...
Fighting Rose
Chapter 39
Grace Period
"I'll be damned," Mercury hummed, "The brats tied?"
"That would be correct," Ironwood confirmed with a small smile, "The first time such an event has ever occurred in the history of the festival. While some see it as a somewhat anticlimactic ending, most of the population love the drama. The positivity and hype for the next tournament is definitely a bonus."
"…I mean yeah, I gathered that," Mercury snorted, "But why are you telling me this?"
"I am simply informing you that your plan has been foiled," Ironwood said blandly, "…or more specifically your employer, Cinder Fall."
"…So you know," Mercury stated, his voice flat. "Or maybe you knew for a very long time."
"Not that long," Ironwood answered honestly, "But it was enough. Not to mention, the confirmation of her identity has made way for some… disturbing questions with more disheartening answers."
"Aww, ain't that a tear-jerker?" Mercury sighed, hands going behind his head as he leaned back and relaxed. "Guess you and your Inquisition is gonna have a field-day trying to put the pieces together huh?"
"More or less," Ironwood sighed as he crossed his arms, "The Long-War isn't over, but this bought us a lot of time."
"That's cool and all, but what has this got to do with me?" Mercury asked, annoyed at Ironwood dragging the conversation on.
"Oh, right, sorry," He chuckled before his expression went dead. "Once I and other inquisitors have felt that we have extracted as much information from you as possible from our Interrogators, you will be summarily executed for your crimes of attempted murder, crimes against humanity, attempted worldwide destabilization, terrorism and the blatant use of heretical powers. I will have you shot by bolder firing squad, your body cremated and your soul scattered into the warp. Until then, you will never see the light of day as a free person."
"Cowa-bummer," Mercury pouted, and Ironwood suppressed a smile: the boy was too calm.
'So it isn't over,' He thought to himself, 'Either killing him is part of their plan or they have something else prepared.'
"Well, you have been notified of your fate," Ironwood said as he stood up, "So my work here is technically done. Goodbye Mercury Black."
"Up yours too Ironwood."
Mercury silently watched as Ironwood got up and exited the room, snorting through his nose as the doors shut behind him. It was a shame that his good prosthetics were destroyed and he was stuck in this simple wheelchair, but he had to hand it to the Atlan Guard, they were thorough. He'd been checked for implanted explosives, poisons, hidden augmetics, even his blood had been sampled to observe how Cinder's ritual had affected him. They wouldn't find anything in regards to the last one: the Mark of M████, though temporary, was responsible for two things: bringing out his latent physical and auric potential, and heightening the more manic and murderous sensations in his mind. He was especially glad that the latter was temporary, preferring to be in full control of himself during a job… and life in general.
'Ah well,' He sighed, 'I'll just have to trust Cinder's got everything mapped out.'
The aura-suppressant collar around his neck was itching again, and he knew Erebus had been listening. He simply waited for his answer. As pompous, self-absorbed and holier-than-thou as he was, Mercury knew that the ancient astartes would pull through, not to mention Cinder backing the entire operation. The lights flickered in a specific pattern not a moment later, and Mercury watched.
Flick strobe-strobe, flick strobe, flickflick strobe.
'Wait,' Mercury translated in his head.
Flick strobe-strobe flick, flick strobe flick, flick, flick strobe-strobe flick, flick strobe, flick strobe flick, flick.
'Prepare.'
Flickflickflick, strobe-strobe-strobe, strobe-strobe-strobe, strobe flick. This one he grinned at eagerly.
'…Soon.'
}-{
"God, it's like you're photoshopped," Ruby giggled as she tapped Sun's abs like she was playing a piano.
"Why thank you," Sun chuckled, "Just do push-ups, sit-ups, and drink a lotta juice."
She chortled and very lightly smacked him on the stomach, stifling a groan as she settled into the warm comfort of his chest and the crook of his arm. As expected, the medical team had patched the victors up as best as they could and allowed their aura to slowly do the rest. They'd both requested to recover together for the time being, somewhat embarrassed as they were given a private infirmary room to themselves, though they certainly weren't complaining. That same excited, charged feeling whenever they were close was still there, but it was now something they both acknowledged and felt even more strongly than before.
