Gamer4 in. Before we begin, I'd like to address another review, which has accused me of actively avoiding Xenoblade 2. I'm going to address this accusation as clearly and concisely as I can. A-hem... the Xeno series is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to the Xeno series. It consists of six games that each have more text than the average Harry Potter novel, without touching on the actual gameplay. (Granted, that's counting Saga as one game rather than the four games and one flash animation that it actually is.) This story is meant to cover all six of these very large games, complete with reactions. Before sinking into the meat of them all, I wished to offer an introduction to each, starting with Xenoblade 2 due to fan response to these worlds in mainline YAM. As a result, it was always going to be some time before I got back to covering Xenoblade 2. By introducing the stories, I mean reposting the episodes from mainline YAM, plus an extra episode or two so that readers who were already familiar with the reposts got something new. At no point have I even considered avoiding any of the games in question- the thought literally never crossed my mind. However, as I said, Xenoblade 2 is merely the tip of the Xeno series iceberg, one of six. I have already promised that it would be the first world I revisit once all introductions are complete, and gave a timeline for how long that is expected to take. Please read all of my notes to see if your concerns have been addressed before expressing them in a review, and if there is a particular Xeno game you are particularly looking forward to, feel free to request it, but please do not accuse me of intentionally neglecting one of my six favorite games of all time because I don't immediately get around to it. I have five other games to accommodate, each of which has people just as passionate for them as you are for Xenoblade 2. With that novel-length response, I invite you all into the world of Xenoblade X, with Childhood's End. I know some of you have been looking forward to this, and if you can get past my whinging, I hope you can enjoy.
Episode XV
Childhood's End
"Well, now that they're in a relatively safe spot," Vanessa concluded, "I think it's time to move on to introducing the final Xeno world."
"After everything else, I can only imagine what this one will be like," Weiss crossed her arms.
"Actually, it's closest in spirit to Voyage Home," Vanessa acknowledged. "More space-opera esque, albeit only on one planet."
"Is this one going to open with a big disaster again?" Ruby asked nervously again.
"Technically, yes," Vanessa said, somewhat hesitantly. "But... we're not going to see it directly, so to speak. Look, it's easier just to watch."
"Let's just get it overwith," Winter suggested. "At least after this, it's all progress going forward."
The world started by showing Jaune Arc standing on the edge of a beach, looking out over the ocean. Text appeared, narrated by the man himself: "A scattered dream, like a far-off memory. A far-off memory like a scattered dream. I want to... line the pieces up... yours and mine."
"Okay, did I just have too much to drink, or is this world starting off stranger than usual?" Qrow asked, rather fairly.
"It reminds me of how Chariots of Fire began," Blake immediately recognized. "The one starring Ren."
"Hmm, and if we're continuing along that line, the next step is a music- ah, there it is," Ren nodded.
The image shifted to Jaune sitting on a curving tree trunk, still staring out at the water, and glancing up at the stars above. At his side were two women- his sister Saphron, and a white-haired woman with a sidetail. Music was steadily fading in- vocals and a guitar riff.
"Arc and me?" Weiss arched a brow.
"Oh, this just might be interesting!" Yang grinned, rubbing her hands together.
"Yes... interesting..." Pyrrha looked downcast.
A star shower filled the sky, earning the smiles of the three watchers. However, as the guitar riff picked up again, first Saphron then Weiss seemed to disintegrate, scattering to the wind.
"What the- when did Thanos get the gauntlet?!" Ruby panicked.
"I very much doubt that what we're seeing is meant to be taken literally," Ozpin chuckled. "If it were, I very much doubt Mr. Arc would be taking it so calmly."
Indeed, Jaune didn't panic or even look sad- instead, he made to leap to his feet- only for gravity to seemingly shift drastically, sending him falling towards the sea as the entire scene disintegrated around him. A new one reformed- a concrete chamber, where he landed once more at Saphron's side- however, in place of Weiss was an older man with similar white hair and a magnificent white beard. All three were holding large guns as what looked like a hoarde of monsters surrounded them.
"Grimm?" Nora immediately sat up, grasping for a hammer.
"No... they're not," Ren shook his head. "These are... something else."
"That's... grandfather!" Weiss's eyes widened.
"It... it is!" Even Winter seemed caught off guard by Nicholas Arc's sudden appearance.
