Chapter 99:

The group makes their way east, running through the trees, making their way towards the group of grimm. Eventually, they find themselves facing the group of grimm. Taking a step forward, Scarlett takes a deep breath and lets out a battle cry. The group all begin to glow slightly and Topaz feels full of energy. Excited for the fight to come, Topaz smiles and spins his spear, looking upwards towards the two large nevermore circling overhead.

Nova: "This almost reminds me of the day we all met."

Ariel: "What do you mean?"

Topaz: "I'm pretty sure he means that the day we met, we faced a small group of grimm in the Emerald Forest for initiation."

Nova: "Exactly!"

Scarlett: "That feels so long ago, even though it really hasn't."

Ariel: "I know what you mean. After everything we've all been through, it's hard to imagine it's been so little."

Topaz: "Yep, now let's focus. We can reminisce after we take care of the grimm."

Everyone: "Right."

Topaz grabs a rock that lies near his foot and throws it towards the nearest nevermore, hitting it in its eye. With a furious cry, the nevermore turns towards Topaz and shrieks. Topaz chuckles and begins to jog away from everyone else, dodging the feathers impaling the ground where he last stood. Nova takes a step towards the deathstalker looking towards him, hammer in hand. Scarlett and Ariel make their way away from him drawing the rest of the crowd towards them.

Ariel: "Scarlett, cover me for a second."

Scarlett: "Right."

Ariel closes her eyes as Scarlett slashes her naginata at the nearest beowolf. After a few seconds, she reopens her eyes and slams her hand into the ground. With a low rumble, several large vines shoot out of the ground and begin to wrap themselves around several of the beowolves, and begin to squeeze them. With pained cries, the beowolves disappear in a puff of black smoke. Seeing his team take their own fights, Topaz nods his head and leaps into the air, landing on the neck of the pissed off nevermore. The other nevermore launches its feathers his way to little effect, as they ricochet off his skin and the nevermore's hide.

Topaz: "Time to do something stupid."

Crouching low, he raises his spear and slams it downwards, burying the blade into the back of the nevermore's skull, he leaps off its back just as it turns to smoke. Slowly raising in the air, the other nevermore flies towards him, and opens its beak, trying to catch Topaz. Not wanting to be some grimms dinner, Topaz props his spear between the large nevermores open beak and wedges it open.

Nova: "Always the show off that Topaz."

Shaking his head at his friends antics, Nova refocuses on the deathstalker. Jumping into the air, he avoids the pincer sent towards him. Landing on it, he leans to his right to avoid the golden stinger sent towards him and leaps into the air. Swinging his hammer, he slams it into the back of its extended tail forcing the stinger into the ground. A large vine sprouts out of the cracked ground and grabs ahold of the tail, holding it in place. Looking over his shoulder, Nova sees Ariel give him a thumbs up before focusing on her own fight. With a laugh, Nova raises his hammer over his head and brings it down on the pincer coming towards him.

Ariel: "There, that should hold that thing for him for a while."

Scarlett: "Nice, now lets take care of our own enemies."

Ariel: "Sound like a plan."

With Scarlett spinning between beowolves slashing here and there with her naginata, Ariel begins to focus on the boarbatusks rolling towards her. Diving to her left, she rolls once before popping up to her feet. Facing the boarbatusk that charged her, she times her strike with when it ends it's roll. As soon as it stops to turn to face her, she slashes her blade whip towards it, wrapping the end around its right foreleg. Using her other hand, she takes a gentle hold of the necklace Topaz had gifted her what felt like an eternity ago, and channels the electricity through her blade whip, frying the boarbatusk. {left} With the given warning, she dives to her left and avoids the next boarbatusk that attempted to roll over her. Raising her right arm to repeat the kill of the previous boarbatusk, she prepares to dispatch the next grimm. {right and left} Jumping high into the air, she avoids the next two boarbatusks rolling her way, landing gracefully back on her feet, she takes out an ice dust crystal and throws it between the three boarbatusks, with a loud pop, the three are quickly encased in ice. Three slashes later, the ice shatters into a cold black mist. Turning to see how Scarlett is doing, she sees the red head walking towards her.

Ariel: "Beowolves all taken care of?"

Scarlett: "All that tried attacking me. Question for you."

Ariel: "Go for it."

Scarlett: "How did you know those boarbatusks were coming your way?"

Ariel: "The trees warned me."

Scarlett: "The trees… warned you?"

Ariel: "Sounds crazy right?"

Scarlett: "Maybe a little."

Ariel: "When I was at Signal, the only thing I knew of my semblance was that if I spent enough time around plants I could communicate with them. Once I moved away I practiced with my semblance more and more, until I learned I could control them to attack for me. Recently, I've learned that there doesn't have to be a time for me to bond with the plants for them to communicate when the grimm are involved."

Scarlett: "That sounds so far fetched to be honest with you."

Ariel: "Yes it does."

BOOM

The two girls look towards the sky to see the final nevermore disappear in a fiery inferno. Shortly after, Topaz walks towards them with slightly singed clothing.

Ariel: "Real subtle."

Topaz: "What? It told me it wanted to go out with bang."

Scarlett: "Sure it did."

Topaz: "How's Nova's fight going?"

Nova: "Done and done."

Turning, Topaz sees Nova walking towards them with a big grin on his face.

Topaz: "Have fun?"

Nova: "Of course, who doesn't enjoy smashing something heavily armored to mush."

Scarlett: "…"

Topaz: "Sure thing buddy. Make sure you shower before getting close to Scarlett though."

Nova: "Hey, I didn't get any on me!"

Scarlett: "That only makes what Topaz said even more relevant."

Nova: "Fine."

Topaz: "So, all we have left is the ursa."

Nova: "Oh yeah, forgot about them."

Shaking his head, Topaz gestures to where the five ursa stand. All five are just staring at Topaz and his friends.

Nova: "They didn't move? That's a little freaky."

Scarlett: "More than a little, try very freaky."

Topaz: "Alright everyone, take on an ursa, lets see who gets the fifth first."

Nova: "Oh, you are on."

Ariel: "Topaz, I have a bad feeling about this."

Topaz: "My gut is telling me the same thing Ariel. Focus on the fight ahead, if anything happens, we've got each other and our friends."

Ariel: "I guess you're right."

Topaz: "Okay everyone, let's finish these ursa and move on. Get it done fast, but be cautious."

Nova: "Yeah, yeah."

Scarlett: "Right. I'll make sure Nova doesn't do anything too stupid Ariel."

Nova: "Hey! My own girlfriend."

Ariel: "Thanks Scarlett."

The four begin to make their way towards the ursa. Once close enough, they split off and attack an ursa at the same time. Ariel sends her blade whip towards hers, but the large creature bats it aside with little effort, and then rushes towards her. Nova jumps into the air and tries slamming his hammer down on his ursa's head, but is surprised when the large creature stands on its hind legs to avoid the swing. With the hammer embedded in the ground, he is forced to roll away without it as the ursa takes a swing at him. Scarlett fares a little better, each slash of her naginata wound the ursa she faces, angering it more and more. Topaz rushes towards his and is surprised when his ursa doesn't move, even when he thrusts the spear towards its head. Blinking in surprise at the puff of black smoke, he looks towards his friends and sees the three ursa they were fighting frozen in place. Looking for the fifth ursa, he finds it changing shape. Now standing in front of him is another of the humanoid looking grimm.

?????: "Hello again Topaz."

…