Chapter 12: Lining up the Pieces
Location: Kuchinashi, Kingdom of Mistral
Some time had passed since Levi's arrival in Kushinashi. During this time, Sienna, the woman he and his friends had rescued, had undergone surgery. After everything she had been through, she had been given a full bill of health, her aura had healed everything nicely. Thanks to Levi and Weiss, her stump had healed completely with minimal scarring, and the nerve endings had been attached to a special cup, which would allow her to mount on a prosthetic should she choose to have one. Surprisingly enough, Adam's sword had only damaged a single organ, her gallbladder, which had been successfully removed. Had it not been for her aura, and her unrelenting grudge toward the man, she likely would have been consumed by her injuries.
Now, the group of four sat in a bar on one of their higher levels of the city. Neo had been the only one not wearing a cloak, as Weiss had caved and bought her own. She couldn't afford to have people recognize her after all. The same could be said for Sienna. Mistral News Network had been running the same story for the past few days, that the former high-leader, Sienna Khan, had been assassinated by a huntsman from Haven Academy. No further details had been shared, but it seemed all of the members across Mistral were fired up for war, and it was going to be inevitable to stop it.
The group nursed their drinks, not exactly knowing what to talk about. The bar was filled with patrons, though all of them seemed shady. It didn't truly matter what they discussed. Even if the walls had ears, crime was rampant all over Kuchinashi, so they doubted anything bad would come about it. Despite Weiss and Levi being minors, they had still been allowed to drink. Neo had told the bartender something, and seemingly recognizing her, allowed their drinks to be served. Levi had downed half of his, while Weiss still hadn't touched hers. Sienna was the first to finish hers, even though she wasn't supposed to be drinking, and Neo was already on her third. Finally, after a few more pregnant moments of silence, the tiger faunus looked up, her amber eyes glowing brightly.
"We need to find a way to stop Adam."
"That is among our many concerns, Sienna. But we can't really jump the gun at the moment. We don't know when the attack will go down and how many members will be there. At this rate, I can say half if not all of Mistral's brotherhood will be present at this thing." Levi said, sipping his drink. "The four of us against 300 to 600 faunus? We don't stand a chance."
"Hmm… I don't really think they would bring that many members with them, Levi." Weiss said, causing the faunuses to glance at her. "Look at Beacon and how many members were there. Around 75 or so, with the rest being in the city. Mistral isn't as lax as Vale, the Mistralian Military is still a force to be reckoned with, even without Atlas backing it. They would need to move swiftly and quickly. So they would only send operatives and trained personnel, wouldn't they?"
"She does make a good point. Adam spoke to me about this attack, but he never mentioned how he would go about it. If his plan is to bring down the CCT, then he would likely plant explosives on the tower itself." Sienna said, leaning back in her seat, a pensive look on her face. "It would need to be at night, at a time no one would be around, and with Haven not being in session, it's the perfect time for him to do this."
"We can't really trust Headmaster Lionheart either. He denounced Cinder and her faction as not being part of Haven. But it's likely he was in on the attack on Beacon Academy. So going to him for help isn't an option, and with Mistral's Council being busy with Atlas's withdrawal, I doubt they'll send huntsmen out there to stop what they would consider a petty threat." Neo's scroll said.
"Fantastic, another fuckin' thing to deal with." the miqo'te said, rubbing his face with his hand. "Think, Levi… what would you do at a time like this? What would mom do?"
"Professor Athan would likely go in guns blazing," Weiss said, finally taking a sip from her drink. She coughed loudly, cheeks turning red. "God, this is terrible. How can people enjoy this?"
"Welcome to the adult life, Miss Schnee. People may age, but the taste of alcohol stays the same." the tigress said, holding back the urge to laugh. "But you do bring up a good point, Terra would have likely gone in there and started taking names. Of course, she would have brought the best possible team with her. I might be on par with an official huntress, but with my lack of a weapon and missing arm, I doubt I'll be more than dead weight."
"Your insight on the White Fang's movements are invaluable, Sienna. Don't sell yourself short, even without your arm, you are an asset." the white-haired girl said with a smile.
"We should start thinking about heading out of here." Levi suddenly said, glancing around the bar. He noticed a few more people had stepped inside, brushing the rainwater from their coats. "It's getting too crowded. Besides, we need to head to Mistral, the faster we make it there the better. We'll be able to move around freely, breathe and probably plan things better."
"Hey Levi, didn't you say your old teammate was from Mistral? Didn't you say she was part of a clan or something?" Neo asked, earning a nod from the miqo'te.
"I did say that. Thing is, I doubt the Blaze Clan would even consider moving in, sure, they rule most of Mistral from behind the scenes, but do you actually think they would step up to defend a human-built institution?"
"You met a member of the Blaze clan?" Sienna asked curiously.
"Yeah, the next head of the clan actually, her name was Aria Blaze. She was the daughter of the Chieftain. The reason she left Mistral for Beacon was to avoid that fate. Sadly she lost her life during the Battle of Beacon." he said, finishing his drink. "Which is also why they wouldn't help us. Imagine I go up there to speak with them and mention I was her friend, and teammate. They'll ask me why I wasn't there. I am the reason she died after all."
"You are not!" Weiss snapped angrily, glaring at the young man. "You need to stop beating yourself over that. You survived, they didn't. Had you been there, the outcome would have probably been the same. Nothing was going to stop Aria from protecting Sonata and nothing was going to stop Cadence from being poached by a Nevermore."
He frowned as she lay into him, his face contorting into an expression of pain and regret as she continued berating him. "I get that you feel guilty over what happened but enough is enough. Stop behaving like this, it is unbecoming of a huntsman in training."
"People are staring," Sienna muttered, standing up from her seat. She dug her hand in her pocket, pulling out some spare lien, the only thing she had left from before the attack. She placed the cards on the table, gesturing for them to move. "Let's go, we have a train to catch."
"We should stop by a clothing shop and get you some new duds, Auntie. You can't really arrive in Mistral looking like the high leader of the Fang." Levi said, trailing after her. He glanced back at Weiss, who seemed glad to be out of that bar. "Hey Weiss, how much do you think we could get for your cufflinks?"
"Absolutely nothing, these were a gift from my favorite butler, Klien, for my sweet sixteen and I am not going to tell them," she said, arms crossed. He glanced at Neo, locking eyes with her earrings. She swiftly crossed her arms in an X, signaling her disapproval of whatever he was going to say.
"Well, I suppose we'll have to figure something out," he mumbled, digging his hand inside his empty holster. He pulled a few spare magazines from within, empty ones that the Blacksmith didn't take. Shaking his head, he set them back, looking around for something else, his fingers brushing on something.