As the three humans opened fire, ducking and weaving through their attackers, a voice finally began to sing:
"It's you and I!
In a new la-a-a-and,
Angels in flight!
My sanctuary,
My sanctuary, yeah,
Where fears and lies
Melt awa-a-a-ay!
Music will tie
What's left of me,
What's left of me now."
As the song continued, the scene shifted again- Jaune ran into a room in the center of which was a blinding white light. Nicholas Arc lay unconscious before it- looking up from him, Jaune saw Saphron, preparing to enter the light, throwing one last smile behind herself at him. Jaune rushed towards her, but a large door seemed to appear, closing shut, cutting them off.
"You lost me," Jaune readily admitted. "I have no idea what this is trying to get across."
"I'm having trouble figuring out what's meant to be symbolic, what's meant to be taken literally, and what any of it is supposed to actually mean," Blake agreed.
"I watch you,
Fast asleep...
All I fear
Means nothing..."
Nicholas Arc reappeared, hugging a small child who was left on a beach. The sun began to rapidly rise and fall behind her- she disintegrated and reformed into a young woman with the familiar sidetail.
"In you and I,
There's a new la-a-a-and!
Angels in flight,
My sanctuary,
My sanctuary, yeah,
Where fears and lies
Melt awa-a-a-a-ay,
Music will tie
What's left of me,
What's left of me-"
Behind Weiss, Nicholas reappeared, writing something down on behind a desk. Weiss's eyes widened as a door appeared before her and swung wide open- the camera entered to reveal a large, citadel-like structure, up which a man and woman were running; none other than Jaune and Weiss, each with guns that they fired at the monsters encroaching in on them.
"-What's left of me, now?
My heart's a battleground!"
The two kicked down the door into what looked like an office, with a tall-backed chair that turned around to reveal a dark-skinned woman with contrastingly light hair. She stood and picked up a gun, but before she could fire, a pair of monstrous arms emerged from the ether behind her, snatching her away- both Jaune and Weiss opened fire at the creature they could hardly see, giving hot pursuit.
"You show me
How to see
That nothing is whole
And nothing's broken..."
The two kicked down another door to find Nicholas Schnee behind his own desk- he looked up at them, his eyes widening in surprise as a glassy cocoon began to form around Jaune.
"In you and I,
There's a new la-a-a-and!
Angels in flight,
My sanctuary,
My sanctuary, yeah,
Where fears and lies
Melt awa-a-a-a-ay..."
Weiss banged her hand against the forming cocoon, but was unable to break through- Jaune's hand met hers as closely as he could through the glass, tears forming in both of their eyes as everything became white around him- the next thing he knew, he was lying face-up on the old, familiar beach, until...
"Music will tie
What's left of me,
What's left of me...
Now."
On that last beat, the beach disintegrated around him, sending him tumbling into an infinite darkness.
"My fears...
My lies...
Melt away..."
At last, he landed on some platform, but was still surrounded by that infinite blackness, even as the music finally came to a close.
"...Yeah, I'm still pretty sure I'm just drunk," Qrow readily admitted.
"So... Saphron... went through some door..." One could almost hear the gears whirring awaay in Jaune's head.
"Clearly, Jaune and I were working together to... I don't know," Weiss admitted.
"They were... rather sad to see each other go," Pyrrha observed as neutrally as possible.
"I... don't believe we'll understand until the world itself sees fit to explain more," Ren sighed heavily.
"Yes... I don't think we've been given nearly all the pieces yet," Blake agreed.
From the darkness, a man appeared- he was tall, slightly taller than Jaune. His hair was immaculately shaved, but grey with age that matched the wrinkles on his face. He wore a finely-pressed suit, and carried a briefcase in his right hand. Most unsettling of all, though, were his eyes... they were a pale, empty, hollow green.
"Yang... I don't like him," Ruby shivered, hiding behind her sister.
"Neither do I," Yang agreed.
"He's making my hackles rise..." Blake nodded, her ears flat against her head.
"He looks like... a walking corpse," Pyrrha shifted uncomfortably.
"Is he... something like Salem?" Qrow wondered.
"No..." Ozpin shook his head. "No, nothing like her at all."
Jaune, on the other hand, didn't balk at all- nor did he react with any overly emotional way. He simple turned, keeping his eyes on the man.
The man offered a small smile, perhaps meant to be reassuring, but was anything but. He then spoke, in a dry voice that sounded just as dead as Pyrrha had judged him.
