"I can't believe I forgot about Signal," Harry muttered as he awaited his flight. "I've been traveling so much it seems like second nature now."
He was on the western coast of Anima, in the coastal city of Waterdown. He arrived in this city only a few weeks ago by boat, chasing Qrow. Now he was taking an airship straight back to Vale. The quicker he got back, the more time he could spend with Ruby and Yang. He didn't tell them he was coming back to Patch. It was going to be a surprise for them.
When Harry would get back to Vale, Taiyang was going to give an entrance exam to see if could be accepted at Signal. All the studying Harry did over the past two months would be essential to passing the exams. He could only hope the short amount of time he had to study would be enough compared to a student who studied for years.
Qrow was continuing the mission he was given, however. He led Harry to a nearby train stop and bought him a ticket to Waterdown. It wasn't even a station. It only had an overhang to block rain and a single machine that would produce tickets. Qrow merely ruffled Harry's hair and said 'See ya, kid'. Then walked off. Harry boarded the train and arrived a day later.
"Airship 657 will be arriving in five minutes. Repeat, airship 657 will be arriving in five minutes."
That was Harry's ship. He sighed and picked up his backpack. There were several landing platforms on the airship terminal. Unlike an Earth airport, everyone could wait outside for their ships to land. People only used the large indoor terminal when it was raining. There were several chairs, benches and tables along the platform as well as a large concession stand.
Once the ship landed, he would have to wait about 15 minutes for the ship to unload and refuel before it was ready to fly. It would be a simple civilian airship, like the one he took from Patch to Vale. But a lot quicker. It would take about a day and a half to reach Vale.
He wanted to go on want of those large airships that could hold up to 300 people. It would have coach, 2nd class, and 1st class sections. People in 2nd class would have a small cabin with a bed and share shower and bathroom facilities. 1st class would have a private cabin with bath, 24 room service, and a dining room for meals. It would take about a day to reach Vale, arriving only late that evening.
However, Harry was on his last few Lien cards. He would have to wait until getting back to Vale to exchange more wizard coins for Lien. He saw one of those ships fly off earlier. It was like a skyscraper had fallen over and grew wings. There were several people that got on it. Especially one group that seemed to be following one person, asking for pictures or autographs. It must have been some celebrity or something.
Harry was broken out of his thoughts by his ship landing. It was big, but not huge. Its room for about 60 people. It was similar to the coach section of the larger ship: comfy seats that could recline spaciously, a small bathroom (no shower), free meals and a small holoscreen for entertainment for each passenger.
He waited with a small group of people while the airship unloaded. Then, he and others climbed aboard. Harry took his seat in the back, on the left side of the aircraft and closest to the window. He put his backpack in the overhead compartment and unhooked his sword from his belt. His gun was in his backpack.
Harry spent the next few minutes watching the crews load luggage into the cargo hold underneath the airship. He was a little nervous. It was the fourth time he had traveled by aircraft, but this time he was by himself. However, he loved flying. Any chance to get into the air was to his liking.
But lately, every time he in a high place, like a tree or cliff during his travels, he had this sudden urge to jump. Jump into oblivion. It was beginning to make him nervous and he didn't know why.
"Hello."
Harry turned to see a girl standing in the aisle in his row. She was tall but might have been the same age as him. She was dressed in a trench coat, gloves, wearing huge sunglasses, and had a gray scarf tied over her head. A lock of red hair poked from underneath it.
"Hello," answered Harry. "How can I help you?
The girl held out a ticket. "It seems I have the aisle seat and…umm…," she motioned to the seat. Harry's sword was resting there.
"Sorry about that," Harry said as he plucked the sword off the seat.
"It's fine," the girl smiled as she sat down. "I did wonder if you bought a ticket for your sword."
Harry chuckled. "I don't have enough Lien for that, I'm afraid."
"That's an interesting accent you have," the girl remarked, smiling slightly. "Where are you from?"
