Chapter XX: Round One part II
Victory and Transformation - Team RWBY's Triumph
The arena erupts in cheers as Team RWBY emerges victorious against Team ABRN. But what draws the most attention from the dragon families observing from their special viewing section isn't just their tactical coordination - it's the visible manifestation of Ruby and Yang's ongoing transformations.
Ruby Rose stands in the center of the arena, her storm abilities having evolved beyond simple wind manipulation. Gray scales shimmer along her arms and neck, matching the silver of her eyes while incorporating hints of red that mirror her distinctive hair. Small, dark horns - black with crimson tips - have begun to emerge from her temples, while delicate wings unfurl from her back with feathers that shift between stormy gray and deep crimson.
Derek: (observing from the dragon family section) The Storm Dragon Princess awakening is accelerating. Ruby's bond with our family grows stronger with each battle.
Yang Xiao Long presents an even more dramatic transformation. Her inferno abilities create visible heat distortions around her form, and golden scales with orange and red highlights have appeared along her forearms and shoulders. Her horns curve elegantly from her golden hair, matching her fiery coloration, while her wings display the brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds of flame itself.
Max: (his connection to Yang evident in the way her transformation mirrors his own draconic heritage) The Flame Dragon Princess bond is nearly complete. Yang's power now matches mine in intensity, though her control continues to develop.
Katsura: (her ancient wisdom recognizing the significance) Two Dragon Princesses bonded to the same team. This hasn't occurred in over three centuries.
From their observation position, teams SSSN and CFVY watch in amazement as Ruby and Yang's transformations become increasingly evident.
Neptune: (his equipment registering unprecedented energy readings) The electromagnetic signatures around both of them are off the charts. Whatever's happening to them is fundamentally altering their energy patterns.
Sun: (his faunus instincts recognizing the power dynamics at work) They're not just getting stronger - they're becoming something entirely different. More than human, but not quite dragon.
Hon'oh: (her ice-blue eyes calculating) Dragon Princesses represent the bridge between human potential and draconic power. Ruby and Yang are becoming living symbols of the alliance between our peoples.
The Vytal Festival Fairgrounds - Dangerous Encounters
After their victory celebration in the arena, Team RWBY makes their way to the Vytal Festival fairgrounds, seeking the simple pleasure of good food after their intense match. Ruby's new wings fold neatly against her back, while Yang's fiery transformation creates a subtle warmth that draws curious glances from festival-goers.
The fairgrounds buzz with activity as students from various academies mingle, but the dragon family surveillance network - now expanded to include teams SSSN and CFVY - maintains discrete observation of potential threats.
Fox: (his enhanced hearing picking up conversations from across the fairgrounds) Multiple suspicious individuals maintaining surveillance patterns. Professional coordination suggests organized intelligence gathering.
From their concealed positions, the surveillance teams watch as Team RWBY approaches one of the food stalls, completely unaware that they're walking into a carefully orchestrated encounter.
It's then that Emerald Sustrai approaches them with a friendly smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. Her casual demeanor masks the calculating intelligence that made her valuable to Cinder's operations.
Emerald: (approaching with practiced warmth) Team RWBY! That was an amazing match against ABRN. You four work together like you've been fighting as a unit for years.
Ruby: (her storm-enhanced senses not detecting the deception) Thank you! We've definitely learned to coordinate our abilities better since arriving at Beacon.
What Ruby doesn't realize is that her developing Dragon Princess instincts should be warning her about Emerald's duplicity, but her transformation is still incomplete, leaving gaps in her supernatural awareness.
Yang: (her flame abilities unconsciously creating subtle heat patterns around her) Are you competing in the tournament too? I don't think we've met officially.
Emerald: (her eyes briefly flickering to Yang's visible draconic features with concealed interest) Emerald Sustrai, from Haven Academy. My team made it to the doubles round - I'll be fighting alongside Mercury Black.
Weiss: (her aristocratic training making her naturally cautious of strangers) Mercury Black? I believe we've heard that name mentioned by other competitors.
Blake: (her faunus senses detecting something off about Emerald's scent, though she can't identify what) Which of you will be representing your team in doubles?
Emerald: (processing this intelligence-gathering opportunity) Yang and Weiss, I heard. Should be interesting - Mercury and I make quite the team ourselves.
From their surveillance position, Velvet's photographic memory catalogs every micro-expression on Emerald's face, while Fox tracks the subtle stress patterns in her voice.
Velvet: (subvocalizing to her team's communication network) She's performing. Everything about her body language suggests she's gathering intelligence rather than making casual conversation.
Yatsuhashi: (maintaining visual contact while appearing to browse nearby stalls) And she's specifically interested in Yang's transformation. Her attention keeps returning to the draconic features.
The conversation continues with Emerald skillfully extracting information about Team RWBY's preparation strategies and their relationships with other teams, all while maintaining the facade of friendly competitor chat.
Emerald: (preparing to disengage now that she has the information she needs) Well, I should get back to my team. Mercury gets anxious when I'm gone too long. Good luck in your next match!
As she walks away, her friendly demeanor drops immediately, replaced by cold calculation.
Emerald: (meeting Mercury at a predetermined location, her voice carrying intense distaste) Their positive attitude is nauseating. All that genuine friendship and mutual support - it's like they've never faced real hardship.
