(There are details regarding my upload schedule in the Author's Note at the bottom)
No one knows the reason why the moon sometimes turns red. After all, this "Blood Moon" appeared only after the defeat of Cthulhu; when the Kingdoms began to fall and crumblr under the chaos sown by its Corruption.
Not many people were left to wonder what caused this phenomenon, but the few that survived were unlucky enough to witness its effects on the lands. And all of them came to a simple conclusion:
The Blood Moon is a bad omen, it's a sign of trouble and the oncoming horde on the horizon. Lock the doors, gather your weapons and breathe deeply. Then face the bloodied monsters.
You will not get any rest tonight.
-:-O-:-
Both girls were in awe as Ozpin led them through Beacon. Ozpin knew their feelings well. It was always like that with new students. Some teachers even dubbed it 'The First-Year Student Syndrome.'
But Cherry and Vera were different. Everything, no matter how mundane, seemed to be alien for them. They acted like tourists on their first trip in a different kingdom.
Vera held out an empty glass bottle. "Hey is there, like, a trash can I can throw this out?"
Ozpin didn't know what Vera was drinking, only that it was red in color. He just pointed out the nearest trash can and Vera discarded the bottle in it.
Every time they passed by someone they would stare right at Cherry and Vera. Their status as outsiders was obvious; they didn't wear Beacon's uniforms, and some of the students also saw Vera's… second form.
Hopefully most students will write it off as her Semblance. Ozpin thought to himself. They will talk about that, there wasn't a thing Ozpin could do to stop them. He could only make sure that nothing would happen because of it.
"There's… so many people here." Vera said.
"Yeah." Cherry nodded. "What was this place again? Hunter academy?"
"Beacon has hundreds of young students here learning to become Huntsmen and Huntresseses." Ozpin explained, stressing the proper terms for Cherry to catch onto. His mind stepped into those times where he led tours around his academy. "We prepare them for every challenge they will face after graduating. For every monster, every threat they will meet beyond our doorsteps."
This was a line he often said during tours, one of many that he knew by heart. He created this to spark a bit of awe into his guests. In this case though, it was to build rapport with those two girls. Let them familiarize themselves with this place, and what Ozpin and his coworkers were doing here.
"So, like, a military school?" Vera tilted her head, "Bootcamp?"
Not many people would call Beacon a military school, but at the same time not a lot differentiated it from one. "Not in a similar sense." He said. "We're training them to protect humanity from Grimm."
"And the hunting part?" Cherry asked. "Kinda funny to have hunters act like soldiers. They usually… hunt stuff… oh." Cherry had a small realization.
Ozpin didn't react to her comment. It wasn't uncommon for children to mispronounce the proper term. While Cherry didn't look like a kid, she wouldn't be the first one to make that mistake. "Well, I'm sure there are some schools that teach young men and women on how to hunt and skin animals… but not here. Here we teach huntsmen, and we teach them to fight monsters."
"Oh. So there is a difference."
"There is, and that difference is quite important."
The girls looked like they have learned something, which made Ozpin happy. "What about the army? What do they do?"
Now that question told him that they don't know anything about Remnant's history. This went beyond illiteracy and poor schooling. "Vale doesn't have a standing military." Both of them gave him bewildered stares as a response. "We had a war, you see. A Great War that happened not so long ago, its conclusion saw the end of militaries. Only Atlas still has a standing military, the rest rely on Huntsmen or the police force for protection."
He pressed the button to call in the elevator that would take them to his office. "Ever since that war, humanity has decided to focus on our common enemy: The Grimm.
They didn't respond, and Ozpin didn't know what they thought. The elevator was here, and Ozpin ushered them inside.
Vera looked around, seeing a small room with… nothing in it. Nothing besides some buttons on the wall. "What is this?" She asked.
Ozpin pressed a button and the doors closed. "An elevator." He told them.
Vera then felt the ground shake, causing her to grip the convenient hand rail on the wall. We're moving?! She realized in panic. How? Where? The sinking feeling in her stomach felt like they were moving up, but she didn't know how it was possible. What is this magic?!
The trip ended with an abrupt halt and "Ding!" of a bell. The doors that have opened and Vera no longer saw the hallways of Beacon. Instead in front of her was a desk. This room was an office, one that Ozpin stepped in like nothing had happened.
"Woah." Cherry breathed out. "What was that? A teleporter? A very slow teleporter?"
Ozpin gave them a surprised look. "That's an elevator." He told them. "You go in, press a button and it lifts you up and down between the floors."
"Huh…" Cherry squeaked. "But… Why not just use a teleporter? It's not like they're complicated."
Ozpin was staring at Cherry, and Vera didn't know why.
"...We don't have such a thing." He finally said. "No one's invented one, yet."
Cherry didn't know how to react to that.
And, truth be told, neither does Ozpin.
It was a very weird situation. The more they interacted, the more their differences were pronounced. These girls weren't just weird, they sometimes sounded like they were from a different civilization!
And yet, they looked similar to any other person on Remnant: A young human girl, and a slightly older Faunus Woman. "Would you like some coffee?"
"Yes!" Cherry immediately perked up at the mention of stimulants.
Vera put an arm in front of her, almost shielding or preventing her from approaching. "Don't give her any." She told Ozpin.
"Guh?!" Cherry's thoughts came into a crashing halt. "Huh?!" She glared at her traitorous friend, silently judging her for the betrayal. "HEEEEH?!"
Vera… ignored Cherry as she continued to make weird noises. "She will, like, you're gonna need a new office if you give her some. For the good of all that's nice lookin' don't give her caffeine."
"Hueeeeh!?"
Ozpin chuckled, and Cherry turned her glare towards him. "Then perhaps some water? Though I only have it warm."
"You're a monster!" She shouted at Ozpin, then she turned to her friend. "That was one time, Vera! One!"
Vera laughed at her face. "And it was enough. Let's… not terrify new people."
Cherry groaned while leaving Ozpin wondering if Vera was really joking. "Anyway…" He said, if only to move onto what he really wanted to talk about. "...I would offer you a chair… But as you can see I am woefully unprepared for this meeting."
"There is a chair. Yours." Cherry smiled.
Ozpin also cracked a smile. "Yes, but unfortunately this is reserved for me." He shifted in his seat, while the two girls stood and waited. "This is a… precarious situation for us." He told them. "That blue portal appeared in our courtyard in the morning." He pressed a few buttons, clicked on a few pictures, and pulled out a holographic image of the blue disc in question.
He did not miss Cherry's quiet "Woah" but he didn't comment on it.
"Everything that came from this portal has been nothing like we've seen before, and we don't even know how it appeared."
