When Louise's desperate attempt to summon a Familiar and prove herself a mage backfires spectacularly, she, Guiche, Kirche, and Tabitha find themselves stranded in a new, strange world with a shattered moon. With no idea how to get back to their own world, the four students of the Tristain Academy of Magic must find their way in Remnant, and perhaps discover some new things about themselves along the way. But dark forces are at work in this new world and Halkeginia both, and the four find themselves thrust head-first into a conflict going back thousands of years.
Remnants of the Void (FoZ/RWBY)
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Chapter 1
TheMagisKing
(Verified Lazy)
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Cross-posting this here from SB because why the hell not.
So, some of you (if you've been on SB) may vaguely remember "RWBY of Zero", a FoZ/RWBY fic I started years ago but never did much with. Well, so do I, and that memory got me thinking and then got a plot bunny going. This plot bunny has turned into a snippet that's turned into a full blown story idea, and thus here we are.
Note: I'm rustier than I'd like to be regarding FoZ canon, so if things seem wonky on that front I apologize. I'm going to try and compensate as best as I can by looking through sources on canon to try and avoid getting anything too wrong, but there's going to be things that'll probably slip through the cracks. I'm also going to take some creative liberties with FoZ and RWBY canon as well, so some differences are going to come from that.
Now, without further delay, chapter 1!
----
It was a beautiful morning on the island of Patch. The sky was a clear blue, obstructed only by the faintest, wispiest of snow-white clouds. The grass, bushes and trees were a verdant green, still sparkling faintly with the last traces of morning dew. A gentle ocean breeze caressed the coastal settlements and blew further inland, causing the canopy to rustle as it swayed. In the wilderness, birdsong and the chirping of insects filled the air, composing the sounds of life. The settlements scattered across the island bustled with people going about their early day routines, starting their day's work.
Yes, it was a beautiful morning indeed… until suddenly, in a clearing deep in the woods, the boom of an explosion filled the air. A cloud of dirt, smoke and dust shot up into the sky, and the trees around the blast's center shook violently. Nearly drowned out by the sound of the explosion, two voices cried out in shock, and four of them screamed, the noise joined by a reptilian screech and a squeal.
High up in this cloud, with dirt and smoke rushing through her hair as she fell screaming to the earth, Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere wondered why the world hated her so much.
----
In the Vestri Courtyard of the Tristain Academy of Magic- the first and foremost magical academy in all of Tristain- a crowd was gathered. Almost entirely composed of young students clad in uniforms- white, long-sleeved dress shirts, black cloaks with an inner purple trim with a single brass, pentagram-engraved clasp, and either a black skirt or pants- the crowd was nearly silent, focused on a large magical circle drawn in the dirt before them and the student standing in front of it. Beside the crowd stood an older man with balding, short black hair, blue eyes, and spectacles, clad in a blue robe and holding a wooden staff in hand. Like the students, he too was focused on the circle and student.
"...answer my call, and appear!"
With the incantation finished, the circle lit up with a brilliant light. Quickly, the light faded, revealing a giant, brown-furred mole with abnormally large eyes and an odd, triangular-shaped patch of blue on the top of its head standing confused in the circle's center.
With a light smile on his face, the balding man stepped forwards, and spoke.
"Congratulations, mister Gramont. You have successfully completed the familiar summoning spell."
Guiche de Gramont- youngest son of Marshall Gaston de Gramont- turned to face his professor, wiping the sweat from his brow and slightly tousling his blonde hair. His face was set in a disappointed grimace, blue eyes slightly narrowed.
"Thank you, professor Colbert, b-"
"Now," Jean Colbert interrupted, causing Guiche's mouth to shut with a clack of his teeth, "If you would please, bind your familiar."
With a sigh, Guiche turned to his familiar, quickly moving into the circle and towards it and ignoring the chatter and laughter of his classmates. The mole stared curiously up at him as he approached, cocking its head. With a slight grunt, Guiche got on one knee, examining his familiar-to-be closer.
"A mole for a familiar. My brothers will never let me hear the end of this… although, you are awfully adorable."
The mole, being a mole, did not respond to his words, merely cocking its head further. Guiche smiled, his previous disappointment evaporating.
"Yes, I suppose you are the perfect familiar for me! A beautiful familiar for a handsome man!" His face now set in a full-blown grin, Guiche cleared his throat, and raised his wand. "Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers-"
As Guiche proceeded to bind his familiar, a girl fidgeted ever so slightly in the crowd. Shorter than most of her peers, she tried to stand as dignified as she could, resisting the urge to brush a hand through her long, pink hair as she clenched her skirt. Her pink eyes stared solely at professor Colbert, filled with nervousness despite her effort to project confidence.
She was Louise Francois le Blanc de la Valliere, youngest daughter of Duchess Karin de la Valliere, and she couldn't help but feel an ever-growing dread in her chest. How could she not, when today was the day she and her classmates were summoning their familiars, and she had never cast a single successful spell in her life? If she failed here, she would be sent back home, expelled for her failure. She'd have to face her father, his face set in yet another too-familiar grimace. Her sister, Cattleya, her gentle eyes shining with pity. Her mother, stern face so disappointed-
No. No, she couldn't- wouldn't fail. She'd told Kirche and Montmorency last night that she'd summon a grand familiar, and that was what she was going to do. She was a Valliere, and she'd show everyone she belonged here!
"Now, who has yet to summon their familiar?" Professor Colbert called out, snapping Louise out of her thoughts. Suddenly, the dread was back, and despite herself Louise took a step backwards. She swallowed thickly, opening her mouth as she worked up the strength to call out-
"Louise hasn't summoned anything yet, professor!"
Louise hissed under her breath, turning to glare at the far-too-familiar girl near the front of the crowd. Taller than her by a head, dark-skinned, and with long crimson hair running down her shoulders, Kirche von Zerbst smiled back at her, a hand on her hip. She'd left the top button of her shirt undone again, and Louise deliberately chose to ignore the results of that as she instead glared at Zerbst's stupid, smug face.
Stupid, Germanian cow…
It was too late for the glare to do much, however, because now the crowd around Louise was focused on her.
"Founder, couldn't Kirche just keep her mouth shut about the Zero?"
"Right, I'm just going to plug my ears…"
"Hold on, the professor can't seriously want to-"
"Going to blow us all up, Zero?"
"Hopefully just herself. Save the staff the trouble of expelling her after she-"
Whispering and muttering filled the crowd, all of it focused on her inability as a mage. Louise pushed down the hotness in her eyes and grit her teeth, clenching her fists as she fought the urge to turn her head down.
"Enough!"
Mercifully, Colbert's exclamation shut most of her fellow students up, and his stern glare caused the stragglers to quickly follow suit. He swept his eyes across the crowd twice, before focusing solely on her. He smiled kindly at her, but Louise couldn't help but feel a bit patronized.
"Miss Valliere, if you would approach the summoning circle and call upon your familiar."
A few brave souls in the crowd broke into another bout of whispering, but the meaty smack of their professor hitting his free hand with his staff caused them to quickly quiet down once again. Louise breathed in and out deeply, composing herself as best she could, and did as instructed. Soon, she was standing in front of the circle, and pulled out her wand.
She sincerely hoped nobody could see the faint shaking of her hand as she raised her catalyst, focused squarely on the circle. She breathed in again, and then out, and then she began to speak the incantation.
"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe…"
The circle lit up, causing Louise's chest to swell with hope. Her fellow students had gone completely quiet, watching quietly.
"...my divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant, heed my call."
An airless breeze seemed to blow through the courtyard, causing cloaks, hair and clothing to shift under its caress. The glow grew brighter, and the air was filled with an unmistakably magic hum.
"I wish from very bottom of my heart; answer my call, and appear!"
The circle was shining brilliantly now, the strange breeze becoming stronger, the hum becoming a buzz. Louise felt her mouth turn upwards in a proud smile, her heart filled with joy-
And then the circle exploded.
A cloud of smoke, dirt, and dust was thrown into the air and across the Vestri courtyard, following a wave of force and noise from the blast. Louise's classmates cried out in shock, throwing up their hands to cover their faces. The familiars made a cavalcade of panicked noises, throwing themselves back or taking to the air in surprise. Quickly, the uproar turned into shouted curses and exclamations, but Louise could barely hear them over the faint and yet too-loud ringing in her own ears, her eyes locked on where the circle had been.
As the ringing faded, she dimly registered professor Colbert calling out, though to who she couldn't tell. Even if her hearing had been fine, she'd still have not been able to tell, eyes locked dead ahead.
No. No, she- she couldn't. She hadn't. She- she just had to try again. That was it. She could still do this!
"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe; my divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant, heed my call."
Through the settling dust, she could see the circle- somehow still intact- glowing once again, and the humming and buzzing came in turn. The crowd was muttering and even jeering at her, but she ignored them to focus on her willpower.
"Miss Valliere-" Professor Colbert began, but Louise ignored him in favor of the ritual. She continued the chant, doing her best to keep the shaking from her voice and from her hand.
"I wish from the very bottom of my heart; answer my call, and appear!"
Once again, the circle lit up brilliantly. Once again, the buzzing reached its apex. Once again, Louise felt hope.
Once again, the circle exploded, kicking up a new cloud of debris. The crowd once again entered a frenzy, and once again Louise couldn't hear them, too focused on that damn ringing and the racing of her own thoughts.
She had failed. She- she was a zero. Nothing. She- no, no, no! She wouldn't- she- she refused to just-
Before anyone could stop her, Louise's wand came up a third time, and she spoke. Despite her best efforts, she could hear her voice cracking as she desperately clung to the last of her composure.
"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe-"
She could hear the crowd panicking, though she didn't care to look at them to see what they were doing. Professor Colbert called out to her again, and she ignored him.
"My- my divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant, heed my call!"
Colbert called out again, and this time she couldn't ignore him.
"Miss Valliere! I'm sorry, but you cannot-"
Louise grit her teeth and bit back a snarl, her pink eyes shining with unshed tears. Tearing her mouth open, she cried out the final line of her summoning.
"I wish from the very bottom of my heart-"
"Guiche, get back!" Someone shouted. The crowd and familiars were panicking, and she could hear feet trampling dirt and grass behind her. The circle lit up one final time, the runes warped from the abuse thrown at them. The buzzing sound came again, warbling dangerously..
"-answer my call, and appear!"
For a moment, it seemed like everything was quiet. The shouting and animalistic noises faded into the background, and all there was was that distorted buzzing. Then, suddenly as it came, it vanished. Louise felt a twisting, hard pull at her gut, and then a sudden, enormous drain on her willpower, causing her to stumble.
Another explosion rocked the courtyard, and suddenly the pull intensified, leaving Louise feeling completely weightless as her feet gave out from under her. She was dimly aware of a chorus of panicked exclamations from her peers, which suddenly and abruptly cut out into just three voices as the world became distorted and seemed to glow an odd green color. She closed her eyes to block out the sight, and flailed her limbs as she realized she was falling-
Suddenly, the pulling, twisting feeling vanished, and a rush of sound hit her ears. Two more voices crying out, the rush of wind past her ears, the familiar rumble of an explosion past. Her eyes snapped open, and she screamed as she realized she was still falling, dirt and dust whipping past her head. She could still hear the three voices of her classmates, now screaming alongside her, as well as a frenzied squealing and panicked screeching.
Why does the world hate me?
Then, she hit the ground, and the world went black.
----
Biting back a curse, Colbert began to mutter an incantation under his breath. The wind in the courtyard picked up, quickly blowing away the massive cloud of debris kicked up by his student's desperate last attempt at summoning. Quickly taking stock of the situation, he grit his teeth as a ball of ice settled into his stomach.
Miss Valliere was gone, the ground where she had been standing blasted apart. The circle was equally in ruins, the runic pattern blown away by the sheer force of Valliere's explosion. Thankfully, he saw no sign of the blood and gore he would expect from a corpse, and so he quickly turned his attention back to his panicking students.
"Students!" he yelled, his commanding tone just barely breaking through the frenzy and bringing the first signs of order. "All of you, form up immediately! Do so calmly, and make sure your familiars are secure!"
A few seconds passed, and then some of his wards began to comply, gathering and herding their familiars with all due haste. As they did so, Colbert began to take count of his students, his keen eyes and mind moving from head to head.
"Guiche? Guiche!?" A girlish voice cried out, his eyes snapping to the blonde, drill-haired source. Montmorency, he recalled her name was, was frenzied, desperately searching through the throng of her peers. "Where is he!? Guiche!"
Immediately, Colbert switched tasks, incanting the flight spell and rising above his students. His eyes swept the crowd, searching for the youngest Gramont, only to find no trace of the boy.
"H-hey, where'd Zerbst go? Kirche?"
"And that blue-haired girl, too-"
The ball of ice in his gut seemed to sink even deeper, and Colbert redoubled his searching. Curses finally slipped from his lips as he realized both the girls were missing as well. He quickly began to search for their familiars as well, only for a desperate roar to break the silence as the wind dragon that served as Tabitha's familiar took flight, head and neck widely swerving back and forth as it looked for its master. The students began to panic again, and Colbert once again turned his focus to them.
As he began to bark orders for them to return to their rooms immediately, he could see other members of the faculty quickly flying towards them. The wind dragon roared again, managing to almost look fearful as it began to circle the academy with incredible speed. As his students began to rise into the air carrying their familiars to their dorms or quickly move towards the stables with their familiars in tow, Colbert turned to inspect the circle, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Rapidly, he began going over each and every possibility he could think of as to what had just happened.
This was a disaster.
----
The air in the clearing was filled with the sound of gunfire, moving feet, and screaming munitions. Despite this, Ruby Rose couldn't help but smile, even as she threw herself to the side to avoid yet another explosive round aimed directly at her torso, combat boots throwing up dirt in the process. Her black combat skirt moved as she did, the red frills ruffling.
Her red cloak rustled behind her as she darted to her left to avoid another shot, and then rose petals exploded from her form as she dashed forwards, pulling Crescent Rose back as she rushed towards the only other figure in the clearing, the high-impact sniper-scythe catching the early-morning sun as it came around in an arc. The blonde-haired figure she was rushing smiled cockily, her lilac eyes focused. Yang Xiao Long- clad in her usual brown jacket, yellow undershirt, orange scarf, black short-shorts and half-skirt- braced herself, golden hair billowing behind her as she raised her arms to block the blow, the yellow-painted metal of her shotgun-bracers Ember Celica covering her forearms. Her own boot-clad feet settled into a wider-set stance as she braced herself.
With a cry, Ruby swung her weapon at her sister. Crescent Rose struck Ember Celica with a resounding clang of metal-on-metal, the blade sliding against and then off of the bracers. Yang immediately countered, rushing inside of Ruby's guard and slamming a fist into Ruby's gut. Ember Celica fired an explosive round point-blank, and with a pained cry Ruby found herself flying backwards across the clearing. She swung Crescent rose around, driving it blade-first into the dirt to slow and then stop her momentum, hissing in pain through her teeth. Her aura had taken the shot, but it still hurt.
Yang smiled, crossing her arms and settling into a more relaxed stance. Her hand came up to adjust her scarf, and she smiled.
"Nice try, sis," she shouted across the clearing. "Almost got me that time!"
Ruby pouted, her pale cheeks puffing out from her heart-shaped face. Her silver eyes were narrowed in faux-annoyance, and she quickly brushed the crimson-tips of her dark red hair out of the way of her face.
"Almost got you? I did get you!" She huffed exaggeratedly, crossing her arms and turning away from her sister.. "You just blocked it!"
Across the clearing, Yang blinked, before her gloved and armored hand came up to her mouth and she began to snicker. At the sight of her sister's action, Ruby's pouting increased, and Yang broke into a full-blown laugh. Then, Ruby joined her, her lips quirking upwards as she began to giggle as well.
They had come out here to practice following the eventful… er, events of last night, while Dad took Zwei and ran into town to pick up supplies. Ruby had headed into Vale and stayed late last night, stopped a Dust shop robbery by being in the right place at the right time, met (but sadly didn't get the autograph of) the famous Huntress Glynda Goodwitch, and been offered an early ride into Beacon all in the same night. Her mouth opened up into a beaming smile at the thought of it. I mean, sure, professor Goodwitch had yelled at her a bit for endangering others... and damaging private and public property… and for- oh, that didn't matter! She was going to Beacon! Two whole years early!
Despite her happiness, Ruby could feel butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but she pushed it down as she looked back up at her elder sister. The blonde had stopped laughing, and was now smiling proudly at her as she rapidly closed the distance. The taller girl's arms were behind her head, her eyes twinkling.
"Ooh, I'm so proud of you, sis!" Yang said, smile widening. Just as Ruby realized what she was doing, the elder Rose-Xiao Long sister swept her up into a tight hug, physically lifting her younger sibling off of the ground. Ruby groaned, partly from the creaking of her bones and party as an over-the-top exaggeration.
"Yaaaaaang!" Ruby protested, half-heartedly.
"You're going to be going to Beacon with me! Just a couple weeks, and we'll both be that much closer to being Huntresses together!" Yang's smile became that much more mischievous after saying this, as did her eyes. "We're going to give dad a heart attack. Fighting Grimm, going on missions... meeting cute guys and gals~..."
"Yaaaaaaang!" Ruby whined, this time more genuine as her cheeks pinked. Her beloved sister laughed again, setting Ruby down and resting a single hand on her shoulder. Ruby pulled her hood up as soon as her arms were free, even as she turned to look up at her sister's beaming smile, a slight smirk on her own face.
Proud lilac eyes met silver orbs, and Yang's smile seemed to get as wide as it could. Ruby could just feel the pride radiating off of her older sister, and it left her feeling warm even as the butterflies churned in her stomach again. She opened her mouth to speak-
"-y-am-iar-"
-and instead blinked in confusion as she heard a faint voice saying something she couldn't make out.
"Did you say something, Yang?" Ruby asked.
Yang returned the confused blink, cocking her head. Her face quickly shifted to an amused expression, that mischievous smile returning.
"'Meeting cute guys and gals'?" Yang mockingly questioned, before mock gasping and bringing up her hand to her mouth dramatically. "My dearest little sister, are you getting interested in that? Oh, they grow up so fast~!"
Ruby could feel her face turning as red as her cloak, and pulled her hood further over her head in response.
"N-no! I thought I heard-"
"-swer-nd ap-"
"There it is!" Ruby exclaimed, spinning around and searching for the source of the voice. As she did so, she grabbed Crescent Rose, wrenching it from the ground, twirling the scythe in her hands before collapsing it into rifle form.
"Are you sure you heard a voice? I'm not hearing anything." Yang said, before narrowing her eyes in half-serious concern. "I didn't hit you that hard, right?"
"No, Yang- I heard it!" She said, looking back to her sister.
Yang's mouth curled down into a frown, her brow scrunching with worry. She opened her mouth to speak-
"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe-"
And immediately closed it, spinning around in reaction to the voice.
"Do you hear it now?"
"Yeah." Yang said, eyes darting back and forth as she checked the tree line. "Weird… I dunno, warbling sound, right?"
Ruby- who had been scanning the other side of the clearing- turned back to her sister again, brow furrowed.
"No…? It sounds like a girl saying something, but I can't understand it. It kinda sounds familiar, I think?" Ruby put her chin in her hand for a second, Crescent Rose held in one hand at her side. Suddenly, she removed her hand from her chin and snapped her fingers. "Ooh, it kinda sounds like another language! Like, I dunno, kinda like that one weird baker guy who we met at the docks on our way to Vale that one time!"
Yang's scrunched-up expression suggested she did not, in fact, remember "that one weird baker guy", but she didn't say anything about it.
"My- my divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant, heed my call!"
Ruby might not have been able to understand what the voice was or where it was coming from- wait, was that in her head? No, focus Ruby- but she noticed it sounded… sad? Desperate? She couldn't exactly place the emotion in the voice, but she knew she didn't sound very happy.
Then a buzzing filled the air, and Ruby brought up Crescent Rose in both hands, aiming her weapon towards the trees. She felt Yang's back press up against her own and could hear Ember Celica re-engaging behind her, which meant Yang was probably doing the same thing. The buzzing got louder-
"I wish from the very bottom of my heart; answer my call, and appear!"
And then, suddenly, a green, ovular, shimmering… something sprang up from the ground a few feet in front of her, causing Ruby to yelp and shift Crescent Rose into its scythe form. Yang spun around her side, half-imposing herself between Ruby and the whatever-it-was in front of them.
Both sisters stepped backwards, eyes focused on the green light. It warped, expanded, and contracted randomly, making a weird warbling sound to go with the buzzing as it just sat there, doing… whatever it was it did.
"Is that a semblance?" Ruby questioned, keeping her weapon ready and taking a wide-set stance.
"I- I don't know." Yang replied, nervously. "Whatever it is, we should stay back, just in case-"
The circle-oval-thingy suddenly began to make a sharp whining noise, and then it began to distort violently. Ruby and Yang's eyes both widened, and both sisters jumped back as far away from it as they could.
Then, it exploded, causing Ruby and Yang to cry out in shock as they were blown off their feet by the blast. They quickly recovered, Yang rolling as she landed and springing to her feet while Ruby slammed Crescent Rose head-first into the dirt, halting her movement. It was then Ruby heard people screaming in panic, a weird squealing, and a screech of some kind, quickly followed by the faint thuds of multiple somethings hitting the dirt and the screaming stopping.
Yang and Ruby glanced at each other, eyes wide. They turned back to the dust cloud in front of them, and quickly started moving towards it before a young, soft voice called something out from within it. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the clearing, blowing away the cloud and revealing six figures.
The first one Ruby noticed was the only one of the figures standing. It was a girl that looked about her age, wearing what kind of looked like a school uniform with a black cape that had a purple inner trim over her shoulders. She had a plain old wooden staff of some kind in her hand. Her clothes and her blue hair was frazzled- I mean, she did explode, Ruby thought-, but her icy blue eyes were sharp and alert behind cracked classes, and quickly focused on Yang and her.
Laying in the dirt next to her were three other people; a taller, dark-skinned red headed girl that was groaning face-first into the dirt, a short, pale pink-haired girl that was laying on her back, eyes closed but breathing, and a blonde-haired boy sprawled on top of a big, furry blob thing that she couldn't identify who also seemed to have been knocked out.
Lastly, there was a red, dog-sized lizard next to the redheaded girl- and wait was that thing's tail on fire? Looking at her gaping sister, back at the lizard, and back to Yang confirmed it; that thing's tail was definitely on fire, which was really really cool but Ruby forced herself not to stare at it and instead focus on the people.
"Where are we?" The girl said- asked? It was kinda hard to tell because Ruby couldn't understand a word she was saying, but the tone definitely sounded questioning in a demanding kind of way- as she raised her staff and pointed it at them. Was that a weapon? She couldn't see any trace of mechashift on it. "Who are you?"
"Uhh… hi?" Ruby replied, nervously. The girl didn't lower her staff, and it took Ruby a second to realize she still had Crescent Rose in her hands, causing her to let out a quiet, "Oh!". Laughing awkwardly, she returned it to its magnetic clip on the back of her belt, compacting it into its carrying form. Besides her, Yang lowered her arms, but left Ember Celica armed, looking as confused as Ruby felt.
The blue-haired girl looked confused for a moment, too, before her face went blank. Yang opened her mouth to speak, but the blue-haired girl beat her to it.
"You speak Albionese?" The girl asked with a weird accent. It definitely sounded kinda like the one that one guy had, for sure- wait-
"Alby-what?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow, looking even more confused and a bit concerned. Ruby shared a look with her. "You mean Vyt- nevermind, are your friends okay?"
As if she'd been waiting for a queue, the redheaded girl groaned again before the blue haired girl could respond, starting to push herself off of the ground. The pink-haired girl let out her own pained groan, starting to wake up. Beneath the blonde boy, the furry whatever-it-was began to shift, causing him to twitch.
"It appears they are." The blue haired girl said, finally lowering her staff. She quickly moved over to the redhead, looking slightly worried as she helped her up. The blonde boy yelped and jerked as the thing he was sprawled over accidentally knocked him off of it, and the pink-haired girl jolted awake in response, pink eyes darting around in confusion. The cool fire lizard finally started moving as well, cracking open a slitted eye and hissing.
Using her semblance, Ruby dashed over to the pink-haired girl, grabbing her shoulder. The girl let out an alarmed squeak, fumbling for something on her hip in panic.
"Oh, sorry! Didn't mean to scare you! Here, let me help you up!"
"W-what- where- who?" The girl questioned in… whatever it was she was speaking. Her eyes widened as Ruby easily pulled her up to her feet with one arm, before she pulled away, still grasping at her side. Her hand landed on what kind of looked like an empty holster, and her eyes went even wider as she started looking around frantically. "Where's my wand!?"
Hearing a grunt behind her, Ruby quickly took a look over her shoulder, watching as Yang- Ember Celica finally compacted again- helped up the blonde boy, who was clutching his head in his hand. The furry thing had turned around, and it took Ruby a second to realize that it was a giant mole the size of a large dog. She hadn't heard of anything like that before, but Vacuo had gigantic turtles in the middle of the desert, so it wasn't that weird-
A triumphant exclamation behind her reminded Ruby that the pink-haired girl was right behind her, and she turned back to her to see her holding up a… stick? The girl was holding it up to her face, probably looking for damage on it. Looking closer, Ruby realized it looked kinda like a magic wand- ooh, was that her weapon? Did she use it to direct her semblance like Glynda Goodwitch? Was she a fellow Huntress-in-training and oh, wait, she's being talked to-
"-me, where are we? Who are you?"
The pink-haired girl had turned to her, apparently satisfied with her wand-thingy's condition, and was now staring at her frustratedly.
"Um," Ruby fumbled, "Sorry, I don't speak, ah, whatever it is you're speaking."
The pink-haired girl's face scrunched up, eyes narrowing in annoyance, and she started to reply before a deeper, frazzled-sounding, accented feminine voice interrupted her.
"Honestly, Zero, didn't you hear her before? She's not speaking Tristanian, clearly."
The pinkette glared over Ruby's shoulder, the cloaked girl turning to face the new speaker. The red-headed girl was up and standing on her own now, returning the glare with one of her own.
"Zerbst." The pink-haired girl growled, eyes narrowing. She scowled, eyes darting over the others in the clearing, and her lip trembled just a bit.
"I mean," The redhead continued, hotly, "I shouldn't be surprised, considering you somehow managed to turn the summoning ritual into an explosion that sent us to Albion!"
Summoning ritual? Like, magic? And there was that word again- Albion? Was that a place? Ruby took a step back from the two angry girls, glancing at Yang to see her sister looking just as confused as she was feeling. The blonde boy was looking back and forth between the two, expression hesitant.
"I'm sorry, Zerbst," the pinkette- Zero?- said icily, finally speaking Vytalian as she began to march towards the redhead, "But you seem to be somehow implying that this is my fault!"
"You blew us up!" The redhead- Zerbst, apparently- was starting to sound hysterical, glowering at 'Zero' as she approached, "Three times! How could it not be your fault!?"
"Well- well maybe- I- you Germanian-!"
"Hey!" Yang interrupted, getting between the two. Both girls recoiled as they watched her eyes turn from their usual lilac to an angry red as she glared at both of them, 'Zero' raising her wand-thingy and Zerbst grabbing for something at her waist. Seeing that she had their attention, Yang breathed out deeply and closed her eyes, opening them to show they'd returned to their normal coloration. "Look, I don't know what's going on here, but shouting isn't going to help anybody right now. So, how about we all just chill out, and-"
A familiar growling cut Yang off, causing Ruby and Yang's attention to snap back to the canopy around them. Ruby quickly counted seven pairs of hellish, glowing red eyes staring hatefully at the group from the trees, and already one of the Grimm were stalking into the open. Prowling on all fours, the lupine monster snarled, it's head covered in a white bone-mask with the tell-tale red patterns of a Grimm engraved on it. Bone spikes jutted from its shoulders, back, arms, and legs, the beginning of further armor sprouting from its pitch-black fur. Wicked claws gouged the dirt beneath the not-quite-an-alpha beowolf as it began to circle around them.
Crescent Rose was in her hands in a second, unfurling into it's scythe configuration and put into a battle-ready stance as the rest of the pack began to follow their leader into the clearing. A series of mechanical whirls and clinks suggested Yang had unfurled Ember Celica behind her. She could hear 'Zero' gasp in shock and fear, someone whimpering, and what she thought was the lizard-thing let out an alarmed hiss.
Ruby lowered her stance, silver eyes fixed on the Grimm.
----
The explosion and its gut-churning aftermath had shaken Tabitha more than she'd care to admit. It had taken a good deal of her experience with doing missions for that man to cast the flight spell and break her fall before she could hit the ground as a result of Valliere's latest failure. She'd instantly put herself on-guard the second she realized she wasn't at the Academy anymore, and that Sylphid was nowhere to be found.
Staring at the demonic-looking creatures that had just entered the clearing, Tabitha decided that keeping up her guard had been the right call. Her staff raised in a moment, mind running through her arsenal of spells for the right option to engage the monsters with. Her classmates were far less prepared, Gramont stumbling back in fright as he fumbled for his wand, Valliere shaking like a leaf and backing away from the creatures, and Kirche staring at the beasts in fear, even as she pulled out her own wand. Gramont's mole had begun burrowing itself into the dirt at his feet, and Flame had put itself between its master and the new threats, the fire on its tail ablaze and the faintest tongues of flame rising from its mouth.
The two strangers, in contrast, had slipped into what were clearly battle-ready states. The blonde girl had done something to extend her bracers again, covering her forearms in yellow armor and taking on a boxer's stance. The red-cloaked girl had unfurled her strange scythe again, taking a lower stance and bringing the blade behind her in preparation to strike at the creatures. The speed at which they did so surprised her, a twinge of worry settling in her stomach as they reacted notably faster than she had.
Tabitha counted seven monsters total in the clearing now, trying to circle around the group to flank them. She pointed her staff at one of the smaller- half-way to seven feet, by her estimate- beasts, drawing up her willpower and opening her mouth to cast a spell-
Bang!
Then, to her surprise, the blonde girl threw her arms behind her, her gauntlets roaring and firing like blunderbusses backwards, sending her shooting forwards towards the monster she had been targeting. She was a yellow and brown blur as she crashed into the beast, Tabitha barely able to keep track of her as she brought her arms back around and smashed a fist into the creature's skull. Another boom of her bracers followed, and the thing's head was blasted apart into a cloud of shattered bone and black viscera.
An even louder gunshot sounded from the red-cloaked girl's position as this happened, and Tabitha took action. Targeting a new beast, she cast, a barrage of icicles forming around her before blasting towards the thing. They struck even as it tried to jump away, the creature roaring in pain before a lucky spike caught it in its eye, destroying its brain and causing it to collapse into the dirt. Absently, she noted as the creature began to disintegrate into black smoke before moving on to find a new target.
Three more of the beasts had been cut down, two laying bisected behind the red-cloaked girl who was now on the other side of the clearing and another crushed by the blonde. The biggest of the beasts and one of its pack were all that were left, and she quickly targeted the former as it charged straight for her. An incantation had another barrage of icy spikes fired towards it, only for it to weave to the side, avoiding all but a single spike which embedded itself into the creature's shoulder. The thing stumbled, but continued to charge her, hateful fiery eyes locked on her form.
Tabitha was about to cast a spell to blow the thing back when suddenly, its knee was blown apart, the loud crack of a gunshot piercing the air. Behind the monster, the red-cloaked girl had embedded her scythe blade-first into the dirt, and the end of it was smoking like a musket. Tabitha didn't hesitate to consider the implications, a quick incantation sending a single large spike of ice straight for the collapsing beast's chest. It struck, and it roared in fury and pain, desperately trying to struggle to its feet. Another spike finally pierced its skull, killing the creature.
A cry of pain from Valliere sounded even as she turned to face the last of the beasts, which towered over the pinkette as she laid in the dirt. It was on fire courtesy of what she assumed was Kirche and Flame, but even still it was swinging a massive clawed paw at her classmate, seeking to end her life. Kirche's mouth had just opened to cast again, and Tabitha raised her staff to do the same when a yellow blur slammed into the thing's side, sending it sprawling into the dirt. It raised its head and began to scramble to its feet desperately before a leather-clad foot stomped on its head, causing it to go still with the crack of bone.
Instinct taking over, Tabitha turned to the treeline, searching for more of the creatures lurking in the shadows of the woods. After a minute, she lowered her staff, satisfied that no more of the things were lurking around. She turned to face her classmates and the two strangers, taking stock of their situation.
The monsters that they had slain were almost entirely gone, the leader of the pack almost entirely finished dissolving into that black smoke. Valliere was back on her feet, still trembling slightly. Her long pink hair was slightly singed on the end and had clearly had part of it sliced away by something jagged- a claw, most likely- leaving it clearly uneven. Gramont was pale, shaking almost as much as Valliere despite having not done anything to contribute to that fight. Kirche was still alert, wand grasped tightly in her hand and breathing deeply.
The strangers had relaxed mostly, the silver-eyed girl having collapsed her scythe once again and returned it to her back. She was looking at Valliere, her face openly showing her concern. The blonde still had her odd bracer weapons extended, but had crossed her arms and looking between her and her peers.
"W-what were those things?" Gramont shakily asked (in Tristanian, Tabitha noted), eyes wide. The two strangers turned to face him, confused, and so Tabitha decided to translate.
"He's asking what those creatures were."
The reaction of both girls was telling, their eyes almost bulging out of their heads and mouths dropping open in shock.
"What those- Grimm!" The blonde exclaimed, "You know, the soulless monsters that want to kill humanity found everywhere on the planet? Those Grimm?"
"I do not." Tabitha replied. The blonde seemed to grow even more slack-jawed at that, staring at her incredulously. Her gaze swept over the rest of the nobles, and she quickly seemed to realize they were serious.
"How- seriously, how do you not know-!?"
"Uh, Yang?" The red-cloaked girl interrupted, looking as confused as her fellow. "Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else, in case more Grimm show up? We're not too far from home."
The newly-named Yang- an eastern-sounding name, Tabitha noted- blinked at the silver-eyed girl, before sighing and nodding, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"You're right, Ruby. This is just- okay. Right." With a clap of her hands, Yang looked back to Tabitha and her classmates. "I don't know who you guys are, but that can wait a bit. Me and Ruby live nearby," at this, the blonde pointed to a dirt trail leading off into the woods, "so how about we go there and clear things up? And, uh, maybe let you guys clean yourselves up."
Considering their offer, Tabitha turned to look at her peers. Gramont was already nodding, seemingly all-too glad to take the offer of shelter. Valliere followed him in nodding, grimacing as she ran a hand through her ruined hair. Kirche was looking back at Tabitha, having raised a single eyebrow in an unspoken question.
Tabitha was unsure- both of these girls had displayed abilities like nothing she'd encountered before, and that had her worried about what would happen if they turned hostile. On the other hand, neither of the girls had really shown any hostile intent, and had acted to protect the nobles when those 'Grimm' attacked them. And considering they had no idea where they were…
Hesitantly, Tabitha nodded, Kirche following suit. Ruby returned the nod, sighing in relief before straightening up and turning to face the path.
"Well, then, uh.. follow me?" The girl half-asked, before starting off towards the trail. After a few seconds, Kirche made to follow, and her fellow students, the two familiars, and Tabitha followed suit, Yang bringing up the rear. Tabitha turned to look over her shoulder at the violet-eyed stranger even as she kept walking, noticing her pulling out a strange, white piece of metal. She resisted the urge to stop and stare with her mouth agape as Yang pulled the piece of metal apart like a paper scroll, revealing a semi-translucent glass pane in its center, glowing icons and letters dotting its surface and changing as her fingers began to tap at it. Despite her best effort, Tabitha's eyes widened, and Yang looked up to see it, taking on a confused expression. Tabitha looked away, carefully keeping her expression blank even though no one was looking at her face.
Just where in the world were they?
----
So, here we are. I took liberties with the exact incantation Louise uses for Summon Familiar and her summoning in general, and hopefully it works for y'all. Also, yes, Sylphid didn't get to come with Tabitha- she was too far away from the rest to get sucked through when Louise a'sploded the ritual. Don't worry, though- she'll be making her way to Remnant eventually. And yes, this is starting off two weeks before Ruby and Yang ship out to Beacon- gotta give Louise and co. time to adjust just a little bit to Remnant, after all! And for other things to happen, but that'd be spoilers. As for why Yang (eventually) was able to hear (a garbled) Louise and see the summoning portal, that's A) because I just liked how that came out much more than the version where she saw and heard nothing and B) I could justify it as the result of Louise borking the whole thing, resulting in the usual "Notice-Me-Not" effect of the summoning not working right.
Also, yes, the choice of four people is very deliberate here. Already got a team name in mind for 'em, but feel free to speculate and guess what it could be! Free internet cookies for whoever guesses correctly.
Constructive criticism is always appreciated, and I hope y'all enjoyed this! Looking forwards to writing more of it- of course, inventory is coming up at work as well as a schedule change, so that might get in the way of writing the next chapter as fast as I'd like. I'll try to keep updates semi-consistent regardless. Until next time!
So, some of you (if you've been on SB) may vaguely remember "RWBY of Zero", a FoZ/RWBY fic I started years ago but never did much with. Well, so do I, and that memory got me thinking and then got a plot bunny going. This plot bunny has turned into a snippet that's turned into a full blown story idea, and thus here we are.
Note: I'm rustier than I'd like to be regarding FoZ canon, so if things seem wonky on that front I apologize. I'm going to try and compensate as best as I can by looking through sources on canon to try and avoid getting anything too wrong, but there's going to be things that'll probably slip through the cracks. I'm also going to take some creative liberties with FoZ and RWBY canon as well, so some differences are going to come from that.
Now, without further delay, chapter 1!
----
It was a beautiful morning on the island of Patch. The sky was a clear blue, obstructed only by the faintest, wispiest of snow-white clouds. The grass, bushes and trees were a verdant green, still sparkling faintly with the last traces of morning dew. A gentle ocean breeze caressed the coastal settlements and blew further inland, causing the canopy to rustle as it swayed. In the wilderness, birdsong and the chirping of insects filled the air, composing the sounds of life. The settlements scattered across the island bustled with people going about their early day routines, starting their day's work.
Yes, it was a beautiful morning indeed… until suddenly, in a clearing deep in the woods, the boom of an explosion filled the air. A cloud of dirt, smoke and dust shot up into the sky, and the trees around the blast's center shook violently. Nearly drowned out by the sound of the explosion, two voices cried out in shock, and four of them screamed, the noise joined by a reptilian screech and a squeal.
High up in this cloud, with dirt and smoke rushing through her hair as she fell screaming to the earth, Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere wondered why the world hated her so much.
----
In the Vestri Courtyard of the Tristain Academy of Magic- the first and foremost magical academy in all of Tristain- a crowd was gathered. Almost entirely composed of young students clad in uniforms- white, long-sleeved dress shirts, black cloaks with an inner purple trim with a single brass, pentagram-engraved clasp, and either a black skirt or pants- the crowd was nearly silent, focused on a large magical circle drawn in the dirt before them and the student standing in front of it. Beside the crowd stood an older man with balding, short black hair, blue eyes, and spectacles, clad in a blue robe and holding a wooden staff in hand. Like the students, he too was focused on the circle and student.
"...answer my call, and appear!"
With the incantation finished, the circle lit up with a brilliant light. Quickly, the light faded, revealing a giant, brown-furred mole with abnormally large eyes and an odd, triangular-shaped patch of blue on the top of its head standing confused in the circle's center.
With a light smile on his face, the balding man stepped forwards, and spoke.
"Congratulations, mister Gramont. You have successfully completed the familiar summoning spell."
Guiche de Gramont- youngest son of Marshall Gaston de Gramont- turned to face his professor, wiping the sweat from his brow and slightly tousling his blonde hair. His face was set in a disappointed grimace, blue eyes slightly narrowed.
"Thank you, professor Colbert, b-"
"Now," Jean Colbert interrupted, causing Guiche's mouth to shut with a clack of his teeth, "If you would please, bind your familiar."
With a sigh, Guiche turned to his familiar, quickly moving into the circle and towards it and ignoring the chatter and laughter of his classmates. The mole stared curiously up at him as he approached, cocking its head. With a slight grunt, Guiche got on one knee, examining his familiar-to-be closer.
"A mole for a familiar. My brothers will never let me hear the end of this… although, you are awfully adorable."
The mole, being a mole, did not respond to his words, merely cocking its head further. Guiche smiled, his previous disappointment evaporating.
"Yes, I suppose you are the perfect familiar for me! A beautiful familiar for a handsome man!" His face now set in a full-blown grin, Guiche cleared his throat, and raised his wand. "Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers-"
As Guiche proceeded to bind his familiar, a girl fidgeted ever so slightly in the crowd. Shorter than most of her peers, she tried to stand as dignified as she could, resisting the urge to brush a hand through her long, pink hair as she clenched her skirt. Her pink eyes stared solely at professor Colbert, filled with nervousness despite her effort to project confidence.
She was Louise Francois le Blanc de la Valliere, youngest daughter of Duchess Karin de la Valliere, and she couldn't help but feel an ever-growing dread in her chest. How could she not, when today was the day she and her classmates were summoning their familiars, and she had never cast a single successful spell in her life? If she failed here, she would be sent back home, expelled for her failure. She'd have to face her father, his face set in yet another too-familiar grimace. Her sister, Cattleya, her gentle eyes shining with pity. Her mother, stern face so disappointed-
No. No, she couldn't- wouldn't fail. She'd told Kirche and Montmorency last night that she'd summon a grand familiar, and that was what she was going to do. She was a Valliere, and she'd show everyone she belonged here!
"Now, who has yet to summon their familiar?" Professor Colbert called out, snapping Louise out of her thoughts. Suddenly, the dread was back, and despite herself Louise took a step backwards. She swallowed thickly, opening her mouth as she worked up the strength to call out-
"Louise hasn't summoned anything yet, professor!"
Louise hissed under her breath, turning to glare at the far-too-familiar girl near the front of the crowd. Taller than her by a head, dark-skinned, and with long crimson hair running down her shoulders, Kirche von Zerbst smiled back at her, a hand on her hip. She'd left the top button of her shirt undone again, and Louise deliberately chose to ignore the results of that as she instead glared at Zerbst's stupid, smug face.
Stupid, Germanian cow…
It was too late for the glare to do much, however, because now the crowd around Louise was focused on her.
"Founder, couldn't Kirche just keep her mouth shut about the Zero?"
"Right, I'm just going to plug my ears…"
"Hold on, the professor can't seriously want to-"
"Going to blow us all up, Zero?"
"Hopefully just herself. Save the staff the trouble of expelling her after she-"
Whispering and muttering filled the crowd, all of it focused on her inability as a mage. Louise pushed down the hotness in her eyes and grit her teeth, clenching her fists as she fought the urge to turn her head down.
"Enough!"
Mercifully, Colbert's exclamation shut most of her fellow students up, and his stern glare caused the stragglers to quickly follow suit. He swept his eyes across the crowd twice, before focusing solely on her. He smiled kindly at her, but Louise couldn't help but feel a bit patronized.
"Miss Valliere, if you would approach the summoning circle and call upon your familiar."
A few brave souls in the crowd broke into another bout of whispering, but the meaty smack of their professor hitting his free hand with his staff caused them to quickly quiet down once again. Louise breathed in and out deeply, composing herself as best she could, and did as instructed. Soon, she was standing in front of the circle, and pulled out her wand.
