AN: Hello everyone. On 2nd of this month is the day I first published Red Rose Meets Rose Reaper. Where did the time go? Anyway, a big thanks to Chocobolover69 for helping me with the title of this chapter.
Their Deepest Fear
Early in the morning, Oscar had a backpack ready. Ozpin had finally convinced him to go to Haven. But he still had some doubts. As of now, his aunt would be asleep, and their guests aren't exactly early risers.
"Are you worried about your aunt?" Ozpin asked, sounding compassionate.
"…Yeah…I mean…she's not too old so she shouldn't have too hard time without me," Oscar said, trying to sound convincing as he finally took the backpack.
"Well. You did prepare that note for her," Ozpin then said, trying to cheer the boy up, "That's better than leaving without a single word."
"I guess," Oscar said as he took the back pack before moving out of his room and into the empty hallway quietly. "You said you went through this yourself, how did you cope?" Oscar decided to ask.
"My situation was different from yours…but I was already trying to make a difference in the world," Ozpin admitted.
"I see," Oscar said as he walked out, still worried about leaving the only life he knew behind.
"And where do you think you're going?" was the voice that stopped Oscar dead in his tracks. Turning around, the boy saw Zeke and Pandoria staring at him with their arms crossed. "Planning to run away from home, are you?" Zeke added in with a knowing smirk, "That's not very nice."
"Princey, you have no right to lecture him about running away from home," Pandoria scolded her Driver, which was followed with a smack upside the head.
"Pandy! I'm trying to be serious here!" Zeke complained loudly. Earning a panicked look from Oscar.
"SHH! You can't wake up my aunt," Oscar whisper yelled frantically.
"Too late for that," said another voice from where the boy was previously going, which caused him to turn slowly to face his aunt. The woman was in her early forties, but very much a picture of health. Just a few lines to show her age and there weren't any gray streaks in her black hair. "Now what's this about running away from home?"
"I…I can explain!" Oscar said frantically.
"Were you planning to run away and get huntsman training?" Oscar's aunt asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Whuh? I-" "Just go with that." Ozpin interrupted in Oscar's head.
"…Yes," Oscar said, looking down.
"Were you just going to abandon me without a word?" Oscar's aunt then asked, sounding very threatening.
"No…I was going to leave a note for you," Oscar quickly said, pulling out the said note.
His aunt snatched it and red it over. Then the woman let out a sigh, "I always knew that being a farmhand wasn't enough for you. Tell me, Oscar, did you decide this on your own? No one talked you into it?" At the last part the woman directed a glare at Zeke who pointed at himself with a questioning look.
"No. This is…I've been thinking about this for a while now and I decided that I want more than this," Oscar said, not even lying at the latter part. He did want more out of his life than being a farmhand, but he didn't have the courage to speak it out.
"…Will you at least write back?" Oscar's aunt asked with a wistful look.
"…Why?" Oscar asked unsurely.
"Surely you wouldn't forget about little old me," the woman said with a slightly sad look.
"No!" Oscar shouted, before composing himself, "I mean…how could I forget you?"
After that, Oscar was surprised by his aunt coming in and pulling him into a hug, "Did you pack enough for your journey to Mistral?"
"Yeah…Or at least what I need to get there," Oscar said unsurely, wondering what this was about.
"Good, but I hear the roads have been perilous lately," Oscar's aunt added in.
"We can watch over him," Pandoria instantly offered.
"You two?" Oscar and his aunt asked in unison.
"Fear not, madam, for with the Zekenator on the job, your little nephew could not be safer," Zeke then said melodramatically before striking a pose at the end of that.
"…For some reason, I don't feel very confident," Oscar's aunt said with a sweat drop.
"Oscar, we should take them with us," Ozpin spoke up in the boy's head, "If these people are what I think they are, we might need them."
"We were on our way to the capital anyway," Pandoria then said, "We might as well go with him now. Besides, he might not look it, but when it comes to fighting, my prince is the best option."
