"Urgh..." Hawkins groaned as his vision came to. Finding himself in a very familiar setting, his crimson stare landed on a doctor taking several notes on his clipboard.
"Mr. Tim?"
The doctor blinked and his wolf ears perked up. "Ah, Hawkins, glad to see you among the world of the living. Tell me, how are you feeling?"
The magician groaned. "It feels as if I've been crushed under a building then beaten ten times over."
Tim chuckled. "Welp, can't say I don't blame you. The injuries you've sustained this time were way over the first and second times that we met. What did you get yourself into anyway? Sam and Carla told me you could handle Grimm with ease, so did you fight against some sort of new species?"
"No... It was a man."
The doctor blinked. "Are you sure? I'm not one to underestimate the powers of man, but the dents in your bones couldn't have been given by your average hunter."
"The stranger was no ordinary man. He was equipped a hardening technique that thickened his skin to match black iron... In all my travels I've never encountered anything like that."
"That is concerning," Tim cupped his chin, "but what matters most to me is that my patient is safe. I'm going to prescribe a few painkillers, but don't gobble them all up in the first go, or else you'll be regretting it later."
Tim placed a small container on the countertop with a written note beside it.
"I'll make sure to give Sam and the others a quick rundown of what's transpired, so just sit tight and get some rest. As I'm sure you'll have a lot of guests tomorrow."
The doctor turned towards the door but felt a pair of crimson eyes on his back. Whirling around, he tilted his head at Hawkins' inquisitive expression.
"Is something wrong?"
The magician frowned then spoke. "I don't understand why you choose to inhabit the agricultural district. Surely the pay of a doctor would offer a better set of living conditions."
Tim laughed and shook his head. "I was born and raised on those farms, call me crazy, but I find myself at ease whenever I'm surrounded by apple trees and wheat fields."
"There's more to it than you're letting on." The magician grunted.
Tucking his clipboard beneath his left arm, the doctor allowed his ever-present grin to fade and adorned a more tired visage.
"They need me over there you know, the farmers I mean." He began slowly. "Vale, for all its advancements against Faunus racism, still has many thorns that need to be plucked."
"I take it the general services that Vale's citizens depend upon aren't extended to the common Faunus."
Tim nodded. "I'm sure you've already seen plenty of examples, as the story about Trifa and those ill-mannered tax collectors is anything to go by. So, to balance such unlawful acts, I do what I can and help the less fortunate."
"That's naively noble of you."
The wolf-Faunus grinned. "Usually a person would take offense to such a remark, but this is you we're talking about. Anyhow, why don't we push onto more important matters? In regards to your recovery, I'm expecting at least six weeks for all your fractures to recover, but given that you don't have aura I'm betting more so five months."
Tim turned to leave and allow the magician his space, but a cough and a question held him back.
"Are Ms. Rose and Ms. Goodwitch..." Hawkins' mouth twisted and his brows scrunched. It appeared that he wanted to say something, but didn't know how to put his thoughts into words.
Tim remained silent, letting the magician contemplate his next sentence very carefully.
"Did they survive?"
The doctor's eyes widened a bit. "Um, yes I believe so, both huntresses made a rapid recovery after an aura transfusion and were back on their feet in no time."
"I... see."
"Hawkins?" Tim stepped away from the door and stood in front of the magician's bedside.
The blonde's breathing slowing to a concerning pace, the heart monitor above him sending all sorts of warning signs.
"H-Hey, Hawkins, don't you start giving up on me now! I can't be the one to bear the bad news to Sam and Carla!"
Retrieving his scroll, Tim pressed an emergency number and demanded the emergency staff be sent to his current room immediately. However, as he did so, he was flashed by a bright light that burst from Hawkins' chest.
"Whoa, what the hell was that?!" The doctor yelled. The light-emitting from his patient's chest disappearing as soon as it came.
/-/
"This place again?" Hawkins stood atop a bed of flowers, all white with yellow centers, the flowers spread as far as the eye could see.
"Hm... It's a bit early for us to have an assembly, but no time like the present I suppose." The same voice, one that flowed like silk, though the face who owned such a voice remained to be seen.
Disliking the ominous secrecy, Hawkins approached with an outstretched hand aimed for the mysterious person's shoulder. However, his hand was gripped by a set of sleek fingers before it could reach its target.
