Gamer4 in. Xenoblade X Definitive has been a fantastic remake thus far, even if I've only managed one new mission as of yet. No spoilers in the reviews, please. Say hi to Vanessa if you see her, though! In the meantime, please enjoy the musical stylings of Taiyang Xiao Long... voiced by Danny DeVito. Here we go!
Episode XXXIII
The Road to Shambhala
The Bringer of Chaos
"Dinner time!" came Jack's voice, as he once again circled the corner with a large plate of roast ham.
"Oh, goody!" Nora clapped eagerly.
"It smells delectable!" Penny happily savored being able to smell at all.
"Jack, you better-" Vanessa started threateningly, but need not have worried.
"Bon appetit!"
"Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the grub," Qrow grinned as he dug in.
"So you've known the proper phrasing the whole time, and you were just flubbing it to spite me?" Vanessa crossed her arms.
"Not to spite you, of course not!" Jack looked offended. "...To troll you. Totally different."
"Ugh... just... roll the clip," Vanessa groaned.
When Jaune awoke the next morning, it was only slightly brighter than when they'd gone to sleep- likely due to being inside the titan. The team was easily able to slip in with the other mercs eating breakfast, where Jaune related his request to the others.
"Are you sure you want to learn from him? I mean, we just met him yesterday," Blake pointed out. "And he greeted us by trying to take Pyrrha."
"By testing me," Jaune corrected. "And if he actually wanted Pyrrha... he'd have gotten her," he admitted shamefacedly.
"You have a point there..." Blake concurred. "Still... will he really agree? I heard some talk last night- he's had apprentices before, but they kept getting killed- he eventually gave up on the-* idea."
"Oh, my!" Kali covered her mouth. "If... if that's the case..."
"Then no wonder my other was sayin' it was a big ask," Qrow nodded grimmly.
Jaune recalled Tai's apparent reticence the previous night- that would certainly explain it. "He told me to meet him in the tangerine grove today," he finally said. "Only thing to do is go up there and see. You coming?"
Blake took a deep breath. "Well... I guess it couldn't hurt to see what he has to say."
"Ruby glad to go!" Ruby bounced up and down eagerly. "Ruby want nothing more than to become great driver like Jaune-Jaune!"
Jaune was tempted to point out again that he'd requested Tai's training specifically because he wasn't a great driver, but had already learned that pressing such issues with Ruby was all but pointless.
"I'm sure he'll agree to train Ruby, at least!" Tai grinned.
"Assuming there's any training such tiny creatures," Adam grunted.
The team finished up their breakfast and made their way up the hill towards the grove, where they found Tai and Qrow picking tangerines and loading them into a basket. He turned and smiled when he saw them coming. "Still hungry?" he asked, holding out one of the fruits. "My son used to love these things."
"Wait... son?" Yang perked up. "Do I have a lost brother out there somewhere?"
"Not one that I'm aware of," Tai shook his head.
"I'm surprised Raven tolerated one rugrat. Forget about any more," Qrow chuckled.
"...No, I've had no other children," Raven agreed reluctantly.
"Can't wait to meet him!" Ruby grinned, eyes shining.
"You... might not," Blake noted darkly.
"What do you mean?" Yang turned towards her partner.
"He said his son 'used to' love tangerines," Blake reminded them.
"Wait... and your other said there are rumors that everyone he's trained before has died... oh, my!" Pyrrha covered her mouth, matching several other reactions as they all came to the same conclusion.
"No... wonder he might be reluctant to train someone else," Tai finally forced himself to say.
The same thoughts seemed to be running through Jaune's mind as he reached out and accepted the tangerine. "Um... about your son..."
"The past is in the past, kid," Tai waved him off. "The big question is, you still want that
training?"
"Yes!" Jaune nodded firmly. "I want to be a better driver!"
Tai smirked... then broke out into song.
"Oh, God, not another one!" Torchwick facepalmed.
"I noticed it was annoying you, so I lobbied to start including more," Vanessa commented drily.
"So you wanna be a driver, kid?
Well, whoop-de-doo!
I have been around the block before
With blockheads just like you!
Each and every one a disappointment!
Pain for which there ain't no ointment!"
"Did he just call them up to turn them down as dramatically as possible?" Ghira frowned.
"You clearly don't know this oaf that well," Qrow chuckled. "Might be lucky, from a certain point of view."
"Demands are getting higher,
And now the Grail's driver
Is asking me to jump into the fray!
My answer is two words:"
He turned fiercely to face the drivers and blades- only to suddenly offer a soft smile. "Okay."
"How unnecessarily dramatic," Winter rolled her eyes.
"That's Pops for ya!" Yang laughed.
"That... is only one word," Whitley clutched one of his shoulders, a tic going in his temple.
Even Jaune was taken aback. "You mean you'll do it?"
Tai nodded, and the camera cut to a montage of him dragging the team to the village's boot camp.
"I'd given up hope that someone would come
Along!
Someone who'd ring the bell for once, and not
The gong!"
He set them up fighting various members of the mercs.
"The kind who wins trophies-
Won't settle for low fees!
At least semi-pro fees,
But noooooooo!"
He paused to facepalm as the drivers were all defeated with apparent ease.
"I get the greenhorns!"
"Wow, Blake too!" Ruby blinked.
"Hey, it's the training montage, this is how they're supposed to start out!" Nora quickly came to her leader's defense.
Tai had them all in a line, walking before them as he continued his song.
"I'd been out to pasture, pal,
My ambition gone.
Content to spend lazy days
And protect my lawn!"
