Here we are again! For another chapter, to prevent any confusion, there is going to be a short time skip for Kai and his pals. Just letting you all know that now before people start asking questions. That means the tournament arc is starting soon, like very soon, so you can all look out for that one!
Also, thank you all for the 100+ favorites! It amazes me how fast this story grew in terms of popularity. Thank you for enjoying my story!
Lastly, I have been getting some reviewers who are concerned with the age difference as of now with the possibly pairings. Guys, I get it, having two kids with an age difference like that would be creepy, but let me make this clear. The pairing will not be happening until at least the Beacon saga, that way all the characters are of age. I do not plan for any romance besides some fluff here and there with each character until then. So no, a 14 year old Kai will not be getting with a 12 year old Ruby anytime soon, I wouldn't write something like that. Once again, any of the pairings will not happen until the Beacon arc, where everyone is of age to make things much more moral, and even though Ruby is winning the Poll, that does not mean that she will be the main pairing of this fic, the Poll is for me to see what you want to see in this story. So I could very well pull a sneaky one on you all and go for Neo, who is at the bottom of the Poll in terms of votes. In the end it is still my decision.
Now let us thank the reviewers from last chapter!
Masso 2010: I see you are excited for this story to reach the tournament arc, don't worry because in the next few chapters, that arc will be happening. I got so much planned for it!
HaFschu: Thank you! And here is the next one!
Arctech: I sent you the PM just as you wanted, but again thank you for everything you told me you enjoy. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as well.
SuperKaiokenGoku: Well… Kai doesn't have that ability yet, nor has he ever tried it. He doesn't even know he can do something like that yet. But if they were out of aura like Hazel and Tyrian then yes, it would work. Also would work if their aura was like at half or something.
Thank you all for the reviews!
Current Poll results:
Ruby Rose- 26
Yang Xiao Long- 19
Weiss Schnee- 15
Orchid Rosa- 11
Blake Belladonna- 7
Pyrrha Nikos- 6
Neo- 4
If you guys have ship name Ideas for all of these possible pairings, please help a brotha out.
Now let us get on with the story!
RWBY: The Blind Huntsman
Chapter 15- Volume 0, Episode 13
Challenge In The Horizon
Kai had just finished another day at Signal, the same day that him and his friends are going to depart to Mistral in order to compete in the championship tournament. He has been told by pretty much all his friends that he will have to get through this Pyrrha girl if he wants any hope of getting winning the Tournament, and he honestly couldn't care less. The better the challenge the more he can improve.
He takes a deep breath, relaxing his mind and body. Silver Ebony stabbed into the ground beside him. Over the past few weeks, he has been training intensely, every single morning, and every single night, with little time for himself and his friends. He handled Ruby's training the best he could with the help of Yang and sometimes Orchid. Then before he knew it, Qrow had returned soon after he listened to what his father left him, the message and explanation of his true origins. Along with a revelation on what is truly going on in this world.
In a flash, he grabs the hilt of his sword, and stabs it through a leaf that was falling slowly in front of him. Along with his very improved physique that Yang started teasing him on, or flirting. Kai can never tell with her, nor does he have the time for something like that at the moment, even if she gets him flustered almost every time.
His sensing has improved drastically, his spar with Shae showed him that he doesn't have to rely on making contact with the ground to be able to see his opponent, he can sense the disturbance in the air in about a four foot radius around his body. The only drawback being that it takes an incredible amount of focus and concentration. Almost to the point where it is not even worth it using in combat.
His body has grown a considerable amount of muscle mass during this extreme training regiment. Though he still has his slightly bulkier lean build, he is much more cut, and every physical attribute has been improved. Yet, that does not matter to him, he has made scarcely little progress on tapping into the dormant power of his eyes. While he is certain that he feels something when he meditates, and tries to use them, it just isn't enough, and so, he will continue to train.
His skills with his sword however, has come natural to him. Years of training with the weapon as well as using his flimsy stone weapons has only added to his skill. He has yet to be able to activate any of its abilities that his father told him about in the message. But he feels like he is getting close at least. Much closer then activating his eyes anyway.
