A/N: Can anyone see this? Its impossible to tell anymore. I can't work properly with all these these bloody 503 site glitches! They've ruined my inspiration this week. I had a slew of double update days planned, which cannot happen now.
Now? Between all this crap with the site and the drama with my job, now I just want to curl up in a corner and cry.
Thar said, would you prefer weekly updates to remain? Do let me know what you think in your reviews! One open slot remains!
Sorry for the delay. Site glitches and my health are affecting my work, but I'm still here, still alive, still wading through life. Hope you enjoy this long-awaited chapter.
As ever, the fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others. I own no references, quotes, memes or themes! They're all tributes to legends far greater than I. I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that. In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know in the the comments~!
Once more, hopefully I captured the feeling of a proper RWBY episode from the old days.
I'll leave that to you, the reader, to determine. Do tell me what you think! It matters!
We're going a bit of a different route for this chapter.
You'll soon see why.
"Emotions are truly frightening things, I've found.
They derail logic. They confound us at every turn. They often lead us into chaos and ruin.
But perhaps most precious of all...they also inspire us to press on, even when all else appears lost.
When logic says defeat is inevitable, that everything we do is in vain, emotions push us onward.
A blend of the two is best. Logic and emotion. One cannot exist without the other.
All it takes, is just a little thought.
~?
Just a Little Thought
"Retreat?"
The very word was synonymous with defeat.
Supplicating herself before the Seer, Cinder tried not to balk.
Judging by the sound Salem made on the other end of the "line" she did not entirely succeed in masking her uncertainty. Why should she? It had taken her no small amount of effort to sneak her way out of Beacon to have this meeting in the first place; now it threatened to blow up in her face from the very first and she couldn't bear it. All her schemes, all of her precious plans, so close to fruition, yet so close to coming undone. And for what?
Because her mistress commanded her to do so.
It didn't make a lick of sense! None of it did! Not one bit!
"I don't understand," she even said as much, "What do you mean?"
"Are you questioning me, child?"
"O-Of course not!" Cinder didn't dare look up for fear of what she might find there; such was the weight of her master's gaze. "I would never...
Salem hummed noncommittally. "So you say."
What was she to tell her? She'd been forced to give a full report. Roman and Neo had been taken captive, Mercury was compromised, Emerald was missing, and the rest lay in shambles.
Taurus and his people were still preparing in Mountain Glenn -Adam was driving them hard- but even should they succeed in their little "breach" it wouldn't be anywhere near enough. She still needed to infect the CCT with Watt's virus during the dance, which was doable, possible even, provided General Ironwood arrived as anticipated, but the rest of her sundry schemes threatened to come unraveled at any given moment.
And now this?! It wasn't fair! None of it!
Still, she knew better than to defy Salem openly; only pain lay that way. Perhaps subtly-
"Your plans for Vale are clearly no longer viable. Thus, there has been a change in plan." her words were practically a death knell to her plot, "I will brook no disobedience in this. You are to retrieve Jaune Arc at the earliest opportunity. And Bring. Him. To. Me."
Cinder grimaced. "That...may be more difficult than anticipated. If I but had the power of the Maiden-
"She is beyond your reach now."
Her head snapped up, glimpsing the immortal's face at last. "What?"
"Watts, rather." Salem corrected her, glancing at someone she couldn't see through the Seer. "Show her."
The arrogant oaf chuckled richly, delighted by her dismay. "Happily."
Cinder's scroll vibrated a moment later, heralding a message.
She looked to it and hissed out a breath.
Amber Autumn gazed back at her, face flustered as she hung off Jaune Arc. Cinder paid no attention to the boy, dangerous though he was. No, she only had eyes for the Fall Maiden. Alive. Hale and healthy. Fully restored to her might. That shouldn't be possible. Couldn't BE possible! She might've failed to take her power -blasted Qrow Branwen!-but she'd taken her leg and an eye besides! People didn't just regenerate those!
"I...but...how...?"
