Legend 40
-Class Act PT.2-
…..
And on a hill overlooking The Twilight Gap, did two Night Stalkers stand unseen against the light of day.
Ilia's Hunter eyes, sharp to begin with, and enhanced further by her Faunus trait, espied the movements of The Fallen platoon below them. "They've dispatched the guards around the place already…"
Blake nodded, her onyx hair bobbing with the movement.
Ilia bit down on her bottom lip.
"But look; their formation and their movements…" her cat eyes narrowed. "They're not here to destroy, but to fortify."
"Which explains why the MAC gun is still operational."
"Team Rosenkreuz made sure of that a short while ago." Blake rose from her crouch and walked forward a few paces. "If they didn't destroy it, that means they need it. But for what?"
Ilia couldn't answer right away. She was busy lamenting the fact that Blake's white cloak covered the whole of her back.
A shame, considering so little of her front was covered.
Focus, girl! Did she mentally chide herself.
A Skiff then roared in from orbit.
"Maybe that can give us an answer." Ilia joined Blake's side as the two watched the ship drop its load to its waiting recipients.
"Looks like...tools and other equipment…" said Blake's Ghost.
"They're definitely building something," Blake concurred. She then readied her Suros JPS-55 pulse rifle. "We've seen what we need to see. Moving to action phase."
Camo still engaged, did the Two Hunters make down the hill, advancing slowly on their many targets.
Blake talked as they walked. "Ilia, the Vanguard allowed you to keep your Level-Purple weaponry, yes?"
"They did." Ilia armed her sidearm and sword in either hand.
"Flank left, to the west side of the building. I'll take east. We'll work our way towards each other. Stay covert as long as possible. I won't open fire until I hear you or the enemy do so. You follow suit."
"Affirmative, Lady Belladonna."
Ilia blushed rather vibrantly at the look Blake gave her then. "'Blake' is just fine," she said, her small smile fading as fast as it formed. She heaved a breath of preparation. "Alright. Let's get underway. Traveler's Light, Hunter."
Ilia offered a Hunter salute as she made around the building.
Her steps were silent, as were her breaths, as Ilia stole partway into the building. In her immediate view, did she see three Vandals and a Dreg. The smaller creature was currently subject to the greater share of the workload; it ferrying heavy crates and boxes across the room. What Ilia surmised as laughter came from the Vandals.
One of them gave a sharp order, the Dreg flinching into compliance.
It was headed her way.
Ilia flattened herself against one side of the doorway, Quickfang held ready.
The Dreg crossed the threshold, for whatever it was sent to retrieve.
It was dead and disposed of before it could so much as shout.
The Night Stalker assumed a crouch as the Vandals, no doubt wondering why the stupid little Dreg had yet to return, would soon come to investigate.
That they did.
And in a flash of Void-charged steel, were the alien pirates soundlessly cut down.
Ilia moved into the room, it now clear.
Up a staircase and down an open-air corridor.
On the threshold of the next room, did Ilia encounter a problem.
Her head was beginning to swim. Holding her camo was rapidly drain her Light.
Ilia breathed through her mouth as she assessed the situation.
Six Vandals. A flock of Dregs. And a Captain; an Arc cutlass in each of its four hands.
A Reaver, doubtless.
Ilia loosed a shuddering breath, her fading back into sight as her camo became too taxing to maintain. She armed a smoke bomb in one hand, and Allied Demand in the other.
Leaning around the threshold, did she hurl the smoke bomb into the center of the rabble.
Ilia followed soon after.
…
Chit-chit-chit! Chit-chit-chit!
Suros ballistics perforated the skulls of Blake's target's with infallible precision.
"On your left!"
In a single deft movement, did Blake flatten herself prone while loosing a throwing knife from her waist holster. The airborne blade found its home in the neck of a Vandal, the spray of its weapon's shrapnel discharged harmlessly into the air.
Arming her sword, the Steel Sybil Z-14, did she cut through her enemies barring her progress into the next room.
"Pinging something big in the next room," Adam told his Guardian.
Blake peaked her Void Light as she assessed the threat.
Inside she saw her rookie charge, engaged as she was with a powerful Reaver Captain. Ilia was more than holding her own, the Captain's unit lay dead around the room. But the girl was being slowly overwhelmed. The Captain's swordplay was fluid and viscous; all four arms engaged in a swarm of blades and fury.
