Chapter 11: Unwavering Resolve
Kuchinashi was anything but quiet. The city was dark, built into the side of a mountain, surrounded by rocky bluffs and sharp peaks as far as the eye could see. The City's Entrance was affectionately called "The Approach", a precarious place that was meant to scare people away. The city itself was referred to as "An Egg located in a Vipers nest", an accurate description considering the type of people that made their home there.
The city was shrouded in a thick wall of fog, due to how many rainstorms passed over them. The constant splashing of rain droplets was a normal occurrence here. The people had seemingly gotten used to it. The lower levels of the city were filled to the brim with people, all moving from place to place. Never stopping, never-ending. These streets were long, wide, and curvy, twisting in all directions, creating a labyrinth of stores, shops, stands, and bars that people were always stumbling into, or walking out of.
It had been almost impossible to find the hospital, but thankfully some patrons had been kind enough to point them toward it. Sienna had been checked in immediately and taken into surgery two hours after. Apparently, her attack had left various internal wounds including a damaged gallbladder. The doctor that had agreed to treat her had been surprised she had even lived that long.
"Sheer Willpower," he remembered her saying. Sienna's motivation had only gotten stronger, and she wasn't going to quit now of all times.
But with her being in the hospital, and with nothing to do, Weiss, Neo and Levi had no choice but to explore the city, hoping to get some information. The people continued staring at Weiss, all of them giving her glares. Some of contempt, others of surprise, while some saw dollar signs. Levi had told her to stay close to him and not even think about leaving alone. He had even gone as far as giving her his cloak so that she could cover herself up. That had stopped the glares, at least for the time being. That didn't seem to ease her worries, as she kept her hand wrapped tightly around her rapier.
"Are you sure we should be out here, you two? I don't like this place," she said softly, causing Levi to look down at her.
"We don't exactly have a choice. Sienna can't have visitors for the first three days for whatever reason, so we need to occupy ourselves somehow. I'm just glad we were able to find a cheap room, even if we have to share it." Levi said, earning a frown from Weiss.
"I really liked those earrings."
"Better to trade your earrings for a bed than to sleep out in the streets. Believe me, this is a town you don't want to take a risk in. I would know, I lived here for a few years before moving to Vale." Neo's scroll read, a no-nonsense look on her face. She was very serious in what she had said. Levi had decided to trust her on that, he had no frame of reference after all.
"Whatever the case may be, we can take the time to restock here. Weiss's earrings netted us a good amount. Sleeping in a shitty motel room for 32 Lien a day is worth it, especially if we can get some extra food and dust for the trip to Mistral." he said, opening his scroll. "There's a train station north of Kuchinashi, that's our ticket to Mistral."
"Well… what will we do when we get there?" Weiss asked, causing him and Neo to stop. She rubbed her arm nervously, glancing at the puddles on the ground. "We can't exactly go up to Headmaster Lionheart and demand answers right?"
"She makes a good point," Neo typed a frown on her face. "We need to start thinking about a plan. We don't exactly know when Adam will lead that attack on Haven Academy. We also aren't 100% sure Cinder will be there."
"She will be," the miqo'te said, giving his friend a firm look. "I just know it, people like her… they enjoy what they do. There's no way she isn't going to be there, she has to confirm the destruction of the tower herself, right? Let's just be glad Haven Academy isn't in session right now."
Weiss suddenly gasped, snapping her fingers. "That's it, Levi! You're a genius!"
"Eh? I am?"
"Do explain yourself, Weiss. I too wish to bask in Levi's genius." Neo's scroll chirped, causing the boy to glare at her.
"He mentioned Haven not being in session at the moment. In fact, all Huntsman Academies follow the same basic schedule. Atlas Academy starts classes in September, and so did Beacon. We're currently in July, meaning we have around a month and a half before class starts."
"That would mean the attack would have to be before then," Levi said, nodding in understanding. "It would take a lot of time to raise up an army in order to attack. The Fang will have to get arms, dust, and enough members to partake in it. I doubt they can do all that in a day or two. Meaning at most, we have until mid-September for this to happen. I wouldn't put it past them to attack the day before school starts."
"In which case, we need to make it to Haven to warn Headmaster Lionheart! He has to do something right? He holds two seats on the Mistral Council and practically has as much power as the royal family. If anyone can get an army ready, it's him." Weiss said, a look of confidence on her face. Neo tugged on her sleeve, holding her scroll out to her.
"I'm not sure we can trust Headmaster Lionheart. Cinder and her lackeys claim to be from Haven, right? How could they have gotten legal licenses if not with his help? You'd have to get into Haven, hack the system, and add your transcripts to the school. Don't you think that's way too much effort for one group of people?"
Levi hummed softly, his tail moving back and forth as he lost himself in thought, stroking his chin. "She makes a good point. It isn't that easy to hack into a CCT, you need to hack the system directly. Do you actually think you can get past all of those Huntsman and Huntresses that easily?"
"You do know what you are suggesting right? That Headmaster Lionheart is colluding with the ones responsible for the Fall of Beacon. General Ironwood and Professor Ozpin were rather close, it's safe to assume Headmaster Lionheart is the same. Do you actually think he could do that? Betray a close friend?"
"He can," Neo's scroll quipped, making the two look back at her. "It isn't hard to hold something over someone. If Cinder got information or anything he holds dear, then you can bet your ass he would. He got Headmaster Ozpin killed, didn't he? If he gave Cinder and her friends those licenses then he condemned Vale to death."
Levi couldn't deny what she was saying. It would make a lot of sense if something like that were to happen. He didn't know Professor Ozpin well, nor did he know Professor Lionheart or General Ironwood. While he couldn't imagine someone betraying a friend like that, he couldn't deny that it wasn't possible either. People changed when they were scared, and they often did things in cowardice that they wouldn't normally do. He gestured for them to follow, moving through another of Kuchinashi's twisting paths.
"We need to take some things into consideration. For all we know, we are on our own in all of this. If we want to bring Cinder down, then we need to make sure we are well prepared."
"I am all for bringing the woman who killed Pyrrha to justice, but do you think we can handle her and the White Fang?" Weiss asked, causing his frown to deepen.
"I would rather not think about that. All we can do is make it to Mistral, speak with some licensed huntsman and huntresses and hope they can assist us. If not, then we're gonna have to come up with another plan or abandon the mission altogether. I would rather not risk my life when fighting against Cinder, especially if she intends to use the White Fang as an army." he said.
Neo who had been skipping beside him slowly stopped, falling into pace with Levi. She stepped in front of him, a firm look on her face as she placed her hand on her hip. She held her pinky out, making a circular motion with her hand. He sighed, giving her a nod.
"Yes, I know I promised, Neo. But we can't very well get her if we're dead, right?" he replied, causing her to sigh silently. "I know, I know. You wanna do her in asap, believe me, I do too. But remember what I said back at the relay tower. No one is dying on my watch, no one."
"If that's the case, then we need to keep up your aura training. You and Neo have been sparring whenever possible, and I assume it's been like this since arriving in Mistral. But your aura should take priority for now." Weiss said, brushing past them. "Not only that, but you have to get yourself properly equipped, and I think I found the perfect place for that."
The trio walked toward the end of the street, the scent of burning good lingering in the air. They could hear the sound of metal against metal, the tell tell sign of a blacksmith. The shop itself looked rather inconspicuous, being surrounded by other buildings. But it also looked rough and rugged, as if it had been there for a very long time. The sign above it read "The Forge" in bold black letters. Weiss continued leading them, waiting for a few horse-drawn carts to move past before heading toward the entrance.
The second they walked in, they were assaulted by heat. They could feel the heat of the forge moving toward the front of the store. They had been expecting a specialty shop, but instead, they found a place where various men were working on weapons. There was a man sharpening an ax, while another was quenching some blades in oil. They spotted a large muscular man pounding away at an armor plate, his hammer striking the metal over and over in a rhythmic pattern. One of the men looked up, setting down the piece he was working on, walking over to them.
"Howdy, welcome to the Forge. Y'all interested in a blade or some armor?" the man, a tall muscular, dark-skinned fellow, wearing a sleeveless shirt, black pants, and boots asked. Weiss lowered her hood, giving the man a smile.
