Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the proper nouns in all of Nexus... other than maybe the names of the world, and the continents? XD Everything else belongs to the original creators.
Nexus HWR 22.7 Glynda Goodwitch:
Magic University
"…crafting a magical tool beforehand is superior to other methods of enhancing your weapons mid-battle." Glynda Goodwitch turned from the green chalkboard and refaced her lecture hall. The room was not that large but was set up so each subsequent row in front of her was higher elevated than the one in front of it, allowing every student to look down towards the front of the room and watch the lecture with ease. The blonde professor at the front of the room who had come to her more lucrative job after her earlier classes at Hogwarts continued her lecture on magic tools.
"If my fire magic can light my sword on fire anyway, what's the point of making a fire sword though?" A young male student sitting in her front row questioned. He had short spiky red hair and a look too arrogant for Glynda's liking, though she did not mind the question. The boy was one of the only teenagers in her class full of mostly young twenty-somethings at the prestigious magical university.
"Perhaps your magic can ignite just any sword," Glynda started. She used a pacifying tone by agreeing with the possibility, but she continued while flicking her left hand and making chalk lift back up off the bottom of the board's holder. The floating chalk drew arrows of magical energy from the diagram of a human body into a sword the chalk also drew. "However the amount of magic needed to ignite a non-altered sword would undoubtedly be greater than one personally crafted in order to accept fire magic."
"Magic alone is not enough to handle most threats you may have to face. Being flexible in mind is important in your approach to how you use your abilities. Supporting magic with technological advancements bolsters your power-"
"But-" one of the female students in the row directly behind the boy with spiky red hair started. She stopped because the outburst interrupted the professor who glanced annoyedly up at her. Glynda nodded at the young woman to continue though since she was already interrupted now. The girl continued quickly, "Magic is superior to technology. It can bend the rules of physics and mechanics. Do things that technology alone cannot."
Glynda nodded back at her student. "I would like to agree with you, but the evidence so far has shown the opposite." The chalk behind Glynda slammed down into the holder at the bottom of the chalkboard, quieting other students who were about to try and counter their professor. Many were here to study magic because of their beliefs that it was a superior power, and they were not expecting their professor to be telling them otherwise.
"One may have to recite an incantation to light their sword on fire. Another a quick word or two to send fire from their staff. Some, even," Glynda added while passing a glance back over the boy in the front row, "can set a weapon aflame without a spell. Just sending fire from their own bodies onto the weapon."
"But when you imbue your weapon with the materials cohesive to fire magic beforehand, it takes less mana to ignite and keep it lit in battle. The most foolish thing you could do is to go out into the world thinking that your magic is unbeatable. That you are strong enough to not concern yourself with the speed at which you deplenish your mana." Glynda paused for a moment, then she continued more harshly to her students, "The Magic King himself fell when facing superior technology."
"Magic King Julius Novachrono fell in battle to Android 17," Glynda reminded her students. "Lord Tobirama Senju fought by his side. The two of them used powerful magical abilities and ninjutsu against a cyborg that had neither." More of the students who only knew about 17 killing the Magic King got focused now and stared in surprise at their teacher who continued informing them. "Yes, the two of them were powerful enough that they could survive against the superior technology of the Spiral King and Zabi forces. Even when those forces were supplemented by even more robotic assistance from, what was at the time an unknown origin… they were victorious against the Beastmen and Zabi. Lord Tobirama even executed Degwin Zabi as justice for the Sniflheim Massacre. Terminus sent more robot armies in though to deal with the regular forces, and 17 arrived to face the leaders. Fighting them both at the same time, Android 17 defeated and killed both Lord Tobirama and Magic King Novachrono."
"And neither of them would have been so cocky as to deny the utility of magic tools in their arsenals," Glynda finished in a scolding tone to any of her students who would doubt the usefulness of the class. Most of them already knew that, but the magic-only mages needed to learn some humility, and she drilled that into them with that reminder. "Now, for this week's assignment we will start with the simplest imbuing-magic. Blunt 'empty' daggers at the university's supply store are available for sixty-five dollars, and you will need them for- You will need them for this homework!" Glynda rose her voice and silenced the few students who started to groan and grumble about the expensive assignment.
"I expect each of your daggers to have long-term magic stored in them by the time you arrive at the next class. I will be able to tell if you just imbued it before you arrive as well, so remember that your grade will be based on how well the weapon retains the magic power and not on how much magic you force into it. Too much will only make it spill out quicker. This is about control, not brute strength." Glynda focused on a few strong individuals in particular as she finished who gulped as they realized their raw power superiority to classmates might actually hinder them in the assignment.
Everyone was packing up their bags and getting out of their seats. Glynda did not have another class coming in until a night class she only had once a week but would be in this same lecture hall. She noticed the doors to the room open up before any of her previous class's students could leave though. Glynda had gone back to her podium at the edge of the chalkboard and started organizing some papers, but she put the pile down and gazed up curiously at the pair who she did not recognize.
The rest of her class walked by the two teens who came in and then moved out of the way for them. They waited until everyone was gone, and they were lucky that none of the students had any questions for Professor Goodwitch after the lecture. The room cleared out pretty fast, and the two headed down the stairs towards the woman who walked across the flat section at the bottom of the room and looked up at them. "Can I help you?" Glynda asked.
The two of them stopped on the steps still ten meters or so from the teacher. Glynda had her shiny golden cloak on over her white blouse and black dress pants that styled to come halfway up her stomach. Her blonde hair was tied up behind her head, and her eyes focused on the pair from behind her thin glasses. "Do the two of you need something from me?" She bluntly questioned the teens who glanced at one another before stepping closer so they could speak in lower voices.
"They told us you had connections with the Resistance, that true?" Soul asked. He kept his voice low considering that they were still in Cooperative territory.
The woman in front of him stared down her nose at the boy and then at his comrade at his side. She continued to give them a stern look without changing her expression, and she asked, "Who's asking? It is rude to begin on a question, when you have yet to introduce yourselves."
"Oh," Soul muttered. He got a bead of sweat on the left side of his face that rolled down as he pointed a thumb in his chest. "I'm Soul, Evans. People call me Soul Eater."
"Do you eat souls?" The witch questioned.
