The blue mansion lay in the open field, alone but proud. The path they had taken to it was long and bumpy, but Ragna and Noel finally found where they'd be staying. Noel walked up to her house and knocked on the door. Ragna hung back, looking downcast. He wasn't eager to face Noel's aunt and uncle, her current guardians.
"Noel, is that you?" A female voice asked.
"Yes! I have Ragna with me as well," Noel replied. The door was moved, as a woman opened it. She had the same silky smooth blonde hair as Noel. Behind her, a man stood. He had very different hair, his was curly and jet black. He walked up to Noel, and she gave both of them a big hug. Ragna kept staring down, kicking at the dusty road absentmindedly.
"Come on in," the man said. Noel walked in, and Ragna waited for her aunt and uncle to follow her before entering. His hands were clenched, and he just wanted to scream. The guilt was eating at him like a hungry beast, ripping him apart. Ragna hated it.
"I heard about what happened. When we got the call, we were worried that you'd been suspended as well," the woman said to Noel. Ragna tried looking up, but didn't.
"Don't worry, I haven't caused any trouble! Actually, Tsubaki's helping me with my schoolwork, so now I'm doing really well! It's nothing special, but I am getting good grades..." Noel said. The man smiled.
"I honestly don't know what you'd do without that girl," he said.
"I-I don't know either..." Noel mumbled.
"Relax, Noel. We're your family, not your professors," the woman said warmly. The blonde girl smiled.
"Um, should I show Ragna his room now?" She asked. The woman's kind smile vanished as she looked at Ragna. The man fixed him with a stony glare, and then they both turned to Noel.
"Sure, but I want to hear more about Beacon soon. Dinner should be in thirty minutes, and you know what happens if you're late," the man said. Noel sighed.
"I'm not ten anymore! Tickling doesn't scare me!"
"Are you sure?" The woman asked. Noel backed up, looking nervous. The three family members then laughed, and Ragna stalked to the hall, wanting nothing more than to never hear that laugh again. Hanging out with Noel was one thing; she'd forgiven him. Her aunt and uncle hadn't, and they probably never would. Not that he could blame them, of course. He just hated the guilt.
"Hey, Ragna, your room is actually right this way," Noel said. Ragna hurriedly followed her, eager to get a break from her family. She led him down the dark gray halls of the Vermillion house, dim lights illuminating their path. The door to Ragna's room was a polished shade of blue, like the outside of the mansion. It was Noel's old room, before she'd grown up and gotten a bigger one.
"So, this is it! My old room. I-I hope it isn't too messy...I never was good at cleaning things up." Ragna sighed.
"I practically lived in my own filth back with the Mutsuki's. I'm used to messes, Noel." He walked in the room and threw his suitcase down on the bed. It, as well as the rest of the room, was a bright shade of pink, Noel's favorite color as a child. However, parts of it were also blue, her current favorite color. As Ragna looked around, he could see that Noel had spent most of her time in this room thinking. There were pieces of tattered paper where she ripped up failed poetry, and there was a mirror where Ragna had once caught her practicing action poses. She even once acted out an entire play that she wrote in her room, all by herself. The childish memories embarrassed her, but also comforted her. Noel did enjoy reminiscing, and she also used her childhood memories to remember her parents.
"Can I be in here with you? This room...it just brings back a lot of good memories." Ragna looked at Noel.
"It's your house. Do what you want." Ragna flopped down on the bed and sighed. Noel took a seat at her former desk, and thought for a few minutes, smiling as she did so. Ragna wished he could be as serene as she was.
"I'm sorry about my aunt and uncle. They just...haven't gotten over it yet. They will, don't worry," Noel said to Ragna once she was done with her nostalgia trip. Ragna, who was on the verge of going to sleep, got up hastily.
"Don't apologize for them. You don't have to, and neither do they. If I were in their position, I wouldn't forgive me either," he said. Noel sighed.
"I just want you to be able to relax here, okay? This is supposed to be a nice calming suspension."
"How about we just call it a vacation?" Ragna asked.
