Secrets Unraveling
"How is she?" Malos asked Akhos in worry.
Akhos had just finished examining Pyra who they were still keeping unconscious. "She seems to be alright again. The wounds have closed."
"What the hell is that brat doing?" Malos then cursed as he slammed his fist into the wall.
"Maybe he tried to commit suicide so that you can't have her?" Akhos suggested, "Humans are selfish like that."
"Nah…I don't think that's it." Malos then said, "The boy is stupid and childish, but not selfish. Or at the very least…incapable of just offing himself."
"So what could it be then?"
"Maybe someone else thought of that…Or perhaps he just did something stupid and got injured." Malos looked thoughtful.
"Either one could've been very bad for us." Akhos said as he took another glance at the unconscious Pyra in the Artificial Blades' grip. "Still…whatever happened to the kid is now healed, if the lack of injuries on her now are any indication."
"…Maybe I should restore myself now." Malos then said after a moment of thought.
"Wait, here and now? Don't you need to be near the World Tree to do that?"
"No, I just wanted to savor this a little, seeing as this might be the last state we see her in. But now…if the kid dies with their connection still active, there's no telling what will happen."
"Can't you sever it?"
"If I could, I would've done it already." Malos said in mild annoyance. Then he looked to Akhos, "Akhos, once Jin and I have been dropped off, I want you to go and fetch Marsanes.
Akhos looked surprised to hear that. "Malos?"
"The kid and his friends might not be a problem anymore, but Amalthus has no doubt heard about what happened. He will definitely make his move very soon." Malos explained with a scowl.
"I understand. I will talk to Mikhail about this." Akhos said before moving out. Leaving Malos to watch over Pyra.
In her room, Salem had been trying to uncover more memories of the scientist woman. So far, nothing useful. Just snippets of her personal life with Klaus and the other scientist. Although lately it seemed that when she was about to see something very personal, the memory is cut off. Such as when the woman visited the black haired one's house twice.
"A book and his own room." Salem muttered on the last few things she was about to see before the memories ended. Judging by the conversations those things seemed significant. Still, no new knowledge of this "Conduit" or anything regarding the project. She was curious about the man's room. What was so special about it to have been cut off so abruptly? Especially when the woman was trying to sneak a peek inside when the black-haired scientist's eye was elsewhere. Although part of her feared that the memories involving that were a little… "private".
The Grimm Queen found herself laughing. Experiencing someone's memory of adult activities…that would be a new experience. That aside, it seemed that the memories have been focusing on this black-haired scientist as of late. The man was the head of cyber-security, Artifice research and was apparently the chief researcher of the Conduit until Klaus took over. Something that made the man very upset from what she had seen. No wonder the two men had some bad blood between them when one of them feels that his job was stolen by someone else. "Just like Watts." Salem smiled at the similarity she found. The only difference seems to be the woman always coming in between to break up their escalating fights before either of them got physical.
If Salem had been looking to a mirror, she would have noticed her left eye having a sliver of gray for an instant before returning to blood red.
Back in the Spirit Crucible the gang had made their way to what they assume is the bottom of the pit. Well, "bottom" as in there is no more way downwards. They were now on a stone pathway that led into a cave with large green crystals blocking the way.
"Sooo. Any idea how to get through this?" Ruby asked first.
"Poppi, Incendiary barrage!" Tora commanded.
"Roger roger." Poppi was happy to oblige. Something that made Nora smile maniacally as she thought things were about to explode.
"Whoa! Stopstopstop! Do you want to bring this whole cave on top of us?!" Zeke jumped in.
"It was joke." Tora said like it was obvious. Although judging by the looks everyone was giving them, including a disappointed Nora, none of them thought it was funny.
"Poppi has no such weaponry." Poppi added in.
"That wasn't funny." Zeke's glare actually scared the Nopon and the Artificial Blade.
Suddenly Qrow turned towards Kasandra with a startled look.
"…What?" The cursed Blade looked confused.
"…Nothing." Qrow muttered. "I swear I heard rattling." that last one was under his breath.
Rex stepped forward to look at the crystals blocking the way a little closer.
"Huh?" Suddenly the Core Crystal piece began glowing. Which was followed by the crystals retreating into the walls.
"…Does this have something to do with your connection to the Aegis?" Mòrag was the first to ask.
"No idea." Rex admitted before noticing something among the dusty corridor that was now revealed. "Look! No footprints!"
"That means we're the first ones to walk here after who knows how long." Blake commented with a small smile. Things are looking up now.
With that, the gang moved on further in.
"Hey, Rex." Ruby piped up, "How are you feeling now?"
"Great Ruby, why do you ask?"
"Because you're the first Alrestian ever to have an Aura." Ruby said.
