Original upload date: 8/26/2020
Revised upload: 1/20/2024
(Obligatory comment about this chapter taking too long to rewrite).
This chapter I think has been the most changed. The original ending, while emotional, didn't seem to fit with what Vin must've been feeling or what she later learns in the upcoming chapters. So I changed it! I also revamped the fight scene(s) and extended them Also, I apparently did a lot of 4th-wall breaking when I started out so I removed the 'me' that appeared in the chapter.
This is one of the chapters I look back on the most. It explains the bridge between RWBY and Mistborn. I cannot wait to flush it out more down the line and I hope you all enjoy how it turned out!
Metal like Roses
By ReaderWarrior
I do not own Mistborn or RWBY.
Lessons Learned
Beta'd by: Icarus720
As always, please comment! It honestly makes my day to read your thoughts and opinions.
Tell your friends!
Someone was knocking on their door. Vin's eyes opened quickly, honed by years and years of anticipation and fear of someone killing her in her sleep (or worse). However, since coming to Remnant, and even a bit before that when she lived with Elend, Vin had started to relax more and more. She should have been able to hear a man's bootsteps before they stopped at her door. Not when they were knocking upon it.
And especially not after the first knock echoed into the room.
Vin jumped out of bed after the third or so knock. Her first instinct was to grab a vial and swallow the contents. Her steps kicked up small piles of feathers that lay across the room like a fresh fall of ash. The discarded and eviscerated pillows were thrown into the corner sometime late last night.
A smile was on her face as she reached the door. Fun. That was what this was. Fun. Kelsier always preached about surviving and vengeance. But perhaps there was more to life than just that.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Vin looked through the peephole as her teammates began to stir. She saw through it someone wearing purple Atlesian armor. Someone she recognized and someone struggling to hold up a large and - seemingly - heavy box.
"Who's that?" Blake asked, stretching her arms as she jumped out of bed.
Vin unlocked the door. "He said his name was Private DuFresne."
"Ooooh," Yang moaned. "Has our new sister already started bringing boys home? I'm gonna tell!"
The door opened and the young Mistborn rolled her eyes. When he saw her, DuFresne saluted. It was somewhat enjoyable to watch, as he had to juggle the box and hold it in place.
"Hello again! Private First Class DuFresne reporting once more," he smiled. With his helmet on, it was one of the only features Vin could make out. Luckily, Vin had gotten good at recognizing marks based on even less. "General Ironwood told me you wanted a few things to help with your semblance. I volunteered to bring them to you."
He held out the box with a grunt. Vin took it, flared pewter, and easily held it in one hand.
"Looks like even this girl is stronger than you are, Doc." Behind DuFresne, another soldier, this one in bright red armor, laughed.
DuFresne snapped at the soldier. "Shut it you fool!" He turned back to Vin and cried "I'm sorry about Sarge. He's a little… gruff."
"At least I ain't Griff! Heh, heh," Sarge chuckled. "Doc told us he needed some help with that big ol' box. So instead of letting one of my mangy, blue-bellied teammates do it, I permitted myself to escort him."
Yang walked up behind Vin and yawned. "Don't you mean 'yellow-bellied'?"
"I said what I said."
Vin studied the strange soldier for a moment. She then shook her head, saying, "Thank you, then."
Both soldiers saluted, DuFresne with his hand and Sarge with his shotgun. Yang shut the door as Vin carried the box inside, setting it down on her bed and slowly pulling out the contents.
After she had changed, Ruby leaned over Vin's shoulder. "What's this?"
"Ironwood sent the metals I asked for." Vin placed a hand on a large metal bar with a tag labeled 'Cadmium'. "I'm going to test some of them out later."
Blake pulled her bow tight over her cat ears. "Later as in after the next round of fighting blocks are picked? Or later as in when you can quickly sneak out of it?"
Vin blushed. "After the round."
Placing her arm around Vin, Yang ruffled her hair with her knuckles. "Vin wouldn't leave us this late in the game. She's come a long way!" Vin squirmed out of Yang's grip and brushed her hair back into place with her hand.
"What is expected of us today?" Weiss asked.
Ruby pulled out her scroll. "It depends on the bracket. Either Yang and Vin are fighting or we can spend the day training. Why?"
"I was thinking," Weiss brushed her skirt, "that I could spend some time with Winter."
Yang sniffled and acted like she was about to cry. "Blaaaaake! Weiss doesn't want to spend time with us anymore!"
The Faunus rolled her eyes and smiled, also earning a giggle from Ruby. Even Vin felt her lips tug upward before pulling out a large, metal file and shaving it into flakes. Then she poured the pile of metal dust into a vial and slipped it into her mistcloak. Vin then started putting on her armor and clothes.
"If Weiss is spending time with her sister, why don't we ask Uncle Qrow to come over?" Ruby asked.
Yang smiled. "Yeah! I still owe him in Fatal Fighting. This time, I'm going to win."
Blake checked her scroll. "We still have a few minutes until the selection process begins. Should we get there early or…?"
"If you're not early, you're late," Weiss said.
Vin pulled on the last bit of her armor and threw on her mistcloak. She then refreshed her metals and nodded. "I'm ready."
"Okay!" Ruby said. "Let's go!"
One short bullhead flight later and Ruby was jumping into one of the large, red chairs that encircled the stadium. Special seats for students. She saw other attendees from Haven and Shade across from them and waved.
They didn't notice.
Ruby's teammates sat down in their respective seats. "I can't wait to see who's up first!" she squealed.
"Eager to lose?" a voice asked. Ruby turned to see a familiar face smiling down at her.
Ruby jumped up. "Coco!" She hugged the fashionista (but she didn't hug back). "We're eager to not lose!"
Velvet, her teammate and one of the few public Faunus at their school, waved behind her. "Don't you mean win?"
"We'll do both!"
Coco was a few years older than Ruby. She had fair skin, short dark-brown hair, and dark-brown eyes. She had wavy locks on one side of her face, dyed with a gradient that started as dark brown and transitioned to caramel.
Her clothes consisted of a long, cocoa-colored shirt, with an upturned layered frill collar, and a black single strapped waist cincher. She wore black trousers that had golden lining around the pocket and ribbons attached to the back of a golden zipper seam around her knees. There was a black golden studded belt with a large piece of black fabric attached to it and hanging down on her right side. She wore a pair of dark black, high-heeled, leather, calf-high boots with golden buckles.
