Kingdom of Spira II
"…saying they are dangerous and should be locked up is not only morally wrong, it is an admittance of fear based on ignorance."
Ever since he landed here, Jecht had been working on understanding everything about this world as much as he could. The man could see he was out of his element here and while some say he was wild he was not an idiot. He knew he had to figure out where he was before working on a way back home.
If there even was a way back home.
"The Faunus people live the same as humans, eat the same, breathe the same and even die the same. Baring only one significant difference there is no difference from Human and Faunus."
And right now he was watching a documentary from the device he had been given called a Scroll.
Really nifty little thing here, being able to do so many things that he didn't think was possible.
"This deep rooted fear that many people have, it is a basic instinct, one that is dominant in both humans and even animals, which ironically is what the Faunus are being discriminated against for because of their special traits. It is human instinct to fear what they believe is unnatural but what makes humans truly great is our ability to rise above and combat these base instincts, not succumb to them."
And right now it was showing him the woman being interviewed in the documentary.
She had blue hair and matching eyes that reminded him of the sea, wearing a sleeveless white coat with a silver choker and a blue jewel added on to probably promote the 'filthy rich' vide he was getting. Her pants were dark blue with strange silver steel high heel shoes and a white belt was fastened around her waist and on the buckle was a snowflake emblem. Sitting next to her on a comfy looking sofa was a muscular man with blue eyes that were brighter in shade compared to the woman's, white hair and a white beard, wearing an expensive white suit with a blood red dress shirt and a black tie.
According to the documentary she was Aqua Schnee, wife of the Nicholas Schnee who was the founder of the biggest Dust supplying company in the world. Jecht knew what Dust was and while he wasn't fully impressed he recognized how dependent people were on these strange crystals but Dust wasn't what he was interested in.
It was the woman.
Now don't get the wrong idea here, he was a married man and he was not one for cheating so he wasn't interested in her as a potential fling.
Her voice…
He had heard it somewhere.
Her voice conveyed the righteousness in her speech as she spoke and her entire form emanated the presence of a person with deep moral convictions of justice.
"I think I know how I got here."
Xxx
"You think she brought you here?"
Headmaster Theodore was not one jump the gun, even if he was the headmaster of Shade Academy and in Vacuo too. He was actually much more cautious than his fellow headmasters, including Ironwood and Ozpin. So when Jecht came up and told him he believed the late wife of the illustrious Nicholas Schnee himself was responsible somehow he wanted to make sure they were on the right page.
"I know it. I've heard this woman's voice before…Just before I blacked out." Jecht walked over to the window and looked out across Vacuo with his arms crossed. "There's something about her that I know…She brought me here, I just know it."
"I hate to poke a hole in your theory but Lady Aqua Schnee passed away years ago." Theodore pointed out in a dry tone. "She was as famous as her husband and for good reason too."
"Yeah?" Jecht looked over his shoulder.
"She was perhaps the most powerful Huntress of her generation and her experiments with Dust revolutionized the Dust industry." Theodore answered as he leaned back in his chair. "She found a way to not only create new forms of Dust but could also somehow recharge the power of used Dust crystals…I think that's how it went. Anyways, she created a form of healing Dust that was a boon for the medicine all over Remnant. Of course when she passed, she apparently took all her knowledge with her."
And it was likely because Aqua was also the legendary Silver Knight, one of the handful of beings on Remnant who possessed magic.
"Her daughter, Willow Schnee along with her husband Ansem runs the SDC now." Theodore finished. "I doubt they would just open up to a total stranger about the loss of the previous matriarch."
Jecht brought a hand to his chin. "Schnee huh? I heard a bit about them. I heard they are kind of liked here."
"Well, Ansem is to say the least. Back in the old days, people in Vacuo hated the other kingdoms and for good reason. They were strip-mining our lands and giving nothing back. Then Ansem came along and started making promises, in exchange for setting up their operations Ansem would have the SDC pay us back with ice."
Jecht turned and looked at Theodore. "Ice?"
"Big blocks of ice. You know, since Solitas is an artic continent they have lots of ice up there and Ansem promised to supply us with ice and once ice melts its water and in a desert region you need all the water you can get. He even got on about supplying us with seeds, plants and soil to turn Vacuo into the paradise it was before the other kingdoms came for our Dust." Theodore chuckled. "Ansem had a big dream and he has common sense since no one ever thought to trade what is perhaps the biggest thing Solitas has and best of all it's extremely easy to get. Made all of the other competitors look like idiots."
Him and Qrow even shared a laugh when the story of Nicholas casting out that other guy, Jack or something out on his snowy butt after Ansem returned to Atlas hit the public. Jecht looked outside and across the city of Vacuo.
It was a rather large city.