He pulled out what was inside, a snow-white pistol, with blue markings on it. It had golden iron sights, along with icy blue handgrips emblazoned with his mother's personal crest. He took notice of the charm that hung from the handle, a golden chain attached to a solid gold coin, bearing the imprint of a miqo'te faunus on it. The reverse side had the words "Eorzea Will Never Fall" written in fancy script. He frowned as he looked at it, brushing his thumb over the front of the coin.
"My mother told me this charm had belonged to our grandmother. It's been in our family for a long time since the old Eorzea still stood. She said they used coins instead of lien cards, back in those days. If I remember correctly, she called this a double eagle."
"That is a very rare coin indeed, and very precious… Don't tell me you are actually thinking of selling it." Sienna said, causing him to nod. "But you can't, this was something your mother left for you, right? It would snub her if you just sold it."
"You need clothes, Auntie, and we need dust. Not to mention we need money to rent a place in Mistral. What, do you think I'm going to let Weiss and Neo sleep under a bridge?" he said.
"If it means keeping what little you have left of your family, then I don't mind!" Weiss said, stepping in front of him. "This is a special heirloom, Levi. If you sell it here you won't ever get it back."
"We'll get by somehow, Levi. Don't worry about it, okay?" Neo said, causing him to shake his head.
"Sorry girls, but I've made up my mind. We need the money more than I need the coin," he said, starting toward the pawnshop. The three ladies shared a look, regretfully following after him. It had taken him a few minutes to find it, Kuchinashi's winding streets made traversing the city rather confusing. Finally, he spotted the shop in the distance, the same one Weiss had sold her earrings at.
Weiss and Sienna had called out to him, trying in vain to stop him but he didn't. He just wanted to get things over with. Stepping into the shop, he saw the faunus that worked the counter lookup, a bright smile on his face as he sat up.
"Ah, if it isn't Mr. Athan, are you back to buy back Miss Schnee's earrings?" he asked, causing him to shake his head.
"No, I'm not. We're about to head out to Mistral and my aunt needs some new clothes. We already burned through our funds and require more." he said, unhooking the coin from his mother's gun, placing the latter back in his holster. He placed the coin on the glass showcase, looking up at the man. "How much would you give me for this?"
The panda faunus almost gasped when he saw the golden coin, carefully lifting it up with the edges of his fingers. By this point, Sienna, Neo, and Weiss had arrived, just as he had started looking it over. "Is this what I think it is, boy?"
"Double eagle, it's been in my family for generations. My mother told me it was made of pure 24k gold. With gold prices going up, I figured I could get a decent amount for it." Levi replied. The pawnshop owner reached inside his shirt for his loube, placing it on his eye, checking the coin over. He flipped it over a few times, taking in all of the details it had.
"This work is exquisite. Coins aren't minted in Remnant anymore, due to how easy it is to make lien cards. Not many exist, especially of an old forgotten nation like Eorzea. A coin like this, which happens to be around 500 years old is priceless. Are you sure you'd like to sell it?"
Levi glanced over his shoulder, seeing the looks on his friend's faces. All three of them shook their heads, silently telling him not to do it. He looked at Sienna, who seemed to be the most concerned about it. He sighed, glancing back at the pawnshop owner.
"Yeah, I am. We need the money more than I need that coin."
The man nodded, his mouth splitting into a grin as he pulled out his calculator. He started typing things out, jotting things on a spare sheet of paper as he did so. "Gold prices are at 3,000 lien per ounce, and this coin is around 75 ounces. Factoring in the age and the exquisite design and detail work, along with the fact that it is 24k gold, it's hard to come up with a price that suits this precious item. But if we're talking cold hard cash, I can give you 950,000 Lien for it."
"That's a little low don't you think? You said it was priceless, I wouldn't let it go for less than two million." Weiss said firmly.
"You must understand, Miss Schnee. I have to make a profit from it too, if I were to buy it for two million, I likely would have a hard time flipping it. It's, as I said, priceless. I can only afford to buy it for that much. But since you are good people, I can give you an even million. Does that sound fair to you?"
Levi gave the man a nod. "Excellent, allow me to see your license so that I may start on the paperwork."
It didn't take much longer for the pawnshop owner to draw up the paperwork. Levi sort of tuned everything out as he droned on and on about things. Finally, he signed the bottom of the paper, accepting the million lien he had been given, all in several stacks of 50,000 Lien cards. He placed them all in his holster, making sure they were locked up nice and tightly.
"Alright, let's go. There was a gear shop not far from the train station, we can buy a few things there, pick up some new weapons for Auntie and get outta here," he said. Weiss and Sienna remained silent, deciding to just follow the young man out of the store. Neo on the other hand hung back, causing him to tilt his head in confusion. "What's up, Neo?"
She gestured to her eyes, before pointing around the store. "You're gonna look around? Alright, just don't take too long. We don't want to miss the outbound train, okay?"
She gave him a thumbs-up, brushing him away with her hand, silently telling him to get a move on. Once she knew he was gone, she turned back to the owner, pointing to the golden coin. He quirked a brow, lip twitching a bit.
"Ah, you wanna do something noble for your friend and buy the coin back? You should know, I am not going to take one million for it. It's also interesting to see you mingling with those kinds of people. Boy, if they knew what kind of woman they were associating with, they likely wouldn't hesitate to kill you."
Neo narrowed her eyes, reaching inside her shirt for a card, tossing it at the man. It struck his chest, clattering onto the showcase. "Heh, whatever is on that card won't be enough."
She flicked her scroll open, swiftly composing her message. She had been using it so often she could put a professional typer to shame. She placed the device onto the countertop, rather hard, causing the man to jump a bit. "You know you wouldn't be here without me and Roman, Po. The reason you have money is because of all the stolen shit we had you launder for us. There's 1.5 million on that card, you will take it, unless you want me to rough you up."
"Heh, you don't scare me, little lady," Po said, chuckling. "You've changed, haven't you. You used to be the silent hitwoman who used to do Roman's dirty bidding. But now you are talkative, expressive. You don't act like the doll he turned you into."
Neo flicked her wrist, drawing Hush's blade in a fraction of a second, pressing the tip to his throat. She narrowed her eyes at him, tapping the card with her forefinger. She took the coin, sliding it into her pocket. "You know, you are lucky you are who you are. Anyone else would get buckshot right up their ass."
The dual-haired girl gave him a smirk, tipping the bowler hat on her head back slightly. She bowed forward, giving him a wink before her body shattered, making Louie shiver a bit. "I always hated when she did that. If you can hear me, don't come back!"
xxx
"You should redo your hair, Miss Khan. It would help you blend in with everyone else around you." Weiss suggested as she scanned the articles of clothing before her. She had been thinking of taking Levi's generosity and purchasing a new dress, seeing as she only had one on her. "What do you think?"