She sincerely hoped nobody could see the faint shaking of her hand as she raised her catalyst, focused squarely on the circle. She breathed in again, and then out, and then she began to speak the incantation.
"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe…"
The circle lit up, causing Louise's chest to swell with hope. Her fellow students had gone completely quiet, watching quietly.
"...my divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant, heed my call."
An airless breeze seemed to blow through the courtyard, causing cloaks, hair and clothing to shift under its caress. The glow grew brighter, and the air was filled with an unmistakably magic hum.
"I wish from very bottom of my heart; answer my call, and appear!"
The circle was shining brilliantly now, the strange breeze becoming stronger, the hum becoming a buzz. Louise felt her mouth turn upwards in a proud smile, her heart filled with joy-
And then the circle exploded.
A cloud of smoke, dirt, and dust was thrown into the air and across the Vestri courtyard, following a wave of force and noise from the blast. Louise's classmates cried out in shock, throwing up their hands to cover their faces. The familiars made a cavalcade of panicked noises, throwing themselves back or taking to the air in surprise. Quickly, the uproar turned into shouted curses and exclamations, but Louise could barely hear them over the faint and yet too-loud ringing in her own ears, her eyes locked on where the circle had been.
As the ringing faded, she dimly registered professor Colbert calling out, though to who she couldn't tell. Even if her hearing had been fine, she'd still have not been able to tell, eyes locked dead ahead.
No. No, she- she couldn't. She hadn't. She- she just had to try again. That was it. She could still do this!
"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe; my divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant, heed my call."
Through the settling dust, she could see the circle- somehow still intact- glowing once again, and the humming and buzzing came in turn. The crowd was muttering and even jeering at her, but she ignored them to focus on her willpower.
"Miss Valliere-" Professor Colbert began, but Louise ignored him in favor of the ritual. She continued the chant, doing her best to keep the shaking from her voice and from her hand.
"I wish from the very bottom of my heart; answer my call, and appear!"
Once again, the circle lit up brilliantly. Once again, the buzzing reached its apex. Once again, Louise felt hope.
Once again, the circle exploded, kicking up a new cloud of debris. The crowd once again entered a frenzy, and once again Louise couldn't hear them, too focused on that damn ringing and the racing of her own thoughts.
She had failed. She- she was a zero. Nothing. She- no, no, no! She wouldn't- she- she refused to just-
Before anyone could stop her, Louise's wand came up a third time, and she spoke. Despite her best efforts, she could hear her voice cracking as she desperately clung to the last of her composure.
"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe-"
She could hear the crowd panicking, though she didn't care to look at them to see what they were doing. Professor Colbert called out to her again, and she ignored him.
"My- my divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant, heed my call!"
Colbert called out again, and this time she couldn't ignore him.
"Miss Valliere! I'm sorry, but you cannot-"
Louise grit her teeth and bit back a snarl, her pink eyes shining with unshed tears. Tearing her mouth open, she cried out the final line of her summoning.
"I wish from the very bottom of my heart-"
"Guiche, get back!" Someone shouted. The crowd and familiars were panicking, and she could hear feet trampling dirt and grass behind her. The circle lit up one final time, the runes warped from the abuse thrown at them. The buzzing sound came again, warbling dangerously..
"-answer my call, and appear!"
For a moment, it seemed like everything was quiet. The shouting and animalistic noises faded into the background, and all there was was that distorted buzzing. Then, suddenly as it came, it vanished. Louise felt a twisting, hard pull at her gut, and then a sudden, enormous drain on her willpower, causing her to stumble.
Another explosion rocked the courtyard, and suddenly the pull intensified, leaving Louise feeling completely weightless as her feet gave out from under her. She was dimly aware of a chorus of panicked exclamations from her peers, which suddenly and abruptly cut out into just three voices as the world became distorted and seemed to glow an odd green color. She closed her eyes to block out the sight, and flailed her limbs as she realized she was falling-
Suddenly, the pulling, twisting feeling vanished, and a rush of sound hit her ears. Two more voices crying out, the rush of wind past her ears, the familiar rumble of an explosion past. Her eyes snapped open, and she screamed as she realized she was still falling, dirt and dust whipping past her head. She could still hear the three voices of her classmates, now screaming alongside her, as well as a frenzied squealing and panicked screeching.
Why does the world hate me?
Then, she hit the ground, and the world went black.
----
Biting back a curse, Colbert began to mutter an incantation under his breath. The wind in the courtyard picked up, quickly blowing away the massive cloud of debris kicked up by his student's desperate last attempt at summoning. Quickly taking stock of the situation, he grit his teeth as a ball of ice settled into his stomach.
Miss Valliere was gone, the ground where she had been standing blasted apart. The circle was equally in ruins, the runic pattern blown away by the sheer force of Valliere's explosion. Thankfully, he saw no sign of the blood and gore he would expect from a corpse, and so he quickly turned his attention back to his panicking students.
"Students!" he yelled, his commanding tone just barely breaking through the frenzy and bringing the first signs of order. "All of you, form up immediately! Do so calmly, and make sure your familiars are secure!"
A few seconds passed, and then some of his wards began to comply, gathering and herding their familiars with all due haste. As they did so, Colbert began to take count of his students, his keen eyes and mind moving from head to head.
"Guiche? Guiche!?" A girlish voice cried out, his eyes snapping to the blonde, drill-haired source. Montmorency, he recalled her name was, was frenzied, desperately searching through the throng of her peers. "Where is he!? Guiche!"
Immediately, Colbert switched tasks, incanting the flight spell and rising above his students. His eyes swept the crowd, searching for the youngest Gramont, only to find no trace of the boy.
"H-hey, where'd Zerbst go? Kirche?"
"And that blue-haired girl, too-"
The ball of ice in his gut seemed to sink even deeper, and Colbert redoubled his searching. Curses finally slipped from his lips as he realized both the girls were missing as well. He quickly began to search for their familiars as well, only for a desperate roar to break the silence as the wind dragon that served as Tabitha's familiar took flight, head and neck widely swerving back and forth as it looked for its master. The students began to panic again, and Colbert once again turned his focus to them.
As he began to bark orders for them to return to their rooms immediately, he could see other members of the faculty quickly flying towards them. The wind dragon roared again, managing to almost look fearful as it began to circle the academy with incredible speed. As his students began to rise into the air carrying their familiars to their dorms or quickly move towards the stables with their familiars in tow, Colbert turned to inspect the circle, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Rapidly, he began going over each and every possibility he could think of as to what had just happened.
This was a disaster.
----
The air in the clearing was filled with the sound of gunfire, moving feet, and screaming munitions. Despite this, Ruby Rose couldn't help but smile, even as she threw herself to the side to avoid yet another explosive round aimed directly at her torso, combat boots throwing up dirt in the process. Her black combat skirt moved as she did, the red frills ruffling.
Her red cloak rustled behind her as she darted to her left to avoid another shot, and then rose petals exploded from her form as she dashed forwards, pulling Crescent Rose back as she rushed towards the only other figure in the clearing, the high-impact sniper-scythe catching the early-morning sun as it came around in an arc. The blonde-haired figure she was rushing smiled cockily, her lilac eyes focused. Yang Xiao Long- clad in her usual brown jacket, yellow undershirt, orange scarf, black short-shorts and half-skirt- braced herself, golden hair billowing behind her as she raised her arms to block the blow, the yellow-painted metal of her shotgun-bracers Ember Celica covering her forearms. Her own boot-clad feet settled into a wider-set stance as she braced herself.
With a cry, Ruby swung her weapon at her sister. Crescent Rose struck Ember Celica with a resounding clang of metal-on-metal, the blade sliding against and then off of the bracers. Yang immediately countered, rushing inside of Ruby's guard and slamming a fist into Ruby's gut. Ember Celica fired an explosive round point-blank, and with a pained cry Ruby found herself flying backwards across the clearing. She swung Crescent rose around, driving it blade-first into the dirt to slow and then stop her momentum, hissing in pain through her teeth. Her aura had taken the shot, but it still hurt.
Yang smiled, crossing her arms and settling into a more relaxed stance. Her hand came up to adjust her scarf, and she smiled.
"Nice try, sis," she shouted across the clearing. "Almost got me that time!"
Ruby pouted, her pale cheeks puffing out from her heart-shaped face. Her silver eyes were narrowed in faux-annoyance, and she quickly brushed the crimson-tips of her dark red hair out of the way of her face.
"Almost got you? I did get you!" She huffed exaggeratedly, crossing her arms and turning away from her sister.. "You just blocked it!"
Across the clearing, Yang blinked, before her gloved and armored hand came up to her mouth and she began to snicker. At the sight of her sister's action, Ruby's pouting increased, and Yang broke into a full-blown laugh. Then, Ruby joined her, her lips quirking upwards as she began to giggle as well.
They had come out here to practice following the eventful… er, events of last night, while Dad took Zwei and ran into town to pick up supplies. Ruby had headed into Vale and stayed late last night, stopped a Dust shop robbery by being in the right place at the right time, met (but sadly didn't get the autograph of) the famous Huntress Glynda Goodwitch, and been offered an early ride into Beacon all in the same night. Her mouth opened up into a beaming smile at the thought of it. I mean, sure, professor Goodwitch had yelled at her a bit for endangering others... and damaging private and public property… and for- oh, that didn't matter! She was going to Beacon! Two whole years early!
Despite her happiness, Ruby could feel butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but she pushed it down as she looked back up at her elder sister. The blonde had stopped laughing, and was now smiling proudly at her as she rapidly closed the distance. The taller girl's arms were behind her head, her eyes twinkling.
"Ooh, I'm so proud of you, sis!" Yang said, smile widening. Just as Ruby realized what she was doing, the elder Rose-Xiao Long sister swept her up into a tight hug, physically lifting her younger sibling off of the ground. Ruby groaned, partly from the creaking of her bones and party as an over-the-top exaggeration.
"Yaaaaaang!" Ruby protested, half-heartedly.
"You're going to be going to Beacon with me! Just a couple weeks, and we'll both be that much closer to being Huntresses together!" Yang's smile became that much more mischievous after saying this, as did her eyes. "We're going to give dad a heart attack. Fighting Grimm, going on missions... meeting cute guys and gals~..."
"Yaaaaaaang!" Ruby whined, this time more genuine as her cheeks pinked. Her beloved sister laughed again, setting Ruby down and resting a single hand on her shoulder. Ruby pulled her hood up as soon as her arms were free, even as she turned to look up at her sister's beaming smile, a slight smirk on her own face.
Proud lilac eyes met silver orbs, and Yang's smile seemed to get as wide as it could. Ruby could just feel the pride radiating off of her older sister, and it left her feeling warm even as the butterflies churned in her stomach again. She opened her mouth to speak-
"-y-am-iar-"
-and instead blinked in confusion as she heard a faint voice saying something she couldn't make out.
"Did you say something, Yang?" Ruby asked.
Yang returned the confused blink, cocking her head. Her face quickly shifted to an amused expression, that mischievous smile returning.
"'Meeting cute guys and gals'?" Yang mockingly questioned, before mock gasping and bringing up her hand to her mouth dramatically. "My dearest little sister, are you getting interested in that? Oh, they grow up so fast~!"
Ruby could feel her face turning as red as her cloak, and pulled her hood further over her head in response.
"N-no! I thought I heard-"
"-swer-nd ap-"
"There it is!" Ruby exclaimed, spinning around and searching for the source of the voice. As she did so, she grabbed Crescent Rose, wrenching it from the ground, twirling the scythe in her hands before collapsing it into rifle form.
"Are you sure you heard a voice? I'm not hearing anything." Yang said, before narrowing her eyes in half-serious concern. "I didn't hit you that hard, right?"
"No, Yang- I heard it!" She said, looking back to her sister.
Yang's mouth curled down into a frown, her brow scrunching with worry. She opened her mouth to speak-
"My servant that exists somewhere in this vast universe-"
And immediately closed it, spinning around in reaction to the voice.
"Do you hear it now?"
"Yeah." Yang said, eyes darting back and forth as she checked the tree line. "Weird… I dunno, warbling sound, right?"
Ruby- who had been scanning the other side of the clearing- turned back to her sister again, brow furrowed.
"No…? It sounds like a girl saying something, but I can't understand it. It kinda sounds familiar, I think?" Ruby put her chin in her hand for a second, Crescent Rose held in one hand at her side. Suddenly, she removed her hand from her chin and snapped her fingers. "Ooh, it kinda sounds like another language! Like, I dunno, kinda like that one weird baker guy who we met at the docks on our way to Vale that one time!"
Yang's scrunched-up expression suggested she did not, in fact, remember "that one weird baker guy", but she didn't say anything about it.
"My- my divine, beautiful, wise, and powerful servant, heed my call!"
Ruby might not have been able to understand what the voice was or where it was coming from- wait, was that in her head? No, focus Ruby- but she noticed it sounded… sad? Desperate? She couldn't exactly place the emotion in the voice, but she knew she didn't sound very happy.
Then a buzzing filled the air, and Ruby brought up Crescent Rose in both hands, aiming her weapon towards the trees. She felt Yang's back press up against her own and could hear Ember Celica re-engaging behind her, which meant Yang was probably doing the same thing. The buzzing got louder-
"I wish from the very bottom of my heart; answer my call, and appear!"
And then, suddenly, a green, ovular, shimmering… something sprang up from the ground a few feet in front of her, causing Ruby to yelp and shift Crescent Rose into its scythe form. Yang spun around her side, half-imposing herself between Ruby and the whatever-it-was in front of them.
Both sisters stepped backwards, eyes focused on the green light. It warped, expanded, and contracted randomly, making a weird warbling sound to go with the buzzing as it just sat there, doing… whatever it was it did.
"Is that a semblance?" Ruby questioned, keeping her weapon ready and taking a wide-set stance.
"I- I don't know." Yang replied, nervously. "Whatever it is, we should stay back, just in case-"
The circle-oval-thingy suddenly began to make a sharp whining noise, and then it began to distort violently. Ruby and Yang's eyes both widened, and both sisters jumped back as far away from it as they could.
Then, it exploded, causing Ruby and Yang to cry out in shock as they were blown off their feet by the blast. They quickly recovered, Yang rolling as she landed and springing to her feet while Ruby slammed Crescent Rose head-first into the dirt, halting her movement. It was then Ruby heard people screaming in panic, a weird squealing, and a screech of some kind, quickly followed by the faint thuds of multiple somethings hitting the dirt and the screaming stopping.
Yang and Ruby glanced at each other, eyes wide. They turned back to the dust cloud in front of them, and quickly started moving towards it before a young, soft voice called something out from within it. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the clearing, blowing away the cloud and revealing six figures.
The first one Ruby noticed was the only one of the figures standing. It was a girl that looked about her age, wearing what kind of looked like a school uniform with a black cape that had a purple inner trim over her shoulders. She had a plain old wooden staff of some kind in her hand. Her clothes and her blue hair was frazzled- I mean, she did explode, Ruby thought-, but her icy blue eyes were sharp and alert behind cracked classes, and quickly focused on Yang and her.
Laying in the dirt next to her were three other people; a taller, dark-skinned red headed girl that was groaning face-first into the dirt, a short, pale pink-haired girl that was laying on her back, eyes closed but breathing, and a blonde-haired boy sprawled on top of a big, furry blob thing that she couldn't identify who also seemed to have been knocked out.
Lastly, there was a red, dog-sized lizard next to the redheaded girl- and wait was that thing's tail on fire? Looking at her gaping sister, back at the lizard, and back to Yang confirmed it; that thing's tail was definitely on fire, which was really really cool but Ruby forced herself not to stare at it and instead focus on the people.
"Where are we?" The girl said- asked? It was kinda hard to tell because Ruby couldn't understand a word she was saying, but the tone definitely sounded questioning in a demanding kind of way- as she raised her staff and pointed it at them. Was that a weapon? She couldn't see any trace of mechashift on it. "Who are you?"
"Uhh… hi?" Ruby replied, nervously. The girl didn't lower her staff, and it took Ruby a second to realize she still had Crescent Rose in her hands, causing her to let out a quiet, "Oh!". Laughing awkwardly, she returned it to its magnetic clip on the back of her belt, compacting it into its carrying form. Besides her, Yang lowered her arms, but left Ember Celica armed, looking as confused as Ruby felt.
The blue-haired girl looked confused for a moment, too, before her face went blank. Yang opened her mouth to speak, but the blue-haired girl beat her to it.
"You speak Albionese?" The girl asked with a weird accent. It definitely sounded kinda like the one that one guy had, for sure- wait-
"Alby-what?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow, looking even more confused and a bit concerned. Ruby shared a look with her. "You mean Vyt- nevermind, are your friends okay?"
As if she'd been waiting for a queue, the redheaded girl groaned again before the blue haired girl could respond, starting to push herself off of the ground. The pink-haired girl let out her own pained groan, starting to wake up. Beneath the blonde boy, the furry whatever-it-was began to shift, causing him to twitch.
"It appears they are." The blue haired girl said, finally lowering her staff. She quickly moved over to the redhead, looking slightly worried as she helped her up. The blonde boy yelped and jerked as the thing he was sprawled over accidentally knocked him off of it, and the pink-haired girl jolted awake in response, pink eyes darting around in confusion. The cool fire lizard finally started moving as well, cracking open a slitted eye and hissing.
Using her semblance, Ruby dashed over to the pink-haired girl, grabbing her shoulder. The girl let out an alarmed squeak, fumbling for something on her hip in panic.
"Oh, sorry! Didn't mean to scare you! Here, let me help you up!"
"W-what- where- who?" The girl questioned in… whatever it was she was speaking. Her eyes widened as Ruby easily pulled her up to her feet with one arm, before she pulled away, still grasping at her side. Her hand landed on what kind of looked like an empty holster, and her eyes went even wider as she started looking around frantically. "Where's my wand!?"
Hearing a grunt behind her, Ruby quickly took a look over her shoulder, watching as Yang- Ember Celica finally compacted again- helped up the blonde boy, who was clutching his head in his hand. The furry thing had turned around, and it took Ruby a second to realize that it was a giant mole the size of a large dog. She hadn't heard of anything like that before, but Vacuo had gigantic turtles in the middle of the desert, so it wasn't that weird-
A triumphant exclamation behind her reminded Ruby that the pink-haired girl was right behind her, and she turned back to her to see her holding up a… stick? The girl was holding it up to her face, probably looking for damage on it. Looking closer, Ruby realized it looked kinda like a magic wand- ooh, was that her weapon? Did she use it to direct her semblance like Glynda Goodwitch? Was she a fellow Huntress-in-training and oh, wait, she's being talked to-
"-me, where are we? Who are you?"
The pink-haired girl had turned to her, apparently satisfied with her wand-thingy's condition, and was now staring at her frustratedly.
"Um," Ruby fumbled, "Sorry, I don't speak, ah, whatever it is you're speaking."
The pink-haired girl's face scrunched up, eyes narrowing in annoyance, and she started to reply before a deeper, frazzled-sounding, accented feminine voice interrupted her.
"Honestly, Zero, didn't you hear her before? She's not speaking Tristanian, clearly."
The pinkette glared over Ruby's shoulder, the cloaked girl turning to face the new speaker. The red-headed girl was up and standing on her own now, returning the glare with one of her own.
"Zerbst." The pink-haired girl growled, eyes narrowing. She scowled, eyes darting over the others in the clearing, and her lip trembled just a bit.
"I mean," The redhead continued, hotly, "I shouldn't be surprised, considering you somehow managed to turn the summoning ritual into an explosion that sent us to Albion!"
Summoning ritual? Like, magic? And there was that word again- Albion? Was that a place? Ruby took a step back from the two angry girls, glancing at Yang to see her sister looking just as confused as she was feeling. The blonde boy was looking back and forth between the two, expression hesitant.
"I'm sorry, Zerbst," the pinkette- Zero?- said icily, finally speaking Vytalian as she began to march towards the redhead, "But you seem to be somehow implying that this is my fault!"
"You blew us up!" The redhead- Zerbst, apparently- was starting to sound hysterical, glowering at 'Zero' as she approached, "Three times! How could it not be your fault!?"
"Well- well maybe- I- you Germanian-!"
"Hey!" Yang interrupted, getting between the two. Both girls recoiled as they watched her eyes turn from their usual lilac to an angry red as she glared at both of them, 'Zero' raising her wand-thingy and Zerbst grabbing for something at her waist. Seeing that she had their attention, Yang breathed out deeply and closed her eyes, opening them to show they'd returned to their normal coloration. "Look, I don't know what's going on here, but shouting isn't going to help anybody right now. So, how about we all just chill out, and-"
A familiar growling cut Yang off, causing Ruby and Yang's attention to snap back to the canopy around them. Ruby quickly counted seven pairs of hellish, glowing red eyes staring hatefully at the group from the trees, and already one of the Grimm were stalking into the open. Prowling on all fours, the lupine monster snarled, it's head covered in a white bone-mask with the tell-tale red patterns of a Grimm engraved on it. Bone spikes jutted from its shoulders, back, arms, and legs, the beginning of further armor sprouting from its pitch-black fur. Wicked claws gouged the dirt beneath the not-quite-an-alpha beowolf as it began to circle around them.
Crescent Rose was in her hands in a second, unfurling into it's scythe configuration and put into a battle-ready stance as the rest of the pack began to follow their leader into the clearing. A series of mechanical whirls and clinks suggested Yang had unfurled Ember Celica behind her. She could hear 'Zero' gasp in shock and fear, someone whimpering, and what she thought was the lizard-thing let out an alarmed hiss.
Ruby lowered her stance, silver eyes fixed on the Grimm.
----
The explosion and its gut-churning aftermath had shaken Tabitha more than she'd care to admit. It had taken a good deal of her experience with doing missions for that man to cast the flight spell and break her fall before she could hit the ground as a result of Valliere's latest failure. She'd instantly put herself on-guard the second she realized she wasn't at the Academy anymore, and that Sylphid was nowhere to be found.
Staring at the demonic-looking creatures that had just entered the clearing, Tabitha decided that keeping up her guard had been the right call. Her staff raised in a moment, mind running through her arsenal of spells for the right option to engage the monsters with. Her classmates were far less prepared, Gramont stumbling back in fright as he fumbled for his wand, Valliere shaking like a leaf and backing away from the creatures, and Kirche staring at the beasts in fear, even as she pulled out her own wand. Gramont's mole had begun burrowing itself into the dirt at his feet, and Flame had put itself between its master and the new threats, the fire on its tail ablaze and the faintest tongues of flame rising from its mouth.
The two strangers, in contrast, had slipped into what were clearly battle-ready states. The blonde girl had done something to extend her bracers again, covering her forearms in yellow armor and taking on a boxer's stance. The red-cloaked girl had unfurled her strange scythe again, taking a lower stance and bringing the blade behind her in preparation to strike at the creatures. The speed at which they did so surprised her, a twinge of worry settling in her stomach as they reacted notably faster than she had.
Tabitha counted seven monsters total in the clearing now, trying to circle around the group to flank them. She pointed her staff at one of the smaller- half-way to seven feet, by her estimate- beasts, drawing up her willpower and opening her mouth to cast a spell-
Bang!
Then, to her surprise, the blonde girl threw her arms behind her, her gauntlets roaring and firing like blunderbusses backwards, sending her shooting forwards towards the monster she had been targeting. She was a yellow and brown blur as she crashed into the beast, Tabitha barely able to keep track of her as she brought her arms back around and smashed a fist into the creature's skull. Another boom of her bracers followed, and the thing's head was blasted apart into a cloud of shattered bone and black viscera.
An even louder gunshot sounded from the red-cloaked girl's position as this happened, and Tabitha took action. Targeting a new beast, she cast, a barrage of icicles forming around her before blasting towards the thing. They struck even as it tried to jump away, the creature roaring in pain before a lucky spike caught it in its eye, destroying its brain and causing it to collapse into the dirt. Absently, she noted as the creature began to disintegrate into black smoke before moving on to find a new target.
Three more of the beasts had been cut down, two laying bisected behind the red-cloaked girl who was now on the other side of the clearing and another crushed by the blonde. The biggest of the beasts and one of its pack were all that were left, and she quickly targeted the former as it charged straight for her. An incantation had another barrage of icy spikes fired towards it, only for it to weave to the side, avoiding all but a single spike which embedded itself into the creature's shoulder. The thing stumbled, but continued to charge her, hateful fiery eyes locked on her form.
Tabitha was about to cast a spell to blow the thing back when suddenly, its knee was blown apart, the loud crack of a gunshot piercing the air. Behind the monster, the red-cloaked girl had embedded her scythe blade-first into the dirt, and the end of it was smoking like a musket. Tabitha didn't hesitate to consider the implications, a quick incantation sending a single large spike of ice straight for the collapsing beast's chest. It struck, and it roared in fury and pain, desperately trying to struggle to its feet. Another spike finally pierced its skull, killing the creature.
A cry of pain from Valliere sounded even as she turned to face the last of the beasts, which towered over the pinkette as she laid in the dirt. It was on fire courtesy of what she assumed was Kirche and Flame, but even still it was swinging a massive clawed paw at her classmate, seeking to end her life. Kirche's mouth had just opened to cast again, and Tabitha raised her staff to do the same when a yellow blur slammed into the thing's side, sending it sprawling into the dirt. It raised its head and began to scramble to its feet desperately before a leather-clad foot stomped on its head, causing it to go still with the crack of bone.
Instinct taking over, Tabitha turned to the treeline, searching for more of the creatures lurking in the shadows of the woods. After a minute, she lowered her staff, satisfied that no more of the things were lurking around. She turned to face her classmates and the two strangers, taking stock of their situation.
The monsters that they had slain were almost entirely gone, the leader of the pack almost entirely finished dissolving into that black smoke. Valliere was back on her feet, still trembling slightly. Her long pink hair was slightly singed on the end and had clearly had part of it sliced away by something jagged- a claw, most likely- leaving it clearly uneven. Gramont was pale, shaking almost as much as Valliere despite having not done anything to contribute to that fight. Kirche was still alert, wand grasped tightly in her hand and breathing deeply.
The strangers had relaxed mostly, the silver-eyed girl having collapsed her scythe once again and returned it to her back. She was looking at Valliere, her face openly showing her concern. The blonde still had her odd bracer weapons extended, but had crossed her arms and looking between her and her peers.
"W-what were those things?" Gramont shakily asked (in Tristanian, Tabitha noted), eyes wide. The two strangers turned to face him, confused, and so Tabitha decided to translate.
"He's asking what those creatures were."
The reaction of both girls was telling, their eyes almost bulging out of their heads and mouths dropping open in shock.
"What those- Grimm!" The blonde exclaimed, "You know, the soulless monsters that want to kill humanity found everywhere on the planet? Those Grimm?"
"I do not." Tabitha replied. The blonde seemed to grow even more slack-jawed at that, staring at her incredulously. Her gaze swept over the rest of the nobles, and she quickly seemed to realize they were serious.
"How- seriously, how do you not know-!?"
"Uh, Yang?" The red-cloaked girl interrupted, looking as confused as her fellow. "Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else, in case more Grimm show up? We're not too far from home."
The newly-named Yang- an eastern-sounding name, Tabitha noted- blinked at the silver-eyed girl, before sighing and nodding, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"You're right, Ruby. This is just- okay. Right." With a clap of her hands, Yang looked back to Tabitha and her classmates. "I don't know who you guys are, but that can wait a bit. Me and Ruby live nearby," at this, the blonde pointed to a dirt trail leading off into the woods, "so how about we go there and clear things up? And, uh, maybe let you guys clean yourselves up."
Considering their offer, Tabitha turned to look at her peers. Gramont was already nodding, seemingly all-too glad to take the offer of shelter. Valliere followed him in nodding, grimacing as she ran a hand through her ruined hair. Kirche was looking back at Tabitha, having raised a single eyebrow in an unspoken question.
Tabitha was unsure- both of these girls had displayed abilities like nothing she'd encountered before, and that had her worried about what would happen if they turned hostile. On the other hand, neither of the girls had really shown any hostile intent, and had acted to protect the nobles when those 'Grimm' attacked them. And considering they had no idea where they were…
Hesitantly, Tabitha nodded, Kirche following suit. Ruby returned the nod, sighing in relief before straightening up and turning to face the path.
"Well, then, uh.. follow me?" The girl half-asked, before starting off towards the trail. After a few seconds, Kirche made to follow, and her fellow students, the two familiars, and Tabitha followed suit, Yang bringing up the rear. Tabitha turned to look over her shoulder at the violet-eyed stranger even as she kept walking, noticing her pulling out a strange, white piece of metal. She resisted the urge to stop and stare with her mouth agape as Yang pulled the piece of metal apart like a paper scroll, revealing a semi-translucent glass pane in its center, glowing icons and letters dotting its surface and changing as her fingers began to tap at it. Despite her best effort, Tabitha's eyes widened, and Yang looked up to see it, taking on a confused expression. Tabitha looked away, carefully keeping her expression blank even though no one was looking at her face.
Just where in the world were they?
----
So, here we are. I took liberties with the exact incantation Louise uses for Summon Familiar and her summoning in general, and hopefully it works for y'all. Also, yes, Sylphid didn't get to come with Tabitha- she was too far away from the rest to get sucked through when Louise a'sploded the ritual. Don't worry, though- she'll be making her way to Remnant eventually. And yes, this is starting off two weeks before Ruby and Yang ship out to Beacon- gotta give Louise and co. time to adjust just a little bit to Remnant, after all! And for other things to happen, but that'd be spoilers. As for why Yang (eventually) was able to hear (a garbled) Louise and see the summoning portal, that's A) because I just liked how that came out much more than the version where she saw and heard nothing and B) I could justify it as the result of Louise borking the whole thing, resulting in the usual "Notice-Me-Not" effect of the summoning not working right.
Also, yes, the choice of four people is very deliberate here. Already got a team name in mind for 'em, but feel free to speculate and guess what it could be! Free internet cookies for whoever guesses correctly.
Constructive criticism is always appreciated, and I hope y'all enjoyed this! Looking forwards to writing more of it- of course, inventory is coming up at work as well as a schedule change, so that might get in the way of writing the next chapter as fast as I'd like. I'll try to keep updates semi-consistent regardless. Until next time!
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Chapter 2
TheMagisKing
(Verified Lazy)
- Location
- Minnesota
Hello, and welcome back to Remnants of the Void! Glad to see that people are liking this, and hopefully I can meet your expectations (and my own) going forwards! Apologies again for getting this out a bit late. This update is notably bigger though, sitting at about 11.8k words excluding the ANs and topping 12k with them, so hopefully that's enough of an appeasement for you wonderful folks.
Now, on with the story!
----
They had been walking along this forested path for some time now, and Louise could feel her patience thinning as her mood spiraled further downwards by the second. Not only were she and her… peers Founder-knows where in what she could only assume was Albion, but her physical state was dreadful. Her clothes were filthy and torn, her hair matted, singed, and now lopsided, she had scrapes and bruises across her form, and she felt a bone-deep ache everywhere that only seemed to get worse the longer she walked. She felt like she could sleep for an entire week!
And that was before she even started thinking about how they had gotten into this mess. Zerbst's outburst before those… things (and the thought of them had her glancing nervously towards the trees along the trail for a moment) had attacked them had bitten far deeper than she'd ever let the harlot know. How could it not have, considering the Germanian was right? She had failed once again- Thrice again, she thought bitterly- and so spectacularly that they'd found themselves in another country. She had no familiar to prove her worthy of being a mage, of being a Valliere- nothing to show she wasn't just a stain on her family name to be married off and forgotten, a true Zero-!
Louise grit her teeth, clenching her fists so hard she could feel her fingernails biting into her palms. She breathed in slowly through her teeth, blinking away the first traces of tears and steeling herself as best she could. Ahead of her, Zerbst turned to throw a glance her way, and Louise pointedly looked away and into the trees before she could see her familial rival's face so she didn't have to see the no-doubt smug smile on the Germanian's face.
No. No, she couldn't think of herself like that. She was a Valliere! She'd- she'd failed the summoning ritual, but she'd clearly done something magical to send herself and her… peers so far from home. Her explosions, too, were proof that she had something. She just- she must have done something wrong. That was it. That had to be it. She'd figure it out.
When they all returned home, Louise knew she was going to be expelled from the Academy. Likely, she'd be punished further by her parents for not listening to her professor and accidentally dragging three young nobles with her to stave off conflict with her peers' families. But she wouldn't let that stop her. She'd- she'd study, and practice, and discover how to use her magic properly. Even if she had to do it in secret, she'd prove herself.
She had to.
But that was for the future. She had to focus on the present for now, and so she did.
Pushing her dread and her thoughts of the future down, Louise looked at the two strangers- this 'Ruby' and 'Yang' they'd encountered on their arrival here- as they led them towards their supposed home. Ruby was still leading the party, occasionally shooting a curious- and when Louise caught the girl looking at her specifically, concerned- look back at her and her peers. Behind them, Yang had put her arms behind her head, whatever bizarre weapons she was wearing- Of all things!- back to being bracelets on her wrists.
Louise couldn't help but feel anxious as they let the two girls guide them to shelter. The youngest Valliere was far from stupid- the speed at which they had moved, the unnatural strength they showed, the strange weapons, and the fact that Ruby had burst into petals and zipped to her side before she could even process her moving clearly showed they weren't normal human commoners. The lack of incantations and wands suggested that whatever magic they used to do what they had wasn't Brimiric in origin, either.
And then there were Yang's eyes. Louise had clearly seen them change color, going from an exotic purple to a bright red in the literal blink of an eye when she had gotten between Zerbst and herself. Human eyes simply didn't do that- in fact, the only creatures she had heard of that held that ability were vampires in stories Cattleya had told her as a child! If it wasn't for the fact that it was currently day and the fact that the purple-eyed girl hadn't tried to rip them apart, she may have assumed that was what the blonde girl was.
Of course, it wasn't like Ruby had normal eyes either, but at least she'd seen their likeness on someone who was most surely a human being before. One of the more exotic-looking maids at the Academy had the same shiny, almost mirror-like hue, and she doubted someone like Osmond would miss some kind of monster hiding so obviously in sight if she weren't human.
But that left the question as to what, exactly, these strangers were. They seemed to be human enough, but couldn't fey take on human shape? But if they were fey, then why would they have helped them instead of attacking them on sight? Argh, she was going in circles in her head!
"Here we are!" Ruby declared, suddenly, "Home sweet home!"
The words snapped Louise out of her thoughts, and she realized they were now in another clearing, this one notably larger than the one they had appeared in. It sported a few smoothly-cut stumps throughout the clearing, as well as scattered, standing trees. The grass was surprisingly short, and a closer look showed it appeared to have been cut down like the lawn of the academy. In its center before them stood a log cabin of surprising quality, appearing well-built and standing two stories tall. To Louise's mild surprise, the cabin had multiple glass windows, despite its apparent distance from any settlement.
Of course, that made sense. Ruby and Yang's clothing may not have been proper noble attire as she knew it- especially the blonde's more scandalous outfit- but it was clearly well-made and of fair-quality materials. In particular, Ruby's cloak and dress looked like they must have been expensive, as did the purple cloth and half-skirt Yang wore. Even disregarding their inhuman traits, it was clear they were no normal commoners, and their families being able to afford glass seemingly in the middle of nowhere made sense. Maybe they were the daughters of merchants? But then why did they live out here?
Now that they had arrived, whatever tension Ruby had felt seemed to disappear. The odd girl led the way down the path to the cabin's front door with an easy stride, approaching the light cobbling in front of the door and flowerbeds to its sides. She quickly reached for something at her waist that Louise couldn't see due to her cloak, and then pulled out a small key ring that jingled merrily in her hands before reaching the door.
The cloaked girl unlocked the door with a click, before pulling it open for the group behind her, smiling as she did.
"Feel free to, uh, make yourselves at home! Just, um, leave your shoes at the door, because dad just cleaned the floor before he left!"
Louise hesitated for a moment, weariness at their ordeal warring with caution born from a lack of knowledge. Then, after muttering something to her fire salamander, Zerbst stepped forwards, seemingly unafraid as she walked through the doorway. Finally overcoming her hesitation, Louise hastily followed suit, and she could hear the others following behind her. Guiche said something to his own familiar, but she ignored it even as she noted the mole laying down on the ground.
She passed through the doorway and by Zerbst, only to pause once she saw the inside of the house and began to take it all in. The walls of the inside of the cabin were lined with finely-cut, smooth wooden planks, with white-painted wood lining the boundaries between it and the much darker planks made up the flooring. Under their feet was a small green rug, a few pairs of boots and shoes sitting besides it on an odd, flat black thing.
The room they entered was spacious, with a large green rug with white patterns taking up the center of it. A small, dark wooden table sat before a green-colored couch and loveseat on one side of it, with a long series of cabinets topped with an odd metal bar sitting on the other side of the rug seemingly without reason. Paintings hung on the walls, and two more shelves sat against the walls bearing books, small sculptures, and odd-looking things Louise couldn't quite identify. Two windowless doors sat on bordering walls, one of them going under the staircase in front of them that lead up, to the left and out of sight to the second floor.
None of the cabin's insides were of the splendor or noble quality she was used to in the Valliere mansion, but was rather clearly above the quality of what commoners had in Tristain. This only cemented her belief that the two girls were above the common folk in status at the very least.
She heard a surprised yelp behind her, and turned to see Tabitha poking the stationary Zerbst in the back with her staff. The bluenette had already removed her shoes, and with her prompting Zerbst quickly began to do so as well. Snapped out of her examination of the cabin, Louise did the same, carefully placing the shoes on the odd black thing before proceeding deeper into the house. Guiche, having now entered the cabin himself, followed suit.
The door closing behind them caused her to jolt briefly, and she turned to see Yang holding its handle. She turned to look at the nobles and grimaced, her purple eyes looked them up and down. For a moment, the room was oddly silent, Ruby fidgeting with her skirt and shuffling awkwardly besides the blonde haired girl being the only sounds in the house.
"Right." Yang finally said, clasping her hands together. "Before we talk about, ah, everything, how about we let you guys get cleaned up first? You're all kinda..." The blonde gesticulated her hand up and down in their direction. "Not looking too hot."
Despite her uncertainty regarding Yang and Ruby's magic- and not knowing what 'not looking too hot' even meant- Louise couldn't help but nod her head. After everything that had just happened, the sound of even a cold bath sounded wonderful. Beside her, Tabitha nodded curtly, and if Guiche's head bobbed up and down any faster it was going to fall off.
"Oh, thank you!" Kirche- the she-devil- crowed "I assume you have a place for us to draw up a bath?"
Yang blinked owlishly, as did Ruby. For a moment, Louise felt her heart sink and her ire rising.
"'Draw up a bath'?" Ruby repeated, questioningly and with a cocked head.
"Y-yes?" Zerbst fumbled, looking confused. "Filling a basin with warm water to bathe?"
Ruby mouthed an 'oh', her and Yang's faces lighting up in comprehension, thank the Founder.
"You mean filling up the bathtub?" Yang asked, "Yeah, we've got bathrooms- one of 'em for dad and uncle Qrow, and another for us."
Bathroom? Louise had never heard the word before, but she supposed it fit for a room you bathed in.
Wait, Crow? If she wasn't mistaken, wasn't that the Albionese word for a crow? What kind of barbarian named their child after a bird!? And one that feasted on carrion at that! Louise bit her tongue to keep her outrage in check, breathing deeply as she could.
"Ruby, why don't you bring, uh…" Yang trailed off, blinking. "Huh. I guess we never got any of your names, did we?"
Louise paused for a moment in surprise, and then her eyes widened, realizing that the girl was right. They'd never properly introduced themselves, had they? Zerbst opened her mouth to speak again.
"Well then!" Louise declared a little too quickly, cutting the Germanian off before clearing her throat. "I suppose we should apologize for forgetting our manners." Taking her skirt in her hands, Louise attempted a curtsy, grimacing as her legs ached in protest. "My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Zerbst immediately shot her a brief scowl, before putting a smile on her face and turning back to their hosts.
"Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt Zerbst." She began, more formally than Louise expected. "Thank you for your hospitality!"
Guiche quickly stood as tall and as proud as his frazzled state allowed, stepping forwards.
"My name is Guiche de Gramont!" He said with a flourish, bow, and an attempt at a suave smile. "It is an honor to meet such beautiful maidens as yourselves!" The fop finished his introduction with a wink.
Louise could have sworn a vein started throbbing along her temple as Gramont reminded her- despite their circumstances- why he was considered a skirt-chaser by the student body. Yang apparently shared her irritation, narrowing her eyes, clenching her fists, scowling and stepping slightly in front of Ruby in response. The smaller girl grimaced a bit as she tried to awkwardly return Gramonts smile. Zerbst looked directly at the blonde with a raised eyebrow, and Tabitha simply maintained a blank expression.
"Tabitha." The bluenette introduced succinctly, breaking the awkward air between the strangers and Guiche. The latter quickly straightened himself up, trying rather transparently to pretend he hadn't inserted his entire foot into his mouth.
"Okaay." Yang said, looking slightly more confused than she had been before. "Right- well, my name is Yang. Yang Xiao Long." Shaking off her confusion, the blonde girl suddenly broke into a grin. "And this-"
Abruptly, she threw her arm out, grabbing Ruby by her sleeve. The redheaded girl yelped in surprise as she was abruptly pulled towards the taller girl and pulled into a headlock, and then made a sound halfway between a squawk and a squeak as Yang began to ruffle her hair.
"-is my little sister, Ruby!"
"Yaaaang!" The younger girl protested, struggling to try and pull herself out of the headlock with a pout.
Sisters? They looked nothing alike!
Louise frowned, squinting as she took a closer look at the newly-identified sisters. That wasn't quite true, now that she was looking for it; their noses had a somewhat similar shape, as did their eyes and their faces. It wasn't much, but it was there.
The way they acted wasn't like she was used to with her own siblings, either. Eleonore was far more strict and serious, and Cattleya was much less… physical in showing her affection, not to mention far more formal around company and gentle overall. That lack of proper etiquette was a mark against them being nobility, she determined, pushing down the frustration born from the social faux pass before her.
The blonde shook her head, smiling as she released her younger sister. "Ruby, why don't you show Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha where our bathroom is? I'll bring Guiche- " she once again narrowed her eyes at the fop, causing him to flinch, "- over to dad's."
If it weren't for how tired and filthy she felt and her drained willpower, Louise imagined she may have objected to the casual way Yang was speaking to herself and her peers. As things were, she simply couldn't find the energy to do so.
Ruby nodded, and both of the sisters made their way over to the stairs. Eager to clean up, the four nobles followed them.
----
Ruby led the way towards her and Yang's bathroom, Kirche, Tabitha, and Louise in tow, Yang having split off towards dad's room with Guiche. It didn't really take that long- it's not like the house was that big, after all- and then they were standing in front of her and Yang's bathroom door. Ruby wrung her hands nervously, before spinning around and doing her best to smile.
"So, here we are. The bathroom. So you can all wash yourselves off."
The girls awkwardly stood in silence for a moment, before Tabitha stepped forwards a bit.
"Thank you." She said, face blank. Ruby's smile became more natural regardless.
"You're welcome!" Ruby replied warmly. Quickly realizing the door was still closed, she turned and opened it, before stepping out of the way and looking back to the girls-
-who all looked confused. Why were they confused?
