Arc III: Chaos Named
Chapter 24: Cloud Nine
Even from her spot at the edge of the launch pad, the faint sounds of distant festivities found their way into the local ambience. It was a gentle sound that was just barely audible above the rustling of the trees and the crickets' chirping, but just like the cityscape that stood as a beacon of light in a sea of stifled stars, there was something about Vale that was mesmerizingly beautiful after dusk.
Specialist Winter Schnee exhaled, her breath visible as it drifted into the cool air. While emotional was far from what she'd consider herself, it would be remiss to not appreciate what each kingdom offered when she visited on deployment or some other sort of diplomatic business.
After all, anyone on a mission must respect whatever environment they operate in; from the unforgiving deserts of Vacuo to the bamboo-covered mountains of southern Mistral, to the crystalline chill of Solitas and now the vibrant urban heart of Vale, there always came a point where those who once struggled in acclimatizing to the field learned to enjoy it. She heard many a soldier say it was to "embrace the suck", and having crossed that threshold long ago, Winter never felt more comfortable anywhere else.
It was enough to feel some of the tension physically leaving her body, followed by a sigh as she was alone with nothing but her thoughts and the crispness of an autumn breeze. Even if assisting General Ironwood with security for the Festival wasn't overly difficult, it was no less mentally demanding. Were it not for her training and experience, she felt like she could fall asleep right there standing.
But the moment of peace ended abruptly with the sounds of approaching footsteps from behind, then proceeded to plummet into the deep end as she groaned and discovered who they belonged to.
"You know, I could smell you coming long before I heard you walking."
Neither person spared a glance for each other as he came to stand beside her, though she heard another glug before he put away the flask somewhere on his person.
"What, can't get enough of it, Ice Queen?" Qrow rasped, and she ground her teeth together as she fought the urge to strangle him. "Gotta give you props, though. Not many women have resisted this long against my dashing beauty and roguish charm."
"Hmph. I'm just surprised that other women can actually manage to stand you," Winter bit back, eyes flashing with a dangerous glint. Unfortunately, it only seemed to encourage him more to play with fire...or ice.
"Yeah, and you're the winner of the bunch," Qrow smirked. "I can already see it. Slowly and surely, all that ice's gonna melt off because frankly, I'm just too irresistible. And I know that one day you're no longer gonna be just the Ice Queen because you're gonna be my queen."
Winter saw red and clenched her fists as colour in her cheeks flamed as hot as the flames of hell, partly at the insinuation but mostly due to blind fury. How dare he! The...the nerve, the audacity of this barbarian to...to -
"Heh. See? You're warming up already."
Ugh. That...that man! Winter huffed and began to stomp away before Qrow keeled over in a fit of gruff laughter.
"Okay, okay!" he called after her, fighting back a chuckle as he collected himself. "Alright. I couldn't resist. Even though you make it way too easy, I'm not actually here to ruin your night."
"I could've sworn otherwise," she growled, turning and glaring back at his infuriating grin. "I was under the impression that you only existed to make my life difficult when I'm in Vale."
Qrow shrugged, cackling quietly to himself as he grabbed his flask and took a seat at the edge of the platform.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, it's pretty fun. But I have other uses too, you know."
Winter looked back between him and the darkened campus, the latter promising release from the resident drunk and the increasingly chilly air. Ironically, despite the promise of early sleep, the stress had only served to give her minor insomnia for the past several nights, and so rather than lay listlessly for eternity, she made the unwise decision to engage the man a little further. Maybe she'd be able to glean some information about the kind of work Ozpin had him do.
"...you're just full of surprises tonight, aren't you?" Winter sighed, walking back to stand beside him. "And what kind of uses would those be?"
Qrow merely waved an arm in the direction of the city.
"Care to expand upon that?"
"Just got out of a meeting with Oz, Glynda and Jimmy," he replied, dodging the question and waving an arm again when she made to interject. "Don't worry, I'm sure the tin man'll fill you later. It's just that...shit's got me thinking, you know?"
Winter bit back the retort about him using a brain for once as her curiosity slowly won her over. Qrow seemed subtly thankful when he spared her a glance. "Do you ever feel if what you do isn't...right...even when it's meant for the greater good?"
She mulled those words in her head as she looked back up and gazed towards the skyline.
"...no. While Atlas is far from perfect, we're both in the business of changing things for the better. Perhaps our methods can be argued as...severe, but sometimes, the only way to save your brother or sister before being mauled by Grimm or shot by terrorists is with a capacity for violence greater than theirs."
"So the ends justify the means...?"
Silence reigned, and for once, the flash of irritation that spiked through her heart was not directed at him.
"Does this relate to your meeting earlier? Or perhaps the Arc boy and his power -"
"What do you fight for?" Qrow suddenly asked, looking up from his seat and this time meeting her impassive gaze. "I know why you left the family business and all, but why stay in the military? Not trying to put you down or anything, either. Just curious."
Images of an absent mother and derisive father flashed through her mind, though they were soon replaced by her sister, brother and fellow Specialists.
"...I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry -"
"For my family," Winter sighed, the fires of her earlier anger doused by a mellow resignation. "And by family, I don't mean the Schnees, or at least most of them. I am...concerned for my sister, my brother who I've not seen in quite some time and the people I serve with. I admit that leaving was selfish, but I stayed for Weiss. For Whitley. For Clover. For Elm, and those who would fight beside me to make the world a safer place to live in."
Qrow's crimson eyes fell, with the gruff man nodding silently as he joined her in looking towards the city.
"And how about you, Qrow? Why have you chosen this path?"
A humph. "You're looking at it."
"Patriotism, then."
