop living this way & try to forgive yourself, you need to let it all go & move on! You can't keep doing this forever & you know it! Do you really think the Captain would've want-?
Blake immediately points Gambol Shroud to Cynthia's face to make her stop talking.
Blake: Finish that sentence & I'll slit your fucking throat!
Cynthia looks at Blake, noticing her sharp golden eyes glaring at her in pure anger. But Cynthia just smirks & acts confident before speaking up again.
Cynthia: What? With a sword with a reversed edge?
Blake just scoffs before pulling back her sword & sheathing it.
Blake: Point is, I've heard all of that bullshit before & none of it was worth a damn! All of you think & act like you can understand & help me, but you can't! It's better for me to be alone, nobody has to get hurt or killed that way…
Cynthia takes a sip of tea before she asks another question.
Cynthia: What about those new friends of yours? Aren't you worried about having them get involved in your own matters?
Blake: Of course not & that's because they won't get involved with anything! As long as I keep my cover & let them believe I'm a Human like they are… Then they don't have to get involved in my own matters, especially if I keep my distance from them like I usually do. I'm just here for a job for Oz, nothing more…
Cynthia: Pff, yeah… Let's see how long that train lasts before it crashes.
As Cynthia takes another sip of tea, Blake remembers something else that she wanted to speak to them, mainly about their letter.
Blake: Actually, while you're still here, I wish to talk about the letter you guys sent me through your messenger falcon. *Looks at Cynthia* This little "alliance" you wrote about, is it really true?
Cynthia gets serious again before shooting Blake a slow nod.
Cynthia: Yeah, it's true… To think that it'd actually be possible… Then again, this is Lady Sienna we're talking about, she sees good potential when she sees it.
Blake: Still, an alliance?!... With them of all people?!... I don't like it, not one bit!...
Cynthia: Yeah, they're apparently going to meet up around June. If my hunch is correct, they might bring some of the big guns along the ride, maybe even Lady Sienna herself will make an appearance… If that happens, then…
Blake looks somberly at her reflection from her tea, thinking about the many Brothers & Sisters she worked with in the White Fang, she wonders how strong they got after she left them all last year, hopefully it isn't by much.
Blake: Yeah… If Sienna does come at June with the others, then all hope will be lost… If those damn kid get in their way, they're all going to die… I have to find a way to stop this damn meeting at all costs!
Cynthia: *Smirks* Oh? I thought you didn't care for your new friends.
Blake scoffs while looking away before responding.
Blake: I don't!...I just don't want anyone else to die because of me, that's all… I already let enough people die because of me as it is…
Cynthia decided to not say another way, she just looks at Blake who has a very stressed & concerned look in her face. While Cynthia doesn't know every single little detail of what happened to Blake after she ran away, she does know that she has suffered a lot. After letting her old friend having a moment of silence, she stands back up & places a hand on top of Blake's head.
Cynthia: Don't worry, Blake. Everything will be okay, I assure you. If you ever need some help, Sapphire, the others & I will lend you a hand. Just send us a letter & we'll be on our way, ya got that?
Blake calms down a little bit before nodding slowly at Cynthia's request.
Blake: R- right… I'll keep that in mind…
Cynthia: *Smiles* Good girl, I knew you had it in you. I'll be heading back to the armory, gotta make sure that the weapons & cannons are at top shape, ya never know what can happen when you're flying across the skies. Thanks for the tea, Blakey~!
Cynthia waves off as she walks away, leaving Blake by herself as she pours one final cup of tea for herself. Blake lowers her head as she thinks about what she just talked about with Cynthia, mainly the fact that she doesn't want the others to get involved in what the White Fang is planning now. She thinks back to Ruby & Yang & how she grew fond of those 2 girls, regardless of how much Blake herself wishes to admit it or not. All she can do is pray for the heavens above that all will go smoothly from here on out.
Let us skip to nightfall, where everyone already got dressed in their nightwear in their guest rooms. Ruby is taking a look at her current equipment, Weiss is reading a book about warfare, Blake is meditating & Yang is currently on the restroom taking care of her hair. Ruby eventually loses focus on what she's doing & looks at Weiss, wondering how she's doing over there with her book.
Ruby: Hey there Weiss, how's your little reading section?
Weiss: A lot better than I expected. Thanks to Prof. Eisner's guidance & your occasional helping hand, I believe I'm starting to get a grasp on how large-scale battles work.
Ruby decides to put her things aside, get out of her bed & goes behind Weiss, taking a closer look at the book she's reading.
Ruby: Really? Those are great news. You're a pretty fast learner, Weiss.
Weiss: I unfortunately cannot agree with that, I usually take a long time before I finally get a grasp of the concept I'm struggling with. I only did it as fast as I did here thanks to you guys… *Closes her eyes* With that in mind, I… I wish to apologize to you…
Ruby: *Raises an eyebrow* Wait, apologize? Apologize for what, exactly?
Weiss: Remember our first few weeks together? How I was needlessly cruel to you & how I constantly pushed you away, even when you tried to help me?