"Yes sir, we are indeed interested in a new blade. You see, my friend here is in the market for a new weapon. His Semblance requires a special dust system to allow him to channel the elemental reactions into it. The weapon he wields now just doesn't suit his needs." she said, gesturing for Levi to show the man the design. He cleared his throat, reaching into his back pocket for his notebook.
"I designed this myself, sir. I graduated from Signal and forged my own weapon at the age of 12. It's carried me far in life, but I know now that it also hindered my progress. I want to be a strong huntsman, and that means taking every single little detail into effect." he said, handing the book to the man.
He looked at the design, pouring over all of the notes, humming to himself as he traced every single detail with his eyes. "A multi-action estoc rifle with a revolving cylinder, capable of firing long rifle rounds. Kid, you do know this is going to be a heavy custom build. The details of this blade alone are going to be very hard to get right."
"Can you do it?" Weiss asked, earning a laugh from the man.
"Of course I can, little lady, I make weapons for the kids over at Kuchinashi Combat Academy. I've forged things crazier than this. Thing is, the stuff you want to have done is made by separate forgers. We need a gunsmith, someone to forge the blade, as well as a Dust technician to make sure the dust infusion system functions without you blowing your hand up. It'll take a month of work, but it can be done."
"Excellent, that's exactly what I wanted to hear!" the former heiress said. The blacksmith cleared his throat, causing her to look away from her friends. "Is there something else you want to say?"
"Yeah, how are you going to pay for this? We need it upfront in order to start working on it. We have other orders to fulfill, and we can't set those aside unless you are willing to pay quite a pretty penny for it." he said.
"About that… Do you think you can send the bill to Haven Academy? Our friend here is a student there and she said the academy covers costs." Weiss said, gesturing to Neo. She reached for her scroll, showing the man her Huntress-in-Training license. He let out a laugh, handing the book back to Levi.
"Haven Academy covers the costs of training weapons, not things of this caliber. If you want this weapon for cheap then you'll have to go somewhere else. We don't have time for people like you." he said, turning around. Levi stepped forward, grabbing the man's wrist.
"Wait, you don't understand, I need this weapon. I lost my teammates during the Fall of Beacon, as well as my mother. I haven't been the same since then. I realized then just how weak I am. I want to find the ones responsible and end their lives for what they did. But I can't do that without this weapon." he said, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. He pulled out a blue card, handing it to the man. "That card contains 50,000 Lien. They were emergency funds that my mother left for me, in case I needed it. Please, take it, for the work you'll put into this weapon."
The blacksmith looked at the card, chuckling. "50 grand ain't gonna be enough to cover costs, kiddo. I'd say your weapon will cost around 150k, tops."
"B-but we don't have any more money! I just sold my earrings to get a bed for us to sleep in." Weiss cried out.
"I would have thought you'd have loads of money, considering you are a Schnee. What, did daddy cut you off?" the man joked, earning a nod from the former heiress.
"As a matter of fact, he did. I ran away from Atlas and don't have a single dime to my name. All I have is the clothes on my back."
"You have to understand," Neo interjected, surprising the man with her scroll. "We cannot leave without that weapon. This mission is too important to us, sir. Would you do it for 50,000 Lien?" the scroll finished. She even batted her lashes at him, something that didn't go unnoticed. He shifted his gaze toward Weiss, smirking a bit.
"I can do it for 50k, but you two have to sweeten the deal a bit. It's been a while since I've gotten any action, and you two seem rather ripe for the taking," he said, causing Weiss's jaw to drop. Neo narrowed her eyes, preparing to draw Hush.
"Just forget it, we're not those kinds of people," Levi said, taking the card back from the man. "We'll just find another place to go. The last thing I need is a pig-like you making my weapon."
As he turned around, the blacksmith caught sight of his gunblade. He hummed to himself, looking at it with interest. Levi grabbed a hold of the door, pushing it open, about to step outside when the man called out to him. "Hey kid, wait. What's that thing you got strapped to your waist?"
"You mean my gunblade?" he asked, glancing down at Shiva's sheathe. He earned a nod from the smith, slowly turning around. "It's the weapon I forged in Signal Academy, the one that I've been using for several years now."
"Might I see it?" he asked. Levi sighed, but relented, reaching for Shiva. He pulled her free, flicking his wrist as he did so. The blacksmith whistled softly, rather impressed with the weapon. "Well check that baby out. She must have cost a fortune to forge."
"Signal covered the costs," he replied, glancing at Shiva. "I designed her after a weapon I saw in a movie. My mother helped me with the dust system, and I made the blade in a weekend. She's carried me through several battles, and saved my life countless times."
The blacksmith continued looking at the weapon, eyes narrowed seemingly in thought. After a few minutes of silence, he let out a grin, placing his fist in his open hand. "Alright, that weapon you want built, I'll do it for the 50k if you throw that gunblade on the side."
"And what do you think he'll use to defend himself while we're in town? This isn't exactly the best city to be in." Weiss said arms crossed as she leaned back. "We can't exactly leave him defenseless."
"What the hell is he going to need that gunblade for if he gets a new one forged?" the smith asked. Levi glanced down at Shiva, seeing all of the small scratches she had gained over the years. He flicked his wrist, shifting her into her blade form, tracing the name he had engraved in the blade.
"He's right, girls. Shiva will be useless to me if I have this new weapon forged. I was hoping it didn't come to this but… I think the time for me to let her go has come. She's been a good weapon, but she's also held me back."
"Levi… are you sure about this?" the white-haired girl asked, earning a nod from the faunus. He took a deep breath, tracing her name with his fingertip before returning her to her travel form. His hand shook a bit as he held her over, looking away from the man as he grabbed her. "50k and Shiva, do we have a deal?"
"Yes, we do. Like I said before, it'll take us a month of work, but we'll get it done. Just leave the designs here." he said. Levi opened his notebook, carefully removing his new designs from it, handing them over to the blacksmith. He gave Shiva one final look before spinning on his heel.
"We'll be in town for a few more days while a close friend recovers. But afterward, we'll be leaving for Mistral City. Do you think you can ship it to the post office there?" he asked. The blacksmith nodded, giving him a nod.
"I'll make sure it gets there as soon as it is finished. Also, I apologize for my earlier comments toward the ladies. It was a bit of a joke. People in Kuchinashi are far different than those from other parts of the kingdom."
"Just make sure his weapon works as per his designs. If they do, I might think of recommending this place to other huntsmen and huntresses." Weiss said, lifting her hood over her head, stepping out of the store. Neo followed suit, tugging Levi along.
"So long old friend, you served me well. I'm sorry I couldn't keep you, but sacrifices must be made in order to better myself. I can't afford to be weak." he thought as he bid farewell to his weapon. It was the final thing he had of his former self, and it was time for her to remain in the past. All he could do now was keep moving forward and not lose sight of his goal.
Location: City of Mistral
The journey to Mistral had been a long one for Team RNJR. Ever since meeting with Ruby on the Island of Patch, they had been traveling together, through Sanus, across the sea, and finally to the continent of Anima. Through many trials and tribulations, the foursome, along with Qrow Branwen, Ruby's uncle, had made it to the city in the mountains. They had been expecting a lot of things when they arrived, but what they weren't expecting was the complete lack of Huntsman and Huntresses. In training or otherwise. The Professors of Haven Academy were gone and so were the students. It was something that unnerved Ruby, but she didn't exactly know what to think of it.
The young scythe wielder had been forced to grow up rather fast. With the loss of their friend Pyrrha, as well as the Fall of Beacon, she got a grim wake-up call to how the world truly worked. She had decided to train as hard as she could, practicing her skills whenever possible. But the journey through Mistral had been rough. They had wanted to take a train all the way there, but the rails had been shut down due to Grimm and Bandit attacks, leading them to travel through Anima on foot.
Having finally arrived at Haven, they met with Headmaster Leonheart, but Ruby noted he was acting rather strange. Though she had never met the men, she could see he was acting a lot more scared than normal. He was a trained huntsman after all, and huntsmen shouldn't really have fears, but this man was just… cowardly. Perhaps it was in his nature to cower like that. They had arrived at a dead-end, and with nothing else to do, they rented an apartment and started living there.