After just a few days of this training, and days of his mother and Tai making him all sort of organic meals every single day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Though Marron takes care of the former two, his partner, as well as Yang and Ruby started asking questions about why he has been acting differently, why he has been focusing so much on his training, and hardly spending any time with them. To his defence he tried to get Ruby to join him on this training mission of his, but the girl was just too young, and not as built as he was for something like this.
After that, during school hours he always makes sure to speak to them whenever he can. Then after school he would spend all of his time with Yang and Ruby whenever he could, with of course his mother teasing me at every corner. He decided to keep his eyes to himself, while he is probably going to reveal them to them in the future, his father's words were taken heavily to heart.
Speaking of his eyes, he has grown much closer to Orchid as both a partner and a friend after he showed her his eyes. She has even begun to discuss plans with him on how she is going to find a way to make him his partner at Beacon once they graduate Signal here, something about making the sound of a flamingo. She was always able to make him smile every time he felt like he was about to fall over, and die on the spot because of his constant exhaustion. He has participated in some of the sparring matches of course, and by participated he means that Qrow calls him down before Tai can select two random opponents, and man, has his training been showing. Just a few months into Signal, and he has already made quite a name for himself.
Unfortunately, Team CFVY had to return to Beacon just a few days ago. He made sure to give them each a goodbye, and took a slightly longer time with Fox, who promises him that he will train with what Kai has provided him with in order to see the same way he can. Coco slapped him on the butt, and told him to get older so she can cuff him, whatever that means. He blushed and rubbed his butt before shaking the hands of both Yatsuhashi and Velvet, the latter taking a selfie with him, and the hilarious picture of him looking straight ahead while Velvet held the camera at an angle is something that Coco swore that she will hang on her wall. He already can't wait to seem them again, they each taught him something important, and looks forward to crossing paths with them a few more times, and soon they will, since Kai is going to attend Beacon in just a few short years. To this day he wonders how they are all doing.
Falcon made a few returns, at random times and in no specific pattern but always at night. It was convenient for her since Kai was always by himself, and in the middle of the woods at that time. She'd come by out of nowhere, show him just how far he is from her level with her style of training. Which was very unique to say the least. comment on his growth in both strength and skill, and then just leave. Always saying that she would return when she felt like it. They had a weird relationship, and in time Kai stopped being hostile around her since the older woman seemed to genuinely want to seem him grow, for whatever reason that may be. He knows she is a Branwen, and wants to ask Qrow about it, but those words; "Just. Our. Secret." Kept echoing within his mind. So he kept it to himself, and just never brought it up.
With his mind now cleared, Silver Ebony sang as it cut through the air, he felt his aura being absorbed at a very slow pace. Just as his father explained it would, he hasn't sensed it grow longer, and if it did he just couldn't tell, but it definitely got sharper. If being able to cut through stone and wood like a hot knife through butter was anything to go by. Even when it wasn't absorbing aura, it was still was a very dangerous weapon, and his bracer which has been dubbed, 'Silver Protector', and no he did not have any say in the naming process, Ruby and Yang happily banned him after the fork in the road situation.
"Hey!"
Kai kept his concentration, and slashes through the air, tensing his arm muscles as he rose a stone slab out of the ground.
"Hey Matsu!"
He swung his sword and cut right through the stone slab, and senses it's heavy weight slip and crash to the ground in front of him with a loud thud.
"Yo!"
He felt the air shift around him, and suddenly felt a person standing right in front of him, he quickly reattached his sword to his hip and smiled. This was certainly a pleasant surprise to him, he wasn't expecting company during this training session.
"Oh, hey Ruby, what's up?" He asked as he wiped his forehead with his forearm.
"What do you mean 'what's up'? You have to go to the ships! You were supposed to leave ten minutes ago!" Ruby exclaimed and grabbed him by the end and proceeds to pull him along with her with her semblance, forming a red and silver flurry of rose petals, ignoring the indignant gasp of shock and complaints that Kai makes as he suddenly goes at the speed of a train.
"Ruby you know I get sick when you do this!" Kai shouted, holding down the urge to gag.
With a skid they both come to a stop, and Kai immediately gagged, but managed to keep it in. Not missing the way that several other people jumped away from him just in case he throws up his lunch.