"Well yeah, I mean if it protects me like it does with you guys then I shouldn't get anymore scratches."
"That's not how it works kid," Qrow piped up with a frown, "You may have Aura now, but it isn't infinite. In a fight between those who have awakened their Aura, the winner is determined by who takes the opponents Aura out first and then deals the killing blow." Then Qrow moved in front of Rex, "Also…" And then Qrow suddenly punched Rex in the face.
"Ow!" Rex cried out, holding his nose.
"Hey!" Roc let out as he got into Qrow's face, "What's the big idea?"
"Ow. Why didn't my Aura protect me?" Rex complained as he held his face.
"Because you didn't activate it." Qrow replied, ignoring the glaring avian Blade.
"Activate?" Mòrag caught on before remembering something, "That's right, using Aura for the first time takes intense concentration, as I recall."
"At least someone paid attention." Qrow said before once again turning to Rex, "Kid, having an Aura doesn't make you invincible, especially if you don't remember to engage it."
"Okay, fine." Rex conceded, though he was still glaring at Qrow. Then he closed his eyes in an attempt to activate the Aura.
Everyone was waiting for Rex to activate it to see what it would look like for him.
"Umm…How do you activate an Aura?"
That questioned caused every single Remnan to fall over. With the exception of Penny who merely tilted her head.
"Are you kidding me?" Jaune was the first to ask. He was able to use his Aura well enough even on the day Pyrrha activated it for him. Although he was hardly an expert Pyrrha was able to give him a crash course on how to use it in combat so he wouldn't get killed.
"How do you not know how to activate it?" Oscar also asked. He was the amateur among everyone and even he knew how to activate Aura almost right away. Although the problem was remembering to use it in combat.
"Well…how do you guys do it?" Rex then asked.
"You just reach out for it and have it activated." Ruby said simply.
"…How do I do that?" Rex then asked.
"Kid, close your eyes and concentrate." Qrow instructed with a weary sigh. Rex closed his eyes. "Everyone else look away from Rex."
"Huh? Why?" Zeke questioned.
"Just do it." Qrow said before motioning Ruby to move behind the salvager. The red reaper did it as quietly as she possibly could.
"Okay, Rex." Qrow began the lesson." Do you feel like someone is watching you?"
"…A little bit." Rex said, frowning with his eyes closed.
"Good, now can you tell which direction it's coming from?"
"…No." Rex replied, surprising Qrow a little.
"Okay then, I want you to focus on the feeling of being watched. Now, try to pinpoint where it's coming from." All the while Qrow was motioning Ruby to move slightly and stare intently at Rex. This is something Qrow used to teach kids who had trouble activating their Auras.
"…I can't." Rex said, "Wait…it's…coming from behind!" With that Rex turned around to see…no one. "Huh?"
"Umm…hi?" Ruby said from Rex's left. Everyone else meanwhile finally turned their eyes on what was happening.
"This usually works." Qrow said with a confused look.
"Is this really the time to be practicing?" Wulfric asked with a head-tilt.
"I guess not." Qrow let out a sigh, "Let's move on. We'll figure this out later."
With that, the gang started moving forward, except, Talos then stopped Rex by grabbing his shoulder.
"Hm?"
"Rex…I need you to close your eyes and concentrate." Talos then said.
"Look, Talos. We'll figure this out later, right now we're-" "I promise it will be quick." Talos interrupted.
"Okay, fine." Rex said before closing his eyes.
"Alright. Focus on the people you care about. Your family, friends. Anyone you would do anything to protect." Talos instructed, allowing Rex to focus on the image of his friends. Both Alrestian and Remnan. But at the front of them all, was Pyra and Mythra. "Do you feel a tingling sensation? A spark of some kind in your chest?"
"…Yeah." Rex said, now feeling something, but he wasn't sure what it was.
"Good. Now picture yourself grasping that spark against your chest."
Rex did as he was told, unconsciously moving his hands over the Core Crystal fragment in his chest.
"As I thought." Talos muttered, "Now, focus on the threat that looms over them. It can be a monster, or someone you fear."
Rex saw Jin in his mind looming over Pyra and Mythra. And the strange feeling in his chest became stronger.
"Do you feel as if the feeling in your chest is trying to get out?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Let it do so. Release it from your chest and allow it to spread to your whole body."
Rex imagined that very thing happening, and it actually did. Rex opened his eyes in surprise. He looked even more surprised when the Core Crystal fragment in his chest was glowing, spreading a green light across his body which then faded. But the feeling didn't go away.
Rex then looked over his body in wonder, before feeling an armored fist connecting with his cheek.
"Hey! What in the world was that for?" Rex all but demanded before realizing something, "Wait a second! That didn't hurt."