Ilia's guard was broken with a swift double uppercut from its two forearms. The flailing Hunter was sent sprawling to the floor by a follow-up front kick from the Reaver.
"Now would be a very good time to intercede, Blake!" Adam cried.
Sword now on her back, did Blake focus her Void Light into her left palm. And in a flash, was her ethereal bow brought to bear, primed for its Shadow Shot. Blake took careful aim, and loosed the shining Void bolt across the space.
It landed with clever precision, right in the path of the Captain advancing upon its prey.
It cried out, at once initiating its short-ranged teleportation. But it was too late, The Void already had its hold on the creature, encumbering the Captain with its volatile energies.
Blake sprang into motion, sword raised high. Her strikes then were deft and merciless, the Captain's cries echoing through the space.
And then, taking Blake by surprise, did Ilia spring from her lowly position on the floor. A deathly war cry tore from her lungs as her Quickfang lanced the Captain through the neck.
It crumpled to the floor as the Void energy dissipated around it.
Blake nodded her approval to her charge as Adam declared, "All proximate Fallen threats eliminated. Good work, girls."
Blake braced her hands upon Ilia's shoulders. "You alright?" she asked.
"M-hm!" was all that could squeak from Ilia's tightened lips, hers eyes unblinking.
Blake smiled and took off into the next room over, Ilia on her heels.
"Alas. The mother-load."
In the same room housing the tremendous MAC gun, did the girls find an enormous storage freighter.
Upon investigation, did Ilia make a discovery. She ran her hand over an emblem emblazoned upon the thing's sides. "Schnee…" Her mouth and eyes widened with a revelatory intake of breath. "I saw that news report!" she said. "This is the freighter of Hardlight The Fallen stole!"
"So it would seem…" Blake pondered. Her chin came to rest upon her finger. "But it begs the questions; why here? Why now? And what were they to use it for?"
Ilia looked to the MAC gun. "Maybe they were trying to make a new kind of weapon?"
Blake nodded. "Perhaps." Her Scroll was in her hands as she typed upon its keys. "But at any rate, we need to get this back to its rightful owners."
A final keystroke saw the signal sent. "The Vanguard have been notified the area is clear for asset retrieval." She beamed at her charge. "Mission accomplished. Congratulations, Ilia."
The girl's eyes came alight. "You mean, I'm a Guardian..?"
"Just about," Blake said.
A Vanguard cargo ship came in from orbit then, flocked by four gunships.
"Let's get this sorted and then head home."
…..
"And that's three."
Nora Valkyrie planted the final beacon into the ground, it coming alive as it transmitted its signal. She scrunched her face. "This was too easy. Almost disappointing…"
Weiss nodded sideways. "Not a total loss. The flora here is most fascinating. I wish I had time to take a few samples…"
"Warlocks, always trying to learn something!" Nora laughed. She sobered as she received a call on her Scroll. "Valkyrie here. Go ahead."
"Bronzewing here," from the other end of the link. "Jaune and I just planted the second beacon, en route to the third point."
"Copy that. We just finished here. No Vex to report. Which means, no fun…"
"Nothing to swing your big hammer at, you mean," Weiss giggled.
"Same on this end," was Dove's report. "Feel like things are a bit too easy…"
Nora nodded, the gesture unseen by her caller. "Copy. Link up again when you planted the third beacon and we'll head back to The Lighthouse."
"A-firm. Bronzewing out."
The call ended, Nora turned back to her Weiss. Only to then have her attention diverted by a phenomenon occurring over her shoulder. "Uh...hey Schnee?"
Weiss looked to her.
"I know you Warlocks do some freaky shit on the reg, but...is your friend okay?"
They both looked to Celica to see the girl levitating a few feet off the ground, legs folded beneath her.
"Void Trance," said Weiss knowingly. "Explains why she's been so quiet."
Nora scrunched her lips as Weiss approached the young Warlock.
Celica at once snapped out of her trance, struggling to maintain her feet.
"I've got you!" Weiss said.
Celica panted for breath as she steadied herself.
"Celica, what did you see?"