"You made it!" Orchid was not one of those people, and she picks him up in a hug and spun him around for a bit, she was lucky that she didn't push him over the edge and end up with bits of food and stomach acid over her face and hair. "Happy birthday by the way!"
"Orchid, my birthday was two weeks ago." Kai pointed out as he was finally put down.
"Oh yeah… sorry about missing that." Shy Orchid said as she rubbed the back of her head.
"You were the one who decorated the party room, and then cried when you remembered that he couldn't see any of the decorations." Marron pointed out.
"Really!?" Perplexed Orchid asked with a tilt of her head. "Yeah, sounds like something I would do." Smart Nerdy Orchid confirmed with a nod as she pushed her magical glasses up to her eyes.
"And I am now thirteen!" Ruby squaked, earning a chuckle from everyone in the same room.
"Yeah, lucky you. Now we're a year apart." Yang said to her sister with a sigh, flicking away a fake tear. "How's it feel to be older than the fiery dragon of Signal?" She asked Kai with a nudge to his side.
"You know I can sense that you envious of the fact that I am older than you right?" Kai pointed out with a chuckle.
"Stop doing that!" Yang exclaimed and stomped her foot, everyone laughed at her expense.
"I can't just stop doing it Yang, it is how I see." Kai calmly argued, tapping his bare foot against the wood of the floor to emphasize his point.
"As much as I would love listening to you two argue," Qrow ended the upcoming argument before it could get too heated. "We kinda have about twenty minutes before the ship takes off, which means we should probably leave a few minutes ago."
"Ah! You're right! I forgot that was why they sent me to go get you!" Ruby cried out.
"You can apologize later, if we leave now we should be able to get there in time." Kai said quickly. "Mom, are you coming?"
"Of course, I'll be damned if I let you go to a different kingdom without me being around you again." Marron said as stood up from her seat.
"I have to take Ruby there on my own, I won't condemn any babysitters to having to take care of her since she would keep trying to convince them to go see the tournament in person." Taiyang grabbed his daughter by the shoulder to stop her from dashing away again, and keeps his hand there just in case. "Beacon is having a holiday, so some of the teachers there are going to come down and teach in our absence."
"Yup, so that leaves me in charge of you brats." Qrow drawled. "Come on you three, they won't leave with any of us, but that doesn't mean that we should keep them waiting." He left the house and started walking away, before rolling his eyes and pausing to tell the kids to hurry up or else he is going to leave them behind.
Yang was too busy giving a tearful goodbye to her younger sister, even though they are only going to be separated for a maximum of a few days that doesn't mean that Ruby isn't going to miss her terribly and make Yang promise to send her a message or call her every day. Kai had a one sided goodbye with Zwei, who nibbled at his droopy tail to get his attention, and then for the first time without the use of his tail Kai actually picked the corgi up, and pat him without telling the dog to stop biting his tail.
Of course Zwei replied by licking his face so fast that it was covered with saliva within mere seconds. His new even blacker blindfold getting just a bit moist as a result, luckily he tied it extra tight today since the dog has made a habit of biting it off of his face when his guard is down. Once he was done with him, he shook hands with Tai, and was tasked with making sure Yang doesn't go punching random people just so she can have a bit of fun, and also to constantly mess with Qrow's drink for the sole reason that it amuses him. The latter of which Kai is less willing to do, but does consider it.
Once they were done, Marron, Kai, Orchid, Yang, and Qrow all finally departed the Xiao Long household, with Taiyang and Ruby both waving back, the former of which having a hand firmly locked around her shoulder because you can never be too safe when you have a daughter that can run faster than the eye can see.
"By the way, where is your mom Orchid?" Kai inquired his partner. "I thought she would have happily escorted us, being a huntress and well… your mom."
"Oh! She's already in Mistral." Peppy Orchid answered almost immediately.
"What? Since when?" Qrow was the one to ask before anyone else, it took him weeks and a worm to be able to get there, and he was flying. Unless Orchids mom took a very fast bullhead much like the one everyone is about to board now, there is no logical way that she could have made it there within days, he saw her just the other day for pete's sake!
"Uh… the last thing she said to me was…"
"I'm going to use my semblance and get there before everyone, see you then my beautiful little Flamingo!"