Then one night, while Qrow had been searching for a stiff drink, a young boy named Oscar had approached them. Apparently, he had quite a lot to say to the three of them, and as it turned out, he was hosting the soul of Professor Ozpin, their former Headmaster. No one had been expecting that at all. It was just another piece to the puzzle of confusion the young huntsmen and huntresses-in-training were facing.
The red-cloaked young woman leaned forward on the railing of their adjacent balcony, glancing down at the city of Mistral below. She had wanted to get here for so long, and now that she was here, she didn't really know what to do. She stared at her scroll, the images of Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury being in the foreground. She had read their fake profiles countless times but hadn't arrived at a single answer. She sighed, placing the device in her pocket.
"What should I do, mom? I feel so lost. Things have gone downhill fast. Now we're in Mistral with no leads, Professor Leonheart is acting weird and Qrow keeps drinking. I need a sign, something to do."
"Um, Ruby?"
The young girl spun around, her cloak flapping about behind her as she faced Oscar. He was a year younger than her and was just as lost as her. She had heard everything Ozpin had said, about his past lives and how he and Oscar would eventually merge into one being. She could see the fear in his eyes, along with his anxiousness and nervousness. He reminded her a lot about her when she first joined Beacon.
"Hey Oscar, what's up?"
"I couldn't help but overhear you. I didn't mean to, it's just…" he paused, glancing away from her silver-eyed gaze. "I'm at a loss for what to do. Now about what Professor Ozpin said but… about myself. He said that I should train my aura as well as my physical capabilities, but I don't really know where to start."
"I know the feeling," she said, uttering a laugh. "When I was twelve, my dad said I needed to learn how to fight. I told him I didn't know-how and he told me to square up. If it wasn't for my aura, I likely would have died."
"It couldn't have been that bad, I'm sure."
"My dad specializes in mixed martial arts, with boxing being his primary fighting style. He's strong enough to shatter boulders with a single hit," she admitted, making his brows rise up, disappearing beneath his hair. "Yeah."
"Well… what exactly did you do at Beacon? Surely you could have done something to increase your physical strength."
"Punch stuff until I improve?" she asked, almost jokingly. "In all seriousness, I never considered learning how to fight. I usually had my Semblance and Crescent Rose with me. But Professor Ozpin made a keen observation. Without my weapon, all I have is my Semblance and without that, all I have are my fists. So I'm gonna learn to fight. I even downloaded some kung fu movies for reference material."
Oscar was going to speak, only for his eyes to glow brightly. The expression on his face changed a bit, becoming calmer than before. "Miss Rose, certainly you don't hope to learn from watching old movies."
"Um… I… well?" she stammered, rubbing her neck. "I can't really ask Jaune to fight, he's still learning, Nora swings her hammer around a lot and Ren is well… Ren."
"I understand your predicament, finding someone to train you in an academy without anyone to learn from is rather taxing. Which is also why I volunteered myself to train you all. Training takes time, and sadly it is of the essence. I urged Oscar to come here because I wished to ask you something. How much do you know about your eyes?"
"My eyes?" Ruby asked, tilting her head in confusion. "Not a lot, aside from the fact that they're silver. My mom had silver eyes too, I heard my father say they were hereditary but didn't explain anything else. Talking about my mom still hurts him."
Ozpin remained silent, slowly turning away from the young woman. He reached behind his back for his cane, activating it with a flick of his wrist. "Miss Rose, you are unaware of the gift you have been given, for that, I do not fault you. Not a lot of surviving accounts of silver eyes exist. The compiled editions are kept secured in the Academy libraries. I doubt the information I amassed in Beacon will do us any good."
"Gift? I thought my eyes were just silver, there are other silver-eyed people in the world. I met a few in Beacon."
"No, Miss Rose. Those people had gray-colored eyes, you however have silver eyes. They are vastly different, for you see, you hold a very special power within you. Explain to me in detail what happened at Beacon Tower." the man said, causing Ruby to sigh.
"Weiss used her semblance to get me to the top of the tower. When I climbed over the edge, I saw Cinder shoot Pyrrha in the chest. She turned her into ashes… I don't remember much after that. But Weiss told me there was a flash of light, and that wyvern had turned to stone."
"Hmm… so seeing a traumatic event triggered this. The loss of your dear friend was what awakened this latent power. Miss Rose, your eyes hold a very special power. It is one that is rare and hardly exists in this world. With the proper training, you will be able to vanquish the darkness of the world." the man said, as he turned to fully face her, a warm smile on his face. "This is a power your mother learned to use as well."
"You mean… my eyes can turn things to stone?"
"Not just to stone, you can vaporize Grimm without a second thought, and even blind them. But it is not a power that you can train easily. Your mother told me it can only be activated in the presence of Grimm." the man explained causing Ruby to frown.
"If I can only use it to kill Grimm, then what's the point of even having it?"
"Because this gift of yours, Ruby, is precious. It could be the last thing between you living and you dying. You see, Silver Eyed Warriors have existed throughout history. They have left their mark, protecting the ones they love. Sadly, they have also been known to disappear entirely. I cannot explain why, but make no mistake, these eyes of yours are to be feared." Ozpin said firmly. Ruby nodded, rolling on the balls of her feet.
"Okay… so how do I use it? You said you can't train it unless there are Grimm around. Does that mean I have to leap into the jaws of danger and Thanatos Snap things out of existence?"
Ozpin chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "It won't be that simple, Miss Rose. Practicing might take a while, but I am aware of what to do. Silver Eyes seem to be connected to emotions. Summer Rose once said that her strongest memories were that which fueled her powers. Those memories happened to be of you, Miss Xiao Long, and your father."
"Would you tell me a little more about her? I don't really remember her that well. All I remember is her smile, and her cookies." she said sadly.
"She was a wonderful student, among the most studious in her class. She had a no-nonsense attitude and took every chance to train her skills. She was one of the more dangerous members of Team STRQ, mostly because of her choice of weapon."
"Was it a scythe-like mine?" she asked, a look of excitement on her face. Ozpin let out a chuckle nodding. "Whoa… so scythes run in the family, that's so cool."
"Indeed, Qrow and Summer took their inspiration from another famous huntress, one known as the Grimm Reaper. But that's a story for another time. Summer felt rather alone on her team, with Tai Yang and Qrow always looking for girls on the campus, she only had Raven for company, and Raven wasn't the friendliest of people to speak to."
"I never met her, but dad told me she was really kind. Sometimes I wonder what happened to her, for Yang's sake of course."
"I am to blame for what happened to Raven. She found some sensitive information about our mission and decided it would be best for her to leave. I can't explain it right now, no one is ready for that." the man said, turning away from the silver-eyed girl. "Be that as it may, Raven started becoming very close with your mother. Sisters in Arms, they became. It wasn't long after that Raven developed feelings for Tai Yang and well, you know how that went."
"A fiery blonde dragon was born." the scythe-wielder said, grinning. "Yang is a handful now, I can only imagine how bad she was as a baby."
"Heh, I assure you. Miss Xiao Long wasn't too bad as a baby, at least not like a certain cloak-wearing girl I know," he replied with a wink. "She was accepting of everyone and wanted to be a ray of light in the darkness that is our world. I think she succeeded in that. She was the glue that held Team STRQ together, and when she disappeared well… things changed."
"I wish I could see her, I want to tell her how much I love her," she said, forcing a smile onto her face. "But I know that isn't likely to happen. They never found her after all, I just hope she didn't suffer."
"Ditto." the older man said, giving her a smile. "Oscar will assume control in a few more minutes, how about a little spar? I'd like to see how well you can fight before we begin."
"Huh? But I don't really know how to fight," she said. Ozpin smirked, retracting his cane, tugging on his gloves. "P-Professor?"
"Prepare yourself, Miss Rose, you are about to receive a crash course."
Ruby gulped loudly, feebly raising her fists. She knew she didn't stand a chance against the wise professor, even if he was currently in the body of a fifteen-year-old child.
