Author's Notes:
I do not own Library of Ruina or RWBY. These series belong to Project Moon and RoosterTeeth respectively.
Reviews:
Pillow43 - Okay this might be a long one. The fight between Gebura and Yang was something I had to rewrite a few times. As I said before, I didn't want Gebura to completely decimate Yang in like two paragraphs, but I didn't want to draw out the fight to make it seem like Gebura was weaker than she should be. In my opinion, when I finalized it, I wanted to convey in a way that Gebura wanted to show Yang how completely different the two are. It wasn't that Yang was strong enough to make Gebura use the Red Mist, but it was to show how strong Gebura was compared to Yang so that Yang could probably learn from her. That's why Gebura mostly blocked or dodged most of the time and one-shotted Yang as the Red Mist. In a way, you are kinda right, I feel like I am underplaying the City. Roland and Gebura should be able to completely wipe the floor with the RWBY cast, but I am trying to restrict them with the Light situation, how strong Aura is, and how different Remnant is from the City. It's very hard to explain, considering that I'm just winging it, but the overall thing is that the fixers are intentionally keeping their strength low and only showing it when they want to. Also, that Dante part wasn't about Limbus Company, I made a reference to Devil May Cry's Dante who in my opinion, is the male Gebura. Either way, thank you for taking the time to point out some things I didn't account for.
Guest - When I read your review, it got a laugh out of me. That joke will never be old to me.
–FOREVER FALL FOREST–
About ten minutes had passed since the students had been tasked with collecting sap from the trees. Ruby and Blake filled their jars with the sticky substance, while Yang examined hers by giving it a vigorous shake. Weiss, on the other hand, meticulously inspected her perfectly manicured nails. Ren grew increasingly frustrated with Nora, who was more focused on devouring the sap in their jars than collecting it. Meanwhile, Pyrrha stood alone near the rest of the group, her partner Jaune off with Team CRDL. As for the Librarians, Yesod and Tiphereth studied the forest, Malkuth assisted the students with their tasks, and Gebura and Roland leisurely strolled through the red forest. Upon spotting the lonesome red-haired girl, they made their way over to her.
"You okay?" Roland asked.
"Yeah, I'm great," Pyrrha sounded unsure herself. "This is just another day."
"Sure thing, kid," he retorted sarcastically. "It's definitely not because you spend every spare moment staring at the blonde kid." Her expression fell as the truth hit her, revealing the faults of Team JNPR. The team was falling apart at this rate due to their leader's incompetence.
Gebura's irritation with Jaune and Pyrrha's behavior reached a boiling point, and she decided to confront them bluntly. "We saw your little spat on the rooftop," she began, causing Pyrrha's face to contort with surprise. "What the hell is the kid doing, letting that little shithead boss him around?" Despite her foul language, it was evident who Gebura was referring to.
Pyrrha let out a resigned sigh as she shared her thoughts on the matter. "I just think that Jaune is doing this because he's mad at me for trying to help him." The two fixers raised their eyebrows in surprise at her revelation.
Roland didn't think about that at all, it seemed to him that Jaune was being coerced into obeying Cardin's orders for some reason. He mulled over the various possibilities, but nothing seemed to offer a definitive answer.
—MEANWHILE—
Up on a nearby ledge, five individuals were huddled together, observing both teams and the Librarians below. Team CRDL and Jaune had six jars of sap fully filled and placed on the ground beside them. The bullies and their victim closely monitored the group down below, scrutinizing their every move.
Initially, Jaune could only wonder why they needed six jars when there were only five of them, but when they reached the ledge looking over his team he was confused. He couldn't predict what was going to happen next, but he had an ominous feeling that it involved his friends. "Cardin, wh-what's going on?"
Cardin narrowed his eyes at the unsuspecting group before saying, "Payback." Jaune couldn't help but notice that Cardin seemed to be singling out Pyrrha for some reason, and his heart sank.
"Pyrrha…?" He murmured unconsciously. He became distraught to see his bullies continue to have such a negative impact on his life and those around him.
"That's the girl. Red-haired know-it-all thinks she's so smart. Alright, boys…" Cardin's voice was filled with malice as he pulled out a buzzing cardboard box with a large "W" written on its sides. Jaune's heart sank as he realized what was about to happen.
"Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of Rapier Wasps, and now, we're gonna put him to work," Cardin continued. The rest of Team CRDL cheered Jaune for his work, but the blonde knight could hardly hear them. He was consumed by a sense of guilt and betrayal toward his friends. As Cardin's monologue droned on, Jaune's inner turmoil grew louder and louder.
After Cardin finished, he lent a hand for Jaune to grab onto; not really having a choice, Jaune let himself get pulled up to his feet. Then, a jar was shoved into his hands that he caught.
"And you're gonna do it."
