Halo, it's time for the next chapter. Enjoy the reading.
The next day, the Vytal championship continued with the doubles matches. The same crowd gathered as yesterday and enthusiastically supported the participants. Team RWBY, JNPR and LLMM weren't far behind and cheered just as well.
Lance spotted his father on the other side again, who just waited with his arms crossed, sullenly, not paying attention to the arena, eyes closed, waiting, so he could leave.
"How nice of him to come at all", Lance thought to himself. His father was never shy about showing how much he despised the Hunters for what they did and of course Headmaster Ozpin himself. What annoyed him the most was when his son announced that he also wanted to be a Hunter.
Lance remembered how much his father was against it but he didn't stand in his way, he said, "You'll learn from your own mistakes and as soon as you realize how big of a mistake you've made, know that I'll be here waiting for you to admit that I was right." Until now. He saw absolutely no reason why his father felt that way but so far there was nothing to suggest that his father was right, on the contrary, he felt he had found his purpose as soon as he joined the team LLMM.
The first doubles match was between CFVY and CMEE. Coco and Yatsuhashi fought from the CFVY team, while Emerald and Mercury from the CMEE team. This time the track was divided into 4 parts, tall grass, ruined city, geyser field and forest.
Members of both sides were confident but as soon as the clash began, neither side immediately attacked on the other. The CMEE members just hid in the tall grass before Coco opened fire with her minigun and mowed down the tall grass but the two opponents were no longer there.
Mercury held his own against both Coco and Yatsuhashi but as soon as she saw an opportunity, Emerald used her weapon, one of her chain picks to drag Coco into the forest to fight her alone while Yatsuhashi remained alone with Mercury.
Yatsuhashi held his own against Mercury for a while and his superior physical strength helped him hold his opponent back for a while but Mercury's speed eventually overwhelmed the bigger boy and knocked him out with a powerful kick.
Coco didn't have an easier job with Emerald either, as the trees provided perfect cover for her, but even an alleged hallucination confused her enough that in a careless moment her opponent took advantage of her inattention to get behind her and knock her out.
The next fight was between PNCL and CRDL team members. Penny and Ciel from the team PNCL participated while Russel and Sky from the CRDL team went.
This fight was over before it even started. The members of the CRDL team were simply helpless against Penny's amazing power. The other member of the team, Ciel, kept urging Penny, sternly pointing at her watch, saying "It's time!", which dampened her enthusiasm enough to quickly knock out the CRDL team.
The next pair battle turned out to be much more spectacular, between Yang and Weiss from the team RWBY and Flynt and Neon from the team FNKI.
Even before the fight, there was some hostility between the members of the two teams, Flynt, who felt a personal grudge against the Schnee company, because of Weiss' father's company his father's shop went bankrupt, and he couldn't help reminding the white-haired girl how much he despised her.
The other member of the team FNKI, Neon, couldn't help teasing and annoying Yang because of her aggressive nature and mocking her as overweight due to her larger and muscular stature.
Both worked and the members of team RWBY clearly took the bait, which made them both furiously attack their opponents. The battleground was again divided into 4 parts, volcanic, ruined city, geyser and desert.
The plan of the team FNKI, right from the beginning, was to divide and deal with the two girls separately. Flynt kept Weiss up with a sonic attack while Neon, in her annoying style, kept annoying Yang until she made an orbital error and was knocked out.
The plan backfired in two parts, first was that Flynt took down Weiss easier than he planned, thus underestimating her and instead of finished her he helped Neon, who still couldn't knock out the incredible angry Yang. Flynt was careless and when he activated his Semblance, the Executioner Quartered, Weiss pushed him into an erupting volcano to take herself out along with Flynt.
Flynt survived the explosion but Weiss didn't and the loss of her friend made Yang so angry that she didn't know the law or god after that and her brain was completely overwhelmed by pure anger and she could only concentrate on knocking out her two opponents.