"Semblance, yeah, she used her semblance." Introverted and embarrassed Orchid said with a forced toothy smile that did nothing but creep Qrow out a little.
"What kind of semblance does she have? I fle- It took me awhile to get there on my own and I had the means of getting there a lot faster then any normal bullhead."
"What even is it anyway?" Yang asked. "Now that you mention it I don't think I've ever seen you use yours, have you unlocked it yet?"
"Oh! Well I am glad you asked! My semblance is-"
Malikai stood up with a grunt, still a little sore after training Vernal for the morning, the bitch managed to keep up with him for just a bit today. With a goal in mind, he headed off to Ravens tent and let himself it, pushing passed her personal guards who were wise to not try to stop him.
"Tournament starts in less then a week Raven, I want to see my son compete." Malikai stated.
Raven continued to eat her food, even as her long time friend (sort of), demanded that he be allowed to watch his son compete in the tournament in person.
"We have a TV tent here you know." Raven pointed out after she swallowed a mouthful of food. "Why is it more important if you see him fight in person when you could get a better quality view there?"
"Because unlike you I care about my offspring's future." Malikai snapped. "A future which I want to be a part of. I am not even asking to actually speak with him, I just want to physically be there for him."
"I am well aware of what you want Malikai." Raven drawled, feeling a headache settle in, his insult doing nothing but annoy her. "And I will give you the same answer, the most I feel comfortable with allowing you to do is to watch it here. Forgive me but you haven't really been giving me the vibe of pure trust during your stay."
"What do you want from me then?" Malikai asked suddenly, his silver eyes boring into hers.
"Hm?" Raven was intrigued by his question, and wants to hear him ask it again.
"I know that I can't do much without your say so when it involves leaving the camp, and I know how you value returning favours." Malikai pointed out, shifting his stance a little as he saw her arch her eyebrow. "So if you do me this favour, I'll do something for you."
"Vernal will come with you." Raven said simply as she picked food out from under her nails.
"... That isn't all is there?" Malikai questioned, narrowing his eyes just a bit.
"Of course not, she will accompany you to make sure you don't do anything… regrettable. She could also learn a few things from watching the children fight, as well as pay a visit to a person of interest."
"This 'person of interest' is my son isn't it?" Malikai's narrowed eyes turned into a scowl, not liking the idea one bit.
"Well it is either that or I may pay him a visit myself, and you don't get to go." Raven shrugged her shoulders. "Make a choice Malikai, I am already being generous for even considering letting you go."
"This benefits you much more than it does me." Malikai pointed out the obvious.
"Yes, it does." Raven smiled. "So?"
"I will agree only if you tell me what Vernal is going to be doing to or with my son."
Raven sighed exasperatedly. "Calm down Malikai, It's not like I am sending her there to fuck him." Malikai was unamused with the joke that he hopes is a joke. "She is just going to see how good he is, which of course means fight, or train, whatever you want to call it I don't really care."
"Is she going to use her Maiden powers?"
"She might, or might not, depends on how good he is."
Malikai took a while to think about this, pacing around the tent as he did so. Accept, and he gets to see his son in the flesh again, with a high possibility of seeing his wife again. Which would bring a lot of comfort and relief to his heart. If Marron was there, that would mean that Kai got his message, whenever that was. If that were the case, then Kai would have begun his training. Also, Vernal, he has become a good bit closer with the young woman, in terms of a mentor and student, and he likes to think friend. He might be able to convince her to let him see his son, and she might at least consider his request without telling Raven. That is a risk, he knows it is. But doing nothing and running the risk of Raven paying him a visit is much more scary to think about.
"Very well, I'll take what I can get." Malikai accepted with a hidden smirk.
Raven smiled and nodded her head. "Alright, get ready, you leave first thing in the morning. You get to see to Vernal as well."
"Oh yeah, really looking forward to that." He said sarcastically as he left the tent.
He stopped hiding his smirk as he did so.
Raven could play her games, and he could find a way to beat her. This was just the first step.
"Miss Schnee, the Mistralian championship tournament is just around the corner, this is the last chance you'll get at pulling out." Her advisor tells her the same thing he has been telling her for the past three hours, no doubt a task given to him my her rather constrictive father.