"I'm not sure, I've had the same style for such a long time, I don't think I'm ready to part with it." the woman admitted, having selected a pair of pants. They were form-fitting silver-colored jeans, with swirling flames around the bottom of the leg. "Dust-infused fabric, I'm surprised this is still sold."
"It's an ancient technique. My mother said that it originated in Eorzea. Apparently, infusing the dust directly into the clothing people wore allowed for far better control. Not to mention the dust itself wouldn't be expended or wasted. It's like using a pure dust crystal to fight."
"If that's the case, then why didn't people keep using that style of fighting?" Weiss questioned, earning a shrug from Levi who placed a fire laced cloak back on the rack. While it looked interesting, he couldn't really part with his own.
"It was too expensive, having to lace dust with every stitch. The looms would corrode over time, not to mention dust's volatile nature made the clothes dangerous. Aura activates it, now imagine someone hits you with aura and you have, say, a lightning infused parka."
"Zap!"
"Exactly," the miqo'te said, flashing Sienna a smile. "People just didn't use it often because of that and just moved on. That was when people began forging weapons to channel dust."
"I see," the former heiress said, nodding in understanding. "It's a real shame, I wouldn't mind having an ice-laced combat skirt."
"I found a few things that I like, I'll get changed and we can leave," Sienna said, draping some clothes over her arms. "Would you mind assisting me, Miss Schnee?"
"Certainly. Oh um… you may call me Weiss if you'd like, I'm getting tired of being called Miss all the time," she said, flushing a bit.
"Sure, but only if you call me Sienna in return. It's odd having a human as a… friend. I'm struggling to wrap my mind around it, really."
"Believe me, finding out Blake was a faunus was difficult for me too, but I got rather used to it. I learned real quick that getting between her and a can of tuna is the worst thing you can do," she replied.
Their voices trailed off as they headed to the nearby fitting room. Levi of course was left behind on a bench, looking through his scroll. He heard footsteps, his ears wiggling a bit at the familiar sound. He looked up, finding Neo standing in front of him. She gave him a wave, looking around for a moment. She made a few motions with her hand, a pensive look on her face.
"Oh, Weiss and Sienna are in the changing rooms. Sienna found some new clothes and needed a bit of help putting them on. What about you, find anything you liked in that pawnshop?"
She nodded, giving him a smile. "Well, I'm glad you did find something, Neo. Hopefully, it was cheap, you were the only one among us who still had her share of money from the stuff we sold."
The young sat down beside him, resting her parasol on her lap. She was debating on actually giving him the coin but ultimately decided against it. "Once we defeat Cinder, I'll give it back to him. It'll be the ultimate prize."
"You're smiling, and I don't really like that," he said, making her smile grow wider. "You are hiding something from me, missy. I'll figure it out eventually."
She leaned back against the wall, glancing up at the ceiling for a brief moment. She reached for her scroll, looking at the device for a moment, a frown on her face. She looked up at Levi, pointing to her throat, gesturing with her scroll. His expression saddened a bit as he patted her head, making sure not to mess up her hat.
"I wish you could speak too, Neo. It must be hard using that scroll all the time. Maybe if we're lucky we can get you a voice box. Atlas makes prosthetics, so why not?"
With a flick, the scroll clicked open, her messaging app already open. Her thumb moved around, clicking all of the letters as she wrote her message, holding it out to Levi so that he could read it.
"Even if they could give me one, I wouldn't accept it. I don't think I would even speak, I've been so used to this that it'll be too drastic of a change. I think I'll stay the way I am."
"True… say, does that mean you have an inner voice?"
"I do, and it speaks in an eloquent Atlesean accent." the scroll chirped, Neo giving her friend a wink. He chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"Neo, I wanted to thank you. I'm sure I've annoyed you with my constant self-depreciations and sudden outbursts from time to time. You've stuck with me since we met in Vale, and I'm sure you'll stick around after we're done. I just wanted to tell you, whatever it is you did in the past, it isn't going to stop me from being your friend." he said happily.
She blinked a few times, her eyes changing colors several times. She looked away from him, finding a sudden interest in her shoes. Her face went pale as she let his words settle into her mind. "Oh… if only you knew the truth, that me and Roman were at the Fall of Beacon… that everything Cinder did was something we partook in."
"We'll beat her together, I'm sure of it. So please, keep training with me. We have to make sure we're absolutely ready for whatever happens." he said. She simply nodded, forcing a smile onto her face.
"We're back, what do you think?" Weiss suddenly said, causing the pair to look away from each other. Sienna stood before them, the hood of her cloak lowered.
She was wearing a black sleeveless qipao top, which was lined with fire dust around the hem, leaving a diamond-shaped keyhole opening in the center of her chest. The outer edges of the breast line were white in color, fancy-looking embroidery being visible around the sides of the garment. She was wearing a pair of gray jeans, with flame designs on the lower leg, the pockets being lined in black thread. A pair of leather boots adorned her legs. Finally, she had a pouch tied onto her waist with red cordage, the pouch bearing her personal crest, a roaring tiger, was visible on the front.
Neo clapped loudly, giving the pair a thumbs up. It was clear that she approved of it. Levi on the other hand kept scrutinizing the outfit. After a few minutes, he rose to his feet, giving the woman a nod.
"You look sharp. The orange cloak ties it together too, but that's probably because I love cloaks so much," he said with a laugh. "Regardless, if this is what you want, then let's pay up. We still need to get you something to defend yourself with."
"Don't worry about that. The idiots who were transporting me to my grave didn't bother removing my pouch. I still have my daggers with me. Shame that I no longer possess my chain." she said, sighing. "Better to have the daggers than nothing, I always say. Thank you, Levi."
"Sure thing, Auntie. You cared for me as a kid, so I gotta pay it forward," he said with a grin. "Now, does anyone else need an article of clothing? A shirt, some skirts? Panties?"
"I'm good on all of that," Weiss said, not at all amused with the young man. Neo tilted her head back a bit, before squeezing her breasts, gesturing to some bras behind Weiss's shoulder. "Must you do that? Pointing would have sufficed."
Neo fanned her face, lips forming an o as she pretended to faint. Thankfully Levi was there to catch her. He sighed, flicking her nose. "No need to tease her, Neo. Grab whatever else you think you need, we can't afford to stick around here for much longer."
