Chapter 13: Vale Part 2
Disclaimer: I do not in any way or form own Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought There or RWBY. They belong to their respective owners, Takumi Yanai and RoosterTeeth Animations respectively.
A/N: I'm back with a new chapter, and I've also updated some of the previous ones - minor changes, nothing plot-relevant. I'll continue working on this story, but due to reasons, don't expect my standard one chapter a week schedule. Also, RWBY Volume 7 is up (and has been for months), so if you haven't already watched it, watch it.
The Vytal Fairground has officially reopened, larger and better than before. While this has sparked safety concerns, General Ironwood insists that every precaution has been taken to prevent another incident. These include a possible second round of negotiations with the Empire's representative, Pina Co Lada.
In other news, Grimm activity all around Vale has decreased. While no real reason can be found for this occurrence, many travelers are making use of this period of relative safety to come to Vale to witness the Vytal Festival Tournament live. Nevertheless, Huntsmen are on guard for any possible Grimm threat.
Tickets are selling out fast for the now confirmed 80th Vytal Festival Tournament, featuring not just the standard battles between teams of students from all four academies, but also exciting exhibition matches, a chance to meet a real-life mage, as well as a chance of witnessing abilities never seen before. Don't miss it!
Ever since the Gate had opened in the heart of the Vytal Festival Fairgrounds, the entire area had been locked down tight by the Atlesian military. With the Tournament back on track and ever more people entering Vale, the demand for food and other items quickly went beyond what the Vale shopping district could handle. As such, the Council had put aside another patch of land for use by shopkeepers, essentially replacing the previous fairgrounds. This one had much more Knights and even Huntsmen patrolling, lest another tragedy occurred. While the large numbers of armed soldiers were an imposing presence, most of the people did their best to ignore them.
It was here that the gang went, team RWBY and their guests - Lelei, Tuka, Rory, Pina, and Bozes - went, both for lunch and to buy new clothing for the girls from Falmart. Deciding to handle the clothing first, the group allowed Weiss to lead them forward.
"There are a lot of people here. Could this be a marketplace?"
"Ah, look at that dress…"
Pina and Bozes were having a whispered conversation as they took in the various items on sale.
Soon, Weiss came to a stop in front of a store. Behind its windows were numerous expensive-looking clothes, drawing everyone's attention. Without a second glance, Weiss strode into the store, snapping for an employee. The others followed her in, eyes wandering in awe of the exquisitely designed items.
Team RWBY decided that, with her background, Weiss would be the best choice to choose out some suitable clothing. She hadn't given them a choice, anyway, already ordering an employee to bring some clothing out of Tuka, who was awkwardly standing around, overwhelmed. Shoving a pile of clothing into Tuka's hands, Weiss practically pushed her into a changing room to get changed. While waiting, she turned to Rory and Lelei to ask, "Do you two want to wear something more formal too?"
Rory walked one full turn around the store, looking at both male and female fashions, before declining, "I'm not really interested in these clothes. Besides, this is my priestess' formal wear."
Lelei too replied, "No need." Unlike Rory, she seemed completely uninterested in new clothing, instead choosing to read one of her new books. Weiss shrugged at their refusal and returned her full focus to finding an appropriate outfit for Tuka.
While RWBY wasn't allowed to buy anything for themselves, they still took the opportunity to browse through the items for sale.
On the other hand, Pina and Bozes were looking at the clothes on display, but their attention was focused on the quality of the fabric used to make them.
They were currently wearing Imperial nobles' clothing, suitable for semi-formal events. Made of very high-quality, hand-stitched silk, their attire was designed for use in garden parties or mounted activities, as well as a good set of casual clothing for a knight. At their waist were swords, the standard weapon of their order. They did not need any new attire, although, looking at the options available on display, they wondered if there was any way to convince Headmaster Ozpin to get them some.
The sheer variety of goods on display made them wonder if the owner of this place was some kind of merchant prince, to be able to boast such a huge stock. Not only that, but the strange materials used to make them were also both sturdy and lightweight, making it perfect for clothing. They thought that it would sell well in the Empire.