"Hey! No dissing your Driver," Zeke complained at the insult half of Pandoria's statement.
"Well, they look strong," Oscar tried to say in an attempt to convince his aunt. This area had huntsmen checking on things regularly, due to the farm being relatively successful.
"I guess," Oscar's aunt sighed out loud, "Still, be careful and…if whatever you planned doesn't work out, you're always welcome back. Just so you know." The woman smiled at the last part.
"Thanks," Oscar said, smiling back before turning to their two guests, "If you guys can be ready quickly, we could get a move on immediately."
"As sure as the Sun will rise," Zeke said before striking a pose, once again earning a sweatdrop from the Pines. Worse yet, Pandoria was mimicking it.
Regardless, Oscar, Zeke and Pandoria had breakfast together with Oscar's aunt before they finally left the farm. Something that the Driver and Blade were planning to do at some point anyway.
Oscar was still unsure of if he should do this, after all his aunt looked sad to see him go. "You are doing the right thing," Ozpin tried to console the boy. The boy of course couldn't answer due to present company.
"Hey kid," Zeke piped up, "Take it from me, you have it easy compared to me when it comes to leaving home."
"Why is that?" Oscar asked out of curiosity.
"Me and my old man don't exactly get along," Zeke admitted.
"Which is why he disowned you," Pandoria chimed in with a smile.
"Pandy! He didn't need to know that," Zeke whined, earning a chuckle from Oscar. Honestly, the boy was happy that he was still welcome to return to the farm, all things considered.
"Maybe when this is over." Ozpin suggested, earning a frown from the boy who wanted to tell him to stay out of his thoughts. "As I told you before, they're technically our thoughts now." And of course, Ozpin had to hear that.
At that moment a rumble was heard.
"Please don't start raining," Oscar pleaded. The train station wasn't too far away now, but if it started raining now, they would get soaked. And then the first drops started falling. "Just my luck," Oscar complained as the drops became more frequent.
"It's not your luck," Pandoria said as she glowered at her Driver through her glasses.
"Hey, you can't blame me for this," Zeke complained.
"With your luck, yes I can," the electric Blade with light bulbs said with a teasing smirk.
"Less talking, more running," Oscar said, wanting to get out of this rain fast as he followed his own advice. Taking his back pack off his back and using it as a makeshift umbrella.
Oscar wasn't too soaked when he and his "escorts" made it to the train station. The same couldn't be said for Zeke and Pandoria. Well, Zeke more than Pandoria, because the eye patch wearing man gave his coat to his Blade to use as a makeshift cover. Luckily the coat held most of the water at bay so the bespectacled electric Blade wasn't soaked, but Zeke was. Plus, the gray-haired young man wasn't wearing anything underneath the coat so his torso was on full display.
"Prince, we made it under a roof so you should probably take your coat back," Pandoria said quickly as she took the said article of clothing off of her and offered it back to its owner.
"Thanks Pandoria," Zeke thanked and put his slightly wet coat back on, despite it probably being not very healthy option right now.
"Umm…shouldn't he get dry or something?" Oscar asked as he moved to the ticket machine to get a ticket to Mistral. Except when he showed his lien cards onto the machine, the response was, "Error! Not enough funds."
"Nah, he's never been sick in his life," Pandoria said without a care in the world.
"…Uhhuh," Oscar mouthed out unsurely, before asking the most important question from the two, "So…you guys have any lien that I could borrow?"
"…What's lien?" Zeke asked, sounding completely serious, earning a slack jaw from Oscar.
"Calm yourself, they probably use a different currency where they're from," Ozpin tried to calm the boy. The said boy was about to retort that lien is the only currency in the world, before Ozpin spoke again, "Be on your guard!"