"Patch," Harry remarked. It's the answer he gave to everyone who asked these days. "And you?"
"Argus," the girl answered.
Argus was on the other side of Anima. "You're on your way to Vale?"
The girl nodded. "Yes. I've applied at Beacon Academy."
"That's nice," Harry answered. "My friend Yang is going, too. You two will be classmates."
"That sounds grand," she answered. "But you're not going?"
Harry shook his head. "I'm going to Signal. Still got another year before I go to Beacon."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's okay. But can I ask something?"
"Sure."
"If you're from Argus, why aren't you going to Haven Academy?"
The girl suddenly looked nervous, even behind her large sunglasses. "I…um…wanted a change of scenery?"
Harry held up a hand. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me if it's a personal matter."
The girl calmed down. "I'm afraid it is personal."
"Then I'm sorry for intruding." Harry held out a hand. "My name is Harry. Harry Potter."
The girl looked at his outstretched hand cautiously. But then she smiled and took off her glasses. She had the brightest green eyes he had ever seen. They were even brighter than his previous color. At the corners, she had matching green eyeshadow as well. She shook Harry's hand.
"I'm Pyrrha.
"Nice to meet you, Pyrrha."
The day and a half trip Harry thought was going be unbelievably long was now pleasant. Harry made a friend on the trip and the two kept talking long into the night. Harry told her about his travels across Sanus and Anima, chasing down his teacher. He told about the Grimm he faced, the villagers he met, and the skills he learned along the way. Pyrrha told him about her days as a Sanctum Academy student and her trials as a tournament fighter. When Harry asked how many tournaments she competed in, she blushed and said a few.
She explained she was going to be staying at a hotel until the Fall semester started at Beacon. When she asked about Vale, Harry gave her what information he had about the city.
Pyrrha was definitely hiding something. She didn't take off her coat or scarf the entire flight. Even when the lights dimmed at 10 for night. She just reclined in her seat and said goodnight to Harry as she nodded off. He was curious but didn't want to pry. He didn't want to muck things up between them. She was a nice person to be around.
A quiet ringing interrupted his thoughts. Harry pulled out his Scroll and looked at the screen: Yang calling.
Harry answered, using audio only. "Hello, Yang."
"Hey, Birdie. How are you doing today?"
"Yannngg!" said Ruby's voice. He must have been on speaker on Yang's Scroll.
"What?"
"He told you to quit calling him that!"
"Thank you, Ruby," said Harry.
"Aww, I thought you loved it. Then you could start giving me a nickname," said Yang.
"What would I call you?"
"How about annoying?" said Ruby.
"I like it," Harry grinned.
"Oh, yeah? Well, your nickname should be brat!" retorted Yang.
"Bimbo!" countered Ruby.
"Shortstack!"
"Dumb blonde!"
"Sugar Shark!"
"Fatty!"
Yang gasped. "You take that back!"
"No!"
Harry started hearing scuffling, punches, and what sounded like cats meowing. It made him chuckle out loud. The noise made Pyrrha groan and turn over in her seat.
The fighting stopped. "Harry, what was that?"
"What?" Harry asked.
"That noise," Ruby said.
"It kinda sounded like a…"
Pyrrha opened her eyes and stared at Harry. "Harry, is something wrong?"
Harry heard two loud gasps in his Scroll.
"IT IS!"
"YOU GOT A GIRL IN YOUR BED!"
"NO!" Harry answered loudly. The noise made Pyrrha jump and several others on flight turned to scowl at Harry. That and the sisters comments made his cheeks heat up.
"Harry, that was a girl. I should know. I am one," Yang said sternly. "Are you sleeping around? Cause if you are, I'm going to kick your ass."
"Yang, I'm not sleeping around," Harry answered. Pyrrha blushed. "I'm on an airship this leg of my journey."
"Prove it. Turn on the camera."