With nothing more to do in the shop, Ruby decided to get some fresh air. Rory and Lelei followed her out, the clothing store holding nothing of interest. They had barely stepped out when a familiar figure greeted them.
"Oh, hey!" Emerald called out, "What a surprise, Ruby. Got your wallet this time?"
Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled it out, chuckling, "Yep! Managed not to drop it!"
"So, what're you doing here?"
"Oh, just helping Tuka get some 'formal clothing'," Ruby replied, "Ozpin wants them dressed properly for their public appearance."
"I don't need new clothes," Rory declined, "This is my formal priestess attire."
"Oh, are they from the other world? Falmart? You get to show them around?" Emerald asked.
"Yup!"
"Hey, I heard that one of them has magic," Emerald pointed out.
"I do. My name is Lelei," she introduced herself, before going back to her book.
Emerald took the opportunity to scan the girl, knowing that, nearby, Mercury was doing the same. Noting the staff, she asked, "Can you show me?"
Putting the book aside, Lelei agreed. Once more she created a ball of fire, causing the wind to swirl around the area.
"Nice! I'm so jealous that you get to hang out with them," Emerald commented.
"Heh, sure. Oh, we're going to lunch after this," Ruby said, "As soon as Weiss is done." Through the glass windows, Weiss could be seen glancing critically at the clothes Tuka was wearing before ordering her to try another set. "Which might take a while. Wanna come with?"
"I'd love to, but I'm afraid we're in a hurry. Besides, Merc isn't the best at... socializing," Emerald declined, glancing over her shoulder. Where Mercury was sniffing a boot. Again.
"Well, see you later, I guess."
"Oh, maybe we could come to visit them. You know where they're staying?" Emerald wondered.
"Well yeah, Ozpin gave them a dorm near ours. It's the unused one, near where we first met. Come over anytime!" Ruby responded enthusiastically.
"No problem. See you later, then!" Emerald responded with her own cheerful wave. Turning around, she began to leave, dragging Mercury away from the boot seller. Her chipper demeanor immediately dropped into a disdainful scowl.
"Aw, what's wrong? I thought you liked them," Mercury commented.
"I never want to see them again," Emerald replied miserably, "If we need to get more out of them, you're doing it."
"Don't think so. Besides, we now know that the mage is actually capable of real magic, and where they're staying. That girl is so naive."
"Yes. Cinder will be pleased," Emerald said, the thought brightening her up.
While Weiss was still picking out an outfit for Tuka and convincing Rory and Lelei to try some on as well, Pina and Bozes took notice of a bookstore nearby. When she noticed their interest in the shop, named Tukson's Book Trade, Blake immediately volunteered to bring them over for a look, pulling the nobles off before anyone else could get a word in.
In the bookshop, the girls from Falmart gasped at the variety of books on display - without automation in the Empire, books were difficult to acquire there. This world was vastly different, with books being cheap and easily accessible.
Leaving them to their browsing, Blake went over to the counter. She frowned when a woman stepped up to greet her cheerily, "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade! Home to every book under the sun. How may I help you?"
"What happened to Tukson?" Blake asked.
The new shop owner replied, "He left town a couple of weeks ago. All of a sudden, really, just packed his bags and left. Quite strange, but I'm assuming he had something important. He left me the store, and I've decided not to change the name. It's got a history in it, you know? You knew him?"
"Just a regular," Blake replied, before considering how to put forth her next request. "Do you... happen to have the new book by... um... Patty Berdioler?" She whispered the name, glancing to make sure that there was no one else within earshot. Pina and Bozes seemed engrossed in a book, so that was fine.
The owner's eyes widened, "Oooh, so you're... Blake? Tukson spoke about you sometimes, and your reading preferences."
Blake blushed, "Not a word. Do you have it?"
The owner winked at her. "I won't tell a soul. In fact, Tukson specifically pre-ordered one for you," she replied, ducking down behind the counter to look for it, "Why didn't you show up earlier? I thought you liked this place."