She also donned several accessories, such as a bracelet with black roses as decoration; accompanied by black gloves and three beaded necklaces alongside a black scarf tied around her collar. On Coco's head was a black beret with a cocoa brown trim and a pair of black, wire-rimmed aviator sunglasses.
Like all the other students, her weapon was in the armory below. But, somehow, Coco had gotten a purse to match the one her weapon was usually hidden as. On her shoulder is a bag with gold studs, which is held by a bandolier strap.
It looked like it cost more than Ruby's entire wardrobe.
The girl next to her, Velvet, had long, brown hair and matching brown eyes. On her head was a set of bunny ears. Ruby often wondered if they, and Blake's, were as soft as she thought.
She wore a cropped, brown jacket with a thin, gold zipper and her emblem on the right side of her chest. Underneath was a thin, black crop top. She also wore brown shorts with a decorated metal trim alongside her black tights and brown, lace-up boots. Those had golden metal flats.
Accenting her outfit was a pair of gold spaulders, cuffs, and a belt, all of which had decorative patterns. Usually, Velvet had a camera strapped to her belt, but that too had been confiscated. She seemed a bit upset of that, tapping her waist where the device usually lay.
"How'd your first round go?" Ruby asked. "Where's the rest of CFVY?"
Coco smirked. "Let's just say they went out of style."
"The others are bringing our food," her teammate said.
Ruby nodded. "Great! We also won. And we're sending Yang and Vin into the next round."
"Ah yes. The infamous Vin Venture." Coco peered down from her glasses at the Mistborn. If Vin saw, she didn't say anything, but she did seem a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people in the stands. "Not a bad look for her. But that tattered blanket is a bit much."
Velvet grabbed Coco's hand. "That's not very nice. We're just here to have fun, anyway."
"Yeah," Yang said, leaning forward from her seat at the other end of their line, "besides, Vin could-" Blake quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Why does a super-powerful alien with weird magic powers have to draw so much attention? Ruby thought as they all sat back down. Velvet apologized for Coco's behavior but Ruby smiled and said it was fine.
The speakers crackled a few minutes later and Professor Port's voice boomed throughout the colosseum. "Good morning everyone! Welcome to today's matchup of the Vytal Tournament!"
"Yes," Doctor Oobleck added. He was also one of the announcers of the matches, probably due to the pace at which he talked. "I am sure today's games are going to be exciting, entertaining, thrilling, and inspiring for all those who are watching."
"Right you are my friend!"
"In fact, the matches today may be some of the most exhilarating ones yet!"
Professor Port laughed. "Yes indeed! Today and tomorrow's brackets will be focusing on the Doubles rounds. Each team that moved forward from the team matches has sent two of their teammates to represent them and test their fighting prowess."
"And today," Doctor Oobleck added, "we will see them work together in a two-on-two fight of skill and cunning."
Around the stadium, holo-screens blinked to life. At first, they showed the faces and names of all the contestants that would be playing in the Doubles bracket. Then the screens began to scroll downwards, the faces now shuffling through every single one. It was slow at first, but quickly picked up pace.
Please let us go first, Ruby cheered, cupping her mouth as she joined the choir of voices.
Vin had thought that after watching JNPR's match, as well as being in her own, she would have grown used to the absurd number of people as well as how loud they began to scream. Far too used was she to the sounds of people screaming in terror, like the day when Kelsier died. But he was right. The smiles, the happiness, it was all what things should have been like.
As she listened to the crowd behind her, Vin couldn't help but smile and wanted to join in. Ruby and Yang had begun waving their arms with Weiss and Blake clapping excitedly. Vin spotted JNPR around the stage, most of them were clapping too. Except Nora, who was standing on her seat and roaring like a koloss.
Further down the line, team SSSN, whom Vin researched the night before, had a similar level of excitement to Ruby and Yang, but the blue-haired one, Neptune, kept waving behind him to some of the women. Even the group next to them, CFVY, Ruby said, were cheering. The last two members of their team had arrived, a large man and a thin Faunus.
And yes, Vin had heard Coco's comment but decided not to give her any attention. Her focus was quickly brought back to the center screens as the first two screens began to slow down.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Ding!
The images stopped and fixed themselves into their screens. 'Coco Adele' and 'Yatsuhashi Daichi', read the names under their photos. Vin raised an eyebrow. Maybe she could test out the girl's mettle sooner than she thought.
As the first pairings were chosen, the second set began to slow down.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Ding!
"The randomization process is complete," Port declared. "Ladies and gentlemen, your Doubles tournament line-up!"
Vin's eyebrows raised slightly as she saw the images of Pyrrha Nikos and Nora Valkyrie slotted across from CFVY's. On both sides of Vin, the three huntresses-in-training and lone huntsman-in-training began to leave their seats to head into the underground locker rooms.
Vin caught Pyrrha's eye and nodded, wishing a silent goodluck to her protege.
The two halves of the stadium arose separately. Coco and Yatsuhashi stood on one end with Pyrrha and Nora on the other. The redheads studied her seniors as she slid her shield, Akoúo̱, onto her arm and rested her hand on Miló, currently in its sword configuration.
Coco's bag was back on her shoulder. Gianduja, currently, was decorated with gold studs and hung on a bandolier strap. She had also put on a new belt with gun cartridges on the left side and a large, golden crosshair buckle. The woman was as tall as Pyrrha was, in her heels, though, but she knew that the fashionista was her team's biggest gun. Her handbag would unfold into a minigun and her semblance, Hype, allowed her to overcharge and push the dust charges to their absolute limit.
But as difficult as Coco's strength and firepower were, she was more concerned with Yatsuhashi.
Meditating cross-legged, Yatsuhashi was a tall and athletic young man with shaved-short black hair and tanned skin. He wore a mostly pale green and brown set of attire. The first part was a long, short-sleeved robe that he wore over one shoulder on top of a black muscle shirt. The robe was fastened at the waist by a leather belt with pouches. He also wore brown pants and black-and-green boots. His left arm bore a 5-layer side that extended past his shoulder.
His weapon, a large and fairly basic sword called Fulcrum, was affixed to his back with an over-the-shoulder brown strap. His arms were adorned with a set of bracers as well as a pair of black gloves with green plating.