"Sure, Vale's nice. But realistically speaking, we do have some things in common. Seeing my nieces happy reminds me why I still keep doing this too, even though we face both Salem and that magical doomsday stuff Richter's kid's gotta deal with. I know that Ozpin still hides a lot of things from us, but I trust him. His heart's in the right place, even if some of his actions say otherwise. If it means I can come home and hear Ruby gush about comics or have Yang spar with her cool uncle, then I'd go to the ends of Remnant to get things done. Wouldn't you? For Weiss?"
"...absolutely," she mentally replied without hesitation, linking her hands behind her back. "Weiss...deserves a good life. A happy life with the people she cares about the most. I'm relieved to see her here as free as she can be from Father and Mother back home...no. Correction. This is her home now."
The memory of seeing Weiss tired but undeniably happy as she left with her friends for her first mission was enough to tug the corners of her lips up.
"For once, it seems that I will have to agree with you, Qrow. If it means I could see her smile again, then not even the Queen of the Grimm would be able to stop me."
Winter took a seat beside him, letting their legs dangle over the edge in companionable silence.
x==)======+
Weiss found herself alongside Ruby and Penny as they jumped in sync with literally everyone else to the overwhelmingly loud music, with the Achieve Men giving their all in a blaze of star-studded glory. Half the time she couldn't even understand what they were saying simply because of the volume, especially since they were in the closer half to the stage, but there was no denying the pure energy that captivated her being as it rippled through the expanse of the venue.
As their final song finished, she took several breaths to steady herself and gazed around, although the floor was so heavily packed with fellow students that she could barely even see over the next few people. Weiss silently cursed her rather modest stature more than anything else, but with the band performing upon a raised stage, at least her view of the show was for the most part unobstructed.
To her right, she could make out Yang's glorious mane, with the blonde bombshell laughing it up with an equally energetic Sun as Neptune was animatedly recounting some story, and amusement bubbled upon finding Blake looking no less rattled than she was. Ren looked just as weary behind them, especially with the hyperactive ginger building an encore chant with the people around.
And then the octane of the crowd was suddenly muted with confusion upon seeing Jaune behind her...alone.
"I wonder where Pyrrha went off to? She was with us when we came in," Weiss mused to herself as she watched him stand almost awkwardly amongst a sea of couples and friend groups.
"...friend groups...hmm. Would it be...are we friends?"
She tested the word to see if it could apply to Jaune, even when the performers' voices boomed and nearly threatened to deafen her again. Looking back, they never actually did talk that much; while at first, she was certain that he held some sort of admiration that bordered on a crush during their earlier days, it now seemed to have passed completely. Other than that, what few interactions they had were cordial, polite and easygoing...and that was it. Distant to the point of professionalism.
But despite first impressions and the tension surrounding the revelation of his secret, Weiss couldn't find anything about him to actively dislike. Fighting-wise, Jaune improved by a respectable amount, even enough for him to even go toe-to-toe with her for at least for a short time and with dubious means in the cafeteria; a fun memory that also reminded her that his team were their friends as much as she was to Yang or Blake. And combined with how much she'd seen him care for his team and work hard to pull his weight?
She was glad to admit deep down that her initial opinions of him shifted favourably since. Upon seeing him alone when they were all out supposed to be together, Weiss decided to at least give him some company until the concert ended.
Before she could make her way over though, a familiar redhead emerged behind him while she was simultaneously pulled away by a scarily strong grip.
"Weeeiiisssss!" Ruby giddily crowed, hugging her tightly to the point where she gasped for air, while Penny merely stood still and looked like she found enlightenment.
"H-h-urk! C-can't...breathe!"
"Wasn't that epic!?" her partner gushed as she let go, with Weiss having to catch the reaper's arm to not keel over.
"Ugh, I can't believe this was what I was missing out on! Please tell me they're gonna encore. Weiss. Please, please, please! They gotta do one more! Right, Penny!?"
"Yes, Friend Ruby," Penny nodded sagely while ignoring the two soldiers in full battle rattle nearby, looking frankly out of place in a sea of casually dressed young adults. "This...is this what it means to truly have fun? Or to feel living?"
Weiss cleared her throat. "Do you mean if you 'feel alive'?"
The ginger tilted her head to the side in contemplation, before a striking grin split her face and she nodded excitedly. "Yes...alive. Yes, Friend Weiss! This is what it means to feel alive! I'm alive! I'm having fun with my friends and I feel alive!" Penny raised a fist in the air and cheered, blending with those of the crowds around as the band hyped up the crowd for one final song.
"Looks like you're gonna get your wish, Ruby!" Weiss yelled as the music began to start up anew.
"I know and I love it!" her partner replied with a smile that put the sun to shame as the stage exploded with energy and song, and in a swift motion brought her close with a one-armed hug. "Come on, Weiss, let's goooo! Encore! Encore! Whooo!"
"I - um, okay?" the heiress began, though she gave up upon seeing Ruby link arms with Penny as they both - and most of the people around them - headbanged to the fast-paced rhythm. But as the shriek of the electric guitars filled her ears and her heart itself reverberated with every beat of the drums, Ruby's words began to transcend and merge with that wave of popular feeling.
"...you as just a child. Surprise to find out that a warrior will soon run wild!"
Weiss found herself surprised as she unconsciously nodded along. With some degree of hesitation, she was admittedly certain that even though this was all a far cry from the elite, pristine and much more formal operas back at Atlas, the song that was currently on the cusp of deafening her was...dare she say it...catchy. Liberating. Electrifying.
She couldn't get enough of it. Was this what she was missing out on all these years?
"...prepare for your finest hour. The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower!"
The band dipped into the pre-chorus, and Weiss relished the build-up of anticipation as the lights dimmed -
"...straying from the thunder, miracles of ancient wonder!"
And the stage suddenly exploded in a blinding cascade of light, with the pyrotechnics literally exploding after as the band took off with their kickass chorus. Even though she could just barely hear Ruby and Penny beside her, not once did she realize that at some point, her voice finally joined theirs and everyone else's. For once, she was living the experience instead of being the star of the show.
