Author's Notes
I don't do this often, but I figured I'd address some reviews. Fredward, I appreciate that you took the time to make your review and express your concern. I want you to know that I have no intention of having that happen. I've got a very particular idea for what I'm going to be doing with the characters I've introduced, and I'm not going to let what you're worried about happen. They have their purpose, even if that purpose is minor (which it is for all but a few select characters I won't spoil). Also, I'm unsure what you mean by crossover characters, as they're my own characters. I guess crossovers with my other works? That's standard practice for me. Regardless, I appreciate you expressing your concern!
Other than that, I appreciate all the reviews I've gotten! It's always heartening to see regular reviewers, like Monkey D Conan and Singular Ash. New reviewers and readers, too! I hope you all stick around, and I hope all of you enjoy this chapter!
The news was quick to spread across Vale.
That morning, Lisa Lavender was on the scene reporting on the massive explosion that had occurred, "As you can see, the epicenter of the explosion has a massive crater. Authorities found the twisted and broken remains of a van deep inside, although there is currently no news on whether or not the van was occupied. They believe that the van was filled with explosives, and are blaming this attack on the White Fang."
Even a professional reporter like her, clearly, had trouble reporting this gruesome event with complete poise, "S-So far, the reported death toll is up to thirty two, including a family of four, two parents and their children. The reported casualty count is one hundred and twenty, with dozens in critical condition. The city council will be issuing a statement-"
The screen went black as Arwyn shut it off from his position sitting at the foot of his bed. He lowered his head and sighed sorrowfully, causing Alex, sitting in their spirit form to his left, to pat him on the back, a small frown crossing their face, "I know how you feel…"
He ran his hand through his hair, "...All those people, just… dead. I don't really believe it was the White Fang either, they're doing Dust robberies, why would they also do a terrorist attack on that scale? It's just going to make things harder for them." He groaned, "And classes were canceled due to the attack too, man… Am I just supposed to sit here?"
Alex's frown deepened and they fell silent for a few moments, before they got an idea, "I know." They waved their hand in front of them, and a notification appeared.
SUBSTORIES!
Substories are quests that are not (at least, not obviously) related to your primary quests. You will come across many opportunities to engage in substories as you continue on your quest. Doing them can net you rewards that you may not gain otherwise, and make you some friends, so make sure you don't dismiss them!
NEW SUBSTORY!
Fallen Star
An attack on Vale has left the city reeling. While you are under no obligation to go investigate yourself, are you really going to sit around and let this mystery solve itself?
REWARDS FOR COMPLETION
400 Lien, an increase to certain skills and stats depending on your method of completion, possibly more depending on your method of completion.
PENALTIES FOR FAILURE
The mystery remains a mystery.
Alex hummed, "...I didn't actually name it that, interesting title." As Arwyn looked at them curiously, they shrugged, "...Sometimes the Relic of Progress acts on its own, and it's been doing that a lot with you. When it does that, I know about as much as you in regards to its… inner workings." They didn't seem happy about that, not one bit, but there wasn't much to be done about it.
What could be done, however, was investigation. So, he got up and gathered his freshly laundered clothes before disappearing into the bathroom to shower and dress. He planned to buy clothes today, but now he wondered if any clothing stores, or any place at all, was going to be open after the incident.
Once he was clean and dressed in his only outfit, jacket and all, he left his room and found that Alex was still sitting there, albeit now in their human 'disguise', wearing a gray hoodie that concealed their figure and a pair of short-shorts underneath it, displaying their legs. They were also wearing a pair of black running shoes. Their state of dress caused him to raise an eyebrow, "Are you coming with me or something?"
Alex shrugged, "Why not?" She stood up before stretching and letting out a soft groan that Arwyn would never admit made him feel a bit flustered, then she said, "As long as I'm allowed to actually, you know, do things, I might as well, right?" Then, she started for the door, "Besides, the last time I actually got to walk around a city without needing to do any Spirit duties was… uhhh… a long time ago. I wanna fix that."
Arwyn supposed that made sense, although that added questions as to what Alex's life was like… before. As he followed her out, he asked, "So… what was your life like, you know… back then? When was back then?"
The way Alex's expression fell made him regret saying it basically immediately. She said with uncharacteristic softness, "I don't want to talk about it. It's… It was back during the Great War, in my original timeline, that's all I'll say."
He knew better than to ask her any further about that, he instead asked, "So, uhhh… I've kinda just been guessing up to this point, but, are you a boy or a girl, or…?"
Alex grinned a lopsided grin, and it seemed as if the question he'd asked earlier had already left her mind, "You know you're not the first person to ask that question." she said as they entered the elevator.
Arwyn pressed the button to send them to the ground floor while asking, "Really? Who asked you before?"
She hummed, "Someone else with the relic. They're a good friend, and a good person. Maybe I'll tell you about them some day, but right now, they got you beat on street cred."
He rolled his eyes, "I just started! What do you want?" He shook his head, "A-Anyway, you dodged the question."
As the elevator doors closed and he turned to look at her, he was surprised to find her smirking at him, and standing rather close as well. She asked, "Why do you ask, huh? Why's it so important?" Her face was slightly flushed as she stood on her toes and said, "You trying to find out?"
She rubbed her chin, "How about I give you a kiss and you tell me how you feel afterward? Gay, straight, something else?" Her grin never faded, "Dealers choice."
Arwyn couldn't handle how he…they… she? Was suddenly acting. Sure, he teased her the night before, but now she was turning it around on him? His face was burning red as he looked away, "A-Ah, I-I-Grr! Okay, you got me. That was… unexpected. Can spirits even… you know, have relationships?"
Alex laughed victoriously, "Hah! I knew I'd get you!" Then, she answered the question, "Yes we can. I was in one for a while with another spirit, but, uhh…" She made a chopping gesture, "It didn't work out. We just had… different priorities. As for other spirits, well… A friend of mine is dating a mortal, although they're not gonna be mortal after they pass, most likely. Don't think they'd let them slip away to the non-magical afterlife."
That raised the question of what the magical afterlife was, but Arwyn decided that he could figure that out later, "Huh. Interesting." He was still reeling from Alex's sudden teasing onslaught, or else he might have teased back.
Not that there was much time for that, the elevator doors opened, and so the two of them exited the tower.