As a swordswoman herself, Pyrrha instantly recognized the talent, skill, and danger in Yatsuhashi's weapon. It may have seemed basic, but it took a great deal of strength to lift such a large blade and even more focus to correctly use it. Back during the Breach, she watched him destroy cement blocks and launch Grimm into the air with a single swipe of his blade.
But, Pyrrha thought, I'm faster. Next to her, Nora unfolded her hammer and rested it on her shoulder.
"Which one do ya want?"
Pyrrha nodded at the cross-legged giant.
Nora smiled wickedly. "Great."
Around them, the holo screens appeared once more, flickering between the different biome options.
Slowly, Yatsuhashi opened his eyes as he finished his meditation.
"Coco and Yatsuhashi of Beacon!" Professor Port exclaimed. "Versus! Pyrrha and Nora of Beacon!"
Instead of just two biomes, four different ones were chosen for this round. A grassy savanna, an abandoned city block, a valley of geysers, and a forest outcropping.
Nora smiled at Coco and called out to her. "If we win, you've got to let me pick your outfits for next week!"
"If you win," Coco scoffed.
Standing slowly, Yatsuhashi unsheathed his blade and held it out in front of him. "I cannot guarantee that you'll leave here without a scratch."
"Nor can I," Pyrrha said.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Begin!"
Nora let out a yell and charged at Coco with her hammer raised above her head. As she brought it down, Coco sidestepped and knocked the hammer's head with her bag. Magnhild slammed into the ground and formed a semi-large crater. As Nora tried to pull it back, Coco used her handbag once more to hit her in the chest, sending the orange-haired brawler flying into the Savannah Zone.
"Oooh!" the audience cried.
As Coco sashayed after her (Coco never rushed unless there was a sale), Pyrrha shifted Miló into its rifle form and fired a quick few shots at Yatsuhashi. He spun his blade in front of him like a windmill to deflect the bullets. Then, as Pyrrha paused, he rushed forward.
Pyrrha's hesitation was one of focus. Taking a page from Vin's book, she used her semblance to mentally grab the bullets he had deflected. She was the only one to notice the black, pulsing aura surrounding them as they froze in midair and flew back towards them. She aimed for his foot as he stepped forward. To anyone else, it would look as if he tripped or slid awkwardly. But it was enough to shave off a bit of his aura.
As Yatsuhashi regained his footing, Pyrrha returned her rifle to a sword and charged. She grabbed her armor with her semblance and jumped. Yatsuhashi was shocked to see her leap further than anyone else had before and winced as his gaze followed her into the sun. He held up Fulcrum to deflect, his blade met hers as she sliced downward.
He grunted, falling onto one knee under the weight of her attack. With a groan, Yatsuhashi pushed himself and his sword back up, throwing Pyrrha backward a few feet.
Before Pyrrha had a chance to breathe, Yatsuhashi was already in front of her with his sword held up. She quickly lifted her shield, deflecting the stab just in time. Then, she used her powers to pull the sword down further so it embedded into the ground.
With his attention focused on removing his sword from the stone, Pyrrha somersaulted backward a safe distance away. She landed a few feet away from the City Zone. She looked behind her to see the half-collapsed building and smiled.
She knew she had the skill to be victorious. But now she had the plan too.
When Nora had landed in the savanna, Coco had expected her to pop back up and rush at her immediately. But, surprisingly, Nora had decided to lay low and hide in the tall grass.
Coco unfolded her Gianduja into its machine-gun form. It was the largest caliber of any weapon in Beacon. And with her semblance, the damage she could bring was increased a dozen times more than any other. She smiled and held down the trigger, spraying the grass at mid-height to cut it down. Soon, all of the grass was cut and Gianduja's rotatable barrel had come to a stop.
But Nora wasn't there.
"Where did you go, Nora?" Coco asked, smirking. She almost took a step into the terrain but stopped because the mud would ruin her boots. She looked down to check if they had gotten scuffed today and saw the ground at her feet beginning to rise.
How-?
"Hiiiiya!" Nora screamed as she emerged from the ground like some orange-furred mole. Her grenade launcher, which she had used to blow her way down and back up through the ground, leveled at Coco as she smiled. "Gotcha!"
"You've got nothing but a stained coat and dirt in your hair," Coco remarked as she jumped backward. Her weapon folded back up into a purse midair as she jumped from the Savannah and into the forest. Then, as Coco heard Nora use her weapon to launch herself toward her, Coco jumped high into the trees and stood on a branch.
Her clothes, not just some of the best brands in Vale, let her camouflage pretty well against the dark browns of the Zone. She readied her Gianduja once more and pointed it at the entrance.
Nora nonchalantly walked through the wooden gate with her hammer over her shoulder. Stealth was not her forte. Coco raised her minigun and-
Crack!
Both women paused at the strange sound. They each looked down and saw, at Nora's feet, the fragments of something black and reflective under her heel.
Coco saw red as she felt for her shades and realized she must have dropped them in her escape.
"Those… were… VINTAGE!" she yelled, squeezing the trigger as she Hyped the dust in Gianduja. The explosions matched her anger as the ground beneath Nora began to explode.
To her disappointment, Pyrrha's plan did not work as she intended. She had kept her back to the abandoned building, allowing Yatsuhashi to strike at her and push her back. Then, when she was close to the door, she ran inside. The tight corners and low ceiling should have minimized his mobility quite a bit.
Yatsuhashi wasn't that foolish, though. He was a skilled huntsman with more experience than her in the field.
Pyrrha backstepped down the hallway and waited for him to follow. But instead of seeing his hulking form charge after, she felt the building begin to shake. He was trying to bring the house down on her and trap her in the rubble!
The ceiling caved first, followed by the walls leaning inward. Cement and plaster turned to dust and swirled around her as she raised her shield. Pyrrha was just able to withstand a wooden support crossing into it. She dropped her blade and used both hands to keep Akoúo̱ above her head.
As the building seemed to roar and fall around her, Pyrrha let out a cry and reached inside of herself. Her semblance shook the metal fragments of the building as she focused it on her shield and armor, keeping them locked and frozen where they were - essentially creating an exoskeleton that would not break.
