A/N: Not sure if anyone can see this, what with email notifications breaking -App still works- but here goes nothing.
If this isn't fixed soon...well, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Its painful writing without them, really breaks my spirits.
We gotta get the notifications back for the web/email browser soon. Its nearly been a week and it really starting to hamper my ability to write...
I'll be going away for a week or so come the end of October. Might get back early, might not. I need some time to clear my head. I've been trying to shake my uncle's death off, but I just can't. I want to get over it, I do, I want to stop feeling sad, but I just can't. Don't even get me started on the what-ifs, the helplessness, the rage...
In other news...depression's starting to hit reeeeaaaal hard these days.
Sometimes I wonder why I do anything at all. I can't claim to understand what's going wrong with my head. I don't even know why! One moment I'm fine, then my mood craters for a few hours, then I'm back again for a bit, and the cycle repeats. Its rather annoying; as though I've become a prisoner in my own mind sometimes. Sure, what's one more mental problem on the pile. Not like I don't have enough, what with already being this old. Feels like every day is a battle sometimes. But when I go to the docs, they say oh no, you're fine, you're just tired. HA!
Writing helps fend it off the worst of it times, but when I come back to myself, its still there. Waiting for me. *siiiigh* Don't mind the rambling of this geezer...I'm still here, still trying to beat this thing.
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
As ever I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're merely tributes.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
Chapter title is a pun, because someone's cleaning house.
Ah, but what do I mean by that?
Read and see~!
"I don't need you to save me. I don't need to be fixed. You call this a curse? No. No, no, no. This is a gift. Think about it.
Everyone has self interest, but you cannot let it be your master. So don't fight over fleeting gains and losses.
Rather, focus on the direction your heart is leading you and keep moving forward.
You'll find your path, sooner or later."
~Naruto/Mercury.
Spring Cleaning
A storm was brewing.
Ozpin could sense it from the top of his tower; it wasn't something the naked eye could see; the skies remained clear for miles around, painted with the light of the setting sun. There was no sign of darkness or danger to the uninitiated. Indeed, insofar as Beacon was concerned, all was well. Students went about their lessons without a care in the world, no concern but for their homework, ending lessons and the approaching weekend.
All the while, Bart, Glynda and Peter worked tirelessly to usher in the next generation. Well, Bart and Glynda worked. Peter told his stories. Some things never changed.
And yet Ozpin could taste in the air. That charge, the anticipation. The budding sensation of magic swelling in the distance. Of course he could sense it; that mass of magic had once belonged to him after all. Even now after being separated from it for years on end, he could still detect it. Such was how he knew you see.
Somewhere, somewhen, somehow, a Maiden had leapt into combat here in Vale.
No. Not just one Maiden, but two. The thought left his throat feverishly dry.
It couldn't be Amber, surely. SURELY she wasn't that foolish.
.
..
...he already knew the answer.
His scroll vibrated a heartbeat later.
Against his better judgement, the old wizard picked it up.
The news he received both made him hopeful...and left him terrified. "I see. Ansel, was it? Yes, I'll be by to retrieve her shortly."
He set the phone down a moment later, bowed his head, and ran a hand through his hair. A long draught of his mug followed, taking the edge off his ragged nerves. Only then did he dare retrieve his Scroll and make a call of his own. It ran once, twice, thrice, before someone finally retrieved it.
A garbled, hungover growl greeted him.
"Qrow? Yes, its me. I know its early. How would you feel about a family reunion?"
His old friend agreed readily once he gave him the details.
What on earth was Raven Branwen doing in Ansel?
Who had beaten her within an inch of her life?
This was going to be a long week, wasn't it?
Ozpin heaved a sigh, rose from behind his desk, and snatched up his cane. "This bodes poorly...
(.0.0.0.)
"Take her power! Take it! NOW!"
Naruto heaved a patient sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.
It was too much to hope Cinder would be quiet after Saphron's revelation.