Theodore had told him that the SDC had delivered on its promise to help develop Vacuo and sure enough they had. Buildings made of clean stone while stone bricks made up the streets. Water fountains could be seen all over the plants with palm trees and plants giving the place a rather homey feeling, especially in the market that took up the central wide street of the city. Lining the wall around the city were tall wind mills, spinning rapidly and supplying extra energy without the need for Dust.
This was known as the Weeping Wall.
Originally it drew water up from the ground which it still does but that added wind mills helped supply more power. Another gift from the SDC, utilizing more than just Dust to sustain the city and its people. The supply of ice and water to Vacuo had been only the beginning as the more given, the more the people were willing to accept Ansem's proposals and even somewhat were willing to respect him since he seemed rather truthful in his claims to help improve Vacuo in the original deal he had made.
The City of Vacuo had come through well since its partnership with the SDC, even though restoring the land to its former natural glory was next to impossible, even for Ansem the Wise.
Still it was a major improvement but many in the kingdom openly resented relying on an outside influence for help. The original resentment to the other kingdoms strip mining their land would never truly go away and Ansem couldn't restore all of Vacuo to its former glory. All he could do was extend an olive branch and offer to help repair some of the damage.
The picture of Ansem on the wall in Theodore's office suggested he was well on his way.
"I still know I am right no matter how crazy it might sound." Jecht stated.
Theodore shrugged. "Whatever you say, I am not going to try and change your mind."
"Any idea where I can find her?"
Theodore was silent for a moment. "A bit hard to find a dead woman and even us Vacuans dislike grave robbers."
"I know she is alive." Jecht turned and faced Theodore. "I did my research, Theodore. She is the Silver Knight, a legendary warrior going back even before the Great War. And they were all women."
"Could have been passed down." Theodore shrugged.
SLAM!
Jecht slammed both hands on Theodore's desk. "STOP TALKING TO ME LIKE I AM AN IDIOT! THEY'RE ALL THE SAME WOMAN!"
Theodore narrowed his eyes as he stood up and spoke slowly. "Careful, Jecht. I'm not afraid to rough house in my own office."
"Well then stop jerking me around. That woman, Aqua has been around for a very long time and I know you know something about it. Since when do Vacuans skirt around telling the truth?" Jecht retorted.
"Since I don't spill my guts to someone who doesn't have my complete and full trust outside of the people I work with." Theodore snapped.
Jecht looked to the wall and saw the picture frames. "Those guys huh? The headmasters of the other academies. They know her too, don't they?"
"You won't be able to make them talk." Theodore kept his narrowed eyes on Jetch as he turned around.
"Don't have to." Jecht headed for the door. "I know she's out there and I'm going to find her. Unless you plan to try and stop me."
Theodore sat back down in his chair. "…Nope."
Jecht opened the door and on the other side was Xanthe Rumple, simply starring up at Jetch as he walked past her.
Once he was gone she walked and looked at Theodore. "Should we tell Ozpin about this?"
"Nah, don't need to worry him about this. Jecht's not going to cause trouble." Theodore leaned back in his chair and smiled. "He just wanted to see how far he could push my buttons before he got an answer. Still, I got to thank him."
Xanthe raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For that new sport he introduced: Blitzball!" Theodore answered with a big grin. "People around here can't get enough of it!"
That's right.
A new sport had taken Vacuo by storm ever since Jetch showed up and the people couldn't get enough of it. It was a sport Jecht said was popular in his homeland and he showed it to Theodore and Xanthe and then to the students at Vacuo. A sport where the area was filled with water and a sphere was made from the water(Jecht used his own magic to congeal the water into a sphere) and try to kick the now named blitzbal into the opposing team's goal while the other team would simultaneously defend their goal and attempt to steal the blitzball to make an attempt at the opposing team's goal.
Funny how an aquatic sport would become popular in Vacuo of all places.
What's even crazier is that the sport takes place under water.
Crazy huh?
Desert dwellers loving an underwater sport?
Actually playing at something while trying to hold your breath.
Maddening.
Insane.
It was…absolutely one hundred percent Vacuo style!
Jecht just said his homeland used a special kind of power to keep players alive under water. Luckily, small breathing devices were made by the SDC, allowing players to breathe underwater while playing this game, especially after Jecht made it look so fun. In the old days water would be a scarce resource but with constant shipments of ice and water flown in from Solitas by the SDC, Vacuo now plenty of water to try this sport out.
And surprisingly, everyone loved the sport after Jecht showed them and taught everyone the game to the point a Blitzball stadium was built into Shade Academy itself, courtesy of the SDC headed by Ansem and actually used gravity Dust to hold water into a single giant sphere for the sport. This quickly became popular as people would come from all over Vacuo and later the four Kingdoms to see this sport.
Theodore loved the sport and actively participated in it, giving him a chance to play against students without having to worry about Xanthe stopping him like she usually would when he challenged anyone from students to staff to sparring. Jecht supposed he saw it as a way to keep himself strong and physically active. He certainly kept in shape and a chance for something new and exciting motivated him a lot.