The girl's stare was vacant as she breathed, "They're coming…"
"The Vex?" Nora said, readying her grenade launcher.
"From where?"
Celica's weapon was primed in her hands, the Sorrow MG2 Submachine gun. "Not from where…"
And like a thunderbolt from the Sunlit heavens, did there fall a beam of light.
The girls flinched back as one, their weapons trained on the new anomaly.
"The hell is that?" Nora said.
"It's what I saw…" from Celica. She approached the machine.
"Seien Sie vorsichtig!" shouted Weiss.
"That probably means 'don't touch it'!" Nora yelled.
But Celica heeded neither of these cries. She was on the machine now, Weiss and Nora in cautious tow. "It's a Conflux…" she breathed.
"What? Cornflakes?" Nora said.
"'Conflux', she said," from Weiss.
"The Vex...they use these like beacons."
"Beacons for what?" said Nora.
"For travel."
"Windig, make sure you are getting all of this," Weiss said to her Ghost.
Celica continued: "They use Confluxes to home in on precise locations in space and time. And they follow the signal from whenever they're coming from." Her brows furrowed. "It looks like they want to induce something called a… 'Continuum Shift'...whatever that is."
"How is she doing all of this without a Ghost?" Nora whispered sidelong to Weiss.
"Celica, come away from that now. That's an or-"
Her voice was stayed in her lungs.
Black storm clouds began to billow around them, lightning crackling in their wake.
"They're here!" Shouted Celica.
The three of them formed up back-to-back as the lightning clouds grew ever more dense.
"I read about this in Team Cinder's dossier!" Weiss cried. "The Vex machines come out of these 'Time Storms'!"
And as true as her statement, were they then faced with a legion of the time-bound machines.
"Let 'em have it!" Nora cried.
Weiss glided across the ground at speed, Void Edge raised to strike. Her target cried mechanically at her her swift approach. It's head was soon separated from its body, spark fizzing in its absence.
The damaged mechanical warrior sprayed her with burning Solar bullets.
"Gah!" Weiss cried out as her flesh and robes burned. "Windig! How!?"
"I need a moment to analyze! Disengage, now!"
But the Warlock was now surrounded as more of the bipedal fighters emerged from the raging Time Storm. It was all she could do to keep her sword's Void guard up.
"Miss Valkyrie, stay close to me!" Celica cried as she engaged her arms in a ritualistic motion. A pool of alabaster Light then bloomed beneath their feet.
"I feel better already!" Nora cried, lobbing grenades at the encroaching machines.
Celica stood firm as she unloaded her smg, the Arc projectiles burning through the ever persistent horde of Vex.
The machines crackled and fizzed and burned.
They sputtered and stumbled and shrieked.
But they did not...stop...coming.
"Fucking hell!" Nora reloaded her grenade launcher amid a flurry of Solar projectiles. "How do we put these things down!?"
Celica cast a Vortex Grenade at a cluster of the machines, them dissolving into nothing. "I need to reach miss Schnee!" she said, espying her chaperon pinned down by Vex fire.
"Great! But how are you gonna-"
VROOON!
Celica Blinked across the field to stand by Weiss's side.
VROOON! Was she again inside her Healing Rift.
Weiss panted, "Windig says to aim for the middle!"
"Say what?"
"The glowing spots on their sternum, shoot there!"
Celica loosed a focused burst from her smg, and her target all but disintegrated, its power source violently disrupted. "Brilliant!"
The Guardians then loosed their weapons with emboldened precision.
But with every machine that fell, two more took its place.
"Dammit! They won't stop!" Nora cried.
Weiss loosed an Arc arrow into the belly of a closing machine. "Team Cinder was at this for three days before they capitulated…"
"Well I don't have that kind of time!" Nora shouted. She looked to The Conflux that was to their backs. "You said that this thing is what they're attracted to? So let's waste it!"
Nora's body exploded with Solar Light as her flaming hammer was born in her hands.
Pillars of fire consumed the machines that lay in her path as Nora burned her way to her target, their Solar projectiles only adding to her fury.
With a mighty leap, did she launch herself at the Conflux in her sights.
But then did the clouds of the Time Storm roil anew. And from them, came a mighty machine. Segmented and serpentine, did it bring to bear a rotating wall of glowing Hardlight.