Mercury: (his conditioning making him report observations mechanically) The transformations in the Rose and Xiao Long sisters are progressing rapidly. Dragon Princess awakening patterns match intelligence reports about ancient bloodline activations.
Unknown to them, Neptune's electromagnetic monitoring equipment has been tracking their conversation from a distance, recording everything for analysis by the dragon families.
Emerald: (her frustration evident) Cinder's orders were clear - find out who's competing in doubles and assess their tactical capabilities. But being around all that... happiness... it's exhausting.
Mercury: (his programming warring with growing awareness thanks to Yukikaze's influence) They fight like they actually care about each other. Like protecting their teammates matters more than winning.
Emerald: (studying his expression with growing suspicion) You sound almost... admiring.
Mercury: (his conditioning reasserting itself quickly) Just tactical observation. Understanding enemy motivations is crucial for mission success.
But Emerald's trained eye catches the momentary hesitation, the brief flicker of genuine emotion that suggests Mercury's absolute loyalty may be developing cracks.
Financial Complications and Team Bonds
As Team RWBY approaches the noodle stall, Weiss's scroll begins ringing with an insistent tone that makes her expression immediately darken.
Weiss: (looking at the caller ID with visible frustration) Father. Again.
Ruby: (her storm-enhanced empathy picking up Weiss's emotional distress) You don't have to answer if you don't want to.
Yang: (her flame abilities unconsciously flaring in protective response) Family drama?
Weiss: (declining the call with sharp finality) The kind that gets worse the longer you avoid it, but also gets worse if you actually engage with it.
Blake: (understanding family complications from her own experience) Sometimes the only winning move is not to play.
When they reach the counter, Weiss attempts to pay for their meals with characteristic Schnee confidence, but the card reader's declined transaction sound creates an uncomfortable moment of silence.
Shopkeeper: (apologetically) Sorry miss, but your card's been declined. Would you like to try another payment method?
Weiss: (her face flushing with embarrassment and growing realization) That's... not possible. This account has never been declined for anything.
Yang: (her protective instincts engaging) Weiss, what's going on?
Before Weiss can answer, the familiar voices of Team JNPR announce their arrival at the fairgrounds.
Pyrrha: (approaching with her characteristic grace and genuine warmth) Team RWBY! We watched your match - absolutely incredible coordination.
Jaune: (his leadership development evident in his confident bearing) Though I have to ask, Ruby, Yang - are those horns and wings permanent additions?
Ruby: (unconsciously touching her small horns) We're... still figuring that out. The dragon family says it's part of becoming Dragon Princesses, but the transformation process is ongoing.
Nora: (with characteristic enthusiasm) Dragon Princesses! That's so cool! Do you get special powers? Can you breathe fire? Do you hoard treasure?
Ren: (gently restraining his exuberant partner) Nora, perhaps we should let them explain at their own pace.
Pyrrha: (noticing the uncomfortable situation at the counter) Is everything alright here?
Weiss: (struggling with pride and practical necessity) My card's been declined. Which is impossible unless...
Yang: (understanding dawning) Unless your father cut you off financially.
The implications hit everyone simultaneously. Jacques Schnee's financial control over his daughter represents more than mere parental discipline - it's a power play designed to force her compliance with his wishes.
Pyrrha: (stepping forward without hesitation) Please, allow me to cover everyone's meals. Team dinners should be about friendship, not financial complications.
Weiss: (her pride warring with gratitude) Pyrrha, I can't ask you to-
Pyrrha: (with genuine warmth) You're not asking. I'm offering. And besides, celebrating victories together is what teams are supposed to do.
The Meal and Revelations
As both teams settle around a collection of tables at the noodle stall, the conversation flows between tournament strategy, academy gossip, and the ongoing mystery of Ruby and Yang's transformations.
Jaune: (studying Yang's visible scales and wings) So this Dragon Princess thing - it's permanent?
Max: (arriving with other dragon family members who've been monitoring the situation) The bond between dragon families and chosen individuals creates permanent physiological changes, but also permanent protections and abilities.
Ruby: (her storm abilities unconsciously creating gentle breezes around the group) It feels... natural. Like becoming more myself rather than becoming something different.
Derek: (taking a seat with patriarchal authority that draws respectful attention) The awakening process varies for each individual. Ruby's storm dragon heritage connects her to ancient weather powers, while Yang's flame dragon bond grants her access to inferno abilities that exceed normal combustion Dust effects.
Pyrrha: (her tactical mind engaging) Which explains why your combat effectiveness has increased so dramatically. You're not just getting stronger - you're accessing entirely new categories of power.
Nora: (bouncing in her seat with excitement) So cool! Are there other Dragon Princesses? Can anyone become one? Do you have dragon family meetings now?
Katsura: (her ancient wisdom adding context) Dragon Princess bonds are extraordinarily rare. In the past three centuries, fewer than a dozen individuals have achieved the complete transformation. Ruby and Yang represent something unprecedented - two Dragon Princesses bonded to the same team.
Yang: (flexing her fingers and watching small flames dance between them) The power is incredible, but the responsibility is... intense. Dragon families protect multiple realms from threats that could end existence itself.
Weiss: (processing the implications) Which explains why this tournament has felt more significant than typical academy competition.