"So uh, call me curious," Ruby started, her cheeks a bit pink, "…when did you start to like me?"
"Hmm…" The genuine pondering expression on his face forced her to stifle another giggle, "Honestly I think it's right after the fight with Torchwick's paladin. Seein' you fight and the joy you took in it was amazing. That and you not batting an eye when I freaked and threw a punch at you."
"You charmer," Ruby hid her face in his chest as she blushed.
"What about you?" He asked, grinning as noticed her shyness.
"…When you said you wanted to be unrivalled under heaven," She said after a moment. "I think… that's when I started to… like-like you. You're already so powerful but you want to aim higher, yet you're still so… kind."
Sun was the one who was reddening now, though he made no effort to hide it.
"And I'm the charmer?" He teased, Ruby whining and trying to hide her face again as he laughed and pulled her closer, peppering her cheek with kisses. Shy as she was, she almost instantly preened under his affections before she looked him in the eyes, both of them pausing and taking in the other's features as a warm sensation bloomed through their veins. Ruby initiated this time, boldly closing the gap and kissing him deeply. Sun was pleasantly surprised but not one to back down, matching her as his arm snaked around her slim waist to pull her onto him as he kissed back. It was shocking to her just how easy it was to be intimate with him. She'd always thought that her… romantic progress, so to speak, would be slow and tentative. This was entirely different, and she absolutely loved it.
"S-Sun…" His name rolled off her tongue in a whisper as she kissed him deeper. They continued until they needed to breathe, parting with a slight gasp and a wet smack as they recovered. Ruby realized that she was straddling his tensed stomach, her hands on his chest while his were on her waist. The way his glowing eyes roamed across her sent pleasant bolts up her spine, but she suppressed herself as best as she could and groaned.
"People can hear us," She said, a mix of embarrassment and disappointment.
"…damn, can this get any worse?" Sun huffed, feeling very much the same before they both laughed at the silliness of the whole situation, Ruby laying back down by his chest and listening to the strong and steady beat of his heart. They both suddenly grunted in pain as their muscles suddenly spasmed, stabbing agony quickly shooting through their auric circuits before it faded just as rapidly, leaving both of them worn out.
"…You jinxed it," Ruby deadpanned.
"I did not!" Sun whined, only to see her raise a brow at him. "…I totally did."
They laughed again through the pain, and Ruby realized that the 'voice' in her head was completely absent, not lurking in the back of her mind to torment her with its existence. For Sun, that needling fear of losing control had also entirely evaporated. For the first time in a while, both of them found genuine peace in each other's presence and relished it.
}-{
"YAAH!" Blake shouted as she slashed upwards at Yang's chin, smoky afterimages trailing behind her and pushing her attack forward.
"Royal Guard!"
Blake felt like she hit a brick wall with a wet sponge, her blade clanging off of Yang's bare arm and making her own ring with pain, but she saw it: a thin, wispy line of her violet aura where her blade made contact seemingly stuck to Yang's arm, her eyes barely able to make out the writhing lines of an unknown language within the slash. They both stopped, taking time to simply observe the strange mark.
"…it doesn't hurt," Yang noted, "And it's not like my semblance is drawing any power off it either. Got anything Weiss?"
"It's… connected to you Blake," Weiss said after peering closely with glowing eyes. "Can you feel that?"
"Yeah actually," Blake nodded. "Although I'm not sure why Yang's semblance didn't just absorb it."
"I've got an idea about that actually," Weiss said, "Maybe the mark itself isn't an outright attack, and Yang's semblance can't absorb it because the mark itself isn't giving off any kind of damaging properties… yet."
"What do you mean yet?" Yang asked, eyes darting to Weiss and the mark with noticeable alarm.
"It feels like it's… primed," Blake struggled to find the right term, "O-or a balloon filled with air, I guess? Now that I can focus on it, I think I can actually command it to-!"
