The Hunt
The night was dark, and the moon was high, but Sunset lingered in the dojo.
Sol Invictus was in her hands, the oiled wooden stock smooth upon her palms. Occasionally, her hand would slip back, and her thumb would brush against the sun of her cutie mark that she had carved into the wood and painted before the varnish went on.
Sunset’s boots twisted upon the dojo floor, her feet squeaking as she turned this way and that, jabbing, striking with the butt, fighting with shadows. She fought with the butt, she fought with the bayonet, she fought with both ends of the rifle and the middle, trying to force her body to move faster, be lither, and respond more readily.
She should have been resting. She should have obeyed her own orders. She should have taken her own advice. But this wasn’t like Jaune. She wasn’t wearing herself out night after night. This was just a one-time thing, no different than cramming for a test.
Study before the test, sleep after. That was how you got the grades.
And this was a test. It was a test with stakes, but a test nonetheless. Lady Nikos’ test. Her test that Team SAPR was worthy of Pyrrha.
And Sunset did not mean to fail.
Not again.
She brought her rifle down upon the head of an imaginary grimm. She would prove herself worthy of this team; she would prove to Pyrrha that they were stronger together than Pyrrha was alone. She would keep the team together.
She would win.
Professor Lionheart had clearly passed on Sunset's instructions to Cinder, because she was waiting for them outside the house when the party of five – the members of Team SAPR and Lady Nikos – emerged from the gate the next morning.
"Good morning, my lady," Cinder said, as she bowed to Lady Nikos. "Lady Pyrrha, it will be an honour to hunt alongside you. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."
"Pyrrha, please," Pyrrha murmured. "There is no need to stand on ceremony in these circumstances."
Cinder smiled. "As you wish, Pyrrha; I look forward to seeing you in action." She turned her attention to the other members of the team. "All of you. I hope that you live up to your nascent reputations."
"Oh, we'll give you a good show, don't worry," Sunset said. "We'll give you such a good show you should have brought a picnic hamper instead of weapons. Are you ready to go?"
"I'm always ready," Cinder declared.
The rosy fingers of dawn were just laying their touch gently upon the city as the party headed towards the skydock. Ruby yawned. Sunset had, after her late-night practice session, managed to snatch a few extra minutes in bed by the simple expedient of not making much effort to get ready; she had washed swiftly, and her hair resembled a bush, or possibly looked as though it had been dragged through one.
Pyrrha looked not only as fresh as ever but as perfect too; she and Cinder were well matched in both looking as though they rolled out of bed and into their stylist's chair. Lady Nikos, on the other hand, looked as though she could have used a little more rest than circumstances had allowed her.
"I'm sorry for the early start," Sunset said, "but-"
"But we must find and kill this creature quickly," Pyrrha declared. "If it is allowed to continue preying on defenceless herdsmen and husbandmen, if it descends into the valleys and begins to stalk the farmers, then the whole area will descend into panic. And panic will bring even more grimm."
Sunset nodded. She could still remember how scared she'd been when she first came to Remnant and found herself sharing the world with these monsters: so scared that she had come closer than at any point to crawling back through the mirror, kissing the hooves of Princess Celestia, and crying forgiveness for all the wrongs that she had done. It was easy to forget that fear, once you had your aura unlocked and were given a little training; it was easy to forget how menacing the grimm were. Even one beowolf would be more than capable of slaughtering an entire family alone in their shepherd's cottage on the hillside.
"Does Professor Lionheart have any way of summoning back any professionals to defend the city?" Sunset asked as they walked.
"Even if he could, would he?" demanded Lady Nikos. She wore armour similar to that of Pyrrha, except that there was less protection afforded to her legs, and the cuirass was set with what might be costume jewels or, considering the wealth of the Nikos family, perhaps even real ones. The armour no longer fit her perfectly, but neither did it fit so poorly that she could no longer wear it at all. Strapped across her back, she wore the sword that Sunset had seen on her desk. "I cannot understand what goes on in that man's mind."
"Since Mistral seems in need of more huntsmen than it currently possesses, perhaps an approach should be made to the Atlesian forces based at Argus?" Cinder suggested silkily. She was wearing grey pants and a beige, sleeveless jacket which she had left unfastened, revealing that she had – for whatever reason – decided to forsake a shirt in favour of binding up her breasts with bandages to preserve her modesty. Whatever, if she wanted to dress like that, then that was her business. More important were the pair of scimitars and the bow that she carried, all three weapons strapped to her back across her waistline. "I'm sure that some specialists could-"
"This is Mistral, girl," Lady Nikos declared with a derisive snort. "Our strength is not so diminished that we are dependent upon the protection of Atlas. We address our own problems here."
"I'm well aware of how Mistral solves its problems, Lady Nikos," Cinder replied, and for a moment, her voice lost its smoothness and acquired an edge of anger, but it was one that was gone as soon as it had come. "Still, I'm surprised to hear that you don't trust Atlas. After all, they're only here for our protection. Aren't they?"
"Forgive me, Cinder, my lady," Sunset said, "but although you might have the energy for a spirited discussion on geopolitics and international relations, I'm not sure that this is the time or the place."
Cinder smiled. "Of course, Sunset, you're quite right. A thousand pardons, my lady."
They arrived at the skydock, the same skydock that they had docked at when they arrived in Mistral the day before yesterday. An airship was waiting for them, another of the primitive-looking, almost Equestrian-seeming Mistralian airships with the double hull that had carried them into the city. Waiting at the docking pad also was a fox faunus who, like Sunset, was possessed of the ears and tail alike of the animal whose traits she had been imbued with. Her hair, her face, her entire visible body was a colourless white, all save for the striking crimson of her eyes and the pink eyeshadow she was wearing in the 'winged' style with which Pyrrha enhanced her eyes. The faunus girl was dressed in a brown leather cuirass and bracers over a robe of pale blue, with a tiger-stripe sash tied around her waist. There was a bow slung across her back and a short dust-blade at her hip.
"Lady Nikos," she said. "Lady Pyrrha." She glanced at Ruby. "Miss Rose. I did not realise you were in this company."
"Yep," Ruby said. "I'm a member of Team Sapphire."
"Led by me, Sunset Shimmer," Sunset declared. "That's Jaune Arc, rounding out the team, and Cinder Fall of Team Clementine of Haven. And you are?"
"Camilla Volsci, of Rutulian Security," Camilla declared. "Most of our operatives are in the field. I have been asked to defend the city with what remains while you go forth, but I would rather join you on your hunt. I would kill this beast as far from the city as can be managed, and my semblance, Farsight, may be of use to you."
"Are you willing to follow my lead?" Sunset asked.
Camilla regarded her evenly. "I am older and more experienced-"
"And this is my team," Sunset declared. "My team. My responsibility. You can follow my orders, or you can stay here and defend Mistral as you were asked."
Camilla looked past Sunset. "What say you, Lady Nikos?"
"I say that Miss Shimmer is in command," Lady Nikos said. "We are all mere adjuncts to her team."
"I see," Camilla said softly. "Very well. My bow and sword and all my skills are at your service, Sunset Shimmer."
The now seven-strong party boarded the airship without further question or complaint, and the vessel rose gracefully up into the sky and carried them over the stepped levels and the high towers of Mistral. As they flew east, towards the sight of the most recently reported attack, Sunset noticed that the land beneath them seemed emptier than it had seemed - albeit from a greater distance - only a few days before when they flew into the city. Then, even from a distance, Sunset had been able to see not only the farms in the valleys but the shepherds on the heights of the surrounding mountains. But now, as they flew over the eastern mountains, the ridges seemed bare, empty of life, save for the occasional goat or sheep wandering lost and abandoned across the rolling hills.
"Have all the people fled to Mistral so quickly?" Sunset asked.
"Indeed," Pyrrha said softly. "In times of peril, the city has always been a refuge for those who dwell around it. It is expected that they should seek the protection of the walls when grimm or enemies come near, just as it is expected that the gates will be open to admit them."
"They will return," Camilla added. "Once the danger is passed."
"Some will not return," Cinder said. "Or else we wouldn't be here."
True enough, Sunset conceded mentally. Although perhaps it would have been better if you hadn't said so.
"Does anyone have any idea what sort of grimm it is?" Jaune asked. He was standing in the centre of the airship's passenger compartment, far from the edges and the view of the ground.
"Nobody knows, do they?" Sunset said with a glance at Cinder. "Professor Lionheart didn't mention it to us; did he say anything to you?"
"No," Cinder said. The wind blew her long, dark hair this way and that, so that at times, it was even possible to see her other eye. "The attacks have been on shepherds' huts, isolated farmsteads; there are never any survivors to describe the attacker, and the attacks are always at night, so the beast isn't seen."
"If there are no survivors, then who reported the attacks?" Sunset asked.
"A son coming home from the market to find his father's house broken into and all within killed," Cinder explained. "A neighbour, of sorts, who waited until morning to investigate the screams that he heard in the night."
"Two Rutulian Security personnel investigating an alarm being triggered at a prosperous farm," Camilla added.
Cinder concluded, "Just because there are no survivors doesn't mean that nobody ever finds out."
"But people showing up after the fact can't tell us what's doing this," Ruby muttered.
"So, there's still a chance that this just a beowolf?" Jaune asked.
"Could be," Sunset allowed, "but I doubt it."
"Do you?" Lady Nikos inquired. "What makes you say that, Miss Shimmer?"
You can never stop testing, can you? Sunset snorted, although she hoped that Lady Nikos didn't notice. "To start with, this thing is smart: it knows that it can do more damage, spread more terror, by killing at night when it can move unseen. That means that it's probably old, and an old, smart beowolf would be smart enough to join a pack. But if this is just one grimm, it's probably from a species more comfortable alone: ursa, deathstalker, maybe a beringel. We'll know more once we get to the sight of the last attack. Jaune?"
"Yeah?"
"Any ideas?" Sunset asked, with a glance at Lady Nikos.
Jaune blinked. "Uh... if it's only attacking at night, then...that means it must be resting during the day, somewhere quiet. Somewhere it hides, like a lair or something. If we can find the lair, we find the monster, right?"
"Right," Sunset agreed. She watched as Lady Nikos' nodded in approval. I think we picked up a couple of points with that.
Shortly after, the airship began to descend close by a ruined wooden house, reduced to ruin. All four walls had been smashed in and the roof brought down; rubble and debris were strewn across the landscape, along with… more pitiful and wretched things than broken wooden boards.
"This is as far as I take you," the pilot called from the cockpit. "When you want pick-up, use the flare to signal, and someone will come and get you."
"Understood," Sunset replied. "We'll see you soon."
The airship dropped to within a couple of feet of the ground, allowing the huntsmen to dismount easily and close by the house. It was clear immediately that this was the work of grimm: not far from the house, there was a paddock still full of sheep, baaing as they milled about, trying, without success, to escape from their wooden restraints. No mere predator would have bothered to break into a house to kill those inside while leaving all those sheep, but grimm didn't bother with animals unless the animals bothered them first. Presumably, that was why the sheepdog had had its head ripped - or bitten - clean off. It had tried to protect its master and had paid the price for its canine loyalty.
"Spread out and search for tracks," Sunset ordered.
They did so, searching the area around the destroyed homestead, forcing themselves to go closer to the place then they might have liked, to the point where Sunset could see traces of blood amongst the ruins. While they were searching, Ruby sliced through the chain holding the sheep pen shut with Crescent Rose and released the creatures out onto the grass around.
"I mean… they're not comfortable where they are, and they'll go hungry if no one comes to take care of them," Ruby explained when she caught sight of Sunset's inquisitive look.
Sunset thought that someone would have come and claimed them as soon as the immediate crisis was over - which hopefully would be soon; she didn't intend to spend weeks hunting down this creature - but Ruby had a kind heart, and there was no point protesting what she had already done. Whoever came to claim the flock would simply have to round them up, that was all. Although Sunset would confess to a small degree of wry internal amusement when one particularly fat ovine repaid Ruby's trouble by attempting to eat her red cape. Pyrrha came to Ruby's rescue and shooed the sheep gently but firmly away before it could do any real damage.
