A/N: I want to get this out of the way first before the chapter.
One, I'm out of the hospital after a week and a half of observation due to extremely adverse side affects from medication I was put on. I'm doing a lot better now.
Two, while I was at it, I went and got help for some mental issues I had growing up. AKA, I was being my own hero and getting help I needed since Life was dragging me down heavily.
Three, I'm doing far better now then I once was both physically and mentally. So the chapters might be shorter or longer depending on how it's going for me that week. So please bare with it the best you can and enjoy this 3k word chapter.
Thank you,
~Hawkin
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Logan sighed as he observed the dusty and barren plateau. There wasn't a trace of any vegetation to be seen anywhere, yet a few stones were shaped into huts. Signs of bonfires dotted the plateau here and there while there wasn't a person in sight. Logan's companion, who dropped her hood to reveal a female Ram Faunus with ram horns and dark-colored hair, nodded her head in acceptance.
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Logan: "You sure this is the place, Kaycee?" Logan asked his companion. "There's not a soul around."
Kaycee: "I'm sure." Kaycee, Logan's cloaked companion, said. "This is the plateau they live at. Unless they found somewhere else to set up shop, they can't be anywhere else."
Logan: "Yet, there isn't anyone here..." Logan spoke but trailed off. "Scratch that," He whispered, "We're being watched."
Kaycee: "Not surprising," Kaycee spoke unconcerned, "After all, we are trespassing on their territory. It would be arrogant if they didn't see us as a threat."
Logan: "... and the fact someone just stabbed me in the ass?" Logan asked as his ash flew around him and bound the offender tightly.
Kaycee: "Now that was just how they say, 'welcome, you're trespassing. Don't be a baby" Kaycee admonished Logan as she turned around to face an armed group with a simple smile on her face. "Roads, good to see ya! How ya been?"
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The one Logan had bound with his ash was a dark-skinned man in his thirties with amber eyes and a scar running the length of his face across his left eye. He and the rest of his group of three appeared from a thin cut sheet of stone that hid an underground tunnel. Around the group, several more teams of three appeared from similar hidden tunnels. Each person was garbed in tan outfits with deep earth brown cloaks covering them. Among them, Logan spotted one that had lime-green mana emanating from their eyes guarded by several heavily armed guards
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Logan was slightly off-put by how fast they managed to surround him and his companion so quickly with little to no sound. He could even tell that the Maiden was extremely well versed in their power and could use it seemingly perfectly. Logan had barely felt any mana flux when she used the powers of the Summer Maiden.
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Roads: "Could be better, could be worse." Roads spoke as Logan observed as his tribe surrounded them. "Could you let me go now?" Logan dropped him. "Thank you."
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Logan sighed and let Kaycee explain why they were there while keeping quiet about confirming whether or not they had the Summer Maiden, which was pretty obvious. And since Kaycee is one of Dustlin's, Shade Academy's Headmaster, trusted personnel, she knew what to look for. Thankfully, Roads and Kaycee had some history that was on good enough terms to allow them to speak with their leader, Lapis Weaver.
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It didn't take long for them to be led underground by the Maiden into a large open and hidden cut inside the plateau. The cutout was done in such a way that it made it almost impossible to see from the sand or from above and the only way into the cutout was through a series of winding tunnels. Each twist and turn was designed to give defenders a better means of defense of the element of surprise should the place get attacked. Logan was impressed with the design as he used similar tunnels in Menagerie when the Kuo Kuana was remodeled and had hidden passageways for the rebuilt White Fang subgroup, the Black Fangs.
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Once inside the cutout, they found a bustling city underneath the plateau's top. Numerous houses and workshops dotted the massive open space with ease. The underneath of the plateau's top had several massive arches that held up its extreme weight with a few large support columns placed here and there to add extra support; all finely decorated with flower carvings and murals. A central river flowed throughout the middle of the city, bringing fresh and clean water from the nearby aquifers through underground channels.
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After walking for a while, Logan and Kaycee were led inside a modest, 2-story sone house with one-foot thick walls. Once inside, they were greeted by youth in blue robes and leather armor with steel plates reinforcing his shoulders. At a glance, Logan could tell that this was the second in command and the Maiden was in charge. Once they were seated around a small stone table while sitting on colorful, hand-woven mats; Logan turned towards the Maiden.
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Logan: "Let's spare the nonsense for once." Logan started, getting looks from Kaycee and the second-in-command.
???: "Loxs (Locks), you can leave. "The Maiden spoke up after Logan. "It seems that our usual tactics will not be necessary."
Loxs: "As you wish," Loxs spoke before getting up and leaving.
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After Loxs left, the house descended into silence. Kaycee was looking at Logan while he was looking at the Maiden who had pulled down her face and head covering. This revealed a young human girl around her late teens, early twenties at the most. She had short stone grey hair and purple eyes.
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Lapis: "Well then, I'm Lapis Weaver." The maiden introduced herself. "Leader of the Stonemasons."