Nora crashed into this revolving barrier, her advance halted at once. She was hurled backwards, crashing to the ground.
"Miss Valkyrie, get up!" Cried Celica.
But the Titan, still dazed from her collision with the barrier, was then consumed by a salvo of explosive Void bolts from their new enemy.
"Guardian down!" Windig cried.
The new machine loosed a series of bolts at the Two Warlocks still standing. They scattered, their retreat seeing them wade through a sea of broken and discarded limbs and parts from the Vex previously dispatched.
"We must get to Nora!" Weiss cried, Void bolts bursting against her sword's guard.
Celica loosed a breath. Her Void energy peaked, did she cry: "Into The Void! Initiate Chrono Phantasma!"
And at once, did she vanish.
"Celica!"
No sooner did she cry out, did she see Celica in rapid and empowered motion across the space. Her body hummed with the Light of The Void as she made her way to the fallen Guardian's Ghost.
A swarm of machines were birthed from the Time Storm that still raged, them surrounding Celica. But the Warlock's motion was unaltered as she loosed from her body a violent spherical burst of Void Light.
The Vex around her were blasted into nothingness.
Her Light then saw Nora revived, Void blasts raging around them.
Weiss fought her way to their sides, the three again forming up.
Celica created another Healing Rift around them. "We have it on the run!"
Indeed the mechanical creature had taken a new and defensive position, it now hunkered directly in front of the Conflux that was its gateway unto this place.
"I Will take them with one shot!" Weiss cried.
She was then airborne via her Void Glide, her body humming with Light. She focused the full might of The Void into her hand, and unleashed a massive Nova Bomb.
The machine cried out. And at once did it teleport out of the projectile's path, taking the Conflux with it.
"No!" Cried Nora.
Celica calmed her with but a hand on her arm. "Witness a Void Walker at work, miss Valkyrie."
Weiss, seeing her target's rapid relocation, raised her arms, her eyes then no more than glowing portals of Void Light. With a sweep of her arms, did she violently alter the trajectory of her still flying Nova Bomb. It was once again on the trail of her target.
The machine teleported again.
Weiss's Nova bomb tracked it relentlessly.
"Ohh, that's some angry Warlock magic right there…" Nora breathed.
Another motion from Weiss saw the massive projectile then split into three, them surrounding the machine on all sides. "No escape!" Weiss growled. She brought her arms down and the three Void bombs fell upon their target at once.
It, and its Conflux were shredded into atoms.
Weiss gracefully descended from the sky as Nora watched in awe. "Remind me to never piss off a Warlock…" she said.
Upon landing, was Weiss's bow primed in her hands. "We must link up with your teammates, Nora! They may be engaged as well!"
"Good point. Odin, lock onto their Ghosts' signals and zap us!"
"Hang on!" said Odin.
Weapons raised, were the three of them transmatted across Mercury.
They emerged from the ether, weapons and senses on full alert.
"Well it took you girls long enough."
The girls then beheld Jaune and Dove, stood ever so coolly amidst a sea of discarded and still fizzing Vex parts.
"Looks like you boys were busy too…"
Jaune nodded. "Everything was going fine, and then these….storm clouds came out of nowhere…"
"And then we were swimming in a sea of machines," Dove added. "Once we destroyed the main unit, they stopped coming."
"Much the same on our end," Weiss said.
Dove's Ghost popped out of his head. "And you won't believe what I was able to pull up about these things…"
"What have you got, Terrapin?" Dove said.
"A lot," the machine beeped. "Too much to share quickly. We should head for The Lighthouse. Osiris will definitely want to hear this."
Nods all around.
Weiss beamed at her charge. "Well then. Looks like our mission was quite the success," she said. "Welcome to the Guardians."
Celica nodded graciously as the three were transmatted from the scene.
….
"Harriet! On the left!"
The Risk Runner emptied her electric smg into a swarm of targets.
"Elm! Three o' clock!"
The twin rocket salvo found its home, obliterating the charging mass.
The six Light-bearers formed a defensive formation; a ring in the room's center, staving off the rapid advance of the rabid creatures from the walls.
A final blast from her shotgun saw Cordelia's magazine run dry. Rather than reloading, she then employed a Titan's greatest and most preferred weapon.