Soon, the last bits of rubble rolled over her feet. Pyrrha gasped and reached for Miló, pulling it into her hand and using her semblance to blow all the broken chunks of the wall by their nails away from her. Light shone on her face and she heard everyone cheer as she arose.
Then those cheers stopped as Yatsuhashi knocked her with the flat of his blade into the next biome over. Her aura flashed crimson as she landed.
"Well now," Port's voice rang. "I can't believe what I am seeing but I do believe that the Invincible Girl was just thrown head over heels into next week! Will she be able to recover?"
Pyrrha groaned and looked up at the scoreboards. Her eyes widened at the sight of her aura levels no longer a confident green.
Yellow? she gasped. I am in the yellow?! Something new emerged from Pyrrha's mouth. A growl.
Pyrrha raised her hand at Yatsuhashi, she mentally reached for his metal blade and saw it turn black. Then, with a tug of her mind, it flew from his hand and into hers.
Yatsuhashi's eyes widened and a loud inhale echoed from the stands as Pyrrha tested the weight and balance of the blade with a small chop.
Certainly no Miló, she thought. But it would get the job done. All this time I've been forced to use my semblance like it was something to be kept secret. But here, with these warriors, they have utilized it like their weapons and display it proudly. It is time I do the same.
He may have had a year of seniority and been a huntsman, but Pyrrha had been in the arena since she could hold a sword. This was her home ground. And she wouldn't let anyone take it from her.
With her armor and Fulcrum all pulsating with black, magnetic energy, Pyrrha flew at Yatsuhashi and brought his own blade across his chest.
Nora was retreating. Which was like running away, but manlier.
Or is it womanlier? she wondered as she jumped to the side and barely avoided another train of bullets.
"DIE!" Coco roared.
Nora jumped behind another freak truck to catch her breath. Her hammer, Magnihild, fit perfectly in her fist as she waited for the bullets to stop. She could feel the bullets explode against the wood. Tiny flakes of brown began to form a ring around the trunk and dead leaves fell to the ground.
If she stayed here, she'd lose. But if she tried to run, Coco would shoot her. What Nora needed was something she never really tried to do herself. Plan.
Her burrowing trick was spur-of-the-moment thinking. She doubted it would work on Coco again. Could Nora go up? Possibly. But that would only give her more time. And Nora knew that more time wouldn't necessarily give her a better chance of succeeding. Jaune and Ren planned. Nora acted.
Suddenly, there was a loud alarm and a flash of red through the arena. "Yatsuhashi Daichi has been eliminated due to aura depletion!" Oobleck announced.
The forest went silent for a moment. Was Coco really that surprised that the Invincible Girl didn't lose?
I never doubted you for a second, Pyrrha, Nora smiled. She had her second to think and she closed her eyes.
No under, no over. And rubbing left or right would just make her a target.
The tree started to rumble once more as Coco resumed her attack.
That just leaves one way, Nora smirked as she turned around and stared at the tree trunk. She could hear Coco stepping closer, indicated by how loud the bullets were exploding on impact. She distinctly remembered Ren saying something about Coco's semblance getting weaker with time. The more powerful the dust was, the closer she was.
"This. Is for. My. Shades!" the third-year fashionista yelled.
Nora returned her hammer to its grenade launcher form.
"And this," Nora yelled back as she waited for the tree to break, "is for PANCAKES!"
As soon as she saw the wood begin to warp and bubble, Nora fired. A pink-trailed grenade hit the trunk and toppled it in a lighting-red explosion. When the smoke cleared, Coco was standing just a few feet away, covering her eyes with her bag.
Nora held her finger against the trigger as their eyes met. "Bye-bye!"
Before Coco could scream or dodge, a secondary grenade was launched into her chest. The explosion engulfed her for a moment before the force launched her backward and upwards out of the zone and into the force field protecting the spectators.
"Coco Adel has been forced out of bounds! Team CFVY has been eliminated. Team JNPR of Beacon wins!"
There was no moment of hesitation for Vin to join in the applause. While Nora was skillful in her own right, Vin's focus was on Pyrrha. She was exceptional. That trick where she used her semblance to keep her shield held up? Incredible. Something that Vin would have never been able to pull off, as Vin would have still been forced to withstand the weight as she Pushed against it. But Pyrrha's semblance worked without that limitation.
"That was amazing!" Ruby cheered. She then froze and turned to the rabbit-eared girl and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."
The girl, Velvet, Ruby had called her, shook her head. "It's fine." Something caught her eye and she gasped, her cheeks red. "I think Coco will have bigger problems."
"What do you-?" Ruby, and Vin, turned back to the arena. Ruby started to laugh immediately. Yang was already doing so, with Blake covering her smile next to her.
Weiss smirked. "I think Nora will be sleeping with one eye open for the next few days."
As a result of the final attack, Coco, as well as all of her clothes, were now completely covered - from head to toe - in pink powder. She was a walking pink cloud and it was a fairly unflattering shade of it too.
"Under a bunker!" Yang added.
As the stage began to sink away, with the next matchup being decided shortly after (no one from RWVBY was chosen), the team decided to go their separate ways and continue with their own plans.
"I have a luncheon with Winter I don't want to miss," Weiss said before leaving.
"I've got to head out too," Yang said. "Qrow owes me a rematch."
Ruby chased after her sister. "Wait for me! Blake, you've got Vin!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" the Faunus asked. She turned to Vin, who shrugged and sighed. "I guess I have you?"
Vin nodded and a small smile tugged at her lips. "It appears…" She flared tin. Something had caught her eye. Something she had been subconsciously looking for the entire day.
There, near the exit. She focused her enhanced vision and saw a figure in a cloak staring right at her. Beneath the hood, she saw a set of gray, bushy eyebrows and a toothy grin. The shopkeeper winked and covered his lips with a finger before turning around and leaving the stadium.
"He's here."
Blake frowned. "Who?" She tried to follow Vin's gaze but the man was already gone.
Vin stood up. "That shopkeep who knew about my Allomancy. He was watching us. I think it's time we get some answers."
"Lead the way," Blake said before the Mistborn ran forward. She stayed on her heels, though, as they raced off of the stadium and onto the fairgrounds. Vin didn't let the beautiful background distract her this time, however. With a flare of pewter and a dropping of a few metallic discs, Vin jumped upward and flew into the sky.
This time, with her arm wrapped around Blake.