"Just like you always talked about in school," Qrow laughed. "'I can't wait to be the grumpy old man telling kids to get off my lawn!'"
"And ranting about 'the war,'" Tai recalled fondly.
Tai lined up several targets and instructed the drivers to hit them with ranged attacks.
"But you need an advisor-
A driver, but wiser!
A good merchandiser, and-
WHOOOOOOAAAAAH!"
He was forced to duck out of the way as Ruby's shot went wide and nearly hit him square in the chest.
"There goes my ulcer!"
"No, bad other me!" Ruby chastised. "No trying to kill other Dad!"
"I... don't think that's what she was trying to do," Whitley pointed out, uncertain if that would be comforting or not.
In the next shot, Tai was taking on Jaune personally.
"I'm down to one last hope,
And I hope it's you!"
He sighed when, within a couple seconds, he had Jaune flat on his back, aiming the point of his sickles to his neck. The issue was plain to see- clearly recalling his previous folly, he'd hardly drawn on Pyrrha's strength at all.
"Though, kid, you're not exactly
A dream come true.
I've trained enough turkeys
Who never came through-
But you're my one last hope,
So you'll have to do!"
"While I appreciate your thoughtfulness," Pyrrha smiled, "I think you'd be best served to drawn on my power a little bit."
"Yeah... probably," Jaune chuckled sheepishly.
What followed was the classic training montage fare, showing the three drivers steadily getting better and better while Tai and the mercs observed or participated.
"Demigods
Have faced the odds
And ended up a mockery!
Don't believe
The stories that
You read on all the crockery!"
Jaune stayed up late one night, looking over the small village, clearly wondering if he would ever truly live up to his sudden role. Tai approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"To be a true driver, kid,
Is a work of art.
Like painting a masterpiece,
It's a work of heart!"
"Actually, now that I think on it, if these numbers are gonna cliffs-note sappy moments like that, I'm all for them," Neo rolled her eyes.
"Such a sweet moment!" Neptune was sobbing. "I love these guys!"
In a blink, Jaune and Tai were sparring again, Jaune doing much better, ducking, weaving and parrying while landing some solid hits himself.
"It takes more than sinew-
Comes down to what's in you!
You'll have to continue
to GROOOOOOOOW!"
He grinned widely as Jaune caught him off guard and managed to knock him off his feet. "NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!"
"I'm sure he was holding back, at least to some degree," Ironwood commented. "Still, that hardly takes away the accomplishment."
"Er, thanks... I think?" Jaune scratched at his neck.
The next day, Tai arranged a grand obstacle course through which he expected the drivers to run through, which involved being attacked by his mercs every few feet. As they gazed over it, he continued his song.
"I'm down to one last shot,
And my last high note,
Before that blasted Architect
Gets my goat!"
He waved his sickle, and sent them in, watching with pride as they met every challenge splendidly.
"My dreams are on you, kids-
Go make 'em come true!
Climb that uphill slope!
Keep pushing that envelope!
You're my one last hope,
And kids, it's up
To
You!"
He cheered as they cleared the course, and immediately began to celebrate, the music reaching its conclusion.
"Yeah... I guess this is better, if the alternative was five more episodes watching this happy-go-lucky dreck," Torchwick sighed heavily.
"Be careful, sir!" Penny gasped. "I've heard that excessive sighing may cause your soul to leave your body!"
"Oh, don't worry about that, kid- I'm pretty sure he has no soul," Tai chuckled.
Tai grinned as he watched the Jaune dancing around with Pyrrha, Sun, Ruby and Penny- Blake was happy to sit the proceedings out- but was distracted when Brook approached him and
whispered something in his ear. "What's that? No joke... alright, leave it to me."
He turned to the others and loudly cleared his throat. "Alright, time to get going!"
The team froze. "Go... where?" Jaune asked.
"Where else- your final exam!"
"I thought this was our final exam!" Blake objected, pointing towards the remains of the obstacle course.
"Just follow me," Tai smirked.
"Uh-oh, he's got that look in his eyes!" Ruby quivered.
"Sure does- best brace yourself, Vomit Boy," Yang nodded her agreement.
Jaune gulped.
Tai led them up a short slope and into a series of tunnels. "We're gonna have to make our way through to the main body here," he explained as he turned a corner... and found their way blocked by a great wall of dark wind, swirling around one central orb. "Well, that wasn't here before..."
"Ah, great, someone's summoning an elder god," Blake rolled her eyes.
"I certainly hope nothing so dark is going on," Whitley shook his head- the two exchanged a surprised look.
"What is it?" Jaune asked, staring.
"Must be your first time," Tai chuckled. "Kinda rare outside these stomach-titans; it's an ether miasma. Poisonous waste from the titan's gut. You get that pressure in your stomach, sometimes? Basically that."
"Okay, this world is cool and all, but I'm not sure I want to visit any world where I can get farted to death," Yang crossed her arms.
"A wordsmith as ever," Weiss groaned.
"So... we're going to have to take a detour?" Blake guessed.
"Oh, I don't know about all that," Tai shook his head. "Oh, Qrow!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Qrow grunted. He rose into the air and spread his wings wide, beating them in the miasma's direction as Tai channeled ether through his sickles. Between the two forces, the miasma was simply blown away.
"Setting up another deus ex machina," Torchwick scoffed.
"Okay, no!" Vanessa burst out. "No, no, no, that is not how deus ex machinas work! You can't 'set up' a deus ex machina- if it's set up, it is, by definition, NOT A DEUS... EX... MACHINA!"
She collapsed back into her seat, breathing as heavily as if she'd just run a marathon.
"Er... you okay?" Ruby asked nervously.
