WARNING: This chapter is really long : 11k+ words
I just like making big chapter
also don't hesitate if you feel like it, to send a private message or review the story on how I could improve or even just point out some critical flaws here and there (I see it as the best way to improve my writing and thus the story)
A week later, Maos was walking around during his free time of the day. In fact, the second-year students didn't have any classes at all. He was walking along with Coco. "So...we finally have enough material to make you a new combat outfit! How about we make it?!" Coco asked.
"Let's go to the school workshop. They will have all the tools we need," Maos said.
"I'm so excited, you have no idea!" Coco said.
And so they went to the workshop. They spent hours working on it, alone in the big metal room, almost like a forge in the shape of a circle. Both of them were wearing their usual combat outfits. Maos was wearing his almost-destroyed old outfit.
"So, what do you think?" Coco asked as she turned to Maos, holding up the outfit for his inspection.
Maos looked up from his work, his eyes tracing the contours of the outfit. "It looks great," he said with a smile. "But I think it needs a little something extra."
Coco's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's just... I think it needs a personal touch," Maos explained.
Coco frowned, unsure of what Maos was getting at. "What do you suggest?"
Maos grinned mischievously. "I have an idea."
With that, he disappeared into the back room of the workshop, leaving Coco to wonder what he was up to. A few minutes later, he emerged carrying a small jar of paint.
"Here," he said, handing it to Coco. "Use this to add a little something special to the outfit."
Coco looked at the jar skeptically. "Paint? I don't like where this is going."
"Trust me. I know you are the clothing expert, but please," Maos said.
Coco moved in front of the outfit and protected it. "Tell me what you're going to do with it."
"Nothing much...just let me," Maos tried to dodge Coco to reach the outfit.
Coco moved again to counter him. "Nope, birdy."
"Oh yeah? We'll see," said Maos as he kept trying to reach the outfit, moving left to right. At first, it seemed serious, but it mostly ended up in a game of chase.
"Looks like you're having fun," he commented.
"I am," Coco said as she snatched the paint from his hand.
"Oh...no," Maos backed down a bit.
"Oh yes," said Coco as she opened the paint. "Your old outfit won't have any use for it. I can put paint all over it! No aura usage fight!" Coco then quickly grabbed a brush and started swinging at Maos. They had no shame in acting so childlike since they were alone.
After a few dodges, Maos grabbed her arm holding the brush. She let go of the brush, letting it fall and then caught it with her other hand. She then managed to slash at Maos across his chest, making a big red mark on it.
Maos stared at Coco. He then grabbed her other arm, forcing her to drop the brush. He let go of her other hand and turned around on himself, bringing her along as he still held one of her hands, grabbing the brush with his now free hand and starting to swing. However, he stopped the brush right before it hit her outfit.
Coco's outfit was not old, she didn't need to change it. In fact, she loved it so much that she may actually be angry at him for putting paint on it.
"Hesitation is defeat," said Coco as she grabbed the brush again and started attacking. Maos dodged several times but it forced him to back down towards the desk where the jar of paint was. Their fight was about putting paint all over the workshop.
Maos ended up with his back against the desk, the jar of paint next to him as well as his future outfit. Coco slowly approached Maos with the brush in hand.
"You know what's funny about a confrontation between you and me without any power?" asked Maos.
"Oh... and what is it?" asked Coco, almost within striking distance.
"Simple really, without power, I'm still physically stronger than you," said Maos. She suddenly rushed at him, but he dodged the blow, using the desk to jump and land behind her. He then grabbed her free arm as his other hand reached for control of the other arm, pushing her against the desk.
"Hey!" She couldn't physically resist. Maos was still in action fully hugging her from behind by forcing her arm against her chest to not allow her to move.
"If I don't get to draw it, at least you will," said Maos. He forcefully grabbed Coco's hand that was holding the brush, controlling her arm's movement using brute strength.
"Hey, hey!" Coco tried to fight back, but she couldn't. She then thought of something. At this speed, she's going to lose.
Coco thought of the most feminine voice she could along with making a head movement to throw her own sunglasses. Then, she used the very last of her strength to turn her head to Maos's face. She even let go of the strength in her arms and let herself be guided by Maos, which actually threw him off and allowed her to fully turn around.
She fully turned around and stared him right in the eyes. Maos felt like he was under a spell, quite literally. or maybe the whole situation was what led to this sensation.
"Can you please let go of me? I really don't want you to ruin the design I spent so much time on?" asked Coco, as her face had never been this cute this much before.
Maos fell into a trance just hearing her voice, seeing her face, and those seductive eyes. He felt hypnotized by it, but suddenly felt himself being pushed to the ground. Since Coco was fully onto him, his own legs became weak, and he fell. Coco was on top of him, and she sat on him, putting a finger on his nose.
"I guess it's a good thing that physical strength is not the only factor that defines a fight,I have the beauty advantage and Weaknesses play a good part, thankfully I know your weakness, " she said.
Maos snapped out of it. "Which is?"
Coco grabbed her sunglasses again and started to put them on. "Why say it? I like having an edge over you."
Maos's wide eyes made her stop her movement. "What? Not used to seeing the ceiling?"
"You're wearing sunglasses and a beret. It's really a waste of your beauty," said Maos. Coco actually shivered as well as blushed from this. Maos took this opportunity to forcefully reverse their position, holding her arm to maintain her on the ground.
"That was low!" Coco reacted.
"You did the same!" responded Maos. He pushed her against the floor again. "Say it."
Coco tried to move, but she couldn't. Maos won't fall for the cute girl act twice, and it seemed like she miscalculated. Maos also knew her weakness. "Fine... you win..."
"Yes!"
Maos let go of Coco, and they moved away. Due to their interaction, Coco now had paint on her clothes as well. [Prestidigitation] Maos cleaned himself and then turned to Coco.
"Let me clean it for you," said Maos. Coco put her glass down and replied, "Sure." [Prestidigitation] All the paint on Coco's clothes, hair, and face disappeared, and she was now fully clean. "You have an awesome semblance," said Coco.
"Anyway, what was the thing you wanted to put on your outfit?" Coco asked as she saw Maos taking the brush and dipping it in golden paint.
Coco let him do his thing, and she watched him draw on the outfit. He drew a symbol, the size of a hand, on the bottom of the coated part of the outfit, right on the corner of the coat opening. He then took the outfit and showed it to Coco. "So?" he asked.
