"This is where we found it." Prim pointed at the slightly chipped stone, and Ruby let out a mild sigh of relief.
Finally.
They had awoken at the crack of dawn, and immediately set off for their destination. They had a small meal before leaving which consisting of a pseudo-burnt hunk of meat. Ruby hadn't been quite sure what it was that Prim had scorched for them, or if it was even edible, however she felt a small smile creep across her lips as Pebble visibly devoured the charred flesh. The cuteness of the small boy's appetite was the only positive of the entire morning, as most of it had been a walk through the desert and it's various storms.
Much to her displeasure they had been forced to walk to their destination on foot as the sandstorm was particularly vicious; the ship would have been little use with the winds pushing it back. The gale blew south, which was the exact opposite direction of what they needed. Even dust would have had little effect in controlling their trajectory, and so it was a solid three hours of walking through the storm.
Ruby approached the stone, her hand glazing against the rough surface as she scanned for anything out of the ordinary in the rock, more particularly that of the mystical. While magic was lost to humanity, there was still a chance that something of supernatural essence might have been laying around. Her mind drew back to the Dream-Spinner, and it's warning of other siblings weighed heavily in her observation of the stone. While she didn't expect an attack quite yet, it was still a possibility that one of them may have had a hand in whatever took hold of Prim and the others.
She found no traces of Grimm, and after a few moments could conclude she found no traces of anything. The stone was merely that: a stone; no different than that of any other rock. Ruby looked back to the others, intent to tell them the unfortunate findings, and yet she saw something that peaked her interest.
Unlike the others who wore faces of intrigue, Pebble had his eyes set on the horizon with a particularly curious look about him.
"Pebble, what do you see?" She asked as the boy snapped from whatever it was that drew his attention. He looked to her for a moment, seeming to question what to do. Ruby made sure to put on a comforting mask of trusting curiosity, with her lips pulled into a thin pucker of patience as she tilted her head ever so slightly for added effect. His face showed it all, and after a quick dwell on what to do he looked back with sturdy resolve, and she herself spoke a silent cheer inside at pulling off her look.
"There's aura over there." The boy pointed in the distance behind her.
"Aura... over there?" Prim had been the one to ask as she sent a lopsided gaze towards the boy.
Pebble did not answer, instead he continued to point as Ruby made her way over. She didn't know what he meant, and looking over she could see the others didn't have a clue either, however she knew to trust the boy even when she didn't quite understand. Years upon years of failure had rewarded her with experience for situations in which everything seemed amiss or confusing, and she had ever so slowly learned how to observe and approach those types of scenarios. Pebble clearly knew something they didn't, and even though they didn't understand she was both ready and willing to trust him. This trust was not spontaneous though, as anything could happen, but they had found nothing at the moment, and even though it was a potential gamble Pebble had seen something.
She would ask him what he meant by 'aura' later, but for now she had only one thing to say to him.
"Lead the way."
And lead the way he had. Ruby trudged throughout the storm with the others valiantly, and even as it got harder to see Pebble's little arm remained outstretched, shifting slightly as they moved. Ruby would shift with the directions and soon enough they noticed the winds begin to calm. With what she could only describe as a soothing feeling overwhelming her they soon bore witness to the eventual end of the storm, just before what looked like a small stone arc.
Prim took a few steps forward, looking between Pebble and the arc. "So... is this it?"
Duster hummed slightly. "Doesn't seem all that strange, although it does have a certain charm to it." He took a few steps forward; tugging at his beard while looking the stone over.
"Although I have to question who in their right mind would construct such a thing all the way out here." Gasket was the least impressed out of all, and yet he twisted a smirk. "Though I must say the sculptor has an admirable sense of dedication to perform this far from civilization."
Ruby looked to the boy. "What do you think Pebble?"
"Lots of aura..." His words trickled off into a whisper and his eyes seemed enraptured by the sight of the arc.
Wait. She very quickly corrected that thought as his eyes were not on the stone, but in the space between. He was staring directly through the arc, as if something lay off in the distance. But Ruby saw only more sand, and what looked like another storm coming. She was hesitant, but the look of focus on the boy drove away her doubts.
"Uh, dolly... what are you doing." Prim asked as Ruby started towards the arc.
"Trying something." As she drew closer Ruby began to feel something. It wasn't anything as major as magic or a Grimm, but as she got closer and closer she could very well feel... something.
However the feeling vanished the moment she stepped into the arc, and her sight was greeted with a flash of blinding white.
.
.
"That them?" Nora whispered as Ruby squinted a small bit. Pyrrha noticed who they were referring to, and despite how laughably simple the plan had been she had to admit it was going smoothly.
A little too smoothly.