"Um. Is everything okay?"
Kirche smiled oddly, turning to face her.
"Oh, yes. I've just never seen a… bathroom like this before."
It was Ruby's turn to blink- she'd been doing a lot of that lately- at the girl who apparently hadn't seen a plain old bathroom before. Did they come from a settlement really far out in the wilderness, or something? But then why didn't they recognize the Grimm earlier? This was all really, really strange.
Right, questions later.
"Ah. Right. Okay. Well, it's just a normal bathroom. Shower is a bit sensitive, but-"
"Shower?"
Ruby stared at the confused expression on Kirche's face, before looking to Louise and Tabitha to see neither of them looked like they were any less in the dark.
Oh boy.
----
Hearing footsteps coming down the stairs, Yang leaned back, craning her neck to look over the back of the couch at the source of the noise upside-down. Ruby looked uncomfortable as she hurried to the ground floor, fiddling with her cloak.
"So, they didn't know what a shower was either, huh?" She half-asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ruby shook her head as she moved around the couch and plopped herself down on it next to her sister. Yang sat up in response.
"No, they didn't." Ruby said, frowning. "I mean, it's not as weird as them not knowing what Grimm are-" 'weird' wasn't what Yang would call it, "-but I had to explain it to them and I felt really, really awkward." Embarrassed, Ruby pulled on her hood.
Yang couldn't pass up the opportunity, grinning cheekily. "Oh, did you now? Is there a special reason my baby sister felt 'awkward' explaining how her shower worked to three pretty girls all by herself~?"
Ruby flushed in response, before growling and smacking at Yang's arm. The blonde laughed, and then straightened up and took on a more serious expression.
"Okay, but seriously, these people don't make any sense." She said, pulling out her scroll. "Not knowing what Grimm are, calling Vytalian 'Albionese', those three's names- where'd they even come from? How'd they even get here?"
Ruby frowned, looking at the stairs contemplatively. "I don't know. We saw that weird oval thing… maybe they got sucked up in some crazy Semblance when they got sent here? I didn't understand what was being said by that voice I heard, but I think it was Louise's and she doesn't have her Aura up, so maybe she has a teleportation semblance and used it before her Aura went down?"
"An explosive teleportation Semblance?" Yang asked, eyebrow cocked. "But why come here? And why'd you hear her clearly while I only heard gibberish?" She frowned, eyes narrowed.
"Well, she sounded kind of desperate, I think?" Ruby said, hesitantly. "So maybe they were in danger, and she activated her Semblance without a place to go, and- and yeah, I don't know either."
Yang sighed, and pulled out her scroll. Opening it revealed what she'd closed it on; the built-in web browser opened to the search engine, 'Albionese' typed into the search bar. The results were unrelated to what she wanted to know and unhelpful. She quickly closed out of that, pulling up her messages.
"I sent dad a text on the way back here." She said, looking over his reply. "He said he'd be coming back as soon as he finished up in town, so hopefully that doesn't take too long. I sent a message to uncle Qrow, too, but… well, he's out in the field, so I don't know if he's got it yet." WIth another sigh, she stood, putting away her scroll before stretching her arms over her head.
"Welp, no point in just sitting and waiting around. I'll grab some chairs from the kitchen. Why don't you grab something for our oh-so-mysterious guests to eat while we talk? This is probably going to take a while."
Ruby nodded, standing up herself. The two sisters made their way to the kitchen, and Yang shot a smirk at her sister.
"Just don't grab the strawberries. I don't think they'll like watching you eat all of 'em before they get the chance to have any."
Ruby scowled, crossing her arms and half-glaring at Yang. "My dearest sister," She said with exaggerated formality, "Just what are you implying?"
Yang laughed.
----
Tabitha had chosen to use this 'shower' last, making the tactical choice of allowing her more vain peers to go before her. Predictably, Kirche and Valliere had started squabbling over who would get to use it first after Ruby awkwardly explained how the contraption worked before hastily making her way down the hall and presumably downstairs, which had ended when Kirche had used her superior size to bodily push Valliere out of the way, closed the door, and locked it from the inside. Valliere had pounded on the bathroom door and sputtered indignant insults at Tabitha's only friend for a few minutes before grumbling and slouching against the wall.
Tabitha and Valliere had sat in silence for a few minutes, and the former had found herself missing her latest book- Valliere's explosions had torn it out of her hands back at the Academy, sadly enough- as they waited for Kirche to wash herself clean. Surprisingly, Kirche hadn't taken very long, stepping out of the now slightly steamy bathroom with magically-dried hair that had been hastily brushed straight, wearing her academy uniform once more despite its dirtied state. Valliere had been all too quick to push her way past the older girl and into the bathroom, almost slamming the door into Kirche's back in her haste to close it.
Kirche simply smirked at the door, before turning to Tabitha. "Well, the Zero is certainly in a mood." She remarked.
Tabitha nodded, idly drumming her fingers against her staff. "Understandable." She replied. Through the door, they heard the sound of water spraying from the 'showerhead', and a startled yelp of surprise. Kirche giggled in response, her grin widening.
"I can't blame her for her haste to use this, 'shower', though." She continued, stretching. "Honestly, if it weren't for the civil war, I'd have been tempted to come to Albion just to use one of these sooner. It's positively divine! I'm surprised I haven't heard of such a wonderful invention before now!"
Tabitha frowned. "It doesn't make sense." She said.
"Tabitha?"
"This isn't a noble estate, and yet they have a luxury like this that we've never heard of." She elaborated. "It doesn't make sense."
Kirche brought up a hand to her chin, taking on a ponderous expression.
"Well, now that you say it, I suppose it doesn't make much sense, does it?" Kirche frowned, looking back to the bathroom door. "For such a thing to be found here means it can't be new or hard to come by, can it? Then we should have known about it before, at least in passing…"
Yes, they should have. They also should have heard about Albion having demonic monsters like those 'Grimm' running about and weapons like the sisters had been using. That they hadn't didn't make any sense… unless…
"We're not in Albion."
Kirche stared at her in surprise, lowering her hand from her chin and crossing her arms.
"What? But they're clearly speaking Albionese!"
Tabitha's frown deepened, and she shook her head. "They didn't call it that, and they didn't recognize 'Albionese'."
Kirche's eyes widened in realization, before narrowing. "Well, yes, but then why are they speaking it?"
Tabitha shrugged. "Don't know." She looked down the hall towards the stairs, face passive. "They looked confused at our names, too."
Kirche let out a groan of frustration and pinched the bridge of her nose, but before she could say anything else, the two girls heard footsteps coming down the hallway. They turned to see Gramont, his hair still wet but hastily combed into a rough approximation of its usual style regardless. Tabitha noted an odd, strong smell coming from him as he approached and a grimace on his face, but ignored it.
"Ah, Guiche. I see you-" Kirche paused, nose twitching before she grimaced. "Ugh. What is that smell?"
Gramont's eye twitched in response, the boy muttering something under his breath that neither of them caught before shaking his head.
"It, uh, doesn't matter. I assume we're waiting for the Zero, then?" He questioned.
Kirche nodded, folding her arms across her chest.
"Tabitha still needs to wash herself off, but decided to let Valliere go first. We were just discussing where we are, actually. Tabitha seems to think we aren't even in Albion, and I can't say she doesn't have a good point."
Gramont's eyes widened greatly, and he gaped at Tabitha. The bluenette simply nodded, and he frowned, confused.
"But we're speaking Albionese." He said. Kirche sighed, and opened her mouth to explain before another yelp and a wet thud sounded from behind the closed bathroom door. A string of undignified, unintelligible noises followed, and the 'shower' went quiet.
Kirche broke into giggles, before turning back to Gramont and beginning to catch him up on Tabitha's hypothesis. She had barely finished when the door swung open, revealing an irate pinkette straightening her academy uniform.
Tabitha slipped past her as she exited, choosing to ignore the argument brewing between Valliere and Kirche behind her. She closed the door, looked to the shower, and sighed, before beginning to get undressed.
The 'shower' was brief, but even Tabitha found herself wishing she had time to properly enjoy it. Warm water and the 'shampoo' Ruby had said they could use washed away the dirt from her hair and glasses, and the bottle of liquid the girl had said was soap allowed her to do the same to the rest of her body. The warmth of the shower left her feeling relaxed, but she fought the urge to dawdle in favor of cleaning off as fast as possible.
Soon, she had stepped out of the shower, and quickly dried herself off with a towel (set aside by Ruby during her explanation of what a shower was) and a brief application of wind magic. She could hear Valliere and Kirche still going at it through the door all the while, their voices somehow not at full volume despite the time they'd been left alone together.
Feeling clean and refreshed, a redressed Tabitha opened the door into the hallway, finding the sight beyond it unsurprising
"-you- you stupid, no-good, barbaric Germanian-!" Valliere was ranting, standing as tall as she could while glaring at Kirche with a furious expression.
"Come now, Zero. I'm only being honest!" Kirche interrupted, smugly.
Tabitha could see Valliere's face going an unhealthy shade of red, and the noble opened her mouth to no-doubt yell at Kirche and finally catch their hosts' attention if they hadn't already.
Without hesitation, Tabitha took action.
Thwack!
"Gah!" Valliere recoiled in surprise.
"T-Tabitha!" Kirche whined, doing the same and dramatically clutching the side of her head where Tabitha had lightly hit her with her staff.
Seeing that her uncharacteristic application of blunt force had caught her friend and her classmate's attention, Tabitha cleared her throat, staff still slightly raised.
"No arguing." Tabitha ordered, before moving towards the stairs. Valliere began grumbling behind her, but after a moment Tabitha could hear her following nonetheless. Two more sets of feet padding along the wooden floor told her the others were doing the same.
They walked down the stairs quickly. In the parlor, Ruby and Yang sat on two plain, wooden chairs that had been set up opposite the couch, an additional empty one next to them. They were focused on that strange thing Yang had pulled out while they were walking, Ruby leaning on her sister's shoulder to see it in the blonde's lap. On the table was a white pottery bowl filled with blueberries. As Tabitha entered their line of sight, Ruby glanced up at her, and Yang quickly tucked the thing away in her pocket.
The nobles quickly sat down; Gramont seated himself on the cushioned chair, leaving a scowling Valliere to sit down on one side of the couch and Kirche the other. Unfortunately, this meant Tabitha found herself sitting between the two. Mercifully, her and Valliere's size as well as the latter's effort to push herself as far away from Kirche as possible gave her plenty of room to do so.
The room was quiet for a moment, before Ruby cleared her throat.
"Soooo…" She began, forcing a smile on her face. "Um… where are you guys from?"
Straight to the point, then.
"Well, I-" Valliere began, sitting up straight.
"We," Kirche interrupted, earning herself an angry glare from Valliere, "Are second year students at the Tristain Academy of Magic."
Both of the sisters stared at Kirche with open disbelief, though Kirche, Gramont and Valliere didn't seem to notice.
"Yes," Valliere growled, "Though only some of us are actually from Tristain-"
"You're joking, right?"
Valliere's mouth closed with an audible clack of her teeth, the Tristanian balking at Yang's interruption.
"Excuse me?" The Valliere asked, angrily.
"'The Tristain Academy of Magic?'" The blonde parroted, skeptically.
"Yang!" Ruby whisper-yeleld, pulling on her sister's sleeve.
"Look, come on." Yang scoffed, crossing her arms. "Magic isn't even real."
Gramont's jaw dropped open, his eyes going wide. Kirche stared at Yang like the girl had grown a second head. Tabitha blinked, and despite her experience her own eyes went wide.
'Magic isn't even real'? The very sentence was unthinkable. Magic was everything. It dominated society, the wilderness, the very world itself. As much as muscle and brainpower, magic kept human society together.
Valliere's face went slack in shock. Then, she was furious, her eyes narrowed, teeth clenched, and body shaking.
"Not- not real? Not real!?" Suddenly, Valliere was on her feet. "How dare you!? It's the holy legacy of the Founder, the mark of the nobility's right to rule! You can find it in every corner of the world! You- you- what kind of backwater barbarians think magic isn't real!?"
The sisters were taken aback by the sudden surge of anger, recoiling. Yang recovered first, her eyes turning crimson as she too rose to her feet. Tabitha tightened her grip on her staff.
"Hey!" Yang snarled, clenching her fists.
"Yang!" Ruby shouted, grabbing the blonde's arm from her seat. The older girl froze, turning to look at her younger sister. The two shared a long look, and then the blonde closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, her eyes were back to being violet, and she returned to her seat.
For a moment things were quiet, and Valliere's sudden anger began to diminish somewhat as her body stopped shaking.
"You're serious?" Yang asked after a moment, her own anger dulled with rising shock as she seemed to realize Valliere was genuinely outraged and shocked.
"Yes!" Valliere exclaimed, "Founder have mercy, how do you live in Albion and not know what magic is?"
Before either of the shocked and confused sisters could reply, Tabitha spoke up.
"We're not in Albion."
The remark caused Valliere to pause, before whipping her head around to face the bluenette, mouth agape.
"Do you have a map?" Tabitha asked the sisters, taking the initiative.
"O-oh! Yeah!" Ruby replied, quickly opening one of the compartments on her belt and pulling out another of those strange devices. With ease that spoke of practice, she opened it, and Tabitha's peers gaped in shock at the glowing glass.
"What is that?" Gramont asked.
Ruby blinked, and waved the thing around. "It's my scroll! It, uh, connects to the CCT network-" The girl stopped, and then shook her head. "U-um, nevermind, I'll explain later. Just let me pull up the map."
"Scroll? B-but that's not-" Gramont sputtered.
"Aha! Here we go." Ruby exclaimed, cutting the noble off.
The girl put the 'scroll' on the table and turned it to face them, pushing the untouched bowl of blueberries aside. Tabitha leaned forwards to examine the device, and Valliere and Kirche followed suit. Gramont stood up, moving to look over their shoulders and do the same.
Somehow, there was a map on the glass panel, and Tabitha stared in shock at what it showed. Kirche sucked in a breath through her teeth, Gramont gasped, and Valliere's breathing quickened to an alarming pace.
The map was completely foreign to them. Five land masses dominated it, three of them resembling dragons to varied degrees. Each of them were labeled with a name, and even though she was slightly rusty in her written Albionese she could read them clearly; Solitas, Saunas, Menagerie, Anima, and Deserta. She could see a few shapes in the landscape presented that resembled Halkeginia, but only very vaguely and attached to landmasses she didn't recognize at all.
Valliere sat down abruptly beside her, nearly knocking Gramont over. Kirche remained leaning forwards, eyes darting over the map. Tabitha sat straight, looking at their hosts to find them looking both confused and concerned.
"T-this map- what is it of?" Kirche asked, shakily. The two sisters looked very concerned now, Yang's previous anger seemingly washed away entirely.
"It's a map of Remnant." Ruby started, slowly. "The whole world. I, erm, I can- I can try to zoom in if…" She trailed off.
It was rather apparent why. Gramont had returned to his seat, looking pale. Kirche had covered her mouth with her hands, looking more lost than Tabitha had ever seen her. Valliere was shaking, having wrapped her arms around herself as she struggled to keep her breathing under control.
Despite herself, Tabitha couldn't blame her. It was taking notable self control to keep herself from shaking slightly as well, her knuckles going white as she tightened her grasp on her staff. She stared hard at Ruby, searching for the slightest hint of deception. To her dismay, she found only honesty in those silver eyes.
This is the entire world? Nothing looks right- even though mapmakers can be inaccurate, they couldn't have been this far off, could they? Mathematicians calculated the circumference of the world thousands of years ago, so it can't just be explained by size. Where on Gaia are we?
Gaia. Ruby hadn't called it that, had she? Despite speaking Albionese, she'd called the world Remnant. Perhaps it was just the term used wherever they found themselves… or-
Suddenly, Tabitha couldn't breathe. It was like she'd been punched by an ogre as a possibility sprung to her mind. Then, her lungs started working again as she used her head and pushed it aside.
No. No, that couldn't be it. That couldn't be the answer. That was impossible- the subject of fiction.
But what if it is? Asked a treasonous inner voice.
If… if that's true… then.
Joseph. Mother-
No. Surely there was a reasonable explanation-
"You- you're lying!"
The shaky, angry voice broke Tabitha from her thoughts, and she realized Valliere was standing once again. The girl's eyes were wild, desperate, and her fists were clenched in a vice-grip.
"This can't be a map of the entire world- of Gaia!" Valliere continued, her voice cracking. "No one has explored that much of it to make it, and- and it doesn't even look right! You- you!"
Valliere quickly pulled her wand, pointing it at the two sisters. With a series of mechanical clicks, Yang's bracers unfolded as she stood and cocked back a fist and sprang to her feet again, causing its bracer to shift with a ka-chuk. Tabitha tensed, preparing to rise to her own feet. Kirche's eyes widened, and she grabbed but didn't draw her own wand. Gramont scrambled for his own focus.
"Wait!" Ruby shouted, jumping to her feet and grabbing Yang's arm. The blonde's eyes- once again a fiery red- turned to her sister for a moment, before glaring back at Valliere.
"No!" Valliere shouted, gripping her wand tighter. "You're- this can't be right! It can't! Where's Halkeginia? Where's Tristain!? Albion, Romalia, Gallia, Germania, even! Where's-!" Valliere choked, and Tabitha saw tears starting to form in her eyes.
Yang tensed but her eyes returned to their violet hue as pity began to form on her face. Ruby pulled her arm down, shooting her a pleading look. Yang sighed, but didn't raise her arm again. Then, Ruby turned to Valliere, holding up her hands, palms facing forwards.
"H-hey. Look, I- I know-" Ruby paused, breathing in for a moment before continuing. "I know you're feeling… lost. It doesn't sound like you recognize anything, and you're scared-"
"I- I'm not scared!" Valliere bit out, shaking again. "This just- it just can't be-!"
"Louise."
Valliere's eyes darted to Kirche, who was still seated. The older girl's eyes were soft and pitying, and her mouth was set into a gentle frown. It was an expression of worry that Tabitha had seen directed at Valliere before- as recently as the Springtime Summoning Ritual that had sent them here, in fact- but Tabitha had never seen it on Kirche's face where the daughter of the Valliere could see it before.
Valliere grit her teeth in response, tearing her eyes away to look back to Ruby. The red-cloaked girl's own expression was one of raw concern, her silver eyes staring directly into Valliere's pink irises. The pinkette seemed to deflate slightly, her shaking intensifying and shoulders drooping, but she didn't lower her wand.
"I- I- it can't- I couldn't have- you have to be-!"
"Louise," Ruby spoke up again, her voice gentle and full of sympathy, "I promise. I'm- we're not lying."
The clicks and whirls of Yang's bracelets compacting filled the air, the tension gone from her body and her eyes once more their normal color. She put a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder, mirroring Ruby's expression.
Valliere finally dropped her wand to her side, breathing in a shuddering breath. In an uncharacteristically undignified movement, she dropped back onto the couch once again, blinking the tears from her eyes and returning to hugging herself as she tried to regain her composure. Slowly, the Xiao Long sisters sat down themselves, eyes scanning the nobles in concern.
Kirche and Gramont both dropped their tensed postures; the former continued to look at Valliere in concern, and Gramont setting his mouth into a thin line. Tabitha kept her staff in a firm grip, grounding herself with it as she looked back to the sisters.
"Where are we?" She asked, even as the question brought a ball of ice to her stomach.
"Well," Ruby answered, seemingly glad for the chance to break the silence. She reached out, pointing to a small island near the southeastern continent. "You're currently on the island of Patch, about an hour inland from the settlement of Jacobsville."
Tabitha frowned at the unfamiliar names. "And the country?"
"Oh, right!" Ruby quickly slid two fingers apart from each other on the scroll, and Tabitha was shocked when the map focused into a closer look at the western half of the continent. New names accompanied by dots appeared across its surface, shifting with the magnification. "You're in the Kingdom of Vale, right near the City of Vale."
Tabitha thought many nobles in Halkeginia would have balked at the sheer size of this previously unknown kingdom, its marked borders seeming to make it larger than all of Halkeginia's nations combined. She felt the couch shift as Kirche leaned in beside her to look at the map as well, looking unusually reserved, and heard Gramont moving to get a better look himself. Valliere didn't move much, but turned her head to look too, the tears gone from her eyes.
For a moment, they sat in silence, looking at the map. It was Yang who broke the silence.
"So, you guys said something about magic?"
Tabitha looked up at the blonde. She looked genuinely unsure, and if Tabitha wasn't mistaken, a bit guilty.
"You've really never heard of magic?" Kirche asked, raising an eyebrow. The blonde nodded, crossing her arms, and Kirche grimaced. Tabitha understood why; if they really didn't know about magic at all- if they really were in a place where magic was unheard of, never even discovered- then they must be very far from home indeed.
Possibly even-
No. There had to be another explanation. Perhaps Halkeginia simply had never been found by these strange people?
"But then what did you do in the clearing, against those 'Grimm'?" Valliere asked, quietly. The girl sounded more composed, but her expression was still lacking vigor.
Both the sisters looked to the nobles, confused
"We… fought them?" Ruby half-stated.
"I mean, we have our Aura unlocked and plenty of training with it, so it wasn't that impressive!" Yang continued.
"Aura?" Tabitha questioned.
Ruby's eyes went wide in shock, and Yang's jaw dropped.
"Aura?" Ruby began, "The light of our souls? The forcefield that makes us super strong and protects us so we can fight the Grimm and wait you didn't know what those are either-"
The redhead paused, her eyes lighting up like she had an idea. She closed her eyes, and breathed, as if focusing. Then, a shining, rose red light began to shine around her, wrapping around her body and clothes. Tabitha's peers stared in awe at the display, and Tabitha couldn't deny she felt the same.
Of course, with the awe came caution. Whatever she was doing was most certainly not magic of the founder. She had said it was the manifestation of her soul, and the only ones who she knew of who tried to affect such things were necromancers. But somehow, Tabitha felt like that wasn't what this was. The light looked too… warm to be compared to something as foul as necromancy.
Then, Ruby opened her eyes, and the light was gone. Seeing the awed looks in front of her, she blushed, pulling up her hood and nervously scuffing her foot against the carpet.
"...y'know, that?" She muttered.
"N-no. I'm afraid we've never seen anything like... that before." Gramont said, still gobsmacked by the display of light they'd seen. "How is that not magic?"
The sisters seemed to be equally surprised at their lack of recognition, and Yang rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Well, um," Ruby began, "I heard someone on TV say that Aura isn't magic 'cause it's 'measurable and quantifiable'?"
Gramont opened his mouth- likely to argue against the notion that something like a soul could be measured- but wisely decided not to as he closed his mouth with a clack of his teeth.
"Wait," Yang said, "That means you guys don't even have your Aura unlocked. And without that, none of you had a Semblance… then how did you get here?"
Valliere grimaced at the question, but did her best to sit up straight despite that.
"Accident." Tabitha stated, drawing the sisters' and her peers' eyes to herself. "An attempted ritual went wrong."
"Ritual'?" Yang repeated, "Like, a magic ritual?"
Tabitha nodded, and she could see some of Yang's earlier disbelief return to her face, though she was trying to hide it.
"What is a 'Semblance'?" Gramont asked, causing Yang to stare at him for a moment before lightly slapping her forehead.
"Oh, right!" She exclaimed. "You guys, uh, wouldn't know if you actually don't know about Aura, would you? Well, a Semblance is a unique power fueled by your Aura that everybody with an unlocked Aura can have. It takes people a while to find theirs usually- I didn't find mine for a few years after dad unlocked my Aura!"
The nobles took a moment to process this newest information, and Tabitha frowned. She couldn't understand how this 'Aura' couldn't be considered magic herself, still. And these Semblances- was that how Ruby had burst away into rose petals?
"You said 'Aura' is unlocked?" Tabitha asked, shifting slightly.
"Yup." Yang confirmed, oddly popping the P. "Everyone who has a soul has Aura, but you can't use it if you don't unlock it. Usually someone else will do it for you nowadays, but some people manage to unlock it themselves."
Everyone had Aura? Everyone could use this strange not-magic? Tabitha could see her own surprise mirrored on her classmate's faces. The thought of everyone being able to not only use such abilities, but to unlock them in others was unthinkable, as were the repercussions of such.
"E-even the commoners?" Valliere stuttered, eyes wide.
"If you mean your regular civilians, then yeah." Yang answered, confused. "Why wouldn't they?"
Valliere gaped, opening and closing her mouth like a fish. Gramont looked like he wanted to join her.
"Because they're commoners!" Valliere exclaimed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Ruby and Yang seemed almost offended at the statement.
"But why would that matter? They've got souls, too!" Ruby said, brow scrunching in confusion.
"Of course they do," Valliere answered, hotly, "but if they don't have magic, and everyone has this, this... not-magic of yours, then what gives your nobles the right to rule?"
The Xiao Long sisters both stared at the noble with surprise and confusion in equal measure.
"Nobles?" Ruby began, "Like, kings, and queens, and dukes n' stuff?"
Valliere floundered for a second in shock, Kirche and Gramont looking almost as surprised as the pinkette. Drawing herself back up, Valliere continued.
"'Dukes and stuff'?" She repeated, eyes bulging from their sockets and her face turning red in anger, "'Dukes and stuff'!? That's- how- you said this was a kingdom! You can't- I-!"
The life had finally returned to Valliere, it seemed. The girl looked furious.
"Hey, we know what nobles are!" Yang shot back, narrowing her eyes. "It's just that there aren't any nobles in Vale. It's called a kingdom, but Vale hasn't even had a king or queen for 80 years now!"
Valliere's draw dropped, and the girl continued to splutter. Gramont, too, seemed to be taken aback, gaping like a fish. Tabitha was also surprised. They had said this was a kingdom, afterall, but it had no monarchy? No nobility?
"B-but why would you call it a kingdom if it's not!?" Valliere finally got out. "It doesn't- that's-!"
Valliere made a noise of pure frustration, angrily clenching her fists and tightening her shoulders. Yang scowled. Ruby, in contrast, had her face light up in realization.
"Wait, are you guys nobility where you're from?" She asked.
"Yes, we are." Kirche replied, putting a hand on her chest haughtily. "As I said before, I am Kirche von Zerbst, eldest daughter of Duke Ludwig von Zerbst." She pointed to Gramont next.
"I am Guiche de Gramont, fourth son of Duke Gaston de Gramont!" Gramont said, taking his queue and puffing out his chest.
Then, Kirche pointed to the still fuming Valliere. "And she-"
"I can speak for myself, Zerbst!" Valliere hissed, before clearing her throat and puffing up her chest. "I am Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere, third daughter of Duchess Karin Desiree de la Valliere and Duke Phillipe Gerard de la Valliere."
The two sisters had very different reactions. Yang appeared unimpressed mostly, thought she did raise an eyebrow, and Valliere scowled as she glared at the girl in response. Ruby looked excited however eyeing the nobles in wonder.
"And what about you?" Yang asked, turning to Tabitha.
Tabitha shook her head. No one- not even Kirche- knew of her true noble lineage, and she'd rather keep things like that.
"Don't have a family name." She stated.
Yang gasped in surprise, both her and her sister staring at Tabitha in open-mouthed shock. Both of their eyes radiated pity, especially Yang's.
"What? You… you don't have a family name?" Ruby asked, her voice sad. Tabitha nodded curtly, and Ruby's expression of pity and sadness grew. Tabitha felt it didn't fit the girl's face.
"However," Tabitha began, "I am a chevalier."
Behind her, Valliere- who had decided to finally indulge in a few of the blueberries on the table- choked in surprise, letting out a rather undignified coughing fit. Gramont's eyes bulged comically as his head whipped around to the bluenette, mouth agape.
"Y-you're a chevalier?" He asked, eyes focused directly on her. She nodded.
"A shey-valley-eer?" Ruby asked. Tabitha watched as Valliere's entire face twitched at the butchering of the title's pronunciation.
"Chevalier." Kirche corrected before Valliere could explode. "It is a title used in Tristain and Gallia. Only the reigning monarch or an acting regent can give it to someone, and it is meant to be given to honor them for their service to the kingdom."
"Like a knight." Ruby whispered, seemingly starstruck. At Kirche's nod, the girl beamed. "That is so cool!"
Cool? The way Ruby used the word was odd, so Tabitha could only assume she wasn't referring to temperature. Looking to Yang, she saw that the blonde looked a little in awe herself, though that quickly gave way to another sad look.
"Indeed. Well, you showed us this, 'Aura'," Kirche chimed in. Tabitha's friend had forced a smile on her face, and was clearly trying to change the topic away from Tabitha. Her brown eyes flicked in Tabitha's direction for a moment, and the bluenette allowed herself a small, grateful smile.
"So why don't we show you magic? You said your 'Semblances' use Aura to work, right?" Kirche continued. The Xiao Longs nodded. "Well, since we don't have Aura, then obviously anything we can do can't be either one of your 'Semblances'!" Kirche's commonly known bravado had returned to her voice. Tabitha could tell it was slightly forced.
Yang looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded. Ruby's eyes lit up as she bobbed her head as well, her face breaking out into an excited grin. Valliere simply continued to mutter angrily for a moment, before growling and crossing her arms with a, "Hmph," as she seemingly decided to let the previous matter drop for the moment.
Still smiling, Kirche pulled out her wand with an exaggerated flourish. Then, she incanted the levitation spell, and pointed her wand at Ruby. The girl's silver eyes widened and she let out a squeak of surprise as she began to float off the ground, rising half-way to the ceiling before stopping. She kicked her legs experimentally, and then started smiling once more.
"Woah!" She breathed in awe.
"A-and you guys can all do that?" Yang asked.
Tabitha nodded in response. With a quick incantation of her own, Yang rose off the ground as well, rising to her sister's height as her eyes widened as well.
"This. Is. Awesome!" Ruby shouted, throwing up her arms is joy. The simple glee on her face seemed to fill up the room somewhat, Kirche's smile becoming much more genuine and Gramont puffing out his chest proudly despite his lack of action. Tabitha's own lips quirked up into a small smile as well, watching the silver-eyed girl try to twirl herself around mid-air with a laugh. Yang shook off her own shock slightly, beaming happily towards her sister.
Only Valliere remained reserved, looking like she'd bitten into a lemon, now glaring at Kirche.
Yang's eyes turned back to the nobles, looking them up and down once again from her suspended position. Tabitha took note of how they lingered on Valliere's uneven hair and the various bumps, bruises, and scrapes the Halkeginians bore. The blonde breathed in and out, before nodding.
Satisfied with her display, Kirche brought her wand down slowly, returning Ruby to the floor. The red-cloaked girl let out a disappointed, "Aw!", pouting ever so slightly before her smile returned. Taking her queue, Tabitha returned Yang to the floor as well.
"Right. Magic. That's…" Yang said, sitting down. She paused, and took a deep breath. "A thing. You guys said that magic brought you here, right? That there was an acc-"
The Valean stopped as a muffled hiss and squealing came through the door, Kirche and Gramont's familiars reacting to something unknown. Tabitha was on her feet soon after, but before she could do anything, the sound of her classmate's familiars was joined by barking.
Ruby's eyes widened, and her smile grew.
"Oh, that's Zwei! Dad's here!"
The silver-eyed girl suddenly moved, zipping to the door as a nearly imperceptible blur, rose petals appearing and then falling to the wooden floor behind her. She opened the door quickly, revealing the outside world once again.
Yang stood to her feet and sighed in relief, slowly moving to follow with a smile of her own. Tabitha followed suit, and she could hear her peers doing the same behind her.
Following Yang out the door revealed a curious sight. A small dog was sitting in front of Gramont's mole, sniffing at its face and wagging its stubby tail as the familiar tried to back away from the canine. Kirche's fire salamander- Flame, Tabitha recalled she'd named it- was curled up on top of a nearby tree stump, reptilian eyes watching the proceedings while lazily flicking out its tongue.
Standing nearby was a tall, tanned, muscular man with short, messy blonde hair a shade lighter than Yang or Gramont's, his stubble and small bit of facial hair below his bottom lip being the same color. He wore odd, light brown pants that went down to just past his knees, a beige buttoned shirt with brown trim and a wide, popped collar, and a small brown jacket. On his right arm he wore a dull metal pauldron above an almost heart-shaped tattoo as well as a leather bracer and fingerless glove, and he had a dull orange band tied around his left bicep.
The man's eyebrow was currently arced as he looked at the familiars and what Tabitha assumed was the family's dog, blue eyes staring at the two creatures. In his arms, he was carrying what looked like a large brown bag that looked almost like it was made of brown paper.
In an instant, Ruby had crossed the distance between the door and what Tabitha assumed was her father, embracing the man in a one-way hug.
"Hey, Ruby!" He greeted as she let him go, stepping back. "Sorry it took me so long, sweetie- I got Yang's message, and finished up as soon as I could."
Yang had sent a message to her father? Tabitha glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye, only to see her smiling completely unconcerned at her father as she started towards them. How and when had she done that?
"It's okay, dad!" Ruby replied, smiling.
The man looked up, smiling at his older daughter before turning his gaze to the Halkeginians. The blue orbs scanned over them critically, even as he gave them an easy smile. Tabitha could see hints of well-hidden tension in his stance that suggested caution.
"So, these are the strangers who, uh, appeared when you two were training, then?" His daughters nodded. "Well, then I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Taiyang Xiao Long. I'm a teacher at Signal Combat Academy."
Signal Combat Academy? Tabitha carefully appraised the man, taking note of the faint lines of scars on his arms and legs. A soldier? Were Yang and Ruby following in his footsteps?
She kept her staff in hand as she watched the man embrace his eldest daughter, beaming. When they pulled apart, he gestured off to the side of the house.
"Alright. You two can help me unload the groceries real quickly. Fill me in on your friends here while you're at it." He turned to face Tabitha and her peers, still smiling. "If you're comfortable, why don't you four wait in the living room for us to get done? I'm sure Yang and Ruby have asked plenty of questions, but I'm sure I'll have some of my own when I'm all caught up."
The man turned to the dog, which was now licking at Gramont's familiar happily.
"Zwei!" The dog perked up, head cocking towards his owner. The mole scrambled away and started digging into the earth while Zwei was distracted. Dutifully, the small dog followed his master as they moved towards the side of the house.
----
Between Ruby, Yang, and himself, it hadn't taken the three members of the Xiao Long-Rose household long to get the groceries and supplies Tai had gotten into the kitchen. The food he'd bought (barring the cans, which would be going into the pantry in the basement) was quickly put away, and as they worked his daughters quickly filled him in on their unexpected guests.
"-and then Tabitha did the same thing, and Yang started floating too!" Ruby explained as she tucked the last of the food away. "It was actual magic! It was super cool, dad!"
"Oh, was it now?" Tai asked, an impish grin coming to his face. "Well, it really sounds like they swept you two off your feet, huh?" Yang- who had stopped to get herself a glass of water- abruptly choked on the gulp she had been taking. "Do I need to have a talk with our guests?"
Yang cackled between coughs as Ruby flushed, faux glaring at him and puffing out her cheeks. Tai let out a laugh of his own, Ruby eventually letting out an amused snort despite herself.
Tai smiled at his daughters, even as he went over everything he was being told with concern. Four people suddenly appearing out of thin air, claiming to be magical and seemingly not knowing anything about Remnant? Said people additionally having the ability to at least appear to back up those claims? It set off more than a few alarm bells, and in regard to their 'magic', it was worryingly and painfully familiar.
"Right. Well, why don't you go out and check on our guests?" Tai suggested, glancing over at the clock on the wall. It was a bit past noon. "I'll whip up a late lunch real quick, and then join you."
"Sure!" Ruby responded, moving for the door into the living room. Yang followed, still trying to catch her breath. Tai frowned for a moment, crossing his arms.
"And girls?" He called after them, causing the two to stop and turn to face him. "Hold off on questions a bit for now."
"Why?" Yang asked, surprised. "We still don't really know much about them! Didn't you say you were going to want to ask some questions, too?"
"I know, Yang." Tai said, gently. "But it sounds like these people have been through a lot, and from what you said they're sounding a bit overwhelmed as it is. There's a lot they need to think about already, so it's probably best to hold off on piling on too much more for now." He shifted his weight to his left leg. "I'm not saying to not explain anything or ask about anything at all, but just… try to keep it light for 'em, okay?"
Her face lighting up in understanding, his youngest nodded, Yang following her lead a second later.
"Now," Tai continued, "Unless you want to stay and help make lunch…"
Abruptly, his daughters scrambled for the door, making Tai chuckle. As it closed behind them and Ruby's muffled voice began talking on the other side, his face turned downwards into a frown.
If he hadn't known magic already existed ever since that day when Oz invited STRQ up to his office all the way back in their fourth year at Beacon, he might have been more hesitant to believe the claims the strange kids currently sitting in his living room were making, thinking they'd just pulled the wool over his daughters' eyes. But he did know magic was real, and that knowledge made everything his girls had told him make sense in a way he didn't really want it to.
He'd seen them, and it had been abundantly clear to his experienced eyes that the girls weren't imagining the strangers' lack of Aura- their scrapes and bruises should have been healed or at least healing if they did. Combine that with two of them using the same ability without a trace of Dust use to be seen...
And Tai found his stomach churning in an uncomfortably familiar way.
Quickly, he pulled out his scroll, opening up his contacts. He scrolled through the list, stopping at the image of an all-too familiar grey haired man he hadn't talked to directly in years before last night.
Tai would be the first to admit he wasn't the most fond of Ozpin. He knew the headmaster meant well, but after Raven and Summer, he couldn't help it. They and Qrow had all gotten wrapped up in Oz's secret society, and now Qrow was all that was left. Even though the former had chosen to run off of her own free will- abandoning Oz's cause as much as she did her family- and even Oz didn't know where Summer had gone or been doing on that damn mission, it was hard not to hold somewhat of a grudge against the man, irrational as it was.
Losing two wives and being left to pick up the pieces tended to do that to a man.
Even still, Tai tapped on his name, and started to type out a message. Magic was something he was completely unprepared to deal with, and loathe as he was to admit it, that meant he was out of his league here. Oz was infinitely better equipped and informed about this kind of thing, and hopefully he'd be willing to help him figure out what the hell to do from here.
And if he was lucky, then he could keep his daughters from getting sucked into the same conflict their mothers had been- for now, at the very least. They were too much like Summer to not get involved if they ever were let in on things or pieced it together themselves, as much as the thought scared him. He'd always known- ever since his brave, wonderful little girls declared they were going to be Huntresses- that there was the way too likely chance they'd do so.
But gods, he hoped it wasn't this soon.
Finishing his message, he quickly tucked his scroll back in his pocket and turned to the breadbox on the counter.
----
"Hmm."
In a large, round room high above the City of Vale, a man sat behind a glass-surfaced desk. Behind his chair was inside of Beacon Tower's large clock face, and above him a series of finely tuned cogs, gears, and pendulums moved with mechanical grace. He had grey, tousled hair, brown eyes, and wore a pair of small, shaded spectacles. His dark green suit and button-up vest beneath were immaculate as always, as was his usual green cowl and the silver cross-shaped pin on its front. His hands were folded in front of him as he examined the holographic screen projected before him.
The transcripts on the screen were simply stupendous. They advertised many long years of hard training and spectacular results born from it, claiming their applicant to be a prodigy of Pharos Academy with the highest of marks in his classes. To the uninformed, these transcripts might be considered to be the herald of a truly great Huntsman to be.
Of course, to Ozpin's far more informed self, they were quite blatantly a forgery.
Dates didn't line up. The grades were too perfect. The claims of this 'Jaune Arc's' combat prowess were vague, making no mention of the boy's semblance, fighting style, or his weapon. The transcripts were accompanied by a recommendation that was supposedly written by a professor who had not been in Pharos Combat Academy's employ for half a decade. And perhaps most damningly, not a single one of Pharos' professors could claim to know of the supposed-prodigy they had supposedly trained.
Which was why, of course, Ozpin approved the application. It took either determination or desperation to send fake transcripts to arguably the most prestigious Huntsman Academy on Remnant, and no small amount of either foolishness and perhaps bravery as well. Huntsmen of great standing and skill had come from lesser backgrounds and character, and so Ozpin felt inclined to give the boy a chance.
There would be no harm in allowing the boy to at the very least attempt initiation. Where he to prove himself to be unfit for the Academy- either by failing initiation, or via his conduct- he could easily be removed before the start of the school year. Were he to succeed, he would be granted the opportunity to attend Beacon and truly prove himself.
Of course, it was perhaps better that he keep Glynda in the dark about this for the time being. She would no doubt take issue with allowing him to attend at all.
The buzzing of his scroll brought his focus to the device laying on his desk. With a few taps on the glass surface in front of him, the scroll connected to his desk, replacing the hologram of Mister Arc's transcripts with a message from a surprising individual. Taiyang Xiao Long hadn't directly contacted him in years, after all, choosing to stay uninvolved with Ozpin directly following the disappearance of his first wife.
His eyes scanned the contents of the message, his hand moving to his simple mug bearing the dual axes of Vale and bringing it to his lips. Sipping at his cocoa, he frowned.
This was… concerning. Very concerning indeed.
Placing down his cocoa, Ozpin's free hand moved across the surface of his desk, pulling up another projection. More movements quickly began to flag meetings meant to be had tomorrow to be rescheduled and responsibilities to be given to the professors under him. That accomplished, he turned his focus to his scroll, removing it from his desk and quickly beginning to write a response to Taiyang. All the while, his mind raced, considering this sudden change to the status quo.
These 'Halkeginians' would need to stay at the Xiao Long-Rose household for tonight while he prepared alternative lodgings and the beginnings of documentation for them. They would need to be kept secret, and Taiyang would need to make sure his daughters understood that. Ozpin would make sure to further impress the need for secrecy- gently- upon the young Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long in person when he arrived at their home tomorrow. He would much prefer to see them today, but with Taiyang's description of their current status they would need a long night's rest to process what they had learned already lest they begin feeling even more overwhelmed and lash out.
Further, he would need to determine how best to tell his allies about this new development. For the moment, he would play things safe and keep this between himself and Glynda, but he would have to tell them eventually lest they put together the pieces themselves. The distrust that would sow would be difficult to mend, and so he would need to pre-empt it.
Finally, there was the matter of what to do with the children in the long term. Four individuals bearing magic appearing out of nowhere from a place previously unheard of would no doubt capture Her attention soon enough, no matter how hard he tried to hide their presence. It would be paramount to make sure they were defended, and- seeing as they had no knowledge of Aura- taught to defend themselves quickly as possible. These four had the potential to change everything, and he couldn't allow them to fall into the hands of the enemy.
There was also the possibility to consider that their magic wasn't the same as his own magic. That it wasn't the magic of the Brothers that these strangers wielded, but something different entirely. Possibly, even, something he had thought lost to the world for a long, long time. If that were the case…
Then that made keeping these displaced souls out of Salem's hands all the more important.
But he was getting ahead of himself, and with practice born of millennia of experience, Ozpin refocused himself on the task at hand. Already, an idea had formed in his head. Ozpin drained the last of his cocoa, and got to work. He had much to get done, after all, and only so much time to do it.
---
Finally, this chapter is done. Sorry for the delay! Konk'd out after work on the yesterday and woke up late because my phone died, which meant that I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to get this done for y'all then- I may have actually gotten this done yesterday if I had woke up when I wanted to. Ah, well, water under the bridge and all that!