"Rise and shine, Mr. Arc... Rise and shine." He gave a laugh that sounded more like a cough. "Not that I... wish to imply you've been... sleeping on... the job. No one is more... deserving... of a rest. Besides, all the effort in the world would have gone to waste, until... well. Let's just say your... time has come again."
"What's he rambling about?" Nora of all people asked.
"If I had to guess, he's calling on Jaune to do... something," Ren shrugged. "Something Jaune already seems to understand.
Indeed, Jaune didn't look remotely confused as the man continued his speech. "The right man in the... wrong place can make all the... difference in the world. So rise and shine, Mr. Arc- wake up, and smell the... ashes."
"Could he be any creepier?" Yang shuddered.
"I can think of a few ways," Qrow said- but fortunately kept his thought to himself.
The man faded away, leaving the landscape pitch black again- until it was overtaken with a bright, deep blue. White concentric circles appeared, and above them, white text:
LOGIN ID: BLAKE BELLADONNA
PASSWORD: YE SHALL BE AS GODS
"Er... what?" Ruby tilted her head.
The world went black again, until there was a hissing noise, and what looked like a door opened before him.
The camera turned to reveal a metal tube of sorts, sitting diagonally in the ground in the middle of a grassy canyon. A hatch in the tube was sliding open, and within was Jaune Arc. On the outside was a woman with long black hair and a pair of cat ears standing atop her head. Her arms were crossed, and her amber eyes widened when she saw the man inside.
"A stasis pod... it's a stasis pod!" Ruby realized. "Blake's pulling Jaune out of a stasis pod!"
"You're getting excited again- something to do with space again?" Yang chuckled.
"Yes! Well, kinda- it doesn't have to be, but it would be one way to get across space within your lifetime! You step in, and it's like your body gets paused until you step out!"
"In layman's terms, I suppose that's a succinct description, yes," Winter decided. "Is that what happened here, then?"
Once his eyes adjusted, the man realized it wasn't actually all that bright out- it was actually raining. Looking down, he took stock of his situation, and took an uneasy step out. The second his foot made contact with the ground outside the pod, his leg buckled and he stumbled forward. Fortunately, the woman was there to grab him before he hit the ground and gently guide him into a sitting position against the pod.
"Careful there," she said gently. "Stasis sickness is a doozy."
"If his body has been... on pause, as you put it... yes, I'd imagine it would take some time for it to reacclimate," Pyrrha agreed.
"So, you think all that weird stuff before was just dreams he was havin' in stasis?" Nora suggested.
"Not to discount the possibility, but I feel something so unimportant wouldn't be shown to us," Ozpin speculated. "The mere fact that we were shown it implicitly places at least some importance upon it."
"Lag aside, you seem to be in one piece," Blake looked him over. "Oh- I should make sure I'm communicating clearly. If you can understand me... raise four fingers."
Jaune was still breathing heavily, but he raised his right hand, every finger extended except his pinky.
"Hmm, that's unusual... he's doing it in the Atlesian style," Winter observed.
"Eh?" Ruby and Yang tilted their heads.
"Dolts," Weiss rolled her eyes. "In Vale, when you're counting on your fingers, you go: Index, middle, ring, pinky, thumb. It's much the same in Atlas, except we start with the thumb."
"Huh?" Clearly, the sisters still didn't understand.
"Okay," Qrow piped up. "Let's say I'm ordering in a Valean bar, and I want two beers. I raise my fingers like this." He extended his index and middle fingers. "But if I were in an Atlesian bar, I'd do it like this." He extended his thumb and forefinger. "Get it?"
"Oh, like that one movie!" Yang snapped her fingers. "Inglorious... something-or-other."
"It would take a grindhouse movie for you to understand, wouldn't it?" Whitley rolled his eyes.
"Shut it, you," Yang hissed. She then turned to Jaune. "Hey, VB, which way do you do it in Ansel?"
"Well, Ansel's part of Vale, so we do it the Valean way," Jaune explained. "Not sure why my other'd be doing it the Atlesian way."
If Blake thought anything was strange, she didn't express it. "Good... that's good." She glanced around the clearing. "Your pod is the only one I could find." She turned her attention back to him. "My name is Blake Belladonna. You?"
