Okay, sorry for the wait, here is the next chapter of the Grimm Rider. Yes, the Spinosaurus is from Jurassic Park 3, yes dinosaurs from Jurassic Park and World will be there. Yes, the other teams will get their dinosaurs.
Also, in my story, Yang didn't lose her arm, Pyrrha didn't die, and the story line will be totally different. I hope you all understand.
And on my Deviantart, I made Pyrrha's outfits of Mistral and Atlas, go check it out.
Almost a year has passed since the massive Grimm attack on Vale, everyone was able to recover from the attack and rebuild the city. It wasn't hard for them to fix the damages, considering that all of them were done by those scary thorny vines. But all in all, they were able to fix areas now with no problems. Especially with their new defenses. That's right, Vale's new defense against Grimm were these strange crystals that were scattered all around the city, beyond its borders and to Mountain Glenn. These crystals protected Grimm that came from land, sky, underground, or in the water. It was an amazing defense against the Creatures of Grimm, and scientists are still figuring out how these crystals work. But to no avail.
Even though the crystals' powers are a mystery, everyone in Vale appreciates and is astonished by the protection these crystals give. It was a sign of a new hope for them. Speaking of which, thanks to these crystals, construction of Mount Glenn became no trouble as they were able to rebuild the city there. They even began building the underground train and city, bringing it in good shape as well as making an easy route for material and equipment to be delivered to Mount Glenn.
It was a satisfying turn of an event and a new day for Vale.
However, there's yet any peace, there Atlas soldiers and AK-200 (Atlesian Knight-200) were scouting the perimeter and assisting the workers on the construction. However, that's not the real reason. The real reason they were here is to investigate one person. A certain person that created these crystals and predicted the attack, so she could prevent it.
Her name was Voltaria Eclipse aka 'The Grimm Girl'.
Scientists and researchers speculate that due to this extraordinary phenomenon, they wanted to know more about these crystals and how they are used to ward off Grimm from coming to the city or shielding them from the attacks. They tried to solve them the best way they can, but they found no clues on what these crystals are made of. They only know that Voltaria may have the answers they need, as well as for Ironwood, who wishes to know how Voltaria figured about the invasion, Salem, and everything. But the girl was hard to find, for she disappeared without a trace. Much to Ironwood's frustration. They don't have any leads about her whereabouts. Heck, they even tried to find out from her friends, but they also mysteriously disappeared. They tried to get to Weiss, but her father refused them any interview, saying that he wanted his daughter to have none of this 'Grimm Girl' business. They even tried to ask Glynda about Voltaria's whereabouts, but the teacher doesn't know what happened to her, saying that she left the hospital before she could be there, and that's it.
However, it was her cover up story. Glynda would never reveal Voltaria's whereabouts along with her friends. Voltaria recently contacted her via Dream Realm and informed Glynda that there's trouble at Mistral Academy, and they need to investigate. Glynda understood this, knowing very well how Voltaria's vision works. But she and the others must be careful, Ironwood is still searching for Voltaria, wanting answers from her. Yet I doubt he'll ever find her.
"Professor Goodwitch, are you alright?"
Glynda turns away from the window of Ozpin's office before looking towards Ozpin. The headmaster was looking through some documents on his desk along with other piles. It's been a quite busy day in Beacon Academy, after the whole stopping Grimm invasion, they were receiving a lot of paperwork, mostly from the councils, construction, and so on. She couldn't blame him; everybody was still on edge from what they saw about Cinder working for Salem and how Voltaria saved everyone's lives.
"My apologies, I was lost in thoughts." Glynda said to Ozpin.
Ozpin responded with a nod, believing that she was still overwhelmed by these crystals. But to be honest, she worries about Voltaria and the other students. They're going on a dangerous mission, without any transportation, trying to be out of Atlas's radar, and stopping yet another invasion on their own. She wanted to tell Ozpin about this, so he could contact Leonardo Lionheart, the headmaster of Mistral Academy, to assist them on their mission. But Glynda suspects that there might be a mole among their operation, meaning a traitor in Ozpin's group. Voltaria saw it in her vision, she doesn't know who it is, but she could tell that this particular person is one of Ozpin's secret members and is secretly helping Salem behind their backs. Glynda didn't want them to be caught by the spy, and thus kept quiet from Ozpin and Ironwood.
Speaking of which, the General of Atlas entered the office with two AK-200 following him from behind. He has changed over the recent year. He had grown stubble and his hair was slightly messier. He wore a white, double-breasted tailcoat with dark blue and black accents, most notable at the cuffs and shoulder pieces. The coat was belted at the waist. Underneath, Ironwood had a black collared shirt and a red tie. He also wore two white gloves, in contrast to wearing only one on his right hand. His pants were no longer tucked inside military boots but instead hung over the black boots.
"General, what brings you here?" Ozpin asked Ironwood, setting down the papers.
"Sorry for the unexpected visit, but I need to discuss with you an important matter." Ironwood said to Ozpin seriously.
"And that is?"
"You know what I mean, Oz." Ironwood stated to the Headmaster of Beacon, "We need to know about Voltaria Eclipse's whereabouts."
This, however, slightly angers Glynda. She knew very well that Ironwood was still searching for Voltaria. Ever since he learned about Voltaria's plan on saving Vale, he was determined to find out how she got valuable information, believing it was a key motive to find out a way to defeat Salem for good. Glynda, on the other hand, finds this very, very upsetting. She still won't forget how he convinced the council to take Voltaria away and put her in some safehouse of some kind or a holding cell. Believing that she's some kind of secret weapon, but she's not. Voltaria is just a girl who's been through enough pain already. She doesn't want her to lose hope and faith again, not after she and the others witness her traumatic childhood of losing her mother that it activated her semblance. Yet, she kept her cool and secretly glared at Ironwood.