Soul looked down to his side, then back at the witch and nodded his head. "But, I'm a good guy," he added, in case he was giving her the wrong impression.
She nodded at him, showing no outward reaction to indicate what she thought about his previous statements. "And you?" She began, turning to the girl next to Soul who was a bit taller and had long brown hair tied into twin tails. "Are you his Meister?"
"Y-Yeah," Maka replied. So she figured out Soul's a Demon Weapon then. She must be familiar with our world. Maka shook her head and refocused, standing up straight to properly present herself. "I'm Maka Albarn," she greeted in a professional way.
Finally, the witch in front of them gained an expression other than her usual harsh one. Her eyebrows rose above her glasses, and Maka asked in slight confusion, "Have you heard of me?"
"She probably saw our wanted..." Soul trailed off, as the logic in that was flawed if she did not recognize him too.
"Hmm," the blonde witch hummed. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You can call me Professor Goodwitch or just Professor." She grabbed the left corner of her glasses and pulled them up to readjust, then she stepped out from behind the podium where she had taught her class. "I had actually planned out a way to test whether the two of you were truly associated with the Resistance, but I no longer see it necessary." Glynda focused on Maka and then continued to the girl, "Tell me, Maka. Was your father, Spirit Albarn?"
Maka's eyes opened wide. She stared in shock at the woman in front of her for a few seconds. As the shock wore off, Maka's eyes scanned up and down Glynda's slender, attractive figure. A grimace spread over Maka's face, and Glynda smiled at that look. There is no doubt now, the older woman thought. "Yes, your father was quite an," Glynda coughed and then continued, "eccentric man."
"Her old man tried hitting on you?" Soul asked, a sweatdrop rolling down his face while Maka just rubbed her forehead.
"Yes, and I based my opinion of him off of that first interaction," Glynda replied. Maka and Soul both grimaced deeper, then the witch continued, "But I was also there the day he passed." Maka froze while looking down in shame, and her eyes opened wider than ever. Soul's head snapped up right away though, then he turned to Maka with a frown at the feelings of turmoil he felt inside her. "And my opinion of him changed," Glynda finished. What she said made Maka look up now in semi-confusion.
"He was a good guy," Soul agreed. Maka's eyes darted to her side at Soul in annoyance. He just shoved his hands in his sweatshirt's pockets though, ignoring the look his Meister shot him.
"On the day I met him, I recall he did mention having a daughter," Glynda continued. "So it would make sense that she is still in the Resistance as he was."
"Where'd you meet him?" Maka asked, trying to keep her emotions aside for now to make this a serious conversation.
Glynda frowned and glanced around the room, but they were alone in there. She looked back at the teens in front of her and replied, "At a meeting of the Resistance High Command." Both Maka and Soul's bottom lips started lowering, and they dropped even farther as the witch finished, "At the peak of the Second War of the Gods."
"You were- wait- what?" Soul had a confused expression on his face like it was hard for him to piece that together.
Maka stared at the woman in front of her with wide eyes for a few seconds, then she narrowed those eyes and frowned deeply. "Then what are you doing here?" Glynda frowned like Maka, even though she was expecting the question. "Why are you in the middle of Android territory? Why are you living peacefully in this place? Why-" Maka paused and grit her teeth, then she snapped, "Why did you abandon your comrades?"
"My comrades?" Glynda asked. She turned sideways and started walking towards the wall next to her desk. She put her hands together behind her back and stared at a picture she had on the wall near her. "Let me describe to you the day I met your father..."
FD + 298
Inside the Resistance mobile headquarters, two thousand miles north of the middle of the Cataclysm line, a group of the most powerful men in the Resistance were gathered around a table. None of them were sitting, and they planned on this being a quick meeting so they could all get back to their important duties around the continent. Aebrith was in the middle of a war, a war that was proving to be the most deadly of any since the arrival to Nexus on the First Day.
"Sasuke and his team continue to push north straight up the middle," Lord Shinigami said. The man was black from head to feet, and his whole body was wispy in a way that the others could not tell if it was his body or a cloak he was wearing. Either way, that and his white skull mask (or what some thought was his real face) made the Resistance leader known as either Death or Shinigami a feared member even among their own forces. "That boy is sooo amazing!"
"Sasuke's been slowing down though." Although the table was round, wherever this man stood seemed to be the head to the rest of them. He did not see it that way, even if he was considered the strongest at the table. The three-eyed man covered in his bulking muscles wore a baggy white shirt and green pants just as baggy, with a purple belt tied around his waist. Tien Shinhan continued, "He continued pushing back the Fire Lord, but every ten miles Sozin retreats, he picks up a thousand more men. All the land we've been taking the past few days with little resistance-"
"You think the enemies are all pulling their forces back?" Endeavor questioned. The red haired man crossed his muscular arms in front of his chest while flames ripped out of his face and all over his body. "They give us land and retreat farther north? Then they will all be allying with each other."
"Exactly," Tien said. "We wanted this to go quicker, but we're slowing down because the forces we thought we'd have to face one by one are already banding together. Worst case scenario, they all join forces with the Big Three."
"As long as you can defeat Aizen, as you claim to be capable of," Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto began. The old shinigami had light, wrinkled skin and wore a white cloak over his body. Yamamoto held a brown staff in his right hand, and a discerning expression as he watched for Tien's reaction. "Then those three will be no problem."
"I can defeat Aizen," Tien said, reiterating what he had already told the leader of the shinigami. "I saw Goku do it before."
"And yet Son Goku won't-" Endeavor began.
"As I said, I already asked," Tien said, though he looked annoyed as he brought it up. I wanted to do this on my own, get stronger to face Goku again. However in a war like this I pushed my pride aside and asked him for his help. Not only is Krillin missing and Yamcha 'retired,' but ChiChi wouldn't let Goku nor Gohan join me. And Vegeta... why did none of them remember Bulma's death? There are many questions for when I return to Awul, but that could be much farther in the future without the aid of the other Z fighters here. "Goku has, other responsibilities," Tien said. He did not want to bad-mouth the person he respected most, and he knew how the others would react if he admitted that Goku was not there because of his wife.
"No matter," Yamamoto said. "If you can defeat Aizen, then we can win this war as swiftly as we predicted. Even if our enemies' armies who have fled north do ally with those three. Don't you agree Shinigami-sama?"