Blake: (her faunus instincts picking up undercurrents of tension) And why certain competitors seem to be operating with agenda beyond winning matches.
Ren: (his observational skills noting surveillance around them) Speaking of which, we're being watched. Multiple individuals maintaining casual observation patterns, but their attention is too focused to be coincidental.
From their concealed positions, teams SSSN and CFVY continue their protective surveillance while the dragon families maintain their own security protocols.
Neptune: (through concealed communication equipment) Teams RWBY and JNPR are secure, but hostile surveillance is increasing. Cinder's people are definitely gathering intelligence on the Dragon Princess transformations.
Sun: (positioned near Hon'oh's surveillance point, trying to appear casual while stealing glances at her) Should we intervene if the surveillance escalates?
Hon'oh: (her ice-blue eyes tracking multiple potential threats while maintaining awareness of Sun's nervous energy) Not unless they make direct contact. Public intervention would reveal our counter-surveillance network.
The Call to Battle - Team JNPR's Match
As the shared meal winds down, the announcement systems throughout the fairgrounds crackle to life with match notifications.
Announcer: "Team JNPR of Beacon Academy, please report to Arena Combat Zone 3 for your scheduled match against Team BRNZ of Shade Academy."
Jaune: (standing with newfound leadership confidence) That's us. Time to show everyone that leadership development and team coordination can overcome individual power differences.
Pyrrha: (her grace evident as she prepares for battle) Though individual power certainly doesn't hurt when it's properly coordinated.
Nora: (practically vibrating with battle excitement) Finally! I've been wanting to test some new techniques against Shade Academy combat styles.
Ren: (his calm presence balancing his team's energy) Focus on coordination over individual performance. Team BRNZ has reputation for aggressive individual tactics rather than team strategy.
Ruby: (her storm abilities creating encouraging wind patterns) You've got this! Team JNPR has become incredible since the beginning of the semester.
Yang: (her flame abilities creating warming aura around her friends) Show them what Beacon teamwork looks like when it's properly coordinated.
As Team JNPR heads toward their designated combat arena, Team RWBY follows to provide support from the spectator areas, unaware that Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald are also positioning themselves to observe the match.
Observation and Analysis - Multiple Perspectives
In the spectator areas surrounding Arena Combat Zone 3, multiple groups position themselves with very different objectives for watching Team JNPR's upcoming match.
Team RWBY takes seats in the general student section, their visible transformations drawing curious glances from other academy students who haven't seen Dragon Princesses before.
Ruby: (her enhanced storm senses picking up emotional undercurrents from the crowd) There's a lot of tension here. More than usual for tournament matches.
Yang: (her flame abilities unconsciously responding to her protective instincts) Something feels off. Too many people watching who don't seem to be here for entertainment.
Weiss: (her aristocratic training making her naturally aware of social undercurrents) The surveillance patterns are too organized. Professional observation rather than casual spectating.
Blake: (her faunus senses detecting multiple familiar scents from their earlier encounter) Emerald and her team are here. Along with others who carry similar... artificial scents.
Meanwhile, in the dragon family viewing section, the ancient powers observe with tactical awareness that spans millennia of conflict experience.
Derek: (his patriarchal authority evident as he analyzes crowd dynamics) Hostile intelligence gathering is increasing. Team JNPR's performance will be studied for weaknesses that could be exploited later.
Katsura: (her ancient wisdom recognizing patterns) More concerning is the focus on Ruby and Yang's transformations. Enemy agents are specifically cataloging Dragon Princess abilities.
From their concealed positions throughout the arena, teams SSSN and CFVY maintain their expanded surveillance network.
Fox: (his enhanced hearing tracking multiple conversations simultaneously) Cinder's people are coordinating observation assignments. Specific attention to leadership dynamics and team coordination patterns.
Coco: (her tactical experience recognizing professional intelligence operations) This isn't casual scouting. They're gathering detailed intelligence for planned operations against specific individuals.
Velvet: (her photographic memory cataloging suspicious individuals) The surveillance network includes more people than we initially identified. This conspiracy extends beyond just Cinder's immediate team.
In a separate observation area, Cinder Fall watches with cold calculation while Mercury and Emerald provide tactical assessment.
Cinder: (her voice carrying authority that makes her companions unconsciously straighten) Team JNPR represents conventional combat excellence enhanced by strong leadership. Study their coordination patterns - understanding their teamwork will help us counter similar tactics from other teams.
Mercury: (his conditioning providing mechanical analysis even as his awareness grows) Jaune Arc has evolved from liability to genuine tactical coordinator. His leadership development could make him a significant threat if properly supported.
Emerald: (her illusion abilities already planning potential uses) Pyrrha Nikos remains their primary combat asset, but her loyalty to team coordination could be exploited. Threats to her teammates would compromise her tactical effectiveness.
Unknown to Cinder, Mercury's observations are being influenced by his growing awareness of genuine team bonds, making his analysis less reliable for her purposes while providing better intelligence for those working to save him.
As Team JNPR enters the arena to face Team BRNZ, multiple groups watch with very different objectives - some seeking tactical intelligence for hostile purposes, others gathering information to protect their allies, and still others simply supporting their friends in academic competition.
The match itself will reveal more than just combat capabilities. It will demonstrate the power of genuine teamwork against individually skilled opponents, while providing various factions with intelligence that will shape the conflicts to come.