"That much, is none of your concern. Your failure, however, is." Salem's every word dripped disappointment. "Not only did you fail to take any of her power, but you left her alive. If she recalls your face then, you, my girl, are quite finished. You could barely bring her low with your little minions. However do you intend to best her without them?"
"Indeed." Arthur preened just out of view, "Such a shame. I suppose that's what happens one puts the cart before the horse."
Cinder stumbled and bumbled over her words, trying to find something, anything to say. "But-
"But, but, but!" The Queen of the Grimm sprang to her feet and glowered at her through the Seer, red eyes ablaze. "Is that all you can say today?! What happened to that insufferable smugness of yours? That confidence you were so proud of?! No, don't answer that." A wave of her hand silenced her. "I've changed my mind.
Cautious hope flickered inside her. "You have...?"
"Yes." Salem's response gave said hope an ugly death. "What's the saying you're so fond of?" she touched a finger to her pallid chin and held it there, considering. "If you want something done right, do it yourself?"
Hazel rumbled his agreement with her just offscreen, the rat bastard. "I believe that's the one, yes."
"Splendid." Salem clapped her hands. "Tyrian, prepare a bullhead. We ride for Vale."
Giddy laughter answered. "As my goddess commands!"
Realization dawned and horror devoured it.
No, no, no.
No, no.
No!
Cinder fumbled upright, panic bleating in her breast. "There's no need for you to come to the city! I have everything under control!"
"Do you? " Watts laughed at her. "I dare say its quite the opposite. You have neither the Maiden nor the Relic, nor even Arc, now."
"Well said." Salem flicked a veined hand her way. "Do with your plans as you will, Cinder. I care not. Do try to cause at least some trouble before you go out, won't you?"
That sounded rather suspiciously like a dismissal, or rather, a vote of no confidence in herself at that. "My queen...?"
Salem tutted. "You've been cut loose, dear girl. I have no use for a useless servant. Goodbye."
The Seer drooped at her feet, shriveled up on itself as its tentacles withered, and promptly expired.
Cinder stared at it for a long moment, eyes bulging, heart hammering in her ears.
Salem. Coming to Vale. Watts, Tyrian, and HAZEL coming to Vale!
All her plans were in jeopardy. There was only one thing to do.
Only one course of action remained to her.
Cinder had a nervous breakdown.
(.0.0.0.)
Jaune had a new friend.
Ruby...wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Amber Autumn -such a strange last name!- seemed nice and all, but she was experienced in ways that she -and her team!- simply were not.
Jaune claimed the newcomer was a fourth year, and dangit she acted like It, too. She was...dangit, what was the word?
Mature? Not really, no.
Frankly, from what little she'd seen of her, Amber had a bit of a potty mouth. She wasn't sure what she disliked about her, but it wasn't that. Maybe it was the way she stuck close to Jaune, or the way she spoke. Like they'd known one another for ages. Like they were old friends.
It made her feel like she was being left behind.
She needed to keep up the only way she knew how. That implied training, which meant more modifications to Crescent Rose, hence why she'd squirreled herself away her room while the rest of her Team went out on the town to do gods knew what.
Were they spying on Jaune's date?
They were probably spying on Jaune's date.
Feh, let 'em. She wouldn't be of any use there, anyway.
No, better to spend her time and talents here, where she could actually make a difference. Besides, she had a FEELING about this modification; a good twinge in her gut. She'd gotten the idea from watching Jaune's last bout, and the one before that. The concept was coming along nicely; it just needed a liiiiittle more dust and a few more tweaks besides. She might never be able to compete with some of those busty bimbos but she had one thing they didn't; weapon smarts.
Ruby Rose was one smart cookie, and tough as nails.
And unlike them, she drank milk!
Victory for Ruby!
(.0.0.0.)
Weiss wanted to win.
Nothing else would do.
Nothing else would bring her peace.
Nothing else would satisfy her anymore.
Yang and Blake might tease her about her grudge against Arc; they might call her obsessed, and maybe she was, but they didn't understand. Victory was the only way out of the hell she'd thrown herself into. Only triumph would free her from the cage she'd crafted around herself.