"She's... had a time, in the past," Jack laughed. "I'll go make her some omelettes."
"Nothing to it!" Tai crossed his arms proudly. "C'mon, let's get going!"
It wasn't much further down the tunnel that it opened up into a vast cavern- vast enough for several cities to fit in. In fact, Jaune thought he could see the lights of such a city just over the horizon. It was all lit by the sun filtering in through the titan's translucent hide. They all stood on a cliff that ran around the cavern's circumference as far as he could see.
"Prettiest belly I've ever seen the inside of," Neo grinned.
"I hate that you worded it like that..." Velvet hid beneath her ears.
As Tai led them along the cliff, they paused when they heard a voice. "Mweheheh... looks like the rumors about the Grail were true!"
"Well, this just got a lot more interesting," Pyrrha couldn't help giggling.
"Who are you?" Jaune called.
A woman appeared in a pink cloak, posing dramatically. "Prepare for trouble!"
A man appeared at her side, hand over his face. "Make it double!"
"To protect the world from devestation!"
"To unite all people in our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Nora!"
"Ren!"
Together, they struck one final pose: "Team Nora blasting off at the speed of light! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"Wait... I'm evil here?!" Nora cried.
"Truly shocking," Ren sighed heavily in a tone that clearly stated he wasn't shocked at all.
Team Arc stared for a great deal of time at the frozen-in-place Team Nora. Finally, Team Nora was the first to move, striking several dramatic poses as the woman swept off her hood, revealing a head of red hair and a patch over one eye. "You sure you wanna be wanderin' around with such a burden on your back, pipsqueak? C'mon, let the big girl have some fun!"
"Oh, or maybe she's testing him, just like Pops!" Nora bounced up and down.
"I suppose that's feasible..." Ren considered.
"Maybe, if she had the brains for that," Raven scoffed.
"I wonder why she's wearing a patch?" Pyrrha considered.
"Knowing Nora, any number of reasons," Ren shrugged.
Jaune turned, nonplussed, to his mentor. "Is this our final exam?"
"Nope," Tai crossed his arms, a hint of amusement crossing his face. "Never seen these two before."
"Alright, then," Jaune nodded, and led the others in simply walking around the two.
"Just ignored... so wounded..." Nora bent over double, gasping in pain.
"Wh– HEY!" the red-headed woman objected- she and the man quickly scuttled over to cut the team off again. "I get that it's natural to be intimidated when in the presence of pure evil,but come on!"
Realizing she was being stared at, she coughed into one fist, and adopted a smirk. "Now, as I was saying, you stand before the legendary Nora Valkyrie, the most evil driver in all of Remnant! Shiver as you stand before the strength of such evil power, backed up by her loyal blade, Ren!"
"I'm quaking in my boots," Jaune laughed.
"I'm so sorry, fearless leader, you know I'd never stab you in the back like this, right?!" Nora flapped her arms.
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I know," Jaune laughed harder as he patted her on the back.
...
"Nah, we're good," Jaune shrugged- once again, the team made to go around her.
"Ah, I see- you truly are just that afraid of the three of us!"
Finally, the team paused. "Three?" Blake asked. "I only count two."
Ren cleared his throat. "Now that I think on it, Turters didn't seem to come out for his part of the motto."
"So he didn't!" Nora snapped her fingers. "Bring him out, Renny!"
"...I thought you had him."
Nora's smirk turned to a look of horror. "But... but... oh, no! Turters is lost! TUUUUUUUURTEEEEEEERRRRRRRS!"
"These two make my men look competent," Torchwick rolled his eyes.
Pyrrha was watching with vague fascination when she felt something on her foot- she looked down to see a small turtle clambering over it. She smiled gently, bending down and scooping it into her hands. "Hello, little one. What are you doing all the-"
"A-HA!"
Nora pointed dramatically at Pyrrha, bolting in front of her, ferociously siezing the turtle before scampering back to Ren. "I may be evil, but even Iwould never handle another woman's turtle! For shame!"
"Er... I'm sorry?" Pyrrha more asked than stated.
"Even P-Money doesn't know what to make of this," Yang chortled.
"Er... would that not have been a fine opportunity to grab Pyrrha and run?" Penny tilted her head.
"It would have," Ironwood nodded. "I truly don't understand why she didn't."
"Nora's mind works in mysterious ways," Ren sighed.
"Well, if that's all," Tai clapped his hands, "I've got some students to teach, so..."
Nora scowled when they turned around again. "You're not taking me seriously! Guess there's nothing for it- time to show off my super ultra mambo-tango foxtrot super craft!"
The team turned one final time- Ren had extended his hands, forming the golden thread between him and his driver- Nora's grin had turned outright manic as she produced a large war hammer crackling with energy.
"NO! BAD OTHER! NO HURTING FEARLESS LEADER!"
She jumped up in the air, leaving the party to dodge out of the way as she slammed her hammer into the ground with inhuman strength...
Causing it to crumble beneath them.
"WAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHH!" Nora cried as she tumbled into the abyss.
Ren, meanwhile, crossed his arms and legs. "Team Nora's blasting off again," he commented as he tumbled after her.
"Er... are they gonna be okay?" Neptune asked.
"Yes," Ren stated bluntly, not sounding remotely perturbed.
"We've survived way worse than that before!" Nora pumped her arms proudly. "I'm just glad she didn't hurt Jaune!"
The party stared down the cliff for a full minute. "So... what was their beef?" Blake finally wondered aloud. A few awkward looks and shrugs went around before Tai continued leading them along the cliffside.
They had been climbing for another hour or so when the ground began to shake beneath them.
