I don't know how long I was out for but when I woke up it was to in a place I tried to forget. The house before me was just as I had remembered it. It was small compared to the others in the nearby village but it was enough. The house was painted white with burgundy window shutters and a heavy cherry stained door. From the windows lighted emanated showing signs of life inside.
Slowly I walked up the porch to the door and reached out for the door. My hand stopped inches from the handle as I took in a deep breath. I grabbed the handle and gave it a turn. The door swung open and I stepped into the house I had left behind.
The cool hit my air and I let out a gasp feeling it chill me to the bone. I took a few more steps letting the door behind me close. I stopped where the hallway met the living room and turned to look inside. The room was the same just like it seems the rest of the house was.
I kept moving through the house checking every room I came upon. All of them were the same way they had been left. I finally made it to the stairs and began my ascent upwards. I reached the top and moved toward the first of the only two rooms. I opened my door and found myself staring into what had been my room.
It was quite large compared to others but was decorated with an assortment of items. Along the far wall was my bed adorning a simple black comforter and a few pillows. On the left wall was a large dresser that held all the clothes I didn't have hung in the closet next to it. The jewel of my room was on the right wall. A small workbench was covered in tools and pieces of metal. In the middle sat the project I was working on the first attempt at Life and Death.
I backed out of the room and made my way down the hall to the only room left on the floor. I pushed the door and entered Aria's room. The room was larger than mine with a small bathroom connected to it. The only thing out of place in the entire room was the picture laying flat on the bedside table. I made my way across the room and picked up the picture.
I held the picture up and let the tears flow down the side of my face. It was a picture of Aria holding me up on her shoulders when I was little. The memories of that day flowed back as a smile crept onto my face.
It had been just over a year and a half since Aria had adopted me. She had decided to take me into town for a day of fun. We had run around all day visiting as many shops as we could. It was one of the best days I had ever had. When the sun was setting Aria took me to a local shop that sold candy. I there she bought me the biggest lollipop I had ever scene. She hoisted me up onto her shoulders and we began our way back home. As we left the shop a man with a camera took the picture and showed it gave it so us.
This was the only picture of Aria I knew about. My reminiscing was cut short by the sound of metal striking metal. I raced down the stairs toward the only place left in the house I hadn't searched. By the time I reached the basement door I could feel my chest tightening and my breathing becoming quicker. I ripped the door open and flew down the stairs into the giant training arena below the house. The sight in front of made me stop in in my tracks as tears flowed down my face like a stream.
Standing before me was an Aria holding her two weapons in hand. She was wearing a simple white t-shirt and black pants. She had always dressed more boyish. The sight of her made my chest tighten and my legs weak. I fell to the ground cupping my head in my hands as I sobbed uncontrollably.
The feeling of a hand on my shoulder made me lift my head up from my hands. Staring into my eyes was the same red eyes I remembered from all those years ago. Aria grabbed me and pulled me into a hug letting me weep into her shoulders.
Finally, after I had let out all that I had Aria pulled away from and held me by my shoulders. Tears streamed down her face leaving trails down her face. "Oh Boone, I'm so sorry. I never meant to leave especially not in such a horrible place." In the seconds that Aria spoke reality came crashing down as I remembered all that had happened. "How? How am I seeing you after all this time? I watched you die and I I …" I couldn't finish talking as the sight of Aria laying in that clearing and that damn black pool.
Aria pulled me closer holding me in a tight embrace. "I know you have so many questions? I wish I could answer them all but I can't. Just please know everything I did was for you even if I was being selfish." Aria gripped me even tighter letting the warmth of her body wash over me. "But you can't stay here. It is not yet time for us to meet. You have to go back."
I turned in looked up into Aria's tears flowing from both mine and hers. Aria leaned forward and placed a kiss on my forward. "I'm so sorry I left you. Please know I love you with all my heart." Aria held me tighter and her warmth filled my entire body. I could feel myself slipping away as I fell asleep in Aria's arms.