Jaune didn't hear what Cardin had said before but knew that it had to do something with Pyrrha. He didn't want to believe it, but in the back of his mind, he knew what was going to happen. Nervously, he wanted to know if it was really going to happen. "D-Do what?"
Jaune's voice trembled as he asked the question, his heart racing with fear and anxiety. He felt a knot form in his stomach as Cardin grinned wickedly and gestured toward the buzzing cardboard box. Cardin's words echoed in Jaune's mind as he struggled to process what was happening. He couldn't believe that he had been foolish enough to fall for Cardin's manipulations and betray his own team.
Cardin leaned in close to Jaune, his voice low and threatening. "Hit her with the sap!" He gave Jaune a small shove to emphasize his point. "Either that, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon." Jaune's stomach churned with guilt and fear. He couldn't bear the thought of hurting Pyrrha, but he also couldn't risk being kicked out of Beacon. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Reluctantly, he looked at the jar of reddish sap in his hands, he looked at Team CRDL, who were smiling in anticipation. With trembling hands, Jaune hesitated as he aimed the jar of reddish sap toward Pyrrha, feeling a sense of guilt and fear inside of him. He couldn't help but notice the innocent bystanders, the guests of the academy, standing right next to her. What if he missed and hit one of them? The memory of the red woman's incredible strength flashed through his mind, reminding him of the destruction she caused in her fight against Yang.
"What are you waiting for?!" Cardin was getting annoyed. "Throw it!" He knew that throwing it would mean betraying his friends, but the pressure from his bullies was overwhelming. As he hesitated, he felt their disappointment and irritation grow. They knew that there were others in the line of fire, but they didn't care, they wanted to see some action.
Jaune's breath caught in his throat as he turned back to Pyrrha and the two unsuspecting guests. At that moment, Pyrrha turned in a way so that Jaune could see her oblivious and smiling face; that beautiful face belonging to the person he called his… partner. Pyrrha's smile only made it worse. She had always believed in him, even when he didn't believe in himself. With a deep breath, Jaune steeled his nerves and made a decision.
"No."
"What did you say?" Cardin hissed.
Gripping the jar tightly, Jaune threw the jar of sap, aiming it not at Pyrrha, but at the person who intended to harm her. As it shattered, he felt a bit better since he protected his partner, but it was quickly replaced with fear and regret as he realized what he had just done.
With sap on his breastplate, Cardi's laugh became even more menacing. "Oh, you've done it now…" He snarled. The rest of Team CRDL followed suit, their devious smiles growing wider as they closed in on Jaune. They grabbed him by the shoulders and began to drag him towards the group, ready to deliver some punishment.
—ROLAND AND GEBURA—
Down below, among the students and other Librarians, Roland and Gebura had long realized that they were being spied on. They couldn't pinpoint who the culprit was, but their instincts were telling them that they were being watched. Since they didn't want to arouse suspicion, Roland and Gebura resorted to using non-verbal communication, a skill that was common amongst seasoned fixers on stealth missions. With a quick exchange of glances, they were able to convey their thoughts and intentions with almost uncanny accuracy.
Roland directed his gaze towards the nearby ledge and raised an eyebrow in question. Gebura responded by subtly flicking her eyes towards the ledge, silently confirming his suspicions. 'Yeah, go check it out,' she nonverbally communicated.
Roland gave her a hesitant look, not exactly thrilled about having to investigate. However, Gebura's narrowed eyes communicated her authority and made it clear that he had no choice in the matter.
Roland let out a sigh and reluctantly complied with Gebura's silent order. "Sorry, nature calls," he declared with the utmost importance. "I'll be back in a jiffy."
"Oh, okay?" Pyrrha looked at him weirdly.
Gebura shot him a withering look, indicating that his excuse was flimsy at best. Roland made his way towards the ledge, where he had sensed a presence lurking.
As Roland made his way to the top of the ledge, he noticed broken glass and scattered sap on the ground. Following the trail of red sap, he came across an opening in the forest where he saw four individuals brutally attacking another person. It was Team CRDL taking turns hitting and kicking Jaune, and the leader, Cardin, had lifted Jaune up by the collar. Despite being too far to hear the conversation, Roland could tell that something was about to happen. Suddenly, Cardin pulled his fist back and struck Jaune in the face, causing a bright light to emit from the blonde boy.
The black fixer had to shield his eyes as he was momentarily blinded by the sudden burst of light. When the light dissipated, he saw that Cardin had released Jaune and was now recoiling in pain after hitting the blonde boy's Aura. Anger surged through Cardin as he felt humiliated by Jaune's resilience. His teammates also shared a sense of irritation as they got closer to Jaune.
Once again, the team of bullies surrounded Jaune as he tried to get back up; moving closer to the downed boy. Roland was about to step in, but before he could, a deafening roar echoed through the air, causing the bullies to turn their heads in fear. They were met with the sight of an Ursa, its towering figure staring down at them with its red beady eyes.
