It was the tail end of early evening when the convoy broke for camp. Since the close encounter that afternoon, the mood had been tense among KRME. Well, most of KRME. Jad took what had happened with him in stride. Considering his injuries were the most serious, that said a lot to those they were escorting. The matchstick of a young man conversed with Clay about the event while they traveled, easing the family's mood as best he could.
The same could not be said for the other members of his team.
Rember had been hit the hardest. Her usually jubilant and hearty self was ripped away, leaving behind an unresponsive and distant shell. The air around her was alternately frigid and sweltering. Azure had a veritable storm cloud brewing over his head and took to patrolling as far ahead as he could get away with. Gayle seemed to be doing her best to stay small and silent. She kept her eyes intently scanning the woods around them, trying to pass off her anxiety as vigilance.
Laurel made sure the camp was set up in a timely fashion. She took note of each team member's condition since that afternoon, already formulating her course of action for the foreseeable future. Clay asked the Huntress if it would be safe enough to go do some hunting for dinner that night, and after an eager volunteer and reassurance from Jad, the woman acquiesced to the request.
"You come back if that wound starts to impede you, Jad," she stipulated. "I don't care about your Aura helping with the recovery."
"Affirmative, milady," Jad answered as he and Clay prepared to head out.
"Ever been out hunting wild game before, son?" the elder gentleman asked, and the redhead didn't bother hiding his proud smile.
"I am no stranger to the hunt," he coolly stated. "The Pack and I would always go and obtain the night's meal. I am well versed in trapping and hunting, good sir."
Clay nodded, a look of respect on his features. With weapons in hand the men headed out into the foliage. Once they were gone, the camp became quiet until Clay's wife, Stella, broke the silence.
"Well, until they're back," the woman looked to Azure, who caught her gaze, "would you be so kind as to help me with the rest of the dinner preparations?"
Azure nodded. Maizey, the youngest child, watched keenly as he deftly took a knife and prepared some of the vegetables that the family packed before they'd left. Laurel decided to gather firewood. Rember blankly watched her leave. Gayle, intently avoiding anyone's attention and shrugging off any attempts at conversation, kept herself busy with odd tasks readying their camp for the night.
"How're your injuries?" Stella asked Azure, keeping her focus on her own dinner prep. Azure hummed in response. Nothing was hurting anymore and his aura was speeding recovery. The bandages he wore would be more decorative than functional in a day or so.
"Fine," he answered.
"That's good. That new Grimm was quite dangerous, but you and the others did a great job protecting us. Thank you very much for that," Stella said, giving Azure an appreciative smile.
"That's why we're here."
"True. Now, once you're done with that, I'd like you and Rember to help set up tents, please," Stella instructed, patting down her clothes to get the day's dirt off. Azure looked to his partner. Rember had already begun moving to get the first shelter assembled. Azure didn't miss his partner's body language though; she moved so robotically, machines would be impressed.
A small "um…" was heard, and Stella turned to find Gayle standing nearby, wringing her hands. Her voice remained timid as she asked "Is there anything I can help out with?"
Stella pondered for a moment. "Could you and Tawnya get fresh water for the night?" she asked. "Once Laurel is back, we can get that boiling for food and cleaning."
Gayle nodded hastily and rushed off to join the eldest daughter in fetching a pair of wooden buckets and venturing to the nearby brook.
Jad laid in a bush, a silent rock out of sight. The hunt had been fruitful so far, the forest bountiful with game. Trappings had produced a brace of fat coneys, but now he and Clay were looking for bigger, more sustaining prey. The young man kept his senses vigilant while concealed, waiting.
His patience was soon rewarded. Something stirred not too far off in the brush, promising a much larger prey than he'd found so far. Jad stayed as low and silent as possible while he advanced. Somewhere behind him, Clay honed in on the target through the scope of his rifle.
Since becoming a student at Beacon, Jad hadn't had to worry about tracking or hunting for his dinner. He never had to worry about food at the school, and could always eat as much as his stomach would allow. Being out on the road once again brought back old habits. Hunting down tonight's meal. Finding a good patch of grass to sleep on. It was like those last few months with Azure and the girls were a dream. All that was missing were the packmates that had taught him the ropes of living off the land.
Gradually, their target revealed itself: a young deer, antlers sparse of points. As it crept out of cover, a jolt of adrenaline shot through Jad's blood, but he bit down on his urge to move in. They were both downwind of the animal, so they still had the element of surprise. Jad did a practiced bird whistle, simultaneously signaling Clay to take aim, and making the cervid freeze. It worked; its attention snapped his way as skittish eyes looked for the source of the unfamiliar whistle. Clay steadied his hands and took in a deep breath before firing through its heart. A loud bang rang through the air, nearly drowning out the deer's cry as it fell to the forest floor. Jad sprung from his hiding spot and checked the condition of the deer. The shot hit right on the money, efficiently killing the animal with minimal damage to the meat.
"Quite the shot there, ace," Jad said, giving the older gentlemen a thumbs up.
"Heh, had plenty of practice, son."
"Right. Best we haul this sucker back to camp. Don't want to keep our women waiting."
"Agreed. Stella should have everything ready by the time we're back."
"Good good." Jad hoisted the deer on his shoulders, minding the hole that leaked blood. "Let's get our rears in gear then."
Clay nodded, moving in the direction they had left their trappings. Suddenly, both halted when an unfamiliar sound crept into the men's ears. A soft, warning growl. Jad wheeled around with Gypsy Flirt at the ready, but saw nothing when he scanned the foliage. He kept at it, squinting in the twilight sun. There. There it was.
Up in a tree, cloaked in the early evening shade, sat a body of black. Jad couldn't quite make out the details of its shape, but the burning set of eyes that cut its way into view indicated that it was some type of Grimm. It definitely wasn't the one from earlier, and this one seemed almost…wary of them. By this point Clay had seen it too, gun raised and ready. Seeing the humans ready to fight made the beast growl a warning once more, but it did not move from its perch. A long tail, nearly twice the length of the body it hung from, swished back and forth in agitation.
"What should we do?" Clay whispered. "Just ignore it?"
"Hmmm…if we do, we turn our backs to it," Jad answered, "giving it ample time for an ambush. Or even worse, it follows us home."
Clay got the message, finger tightening on the trigger. The new Grimm saw the shift in the man's demeanor, hissing as it leapt down from the tree to escape. Clay fired, but only succeeded in severing the Grimm's extensively long tail. It howled in pain and fled. Deeming it safe enough, Jad went to pick up the removed appendage. He studied it as best he could before it disintegrated. It was covered in coarse, bristle-like fur, so it probably had some kind of mammalian attributes. Nevertheless, he hoped that this close encounter would dissuade their unwanted guest from seeking out humans for a good long while.
"Let's make tracks," Jad said, regaining their trophy.