The moment the thought occurred to her, her focus on it sent a large pulse of aura through the connection to the mark and it exploded in an outward array of phantom cuts in the shape of Blake's sword, knocking Blake and Weiss away while Yang sharply flared her aura the moment before it happened. She managed to absorb the brunt of the attack, the rest of it blocked by Blake and Weiss' aura without too much difficulty, though the trio stood around in muted surprise.
"…you have a remote-control sword-explosion," Yang deadpanned. "Do you realize how versatile that is!?"
"… my semblance just exploded in our faces and that's what you're thinking?" Blake groaned as she sat up.
"DUH!" Yang laughed, "I mean, sure we've gotta test the range on it, but think of the potential! Against grimm, any decent cut from you has the potential to be a killing shot."
"You're getting really fired up," Blake noted with a little smile, "Any reason?"
"Well my little sister basically won the biggest fighting event in the world," Yang said with a grin, "And while I might be physically stronger than her, I've got a lot to catch up on. Hell, you and Weiss aren't done improving and it's got me raring to go!"
"Fair enough," Blake agreed with a smile, always happy to see Yang at her best. "What have you got planned?"
"Well for starters, getting back to some serious training with the team, especially when Ruby recovers," Yang said more seriously now. "I need to be able to control my strength if I want to fight at my best. Just because we managed to stop she-who-shall-no-be-named doesn't mean it's over. Second…" Yang turned a bit bashful as she looked to Weiss, "…I was wondering if you'd be okay with teaching me how to make glyphs? I need more versatility in my arsenal beyond hitting things hard and hitting things even harder, and I think that learning how to make a basic Glyph could open up a lot of new doors for me… I-if you don't mind of course."
Both Weiss and Blake's eyebrows shot up, the former's cheeks turning a bit pink at the openness in Yang's words while the latter felt some kind of unpleasant sting deep in her chest, one that she ultimately ignored for the time being despite her confusion at the sensation.
"I-I mean…" Weiss stuttered before she coughed into her hand, her eyes seeming to sparkle as she smiled, "Of course, I would be happy to help you Yang."
"It looks like we're all getting fired up to get better," Blake chuckled, "No thanks to our little leader."
"Ruby has that effect on people," Weiss agreed with a smile of her own, "… like a certain blond boy."
"Been meaning to ask about that," Blake started, "Are you… okay with them? Being a thing, I mean."
"Uh, yeah?" Yang replied as if she was asked if water was wet, "Sun's a cool dude. Polite but able to take care of himself, crazy-strong, outgoing, and Ruby's type. I mean, if the dance wasn't a big enough indicator, he's head over heels for her. Plus he's blond. He's got my blessing."
"And your father? How's he taking that?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, said smirk widening as Yang looked slightly defeated. The latter brought out her phone and showed a literal wall of one-line texts, ranging from 'does he have a criminal record', 'is he an upstanding citizen,' 'what are his grades like,' and 'does he do any drugs' among many, many others. Blake and Weiss promptly burst into laughter as Yang slumped tiredly, the glow of her hair literally fading to dull blonde before she joined in.
"It's funny though," She said after she calmed herself, "He's being a lot more… relaxed about Sun and Ruby than I expected."
"That's him being relaxed?" Weiss asked incredulously, "I know I'm not one to talk about dads, but…"
"No-no, I get where you're coming from," Yang chuckled, "It's just that my dad's always been harsher about stuff like boys, so for him to go to me rather than directly smothering Ruby is definitely a change of pace. I answered as many questions as I could for him and he actually backed off. Also, it's… nice… being trusted by him."
"It's good that you're building your bridges with your dad," Blake said softly, Yang's grateful grin bringing out Blake's own smile.
"One step at a time," Yang agreed before she smacked her stomach, "…enough of this mood, let's get back to hitting me!"
"Sure thing," Blake giggled as she picked up Gambol.
"Honestly Yang," Weiss sighed, she too wasn't able to hide her grin as she readied Myrtenaster and prepared to summon.