The massive, blackened bear before them was unmistakably an Ursa Major, with sharp claws and enormous, white spikes protruding from its back. The students could feel their fear rising as the Grimm began to sniff the air, detecting the sweet scent of sap. Its bright red eye zeroed in on Cardin, who looked like he was about to have an embarrassing accident any second. The other members of CRDL backed away slowly, only to turn and run in terror.
"That's a big Ursa!" One of the members of Team CRDL shouted as he ran.
Cardin was frozen in fear, unable to move a muscle as the giant Ursa loomed over him. Jaune, who was on the ground behind him, could only watch in horror as the Grimm slammed its massive claws into Cardin, sending him flying sideways. Despite his fear, Cardin managed to pull out his weapon in a feeble attempt to defend himself, but the Ursa easily slapped it away with its powerful paw.
The blonde boy could only watch as Cardin's weapon landed in front of him. Jaune's mind raced as he watched the terrifying scene unfold before him. 'He's going to die,' he thought frantically, feeling helpless and overwhelmed. 'But, what can I do?' Cardin was strong, but the Ursa was stronger. 'I can't do anything,' he thought to himself. He turned around to face where the other members of Team CRDL ran off to. 'Should I run?'
As the bear was getting closer to the boy, Roland damned himself as he pulled out Allas Workshop's spear, wielding it in one hand. It's dark, menacing form gleamed in the sunlight. He stepped out of the tree line to face the approaching Ursa Major, ready to intercept it. But stopped when he noticed Jaune move toward the beast. The black fixer halted as he began to watch the scene play out.
–EARLIER–
As the powerful roar of the Ursa Major echoed in the distance, Ruby got up with a concerned look. "Did you guys hear that?" She asked, but before anyone could answer, multiple footsteps were heard coming from the direction of the roar. The group of students and Librarians were surprised to see the three members of Team CRDL sprinting toward them, their faces contorted with fear.
"Ursa! Ursa!" The frightened yells of Team CRDL could be heard from a distance. One of them, running backward, collided with the blonde brawler, who quickly grabbed him by the collar.
"What?! Where?"
"Back there! It got Cardin!" The group was disappointed that the boys had abandoned their team leader to save themselves, leaving him to the mercy of the Grimm. Meanwhile, Pyrrha, who had been nearby, overheard the commotion and dropped her jar of sap as she didn't see her partner.
"Jaune!"
Ruby immediately took charge and entered her leader mode. "Yang! You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!" She ordered firmly, and her sister and her partner nodded in agreement. Yang quickly dropped the boy she was holding and ran off to inform their professor while Blake followed closely behind her.
Assuming her role as the second-in-command of her team, Pyrrha commanded the rest of her team, "You two, go with them! There could be more!" The two members of Pyrrha's team followed the red-haired spartan's orders and took off with Yang and Blake to seek help. Meanwhile, without any time to waste, Pyrrha dashed off with Ruby and Weiss in tow, leaving the remaining Librarians behind, with the exception of Roland who was likely already on the scene.
As the group split up, Yesod spoke up, motioning to the rest of the Librarians. "Since we three do not have any key pages," he said, "we will remain here to inform the others." The red fixer gave a simple nod before hurrying off to catch up with the three girls, leaving the remaining Librarians behind.
–PRESENT–
Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha had arrived just in time to witness the Ursa Major jump ahead of the armored boy and swipe its claw at him, sending him tumbling to the ground. "Oh, no!" Pyrrha's heart sank at the sight of her classmate in danger, despite her personal feelings toward him. With no time to spare, they dashed towards the scene, but they knew they were too far away to intervene. All they could do was watch helplessly as the terrifying creature closed in on Cardin.
"Crap! Crap, crap!" Cardin's desperate attempts to crawl away were futile, and he could only turn around to watch as the Ursa reeled back a claw and swung it forward. In those few moments, he resigned himself to his fate, but to his surprise, he slowly opened his eyes to see Jaune standing between him and the Grimm, blocking the attack with his shield.
Jaune quickly realized the Ursa Major's strength as he struggled to push back against the claw, causing his body to tremble under the weight. Leaving him no choice, he decided to strike the bear's left side with his sword. Though the attack wasn't fatal, it was enough to cause the Ursa to recoil in pain, giving Jaune some much-needed relief.
Despite their concerns, Pyrrha had stopped the red-hooded girl and white heiress from entering the fight as she noticed something different about her partner. Nevertheless, they remained at the ready with their weapons, just in case. The red fixer had also arrived by this point and noticed the situation.
'Kid finally got some balls,' she mentally smirked.
The enraged Grimm threw a wild swipe at the blonde knight, sending a shower of red leaves and debris into the air. Jaune deftly dodged the attack by leaping over it, but the Grimm's next strike hit him mid-air and sent him flying back several meters. Despite the setback, Jaune charged back in again, only to be knocked behind the Grimm as he attempted an attack.