Arwyn was surprised to find Team RWBY, seemingly preparing to head out as well, standing in the courtyard. He called out, "Hey guys!" as he and Alex drew closer to them.
Ruby looked in his direction and smiled brightly while her face flushed red, "Arwyn!" she started hurrying over to him, while the others watched with a mixture of emotions. Ruby jumped at him and gave him a hug with enough force that it almost knocked him over. Luckily, Alex placed a hand on his back and stopped him from doing that. Ruby let go and stepped back, "Hey! Who's your friend? Are you guys going to check out the explosion too?"
Weiss rolled her eyes, "You shouldn't be telling everyone about our plans, Ruby. What if we get caught? I'm not going to let the Schnee name get sullied by getting detention for doing something I'm not supposed to do.
Arwyn hummed and muttered to himself, "Right, still early."
Ruby looked at him, "Did you say something?"
He shook his head, "Nah, just about the weather. Anyway, yeah, we were going to go investigate. This is-"
Alex introduced herself with a grin, "Alex! Arwyn's told me all about you, Ruby, you know that?"
Arwyn's eyes widened in shock while Ruby's face turned a few shades redder, "W-Wait, really?!" She held her skirt awkwardly and played with it, "What'd he say."
'I gotta put a stop to this!' Arwyn thought, before quickly saying, "A-Ah, you know! Uhh, I'll tell you about it later. Alex is just exaggerating. They, uhh… They like to do that."
Alex smirked as they shrugged, "What can I say? I'm a jokester."
Yang came up with a smile on her face, "Hey, Arwyn! Nice to meet you, Alex." She crossed her arms, "So, wanna roll with us for a bit? Since we're going to the same place and all that."
Arwyn was happy for the change in topic, "Don't see why not, sure." In spite of his embarrassment, he managed to smile, "Six heads are better than one."
Ruby seemed to finally recover from her own embarrassment, at least enough to gesture back to her teammates and smile, "Right! This is the rest of Team RWBY!"
Blake introduced herself very off-handedly, her gaze seemingly stuck in the direction of the Bullhead port, "Blake Belladonna."
Meanwhile, Weiss paid him full attention as she curtsied, "Weiss Schnee." Then she stood up straight, "I must admit that I've been curious ever since I heard about you. Someone being brought to Beacon without a team is unprecedented, to say the very least."
Arwyn rubbed the back of his neck, "Ah, well… It just sort of happened, honestly. It's not all that it's cracked up to be, though. I have to be careful, otherwise I might end up never talking to other people."
Now, he had meant this because he knew that, if he wasn't careful, he'd stay in his room playing games all day. However, Weiss took it in another direction, "You're so studious that you'd forget to talk to people?" She smiled, "Hm, impressive."
It seemed to be becoming a thing, people just assuming things about him, and again, he wasn't about to rush to correct her. Especially since Ruby pointed towards the Bullhead port and declared, "Right! Team RWBY plus two! Let's go!"
Alex shot him a knowing look, accompanied with a smug smirk, and Arwyn could only smile awkwardly back before he shrugged.
The Bullhead ride didn't take very long at all, and for his first ride on one, he had to admit it was fairly smooth. He'd expected it to be a lot bumpier, but Remnant had a lot of technological marvels that continued to surprise him. Even if they shouldn't, because he knew about them, it was just a lot to take in when it was in person.
Alex, strangely, seemed fairly uneasy about the whole thing. They sat next to each other, and when he looked at them, they just smiled at him before going back to staring at the floor of the ship. It seemed that Arwyn wasn't the only one who noticed, as Ruby asked, "Uhm, Alex? Are you okay?"
They looked at her for a moment before responding, "Y-Yeah, just… Not used to Bullheads. They didn't really use them back where I came from." That just raised the question of where exactly Alex came from, but that could be saved for later.
Yang responded, "Ah, don't worry about it. You get used to it, I remember when Ruby first took a Bullhead, she was super scared!"
Ruby smacked Yang's arm, "Yang! I told you not to tell anyone about that! It was a long time ago!" Yang cackled at her sister's distress, but luckily that was when the ride ended, as they touched down and started to disembark.
The part of Vale they were in was deceptively normal. People went about their daily lives, going one way or another to get to where they needed to be, sometimes going into shops or places to eat or have fun. However, there was an unmistakable tension in the air. Everyone was on edge due to the attack, and it was only the knowledge that panicking would bring Grimm that kept them from being too vocal about it.
Arwyn could tell that the others felt it too; that apprehension in the air was dangerous. If it wasn't dealt with, then the consequences could be dire. Yet, there was nothing that could be done about it then and there, instead, the group of students continued towards where the explosion actually happened.
The closer they got, the more desolate the streets became. The only people on the streets quickly became cops, reporters, and Huntsmen. Luckily, nobody paid the group any mind, and eventually they finally reached the epicenter.
The actual sinkhole was cordoned off, and they weren't about to risk getting arrested for passing it. However, Arwyn had an idea, "Well… Maybe there'll be something the police missed if we look around? Could be some evidence or… something." He wasn't entirely sure, it was a stretch, but it beat doing nothing.
The others agreed, with Weiss saying, "It's not much, but it's the best we can do for now. Let's just try and not get in the way of the officers, the last thing we need is to cause problems for them."
The group split up, although Alex stayed with Arwyn. As they headed into an alleyway not too far from the explosion, he had to ask, "Any particular reason you're staying so close? You haven't been more than ten feet from me this whole time."
Alex waved their hand in front of their face dismissively, "I haven't actually been able to walk around Vale, or anywhere really, in a long time, so I'm still getting used to it."
Arwyn, not for the first time, felt that this wasn't the full story. Yet, again, he wasn't really looking to prod, "Alright." It was difficult maneuvering around all of the rubble in the alleyway, but not impossibly. Arwyn carefully watched his step as he continued down the path and turned the corner, "Man… This is crazy. The damage reached way too far for it to be a regular bomb."
Alex rubbed their chin and seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before they suggested, "Maybe it's not a bomb? We've established that it being the White Fang is super unlikely… It could have been someone's semblance."
That was something Arwyn hadn't thought about before, but now it sounded obvious, "The question is, then… whose semblance?"
As they rounded the corner, they found a pile of rubble not too far ahead of them. At first, Arwyn thought it was just some random bunch of rubble like the rest they'd been crossing, but then… They heard a boy's strained voice, "S-Someone… Help…" His voice was almost too hard to hear, as he struggled to get out his words.