It was Camilla who found the tracks: large, heavy prints belonging to a creature with what looked like three hooves on the ends of each foot.
"Not a beowolf, then," Jaune murmured.
"Nor an ursa or a deathstalker," Sunset said.
"Do you know what it is?" Ruby asked. "You're the one who pays attention to Professor Port."
"If he's mentioned this one, I can't remember right away," Sunset replied. "Or perhaps he hasn't gotten around to it yet. We are supposed to have four years learning, after all," she added, with a sharp look towards Pyrrha. "But… no, I can't say what it is."
"Nor I," Cinder said lightly, sounding very unconcerned about her ignorance. "It must be a rare grimm indeed."
"Even if we cannot identify the creature, we know its direction," Camilla said. "The tracks lead northeast. That's where we'll find the creature's lair."
"Agreed," Sunset said. "I'll lead, then Pyrrha, then Jaune, then Ruby; Cinder, Camilla, the two of you bring up the rear."
"Of course," Cinder said.
"As you wish," Camilla agreed.
"Where is my place?" Lady Nikos asked.
"As you like, my lady, so long as it is neither ahead of me nor behind Cinder," Sunset said, in a tone that mixed command and respect in hopefully equal measure.
"I will not interfere with your dispositions," Lady Nikos assured her.
"Then there is no reason for us to remain here," Sunset declared. "Let's move."
They walked all day. Sunset had had some doubts; she would confess internally if not aloud, that Lady Nikos with her injured leg would be able to keep up the pace, but it seemed that with her aura activated as it was now, her limp didn't trouble her as it had done inside the safety and security of her house. All to the good, because it seemed that this beast could move quickly across the country. More quickly than they could, for though they trekked all day across the Mistral mountainsides, across the slopes of the Caelian and the Esquiline mounts, they did not come to the grimm's lair, nor catch up with it on the way to the same, nor even catch sight of it running ahead of them, not even with Camilla's long-sighted semblance.
It was a small relief that they didn't see any signs of the destruction the beast had unleashed either. They passed no more destroyed cottages, no more signs of death and destruction. Not on that route, anyway. They came across no other people, but if there had been other victims since the latest known attack, they saw no sign of them. And, seeing no signs, they could tell themselves that there had been no other attacks.
They crossed the mountains, passing above valley villages that seemed quiet, farmland that seemed devoid of workers. The grimm might not have done any more damage along this way, but already, terror had spread from it like a vicious miasma and overwhelmed the people who huddled behind their walls and their locked doors as though they would protect them.
"When, of course, the only ones who can really protect them from the grimm are us," Cinder said as she came to stand by Sunset's side. She smiled. "The ones with power and the will to use it as we see fit."
Sunset looked back at the other girl, over Sunset's own shoulder. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
"Because I was thinking the same thing," Cinder replied. "Little people, clinging to their walls, to their locked doors, to the so-called safety of their homes, to their plans to survive, their contingencies; clinging to false hope."
"As you put it yourself, hope is what sees us through," Sunset said softly. "Sometimes, it's all we have, however false or unfounded it may be."
Cinder's one visible eyebrow rose. "You mean that you would be as foolish in their position?"
"I hope to sun and moon never to be so helpless as those people are," Sunset said. But I have been foolish in my desperation in the past.
Cinder stared down at her for a moment. Then she flashed her teeth in a brief smile. "No, you're not helpless, are you? We are neither of us helpless. We're the ones with the power, the ones who will decide the future of those below."
Sunset had the distinct impression that she wasn't just talking about their geographical location relative to the town below.
The sun was setting by now, and they had no way of knowing how much farther it was until they found the grimm's hideout.
"We'll make camp for the night," Sunset decided. "It's likely this grimm can see better in the dark than we can, not to mention that once it stirs from its lair, we'll have no way of finding it."
"But if we stop," Ruby protested, "won't the grimm go out and attack again?"
Sunset held Ruby's gaze. "We can't save everyone."
The two of them stared at each other. Ruby didn't quite argue against her, but it was clear from the look in her eyes that she very much wanted to. Even if her mind accepted Sunset's point, her heart rebelled against it.
Sunset said nothing more, because she knew she was right, and she thought that Ruby knew that she was right, and all she had to do was wait for Ruby to accept it.
"Sunset-" Ruby began.
"We'll save nobody if we blunder into an ambush," Sunset said sharply. To push through dark, to do whatever it took, might be the righteous thing to do. It might even be the right thing to do. But Sunset was certain that her decision was the smart and the safe one, and so, that was what they were going to do.
Depending on how much further the hideout was… if it looked like this hunt was going to go on for several days, then she might consider night-marching to bring it to an end faster, but not tonight.
Tonight, they would rest.
Ruby bowed her head. “Okay. I guess.”
No one else offered any objection, and Lady Nikos seemed to prefer watching what they did than interfering, and so, they made camp out on the grassy mountainside as the sun fell and the darkness descended all around them.
Jaune, who had always excelled in the field craft class even before he'd started putting any work in at anything else, made their fire and cooked their dinner. As she watched him work, Sunset reflected that one of the advantages of operating straight out of Mistral on this impromptu little mission was that they'd been able to bring some fresh produce with them rather than having to rely on ration packs or MREs. Jaune had even obtained some novel spices and seasonings from the Nikos’ kitchen and was trying some of them out, adding them to the boiling pot with the chopped up vegetables.
"Smells good," Sunset said.
"Indeed," Lady Nikos murmured. "You appear to have some talent as a cook, young Mister Arc."
"Thanks," Jaune said. "My mom taught me to... I mean, uh," He cleared his throat. "Thank you very much lady, compliment gratefully... accepted."
"Hmm," Lady Nikos murmured, her expression leaving it quite up in the air whether she approved of Jaune's talent in this field or disapproved of anyone who wasn't wealthy enough to employ their own chef.
Cinder's amber eye seemed to glow in the descending light. "Isn't there any meat?"
Jaune glanced up at her. "Not in here. You see, Sunset-"
"I'm a vegetarian," Sunset explained.
"Ah," Cinder replied, "and you've imposed your choices on your teammates. That's your privilege as leader, I suppose."
"To an extent, I suppose," Sunset said. "I've no problem with them eating meat; I just won't have them forcing me to eat it as well."
"Pyrrha needs meat," Jaune said. "I was going to fry her some sausages-"
"Oh, Jaune, you don't need to go to so much trouble for me," Pyrrha said.
"Then perhaps he can go to the trouble for both of us," Cinder murmured. "If you don't mind."
"No, it's fine," Jaune said. "I was just about to make the offer."
"Much obliged," Cinder said.
"Ruby?" Jaune asked. "Miss Volsci?"
"I'll be fine," Ruby said. "What's in the pot smells delicious."
"'Camilla' will do," Camilla said softly. "And I, too, will be content."
Cinder said, "I confess that you've surprised me, Sunset; I didn't figure you for the type to feel compassion for animals."
Sunset smiled. "As an animal myself, eating them feels a little too close to cannibalism for my liking."
Cinder chuckled. "Wouldn't that make cannibalism the natural state of the world? All creatures prey on those weaker than themselves, and humanity, as the strongest of all animals, preys upon all the rest and devours them."
"Except for the grimm, which prey on humanity and devour them," Sunset pointed out. "So who's really the dominant species around here?"
"That," Cinder declared, "is a question that has yet to be answered, isn't it?"
"I suppose so," Sunset said. She paused for a moment. "Looking ahead a little: Jaune, you take the first watch. I'll take the middle, and Pyrrha the last." It was Sunset's opinion that the middle watch was the hardest, as you didn't get a period of uninterrupted sleep either at the beginning or the end of the night.
"I should take the middle watch; I'm fresher than you," Pyrrha said.
"Then you might as well stay that way tomorrow; I'll be fine."
"What about me?" Cinder asked. "I could take on all three watches, if you like?"
Sunset's eyebrows rose. "You don't need sleep?"
The firelight danced in Cinder's eye. "I am driven beyond the need for it. Have you ever felt so hungry that you can't sleep, because your stomach is paining you too much to let you?"
Sunset frowned, if only a little. "Once or twice, a little."
"I have a hunger in me that will not let me rest."
"Well, see how you feel after you've tried my cooking," Jaune said, a slight smile playing across his face.
Cinder snorted. "That isn't the kind of hunger that I'm referring to." She glanced at Pyrrha for a moment, and then looked away again.
"I'd never be able to guess that you were an insomniac to look at you," Sunset said. "Thank you for your... kind offer, but I think we'll manage to keep our eyes open."
"You don't trust me to watch over you safely?" Cinder asked.
"With me, I'm afraid trust takes a little while to be earned," Sunset replied. "It's nothing personal."
"Of course not," Cinder said. "Trust is a commodity too precious to be spent frivolously or without thought. Why, some might even argue that you trust me too far; you don't know me and yet you will let me fight alongside you."
"We know that you're a huntress in training, just like us," Ruby said. "And so we know that you're ready to fight for humanity, just like us." She smiled. "So already, we know a lot about you."
Cinder's lips twitched upwards. "And so every huntress or huntsman in training is valiant and noble?" she asked. "A trustworthy ally in the fight against the grimm?"
Ruby nodded. "We're all the same. No matter why we came here or what our reasons were, we're all in the same place, to do the same thing, for the same goal."
"We are the heirs to the heroes of song and storybook," Pyrrha said, "and in the tales, the heroes are always noble."
"And in the tales, it is always summer, but in the real world, winter comes," Cinder replied.
"For farmers and for shepherds, maybe," Sunset declared, "but not for the likes of us. Or do you, too, not dare to dream that ambition may win out against all obstacles strewn in its path? What do we hope for, if not that we may defy this stale, hard rock called life, withstand all efforts it may make to crush us, and shape it to our dreams and dear ambitions?"
The firelight danced in Cinder's visible eye. "I knew there was a kinship between us," she said. "We may succeed, or we may fail and, in the failing, fall into despair… but either way, it should be quite something to watch us try."
“At what cost?” Pyrrha asked softly.
Cinder did not reply. She looked at Pyrrha with what seemed almost like confusion in her fire-illumined eye. “I do not understand.”
“What price will you pay to achieve your ambitions?” Pyrrha demanded, and though she was looking at Cinder, Sunset had the distinct impression that she was talking to Sunset too. “What price will you force others to pay to achieve your dreams?”
“Some dreams are worth paying for,” Sunset said softly.
“That is not for the dreamer alone to decide,” Pyrrha declared, not taking her eyes off Cinder. “What of those who must carry your dream? What of those who might suffer so that you can achieve it?”
Cinder leaned forwards. The fall of her hair cast more of her face in shadow than was concealed by it. “And how many have suffered at your hands, for your ambitions?” she asked, her voice quiet and silky. “How many dreams have you crushed in the arena?”
Pyrrha pursed her lips together. Her voice, too, was soft. “That is not the same thing.”
“If you care so much about the dreams of others, then cast your weapons aside and let Arslan Altan take the champions’ crown,” Cinder suggested.
“That is not the same thing,” Pyrrha repeated, her voice sharpening like Miló’s tip. “I… I hope it is not the same thing.”
“You do not dream of trophies and gilded laurels,” Camilla declared.
The corner of Cinder’s lip twitched upwards. “I fear you could not conceive of what I dream of, Lady Camilla.”
Camilla had been lounging backwards, her arms folded across her chest, but now, she sat up. “I was ward to the late Lord Rutulus before his untimely death; I am a faunus, but I am no stranger to people of ambition. I know the difference between a lust for baubles and a desire to change the world.”
“Bauble, you say?” Lady Nikos demanded. “Is that what you think of the trophies and the gilded laurels that are the prize of victory?”