"Something wrong with titan?" Ruby asked nervously.
"Nope," Tai shook his head- he turned a corner, where they found a large tricerotops-looking creature roaring and running around. "Angry ardun- lovely stuff. Kid, you're a salvager, ain't ya?"
"Yes," Jaune nodded, stepping up.
"Hand over your anchor rope real quick."
Jaune blinked in surprise, but did as he was asked, pulling off his gauntlet and handing it over. "Ya never stop learning," Tai smirked, slipping his hand into it. "Here's another trick for you!" He fired the rope towards the ardun, twisting his wrist and causing it to wind around its leg. With a sharp pull, he brought the beast tumbling down before calling it back and handing the gauntlet back to Jaune. "Enemy toppled, and not a speck of ether wasted!"
"Gotta preserve your mana," Ruby nodded sagely.
"I... hadn't thought of using it that way before," Jaune admitted as he refastened the gauntlet to his own arm.
"When you're fighting for your life, any advantage you can get is worth it," Tai advised. "You wanna protect your girl, you're gonna have to fight dirty- no sense in getting the two of you killed over pride."
"That is true," Sun mused.
"That's what I've been saying this whole time!" Raven threw her hands up.
"Yeah, but it sounds a lot less bitchy when he says it," Yang stretched her hands behind her head.
The ardun roared as it pulled itself back up to its feet. "Here it comes," Blake warned.
"Keep it distracted- I'll topple it again!" Jaune called.
"Right!"
Ruby caught the ardun's attention by revving up the drill on the front of her shield- it roared and broke into a sprint towards her, only to tumble over again when Jaune used the anchor shot technique just as Tai had shown him. Blake leapt overhead and finished it off with a well-placed blow to the neck.
"It doesn't strike me as a particularly strong enemy," Winter acknowledged, "but well done, nevertheless."
"Um... thanks?"
"First try!" Tai grinned, thumping Jaune on the back. "Not bad, kid, not bad at all! You get it now? Arts don't just have to draw on your blade- you've got your own strength, or you can turn your enemy's against them. Use what you have to protect your blade just as she protects you."
"I think I get it," Jaune nodded. "It's a two-way path."
"Yes," Tai smiled. "Once you can strike that balance, using her power as needed to protect her as she protects you... that's when you can call yourself a true driver."
"A true driver... I don't know that I'm ready for something like that," Jaune admitted.
"Ah, don't worry about it," Tai waved aside. "That trick with the anchor, that took me five years to get down. Forget about getting it right on my first try."
"I suspect he's lying for the sake of encouragement," Winter guessed.
"Or maybe he's better with the anchor after using it to salvage for as long as he has," Saphron suggested fairly.
"Hmm, I suppose that's feasible as well."
"'Sides, worst come to, it's not like you gotta do it all on your own," Tai advised. "You got these four backin' you up, too." He pointed to Blake, Sun, Ruby, and Penny. "You all stick together, I don't think there's a limit to what you can do."
"Cue the strings," Blake rolled her eyes.
"Ah, no need to be like that, Blakey," Sun smirked.
"Biggiepon look scary, but actually very nice!" Ruby beamed.
Tai laughed. "Looks like furrypon here has my number!"
"What did he just say?!" Adam roared.
"He very clearly wasn't talking about faunus," Ghira interjected. "Move along."
"Alright, just a little further!"
It ended up being another ten minutes or so before they finally found the cavern Tai seemed to have been looking for. It was relatively well-lit from above, giving them clear sight of the deceased beast lying against the cavern wall.
"A... a dead titan?" Jaune stared.
"And not a peaceful passing, from the looks of things," Ozpin commented from Jaune's helmet.
"If Brook's info is reliable, we're about to meet the killer," Tai glanced around as the ground once more began shaking.
Stepping into the cavern was a gigantic spider, perhaps even larger than the arachno queen... and tethered to it by a golden thread was a large, hulking blade.
"The spider has a blade?!" Ruby stared.
"That monster... has a blade?" Jaune more or less relayed the question.
"Ain't just humans that can resonate with blades, kid!" Tai grinned. "Anything that's got the aptitude! I've even heard stories of blades that can resonate with other blades!"
"Wait... if blades can resonate with other blades, then how do we know everyone isn't a blade?!" Nora gasped. "Renny, it's blades all the way down!"
"Let's at least find out for sure if that rumor is true before we whip out the conspiracy board, okay?" Ren placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Here's your final exam, kids- a driver you can really go all-out against! Dying's a fail."
"A real 'throw-them-into-the-deep-end' type, hm?" Kali giggled.
"You're telling us," Yang rolled her eyes. "Ruby nearly drowned when he taught us how to swim."
"But she didn't!" Tai was quick to point out.
"Penny will not let friends die!" Penny declared gleefully as she led the charge. Ruby raised her shield and activated its drill and drove it into one of the spider's large front legs. Jaune acted quickly as well, firing his anchor and wrapping around two of the spider's back legs- but it hardly seemed to notice as it kept standing.
"Not as effective against a target with double the legs," Penny analyzed.
"Tryin' out the techniques he just learned like this is a damn video game," Torchwick rolled his eyes.
Instead, the spider roared and swatted Ruby away- fortunately, Penny caught her handily as Blake leapt over her, her sword at the ready. She was blocked, however, by the arm of the great blade- a hulking monster by appearance, its arm covered in a sort of scaly, natural armor. It narrowed its dark eyes and roared, revealing its rows of razor-sharp teeth. Instead of biting, though, it wrapped its other massive hand around her body, lifted, and began squeezing.