"I'm awfully shy, in fact, speaking to you in person is already putting me on edge. Please, can we converse without meeting each other's eyes? That would be beneficial for both of us."
The magician opened his mouth to rebuke, but the woman held firm, her grip going from gentle to borderline crushing in the span of a few seconds. Hawkins pulled back in haste, rubbing his sore hand as he did so.
"What is this place?" This seemed like the most plausible question.
The woman breathed a long weary sigh. "A place that no longer has any meaning to the people of Remnant. Shocking really, seeing that this ground we tread upon used to be the home of the superior beings they praised."
"Superior beings? Like kings and queens?"
"...Sure, let's go with that." The woman giggled. "Care to take a stroll with me? It gets lonely without company."
Hawkins took up the offer but tried his best to outpace the woman's steps. The moment he got within shoulder span, he was pushed away by a swift kick to the knee.
"Didn't I just say that I don't want to make eye contact? I expected a man of your stature to carry a more respective demeanor, but not all expectations can be reached I suppose."
"I'm polite to those I deem worthy of my respect. You've done nothing but offer me vague descriptions and have raised my suspicions of you. If you want me to follow your orders willingly, then I expect some direct truths." Hawkins growled as he nursed his nicked knee.
"A pirate demanding truths? Now that is a surprise. Didn't you establish your whole career of plunder on weaving believable lies? It's kind of ironic that you're asking for the undeniable truth."
Hawkins said nothing and stood up.
"So, are you ready for our walk?"
"Not unless I can see your face." The blonde man said adamantly.
"Why are you so stubborn? You were rather submissive the last time I helped you."
Hawkins looked away. His pride wanted to deny the claim, but he couldn't deny that this strange woman assisted him during one of his darkest hours. Before he could further contemplate his inner musings, a familiar feeling of sleek fingers entwined with his own once more. Though for some strange reason the action didn't feel that... warm?
"Come on, time is ticking away, you want to secure a good spot in the afterlife don't you?"
The magician felt his blood freeze. Then again, his entire body felt chilled. His breaths growing shallow, each step he took felt as if he were dragging a ball and chain behind him. He staggered back, but the grip of the strange woman refused to let go.
"This can't be, am I really... dead?"
His acquaintance nodded. "I don't know what caused your death, but I found you gasping for life and covered in blood. From the way I had to correct the placement of your ribs, I'd say you probably died from a punctured lung or something."
Hawkins rubbed his temples. What misfortune occurred to him that caused him to die? The image of a charging Vergo came to mind followed by a crushing swing of his bamboo staff. The magician flexed his fingers into a fist. What was that black coating? Vergo did come from the north blue, so perhaps he consumed a devil fruit that granted him a hardening ability?
"Does your hand hurt?" The woman quipped.
"No, it's nothing. Though this doesn't make any sense. I was brought here before, but I was able to return. Mind filling me in on why this occurred?"
"I'm just as clueless as you are, though if I were to guess, I'd assume you were able to return because your heart was still beating." The woman shrugged.
A hollowed chill gripping around his heart, Hawkins felt his vision blur and his muscles go limp. Did... did he really die?
"Aw, there's no need for that sour face. Come on, there's plenty of things to see here. In fact, I'll show you my private gardens if you're a good boy."
/-/
"So Hawkins doesn't have aura?" Ozpin curled a brow at his former students.
Huddled within an empty patient room provided by Dr. Tim, the headmaster sipped his coffee calmly as he gathered all information on recent events.
"Yep, I know it's weird, but it's the truth." Summer spoke up. "I used to think that he was lying, but when he was treated after the fires in the agricultural district, I think he was actually telling the truth."
"And why is that?" Ozpin hummed.
"It's because Hawkins didn't take an aura transfusion despite how serious his injuries were. I would have done something to help him, but I didn't want to take any risks with how weak he was at the time." The red reaper replied.
"Perhaps that was for the best," Ozpin added, "unlocking one's aura should be done when they are the picture of health. Doing so too early or in poor conditions could result in longer tribulation of unlocking one's aura."
The headmaster then turned to the quietest in the room. "Is there something you'd like to say, Glynda? The face you're wearing bekons of words that wish to be said."
Glynda flushed as all attention veered to her but gathered her composure with a single correction of a stray hair. "Would it... be because Hawkins is from the north blue?"
Ozpin's visage shifted from calm to mildly intrigued. "North Blue? In all my years of teaching I've never heard of such a location."