Harry sighed and switched to video. Yang and Ruby's scowling faces lit up the screen. He lifted the Scroll up and waved it around the room, showing the sisters the cabin. He brought it back down when people were giving him dirty looks.
"See, cabin of an airship."
"And the girl? She knew your name," Ruby asked.
Pyrrha sat up and looked at Harry in puzzlement. "What's going on?"
"Sorry, but my friends want to meet you."
"Umm…okay."
Harry turned to his Scroll to himself. "Keep it quiet. Some of the passengers are asleep. It's night here."
The girls were nearly half a world away. If Harry remembered correctly of the time zones, it would be after dawn on Patch. The girls nodded and Harry gave Pyrrha his Scroll.
"Hello there," said Pyrrha to Yang and Ruby.
The sisters didn't answer right away. They got as close as they could to the camera on Yang's Scroll. All Pyrrha could see is a giant eye of from each sister. It made her sweat a little.
"You're traveling with Harry?" asked Ruby.
"Not exactly. We met on the flight to Vale," Pyrrha answered. Harry winced.
"You're coming back to Vale?!" said Ruby squealed loudly.
"Well, there goes that surprise," Harry muttered.
"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha apologized.
"It's okay. Wasn't your fault," said Harry. "Can I have my Scroll back?"
Pyrrha nodded and handed the device back to him. He switched off the video feed and put the Scroll back to his ear.
"Yeah, I'm coming back. Qrow sent me back just in time for Signal to start."
"This is awesome!" Ruby yelled into his ear, making him wince more.
"Can't wait," said Yang. "I want to know how strong you've become. You're sparing with me the moment you get back."
Harry tried not to groan. "I'll back some time tomorrow. We'll talk more then."
"See you later, stud," said Yang.
"We've got a surprise for you when you get back," Ruby added.
"I'm looking forward to it," smiled Harry. He hung up afterwards and turned to Pyrrha. "Sorry about that."
"It's okay," Pyrrha giggled. "Who were they?"
"The blond was Yang, the girl I said was going to Beacon. The smaller girl was her younger sister Ruby. She's going with me to Signal. They're my best friends."
"They sound like they would be fun to hang out with."
"They are," Harry smiled as he settled deeper into his chair. "I can't wait to get home."
After that, the two went to sleep. They woke up early the next morning as the airship made a detour and landed in a small village. This gave all the passengers a chance to stretch their legs and get a hot meal at a local café. An hour later, they would leave for Vale and arrive around noon.
Harry was in line at the café, waiting on the greasy and delicious food to be served up. While he was waiting for his order to be called, he browsed the around. He always like to explore a new place during his travels. It was always interesting to see what kind of food or knickknacks would be sold at each place. One place he found a lilac crystal necklace that matched Yang's eyes. He sent it to her for her birthday, which was almost a month ago. She sent a picture of her wearing it with the caption 'love it!'. Harry decided to get Ruby something now. Her birthday was in October, but he needed to do nice for her.
In the souvenirs, he found something she might like. A red, glass rosebud. Smiling, he picked it out and placed it a box to gift wrap.
"Order number seven. Your food is ready," called out a voice.
Harry made his way to the checkout counter to pay for his and Pyrrha's breakfast while also wanting to pay for the rose. On his way up, he passed through an aisle that sold small, packaged cereal for travelers on the go. He suddenly froze, slowly backed up, and looked at a certain orange box called 'Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes'. On the cover was a funny rabbit mascot.
But next to it was a girl with red hair and some very familiar green eyes.
Harry stared hard at the box for a few seconds, then returned to the counter. He made for his food and gift, then made his way outside on the patio where several passengers where eating. He spotted Pyrrha sitting at the farthest table, still wearing her long coat, sunglasses, and scarf. He went to her and placed a closed cartoon of food in front of her.
"Order of flapjacks with a cup of fruit," he said.
Pyrrha smiled. "Thank you, Harry. What did you get?"