Not sure how well this chapter reads to y'all, but I tried my best to capture the reactions of the Halkeginians in the moment and handle exposition without doing a giant info dump. And our poor Halkeginians haven't even explained/had explained to them nearly everything yet!
God, if I have to write, "shocked" or any of its synonyms that many times again any time soon, I'mma lose it. Ah, well. The pains of writing and creative choices, eh?
So, yeah. Kirche and Guiche still haven't really gotten dedicated POV moments just yet, but that's going to be changing soon. Probably going to try to squeeze in at least something next chapter and the one after that. And hark, good ol' Oz has plans to come around to check things out in person. Of course, before he does that, there's more that's gotta happen- it's only just past noon on the first day, after all, and the Halkeginians are staying overnight. There's gonna be another chapter before he meets everyone as a result, and a few more revelations to be had. Hopefully, said chapter should be more in length with Chapter 1, and I'll be starting on it tomorrow once I'm done with the half-shift I've gotta work.
And yes, Tai knows about magic and the Ozluminati/Brotherhood/[Insert Preferred Name Here]. To an extent, at least; he doesn't know nearly as much as Qrow, Raven, or Summer do/did. He knows a bit about the Maidens, knows that Oz is trying to protect them, and knows that Oz has the ability to give out abilities like he did with Qrow and Raven. He does not know at all about Salem, the Brothers, or the Relics. It just makes sense for him to be at least a little bit in on the loop, considering Qrow and Raven were involved with it all and it's kinda implied that so was Summer to some degree.
Also, you might be wondering about Jacobsville. Well, the island itself is called Patch, but we're never given the canonical name of any settlements on Patch so I decided to come up with one myself. Kudos to anyone who gets its inspiration!
As for what Oz knows... well, you're gonna have to wait and see on that one, won'tcha?
As always, constructive criticism and speculation is entirely encouraged! Until next update!
Now, on with the story!
----
They had been walking along this forested path for some time now, and Louise could feel her patience thinning as her mood spiraled further downwards by the second. Not only were she and her… peers Founder-knows where in what she could only assume was Albion, but her physical state was dreadful. Her clothes were filthy and torn, her hair matted, singed, and now lopsided, she had scrapes and bruises across her form, and she felt a bone-deep ache everywhere that only seemed to get worse the longer she walked. She felt like she could sleep for an entire week!
And that was before she even started thinking about how they had gotten into this mess. Zerbst's outburst before those… things (and the thought of them had her glancing nervously towards the trees along the trail for a moment) had attacked them had bitten far deeper than she'd ever let the harlot know. How could it not have, considering the Germanian was right? She had failed once again- Thrice again, she thought bitterly- and so spectacularly that they'd found themselves in another country. She had no familiar to prove her worthy of being a mage, of being a Valliere- nothing to show she wasn't just a stain on her family name to be married off and forgotten, a true Zero-!
Louise grit her teeth, clenching her fists so hard she could feel her fingernails biting into her palms. She breathed in slowly through her teeth, blinking away the first traces of tears and steeling herself as best she could. Ahead of her, Zerbst turned to throw a glance her way, and Louise pointedly looked away and into the trees before she could see her familial rival's face so she didn't have to see the no-doubt smug smile on the Germanian's face.
No. No, she couldn't think of herself like that. She was a Valliere! She'd- she'd failed the summoning ritual, but she'd clearly done something magical to send herself and her… peers so far from home. Her explosions, too, were proof that she had something. She just- she must have done something wrong. That was it. That had to be it. She'd figure it out.
When they all returned home, Louise knew she was going to be expelled from the Academy. Likely, she'd be punished further by her parents for not listening to her professor and accidentally dragging three young nobles with her to stave off conflict with her peers' families. But she wouldn't let that stop her. She'd- she'd study, and practice, and discover how to use her magic properly. Even if she had to do it in secret, she'd prove herself.
She had to.
But that was for the future. She had to focus on the present for now, and so she did.
Pushing her dread and her thoughts of the future down, Louise looked at the two strangers- this 'Ruby' and 'Yang' they'd encountered on their arrival here- as they led them towards their supposed home. Ruby was still leading the party, occasionally shooting a curious- and when Louise caught the girl looking at her specifically, concerned- look back at her and her peers. Behind them, Yang had put her arms behind her head, whatever bizarre weapons she was wearing- Of all things!- back to being bracelets on her wrists.
Louise couldn't help but feel anxious as they let the two girls guide them to shelter. The youngest Valliere was far from stupid- the speed at which they had moved, the unnatural strength they showed, the strange weapons, and the fact that Ruby had burst into petals and zipped to her side before she could even process her moving clearly showed they weren't normal human commoners. The lack of incantations and wands suggested that whatever magic they used to do what they had wasn't Brimiric in origin, either.
And then there were Yang's eyes. Louise had clearly seen them change color, going from an exotic purple to a bright red in the literal blink of an eye when she had gotten between Zerbst and herself. Human eyes simply didn't do that- in fact, the only creatures she had heard of that held that ability were vampires in stories Cattleya had told her as a child! If it wasn't for the fact that it was currently day and the fact that the purple-eyed girl hadn't tried to rip them apart, she may have assumed that was what the blonde girl was.
Of course, it wasn't like Ruby had normal eyes either, but at least she'd seen their likeness on someone who was most surely a human being before. One of the more exotic-looking maids at the Academy had the same shiny, almost mirror-like hue, and she doubted someone like Osmond would miss some kind of monster hiding so obviously in sight if she weren't human.
But that left the question as to what, exactly, these strangers were. They seemed to be human enough, but couldn't fey take on human shape? But if they were fey, then why would they have helped them instead of attacking them on sight? Argh, she was going in circles in her head!
"Here we are!" Ruby declared, suddenly, "Home sweet home!"
The words snapped Louise out of her thoughts, and she realized they were now in another clearing, this one notably larger than the one they had appeared in. It sported a few smoothly-cut stumps throughout the clearing, as well as scattered, standing trees. The grass was surprisingly short, and a closer look showed it appeared to have been cut down like the lawn of the academy. In its center before them stood a log cabin of surprising quality, appearing well-built and standing two stories tall. To Louise's mild surprise, the cabin had multiple glass windows, despite its apparent distance from any settlement.
Of course, that made sense. Ruby and Yang's clothing may not have been proper noble attire as she knew it- especially the blonde's more scandalous outfit- but it was clearly well-made and of fair-quality materials. In particular, Ruby's cloak and dress looked like they must have been expensive, as did the purple cloth and half-skirt Yang wore. Even disregarding their inhuman traits, it was clear they were no normal commoners, and their families being able to afford glass seemingly in the middle of nowhere made sense. Maybe they were the daughters of merchants? But then why did they live out here?
Now that they had arrived, whatever tension Ruby had felt seemed to disappear. The odd girl led the way down the path to the cabin's front door with an easy stride, approaching the light cobbling in front of the door and flowerbeds to its sides. She quickly reached for something at her waist that Louise couldn't see due to her cloak, and then pulled out a small key ring that jingled merrily in her hands before reaching the door.
The cloaked girl unlocked the door with a click, before pulling it open for the group behind her, smiling as she did.
"Feel free to, uh, make yourselves at home! Just, um, leave your shoes at the door, because dad just cleaned the floor before he left!"
Louise hesitated for a moment, weariness at their ordeal warring with caution born from a lack of knowledge. Then, after muttering something to her fire salamander, Zerbst stepped forwards, seemingly unafraid as she walked through the doorway. Finally overcoming her hesitation, Louise hastily followed suit, and she could hear the others following behind her. Guiche said something to his own familiar, but she ignored it even as she noted the mole laying down on the ground.
She passed through the doorway and by Zerbst, only to pause once she saw the inside of the house and began to take it all in. The walls of the inside of the cabin were lined with finely-cut, smooth wooden planks, with white-painted wood lining the boundaries between it and the much darker planks made up the flooring. Under their feet was a small green rug, a few pairs of boots and shoes sitting besides it on an odd, flat black thing.
The room they entered was spacious, with a large green rug with white patterns taking up the center of it. A small, dark wooden table sat before a green-colored couch and loveseat on one side of it, with a long series of cabinets topped with an odd metal bar sitting on the other side of the rug seemingly without reason. Paintings hung on the walls, and two more shelves sat against the walls bearing books, small sculptures, and odd-looking things Louise couldn't quite identify. Two windowless doors sat on bordering walls, one of them going under the staircase in front of them that lead up, to the left and out of sight to the second floor.
None of the cabin's insides were of the splendor or noble quality she was used to in the Valliere mansion, but was rather clearly above the quality of what commoners had in Tristain. This only cemented her belief that the two girls were above the common folk in status at the very least.
She heard a surprised yelp behind her, and turned to see Tabitha poking the stationary Zerbst in the back with her staff. The bluenette had already removed her shoes, and with her prompting Zerbst quickly began to do so as well. Snapped out of her examination of the cabin, Louise did the same, carefully placing the shoes on the odd black thing before proceeding deeper into the house. Guiche, having now entered the cabin himself, followed suit.
The door closing behind them caused her to jolt briefly, and she turned to see Yang holding its handle. She turned to look at the nobles and grimaced, her purple eyes looked them up and down. For a moment, the room was oddly silent, Ruby fidgeting with her skirt and shuffling awkwardly besides the blonde haired girl being the only sounds in the house.
"Right." Yang finally said, clasping her hands together. "Before we talk about, ah, everything, how about we let you guys get cleaned up first? You're all kinda..." The blonde gesticulated her hand up and down in their direction. "Not looking too hot."
Despite her uncertainty regarding Yang and Ruby's magic- and not knowing what 'not looking too hot' even meant- Louise couldn't help but nod her head. After everything that had just happened, the sound of even a cold bath sounded wonderful. Beside her, Tabitha nodded curtly, and if Guiche's head bobbed up and down any faster it was going to fall off.
"Oh, thank you!" Kirche- the she-devil- crowed "I assume you have a place for us to draw up a bath?"
Yang blinked owlishly, as did Ruby. For a moment, Louise felt her heart sink and her ire rising.
"'Draw up a bath'?" Ruby repeated, questioningly and with a cocked head.
"Y-yes?" Zerbst fumbled, looking confused. "Filling a basin with warm water to bathe?"
Ruby mouthed an 'oh', her and Yang's faces lighting up in comprehension, thank the Founder.
"You mean filling up the bathtub?" Yang asked, "Yeah, we've got bathrooms- one of 'em for dad and uncle Qrow, and another for us."
Bathroom? Louise had never heard the word before, but she supposed it fit for a room you bathed in.
Wait, Crow? If she wasn't mistaken, wasn't that the Albionese word for a crow? What kind of barbarian named their child after a bird!? And one that feasted on carrion at that! Louise bit her tongue to keep her outrage in check, breathing deeply as she could.
"Ruby, why don't you bring, uh…" Yang trailed off, blinking. "Huh. I guess we never got any of your names, did we?"
Louise paused for a moment in surprise, and then her eyes widened, realizing that the girl was right. They'd never properly introduced themselves, had they? Zerbst opened her mouth to speak again.
"Well then!" Louise declared a little too quickly, cutting the Germanian off before clearing her throat. "I suppose we should apologize for forgetting our manners." Taking her skirt in her hands, Louise attempted a curtsy, grimacing as her legs ached in protest. "My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Zerbst immediately shot her a brief scowl, before putting a smile on her face and turning back to their hosts.
"Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt Zerbst." She began, more formally than Louise expected. "Thank you for your hospitality!"
Guiche quickly stood as tall and as proud as his frazzled state allowed, stepping forwards.
"My name is Guiche de Gramont!" He said with a flourish, bow, and an attempt at a suave smile. "It is an honor to meet such beautiful maidens as yourselves!" The fop finished his introduction with a wink.
Louise could have sworn a vein started throbbing along her temple as Gramont reminded her- despite their circumstances- why he was considered a skirt-chaser by the student body. Yang apparently shared her irritation, narrowing her eyes, clenching her fists, scowling and stepping slightly in front of Ruby in response. The smaller girl grimaced a bit as she tried to awkwardly return Gramonts smile. Zerbst looked directly at the blonde with a raised eyebrow, and Tabitha simply maintained a blank expression.
"Tabitha." The bluenette introduced succinctly, breaking the awkward air between the strangers and Guiche. The latter quickly straightened himself up, trying rather transparently to pretend he hadn't inserted his entire foot into his mouth.
"Okaay." Yang said, looking slightly more confused than she had been before. "Right- well, my name is Yang. Yang Xiao Long." Shaking off her confusion, the blonde girl suddenly broke into a grin. "And this-"
Abruptly, she threw her arm out, grabbing Ruby by her sleeve. The redheaded girl yelped in surprise as she was abruptly pulled towards the taller girl and pulled into a headlock, and then made a sound halfway between a squawk and a squeak as Yang began to ruffle her hair.
"-is my little sister, Ruby!"
"Yaaaang!" The younger girl protested, struggling to try and pull herself out of the headlock with a pout.
Sisters? They looked nothing alike!
Louise frowned, squinting as she took a closer look at the newly-identified sisters. That wasn't quite true, now that she was looking for it; their noses had a somewhat similar shape, as did their eyes and their faces. It wasn't much, but it was there.
The way they acted wasn't like she was used to with her own siblings, either. Eleonore was far more strict and serious, and Cattleya was much less… physical in showing her affection, not to mention far more formal around company and gentle overall. That lack of proper etiquette was a mark against them being nobility, she determined, pushing down the frustration born from the social faux pass before her.
The blonde shook her head, smiling as she released her younger sister. "Ruby, why don't you show Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha where our bathroom is? I'll bring Guiche- " she once again narrowed her eyes at the fop, causing him to flinch, "- over to dad's."
If it weren't for how tired and filthy she felt and her drained willpower, Louise imagined she may have objected to the casual way Yang was speaking to herself and her peers. As things were, she simply couldn't find the energy to do so.
Ruby nodded, and both of the sisters made their way over to the stairs. Eager to clean up, the four nobles followed them.
----
Ruby led the way towards her and Yang's bathroom, Kirche, Tabitha, and Louise in tow, Yang having split off towards dad's room with Guiche. It didn't really take that long- it's not like the house was that big, after all- and then they were standing in front of her and Yang's bathroom door. Ruby wrung her hands nervously, before spinning around and doing her best to smile.
"So, here we are. The bathroom. So you can all wash yourselves off."
The girls awkwardly stood in silence for a moment, before Tabitha stepped forwards a bit.
"Thank you." She said, face blank. Ruby's smile became more natural regardless.
"You're welcome!" Ruby replied warmly. Quickly realizing the door was still closed, she turned and opened it, before stepping out of the way and looking back to the girls-
-who all looked confused. Why were they confused?
"Um. Is everything okay?"
Kirche smiled oddly, turning to face her.
"Oh, yes. I've just never seen a… bathroom like this before."
It was Ruby's turn to blink- she'd been doing a lot of that lately- at the girl who apparently hadn't seen a plain old bathroom before. Did they come from a settlement really far out in the wilderness, or something? But then why didn't they recognize the Grimm earlier? This was all really, really strange.
Right, questions later.
"Ah. Right. Okay. Well, it's just a normal bathroom. Shower is a bit sensitive, but-"
"Shower?"
Ruby stared at the confused expression on Kirche's face, before looking to Louise and Tabitha to see neither of them looked like they were any less in the dark.
Oh boy.
----
Hearing footsteps coming down the stairs, Yang leaned back, craning her neck to look over the back of the couch at the source of the noise upside-down. Ruby looked uncomfortable as she hurried to the ground floor, fiddling with her cloak.
"So, they didn't know what a shower was either, huh?" She half-asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ruby shook her head as she moved around the couch and plopped herself down on it next to her sister. Yang sat up in response.
"No, they didn't." Ruby said, frowning. "I mean, it's not as weird as them not knowing what Grimm are-" 'weird' wasn't what Yang would call it, "-but I had to explain it to them and I felt really, really awkward." Embarrassed, Ruby pulled on her hood.
Yang couldn't pass up the opportunity, grinning cheekily. "Oh, did you now? Is there a special reason my baby sister felt 'awkward' explaining how her shower worked to three pretty girls all by herself~?"
Ruby flushed in response, before growling and smacking at Yang's arm. The blonde laughed, and then straightened up and took on a more serious expression.
"Okay, but seriously, these people don't make any sense." She said, pulling out her scroll. "Not knowing what Grimm are, calling Vytalian 'Albionese', those three's names- where'd they even come from? How'd they even get here?"
Ruby frowned, looking at the stairs contemplatively. "I don't know. We saw that weird oval thing… maybe they got sucked up in some crazy Semblance when they got sent here? I didn't understand what was being said by that voice I heard, but I think it was Louise's and she doesn't have her Aura up, so maybe she has a teleportation semblance and used it before her Aura went down?"
"An explosive teleportation Semblance?" Yang asked, eyebrow cocked. "But why come here? And why'd you hear her clearly while I only heard gibberish?" She frowned, eyes narrowed.
"Well, she sounded kind of desperate, I think?" Ruby said, hesitantly. "So maybe they were in danger, and she activated her Semblance without a place to go, and- and yeah, I don't know either."
Yang sighed, and pulled out her scroll. Opening it revealed what she'd closed it on; the built-in web browser opened to the search engine, 'Albionese' typed into the search bar. The results were unrelated to what she wanted to know and unhelpful. She quickly closed out of that, pulling up her messages.
"I sent dad a text on the way back here." She said, looking over his reply. "He said he'd be coming back as soon as he finished up in town, so hopefully that doesn't take too long. I sent a message to uncle Qrow, too, but… well, he's out in the field, so I don't know if he's got it yet." WIth another sigh, she stood, putting away her scroll before stretching her arms over her head.
"Welp, no point in just sitting and waiting around. I'll grab some chairs from the kitchen. Why don't you grab something for our oh-so-mysterious guests to eat while we talk? This is probably going to take a while."
Ruby nodded, standing up herself. The two sisters made their way to the kitchen, and Yang shot a smirk at her sister.
"Just don't grab the strawberries. I don't think they'll like watching you eat all of 'em before they get the chance to have any."
Ruby scowled, crossing her arms and half-glaring at Yang. "My dearest sister," She said with exaggerated formality, "Just what are you implying?"
Yang laughed.
----
Tabitha had chosen to use this 'shower' last, making the tactical choice of allowing her more vain peers to go before her. Predictably, Kirche and Valliere had started squabbling over who would get to use it first after Ruby awkwardly explained how the contraption worked before hastily making her way down the hall and presumably downstairs, which had ended when Kirche had used her superior size to bodily push Valliere out of the way, closed the door, and locked it from the inside. Valliere had pounded on the bathroom door and sputtered indignant insults at Tabitha's only friend for a few minutes before grumbling and slouching against the wall.
Tabitha and Valliere had sat in silence for a few minutes, and the former had found herself missing her latest book- Valliere's explosions had torn it out of her hands back at the Academy, sadly enough- as they waited for Kirche to wash herself clean. Surprisingly, Kirche hadn't taken very long, stepping out of the now slightly steamy bathroom with magically-dried hair that had been hastily brushed straight, wearing her academy uniform once more despite its dirtied state. Valliere had been all too quick to push her way past the older girl and into the bathroom, almost slamming the door into Kirche's back in her haste to close it.
Kirche simply smirked at the door, before turning to Tabitha. "Well, the Zero is certainly in a mood." She remarked.
Tabitha nodded, idly drumming her fingers against her staff. "Understandable." She replied. Through the door, they heard the sound of water spraying from the 'showerhead', and a startled yelp of surprise. Kirche giggled in response, her grin widening.
"I can't blame her for her haste to use this, 'shower', though." She continued, stretching. "Honestly, if it weren't for the civil war, I'd have been tempted to come to Albion just to use one of these sooner. It's positively divine! I'm surprised I haven't heard of such a wonderful invention before now!"
Tabitha frowned. "It doesn't make sense." She said.
"Tabitha?"
"This isn't a noble estate, and yet they have a luxury like this that we've never heard of." She elaborated. "It doesn't make sense."
Kirche brought up a hand to her chin, taking on a ponderous expression.
"Well, now that you say it, I suppose it doesn't make much sense, does it?" Kirche frowned, looking back to the bathroom door. "For such a thing to be found here means it can't be new or hard to come by, can it? Then we should have known about it before, at least in passing…"
Yes, they should have. They also should have heard about Albion having demonic monsters like those 'Grimm' running about and weapons like the sisters had been using. That they hadn't didn't make any sense… unless…
"We're not in Albion."
Kirche stared at her in surprise, lowering her hand from her chin and crossing her arms.
"What? But they're clearly speaking Albionese!"
Tabitha's frown deepened, and she shook her head. "They didn't call it that, and they didn't recognize 'Albionese'."
Kirche's eyes widened in realization, before narrowing. "Well, yes, but then why are they speaking it?"
Tabitha shrugged. "Don't know." She looked down the hall towards the stairs, face passive. "They looked confused at our names, too."
Kirche let out a groan of frustration and pinched the bridge of her nose, but before she could say anything else, the two girls heard footsteps coming down the hallway. They turned to see Gramont, his hair still wet but hastily combed into a rough approximation of its usual style regardless. Tabitha noted an odd, strong smell coming from him as he approached and a grimace on his face, but ignored it.
"Ah, Guiche. I see you-" Kirche paused, nose twitching before she grimaced. "Ugh. What is that smell?"
Gramont's eye twitched in response, the boy muttering something under his breath that neither of them caught before shaking his head.
"It, uh, doesn't matter. I assume we're waiting for the Zero, then?" He questioned.
Kirche nodded, folding her arms across her chest.
"Tabitha still needs to wash herself off, but decided to let Valliere go first. We were just discussing where we are, actually. Tabitha seems to think we aren't even in Albion, and I can't say she doesn't have a good point."
Gramont's eyes widened greatly, and he gaped at Tabitha. The bluenette simply nodded, and he frowned, confused.
"But we're speaking Albionese." He said. Kirche sighed, and opened her mouth to explain before another yelp and a wet thud sounded from behind the closed bathroom door. A string of undignified, unintelligible noises followed, and the 'shower' went quiet.
Kirche broke into giggles, before turning back to Gramont and beginning to catch him up on Tabitha's hypothesis. She had barely finished when the door swung open, revealing an irate pinkette straightening her academy uniform.
Tabitha slipped past her as she exited, choosing to ignore the argument brewing between Valliere and Kirche behind her. She closed the door, looked to the shower, and sighed, before beginning to get undressed.
The 'shower' was brief, but even Tabitha found herself wishing she had time to properly enjoy it. Warm water and the 'shampoo' Ruby had said they could use washed away the dirt from her hair and glasses, and the bottle of liquid the girl had said was soap allowed her to do the same to the rest of her body. The warmth of the shower left her feeling relaxed, but she fought the urge to dawdle in favor of cleaning off as fast as possible.
Soon, she had stepped out of the shower, and quickly dried herself off with a towel (set aside by Ruby during her explanation of what a shower was) and a brief application of wind magic. She could hear Valliere and Kirche still going at it through the door all the while, their voices somehow not at full volume despite the time they'd been left alone together.
Feeling clean and refreshed, a redressed Tabitha opened the door into the hallway, finding the sight beyond it unsurprising
"-you- you stupid, no-good, barbaric Germanian-!" Valliere was ranting, standing as tall as she could while glaring at Kirche with a furious expression.
"Come now, Zero. I'm only being honest!" Kirche interrupted, smugly.
Tabitha could see Valliere's face going an unhealthy shade of red, and the noble opened her mouth to no-doubt yell at Kirche and finally catch their hosts' attention if they hadn't already.
Without hesitation, Tabitha took action.
Thwack!
"Gah!" Valliere recoiled in surprise.
"T-Tabitha!" Kirche whined, doing the same and dramatically clutching the side of her head where Tabitha had lightly hit her with her staff.
Seeing that her uncharacteristic application of blunt force had caught her friend and her classmate's attention, Tabitha cleared her throat, staff still slightly raised.
"No arguing." Tabitha ordered, before moving towards the stairs. Valliere began grumbling behind her, but after a moment Tabitha could hear her following nonetheless. Two more sets of feet padding along the wooden floor told her the others were doing the same.
They walked down the stairs quickly. In the parlor, Ruby and Yang sat on two plain, wooden chairs that had been set up opposite the couch, an additional empty one next to them. They were focused on that strange thing Yang had pulled out while they were walking, Ruby leaning on her sister's shoulder to see it in the blonde's lap. On the table was a white pottery bowl filled with blueberries. As Tabitha entered their line of sight, Ruby glanced up at her, and Yang quickly tucked the thing away in her pocket.
The nobles quickly sat down; Gramont seated himself on the cushioned chair, leaving a scowling Valliere to sit down on one side of the couch and Kirche the other. Unfortunately, this meant Tabitha found herself sitting between the two. Mercifully, her and Valliere's size as well as the latter's effort to push herself as far away from Kirche as possible gave her plenty of room to do so.
The room was quiet for a moment, before Ruby cleared her throat.
"Soooo…" She began, forcing a smile on her face. "Um… where are you guys from?"
Straight to the point, then.
"Well, I-" Valliere began, sitting up straight.
"We," Kirche interrupted, earning herself an angry glare from Valliere, "Are second year students at the Tristain Academy of Magic."
Both of the sisters stared at Kirche with open disbelief, though Kirche, Gramont and Valliere didn't seem to notice.
"Yes," Valliere growled, "Though only some of us are actually from Tristain-"
"You're joking, right?"
Valliere's mouth closed with an audible clack of her teeth, the Tristanian balking at Yang's interruption.
"Excuse me?" The Valliere asked, angrily.
"'The Tristain Academy of Magic?'" The blonde parroted, skeptically.
"Yang!" Ruby whisper-yeleld, pulling on her sister's sleeve.
"Look, come on." Yang scoffed, crossing her arms. "Magic isn't even real."
Gramont's jaw dropped open, his eyes going wide. Kirche stared at Yang like the girl had grown a second head. Tabitha blinked, and despite her experience her own eyes went wide.
'Magic isn't even real'? The very sentence was unthinkable. Magic was everything. It dominated society, the wilderness, the very world itself. As much as muscle and brainpower, magic kept human society together.
Valliere's face went slack in shock. Then, she was furious, her eyes narrowed, teeth clenched, and body shaking.
"Not- not real? Not real!?" Suddenly, Valliere was on her feet. "How dare you!? It's the holy legacy of the Founder, the mark of the nobility's right to rule! You can find it in every corner of the world! You- you- what kind of backwater barbarians think magic isn't real!?"
The sisters were taken aback by the sudden surge of anger, recoiling. Yang recovered first, her eyes turning crimson as she too rose to her feet. Tabitha tightened her grip on her staff.
"Hey!" Yang snarled, clenching her fists.
"Yang!" Ruby shouted, grabbing the blonde's arm from her seat. The older girl froze, turning to look at her younger sister. The two shared a long look, and then the blonde closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, her eyes were back to being violet, and she returned to her seat.
For a moment things were quiet, and Valliere's sudden anger began to diminish somewhat as her body stopped shaking.
"You're serious?" Yang asked after a moment, her own anger dulled with rising shock as she seemed to realize Valliere was genuinely outraged and shocked.
"Yes!" Valliere exclaimed, "Founder have mercy, how do you live in Albion and not know what magic is?"
Before either of the shocked and confused sisters could reply, Tabitha spoke up.
"We're not in Albion."
The remark caused Valliere to pause, before whipping her head around to face the bluenette, mouth agape.
"Do you have a map?" Tabitha asked the sisters, taking the initiative.
"O-oh! Yeah!" Ruby replied, quickly opening one of the compartments on her belt and pulling out another of those strange devices. With ease that spoke of practice, she opened it, and Tabitha's peers gaped in shock at the glowing glass.
"What is that?" Gramont asked.
Ruby blinked, and waved the thing around. "It's my scroll! It, uh, connects to the CCT network-" The girl stopped, and then shook her head. "U-um, nevermind, I'll explain later. Just let me pull up the map."
"Scroll? B-but that's not-" Gramont sputtered.
"Aha! Here we go." Ruby exclaimed, cutting the noble off.
The girl put the 'scroll' on the table and turned it to face them, pushing the untouched bowl of blueberries aside. Tabitha leaned forwards to examine the device, and Valliere and Kirche followed suit. Gramont stood up, moving to look over their shoulders and do the same.
Somehow, there was a map on the glass panel, and Tabitha stared in shock at what it showed. Kirche sucked in a breath through her teeth, Gramont gasped, and Valliere's breathing quickened to an alarming pace.
The map was completely foreign to them. Five land masses dominated it, three of them resembling dragons to varied degrees. Each of them were labeled with a name, and even though she was slightly rusty in her written Albionese she could read them clearly; Solitas, Saunas, Menagerie, Anima, and Deserta. She could see a few shapes in the landscape presented that resembled Halkeginia, but only very vaguely and attached to landmasses she didn't recognize at all.
Valliere sat down abruptly beside her, nearly knocking Gramont over. Kirche remained leaning forwards, eyes darting over the map. Tabitha sat straight, looking at their hosts to find them looking both confused and concerned.
"T-this map- what is it of?" Kirche asked, shakily. The two sisters looked very concerned now, Yang's previous anger seemingly washed away entirely.
"It's a map of Remnant." Ruby started, slowly. "The whole world. I, erm, I can- I can try to zoom in if…" She trailed off.
It was rather apparent why. Gramont had returned to his seat, looking pale. Kirche had covered her mouth with her hands, looking more lost than Tabitha had ever seen her. Valliere was shaking, having wrapped her arms around herself as she struggled to keep her breathing under control.
Despite herself, Tabitha couldn't blame her. It was taking notable self control to keep herself from shaking slightly as well, her knuckles going white as she tightened her grasp on her staff. She stared hard at Ruby, searching for the slightest hint of deception. To her dismay, she found only honesty in those silver eyes.
This is the entire world? Nothing looks right- even though mapmakers can be inaccurate, they couldn't have been this far off, could they? Mathematicians calculated the circumference of the world thousands of years ago, so it can't just be explained by size. Where on Gaia are we?
Gaia. Ruby hadn't called it that, had she? Despite speaking Albionese, she'd called the world Remnant. Perhaps it was just the term used wherever they found themselves… or-
Suddenly, Tabitha couldn't breathe. It was like she'd been punched by an ogre as a possibility sprung to her mind. Then, her lungs started working again as she used her head and pushed it aside.
No. No, that couldn't be it. That couldn't be the answer. That was impossible- the subject of fiction.
But what if it is? Asked a treasonous inner voice.
If… if that's true… then.
Joseph. Mother-
No. Surely there was a reasonable explanation-
"You- you're lying!"
The shaky, angry voice broke Tabitha from her thoughts, and she realized Valliere was standing once again. The girl's eyes were wild, desperate, and her fists were clenched in a vice-grip.
"This can't be a map of the entire world- of Gaia!" Valliere continued, her voice cracking. "No one has explored that much of it to make it, and- and it doesn't even look right! You- you!"
Valliere quickly pulled her wand, pointing it at the two sisters. With a series of mechanical clicks, Yang's bracers unfolded as she stood and cocked back a fist and sprang to her feet again, causing its bracer to shift with a ka-chuk. Tabitha tensed, preparing to rise to her own feet. Kirche's eyes widened, and she grabbed but didn't draw her own wand. Gramont scrambled for his own focus.
"Wait!" Ruby shouted, jumping to her feet and grabbing Yang's arm. The blonde's eyes- once again a fiery red- turned to her sister for a moment, before glaring back at Valliere.
"No!" Valliere shouted, gripping her wand tighter. "You're- this can't be right! It can't! Where's Halkeginia? Where's Tristain!? Albion, Romalia, Gallia, Germania, even! Where's-!" Valliere choked, and Tabitha saw tears starting to form in her eyes.
Yang tensed but her eyes returned to their violet hue as pity began to form on her face. Ruby pulled her arm down, shooting her a pleading look. Yang sighed, but didn't raise her arm again. Then, Ruby turned to Valliere, holding up her hands, palms facing forwards.
"H-hey. Look, I- I know-" Ruby paused, breathing in for a moment before continuing. "I know you're feeling… lost. It doesn't sound like you recognize anything, and you're scared-"
"I- I'm not scared!" Valliere bit out, shaking again. "This just- it just can't be-!"
"Louise."
Valliere's eyes darted to Kirche, who was still seated. The older girl's eyes were soft and pitying, and her mouth was set into a gentle frown. It was an expression of worry that Tabitha had seen directed at Valliere before- as recently as the Springtime Summoning Ritual that had sent them here, in fact- but Tabitha had never seen it on Kirche's face where the daughter of the Valliere could see it before.
Valliere grit her teeth in response, tearing her eyes away to look back to Ruby. The red-cloaked girl's own expression was one of raw concern, her silver eyes staring directly into Valliere's pink irises. The pinkette seemed to deflate slightly, her shaking intensifying and shoulders drooping, but she didn't lower her wand.
"I- I- it can't- I couldn't have- you have to be-!"
"Louise," Ruby spoke up again, her voice gentle and full of sympathy, "I promise. I'm- we're not lying."
The clicks and whirls of Yang's bracelets compacting filled the air, the tension gone from her body and her eyes once more their normal color. She put a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder, mirroring Ruby's expression.
Valliere finally dropped her wand to her side, breathing in a shuddering breath. In an uncharacteristically undignified movement, she dropped back onto the couch once again, blinking the tears from her eyes and returning to hugging herself as she tried to regain her composure. Slowly, the Xiao Long sisters sat down themselves, eyes scanning the nobles in concern.
Kirche and Gramont both dropped their tensed postures; the former continued to look at Valliere in concern, and Gramont setting his mouth into a thin line. Tabitha kept her staff in a firm grip, grounding herself with it as she looked back to the sisters.
"Where are we?" She asked, even as the question brought a ball of ice to her stomach.
"Well," Ruby answered, seemingly glad for the chance to break the silence. She reached out, pointing to a small island near the southeastern continent. "You're currently on the island of Patch, about an hour inland from the settlement of Jacobsville."
Tabitha frowned at the unfamiliar names. "And the country?"
"Oh, right!" Ruby quickly slid two fingers apart from each other on the scroll, and Tabitha was shocked when the map focused into a closer look at the western half of the continent. New names accompanied by dots appeared across its surface, shifting with the magnification. "You're in the Kingdom of Vale, right near the City of Vale."
Tabitha thought many nobles in Halkeginia would have balked at the sheer size of this previously unknown kingdom, its marked borders seeming to make it larger than all of Halkeginia's nations combined. She felt the couch shift as Kirche leaned in beside her to look at the map as well, looking unusually reserved, and heard Gramont moving to get a better look himself. Valliere didn't move much, but turned her head to look too, the tears gone from her eyes.
For a moment, they sat in silence, looking at the map. It was Yang who broke the silence.
"So, you guys said something about magic?"
Tabitha looked up at the blonde. She looked genuinely unsure, and if Tabitha wasn't mistaken, a bit guilty.
"You've really never heard of magic?" Kirche asked, raising an eyebrow. The blonde nodded, crossing her arms, and Kirche grimaced. Tabitha understood why; if they really didn't know about magic at all- if they really were in a place where magic was unheard of, never even discovered- then they must be very far from home indeed.
Possibly even-
No. There had to be another explanation. Perhaps Halkeginia simply had never been found by these strange people?
"But then what did you do in the clearing, against those 'Grimm'?" Valliere asked, quietly. The girl sounded more composed, but her expression was still lacking vigor.
Both the sisters looked to the nobles, confused
"We… fought them?" Ruby half-stated.
"I mean, we have our Aura unlocked and plenty of training with it, so it wasn't that impressive!" Yang continued.
"Aura?" Tabitha questioned.
Ruby's eyes went wide in shock, and Yang's jaw dropped.
"Aura?" Ruby began, "The light of our souls? The forcefield that makes us super strong and protects us so we can fight the Grimm and wait you didn't know what those are either-"
The redhead paused, her eyes lighting up like she had an idea. She closed her eyes, and breathed, as if focusing. Then, a shining, rose red light began to shine around her, wrapping around her body and clothes. Tabitha's peers stared in awe at the display, and Tabitha couldn't deny she felt the same.
Of course, with the awe came caution. Whatever she was doing was most certainly not magic of the founder. She had said it was the manifestation of her soul, and the only ones who she knew of who tried to affect such things were necromancers. But somehow, Tabitha felt like that wasn't what this was. The light looked too… warm to be compared to something as foul as necromancy.
Then, Ruby opened her eyes, and the light was gone. Seeing the awed looks in front of her, she blushed, pulling up her hood and nervously scuffing her foot against the carpet.
"...y'know, that?" She muttered.
"N-no. I'm afraid we've never seen anything like... that before." Gramont said, still gobsmacked by the display of light they'd seen. "How is that not magic?"
The sisters seemed to be equally surprised at their lack of recognition, and Yang rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Well, um," Ruby began, "I heard someone on TV say that Aura isn't magic 'cause it's 'measurable and quantifiable'?"
Gramont opened his mouth- likely to argue against the notion that something like a soul could be measured- but wisely decided not to as he closed his mouth with a clack of his teeth.
"Wait," Yang said, "That means you guys don't even have your Aura unlocked. And without that, none of you had a Semblance… then how did you get here?"
Valliere grimaced at the question, but did her best to sit up straight despite that.
"Accident." Tabitha stated, drawing the sisters' and her peers' eyes to herself. "An attempted ritual went wrong."
"Ritual'?" Yang repeated, "Like, a magic ritual?"
Tabitha nodded, and she could see some of Yang's earlier disbelief return to her face, though she was trying to hide it.
"What is a 'Semblance'?" Gramont asked, causing Yang to stare at him for a moment before lightly slapping her forehead.
"Oh, right!" She exclaimed. "You guys, uh, wouldn't know if you actually don't know about Aura, would you? Well, a Semblance is a unique power fueled by your Aura that everybody with an unlocked Aura can have. It takes people a while to find theirs usually- I didn't find mine for a few years after dad unlocked my Aura!"
The nobles took a moment to process this newest information, and Tabitha frowned. She couldn't understand how this 'Aura' couldn't be considered magic herself, still. And these Semblances- was that how Ruby had burst away into rose petals?
"You said 'Aura' is unlocked?" Tabitha asked, shifting slightly.
"Yup." Yang confirmed, oddly popping the P. "Everyone who has a soul has Aura, but you can't use it if you don't unlock it. Usually someone else will do it for you nowadays, but some people manage to unlock it themselves."
Everyone had Aura? Everyone could use this strange not-magic? Tabitha could see her own surprise mirrored on her classmate's faces. The thought of everyone being able to not only use such abilities, but to unlock them in others was unthinkable, as were the repercussions of such.
"E-even the commoners?" Valliere stuttered, eyes wide.
"If you mean your regular civilians, then yeah." Yang answered, confused. "Why wouldn't they?"
Valliere gaped, opening and closing her mouth like a fish. Gramont looked like he wanted to join her.
"Because they're commoners!" Valliere exclaimed, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Ruby and Yang seemed almost offended at the statement.
"But why would that matter? They've got souls, too!" Ruby said, brow scrunching in confusion.
"Of course they do," Valliere answered, hotly, "but if they don't have magic, and everyone has this, this... not-magic of yours, then what gives your nobles the right to rule?"
The Xiao Long sisters both stared at the noble with surprise and confusion in equal measure.
"Nobles?" Ruby began, "Like, kings, and queens, and dukes n' stuff?"
Valliere floundered for a second in shock, Kirche and Gramont looking almost as surprised as the pinkette. Drawing herself back up, Valliere continued.
"'Dukes and stuff'?" She repeated, eyes bulging from their sockets and her face turning red in anger, "'Dukes and stuff'!? That's- how- you said this was a kingdom! You can't- I-!"
The life had finally returned to Valliere, it seemed. The girl looked furious.
"Hey, we know what nobles are!" Yang shot back, narrowing her eyes. "It's just that there aren't any nobles in Vale. It's called a kingdom, but Vale hasn't even had a king or queen for 80 years now!"
Valliere's draw dropped, and the girl continued to splutter. Gramont, too, seemed to be taken aback, gaping like a fish. Tabitha was also surprised. They had said this was a kingdom, afterall, but it had no monarchy? No nobility?
"B-but why would you call it a kingdom if it's not!?" Valliere finally got out. "It doesn't- that's-!"
Valliere made a noise of pure frustration, angrily clenching her fists and tightening her shoulders. Yang scowled. Ruby, in contrast, had her face light up in realization.
"Wait, are you guys nobility where you're from?" She asked.
"Yes, we are." Kirche replied, putting a hand on her chest haughtily. "As I said before, I am Kirche von Zerbst, eldest daughter of Duke Ludwig von Zerbst." She pointed to Gramont next.
"I am Guiche de Gramont, fourth son of Duke Gaston de Gramont!" Gramont said, taking his queue and puffing out his chest.
Then, Kirche pointed to the still fuming Valliere. "And she-"
"I can speak for myself, Zerbst!" Valliere hissed, before clearing her throat and puffing up her chest. "I am Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere, third daughter of Duchess Karin Desiree de la Valliere and Duke Phillipe Gerard de la Valliere."
The two sisters had very different reactions. Yang appeared unimpressed mostly, thought she did raise an eyebrow, and Valliere scowled as she glared at the girl in response. Ruby looked excited however eyeing the nobles in wonder.
"And what about you?" Yang asked, turning to Tabitha.
Tabitha shook her head. No one- not even Kirche- knew of her true noble lineage, and she'd rather keep things like that.
"Don't have a family name." She stated.
Yang gasped in surprise, both her and her sister staring at Tabitha in open-mouthed shock. Both of their eyes radiated pity, especially Yang's.
"What? You… you don't have a family name?" Ruby asked, her voice sad. Tabitha nodded curtly, and Ruby's expression of pity and sadness grew. Tabitha felt it didn't fit the girl's face.
"However," Tabitha began, "I am a chevalier."
Behind her, Valliere- who had decided to finally indulge in a few of the blueberries on the table- choked in surprise, letting out a rather undignified coughing fit. Gramont's eyes bulged comically as his head whipped around to the bluenette, mouth agape.
"Y-you're a chevalier?" He asked, eyes focused directly on her. She nodded.
"A shey-valley-eer?" Ruby asked. Tabitha watched as Valliere's entire face twitched at the butchering of the title's pronunciation.
"Chevalier." Kirche corrected before Valliere could explode. "It is a title used in Tristain and Gallia. Only the reigning monarch or an acting regent can give it to someone, and it is meant to be given to honor them for their service to the kingdom."
"Like a knight." Ruby whispered, seemingly starstruck. At Kirche's nod, the girl beamed. "That is so cool!"
Cool? The way Ruby used the word was odd, so Tabitha could only assume she wasn't referring to temperature. Looking to Yang, she saw that the blonde looked a little in awe herself, though that quickly gave way to another sad look.
"Indeed. Well, you showed us this, 'Aura'," Kirche chimed in. Tabitha's friend had forced a smile on her face, and was clearly trying to change the topic away from Tabitha. Her brown eyes flicked in Tabitha's direction for a moment, and the bluenette allowed herself a small, grateful smile.
"So why don't we show you magic? You said your 'Semblances' use Aura to work, right?" Kirche continued. The Xiao Longs nodded. "Well, since we don't have Aura, then obviously anything we can do can't be either one of your 'Semblances'!" Kirche's commonly known bravado had returned to her voice. Tabitha could tell it was slightly forced.
