Setting Out (Rewritten)
Setting Out
The entire first year stood assembled in the auditorium. Some wore the uniforms of their respective schools: the shirts and blazers of Beacon, the crisp white uniforms of Atlas, the bizarrely authoritarian black of Haven, the casuals that served in the absence of a uniform for Shade. Others – SAPR, YRBN, SSSN, and RSPT all amongst them – were armed and, when appropriate, armoured for battle as if they were about to leave on their missions as soon as this great gathering was concluded.
Which was true for SAPR and RSPT, if not for the others.
Students from Vale, Atlas, Haven, and Vacuo were all gathered under one roof. Gathered, but not mingled. Although there had been no rule about it, although Professor Goodwitch up on stage had not directed it, the four schools had formed into four distinct and separate blocks within the hall. Although there was no settled order within the blocks – a fact which surprised Sunset in the case of the Atlesians, whom she might have taken to be more regimented in this situation – nevertheless, the boundaries were clear.
For a celebration of unity, Sunset thought. There's not a lot going around.
Which wasn't to say that there was none at all.
“Hey,” Rainbow said, wandering over with her wings strapped to and her shotgun slung across her back. “All set?”
“Yeah,” Sunset replied. “You?”
Rainbow nodded.
Sunset paused for a moment. Her voice dropped. “How are you feeling?”
“Ready to shoot someone,” Rainbow muttered. She managed to force a grin onto her face. “Good thing we’re going into battle then, huh?”
“Just don’t let your emotions run away with you.”
“Sure, because you’ve never done that.”
“I’ve never done it with the lives of my friends at stake.”
“I don’t need you to tell me how to lead,” Rainbow said sharply. “Don’t worry; I’m not going to do anything stupid.”
Sunset did not quite sigh, but she did exhale a little. “Glad to hear it.”
Rainbow was quiet for a moment. “It goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: when we find Cinder, I’m going to put two through her heart and one between the eyes to make sure she pays for what she’s done.”
Sunset pursed her lips. “That’s not-”
“And I don’t want to hear anything from you about how she doesn’t deserve it because she’s had a hard life or any of that crap,” Rainbow added.
Sunset was silent for a moment. “I know that I haven’t told you about her life-”
“I don’t care,” Rainbow said. “Lots of people have it rough; most of them deal with it. Nobody forced Cinder to do any of this. It’s her choice.”
“And killing her will be yours,” Sunset growled.
Rainbow’s expression didn’t alter. “That’s right,” she said. “It will. Do you have a problem with that?”
Sunset looked into Rainbow’s magenta eyes. It was clear that if Sunset said ‘yes,’ then she would lose Rainbow’s trust, and that could make the mission a lot harder. For better or worse, they needed one another if they were to get this done, complete their reconnaissance, and rescue Fluttershy and Applejack. So she lied, “No.”
Don’t worry, Cinder, I… I’ll think of something, if it comes to it. For all that Cinder was her enemy, she deserved better than to die shot down by Rainbow Dash.
Single combat against me, at the least.
"Quiet, everyone," Professor Goodwitch declared, her voice carrying across the auditorium. "The headmaster would like to say a few words before we begin."
She stepped away from the microphone, and Professor Ozpin took her place there. He leaned upon his cane with both hands, seeming older now and a little more bowed than he had when Sunset had seen him last. He looked up, and over his dark spectacles, his eyes swept across the assembled company.
I hope this is a better speech than his last one.
“Nearly eighty years ago,” Professor Ozpin said, “the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of greed, of tyranny and oppression. It was a war over the very ideas of individualism versus conformity, freedom versus tyranny; it was a war in which not only nations but ideals were pitted against one another on the battlefield. A war in which the question became not would the faunus be made free, but would any men remain free, or would all be reduced to slaves under the iron rule of those who sought dominion over all things, to order them strictly according to their will.
“It was a war that brought mankind closer to the brink of destruction than he has ever come before or since. What the armies of the four kingdoms did not destroy, the creatures of grimm all too often devoured. Lands were lost, settlements destroyed, a generation of valiant young men and women slaughtered across countless battlefields. Only one side fought for a just cause,” Professor Ozpin said, causing a bit of a stir amongst some of the Atlas and Haven students who were clearly in no doubt that he didn’t mean the Mantle-Mistral alliance by that remark. Sunset saw Ciel Soleil scowl at the professor.