Harry opened his food. "Biscuits, gravy, sausage patties, eggs, and hash browns."
"You're not going to make it to 30 if you eat like that," Pyrrha smirked.
"Where I come from, if it's not hot and greasy, it's not breakfast."
Pyrrha chuckled and they both started eating. While they ate, Harry couldn't help but stare at Pyrrha. Yep, it was her. Pyrrha was the girl on the cereal box. Harry remembered back in London of a cereal called Wheaties and how they would sometimes have a star athlete or actor on the box. Is that the case here? Was Pyrrha a famous athlete? Actress? Singer?
"Do I have syrup on my face?" asked Pyrrha.
"Huh?" asked Harry, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"You're staring at me," said Pyrrha. A light dust of pink was on her cheeks.
Damn his curiosity. It was going to get him in trouble again. Pyrrha's secrets were her own and he didn't want to pry. But…
"Umm…it's just…I saw something very odd on a box of cereal in the store."
Pyrrha froze. The light dusting became a red-faced blush.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's your business, not mine."
"You don't know?" asked Pyrrha, now confused.
"Know what?"
Pyrrha pulled off her shades, showing the matching green eyes he saw earlier. "Well, actually, those tournaments I said I won? They were the Mistral Regional tournaments. The biggest tournaments in the kingdom of Mistral that happen every year. I've been the champion for nearly four years in a row."
Harry was silent for a moment. "And they put your face on a box of cereal?"
She smiled a little. "It's just a sponsor. Actually, the cereal isn't good for you."
"When the term 'marshmallow' is in the cereal, it probably isn't."
Pyrrha suddenly focused on Harry. "So…you've never heard of me?"
"Nope," Harry shook his head. "But I'm guessing you were that celebrity everybody was crowding around yesterday at the airport."
She nodded. "Reporters and fans wanting to know why I was going to Beacon instead of Haven. I was able to hide in the women's bathroom, put on a disguise, and get on another flight to Vale."
Harry winced. "That sounds rough. Is it always that bad?"
"Sometimes. The life of tournament fighter is not always private."
That was something Harry could relate too. His dealings with the Chamber of Secrets, Rita Skeeter, and the Goblet of Fire made his life hell.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Pyrrha apologized. "I just want to be treated normal student."
"It's okay. I can understand why you kept your identity hidden."
"You're not mad?"
"Not at all."
The rest of trip passed just a pleasantly as before. They talked more, traded trainings secrets, and even played a few video games together on their Scrolls. When they arrived in Vale, it was just after lunch. The familiar city drifted through Harry's window as they made their way to the landing platforms at the docks.
Unfortunately, there was also a small crowd of people waiting on the platform. They were carrying notebooks, posters, and boxes of cereal with them. A few fans were even carrying signs with Pyrrha's name on it. One even said, 'Marry me'.
"Wow," said Harry as the two gazed at the crowd. He never had a proposal like that before. He only had the 'Potter for President' during his first Quidditch match from his housemates.
"This is actually pretty tame compared to fans in Mistral," Pyrrha said sadly. "They must have figured out I switched flights."
The ship slowly eased down to the landing platform. When it touchdown, all the passengers began getting their bags from the compartments above. Before Pyrrha got up, Harry gave her a piece of paper.
"Here. It's my scroll number. If you ever need someone to talk to, give me a call. And if you ever have a free weekend, come to Patch. I'll make dinner and cookies for all of us when you and Yang visit."
Pyrrha laughed. "That sounds grand. I'll definitely try." She then sighed. "Better face the music."
She took of her sunglasses and her head scarf. Cascades of red hair tumbled down and fell to her waist. She took off her jacket, which made Harry swallow a little. She was wearing heels with thigh-high, bronze greaves that almost reach a black mini-skirt. A long, red sash was tied around her waist and fell to the ground. A small, circular plate was attached to her waist which revealed her emblem: a spear. She was wearing an armored, gold corset that was showing just a little cleavage. Her gloves reached all the way to beyond her elbow. Around her neck was a bronze turtleneck-necklace and around her head was a bronze circlet with chains and emerald jewels.