Coco looked at the symbol, which was her emblem, a golden shooting target. Her eyes widened, and she said, "But why?" Maos smiled at her and replied, "You have entirely designed this outfit for me. It's only fair you at least have your signature on it!"
She actually froze because of it, and her cheeks went red. "Oh, that's so sweet!" thought Coco. She didn't really know how to react and said, "I... I don't know what to say."
Maos' smile changed to a more surprised face, and he said, "Did I manage to surprise the great Coco Adel?" She slowly regained her composure and replied, "May-... okay... I'll admit... you got me there."
"I'll put it on to see how I look," Maos said. He took off his ring of clothing and put on the outfit on the desk. "Oh, you're gonna store it inside right now?" Coco asked.
"Yep," Maos replied. He then put energy in the ring to activate it. The ring shone a bit, and then the clothes were absorbed into it. "And done," Maos said as he put on the ring.
"I really need to get one of those rings... any idea how to make one for me?" asked Coco. "I know you do that alchemy stuff, which is really weird... you know how to make that ring as well, don't you know?"
After the incident with Ruby, Maos completely gave up on making a magic item for the 2nd humanity. He didn't even dare to give Coco his first ring ever, which contained the spell [reparation]. He is not taking that risk again. Even if Coco has shown the ability to use the level 0 ring of clothes, he's too scared to let her use anything else.
"Sorry... while I do know how to make a similar ring, I'm afraid since I'm far from being good at making them, my energy is just too unstable, and it will cause more harm than good. Making myself a ring and giving it to you would be the same as giving you a gun that will explode in your hand."
"Oh... but what if I'm the one making it since it's an energy problem? Using my own energy to make it?" Coco asked.
"...I did think about it... but I think we should stop at alchemy for now," said Maos.
she seem pretty disappointed but she accepted it
Maos then activate the ring of clothes after putting it back on his finger, the whole outfit change to the new outfit*
a long black coat with gold lines from the shoulder to the sleeves, and gold from the neck to the bottom of the coat, the line seems to follow and make the shape of leaves in their descent, a black undershirt, dark blue pants, knee-high boots, an elaborate leather belt with pouches
"you really do look good in it" said Coco," as expected, I did design it after all"
they both look at it from different Angles, Maos does a few poses
"so...I was thinking...Is there any first years that stand for you ?" asks Coco"I know you've been doing a lot of thing with them",she started putting away all the equipment they used to keep herself busy
meanwhile, Maos start cleaning all the paint they spill around the room using magic "Depend on what standing out means for you ?"
"standing, you know like...if they are good students..the strongest ones..the most interesting ones...the pretty ones..."said Coco
"hmm..."I guess in term of a skill team rwby really stand out, each member of their team is highly trained, and Weiss is top of her class,Ruby is also interesting, she has a natural curiosity about thing which make her a hard-working student...however she has also of trouble focusing on certain things,I don't have much connection to Yang...I haven't really got the occasion to talk to her,it's kinda hard to even talk to her..."Maos
'why ?"asks coco "I mean yang look intimated sometime,I saw her punch a guy who tried to propose a date to her,but I know you're not scared of that kind of person"
"she look too much like my mother"Maos seems a bit embarrassed " oh right,you did say that Yang look like your mom, last time Fox asked"
Coco grabs a few leftover tissues of alchemical fabric and she stops her movement and fully turns around "Does she really look that much similar to your mother ?"
Maos sigh, he waves his hand, he makes appears yang using the illusion" This is Yang "He then adds an illusion of his mother next to it "This was my mom"
coco immediately approaches and as her jaw drops, the woman with a black dress, and a green beautiful dress made of leaf, she then compares it to Yang
"Holy! I mean..damn !how the fuc-"Coco goes back and forth between the illusion "They are almost clones apart from the hair and eyes colors! No wonder you feel weird around Yang...I didn't even know you could make illusion..."
"understand me now ?" said Maos
"you sure you two are not related ?" asks Coco "We are not related," said Maos
"you tested ?"
"no"said Maos
"a hidden cousin maybe? a hidden twin of you mother somewhere?" insists Coco "Have you done some blood testing ?"
"I don't need to"said Maos
"You sure? No blood test needed ?"
"yes, I am sure" the sorcerer is now a bit annoyed "MOVING ON! We've got cleaning to do", he makes the illusion of Yang and his mother disappear
Coco understands she messes up a bit, he seems really annoyed
there is an awkward silence as they both go back to their task a silence which lasts for almost a minute
" so...What about Blake? The black hair one," said Coco
young man stops cleaning for a second "Something about Blake ?"
"Nothing...I'm just curious about what you think about her... I've seen almost staring at her several in the courtyard "
[what do you mean you've seen me staring at her ?]thought Maos
"she's okay I guess, she kinda a loner, bookworm, and her fighting skills are off the chart, when she fought she could really show all her potential, she's probably the second strongest first year, she has field experience that most students don't have"
"what makes you think that ?"
"let's say I know someone who knew her"said Maos," also it also reminds me I need to get in contact with that said Person,she still hasn't called me"
"she ?"
"a girl I met during a mission,i gave her my scroll number because we plan on meeting again, so I told her to call me if needed or if she was just around" said Maos
he had thought and prepared that specific excuse for every time someone asks a question about Sienna Khan, the high leader of the white fang
"and that girl...what's her name? she's a relative to Blake ?"
[he gave her , his scroll number so they can meet again ?...is there anything special going on ?]thought Coco,Maos doesn't give his scroll number to anyone,only people he considered worth having in his contact list,people he really considered seeing again and Coco knew that
"not really relative, kinda like an aunt-"
[so she's old! Great!]thought Coco
"or maybe a big sister, her age doesn't suit the word aunt compare to Blake, which makes her sound like she is in her 30s to 40, but she's only 24..and I'm not sure they are THAT CLOSE...I really need to get in contact with her...I'll write myself a note"
Maos takes out his scroll and write himself a note on it
[she's 24 then...NO! That's bad, she's still in her prime !]thought Coco as she scream in her mind
"so...let's go back to the first year...right...Blake is according to you the second strongest...I guess the strongest first is Pyrrah ?"Coco has now finished cleaning her part, and she just leans on the desk as she successfully changes the subject
"By far," said the young man "the gap is huge, I've run with Pyrrah in the morning despite having less aura than me, she's so physically fit she can keep up with me, aura control is amazing, and she's like the perfect warrior, and without aura and only by skill she could beat most student in a fair fight"
"you've run with her ? Like...you actually exercise ?"Coco seem suddenly were more invested in the conversation
"huh? Yeah, we run together sometime in the morning, and we have a similar routine, did you though I had no physical training?
