Back this week...
Only got one upload after this, for sure.
So, we'll see if the weekly uploads continue after next week.
Apologize for not getting back to everyone reviewing.
Things have been intensive this week, and haven't been able to do much.
Updating a day early as, again, won't have time tomorrow.
Combination of doctor's appointments and physical therapy gonna keep me out most of the day.
Well, don't have much to say other than I'm glad for everyone who has come this far into the story!
Your support means a lot!
Now onto the story.
This place was a castle. Resembled one, at the very least.
A small one, but her statement stood.
It was difficult not to adore this place. It seemed custom-designed for her.
Pink granite walls adorned with fabrics she absolutely loved. She could do without all the pictures with graduated students lining the halls. That would be the first thing to go.
And she despised sharing a dorm room with almost twenty other stuffy, haughty students! She was ready to strangle a few girls before the night ended.
They would not stop pestering her! They knew who she was, informed that she couldn't speak, and yet they got some thrill of trying to bother her throughout the night!
Now as they stood trembling and shaking in fear before her, Neo grinned maniacally.
She could get used to this feeling. She felt powerful and in control. It was almost…
Pleasurable.
"That is quite enough." A familiar voice firmly called out as all the other girls snapped out of their fear-like trance and stood in a line as if it was an inspection.
Neo frowned and turned to see Beatrix elegantly striding into the room and toward her. She took no wasted steps but did not hasten her pace or take a misplaced action.
She moved with a purpose with no wasted motion as she stood before Neo, apprehending the rolled bedsheet with little effort and tugging it from her grasp. Not that she put up any resistance.
It wasn't like she was trying to kill the girl she had strung up and hung before everyone as a message.
She ensured it was noted not to call her names and make fun of her appearance…
She was tired of all these things. Done with them. What was wrong with being different?
As the girl fell from the ceiling, gasping and choking as she could finally breathe again, Neo gazed up into Beatrix's eyes with an undaunted expression.
She would not bend or yield. She was no longer…
Trivia Vanille. She was…
Neopolitan.
"There will be no harming of other students while you attend my academy, Ms. Vanille," Beatrix stated in a lecturing tone, yet her eyes twinkled.
Neo huffed and waved her hand apathetically. She did not care. She would do as she must to survive, and that was it. At least until she managed to escape…
Something more was going on here, and she was determined to find out. If she were to be forced to stay here, she'd do the digging for Naruto and the drunk.
See what she uncovered so she could find her route out of this place…
But more importantly…
If she deigned to keep referring to her by that dead name…
Neo turned her attention away from Beatrix as if she did not hear a word she said. She walked away, refusing to acknowledge her presence, eliciting gasps from all the proper young ladies attending this school.
This action did evoke an unpleasant response from Beatrix. Her eyes sharpened, and her tongue clicked in her mouth before using a very authoritative voice filled with a potent intent. "Ms. Vanille. You will acknowledge when you are spoken to."
Neo felt a presence push upon her. Almost as if it was virtually willing her to obey Lady Beat's words.
It was powerful and difficult to ignore…
But her days of being told what to do were over!
She was Neopolitan! Trivia Vanille was no more, and she would follow her path!
Flicking a hand through her hair, Neo gleefully skipped away from Lady Beat and gazed upon her new uniform. She may be forced to attend this dreadful place, but the uniform had pop!
She quite liked it!
The dark blue jacket. White blouse. Gold scarf and knee-high dress. Black tights and high-heeled boots.
It was a sexy design, but it could use a few modifications! Would they allow that? Oh, she wanted her scroll back to model it and snap a picture for Naruto!
Her eyes burned vividly and wet with the building as she snarled. This place and her scheming parents were why she wasn't with him right now!
They needed to burn!
"Trivia," Lady Beat spoke, this time using a more compassionate voice. "I understand that you are going through an immense amount of turmoil in your life…"
Those words barely left her tongue as a sorrowful smile formed on Neo's face.
Glass petals swarmed them, causing many of the young ladies in the room to shriek in terror. But she caught Beatrix focusing her attention. She had drawn her to the main event as it shattered into existence before them.
"Trivia, Semblances are not to be used on this property." Lady Beat reprimanded, her voice dropping to a stern demeanor. "A lady does not show more than what is necessary… What is this?"
For one of the few times, Beatrix was left with a befuddled expression as an image from the shards formed, and she went rigid for the briefest of seconds.
Neo only reached for a comb with a sad smile as she looked back at the image.
It was who she was before all of this.
There stood Trivia Vanille, smiling pitifully before them.
A single tear dripped down her cheeks as she waved to her past self. And she evaporated into hundreds of dusty glass pieces.
Trivia Vanille was no more.
She was done with the past. All that was left with the future.
Her future. The one she would create with her hands!
