(The Land of Darkness)
In the Land of Darkness, a pool of black slime bubbles. A black paw rises up from underneath, then another paw, and before long, an entire body rises up. A menacing growl comes from the body, revealing the face of a Beowolf. The Beowolf rises up from the ground, letting up multiple roars as it begins to wander around the land.
From the castle, the 2 familiar faces of Emerald and Mercury reflect in the moonlight, as they watch from the castle windows. Emerald has her hand to her mouth while Mercury seems slightly disgusted at the sight. There, a finger snap alerts the two from behind, as they turn around to see the main room of the castle.
A wide shot reveals a large windowed room, at the center of which is a long purple, crystal table. Four people sit at the table with seven chairs, one of them being the late Fall Maiden. Emerald and Mercury now move away from the window, walking towards their leader's side.
A man with a mustache looks at his scroll attentively. Beside him, another person with a crazed look in his eyes crouches in his seat, resting his arms into his knees. Beside him, a big and bulky man sits in his chair, as he appears to be sound asleep. Then, across him, Cinder sits quietly, while Mercury and Emerald move to her side. Emerald nudges Mercury out of her way so that she can be directly next to Cinder.
"Yes, yes, keep your posse in check." The man with the mustache says, and that angers Mercury slightly as he moves towards Watts. However, Emerald holds him back.
"You hear that? Silence."
The bulky and big man gives the man with the mustache an unimpressed glare.
"I've half a mind to thank the little girl that bested you." The man with the mustache says. Then, the crazed man across him laughs to himself quietly.
"If I were you, I'd hunt her down. (Snickers) Find her and, well, she took your eye, didn't she?" The crazed man cackles in laughter, earning a glare from Cinder. She tries to speak, only for gasps and exhaling noises to come out. Emerald then leans in to hear what her injured leader has to say.
"Pathetic. Why did you even—"
The man with the mustache was interrupted by a bang of a door. The doors open and everyone stands just before a pale woman enters. She glides alongside the table with soft footsteps before reaching the head of it, jewels jangling from her hair. She then stops, facing away from them and toward a candle and crystal display.
"Watts."
The man in the mustache, now identified as Watts, straightens his posture as he looks towards the pale figure named Salem.
"Do you find such malignance necessary?" She says, and a slight glimpse of worry appears on his face. She then gestures everyone to sit down.
"I apologize, ma'am. I'm not particularly fond of failure." He explains, as he and Salem sit down simultaneously.
"Then I see no reason for your cruelty towards young Cinder. She's become our Fall Maiden, destroyed Beacon Tower, and most importantly, killed dear Ozpin. So I'm curious, to what failures are you referring?" She asks.
"Well, the girl with the silver eyes, and the boy who is that man's offspring." Watts says.
"Yes. We've dealt with their kind before. How is it that 2 novices had managed to best two of us?" The bulky man asks, as he earns a glare from Salem.
"We do not speak of him." She says, to which he bows in apology.
"Apologies..."
Watts then clears his throat and continues.
"My thoughts exactly. Even without her new power, it should have been effortless."
"It is because of the Maiden's power." Salem says, as she looks at Cinder.
"Make no mistake, Cinder, you hold the key to our victory. But your newfound strength brings with it a crippling weakness. Which is why you will remain by my side as we continue your treatment."
Cinder looks unhappy at this as she looks down, Emerald looking at her leader in sympathy.
"Dr. Watts, you are to take Cinder's place and meet with our informant in Mistral." Salem says as she explains the new change in plans. Watts smiles as he bows his head.
"Very good."
Salem then looks at the crazed man, still crouching on his chair.
"Tyrian, I want you to continue your hunt for the Spring Maiden."
The man, now known as Tyrian, rubs his hands together and laughs.
"Gladly."
"And Hazel..."
Salem looks at the bulky man, now known as Hazel.
"I'm sending you to the leader of the White Fang. Adam Taurus has arranged the meeting. The boy continues to prove loyal. Ensure that Sienna Khan feels the same."
"As you wish." He replies.
Cinder then raises a finger to Emerald to alert her attention. After not noticing it, she lets out an "Oh" and lowers her head down. Cinder then whispers into her ear.
