Well you guys, this is my first story and fanfic and I am proud to introduce it to you all! This first chapter is a little short but I'm just wanting to dip my toes in and see the response from the audience. I mean, a thousand words… Oh well. I take criticism with open arms so if you see something you like tell me and if you see something you hate tell me as well! I just want to thank a 30-year-old English dude with a "Heart" made of Aran. I mean iron. Why did that show up? Anyway, please enjoy my passion project experience!
"Well shit..." That was Taiyang's last coherent thought as he was about to die. Of course his teammates crossed his mind, as did the highlights of his too short (in his opinion) of a life. Bringing a shit-faced Qrow home from a long night of drinking. If you asked him later, he would absolutely deny calling Tai his best friend, and the blonde-headed brawler would agree. At least behind open doors anyway. That one time when he and Summer spent an entire week in a staring contest so intense that it left both of them with bloodshot eyes for months. It was her that convinced him to request to be assigned here, but it wasn't her fault. Last, but not least, he thought of Raven. A fleeting memory of her passed and his only regret not asking her out sooner. If he survived this then he absolutely would, but that seemed nigh impossible now. However, it was, "well shit..." that was the last thing that crossed his mind right before the Beowolf's claws viciously eviscerated his trachea.
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Except, it didn't. he didn't die. In fact, he was still alive, and relatively unharmed except for a few scratches due to his aura depleting at least half an hour ago. As he stood there doing what historians would come to call the most accurate portrayal of a fish of all time, the silvery glint of a blade stared back at him through the jaws of the aforementioned creature of Grimm. "Get your head out of your ass Goldilocks! Us blonde bastards got to stick together you know!" Tai snapped out of his daze and noticed an Ursa approaching the man with his back turned. Instincts forged in trial by fire and years of experience kicked in and the young man was suddenly upon the ferocious beast. Ducking under the first swing by the monster, Taiyang blocked the second strike with his bracers on his wrist, the ground underneath cracking and groaning under the pressure. Caught in a stalemate, Tai threw the paw off of him and by extension threw the creature off balance. Reaching up with a mighty uppercut, he managed to knock the head clean off the shoulders of the monster.
Almost collapsing right there from exhaustion, Tai leaned over and took a quick breather whilst surveying the area. After deeming that the vicinity was cleared for the time being, he slumped down to the ground just to catch his breath. The skirmish against the forces of darkness had lasted hours longer than the original reports suggested due to the large numbers of Grimm. Many hunters and huntresses could be seen lying face down in the torn up soil, easily distinguishable by their bright clothing. The worst part simply was that this was not the worst that he had even seen. At least the report was accurate in the type of Grimm they would be confronting on their quest to defend a small trading city. He has heard stories of entire teams being wiped out simply because of incomplete information. It was a tragedy, but that was simply the way it is.
Suddenly, he remembered that he was, in fact, not alone. A little embarrassed by his rude behavior, he turned to acknowledge his saviour and give his thanks, but abruptly came face to face with the man himself. "Oops, my bad." The strange man chuckles and scratches the back of his head. "My mother always tried to drill personal space into my head. I guess it never stuck." "Are you kidding!" Tai interjects, "You just saved my life! Who are you anyway? I thought I had the monopoly on blonde-haired blue-eyes hunters in Vale." He jokes to the mysterious man. For all his confidence on the battlefield, Tai wondered, he doesn't seem to have much confidence off of it at all. He was almost socially inept. It was only his experience with Raven that he was able to keep the conversation going. "Oh! I'm sorry! The name is Nicholas. Nicholas Arc." The name actually rang a bell with Tai. Well, not Nicholas, but the Arc name was a well-respected one for their efforts during the Color War and even farther back. He only wondered how this uncertain man could be related to one of the most respected names across Remnant. "I guess every family has a black sheep." Tai thought to himself. "So…" Nicholas attempted to break the silence, "I wish all these Grimm would just…knock it off." He gestured to the remains of the Ursa head.
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"HAHAHAHA!" Taiyang howls. "AHAHAHA OOOOHH…" He was practically bent over in laughter at this point. When he calms down he gestures to Nick. "You…You are funny. I have never met someone with a sense of humor as good as mine." "Aw well, I guess you could say it…runs in my jeans." Gesturing to his denim pants." Tai was about to enter his second wind of laughter when he noticed the battle still raging around them, reality slowly seeping in once more. Tai looks to his new companion and is surprised as he sees a different man than the one he was previously talking to. The shift in Nick's personality was so palpable it was honestly intimidating to the Fighting Dragon. Nicholas noticed Tai staring and look him in the eyes. They both nodded to each other and re-entered the battle.
Both men would have died many times that day if not for the new friendship they formed of the battlefield. The promise of drinks and taking it easy provided one extra incentive for two blondes who swept through the warzone like Yellow Tornadoes creating paths of destruction behind them. Little did either of those men know at the time the significance of one small Beowolf, but without it, neither of them would be the same.
Well, that's chapter one done. I know the biggest complaint is going to be, Wait, I thought this was a Jaune X Yang fic. Literally neither of them showed up. Well, I just want to really set the stage so to speak. I don't want to just go the easy way out and be like "oh. Yah their families are just sort of friends. Deal with it" and also, the pacing for this story will probably be a little rushed, but keep in mind I have never done this before. Like ever. Sooooo thank you for reading. It's the story that inspires and drives me, but the readers who encourage me to keep going! Thanks!
~Paxxer