"I've never seen your workout" said Coco
"well, my semblance does make my body in good shape,but when it comes to endurance I need to actually work it physically,I need to build muscle memory like everybody else,sure I don't run every day, it's like only 3 times a weeks, the rest of week, you mostly wake me up"explain Maos
"so...you talk often with Pyrrah?...like why do you 2 talk about ?"Coco seems to only focus on that
"not often, we run and have a coffee together in the morning, we mostly talk about Jaune's progress, one of her teammates"
"oh...I see, the guys you help train right ?"
"yep,...he is very bad..I don't think even I was that bad as using a sword on the first day"said Maos,"like really, he really has no balance at all, he can barely hold his sword,he has no physical abilities, he just has a lot of aura and can't control it at all...I feel like I'm teaching a child"
"that bad ?"
"yep...but I don't mind, everyone has to start somewhere, he has 4 years to become a huntsman i'm sure he can become quite a skill by the end of Beacon, he is also very motivated,I do think he can make it eventually"said Maos
"what
"Ren and Nora are...weird...last time Nora followed me around without saying anything for a while..I think she was looking for a fight...Ren looks chill..like really chill,I guess I didn't really have much interaction with them, except that time I help Ren train his aura shield"
"and done !" said Maos as he finish cleaning the place,"it's even better then we arrived!"
"so it's done ?"asks coco as she goes toward him," you finally got a new outfit
"seem like it !thanks Coco"said Maos as he smile,even showing his teeth while smiling
Coco seem bugged by something" huh ?...i think saw something weird..."
"you mind opening your mouth ? "
"what? why ?"
"your teeth"said Coco as Maos actually does open his mouth, Coco almost grab him by his cheeks to look but she stop right before touching him "32-34-36.." she seem to count something
"a problem with my teeth? don't tell me I have tooth decay...it's almost impossible for me to have those, but it's not zero chance"The sorcerer seemed a bit lost
"no, it's not that...I just realized...you have 40 teeth" said Coco
"so ?" react Maos "That's normal"
"no it's not" said Coco "Regular people have at best 32 to 36 teeth"
"wait really?"Maos didn't know people of this humanity have a different number of teeth, maybe he just skip it by accident while reading books
[right...I'm from the first humanity...I am biologically different...I wonder what part of my body is different than other humans]thought the sorcerer
"birth defect I guess,"said Maos
"do your village has been so secluded they have special genes that are just stayed secluded as well due to lack of exterior connection ?"asks herself Coco out loud
"maybe..." respond Maos
"Anyway, I just thought...last time you woke me up and everything ?...how about we go to the bikes we are almost done making them aren't we ?"
Maos successfully changed the subject
"right! The bikes! we made your outfit, now time for the babies"
"Please don't call them like that, if people listen to us without context they would think of something weird"
"I don't care" said Coco as she start walking with confidence "Onward"
"you do realize half the school thinks you and I are dating ?" said Maos "I'm not kidding...Mister Port told me to protect myself when entering the workshop with you"
"wh-what ?...I didn't need to know that !" said Coco"It's disturbing, so I will ignore what you just said and keep on my way to the bikes!"
[maybe we should have a conversation about that one day...because my dreams really aren't helping and it's starting to seriously bother me]thought Maos
A day later, Maos was called to Ozpin's office.
Since that time, Ozpin had refused to talk about healing magic, while Maos continued to do research to save Amber. However, a scientist from Ironwood had created a device that could take magic from Amber, which Maos despised. Despite this, he knew he could save her.
Maos had discovered a few things that could allow him to cast high-level healing magic, but the problem was the number of people that would die from it. If he didn't have morals, and if Ozpin didn't stop him, he probably would have saved her by now by using the life energy of criminals.
Currently, Ozpin was seated behind his desk, Glynda by his side, and Maos in front of them.
"So...what am I doing here?" asked Maos.
Glynda spoke first. "As you know, the 40th Vytal Festival will soon be upon us, and therefore, the city will be more lively than usual."
"You want me to help organize stuff?" asked Maos.
"In a way, yes. You will be in charge of security...more like a bonus to security really," responded Glynda.
"Security? And what will I be doing?"
"Simple. You'll be in charge of maintaining security in the city and the school, as we have a visit from another Huntsman academy. We know that conflict can happen between schools, and we trust that you can keep the situation under control."
"The city as well?" asked Maos. "I'm a student."
Ozpin got up. "Don't worry. It's just a small legal matter." He grabbed a card from the desk and threw it at Maos, who caught it easily.
Maos looked at it. "Temporary Huntsman license...so I also have legal power? Like I can intervene in the city and stuff?"
"This license only lasts for the duration of the festival. We had to push the council to allow it for you, but we worked it out," revealed Glynda.
"And the mission? I know we are not short on staff. You want me to search for something, don't you?" deduced Maos.
Ozpin spoke again. "Indeed. As you know, a lot of dust has been stolen for a few months. We want to investigate this case, find out who's behind it and why, and bring them to justice in the most discreet way possible. We wish to avoid any media attention or bad emotions, especially during this festival."
"Seems straightforward," said Maos. "Anything else?"
"I have a few requests myself, however, they are related to your role as a student, not your mission. We can discuss them later on our way down," said Glynda, as she moved from next to Ozpin to next to Maos.
After that, Maos found himself in the elevator with Glynda, who had her scroll tablet in her hand. "So, I've been taking note of your work as a student representative. As you know, the end of the semester is approaching, and I've observed that you've helped many students in their classes. I've also checked their grades," she said.
Maos paid close attention to what she was saying. Although he may not have looked like it, he enjoyed helping others train and learn, especially Jaune, who had shown great courage and perseverance.
"I admit... I did not expect you to do so well," said Glynda.
Maos turned to the good witch in surprise. "Really?"
"Yes, you did a great job. Every student you helped saw an improvement in their grades, sometimes by a significant amount, especially Ruby and Jaune. Your grades are also still top of the class," she said.