"Still hunting her like some kind of animal?" Glynda asked, almost lashing out in anger.
"Don't take this personally, Glynda, I'm just doing what's best for her and the kingdoms." Ironwood said, trying his best not to sound too offensive, which clearly isn't working at all.
Glynda rolls her eyes at him, "Right, like the time you tried to take her to Atlas without my consent wasn't personal." Her words were dry and sarcastic, clearly showing how unhappy she is towards Ironwood.
"In any case..." Ozpin stopped their conversation before an argument could commence, "Ms. Eclipse's whereabouts are still unbeknownst to all of us. Her teammates and her friends have also disappeared. Their parents and guardians are not sure where they are as well."
"What about Weiss Schnee?" Ironwood questions, knowing that she was still her family's estate.
"Her father refuses to let her go or be interrogated." Glynda said suddenly, knowing for the fact how stubborn and prideful Jacques Schnee can be, he won't get his reputation stained by the fact that Ms. Weiss Schnee is somewhat associated with Voltaria Eclipse."
Glynda isn't sure if she should be angry or relieved by Jacques Schnee prejudice towards Voltaria. Thinking of some sort of devil's spawn that arises from the pits of evil and might taint the Schnee's name if Weiss is associated with Voltaria, which she is, and there is no way her father would allow her from helping her friends from stopping yet another invasion. Glynda knew very well that her friends had an escape plan to help Weiss sneak out from Atlas and into Mistral.
"And what about Blake Belladonna?" Ironwood questions, looking towards the two professors, "She was recently spotted near some villages near Vale."
"Still MIA." Glynda answers calmly yet quickly, "She later disappeared in a nearby town, and we lost track of her." To be fair, Glynda was there to assist some huntsmen with transferring cargo overseas. She helped Blake sneak on board a ship that would take her to Menagerie in secret. Glynda knows the captain, for she saved him and his crew a while back, and he owes her big time. So, he agrees to help Blake get to Menagerie without Atlas finding out.
Ironwood sighs and shakes his head, "This is getting us nowhere."
"Why are you so determined in capturing Voltaria?" Glynda questions him with a glare, "She just saved everyone from a dire situation."
"Glynda, I understand your concern for Ms. Eclipse, but I must agree with Ironwood." Ozpin said to Glynda, who stops glaring at Ironwood and stares at Ozpin in somewhat disbelief.
"You can't be serious?"
"I know Ironwood's decisions can be questionable and disagreeable, but Ms. Eclipse may have the answers we seek," Ozpin said to Glynda, trying to assure her and give reason.
But this woman isn't having any of this. Yes, Voltaria has the answers they need, but they have no rights to place here in some confinement to be questioned. That's why she secretly misled both Ozpin and Ironwood when they searched for Voltaria, she made sure that there wasn't any trace of evidence of her whereabouts. Luckily, thanks to Voltaria's entities, they hid their tracks and made sure to leave some clues for Glynda only.
Glynda's mind snapped back to reality when she heard Ironwood say this, "And maybe she could assist us in finding out about this mysterious woman that aided Shion Village."
The mysterious woman that Ironwood was referring to was Crimson Rose, a fusion between Ruby and Voltaria. She is unfamiliar to the entities that Voltaria has, she just appeared when both girls fused together. But of course, it was a good thing that she remains anonymous, because they have no idea that Crimson Rose is actually two people in one.
"From the villagers' report the villagers, this woman can control Grimm, similar to Ms. Eclipse." Ozpin explained the information he had to them. "And it made me also reason to believe that she is a new maiden, considering that they saw her emitting aura flames in her eyes."
"Which maiden is she?" Ironwood asked Ozpin further.
"Not yet certain, I tried to contact Qrow to investigate but he would not answer." Ozpin answered the best way he could.
"Do you believe he's gone AWOL?" Ironwood questions with eyes narrowed.
"Uncertain, but we will find out about this soon."
Before anyone could discuss any further, Ironwood's scroll rang, causing the general to answer, "This General Ironwood, speak." He said, holding the Scroll near his ear. He listens to the one talking on the other end of the scroll, nodding his head from time to time, "All right, I understand, I'll be there." He puts his scroll down and looks at them, "I have to make this brief, one of Atlas's scientists has found some new information about the crystals surrounding the city."
Ozpin nodded his head, "Understood, General, but do keep in mind, Dr. Jewel had mentioned to us that these crystals can be dangerous." He said, warning about how Turquoise's partner, Miguel Sanchez, got somewhat electrocuted when he tried to get a sample.
Ironwood nodded and left the room, allowing Glynda to relax a bit. Seeing Ironwood made her blood boil, thinking that he could just use Voltaria like that. She has the right to choose. He has no right to control her life. Speaking of Voltaria, Glynda needs to speak with her soon. Excusing herself, Glynda left the office to get some air. She found herself on the balcony, looking at the horizon. The city was peaceful as ever, thanks to the crystals that Voltaria made. It protected the city, and it was a great expansion too as they are rebuilding Mount Glenn. Voltaria did so much for this city, yet she is still being treated like some sort of animal or a weapon. All she wanted was a peaceful life. Sighing, Glynda took a city on a bench before closing her eyes, entering a deep slumber.