}-{
"…And… that's the truth," Pyrrha confessed, "Or at least everything that he was willing to reveal to us."
"…So that's what this is about," Jaune put together, "You want to help people, but the main thing that's stopping you is this soul-merging thing with a half-dead woman containing unknown and unfathomable power with the purpose of keeping it away from Cinder. Did I get that right?"
"More or less," Pyrrha chuckled mirthlessly.
"…The Pyrrha I know wouldn't hesitate to jump at the chance to help people, to go beyond the call of a warrior and become someone who can do more."
Her heart twisted as she heard his words, and she could swear that she heard cruel laughter upon the winds of the roof on which they sat. She hung her head and bit her lip, doing her best to hold the tears back as she prepared to walk to her potential doom and do what she was meant to do –
"But what's the point if you might not even be the same Pyrrha afterwards?" Jaune cut through the storm of her thoughts, "The Pyrrha I know isn't someone who wants to be bound by the expectations of others. You're not the invincible girl anymore: you're Pyrrha, and you choose your own destiny."
The laughter on the wind was suddenly replaced by four gusts of roaring rage as a new path was opened, one so rarely explored yet all the more dangerous to the unknown forces at play. Pyrrha stared at Jaune for a minute, the latter surprised at her tears before she suddenly bowled him over with a hug. He was frozen for a moment, his face going red before he quickly returned the hug while ignoring the growing wet patch on his shoulder.
"…this had been weighing on you for a while, huh?" He asked softly.
"You could say that," Pyrrha mumbled with a slight smile, "…thank you for listening."
"Anytime Pyr," He said, hugging her a bit tighter. "…and seriously, please don't do it. Maybe I'm being selfish again, but that kind of power isn't worth it if you end up going completely crazy."
"Ruby had said the same thing," Pyrrha nodded, wiping her eyes, "And even if it makes sense…"
"Yeah, no," Jaune shook his head vigorously, his hands on her shoulders, "As your leader, I'm ordering you not to do something that'll compromise your mental stability. As your partner, as your friend, I'm pleading you not to do it."
"…okay," Pyrrha nodded after a long, tense silence, Jaune's shoulders sagging in relief. "I promise that I'll refuse Ozpin's offer."
"Good," Jaune sighed, "That's good."
They both noticed that they were considerably closer than before, his hands practically flying off her shoulders as Pyrrha sharply looked away and coughed into her fist to hide her own red face. They were both smiling though. A sudden knock at the door drew their attentions away from each other, a look of disappointment on their faces before Jaune stood up to answer.
"Ren? Thought you were out with – oh." Jaune deadpanned as he saw who was knocking.
"Oh! Apologies, I hope I'm not… interrupting you two," Diodes said with a wry grin, both Jaune and Pyrrha turning red, though the former seemed more annoyed than anything else.
"What do you want?" Jaune asked bluntly as his father winced.
"…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep," He said softly, "I'm… here to tell you…"
"…tell me what?" Jaune prompted, suddenly on edge. Diodies closed his eyes, breathed in, centred himself, breathed out, and looked at his son.
"The truth."
"…" Jaune looked down the hallway: there were a few people staring at his father, initially shocked by his height but swooned by his perfect features. Rolling his eyes, he sharply gestured him to come in. Diodes paused as he saw Pyrrha, turning to Jaune.
"Are you alright with her being here for this?"
"Yes," Jaune said bluntly before he turned to Pyrrha, an embarrassed look on his face, "I mean, only if you're cool with staying…"
"Considering what we just talked about," Pyrrha said, smiling wryly, "Yes Jaune, I'd be happy to stay."
"Very well then," Diodes nodded before pausing and turning to the open door, Jaune flinching in surprise as Altria walked in a moment later.
"Greetings," she said with a small bow, "My husband and I are sorry for interrupting your tryst but we figured now is as good a time as any."
"Goddamnit mom," Jaune groaned, covering his face with his hands as Pyrrha turned red again, though she politely greeted Jaune's mother all the same. "Now, down to business."