Maos replied, "Um, thank you, I guess."
"I remember the first month of class when you could barely handle a sword. You discovered Beacon, discovered the world, and now look at you," said Glynda, as she touched his shoulder and showed him his new outfit.
"You are almost at the level of a teacher in knowledge, and in terms of skill, you are already near Ozpin, which makes you headmaster level of Huntsmen. You also just received a Huntsmen license. it's temporary, but the only reason why you're not a full-fledged Huntsman legally is because of School laws that the Council of Vale refuses to bend for you," she said.
Glynda smiled kindly at him and said, "I'm just really proud of you."
Maos felt a warm sensation in his chest. He was always happy when someone told him he did a good job. Glynda was probably one of the kindest people he had ever met, which made him wonder why such a person would work for Ozpin in the first place.
"Can... Can I ask a question?" said Maos.
"Of course," responded the teacher.
"Why? Why do you work for Ozpin? You're really strong, you're part of the council of Vale, you handle every paperwork for him, and you're basically the real headmaster of Beacon...I just don't understand...why such dedication?"
Glynda's kind smile didn't disappear. However, her eyes became sad. She pushed a button on the elevator, making it stop.
"Do you know who was the Fall Maiden before Amber?" asked Glynda without looking at him.
"I don't..."
"Her name was Jessica Goodwitch. She was my mother," said Glynda.
A look of shock appeared on his face. Amber had only been a Maiden for 3 years before he met her.
"Before her, my great-grandmother was... Our family has been carrying the burden of the Fall Maiden for quite a few generations. I should have been the next one. However, I am already too old to bear the power. It would have been my daughter... Sadly, I never got the chance to have children... I guess following Ozpin wasn't really my choice either. I grew up with the idea that I was born to be by his side. When I was young, I learned that I may have the burden of being a Maiden... and I fled... and people started looking for me, including my mother. She was hunted, and so my own team, my friends... of when I was in Beacon followed her, to find me. They ended up being hunted as well."
"My mother survived and was found injured... But my teammate died because I tried to escape my duty... And so years later, I decided to hope for a chance at redemption and decided to try my best to help Ozpin, making sure this never happens again... I grew used to being a teacher. I do find great joy in helping young people..."
"And when my mother died of illness 3 years ago, I was too old... The power went to a random young lady, a young second-year named Amber."
Glynda was teary. However, she regained her composure in an instant. She gave a look at Maos. He had a sad eye as well. "And so... here is your answer. I'm here by his side... to make sure nobody dies because of someone else's carelessness like in the past. And so Ozpin did a ritual... to increase the effect of my semblance so that I could be on par with a Maiden if needed."
Maos looked down a bit. ".. I'm sorry for asking..."
"No, it's okay... You have every right to ask," she smiled at him. as she activate the elevator again
Soon after, Maos was walking around, heading to his room to read the story of the first wild sorcerer named Chaos, when he met Fox.
"Maos! You gotta help!" asked Fox. "Please hide me."
"Got it!" said Maos as he cast [invisibility] on Fox, and the blind boy disappeared and stopped next to Maos. Maos didn't even hesitate to help Fox.
The sorcerer was now in front of Yang, who had a purple painting in her hair and clothes. She seemed pissed. "You! Maos, have you seen that blind guy called Fox?!"
"No...why?" asked Maos.
"That idiot spilled purple on me! I was just going to the workshop, and when I opened the door, a bucket of purple paint fell on me! That dude was just standing there, and then he ran!"
[Message: To Fox]
/What happened, Fox?/ asked Maos mentally to his invisible friend. /I was trying to prank Cardin's team, not her. I swear she wasn't my target./ responded Fox.
Maos sighed.
"Are you listening to me?!" said Yang.
"I am," responded Maos. "I haven't seen Fox, sorry. But maybe you should calm down first. It's unlike him to prank people who didn't deserve it."
"I DON'T CARE who he wanted to prank. I'm the one with paint all over me! All over my HAIR?!" Yang was really angry.
Maos gave her a look. Having a bit of purple in her hair actually suited her a bit. He cast [prestidigitation], waved his hand, and all the paint over Yang disappeared.
"Huh?" Yang looked at her hand and clothes. She was fully clean. "All clean...You mind letting Fox go? At least when you see him, don't punch him first, ask first...and if you don't like the answer, then punch."
/You're not helping me a lot here./ said Fox with the mental connection.
/I gave you a chance for you to at least explain yourself. Be happy./ responded Maos.
"Oh...I'm all clean now..." reacted Yang. "Thanks...I guess?"
"Sure...just don't be mad at Fox. Think first." said Maos.
"I'm not stupid," said Yang.
"That is not what I said," answered Maos.
"Then just don't repeat it, then." said Yang. She became aggressive again.
"Don't scream at me. I have nothing to do with it," responded Maos as he got a bit annoyed.
There was a small silence between the two of them. Yang actually took the time to calm down. Her eyes were going left and right, showing that her thoughts were coming together.
"Sorry...you're right...you actually helped me..." she sighed heavily. "...I will try to be more patient with Fox...but I still need to find him. He better have a good explanation."
"Thanks for the cleaning. I owe you one," said Yang as she started leaving. She then stopped and turned around.
"Um...you mind if I ask a question?" she went back to Maos.
"Sure, what is it?" Maos raised an eyebrow.
"Do I...do I make you uncomfortable?" Yang seemed embarrassed.
"Huh? What kind of question is that?" Maos seemed a bit confused.
/You mind if I leave?/ asked Fox with his own semblance to talk to Maos. /Sure, the invisibility will still hold for 1 minute./ And so Fox left.
Yang seemed to be a bit embarrassed at first. "I mean... I feel like you've been avoiding me since day one," she said.
The sorcerer paused for a few seconds, letting Yang speak. "You've been hanging out with Pyrrha, Jaune, Ruby, Weiss, and other people... but you seem distant towards me," she continued.
Maos then reconsidered all the moments he had spoken to Yang this semester. [She's right... it's just hard for me to look at her...]
"Did I do anything wrong?" asked Yang. "I asked Coco and Team CFVY, and they said I should be directly asking you... that it was a bit more personal." She held one of her arms with the others.
The young sorcerer sighed. Yang seemed really disturbed, and she probably felt left out compared to everyone else.