This was all Arc's fault! Yes, every bit of it! He needed to take responsibility for his actions!
It was that smile of his. That indefatigable kindness, the fact that he treated like she was just...a girl. Not Weiss Schnee, heiress of the SDC, not one of the richest, most famous people alive.
He hadn't even known who she was at first!
What was she to do with that?!
At first she'd thought him just another country bumpkin, but no, he could fight, and fight well. He'd even pushed her to unlock her summons; something that, frankly, relieved her; if only because she feared that she never would. Not that she'd ever mention it to him. Winter had been pleasantly surprise at her progress and promised a visit at her earliest convenience.
Ordinarily, that would've pleased Weiss-time spent with her sister was never time wasted.
But now she was asking about Arc, too!
Aaaargh!
Just thinking about him made her let out an frustrated hiss of breath as she skulked down the street after Blake and Yang.
Her?!
Feelings for Arc?!
For that blond buffoon?!
Nonsense! She simply wanted to show him his place! That was all! She simply must, if only to prove everyone wrong.
And that meant...trailing him on his little escapade today...well, then it was for a good cause.
It was only to find his weaknesses. Yes, surely that was a good reason.
Surely it was the perfect excuse, because it sounded like an excuse, like safety.
...but what if it wasn't?
(.0.0.0.)
Jaune Arc was an enigma.
A mystery.
Puzzle.
Blake rather enjoyed solving those, strange as it might sound; she'd always been fond of puzzles ever since she was a little girl, nearly as much as her books. Puzzles, like books, were entertaining. A pleasant distraction from the wider world. No drama to be found in them -unlike a certain psychotic ex- nor pesky strings and regrets. They were good. Simple. Safe.
Jaune Arc was most assuredly not safe and this little escapade -trailing him!- with three-fourths of her team wasn't particularly smart of her, either.
But again, Blake had never been terribly wise.
Honesty was the best policy on that front, she found.
The heart wanted what the heart wanted and right now, she wanted to find out what he was up to.
So yes, again, not safe.
Perhaps he had never been and it simply took her until now to figure it out. She knew he was wildly powerful, and her paranoia had initially labeled him an Atlas plant of some sort; someone who knew her past, sent to spy on her. He had the tech for it with that armor and his mechashift saber, yet he didn't act like any Atlas agent she'd ever known. But she owed him, for helping her investigate the White Fang, for the Docks, and for taking Torchwick into custody. For the former he had her interest, for the latter, her attion, and the third...her intrigue.
Oh, yes, Jaune Arc was most certainly an enigma.
She was determined to solve him.
One way or another.
(.0.0.0.)
Yang was getting restless.
She wasn't ashamed to admit it; all this sneaky-sneak stuff really wasn't her style, and they REALLY shouldn't be doing this, buuuut...
.
..
...she couldn't exactly walk away and leave Weiss and Blake now, could she?
Damned if she did, damned if she didn't.
Too early to wade in, too late to run.
Her hands twitched at her sides, idly curling into fists as she contemplated thumping her teammates over their heads and continuing on without them. Kinda tempting, not gonna lie.
She hadn't had a good fight in the last three days.
Not since Arc.
Sure, Nikos was good for it when pressed, but Nikos was a different kind of fighter; she'd would finesse her out of the ring, wear her down, wage a battle of attrition. That wasn't fun. Arc could -and would!- wade in and trade punches with her 'till the cows came home; better yet, he wasn't a meathead like Cardin and his bunch. She liked that.
Liked it so much in fact, that she'd let Blake talk her into tagging along on this little jaunt. Kitty-Kat was kinky like that, she guessed. Weiss had been a surprise, though.
At least Arc made sense.
No clue about his family, though.
He didn't like talking about his old man.
Or his mom, come to think of it, barely even his sisters.
A thought struck her. Yang nearly missed a step. Wait, had they abandoned him, too?
Hrrrm. Food for thought.
She didn't need anything complicated from him. If he wanted to tussle, she was down. If that tussle became something else? Sure, fine. She was a free-spirited girl; they'd see where it went. The Dance was coming up, too. If he asked, she wouldn't say no. He was fun. She might snag him anyway if he didn't ask.