Arwyn and Alex shared a look before hurrying over to the pile of rubble. They started to pull away the rubble, though it took some effort, and as they did, the source of the voice came into view. A fair-skinned boy that looked about Ruby's age, with hair patterned and colored like a starry night, and his eyes, half-open, revealed star-shaped irises, colored deep blue. His clothes look torn and ragged, and he himself looked to be injured, although Arwyn couldn't ascertain the extent of his injuries. Instead, he said, "H-Hey, it's okay! We'll help you."
The boy was too tired to say anything, it seemed, instead he just closed his eyes. Arwyn struggled to get some of the rubble off and swore under his breath before muttering, "Pyrrha." and, with his increased strength, he easily yanked away the rubble, tossing aside some of it with such force that it cracked the wall it landed against.
That sound seemed to be enough to draw Team RWBY to them, as soon he heard Ruby's voice, "H-Hey! What'd you guys find?" As they hurried up to them, she gasped.
Weiss muttered, "A victim? He must have gotten caught in the explosion…"
Once Arwyn had pulled off the land of the rubble, he scooped the boy up bridal style, "Hey, I've got you. We'll get you to the hospital."
The boy shook his head, in spite of his eyes being closed, and muttered, "Beacon…Oz…Ozpin…He… can help… me."
That caused the group to exchange confused and worried looks, before eventually Arwyn said, "Alright… Beacon has an infirmary. If you need to talk to the Headmaster, then I'm sure he'll be happy to come talk to you after we check you in."
They started to leave, with Weiss humming, "Asking for Ozpin is… strangely specific. I wonder if he knows him?"
Yang shrugged, "Who knows? We'll find out soon enough." Likely in an attempt to add some levity to the situation, she added, "On the bright side, we were only there for like five minutes and we already did something good! Go team."
Alex snickered, "All in a day's work, right?"
Weiss huffed, "Can you two please take this seriously? Laughing and joking near the site of a tragedy isn't a good look for any of us."
That, at least, got Alex and Yang to look sheepish. Arwyn felt that they were probably joking to try and avoid feeling too awful, but there'd be time to joke later. They had to get this boy to Beacon, and fast.
Luckily, once again, it didn't take very long for them to get there. The Bullhead ride was brief, especially after they told the pilot what was going on. Once they reached Beacon, they hurried to its medical facility, which was actually a whole building, although it seemed lightly staffed at that moment.
Indeed, when they told the receptionist what was going on, they were immediately directed back to a room lined with patient beds, IV drips, and everything a hospital could want. There were no patients, and inside was only one doctor.
She was a middle aged woman, with tan skin, green eyes, neck-length burnt orange hair, and, most notably, two red panda ears atop her head. She was wearing the standard outfit you'd expect of a doctor, a white doctor's coat over a pair of dark green scrubs.
Once she saw them, she didn't waste any time in directing the students, "Put him there, what happened?"
Arwyn set the boy down on a patient bed while explaining, "I think he was caught in the explosion in the city, we found him under some rubble. He said he needed to talk to Ozpin, so we figured it'd be best to bring him here first."
The doctor gave him a once over, and with just a glance she was able to deduce, "He has an aura… That should have prevented the worst physical injuries, but it will take some time for him to be back to normal." She looked at Arwyn, "Do you know his name?"
Arwyn shook his head, and the boy, seemingly having heard the conversation in spite of his shaky consciousness, said, "Orion…"
Everyone stared at him for a moment, but Alex broke them out of that quickly by asking, "Doctor Xia? Should we get the headmaster?"
The now named Doctor Xia looked at them before responding, "Let him know. I don't know when Orion will be fully conscious, but he should know, in case it's something important." She looked at Orion, "It doesn't look that serious… Dehydration and malnutrition, rather than any external injuries…"
Ruby sighed, "Well… At least he's not that badly hurt. We should go talk to Ozpin, guys."
Nobody disagreed with that, and soon they left together. Arwyn and Alex hung back a bit, and he asked, "How do you know Doctor Xia? She never introduced herself."
Alex smiled, but it was strained, "Oh… just… an old acquaintance." Then, they muttered something under their breath that sounded like, "I wonder how she's doing… She and him… Seeing them would be weird." Yet, Arwyn wasn't sure if Alex was saying 'she', or something else.
That just left Arwyn with far more questions than he had before, but Alex seemed to be in their own mind, then. Before he could ask any further questions, Weiss fell back to walk next to him and asked, "So, what do you make of all of this?"
Arwyn scratched his cheek, "Honestly? I don't know." He hummed, "A boy that looks to be Ruby's age with his aura unlocked buried under rubble not far from the attack… Maybe he was a victim of some kind."
Weiss looked forward with a small frown on her face, "He's clearly some kind of victim, but… I wonder if he's connected with it in some way?"
Arwyn furrowed his brow, "Connected? How so?" He didn't think Weiss was blaming him, but he had to admit it was intriguing, "Do you think he knows who did it? Maybe that's why he wants to talk to Ozpin?"
She nodded, "I think that's the most likely result right now, yes." Her frown deepened, "I feel awful for hoping that that's the case, but… If he does know something, then maybe everyone can relax. If whoever did this gets apprehended, then we'll be able to resume classes and get back on track in no time at all."
Arwyn agreed, even if he wasn't sure entirely how this would play out. Still, they wouldn't have to wait long to find out. They made their way to Beacon Tower, although Alex got off on the level Arwyn's room was on, coming up with an excuse to not meet with Ozpin, and then the rest of them made their way up to his office. Luckily, he wasn't busy. Instead, the Headmaster was sitting at his desk, his hands steepled together, as he looked at them expectantly, "Good to see you,Team RWBY, Arwyn. What brings you here?"
Ruby took the lead as they made their way into the office, "We went down to the site of that explosion, and… well, Arwyn found a boy, Orion, under some rubble. He doesn't seem badly hurt, but he has an aura, and was talking about how it was super important that he talked to you, so… We figured we should let you know."
Ozpin gained a look of intrigue on his face, "Really?" He stood and took hold of The Long Memory, extending it out and using it as his totally unneeded walking cane as he started over to them, "Well, then. I'll talk with him. You five did well, even if I would have preferred it if you let me know that you intended to investigate that place." He smiled, "You've earned a break. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'll take things from here." He gestured to the elevator, "Ruby, you and your team should go first, I need to speak with Mr. Cadeyrn for a moment."