"Okay, listen... you didn't do anything wrong... it's really just me," said Maos, facepalming a bit at himself. "It's mostly because I'm really stupid, really."
"I'm sorry for making you feel left out. It's really not what I wanted, and I never thought of it that way."
"But... why?" asked Yang. "I don't understand."
The sorcerer looked at the sky for a few seconds. [Ok, screw it.]
"You mind following me?" asked Maos. "Just so we can have some privacy. We're in the middle of the school."
"Um... sure," said Yang, a bit confused, but she chose to follow him.
Soon after, they found themselves in an empty classroom.
"Just don't scream, it may seem weird," said Maos.
"What?" asked Yang, she take a half-defense stand "What do you mean ?"
"So...first...your mom is Raven Branwen...right?" said Maos, he turn around to see Yang in a half-defensive stand
"...what are you doing ?" asks Maos "I won't do anything to you, I just want to show you something"
"who asks a girl to not scream when they brought her alone in an empty classroom ?"said Yang as she seem to slowly go back to her normal composure
Maos and Yang stare at each other for several seconds "Once I show you, it will be even weirder...anyways...raven Branwen..."
"Yes...I'm surprised you know that name...did Qrow talk to you about it?" asked Yang.
"Yes, in some way," responded the sorcerer. "And you look almost identical to her, right?"
"I've heard it often from my dad and Qrow, yes...where are you getting at?" Yang was really confused.
"Do you mind if I make an image of your mom using an illusion ?" asked Maos.
"You know what she looks like? you can make an Image with your semblance?" asked Yang, her eyes becoming suspicious.
"Qrow showed me a picture, also I can do many things," said Maos, and the blonde girl became less suspicious. "I guess you can..."
Maos cast a [major illusion], and an image of Raven Branwen appeared, the same size as Yang.
Yang's face actually became shocked. She approached the illusion and moved her hand to go through it. "It feels...weird...it's the first time I've seen her like that. I've only seen the picture before..."
[She's not going crazy...that's good, that's good,] thought Maos.
"So...you know the idea that people can have identical twins...but they are not related at all?" Maos seemed to try to say the right words to not seem weird
"Yeah, I've heard about it. The probability is still incredibly low," said Yang, starting to see where this was going.
"Yep," said Maos, as he made an image of his mom appear next to Raven. If they didn't have different clothes, nobody would be able to tell the difference.
Yang stared at it, frozen for a whole minute. Maos even got worried that she had brain damage, given how her face looked. She then pointed to Raven. "So...that's..." She then pointed to Mao's mother. "They are not the same person, right?"
"Nope, they are two different people. My mom died when I was a child, and I know Raven Branwen is very much alive," responded Maos, as he took a seat on the teacher's desk. Yang actually followed him and sat as well, in silence.
She turned to Maos. "Are...are we related? I mean, Qrow and Raven are twins...a triplet is rare but not impossible..." said Yang, taking almost a second between every word.
"Do you think Qrow would have not told you about a secret aunt?" said Maos.
"Yes...you're right...lying is not something he would do, at least I don't think he would have lied about that," said Yang.
The illusion disappeared, leaving Yang and Maos sitting on the teacher's desk.
"So that's why you've been avoiding me...I look like your mom...a lot." The awkward silence kept multiplying.
"Just...whoa..." Yang still looked like she could not believe it.
"I promise I won't avoid you anymore. That was childish behavior from me. I promise I'll make up for it in the rest of the year," said Maos. He felt relieved to have told Yang. She didn't answer, but she seemed lost in her own thoughts. Maos touched her shoulder a bit.
Yang took a deep breath. "Sorry, I just...I think I need to, like...process this."
Then they heard the clocks moving and turned to see them
"It's almost lunchtime, How about we go eat something at the cafeteria, so you...we can have time to think about it?" suggested Maos.
"Oh...I think I need that," said Yang
"By the way...where is your team?" asks Maos.
they are now both seated in the cafeteria, eating
"They went training. They are currently working on a special movement. I'm not in the movement they are working on today, so I decided to take some time to fix my outfit and make some adjustments to my weapons," said Yang. "I already told them not to wait for me to eat."
"I see..." Maos grabs his cup of coffee. "So...how do you feel about all this? Our moms being literal clones and you making me uncomfortable because you remind me too much of my mom and it's weird."
"I guess...I'm relieved in some way?" said Yang.
"Relieved?" the sorcerer put his glass down.
"I was scared you didn't like me. I know I can be a bit...aggressive, and it has pushed people away before..." explains Yang. "It's just that I always wanted to be friends with you, but I never really got the chance...like a chance to really make a bond. I know we have talked before, but we did not TALK...do I make sense?" Yang seems to really try to think her words.
"I think I get what you mean," said Maos. "You're not the only one I don't have that much bonding with."
"Like who?" asks Yang.
"Blake," said Maos. "She's been one to avoid me, and it's not like she's hiding it."
"is she ? I never realized..." reacts Yang as she eats a bit of her meal.,she seem to then think a bit , remembering a few time, she did see Maos trying to reach Blake and she just walk away before he could talk"oh, I see now..."said Yang
"I had many failed attempts at conversations with her only, and she basically walks away," said Maos.
"Any specific to talk about?" asks Yang.
"Yes, it's actually pretty important for her and me," said Maos.
"Love? You wanna hit on her?" asks Yang. Maos just stands there in confusion. "No? Why would you think that?"
Yang puts away her forks. "Blake doesn't realize, but a ton of guys have been checking her out. Thankfully, I like training my fist in real-life situations. Those guys usually hit on me first because I look more open to that kind of thing, apparently, according to the number of guys who ask for my number every time I go out in the city. Just was curious if it was the same reason."
"Don't get me wrong, Blake is attractive, and you are as well," said Maos.
"Thanks, you two!" reacts Yang as she winks and makes a finger gun at him. She sees Maos shiver, even his eyes looking away. "Please...don't flirt like that...it's really weird for me."
Yang waves her hand in front of his face. "Oops...sorry, forget about that...just a bad habit..."
"Anyway, no, it's not the reason why I need to talk to Blake. It's just that I have news from a family member of hers, but I just can't get a moment where I can speak alone with her about it and where she doesn't run away," said Maos.
"A family member?...why do you feel like you know something about Blake that I don't?" asks Yang.
"If she didn't tell you, I'm not going to," the sorcerer crosses his arms a bit.