Dinner at camp was a mellower time. The food graciously prepared and provided by all in attendance helped lighten everyone's moods - with the exception of one ochre haired fox faunus. Rember sat alone against a tree, away from the ring of bodies surrounding the campfire, and barely touching her food. Jad had been sharing stories with an enraptured audience, recounting tales of his travels and adventures before joining Beacon. When he'd tired of those, he changed topics to old folk tales he was taught while growing up, though he omitted the source storytellers. The children of the convoy hung on Jad's every word. Maizey in particular was eager for the young man's storytelling.
"Wow…" the young girl marveled. "I really liked that story."
"Heh. My pleasure, little lady," Jad grinned, poking at the campfire with a stick. "The pack told me that one when I was about your size."
"You know, you keep mentioning this 'pack'," Tawnya piped up, her head cocked with curiosity. "Were you, like, raised by wolves or something?"
The question made Jad's smile widen.
"In a way," he answered, "that idea is both true, and yet not true, at the same time."
"Huh. That's more than a bit confusing…"
"Only if you make it out to be."
"So does that make you a wild beast man?" Maizey inquired, genuine wonder in her young eyes. Jad laughed heartily.
"Maybe," he answered, and Maizey's awe of the boy grew. "But methinks it's someone else's turn to spin a yarn…"
Maizey pouted, disappointed, but looked around to see who would take up the mantle of narrator. Setting her sights on Azure, the young girl skipped over to him.
"Do you have any stories?" she asked, swaying side to side as cute as could be.
Azure's eyes widened a fraction in surprise.
"I…well…" he stammered, "I…guess I could try to think of something."
Maizey cheered and settled back into her seat around the fire. Azure wracked his brain for stories he could tell, and how he would convey them. He never had been a sharer of tales, only a partaker. Laurel, who sat nearby without really being part of the group, waited curiously for him to begin. After a moment, an old story flooded back into Azure's memory, and he plotted out how he would begin his retelling.
"This story," Azure began, "Is about four magical crystals. Each crystal was tied to an element that shaped the world. They were Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water. And for each crystal, there was a young girl that acted as its guardian. These four women would pray to the crystals, asking them to bless the land, and maintain peace among the people that lived in it. It would be this way for many years, and the bounties the crystals provided lasted for a time."
Azure's listeners remained silent as he continued.
"Then, one day, a king from a faraway country saw the power the four crystals provided, and felt the need to control such power. His kingdom was neighbor to where the Earth crystal was kept, and so he claimed that one first. At this time, many people had learned of the crystals, as well as their maiden protectors, and developed an orthodoxy surrounding them."
"What's an Oo-r-tha-dock-see?" Maizey asked innocently, trying her best to pronounce the difficult word.
"It's like a fancy word for religion," Gayle told the little girl, and the child nodded sagely.
"Yes, what Gayle said," Azure confirmed. "The orthodoxy opposed the kingdom's actions to usurp the Earth Crystal, so they tried to make them return it. They could not though, and before long, all four crystals were taken from their resting places, and their guardians killed or driven into exile. Because of this, the gems of power lost their luster, and became clouded with darkness. The winds ceased, fires raged, water rotted ships, and the earth became barren. Only one Crystal Guardian remained: the Maiden of Wind.
"It was the Wind Maiden's mission to restore balance to the Crystals, but she knew she had to find allies to help complete her goals. During her quest, she was blessed with three other companions. The first, a young farm boy, met her by chance after his home village was claimed in a battle between the Orthodoxy and the Warring Kingdom. The second was a man who wandered the world, untied by material things but having a passion for beautiful women. And lastly, was the princess of the Warring Kingdom, disgusted upon learning the truth of what her father had done and determined to set things right. These four would be known as the Heroes of Radiance…"
Azure continued to tell his story for a time. He cut it off when he noticed Maizey dozing off, and he promised to resume the tale the next night for her. With Clay and his family turning in for the night, and Laurel letting the four of the teens rest while she took nightwatch, each of team KRME watched the fire before them, its glow fighting against the deepening dark of the surrounding night.
Hey bossman," Gayle piped up, looking to her leader, "where'd you hear that story? I've never heard it, but my mum used to read me all sorts of folk tales."
His eyes locked on the fire, Azure answered, "It was an old story my mother told me."
"Was it passed down in the family?"
"I wouldn't know."
"I see…" Gayle mumbled. Suddenly she remembered their conversation from earlier, exclaiming a loud "Oh!" and "Bossman! You never got the chance to talk about that person who convinced you to leave the White Fang. Before we got attacked."
Azure focused his attention on their youngest member. He'd forgotten about that.
"Still curious?" he asked. Gayle nodded.
"Yeah, Pasty!" Jad interjected, grinning slyly, "tell us the tale of the first women that lit a fire in you. The one to turn your blood bright red. The one that kickstarted the cockles of your heart!"
Azure huffed a low groan at the teasing of his teammate, but saw the expectant looks in his direction. He caught himself glancing at where Rember had secluded herself. The flickering campfire barely illuminated her face, casting the rest of her in shadow. She looked lost in her own head, somewhere far from here. He wanted to speak with her about it, but he wasn't really in any shape himself after this afternoon. Maybe small talk with Gayle would be just what he needed to settle himself.
"Alright," he acquiesced, and Gayle and Jad leaned in to listen.
"So?" Jad asked, "how'd you meet?"
"It was a chance encounter, honestly," Azure answered. "I was hurt during a contract from the White Fang. Got separated from Creed and Wisteria, and I didn't think I was going to make it. That's when I met…her."
He fell quiet as the memories arose in his mind. Gayle leaned forward, bursting with questions but waiting for him to continue.
"She was unlike anyone I'd ever seen. The deepest blue hair, with eyes vibrant emerald. She wore some kind of intricate combat robe, colored in whites and pale yellows, with sun emblems adorning the fabrics."
"So she was a fine specimen, then?" Jad interjected, getting a scolding elbow from his partner. It didn't dissuade Azure.
"Yes, Jad. She was pretty."
"Niiiice~"
"Anyways," the young man continued, "it was then we got introduced. She told me her name was Lynn, and that she was going to enroll at one of the Hunter academies. She patched me up, and I learned she wasn't from any of the kingdoms. She was from something she called a tribe."
Gayle tilted her head curiously, hanging on his every word.
"She would always somehow find me after that first encounter," Azure recounted. "I tried to ignore her at first, but eventually she convinced me to be her friend. Lynn was a free spirit. Carefree, yet strong willed. The more time we spent together, the more she showed me I didn't have to continue living the way I did. That I always had a choice…"
"So did you make a move then?" Jad asked innocently. Gayle sighed on Azure's behalf, prompting a playful "what? We were both thinking it!" and immediate protests from Gayle. Azure grinned as his teammates bickered; the sight lightened his mood without fail.
