LOCATION: Beacon Academy – The Vault
A Few Minutes Earlier…
Fragments of the battle replayed in her mind like a haunting melody as Amber slowly opened her eyes. The memory of the three attackers loomed large, their faces twisted with malice, and the way one of them had ensnared her with a deceptive illusion still sent chills down her spine. She had fought valiantly, her spirit refusing to yield even as they closed in, but the overwhelming numbers had proven too much. The image of the woman with the enigmatic glove lingered, a dark-haired figure who had siphoned away her maiden powers, leaving her vulnerable and exposed. Just as despair began to seep into her heart, a glimmer of hope appeared in the form of a man charging to her aid, severing the sinister link that bound her to her attackers.
The last thing she remembered before darkness enveloped her was the fierce determination in his eyes. Now, as she lay in the aftermath, the pain that had gripped her moments before had vanished, replaced by an unsettling sense of clarity. Was it truly over, or was this newfound tranquility merely a deceptive facade? Amber knew better than to let her guard down; the remnants of her ordeal still echoed within her, a stark reminder that nightmares can sometimes bleed into reality.
Amber blinked. Her eyes slightly grew large in surprise when she saw an anomaly manifesting itself by phasing through the chamber's ceiling. The orange energy cloud gracefully descended until it hovered midair outside of the pod's glass. By instinct, she outstretched her hand as the energy cloud slowly flew forward, phasing effortlessly through the pod's window. She absorbed the last maiden essences in the work of an instant.
Amber let out a collective sigh. She could feel the essences of the Fall Maiden slowly merging itself back together; it had taken a while for the energy to fully return to its original state after being so depleted. It was as though a part of herself was viciously ripped off from her vessel, leaving her empty. Now she felt whole again, and that gave her great relief.
Amber stared out at the world beyond the pod. She blinked owlishly to adjust to her new perspective. In the distance was a wide expanse of a chamber, which seemed to stretch infinitely without end. Candles flickered all around, casting flickering shadows across the walls, floors, and ceiling alike.
Amber extended her hands and aimed them at the pod's door. She closes her eyes, utilizing the Fall Maiden's power once more, summoning her energy source and guiding it through her palms. Flames ignited around her eyes when she opened them, and with a grunt she thrusted her hands forward. The door exploded outward with the force of a-hundred men, sending it flying far beyond the chamber's limits, and landed on the floor with a loud thud. The explosion caused smoke to obscure the rest of the room.
Amber deactivated the Fall Maiden's power as the flames shrouding her eyes dissipated. She slowly pushed herself off the pod's upright seat, taking note of her surroundings. There were steel chairs and a table to her right, and her clothes laid neatly folded on the top of the table. She shifted her gaze to find her staff lying next to her clothes. A thin layer of dust lay upon its surface, indicating that the room had been untouched since its discovery.
Amber climbed out of the pod and started toward the table. After a minute she had her clothes back on, complete with her pair of brown thigh-high boots with large cuffs and golden armor plating covering the boots up to her knees. Once she retrieved her staff, she began walking down the chamber's aisle, each step from her boots echoing loudly through the silent space. At the end of the aisle she found double doors situated in the middle, which automatically opened as she approached. The doors revealed the car of an elevator with enough space for a group of people.
Amber entered the car after checking that it was empty. As the doors began closing, she glanced down at the panel to her right. Three dials labeled "A," "B," and "C" sat aligned on the panel's center. Not knowing which button to push, Amber hesitantly pressed the second one. The car ascended with a smooth jerk, ascending into an open air shaft. The cab traveled upward for quite some time before landing with a soft ding.
The doors slid open to reveal a small room leading to a doorway. Amber exited the elevator, walking through the doorway and stood in an expansive area filled with countless pillars and columns. An ocean of individuals ranging from young men to young women in school uniforms walked past her in a steady stream. When one individual came into view however, they froze upon seeing Amber for the first time. It was a boy with slightly long but neat black hair and black eyes. His delicate face showed no trace of masculinity, causing Amber to almost mistaken him for a girl.
"Uh, hello," boy 1 greeted Amber with a shy grin. Amber blinked blankly at him.
Two other students approached the pair, one male and one female. The girl to the left had pink hair that stretched halfway down her shoulders, with bright chocolate eyes and freckles scattered throughout her cheeks. The boy to the right had raven black hair styled into spikes. The pink haired girl stepped up to Amber, staring at her staff.
"Hey buddy, who's the chick?" Boy 2 asked, smirking at his friend. Boy 1's cheeks flushed.
"Uh, I just found her standing here is all," Boy 1 replied.
"Wow, I like your staff," girl 1 stated enthusiastically. "Does it have a name?"
Amber parted her lips open until she felt something. For a brief moment the world around her turned into a blur of colors. Amber's legs felt weak and shaky, causing her to collapse into one knee but kept her balance by holding on to her staff. The young trio's expressions quickly switched to concern immediately when they saw her sudden change of state.
"Woah, woah, woah." Boy 2 hurriedly came to her side and crouched down beside Amber.
"Hey, are you okay?" Boy 1 asked, his tone laced with genuine concern.
"What's wrong?" Girl 1 added with equal levels of concern.
Amber shook her head and forced herself onto her feet. Although the feeling of dizziness still lingered, it was manageable now that her focus had returned. However, her body swayed unsteadily, and Boy 2 grabbed hold of her arm to steady her.
"Ozpin… where's Ozpin?" Amber managed to ask, breathing heavily.
"He's at the amphitheater," Boy 1 answered cautiously, clearly concerned about Amber's condition.
"Yeah, that's where we're going," Boy 2 declared, pointing his thumb to the direction of their destination.
