Hello again, everyone. Here's the next part of...whatever this is.
To those of you who read the Prologue and decided to stay around, thanks! To the newcomers, welcome!
Please enjoy...whatever this is that I've written.
Chapter 1: The First Act
"What do you mean she hasn't picked up her scroll!?" Yang screamed, her blonde hair flailing wildly as her aura flared. "We've searched all throughout Vale for two damn days! WHERE IS MY SISTER!?"
Weiss Schnee winced at the volume, her ears ringing. (She couldn't even begin to fathom how Blake was enduring the excessive sound). "Yang, I need you to calm down! Constantly spamming her scroll isn't going to make her come back faster, and she's already responded three times already! She'll be here for the first class today!"
"You don't get it Weiss-cream!" Yang cried, grabbing Weiss' shoulders and shaking her. "My baby sister doesn't even have her weapon with her! She barely has any money to afford a decent hotel! For all I know she's dead in a ditch and I have no idea where she is!"
"Let go of me, you oaf!" Weiss snapped, trying to break free of the brawler's grip. She was about to channel her aura when Blake cleared her throat, getting their attention.
The feline Faunus read from her scroll. "Ruby just messaged me. She said that she's going to be late since the airbuses are having some technical issues, and cleared it with Professor Ozpin. She'll be on time for Goodwitch's combat class though."
"Gimme that!" Yang yelled, dropping Weiss and snatching Blake's scroll, reading it through. "Why didn't she message me then!? Doesn't she know how worried sick I've been!? How can she not-!"
"Didn't you lose your scroll on Friday?" Blake asked, taking her scroll back. "Maybe she did call you, but because you lost it, you didn't know."
Deflating a bit, Yang protested, "Well, why didn't she at least call us and tell us where she was? It would have been easier on us if she did!"
"Yang," Weiss said with some finality, putting her foot down. The white-haired girl stared the blonde dead in the eyes and continued, "If I know anything Ruby, she probably wanted some time to unwind. With all of that time she's spent on her studies and working in the Foundry, she probably needed some time for herself."
"I know we were going to surprise her with that trip to the carnival," Blake added her own two lien. "But you have to admit, even if we only meant to take a look around, running into CFVY and JNPR did make us pretty late on Friday."
"Yeah, but her bag was already in the room by the time we got back and she was no longer there!" Yang said, her panic returning.
"YANG!" the B and W of RWBY shouted simultaneously.
"Look, for as much as I call her a dolt, your sister isn't an idiot!" Weiss said. "She knows better than to look for trouble, especially without her weapon! Just calm down already!"
Before Yang could protest further, she suddenly collapsed on the floor, snoring away. Blake removed her right hand from the blonde's neck, rubbing the side of it gingerly. At Weiss' questioning (and scared) look, she sighed and said, "Just aim for a cluster of pressure points at the base of her neck and deliver a quick chop to knock her out. She'll be fine."
Weiss shook her head, noting as her scroll vibrated in her pocket. It was her alarm for Combat Class, set early to get them enough time to get changed. She turned to Blake, showing her the alarm, "So, what do we do about her?"
"She'll come around by the time we're ready," Blake said, picking up the blonde and hefting her on her shoulder. "Now help me with her, Yang isn't exactly light."
Weiss sighed and helped her teammate drag Yang back to the dorms.
(Much Later)
As promised, Ruby was already seated in the Combat Auditorium by the time Blake, Weiss, and a somewhat groggy Yang arrived. She was seated at their usual spot near the middle of the hall, her head lightly bobbing to the music her headphones played. She was out of uniform, which was to be expected, clad in ripped jeans, a pair of heavy-duty black boots, and a black tank top that did nothing to hide her figure. A thick flannel burgundy shirt was tied around her waist, and more curiously, a black cane with a blue and silver snake adorning the grip was twirling in her hand with practiced ease.