"I am aware of the opportunity, you need not remind me. But my decision is made, I will be participating in this tournament, and I will prove to my father that I am skilled enough to become a huntress." The heiress replied as she brushed her long snow white hair.
"I… I understand Miss Schnee, many apologies." The man bowed politely.
"You are just doing your job…" Weiss didn't finish her sentence, more focused on making her hair look beautiful as it always is before she boarded her own private aircraft.
"I have reached out to your older sister Miss Schnee just as you ordered." The man said next, this time in a much less forced tone. "Winter will be able to attend," Weiss smiled softly and cheered in the comfort and privacy of her own head. "as long as your younger brother Whitley travels with you to see it for himself." She then began to curse her older sister for ever being born.
While her relationship with her older sister, Winter Schnee, was phenomenal, at least when it is compared to her relationship with her father, mother, and younger brother. Her relationship with the latter is… much less enthusiastic to say the least. It is not like she hates him, no far from it. It is more like Whitley does anything within his power to bother and annoy her, and when you give a boy the power of nigh unlimited money, he can do much with the ideas he concocts, and also damn his affectionate nature. He always hugs without asking permission, and only specifically to Weiss.
But alas, it is a sacrifice she will be willing to make. If it means she is able to get her older sister to attend and watch her fight that is.
"Understandable, get my younger sibling dressed and ready to go, and you." She called to the idle butler, who perks up at being addressed so suddenly. "Go pack his bags, we will be gone for the duration of the tournament, make sure you pack only what he needs. I don't need him walking around in casual clothing for an event such as this, especially if he watches my compete."
"Understood Miss Schnee." Both of her servants said right away, and immediately head off to do their duties.
Now with them gone, Weiss opened up her very expensive and advanced scroll, literally the only gift her father gave to her that she actually kept for more than a few months max. She opens up a familiar article that has once again been updated, and it is one that has been keeping tabs on a certain blind warrior named Kai Matsuoka. Weiss has been deeply curious of the half-faunus, but by no means is she fawning over him. She is simply doing… 'research' that may or may not aid her in battle. It turned out that the article was restricted in fully explaining what his semblance was, but 'Element Manipulation' is quite the semblance if what Weiss was thinking about was correct.
She has seen the online video of the boy her age in quite the intense sparring match against another faunus, and he was just using a quarter of his semblance at the time, as well as being unarmed except for that beautiful bracer he has on his left wrist. She knows that if she wants to win, not only does she need to get by Pyrrha Nikos herself, but she also needs to get by Kai Matsuoka, and she does not plan on losing. She has to win not only for herself, but to prove to her father that she is not week, and so she challenges herself to at least make it to the semi-finals, but her main goal is to win the entire thing, that should be more than enough to prove to her father exactly what she is really made of. Not one to be controlled.
She finishes getting ready, tying up her hair in a lopsided ponytail as she always does, and puts on her combat gear. The one with the skirt of course, and heels. Anyone who questions her on why she fights in heels gets the fury of Myrtenaster. It's not even as hard as it sounds!
She smiles as she admires herself in the mirror, and then heads off to pick up her dastard younger brother.
"- and that is what my semblance is!" Bubbly Orchid finishes explaining as nearly every first year student of Signal Academy line up to enter a very large aircraft, nearly bigger then the academy itself. Kai wondered what was going on with all the 'oos' and 'ahs' that he kept hearing. All he sensed was a lot of people and a building next to the one he has been going to ever since he started living on Patch.
"All you literally said was semblance and how cool it was." Yang pointed out.
"In time I am sure she will reveal it, probably in the qualifiers of the tournament we are taking part in." Kai knew his partner well enough to know that she will probably finally reveal it there. That is his prediction. He has given up on trying to figure out what it was when she said it was to make everyone bow down to the Flamingo Goddess and cure her sidekick of his visual illness. After that he never brought it up again.
"So tell me more about how popular my son is?" Marron asked Yang. "I need to get all the embarrassing material I can get, it is my duty as a mother." She added in a whisper that Yang chuckled at.