"Sure. Vacation, then," Noel replied, grinning. She swung her legs in the air as she sat on the bed. Ragna went back to lying down. After a few seconds, he spoke.
"You really liked pink," Ragna said.
"I-I did..."
"Why'd you grow out of it?"
"You told me it looked dumb, that's why!" Noel shouted indignantly. Ragna groaned.
"And you just listened to me?!"
"...Yeah..."
"Goddammit, Noel."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you can be really damn annoying." Ragna said, standing up.
"You're the annoying one!"
"Am I really?"
"Y-Yeah!"
"You don't sound all that sure, Noel. Maybe you should just give up."
"How about you give up?!" Ragna doubled over with laughter, and Noel, who had turned red with anger, simply glared at him in confusion.
"What's so funny?" She asked.
"It's just...damn...Noel, you really haven't changed." Noel looked at him, very surprised. She got up and put her hand on Ragna's forehead, and he brushed it aside gently.
"What the hell?"
"I just want to know if you're okay. This isn't like you at all, Ragna."
"Okay, okay. Sorry."
"And you did it again! You don't apologize to anyone!"
"Yeah, well, maybe you deserve it. Maybe you deserve more apologies than I'll ever be able to give." Noel looked at Ragna, her expression changing from concern to realization. She knew what this was about.
"Noel...don't ever change."
"You don't go changing on me, either. You don't owe me anything, Ragna."
"I killed your parents, Noel. Let me make up for it, goddammit!"
"I don't want you to! I just want things to be like they used to be. I want you to be the same old Ragna I knew when I was a kid. Please," Noel said forcefully but kindly. In an emotional fit, she gave Ragna a bear hug. However, what with her poor strength, it really didn't feel all that tight. Ragna sighed.
"I'm not gonna change. I just wanna get rid of the guilt." He returned Noel's hug.
"...Okay." The two just stood as they were for a minute, absentmindedly hugging each other as if they never wanted to let go. Noel smiled as she buried her head in Ragna's jacket, and he smiled as he rested his head on hers. However, they were torn apart by a loud shout from Noel's uncle.
"Time for dinner!" They hastily disconnected and looked at each other awkwardly before hurrying to the table.
"So...how is life at Beacon Academy? Is it everything you thought it would be?" Noel's uncle asked over the clinking of silverware.
"Eh...I didn't really think about what it would be like. I just...kind thought I'd learn to be a Huntress, I guess," She replied sheepishly.
"Of course you did. So, that aside, how is it? Is anyone giving you a hard time?" Her aunt asked.
"I'm fine. I think Ragna intimidates people away," Noel told her, looking fondly at the white-haired young man, who gave a nervous smile.
"Does he now?" Noel's uncle asked, looking quizzical.
"I-It's not like he scares away any nice people or anything. I actually made a few friends," Noel said proudly.
"Really? Who are they?" Her aunt asked, ceasing to eat the casserole that her husband had prepared. Noel put down her silverware as well, ready to answer questions. Ragna kept stuffing his face.
"Uh, well, there's this nice girl named Ruby. She talks to me sometimes. And there's another girl named Nora, and she's really, really energetic and she kind of scares me, but she's still nice. And there's another girl named Blake. She likes books, and she wants to read my poetry, and I don't want to let her. I'm really nervous..."
"Just let her read it. What's the worst that could happen?" Noel's uncle asked her. She gulped.
"She could hate it..." Noel sighed.
"Considering how often you write, I think you must be pretty good by now. She'll like it, don't worry," her aunt told her.
"You wrote me that mantra, right? And that was only one line. You'll be fine," Ragna said, instantly regretting speaking. He had the attention of the entire table, and quickly tried to ignore it by looking at his food.
"Oh yeah! This really cool thing happened! Ragna's taking classes to control the Azure, and I wrote a chant that he uses so he can focus more and stop it from going berserk! He's making real progress thanks to a really nice professor named Jubei who teaches him in private. It's-" Noel looked at the stony faces of her aunt and uncle, realizing that she made a mistake in mentioning the Azure.