It was a position she never really thought she'd one day find herself in, nor would allow again unless in the presence of those she trusted the most.
Perhaps Ruby and Yang were right. This was awesome.
"...a story will be told. And victory is in a simple soul!"
x==)======+
Jaune smiled as Ruby, Yang and Penny sang loudly in an almost acapella fashion while backed up by Nora's accurate impression of an electric guitar. It seemed that each lyric gave Weiss flashbacks as she sagged in her seat between them, while Ren and Blake exchanged a look of solidarity, apparently just happy to have made it out the venue alive.
Seeing the Achieve Men live tonight not only popped his concert cherry, but it left him already thinking about when their next tour would be. Heck, maybe he could even mail them a request for a show back home! But one thing was for sure. While his wallet was considerably lighter without the lien he spent on tickets, it was definitely gonna be featherweight by the time he slept when he spent the rest buying their music.
He was already feeling the urge to get back and go ham on a last-minute workout in the gym. Should he ask Link for a spar or two with the hard rock blazing in the background? He'd just say that the music would help him focus or something.
"...I suppose it felt...unique. Not saying that I didn't enjoy it, but -"
"Oh, come on! I know you're pretty sarcastic, but Blake's supposed to be the sourpuss here," Yang grinned as the faunus girl shot her a withering glare. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't very effective. "Didn't the best band in the world knock your socks off?"
Weiss frowned, unamused. "That would be difficult considering that I was standing in them the whole night, but I will admit that it certainly was...unforgettable."
"Geez, never mind. Even getting praise from you sounds depressing," Yang groaned good-naturedly, making sure to spare a glance to Sun before she pounced her trap. "Just admit it. It was awesome. Don't think I didn't see you smiling when we left the building, no matter how hard you tried to hide it too. You're not as Schneeky as you think you are, Weiss-cream~"
Jaune joined the rest of them in cringing while Sun laughed and gave Yang a high five. Were it not for Weiss' wrath, he would've added that even he saw her nodding along to the music once or twice, but unlike his fellow blonde, his self-preservation instincts were still going strong. At least Yang had several bodies in the form of Ruby, Sun and Neptune between her and Weiss in case she needed human shields when provoking the resident heiress.
"I'll have to take Yang's side on this one as well," Pyrrha remarked as she took a sip of warm cappuccino. "To be frank, that was probably the loudest hour I've ever been through. I almost felt like bringing my Aura up at some parts, but overall it was quite exhilarating. I wonder if we'll get to see them again at the next Vytal Festival."
"I hope so too. The next one's supposed to be in Atlas, but I don't know if they'll take kindly to that kind of music."
"Hmm, you have a point. Too rebellious, perhaps?"
"Well, just try and picture all the rich people showing up to an opera or orchestra and right when they pull back the curtains, boom! They're blasted with drums and electric guitars."
Pyrrha giggled. "That would be a sight indeed."
Jaune smiled back, joking back and forth with his partner as the eleven of them sat outside a small cafe in the middle of a local plaza. For a moment, it looked like they traded one bustling space with another; with a large fountain in the centre, multitudes of students, huntsmen and ordinary civilians filed in and out of the square as every corner was taken by all sorts of vendors in the spirit of the season. It was a pleasant sight that had him smiling further with the scent of autumn mixed with freshly roasted coffee and baked goods as a crisp breeze blew through the small street.
And where one side held most of the eateries, he recognized a warrior's paradise when he saw one. Shops and smithies for dust, armour and weapons displayed their wares across the fountain, with a huntsman and his wife laughing as his young son tried to pick up one of the axes on the racks.
He wasn't too surprised to see that upon finishing their drinks, Ruby, Penny and Nora gave them a hurried farewell and immediately dashed for said shops, while the latter also dragged her partner behind them. Ren held his arms out in an almost comical fashion as if he was begging to be saved, but when they made eye contact, all he did was earnestly wave.
"That's for the training arena. Now you know what it feels like, eh? Heh heh."
At least the heiress was a little more sympathetic. "Good luck, Ren. You'll need it..." he heard Weiss mutter under her breath. "I have faith you'll make it back in one piece."
And as the four of them disappeared into the crowds, Blake nodded to her partner and stood up, slinking away towards a quieter section of the square that contained several small bookstores.
Yang laughed and downed the rest of her coffee. "Welp. Guess this is the point where we all go and split."
Jaune shrugged. "I mean, not like we couldn't find a better place to do it. We can always come back to the fountain when we're done, so I doubt we'd be able to get lost around here, even if there's a lot of people."
"Precisely," Sun replied, linking his arms behind his head. "We all have each other's numbers and stuff, why don't we all just meet back up here in, say, an hour or two?"
"Sounds like a plan," Yang winked back, though she was quick to give him a quick death glare right after to keep him in line. "But I have a feeling as to where you'd like to start, though. As her partner, let me just say to treat her right, yeah?"
The monkey faunus let out a nervous laugh before he replaced it with a softer grin. "Don't worry, I know what's up. Perfect gentleman, on."
"Well, at least he can be when he wants to," he thought as they watched him leave. Though the guy and his partner hung out with Team RWBY more than they did them - with the reasons why plainly obvious to see - Jaune had nothing but respect for him. In more ways than one, he almost reminded him of Nora; boisterous and confident on the outside, but there was a tender and introspective part that he reserved only for his friends.
And speaking of his friends, Jaune's eyes shifted to Neptune as the latter made a remark to Weiss that earned a chuckle. While the blue-haired teen was even more distant than Sun, one thing that he'd never forget was how they both arrived when he needed it the most. Their talk was frank, genuine, and he was sure that if they didn't help him out on the balcony during the dance, he would've forever wished the night had ended differently.
His thoughts were interrupted, however, as Yang leaned back and dramatically held a hand to her head as if she was about to faint.