Her body.
Crackling with Arc Light, did she pound her fist together. "Come and get it!" was her battle cry.
The hoard of little horrors were more than happy to oblige.
"Rookie! Don't break ranks!" was Clover's cry.
But Cordelia heeded not this cry; adrenaline and lightning coursing through her veins.
"Dammit!" Marrow lobbed his grenade, a trail of violent purple Void flames halted a group of the monsters, them chattering and screaming. "Yang, get your charge in check!"
"Winchester, fall back! You can't take that many!"
Indeed the things were absolutely streaming from the walls now, their shrieking ranks growing all the time.
"Dammit!" Yang gave chase to the belligerent Striker, reloading her wrist-mounted weapons on the run.
She was not going to have a novitiate die on her watch.
Cordelia's Arc Light peaked as she broke upon the sea of monsters. With a leap, did she slam her fists into the ground beneath her. At least ten of the little horrors were reduced to ashes, but the true brunt of the horde was upon her now.
"Fuck!" Yang lobbed a Pulse Grenade, its electric bursts carving a swathe into the shrieking mass. "She popped her Super and she's still surrounded!"
"No, wait, Yang!" did her Ghost say. "Look!"
Cordelia's Arc Light was still at peak. And with another lunge, did she unleash another electric slam.
And another.
And another…
"What am I seeing?" Lightning continued to rain from Cordelia's fists as more and more of the Hive horrors met their explosive end. "I didn't know Fist of Havoc could work like that…"
The ground around Cordelia was now riddled with burning electric craters and the ashes of her former enemies.
The tide of monsters finally stemmed, did the Titan turn and present herself to her approaching chaperon. "How did I do?" she panted.
Yang got the distinct feeling that Cordelia's lack of breath was more from exhilaration than any fatigue. "You gotta teach me how to do that!" Yang laughed.
"Quite!" The two were then joined by The Archers as they made across the room. Elm slung a muscular arm around the rookie's shoulder's. "You could show The Surge Breaker a thing or two!"
Clover nodded his concurrence. "Nice work, rookie."
Cordelia's smile was rivaled only by her blush at Clover's praise.
"Uh, hey guys…" Celica said, now free from Yang's body.
The group's guard was instantly back up.
"Celica, what is it?"
The little machine puttered just a small ways out, his optic trained on the air. "I'm picking up movement…"
"More of them?" Marrow said.
"No, not that kind of movement." Celica puttered this way and that, moving methodically through the air. "It's like...a flow of energy. WEIRD energy. All of it amassing at a single point."
"Define 'weird' energy," Yang said.
"That's just it, I can't." Celica's shell spun in contemplation. "It's not Light, but it's definitely not natural either. Probably something unique to The Hive."
"And you said it's 'amassing'?" Clover's eyebrow rose with his question. "Amassing where?"
"Directly below us, but not by far…"
The group looked to Clover.
"What's the call, Pole Lancer?" Yang said.
Clover cast a look down the closest of the newly dug tunnels. "Let's see how weird this energy actually is."
…..
And so the six Light-bearers made single-file down further into the depths of Luna and the Hellmouth.
Yang lead the way, her Ghost lighting their path forward.
"These tunnels…" The Foehammer ran her hand over the tunnel's craggy face. "They are so crude; so new…"
"And yet they're happening so fast," Risk Runner said.
"Hey…"
Everyone stopped, their attention on The Dusk Ranger. "Anyone else hear that?"
"I do…" Clover whispered.
"Care to fill us in, Hunters?" Yang said, hand cannon sweeping the air.
"It sounds like…" Marrow left the sentence halfway. "Yang, let me take point."
Yang nodded. "Celica, stay with him."
Marrow lead the slow way through the tunnel then, his ears to the air. "Open cavern ahead," was his whisper.
Sactos...deus…
"I hear something," Yang said.
Morte..Nostra…
"Fucking hell, what is that?" Cordelia moaned.
At the tunnel's threshold, did they have their answer.
They stood overlooking an utterly massive cavern, an expanse carved from the very heart of The Moon.
"It's like a whole Necropolis down here…" Celica said.