Talos smiled through the blue glow in his eyes, "Congratulations, you have activated your Aura."
"What're you guys lagging behind for?" Nia called out from the front with the rest of the crew.
"Oh, we're coming!" Rex called back before giving a happy smile to Talos, "Thanks Talos."
"You're welcome." Talos said, "One more thing. Take a deep breath."
"Huh?"
"Just humor me."
Rex took a deep breath.
"And let it out." The salvager did just that and the sensation left him. "Now your Aura has deactivated. Each time you activate it should be easier than the last."
"Come on, slowpokes!" Nora called out, using her hands as makeshift megaphones.
With that, Rex started jogging after everyone else, while Talos looked proud of his accomplishment before following suit.
The moment they got past the hallway, it was clear that some of them would have a hard time here.
"Bugs!" Agate screamed from behind Aegaeon, causing Mòrag and Brighid to roll their eyes.
"…Ruby, it's alright." Roze said to Ruby who was terrified of a group of smaller Arachnos. Smaller meaning that they were the size of Zwei, which was still disturbing.
Dahlia had one arm around Weiss who shivered a little but otherwise seemed to keep it together.
"Oh, come on, they're just moving whack-a-bug targets." Nora said with a grin.
"Yeah!" And Electra agreed.
"Seriously, doesn't Remnant have Grimm like this?" Nia asked with an annoyed look despite her tired looking state.
It seemed like Weiss, Ruby and Agate were the only ones actually afraid of Arachnos.
Yang just looked away from Ruby. "Let's just get this over with.". Dragunov quirked an eyebrow at Yang not hugging the distressed Ruby herself, but decided to shrug it off.
It wasn't exactly difficult to plow through the Arachnos or other small bugs. But the road once again split. One through poisonous river, and the other through a cavern.
"…Should we split up again?" Nora was the first to ask.
"I am not walking through that." Otohime said with a tone of finality. She would not move anywhere near poisonous water if she could help it.
"Then we won't." Ren said, deciding not to argue with his Blade.
"Then Nora and I will be with Ren and Otohime." Electra added in. Something that Nora wholeheartedly agreed.
"Guess I'm coming too." Jaune said with a small smile.
"Guess we're going through the poisonous river." Yang said with a grin.
"I guess we are" Weiss sighed. The only reason she wasn't protesting was because there were large patches of ground along the purple river they can use to get through.
"Friend, Ruby, can I come too?" Penny asked with an eager look.
"Sure." Ruby replied happily. Killing Arachnos made her somewhat less apprehensive, but she was still a little nervous about going to the attacking range.
"I'm coming with you two." Qrow said.
"Actually, Qrow, I think you should go with JNR." Ruby said simply.
"Ruby what are you-" "We got 10 Remnans. If we wanna split evenly then you and Oscar would have to go with Jaune and the others." Ruby explained.
"She's not wrong." Pandoria piped up.
"But the question is, how are we splitting the Alrestians." Blake said as she glanced at all Alrestians.
"I think Nia should go with team JNR." Rex suddenly said.
"Rex?" the Gormotti in question looked surprised.
"Well, team RWBY has Dahlia for healing. And Joana, while a good healer isn't the best possible." Rex explained his reasoning.
"Point taken." Nia said as she moved towards Team JNPR.
"That still leaves, Tora, Mòrag and me." Zeke said with a thoughtful look, "Either way is fine by me."
"Actually, Tora do you mind if you come with us?" Ruby then said.
"Meh? Why?"
"Because we don't have a tank." Ruby said like it was obvious, "And Rex can't use his Aura yet so he can't be trusted alone yet."
"Hey!" Rex complained, "I can use Aura just fine! Watch me." With that, Rex went through the motions Talos taught him. Sure enough, the Core Crystal on his chest glowed before his Aura covered him.
This surprised everyone, "Rex, how did you learn that so quickly?" Mòrag asked with a curious look.
"Talos taught me."
"Talos?!" Came out of Remnans.
"I just had a theory." Talos said simply.
"But how would you even begin to try helping with Aura?" Jaune asked, which made the metallic champion snap his head towards Joana.
And he noticed the knightess was about to answer.
"Joana, no!" Talos shouted.
This caused everyone to stare at Joana who looked ready to burst into tears. "...Milord asked, I must answer."
"Joana, what's going on?" Jaune was getting highly suspicious.
"Milord, Master Talos has-" "Shut up!" Talos quickly closed the short distance they had and covered Joana's mouth with his hand.
"Hey!" Jaune was not happy about it. "Talos, what're you hiding?"
The metallic Flesh Eater looked down even as Joana was struggling to get him to unhand her. " Joana. I'll tell them, so just keep quiet until I have."