'Oh boy.'
He received some curious looks from Ruby, Weiss, and Yang, although Blake just seemed disinterested. The four left, and once they were in the elevator and heading down, Ozpin looked at Arwyn and asked, "What do you think of this turn of events, Mr. Cadeyrn?"
Arwyn hummed and idly grasped the amulet that rested on his chest, "Well…" He let go of it and stuck his hands in his pockets, "I don't think it's the White Fang. They've been exclusively targeting the SDC for the past few years, haven't they? Seems a bit weird for them to switch to massive explosive acts. Things like that will just make people get really angry at them."
Ozpin nodded, "Hm. An interesting take." He made his way to the elevator and pressed the button calling it back up, "I have to say I agree. I don't believe in the media's White Fang angle, but we simply have no clue what else it could be. However…" He looked down for a moment and then looked back, "Mr. Cadeyrn, I wish for you to accompany me to speak with this boy. I have some suspicions, and if they are confirmed, I will have a favor to ask of you."
Arwyn furrowed his brow, tilting his head slightly as he asked, "A favor?"
The Headmaster looked back at him with his usual mysterious smile, "Oh, nothing dangerous, I assure you." The elevator arrived and he looked back, "However, it wouldn't do to explain it to you until I know whether or not my theory is confirmed." He started into the elevator, "Let's see if it is, first, shall we?"
He followed Ozpin into the elevator, and he had to admit just standing in an elevator with the man was… strange. Ozpin was tall, a few inches taller than Arwyn himself. Knowing just who the man was, as well, didn't help matters either. The man who had an eternal mission to stop Salem…
'God, I need to make sure he doesn't die. I don't want Oscar to get his life messed up. Mine, neither. Not that I'm exactly a like minded soul, I'm nothing like Oz.'
Indeed, Arwyn couldn't think of anyone more different from him than Ozpin; even if they were ultimately on the same side, he felt like they were opposites. On a lighter term than Salem, of course.
Ozpin seemed to be thinking of something himself, he hummed, "Do you know why I became Headmaster of this place, Mr. Cadeyrn?"
Arwyn gave it some thought, "I can't say I do, why'd you do it?" He shifted in place and looked in Oz's direction. The man was still wearing that smile of his, as unreadable as they came.
He explained, "I became Headmaster because seeing the bright fire that burns within all of the students here fills me with hope. You're the future of this world, and will be protecting it one day. I consider it an important duty to see you safely through the curriculum. All of you come here hoping to be heroes, or for the money, perhaps fame, but regardless, you leave proper Huntsmen."
Ozpin pushed his glasses up, "And I have to admit, Mr. Cadeyrn, your year is very interesting. You all have potential that I haven't seen in many years. Not just those you're familiar with, like RWBY and JNPR, but the whole year. You, as well, have that potential."
Arwyn furrowed his brow, but still felt himself starting to smile, "Really? I'm nothing special. I came here barely knowing how to hold my sword."
"And yet, you were able to hold your own fairly well against Miss Grove, weren't you?" He smiled, "That's remarkable progress."
Arwyn didn't really have a response to that, so all he could say was, "Thanks."
Thankfully for him, that was when the elevator came to a stop. The two of them exited and made their way towards the Beacon medical building. What few students were about gave them odd looks, but luckily they didn't hold focus for very long. Ozpin was Headmaster, after all, it wasn't hard to believe that he had business to take care of somewhere on campus.
Doctor Xia was still there when they arrived, and she looked at them before explaining, "Headmaster, the patient is doing much better now after I gave him some water. I also gave him a snack of some crackers, but he's going to need a full meal before he's able to walk around again."
Indeed, Orion was awake, although he still looked tired. Doctor Xia began to say, "I don't know if he's ready to ta-"
Before being cut off by Orion, who said, "I can… talk to him… now." He sounded stronger than before, albeit still somewhat weak and out of it.
Ozpin smiled at the boy before looking at Doctor Xia and saying, "I'll speak with him now, Doctor. Can you tell the cafeteria staff to make a meal for him? Whatever you think would get him back to normal as quickly as possible."
Doctor Xia looked at Orion worriedly for a moment before looking back and nodding. She headed off and left the room, while Ozpin walked over to the bed Orion was laid up in and sat on the one opposite to it, resting his hands on his cane as he did so, "Orion, correct? What's your full name?"
The boy grabbed a hold of a small remote that was on the bed and used it to elevate himself into a sitting position, "Starborn…" He looked pale, and Arwyn couldn't tell if it was due to his weakness or not, "I… I have… something to tell you about that… explosion."
Ozpin nodded for him to continue, and so, Orion explained as he looked at his hand, "I…I… I was the one who caused it." He sounded close to tears, and his voice cracked as he explained, "I-I didn't want to! It's… It's my semblance. I can't control it. It turns things into… I just call it starmatter. Sometimes I can make it not do anything, but other times, it explodes. That's what happened… I turned that van into starmatter and it exploded. It hurt so many people…"
Tears welled up in his eyes and he sniffled as he clenched his fists and looked down, closing his eyes, "I'm a monster, and I… I don't want to be… I don't want to hurt anyone… I wanted to be a hero, but… I never could. I had to help my Mom… I loved her, but then…"
He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself, but it was clearly difficult, "My dad, he… well… He wasn't a great person. One day, he got really mad at me, and… M-My aura awakened. I grabbed his hand and before I knew it, he was turning into starmatter. Mom tried to resuscitate him, and I ran out of the house because I was scared. Then… He exploded. The house, my mom, my dog, everything…" He gritted his teeth, "I killed them!"
Arwyn moved without thinking. He stepped over and sat at the boy's bedside before pulling him into a hug. He heard his breath hitch, and Arwyn responded softly, "We'll help you, I promise. You're not a monster, you couldn't control your semblance… It's going to be okay. I promise."
Ozpin watched this with a solemn expression, before he agreed, "Yes. We can help you, and we can train you to become a hero. Young mister Starborn, you needn't be afraid any longer. Does your semblance… affect people with aura?"
Orion didn't respond for a long few moments as he tried to gain control of his emotions, before he eventually said, "N-No… Only things… O-Or people, without aura." Hesitantly, the boy wrapped his arms around Arwyn, and clinged to him desperately, as if he was his only lifeline.