Ruby thinks a little bit about Weiss said, eventually remembering how she acted before.
Ruby: Oh yeah, you did… If anything, I was more so disappointed at myself back then.
Weiss widens her eyes in confusion before turning to face Ruby.
Weiss: I beg your pardon?
Ruby: How should I put this?... Because I was – & still am – your Leader, I thought it was my responsibility to help you, even when you said no. So when I saw you ran off after lashing out at all of us, I felt pretty bad about myself… Almost as if I failed to help one of my new comrades.
Weiss looks down somberly after hearing what Ruby just said, feeling even more guilty than she did before.
Weiss: Oh, I see… I'm truly sorry about-
Ruby: Eh, it's fine! It's all in the past now, don't let it get to you.
Weiss looks back at Ruby confusingly once again, all the while Ruby's expression goes back to her usual cheerful self.
Weiss: W- What?! But my behavior back then was so unacceptable & unjustified, I even insulted your Mother &-
Weiss suddenly stops talking once Ruby placed a hand on top of her head.
Ruby: Like I said, it's all in the past. There isn't a point in holding grudges or regrets, it wouldn't do us any good. Instead, why not just focus on becoming the best you that you can be, ya'know? What done is done, we can't do anything about it. It's best to just focus on the future ahead & keep fighting for what you believe in. *Shoots a smile at Weiss* Does that make sense to you, Ice Queen?
Weiss blushes at both the Ice Queen comment & having Ruby's hand on her head, but she can't help but grow a soft smile at Ruby's words.
Weiss: Honestly, I don't know how in the world could someone like you even exist…
Ruby jokingly gets mad at Weiss after hearing that comment, she wraps her right arm around her shoulders while bringing the short heiress close to her.
Ruby: Hey now, what's that supposed to mean?
Weiss: Hahahahahahah! I meant that as a complement, you crazy dolt!
The 2 girls just smile at each other for a bit before Ruby lets go of Weiss & heading back to her bed to check her equipment, mainly her bullet cartridges & Crescent Rose. While those girls were busy, Blake was meditating in peace. Even down she could hear the other girls talking in the same room, she didn't let that distract her.
Unfortunately, her peaceful meditation would come to a halt when she suddenly started having internal visions. She begins to see a peaceful village suddenly being set ablaze, screams of many people could be heard before they're suddenly cut off & silenced.
Through the flames, she can see a red-haired man with sharp blue eyes, black bull horns & carrying a bloodied katana. The mysterious figure stares down at Blake menacingly before he turns around & starts walking away in the flames, all the while the voice of one specific girl screams through Blake's ears & screaming her name over & over again until Blake suddenly opens her eyes widely, stopping her meditation in a cold sweat. Ruby & Weiss takes notice of Blake suddenly "waking up" & ask if she's alright.
Ruby: Woah… Ya okay there, Blake? You look like you've seen a ghost.
Blake looks up at Ruby before realizing that she was seating a little bit. She begins wiping off her sweat before she answers Ruby's question.
Blake: No, I'm alright… I just saw something that I didn't wish to see, that's all…
Weiss: "Saw something that you didn't wish to see"? What's that supposed to mean?
Instead of answering Weiss' question, she just grabbed her kimono & her hat, ready to leave the room for a moment.
Blake: Doesn't matter… I'm going to go outside & catch some fresh air.
As Blake is putting on her kimono to keep herself warm due to being cold outside, Yang finally comes back to the room, with her hair complete done as well.
Yang: Hello~! Sorry I took so long, how are you guys do-
Before she could finish, Blake passes through her & leaves the room as she puts her hat on. Yang is understandably confused as she sees her partner suddenly leave right as she's just came back, she looks at the other girls to see if they know what's up.
Yang: What's up with Blake? *Looks at Weiss* Please don't tell me what I think it is…
Weiss: As much as I wish it was the case, we didn't fight this time.
Yang looks at Weiss with a shocked expression, completely flabbergasted that these 2 didn't fight this time around. Before Yang could ask any further, Ruby jumps into the scene & tries to explain the situation to her Big Sister.
Ruby: Blake suddenly stopped her meditation in a cold sweat, almost as if she suddenly woke up from a horrible nightmare. She decided to go outside & get some fresh air, but I'm sure she'll be fine once she comes back… I think!...
Yang takes a moment to let Ruby's words process in her mind before she looks back to the hallways, worried about her partner.
Cut back to outside of the ship's deck, where Blake is looking up at the beautiful night sky, its many stars & the shattered moon that always looms over Remnant at night. She thinks back to that vision she saw before she broke out of her meditation, that man with red hair… She clenches her fists into the kimono as she whispers to herself in a fruitless attempt to calm down her nerves a little bit.
Blake: {It's alright, Blake… Everything's alright… He's gone now, you made damn sure that bastard's as good as dead!... He's not coming back; he's never coming back...}
Yang: Who's never coming back?
Blake suddenly flinches & turns back around to see Yang, wearing a jacket alongside her usual revealing & short nightwear. She hopes to God that she didn't spoke to loudly, but given how Yang somehow heard her mummering, that might've been the case.