"Let her go!" Jaune roared as he wound his anchor back up and fired again- this time at the blade's legs. He pulled, but the blade stood steady. On the other side of the cavern, the spider was baring down on Ruby, but Penny rushed in to protect her, spreading her arms wide.
"Pyrrha!" Jaune called.
"Right!" she nodded with determination, and pushed as much ether into him as she could- he felt his strength surge, and he was finally able to topple the blade over. Blake quickly readied her sword and stabbed it through the skull as she landed.
"That'll only slow it down," she choked out as she struggled to take in breath again. "As long as they're bonded, blades are damn near immortal. We gotta take out-"
"-the driver, right!" Jaune looked over towards the spider- it was attempting to bite down on Penny, who had her hands gripped on its pincers, forcefully holding them apart. Ruby was clambering back to her feet- she and Jaune made eye contact, and they both nodded.
Jaune raised his sword in the air, and felt Pyrrha grasp its hilt as well. "BURNING SWORD!" they called as they brought it down. The wave of fire caused the spider to recoil- Penny released it just in time for Ruby to rush past her, her drill spinning at maximum capacity as she drove it directly into the spider's gullet.
"Didn't stand a chance!" Ruby cheered.
"Hmm... I feel as though I recognize that blade from somewhere..." Ozpin sipped contemplatively from his mug.
He didn't get the chance to look closer- even as Ruby pulled herself out of the spider's corpse, its blade was disappearing into light, leaving only a simple crystal behind.
"Euch... Ruby all icky-sticky," Ruby lamented as she attempted to brush herself off.
"We'll get you a bath when we get back," Tai assured her as he crossed the cavern and knelt to pick up the crystal.
Ruby pouted as she eyed it up. "No fair stinky monster can have blade when Ruby can't."
"But masterpon have Penny!" Penny reminded her.
"Oh, Penny!" Ruby looked up with shining eyes.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to call you master, friend Ruby?" Penny tilted her head.
"Super sure, super sure!" Ruby flapped her arms, keenly aware of the smirks and glares she was getting from the rest of the audience.
"So, this is what happens to a blade when their driver dies..." Jaune looked at the crystal- it was far darker than the ones he remembered being handed out at the recruitment drive in Kuo Kuana. "They die, too?"
"Not exactly," Tai shook his head. "Give it some time, it'll start glowing again, ready for a new driver. But..."
He heaved a great sigh. "I guess you could say they do die, in a way. It won't be exactly the same- their memories get totally wiped. In that way, I guess you could call it a new blade."
"That's... that's rough," Jaune struggled for what to say to this revelation.
"Like... wiped, wiped? No memories at all?" Velvet asked, looking horrified at the thought.
"I wouldn't... wouldn't remember Dad? Yang? ...Mom?" Ruby was shaking.
"Such a wretched system," Adam growled, and for once, nobody argued.
"Wait, hold on," Whitley raised his hands.
"I don't want to hear-" Adam started, but Vanessa silenced him with a glare.
"Yes, Whitley?"
"That being the case, how does Pyrrha have her memories?"
"That... is a damn good question," Qrow admitted.
"I can't imagine having your memories wiped out like that..." Jaune was still musing.
"Yes, but... memories can be a burden, too," Pyrrha almost whispered. "Like Blake said, blades can live practically forever, as long as their core isn't damaged. That's... a long time to collect bad memories."
"Pyrrha?" Jaune turned to look at her in surprise.
"I- I'm sorry," she apologized quicklly, though much more softly than was usual. "I was just thinking... to forget would be a blessing... sometimes."
"I wonder what happened that she wants to forget so much?" Saphron wondered.
"I'd start with the people she killed when she sank three titans," Neo guessed through a smirk.
"Why don't you shut your-" Jaune started furiously, but paused when Pyrrha placed a hand on his shoulder.
"No... she's not wrong."
Tai, meanwhile, turned to the corpse of the titan- it too, was dissolving into light. Tai knelt again, and when he stood up, he was holding...
"Another core crystal?" Jaune took it in- this one was still aglow.
"Yup- that's where they come from. This one's brand new, ready to resonate. Makes you wonder what kind of blade it'll be, doesn't it? What sort of lives it'll lead on its journey through this... eternal recurrence. It's something mortals like us just can't understand."
Jaune found his gaze once again drawn to Pyrrha, who was kneeling beside the dissolving titan as if administering last rites. But she... she acts like she still has all her memories. And she already had a body when we found her. Could it be that her old driver is still alive?
"Unless there's some kind of race that survives for hundreds of years in this world, I suspect not," Winter shook her head.
"Perish such a thought." Another interjection from Salem, and as usual, nobody seemed keen to respond.
"Well, that's all I've got to teach you for now," Tai decided. "C'mon, let's get back to the village."
The screen cut ahead to the village in question, where they made their way to a small amphitheater where most of the mercenaries's drills were conducted. Blake lay down on the ground, eager to rest her legs after the long hike- Sun lay down next to her. Ruby and Penny continued their training- if Ruby teaching her artificial blade patty-cake could be considered training. Tai and Qrow sat on one end, keeping an eye on all of them- particularly Jaune and Pyrrha, who were tending to each others' injuries from the day's training. He started off smiling, but as he watched, the smile slowly turned to a frown.
"Owowow!" Jaune winced as Pyrrha applied a light poultice to one of his scratches.
"Hold still!" she chided gently. "I thought you were a big, strong salvager!"
"Are you his blade or his mother?" Raven rolled her eyes.
"As if you know anything about being either," Yang narrowed hers.
"You really do keep leaving yourself wide open," Qrow couldn't help noticing. "Guilty conscience, maybe?"