Location: Kuo Kuana, Menagerie
"Come on, Blake. It isn't that bad." Sun said, earning a glare from the raven-haired faunus. He deflated a bit, his tail drooping. "Alright, it's pretty bad."
"Pretty bad? Sun, the White Fang is planning an attack on Haven Academy. They are here recruiting members and no one here wants to stand up and fight them. We are going to fight a losing war if we don't do something!"
The monkey faunus cringed at the sound of her voice, feeling rather bad for upsetting her. She let out a sigh, ears drooping in sadness. "I'm sorry, Sun. I didn't mean to shout at you. This is just a stressful situation and I don't know what to do."
"Yeah, I get it. I tended to avoid all of that crap when I was in Vacuo, it was a little rougher in Mistral, given that their HQ is there, but I managed not to get swept up in it. I can't really understand what you are going through. But I do know that this is an important matter, and I'll do whatever it takes to help you. Haven Academy is my alma mater after all." he said with a goofy grin, earning a giggle from the girl.
"Thanks for being here. I don't know what I would do if I was all alone here."
"Well well well, if it isn't Blake Belladonna, my I haven't seen you in a really long time!" a voice said, causing the pair to turn around.
A tall young man stood behind them, a bright grin plastered onto his face. He was wearing a short-sleeved gray shirt, with a gray combat vest over it, decorated with silver zippers and buttons. He was wearing a pair of slim-fit jeans, stuffed into a pair of armored buckle boots. Twin bandoliers were wrapped around his hips, holding several loaded cylinders, a bulky-looking revolver hung from his left hip. Lastly, he had a large bushy tail coming from his behind, covered in gray and black striped fur.
"You know that guy?" Sun asked curiously, earning a nod from Blake.
"He's one of my cousins, through marriage of course. We played a lot as kids but I haven't seen him since I joined the White Fang," she said, slowly walking up to him, giving him a smile. "Hello, Rocket."
"Hey yourself. It's been around five years since I've seen you set foot on Kuana. Where have you been?" he asked curiously, shifting his gaze toward Sun. "Oh, is this your boyfriend? My mistake, sorry for not introducing myself. Rocket, good to meet ya, guy."
"Right, uh… good to meet ya. I'm not her boyfriend though," he said, quickly correcting his mistake. He earned a soft nod from Rocket, who shifted his gaze back to his cousin, who was glaring at him.
"Ignoring what you just said, I was in Vale this entire time. I was.. swept up by the White Fang's movement, and did a lot of things I'm not proud of. I left a while ago and decided to become a Huntress." Blake said, making him go wide-eyed.
"Really? Whereat? I left for Vacuo a few years back, I'm part of Team STAR, though the only teammate I brought with me was my partner and girlfriend Asura. She's…" he gestured behind himself toward the beach. "Somewhere in that general area. It's her first time in Kuo Kuana."
"I know the feeling man, I was born and raised in Vacuo myself, so coming to this island gave me a severe case of culture shock," Sun said, holding back the urge to laugh. "So, Shade Academy huh? How is it? I hear Headmaster Theodore likes throwing the students into the Pit.":
"Yeah, he does. Says we need to learn how to defend ourselves by surviving out in the wilds. The initiation at the other schools are far tamer in comparison. I'm a year away from becoming licensed so that should be fun. What about you Blake? What school did you choose? Haven?"
"Beacon." she simply replied, looking away from him. Rocket cringed, a frown forming on his face.
"Sorry, were you at the-"
"We both were. What about you? I don't recall seeing you there."
"Nah, we weren't there sadly. Me and my teammates had an undercover mission in Kuchinashi so we couldn't afford to miss it. Even for the Vytal Tournament. I doubt we'll be having another one of those in a long time." he said with a sigh. "Regardless, I have to meet with the Chieftain, it's really important that I do."
"Oh? What do you want to speak with my father about?" Blake asked curiously. "If it's about Haven Academy and the attack the White Fang are planning, we are already aware of it. One of their members attacked Sun a few days ago and we managed to swipe her scroll."
"We've been trying to get people to help us bring the Fang down, or at least defend Haven Academy until Headmaster Leonheart can get some huntsmen on the case. We haven't gotten a single signature though." Sun said, showing the petition list on his scroll.
"You actually think the people of Menagerie would come to the defense of a Huntsman Academy? Don't kid yourselves. Unless our home is being directly threatened, these people here aren't going to do shit. Kuo Kuana is an escape for the faunus, the only place where we can be free. Do you see anyone in a hurry to leave it?" Rocket queried, causing the pair to shake their heads. "There's your answer. Anyway, mind taking me to your old man, Blake? It's been a long time since I've seen him."
"Sure, we were heading back anyway," the cat faunus said, taking the lead. Sun walked beside her, keeping his eyes peeled just in case anyone was following them.
"You seem a little tense there, monkey boy."
"That's because I am. We're pretty sure the White Fang sect here is planning something for Blake's family. We were being tailed not long ago so I want to make sure we aren't surprised."
"I see," Rocket mumbled, reaching for his left ear. "Hey sweetie, mind doing me a favor? It seems we have members here who could potentially harm the chieftain. Keep an eye on any suspicious individuals alright?"
"I'm all over it, honey. I'll send my scouts into the air the moment I finish my ice cream." a dulcet voice replied, making him roll his eyes. He glanced back at the others, giving them a confident look.
"You needn't worry now, Asura's semblance gives her the ability to control things with her mind. Her unique weapon consists of various drones that she can link her mind to at any time, giving her a full aerial view of any location she's in. We've got you covered." he winked.
"Wow, that's pretty cool. And this Azura girl is also a faunus?"
"Yes sir, she was born in a remote village in Vacuo and happens to be an aquatic faunus, part marlin in fact. And no, she doesn't have a sword for a nose, just the fins, and some scales," he said, a smile on his face. "She's the perfect woman for me, even if her arms smell a bit fishy."
"Ew." Blake and Sun mumbled, cringing a bit at the thought. It didn't take them long to finally reach the Belladonna Residence, the large mansion was located in the center of Kuo Kuana.
Blake nodded at the two guards, who opened the doors for them, allowing them to enter the estate. Blake looked around for a moment before turning toward another door, leading Sun and Rocket toward her father's office. "He should be at his office. Dad has been dealing with a lot of stuff since the White Fang began operating here."
"Poor guy, I feel bad for him, having to deal with those idiots. Honestly, the White Fang would have been better with him as high leader."
"I agree, but the White Fang was heading down the road of violence. Dad didn't want to stick around for that. Sienna Khan hasn't been doing the organization any favors, seeing as she sends Adam to do her bidding most of the time." Blake said. Sun remained silent, feigning interest in the plants and paintings in the corridor.
The trio stepped into the large office, where they found Blake's parents, Ghira and Kali. The former was a large beast of a man, with a very muscular form, and raven black hair. His sheer size was enough to intimidate many of the people who happened to cross paths with him. But despite that, he was a gentle giant, unless his family was being hurt, in which case, he would unfurl his claws and slice that person to ribbons. Kali was the opposite, a mid-height woman nearing her mid-forties, with black hair and round ears atop her head. She was a gentle soul and loved her daughter dearly. She was the first to hear them enter the office, a look of sheer joy on her face as she locked eyes with Rocket.
"Well if it isn't little Rocket! Look at how much you've grown, you don't even look like my little baby raccoon anymore!" she said, pulling the young man into a hug. He groaned a bit as the woman tightened her grip on him. "You've gotten so tall too!"
"It's… been a while too, aunt Kali. Try not to break my spine please," he wheezed, causing her to let go. "Whoo… you're grip is still as strong as I remember."
"Among the many things that haven't changed, Rocket," Ghira said, holding his hand out to the man. He grasped it, giving it a firm shake. "How has Vacuo been treating you?"
"It's been great! Me and my teammates are only a year away from being official huntsman and huntresses. I even have a girlfriend, I can't wait for you to meet her!"
"Aw, that's so sweet. I wish Blake would hurry up and bring someone home. She needs a little love in her life,"
"Mom!" Blake exclaimed, ears flat against her head in embarrassment. Ghira placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair a bit.