Joana stopped struggling and nodded as much as Talos' grip allowed her to.
With that, Talos let go before addressing Jaune. "Jaune, remember how I pulled you and Joana back up?"
"Huh? Well, yeah."
"Did you wonder how I did it?"
"Well, you did say that you can make things heavier or lighter, so I assumed that's what you did to us."
"…I need to touch my target in order to do that. Something I didn't do during that fight." Talos looked slightly away.
"Oh? Then how did you pull them up?" Otohime then asked with a hard look.
"…I used Pyrrha's semblance."
"You…what?" Jaune and everyone else were shocked to hear that.
"…When I became a Flesh Eater, Adenine theorized that during the process it's possible to take a Remnan's active Aura. So I did, and because of it, I can use Pyrrha's Aura and semblance."
"You…you ate Pyrrha's soul?" Ruby wasn't sure how to feel about it. And neither did anyone else.
"…Did Pyrrha know about this?" Jaune asked with a hard look.
"Adenine explained it to both of us. So yes."
"And she asked you to do it anyway?"
"…She saw it as her will being passed to me." Talos looked down, clenching his fists as he prepared himself for the inevitable.
"…Why didn't you tell us before?" Jaune asked before remembering something, "Wait a sec! You said that the Fall Maiden is in a place where Salem won't look." Jaune's eyes visibly widened, "…No."
"Yes…The power of the Fall Maiden came with it." Talos said, sounding resigned to his fate.
"Why didn't you tell us that?!" Nora all but demanded, "It would've put us at ease knowing where it was."
Talos glanced at Nora, surprised at the contents of her grievances.
"You made us worry for nothing." Ren added in.
If Talos had a visible jaw, it would've dropped at this moment, "So wait, you're mad at me for not telling you I have the power?"
"Kinda." Jaune said with an annoyed look, "Why did you hide it?"
"…Perhaps I was afraid you would hate me more for taking Pyrrha's Aura. And I felt that if Salem didn't know, then she would be looking everywhere but from me." Talos sounded hesitant.
"A reasonable plan." Aizen piped up, "Who would look for Maiden's power from within a man, after all."
"As much I despise it, I agree." Otohime reluctantly agreed, seeing the logic on the latter.
"But why the hell didn't you use it in the battle against Torna?" Yang all but demanded, "If you had, maybe we could've actually won."
Talos let out a weary sigh, "I can't use it."
"What do you mean you can't?" Weiss questioned.
"Just what I said. Whenever I try to tap into the power, it rejects me."
"Rejects?" Qrow finally spoke up, "Can you even open the vault to the Relic of Beacon?"
"Honestly? I have no idea." Talos replied, "If I need to simply touch it with the power present, sure. But if I have to tap into it, then probably not."
"So for all we know, Talos can't get the Relic from Beacon even if ´he wanted to." Blake said, letting out a small laugh.
"My lady?" Nox showed on his scroll.
"It's just funny that we essentially have a key that can't be used."
That was indeed a little humorous.
But then Jaune gave Talos a serious look, "Talos, I'm not mad at you. But you could've been more honest about this."
"…You're not mad about me having Pyrrha's Aura?"
"No. Not really. I just…I guess you using it to save me helped." Jaune had a small smile at the last part.
Then Rex realized something, "So your explanation about activating Aura was how you did it?"
"Yes. I figured since you had that Core Crystal piece on your chest that it might have altered the process somehow."
But then Oscar had a different question. "Hold up! Since you now have Pyrrha's Aura…does that mean she's alive inside of you?"
This caused everyone to have blanched looks. Looks that slowly turned to Talos.
"I don't think so." Talos said, "Because for all the months I had Pyrrha's Aura I haven't had any indication that she would be alive in me. At least, not in the way you and Ozpin have."
Team JNR let out a sigh at hearing that. It was a lot to hope for.
"I guess it would've been too much to ask." Ren was the first to comment.
Then Weiss decided to get to something else, "So, when you instructed Rex on how to activate Aura, that was something you figured out on your own, right?"
Talos seemed to embrace the distraction, "Yes. I figured that the Core Crystal might have altered the Aura somehow, which prevented Rex from activating it normally. It took me weeks to figure out how to do it myself."
"Have you ever run out of Aura?" Weiss then asked.
"Yes, a few times. The fight against Jin being the most recent one."
"And it keeps regenerating?" Weiss said with a look of wonder.
"Yes…Why do you ask?" Talos got a little suspicious.
"Don't you understand?!" Weiss shouted, "You're practically the first being to have a completely successful Aura transplant!"
"…Is that important?" Talos seemed confused.
"I thought something like that only happened in stories." Yang said.