As for Xanthe, she enjoyed the sport because it offered something new and exciting in Vacuo and it gave her students a new method to train. Since Vacuo was still primarily a desert land filled with Grimm, so many Huntsmen were trained to adapt to the harsh conditions of the land and she saw this underwater sport as a way to further their training.
You know the saying in Vacuo: If you can survive here, you are welcome here.
Well, taking part in an underwater sport, learning how to swim with stakes perfectly fit her idea of training the best Huntsmen and Huntresses in the world.
What was the point of being the best if you couldn't swim?
And since swimming was among the most physically demanding exercises, this was perfect to help the students build up their speed and strength so Xanthe didn't have a problem with it.
"We should start making an annual Blitzball tournament that all the kingdoms should participate in." Theodore continued with a thoughtful look on his face. "See how everyone can hold up playing underwater. Wonder how Qrow would handle it?"
"Probably would duck out, feeling his Semblance might make him or someone drown." Xanthe shrugged.
"True…And James would probably rust." Theodore snickered at the idea of Ironwood and the other headmasters trying Blitzball. "And Leo would probably be like a wet cat."
Xanthe could only sigh as Theodore laughed.
Xxx
In Land of Darkness, Salem was staring out the window of her main council chamber when she heard the doors open.
"My lady." In walked Clayton who took a moment to pause and bow respectively. "Watts and I have gathered as much information on the man known as Jecht."
Salem turned away from the window and moved to her chair, gesturing for Clayton to sit down. "What have you learned?"
"Well, I'm afraid it is likely less than you would prefer." Clayton said as he sat down. "No birth record and no record of where he was born. He was found wandering the deserts of Vacuo before he was brought in and spent a fair amount of time in Shade Academy. He has a record for being a bit of a drunk and has been in jail several times; all times he was bailed out by none other than Headmaster Theodore of Shade. After he was sheltered in Shade Academy, he slowly turned his life around and that is when he started his work as a Huntsman."
Salem was silent as she patiently listened to Clayton's report.
"I suppose he revealed his abilities to Theodore who more than likely passed his findings to Ozpin and the other Headmasters. It seems that they have already gotten to work to provide a cover up story to Mr. Jecht, stating he is an unlicensed Huntsman with an advanced Semblance." Clayton continued.
Of course, leave it to Ozma to keep things close to the chest.
"All the missions he's taken are high level and he's rapidly gained a rather fierce reputation. Over nearly thirty high level missions and bounties and they've all been cleared in almost a week which is impressive if I do say so. That is almost as much as Watts could cover while checking the official records."
"And what have you found?" Salem asked.
"I had all my available contacts looking into the matter and sadly they have not turned up much either. They found the general area where Jecht was found and Jecht's own statement is that he was from a kingdom on an island but there are no records of kingdoms like that and that he washed up on the beach. Unfortunately I am sure you know how quickly a trail can disappear in a land like Vacuo." Clayton replied. "There is only a name: Spira."
Salem froze, her eyes widening for a mere fraction. "What was that name?"
"…Spira, my lady." Clayton answered, noticing her reaction. "Does this name mean something to you?"
Salem didn't answer, preferring to stand up and walk back over to the window so she could stare out across the dark Grimm infested lands again. The name, Spira had struck a chord in Salem's mind, bringing back memories of the distant past…
Her ruling a kingdom with her beloved…
A monster more powerful than anything she had seen before, bringing chaos and destruction beyond anything the Grimm were capable of…
And…Her.
Spira was the name of the kingdom where the monster had originated from.
A kingdom she was sure had been destroyed.
Sunk to the bottom of the sea.
But this man…He wields magic and if he was not the only one…
Salem's eyes widened at the possibilities of finding a kingdom filled with magical users.
'If this kingdom still exists than perhaps it can be the solution to all my problems.' Her mind raced, realizing what this meant.
To think the countless millennia she had spent trying to destroy Remnant and its people. Schemes, battles, and lives all exploited by her and the opportunity to be amongst people who had once made this world great was out all this time and only now did she it.
But where?
The oceans of Remnant were filled with sea-based Grimm but they had never come across anything resembling a living kingdom, even underwater. This could mean the kingdom was shielded somehow, something similar to perhaps what Ozma used to hide the Relics inside the Vaults under the Huntsmen Academies.
"Clayton, have your contacts keep an eye on Jecht." Salem instructed after a moment of silence. "I want to know his movements at all times."
"Yes, my lady." Clayton nodded. "There is one other detail to note."
"And that is?"
"We're not the only ones looking into this Jecht."
Xxx
Jecht walked out of Shade Academy, opting to spare as little time as possible and work on finding a way to get to Atlas as soon as possible. Theodore said the woman, Aqua Schnee was dead but he somehow knew she was still alive. Money was no issue so he just needed to find someone willing to take him all the way to Atlas.