"Don't worry, Blake, you aren't old enough to be dating anyone."
"Dad you're not helping." she hissed angrily, glaring at her cousin. "Well, that piece of news you were gonna share with us?"
"Ah right… well, this was news that was meant for your parents but… if you are alright with me speaking freely." he said, glancing at Sun briefly. Ghira gave him a glare but nodded nonetheless. "Well then, this news is something I don't like sharing. Me and my team have been stationed in Mistral for the last few months on an important mission. While there, we decided to keep tabs on the Mistral Brotherhood of the White Fang."
He reached into his back pocket for his scroll, pulling it open. "Blake let me know about your plan to defend Haven Academy. Normally, the White Fang wouldn't even consider something like this but… well it's all but certain that it's going to happen."
Rocket opened one of his files, holding the device to Ghira, who took it into his large hands, reading the article he had opened up. "Sienna Khan was assassinated a few days ago. A new high-leader was appointed, and news of this has spread throughout the Fang. The reports state that it was a random huntsman, but it was in fact Adam Taurus who did this to her."
Ghira looked away from the scroll, a look of surprise and disappointment on his face. He felt Kali grab a hold of his arm, hugging it tightly. "I knew Sienna since she was a little girl. I didn't exactly agree with her methods but… to hear this piece of news, it's terrible."
The room fell silent for a moment, as they let the news sink in. It was a moment later that Blake decided to speak, a firm look on her face as she glanced at her cousin. "Was it Adam?"
"Considering he's the new high-leader and the fact Sienna would never have appointed him, I'd say yes. He's the only one who would have the balls to do this to Sienna, especially after she made him who he is today."
"That bastard, he needs to be stopped." Sun snapped angrily. "He's going to lead all of those stupid sheep to Haven and is going to destroy it! And no one here wants to do anything about it!"
"You can't force them to do something they don't want to do, boy. They believe what the White Fang is doing is just, and until we can prove it otherwise, no one is going to do anything." Ghira said firmly. "This news needs to be shared with the rest of Kuo Kuana. We need to come to the defense of Haven Academy, we are the only ones who can stop the White Fang now."
"That's also why I am here. Headmaster Theodore was the one who gave me my current mission, and that was to infiltrate the White Fang and get information. With the CCT being down, we can't relay information to anyone. At best all we can do is send a messenger to Haven and hope they take the threat seriously."
"They'll never make it. Even if we send the strongest messenger we have, it's likely they would be stopped halfway. The only solution we have is to mount an army ourselves. But in order to do that, we need to get all of Menagerie to see things our way."
"Sir, I think the petition is a good idea, but we didn't get results. Me and Blake have been at it for two days and haven't gotten a single signature. I think you should go public with the information we recovered from that Ilia girl's scroll." Sun said, causing the man to look at him. "Combine it with the news of High-Leader's death at the hands of Adam, and maybe, just maybe, we might be able to convince them."
"Even though I don't like you, you make a good point." the panther faunus said, standing up straight as he spoke. "Right, I'll prepare a speech then, and address the people here. According to the information on that scroll, the attack is in two months' time. That is two months that we have to prepare for this attack. Adam will not waste a single minute, and that means we can't afford to waste one either."
"I'll fight too. What he did to Beacon Academy, to my friends, is reprehensible. He needs to understand that violence only leads to more violence. We have to take back the White Fang, and turn it into what it was meant to be. An organization that grants peace to the faunus, and provides them with a safe place to live and prosper." Blake said.
"It's too bad the CCT is down, we could contact Atlas and let them know about it. They could send troops from Argus and surround the Academy!"
"That would be a good idea if General Ironwood hadn't closed Atlas's borders." Rocket said, retaking his scroll from Ghira. "First he declared an embargo on all dust coming out of Atlas, and then he recalled all Atlas Military Personnel, it's because of him the White Fang have practically dominated Mistral."
"The general is likely worried, he has all of Atlas and Mantle to think about. He cannot worry about every single problem in the world. Besides, the White Fang is responsible for this attack, so it should be Menagerie who deals with it." Ghira said, glancing down at his wife. "Kali dear, would you mind assisting me with this speech? I want it to sound just right."
"Sure thing dear, Rocket feel free to make yourself at home. We're likely going to be a bit busy. Hopefully, this address will light a fire under everyone's butts." she said happily.
"I sure hope so." the raccoon faunus said, looking rather worried.
"Don't worry, we're going to win this fight, we have to. I don't want a repeat of what happened at Beacon. No one should go through that pain," Blake said, giving her cousin a smile. "We just have to have faith!"
"I suppose you are right. I'll stay in contact with Asura, make sure we know the White Fang's movements here in Kuo Kuana. I don't exactly trust them not to take advantage of the situation."
"You and me both." the monkey faunus added, a sigh of annoyance leaving his lips.
Location: Kuchinashi, Kingdom of Mistral
It was early in the morning, yet despite that, it looked like it was close to midnight. Kuchinashi's weather didn't change much, and due to the thick fog and smog from the industrialized city, it always looked like this.
Neo had decided to get up a bit early, it had been hard getting used to the lumpy mattress but it was better than sleeping on the floor. Their motel room came with a shoddy-looking bathroom and a kitchen separated from the main room. Levi had made his bed by the window on an uncomfortable-looking couch, while she and Weiss shared the bed. She had been hoping to get a walk-in before Levi's training session later on in the morning, but she was surprised to see Weiss was already up and making breakfast. She was hoping to avoid interacting with the heiress, but it was clear the heiress wanted to speak with her.
"He's asleep, right?" she asked, the moment she had entered the room. Neo gave her a nod, closing the kitchen door behind her. She knew it wouldn't muffle everything, though Weiss would be the only one speaking after all. "Good, we need to have a talk. Sit."
Neo decided to humor the white-haired girl. She quietly pulled the shaky chair from the table, slowly sitting down just in case it gave in, and tossed her to the floor. Weiss placed a mug of coffee in front of her, causing her to quirk a brow. "It isn't poisoned if you are curious. Believe me, if I wanted to kill you I would have done it while you slept. You aren't the only one who knows how to move quietly and quickly."
Glancing down at the mug, she decided to have a taste of it, eyes widening a bit. She took another gulp, trying her hardest not to scald herself. Weiss let out a giggle, covering her mouth with her hand. "I learned how to make good coffee when I was growing up. Being an heiress makes studying a bit harder. While someone normal might brush up on mathematics, Grimm studies, and dust chem, I had to learn business, economics, trade, politics, and all that stuffy shit other business tycoons in Atlas are forced to learn."
Neo set her mug down, a saddened look on her face. Weiss shook her head, setting her mug down beside her. "Don't look at me like that, I'm not sad or disappointed. I'm glad my father forced me to be studious. It taught me a lot about the world. Sure, some of it is useless now, but when I become a true huntress and retake the SDC, I'll put some of it into practice."
The ice cream-themed woman glanced away for a moment, slowly reaching for her scroll. She typed her thoughts out, placing the scroll in front of the former heiress. "I know why you want to talk. It's about the truth behind who I am, how I was involved in the Fall of Beacon, and my friendship with Roman Torchwick."
"I just want to know why. Why are you hanging around him, why are you with him, traveling around like old friends? Why did you try to kill me? I never did anything to you."
"You didn't do anything, but your friend Ruby Rose did. She was the one who activated Hush and had me shot off that Atlas flagship. She's the reason I wasn't there with Roman, and why I couldn't have helped him. He wouldn't have died if I had been there with him. Since she isn't here, I figured killing you would help me feel better." she had typed, causing Weiss to sip on her coffee.
"Will it?"
The woman looked away, only for Weiss to press harder. "Will my death bring Roman back to you? Will it make you feel better about what happened?"
"I… I don't know. I am confused about everything, Weiss. I feel alone like no one understands me. I've come this far but even now I don't know if going after Ruby or Cinder or anything will make me feel better. I'm starting to think I'm broken." the scroll said. Neo's face was contorted into an expression of confusion and sadness, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked away from the heiress, biting her lower lip.