"I do, but I've been busy," Blake answered, taking the offered book and stuffing it into her bag before anyone could see it. She paid for it, then thanked the new owner and turned to look at Pina and the book in her hand.
Was that Ninjas of Love?!
"I knew I shouldn't have allowed you to decide," Weiss glared disapprovingly at the store that the group had stopped at.
"What? Come on, you liked the noodles the last time!"
"Our guests have traveled all the way from another world! Shouldn't we find something... classier for them? This is-" Weiss was in the middle of protesting when she was interrupted.
"Come on, we're already here. It's too late to change. Everyone, take a seat," Yang said, as the familiar elderly man with grey hair came over to take their orders.
Pina and Bozes waited uncertainly for their food to come. They didn't have to wait long before the old shopkeep returned, along with their food. Almost quicker than the eye could see, he had given them all a bowl of noodles. A bowl larger than any Pina had seen.
Pina cautiously peered over the lip of the bowl to look at the steaming noodles within, along with all kinds of ingredients that she could not identify.
"Come on, let's eat!" Yang called out, and the girls began digging into their similarly large bowls.
Taking a deep breath, the high-bred noblewomen gingerly spooned up the noodles and slowly began to eat. Although it was the first time they had encountered such a dish, Pina and Bozes did not protest it. Their training had exposed them to all kinds of strange and sometimes vile food; this was no different.
"So, what'd you think of Vale?" Yang began.
"I like it here. There is so much knowledge about the natural world," Lelei replied, focusing more on the book in hand then the bowl of noodles before her.
"This world has such a collection of fine art!" Bozes added.
Tuka smiled, thinking of the new harp that she had received, "The instruments here are great, too. Such exquisite craftsmanship."
Rory licked her lips, "So many skilled fighters. This aura of yours is fascinating."
"I'm curious, what exactly is aura?" Pina asked.
"Aura is part of our soul?" Ruby replied hesitantly, "Something like that?"
Weiss sighed, "This is why you should pay attention in class, Ruby." Then, she explained, "Aura is a manifestation of the soul, a life force that runs through every living creature. It bears our burdens and shields our hearts. We learned this months ago, Ruby!"
"Every living creature?" Pina pressed.
"Everyone has it, even animals," Yang answered, "Trust me, you'd know if you met Zwei, our corgi."
"Even... us?" The question perked everyone's interest.
"In theory, yes," Blake said, "Human or elf shouldn't matter. As long as you have a soul, you have an aura... Perhaps we could try to unlock it."
"Let's finish our meal and return to Beacon," Pina suggested, "And try it."
The group ate quickly after that, eager and curious to see if they could find some answers.
Silently, Pina thought, 'If I can figure out how aura works, the Empire may yet have hope.' And a more selfish part wondered, 'How would it feel to wield such power? Will I have a semblance?' Would she become unbeatable in combat or the greatest leader in the Empire's history? As Pina ate her noodles, she wondered just how she could use such a gift.
She found the noodles to be delicious.
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in wisdom and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."
Pina did not know what the incantation meant, but she felt its purpose. She felt the power surge through her, suddenly free, as though a part of her, once locked, had been released. Almost instinctively, she glanced at her hands, where a shimmering sheen of red light glowed briefly before fading away. She looked around, at the room assigned to Rory, Lelei, and Tuka, where they, along with team RWBY and Bozes, had gathered to experiment. The other girls looked at her with awed gazes, and Pina felt powerful and confident, a queen among her subjects.
The feeling wore off, and everything seemed to return to normal.
"It worked!" Ruby cheered, and promptly collapsed onto a bed.
"Ruby! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," she waved the concern away and turned to Pina, who was still standing unmoving, "I've used my aura to unlock yours. The force that protects you is now your own. How do you feel?"
"Powerful," Pina replied absently, sitting down. She tried to focus on the strange energy now present within her, a part of her as much as her limbs. Even having just unlocked her aura, it felt natural, familiar.
"Alright! Success! Who's next?"
At Pina and Ruby's respective insistence, Bozes and Blake stepped up, and the latter placed her hands on the former's chest. Exactly like Ruby had done with Pina herself. Weiss began to glow white, aura flaring as she chanted the same incantation as Ruby had done before.