"Oh, I will ask a few questions next time I see her..." said Yang.
Suddenly, Maos's scroll rings. "You mind if I answer that?" He looks at it. [Holy?! It's Sienna?!] He almost falls off his chair,but since he was getting up,he manage to make it look almost normal
Yang just waves her hand "Do what you have to do,I won't move for like 10 minutes at least" and keeps eating as Maos gets up and leaves
"I'll be back soon"said Maos,he does intend to finish his meal
[Dimension Door: 5th level] - A portal opens in front of Maos, and he walks through it. The portal disappears right after he steps through it. He finds himself outside of Beacon. He had increased the power of the spell to the 5th level to gain an extra 100 meters of distance, which is really helpful.
Maos then teleports again using the spell to gain even more distance. He wants to avoid being in the area of Beacon, in case Ozpin could use his powers to spy on him.
He answers the scroll. "Hey, you finally called," said Maos.
[calm emotion]Maos cast the spell on himself,he knows from experience that dealing with the leader of a terrorist group is stressful for him
"It took me a bit of time to go back to Menagerie and then for me to travel over to Vale in secret and get my hands on someone who could modify my scroll to call you without being found out. You better be worth it!" explained Sienna.
"I am," said Maos.
"Blake?" asks Sienna. "Did you find her?"
"I did," said Maos.
"Where?"
"Somewhere safe," responded Maos.
"Don't play games with me!" the high leader seemed really threatening on the phone.
"I said I would find and talk to her so you could get a chance to have a peaceful conversation with her. I didn't say I would tell you where she is," explained the sorcerer.
"Tch..." Maos could hear the tiger Faunus spit in anger. "And did you ask her? Will she talk to me?"
"I didn't get the chance yet, but I will soon," said Maos. "Also, I have a few questions myself for you."
"Do ask. Maybe I will bother to answer them," said Sienna, thinking she had control of the situation.
"I'd rather have a face-to-face conversation. I don't like speaking on the scroll. You're in Vale? Not in the city, I guess," said Maos.
"You think I'm stupid? I won't tell you my location on a scroll," said Sienna, sounding offended.
"Don't worry, I will find you. I'll see you tomorrow. Tell your people not to attack me or be in a place where no one is," said Maos.
"What?! Do you realize who you're talking to?" reacted the high leader.
"I do, and I highly respect you for that position. However, I have my own obligations on my side, and I cannot risk talking on a scroll. See you in person tomorrow," said the sorcerer, ending the call.
[That went well. She didn't call me 'human.' I guess she doesn't hate me for that reason. It's small progress, but progress still,] he thought to himself.
Then he went back to Yang. He learned from Yang that the place to talk to Blake is the library, and so he knew what to do tomorrow
he look at his scroll, he's done with yang, every problem between them has been explained
"so I have, Sienna khan,Blake,stolen dust...and me reading the book of magic to keep up my progress"
"Blake first, then Sienna, and then I will go in Vale after tomorrow to ask a few questions my dear business partner Junior"
The next day, Maos was reading in the library, waiting for Blake. Yang had told him that she would probably go to the library before going to lunch. Maos was reading the first volume, 'Chaos,' of 'The Origin of Wild Sorcerer' by Lyssa, which is about the first wild magic sorcerer
In the early years of humanity, mankind began constructing societies. There were fewer than a thousand humans in the entire world, gathered in one city. A man who was named king long ago was expecting a child with his wife. This was a significant event because the God of Light himself would name the child after its birth. Magic was still in its early stages, and childbirth was always a momentous occasion.
However, it was discovered that the father of the child was not the king, and the real father was a warrior who had died from a Grim. This child had no name and no purpose.
The mother approached the God of Light in his domain, holding her baby in her arms and crying and bleeding from giving birth. No one had helped her.
"Please, God of Light, you who created us, please give a name to my child so that his purpose shall be known! He is the son of the king!" said the woman.
The God of Light, in his human form, looked at the woman with anger.
"This child has no purpose, and therefore no name. You or his father did not want him. I came here with the intent to name the child of the king, and he is not. You have committed a crime by lying to me. Your punishment will be that this child will receive no name from me. He will not have my blessing. It is only the consequence of your actions," said the God of Light before disappearing.
The mother fell to her knees, desperate. Her child had not received the blessing of the God of Light, and naming him herself would be blasphemy.
Determined to find a name for her child, she set out to find the God of Darkness. She healed from giving birth, and along with her baby, she traveled and fought Grim for several hours, using her magic to the fullest. Every year, the creatures of Grim were slowly pushed back, creating more human territory, and the God of Darkness was forced to exile himself more and more by his own brother.
After a week of travel and fighting, the woman finally arrived at the domain of darkness.
"God of Darkness, please! Please name my child!" she pleaded.
The god emerged from his pools of pure destruction in the form of a dragon, seeking anyone who dared to approach him, let alone speak to him. He looked down at the woman.
"A human? Have you not gone too far from your city?" he spoke with the intent to scare her away.
However, she did not back down. Determined, she raised her baby up.
"This child was born from adultery. To punish me, your divine brother refused to name him," said the mother.
The god of darkness slowly backed down and leaned his huge draconic body. "And you dare come here... hoping I give a name to this child?"
"You went against order? You went against the rule my brother gave to your people?"
The dragon breathed heavily as his voice filled the whole area. "And you expect mercy from me? You expect a blessing from me?",The mother started crying, as did the baby who was woken by the god's voice. "Are you not our creator as well?"
The god of darkness seemed to stop and think. "Indeed, I am. You took a great risk by coming here." He raised his draconic head and looked into the distance. "You have slain many of my creations on your way here. You have used my gift to its most potential to destroy your enemies and protect your child."
The woman slowly lowered her arm, still holding her crying baby. She was too tired to even stand up anymore. She had used too much energy on her way here."Please..." she kept begging. In this era, a name meant everything, the only real difference between two people and their motivation.
The god of darkness actually caught the woman as she fell using his tail. "Very well, then. As your creator, you have shown me faith by merely coming here. You deserve a reward.", The god's draconic head went above the child.
"Your name shall be Chaos."
"Chaos? What does that mean?" asked the mother as she started smiling. "Chaos...that seems like a good name."
The word didn't exist until this day.
"We will see. He remains without purpose, but he will get the chance to decide the meaning of the word CHAOS," said the god of darkness. "Now leave and never come back."