"You aren't broken, you have a broken heart, but that doesn't make you broken. A lot of things happened during that night, Neo. Mistakes were made, but one thing happened above all else that made us stronger. We became united. That night, it wasn't just humans fighting, it was the faunus, the civilians, the army, everyone. It brought us closer together as a people. We are all hurt, but we are grieving. We aren't going to forget what happened overnight."
She looked down at her coffee, seeing her reflection in the dark liquid. "I let myself be taken by my father because at the time, I was the heiress. But being back in Atlas reminded me of how I was a year ago. How prissy, dumb and unloving I was, how I was being groomed by him. It was so choking, I just had to leave. I think the accident that led to me being captured was fate."
Neo gave her a look of intrigue, brow quirked high. She had a slight frown on her face, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly. She typed her reply with a single hand. "Fate?"
Weiss gave her a nod, looking up from her mug. "Neopolitan, do you believe in destiny?"
She leaned forward a bit, holding her head up with her fist, curiosity written in her eyes. It was a silent urge for her to keep going. Weiss took another drink from her mug, holding it by the handle as she looked toward the window. "Do you believe things happen for a reason like people are led to each other because they, together, have the power to do something greater in life?"
"You are talking to a thief, Weiss. An Assassin. Do you actually think it was destiny that I ended up the way that I am? That my family ended up dying one night and I had to force myself to run into the cold of northern Mistral? Because if it was, the gods have a sick fucking sense of humor." her scroll said, after a few minutes of silence.
"Well, you have the strength to change yourself. I can tell you already have, the first time I saw you, you were cold, calculating, ruthless. Now you are a different woman. You joke around, tease Levi whenever possible, talk a lot more than I thought you would. You are different because you met someone who you connected with. Someone who enriched your life." the former heiress said, smiling. "Pyrrha used to say that everyone had a destiny. Whether that was to become a huntress, work business, or just live your life to the fullest. She died with that belief in her mind. That it was her destiny to help as many people as possible, even if that fight would cost her everything, including her life."
"Cinder killed her, didn't she?" Neo asked, earning a nod from Weiss. "Does that mean you'll fight alongside us, for Pyrrha?"
"If that's my destiny, then yes. But I have to know one thing, Neo. We're going to Mistral, to Haven Academy. Levi told me about your fake license. The White Fang is going to attack and Cinder will be there. The truth about who you are will be revealed eventually. I have to know, are you going to let Cinder expose you, or will you tell him yourself?"
Neo's hands shook a bit as she picked up her scroll. This was something she was dreading. She didn't know when she was going to reveal everything, but she knew she had to. Levi had become something different to her. He had become a friend, someone she could depend on. She felt his pain whenever he acted oddly and likely saw his dead teammates. She felt his anguish whenever he had a nightmare, and most of all, she understood what he was going through. She didn't want to disappoint him, to upset him, and most of all, to sadden him more than he already was. She kept her head down, sliding her scroll to Weiss, who caught it before it hit the floor.
"I'll tell him myself when the time is right. Weiss, I know I wanted to kill you in the past and started off hating you. But over the time we've spent together, I've started to see you as a friend. I don't ask for much, but I will ask you this one thing. Please, let me be the one to tell him? This is something that I have to do. Because he's my friend, he saved my life, and I owe him that."
Weiss read the message a couple more times, handing the scroll back to Neo. "You got it, I'm not going to say anything on the matter. That's between you two, just don't take too long. The faster he knows, the better. That way he won't spend too much time giving you the cold shoulder. Also, you needn't worry, I won't let him kill you."
The young woman smiled, signing a 'thank you' with her hand. Just as the pair finished their coffee, Levi entered the room, stretching his arms above his head. "Morning Ladies, decided to get a headstart without me?"
"I wanted to treat Neo to a cup of coffee before we head out for the day. It was rough traversing through the city without being seen or followed. But I will say this, Mistralian Coffee sure is delicious." she said happily. "Now then, I will continue breakfast preparations, you two wash up so we can eat. You both have ten minutes to do what you must, so do hurry."
"Ten minutes? Eh… alright, I'll just do everything in the shower," he said with a shrug. Neo's eyes went wide, grabbing a handful of hair, miming a brush, while also patting her face with her hand, gesturing to her eyes.
"You'll be fine without make-up, darling. You look very pretty without it, but do take your time with your hair. I'll give you an extra five minutes, but do remember your food will get cold." Weiss said, stepping back toward the stove. Neo huffed in silence as she forced herself to stand up. Sometimes, she wanted to seriously choke her friend, especially when she imposed a timetable on them.
xxx
Levi grit his teeth as he swept his arm, deflecting Neo's attack, the blunt force of her parasol racing up his arm. He twisted himself around, aiming a high kick to her head which she avoided with a back handspring. She spun around, bouncing on a single leg as she got closer, throwing a few feints before following up with her right leg. He caught it with ease, forcing it upward. She felt her left leg being swiped from under her but managed to recover by using Hush as a crutch. She landed on her feet, cheekily opening the parasol, giving Levi a grin.
He stalked forward, slowly jogging before jumping at her. Neo reacted just how he wanted, by jumping back to avoid him. He folded his arms, landing on the ground with his forearms. Swinging his legs forward, he sprung toward the girl, slamming his feet into her chest, sending her flying back. He raced after her, throwing several wide swings at her, all of which she managed to dodge, swinging the canopy of her parasol around to gain some distance.
She held her hand up, signing with it. "You've improved a lot. Now let's move on to using a weapon."
"Did you forget I traded Shiva in?" he asked, causing Neo to roll her eyes. She stepped over to where Weiss was, reading a novel she had downloaded onto her scroll. The heiress looked up briefly only to see Neo pointing at her sword.
"You want to borrow my rapier? I suppose that's alright, just don't break it. We can't afford to lose our weapons now." she said, drawing it from her hip. Neo gave her a bow, tipping her hat back as she walked to Levi, holding the rapier to him.
"Well, I suppose I had to start somewhere," he said. He took a deep breath as he held Myrtenaster in his grip, taking his usual stance.
"Levi, what are you doing?" the white-haired former heiress asked, causing him to cock his head to the side.
"Getting ready to attack Neo and hopefully not get my ass handed to me while I do it," he answered honestly. She huffed, closing her scroll, forcing herself to stand up. She closed the distance in a few steps, placing a hand on her hip.
"I was talking about your stance. It's all wrong, remember you won't be wielding a flat blade-like Shiva's anymore. You'll be using an estoc, which is a thrusting weapon. You'll mainly be using it as a catalyst for your semblance and to counter and parry strikes." she said, tapping his left leg, forcing him to move it back. "Always start with your leading foot forward. Squared shoulders, stand up straight, but not too stiff. Make sure your knees are slightly bent. If you lock them you could end up passing out."
"Well shit, that's a new one. Thanks for the advice, Weiss."
"Of course, you are talking to someone who has been fencing for years. It started as a sport that evolved into something else. One of the few things I can thank my father for." she said, taking a few steps back. "Alright Neo, feel free to break him."
Neo gave her a salute, adopting a serious look. She slowly walked forward, lowering her parasol as she did so. This was far different than what Levi was used to seeing. It was as if she had turned into a different person. Levi held Myrtenaster forward, mimicking the movements he had seen Weiss make.
He swung the sword by instinct, clashing with Neo's parasol, taking her by surprise. He stepped forward, aiming a forward thrust followed by a few jabs, all of which she was able to deflect. She flipped out of the way, dodging the aura-infused slash he sent her way. She sent her own thrust forward, only for him to parry it. He stepped back, using a backflip to avoid the wide slash she threw at him.
The short woman leaped forward, thrusting downward only for Levi to spin out of the way, driving his leg into the small of her back. She struck the ground hard, causing her to silently grovel in pain. Levi let out a cry as he thrust Myrtenaster down, only for Neo to shatter.
His eyes widened as she kicked him in the chest, virtually flashing into existence. He landed hard on his back, but easily got up with a handspring, spinning around, returning to his original stance. He angled the rapier a bit, squeezing the trigger. The cylinder spun for a few seconds, stopping on the bright blue dust canister.