"Ozpin and Oscar aside." Blake added in.
"…Is that really such a big deal?" Zeke asked with a confused look.
"Zeke, Aura is supposed to be a manifestation of a person's soul." Mòrag began speaking, "For Talos to have had a transfer, means he was implanted with a different person's soul."
"Well, when you put it that way, I'm surprised he isn't possessed or something." Zeke said with a thoughtful look.
"…Please don't make jokes like that." Talos said in a dead-pan tone.
"…I don't know if I should laugh or punch Zeke in the face." Yang said with a conflicted look.
"You're not the only one." Jaune agreed.
"Okay, okay. Can we just agree that we've addressed this issue and move on?" Nia piped up.
Everyone stared at Talos for a moment before Ruby decided to speak up, "Talos, has your Aura had any recharging problems?"
"Hm? Not according to Joana." Talos replied.
With that, all eyes turned on the knightess.
"…Master Talos' Aura is recharging normally." Joana said before kneeling in front of Jaune, "Milord, I cannot take this anymore. I beg of you, hurt me! Hurt me, like I have hurt you!"
Everyone looked weirded out at Joana begging to be hurt. More so Jaune who wasn't even sure why Joana said she had hurt him.
"Joana." Jaune said, feeling very embarrassed.
"I know I can never earn your forgiveness. If I must destroy myself, then say the word and I-" "JOANA!"
The light Blade shut up at her lord Driver's loud voice.
Jaune took a deep breath, "Thank you. Now, Talos forced you into this, so I'm not blaming you. Besides, this is not a good time for punishment. We have a mission and we have to see it through before I can even think of anything." Honestly, he wanted to just say he forgives her, but then Joana would go on a rant about not being worthy of it.
"…Understood, milord." Joana said with her head hung low, still kneeling.
As this happened, Otohime and Ren both let out a weary sigh.
Nora wanted to see what kind of punishment Jaune might think of, but she didn't want to risk Electra seeing something she shouldn't. The said electric Blade just stared at the scene with question marks popping out of her head.
The others…they had varying levels of apprehension. None of them fully understood just how seriously Joana takes being loyal to Jaune.
Except Blake who took a look at Nox, easily picturing him doing something similar if she ever found out he was hiding something from her.
"Can we go now?" Electra finally asked.
"…Yes, we can go." Jaune said with a weary sigh as he motioned Joana to get back up. The knightess Blade did so reluctantly.
With that, the gang separated.
With team RWBY, Penny, Tora and Rex, along with their Blades going through the shallow poisonous river, while JNR, Oscar, Qrow, Nia, Mòrag and Zeke along with their Blades going through the tunnel.
Nora looked thoughtful for some reason, "Say…since you ate Pyrrha's soul to have her Aura, does that make you…a Soul Eater?" Nora said the last part with a dramatic gasp.
Everyone gave the girl a weirded-out look.
Althought Talos was staring daggers at the orangette, " Don't. Call me. That. Again."
"That is a disturbing phrase," Aegaeon commented.
"Well, how about Aura Eater?" Jaune suggested, "I mean it sounds less…"
"Evil?" Talos supplied dryly.
"I was gonna say dark, but…" the Arc Driver trailed off.
"…Fair enough." Talos conceded.
Just as they finished that conversation, they ended up at the end of the tunnel. It had several pillars with webs crisscrossing the tops of them. On the ground there were several egg sacs and smaller Arachnos.
"Agate, I am starting to think that we should have left you behind." Brighid said with an annoyed frown on her face.
"I can't help it." Agate said, shivering behind Aegaeon's back at the sight of the bugs.
"Agate, even Ruby can kill Arachnos without freezing in fear," Mòrag spoke up with a weary sigh.
"I'm sorry, but bugs are just…" Agate shuddered, unable to finish that sentence.
"…How can you protect your Driver if you can't deal with bugs?" Pandoria asked dryly.
"Well…I…"
"You know, being that scared of bugs is literally stupid." Nora added in.
"Nora, that's not nice." Ren said before turning to Agate, "But it's true that you can't exactly do your job if you can't even fight bugs."
The gem themed Blade looked down in depression.
Qrow shook his head before adressing Mòrag, "How do you deal with her?"
"Hm?"
"Your Blade's fear of bugs, how do you deal with it?"
Mòrag looked at her insectophobic Blade before shaking her head, "Most of the time we haven't had to, but I'm beginning to think I should put her into some kind of…tolerance treatment."
"No! Please! Anything, but that." Agate pleaded, actually kneeling before Mòrag and hugging her leg.
"Agate! This is highly inappropriate." Mòrag said as she tried to pull her leg out of the pleading prospector's grasp.