Yang's rage and raw power was just enough to hold her own against Flynt and Neon's combo and even break through Flynt's sonic strike to knock Flynt out. Finally, Neon just stumbled, fell into an erupting geyser that sent her into the air, making her an easy target that Yang's Ember Celica easily hit with one of her projectiles, knocking her out.
A short break followed while they discussed what to do with the last 3 teams, since the final result was an odd number.
Team JNPR and SSSN remained in the festival below the arena as it didn't take long for them to decide they would fight in the next and final doubles match. Team RWBY since they already had their battle so they could go back to the academy to rest.
Lance, Lynda and Mike from team LLMM went down to the festival and enjoyed it with the SSSN and JNPR teams. Mandy stayed behind, saying she had to meet someone.
Mandy's stomach was completely upset, since the last day, the duel with the team VERF showed how serious bonds she had formed with the members of the team LLMM, that's why her body started to produce physical symptoms from the stress, which only increased as the time of the match approached.
She had to go to the bathroom, locked the cubicle and started throwing up in one of the toilets. As soon as her stomach emptied, she fell to the floor shivering but gathered herself, flushed the toilet and washed her face. A few of the other girls looked at the faunus girl in wonder and concern, who was pale, sweaty, and panting nervously.
- I'm fine, I just... ate bad thing. - She washed her face in a faucet and then wiped it with a paper towel.
She looked at her reflection, remembering herself when she came to Beacon. She was determined, confident in what she was doing and dedicated to revenge alone, ready to do anything for her kind.
Now, she was only a shadow of herself, trembling, afraid and doubting herself. She slapped her face for strength.
"Stop! It's too late to turn back!", she took out her Scroll and opened a picture with a photo of the team LLMM and smiled gently. In the picture there was Lance laughing, Lynda licking her finger and putting it in Mike's ear, who disgusted tried to escape and even she chuckling at this scene. With a sincere smile, among her friends. She felt her green eyes fill with tears, as her heart would break at the sight of the image, she clutched the Scroll and wished for one thing, " I wish I could go back there. I didn't think I'd be able to make friends at this academy. I thought I'd hate every minute of it. I was wrong. I thought I'd have a lot of time with them."
She walked out of the bathroom to a quiet bench where no one would disturb her and started browsing through the collection of Scroll images that Mike had sent over. There were pictures of the fishing trip or more precisely, of the fishing trip gone wrong. About the time after passing the exams when team LLMM came together as one when they participated in the unveiling of Torchwick with team RWBY and their most recent mission in the Northern Highlands.
"And these many experiences will only remain memories that only I will remember, because if the plan comes together they're gonna...", when she thought about what would be the fate of her team, she started crying again.
She couldn't stop and turn around. She put her Scroll away, stood up and headed for the students' lockers.
A White Fang soldier, disguised as a mere spectator, gave her a bag that she knew exactly what to do with. They didn't speak to each other, without a word he handed her a bag unseen and she already disappeared.
The students kept their lockers in a small warehouse where they kept their personal items, Dust and weapons. She knew exactly which of her teammates owned them by smell. She easily cracked the codes so she knew exactly what the combination was. The cupboard opened and she put the bag in it, then closed it behind her with a light movement.
She left the warehouse and took a flight down to the festival.
The rest of the LLMM, JNPR and SSSN teams were on their way down to the festival on an earlier flight.
- How do you think they will decide? - Sun speculated with his hands clasped at the back of his head.
- Maybe the three teams have to fight at the same time and only one could win. - Mike guessed.
- That would be great! - Lynda liked that idea. - Just think, me, Lance, Sun, Neptune, Pyrrha and Norah, all in one big showdown!
- That sounds really good. - Pyrrha laughed.
- We'll mop the floor with you! - Norah was more confident.
The members of the three teams were already excited waiting to see if they would fight in the last round, by the time the plane landed down and they left for the festival together with the other passengers. However, Lance saw someone he didn't expect at all and didn't want to meet at all. His father, as he signaled him to go to him.