Sumus...Hic...Morte…
"Light...of...Luna…" Harriet's whisper was of horrified awe. "Look at them all…"
"There's...hundreds of them!" Cordelia cried.
The sharp eyes of a Hunter were not needed to espy the sheer volume of the congregated creatures in this place; them diverse and deadly: The melee-focused swarmers; the levitating spell casters; and the bulky sword fighters. Every last one of them on their knees, grotesque heads bowed in reverence to an object in the very center of the room.
Nostra-Sanctos-Deus…
"That...sound…" Elm's statement was nearly lost to the vibrant alien chant from the ghastly congregation.
"Can a sound, like...take up space?" Cordelia said. She massaged her temples. "It's hurting my head…"
Sumus-Hic-Morte…
"It's like...they're...singing," Marrow said.
"Celica, are you getting this?" Yang asked her Ghost.
"I'm...trying but…" The optic on the little device flickered. "Yang, I don't like this," he beeped. He bobbed in the air, his flight unsure. "Yang...something's wrong…"
SUMUS-HIC-MORTE…
Harriet clutched her head. "Make it stop!" she shrieked. "Make it stop! Make it stop!"
NOSTRA-SANCTUS-DEUS…
Yang then became aware of...a presence….
A pressure.
Something immense and invisible.
Something...hungry.
Something that pushed and pulled on her from places unknown and unseen.
SUMUS-HIC-MORTE…
NOSTRA-SANCTOS-DEUS…
SUMUS-HIC-MORTE…
NOSTRA-SANCTOS-DEUS…
SUMUS-HIC-MORTE…
NOSTRA-SANCTOS-DEUS…
"Yang…" Cordelia tugged at her chaperon's elbow. "I don't…" She swayed on her feet. "I don't feel so good…" she croaked.
"Fall back," was Clover's order. He shook his head fiercely, though it didn't loosen his grimace. "We gotta get the fuck outta here…"
SUMUS-HIC-MORTE…
NOSTRA-SANCTOS-DEUS…
They staggered their way back through the tunnel, Clover steadying Marrow as they went. Cordelia moaned feebly before completely collapsing.
"Shit!" Yang picked the wilted girl up from the ground, carrying her in the crook of her arms.
Through the caverns of their original battle and the tunnels connecting them, they made slow progress back to the landing zone of The Moonsong.
"Elm, get us out of here," was Clover's command.
Yang gently lay the unconscious Titan in her arms upon a row of the flat bench seats in the ships bay. "Cordelia, c'mon…" Her attempts at rousing the girl were in vain.
Her strength recovered, Harriet said, "What the fuck was that!?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Risk Runner. Maybe better," was Clover's answer. He walked over to Yang, distressing over Cordelia's limp form. "She alright?"
Yang shook her head, the motion perpetual. "Her Light. It's…gone." Her voice was unsteady and elevated. "Those monsters took all her Light!"
Marrow stood shakily from his crouch. "It's like I can still feel that chanting in my head..."
"Celica, help her!" Yang beseeched her Ghost, tears running rivers down her face. "She needs Light!"
"Yang...we've had this conversation." did Celica beep sadly. "I can't-"
"JUST TRY, DAMMIT!" Yang shrieked.
The surrounding Archers shared a morose look among them, Harriet's hands covering her mouth.
"Okay, Yang…" Celica ran his reparation beam over the girl's motionless body. From head to toe, and back again.
"Anything?"
"Yang…" Celica looked to his Guardian. "Yang. I'm sorry…"
"No…" Yang's gaze, focused on Cordelia's unresponsive body, had grown alarmingly vacant. "She trusted me…" she sobbed. "Cordelia...The Vanguard trusted me with her life and I let them both down!"
Harriet, hands on both her shoulders, knelt beside Yang. "Yang, don't do this to yourself." Her voice was stern, yet imploring. "Cordelia knew what she was getting herself into when she asked for this. We all risk this same fate every day as we serve the cause. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Cordelia proved herself a warrior today and she will be remembered for it."
Yang breathed through her open mouth, the act then only seeming perfunctory.
"Step aside, you two. Let me try something."
The girls made way as Clover knelt before Cordelia.
"What are you doing?"
Clover frowned, his hands splayed flat on Cordelia's belly. "I figure if she runs on Arc Light, then maybe I can like...jump-start her Semblance somehow."