This scene made Nora laugh alongside Zeke. "I didn't think you the Special Inquisitor would be so cruel to her own Blade." The Tantalese Driver said through his laughing.
Ren merely shook his head at the scene while Otohime covered her mouth with her hand to hide her own amusement.
Jaune got flashbacks on the first few days Joana thought she had displeased, disrespected, or otherwise failed her lord. He was happy how far his Blade had gotten on not taking everything that even had slightest relation to him so seriously. Well…except this case, the knightess Blade was still depressed about stabbing him in the back. Her opinion, not Jaune's.
"Zeke, you're not helping!" Mòrag shouted, actually blushing in embarrassment while Brighid was busy trying to pry the pleading Blade off of their Driver.
At that moment, Aegaeon happened to glance a little forward, "Everyone, enemies approaching!"
This caused the gang to turn to the sight of multiple small Arachnos approaching.
"Hey, Electra, how about a contest? Who squashes most bugs?" Nora asked eagerly.
"Yay!" The little electric Blade bounced in place.
"Nora, this is not a game." Otohime said with a scowl.
"Ready…GO!" With that, Nora was off with Electra.
"…Kid, what the heck is her malfunction?" Qrow asked as he took out Kasandra's hammer. He was slowly getting used to its usage.
"I'll tell you when I figure it out." Ren said with a resigned look as he took out Stormflowers, with Otohime preparing her cannon. If the black-haired boy didn't use any of the Dust ammo he should be good.
Oscar also looked a little unsure of what was going on. You'd think the farm boy would be used to the weirdness by now, but just when he thought he had seen everything, the others throw some kind of curve ball at him.
"14. 15. 16." Nora counted rapidly as she squashed arachno's into paste with Magnhild. The orangette took that moment to look to Electra.
"20. 21. 23. 24." Unfortunately, due to the virtue of having a bigger and wider hammer, Electra sometimes got two Arachnos at once.
Something that Nora didn't appreciate. Don't get her wrong, Nora isn't physically capable of hating Electra, but it was still annoying that someone was better at whack-a-monster than she was. Nora was trying to look around for more targets, but unfortunately, it seemed like this place run out of Arachnos.
"Oh, come on! Where did they all go?"
"They retreated." Mòrag said with a deep frown as she was still holding onto Whipswords. But Nora wasn't the cause of her expression, "That's not normal."
"Yeah, monsters tend to not be smart enough to retreat from enemies." Zeke said with a frown of his own.
Qrow had also taken Kasandra's weapon off of a squished Arachno."So you're saying that-!" Qrow's face paled as he finally heard the rattle. One quick look to Kasandra confirmed that the mask had rattled right before it settled down. "Everyone, on guard." Qrow said as he looked around frantically what could possibly happen.
"Heads uuuuuup!" everyone's gaze turned upwards to see Ruby falling down from above.
Ren and Jaune were having a serious case of Deja vu at the sight of Ruby falling.
"Ruby!" Qrow acted fast and ran to where Ruby would be landing just in time to catch her.
"Thanks Uncle Qrow." Ruby let out in relief as Qrow was letting his niece down on her feet.
"Okay, Ruby, where did you come from?" Qrow felt like asking.
Ruby opened her mouth to speak but a roar of something interrupted her.
"My Prince!" Pandoria screamed as she tackled her prince out of a large falling objects path.
"Gragh! How the #& %¤#&=%?#/(/?%# did that happen?!" Roared Dragunov who landed on his head with his lower body soon falling over, landing on his knees.
"Ruby! Are you okay?!" Came from above this time. Everyone craned their heads to see Yang on top of one of the pillars looking down in worry. As did everyone else of the river team.
"I'm okay, Yang!" Ruby yelled back while waving her arms to make sure she was seen.
"I'm fine too, thank you very little." Dragunov grumbled as he moved to push himself back up. "Urgh." Only to meet resistance. After a couple more tries, Dragunov figured out the problem. "My horns! I can't get my horns off!" His horns had dug into the ground and now he couldn't pull himself off.
As everyone else blinked at Dragunov trying to get his horns loose, Brighid took a closer look at the pillar where everyone else was looking down too. There was a chunk of one part of the pillar missing.
It didn't take a genius to piece together what happened to Dragunov. And the blue haired Blade found herself laughing. Which Nora soon joined alongside Otohime.
"Stop laughing and help me!" Dragunov growled as he was now trying to punch the ground, but he wasn't exactly in an ideal position to deal any real damage.
"Nora, would you be so kind as to take pictures?" Brighid then asked with an unusually mischievous look.
"You got it." Nora said with a grin as she fished out her Scroll and started snapping pictures of the helpless fire Blade.
"What? No!" Dragunov did not like the idea as he struggled harder.
