Hello everyone. This is my fanfic Para Seguir Em Frente. I translated it because I received many visits from countries with English language. MY ENGLISH IS BAD AND YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Please comment.
Oscar took a deep breath and dismounted from the horse that had brought him a good part of the way back home. It was strange to be back after so long. Everything seemed exactly the same and at the same time different. The fields, the barn, and even the house seemed smaller than he remembered. Maybe because he was so taller now. Maybe because he had seen that the world was so much bigger than this little piece of land. Nostalgia hit him hard in the chest, fueling his nervousness. Suddenly, he felt the same 14-year-old boy as he had been years ago, afraid of being scolded by his aunt for a slip.
'Fortunately I'm not a boy anymore.' Oscar said to himself mentally and for a fraction of a second he found himself waiting for an answer that would not come. His sweaty palms thwarted his claim, so Oscar wiped them on the sturdy fabric of his combat pants before knocking on the door. He could hear a painfully familiar female voice respond in the background and hurried footsteps approaching. Oscar had time just to draw one last breath of courage before the door opened in front of him.
His aunt stared straight into his chest, seeming to be expecting someone lower, so he saw all the emotions in her face as she looked up to find his face. Confusion. Recognition. Relief. Joy and finally, fury. His aura was active before her fists met his chest for the first time, out of pure instinct, but he did not do anything else to stop the blows from continuing to strike him.
- OSCAR PINE! HOW DO YOU DARE TO APPEAR HERE, LIKE NOTHING HAD EVER HAPPENED, AFTER YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK, RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME WITHOUT LEAVING NO MORE THAN ONE LITTLE NOTE, FOR YEARS ?! YEARS OSCAR ?!
She screamed and punched his chest, tears tearing at her words until finally consuming them in a continuous cry. Soon, the hands that had beaten him now clung to the fabric of his shirt as if he would disappear if she let him go. Oscar wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, feeling his own tears escape his eyes. He held her close to him for a long time, until the sobbing stopped. Slowly, breathing still half trembling, she moved away to look him in the eye.
- You're going to tell me everything that happened. - She tried to look angry, to no avail. She looked just tired and relieved that he was there.
- Yes ma'am. Oscar agreed with a smile.
They went in and Oscar made tea. They both remained silent, assimilating each other's presence, until they sat facing each other on the kitchen table, their full mugs in hand.
- Why did you run away without saying anything? She spoke first. His voice was low and controlled now, but Oscar felt the resentment and sadness in each word.
- I ... I was afraid that, if I told you, I would convince the two of us that I was going crazy. At worst I would rid you of the responsibility of raising an insane orphan.
-And why in the name of the gods would you be mad? - Oscar gulped, staring at his own reflection of the tea for a long moment.
- Because I was listening to the voice of a man in my head, insisting that he was a millenarian mage destined to reincarnate in the body of a person with a similar soul until the world was ready to receive the judgment of the gods. - He looked up to meet his aunt's shocked expression.
- Was about you that the gods were speaking on the 'Return Day'? About the young boy with two souls? - Oscar nodded and his aunt just stared at him for a long time, absorbing the absurdity of the situation. Taking a deep breath, she took a long sip of her tea and continued. - Tell me everything. When it started?
- Shortly after the fall of Beacon, when the last incarnation of Ozma, Ozpin, passed away. Ozma spent months convincing me that I was not going crazy. - Oscar took a sip of tea, trying to wash away the bitterness of the difficult memories that would follow. - Telling me we had little time and Salem, the witch who controlled the grimms, had already destroyed Beacon and Haven was their next target. I almost lost my mind, but ... He shared his memories with me. Things I could never know, but they were true. And, like I said, if I was right, I had no choice but to help save the world. If I were wrong ... You would be rid of the burden of dealing with a madman.
- But ... You left with nothing! Any money! For months I thought you starved, alone in the cold! - She sighed, calming down. - That, of course, until the first check came. - She frowned. - You disappear for months and suddenly I'm getting liens with no information other than 'Oscar' on the paychecks. If I had not known better, I would have thought you'd fallen for the mafia. - Oscar laughed lightly.
- I left without money because I could not force myself to steal from you. I was leaving you to take care of this entire farm alone. I had no idea if you could do it or not. So I just got all the food I could and left. - He sighed. - When I finally met Qrow and the other hunters, Qrow gave me access to Ozpin's bills and cards. I asked Ozpin if I could send some money home, so we scheduled a monthly deposit on your behalf.
- You went to a group of hunters?
- Well, with the exception of Qrow, none of them had graduate from the academy. But they were all capable and determined fighters. You see...
Oscar calmly explained the events that led to the fall of Beacon, his way to Haven, and then to Atlas. He sometimes paused stoped in the middle of the description of the battles, or before the revelations of Ozma, to calm his aunt. She listened to everything, bashful.
- There were many other battles. We had to ensure the safety of the relics and, with Raven's death, Ruby became the new Spring Maiden.