"Hmm, I can't really help you there, Oz. I'm just as clueless as you are. All I remember is that I was having a small tea party with Vera here," Cherry patted her shoulder, "but then a Blood Moon appeared, and I had to run because, uh, as you saw… it's not very good for her."
"About that." Ozpin turned his gaze at the other girl. "There is… no other way for me to put this. When we first met, you tried to attack me." The girl shrunk in his view, but Ozpin didn't have another option. He needed to understand this. "I… guess, that this wasn't something that you have any control over, but I still must ask… Why? What happened?"
"I… I don't know. I don't remember."
Not an answer Ozpin liked.
"There was a Blood Moon, Oz." Cherry came to her rescue. "Bad stuff happens during a Blood Moon."
"Usually, I can control myself." Vera raised her hand. "Control… this."
Ozpin saw her hand transform in front of his eyes. Her palm became bigger, covered in a thick orange fur. He could see her nails grow in front of his eyes, rapidly becoming longer, thicker… and sharper.
This… This is a very weird Semblance, these rarely mutate people. Curiosity took over him. "May I?" He reached out, and Vera let him touch. Feel her transformed hand with his own. The fur on her hand felt… real. Firm, solid… and real. And the nails? He let his finger run over them, feeling a small cut that snuck past his aura. These nails were very sharp indeed.
"Vera is, like, our third strongest fighter in Sol." Cherry told him. Ozpin did not recognize the location, but that sounded impressive. Not only did she have claws, she also knew how to use them.
Vera didn't agree though. "I think Merlyn is better. I can't really do well against fireballs, you know."
"True. But if you get close to him, you'd bend him in half."
"Cherry. He's a wizard, he won't let me get close to him."
A wizard? Ozpin mentally noted. Interesting. For someone to be known as a 'Wizard' in this day and age where magic was gone.
His thoughts went back to the… claws. "Fascinating… How can you do this?" He let go of the girl.
"Oh, uh…" She turned her hand back. "There was this one cool fox I once found, so I tried to pet him… Then he bit me and now I'm like that!"
"A fox bit you."
"Yup."
"And now you're like this?"
"Yeah!"
Ozpin looked for any signs of lying and he found… none. Definitely not a Semblance. …What kind of foxes do they have on the other side? "That is… strange, but okay." He will have to eventually know more about this, but there were more pressing matters to learn first.
He pressed a few buttons on his keyboard, and the picture changed - Showing their first guest that came through. "Before you two arrived we had a couple of other guests: One was a Floating Eye." He let them look at it for a few moments.
"That looks like…" Vera squinted. "a Demon Eye?"
"Yup. That it is, standard Demon Eye." Cherry nodded. "...Do you have a picture of me on it?"
Ozpin pressed a few buttons, and a holographic image of Cherry, Ozpin and transformed Vera appeared next to the Demon Eye. It showed Vera attacking Ozpin, and Cherry throwing a white object at Vera - The part where she saved Ozpin from Vera's attack.
Cherry smiled at the picture, mimicking the motions she made back then. "I am so cool." She whispered to herself, loud enough for both of them to hear.
"I appreciate the assistance." Ozpin said. "I wasn't prepared for her to recover so quickly."
She gave him a curt bow. "I aim to please~"
She will fit nicely here, with the rest of the students.
But the fun had to be over, he closed the image of Cherry - leaving only the Demon Eye in view. "Can you tell me anything about this… Demon Eye?"
"Do you know Cthulhu?" Vera asked. Ozpin shook his head, that was the first time he heard that name. "They're, like, his minions. Or, well, they were his minions. After he died they're basically wild monsters now."
Ozpin still remembered how he felt when one of those was staring at him. He felt… threatened. Paranoid. "Are they dangerous?"
"...Not really." Cherry shrugged. "They will usually just charge at you in a straight line. That can hurt if they hit you, but you can… just…" She took a step to the right, then another one to the left. Ozpin understood what she meant: They were easy to dodge. That was good.
"Being stared at by them was… quite an experience."
"Eh." Cherry tilted her head. "Yeah, but it doesn't really do anything. They're… quite weak. Like a few people used to say: It's just in your head. Just man up, buddy!"
Physically weak, but being able to mess with your head. It sounded similar to Apathy. Ozpin was curious what this Cthulhu person was using them for. "I see… Thank you for your information."
This raised a question. Remnants of some monster army? Was there another Grimm-like entity over there? Something to keep in mind to ask later.
"Not. A. Problemo. You ask questions? We answer." Cherry said. "Vera is into animals, and I've been hanging out with Wilbur for a bit, so I learned a few things from him."
"They're very close." Vera said. "Veeery close."
Cherry just smiled and put a finger on Vera's lips. "Shush~"
"Well, I will take you up on your offer." He clicked on a few buttons, and switched to the picture of their last guest before the girls arrived. "The other guest we had was this man."
It didn't take long for Cherry to speak up. "That's… not a man. Not anymore…" She told him. "That's a Zombie."
That name didn't sound good. "Excuse me?"
"When a cursed person dies… they become a Zombie." Cherry explained "And Zombies are… monsters. They don't think, they don't feel, they just attack anything that's not another monster."
And he… has one of them in the infirmary. I'm glad I've already told students to avoid that room. He thought to himself. Glynda will keep the nurse safe. He reminded himself. "And this curse, how does it spread?"
Cherry looked at him for an uncomfortable moment, not saying anything. "Is something wrong?" Ozpin said.
Cherry didn't say anything, but she then looked at Vera… and shrugged. "Cthulhu." Cherry said. "He cursed everyone when he appeared."
"Everyone?" Ozpin said, Cherry nodded. "You two included?"
"Yup!"
There is going to be a massive army of zombies on the other side. And there is a portal that could lead them straight here to his own front door. Without any warning. We will have to secure a foothold on the other side, immediately.
Cherry must've seen some of his growing turmoil. "Well, fortunately Wilbur has been thinning their numbers. So not many of them are left near Sol."
Still a foothold. Ozpin thought. "That is good to hear, but now I will still need to at least have a foothold in there. We can't have… something like that suddenly appear on our doorsteps."
"Fair enough." Cherry said. "It was during Blood Moon anyway, bad stuff happens during a Blood Moon."
"We will have to talk about this Blood Moon later, but for now can this curse spread through other means?"
"We don't know." Vera asked. "Like, we're all already cursed, so it's hard to check if something else can also spread it."
"Curses don't stack twice, at least." Cherry said.
So it is quite possible that the Zombie in their infirmary just infected Miss Goodwitch and their nurse. I'm going to have a headache. This portal is slowly turning into a slow-moving disaster.