Yang looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded. Ruby's eyes lit up as she bobbed her head as well, her face breaking out into an excited grin. Valliere simply continued to mutter angrily for a moment, before growling and crossing her arms with a, "Hmph," as she seemingly decided to let the previous matter drop for the moment.
Still smiling, Kirche pulled out her wand with an exaggerated flourish. Then, she incanted the levitation spell, and pointed her wand at Ruby. The girl's silver eyes widened and she let out a squeak of surprise as she began to float off the ground, rising half-way to the ceiling before stopping. She kicked her legs experimentally, and then started smiling once more.
"Woah!" She breathed in awe.
"A-and you guys can all do that?" Yang asked.
Tabitha nodded in response. With a quick incantation of her own, Yang rose off the ground as well, rising to her sister's height as her eyes widened as well.
"This. Is. Awesome!" Ruby shouted, throwing up her arms is joy. The simple glee on her face seemed to fill up the room somewhat, Kirche's smile becoming much more genuine and Gramont puffing out his chest proudly despite his lack of action. Tabitha's own lips quirked up into a small smile as well, watching the silver-eyed girl try to twirl herself around mid-air with a laugh. Yang shook off her own shock slightly, beaming happily towards her sister.
Only Valliere remained reserved, looking like she'd bitten into a lemon, now glaring at Kirche.
Yang's eyes turned back to the nobles, looking them up and down once again from her suspended position. Tabitha took note of how they lingered on Valliere's uneven hair and the various bumps, bruises, and scrapes the Halkeginians bore. The blonde breathed in and out, before nodding.
Satisfied with her display, Kirche brought her wand down slowly, returning Ruby to the floor. The red-cloaked girl let out a disappointed, "Aw!", pouting ever so slightly before her smile returned. Taking her queue, Tabitha returned Yang to the floor as well.
"Right. Magic. That's…" Yang said, sitting down. She paused, and took a deep breath. "A thing. You guys said that magic brought you here, right? That there was an acc-"
The Valean stopped as a muffled hiss and squealing came through the door, Kirche and Gramont's familiars reacting to something unknown. Tabitha was on her feet soon after, but before she could do anything, the sound of her classmate's familiars was joined by barking.
Ruby's eyes widened, and her smile grew.
"Oh, that's Zwei! Dad's here!"
The silver-eyed girl suddenly moved, zipping to the door as a nearly imperceptible blur, rose petals appearing and then falling to the wooden floor behind her. She opened the door quickly, revealing the outside world once again.
Yang stood to her feet and sighed in relief, slowly moving to follow with a smile of her own. Tabitha followed suit, and she could hear her peers doing the same behind her.
Following Yang out the door revealed a curious sight. A small dog was sitting in front of Gramont's mole, sniffing at its face and wagging its stubby tail as the familiar tried to back away from the canine. Kirche's fire salamander- Flame, Tabitha recalled she'd named it- was curled up on top of a nearby tree stump, reptilian eyes watching the proceedings while lazily flicking out its tongue.
Standing nearby was a tall, tanned, muscular man with short, messy blonde hair a shade lighter than Yang or Gramont's, his stubble and small bit of facial hair below his bottom lip being the same color. He wore odd, light brown pants that went down to just past his knees, a beige buttoned shirt with brown trim and a wide, popped collar, and a small brown jacket. On his right arm he wore a dull metal pauldron above an almost heart-shaped tattoo as well as a leather bracer and fingerless glove, and he had a dull orange band tied around his left bicep.
The man's eyebrow was currently arced as he looked at the familiars and what Tabitha assumed was the family's dog, blue eyes staring at the two creatures. In his arms, he was carrying what looked like a large brown bag that looked almost like it was made of brown paper.
In an instant, Ruby had crossed the distance between the door and what Tabitha assumed was her father, embracing the man in a one-way hug.
"Hey, Ruby!" He greeted as she let him go, stepping back. "Sorry it took me so long, sweetie- I got Yang's message, and finished up as soon as I could."
Yang had sent a message to her father? Tabitha glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye, only to see her smiling completely unconcerned at her father as she started towards them. How and when had she done that?
"It's okay, dad!" Ruby replied, smiling.
The man looked up, smiling at his older daughter before turning his gaze to the Halkeginians. The blue orbs scanned over them critically, even as he gave them an easy smile. Tabitha could see hints of well-hidden tension in his stance that suggested caution.
"So, these are the strangers who, uh, appeared when you two were training, then?" His daughters nodded. "Well, then I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Taiyang Xiao Long. I'm a teacher at Signal Combat Academy."
Signal Combat Academy? Tabitha carefully appraised the man, taking note of the faint lines of scars on his arms and legs. A soldier? Were Yang and Ruby following in his footsteps?
She kept her staff in hand as she watched the man embrace his eldest daughter, beaming. When they pulled apart, he gestured off to the side of the house.
"Alright. You two can help me unload the groceries real quickly. Fill me in on your friends here while you're at it." He turned to face Tabitha and her peers, still smiling. "If you're comfortable, why don't you four wait in the living room for us to get done? I'm sure Yang and Ruby have asked plenty of questions, but I'm sure I'll have some of my own when I'm all caught up."
The man turned to the dog, which was now licking at Gramont's familiar happily.
"Zwei!" The dog perked up, head cocking towards his owner. The mole scrambled away and started digging into the earth while Zwei was distracted. Dutifully, the small dog followed his master as they moved towards the side of the house.
----
Between Ruby, Yang, and himself, it hadn't taken the three members of the Xiao Long-Rose household long to get the groceries and supplies Tai had gotten into the kitchen. The food he'd bought (barring the cans, which would be going into the pantry in the basement) was quickly put away, and as they worked his daughters quickly filled him in on their unexpected guests.
"-and then Tabitha did the same thing, and Yang started floating too!" Ruby explained as she tucked the last of the food away. "It was actual magic! It was super cool, dad!"
"Oh, was it now?" Tai asked, an impish grin coming to his face. "Well, it really sounds like they swept you two off your feet, huh?" Yang- who had stopped to get herself a glass of water- abruptly choked on the gulp she had been taking. "Do I need to have a talk with our guests?"
Yang cackled between coughs as Ruby flushed, faux glaring at him and puffing out her cheeks. Tai let out a laugh of his own, Ruby eventually letting out an amused snort despite herself.
Tai smiled at his daughters, even as he went over everything he was being told with concern. Four people suddenly appearing out of thin air, claiming to be magical and seemingly not knowing anything about Remnant? Said people additionally having the ability to at least appear to back up those claims? It set off more than a few alarm bells, and in regard to their 'magic', it was worryingly and painfully familiar.
"Right. Well, why don't you go out and check on our guests?" Tai suggested, glancing over at the clock on the wall. It was a bit past noon. "I'll whip up a late lunch real quick, and then join you."
"Sure!" Ruby responded, moving for the door into the living room. Yang followed, still trying to catch her breath. Tai frowned for a moment, crossing his arms.
"And girls?" He called after them, causing the two to stop and turn to face him. "Hold off on questions a bit for now."
"Why?" Yang asked, surprised. "We still don't really know much about them! Didn't you say you were going to want to ask some questions, too?"
"I know, Yang." Tai said, gently. "But it sounds like these people have been through a lot, and from what you said they're sounding a bit overwhelmed as it is. There's a lot they need to think about already, so it's probably best to hold off on piling on too much more for now." He shifted his weight to his left leg. "I'm not saying to not explain anything or ask about anything at all, but just… try to keep it light for 'em, okay?"
Her face lighting up in understanding, his youngest nodded, Yang following her lead a second later.
"Now," Tai continued, "Unless you want to stay and help make lunch…"
Abruptly, his daughters scrambled for the door, making Tai chuckle. As it closed behind them and Ruby's muffled voice began talking on the other side, his face turned downwards into a frown.
If he hadn't known magic already existed ever since that day when Oz invited STRQ up to his office all the way back in their fourth year at Beacon, he might have been more hesitant to believe the claims the strange kids currently sitting in his living room were making, thinking they'd just pulled the wool over his daughters' eyes. But he did know magic was real, and that knowledge made everything his girls had told him make sense in a way he didn't really want it to.
He'd seen them, and it had been abundantly clear to his experienced eyes that the girls weren't imagining the strangers' lack of Aura- their scrapes and bruises should have been healed or at least healing if they did. Combine that with two of them using the same ability without a trace of Dust use to be seen...
And Tai found his stomach churning in an uncomfortably familiar way.
Quickly, he pulled out his scroll, opening up his contacts. He scrolled through the list, stopping at the image of an all-too familiar grey haired man he hadn't talked to directly in years before last night.
Tai would be the first to admit he wasn't the most fond of Ozpin. He knew the headmaster meant well, but after Raven and Summer, he couldn't help it. They and Qrow had all gotten wrapped up in Oz's secret society, and now Qrow was all that was left. Even though the former had chosen to run off of her own free will- abandoning Oz's cause as much as she did her family- and even Oz didn't know where Summer had gone or been doing on that damn mission, it was hard not to hold somewhat of a grudge against the man, irrational as it was.
Losing two wives and being left to pick up the pieces tended to do that to a man.
Even still, Tai tapped on his name, and started to type out a message. Magic was something he was completely unprepared to deal with, and loathe as he was to admit it, that meant he was out of his league here. Oz was infinitely better equipped and informed about this kind of thing, and hopefully he'd be willing to help him figure out what the hell to do from here.
And if he was lucky, then he could keep his daughters from getting sucked into the same conflict their mothers had been- for now, at the very least. They were too much like Summer to not get involved if they ever were let in on things or pieced it together themselves, as much as the thought scared him. He'd always known- ever since his brave, wonderful little girls declared they were going to be Huntresses- that there was the way too likely chance they'd do so.
But gods, he hoped it wasn't this soon.
Finishing his message, he quickly tucked his scroll back in his pocket and turned to the breadbox on the counter.
----
"Hmm."
In a large, round room high above the City of Vale, a man sat behind a glass-surfaced desk. Behind his chair was inside of Beacon Tower's large clock face, and above him a series of finely tuned cogs, gears, and pendulums moved with mechanical grace. He had grey, tousled hair, brown eyes, and wore a pair of small, shaded spectacles. His dark green suit and button-up vest beneath were immaculate as always, as was his usual green cowl and the silver cross-shaped pin on its front. His hands were folded in front of him as he examined the holographic screen projected before him.
The transcripts on the screen were simply stupendous. They advertised many long years of hard training and spectacular results born from it, claiming their applicant to be a prodigy of Pharos Academy with the highest of marks in his classes. To the uninformed, these transcripts might be considered to be the herald of a truly great Huntsman to be.
Of course, to Ozpin's far more informed self, they were quite blatantly a forgery.
Dates didn't line up. The grades were too perfect. The claims of this 'Jaune Arc's' combat prowess were vague, making no mention of the boy's semblance, fighting style, or his weapon. The transcripts were accompanied by a recommendation that was supposedly written by a professor who had not been in Pharos Combat Academy's employ for half a decade. And perhaps most damningly, not a single one of Pharos' professors could claim to know of the supposed-prodigy they had supposedly trained.
Which was why, of course, Ozpin approved the application. It took either determination or desperation to send fake transcripts to arguably the most prestigious Huntsman Academy on Remnant, and no small amount of either foolishness and perhaps bravery as well. Huntsmen of great standing and skill had come from lesser backgrounds and character, and so Ozpin felt inclined to give the boy a chance.
There would be no harm in allowing the boy to at the very least attempt initiation. Where he to prove himself to be unfit for the Academy- either by failing initiation, or via his conduct- he could easily be removed before the start of the school year. Were he to succeed, he would be granted the opportunity to attend Beacon and truly prove himself.
Of course, it was perhaps better that he keep Glynda in the dark about this for the time being. She would no doubt take issue with allowing him to attend at all.
The buzzing of his scroll brought his focus to the device laying on his desk. With a few taps on the glass surface in front of him, the scroll connected to his desk, replacing the hologram of Mister Arc's transcripts with a message from a surprising individual. Taiyang Xiao Long hadn't directly contacted him in years, after all, choosing to stay uninvolved with Ozpin directly following the disappearance of his first wife.
His eyes scanned the contents of the message, his hand moving to his simple mug bearing the dual axes of Vale and bringing it to his lips. Sipping at his cocoa, he frowned.
This was… concerning. Very concerning indeed.
Placing down his cocoa, Ozpin's free hand moved across the surface of his desk, pulling up another projection. More movements quickly began to flag meetings meant to be had tomorrow to be rescheduled and responsibilities to be given to the professors under him. That accomplished, he turned his focus to his scroll, removing it from his desk and quickly beginning to write a response to Taiyang. All the while, his mind raced, considering this sudden change to the status quo.
These 'Halkeginians' would need to stay at the Xiao Long-Rose household for tonight while he prepared alternative lodgings and the beginnings of documentation for them. They would need to be kept secret, and Taiyang would need to make sure his daughters understood that. Ozpin would make sure to further impress the need for secrecy- gently- upon the young Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long in person when he arrived at their home tomorrow. He would much prefer to see them today, but with Taiyang's description of their current status they would need a long night's rest to process what they had learned already lest they begin feeling even more overwhelmed and lash out.
Further, he would need to determine how best to tell his allies about this new development. For the moment, he would play things safe and keep this between himself and Glynda, but he would have to tell them eventually lest they put together the pieces themselves. The distrust that would sow would be difficult to mend, and so he would need to pre-empt it.
Finally, there was the matter of what to do with the children in the long term. Four individuals bearing magic appearing out of nowhere from a place previously unheard of would no doubt capture Her attention soon enough, no matter how hard he tried to hide their presence. It would be paramount to make sure they were defended, and- seeing as they had no knowledge of Aura- taught to defend themselves quickly as possible. These four had the potential to change everything, and he couldn't allow them to fall into the hands of the enemy.
There was also the possibility to consider that their magic wasn't the same as his own magic. That it wasn't the magic of the Brothers that these strangers wielded, but something different entirely. Possibly, even, something he had thought lost to the world for a long, long time. If that were the case…
Then that made keeping these displaced souls out of Salem's hands all the more important.
But he was getting ahead of himself, and with practice born of millennia of experience, Ozpin refocused himself on the task at hand. Already, an idea had formed in his head. Ozpin drained the last of his cocoa, and got to work. He had much to get done, after all, and only so much time to do it.
---
Finally, this chapter is done. Sorry for the delay! Konk'd out after work on the yesterday and woke up late because my phone died, which meant that I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to get this done for y'all then- I may have actually gotten this done yesterday if I had woke up when I wanted to. Ah, well, water under the bridge and all that!
Not sure how well this chapter reads to y'all, but I tried my best to capture the reactions of the Halkeginians in the moment and handle exposition without doing a giant info dump. And our poor Halkeginians haven't even explained/had explained to them nearly everything yet!
God, if I have to write, "shocked" or any of its synonyms that many times again any time soon, I'mma lose it. Ah, well. The pains of writing and creative choices, eh?
So, yeah. Kirche and Guiche still haven't really gotten dedicated POV moments just yet, but that's going to be changing soon. Probably going to try to squeeze in at least something next chapter and the one after that. And hark, good ol' Oz has plans to come around to check things out in person. Of course, before he does that, there's more that's gotta happen- it's only just past noon on the first day, after all, and the Halkeginians are staying overnight. There's gonna be another chapter before he meets everyone as a result, and a few more revelations to be had. Hopefully, said chapter should be more in length with Chapter 1, and I'll be starting on it tomorrow once I'm done with the half-shift I've gotta work.
And yes, Tai knows about magic and the Ozluminati/Brotherhood/[Insert Preferred Name Here]. To an extent, at least; he doesn't know nearly as much as Qrow, Raven, or Summer do/did. He knows a bit about the Maidens, knows that Oz is trying to protect them, and knows that Oz has the ability to give out abilities like he did with Qrow and Raven. He does not know at all about Salem, the Brothers, or the Relics. It just makes sense for him to be at least a little bit in on the loop, considering Qrow and Raven were involved with it all and it's kinda implied that so was Summer to some degree.
Also, you might be wondering about Jacobsville. Well, the island itself is called Patch, but we're never given the canonical name of any settlements on Patch so I decided to come up with one myself. Kudos to anyone who gets its inspiration!
As for what Oz knows... well, you're gonna have to wait and see on that one, won'tcha?
As always, constructive criticism and speculation is entirely encouraged! Until next update!
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Chapter 3
TheMagisKing
(Verified Lazy)
- Location
- Minnesota
So, I'm kinda a giant idiot and somehow didn't realize I didn't update this thread with both chapters 3 and 4 of this story like I did for the SB thread. That has now been fixed, as you can see. Chapter 5 is in the works still (because COVID hit me like a truck about three weeks back) and will hopefully be out to y'all (on all sites where I'm posting this, I promise!) some time soon-ish.
----
The lunch Taiyang Xiao Long had provided Guiche and his classmates with was far from what he was used to. Meat, cheese, pickles, lettuce, and slices of an odd, red fruit called a 'tomato' had been put between two slices of toasted bread, a white and a yellow sauce slathered on one of the sides. After they'd been seated at the small table that made up the dining area (which to his and his classmate's surprise, was in the same room as a countered area with a strange metal cabinet Taiyang had called their kitchen), he'd asked what it was called, and Yang had replied that it was a 'sandwich'.
The sandwich was far better than Guiche expected. It was no banquet fair by any means, but it tasted quite good and went down easily, marking it as far above the kind of horrid gruel he'd heard many commoners indulged in. As such, he ate without complaint, simply being grateful to fill his stomach after the ordeal that had brought them here. His peers must have felt the same, as they too ate without raising any misgivings.
That wasn't to say that lunch had been a silent affair. Taiyang- who had elected to stand and let his daughters and guests take up the seats at the table- had asked for their names, marking another round of introductions to the patriarch of the Xiao Long family. He'd then asked some clarifying questions about what- presumably- his daughters had told him. Guiche and his fellows had answered as best as they could, of course, ensuring the man was filled in on events as best as they could do so.
It didn't take long to finish their small meal, and after that Taiyang had beckoned them back out to the 'living room'. They'd returned to the spots they'd sat in during their talk with Ruby and Yang, the sisters bringing the three chairs they'd returned to the dining room back out so they could be seated to talk to their guests once again. For a short while after they were seated, things were silent, though Guiche finally made to take a few of the blueberries that had been set out for himself.
"So," Taiyang finally said, seated between his two daughters. "I sent a message to an old acquaintance of mine about you guys and your situation. His name is Ozpin. He's a professor and the headmaster of Beacon Academy, and hopefully, he can help you guys out."
Guiche frowned. The way Taiyang had spoken made it sound like this 'Ozpin' was a man of significance, but he had no idea what this 'Beacon' Academy was. Was it like the Tristain Academy of Magic? But they didn't have magic- how could the man help them? Before he could ask anything, however, Ruby spoke up.
"Wait, you know Ozpin? Like, know know Ozpin? From before last night?"
Tai smiled at his daughter, ruffling her hair and causing the silver-eyed girl to whine in protest.
"Yup. Used to help him out with some special missions before I started teaching at Signal."
...none of that answered any of Guiche's questions. Last night? Signal? He'd mentioned that before, right?
"I'm sorry," Kirche began from the couch, looking just as confused as him. "I'm afraid we don't quite know what his 'Beacon' is- what, exactly, are you talking about?"
For a moment, Tai looked at the girl in disbelief, before he slapped his hand against his forehead and muttered something to himself under his breath.
"Right, I forgot- you guys wouldn't know, huh?" He said, crossing his arms. "Well, Beacon is Vale's Huntsman academy- it's where people go to learn how to use their Aura to fight like Huntsman, and to eventually get certified as a Huntsman or Huntress."
"Huntsman? Huntress?" Guiche parroted. "You have an academy for hunting game?"
For a moment, Tai's daughters stared at Guiche, caught off guard. The man himself simply let out a small sigh.
"No, not hunters," Ruby exclaimed, looking almost incensed, "Huntsmen and Huntresses! Y'know, people who dedicate their lives to fighting the Grimm and bandits and criminals, and, and-!"
The redheaded girl stopped as Yang let out a giggle, turning to pout at her sister. This only made Yang laugh harder, their father letting out a chuckle of his own in turn.
"Jeeze, Rubes, give him a lecture, why don'tcha?" Yang said, causing Ruby to let out a cute growl even as she blushed in embarrassment, clutching at her skirt.
"Well- well, there's a difference!" Ruby responded indignantly. Yang laughed again, and Ruby returned to pouting.
Taiyang shook his head in amusement, turning to face the nobles. "Yeah, when I say, 'Huntsmen', I'm talking about a little more than people who hunt a deer. We're warriors trained to fight against the Grimm and- if necessary- other people to protect ourselves and others. Some of us like to travel around, going place to place and finding work where they can, while others- like myself- dig in roots in settlements or one of the cities and take up a more dedicated occupation."
"And we," Ruby chimed in, her distress forgotten in favor of excitement as she gestured towards her sister and herself, "are Huntresses-in-training!"
"Yup." Yang confirmed, smiling proudly. "And in a couple of weeks, me and my prodigy of a sister are going to be going to Beacon for four years to make it official!"
At her older sister's praise, Ruby's face once again turned red, and she pulled up her hood to hide it.
"'M not a prodigy." She mumbled, looking down at her feet as she kicked at the carpet.
"Sure you aren't, Miss 'I almost caught an infamous criminal and impressed the headmaster of Beacon enough to jump forwards two whole years and get into Beacon early'! C'mon, Rubes- give yourself a bit of credit!" Yang responded, smiling half in amusement and half in pride. Ruby only receded further into her cloak in response, prompting Yang to giggle. Kirche joined her, eyes glittering in amusement, while Tabitha simply raised an eyebrow and stared.
Guiche supposed prodigy would be the right word. From what they were saying, these 'Huntsmen and Huntresses' were quite prestigious, like the Manticore Knights or Griffin Knights of Tristain, and to be moved up two years in one's education to join such an order's ranks would have been something any noble would have been proud to claim. Of course, it wasn't entirely the same- the way Taiyang had described them also brought to mind men of fortune more knightly orders sworn to a nation- but regardless, it made the girl's sudden shyness all the more surprising to him. Judging by the mixture of confusion and surprise on Louise's face, she felt the same.
"Moving on," Taiyang continued, "Ozpin is the headmaster at Beacon. This gives him a a lot of influence on Vale's Council, which- seeing as how that makes him one of the most powerful people in the Kingdom- gives him a lot of sway and resources. Once I told him that a bunch of kids were on my doorstep quite literally by magic… well, it caught his attention, and he's decided to help you out."
Guiche's eyes widened. This Ozpin had that much power? Was this 'Council' Vale's governing body, then? The thought made Guiche swallow nervously. Wasn't Reconquista governed by a 'council' as well, claiming to represent Albion's people? The comparison was- perhaps- unfair, but he couldn't help but make it all the same, and it filled him with worry and no small amount of dread. A glance at his peers showed Kirche and Louise looking surprised, and Tabitha as close as he believed she could get.
He hoped this Ozpin was far more benign than the positively blasphemous monster that was Cromwell and his ilk.
Something on his face must have given away his concerns, because Taiyang waved his hands appeasingly not long after looking at him.
"Don't worry! Oz is a good guy. I wouldn't have called him otherwise." Tai coughed, clearing his throat. "Anyways, he won't be here until tomorrow morning, which means you guys will have to spend the night here. I hope that's alright with you."
Guiche had to admit, it wasn't entirely- he desperately found himself craving the comforts of his room back at the Academy. The plush sheets, servants at his beck and call, and the companionable feasts of the dining hall all were things he didn't realize he could miss so much. However, all of that wasn't an option, and stranded as they were thanks to the damn Zero's blunder, he couldn't really see another choice. He nodded his assent, his peers doing the same, and Tai sighed in relief.
"Good" He said. "On that note, we've got about five-ish hours before sundown and about four before it's time for dinner, so if there's anything you want to do between now and then, feel free." Taiyang stood up. "I'm going to head out and do a quick clear of the woods- if that pack of Beowolves you all encountered is any indication, the Grimm population might be up a bit higher than it should be. Ruby and Yang can help you out if you need anything, and don't be afraid to ask me for whatever you need either once I'm back."
"Beowolves?" Guiche repeated cautiously. "I thought 'Grimm' was what those beasts were called?"
"Beowolves are a type of Grimm." Taiyang replied with the ease and practice of a teacher lecturing to his class despite the faint disbelief on his face. "One of the most common pretty much everywhere you go, in fact. Grimm are an entire type of creature themselves, and they come in a lot of forms, but you can identify them pretty easily by their shared color scheme and aesthetics. Black fur, scales, or skin that gives off black smoke, white bone plating and masks with red markings, and burning red and yellow eyes. They're all hostile to humanity, and they'll all try to kill you.
Guiche swallowed nervously, glancing at his classmates. Louise and Kirche quite apparently shared his concern, Tabitha simply lowering her brow in thought. Those 'Beowolves' had been terrifying enough, and they were common? There were more, possibly more dangerous kinds of 'Grimm' out there, all of them murderous? It brought to mind the many different kinds of monster spoken of in the holy texts of the Founder, which were said to have once been dominant over Halkeginia and to this day still proved to be a threat in wild places and at times to small villages. It was frightening to think about, and it only made these 'Huntsmen and Huntresses' prestige make more sense if they trained to fight these creatures. Just where had Louise stranded them?
"There's nothing too dangerous here on Patch." Taiyang said, comfortingly. "Leviathans and other large Grimm can't get too close thanks to the shallow waters of the straight, and enough of the island is settled that whatever older, stronger Grimm exist on land can only really be found up in the mountains and tend to stay away most of the time. Plus, we're right next to Vale, so there's enough Huntresses and Huntsmen around that anything that would attack tends to get hunted down before it can really do much."
That made Guiche feel a bit better about things. Perhaps not by much- there were still monsters lurking in the wilderness- but enough that he could relax his shoulders a bit.
"Still, it never hurts to be too careful, so I'm going to go and do my job. When I get back, I'll get started on dinner, and then we can get you guys a change of clothes for the night and wash what you're wearing."
Guiche looked at his academy uniform and grimaced, Kirche and Louise doing the same. Almost simultaneously, the three nodded, Tabitha a moment behind. That sounded quite nice indeed.
----
With Dad having left the house to go clear out the Grimm, the Halkeginians were left to their own devices for the most part. For a while, they'd simply done nothing at all, sitting around. With permission from Yang, Verdante- the mole that was apparently Guiche's pet- and Flame- which was Kirche's weird fire-lizard-thing- had been allowed into the house. Zwei had been happy to see them, darting up to the lizard and licking at his nose, causing him to screech in protest and try in vain to hide behind Kirche's legs.
Zwei, being the smartest, best boy he was, wasn't deterred in the slightest, dariting between the girl's legs to keep up his assault of doggy kisses. At one point, Flame even blew sparks into Zwei's face, only for the corgi to shrug it off and keep going, much to the Halkeginian's surprise.
Besides that, however, nothing really was happening, and it got to be a little bit too much. Yang sighed, closing and pocketing her scroll and looking at the freaking wizards sitting in their living room, who seemed awfully keen to do nothing for the next few hours.
Guiche was- for some reason- fawning over his mole, muttering about how 'handsome' and 'beautiful' he was as he raked his fingers through the critter's fur. Kirche, meanwhile, had bought her pet breathing room by giving Zwei some love, petting him while cooing and giving him puppy talk. Louise had grouchily sat back against the couch, glaring at Kirche jealousy and sending the occasional, much softer, comically longing look to Zwei between bouts of sulking. Tabitha sat between them, looking like she was deep in thought even as she absent-mindedly reached out and scratched Zwei behind his ear, causing the Corgi to let out a content huff in Kirche's lap.
She then looked to Ruby, her sister meeting her gaze before awkwardly shrugging. Then, an idea hit her, and Yang stood up, clapping her hands once to get their guests' attention. All eyes now on her, she spoke.
"So, since we have another three-and-just-over-a-half hours to go until dinner, I've got an idea." She pointed to Kirche and Tabitha. "You two showed us some of your magic, so why don't Ruby and I show you some more Aura stuff? We were sparring a bit before you guys made your explosive entrance-" Ruby groaned, putting her head in her hands. Louise scowled at her, and Tabitha simply gave her a blank look. Yang grinned. "-so we can pick back up where we left off and give you guys a bit of a show to pass the time."
The Halkeginians definitely looked interested at her offer, and Ruby perked up. After a moment, their guests nodded one by one- first Kirche, then Tabitha, and finally Louise and Guiche. The group quickly stood, Yang and Ruby leading the way to the door, grabbing their weapons from where they were next to the exit as they went. A minute later, the six were standing outside.
Ruby and Yang quickly took up combat stances about twenty feet apart on the large patch of exposed dirt that was the yard's sparring area. Their guests stood off to the side by the house, Tabitha seated on a tree stump with Kirche standing over her, Guiche standing several feet to one side of them, and Louise on the other. Flame and Verdante were next to their owners, and Zwei had sat down just on the edge of their 'arena', tongue lolling and stubby tail thumping against the dirt.
Yang put on a cocky grin, cocking her right arm back and loading a shell into Ember Celica.
"You ready, Ruby?" She called.
Ruby looked slightly nervously towards their audience, and for a second Yang felt worried. But her sister was stronger than that, and shook her head, steeling her gaze and settling into a lower stance before returning Yang's grin.
"Ready to kick your butt!" Ruby cried, pointing dramatically. Yang's smile widened, and she slid her right foot back in the dirt.
"Bring it on!"
For a moment longer, the two sisters stared each other down. Then, the crack of Crescent Rose and boom of Ember Celica filled the air, and the two were flying at each other, swinging their weapons.
----
When the two sisters had said they wanted to spar, Louise had expected them to perhaps hold back somewhat. Now, a part of her hoped they weren't, because it was taking all of her focus to try and keep track of the two 'Huntresses'-in-training.
Gold and red met mid-air with the deafening sound of gunshots and clashing steel, and then they were locked in combat. Both the Xiao Long sisters were little more than blurs, Yang advancing as a flurry of punches and kicks while Ruby backpedaled, her scythe a whirlwind that would have torn any of the men-at-arms of the Valliere lands apart with ease as she fought back. And yet, Yang kept up the pressure, refusing to relent as they traded blows.
The display was breathtaking, and in no small measure terrifying. She knew the two must have been connecting at least some of their strikes, and yet both continued as if they weren't being stabbed and bludgeoned hard enough to put down any normal living man. Louise turned her head, and found Guiche and Kirche looking just as awestruck and stupefied as she was, and even Tabitha seeming captivated. They'd all seen the two fighting those Beowolves in the clearing- or more accurately, the results of such- but already this display had outlasted that fight twice over, and it only cemented how strong the two were.
And these two were still 'in-training'? It made Louise feel small.
Then, with a surge of motion that Louise struggled to even see at all, Ruby's weapon hit hard, sending her elder sister shooting away from the exchange, head-over-heels. Ruby's scythe slammed into the dirt point-first, and her hand flew to the odd grip on its side, pulling it back. The moment of stillness allowed Louise a better look at the monstrosity of a weapon. She had been able to see- both in the clearing and at the start of this spar- that the weapon could shoot like a musket, but now she could see it faintly resembled it as well. It had differences, but she could identify a stock, a trigger, and a frighteningly large hole on it's top that she realized was the end of a barrel that was it's shaft.
K-chunk. Bang!
The weapon and its owner jolted for a moment, a tongue of fire spitting from it's end. She knew just how fast a musket ball travelled- mother had made sure to impress upon all of her children just how dangerous the weapons could be even in the hands of a commoner and even with their inaccuracy with a demonstration a few years ago- and she knew that there should be no way that Yang could react to the gunshot in time.
Thus, she was gobsmacked when Yang somehow must have managed to roll back to her feet and block the shot, the deafening clang of whatever that thing fired striking her gauntlets ringing out loudly while Yang slid backwards and onto the grass, arms held up in front of her chest. Without delay, the blonde surged forwards. Ruby's hand blurred on her weapon's side, and gunshot after gunshot rang out as she fired the weapon again and again, somehow not even needing to reload in the process, firing faster than any musket ever could have.
Yang zigged and zagged, and as a tree in the distance had a massive chunk of its trunk blasted apart, Louise realized she was somehow dodging the frighteningly accurate shots. Moments later, she was on her sister, and the two began another exchange of blows.
All of this was because of this 'Aura'? Because of their 'souls'? Anyone could wield this power?
...could she learn this power? The thought came suddenly, and Louise felt her heart skip a beat. The idea was borderline heretical- this power was, no matter what Yang and Ruby insisted, almost certainly magic, and most certainly wasn't of the Founder. But even still it was hard to dislodge. For a girl who had time and time again failed to cast so much as a single spell, the thought of being able to move like that, fight like that, be strong like mother-
It was so, so enticing. She almost wanted to interrupt the match, to demand that they teach her how to use Aura, but she clenched her teeth and fists and fought the impulse. She was a Valliere- a noble- and she wouldn't be controlled by such impulses. Besides, Founder knows what the church would say- it was possibly heretical, and she wouldn't forsake the Church for power like some starving mutt. She was better than that.
Even still, Louise couldn't quite stop herself from feeling envious of their hosts. It was a familiar feeling, and it made her grimace.
Suddenly, the battle shifted, snapping Louise from her thoughts. Red shot over gold, rose petals filling the air as Ruby appeared behind her sister, the blonde caught in the crook of her scythe. With a cry of exertion, Ruby swung her weapon, the gun-scythe firing at the same time. Rather than cut the girl in half like it should have, she was instead sent flying, crashing into a tree in the clearing with a crack. Bark and wood split open, and to Louise's shock some of the tree's roots were violently exposed as the tree took on a tilt. Yang was embedded partway in the tree, eyes shut. A golden light shimmered into being around her, an audible crackling filling the air before the light vanished.
For a moment, Louise was certain the spar had to be over- surely, Yang couldn't get back up from a blow like that? Her jaw dropped open, however, when Yang's eyes shot open, a bloody crimson hue, and the girl grinned. She pulled herself from the tree, with the sound of splintering bark, and then smashed her fists together, exploding in a wave of fire that scorched the grass at her feet and the tree behind her.
When the light from the fire dimmed, Louise almost fell over from shock as she realized that Yang's hair was ablaze. Kirche audibly gasped next to her, and a look showed she and her other classmates were all just as astonished as she was. Louise had just begun looking back at Yang when the blonde quite literally exploded forwards, heading right towards her wide-eyed sister. Ruby began to move back, her weapon behind her, only for Yang to swing out a fist mid-air, a fiery orb screaming from her weapon and slamming into the ground behind the redhead. The younger sister's backstep turned into an uncontrolled stumble forwards.
The air was filled with another boom of the girl's gauntlets and a wild scream from Yang as the fiery girl struck, and suddenly a red blur was flying backwards, bouncing against the ground and kicking up clouds of dirt as she went. Finally, the blur slid to a stop, Ruby laying flat on her back and groaning, her weapon skidding to a stop next to her a second later. The girl tried to stand up, but suddenly her Aura flickered around her before bursting into red motes of light, and she slumped back into the dirt with another groan.
Yang smiled, closing her eyes and breathing in as her hair returned to normal, seemingly untouched by the fire that had consumed it a moment before. Then, she slumped slightly, her own golden light flickering and bursting apart around her. Her eyes opened, and the once again purple-eyed girl stood straight and began to lazily walk towards her downed sister.
Louise simply stared at the two girls in shock, astounded. This- that was-!
"B-by the Founder!" Guiche whispered, and Louise found herself nodding in agreement as she looked over the battlefield. The kicked up dirt was only just beginning to settle, making the rents and torn up dirt visible. The tree Yang had hit groaned ominously, a large branch falling off of it and onto the ground with a crack. A faint breeze blew into Louise's face, filling her nose with the smell of burnt wood, grass, and something that almost stung that she couldn't identify.
Yang grabbed her sister's hand and pulled the smaller girl upright, smiling like she hadn't just done what she did. Ruby pouted in response, grabbing her scythe as she rose.
"Almost had me there for a sec, Ruby!" Yang said, cheerily.
Ruby let out a, "Hmph!", crossing her arms and turning her head away for a moment. Then, her face twitched, and she broke into a grin and jabbed a finger into her sister's chest. "I'll have you know, Yang Xiao Long, that your Aura hit the red first! That means by tournament rules, I win!" She proclaimed, sticking out her tongue at her sister.
Yang laughed, smirking. "Well, Ruby Rose, I'll have you know that your Aura broke first! Thus, by practical rules, I win!"
For a moment, the two sisters stared at one another, matching, smug smiles on their faces. A moment later, Ruby snickered. Yang snorted. Then, they both broke out into laughter, Ruby bending over to clutch her stomach while Yang threw her head back, wrapping her arms around her own.
The entire display was almost as shocking as the two girls' fight, and a quick glance at the others showed they felt the same. Guiche was staring open mouthed at the two, looking between them and the battlefield, and Kirche was slack-faced and wide-eyed. In just a dozen seconds, the two had gone from a brutal, holdless brawl to laughing like nothing had just happened. The sheer whiplash made Louise's brow twitch as she tried to wrap her head around it.
Finally, Yang turned back to the group, her smile widening as she took in their expressions. Quickly, Louise schooled her own, only for Yang to look to her and giggle in response. That made Louise scowl, which only seemed to further amuse their host.
"Well, any questions?" The blonde girl asked, setting a hand on her cocked hip.
"Y-yes!" Louise shouted, jumping to her feet. The damn brute just laughed at her haste, causing Louise to flush in embarrassment as she started for the door and beckoned for them to follow.
What followed was a barrage of questions from the nobles, asking more about what they'd just witnessed. Yang and Ruby- once they'd settled down with glasses of water with cubed ice in them (which had prompted a whole different explanation about something called a 'freezer' and a 'refrigerator')- had been all too willing to indulge them.
Aura, they clarified, only could shield someone so much before it was depleted. What the two had done in their spar was apparently fight until their Auras 'broke', something they assured the nobles was only temporary and would be fully restored in just a couple of hours. Then, they'd explained that their Auras also was depleted to fuel their Semblances, which had been what Yang had used to end their spar.
"What does it do?" Kirche asked, curiously. She, too, had a glass of water with ice in it, and now that she wasn't staring at it she was swirling around idly in one hand.
Yang grinned proudly. "My Semblance lets me get stronger from hits I take. I store the energy from attacks that hit me, and then I can use it to super-charge myself!"
"A-and that sets your hair on fire?" Guiche asked, eyes wide.
"And it turns my eyes red!" Yang chirped. Suddenly, her eyes did just that, and Louise noticed faint wisps of flame dancing across her hair. "My semblance gets a bit hard to keep control of when I get mad, too- that's, uh, kinda how I discovered it actually-"
"She got mad and punched a tree in half~!" Ruby sung, teasingly.
"Only because that stupid raven that flew into my head and then went and sat in the stupid thing! Seriously, that guy came out of nowhere during practice!"
"Yup. The raven hit you. Completely out of nowhere. You totally weren't just not paying attention~!"
Yang huffed, before reaching out and ruffling Ruby's hair, who let out a noise of protest in response and batted away the offending hand. The younger sister then scowled at the older, who just smirked back at her.
"So that wasn't how you threw that fireball?" Guiche asked, curiously.
"Fireball?" Yang echoed before snapping her fingers. "Oh, you mean the explosive shot! Nah, that was just me changing ammo types while Ruby and I were going at it. Nothing too special about that- just a bunch of Burn and Combustion Dust loaded up into a slug!"
"Dust?" Louise questioned. Yang paused, staring at her in shock, as did Ruby.
"Seriously? You guys don't know what Dust is, either?" They shook their heads, and the blonde growled in frustration. "But Dust is everywhere! How- no, nevermind." She sighed, and then looked up at them.
"Look, Dust… it's-"
Suddenly, Ruby took off, creating a breeze with her speed that blew the petals she trailed around the room as she rushed towards the kitchen. A moment later, she returned, holding a bright red crystal in her hand.
"-it's that." Yang finished.
"This is a Burn Dust crystal." Ruby explained, bringing it closer to them. The crystal was finely cut into a hexagonal rod, its edges even and sharp. It glowed faintly in Ruby's hand, just barely visible in the sunlight.
"'Burn' Dust?" Kirche asked, Ruby nodding in response.
"Um, some people call it Fire Dust, but most people call it Burn." She told them, before holding it out to Louise. "I took this one from the stovetop- we use it to cook, 'cause Burn Dust generates heat if you use it right. It can also, um, set stuff on fire, or explode i-if you mishandle it, so, er, please be careful!"
At that revelation, Louise immediately shrank back from the 'Burn' Dust crystal, Kirche doing the same while Tabitha slightly scooched herself further away on the couch. Guiche moved his chair back, slightly, with his own abrupt move away from it. Ruby grimaced, pulling it back.
"U-um-"
"Hey," Yang said, turning the attention back to herself, "Give it here, Rubes."
Ruby nodded hesitantly, walking over to her sister and handing the Dust over. Yang held it up in her hand, before closing her eyes. A faint golden glow came from her palm- her Aura, Louise assumed, having somewhat returned- and the crystal began to glow slightly brighter, a faint shimmering forming in the air around it.
She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of white paper that had something Louise couldn't make out written on it sloppily, holding it up to the crystal. Her eyes opened, but remained narrowed in concentration. Slowly, the piece of paper began to brown, and then blacken before catching alight. Yang quickly pulled it away, letting it burn away in her hand seemingly without any concern for the heat. She let out a breath, and the crystal returned to its normal glow.
Louise stared in shock, as did Guiche and Kirche. That- that almost looked like she had used the crystal to do magic! Simple magic, but magic! But- but they said they thought magic wasn't real!
"You said 'Burn' Dust." Tabitha stated, staring at the crystal intently. Then, she turned her eyes to Yang's. "Other kinds?"
Yang and Ruby both nodded.
"Yup! There's Ice Dust, Lightning Dust, Wind Dust, Gravity Dust, Plant Dust, Earth Dust…"
"And there's a bunch of refined Dust types!" Ruby cut in, "Like Combustion Dust, Hard-Light Dust, and Steam Dust! Depending on how you process or mix it, Dust can do, like… a lot! You can use it for Bullets, Dust-weave clothes, directly in combat..."
Louise only felt her confusion mounting. Some of those Dust types sounded like the Pentagon of the Five Elements- Wind, Fire, Earth… but then there was 'Ice', separate from Water? 'Lightning' separate from Wind? Plants? Gravity!? And what was that about 'hard light'!? Louise was so, so confused, and it frustrated her to no end.
"Do you guys really not have anything like that?" Yang asked. Guiche nodded, only for Tabitha to shake her head.
"Wind Stones." She said. That- that was true. Wind Stones- and the other elemental stones- did sound kind of similar to Dust. But Wind Stones, Earth Stones, Water Stones- those were all magic!
"Wind Stones? What are those?" Ruby asked.
"Magic stones." Tabitha replied. "Used for airships. They also make Albion fly."
Yang hummed, rubbing her chin.
"Sounds kinda like Gravity Dust to me. Are these Wind Stones purple-ish?" Tabitha shook her head, and Yang sighed. "Weird. White, then? Like Wind Dust?" Tabitha nodded. Yang hummed again. "Double weird. I mean, sure, Wind Dust can do that, but, like, not for long or as well as Gravity Dust."