"I have to clean the dishes, Noel. We can talk more later," her aunt said. Her uncle proceeded to clear his and his wife's plates, leaving Ragna and Noel alone at the table.
"Uh...I'm sorry..." Noel muttered.
"It's not your fault," Ragna said, walking to his room.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm tired. I think I'll get some sleep."
Almost everyone at Beacon was happy that Ragna was gone, even if for only a few days, especially the people he beat up. While Noel, Makoto, and Tsubaki had managed to get along with a lot of people, and were on especially good terms with team RWBY, Ragna had been, for the most part, an outcast. He didn't exactly endear himself to other people, what with his crude language and quick temper. The only people besides his teammates that he could consider friends were Jaune Arc, who had once helped Ragna with some schoolwork and eventually got on good terms with the white-haired young man, and Yang Xiao Long. She was more of a partner in crime than anything, someone who liked Ragna's fighting spirit and shared some of his characteristics, like a short temper and thinking-without-acting tendencies. Of course, Tsubaki and Makoto didn't share the rest of the school's sentiments. They were nothing but worried about Ragna.
"I wonder how they're doing?" Makoto mumbled. She and Tsubaki were eating alone today, both of them not feeling the need to socialize.
"I'm sure they're fine."
"You know how Noel's aunt and uncle feel about Ragna. I hope they don't give him a hard time," Makoto replied.
"Makoto, they're nice people. They won't harass him," Tsubaki said.
"Yeah, you're right. He's just...not in a good place right now."
"He has Noel with him. She'll help him out."
"Are you sure? She might not be angry like he is, but she's not exactly the most emotionally stable person," Makoto said, picking at her food. Tsubaki smiled slightly.
"I know you've been protecting Noel from a lot ever since you knew each other, but she's grown. She's the rare kind of person who can see kindness in everyone, and right now, Ragna needs to know that there's kindness in him." Makoto looked at her friend, grinning widely.
"Alright. Noel can handle herself for now. Right now, we've got more to worry about. You're taking notes for Noel, and I've got...uh, punishment."
"You still haven't told me what it is, Makoto."
"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly thrilled by it."
"Who would be?"
"No one, probably. Say, Tsubaki, you think they have any more of those roasted chestnuts?" The redhead sighed at her friend's gluttony.
"You've had five bowls of them, Makoto. You're going to get fat."
"Nah, I can just work it off."
"There will come a day where your workout schedule won't be enough to stave off all of that food you eat."
"But today is not that day!" Makoto shouted triumphantly, scurrying off to get more food. Tsubaki chuckled.
Noel waved to her aunt and uncle, following Ragna out the door. He wore a black tuxedo, black pants and black dress shoes. Noel wore a black trench coat, complete with a black beret. Where she found these clothes, Ragna had no idea. But she insisted in dressing in black, and Ragna agreed. However, he felt that it made things a bit too depressing, but he wanted to let Noel make the decisions, as they were visiting her parents. He wanted to pay his respects to them, and he wouldn't let his rebellious spirit ruin his redemption. They walked down the road that they had come from, anxious to get to the grave of Noel's parents. The Vermillion's had their own graveyard where they buried generations upon generations of Vermillion family members. It depressed Noel to think that she would someday rest there.
"So...do you have the flowers?" She asked. Ragna pulled them from his tuxedo. They fit perfectly. Small but beautiful, Noel thought they'd be perfect for her parents grave. The two kept walking, thoughts of happy times filling Noel's mind, while all Ragna could think of was how he'd hurt his friend. He would make things right. He swore that he would.
"The graveyard should be around here somewhere," he said gruffly, looking around.
"Yeah, it should be here..." Noel mused, doing the same. Ragna soon saw a metal post and walked towards it.
"Wait for me!" Noel shouted, running after him. The two reached the post and saw the graveyard. In the back were graves from distant ancestors, and in the front was the most recently added grave: the grave of Noel's parents.