The Growing Connection - Yukikaze and Mercury's Moment of Truth
Later that evening, as the crowds disperse from the tournament venues and teams return to their dormitories, Yukikaze Ayakashi finds herself walking through Beacon's moonlit gardens. Her thunder abilities create soft electrical patterns in the air around her, a unconscious display of the internal conflict she's experiencing.
The Thunder Dragon Empress had initially approached Mercury Black as part of her family's strategy to gather intelligence and potentially rescue someone they suspected was being manipulated. But what began as duty has evolved into something far more complex and emotionally challenging.
From her concealed observation point, Mist Dragonblade watches her teammate with growing concern. As the crimson-scaled dragon who remembers Mercury from their shared childhood, Mist understands better than anyone the emotional stakes of what Yukikaze is attempting.
Mist: (speaking quietly to Toshiro, who maintains perimeter security) Sister's connection with Mercury is becoming deeper than any of us anticipated. I can see it in the way her electrical abilities respond when he's mentioned.
Toshiro: (his Steel Dragon King senses detecting the electromagnetic fluctuations around Yukikaze) The bond between them is affecting her on a fundamental level. Her thunder abilities are resonating with something in him, something that goes beyond normal attraction.
From another position, Gweynne Gorman's shadow abilities allow her to monitor potential threats while her twin connection to Lethe provides additional tactical awareness.
Gweynne: (her Shadow Dragon Empress abilities creating communication pathways to the team) Movement detected. Mercury Black is approaching Yukikaze's location, and he's alone.
Shoryu: (frost abilities creating subtle ice patterns that won't interfere with the approaching conversation) He's made a choice to seek her out privately. This could be the breakthrough we've been working toward.
Mercury emerges from the academy's main building, his mechanical legs moving with uncharacteristic hesitation rather than their usual precise confidence. The psychological conditioning that has defined him for years wars against the growing awareness that Yukikaze's presence has awakened.
Neptune's monitoring equipment, positioned discretely throughout the gardens, begins registering unprecedented electromagnetic activity as Mercury approaches Yukikaze's location.
Mercury: (calling out softly) Yukikaze? I saw you from the dormitory windows. You looked... troubled.
Yukikaze: (turning to face him, her purple hair catching moonlight while electrical energy dances around her fingertips) Mercury. I didn't expect to see you tonight.
Mercury: (moving closer, his silver eyes reflecting internal conflict) I couldn't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I keep thinking about our conversations, about the things you've said about family and protection and... choices.
The honesty in his voice surprises both of them. Mercury's conditioning has trained him to present calculated responses rather than genuine vulnerability, but proximity to Yukikaze's thunder abilities continues to erode those artificial barriers.
Yukikaze: (her dragon empress training warring with personal concern) Mercury, what's happening to you? You seem different lately. Less... mechanical.
Mercury: (stopping just within arm's reach, his voice carrying unprecedented emotion) That's what I need to talk to you about. These feelings, these memories that keep surfacing when I'm around you - they're breaking apart everything I thought I knew about myself.
From their observation positions, Team MTGSY recognizes the significance of this moment. Mercury is voluntarily seeking emotional support from Yukikaze, suggesting his conditioning is failing at an accelerating rate.
Yukikaze: (stepping closer, her thunder abilities unconsciously reaching toward him) What kind of memories?
Mercury: (his mechanical legs betraying slight tremors as suppressed emotions surface) Fragments. A girl with crimson scales who used to laugh at my terrible jokes. Training sessions that felt like play instead of survival. A sense of belonging somewhere safe, somewhere I was wanted rather than just... useful.
Yukikaze's eyes widen as she realizes he's describing recovered memories of Mist. The psychological breakthrough they've been working toward is happening naturally through their growing connection.
Yukikaze: (her voice gentle but urgent) Mercury, those aren't just random memories. They're pieces of who you used to be before... before someone took them away from you.
Mercury: (his conditioning fighting against the returning awareness) But that's impossible. I've always been who I am now. Marcus trained me, Cinder recruited me, I have a mission to complete...
The internal conflict becomes visible as Mercury presses his hands against his temples, fighting against the psychological programming that screams at him to report these thoughts, to maintain his cover, to complete his assigned tasks.
Yukikaze: (her thunder abilities instinctively reaching out to comfort him) Mercury, look at me. What does your heart tell you about Cinder's mission? Not your training, not your conditioning - your heart.
Mercury: (meeting her eyes with desperate honesty) That it's wrong. That innocent people will be hurt. That whatever she's planning for Beacon will destroy lives that don't deserve to be destroyed.
The admission hits him like a lightning strike. For the first time since his recruitment, Mercury has acknowledged that he has moral objections to Cinder's plans.
Yukikaze: (moving closer, her electrical abilities creating gentle patterns around both of them) Then why continue serving her?
Mercury: (his voice breaking with genuine anguish) Because I don't know how to be anything else. This mission, this identity, this purpose - it's all I have. Without Cinder's orders, without the mission parameters, I don't know who I'm supposed to be.
Yukikaze: (reaching out to touch his face gently, her thunder abilities creating warm electrical currents that soothe rather than harm) You're supposed to be yourself, Mercury. The person you were before they made you forget how to care about anything.