Getting back on his feet, Jaune realized that his Aura bar was dangerously low, flashing red. Not afraid, he charged back in for a final assault. As he closed in on the Grimm, he felt his shield move into position to block its attack. With the Grimm's strike safely deflected, Jaune seized his opportunity and sliced upward with his sword, delivering a fatal blow that decapitated the blackened bear. The Grimm's massive body plummeted to the ground, sending a cloud of red leaves and dirt into the air.
The group of onlookers watched in amazement as Pyrrha lowered her arm, the blackened glow of her hand fading away. A smile crept onto her face as she realized her partner had just killed his first Grimm, with a little bit of help from her Semblance. The other girls, including the red fixer, were a bit perplexed by Pyrrha's abilities.
"Uhhh... What?" Ruby asked, collapsing her scythe-sniper.
"How did you…?" Weiss murmured, sheathing her rapier-revolver.
"Well, Ruby has her speed," Pyrrha glanced over to the red-hooded girl, "you have your glyphs." She then turned to the white heiress. "My Semblance is polarity."
The red fixer was impressed that such a potent Semblance existed. She made a mental note to come up with ways to counter it should she ever have to face Pyrrha in combat.
The leader of Team RWBY looked impressed but a bit bewildered as she muttered, "Whoa, you can control poles…" The two girls next to her facepalmed at Ruby's naivety.
"No, you dunce! It means she has control over magnetism!" Weiss corrected her partner. She couldn't believe that Ruby was this clueless, but it could be worse.
"Magnets are cool, too," Ruby muttered, unfazed by her mistake. Gebura looked at the girls' discussion with an amused smile on her face.
As Jaune extended a hand to help Cardin up, the armored boy was taken aback. "Holy crap, Jaune!" he exclaimed.
Jaune pulled Cardin up and then pulled him closer, his voice low and menacing. "Don't ever mess with my team, my friends, ever again," he warned, giving the bully a dead-eye stare. "Got it?"
The bully didn't speak, but his eyes told Jaune that he was sorry; Jaune turned to walk away as Cardin was standing still. Suddenly, a pair of roars reverberated in the area they were in. Jaune and Cardin both froze as they heard the resounding roars of two more Ursai, emerging menacingly from the depths of the red forest.
The boys realized that they were screwed: Jaune had almost no Aura left and Cardin didn't have his weapon. Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha had already lowered their weapons; they watched as the Grimm started to charge at the boys. But just as the two Ursai were about to close in on the boys, two colored blurs darted across the field, tackling each Grimm with a speed that left the others stunned. The black blur plunged his weapon into the belly of his Ursa, the spear piercing its abdomen and emerging from the other side, while the red blur effortlessly cleaved her Ursa in two, cutting it horizontally in a single swift motion.
"Oh, my," Pyrrha exclaimed in awe as she watched the top half of the bisected Grimm slide off the bottom half and drop to the forest floor.
Ruby's eyes widened in amazement as she stared at the workshop weapon, with stars in her eyes. "OH MY GOSH, THAT SPEAR IS BEAUTIFUL," she exclaimed, admiring the stunning weapon that the black fixer had in his arsenal. She hadn't seen all of his weapons yet, but the only thing she knew was that he was able to store weapons in his gloves using Singularity technology, which he had explained to her before. The more that he explained to her, the more she grew jealous of his cool weapons.
After the two Grimm had dissipated into black mist, the members of the three teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL arrived at the scene to locate their respective leaders. As they gathered around, Professor Goodwitch made her way through the students, her eyes observing the blonde boy and the bully. It was apparent to her that Cardin felt small in front of Jaune. Meanwhile, the rest of the Librarians had also arrived, and they walked over to Roland and Gebura, inquiring about the incident.
As the Librarians conversed amongst themselves, Professor Goodwitch turned to the two main students involved in the incident and began her interrogation. Her words were strict and to the point, but there was also a hint of concern laced within them. "Mr. Arc, Mr. Winchester, can you please explain to me what exactly happened here?" she demanded, her eyes fixed on the two boys.
Cardin glanced behind the professor to see his team hiding away from his gaze. He felt alone and couldn't muster the strength to speak. However, Jaune spoke up. "Cardin and I were attacked by a Grimm. We killed it," he explained. "Then two more showed up, and those two were killed by those guys over there," he continued as he gestured to the two fixers.
The professor narrowed her eyes as if she didn't believe Jaune. But after a moment, she spoke. "Alright then. Mr. Arc and Mr. Winchester, you're done collecting sap. Go rest up." The two boys gave her a nod before she turned away to leave.
After making sure their leader was alright, the members of Team JNPR approached the bully leader with a glare. Meanwhile, Team RWBY kept their distance, watching the scene unfold before turning to follow their professor. The Librarians quickly left, not wanting to interrupt. As Jaune's team members departed, the only two left were Cardin and Jaune. The bully simply stared at his savior in disbelief, not saying a word.