Blake: What the hell do you want & how much did you hear?!
Yang: Not much, I wasn't listening all that well due to how quiet you were talking.
[Music: Aika from Inuyasha]
Blake raises an eyebrow in suspicion, not fully believing what Yang just said. As she keeps her eyes squarely at her partner, Yang makes her way to stand next to Blake.
Yang: Ruby said you suddenly stopped meditating & ran off to get some fresh air, what did you see back there?
Blake initially looks away & scoffs, with no intention of saying a word to Yang about what she saw back there in their guest room.
Blake: None of your damn business! I just wanted some fresh air, that's all…
Yang just rolls her eyes in response, knowing full well that this would be her answer. She may have known her partner for only a month or so, but she knows her well enough to see when she's bothered to the point of wishing to stay quiet. So instead of pushing for an answer, she just starts gazing at the night sky to pass the time.
Yang: Ever the rude one, I see… *Looks up* At least we get a nice view from up here. The stars are really pretty tonight, aren't they?
Blake calms down a little before looking at the same direction Yang is right now, deciding to play along & just gaze at the stars above as well.
Blake: Yeah, they are… I know a lot of people don't like the night & how dark it is, but I always preferred the dark… It's so quiet, relaxing, soothing… Not to mention gorgeous…
Yang: Yeah… It's really beautiful… Back when Mom was still around, we used to gaze at the starts & find any constellations we could point to. Whenever I go outside at night, I always remember those long nights we had together.
Blake: *Looks at Yang* Did you now? Looks like we got something in common after all.
Yang widens her eyes in shock before looking back at Blake.
Yang: Wait, seriously?!
Blake: *Nods* Yeah, I am… Although for me, it was neither with my Father nor my Mother… In actuality, it was with my Older Brother. We always stayed up very late to see the stars above, as well as the beautiful shattered moon… I really miss those days…
Yang: I uh… I don't recall you ever mentioning having a Brother before.
Blake: Had a Brother… *Looks away* He was killed 5 years ago…
Yang's eyes widen in horror at the statement, hearing that just like herself, Ruby & Weiss, Blake has lost a family member she held dear to her heart as well. She then remembers about one of their first conversations back at Emerald Forest, mainly about the part where Blake says about wanting to avenge someone she lost to an Atlesian Officer… She thinks of the possibility & doesn't like it one bit, but she asks Blake about it anyways.
Yang: So… That guy who was your mentor or whatever who died, the guy you told me about back in our initiation… That was-…
Blake doesn't say another word, she simply shoots a small nod to Yang to confirm her theory to be true. When Yang realizes what that means, she can't help but feel sympathy towards her partner. She tries to reach out her hand & place it at Blake's back as a way to comfort her, but she stops & pulls her hand away, thinking that Blake might not be used to any form of physical comfort.
Yang: I'm so sorry, that must've been horrible… Now I understand your wish to avenge him a little better now… If I suddenly lost Ruby forever, I don't know what I'd do…
Blake: I recently turned 12 at that time, he went on a very important assignment one day… I tried to go with him, but he stopped me, saying that it wasn't my time just yet… I never understood what that meant & to be honest, I still kinda don't… The next time I saw him in the following week, all I got was a box suddenly being thrown in my house, my room to be more specific… I suddenly went to open that box & saw something that will always stink in my mind like a sore thumb…
Yang thinks about what Blake means, but immediately freaks out once she gets an idea.
Yang: No, you don't mean-
Blake: *Slowly nods* Inside of that box was my Brother's lifeless & severed head…
Yang covers her mouth in horror after hearing what Blake just said, trying to process her story. Not only had she lost someone very close to her, but the way she learned that was through a mailbox containing their head?! Yang couldn't help but look away in horror as she closes her eyes shut at the thought of something this disgusting & horrible.
Yang: Why?!... Why would anyone do such a thing?! How could anyone do such a thing?!
Blake: If your heart is filled with nothing but hate & malice, anything's possible for you.
Blake says that last statement while lowering her head & holding onto her bamboo hat, all the while Yang is still processing everything she just heard. Blake begins to think to herself about why she's even telling Yang any of this in the first place, why is she even talking to her at all?! Is it her way of trying to relate to her? Maybe she subconsciously wants to talk about this to someone she might be able to trust? She doesn't really know, nor does she have any time to think about that right now. After a moment of silence, Yang calms down a little bit before she asks another question to Blake.
Yang: Is it okay if I ask what his name was?
Blake: … Raoul… His name was Raoul… & He was 3 years older than me…
Yang: That's a nice name… From how you talk about him, he seems like a nice guy…
Blake lowers her head somberly before replying to Yang.
Blake: Yeah, he was... & I'm certain that your Mom was the same way…
Yang looks back at the stars before she herself replied back to Yang.
Yang: Yeah, she was the best… I miss her a lot & so does Ruby, she was so important to us… When she left & never came back, a part of us died there as well…
Blake looks at Yang for a moment before subconsciously stepping closer to her.