Maybe that was shallow of her, but there it was.
Being around him was just...fun.
Yang liked fun.
(.0.0.0.)
Amber didn't know what to make of Jaune Arc.
She had seen him as weak at first, but after what he'd done..gah!
She didn't know what to do with it! Or him, for that matter! He baffled her!
She hadn't thought it possible to go from hating someone to...to feeling what for them, exactly?
Love?
Amber did not believe in love; quite the contrary. She scorned the concept. Her parents hadn't loved her.
She'd come from a rural little village steeped in superstition. Her so-called father had taken one look at her blazing eyes and called her a monster. Her own mother had tried to smother her in her sleep. If not for Ozpin, she would be dead by now. He had saved her because she was strong, such was her reasoning.
Should she fight him? Did she even want to? Would that work?
Strength was strength. She accepted that.
It comforted her.
But strength hadn't saved her now, had it? All the power of the Fall Maiden hadn't bee able to save her. She'd lost to three people Frankly it was a miracle she'd managed to hold onto the Power at it was a miracle she'd managed to hold onto the Power at all. If it weren't for Qrow, she'd be dead. Had he arrived a minute later...no. She shook off that thought.
She wasn't blind to his machinations, nor his manipulations. He probably wanted to pair the two of them together and see what came of it. The Fall Maiden and...whatever Arc was. Ozpin seemed awfully proud of him, and she'd seen the footage of Arc's battles here in Beacon. That was either one VERY versatile semblance -unlikely!- or the old geezer actually had a point.
Jaune was strong. Amber respected strength; it was one of the few constants in this world.
He could probably knock her flat on her ass if he wanted to...and she kinda liked that. She was no blushing virgin; no Maiden could afford to be in this world. She had...what was the word? Experience? Yeah, that was it. No one cared who you were in the wilds of Vale, and her brief bouts of romance had ever been just that. Brief. Lingering touches and kisses that often turned sour once they realized who she was, or what she could do.
Jaune didn't pay any attention to that. He was a gentleman, and in this day and age that was a decidedly rare thing indeed. Pair that with his gifts, and well...
Maybe, just maybe Arc might be the old wizard's long lost descendant.
But that would mean Arc was also descended from...
...oh.
...ohh...
...ohhhthatwasbad.
Her thoughts fizzled out for a moment as she tried to comprehend it, then failed spectacularly. Alright, she could understand the revamped security. She knew a great deal about Salem -most Maidens did- and if there was more to know about the Queen, she didn't want to know. Nope! No thanks! No sireee!
Ignorance was bliss! Whatever big scheme Ozpin had to rid the world her, he could keep it to himself! She would do what she did best.
Fight. Burn. Kill.
It was all she was good for.
To hope, or even dream for more...that felt selfish.
Some might say knowledge was power, but she disagreed. Knowledge was agony. Knowledge was pain. Knowledge was having the surety of safety ripped from you because then you know.
Ignorance was bliss.
Maybe that was an insular way of thinking, but there it was. It was the only way she knew how to function.
Not so one Jaune Arc.
Jaune was just so...nice! She didn't know what do with nice! Only a handful of people had every been nice to her. Ozpin, Qrow, Miss Goodwitch, Doctor Oobleck, and of course Professor Port. Sure he was a bit strange with his stories, but he'd always made time to train her when she was little, and brought her the best birthday gifts.
Jaune fell into a category that confused her; somewhere outside of her neat little boxes.
Was he strong? Undoubtedly. But strong enough to stand beside her? She didn't know. That frightened her.
For all her bravado, for all her ferocity, for all her power, at the end of the day she was just a scared little girl.
Unwilling to make the hard choices, to sacrifice what she loved.
Love?!
Oh gods, she loved him, didn't she?
Embarrassment, thy name is the Fall Maiden.
Amber buried her face into both hands and groaned.
(.0.0.0.)
"Velvet, do I want to know what you're doing with that camera?"
The faunus huffed and kept clicking the shutter away. "Its not a camera, its my weapon."