She noted a deep scowl adorned Beatrix's face as Neo moved from her again, taking the uniform and walking from her to change into her uniform. If she attended this academy, she wouldn't change in front of all these other girls.
She had dignity and respect!
All he heard was a wailing scream and stomping as he entered the cabin.
A burning aura as golden locks stomped up the stairs was the next clue who the scream came from as Qrow watched Yang storm up and slam her door shut. Her unintelligible roars and banging did not cease.
He blinked at the scene as he walked further in, finding Tai in the kitchen, leaning back in his chair, frustratingly taking a shaking sip of his coffee. This only confirmed this morning had been quite the ordeal, and he had arrived earlier to help, given last night had been one with what had happened. "Rough start to the morning?"
Tai grunted as he put down his mug of coffee. His eyes trailed over to Qrow wearily, bloodshot and drained. "You can call it that. Had another incident during the night. Started about four ago…"
"What?" Qrow echoed, showing his frustration while gritting his teeth. "Why didn't you call me? I would have been here! Where's the kid?"
"Unfortunately, I had the help of another… Corvid." The blood drained from Qrow's face upon hearing that statement, his face flattening and his eyes turning blank. "And the screaming you are hearing is because Yang heard the commotion and came in at the end and saw her leaving with Naruto."
"You let him go with her!" Qrow bellowed, his face strewn with anger, before turning from Tai and holding his temple. "Just what happened last night, Tai? What did I miss that made you think that would ever be a good idea? For Naruto to leave with her of all people! To leave with her and head to the tribe! Of all things, that is one of the worst…"
"I let him go with her as she made a lot of sense, Qrow." Tai snapped back and interrupted Qrow with a snarl, his eyes shining vividly. "And I have a few questions, if you don't mind. She was making a lot of points, and I'm starting to wonder about some things."
Qrow's eyes narrowed as he turned, and his crimson eyes met Tai's blues. Seeing the look in his eyes disturbed him, and he feared his sister may have told him something. "What the hell does that mean?"
Tai, keeping his gaze firm with his brother-in-law and his family, let out a profound and deliberate statement. "Qrow, since you have told me more about what has happened these past two years… What have you kept from me about Naruto?"
Seeing Qrow stiffen, Tai knew the question was something he wasn't looking forward to hearing an answer from. But he pressed on as something the seething anger slipped into his growling voice. "What have I not noticed that you have? Was there something that Oz knows and you have told me about? Is that the reason for the expeditions? Why is he spending so much lien just to…"
"I don't have all those answers, Tai." Qrow fidgeted at the pressure his friend was putting him on but held his gaze firmly. "I truly don't, and the only one with all of them is, unfortunately, Ozpin. …Even I have started to not trust him entirely after some of this, but with what we're dealing with, yeah, we don't have much of a choice…"
Tai flinched. After getting the complete picture of what they were dealing with, he understood what that meant and, even to an extent, why Summer had been so dour at times after coming home from missions…
And why Qrow had picked up drinking as heavily as he did.
It was bleak.
Sighing and slicking his hand through his hair, Qrow solemnly gazed at his friend. " The one thing I can answer is there has been something I've kept from you all this time about Naruto, and it was something I learned from Oz and dealt with the expeditions we head out on. It dealt with the Sacred Beasts…"
"And Salem." Qrow winced as he felt Tai's eyes leer into his very soul as he slowly took a seat across the kitchen table before finally breaking eye contact with Tai and looking out the kitchen window. "But I think you already knew about it since you are asking about it. Dammit, sis…"
"Raven didn't tell me, only informed and clued me in that you were holding information back with what she was saying." Tai refrained from raising his voice while flexing his hands in and out of a fist to relieve stress. "No, when she returned after taking Naruto to Mistral, Yang jumped in her portal after them…"
"Oh, for the love of Oum…" Qrow laid his head in the palm of his hands. "No wonder the screaming hasn't stopped. For once, I'm glad Ruby is going to be out for most likely a day or two, as the stress of awakening her silver eyes should keep her out for that long. Yang's going to Burn herself to unconsciousness in her rage, and rightfully so…"
Tai lowered his head in agreement, listening to his daughter's anguished wailes before taking a long, deep breath. "I can't say I don't understand it. I might take her out to let steam off here shortly, but I was waiting as I needed answers. And after what Raven did tell me, I really need to work some things out myself and get back into full combat shape."
"What?" Qrow's eyes snapped to Tai and shimmered. "Tai, I understand wanting to get out and make a difference, but think of the girls…"
"That's why I need to get back in shape!" Tai lowered his head, his fists balling as he choked back tears. "Summer never left on a mission for Oz. I know that now… Because she left with Raven. All those secret missions she was leaving on weren't with Oz. They were with her! They were working together on their plan!"