"Looks like the body count's down to five. Can no one stand the sheer awesomeness of Yang Xiao-Long, that they should immediately run away?"
Weiss blinked. "Maybe it's because you refer to yourself in the third person."
"Yang Xiao-Long is not amused," the blonde snarked, sliding over and placing an arm around Weiss with a mischievous grin. "Yang Xiao-Long thinks that if the Ice Queen keeps up with the questioning, the puns are gonna make a comeback. Choices, choices."
The heiress' face quickly matched her hair, and her alarmed gaze met his for just a moment before she left while hauling Neptune away. Unable to keep herself together, Yang roared in laughter as she stood and walked around the table.
"Heheh. Too easy. I'mma go keep tabs on Ruby and Penny now, but before I go..."
She whispered something in Pyrrha's ear that immediately had her blushing full force as she stepped back with a laugh. "Have fun, you two! Don't do anything I wouldn't dooo!~"
All he could do was raise an eyebrow as Yang skipped away satisfied, vague suspicion rising when he turned to Pyrrha and found her looking away scandalized. As the seconds began to tick on in ambient silence, he decided to break it before it could become any more awkward.
"..."
"..."
"So...can I ask what that was all about?"
Pyrrha hummed and steeled herself before standing and steadfastly refusing to meet his gaze.
"A-ah, it was nothing. Don't worry. Since we're...here and all, l-let's just go have a look around."
Still curious but deciding it was best to drop the subject, Jaune agreed and followed her deeper into the square.
x==)======+
Blake sighed as she made her way down the aisle of the bookstore cafe. Though the place was slightly out of the way, it proved a blessing in disguise as the outside noise was more muted, courtesy of the thinner traffic and cozier neighbourhood. Perhaps it hurt its business a little, but since the closest library was more than a kilometre away, it provided a safe haven for those who valued their time to themselves.
...ah, right. Time.
To say that the past week went by fast was an understatement; with the Vytal Festival in full swing, there was little else to do but eat, sleep and not injure yourself before the next match. They were lucky enough literally to be the first from Beacon to fight, and now that they progressed to the doubles round scheduled for early next week?
Looking back, this was probably the most relaxed she'd been in literal months. Even the mere thought of the White Fang was enough to elicit a groan, instead of being the trigger word that would've had Ruby and Yang fly out of nowhere to pin her down while Weiss froze them all to the spot.
...so why couldn't she get rid of that sinking feeling?
Blake settled by a spot near the window, the reflection just barely visible from the angle in which she sat. If there was one thing about her that she considered a strength, it was her curiosity. While there was a joke somewhere in there about a cat that Yang was never allowed to enjoy, her fighting style relied on figuring out how to best create an advantageous situation while backed up with a Semblance that allowed her to retreat. It was doubly important now that Adam was willing to kill instead of bail her out, especially with RWBY's safety on the line - something which she prioritized above her own.
After all, they only needed one bad night at the docks, and that was more than enough to get things rolling.
Right...the docks...
She'd been so focused, so zealous on hunting her former comrades that not only did it strain relations with her team, but she regrettably ignored the fact that there were also other things worth looking at. Like what exactly were the monsters that they fought at the docks and Forever Fall? Where did they come from? Do they appear in the same manner as Grimm, and could they expect to encounter more in the future?
And how could she hope to believe what Jaune Arc had to say?
She sighed upon recognizing the feeling for what it was. While she wasn't confident believing that what he confessed to was the absolute truth, his words struck an uneasy chord - enough to put down the current volume of Ninjas of Love and begin reading up on history and fairy tales to cross-reference his claims.
It only drove Blake further when she recalled that the Headmaster himself was keeping an eye on him and a tight lid over the situation as well. And now that she was essentially in her second home, free to explore to her heart's content?
With determination, Blake went about examining each of the aisles until she found what she came for. Since many of the titles were already familiar, thanks to a certain history lecturer, she had to go even earlier than what they studied in class.
"Hmm...'Fortune Favours the Faunus: A Timeline of the Faunus War'? No, too recent. 'Chronology of the House of Vale?"
Blake opened the old book and rifled through. The last king of Vale, Osbourn IX, was known as the Warrior King to some, but Peacemaker to all since he brought the four kingdoms of the world together and ended the Great War. In doing so, he resigned the throne and served as the new government's first council president, ending nearly seven hundred years of monarchy, though descendants of his dynasty were still considered political elite today.
But she remembered Jaune explaining that the origins of what he knew, be it the religion of dead civilizations or bestiaries of mythical monsters, was apparently of a time so distant that it shouldn't be in anything the bookstore held anyway.
...it wouldn't hurt to double-check, though. Just in case. You never know, after all.
"...and so the crowns of Calatia and Akkala were as one under Ossian of Hateno, son-by-law of Gustaf XIV, King of Calatia..." Blake mentally read as she skimmed for anything that sounded even remotely related to non-Grimm monsters, Golden Goddesses or reincarnating heroes. "...guided by the Brother of Light, the great isle of Vytal, the lords of Sumac and the tribes of Faron swore fealty to the great kings of the Vale through fire and sword..."
As the minutes went by, however, the number of discarded books kept increasing the further she delved back in time. Each era of pre-Vale recorded history was consigned to a mere flip of the page, but no more helpful; while logic reminded her that records became scanter further back, it did no favours for her mood as there was nothing even remotely close to anything Jaune mentioned.
Blake groaned and leaned against the shelf beside the frankly impressive pile of leftovers. If any of the workers came around, they would've probably reminded her in more ways than one to clean up, and while she was usually quite kempt, her frustration needed some time to fizzle out.
"...ugh. At this rate, I'll have to switch aisles. The mythology section is right over there by the fiction section. Just how old are we talking here, Jaune? I'm not Oobleck. I can't do dedicated research on the fly, so you better throw me a bone the next time we meet."