Eyes narrowed, he took in every single one of Neo's movements, trying to predict where she would go. She suddenly sprinted forward, pulling Hush back in an attempt at jabbing him in the neck. He placed his hand on his blade, sparks raining around him from their clash. He spun around on his heel, sending a slash of water at Neo, bathing her in the cold liquid. He faced forward, pulling Myertenaster back, the cylinder stopping on the yellow lightning dust.
"Hyah!" he cried, as he jumped into the air, slashing downward. Neo parried the attack with her parasol, opening it just in time to block the attack, lightning racing across the canopy. She closed it just as fast, locking in a swift back and forth, clashing and parrying all of Levi's attack, moving to and fro as both searched for an opening.
Neo ducked back, avoiding a high slash, quickly spinning her parasol around, driving the handle into Levi's chest, taking him by surprise. She spun it around, using the canopy to stun him. She drove her foot into his chest, dashing forward. She thrust the ferrule repeatedly into his chest, a loud tapping filling the room as she delivered strike after strike. Hoping into the air, the woman drove her leg into his shoulder, causing him to drop to the ground. She flipped back, resting her open parasol against her shoulder, head tipped back as she sported a look of pride.
"God…dammit. Did you… have to… do that?" he panted, clutching his armored chest. Even though there were three inches of metal between it and his chest, he could still feel every thrust of her parasol. He coughed loudly, a glob of spit pooling on the floor. "My fucking ribs."
"She taught you a valuable lesson, you dunce," Weiss said, picking her sword up from the ground. She looked it over, content that it wasn't damaged. "You did great parrying her attacks and sensing her movements, but you forgot the most important tool in your arsenal. Your Semblance!"
Neo wagged her finger, nodding her head with a firm look on her face. She almost looked like a professor as she parroted Weiss's movements. "You have the right idea using dust and aura against her, but for the love of all that is good, use your Semblance! It is literally life and death!"
"Okay, Okay. No need for the verbal lashing. I didn't use my semblance because I wanted the fight to be fair." he said. Neo sighed as she stabbed Hush into the ground, pulling her scroll from her pocket, hastily typing out her message.
"Fights against enemies aren't going to be fair. I want you to learn how to defend yourself and be a force to be reckoned with. That means you go all out, no holds barred. We have auras for a reason. Beacon Academy taught you to fight until your aura is in the red, in the real world, the fight doesn't stop when it does."
Weiss nodded in agreement. "What she says is true. The next time we have a sparring session between you two, you will go all out, understood?"
"Yes," Levi said with a frown. He moved over to the benches, sitting down next to their stuff, which admittedly, wasn't much. He grabbed a towel from Neo's messenger bag, drying off the sweat from his forehead. "Hey, girls, I wanted to ask you something."
Neo glanced up from her scroll, giving Levi her full attention. Weiss did the same, pausing briefly to check the dust that was left in her weapon. He took a deep breath, wondering how to phrase his question. After a moment, he decided to ask it, not wanting to overthink it.
"Do you think we're in over our heads?"
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked. He took a deep breath, his chest still hurting from the attack he had taken.
"I'm talking about the White Fang, and Haven…" he said, rubbing his arm almost in embarrassment as he looked away. "I'm starting to wonder if I'm really ready for this. I've been traveling through Mistral thinking about this the entire time but…"
"You aren't having second thoughts, are you?" the mechanical voice of Neo's scroll asked. Though it was monotone, the look of anger on Neo's face was enough for him to understand.
"Of course I'm not. I told you, I want nothing more than to bring Cinder to her knees and make her pay for Beacon Academy. It's just…" he paused for a moment, his ears flattening against his head. "God… I dunno, I feel like whenever I improve, I immediately regress. I don't know why, but I just feel like I'm a hindrance, like I'll just get myself killed."
Weiss and Neo shared a look, both of them not believing what they were hearing. "Are you serious, Levi? Your fighting has improved significantly since the Vytal Tournament. I am willing to say you are an entirely different person. You just need to stop overthinking things and just follow your instincts."
Neo nodded in agreement. "A few months ago, you lacked direction and were a bit of a sloppy fighter. You could hold your own against Grimm and fight because you were on a team. But now, I'm confident you'll be alright on your own. All you need is to remember what I've been teaching you, and like Weiss said, follow your instincts."
"You probably didn't notice it in the moment, but you were listening for Neo's movements, when she threw a slash at you, you reacted and deflected it. You held your own against her, without a weapon. Just because you haven't pinned her doesn't mean you haven't improved. Keep training and hold your chin up, you'll be fine." Weiss said, giving him a pat on the back. He felt his tail wagging a bit, a flush appearing on his face.
"T-thanks, Weiss," he said happily. "Even still, I'm not just talking about my fighting abilities, I'm also talking about well… everything. The White Fang attacking Haven, Cinder… we'll be going there alone, as far as we know. Can the three of us actually stand against them?"
Weiss sighed, sitting down beside him, crossing her legs. She looked to the distance, seeing the thick fog that was blanketing most of Kuchinashi. She was glad their motel had a lot large enough for them to train at, but it was also a low-end lot. She was honestly surprised there weren't potholes in the pavement.
"I'm not too sure about that myself. When I ran away from home, my idea was to meet up with my sister and train under her. I would improve my semblance, maybe ask her to sharpen my sword skills and eventually join Atlas Academy for my license. I wasn't expecting to get caught by bandits. I also wasn't expecting to be swept up in all of this."
"We never forced you to join us though. Feel free to leave whenever you'd like." Neo's scroll said a cheeky smile on her face. Weiss glared at her, deciding not to reply to her.
"I know I wasn't forced to join you. But I also felt a sense of purpose in what you wanted to do. Winter isn't in Mistral, and I am not going back to Atlas without her being by my side. I have to pick up my sword and carve out my own path. That means I have to fight for what I believe in. I might not be an official huntress, but I have what it takes to be one. And a licensed huntress wouldn't just ignore what will happen at Haven Academy."
She turned to face Levi, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers, her icy blue eyes were filled with strength and determination. She balled her hand, clenching it tightly, a smile on her face. "I'm going to fight because it's my duty to fight. I want to protect those that need protecting, and I'll do it as a huntress, not as a Schnee."
Levi looked down at his hands, opening them and closing them a few times as he thought back on his own mission. Sure, he wanted to get revenge for his mother, for his deceased friends and teammate. But was that all he wanted to do? Sure, he had said in the past that becoming a huntsman didn't matter anymore. But hearing Weiss speak so passionately about being a huntress reminded him of why he wanted to be a huntsman. It was his sworn duty to fight the Grimm and ensure the safety of the people of Remnant. He joined Beacon Academy with that in mind. Had the Fall truly warped his desire? His original dream of being a protector and guardian?
"I think blindly moving forward was a mistake. I should seek to bring down the ones who did what they did to Beacon. But I shouldn't let revenge drive me forward. I should defeat the ones responsible as a huntsman like I said I would when I joined Beacon Academy. Things might be looking bleak, but we have to keep moving forward. I didn't just sign up to get even with the darkness, I signed up to win."
He took a deep breath through his nose, slapping his cheeks hard. His ears wagged a bit as he did so, slowly exhaling through his lips, shooting to his feet. He spun around, facing his companions, a bright smile on his face. "You're right, Weiss. I shouldn't be seeking revenge just because of what Cinder did. I should be seeking it because if she does it again, people will get hurt. Huntsman and Huntresses exist to fight back against the Grimm and protect the weak. We can't let her win, and we can't let the White Fang destroy Haven Academy either."
"Exactly. Which is why we should take this time to plan accordingly. We need to get you ready to fight. Neo and I will make sure you are learning everything we can teach you. But you must put your foot forward, and take fighting seriously. We are not in school anymore, Levi. We are in the real world. The real world is cold and cruel, it won't stop when your aura hits read. It'll stop when you are dead."
"She's right. I had to learn that the hard way, and let me tell you, it wasn't fun. I'm going a little easy on you. But if it was up to my old friend, he would have let my old instructor beat the shit out of you until you were an inch from your life. That's the only way to learn after all." Neo's scroll said.