“Is it not so?” Pyrrha murmured.
Lady Nikos did not hear, or else, she pretended not to hear. “What is it that we leave behind us when we are gone?” she asked, of no one person but of all the assembly gathered around the fire.
“Family,” Jaune said. “We leave our families behind us, if we’re lucky. The people who love us and will remember us when we’re gone.”
“If we are fortunate,” Camilla whispered. “For myself… forgive me, Lady Nikos, but I think it matters not. When we are dead, then we are dead. My honoured Lord may be said to live on in my memory, and even more in the memory of his splendid children, perhaps in those who knew him well and loved him just the same… but he is dead and dust, and in the cold crypt, he lies beneath our house. Why waste time then on how we will be remembered? Let us rather live well while we can, obedient to good conscience and to honour.”
“But then that’s the answer,” Ruby said. “The way we live, the things we did, that is what we leave behind us. The people we saved, the people we inspired.”
“Ah, but that just passes the problem on to someone else,” Cinder replied. “You leave them behind, but what do they leave behind?”
“The memory of our deeds will live on after us,” Sunset said.
“Only if they are recorded,” Pyrrha replied. “Is that not what you set your mark at, Mother?”
Lady Nikos nodded. “All across Mistral now, there are huntsmen and huntresses, in small villages and quiet towns, armed and ready to defend them against the grimm. How many people in Anima know their names? My husband, Pyrrha’s father, gave his life in battle against the grimm, and how many people recall his name, compared with how many would recognise Pyrrha’s face in a photograph? The deeds of the heroes are of less import than the tales that will be told of them when they are gone, and there are no tales for ordinary huntsmen, not any more.”
“Huntsmen are the heirs to the heroes of song and story,” Ruby said. “To Olivia and all the heroes like her.”
“And yet, there will be no song made of you, as there was for Olivia,” Lady Nikos said, although she sounded slightly melancholy at the fact. “No one will write the Song of Ruby Rose, and no eager young girl will read it.”
Don’t be so sure, my lady; they will sing a Song of Sapphires yet, I swear it.
“So?” Ruby asked. “So long as we act like heroes, then does it matter if people remember that we were heroes?”
“Where will the next generation of heroes come from, if none are remembered from the days before?” Lady Nikos demanded. “Will the same stories be passed down from one generation to the next, growing all the more stale with each telling?”
“Have we in Mistral not told the story of The Mistraliad from one generation to the next?” Cinder asked, a touch of amusement in her voice.
Lady Nikos almost smiled. “True, Miss Fall, but how many other tales from that day have lived on? None of such antiquity. Only the most venerable of the old stories endure; the rest are crowded out of the collective memory of our realm by newer stories and newer heroes. In every generation, our great families strive for greatness, and the deeds of each generation are recorded for the inspiration of those that come after. Miss Volsci, it is true that your… that Lord Rutulus is as dead as my husband, but the fact remains that he is interred within the crypt beside his ancestors, and he will be remembered as a lord of the Rutulus family while the line endures. And so it is with that which you deride as baubles, the crowns and laurels of our most ancient tradition, the arena. To be a champion, to dedicate the spoils to Victory in the temple… is to be immortal.”
“A paragon of virtue to rise above all others,” Jaune said.
He had spoken quietly, but not quietly enough that Lady Nikos did not hear him. “Indeed, Mister Arc. Has Pyrrha spoken with you of this before?”
“Uh, kind of, um, my lady,” Jaune admitted. “I, uh… I’m not sure that I agree.”
“Your family will not be around forever, Mister Arc,” Lady Nikos reminded him. “One day, they too shall pass, and what will you leave then?”
“Nothing,” Jaune admitted. “But by that time, they’ll have left something, hopefully. The next generation crowds out the one before, just like you said. I’m sure it sounds great, being immortal like that, but what do you have to do to get it?” He glanced at Pyrrha, but did not hold her gaze for long. “What do you have to suffer to get it?”
“Suffering should be no barrier to achievement,” Lady Nikos declared.
“But perhaps harming others should,” Pyrrha added.
“Should our freedom end where that of others begins?” Cinder asked. “If it were so, would we not all live our lives trapped in a kind of amber, constrained by the sheer mass of bodies that press close all around us?”
“Better that than we should hurt them by our indifference to their lives in pursuit of our goal,” Pyrrha said.
Cinder did not reply to that. Instead, she said, “If I may, Lady Nikos, I too would take issue with you. What we leave behind… what we ought to strive to leave behind, is so much more than just our name in a book or a monument.”
“Then what should it be instead?” Sunset asked.
“The change in the world we made,” Cinder explained. “To leave Remnant a different place than you found it, to have transformed it by your deeds… that is a legacy to take pride in.”
As everyone else bedded down to sleep, Jaune took the first watch. As everyone else lay down and closed their eyes, Jaune stood up and turned his gaze towards the edge of their makeshift camp, looking out into the darkness in case any peril came that way.
Of course, he wasn't alone in not sleeping. Cinder had proved as good as her word to Sunset: she did not lie down. She just sat, staring into the fire even as it began to die, the diminishing flames continuing to dance in her one visible eye.
Jaune glanced at her, then looked away again before she saw him staring. He thought that she knew anyway. There were times when he thought that she was looking at him, but he could never actually catch her doing it.
From the smirk that played across her face, she was enjoying this.
Jaune turned his back on her and focussed on the task at hand.
"Family, huh?"
Jaune didn't look around. "What?"
"When Lady Nikos asked her question, you said 'family,'" Cinder repeated. "Family is what we leave behind when we are gone."
Jaune put one hand on the hilt of Crocea Mors. "I… I guess I did."
"Is that your dream?" Cinder asked. "A wife and a gaggle of children playing at your feet?"
Jaune hesitated for a moment. "I… I wouldn't say no," he replied.
"Then what are you doing here?" Cinder asked sharply. "Did you come to Beacon hoping to find the future Mrs Arc?"
"I came to Beacon because I wanted…" Jaune began. He stopped, saying that he wanted to be a hero sounded childish in front of this person he didn't know. He settled on, "I wanted to do my part."
Cinder was silent for a moment. Jaune didn't hear her get up. He didn't realise that she was coming towards him until she was standing beside him. "You realise that you'll probably die in this line of work long before you actually have a family to remember you?"
"You don't know that," Jaune said.
"I know the likelihood," Cinder said. She paused. "And so do you, don't you?"
Jaune breathed in and out. "Yeah," he said. "I'm not stupid; I know what I've gotten myself into."
"And yet here you are," Cinder murmured. She smiled. "Let me guess… lots of brothers and sisters."
"Sisters," Jaune confirmed. "Seven of them."
"How many of them have children already?" Cinder asked.
"Two," Jaune said.
"So you're okay with the fact that you might die before you get a chance to have children of your own because you think that your nieces and nephews will remember brave Uncle Jaune?"
"I'm okay with the risk because…" Jaune glanced at Cinder; she was still smiling. "Because I'd rather die than let my friends down."
"How gallant of you," Cinder muttered dryly. "Troth is the highest thing a man may keep. Truly, a sentiment worthy of a latter day knight."
Jaune chuckled. "I'm not a knight."
"You're dressed like one," Cinder remarked. She looked him up and down. "Or… like a parody of one, at least. Did you and Sunset shop at the same place for your armour? I've never seen anything quite like it."
"I don't know," Jaune admitted. "I mean, I know that this is a little… bargain basement, but in my defence, I didn't have a lot of money when I bought it."
"Obviously," Cinder said. "But you were trying to look like a knight, weren't you?"
"I… I guess," Jaune admitted. "But I was so stupid back then that I try not to think too hard about what I was thinking."
"Past stupidity has that effect on the best of us," Cinder agreed. "What's it like, being on a team with the likes of Pyrrha Nikos?"
Jaune glanced at her. "Are you asking me if I feel overshadowed?"
"Do you not?" Cinder asked. "Some might even feel emasculated."
Jaune snorted. "Maybe at first, but… not anymore."
"No?"
"Pyrrha… is better than I am," Jaune conceded. "A better huntress, a better person… you could say the same thing about Ruby and Sunset. Well… maybe just the better huntress part, in Sunset's case. I know that I can't be their knight, but that doesn't mean that I can't stand alongside them. I think… I think if Ruby were awake, she'd say that it didn't really matter who the best of us was, so long as we saved people."
"Would you consider starting your family with any of them?" Cinder asked.
Jaune made a strangled squawking noise. "What kind of a question is that?" he hissed.
Cinder shrugged. "Two of them are attractive young women. You're," she looked him up and down, "male."
Jaune shook his head. "That… that's not going to happen." He waited a moment. "What about you, do your plans to change the world not include a family?"
Cinder was silent for a moment. She looked away from him, and the smile faded from her face. "I… I cannot have children. An accident, when I was young."
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry," Jaune apologised. "I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories, I just-"
"You didn't," Cinder assured him, even as she cut him off. "My memories… are always with me. You cannot bring them back, any more than you could send them away again. They simply… are. I will never have a family," she said, "but I will leave a monument of my existence for generations yet unborn."
Sunset rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as she sat up. The night was quiet; there wasn't even the sound of an owl screeching in the darkness. Sunset grabbed Sol Invictus from where it lay beside her as she got to her feet. She tried to be quiet, but nevertheless made enough noise that Jaune turned towards her.
"Everything quiet?" Sunset asked.
Jaune glanced towards Cinder, who sat beside the dying embers of the fire. "Pretty much, yeah."
"Get some sleep," Sunset told him.
"Right," Jaune said. "Goodnight, Sunset."
"Goodnight, Jaune," Sunset said quietly, as she made her way to the edge of the camp, cradling her rifle in her arms. She looked back at Jaune as he lay down. Before long, he was out like a light.
Sunset turned away from her slumbering companions, casting a spell upon her eyes to let them penetrate the dark. The world turned green before her eyes as the darkness stood revealed to her.
"He's the weak link, isn't he?" Cinder asked softly.
"There are no weak links on my team," Sunset declared.
Cinder laughed quietly. "Your loyalty to your teammates is admirable, but all men are not created equal."
"When I finally get to meet your team, I'm going to spend some time slagging them off so you can see how it feels," Sunset muttered.
Cinder continued chuckling. "You're assuming that it would bother me if you did."
"It would bother you," Sunset averred.
"Oh? And how do you know that?"
"Because they're your team, and as much as you might affect a blasé attitude now, you wouldn't actually like me to make fun of what's yours," Sunset said. "Not your team, not your weapons, not your dress sense, which deserves to be made fun of, quite frankly."
"Says the girl wearing an armoured bra."
"In the first place, it's a breastplate, not a bra, and in the second place… at least I'm wearing a bra," Sunset replied.
"I take it that inadequate piece of metal was all you could afford," Cinder said. "Considering that you're less well-equipped in that regard than the would-be knight over there."
"There are times," Sunset conceded, "when we must cut our cloth."
"Indeed, at least in material terms," Cinder admitted. "When it comes to the things that really matter, though… we must keep the scissors firmly on the table."
Sunset's lip twitched upwards, for all that she had her back to Cinder, preventing the other girl from seeing it.
"How did you find it?" Cinder asked. "Being a team leader?"
"Oh, it was easy," Sunset lied. "I took to it like a duck to water."
"So did I," Cinder said, and Sunset couldn't tell if she was being only as honest as Sunset herself or not. "It's a curious thing, isn't it, to suddenly be responsible for others after being responsible to no one but oneself?"
Sunset was silent for a moment. "It… it turned out to be more of a weight than I was expecting."
"Really?"
"You don't just get to ride your teammates' achievements to glory," Sunset said. "You have to… their lives are in your hands. We walk the line between triumph and disaster, with lives at stake and no one to blame but ourselves."
"You really think you might fail?"
"You don't?"
"No," Cinder said simply. "I know I won't fail. I won't allow myself to fail."
"I wish I had your confidence," Sunset said quietly.