Ozpin hummed, "I see." He seemed to come to a conclusion of some kind, "Right, then. I think I know what we need to do. Arwyn?" Arwyn looked at him, and Oz continued, "There's another bedroom on the same floor as yours. When Orion has recovered, he'll be staying there. I wish for you to check in on him daily. I'll be handling teaching him at first, but after a while, I may ask you to take over that as well."
'So that's what he wanted.' Arwyn supposed it made sense. If Orion was alone, and he was alone, then it made sense that he lend a hand to the boy. He was in a terrible place, and Arwyn couldn't help but feel for him, "Alright, I'll do it."
Ozpin stood, "Good. Now, there's a great deal of paperwork to be done relating to this, so I will leave you two for now. Arwyn, Orion's room will be one door down from yours, you should be able to find it easily. I will have a scroll and some fresh clothes delivered here for you as well, Orion, once you're feeling better, you should contact Mr. Cadeyrn and tell him you're ready."
Orion managed out, "Thank you…" Though he was clearly still overwhelmed. Ozpin left them there. They remained in their hug for almost a solid minute, as Orion muttered, "You're warm." Which… took Arwyn off guard, but he didn't say anything about it.
Eventually, they separated, and Orion looked marginally less sad as he said, "Thank you… Arwyn, right?"
Arwyn smiled, "Yeah, Arwyn Cadeyrn, at your service." He took in Orion's appearance properly this time. The guy was small. He was fifteen, and he looked his age, but he also looked very… soft. His facial features weren't angular, and, though Arwyn couldn't tell, he looked short. He decided to ask, "Out of curiosity… how tall are you?"
Orion blinked in confusion before scratching his cheek and looking away, "4'11''." Then, he looked back and asked, "So… You're a Huntsman-in-Training, what's that like?"
That got Arwyn to smile a bit brighter, "It's hard work, but really rewarding. With a semblance like yours, I think you'll do really well."
The door opened and Doctor Xia stepped inside, carrying a tray filled with all kinds of food, "I wasn't sure what you'd like, Orion, so I got a bit of everything." Arwyn moved and sat on the bed where Oz had been sitting so Orion could have room to eat.
He gratefully accepted the food and began eating, which left Arwyn to stare at the ceiling, just in time to get a notification.
SUBSTORY COMPLETE!
Fallen Star
The attack on Vale wasn't an attack at all, but a mistake. While your new friend can't bring back those he lost, maybe he'll be able to save others in the future.
REWARDS FOR COMPLETION
400 Lien, +1 Strength, +1 Charisma.
Arwyn dismissed the notification and couldn't help but agree with the text. He hoped that Orion would be able to move past this.
It would just take time.
/-/
Time did, indeed, begin to pass.
After a few days in the hospital, Orion was moved into the tower. He wasn't a student and didn't attend classes, but Ozpin began teaching him the basics of fighting with a weapon. Orion had an idea for what he wanted, even if he didn't really know how to voice it. He ended up fighting with a Morningstar that could mechashift into a flail with an extendable chain, with both the chain and the ball infusable with dust that was slotted in through the pommel. Orion named his weapon Crushing Star.
The dismay over the attack remained, but people were quick to try and move on. Dwelling on that sadness would only invite Grimm, and the authorities wrote off the attacker as the White Fang and assured the public they were doing everything they could to stop anything like that from happening again. Orion was taught careful aura management to avoid triggering his semblance accidentally. Arwyn wondered if Ozpin planned to punish him for the explosion, but he didn't seem interested, not that Arwyn blamed him. Orion didn't intentionally cause that explosion, it was just terrible luck and terrible circumstances.
Aside from that, classes were able to resume. Ozpin gave strict instructions to not tell anyone that Orion caused the explosion, and Arwyn wasn't about to be the one to break that, so he just had to focus on his own studies, even though all this added attention on the White Fang seemed to be agitating Blake, from what he could see at least.
Arwyn spent his free time either playing games with Alex, training with Orion, hanging out with Ruby, or training with Pyrrha. He'd still not seen what 'Jaune' looked like, but he did get her name, Jeanne.
His training progressed well, he noticed that the relic seemed to be boosting his physical gains, alongside his skill gain. Luckily it didn't seem to be bent on turning him into some body builder, but over the span of a couple months it gave him muscles fit for an athlete. Pyrrha was startled by the rate of development, but wrote it off as aura mixed with good genetics. Not like she could have ever anticipated what the answer really was, anyway.
Ruby's crush remained, but it hadn't progressed any further than that yet, and Pyrrha hadn't crossed the threshold into a crush at all. Yet, Arwyn felt that it was going to happen sooner rather than later, and he was worried about that. What was he supposed to do?
He was nothing if not a people pleaser, and rejecting someone was not at all pleasing that person. Quite the opposite.
It was that same mentality that led to him agreeing to workout with Pyrrha more and more. It was strange, and to say it was overwhelming would be an understatement, but as of the month of March they were working out almost every day. He hadn't asked Pyrrha what spurred this change, yet, but he felt he was going to have to, soon.
Luckily for him, the time would show itself to him just a couple weeks into the month.
It was a Friday, and Pyrrha had asked if he would like to spar. Of course, he agreed, and so he headed out to meet with her in one of the training rooms while wearing his usual outfit(having still not gotten a Huntsman outfit together, although he had a few designs in mind).
When he reached the training room, he opened the door and found that Pyrrha was standing there in her Huntress outfit. Yet, she was staring at one of the training dummies with a small frown on her face, seemingly spacing out. She held her weapons in her hands, and seemed to have been training.
Once he shut the door behind him, she snapped out of it and started, whirling around. Then, she blushed in embarrassment, "O-Oh, Arwyn. Apologies, I was… lost in thought." She smiled, but he remembered the frown, and he could tell that her smile was strained, "Are you ready to begin training?"
Arwyn furrowed his brow and frowned before looking away for a moment. Then he looked back at her with a concerned gaze, "Are you okay, Pyrrha?" He started over to her, "We've been training way more often lately, not that I'm complaining, but… I feel like there's a reason. Shouldn't you also be spending time with your team?" He came to a stop a couple feet in front of her.
Pyrrha tried to play it off with a wave of her hand, "Oh, well, they have their own training regimens. Jeanne hasn't been very… talkative lately. Nora and Ren are good people, but… I'm not especially close with them. Besides," her smile grew fonder, "I enjoy training with you."