A thought popped into Ozpin's head. "You're cursed twice?"
"Yeees?" Vera said.
Multiple curses?! Great…
"Is there anything we can do?" Ozpin asked.
"Just don't die." Cherry said. Ozpin would have laughed if that was so easy to do. "Once someone becomes a Zombie… the only thing you could do then… is to put them out of their misery."
"Oha don't burn the bodies." She added, "It doesn't work, it makes things worse actually."
Ozpin rubbed his face and leaned back. No. He couldn't have a damned zombie apocalypse on his doorsteps.
"They're not really that hard to kill." Vera said, "They're also slow and… they struggle with doors, like, any doors."
That… changes things somewhat. In case of a breach the civilians could barricade themselves within their homes and wait for help.
"Unless it's a Blood Moon." Cherry added, completely ruining Ozpin's plans.
"Because bad stuff happens on a Blood Moon?" Ozpin said. We will have to learn more about this, it sounds too important to just ignore.
"He's learning!" Cherry cheered. "And yes, and there are other monsters that can bust down doors without any problems."
"Like that Possessed Armor we saw before." Vera said.
Ozpin nodded as he typed down the information. For two lost girls, this was surprisingly productive. Unfortunately he couldn't do anything without more Huntsmen.
"Can they die?" Ozpin said. "These zombies and armors I mean."
"They're already dead." Vera said. "But like, yeah. I stab them if they get too close and then they die, melt and vaporize in front of my eyes. No problems with getting rid of them!"
Ozpin stopped typing. "Melt and vaporize?"
"Yeah, like, they disappear very quickly once they die. No need to even clean up the bodies!"
Things were already weird, but now this? "The…" Ozpin checked his notes "Demon Eye my colleague killed didn't… melt, its body should still be in our freezer." Would its body still disappear despite that? If that's true, wouldn't that make them just like Grimm? Barring some obvious differences, of course. Grimm didn't bleed, and they turned into smoke instead.
The girls found his words just as confusing. "Didn't melt, huh? That's weird." Vera said. "Not like this always happened back at home too. It began, like, a few years ago."
"Around 5 I think." Cherry said.
So, it was a relatively recent development. Interesting. That meant there was probably some sort of cause for this phenomenon.
"Hey, Oz." Cherry said. "It was fun sitting- er, standing here and helping, but ya think we could return now? People back home might get worried."
That was something Ozpin almost forgot. There were people on the other side. Families that would look for and miss these two girls. He… couldn't keep them here. As much as he wanted to learn more, he couldn't keep them here against their will. "Yes, but will you two be alright? Won't you be attacked by monsters on your way back?"
Cherry opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. "...Oh. That's… a good question." She turned to her friend. "You know… I'm glad you don't have the Blood Moon here. It's not fun when they appear. Fancy ceiling by the way, I like the design."
If monsters were a problem, Ozpin could send a Huntsman to escort them, even if they encountered more of these unknown monsters, they should be able to keep the girls out of harm's way.
Heck, he could even escort them himself. Let him see the other side with his own eyes. "I could walk you back home."
That surprised the girls. "...Can you fight?" Vera asked him.
"I am a Headmaster of a school that trains warriors."
"That… That didn't answer my question."
"I have a few tricks up my sleeve." Ozpin said.
"That still didn't answer my question."
"Let the man keep his secrets." Cherry came to Ozpin's defense. "He can probably swing that cane faster than we can blink."
Ozpin smiled, because Cherry was right, but he said nothing.
"So when can we leave?" Cherry asked.
"Ah, we can go right now."
"Alright, then I will wait for you there."
"What?"
Ozpin stopped, blinked, and stared where Cherry was. Where Cherry was. Because she wasn't there anymore. One moment he was trying to stop her from rushing ahead, the next she was… already gone.
He glanced further up, thinking that she would be by the elevator, but it was empty. There was no sight of the pink-clad girl anywhere. She didn't walk away, she didn't run off, she literally disappeared right before his eyes.
The words "What?" left his mouth again before he noticed. Ozpin looked around his office, but the pink-clad girl - someone that should be very easy to see - has somehow managed to leave his office. As quickly as it took him to blink.
"Yeah… she does that." Vera told him. She was amused by his confusion. "If no one is looking, like, even for a second, she can just… go poof!"
"Go poof?" Ozpin said. "...She can teleport?"
"Yup!"
She teleported in the time it took Ozpin to blink?!
Is this her Semblance? Ozpin thought to himself. But then what is this energy I feel?
There was something in the air. Something so faint that he would've missed it if he wasn't careful. There's just so little of it here, I don't know what it is. All he knew was that Cherry left it there.
"Ahem!" Vera brought Ozpin out of his thoughts. "Welcome to Cherry Everywhere! Please don't panic like some other people do, Cherry means no harm." She said, finding amusement in something that Ozpin was unaware of.
Ozpin stared at the foxgirl, his face passive and expecting that to be a bit more elaborate attempt at humor. But after an uncomfortably long time where no one said anything, Ozpin finally broke. "Was… was that a joke?"
"No. I mean yes? No?" Vera shook her head, that question really confused her for some reason. "That's just how we named it. Cherry goes where Cherry wants. That's just how she is. She can, like, be everywhere when she wants to."
That was a very powerful ability. Teleportation was rare and often very limited. "How can she do it? Is that her Semblance?"
"...What is a Semblance?" Vera asked. "But no, it's magic."
Magic!? Whatever he felt when Cherry left was gone. Was that magic I sensed? Did that portal reintroduce magic to Remnant? "I… see. Well, I suppose we will see her on the courtyard." He looked at the other girl, almost expecting her to disappear like Cherry did.
She seemed to know what he wanted. "I can't use magic like her." She told him, "Or, like, at all."
Says a person that can transform into a literal beast. "So that transformation is because of that second curse?"
"It was that fox."
But exactly what kind of fox, Vera didn't say. And Ozpin's head was already starting to spin with the new information. I'm glad that I noted everything down. He thought to himself.
"I see. In any case, we should return to the courtyard." There were so many other things he wanted to ask about. With some luck he might be able to open diplomacy with the society on the other side of the portal, learn more about the other side and the monsters that plague them.
"Okay then, let's go!"
…
Vera didn't say this… And neither did Ozpin.
Ozpin turned around. Cherry, the little escapee, was standing in the corner with a string in her hand. Attached to the end of the string was a pink balloon lazily floating above her head. Ozpin could clearly see the "#1 Headmaster" written on it.
"I gotchu a gift! To celebrate our newly made friendship!" Cherry handed Ozpin a balloon. And then she left… before Ozpin could even ask why she gave him that, or even where she found it. Vera chuckled at Ozpin's confusion.