"I'm a little surprised you don't," Cinder replied. "And, I must confess, a little disappointed."
Sunset snorted. "Haven students don't get sent on as many field missions as Beacon students, do they?"
"No," Cinder conceded. "Nor do we get ourselves into battles with the White Fang."
Sunset was quiet for a moment. I don't owe her an explanation. I don't owe her anything.
But if I don't explain myself, she'll think I'm just weak.
"My first field mission was going up against a small horde of grimm," Sunset explained.
"Even a small horde must have been an intimidating sight for a first year student," Cinder said.
"I didn't face it from the front," Sunset replied. "I came up with a plan to sneak around the flank of it, kill their leader, and break the horde so that it would scatter across the forest rather than hit Vale."
"Daring and imaginative," Cinder declared. "I like it."
"Except for the part where I hadn't thought of a way for us to get out again," Sunset said. "If our teacher hadn't been monitoring our progress, then we wouldn't have made it out of the middle of all those angry grimm." She sighed. "And in that battle against the White Fang that you're so fond of mentioning… it might have put Team Sapphire on the map a little bit, but… but it almost got Ruby killed."
Cinder took a little while to reply. Her voice was soft. "I didn't know that. What happened?"
"A faunus with a red sword," Sunset growled. "He came at me. His semblance… he froze me up, like a bird hypnotised by a snake. I couldn't move, I couldn't… he held me in place while he came to cut me down. Ruby pushed me out of the way, but then… his red sword cut right through her aura. If it hadn't been for Jaune… I led my team into a fight, and I nearly got one of them killed."
"So what are you going to do about it?" Cinder demanded. "What are you going to do about the faunus with the red sword?"
"I'm going to kill him, obviously," Sunset said simply, "and I'm going to play it safe where my team is concerned."
"Glory doesn't come from playing it safe," Cinder declared. "Immortality does not accrue to those who play it safe."
"Neither will death."
"Don't be so sure," Cinder whispered. "You can play it safe, you can be cautious, you can quit Beacon and live as quietly as any mouse… but death will lay his hand upon you all the same."
"So what?" Sunset asked. "Live like there's no tomorrow?"
"Fight like you don't care whether you live or die," Cinder said. "Ironically, it might be your best chance at staying alive."
Pyrrha’s eyes snapped open. She was on her feet almost immediately.
“One of these days, you’ll have to teach me how you do that,” Sunset observed with a touch of amusement in her voice.
“That would require me to know how I do it myself,” Pyrrha replied. “It’s just… something I was born with.”
Sunset snorted. “The girl with all the gifts.”
“I suppose you might say that,” Pyrrha murmured. “Is there anything that I should worry about?”
“No,” Sunset said. “It’s been all clear.”
“That is good news, for us at least,” Pyrrha said softly. “Goodnight, Sunset.”
“Goodnight,” Sunset replied quietly, as she put her rifle down beside her and curled up on the ground. It seemed to take her a while to actually go back to sleep. One of the perils of taking the middle watch.
Pyrrha found herself watching her teammates as they slept - even Sunset, eventually - all around her. Her eyes found Jaune, fast asleep, his face looking so noble.
A part of her wanted to run one hand through his hair. A much larger part of her knew that if she actually did that, it would be very odd and rather disturbing.
“If you want to do something, then don’t mind me,” Cinder said. “I won’t tell, still less object.”
Pyrrha turned to face her, where Cinder sat beside the cold, dead ashes of the fire. “I… I don’t know what you mean,” Pyrrha murmured.
Cinder smirked. It was a rather ugly thing to Pyrrha’s eyes. “I saw you at the party together,” she said. “You were… well, I don’t need to tell you what you were feeling, do I?”
“No,” Pyrrha said, quietly and somewhat coldly. “You don’t.”
“He is a handsome young man, I suppose.” The smirk slid slowly off of Cinder’s face. “'Friend of my soul,'” she murmured. “'If, being away from this war, we might live unchanging and unbound by death, I would not send you forth thus into battle that brings renown to princes, nor would I fight in the foremost ranks myself; but, being that ten thousand fates of death surround us, let us go, and either fall yielding glory to another or else gain great honour for ourselves.'”
“The Mistraliad, book twelve,” Pyrrha said quietly. “Laodamia to Bellerophon.”
“Indeed,” Cinder said. She was quiet for a moment before she added, “Laodamia commits a fallacy, don’t you think? The question is not whether or not she will die - that is inevitable - but when. By quitting the battle, she and Bellerophon might not have lived forever, but they would have lived far longer than they did; Laodamia perished that very day as Camilla rampaged through her lines, and Bellerophon was slain in the battle for the corpse and armour of your namesake. How much more time might they have had, if they had only turned away?”
“What are you saying?” Pyrrha asked.
“That you could turn away,” Cinder said, as though it were obvious. “Take your beautiful boy and quit this place, and all other fields of war besides. Retreat into your inherited wealth and the splendours of your ancient name. Live without the fear of imminent death.”
“I cannot do that,” Pyrrha said.
“Why not?” Cinder asked. “Are you so confident in your skills that you truly think yourself invincible?”
“No,” Pyrrha declared, “but my duty demands it.”
“Ah,” Cinder acknowledged. “'Duty,' of course. I should have known, Lady Pyrrha.”
“You don’t need to call me that,” Pyrrha said.
“You would disclaim the title but claim all the responsibilities of a lordly station?”
“If it is hypocrisy, it is at least a benign sort, no?” Pyrrha replied.
“I suppose,” Cinder conceded. “If you were sincere.”
“Excuse me?”
“Does my… ” Cinder paused, a laugh escaping her lips. “Do you recall the Kommenos family?”
“Yes,” Pyrrha replied, distracted from her outrage. “Phoebe… I will not claim to be her friend, but what happened to her mother and sister - not to mention all of their retainers - was a terrible tragedy.”
“Indeed, to die by fire,” Cinder murmured. “As you say, a tragedy. Mother, sister and retainers.” She looked away from Pyrrha, into the ashes that were all that remained of their fire. Cinder looked back up at Pyrrha. “You never answered your mother’s question. You elaborated, but you never answered in your own right.”
“Because I have no settled and no certain answer,” Pyrrha explained. “All of the answers of my friends have at least some merit. For myself… I cannot be sure. I fear… I do not know what I would like to leave behind when I am gone.”
“If that is all you fear, then you are truly blessed,” Cinder said. “For in this world, after all, there are so many other things to fear, and worse besides.”
“Perhaps,” Pyrrha conceded. “Perhaps… no, I will admit it, I am well blessed in many things.” She glanced down at the slumbering Ruby. “Would you please relieve me, briefly? I need to speak with Camilla.”
Cinder cocked her head very slightly to one side. “Very well,” she agreed, and turned her back on Pyrrha, turning her face outwards to the night and all that it might hold.
“Thank you,” Pyrrha whispered, as she knelt down at Camilla’s side. She did not nudge her; she didn’t want to provoke a reaction by giving Camilla cause to think that she was being attacked. She did not know the Rutulus ward too well, but there were things that everyone knew that, well, that Pyrrha shuddered to think about.
But it was not Camilla who concerned Pyrrha at the moment, but rather Juturna. Pyrrha did not know the daughter of House Rutulus particularly well either, but from her reputation… Pyrrha knew it was hypocritical of her to judge anyone by her reputation, but nevertheless, when it came to Ruby, she was inclined to be cautious.
“Camilla,” she whispered. “Camilla.”
Camilla’s eyes flickered open, focussing in on Pyrrha. “Lady Pyrrha,” she murmured.
“I don’t think there’s any need to stand on ceremony, do you?” Pyrrha replied.
Camilla was silent for a moment. “No. I suppose there is not. Is something amiss?”
“No,” Pyrrha assured her. “Cinder has taken over watch, while I… I wish to speak with you briefly.”
“About what?” Camilla asked, her voice calm and quiet.
“About Juturna Rutulus,” Pyrrha admitted. “I understand that she gave Ruby her scroll number.”
“Yes,” Camilla acknowledged. “As I understand, they mean to play games across the CCT network.”
“Do you disapprove?” Pyrrha asked. “Will… will Turnus disapprove?”
“For my own part, it is more harmless than many other things Juturna might do to amuse herself,” Camilla murmured. “And, while I would not dare to speak for Turnus, it is my experience that he denies Juturna very little that she sets her heart on. If you fear that he will look down upon Miss Rose as an unsuitable acquaintance, you have little to be concerned with. I shall tell him myself that she is a girl of good character.”
“It is not Ruby’s character that concerns me,” Pyrrha murmured.
Camilla’s red eyes narrowed a little. “Meaning?”
“Meaning that Ruby is very dear to me,” Pyrrha declared. “She is… the best person I know, brave and kind in equal measure.” She is the paragon that I aspire to be. “She is not a new toy to be thrown aside when Juturna grows tired of her.”
Camilla was silent for a moment. When her voice came, it was calm and controlled, but with a sign that that control was requiring some effort. “You are bold to say such a thing to me, who holds Juturna as dear to me as Ruby Rose seems to you.”
“Nevertheless, I must say it,” Pyrrha said. She did not add that, while Juturna Rutulus was the sort of person who never suffered any consequences for any of her mistakes - the sort of person around whom the world contorted itself to accommodate her - for Ruby, it was not so. Instead, the consequences would fall upon the likes of Ruby, an outsider. But that would have been more urgent if Ruby had had more opportunity to spend time alone with Juturna; for now, Pyrrha was more concerned with how Ruby would react if Juturna suddenly grew bored of her.
Again, Camilla took pause to consider her reply. “I have no wish to face you in a duel,” she admitted candidly.
Pyrrha could not help but observe, “You faced the underworld of Mistral without hesitation, but you profess to fear me?”
“My duty to revenge compelled me to face the underworld, and no gutter rat enjoyed your reputation,” Camilla said. “Nor had I seen any of them fight with your skill with mine own eyes. But I do not think you need to fear; Juturna… can be very accepting of outsiders.”
“Are you sure?”
“Am I not proof enough for you?”
“Yes,” Pyrrha admitted. “I’m sorry. I-”
“Care for your friend,” Camilla said. “That is not a thing for which to apologise. In your place, I would be asking the exact same thing.”
The night passed. They heard nothing, saw nothing, and were left with no way of knowing if anyone had paid with their lives or not for Sunset's decision to stop for the night. Sunset was not normally a fan of ignorance, but in this particular case, she was thankful for it. Whatever she told Celestia or Twilight, she wouldn't include this particular detail of their working holiday – it wasn't that it was the wrong decision; it hadn't been – but it wasn't the right decision either, and she had a feeling that her old teacher and Celestia's new protégé might not... appreciate the practicalities that had motivated her.
She didn't know the consequence. She didn't want to know.
Regardless, as soon as dawn broke the next day, they broke camp and set off again, following the trail of the grimm with three hooves upon each foot. Sunset had flicked through a grimm bestiary last night, while on watch, but she hadn't come across anything that suggested to her what it might be. The print was familiar, scratching a kind of itch at the back of her mind, but she couldn't remember what it was, and she hadn't been able to find the right entry in the bestiary that would detail it for her. She dismissed the idea that it was some novel, as yet undiscovered species of grimm; she didn't believe that their luck was anywhere near that bad. All the same, she hadn't found the right entry in the book.
I know the answer, it's in here somewhere. So why can't I remember it?
Beowolf, no; ursa, no; deathstalker, no; boarbatusk, no; creep, no; manticore, no, that can fly, and so can a sphinx; anyway, none of those have hooves. What kind of grimm has hooves?
The answer nagged at her, but also hid from her view in spite of her best efforts to drag it out into the light of conscious thought, as the party tracked the prints left in the ground until, a little after midday, they arrived at a cave, a gaping hole in the mountainside descending into the bowels of the earth. The mouth of the cave was wide enough to accommodate an old grimm, swollen with years, and even with the sun at its zenith, the darkness seemed to begin close by the cave mouth, engulfing whatever lurked within in black as impenetrable as the depths of the ocean. Anything might lurk within, even the entrance to a lost subterranean civilisation.