"My... my name?" Jaune finally choked out. "My name is... it's..." He trailed off, his eyes widening. "My... I can't remember! I can't remember my name!"
"Another amnesiac Jaune?" Blake tiled her head. "This time with no memories at all?"
"Probably the stasis," Ruby nodded sagely.
"Calm down, calm down," Blake raised her voice slightly, but remained gentle. "Plenty of people experience memory loss after a long stretch of time in stasis. Just breathe... in and out. In... and out."
Jaune nodded, following her example. Finally, he said, "Jaune. My name... it's Jaune. Jaune Arc."
"Okay, at least I've got that much going for me," Jaune sighed thankfully.
"Good, that's progress!" Blake smiled encouragingly. "Now, do you remember anything else?"
Jaune paused, thinking long and hard, before forlornly shaking his head. "That's all."
"Well, that's okay," Blake decided. "It'll come with time." She raised a hand when he made to climb to his feet. "Don't... don't stand up just yet. I... have some things to tell you. Things that it's better you find out now, rather than later. Diving into the deep end, so to speak."
"Uh-oh," Ruby quivered at the tone of voice. "That doesn't sound good."
Blake took a deep breath. "Do you remember... anything about Earth? Our home planet?"
"That's... a weird question," Jaune chuckled faintly. "Like you said, our home planet- it's where we are right... right..." He trailed off as Blake shook her head.
"We're not on Earth right now," she whispered, her voice dropping. "There's no easy way to say this- there is no Earth anymore. It was... it was destroyed."
"WHAAAAAAT?!" Ruby, Yang and Nora cried.
"Destroyed?!" Weiss gasped. "I know in Voyage Home, they were losing track of planets, but destruction?"
"Was it grimm? Did the grimm do it?" Nora jumped up and down nervously.
"The entire planet... destroyed?" Winter stared, aghast.
Ozpin didn't speak, unable to remove his mouth from his mug. Qrow was much the same with his bottle.
"D-destroyed?" Pyrrha stammered. "As in, gone? Not conquered- there's nothing left?"
"What- what do you mean, destroyed?" Jaune choked out. "How- how could an entire planet-"
"Breathe," Blake emphasized. Jaune started breathing- then hyperventilating. "Draw breath for ten seconds!" Blake ordered. "In for ten seconds, hold for ten seconds, out for ten seconds. In through your nose, out through your mouth."
"A very calming technique indeed," Ren agreed, not drawing attention to the fact he was relying on it himself at the moment.
Jaune fought to do as she said. In through the nose for ten seconds... hold for ten seconds... out through the mouth for ten seconds. As he practiced, Blake continued.
"I don't know exactly when you went under, so I'll do my best to cover as much as I can. The year was 2061. A race of aliens appeared from the stars, and fought to enslave humanity. In just seven hours, they forced all the united armies of the planet to surrender."
"Seven hours..." Winter struggled to imagine it. "The might of Atlas, united with Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral... all overcome... in seven hours?"
"One day, another race of aliens came, fighting off the first," Blake continued. "We thought they were our saviors... but they weren't. More like our new managers. It became a three-way war, and humanity was horribly- almost hilariously- outgunned. So, we did the only thing we could- and retreated."
"Retreated to where?" Whitley pointed out. "If the entire planet was dominated, where could they possibly have run to?"
"As we found out, the world's united government was aware that aliens were coming- they'd been planning for it, preparing escape ships- white whales, they were called. It was a fierce battle, but those of us that remained were able to board the ships and escape into the cosmos. And as we turned back one last time... we saw the planet collapse into itself." A tear traced its way down Blake's cheek. "It's gone."
"That's a heck of a thing to drop on a guy who's just woken up," Yang muttered, crossing her arms tightly as she always did when she was uncomfortable.
"Well, it's like she said," Pyrrha pointed out. "He was going to find out eventually. I don't think there ever would have been a good time to tell him."
Jaune's breathing was threatening to turn ragged again, but he fought to keep it under control. He looked around. "Then... then where are we now?"
"This?" Blake looked around. "This is the planet we escaped to. We've named it Mira. Our white whale crashed here two months ago."
"Crashed?" Jaune repeated.
"Yes, hence why stasis pods got scattered everywhere," Blake nodded. "I'm part of the organization dedicated to finding survivors who got separated from the main ship- among other things. We can talk more on our way back to the city. Can you walk?"
"City? What city? I thought it was only one ship that landed here," Qrow pointed out.