"Classic Cherry." Vera said.
"Well…" What would he do with the balloon? He had to not let it fly too high or it would get stuck in the ceiling. "I suppose I will tie it here."
In the far north of Solitas, the soldiers of Atlas were fighting for their lives.
Their enemy descended upon them like an angel of death. One moment standing by the mysterious gate that just appeared… The next moment one of their Paladins was cut in half, half of a squad was dead and the remaining half desperately tried to fight off a person who seemed to just ignore the fact that he was shot at. Their rigorous training, their technology, their Aura and Semblance. All of that completely useless.
And before enough people realized what was going on, the man disappeared and reappeared somewhere else - creating the same chaos all over again. Within a few moments the orderly lines of Atlas military were thrown into chaos as conflicting and confusing reports began flooding in from the troops below.
The big airships above saw what was going on, but they couldn't help. Their single enemy changed positions too quickly for their weapons to lock on, and bombarding the area would bring far too many friendly casualties. All they could do was send the smaller ships at him, and relay his position to the COs below.
Wilbur slaughtered any soldier that stood in his way. The Star Wrath cut through steel just as easily as it cut through soft flesh and bone. The air was thick with hostility. Blood and oil stained the snow underneath, as he switched to S.D.M.G. and fired a few shots - The Chlorophyte bullets homed in on the closest enemy soldiers. A single bullet was all it took to pierce through any protection their soldiers had. Soldiers were wounded or killed, machines were damaged or destroyed. He could, in theory, just squeeze the trigger until everyone was dead or he ran out of homing bullets.
He expected to die against so many. Against this unknown and numerous force, he expected to be overwhelmed and put down. What he found instead was a massacre of his own making. Their weapons couldn't harm him, couldn't penetrate the armor he wore underneath the illusion. They on the other hand… not even their biggest of machines could stand up to him. The casualties were overwhelming, but they fought. Wilbur respected them for that.
…This was sad.
He stood in his spot for a moment longer, his thoughts wondering if he should return. There was a Blood Moon back home, he had no time for an expedition to an unknown land. The time it took him to think was enough for an airship to swoop in and shoot him.
He raised his hand, blocking the shots with the Ankh Shield. Some hit his shield and left him unharmed, some went under the shield and hit his stomach and legs… and also left him unharmed. He wasn't even wearing Solar Flare armor. This fight is futile. They're confused, panicking and on the verge of a rout.
Killing all of them would take hours he did not have. Not when his home was being overrun with monsters. He needed to finish this battle now, cripple them so that they won't be able to invade his own home. That massive ship is a good target.
He did not know what it did, or how it was made. But something so big had to be important… and expensive. And he had just a weapon for it. Reaching into the purple sack Wilbur pulled out two objects; a pink staff, and a transparent prism. The last of its kind.
The staff came in handy when the airborne fleet finally decided that enough was enough, and they would attack. Their bombardment came in full force. Energy beams and explosive ordinance fell onto him, annihilating the ground and anyone caught in it underneath… but Wilbur was no longer there. He was gone. The Rod of Discord carried him away.
The enemy readjust their aim and continued, destruction followed Wilbur. With the ground forces retreating, the ships were eager to avenge their friends. The land could become a barren, bombarded wasteland for all they cared for. The only important thing was to take out the enemy that cut down half of their army.
Wilbur raised his shield to protect himself from their attacks. Explosions shook the earth, beams of energy fell down at him, bullets fell upon him but the Ankh Shield and his Nebula Armor kept him safe. What came next was his retaliation. He set his eyes on the biggest ship in the fleet, and aimed the Last Prism at it.
The Atlesian Flagship flew above the rest of the fleet. It was the fleet's anchor and a commanding center. It carried the biggest guns, heavy armor and highest ranking officers in the fleet. Overall, a difficult enemy to face in the skies.
It was expected for it to take a hit or several. But no one expected for it to be hit now, much less have six beams of light poke a different hole through its armor, and start cutting through its hull. The crew was hit with numerous errors and damage reports, all of which rapidly multiplied when the beams began to move and caused more havoc among the ship. Components failed, subsystems were destroyed. People died.
Then the beams converged into one, and Wilbur brought the prism down - cutting the ship in half. The Commander quickly made his orders but it was too late, the ship was a lost cause. A few seconds was all it took for the Atlas Military to lose one of their prized jewels.
And the debris threatened every other airship underneath. An unlucky frigate was hit and caused its engines to flame out and die - making it fall alongside the flagship. A slow cruiser was too heavy to maneuver in time, and was buried in scrap. Chaos ensued as captains ordered a hasty and unorganized retreat of the area. No one was prepared for such a heavy and quick loss.
The beam from Last Prism died, and Wilbur reached out for a potion. He considered shooting again, just to make it clear that this wasn't a one time thing. Put the fear of stars into their heads. One more time wouldn't hurt. It will send the message.
He poured his mana into the Prism once more, and it obliged. Six colorful beams cut through the first ship he aimed at. This ship, considerably smaller than the Flagship, was completely destroyed by the beam. The captain of the ship sent out a message before he and the rest of the crew died.
"Enemy possesses anti-air capabilities. I repeat, enemy has anti-air capabilities. Alert the General. We need help-"
Wilbur stashed the Prism back into his sack, letting the remaining soldiers run away. The skies too were cleaner after his show of force. He could still see the remaining airships in the air, but they were hanging back - afraid to be his next target.
But he wouldn't be fighting them anymore, Wilbur was leaving. Reaching into his sack once more, he pulled out another object. A mirror. One with a pristine screen.
Wilbur gazed into his own reflection… And a moment later he disappeared - returning to his bed to face off more familiar monsters. The Atlas Military stood still, afraid of where he went this time.
The portal was left alone, surrounded by blood, corpses and destruction.
Ozpin's mind was buzzing with the possibilities. Possibilities related to their pink-clad friend that rushed ahead.
That little display Cherry did completely changed how Ozpin saw her. Now she wasn't just a convenient source of information about this new phenomenon. She could be a powerful ally.
She could discreetly transfer goods and information between places, perhaps even people. Get into places without anyone knowing. Get away from problematic situations with just a small amount of care and preparation. Markings of an excellent agent to put against Salem. It all depended on just how far that teleportation could go, and what were its limits. So the first thing he did was to ask her friend.
"I think she would tell you if you, like, asked her about it." Vera replied. Ozpin will, once he has a private moment with her. But currently all he could do was to ask the faunus girl.
"She can do it often?"
"Yeah, like, as long as you don't see her."
"I was looking at both of you this whole time."