Or just a murderous monster of an as-yet unknown kind.
"That, uh, that sure is a cave," Jaune said as they stared into its blackness.
"Mmm, very astutely put," Sunset muttered, masking her nerves with a touch of unnecessary cruelty. It's okay. It's just one grimm. It's just one grimm.
It's probably just one grimm.
Even if it is a few more, you've got this. You're you, and you've got Pyrrha and Ruby and Jaune to recharge your aura, and Professor Lionheart said that Cinder was one of his best students.
And it's just one grimm.
One old and clever grimm.
But you've still got this.
With Lady Nikos watching, you can't afford not to have this.
Sunset frowned as she raised Sol Invictus to her shoulder. The feel of the rifle butt against her shoulder was reassuring, the weight of the wood in the hands comforting. "Okay, I'm fairly certain that this thing can't fly, since it walked all the way to its kill and back. Therefore, we haven't much to lose by drawing it out into the light. So I'll go in and lure it out. The rest of you wait out here." Sunset discounted the risk of the grimm fleeing from them once it was outside the cave; while old and experienced grimm would avoid picking fights that they might not win, once battle was joined, the creatures of grimm tended to fight to the death - theirs or someone else's. "Weapons ready; I don't plan on being long."
Jaune drew his sword; his shield snapped outwards from his scabbard. "Do we have a plan for when it comes out?"
"Remember the drills we practiced, once we know what we're dealing with," Sunset said.
"Will you be alright in there?" Pyrrha asked, as she slung Miló and Akoúo̱ from off her back. "You can't see in the dark; perhaps Camilla-"
"Has a bow, so she'll better staying back where she can use it once I've lured the thing out," Sunset replied.
"That doesn't change the fact that you can't see in the dark," Pyrrha said.
"Actually, I've been working on that," Sunset said. "I think I'll be okay." She took a last look at them: Pyrrha and Jaune with their weapons ready, Ruby with Crescent Rose unfurled in all its majesty, Cinder and Camilla with arrows on their bowstrings, Lady Nikos standing a little further away with her sword drawn. Then she looked back into the impenetrable darkness lurking within.
Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes and cast her night-vision spell.
She felt a tingling in her eyeballs as though she had pins and needles in them, and when she opened them again, the world was tinted green, the sunlight was irritatingly, almost blindingly white in the corners of her vision. She could already see a little way into the cave, enough to see the rough, uneven, stony surface within. Enough to see a few bones scattered around the cave mouth.
"Sunset," Jaune said. "Your eyes-"
"Yeah," Sunset said, guessing that the appearance of her pupils had changed. That was an unfortunate side effect. "Wait here," she said. "I'll make this quick."
Sunset crept into the cave, rifle raised and held before her. There were no sounds but her own, and even the mildest scuffling sounds of boots upon the floor seemed to echo in the cave like thunder as she advanced.
She walked forward; but even with her enhanced vision, she saw nothing, and even with four ears, she heard nothing.
She slipped on something that she thought was probably, uncomfortably, a bone, and had to struggle to keep her footing. She dislodged some pebbles on the cave floor, which rattled as they bounced downwards into the dark. The sound of their bouncing echoed down the tunnel, down and down and down.
The sound died down. For a moment, all was silence.
For a moment.
Sunset heard something. A thud, low and deep and heavy.
They hadn't missed their quarry, nor had they been wrong about it spending the day in hiding to avoid being seen. There was something here, something in the darkness, and it was moving somewhere out of sight. Thud. Thud.
It was moving quickly, and it was coming towards her. Thud, thud, thud. The whole cave seemed to shudder with the thunderous footfall.
And then she saw it. And once she saw it, she knew exactly what it was.
"Karkadann!" Sunset yelled as the grimm erupted out of the darkness towards her at a flat run. It had the body and the hind-legs of a horse, but its forelegs were immense, trunk-like things like great trees or the legs of a rhino, each with three hooves at the end of the immense, broad, heavy legs. Its equine head was a white mask, armour-like plates of bleached white bone protected its chest and shoulders, while a ridge of bony spikes erupted from out of his black back. Red eyes burned like fire in its sockets while a jagged horn, like the horn of a unicorn but crooked in shape, longer than a lance and with a serrated edge, emerged from out of the forehead between the eyes, a little lower than the placement of a unicorn's horn that Sunset was familiar with. The karkadann opened its mouth, revealing a row of sharp teeth, and screamed a high-pitched whinnying scream.
Sunset squeezed the trigger once, twice; the flash from the muzzle of Sol Invictus was blinding to Sunset's night-vision, but she couldn't have missed; that thing was too big to miss.
But equally, it was too big to be stopped by two bullets. Sunset dropped to one knee, planting her rifle butt on the ground like a pike and flicking the switch to extend the spear. The bayonet leapt forward on its eight foot pole, transformed into a full pike now as Sunset waited for the impact.
Blinded by her own muzzle-flashes as she was, Sunset felt, rather than saw, the karkadann strike her out-stretched spear, and she felt, rather than saw, her bayonet point skitter off the armoured bone protecting the grimm's chest and merely score its side, making the demon shriek even louder in pain. As her vision returned, Sunset saw it continuing to charge straight towards her with a fury in its eyes.
Sunset teleported away, reappearing at the mouth of the cave with the others in a flash of green light.
Sunset closed her eyes as she dispelled the night-vision spell, screwing her eyelids tight shut before the sun could blind her. "Here it comes!" she yelled.
The pounding of hooves on the ground told them that the karkadann was not far behind her.
Miló's rifle barked twice, Crescent Rose roared, and Sunset opened her eyes in time to see Camilla loose three arrows in swift succession into the darkness before the karkadann emerged from out of the darkness and into the light with a great shriek as though to merely stand in sunlight caused it pain.
Sunset fired again. As the karkadann charged, Pyrrha and Ruby rushed to meet it, Pyrrha’s hair streaming behind her like a banner as Miló switched from rifle to sword in her hand, Crescent Rose drew back for a mighty swing. The scythe blade skittered off the grimm's armoured chest, the sword sliced shallowly through the black flesh, before the karkadann's rush bowled them both over, knocking them back and flying over the grass as the grimm stopped, prancing proudly as it gazed down upon them with contempt in its burning red eyes. Smoke gathered around it as though it were aflame.
The karkadann growled as it advanced on Pyrrha.
Cinder loosed two arrows at once, which lodged in the grimm's flank but seemed to do little beyond enrage it so much that it let out another ear-splitting screech. Jaune charged with a great answering shout, howling wildly as she slashed equally wildly with Crocea Mors at one of the karkadann's immense forelegs to distract it. The karkadann roared and reared, preparing to bring its immense hooved forefoot down upon him.
Pyrrha was there in a flash, her red hair flying and the sunlight glimmering upon her bronzed armour as she shoved Jaune out of danger and thrust her spear upwards into the soft frog of the karkadann's foot. The karkadann howled, and Pyrrha leapt out of the way, her spear transforming into a sword as she sliced at where its hamstring would have been had it been a beast.
The creature retreated backwards a step or two as it swept its head down, using its great serrated horn like a sword. Pyrrha both blocked and parried, using her own sword and shield together as the karkadann's horn crashed into them. She was not overwhelmed, but she was pushed backwards, her feet leaving track-marks in the earth as she tried in vain to stand her ground against its hideous strength.
Camilla fired an arrow into the grimm’s shoulder, and it must have been tipped with fire-dust, for it exploded in a bright flower of flame.
Ruby rushed forwards in a burst of rose petals, slashing at the grimm's hindquarters with her scythe. The karkadann shrieked and lashed out with its hind leg, kicking Ruby square in the chest to send her sliding across the ground. But while it did so, Pyrrha had escaped from out of reach of its horn, slashing furiously at its forelegs with Miló in sword-mode.
Another of Camilla’s fire dust arrows blossomed in flame above the karkadann’s head.
"Jaune, get to Ruby!" Sunset snapped. After two nasty hits, her aura could probably do with a boost.
"Right," Jaune said, but the karkadann stood between him and Ruby, and if it couldn't understand what Sunset had just said, it could sense their intent nonetheless, because it seemed to plant itself between the two of them, roaring in Jaune's face as he tried to reach Ruby’s side.
Pyrrha hurled herself upon the beast; Akoúo̱ was slung across her back, and Miló was in spear form; she gripped the weapon in both hands as she slashed with it like a polearm, clashing against the karkadann's horn as though the grimm were some tournament rival with a serrated blade. The grimm rounded on her, thrusting at her with its horn, trying to trample her beneath its mighty feet, but Pyrrha was too swift for it, and too nimble. The sunlight gleamed off her armour as she parried every thrust of the horn, her red sash whirled around her as she leapt away from every blow meant to crush her, jabbing with her spear, and whether she struck bleach bone or black mass, she had the karkadann's attention now. The grimm paid no attention as Jaune rushed around it to Ruby's side and covered her body with a golden glow from his hands as he stimulated her aura.
"Cinder, cover them," Sunset snapped, gesturing their way.
"Understood," Cinder replied and dashed around the karkadann to place herself between Ruby and Jaune and harm in case the karkadann grew bored with Pyrrha.
Sunset teleported, emerging above the creature, descending the couple of feet to its back. She balanced precariously between the bone spikes jutting upwards, wobbling as the grimm shifted in place, and jammed her weapon downwards into the nape of its neck, then she fired her fourth shot for good measure.
The karkadann roared, pain and fury mingling in its cry, then it reared, immense forelegs thrashing, kicking at the empty air as its back became practically vertical. Sunset lost her grip on Sol Invictus, then on the spine spike for which she had reached instead as she was hurled off the back of the karkadann and landed in a heap on the ground. Sunset scrambled to her feet as the karkadann slammed its forelegs into the ground so heavily that the earth trembled, and all of her companions of the hunt were jolted off balance by the trembling.
Jaune cried out, "Sunset, I have an idea. Can you hold it for an Arkos Spin?"
Sunset huffed. Can I hold it for an Arkos spin? Can I hold it? Yes, I can hold it; have some faith in me! "Of course I can hold it, get ready. Pyrrha! Fall back!"
Pyrrha didn't question. The moment Sunset's words reached her ears, she retreated, backflipping to the rear faster than the karkadann could pursue.
Sunset bared her teeth in a snarl, and she shouted in anger as she fired bolt after bolt of green magic into the monster's hindquarters. "Here! Here, come at me you sorry, stupid, pathetic fake imitation unicorn! Come and get me!"
Her magical attacks didn't seem to cause the karkadann visible harm, but judging by the way that it swung its head back to glare at her, she'd certainly made it angry.
That was the general idea. This thing was tough. It was old and strong, and their best hits didn't even seem to be slowing it down. They needed something special to kill it, something special like the 'finishing moves' that they'd started devising specifically for big, tough grimm just like this one.
The karkadann began to turn its head back towards Pyrrha before Sunset hit it with another burst of magic from her palms. "Oh no you don't. I'm the one you want," Sunset growled. "Look at me, only at me." She continued to fire magical blasts, which did little except irritate the grimm - in fairness to Sunset, she wasn't exactly giving it full power; she had to conserve her magic for what was about to come - enough that it ignored everyone else and wheeled about until it was facing down Sunset, ready for a charge.
Sunset grinned. Watch closely, Lady Nikos, and marvel at what a great team we are.
She held out her hands and stretched out all her power, wrapping it around the karkadann's head like a lasso and pulling down hard upon it with her telekinesis. It was a struggle; it always was when you were talking about a living target, especially one as strong as this one. The karkadann fought back; it resisted; it tried to rear up; it tried to move its neck. But gradually, inch by excruciating inch and foot by exhausting foot, as sweat dripped from her every orifice, Sunset forced this monster's head downwards until... until the lance-like horn was pointing straight at her.