He smiled, and felt a dash of red play on his face, but he didn't want to let that distract him. Instead, he decided to ask, "What's going on with Jeanne? I thought you two were doing rather well after getting over that whole comic thing."
She hummed and started again with a voice that Arwyn could tell was only kept steady by her great control, "She… hasn't been very receptive to my offers to help her train." She turned around and looked at the dummy again, "She's never performed very well, academically or physically, but I see that she has great potential. Yet… She's been… pushing me away."
Arwyn didn't want to interrupt, so he remained silent. Especially as her voice started to lose its composure, it wavered as she said, "It's… been difficult, to say the least. I just…" She took a shaky breath, "I came to Beacon hoping I could find people who saw me for me, and I did, but… I still feel separate from them. I… I just…"
She let out a shaky exhale and that was when Arwyn took a step closer and placed a hand on her back. To his surprise, she turned towards him and pulled him into a hug, her shaky, ragged breathing told him she was crying. Pyrrha was never that physical of a person, so being hugged so suddenly by her was shocking. Yet, he would never turn her away. He wrapped his arms around her, "Hey, it's okay. I might not be able to relate, but… I understand how you feel."
Pyrrha rested her head on his shoulder and didn't say anything. Arwyn knew that she had problems with isolation, but didn't realize that they would hit her this hard. Maybe it was because she had someone she could vent to? It seemed Jeannedice had more than one victim. He rubbed her back while thinking, before eventually he suggested, "Well… Hey, how about we go into Vale together instead of training? We can go and have fun."
It took almost a minute for her to respond while she steadied herself, but eventually she lifted her head up and smiled shyly. Her eyes were red and her face was stained with tears, "Well… If you're certain…"
He smiled right back, "Of course. How about you change into something casual and then we meet at the Bullhead port?"
They separated and she agreed, so the two of them split up. Arwyn headed to the courtyard near the Bullhead port while Pyrrha returned to her dorm to change. He took a seat at a bench facing a fountain and took in the rather agreeable weather of the day by inhaling in the fresh air and then exhaling.
He silently wondered what his stats were like now, it had been some time since he'd checked them last. So, he mentally willed them to appear.
ARWYN CADEYRN
LEVEL 5 WANNABE
NO TITLE
AGE: 17
HP 50/50
Aura 100/100
Vigor - 14
Mind - 12
Charisma - 18
Endurance - 19
Strength - 18
Dexterity - 11
Intelligence - 12
SKILLS
Sword Fighting - 35/100 (Intermediate)
Parrying - 35/100 (Intermediate)
Dodging - 34/100 (Intermediate)
Blocking - 37/100 (Intermediate)
Dust Usage - 25/100 (Below Average)
Grimm Knowledge 25/100 (Below Average)
There were more skills, but they were civilian or unimportant, and so he just glanced at them before willing his stats to shut.
He was doing much better now than he was before. Far from the dead fish that he was at the start, but still nowhere near as skilled as someone like Pyrrha or Ruby. He had a long way to go to be anywhere near their level, and the gains he was receiving from the Relic of Progress had slowed down greatly. While he did still gain faster than most, he was no longer experiencing exponential growth.
After that he took out his scroll and started browsing idly. He'd gotten somewhat used to scrolls and other Remnant tech by this point. It was still fairly new to him, all things considered, but with time, he was getting more adjusted to his new life.
Not that he never thought about his old one. His thoughts turned to his family, and what friends he had online back then. He wondered what their lives were like, if they were happy, if anyone even paid his passing any mind…
He pushed the thoughts away and shook his head. He didn't have the best relationship with his family towards the end of his life, disagreements about the direction he was taking, and what he should be doing. They had likely moved on just fine without him.
His friends, well… If they knew he was dead, he knew they'd be sad. Yet, they'd move on, just the same. Everyone had to keep living their life as best they could, and that included him.
He was torn out of his thoughts when he heard the steady click of heels against stone. He turned to face the source of the noise, and spotted Pyrrha. She was wearing a white T-shirt under a red button-up shirt with its sleeves rolled up above her elbows. She had on a pair of snugly-fitting jeans that had some clearly aesthetically chosen tears on them, one on each knee, and some up at her mid-thighs. She wore a pair of brown knee-high heeled boots over the jeans. Her hair was in a looser ponytail now, seeming more relaxed, while she wore a necklace with a red oval-cut gem attached to it.
To say that Arwyn thought she looked gorgeous would be an understatement, but Pyrrha didn't need to try too hard to look like that. It was a much more casual look than what she normally had, maybe that was why he was so stunned by it, even if he should have logically expected this.
He fought the rising blush on his face down and cleared his throat, "Ready to go, Pyrrha?" He stood up and stretched after asking the question, preparing to do just that.
"I am." She smiled warmly, "Do you know where we're going?"
"Good question," he responded before scratching his cheek, "Let's go to the commercial district for now, we can figure out the rest when we get there."
Pyrrha was thankfully fine with that. She just seemed to be happy to be heading into town, and Arwyn was admittedly fairly happy to not have to worry about sparring for the fifth time that week. He appreciated her help, but sometimes a guy just wanted to relax!
The two of them reached the Bullhead port and, before long, were in Vale. The ride was brief, and together they headed towards the commercial district. Pyrrha looked around curiously, and Arwyn asked, "How often have you come here?" as they walked side by side.
Pyrrha smiled sheepishly, "Admittedly, not often. Before I came to Beacon, I'd never visited Vale before, and now that I'm here, I spend most of my time on the campus. It's refreshing to be coming here for a reason that isn't business."
Arwyn responded with a grin, "I guess we'll be learning together, then. I haven't had a lot of opportunities either." He gestured broadly, "It's an odyssey all our own!" Then he lowered his hand and his grin turned into a smirk, "Don't you think?"
He was proud to say that he got Pyrrha giggling, she covered her mouth and looked away as she did so. Then, with her voice laced with amusement, she responded, "Absolutely. A grander adventure there ne'er was! And who better to take it on than two brave explorers, such as ourselves?"
Arwyn grinned, "Exactly. And the first target of our adventure shall be…" He looked around before he spotted a confectionary not too far ahead of them. He gestured to it, "How about we get something sweet? We work out hard enough that we'll burn whatever calories we take in before long."