Blake: Guess we're a lot more alike than we thought, huh?
Yang: Yeah, we are…
Yang looks back at Blake & noticed that she's now a little closer to her. She decided to bite the bullet at that point & place a comforting hand on her shoulder, to which Blake notices as she looks back at Yang.
Yang: Maybe that's why we get along as well as we do…
Blake huffs as a soft smile grows on her face, all the while she gets a little closer to Yang & looks up at the night sky with her.
Blake: Yeah, maybe…
None of them say another word to each other, they just stay like that in peace while they quietly look at the stars above them, taking in the nice breeze of the night. Blake begins to remember how her old friend from last year, Noel, did something similar to this… Once that thought crosses her mind, she eventually steps away from Yang & turns back.
Yang: Huh? What's up?
Blake decides to fake her real reason as to why she suddenly stepped away from Yang as she adjusts her kimono, starting to feel a little cold.
Blake: It's getting too cold outside; we should head back before we get sick.
Yang: Oh, right! Good call.
Blake begins to head back inside, with Yang following suit. She could tell from Blake's tone that something was wrong back there, but she didn't want to push her into telling her. She can tell that her partner has suffered a lot & she wants to make sure she doesn't feel alone anymore. As for Blake herself, she begins to get a little scared about the very likely scenario of growing even closer to Yang & the others, only for them to be taken away from her yet again. She keeps telling herself that she won't let it happen this time, telling herself that she won't make the same mistake again.
[Music End]
Unbeknownst to them both, Sapphire was on night duty at that time & she overheard their entire conversation. She simply smiled as she went back to night watching duty.
Cut to the following day, where their ship is getting closer to their destination. Ruby & Byleth are looking at the land below as they approach their destination, thinking about how well things might go for them today.
Byleth: It's almost time, we should be arriving in about an hour or so at this rate.
Ruby: Do you think the villagers are alright? I hope they all managed to escape & find refuge somewhere before their town was taken over.
Byleth: I think they did, someone had to send that distress call after all… That said, I wouldn't be surprised if they were struggling to survive or if there were some casualties during the attack earlier this month.
Ruby thinks for a bit about what Byleth just said, thinking about how the people of that town might feel so helpless. She can understand that feeling better than anyone, due to her own experiences in being helpless & weak. But before she can speak up, someone approaches them & calls them both out.
"Luds": Best case scenario: they all found a safe refuge somewhere close to their town & made it out until we come to their aid. That's what the Captain said, anyways.
They both turn around to see a very large & imposing young man stand before them. He has a hair tied in a short ponytail, said hair being jet black. He has dark brown skin, just like Fox Alister from Team CFVY. His eyes are sharp & appear to have a dark red color, almost a blood crimson red in a way. As for his actual appearance, he stands a little over 2 meters tall & is jacked as hell. He has a sharp, almost triangular jawline that's sorta covered with a growing beard, he also appears to be wearing a pair of golden earrings on all of his ears. Speaking of ears, this young man's Faunus trait is a pair of Horse Ears.
As for what he's wearing, he's wearing what appears to be a sleeveless white shirt & a red bandana around his neck, alongside a brown cowboy jacket… Albeit with its sleeves being somewhat torn, only reaching past the young man's shoulders. Although in both of his arms, he wears white sashes that go from his wrists to just below his elbows, not unlike how Blake uses them. For legwear, a pair of dark blue jeans with a few cuts around the knees & traditional cowboy boots.
This is Ludovic Obsidian; or Luds for short. Sapphire's helmsman & shipwright, as well as the team tank, as well as the occasional voice of reason & wise one of the crew. Ruby & Byleth (but mostly Ruby) are a bit taken aback to see this very large man for the first time, not expecting meeting someone like that under such circumstances.
Ruby: Woah, hey there!... How long have you been there listening to us?
Ludovic: Long enough, my apologies for not saying anything beforehand.
Ruby: No! Nononononono, it's alright; trust me!
Byleth: That said, I have to ask… How are you guys so sure that the people of the now bandit-occupied town aren't in any real danger at the moment?
Ludovic: We have a lot of experience with different kinds of bandits in the past.
Ludovic approaches them both & stands next to them to see the land below before he continues speaking.
Ludovic: The bandits of Vale are a little easier to handle, since they're not just mindless killers & thieves. If you play your cards right, they'll spare you & let you escape with your lives. That's not something I can say about the bandits of Anima or the Vacuan Deserts, both of which are merciless in their own way…
Ruby: Hm… "Easy to handle", you say? That's good to know, at least we have a bright idea of what the people will be fighting are really like. Well, our plan is to capture their leader & force the others to surrender, I think we might have a better shot at doing it now that we know who we're dealing with.
Ludovic: Correct. *Looks at Ruby* Even so, don't let your guard down at any point. Those guys are still very dangerous, don't let them get a jump on you. Make sure that you don't attract too much Grimm either.
Ruby: Don't worry, we got this in the bag! Isn't that right, Prof.?
Byleth looks at Ruby confused at that statement for a moment before replying.