- Listen, - He said to the others. - my father wants to talk to me. Go ahead, I'll join.
- Don't stay long, buddy, - Sun just waved. – we'll still enjoy ourselves without you!
Hunched over and uncomfortable, Lance walked over to his father.
- What do you want, dad? – He asked with a face as if he had bitten into a lemon.
- Ozpin likes to scr*w me. – His father just stumbled in front of him and took a dose of medicine. - He directly chose your team last to keep me here.
- You are all sunshine and rainbows, as always. - Lance answered, phlegmatic.
- We haven't spoken much since you enrolled in the academy. – His father answered, guiding his son towards a coffee stand.
- Somehow it became apparent that you keep avoiding me when I'm at home, you don't answer my messages and you don't really want me to introduce you to my friends.
- I don't blame you if you're angry with me, son. - They sat down in front of the coffee stand, Lance ordered a coffee, while his father preferred tea.
- Dad, you hurt me too with what you said about grandpa. He was a hero, even if they don't want to admit it.
- I won't take it back and one day you will understand too what a fool he was for doing what he did. - He took a sip of his tea. - How are you by the way? Do you still enjoy being a Hunter student?
- I'm fine and yes. - Lance replied with a smile on his face. - Your prediction didn't come true.
- Yet. - His father smiled back evilly.
- How are you? Is your heart okay?
- It will tick for a few more decades but I have to avoid things that cause high stress.
- That's good. I don't want to be an orphan.
- Indeed? The way we behave with each other suggests that you would rather be an orphan than have to live with me.
- I don't want it to be bad for you, father.
- I don't want you to get in trouble, son.
- Why did you want to talk to me? – His father raised his head at this, his son knew him too well to not have come to chat with him.
- Something is brewing in the background. I just feel it and I came to warn you. Maybe we should leave town for a while.
- What are you talking about?! We can't leave the academy and the city! And if something is being prepared, it would be my duty and yours to protect the city! I won't run away but if you want to leave, then go!
- I won't leave without you and if you stay, I will stay too. - He took another sip of his tea. - If you keep thinking and fighting like a pawn, you'll die like a pawn. Without knowing why or if you had a chance to win or even a choice.
- If you want to refer to something, then say it!
- Ozpin is hiding something.
- What are you talking about?
- Why do you think Atlas sent its army here? Why did two professional Hunters like Winter Schnee and Qrow Branwen come here? What's Ozpin trying to defend against? What made him protect the city and the academy so heavily? - Lance just glared at his father but didn't say anything. - You know it's not normal. I came to warn you my son, be careful who you trust.
His father finished his tea, stood up with the help of his cane and left his son, then started towards the academy.
Lance just digested his father's words and went back to his friends to pass the time while they waited.
- Hey, look who came down to us! – Lynda revealed a surprising sight to Lance, Mandy, as she participated in the fun with a smile and had amazing fun with the others.
- What got you, Mandy? - Lance joked. - Have you finally turned on the fun sense in your head? – Another surprise, instead of grimacing as usual, Mandy just laughed and smiled.
- Something like that.
Mandy wanted one last day with her friends, while they were still laughing, while they were still together and while she could, because once they went back to the arena, she wouldn't be able to.
She and Lynda played a game of balloon poppers, the essence of which is that whoever pops more balloons out of three throws wins, Mandy won and Lynda angrily grumbled that she was just lucky. They competed with Sun to see who could stay on the beams longer, this was also a festival game, where skill and speed were the main thing, to stay as long as possible on the thin, set up beams, which, if you don't land properly, you can break it and you can fall, Sun won and laughed at Mandy.
She lost in a dance competition against Jaune, who learned to dance alongside his sister almost every week in order to survive, in the hammer throw lost against Norah, who, despite her small stature, has superhuman strength, in a baking competition against Ren, who beat Mandy by stacking the wonderful pancakes, who could only make a few, lumpy pieces of crap.