When I woke up I learned then that nothing was worse than being trapped inside one's own mind. What I was experiencing I would only wish upon the most terrible people in existence. I was back in the forest walking into the clearing once again.
This was different instead of Aria and I it was team RWBY and JNPR with me along side them. None of responded why they were they're just kept walking till we reached the clearing. Once we entered all of them seemed to fall free from their daze. All of them kept looking around confused by where they were. "Boone, where are we." Ruby was in front of me looking like she had just woken up from a nap. "We all need to run. Something terrible is coming and none of us can stop it."
All of them just gave a weird look like I had told the moon hadn't actually been destroyed that it was just a lie. Blake stepped forward and place a hand on my shoulder. "Boone what are you talking about? Why are we here do you know something we don't." I could see the red eyes along the clearing edge appear to surround us. "Something bad is about to happen. Something none of us are ready for. We need to run." All of the gave me another worried look like I was crazy.
From the edge of the clearing, Grimm began to slowly enter many crouched and ready to fight. "Ughh guys we got a problem." Yang activated Ember Celica as everyone deployed their weapons ready to fight. Grimm poured from the forest all running straight toward us. All of brandishing the unrivaled blood lust they creatures had for humans.
All at once we opened fire against the oncoming horde. Grimm fell to the ground slowing the rest of the horde. Many of the Grimm fell before they could reach us but those who did moved quickly as they lashed out. We engaged the rest of the Grimm quickly dealing with all of those still left.
Soon all that was left was the quickly disintegrating bodies of Grimm. "Guys we need to leave. These Grimm are the least of our worries. We need to run before something worse shows up." From the pools, three humanoid Grimm pulled free and slowly sauntered toward the two teams. All of turned at the sound of the Grimm approaching and held our weapons up to them. A second later a barrage of bullets slammed into the Grimm filling them with rounds of dust infused metal. Nora and Yang high fived not knowing that had only pissed off the Grimm.
I jumped from the group toward the nearest Grimm and drove Death into its chest. None of the other teens responded when I was launched back by the Grimm. The other two pulled them up from the ground and charged.
Jaune was the first to be released by the surprise as he shot forward blocking one of the Grimms attacks with his shield. The other Grimm ran through the group knocking Yang and Ren to the side while Ruby and Nora blocked its attack and engaged it. Pyrrha jumped forward and began to attack the Grimm Jaune was engaged with. Blake had run to my side and helped mine off the ground.
Ren and Yang had recovered and were in a fight against the Grimm that had hit me. The sight of the team's attacking the Grimm gave me hope that we could kill them if we hit them enough. Ruby and Nora had beaten their Grimm back leaving it to defend with the without the arm Ruby had cut off.
Jaune and Pyrrha attacked the Grimm together blocking and parrying together like they had been practicing together for years. Yang and Ren were dealing with the last Grimm like it was a game of tag. Ren ran around the Grimm distracting it with a slice of his blades with Yang hit it with a punch that would blow part of its body away. I was mistaken to think we had a chance.
The first to fall was Jaune. Pyrrha had gotten her shield ripped away by the Grimm and was left open as the Grimm sliced down at her. Jaune dove in the way of the attack letting the claws rip through his armor and chest. Jaune was caught by Pyrrha as he fell to the ground. Life seemed to drain from Jaune as the blood flowed from the wounds staining the ground around him.
Pyrrha let out a scream as she held her hands to the wound trying to stop the bleeding. Blake ran across the clearing and engaged the Grimm that had wounded Jaune. At that moment all of them realized that every attack they did to the Grimm was being healed.
Ren and Yang kept hammering away at the Grimm trying to do enough damage that it wouldn't be able to heal. Yang hit the Grimm making it stumble backward while Ren slammed Storm Flower into the creature's head. Black blood poured from the Grimms head and Ren let out a sigh of release. He was cut short as the Grimm claw wrapped around his throat and hoisted him into the air.
Storm Flower fell from his hands as he struggled to breathe against the Grimms hand around his throat. The Grimm lifted up its other claw and thrust it into Ren's chest. The last of the air escaped from Ren's lips as it pulled the claw-free and dropped Ren to the ground.