Byleth: Uh, Ruby? Don't you think you're a bit too confident & cool-headed about all of this? You're taking this a bit too well for my liking.
Ruby: Nah, we got this. Especially with you on our side, they won't know what's coming!
Byleth just sighs as a faint smile grows on her face at Ruby's response.
Byleth: Well, someone has to be confident in our victory, I suppose…
Ruby: Come on, Prof. Are you implying that we might lose?
Byleth: Of course not, I just hope we don't get over our heads with this.
Ludovic smiles as he sees the 2 girls talking it out, he decided that it'd be better to leave them by themselves. He turns back around & starts heading back inside.
Ludovic: I'll go check on the others inside, you 2 just keep on a lookout. We'll make sure to warn you guys when we're ready to land.
Ruby: Uh, okay? Later, Luds.
Ludovic waves off as he heads back inside of the ship, just as the girls continue their conversation from earlier.
Ruby: Look, as long as we keep an eye on each other & do our job at record time, we'll be able to go back home victorious without any issue. I mean, this isn't even your first time going on missions like this, right? Plus, we got pretty strong over the last month. It doesn't hurt to have a little faith in ourselves, right?
Byleth thinks for a moment about what Ruby said, eventually realizing she was right. She thinks that the last few encounters may have made her worry too much a bit, especially their encounter with Neo. Thanks to Ruby's pep talk, Byleth becomes more confident.
Byleth: Yeah, you're right. We can handle this! Bandits are a joke to me, so anyone who even thinks of going up against me will have another thing coming & I know how strong you kids have become as well. I mean, I am your homeroom teacher.
Ruby: Exactly! So stop worrying about every single thing & just try to go with the flow, you're more likely to make a mistake when you are overthinking before a big event like this. Just keep a level head & focus on the game ahead, cool?
Byleth can't help but chuckle at Ruby's confidence & optimism, which catches Ruby off guard for a brief moment.
Ruby: Hm? I think this is the first time I hear you laugh; did I say something that funny?
Byleth: No, no, it's nothing like that! I just can't help but smile after hearing you say all of that… Thanks Ruby, I needed to hear that for a while now.
Ruby looks at Byleth with an adorable stare before a big smile grows on her face, just as she continues talking to her about whatever's on her mind at the moment. Seeing Ruby as cheerful as she is now makes Byleth feel very warm inside… Yet for some reason, she can't help that all of that cheerfulness & optimism comes from a rather… Dark place…
A few hours later, the ship lands at an open field where they're supposed to meet one the mayor of the now bandit-occupied town. Ruby & Byleth are the first ones to jump out of the ship & land on the grass below, looking around to see where's their client.
Ruby: Ya think this is the place?
Byleth: That's what Sapphire & the others say… Maybe we got here too early?
As they keep looking around as the others start coming out of the ship themselves, Ruby spots someone from afar approaching them… Or rather, a few people approaching them.
Ruby: Well, if we did, then we won't have to wait very long. Look over there!
Byleth looks at the direction Ruby's pointing at, almost being able to see the ones her student was able to spot in an instant. She looks at Ruby before remarking about how she's able to see them from such a distant.
Byleth: I swear Ruby, those eyes of yours are way too sharp.
Ruby: Well, I always had a good eyesight. It's pretty dang useful. *Looks back at the guys approaching them* Hey! Over here!
Ruby starts waving her arms to see if their clients can see them, which they do. From the side of our heroes' guests, we see 2 people. A young man with dark brown hair who looks like a swashbuckler & a shorter girl with dark brown hair, but looking like a country maid. The younger of the 2 siblings looks at her Brother before speaking.
Young Maid: Brother, I can see 2 people over there… Do you think they might be the Huntresses King Ozpin has lend to us?
The older of the 2 siblings doesn't say a word, he just looks at Ruby & Byleth from afar as they approach them. He can only hope that these are the ones who'll save their home.
Once they reach the parked airship, they see their guests from up close. A small girl with red hair & a slightly taller young women with blue hair & an odd-looking sword… If he's being honest, the young man isn't too impressed with what he's got, not initially thinking that these 2 could do any work against the bandits on his town. He keeps that to himself however & still greets them both with respect.
Swashbuckler: So, are you the Huntresses that were sent here by His Majesty?
Ruby: *Nods* Yup, that's us!... Well, there's also 7 or so more people on the ship who are with us too.
Swashbuckler: I see… & You two are?
Ruby: *Points at herself* I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose!
Byleth: & I'm Byleth Eisner, Professional Huntress of The Kingdom of Vale & Homeroom Teacher of Beacon Academy. *Bows* It's a pleasure to meet you.
While the Swashbuckler still feels a little uncertain of these 2, the young girl next to him feels pretty assured that they're going to be okay now that help has arrived. Before her Brother can speak up, the young maid steps in & introduces herself to Ruby & Byleth.
Ashley: The pleasure is all ours, Huntresses of Vale. My name is Ashley, Ashley Chloris. *Gestures her hand to the Swashbuckler on her left* This is my Older Brother, Hunter Chloris. Please forgive his somewhat cold & quiet demeanor, he's been taking this past month very hard on himself.