Qrow's face became ashen. He knew Summer was going out alone, and Raven seemed to know about it too, but to think the two of them had conspired this entire time…
"Wait, their plan," Qrow bit his lip as he feared the worse. "No, the idiots…"
"Raven wasn't able to speak much about it. She was… Mentally scarred by it. She could hardly speak more than a few words. Something is wrong with her, Qrow. She is not the same person she was but is still trying to be." Tai gnashed his teeth before taking a deep breath. "It's changed her, that's for certain. But there was one thing she retained that gave her nightmares, and I can't help but be worried about that too… It's why she keeps watch here."
"She isn't watching over everyone because of Yang, Qrow. She's here for Ruby's sake." Qrow's popped wide at hearing those words leave Tai's mouth. "The witch despises those with silver eyes with a vitriolic passion. And I can only fear the worst and what the future holds."
And his gaze turned back to Qrow, who was still processing and coming to terms with what could be the future of his niece. Tai closed his eyes.
This was going to be a long day. He knew it.
Yang's hallowed screams upstairs were proof enough of that.
He wasn't sure how long this stare-down had lasted.
But they had been doing it for quite some time. And she had yet to relent.
The glint in her eyes as she gazed at him reminded him of the same one in the crazy lady when she first appeared and attacked him for no discernible reason. At the time, he came to find out.
It was like she was measuring his worth. But unlike Yang's absentee mother, the woman did not seem to find any value in him with her gaze.
He only saw contempt in the short, brown-haired young woman's gaze.
It was almost as if she despised his presence here in this tent.
"Yo!" Naruto heatedly glared straight back at the woman, not giving an inch. "You gonna stop giving me that nasty look as it isn't intimidating at all! I've dealt with a whole manner of more intimidating stuff than you! Don't think that's gonna scare me!"
The woman snarled back at him, still clearly not impressed. "Not until you leave this tent and return to where you came from. This place is not for the likes of you!"
"Oh, we're about to go if that means what I think it does!" Naruto smacked his hands on the table they were sitting at as there wasn't anywhere else to wait in the tent beside Raven's small quarters, which was her bed. "If that was a rip on Faunus, you and I have serious issues as that insults part of my family, and I won't tolerate that, ya hear! So let's just step outside so I can beat your ass and not wreck psycho lady's tent!"
Blustering with hatred in her eyes, the short-haired woman matched his intensity. "Fine with me! I show you not to pick a fight with the Branwen…"
"Yes, please do." Her body stiffened as a red portal rifted open from behind the boy, and their clan's chief stepped from it, looking quite bemused at the scene before her. "Take him outside. I will follow and watch to make sure there is no interference. Power is what we respect most, after all. He's my guest here. Show him the ways of the tribe."
"But make no mistake. I will not be covering for you when the dust settles, and you are left on your knees, gasping for air when you are broken and beaten, Vernal." Raven's crimson eyes bore deeply into her sky-blue gaze, her voice sickeningly sweet, causing the younger woman to flinch. "Is that clear, or shall I find a new replacement to act as my decoy?"
"I…" Vernal stuttered, her eyes flickering in horror before turning away from Raven, biting her lip, and nodded in affirmation. "I understand. Forgive me for my recklessness. I mocked your trust. It will not happen again."
"I shall not, or there will be consequences." Raven kept a frighteningly intent gaze upon Vernal as her words were a little louder than a whisper. "Make no mistake, I value his life more than yours, so you are expendable. Merely my shield if they come looking. And as a fool once said, if everything is done right…"
"He will be the sword that cuts through the darkness." Raven let the last words leave her lips as she looked up in the tent as if she was gazing past them and into the heavens above.
Being confused at what was taking place before him, his anger faded as he tilted his head as he watched the young woman yield to Yang's crazy mother. He was left to ponder just what they were talking about and what she was so fearful of.
Why was she a decoy? Who was looking for Yang's mom? And couldn't they tell who she was based on appearance?
Was there something else?
And then how she was talking about him…
It really put him off! It wasn't comforting if he was honest!
"Okay, what in Oum's name is going on here?" Naruto exclaimed as he pointed at Raven while squinting his eyes. "You said you would explain, and I think I need some information before we go anywhere else! Everything you've been talking about, not to mention your freaky power and knowing about the fox! Now this about cutting through the darkness! Like, what is going on?"
"Indeed," Raven nodded as if it was apparent, moving to the head of the table and sitting before the entrance to her room. "There are quite a few things to discuss, but first, Vernal. Go tell the tribe we have a guest. They are to treat him the same respect and dignity that she was offered when she stayed with us over these past few years until the incident."
"What?" Vernal's eyes widened in recognition, her eyes darted to Naruto briefly before swiftly returning to Raven. "But, how is that possible? He's…"
"Now," Raven commanded, her voice resonating with authority that exuded a dominating presence.