Pyrrha hummed, "Well. Normally I try to keep myself from indulging, but… I think I can make an exception today." She seemed to be trying to hold back how excited she was, he could see a glint in her eyes that he didn't see often.
Of course, he didn't need to guess for very long. Once they got inside the quaint shop, which was run by an old lady that stood behind the counter, Pyrrha was quick to look at all of the options. She was practically salivating as she said, "Three slices of chocolate cake, three vanilla, and a pack of those cookies there for me."
Arwyn refrained from letting his jaw drop, and even the old lady seemed surprised. He just cleared his throat and then piped up as the old lady looked at him, "Y-Yeah, I'll have a couple slices of the tiramisu."
She nodded and quickly got everything together, the cake was put into two separate small containers while the cookies were in their own box, she also gave two plastic forks and knives. She slid them out and told the two of them that they could sit and eat outside if they wanted.
Indeed, Pyrrha seemed eager to partake in her treats. They sat outside at a circular table with an umbrella opened above them to provide shade. Pyrrha didn't take long to begin enjoying her treat, and Arwyn could only marvel at her ability to put away all that cake.
He stuck with his tiramisu, that would be enough for him.
However, Pyrrha had another idea. She said, "The chocolate is divine! You need to try it." She cut off a piece with a plastic fork before holding it out on that same fork, and he had to admit that he was impressed she was able to balance the cake like that.
Then, he realized what she was trying to do. He wasn't one to be cowed, though. So, he just leaned forward and ate it off the fork. Pyrrha seemed surprised, as if she was just expecting him to take the fork. Yet, he just smirked as he sat back, "Delicious."
Pyrrha blushed and looked away, brushing some hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear before saying, "Wonderful, I'm glad you like it." It was easy to tell she was trying to play off how nervous she sounded. It wasn't working.
Yet, Arwyn just went back to his own cake, and she to hers. Between the two, their delicacies didn't stand a chance. However, Pyrrha saved the cookies for later. After that, the two were off.
The next place they came across was a store that specializes in Mistrali manga and anime. Arwyn was ready to not pay it any mind, yet Pyrrha stopped and seemed enamored with it. He asked, "Are you into manga and stuff like that?"
Pyrrha blushed and nodded, "Y-Yes, it's kind of embarrassing. I know it's not what people expect me to be interested in, but… I was interested way before I became… who I am now, for lack of a better word."
Arwyn smiled, "I think it's pretty interesting. I was never really… focused enough to actually read or watch anything back when I was younger. I think I might actually be able to sit through something now, though. How about we go in and make some choices? Next week we can watch something together."
She seemed surprised at the suggestion, but her surprise quickly turned to glee as she smiled warmly, "That sounds lovely."
The two headed into the shop and made some selections. Pyrrha had a rather wide range of things she wanted to watch, and Arwyn ended up just going along with her on it. He wasn't picky when it came to watching things, after all.
After that, they ended up leaving with a bag full of titles to watch, Pyrrha suggested that they could also look for streaming services with interesting titles as well. He agreed with her, and they continued about their day.
The next place of interest they found was not a place Arwyn had been expecting Pyrrha to want to stop at. It was a tailoring/clothing shop that advertised the fastest turnaround in the city, alongside clothes of the highest quality made specifically for Huntsmen.
Pyrrha stopped and looked at it for a moment. She hummed, and Arwyn tilted his head. She then asked, "Don't you need a Huntsman outfit? I think it would be a good idea to try this place, I remember hearing good things around this."
Arwyn rubbed the back of his neck and frowned, "Well, kind of… I'm not super rushed about it or anything."
She tutted and started for the shop, "You need a proper outfit, Arwyn. Civilian clothes don't have the same resistance to the elements and to Grimm as specially tailored outfits do."
He had a feeling that disagreeing with her wasn't really an option, so he followed her into the building.
Inside, there were pictures of various Huntsmen who had gotten their outfits from them. He didn't recognize any of them, but still, it spoke to their quality. There was a set of changing rooms off to the right, and a place to sit. Behind the store's desk was a man with medium-brown skin who wore a burnt orange dress shirt with a royal purple suit jacket and matching pants. He smiled, "Well, if it isn't Pyrrha Nikos. What brings you to my humble shop?"
Pyrrha smiled awkwardly and gestured to Arwyn, "He needs a Huntsman outfit."
Arwyn raised a hand in greeting, "I need a Huntsman outfit."
The man's smile grew, "Well, my sister and I can help. Tell me what you're looking for, and we can come up with a design. My sister's semblance lets her take measurements, and I can control fabric with mine. So, how about we get started?"
It was somewhat awkward for Arwyn, because he had no idea how to describe what he'd been thinking of. Yet, as he talked with the man, he found that he had an understanding for what he was going for, and even had a few suggestions of his own. Arwyn wanted armor, and lucky for him, the man had a partnership with a guy who was capable of forging it quickly with his own semblance. Arwyn also had to wonder why they had their auras unlocked if they were just civilians, but maybe they had a background in Huntsmen work, he had no way of knowing and didn't feel like asking.
Even with their enhanced speed, it was still going to take a few hours for everything to be done, so Pyrrha and Arwyn left once all of the details were finalized and returned to walking the city. They didn't go anywhere in particular, instead content to enjoy the city as the sun began to sink, casting orange, yellow, and red colors across the sky.
When they returned to the shop, they found that the outfit was prepared. The speed at which it was all done was remarkable, but Arwyn didn't have time to think about that, because he was too busy getting shoved into the changing room by Pyrrha so he could try the outfit on.
On went a turquoise undershirt and a pair of dark blue pants. Then came the armor, which reminded him of Jaune's later armor in the way it was segmented, with the chestpiece covering his front and back fairly completely. The chestpiece was pure white, while he had a pair of pauldrons and bracers that were colored blue. The armor was surprisingly flexible, not restricting his ability to move too much. Over his chest piece went a light blue sash that had currently three patches on it.
The first symbol was a small light blue heart, reminiscent of his necklace. The second was a scythe over a rose, and the third was a spear over a bronze shield. The sash had no patches when it was first made, but once he donned it, the Relic of Progress glowed, and the patches appeared. He had no idea why, but he could tell they were related to people whose Fairy Tales he had. Did that mean he would be getting Pyrrha's soon? He didn't know.