'And I thought Yang was a bombshell,' Harry thought.
"Something wrong?" asked Pyrrha. Harry blushed. She had caught him staring.
"Nothing," he said. "Just now realizing how you match your cereal box."
Pyrrha giggled. She gathered her hair up into a ponytail and snapped a holder to keep it together. "Well, let's hope my fans think so too. It was nice meeting you, Harry."
"You too, Pyrrha."
Harry grabbed his sword, his pack, and followed her to door. As soon as Pyrrha stepped out, the crowd started cheering and chanting Pyrrha's name. The crowd surrounded her as soon as her heels hit the pavement. She already had a large marker in her hand as she signed a fan's poster.
Harry edged himself around the crowd and made his way to the airship board to find out when the next ferry will be leaving for Patch. Luckily, he found one leaving in just ten minutes. Otherwise, he would have to wait until night for last ferry out.
As he waited, he watched Pyrrha's fans thin out and leave as their merchandise was signed or pictures were taken. Pyrrha soon left, taking a taxi to the hotel she would be staying at. She gave a little wave to Harry, which he returned, before leaving.
A few minutes later, the familiar airship he took on his first trip to Vale soon landed on one of the dock platforms. He picked up his bag and sword and went to the platform. He waited as the doors opened and Patch citizens unloaded unto the platform. He was about to board the ship when he came face to face with…
"Ruby?" asked Harry. The girl was standing in the doorway, the last one to unload.
"HARRY!" she squealed. She leapt off the platform and used her semblance to rush at Harry. He barely had a moment to breath when she slammed into him. The force knocked him off his feet and he landed painfully on his back.
"Whyyy?" he groaned.
"Sorry," Ruby said as she got to her feet. She pulled Harry up. "I'm just so happy you're back."
Harry smirked and grabbed Ruby in a hug. She laughed as he picked her up and swung her around in a circle. Then he put her back down. He noticed he was now almost a head taller than her. Both squeezed each other tightly.
"It's good to see you, Ruby," said Harry.
"You, too. Come on," she pulled Harry onto the airship. "It'll be leaving in a few minutes. We have to get back home."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. We just have to hurry."
Ruby pulled him to some seats near the window. "How was your trip?"
"Long, rough, sometimes fun. Learned a few tricks along the way."
"Dad and Yang want to hear about it too, so give us the full story then."
"I can't wait."
They reached Patch and took the bus back to house. As Harry stepped off, he couldn't help but smile as he looked at the large cabin. After traveling so much, he couldn't help but feel like he had come home. He took a deep breath, inhaling both the woods and sea air that drifted from all around them.
"You okay?" asked Ruby as she stepped off behind him. She was cradling the glass rose Harry gave her with both hands. She loved it and thanked him several times on the trip over.
"Just glad to be home," he answered. That made Ruby smile even brighter.
The two walked up the driveway to cabin. Harry stomped dirt off his boots off on the porch, then followed Ruby into the house.
"Surprise!"
Harry almost jumped. In the living room was a small group of people. Over the heads of everyone were the words 'Happy Birthday' in bright letters. Also, several streamers were strong out over the ceiling. A table in the corner was covered with party food, drinks and a large cake.
Yang, Taiyang, Minnie, and few others Harry recognized as Yang's friends who cheered him as he won the punching machine at Signal were in attendance. Taiyang came forward first, embracing Harry with a hug.
"Good to have you back, son," said Taiyang.
"Thanks for letting me come back," said Harry. "But my birthday was last week."
"And we didn't get a chance to celebrate it then, so we're doing it now," Yang said as she strolled forward and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck. She lightly brushed her lips against Harry's cheek. "That's your present and a thank you for my necklace."