The older sibling looks at his Sister with rolling eyes, rather annoyed that she somewhat interrupted him & described him the way she did. It doesn't matter all that much though, he looks back at Ruby & Byleth before he starts speaking.
Hunter: Y- Yeah… Ever since those bandits took our town earlier this month, trying to scrape by with what we have. While we have experience in living in the plains, we don't have enough of the required supplies to last very long.
Byleth thinks for a bit about how they should approach this… Should they head to the town right now & deal with this matter immediately, or should they head to where these people are currently residing & try to plan out some more? After thinking for a little while, she turns to Ruby once she makes her decision.
Byleth: Alright… Ruby, go back to the ship & gather the others. We'll discuss the matters at greater length at their current residence before we strike an attack.
Ruby: Roger that, I'll be back soon!
Ruby turns around & heads back inside of the ship as Byleth ordered, just as Byleth turns back to see the somewhat confused Hunter & Ashley.
Byleth: I wish to see your current situation with my own eyes before I take back your home, will that be acceptable to you?
Hunter: *Nods* Very well, we'll take you there ourselves. It's not very far from here.
Byleth nods at the 2 young siblings, grateful to have started her mission on a good note. Now that they've arrived at their location, they plan to do everything in their power to accomplish their first mission as Huntsmen & Huntresses.
Cut to a couple of minutes later, where Hunter & Ashley are walking our heroes through the plains of Eastern Vale, with the townsfolk's current residence as their destination. It doesn't take very long for Weiss to start sweating a little & feel a little numbness on her legs from walking non-stop for like- half an hour.
Weiss: Argh… How much longer do we have to walk? I'm beginning to not feel my feet anymore…
Ruby: Well, you're the one who's wearing high heels in the high plains of all places, not to mention how you're not used to the weather here in Vale. Don't worry Weiss, you'll get used to this pretty quickly.
Weiss: I certainly hope so… Ow…
Ashley: Just a little longer, everyone. We're almost at our residence camp.
After a few more minutes of walking, they stop at a small cliff, with Hunter looking down as he spots some tents & people walking around. This must be the camp Ashley talked about earlier, with Hunter then confirming to be the case.
Hunter: We've arrived, this is where all of the women, children & elderly are currently residing… As you can see, we're starting to get low on numbers… There are only a few dozens of us left…
Byleth looks at Hunter as she raises an eyebrow in confusion.
Byleth: "Only a few dozen"? What happened to everyone else?
Hunter lowered his head as he sadly closed his eyes, leaving a somber Ashley to answer Byleth's question.
Ashley: A few weeks ago, shortly after our distress call was sent, most of our men raised their arms & tried to take back our town themselves… Unfortunately, they couldn't go very far before they were all slain… Our Father was one of the only survivors on that day, but his injuries prevent him from fighting ever again… *Looks at her Brother* Right now, my Brother is the only fighter left who can defend us, both from those horrible bandits & from The Creatures of Grimm…
Byleth: I see… My deepest of condolences…
Byleth & her students all looked at the camp from above with sad looks on their faces, most of them feeling empathy to these innocent people. They stay in silence for a while longer before Hunter begins to walk down the cliff, with Ashley turning to him.
Ashley: Brother?
Hunter: We shouldn't waste our time standing here, lets head back to the camp.
Ashley: Oh, of course! *Looks at The Garnet Papillons* Come with me, everyone.
Byleth nods as she & the others head down the cliff with Ashley & Hunter, heading to their village camp & witnessing the townsfolk at a closer look. Jaune then notices Ren's rather distained expression, he turns to him to see what's wrong.
Jaune: Hey Ren, something bothering you?
Ren wakes back up to reality when Jaune calls out his name, only to sigh as he puts some of his hair behind his ears.
Ren: Sorry, I just don't feel well whenever I see people in a situation like this… It doesn't bring me many fond memories…
Jaune: Oh, I see…
They didn't say another word as they kept walking down the hill to step foot in the camp, all the while Hunter thinks about these kids. He doesn't like that these children were sent here instead of actual Huntsmen, but he's gonna bite his tongue for now.
They arrive at the largest tent of the camp, where both Hunter's & Ashley's parents currently reside. There was an older man laying in bed who looks like an older Hunter, but with longer hair & a missing left leg & many bandages around his chest. The other was an older woman, who like their Father, looked like an older version of their children, this time being an older Ashley lookalike. As the woman finishes changing her Husband's bandages, she notices that her Son & Daughter arrived at their tent.
Hunter: Mother, Father, His Majesty's troops have arrived.
The Mother gets up to greet her children, as well as welcome the Garnet Papillons. Although Ruby & Byleth are the only ones who got inside of the tent, the rest were all looking around the place & trying to help the people out in whatever they could.
Hunter's Mother: Oh, Hunter, Ashely, I'm so glad to see you're both okay.