"You, um, talked about this 'Albion' before, right?" Ruby interjected. All eyes turned to her, and the nobles nodded. "Is that, like, a city, or...?"
"A nation."
"Ah. L-like, a small nation?"
"Relatively."
Ruby let out a small, "Oh," and Yang whistled, looking impressed.
"Damn, and I thought a flying city like Atlas was crazy. You guys have a whole flying country?" Tabitha nodded, and the blonde girl once again let out a whistle. "Guess these 'Wind Stones' are pretty crazy, huh?"
"Albion has a lot of Wind Stones naturally built up along its bottom." Louise informed her. "As such, they decay at a rate slow enough for the country to keep afloat practically indefinitely!"
The conversation quieted down after that for a minute, the two sides simply absorbing what they'd been told. During this time, Ruby quickly returned the Burn Dust to the kitchen, returning with a fresh glass of water.
"Sooo…" Yang drawled, crossing her arms. "Is Tristain another country?"
----
After Yang's question, the nobles had taken time to inform Yang and Ruby of their homeland, telling them about the nations of Halkeginia. It made Kirche feel slightly homesick to do so, but it was a welcome distraction from yet another thing that made no sense. The sisters had in turn told them more about 'The Four Kingdoms'; the cold northern Kingdom of Atlas (the capital of which- Atlas, creatively enough- was a city they had made fly deliberately), the hot, desert Kingdom of Vacuo, and the diverse, continent-claiming Kingdom of Mistral. Not much- they were certainly no historians- but a little.
They had also explained that most people lived in the capital cities themselves, with most of their claimed territory being undeveloped excluding scattered settlements and what other cities could be founded due to the constant threat of the Grimm. When Yang had proceeded to say that it wasn't unheard of for entire villages or townships to simply vanish overnight in a tone that didn't sound nearly as horrified as it should have- more sadly resigned, than anything else- Kirche found herself shuddering with Louise and Guiche, and even Tabitha looked astounded. It was frightening just how much she seemed to accept such a horrid thing as a fact of life.
If they were such a threat that even with these 'Huntresses' and 'Huntsmen' that entire villages could be wiped out in a single night, Kirche was very, very glad the Grimm had never been seen in Halkeginia. She prayed it would stay that way as long as she lived.
The conversation had gone on for a couple of hours after that horrifying revelation, thankfully taking on a much lighter tone as the sisters took time to talk about Patch as well and teasingly jab one another about various misadventures they had had growing up. Once she was over the tonal whiplash, it almost made Kirche envious- the way they described their childhoods, the two had grown up without any of the responsibilities or expectations noble children had been held to. Unlike her, there had been no balls they'd been forced to attend, no stuffy nobles they'd had to visit for political reasons, no marriages to avoid... Still, they spoke so fondly to one another and about their island home that she couldn't find it in her to hold it against them.
Taiyang had returned part way through, looking none the worse for wear. He was too old for her, but Kirche had to admit the man cut an attractive figure as he strode in the door, muscled skin faintly glimmering with a slight sweat. The Xiao Long patriarch had headed upstairs after a quick greeting, presumably to wash up before dinner. When he returned, he'd given his daughters a knowing look before telling Ruby and Yang to go outside to 'fix up the lawn a bit', a task that had the two sisters groaning even as they moved to obey. She had no idea how they were going to do so, considering what they'd done to parts of it, but Kirche shrugged it off and decided to tend to Flame rather than worry about it, scratching the fire salamander at the base of his neck and getting approving squeaks in response.
Time passed. Zwei had jumped onto Louise's lap, the pinkette taking joyously to giving the dog affection. Kirche had teased her for this of course, and Louise had bit back at her with fire, petting the lapdog all the while even as she denied her adoration for him. Tabitha simply closed her eyes and looked almost like she was napping, though she occasionally snuck Zwei a hand and pet the dog throughout. Guiche had returned to fawning over Verdante, somehow seeing something worth obsessing over in the giant rodent. Thus, more time passed, the nobles simply sitting in the living room and trying their best to distract themselves from the overwhelming events of the day thus far until Taiyang declared dinner to be ready.
Dinner, as it turns out, was a hearty stew of some kind, full of meat, spices, and various vegetables and strange, brown, starchy things he called 'potatoes', and after a quick prayer Kirche and her peers had been more than happy to eat. The food was good and filling, and Kirche found herself thinking that she might develop a bit of a fondness for potatoes if they were served as well as this. Dinner ultimately was a quiet affair, and it wasn't long before the nobles found themselves heading upstairs to wash up after dinner… and to relieve themselves. Founder, that had been an awkward experience, with the sisters having to explain to the embarrassed nobles how their 'toilets' worked. It had been worth it, though, and Kirche didn't think she ever wanted to go back to not using this 'plumbing' ever again.
After freshening up, Kirche, Tabitha, and Louise had been hurried off to Yang and Ruby's bedroom to find clothes to wear for the night while their own were washed and dried, while Guiche had been taken to Taiyang's room to do the same. Louise and Guiche had been hesitant to accept the Xiao Long family's charity at first, but in the end the prospect of clean clothes to sleep in had been too much for the two holdouts to maintain more than token resistance. In the end, they managed well enough, and had quickly changed into borrowed nightwar one-by-one in the bathroom.
Kirche had easily found a silky, button-up, long-sleeved orange shirt in Yang's closet, as well as an older, grey pair of loose pants made from similar fabric. Thankfully, with only an inch difference in height and similar bodily proportions to the eldest Xiao Long sister, it fit almost perfectly. Louise had more difficulty, but had made due with a black shirt with grey speckles and white trim and an accompanying pair of black pants belonging to Ruby. The shirt hung loose off her frame due to her body type being much different than Ruby's (much to Kirche's amusement and Louise's grumbling and threatening glares) and the pants trailed past her heels just a bit, necessitating her pulling them a bit high on her body to keep herself from stepping on them, but the Valliere had had the sense of mind and manners to keep her mouth shut for the most part.
Tabitha was much more difficult for them to find clothes for, not helped by her own willingness to accept sub-par options and seeming distaste for prolonging the search for nightclothes. Still, Kirche had persisted, and in the end Ruby had dug out an old pair of clothes she hadn't worn for a couple of years that Tabitha could slip into. It was a simple, grey, long-sleeved top and plain grey pants, both with red, petal-shaped patterns inked onto them. It was still slightly too large for the girl, but it was about as good as they were going to get without seeking out a tailor in the nearest town.
Guiche had come down the hall shortly after they were all dressed for bed, and Kirche hadn't been able to stop herself from breaking into a laugh at the sight of him. Taiyang Xiao Long stood a full head taller than Guiche and was more broadly built, and apparently didn't share his daughter's taste in nightclothes. As such, Guiche was wearing a plain, short-sleeved white shirt that hung too long and loose on his body and loose-fitting pants of some soft-looking fabric that were cut short as well, reaching halfway past his knees with thick strings tied tight in the front just above the waist to keep it in place.
The normally proud son of the Gramont looked positively ridiculous, and not just to her. Ruby had let out a snicker at the sight, turning away and putting her hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing, and Louise had done the same even though she had immediately stopped and straightened up when Kirche looked towards her. Yang joined Kirche, letting out a single laugh before stopping herself and settling for an amused grin. The scowl on his face that formed in response to their amusement only made him look more ridiculous, his brow twitching and teeth clenched tight somehow only highlighting the ill-fitting outfit as something Kirche would endeavor to remember for a long time.
Sadly, all good things must end. Shortly after Guiche's arrival, Taiyang had come along carrying two large rolls of thick fabric with both arms, smiling at the group. They'd then moved on to determining sleeping arrangements. Guiche would be staying in the house's guestroom, while Tabitha, Louise, and Kirche slept in Yang and Ruby's room. Louise and Kirche would be taking the beds (which, to their good fortune, had had their covers washed the previous day) while Tabitha, Ruby, and Yang took bedrolls and slept on the floor.
"Tabitha, you don't need to do that." Taiyang had said. "I can sleep on the couch just fine, and one of you can take my bed for the night."
"It's alright. Slept in worse." Tabitha had replied with a shake of her head.
Taiyang had paused then, an odd look on his face as he examined Tabitha closely, before he'd sighed and nodded.
"Well, if you're sure…"
Thus, their sleeping arrangements decided and the daylight having grown dim, the Xiao Long family had started preparing for bed themselves- Taiyang grabbing another bedroll for Tabitha before trudging off to his room- leaving the Halkeginians on their own to head to their assigned rooms.
For a while, it had been quiet in Xiao Long sisters' bedroom, Louise and Kirche sitting opposite one another on the two beds while Tabitha layed out her bedroll near the window, which had darkened considerably. Louise had a scowl on her face, but she was staring at her hands, and her eyes were dull as she was presumably lost in thought. Kirche frowned at the girl, taking in her expression. Now, that just wouldn't do.
"So, Valliere…" Kirche began, lazily crossing one leg over the other.
Louise scowled, eyes darting up to Kirche. A familiar spark lit up in them, some of the life coming back to her familial rival.
"What?" She huffed, crossing her arms.
"Oh, it's nothing, really." Kirche began, bringing her hand up to her chin in mock-contemplation. "I'm just thinking… Ruby said she was fifteen years old, correct?"
"Yes." Louise replied, furrowing her brow.
"And you are sixteen years old, aren't you?"
"Yes." Louise hissed.
Kirche smirked. "And yet, her nightshirt is so loose on you…"
Come on, Valliere. Take the hook…
Louise blinked for a moment, before her face contorted in anger and flushed angrily.
"Y-you Germanian dog!" She snarled.
There we go. There's the fire!
Louise's eyes were fully alert now, whatever troubling thing she'd been thinking about forgotten in the face of Kirche's barb. It was a low blow, perhaps, but it was effective.
"Oh, come now, Valliere! I'm just curious, is all." Kirche continued, playfully.
"Of course you'd be curious about that, you- you harlot!"
"Oh, you wound me, Louise! Harlot?" Kirche put a hand to her chest overdramatically, an expression of mock hurt on her face. "Why, I'm just following the Zerbst family tradition! We are a family that pursues our passions with the utmost determination, after all, and boldly asking questions is part of that! Besides, you're deflecting!"
"I- I most certainly am not!"
Kirche smiled, and the dance continued. Kirche fired off a barb and pressed the attack, and Louise snapped out an insult and hissed her name in displeasure. Kirche plucked at Louise's ego, and the girl lashed out with an angry barb of her own. It was normal- routine, even- and for a moment Kirche almost could have forgotten where they were. It was almost like they were back at the Academy, and not stranded in some strange land full of monsters, magical crystals, and warriors that could snap her in two.
Then, Yang returned, her hair damp. She was wearing a yellow shirt with a symbol on its front that resembled a flaming heart and which- to Kirche's surprise- had no sleeves at all, showing off quite a lot of muscle on her arms. She also wore very short leggings that only reached her mid thigh, a piece of scandalous attire that had Louise turning scarlet and looking gobsmacked once she laid eyes on them, much to Kirche's amusement. A single blonde brow raised as she walked into the room, and she looked between a flustered Louise and Kirche and briefly looked at Tabitha stoically leaning against the wall as well, who was examining her cracked glasses with a frown.
"Is everything okay?" Yang asked, furrowing her brow.
"Everything's quite alright. Isn't it, Louise?" Kirche asked, innocently.
Louise turned to her and seethed, eyes narrowing, before she turned away with a huff, glaring instead at the wall. Yang looked at the pinkette searchingly, before turning to look at a grinning Kirche. Much to the Germanian's surprise, the blonde girl narrowed her eyes and glared at her for a moment, before pointedly looking away. She snagged her bedroll from the foot of her bed and started unrolling it on the floor.
Silence returned to the room for a few minutes as the occupants simply kept to themselves, a quiet tension filling the air between Kirche and Yang thanks to whatever offense their host had taken to her. Thankfully, that tension and the quiet was finally broken when the door opened again and Ruby entered, clad in a black top that was sleeveless like her sister's and thus showed off her own surprisingly toned arms. This one, however, bore an image of a pink heart on the front with red eyes, pink ears, a button nose and a series of white triangles on the bottom that resembled teeth. She wore white leggings that had pink roses patterned onto them with her nightshirt, and had her red cloak held over one shoulder.
Ruby looked confused at the silence in the room for a moment, looking to Yang as if seeking an answer. Kirche couldn't see the blonde girl's face, but whatever she mouthed or expression she had resulted in Ruby cocking her head before shrugging and moving to her own bedroll. When the silver-eyed girl had finished preparing the bedroll not long after, she stood and stretched her arms above her head before turning to face Kirche, Louise, and Tabitha.
"Right. Well, this is our room! Sorry if it's a bit crowded. It's only meant for two people, and now there are five of us in here and I mean that's obvious because there's only two beds-" Ruby stopped, suddenly, pausing for a moment. Then, she faked a cough into her own hand. The girl's awkwardness was honestly just adorable, dissolving the tension in the room entirely. "Anyways. Dad said professor Ozpin is going to be here early tomorrow, so I'm going to set an alarm on my scroll for everyone. If, uh, that's alright with you guys?"
"An alarm?" Louise questioned, now staring at the redhead.
"Oh, uh, right. You guys don't know about scrolls… or a lot of technology. Uh, well, scrolls can keep track of what time it is, long as they've got a working CCT connection- and you don't know what that is either-"
Suddenly, there was a clatter of wood on wood cutting Ruby off, causing everyone in the room to turn towards the source of the noise. Tabitha was standing by the window, staring up into the night sky, her staff rocking back and forth on the ground. Kirche's friend's eyes were wide, her pupils worrying pinpricks, and to Kirche's alarm she was shaking. Her face was slack in shock and- far more concerningly- fear.
"Tabitha?" Kirche called out, everything else completely forgotten as she stood up and almost ran across the room. Tabitha didn't respond, continuing to stare out the window as she slowly took a stumbling step backwards. Kirche reached her a second later, grabbing her friend by the shoulder to steady her. It was only then that Tabitha finally turned to face her, her expression one of total disbelief.
"Tabitha? Hey, you okay?" Yang asked from behind Kirche. The sound of a bed shifting and two sets of footsteps approaching told Kirche that Ruby and Louise had come over as well. She elected to ignore them in favor of her friend, not bothering to try and hide any of her concern as she gently shook her.
"Tabitha?" Kirche asked, quietly. "Tabitha, what's wrong?"
Tabitha's mouth opened, then shut, and then opened again, as if she was at a loss for words.
"The moon…" She finally uttered, blinking forcefully. Kirche's lips turned downwards into a frown, and the redhead was about to ask Tabitha what she meant when Louise suddenly gasped behind her, shortly after followed by a startled cry and the sound of something hitting the floor.
Kirche turned her head, seeing two very confused and very concerned sisters standing over Louise. Her familial rival was splayed out on the floor, pushing herself to sit up with her arms and staring in shock up and out the window and into the sky at something just out of Kirche's view. As Kirche watched, the shock was joined by horror.
It was only then that Kirche finally turned and leaned her body to look out the window.
The sight she saw tore the air from her lungs. Dimly, she was aware of her right hand slipping from Tabitha's shoulder, and of a voice calling out something behind her. Her left hand came up slowly to her mouth as she stared at the terrible, unbelievable sight hanging in the sky with eyes opened wide.
There, in place of the twin moons of Gaia and hanging in the darkening sky was a single, shattered white moon.
"F-founder!" She breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight. Then, she forced her eyes shut, and shook her head violently.
This is a dream, right?
She opened her eyes.
The broken moon was still there.
A pale hand laid itself on her arm
"H-hey!" Ruby's voice cut through the haze, finally causing Kirche to look away and at the younger girl. Her fellow redhead's eyes were full of concern and confusion, her arm outstretched with her hand. Ruby pulled it away, frowning.
"What's- what's wrong?" She asked.
What's wrong? Something cold and awful filled Kirche's belly, and the girl almost laughed- not happily or in amusement, but to keep herself from shouting, screaming, crying out that what wasn't wrong?- at the innocent question. The moon- the moons- this didn't make any sense!
"W-what is that?" Louise asked, pointing at the window, her eyes wide.
"What is what?" Yang asked in turn, turning to stare out the window. "The moon?"
"Yes, that!" Louise exclaimed. "W-why is it broken, and white? Where's the other moon!?"
The two sisters stared at Louise in bafflement, before turning to look at Kirche and Tabitha. Kirche simply met their eyes with her own confused orbs, and a quick look back at Tabitha showed the girl had turned from the window to do the same.
"What other moon?" Ruby asked. The confusion in her voice, the scrunching of her brow-
They really didn't know. The looks of incomprehension on their faces said it all. They really, truly didn't know what Louise was talking about. The Valliere girl must have realized it too, as she went quiet and stared at the sisters in disbelief.
"But…" Kirche began, thoughts racing. "This doesn't- why is there only one moon? Where are we? Wha-"
"Not on Gaia."
The interruption from Tabitha caused Kirche to pause, turning to face her friend slowly.The bluenette had stopped shaking, and instead was simply staring sightlessly and expressionlessly at the window.
"W-what?"
Tabitha turned to look at everyone else in the room. Her arms were crossed, her fingers digging into them.
"We're not on Gaia. We're…" Tabitha trailed off, and took a moment to breathe in shakily. Then, she looked Kirche dead in the eyes.
"We're not in our world anymore."
The room was completely, utterly silent. Louise's mouth opened and shut like a fish. Kirche simply stared at her best friend in shock. Ruby and Yang both looked at one another, eyes wide and faces disbelieving.
Then, Guiche screamed from down the hall, and all eyes went to the door.
----
Again, I'm so sorry I'm late with this update and chapter 4! Hopefully y'all enjoy them enough to make up for my goof.
----
The lunch Taiyang Xiao Long had provided Guiche and his classmates with was far from what he was used to. Meat, cheese, pickles, lettuce, and slices of an odd, red fruit called a 'tomato' had been put between two slices of toasted bread, a white and a yellow sauce slathered on one of the sides. After they'd been seated at the small table that made up the dining area (which to his and his classmate's surprise, was in the same room as a countered area with a strange metal cabinet Taiyang had called their kitchen), he'd asked what it was called, and Yang had replied that it was a 'sandwich'.
The sandwich was far better than Guiche expected. It was no banquet fair by any means, but it tasted quite good and went down easily, marking it as far above the kind of horrid gruel he'd heard many commoners indulged in. As such, he ate without complaint, simply being grateful to fill his stomach after the ordeal that had brought them here. His peers must have felt the same, as they too ate without raising any misgivings.
That wasn't to say that lunch had been a silent affair. Taiyang- who had elected to stand and let his daughters and guests take up the seats at the table- had asked for their names, marking another round of introductions to the patriarch of the Xiao Long family. He'd then asked some clarifying questions about what- presumably- his daughters had told him. Guiche and his fellows had answered as best as they could, of course, ensuring the man was filled in on events as best as they could do so.
It didn't take long to finish their small meal, and after that Taiyang had beckoned them back out to the 'living room'. They'd returned to the spots they'd sat in during their talk with Ruby and Yang, the sisters bringing the three chairs they'd returned to the dining room back out so they could be seated to talk to their guests once again. For a short while after they were seated, things were silent, though Guiche finally made to take a few of the blueberries that had been set out for himself.
"So," Taiyang finally said, seated between his two daughters. "I sent a message to an old acquaintance of mine about you guys and your situation. His name is Ozpin. He's a professor and the headmaster of Beacon Academy, and hopefully, he can help you guys out."
Guiche frowned. The way Taiyang had spoken made it sound like this 'Ozpin' was a man of significance, but he had no idea what this 'Beacon' Academy was. Was it like the Tristain Academy of Magic? But they didn't have magic- how could the man help them? Before he could ask anything, however, Ruby spoke up.
"Wait, you know Ozpin? Like, know know Ozpin? From before last night?"
Tai smiled at his daughter, ruffling her hair and causing the silver-eyed girl to whine in protest.
"Yup. Used to help him out with some special missions before I started teaching at Signal."
...none of that answered any of Guiche's questions. Last night? Signal? He'd mentioned that before, right?
"I'm sorry," Kirche began from the couch, looking just as confused as him. "I'm afraid we don't quite know what his 'Beacon' is- what, exactly, are you talking about?"
For a moment, Tai looked at the girl in disbelief, before he slapped his hand against his forehead and muttered something to himself under his breath.
"Right, I forgot- you guys wouldn't know, huh?" He said, crossing his arms. "Well, Beacon is Vale's Huntsman academy- it's where people go to learn how to use their Aura to fight like Huntsman, and to eventually get certified as a Huntsman or Huntress."
"Huntsman? Huntress?" Guiche parroted. "You have an academy for hunting game?"
For a moment, Tai's daughters stared at Guiche, caught off guard. The man himself simply let out a small sigh.
"No, not hunters," Ruby exclaimed, looking almost incensed, "Huntsmen and Huntresses! Y'know, people who dedicate their lives to fighting the Grimm and bandits and criminals, and, and-!"
The redheaded girl stopped as Yang let out a giggle, turning to pout at her sister. This only made Yang laugh harder, their father letting out a chuckle of his own in turn.
"Jeeze, Rubes, give him a lecture, why don'tcha?" Yang said, causing Ruby to let out a cute growl even as she blushed in embarrassment, clutching at her skirt.
"Well- well, there's a difference!" Ruby responded indignantly. Yang laughed again, and Ruby returned to pouting.
Taiyang shook his head in amusement, turning to face the nobles. "Yeah, when I say, 'Huntsmen', I'm talking about a little more than people who hunt a deer. We're warriors trained to fight against the Grimm and- if necessary- other people to protect ourselves and others. Some of us like to travel around, going place to place and finding work where they can, while others- like myself- dig in roots in settlements or one of the cities and take up a more dedicated occupation."
"And we," Ruby chimed in, her distress forgotten in favor of excitement as she gestured towards her sister and herself, "are Huntresses-in-training!"
"Yup." Yang confirmed, smiling proudly. "And in a couple of weeks, me and my prodigy of a sister are going to be going to Beacon for four years to make it official!"
At her older sister's praise, Ruby's face once again turned red, and she pulled up her hood to hide it.
"'M not a prodigy." She mumbled, looking down at her feet as she kicked at the carpet.
"Sure you aren't, Miss 'I almost caught an infamous criminal and impressed the headmaster of Beacon enough to jump forwards two whole years and get into Beacon early'! C'mon, Rubes- give yourself a bit of credit!" Yang responded, smiling half in amusement and half in pride. Ruby only receded further into her cloak in response, prompting Yang to giggle. Kirche joined her, eyes glittering in amusement, while Tabitha simply raised an eyebrow and stared.
Guiche supposed prodigy would be the right word. From what they were saying, these 'Huntsmen and Huntresses' were quite prestigious, like the Manticore Knights or Griffin Knights of Tristain, and to be moved up two years in one's education to join such an order's ranks would have been something any noble would have been proud to claim. Of course, it wasn't entirely the same- the way Taiyang had described them also brought to mind men of fortune more knightly orders sworn to a nation- but regardless, it made the girl's sudden shyness all the more surprising to him. Judging by the mixture of confusion and surprise on Louise's face, she felt the same.
"Moving on," Taiyang continued, "Ozpin is the headmaster at Beacon. This gives him a a lot of influence on Vale's Council, which- seeing as how that makes him one of the most powerful people in the Kingdom- gives him a lot of sway and resources. Once I told him that a bunch of kids were on my doorstep quite literally by magic… well, it caught his attention, and he's decided to help you out."
Guiche's eyes widened. This Ozpin had that much power? Was this 'Council' Vale's governing body, then? The thought made Guiche swallow nervously. Wasn't Reconquista governed by a 'council' as well, claiming to represent Albion's people? The comparison was- perhaps- unfair, but he couldn't help but make it all the same, and it filled him with worry and no small amount of dread. A glance at his peers showed Kirche and Louise looking surprised, and Tabitha as close as he believed she could get.
He hoped this Ozpin was far more benign than the positively blasphemous monster that was Cromwell and his ilk.
Something on his face must have given away his concerns, because Taiyang waved his hands appeasingly not long after looking at him.
"Don't worry! Oz is a good guy. I wouldn't have called him otherwise." Tai coughed, clearing his throat. "Anyways, he won't be here until tomorrow morning, which means you guys will have to spend the night here. I hope that's alright with you."
Guiche had to admit, it wasn't entirely- he desperately found himself craving the comforts of his room back at the Academy. The plush sheets, servants at his beck and call, and the companionable feasts of the dining hall all were things he didn't realize he could miss so much. However, all of that wasn't an option, and stranded as they were thanks to the damn Zero's blunder, he couldn't really see another choice. He nodded his assent, his peers doing the same, and Tai sighed in relief.
"Good" He said. "On that note, we've got about five-ish hours before sundown and about four before it's time for dinner, so if there's anything you want to do between now and then, feel free." Taiyang stood up. "I'm going to head out and do a quick clear of the woods- if that pack of Beowolves you all encountered is any indication, the Grimm population might be up a bit higher than it should be. Ruby and Yang can help you out if you need anything, and don't be afraid to ask me for whatever you need either once I'm back."
"Beowolves?" Guiche repeated cautiously. "I thought 'Grimm' was what those beasts were called?"
"Beowolves are a type of Grimm." Taiyang replied with the ease and practice of a teacher lecturing to his class despite the faint disbelief on his face. "One of the most common pretty much everywhere you go, in fact. Grimm are an entire type of creature themselves, and they come in a lot of forms, but you can identify them pretty easily by their shared color scheme and aesthetics. Black fur, scales, or skin that gives off black smoke, white bone plating and masks with red markings, and burning red and yellow eyes. They're all hostile to humanity, and they'll all try to kill you.
Guiche swallowed nervously, glancing at his classmates. Louise and Kirche quite apparently shared his concern, Tabitha simply lowering her brow in thought. Those 'Beowolves' had been terrifying enough, and they were common? There were more, possibly more dangerous kinds of 'Grimm' out there, all of them murderous? It brought to mind the many different kinds of monster spoken of in the holy texts of the Founder, which were said to have once been dominant over Halkeginia and to this day still proved to be a threat in wild places and at times to small villages. It was frightening to think about, and it only made these 'Huntsmen and Huntresses' prestige make more sense if they trained to fight these creatures. Just where had Louise stranded them?
"There's nothing too dangerous here on Patch." Taiyang said, comfortingly. "Leviathans and other large Grimm can't get too close thanks to the shallow waters of the straight, and enough of the island is settled that whatever older, stronger Grimm exist on land can only really be found up in the mountains and tend to stay away most of the time. Plus, we're right next to Vale, so there's enough Huntresses and Huntsmen around that anything that would attack tends to get hunted down before it can really do much."
That made Guiche feel a bit better about things. Perhaps not by much- there were still monsters lurking in the wilderness- but enough that he could relax his shoulders a bit.
"Still, it never hurts to be too careful, so I'm going to go and do my job. When I get back, I'll get started on dinner, and then we can get you guys a change of clothes for the night and wash what you're wearing."
Guiche looked at his academy uniform and grimaced, Kirche and Louise doing the same. Almost simultaneously, the three nodded, Tabitha a moment behind. That sounded quite nice indeed.
----
With Dad having left the house to go clear out the Grimm, the Halkeginians were left to their own devices for the most part. For a while, they'd simply done nothing at all, sitting around. With permission from Yang, Verdante- the mole that was apparently Guiche's pet- and Flame- which was Kirche's weird fire-lizard-thing- had been allowed into the house. Zwei had been happy to see them, darting up to the lizard and licking at his nose, causing him to screech in protest and try in vain to hide behind Kirche's legs.
Zwei, being the smartest, best boy he was, wasn't deterred in the slightest, dariting between the girl's legs to keep up his assault of doggy kisses. At one point, Flame even blew sparks into Zwei's face, only for the corgi to shrug it off and keep going, much to the Halkeginian's surprise.
Besides that, however, nothing really was happening, and it got to be a little bit too much. Yang sighed, closing and pocketing her scroll and looking at the freaking wizards sitting in their living room, who seemed awfully keen to do nothing for the next few hours.
Guiche was- for some reason- fawning over his mole, muttering about how 'handsome' and 'beautiful' he was as he raked his fingers through the critter's fur. Kirche, meanwhile, had bought her pet breathing room by giving Zwei some love, petting him while cooing and giving him puppy talk. Louise had grouchily sat back against the couch, glaring at Kirche jealousy and sending the occasional, much softer, comically longing look to Zwei between bouts of sulking. Tabitha sat between them, looking like she was deep in thought even as she absent-mindedly reached out and scratched Zwei behind his ear, causing the Corgi to let out a content huff in Kirche's lap.
She then looked to Ruby, her sister meeting her gaze before awkwardly shrugging. Then, an idea hit her, and Yang stood up, clapping her hands once to get their guests' attention. All eyes now on her, she spoke.
"So, since we have another three-and-just-over-a-half hours to go until dinner, I've got an idea." She pointed to Kirche and Tabitha. "You two showed us some of your magic, so why don't Ruby and I show you some more Aura stuff? We were sparring a bit before you guys made your explosive entrance-" Ruby groaned, putting her head in her hands. Louise scowled at her, and Tabitha simply gave her a blank look. Yang grinned. "-so we can pick back up where we left off and give you guys a bit of a show to pass the time."
The Halkeginians definitely looked interested at her offer, and Ruby perked up. After a moment, their guests nodded one by one- first Kirche, then Tabitha, and finally Louise and Guiche. The group quickly stood, Yang and Ruby leading the way to the door, grabbing their weapons from where they were next to the exit as they went. A minute later, the six were standing outside.
Ruby and Yang quickly took up combat stances about twenty feet apart on the large patch of exposed dirt that was the yard's sparring area. Their guests stood off to the side by the house, Tabitha seated on a tree stump with Kirche standing over her, Guiche standing several feet to one side of them, and Louise on the other. Flame and Verdante were next to their owners, and Zwei had sat down just on the edge of their 'arena', tongue lolling and stubby tail thumping against the dirt.
Yang put on a cocky grin, cocking her right arm back and loading a shell into Ember Celica.
"You ready, Ruby?" She called.
Ruby looked slightly nervously towards their audience, and for a second Yang felt worried. But her sister was stronger than that, and shook her head, steeling her gaze and settling into a lower stance before returning Yang's grin.
"Ready to kick your butt!" Ruby cried, pointing dramatically. Yang's smile widened, and she slid her right foot back in the dirt.
"Bring it on!"
For a moment longer, the two sisters stared each other down. Then, the crack of Crescent Rose and boom of Ember Celica filled the air, and the two were flying at each other, swinging their weapons.
----
When the two sisters had said they wanted to spar, Louise had expected them to perhaps hold back somewhat. Now, a part of her hoped they weren't, because it was taking all of her focus to try and keep track of the two 'Huntresses'-in-training.
Gold and red met mid-air with the deafening sound of gunshots and clashing steel, and then they were locked in combat. Both the Xiao Long sisters were little more than blurs, Yang advancing as a flurry of punches and kicks while Ruby backpedaled, her scythe a whirlwind that would have torn any of the men-at-arms of the Valliere lands apart with ease as she fought back. And yet, Yang kept up the pressure, refusing to relent as they traded blows.
The display was breathtaking, and in no small measure terrifying. She knew the two must have been connecting at least some of their strikes, and yet both continued as if they weren't being stabbed and bludgeoned hard enough to put down any normal living man. Louise turned her head, and found Guiche and Kirche looking just as awestruck and stupefied as she was, and even Tabitha seeming captivated. They'd all seen the two fighting those Beowolves in the clearing- or more accurately, the results of such- but already this display had outlasted that fight twice over, and it only cemented how strong the two were.
And these two were still 'in-training'? It made Louise feel small.
Then, with a surge of motion that Louise struggled to even see at all, Ruby's weapon hit hard, sending her elder sister shooting away from the exchange, head-over-heels. Ruby's scythe slammed into the dirt point-first, and her hand flew to the odd grip on its side, pulling it back. The moment of stillness allowed Louise a better look at the monstrosity of a weapon. She had been able to see- both in the clearing and at the start of this spar- that the weapon could shoot like a musket, but now she could see it faintly resembled it as well. It had differences, but she could identify a stock, a trigger, and a frighteningly large hole on it's top that she realized was the end of a barrel that was it's shaft.
K-chunk. Bang!
The weapon and its owner jolted for a moment, a tongue of fire spitting from it's end. She knew just how fast a musket ball travelled- mother had made sure to impress upon all of her children just how dangerous the weapons could be even in the hands of a commoner and even with their inaccuracy with a demonstration a few years ago- and she knew that there should be no way that Yang could react to the gunshot in time.
Thus, she was gobsmacked when Yang somehow must have managed to roll back to her feet and block the shot, the deafening clang of whatever that thing fired striking her gauntlets ringing out loudly while Yang slid backwards and onto the grass, arms held up in front of her chest. Without delay, the blonde surged forwards. Ruby's hand blurred on her weapon's side, and gunshot after gunshot rang out as she fired the weapon again and again, somehow not even needing to reload in the process, firing faster than any musket ever could have.
Yang zigged and zagged, and as a tree in the distance had a massive chunk of its trunk blasted apart, Louise realized she was somehow dodging the frighteningly accurate shots. Moments later, she was on her sister, and the two began another exchange of blows.
All of this was because of this 'Aura'? Because of their 'souls'? Anyone could wield this power?
...could she learn this power? The thought came suddenly, and Louise felt her heart skip a beat. The idea was borderline heretical- this power was, no matter what Yang and Ruby insisted, almost certainly magic, and most certainly wasn't of the Founder. But even still it was hard to dislodge. For a girl who had time and time again failed to cast so much as a single spell, the thought of being able to move like that, fight like that, be strong like mother-
It was so, so enticing. She almost wanted to interrupt the match, to demand that they teach her how to use Aura, but she clenched her teeth and fists and fought the impulse. She was a Valliere- a noble- and she wouldn't be controlled by such impulses. Besides, Founder knows what the church would say- it was possibly heretical, and she wouldn't forsake the Church for power like some starving mutt. She was better than that.
Even still, Louise couldn't quite stop herself from feeling envious of their hosts. It was a familiar feeling, and it made her grimace.
Suddenly, the battle shifted, snapping Louise from her thoughts. Red shot over gold, rose petals filling the air as Ruby appeared behind her sister, the blonde caught in the crook of her scythe. With a cry of exertion, Ruby swung her weapon, the gun-scythe firing at the same time. Rather than cut the girl in half like it should have, she was instead sent flying, crashing into a tree in the clearing with a crack. Bark and wood split open, and to Louise's shock some of the tree's roots were violently exposed as the tree took on a tilt. Yang was embedded partway in the tree, eyes shut. A golden light shimmered into being around her, an audible crackling filling the air before the light vanished.
For a moment, Louise was certain the spar had to be over- surely, Yang couldn't get back up from a blow like that? Her jaw dropped open, however, when Yang's eyes shot open, a bloody crimson hue, and the girl grinned. She pulled herself from the tree, with the sound of splintering bark, and then smashed her fists together, exploding in a wave of fire that scorched the grass at her feet and the tree behind her.
When the light from the fire dimmed, Louise almost fell over from shock as she realized that Yang's hair was ablaze. Kirche audibly gasped next to her, and a look showed she and her other classmates were all just as astonished as she was. Louise had just begun looking back at Yang when the blonde quite literally exploded forwards, heading right towards her wide-eyed sister. Ruby began to move back, her weapon behind her, only for Yang to swing out a fist mid-air, a fiery orb screaming from her weapon and slamming into the ground behind the redhead. The younger sister's backstep turned into an uncontrolled stumble forwards.
The air was filled with another boom of the girl's gauntlets and a wild scream from Yang as the fiery girl struck, and suddenly a red blur was flying backwards, bouncing against the ground and kicking up clouds of dirt as she went. Finally, the blur slid to a stop, Ruby laying flat on her back and groaning, her weapon skidding to a stop next to her a second later. The girl tried to stand up, but suddenly her Aura flickered around her before bursting into red motes of light, and she slumped back into the dirt with another groan.
Yang smiled, closing her eyes and breathing in as her hair returned to normal, seemingly untouched by the fire that had consumed it a moment before. Then, she slumped slightly, her own golden light flickering and bursting apart around her. Her eyes opened, and the once again purple-eyed girl stood straight and began to lazily walk towards her downed sister.
Louise simply stared at the two girls in shock, astounded. This- that was-!
"B-by the Founder!" Guiche whispered, and Louise found herself nodding in agreement as she looked over the battlefield. The kicked up dirt was only just beginning to settle, making the rents and torn up dirt visible. The tree Yang had hit groaned ominously, a large branch falling off of it and onto the ground with a crack. A faint breeze blew into Louise's face, filling her nose with the smell of burnt wood, grass, and something that almost stung that she couldn't identify.
Yang grabbed her sister's hand and pulled the smaller girl upright, smiling like she hadn't just done what she did. Ruby pouted in response, grabbing her scythe as she rose.
"Almost had me there for a sec, Ruby!" Yang said, cheerily.
Ruby let out a, "Hmph!", crossing her arms and turning her head away for a moment. Then, her face twitched, and she broke into a grin and jabbed a finger into her sister's chest. "I'll have you know, Yang Xiao Long, that your Aura hit the red first! That means by tournament rules, I win!" She proclaimed, sticking out her tongue at her sister.
Yang laughed, smirking. "Well, Ruby Rose, I'll have you know that your Aura broke first! Thus, by practical rules, I win!"
For a moment, the two sisters stared at one another, matching, smug smiles on their faces. A moment later, Ruby snickered. Yang snorted. Then, they both broke out into laughter, Ruby bending over to clutch her stomach while Yang threw her head back, wrapping her arms around her own.
The entire display was almost as shocking as the two girls' fight, and a quick glance at the others showed they felt the same. Guiche was staring open mouthed at the two, looking between them and the battlefield, and Kirche was slack-faced and wide-eyed. In just a dozen seconds, the two had gone from a brutal, holdless brawl to laughing like nothing had just happened. The sheer whiplash made Louise's brow twitch as she tried to wrap her head around it.
Finally, Yang turned back to the group, her smile widening as she took in their expressions. Quickly, Louise schooled her own, only for Yang to look to her and giggle in response. That made Louise scowl, which only seemed to further amuse their host.
"Well, any questions?" The blonde girl asked, setting a hand on her cocked hip.
"Y-yes!" Louise shouted, jumping to her feet. The damn brute just laughed at her haste, causing Louise to flush in embarrassment as she started for the door and beckoned for them to follow.
What followed was a barrage of questions from the nobles, asking more about what they'd just witnessed. Yang and Ruby- once they'd settled down with glasses of water with cubed ice in them (which had prompted a whole different explanation about something called a 'freezer' and a 'refrigerator')- had been all too willing to indulge them.
Aura, they clarified, only could shield someone so much before it was depleted. What the two had done in their spar was apparently fight until their Auras 'broke', something they assured the nobles was only temporary and would be fully restored in just a couple of hours. Then, they'd explained that their Auras also was depleted to fuel their Semblances, which had been what Yang had used to end their spar.
"What does it do?" Kirche asked, curiously. She, too, had a glass of water with ice in it, and now that she wasn't staring at it she was swirling around idly in one hand.
Yang grinned proudly. "My Semblance lets me get stronger from hits I take. I store the energy from attacks that hit me, and then I can use it to super-charge myself!"
"A-and that sets your hair on fire?" Guiche asked, eyes wide.
"And it turns my eyes red!" Yang chirped. Suddenly, her eyes did just that, and Louise noticed faint wisps of flame dancing across her hair. "My semblance gets a bit hard to keep control of when I get mad, too- that's, uh, kinda how I discovered it actually-"
"She got mad and punched a tree in half~!" Ruby sung, teasingly.
"Only because that stupid raven that flew into my head and then went and sat in the stupid thing! Seriously, that guy came out of nowhere during practice!"
"Yup. The raven hit you. Completely out of nowhere. You totally weren't just not paying attention~!"
Yang huffed, before reaching out and ruffling Ruby's hair, who let out a noise of protest in response and batted away the offending hand. The younger sister then scowled at the older, who just smirked back at her.
"So that wasn't how you threw that fireball?" Guiche asked, curiously.
"Fireball?" Yang echoed before snapping her fingers. "Oh, you mean the explosive shot! Nah, that was just me changing ammo types while Ruby and I were going at it. Nothing too special about that- just a bunch of Burn and Combustion Dust loaded up into a slug!"
"Dust?" Louise questioned. Yang paused, staring at her in shock, as did Ruby.
"Seriously? You guys don't know what Dust is, either?" They shook their heads, and the blonde growled in frustration. "But Dust is everywhere! How- no, nevermind." She sighed, and then looked up at them.
"Look, Dust… it's-"
Suddenly, Ruby took off, creating a breeze with her speed that blew the petals she trailed around the room as she rushed towards the kitchen. A moment later, she returned, holding a bright red crystal in her hand.
"-it's that." Yang finished.
"This is a Burn Dust crystal." Ruby explained, bringing it closer to them. The crystal was finely cut into a hexagonal rod, its edges even and sharp. It glowed faintly in Ruby's hand, just barely visible in the sunlight.
"'Burn' Dust?" Kirche asked, Ruby nodding in response.
"Um, some people call it Fire Dust, but most people call it Burn." She told them, before holding it out to Louise. "I took this one from the stovetop- we use it to cook, 'cause Burn Dust generates heat if you use it right. It can also, um, set stuff on fire, or explode i-if you mishandle it, so, er, please be careful!"
At that revelation, Louise immediately shrank back from the 'Burn' Dust crystal, Kirche doing the same while Tabitha slightly scooched herself further away on the couch. Guiche moved his chair back, slightly, with his own abrupt move away from it. Ruby grimaced, pulling it back.
"U-um-"
"Hey," Yang said, turning the attention back to herself, "Give it here, Rubes."
Ruby nodded hesitantly, walking over to her sister and handing the Dust over. Yang held it up in her hand, before closing her eyes. A faint golden glow came from her palm- her Aura, Louise assumed, having somewhat returned- and the crystal began to glow slightly brighter, a faint shimmering forming in the air around it.
She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of white paper that had something Louise couldn't make out written on it sloppily, holding it up to the crystal. Her eyes opened, but remained narrowed in concentration. Slowly, the piece of paper began to brown, and then blacken before catching alight. Yang quickly pulled it away, letting it burn away in her hand seemingly without any concern for the heat. She let out a breath, and the crystal returned to its normal glow.
Louise stared in shock, as did Guiche and Kirche. That- that almost looked like she had used the crystal to do magic! Simple magic, but magic! But- but they said they thought magic wasn't real!
"You said 'Burn' Dust." Tabitha stated, staring at the crystal intently. Then, she turned her eyes to Yang's. "Other kinds?"
Yang and Ruby both nodded.
"Yup! There's Ice Dust, Lightning Dust, Wind Dust, Gravity Dust, Plant Dust, Earth Dust…"
"And there's a bunch of refined Dust types!" Ruby cut in, "Like Combustion Dust, Hard-Light Dust, and Steam Dust! Depending on how you process or mix it, Dust can do, like… a lot! You can use it for Bullets, Dust-weave clothes, directly in combat..."