"Yes Yamamoto-sama," Shinigami agreed.
Don't they think it's weird to call each other "sama?" One of you accept the higher role, All Might thought from where he stood opposite the table as Endeavor. He was avoiding the Flame Hero's gaze ever since he arrived, since Endeavor just kept glaring at him no matter what they were talking about.
"Let's finish this quickly," All Might said. He smiled and continued in a thunderous voice, "I wish to return to the west and congratulate King Arthur."
"I heard they had a skirmish this morning with Byakuran? It went well then?" Shinigami asked the man on his left.
Yamamoto looked to his left too, past Shinigami to the muscular blond hero. As he looked over though, he had to put the figure behind Shinigami in his vision. The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 stared at that man with maroon colored hair and narrowed his eyes in anger. The old bald-headed shinigami slammed his staff down right as All Might opened his mouth, and the hero eased backwards with some sweat on his face at the angry tone of that slam. "Picking your nose in a meeting like this?" Yamamoto snapped. Lord Shinigami sighed and turned around to see Spirit Albarn, his Death Scythe, hiding his hands behind his back.
The more humanoid shinigami from a different world turned to Lord Shinigami and said, "Shinigami-sama I do not see how you put up with such a weapon. If my Zanpakuto were to do such a disgraceful thing, I would order it to kill itself."
Spirit's eyes bulged wide and he started wiping his hands on the back of his shirt rapidly. Then he brought them back in front of him all clean with an innocent but very sweaty face. "I didn't-" Yamamoto shot him a glare as if daring him to call the leader of the Gotei 13 a liar. Spirit just gulped and then laughed nervously a few times, before shooting All Might a desperate look.
Lord Shinigami was about to speak up on his Death Scythe's behalf, but All Might cleared his throat first. "As I was saying, I would like to get back soon. I had just left for this meeting when my allies were ambushed. I almost turned back, but I was informed that it was a small strike force and that King Arthur repelled it magnificently without my assistance!"
"That's good," Tien said, though his lips were flat as he said it. A small strike force? What if it's to trick us into thinking they're still trying to fight, while the main force is out forming up with Sozin and Darth Bane? The farther north we push, the more dangerous this gets, but we cannot slow down our push or we risk the high morale of the Resistance. "Well then," Tien began, ready to wrap up their short meeting.
The doors of the meeting room opened up and the five at the table, and one Death Scythe standing farther back, turned to the doors to see another man they invited entering. "You're late," Yamamoto said in a harsh tone. "We were just leaving."
"Let Ozpin have a chance to speak," Tien said, looking towards the shinigami Captain-Commander who shot a glare back towards him. "There may be a good reason he was late."
Ozpin entered the room with a blonde woman walking behind him and a little to his left. Although she looked more composed than Spirit who was very nervous, Glynda was working hard to hide her nerves from showing. Spirit had not been as nervous as her until a minute ago, as he had been mainly bored from the meeting where he did not feel comfortable speaking up in. His expression lit up for the first time since he entered though, and he started shimmying around the edge of the room as soon as Ozpin reached the table and his hot attendant stopped behind him.
"My apologies, gentlemen," Ozpin said. "I'm afraid there is no great reason for my tardiness. Only that I had received a transmission that was urgent."
"This transmission," All Might started before Endeavor or Yamamoto could scold Ozpin or just start shouting. "What was its urgency?"
"News from my front that I was very surprised to hear." The other Resistance leaders lost aggravation at Ozpin's lateness and looked at him with more interest. "I had left for here with the intention of asking for help in the east. However, I no longer require it. The Ren family was in the middle of an internal dispute, Kouen fighting his younger brother Hakuryuu."
"Hakuryuu?" Endeavor asked. "I know no Ren by that name."
"He has not associated himself with the rest of the family, but he does want revenge on them for something that occurred on his world." Ozpin paused, then he continued, "Yet in the middle of their internal dispute over a thousand miles north from the borders we were fighting the Ren army at, both brothers were defeated and the city they were facing off in sacked."
"What?" Tien asked, a deadpanned look on his face. He was confused; the way Ozpin worded it boggled him. "It was, 'sacked?'"
"Who did it? The Spiral King? Aizen?" Lord Shinigami wondered.
"No, it wasn't one of our enemies," Ozpin started.
Before he could finish, All Might asked in surprise, "One of ours?!"
"No," Ozpin shook his head. His tone had some impatience in it that made All Might close his mouth and nod apologetically at him to continue. "Thank you," Ozpin said, as it looked like he would finally be able to finish. "The one who defeated them both, was Roronoa Zoro."
Across the table, Tien grinned. Zoro did, huh? "Good-"
"That man is nothing but trouble," Yamamoto interjected in a harsh, angry voice. "He has the powers of a shinigami from my universe, but his origins are unknown."
"He's a pirate," Ozpin said. Yamamoto spun to the thinner man who was also holding a thinner cane, smaller and made of metal instead of wood like the shinigami's. "As I said, he 'sacked' the city. He and his, gang- I believe is the best word to describe them."
"Not crew?" Lord Shinigami questioned.
"No, he is the only pirate in the group," Ozpin said. "We have information on the others from a former ally of theirs in my army. This mage of mine was the one who sent me the report..."
As Ozpin continued his report, Spirit finished shimmying over to Glynda and started off with his best pickup line. The blonde woman reached up, pushed her glasses up her nose, and glanced out the corners of her eyes at Spirit while the glasses were shifting. Then she took two steps to her left and continued looking into the center of the room to pay attention to the meeting.
Spirit was not one to be easily deterred from a beautiful woman though. He shimmied two more feet after her, to which Glynda got a tick mark on her forehead. Her nerves over the meeting were starting to fade and be replaced by anger, which then replaced by those same nerves coming back double as Spirit tried hitting on her again. If he drew attention over to them and made it look like they were talking, she would never get over the embarrassment. So, she turned her head and gave Spirit her harshest glare ever.
Spirit pulled back and grabbed his chest. Her eyes shouted the words 'Never going to happen!' and 'Go away!' at him, and they felt like arrows in the heart. His dejected and pained reaction made Glynda smirk for a moment as she saw her message got through, then she turned back to the meeting at hand.