Vernal bowed and swiftly left the tent to gather and inform the rest of the tribe of the circumstance. Raven held out her hand and offered Naruto a seat while reaching behind her to a rack filled with various liquors and pulling down a bottle. With a pull of her teeth, she uncorked it in the most inelegant manner before taking a deep drink.
Naruto blinked before scowling at the image as he slowly took a seat. "Alright, I believe you are Qrow's sister now…"
"That was ever in doubt?" Raven laughed it off before taking another slug of the beverage, causing Naruto to twitch. "That drunkard would drink far more if he dealt with what I have, I can tell you! He's never come face to face with the witch Oz has been waging war with!"
"Witch? War? What?" Naruto blinked, stumped, and stupefied at what was suddenly brought forth and could hardly believe his ears. "Hang on a second! Oz, as in Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon? That Oz?"
"One and the same, kid." Raven turned her full attention onto the boy and placed the bottle on the table, having her fill for now, taking a more serious edge. "So let's get to this, shall we? What they've been holding back from you this entire time and why Oz thinks you are so important."
"And it all starts with his millennia-old war with the witch. Salem, the mistress of the Grimm."
"Oh, this is just too good!" A cackle filled the small little dingy apartment he was renting out for now.
It would become something more lavious when he was running this city. But for now, he needed to lay low, and this little dump was the perfect place.
Cheap. No one asked where the lien to pay for bills came from. Easy to keep an eye on his surroundings. A simple escape plan if something went awry.
It was all Roman could ask for in his own place away from Mistral.
Yes, he wanted it all.
He wanted the lavish luxuries that could be provided and more. The penthouse suite sat on top of Vale so he could look down and laugh at his accomplishments.
Roman wanted nothing more than to be known and on top!
This was the first stepping stone now that he got out of her filthy grasp.
Now he just had to watch the fireworks as Xiong clan and Spider tore each other apart while he speared it from both sides.
"Have to admit. This is a far better plan than what I thought. Kudos to you, Cammie. I was just going to have the Xiong clan eat the bullet. Lil' Miss found me way sooner than I would have liked." Roman grinned as he watched the news from the holo-feed, looking back at a barely dressed figure in his apartment.
Not that it was any different than usual. For her Semblance to work properly, she needed to be mostly disrobed anyways.
His eyes trailed to the mechanical outfit she had been wearing, which was still on the sparse end—an Atlas stealth camouflage unit. Lil' Miss had to pay deep out of her pockets for those and only for those she trusted, which showed how much Chameleon had risen in her Spider's rank from where they were only a few years ago.
Ever since he nearly got her precious daughter almost eaten by a rat Grimm while he had to babysit them on the mission.
Oum, if he ever saw those two again, it would be too soon…
"Why am I not surprised? Can't ever think more than a few steps ahead and to the next big job." Cammie rolled her eyes as she slid on the loveseat next to him, her eyes shimmering in the dark room. "Why is it your spur-of-the-moment actions always work yet don't have backup when it is necessary? This is why you need a partner, as someone needs to cover your ass."
"It is well covered right now, as far as I can see." Roman turned and admired his flesh with a vivid smirk, his eyes twinkled as he caught Cammie's eyes. "Now, if you want to uncover it, my lady, I wouldn't be unopposed. I dare say we have some unfinished business we need to address, and given how you are dressed in my home…"
Flushing scarlet and rapidly tearing her gaze from Roman's, attempting not to fall for his charm again, knowing where it landed her, Cammie tried to calm her breathing.
And he flashed that debonair smile while she tried to do so, making it so much more difficult!
Curse him! He knew exactly what he was doing!
The deceitful flirt! He only did this to women he believed were beneath him!
To those that he could control!
Oh, she'd show him! She'd beat him!
Was he offering his hand to join her?
Wait, no! Her body was betraying her! Don't accept his hand! Don't you do it…
No!
Flushing a crimson scarlet, Cammie berated herself as Roman's grin only widened as he planted a kiss on her hand, standing from the loveseat, gently leading her back.
Ah, the feeling of total control was exquisite.
But only if there was someone that he could see as his equal…
Indeed be his partner and equal in every way.
What wonder would that be? But alas, it was not to be for now. He had no time for dreams like that. There was only one dream that mattered.
And that was to make Vale his Kingdom!
Chapter 32 Preview *SPOILER WARNINGS INTENSIFIES*:
All those that graduated from this Preparatory Academy. And those in certain classes were held with distinguished honor as they had done something…
Neo stopped on a dime. Her eyes sharpened on one single photo.
Her mother's.
Was she top in fencing? So what did she do to earn her photo here? With all her talk about how she loved ballet and gymnastics, why was fencing never mentioned?
Wait, her name…
Carmel Browning.