Tears fell free from Nora's eyes as she dashed across the clearing and slammed the hammer into the unexpecting Grimm. Magnhild hit the Grimm in its chest and blew out through its back. The whole began to fill back as the Grimm healed and Turned to face Nora. Both crouched down and charged at one another weapons ready to strike.
They flew past each other as the sound of metal on flesh echoed through the forest. Nora turned to face the Grimm and found Magnhild lodged inside its chest. The sight that shocked her more was her severed arm on the ground next to it. Nora looks down to find her arm was indeed missing but also the Grimm had also sliced her side. Nora fell to the ground staring at her partner as the Grimm pulled Magnhild from ts chest and threw it to the ground.
The rest of us had fallen back to where Pyrrha held Jaune. Ruby and Blake were attacking the Grimm together slicing away at the Grimm. Yang and I were left to deal with the other two Grimm. Somehow we had more luck at keeping the Grimm back using our shotgun round to blow chunks of the Grimm away.
Blake was having trouble landing any blows deep enough to do any damage while Ruby couldn't find an opening. Ruby was the first to make a mistake when she slammed the scythe into the Grimms shoulder. The creature turned and backhanded Ruby. The blow threw her into a tree leaving her unconscious with crescent rose at her side.
Blake moved to help her leader only to be forced back by the Grimm. Blake blocked the attack using Gambol Shroud and followed it up my thrusting the blade into the Grimms wrist. Gambol shroud sunk into the flesh of the Grimms arm. Blake tried to pull it free but couldn't. Letting go of the blade Blake rolled out of the next attack. The Grimm then grabbed hold of the blade and pulled it free with a wet slick as it skin pulled back together. The Grimm lunged at the and grabbed her around her waist hoisting her into the air.
Blake attacked the Grimm frantically swinging Gambol Shroud's sheathe wherever she could land a blow. The Grimm paid no mind to the attacks healing them just as quickly as they were received. Using its teeth the Grimm pulled the blade from its arm and let it fall to the ground with a metallic clang. With a roar, the Grimm increased it grip on Blake forcing the wind from her lungs. With a final audible snap, Blake went limp in the creature's hand. The Grimm held Blake's limp body and flung it to the side as it moved on towards its next target.
Yang watched the Grimm toss her partner to the ground and became infuriated with rage. Her semblance took hold and flame erupted around the thoroughly upset blonde. Yang charged the Grimm putting all she had into every attack she could land. The force ripped the Grimm apart throwing it body parts across the clearing till it fell to the ground in a heap of black goo. The Grimm had received too much damage and could no longer regenerate and instead disintegrated like its brethren.
"Ya get back up from that you stupid cu…" Before Yang could finish her insult the Grimm she had left behind had come up behind her and slammed its fist through her chest. The Grimm raised Yang through the air letting the blood run down it pitch black arm. A gasp escaped from Yang as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. With a flick of it, arm the Grimm flung Yang off it wrist and to the ground.
The Grimm I was engaged with began to swinger harder as it seemed to become frustrated it couldn't hit me. The other walked past us even as I shot a round into its skull. I t walked over to where Pyrrha was cradling Jaune on the ground. Pyrrha looked up at the beast as it raised its claw and let out a scream of defiance. Team JNPR weapons raised off the ground and flew into the Grimm. Magnhild blew the Grimms arm off while Storm Flower pierced it eyes. Finally, Crocea Mors slammed into the Grimms chest right where its heart should have been.
The Grimm stopped moving looking down at Pyrrha with its unmoving eyes. Pyrrha stood up holding Miló in her hand. With a single stroke, she cut the Grimms head off letting it fall to the ground. Pyrrha knelt back down to the ground and picked Jaune up in her hands placing a kiss on his lips. Second later claws sliced through Pyrrha's back allowing for her and Jaune to be together again.