Glynda opens her eyes to find herself in the Dream Realm. She was able to have access here thanks to Flare the Dream Flame, Voltaria, and her entities. With their help, she and the others are able to communicate secretly without using Scroll communication and preventing Ironwood from tracking their conversation. Soon, Flare's fellow Dream Flames appeared, greeting Glynda with chimes of bell sounds before leading her to the path that she needs to take. Flare informs her friends to help any of Voltaria's friends in the Dream Realm, which is very helpful. Glynda follows them to the path that leads her to a door made of obsidians, decorated into flowers that were made of gemstones. And written on the door's frame was Voltaria's real name, Virgo. Glynda guessed that Voltaria has now begun dreaming again and is doing well. The door then opens itself, allowing Glynda to enter. There, she saw Voltaria, wearing a new attire and her hair tied up into pigtails, meditating on a field of golden grass on a beautiful day. With her are her entities, Regina, Wraith, Hannibal, Tabitha, and Vision. Voltaria has grown since the last time she saw her. She just turned thirteen when they journey to Mistral.
"Hello, Professor Goodwitch," Voltaria greeted her guardian calmly, still meditating on the grass.
"Greetings, Voltaria, I see you've been waiting for me." Glynda said, sitting down next to her.
Voltaria nodded her head, "Yes, I knew you would come today." She looks at Glynda with calm eyes, "I take it that Ironwood is still looking for me?"
"Yes, he is determined that you have the answers in defeating Salem as well as finding out more about Crimson Rose."
"That's a bit overzealous of him," Voltaria answered while shaking her head, "I know Salem is immortal, but we have yet to know her true weakness. And as for Crimson Rose...she's more mysterious than me."
Regina agrees, "Indeed, we have yet to learn about Crimson Rose. But Salem, on the other hand, she may be immortal, but even with her immortality, she will crumble and fall."
"You have a great hatred towards Salem, don't you, Regina?" Glynda asked the Wise Entity.
"Oh, believe, Professor Goodwitch, my hatred runs deep." Regina said, sounding almost like a growl, "That tyrannic witch angered gods, destroyed my home, my people...my family...she was the reason why the first wave of humanity was gone."
"It must be really hard to lose your people." Glynda sympathized with Regina's loss.
"It was. Because of Salem's lack of judgment, her consequences ruined the lives of millions, all because of her selfish desires. And I would do anything in my power to make sure that usurper-hag would never see the light of day ever again."
Hearing her words, they knew very well that Regina's hatred towards Salem was so great, that no one dared questioned her further, not even Voltaria herself. Upon seeing their looks, Regina clears her throat and turns to them with apologetic eyes.
"I apologize for my brash words, it appears my anger hasn't suffice during my time here." Regina apologies.
"No need to apologize, Regina, it is alright to release your frustration." Glynda said in an understanding tone.
"Yeah, you need to release that rage, Reg. You don't want to suppress too much anger. Like how Kid almost killed herself for suppressing hers. Remember that, Kid?" Wraith said towards Voltaria.
"I remember." Voltaria responded blankly.
Regina and Tabitha shook their heads at Wraith, before returning to the subject on hand, "So, any news if Ironwood found any leads about us?" Tabitha asked Glynda curiously.
"So far, he's trying to find Blake to question her, but I helped her get on board a ship heading towards Menagerie as we speak, and lately, he's been trying to get to Weiss."
"And let me guess, 'Daddy dearest' is refusing to have an interview because he's a tyrannical, prejudiced, asshole who cares only about himself, power, and money." Wraith listed out the reason why Jacques Schnee is the worst man, husband, and father.
"...I have to agree with you on this, Wraith." Glynda said in somewhat agreement, "But thanks to Jacques's attitude, James can't interrogate Weiss about your plans and location."
"That's good to hear, I don't want the entire military on our trails before we could even finish our mission." Voltaria said, dreading the idea of the military gone after them.
"Indeed, by the way, where are you and your team now?" Glynda asked Voltaria.
"Well, we're currently helping a village to get rid of a Geist that's been causing harm to them for weeks." Voltaria answered.
Glynda knew this type of Grimm. A Geist is a Grimm that is capable of "possessing" inanimate objects, such as stones, plants, items, and integrating pieces of the landscape into its body. The only way to defeat this Grimm is to destroy its harder shell and strike at its face, for it is the only weak spot of the Geist.
"Hmm...I see, I hope you all have a plan to deal with that Grimm?" Glynda questions her student.
"Yes, we already ruled out the plan, I just hope Ruby and Yang stick with it." Voltaria said.
"Knowing them, I think there might be a time that you have to improvise." Glynda informs Voltaria, which she understands. "Which reminds me, how long will it take for you all to reach Mistral?"
"Well, from what I know, Shion Village has a working airship, we were hoping to use it in order to get to Mistral faster."
"That sounds about right, but be careful, Grimm are getting larger in numbers these days after what had happened during the invasion."
"I know, I keep sensing Grimm of both tamable and rogue on the hunt, I don't know what Salem planning is, but I have a feeling she will soon know about our existence."
"Then, we should be ready." Glynda said in agreement yet still worries for her and the other's safety.
Suddenly, Hannibal lifted his head and looked above Voltaria's dream realm. Catching everyone's attention, "It. Coming." He said slowly, referring to the Geist.
"That's our cue to go, we have to finish this mission before sundown." Voltaria said to Glynda.
"All right, just be careful, and do your best. But also, stay safe."