The gentle electrical contact triggers another cascade of recovered memories. Mercury sees flashes of his childhood friendship with Mist, remembers feeling safe and valued, recalls a time when his combat abilities were used to protect rather than destroy.
Mercury: (tears beginning to form as the full scope of what was stolen from him becomes clear) They took everything. My memories, my connections, my ability to form genuine relationships. They turned me into a weapon and made me grateful for the privilege.
Yukikaze: (her protective dragon instincts fully engaging) Not anymore. You have choices now, Mercury. You can choose who you want to be going forward.
Mercury: (looking at her with desperate hope and crushing fear) But what if I choose wrong? What if I'm too broken to be anything other than what they made me?
Yukikaze: (her thunder abilities creating a protective aura around both of them) Then I'll help you learn. My family will help you learn. You don't have to face this alone.
The promise hangs in the air between them, representing everything Mercury has forgotten he could want: genuine care, unconditional support, a place to belong that isn't contingent on his usefulness as a weapon.
Mercury: (his voice barely a whisper) Yukikaze, what Cinder is planning... it's going to happen during the tournament. People are going to die. Students, civilians, people who've never done anything to deserve what's coming.
Yukikaze: (her protective fury causing visible lightning to arc around her) Then we stop her.
Mercury: (shaking his head with anguish) You don't understand. It's not just Cinder. There are forces behind this that go beyond anything you can imagine. Ancient powers, dimensional threats, enemies that exist beyond normal reality.
Yukikaze: (her voice carrying royal authority and dragon family determination) Mercury, look at me. Really look at me.
As Mercury meets her gaze, Yukikaze allows her full Thunder Dragon Empress aura to manifest. Electrical energy surrounds her like a storm, her royal bearing becomes evident, and the power she commands becomes undeniable.
Yukikaze: (her voice resonating with ancient authority) I am Yukikaze Ayakashi, Thunder Dragon Empress, sister to Kazuma the Black Dragon King, member of a family that has protected multiple realms for millennia. The forces you're afraid of? We've been preparing to face them our entire lives.
Mercury: (staring in amazement as he finally understands the true scope of what he's been offered) You're not just a student at Beacon. You're actual royalty. Ancient power. The kind of strength that could stand against anything Cinder represents.
Yukikaze: (stepping even closer, her electrical abilities creating bridges of energy between them) And I'm offering to stand with you. Not because you're useful to my family's mission, but because you matter to me personally.
The declaration creates a moment of perfect clarity for Mercury. For the first time since his childhood, someone is offering him unconditional care and protection without expecting anything in return except his genuine self.
Mercury: (his voice carrying newfound determination) If I choose you, if I choose your family over Cinder's mission, there's no going back. She'll try to kill me the moment she realizes I've switched sides.
Yukikaze: (her thunder abilities crackling with protective fury) Let her try. She'll discover that threatening someone under dragon family protection carries consequences she's not prepared for.
Mercury: (reaching out to take her hand, electrical energy flowing between them in a way that feels like coming home) Then I choose you. I choose your family. I choose the chance to be someone worth caring about instead of just someone useful for destruction.
The moment their hands connect fully, Mercury's artificial psychological conditioning finally shatters completely. Years of suppressed memories, emotions, and genuine personality traits flood back in a rush that leaves him gasping with the intensity of recovery.
From their observation positions, Team MTGSY witnesses the complete psychological breakthrough they've been working toward.
Mist: (tears streaming down her face as her childhood friend finally remembers who he used to be) He's back. Mercury is finally back.
Toshiro: (his Steel Dragon King abilities detecting the fundamental shift in Mercury's energy patterns) The conditioning is completely broken. He's psychologically free for the first time in years.
Gweynne: (her Shadow Dragon Empress abilities monitoring for potential threats) And just in time. My abilities detect hostile movement approaching this location. Cinder's people have noticed Mercury's absence and are investigating.
Shoryu: (frost abilities creating concealment barriers around Yukikaze and Mercury) Emergency extraction. We need to get Mercury to safety before Cinder realizes what's happened.
Mercury: (his recovered memories providing context for the immediate danger) Too late. She already suspects. The psychological monitoring, the behavioral analysis, the regular check-ins - they're designed to detect exactly this kind of breakthrough.
Yukikaze: (her protective instincts fully engaged) Then we make our stand here. You're under dragon family protection now, Mercury. Anyone who wants to hurt you will have to go through me first.
Mercury: (for the first time in years, allowing himself to hope) And if they do come for me?
Yukikaze: (her thunder abilities creating a storm of protective energy around them both) Then they'll learn why threatening a Thunder Dragon Empress's chosen family is considered one of the most dangerous mistakes anyone can make.
In the distance, Emerald Sustrai's voice can be heard calling Mercury's name with increasing urgency, while Cinder's distinctive silhouette appears at the academy's entrance, her Fall Maiden powers creating ominous environmental effects.
The choice has been made, the psychological breakthrough is complete, and the confrontation that will determine Mercury's future - and possibly the fate of Beacon Academy itself - is about to begin.
Mercury: (squeezing Yukikaze's hand as he faces the approaching threat with genuine courage for the first time in years) Whatever happens next, thank you for helping me remember who I really am.
Yukikaze: (her royal bearing evident as she prepares to defend her chosen family) Welcome home, Mercury Black. Now let's show them what dragon family protection really means.