"Maybe..." Ruby hushed them as she burst apart silently. It was a rather nice benefit that Ruby's semblance was near soundless, aside from the winds it would kick up, although such small tufts were nothing compared to the bustling noise of the city. The night-life was wide awake, and any hushed whispers were drowned out by the bustling of lights and rambling.
Pyrrha felt a small bit of apprehension, worried that something may go wrong; considering their track record Pyrrha was ready for anything. She settled herself just as the worries started to compound, shaking her head as her eyes settled on the three ahead of them. She could worry once things actually decided to go wrong, right at that moment however she knew it was important to focus instead.
The three before them were the same as the last group, looking almost no different from ordinary citizens in terms of attire, with the only stand-out piece being the hood draped over their heads. Along the back of the hoods was a discreet little symbol near the bottom just between the shoulder blades, cleverly coloured just a tad darker than the rest of it to hide from those not actively looking.
The brazen red wolf, though small, was more than enough to confirm their targets. These hadn't been the first targets of the night, and Pyrrha wasn't going to forget how that encounter went anytime soon.
Who would have guessed they'd meet face to face before the plan was even started.
"How are we going to find them though?" Yang questioned aloud as they turned into an alleyway. "We don't even know what they look like."
"Perhaps asking around may prove useful." Ren spoke as Jaune looked to him.
"People are already cautious enough though. There's a chance they might clam up."
Ruby hummed. "Maybe... but it's worth a shot. Even if they zip up there's a chance word will get out that we were asking about them; they might come to us instead."
Pyrrha let out a sigh. "It's still a low chance, but it's better than nothing."
A small series of claps filled the air and stopped them in their tracks.
"Well well, new faces." A hooded man leaned away from the wall, and soon enough another few came into view. Pyrrha glanced backwards and saw three more blocking their exit. "New to Mistral huh?"
"You could say that." Yang spoke as she lowered her arms, her form gaining the smallest bit of ridge to it. "Are we finally getting a proper welcome or no?"
"I suppose the kingdom has been rather rude to not greet you, but there is a bit of a problem you see."
"What kind of problem." Pyrrha's words wore a chosen air of uncertainty, and the man gave a small sigh.
"You see, there's this little problem going around with Grimm, so yours truly and a few friends have deemed to stop it. However services aren't free, and it's essential that everyone pitch in to cover expenses, and I'm sorry to say but newcomers and guests are included in that group as well."
"I see." Ren had spoken up, his eyes slightly squinted just barely enough to hide the fact that he was sizing them all up. A small smirk overcame the boy, and Pyrrha could see he was confident in their chances.
"So what do you say? Care to give a little charity?"
They did, in fact, give a little charity. Pyrrha was certain those hooligans wouldn't be causing much trouble anymore, especially being left naked in that alleyway. It had been good either way as gaining hold of their outfits had been what allowed them to spot and find the White Fang symbol in the first place. Ruby had been a little concerned at leaving them there, but after a quick word of encouragement from Yang the young leader had relented.
Who wants to admit to their boss they've been beaten up and robbed by tourists anyway, especially young ones?
"They're going into a shop." Ruby had made her way back.
"Any we know?" Yang asked as Ruby shook her head.
"Fair game then." Yang looked back. "Who's on guard this time?"
"I'll do it." Ren offered. "I can keep a better eye on who passes by."
"I'll join him in it." Nora announced. "Ain't nobody getting in!"
"Right. The rest of us can move in." Ruby looked her way, and Pyrrha felt a small tingle from the girl's eyes again. "You and Yang can move in to confront, while Jaune and I will try to keep any nearby shoppers safe."
"Sounds like a plan sis." Yang gave as she looked over. "Let's give this party some life eh?"
Pyrrha returned the gesture with a nod. Carefully they made their way over, sticking to the crowds before slipping between the buildings. Waiting for a good crowd Yang managed to slip in with ease, while Pyrrha herself had chosen to ascend to the roof. Her current appearance was anything but inconspicuous, and waltzing on in without some sort of scene or series of gossip would be almost impossible. Everyone had most likely been talking about her anyway, and being seen there in person would only balloon the gossip.
The shop itself was small however, only one story up and getting to the top was effortless for the ex-champion. Pyrrha kept herself low as she moved around, doing her best to use the shadows and uneven footing to try and keep out of sight. Most of Mistral's architecture made use of the cliffside to create a stunning view, and the current shop was no exception. The building while small for a shop was a decent enough size to keep her just above eyesight, and after a bit of shuffling she found a small opening most likely used to get to the roof normally.
Carefully she pulled it up, lowering herself down the small ladder into what appeared to be a storage area. Shelves were lined with boxes of various sizes and Pyrrha could clearly see some tools lying around. Opposite of her position she saw a door, and made her way over. She tested the handle, and noting it was unlocked she pressed her ear against the door.
She could hear several voices murmuring from the other side, and one that was having just a little too much fun.