"It was never like that," the pale young man answered. "If I had to say, I would call her one of my first close friends."
Jad nodded, stroking his chin.
"Eh. If you had me there, I would've been the best wingman," he said nonchalantly, and Azure snickered. With one final scoff, Gayle got to her feet. Clearly story time was over for now.
"Okay. I'm off to bed. Night, guys," Gayle yawned, moving towards the tent she and Rember shared. The boys reciprocated, wishing her a good night's sleep. Gayle repeated the gesture to Rember as she walked by, but was stoically ignored. Jad was next to turn in, settling in near the campfire and propping up his fedora to cover his eyes. Azure waited till the pull of exhaustion beckoned him to sleep. He thought about checking up on his partner once more. Through the dancing shadows he could see her fox ears flicker towards the forest before going back to their resting position, but otherwise she showed no signs of engagement.
"Don't stay up too late, Rem," Azure said finally, and retired to his tent.
The next day was thankfully quiet and easy. The convoy covered good ground in the time the sun granted them. Laurel surmised it would be most likely two more days' trip, which made morale noticeably higher. Maizey tried to coerce more of Azure's story the entire day from the young man, but he held firm that she'd have to wait for that evening for a continuation. Jad took it upon himself to be his best self and made this stage of the journey a gas, pulling out all his tricks of the trade to make everyone smile. He had small victories here and there, but his personal goal of improving Rember's mood eluded him. All the faunus gave him was a cold shoulder and curt words. By the time they had stopped for the day, Jad got the hint that she wasn't in the mood for his attempts to cheer her. Gayle, wanting to regain harmony, took the entire day thinking on how she could help her teammates. That desire manifested the girl doubling down on assisting the group in whatever ways she could. That night Gayle was the quickest to finish her camp chores, going to Laurel for miscellaneous jobs after. The huntress accepted the eagerness and kept her busy, assigning her to sentry duty for the night with Azure once the lizard faunus promptly completed her menial requests.
Azure had been periodically observing Rember. He couldn't bring himself to ignore her mood, but he had no clue how to approach her. It was a situation that miffed him to his core, but he did his best to appear as though it didn't. It was at this moment Gayle mustered up the gumption to approach her teammate.
"Hey Ber!" she greeted, gauging her friend's mood.
The fox faunus's ear flicked irritably.
"Leave me alone," she said.
Gayle stopped for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.
"Uh…I was gonna go for a walk around the perimeter, I was wondering if you wanted to come?"
"No."
The abruptness of the reply had Gayle frowning. She knew something was up with Rember. It was super unlike her to isolate herself like this. She wouldn't talk to anyone, and she glowered all the time. Something about it set Gayle on edge, like she was walking on eggshells.
"Ber, are you…are you okay?" she ventured.
"Just dandy," the other faunus said through gritted teeth.
Gayle deflated. Something was seriously wrong, but clearly Rember didn't want to talk about it.
"Well, let me know if you need anything," Gayle said after an awkward moment.
One of Rember's ears flicked irritably, and she stared pointedly in another direction. Feeling defeated, Gayle's shoulders dropped a fraction and she turned away. She spun Vendaval anxiously, trying to figure out what might be bothering Rember so much. She seemed to be fine until the Bunyip attack, and ever since then it was like a whole different person had replaced her.
Watching their youngest member withdraw disheartedly, Azure and Jad shared a glance. Jad's eyes had a look in them that said 'You touching that, or shall I?', while his old friend weighed the options. Laurel caught the boys before action could be undertaken, gesturing to them to remain where they were.
"Let it be, you two," she commented, "Not everything can be solved in a timely manner."
Rember stood up and walked away upon hearing the Huntress' voice, not bothering to see the concerned look of her fellow female teammate.
"True," Jad spoke up, "but the bitchy attitude is getting old. Not to mention it'll make this trip all the more a sunnovabitch."
"Which is why I'm expecting you to prepare for anything that comes our way because of it. Negativity is a constant in this work. You either learn to use it beneficially, or you fall prey to it."
"Yeah? That sounds like the story of a bad day."
Laurel huffed at the assumption. Taking a seat near that night's campfire, the huntress procured a few metal instruments to assist in her prosthetic maintenance from her flight suit. The woman took a moment while she planned the route of attack, not taking her eyes off her work while she answered her junior.
"Yes, and that bad day was my greatest teacher."
"Was that when…that happened?" Gayle asked, motioning to her robotics. Laurel nodded tersely.
"Indeed. Before this, I was a part of the Atlesian military. I served under General Ironwood, though he hadn't obtained that rank when I served. I was young, brash, and had something to prove. And because of that, Grimm killed my whole platoon and I was left for dead."
"No one came to look for you?"
"Life doesn't last in the tundras of Solitas, Gayle."
"Oh. Right…"
"It was by sheer, dumb luck I was found by Mantle's border militia, and even luckier when the doctors were able to revive me," Laurel recounted. "It was then I learned my core lesson: Discipline of the mind, as well as the body, are key for being a Hunter. If you can't control your own feelings, more people than just you will pay the price."
"Shouldn't we be doing something to help Rember then?" Azure asked.
"Can you say for certain she would listen to advice right now?" the huntress retorted, "Listen, Azure: Don't knock on the door to a closed heart. Be the light it can follow when it opens."
Azure's eyebrows drew together in confusion at the riddle of advice he was given. Laurel then laid her eyes on Gayle, finishing her robotics tuning.
"Gayle, come with me for a moment…"
Gayle took one look at her partner before following after the Huntress. Laurel led the girl away from the camp, in the opposite direction of Rember, gesturing to her to sit on a weathered stump once a distance away from prying ears. The woman followed her student and took a place beside her, giving her ample room so as to not feel uncomfortable with her presence. Gayle waited for Laurel to light a cigarette, as that seemed to be what she did in moments like this. But to her intrigue, she didn't.
"Is, um," the faunus awkwardly spoke up, "is there something you need, Laurel?"
Laurel studied the young woman for a second.
"Relax, I just want to know what happened," she stated, "about why your leader was hurt when he came to me earlier, and you aren't."
Gayle grimaced. As clearly and as calmly as she could explain, the faunus told Laurel her own recollection of events concerning the Bunyip encounter. She recalled how they seemed to do well, but that they were slowly being whittled down by the alpha, and how Azure was forced to make a split second decision to send her to help the caravan at the expense of his own wellbeing. While she told her story, Laurel listened attentively.
"I see…" the huntress mumbled thoughtfully. "You do paint a more detailed picture than your team lead."
"I do?"
"Indeed. Azure was very brief on explaining his end. Which was fitting, considering the circumstances."
"Oh. That does sound like him…"
"A gutsy move, if not a shortsighted one; sending you off and leaving himself without support."
"I agree, it wasn't the smartest idea," Gayle said, "but why are you talking about this with me?"