It had happened twice now - Cardin had been protected by those he had once bullied. First, by that rabbit faunus, and now by Jaune. He couldn't believe that he had been targeting people who were mentally stronger than him. He made up his mind to become a better person, starting with those he had wronged.
"Jaune," he called out.
"What do you want Cardin?" Jaune was annoyed that the bully was still trying to talk to him.
As if there was a lump in his throat, Cardin managed to say words that he never thought he would utter. He gulped down whatever little pride he had left. "I'm… sorry."
Jaune's eyes went wide. He hadn't expected his bully to change his tune like that. At first, he believed that it was a trick, but one look into Cardin's eyes told him that it was genuine.
"I'm sorry," Cardin repeated. "For what I did to you, it won't happen again." Even though it was a bit cliché, the message was loud and clear. With his head held down, Cardin owed Jaune for saving his life, and in return, he would try to become a better person.
"For what it's worth, I am sorry." He solemnly looked at the ground, hoping for retribution or any kind of backlash.
As Jaune thought back to all the times when Cardin had bullied him, he couldn't help but feel a wave of emotions wash over him. He remembered the times when he was at his lowest, the times when he had tried so hard to be better, and the times when he had suffered. But despite all of that, he didn't have it in his heart to refute Cardin's apology. Instead, he met his former bully's gaze with a warm grin.
"Apologies accepted, Cardin." Jaune extended his hand, offering a gesture of reconciliation.
Cardin looked up at Jaune with wide eyes, disbelief etched across his face. But after a moment of hesitation, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle and reached out to grasp Jaune's hand, shaking it firmly. It was a small step towards redemption, but for both boys, it was a start.
—HOURS LATER—
–BEACON ACADEMY–
After the Grimm attack, the remainder of the class trip was uneventful. They were able to collect enough sap for Professor Peach before returning to Beacon for the day. In the aftermath, Cardin made a point to apologize to everyone he had bullied and vowed to be a better person going forward. However, the same could not be said for his team. Even if they were his teammates, they had abandoned him to the mercy of the Grimm, leaving him to be saved by the very person they had been tormenting.
Ruby and her team were overjoyed for their sister team finally uniting as one once again. The blonde team leader noticed the two individuals who had saved him and Cardin earlier and made his way over to thank them. He couldn't help feeling a little bad that his team had already met the Librarians without him, while he was busy 'fraternizing' with Cardin and his team.
Either way, the introductions were much like how the previous two were, except for when Jaune pulled out his 'special' introduction. Nevertheless, they were all relieved that he had survived the ordeal. Malkuth and Roland felt a sense of happiness for the blonde boy finally standing up to his bullies, while Gebura was glad that the kid finally had some courage. On the other hand, Yesod and Tiphereth remained indifferent to the situation, though they were still glad that the kid was okay.
After learning about the origins of the Librarians, Jaune's attention was drawn to the recent fight between Yang and Gebura. "Oh yeah! That fight between you and Yang was incredible! How did you get so strong?" He asked curiously.
But before the fixer could respond, Yang overheard and playfully put Jaune in a chokehold, teasing him. "Careful Vomit Boy," she warned him with a grin. "I'll beat her soon enough." Jaune struggled for breath as Yang's grip tightened."
"Ehh, I don't know…" her sister dryly remarked. "Gebura is kinda stronger than all of us combined." Ruby assisted her fellow team leader in freeing herself from her teammate's vice grip, and the blonde knight thanked her before returning to his team with his question answered.
"Well, I didn't expect her to pull out that bullshit armor," Yang begrudgingly said. "That thing is cheating by the way." She pointed to Gebura as she spoke, the red fixer surprising all the students by lighting a cigarette.
"I never said that I would show mercy. I wanted to see how far you could go," the red fixer replied. "Plus you were kinda asking for it." She took a puff of her cigar and exhaled a cloud of smoke.
"I didn't know you smoked," Weiss sneered, waving a hand in front of her face. "Please, go stand somewhere else. I don't like the smell."
Yang sensed an opportunity for a pun and couldn't resist. "Smoking really takes your breath away, Ice Queen?" she quipped, prompting a groan from the heiress, who despised both the joke and her nickname.
After Weiss made her comment about the smoke, Gebura nonchalantly blew out a puff of smoke and responded, "Then we don't have a problem." Weiss looked at her with confusion and suddenly realized something.
"It… doesn't smell as much," she said, puzzled.
"That's because Gebura doesn't like the smell of methanol in her cigarettes," the shortest librarian said. "It barely smells at all." The City's technology did wonders sometimes. Even with this new information, Weiss still moved away from Gebura as she blew a small cloud of smoke out the window of the room they were in.
While the rest of the group engaged in conversation, Jaune slipped away and made his way to the rooftop, where he stood gazing at the night sky. As he contemplated the day's events, including his newfound courage to stand up for himself, he was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"No Cardin tonight?" She asked, walking up to him. He remained still, not turning to face her, still feeling guilty about how he had treated her a few days ago. "I thought you two were best buds?" Pyrrha stood next to him.