"Speak, child."
Emerald looks up and down before speaking.
"She wants to know... (hesitates) What about the girl and the boy?"
Watts lets out a scoff.
"What about them? Seems to me that this is Cinder's problem, not ours."
Cinder angrily slams her hands on the table, as Watts looks at her with a smile.
"That's enough." Salem says, defusing the tension. "Tyrian?"
"Yes, my lady?"
"Spring can wait. Find the girl AND the boy that did this to Cinder-"
Tyrian then giggles elatedly and claps his hands.
"And bring them to me."
At this, Tyrian freezes. He groans disappointed, pouts, and looks back up to Salem with a shrug.
"Because of your efforts, Beacon has fallen. And Haven will be next."
Everyone rises, all except Hazel, as he looks down uneasy. Salem notices this and looks to him.
"Ask away."
Hazel slowly turns to Salem, letting out a sigh before asking.
"What do we do about..."
Hazel hesitates, before continuing.
"That boy."
At this, Tyrian freezes up as his face contorts to anger. However, Salem looks away.
"He will not be an issue for now. Don't pay any attention to him."
"My lady!" Tyrian exclaims, to which Salem looks at him.
"Yes, Tyrian?"
"I-If you may... I-I'll find him and take him down as well! C-Can I do it? M-May I...?"
Salem looks at him contemplating, as Tyrian tries his best to form puppy eyes.
"Pretty please?"
With a sigh, Salem nods.
"Very well. I endear this task to you."
Tyrian nearly jumps for joy from his chair at this.
Salem then gestures everyone to rise from their seats, to which they do.
"Let's start."
Concluding the meeting, Tyrian glances over to Cinder with a smile.
"Eye... for an eye..."
Pointing to his left eye, he starts to laugh to himself. This turns to a full-blown cackle, then an uncontrollable fit of manic laughter as Cinder grits her teeth angrily.
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"Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"
Letting out a sigh of exasperation, you glanced at the source of the voice.
Y/N: We. Are. Not.
At this, the girl with black and red hair pouts.
Ruby: Aww...
Rolling your eyes, you continued on.
Y/N: Ruby, that's the 5th time you've asked that, and we're barely 20 minutes in our flight! You know how long this flight will take, don't you?
Ruby: I- (Sigh) I know... Sorry... It's just... It's going to be sooooo boring!
Y/N: Ruby... Have you ever gone to other regions before? Like... a vacation?
Ruby: No... I've only gone as far as the mountains as a trip, but that's it.
Y/N: I see... Well, sorry to say but, you might not enjoy this one bit then.
Ruby pouts and crosses her arms as she looks out the window. You then glance at the clock on the bullhead, you could see it was 8:30 AM.
Y/N: (Sigh) I should've eaten something more than cereal...
Jaune: Heh, at least you ate...
Y/N: Wait, you didn't eat?
Jaune: Nope, and I hope you know why.
Y/N: O-Oh, of course. Will... you be alright?
Jaune: Ugh... As fine as I can be...
Y/N: Poor you...
Looking out the window, you started to clear out your thoughts out of your mind.
It's been about an hour and 3 minutes since you left the house. The first thing you guys did was hitch a bullhead to Vale, then pitch another bullhead to take you guys all the way to the docks at the other side of the kingdom. Estimated, the flight on the bullhead will take about half a day, since you're going from one edge of the continent all the way to the other side.
(The 1st Bullhead dropped off near Beacon. 2nd Bullhead will fly all the way to the edge of the Kingdom.)
Along the way, there will be breaks in between for other passengers that will drop off earlier, so there's that to take account. Estimating, this bullhead ride will take a whole day to get to the edge of the Kingdom, then taking a boat to the edge of Mistal will take about another day.
If that wasn't exhausting enough, you all will be walking to Haven for the rest of the way...
On foot. Who knows how long THAT will take?
So yea, this journey will be a very, very long one.
But, despite this daunting task, you were excited. Maybe its because you have friends to keep you company, but also because you felt like you were manning up and was exploring the world.
It could've been your childish naivety, but you weren't alone on the feeling, as you look at your new teammates for now. Nora was sleeping beside Ren, Ren was meditating, Jaune was reading a book, and Ruby was looking out the window as well. With not much interaction as you were hoping for, you cleared your throat.
Y/N: So... We haven't discussed plans yet.
Ruby: Plans? What plans?
Y/N: Well, let's start out with the journey to the docks. If Ruby and I were to go clothes shopping for a change of pace, then let's stop around... here!
Pointing at a city on the map, you continued.
Y/N: If you guys want, we can drop down there, and continue the bullhead trip tomorrow. After all, the ship taking us to Mistral is best taken in the daytime.
Jaune: Umm, why daytime?
Y/N: Well, according to what Tony told me, the view of the skies is better at day than at night. Although it may seem faster to take the boat by night, since the sleeping syndrome feels like time goes faster, I feel like we can use the time from day to the afternoon with some activities. Any objections?
Ren raises his hand, to which you gesture for him to continue.
Ren: It's better to get some clothes when we arrive at Mistral.
Y/N: But, wouldn't it feel uncomfortable if we went there without a change of clothes? Sure, I brought a lot of spare clothing in my bag, but when we arrive at Mistral I'd like to use the clothing I like best.
Ren: Hmm... I don't get it.
Y/N: Put it this way. When we arrive at Mistral, I'd like to enter the continent with a new change of pace. We wouldn't be changing our clothes much when we get to Mistral now, would we?
Ren: Umm... unless we enter a village, then I suppose you're right.
Nora: Oh, c'mon Ren, don't be sour. I'll get you some fresh new clothes!
You look over at the now-awakened Nora as she stretches her arms.
Y/N: Oh? You want a new outfit too?
Nora: Of course! When you enter a new continent, you gotta enter it with style! I'm bored with this outfit as well... I'd like something with a lot of flair, you know what I mean?
Y/N: Heh, I feel you. I mean, if I wore my old hoodie, I'd look foreign once we arrive there. And I... don't really like what I'm wearing...
Gesturing to the outfit you wore 5 days ago, Nora nods her head.
Nora: Heh, you look like one of those boys at a high school!
At this remark, you heard something crack.
Y/N: Erm, did anyone hear that?
Nora: Nope! Not a thing! No walls were CLEARLY broken!
Y/N: W-Walls...?
Nora: FORGET IT!
She runs over to you and covers your ears, but her grip felt like bricks.
Y/N: Aaaaahh! It hurts!
Ren: Nora, let go!
Nora then let's go, to which you hold your head in pain.
Nora: So, did you remember what I said earlier?
Y/N: Erm... no.
Nora: Good!
Nora then walks over to her seat, leaving you dazed and confused. However, you shook it off as you continued your plans.
Y/N: Anyways, what about you Jaune?
Jaune: Erm... I don't really mind. I'd like an improvement to my armor piece and my sword here.
Y/N: Hmm... If you want to refine your armory, I think you're looking for a blacksmith. There's a whole lotta them in villages in Mistral, so it's best for you to do it there.
Jaune: Oh, really?
Y/N: Mhm, I'm sure.
Jaune: How do you know all of this?
Y/N: Jaune, I was born from a village myself. I was a farm-boy, and nearly every day I had to go to the public market to get crops or food other stuff we needed. I'm sure that my village isn't as drastically different from the other villages in Mistral.
Suddenly, your eyes widen as you had thought of a better plan.
Y/N: Actually... I heard that the nearest village to the docks is a village named Amele Stoca. The blacksmith there is one of the best in the villages I know of, so we could head over there if we want to stay the night.
Ruby: Amele... Stoca?
Y/N: Mhm.
Ruby: Never heard of it.
Y/N: No one outside villagers in Mistral does. Everyone seems to remember big villages like Higanbana or Kuroyuri or Shion.
Unbeknownst to you, Ren flinches.
Y/N: Meh, who knows. Anyways, do ya'll still have objections?
No one raises their hands, so you smile.
Y/N: Good. So, it's settled. We'll drop to the city, spend the night there, head over to the docks early in the morning and set sail to Mistral.
Ruby: Ahh! I'm getting excited! It's like we're going on a real journey!
Jaune: It really does, huh?
Y/N: Mhm. I'd never imagined going on a journey like this to stop Cinder and her group. It gives me anxiety for what's to come, yet I'm getting fired up!
Ruby: Ugh, too bad we have to travel for a whole day... If only there were portals like in games...
Y/N: Welcome to the reality show, Ruby.
Ruby droops down sadly, but she perks back up with a smile.
Ruby: Games...! That's it!
Ruby lets out a sigh as she whips out her scroll.
Ruby: Anyone wanna play some video games? Please?
Looking at you in particular, you sighed.
Y/N: Screw it, why not?
Whipping out your own scroll, you played games with Ruby, Jaune watching from behind.
---------------
(Mistral)
In the deep forests of Mistral, a boy with a black hood is seen sitting on a rock. Eating a meal he grabbed in a nearby village, he lets out a sigh.
Jake: Dammit... This won't do...
Grabbing his new scythe, he continues to slash at a nearby tree as strength practice. Ever since breaking free of Salem's control, he's been staying over at a village, training and training to get stronger.
Jake: If they're going to attack Haven next, then I should be at my best. Yet... I still feel so weak... Why?
Asking himself, he slashes at the tree. The trunk, now nearly chopped apart, creaks and threatens to topple over. Jake then spins and slashes, causing the tree to fall down. The tree then falls down, to which Jake suddenly disappears from sight as he reappears beside the tree.
Jake: I'm sure Apollo and his friends will be there too. They better not get in the way...
Disappearing from sight, he reappears right next to another tree as he begins hacking away at it.
Jake: RAGH!
Charging up a heavy slash, the scythe cleanly cleaves through the tree. Pulling back with all his might, he manages to hack his scythe out of the tree, toppling it downwards. Disappearing from sight, he reappears on top of the tree.
Jake: Heh, that felt easier than usual. Maybe I shouldn't beat myself up as much...
???: JAAAKE!
Jake: Hmm?
Turning around, he sees an elderly woman coming towards him.
Jake: Oh, Aunt Maria.
Maria: Jake, there you are!
As the elderly woman comes towards Jake, he stops his training and puts his scythe down.
Jake: What brings you here? Is there something you need help with?
Maria: Oh, no. I just came to check up on you!
Jake: Oh...
Maria: You look like you're doing alright. How many trees did you cut down so far?
Jake: Hmm, about 6 at least.
Maria: Ooh, that's about the average lumberjack! You're not tired or anything? I brought you some water.
Jake: Erm, I guess I'm a little thirsty...
Maria: Here, catch!
Throwing the bottle at Jake, he catches it and drinks it.
Jake: Ah, that's the stuff...
Maria: Hehe, so glad you're doing alright. You look way better than when you came in the first time.
It was true, Jake's body was healed of all the wounds from his punishment 5 months ago. No scar or slash was open, all of them now dried up scars.
Jake: Yeah, I guess so...
Maria: You know, you still haven't told me how you got those scars.
Jake: I told you, its personal...
Maria: I know, I know. But, I hope that you'll tell me 1 day, you know?
Jake: Heh, that ain't gonna happen anytime soon lady. You may have taken care of me for the time I've been here, but don't think that makes you trustworthy enough.
Maria: I know, I get where you're coming from.
Jake: But... I guess I appreciate how kind you were to me. Where I came from, I was just being manipulated and used.
Maria: (Gasp) That's horrible...
Jake: It was. And, I guess that's why I'm so on-edge all the time. Betrayal stings, especially when its from people you were growing to respect. So...
He narrows his eyes to the old woman, sending shivers down her spine.
Jake: I don't recommend you try anything funny to me, lady.
Maria looks down sadly because she couldn't relate to Jake at all. Being only 16 and have gone through so much... Her life compared to his looks pathetic.
Jake, now closing his eyes, takes a deep breath before looking back at a tree.
Maria: I'll go set up dinner, I'll wait for you once you come back.
Jake: Heh, thanks. I'll be back after another hour or two.
Maria nods as she leaves the forest, leaving Jake to sigh and walk towards a tree. Raising his scythe, he lets out a cry and slashes at the tree.
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Next time on The Return of The Phoenix:
Baby Steps (Volume 4 Chapter 2)