"Is it not obvious? I want to hear why you allowed your leader to get hurt," Laurel answered, leaning back on her seat.
"Now wait a minute, I never said I let him get hurt!"
"True, not directly," Laurel admitted, "but I've noticed some things in your story that make me curious. For example: Azure had a plan that involved Dust, and you declined immediately. Why?"
"That's…a long story."
"We have time for stories."
Seeing the woman was resolute, Gayle took in a breath to collect herself.
"When I was training to enter Beacon Academy," she began, "I learned from a personal combat instructor. He helped me find my combat style, and encouraged the multiple avenues I wanted to learn about, and utilize in my pursuit of becoming a Huntress."
"Did they exclude Dust from those avenues?"
"Not exactly. I've spent years learning about Dust and its applications. But I've…omitted the use of it in my gear, and my weapons."
"What about those nifty pieces on your wrists?"
"I made them. I did it by finding an alternative source for power."
"You don't say?" Laurel asked, mildly impressed. "That still doesn't answer my question though."
"Well…it was something my teacher told me to do. That if I wanted to prove myself as a faunus, I should show the world through my own ability, and forgo artificial aid."
Laurel's eyebrows flew up in surprise.
"That's…stupid." she commented, like it was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.
"Excuse me?"
"You're saying you put your teammate in a position where he could've gotten seriously hurt, even killed, because of some selfish limitation someone else told you to implement?"
"I, uh…" Gayle stammered. The harsh question sucked out her confidence, and left her fumbling. Laurel didn't wait for her to recover from her comment.
"You're a brilliant and talented individual, Gayle. That, I've very quickly learned. However, it benefits no one when you limit your potential for someone else's validation. Especially on such a broad scale such as 'the world'."
"What?"
"A Hunter is a protector of the people, humanity and faunus alike. It is our job to safeguard others, in whatever way we are able. You say you have knowledge and drive in the study of Dust? Good. Take what you learn, and apply it. Let your talents benefit you, as well as others. It will only help you in your future."
"But–"
"I'm sure you had a reason to believe in what you were taught, but there comes a point where clinging to one idea without openness to others becomes a hindrance, like it was for you the other day."
Gayle didn't know how to respond. This never had happened to her in regard to an adult giving her instruction. Though, Laurel was an incredibly unorthodox teacher, if there ever was one. Never had she met someone so critical, and she didn't know how to maneuver it. It didn't help that the interaction with Rember still sat at the forefront of her mind, making her gut churn. She still felt sick from it.
"I…I don't know what to say…" she admitted. Laurel sighed softly at seeing Gayle wracked with dilemma, taking a moment to refocus.
"I only share other lines of thought for you. You make the decision to follow them, or not." Then the Huntress added, "Don't take what I tell you too personally. I'm admittedly new to this."
"I see."
"And Gayle?"
"Yes?"
"Don't hold a grudge against Rember about how she treated you earlier. She's angry, and I feel a good chunk of it is with me."
Gayle nodded. She knew from the very start that Rember had problems with the Huntress, but Laurel really seemed to get under the fox faunus' skin.
"Why do you treat her so harshly?" the lizard faunus asked, trying to get her mind off of what they had discussed.
Laurel laughed at her question.
"You may not believe it," she answered, "but Rember walks a similar path to the one I did, back when I was her age. And it is a chapter of my life that has been read, and closed. In a way, you could say I know her."
"Really?"
"Yes. She has passion and talent, but lacks control over herself. Hopefully, after this mission, she will take steps in changing that. Surely you noticed the snap judgements, the lack of forgiveness, the self righteous anger. She abhors me and how I've led this mission, and she has made it abundantly clear to me. But frankly, I couldn't care less about her critiques. A person's true nature is defined in conflict, and so I devised a situation to test all of you. I've seen each of you begin to find yourselves because of it. Or in your teammates' case, find herself lacking. "
Gayle mulled over what Laurel said.
"Wait. You manipulated our feelings regarding you on purpose?"
"I did, and I would make the same choice again."
"But the Grimm–"
"Would've shown up regardless. Rember's feelings weren't created because of me. I am only its chosen target. If anything, I've saved her further pain by giving it direction, though I do not approve of one unable to center themselves.
"Yet for all of those points," the woman added, "I know she, like yourself, is a valued and important member of your group. You accentuate each other's strengths, and help cover your weaknesses. The bond you four share should never be taken for granted, Gayle."
"But…if you believe that," Gayle asked, "Why haven't you tried to approach Rember about it?"
"Do you really think she would listen? She's more concerned about being validated in her misguided feelings. That I should take account of my own perceived poor actions. I will not feed into that prideful impulse, that short term gratification. If I am wrong in what I did, you four will show me in guiding this family to the kingdom safely. Until then? I will be the shadower of our company, and the mirror revealing the inner truths your young eyes have yet to see."
Laurel got to her feet, the internals of her robotic arm whirring as they recalibrated. Extending her hand to Gayle, the Huntress helped the smaller girl to her feet.
"To wrap back around to what I told you," the blonde said, "dispense of the limitations and validation found in others. Find the truth in what others teach you, so you may discover your own core values. Once found, search out the contrast to strengthen those beliefs, so that you may become the Huntress your greatest potential can attain."
"Rem?"
"What."
Azure frowned at her tone. He had left his partner alone since last night and for the entire day following. He had watched his partner deteriorate in demeanor for longer than he could tolerate. Enough was enough for the young man. Time for action.
"Can we talk?"
"Whatever."
Rember got to her feet, her expression one of irritation, and followed him a little ways away from camp. Azure glanced over his shoulder to see that one of her ears was twitching the way it usually did when she was uncomfortable. He refrained from using his empath ability for now, having been checking on her with it throughout the day and finding no changes in her mood.
When they were out of earshot of the others but still within sight of the campfire, Azure stopped and turned to look at his partner.
"Alright, what's going on?" he asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Rember replied, crossing her arms.
She was trying to look bored, but he could see through it.
"Rem, you've been quieter than me for the last two days. That's not like you."
She rolled her eyes. "Maybe I don't have anything to say."
"What about the other day? After the Bunyip attack? You had lots to say then."
"So?"
Impatience flashed through him, and Azure clenched his fist for a few seconds. Why did she have to be so stubborn?
"So despite your incredible persuasion to the contrary, I want to know what's going on with you," he said.
"Nothing. I'm fine."
"Rem. C'mon," Azure rebuked. "Everyone can tell there's something wrong. You know you can talk to me."
"Why bother? No one listens anyway."
"That isn't fair. Gayle, Jad, and I are always willing to listen."
"Then go listen to someone else. I told you I'm fine," she growled. "Besides, your actions imply otherwise."
Azure furrowed his brows. He didn't want to leave his partner alone while she was so upset, but he needed to take a moment and cool his head. Come at it from a softer place. He couldn't keep butting heads with Rember and expect this exchange to improve.