I was now alone defending against two almost invincible Grimm. I could barely hold against their attacks while unable to land any of my own. In the corner of my eye, I spotted Ruby pull herself from the ground. The sight before her made her let out a scream filled with fear, confusion, and sadness. She rushed forward grabbing Crescent Rose from the ground and fell next to Yang's body. Ruby held her pushing Yang's hair to the her down she stood up and deployed her scythe.
With a single movement, Ruby launched herself across the clearing and cut the two Grimm in half leaving rose petals in her wake. The Grimm fell to the ground and slowly began to pull themselves together. "Ruby now is your only chance! You need to run without looking back." Ruby looked at me as if I had shot her and left her to die.
The Grimm finally finished repairing themselves and jumped at me ready to finish the fight. The Grimm were relentless with their attacks knocking me down closer to the ground with every strike. "RUBY RUN!" The sound of me screaming at her pulled Ruby from her daze and she took off across the clearing.
One of the Grimm finally landed a blow forcing my knee to the ground. I turned to see Ruby running across the clearing past the black pool. As she stepped next to it A black hand reached out and grabbed her around the ankle. Ruby let out a scream as she was dragged into the black liquid. I could see her trying to dig her nails into the ground only to be pulled deeper and deeper into the pool. Finally, her hands lost their grip and she was pulled under the surface.
I let my head turn to face the ground and closed my eyes. The Grimm stood over like it was an executioner and me its prisoner and I was. The memories of that day haunted me. It controlled everything I did. The fear that what happened on that day would happen again controlled me like I was its puppet.
I was done being controlled. I had finally moved past that day when I meet team JNPR and the rest of team RWBY. I had made a life outside of that cursed forest and it could no longer harm me. I wasn't going to face death like a coward full of fear. I was going to stand in front of it and say "Good fucking luck." as it tried to kill me.
When I opened my eyes to face death I was seeing a claw flying towards me. Instead, I was staring at an all too familiar tile ceiling. I had woken up in the same hospital room I had been in a few weeks ago. When I sat up I was treated to the sight of Ozpin sitting in the corner of the room at a small table.
"So the dead has been brought back from the afterlife! Might I ask how you feel?" I immediately wanted to respond I felt like shit but that wasn't the truth. I felt like I had taken a much-needed nap and that I had woken up feeling slow from grogginess. The biggest change I had was the use of both eyes. I held my hand feeling my left eye. When I touched it I could feel the cold metal underneath.
I shot off the bed and looked in the large mirror that ran along the wall. The sight before me showed just how long I had been asleep. My hair was slightly longer than before and still had the red streaks running through it. Luckily the black veins were no longer present. When I looked into my left eye I was met by a perfectly normal eye other than the damaged red eye I had before.
"What happened?" The question was simple but at the same time, it wasn't. When I turned to face Ozpin he let out a sigh. "When you collapsed at the tournament you were brought here immediately. You had entered a comatose and have been here for the past two weeks." The answer was not the one I had been looking for. I could feel the anger rising inside me and I was feeding it like a fire.
"I know that. What I meant is WHY did I pass out. And WHAT THE HELL DID THEY DO WITH MY EYE!" Ozpin didn't look away or even flinch when I yelled at him. "Please do calm down Boone. I understand you're confused but please don't yell." I let out a grunt and sat down on the end of my bed. "When you were brought it the doctor told me your eye had Grimms blood in it. During the fight, it was somehow activated and began to spread. The doctors were forced to remove your eye or else the blood would have eaten away at your soul till you died."
I reached up to my eye remembering how it looked before. "So they replaced it with a new mechanical one?" Ozpin stood up from the chair and sat down next to me on the bed hold his cane out in front of him. "You were very luckily much of the nerves were still intact if not you would still be blind. I know this is a surprise to you but do know your team has visited you every day. Miss Belladonna was forced to go to class by the rest of your team when she wouldn't leave your side. I do say you have formed quite the bond very quickly."
"Professor do you know what it's like to be trapped in the past. Unable to move forward because the fear holds you still. I don't know who I am let alone how to move forward. All I know is that is want to stay here and I can't if I'm stuck in the past."