He hadn't known she was interested in these "Maidens" but the moment Saphron finished her explanation...well. The results spoke for himself. She'd been banging about in his head ever since he'd sat down, from the very moment he began meditating, demanding he take action. Holding his tongue only made her louder. Honestly, she was beginning to annoy him. Her semblance was useful, make no mistake, but all these shrill shrieks were grinding on his last nerve.
"Will you be quiet in there?"
Cinder most assuredly would not; for the ruined remnant of a soul she was being quite vocal; she'd come roaring back to life and wouldn't be denied.
"That was the power Salem promised me! I am owed-
"Owed?" He dropped his smile and his facade as "Mercury" alongside it, cheeks dimpling in a bemused scowl. "You are owed nothing, least of all this. And if you won't be quiet...?" He flooded his body with chaka until she shrieked and subsided. "Feel that? You have no body, no power, no nothing. All that's left is your ego."
He heard someone snort in his head.
"I'm sorry, did I say something that you found funny, Adam?
Moment of truth. Was it really him in his head? Would he respond?
"My apologies." Damnitall, that really was Taurus. "I just enjoy watching her squirm. She tried to recruit me too, you know. All by her lonesome. It didn't end well." a sardonic chuckle swelled among his thoughts. "More's the pity, I suppose. She had such grand plans...all ash now, just like her namesake."
Cinder snarled. "Quiet, you!"
"What will you do, Fall? Shriek at me? You have no power here. Neither of us do."
That was...decidedly more calm than he remembered Adam being. "...you're being awfully blase for a dead man."
"Death has a way of sobering you."
Cinder snarled. "Not me!"
"No one asked what you thought, woman." Adam beat him to the punch, delivering a verbal beatdown as only the damned could. "No one will remember you. Not your allies, not your so-called mistress, no one. In the end you were a disposable pawn, a sacrifice meant to be used and discarded. Nothing more."
Cinder made angry Cinder noises before she rallied. "And what of you?!"
"Blake will remember me if nothing else." Ah, no wonder he was so smug. "As will Atlas. A man only truly dies when he is forgotten. And I will never be. My deeds will live on with infamy. Now, I'm in the head of the most powerful being on Remnant and I have his ear. I could do worse. HAVE done worse. But you," he felt the threads of Adam's ego turn his way, "your semblance, holds the potential to change the world."
He shrugged one shoulder, not liking where this was going. "Maybe...if I wanted to."
Sounded like a whole lotta work for nothing.
Why should he care about any of that?
"You will, one way or another." The bull faunus couldn't be seen in the traditional sense of the word bu the had the feeling he was shrugging nevertheless. "Power begets power and the world will take notice of you now."
He winced a bit at that. "Hey, hey! I've been subtle."
"Your deeds were," Adam allowed, "Until you bested Raven Branwen and threw her in Ansel's jail.
"So?"
"You do realize she's one of the most powerful huntresses this side of Remnant, wanted for countless crimes against humans and Faunus alike?"
A nod. "I do."
"Yet you defeated her."
"And this should concern me because...?"
Cinder chuckled suddenly and he had the sudden sinking sensation he'd walked into a trap. "It should, because Headmaster Ozpin himself placed that bounty on her head."
.
..
...shit."
"Indeed."Adam oozed satisfaction. "I would suggest leaving Ansel before Ozpin comes to call. He isn't the sort to let a pawn escape his grasp if he can help it. If he discovers you and Emerald...
He'd never let them go. Emerald's semblance was versatile enough, but the ability to swipe semblances and stack them atop one another? He'd never know peace. Even if they escaped his gaze, they'd be hunted across the kingdoms. That wasn't how he wanted to spend his second life.
Still, curiosity reared its ugly head. "You talk like you know him."
"I know enough." the faunus made a disgruntled noise. "He's dangerous."
"We would be able to face him if we took the Maiden's power." This from Cinder.
He kept his eyes closed but resolutely shook his head all the same. "No one is taking anything."
"Why not?! That fool of an Arc girl doesn't even want the gift! It would be better with me-erm, I mean us."