"Ragna...I know you came here to pay your respects, but can I...can I maybe have a moment alone? You can have one too, if you want." Noel said. Ragna nodded.
"Sure thing."
"I'm sorry."
"Hey, don't apologize. Just go over and do your thing. I'll wait." Noel smiled and walked over. She was smiling, but even so, Ragna saw tears threatening to fall from her eyes. He clenched his fists, cursing himself.
Ragna stood off to the side, waiting for Noel to finish. He looked at her, hunched over the grave. He still held the flowers. Noel wanted him to put them at the grave. He stared at the sky, the all-too-familiar sky that he'd seen the day he activated the Azure Grimoire and killed Noel's parents. He remembered it like a bad dream, and it was a nightmare he'd had all too often. He remembered playing with Noel. He remember her laugh and his mixing together, and he remembered her parents in the distance, happy that Noel and himself were having fun. He remembered them walking over to him when he tripped and lifting him from the ground, offering him a handkerchief to clean the dirt from his face. He smiled and took it, running after Noel. And then he remembered looking into the forest, and he remembered the face he saw there. He remembered the hair and the clothes and the knife. But most of all, he remembered the smile. The smile that would make the most evil of beings quiver where they stood and fall to their knees. He remembered Yuuki Terumi, the man who'd ruined his childhood once before, and he remembered the rage and the hatred and the overwhelming desire to kill. And that's when he snapped.
Ragna grimaced as he remembered releasing the Azure. The darkness ripped through the field, instantly decimating Noel's parents. He didn't see them die, but he saw them dead. Pieces of them lay everywhere, surrounding Noel. She sat on her knees, trembling, crying in a puddle of blood. Strangely enough, she hadn't been affected by the Azure, but Ragna hadn't given that any thought. He was too enraged, too bloodthirsty. He stalked towards Terumi, moving through the storm of darkness. He kept walking, only to find that Terumi was gone. It was then that he looked and truly realized what he'd done. Ragna screamed. punching the ground. It was then that a man walked up to him, carrying a sobbing Noel on his back. He held a massive black sword and had jet black hair. A calm smile was on his face. Ragna remembered the man asking he he could stop the Azure, and Ragna remembered saying no. The man apologized and hit the butt of his sword into Ragna's head. He fell and looked at the sky, the sky he'd grown to hate, and fell unconscious, a single tear falling from his eye. He remembered it all, and he hated it. He hated everything about it. But most of all, he hated Yuuki Terumi. In fact, his feelings probably transcended hatred. Ragna would have that man's head impaled upon his sword, or he would die trying.
"Hello," a voice behind Ragna said. He snapped out of his thoughts and whirled around.
"Huh? Who the hell are you?!"
"My name is Rachel Alucard. I wish to speak to you, wielder of the Azure." Ragna glared at her, unsure what this twin-tailed girl in gothic clothing really wanted.
"Rachel Alucard, huh? You wanna explain why you're at the Vermillion's private graveyard?"
"I wish to talk to you, as I said. Are you deaf, or perhaps daft?" Ragna gritted his teeth.
"Like hell you do. Also, the next time you wanna talk to someone, try not insulting them."
"You're one to talk, Ragna Mutsuki." At this, Ragna grabbed the girl's dress collar and pulled her off of the ground. She frowned.
"Unhand me, fool."
"How the hell do you know my name, huh?! They only released my picture to the public, not my damn name!"
"I know many things. I know that, for example, you should unhand me, assuming you value your life."
"Nice threat, but you're just a kid. What the hell are you gonna do to me, huh?" Rachel smirked, and electricity sparked from her dress and shocked Ragna's hand. He cursed and let her go, and she fell gently to the ground, as if the wind slowed her fall.
"Goddammit! What the hell'd you just do?!"
"I preformed magic."
"Sure you did."
"You don't believe me, even after seeing the evidence for yourself? You must be truly hardheaded. I wonder, if you were to hit your head against a wall, would it hurt? Or would your thick skull protect you from pain as it does from basic logical thought?" Ragna growled.
"Down, dog," Rachel said.
