Author's Foreword:
I still have reservations about publishing this story.
Not because I think it's that bad, but rather the memories that generated it.
Younger eyes that have read it say that I should.
My own service was in a noncombat arm, but I have been privileged to have known many combat veterans over the last fifty years. All are and were good people who survived horrific events. Some were relatives, others became close friends. Sadly, many are no longer with us. Some of their stories contributed to this piece.
Common people who did uncommon things.
For all the men and women who wear that simple blue award, the CIB, "Thank you for your service" just doesn't say enough.
If you are a combat veteran, I will ask you to choose wisely as to whether or not you want to read this story. I have no wish to re-open old wounds.
In memory of " Cappy" Williams, Pfc, U.S. Army, who went in the second wave to Omaha Beach on D-Day.
Part 1: Memories
Tan slipped into his usual booth at the diner.
He'd found this place shortly after returning home to take over the family farm. A small establishment run by an older faunas couple, it was a comfortable refuge from the job of raising food for the world's hungry that his life had become after the war. He stretched out his damaged leg to ease the ache, settling in for the weekly breakfast ritual.
The pain in his knee brought back memories he wanted to forget.
The mysterious fire that had killed General Ironwood, followed by the assassination of Mr. Schnee, was their only warning of what was to come.
The Atlas council had been subverted, its people and military misled by propaganda, making the war inevitable.
It took ten years. Years of death and misery, losing friends and loved ones along the way, while fighting to save the way of life he'd known against what seemed impossible odds. Victory had come at a higher price than anyone wanted to pay, but there was peace again. He'd never expected to celebrate his fortieth birthday, he turned twenty-five on a battlefield two years into the war. Mom and Dad died while he was away, the farm work carried on by the employees who wouldn't, or couldn't, leave knowing someone had to feed their defenders.
Opening his scroll helped pull his thoughts away from the past while waiting to be served. Scanning the news headlines, one article caught his eye.
Ruby Rose To Head Beacon Academy
'Damn! She'd survived!'
He was happier for a moment. The farm had absorbed his time for the last five years, he'd lost touch with the other veteran Hunter's he'd served with. He hadn't seen her since before the war ended.
The dates they'd shared at the academy had brought them closer, until the war separated them again. They'd met again on several occasions, usually under fire, even saved each other's life a time or two. He'd experienced her legendary leadership skills on one memorable instance, while laying on his back, stunned by an explosion.
" Tan Tyrson! If you don't get off your ass, I'm gonna...!"
That sentence, along with that giant scythe waving under his nose, was enough to inspire anyone to 'rise to the occasion'!
Absently rubbing his chest, he recalled their first match at Beacon. Being hit by Crescent Rose once was something you never forgot! Still, she'd agreed to a date afterwards, so perhaps the pain was worth the reward? Maybe a trip to Vale in the near future to invite her to a congratulatory dinner might be in order? That would be something to look forward to!
" Excuse me, sir?"
The voice broke into the musings. Lifting his eyes from the scroll, his heart skipped a beat. The resemblance was too close for comfort, the wide face, stout build, the canine ears. Only the eyes were different, along with the age of the waitress, too young to truly be her.
" You're him, aren't you? Tan Tyrson?"
Suddenly dry-mouthed, he could only nod in reply. Her voice was higher pitched, which helped overcome some of the memories.
" I'm Sarah. Sarah Delacourt. Renee was my aunt."
Renee Delacourt, that crazy canine faunas, had been his partner from their initiation at Beacon until...
Partner, friend, confidant, sister-in-arms, none of these described their relationship properly. Truly, mere words weren't enough. She'd been his rock, him clinging to her for reassurance when things had really gotten bad.
The team had nicknamed her " The Mountain" for her semblance. There had been only one person who had managed to make her move once she'd decided to stand her ground, Ruby's older sister. It had taken two of Atlas' Main Battle Tanks to grind the mountain down, only one of them had survived her onslaught, retreating heavily damaged. She'd given her life to save his while he lay wounded.
'God, how I miss her!'
Carefully, he set the scroll down, fighting the emotional response the memories generated. Just thinking of the smile he would never see again made his heart hurt so much! Grabbing a napkin, he dabbed suddenly wet eyes, then took a sip from the cup of coffee she'd set on the table. Clearing his throat gave him another moment to organize his thoughts before turning to her again. " Sarah, your aunt was a wonderful person, the best friend I could ever ask for!"
She took a napkin from her tray, wiping tears from her own eyes. " I know. I kept the letters she sent home." Leaning forward, she kissed his cheek. " Thank you for being there for her." Spinning on her heel, she retreated to the kitchen, leaving him staring wide-eyed as she passed through the swinging doors.