"We will,"
And with that, Voltaria and Glynda returned back to the Waken World.
Voltaria opens her eyes, returning back to the real world and finds herself meditating under a tree. She and her friends were waiting for Ruby and Yang to lure the Geist to their location. So far, she could hear a few shots within the forest, indicating that both Yang and Ruby are doing their part.
"Did you meet up with her?" Her team leader's voice asked.
Looking up, she saw Wade, wearing a new attire and now a black cowboy hat, he was keeping watch when she entered the Dream Realm, so he could protect her from any incoming attacks while she's out. He wasn't the only one, AJ, Evo, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren. They all are wearing new attires and are ready for battle. Pyrrha's armor covered her whole upper body and on her whole right arm, as well as new armor legs and heel-boots. They've been traveling for a while to reach Mistral, as well as helping out in some villages and towns when they rest. It was a good way to earn money and supplies, and they make sure to be at a reasonable price, unlike some greedy huntsmen that take advantage of the village's circumstances. And these wannabe huntsmen would sometimes end up getting injured or worse. That's why they were so cautious towards them whenever they went to any towns that had rough encounters with greedy huntsmen. But the students of Beacon should also be careful since they are accompanied by three giant dinosaurs of both purebred and hybrids, Levistus the Spinosaurus, Amaryllis the Indominus rex, and Ripper the Indoraptor. The three prehistoric beasts stayed hidden deep within forest, where they steer clear from the village as well as hunting some good game around there. Flare the Dream Flame stayed with them since the villagers would freak out if they saw her floating around.
"Professor Goodwitch is doing fine, she informed me that Ironwood is still searching for our whereabouts and trying to find out about Crimson Rose." Voltaria responded to Wade.
Wade sighs and shakes his head, "That general can be one stubborn fella." He mutters out, clearly not happy about this, he respects the man, but it doesn't mean he will let Ironwood take Voltaria, not after he and the others discovered her truth.
"You have no idea." Voltaria said with a sigh before she notices Nora and Ren emerging from behind a tree, talking with each other, "Okay, what is Nora up to this time?"
"Oh, she's arguing with Ren about our new team's name." Wade said to Voltaria.
The Grimm Girl facepalm at this, "Oh, for the love of...I told Nora I don't want us to be called Team 'Thunder Thighs'! It's weird, even for me."
Wade chuckles at his teammate in amusement, knowing very well that Nora has been pestering Voltaria for the past months on a team name. And Voltaria always told her no, but Nora is not taking no for an answer. Heck, Ripper likes the name Thunder Thighs, and he's a dinosaur!
"Oh, come on! This team really needs a name!" Nora said to Voltaria with a grin, walking up to them with Ren.
Voltaria sighs and shakes her head, "For the hundredth time, Nora, we are not calling ourselves Team Thunder Thighs."
"It just makes sense to go with that one!" Nora said with a pout.
"But "Thunder Thigh" isn't a color." Ren pointed out the obvious.
"I agree with Ren on this one, Nora." Evo said, resting under a tree while fixing his guitar.
AJ, who was sitting on top of a tree branch above them, nods in agreement, "Yup, and neither of us isn't comfortable with 'Thunder Thighs'. And it's also a derogatory term."
"Plus, we're helping Voltaria with her objective." Ren said, gesturing towards Voltaria while Jaune and Pyrrha were behind him, crouching and watching something from behind a log. "Wouldn't that make her the leader?"
"I like the sound of that." Wraith said with a grin.
Jaune then looks at them, "Guys!" He called to them quietly, causing the group to turn their heads toward him. "We need to focus. Also...Thunder Thighs kinda sound cool." He whispers out with a small smile while Pyrrha giggles a bit.
Nora grins happily, "Exactly!" She exclaims. Ren goes to speak, but instead just groans, knowing very well he has no comeback for this.
"Enough." Voltaria said, getting up from her feet as she looked at the forest with narrowed eyes. "It is coming."
With that said, they felt the earth beneath them rumble, causing everyone to have their weapons ready. Well, minus Jaune, his weapon broke during the Battle of Beacon. But it didn't stop him from helping his friends. Plus, Voltaria lent him a sword made out of fire dust crystals, which he appreciated. They all got into battle position as they heard multiple shots were fired. They looked up towards the cliff above and saw two figures bursting out from the trees, revealing both sisters, Ruby & Yang, flying backwards from trees, firing both Crescent Rose and Ember Celica in the direction they were from. Seconds later, the Geist bursts out from the trees, possessing boulders as its armor, as it moves the trees aside, clearly chasing them. It was about to hit them until a shadow portal appeared, causing both sisters to disappear from its sight, thus forcing it to fall off the cliff. The Boulder Geist crashed to the ground, unscathed. Due to its armor. The shadow portal appears within the tree's branches, and both sisters land on it with ease, before it closes.
"Phew! That was a close one!" Yang whooped, readying her Ember Celica.
"Yeah, and-Oh, no, INCOMING!" Ruby suddenly exclaims.
They quickly dodged the Boulder Geist's attack when it swung its arm, destroying incoming trees, as well as revealing their friends' hiding spot. Knowing that they've been spotted, Voltaria gives the group orders on how to destroy the Geist. Jaune and Pyrrha will be distracted from the right, Ren and Nora will attack from the front, while the rest of the group will take out the Grimm's arms. Yang and Wade worked together to crush the right arm with their super strength. Even if they got the arm gone, the Geist was quick and quickly replaced it with a broken tree.