Giving him a salute, Neo brushed past Weiss and Sienna, straight toward the bras. The two women shook their heads, deciding to look around for a bit longer. At least Levi would be all set with combat attire for the time being. All he needed now was his personal weapon and he'd be one step closer to being the perfect huntsman. At least, that's what he hoped.
Location: City of Mistral
"How many Huntsmen do you think Qrow is going to bring back?" Jaune asked as he glanced over to Ruby. She was busy stirring some vegetables around with a pair of chopsticks. Ren was keeping an eye on her, making sure not to let it burn.
"I'm not sure, he said he was going to Mistral's guild to search. He has a whole list, so that means he's likely bringing back lots of them. Maybe 30 or 40!" she said excitedly as she cooked. "I can't wait to see what weapons they bring!"
"I believe informing them on what is going on here in Mistral is much more important, Ruby," Ren said, taking his eyes from the pot he was stirring. "Don't let it burn."
"Ah...sorry, sorry!" she said, returning her gaze to the simmering pan, stirring it around as Ren had shown her.
"It doesn't matter how many he brings back!" Nora quipped, shoving some carrots into her mouth, chewing them gleefully. "I'll happily eat whatever isn't touched!"
"Sure, just make sure it actually makes it to the table." the blonde swordsman said, earning a nod from her.
"It is rather important that we bring as many huntsmen and huntresses as we can but..." Oscar, or rather, Ozpin, said, tapping his cane on the ground. "Before meeting up with Qrow, Oscar had a long chat with a faunus who works here. She shared with us some rather distressing news."
"What exactly was it, Professor?" Ren asks politely, making the young man look up at him, his frown ever-present.
"She told us that several Huntsman and Huntresses had taken missions weeks and months ago and hadn't returned. Some of her regular customers were well known in the area, and even taught classes at Haven Academy. They haven't been seen in a long time. She was rather worried about them, hoping for them to return home soon." he said.
"Do you think… do you think something bad happened to them?" Ruby asked softly, pulling the pan from the fire, pouring the finished vegetables into a bowl. "The Grimm have gotten more aggressive lately. Maybe they all just got held up?"
"That's far too optimistic, Ruby. You saw how things were out there, it took all four of us to take down a single Geist, not to mention that thing we all fought in Ren's old village." Jaune said, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. "If those professionals are going missing, then it's likely they all died."
"It would make sense, given the current state of Mistral. We've been here for months, and not once did we run across another huntsman. In fact, the villages we passed through were so desperate for help that they paid us in gold and jewels." Ren said, a distant look on his face. "Perhaps Professor Lionheart knows something about that."
"I'm not so sure we can trust Lionheart at the moment. Given the information, Qrow shared with me, along with the fact he was radio silent long before the Fall of Beacon, it makes me question where his allegiances lie." Ozpin said, looking at the floor. "I do not like thinking about it, I hope he's doing alright and all of this is just me thinking too much into it."
"No, professor. Don't say you are thinking too much on something, it's good that you are." Nora said, giving him a pat on the head. "We need to be ready for anything. And if it turns out he did betray you, I'll shatter his kneecaps with my hammer!"
"That isn't necessary, Miss Valkyrie. I'm quite capable of shattering his kneecaps myself," he replied with a chuckle. The group laughed, feeling a little lighter than before.
"We should continue preparing this food, make sure it's ready for our guests," Ruby said, turning back toward the stove. The door suddenly opened, causing the group to jump a bit.
"Hey Ruby, come here, I got a surprise for ya." the voice of Qrow said. She sighed, setting the bowl in her hands down.
"In a minute, Uncle Qrow. We're putting the finishing touches on this food, so you better be hungry!"
The man groaned loudly, stepping briefly into the kitchen. "Seriously kiddo, this is important. You can let Jaune handle it for a bit, right?"
"Yep, I'll take over. Go with him Ruby," the former team leader said, urging her on. She gave him an appreciative smile, heading out of the kitchen and into the living room.
"So Uncle Qrow, what's so important that you'd pull me away from-"
She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes falling on her older sister Yang. She slowly turned around, giving her little sister a smile. Ruby remained rooted in place, her eyes wide as saucers as she looked her sister over, eyes falling on the golden prosthetic attached to her right arm. She quickly looked away, not wanting to face her older sister.
"Hey, Ruby… it's been a while huh?"
"I."
Ruby didn't have much time to react as her sister scooped her into a hug, wrapping her arms tightly around her small frame. Ruby cringed a bit, feeling some tears falling from her eyes.
"Oh big sis, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have left like that, I should have stayed back in Patch with you, waited until you recovered before setting out. We knew that Cinder said she came from Haven and we needed to make sure things were alright here. It took us months to get her and… I'm just sorry." she said, sobbing into her sister's shirt. Yang sighed, patting her head.
"It's alright, Ruby. I'm not mad at you, in fact, I'm super proud of how far you've come. Uncle Qrow told me everything you did and how you handled yourself for months. You even fought off against some psycho faunus, and that takes guts. You've grown into a proper huntress, and you should be proud of yourself." she said happily.
"But.. but, I left you behind!" she sniffled.
"Yeah well, I'm glad you did. My dumb ass was all moody after getting my arm chopped off. I needed time to adjust and accept it. Shit sucks but hey, I got this cool arm from General Ironwood." she said, holding her arm out. Ruby wiped her tears away, scanning the prosthetic closely.
"Ooo… what does it do? Does it fire slugs? Can you store data on it and use it as a music player? Does it vibrate?"
"Yes to the first, yes to the second and third, and no on the fourth. I was really bummed about it." she said, giving her sister a wink. Yang looked up a moment later, seeing Jaune, Nora, and Ren bringing some dishes out to the table.
"Food's done everyone, I hope you are all.." Jaune looked up, gasping a bit in surprise as he saw the blonde brawler. "Holy shit, Yang!"
"No way, it really is you!" Nora cried, dashing into a hug, cooing gleefully. "I missed you so effing much! You have no idea!"
"I missed you guys too," she said happily, eyes falling on Ren, who gave her a soft nod. "It's good to see you, Ren. You too Vomit Boy."
"Eeeeeh… we're doing name callbacks? Nice," he said sounding dejected.
"Oh don't take it so seriously," Yang giggled, glancing around for a moment. "So, this is where you're hanging your hats, it's pretty nice."
"Headmaster Lionheart arranged it for us," Qrow said, sipping from his flask, falling unceremoniously onto the couch. "We got a lot of heavy shit to talk about, but we can wait until later, unless you feel like sharing things with them now, Oz."
Yang followed his gaze, landing on the young boy who had been standing at the edge of the room. He stepped forward, holding a familiar cane in his grasp. "Uh… have we met before?"