Weiss waited for Ruby to acknowledge her (or at the very least wait for the song to finish). After a few seconds, the young leader tossed the cane to her other hand with a small flourish, sighing softly as the wooden rod slapped into her opposite palm. She looked up, eyes widening when she saw an impressed Blake, a begrudgingly approving Weiss, and a still out-of-it Yang.
"Oh, hey girls," Ruby said, getting up from her seat with a smile. "Sorry about being late to and..uhh, what's with Yang?" She looked concerned at the older blonde, who was placed in the seat by her partner.
"Rubeee," Yang slurred, head still spinning. "Where my baby sisterrrr…?"
Weiss gave Blake an unamused look. "Your sister was tearing through the dorms all weekend looking for you. Her partner did...something or other to her."
"Pressure point strike," Blake said with a small shrug. "That said, where were you this weekend? It's not like you to suddenly disappear like that."
"I had to work out a few things," Ruby said, giving Blake a matching shrug.
"Like?" Blake pushed. "Ruby, I don't want to pry into your personal life like this, but you've had all of us really worried."
"It was just a personal trip away from the school and studies, relax," Ruby said, taking her seat. Under her breath, she mumbled, "Not like you guys would care anyways." As more students entered the hall, Ruby's mumblings were drowned out. If Blake had heard her, the Faunus didn't show it.
Weiss said nothing, her face impassive. After a tense pause, she said, "Regardless, it's good to see you back. And I'm glad your trip to Vale didn't result in a run-in with Torchwick or any other criminal elements."
"You're telling me!" Ruby said with a laugh, the tenseness dispersing as she smiled at Weiss. "It was nice to just see the nightlife of the city and not get caught up in some wild mess! Oh, I even met some more students from Haven, Mistral, and Atlas!" As Weiss grilled Ruby on what she had seen or gleamed from the students of the rival academies, Blake observed her team leader.
The last she had seen her, Ruby was just barely at her shoulder. Her crimson and black hair was kept short, just above her shoulders. While it may have been the result of the weekend, Ruby wearing anything else other than her established gothic black and red corsets, dresses and cape were unthinkable. Now? Ruby was matching Blake at eye level (with a figure to match), her hair just under her shoulders, tied back with a black hair tie, and she was wearing something that was more Yang's style.
Where or what did her leader do over the weekend?
Any other thoughts were pushed to the backburner as Glynda Goodwitch, their Combat Instructor, emerged onto the stage. "Now, now. Settle down everyone!" she called out, slapping her rider's crop into her hand. "As you all know, the Vytal Festival is almost here! Other schools will be sending their best representatives to fight in the tournament, and so shall we! We cannot afford to disgrace ourselves and our school by providing poor performances!"
That got the students murmuring amongst each other. Some looked excited at the prospect of fighting in the tournament, while others looked hopeless as they shot glances at the P of JNPR, Pyrrha Nikos, who kept her permanent polite smile.
Glynda continued her speech. "That said, please remind yourselves that you are Huntsmen and Huntresses, protectors of humanity from the Grimm. Use the tournament not as a gauge of progress, but as a means to show what you can improve upon!"
More students looked up at Glynda's speech. This was oddly more encouraging than she had been in a while.
"That said, we can only get better by practice! Now, may I have a volunteer for our first match?"
Many students raised their hands, making the older teacher smile. Glancing over the crowd, her eyes locked on two prospects. "Miss Nora Valkyrie and Miss Ruby Rose! Please come to the stage!"
"Whoo-hoo!" shouted the hyperactive N of JNPR. The orange-haired girl leapt from her seat, landing on the stage with a crash as Magnild rested on her shoulder in its hammer state. Ruby got up and walked up to the stage more casually, sliding her headphones to her neck and sliding on some gloves.
"Huh? What gives!? Where's your weapon, Ruby?!" Nora called out, some confusion but mostly anger coloring her voice.
"Miss Rose, is there something wrong?" Glynda asked, raising an eyebrow at the youngest team leader.
"Sorry, my baby's still in the Foundry," Ruby said, waving away their concerns as she tightened the gloves. "Don't worry, I've been learning how to fight with her."