"Well they may be rogues, Yamamoto-sama," Lord Shinigami interjected. "But if they are fighting our enemies..."
"Then the enemy of my enemy is my friend," Tien said. "Though then again, the enemy of my friend, is also my enemy. I think that phrase works better here. I know Zoro well." Tien chuckled as he recalled the First Day after they had fought Enel together. He had scanned the pirate's mind in order to decide how he would deal with him, and despite the Marines yelling at him to take down the pirate, he let the swordsman go free. He beat two of the Rens at once though? He must be getting stronger as well.
"Alright, time to return to our armies," Endeavor said. He gained an intense look to his face and said, "Tomorrow we push hard into Spriggan's land. I will take Vistarion within the next forty-eight hours."
"Do not make it a race, Endeavor," All Might began. "We will assist you from the flanks when the weaker nations are pushed back or surrender."
"I will need no assistance against Spriggan-" Endeavor started.
Lord Shinigami got ready to say he would move in from the west to help. Ozpin was prepared to say that with the Ren's recent defeat he could assist from the east as well. Yamamoto narrowed his gaze and was about to bring up Bahamut. Before any of them could though, Spirit Albarn stepped forward and shouted, "Hold on a minute, Endeavor!" His shout made everyone in the room turn towards him, and Glynda looked to her right at the man like he was even more idiotic than she had already thought. "Don't be so reckless! My cute little girl's in your ranks, so you better not be putting her in danger for no reason!"
Glynda gazed at Spirit's back in surprise at the idea of him having a daughter. "She chose my forces because she did not want to be near her idiotic pervert of a father," Endeavor retorted. Spirit grabbed at his chest in shock at the insult while stumbling backwards. "And she's strong," Endeavor added, which the others could already tell he thought just by the fact that Endeavor already knew who this was who Spirit brought up.
"Spirit is right though," Lord Shinigami interjected. "Give me the next day before starting your push. We will speed up our advance to align with your army's current position, then we will cut into Alvarez at the same time."
Endeavor hummed, then he nodded and said, "We will coordinate the attack further tonight. I will need to see a tangible increase in your advancement speeds if I am to wait for the two of you." He turned to Ozpin as he said it, and Oz closed his mouth and nodded, a respectful look on his face that Endeavor knew meant he was about to offer the same thing as Lord Shinigami.
"Okay," Tien said. "I will contact Tatsumi and get his report, then have it sent to the rest of you. Return to your armies." Tatsumi had not shown up, and even though Tien did not give the reason to the others, he had heard from a guard who reported Tatsumi's response to him. Didn't have the "time or luxury" to leave his post. He's too gung-ho about this.
"I must first check in at the Tower of Babel," Yamamoto said. "But I have left Kyouraku in charge in my stead. I will be back by nightfall." Tien nodded at him, then Yamamoto disappeared with a Flash Step too fast for half of them to see.
"We cannot slow down," All Might said, making the others turn to the man who had stayed quieter than most during the meeting. "The people of Aebrith are relying on our ability to finish this. If we falter, even for a moment, their faith will as well." He did not like leading, especially not leading an army, but he did it because he believed their side was truly in the right. Once in a while he did sound wise though, and even Endeavor had to hand it to the "strongest hero;" his words had truth behind them.
"Of course we will finish this fast," Endeavor said. "Nothing will stop our advance." He started for the exit, and Lord Shinigami turned as well to head that way. Spirit spun to walk with his Meister, but he smiled and winked at Glynda on his way out. She just grimaced back at him in a disgusted way that made Spirit gasp in pain.
"Let us return, Glynda," Ozpin said as he walked to his advisor's side. She turned and walked with him, and Ozpin smirked after a few seconds. "That Spirit seemed-"
"Oh you have to be kidding me," Glynda grabbed her forehead and Ozpin let out a laugh. "That idiot should never have been in that room."
"Do you know what that idiot is?" Ozpin questioned. Glynda turned to her leader in semi-confusion and shook her head. "He is Lord Shinigami's weapon, and apparently, the most powerful Death Scythe in the world. Then again, I do not know how much that is worth on a world of so many different powers and abilities. Still, I would not be so fast to dismiss him."
Glynda hummed to herself, then she thought on the first words out of the man's mouth and grimaced. "I'm no photographer, but I could picture you and I together tonight." That was so, so bad. Despite what she was thinking, aloud she said, "I'll try sir."
Present
"...when we departed from that meeting, it seemed to me that the fight would be hard, but that we would still come out victorious." She turned from the wall she was facing back to the teens behind her. In a cold voice she continued, "Every single person- every member of the Resistance there that day, is gone now. Most of them were dead within the week."
Soul and Maka had grim looks on their faces as Glynda said that, but the blonde woman herself kept it together. She had a steady, stern expression on her face as she continued, "I was the weakest person in that room. To have outlived all of them was a miracle. I am not stupid, and I have survival instincts as do all creatures. I knew should I stay, it would only be a matter of time."
"You think there's no chance for us," Soul said, his voice low and dark.
"I do," Glynda said.
"So you just gave up on the world?" Maka asked, shaking her head at the older woman.
"No, of course not," Glynda replied. "I am of far greater help here than I am supporting the lost cause of the Resistance. The world will never be led by the Resistance. Its values will never be held by the majority of Aebrith." She continued in a strong voice, "But what we do here is of much greater importance."
"There's nothing more important-" Maka began loudly.
"What do you think is the greatest killer of sentient species on Nexus?" Glynda snapped, interrupting the girl who just tried speaking over her. Maka froze with her mouth open. She knew what she wanted to say, but she also knew Glynda would just counter it so she waited for the woman to continue on her own. "It's not the Ant King," Glynda said. "It is not his High Lords or their armies, nor is it the wars that men have waged over the years. Monsters. Monsters are the greatest killers on this world. You ignore them though, preferring to fight other intelligent species-"
"Our fights mean more than just-" Soul tried cutting in.