"Dog? You're one to talk, rabbit," Ragna replied.
"Rabbit?"
"Yeah, rabbit. What is it you really want? If you don't give me a good answer, I'm gonna make sure you don't ever come back here again, alright?" Rachel chuckled, holding her hand to her mouth in a very dainty manner.
"What?!"
"You're an amusing young man, Ragna. Very well. I am here because I know that tough times await yourself and Noel Vermillion. I know that both of you have powers you do not fully understand, and I know that you need help to learn to use them. I can do nothing to help you, but I can make sure that you know to be careful," Rachel said calmly.
"Bullshit."
"I can prove to you that I am more than meets the eye, Ragna, if only you'll let me."
Noel knelt by her parents' grave. She looked at the fresh carving that stated their names, Edgar and Claire Vermillion. She traced her hand over the grave and lowered her head, letting the tears fall freely. She thought of all the times she'd spent with them, all the times they'd helped and comforted her, all the times they'd told her everything was going to be alright, and all the times she happily believed them. Looking at the stone that marked the spot where their remains were buried, Noel realized that she could never fully recover from their death. She had forgiven Ragna, but she hadn't gotten over the sadness that she felt when her parents died. Deep inside, she'd always be the little girl who sat in their blood and cried, holding their disembodied hands and hoping that their fingers would coil around hers as they always did when her parents were alive.
"B-Beacon's going great...I...I made some friends..." She stuttered, unsure of what to do. She wasn't sure if she should talk to the grave, but she did anyway. She wanted to believe that they'd answer her, but she knew that they wouldn't. Noel was naive, but even she knew that once someone had died, they could never be brought back.
"I showed someone a line of my poetry...they...they...really liked it..." Noel said, trying once again to speak. It was hard. She could hardly get out a sentence without bursting into tears. Wiping them away, she tried again. This time, she hardly opened her mouth before she began to cry. Once she recovered, Noel steeled herself, waiting before speaking. She wouldn't cry again. She'd show herself that she moved on, that even though her parents were gone, she still had people she loved and a life to look forward to. She smiled at the grave, her hands clutching the cloth of her trench coat like she was clutching the hands of her parents, sure to never let them go. But she had to, and she did.
"I'm on a team with Makoto, Tsubaki, and Ragna. We're doing really well. I'm getting good grades because Tsubaki is helping me, and I even did a few papers by myself. And it's all because of you. Thank you, mom. Thank you, dad. I...I think it's time I moved on." Noel stood up, shaking. Even though she felt like it, Noel Vermillion did not cry. She had moved on. Now, it was Ragna's turn. She turned around, waving to the grave, and saw Ragna arguing with a strange girl. Noel ran over, surprised.
"Ragna? Who is this girl? Is she lost?" She asked, lowering herself to Rachel's eye level. Rachel glared at her.
"I am no child, Noel Vermillion." Noel stumbled back, surprised.
"H-How do you know my name?!"
"I know many things, as I've told Ragna. I am a vampire and magic user, but your friend doesn't seem to believe me."
"Can you actually prove it?" Noel asked dubiously. Ragna laughed harshly.
"She's screwing with us, Noel."
"But what if she isn't? I mean, she does seem...different from most kids." Rachel scoffed, giving Noel a glance that made the timid girl cower.
"I told you, I am not a child. I am a vampire who is over 100 years old."
"Are you serious? You sound insane," Ragna snarled.
"I can prove it to you, as I've said. Noel Vermillion, do you wish to see this proof?" Ragna tried to drag Noel away, but she didn't budge. Somehow, she had a feeling that she had to listen to Rachel.
"Okay." Rachel smiled thinly, and levitated into the air. The wind pushed her up, and she flew into the sky. Ragna and Noel gaped at her. She landed gently, creating a black portal behind the two.
"You have seen my magical prowess, so you know my ability to use magic is no lie. Now you should be apt to listen to my claims of having a vampiric heritage." Noel nodded, and Ragna just kept gaping.