"And the cane?" the teacher asked, eyeing the stick. It looked very similar to a certain thief's weapon, save for the silver and blue adorations. "Do you mean for it to be your temporary replacement?"
"Less of a replacement, more a backup, really," Ruby said, pulling off her headphones and sliding them off to the side of the arena. She spun the silver cane in her hands, where eighteen symbols flashed in the air. Glynda could barely catch them, but they had been there and were very unfamiliar to her.
"Are you sure about this?" Nora asked, looking at the younger girl with confusion and doubt. "We can call this off and wait for your scythe to be ready later?"
"No, I'm fine," Ruby said, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Thanks, though."
"If both fighters are ready?" Glynda said, stepping back. Both fighters nodded to her. "Then, upon my signal. One...Two...Three! Begin!"
Nora dashed forward, her hammer raised their heads, aiming to end the fight with a single strike. Ruby's body relaxed, her holding her left hand in front of her, while the other, clutching onto the cane, twirled it light-heartedly.
As Nora brought the hammer down, Ruby's eyes snapped open, revealing a brilliant shade of sapphire eyes. Her aura flared up, white rose petals forming in her outstretched hand and condensing into a wall that pushed Nora and her weapon back. Nora could only stare in mute shock as Ruby shook her left hand, hissing as she tried to shake the numbness away.
"Damn, even with Mighty Guard, I can still feel that sting," Ruby muttered, flexing her hands. "My turn." Nora watched Ruby take a step forward, spinning the cane in one hand, faint blue lines forming a circle before her. The blue lines began to spark and crackle with electricity, flying into Ruby's outstretched hand and shaping into a ball. Ruby allowed herself a small smirk as she tossed the ball up and struck it with her cane, right in Nora's direction.
What she did not expect was Nora to have the biggest grin in the world and let herself be hit by her attack. Nor did she expect the older girl to start laughing maniacally as the electricity of her attack swirled around her.
"I don't know what you did, but thanks for the boost!" Nora said with a small cheer, electricity leaving after images of her movement. With a burst of electricity, Nora charged, leaving Ruby with barely enough time to dodge the hammer swing. She flipped back, nearly losing her footing as Nora's Magnild crashed into the arena floor, the force of the strike kicking up debris.
"Did you know Nora could absorb lightning?" Weiss asked Blake, looking worried,
"No, that's something that never came up," Blake responded, wincing as Ruby's hand was crushed. "That said, what did Ruby just do? I've never seen anything like that."
"Same, maybe it's a part of her semblance?" Weiss said, looking thoughtful as Ruby did multiple backflips to create some distance from Nora, just barely leaving her inside the ring.
"Note to self, Lightning Aspect bad with Nora," Ruby mumbled to herself, pulling herself to her feet. She watched Nora cheerfully waggle an open hand to her, taunting her even. She took a deep breath and focused, her eyes turning blue again as pale blue rose petals swirled around her. With a flourish, the petals broke away into six orbs that fired one after the other. Nora laughed as she batted the shots away, only to yelp as Ruby shot forward, the cane now in the shape of an ornate blue and silver trident. Nora dodged the first two thrusts, and knocked the last away with her hammer, before retaliating with a punch to Ruby's gut, sending Ruby flying into the opposing wall. Everyone felt the impact, even Goodwitch who hid her wince behind her glasses.
Weiss and Blake each shared a pained look, as Yang slowly came to.
"Whu's happenen'?" Yang asked, moving her neck to push back against the growing tightness. "Who's fighting right now?"
"Take a look for yourself," Blake said, watching the young leader get back up.
Yang did so, nearly jumping to her feet and looking ready to dive into the Arena herself, only for Weiss to pull her back into her seat.
"WHY IS MY BABY SISTER FIGHTING RIGHT NOW!?" Yang screamed, trying to pull against Weiss. The nearby students who heard her looked at her with confusion and some with embarrassment.