"Look, Rem… I know what happened scared you. What I did scared you. Then Jad and I got banged up pretty bad, and then Laurel saying what she did…that's a lot for anyone. But until we get these people back to the kingdom, I need my partner with me."
Rember glared at him, meeting his eyes for the first time since the conversation started. "I've been doing my part, the same as the rest of you."
"I know that. But again, you haven't been…you, ever since Laurel laid into us. So please, help me understand."
Her glare didn't waver, but Azure noticed a hint of frost appearing on her battle gear. That was weird. Usually it was the heat that manifested when she was upset. He'd never seen the cold side of her semblance act up like this.
Then again, he'd never really seen Rember act like this.
Rember muttered something that he didn't catch and looked at the ground, her fox ears flat against her skull.
"Huh?"
She sighed loudly.
"I don't know, okay? I don't know what's wrong. It just is," she said angrily.
"Well that's confusing."
"Yeah, I know that. But I don't know why I'm like this, or why I reacted the way I did, but I did. It's done, and I can't change it. So end of story, goodbye, let's move on and get the rest of this mission over with."
Azure studied Rember, holding firm in the face of his partner.
"Rem, if that's true, I don't think you're really in a state to be on a mission if it's as bad as you say," he pointed out.
"Gee, thanks Laurel. I really couldn't have figured that out on my own, being the dumb little child I am."
Azure frowned at the jab, but Rember kept going.
"After all, I'm just a stupid, immature little girl who has no business being out in the big bad woods because I can't control my emotions."
"Rember, no one here is calling you that," Azure interrupted. "You're not making any sense!"
"Yeah, well, nothing makes sense!" she shot back, uncrossing her arms and clenching her fists at her sides.
"Like what? What is bothering you?"
"Everything!" she snapped. "EVERYTHING is bothering me! Okay? I've got a leader that keeps going on suicide missions by himself, another teammate who can't take anything seriously ever, and the last one has next to no real world experience. There's a condescending bitch of a Huntress who won't take accountability for her part in influencing things for worse and who keeps acting like some big ass hot shot know it all. Meanwhile I'm stuck over here thinking and rethinking every single thing I've said and done since leaving Beacon, trying to keep a hold of myself, fully convinced that I'm going to be the death of someone because I can't control my mood swings, okay?"
Azure took a step back in shock. Her words stung, but he had a feeling she wasn't done yet. He did notice that the frost had melted away, though, and a wave of heat surged out from her. Maybe he was getting into more familiar territory.
"On top of all that, there's a psychopath hunting my best friend, another one is stalking me and my team, and the person responsible for my branding and hurting me more than anyone else is back in my life, and I. Can't. Do. Anything. About. Any. Of. It."
"Rem-"
"So since I apparently can't do anything right, I'm putting my head down and getting through this the only way I know how: by shutting up and doing what I'm told, so no one can accuse me of not doing my part. I'll deal with whatever else after we get back to Beacon and I'm not surrounded by strangers anymore."
Azure waited to see if she was done. Her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath after her tirade, angry eyes glaring at him. He absorbed all of her frustration, processing it as best he could. After a moment the young man sat down in the grass, quiet.
"What?" Rember inquired, still hostile, "got nothing else?"
In front of the faunus, Azure looked off in a nebulous direction. He was contemplative. Mild in body language. It held his partner's attention, keeping her from moving off.
"How long?"
The question threw Rember off.
"What?"
"How long have you been hiding this from me?" Azure asked, staring at his partner.
She deflated slightly, surprise in her eyes. "Since… Since that first encounter with Creed. When you hurt me. Not all at once. It just…builds. And I can't do anything about it."
"Oh…I see," Azure mumbled, "and it's just kept getting worse?"
"Did I not just say that?"
"Right. Sorry, stupid question."
Rember found herself watching her partner intently, some of her fury subsiding. His face was completely calm. The same couldn't be said in his eyes, however. They were contemplative, laced with hints of… sadness? Tense moments passed between them.
"I don't know what to say, Rem. Apart from telling you…I'm sorry. If you need to blame anyone for how you're feeling, you should blame me."
"The hell does that mean?"
"Because when I gave up my old life, I thought I had to be alone to keep others safe. I believed that for a long, long time. Then I got Jad back in my life. Then I met Gayle, and…then I met you," Azure answered, "and you all challenged that worldview I've had ingrained in me for years. But now my old views have been proven right. I can't keep my loved ones safe and happy while near them, and I can't even do it when I'm alone. All I seem capable of doing is making others suffer that don't deserve to. So again I reiterate: I'm very sorry, Rember, if I really am the root of this."
"Don't flatter yourself, Azure, you're hardly the root of all my problems," Rember scolded. "And I thought that once too, that I was better off alone. I was alone. For a long time. Sometimes I still think it's better for me to be on my own, because no one can hurt me that way and I can't hurt anyone else. But it sucks. Being alone sucks. Not having people sucks, and I hate it almost as much as I hate myself for not knowing why I blow up at the people I care about."
To Azure's surprise she took a seat beside him, though a foot or so away. Glancing at her, he could see that she was still angry through her body language, but at least she wasn't raging anymore.
"Really?" he asked after a moment. "I've never thought of you as someone wracked with self loathing."
"Yeah, and?"
"Well… I always thought you knew just how amazing you are, Rem."
"I'm really not. I'm kinda messed up."
"Preaching to the choir. We all have baggage," Azure told her, sounding a lot more like Rember than himself.
"Yeah, but at least you know why you're messed up. I just am for no apparent reason, and other people pay the price for it."
"Maybe," Azure wondered, "Or maybe it's something you need time later to discover for yourself. Which I know is a bitter pill, considering your patience, and your mood right now."
Rember snorted at the snarky comment. It made a hint of a smirk crack upon Azure's face. Least his humor was making her react.
"Huh."
"What?" Rember asked. Azure had made a solitary remark after he stopped to stare into the darkened forest ahead of them.
"You called me your best friend."
"I did."
"I've just never had anyone that considered me such."
This discovery took Rember by surprise. "Wait. Ever?" she asked, and Azure nodded.
"Don't pay it much mind. Just something I realized."
The two fell again into silence. They found their eyes wandering up towards the heavens, the moon unfettered by clouds. Rember heard the crackling of the flames of the campfire behind them, fox ears flicking in its direction. The moments of stillness made feuling her anger hard to maintain, making her wonder if Azure had planned it, or his instinct was that attuned.
"Tell you what Rem," Azure spoke up, "if you can do everything you can to help the team and I get this mission completed, I'll help you with your own personal problem, if I can. But additionally, I ask that you do one extra thing."
"What?"
"You need to apologize to Gayle and Jad for your behavior towards them. I don't care if you want to voice your grievances about me, I'll get over it, but they didn't deserve it. They've got their own pain they deal with, and we don't need to add onto it."