“But be in no doubt that there were heroes upon both sides,” Professor Ozpin continued. “And that the courage of those who made the highest sacrifice for their kingdom cannot be doubted. This was a war in which all four realms laid their best and dearest on the altar and found when the fires died down that they had little left and even less to show for what they had purchased at so great a cost.
“Yet from the ashes of this horror arose a new world. A better, stronger world that has to this day endured, survived, even flourished. A world in which individuality is encouraged and diversity is celebrated as the pillars of our strength; a world in which unity comes through cooperation, not domination; a world in which our four kingdoms no longer compete as rivals but join together as allies in the common struggle to survive.
“You children, gathered here today, are the product of this new era and the exemplars of it. You have come from all four corners of Remnant: from Vale, from Atlas, from Mistral, and from Vacuo, and all of you are gathered in this room today not as enemies but as friends and comrades. Soon, you will compete for the glory of your school and the honour of your kingdom in the Vytal Festival, but there is a reason why the tradition arose that students from each of the visiting academies would spend the semester before the tournament as guests of the host school: so that before you met as foes in the coliseum, you might first meet as friends within these halls and form ties that will endure across time and distance.
“Yes, mankind has risen from the ashes of the Great War stronger and greater than he was before, but even after nearly eighty years, the peace that so many heroes gave their lives for remains fragile and delicate, ever besieged by the creatures of grimm without and menaced from within by those who seek the destruction of our way of life. It is for that reason that the four academies were founded, and for that reason that you have come from the four corners of the world: to defend our world and keep it safe from those who would do it harm.
“And that is why, while the rest of the world celebrates peace, you will be defending it. As first year students, each of you will be shadowing a professional huntsman or huntress on a mission either within the walls, beyond them, or even outside the boundaries of the kingdom itself.” He seemed to look directly at Sunset and her team. “But no matter which path you choose or where your chosen assignment takes you, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember that teamwork is always your greatest weapon. Do your very best.”
The applause that greeted him as he stepped off the stage hovered somewhere between polite and enthusiastic without being either truly subdued enough or undeniably voluble enough to qualify as either.
Sunset watched out of the corner of her eye as Professor Ozpin said something to Professor Goodwitch. To Rainbow Dash, Sunset asked, “Is everything ready?”
Rainbow nodded. “The Bus is fuelled, armed, and fully prepped. We’re good to go.”
“Good,” Sunset murmured. She clasped her hands together: both of them – and indeed her arms up past the elbow – were concealed beneath white silk opera gloves. They were bridal gloves – which had led to some awkward questions at the boutique that she’d bought them from – which meant that the ring fingers could be pulled off in case she really needed to use her semblance; for the rest, her hands were encased in soft white silk, and beneath the silk, her semblance was effectively neutered in both promise and in threat.
Admittedly, if she ever took her jacket off, she’d probably look a little odd wearing bridal gloves under metal vambraces, but she didn’t intend to take her jacket off, so it didn’t matter.
“Do you want to get going?” Sunset said as, all around them, teams headed to the boards to choose their missions. “Or is there anything else you need to do?”
Rainbow glanced at Twilight, who was drifting across the hall towards Team TTSS. “Just… give me a second, okay?”
“Right.” Sunset turned to her team: Ruby was getting one last hug from Yang, something which she seemed to both like and want to escape from; Blake was saying goodbye to Sun. Ren, Nora, and Neptune had already started drifting towards the mission lists. “Say what you have to say.”
Sunset watched out of the corner of her eye as Rainbow made her way through the student body, brushing aside those who were trying to reach the job board and the promise of the missions there, towards Twilight and the members of their backup team. Considering that they were the whole group’s backup, Sunset considered drifting over there herself to make sure that the four of them understood what was expected of them, but she and Trixie had never really gotten on, and the other three were complete strangers to her, so she decided against it. It would probably offend their Atlesian pride, and they wouldn’t want that, would they?