"Well, big things can move through space," Ruby pointed out, a note of eagerness entering her voice.
Jaune accepted the hand she offered him, and allowed her to pull him back up to his feet. He tested his legs. "Yeah... I think I can walk."
"Good. Next thing is to give you a weapon." From her back, she gave him an automatic assault rifle and a long knife. "Apologies if you have other preferences, but this is all I have on hand."
"Um... okay, but why?" Jaune asked, accepting the offered weapons.
"We landed amongst some indigenous life- and not all of it is friendly," Blake said simply. "Do you know how to use those?"
"How... how tricky can it be?" Jaune laughed nervously. "A knife's a knife, and a gun... just point and shoot, right?"
Blake watched closely as he slung the rifle over his back. His words were amateurish, but he was observing all the rules for safe weapon handling, whether he was conscious of it or not. "Good. Let's get going. I'm assuming you'd prefer a dry bed tonight."
She turned and let him away from the pod and on a grassy path through a small canyon.
"He's already handling those weapons more safely than I'd imagine our Jaune would," Weiss rolled her eyes.
"I mean... you're not wrong," Jaune admitted, wincing as he recalled the time he'd attempted to use Pyrrha's rifle.
As they approached the canyon's exit, a creature leapt in front of them- a giant insect with wings half as long as Jaune's entire body.
"Blatta," Blake muttered. "Thought I was being followed. Not to alarm you, but we're going to have to defend our-"
Before the words were properly out of her mouth, Jaune had already drawn his rifle and opened fire. Using a series of short, controlled bursts, he destroyed the insect as it attempted to fly towards them, not one bullet wasted.
"Oh, wow..." Ruby had stars in her eyes.
"That... is unusual," Blake conceded.
Blake glanced towards her new charge. "Okay... that was impressive. Have you been trained to use a gun?"
"I mean... not that I remember," Jaune shrugged, somewhat helplessly, even as he expertly reloaded his rifle, using maneuvers that usually took months to learn.
"No, he's absolutely received training," Winter assessed through narrowed eyes. "Nobody just picked up a gun and uses it that efficiently on their first try."
"He may not remember it, but his body certainly does," Ozpin concurred.
"I'm not upset," Blake smiled halfway. "Quite the opposite, in fact. There's plenty of work in the city for someone who knows their way around weaponry."
"If it's all the same, I'd like to focus on getting my memory back first," Jaune shook his head as he once again slung the weapon over his shoulder.
"Understandable," Blake nodded. "Sorry if I'm getting ahead of myself. You did just wake up, after all. For now... ah!" She looked up- the rain was starting to clear a little. She gave a catlike smirk. "Come on, you'll want to see this."
"Something that will make up for the trauma you just dumped on him?" Yang gave a weak chuckle.
Jaune followed her to the mouth of the canyon- ahead, he could see tall, jagged cliffs in the distance, still shrouded in clouds... until they weren't. The sun finally emerged, revealing vast, green rolling fields- sky-flung cliffs decorated with majestic, crystal-blue waterfalls. Creatures he didn't even know how to describe galloped across the plains, or soared through a sky in which he could see no less than three moons. As he struggled to take it all in, a large head at the end of a kilometer-long neck rose- a flat triangle with eyes on either end blinking curiously at him before losing interest and sinking towards the vast lake below for a drink of water.
"Whoah..." Ruby stared.
"It's... magnificent!" Weiss gazed.
"It's... certainly not hideous," Whitley roughly admitted.
Nora took a deep breath, prompting Ren to groan. "Nora, no-"
"HOLY F& #ING S#*T, IT'S A DINOSAUR, JESUS CHRIST, WHAT THE F& #?! OH MY F& #ING GOD, F& #ING DINOSAUR, WHAT THE FU-U-& #?!"
Everybody else slowly lowered their hands from their ears. "I... suppose we should have seen that coming," Pyrrha admitted softly.
"If you'd dropped the lyrics, it would have been quite fitting for the sense of awe," Ozpin sighed heavily.
A large, winged creature made of what looked like stone soared overhead, close enough that Jaune could feel its slipstream.
Blake smiled when she saw how low his jaw was. "Wild, isn't it? As far as we can tell, they're all indigenous. We're doing our best to coexist with them. Welcome to Mira, Jaune Arc- a planet you won't find on any starchart. Still, it's humanity's new home."