"What are you-? WOAH!" Blake cried as the two women were suddenly flung into the air. After a few moments of ear-popping excitement, their pace slowed and then stopped. "A little warning next time?"
Vin ignored her comment. She had to find that shopkeep. She had to know what he knew. "Do you see him anywhere? Or his tent?" Earlier, Vin had gone looking for the ramen shop, but it had disappeared.
Blake, after a few moments of study, pointed across the fairgrounds. "There!"
Following her finger, Vin noticed the man duck behind a tree. She nodded and mentally grabbed one of the iron-lines connecting her chest to a flagpole. "Hold on."
"To what?"
Vin Pulled on the line, shooting both of them downward. As they neared the ground, Vin let go of Blake. They both twirled in the air and rolled onto the ground (Vin rising in a crouch and Blake on her feet). With the tree just in front of them, they both moved around it from opposite ends, only to face each other as they ran around it.
"Where did he-?" Blake began to ask as Vin glared at her to keep quiet. Men don't just vanish into thin air. Even if this was an Allomancer, she would have felt his pulses.
Not unless he was burning copper, a part of her thought. But I still would have seen or heard something. And although she hadn't had use of it as of late, she did have the strange ability to pierce copperclouds if she focused.
She kicked around the tree and, flaring steel, noticed a small line around the object's base. Vin leaned down toward it and noticed a button hidden as some bark. She pressed it and a portion of the tree trunk exhaled and opened, revealing a set of stairs that led downward.
"He went down," Vin explained. She stepped inside and peered down. The stairs were well-lit and seemed to lead into a cavern. She gulped, remembering the last time she was in a place like this. "Is this sort of thing common inside trees in your world?"
Blake shook her head. "It must be a maintenance tunnel for Amity's inner-workings. They disguised it to match the scenery."
"Then it could lead anywhere on the island." Shaking away the memories and whispers of her past, Vin took a step down the stairs. Then another and another.
I won't let it end the same way. This time I will get answers.
The young Mistborn continued her descent, pausing only to glance back when she heard Blake following her. She smiled at Vin and nodded. Vin did so in return before facing forward and marching on.
They reached the bottom, only a few dozen feet down. The circular stairs led to a greater hallway with metal walls and piping. Wires and orange lights decorated the corners and there was a thin layer of dust on the floor.
Vin leaned down. There was still enough light for her tin. She noticed that some of the specks had been disturbed, some quite recently by the flakes in the air.
"That way." Vin pointed left and went. Soon, after taking different turns and running down other hallways, they stopped in front of a large, metal door. Blake moved forward to open it but Vin held her back.
"What's wrong?"
"The door," Vin answered, "it's made of aluminum."
Blake frowned. "Doesn't that negate your Allomancy?"
"Not unless I burn it. But it still means he is aware of the weakness." Her fingers twitched over her bag of discs. Even without her knives, her steel and duralumin could, in theory, work as well as any gun.
Placing a hand on her shoulder, Blake said "It's just one old man." She smiled and nodded to the door. "I'm with you. But if you want to go back, we can."
It's one old man, Vin thought, Who knows me. Who knows about Allomancy. She didn't recognize him. Was he trapped here too?
The odds weighed in her mind. But, ultimately, she placed a hand on the door. Vin looked back at Blake and she nodded once more. Together they opened the door to see-
Something shoved them both inside and the door slammed shut behind them, leaving them surrounded in darkness.
Weiss sat down her teacup and frowned. "You're… leaving?"
She had rendezvous with her sister at the Atlesian Embassy. That was where they were now, on a balcony overlooking the city. Tea and cakes, shipped directly from the country, were strewn among the table. As Weiss was talking, a servant had come in and placed Myrtenaster next to her sister's sword. It had been shined and polished, as well as sharpened, with a fresh set of dust inside.
"Yes." Winter placed her cup down a moment later. Somehow the silence of her placement always seemed to overshadow her own, no matter how hard she practiced. "I was merely needed to oversee the transport of additional units to Vale. Our last shipment was lost to an ambush. I believe you had a run-in with its cargo, actually. It's fortunate those Paladins were still in the prototype stage. Otherwise, your team may not have fared so well."
The frown on Weiss' face deepened and her gaze moved from her cup to her empty place. An empty tray meant things were finished. She had been too eager to eat and talk with her sister. She should have-
Her sister's hand covered her own. "Weiss," she whispered, "You've done… well out here on your own. You should be proud."
Those were the first words of encouragement Weiss had heard from Winter in years. She had always spoken first with her constructive criticisms and feedback on her mistakes. Weiss smiled and opened her mouth to say something but there was nothing she could say that would express her gratitude.
"I'll be honest. It was quite amusing seeing Father's expression the day you left for Beacon," Winter said, slowly sitting back into her seat (with an even more perfect posture).
Weiss' smile mimicked her sister's. "I can't wait to show him what I've learned."
"Oh? And what do you think you have learned?"
"What do you mean?" Weiss pointed at her blade laid next to Winter's own. "I'm getting better and better with my glyphs. I've even started time dilation." Once…
Winter raised an eyebrow. "And what of your Summoning?"
"I…" With a sigh, she clutched her fist and remembered the long hours in which she practiced her family's true gift. "You know I can't."
"Don't be ridiculous. Every Schnee has the ability to Summon. We have for generations."
"I've tried! It's just… It's just the one thing I'm having trouble with!"
"We Schnees are unique. Unlike many, our Semblance is hereditary. But that doesn't mean it will come easy." Winter held out her hand and a small glyph - white - appeared in her hand. It spun slowly at first then sped up quickly. "Your semblance is like a muscle. The more you practice with it, the stronger it will become. But if you only focus on one aspect of it… If you fail to test the limits of what you think is possible-"
The glyph grew in her hand. Then it became a dazzling white light. Weiss quickly covered her eyes and, when her hands dropped, a Grimm now stood over Winter's shoulder. It was not a beast of darkness and rage. It was white and pure like the snow, perfectly under control. Winter held up her hand and scratched the Beowolf behind its ears. It purred slightly and awaited orders from its Summoner.
"-then you'll never truly grow."
"You'll never beat me, old man!" Ruby cried.
Qrow laughed. "You're nothing but talk, kid."
"You can do it, Ruby!" Yang shouted, raising a fist in excitement.