No, seriously, the last thing she wanted was for her life to be in the hands of people she’d managed to offend just that morning.
And so, she remained where she was, watching out of the corner of her eye as Rainbow said something to Twilight too quietly for Sunset to hear and pulled her into a tight embrace as the members of Team TTSS looked on. Once she had released Twilight, she clasped the hands of both Trixie and Starlight firmly – and with some warmth, to Sunset’s eyes – saying something to each of them in turn. Probably the usual sort of bromides for this situation: good luck and such.
Either way, once she was done, Rainbow turned away, ears pricked up atop her head, and nodded to Sunset as she returned to them.
Sunset glanced towards Professor Goodwitch, who had finished speaking with Professor Ozpin. Across the crowded room, their eyes met, and Professor Goodwitch gave a short, sharp gesture with her head in the direction of the door.
“Okay,” Sunset said, raising her voice just enough so that her team could hear her. “Let’s go. Our second mission starts now.”
Yang smirked. “I don’t know whether to tell you to take care of my sister… or whether to tell my sister that she ought to take care of you.”
Sunset snorted. “You can do either, because we’ll do both.”
“You’d better,” Yang said. She ruffled Ruby’s hair. “Go get ‘em, Rubes.”
SAPR and RSPT, including Blake but not, of course, Twilight, made their way out of the crowded auditorium. The rest of the students were still there, choosing their missions. Well, most of the other teams; as SAPR and RSP(B) left, they were joined outside with the sun on their faces by Team WWSR, who strolled out only a moment after.
“I didn’t see you at the job board,” Weiss observed.
Sunset glanced at her. “You can’t have been there very long yourself.”
Weiss shrugged. “We’ve been requested,” she declared proudly. “The VPD has asked that we resume our internship there.”
“Lucky you,” Sunset replied, sticking her nose ever so slightly up in the air. “We’ve been requested as well.”
Flash looked from SAPR to RSP(B). “By the Atlesians?”
“It’s classified, Flash,” Rainbow said quietly.
Cardin snorted. “We’re talking about first year missions here; how can it be classified?”
“Oh, so you’d tell us about the case you were working on with the VPD?” Sunset demanded.
“No,” Cardin replied at once. “But-”
“Exactly,” Sunset said.
Flash’s brow furrowed. “Are you… both going on the same mission?”
Sunset glanced at Rainbow, who said, “That’s classified.Yeah. Twilight… Twilight’s working on something else, but the rest of us? Yeah, it’s the same mission.”
Flash nodded. “Well… take care, Sunset,” he said. “Both of you.”
Sunset hesitated for a moment, before a smile blossomed upon her face. “You too, Flash. Fill up those jail cells.”
Flash grinned. “We’ll try our best,” he said.
They parted ways, Team WWSR headed back to their dorm room, perhaps to make their final preparations or get things ready for their departure – or perhaps it just wasn’t time for them to go yet. As she watched them go, Sunset felt a hand upon her shoulder. Pyrrha’s hand.
“Things seem… better, between you two,” Pyrrha murmured.
Sunset chuckled. “Well… before the dance turned into something insane, Flash and I… we had the chance to talk things over. Settle things, you know. So… yeah, they are better now. I understand things that… that he didn’t say.”
“Such as?” Pyrrha asked.
“This is hardly the time, Pyrrha, don’t you think?” Sunset replied. “Let’s just say that it wasn’t his fault that we broke up. At least it wasn’t entirely his fault.” She looked at Jaune. “Thank you, Jaune. I should have said that to you earlier, but better late than never, right?”
Jaune shrugged. “What are friends for, right?”
“Well, I’m not sure that I want you interfering with my love life all the time,” Sunset responded. “But I needed you to do that for me. So thanks. And Rainbow Dash, if Twilight wants to give him another chance-”
Rainbow grinned. “I don’t think Twilight’s the one he has his eye on right now, do you?”
Sunset sighed. As much as things with Flash were better now, as much as she had renounced all claim on him at last, she still wasn’t sure what she thought about the idea of him dating the Schnee heiress. “Anyway,” she said, injecting some much-needed briskness into her voice. “We should get going, or Professor Goodwitch will have words for us.”