"It's... something," Jaune nodded, struggling to say even that much.
"It certainly is," Blake chuckled.
Abruptly, the screen cut to black with the title written in white:
CHILDHOOD'S END
"Who's the child they're talking about?" Ruby pondered.
"In all likelihood, it's a metaphor for humanity's childhood," Ozpin guessed. "I suppose discovering that we are not alone and barely surviving our first encounter with other races by the skin of our teeth would certainly count as such a thing."
The screen faded back in, where Jaune was looking across the plain to a vast metal structure in the distance- he thought it was circular, but it was difficult to tell due to the sheer size of the thing- it had to be miles across before it arched out of his sight. Below the metal were large blue spikes.
"Is that...?"
"Yes, it's the city I've been telling you about," Blake agreed. "New Vytal, we call it. It was once the habitation unit of the White Whale- now it's our city. Not especially large, as cities go, but it's home."
"And the blue spikes?" Weiss wondered.
"And the blue spikes?" Jaune asked.
"Oh... thanks, Jaune," Weiss blinked.
"Repulsion gel- its deployment is what cushioned our fall," Blake explained. "It's hardened now, but during the crash, it's the only reason New Vytal remained intact."
"Hmmm, sounds rather useful," Ozpin mused. "Perhaps we should begin development of a similar compound upon returning."
"Perhaps we should," Winter agreed, unwilling to admit that Atlas was already well underway with such a product.
Jaune took an almost dreamlike step towards the city, prompting Blake to throw out her arm. "Hold it," she chuckled. "Look down."
Jaune did so, and flushed when he realized he'd nearly walked directly off a cliff that would have taken him probably over a mile to the ground. "Oh."
"I think that would be at the top of the list for dumb ways to die," Jaune groaned.
"Let's see, let's see," Nora brought out a list. "Hmm... setting fire to your hair, poke a stick at a grizzly bear... eating medicine that's out of date, use your private parts as pir-"
"Beep beep, Nora," Ren interjected, more firmly this time. "We're all aware of your list."
"Don't worry too much," Blake assured him. "We've run some numbers- gravity here isn't the same as on Earth. You could survive the fall. But there's a much easier-"
She looked, but Jaune was already gone. He was running down the path she'd been about to recommend, and every few steps, he took a leap into the air, soaring far and above what he'd be able to manage on Earth. His face lit up every time he did it. She chuckled, and took off after him.
"Well, I guess that's one way to brighten up after hearing your planet got destroyed," Blake rolled her eyes.
"At a guess, he's compartmentalizing it," Jaune speculated. "It'll hit him later, but for now... he's trying to find the positives."
Blake leapt up to where she could converse with him. "Do you know where you're going, Arc?"
"Towards the city, aren't we?" Jaune asked as he looked down to see the ground far below him- yet, when he landed, he felt no more force then jumping off a small wall back home.
"And I suppose you already know right where the gate is?" Blake quirked a brow.
"Well, I was hoping you could show me that," Jaune admitted, slowing down and allowing Blake to take the lead.
"Man, that looks like fun!" Nora grinned. "Oh, oh, do you think this planet exists in our world?!"
"Even if it does, I doubt we'll have the technology to travel to it for several hundred years more," Winter crossed her arms.
"Oh, phooey," Nora pouted.
The ground sloped downward, until their path joined with the plains and flattened out. Blake led him towards an opening in the city's large, metal walls, cliffs rising on either side.
"This... was just the habitat unit?" Jaune stared, eyes wide.
"Oh, yes," Blake nodded. "The White Whale was one hell of a ship. This is the west gate- it's closed off at the moment for security, but we've got a freight elevator that will take us to a higher... en... trance..."
She trailed off when a howl split the air. Three great beasts were lumbering towards them, some mix of wolf, lizard, and insect, on four legs the size of tree trunks, six eyes atop large mouths filled with sharpened teeth.
"I think I liked the dinosaur better," Ruby squeaked. "And not just because it was happy to mind its own business!"
"Grexes," Blake identified. "Angry grexes. We can't leave them this close to the gate."
"Permission to engage?" Jaune asked.
"Granted."