"You blinked." Vera told him. "That's, like, enough for her."
If that was the only limitation, then it could be very powerful in a duel. A single blink to get out, disorient, and create an advantage. A terrifying ability indeed. "That's… amazing." He admitted.
"Really?" Vera told him.
"For us the ability to teleport, while not completely unheard of, is often a lot more limited."
"Huh…" Vera made a sound like she was considering something. "Well, we have a lotta those. Cherry ain't the only one that can do it, you should've seen Willbur or Merlyn, they've weaponized it!"
Looks like they might have already thought of that. Ozpin started to get slightly scared of the people on the other side. "Is teleportation common over there?"
"Well, like, you have Cherry. Wilbur and Merlyn can easily also do it, Marcus if he feels like it. We got Pylons set up next to our homes, and some Teleporters if we need to venture out into the world for whatever reason. There are also Recall Potions and Magic Mirrors."
Sounds like their society is built on teleporters. And that means they're technologically advanced enough to build teleporters… or they have magic.
Or both.
Establishing good relations is going to be paramount. If they have Teleporters, who knows what else they have. "This sounds amazing. For us… only a lucky few can do it."
"Well, that's a shame. I think Wilbur can set up something if you ask 'em."
That name appeared a lot in the conversation. Ozpin would've asked about jt, but he had run out of time - they just reached the courtyard.
Doctor Oobleck seems to have joined Peter in keeping watch. "Hello, Mr. Ozpin! Nothing to report yet."
"That's good. Was Cherry, a girl in pink, here?"
"No sir! I haven't seen anyone like that here. We also try to keep students away from the area in case someone else comes through the portal."
Ozpin's eyes shifted a bit, and then both he and Vera pointed behind Oobleck. The Doctor looked back and, well, someone else did just come through. A person in armor, covered from head to toe in dark steel. He approached them without any sound.
"That's a Possessed Armor." Vera said and stepped in front of Doctor Oobleck. "Leeet me deal with it."
She approached the… armor and it threw a punch at her. Vera ducked underneath - putting herself very close to the thing.
The first swipe with her transformed arm hit it right in the neck, made it stumble to the side and lose its footing. A jab to the chest sent it tumbling down. Vera caught it before it could fall, dragged it back to her, and bent its back over her knee. Ozpin cringed when he and his colleagues heard the metal bend. Not out of the brutality, just out of the high pitched noise it produced. It was grating on the ears.
"Hoho!" Called an impressed Peter. "You would make a fine Huntress."
Ozpin agreed with his assessment. The battle was over in an instant, and Vera displayed immense physical prowess and combat ability. She was already an experienced fighter.
And she's apparently the third strongest, or fourth.
Doctor Oobleck nodded in approval. "An astounding display of strength, miss! …Is there anyone inside?"
If there was anyone, they would no longer be able to walk. Vera had them bent over her knee - using her transformed limbs that, probably, also enhanced her strength. The Armor wordlessly struggled, tried to punch and beat the girl who just took it with barely a growl. It was either weak, or Vera could just take a hit.
Well… if she had any trouble, then the three of them would be on it in a matter of a second.
"Nah- I mean like, yes but they're ghosts." Vera said. "They don't feel it."
With a swipe of her claws, which must be very durable to survive so many attacks against hard surfaces, Vera took off its helmet and allowed them to peer inside.
Ozpin saw nothing but a literal darkness, not even sunlight could reach inside… And it was barely noon. The sun was still high in the sky above them.
Doctor Oobleck blinked a couple of times. "Fascinating." He crouched down near the armor, pulling out his scroll and using it to light the inside of the armor.
Nothing.
The light of the device didn't pierce it at all.
Out of curiosity, he grabbed his thermos and put it inside. There wasn't much thought behind that beyond a simple, child-like curiosity. What would happen if I stick something into it? He wasn't reckless enough to put his own hand into the unknown, so he did it with what he had on hand: His own thermos that, just like a lot of other objects on Remnant, was also a gun.
Vera eyed the Huntsman with confusion as the man slowly thrust the thermos in. "What… What are you doing?" She asked, but she didn't do anything to stop him.
Doctor Oobleck had absolutely no idea what he was doing, or what would happen if he did it. He expected nothing to happen and that he would just look silly.
Then, strangely, he felt his thermos go cold, and The Antiquity's Roast does not simply go cold. The thing was laced with fire dust to keep it, and the coffee inside, warm for a long time.
He noticed the change in that brief moment, but he didn't think much of it at first, but his weapon continued to get colder and colder until it was freezing his hand. He reeled his weapon back - dropping it on the ground.
He tried to not draw premature conclusions as, right after he did so, the Possessed Armor simply broke apart into pieces. Doctor Oobleck stared at his own thermos with a furrowed brow, wondering if his silly experiment might have some unforeseen consequences.
"Did something happen, Barty?" Peter asked.
A good question. What actually happened? He felt his thermos suddenly go cold, and he freaked out and he threw his weapon back.
"I am… unsure-"
The Antiquity's Roast moved on its own.
Its components shifted, the machinery moved. The thermos was turning itself into its weapon form. All without its user's input.
Oobleck quickly picked it up, just as the trigger moved itself and a stream of flames shot out of its nozzle - thankfully far away from people or anything flammable. Others didn't know what to do as Oobleck tried to control its own weapon. He found it difficult. The weapon wanted to move, to fly out of his arms. It was like someone else was controlling it.
It all stopped when Ooblect told it to transform back, using his own Aura to enforce the command.
Huntsmen weapons, especially those more complex ones, had sensors. Those sensors acted like a switch, telling the weapon to transform whenever they detected the user's Aura.
The Antiquity's Roast obediently turned back into the thermos and… stayed in that form as it was. No more struggling, no more feeling like it would fly out of Oobleck's hands at any moment. "I have no idea what happened." He said and turned to Vera, the only person that could ever explain this phenomenon.
The pieces of the Possessed Armor lay beside her feet - crumbling into dust in front of their eyes. Whatever force kept that suit of armor together was gone now, making it breakdown… rapidly.
"I also have no idea what happened." Vera repeated, shrugging. "I never heard of someone trying to put their… what is it even?"
"Oh. That my girl… is my own weapon. You see, we Huntsmen are often using weapons that can transform into various forms, to give them more versatility, utility, flair or just make them easier to transport. Like this thermos for example…"
Cherry put herself in quite a predicament.
3 other people were in the room with her. Normally it wouldn't be an issue. In fact; she would go and say hi.
But Cherry was currently hiding under the table, with the three other girls sitting by it and doing… Cherry couldn't see what they were doing. All she could see were their shoes… and they were all the same.