"Oops, my bad, hope that doesn't stain." Yang was cheerful, and the growl Pyrrha heard was enough to know that the blonde's taunt had an immediate effect.
"Watch it." The gravely voice warned. "You don't know who you're dealing with."
"Maybe." Pyrrha chose that moment to slip out, and spotting the center of attention she moved alongside the crowd until she was just behind their targets. "Or maybe I know exactly who you are."
"Are you sure you want to play these games girl?" Pyrrha saw Ruby pulling several onlookers away, and learning from example several others in the crowd had began to back off as well. The shops interior wasn't all that large, being separated into several isles of clothing racks, and a small open area in the center where Yang and their foes saw fit to 'chat'.
"Don't know, I'm new see, and I don't know what types of games you play." Yang spoke with a considerable amount of sass, and the hooded man chuckled.
"Well then, I'd be glad to fill you in. First I have to ask: are you afraid of Grimm?"
Yang smirked. "I don't know... but how about you? Are you afraid of 'em?"
"No." His tone was stern and filled with self assurance, and as Pyrrha lay her hand on his shoulder she leaned in close and whispered ever so gently into his ear.
"You should be."
The man had only a moment to to stiffen as Pyrrha drove her boot into the back of his shin. He buckled and she backhanded the side of his head, knocking him to the ground hard with a whip-like crack echoing out. The other two took notice immediately, but Yang had moved in and taken one up in her arms. She tossed the woman up, catching her by the ankles before slamming her back down into the floor. Yang let the woman's legs go and took a few steps forward, reaching down to pull up the head, seeing the hooded woman still conscious, and crushing it back into the floor with enough force to crack the tiles.
The last one standing looked like he was about to run, but as he turned Pyrrha shot over. She caught him effortlessly, and with a swift movement swept his legs out from under him. He fell quickly, and scrambled for a moment to try and stand, however those panicked motions froze up as Pyrrha stood before him, Yang at her side and both of them with their arms crossed.
"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, the choice is yours." Yang offered and the man stilled.
Pyrrha did her best to hold back a slight giggle as the naked man pouted, sat beside his equally unclothed allies and tied with what looked like a bedsheet. Yang sent him a dirty look and he chose to silently whimper instead, with the blond shooting Pyrrha a face of content. Pyrrha rolled her eyes at the brawlers playful look, and instead turned to what she assumed was one of the store employees.
"Do what you want with them, but I'd recommend calling the authorities. Their aura's are broken for now, but that will only be for a short time, understand?" The young girl nodded and quickly took off.
Pyrrha gave Yang a nod and the two left the scene with looks of both curiosity and confliction sent their way. Neither was particularly bothered by the glances, and instead made for the inn.
Upon entering the group gazed over their acquired gear.
"I think we have enough now." Ruby said as their eyes glazed over the various suits of clothing, with all sporting the same hood.
"You should be good then." Qrow commented. "Supposing you don't open your mouths."
Ren gave a hum. "If things go well we shouldn't need to."
"So... about Lil'Miss..." Ruby started, looking unsure as to how she should present the topic. "Should we accept her offer?"
"A distraction would be good, supposing you can get in quickly." Qrow tried as his face soured. "Although I'm not a fan of it. She never does anything freely, and if I'm being honest I don't believe her when she suggested she only wanted our mutual foes gone. When it comes down to it profit is the only thing on her mind. I wouldn't be surprised if she wants something else."
"Then do we have any other ideas?" Jaune asked, and Qrow scowled to himself.
"No."
"What if we make a scene on our own?" Pyrrha tried, only for the man to shake his head.
"No good. We'd be inviting trouble from all sides at that point; authorities included."
The pale girl grit her teeth. "So we're stuck."
"For now." Qrow looked up. "We should take her offer. At this point it's the only real option we have other than risking it to try and just walk in."
"And if she want's something more from us?" Ren asked as Qrow huffed.
"I'll deal with that if it arrives."
Ruby looked wary. "I don't like this... but if it's the only way then I say we should go for it."
"Nobody likes it squirt, but right now the school is the most important thing. When the Fang is out of the picture we'll be able to rest until I can meet with my contact." Qrow had been mildly annoyed to learn the Fang were responsible, and that showed in his tone. It seemed they stuck their hands in everything recently, and it was almost predictable at this point.
"Right." Ruby still sounded apprehensive, but ultimately looked willing to go along. After a deep breath she set a look of determination about her. "Then we do this tonight."
Author's note
...
Here we go again.
Not too much this time, but things are moving along smoothly. A small bit of action, but other than that nothing much. Plans are set for Ruby and crew, or at this point Pyrrha and crew.
Pebble also has his moment this time, albeit more on the hidden side. Either way Future Ruby has her work set out for her, and it seems the world holds more wonders than previously believed.
That's all for now, so I'll catch you later.