"Do you wish to go to my realm, or shall I retrieve my butler to confirm my claims?" Ragna kept on gaping.
"I...I'm not sure I want to go anywhere..." Noel said. She looked anxiously at the portal as Rachel walked through it. It shrunk and vanished. Suddenly, another portal appeared. Rachel walked out of it, followed by an elderly gentleman in a tuxedo.
"Hello, Noel Vermillion," he said.
"H-Hello..."
"Yes, Madame Rachel is telling the truth. I have served her for many years," the butler informed the two friends.
"Who the hell is this geezer? Did you steal him from some retirement home or something?!" Ragna asked rudely.
"Hold your tongue, child, lest I cut it off," the butler said.
"Now now, Valkenhayn. Ragna is simply an idiot. We must be gentle with people like him."
"Alright, you condescending bitch, how about you and the old fart here get back to wherever the hell you came from? I'm pretty damn sure that it's past both your naptimes."
"Ragna, stop it! They're clearly not who they seem, so let's just hear them out!" Noel protested.
"This rabbit and her wonder butler here are really pissing me off, and I'd just like to get on with what I came here for!" Ragna snapped. Valkenhayn sighed.
"Madame Rachel, are you sure you wish to waste time with this buffoon?" He asked.
"He is the one. I shall endure his company, at least for a little longer. I wish to warn them."
"Please, remember not to exceed your boundaries, Madame Rachel, especially not for this vulgar child. He is beneath you," Valkenhayn said.
"Your head's gonna be beneath my damn sword if you don't shut up, geezer," Ragna threatened.
"You cannot harm me, boy. I suggest you remain silent, like your friend, and listen to what Madame Rachel has to say," the butler retorted. Rachel sighed.
"I wish to let you know that you are going down a dark path, both of you. But no matter what, do not falter. Do not give up. You must keep on walking and break the cycle," Rachel told them.
"What cycle?" Noel asked.
"Noel Vermillion. You do not possess Ragna's confidence or anger. You are meek, and that will not change. But you have great determination and drive when it comes to those you love, and you must harness that determination to grow stronger. You must learn to believe in yourself, to believe that you can fight alone. After all, Noel, the greatest battles we must fight must be fought alone, and you must learn to be less dependent on your friends and more confident in your ability to depend on yourself," Rachel said kindly, her usual haughty tone gone. Noel blinked.
"Did you just insult me or compliment me?" She asked. Rachel ignored her and turned to Ragna, who was seething with rage.
"Ragna Mutsuki. You have an indomitable will, a resilience that allows you to keep standing up when you fall down, no matter how far the descent. But you are also blinded by rage and the desire for revenge. You must look beyond your short sight and see what truly matters to you. Do not succumb to the beast within. And remember: the Azure is not yours, and you do not control it. Rely on it too much, and it will consume you. Instead, you should learn to rely on others as they rely on you. Your friends are strong, Ragna. Allow them to prove it," she said to the white-haired young man. While she spoke kindly to Noel, to Ragna, she spoke with something more. However, the white-haired young man didn't notice. Instead, he was angered by her words.
"What the hell, rabbit?! You brought the geezer here and made a big show with the portals and the floating just to talk shit to us?!"
"Remember Madame Rachel's words, you two. They are words of wisdom," Valkenhayn said. He walked through a portal that appeared behind them, vanishing. Rachel walked towards it as well, but stopped and turned to Ragna and Noel.
"Goodbye, and good luck." With that, she walked away. Ragna sighed.
"I'm done at my parents' grave. You can go now," Noel told him.
"After all that?"
"We have time to find out what that girl was talking about, but now is your time to...do what you want to do, I guess." Noel watched as Ragna grinned at her and walked towards the graveyard.
Ragna stood in front of the grave of Edgar and Claire Vermillion. He gently placed the flowers in front of him and sighed.
"...Sorry, I guess. Wait, what the hell am I doing?" Ragna muttered. He felt like an idiot, talking to a rock. However, he knew that Noel's parents couldn't talk to him, so he'd have to get his thoughts out in the open by himself.