"Did you know that the Grimm have a leader?" Glynda asked, her voice a hushed whisper. Soul and Maka's eyes opened huge, and Glynda continued, "And if she knew that you knew she existed, the Grimm and their allies would be after you too." Both of the teens could only stare at Glynda in confusion and shock as she kept on going. "How many people have the Grimm killed? Innocents around the world from the First Day. Most average fighters cannot take on several Grimm at once on their own. Millions, billions probably have faced brutal demises at the claws and teeth of those monsters. What about the Aragami? Do you wonder why they can only be hurt by certain weapons? What about their DNA protects them from conventional warfare, and how can we best get around their natural defenses in order to arm the populace against them? Are there spells to weaken them into vulnerability? These are questions I look for the answers to here. Did you know that the Flood are controlled by a single force, the Gravemind? It is the final stage in the parasitic evolution that focuses the rest of the Flood against humanity, but its location is unknown to us. If we defeat the Gravemind, could we wipe out all the Flood and repopulate the Southern Wastes?"
"Even if we could," Soul mumbled. "The Wizard King controls it," he said.
Glynda nodded her head in agreement with him. "Still, these are the questions that determine the future of Nexus. I no longer believe there is anyone who can defeat Meruem. Until a week or two ago I thought it possible, but no longer." She frowned and said, "So we must all accept his rule and the rule of those he allies with."
"That's not possible," Maka said in a harsh tone. "We won't allow slavery to continue," she said, no room for argument in her voice.
Glynda shook her head and began, "Slavery? I agree it is a terrible thing, but..." both Maka and Soul's expressions darkened to a new degree at the sound of that 'but.' Glynda continued without pause despite seeing their reactions "...the amount of people and intelligent lifeforms who have suffered from slavery pale in comparison to certain diseases. The White Plague," she continued, and even though the other two did not recognize it, their dark looks did not change. They did a few seconds later though, as Glynda continued, "That disease caused the extinction of three intelligent species from Nexus. Alien life which was not used to certain pathogens humans were vaccinated from in different worlds, pathogens that mutated in their races when they came into contact with humans, pathogens they then rapidly spread to the rest of their race who gathered together because of humanity's racism towards these 'scary' creatures. It almost wiped out the Galvans too, have you heard of them? Of course not, these creatures are no larger than my hand." She lifted her hand, then to make her point she continued harshly to Soul who had given her a skeptical look like she was talking about rodents or something. "The Galvans were several times more intelligent than humans. Their intellects would have been great resources not only to humanity, but to all life on Nexus. On top of that, they were smart creatures with emotions, and they were almost wiped out before coming up with a cure for the disease. They came up with the cure on their own though, because what did humans care of a disease that did not affect them?"
"You talk about the Resistance like it's made up of only humans," Maka snapped. "I'm half Demon Weapon, Soul's a Demon Weapon. Friends of mine were artificially created in a lab. One of my comrades is a half cat, half man, half robot. Don't talk to us like we're not helping the world just because you want to rationalize how you gave up on the Resistance because you were afraid of dying!" Maka shouted it, and Glynda leaned back with her eyes wide. "Me and Soul were tortured for months! He was a gladiator in the Colosseum..."
"Maka."
"I had my arms and legs broken every day for weeks on end only for them to be healed over and over and over again just so they could be broken again! We have to cower in fear because even here he's still trying to find his lost 'property!'" Glynda's eyes grew even wider as she realized exactly who Zarbon was searching for that morning. "I have felt things no person, no intelligent life should ever have to feel and I'm still going back to the Resistance to keep fighting and risking getting caught again!" Maka yelled, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Maka," Soul said it louder this time.
Maka was panting though, and she swung her arms and shouted, "No!" She stepped towards Glynda who took a step back at the girl's teary-eyed but furious expression. "She- you're going to say to my face that what we're doing doesn't matter?! After all of that, after everything we've done? Everything we've lost?!" She screamed. "You're a coward! That's all you are! Hiding here and cowering in fear, finding new problems to distract yourself from the fact that the rest of the world is still at war and you're ignoring it! That there are slaves all around you who you turn a blind eye to! How did someone like you ever get to meet with the Resistance High Command?! Those people never would have given up, never would have just cowered behind enemy lines. My dad may have been a stupid pervy idiot, but at least he fought to the end. You're, you're just a coward." Maka had calmed down a little by the end, but she was still panting hard and leaning forward, putting her face up in Glynda's.
Glynda was panting herself now though. She ground her teeth over each other, bit down on her bottom lip, then clenched her fists at her sides. "Hey," Soul said, interrupting before the woman could even start trying to defend herself from all Maka just accused. "Do you have a connection in the Resistance or not?"
Glynda froze with her mouth open, then she reached up and pushed her hand back through her hair to try and compose herself. She turned from Maka who was still awaiting an answer and was mad at Soul for stopping the blonde woman from defending her actions. Glynda shook her head once and said, "No. Everyone I knew in the Resistance is dead."
"Then let's-" Soul began and started turning.
"I do not have any connections within the Resistance," Glynda continued. "However, I can create a connection to the Resistance."
Soul got a confused look on his face, while Maka stopped panting as hard and tried calming herself down. Soul glanced at his Meister who he really felt he needed to talk to after that outburst. Then he looked back at Glynda who continued to explain to the confused teens, "As I am sure you know, the Cooperative blocks long-range communications to Resistance lands from inside their borders. They can stop all radio waves, long-range transmissions, etcetera. However while here in Magic City, I learned a spell from the Library which cannot be blocked by any means. With it, I can connect one of your minds with someone you are thinking of strongly, with all your heart."
Soul and Maka glanced at each other, and they both thought the same thing. Liz. Neither thought they would be able to get through to the Resistance now, knowing the criteria for the spell, but they knew Liz would be able to. Connecting to Kid or Patty would be their best shot.
"There is a catch, a risk," Glynda continued. The two who had started feeling hopeful looked back hesitantly at the woman. "Although I can guarantee the connection won't be cut off, I cannot say the same about it being tapped."
"You mean someone can hack, your telepathy magic?" Soul asked, his forehead scrunching up in confusion.
"Some useful magic that is," Maka grumbled, loud enough though that Glynda would be able to hear. Glynda spun to her and opened her mouth, but Maka glared back into her eyes as if daring her to start back up their argument.