The woman blinked only once and found herself back in the city, in her home. Her injuries were gone, and the child was in her arms. She raised her child.
The God of Light soon learned of the baby named Chaos. The two brothers fought and decided they should no longer name humans. Chaos was the very last human to be named by the gods themselves and the only human to ever be named by the God of woman was forgiven by the God of Light, and thus, she and her child were treated correctly. Her child grew up to be a very curious boy
16 years later, the territory of the god of darkness had expanded even further. It would take several months to reach him, even with magic.
Within his domain, the god of darkness was as alone as always, resting in his dragon form. Suddenly, he sensed a presence near him, above him actually. He looked up and saw a young man standing on top of a giant rock. The rock was almost 40 meters high and had been created by a grim that was too destructive.
"Who dares to enter the domain of darkness?" asked the god. He sensed the approach of a human soul.
The young man's eyes were continuously changing color from red to green, from green to purple, and back again. With great confidence, he said, "Hi, I presume you are the god of darkness?"
The dragon's eyes widened. It was the very same boy he had given a name to years ago. The boy then jumped down from the rock and landed on his feet, creating a shockwave. He didn't seem injured at all.
The boy then bowed down and said, "My name is Chaos."
The god stared at the boy. He realized that the boy was powerful, more powerful than he had thought a human could be when he had participated in their creation.
"I know who you are... Why are you here? What is the reason that leads you to this place?" asked the god, sensing the boy's trembling.
"I'm not sure... I just came here on a whim, I've seen the god of light every day in church and in decoration, but I've never seen you...just stories and fancy statues, I got curious and wanted to meet my other creator...and I thought.." admitted the boy, sweating a bit.
"why not just go there ?"
the god of darkness's eyes widened, this human... just came all the way here...on a mere whim?
"Hey," Maos said as he raised his eyes from the book, noticing Blake trying to get his attention. "I heard you wanted to talk to me, and you even involved Yang."
The sorcerer faked putting the book of magic away and made it disappear.
"You've been avoiding me," Blake said with a serious expression, her bow moving slightly.
The change in aura and energy made even Maos uneasy.
"I do, but shouldn't you consider that I didn't tell your secret to anybody, not even your team or my closest friend, actually," Maos said.
"Are you blackmailing me? What do you want?" Blake asked, trying her best to stay composed.
The sorcerer's eyes widened. "Blackmailing? You think I'm a bully or something? You do realize I'm a close friend to Velvet," he said, getting up from his chair.
As Blake seemed to calm down, going back to her usual face and dropping her defense, Maos did nothing to make her think he was an enemy.
"Let's go find somewhere with fewer people to listen," Maos said. "I'm not here to bring you any danger, I promise...so please put down that knife hidden in your sleeve."
"Tch..." Blake's eyes seemed sharper for a few seconds, but she put away the knife. "I will follow you. You better not ruin everything."
"That is not my intention," Maos said as he started walking.
She followed him outside of the library, and Maos turned to her. "Grab my hand, and I will teleport us."
She grabbed his hand without hesitation. "You can do th-"
[Dimensional Door: 5th Level]
Maos and Blake were teleported to a cliff near Beacon, and they were alone.
"What-" Blake almost fell from the cliff, but Maos caught her and brought her back to safe ground.
She almost readied herself to fight, but Maos just took a seat with his legs above the fall of the cliff.
"You really need to work on your trust issues. How have you not been discovered yet? Are you that good of an actor?" Maos asked.
"Where are we?" Blake asked.
"About 500 meters away from Beacon, we actually teleported 3 times in a row. Your brain just couldn't keep up" he said, looking into the distance.
[3 times this spell at 5th level...I'm down 1/3 of my whole energy...5th level long range teleportation spell really not should be used repeated like that]thought the sorcerer
"Why do you want?" asked Blake, who had recently sat next to him. Her eyes still showed distrust.
"A week ago, I had a mission. In that mission, I happened to fight White Fangs. Don't worry, I didn't kill any of them. In fact, I actually tried to save them from Grims."
"What? You?"
"Anyway, that's not my point. You may not believe it, but on that mission, I met the high leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan."
Blake immediately got up. "And she didn't kill you? You're right, I don't believe you," she said, starting to leave.
"You are the daughter of Ghira Belladonna, the previous high leader and founder of the White Fang. You were a member yourself in the past," said Maos louder, so Blake could hear him.
She sighed and came back. "How do you know that?"
"I asked Sienna Khan. She and I had a long conversation. She even saved my life."
"She what?" reacted Blake. "You're a bad liar, can you at least make a lie that is even close to remotely plausible ?"
If only she knew the number of spells Maos could use on her to force her to listen, believe him, and even obey him. He could have even boosted himself using spells like [calm emotion], [serene face], [friendly face], and yet he chose not to use any of them. After several weeks with Team RWBY or even Team JNPR, he became attached to them and was close enough to them for them to be counted among the list of people that goes in the "no mind magic when interacting with them" rule.
Even Blake, who had avoided him when alone, seemed to be friendly when around her team. He knew she was a good person, or at least tried to be.
"Hear me out, at least. You can think about it later. She wanted to see you. In exchange for my life, I owe her a favor. And so, she asked me to find you and allow her to have a chat with you," said Maos. "So please, take a seat and ask any questions you have."
The cat Faunus looked at the horizon, thought a bit, and then sighed. She sat next to Maos, taking a few seconds to breathe. She even took off her bow, letting her cat ears be free.
"Why does she want to see me?" asked Blake.
"After you left, the White Fang started splitting and having internal problems. It seems like the daughter of the man who founded the group leaving made some of them realize the message had deviated," said Maos. "So Sienna wanted to either try to convince you to come back to the White Fang or at least try to understand why you left."
"She's the reason the group became that violent in the first place!" said Blake.
"And now she's trying to think and has doubts about her ideas. I don't know how she was before I met her, but even when I met her, she was still pretty hateful toward humans. However, I think I managed to convince her a bit that people have evolved since the slavery period."
"You? A human convinced her?" Blake turned to him. "Convinced is a big word. I still think she has anger toward humans, but I hope and feel like I managed to help her have a...nuanced view of humans."
"I...I see," said Blake. "So...you intend to bring me to her?"
"Do you want me to? You can just say no. I already warned Sienna that I would not forcefully bring you."