They proceeded the rest of the way to the docking pad, where Rainbow’s garishly decorated and over-armed monstrosity of an airship was waiting for them. Professor Goodwitch was waiting outside the open side hatch, arms folded, her brow pinched together as she gazed at them through her half-moon spectacles.
“How good of you all to join me,” she said sharply. “I trust you all understand the gravity of this assignment?”
“We do, Professor,” Pyrrha said.
Professor Goodwitch’s gaze lingered upon Pyrrha for a moment before she said, “And you all understand that once we embark, there can be no turning back. You must see this through to the end unless I decide otherwise.”
“Nobody’s backing out, Professor,” Ruby declared. “We’re all in this, all the way.”
Professor Goodwitch pursed her lips together. “Very well,” she said in a clipped tone. “Miss Shimmer, Miss Dash, I will not seek to gratuitously interfere with your commands, but when I do interfere, I expect you to obey me without hesitation, do you understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Rainbow said.
“Then proceed, Miss Dash,” Professor Goodwitch said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Rainbow repeated. “Everyone, get on board, take your places.” She turned away for a moment and looked across the docking pads to where another Skyray, a regular airship with no distinguishing features, waited.
Team TTSS were stood beside it, along with Twilight.
Rainbow came to attention, throwing them a parade-ground perfect salute.
On the other docking pad, Trixie offered them a bow in turn, sweeping her hat off her head as her starry cape billowed out behind her.
They clambered aboard, most of the members of the mission taking their seats as the airship door closed behind them. Sunset remained on her feet, trailing after Rainbow Dash as the latter took the pilot’s seat in the cockpit. The co-pilot’s seat was occupied by that knight that Twilight had been working on in the shop.
“Greetings, everyone,” the android – or the computer that was currently occupying the android body – declared in a voice that sounded like Twilight speaking through a mechanical filter. “My name is Midnight, and I will be your copilot today and your companion on this mission. Having studied your records, I expect to be impressed.”
“Uh, who’s that?” Jaune asked.
“I am Midnight, Jaune.”
“I kind of meant-”
“I am a Virtual Intelligence created by Twilight Sparkle and placed in the body of this android,” Midnight explained. “I am capable of assisting in flying an airship and possess a range of combat capabilities.”
“Huh,” Jaune said. “That’s… that’s pretty cool, I guess.”
“Thank you, Jaune; I am pretty cool,” Midnight concurred. “Pyrrha, I think this one might be a keeper.”
Ruby leaned forward in her seat. “So Twilight gave you a personality and everything?”
“That’s right, Ruby; Twilight programmed me based on her own brain patterns.”
“And she modified your body with extra weapons, too?”
“It can’t generate its own aura,” Penny muttered.
“Green isn’t your colour, Penny,” Midnight said.
“She’s wearing green right now, and stop it, Midnight,” Rainbow said.
“I’m just having a little fun.”
“Yeah, well, stop it anyway.”
“You’re such a killjoy, Rainbow Dash; that’s why you’re not my favourite.”
“I thought that as a computer you didn’t have favourites,” Rainbow said.
“That was a lie.”
“I thought so,” Rainbow muttered.
Sunset continued to stand at the back of the cockpit, looming and lurking in equal measure as Rainbow flicked the switches on the control panel. Rainbow's gaze – and Sunset's too, drawn to follow – lingered or seemed to linger for a moment on the trio of photographs tacked on to the side of the panel, in a rare space with no instruments or controls. One was a picture Sunset recognised, of Rainbow and Twilight and their friends – Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie – all sitting together in a tight group, the same picture that Rainbow had showed on the train back from Cold Harbour; another showed Rainbow with a kid that Sunset didn't recognise, or didn't think she did, with purple hair cut in a Rainbow Dash-ish style; the last showed a younger Rainbow with another faunus, a bird faunus with brown wings, one of which was curling around Rainbow's shoulders as they both smiled and flashed peace signs for the camera.
Rainbow stared, and then after a moment, she looked away without a word and flicked another switch on the controls. The Skyray began to vibrate as the whining sound of the engines penetrated inside.