- Wait. - She asked, more than an hour later, as she rubbed her temples to ward off a headache. - You did not say that power passed to...
- The last person she was thinking of, if she was a young woman. Yes. Ruby was able to persuade Raven to trust her enough for this, in her last moments.
- But from what you said, the woman hated the that girl.
- I ... I do not think that was the case. There were family issues and strong ties involved.
- I see... So Ruby became the Spring Maiden, and...
- In short, among Salem's many attacks and schemes, we end up with the entire RWBY team as maidens. We put Cynder on a huge machine to transfer her powers to Blake, who was injured and could no longer fight. Magic was the only thing that gave her strength to survive. We thought we'd lost her that day...
The woman reached across the table and took one of the nephew's hands in a gesture of comfort. He smiled at her and continued.
- Later, we lost both Winter and Summer Maiden in the same incident. It was a surprise and devastating attack. - He squeezed her aunt's hand in return. - We never got a chance to make a plan if one of the ladies died. Apparently they decided to keep the girls in their final thoughts. The sudden magic they received that day saved our lives.
- For how many horrible experiences you went trought, Oscar? I listened on the radio, day after day, to the news of disasters and attacks, while you were out there living it all...
- I did not experience anything compared to Ozma, aunt. He lived years in bodies that were not his, fighting an impossible fight, watching people die in vain. I still vividly remember his feelings when Ruby finally defeated Salem in the 'Final War'. It's been a month, has not it? It took me a long time to get here, with the chaos that the world is now. It still seems like yesterday.
- How did she do that? Defeated the witch, I mean.
- With her silver eyes. - Oscar's voice became almost reverent, still amazed at her friend's courage. - We covered her guard, we cleared the way and she literally grabbed Salem by the face, forcing her to meet hes eyes, and fired the energy of the light against her. Everything that was grimm inside Salem was gone. All hatred and all madness, leaving only one woman who lived too long behind.
- So she learned the value of death?
- She had known it for a long time, but the poison of the grimms was too much for her mind. As much as she had her memories and intelligence, she only wanted destruction like any other grimm. Without it, she was able to think clearly and bear the burden of her thousands of sins. With that, the curse broke.
- And the gods?
- As I said, we have assembled an army with warriors, soldiers, and hunters from all kingdoms against Salem. As we used all the relics against it, it was a consensus that humanity was as united as possible at this time. So we risk our luck and call on the gods.
- I remember ... - The woman shuddered, remembering the moment. - I was hiding in the basement of the town hall, along with the others, when it happened. Suddenly we were all in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by thousands of people, in front of the gods. It was terrifying to see those dragons above us.
- Yes. We were just below them. But luckily, we were considered worthy of a second chance. Salem was finally awarded with her final rest, just like Ozma.
- What happened to him, exactly? He ... Is not with you any more? - Oscar shook his head.
- No. The God of Light gave him the opportunity to live one last life in Remnant, but he refused. He said that, unlike many past lives, I was my own person and we never really merged together. So he... He just walked away of me. I felt him leave my mind and materialize in front of me. Can you imagine what it is like to live intertwined with someone for years and never have really looked into their eyes?
His aunt said nothing, letting him get lost in his memories.
- He left to the afterlife, like Salem. Even so, part of him never left me. I have his memories, the accumulated knowledge of lives and, well, some of his mannerisms as well. - He laughed awkwardly, gesturing at how he sat in the chair, straight, confident, and elegant. - The rest you and the rest of the world witnessed, the announcement of the return of the gods. - Aunt Pine nodded and continued, moistening her lips.
- The Dark Brother... - She murmured the god's title with fearful reverence. - He ... He said he gave us our gift once more. The magic.
- Yes. - Oscar held both hands forward and let little shiny balls dangle in his palms. - We all have magic now. You can do it, too. Some people, of course, will discover greater aptitude for different uses of magic in the future. And that's why I'm on my way to Vale.
- Valley? Why?
- The team RWBY has had some experience with magic, but I'm the only person who really has knowledge on the subject. So I will be teaching teachers, so this knowledge can be passed on to all realms. So... Maybe you... Would like to move in with me? I'm going to receive a generous salary. - I could say 'absurd' instead, Oscar thought mentally. - I can buy a beautiful house in the city or a cottage by the woods. Anywhere you feel most at ease...
Aunt May looked at her nephew for a long moment. He really had changed. He was tall and strong, hardened by many battles in such a young body. He spoke with confidence of a person with years of experience. But now, asking for her company so timidly, she saw clearly the 19-year-old nephew he still was. He was afraid she would reject him, after all. Her eyes filled with tears once more.
- Foolish boy. Of course I will go with you. I've already lost you once and I will not let you out of my sight again so soon.
She got up to hug him and he found her halfway around the table, receiving her with open arms.
The next morning, while Oscar was still asleep, she set up a modest altar for the gods. Lighting a candle for each of them, she clasped her hands and thanked them for their mercy, and prayed that her life would be long enough to see the faces of her grandchildren. She and Oscar never admitted to each other but, in their hearts, they were mother and son.