Louise only felt her confusion mounting. Some of those Dust types sounded like the Pentagon of the Five Elements- Wind, Fire, Earth… but then there was 'Ice', separate from Water? 'Lightning' separate from Wind? Plants? Gravity!? And what was that about 'hard light'!? Louise was so, so confused, and it frustrated her to no end.
"Do you guys really not have anything like that?" Yang asked. Guiche nodded, only for Tabitha to shake her head.
"Wind Stones." She said. That- that was true. Wind Stones- and the other elemental stones- did sound kind of similar to Dust. But Wind Stones, Earth Stones, Water Stones- those were all magic!
"Wind Stones? What are those?" Ruby asked.
"Magic stones." Tabitha replied. "Used for airships. They also make Albion fly."
Yang hummed, rubbing her chin.
"Sounds kinda like Gravity Dust to me. Are these Wind Stones purple-ish?" Tabitha shook her head, and Yang sighed. "Weird. White, then? Like Wind Dust?" Tabitha nodded. Yang hummed again. "Double weird. I mean, sure, Wind Dust can do that, but, like, not for long or as well as Gravity Dust."
"You, um, talked about this 'Albion' before, right?" Ruby interjected. All eyes turned to her, and the nobles nodded. "Is that, like, a city, or...?"
"A nation."
"Ah. L-like, a small nation?"
"Relatively."
Ruby let out a small, "Oh," and Yang whistled, looking impressed.
"Damn, and I thought a flying city like Atlas was crazy. You guys have a whole flying country?" Tabitha nodded, and the blonde girl once again let out a whistle. "Guess these 'Wind Stones' are pretty crazy, huh?"
"Albion has a lot of Wind Stones naturally built up along its bottom." Louise informed her. "As such, they decay at a rate slow enough for the country to keep afloat practically indefinitely!"
The conversation quieted down after that for a minute, the two sides simply absorbing what they'd been told. During this time, Ruby quickly returned the Burn Dust to the kitchen, returning with a fresh glass of water.
"Sooo…" Yang drawled, crossing her arms. "Is Tristain another country?"
----
After Yang's question, the nobles had taken time to inform Yang and Ruby of their homeland, telling them about the nations of Halkeginia. It made Kirche feel slightly homesick to do so, but it was a welcome distraction from yet another thing that made no sense. The sisters had in turn told them more about 'The Four Kingdoms'; the cold northern Kingdom of Atlas (the capital of which- Atlas, creatively enough- was a city they had made fly deliberately), the hot, desert Kingdom of Vacuo, and the diverse, continent-claiming Kingdom of Mistral. Not much- they were certainly no historians- but a little.
They had also explained that most people lived in the capital cities themselves, with most of their claimed territory being undeveloped excluding scattered settlements and what other cities could be founded due to the constant threat of the Grimm. When Yang had proceeded to say that it wasn't unheard of for entire villages or townships to simply vanish overnight in a tone that didn't sound nearly as horrified as it should have- more sadly resigned, than anything else- Kirche found herself shuddering with Louise and Guiche, and even Tabitha looked astounded. It was frightening just how much she seemed to accept such a horrid thing as a fact of life.
If they were such a threat that even with these 'Huntresses' and 'Huntsmen' that entire villages could be wiped out in a single night, Kirche was very, very glad the Grimm had never been seen in Halkeginia. She prayed it would stay that way as long as she lived.
The conversation had gone on for a couple of hours after that horrifying revelation, thankfully taking on a much lighter tone as the sisters took time to talk about Patch as well and teasingly jab one another about various misadventures they had had growing up. Once she was over the tonal whiplash, it almost made Kirche envious- the way they described their childhoods, the two had grown up without any of the responsibilities or expectations noble children had been held to. Unlike her, there had been no balls they'd been forced to attend, no stuffy nobles they'd had to visit for political reasons, no marriages to avoid... Still, they spoke so fondly to one another and about their island home that she couldn't find it in her to hold it against them.
Taiyang had returned part way through, looking none the worse for wear. He was too old for her, but Kirche had to admit the man cut an attractive figure as he strode in the door, muscled skin faintly glimmering with a slight sweat. The Xiao Long patriarch had headed upstairs after a quick greeting, presumably to wash up before dinner. When he returned, he'd given his daughters a knowing look before telling Ruby and Yang to go outside to 'fix up the lawn a bit', a task that had the two sisters groaning even as they moved to obey. She had no idea how they were going to do so, considering what they'd done to parts of it, but Kirche shrugged it off and decided to tend to Flame rather than worry about it, scratching the fire salamander at the base of his neck and getting approving squeaks in response.
Time passed. Zwei had jumped onto Louise's lap, the pinkette taking joyously to giving the dog affection. Kirche had teased her for this of course, and Louise had bit back at her with fire, petting the lapdog all the while even as she denied her adoration for him. Tabitha simply closed her eyes and looked almost like she was napping, though she occasionally snuck Zwei a hand and pet the dog throughout. Guiche had returned to fawning over Verdante, somehow seeing something worth obsessing over in the giant rodent. Thus, more time passed, the nobles simply sitting in the living room and trying their best to distract themselves from the overwhelming events of the day thus far until Taiyang declared dinner to be ready.
Dinner, as it turns out, was a hearty stew of some kind, full of meat, spices, and various vegetables and strange, brown, starchy things he called 'potatoes', and after a quick prayer Kirche and her peers had been more than happy to eat. The food was good and filling, and Kirche found herself thinking that she might develop a bit of a fondness for potatoes if they were served as well as this. Dinner ultimately was a quiet affair, and it wasn't long before the nobles found themselves heading upstairs to wash up after dinner… and to relieve themselves. Founder, that had been an awkward experience, with the sisters having to explain to the embarrassed nobles how their 'toilets' worked. It had been worth it, though, and Kirche didn't think she ever wanted to go back to not using this 'plumbing' ever again.
After freshening up, Kirche, Tabitha, and Louise had been hurried off to Yang and Ruby's bedroom to find clothes to wear for the night while their own were washed and dried, while Guiche had been taken to Taiyang's room to do the same. Louise and Guiche had been hesitant to accept the Xiao Long family's charity at first, but in the end the prospect of clean clothes to sleep in had been too much for the two holdouts to maintain more than token resistance. In the end, they managed well enough, and had quickly changed into borrowed nightwar one-by-one in the bathroom.
Kirche had easily found a silky, button-up, long-sleeved orange shirt in Yang's closet, as well as an older, grey pair of loose pants made from similar fabric. Thankfully, with only an inch difference in height and similar bodily proportions to the eldest Xiao Long sister, it fit almost perfectly. Louise had more difficulty, but had made due with a black shirt with grey speckles and white trim and an accompanying pair of black pants belonging to Ruby. The shirt hung loose off her frame due to her body type being much different than Ruby's (much to Kirche's amusement and Louise's grumbling and threatening glares) and the pants trailed past her heels just a bit, necessitating her pulling them a bit high on her body to keep herself from stepping on them, but the Valliere had had the sense of mind and manners to keep her mouth shut for the most part.
Tabitha was much more difficult for them to find clothes for, not helped by her own willingness to accept sub-par options and seeming distaste for prolonging the search for nightclothes. Still, Kirche had persisted, and in the end Ruby had dug out an old pair of clothes she hadn't worn for a couple of years that Tabitha could slip into. It was a simple, grey, long-sleeved top and plain grey pants, both with red, petal-shaped patterns inked onto them. It was still slightly too large for the girl, but it was about as good as they were going to get without seeking out a tailor in the nearest town.
Guiche had come down the hall shortly after they were all dressed for bed, and Kirche hadn't been able to stop herself from breaking into a laugh at the sight of him. Taiyang Xiao Long stood a full head taller than Guiche and was more broadly built, and apparently didn't share his daughter's taste in nightclothes. As such, Guiche was wearing a plain, short-sleeved white shirt that hung too long and loose on his body and loose-fitting pants of some soft-looking fabric that were cut short as well, reaching halfway past his knees with thick strings tied tight in the front just above the waist to keep it in place.
The normally proud son of the Gramont looked positively ridiculous, and not just to her. Ruby had let out a snicker at the sight, turning away and putting her hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing, and Louise had done the same even though she had immediately stopped and straightened up when Kirche looked towards her. Yang joined Kirche, letting out a single laugh before stopping herself and settling for an amused grin. The scowl on his face that formed in response to their amusement only made him look more ridiculous, his brow twitching and teeth clenched tight somehow only highlighting the ill-fitting outfit as something Kirche would endeavor to remember for a long time.
Sadly, all good things must end. Shortly after Guiche's arrival, Taiyang had come along carrying two large rolls of thick fabric with both arms, smiling at the group. They'd then moved on to determining sleeping arrangements. Guiche would be staying in the house's guestroom, while Tabitha, Louise, and Kirche slept in Yang and Ruby's room. Louise and Kirche would be taking the beds (which, to their good fortune, had had their covers washed the previous day) while Tabitha, Ruby, and Yang took bedrolls and slept on the floor.
"Tabitha, you don't need to do that." Taiyang had said. "I can sleep on the couch just fine, and one of you can take my bed for the night."
"It's alright. Slept in worse." Tabitha had replied with a shake of her head.
Taiyang had paused then, an odd look on his face as he examined Tabitha closely, before he'd sighed and nodded.
"Well, if you're sure…"
Thus, their sleeping arrangements decided and the daylight having grown dim, the Xiao Long family had started preparing for bed themselves- Taiyang grabbing another bedroll for Tabitha before trudging off to his room- leaving the Halkeginians on their own to head to their assigned rooms.
For a while, it had been quiet in Xiao Long sisters' bedroom, Louise and Kirche sitting opposite one another on the two beds while Tabitha layed out her bedroll near the window, which had darkened considerably. Louise had a scowl on her face, but she was staring at her hands, and her eyes were dull as she was presumably lost in thought. Kirche frowned at the girl, taking in her expression. Now, that just wouldn't do.
"So, Valliere…" Kirche began, lazily crossing one leg over the other.
Louise scowled, eyes darting up to Kirche. A familiar spark lit up in them, some of the life coming back to her familial rival.
"What?" She huffed, crossing her arms.
"Oh, it's nothing, really." Kirche began, bringing her hand up to her chin in mock-contemplation. "I'm just thinking… Ruby said she was fifteen years old, correct?"
"Yes." Louise replied, furrowing her brow.
"And you are sixteen years old, aren't you?"
"Yes." Louise hissed.
Kirche smirked. "And yet, her nightshirt is so loose on you…"
Come on, Valliere. Take the hook…
Louise blinked for a moment, before her face contorted in anger and flushed angrily.
"Y-you Germanian dog!" She snarled.
There we go. There's the fire!
Louise's eyes were fully alert now, whatever troubling thing she'd been thinking about forgotten in the face of Kirche's barb. It was a low blow, perhaps, but it was effective.
"Oh, come now, Valliere! I'm just curious, is all." Kirche continued, playfully.
"Of course you'd be curious about that, you- you harlot!"
"Oh, you wound me, Louise! Harlot?" Kirche put a hand to her chest overdramatically, an expression of mock hurt on her face. "Why, I'm just following the Zerbst family tradition! We are a family that pursues our passions with the utmost determination, after all, and boldly asking questions is part of that! Besides, you're deflecting!"
"I- I most certainly am not!"
Kirche smiled, and the dance continued. Kirche fired off a barb and pressed the attack, and Louise snapped out an insult and hissed her name in displeasure. Kirche plucked at Louise's ego, and the girl lashed out with an angry barb of her own. It was normal- routine, even- and for a moment Kirche almost could have forgotten where they were. It was almost like they were back at the Academy, and not stranded in some strange land full of monsters, magical crystals, and warriors that could snap her in two.
Then, Yang returned, her hair damp. She was wearing a yellow shirt with a symbol on its front that resembled a flaming heart and which- to Kirche's surprise- had no sleeves at all, showing off quite a lot of muscle on her arms. She also wore very short leggings that only reached her mid thigh, a piece of scandalous attire that had Louise turning scarlet and looking gobsmacked once she laid eyes on them, much to Kirche's amusement. A single blonde brow raised as she walked into the room, and she looked between a flustered Louise and Kirche and briefly looked at Tabitha stoically leaning against the wall as well, who was examining her cracked glasses with a frown.
"Is everything okay?" Yang asked, furrowing her brow.
"Everything's quite alright. Isn't it, Louise?" Kirche asked, innocently.
Louise turned to her and seethed, eyes narrowing, before she turned away with a huff, glaring instead at the wall. Yang looked at the pinkette searchingly, before turning to look at a grinning Kirche. Much to the Germanian's surprise, the blonde girl narrowed her eyes and glared at her for a moment, before pointedly looking away. She snagged her bedroll from the foot of her bed and started unrolling it on the floor.
Silence returned to the room for a few minutes as the occupants simply kept to themselves, a quiet tension filling the air between Kirche and Yang thanks to whatever offense their host had taken to her. Thankfully, that tension and the quiet was finally broken when the door opened again and Ruby entered, clad in a black top that was sleeveless like her sister's and thus showed off her own surprisingly toned arms. This one, however, bore an image of a pink heart on the front with red eyes, pink ears, a button nose and a series of white triangles on the bottom that resembled teeth. She wore white leggings that had pink roses patterned onto them with her nightshirt, and had her red cloak held over one shoulder.
Ruby looked confused at the silence in the room for a moment, looking to Yang as if seeking an answer. Kirche couldn't see the blonde girl's face, but whatever she mouthed or expression she had resulted in Ruby cocking her head before shrugging and moving to her own bedroll. When the silver-eyed girl had finished preparing the bedroll not long after, she stood and stretched her arms above her head before turning to face Kirche, Louise, and Tabitha.
"Right. Well, this is our room! Sorry if it's a bit crowded. It's only meant for two people, and now there are five of us in here and I mean that's obvious because there's only two beds-" Ruby stopped, suddenly, pausing for a moment. Then, she faked a cough into her own hand. The girl's awkwardness was honestly just adorable, dissolving the tension in the room entirely. "Anyways. Dad said professor Ozpin is going to be here early tomorrow, so I'm going to set an alarm on my scroll for everyone. If, uh, that's alright with you guys?"
"An alarm?" Louise questioned, now staring at the redhead.
"Oh, uh, right. You guys don't know about scrolls… or a lot of technology. Uh, well, scrolls can keep track of what time it is, long as they've got a working CCT connection- and you don't know what that is either-"
Suddenly, there was a clatter of wood on wood cutting Ruby off, causing everyone in the room to turn towards the source of the noise. Tabitha was standing by the window, staring up into the night sky, her staff rocking back and forth on the ground. Kirche's friend's eyes were wide, her pupils worrying pinpricks, and to Kirche's alarm she was shaking. Her face was slack in shock and- far more concerningly- fear.
"Tabitha?" Kirche called out, everything else completely forgotten as she stood up and almost ran across the room. Tabitha didn't respond, continuing to stare out the window as she slowly took a stumbling step backwards. Kirche reached her a second later, grabbing her friend by the shoulder to steady her. It was only then that Tabitha finally turned to face her, her expression one of total disbelief.
"Tabitha? Hey, you okay?" Yang asked from behind Kirche. The sound of a bed shifting and two sets of footsteps approaching told Kirche that Ruby and Louise had come over as well. She elected to ignore them in favor of her friend, not bothering to try and hide any of her concern as she gently shook her.
"Tabitha?" Kirche asked, quietly. "Tabitha, what's wrong?"
Tabitha's mouth opened, then shut, and then opened again, as if she was at a loss for words.
"The moon…" She finally uttered, blinking forcefully. Kirche's lips turned downwards into a frown, and the redhead was about to ask Tabitha what she meant when Louise suddenly gasped behind her, shortly after followed by a startled cry and the sound of something hitting the floor.
Kirche turned her head, seeing two very confused and very concerned sisters standing over Louise. Her familial rival was splayed out on the floor, pushing herself to sit up with her arms and staring in shock up and out the window and into the sky at something just out of Kirche's view. As Kirche watched, the shock was joined by horror.
It was only then that Kirche finally turned and leaned her body to look out the window.
The sight she saw tore the air from her lungs. Dimly, she was aware of her right hand slipping from Tabitha's shoulder, and of a voice calling out something behind her. Her left hand came up slowly to her mouth as she stared at the terrible, unbelievable sight hanging in the sky with eyes opened wide.
There, in place of the twin moons of Gaia and hanging in the darkening sky was a single, shattered white moon.
"F-founder!" She breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from the sight. Then, she forced her eyes shut, and shook her head violently.
This is a dream, right?
She opened her eyes.
The broken moon was still there.
A pale hand laid itself on her arm
"H-hey!" Ruby's voice cut through the haze, finally causing Kirche to look away and at the younger girl. Her fellow redhead's eyes were full of concern and confusion, her arm outstretched with her hand. Ruby pulled it away, frowning.
"What's- what's wrong?" She asked.
What's wrong? Something cold and awful filled Kirche's belly, and the girl almost laughed- not happily or in amusement, but to keep herself from shouting, screaming, crying out that what wasn't wrong?- at the innocent question. The moon- the moons- this didn't make any sense!
"W-what is that?" Louise asked, pointing at the window, her eyes wide.
"What is what?" Yang asked in turn, turning to stare out the window. "The moon?"
"Yes, that!" Louise exclaimed. "W-why is it broken, and white? Where's the other moon!?"
The two sisters stared at Louise in bafflement, before turning to look at Kirche and Tabitha. Kirche simply met their eyes with her own confused orbs, and a quick look back at Tabitha showed the girl had turned from the window to do the same.
"What other moon?" Ruby asked. The confusion in her voice, the scrunching of her brow-
They really didn't know. The looks of incomprehension on their faces said it all. They really, truly didn't know what Louise was talking about. The Valliere girl must have realized it too, as she went quiet and stared at the sisters in disbelief.
"But…" Kirche began, thoughts racing. "This doesn't- why is there only one moon? Where are we? Wha-"
"Not on Gaia."
The interruption from Tabitha caused Kirche to pause, turning to face her friend slowly.The bluenette had stopped shaking, and instead was simply staring sightlessly and expressionlessly at the window.
"W-what?"
Tabitha turned to look at everyone else in the room. Her arms were crossed, her fingers digging into them.
"We're not on Gaia. We're…" Tabitha trailed off, and took a moment to breathe in shakily. Then, she looked Kirche dead in the eyes.
"We're not in our world anymore."
The room was completely, utterly silent. Louise's mouth opened and shut like a fish. Kirche simply stared at her best friend in shock. Ruby and Yang both looked at one another, eyes wide and faces disbelieving.
Then, Guiche screamed from down the hall, and all eyes went to the door.
----
Again, I'm so sorry I'm late with this update and chapter 4! Hopefully y'all enjoy them enough to make up for my goof.
Chapter 4
TheMagisKing
(Verified Lazy)
- Location
- Minnesota
When he'd heard the scream, Taiyang had immediately started moving for the stairs, his body tensing. His daughters almost beat him there thanks to their proximity, letting him see the three strange girls who had suddenly become his houseguests trailing behind them, looking completely shocked and confused. His worry mounting quickly, he threw open the guest room door.
Guiche sitting on his ass and staring at the window in shock wasn't what he expected, the boy turning to them and starting to ramble about the moon even less so. It took him a solid minute to get the kid to calm down and start talking normally, but that only served to make things weirder once he got a straight answer out of him.
That was why he found himself, his daughters, and a bunch of kids from gods-know-where sitting in his living room once again, fresh off of being told something that left him feeling all kinds of overwhelmed. This… this was crazy. Being from another world? This just… blew everything else out of the water, and Tai hated how much sense it made. Everything they didn't seem to know- Aura, Dust, the Grimm-
"So you're… you're not from Remnant?" Ruby asked, uncertainly.
Yeah. Being from another world would explain all of that, huh?
Tabitha nodded, but her peers all still looked to be in disbelief.
"Tabitha, that's…" Kirche trailed off, biting her lip. Her fingers gripped her pajama pants tightly.
"That's impossible!" Guiche exclaimed, eyes wide. "This- that's not-!"
"No." Tabitha interrupted. She looked like she was holding up better than her peers on the outside, but Tai didn't miss the way she closed her eyes and breathed in to steady herself, or just how tight her grip on her staff was. "No. It makes sense." Another breath. "No magic. These 'Grimm'. Aura. Dust. The map. The moon."
Guiche looked like he almost wanted to argue… but then, like a puppet with its strings cut, he just slumped into his seat, holding his head in his hands. On the couch, Kirche rubbed her forehead, staring at the floor, while Louise just stared at her wand in her hands, expression hidden by a curtain of pink hair. Tai couldn't blame any of them for their reactions. Learning that you were suddenly in another world different from your own- a whole world away from your friends and family… there weren't many people who could just brush that kind of revelation off.
"What do we do?" Louise questioned at a near whisper. The pinkette looked up, and Tai felt bad for the poor girl at how lost she looked. Next to him, Ruby looked like she was trying to come up with words to say, only to keep closing her mouth, at a loss for words. On his other side, Yang was looking to him, eyes silently asking him what to do.
"'What do we do?'" Guiche echoed, his voice an angry hiss. He raised his head from his hands, glaring at Louise. "You're the one who got us in this mess, and you're asking what we should do!? This is you fault, Zero!"
Louise jolted like she'd been slapped, eyes going wide as she looked to the blonde boy. Then, she started shaking, her face turning an angry shade of red.
"H-how dare you!? This- I never meant-!"
"But you did!" Guiche snarled, cutting her off. "You tried to summon a familiar three times, and not only failed, but somehow did so so spectacularly that we're in another world! You should have-!"
"Enough!" Tai shouted, immediately bringing the brewing blame-throwing to a stop. He narrowed his eyes, scanning over the faces of his guests. Tabitha was now looking at him, expression way too blank to be natural. Louise had tears forming in her eyes, looking like she was about to either explode into a rant of her own or burst into tears. Kirche was staring at the pinkette with undisguised concern, intermediately looking away to glare at Guiche. The blonde boy was entirely focused on him now, still caught off balance from Tai's sudden outburst.
Then, he growled. "But-!"
"No buts!" Tai said, glaring at the boy. He put his tenure at Signal to good use, there, staring the boy down with a firm, disapproving expression. For a moment, everything was quiet, the air filled with tension before Tai sighed, stood, and started pacing. He turned to Louise as he did so, who was now looking up at him, still looking volatile. Tai breathed in and out deeply.
"You said before that this was an accident, right?" He asked, levelly. Nobody did anything for a moment, before Louise gave him a small nod. "And I assume that you've never heard about anything like this ever happening before, right?" Another nod. "Then it sounds to me like there's nobody to blame for this."
Immediately, Guiche looked like he wanted to protest, anger flashing to his face for a moment as his mouth opened and shut impotently. Tai could practically see the gears in his head as the boy tried to latch onto some argument to keep up the blame game, only for him to fail and shut his mouth with a clack of his teeth.
Tai sighed again, bringing his hands to his head and cracking his neck.
"I know you're all having a rough time." Tai began. "I can't imagine what you're feeling right now. But blaming each other for something like this- something that it sounds like nobody could ever have imagined happening- isn't going to help anyone. It's only going to make all of you feel even worse." He returned to his seat and looked over the kids again. All of them were looking at him now, and Ruby and Yang both shifted in their seats next to him.
"You asked what you should do?" He asked, staring directly at the four mages. Slowly, they all nodded. "Tonight? You get some sleep." He paused, looking over the kids from another world. They stared back, Tabitha keeping a stoic mask while the rest looked astonished. "Like I said, you four have been through a lot today, and sitting up all night isn't going to make you feel any better or help you with your… situation." He did his best to smile at the four, "Some rest will do you guys some good, I think. Cool your jets, let you get your heads on a bit straighter."
"B-but-!" Kirche began.
"Look." Tai interjected. "Do you think you can come up with a way to get back home tonight, or that going in circles and arguing about your situation is going to make things any better?"
Kirche grimaced, but shook her head. The rest of her peers followed suit. Guiche's anger had gone out again, leaving him just looking lost, and Louise had wiped her tears away with her sleeve, though she still looked terrible.
"Then all that continuing to focus on this tonight is going to do is make you all more upset and overwhelmed." Tai said, gently. "Oz will be here in the morning, and he'll- he's a lot better qualified to try and help all of you find your way back home."
If that's even possible, Tai thought. Oz was knowledgeable for sure… but even he had his limits, and crossing between dimensions, or worlds, or whatever had to be done to get these kids home sounded like it fit the bill for being too much even for him.
Tai turned his head slightly to look to Ruby, then to Yang. Ruby looked upset, biting her lip. He could tell she wanted to help more- to do something- and that it was killing her to be so out of her depth. Yang's eyes shone with sympathy, her mouth in a small frown and her arms crossed.
"Ruby, Yang? Why don't you bring our guests back upstairs to get some sleep and then catch some shut eye yourselves?" Tai suggested. His girls looked up at him and he gave them a comforting smile. Then, they nodded. Ruby's eyes lit up determinedly, and she smiled as she turned towards their guests.
"Right!"
Tai couldn't help but smile as his youngest took to the task with gusto, forcing cheer into her voice that he knew she didn't fully feel as she lead the way towards the stairs. The Halkeginians followed her after a moment, looking dazed, and Yang went up the stairs behind them. They'd just met them, and now had just had something as big as their guests possibly being from another world dropped on their heads, and already his youngest wanted to help them however she could. So did Yang, he could tell, and it made his heart swell with pride for both of his girls.
Once they were out of sight, he pulled out his scroll, slumping his shoulders and letting out yet another sigh. Zwei let out a whine as he trotted up to Tai's feet, and the man quickly scooped the corgi up and onto his lap, where he curled up. Smiling at the loyal pup for just a moment, Tai quickly began typing out a message to Oz for the second time that day.
He really hoped Ozpin could help these kids. He really, really did. Because if he couldn't, then who could?
----
Faintly, door hinges creaked.
Ruby blinked awake slowly in response to the noise, bleary silver eyes staring at the shadowed ceiling of her and Yang's room. Slowly, she let out a soft groan, before carefully sitting upward in her sleeping bag.
She blinked some more, awareness starting to come back to her as she looked around the room. In her and Yang's beds, Louise and Kirche were still fast asleep, the former almost entirely submerged under the sheets as she shifted in her sleep, her barely visible face scrunched uneasily. Next to Ruby, the rise and fall of Yang's chest in her own sleeping bag showed she was asleep as well.
But something was amiss, and it took Ruby's still waking mind a moment to realize what. On the other side of the room, Tabitha's sleeping bag was empty, the bluenette gone. Ruby rubbed her eyes, looking to the slightly ajar door into the hallway.
She was probably just using the bathroom, and Ruby almost wrote it off as just that… but then she remembered Tabitha's face, when the Halkeginians had seen the moon. She'd looked shocked, and lost, and scared. Ruby wasn't stupid. She could tell the girl wasn't taking things well- not that anyone of their guests were- and it worried her. Frowning to herself, Ruby carefully began to climb out of her sleeping bag, careful as possible so as to not wake up anybody else in the room.
Then, she crept up to the door as quietly as she could, grabbing her cloak from where it was folded up next to her sleeping bag as she went. She reached the door quickly, and then carefully opened it just wide enough to slip through the doorway and into the hall, flinching as it creaked on its hinges. Doing her best to not make any noise, she moved through the hall and toward the bathroom. Her frown deepened when she reached it, only to find the door ajar, lights off, and bathroom empty.
She had just turned away from the bathroom when she heard a creaking from above, causing her to pause and look up towards the ceiling.
Tabitha could fly, couldn't she?
Slowly, Ruby made her way to and down the stairs, heading for the front door. Next to the couch, Zwei stirred in his bed, looking up towards her groggily. Next to him, Verdante and Flame also stirred, though they didn't wake up. Ruby shushed the corgi quietly, and Zwei let out a huff in response before curling back up on his bed, staring at her silently. Then, she carefully unlocked and opened the front door, flinching as it creaked loudly in the night before slipping out into the yard. She closed the door behind her, and then moved just far away enough from the house to see its roof before turning around.
Tabitha, still wearing Ruby's old pajamas, was sitting on the edge of the roof, staring right at her.
"Eep!" Ruby startled.
For a moment, the two girls stared at each other, and Ruby took in the look on Tabitha's face. The shorter girl's eyes looked dull and unfocused despite the moonlight reflecting off of them, and her expression was blank. Steeling her resolve, Ruby jumped and activated her Semblance, moving quickly to Tabitha's side and settling down on the rooftop quietly. Tabitha's eyes darted as they tried to keep track of her movement, but her face remained impassive despite that as she remained seated on the edge of the roof.
Pulling her cloak closer to her, Ruby tried to figure out what to say to the chevalier, starting down at the sitting girl pensively. Tabitha simply returned her gaze. This continued for a minute, before Tabitha suddenly sighed, closing her eyes.
"...did I wake you?" She asked quietly.
"Oh, um, n-no?" Ruby stammered. "Okay, well, yeah, but, ah…"
Tabitha frowned slightly, before opening her eyes and turning her head upward to stare at the half-shattered moon.
"Sorry." She whispered. Ruby's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head.
"No, no!" Ruby started, "Don't be! You've, uh… been through a lot! It's not everyday you find yourself in a different- er..."
Ruby trailed off, grimacing as she realized what she'd just said. Tabitha was frowning still, eyes still locked on the moon. The silence started again, and Ruby shuffled awkwardly for a moment. She bit her lip, trying to think of the right thing to say. Then, a cold breeze blew in from the Patch's mountains, sending her cloak billowing in the breeze. Tabitha shivered.
Eyes widening, Ruby quickly unclasped her cloak, pulling it from her shoulders before squatting down to put it over Tabitha's. The bluenette blinked in surprise, before turning her eyes- now slightly curious- back to Ruby as the now cloakless girl moved to sit down on the edge beside her, dangling her feet over the edge and smiling a bit awkwardly.
"You, um, looked a bit cold." Ruby explained a bit sheepishly. Tabitha blinked in response, before frowning.
"What about you?" She questioned, cocking her head.
"I've got my aura to keep me warm." Ruby answered, shrugging. "I'm fine, don't worry!"
Tabitha hummed, before grabbing the cloak and slowly pulling it close around her as another breeze struck the duo. The two stayed like that for a while; Ruby alternating between watching the sky and Tabitha while said bluenette simply stared at the moon. She had a blank expression on her face still, but something- maybe her body language, maybe something in her eyes- told Ruby she was sad… and scared.
"So, uh," Ruby said, breaking the silence, "Do you… um... have any hobbies?" She grimaced slightly. That sounded weak, even to her.
Tabitha raised an eyebrow at that, her eyes staring straight into Ruby's own for a moment. The silence had just started getting uncomfortable before the bluenette nodded.
"...I like reading." She said, slowly.
"Oh! I do too!" Ruby exclaimed, perking up. "What do you like reading about?" Tabitha blinked once, shifting where she sat slightly.
"Stories." She said, finally. Ruby waited for a moment for Tabitha to elaborate, but quickly realized no explanation was coming.
"That's, um… cool! I like stories too. Stories about brave, selfless heroes fighting against monsters, saving villages and cities and damsels in distress…" Ruby felt a genuine, fond smile coming onto her face as memories of laying in bed, Yang reading to her in hushed yet dramatic tones from a stool at her bedside came to mind. "It's part of why I want to become a Huntress, y'know? I want to be like the heroes in the books and help people."
Tabitha gave her an odd, curious look, eyes darting over Ruby's face. The redhead felt her nostalgia give way a bit into awkwardness in the face of the mage's examination, and she nervously focused on her legs as they idly kicked the open air.
"...I like those, too."
Ruby raised her head, staring at Tabitha in surprise. The bluenette was now staring off into the distance- not at the moon, but at leaves of the tree line around the house. Then, she turned back to Ruby, and a bit of a smile came to her lips, a bit of life starting to show in her eyes.
"Heroes. Monsters. Knights." The bluenette's eyes met her own, and they didn't seem so sad for a moment. "Kings and Queens…" Then, she frowned, the sadness returning as she turned back to the moon.
Ruby frowned at the smaller girl's return to moping, and she struggled to think of something to say or something to do. Then, suddenly, it hit her.
"I'll be right back." She said, smiling at Tabitha as the girl turned her head to look at her again. Then, Ruby pushed herself off the roof, grunting as she landed on the grass below. Quickly, she turned back to the house and rushed inside.
----
Tabitha stared as Ruby dropped to the grass, landing with ease before turning back to the house and heading inside. It was surprising just how gracefully she did so, a casual display of acrobatics that suggested this was far from out of the ordinary. Physically speaking, at least.
Then, she once again turned her eyes skyward, staring at the lone, shattered moon. She'd been staring at it for a while now- she'd stared at it for a good while when they'd first seen it, as well- and it just didn't seem real. She didn't know if it would ever seem real. How could it, when it was so different from the twin moons of Gaia?
They were in another world. Some place strange and foreign and alien. It reminded her, briefly, of the Gallian fairytale of The Lady from the Sky- a story about a young girl from a strange and different world that became stranded in Gallia through unknown means. The story described her going on famous, fantastical adventures before finally finding her way home, leaving only memories of herself behind. The feelings of loneliness and shock at even the simplest of things the girl had gone through certainly were things she could relate to at this moment.
Mother had loved that story.
Tabitha clenched her jaw at the thought, blinking forcefully to dispel the heat that brought to her eyes.
Mother. The only reason she was still alive was because Tabitha's presence and her willingness to go on missions for that man. Once word reached Joseph that Tabitha was gone… if he assumed she was dead…
The Academy might still think they were alive, and if they did she didn't doubt for a moment Joseph would learn of whatever they suspected fairly quickly. Sylphid was still in Tristain, and her familiar runes might have them keep searching for them all- but that was only if the runes were still there. Did the connection still remain, a whole world away? Would it be enough to make Joseph as close to curious as he could get, and stave off her mother's death? For how long would he wait, if he even did? She couldn't answer any of those questions. She couldn't even do anything about the dread, fear, and uncertainty all of this filled her with, and that only made it even worse.
Something wet began to slide down her cheek, and Tabitha hastily wiped it away with her sleeve, blinking forcefully again and taking a deep breath. It was pointless to focus so much on something she couldn't change, and she knew she'd sooner drive herself mad than accomplish anything by doing so. Even still, she couldn't stop herself. Just like she couldn't stop herself from placing blame for the situation of Valliere.
She shouldn't hold it against her, she knew- nobody had known that this was possible, or could have dreamed it to be so before now. Even still, she couldn't help but feel anger towards the girl to have even incidentally put mother at risk. It was unfair and irrational… but she couldn't totally remove herself from those feelings nonetheless. Valliere had done this, unintentionally or not.
Thankfully, she was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of the front door creaking open again. Shortly after, a nigh invisible blur of red streaked up onto the roof, and Ruby was back next to her, rose petals drifting away in the breeze below them. Tabitha looked to the girl, focusing on the bundle held in her arms.
Books. Seven books- each of moderate size- were held in her arms. Tabitha's teal eyes darted upwards to meet Ruby's silver, and she let an unspoken question into them.
"You, um, said you liked books," Ruby said, walking closer. "So I figured that if you're going to be up here for a while, you might want something to read." The girl once more sat down beside her, setting the books down between them.
Tabitha stared at the books for a moment, and then turned to look at Ruby. The girl was smiling at her, though her eyes betrayed the concern underneath. She was so genuine and earnest, and it begged the question-
----
"Why?" Tabitha asked, suddenly. Ruby blinked owlishly, confused.
"Why… what?" She asked, cocking her head.
Tabitha simply gestured at the books next to her, and then the cloak over her shoulders.
"Why are you so… nice? Why try to help?" She frowned, looking quizzically at the redhead. "Why care? You just met me."
Ruby found herself taken aback at the girl's statement, before shaking her head. That was an easy one.
"Well… you looked sad, and lost, and- and like you needed some help. So, I'm helping you." She answered.
Ruby's response had Tabitha blinking, her eyes now sharp as they darted over her face before settling on her eyes.
"...that's it?"
"Yup. Just like the heroes in all the books." Ruby answered, looking at the pile. "I… it's why I want to be a Huntress, like I said. I want to fight the Grimm, and Bandits, and to protect and help people just because they need it. To make things better because it's the right thing to do."
For a moment, Ruby remembered a white cloak, a soft smile, and the same silver eyes she saw whenever she looked in the mirror staring down at her, shining with joy and a promise. She remembered a soft, gentle voice humming and holding her tight, lulling her to sleep. She remembered laughter, and joy, and the smell of roses.
Yes, she wanted to be just like those heroes in the book. To be just like mom.
Tabitha simply stared at her, expression still curious as she met Ruby's gaze. Then, softly, she smiled.
"Hmm."
Tabitha continued to stare for a bit after that, and Ruby felt her hands self-consciously grabbing for a cloak that wasn't there instinctively, turning a bit red as she realized what she was doing. Then, Tabitha turned away and looked at the book pile, before hesitantly grabbing the one on top. She looked once more up at Ruby, nodding at her.
"Thank you." Tabitha said, quietly.
Ruby felt her smile grow as she returned the nod.
"You're welcome." She replied, even as she craned her head to get a look at the title of the book Tabitha had grabbed. The Sisters' Collection of Fairy Tales, it looked like. Looking at the moon one last time, Ruby stood, stretching her arms above her head with a sigh.
"Well, I'm, uh… just gonna go back to bed. If it, um, gets too cold, feel free to come back inside." She said. Her eyes widened as she realized something. "Oh, a-and make sure you get some sleep too! You guys have got a big day tomorrow!"
Tabitha looked back up at her, slowly blinking. Then, she smiled softly again, before nodding, turning back to the book and flipping open the book on her lap to read.
Ruby turned towards the edge of the roof, pulling on her Aura and filling her body with the familiar buzz of her Semblance for a moment. Before she could jump off, however, she paused, frowning and considering her words for a moment. Then, she turned back around to face Tabitha.
"I- I know it probably doesn't mean much." She began, and Tabitha looked up at Ruby. Breathing in and out, Ruby smiled again. "But I think… I know you guys can find a way back home. You just have to keep trying and hoping, and I'm sure you can do it! A-and I'll do everything I can to help, too! I, um, don't know anything about magic, but there's gotta be something I can do, right?"
Tabitha simply stared at her for a moment, before turning back to the book in her hands and looking at it blankly. She frowned for a moment, and Ruby bit her lip as she wondered if speaking up was a mistake. Then, Tabitha turned back to Ruby, smiling once again. Ruby returned it, relieved.
Tabitha had a pretty smile, Ruby thought. She might not have known the blue haired girl for long, but she still thought it suited her.
"Maybe there is." Tabitha said, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face.
Then, Tabitha looked back down to the book. Still smiling, Ruby turned around and jumped from the roof. She used her semblance to accelerate her fall and land quietly, before turning and heading back inside.
----
'Keep trying and hoping'. Ruby made it all sound so easy, as if just attempting and wanting to succeed would be enough to see her through the pain and uncertainty. Part of her wanted to dismiss Ruby's optimism as naive- childish, even... but something about it stuck with her. Maybe it was the genuine belief in her voice, or the certainty she'd displayed... but Tabitha wanted so badly to believe her. To believe that everything would be alright in the end, just like in the stories. To trust that in the end, everything would work out for the best. Tabitha brushed her fingers over a rendition of a tower drawn in the book in her hands, thinking.
Was it really that simple? Her mind said it wasn't- there was so much that they didn't know, and so much stacked against them... but it was a comforting thought, nonetheless.
Trying. Hoping. She could do that.
Focusing on the words of the book, Tabitha began to read the first story.
'A long, long time ago, in a far away land, there lived a cruel lord and his beautiful daughter...'
----
Yang blinked awake to the sound of whimpering, causing her to sit up in her sleeping bag. Everything was quiet for a moment, and she almost thought she'd imagined it before Ruby's bed sheets suddenly shifted, and the whimper came again. Carefully looking around the room to see Ruby and Kirche both sound asleep- and noting that Tabitha was absent, probably using the bathroom- Yang sat up, crawling out of her sleeping bag and gently creeping over to Ruby's bed.
Louise was laying there, her face contorted thanks to whatever nightmare she seemed to be having. She whimpered again, her face scrunching even further. Her mouth opened slightly, mouthing something Yang didn't catch for a moment before she whispered in her sleep.
"Mother…"
That single word might have well been a knife into Yang's bleeding heart, and she found herself empathizing with the poor girl. Flashes of memory hit her, and for a moment it was her sister in the bed, tossing and turning in her sleep. Then, it was herself, jolting awake, the images of two women- one in a familiar white cloak, the other a phantom born from a single picture- at the front of her mind. Slowly- careful not to disturb the sleeping girl- Yang sat down on the bed, reaching out a hand and brushing aside some of Louise's pink hair before gently stroking the top of her head. She took a slow, deep breath.
Then, she began to hum, quiet enough to not disturb the others and just loud enough to be heard in the otherwise silent room. It was a familiar tune, gentle and melodic. For a moment, Louise's frown deepened, registering the disturbance before she began to relax. She pushed against Yang's hand, and the blonde smiled, continuing to hum the lullaby.
Just like she had for Ruby, all those years ago. Just like Summer used to do the same for both of them, all those years ago.
After a few minutes, Yang stopped, staring down at the sleeping pinkette. She was far more peaceful, now, a ghost of a smile on her lips as her chest slowly rose and fell. Still smiling softly, Yang carefully stood from the bed-
-only to freeze when Louise shifted in response, cloudy pink eyes slowly fluttering open. For a moment, she stood absolutely still, cursing in her head as the noble girl slowly blinked at her, clearly not fully awake. Then, slowly, Louise's eyes began to flutter shut, before closing all together.
"Cattleya…" she breathed before snuggling deeper into the covers. Gradually, her breathing slowed, until she was once again fast asleep. Yang let out a quiet sigh of relief and headed for her sleeping bag, carefully slipping back inside and closing her eyes to resume her own sleep.
She entirely missed the brown eyes that followed her the whole way, watching her from her own bed. Kirche von Zerbst smiled, softly, and closed her eyes.
----
Louise groaned as something bright shone directly into her still shut eyes, throwing up an arm to shield her face. Blinking blearily, her groaning turned into a whine of protest as she defiantly turned to face away from the light, pulling the yellow bed sheets of her bed up and snuggling deeper into them. Slowly, her eyes began to shut again-
Wait, yellow bed sheets?
With another groan, Louise sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes as her mind began to return to wakefulness and she began to take in her surroundings. She was confused for a moment at the unfamiliar bedroom before she remembered where she was… and why she was there. The latter greatly sped up her waking up, her stomach flipping and sinking deep into her gut as she clenched the sheets tight.
She was in another world. Her peers were in another world. A world that was so clearly different from her own, even after such a short amount of time. It… Louise simply lacked the words to describe it. Fantastical, maybe? Terrifying? It was the talk of fantasy, after all, but here she- here they were, living it.
And somehow, she had done this. Somehow, she had sent herself and her classmates across whatever boundaries separated Gaia from Remnant, stranding them in a blusterous, unbelievable failure to top all her others. Guiche had made it all too clear last night that all of this was her fault.
The Zero's fault.
Growling, Louise shook her head violently, slightly dizzying herself in the process.
No, damnit, no! She wasn't a Zero, no matter what Guiche, Zerbst, or anyone else said! She'd show them- she'd figure out how to use her magic, find out how to get them home, and drag them back kicking and screaming if she had to to prove that she was more than just a failure! She'd fix this! She would!