Amber followed the direction where Boy 2 pointed. She watched the stream of students pass her by, their voices fading away as they left, one by one. All of them headed toward a colossal doorway that led them outside. She shifted her gaze back to the three students.
"Can you lead me there?" Amber requested, gesturing to the doorway. The trio exchanged glances before looking back at her.
"Yeah, sure," Boy 1 agreed uncertainly.
"Do you need help to walk?" Girl 1 queried anxiously.
Amber smiled reassuringly at the pink haired girl.
"No, I can walk just fine on my own, thank you," Amber said gently. "I'm a little fatigued, that's all."
Boy 2 shrugged and nodded. "Alright then, if you insist…"
They all began to make their way through the corridor without another word. Amber followed the trio until they exited through the doorway, stepping outside amongst the crowd. They rounded a narrow path that led to what looked to be an assembly exterior. They proceeded following said path, and the young trio occasionally glanced back to ensure that Amber was still following behind them.
Somewhere inside the amphitheater there was a powerful thud.
Every student on the narrow path stopped in their tracks. Boy 1, Boy 2, and Girl 1 became alarmed upon the ground's sudden quaking. Amber stared ahead at the amphitheater's doorway with her mouth agape. Her countenance twisted from bewilderment to determination quickly. With a spring, Amber sped past the young trio and sprinted toward the doorway.
Amber slowed down once she reached the doorway's entrance, feeling her strength begin to fade once again. She staggered into the opening, nearly losing her footing at the sheer amount of gravity that threatened to wrench her back towards the ground. She closed her eyes, concentrating on pushing back against the gravity, and eventually regained her balance. Taking a few steadying breaths, Amber made her way further inside. She lifted her head in time to see a figure gracefully landing back down on the stage's floor.
They were too far for Amber to discern any details of their appearance. The figure's face was concealed within a mask. The person shifted their gaze to the pair below at first, then redirected it towards Amber instead. Amber felt her eyes getting heavy as her body collapsed and it seemed to be happening slowly. She had plenty of time to feel the world beginning to roll around her, and saw the floor rush up to strike her in the face.
In Amber's last fleeting moments of consciousness, she opened her eyes halfway to see a green clad figure holding her close to their person. She could also see two people standing behind them but only by silhouettes.
Darkness enveloped her vision and the world gave way to silence.
LOCATION: Beacon Academy – Amphitheater
Present Day…
Midoriya Izuku's heart raced as he observed the scene unfold before him. The male nurses of Beacon Academy, clad in their crisp uniforms, worked with a calm efficiency that belied the urgency of the situation. They carefully positioned the mysterious girl on the stretcher, ensuring she was secure before they moved. They exchanged glances, nodded their heads, then lifted the stretcher in unison. The strain of the added weight was evident in their grunts, yet they pressed on, focused on their task.
The amphitheater was filled with a heavy silence, the crowd parting like waves to allow the nurses passage. Izuku felt a surge of empathy for the girl, wishing he could do more than just stand by and watch as she was carried away, a sense of helplessness washing over him. The atmosphere was thick with tension, each onlooker holding their breath, hoping for the best outcome as the nurses disappeared from view, leaving behind a lingering sense of unease.
"Alright children," Glynda announced, grabbing everyone's attention. "Class is about to begin soon; I suggest you take your seats to attend Doctor Oobleck's history lessons."
Glynda turned away from her students and jogged after the nurses. Ozpin trailed after her but stopped at the entrance, and turned his gaze towards Izuku.
"Mr. Midoriya," Ozpin addressed him.
Izuku walked up to him.
"Yes Professor," Izuku replied politely.
"Are you busy?" Ozpin asked.
"Oh, ah, no," Izuku assured him.
Ozpin briefly glanced at the faraway nurses before looking back at Izuku.
"Then come with me. There is something important I wish to speak with you revolving her," Ozpin insisted, jerking his head toward the unconscious girl being carried away.
Ozpin turned away and exited the amphitheater. Izuku watched the man leave before looking over his shoulder, and saw Team RWBY and Team JNPR approaching him.
"What was that about?" Ruby asked, looking at Izuku curiously.
"I don't know, but Ozpin wants to speak with me," Izuku answered honestly. "All the more reason for me to go and hopefully find out. I'll catch you guys later."
Team RWBY and Team JNPR watched Izuku turn away and walked out of the amphitheater. The young hero began to sprint down the narrow path until he disappeared from their sight.
"Well, we better get going. I do not want to be late for class again," Weiss declared, turning on her heel and walking off in the opposite direction.
Pyrrha glanced at Jaune.
"Jaune, you have been studying for history lessons, right?" Pyrrha asked.
Jaune chuckled a little.
"Of course I have," Jaune lied, dismissively waving her off. Ren glanced at Pyrrha.
"He did not," Ren told Pyrrha.
Jaune rounded on Ren with shock. "Ren!"
Ren folded his arms while closing his eyes.
"Honesty is the best policy, Jaune," Ren stated.
"Ain't that the truth," Nora added.
The rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR followed Weiss toward the destination of their next class. However, Ruby focused her gaze on the narrow path where the girl was taken away.
She stood there for a few seconds before turning away and catches up with her team.
A/N: Well, there you have it young readers. Hope you all enjoyed today's fifteenth chapter! Yes I know this chapter was short, but I decided to change POVS' by having the reader see things through Amber's perspective as to how she got from A to B. While I'm still against the idea of giving Izuku the chance of possibly and potentially having a semblance added to his arsenal, (just as how I have established with the aura discussion) I will think about it. But right now I'm focusing on Izuku's time in remnant and preparing for the second arc of this story. Next chapter will feature Izuku learning her identity, having a talk-to-talk with Jaune on the roof, and the reveal of the second arc. With all of that said, I'll be taking my leave.
See you all in the next chapter, young readers!