"Because this is Combat class you dunce!" Weiss hissed. "Now sit back down! You're making a scene!"
Blake said nothing but watched the fight. Looking up, her eyes slightly widened at how low Ruby's Aura had gotten. Sure, Nora hit like a tank, but even Jaune's Aura could handle more than one blow.
Back in the arena, Nora flipped her Magnild into its grenade launcher form. She took aim and fired off several rounds, rolling several charges on the floor as some were lobbed overhead. Before Goodwitch could intervene, the charges detonated, stirring up the rest of the spectators. Surely that was too much, even for just a spar? That kid wasn't dead, was she? Based on the readings, Ruby had less than a quarter of her Aura left, and it was dropping fast.
Just as Goodwitch was about to call the round and for the medics, two blue roses shot from the dust, a few feet away from Nora. They spun around each other and burst apart, the petals revealing a beaten-up Ruby, just barely on her feet.
"Miss Rose's Aura has fallen to the red," Goodwitch declared. "This match is-!"
"I can still fight!" Ruby said, using the cane to pull herself to her feet. She was breathing heavily, but she wasn't struggling to stand upright. By contrast, Nora was pristine, her aura full and she was still supercharged from Ruby's first attack.
"Miss Rose, your Aura is but one strike away from breaking. To continue further would be dangerous and foolish," Goodwitch said, getting in between the two. "Per tournament guidelines-"
"Fighting the Grimm is different from a match!" To everyone's surprise, it was Nora who cut in. The bubbly orangette smirked cockily as she continued, "If she wants to fight, let's keep going! I want to see where this goes!"
Goodwitch looked between her two students, sighing as neither of them wanted to end the match right then and there. "Fine," she conceded. "The next exchange will end the match, understood?"
Both students nodded, and Goodwitch took a step back.
"This is honestly fun!" Nora said goodnaturedly, flipping Magnild into its hammer state. "You're more fun without that scythe of yours!"
"Hey, don't knock my baby like that!" Ruby gasping for air but matching Nora's smile. She spun her stave in hand, assuming her initial stance. "If I had my Crescent Rose, your ass would be grass!"
"Oh ho! Little Ruby's got a mouth!" Nora said with a laugh. "Bring it on!"
Ruby took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Her aura flared once more, this time flaring forming on the tip of her cane. Her eyes snapped open, this time one was silver and the other was a deep sapphire blue. Crouching low, she shot forward with her trademark speed, holding her cane low. Nora charged in with her, holding her hammer high. Just as they clashed, Ruby brought her left hand to catch Magnild's extended handle, bringing up the cane to hit Nora's midsection. As the cane connected, both of them were surrounded by a blue tornado of sharpened rose petals.
When the tornado dispersed, everyone gasped as both combatants were on the floor. Looking up, both of their Aura's were dropping fast, Nora's more so than Ruby's. Both readings stopped at one percent, which explained why they were both unconscious.
"Both contestant's aura have dropped below one percent," Goodwitch said calmly, tapping on her tablet repeatedly to call upon the infirmary. "Normally, during an officiated match, if one's aura falls below 20 percent, the judge is allowed to call it."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL IT EARLIER!" Yang shouted, on her feet.
"Sit down you dolt!" Weiss hissed, dragging the blonde back to her seat.
Goodwitch said nothing as two nurses from the infirmary arrived, loading the two unconscious students onto stretchers. "You are correct, Miss Xiao Long," Goodwitch admitted. "I should have called the match. However, the Grimm will give you no such pleasantries, nor will any other opponent that wants your head. The real world is nothing like a tournament bout, and as an educator, I am here to help you find your limits and push past them."
As the students sat in contemplation, she continued, "That said, I am sure Miss Valkyrie and Miss Rose will mend and recover soon enough. Now, do we have any takers for the next round?"
Several students raised their hands.
Yang scowled and stomped out of the room, flanked by Blake and Weiss. The former was looking contemplative, and the latter was looking annoyed.
And there's another chapter done. If you made it here, please tell me what you think.
Take care.