Blake unsheathed two blades from her back and leapt forward, as Jaune readied his gun and opened fire. Unfortunately, the beasts' hide was tougher than he'd expected. The bullets didn't bounce off, but didn't seem to do much more than enrage them, either. It bounded towards him, and, acting almost on instinct, he ducked below it and pulled out his knife, driving it up into the monster's comparatively soft underbelly, slicing it open as it ran by. It managed a couple more steps before collapsing onto its side and moving no more.
"I reiterate my earlier point," Winter said simply.
He turned to Blake, who had managed to behead one of the other grexes, earning the ire of the third, which was pawing angrily at her. Seized by sudden inspiration, Jaune readied his gun again, waiting for an opportune moment.
The grex was pawing at the ground, snarling, before letting out a roar- and that was when Jaune opened fire into the beasts gullet. The roar became a shriek of pain as the grex looked up into the sky, staggered a few steps to one side, and collapsed.
"Yes- he moves like a professional huntsman," Pyrrha agreed.
"You... really think I could learn to move like that one day?" Jaune asked, dazzled.
"I'm certain if he can learn to do it, you can as well," Ozpin smiled at him. "It's not for nothing I allowed you into Beacon, my boy."
Blake glanced at him as she sheathed her weapons. "You certainly don't move like an amateur," she praised. She glanced at the dead beasts. "It's unfortunate we landed amidst so much hostile wildlife. Not all the indigens are aggressive, of course, but those that are pose a... remarkable problem. It's up to us to walk that fine line between self-defense and picking a fight."
"Yeah... I guess I know what you mean," Jaune nodded as he wiped his knife on the wet grass.
"A line some of us like to walk closer than others," Qrow noted with a glance at Winter.
"I'm sure I don't know what fantasies your drunken mind has conjured, Branwen," Winter sniped back.
"Alright, come on," Blake invited, guiding him towards a platform to the gate's left. "Let's get you into the city- maybe that will jog your memory a bit."
Jaune followed- a circular hologram appeared near a console on the platforms edge that Blake interacted with, causing the platform to begin rising. Soon, they were standing on a metal balcony of sorts, where several men and women were waiting. They applauded as Blake came into sight.
"Nice moves out there as usual, Blake," one of the men smiled, clapping a hand on her shoulder as she stepped off. "And the new guy ain't too shabby, either. He from a pod?"
"He is," Blake nodded. "Perhaps you could give us some space? I'm sure he's feeling a little overwhelmed."
Jaune was indeed, though he was glad she'd said it instead of him.
"Yeah... I could use some air," Jaune nodded, gulping.
Blake turned him towards a low, but wide metal tunnel, and guided him through it. On the other side, he saw the vastness of the city- warehouses, suburbs, shops, and skyscrapers flung high above the outer walls. The tallest drew his attention right away- as did the odd number almost a kilometer high being projected onto its windows: 60%. It was all constructed above a vast lake or reservoir below, water shimmering in the falling sunlight. From the catwalks above, he and Blake could see it all.
"Not too bad... for a crashed ship," he finally choked out.
"Indeed," Blake smiled gently. "Like it or not, this is our home now. Named after the city it launched from back on Earth- welcome to New Vytal."
As they stared over it all, a narrator began to speak: "And so it was that another survivor came to join our band of refugees."
"Oh, Ruby!" Yang perked up. "That's what I like to hear- my little sister is here!"
"Please, stop..." Ruby pleaded.
"Together, we'd resolved to forge a new life on this planet, come what may. Our city, New Vytal... it was our beautiful lie to ourselves. Our way of pretending we weren't adrift through the unknown. Our native home, gone in a flash of light. Our future, uncertain. We had no idea what lay in store for us, but we had to keep living if we were going to see it."
"That is humanity's power," Ozpin smiled. "To keep going into that uncertain future, with the strength of our conviction that we will make it through, no matter the trial."
"Well put," Vanessa nodded. "So... would you like to see some more?"
XXXX
I'm well aware this one's shorter than usual, but as I happen to be playing through Xenoblade X at the moment (I'll be Joseph, if any of you are playing yourselves and are curious if I'm on at the same time,) I'm ideally placed to realize that the opening chapters don't really break up cleanly- especially when you're clinically insane and incorporating things like Half-Life and Kingdom Hearts 2. I'm not sure how long the next episode will be, but I at least plan to get to joining BLADE before moving on. If you were able to finish this episode, I applaud you, and invite you to review, and in the meantime, take narrator-Ruby's advice and don't you dare go hollow. Gamer4 out.