"Okay, didn't see that comin'!" Wade yelled, taking out his 12-gauge Versamax shotgun, Killershooter, and fired multiple rounds at it.
"I did!" Voltaria called before doing a taxi whistle, "NOW!"
Exploding out from the undergrowth were both Amaryllis and Ripper. The two hybrids let out powerful roars, catching the Boulder Geist attention. It reared its tree arm up and smashed it towards Amaryllis and Ripper, but both hybrids dodged it on time. Ripper, being more agile, suns up to its log and charges at Grimm's face with his jaws emitting black/gold/dark purple static electricity. And without a moment of hesitation, he latches his jaws on the Grimm's face, causing it to swing around violently. It tried to use its massive hands to remove Ripper off its face, but Amaryllis prevented it. The Indominus rex lets out a roar as she summons a white aura of ice and snow before releasing a beam of ice energy towards the Geist's legs, freezing from its spot.
"Now, the arms!" Jaune ordered, seeing that the Geist was distracted.
The group, along with Voltaria, combined their attacks to break both of its arms off, leaving the Grimm defenseless. Jaune looked towards a distance and yelled out, "HIT IT, LEVISTUS!"
From afar, the Spinosaurus was seen charging his aura. He lets out a powerful roar and opens his massive jaws, where a glowing light blue ball of water appears in front of his mouth, before he fires a massive and powerful jet of water, heading straight towards the Geist.
"RIPPY, GET OUT OF THERE!" Ruby ordered loudly.
Obeying his Momma Red's words, Ripper quickly detached himself from the Geist's mask and quickly moved away. Just in time to, as Levistus hydro cannon came in full speed, not giving time for the Geist's to recover as the jet of water hit the mask so hard that the rock body shattered, forcing the ephemeral Grimm to rise out of it and fly off to escape. Seeing the rogue Grimm escaping, Voltaria gave Ruby a nod, signaling her to fire. Ruby smiles and nods, aiming Crescent Rose at the Geist, and fires a single shot at it. The bullet, encased with fire dust, soars through the air and towards the Grimm, who mistakenly turned its face right into the flaming projectile. Killing it instantly. Everyone was relieved by this, knowing they just successfully defeated the Grimm. Jaune, who was breathing heavily after he and Pyrrha almost got mauled by it, did a pose with his hands on hips.
"Another victory for Team Thunder Thighs!" He announces heroically. But it only earned silence, a slight cough, and a scowl of disapproval and annoyance from Voltaria. Jaune then slowly realizes his words were not suitable for the mood and quickly deflates, "Yeah, okay. Ren, Voltaria, I think you two are onto something. I-it's just not sounding great anymore."
Ren nodded in understanding while Voltaria rolled her eyes, already knowing that this name isn't gonna work. Levistus the Spinosaurus soon came out of the undergrowth, walking over the group to check on them. And floating on his head was Flare the Dream Flame. The small fire made small bell chimes, happy to see her friends are okay, before floating towards Ruby, who cupped her hands and allowed Flare to hover above it.
"Hey, Flare, did you behave with Levistus?" She asked Flare with a smile, which earned chirps of approval. Ruby then looks up to the Spinosaurus and the two hybrids happily, "Good job on the attack, guys! I guess Levistus's training finally paid off."
Indeed, it has. Since they started their quest, Levistus has been teaching the hybrid siblings how to channel their aura and activating their elements. He taught them that dinosaur and prehistoric beasts can either have one or two elements, depending on their aura level and capacity, but hybrids such as Amaryllis and Rippe can have more than one element. Amaryllis was able to control ice, earth, and white fire, while Ripper can control lightning, shadow, and wind. They have yet to activate the rest of the elements and Ripper is trying to activate the fire element. Levistus said that it will take time for him to activate it, he just has to be patient.
"Okay, let's head back to Sēnlín village and inform the mayor about the mission." Wade said, referring to the village that they helped get rid of the Geist problem.
They all agreed and headed to Sēnlín village while Levistus, Amaryllis, Ripper, and Flare stayed behind and hidden until their friends got back from their task.
Ruby was shaking hands with the Sēnlín village's Mayor. He's a slightly middle-aged man. He has gray hair, and wears red robes accented with gold, a necklace of green prayer beads around his neck and a golden ornamental hairpiece. He was grateful for their hard work in stopping the Grimm. Voltaria, who was behind Nora and AJ, was wearing her Grimm Mask again. She can reveal her face to her friends, but to strangers, she has to keep it hidden. She didn't want anyone, besides Taiyang and her friends, to know her identity.
"We truly can't thank you enough." Sēnlín Mayor said gratefully before shaking Wade's hand.
"Just doing our job, sir." Ruby said happily.
"Yeah, you don't have to worry about that Grimm anymore." Wade assures the mayor.
The Sēnlín Mayor nodded, relief was in his mind as he appreciated their hard work and valiant effort, "Indeed, that Geist had been plaguing our village for weeks. We were beginning to wonder if we'd have to relocate."
The group looked at each other and then to the Sēnlín Mayor, "Well, we are on our way to Mistral. You could always come along with us if you don't feel safe." Ruby offered.
The Sēnlín Mayor gave an appreciative and an amused smile, "Ha. I take it you're not from these parts."
"You have no idea." Voltaria mutters out.
"Anima is a large continent. I'm afraid our people would never survive the long trek to Mistral." The Sēnlín Mayor explained, looking towards his people with a smile. They were either buying fresh produce from a cart, standing and chatting on open balconies that were overlooking the roads, tending to their horses and generally going about their daily lives peacefully. The village has plentiful trees and green spaces and cobbled roads. And the young huntsmen and huntresses know that this is their way, "It may be safer in the Kingdoms, but we prefer our way of life. I just wish we could pay you more."