The three family members all stared at the holoscreen in the center of the RWVBY dorm room, a video game ('Fatal Fighting IV') was in use. A black-clad ninja with blue accents stood across from a similarly clad ninja, though this one in red.
Ruby and Qrow sat directly in front of the game, their fingers pressing on the control systems, pressing buttons to deliver the most powerful and coolest combos they could achieve. The avatars danced around each other, jabbing and blocking each other's blows.
There was a flash of blue as Qrow's avatar unsheathed its sword. It slashed multiple times then slowly closed the blade back into its scabbard. The red ninja fell into literal pieces and the game went dark
"Total annihilation!" it declared. Ruby's head drooped and Qrow chuckled, patting her on the back.
"Ouch," Yang muttered.
Qrow smirked and patted his youngest niece's head. "Don't ever call me old, squirt."
As she pouted and set down the controller, Yang jumped down from Weiss' bed and pushed Ruby aside. "My turn!" she said, picking up the controller and starting a new match.
"A new challenger approaches!"
"Now where were we?" Qrow turned back to the screen and selected the same avatar as before. "Oh yeah, the new girl… Vin came back from her training with the Invincible Girl?"
Ruby poked her head between her sister and uncle. "Mhmm! She came back and told us she was in trouble with this other girl, Cinder, who turned out to be one of the four maidens! You know, like the story?"
His eye twitched as the match started. "I've heard of it."
"Well, it turns out that Cinder told Mistral that Vin attacked her and then the military came to arrest her. Vin ran away and met up with Professor Ozpin, Jaune, and Weiss where they learned about magic. Real magic! "
"Sounds a bit hard to believe."
"It's true!" Yang said. She kept her eyes on the screen and followed Qrow's movements. "Blake took Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora to the Mistral Embassy to see if they could find out what had happened, When they snuck in, they found-"
"You kids managed to sneak into a heavily fortified foreign embassy?"
"Umm… Maybe?" Ruby blushed. "It wasn't me or Yang, though."
Qrow chuckled. "Not bad."
Yang's avatar took a hit from Qrow's. "You say that like you've done it too," she growled.
"You don't know everything about me."
"Yes we- No, no, no, no, NO!"
"Soaring Ninja wins! Total annihilation," the game declared. Qrow began to laugh but it was cut off as Yang threw a pillow at his face.
Ruby giggled. "Anyways, they found out that Cinder and her team - well we never found out about that one goth girl - are all evil and that they were trying to do something bad at the Vytal Festival."
"So you stopped them?"
Yang punched the air. "And so we stopped them!"
"We weren't even there, Yang!" Ruby said.
"The general we."
"Sounds like you two have had an eventful semester," Qrow smiled. "Almost as much as we did."
"'We'?" both girls asked.
"Yeah. My ol' team." He pulled out a photo from his vest and held it up to them. It showed four people, two men, and two women, posing at the camera. From left to right, a white-robed woman that Ruby recognized as her mother, Summer Rose, her dad, some lady in red armor and long, disheveled hair, and Qrow.
Yang tried to get a better look at the strange woman, but Qrow quickly covered her face with his thumb.
"Team STRQ (Stark)," Qrow sighed. "Summer always liked to joke that it was Strike. That's when I met your parents. We were pretty well known back in the day."
"Well known for crummy fashion sense," Ruby muttered.
Qrow laughed. "Hey, we looked good. And I have a number of inappropriate stories that will back that up." He noticed Yang's unwavering stare at the photo and quickly pocketed it. "But I'll save those for when you're older."
Ruby shook her head, muttering "Gross! Did your team ever defeat a mob boss? Or stop a Grimm invasion?"
"Yeah, read the news sometime. We totally saved Vale while you were gone," Yang added.
"Funny. I heard Vale suffered the Grimm attack after you almost managed to stop a train. And they don't give medals for 'almost'."
"They do and it's called second!" Ruby said.
Another chuckle escaped from Qrow's lips. "And as for your 'mob boss', violence hasn't dropped since Roman got nabbed. It's stopped. Completely. No White Fang anywhere around the city. You cut off the head of a King Taijitu, but now the second head is calling the shots. That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick, metal head of his." He muttered that last sentence but they still heard him.
"You… know the general?" Yang asked.
"I know everybody to some extent," he said.
Except Vin, the sisters thought with a wink.
"Anyway…" Qrow stood up and cracked his back. "I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style." He walked over to the door but stopped midway through the frame.
"Look, just remember that you've got a long way to go. And don't think for a second that graduation means you're done. Every day out there is worth a week in this place. You two… you're gonna go far. But only if you keep learning. If you never stop moving forward." With that, the raven-haired huntsmen left.
Blake couldn't believe she had been snuck up on. But as the door slammed shut, and the room turned gray as her feline eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, she realized they hadn't been. Whatever had shoved them inside didn't do so from behind them.
We weren't pushed in, Blake realized. We were Pulled in. That's how it feels when Vin uses her Allomancy. This man was a Mistborn.
A light flickered on. Vin and Blake, crouched and arms raised in defensive forms, turned to see the old man in a chair. He noticed Vin reaching for her pouch and held out his hand. Vin stumbled forward but quickly detached the bag from her waist. It flung straight into his hand and he smiled.
"I have been waiting for years to put on this kind of performance," he said. The voice they heard was of a young man, not an aged mute. He looked at Vin, saw that her fists were clenched, and rolled his eyes. "Please, if I was going to hurt you, I would have done it when you first arrived."
"Who are you?" Vin asked. "What do you know about me?"
"I know more than you realize, Vin Venture. Granted, you made it easy when you declared 'I am the Heir to the Survivor, Lord Ruler's executioner'." He laughed and pulled off the top of his head, revealing sheet-white hair. "As one student of the dramatics, let me just say you handled that situation brilliantly. It would have helped to say it to those who know of the Lord Ruler, though."
Blake felt Vin's tensity rise and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Who are you?"
His gaze turned to her and she could see age in his eyes. Dust formed life and life returned to Dust, as did beings of even greater power. Under his eyes, Blake felt as if all of Atlas were now crushing her. This man, while playing senile, was far older than anyone had any right to be. Far older than anyone should be.