"Ruby, I told you those webs looked frail." Roze then said loudly from the above.
"I thought they looked sturdy." Ruby called back, explaining how she fell down. Now that those who weren't busy looking at Dragunov's sorry state or taking pictures of it, they noticed that there was an errant string of webs that was hanging from one pillar and another where the other team was on top of.
Thought when taking a better look some of the webs criss-crossing the pillars looked sturdier than others.
All conversation was interrupted when Dragunov finally managed to pull his horns off...along with a large chunk of the rock floor they pierced through. But with him in a proper standing position, he was able to shatter it with one good punch. Then he turned a fiery glare at Nora. "Give me that Scroll."
"No way." Nora denied.
"Yes you will, or else I will break your arms and legs." Dragunov said, his cracks glowing red with anger.
"You're welcome to- Hey!" Nora got surprised when Otohime of all people snatched the Scroll before pressing a few choice buttons.
"There. I have deleted all pictures. If that was what you wished for?" Otohime said as she handed the Scroll back to betrayed looking Nora.
"Thank you, Otohime." Dragunov grinned at Nora pouting at the water Blade.
Zeke shook his head at this exchange before turning his gaze upwards. "Hey guys! Will you be fine up there?"
"We should be!" Rex called back, "We'll keep going up here, you guys continue down there."
"Sure thing!" Ruby called back. And so the journey continued. All the while Nia took note of how Otohime winked at Nora out of Dragunov's sight. Nora checked something on her Scroll before an evil grin spread across her face.
Talos noticed it too as he leaned down to Otohime's webbing that acted as her ear, "Since when did you approve of something like this?"
"Since I felt like putting that brute in his place." Otohime had a small smile as she made sure Dragunov wasn't looking to their direction.
Nia found herself smirking a little at the Imperial Mother lying right into Dragunov's face.
"My lady?" Dromarch looked to his Driver.
"I wonder…If they could accept Talos…maybe." Nia trailed off as she looked above to Rex.
As the gang made it to the back of this cavern, they encountered a giant Arachno. The beast proved very durable, even against Special Arts. Not to mention, it used pheromones to call an army of smaller Arachnos to its aid. However, the tide of this battle turned the moment the other team jumped down from the above and came to assist. After that, everyone went for a chain attack, which included Kasandra and Herald. Rex even demonstrated that his newfound Aura was indeed protecting him. Although the interesting part was that Rex wasn't actively channeling it. It was like he had a mental on and off switch. Unlike with Remnans who had to channel it knowingly, which was fortunately almost reflexive by now.
After the fight, the gang had moved into a tunnel with large webs blocking the way. Fortunately, it wasn't anything Dragunov and Brighid couldn't burn down. This led into a short hallway, which led into a black hall with a single stone monument. After Dragunov and Brighid used their flames to illuminate more of the area, they realized that the floor ended just behind the monument.
Which then prompted Otohime, Dromarch and Aizen to read the text on it. The three Blades possessing Ancient Wisdom. Although the text had faded a little so it took Roze's and Brighid's Keen Eyes to read it.
It didn't take long until the three wise Blades were able to decipher the text and activate the hidden mechanism that made stairs appear that led to a stone walkway that was previously hid by the darkness. Not to mention that the place was a huge cavern without a bottom. Or at least none that they could see.
"Okay, how did the light of their flames not reveal that?" Blake found herself asking.
"The darkness must have been artificial." Kos-Mos commented, "A type of camouflage that can only be removed by activating the mechanism like we just did."
"The darkness consisted of dark Ether." Nox showed on his Scroll, "The mechanism must have kept it there. But now that it was used, the ether has dispersed."
"…Alrest has some wacky stuff." Yang commented before everyone moved onto the walkway.
It didn't take long until the gang had reached the end of the pathway to what looked like a gate.
Although…Nia was lagging behind again.
"Her life is bound to yours. Her life is now inside you. Nia, say it to me now. Adress me as, father."
"Yes…father."
Not long after, Nia's father died. All that was left behind was the Core Crystal of his Blade. She wasn't sure why she could do it, but she tried resonating with it. Against her expectations, Dromarch awakened.
"My lady!" Dromarch's voice snapped Nia back to reality.
"Huh? What?" Then she noted the gang staring at her in worry.
"Hey, Nia. You don't look so steady." Rex was the first to say, "If you're not careful then you might fall off and never hit the bottom."
Nia groaned with a tired look, "You must be so sick of saving me now."
"Nia, if you need a break we can take one." Blake then said, "Right guys?"
"I'm game if everyone else is," Yang said as she rolled her shoulders a little.
"How about you, Zeke?" Ruby then asked.
"I'm just peachy." The Tantalese said confidently, "But if everyone else needs a break, then sure."