Clover closed his eyes, focusing his remaining Light into his palms.
Nothing came from him.
"Don't strain yourself, captain," Marrow said. "Those things took a lot of your Light…"
"Quiet." A grimace of focus spread over Clover's face as he called to his diminished Light.
Moments passed. And then…
Cordelia's spark of Arc Light began to glow from within.
A hopeful gasp escaped Yang.
Clover's fingers crackled with electricity as he willed his Light into the unconscious girl.
And then at once, did her back arched ferociously, air rushing into her lungs through her then gaping mouth.
A collective and voluminous sigh of relief echoed from Yang and The Archers.
"You alright, kid?" Clover asked, his face angled down to Cordelia's.
Her breaths irregular, but slowing, did Cordelia say: "What...what happened?"
Clover laughed. "You died for a while there, is what happened."
"But I...but you..?"
"Gave up some of my Light to switch yours back on."
Cordelia's eyes were unblinking on Clover's own, face as red as her hair. "T-thank you…"
"Don't mention it…" Clover slumped backwards, falling to the floor.
Everyone was by his side in but an instant, helping him sit up.
"I told you not to strain yourself!" Marrow barked.
With Harriet and Cordelia's help, did Clover get to his feet again. "Nothing I can't shake off, Dusk Ranger," he said. Clover gently extricated himself from their arms as he turned to look Cordelia in the eye. "You sure you're good?"
The Striker nodded slowly. "I am..." she said softly. "Thank you, Clover." And without quite having to stand on her tiptoes, did she kiss his cheek.
"The absolute least I could do," Clover said. "One more Light bearer in the world gives our enemies one more reason to be afraid."
Nods from the lot of them.
"Let's get back to first Light," Clover said. "Robin and Armstrong are gonna want to hear all about this."
…
"Wow…" was the first and nearly only response Ruby could muster to Yang and Weiss's stories. "Things are really getting serious out there, huh?" She looked over the railing to the packed Vanguard hall below, the rookies and their chaperons back from their various and respective missions. "Too bad we didn't get to have any fun…"
"Oh we had fun alright!" did Zwei chime in. "We totally owned in The Crucible, don't forget!"
"Yeah," Ruby said. "Five out of five ain't too bad."
"Look," Weiss said then. "The Speaker and Glynda Goodwitch are here."
Indeed The Speaker of The Light and his right hand had made themselves present for the christening of their new Guardians on this day.
Weiss's head cocked slightly, her eyes narrowed upon Glynda inquisitively.
"Was ist es?" Ruby asked her.
"Lady Goodwitch…" She mused. "There's something...different about her…"
Ruby looked to Yang, who shrugged. "Must be Warlock thing," said the Titan.
The hall went silent as the first team of three new Guardians were announced.
"...you will be known as...Fireteam Roanoke!" intoned Ozpin.
Applause filled the hall.
"Three Titans," Ruby chuckled.
"I'm sure they've a modicum of brains to compliment their brawn," said Weiss.
Just then, was their attention taken by a new entrant into their midst. "Hey, Yang."
They turned to see Cardin Winchester, hands clasped behind his back, eyes intent on the subject of his hailing.
"Hey," Yang said.
Cardin cleared his throat before speaking. "Cordelia told me about the mission, and what went on with those Hive monsters on the Moon and their...ritual…"
The blonde Striker nodded. "Whatever ritual those things were doing down there...it ripped half the Light out of my body just listening to it." Her speech was vacant and recollective, though still intense.
Applause filled the hall as "Fireteam Gallowglass!" was announced.
Cardin nodded. "Cordelia gave me the details of what happened after." He stepped forward. "I just wanted to say thank you, Yang, for getting her through it."
He extended his right hand. Yang met him as the two Titans clasped each others' forearms.
"And remind me to buy that Pole Lancer guy a drink sometime," he said, smile blooming.
"I think you'll remember," Yang said, smile growing in sympathy.
"Thanks again, Yang," Cardin said. He looked to her teammates. "Rose. Schnee." He inclined his head to each of them.
He turned to leave, and was then face-to-face with the one Pyrrha Nikos. He quickly righted his posture with a Titan salute.