"That's not surprising," Glynda sighed, "Oobleck did some digging for me on the matter and he came out empty-handed. I guess the only person with knowledge on such a place would be Hawkins, but seeing the magician is temporarily incapacitated..."
The sudden hollering of nurses and doctors from the hallways caused an ominous chill to jolt the witch's spine. Though the second a person was named, Glynda, Ozpin, and Ms. Rose burst through the door and hurried to Hawkins' room. Or at least Ozpin did, Summer was more like a temporal storm of rose petals, and Glynda kept pace with the brightest hue of violet to date.
/-/
"He's not breathing!" Cried a nurse as she fastened the air support system around the patient's mouth.
"I can see that!" Tim blurted. "But we must remain calm and follow the proper procedures, cradle his neck and lift his legs, we must ensure his heart maintains a proper blood-flow!"
Nurses worked around the clock, securing whatever slither of life Hawkins had to offer. Yet despite all their medical teachings and practices, the magician's lifeline would not hold. In a matter of seconds, the beeping and staggered line of the heart meter trickled to a neutral path.
"Dr. Tim, we're losing him!" Cried a nurse.
"Alright, Hawkins, I'm going to need you to get your head out of the murky slums and back on the path of the living right now!" Tim opened the flaps of Hawkins' shirt and ushered the use of a defibrillator.
"Please, this is an emergency and we aren't accepting visitors!" Yelled an assistant as he was yanked on the end of his collar by a mysterious purple hue.
"What's going on?!" Summer bolted into the room and placed herself at the foot of Hawkins' bed.
"Summer, would it kill you to have a little more tact?" Glynda growled as she threw a couple more staff members aside then put herself right beside Hawkins' bedside.
"Forgive us, Dr. Tim, but as you can see the crowd Hawkins gathers around are more so on the physical side when it comes to the endangerment of their friends." Ozpin offered a slight bow of apology and snagged a spot next to Summer.
"Look, I appreciate all the sentiments, but your presence here is only deterring Hawkins' recovery!" The wolf-Faunus showed his sharp fangs, the jagged pearls only being presented in times of overwhelming stress or absolute necessity.
"P-Please, there has to be something that we can do!" Summer sputtered while frantically waving her hands.
"Look, Hawkins doesn't have aura, so simply put, an aura transfusion isn't possible! We have to depend on a more regular means to save Hawkins' life!" Tim argued.
"Then I'll unlock his aura right now!" Without a second thought, Summer jumped then straddled the magician's midriff and proceeded to infuse her palms in a silver aura.
"S-Summer, be careful, Hawkins has never had any experience with aura before! We don't know the consequences that could follow after such a bold action!" Glynda scolded, yet she too infused her palms with a blazing violet aura.
"H-Hey, we heard the commotion from the hallways, what's going on?!" Tai and Qrow stumbled into the room with the rest of GPPO.
"Oh Oum! Ooberry, I think Hawkins is on his deathbed!" Thumbelina broke into a sob and sought comfort in her boyfriend's chest.
"I-I'm sure our stoic tarot reader will pull through, he's a mighty warrior after all!" Oobleck roared with false courage.
"That's enough of the dramatics you two! Now hurry up and assist our leader in providing Hawkins with the aura he requires!" Port's voice, the loudest of the bunch, boomed through the room thus enlisting the idea of an aura transfusion as a top priority.
"Hell ya! I'm not the best when it comes to delicate things like these, but I'm practically a walking talking battery when it comes to aura reserves!" Tai boasted as his palms were enveloped in a bright yellow hue.
"If we're all contributing then I guess I can't argue can I?" Qrow smirked as his hands were also tinted in a fiery red.
"Wait, calm down everyone!" Ozpin protested, we don't know what kind of aura Hawkins should be accustomed to! If we administer the wrong color, the results could be more detrimental than beneficial!"
"We don't have time!" Summer wrestled against the staff members who tried to pry her off the weakened magician and slammed her palms on his chest.
Glynda did as well, after temporarily knocking out all those who opposed her, save for Tim as he decided it'd be best to support this crazy plan as his prior methods had no effect.
With aura ranging from all the colors of the rainbow, the joined efforts of GPPO and STTQ applied their bountiful aura reserves into a singular vessel. However, the moment their efforts made contact, a violent resistance greeted them with... a loud snarl?