"If you do want to try it," Glynda said, then took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I suggest you use code. If the connection is hacked, I do believe you would be hunted by more than just Lord Zarbon." The two stared at her in surprise and some confusion too as to why she would say that. She continued after receiving their looks, "I have never heard of anyone ever escaping the Colosseum before. I, do not read the paper," she said it and tried continuing right away, but she saw a dark look on Maka's face that made her hesitate. It was like the girl was judging her, while also giving her a look that showed she was not surprised Glynda did not want to see the current events of the world she had abandoned every day. Glynda bit down hard again, then continued in a strained voice, "All I am saying, is it may be safer to just return as stealthily as possible. Do not announce your approach until you are within the safety of your borders, or even the walls of a strong Resistance base."
"Hmmm," Soul hummed. "Liz isn't going to like that," he muttered. If she knows she has the chance to talk to Kid and Patty now, she'd take it despite the risk. "Let's not tell her," he suggested to Maka.
She spun to him in surprise. "You're listening to her? We can tell everyone we're fine. Kid!"
"We'll tell him face to face," Soul said. "She might be a coward, but she is trying to help us." He threw shade at Glynda without even looking towards her, then he turned his back to her instead of gazing her way again. "Thanks, I guess," he said while keeping his hands in his pockets. "Don't tell anyone we were here, if you can manage that."
"I wouldn't-" Glynda began. She frowned and was fuming at the attitude these kids had with her. "I only told you the truth," she said, returning to a composed tone and posture. Soul stopped walking away while Maka continued to glare from right in front of her. "You will keep fighting, but as you already know, the war is lost."
"You only told us, your truth," Soul said. Glynda's eyes opened huge behind her glasses, and Maka turned away from the woman, feeling smug that that was the final look she saw on Glynda's face.
"The war is never lost," Maka said as she caught up to Soul and they started walking together. "Not as long as one person still stands for what's right. The light of the Resistance is stronger than you think. See you, Professor." Maka paused as her and Soul reached the top of the steps in the lecture hall. She stopped and watched as Soul opened the door and looked back at her. Maka's eyes shifted to the floor, then she said in a softer voice, "You said your opinion of my father changed the day he died. Well, I know about that day already. If you really thought better of him because of what he did that day, then you wouldn't just accept things the way they are. Not unless you really were, just a coward."
Glynda bit down hard to stop herself from shouting a retort at this girl speaking of her dead father. Maka followed Soul out the room and the door closed behind them. Glynda's fists clenched hard at her sides over and over, then she turned and reached for her podium. Her right arm stretched out, her metal joints extending so her hand with its fake skin on it could grab the papers she collected from her students earlier in the class when they had taken a quiz to start it off. She retracted her fake arm back in and looked at the top paper on the stack to try and shift her attention, but the questions and answers on the sheet appeared so inconsequential to her at the moment.
She walked over to her desk and put the papers down, then she brought her left hand up and rubbed her forehead with a palm actually made of flesh. Glynda scrunched up her face and dragged her hand from her forehead to over her eyes. What's so bad, about wanting to live?
"Uh- ah, sir? Wh-What can we help you with?"
"Is there anything you're searching for in particular?" Tissaia de Vries spoke up over her stammering coworker.
Lilith Clawthorne took a deep breath in as Tissaia darted her a look to get a grip. She tried to regain a serious expression on her pale-skinned face as she looked back at the man nearly seventeen feet tall, making him three times taller than the women before him. The professors of Magic University were not exactly in his way, though they were standing in front of him with not much of a gap between them in the hall following the front lobby.
The tall man who walked in got stared at by everyone nearby. Students and faculty alike gawked at the sight of him. Not because of his appearance, as there were many more unique-looking students in the lobby who did not have humanoid appearances like this man still had. Even his height was not all that shocking. It was the golden pin of the number '50' that scared people, particularly those who had heard the news of the other Capital 50 member who had arrived in the city just that morning.
The question Tissaia asked reminded Lilith of that rumor they heard and talked about at lunch together with other professors, including one woman who had been there for the event to confirm it. Lilith took in a deep breath herself then mentioned, "If you are here for the same reason as Lord Zarbon was, you must know that there is no slavery allowed in-"
"Not my business," the man simply stated in a deep voice. His mouth was masked by the thick ragged wool scarf that wrapped around the bottom of his face, his neck, and the top of his shoulders. The man had wavy crimson hair that did not seem long enough to cast the dark shadows over his narrow eyes that he had. "Don't mind me," he told them, and then he walked forward and between the women who each stepped aside rather than risk staying put and trying to stand against this giant.
He walked past them and did not appear to care enough about them to even cast glances to the sides as he went by. Tissaia and Lilith both felt relieved but also anxious about just letting him stroll right by. They looked at each other though and also knew that there was nothing they could do to stop a man like that. His pin is like an all-access pass to the world, Tissaia confessed to herself. Luckily he did not appear to be lying. I saw those escaped slaves from the wanted posters walking through these very halls not an hour ago. I hope they have slipped away by now.
Lilith shivered worriedly as she watched the scary Capital 50 member turn the direction of her own classroom. She was finished with classes for the day though, and she just glanced back at Tissaia and suggested, "Dinner?" Tissaia frowned back at her friend but then hummed and nodded her head after a few seconds. There truly was nothing to do about that man's presence in their institution.
Charlotte Katakuri, also known as Dogtooth, marched down an empty hallway towards a door at the end with the room number posted outside on the wall. He bowed his upper body as he turned the doorknob, and he stepped through into the lecture hall of a woman who was focused intently on the papers she had been grading for the past hour.
Another disturbance? I won't finish these papers before my night class- Glynda rose her gaze above her glasses and froze. Her pen tip pressed down harder on the page, and then she lowered the pen down and released while getting to her feet. "Katakuri," she began. Her voice was hesitant as she stared up the steps to the tall man who she scanned up and down. Her eyes lingered on the golden pin at the top of his black vest that was open down the middle to reveal his muscular pecs and abs covered in tattoos, just like his exposed arms.
Glynda stared at that golden pin and thought of the alien figure she had seen earlier that day. The Capital 50. "Meruem's personal Army," she recalled how Nico Robin had described it after they first spotted Zarbon earlier. "…the Ant King himself appoints the Capital 50 to guard the Capital and the surrounding realm, as well as carry out his orders anywhere on Aebrith." Is that why you are here? "Are you here on your King's orders?" Glynda questioned in a harsh tone.