Logan: "Logan Scarlette," Logan simply said.
Kaycee: "Kaycee Ovis." Kaycee spoke, seeing that she would just be a casual observer from here on out.
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Lapis: "Now that introductions are out of the way, what brings the two of you out here?" Lapis asked as she got comfortable.
Logan: "Do you know what you are?" Logan asked, getting right to the point. "Do you know what you possess right now?"
Lapis: "You mean my Semblance?" Lapis asked. "So what? I can move stone around like it's nothing."
Logan: "That's not only why we're here." Logan stated. "What you possess has the power to whip cities like Haven or Vale off the map with ease should you wish to try it. and it's far more than just a mere semblance like you think it is."
Lapis: "So what, like magic?" She scoffed. "Please, everyone knows that magic isn't real."
Logan: "Not only is magic real," Logan said as he formed ice within the palm of his hand and then turned it to stone and fire, "But you possess what is called Maiden powers. Specifically, the Summer Maiden powers of earth control."
Lapis: "Oh..." She said after watching Logan's display. "That wasn't Dust you used there. Okay, wow." She huffed. "So, magic is real and I can use it. What now?"
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Logan sighed and began to explain what the Maidens are and their history. Answering any questions about them and trying to explain why they were named as such. Doing his best to avoid why they are named weirdly. Taking his time to explain their powers and how to tell if someone was a Maiden. All the while using a bot of magic that he learned from Magus to sway her to have a more positive outlook with them rather than being alone and having no real allies outside her tribe.
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Logan suppressed a sigh as he watched as the slight mental suggestion worked its magic. While he knew that this was for the best of Remnant, he hated using it. At least he had an easier way to get to her if it was needed. Once everything was said and done, the three stood and went to leave.
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Kaycee: "Thank you for understanding." Kaycee thanked Lapis as she shook her hand.
Lapis: "It was a pleasure, thank you for letting me know." Lapis said as she raised her hand for Logan to shake. "I'll talk with my tribe as soon as I can, if it's me, we can make the journey to Shade as fast as possible
Logan: "Remember, there are those out there that will try to use you for their own plans." Logan told her as her hand shook his gloved hand. "We just want what's best for Remnant as a whole. And if it means that Shade gets a new plateau for the city to expand onto, then it's a small price to pay."
Lapis: "How do I know that you aren't using me for your own plans?" Lapis asked as they reached the door to the hut which was just a rug hung just about the doorway.
Logan: "I'm one to always keep my word, regardless of what it is." Logan spoke truthfully. "So, I give you my word that nothing bad will happen to your tribe should you move to Shade. If anything happens, I will personally come and heal any and all injured while letting your tribe find a fitting punishment for my transgression."
Lapis: "You don't have to go that far." Lapis spoke quickly, seeing in Logan's eyes he was willing to go that far.
Kaycee: "Anyway, If you need anything, you know that Shade is always willing to lead a hand." Kaycee said after Logan's declaration. "Just send a messenger Hawk and well do our best to help your tribe."
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They left soon after getting a guide back to the surface of the Plateau. Once there, they mounted their camels and set off back to Shade, a tiring three-day journey.
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{RWBY: Fireborn}
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Logan almost swore as soon as he stepped back into Shade. While Shade is a city built upon a massive slab of stone and dirt was impressive, he remembered he had taken up the task of dealing with the three Sandworms that were plaguing its trade routes to the sea. Something he had completely forgotten about while dealing with the Stonemasons Tribe. Sighing, Logan turned around and walked back out of the city while Kaycee just laughed at his misfortune. She told him that she would report back to the Headmistress, Lilly Brimstone, for him.
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Once outside the city limits, Logan took to the sky in search of the Sandworms trail. After an hour of searching, he managed to find one of them already being fought by a caravan from the trade route. Sighing to himself, Logan swooped down with his sword drawn and covered with emerald fire. Plunging the sword into the maw of the massive, thirty-foot worm with razor-sharp spikes that were its teeth, Logan fill the beast with enough lightning to power Vale three times over. Effectively cooked the worm until it was nothing but a scorched, charred, and black lump of meat.
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The Caraveneers thanked Logan profusely as they gathered around him and shouted joys of praise. Logan dismissed them and told them it was his job. After collecting a chunk of the burned carcass, Logan set off to find the other two worms he was tasked to eliminate. It didn't take long for him to find them as they were diurnal creatures and loved to sunbathe weirdly enough even though they were worms. For Logan, he could have cared less as it only made it easier for him to find them. After almost an hour of searching, Logan managed to find and kill the last worm before flying back to Shade.
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As he got close, Logan could see what made Shade so worthy of its name. Out in the middle of the Vacuo Desert was a large mountain of stone that had been carved out and shaped by centuries of hard work and ever-changing artistic styles. Over time, there were massive changes to the way the mountain looked until the way it stood today.