Harry felt his cheeks heat up. Taiyang noticed, but he just rolled his eyes instead of scowling.
As soon as everybody shook hands with Harry, they got started on the food. While eating, everyone went to the holoscreen to re-watch Harry's videos of him winning the high score and his spar with Qrow in the training room at Signal. But soon Harry realized there were more videos of him. Ones he realized Qrow must have videotaped during their trip. There were clips of Harry's first win over an Ursa, training scenes were Harry tripped over his own feet, one embarrassing one with an older girl asking him to dance at an inn (everybody laughed at that one). But the real shocker was Harry's fight against the Gaze.
"That's why Qrow was late? He was filming?" yelled an enraged Harry.
But no one else care. Seeing Harry fight against the massive Grimm was a sight to behold by everyone. At the end, when Harry stabbed the Gaze in the end, the party guests cheered.
There weren't any presents, but everyone gave him a birthday card with gift cards or Lien. Minnie gave him a several coupons for free meals at the bistro. Then, Taiying lit sixteen candles on the cake and gathered everyone to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Harry.
Unexpectedly, Harry just realized it that this is the first time he had a cake with candles and a song with a group of friends. He tried not to, but his eyes did well up a bit as he blew out the candles.
Once everybody had their fill of cake, the guests left. They caught the bus that was making its last round around the island back to Patch. Harry helped clean-up as Ruby disappeared into the basement. He was drying dishes as Taiyang washed them.
"So, you had some adventures?" he asked Harry.
"No more than usual. Even at Hogwarts, there was always a chance at danger. You cram about two hundred teenagers in a castle to try and learn magic, there's bound to be some accidents."
"But they're not being chased by a dark wizard," Taiyang added.
"They are now," Harry muttered, remembering the fight at the Ministry. There was no way the Death Eaters could hide after infiltrating the Ministry.
"Ready!" Ruby called from the living room.
"Ready for what?" asked Harry.
Taiyang smiled and shut off the sink. "Your present."
Harry followed him to the living room, where Ruby, Zwei and Yang were sitting on the couch. On the coffee table was a long, steel case latched with buckles. He looked at the girls, who were smiling back.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Remember what we've been talking about every night for the past month?" asked Ruby.
Harry nodded, then his jaw dropped.
"You mean…?"
Ruby patted the case. "Open it."
Harry slowly reached out and unsnapped the buckles. Taking a deep breath, he opened the case. Even prepared, it took his breath away.
It was a sword.
A sword that he and Ruby had been discussing for a while. Every chance he got to talk to Ruby, he would say what he wished his sword could do, what features it could have, and what he saw other Huntsman use that he liked. He also mentioned while liked his .44, he realized that the pistol was not for him. He told Ruby he preferred to use her sniper rifle, which had power and accuracy.
The sword and scabbard were separate. The scabbard was painted black with Harvest gold trim along the edges. It was only about two feet long, which was kind of short compared to his current one. But it was wide, almost twice as wide as a normal one. On the lip near the top was his Phoenix Rising emblem. Along the bottom of the sheath was what looked like a shotgun pump. The tip was flat instead of pointed.
The sword was beautifully crafted falchion. The blade was as long as the scabbard, blued, with pinstripe designs along the blade. However, the design was different than what he seen in photos. Like the scabbard, the blade was only two feet long. At the tip, where the curve began, it seemed there was a steel lip around the sword. Harry didn't know why.
The grip was a handle-and-half and colored Harvest gold. It was fitted with grooves so he could grip it easier. The pommel had a small jewel, but closer inspection told Harry it was a piece of cut Burn Dust. On one side of the handle was a trigger with a guard
But it was sword guard that really drew Harry's attention. Instead of a horizontal guard like his old sword, each guard was curved in an arc. The design was a copy of one his feathers and colored the same.
"It's…Can I..?" Harry tried to ask.
"Go ahead," smiled Ruby. "It's yours now."