The only distinguishable feature was the length of their socks.
"Ah. Two days without classes and they want us to just sit here? But I wanted to go to Vale! …Also check."
That was a girl with socks so long that they reached her thighs. Her voice had an energetic tone despite the complaint. Possibly someone who liked to live their life.
"Just because we don't have classes doesn't mean we don't have to study."
Another girl, in fact all three of them were girls, but she wore socks that covered her shins… but hadn't quite reached her knees.
She felt… snappier and angrier. She gave Cherry a vibe of someone with a short temper. …Or maybe someone who was just done with her friend's shenanigans.
"Study for what?" The girl with high socks said. "Oobleck's exam is next week."
"We have a test in Port's class this week." The girl with short socks said.
"Meh, they will move it because of that thing outside."
Cherry tuned out their conversation. Some boring school stuff wasn't really that interesting.
…What was I doing here again?
She was literally sitting under a table, listening to someone else's conversation, trying not to giggle to herself over how absurd the situation was. The desire to leave was momentarily replaced with something of an excited mischief - wondering how long it will take them to notice… Because the moment one of them decides to stretch their legs, they will notice her sitting here.
She pulled out a sheet of paper and began to write on it, as silent as she could. Good thing I still have those crayons. She wrote out a short sentence on it, and Cherry didn't know if she would even get to use that page, or not. But the Party Girl knew for sure that these girls, once Cherry had her fun with them, will definitely remember this for a long time.
Or at least until something else happened.
It was only after she finished writing that Cherry noticed someone was staring at her - the third girl that hadn't said anything yet. She had black hair and a cute bow on her head.
Cherry spoke first. "Hi." She gave her a smile and a small wave.
The girl, who had a cute bow on her head, simply asked "What are you doing over there?"
Ah. Next thing she will ask is: "How did you get here?" And "Get out of my house!"
"Fun." Other girls have noticed her, alerted by their friend. Oh well, the jig was up. The girl with short socks, who turned out to also have white hair, did not look at her friendly. She, quite understandably, freaked out at the sight of her. "What in the world were you doing there!? Who are you?"
Cherry found the girl's reaction absolutely hilarious as she climbed out. This only added fuel to the fire. "What's so funny?! Identify yourself, you weirdo! Pervert! Criminal!"
Cherry ignored her. "Hi friends, I'm Cherry."
"I'm not your friend!"
Cherry decided that this girl is going to be her friend.
The last girl - the one with the longest socks and a nice blonde hair, stared at Cherry with an awed amusement. "How long were you sitting down there?"
"Not very long." Cherry replied. "I heard that you wanted to go to Vale."
The blonde nodded and… Didn't really do anything with that information.
"How did you even get there?" The white-haired girl said.
See! Already the first part of the usual conversation. Cherry grinned smugly at her question. "Maaagic~" She whispered into her ear.
The girl… just pushed her off. "Get away from me."
For someone so tiny, the girl put a surprising amount of force behind that shove. However, a surprising amount of force still didn't work well against someone like Cherry. She was prepared, and relentless. "Can we cuddle?"
The girl glared at her, while her friend choked out of surprise and amusement. Even the stoic girl with a bow and black hair was dumbfounded.
And Cherry only waited for the inevitable with a grin on her face.
"No." The white-haired girl said.
"Pretty please, with a Cherry on top!"
The blonde girl howled with laughter. The white-haired girl looked like she wanted to strangle her.
Cherry has achieved all of her objectives, time for an extraction! What would be the best way to leave? Simply leaving through the door wouldn't do. Cherry wanted them to remember and laugh at this moment for a long time.
While Cherry was busy thinking, she heard scraping of a chair. "Oh Weiss, but look at her!" The blonde girl said, then wrapped her hand around Cherry's shoulder. Cherry's vision went dark a moment later, as the blonde girl pushed her into an embrace.
"Ugh. Don't do it in public, please." Replied the white-haired girl. Cherry heard the blonde girl chuckle, while Cherry used this opportunity to her advantage. The hair would make it a bit hard to see, but it couldn't be avoided: Not many girls liked having notes stuck into their hair.
She managed to pat the blonde girl's back a few times before she was let go. The blonde was just as amused as Cherry was. "You have a note on your back." The black haired girl revealed.
The blonde girl blinked and reached for it, taking it into her grasp. "You're cool." She read aloud and turned towards Cherry. Cherry just stood there and beamed a smile, looking all too innocent for someone who just posted that note.
The blonde took it in stride, a small chuckle left her lips as she crumpled the paper. "C'mere!" She said.
Cherry half-shrieked-half-laughed as she ran off. The white-haired girl with short socks yelled at them but her cries went unheard. The chase was on, chaos was happening and Cherry was bolting to hide herself behind a bookshelf!
The blonde girl was fast. Faster than Cherry expected, but she managed to hide herself just in time to make her grand escape~
Yang Xiao Long found the whole thing absolutely hilarious. A random girl, looking close to Ruby's age and definitely not someone from Beacon, just appeared under their feet and the first thing she did was to annoy Weiss. Incredible.
Cherry was fun, and Yang was bored. Therefore she decided to play with the kid and chase after her for a bit. It was all in good fun!
She almost had the cheeky brat before she turned around the corner - briefly disappearing from her vision. Gotcha! Yang thought to herself, only for her thoughts to crash into a halt.
The reason was simple. The girl was no longer there. "Cherry?" Yang called out. All that pink couldn't be hard to miss… And yet no matter where Yang looked she couldn't find her.
She didn't really have a lot of options left. She just lost a kid. "You guys saw where she went?"
Blake shook her head, while Weiss glared at her. "You lost her?!" The white-haired girl shouted.
Yang didn't really have a rebuttal. She really did lose her. "She's, uh… She's gone now."
She heard Weiss' footsteps as she stomped her way towards her, looking around to where the girl might have gone. "She couldn't really have gone far." It wasn't like that particular corner of the library had a secret entrance or a door.
"Maybe she's invisible? " Blake called out from the table.
Other girls looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate.
"She wasn't here when we entered, and she couldn't really sneak under the table without something like that."
"Invisibility Semblance?" Weiss said. "I suppose that would work. …So she's just watching us make a fool of ourselves?"
Yang took the information in and… The kid was really putting that Semblance to work. Yang didn't even see her go invisible. She reached out, trying to feel random places in hopes that she would find the invisible rascal. Weiss also helped, doing the same in hopes to corner and catch her.
Some people have then entered the library. Her sister, Ruby, who carried a few small bags, some faunus girl that Yang didn't know… and Professor Ozpin.
"Okay, I can smell her here." The unknown girl said.