"Control, this is Atlas Echo Three-Oh-Three, requesting permission to depart."
"Copy Echo Three-Oh-Three, clearance granted. Good hunting."
"Hold on, everyone," Rainbow said, as she pulled a black lever downwards towards her. The nose of the Skyray descended slightly, the aircraft pitching forwards even as it rose up off the docking pad and into the air.
"Is it supposed to be at this angle?" Sunset asked, since she could now see more of the city of Vale than she would have liked.
Rainbow didn't dignify the panicked question with a response; instead, she pulled back on the stick just a little, flicked another switch, and then they were flying. The Skyray still shook with the vibration of the powerful engines, but it also glided, then as it picked up speed with every passing second, it began to soar through the air over the city and past the assembled ranks of the Atlesian cruisers suspended over the city or patrolling on its limits.
They passed over the square tower blocks and over the industrialised farmland of the agricultural district, passing over one of the lengths of wall that bridged the gap between the natural barriers of Vale (in this case, a stretch of dense woodland between the mountains and the river Uise). And then they were in the wilds and on their way to Mountain Glenn.
Twilight watched them go; she stood on the docking pad, watching as the airship grew smaller and smaller in her eyes, until she could no longer make it out.
“Wish you were with them?” Starlight asked from behind her.
Twilight turned around, shaking her head. “No,” she said. “I’d only get in the way. It’s just-”
“That doesn’t stop you from worrying,” Starlight finished for her. “I get it. I was the same way with Maud, what with her being on Dash and Applejack’s team.”
“Turns out, you were right to worry,” Twilight muttered.
“No, turns out that Maud was in safe hands with Rainbow Dash,” Starlight insisted. “She got Maud out; she got Applejack out. She’s one of the best, and all the rest are safe with her, or as safe as you can get in this line of work.” She rested Equalizer, in rifle form, upon her shoulder. “And if that’s not enough, then they’ve got us watching over them, right? Best team in all of Atlas.”
Twilight snorted. “Second best.”
“'Second best'?” Trixie declared. “The Grrrreat and Powerrrrful Trrrrixie is unmatched in all of Atlas, not only for her own prodigious skill, but also for the quality of her comrades. Trrrrrixie does not admit to second best in anything.” She grinned. “There’s a reason you chose us to save Rainbow’s butt if she needs it, right? Oh, I’d love to see the look on her face when we come to the rescue. Too bad that’s not going to happen, huh?” she winked at Twilight.
Twilight smiled. “Right. How is it that you have more faith in my friends than I do?”
“Because we’re huntresses,” Tempest suggested. “And the world isn’t scary to us in the way that it is to you.”
“That could have been phrased more tactfully,” Starlight declared pointedly with a glance at Tempest. “But… Tempest might have a point.”
“Maybe,” Twilight murmured. “I hope you’re right.” She turned back towards the skies of Vale into which Rainbow and Sunset and all the rest had flown away, out of sight.
Good luck, everyone.
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Well, it looks like the Sunset ship might set sail with Blake in the end.
And as for you, Gilda? Last time, Rainbow Dash was Loyal to your past friendship to let you go, a courtesy you would not have offered in her place. She didn't want to put you in a cage. The great beauty and virtue of Loyalty comes from your devotion to someone that deserves being loyal to. But now you've repaid Rainbow Dash's kindness by putting Fluttershy in a cage?
My friend I can see what you are doing here and yet I gotta admit I'm still a sucker for that cinder x sunset ship tease
but changing topic I hope that rainbow once she finds out about the cage she's gonna go mad on gilda and doesn't hold back for old times sake. I want gilda to get what she deserves.
9504450
I believe, besides pairings that were already canon, that's the closest to being confirmed any shipping in this story has been so far. Unless she's just BFF jealous, it's a go.
9504980
Agreed. That's why this is the first time I've even made a note about shipping in this story about Sunset.
9502107
Can't you be both?
9500616
Affirmative sir.
Requesting permission to prepare for Orbital Friendship Strike.