Bemused at the young girl's impetuous act, he took another sip before returning to the headlines.
" Schnee Dust Company To Dissolve"
'WHAT? No, that couldn't be right! Weiss would never...!'
Quickly, he scanned the story before sitting back with a sigh of relief.
"Idiot reporter!" he muttered.
'The Heiress' wasn't dissolving the company, she was splitting it in two, thus making it more manageable. Her sister Winter would run the distribution side, while she ran the mining and processing, yet still retaining overall control of the company. Always the businesswoman, he should never have doubted her. He smiled at the memory of their first meeting.
He'd called her " Heiress" ever since Ruby had threatened him with another beating if he ever used the term " Ice Princess" when referring to her partner.
White haired, slim and pale. He'd never gotten around to asking about the scar on her face that marred her beauty, afraid of what her redheaded partner might do if he offended her. What she might have done to him hadn't even crossed his mind at the time.
The last time he'd seen her was at a rest camp behind the lines, just before the end of the war. She didn't respond when he'd greeted her, light blue eyes had looked right through him. The ' thousand yard stare' the medics called it, a sign that someone had seen too much, done too much, and survived when others around you hadn't.
They hadn't crossed paths since.
'Another survivor of the war. I wonder if the rest of their team made it? After the harvest I'll make the trip!' he vowed to himself. His eyes moved down to the next story.
" Vale War Memorial Completed"
'Finally!'
It had been planned before the end came. A wall of black stone bearing the inscribed names of the fallen. Too big to fit inside the city walls, it was constructed close by, near enough to be reached on foot.
He knew he'd have to go, needing the closure that seeing those names would bring.
Many had been personal friends, others had been acquaintances, people he'd met along the way without the time to get close. He was fortunate to have lost only his partner during that time, too many teams had never come back. His remaining teammates bore their scars as well.
Hart D'Ore, his leader since the team formed. She'd lost her left hand, but never her skill with the rapier. She'd kept going through it all, driven by willpower alone at times, the glue that held the team together through the worst actions. She was currently teaching, having accepted a position at Signal Academy.
Akiko Washi bore no visible scars, hers were internal. The flighty, acid-tongued girl had proven the most vulnerable to the madness of war. Now she couldn't deal with more than one person at a time. A gifted mathematician, Tan had offered her a position doing the books at the farm, assuring her of a private office to do her work.
Five years of gentle pleading with her had passed before she'd finally agreed to therapy and he had hopes that she would ,someday, be capable of referring to him as " Stupid Boy" again.
His eyes wandered to the next headline.
" Atlas Trials End In Convictions"
'Good! Let the bastards rot in their cells!'
Rumor had it that some had escaped into hiding, making him glad that the academies had been kept open while being rebuilt.
He'd happily pull the trigger on that bitch, Falls, though. Her schemes had killed too many friends. As for Adam, a rusty knife would do. Too many faunas had fallen for his White Fang propaganda, turning them into terrorists bent on killing humans for his own ends.
'What the...? A picture of Blake?'
The next article was entitled " Renowned Huntress Pleads For Leniency".
She'd gone to Atlas to face the combined councils there, asking for leniency to be shown to the younger faunas caught up in the White Fang. She hoped to reform them into citizens who would help rebuild in the new society of nations. Looking carefully at the picture, he saw violet eyes under a mass of blonde hair over Blake's shoulder.
Yang had made it too. He couldn't imagine the faunas without the brazen blonde, Ruby's older sister would never be separated from her partner.
'I hope she can do it, I really do.'
" Grim Attack Border Village "
He shuddered and rubbed the damaged knee that never fully healed, remembering the sight of a Deathstalker claw closing around it.
That particular battle had been one of the worst. The Allied army faced a mix of robots and DarkHunters, what had become the norm in this war. Then wave after wave of black bodies had come spilling out of the surrounding forest, attacking both sides indiscriminately, drawn by their negative emotions.
The robots had the worst of it, they were useless when the ammunition ran out in the face of the hordes of beasts. Their gunships torn from the sky by Giant Nevermore claws, the 'bots had fallen in droves.
The Allied Hunters and Huntress' had formed a line, protecting their own army. Blade and Blunt met bone and fur until it seemed their arms couldn't be lifted again.
Rumor had it that a robot had joined the battle on the Allied side, shaped like a girl with orange hair. It had fought with the rest of them until, it's power drained, it had fallen. Supposedly, Ruby had stood over the still form, the crescent blade protecting it until help had arrived. He believed the rumor to be true, it was something that the fiery redhead would do for a friend.