At this Oscar's look of shock shifted to a nervous one as he heard heavy footsteps coming from behind. Turning around, Oscar saw a large man walking towards them slowly. Neither Oscar, nor the unsuspecting Zeke or Pandoria knew this, but this was Hazel. "Here." Hazel said as he struck the machine on a particular spot, which then proceeded to make three of the desired tickets to be spat out as Hazel kept walking past Zeke and Pandoria. The former of the two having a frown at the slightly taller and more muscular man. Then Hazel paused at the end of the walkway. "Don't let such a small obstacle stop you." Were the last words the man spoke before walking away."
As Hazel left, Pandoria proceeded to pick up the tickets they needed. "How nice of him," the frizzy haired Blade said as she handed one ticket to the still nervous looking Oscar. "He looks kinda scary, but he seems to be a big softie," the female added with a smile as her cable tail swished a little.
"Maybe," Zeke however looked unconvinced as he accepted another ticket, "Well, at least all three of us can get to Mistral." That last part was added jovially.
All the while Oscar tried to think his question of who that man was to Ozpin. "Someone from my past. Someone who is not to be trifled with," Ozpin replied, feeling relieved himself that Hazel didn't seem to suspect anything.
"Something up, Oscar?" Pandoria then asked the boy who seemed to be staring into space.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's fine," Oscar said, as he chuckled nervously. He wasn't sure if these two would believe him if he told them about Ozpin, and he wasn't exactly eager to find out. More importantly, he wondered why Ozpin would want these two with them.
On the road to Mistral, Ruby and the others had created a makeshift stretcher to carry Rex who was getting worse slowly. Ruby and Jaune were currently the ones carrying the stretcher with Rex laying on it, occasionally letting out a small cough. Pyra was walking next to the stretcher, holding her Driver's hand to let Rex know she's still here. Even though the Aegis was already feeling the physical effects of the poison, but unlike Rex, she was still able to walk. Roc was on the other side, keeping an eye out on their surroundings. With Penny, Kos-Mos, Ren, Otohime, Nora, Electra, Qrow and Kasandra walking around them to guard the ailing salvager.
"If only we knew how to awaken someone's Aura," Ruby muttered sadly as she looked at the poor boy she had dragged into her problems.
"None of us bothered to learn," Jaune pointed out, "Besides…we're not even sure if it would work on an Alrestian."
"Why not do it now?" Pyra asked, glancing at everyone, "If it could help Rex, then maybe it's worth a try."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Qrow piped up as he looked at the red-haired girl, "We don't know exactly how different the people of Alrest are from the people of Remnant. For all we know, trying to awaken his Aura would kill him." Unfortunately, Qrow wasn't even joking.
That made Pyra squeeze Rex's hand harder, the boy squeezing back as strongly as he could. "…Vandham…no," Rex whimpered as he moved a little on the stretcher.
"What is he mumbling about?" Joana asked from her spot next to her lord. She had offered to carry the stretcher in Jaune's stead, but the blonde boy refused.
"He's talking about Vandham," Roc replied instead, "From what I have heard, he was a mentor to Rex. Taught him what it means to be a Driver."
"Was?" Ren caught onto the wording.
"He was my former Driver," Roc replied simply as if that explained everything. And it did, when everyone remembered what happens to the Blade when their Driver dies.
"My apologies for asking," Joana apologized with a sigh.
"It's alright," Roc replied easily. Nora and Ren glared a little at the almost casual way he said it.
Soon enough, Ren felt Otohime's hand on his shoulder, "Remember, he does not remember his previous life." It seemed to have the intended effect as Ren let out a heavy sigh.
"It's still weird," Nora said as she glanced at Electra. The thought of her Blade one day just forgetting her was a terrifying one.
"How far are we from Mistral?" Jaune decided to ask Qrow stiffly. He had yet to forget what happened to Pyrrha because of Ozpin.
"Long enough that I'm not sure the kid's gonna make it," Qrow admitted with a sigh.
"Are you saying we can't save Rex!?" Pyra all but demanded.
"Uncle Qrow, that can't be," Ruby denied with a worried look.
"Look!" Electra suddenly shouted out, pointing forward at a crossroads.