"In the library?" Ruby said, before turning to her team. "Hi guys, I got us some food!" She walked to the table, and put the bags on the table. Yang could see various snacks in them; both salty and sweet. Ruby also, because of course she did, kept an entire bag of cookies just for herself.
"Hello, girls. Did you see a young girl wearing pink?"
"I think we have her cornered here, Professor!" Weiss called out. "She's invisible!"
The faunus girl stared at her. "She can't turn invisible." She said,
Weiss… didn't know how to react. "What?"
"She, like, can't turn invisible." The girl repeated. "I don't think she packed any invisibility potions."
So… They just made a fool of themselves for nothing?
"So what can she do?" Weiss said, and Yang saw her try really hard to not snap at anyone because of Ozpin being there. "She was just here a minute ago and now she's gone and we're trying to find her."
"Ah, so she just left." The girl nodded to herself and cleared her throat. "Cherry!?" She screamed. "Come here!"
The doors to the library nodded and the agent of chaos herself walked in, trying (and failing miserably) to hide her amusement.
Weiss looked ready to murder the kid, while Yang began to slowly realize how she could do all of this. Not invisibility. Teleportation sounded more likely.
Cheeky girl. Yang thought with amusement. I will have my revenge.
"Hi." Cherry said to the girl. "You called?"
"Yes." The girl said.
Ozpin turned to the rest of the team. "I apologize for the interruption. These two were on their way out."
Cherry walked up to Ruby. "Can I?" She pointed at one of the cookies.
…
Ruby Rose was just hit with a big dilemma… Because those were her cookies, she brought them for herself! She wanted them! They were for HER! If she wants those cookies SO BAD she can go to the cafeteria herself to get them, oh wait she can't. BECAUSE SHE TOOK ALL OF THEM!
She can have… One. Just one.
Not sharing now would be rude, and Professor Ozpin is right there! Why do other people like cookies?!
"Thanks." Cherry took a cookie with one hand, and with another hand she reached out to her. "I'm Cherry!"
"Ruby." They shook their hands and… Ruby was not prepared for a spike of pain to pinch her.
"Oh, sorry!" Cherry said. "You must've been caught between plates."
Cherry showed off her palm to Ruby, and she saw her skin literally disappear, revealing pink steel underneath. That was pretty cool. Ruby thought. "A-Are you a robot?"
Cherry expected a lot… But she did not expect being called that. "No, silly. I'm Cherry!"
"But… how did you do that?"
"It's magic." Cherry said.
Ruby frowned. "That doesn't exist." She said, "Right, guys?"
"You're a dolt." Said Weiss. "It's just Dust or a Semblance." She looked at the pink girl. "...But I have no idea what she is."
"I'm Cherry!"
"Right…"
Cherry began to be ushered by the professor. "Bye friends!" She called out to them. The other girl waved to them "Have a good day!"
And then they were all gone, and Yang did the first thing that came to her own mind: Laugh at the absurdity of all of this.
"I didn't dream this up, did I?" Weiss said.
"Nope." Blake said. "That definitely just happened."
"What happened?" Ruby said. "I'm confused."
Yang put a hand on her sister's shoulder, and led her to the table. "Oh Rubes, let me tell you all about it…"
This day was amazing. No classes, board games with snacks… and Cherry. She was fun… kinda like Nora.
"I think I made them smile." Cherry said.
"What did you do?" Vera asked.
"I think I made them smile." Cherry said.
Vera lightly bonked Cherry on the head. Cherry just laughed.
From the library to the hallway, and from the hallway to the front entrance. The mysterious portal lazily hovered above the ground.
Ozpin got closer to it and he… felt it. The same sensation he felt when Cherry teleported: Ambient mana. It was faint, but now that he knew it was there… It was easy to notice.
It was completely alien. This wasn't magic he knew of… but it was magic nonetheless.
This portal wasn't created by a Semblance, it was magical in origin. And on Remnant the only people that even knew of magic were him, the four maidens… and Salem.
Did she open that, or was that someone from the other side?
No one else seemed to notice the energy radiating from the portal. Neither the girls, nor Doctor Oobleck guarding the portal. "Hello again, young ladies!" The green-haired man smiled towards the group. "Are you ready to leave?"
Cherry and Vera quickly checked if they didn't drop anything… And nothing seemed to be missing. "Yup! We can go now!"
Ozpin typed Glynda a message that he's going to cross the portal to escort the girls. "I plan to escort those girls home." Now he had to go. Personally. "With some luck maybe I will manage to talk with more people over there."
"Oh, you have to meet Tiara," Cherry said. "She's precious, you will love her!"
"I hope that you will put in a good word about me."
"Of course." Cherry said. "I will tell her that your school trains cool hunters."
"Those are Huntsmen." Oobleck corrected her, but Cherry just laughed. Ozpin had a feeling that Cherry knew that, but she chose to do it that way.
Glynda just replied that they've managed to restrain the Zombie enough for the nurse to make her tests in peace.
They would still need to send it somewhere else to make more thorough scans, but it was a start.
"Uh, Oz?"
Ozpin looked away from his scroll. Cherry, who was now in front of the portal, was running her hands all over the portal… but she never crossed it. "How do you walk through portals again?"
Vera walked up to the portal and pushed her arm in. The hand was stopped, and no matter how much Vera pushed she couldn't go even a centimeter further.
Ozpin and Oobleck shared a glance. A thought: This can't be good. Shared between them.
The Headmaster noticed the problem immediately. At a first glance the portal looked… normal. But the signs were there; the energy moved irregularly, and the border twitched - slightly shrinking or growing for a split second. Ozpin touched the portal and it felt rock solid. Like he was running his hand over a brick wall. It is unstable. He thought to himself. It will soon either close on its own… or stabilize and become permanent.
Ozpin had no clue what he could do with it. He didn't know how this gate worked. A wrong move could break it. Possibly make it explode even. Not like I remember how to do that, anyway. It's been ages since he used magic.
For now they could only wait and see, and hope that he will meet whoever opened it soon. If it stabilizes, we might be able to cross to the other side. "That's inconvenient." He said. "It appears that this portal… is one-way."
So much for sending out an expedition. Not even an expedition, these two girls were now effectively stranded here.
"That is inconvenient." Oobleck agreed with him. "Without being able to even secure the ground on the other side, we're open for an attack at any moment! By forces we don't even know anything about! It's a recipe for a disaster!"
"It's not really that dangerous out there," Cherry said, "usually."
Ozpin didn't want a "usually safe" one-way portal right on his doorsteps. Especially when it was already spitting out weird creatures and literal zombies so close to his students. Hopefully some huntsmen will agree to go back and visit the old stomping grounds.