His. He slowly reached down grasped the handle, gently lifting it off the cushions. His fingers easily fit into the grooves. He turned it into the light, marveling at craftmanship.
"Isn't the blade kind of small?" he asked.
"It's designed for close combat," explained Ruby. "At least, that form is."
"That form?"
"Grip it tightly, then fling it. The second form will emerge."
Doing as Ruby said, Harry gripped the sword, then swung it to his side. There was a short click, and then a screeching sound as the weight shifted in Harry's hands. When he looked at the sword again, the curve point of the sword had extended longer than before. Harry realized that there was a second blade hidden inside and it extended his sword with the swinging momentum. It was now almost longer that his old sword.
"Amazing," said Harry. "But how do I change it back?"
"Just put it back in the scabbard," said Yang. "Or push the tip into the ground."
Harry grabbed the scabbard, which he realized was a lot heavier than it looked. He carefully placed the sword tip into the end, then slid the sword down. He heard the blade click again when it reached bottom. Then it kept sliding until the guard fit tightly against the scabbard locket.
"Amazing," Harry whispered.
"It's got a rifle mode, too," said Yang.
"There is a small button on the other side of the trigger guard," Ruby said and pointed to it.
Harry pressed the button. First, the guard feathers snapped against the scabbard, locking the sword. Then, where the handle and guard met, a hinge shifted the handle 45 degrees. Harry realized the handle had split into three pieces. Two pieces formed the gun handle, where Harry's hand could easily find the trigger he saw earlier. The third piece folded out, extended, then expanded into a short rifle stock Harry could press against his shoulder. Finally, a rifle barrel extended from the bottom of the scabbard. The entire process took less than two seconds.
"You can load a magazine here," Ruby explained, pointing a slot on the right side of the rifle. "It uses the same rounds as Crescent Rose."
"Hope you like it," Yang smiled at him. "We all donated money and Ruby and I put it together."
"Thank you. Really, thank you. I'll treasure it always," said Harry. He pressed the button again and the rifle shifted back into its sword form. "Does it have a name?"
"No. We wanted you to name it," said Yang.
Harry looked at the sword again. He once again turned the sword in the living room lights, admiring every inch of it. Call it magic or something, but he could already feel himself growing an attachment to it. Knowing the Ruby and Yang spent both their Lien and time making it, he wanted to keep it forever.
He turned back to the sisters and smiled. "Since you both made this, it's only right I name it after your weapons." He raised the sword up. "I'll call it…Ember Rose."
All three family members gasped. Taiyang looked at Harry in bafflement, Yang looked at him with merriment, and Ruby looked at him with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Then both sisters rushed him and gave him a hug, squeezing him tightly. Taiyang joined them a second later, wrapping his arms around his girls and placing his hands on Harry's shoulders. Everyone stayed together for a few moments, before they separated.
"Thank you," said Ruby as she wiped a tear away.
"You just scored some points," said Yang teasingly.
"What?" asked Harry.
Taiyang rolled his eyes. "Yang, knock it off." He turned to Harry. "You got one day to familiarize yourself with sword. The next day, get ready. You're taking the admissions test to be accepted in Signal."
Obviously, Harry will be going to Beacon, not Signal. I'll explain how in the next chapter. But before then, I would like to hear what my readers want. Do you want me to stick with the canon and have Harry as a member with Team RWBY or JNPR. If you want this route, I will replace him with one of the characters and find another use for said character. But there is also an idea of using a complete set of new OC characters for Harry's team as well. I have a few ideas there too. There is a poll on my profile page. You cAn vote there or answer in the reviews.
I wish I could post a link to Deviant Art for my sword design, but we're not allowed anymore. Give me a few weeks and I'll mention the posting in another chapter. Then everyone can go see it. But for now, the sword design was inspired from the Magna Defender of Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. Besides Tommy, he was my favorite sixth ranger. The curved feathers were similar to the horns for the cross guard.