In the blink of an eye, Hawkins was surrounded by the darkest shade of purple imaginable, one that acted as a barbed shield of sorts that repelled the incoming energies of those who were attempting to save him.
"What the hell is this stuff?!" Qrow yelled.
"Glynda, stop being selfish and let us help out!" Thumbelina scolded.
"This isn't my doing!" The witch shot back.
"Then who's responsible? It can't be Hawkins, his lights were out way before we tried this!" Tai roared.
"It has been stated that a person's aura is a passive ability, perhaps Hawkins' soul just isn't compatible with what we're trying to give him?" Oobleck suggested.
"Do we have any white aura on deck?" Ozpin suggested as he placed a single palm atop those of his former students. His fingers tingling with a cloudy gray aura.
"Alright, I'll do it!" Tim stepped forward. "But only because this is the best chance we got at saving my patients' life! After this though, you'll all be charged with rudely interrupting a doctor's professional procedures!"
The doctor's hands sparked to life as he conjured his white aura from within. Cupping one hand beneath the other, he pressed down on the joined hands of STTQ, GPPO, and their headmaster.
The results were literally explosive as the gloomy haze that surrounded Hawkins kicked into a turbulent storm. It thrashed about, sending medical supplies in every direction and spilling their contents all over the place. Yet despite the ominous danger, the hunters held on with a bulldog grip and continued to pressure their aura into Hawkins' body.
"GROOOOOAAAARRR!"
The vicious haze made a last-ditch attempt to revoke the mystical powers at work. Yet, while their ears rang at the sudden outburst, the magician's allies showed no signs of retreating.
"Come back to us, Hawkins, there's so much that you still need to see!" Summer broke into a crying mess as a shard of straw nicked her cheek.
"Yeah, we've seen the way you handle cards, Qrow and I need to bring you to a Casino for our famous boys night outs!" Tai screamed after his shoulder was cut by a random iron nail which was manifested out of thin air.
"Heck ya!" Qrow added and almost keeled over as a stack of straw rammed his midriff.
"I have many historical lectures planned!" Oobleck declared as his glasses were knocked aside by another bundle of straw.
"I don't take kindly to friends who die on me, Hawkins!" Glynda threatened, though her voice was filled with concerned dread.
"That's right, there's plenty of things I can teach you about dust!" Thumbelina squealed as she and Glynda took a wad of straw to the face.
"Have I ever told you the story of how I defeated a leviathan Grimm with a broken spork?!" Port bellowed.
"NOW'S NOT THE FUCKING TIME PORT!"
"Everybody's a critic..." The mustached Mantlesian sulked to himself.
"My... what interesting words of encouragement..." Ozpin hummed as his focus narrowed and sweat began to pour down his forehead.
The climax of the conflict nearing its final tipping point, a stray limb of straw whacked Tim across the torso, separating both him and his aura from the perilous battle.
"Tim!" The crowd wailed in dismay.
As the doctor floundered to his feet and gathered his bearings, the most unlikely angel flew down to salvage the losing fight. Crashing through the window in a perfect and practiced fashion was...
"TYRIAN?!" All eyes darted to the cackling brunette.
His ponytail swaying behind him like a hero's cape, the secret Faunus infused his palms with an oddly righteous aura that dwarfed all those in the room.
"I will not allow this blonde man to perish on this day!" Tyrian announced and forced his hands down on those of his questionable allies.
Absolutely flabbergasted, but thankful nonetheless, another rippling whirlpool of chaos spewed from Hawkins' body as the rainbowed stream of mystical energy poured into his being. However, this time, with Tim's white aura and Tyrian's semblance, the group's efforts were maximized and the end result was a blinding explosion.
Ozpin, Tim, GPPO, and the completed team of STTQ were thrown onto the floor and against the walls. Once they came around, all eyes focused on Hawkins' heart monitor, which began to hum in a steady beat of life-proving beeps.
/-/
"Urgh... I should have never touched that random light..." The magician groaned. The lids over his eyes feeling like weighted anvils, he forced them open and found that he was inside a new room and on a new bed. He spotted a basket of baked goods on the countertop, with the signatures of Sam, Carla, and Trifa on a postcard as well as a picture of Jaune.
Hawkins sat himself up, but the moment his muscles moved, they snapped in protest causing all sorts of stinging pain.
"What's wrong with me?" Hawkins grunted. He couldn't explain it, but something about his person felt off. Scanning his person, all of his limbs were intact and all is senses were there. So why did he feel... incomplete?