Jaune sat next to Pyrrha, the latter's hand on the former as Diodes pulled out a chair for his wife to sit on. The two duos stared at each other for a long moment before, to Jaune and Pyrrha's surprise, Altria and Diodes began to squirm uncomfortably.
"…you didn't plan out how to do this, did you?" Jaune asked with a little grin.
"Not in the slightest," Diodes admitted, cheeks dusted with pink before to turned to his wife. "Should we… just rip the band aid off?"
"That is… probably for the best," Altria agreed, "I should go first then."
"Fair enough," Diodes nodded, gently placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. "If you need me to step in…"
"I'll let you know," She said, a soft smile on her face as she held his hand. She closed her eyes, breathed in, and breathed out.
Jaune was getting worried. He'd had his suspicions ever since his father intervened and killed the Exalted World Eater, but his mother clearly had some part in this as well, and that factor had been throwing his guesses off. Not to mention, for her to be this shaken, or shaken at all, was alarming.
"…What do remember of the King of Camelot?" She asked.
"That old history?" He started, surprised, "…um, well… Camelot was created as the greatest kingdom, a shelter to those who had just suffered a terrible tragedy, and the king was kind-hearted, wise and perfect in every way."
"Perfect? As if," She muttered, her voice so laced with self-loathing. More alarm-bells rang in Jaune's head.
"…though at one point, one of the king's knights betrayed them and brought an end to the perfect kingdom."
"Yes," She quietly spoke, "…That is my legacy."
"Your legacy?" Jaune said, not daring to think that –
"I wasn't a perfect king," She said softly, "Far from it. I was barely human, and in doing so I wasn't able to understand the hearts of my people, my enemies, my… child. The ruin that came upon me was well-deserved."
"…mom, you're…?" Jaune said, his voice tight and Pyrrha's mouth hanging open as his mother looked at them, her body faintly shining gold.
"Yes. I am… King Artoria of Camelot," She said shamefully, "Imperfect ruler of a kingdom that crumbled under the weight of my inhumanity."
Jaune almost fainted on the spot, pinching himself in the leg hard to stave off his lightheaded feeling before he focused back on the issue at hand.
"Y-you're like, thousands of years old!" Jaune exclaimed before paling as his father visibly cringed and his mother's eyes narrowed. "I-I mean, those events took place so long ago. How are you even around? What does that even have to do with my birth!?"
"Getting to that bit," Diodes said idly, "That part involves me as well."
"Indeed," Artoria agreed, "When my child led the rebellion that ended my reign, I was supposed to die. The entirety of the roundtable was killed off, but even when I was struck with a cursed blow that should've killed me… I didn't die."
She held out a hand and in a sharp burst of air, a sheathed blade appeared in her grip. The scabbard was a beautiful gold and blue, glowing with a soft light that seemed to warm the room and calm the hearts of everyone in it.
"…is that what I think it is?" Pyrrha asked, tempted to touch it.
Artoria simply nodded.
"I think that Excalibur and Avalon together were enough to keep me alive. With nothing left to my name, I simply… wandered. I wandered long enough to see the destined rise of the God Emperor and his Imperium… and his fall. He'd planned what to do well before Camelot fell, and he almost succeeded where I failed until his own son betrayed him."
"The Horus Heresy!" Jaune snapped his fingers. "So what you're saying is that he was around before you, but the Imperium came after Camelot?"
"Correct," Artoria agreed. "I helped where I could later in the Heresy, but even with Excalibur there was only so much I could do to mitigate the damage so deep into the conflict. Even with his and his empire's death, the Emperor gave us what we all needed: time."
"Time against… the return of the Traitor Astartes?" Jaune pieced together.
"There's a bit more behind it than that, but you're more or less right," Diodes confirmed, "I'd served at my lord's side for so long, the thought of him actually dying still haunts me... but without going into the details, his sacrifice was a necessary one."
"…What are you dad?" Jaune asked the big question.
"This is what it comes down to, doesn't it?" Diodes sighed before he stood upright, "I am one of the Emperor's Companions, forged from childhood with genes from the Emperor himself. I am the last Captain General of the Adeptus Custodes."