Everyone picked up the pace to the crossroads with a signpost that had different signs pointing to three directions. One to the left, one to the right and one back the way they came from.
"Look! Mistral!" Electra said in excitement as she pointed to the sign that says "Mistral" pointing to the right side.
"The pathway seems to lead to the mountains," Kos-Mos observed the direction, seeing the said mountains.
"I know that path," Qrow said with a sigh, "We can't get through it with him in that condition." At the last part, the older huntsman looked towards Rex who Pyra was tending to.
"What about that village, Kuroyuri?" Penny pointed out the sign that led to the left path that pointed to the said town.
"That village was destroyed years ago," Ren pointed out. It was also a hint that the sign seemed to have been crossed out.
"The village might've had a doctor," Roc pointed out with a thoughtful look, "There could be medicine we could use."
"You're not going to find anything," Ren said more firmly.
"Ren, how would you know this?" Otohime asked her Driver, wondering why he sounded so sure.
"That's…," Ren trailed off.
"Ren and I could walk through the mountains," Nora quickly offered.
"No, you won't," Qrow added in, "Here's the plan, you kids walk to the village and see if you can find anything. I will go straight to Mistral and get help. As a professional it shouldn't be too hard for me to convince someone to get a medical ship to pick you up."
"So, you want us to wait for you at the village?" Roze summarized the alternative.
"Exactly," Qrow said, happy that someone understood immediately.
"Then I'm coming with you," Kasandra instantly said.
"Actually, Kasandra, I want you to watch over them for me," Qrow told his Blade.
"But I want to go with you," the cute girl complained.
"Kasandra," Qrow sighed as he grabbed his Blade's shoulder's lightly, "I travel faster on my own. In the meantime, I want you to watch over Ruby and the others. Can you do that for me?" Honestly, Qrow wasn't sure if he was making a stupid decision by leaving the "bad luck charm squared" with them but she wouldn't be able to follow him at the speed he'd be going so she might as well help protect everyone.
"Yes, sir!" Kasandra said with a salute and a determined look.
"Thanks," Qrow thanked his Blade before releasing her and giving all the kids a meaningful look, "Now, I want all of you to head to the village while I get our patient a flight out of here."
"Are you sure some of us can't come with you?" Ren asked with his hands clenched into fists.
"Look, kid, I said I move faster on my own and I mean it," Qrow said while sliding his hand through his hair in exasperation.
"I trust you uncle Qrow," Ruby said firmly, "Just hurry."
The dusty old crow gave his niece a confident grin, "I'll get back as fast as I can." With those words, Qrow practically dashed to the right side of the road.
"…Will he get help fast enough," Pyra asked in worry.
"Qrow Branwen is an alcoholic loose cannon, but he can be trusted to get the job done," Kos-Mos spoke up, earning blanched looks out of anyone that wasn't Penny.
"How would you know this?" Joana asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"It said so in a file that Ironwood had on him," Penny replied instead.
"…Kos-Mos, how much did you steal from Atlas?" Jaune asked in disbelief.
"Anything that seemed important. It wasn't like there was any security around them," the android Blade replied easily.
"Everyone, I think we should move to the village and see if there is any medicine for Rex," Kasandra interjected, even as she looked over to the skies to see a crow flying off as fast as it could.
As if to remind everyone, Rex let out a groan as his grip on Pyra's hand tightened.
"I hate seeing him like this," Pyra said as she looked at Rex's paled face.
"So do I, Pyra," said Azurda from his spot next to Rex's head on the stretcher. They boy's helmet was tied to the side of the stretcher, but Azurda decided to sit near the boy he had watched grow up. Just as worried as Pyra was for him.
"…There's nothing there," Ren spoke again, feeling angry that Qrow just dumped them like that.
"Ren, what is wrong?" Otohime asked, deciding to address the issue.
"Guys," Nora interjected, "We could still separate here."