"Cherry, you really don't have Recall Potions, right?" Vera poked Cherry's shoulder.
Cherry put her hands into her pockets and began rummaging through them. She pulled out various things; small white grenades, balloons, an entire flock of birds!
Ozpin and Oobleck had to quickly duck as they were suddenly assaulted by multiple doves. A few came close enough to ruffle Ozpin's hair. "...Oops." Cherry said. "I was holding those for a special occasion."
"Young lady, how did you keep all of this in your own pocket?!" Oobleck said.
"Magic." Cherry retorted and pulled two vials of red liquid. "Ah! …Oh." The celebration on her face quickly faded. "Nope. No Recalls."
On the ground laid more objects that she pulled out of her skirt. Objects like a pogo stick, or a minecart big enough for him to comfortably ride in.
Been a while since I saw magic like that. Ozpin thought to himself. How would their Wizards fare against the Maidens? "Would you be able to teleport back?" He said. "You might be able to bring help from the other side."
And leave Vera alone in here? The thought of that made Cherry freeze, even if Oz seemed nice at a first glance he was a stranger. Stars knew what he might do to her.
…But both of them were effectively stranded here, forced to wait for someone to notice that they were missing. How long would that take? Probably not that long?
How long would it take Wilbur to realize that they have gone through a random portal?
How long would it take him to find it?
Cherry could teleport back home, get Tiara, get Wilbur, and then come back with a batch of Recall Potions and a fresh new land for Wilbur to explore.
And all she needs to do is leave her friend alone for a couple of hours.
Vera is a strong girl. Cherry thought for herself. And Wilbur will get us out if anything happens.
"Yes." She told Ozpin, then turned to their Zoologist. "Will you be alright?"
She nodded to her. "Mhm, you go and bring some help here, alright!
Cherry gave her a salute and ran off. Cherry ran back to the building, dashing behind the wall to hide herself from everyone's view. "She can teleport if no one sees her." Ozpin told Oobleck, who nodded in understanding.
With her gone all that was left to do was… wait. Soon these two would be able to return home, and Ozpin will be able to open dialogue.
"Oh yeah." Vera slapped her forehead. "...I forgot to tell her to bring my and Wilbur's Bestiary."
Wilbur… Ozpin never asked about him. I will meet him soon, I think. Maybe he was their huntsman, or at least their equivalent of one. "You can do it after she comes back… Though I'm curious about what is this Bestiary."
"Like, you wanted to know more about our monsters, right?" Ozpin nodded. "Well, me and Will has some notes on them, and we can lend them to you. That's useful to you, right?"
Oh.
Oh.
Yes, that will be useful. "Yes, thank you… That will help a lot."
"Hehehe, don't mention it!"
They both found a closeby bench and sat there for a moment, enjoying peace that lasted for a whooping 10 seconds before Ozpin's scroll rang out.
It was the Council of Vale. They were calling him for a meeting. An unscheduled and urgent meeting regarding the safety of Vale.
That cannot be good. He felt his stomach sink for a moment. "It appears that I will have to go, the Council is calling for a meeting." Ozpin told them, Oobleck nodded "If Cherry returns, could you send someone to fetch me? I have something to ask her about."
"Sure, good day, sir!"
Ozpin got up, said his goodbyes and left. Passing through the front door of Beacon Ozpin was met with… Cherry.
"Oz?" The girl said quietly.
She was sitting in the corner, looking up to him like a lost puppy. Why are you still here? Ozpin asked himself. "The fact that you're still here…" Ozpin said "Did something happen?"
Cherry nodded.
"I… I can't return."
Those words almost broke her.
"I-I can go to the kitchen, the library, your office… Even that enormous city over there, or in the far east across the ocean!" She said. "But... f-for some reason... I can't go back home. I don't know why, I just… don't see it anymore… What's going on? Where are we?"
Lost and stranded far away from home. Ozpin sympathized, but he couldn't relate. It's been ages since he was like that. "Far away from home…" He told her "I'm sorry."
Cherry snorted. She completely expected him to say this. "Well… that just means we will have to wait for Wilbur." She said "Once the Blood Moon has passed he will come looking for us, and he's strong and well equipped. He can bring us back, and then help you. He's a hero, you know."
A hero? Is that how they call their huntsman? Interesting name. "We don't know how long it would take him to find you here." Ozpin said. "But we have some spare rooms, and enough food for you two. Our doors are open, if you want."
Ozpin saw a smile appear on her face. "Thanks," she told him. "Do you have bunk beds?"
"...No." Ozpin said "But I do recall that one team has managed to put two beds on top of each other.
"What?" Cherry blinked. "They put two beds on top of each other?!"
"Yes. And from what I heard, they're more stable than they look."
He enjoyed the expression of absolute bewilderment that appeared on Cherry's face,
"I have to see this, it sounds nuts."
"They're currently in a library, but I ask you to be careful with the white-haired one. I heard she's quite cold …but don't tell her that."
"Oh, oh!" Cherry's eyes widened, and so did the grin on her face. "Oh, this is going to be fun, thanks Oz!"
"Welcome to Beacon, you two. Hopefully we won't have to keep you here for long."
To be continued…
Unlike my previous story… this story I'm going to write and post in batches. That means I'm going to write… somewhere around 3-5 chapters, finish them, then post them either all at once or in rapid succession.
Unfortunately I'm a grown-ass man with a job and no energy to do anything, and with a tendency to slow down a lot to ensure that what I write is as good as it can get. So I'm warning you guys now that the uploads are going to be few and far in-between.
I'm hoping for at least 2 batches a year, but I expect to upload 1 batch a year.
Speaking of making sure that my writing is good… I was very hesitant to upload this chapter as it is, mainly due to the sheer amount of infodump in here. However I can't really see Ozpin having it any other way.
Any other competent person in his place would do the same, perhaps maybe ask even more questions. I also sent the chapter to my friend and Mortalitas and got an OK from both of them… so eh it can't be that bad, right?
Anyway Terraria doesn't have elevators… At least not the Vanilla version. So I thought to myself "Wouldn't it be funny if Cherry and Vera were completely dumbfounded by the concept of an elevator?" Something to add more humor into the story.
For the portal… I initially thought of having it go two ways, and have Ozpin visit Terraria immediately… but the new information would be overwhelming and it would move the story in a direction I didn't want to take yet.
For now I want to start small and focus on characterizing Cherry and Vera, we will visit Terraria later.
I also need feedback on the "Lore Entry" at the start of the chapter; do you guys not mind if it's centered? Or should I align it to the left?
Thank you guys for reading!
- Harmless Orange