"I don't think I'm that popular… the only reason I have so much attention as it is, is because I am blind. It would be a much different story if I could actually see." Kai shard his honest thoughts as he nervously rubbed the back of his head with a slightly red face upon remembering how he is apparently one of the most known huntsman in training in the world.
"Yo Kai!" His fellow faunus, Shae called out to him, skipping the line until she reached her blind friend. "Whats up Monkey?" She teased when she caught up to him.
"Nothing much Tiger, just waiting for my turn at the amusement ride." Kai teased back, all the while his mother watched on with an amused expression on her face. The only reason she wasn't offended by the fact that this rare tiger faunus has called her son 'monkey' is because she is also a faunus, and it seems that she is fond of her son, and the feeling is mutual if Kai happily chatting away with her was anything to go by.
Then yet another girl, this one with long wavy dark green hair suddenly appeared on his other side. "Mm." Two used her own way of greeting by nudging Kai in the arm.
"Oh, hey Two, how're you doing?"
"Mmm."
"Yeah, I am feeling the same way to be honest."
"Mmm?"
"I've been training a lot, I feel like I am about to pass out."
"Mmm."
"I am glad you understand."
Marron leaned down to her sons partner. "How does he understand her?"
"I honestly have no idea, they just kind of do this randomly." Orchid honestly replied.
"Where are Emerald and Mercury?" Yang joined the group conversation. "I thought they would have jumped at the chance to compete in something like this, especially that Mercury guy, his kicks are insane."
"Mm." Two's hum sounded irritated, and bothered.
"Bah, him and his girlfriend are transferring somewhere in Mistral, probably Haven. Turns out they never planned on staying here permanently." Shae explained with a growl, her tiger ears even twitched angrily as she spoke. "So now me and Two are the proud members of Team Touché. Get it? Two Shae?" Shae laughed as she said this. "Professor Albedo thinks of the perfect team names, I love it."
"Mm mm." That was Two's way of laughing, and she agreed with her statement.
"Well that sucks, I was wondering why I haven't seen them in a while." Kai scratched his nose. "But I think you two will work together great. It already seems like you're getting along with each other."
"Yeah, Two's not bad," Shae shrugged. "Just took awhile for me to get used to the humming thing she's got going on."
"Mhm." Translation: "She's a bitch but she's my bitch now."
"Hey! Don't hum about me like that!" Shae somehow understood that, causing everyone to laugh at the display of just perfect comradery.
"Anyway, where's your partner Yang? I thought he would be here with us by now." Kai asked once he finally noticed that Cyan hasn't been around for a while.
"He texted me saying that he was going to be a bit late, something about the Violet boys causing trouble I think."
"I swear to whatever god abandoned this world I will kill both of you if you don't hurry up." Cyan threatened both Rick and Brick as he they follow him with their heads hung low.
"We said we were sorry bro." Brick said with a bit of shame in his voice.
"Yeah, we didn't mean to do what we did." Rick followed.
"Oh, you didn't mean to somehow burn down that shed made of metal? Please, do explain how that came to be." Cyan's voice was laced with hostility and sarcasm, he was really not in the mood. This morning was just not his today.
"We just wanted to experiment with our lightning!"
"Yeah, we wanted to see if we can superheat metal and cause it to combust!"
"The experiment was very successful."
"It sucks that we couldn't put it out though. Well at least the flames were purple."
"Yeah that was cool! We're lucky that my color is red and yours is blue, could you imagine if you were yellow or something? We would have just made boring orange flames instead of that masterpiece."
"Yeah, we really are lucky."
The Violet twins shared a laugh together as they completely veered off the path of actually explaining what happened. Cyan showed up because the shed was kind of in his backyard, and imagine his surprise when he saw the metal shed on fire with purple flames, and then the two boys he has the unfortunate displeasure of having to deal with for the past eight years. Not only were they panicking, but for some reason they decided to start dancing around it like some cavemen once they realized what color the flames were. Cyan was very tired at the time, but he could have sworn he saw them both take a selfie with the wreck just before he caught up with them and slapped them each in the face twice with the back of his hand.
"I count you more lucky that I haven't killed you two yet. No, you're lucky I was able to put it out before it spread to my house! My Ma was sleeping you know, imagine her face when I had to explain to her how exactly the shed in the back suddenly combusted."