Coco planted a hand on her beret and sighed. "Okay...and what, pray tell, are you doing with it?"
Her teammate snapped another pictured, paused, found a better angle, and took another for good measure. "Preparing for war!"
.
..
...this had something to do with Arc, didn't it?
Meh, not like it was any of her business.
"Whatever you say, bun-bun...
(.0.0.0.)
Pyrrha considered herself -or rather her anxious reflection- in the glass.
She pivoted. Twirled once for good measure.
Frowned, now.
"I don't know about this...
A stranger stared back at her from the window storefront, devoid of her uniform and divested of her armor.
Faded black sneakers had replaced her heels. Deep denim blue jeans clung tightly to her hips, a black crop top to show off her midriff, over which she'd thrown a long-sleeved denim blue jacket with black fingerless gloves. She wasn't sure why she'd gone with the latter, it had been a spur of the moment decision. Hopefully it looked nice.
Nora had taken one look at her back in the dorm and flashed her a thumbs up. "Daaaang girl, you're fit!
She'd even worn her hair down. Gods, but she'd forgotten how long it was without her ponytail. Long hair was heavy...
Did Jaune...like girls with long hair? She wasn't sure, and couldn't help but fiddle with it, curling a stray strand of scarlet around her finger as she waited for him to arrive.
How did the saying go, again?
Be bold, but not too bold.
Was this too bold?
It was just a movie after all.
But what if she was wrong? What if she made a mistake?
No! She was the undefeated champion of Mistral. The Invincible girl...
.
..
...except she wasn't feeling very invincible right now!
Someone tapped her shoulder.
...hey."
Pyrrha jolted and spun about with a startled yelp.
Saw Jaune standing there before her.
Her eyes bulged.
By contrast, he hadn't worn anything special today. Just some black jeans and a tight orange turtleneck paired with his usual shoes. Nothing dramatic. He looked normal. Average. No fancy clothes.
A little voice wailed in despair within her head. 'I'm overdressed!'
...or was she?
Jaune paused. Blinked. His eyes widened now, just so.
Pyrrha dared to lift her chin. "...how do I look?"
Because he had been looking, make no mistake. So had she. He had caught her, yes, but so too had she caught him. Her face burned.
"Um...good!" He coughed into a fist to hide a flush of his own. "Really good!"
Pyrrha hummed, pleased with the praise. Maybe, just maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
His gaze snapped back up to meet her own. "So...are you ready for the movie?"
Was she?! Not at all! But she would have to be.
Daringly, she took his hand in hers. "I'm ready if you are, Jaune."
His face lit up. "Great! I picked out a good one...
Pyrrha let him lead her away with a smile.
The date awaited.
A/N: THE BATTLE BEGINS.
What battle, you ask? Why the most important battle of all!
Naruto, Juniper, and the rest of the Arc family are right around the corner...!
Better yet, would you like weekly updates? Do let me know! Really need to hear back from you, here.
As ever, we're sticking with the tried and true "Embers" rule. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular, if folks don't like it...well, I'll not continue it. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. I'm working two jobs, trying to keep a roof over my family's head, and at the end of the day this is very much a HOBBY. I simply don't have time to write a story no one likes, and feedback sustains me...
Once again, reviews are my fuel. Without them I simply cannot write.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly?
No previews this time.
Can't afford spoilers.
...fine, only a few.
(Previews)
"You good?"
Pyrrha nearly jumped out of her skin!
"Jaune! Don't DO that! How are you so sneaky?!"
"Sorry, old habbits...
Jaune quirked a brow. "Is this the part where you challenge me to a duel?"
"Jerk." she elbowed him, but the word lacked rancor.
An anxious look flashed across his face, quickly quelled. Sorry.
How are you feeling?
Tingly. She couldn't find any other word for her. After being on death's door for so long, this sudden renewal felt akin to a sugar rush. She couldn't sit still. She couldn't think straight.
Someone stepped out of the shadows ahead of them.
EDIT: Hope you enjoyed! See you soon!
~Nz.