With a heavy sigh, Blake tidied up the clutter and made her way across the store, mentally running through what she'd already looked at back in Beacon. But so lost was she in her thoughts that she failed to register the doorbell's clink as it opened or the footsteps that approached her.
And as Blake grabbed a book off the shelf, adrenaline shot through her veins as she felt a presence make itself known.
"...!"
Had the White Fang or Roman Torchwick tracked her down all the way here? No matter. Best to get the drop on them and escape while she can. Blake lashed out, aiming to stun the assailant with the flat of the book -
"Hey, Bla -"
And walloped a familiar monkey faunus with an audible smack to the face. Blake's eyes widened as Sun Wukong cried out and tumbled to the floor, more shocked than actually hurt.
"S-Sun!?"
"Agh! Uh, hey there!" Sun greeted with a nasal voice as he held a hand to his nose, blood seeping through his fingers, "Nice to see you're doing well, too!"
Her heartbeat steadied as a blush of embarrassment replaced the subsiding adrenaline. Blake extended a hand that he took up gratefully. "I...I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to -"
"Nah, it's fine. I should've caught your attention earlier," he awkwardly grinned, then cringed as some of the blood stained his pristine white shirt. "Sorry, mind if you give me a sec? Just gotta run to the bathroom real quick."
Five minutes later, the two sat across from each other at a table by a window, whose surface was taken up by several handpicked books on fairy tales and a couple cups of warm tea.
"...again, I'm sorry, If I knew beforehand -"
"Seriously, it's fine," Sun replied with a stuffy voice, courtesy of the tissue stuck deep into a nostril. "Just got caught off guard. I mean, you really packed the punch with that thing! Who knew that The Legend of King Ravio would be so deadly. Is that gonna be the next Gambol Shroud?"
Blake snorted and fixed him with a flat stare. "I take it you have the answer to that."
"Yeah, no kidding. Thanks for the green tea, though," he grinned, taking a quick sip of his caffeine. "I like this better than the coffee we had earlier. I don't know if it's just me, but the taste feels much richer too."
"That's because it's a special version of green tea called matcha. As you can tell, it can definitely warm the soul on a cold day."
Blake raised an eyebrow as he raised the cup with his tail, taking a sip while resting his head on a knuckle. "For sure. Is this why you came here? Just to drink the matcha?"
"Amongst others," she shrugged, looking out the window. "Might as well stock up before heading back, at least."
"...I see," Sun said, before grabbing one of the books that were haphazardly spread across the table. "Though I thought you were more into the whole romance and thriller kinda gig. Doubt I'd find some hardcore -"
She glared and snatched the book away, earning a pair of hands raised in surrender. "Maybe I'm just broadening my horizons."
"Fair enough," he said apologetically, though his jovial expression gave way to a more serious one - the same kind look he had when helping her research and fight a certain group of faunus extremists. Sun leaned in and began with a hushed voice.
"This may be a stretch, but just to make sure...this is in no way related to the White Fang or anything, right?"
Blake shook her head. Part of her wanted to tell him specifically why the sudden dedicated interest in mythology, but that felt like betraying what was still Jaune's personal secret. She still felt guilty running away from her team when she inadvertently revealed her heritage, but at the same time...Sun was a decent person. Though his interest in her was blatantly obvious, one of the first things she came to know was the sincerity of his heart. The boy had quite literally shed blood to help her out - and not all of it was via paperback to the face.
It almost felt wrong to even consider asking him for help again. While she wouldn't mention the truth behind her interest, perhaps he could at least help sift through the books. Two heads were still better than one.
"No, don't worry. This isn't for the White Fang or Roman Torchwick. Not for now, anyway."
"Right. I still can't forget running into them at the docks," he sighed, placing the book down and leaning back with his arms linked behind his head. "I still wonder what exactly they were up to then."
Blake narrowed her eyes and quickly glanced around. "You catch on quick."
"It was pretty hard to come up with a good excuse for my team when I got back, but now can't you think about it, especially when the staff approached us with NDAs?" Sun replied with a weary look that she'd never thought she'd see on the normally upbeat teen. "You've got a famous criminal aiding terrorists that ship some kind of black and pink goop, which, need I remind you, spawned actual monsters. The kinds you'd see in a movie. Honestly, I still tell myself that it was either a really bad dream or I ate something bad the night before."
"If only," she quietly replied, picking up the book she hit him with and sliding it over. "But it's why I've chosen to stay here for a little bit longer."
Sun took a good, long look at the book before giving her a smirk. "So you can hit me over the head again?"
Blake gave him a look. "Don't ruin the moment."
"Sorry. Couldn't resist," he chuckled, before turning serious again. "You think that you could find some kind of link from ancient mythology and stuff?"
"Listen, I'm kind of out of options right now," she admitted, almost defeatedly. "I'm not about to ask Ozpin or the other teachers for obvious reasons, but at the same time, I know there's gotta be more to it. We can't stay silent forever."
Sun nodded slowly as he took it in, checking his scroll for a couple of seconds before stowing it away.
"...got it. So then what's the deal with the Ravio guy? That's the purple-haired dude who pulled the sword from the stone, right?"
Blake's eyes widened, then narrowed suspiciously. "You're willing to help? This isn't just to catch my attention, is it?"
The monkey faunus took the accusation in stride, winking as he organized several of the books into a neat pile. "Isn't fighting the White Fang and Roman Torchwick sign enough? Yes, I'm willing to help and to be fair, it's been sitting in my mind for the longest time as well. I'm not gonna waste an opportunity to figure something out with a person who's just as curious about it as I am."
Her eyes searched his for several seconds, though the honesty she found in them was not the least bit surprising. Hiding her pleased reaction with a good-natured eye roll, she stood and pushed her chair back in.
"Looks like we'll need more than just a single cup of tea."
x==)======+
"...I know, right? If I wasn't so full from dinner, I'd buy the whole truck!" Jaune grinned with a face full of sugary goodness. If Pyrrha was being honest, she'd be put off by the sight if it was anyone else, but since it came from her partner, it looked almost endearing instead.