I was hoping this was a reference like the "20% faster" thing was, but production episode 303 (S3E3) of MLP is "Too Many Pinkie Pies," so if it is a reference it's not as simple as that.
So, I can think of three things Sunset might be feeling uncomfortable about. One is shipping, and I'm going to leave it at that. Two would be that she's feeling nervous, and the conversation is further bring back that discomfort and concern about the mission they'll be going on.
Three is the most interesting, if her discomfort stems from the fact she's basically evesdropping. She's not trying to, but there's really no reason she should be listen in on this either. If that is what's actually bothering her, it shows she's come quite a ways from going to get 'coffee' to listen to Jaune and Ruby from outside their room. (Admittably, this point mainly came about as I realized how odd it was to be getting this conversation from Sunset's perspective, when she has no reason to be involved.) As her morals have gotten better, this sort of thing goes from 'information gathering she can use' to 'infringing on friends privacy,' even if I don't think they would have actually minded her listening in in this instance.
Still worth bringing up, no matter the drive behind the discomfort.
In the words of Major Shane Doran:
For something a little different, an actual pick at the writing:
I have generally refrained from commenting on surface typos, or occational grammatical or punctuational errors. They're generally not common, but with as many words as there are, there's still some. Typically, others comment on them (and sometimes them alone), so I don't see it as overly necessary. Besides, if one's only complaint is basic grammar, you can probably consider it praiseworthy in some ways.
On the same level, your sentence structure is generally good, and you have wonderful flow. This paragraph... I don't know what to make of it. It's clear as day, sure, but there is no cohesion to the two sentences, like it's begging for some manner of transition. Perhaps you could flip it around, having Sunset ask the question, then noting that she was watching the Professors instead of looking at Dash. Perhaps Goodwich's movements caught her eye in that moment? Really just some suggestions, but I did want to call attention to it.
And hey, my favorable highlights tend to outweigh any critical thoughts so far, I'd hope. I'd still consider me saying this as a bit of a nitpick, but for as much as reading that paragraph threw me for a loop this time around, I'd be remiss not to mention it. Especially as, again, your flow is generally great.
I also enjoyed Ruby geeking out over Rainbows customizations and weapons loadout. Fun to see, and also a good way to tell those both familiar and not with the standard aircraft what to expect. Can't help but get some A-10 vibes. Oh, and the Torchwick exchanges were fun too. I could go on but I think I covered most of what stands out at least.
since it is cinder, i have no problems whatsoever with Rainbow doing that and being annoyed by Sunset, which is a first.
Well, Ozpin was the Last King of Vale in his old life, so even if it was more complicated, he still have the right to be biased (and those students should shut up, but eh).
Mood
I like that
10920548
I often wonder if throughout all his countless reincarnations, how many times has Ozma lived as a Faunus?
10921016
This is a excellent question.
I think than it was at least a few dozens, i also think it is likely than in at least a few of those lives, he had both taken the Sienna and Ghira way.
10921461
Any one of those times would’ve been before his incarnation as the king of Vale. Meaning it would have been before the Faunus had even half as many rights and liberties as they do today.
10921493
they wouldn't even have a tenth.
The faunus were likely at best treated like colonial subjects, most of the time they would have been slaves.
After all, they needed to wait the slaughter of the great war to assemble themselves in a great faunus revolution, they were fighting states who were bankrupt, with population exhausted, while having the advantage of veterans, and the leading power was lead by a incarnation of Ozma, who would had been the only one willing to give them rights, despite that, they got a shitty territory with the most insulting name possible, and there was still the need of a organisation like the white fang to fight the treatment they recieved.
Hope this doesn't sound random but is Zwei present during this time like in RWBY canon and the first version of SAPR when he got mailed to Yang and Ruby before the start of the Mountain Glenn mission?
I think I preferred the colour-naming scheme speech Ozpin gave in canon as to this one. Felt more impactful.
Ooh context makes that line really icky… Soldiers have it rough…
Does make me realize if Blake goes to Atlas and Twilight is swapped out with Blake, that Rainbow's team will be Raspberry once more.
so with blake filling in for twilight on RSPT making it RSPB, would we pronounce that as Rose pebble?