Dogtooth stopped for another second on the steps. Then he walked down them towards the blonde woman who continued to frown harshly back up at him. He reached the same level as her and stared down into the witch's eyes. "No," he replied.
She humphed and tilted her head back more to keep glaring at him. Her expression did shift a bit though, and she mentioned, "I heard the Capital 50 took part in the War of the Saiyan Mountains, as they're calling it. I did not know whether you were still alive," Glynda stated curtly.
"Not all of us made it out," Dogtooth admitted, his voice coming out slightly muffled by his scarf but loud enough that he was still coherent. "And he is your King too," he corrected her previous question about "his" King's orders. Glynda narrowed her gaze more at the man who stared back in a harsh way too at that defiant look.
I do not advertise it, even to those two who were here before, but I actively try to push my students towards the Resistance. It is the framing of history and current events that changes their perceptions. I may act as a teacher in the Cooperative, but I protect the innocent and the weak as a Huntress. Something the Cooperative does not. Glynda shook her head and then looked away from the man in front of her. "It's a pity any of you did," Glynda retorted.
Dogtooth froze again. He hesitated before responding to her. "I fought Meruem because he was eating a child. I do not fight 'for' the Saiyans. I fight for what I think is right. And whether or not the Ant King has done good in the past, what he is doing today is evil. If you are going to help him, then I am going to stop you." Son Goku. Your words cut deep. Fighting alongside the other Saiyans who butchered so much of the world though, you still lose most of my sympathy. Not that my loyalty to Meruem would have changed either way.
"And your brothers?" Glynda asked, still looking away from the man.
"I left them at the Capital. The Saiyans would have been too much for them-" he started explaining.
"Why are you here?" Glynda demanded to know. She turned back to the taller man who leaned his head back a bit at her intense glare. "Why have you come?"
Dogtooth stepped another foot closer to Glynda who did not step back herself. "You know why I'm here…"
Also in Magic University at that moment, was a small boy in a pink hat who tiptoed quietly through the halls. He bounced off the ground straight to the ceiling and flattened himself against it. Timmy held his breath and stayed absolutely still. Neither of the students walking below noticed the kid up there, and Timmy dropped down after they walked past. He did not even wait for them to round the next corner, but neither of them turned around. Timmy's landing made no vibration and no sound, after all.
I can't believe I got caught. Nami's life was on the line! Nami, Robin, Sora, they all could have been killed because I couldn't stay hidden. It all worked out for the best, but I wasn't focused. I let my guard down. I was stupid! Timmy thought in frustration with himself. Nami was back drinking with the Sins and had gotten Izumo to pick up a shift as a waitress like Nami apparently had to last time they were with Meliodas. Nami thought it was hilarious, and Izumo had angrily fumed about it but accepted when Nami guilted her over the free meals and food and travel Izumo had been getting with them. He slipped away though while thinking of his actions the night before in the Vault.
Timmy darted around a corner and stayed crouched low to the ground. I'm supposed to be a master of stealth. I can't just wish myself into stealth mode anymore… not without Wanda, Timmy clenched his eyes shut. Even after all this time, it still hurt a lot when he pictured her smiling face. He even saw Cosmo next to her in his mind's eye for a second, but he shook his head around to get their faces out of his head. It's my own fault! I get distracted too easily. I need to focus harder without Wanda's help to keep stealth mode up. It's up to me and me alone.
Enough of my wishes to Wanda act passively. I might not make sounds or vibrations, but Power Blockers don't hide everything. I might have the ability not to show up on people's radars, but that's not the same as just not showing up on their radars. It's an active task to hide from Haki. To hide from ki or magic sensing. While focused, no one even in this city of magicians can spot me. I could even go invisible right now, but that didn't help me last night. I need to focus more on the other aspects. If invisibility alone could camouflage me, I wouldn't have needed all those other wishes. Focus, Timmy Turner. Focus and use everything Cosmo and Wanda gave you to become stronger.
Timmy continued to creep about the university he was certain would have some very powerful witches in it if the woman who defeated Saruman had classes here. The Marauder's Map that Harry guy had is totally cheating. It led him straight to me when I tried Hogwarts first. Timmy still felt sour about that, but he calmed his breathing to not dwell on it for too long. I can't just wish myself to not show up on maps like that, but he seemed to think the map was unique and that other places wouldn't have it. I wonder if Goodwitch would be able to sense me though. The Magic Task Force sounds like the strongest group of magicians in the city. If I can get past even her… is that her?
Timmy recognized a voice with his super hearing. She's talking to someone. Timmy knew she should be around here, and although he had wanted to avoid her, she sounded too busy with someone else to notice him even if she had the ability to. Timmy frowned. It was not much of a challenge to himself if Goodwitch was not one of the potential searchers. His brow furrowed more after he started making his way towards the door of her classroom. Deep voice. It's stern too, scary even. Is someone intimidating her?
Timmy kept his stealth mode up but sped towards the door. He floated off the ground and higher up the frame then past it. Where's a good spot? Closer to the corner of the next room. Where no one should be looking. Go invisible for real here. Vibrate fast. Faster. Then start pushing through. Timmy pressed his palms up against the wall near where he was sure the corner of the classroom on the other side would be. He vibrated so fast that his body started phasing through the wall.
Timmy pushed his face through and stared down towards Glynda and the much taller man facing her. Who is that? Keep the stealth up! It's harder while moving this fast, Timmy narrowed his eyes and stayed focused on many things at the same time. He kept hiding his presence while examining the powerful-looking figure over. Is that… he has one of those pins! It's a Capital 50 member. Is she going to give us up? Is that what this is? No. No they're not talking about us. What are they talking about…
"Do you wish I was one of those who had fallen at Mount Vegeta?" Dogtooth questioned.
Glynda glared back up into his eyes. "You… you need to leave." Her eyes shifted past him and up towards her door. "My students will be here any minute-"
"Your next class isn't for over another hour," he countered her. He stepped closer and stared down at the woman who he said to in a lower voice, "No one is coming."
Is he about to attack her?! Timmy started easing through the wall even more.