The ritual was soon complete, light flaring out. Bozes stared, shocked, at her hands, and Pina gave her an encouraging smile.
Next, Tuka was up, along with Weiss. The latter seemed to hesitate a little but nevertheless began the chant. Pina, now mostly recovered, tried to pay attention to the words. Were they a mere focusing strategy, or did they have actual power within them?
Calming light filled the room, along with the scent of wet grass. Weiss drew away from Tuka, whose aura glowed serenely green. It lasted only a second more before fading, and Tuka looked over her hands.
"Amazing," she muttered.
"Alright! Lelei, you're up," Ruby called.
"No need," the mage replied, "When the doctors examined me, they found that my aura was already unlocked." Having said that, her hands flickered with light as she proved her story. Lelei, at the curious looks, elaborated. "All mages learn a defensive spell as their very first magical ability. I believe that this is almost identical to how you use aura."
"All mages have their aura unlocked?" Pina asked. If only she had known this sooner.
"Not exactly. While similar, our shield is different. Perhaps it is because of magic that we never truly tried to understand or control this force, leaving our understanding of the aura and soul lacking severely compared to Remnant," Lelei speculated.
"Interesting. Maybe the General could run some tests."
Pina immediately interrupted, "Maybe later. You haven't tried Rory's aura yet." When team RWBY agreed, she breathed a small sigh. If the Empire could quickly harness the power of aura and magic, it may yet be able to come out of this war victorious. But the 'Men in White' could not know.
Rory wasn't really interested in having her aura unlocked - she was already immortal anyway - but seeing as there was no reason not to do it, she agreed to Yang's incessant pestering.
The two got into position and the ritual began once more. This time, Pina tried to remember the words, just in case she wanted to do it herself. If the Empire's entire army had a shield formed from their very own souls, it would be unbeatable.
Rory's aura blew them all away. Literally. The apostle's soul flared out with such force that the others were all thrown around the room.
Pina expected the force to throw her into the wall, and it did. However, it barely hurt, as expected of such an impact, and she realized that it must have been her Aura, forming a shield to cushion the blow.
"What the-" someone muttered. In the center of the room, blazing with blood-red light, Rory Mercury floated, her aura a physical presence that dominated the room.
"An apostle was once human, but now something more; a demigod," Rory explained, her voice echoing in itself, completely unlike her usual light tone, "The soul evolves over a thousand years, before shedding the mortal form to ascend into a god. As the soul grows, so too strengthens the aura, into a force of pure power."
Then she collapsed, the suffocating aura dissipating. Before anyone could go to help her up, Rory leaped to her feet. "That was weird," she said, back to her normal voice.
"What was that? Your aura was so powerful!" Ruby asked.
The apostle shrugged, "You heard me. Or maybe Emroy, speaking through me. Anyway, we apostles are chosen by the gods to ascend. We're immortal, and our souls are... something more than mortals'. You said that aura is a manifestation of the soul, yes? A greater soul, a greater aura. I feel unstoppable. I need to test this."
"Well, the Vytal Festival Tournament is coming up soon. I wonder if you can sign up..."
A/N: For obvious reasons, the girls from Falmart do not have canon semblances. I've taken the liberty in coming up with some ideas, but I was wondering - any suggestions?
In canon, Tukson is probably dead. Here, he's... still dead. But, judging by the conversation between Roman and Cinder about Em and Merc's actions, they were supposed to be more subtle about 'convincing' Tukson. I assumed that they would cover his murder up, hence the cover story. Will this be a plot point? ...Probably not. I just wanted to mention it.
What happened to Adam and the White Fang? Will they appear? No. There are enough characters as it is. Just assume they went into hiding or something.
Whoever gave me the Ninjas of Love idea (a long time ago), thanks. RWBY Wiki states Patty Berdioler as the author of Ninjas of Love. I don't even know how they found that particular piece of information. Also, Blake reads smut. Ninjas of Love is smut and there's no way to convince me otherwise.