Not to mention that he also had a point. As they were walking down the street, Jaune dragged her along to a food truck that sold beavertails - a fried dough-based dessert - and by the Brothers, it was one of the sweetest things she'd ever eaten. Jaune had ordered their classic mix of cinnamon and sugar while she got one with strawberry cheesecake toppings, and though she could feel the cavities forming already, it was probably the best fifteen lien he'd ever spent to date between them. Or second best, considering Jaune did love his comics.
...as did she, though it was a hobby she kept low-key. It was already hard not to purchase the latest edition of X-Ray and Vav when Jaune promised to lend her his when he finished it.
In the end, all she could do was smile and listen to her partner ramble as they continued on, eventually finding themselves on a road along the River Gustaf. It was a lovely sight; beautiful, yet much more calming than the levity of the plaza, with gift shops to their left and the occasional boat or two floating down the water to their right. Combined with the trees that were beginning to turn into brilliant shades of orange, it was the perfect autumn jaunt that almost made her forget that there was a Vytal Festival to begin with.
"...and get this. Even though she meant it to be a joke, the joke's on her because I loved the onesie," Jaune grinned as they came to a stop on a bench near the river. "It pissed Irene off whenever one of her friends would come over since I rocked that bad boy when I wore it. It only encouraged Saph and Hilda to braid my hair, but still..."
Pyrrha raised an eyebrow as a smirk began to creep up her face. "Wait. Your sisters braided your hair?"
He sighed exaggeratedly. "Those were...not the days."
"But now that you mention it, I'm curious to see for myself," she laughed, punching him lightly when he pouted and crossed his arms. "At least you're telling me and not Nora. I dread to imagine how she'd exactly go about making that happen."
"It would probably involve a hammer, Zwei, and a ton of lightning dust," Jaune agreed, cringing at the possibilities. "And probably Ren. Whenever Nora's involved with something, she always finds a way to include Ren. Vice versa too, though he's much more subtle when he goes about getting things done."
Pyrrha glanced out towards the river. "Indeed. It's hard to imagine the two of them being separated from each other for long."
"They're like two sides of the same coin. What do they say? Opposites attract or something like that."
She hummed and offered Jaune the final bite of her beavertail, and the boy smiled as it satisfied his culinary expectations. Tossing away the trash, as they began walking once more alongside the river, a certain mellowness began to wash over them both; perhaps it was all the food they'd eaten, or because the area they were in was much quieter compared to a rock concert, but it was satisfying in a way that she hadn't felt in a long time.
Looking back, part of it was because it reminded her of the last time they all went out for a similar occasion. While they'd taken sporadic trips to Vale beforehand, the last time it was more than just for shopping was that one time before the Breach, when they enjoyed a hearty breakfast for dinner and spent the rest of the night losing themselves in the energetic atmosphere -
Until they got word that their friends got attacked at the docks. Pyrrha hoped that there wouldn't be a repeat of such anytime soon.
"...rrha? You okay?"
She blinked as Jaune waved a hand in front of her face. "Oh. Um, yes, I'm fine. What's going on?"
"You were spacing out for a bit," he replied as they came to a stop once more. "Is this the part where I say 'lien for your thoughts'?"
Pyrrha's lips set in mock annoyance. "That's my line."
"And what're you gonna do about it?" Jaune grinned as he avoided a playful slap. "Finders keepers."
"Wha -? That's not how finders keepers works!"
He looked to the side for a moment in thought before shrugging. "Meh. I'm the team leader so I make the rules."
Pyrrha sputtered as she tried to make a comeback, eliciting a cheeky and victorious grin from her partner. It turned into an indignant squawk when she quickly swiped his dessert from his unguarded hands, then dodged gracefully away when he tried to reclaim it.
"Hey! I paid for it, so it's mine!"
"You sure did," she laughed. "And somehow, it ended up in my hands. That's quite a mystery, isn't it, Vomit Boy?"
Her laughter only grew when Jaune pouted at the futility of the situation and the use of his unflattering nickname. With a huff, he defiantly put a hand on his hips to meet her challenge.
"And what will it take to retrieve what is rightfully mine, Pyrrha Nikos?"
"Hmm, well, that depends. How far are you willing to go for it?"
Jaune's eyes narrowed, though she clearly saw the mirth dancing within them. "I grew up with seven sisters. Don't think I don't see where things can go."
"Is that so?" she replied, easily dodging another clumsy attempt to get it back. It was when she sent him a cheeky smirk of her own, however, that proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back.
Her partner lunged again, and again and again; Pyrrha laughed and Jaune whined as they both ran circles around each other in a sugary game of capture-the-flag, completely aware and unconcerned of the few people that smiled as they watched them go. The stakes were insignificant and the rewards fairly marginal, yet as they paused upon opposite ends of a small tree, a certain realization washed over her -
The realization that she was having fun, that is. Jaune was panting hard and she noticed him mask his smile with a look of concentration - an action which mirrored her own - as they relied on their battle-honed instincts to duel over something small and quite frankly stupid.
Pyrrha didn't care as she was enjoying herself way too much, and she had the feeling Jaune was in the same boat as well.
Red and gold eyed each other warily, pacing around the tree like guarded animals and daring each other to make the first move -
And Jaune was the first to act, quickly sprinting to her right. It proved a juke when he quickly followed her left, and Pyrrha noted with pride the footwork she emphasized during their training sessions. She hopped back and Jaune harmlessly passed by, to which he responded by launching back to catch her at the last second.
It proved a close call as he nearly caught the pastry, but even though her partner was out of breath, she knew that when he really put his mind to it, Jaune's will was stronger than he gave it credit for. So much so that her competitive spirit was beginning to spark over dessert, no less.