AJ shook her head with a smile, "There is no need for that, we just did what is right."
Ren nodded in agreement, "Yes, and our previous arrangement is more than sufficient."
And with that, they bow to the Sēnlín Mayor respectfully, which earned a smile from the mayor.
Later, before their departure, they had one more thing they needed to do first. And that is getting Jaune a weapon and armor upgrade. The Sēnlín Mayor asked the Blacksmith if he could do so, to which he agreed with no hesitation. After all, they were the ones that saved their village from the Geist. The Blacksmith, who is a Faunus with two sets of horns on his head, dark skin, and yellow eyes. He happily made the new armor and upgrade for Jaune as a thank you for saving his village. The Blacksmith sets down Jaune's new armor on the counter, causing him and the others, hence Voltaria, to be wowed at Jaune's new upgrade.
"There you go, son. It's going to be heavier than what you're used to, but you'll thank me the next time you go up against a set of claws." The Blacksmith said happily, knowing very well his armor will protect Jaune.
Jaune was at a loss of words, admiring his new armor, "Wow. That-eh...I don't know what to say."
"Just say thank you, it's not that hard to say." Wraith said through Jaune's mind.
"That's not what I...you know, never mind." Jaune said through his mind, knowing he won't win the argument.
The Blacksmith, who doesn't know about the entities and is oblivious to what he was thinking, simply smiles at Jaune, "Don't gotta say anything! Just put it on! I'll go get the rest." The Faunus blacksmith turns and goes out back to get the rest of Jaune's weapons.
"Thanks!" Wade thanked the Blacksmith for Jaune since the male was busy looking at the armor.
Jaune would've stared into space if Pyrrha didn't place her hand on his shoulder, snapping him back to reality, "Huh? Wha?"
Pyrrha smiles at him softly, "Jaune, aren't you going to put the armor on?"
Nora jumps in and agrees with Pyrrha, "YEAH! what are you waiting for?"
Jaune stammers a bit, "Oh, uh, right!" Jaune proceeds to take off his old chest-plate. He looked at them briefly when he placed it on the counter, softly speaking, "Guess I was going to grow out of it eventually."
Ren heard this and agreed, "A sign of progress."
"Yeah, it's good to change." Voltaria said softly, agreeing with Ren, making her friends smile at her.
"Progress," Jaune repeated with a nod. But when Jaune turns around and Ruby suddenly gasps then covers her mouth, trying not to giggle, but fails. Yang also did the same but held it in while biting her lips. Pyrrha, on the hand, giggles at the sight before her. Jaune was completely confused by this, wondering what's wrong, "What is it?"
Ruby then points to his chest, "What is that?!"
Turns out, Jaune's hoodie has a bunny emblem on Jaune's chest. It's completely cartoonish to look at and isn't very intimidating if Jaune faced any enemies. Wraith was laughing in everyone's mind while Regina and Tabitha did their best not to laugh. And Hannibal finds it adorable to look at.
"What, my hoodie?" Jaune questions out, still unaware why they were laughing.
"Uh, not to be a stickler here but how long have ya been wearin' that hoodie?" Wade asked him in amusement.
"I've always had this." Jaune answered.
Wade chuckles a bit while Evo did his best not to laugh, "That explains everything, partner." Wade said in amusement.
Ruby snorts a bit, "Yeah, it's even got a cute little bunny rabbit!" Ruby then burst into a fit of laughter, barely stopping herself.
Jaune protested, his face slightly blushing, "It's Pumpkin Pete! You know, from the cereal? And Pyrrha was on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!" He gestures to Pyrrha, who gives a small smile and a wave.
However, Ruby, still yet to mature, continues to laugh, nearly going hysterical by this, "What did you do?! Send in a box top for a prize?!"
Jaune crossed his arms and pouted while turning his head away, "Yeah! Fifty!"
"Oh, boy, as much as I want to make fun of ya, you really should get a new hoodie! HAHAHA!" Wraith laughs alongside Ruby.
"It's a limited edition hoodie!" Jaune defended, gesturing his hands on his hoodie.
"Well, that limited edition will be replaced with a new hoodie when we reach the next town." Voltaria said before looking at the group, "Those in favor?" And with that, everyone raises their hands up in agreement while Ruby continues to laugh hysterically, her head stylistically expanding, before she falls onto the floor.
Ren looks between a laughing Ruby and then an annoyed Jaune, "Well, I suppose we don't have to grow out of everything." He said while the others agreed with him.
As Ruby chortles from the floor, feet in the air, the blacksmith returns from out back "Can't have a Huntsman without his weapon." He spoke as he stuck a wide sword sheath into the countertop. This caused everyone, minus Voltaria, to be bewildered by Jaune's new sword, "Made all the modifications you asked for." To prove it, the blade expands into a shield, which impresses them even more. "That was some fine metal you brought me. Accents the white nicely. Where'd you get it from?"
Jaune looks at the gold accents on the shield, the design on the bottom reminiscent of Pyrrha's circlet. Pyrrha had brought extra metal to give to Jaune to upgrade his weapon, since he needed it more than her. He couldn't help but smile towards Pyrrha, who looked at him when she felt his eyes on her, "From a friend." He answered softly to the Blacksmith, causing Pyrrha to blush at this.