"There is no point for that," Otohime pointed out, "Qrow should be able to acquire us a transport, if his claims about his speed is true."
"Qrow's already quite a distance away," Kasandra confirmed. Her Resonance indicating that her Driver was increasingly far away.
"What if something happens to him?" Electra pointed out in worry.
"If that were the case, we would know immediately," Roc pointed out as he glanced at Kasandra.
"It would be unwise to split our forces now," Kos-Mos added her opinion to the mix, "Still, it could be beneficial to increase chances of someone making it to the Mistral capital."
"Even if Qrow gets there first, we could still meet Ren and Nora at the check in station at the Mistral gates," Penny also pointed out.
"What do you think Ruby?" Roze asked his Driver, not sure what to do himself.
"…I trust uncle Qrow, but Kos-Mos and Penny have a point," the little red reaper said, "But what if you guys run into trouble?"
"We'll take care of each other," Nora said as she grabbed Ren's hand, "We always have."
The scene made Otohime's blood boil, but for the sake of her Driver kept it to herself. "As will I and Electra." And offered her support instead.
"Yeah." Electra added in with a determined look and took Nora's unoccupied hand.
"…I can also join them," Roc pointed out as he moved near the two.
"Roc?" Pyra sounded out.
"If Qrow gets help before we reach Mistral, I will know when you start moving," the avian Blade said confidently.
"Then we would know if Rex is safe," Ren said before glancing at Pyra, "Are you okay with this?"
"…No, but if it helps you guys then I'm sure that's what Rex would want," Pyra said as she looked at her Driver with a sad smile. "This cannot end well." Mythra complained inside Pyra's head. "Don't say that!" Pyra cried out.
"We didn't say anything," Jaune pointed out.
"Not you, Mythra," Pyra said quickly before looking down in mild embarrassment.
"Milord, I can take your place for a moment," Joana offered as she pointed at the stretcher.
"Why?" Instead of answering, Joana pointed towards Ren and Nora. "…Alright," Jaune relented as the two switched. Then the blonde knight walked towards his friends, "You guys take care." Jaune said as he and Ren shared a quick hug, before doing the same with Nora.
"We always have," Nora said again with a small smile.
"Take care," Ruby said sadly.
"Take care of them, you two," Roze said to Otohime and Electra.
"We shall," Otohime said simply.
"I'll do my best," Electra said cheerfully.
"Don't forget that I'm going with them," Roc added in, before glancing at Pyra, "I'm counting on you, Pyra." The red-haired Aegis nodded resolutely.
"Be careful friends," Penny also added her support.
"See you soon," Kasandra also added in, refusing to lose her positive attitude. With that, Ren, Nora, Otohime, Electra and Roc took the right path, while the rest took the right path to Kuroyuri. Hopefully they will find medicine for Rex.
Sometime after separating, Ruby, Jaune, Penny, Roze, Joana, Kos-Mos, Pyra and Kasandra had reached the village and started searching around. Of course, Kasandra and Pyra stayed behind to keep watch over Rex, while everyone else scrambled around the ransacked village for a pharmacy. Except of course Azurda who wasn't sure he would even know what to look for even if he did go too.
Soon enough, Ruby and Roze returned first. "We didn't find a pharmacy," Ruby said sadly, Roze didn't look like he found anything either.
Jaune followed shortly after alongside Joana. "Joana and I didn't find one either." Jaune informed unhappily.
"Ruby!" Penny shouted from ways away, earning everyone's attention.
"Penny!" Ruby called back while the android duo approached, "Did you and Kos-Mos find a pharmacy!?"
"…Yes," Penny replied, but she didn't look happy.
"Then where is the medicine?" Roze asked, noting that they didn't bring anything.
"It was empty." Kos-Mos broke the news.
"…What?" Pyra was the first to question from her spot next to the lowered stretcher Rex was still laid on.
"…The Pharmacy was empty…," Penny repeated sadly, "If what Ren said was true, then someone most likely had years of time to scavenge anything useful."