Pyrrha and Jaune were circling around the karkadann now, the two of them slowly closing in on one another, but the beast didn't notice either of them. No more did it notice Ruby, who was circling the karkadann on the other side, or any of the others who waited warily but did not interfere. All that it noticed was Sunset, whom it stared at with naked hatred in its eyes.
It charged at her. Sunset was only holding its head down, not the rest of it still. It charged at her, intent upon smashing through her aura and impaling her upon its massive horn.
Sunset let it come. She let it come as the earth shook and its feet pounded on the ground. She let it come, and then, at the last moment, she turned aside and grabbed the onward-thrusting horn with both hands, and she held on.
She held on as the serrated edge tore at her aura. She held on as the karkadann fought to raise its head. She cast a heavy-gravity spell, an inverse of the reverse-gravity spell she could use to get herself in the air, to weigh herself down. Even so, the grimm's strength was amazing; Sunset gasped as she felt her magic disappearing as she held on.
Cinder came to her aid, swords in hand, burying both blades into the black oily flesh of the karkadann's neck and hauling downwards upon it, her arms straining as she pulled.
Camilla loosed a quartet of arrows in swift succession, arrows tipped with ice dust that landed one by one at the base of the karkadann’s legs, where the blue dust erupted forth in spiky crystalline icicles, freezing the grimm’s feet to the ground and binding it fast.
"Pyrrha!" Sunset shouted. "Now!"
For Pyrrha Nikos, time seemed to slow as she charged forward across the grass. There was no hesitation. No doubt. They had planned this, they had practiced this, and it was going to work. In a few heartbeats, this would be over. She felt as she had felt so often in the arena, when she had seen with perfect clarity what needed to happen and all that remained was to make it so, when her heartbeat slowed to a calm pulse and all the world slowed with it.
One heartbeat, two heartbeats.
Her loping gait carried her across the grass. Akoúo̱ was slung across her back, and Miló was in sword form in her hand.
Three heartbeats.
"Pyrrha, catch!" Jaune cried as he threw his own sword towards her. Pyrrha caught it deftly in her off hand.
Four heartbeats.
Pyrrha leapt into the air. Jaune lifted his shield up over his head, his knees bending.
Five heartbeats.
Pyrrha landed gracefully upon Jaune's shield, resting both her feet upon it like a diving board.
Six heartbeats.
Pyrrha's knees bent, and she felt - rather than saw - Jaune's semblance stimulating her aura, strengthening her legs, increasing the power at her command. He bent, and she bent, and her legs overflowed with power.
Seven heartbeats.
Pyrrha leapt. Jaune rose up, using his whole body to fling her upwards, even as Pyrrha jumped with a strength enhanced by Jaune's stimulation of her aura.
Eight heartbeats, nine heartbeats.
Pyrrha rose into the air, a cool sensation washing over her face. She closed her eyes.
Nine heartbeats.
Pyrrha opened her eyes again as her leap carried her upwards. She began to twist her body with a grace that a gymnast or dancer might have envied.
Ten heartbeats.
Pyrrha began to fall.
And as she fell, she spun.
She descended, spinning in the air as she did so, her sash wrapping around her waist, the light glinting off her swords. She fell like a thunderbolt from heaven upon the neck of the karkadann and, spinning, sliced clean through its neck until she landed with a pounding thump upon her feet and the grimm's lifeless trunk thumped to the ground beside her.
Sunset let go of the creature's head as it began to dissolve into smoke.
Then she whooped as she raised her hands. "And that," she declared, "is how team Sapphire does it!"
Cinder clapped her hands together once. "A formidable performance," she said. "You are all exactly as formidable as I thought you would be."
Pyrrha's eyes narrowed. Cinder Fall had never been less than polite, but nevertheless, there was something about her that Pyrrha didn't like. Actually, there was more than one thing, and Pyrrha could name them: her arrogance, her unabashed contempt for other people, a philosophy that left Pyrrha wondering why someone like her would want to become a huntress... and perhaps too the many uncomfortable ways that she reminded Pyrrha of Sunset. What Sunset had been and what she might become again. Pyrrha didn't want to lose her friend to the influence of one who was too like her for comfort; nor did she really want to be reminded of what Sunset had been. Sunset... Pyrrha meant no insult to say that she felt as though Sunset needed the company of the good to be good, and Cinder Fall had too much about her that seemed not good to Pyrrha for Pyrrha to feel easy in her company.
Her thoughts were derailed from that, however, by the approach of her mother.
Pyrrha's back straightened. "Mother."
Her mother was silent for a moment. "Your individual skill has not improved since I last observed you."
"No, Mother."
"But that last... your forethought is to be commended as your coordination is to be envied. Well done. Well done, all of you."
It was all that Pyrrha could do not to sag with relief. "Thank you, Mother."
"Yes, thank you, my lady, you honour us with your praise," Sunset said, bowing.
"I honour you with nothing but your deserving," Lady Nikos.
"That is kindly said, my lady," Sunset replied.
"Can what you deserve be kindly given?" Camilla asked. "As Lady Nikos says, you deserve thanks. Not only from Lady Nikos but from Mistral.” She sheathed her blade. "I know not if Mistral will grant you its thanks, but for my own part and on behalf of the Rutulus family, you have my thanks." She bowed to Pyrrha. "Champion of Mistral indeed."
Pyrrha felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "It was an effort by our entire team."
"And what a team you are," Cinder declared. "Team Sapphire is certainly a team to keep an eye on, and if the world doesn't already know it, then I have a feeling that it soon will."
I think you may have left out a line or two by Lady Nikos.
You try that Cinder. I'll be laughing when you realize it isn't something you can just take like the Maiden powers.
This is gonna backfire horribly. I don't know for whom, I don't know in what way, I just know it can only end in backfire.
I was very, very glad to see it wasn't the Nuckelavee. If it had been, I probably would have actually been angry. :D
Hm, as another crossover consumer and RWBY fan, this has gotten my attention. Let's see what happens, but given reviews and rating I have confidence this will be a fun read :)
Power hungry lunatic said what? I swear to God, if Pyrrha dies in your fic, then... then... I don't know yet. But I will find a way to voice my displeasure!
Though I am kind of relieved that the Nuckelavee wasn't there, would have changed things dramatically for many characters.
100% correct on what happened with the Grimm. I knew Cinder was planning something. Called it!
But she made a mistake. She has P-money suspicious of her. And I have no doubt Sunset has several clues to just how ugly Cinder is under the mask.
Jeez, Cinder. Grow a moustache to twirl or something, you're not obviously evil enough yet.
Okay, first off, screw you, Cinder. Prick.
Secondly, I don't know why, but I keep on imagining Sunset going into a sort of Daydream Shimmer kind of thing when her powers grow really powerful. Just goes full magical goddess mode and messes everyone up. Never gonna happen, but I just love the idea of OP Sunset.
I love how everyone is relieved that it was not the nuckeleeave and I'm part of that group, let ren and nora keep their Grimm. Evil demon unicorn? I like it even though I'm kinda grossed out? Three hooves on each leg? Like what the fuck? How do u even walk my boi?. I also share the sentiment in #plydontkillmybabychild. Lastly I would like to say that I love the way you write cinder you hit her personality on point and the way she speaks.
Great chapter overall and thank you for posting this masterwork <3
A maiden of all seasons... So... Mother nature?
9306746
This just keeps getting better.
I was really hoping it wasn’t the Nuckelavee for that exact reason. Ren and Nora get plenty of chances to show off their moves (well... Nora does, poor Ren’s a bit of a glass cannon) but that arc is the only real backstory we get for them.
Your ability to write and differentiate the nobleborn speak Sunset has to put on for Lady Nikos and then normal speech is very well done.
$10 says that cinder get shot by the friendship/rainbow/Elements cannon and doesn't die, but is instead reformed.
9307260
Hm?
9305709
Well, you never know. It is the internet. For all I know I might be talking to an ACTUAL Pony from Equestria or someone from Remnant.
Very curious indeed. I was wondering about Cinder's obvious interest in Sunset's perspectives and beliefs. Not just to assess another one of the 'interferences' with her other plans, but there is always a satisfaction in finding your beliefs shared by another. Even as opponents, she has a sense of respect for the same kind of ambition. She understands exactly what that pursuit is like, to live with such desire for it. That is what intrigues her about Sunset Shimmer.
I bet that will burn Emerald quite a bit, with Cinder showing far more interest and even respect for this pony than she ever gave for her.
Nevertheless, Cinder has already made a few mistakes. Sunset is just as clever and perceptive, and will no doubt already have made the same resolution about her. And furthermore, as always, Cinder Fall is so focused, so hungry, for her ultimate prize that she forgets to ask questions of greater implications. Salem, Ozpin and the Four Maidens. There are only supposed to be six individuals in the world capable of magic, and it has been that way for as long as the moon has been broken. So how can there be another? How is she able to do magic that a Maiden cannot?
The questions of how such an unforeseen form magic means that there is another power at work in this game...
Things are really moving along and now Cinder has officially introduced herself to the team (minus one). What does this mean for Remnant?
On a lighter note, Pyrrha's really pulled ahead of Ruby for Jaune. But will this lead last? What could possibly develop between this love triangle? Let's play around and see what could be in a few chapters...
"But Pyrrha, you and Jaune had that amazing adventure together in Mistral!"
"I'm sorry Ruby, I didn't mean to exclude you. But with Jaune saving your life you really deserve this more than I, please go ahead."
"No! I heard that you and Jaune had a romantic night at some party in your home town, you deserve to go out more than I do."
"Oh no no no, it was purely a social gathering I assure you. You and he are able to bond so well together out side of training that you are clearly the better suited to be with him."
Off to the side Sunset and Jaune could only stare at the duo. One in amused disbelief and the other also in disbelief but also in self depreciating gloom. Sure, two incredibly beautiful and amazing (if quirky) girls were fighting over him, but by the looks of it they were both fighting for the other go out with him. Sure he knew that it was because they were both so giving to a fault that they both wanted the other to go, but it still felt like he was an unwanted gift being passed back and forth.
"You know, I was only joking when I called them your harem," Sunset chuckled.
"I'm still trying to figure out whose life I'm living. This can't be happening to me."
***A Few Chapters Later***
"Bye Sunset, Jaune and I are going out!"
Watching the youngest member of the team skipping towards the door in a distinctly flattering red summer dress, Sunset Shimmer raised an eyebrow. "Wow, frankly I didn't think Jaune had the balls to make the choice. Good for you Ruby, I hope you two have fun. I'll go comfort Pyrrha."
"Tee Hee Hee, thanks Sunset, but I don't think Pyrrha's going to be too down, it's her turn tomorrow."
"................................."
Seeing her leaders confused and incredulous expression Ruby nervously giggled as she poked her fingers together. "Yeeeeaaah, so it turns out that Pyrrha didn't want to hurt my feelings any more than I wanted to hurt her, so we decided to alternate."
"Alternate?" Sunset asked though in her mind she dreaded that she already knew the horrible answer.
"Yeah! I get Jaune on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Pyrrha get's him on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays."
"And Sundays he gets to rest?" Sunset guessed.
"Wha? No no, on Sundays we do a group outing!"
"Celestia damn it! I was only joking when I called you two his harem!"
Blowing her bang in exasperation Ruby set both of her hands on her hips. "Jeeze Summer, we're not a harem, we're just two girls dating the same guy."
"That's a harem!" Sunset pointed out.
Pouting, Ruby stared down her leader with a slightly chiding look, "No Summer, it's not a harem if we're not dating him at the same time."
"Except on Sundays."
"Eh, yeah, but I don't think that really counts," glancing over to the clock Ruby then grabbed her cloak and raced out. "Sorry Sunset got to go! I'll see you later. And it's not a harem!" She called out as she dashed out of the room.