Pyrrha caught his determined eyes when he used the tree trunk as a springboard in one last-ditch attempt to claim his rightful due.
With a grunt, the champion sidestepped -
And her foot caught upon something loose in the pavement. The panic in her eyes quickly spread to Jaune upon realizing that they were both on a collision course, though she felt his arms grab her right before they could land. She felt her body twist midair and they both let out an undignified oof upon falling in a tangled mess of limbs.
But the cold of stone was curiously absent. Instead, it was...warm. Soft. Almost comfortable, with the force of the impact cushioned beneath her.
Upon opening her eyes, it became plain to see why.
Seeing Jaune's eyes so clearly up close like never before, Pyrrha noted with no small interest just how blue they were. It felt like looking into an ocean of sapphire, and for a moment, she could see the emotions that swam within: surprise, confusion, familiarity...and beneath it all, contentment.
Oh, and panic, of course. Not the kind where you still had working motor skills and could scramble away, but where you froze in a compromising position for fear of making things worse.
The feeling became mutual upon noticing that her arms held not the pastry, but to the ground around Jaune's head in an almost protective fashion.
Both their faces immediately matched the colour of her hair. Slowly but surely, Pyrrha moved to the side and allowed Jaune to sit up, all while steadfastly ignoring how much she missed the heat. For what felt like forever, the two merely sat embarrassed, but when her brain began to catch up with her flustered emotions, a small snrk eventually broke the silence.
Jaune quietly responded with a snort of his own, and before she knew it, they both keeled upon the ground in full-blown laughter.
"W-well," Pyrrha remarked, covering her mouth with her hand as she giggled. "I suppose I win."
"Huh? No, you don't!" the blonde replied, gesturing to the only casualty of their impromptu duel laying several feet away. "I don't see it in your hands, Pyr, so you can't exactly claim victory."
"I don't see it in yours either, Jaune," she shot back with a smirk. "My only goal was to prevent you from getting it back. Therefore, I win."
Her team leader glanced back and forth several times as he tried to come up with a retort, but in the end, he merely sighed and offered a hand. "Alright. We'll call it a draw."
Pyrrha scoffed graciously and took it up -
And the feeling of his touch immediately reminded her about what she tried so earnestly to move past. She shivered lightly in place, surprised by the unexpected chill. Why was it so cold all of a sudden? Even their breaths became visible when she tried to speak!
Pyrrha forgot whatever she wanted to say upon feeling something soft and snug cover her shoulders. Her eyes widened as Jaune draped his plaid fleece jacket around her, and soon enough, the heat she felt within became more than enough to withstand the cold air.
But when she looked up to meet his own?
Jaune's cheeks sported a light blush of their own, a perfect contrast to his sapphire eyes, and this time, Pyrrha had neither strength nor will to keep herself from getting lost in them again. By now, the heat she was feeling was at levels seen only in Vacuo's deserts, yet not a single muscle moved to change it.
All her focus was spent on how Jaune gazed at her so warmly, so meekly, so gently. Pyrrha could tell that he was the slightest bit timid, worried if he overstepped his bounds, and so she tenderly smiled to assure him that everything was okay.
If she was being honest, she'd never felt so right before. Judging by his pleased reaction, he probably felt the same way.
But before she could thank him, the sounds of laughing and running behind them caught their attention, finding the people around moving down the path towards a bridge across the river. Children whooped, teenagers joked and adults looked on satisfied as they heard talk about something happening soon, perhaps within the next minute or so.
"W-want to, um, check out what's going on?"
Pyrrha nodded and smiled. "I would love to."
After tossing out the pastry, they found themselves within a lively atmosphere filled with excited crowds. She gratefully took his offered arm as it became more raucous, but Jaune's tall frame was thankfully enough to safely lead her through and find a spot roughly in the middle of the bridge, with a perfect view of the water and the open sky.
And speaking of skies above...
Jaune really was quite tall, wasn't he? She idly wondered if the rest of his family were just as tall...not to mention he was also quite...pleasant to look at. His sweaters did the muscles he slowly built no justice, and it was difficult to keep a scandalous side of her from taking another sample. Funny how it often took being face to face with something to best appreciate it.
...and considering how much she...appreciated being in his embrace, much less being guided through the crowds to keep them together?
She glanced away with a small smile, missing Jaune's concern as she got lost in her thoughts; they had fun over the silliest things, but most importantly, he was kind. Altruistic. Empathetic with the heart of a champion, from the way they seamlessly flowed in battle to how he swept her off her feet in a white dress and a smile fit to rival the sun.
Pyrrha felt vulnerable in a way she never felt before.
"Is...is this what it feels like? Is this -"
"...rrha? Are you okay?"
But hearing his voice was all that it took to make her feel safe again.
"...yes. I'm okay," Pyrrha smiled up at him, subconsciously inching closer as the chilly wind slowly returned. "To be honest, Jaune, I've never felt more okay in my life."
His eyes widened for just a second before he nodded, and they both leaned against the rail of the bridge. "I'm happy to hear that."
As they tenderly smiled into each other's eyes, the cracks of exploding dust pulled their gaze to the skies above. Fireworks launched from boats in the centre of the river burst in a spectacular display of light, alternating between the colours of the kingdoms and bathing them all in a warming glow. Watching the beautiful show was enough to have Pyrrha take a leap of faith and sneak her hand into his, and she almost melted when she felt Jaune squeeze back.
But when the warmth of the Triforce began to seep through?
In the end, it didn't matter if the air felt cold, as Jaune warmed it for them both. It didn't matter that she couldn't hear herself think with the fireworks above, or that her scroll pinged with an urgent message from Ozpin.
It was just a boy and a girl enjoying a moment together, and their cloud nine was nothing in Remnant could ever hope to spoil.
x==)======+
The silent gasp, no more than a wisp of muttered air, tore through the silence that was as heavy as a cloud of twilight.
Of...twilight...