A blond brow rose. "You slipped, there."
"I am dead! Let me have this!"
Not a chance. Give her an inch and she'd try to take a yard. "And you, Adam?"
The dead faunus merely grunted. "I don't care much one way or another but I would prefer not to spend the rest of my life under that man's gaze. Speaking of which, the blond woman has been trying to get your attention for the last minute or so, now."
He snapped back to reality.
Saphron coughed above him, returning him to the present. "Are you...alright?"
"M'fine," he creaked an eye open and waved a hand. "Just dealing with some inner demons."
She looked like she wanted to pry, but held back, squirming a little under his gaze. "Are you done meditating?"
"More or less." he drew himself up from his sitting position and pivoted to face her. "And you? I take it you've prepared yourself."
"More or less." she clasped both hands behind her hips and sing-songed back at him.
Squaring off against her in the yard of Arc family household seemed a foolish idea, but she'd been adamant about this and he'd reluctantly accepted. If he was going to know what a Maiden was, he needed to see what one was capable of; what they could do in a fight, their powers...and their limits. And besides, it allowed him to put on a bit of a show for the Arc children. At least their parents weren't around. Thank heaven for small mercies.
...are you sure about this?
"Not at all." Saphron shrugged. "Do you have a better idea?
Naruto blew out a soft, exasperated sigh of his own. "Not particularly."
...then prepare yourself." Saphron walked away from him, took three steps. "You wanna see what a Maiden can do? I'll show you. Maybe then you'll understand why I want to be rid of this power."
He shrugged a shoulder.
"Alright, just remember, you asked for this. Saphron barreled on, wincing a little." Just...just keep your aura up, alright? I can't exactly control the power too well. Its still new to me. At best I can am it, maybe change the weather and push it in a given direction...but that's about it."
He unsheathed Adam's sword and crooked his free hand at her, beckoning. "Come on, then. I'm not getting any younger here."
Emerald pumped a fist from the barrel she'd claimed for herself. "Begin!"
Saphron brought her hands together with a shout.
A cone of fire flooded Naruto's vision.
Adam's sword sang as he swung through it, flame parting before red-dust-steel like so much butter.
Saphron came crashing through it, one hand poised to strike. He ducked her clumsy punch and drove a kick into her throat to stagger her. Aura crackled...and held. His eyes widened. She immediately rewarded him with a gust of wind. It flung him back; being one of the few things he couldn't fight against, and send him skidding across the yard.
He sheathed his sword to strike and she flung a lightning bolt his way. Trying to cut that without chakra was a mistake.
Raw current crackled down his sword arm as every muscle in his body clamped down. Saphron was was on him a moment later, already conjuring another cone of flame between her hands. Small wonder she'd told him to keep his aura up. He flung it to the fore as the inferno hit him head on; almost immediately, he felt his reserves nosedive. Flushing his body with chakra remedied the worst of the spasms and allowed him to regain control of his limbs. He raised Adam's sword and tanked the attack, drinking it in with his secondary semblance until the blade vibrated in his grasp.
His goal achieved, he kicked out to the side and tumbled free from the fire.
Ice crept up across his feet, rooting him in place once more.
That settled it. Maidens were bullshit.
It didn't stop him from sheathing his sword. His hair flashed red for a single blinding instant and the ice at his feet shattered.
A low growl rumbled through the air. "Block this," he warned.
Saphron did all that and more; she yelped and flung up her arms, conjuring a thock wall of ice. Adam's sword tore free and cut right through, melting the ice as it went, pierced her aura and...
.
..
...stopped just shy of her throat.
Saphron giggled nervously. "Thanks for stopping. Nearly lost my head there."
...don't mention it. Seriously." he sheathed his blade and stepped back. "This never happened."
"R-Right." her teeth chattered a little. "Do you see now? I never wanted this power. I'm no good with it.