Finally, he slowly turned to look at her. "Pyrrha," he said, his voice low. "I'm sorry."
"I was a jerk!" He continued. "You were only trying to be nice, and... I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head–"
"Jaune!" Pyrrha cuts him off. "It's okay!" He gives her a smile, and she returns one back before adding, "Your team really misses their leader, you know." Jaune felt a sense of relief wash over him at Pyrrha's understanding. He smiled back at her before watching her walk towards the exit.
"You should come down! Roland and Ren made some delicious pancakes," she said with a smile. "Thank Nora and Miss Malkuth for forcing them to."
Before Pyrrha left, Jaune hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Wait!" He called out, extending his hand toward her. She turned around to look at his sheepish demeanor. "I know I don't deserve it after all that happened, but... would you still be willing to help me... to help me become a better fighter?"
Pyrrha turned, her face lit up with satisfaction. She felt useful and appreciated. Jaune, on the other hand, was worried since he couldn't see her facial expression. Pyrrha quickly wiped the smile off her face and turned it into a devious smirk. She rotated her body towards Jaune and calmly shoved him down to the ground, catching him off guard.
"Hey!" Jaune whined.
"Your stance is all wrong," Pyrrha evaluated. "You need to be wider and lower to the ground." She offered him a hand, and he accepted it, feeling encouraged. "Let's try that again." Both grin as they continue to practice on the rooftop.
Simultaneously, two heads poked out from the door leading to the rooftop. It was Nora and Malkuth, who had been waiting for Jaune and Pyrrha to finish their conversation. Roland and Yesod were also leaving a bit earlier to debrief the rest of the Patrons at the Library so Malkuth forced the black fixer to make her some gamja-jeon; Nora also jumped on the conversation when she heard about food. When he and Ren started making pancakes, the two cooks forced the girls out of the kitchen so they wouldn't bother them. After the two partners started to practice against each other, Nora and Malkuth withdrew their heads from the door and turned to face each other, one of them grinning happily.
"How long until they get married?" Nora asked, prompting Malkuth to answer her.
"What?"
"You know, Jaune and Pyrrha. It's obvious they have feelings for each other," Nora said with a grin.
Malkuth rolled her eyes. "That's none of our business."
Nora shrugged. "I'm just saying. Everyone knows that they like each other."
Malkuth raised an eyebrow. "Don't you and Ren like each other?"
When Malkuth brought up the topic, JNPR's hammer wielder looked visibly uncomfortable. The bronze librarian had long suspected that Nora and Ren's relationship was more than just friendship, but didn't know how far they got. Nora's nerves got the best of her and she started speaking uncontrollably.
"Well, we're not 'together-together'..." Malkuth gave her a blank stare before she continued. "Not that I'm not saying that he's not handsome; he is handsome, but that'd just be weird to say in front of him, right?" Malkuth couldn't help feeling sorry for Ren.
'Poor guy,' Malkuth thought before she looked over to see Jaune and Pyrrha still training. "Let's just go. It seems like they're busy at the moment."
Malkuth let out a tired sigh and began to follow the hyperactive Nora, who was already running back to the group at full speed, shouting, "YAY! More pancakes for me!" Despite feeling exhausted from the events of the day, Malkuth couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement at the thought of indulging in more of the delicious potato pajeon. She quickened her pace, eager to catch up with the group and enjoy the rest of the evening.
–THE LIBRARY–
Qrow took another swig of the whiskey, feeling the warmth spread through his body. He leaned back on the couch, letting out a sigh. "I'm telling you for the last time Greeny" Qrow slurred slightly. "That innkeeper's skirt was the death of me!" He poured himself another shot, appreciating the smoothness of the J. Corp whiskey. He looked over to his drinking buddy that could match his alcoholic tendencies.
The green-haired librarian had a trail of drool running down his face. Netzach's eyes wandered around, trying to find his new friend as he barely registered the drunken ramblings of the other man. "Qrow?" Neztach asked. The disheveled huntsman responded with a perplexed "huh." "Why is your name a bird?" Netzach inquired.
Qrow's memory was jogged by the question. "Oh, yea…" He said. "Cuz my old man thought it would be funny."
A resounding snap echoed through the floor's lounge, signaling the arrival of Angela. Angela was looking for the person Headmaster Ozpin had sent to exchange more 'private' information that wasn't public knowledge. In hindsight, maybe sending Netzach to retrieve the huntsmen wasn't the wisest choice.… four hours ago. Given Netzach's personality, she had hoped that the two men would share a drink or two and be done with it, but she hadn't noticed that four hours had passed by the time they got drunk. Maybe she should've sent Chesed instead, but the man was attempting to make a new coffee blend.