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Now, the mountain was cut into several sections that were held up with countless stone pillars fr each section. The bottom-most and the top-most layer was where Shade had developed its power and farmland. The top was covered in solar panels that followed the sun during the day and they provided the power for the rest of the city while also making sure that the Farmlands were constantly getting enough artificial sunlight. The second layer from the bottom was where the Market and housing were for Shade. The Market Place was dotted around the pillars that held the section up while the housings were apartment-like structures that also provided support to help hold the mountain up. The third level was where Shade had its factories and industrial district. The fourth was for the more wealthy residents of Shade. While the fifth layer was where Shade has its academy that it's named after, Shade Academy. In the end, it ended up looking like a square pyramid with Aztec-like decorations.
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Logan was always curious as to what Shade looked like since the show never showed how it looked exactly and never bothered to showcase the city. In the end, a lot of artists did what they could with their limited knowledge of how it looked. Something he could remember from his past life was that none could have come close to its splendor.
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With a sigh, Logan headed straight to the academy as his work was done and he still had to turn in the proof of his task. Thankfully he could turn them into Lilly Brimstone, the Headmistress of the academy, since the office to turn them in was next to her's. Sometimes, Logan loved his luck.
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{RWBY: Fireborn}
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And other times, he hated his luck. Why? Well...
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Lilly: "Who told you to burn them to a crisp?!" Lilly shouted at Logan who was sure that her voice reached the factories down below.
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Lilly was a Sandcat Faunus with brimstone-colored hair and little cat ears perched atop her head along with a pair of normal ears. She was garbed in light and airy clothes and sandals colored white, brown, and yellow. But she was like Professor Peach, she was short. Standing tall at a four-foot even.
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Logan: "Well-"
Lilly: "Shut it!" Lilly shouted before Logan could speak. "Now my office smells like rancid, charred meat! For fuck's sake! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Logan: "I, for one, wasn't going to spend several hours fighting one. And two, open a damn window!" Logan told her. "Plus, I wasn't sure if Kaycee even made it here. You know how much of a shopaholic she can be when she goes through the market."
Lilly: "Kaycee stopped here before running off." Lilly sighed and opened a window, letting a nice cool breeze blow in and dissipate the smell. "She told me how it went and how receptive this Lapis was to being brought into the fold. Well, at least we can count this one found. We're still missing the Fall Maiden. Still, though, it was a surprise to hear that Glynda became the Winter Maiden suddenly."
Logan: "Trust me, it was a surprise for us too." Logan said as he rolled his eyes, tired of hearing this conversation. "I'm just happy that I was the one holding our child when it happened. I rather not have Dorothy being tossed around like she was in a dryer." Logan remembered the lie they came up with to hide the fact they found out through Magus.
Lilly: "As funny as that image is, I still got work to do." Lilly said as she started to shove Logan out with the burned chunks of worm meat in his hand. "Go turn those in where they need to be and get them out of my office!"
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Logan just shrugged his shoulders and walked out, knowing full well that she couldn't push him out if he didn't want to. Once outside her office, she slammed the door behind him and Logan walked down literally twenty feet to the mission office where he turned the meat chunks in and got his reward. He was kinda annoyed as the mission he took was a bi-yearly one. After asking why it turns out that the Sandworms stay far underground during their youth and only come up when they reach their adulthood. During their youth, it was beast vs beast as they fought each other to survive and not end up as food for a larger Sandworm. Logan sighed as he got his Lein and walked out, heading for the market to see if he could find anything of use or even a gift for Glynda and Dorothy.
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Getting to the market was quick and easy since he just flew down there instead of bothering with the lifts that were usually crowded. The crowd down below was as thick as mud as Logan wadded his way through. He found several dolls that Dorothy would love and a few books for Glynda's ever-growing book nook which was bordering on becoming a library at this point. He even found a copy of her book that she wrote called, 'The Dragon's Child', which she published anonymously. She still got the royalties from it, yet her name was under wraps.
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Logan even found a store selling some Vacuo-style underwear and risky lingerie that he bought several articles for himself and Glynda. Not that anyone but the two of them would ever see them. Logan even stopped a few pick-pockets here and there while he was at it as he went around the market. By the time he was finished shopping around it was already evening and Logan headed back towards an inn he had found on the main street of the Market layer. The inn was clean and affordable while meeting all of Logan's criteria for a place to stay.
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The day after, Logan flew off back to Vale as fast as he could. Why? Well, Dorothy was coming up on six months old and Logan wanted to be there for her. That and he really missed her and Glynda. After all, those two were the most important people in his life and Logan rather die than let something bad happen to them. Logan knew that he could trust Glynda with protecting herself and Dorothy, it was just that he preferred he was there as the first line of defense in case something happened.
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Call him overprotective if you want, but nothing was more important to him than those two. Logan knew that if something happened to those two, he would not stop until they were either safe and sound or were avenged. He would be willing to become Lord Death of Murder Mountain if that was what it took to keep them safe. Even if he had to fight gods.