Qrow shook his head, "You don't look that much steadier."
"Oh, shut it, old man." Zeke complained.
"What was that?" Qrow now moved to Zeke's face.
"You just worry that your hip doesn't give out or something." Zeke continued, meeting Qrow's threatening gaze head on.
"I'll show you who's-" Qrow was interrupted by Kasandra pulling him away from Zeke, Pandoria doing the same for her Driver.
"Both of you, stop it." Pandoria and Kasandra said firmly.
"He started it." Qrow pointed out childishly.
"Gentlemen." Mòrag then butted in, "I don't care which one of you started it, but considering where we are, it ends now."
Qrow looked to his nieces for support, but judging by how both of them crossed their arms, he wasn't going to get any. The veteran huntsman sighed, "Fine."
"…And they're supposed to be the adults." Electra pointed out, earning small laughs out of that.
Then Nia gave everyone a firm look, "Look, I'm telling you I'm fine. Besides it's tougher on all the Blades here."
Everyone shrugged and moved on. Although Rex was staying with Nia.
"…After my sister died, it wasn't long before my da died too." Nia then said, earning a confused look from Rex.
"Huh?"
"I'm finishing my story." Nia said with a slight roll of her eyes. "Dromarch was all I had left to remember him by. We started wandering together…Or maybe I should say running." Nia then looked down.
"Running? From the people your dad owed money to?" Rex guessed.
"No…From the Praetorium." Nia revealed turning to look Rex in the eyes.
"The Praetorium? Why?" Out of all the things Rex expected, that wasn't any of them.
"…It's a long story." Nia looked a little away. "But back then…I felt like the whole world was against us. Taking each day as it came, just praying we would see another sunrise. Then I met Jin. He took me in."
"So that's why you and Jin…" Rex didn't feel like finishing that sentence.
"In Jin, I saw a way out y'know. I didn't see a future for myself on my own, so I threw my lot in with him. But…"
"I can't see it." Rex said cheerfully.
"Huh?" Now Nia was confused.
"You're not the kind of person to worry about stuff like that."
"Well I wasn't worried as such." Nia argued.
"So why the story?"
"…I don't know, I was just rambling."
"Look, I don't know what's bothering you Nia, but you shouldn't be afraid." Rex said with a smile.
"Afraid?"
"Of whatever it is. Stay true to your feelings, even if it means fighting tooth and claw. That's who you are right?"
"What the hell. I'm not some violent goon." Nia said, feeling mild offense.
"I think you know what I mean." Rex said cheekily.
"What the-!?"
Then Rex laughed, "There we go. That's the Nia I know."
"The Nia…you know?"
"We should be almost there now. Let's keep going," Rex said as he sped up because they had lagged behind a little because of their conversation.
"He's right you know." Said Roc who had been present the whole time, "While I don't have as much experience with you as Rex, I think he's right on the money with what he said." The avian Blade then moved on. Wulfric also gave a grunt of acknowledgement to Nia.
Nia looked mildly annoyed before turning to Dagas who was simply looking on. "…Do you have something to say too?"
"…I believe that all that needs to be said has already been said," Dagas said simply. Something that made Dromarch smile.
With that, Nia also moved to catch up with the rest of the gang. Though what she didn't realize that Blake was barely able to catch up almost all of their conversation thanks to her Faunus hearing. And she couldn't help thinking that Nia and her had another thing in common. Although that's a conversation that can wait until later.
The gang soon made their way through a stone hallway in the wall that the walkway led to. After passing through, they came across a large hall with very old looking stone pillars and a large altar at the back of it. The stairs that led down were broken so they all had to jump down. Fortunately, the fall wasn't very long. Then they moved to the stairs that led up to the altar. There they saw an intricately masoned wall with what looked like a large stone slab in front of it.
"Rex-Rex. It dead end." Tora said as he noticed that there were no more ways forward.
Rex then looked up the wall and saw a familiar crest on the wall. "That crest! It's the same one as on the door."
"Does that mean we're here?" Ruby asked as she looked around.
"But where is the third sword?" Roze also asked as he couldn't see it anywhere.
"Maybe it's inside that pillar-thingy?" Nora suggested.
Everyone looked to the single stone monument in front of the wall. Before anyone else could comment, pools of darkness appeared around everyone.
Out of those pools, shadowy figures rose up. They looked like hooded men wielding huge shadowy swords. Glowing red eyes staring at them from under the hood.
"What the heck are these things?!" Jaune exclaimed as he took a fighting stance alongside everyone else.
AN: And the truth comes out. Everyone took it well enough that Talos also had Pyrrha's Aura. Rex was taught to use Aura and now the gang is facing shadowy enemies.