Chapter 34

There was an invisible, yet almost tangible feel of energy that reverberated the household as Weiss got up that morning.

When she was finally done getting ready and made her way down to the living room of the household they were squatting in within Mistral, the vast majority of her fatigue from the intense training yesterday having vanished, everyone was already up.

Everyone was incredibly active, bar a few certain individuals. Yang had boredly kicked her feet up atop the coffee table, Weiss had to fight off the urge to sigh at how lacking in manners she was. Arc was staring off into nothing, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, a sort of brooding look upon his face. If it was the her just entered Beacon, with his pristine white body armour glistening with gold trim like that, she might have even thought he looked rather cool.

She'd spent enough time around Blake now though to realise how tiring brooding people were sometimes.

Nora was practically humming as she went about doing whatever a Nora does when people weren't in need of her for something or training. Ren and Ruby were making breakfast, as odd a sight as it was to see Ruby of all people being capable of such a thing. The months apart since the Fall of Beacon had done wonders for her team leaders growth it seemed.

She could tell Ruby was excited by that little wiggle she did every now and then. She did it to let out some of that excess energy she always had, something Weiss had picked up on during their time as a team back at Beacon. The most surprising of all might just be the slight smile Ren wore, his face was normally quite blank. The only time she'd really seen him smile was on that first night she and Yang turned up and they'd all been reunited.

Qrow was tapping one of his feet incessantly, trying to pass the time and poor Oscar just sat on one of the comfy red armchairs and looked around at everyone wide eyed as if he couldn't quite understand what was going on.

She was right there with him actually.

"What's got everyone so energised?" the white haired former heiress asked as she fully entered the living room and took a seat on the couch beside Yang.

Yang barely glanced up from her scroll before she shrugged and went back to whatever she was doing on said scroll.

Oscar smiled sheepishly at her and just shrugged, but Qrow just released a bored sigh, "None of those other brats told you?" the red eyed Branwen asked idly. Well, she wouldn't be asking if she knew, now would she? "We're meeting up with that flirty brat Cobalt today, today's the day we designated for a meet up to talk about how things are going."

Weiss' eyes widened, and both elation and anger filled her. Elation, because it seemed she would get to see her best friend again. And anger, well, because: "Ruby!" the white haired girl twisted her head towards the kitchen and shouted. Her teammate jumped, letting out a yelp, "Why didn't you tell me we were meeting up with Cobalt!?" she demanded.

Ruby turned towards her and rubbed the back of her head, a sheepish smile on her face, "..I kind of forgot?" she replied, "Hehehehe."

Weiss crossed her arms and huffed lightly with a roll of her eyes before nodding her head at the gathering of everyone about the house, "Then what's this all about?" she asked, "What's with the barely hidden energy? None of you beyond Professor Ozpin even knew Cobalt all that well, I'd be surprised if half of you even said a few words to him back at Beacon."

"..Right there with you Weiss-cream," Yang grumbled lowly, "Becoming a Grimm bullshit or not, what's so great about this stupid kid? Why's everyone so hung up on him?"

Weiss pursed her lips to avoid letting her offended state being shown. Yang was still just pouty because of Blake, no need to further hurt her feelings just for some grumbled words.

Though if she did speak up. She would be sure to remind Yang that every time she had fought Cobalt in class, he'd absolutely demolished her due to the fact that he was a far superior fighter to her and his semblance completely countered hers, much lower aura threshold or not.

Honestly, the only reason Cobalt was ranked at thirteenth back in combat classes had simply been because of his low aura capacity. As soon as aura went to half, you were declared the loser. It was a sparring system that out Cobalt at a heavy disadvantage from that alone.

She'd sparred with him enough times at Beacon to know he had been her superior by far when it came to actual combat.

"Yep, and I totally regret that now!" Nora pumped her fist and rabbit hopped over, for whatever reason. Weiss tried very hard not to let her eyes lock onto those obscenely large mounds of bouncing fat on her chest. Envy over something so trivial wasn't respectable behaviour at all, "If I knew how awesome ol-Balty was, I'd have definitely hung out with him a lot back at Beacon."

Weiss tightened her crossed arms a bit. She told herself she was not jealous. Even though, Nora had been the girl he planned to ask to that dance back then, when she had been head over heels for how pretty and well presented and intelligent Neptune had been.

The fact that he had stood her up back then just because he didn't know how to dance told Weiss just how immature her tastes in boys had been. When another boy just like Neptune, from a rich noble family had tried to hit on her, pathetically, at the charity ball her father held in 'honour' of the Fall of Beacon, she'd had to refrain herself from punching his face in. As brutish as it was to consider, Cobalt had once forced her to learn basic hand to hand combat from him during their time at Beacon Academy in case the time ever came she was deprived of her weapon and low on aura.

A certain redhead came to mind, and Weiss could kind of understand why Arc, Nora and Ren could be so fond of him, though, Arc didn't seem to like him all that much, and she knew from experience that Cobalt used to at least detest the boy.

But he somehow had brought Pyrrha back to life in a way. Sure they couldn't really physically interact with her, but it would be comforting beyond belief to know that she was at least around and not dead, and they could use Cobalt as a go between to somewhat talk to her at least.

'Cobalt.' Weiss sighed. The things he'd went through and accomplished since the Fall of Beacon were mind boggling in a way. There were rumours floating about, spread by word of mouth, about a talking Grimm with an aura that went around saving people. It was said it saved dozens of people during the Fall of Beacon, slaying many of its brethren, and even one little faunus girl had excitedly told how it had protected her on its back as it fought off other Grimm trying to take her life. And even in Anima, there were rumours floating about of such a Grimm, of the same species, although on a higher tier that had saved towns from other Grimm and bandits alike.

To hear it was all true, that he was upholding his duty as a Huntsman even after being turned into a Grimm. To hear he'd destroyed the monstrous Nuckelavee from Nora in mere moments, the many varied abilities he'd obtained from the many Grimm he'd slain, that he even had Pyrrha's incredibly powerful semblance as well.

It was all mind boggling, but in a way, she kind of expected Cobalt would go on to do legendary things, not quite like this, but she couldn't deny he was becoming a legend. Her and Cobalt had been as opposite as night and day as far as personality went when they met, and she found his attitude and blunt way of things utterly thuggish back then. But his sheer drive, the fire in his eyes, the dedication he had to getting stronger in order to reach the dream he wanted. It had all resonated with Weiss so strongly that she couldn't help but be drawn to him.

Qrow cleared his throat drawing her from her thoughts and she looked up to see him looking over at Oscar, "Hey kid, mind if I ask Oz a question?" he asked bluntly, and rudely as ever. He was a lot like Cobalt in that manner, though with none of the boyish charm her younger friend had to alleviate how rude the attitude was.

Oscar sighed, "..Sure." and he slumped back, eyes closing. She saw light flare from beneath his eyelids and the air around him changed, his very posture shifting differently, "What can I help you with Qrow?" Professor Ozpin asked cordially.

As nice as Professor Ozpin was, Weiss couldn't help but feel supremely sorry for little Oscar.

"What's the deal with the kid anyway?" Qrow asked, unfazed by the change, "I know why you let Ruby in early, but what made that kind stand out besides how big a pair of titanium balls he had to have to survive with that kind personality."

"Young Mr. Stone hmm?" Professor Ozpin tilted his now young face to the side, a slight smile spreading across his face. Dare she say it, it even looked quite fond. "An interesting lad if there ever was one, very well, let me tell you how I met young Cobalt and how I allowed him to attend Beacon early."