She beat Pyrrha in apple fishing, Mike in jigsaw, Neptune in ping pong, and Lance in air hockey.
She enjoyed each game very much but the best thing that warmed her heart was the tree sapling planting by the team as suggested by the team JNPR. At the Vytal festival, student hunter teams of 4 people get the opportunity to plant a small tree on the edge of the Friendship Forest and years later remember the times when they were still students here in Beacon. This custom is practiced by all academies.
There were a lot of team names and some of the trees had already grown quite large, before all of them there was the name of the team that planted it, there were old, very old teams whose members were probably no longer alive.
All sorts of team names were there, GTHN, VRMT, VDFN, ZLLT and STRQ
What Mandy also noticed was that team RWBY and JNPR had already planted one here the previous day and team LLMM wanted to plant one too but since she had left them here ahead of time, they weren't allowed to. Also, there were 4 stones that were placed around each tree, each with a colored palm print with a different color of paint.
Lance dipped his own palm into a bowl of red paint, then took one of the rocks and placed it next to the sapling, Lynda with white, Mike with yellow, and Mandy with purple. Funny, they chose the same colors as team RWBY.
They took a photo together, where they were holding the sapling and smiling.
- What do you think, - Mike asked. – we visit it every year, don't we?
- Of course! - Lynda agreed as she placed the 'LLMM' sign in front of it.
- This will be the symbol of our team, - Lance looked at the small plant-sized sapling and looked at the already grown trees. – strong and cohesive.
- We hope. – Mandy's heart broke again as she looked at the small tree and thought that her teammates would probably never see her again.
"I'm sorry but I don't think I'll see you again."
Chad Monroe came down to the ground before the last fight for a reason. He needed to talk to Ozpin. Lately, the Atlas army had increasingly taken over the role of local law enforcement in Vale and despite his objections to spending too much money on the Vytal festival, Ozpin didn't even listen to what he had to say. He couldn't do anything about it, since the academy directors are the most powerful people in the kingdom, to whom the city governor obeys.
He decided to go to Ozpin in person to find out what was on his mind. He got into the elevator and waited until it reached the top floor, the headmaster's office. Accompanied by a bell, the elevator door opened.
- Come on, - Qrow was the only one with Ozpin. – we asked a girl here and the Black Pawn is coming.
- Spare me your old humor, you a guaranteed disaster. - The two men just looked at each other disapprovingly.
- I can't remember we called you, Chad. - Qrow crossed his arms. - What are you doing here?
- Answers. - He looked towards Ozpin, who also seemed surprised by the Governor's visit.
- I don't promise that you will get them. - Ozpin adjusted his glasses.
- Try it at least. - Chad just sat down at the desk. - I admit, honestly, I thought we were at war again, with so many soldiers surrounding the city... it's understandable if you get a little confused. - He just laughed. - I was about to complain to Ironwood that his men would take some back from the local law enforcement duties when I learned that the council, without my knowledge or approval, removed you from the head of the kingdom. I'm just saying, if they're so important that they won't even ask me, the second most powerful man in the kingdom, to vote on who should take control of the kingdom, - He looked out the window to see the three Atlas cruisers and dozens of smaller fighter planes, which would have firepower that surpass all imagination. - that those Atlas cruisers are seem very cool, especially with those cannons which could easily destroy the whole city to the ground. They're super cool and all. As I was coming over here, it occurred to me that we're not actually at war, though Ironwood is sending me here an army. I highly doubt he brought his army here because they are so excited about the Vytal festival. My question is, why did Ironwood come here and why did he bring his army here? Ozpin, could you give me an answer please?
- Chad, - Ozpin listened to the Governor's monologue in silence. - I want you to understand that I'm in a pretty uncomfortable position right now but I'll do my best to keep the peace in Vale. Ironwood's heart is in the right place but sometimes he wants to do things on his own too much.
- Sometimes I wonder if he even has a heart. - Qrow interrupted.