"I have gone by many names," he said with a joyful smile, one that did not at all match the terrifying emotions she felt beneath his stare. "Kings and Knights call me a wit. Gods have called me a historian. But I believe Kelsier knew me as a simple informant."
Vin froze. Even in the limited light, Blake could see her face going pale. "How do you know about that?"
He smiled and made a flicking motion with his finger at a switch. It quivered and moved, turning on the lights. "Simple. I'm the one who told him everything he asked for in the Final Empire."
Was that where Vin was from?
"I must say, I was surprised to see you here, Heir to the Survivor," he said. "I thought you would have seen through my disguise when you first saw me. Was it the eyebrows? I had to shave them off of Alethi to get them this bushy."
Vin growled. "Why. Are. You. Here?"
"I do as I please, Valette. I do what I do when I wish." He glared at them and his smile twitched. "So do not attempt to make me angry. Your Allomancy will not work on me."
Blake frowned. Who was-?
"How do you know that name?" Vin asked. She was shaking.
"Many names are known to me!" he said. "Tanavast. Dockson. Khriss. Even your long lost love, Elend Venture. It's a shame what happened to him."
Vin tried to lunge at the man but Blake held her back. "Don't you dare-"
"Oh, I dare. In fact, it would be hard to find much of anything I could not be dared to do. Once, I was dared to jump into the mouth of a greatshell. Another time, to see if I could fit a Seon inside of mine!"
"Great… shell?" Blake frowned.
The man nodded. "Yes, Ms. Belladonna. A greatshell. Do you not have those here?"
Blake shook her head slowly. He knows who I am too.
"They are repulsive."
Vin's fighting slowed. "Why did you give me that Allomantic chart?"
"Because you were simply too unoriginal with those basic ten metals of yours. Rashek might have saved your world but he ruined the art of your magic. I mean ten? This isn't Roshar." He laughed like he had just told a great joke.
Vin and Blake didn't think so. They waited until he had finished laughing and, under their frowns, he sighed.
"I gifted you that chart so that you would be prepared for what is to come."
"What does that mean?"
"When Ati and Leras left this broken world, they cursed its people to lifetimes of war and destruction. Ati with his pits and Leras with his mistake."
Vin frowned. "Who?"
The shopkeeper rolled his eyes. "Ancient history for this planet. Care to hear it?"
"That's not why-"
Blake grabbed Vin's hand. "The longer we keep him talking, the more he might tell us. And he must have a reason for this or else he would've just left." Also, if we wait long enough, Ruby and the others might come looking too.
With a glare, the Mistborn nodded. Blake turned back to the man and nodded. "Not a lot of Remnant's history survived before the Great War. How do you know about it?"
"Because I was there. Or I knew those who were."
He then walked over to a sack on a table and reached inside, pulling out a flute. The instrument was raised to his lips and a small tune began to echo throughout the room. It was soft at first but then, with a sharp whistle, a handful of sand was thrown above their heads. They flinched at first but as he lowered the flute, the shopkeeper remained standing and began his story. But still the room echoed with music.
"Long ago, two gods came to this planet. These gods used this planet to test their powers. Leras, Preservation, created life in plants, animals, and nature."
In the sand, Blake saw a large figure of gold wave his hand. Flowers bloomed to life in the grains.
"Ati, Ruin, would destroy this life, as such was in his nature. He created fire, famine, and the monsters you now know as the Grimm."
The sand swirled as the shopkeep spun around them, his flute now playing a deep and slow tune. The sand swirled once again and monstrous shapes of Grimm flashed across the sand. Somehow, the shadows of the room hit the sand exactly to show a figure surrounded by masses of monsters.
"One day, Preservation turned to Ruin and asked him to do something new, a strange wish from this god's Intent. He wanted to form a creature capable of thought."
The golden and shadowed figures clasped hands and stood together.
"And so, they did. With the powers of Safety and Destruction, the gods created life. Human life. These humans were given four gifts. Choice, Creation, Destruction, and Knowledge."
Four shapes swirled quickly: a crown, a lamp, a spear, and a sword. Blake frowned, feeling a connection to the shapes.
"These gifts were given physical form and became known as Relics. Centuries passed, and humanity spread all across the world. They called their home… Vax."
Weiss knelt and placed a hand on the ground. She closed her eyes and focused on the spot just in front of her. A glyph, as large as a table, formed in front of her.
"Now think of your fallen foes." Winter stood behind Weiss and whispered in her head. "Think about the ones that forced you to push yourself past who you were and become who you are now."
Of all of the Grimm that Weiss had defeated, one came to her first. It was the first Grimm that she had defeated and one of the most powerful. A geist that had possessed one of the armors decorating the Schnee manor.
The same one that had given her the scar over her eye.
"Think of them," Winter said," and watch as they come to your side."
The glyph flickered brightly as Weiss focused. She could see it in her mind, spinning and shining - faster and faster, brighter and brighter. But then it started to turn dim and shrink.
Weiss opened her eyes and saw the glyph disappear. "I can't!" she cried, slamming her palm on the ground.
Winter smacked her upside the head. "Stop doubting yourself!"
"I'm trying!" Weiss said as she stood back up.
"If this is what you call trying, then you have no hope of succeeding as an actual huntress." She gave Weiss a mocking smile. "Why don't you just move back home? I'm sure Father will give you a nice job as a receptionist."
"I don't need his charity," she growled.
Winter leaned down and put herself at eye level with her sister. "But you do need his money, don't you?"
Weiss' eyes went wide. "What?! How did you know about that?"
"Lucky guess," Winter smirked. "I may have been in a similar situation when I joined the military. So what have you done this time?"
"That's the thing," Weiss said, Winter circling her. "I'm not really sure. I went to pay for lunch the other day but my card didn't work."
"How embarrassing."
"I know!" Weiss pouted as Winter shook her head. "Well, it was! Why would he cut me off like that?!"
"Perhaps so you'd stop avoiding him and call home."
Weiss growled and kneeled back down, another white glyph already forming beneath her. Winter's hand landed on Weiss' shoulder.
"Emotions can grant you strength, but you must never let them overpower you," she warned. "It sounds to me like you have two choices in front of you. You can either call him, beg for his money back, and explain once more why you want to study at Beacon over Atlas.
"Or… you could continue to explore Remnant, discovering more about the world, and, honestly, more about yourself."