"At ease," did the Vanguard captain say. Her eyes then fell on her itinerary. "A word, Dragon, if you please."
"Aren't you popular today!" Ruby chirped.
Yang grinned as she followed her captain back to her post, making her way through the assembled mass of Guardians. On the way did she see Blake on the landing on the room's opposite side. Her blown kiss found its target as the Faunus blushed mightily, returning the gesture.
Yang then found Pyrrha, stood at attention, face aglow with expectant patience.
"What did you want to see me for, ma'am?" Yang said, her spine straight.
Pyrhha's silent and delightfully smug appraisal continued a moment more. "I've seen any number of Guardians in my lifetime, and I'll see any number yet. But I somehow doubt I'll see another like you long as I live."
Yang fought to tamp her smile down, though a blush burned her cheeks.
Pyrrha turned to retrieve something from the table behind her. Turning back, did she hold a steel attache case flat in her two hands. "I've been waiting for just the right Titan to give this to. And I'm sure I've found her."
She pooped the hinges and the case opened with a hiss.
Yang's jaw fell slack at her recognition of the case's contents. "The Duke MK.44…" She did a double-take between the weapon and its presenter. "But, that a level-purple."
"Exactly," Pyrrha said. "You are long overdue, Yang." She smiled. "You and your teammates are talented well beyond your years. You're easily the best team of your class."
"Darn right we are!" did Celica chirp, flying from Yang's head.
"Celica!" Yang laughed as her Ghost did a little dance in the air.
Pyrrha nodded her affirmation. "Go on, Yang. It's all yours."
Yang stepped forward, and after only a brief hesitation, did she take the gun.
The rock-solid magnum was heavy and substantial in her hands.
It was perfect.
Her smile bloomed with the reverberated applause in the hall as "Fireteam Scathelocke!" was formed.
"You and your team are gonna do great things, Yang." Pyrrha's statement ended with a nod. "Now go unleash yourself on our enemies."
Duke Mk.44 on her hip, did Yang give an emphatic Titan salute and make back to her teammates on the landing.
"Celica A. Mercury; Ilia Amitola; and Cordelia Winchester…" came from Ozpin.
Yang joined up with her team just as Ozpin made his declaration.
"You three will be known as...Fireteam Myriad!"
Applause and cheers rang out as the three faced the crowd.
Ozpin hobbled to the very front of the stage then. "And to those of you left, though your efforts were indeed valiant, you have come up short on this occasion."
The remainder of the rookies could be seen shaking their heads.
One Lady Hunter dissolved into tears.
"But take heart," did Ozpin say. "There are many days and opportunities yet to come, and plenty of time and chances for your Light to grow. Use this time to hone your Semblances, and you will no doubt prove yourselves all the more worthy on the next occasion." He adjusted his glasses. "You will now be escorted back to the city. Miss Adel, if you would?"
Coco donned her shades as she lead the non-graduates from the hall.
"And now Miss Goodwitch will give your initiation speech.
As this went on, Team Rosenkreuz and the rest of the Guardian contingent looked upon the new rookies.
"This is a good day for us," Weiss said. "For The Tower; for The Guardians...for the people."
"I'll say!" Yang chirped, slinging an arm around each of her teammates. "And what's more, there's finally a Guardian class under us! We're not rookies anymore!"
Ruby nodded. "The Fallen. The Hive. The Vex." She looked to each member of her unit respectively. "They better look out, because The Guardians are stronger than ever!"
And like a great bell from the pinnacle of The Tower, did the collective cheers of The Guardians ring for the world to hear.
…..
-End of Legend 40-
….
A/N:
Hurrah, new chapter! But alas, I write this with a heavy heart. With the saddening closure of Rooster Teeth, the future of our beloved RWBY is now at best, uncertain. Not to mention all of those lovely people now out of a job. What will become of those wacky Achievement Hunters? Micheal and Lindsay Jones; Jack, Goeff; Gavin; Trevor and the whole gang? So sad to see them go.
But RWBY will live on; through our inextinguishable love for the franchise and characters; through community; and through the power of fanfiction.
Thank you for everything, Rooster Teeth. And thank you Monty Oum, for creating a world that will inspire us for many more years to come.
Here's to you.
See you all in the next chapter.
-B.D. Skunkworks