"Yes we have, it has been quite a long time, hasn't it? Miss Xiao Long," he said. Yang blinked a few times, her eyes glancing the boy up and down.
"Professor Ozpin?"
"It's a pleasure to see you again. You've grown into a fine young woman, I'm glad to see you again after such a long time has passed."
"Wha… there's no way. That kid is faking it, right?" the blonde brawler asked, causing Qrow to shake his head.
"Fraid not, Firecracker. I'll let him fill you in, better not let that food get cold, yeah?" he said, stumbling his way toward the dinner table. Ruby gave her sister a bright smile, pulling her toward the table.
"Come on, you made it just in time too! We have a lot of things we need to discuss, especially since it concerns all of Remnant," she said. Yang grew rather nervous. She wasn't sure what was going to come out of Ruby's mouth in the next few moments. But it was certainly making her jittery.
xxx
"So let me get this straight, you are actually this age-old wizard who's been alive for a long time, and your task is to protect these things called relics which are hidden beneath the academies?"
"That is correct," Ozpin replied.
"And you gave My mother and Uncle the Ability to turn into birds? Because you wanted them to be your informants, keeping tabs on this Salem lady, who is trying to kill us all and creates the Grimm."
"Indeed, is it too unbelievable?"
Yang leaned back in her seat, finishing her glass of juice as she looked around the table. Jaune, Ruby, Ren, Nora, and Qrow all had similar looks on their faces. She remained silent for a few moments, thinking back on everything her mother Raven had told her. "So it is true. Mom was actually telling the truth, this is too hard to believe but… if she's saying this and Ozpin is saying this, then it has to be true."
"Alright, say all of this is true. Assuming it is, what exactly do you plan on doing now that you're in Mistral? The Spring Maiden is the only one who can open the Vault that leads the Relic of Knowledge. How exactly are we going to find her?" she asked.
"Well, that's the thing. We aren't exactly going to find her, I just wish to verify the safety of the Relic, if possible. The doors can only be opened by the Maidens, as you've said before. It should be safe here, even if someone stumbled into the vault, they wouldn't be able to open it."
"Then what's the point of being here? I mean, if the Relic is safe, aren't we just wasting our time here?" Yang asked curiously.
"Well-" Ruby began, only to be cut off by Qrow, who set his flask down on the table, barely staying in his chair.
"We can't leave yet, Firecracker, not until we can make sure the Relic is safe. The main reason that Beacon was attacked was because the Fall Maiden can open the vault that leads to the Relic of Choice," he said firmly.
"The current fall maiden happens to be the woman who killed my previous incarnation, you know her as Cinder Fall, but it's likely she's one of Salem's lieutenants. She attacked the former Maiden and managed to steal half of her power. We selected Pyrrha to protect what remained but it was too late." Ozpin said, bowing his head in regret. "There are many things that I regret in life, but being directly responsible for what happened to the two of them. It is something that will haunt me for the rest of my days."
"As well it should, Pyrrha didn't need to die at Beacon."
"She made her choice kid, we didn't force her into anything. We explained everything, she chose. You were there weren't you?" Qrow said, earning a glare from Jaune. "It's best we let her rest. I'm certain even if she hadn't been selected for that power, Cinder would have killed her. She was a good kid, and thought she could make a difference."
"It was… her destiny," Ruby suddenly said, causing everyone to look at her. Jaune got out of his seat, wordlessly leaving the table. She frowned, bowing her head. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Ruby. We're still recovering from her loss, grieving her. I know she always spoke about her destiny, but if that truly was her fate, then it was a shitty one." Nora said, standing up. "I'll go make sure he's doing alright."
"This is some heavy shit… I just wasn't expecting it to be real," she mumbled, glancing at her unfinished food. "I thought my mother was just full of it, but she was actually saying the truth."
Ozpin looked up from his glass, giving her a curious look. "You spoke with Raven?"
"I spent some time with her. I needed her semblance to get here to Mistral. I was going to stick around for a day, but she convinced me to stay for a couple more. Apparently, some people she had captured ran off and she was fuming."
"So, big sis is into trafficking people now? Here I thought she changed the tribe for the better." Qrow spat, looking disgusted. "Word of advice kiddo, she might be family, but she isn't your mother. I'm convinced she never truly was."
"I'm sure, there's only one mom for me," Yang said happily. She gazed back at Ozpin, leaning back a bit in her chair. "I'm going to level with you, Professor. We'll follow your advice, and do whatever you think is best. But the second Ruby's life is in danger, we will leave. You won't be able to stop us, and neither will you, Qrow. Is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am," Ozpin said with a chuckle. "Now then, what was it you wished to share with us, Qrow?"
The man set his flask down, reaching into his pocket for his scroll. He opened it, showing the list of Huntsman and Huntresses he had picked up to them. Ren looked at it closely, swiping up a few times, seeing every single name had a slash through it.
"Did these huntsmen deny your request?"
"Nah, they didn't deny my requests… all of them are missing. They took missions weeks ago and no one has seen them since. The information Oscar got for us from that faunus girl checks out. I went to speak with her just in case and she said the same thing he said to us." he replied, finishing what was left in his flask. "If you were hoping for some backup to protect the Relic, we aren't getting it."
"I was… hoping that wasn't the case." Ozpin sighed, rising to his feet. "Oscar is about to regain control, we'll speak about this later. Once again, it was a pleasure seeing you again, Miss Xiao Long, do be easy on young Oscar, he's still getting used to things."
"Sure thing Professor." the blonde replied, watching as his eyes shimmered, a stunned look on his face. He blinked a few times, stumbling back a bit.
"Gah… I am never going to get used to that!" the boy, Oscar, exclaimed as he rubbed his neck. "I think I'm gonna go lay down."
"Aw come on, I was hoping to get to know you! I wanna see the boy behind Professor Ozpin!" the blonde said happily. "I can pop my arm off, wanna see?"
"That likely isn't a good idea. Perhaps we should settle down for the night and catch up. It will do us well to relax for a bit, at least get our bearings straight after all of the information we've received."
"Good idea, Ren. I have some games on my scroll, maybe we can pick up Super Smash Sisters and go a few rounds?"
"I've never played that game, I've wanted to, but I don't have my own scroll," Oscar said, a sheepish look on his face. Yang reached into her pocket for hers, tossing it over to him which he barely caught.
"Have fun kiddo, go easy on him alright sis? Don't wail on him too hard now."
"I won't!" Ruby said, dragging the boy into the living room. Qrow watched them go for a moment, sitting up a bit as Ren gathered the dishes, taking them back to the kitchen.
"So, you spent time with Raven, eh? What was it like?"