She actually was, the foundations were there, but she refused to see them. She was too terrified by the prospect of her Power -of what might happen to her family- to wield it properly. That was a shackle in-and-of-itself. He almost pitied her. But clearly family meant more to her than power. He could respect that, if nothing else.
She offered him her hand. "Can you take it?"
Cinder practically squealed like a giddy schoolgirl in his head. "Yes we caaaan~!"
Naruto eyed Saphron's palm like a live snake, a poisoned chalice tempting him oh so sweetly. "What makes you think I can?"
"Don't lie." her fingers curled into a fist, one she planted against her hip as she glared at him, eyes still shining with flames. "I know what you can do. You have Raven's semblance. I saw her use it before, and then you back at the gates. To say nothing of that sword trick you just used. No one else can do that, sooo...take it." She spread her arms wide. "Free me from this curse."
"I wouldn't call that power a curse, ya know...
"It is." she gave him a grim look. "I'll be hunted for the rest of my days and I can barely use it, let alone aim it." here at last, her expression turned rueful. "I was never trained to be a huntress. I only got this power by chance. The last Maiden was leagues better than me. Better it go to someone else, anyone else."
Emerald appeared between then, hand raised. "I volunteer as tribute."
"Oi!" He slapped her hand down. "We don't even know if I can take this without killing her.
"Don't you?" Saphron flinched at the implicit promise of her demise, enthusiasm cooling. "You didn't kill Raven-
"That's a completely different kettle of fish and you know it." he jabbed at her bosom, forcing her back with a scowl. "Didn't you tell me the power can only be passed on at death?"
Saphron looked past him to the house, where her siblings awaited. "Yeah, but maybe you're the exception...?"
He could hear the hope in her voice. She really wanted to be rid of Spring, didn't she...?
Snatching a semblance was one thing, but this power was deeper, older.
Even now he could see how deeply intertwined it was with her; it wasn't something he could just rip out of her; he would have to be careful. Delicate, even.
"Can you at least try?!"
Emerald was looking at him expectantly.
Saphron clasped her hands, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Fine." he deflated under their shared gaze. "Lower your aura and give me your hand. If this starts to kill you, I'm stopping."
"Please, do." she offered him her hand, fingers splayed. "I'd rather not die."
He flicked a look at Emerald. "Talk to Jaune and the others, please. Tell them not to breathe a word of this."
She rolled her eyes, but did as she was bade, realizing just how serious he was.
He gripped Saphron's fingers and threw his semblance at her like a net.
Draped it over her now, wrapped his aura around hers.
The world blurred.
Saphron had no semblance to take, and was fully accepting of him, thus there was next to no resistance. It was smooth. Seamless. She opened herself to him fully and he dove into her, slipping into her skin as a fish would water. Sights and sounds assailed him, accompanied by a mass of myriad emotions he couldn't quite quantify. He felt a deep and all consuming love for someone named Terra. Memories of rushing into a blond man's arms -her father?- and being tackled by her siblings. Peace and joy, the thrill of a first kiss, happiness tinged by regret and fear because of...
.
..
...there it was.
Now that he knew what to look for, the Power of the Spring Maiden burned like a Beacon in his mind's eye; bright and gold and green. Whatever it was, it was drastically different from a semblance; he could feel it woven tightly against her soul; not seamless, not precise, but neither could he call it parasitic. It didn't seem to be harming her, so...
'Alright, lets try this...
He reached in with his semblance -his soul- and wrapped his hands around the pulsing magic. In touching it, he understood. Knowledge flooded into him. It wasn't some mindless mass of magic; it was sentient. Alive. It ached to be used, utilized, unleashed. He'd been right. This...this wasn't parasitic at all, if anything it was a symbiotic relationship. The power bound itself to a female host and grew stronger from each one. In turn they gained tremendous command of the elements and the ability to unlock vaults? The hell was a vault? Not much detail there...
"I want to play." the light sang in his grasp, and endless happy babble akin to that of a delighted child reunited with a long-lost parent. "Use me. Use me use me usemeusemeusemeuseME!"