"Dammit!" Jaune cursed, realizing that they should have thought of that.
"It matters not, milord," Joana said firmly, earning questioning looks, "All we have to do now is to wait for Lady Ruby's uncle to find help."
"You really trust him?" Jaune asked skeptically, even after everything the man told them.
"No, but I trust Lady Ruby," Joana replied, "At the very least, I trust him to want to help his niece. As foolish as it may be."
"Uncle Qrow will do his best," Ruby said resolutely.
"If Qrow says he can do it, he will," Kasandra added in, having faith in her Driver.
Joana didn't bother to comment as she moved to scan Rex's vitals again. "Sir Rex is suffering from abnormal brain activity…Possible hallucination or in more common words, 'fever dreaming'." The mecha knightess explained.
"I'm sorry," Ruby then apologized sadly, earning everyone's attention, "I shouldn't have dragged any of you into this."
"Ruby, what're you talking about all of a sudden?" Jaune asked.
"If I had known about Tyrian…about…" The red reaper trailed off as she looked at Rex.
"Ruby, this isn't your fault," Roze spoke up, "None of us knew about anything, so how is any of this your fault."
"He's right," Pyra added in, "Besides…Rex would have wanted to help even if none of us were involved." The red-haired Aegis smiled at the latter part.
"And we would have come even if we knew," Jaune added his lien into the mix, "And I'm sure Ren and Nora would say the same if they were here."
"…I guess," Ruby said, though she didn't seem too convinced, but decided to change the subject regardless "…Do you know why Ren didn't want to come here?" Roze looked worried about his Driver, but decided to leave it for now.
"…I think I have an idea," Jaune said with a small sigh.
"Then why did you not confront him, milord?" Joana asked.
"…Even if I had I don't think I could have convinced him to come," Jaune explained, "Besides…I don't think it's my place to pry."
"Why didn't he want to come?" Penny then asked, being curious about why Ren was adamant on not coming here.
"That's not for me to tell," Jaune said back as he looked to the mountains where he thought Ren and Nora might be at.
With the said duo, their Blades and Roc, they were walking on a relatively narrow path. "Relatively" because it was easy for one or even two people to walk, but there were some turns that would be challenging with a stretcher.
"…Ren, was Kuroyuri your home?" Otohime finally found it in herself to ask.
"Otohime," Ren sounded out, clearly not wanting to talk about it.
"But it is clearly bringing you distress." Otohime pressed on, "I will not force you to talk, but know that I am here for you."
Unfortunately, it looked like her words had the opposite effect. "You are NOT my mother!" Ren snapped at his now shocked and hurt looking Blade before picking up his pace.
"…Nora, why did Ren yell," Electra asked, worrying about her Driver's best friend.
For all intents and purposes, Nora should feel happy about her enemy being yelled at. But because of Ren's distress, the orangette can't bring herself to enjoy it. "Something I didn't think of before," Nora muttered loud enough for the electric Blade to hear. Nora had thought of Otohime as her rival for Ren's affection, but now that she looked back after Ren's outburst, she finally realized that Otohime was never after Ren like that. All the times the water Blade seemed to try and seduce Ren now seemed like how the hammerer herself was with Electra sometimes.
"If you are quite done, I think I found a tunnel we can use," Roc spoke up from ahead of everyone.
Ren who still looked angry practically stomped to the said tunnel, feeling the wind coming from it. "…It might lead us through the mountains," Ren muttered, before feeling a hand on his shoulder. It turned out to be Nora who looked at him with worry.
"You okay, Ren?" Nora asked.
"…I'm fine," Ren said with a small sigh, "Let's get through here." All the while Otohime scowled at Nora.
"Otohime," Electra sounded out to her fellow Blade, "Why do you hate Nora?"
"…I would rather not speak about it with you," Otohime replied with an apologetic look to Electra, even as they followed their respective Drivers into the tunnel.
"But Nora never did anything to you," Electra pointed out, "Please…what is so bad about her?"