Dogtooth started lifting his arms. He reached them up towards the scarf around his neck hiding the bottom of his face. Timmy stopped moving and stared even closer, his eyes going wide as the man removed the scarf and revealed the funny-looking mouth behind it. He had scars cutting from both corners of his lips all the way out to his ears. The man had sharp teeth, including two that stuck up over his upper lip and two sticking down below the bottom one for a bad overbite and underbite. His entire scary appearance suddenly got a lot less intimidating, though Timmy kept his guard up as the man lowered that scarf and then tossed it back onto the closest desk behind him. Timmy's eyes focused on the sharp teeth as the man stepped closer to Glynda again, He's going to eat her! He's-
Glynda spun back to the man before her and jumped up. Her arms wrapped around his sides, and he wrapped his around hers, and the two of them started furiously making out. Timmy dropped his jaw and nearly fell through the wall the rest of the way. STEALTH! He screamed at himself, as the whole point of this was to not let his guard down and drop his stealth for any reason. Still, he had come very close to losing his focus and letting himself be sensed by things like Haki, which Charlotte Katakuri definitely would have noticed.
"Ah-hah, idiot! Mm- I thought you were dead. You should have come here sooner- mm, mwah, mm!"
"My presence, nnmm, was required elsewhere immediately following the attack. I… am sorry. Mmm, mwuh, mm…"
Timmy eased his body back out of the wall and turned around. He shivered and shook off the willies after seeing that private display of affection. Timmy floated quickly away from the classroom his super hearing still let him hear noises from inside of. That is so weird.
A/N XD Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Lol, what a pairing. Glynda Goodwitch was the name of the chapter as it focused primarily around her. Back when I was watching RWBY, it really seemed like she was the most powerful character around and super under-utilized in the show. Her power was OP, and I wanted to use her more in Nexus than RWBY did. So she's a teacher at Hogwarts, a professor at MU, part of the MTF, a former Resistance Commander's second-in-command, got a prosthetic metal arm, and she's in an... interesting relationship. XD Haha anyway, I hope you liked this chapter focused mainly on her. We see Soul and Maka continuing to make their way back towards Resistance territory, though it looks like they'll just be sticking with the Sins and trying to sneak back to safety rather than call up Death the Kid and let him know where they are. Only two parts left of this Finding Index Arc (what I've called it for years in my notes with summaries for these chapters), after the Sylar and Zodd arcs, but before the Gray Invasion, Hell, and Paradis arcs... speaking of, let me know which of those 3 you think will be the next arc to be featured in chapter 23! I'll do a quick list below because of a few new named characters, then get to the 2 review responses for the day:
Bleach: Yamamoto Shigekuni, Aizen, Kyouraku
RWBY: Glynda Goodwitch, Grimm, Ozpin
One Piece: Nami, Robin, Charlotte Katakuri (Dogtooth), Zoro
Owl House: Lilith Clawthorne
The Witcher: Tissaia de Vries
Black Clover: Julius Novachrono
Naruto: Tobirama Senju, Sasuke
Star Wars: Darth Bane
Gundam: Degwin Zabi
Gurren Lagann: Beastmen, Spiral King
Soul Eater: Liz, Patty, Kid, Shinigami-sama, Maka, Soul, Spirit Albarn
My Hero Academia: Endeavor, All Might
7DS: Meliodas, King Arthur
Hitman Reborn: Byakuran
Avatar TLA: Sozin
Fairly Oddparents: Timmy, Cosmo, Wanda
Blue Exorcist: Izumo
Akame ga Kill: Tatsumi
DBZ: Son Goku, Gohan, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Android 17, Bulma, Vegeta, ChiChi
Ben 10: Galvans
Fairy Tail: Vistarion, Spriggan (Zeref)
Hunter x Hunter: Meruem
Dragon Quest XI: Sniflheim
Harry Potter: Hogwarts, Marauder's Map, Harry Potter
-And I think that's everything, but I could have missed some. Let me know if I did. Even in a 10,000 word chapter focused primarily on one character, the list can still be massive. Phew, that actually took a few minutes! XD Anyway, review response time:
Smlluffy67 chapter 147 . Jan 30
Another great chapter and hey baba is in the city I wonder is she knows where roshi is or maybe grandpa gohan or even if we're really lucky korrin so they can get some senzu beans
Baba is there... though she was more of an establishing shot than anything. Just referencing some characters we know of from different worlds to display how large the Magic Kingdom is. Not saying she won't be important, but I'll admit I didn't have big plans for her. Now that you mention it though... well, no spoilers. ;) Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed the new chapter!
Limit-Breaking chapter 147 . Jan 31
Lol I didn't even know this chapter was uploaded, I guess I'll go check and fix the notifications.
Either way zarbon appearing was funny and tense. Funny cause he ran away, that Vegeta trauma is getting to him lol.
Tense cause maka and the others were also there ironically, though we will see how it goes after scaring zarbon off.
Will it come back to bite them, or will the other members of the capital 50 just laugh at zarbon and ignore it, hopefully they ignore since it is android 17 territory.
Also love the Mar characters watched that show as a kid and it was a lot of fun. That time chamber was also a pretty cool thing to have, sadly you have to stay awake for it to work if I remember correctly.
As for juvia looks like things may finally work out for her, hopefully it goes well.
And a reunion with the seven deadly since should be an interesting thing to see.
Either way great stuff again and hopefully next time I will receive the notification.
If you fixed the notifications I bet you'll see this new update. So I'm glad you did! Yeah, that death to Vegeta is something Zarbon and pals really don't want to be repeating. Vegeta's got quite a kill counter among the Capital 50, with Zarbon, Dodoria, Jeice, and Burter all in the group. Maka and Soul got lucky, though they're not willing to risk getting lucky again and decide not to send out a message this chapter. Cool to see someone else saw the MAR show, and I'd definitely have to watch more of it to get a better idea of the weapons and powers before writing it in as a major plot point (not that I didn't already do that with the dark and dimensional ARMs earlier this chapter). Juvia's treatment has started, and we'll see how things go on that, and we'll also get more of the 7DS next chapter as we only heard reference of them in this one as Timmy left to go work on his stealth... which he may be regretting doing right now. XD Thanks for the review as always, and thanks everyone who reviewed, faved, followed, or who just read the newest update! 'Til next time!