Their Mother brings them both to a small embrace, glad to see that their children made it back home. While Ashley happily hugs their mother back, Hunter just looks away a bit flustered. She lets them both go & turns to face both Ruby & Byleth.
Fawn: Oh, so you 2 must be the Huntresses that were deployed by His Majesty. I'm Fawn Chloris & I'm the chief of our people, it's an honor to meet you both. *Turns around* The man laying down in bed is my Husband: Tawney Chloris, he's a retired Huntsman & a school teacher back in our hometown.
Tawney then looks at Ruby & Byleth. Similar to his Son, he doesn't see why Ozpin would send children here to do an adult's job. But unlike his Son, he appreciates the help a lot.
Tawney: That's them? I see… What're your names?
Ruby: *Points at herself* I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose!
Byleth: My name is Byleth Eisner, it's a pleasure to meet you.
Tawney: Likewise, I'm honored that the King of Vale was kind enough to lend his support to us in our time of need.
Ruby just smiles as she puts her arms behind her head.
Ruby: Hey, it's no big deal. We're just doing what we gotta do, no need to thank us.
Hunter just shoots a faint glare at Ruby at that response, thinking that she's not taking any of this seriously. But like before, he keeps his thoughts to himself, he doesn't want to cause a scene in a time like this. Fawn turns back to Ruby & Byleth to begin discussing the matter at hand.
Fawn: Now then… As you're well aware, our town was raided & taken earlier this month by a group of bandits… While we tried to take it back on a few instances, it was clear that we didn't have the strength to take back our home… So I called upon his majesty if he could lend us a helping hand.
Ruby raises an eyebrow in confusion the that last bit of Fawn's statement.
Ruby: Wait, you send Ozpin the distress call?
Fawn: *Nods* Didn't either of my children told you? I'm the current chief of our town.
Ruby: Wait, what?!
Ruby takes a step back as her expression changes from pure shock, not expecting to see such a fine & normal looking woman to be the leading figure of a small town. Byleth just rolls her eyes at Ruby's reaction before speaking up.
Byleth: Anywho, there's something I've been wondering for a while? Or perhaps the real reason why they even took over your town? Are they just a group of bandits who cause nothing but trouble, or are they actually after something really important you might have in your possession?
Fawn: As a matter of fact, yes! You see, our town's natural treasure is a small crystal ball. It is said that once a year, this magical crystal would gift us with good graces from the Gods… However, I do not know why a group of bandits would want something like this. The crystal ball isn't something one can just-… use, so to say…
Byleth raises a brow in curiosity, not expecting that the bandits would actually have some kind of reason to invade this specific town. Yet this thing they're after is a crystal ball… It couldn't be what Byleth thinks it is, could it?!... If it is, then why would it be here of all places & what would those bandits want with it. After she thinks for a little bit, she asks both Fawn & Tawney more about this "crystal ball".
Byleth: Well, where exactly do you keep this crystal ball of yours?
Tawney: We keep it at the deepest depts of our basement, our house also serves as a town hall for our… well, town! However, it can only be opened by a blood password, our blood to be more specific… But I don't know if that'll fully stop them, they might find a way to break down that door.
Byleth: I see… Say, could you all excuse me & my student for a moment?
Fawn: What? Oh, yes! Of course, go ahead! We can wait.
Byleth: Thanks… *Grabs Ruby's hoodie* Come on, Ruby.
Ruby: What the- HEY!
Byleth starts dragging Ruby away from the head-tent & later, the camp, much to Ruby's dismay. She wiggles & flails around as Byleth effortlessly drags her away so that they can talk to each other in private for a moment, even if Ruby's nagging can get annoying.
Ruby: Hey, come on! Let me go, Teach! Ya can't just drag me around like that- woah!
Byleth eventually lets go of Ruby once they get a far enough distance from the camp, Ruby begins questioning Byleth about what's wrong as she fixes up her hood.
Ruby: Jeez, you could've just told me to follow you. What the heck was that all ab-?
Before Ruby could finish speaking, she noticed the rather serious look on Byleth… As in, a very serious look. Ruby can tell that something's up & asks Byleth about it.
Ruby: Woah, Byleth… Ya okay there?
Byleth: Were you listening to what that woman said about their "crystal ball"?
Ruby: What? You mean that whole "Gift from the Gods" nonsense? You don't actually buy all of that, do you? It's probably just some dumb shiny rock that doesn't really do anything, this whole "Gift from the Gods" is just some bedtime story.
Byleth then turns to face Ruby before she speaks up.
Byleth: That wasn't exactly where I was going with… Remember what Ozpin & Glynda told us about those supposed "Lost Artifacts" when we told them about Neo?
Ruby: "The 3 Sacred Treasures", right? What, you think that this crystal ball is one of those supposed treasures?
Byleth: I don't know… To be honest, I highly doubt that possibility & there's no way some bandit group would be able to even know about these things. Ozpin said that not many people know what these treasures even are. *Puts a hand on her chin* That said, on the off chance that it is one of those treasures, we can't let them take it! Remember, we lost the supposed Scepter of Okami to Neo, which is connected to the 3 Sacred Treasures, we can't risk having anymore of these things get in the wrong hands.