"…It is not about what she has done. It is about what she will no doubt do in the future," Otohime replied as she tried to murder Nora with her blue eyes.
"What? What do you think she will do?" Electra asked.
"Cause Ren to kill himself with her out of control nature," Otohime easily replied, "I would much prefer that my Driver did not associate himself with…that…girl." It took every ounce of her willpower not to call Nora something that Electra might not like.
"What about Yang? Or Ruby?" Electra asked innocently.
"Yang is much more in control of herself than Nora, though not as much as I would prefer. And Ruby is merely adorable girl like you, Electra," Otohime explained, letting herself smile at the last part, "Truth be told, I would much rather prefer if Ren associated with someone more…refined. Someone who is not a hazard to his health and would love him instead of take advantage of his kindness without giving anything in return." At the latter part, Otohime once again glared at the back of Nora's head.
Electra opened her mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by a gasp from the front.
"What's this stuff?" Roc asked at the black ooze that spread around a large cave like area that also had several weapons clattered around. More specifically it seemed like the black substance was splattered around.
"Some Grimm bleed black ooze from what I've heard," Ren responded before his eyes fell upon an arrow on the floor. The green clad gunner ran to it and picked the projectile to inspect it. Ren recognized the design of this arrow. It was the kind his father used, and they were custom made so no one else should have arrows like these. But the last thing Ren's father used these against was…the boy's eyes widened in alarm.
As Ren was inspecting the arrow, Otohime was drawing more ether in this cave, but that wasn't all. The water Blade had brought her tendrils forward and sure enough, the webbed spiked tip of the right tendril was twitching uncontrollably. "Hm?" Otohime sounded out as she moved herself to face different directions until the left tendril also began twitching. Then the kimono clad Blade walked to the direction of her twitching tendrils, almost blindly following them but still keeping track of the distance that was coming between her and the others. Soon enough, she discovered an almost unnoticeable side entrance which was just large enough for a fully grown human to fit through. When she reached a small almost chamberlike cavern, and her eyes widened at what was in the middle of it. A hole with glowing blue mist-like substance pumping out of it with the fumes instantly fading into air. "Impossible! How can that appear on Remnant?!" Otohime exclaimed in disbelief.
As Otohime exclaimed at her discovery, Electra had also entered the small cavern. The little girl saw Otohime walking here and wondered what she was doing. "Hey, Otohime, what did you-" Electra trailed off at the impossible sight in front of her. "…Is that an Ether Font?" Electra asked like she couldn't believe it.
"It certainly feels like one," Otohime said as she could feel it releasing Ether into the air. "But…for an Ether Font to appear on Remnant... that would mean that there is a source of ether deep underground. Almost like…on a Titan."
"But Ether doesn't exist on Remnant, right?" Electra pointed out, "So how is this possible?"
"…I do not know," Otohime admitted with smallest of frowns, "I truly do not know."
Outside of the cavern, Ren and Nora noticed large hoofprints on the ground that led to large opening that led outside.
"What is it?" Roc asked, before seeing the hoofprints himself, "Did a Grimm leave these?"
Instead of answering, Ren and Nora moved to the opening to see several trees rustling as something moved past them. But the leaves blocked the view, so they couldn't tell what was moving down there.
Roc also noticed the movement before he gazed over the trees below to see a very unwelcome sight. The thing was moving to the direction of a village in the distance. Could it be Kuroyuri where Rex and the others were? "We need to get there before that thing does," Roc said, turning towards Ren and Nora. The two were just staring with looks of horror. "Ren, Nora, we need to-" Roc was interrupted by a loud screech that startled everyone. Including Otohime and Electra who also heard it.
"No…Not again," Ren said with a look of terror on his face, even as he clutched Nora's hand like a life-line.
AN: Here it is. The battle against the Nuckelavee is approaching. And Otohime made an interesting discovery. And we get some insight on what Otohime thinks of Nora.