"Honestly, a little boring. I'm glad I got to see her and ask her all the questions that have been plaguing my mind but… now that I know what she said is true. I dunno how to feel. We're up against some dark malevolent Grimm lady, and I don't really think it's wise to put Ruby in the line of that."
"You have my sentiments, I don't exactly agree with most of Oz's methods. But he's been fighting this lady for far longer than any of us have been alive. We have to trust him. I've seen a lot of shit in my day, Firecracker, and the kind of shit I've seen is enough to scare anyone stiff." he said, sliding his flask in his pocket, slowly rising to his feet. "Get some rest, for now, we'll talk more about our plans in the morning. Hopefully, things start turning up, if not well… at least the Relic is safe, for now."
Yang nodded, watching him go. She glanced over to where her sister and Oscar were, the young scythe wielder showing the farmhand how to actually play the same. She briefly wondered how her friends Weiss and Blake were doing, and if they would believe the stories Ozpin had shared with them. She sighed, placing her forehead in her hand.
"Things are never going back to the way they were huh? May as well keep moving forward. It's the only thing any of us can do these days." she thought to herself. She pushed her seat back, moving toward the living room, vaulting over the couch. "So, who's losing? I'll take you on if you are!"
"I'm losing horribly, these controls are just too weird for me."
"I told you, you have to read the combo list and memorize them! It'll take a while but every character has a special combo. I'll give you five more minutes and then we fight for real!" Ruby said, causing the boy to groan. Yang smiled a bit, at least these little moments reminded her of the peaceful times, back before the Fall of Beacon.
Location: 15 Kilometers from Mistral
Levi yawned loudly as he stretched his limbs, laying back in his bed. He and the ladies had been able to catch the northbound train to Mistral and would be arriving before morning. Since tickets had been expensive, they all decided to share a cabin. For the first time in a long time, he didn't get complaints when the idea had been proposed, unlike when Aria was alive and they were at Beacon. It almost felt like he was back there, seeing as he would be sharing it with three women again.
"It's been a while since I've been on a train, I'll admit. The trains in Mistral are a lot fancier and faster than the ones in Sanus."
"That's because they run on Gravity Dust. The rails were created with speed in mind, to avoid Grimm attacks in parts of the country that were off the grid." Sienna explained, sifting through Weiss's scroll, reading any and all relevant news reports that interested her. "Four lines exist leading to Mistral, the others are subsections leading to various cities and ports around Anima. The longest rail line is the Argus Limited."
"That one cuts through the frozen tundra up north, it was partially built by Atlas. The train itself is one of the most well-constructed vehicles in the world. It has built-in cannons to shoot any Grimm that decides to attack it." Weiss added, causing Levi to nod.
"Interesting. You learn something new every day," he said, glancing at the top bunk where Neo was sitting. Her bare feet dangled over the edge of the bunk, as she gleefully munched on her ice cream. "Hey Neo, have you been to Argus?"
She paused mid-bite, lowering her spoon. Hey, the jovial expression changed to one of sadness, as she glanced down at her ice cream. Weiss and Sienna noticed this, both looking rather concerned.
"Are… you alright, Neo?" Sienna asked, causing her to nod. Levi sighed, forcing a smile onto his face.
"Sorry, If I asked something I shouldn't have, just ignore me okay?" he said. She gave him a shy smile, slowly eating her ice cream.
"Well, now that we are on the train, we need to plan our next move." the former heiress said, making the faunus look up at her. She was leaning back against the wall, on the top bunk opposite to Neo's. "For one, Haven Academy is off the table. We can't exactly bring Sienna with us, and since Cinder and her friends went to Beacon with Haven Academy IDs. I may not know Headmaster Lionheart but he doesn't seem too trustworthy to me."
"Sienna, you've met him before, haven't you? As High-Leader of the White Fang, you had the ability to sit in on Council Meetings, correct?"
"Yes, I did," she replied, eyes firmly on the screen, reading an updated news report about the White Fang and her supposed assassination. "He's a firm man, and knows when to speak his mind, but the moment he faces opposition, he deflates and hides away like a coward. How he became a Headmaster, let alone a Huntsman is beyond my comprehension."
"I would have assumed you and Headmaster Lionheart got along well, Sienna, given the fact he's a faunus," Weiss said.
"You would think that, honestly I thought he was going to be a good friend to have around. I thought he would help ease tensions against the faunus, but he never did anything to help our cause. If anything, he just made the White Fang seem even more like monsters."
"You weren't doing yourselves any favors." Neo's scroll said, causing Sienna to glare at her. She sighed, her facial expression softening up a bit.
"No, we weren't, and now that Adam's in power, I know things aren't going to end well. The only thing we can do is speak with whatever huntsman is available to help us. Maybe then we'll stand a chance against whatever Adam is planning."
Levi took a gulp of his water, setting the bottle down beside him, wiping his lips with the sleeve of his shirt. "We're already way in over our heads. We might as well go in guns blazing at this point. All we gotta do is figure out when this attack is going to happen, and be there to stop it."
"You're that confident about your abilities?" the tigress asked, causing him to shake his head.
"Honestly, not really. But we've come this far, turning tail and running will make us worse than the ones who attacked Beacon. I just hope Cinder is there, I've been training for weeks. She's the one who needs a sword driven through their guts the most." he said, angrily clutching his fist.
"Don't get in over yourself, Levi. You might feel stronger, but always remember, the one you want to kill is likely training as well. You'll never be fully ready, but you have to be ready enough."
He stayed quiet, letting Sienna's words sink in. She was right, no matter how much he trained, there would always be someone stronger. He heard something pop beside him and glanced over his shoulder, almost jumping when he saw Cadence sitting at the other side of his bed, blowing bubbles out of gum. He noticed she was reading a magazine, a ballerina on the front cover.
"Are you questioning your strength now, Levi? I thought you had been training for just an occasion? Are you telling me you don't trust yourself? That you are just going to Haven so you can get yourself killed?" the pink-haired ballerina asked, flipping a page in her magazine. "Oh, come on… are you going to answer me or not?"
Levi glared at her for a moment, his eyes boring into her own with rage and regret. His head started to hurt, as he tried to make her go away, but she didn't. He clenched his eyes tightly, teeth grit in pain and anger. "I need to ignore these visions. They aren't real, they're dead."
"You're right, I am dead, and it's all your fault, Levi. Everything is your fault, all you had to do was keep your mouth shut. But you didn't. It'll all be better though. If you make it to Haven Academy and decide to fight against the White Fang, you'll likely end up dying. Then you and I will be squared. You are my partner, after all, we were meant to die together, Levi." she said, holding back a giggle. "It should have been you who should have gotten carried away. It should have been you who died. It should be you in a coma and not Sonata. Do us three a favor and die, will you?"