Finally, he donned a royal purple cape, which had a symbol emblazoned on the back. The symbol was a black crescent moon accented in gold set against the backdrop of a light blue heart, reminiscent of the Relic of Progress. The cape was clasped with a gold clasp, completing his outfit.
He looked himself over in the mirror and summoned his sword, posing dramatically as he did so. Then, he smiled, "Well, now I look like a real Huntsman. Or an adventurer, something like that. Kind of taking some of Ja- Uh… Jeanne's look, but…"
Who said she had a monopoly on armor, anyway?
He emerged from the dressing room after dismissing his sword and stepped out. Pyrrha gasped and smiled, "Oh, it's perfect! You look incredibly regal."
Arwyn looked himself over again, "I dunno about regal, but… It does look nice. Guess we should pay and then head back to Beacon, huh?"
He was going to pay for it himself, but Pyrrha insisted on paying for it. She explained that she had an excess of money due to her sponsorships, contracts, and some smart investments made on her behalf by her parents. He wasn't going to tell her no, especially if she was really that well off. He had money at this point, but nothing like that.
By the time the two returned to Beacon, it was starting to get dark. They'd truly spent the entire afternoon (and part of the evening) out in Vale together. Arwyn felt good about that, and he could tell by the way Pyrrha was smiling as they rode the Bullhead back to Beacon that she did as well.
They reached the courtyard they had met at and Pyrrha turned to him, her smile was warm and shy, her face dusted red. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and said, "Thank you for today… It might not have been much, but I haven't had that much fun in a long time."
Arwyn smiled back and waved his hand dismissively, "Thanks again for getting me this outfit, and training with me, and working out with me…" He made a show of counting on his fingers before his smile broadened, "I think a day out is the least I could do for you. You're a great person, Pyrrha. You deserve to be happy."
Pyrrha's face reddened even more as she shyly averted her eyes, "I… W-Well…" Abruptly, she stepped closer and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you so much… for seeing me as me."
Arwyn was stunned by the sudden act of affection, and his own face turned a darker shade of red. Pyrrha was clearly embarrassed as she turned and hurried away towards her dorm. It wasn't far away, and he watched her leave until eventually turning back to the tower.
He would readily admit that he walked with a bit of pep in his step that night.
He entered Beacon tower, and once he was inside the elevator waiting as it carried him towards his floor, he received several new notifications.
New Relationship Level Reached!
Pyrrha Nikos
Close Friend - 50/100 (Tier 2)
Crush - 50/100 (Tier 1)
CALL UPGRADED!
Pyrrha
Your increasing closeness with Pyrrha has unlocked a new aspect of your Call. While active, the strength of any action you take against metal, be it weapons, armor, or something else, is improved greatly, beyond just what the Call is capable of on other things.
NEW FAIRYTALE UNLOCKED!
THE ILIAD
One of the oldest tales by Earth's oldest and most revered storytellers of antiquity. While not technically a fairytale, the strength, determination, and courage of heroes long gone echo across time and space. Call upon them, and let the spirits of these heroes shine once again.
NEW FAIRYTALE CHARACTER UNLOCKED
ACHILLES
"To be burdened so heavily so young… I do not envy you, lad. I made many mistakes, and lost many I cared for as a result. I am truly not worthy of their forgiveness, but you… You can learn from my mistakes, and be the shield that prevents those you love from falling to darkness. Embrace me, and let evil tremble in our wake."
Sing, o' spirits, of the wrath of Achilles, son of Peleus, of the indomitable spirit that brought his enemies to heel. Call upon Achilles to become completely impervious across your entire body (save for the small of your back) for thirty seconds. After use, it will become unusable for a month.
He felt oddly… sublime as the power of Achilles resonated within his soul and he dismissed the notification. His already present smile turned into a grin, "Alright, Achilles… I'll take your words to heart." The effect of the fairytale might have been short, but still, thirty seconds of being able to not take any damage save for one small part of his body could mean the difference between life and death.
He would just need to make sure to be very careful in how he used it.
Once the elevator came to a stop, he walked out and headed to his room.
He wasn't surprised to find Alex there, playing games on his holoTV while in their human form. Arwyn smirked and started to walk quietly towards them. Luckily, they were so engrossed in playing their game that they didn't notice him approaching. Eventually, he leaned forward from the side of the bed and placed his hands on it while exclaiming, "Boo!"
Alex yelped and started, falling forward onto the ground. Arwyn moved to look at them with a grin on his face, and he saw them trying their hardest to look annoyed while laughing, "Damn it Ozy, don't do that!" They seemed to catch themself a bit too late as their laughter died down.
Arwyn looked at them in confusion, "Who's Ozy?" He felt he had heard something sound like that before, but he wasn't sure where. It wasn't Ozpin, there was no 'y' to add to Ozpin's name. So who was it?
They stood up and shook their head, "J-Just… an old… friend, from a long time ago." They briefly looked melancholic, however, they quickly shook their head and went back to looking annoyed, "What's the big idea, huh? Sneaking up on me like that! I could have blasted you with magic!" They gestured outward with an open palm as if to demonstrate their point.
He shook his head and smiled mirthfully before pushing their hand down, "But you didn't. Have you just been playing games here all day? Don't you have spirit stuff to do?"
They scoffed, "Please, with my magic, I can be in every world all at once. If I were to call all of my essence into one place, the results would be… Well! I don't know actually, but… Probably very flashy."
Arwyn was about to respond, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. He blinked in confusion a few times before standing up and saying to Alex, "Just a sec." He turned around and headed to the door before opening it. Immediately, his eyes widened in surprise.
Before him was a fair-skinned girl who stood at 5'5'' with a small, slightly curvy frame. She had neck-length blond hair with the notable exception of one side-tail that was braided and hung in front of her left shoulder tied with a brown bow. She was wearing a short-sleeved hoodie under a familiar set of segmented white armor, jeans, and a pair of running shoes. At her side was Crocea Mors in its sheath form.
She crossed her arms and frowned at him, "You're Arwyn Cadeyrn, right?" She seemed to be trying to put on a tough face, although he could tell that she was nervous, "I'm Jeanne Arc, Pyrrha's partner. I heard from her that you're pretty strong, and… I feel the need to defend her honor! So… I challenge you to a duel!"
Arwyn stared at her wide eyed, and in response, he could only think one thing…
'What the fuck?'