"Netzach," she snapped impatiently. "I expected our guest to arrive hours ago. It's essential for a positive impression on the inhabitants of this world to not be wasteful by getting their ambassador intoxicated." As she spoke, her gaze fell on the Patron Librarian, who was passed out on the floor in a drunken stupor.
"Wazzat?" The unkempt huntsman slurred as he looked at the pale librarian. "Relax, sweetheart, I don't know who you are but I'm having a great time."
"This is no place for entertainment. Given that the Headmaster sent you, I assumed you were one of his most trusted associates and would conduct yourself accordingly."
Qrow simply shrugged, downing the last of his drink. "Lighten up, Paley," he drawled, using a nickname that clearly rubbed her the wrong way. "You're too uptight. And while we're at it, who exactly are you anyway?"
Angela heaved a deep sigh, feeling a sense of frustration bubbling within her. "I am Angela, the director, and librarian of my role's namesake." The huntsman appeared taken aback by this revelation, his expression betraying his surprise.
"Ohh, you're the robot Oz talked about," he remarked, squinting at her as if to verify her robotic nature. "It true that you're all nuts and bolts?"
Angela's displeasure was palpable as she cautioned him against asking personal questions. "I would appreciate it if you refrained from making such inquiries," she chided. She didn't understand why being an A.I. was an important question. "But to answer your question, yes, I am an A.I."
"Aight," he backed off. "I guess I'm just surprised because you look and sound so human. I would never have guessed." It felt weird being in the robot woman's presence like there was something different about her, other than being a robot. He rose from his seat, stretching his limbs and raking a hand through his unruly hair.
Angela nodded, satisfied with his response. She quickly transported herself and the huntsman to another room, leaving the slumbering green-haired librarian behind. At first, the huntsman was taken aback by the sensation of being teleported; it felt similar to his sister's ability to create portals but somehow different. It was almost as if he was being pulled by his very soul, and the sensation left him feeling somewhat unsettled.
As his eyes adjusted to the new environment, the green hues of the lounge room had been replaced with a warmer, earthy brown color scheme that reminded him of a library. Oh wait, he was literally at a library. There were rows of bookshelves and a small table with some chairs, and an endless corridor filled with bright lights. As he took in the surroundings, his gaze drifted upwards, and he noticed delicate teardrop-shaped lights suspended from thin threads on the ceiling.
"Damn, whatever you just did," he muttered, fighting the urge to vomit. "It did not feel good." But his comment was ignored by Angela, who remained focused on the book in her hand. Meanwhile, the huntsman pounded his chest in an effort to keep the contents of his stomach from spilling out.
"Oh, hello Angela," a quiet and polite voice called out to them. "What brings you here?" The two turned to face the short, brown-haired girl that ran the Floor of Literature who was brought here but the sound of Angela's finger snapping. She was around one of the bookshelves grabbing and placing books on a little cart made out of the same material as the floor and bookshelves. Suddenly, one of the books exploded into a shower of golden pages, startling the girl and catching the attention of the other two.
Even though she was a bit intrigued as to why one of the books blew up, she didn't have time for it. "Greetings Hod," Angela responded before presenting the person next to her. "This is Qrow Branwen, he is our guest from Beacon Academy." Once he stared directly at the Patron Librarian, the girl quickly turned timid at his gaze.
Her voice shook as she spoke. "H-Hello. As Angela said, I am Hod, the Patron Librarian of Literature." She gave the man a little curtsy of her skirt; in return, he gave her a little bow. She felt a tiny bit more at ease after he bowed.
"A pleasure to meet ya, Brownie," he chuckled. He constantly gave everyone nicknames, whether they liked it or not, and they were always based on their appearance or personality like Ruby is shortie and Yang is firecracker; for the Librarians, he chose to just nickname them after their colors to make it easier.
"If you two are done, we can finally discuss important matters." Angela had been waiting for the two to stop before gesturing to a chair. "Please, sit down here." The huntsman walked over and pulled out a chair from the small table, crossing his arms while he leaned as he sat.
"Well, Oz didn't tell me anything other than that this place is a library," he recounted. "And that you guys are 'interesting individuals.'" He narrowed his gaze at the pale librarian. "I don't know much, but I can tell that teleporting without any Aura and conjuring booze isn't normal in Remnant." Even when he was intoxicated, he was still cognizant and clever; he had developed somewhat resistance during all his years of drinking.
Angela sighed as Qrow already had figured out that they weren't from this world. "You would be correct," she confirmed. "The Library is not from Remnant; The Librarians and I have been here for five days."
Qrow was a bit surprised to hear it straight, but he didn't show it on his face. Intrigued, he wanted to ask a question. "What kind of world did you 'Librarians' come from?" The answer he got were looks of animosity and sorrow from Angela and Hod. The latter of which was a bit remorseful while the former looked angry.