"Really...you can do that? You can put conditions on the high leader?" asked Blake.
Maos sighed. "You've never seen me fight, have you?"
"No, I haven't. Much to Yang's and a lot of people's disappointment, all the first years are still waiting for it."
"Don't worry, it will happen soon," said Maos.
"Really?" reacted Blake.
"Yeah, I will participate in some combat class with the first years because of the tournament at the end of the year."
Blake thought for a second. "Are you saying you're just strong enough to face Sienna Khan and the White Fang?"
Maos sighed. "Not to that point, but let's just say I impressed Sienna Khan, and she respects me for it."
"I hope you'll impress the first years because some of us have been doubting."
"Really?" reacted Maos. His face turned to Blake
Their conversation felt like an interrogation at first, but it became more light-hearted and almost sounded like a talk between friends.
"Really, Cardin likes saying that he could beat you. Other people in the first year are starting to think you are just a poster boy," said Maos as he got up. Blake got up as well, just following his movement.
"So...you want to see Sienna or not?" asked Maos.
Blake looked down a bit. "I...I'm not sure...she will probably be mad at me."
"I'll give you time to think," said Maos. "You know where to find me."
"Wait, before you teleport us back...I have a question...two actually," said Blake. "Don't you want to know why I fled? Why I chose to hide my ears?"
The sorcerer raised his hand. "Do you want to tell me? I am curious, but I won't force you or just ask a question I'm sure you don't want to answer. Your team should be the first to learn about it. You share a bedroom with them."
Blake smiled a bit at him, reminding Maos of how pretty she is.
"Second question...why did you not reveal my nature to other people...like Yang? I know you had the opportunity. You don't even seem weirded out by the fact that I'm hiding it from my own team."
The sorcerer looked into the distance. "Let's just say...I have my share of secrets. It would be really hypocritical of me to reveal your nature to people, even your team, when I did not...I guess I'm just as much a liar as you."
Blake wondered what kind of secret Maos has. The young man realized the cat Faunus' curiosity; she probably had several theories in mind.
"Can I try to guess what it is?" said Blake. "You know mine..."
"Oh, if you manage to guess what my secret is, I'll literally go and rob a bank and give all the money to you. And I am serious," joked Maos.
Blake seemed to accept the challenge.
"You're a secret Faunus like me?"
"No."
"Alien?"
"What?" The sorcerer was surprised by Blake's idea.
"Bioengineered human?"
"You have a strange imagination," reacted Maos.
"Robot in disguise?"
"Okay, stop,I think you read a bit too many books" said Maos, as he almost laughed a bit. Blake did too.
They then went back to a more serious tone. "Can I ask a question?" Maos turned to Blake, who was ready for his question. "Is it hard...is it hard to lie to your friends like that?"
Blake looked down in shame. "You have no idea...I can't count the number of times I just wanted to take off my bow and scream I'm Faunus, especially to Yang and Ruby."
"What about you? Is it hard to lie to your friends? To lie to Team CFVY?"
Maos sighed heavily. "Yeah...sometimes I wish I could just...let it go...just tell everyone." Maos rubbed a hand against his eyes for a second. "Anyway...we should get back now. You with your team, and me with Team CFVY. also,don't forget your ear,you just put back you bow"
Blake listen to the advice and hide her cat ears again
"Come on, grab my hand and I will teleport us back to Beacon, or you can walk there. It's not that far."
Blake hesitated for a bit before speaking up, "Tomorrow... my team and I are going to the city of Vale. Weiss wants to spy on the incoming students from Haven. I will come to see you after that and tell you my answer."
"I'll wait. I have other things to do during the day anyways," said Maos as he raised his hand. Blake grabbed his hand and they both teleported away.
In the afternoon, Maos gathers his gear and sword in his room.
"Okay, Sienna, where are you?" he asks, concentrating to prepare a spell.
[Scrying: Sienna Khan,] he casts a 5th-level spell that allows one to see anyone they know and have a link to. Maos then sees Sienna in an obvious camp of the White Fang, but where exactly?
He sees Sienna moving around and looks around as well. The spell doesn't confine his vision to what Sienna sees, and his mind can move around the location. The sorcerer sees the mountain chains near Vale, the city in the far distance, and then Sienna moving toward a tent in the camp, where he sees Adam.
"That guy is also here? That's problematic," Maos thinks to himself. Using Sienna, he can see the inside of the tent and realizes there is a map.
"Well, that makes everything much easier," he says to himself, able to locate the position of the camp on the map.
Suddenly, he feels eyes on him and looks towards Adam.
"Adam! What are you doing?!" Sienna reacts.
"There was...something...I think...forgive me, it won't happen again," Adam responds as he puts his sword away.
Maos staggered back into his room, clutching his neck as blood dripped down. He breathed heavily, still in shock from Adam's attack. As he healed himself using wild magic, he couldn't shake off the fear that remained.
After taking a moment to collect himself and assess the situation, Maos realized that Adam's attack wasn't just physical, but also psychic. This meant that Adam had an exceptional level of control over his energy and was able to sense and target Maos' mind.
Maos muttered to himself, "That dude has such heightened fight senses and instincts that he could even feel my presence? Since when can people do that?" He shook his head in disbelief, "And to think he was able to hurt me with that swing. Does he have that much control over his energy?"
"I was already surprised when he managed to withstand my 4th-level body-enhancing magic and survive my 5th-level wild magic for more than a second, but this is taking it too far," Maos said, still trying to come to terms with the level of skill and control Adam possessed.
However, oddly enough, Maos was also excited. It was the first time he had encountered someone like Adam. Adam was quite literally superhuman, clearly above regular humans, faunus, and even regular huntsmen.
"What makes him different?" Maos pondered. "Is it the silver eyes? The environment in which he grew up? A special aura training technique?"
[This second humanity is full of surprises and love it] he thought to himself.
After fully calming down, Maos was ready to leave. He had rested to recharge his energy since the spell scrying took a lot of energy. Adding that to the three 5th-level teleportations he did earlier, he had to recharge his energy or he would pass out on his way there.
"Now let's go there. I hope that guy is not there when I arrive," Maos said to himself. "I'm curious about him, but obviously he's hostile towards me."
and then Maos left Beacon after transforming into a Black bird using [Wild shape]
and that's it for this chapter, hope you like it, and maybe see you in the next one!