"Pft." The brothers started snickering to each other, trying and failing miserably to hide it.
"It's not funny!" Cyan shut them both up by raising his voice. "Now we have to take one of the other rooms, which means we aren't going to be able to ride with our friends. Which means I am going to be stuck with you two to make sure you don't set the entire ship on fire!"
The twins whimpered like beat dogs, making Cyan sign and pinch the bridge of his nose. They always pulled out his heartstrings with those faces of theirs. Now he feels bad, and now he feels like he has to apologize.
"Just… don't burn anything else down, alright?" He said in a much softer voice. "If you are good, then I might go easy on you in the tournament if you face up against me."
"Ha! As if we would lose to the likes of you." Brick laughed.
"That's right, either of us can beat you one on one!" Rick exclaimed.
Cyan sighed and shook his head. "How are you two somehow the same age as me?"
"Because we were born in the same year?"
"Because you love us?"
"Yeah, that to."
"I hate you both, now come on."
"So he is going to be in one of the other rooms." Yang finished.
"Those three are more like an older brother dealing with his younger siblings then just a trio of friends." Orchid analyzed.
"Students! I am glad you could all make it!" Headmaster Albedo called out to the entire crowd with a very loud voice that instantly silenced all the others. "I am sure you are all eager to move on, but the headmaster of Beacon Academy has an announcement for you all!" Just as he said this, Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy, showed himself from beside the headmaster of Signal Academy, and with no further words, gave him the stand.
"Hello, I will keep this quick, since I am sure you are all very eager to head to Mistral to compete in the tournament." Ozpin cleared his throat.
Kai tenses up slightly at the sound of his voice. His father's message repeating in his head about not to trust anyone, and to especially not get too involved with this man. But he keeps his cool, while he knows of his existence, and that he is attending Signal, he has not made any moves to recruit him into his circle. So all Kai does is wait and listen carefully to his next words.
"To whoever wins this tournament, you will get a guaranteed spot in my school, as well as a completely free tuition." Ozpin made sure to say this while looking at Kai, even as all of the children cheered and were filled with even more motivation than before.
So much for not making any moves on me… Kai thought to himself, it may just be a coincidence, but the more that he thought about it and his father's message still fresh in his memory, he just knows that this is directed more to him more than anyone else. That of course doesn't stop a shocked expression to overtake his features, and for his heart to beat just a bit faster. He was going to go to Beacon anyway, and this would certainly make things easier. He doesn't know how much the tuition is, but knowing that his family had many troubles with money, he should not pass up this opportunity, even if it means that he puts himself even more on Ozpin's radar.
Kai unconsciously gripped his left wrist, specifically around his Silver Ebony bracer. His mother placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and she glared at Ozpin. She doesn't know about Salem, nor anything about the Maidens, but Kai did share with her that Malikai specifically told him to be careful around Ozpin. Marron assumes that it is because of her sons silver eyes, and she is not that far from the truth. But already too close.
"Mom…" He called to her as he leaned into her touch.
"It's okay, you were going to go to Beacon anyway." Marron said with a sad chuckle. "Might as well save me the trouble of robbing a bank for you or something."
Kai laughed and was thankful of his mothers easy going nature. He nodded his head and latched on to her just a bit longer.
"That is all, you may board the ships, we will be departing very shortly, the Atlesian ship is well equipped to entertain, feed you, and there is an area where you can continue your training if you wish, with of course supervision by any huntsman available. With that, I welcome you in advance to Mistral." Ozpin backed away and was the first to enter the ship, with Albedo close behind. Making sure to pull aside one of the teacher who will be staying around and warning them not to make the temporary Headmistress anywhere near angry.
"Lets go Kai, the sooner we get there the sooner I get to see you kick ass on the world stage!" Marron exclaimed as she pulled her son by the hand, and interlocked her tail around his own to further increase the strength of her pulling. Embarrassing her son in the process.
"Mom! Don't do this in front of my friends!" Kai whined as he boarded the ship, along with his laughing friends who were very close behind and had a first row seat at seeing Kai get pulled by his tail by yet another tail.