"God, will you shut your fucking mouth already? You are starting to piss me off!" he shouted, glaring at the edge of his bed. Sienna looked up from the article she was reading, giving him a confused look. Weiss sat up, looking around the room for a moment, even Neo looked down, a look of concern on her face.
"Levi, there is no one sitting there," Sienna said, causing him to look at her. He cleared his throat, wiggling his ears a bit.
"Yes, I am aware of that. I was talking about the kids down the hall, they keep crying and pinching each other and it's just getting on my nerves," he replied. He shot to his feet, pulling his hood over his head. "I'm going to take a walk, clear my head a bit."
"Um… alright." Weiss awkwardly replied. He left the room before she could say anything. The room remained silent, only the sounds of the train moving echoing through the room. Neo hopped down, slipping her heels onto her feet.
"Neo, you've spent a while with him, is he doing alright, mentally?"
She shrugged her shoulders, moving toward the door. She gave the two girls a bow, stepping out into the corridor. Weiss frowned, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the wall.
"He probably has PTSD from the Battle. He lost teammates, he lost his mother too… he probably has bad thoughts about everything, probably even blames himself."
Sienna closed the news report she had been reading, handing the former heiress her scroll back. She rolled her shoulders a bit, sparing a glance back at the girl. "I'm gonna hit the bar for a bit. I'll be back soon alright?"
Weiss nodded, giving her a wave. The door closed after the tigress, allowing her to release the breath she had been holding. She glanced down at her chipped nails, lips twitching slightly. "And then there was one. I suppose I can get back to my novel now, not like there's anything else to do."
xxx
"I almost forgot you existed. It's been such a hectic few days that I ignored you. We're finally on our way to Haven Academy. We took a train from Kuchinashi straight to the capital. I'm not gonna lie, I am a little nervous. It's been a long time since I've set foot in the capital… the old stomping grounds, as they say…
We added Sienna Khan to our little group. Honestly, I think Levi just has this aura about him, that attracts the most random of people to us. She's blazing mad and has a reason to fight alongside us. Adam Taurus tried to kill her. I didn't think much of him before, but now that he's tried to assassinate his high leader, well, I can raise him up a peg. He's nowhere near Cinder, but a dangerous threat nonetheless.
The closer we get to Mistral, the closer we get to Levi finding the truth. I talked with Weiss about it and she agreed to let me handle it. I'm going to tell him. I… no longer see Levi as a stepping stone. I've genuinely had fun on our little journey, and have relaxed my guard more than I normally would have. It's been rough, we've had ups and downs, but it's been enjoyable. I've had fun training with him and watching him grow stronger makes me feel happy. All he needs now is his new weapon and we can move on to the practical training.
I'm starting to get nervous. Things are about to get real to me, the closer I get to Mistral, the more I remember what happened to me and Roman. How our old lives ended and our new ones began. How we moved south, and to Kuchinashi, learned the tools of the trade and became the pair we were back in Vale. I wanted to be a huntress when I was a child… perhaps it's destiny that I am going back.
Destiny… what a silly word. Did Pyrrha Nikos truly believe in Destiny? Did she truly believe fighting Cinder alone was a wise idea, or was she just a fool? I guess I'll never know. I didn't care much for the 4 Time champion of Mistral, and that cereal she was on rotted my back teeth."
She paused for a moment, brushing past a few other passengers, who gave her odd looks as she walked. Most likely wondered what was so interesting on her scroll, while others had asked for dinner orders, believing her to be a waitress on the train. Perhaps going with this outfit was a bad idea, even if it had been cute. She made it to the caboose entrance, stopping in front of the door, a frown on her face.
"Levi practically raced out of our cabin. I'm pretty sure he can see his dead friends, just like I can see Roman from time to time. Poor thing. I need to step up, and treat him like a true friend. No more stepping stone business. We're partners. We need to take our promises seriously and be there for each other.
I'm not going to let him replace Roman, no one ever could. But perhaps there is room in my heart for another friend like him. I choose to believe there is. Who knows, maybe Weiss will become a close friend of mine too. I better check on him, make sure he's alright. Until next time, diary."
Neo pocketed her scroll, taking a deep breath as she stepped into the caboose. She only hoped Levi wasn't being too hard on himself.
xxx
Levi let out a sigh as he leaned forward on the railing. The scenery around him was moving at blinding speeds, looking more like a blur than anything. It had gotten rather cold, due to them moving north toward Mistral. The sky was clear, the broken moon hanging above them. Despite that, he wasn't too bothered by it. He had gotten used to the cold winters in Vale, so moving toward Mistral didn't at all bother him.
The fresh air had done wonders for him. Thankfully, he hadn't been haunted by Aria or Cadence on his way to the caboose. Most of the passengers had gone to sleep in their cabins so hardly anyone had noticed him. His gaze was firmly locked with the moon, tracing all of the little pieces floating away from the main section of it. Thoughts about what had broken it filled his mind, reminding him of Cadence and her interest in finding out why the moon had been like that. Perhaps he would find it one day, but he doubted he ever would.
"God I'm a mess. I need to get some medical help for these visions," he said softly to himself. He felt something brushing up against his leg and glanced down, jumping a bit at the sight.
"Meow!"
"What the hell?!"
A medium-sized house cat was brushing up against him. It was the most unnatural thing he had experienced in his life. The cat had soft silver-colored fur, with various white and black spots dotting its body. It had large ears, tipped with black fur. The piercing gray-colored eyes unnerved him, making him want to back away from the creature. He heard the young-looking feline purring, making him sigh. He knelt down before it, patting its head lightly.
"What are you doing out here? Don't you know it's dangerous to be back here? You could fall off." he said, earning a quiet meow from it. He scooped it up into his arms, allowing it to settle into the crook of his elbow. The purring got louder, making him laugh slightly. "You remind me of a cat I used to have as a kid. She ran away though, and I never saw her again. Makes me a pretty crummy owner."
The cat looked up at him, visible intrigue in its face. He sighed as he glanced back at the moon, his frown deepening even more than it already was. "I remember my mother got her for me. One of the neighbors handed her to me because my mom wasn't around. She was a professor and a huntress so she was never around. Now that I realize it, my mom wasn't around for a lot of my life."
He set the feline down, leaning back against the train car, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Sometimes I wonder what she would do if she was alive, you know? Would she have come with me to Haven to find Cinder? Would she even approve of what I am doing? Would she accept Neo as one of my friends despite her being a criminal, likely having killed tons of people in the past?"