His head immediately burned with something painfully hot; it felt as if a burning iron had been placed within the centre of his brain, though all that came forth was a strangled, gurgled growl.
It didn't matter though, as another burning sensation flared from his hand and throughout what remained of his veins. The Triforce, the will of the Gods given form, pierced through the darkness with holy light, and for a moment it felt like the evil that nested within retreated to give him respite.
That is until the vision of dusk, wolves and interlopers - a flash of memory he never knew he had - passed as instantly as it came. The Malice returned full force, writhing and gnashing in an attempt to forcefully tear that semblance of peace away.
After all, he was merely a soul trapped in a body that was no longer his.
Such instances were recently growing ever so common, with the Malice that dripped from the gash in his neck casting the room in a lonely purple light. Ever since he arrived in the castle town, he found himself caged like some animal and thrown back into the darkness from whence he came. It was infuriating. Enraging. Were it not for the witch's curse that subdued his will, the two men who took him prisoner would've been strangled long ago. Unfortunately, that essence that bound him was undeniably potent, if not distantly familiar.
Familiar...
It...it really was, wasn't it?
Something about it was...slightly off, for one thing he did remember was the symbol of the eye. While its red markings spoke of deception and betrayal, upright, it reminded him that there was indeed truth to find beyond the shadow.
He ignored the glaring eye of Malice that haunted his mind, closing his only good one to focus on that one ember of hope. It was a rare enough feeling that the smallest blessings were enough to keep him pushing forward.
Hopefully long enough to find what he had lost so long ago. Hopefully long enough to find out exactly what he even lost in the first place.
Eyes snapped wide open, surprised. There! Past the evil that recoiled as it clouded his desires, he saw it for only a moment, but that was enough; a forest of mystery, a village of shadow -
And the pain of an eternity as he became all that he trained for in life to destroy.
The door slammed open, shattering his thoughts as the two men he hated the most entered the room. His curse slowly burned to life, a sharp deterrent that warned against his hand itching for the shield and dormant sword beside him. Behind his two captors, the man with the orange hair gulped in fear, though he soon gave way for someone as he heard several pairs of legs slowly descend the staircase to the basement.
He knew a witch when he saw one, and this one reeked of magical power. His Triforce blazed to life, surprising her and the two teenagers that obediently followed along. She smiled and took a step forward -
And a loud clang echoed deafeningly in the room as his flame blade clashed against her own, seemingly spawned from thin air. Her arrogant smirk faltered as what strength he slowly recuperated proved enough to match her, though the hand she shot out immediately had him collapsing to the ground in screaming pain. It was enough to remind him just why he hated that symbol so much, recalling a time where his people fought against those who abandoned their ways.
But now that he was essentially helpless against the one who was clearly a chief agent of the one who cursed him?
All he could do was growl when she sneered in triumph, but what he didn't expect was to slowly kneel and gaze at him with the patience of a thousand lifetimes.
Fiery gold met red and darkness, but neither broke away. It seemed she was testing him, like poking a cornered animal with a stick in jest. The evil within surged with anger, enough for the curse to slowly begin burning again, though it was temporarily abated when she showed him a small photograph. The one good eye remained locked on hers, while Malice grew interested and eventually took a peek.
His fists clenched and ringing overtook his ears as he saw that golden hair and those azure eyes. All of a sudden, a veritable wave of emotion crashed into him, overwhelming him to the point of shock. It felt like looking into a mirror, a snapshot of the past when he was living and in his prime. He recalled open blue skies and a Goddess in white; there was a time when he sealed a sorcerer of wind and stopped the moon from falling upon a cursed land.
And there she was...she...she -
Aaaaaggggghhhhh!
...she deserved to be killed over and over again as he was, deemed to live and die by the Golden Three in a pathetic attempt to erase his existence. He'd killed the first of many, then one who travelled through time and the one who was born of light and shadow. Could they not see their attempts as futile? Even his death could not end him when he was struck down!
The primal evil bubbled forth, but this time he contained himself. Even as that little smidgeon of light desperately tried in vain to remain unsnuffed, his will was indomitable and his patience, eternal.
Looking into the eyes of the witch's apprentice, all he saw was ambition and the ruthlessness to see it done. But in the end, she was another merely a pawn in his quest to regain what was lost and remember what had been forgotten. Dealing with the curse would have to wait since he finally had a face to what he sought since awakening, and he would stop at nothing to take it.
All for the low, low price of the blood of the hero.
/ AN \
Welcome back to A Descendant of Legends!
Amusingly enough, this chapter's been one of the more difficult ones to write compared to the past couple or so. Looking back, I think it was a combination of work and plain old writer's block, along with the fact that I need to focus on things other than this story. Nevertheless, I've finally come up with a chapter and ending I'm satisfied with.
The conclusion of this chapter ends the little mini-arc where the cast and crew get to have a bit of a fun break. While I wish I progressed the plot somewhat earlier, I wanted to catch up on developing the characters' relationships a bit more, especially since the rest of Arc III will only become heavier from here. Once again, the time has come to test the iron after forging it.
In any case, thanks for reading and sticking around so far! Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
Cheers and hope to see you all next time!
Fyr RedNight: Glad to you know you liked it! Now that they've progressed to the doubles, expectations are high to keep the ball rolling. At least until things come to a head, anyway. Thanks and hope to see you next chapter!
Allegingsky9788: I should. I really should. It's so very tempting, especially to get the sickest of setups, but alas. In time.
Spartastic 4: Thanks man, for sure. Even though I started the chapter fresh, things slowed down after hitting a rough patch earlier this week with work and life, hence the accelerated burnout. This was originally scheduled to be posted Wednesday, but R&R is key to recuperate.
That way we can let the best of times roll by in Smash and life. Thanks, best of luck to you as well.
The Legend of Zelda and RWBY are the respective properties of Nintendo and Rooster Teeth.