"Never!" Raven crossed her arms and looked pointedly away.
"C'mon, give me a break!" Jaune almost seemed to whine. "Pain is pain!"
He grabbed the a cotton ball of his own, soaked in the medicine. "Here, you're hurt too, aren't you?"
"Oh, not at all, it's just a scra-"
Perhaps eager to keep her mind off of his own injuries, Jaune applied a little more force than was necessary.
"Ow! Jaune, you did that on purpose!"
"No, honest, I was just trying to rub the medicine-"
"You two. What is this?"
Tai had approached them, his arms crossed.
"Oooohhhh, Fearless Leader and Pyrrha are in trooooouuuuubllllllleeee!" Nora stared wide-eyed.
"I... don't think that's it," Tai denied, examining his other.
"Um... I'm sorry?" driver and blade said in unison, but Tai didn't seem to be listening- he grabbed their wrists and raised their arms, confirming what he thought he'd seen- identical injuries on each arm.
"The hell is this?" He seemed to be asking himself more than them. "Never seen a blade keep injuries like this before- let alone the exact same as her driver!"
"Oh," Pyrrha blinked as she realized what actually had him concerned. "Well, when Jaune and I first met, he was sort of... dead."
"Dead?" Tai looked genuinely taken aback.
"He touched my sword, but got stabbed from behind right after, so I... gave him half of my life force to revive him." Pyrrha ran her fingers along her fractured core crystal, just as Jaune did the same on his own chest. "I think that's the cause."
Tai's eyes remained wide in amazement. "All my time, I've never heard the like. Figured that was just a necklace on your chest."
"I guess it's a special connection," Jaune smiled a bit as he ran his finger along the crystal again.
"It's a damn problem,is what it is," Tai crossed his arms. "This makes you twice as vulnerable- one of you eats it, so does the other."
"Certainly, there have been no closer partners in Beacon's history," Ozpin considered.
"Good thing, too, we get enough complaints about injuries as is," Ironwood shuddered at the thought.
"Well, you already told me the job of a driver is to protect his blade," Jaune shrugged. "So that's what I'll do- protect her just like she protects me."
"That's easy enough to say, kid," Tai warned.
"Look, she saved my life once already- I don't plan on dying again. We're going to keep living, all the way up to Shambhala!"
"Shambhala... you're serious about it, aren't you?" Tai offered a wistful smile.
"I believe he is... and that is something I cannot abide!"
"Oh, boy, it's Mr. Personality," Coco grumbled.
"It would seem the Children of Zemuria have tracked down our heroes," Ozpin agreed.
All attention turned to the green-haired man strolling into the amphitheater alongside them- the roller-skating cat faunus blade couldn't have been more mismatched, but they were clearly together.
The man flipped his long hair out of his face. "A bunch of amateurs stealing our spotlight? It flies in the face of the scenario!"
"Sky!" Blake yelped as she leapt to her feet.
Sky struck a pose, leaning back at nearly a ninety-degree angle as he pointed dramatically at her. "You will speak when spoken to, traitor!"
"Traitor, traitor, traitor!" his blade rolled around, taunting her with a singsong voice.
"Well, that got annoying five minutes ago," Yang grunted.
"I don't seem to recall our Sky being so... melodramatic," Pyrrha searched for the right word.
"Blakey's a villain now! Blakey's a villain now!" the blade continued to tease.
"Wait, why is Blake a bad guy now?" Ruby looked baffled.
"Rare is the villain who considers himself to be a villain," Ozpin explained sagely. "Simply look at our bull-headed friend, for instance."
Adam responded with the finger.
"I haven't betrayed anyone!" Blake protested.
"And yet you stand now with our enemies! As if that's where you belong," Sky straightened up to direct his accusing glare at her more effectively.
"You know these clowns?" Tai asked, nudging his straw hat back with his thumb.
"They call themselves the Children of Zemuria," Jaune explained, not taking his gaze off of Sky. "They're after Pyrrha."
Suddenly, Tai's face changed into something Jaune had yet to see on it- an ugly snarl. "Zemuria?!" he repeated, fury etched into every word.
"You... you know them?" Jaune asked, taken aback.
"Oh, I've heard the name, alright," Tai nodded as he drew his sickles. Qrow looked equally furious as he prepared their golden thread.
"Wait..." Ruby gulped. "You... you don't think they're the ones who..."
"That's what it's looking like," Yang nodded, growling and cracking her knuckles. Other-world brother she'd not even seen or otherwise, he was still her brother.
"What are you doing here, Sky?" Blake demanded.
"Why, I'm here to clap eyes on the Holy Grail, of course!" Sky announced with a great deal of flourishing. "How could I miss the opportunity to greet our leading lady?"
"Okay, the way he keeps talking about this like a play is really starting to tick me off," Qrow grimaced.
"Yeah, that ain't gettin' any better," Vanessa sighed over another swallow of booze.
"By which you mean Adam sent you," Blake crossed her arms.
"Naturally," Sky acknowledged with a pompous bow. "Oh, and you ought to know- he told me to deal with you in any way I see fit."
"No... he wouldn't..." Blake's eyes widened in horror as she took a step back.
"What makes you say so?" Sky's smirk widened. "Wasn't it clear from the beginning there's no room for traitors in our organization? You ended your part in this performance when you abandoned us on that ship. Time for you to shuffle off the stage... and this mortal coil."
"You truly must learn that your actions have consequences, my dear," Adam commented in his most oily voice.
Blake flattened her ears and leaned back in the couch.
"Indeed... a very fine lesson to learn," Ghira agreed, casually cracking his knuckles for no apparent reason.