"I'm so, so sorry. I...I never wanted this, and I'm sorry. Not just that I killed you two after all you did for me...but also because I left Noel alone. Good thing she's got a nice aunt and uncle, huh?" Ragna mumbled, trying not to turn red with embarrassment.
"Damn, do I feel like an idiot...well, I guess I deserve it...I'm learning to control it, by the way. The Azure. What happened to you will never, ever happen again. Also, I figured I should mention that Noel's doing great. She's adjusting to Beacon well, and she's helping me to try to do the same. She probably said all of this already, though...damn, I'm tripping over my own tongue here. Guess I just wanna apologize and, uh...well...let you know that Noel's fine. She's moving on. Not like she's forgetting you or anything, but just that she's, you know, living her life and whatever...uh...and I'm trying to follow her example. Not like you care, I'm the one who killed you. Also, you're dead, so...goddamn, I'm an asshole. Of course you're dead, I...you know what? Nevermind. Noel loves you...and I guess I do, too. I mean, you did take care of me before I was adopted by the Mutsuki's, so...yeah. Bye..." Ragna trailed off. At the beginning of his poorly worded speech, he was shaky and his fists were clenched, and even though he still spoke clumsily, he stopped shaking and clenching his fists as he spoke more. By the end of the speech, he was even smiling a bit. He turned and walked away, and as he did so, Ragna didn't look back.
AND THAT CHAPTER IS DONE. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND ARROGANT OR ANYTHING, BUT I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS CHAPTER. I FEEL LIKE I DID A GOOD JOB OF STAYING TRUE TO NOEL AND RAGNA'S CHARACTER THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ORDEAL, AND I ALSO THINK THAT I MADE THE GRAVEYARD SCENE VERY BITTERSWEET, AND THAT THE BUILDUP TO IT WAS WELL-DONE. HOWEVER, I'M VERY OPEN TO CRITICISM. IF ANYONE DOESN'T LIKE THE CHAPTER, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THEY THINK I DID WRONG, BECAUSE WHO KNOWS? THEY COULD VERY WELL BE RIGHT. AS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER, I ACTUALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WILL HAPPEN. I WANT TO FOCUS ON HAZAMA AND ADAM, BUT I CAN'T MAKE ANY PROMISES. I THINK I'LL MOST LIKELY WAIT FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF RWBY TO COME OUT BEFORE WRITING ANYTHING.
ALSO, WHILE WRITING THIS, I WAS LISTENING TO 'WANDERER'S LULLABY' BY ADRIANA FIGUEROA. CHECK IT OUT ON YOUTUBE, AND ALSO CHECK OUT HER CHANNEL. SHE HAS AN AMAZING VOICE! WHILE LISTENING TO IT, I REALLY GOT TO THINKING ABOUT RAGNA AND NOEL'S JOURNEY THROUGHOUT THE BLAZBLUE SAGA AND HOW THEY GREW AS PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY NOEL. I ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT WEISS. THE SONG DOESN'T PARTICULARLY REMIND ME OF HER, BUT IT REMINDS ME THAT WEISS HAS A LOT OF CHARACTER LEFT TO DEVELOP. SHE'S ALREADY VERY INTERESTING AND UNIQUE ALREADY, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE MORE! (ALSO, I WANT TO SEE BLAKE DEVELOP AS WELL. SINCE EPISODE 3, WHERE I REALLY GOT TO GET A SENSE OF WHO SHE WAS AS A PERSON, BLAKE HAS BEEN REGULATED TO A SUPPORTING ROLE IN THE SERIES, AND THAT ANNOYS ME. MORE BLAKE. MONTY! I NEED MORE BLAKE!) HONESTLY, I THINK THAT WEISS HAS ENTERED MY LIST OF TOP 10 CHARACTERS WHO REALLY NEED A HUG, NOEL HERSELF BEING NUMBER 1.
FINALLY, TO CONCLUDE, RWBY AND BLAZBLUE ARE WORKS OF ART AND I HOPE THEY GET THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE.