An Aura of Hope: A RWBY Fan Fiction

Chapter Eleven

"Oh sh--"

Yang barreled down the road on her little crotch rocket. At first I thought if be okay without the straps she made me wear to hold my luggage, but then she started going and I had no choice but to cling onto her for dear life.

We weaved between cars, Yang having to stand up to be able to shift the combined weight of us. I couldn't see at all; the wind was blasting tears out of my eyes and back to my ears.

Suddenly, we came to a stop.

"Off you go," said Yang.

I flung my leg over the seat and stumbled backwards off the motorcycle. I could hardly keep my footing, I was so dizzy. I gave up and just went down on my knee.

"First time?" she asked. I just nodded. "I can tell. Well, we're here. C'mon. Up!" She offered a hand and pulled me up to my feet.

"Is there... Someplace I can..." I said.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh no! Right over here, sweetie." She led me to a bush by the hand and I hurled. Vomited. Barfed. Threw up. Blew chunks. Whatever term you prefer. I took a few minutes to make sure I was done, then I stood up, and I fell to my knees again. Only this time, it was because of the magnificent sight in front of me.

Beacon.

The gray castle stood a hundred fifty feet high, the spires were tallest, the green lights floated in the main building, the front gate beckoned us to open it.

I managed to get to my feet again, so I went over to the gate and pulled it open. That's when I noticed the laughter. I turned around to see Yang laughing her brains out; she was clutching her side and was on the ground. I was very confused about it, and I didn't know what was so funny to make her do that.

"Yang? Are you okay?" I asked.

No response, just laughter. I bent down to get a better look at her, and she met my eyes with her red ones. They said everything about her condition and what she wanted. She was forced to be like this, and she wanted me to get the hell out of there. I didn't leave, despite the anger in her eyes toward my decision, and began searching her body. I didn't know what I was looking for, but I kept looking. Eventually I noticed a little dart stuck in her neck, which I promptly removed.

The laughter died down and in its place was sobbing. Yang was crying on the ground.

"RUN, JAMES!" she screamed.

"I'm not leaving, Yang!" I still wasn't sure what she wanted me to run from, but I wasn't about to leave my friend. That's when I saw a bright red dot coming toward us from the forest. When it got closer, I saw that it was a hat, and it was a woman running at us. She had on a white peacoat and a yellow sundress on underneath. She almost looked innocent, except for the two kamas in her hands and the stride she was coming at us with, which suggested grace both beautiful and extremely deadly.

I undid the straps and let my stuff hit the ground, and I pulled out Viartannie Ijs. I readied myself.

I pulled back my arm, and got swept off my feet. One instant the woman was fifty feet away, the next she was flipping me into the air head over heels. I hit the ground with a grunt and I rolled backwards. I swung at her, and she dodged and hit my arm in a way that made it go limp. I cried out as I dropped my boomerang. I grabbed it with my left hand and brought it up for a backhand swing, and she did the same thing to my other arm. She put her foot to my head and pushed me down.

"Pathetic," she said.

"What did you do to me?" I asked.

"Just a nerve attack. You should be able to move again in about an hour. Now, if you'll excuse me..." She turned and started toward Yang, who was still crying.

I wasn't going to let her harm Yang. I sat up as quickly as I could with noodle arms then stood. I ran toward her, ready to give her a kick to the skull, and I got grabbed by the neck of my shirt and was pulled backwards. I fell back down and looked up to see another woman in a deep red cloak holding a finger to her mouth. I couldn't see her eyes, but I knew she on my side. She disappeared into a flurry of... Rose petals? I dismissed the thought and returned my attention to the woman now picking up the still crying Yang and slinging her over her back. The other lady appeared behind her and pulled out a red and black rectangular object. I watched as it quickly unfolded into a huge scythe. Then I knew who was helping us.

"Drop. My. Sister," said Professor Rose. The woman stopped dead in her tracks.

"Well look what the cat dragged in today!" The woman turned. "How lovely to meet you, Miss Rose!"

"Look, lady. I don't know who you are, but I'm going to have to ask you to PUT DOWN MY SISTER!"

"You mean blondie here? Oh well you see, I'd like to, I really would, but I can't. I need her. So sorry, darlin," she said. The professor didn't miss a beat. The scythe was whizzing through the air toward the woman, who vanished just before the blade would have decapitated her.

"Over here!" The woman called from my left. How had she gotten there so fast? The professor was there with her before I could even think about it. The woman ducked under the scythe, the professor stepped back from a kick from the woman, the woman dodged a flipping maneuver from the professor, the professor blocked another kick with the handle of her scythe and pushed the woman down. They were fast. No, fast didn't even begin to cut it. It was incredible. I had no idea two people could ever be that fast. Especially since one of them was carrying another person. Eventually the fighting stopped, and both of them were breathing heavily. Yang was now unconscious. "I see your semblance is speed as well," said the professor, who seemed to have already caught her breath.

"It... Would seem... So... Wouldn't it?" the woman panted. She was much worse off.

"I'm going to tell you again. Put her down."

"And I'm going to... Tell you again... No." The woman vanished again, but didn't appear anywhere in sight. She was gone. And so was Yang.

"NO!" screamed Professor Rose. She put the top of her scythe into the ground and shot so that she was launched upward. "Yang!" She was incredibly high now, and she was scanning the area for the woman.

I didn't know what to do. I should look for them, too, but I had no way to get high enough to do so. I'd never felt so useless in my life.

The professor came down after a few minutes and immediately collapsed on the ground and sobbed and wailed and cried. She cried out for Yang, saying things like "You promised!" and "Please don't leave me!" I made my way over to her and sat next to her. I still couldn't move my arms. Her hood had fallen down, so I was able to her face completely when she turned her wet face toward me. She looked like a child. Her silver eyes glistened from the tears trailing down her cheeks. She stopped wailing when she looked at me. "Wh-who are you?" she asked.

"My name is James, professor. I've... I'm attending Beacon starting this year. Yang let me stay at your guys' place the past three days... I'm so sorry."

"James... That's a nice name..." said the professor. "We should probably go now..." She stood up and held out a hand.

"Um... I can't move my arms."

"Oh. Here." She tapped rapidly in different places near my shoulders and the feeling in my arms quickly returned. I rolled my shoulders and stretched my arms.

"Thanks," I said.

"You're welcome. Come on. We... We can worry... About this later," she said. I wasn't sure if she was talking more to me or herself.