"Mmm."
"You also should apologize to Laurel."
"Like hell I will!"
"Rem, I know how much you don't like her. And that she isn't exactly what any of us expected from a Huntress," the young man amended, "She's picked at some old wounds we've all been ignoring. Unresolved issues we've locked away in our souls. But remember, she has also protected all of us when she could. I think she's just trying to help us discover how to be our best selves, in her own…Laurel~esqe way."
"Her way sucks," Rember stated flatly. "Stripping us down so we're at our worst? Putting innocent people at risk in doing so? I'm not willing to give positive reinforcement to shitty behavior like that. And she accused me of things that weren't true. I didn't leave the caravan unprotected because Gayle was there, and she was fine. But if I say that now, it just sounds like I'm making excuses and not taking responsibility for my own actions. She also refuses to be accountable for her part in treating us like crap, which contributed to foul moods. So I'll consider apologizing when she does. All she's taught me so far is that I'm a waste of time and a liability undeserving of basic respect."
Azure frowned, but he could tell that her mind was made up. There would be no changing it when it came to Laurel.
Rember picked at the grass in front of her, tearing the strands into smaller pieces. A glance at her face revealed a glower, so different from her usually quick to smile, mischievous expressions. It showed how deeply affected she was right now.
The team lead of KRME pondered. What should he do? Rember was his partner. But more importantly to him: she was his friend. The boy could see why and how she had come to feel this way, and he wanted to instantly relieve that burden. But he couldn't make Rember change her feelings on a whim. Especially since Rember felt everything so deeply. Only thing he had control over was himself, just as he agreed when Laurel told him. He could say and do whatever came to mind, but it was ultimately up to Rember when she would be 'herself' again.
'Don't knock on the door to a closed heart. Be the light it can follow when it opens.'
It clicked. Azure finally understood Laurel's lesson, and the boy lazily got to his feet.
"I can see why you feel that way, Rem," he told his partner. "But I know that's not true. You are flawed, yes. But so is everyone else. All we can do right now is admit we made mistakes, and do better next time, right?"
Rember, who was looking at her partner till this point, broke eye contact to pick at more blades of grass. Azure saw that her fox ears were still attentive, so he continued.
"I know you'll figure out how to deal with this…problem? given time. I know what an amazing person you are, Rember. And I know that although what Laurel's said and done hurts, we have every opportunity now to show her just how wrong her vivisection of each of us was."
Azure felt a chilled breeze billow past his face, reflexively raising his hood.
"Don't let yourself be lost in your head too long, Rem. The rest of us will be there when you come back. Oh, and the angsty brooder doesn't suit you, in my opinion."
With that final sarcastic quip, Azure left his partner to her devices, Rember watching him go. Once she was alone, the same cold gale that billowed over her partner whipped past the fox faunus, pulling out a shiver.
Wish I had a hood like his right now… she thought absently.
Rember couldn't sleep. She was doing her best not to toss and turn and thus avoid waking Gayle, who slept next to her, but it was proving difficult. There was a storm of anxiety and guilt under her skin. Letting out a sigh, the girl gave up trying to rest and left her bed, grabbing her weapons and making her way outside.
It was cool outside, but not cold. There was a summer breeze that made the flames of their fire dance, and Rember could hear all the expected sounds of nighttime animals: crickets chirping, the occasional hoot of an owl, and the skittering of tiny creatures no doubt looking for food in the grass.
Wait. There was another sound. It was brief, only a second of noise, but something about it stood out. Rember frowned, trying to pinpoint its origin, but she was out of luck. Maybe it was an animal meeting an unexpected end.
Footsteps distracted her, and Rember looked over to see Azure approaching camp. She offered him a nod before going to sit at the fire, otherwise ignoring his presence.
She'd been trying since their chat. A bit, at least. She still didn't have it in her to be her usual self, but she was trying not to give attitude and one word answers to the team and their charges. She was trying not to wait to be asked to do something, either, taking the initiative to set up camp or investigate any weird noises she heard during their travels.
Weird noises…there it was again. Just a little longer this time, but still not enough to identify it. Something about it gave her goosebumps, though.
Shrugging it off once more, Rember looked into the fire, the light dancing in her green eyes. She sat so she could perch her elbows on her knees, just watching the flames.
She'd been trying to sort herself out as best she could, but it was proving difficult. She didn't feel safe enough out here to let herself be vulnerable. Normally she would go off to some quiet place and think things through, but she couldn't do that here. There were no breaks out here. Especially not with Laurel breathing down their necks.
Now that she was calmer, Rember could see the sense in some of the Huntress's words, but she still seethed at the way Laurel operated. There was a proper way to talk to people, and while Rember was guilty of not always doing that, she also didn't go out of her way to be so belligerent. There was no reason for Laurel to keep being such a hardass. People were more likely to listen if you treated them like people.
But whatever. She couldn't do anything about Laurel except avoid her as much as possible, and that was her plan for the rest of this mission.
Her teammates were harder. Rember knew she'd been treating them like shit. She'd snapped and been rude and done her best to drive them away without saying it. She didn't like being like this, but it was an old habit. When Sylva died, she retreated inward and drove her parents away, though that had been easy with them being lost in grief. When she went away to Sanctum she did her best to make herself unapproachable, and for the most part it had worked. When everything with Lupin had gone down, she'd done it again. Then Fuschia died, and she did it once more. It was better to be alone, sometimes. But she'd meant what she said to Azure. Being alone sucked. She'd spent a long time alone. She didn't want to be alone again. So that meant swallowing her pride and telling Jad and Gayle she was sorry.
Something knocked her out of her thoughts. It was that strange noise again. This time Rember got to her feet, all senses on alert. She blinked furiously, trying to rid herself of the afterimage from the fire. Once was nothing. Twice was a coincidence. Three times? Three times was a pattern.
She must have caught Azure's attention in standing up, because her partner strode over to where she was.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But I've heard it three times now. Something isn't right."
Azure looked around cautiously, trusting Rember's ears more than his own.
"Is it close?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. It's either moving, or…there's more than one?"
Rember's ears caught it again, flicking around like a sonar. It was some sort of animal sound, but for the life of her she couldn't tell what it could be. The best way her brain could interpret it was it was a low hooting cry, like an owl. But…it didn't fit any owl she had heard before. Tentatively, the pair of teens followed the faunus' sense of hearing to its target. They moved as quietly as they could, Azure watching his partner's fox ears swivel and pinpoint their path. Suddenly, Rember stopped, ears forward.
"What?" Azure asked, "What's wrong?"
"Look…" the faunus whispered, gesturing towards the darkened canopy of a tree.
Azure's gaze went upwards. He saw what Rember had found.