He wasn't aware of it, but Neo had arrived in the caboose, having run out of places to look for him at. She had opened the door just a crack, having heard him speaking on the other side. She leaned forward, perking her ear up a bit straining to hear what he was talking about.
"I think I'm broken," he spoke, glancing down at the cat who had sat down beside him. It had its undivided attention on the young man, not even blinking. "I lost my friends, I lost my mother, and worst of all, I think I lost my way. I came all the way here because I wanted revenge. Now that I am almost to Mistral, I start second-guessing myself. I told Neo I would help her, I made her a promise, yet here I am questioning that promise. Cinder needs to pay, but I can't even fight. I'm useless."
He looked away from the feline, holding back the urge to cry. "Maybe Aria and Cadence are right. I should have died at Beacon, not them. They were better huntresses than I was. Sonata is lying in a bed in Atlas likely never going to wake up, and now I am here alive and kicking. I don't deserve it."
Tears swam in his eyes, blurring his vision. For the first time in a long time, he felt everything coming down on him. He grit his teeth, holding back his cries as the tears finally spilled down his cheeks. He was thankful he hadn't done his markings, as his tears would have streaked the paint. He felt the cat rubbing up against his leg, making him look down. He brushed his tears away, scooping the feline up again, hugging it tightly.
He didn't know how long he had stood there, letting his emotions pour out of him. Months of pent-up sadness and grief had suddenly come out, virtually exploding out of him. He was sad, he was angry but most of all he was frightened, by everything going on around him. Despite having friends he felt alone as if no one would understand what he was going through. It made him seem selfish, but he didn't know how else to describe how he was feeling.
"I can see them. Sometimes they aren't there, but other times they are. They keep reminding me of how much of a failure I am. I've had nightmares with them too, thinking back on that day in Beacon. I can hear them speak, it doesn't stop." he continued, looking up at the sky. "No matter how much I apologize, they never stop. And they shouldn't stop, I deserve it."
The miqo'te sniffled, wiping the last of his tears away, the swift winds helping to dry his tears. "God, I need help. I should probably go back inside, it's late and I need to get some sleep, at least until we make it to Mistral."
The feline mewled loudly, jumping out of his hands. He looked around for a moment, seeing it force its way inside the caboose through the slightly opened door. He stepped inside almost bumping into Neo who had a look of surprise on her face. His ears stood up in surprise, a matching look on his face. He stood there awkwardly, looking away from his friend.
"Please tell me you didn't hear any of that," he stated, only to earn a nod in return. He sighed, brushing past her. "Keep it to yourself, Neo. I don't want Weiss or Auntie knowing about this."
She grabbed a hold of his hand, pulling him to a stop. She turned to face him, holding her hand out for a moment. Once she had finished typing, she held her scroll out, allowing him to read what she had written.
"You shouldn't keep blaming yourself for what happened, Levi. These things are just a part of life. Everyone knew the risks of being huntsmen, and so did Aria and Cadence. It's sad that they died, but you need to let them rest."
"I know that, I get it. But I just… I can't not blame myself. If I could turn back the clock and take back what I said if I had been in Amity when the attack started… Maybe I could have defended Sonata. Maybe I could have stopped Cadence from being killed, maybe I could have backed Aria up!"
"She's the one who said she didn't want your back up. As for Cadence, you don't know what would have happened. Nevermore go after shiny things and from the sounds of it, her weapon was the shiniest thing around. That's likely why she was taken. Whatever the case might be, Levi, it is wrong to keep doing this to yourself." she said, rapidly deleting her message, typing out another. "I've seen you mutter things in your sleep, and I know you can see them. I've heard your quips, your insults, and your jaded remarks. I just want you to know you aren't alone."
"I'm not?" he questioned. She nodded, once again holding her scroll out.
"My friend… I see him sometimes. I spent so much time with him that I got used to him being there. The day after I lost him was the loneliest day of my life. But ever since that day, I've learned to move on. I see him every once in a while when the going gets tough, but I don't blame myself for his death." the scroll said.
"Moving on is hard when you constantly see them in your nightmares and during the day," he said. Neo gave him a small smile, placing her hand on his cheek.
He didn't know why, but he felt a lot better. That small little gesture helped him calm down, he didn't know if it was the calm look on her face or the confident look in her eyes. But he didn't feel anxious anymore, and he didn't feel sad anymore. He didn't know how long he had been staring into her eyes, but he finally looked away, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Rather than pulling away, Neo wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
He slowly moved his arms around her slowly hugging her back. At least there was someone who understood his pain. Perhaps not to his extent, but she understood. She let go moments later, typing something out on her scroll, holding it out to him.
"If you ever need to talk, you can talk with me. Not only that, but you have Weiss and Sienna too. Don't bottle your emotions up. Remember, we came this far to make the ones responsible pay. We had one thing, and she took it away from us, sent us back to zero. So it's our job to make her pay. We're huntsmen, right?"
"Of course we are, and you're right. I have to make strides to move on, and let my friends rest. I'll do it for them, and move on. I can't change the past, but I also can't let what happened to me change me." he said firmly. He started moving toward the end of the car, holding the door open for her. "Come on, let's get some rest. We have a busy day in Mistral."
She gave him a nod, tipping her hat back as she walked. She noticed him looking around for a moment, causing her to stop. She pointed to her eyes, gesturing around the room.
"Oh, I'm looking for that cat I was with. She suddenly appeared by me and rubbed up against me, but when I started to walk inside, she came inside the cart. I was wondering if she belonged to someone."
Neo quirked a brow, typing a hasty reply. "What are you talking about, Levi? I didn't see a cat race in here when you opened the door. It was just you."
"Huh? That can't be, I held her in my arms, and…" he paused, glancing over his shoulder for a moment. He looked toward the caboose door, seeing a silhouette on the other side. He raced toward it, pulling the door open, only to find no one. He sighed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "I guess I'm still seeing shit. As if seeing my dead friends wasn't bad enough."
Neo gave him a look of concern but said nothing as Levi walked back into the passenger cars. She spared a glance back at the empty caboose before heading out herself. She didn't notice the brilliant silver eyes staring at her from the corner of the room. They hung in the air for a few moments, before disappearing, accompanied by the jingle of a little bell.
A/N: It has been a hectic week. But thankfully, I was able to transfer more chapters onto here, so all I have to do is get online, write an Author Note and post it. Still out of a phone so aside from seeing stuff on my tablet whenever I can and using my sister's phone when she's asleep (hehe), I haven't done much of anything. Oh well. Shit happens lol. Hope you all are liking the story so far, it's been a blast to write it. See you all when I see you!