Thankful to see his tarot cards lying beside his pillow, he shuffled them vigorously but was met with the odd thumping sound of an item hitting the floor. Hawkins curled a brow and looked down. Why was his tarot card on the floor? He shuffled again though this did nothing but repeat the previous process.
"That's odd, my strat should have latched onto my card..."
The blonde blinked. It was at that moment that he realized his inner devil would not manifest. He put a great amount of energy into his right arm, but no matter how hard he tried his skin would not shift to the element of his devil fruit. Instead, sparks ranging from all sorts of colors sputtered from his fingertips, raising all sorts of questions with no hint of any answer.
"Ah, so the legendary writer has finally come to has he?" Whispered a voice hidden from sight.
Hawkins' posture jolted straight as his crimson gaze wandered the room.
"No need for such a serious face, I've come to lend my assistance in any way I can."
One of the cabinet doors creaked open beneath the countertop, and out crawled a familiar face whose motives still remained a mystery.
"Mr. Callows..." Hawkins said cautiously.
"In the flesh!"
"Why are you here?" Pausing his tarot readings, the magician stood up, his fists ready for a brawl if need be. Though without his devil fruit abilities, the efficiency of his combat prowess was doubtful.
"Easy now, there's no need for violence. I actually wanted to ask you if this was your doing." Tyrian plucked a handful of papers from his coat pocket and presented them with a smile.
"Yes, this is my handwriting, what of it?"
Tyrian squealed, "I was hoping you'd say that, so it was a good thing I didn't murder the blonde baby, the blue-haired girl, or Faunus farmers in that shack they call a home."
The magician's eyes narrowed and his teeth grit. How many times were his allies' lives going to be threatened?
"Anyhow, that's all water under the bridge, my real question is... are there going to be more like this?" Tyrian flipped through the paper bundle with a hopeful glint in his eye.
"...You're a fan of my work?"
"Of course I am!" The secret Faunus grinned maniacally. "Who in their right mind wouldn't appreciate such a marvelous tale of fiction? I mean, it made me reconsider killing all those you held dear, so it must be worth something right?"
"...I suppose."
"So, will there be a sequel?" Tyrian hummed.
"Yes, I plan to deliver the next installment at Tukson's bookstore by the end of the month."
"That's wonderful!" Tyrian looked like he had won a million lien. "Say, does Jaune have any honorary uncles?"
"...What?"
"If I'm going to be dropping by for early story updates of Sora The Warrior Of The Sea, I'm going to need a legitimate reason to be snooping- I mean taking some much-needed vacation within the borders of Vale. Especially now since I'm no longer a part of STTQ." The brunette sighed wistfully.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, that's right," Tyrian smacked his forehead jokingly. "You were out like a light for the past few days, but from this day forth you're my replacement in Summer's team. It's funny actually because Glynda seemed really upset about it. Heck, the witch even tried to trade Port for you!"
"...I see."
A ding from his scroll, Tyrian frowned but picked up his pout with a casual roll of his eyes.
"My new partner?"
Tyrian wagged a finger. "Come now Hawkins, it's common knowledge who your new buddy is going to be since I'm leaving."
The blonde's visage deadpanned.
"Fine, I'll spell it out for you," Tyrian shrugged.
"Welcome to team SQTH, pronounced Sailcloth, if you were wondering. I'm sure Beacon's headmaster would give you a whole rundown the next time he sees you, so I won't go into the small details. However, seeing that Summer's original partner is Oum knows where this means that you'll be the one paired with that weapon enthusiast!"
"Sailcloth? That's a horrible name for a team..."
"Don't look at me, if you want to point the blame at someone you should set your sights on the silver-haired cane wielder." Checking his scroll a second time, Tyrian sighed as his time had run its course.
"Anyhow, it seems that my bullhead for Mistral has arrived. Take care magician, I'll be sure to visit you and your new partner soon enough. Though there's no need for concern as I'll do my best to avoid spilling any blood."
"...Wait, this doesn't make any sense to me..."
"Sorry, I can't be any more thorough than I already have been. Goodbye, magician, till the next book of Sora The Warrior is released!"
As Tyrian escaped through the open window, Hawkins couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole situation. But most importantly...
"What the hell happened to my devil fruit powers?" The blonde wondered as the straw refused to sprout from his skin.
*Port's Visit. Sub Arc Ends.*