Adam leaned as far back in his chair as he could.
"Brook, Nolan, evacuate the village!" Tai called.
"Yes sir!" the two men saluted.
"I have no quarter for the Children of Zemuria," Tai growled, turning back towards Sky. "They've taken the lives of far too many drivers. Good people."
"Watch out for his blade- Neon!" Blake warned. "She can manipulate the ether in the air! Elemental attacks are useless against them!"
"Got that, Qrow?" Tai glanced towards his blade.
"Yep- sounds like I'm gonna have to let you have all the fun." He formed the golden thread, but hung back.
"It must kill you to not rush in and take the center of attention," Winter rolled her eyes.
"Believe me, if I could just lean back and watch every fight with a bottle of scotch in my hands, I would," Qrow assured her.
Tai rushed forward and swung his sickles- Sky backflipped out of the way. "Stand aside, I'm here to share the stage with the Holy Grail!" He sidestepped another of Tai's swings and rushed towards Pyrrha, slashing her arm as he passed. She let out a sharp cry of pain- one mirrored by Jaune as his arm opened up in exactly the same spot.
"Oh, so you're going to hurt two of my favorite people in the world at the same time, are you?" Nora smiled chillingly. "I hope you're ready to deal with the consequences!"
Sky, however, didn't seem to realize what he'd done, at least initially. "What?" He paused, glancing between the two in befuddlement. "Why would the driver...?"
"I don't really get it, but the point is, they're takin' each other's damage, right?" Neon giggled as she came skating by.
Sky's face lit up. "Which means... the Grail has become mortal! Well, a little more damage, and taking her in should be no problem at all!"
"Behold, what you get for trusting others," Raven snidely commented.
"Let's see how this works out before we throw in the towel," Saphron insisted.
He shifted his blades and began focusing primarily on Pyrrha- she had to run as he scraped his blade along the wall, creating a shower of sparks. When she paused to straighten up, he crossed his blades, leaving long but fortunately shallow wounds on her belly- matching wounds immediately opened up on Jaune's. He'd been rushing in for the rescue, only to double over, gasping in pain.
He went in for a finishing blow, only to be blocked by Ruby's shield- she managed to force him backwards, and directly into Tai's range.
Tai was glowering. "Kids these days really do have no respect for their elders. Kid... you're mine."
He spun around and send a whirlwind in Sky's direction. He dodged... directly into an even larger twister sent his way from Qrow, a safe distance away.
"He's outside my range!" Neon cried.
"Damn... he's a quick read," Sky muttered.
"For all your fancy moves," Tai taunted, "you're no good in a straightforward scrap. You don't have true grit."
"I love that movie," Tai smiled reminiscently. "The original, of course. Nobody replaces John Wayne."
Sky attempted to skirt around the whirlwinds, only to get knocked to the side by one of Blake's Sun-powered kicks.
"Too many bit players here," he grunted. Ruby and Penny had helped Jaune and Pyrrha to their feet, where Sun was taking a moment to heal their injuries. Powerful blade or not, he was staring down four drivers with four powerful blades of their own.
"Hm," he posed again. "My interest has waned. Let us away, Neon."
Yang opened up her mouth for a scathing remark, but to everyone's surprise, Neon beat her to it.
"Yeah, yeah, 'cause you can't just say 'there's no way we're winning this fight,'" she teased as the two of them made a break for it.
"Yeah, she's really not acting like someone forced into servitude," Neptune couldn't help agreeing.
Jaune made as if to follow, until he saw Pyrrha collapsing from her injuries. He immediately rushed to her side. "Pyrrha- Pyrrha!"
Tai sighed. "No point going after them as we are now." He pointed at Blake and Sun. "Get those two to the medical tent, stat!"
They nodded, and hopped right to it.
"Yeah, they really need to work around that," Tai agreed wholeheartedly with his other.
The world moved ahead to the party gathering around Pyrrha lying in a bed. Jaune stepped out of the tent to speak to Tai, standing just outside. "How is she?" the man asked.
"She's not hurt too badly," Jaune reported. "Sun says she just needs rest."
"Good, good... that's good," Tai nodded.
"Do you think I used too much energy again?" Jaune asked sullenly."
"What are you talkin' about, you were barely part of that fight!" Torchwick threw his hands up.
Tai sighed. "Jaune... you know what the difference is between that Sky kid and me?"
"Um, you're not a giant sack of douche?" Yang guessed.
"He's a bad guy trying to kidnap Pyrrha, and... you... aren't?" Jaune trailed off as he saw Tai close his eyes and shake his head.
"Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but that ain't it. Fact is, we're not that different at all."
"But-"
Tai interrupted. "My crew and I like to think we're fighting for justice, but I'm telling you right now, there's no such thing as righteous warfare. War is war, whatever reasons people have are secondary. You can't let people walk all over you, but the more you stand up for yourself, the more people want to fight you, and the next thing you know, war's been declared. I've got my war, you've got yours... and he's got his."
"But what he's doing is-"
"Bad? Sure is. But war isn't about who's right or wrong- history is decided by the winners, after all. It's all about power- power that takes many forms, determined by the heart of the wielder. Use too much power, you become a tyrant- but if you use too little, because you're scared of it, you're done for. Who's right and wrong? Only the Architect can say for sure. All we can do is protect what's important."
"I... think I understand." He glanced back in the tent at the still-sleeping Pyrrha. "We all have... our own war."
"I truly do not understand how such a wise man could raise two airheads," Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Weiss!" Yang glared reproachfully at her.
"One of life's biggest mysteries, I'll tell you that much," Qrow agreed.