The glyph vanished once more and Weiss turned back to her sister. For once, her failure didn't hurt. Well, not as much. A moment passed and Winter placed both hands on Weiss' shoulders.
"It's time for me to go." She pulled Weiss into a hug, which the young heiress graciously returned.
"It was really good to see you, Winter," Weiss said.
Winter smiled. "Until next time, sister."
And so the two Schnee siblings turned away. One left to find her team and the other to return to her ship, neither noticed a small shard of ice embedded into the ground. It was no bigger than a caterpillar and shaped almost like a forged blade.
Just like the ones from their manor.
Vin glared at the shopkeep. Or informant. Traveler. Whoever he was, she felt as if her nerves were on fire. Every bit of her screamed that this was someone on the level of the Lord Ruler. He just didn't have the man's cruelty.
"This is Remnant," Blake said after the man declared the planet's name.
The shopkeep's flute made a sharp turn in tone, silencing her.
"A cruel joke," he said, "that an immortal made to refer to this broken world that is barely a slice of what it once was." He threw another handful of sand into the air. They began to form the shape of a woman with golden hair.
"Years passed and a young witch turned against the gods. This witch turned humanity against the gods and when the gods found out about their treason, they cursed her and this world. Realizing their experiment was a failure, they left, leaving behind their Relics and creations on a world half-destroyed."
The woman's hair turned black and a sphere shattered into pieces behind her. The parts that remained formed a crescent shape. Blake gasped, realizing it was their moon. Vin, however, felt more of a confusion.
Why would these 'gods' have destroyed the moon? As a warning, perhaps? It wouldn't make sense if they planned to leave.
"From there, Preservation and Ruin went to a new planet. A dead rock where they once again tested their powers. This time, the world was named Scadrial. "
This time, it was Vin who gasped. Blake glanced at her and Vin realized that their worlds were connected.
Once again, the two beings spread their hands and life formed around them. This time, however, there were no monsters of shadow.
"It was a world very different from this one. A world with no Grimm, a world teaming with life. Ruin was not too pleased at this initially, but Preservation made him a promise.
"'One day,' he said, 'I will let you destroy our creation. When mankind has reached its potential, you may tear it down. Then we can start anew.'
"But Preservation lied, he conducted a plan to entrap the god. And although he eventually succeeded, it came at a high price."
Dark and bright shades of sand class violently, like lightning striking itself. Strangely, Vin thought that she heard small clasps of thunder.
"Leras won the battle, imprisoning his friend. But Ruin took with him Preservation's mind. The god of stability slowly, over the centuries, went insane. And as he did, Leras prepared for Ruin's eventual return. The confinement of gods is not the same as that for men and to capture Ruin, Preservation stored all of the god's power in a mountain. This mountain became the homeland of peoples and, over time, the power returned. With it, a new threat emerged."
Something familiar flashed in the sand. Wispy tendrils that somehow were not as dark as shadow. They crept along the golden earth and began to encompass everything, heading towards the mountain.
The Deepness.
The man winked at her. "This new foe threatened everyone. A hero came to the mountain and found the pool of godly power that kept Ruin trapped. But, he was betrayed by a young man from the people of the mountain. This man took the power for himself and pushed away the oncoming threat."
The sands showed a man cutting down another before shining brightly and causing all of the gray sands to blow away. On his arms were glowing bracers.
Vin growled. "The Lord Ruler. Rashek."
The flute whistled in agreement and the sands showed the man rising above others.
"This man would become a tyrant and dominate the people of Preservation and Ruin for a thousand years. He planned on continuing his ascension, as the powers of gods would always return. But, to the surprise of everyone, a small group of criminals and thieves managed to stand up and kill him."
The sands split to show a feminine figure raising daggers toward the Lord Ruler.
Blake grabbed her arm. "That's you, isn't it." It wasn't a question but Vin nodded all the same.
"It was a grand victory," the man continued. "But one staged by the entrapped god."
Strings of blackened sand appeared on the visage of Vin, directing her movements.
"Ruin knew of the tyrant's planned and carefully crafted pawns to help in his release. The young woman who killed him, felt the power call out to her. And when the ancient threat returned, she went to the amassing reservoir, much like the tyrant had so long ago. But unlike him, she gave up the power instead."
The final bits of sand fall with Vin releasing light only for the darkness to swallow everything up.
"And thus, as she was sent to the old home of the gods as her new home was ravaged by Ruin, destined to fulfill his promise."
"NO!" Vin yelled, reaching forward to grab at the particles. "I didn't… I didn't know…" What have I done?
She looked up and glared at the strange man. "Send me back. I can stop him. I can't let them die because of my mistake."
"I'm afraid," he whispered. "That is impossible. Ruin is free and has already begun to plan the destruction of your world."
Her chest felt tight. The thumping in her mind that drew her to the Well was all a trick. Her accomplishment of the Lord Ruler had made her into a tool. How far back had this creature of destruction been planning this?
Lord Ruler, she realized. Lord Ruler, she knew what had happened. The Mist Spirit that attacked Elend. It was Preservation, it was trying to stop me.
Tears began to stream down her face and she felt Blake's hand land on her shoulder. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known."
"I killed him," Vin sobbed. "I killed Elend. He trusted me to save everyone and I left him to die. He died because I released Ruin." Her heart, already broken, had crumpled. "I killed Elend and now it's going to kill everyone."
Wow. I didn't think I could get emotional writing a fanfic, but here I am. This chapter was a BLAST to write. I enjoyed writing JNPR's fight so much, especially since it was a completely original scene. Since Cinder isn't controlling the matches anymore, this shows how the randomness of the fights could have been.
Most of the side conversations are usual, except for Qrow's and the sisters. But Vin and Blake running into a certain Worldhopper was completely original and something I had in mind since the start.
Also, Remnant is Vax! For those of you who are not Cosmerically aware, it's something fans have been speculating on for a while. A planet that Brandon Sanderson won't answer anything about.
This chapter is probably my longest yet, and will probably remain that way for a while.
I now have 3 stories, check out the other two.
xFel: There's a reason for that. Find out later. The External Enhancement metals will definitely be fun to mess with. My editor and I are already going over Semblances, Dust, and aura and the effects it'll have on them.
Guest1: I'm sorry that's how it was read. I merely meant that she didn't know about the others.
Guest2: Maybe I might. RAFO.