Vytal Festival Tournament - The Storm Empress Intervenes
The Gathering Storm - Skye's Decision
As Cinder Fall's silhouette becomes more distinct against Beacon's entrance, her Fall Maiden powers causing the very air around her to shimmer with dangerous energy, a new presence makes itself known in the moonlit gardens. The temperature drops several degrees as storm winds begin to gather with unnatural precision.
Skye Dragonblade steps into the garden clearing, her enhanced abilities from sanctuary training immediately evident in the controlled way atmospheric pressure shifts around her. Unlike the chaotic storm energy she once displayed, every movement of air and electrical charge flows with surgical precision that would impress even ancient dragons.
Her storm abilities don't just manifest randomly - they create tactical barriers that separate Yukikaze and Mercury from the approaching threats while providing clear sightlines for the observing dragon family members.
Skye: (her voice carrying the authority of enhanced sanctuary training) Cousin Yukikaze, Mercury - you might want to step back. I believe it's time I had that conversation with Cinder that's been years overdue.
Mercury: (his recovered memories providing context for the family dynamics at play) Skye Dragonblade. I remember you now - Mist's older cousin, the one who disappeared for advanced training.
Yukikaze: (her thunder abilities instinctively responding to Skye's storm powers in supportive harmony) Skye, you don't understand what you're facing. Cinder possesses Fall Maiden powers that transcend normal combat parameters.
Skye: (her expression carrying storm-like intensity mixed with family knowledge) I understand exactly what I'm facing. What Cinder doesn't understand is that sanctuary training specifically prepares you to counter opponents whose power sources seem infinite or mysterious.
From her position at the academy entrance, Cinder Fall pauses as she recognizes the figure now standing between her and Mercury. Her Fall Maiden abilities flicker with surprise rather than immediate aggression.
Cinder: (her voice carrying dangerous curiosity) Skye Dragonblade. I wondered when you would make your appearance. Though I admit, I expected you to choose a more... private venue for our family reunion.
The acknowledgment of their distant family connection sends ripples of understanding through the assembled dragon family observers. This confrontation carries personal history that extends beyond simple tactical concerns.
Emerald's Confusion and Growing Awareness
Emerald Sustrai arrives in the garden clearing, her illusion abilities primed for combat, but stops short as she processes the scene before her. Mercury stands with Yukikaze, clearly having made a choice to abandon their mission, while an unknown woman faces Cinder with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what they're dealing with.
Emerald: (her voice tight with stress and confusion) Mercury, what are you doing? We have mission parameters to maintain. Cinder's orders were specific about operational security.
Mercury: (his recovered memories providing him with genuine emotional clarity for the first time in years) Emerald, when was the last time you made a choice because you wanted to, rather than because Cinder told you to?
The question hits Emerald like a physical blow. Her illusion abilities flicker involuntarily as she realizes she can't remember the last time she acted on personal desire rather than programmed obedience.
Emerald: (defensive anger masking growing uncertainty) I choose to serve Cinder because her vision represents order over the chaos of this world. Because she provides purpose and direction.
Yukikaze: (her empathetic dragon abilities detecting the suppressed doubt in Emerald's voice) That sounds like something you've been taught to say rather than something you believe.
From their observation positions, Fox's enhanced hearing picks up the subtle stress patterns in Emerald's responses, while Velvet's empathetic abilities detect the same artificial psychological conditioning they've identified in Mercury.
Fox: (subvocalizing to the surveillance network) Emerald's showing the same psychological manipulation patterns as Mercury. Whatever conditioning process was used on him was also applied to her.
Velvet: (her photographic memory cataloging behavioral details) But her conditioning is different - more subtle, more focused on emotional dependency rather than complete personality suppression.
Cinder: (her Fall Maiden powers creating intimidating environmental effects) Emerald, secure Mercury and eliminate any witnesses to his defection. We cannot allow operational compromises to jeopardize our timeline.
The casual order to "eliminate witnesses" causes visible shock among those present. For Mercury, whose recovered memories include genuine care for others, the command represents everything he now refuses to be part of.
Mercury: (stepping protectively closer to Yukikaze) Emerald, listen to yourself. She just ordered you to kill academy students. People our age who are here for education, not war.
Emerald: (her illusion abilities wavering as internal conflict intensifies) They're... they're obstacles to the greater vision. Acceptable losses for the transformation Cinder will bring to this world.
Skye: (her storm abilities creating gentle atmospheric patterns around Emerald) Tell me, Emerald - what do YOU want that transformation to look like? Not Cinder's vision, not the mission parameters, but your personal hopes for the future.
The question creates visible distress for Emerald. Her illusion abilities flicker erratically as she tries to access personal desires that have been buried under layers of psychological conditioning.
The Aquila Saint's Precision
As tension builds in the garden clearing, Skye demonstrates the first level of her enhanced sanctuary training. Instead of raw destructive force, her storm abilities begin creating precise atmospheric manipulations that affect her opponents' sensory input without causing physical harm.
The air pressure around Cinder shifts subtly, making her Fall Maiden flames require more concentration to maintain their intensity. Wind currents create acoustic dead zones that interfere with Emerald's ability to coordinate illusions across multiple targets simultaneously.