Jaune stared at his parents for a moment before he looked at his limp hands. Magic was real, his mother was a mythical king (queen?) and his father was a legendary warrior, both from a time long past. He started to rapidly put the pieces together.
"I don't know what mom's case is," He said slowly, "… but with the stories you told me, you said that neither Astartes, Custodes or Primarchs were capable of having children."
"And that's what we thought too," Diodes nodded, "Do you want to take this one love?"
"Mm," She nodded, "My body had ceased aging when I pulled the sword from the stone, and I wasn't even sure if I was capable of producing an heir, especially after Camelot fell. When I was struck by my child's blow, something… broke in me. The powers they had consorted with had altered me in a way I couldn't have imagined. Almost every child I would bare would be a piece of me, a reminder of my failures. Mordred, the cloned child who betrayed me. Lily and Castera, my lost humanity and a brighter future that could have been. The Altera twins and Lancera, a fate that would have befallen me."
"Almost…" Jaune put together, "All except me."
"Your sisters' genetic material is based entirely off of your mother," Diodes explained, "So when you were born, a child who had equal parts of her and my own genes, it… terrified us."
Before Jaune's heart could clench, Artoria lightly smacked Diodes on the arm, glaring lightly at him.
"While I wouldn't put it quite like that," She said wryly, "your father is right. You were, are a miracle Jaune. With your sisters, we could ensure that they'd be alright because they are parts of me. But you? You were a wildcard. For all we knew, your father's genetic enhancements could have been incompatible and could have crippled you at any moment in your life. If they were to suddenly kick in while you were in the middle of combat, and your body was incompatible…"
Artoria choked up, her head down as she slapped a palm to her mouth, Diodes gently massaging the base of her neck.
"We found each other on the verge of collapse," Diodes took over softly, "And together we rebuilt our lives, fell in love and made a family, something we didn't even think was possible in the first place. We'd already lost everything once – we'd be damned if we'd allow anything to happen to our own children."
"Regardless," Artoria said as she straightened herself, though she didn't stop crying, "We don't expect forgiveness for chaining you, but… I hope you can understand why we kept this from you for so long, why we did what we did."
"And in the end," Diodes finished, his own eyes welling up, "We're so sorry for having ignored your heart. Intent or not, we hurt and never heard you."
Jaune wanted to be angry. He wanted yell and scream at them that an apology didn't take away seventeen YEARS of sheltering and near-imprisonment in his own home, unable to do almost anything without supervision. He wanted to rage that no reason was good enough for the way they chained him down, that they didn't deserve forgiveness.
Except that they did have a reason – no, several very good ones. He'd never thought that, of all things, he was a genetic anomaly, a dangerous and unknown new quantity that could have imploded at any time. That he was technically a grandchild of a real-life religious-figure and linked to a kingdom from long ago (two actually, if you counted the Imperium). But above all else, he was tired of being overwhelmingly angry. He wouldn't be able to let it go so easily, nor would he instantly heal from the act, but the chance to heal the rift between them was placed right in front of him. He was reckless, not an idiot.
He silently stood up, walked over to them and pulled them both into a tight hug. They were both caught off guard for a moment before they embraced him back. The sheer superhuman strength behind their hugs choked him a bit, but honestly, he was fine like this; it had been too long since he'd last hugged his mother or father.
"I'm still mad," he murmured, "But… I understand why you did it. And I'm sorry for neglecting to even hear you out because of it, and… I forgive you."
"You were well within your rights to be mad," Diodes chuckled, "But thank you for understanding."
"We hope that, given time…" Artoria said slowly, "We can make it up to you."
"…I'd like that," Jaune nodded, a soft smile on his face. "Besides, I've got way more questions for you two."
Pyrrha, as heartwarming as the reconciliation was, felt a little awkward. Still, she was just happy to be here to witness it.