"QROW!"Yang's chagrin grew.
Fortunately, Pyrrha woke up just fine the next morning, stepping out of the medical tent and greeting Jaune with a chirpy "Hello, again!"
"Pyrrha!" Jaune leapt to his feet from the stump he'd been sitting on. "Feeling better?"
"Yes- a good sleep is just what the doctor ordered."
"Glad to hear it," Jaune grinned.
"While we're here..." Pyrrha leaned close to him and whispered in his ear. "Blake has something she wants to talk to you about."
Jaune glanced to Blake, who had secluded herself in the corner of the tent. "Oh?"
"I think I see what this is about," Sun guessed. "She's feelin' put off by what Straw Hat Tai said about the CoZ's, ain't she?"
"That certainly sounds right," Kali agreed.
Blake stepped forward, looking more timid now than ever he'd seen her, even sitting in a cell. "Jaune... I need your help with something."
"With what?"
"With Xiao Long. After what happened, it's not fair to keep him in the dark. I need to tell him... about my past. With Zemuria- Sky and the others."
"I said she should go alone, but..." Pyrrha trailed off.
"The truth is... he scares me," Blake admitted.
"Aw, as long as you're not threatening his kids, he's a big teddy bear!" Ruby beamed.
"She was part of the organization that killed his son," Whitley reminded her.
"Oh... right. Yeah, he might punch your head off."
"Thank you very much, Ruby," Blake's ears flattened further as she put her all into vanishing on the spot.
"Ah, gotcha," Jaune nodded. "Yeah, I'll go with you."
Outside, the hustle and bustle had returned to Cocoyashi Village. Tai stood once more in the tangerine grove, Qrow by his side. He glanced around and smiled when he saw Jaune, Pyrrha, Blake, and Sun approaching. "Well, someone's up early!"
Jaune stepped back and motioned for Blake to do the opposite. She did.
"Er... thanks for training us," she began awkwardly. "And for yesterday... you really saved us."
Tai kept his gaze on her, not giving anything away, clearly waiting for her to get to the point.
"It's... about that guy, Sky... and... well, you see..."
Jaune could see her legs trembling- if she had less self control, her knees would be knocking together.
"We... we used to be-"
Tai raised a hand, and Blake flinched despite the five feet or so separating them. However, there was no hostility on his face, and he lowered his hand quite gently. "Y'know, traveling the world as a merc, you meet all sorts. Country, family, money... there are as many reasons to fight as there are people in Remnant. Fighting for a loved one- that's a common one. Though, not every special girl has a crystal sticking out of her chest, amirite?" His lips curled into a smirk. Jaune and Pyrrha blushed, while Blake, for reasons they couldn't quite understand, flinched. "People change with the rise and fall of the tide. Blake... you're with these two now, and that's what matters."
"I very much approve of your attitude, Tai," Ozpin commented. "Had you been on a separate team from Summer, you'd have made a fine leader yourself."
"I wouldn't have given Summer up for the world," Tai swore.
"I... but, I-" Blake stammered.
"What, do you want him to beat you up?" Sun smirked.
"I assure you I don't!"
Tai turned to Jaune. "So, you're serious about going to Shambhala, huh?"
"Yeah, but... we don't really know how to cross the trench... especially with that giant monster in the way."
"Yeah, most normal people wouldn't stand a chance," Tai agreed. "But what can I say, I know a guy who knows a guy. Or rather, I know a girl. An old friend of mine, up in Shade, Vacuo's capital. If I'm right, she'll be able to put you on the right path."
"You do?" Jaune lit up eagerly.
"Yup- as it happens, I've got business up there anyways. No reason I can't introduce ya while we're at it."
"Thank you!" Jaune quickly bowed.
"Don't sweat it- I'm chalkin' it more up to destiny or whatever at this point," Tai shrugged off. Abruptly, he raised his voice. "You two comin'?"
Ruby and Penny fell out from the tree they'd been hiding behind, quickly straightening up. "Of course Ruby come!" Ruby quickly nodded.
"And Penny go where masterpon go!"
"All the stooges gathered together again!" Neo giggled.
"Well, go get ready- we've got a long road ahead of us! Grab what you need, and meet me back here in... five minutes, say? Gotta have a quick word with Brook and Nolan."
"Yes, sir!" the party saluted, and rushed back to the village to gather their things. Tai smiled and scratched at his chin.
"You're really taken a liking to the kid," Qrow whispered to him.
"What can I say? He reminds my of my boy," Tai shrugged. "Now come on... I've got a bit of paperwork to handle before we take off."
XXXX
This episode was supposed to be up earlier, but I got caught up in helping one of my cats fight off an illness... one that she recently succumbed to. I dedicate this chapter to my cat, Nia, gone but never forgotten. You deserved far more than I was able to give you.
A mere hour before finishing this episode, I also finished Xenoblade X Definitive Edition- I have some very complicated feelings about the new story content, but the quality of life improvements alone make it very much the definitive version of the game. I'm down to chat if anyone wants the full lowdown on my thoughts. If any of you saw Vanessa with the black jacket and sunglasses, that was me. Now, if only they remake or remaster Saga...
The original plan was to continue with Road to Shambhala for another couple episodes, but in light of recent events, I'm not sure I can handle writing those right now. The next episode may be Voyage Home, or I might finally go back to Childhood's End, which is certainly in desperate need of attention, or I might go through with my original plans for Road to Shambhala. The future feels very uncertain right now. If you have any particularly strong opinions, as ever, feel free to drop them in a review, and until next time, don't you dare go hollow- Gamer4 out.