Skye: (her voice carrying tactical confidence) Cinder, you've grown accustomed to opponents who fear your mysterious power source. The Aquila Saint taught me something valuable about dealing with enemies who rely on intimidation rather than strategy.
Cinder: (her Fall Maiden abilities flaring with genuine surprise at the tactical countermeasures) Sanctuary training. I should have expected Derek's family to pursue advanced combat enhancement.
Skye: (wind patterns creating communication barriers that prevent Emerald from receiving clear orders) The thing about precision training is that it teaches you to identify the difference between genuine power and theatrical displays designed to create fear.
Her storm abilities demonstrate this principle by creating localized weather patterns that neutralize the environmental intimidation effects of Cinder's Fall Maiden powers without directly challenging their raw force.
Mercury: (watching in amazement as someone stands against Cinder without being overwhelmed by her presence) She's not afraid. How is she not afraid?
Yukikaze: (her thunder abilities harmonizing with Skye's storm powers to create mutually supportive energy patterns) Because she's been trained specifically for this type of confrontation. Sanctuary training prepares you to face opponents whose power seems infinite.
The Serpent Saint's Insight
As the confrontation continues, Skye reveals the second aspect of her enhanced training. Her storm abilities begin analyzing the energy patterns of Cinder's Fall Maiden powers, identifying specific frequencies and manifestation signatures that provide tactical advantages.
Skye: (her voice carrying ancient wisdom despite her relatively young age) The Serpent Saint taught me to understand power sources that others find mysterious. Your Fall Maiden abilities draw from seasonal transition energies, specifically the destructive aspects of autumn's transformation.
Cinder: (her confidence wavering slightly as her powers are analyzed rather than feared) Knowing the source doesn't grant you the ability to counter it.
Skye: (atmospheric pressure shifts creating subtle disruptions in Cinder's energy flows) Actually, it does. Seasonal powers rely on natural cyclical patterns. Disrupt the cycle, disrupt the power source.
Her storm abilities demonstrate this by creating artificial weather patterns that conflict with autumn's natural energy signatures, forcing Cinder's Fall Maiden powers to work against atmospheric resistance they weren't designed to handle.
From their observation positions, Neptune's equipment registers unprecedented electromagnetic activity as two different categories of supernatural power interact in ways his sensors have never recorded.
Neptune: (amazed by the technical readings) She's not overpowering Cinder's abilities - she's making them inefficient. The energy cost for maintaining Fall Maiden effects just increased exponentially.
Sun: (his faunus instincts recognizing pack dynamics in the confrontation) And she's doing it while making it look effortless. That's not just power - that's psychological warfare.
Emerald's Breaking Point
As Skye's tactical demonstration continues, Emerald finds herself caught between conflicting loyalties and growing awareness of her own psychological conditioning. The precision of Skye's abilities creates an environment where illusions become more difficult to maintain, forcing Emerald to confront reality without her usual defensive mechanisms.
Emerald: (her voice cracking under emotional pressure) This isn't... this isn't how it was supposed to happen. Mercury was supposed to complete his mission, we were supposed to execute the plan, everything was supposed to follow the established parameters.
Mercury: (approaching her with genuine compassion despite their adversarial history) Emerald, when did you last make a decision based on what you wanted rather than what would please Cinder?
Emerald: (her illusion abilities failing entirely as suppressed emotions surface) I... I wanted to survive. I wanted to matter to someone. I wanted to belong somewhere instead of being alone on the streets.
Yukikaze: (her empathetic dragon abilities detecting the genuine pain beneath Emerald's conditioning) And Cinder offered you those things in exchange for absolute obedience.
Emerald: (tears beginning to form as she realizes the scope of her psychological manipulation) She said I was special. That my abilities made me valuable. That serving her vision would give my life meaning.
Skye: (her storm abilities creating gentle, comforting atmospheric patterns around Emerald) Your abilities do make you special. But your value doesn't depend on how useful you are to someone else's plans.
The gentle atmospheric manipulation has an unexpected effect on Emerald's psychological state. Like Mercury's response to Yukikaze's electrical contact, the artificial weather patterns begin disrupting the suppression mechanisms that have kept her genuine personality buried.
Cinder's Realization and Escalation
As Cinder watches her carefully conditioned agents beginning to question their loyalty, her Fall Maiden powers surge with dangerous intensity. The tactical demonstration she expected to overwhelm quickly becomes a genuine threat to her operational control.
Cinder: (her voice carrying lethal authority) Enough. Both of you have proven yourselves compromised assets. Emerald, eliminate Mercury and the dragon family members immediately, or face the consequences of operational failure.
The direct threat to Mercury triggers something fundamental in Emerald's psychology. Despite years of conditioning, her genuine affection for her partner wars against her programmed obedience.
Emerald: (her voice small but defiant) No.
The single word hangs in the air like a thunderclap. For the first time since her recruitment, Emerald has directly refused one of Cinder's orders.
Cinder: (Fall Maiden powers creating visible heat distortions as her control slips) Repeat your response, Emerald.
Emerald: (standing straighter as suppressed personality traits surface) I said no. I won't hurt Mercury, and I won't kill innocent students for your plans.
Mercury: (moving to stand beside Emerald in a show of solidarity) We both choose differently, Cinder. Your mission ends here.