For all his training, and the mission he has been burdened with, he was still a fifteen year old boy that his mother knew very well.
"This is turning out to be a great field trip!" Happy and excited Orchid cheered, and then proceeded to grab Kai by his tail and helping Marron pull him further into the ship. "This is fun!"
"AH! Zwei why are you here!?" Some things never change.
"You really are going all out for that boy aren't you?" Albedo asked his fellow headmaster with an arched eyebrow.
"However do you mean my friend?" Ozpin asked as he sat down at their desk near the window, as they spoke the ship began to take off.
"Let me speak true to the heart Oz," Albedo took a seat as well, just across from Ozpin and still within reach. "He is my student right now as of this moment, which means it is my duty as a headmaster, and a huntsman to make sure he is safe from harm until he is of age. The path you aim to lead him on is not one that will end with clean hands." He looked into Ozpin's eyes with a certain fire, telling him with just his gaze that he will do what he must.
"You must understand old friend, I do not aim to taint his good heart, no far from it. But with his father unwilling to assist, whom is much more powerful than the previous silver eyed warrior that worked with me, and a master of his eyes no less. Unless you'd rather me pursue Ruby Rose, who is much younger, and arguably even more pure hearted then dear Kai Matsuoka. Surely you understand I have very limited options here." Ozpin explained calmly, placing both elbows on the table as they delved into an argumentative discussion.
"The boy is blind Ozpin, how do you even know that he would be even able to use his eyes?" Albedo asked.
"He has been training to unlock them, I wouldn't put it past Malikai to have told his son about his true origins before his disappearance. Trust me, I have my sources."
"You mean Qrow?" Albedo corrected. "It is legal for a man of his age to be spying on a boy?"
"In any other case, yes." Ozpin answered as he took a sip out of the glass of wine that was sitting there waiting for them. "But this is a special case in which it is allowed."
"Of course it is, of course. Just like Summer was?" Albedo jabbed with his voice laced with passive anger and sarcasm.
Ozpin narrowed his eyes at the man before him, the subject of Summer Rose was not one to be discussed. "You are treading on thin ice Albedo, while I am willing with your mostly amusing personality, there are some things that should not be brought up."
"Oh, I couldn't agree more Ozma. But I simply can't help it sometimes, you know my semblance can be used for many things, some of those things just get to me sometimes you know?"
"Hmm, yes, the ability to look into the past of a person's lifetime by simply looking into their eyes is the main reason I invited you to my inner circle."
"Ah, yes, the inner circle as you say. Very well." Albedo took the whole bottle of wine, and stood up from the table. "I will leave you with my unspoken threat, I have some students to keep an eye on, specifically the Violet twins." He laughed as he headed to the door. "They somehow managed to set a metal shed on fire, imagine my surprise when that document landed on my desk this morning." With that, Albedo left the office, leaving Ozpin to his thoughts, and to his plans. "See you next time Orlando!"
After a few moments, he stood up and stepped to the window that lead to the outside world, the wide open sky, he always found the skies of Remnant to be so beautiful, so peaceful.
"I do not plan on losing any more silver eyed warriors."
There we go, another chapter in the history book of Genatools. This chapter set up a lot of things, we got Weiss coming back, which marks the appearance of all four members of Team RWBY. Who all has heard of Kai here, or met him. Kai is a popular kid, and yes, he is 15 now, and Ruby is now 13. Progress has been made
Not much to say again, only that time skips are going to be plentiful and I want to warn you guys about it so I can prevent any confusion. In order for this story not to drag on in the Signal arc of things, time skips are required. If you are wondering what chapter starts Beacon, I can say that we will start getting into maybe… chapter 25? Give or take a few probably. I managed to actually follow my own rules this time, and stopped myself from writing another 10k word chapter. So yay me.
No extra this time, I decided that I only want to do extras every other chapter. Coming up with one for every chapter is hard.
Which is why, I will be accepting Omake requests! If you have an idea for an Omake, whatever genre it may be. I will gladly take the idea you present me, write it at the end of the chapter, and give you credit for the idea. Hell, if I like it the ideas so much I'll maybe do two in one chapter, or do it every chapter again like I was doing before. Inspire me!
Please review and let me know what you think of the chapter! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!