***A Few Chapters Later***
"See ya Sunset! I'm meeting up with Jaune and Pyrrha now."
Before Ruby could run out though Sunset caught her with a question at the door, "Wait, it isn't Sunday, why are you meeting up with Jaune AND Pyrrha?"
Distinctly looking everywhere but at Sunset's eye's Ruby nervously twiddled her fingers. "Funny story that. See we were having so much fun on Sunday's that we decided to just make it an everyday thing."
"But that's -" Sunset began before being cut off by a fleeing Ruby Rose.
"It's not a harem!"
***A Few Chapters Later***
Drool pooled out of Yang's mouth as her eyes traveled in separate directions. The first part of her mind was burning in Furious Rage and could not form any coherent thought. The second part of her mind was drowning in too much Incoherent Laughter to take control of any higher functions. And the last part of her mind had hit juuuust the right mix of Panicked Disbelief and Active Denial that she was dead to the world around her. Flash Sentry and Weiss both stood guard next to her, ready to restrain her should the delicate balance within her mind shift towards murder.
Off to the other side of team SAPR's room the normally statuesque Pyrrha was sitting on a bed, curled into the tightest ball that she could, her hands covering her face. Though anyone could see the bright red full body blush she was sporting that was making her nearly as red as her hair. Jaune sat next to her, equally dead to the world as Yang, though the reasons for his mental breakdown was simply Dazed Disbelief. Sunset sat opposite of them all, her gaze focusing on the last member of the team. Standing on the other side of the seated Jaune, Ruby rubbed the back of her head as she chuckled in nervous excitement.
"Yeah, soooooo .............we're a harem."
"NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The sarcasm didn't so much drip from Sunset's words as they flooded forth from her open lips like a torrent. "Thank. You. So. Much. For. Clearing. That. Up. I. Would. Never. Have. Guessed. Especially after that big show you three put on in the middle of the school dance!"
*Gurkleggrrrlmphr* Yang helpfully added from her sprawled out position, not having moved much since she saw her beloved little sister, the darling innocent angel that she raised since she was a baby, that she protected from every Grimm and threat the world threw their way finally fall to the one foe she couldn't anticipate. Teenage hormones.
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Pyrrha squealed beneath her hands.
Most distressing to Sunset though was that it sounded suspiciously like a squeal of JOY. Oh spirits, was she giddy over there?
Still unable to remove the giant grin on her face, Ruby responded. "Well we just did what felt natural, you know? And you know what? IT WAS AMAZING! You really should try it Sunset! I bet I could convince Jaune and Pyrrha-"
"NOPE!" Sunset cut off the obviously mad woman right there. "Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope. All the Nope. I am going to stop you before you finish that thought right there. As the only sane person on this team-"
"Didn't you once tell us that you were a magical unicorn from a magical pony kingdom and was trying to become a princess?" Ruby couldn't help but ask as Weiss and Flash both raised an eyebrow at that.
"THE. ONLY. SANE. PERSON." Sunset re clarified, "I am keeping the hell away from whatever it is you three are into."
"But-"
"Nope," getting up and heading towards the door, Sunset began to stomp off.
"Where are you going?" Weiss asked as she moved a bit to make room for the faunus.
"I'm going to go out and either kill something or bang a guy who isn't Jaune. Either one seems like a great way to clear my head right now."
Straightening in shock, Flash Sentry quickly called out to the retreating figure, "Wait! You can't just, you know, with the first guy you see. Try to take some deep breaths and think this through!"
"You know what? If you're offering to help me blow off some steam you're welcome to it. Oh right, you're still pinning for little Ms. Schnee there, well bring her along! Apparently threesomes are a thing now!" Sunset huffed as she stormed off around a corner and out of sight.
Standing in the doorway in stunned shock, Flash's mind quickly tried to catch up with the evolving situation.
On one hand, this was Sunset, sarcasm was a legitimate form of communication with her right? That was only sarcasm, the nobler part of his mind argued.
But what if it wasn't, an older and darker part of his mind whispered. Maybe guys had just been over thinking it this whole time. If a guy like Jaune could do it, then how hard was it really?
Was this some sort of test? It sounded like a test for him and - OH SHIT Weiss!
His head jerking to the side, he looked towards Weiss, only to see her staring back at him, her face an unreadable blank page with only a raised eyebrow quietly waiting to judge him on his answer to Sunset's last outburst. Oh god it was a test. Did he take the safe road or reach for the impossible? The well worn path or the road less traveled? To be or not to be?
Why oh why did it seem that there was no right answer?
Around and around his thoughts swirled as Weiss silently awaited for his response.
*BOOM!*
"Oh thank god the school's being attacked," Flash breathed as he felt the weight of the universe be lifted from his shoulders.
*************
Wow, that got away form me really fast.
Anyway, still shipping the impossible ship here. In the mean time, glad to see an update and I can't wait to see where the story goes!
9306637
You try that Cinder. I'll be laughing when you realize it isn't something you can just take like the Maiden powers.
And then Sunset then proceeds to execute the grim lady magic finger pistol to the back of the head.
9306637
Why not? She used a magic sucking Grimm to steal part of the Fall Maiden's powers? Sure Cinder can't steal the years of practice and talent, but I imagine she could steal the raw energy source.
It could be a good chance for Sunset to grow as a character by learning she's still a worthy team leader and huntress, even without her magic. It would also be a good place for her to learn her semblance.
9307836
The Maiden Powers were designed to be passed on. Sunset's Equestrian Magic WAS NOT. That's why Cinder can't just take it.
9306991
Daydream Shimmer = Semblance of Sunset
Most. Badass. Semblance. Confirmed!
Okay so I found the time to give my impression on this story, and spoiler, I love it.
Having Sunset end up somewhere more interesting than a half-assed high school AU after going through the mirror is a great idea. Same goes for Twilight trying to teach Sunset to be a better person over the journal, it is nice to have the two becoming pen pals without anyone needing to be blasted with a rainbow first.
I also feel like your team compilation was pure genius, every choice has been filled to the brim with amazing character interaction and development.
Although, in the start I was kinda worried that Blake and Weiss might be left out in the cold without much scream time or character development to their name, since both were sent to teams of basically extras, but thankfully my fears were unfounded, and I like where you are going with them.
Having Sunset come out of the other end of the portal as a Faunus managed to add a great spin to her character. Sunset went from basically the daughter of the immortal supreme ruler of her homeland, to part of the underclass in a strange and frightening new world.
I mean, even if it turned out to not be the whole story, the interaction that introduced Flash Sentry as the ex who dumped her because he didn't want to deal with the persecution he would have faced from dating a Faunus really puts it into perspective what it personally meant for Sunset to live as a Faunus in Remnant and how it has been fueling her resentment and drive for recognition.
Sunset also has an interesting relationship with the villains, she gets a lot of side-eye from a lot of people because she is seen as a perfect White Fang recruit, as a powerful and driven Faunus who is clearly resentful of the status quo.
9307943
Yes but that wasn't the real reason why Flash broke up with her.
9307818
That was hilarious!
9307072
Believe it or not that's the actual description of the mythological karkadann; hoof might be a mistranslation of a rhino's toe in that case but rolling with it seemed suitably grotesque for a creature of grimm.
9306795
If it makes you feel any better, nothing puts me off a RWBY fic faster than when the author kills Pyrrha off just because that's how it played out in canon. I was reading a RWBY/MHA crossover recently and despite being backed up by Deku, Shouto, Jaune and Ruby Pyrrha (and only Pyrrha) still died and it was enough to make me quit the fic.
9307943
You're very kind.
An engrossing fight. Well done.
9308077
Yes, we know that now, but I was talking about first impressions:
I mean as first impressions go, it works great as an early indicator of how bad Sunset’s time in Remnant has been.
Not only was Sunset forced to live as a squatter her whole time there, as sometime is the case in EG fanfics, the persecution of the Faunus in Remnant also means Sunset was attacked by random strangers, kicked out of shops, and basically treated like a criminal.
And to top it all up, as far as she knew until chapter 20, her only attempt at a relationship, at trusting someone emotionally, ended with her boyfriend dumping her because he didn't want to deal with the persecution from being in an interracial relationship with a Faunus.
Like, no wonder she was so messed up.
9308308
OHH you meant the toes? OH makes sense here I was imagining literally 3 on each leg xD
I hope Sunset kicks Cinder's ass.
9307888
Except that Cinder didn't gain the power through the designed methods. She gained the first half of Amber's power with her glove and power draining bug. Since we don't know the nature of it, it's possible that Cinder could do something similar to Sunset.
Another thing to consider is the nature of Magic and Equestria within this story. It hasn't been established how different Equestrian Magic is from the Magic of Remnant, assuming they're different at all. For all we know, the twin gods may have created Equestria after destroying Humanity, then leaving Remnant.
Thank you for the compliment. When I get invested in a story I often speculate wildly or make funny Omake scenes. Thank you for humoring me.
Looking at some other comments though, I think that Sunset's ascended Phoenix/Alicorn form should stay a magic thing for her, not her semblance. I think that her semblance should be her normal mind reading/empathy power that she has in Equestria Girls. This will greatly help her as she continues to grow and discover the hidden truths behind Remnant, but also could lead to some fun as her semblance is so subtle and small that no one really notices that she even got it and the few that do know of it first assume that it was just more of her 'magic' semblance. I can see her struggling as well in trying to use it as she has used magic so much that aura and semblances are a bit under utilized for her.
***********************
Girding herself, Sunset moved towards Jaune. This new semblance of hers may have been rather subtle and under whelming in a combat sense, but she knew that it could be a game changer if used properly. The only problem was that she had no idea on how to use it. She had tried to summon it like magic but it had refused her call, leading to several embarrassing situations already with her grabbing onto people and then stammering out an excuse. She could only use the 'Oops, sorry I tripped' line so many times before people starting getting suspicious, or assuming she was a klutz.
Her pride wouldn't allow her to approach Ruby, two years her junior for help. Nor could she try to ask Pyrrha in a round about way fishing for information on Semblances. The other girl was smart enough that she'd quickly deduce that Sunset didn't actually know anything about using semblances and that would lead to a slew of questions about her magic. And the faunus wasn't quite ready to explain all of that to anyone yet.
So that left Jaune. Despite his tactical brilliance, he was still Jaune. She was sure that she could get some information out of him with out anyone being the wiser.
"Hey Jaune, what's up?"
Looking up from his book, the token male of the group turned towards his leader. "Hey Sunset, just studying for Prof. Oobleck's class. How you doing?"
Sitting next to the boy, Sunset made sure to look calm and casual. "Nothing much, just thought I'd touch base with everyone. How's things going with your training. I heard that you're expanding the use of your semblance."
"Oh yeah, Pyrrha and Ruby have really been helping me out with that. And I've been getting better at boosting other people's aura's at a distance too!" Jaune said as he perked up a bit more.
"Good, good, glad to hear that," Sunset nodded. "Sooo, just out of curiosity, how are you expanding your semblance? I've never really seen another like it."
"Huh?, well I guess it'd be kind of like how you expand your semblance when you pick stuff up."
"Right, like how I use my ... semblance. Right." Wincing a bit Sunset tried again. "It sure was great how you were able to unlock your semblance to save Ruby that one time. What did it feel like for you when you finally got it?"
Suddenly reminded of that night Jaune's disposition took a more somber turn. "Oh yeah, that night. Honestly I didn't even notice it with Ruby and all. I'd been trying to unlock it for so long before that but once I got it, I didn't even notice really." Not one to dwell on painful memories though he moved to another topic. "I bet your semblance must have been a rush though!"
Striking out again, Sunset merely nodded and grinned. "Enough about me though, any trouble with your semblance? Anything you'd like to try to better use it?"