}-{
"Talk about a hell of a ride," Roman sighed as he chowed down on a hotdog and soda, a black-white-and-green disguised Neo sitting next to him and daintily eating a pastry with a grin on her face and crumbs on her lips. "We've come a long way since the dust-fiasco with your parents, haven't we?"
She nodded silently again, her smile a little less cheeky and more wistful.
"…hey so…" He started, "Are you… okay with this?"
She raised a curious brow.
"I mean," He huffed as he leaned on the bench, watching the people pass them by, "We're sorta Ozpin's unofficial spies now. It's not too different from our usual shtick in theory, but... we're technically being chained down in a way."
She snorted.
"I know Ozpin said that we're free to quit," He groaned, "But that just feels… too convenient, I guess. He hasn't forced us to do anything above our paygrade, and he pays really damn well, but… gah, what am I saying?"
Neo's expression was thoughtful before she gave a wry smile, leaning on Roman's shoulder.
"Yeah… yeah, maybe you're right," He agreed, "It's not as exciting, at least not yet, but… it's definitely a lot more peaceful. I must be going senile, because I'm actually starting to enjoy the relaxation. Still don't like the hair dye though."
Neo quietly snickered at the light pink and brown hair dye that Roman used as a disguise (or more specifically the one that she had picked out for him), flicking at the pink bang hanging over one of his eyes as he shooed her away.
"Aww, you replaced me already Mint?"
Roman was surprised at the voice's owner having gotten so close without him registering. Even distracted, a world-class criminal didn't let his guard down so easily even while talking with someone. Neo didn't seem all too surprised by the newcomer, a rather feminine looking boy with bright teal eyes and dark, blue-tipped hair with what looked like a lyre attached to his hip.
"You know this guy?" Roman asked Neo, the latter nodding excitedly and waving at him. "Oh, a new friend then. You still seem a bit… young."
"Why thank you," The boy said cheekily, "I'm actually twenty-three. It's the fresh wind that keeps me looking so young."
"Might have to take your advice on that, I don't want to deteriorate so quickly after I hit my late forties. Rome Brunswick." He greeted, holding out a hand, "If Mint is fine with you then I've got no reason to doubt you."
"Venti," He greeted back with a surprisingly calloused handshake, "Venti Procella, and a pleasure to meet you. Mint, I assume that this is your brother that you speak so highly of?"
She nodded, the two of them immediately falling into idle conversation. Roman was surprised at how easily this 'Venti' was able to pick up on her body-language and subtle ques. He didn't look or even feel particularly threatening, his bubbly personality being the genuine article and not a practiced façade. Still, there was something about him that was odd, though not unpleasantly so. Neo cocked her head to the side, a curious tilt in her brows and lips.
"Oh, I'm just here because I've got a meeting with someone in that important-looking tower over there," he answered, a cheeky glint to his eyes. Both Neo and Roman looked over their shoulders to the tower behind them: Ozpin's tower. Neo looked back at Venti, eyebrows up in surprise and a slight grin on her face.
"Oh, I'm nobody too important," he giggled, a hand daintily covering his mouth, "But I'm… acquaintances with ol' Oz. You two wanna get a bite to eat later this evening? I heard they've got some excellent wine in an outdoors restaurant nearby!"
"I could go for a drink," Roman chucked, "Seven-thirty sound good?"
Neo nodded in agreement and Venti clapped his hands together.
"Seven-thirty it is!" Venti cheered, "I've got to get going now, but I look forward to a lovely evening with you two. May the winds guide your way!"
That line surprised Roman: that was an old, antiquated phrase from medieval Vale back when the worship of its patron god was much more commonplace. Was he religious then? Given Venti's wink, tongue poking out and peace-sign… he wasn't quite sure.
"May they blow in your favour," He said back before turning to Neo. "So that's the guy you met in the tournament, huh?"
She nodded before shrugging with a lopsided smile.
"Like I said, so long as you're cool with him," He said before his smile turned a sly, "Though you seem to have gotten pretty close pretty quick with him…"
She pouted, cheeks dusting pink before she elbowed him in the ribs, Roman's laughs turning into wheezes as she crossed her arms and turned away from him. Nobody saw Venti fly straight up to the top of the tower.