Voltaria and her friends waited outside of the Blacksmith's shop, before Jaune came out, wearing the new armor. He then pulls out the sword and expands the shield, showing everyone that he's battle ready. Everyone was impressed and appreciated by the Blacksmith's handy work, they wished they could give him something in return, but he assured them that it's free of charge and he didn't want their money.
"He cleans up alright, don't you think?" The Blacksmith asked them, proudly looking at his craftsmanship.
Ren nodded in agreement, "He certainly does."
"You have excellent craftsmanship." AJ compliments, which the Blacksmith accepted kindly.
Nora, who was giving a doubtful look, said, "I still think a grenade launcher would've really brought the look together."
"Nora!" Voltaria scolded Nora quietly, as if telling her that Jaune's weapon is enough.
Ruby then became excited, knowing that they were ready, "Nothing's gonna stop us now!"
Nora agrees with her, "Yeah! Team Thunder Thighs for the win!"
Ren objected to this, "Still not a color."
"And we are never calling ourselves that." Voltaria added with a frown.
Jaune smiles at them and sheathed his new sword, "It doesn't matter what we're called. As long as we're together."
"Well said, Jaune." Pyrrha said kindly, which he returned.
"Indeed," Regina agrees with Pyrrha.
The Blacksmith came out of his shop and looked at the team, "You kids sure you won't stick around? You've been really good to this town." He said, hoping they could stay a little longer. Feeling acquainted towards them even if they just stayed here for a few days.
Ruby shook her head in response, "Sorry, but we've got another mission."
"Make it to Haven Academy, no matter what." Nora said cheerfully.
"We've heard the next village has a working Airship." Ren said, knowing that Voltaria informed them due to her visions.
Blacksmith nodded in agreement, "Yeah, Shion Village has a working Airship, hopefully they could let you all use it."
"Why is that?" Evo asked the Faunus Blacksmith.
"Well, from what I heard recently, Shion has been on the edge since the attack by those bandits a year back but was then rescued by a mysterious savior." The Blacksmith informs them.
"Mysterious savior?" Yang suddenly questions him.
"Yeah, something about a woman with pale white skin and silver eyes. She took down those bandits like if they were nothin'! Heck, she summons black thorny vines from the ground and can control Grimm! Heck, she even made those giant crystals to protect them from Grimm! It was shocking news. Which reminds me..." The Faunus Blacksmith looked over to Voltaria with a questionable look, "By any chance do you know that woman? Are you two related or something?"
Voltaria and the others knew very well that he was referring to Crimson Rose, the unknown entity that was created when she and Ruby fused together with their Maiden Powers. People began wondering if she and Crimson Rose are even related. Voltaria responded by shaking her head a bit.
"No, this is the first time I have ever heard of someone who shares the same ability as me." Voltaria answered, even though it was a lie, there was a little bit of truth in there.
Luckily, the Blacksmith nodded his head in understanding, "Ah, another mysterious Grimm Tamer, guess there's some questions yet to answer, right?"
Voltaria simply nodded her head, "Right..."
"Anyways, safe journey now, Shion Village is five hours walk from here, I'm sure you'll reach there in time before dark."
"We will, thanks for the tip." Evo thanked the Blacksmith.
With a wave, the young hunters and huntresses turned and left, heading to Shion Village. The blacksmith waves back at them kindly before returning to his shop. Votaria and her friends meet up with Levistus, Amaryllis, Ripper, and Flare. They will reach their next destination quicker thanks to their giant friends. Team JNPR was riding on Levistus, Team WAVE was riding on Amaryllis, while Yang and Ruby rode on Ripper with Flare floating about. They will reach their destination in a snap, as long as they stay on course. Jaune was listing out the things they have brought.
"Food?" Jaune listed out.
"Check!" Nora responded cheerfully.
"Water?"
"Check!"
"How about ammo?" Jaune added.
"Locked and loaded! Thank you, Schnee Dust Company!" Nora answered happily, knowing that they are loaded with ammo.
At the mention of the Schnee Dust Company, Ruby grows somber, looking at the ground sadly. Her high-spirited attitude was replaced by worry and concern about Weiss. It's been almost a year since Voltaria sent two of her entities, Marionette & Chariot, to get Weiss out of her home and to Mistral. But so far, they have yet to do so. Voltaria notices Ruby's sadden expression and knows very well what was wrong.
"Something in your mind, Ruby?" Voltaria asked, looking towards her friend.
Ruby sighs in response as she looks at Voltaria in concern, "I'm just wondering when Marionette and Chariot will get Weiss out of her home? I'm worried that her dad locked her up or something."
"Ruby, Marionette and Chariot are in the premises, they're observing every nook and cranny of her home, finding secret passageways for them to sneak out undetected." Voltaria informs Ruby, "And besides, Marionette is with Weiss as we speak."
Yang looks at her in confusion, "How can she do that?"
"Simple, not only she's a mistress of puppets, but she and Chariot are both entities that are well known to be masters of disguise." Voltaria answered calmly.
"Well, let's just hope they can get her out of there. We need all hands-on deck when we reach Mistral." Wade said, which everyone agreed, "By the way, has your vision showed you any dinos that might be around?"
Voltaria shook her head, "None so far, but I believe Blake will meet one or two on her journey to Menagerie."
"Hopefully, the dino that Blake is gonna be friendly with." Yang said, silently wishing that this dinosaur was friendly to Blake.