Shaking his head, he gently extricated himself from Saphron's soul. The power of the Spring Maiden didn't like that; it sensed his strength -his retreat!- and tried to cling to him as he withdrew. He allowed it, grasping a fine tendril with one hand to tether himself, letting it latch on as a crude anchor. From there, he found the fine stitches that bound it to Saphron's and, one by one, undid them. Her soul shivered under his touch. It was slow, delicate work. It would've been easier to just rip it out of her, but doing that would surely kill her where she stood.
He wasn't sure how much time passed. Minutes? It felt longer, but-
Without warning, Spring came free.
And all hell broke loose.
Later he would realize his mistake; the Maiden Power was currently connected to him, and freed so suddenly from its host, it had nowhere else to go. He'd thought himself safe from such, given that he was, well, clearly not a girl. He was mistaken. Saphron was currently thinking of him and while he was most emphatically male, he also held a whiny, noisy shattered shard of a woman's ego in his head.
The outcome had never been in question.
Spring latched on and it latched hard. Heat and fire and wife and LIFE rushed into him with such force that he found himself propelled out of Saphron's soul and thrust into the waking world. In his own body once more, he staggered back in shock and gasped for air that seemed all too slow to come. He had the power, it was there -he could feel it!- but Saphron's soul was still in place.
Yet he couldn't use the power.
It didn't come as a surprise to Naruto; if anything he'd been expecting it. Anything keyed to a woman would be as such. Whoever had created the power had been cautious. Downright paranoid, really. Even now he could feel it buzzing beneath his skin, burning his blood, singing in his soul. It made him feel restless, anxious, powerful...but also cut off. He could not access it.
And judging by Cinder's angry noises, neither could she.
"No! Its not fair! I can feel it, but I can't use it!"
Adam laughed at her.
Perhaps that was for the best. Too much power often when to one's head and while he wanted it all, he didn't want to lose himself. Saphron claimed only women could properly utilize it. Maybe that was true. Maybe it was not. Maybe he just wasn't meant to use it.
But he could hold it; perhaps even decide who the next successor or-gah?!"
"My hero!" Saphron slammed into him at speed, and squashed his head against her bosom, drawing an angry squawk from Emerald. "You did it! I can't feel it anymore! Its gone!"
"Uh...you're welcome?" he garbled a helpless reply between her breasts. "Kinda sending conflicting messages here...
"You don't know how much this means to me." she drew back and he finally saw the tears running down her face. "My family will be safe now; hell, I can go back to Argus, be with Terra and live a normal-your eyes!" she gasped, suddenly covering her mouth with both hands. "They're glowing!"
Naruto heaved a weary sigh and ran a hand down his face. "They what now?"
...see for yourself." Emerald held up mirror. Gods knew where she'd gotten it from.
He peered into it regardless and scowled at what he saw there. They were glowing sure enough, silver orbs bleeding grey flames at the edges. He touched a hand to them, expecting pain. They weren't hot at all, but rather warm to the touch. Indeed, they didn't burn as he might have expected, but he felt it the same. Well, that wasn't ominous at all. If this didn't stop soon, he might have to invest in a thick pair of sunglasses going forwards, or maybe a blindfold...
"So what does this make you, Mercury?" Saphron asked reluctantly. "A maiden?"
He considered his palm for a moment, fingers trembling but a little. "I'm...not entirely sure...
He flung out a hand. Nothing happened. The power sizzled in his soul but remained blessedly inert.
Emerald sulked. "Why can't I have it?"
"Because its a burden."
"Uh, power of the seasons?" she clicked her tongue at him. "I would've killed for that. Hell, I still would."
"People will kill you for it." Saphron chided her in return. "Without a second thought. That's the problem, and why I want nothing to do with it."
...in truth it was tempting to give it to Emerald. It would make her more powerful, ensure her loyalty beyond a doubt. But he wasn't sure he wanted to.
"She's right." In the end he decided to defer the decision for now. "This isn't something mankind can be trusted with, clearly."