Scratching his head Jaune did think about it. "No, not really. I guess I just need to practice it like you do with yours and just use it like you do-"
"Damn it stop talking about me and just tell me how you get your semblance to work!" Sunset shouted as she slammed her hands down on the table. 'And strike three, I'm out' she mentally groaned to herself as she realized that she had let her frustrations out. Didn't Jaune know how hard it was for her to ask him for help?
*******************************************
Or something, I don't know. But just that if her ascended form is due to her magic, then it also opens up the possibility of her demon form as well. As she and Cinder are going to start spending some time together, maybe they do start to hit it off. Sort of like Starlight and Trixie, with Trixie being that one friend that you love to hang out with but always end up asking "why did I agree to this? This was a stupid idea!". Except with Cinder being much more malicious and intelligent than Trixie of course. Just that Sunset is trying to be better, but what does better mean? Celestial herself admitted that she made a mistake with Sunset, so if even Celestia could mess up, what did it mean to be a better pony? Make friends sure, but what else?
Cinder could be that voice that tells her how her own expectations of what a better person is are all built around flawed examples. And that if they could make mistakes, then trying to be like them would only lead to making the same mistakes they made. How she should not be afraid to do the things they would never do in order to find her own path.
This could lead to a climax in Beacon during the assault where she does the wrong thing and seeks out the wrong power and becomes Demon Shimmer. I can see her do this unintentionally because in her initial characterization she saw her team mates like a team of pegasi pulling her chariot to greatness, but now she could see herself as the Celestia like figure of her team. The one that needs to stand above them and shine like a beacon to protect all the little ponies beneath her. By not acknowledging the strengths of her friends and trying to take everything upon herself to destroy everyone attacking the school, she could accidentally draw upon the negative energies of Pride in herself and Wrath towards her enemies and fall into darkness.
The rush of grimm power making her into an almost Maiden like figure. And all the negativity flowing through her, she could side with Cinder and go with her to Salem.
Cue the fallout for the fall of Beacon.
Cinder is initially pleased, but things sour as her own accomplishments are over looked in favor to the new girl Sunset. When people talk of the fall of Beacon, people ask her "Cinder who?". Not only that but Salem has been taking too much interest in Sunset.
Blake could be hurt because of someone she trusted again turning to a dark path just like Adam did. Not only that but Sunset could have pushed Human/Faunus relations back hundreds of years by basically affirming every negative stereotype humanity had towards the Faunus and why they should never be allowed to gain power. As soon as one did, she may have went on a rant about humans and then destroyed a huntsman academy.
Cardif is actually not one of those people to suddenly jump on the anti-faunus band wagon though. He still remembers that this is the person that saved his life, but also seeing her was a mirror of his own encounter with her. Just as he was a dark mirror of her own petty complaints towards her destiny, now he's the one to see her go demon and go off about destiny and such. Not so much an epiphany like Sunset had, but an uncomfortable realization that that is how other people see him..... sometimes. Hey don't ask for miracles from this guy. (I just want to give him some character development so he can eventually join young Oz, Sun, and Neptune as a 'Journey to the West' inspired team. With young Oz as the monk Sanzu, Sun as Sun Goku of course, Neptune as the Water Spirit, and Cardif as the vain Pig Demon substitute.)
As for the rest of SAPR, they go through Sunset's belongings to try and figure out why her 'semblance' turned her into a demon. Maybe she has some notes or something. Thus they find her journal, but they're all confused as it's not a journal of her personal thoughts but a correspondence with another person. Ruby is excited because the way Sunset refers to her 'magic' implies that she's from another line of special anti-grimm warriors, like her and the silver eyed people.
Que Ruby needing to explain to Pyrrha and Jaune what the silver eyed people are. Secret revelations all around!
Having no clue to who 'Twilight Sparkle' or 'Princess Celestia' are, Pyrrha has no idea how to find them and ask them about Sunset so she continues to search though Sunset's things. Sunset didn't seem to own a lot from before her time in Beacon though as everything she finds are things that she recognizes from their adventures together. The only things she had before are an odd collection of items that all bear the same strange sun like symbol that was on the Journal. And none of them seem to make much sense. A book on 'magic' talking about magic like it was real is put aside to be looked at later. But other things like a diploma from a 'School for gifted..... Unicorns'? A very realistic picture of a castle and cartoon ponies? A graduate degree from Canterlot university? Didn't Sunset come from Canterlot HIGH? Why would she graduate from a university only to go back to high school?
Looking through her things, Pyrrha can only sadly conclude that she never really knew her friend at all. Maybe that's why she wasn't able to reach her when Cinder could.
Jaune and Ruby though are still going through the journal though when Jaune figures it out. It's a secret exchange diary like in shojo manga! Not that he actually reads those. His sisters did. That's why he knows about this. Really.
Anyway, he proposes that they write down what happened to Sunset and ask what to do and leave the journal in the room. Whoever Sunset was corresponding with must also attend Beacon with how often they spoke to each other. She must have left the journal in her room and the other person would stop by when everyone else was in class and respond that way!
Ruby points out that with the school destroyed that the other person probably would have evacuated but Jaune is already writing everything down.
After placing the journal back when they found it, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ruby discuss Sunset and the mysterious people she was writing to, if they were part of the white fang, or maybe Cinder's group. Maybe an associate of Ozpin's? Their speculation as to who it is and whether they should even be trying to contact them is brought short when the journal starts to vibrate. Everyone soon goes down the rabbit hole that is equestrian magic and parallel alien dimensions.
Also, with Sunset's transformation, it could also attract the attention of other beings. Namely the Sirens. How Cinder responds to another super model level girl with ambitions and dark magic is anyone's guess. Is she burned out on friendship after seeing Sunset gain so much favor with Salem? Does she become best friends with another girl like her or hate the fact that so many copies of her are showing up and by nature of having the same personality with her instantly hate Adagio and want to kill her? And Adagio having a snarky bad girl in Aria, and a fun loving sociopath in Sonata really makes Cinder want to sue for copyright infringement.
Or the Sirens could join with the White Fang, or even Roman Torchwick (why do evil bitches keep seeking me out?). But the Sirens could charge up their magic really fast in Remnant. Heck, just eating a Beowolf or two could be enough to allow them to transform into a Grimm style version of their natural forms for a short while. Other hunters could have mistaken them for a type of Grimm and there's even a listing for them in the hunters guide book. Hence why for all their magic power they need to join up with someone else that can give them breathing room to relax between attacks. Adagio looking to take over some place and set herself up as queen, Aria looking for riches and the good life, and Sonata ...... tacos, I don't know. Just as long as she gets to be with Adagio and Aria and drive a sailor or two hundred to their watery grave. Oh, and have some really great food doing it as well.
Ouch, I swear I just had like a scene or two and then I was going to sign off, but it just kept going. I really went over board with this one. I wasn't kidding when I said I like to speculate.
Sorry for making you read all of this, have a great Black Friday.
9309354
Hopefully Cinder won't be able to take Sunset's magic, that would be the worst outcome for her. As Pyrrha already pointed out, Sunset has not the talent for close combat in any form, be it fist or a weapon like a sword, and shooting from the distance is not that much of a burner in the moment your enemy closes the distance.
She would literally lose everything as far as we know. Her specialty is, after all, to combine aura with magic, tending to create flame/aura-like magic. Or she tries stealing Sunset's magic and can go choke on it. Though that all depends on how their future relationship will play out.
9309605
To be honest, I couldn't bring myself to read your entire text wall, sorry for that. But I read the first parts, including your thought of Sunset's Geode power being her Semblance. But I can't really see that being her secret weapon, because it has like the worst drawbacks.
1) Sunset has to actually touch someone to look into another person's mind.
2) For all we know this isn't some instantenious kind of ability, but it needs a few seconds. (When Sunset's flashback ended she was still standing in the same 'O' kind of position whenever that happened)
Literally no enemy with more than two brain cells would let Sunset get close enough so that she can directly touch them, then she just can directly try to put a dagger into her foe's heart anyway. Would have the same meaning for all, being extremely vulnerable for any kind of attack. And the EQG villains were, most likely, thinking: "The heck, why are her eyes glowing? And why won't she let go of my arm?"
In the meantime the people of Remnant, who are much more merciless and cunning than the ppl in EQG, could all do the God Twins know what to her.
9309847
Thank you and I'm sorry for said wall of text. I honestly just had an idea run way too long.
What you pointed out for Sunset's geode powers are true, but that is why I think it would be good for her to have. So far Sunset is like Pyrrha, a one woman army. It was only poor planning on her part to place herself in a situation where for once she couldn't use her magic against Adam, but that is a weakness she is working on.
I think giving her such a potentially useful ability but having such drawbacks will let her better appreciate having close friends and allies that she can trust and rely on. To see the combat advantage to friendship as it were.
and the snake bares its fangs and the Phoenix sharpens its talons.
empty of live save for the occasional goat or sheep
use the flair to signal and someone
holding the sheep pen shut with Milo, and realed the creatures out onto the grass around
Thank you for you...kind offer
Therefore we haven't much to loose by drawing it out into the light
but it's forelegs were immense
That as the general idea. This thing was tough
all of her hopes on the idea that, even shorn of the R
no lesser Cinder’s to detract from her light
1. Life.
2. Flare.
3. Uhh... I can't find any meaning for Realed for sheep.
4. Your.
5. Lose.
6. Its.
7. Was.
8. Short.
9. Cinders.
Extra words here.
Aww i liked cinder... Ive never seen the show this is based on
9335801
That makes me quite glad, actually. It's nice to know she wasn't obviously evil to anyone who didn't know that she's the main villain of the series.
9308308
Exactly. With circumstances as different from canon as they are in this fic, you'd have to jump through a lot of hoops to kill her off in a similar fashion. I guess some people don't realize that not everything that happens in canon must happen in an AU; sometimes references, like someone worrying about what would happen to Pyrrha if she went to fight Cinder alone, are all that's required.
9309847
In one of the shorts, Sunset uses her powers but we don't get to see the memories and it only lasts a moment. That was a comic book drawn by Sunset, however, so the believability is questionable. I'd argue that it's accurate, given that no one she touches in EQG proper seems to have time to react.
A dream, is a wish
Your heart makes...
They sound like Fey
Even on mission, Sunset does not forget her other priorities. I also like her confidence in Jaune to pick up on that and weigh in with valued input (even if she could have done so herself, and at less risk if he didn't know). It also goes to show he's some a ways academically, with a bit more familiarity of the grim, perhaps.
Good combat, I also enjoy reading this here, it's unique in its asymmetry of power, and the combo move is a treat as well. More Mama Nikos, more Cinder, all around enjoyable.
Though coming with foreknowledge, I do wonder how Sunset and Arslan might have gotten along, or even just Pyrrah and Arslan if it had been them. Understandable that it wasn't, mind you.
No cinder don’t look to the light!
One of the best rewritten chapters yet! Not only were Ruby and Camilla present, but I just love that campfire scene! So full of philosophy and perspective, as Cinder attempts to measure each of SAPR. And every one of them has a unique but equally right perspective to offer about life. Like all opinions and philosophies, they are all true, and yet all lies.
Loved that Cinder/Jaune talk. She seemed... softer, somehow? And Pyrrha protecting Ruby. Good to know she's aware of the world's faults.
Cinder*
10611722
No, she's saying '[Call me] Pyrrha, please" after Cinder addressed her as 'Lady Pyrrha'.
I
I haven't wore a bra in so fucking long I don't remember what it's like but I bet pretty uncomfortable
Truth
Honestly, this kind of fun moments make the fact of us knowing what Cinder is much bitter, she is genuinely funny IMO.
Oh shit, i forgot that
is it actually the truth ? What had Phoebe done who caused that ?
If i didn't know the kind of monument she intended to left behind, i would like her so much.
Damn, Sunset is so full of insecurities.
11019920
It's true, but it's not Phoebe's doing, it's a side-effect of the fact that she's now part-grimm.
site
Ok, speaking of telling Celestia and Twilight, are we going to get more interactions with them? I quite enjoyed them