Levistus suddenly lets out a small growl, causing Voltaria to look at him and translate, "He's saying that some of the creatures in the Lost Continent are friendly towards the Faunus back home, but he isn't sure these dinosaurs or prehistoric beasts will be see the Faunus here either friend or foe." This made the group worry, having a bad feeling that the dinosaurs or prehistoric beasts may not all be like Levistus, Amaryllis and Ripper.
"Well, it's a good thing we're ready, right?" Jaune said, brightening up the mood a bit, which it did, "Now, let's head to Shion Village. Nora, got the map?"
Nora froze as she slowly realized that forgotten something, and she quickly pointed fingers, "Ren's got it."
"No, I don't." Ren responded.
"Yeah, Nora, you were the last one to hold it and you said that you won't lose it." Evo reminds Nora.
"Wait, what?" Nora has completely forgotten her only responsibility.
Jaune became visibly worried, "Guys, please tell me you're joking."
Nora made a nervous laugh, "Uh...heh-heh-heh."
"Don't worry, Jaune, I got the map." Pyrrha said, holding up the map.
Jaune sighs in relief, "Oh, you're a lifesaver, Pyrrha."
"Yeah, and next time, don't give the map to Nora." Wraith said to the group.
"HEY!" Nora yelled while everyone laughed or chuckled at her in amusement.
The group continues onwards to the next village in high spirits, feeling the weight of their chest slowly lifted a bit. But they were not aware that something was watching them from a distance, hidden within the undergrowth of the forest. It wasn't a Grimm nor a bandit. No, it was actually a dinosaur. This particular dinosaur is none other than a Velociraptor, a female to be exact. However, unlike its fossil records, this particular Velociraptor has no feathers, and it is taller, and has no bird-like features. Instead, it stood about 3.9 meters long (13 feet) and 1.7 meters tall (5.6 feet). Has long hands, enlarged sickle toe-claws, and amber color cat like eyes. It also has bluish-gray skin/scales with a white stripe with metallic blue in the middle going horizontally from her eye orbit, with one side has blue around the eye, while the other side's stripe stops at the head, down to the tip of her tail. She watched the group from a safe distance, observing them carefully. They were a strange pack indeed, but something about them made her feel that they can be of use for her. Sinking back to the bushes, the Velociraptor continues to stalk them from a distance, waiting for the right chance to meet them at the right moment.
Atlas, a floating capital that houses all of high society and military. Gravity Dust keeps this massive land floating high above the ground, tethered to the soil by a series of cables below another city, which is Mantel. The two cities remained neutral for a couple of years, but changed during the Battle of Beacon, and the two cities became more distant than ever as well as having trust issues. And the security around Atlas has increased, as many airships were in the sky, patrolling the area, zooming past some buildings. One which belongs to the Schnee Family.
And watching through her bedroom window was Weiss Schnee, gazing forlornly out the window. She was currently sitting in a cushioned chair with her hands folded in her lap, watching more airships fly by through her window. She couldn't help but sigh sadly, feeling trapped within her home, wanting to leave and help her friends stop a great evil from happening to Mistral. Instead of being trapped in her room. But she wasn't alone, turning her head, there stood a girl with short black hair that was tied up, brown eyes, fair skin, and was wearing a SDC maid uniform. This is her personal maid, Mary Woods, she's been working as a maid over a year now, serving Weiss in her daily life. However, unknown to the family and the staff, Mary Woods isn't human.
Oh, no, she's actually Voltaria's entity, Marionette, who happens to be in disguise as Weiss's handmaid. Weiss is the only one that knew about this. She knows that Marionette and Chariot are here, disguised as humans. Chariot was disguised as their new personal driver after the last one quit. He goes by the name Charbel Ryder, a handsome man that makes any woman faint at the sight of him. And due to Chariot being an amazing driver in both horses and vehicles, he became the driver for the Schnee family. They planned on taking Weiss out of her home at the end of the month, in cover of darkness, by using the secret passageway they found when scouting the house secretly. So, Weiss had to be ready and patient to sneak out from her home.
Weiss snapped out from her train of thought when she heard a knock at her door. Weiss gave a nod to Marionette and the Puppet Entity, disguised as human, walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Klein Sieben, the Head Butler of the Schnee Family. He's a short, slightly heavyset man with balding brown hair and a large mustache. He typically has light brown eyes. He wears a white-collar long sleeve shirt, black vest, and cyan tie, black trousers, black shoes, and a silver pocket watch. He and Marionette share nods of greetings before Klein enters the room, hands behind his back, as he gives a friendly curtsy towards Weiss.
"Pardon the interruption, Miss Schnee, but your father wishes to speak to you." Klein informs Weiss.
Marionette narrowed her eyes and frowned after hearing Klein mention about Jacques, she despised that man very much, even working as a maid for a year, she would secretly send death glares behind Jacques's back. But Marionette kept her cool and stayed quiet. They will soon leave this manor before he could find out.
Weiss then lets out a sigh but agrees, "Thank you, Klein." She said gently towards her butler, who nodded his head before leaving. Weiss looks out the window once more before getting up and walking towards the door. Her heels clank across the floor as she solemnly goes to see her father. "Let's go, Marionette." She whispers to the Puppet Entity, holding the door.
Marionette bowed her head in response as Weiss walked past her, before following heiress out and shutting the door behind them.
So...yeah, Blue the Velociraptor made a brief cameo. The next one will have the dinosaurs; I can assure you. I've recently been too busy to write due to my job. I hope you guys understand. And the Sēnlín is the name I used to call the village that Voltaria and her friends saved.
The next chapter will be soon, just be a little more patient.