Emerald looked downright mutinous; he could just feel her approval dropping by the second. "But you can?"
He knew his retort before it even left his lips. "I'm more than a man, sweetheart. I'm a champion."
"Ugh, that's so corny."
Maybe so, but after all, who better? He knew what it was to be a container for a dangerous power that everyone feared or otherwise craved. Emerald didn't. She only saw the promise of power and what it could do for her. Power corrupted and absolute power corrupted absolutely.
"But I want to be used...
Adam and Cinder made startled noises in his head.
His eyes widened alongside them, processing what he'd just heard. Ohhh, dear.
Deal with the new voice later. Best to nip Emerald's anger in the bud while he could.
He looked to Saphron. "Can we have a moment?"
"Certainly." her smile was absolutely beatific and just a shade shy of sultry. "I need to have a word with my chatterbox of a brother, anyway. Come find me afterward."
Naruto heard Jaune gulp on the sidelines. Poor boy. He was about to get the telling off of a lifetime for running his mouth. He'd make for a decent distraction at least. While she was thus occupied, he drew a sullen Emerald aside to a shady corner of the Arc's yard as Saphron stomped away. In short order they withdrew to the very edge of their property overlooking a homey little garden overlooked by a wooden fence. It was here that she finally dared to face him.
"Are you angry with me?" she looked to him with pleading eyes. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, no." He held up a hand. "That's not it at all. I wanted to explain my reason from keeping this Power from you, for now."
Her eyes lit up. "I can be more useful to you with that power, sir." she pleaded, and it was the fact that she said "sir" at all that alarmed him. "I can help you, I can protect you-
He saw her expression and sighed. Just as he thought, then.
"C'mere." He drew her closer to him. "Just c'mere.
She stiffened a little as he wrapped her in a warm embrace, but didn't otherwise resist; on the contrary, she was quite eager to accept the physical affection for what it was and snuggled closer. The way she clung to him almost made him think of a small child, not a young woman. He patted her head with one hand, idly running his fingers through her green hair.
She made a tiny noise and scooted closer. "I don't want to be left behind."
"You won't be."
"Promise?"
"Yes, I do. And I'm not letting go."
...good. That's goo. I don't wanna let go either.
Naruto shrugged to hide his own telltale smile and-PAIN!
He felt a terrible tug on his mind, lurching to the east. "Raven's semblance...?"
But everyone he had a bond with was here except-
His eyes widened.
"Amber!"
(.0.0.0.)
"Hello, little girl...
Amber leaped out of her sleeping bag with a yelp.
Nope, nope, all the nope! Stranger danger! Do not want!
Even as she pivoted she heard something thrust out at her in the dark; she parried clumsily with her staff and lurched to her feet. A boot found her chest and kicked her away, sending her sprawling. Cold steel glinted in the dark, stabbing for her torso. If it weren't for her Maiden Powers she would've died then and there; a vicious gust of wind propelled her backwards, narrowly saving her life.
"Oh, boo." a merry voice crooned. "And here I thought my ambush was perfect...
She could barely see him in the gloom, but she saw enough to make her shiver. Tall and lanky, all wiry muscle. He was a Faunus, of that much she could be certain; the slender scorpion tail swaying underneath his coat was a dead giveaway. Even then, he didn't look quite...right in the head. There was a wild, almost mad gleam in his eye as he brandished his wrist-mounted daggers. There was such a thing as being too friendly and this one was! He was one of hers then. Had to be.
"So it is you after all." he cackled happily. "Good, good. For a moment I thought I might be mistaken, oh happy day~!"
"Who are you?!"
He hid a titter behind his palm. "Come into my parlor, said the scorpion to the butterfly...
She gulped and readied herself, brandishing her staff with both hands. "I don't think that's the saying...
"Isn't it?" her attacker tilted his head, frowned, and touched a finger to his chin. "Oh, well. I suppose it will do. My name is Tyrian, dear girl." he sketched a deep bow, casting his coat aside in the offing as gracefully as a master dancer. "Nice to stab you!"