}-{
Ozpin huffed as he ceased peering into the world beyond the veil. He could feel no brewing or potential malice within the ocean of content, joy and excitement. He leaned back and had to admit, Ruby Rose had done it. She'd successfully staved off Cinder's plan to cause worldwide turmoil and simultaneously lifted the spirits of everyone. He and Ironwood were already making plans to swoop in and arrest both Cinder and her teammates as well, and with numerous powerhouses at his disposal, that wouldn't be an issue even with the fragment of power she possessed.
The only real wrinkle in everything was that Magnus and Dorn hadn't been able to find anything in Glenn, save for a few thinner-than-normal veils in reality that even then weren't all-too threatening, being too small to allow any major threat through should they have opened. Magnus was more than capable of reinforcing the potential warp-leaks, and he had confirmed that Word Bearer forces had been present only up to the Vale Incident, having left soon after. They'd covered their tracks well of course and even Magnus wasn't able to tell where they went, but with the psychic defences both he and Magnus had placed and reinforced around Beacon, it was near-impossible for them to simply walk into the academy itself.
He heard a knock at the door – no, not the door, behind him from the windows. He let out a little amused snort as he turned to see a familiar youthful face behind the windows waving excitedly at him. He waved his hand and the window slid open to let Venti inside, the youth bowing gracefully as he floated into the office.
"It's been some time," Ozpin greeted, "You seem to be doing well."
"Why shouldn't I be?" Venti laughed, "The feeling of freedom is in the air, and with so much of it on my home soil granting me even more strength, I've got every reason in the world to be happy."
"You're welcome, I suppose," Ozpin chuckled lowly. "Any word from Morax or Baal?"
"Things seem to be okay on their end," Venti sighed gratefully, "You were definitely right about the rising Grimm population, but thankfully they don't seem to be amassing in any big army."
"As far as we can tell?" Ozpin prompted.
"As far as we can tell," Venti conceded. "How are you holding up?
"In a constant state of stress, as usual, and coping with copious amounts of recaff," Ozpin sighed as he slumped into his seat. "Nothing unusual, if a bit more stress than usual."
"You've never really changed," Venti laughed, a bottle of wine appearing from nowhere along with two thin glasses, Venti pouring into both of them as he walked to the open window, sat at the edge and beckoned Ozpin to stand next to him. Ozpin obliged, taking the floating glass and actually sitting next to Venti, legs dangle off the edge. They both sat in silence, Ozpin smiling a bit softer as he felt the rich wind on his face, the tinge of cool air signalling the deepening of fall and the coming of winter and felt the rich taste of the wine on his tongue.
"You and the other seven were anomalies in my eyes, all those years ago," Ozpin sighed, "But… I am glad that you are on our side."
"So are we," Venti smiled before it turned a bit watery, "…Or what's left of us anyway."
"…I apologize. I didn't mean to…" Ozpin said softly.
"No," Venti cut in, "No, don't apologize, I know you didn't mean to bring it up, that's just the other side of a free mind."
"Mm," Ozpin hummed and sipped his wine again. There was comfortable silence for a few moments before Ozpin asked, "I assume you'll be staying for the celebrations?"
"Of course!" Venti cheered, snapping right back to his bubbly attitude, "I can't wait honestly. The food, drink, and people, it's all so… poetic. A day of triumph for everyone around the world. You played a part in this peace Ozpin, so relax. You've more than earned it."
"…Maybe…" Ozpin said softly, he tension in his shoulders going slack for the first time in years, "Maybe just this once."
...TWBY Continued...
Consider this and the next chapter a relaxed little hello! I again apologise for leaving you all so high-and-dry for so long, as my job got in the way and hasn't left me with a lot of room or time to write, but it's given me too much time to come up with too many new ideas. That and I recently got that virus nobody talks about anymore which may have planted even more insane delusions and ideas into my head. Or not. We'll see soon. ;D
As always, love you all and peace!