Skye: (her storm abilities creating protective barriers around the recovering agents) Welcome to the concept of free will. It's remarkably liberating once you remember how to use it.
The Scorpio Saint's Ultimate Lesson
As Cinder's rage builds toward destructive levels, Skye reveals the final aspect of her sanctuary training. Instead of matching force with force, her abilities focus on neutralizing the psychological dominance that has been Cinder's greatest weapon.
Skye: (her voice carrying absolute conviction despite facing potentially lethal retaliation) Sonia, the Gold Saint of Scorpio, taught me the most important lesson about facing opponents like you, Cinder.
Cinder: (her Fall Maiden powers creating a localized firestorm around her position) And what lesson was that?
Skye: (atmospheric patterns creating zones of perfect calm within the destructive energy) That your power isn't in your abilities - it's in making others believe they're powerless to resist you. Once someone realizes they have choices, your control over them ends.
Her storm abilities demonstrate this principle by creating pockets of safety within Cinder's destructive display, showing everyone present that the Fall Maiden's seemingly unlimited power can be countered through strategic application rather than overwhelming force.
Mercury: (amazed at the tactical demonstration) She's making Cinder's power look... manageable.
Yukikaze: (her thunder abilities working in perfect coordination with Skye's storm powers) That's the point. Fear is only effective when your opponent believes resistance is impossible.
From their observation positions, the dragon family members recognize the profound significance of what they're witnessing.
Derek: (his ancient authority evident in his approval) Skye has achieved something remarkable. She's not just countering Cinder's abilities - she's dismantling the psychological framework that makes those abilities terrifying.
Katsura: (her voice carrying ancient pride) Sanctuary training at its finest. The true victory isn't defeating your enemy's power - it's proving that their power can be resisted.
The Choice of Family
As the confrontation reaches its climax, both Mercury and Emerald find themselves facing a fundamental choice about who they want to be going forward. The psychological conditioning that has defined them for years lies in ruins around them, leaving them free to choose their own path.
Mercury: (taking Yukikaze's hand while facing Cinder without fear for the first time in years) I choose the dragon families. I choose protection instead of destruction, belonging instead of usefulness.
Emerald: (her voice still uncertain but growing stronger) I choose... I choose to find out who I am when I'm not trying to please someone else.
Skye: (her storm abilities creating a protective aura around all three of them) And I choose to ensure that both of you have the time and safety needed to discover your authentic selves.
Cinder: (her Fall Maiden powers reaching dangerous levels as she realizes the complete failure of her psychological control) Then you've all chosen destruction. If I cannot maintain operational security through compliance, I will ensure it through elimination.
The threat represents a fundamental escalation. Cinder is preparing to abandon subtle manipulation in favor of direct lethal force, putting not just the escaped agents at risk but potentially the entire academy.
Yukikaze: (her thunder abilities surging in response to the threat to her chosen family) Let her try. She'll discover that dragon family protection extends beyond individual combat to coordinated response from multiple ancient powers.
As if summoned by her words, the garden clearing begins to fill with the presence of other dragon family members, their varied abilities creating a network of power that transforms the tactical situation entirely.
Mist: (her crimson scales gleaming as she emerges from concealment) Mercury, welcome home. We've been waiting a very long time for you to remember where you belong.
The reunion between childhood friends, witnessed by their chosen families and protected by dragon power that spans millennia, represents everything Cinder's manipulative control sought to prevent: genuine connection, mutual support, and the strength that comes from choosing to belong rather than being forced to serve.
The Network Responds
As the confrontation escalates beyond individual combat, the expanded alliance network that has been monitoring the situation throughout the evening begins to coordinate their response. Teams SSSN and CFVY move into action with precision that speaks to their integration into dragon family tactical structures.
Sun: (his faunus instincts coordinating movement with Hon'oh's tactical analysis) Perimeter secure. No additional hostile forces detected, but we're monitoring escape routes in case Cinder attempts tactical withdrawal.
Neptune: (his equipment registering massive electromagnetic fluctuations as multiple supernatural power sources interact) Energy readings are off the charts. Whatever's about to happen, it's going to be unprecedented.
Coco: (her tactical leadership ensuring civilian protection) Fox and Velvet are coordinating academy security protocols. Any students still in the area are being evacuated to safe distances.
Yatsuhashi: (his philosophical training helping him understand the deeper implications) This isn't just about rescuing Mercury and Emerald anymore. This confrontation will determine whether psychological manipulation can stand against genuine free choice backed by family protection.
From their coordinated positions, the alliance demonstrates something that Cinder's individualistic approach cannot counter: the power of multiple people choosing to work together for mutual protection rather than personal gain.
Skye: (her storm abilities coordinating with the tactical network around them) This is what you never understood, Cinder. Real power doesn't come from controlling others - it comes from inspiring them to choose cooperation over isolation.
As the moonlit garden fills with dragon family power, academy security protocols, and the coordinated response of students who have chosen to stand together against existential threats, the stage is set for a confrontation that will determine not just individual fates, but the very nature of how power can and should be used in their world.
The choice between manipulation and cooperation, between forced servitude and chosen family, between individual dominance and collective strength, hangs in the balance as ancient powers prepare to face modern threats with wisdom that spans millennia and bonds that transcend normal relationship categories.
To be continued in Chapter 21: Round One, Part III; The Dragon's Gambit