"Oi! You're supposed to say meet, not stab-
He lunged at her with a mad cackle, cutting her off.
Amber didn't have time to correct him after that; she was far too busy trying to survive.
Or she was, until a crimson portal slashed open ahead of her and a familiar boot barreled through.
It caught Tyrian dead in the head, sending him crashed backwards.
And then...Mercury Black stepped through the crimson ether.
For the first time since she'd met him, he wasn't smiling.
It was, in a single bloody word...terrifying.
"Nice semblance ya got there...
A/N: TYRIAN IS HERE.
And so is Naruto. Let the brawl begin!
Next chapter will be the last one in Ansel, don't you worry.
We've not seen the last of Saphron, either. Do let me know if you want weekly updates!
Hope you enjoyed this little ficlet. Well? Should this remain a story? Yay or nay? What say you~?
As ever, the Embers rule still persists. If folks don't like this story? Well...I'll not continue it. I can't bear to write something no one likes. Its the simple truth, though a sad one. So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard! Your reviews matter! Really, they do! I'm literally working every day now, so I have less and less time to write. Daily updates might...slow down in the interim, but I know that would upset a lot of people.
So, in the Immortal words of Atlas...
...review, would you kindly?
And of course, enjoy the previews!
They're mostly the same. Wouldn't do to spoil things, no?.
That said, you know the drill: SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS AHOY! Sail these waters at yer own risk, yar~!
(Previews)
Great.
This is just great. No, really, it is!
I didn't even know what a Maiden WAS before yesterday, and now I've met two!"
"Wait, are you being sarcastic, or are you happy? Because I can't tell-
"I AM ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SARCASM RIGHT NOW! Time to leave! No more Ansel! We're going to Mistral!"
"Why Mistral though...?"
Because its not bloody Vale!"
Ozpin tapped his cane against the ground. "Good morning, miss Branwen."
Raven blinked blearily up at him within her cell.
And then:
He was better.
Pyrrha flew backwards with a startled yelp and crashed through a wall. The people of Mistral just didn't build things to last. Her back struck the ground, then momentum dragged her down, sending her tumbling.
"You alright there, Red?" a familiar voice called through the smoke. "Did I kick ya too hard?"
Green eyes narrowed. "Not...yet...
"You're a good singer. Might wanna work on that temper a bit, though."
Excuse me? Who are you?"
No one important. Have a nice night~!"
Ruby squeaked. "Meep!"
The boy tilted his head. ...that's your name? Meep?"
Shame. Embarrassment. Ruby's face burned redder than her namesake.
Oh gods, she wanted to curl up and die. "N-No! That's not it at all! I'm Ruby! Ruby Rose!"
"Huh." That actually got a grin out of the silver-haired warrior. "Neat. Like the color, I'm guessing?"
"Yeah! So how did you do that?" her confidence surge gack waved her hands excitedly, mimicking the motions and high kicks alongsdie the punches she'd seen him use. "You were all "hyah!" and "boom" and "kapow" back there!"
...you saw that, huh?" For some reason that seemed to embarrass him and set him to scratching a whiskered cheek. "Practice, and not the good kind. These idiots didn't even have aura or semblances...they weren't worth my time."
"You mean someone taught you to fight like that?!"
"Well, yeah, like I said before, it took practice-
Ruby latched onto his leg. "Teach meeee~!"
"Hmm...going to a school full of beautiful women like you? Sounds fun buuuut I'll have to decline." he crossed both hands behind his head and walked away. "I'm not a fan of being stuck in one place for one year, let alone four. Hard pass. Later, firecracker."
"Ha?"
"Sorry, school just ain't for me."
Roman took one look at the ruined city block and shook his head.
"Nope. Not getting involved with that. Neo! Time to go-
A hand settled on his shoulder. "Hello...friend."
Ahhh, crapbaskets.
EDIT: Hope you enjoyed~! Have a great day/night~!
R&R~!