"From what Miss Rose and her team said, there's a little discrepancy, but the major differences were that our world had no Aura nor any Grimm," the pale librarian explained. "Dust didn't exist either; all we had were Singularities, an advanced technology that even we don't know how they work."
It kept going for a while, he would ask some random questions and she would answer back. After a while, Qrow had enough of the various monsters they kept stored here and how different the City was compared to Remnant. Now that she was done talking, it was his turn to tell them the reason why he was sent here. He thought back to his mission briefing before he traveled to the Library.
–A FEW DAYS AGO–
Qrow was sitting in a bar after a hard day's work trying to find the Fall Maiden's attackers. He searched around everywhere that matched the description of her attackers, but nothing came up. He vaguely remembers that it was a group of three, two female and one male. But he couldn't remember any details about their faces, just that they were young adults and had Aura. That didn't help at all, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. He grabbed his cold drink and took a sip. All of a sudden, a buzz was felt and heard from his pocket. He took his scroll out and saw that Ozpin was calling him. Sighing, he pressed the answer button and pulled the device up to his ears.
"Sup Oz."
["Greetings Qrow."]
"Whatcha need?"
["How's the search for the Pawns?"]
He sighed. "A dead end. Nothing. It's like they didn't exist."
["How unfortunate," his tone took on a somber tone. "Regardless, that is not the main reason for this call.]
"Hmm?"
["I have a new mission for you. It requires you to head to a 'Library' of sorts," he gave a small chuckle.]
"A library? Why's that?" Qrow was confused why he was being assigned to investigate a library instead of trying to find Amber's attackers.
["I believe that you will find interesting individuals that would prove to be a pivotal force for our fight."]
With that, the call ended. A message was shown on the scroll telling him where to find the Library. Sighing, Qrow quickly downed his glass and paid for his drink. It would take a few days for him to get back to Vale and then the Emerald Forest, but he didn't mind.
–PRESENT–
He cleared his throat to prepare the two women for the first-greatest revelation of his life. "So… my turn." He put a smile on his face. "What's your favorite fairytale?" He copied Ozpin's way of introducing magic to other members of their little faction.
"I don't have one."
He mentally paused when the robotic librarian bluntly denied him the pleasure of revealing something important. Behind her, Hod gave her a worried look before turning to face the man who was facepalming.
He slid his hand down his face before explaining, "Sorry, just wanted to use that one. Anyways, I'll just tell you it straight." The two became interested as they stared at him. "There's this evil entity lurking somewhere on Remnant and it's the reason the Grimm keep attacking us. Ozpin and a few others like myself know about its existence but we're currently on the losing side. That being said, Ozzy wanted to ask if you, the Librarians, even if Remnant is not your home, would be willing to help us?" They needed help more than ever, the Fall Maiden was attacked and had half of her power missing, leaving her comatose. Qrow smirked as he looked at them to see if they would have the same reaction as he did when Ozpin told Raven and him.
'Anytime now… anytime…' Scratch that, they didn't even look shocked. Angela just stared at him blankly while Hod looked more interested than anything. Even if she didn't show it, Angela's eyes were taking in everything the man said.
After a bit of silence, the pale librarian relaxed her mechanical eyes and closed them. Angela wasn't surprised to hear that something was controlling the Creatures of Grimm, after all, the distortions were caused by Carmen's voice. Then, echoing footsteps sounded through one of the hallways. The three turned to look where the footsteps were coming from and out came the resident arbiter of the Library.
"Greetings Angela, Hod, I see that we have another guest," Binah eloquently spoke. The black and gold librarian set her gaze on the huntsman with a critical eye as if she was peering into his soul. "Oh, how very interesting."
Qrow was visibly shaken by this woman's presence, he instinctively tried to reach for his weapon, but halted as he gazed into her black eyes that seemed to lead to an endless abyss, devoid of any light. Angela and Hod were already used to Binah popping up out of nowhere, especially Hod since Binah liked to travel to her floor to ask for recommendations on some works of literature and that the brown librarian was good company. The unkempt huntsman wanted to run away, but he didn't know how to exit so he sat frozen. Even if he was able to suppress his fear of the Grimm, he could barely try to hide from this woman. He mustered up the courage to speak, but the words came out hesitantly.
"W-Who the hell are you?" His voice was cautious.
"I am Binah, the Patron Librarian of Philosophy." Her smile darkened, sending a chill down Qrow's spine. "Might I inquire as to what you call yourself, my dear 'Bird?'" Qrow's eyes widened with fear at her words, while the other two librarians looked on, puzzled by Binah's unusual nickname for him.
"Bird?" Hod asked.
Author's Note:
I'm glad I finished this chapter before Limbus Company comes out. It's literally right around the corner. I'll probably take a little break to just play it, but I might come up with some ideas for the story in the meantime. Either way, I hope yall enjoyed reading this chapter cuz I think I did this chapter wrong somehow; I just have a feeling that something about it is wrong, but if you figure it out, please tell me.