A Grimm, the same kind Jad had recounted to them three nights prior, laid itself across a branch, observing them. Its elongated tail curled and swished, dangling from the main body, and the fiery eyes it shared with all other Grimm shone brightly. It lacked the bony white protrusions other Grimm had, sans a head covering that resembled a skull.
"Guess Jad was right," Azure answered, "Have any knowledge about this one, Rem?"
Rember nodded, not taking her eyes off the Grimm.
"It's called a Tailypo," she answered, "A feline class Grimm, sharp teeth and claws, minimal protective plating, leading it to being a nocturnal ambush predator. Its defining feature is a long tail that it can use as a separate gripping appendage, or a weapon by hardening the hairs covering it."
Azure hummed. He made smooth movements to ready Tyto Naiatra, aiming an arrow at the Tailypo. To his surprise, the Grimm did not change its bearing. It kept still, almost like it was curious as to what Azure was going to do next. It was so placid, it confused the half blooded faunus a bit. It was common knowledge that all Grimm hated humanity. Almost every one of the monsters would seek to kill a human, or faunus, at the soonest opportunity presented. But not this Tailypo. Why? Azure took a moment to ponder this question. It wasn't overly large, or tenacious. It didn't even seem afraid. The feline-like creature only watched them intensely from its vantage. Almost like it was…waiting…
Wait.
"Rem," Azure said, "Did you just say something about…Ambush?"
Suddenly, the soft hooting cries Rember had been hearing began to echo all around them. The foliage rustled and shook, revealing more glowing eyes peering down at them.
Rember cursed, drawing her own weapons and sinking into a ready stance.
"We're in trouble," she told her partner, putting her back to his.
"YuuuuuuP," he acknowledged, "Hard to argue there…"
"Better call in reinforcements, then."
Rember took a deep breath and yelled out "EYES UP, EVERYONE, WE'VE GOT GRIMM!"
Camp wasn't far away, their teammates should hear the call without issue. It didn't hurt that Rember could yell like a drill sergeant.
The first half of KRME watched the creatures around them cautiously, waiting for them to make their move. One scampered close enough to swing at Rember with its long tail, but she dodged it easily. It continued like this for a few minutes, Azure eventually asking "What are they waiting for?"
Rember wracked her brain. This wasn't much of an ambush as far as ambushes went. It was almost like…
A scream rent the night air. Rember looked toward camp, where the sound had come from, and was horrified to see one of the tents torn open and a Tailypo bounding away with little Maizey in its grasp.
"Shit! Azure! Maizey!"
That was their plan. Distract the warriors while they make off with the weakest of the group. No doubt the creatures intended to pick them off one by one that way. That meant they'd have to deal with all of them as quickly as possible to ensure the rest of their journey passed uneventfully.
In camp, Jad scrambled out of his tent, Gypsy Flirt in hand. Gayle wasn't far behind him, Vendaval at the ready. Rember spared them a glance before turning her attention to where the Tailypo had vanished with Maizey.
"We can't let it get too far away!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, but we've got a bit of a problem to deal with here!"
The pair inched their way back toward camp. Clay and his wife had left their torn tent. Stella had collapsed in the doorway, sobbing in fear for her daughter.
"Stella, get your kids to safety!" Azure stressed, defending the family with his partner the best he could. "I'll go get Maizey back!"
A gasp passed the mother's lips, nodding affirmatively while she and Clay did their best to find shelter. Rember, while combating the Tailypo around them, confronted her partner's hastily made response.
"And just what do you think you are doing?"
"That's not obvious, Rem? I'm getting her back safe."
"Not by your damn self you're not!"
Azure couldn't stop a dry smile from cracking across his face. "I wouldn't dream of it. Laurel!" the young man called to their Huntress, "Rem and I are getting the little girl back! Can I trust you to keep the others safe?"
"Without question," the blonde woman stated, punching one of their assailants clean across the forest. "Now stop wasting time and hurry the hell up!"
Azure took off like a shot after that, Rember hot on his heels. Laurel watched them disappear into the dark while she subdued another Tailypo, its body falling to dust. The Huntress carved her way between the family and remaining trainees, and their attackers.
"Alright, you two!" Laurel boomed, full of authority, "at the beginning of this trip you showed me your limits. Now is the time to push beyond them!"
Rember sprinted through the woods, ignoring the odd branch that whipped at her face and tugged at her hair. She could hear little Maizey crying somewhere ahead despite the continued hooting of the Tailypo. Azure was just a step behind her, trusting her hearing not to lead them astray.
Rember skidded to a stop, putting an arm out to catch Azure. Maizey's cries died down. She flared her ears, searching for any scrap of noise that might help her navigate. Hopefully the girl had just been frightened into silence and they weren't too late. As she listened she squinted, trying to see through the dark forest.
"I think there's a clearing ahead," the faunus whispered to her partner.
"Perfect place for another ambush," he commented.
Rember nodded. "And easy to get surrounded."
Just then a breeze carried a sound her way, and Rember was able to hear Maizey cry out in alarm.
"She's up there," she said grimly, grip tightening on her batons.
"Let's move."
They crept to the edge of the trees, finding that there was indeed a small clearing ahead. In it six Tailypo prowled, occasionally lashing their tails like whips at the small, shaking form of Maizey.
The Tailypo hooted excitedly and one of them leapt at Maizey. The girl shrieked again, trying to make herself smaller to get away from the beast. The monster stepped back, seeming to have been trying to scare her further. It was like watching a cat play with its prey.
"I'll go around the other side," Rember said quietly to Azure. "See if we can't do a little ambushing of our own."
Azure nodded, nocking an arrow to Tyto Naiatra in preparation. It didn't take long for Rember to navigate around the clearing, the trees hiding her well. Now to let Azure know she was ready. Using her semblance, Rember cooled the grip of his bow and a moment later an arrow flew out of the trees and pinned one of the Tailypo to the ground by its tail.
Rember left the treeline, Ashweave already reaching for another Grimm. The whip wrapped around its long tail and she pulled it toward her, sending a shock down the cord as she did. The creature yelped in surprise and scrabbled at the dirt, trying to find its footing. Before it could, Rember stomped a foot on its body and drew Stormshatter across the monster's neck and it dissipated.
Looking up, Rember saw that the Tailypo Azure pinned was gone. Another Tailypo had a pair of arrows sticking out of its hide and it cowered, dissipating as a final bolt hit it in the eye.
An angry hiss caught her attention, and Rember turned to see a slightly larger Tailypo eyeing her with hostility. Rember answered its challenge with a snarl and raised her batons readily. The creature lashed out at her with its long tail, but Rember redirected its trajectory toward the ground. Before it had a chance to process her defense, Rember had lunged at the Tailypo. It reared on its hind legs like it was going to stomp on her, but she was there before it could, raking the claws of her baton down its torso. The Tailypo screeched and dropped back onto all fours, just barely missing Rember as she scrambled out of the way. The Huntress-to-be watched warily as the beast staggered for a moment before falling onto its side heavily. Satisfied that it wasn't getting back up, Rember turned her attention to Maizey.