Eyes alight with new fire, Louise threw the bedsheets aside and rose from Yang's bed. She straightened herself, years of training making her posture immaculate as she headed for the door and opened it and strode as confidently as she could into the hall.
A quick stop at the restroom later to answer nature's call (and marvel at the wonder of plumbing), Louise was walking downstairs, ready to face the day. She was surprised to find the living room empty, the sound of clattering in the kitchen the only noise to be heard. Frowning, she made her way there, finding the Xiao Long patriarch moving about the cooking space. At her entrance, the blonde man turned around, giving her a friendly smile.
"Ah, you're awake! I was just about to start cooking breakfast here- it's a bit later than normal, but I figured you all wouldn't mind too much." Louise nodded affirmatively, and Taiyang continued. "Your friends are outside getting some fresh air while Ruby and Yang are doing chores in the garden. Feel free to head out yourself, if you want." With the last statement, he gestured towards the door opposite the dining table from Louise.
Louise blinked. Chores? As in, like a servant? Her surprise evidently showed, because Taiyang proceeded to elaborate.
"Your friends were pretty shocked too, but it's just how we do things in this house. I could hire someone else to do it, but it's good for character building and making sure they don't get too sedentary at home."
Louise nodded, hesitantly, even as she failed to understand Taiyang's reasoning. Deciding it was too early to be questioning the bizarre logic of this heathen society, she instead decided to take up Taiyang's suggestion. She moved towards the door and opened it, blinking as she stepped outside onto the cabin's side porch.
Turning her head to her right, she found Guiche, Tabitha and Kirche leaning against the railing, staring at something just out of sight. Verdante and Flame were at their feet, and the latter uncurled itself and let out a small hiss at her, causing the three to turn to look at her.
"Oh, Valliere!" Kirche said, putting on a smug grin. "Finally awake, I see! I was getting worried- you know, it's bad for a lady's growth to get too much beauty sleep."
Forcing down a growl at the barb- she was growing, damn it!- Louise instead strode up to her peers. She opened her mouth to speak when suddenly there was the muffled boom of Yang's odd gauntlets, her classmates turning back to look behind the house in response. Frowning, Louise took up the open space beside them, craning her head over the railing and around the corner slightly to see what had them so enraptured.
The garden was a simple enough thing. A variety of small crops were planted in even rows, taking up an area of about twenty meters across both ways, odd metal rods with green Dust crystals embedded in them even spread out between them.. She couldn't identify some of the plants- like the odd, tall yellow flowers with a large, brown inside- but others she recognized, like the tomatoes they had eaten last night. She did note, however, that most of it seemed to be empty at the moment, plants picked bare or dirt empty.
The sound of metal cutting through the air drew her attention, settling on Ruby over by the tall flowers. Her scythe was held in her hands, and with a single swing she had cut down half of the flowers close to the base of their stems. She pulled back her weapon again, swinging the scythe at high speed to cut down the rest. It made sense, she supposed- a scythe was normally a farming tool- but somehow, the red, black and silver blur looked so unusual being used like it was supposed to. Frowning, Louise turned towards Yang.
The elder sister was squatting amidst a patch of violently disturbed earth, digging through it carefully and pulling green sprouts from the loosened soil. Amidst the roots of the sprouts were, surprisingly, potatoes like she had eaten last night, which Yang plucked from the rest of the plant and tossed into a sack unceremoniously before moving on to the next. She moved surprisingly quickly, looking very out of place in the garden even with the pair of worn grey leggings and sleeveless brown top she had changed into. Soon, she was done, and moved on to a patch of plants in undisturbed soil.
Then, she pulled back a fist, and punched the ground, her gauntlet extended. There was another muffled bang, the force of the impact throwing dirt into the air disturbing the earth, forcibly and violently loosening the soil. Louise blinked once. Rubbing her eyes, she blinked again. Yang was still there, now squatting again as she dug for more potatoes.
Punching. Yang Xiao Long was punching- and firing her weapon into- the dirt to harvest crops from a garden. A glance to her left showed Guiche still staring at the two girls, looking shocked as she felt. A glance to her right showed Tabitha- somehow looking stoic in the face of this madness- and Kirche, who was returning her gaze with an expression halfway between amusement and mutual disbelief.
What.
----
After watching the unusual display of the Xiao Long sisters doing their morning chores, Guiche and his fellow students had followed the dirtied, sweaty girls inside. Ruby and Yang had headed straight upstairs to wash off, leaving the four nobles to seat themselves at the table as Taiyang served them breakfast. The eastern-looking man had prepared them 'scrambled' eggs, buttered toast, and strips of bacon with glasses of milk. It was a simple meal, but it was filling nonetheless. The cold milk was odd, though, and when he had asked Taiyang about it he had said something about 'pasteurization' that Guiche wasn't afraid to admit (to himself, of course) completely flew over his head. Whatever that meant, it apparently made the risk of falling ill from drinking milk practically nonexistent, which astounded him to hear.
Ruby and Yang had joined them shortly after, dressed in the same clothes they had when they met and serving themselves much larger helpings of breakfast that they dug into with gusto. He grimaced at their less than stellar eating etiquette, but chose to remain quiet out of gratefulness to their hosts.
Yes. Gratefulness. It was only because of that, and had nothing to do with their terrifying strength.
After breakfast, the Halkeginians had been given their freshly washed clothes- sans their undergarments, something that Guiche only tolerated because the thought of sharing undergarments even just while his own were being cleaned was more disgusting than just waiting to get fresh replacements- and headed upstairs to wash themselves off once again. That done, they had reconvened in the living room.
The Halkeginians had idled, mostly. Kirche was scratching at both Flame and Zwei, smiling smugly at Louise occasionally. The aforementioned Zero had glared back at each smile before returning to her own thoughts, rolling her wand in her hands. Tabitha had at some point acquired a book, and was reading the thing quietly. Guiche himself was, of course, giving love to his beautiful Verdante- who had been fed some of the freshly collected potatoes, generously enough.
Meanwhile, Taiyang had said something about 'paperwork' and gone upstairs to his room to work on it in isolation, leaving Ruby and Yang behind. The two sisters were doing something, holding their scrolls in both hands and sitting facing one another. Both of them let out small sounds as they maintained concentration on the devices, gasping, growling, or letting out triumphant "Ha!"s quietly. Occasionally, one would shoot a smug, triumphant smile at the other before the two would look back down to the devices, returning to… whatever it was they were doing.
Then- finally- there was a knocking at the front door, drawing the eyes of all present to it. Closing her scroll, Ruby stood first, smiling.
"Oh, that'll probably be professor Ozpin! I'll get it!" She said, quickly striding over to the door. Barking, Zwei followed her, reaching her side as she reached the door and opened it..
Guiche stared up at the tall, tall grey-haired man on the other side of the door. He was dressed in all-green clothing that looked expensive and finely made, and he towered over Ruby head and shoulders. Founder, he was taller than anyone Guiche had ever met! Despite his intimidating stature, however, the man was smiling warmly, interrupted only when he brought up a mug with dual-axed heraldry on its surface up to his lips, taking a deep drink of whatever was inside. His eyes- half-hidden between spectacles that were surprisingly enough shaded- reflected this warmth well, staring directly into Ruby's own. The man shifted, slightly, resting just a bit more of his weight on the silver-handled cane in his grip.
"Miss Rose." The man greeted her. "Though it hasn't been too long since we last saw each other, it is good to see you again regardless."
Miss Rose? Guiche blinked, surprised at the different family name from her father and sister both. Before he could question it any further, the conversation continued.
"It's, um, good to see you too, professor Ozpin!" Ruby replied. Ozpin chuckled in response, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Kinda a weird, ah, situation, though."
"That it is. Odd circumstances do have a way of finding you as of late, don't they?" He questioned jovially, smiling slightly wider. Then, his eyes flicked towards Guiche and his classmates, looking over them curiously. Guiche couldn't help but sit up straighter as they looked over his own form, something about the impromptu examination making him feel like he was almost being not just inspected, but dissected by that gaze.
Then, the sound of feet on wood reached Guiche's ears, and the headmaster turned towards the stairs. Guiche turned to follow the grey-haired man's gaze to see Taiyang walking down them, his eyes focused on Ozpin the entire time. The Xiao Long patriarch grinned.
"Oz!" He called out.
"Taiyang." Ozpin replied, evenly. "It's been some time since our last in-person meeting, hasn't it?"
"Yup." Taiyang answered, crossing his arms as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked to the mug in Ozpin's hand, cocking an eyebrow. "Still drinking cocoa, old man?"
Ozpin kept smiling, even as Ruby's head whipped towards said mug in surprise and Yang snickered, raising an eyebrow. He didn't know what this 'cocoa' was, but from Taiyang's tone and his daughters' reactions, it was an odd choice of drink- though whether that was because of his status or just a general thing, Guiche didn't know.
"Indeed." The headmaster responded, sipping the 'cocoa' once again. "And I do believe that I am not that much older than yourself, Taiyang. I would hardly say that being forty makes one old, and being four years senior is hardly a significant difference in age." Taiyang rolled his eyes in response, now standing beside his youngest daughter. Ozpin continued to smile for a moment longer, before his expression turned more serious and he looked to the Halkeginians. "Now…"
"I do believe that we have… much to discuss."
----
As you may be able to guess, I've read the Justice League/RWBY comics. I'm obviously not going to be taking any plot ideas from it, but it's got a few cool details I like such as the Xiao Long-Rose family growing at least some food themselves (and harvesting it exactly like you'd think they would).
Hope you all enjoyed reading this! Once again, I'm so sorry for goofing with keeping this thread up to date, and I promise it won't happen again!
Guiche sitting on his ass and staring at the window in shock wasn't what he expected, the boy turning to them and starting to ramble about the moon even less so. It took him a solid minute to get the kid to calm down and start talking normally, but that only served to make things weirder once he got a straight answer out of him.
That was why he found himself, his daughters, and a bunch of kids from gods-know-where sitting in his living room once again, fresh off of being told something that left him feeling all kinds of overwhelmed. This… this was crazy. Being from another world? This just… blew everything else out of the water, and Tai hated how much sense it made. Everything they didn't seem to know- Aura, Dust, the Grimm-
"So you're… you're not from Remnant?" Ruby asked, uncertainly.
Yeah. Being from another world would explain all of that, huh?
Tabitha nodded, but her peers all still looked to be in disbelief.
"Tabitha, that's…" Kirche trailed off, biting her lip. Her fingers gripped her pajama pants tightly.
"That's impossible!" Guiche exclaimed, eyes wide. "This- that's not-!"
"No." Tabitha interrupted. She looked like she was holding up better than her peers on the outside, but Tai didn't miss the way she closed her eyes and breathed in to steady herself, or just how tight her grip on her staff was. "No. It makes sense." Another breath. "No magic. These 'Grimm'. Aura. Dust. The map. The moon."
Guiche looked like he almost wanted to argue… but then, like a puppet with its strings cut, he just slumped into his seat, holding his head in his hands. On the couch, Kirche rubbed her forehead, staring at the floor, while Louise just stared at her wand in her hands, expression hidden by a curtain of pink hair. Tai couldn't blame any of them for their reactions. Learning that you were suddenly in another world different from your own- a whole world away from your friends and family… there weren't many people who could just brush that kind of revelation off.
"What do we do?" Louise questioned at a near whisper. The pinkette looked up, and Tai felt bad for the poor girl at how lost she looked. Next to him, Ruby looked like she was trying to come up with words to say, only to keep closing her mouth, at a loss for words. On his other side, Yang was looking to him, eyes silently asking him what to do.
"'What do we do?'" Guiche echoed, his voice an angry hiss. He raised his head from his hands, glaring at Louise. "You're the one who got us in this mess, and you're asking what we should do!? This is you fault, Zero!"
Louise jolted like she'd been slapped, eyes going wide as she looked to the blonde boy. Then, she started shaking, her face turning an angry shade of red.
"H-how dare you!? This- I never meant-!"
"But you did!" Guiche snarled, cutting her off. "You tried to summon a familiar three times, and not only failed, but somehow did so so spectacularly that we're in another world! You should have-!"
"Enough!" Tai shouted, immediately bringing the brewing blame-throwing to a stop. He narrowed his eyes, scanning over the faces of his guests. Tabitha was now looking at him, expression way too blank to be natural. Louise had tears forming in her eyes, looking like she was about to either explode into a rant of her own or burst into tears. Kirche was staring at the pinkette with undisguised concern, intermediately looking away to glare at Guiche. The blonde boy was entirely focused on him now, still caught off balance from Tai's sudden outburst.
Then, he growled. "But-!"
"No buts!" Tai said, glaring at the boy. He put his tenure at Signal to good use, there, staring the boy down with a firm, disapproving expression. For a moment, everything was quiet, the air filled with tension before Tai sighed, stood, and started pacing. He turned to Louise as he did so, who was now looking up at him, still looking volatile. Tai breathed in and out deeply.
"You said before that this was an accident, right?" He asked, levelly. Nobody did anything for a moment, before Louise gave him a small nod. "And I assume that you've never heard about anything like this ever happening before, right?" Another nod. "Then it sounds to me like there's nobody to blame for this."
Immediately, Guiche looked like he wanted to protest, anger flashing to his face for a moment as his mouth opened and shut impotently. Tai could practically see the gears in his head as the boy tried to latch onto some argument to keep up the blame game, only for him to fail and shut his mouth with a clack of his teeth.
Tai sighed again, bringing his hands to his head and cracking his neck.
"I know you're all having a rough time." Tai began. "I can't imagine what you're feeling right now. But blaming each other for something like this- something that it sounds like nobody could ever have imagined happening- isn't going to help anyone. It's only going to make all of you feel even worse." He returned to his seat and looked over the kids again. All of them were looking at him now, and Ruby and Yang both shifted in their seats next to him.
"You asked what you should do?" He asked, staring directly at the four mages. Slowly, they all nodded. "Tonight? You get some sleep." He paused, looking over the kids from another world. They stared back, Tabitha keeping a stoic mask while the rest looked astonished. "Like I said, you four have been through a lot today, and sitting up all night isn't going to make you feel any better or help you with your… situation." He did his best to smile at the four, "Some rest will do you guys some good, I think. Cool your jets, let you get your heads on a bit straighter."
"B-but-!" Kirche began.
"Look." Tai interjected. "Do you think you can come up with a way to get back home tonight, or that going in circles and arguing about your situation is going to make things any better?"
Kirche grimaced, but shook her head. The rest of her peers followed suit. Guiche's anger had gone out again, leaving him just looking lost, and Louise had wiped her tears away with her sleeve, though she still looked terrible.
"Then all that continuing to focus on this tonight is going to do is make you all more upset and overwhelmed." Tai said, gently. "Oz will be here in the morning, and he'll- he's a lot better qualified to try and help all of you find your way back home."
If that's even possible, Tai thought. Oz was knowledgeable for sure… but even he had his limits, and crossing between dimensions, or worlds, or whatever had to be done to get these kids home sounded like it fit the bill for being too much even for him.
Tai turned his head slightly to look to Ruby, then to Yang. Ruby looked upset, biting her lip. He could tell she wanted to help more- to do something- and that it was killing her to be so out of her depth. Yang's eyes shone with sympathy, her mouth in a small frown and her arms crossed.
"Ruby, Yang? Why don't you bring our guests back upstairs to get some sleep and then catch some shut eye yourselves?" Tai suggested. His girls looked up at him and he gave them a comforting smile. Then, they nodded. Ruby's eyes lit up determinedly, and she smiled as she turned towards their guests.
"Right!"
Tai couldn't help but smile as his youngest took to the task with gusto, forcing cheer into her voice that he knew she didn't fully feel as she lead the way towards the stairs. The Halkeginians followed her after a moment, looking dazed, and Yang went up the stairs behind them. They'd just met them, and now had just had something as big as their guests possibly being from another world dropped on their heads, and already his youngest wanted to help them however she could. So did Yang, he could tell, and it made his heart swell with pride for both of his girls.
Once they were out of sight, he pulled out his scroll, slumping his shoulders and letting out yet another sigh. Zwei let out a whine as he trotted up to Tai's feet, and the man quickly scooped the corgi up and onto his lap, where he curled up. Smiling at the loyal pup for just a moment, Tai quickly began typing out a message to Oz for the second time that day.
He really hoped Ozpin could help these kids. He really, really did. Because if he couldn't, then who could?
----
Faintly, door hinges creaked.
Ruby blinked awake slowly in response to the noise, bleary silver eyes staring at the shadowed ceiling of her and Yang's room. Slowly, she let out a soft groan, before carefully sitting upward in her sleeping bag.
She blinked some more, awareness starting to come back to her as she looked around the room. In her and Yang's beds, Louise and Kirche were still fast asleep, the former almost entirely submerged under the sheets as she shifted in her sleep, her barely visible face scrunched uneasily. Next to Ruby, the rise and fall of Yang's chest in her own sleeping bag showed she was asleep as well.
But something was amiss, and it took Ruby's still waking mind a moment to realize what. On the other side of the room, Tabitha's sleeping bag was empty, the bluenette gone. Ruby rubbed her eyes, looking to the slightly ajar door into the hallway.
She was probably just using the bathroom, and Ruby almost wrote it off as just that… but then she remembered Tabitha's face, when the Halkeginians had seen the moon. She'd looked shocked, and lost, and scared. Ruby wasn't stupid. She could tell the girl wasn't taking things well- not that anyone of their guests were- and it worried her. Frowning to herself, Ruby carefully began to climb out of her sleeping bag, careful as possible so as to not wake up anybody else in the room.
Then, she crept up to the door as quietly as she could, grabbing her cloak from where it was folded up next to her sleeping bag as she went. She reached the door quickly, and then carefully opened it just wide enough to slip through the doorway and into the hall, flinching as it creaked on its hinges. Doing her best to not make any noise, she moved through the hall and toward the bathroom. Her frown deepened when she reached it, only to find the door ajar, lights off, and bathroom empty.
She had just turned away from the bathroom when she heard a creaking from above, causing her to pause and look up towards the ceiling.
Tabitha could fly, couldn't she?
Slowly, Ruby made her way to and down the stairs, heading for the front door. Next to the couch, Zwei stirred in his bed, looking up towards her groggily. Next to him, Verdante and Flame also stirred, though they didn't wake up. Ruby shushed the corgi quietly, and Zwei let out a huff in response before curling back up on his bed, staring at her silently. Then, she carefully unlocked and opened the front door, flinching as it creaked loudly in the night before slipping out into the yard. She closed the door behind her, and then moved just far away enough from the house to see its roof before turning around.
Tabitha, still wearing Ruby's old pajamas, was sitting on the edge of the roof, staring right at her.
"Eep!" Ruby startled.
For a moment, the two girls stared at each other, and Ruby took in the look on Tabitha's face. The shorter girl's eyes looked dull and unfocused despite the moonlight reflecting off of them, and her expression was blank. Steeling her resolve, Ruby jumped and activated her Semblance, moving quickly to Tabitha's side and settling down on the rooftop quietly. Tabitha's eyes darted as they tried to keep track of her movement, but her face remained impassive despite that as she remained seated on the edge of the roof.
Pulling her cloak closer to her, Ruby tried to figure out what to say to the chevalier, starting down at the sitting girl pensively. Tabitha simply returned her gaze. This continued for a minute, before Tabitha suddenly sighed, closing her eyes.
"...did I wake you?" She asked quietly.
"Oh, um, n-no?" Ruby stammered. "Okay, well, yeah, but, ah…"
Tabitha frowned slightly, before opening her eyes and turning her head upward to stare at the half-shattered moon.
"Sorry." She whispered. Ruby's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head.
"No, no!" Ruby started, "Don't be! You've, uh… been through a lot! It's not everyday you find yourself in a different- er..."
Ruby trailed off, grimacing as she realized what she'd just said. Tabitha was frowning still, eyes still locked on the moon. The silence started again, and Ruby shuffled awkwardly for a moment. She bit her lip, trying to think of the right thing to say. Then, a cold breeze blew in from the Patch's mountains, sending her cloak billowing in the breeze. Tabitha shivered.
Eyes widening, Ruby quickly unclasped her cloak, pulling it from her shoulders before squatting down to put it over Tabitha's. The bluenette blinked in surprise, before turning her eyes- now slightly curious- back to Ruby as the now cloakless girl moved to sit down on the edge beside her, dangling her feet over the edge and smiling a bit awkwardly.
"You, um, looked a bit cold." Ruby explained a bit sheepishly. Tabitha blinked in response, before frowning.
"What about you?" She questioned, cocking her head.
"I've got my aura to keep me warm." Ruby answered, shrugging. "I'm fine, don't worry!"
Tabitha hummed, before grabbing the cloak and slowly pulling it close around her as another breeze struck the duo. The two stayed like that for a while; Ruby alternating between watching the sky and Tabitha while said bluenette simply stared at the moon. She had a blank expression on her face still, but something- maybe her body language, maybe something in her eyes- told Ruby she was sad… and scared.
"So, uh," Ruby said, breaking the silence, "Do you… um... have any hobbies?" She grimaced slightly. That sounded weak, even to her.
Tabitha raised an eyebrow at that, her eyes staring straight into Ruby's own for a moment. The silence had just started getting uncomfortable before the bluenette nodded.
"...I like reading." She said, slowly.
"Oh! I do too!" Ruby exclaimed, perking up. "What do you like reading about?" Tabitha blinked once, shifting where she sat slightly.
"Stories." She said, finally. Ruby waited for a moment for Tabitha to elaborate, but quickly realized no explanation was coming.
"That's, um… cool! I like stories too. Stories about brave, selfless heroes fighting against monsters, saving villages and cities and damsels in distress…" Ruby felt a genuine, fond smile coming onto her face as memories of laying in bed, Yang reading to her in hushed yet dramatic tones from a stool at her bedside came to mind. "It's part of why I want to become a Huntress, y'know? I want to be like the heroes in the books and help people."
Tabitha gave her an odd, curious look, eyes darting over Ruby's face. The redhead felt her nostalgia give way a bit into awkwardness in the face of the mage's examination, and she nervously focused on her legs as they idly kicked the open air.
"...I like those, too."
Ruby raised her head, staring at Tabitha in surprise. The bluenette was now staring off into the distance- not at the moon, but at leaves of the tree line around the house. Then, she turned back to Ruby, and a bit of a smile came to her lips, a bit of life starting to show in her eyes.
"Heroes. Monsters. Knights." The bluenette's eyes met her own, and they didn't seem so sad for a moment. "Kings and Queens…" Then, she frowned, the sadness returning as she turned back to the moon.
Ruby frowned at the smaller girl's return to moping, and she struggled to think of something to say or something to do. Then, suddenly, it hit her.
"I'll be right back." She said, smiling at Tabitha as the girl turned her head to look at her again. Then, Ruby pushed herself off the roof, grunting as she landed on the grass below. Quickly, she turned back to the house and rushed inside.
----
Tabitha stared as Ruby dropped to the grass, landing with ease before turning back to the house and heading inside. It was surprising just how gracefully she did so, a casual display of acrobatics that suggested this was far from out of the ordinary. Physically speaking, at least.
Then, she once again turned her eyes skyward, staring at the lone, shattered moon. She'd been staring at it for a while now- she'd stared at it for a good while when they'd first seen it, as well- and it just didn't seem real. She didn't know if it would ever seem real. How could it, when it was so different from the twin moons of Gaia?
They were in another world. Some place strange and foreign and alien. It reminded her, briefly, of the Gallian fairytale of The Lady from the Sky- a story about a young girl from a strange and different world that became stranded in Gallia through unknown means. The story described her going on famous, fantastical adventures before finally finding her way home, leaving only memories of herself behind. The feelings of loneliness and shock at even the simplest of things the girl had gone through certainly were things she could relate to at this moment.
Mother had loved that story.
Tabitha clenched her jaw at the thought, blinking forcefully to dispel the heat that brought to her eyes.
Mother. The only reason she was still alive was because Tabitha's presence and her willingness to go on missions for that man. Once word reached Joseph that Tabitha was gone… if he assumed she was dead…
The Academy might still think they were alive, and if they did she didn't doubt for a moment Joseph would learn of whatever they suspected fairly quickly. Sylphid was still in Tristain, and her familiar runes might have them keep searching for them all- but that was only if the runes were still there. Did the connection still remain, a whole world away? Would it be enough to make Joseph as close to curious as he could get, and stave off her mother's death? For how long would he wait, if he even did? She couldn't answer any of those questions. She couldn't even do anything about the dread, fear, and uncertainty all of this filled her with, and that only made it even worse.
Something wet began to slide down her cheek, and Tabitha hastily wiped it away with her sleeve, blinking forcefully again and taking a deep breath. It was pointless to focus so much on something she couldn't change, and she knew she'd sooner drive herself mad than accomplish anything by doing so. Even still, she couldn't stop herself. Just like she couldn't stop herself from placing blame for the situation of Valliere.
She shouldn't hold it against her, she knew- nobody had known that this was possible, or could have dreamed it to be so before now. Even still, she couldn't help but feel anger towards the girl to have even incidentally put mother at risk. It was unfair and irrational… but she couldn't totally remove herself from those feelings nonetheless. Valliere had done this, unintentionally or not.
Thankfully, she was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of the front door creaking open again. Shortly after, a nigh invisible blur of red streaked up onto the roof, and Ruby was back next to her, rose petals drifting away in the breeze below them. Tabitha looked to the girl, focusing on the bundle held in her arms.
Books. Seven books- each of moderate size- were held in her arms. Tabitha's teal eyes darted upwards to meet Ruby's silver, and she let an unspoken question into them.
"You, um, said you liked books," Ruby said, walking closer. "So I figured that if you're going to be up here for a while, you might want something to read." The girl once more sat down beside her, setting the books down between them.
Tabitha stared at the books for a moment, and then turned to look at Ruby. The girl was smiling at her, though her eyes betrayed the concern underneath. She was so genuine and earnest, and it begged the question-
----
"Why?" Tabitha asked, suddenly. Ruby blinked owlishly, confused.
"Why… what?" She asked, cocking her head.
Tabitha simply gestured at the books next to her, and then the cloak over her shoulders.
"Why are you so… nice? Why try to help?" She frowned, looking quizzically at the redhead. "Why care? You just met me."
Ruby found herself taken aback at the girl's statement, before shaking her head. That was an easy one.
"Well… you looked sad, and lost, and- and like you needed some help. So, I'm helping you." She answered.
Ruby's response had Tabitha blinking, her eyes now sharp as they darted over her face before settling on her eyes.
"...that's it?"
"Yup. Just like the heroes in all the books." Ruby answered, looking at the pile. "I… it's why I want to be a Huntress, like I said. I want to fight the Grimm, and Bandits, and to protect and help people just because they need it. To make things better because it's the right thing to do."
For a moment, Ruby remembered a white cloak, a soft smile, and the same silver eyes she saw whenever she looked in the mirror staring down at her, shining with joy and a promise. She remembered a soft, gentle voice humming and holding her tight, lulling her to sleep. She remembered laughter, and joy, and the smell of roses.
Yes, she wanted to be just like those heroes in the book. To be just like mom.
Tabitha simply stared at her, expression still curious as she met Ruby's gaze. Then, softly, she smiled.
"Hmm."
Tabitha continued to stare for a bit after that, and Ruby felt her hands self-consciously grabbing for a cloak that wasn't there instinctively, turning a bit red as she realized what she was doing. Then, Tabitha turned away and looked at the book pile, before hesitantly grabbing the one on top. She looked once more up at Ruby, nodding at her.
"Thank you." Tabitha said, quietly.
Ruby felt her smile grow as she returned the nod.
"You're welcome." She replied, even as she craned her head to get a look at the title of the book Tabitha had grabbed. The Sisters' Collection of Fairy Tales, it looked like. Looking at the moon one last time, Ruby stood, stretching her arms above her head with a sigh.
"Well, I'm, uh… just gonna go back to bed. If it, um, gets too cold, feel free to come back inside." She said. Her eyes widened as she realized something. "Oh, a-and make sure you get some sleep too! You guys have got a big day tomorrow!"
Tabitha looked back up at her, slowly blinking. Then, she smiled softly again, before nodding, turning back to the book and flipping open the book on her lap to read.
Ruby turned towards the edge of the roof, pulling on her Aura and filling her body with the familiar buzz of her Semblance for a moment. Before she could jump off, however, she paused, frowning and considering her words for a moment. Then, she turned back around to face Tabitha.
"I- I know it probably doesn't mean much." She began, and Tabitha looked up at Ruby. Breathing in and out, Ruby smiled again. "But I think… I know you guys can find a way back home. You just have to keep trying and hoping, and I'm sure you can do it! A-and I'll do everything I can to help, too! I, um, don't know anything about magic, but there's gotta be something I can do, right?"
Tabitha simply stared at her for a moment, before turning back to the book in her hands and looking at it blankly. She frowned for a moment, and Ruby bit her lip as she wondered if speaking up was a mistake. Then, Tabitha turned back to Ruby, smiling once again. Ruby returned it, relieved.
Tabitha had a pretty smile, Ruby thought. She might not have known the blue haired girl for long, but she still thought it suited her.
"Maybe there is." Tabitha said, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face.
Then, Tabitha looked back down to the book. Still smiling, Ruby turned around and jumped from the roof. She used her semblance to accelerate her fall and land quietly, before turning and heading back inside.
----
'Keep trying and hoping'. Ruby made it all sound so easy, as if just attempting and wanting to succeed would be enough to see her through the pain and uncertainty. Part of her wanted to dismiss Ruby's optimism as naive- childish, even... but something about it stuck with her. Maybe it was the genuine belief in her voice, or the certainty she'd displayed... but Tabitha wanted so badly to believe her. To believe that everything would be alright in the end, just like in the stories. To trust that in the end, everything would work out for the best. Tabitha brushed her fingers over a rendition of a tower drawn in the book in her hands, thinking.
Was it really that simple? Her mind said it wasn't- there was so much that they didn't know, and so much stacked against them... but it was a comforting thought, nonetheless.
Trying. Hoping. She could do that.
Focusing on the words of the book, Tabitha began to read the first story.
'A long, long time ago, in a far away land, there lived a cruel lord and his beautiful daughter...'
----
Yang blinked awake to the sound of whimpering, causing her to sit up in her sleeping bag. Everything was quiet for a moment, and she almost thought she'd imagined it before Ruby's bed sheets suddenly shifted, and the whimper came again. Carefully looking around the room to see Ruby and Kirche both sound asleep- and noting that Tabitha was absent, probably using the bathroom- Yang sat up, crawling out of her sleeping bag and gently creeping over to Ruby's bed.
Louise was laying there, her face contorted thanks to whatever nightmare she seemed to be having. She whimpered again, her face scrunching even further. Her mouth opened slightly, mouthing something Yang didn't catch for a moment before she whispered in her sleep.
"Mother…"
That single word might have well been a knife into Yang's bleeding heart, and she found herself empathizing with the poor girl. Flashes of memory hit her, and for a moment it was her sister in the bed, tossing and turning in her sleep. Then, it was herself, jolting awake, the images of two women- one in a familiar white cloak, the other a phantom born from a single picture- at the front of her mind. Slowly- careful not to disturb the sleeping girl- Yang sat down on the bed, reaching out a hand and brushing aside some of Louise's pink hair before gently stroking the top of her head. She took a slow, deep breath.
Then, she began to hum, quiet enough to not disturb the others and just loud enough to be heard in the otherwise silent room. It was a familiar tune, gentle and melodic. For a moment, Louise's frown deepened, registering the disturbance before she began to relax. She pushed against Yang's hand, and the blonde smiled, continuing to hum the lullaby.
Just like she had for Ruby, all those years ago. Just like Summer used to do the same for both of them, all those years ago.
After a few minutes, Yang stopped, staring down at the sleeping pinkette. She was far more peaceful, now, a ghost of a smile on her lips as her chest slowly rose and fell. Still smiling softly, Yang carefully stood from the bed-
-only to freeze when Louise shifted in response, cloudy pink eyes slowly fluttering open. For a moment, she stood absolutely still, cursing in her head as the noble girl slowly blinked at her, clearly not fully awake. Then, slowly, Louise's eyes began to flutter shut, before closing all together.
"Cattleya…" she breathed before snuggling deeper into the covers. Gradually, her breathing slowed, until she was once again fast asleep. Yang let out a quiet sigh of relief and headed for her sleeping bag, carefully slipping back inside and closing her eyes to resume her own sleep.
She entirely missed the brown eyes that followed her the whole way, watching her from her own bed. Kirche von Zerbst smiled, softly, and closed her eyes.
----
Louise groaned as something bright shone directly into her still shut eyes, throwing up an arm to shield her face. Blinking blearily, her groaning turned into a whine of protest as she defiantly turned to face away from the light, pulling the yellow bed sheets of her bed up and snuggling deeper into them. Slowly, her eyes began to shut again-
Wait, yellow bed sheets?
With another groan, Louise sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes as her mind began to return to wakefulness and she began to take in her surroundings. She was confused for a moment at the unfamiliar bedroom before she remembered where she was… and why she was there. The latter greatly sped up her waking up, her stomach flipping and sinking deep into her gut as she clenched the sheets tight.
She was in another world. Her peers were in another world. A world that was so clearly different from her own, even after such a short amount of time. It… Louise simply lacked the words to describe it. Fantastical, maybe? Terrifying? It was the talk of fantasy, after all, but here she- here they were, living it.
And somehow, she had done this. Somehow, she had sent herself and her classmates across whatever boundaries separated Gaia from Remnant, stranding them in a blusterous, unbelievable failure to top all her others. Guiche had made it all too clear last night that all of this was her fault.
The Zero's fault.
Growling, Louise shook her head violently, slightly dizzying herself in the process.
No, damnit, no! She wasn't a Zero, no matter what Guiche, Zerbst, or anyone else said! She'd show them- she'd figure out how to use her magic, find out how to get them home, and drag them back kicking and screaming if she had to to prove that she was more than just a failure! She'd fix this! She would!
Eyes alight with new fire, Louise threw the bedsheets aside and rose from Yang's bed. She straightened herself, years of training making her posture immaculate as she headed for the door and opened it and strode as confidently as she could into the hall.
A quick stop at the restroom later to answer nature's call (and marvel at the wonder of plumbing), Louise was walking downstairs, ready to face the day. She was surprised to find the living room empty, the sound of clattering in the kitchen the only noise to be heard. Frowning, she made her way there, finding the Xiao Long patriarch moving about the cooking space. At her entrance, the blonde man turned around, giving her a friendly smile.
"Ah, you're awake! I was just about to start cooking breakfast here- it's a bit later than normal, but I figured you all wouldn't mind too much." Louise nodded affirmatively, and Taiyang continued. "Your friends are outside getting some fresh air while Ruby and Yang are doing chores in the garden. Feel free to head out yourself, if you want." With the last statement, he gestured towards the door opposite the dining table from Louise.
Louise blinked. Chores? As in, like a servant? Her surprise evidently showed, because Taiyang proceeded to elaborate.
"Your friends were pretty shocked too, but it's just how we do things in this house. I could hire someone else to do it, but it's good for character building and making sure they don't get too sedentary at home."
Louise nodded, hesitantly, even as she failed to understand Taiyang's reasoning. Deciding it was too early to be questioning the bizarre logic of this heathen society, she instead decided to take up Taiyang's suggestion. She moved towards the door and opened it, blinking as she stepped outside onto the cabin's side porch.
Turning her head to her right, she found Guiche, Tabitha and Kirche leaning against the railing, staring at something just out of sight. Verdante and Flame were at their feet, and the latter uncurled itself and let out a small hiss at her, causing the three to turn to look at her.
"Oh, Valliere!" Kirche said, putting on a smug grin. "Finally awake, I see! I was getting worried- you know, it's bad for a lady's growth to get too much beauty sleep."
Forcing down a growl at the barb- she was growing, damn it!- Louise instead strode up to her peers. She opened her mouth to speak when suddenly there was the muffled boom of Yang's odd gauntlets, her classmates turning back to look behind the house in response. Frowning, Louise took up the open space beside them, craning her head over the railing and around the corner slightly to see what had them so enraptured.
The garden was a simple enough thing. A variety of small crops were planted in even rows, taking up an area of about twenty meters across both ways, odd metal rods with green Dust crystals embedded in them even spread out between them.. She couldn't identify some of the plants- like the odd, tall yellow flowers with a large, brown inside- but others she recognized, like the tomatoes they had eaten last night. She did note, however, that most of it seemed to be empty at the moment, plants picked bare or dirt empty.
The sound of metal cutting through the air drew her attention, settling on Ruby over by the tall flowers. Her scythe was held in her hands, and with a single swing she had cut down half of the flowers close to the base of their stems. She pulled back her weapon again, swinging the scythe at high speed to cut down the rest. It made sense, she supposed- a scythe was normally a farming tool- but somehow, the red, black and silver blur looked so unusual being used like it was supposed to. Frowning, Louise turned towards Yang.
The elder sister was squatting amidst a patch of violently disturbed earth, digging through it carefully and pulling green sprouts from the loosened soil. Amidst the roots of the sprouts were, surprisingly, potatoes like she had eaten last night, which Yang plucked from the rest of the plant and tossed into a sack unceremoniously before moving on to the next. She moved surprisingly quickly, looking very out of place in the garden even with the pair of worn grey leggings and sleeveless brown top she had changed into. Soon, she was done, and moved on to a patch of plants in undisturbed soil.
Then, she pulled back a fist, and punched the ground, her gauntlet extended. There was another muffled bang, the force of the impact throwing dirt into the air disturbing the earth, forcibly and violently loosening the soil. Louise blinked once. Rubbing her eyes, she blinked again. Yang was still there, now squatting again as she dug for more potatoes.
Punching. Yang Xiao Long was punching- and firing her weapon into- the dirt to harvest crops from a garden. A glance to her left showed Guiche still staring at the two girls, looking shocked as she felt. A glance to her right showed Tabitha- somehow looking stoic in the face of this madness- and Kirche, who was returning her gaze with an expression halfway between amusement and mutual disbelief.
What.
----
After watching the unusual display of the Xiao Long sisters doing their morning chores, Guiche and his fellow students had followed the dirtied, sweaty girls inside. Ruby and Yang had headed straight upstairs to wash off, leaving the four nobles to seat themselves at the table as Taiyang served them breakfast. The eastern-looking man had prepared them 'scrambled' eggs, buttered toast, and strips of bacon with glasses of milk. It was a simple meal, but it was filling nonetheless. The cold milk was odd, though, and when he had asked Taiyang about it he had said something about 'pasteurization' that Guiche wasn't afraid to admit (to himself, of course) completely flew over his head. Whatever that meant, it apparently made the risk of falling ill from drinking milk practically nonexistent, which astounded him to hear.
Ruby and Yang had joined them shortly after, dressed in the same clothes they had when they met and serving themselves much larger helpings of breakfast that they dug into with gusto. He grimaced at their less than stellar eating etiquette, but chose to remain quiet out of gratefulness to their hosts.
Yes. Gratefulness. It was only because of that, and had nothing to do with their terrifying strength.
After breakfast, the Halkeginians had been given their freshly washed clothes- sans their undergarments, something that Guiche only tolerated because the thought of sharing undergarments even just while his own were being cleaned was more disgusting than just waiting to get fresh replacements- and headed upstairs to wash themselves off once again. That done, they had reconvened in the living room.
The Halkeginians had idled, mostly. Kirche was scratching at both Flame and Zwei, smiling smugly at Louise occasionally. The aforementioned Zero had glared back at each smile before returning to her own thoughts, rolling her wand in her hands. Tabitha had at some point acquired a book, and was reading the thing quietly. Guiche himself was, of course, giving love to his beautiful Verdante- who had been fed some of the freshly collected potatoes, generously enough.
Meanwhile, Taiyang had said something about 'paperwork' and gone upstairs to his room to work on it in isolation, leaving Ruby and Yang behind. The two sisters were doing something, holding their scrolls in both hands and sitting facing one another. Both of them let out small sounds as they maintained concentration on the devices, gasping, growling, or letting out triumphant "Ha!"s quietly. Occasionally, one would shoot a smug, triumphant smile at the other before the two would look back down to the devices, returning to… whatever it was they were doing.
Then- finally- there was a knocking at the front door, drawing the eyes of all present to it. Closing her scroll, Ruby stood first, smiling.
"Oh, that'll probably be professor Ozpin! I'll get it!" She said, quickly striding over to the door. Barking, Zwei followed her, reaching her side as she reached the door and opened it..
Guiche stared up at the tall, tall grey-haired man on the other side of the door. He was dressed in all-green clothing that looked expensive and finely made, and he towered over Ruby head and shoulders. Founder, he was taller than anyone Guiche had ever met! Despite his intimidating stature, however, the man was smiling warmly, interrupted only when he brought up a mug with dual-axed heraldry on its surface up to his lips, taking a deep drink of whatever was inside. His eyes- half-hidden between spectacles that were surprisingly enough shaded- reflected this warmth well, staring directly into Ruby's own. The man shifted, slightly, resting just a bit more of his weight on the silver-handled cane in his grip.
"Miss Rose." The man greeted her. "Though it hasn't been too long since we last saw each other, it is good to see you again regardless."
Miss Rose? Guiche blinked, surprised at the different family name from her father and sister both. Before he could question it any further, the conversation continued.
"It's, um, good to see you too, professor Ozpin!" Ruby replied. Ozpin chuckled in response, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Kinda a weird, ah, situation, though."
"That it is. Odd circumstances do have a way of finding you as of late, don't they?" He questioned jovially, smiling slightly wider. Then, his eyes flicked towards Guiche and his classmates, looking over them curiously. Guiche couldn't help but sit up straighter as they looked over his own form, something about the impromptu examination making him feel like he was almost being not just inspected, but dissected by that gaze.
Then, the sound of feet on wood reached Guiche's ears, and the headmaster turned towards the stairs. Guiche turned to follow the grey-haired man's gaze to see Taiyang walking down them, his eyes focused on Ozpin the entire time. The Xiao Long patriarch grinned.
"Oz!" He called out.
"Taiyang." Ozpin replied, evenly. "It's been some time since our last in-person meeting, hasn't it?"
"Yup." Taiyang answered, crossing his arms as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked to the mug in Ozpin's hand, cocking an eyebrow. "Still drinking cocoa, old man?"
Ozpin kept smiling, even as Ruby's head whipped towards said mug in surprise and Yang snickered, raising an eyebrow. He didn't know what this 'cocoa' was, but from Taiyang's tone and his daughters' reactions, it was an odd choice of drink- though whether that was because of his status or just a general thing, Guiche didn't know.
"Indeed." The headmaster responded, sipping the 'cocoa' once again. "And I do believe that I am not that much older than yourself, Taiyang. I would hardly say that being forty makes one old, and being four years senior is hardly a significant difference in age." Taiyang rolled his eyes in response, now standing beside his youngest daughter. Ozpin continued to smile for a moment longer, before his expression turned more serious and he looked to the Halkeginians. "Now…"
"I do believe that we have… much to discuss."
----
As you may be able to guess, I've read the Justice League/RWBY comics. I'm obviously not going to be taking any plot ideas from it, but it's got a few cool details I like such as the Xiao Long-Rose family growing at least some food themselves (and harvesting it exactly like you'd think they would).
Hope you all enjoyed reading this! Once again, I'm so sorry for goofing with keeping this thread up to date, and I promise it won't happen again!