The gentle 'thump' of the plate being set down next to his scroll interrupted his musings. He checked the order, four pancakes covered by fruit compote with a side of sausage, all made from his own farm's produce. All delivered by him personally, the only payment required was a comfortable seat while his breakfast was made. The owner's had been ecstatic with his offer, the amounts he actually delivered were enough to keep them in business until his next arrival. He considered it a small price to pay for the peaceful, stress free time he received in return.
The faunas waitress stood by him, waiting uncertainly.
" Thank you, Sarah. It's perfect, as usual."
Glancing at the empty counter, she quickly seated herself in the opposite side of the booth, twisting a napkin in her hands. " I..I wanted to be a Huntress..like her, y'know!" she confessed. " I hope you weren't offended by..earlier!"
He waved a hand negligently in her direction. " No offense taken! It's been a long time since a pretty girl kissed me!" He suppressed the laugh that the blushing of her cheeks brought on. "So, why haven't you gone to one of the fighting schools then?"
Fists clenched, she almost tore the napkin apart. " My parents wouldn't let me!" she declared hotly.
Setting down the scroll, he leaned back and considered the statement. "Mine had a fit when I told them."
" Really!" Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
" Yup! Mom cried all day, sure that I was gonna die. Dad used language that I thought you weren't supposed to use around kids!" Leaning forward, he captured her hands in his. " I think she would be honored that you want to be like her!" he said seriously.
Looking into her eyes, he came to a decision. 'The people at the farm can handle the harvest. I just hope her parents aren't too upset with me afterwards', he thought.
" Why don't you ask your parents if you can go with me to Vale City next week?"
Her eyes widened at the suggestion. 'Go to the big city? Oh, yeah!' she thought.
Waving the remains of the napkin at the counter, she asked " What about my work here?"
'Hmm! Hadn't thought about that.' He turned towards the kitchen.
" HEY NERO!"
The gray-haired owner thrust his head through the partly opened kitchen door in response to the shout. " Yeah, Tan?"
" Think you can do without a waitress for a few days next week? I'll throw in an extra case of fruit!"
His smile showed between the tusks. " Sure! Bribery like that always works for me!" A hand emerged, finger pointed at his waitress. " You mind your manners young lady!" he added in a mock-serious tone. The warning was rewarded with a giggle. " What's your plan then?"
" Going to visit the Wall."
The old faunas' eyes softened. " Good for you. Drop a flower there for me?"
Tan spread his arms expansively. " Got some to drop anyway, one more won't be a problem."
" Thanks!" The door swung shut as the head withdrew.
Tan turned back to the girl, extending his scroll. " Here's my number. Have your parents call me with any questions. Let them know that I'll deal with the arrangements for the trip."
She tapped her scroll to his, copying the number. " How many days?"
He took a moment to think as he put his scroll in its holder. " Three should be enough. There's someone I want you to meet."
Sitting in his delivery truck, he paused to look up a number that he hadn't called in a very long time.
" Professor Rose"
He smiled at the sound of her voice. " Ruby? It's Tan!"
" Tan Tyrson!?" He held the scroll away from his ear, amused that a woman of her age could still squeal like a sixteen year old when excited. " How are you?"
" I'm fine. Think you can spare some time from your busy schedule for a dinner with an old friend next week? There's someone I'd like you to meet."
Some mumbling, followed by a hurried " Sure, let me know when!" meant that she had probably cleared the whole week for him.
" I'll call you when the flight arrangements are made."
" Bring your guitar!"
The semi-order nearly doubled him over with laughter. The memory of how he'd played for her at the end of their first date popped into clarity.
" I'm not as good as I used to be." he warned. " Sure you want to endure that?"
" Of course I do, you dope!" He could almost hear the smile.
" I'll be sure to pack it, then."
Serious again, she asked " Are you going to the Wall?"
" Yes." Thinking that he had mumbled the word, he cleared his suddenly tight throat and tried again. " Yes, I am."
" I'm going with you!" The words came out in a rush.
" What? Ruby, you don't have to.."
" No arguments, Tam!" she hesitated before continuing. " I...I need to be there with someone I trust..just in case!"
The admission caught him off guard.
" I...understand. I could use a friend there, too...just in case."
He realized that he wasn't the only one who needed this. Even the heroine of the ' Battle of Vale ' had these memories.
" Next week then?"
" Okay. See you then."
He waited for her to hang up first, not wanting to cut off anything else she might need to say.