"Seriously? That is terrible, Neo. Please don't tell me that actually happened to you."
Neo simply nodded, shrugging her shoulders.
Levi rose to his feet, rolling his neck a bit as he walked, turning around to face the ladies, both of which sported looks of curiosity on their faces. "Alright then, let's keep training. We can't afford to waste a single minute."
"That's more like it. Neo already handled the physical training for today, I will be stepping forward with your aura lessons. First, we need to strengthen your aura and make sure you can raise your cap, and make you generate a stronger defensive wall. So let's begin with an hour of meditation, and then we'll move onto Semblance training." Weiss said, earning a nod from Levi.
"I need to take it seriously, no more kid games. If I don't learn, I'll die."
"Hey, dying isn't that bad!" the voice of Aria said, as she appeared in the corner of his eye, making him glower at her. "Come on, join me! You and I can fight each other for donuts just like the old days!"
"Uh, Levi? Who are you glaring at?" Weiss questioned, causing him to look back at her. He glanced at the spot where Aria had been standing seeing she was gone. He sighed, shaking his head.
"No one, just thinking about something."
She and Neo shared a look of concern but decided not to say anything. It would be better if they started their training. After all, there wasn't a moment to lose, and they couldn't afford to waste a single minute.
Location: Schnee Manor, Kingdom of Atlas
"This is completely unacceptable, James! How the hell do you expect people to just accept what you are doing?" Jacques shouted, slamming his fist against his desk. The General didn't even look phased as he stood before the white-haired man, being flanked by his eldest daughter, Winter Schnee, as well as one of the students from Atlas Academy. The patriarch of the Schnee Family was absolutely fuming at the closure of Atlas. "As if the damn embargo wasn't bad enough, now you aren't allowing people to leave? Is this a kingdom or is this a dictatorship?"
"No, this is not a dictatorship. I am simply doing what is best for the Kingdom of Atlas. You only seem to care about the money you are losing in all of this. So allow me to clue you in, Jacques. After the attack on Vale, the world fell into a state of relative chaos. We cannot allow them to amass arms against Atlas. They all believe we are the evil that allowed the destruction of Vale to take place. We cannot afford to take risks anymore."
"And you think closing the border will change things? Because of you I am not only losing millions but even assuring the safety of the dust mines in the other kingdoms has become difficult. If I cannot send messengers to verify the state of things, then how the hell do you expect me to stop the other kingdoms from hoarding all that dust?" the white-haired man snapped angrily.
"You don't seem to comprehend the state the world is currently in." Winter said, causing the man to look at her.
"And you don't seem to comprehend how truly fucked we all will be if we close our borders. Not only will the other kingdoms resent us but they will start wanting our technology. War is inevitable, but we can at least lessen the impact by having good relations with the other kingdoms." the man said, grabbing a hold of his decanter, pouring a bit of whiskey into a glass. "Not to mention, it will make finding your sister a lot easier."
"Finding my sister? Weiss is here in Atlas, isn't she?" the oldest Schnee asked, glancing at the General who remained silent. She jumped a bit as the door opened, her mother Willow drunkenly stepping into the office. She took a swig from her bottle, gasping gleefully.
"Winter! I knew I had heard your voice!" she slurred, stumbling forward toward her daughter. "It's so… good to see you, sweetie. I've mished you sho much!"
"Mother, you're drunk. Perhaps you should sit down."
"She's always drunk, trying to talk to her in that state is like speaking with a brick wall," Jacques said, setting his glass down. He didn't notice the look of anger that flashed across Ironwood's face. "Regardless of that, I wish to inform you about your sister's disappearance. It seemed someone here at the mansion aided her in her escape. She was seen in the Schnee Dust Company Distribution Center a few weeks ago, on a ship bound for Mistral. I let the good General know, and had assumed he would get her back. But instead, he closed our borders."
Winter slowly turned to face the General, who had kept his about-face during the entire conversation. Though she tried to reign her emotions since she couldn't help but explode at this. "Sir, you knew about this and you kept it from me?"
"I felt that sharing this news with you would hinder your ability to work. We needed all Atlas Personnel off of Anima as swiftly as we could. Had I told you your sister was there, you wouldn't have left until you found her. I'm afraid searching for her there will yield fruitless results."
"She's my sister!" She shouted angrily. "She's all alone in Mistral doing who knows what? What if she's hurt? What if she's been kidnapped or worse?!"
The General frowned, glancing away from the young woman. "Then I am sorry. I trust in your sister's ability to handle a tough situation. She was at the fall of Beacon after all. I am quite certain she's safe and sound."
"You don't know that. I…" Winter forced herself to shut up, glancing away from the man, withholding her anger. "Sir, I understand why you didn't tell me, but I would also appreciate it if you didn't withhold things involving my family."
"Of course, I promise I will not withhold information from you again. You have earned my trust, after all," he said, glancing back at Jacques. "The closure of our borders still stands, Jacques. No matter how much you beg and plead, we will not reopen our borders and I will not allow your company to send ships to Anima or Sanus."
"Why you… I'll take this to the council then. There is no way they could deny my request. The SDC benefits everyone, after all, they have to see things my way."
"General Ironwood holds two seats on the council," Willow said, clutching her head a bit in pain. Winter wrapped an arm around her to prevent her from falling, pulling the bottle of alcohol from her grasp. Even in her drunken stupor, she mustered enough sarcasm to smirk at Jacques. "Piss and moan all you want, you'll be overruled."
The man inhaled through his nose, lips pressed into a thin line as he tugged on his suit. "You are… quite right dear, I seem to have forgotten the good general holds such power on the council. Which is why I must prepare."
"For what exactly?" Winter asked. Her father smirked at her.
"For the Council Seat elections of course. It has been four years since the last one, and one of our dear members is retiring. So it falls within reason that I, being the man that I am, should run for the Atlas Council. I intend to use my power and knowledge for the benefit of all of Atlas."
"You are welcome to try, Jacques. All of your political knowledge won't serve you too well, after all, you are only a businessman. You have no right to join the Council." James said, spinning on his heel. "I must be going, I need to make sure the students of Atlas are prepared for what may come. Special Operative Schnee, I am giving you the rest of the day off, spend it with your mother, alright?"
"Yes sir," she replied, pulling her mother along. "Come on, mom. Let's sober you up a bit, it's been a while since we've spoken, hasn't it?"
"You are making a big mistake, James. Closing the borders and isolating us from the world is going to come to bite you in the ass. Don't say I didn't warn you." Jacques said, downing the last of his whiskey. His warning fell on deaf ears, as James tuned him out. He had no time for this man's insolence. All that mattered now was the safety of Atlas and her people.
A/N: So on top of having to extend my trip for a few extra weeks, due to personal reasons, now I need a new phone. Mine fucking shattered so my only source of enjoyment and memes is gone. Thankfully my sister is spotting me a few hundred dollars as an early birthday gift, but goddamn it. I'm already behind on my gacha games because of no service, can you just throw me a bone, world? In other news, this was one of my favorite chapters to write. I decided to include Kuchinashi, the city from the Grimm Campaign in this. I always loved how this city was grimm and dark and literally the biggest shithole in all of Mistral. Even if it's just them passing through, seeing this city and how it works should be an interesting experience.
As of now, I have written 33 chapters, and am at the end of "Volume 6". It had been a fun arc but now that the Mistral part of the story is coming to an end, I get to finally, finally work on Atlas! You have no idea how excited I am for this. Seriously, I love Vale and I found Mistral very interesting, and from what I read in the books, Vacuo is both interesting and a bit of a shithole, but a cool shithole. Atlas however is just so futuristic and cool, seeing the politics of Mantle and how they deal with the upperclass, while also dealing with the Grimm and the waning trust on General Ironwood, it was just so good and I wish they would have done more with it, especially with Ironwood's characterization. They murdered my boy, made him dig his one grave, shoved him in and then on top of it all, made him bury himself. It was terrible man. Really. But yeah, among the many things I wish to fix. For now, enjoy these chapters. Thank God I packed my tablet, I'm about to lose my damn mind lol. Hope you all have a wonderful day, and happy mothers day to any mom's reading this. See ya!