Ruby thinks for a moment about what Byleth just said, only to have a smile grow on her face as she reassures Byleth.
Ruby: Nah, I don't think we need to worry about these things?
Byleth suddenly looks at Ruby with a very shocked expression on her face.
Ruby: For all we know, these artifacts might not even truly exist & if they do, there's no way they can be used anymore due to the lack of someone with the right requirements. I say that whatever Ozpin & Glynda were talking about back there was just them being paranoid & being worried about us, that's all.
Byleth doesn't really like Ruby's response, feeling like she's not taking this seriously.
Byleth: How can you say that? Ruby, this isn't some random fairytale, this could be real! Even if they can't use it right now, that doesn't change the fact that letting them fall into the wrong hands can spell disaster sooner or later!
Ruby: Aren't you overreacting a bit too much?
Byleth: I don't know, remember what happened when my sword was stolen?!
Ruby then widens her eyes in realization, almost completely forgetting about the incident with Cardin earlier this month. Byleth's Sword of the Creator truly was a cursed weapon & they've seen it first hand as it resulted in an entire team of Huntsmen in Training being killed & almost getting themselves killed as well. Ruby immediately looks away a bit ashamed as she realizes that what Byleth is saying could very well be true.
Ruby: I'm sorry… I didn't think you'd see it that way… *Looks back at Byleth* Even so, do you actually believe these treasures are the real deal? Do you really think the crystal ball of that town could be one of them?
Byleth draws The Sword of the Creator & looks at her reflection through its blade, almost as if she's looking at a part of herself. After a moment of silence, she answers Ruby.
Byleth: Like I said, I'm not really sure & I can't say that I fully trust Ozpin's words… But I can't risk that chance should it be true! *Looks back at Ruby* In other words, I'm going to find out if these things are real or not myself!
Ruby crosses her arms as she begins taking what Byleth said to heart, thinking of the possibility of these supposed treasures being true or not. While she still thinks these are just some random bedtime stories, Byleth does make a good point. Real or not, it's best to not take the risk & at least make sure they're nothing to worry about after all.
Ruby: *Smiles* Alright, I'll trust your word on this one. We'll both take a look & see if these so-called Sacred Treasures are real or not, as well as to keep them away from getting in the wrong hands. How does that sound?
A small smile grows on Byleth's face as she looks back at Ruby, shooting her a small nod.
Byleth: It sounds great, thanks Ruby.
As Ruby shoots a thumbs up to her Professor, she begins thinking about the many Relics back at Fódlan, mainly the 12 Relics of the Heroes of Fódlan. If these treasures work in a similar manner or worse, then she absolutely can't let them fall into the wrong hands. For all she knows, there might be more magical artifacts Byleth doesn't know about… Actually, no! There's absolutely more of these magical artifacts around Remnant & Byleth knows for certain Ozpin's hiding those secrets away from them & then some!
Our heroes have finally arrived at their destination for their first mission as Huntsmen & Huntresses, their mission is to take down the bandit group & take back that town! Will they succeed in their mission, or will they hit a wall in some way? Are the treasures Ozpin spoke of to be true, or are they just a mere legend? When & how will Byleth unmask him of all of his secrets, knowing he has many more that he's hiding from them? Find out all of this & more next time on RWBY: The Verdant Light of Remnant!
RWBY: The Verdant Star of Remnant - Chapter 20: More Than Meets The Eye - End.
Author's Notes: where it's clear as day that these 2 are not looking each other the same way. No disrespect to Sun or BlackSun fans mind you, i love Sun as a character & BlackSun is a pretty good duo, i just don't think it works as a romantic pairing.
Bumblebee however is different, i feel like that ship somewhat needs to become canon for Yang & Blake's arcs to fully work. You can still have them as friends & still have their arcs work well like TPoynt is doing (Go read Aqua's Mission, BTW, it's a VERY good story), but i still feel like some of their more personal issues work best if they do become a thing. So because of those reasons & more, Bumblebee will be the main romantic pairing in this story & i say MAIN romantic pairing as in "The one that will get the most development" since as i stated in one of the PREVIOUS Author's Notes, i'm NOT going to romance Byleth & Ruby! I'm also still unsure if i'll make Gayelette & Sothis a thing or not as well... i MIGHT, but it's not guarantee that i'll fully go through it & i know the comments are mixed about that too & most would prefer them to be a platonic duo, which i don't really blame them for.
Now for those wondering why Hunter gives the impression that he doesn't like The Garnet Papillons... It's gonna be better explained in Chater 21, but to sum it up, he doesn't like the idea of having kids fighting for their lives & not as a "he underestimates them" kinda way, he GENIUENLY doesn't like the idea of throwing children into the battlefield, cause using child soldiers is pretty fucked up! Children shouldn't be fighting to save the world, people!
Anywho, that's all i have for today, thank you once again for your paitence & support & i hope we get to see each other soon. This has been Remnant Bardock & until our next meeting, have a WONDERFUL DAY, my friends!