- I understand that but people are nervous, - Chad said. - worried and afraid. I hope it's very clear what this attracts. Also, you didn't even answer my question, what is Ironwood doing here and why did he bring his army here?
- Chad, there are things people are better off not knowing about. – Ozpin just folded his hands, put his elbows on the table and rested his head on it. – Sometimes we have to protect the world with things that are discreet and no one knows how close we came to war.
- It's a bit like we're talking to each other, Ozpin, but if I understood correctly, my father also died because of something like this that the world can't know about.
- Chad, I can't tell you why Ironwood came here or why your father actually died. But I can tell you that his sacrifice wasn't in vain.
- Just tell me, should I prepare the people for a possible war or not? And if so, with whom?
- It won't be necessary. - Ozpin understood enough that Chad could see through him enough to know there was something wrong. - We'll get this thing done before it even starts.
- I see, - Chad just grabbed his cane and stood up with its help. - I'm still talking to the wall when I try to talk to you. I know you've lived a lot Ozpin, maybe too much. But it's better if you know, you can fall really big from a height. - With that, he headed for the elevator when he saw a student, Pyrrha Nikos came into the office. Chad just stumbled past her.
- Welcome, Ms. Nikos. - Greeted her Ozpin.
- Good day, Professor and... - She looked at Chad confused, although his harsh, hard and strict face scared her a little.
- Chad Monroe, - He extended his hand to shake her. - Governor of Vale.
- You're Lance's father? – Pyrrha accepted the handshake but Chad just pulled her tightly and whispered in her ear in a creepy way.
- The essence of war is that embittered old people persuade enthusiastic and naive young people to kill each other. - Pyrrha was a little startled but calmed down after he let go of her hand and left.
- What does that mean? – The girl asked, slightly afraid of the man who's stumbling outside.
- You don't need worry, Ms. Nikos, - Ozpin reassured. - he's a good man but he's been through a lot of tragedies.
Chad just clenched his fists and pressed a button on the elevator that closed the doors.
"Arrogant fool."
The Vytal festival continued and finally, they decided what to do with the remaining 3 teams.
Even though there are still 3 teams left who didn't fight, there is only one doubles battle left, as there are an odd number of teams left. Two of the SSSN, LLMM, and JNPR teams will battle each other until the members of the third team advance to the next round without a fight.
As fate would have it, the two teams that had to fight were team LLMM and team SSSN, which meant team JNPR automatically passed.
Lance and Lynda from the team LLMM went to fight, while Sun and Neptune from the team SSSN went to fight.
- It seems that the match will be decided between our team. – Lance confidently began to strike his shield with his sword.
- Don't expect us to be gentle with you. – Sun, similarly from the other team, twirled his combat stick in his hands.
- Don't, because it can still hit you back. - Lance laughed.
- I'm glad that finally, we don't have to fight only with girls. - Neptune was confident and cocked his rifle. - I hope we don't get a water track this time.
- Is your partner coming yet? - Sun asked, which made Lance notice that Lynda hadn't taken her place in the arena yet.
- Weird, - Lance turned back to the stairs he had come down. – hey, Lynda, you're scared... - Lance was completely shocked by the sight.
- What's going on there? – Both Sun and Neptune watched in amazement as a group of Atlas soldiers took Lynda in and didn't allow her to enter the arena.
- I apologize, ladies and gentlemen, - Professor Port spoke over the loudspeaker. - but due to certain reasons, the team LLMM is hereby disqualified from the Vytal festival, so the team SSSN also goes on without a fight.
- WHAT?! – The three boys, Lance, Sun and Neptune were also completely shocked.
- This is bullshit! - Lance protested.
- Anyway, what happened? - Sun asked, disappointed as he had hoped to put up a good fight.
- I have no idea. - Lance shrugged as he headed towards the Atlas soldiers for an answer.
Thank you for reading. Please sign it to follow and as favourite and don't forget to write reviews.