Sighing, Jecht rubbed his head and spied a nearby bar.
He could really use a drink.
The bar in question looked like a study warehouse built of steel, which would provide cover from sandstorms with ease. It had been built with shiny, reflective walls to keep the interior cooled in the heat. The building had large steel doors and the glowing sign above told everyone its name:
THE MIRAGE
Jecht couldn't help but snort as he walked up. "A little on the nose."
He gave a couple of knocks and a narrow panel slid down, allowing a pair of eyes to look at him. "What do we fight for?"
Jecht raised an eyebrow at the seemingly random statement. "Huh?"
The panel slid closed. Jecht scowled and knocked on the door, watching as the panel slid open.
"What do we fight for?" The person asked again.
"Is this a trick question?" Jecht asked with a smile.
The panel slid closed again.
Rolling his eyes, Jecht knocked on the door and this time something else happened. The doors opened and out came a large man came out, wearing a black chest plate and a silver armband on his right arm.
"No password. No entry." The man said, glowering down at Jetch who nonchalantly stared back.
"Oh, password. Fancy." Jecht chuckled, placing one hand on a hip. "I didn't know fancy existed in Vacuo."
"What do we fight for?"
"Would you believe me if I said I heard it but I forgot it?" Jecht asked with a disarming smile.
The thug pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at him, obviously a warning.
Jetch simple sighed.
Xxx
Inside the bar was a narrow, dark hallway led to a larger room with a golden cage surrounded by tables and chairs. The so-called Mirage had an elevated platform which allowed for an announcer to watch the fight without any danger, and comment on the cage matches. The room pounded with techno music through speakers, and Aura boards were mounted up for audiences. The Mirage's walls were filled with a large assortment of weapons that served as decor for the club.
BANG-BANG-BANG!
BOOM!
SMASH!
The doors were smashed open and a thug flew in, crashing into the ground. The music halted and everyone froze, watching the door. Jecht casually strolled in and walked up to the main counter, staring at the bartender.
"What's your strongest?" He asked casually.
The bartender simply looked at him and he looked back at the pile of beaten down thugs. "Oh them. A misunderstanding."
He then placed a couple of Lien on the counter. "For your troubles."
The bartender looked around, spotting someone watching who gave a nod. He took the Lien and brought out a drink for Jecht to try.
He took a sip and hummed at the flavor. "Strawberry huh? Not bad."
The music came back on and slowly everyone looked away from Jecht, returning to their previous activities. Jetch ignored any uncomfortable stares while the guards glared at him for not turning over his sword, a giant sword over to the guards. Everything was pretty much simple and quiet, barring the loud music for the next few minutes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a challenger in our cage. Who will step up to fight her?"
Inside the center of the cage was a young woman with long back length wavy auburn hair with a single silver streak. She also had golden eyes, freckles and a black stylish tattoo on the right side of torso running down to her upper leg. She wore a dark navy cropped long-sleeved shirt with a metal chain-like top attached, a silver shoulder cape with crimson trimmed and her emblem on it, crimson torn off booty shorts that match her tatter scarf and thigh-high black leather boots with folded over tops and small lace-up detailing.
In addition, she wore goggles on top of her head, a black belt with sheaths for her Sai weapons, a single belt on the right sleeve and her left leg. She also wore worn bandages wrapped around her wrists.
The woman looked around and seemingly chose her opponent, pointing directly at him. "You. The handsome one with the big sword."
Raising an eyebrow, Jecht looked over his shoulder. "Yeah?"
"Care to try your luck in the ring? You must be pretty confident to just stroll on in her without the password." The woman commented, taking out what looked like a Sai from her belt.
Jecht stared at the woman for a moment before turning back to his drink. "Pass."
Before he could take another sip, the glass was suddenly lifted out of his hand and flew into the cage, grabbed in mid-air by the woman.
"Oh, you mean this?" She smiled before spilling the remaining contents on the ground. "Looks like you're finished."
Jecht narrowed his eyes as he slowly stood up and grasped the handle of his sword. "Lady, you might be in Vacuo but there are some certain rules about manners you never forget." He calmly strolled into the cage. "One of them being, you do not take a man's drink."
The door closed behind him, leaving him and the woman trapped in the cage.
"It seems our challenge has been accepted." The announcer said with a gleeful smile.
The woman smiled confidently as she reached down and pulled out the other Sai sheathed on her belt. She spun them expertly in her hands, settling into a combat stance while Jecht simply held his large sword over his shoulder with one hand.
"And…Begin!" The announcer shouted.
The woman shot forward, moving at impressive speed but the real surprise came when she threw her Sai at Jetch who simply brushed them aside with his sword.
The woman smiled and the Sais suddenly flew right back at Jecht, aiming at his face.