The girl still shook on the ground, eyes wide as she watched her rescuers deal with her abductors. Two Grimm remained, and one of them had the little girl in its sights.
Rember saw the Tailypo leap at Maizey, hate blazing in its red eyes. With no time for anything else, Rember ran into the beast, shoving it away from Maizey with all her body weight. She was able to get to her feet and place herself between the Tailypo and Maizey before the monster got up, shaking its head irritably.
The Grimm growled, its attention now on the one who had intercepted it before it could reach its prey. Rember bared her fangs at it, a solid barrier between it and Maizey. She forgot about the other Tailypo, though. A long tail lashed through the air and smashed into Rember's back, sending her sprawling with an exclamation. She scrambled to her feet, now aware that she faced two Tailypo instead of one. The one that had hit her had an arrow sticking out of its back, but it didn't seem bothered by it. A brief glance told Rember that Azure was sprinting from the trees toward them, but she turned her attention back to the threats before her.
One of the Tailypo lunged forward, snapping at her legs. Rember responded by swiping a baton at it and the creature fell back. As it did so, the other moved, its long tail whistling through the air toward her again. Rember just managed to dodge the appendage, but the first copied its partner and another hard tail crashed across her back again. Rember lost her balance and hit the ground again with a grunt. She looked up in time to see Azure swinging his blades through the Grimm he'd been targeting before.
Seeing that its path wasn't blocked anymore, the final Tailypo bounded toward Maizey, its maw wide open and claws outstretched. The little girl screamed, the sound shrill and piercing. Rember winced at the sudden noise, but got to her feet again, back smarting. She sent one whip racing for the Tailypo, just catching its hind foot as it leapt.
Using all her strength, Rember yanked the creature back, sending a shock down the cord as she did so. The Grimm went limp and slumped on the ground long enough for Azure to step forward and skewer it.
Silence returned to the clearing. Catching her breath, Rember glanced around to make sure there were no more imminent threats. There didn't seem to be any, but that didn't mean much this far from civilization.
Her attention shifted when Maizey started sobbing again. Shoot. The kid.
Azure was ahead of her. He knelt down beside Maizey and checked for injuries, asking if she was unharmed. The little girl threw her arms around him and held on tight, crying into his chest. Azure glanced at Rember, looking a little lost, but Rember didn't do much more than smirk at his dilemma.
A sound caught her attention, and Rember stiffened, flaring her ears. More Tailypo in the trees. On the move, from the sound of it.
"We need to move," she said.
Azure nodded and tried to pry Maizey's arms off him. Maizey shook her head vigorously and refused to let go.
"Maizey," he urged patiently, "we need to get back. Can you walk?"
The girl answered with continuous head shakes. "C-carry me? Please?" she sniffed, looking at him with wide eyes.
Azure let out a breath. "Fine."
He put Tyto Naiatra away and got to his feet. Maizey reached up, and Azure picked her up so she could hug him while they walked. Rember couldn't help but smile a little at the sight. She was also grateful she didn't have to carry the child as her back ached already from the blows she'd received.
"Lead the way, Rem," her partner instructed.
Rember nodded and led the way back into the trees they had come from.
The journey back seemed so much longer now that they weren't sprinting after something. The grey of dawn had begun appearing by the time they reached camp.
Stella saw them first, rushing forward to take Maizey from Azure. Crying, she held Maizey tight and sank to the ground. Clay and the other kids joined her, all expressing their relief that she'd been returned to them.
Rember looked around and found that her teammates stood watch at either end of the camp, no doubt watching for anymore Grimm that might try attacking. Moods were lifting, though, so some of the threat was lessened.
Laurel strode forward and stood before Rember and Azure.
"Report," was all she said.
Rember let Azure recall their adventure. At the sight of the Huntress much of her anger rose up again. She didn't try very hard to push it down, but she kept it to herself.
Laurel nodded at Azure's report and glanced between the two of them.
"And neither of you were hurt?" she asked.
"Nothing serious," Azure replied.
Laurel turned her eyes onto the fox faunus.
"Just a bruise," Rember muttered.
For a moment Laurel looked mildly annoyed, but the look instantly evaporated. Instead she nodded again.
"Alright. If it gets any worse, tell me immediately," she ordered.
Rember fought to keep from rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, okay."
Laurel huffed, but didn't push it.
In truth, Rember's back hurt like hell. The Tailypo's tails had a lot more force behind them than she'd like to admit, considering their relatively small size. She suspected it really was just a bruise, albeit a nasty one.
"We can make it to the kingdom by the end of today, so you and your teammates take a few hours before sunrise to get a nap in," Laurel told the two teens before her. "We shouldn't have any more surprises, if all goes well."
The mention of 'nap' brought the fatigue of being up late and fending off another Grimm attack to the forefront of the trainees' attention. Azure and Rember moved back to meet up with the other half of their team, who welcomed them with congratulatory remarks. It took mere minutes before all four teens plopped down on their mats, passing out for as long as they were allowed.
Just as Laurel claimed, the convoy made it to Vale later that day. Everyone present shared in a unanimous celebratory cheer; the ordeal had finally come to an end. The protective walls of Vale that seemed like a far off goal burst into view as soon as they emerged from the treeline.
"Thank the maker," Clay sighed, relaxing up on his seat in the caravan.
Maizey, who had stuck to KRME like glue ever since they had started their final trek. More specifically, the little girl kept close to Azure, the young man eventually acquiescing to giving her a ride atop his shoulders until they arrived. The party made their entry into the city, and the family gave their goodbyes to Laurel and KRME, moving off to whichever destination in the city awaited them. Once they were gone, Laurel looked to her temporary wards.
"Well then," she addressed, "It looks like this mission is finished. And with it, our temporary fellowship."
Rember let out a thankful breath, while the rest of KRME let their Huntress guide continue.
"At the start of this," she proceeded, "I devised a method to test and prod each and every one of you. Not only as Hunters, but as individuals. Some of you were shaken because of this–" the huntress stole a glance at Rember, "but in the end, all four of you overcame what came your way. That's something to take pride in."
"Aww, ain't no thing," Jad lightly quipped, cracking his token smile.
To everyone's surprise, Laurel reciprocated with her own grin, fleeting as it admittedly was.
"You all did good, and you've solidified my respect for you as fellow hunters. I know all four of you have eventful futures ahead, but that's as long as you all keep trying to improve beyond what you were," the woman added soberly.
Pulling out her Scroll, Laurel deftly hit a few buttons on the screen, a jingle ringing from each of the teens respective Scrolls. They checked them to see the same screen from nearly a week previous, an emboldened 'COMPLETED' under the status condition.
"Congratulations, Team KRME," Laurel applauded, "Consider your first official mission a success."