"That is why I came to you before the tournament. When you were brought here those few months ago it was a surprise to all of us. No one knew that the boy on his first mission had survived all this time and finally made his way home."
"I know the story of what happened. I mean shouldn't I I'm the one who survived that damn forest for three years."
Ozpin let out a small laugh at the joke. "When I learned who you where I sent people out to your's and Aria's home. What we found was quite interesting." Ozpin stood up and moved over to a box in the corner and a large package next to it. Ozpin grabbed the box and sat back down next to me. Ozpin opened the box and pulled a leather notebook from it. "This a journal Aria kept. Inside is a history of the last sixteen years including your birth."
"How does Aria know about my birth. I didn't meet her till she saved me from the fire. The most she knew was my name. I grew up not knowing my own age and you're telling me she knew about my birth."
Ozpin laid the book down and pulled a piece of burnt paper from the box. "Boone can you tell me what Aria's name last name is. Or why you have the same colored eyes and hair." I was confused by what Ozpin was asking me, of course, I knew her last name it was. It dawned on me that I didn't actually know what it was. "No, I-I don't remember. She never told me what it was. And so what if we looked a little alike. What does that have to do with anything?"
"Her name was Aria Tanis. She was a student here once and she was at the top of her class rivaled by one person during her entire stay. She is also your mother." Ozpin handed the paper toward me and let me look at it. "This was pulled from the fire sadly some of it has been burnt but it is still there." Ozpin was right. The paper listed my name but instead, it showed what was my real name the one I never knew. William Boone Tanis. I was born December 19 almost seventeen years ago. Under parents, the name was Aria's name and the name of a William Forsythe.
"Why would she hide this from me. She let me grow up with strangers and just happened to save me from a fire. Then she raised me and never told me who she really was. Why would she do that?"
"Boone I understand this is a lot to take in but do understand it was for the best. When you were born Aria knew she couldn't take care of you. The death of your father was too much so she left you in the care of your grandparents. When that fire happened she had just come back from a mission. Luckily she made it in time to save you."
"That still doesn't answer why she never told me she was my mother. I spent so many years wishing I had a family. Now I learn I do but it's a little late."
"Boone, she brought you here to the beacon and I afford to let her leave you here to live in the children's dormitory with the children of other hunters. She said no and decided to raise you herself. The reason she didn't tell you she was your mother was because she feared you would hate her."
At that moment I realized Ozpin was right. If I knew she was my mother I would have hated her for leaving. It would have made it impossible to have all the good memories I had of Aria.
"Aria did leave you a will and until now I have been unable to do it. But know I believe is the time I can finally read it. "To the only person in this world worth fighting for my son William. I leave everything I own including the house and all my accounts. I just want you to know I'm sorry I never told you. I was selfish for doing it but I want you to know I love you. Be able to watch you grow up and become so strong made me feel so proud even though I didn't deserve it. I will always love till the end of time."
As Ozpin read the letter and handed it to me so I could read it. "Boone you must understand parents do not always do the right thing. Making mistakes is part of being a parent. I believe you may understand this one day."
"Ya, I think I might. I just need time to take this all in." Ozpin got off the bed and grabbed the package he had left in the corner of the room. "Boone there's still more to who you are. Your father also plays into your role."
I was confused from what I had gathered my father died before I was born. "What do you mean? He's dead what does that have to do with me now." Ozpin stood in front of me and laid the package on my lap. He grabbed the chair from the corner and sat down in front of me.
"When your mother was here at Beacon she was part of team WAYS. Your father just happened to be the leader of that team. His name was William Forsythe a master swordsman and heir to the greatest families of hunters known to man." Ozpin stood up and grabbed a coffee mug from the table and sat back down taking a sip. "A little over seventeen years ago Vale was attacked by one of the largest Grimm hordes we had ever seen. Your father left your mother who was pregnant with you to fight."
"So you're saying he left us to fight the Grimm and never came back. So he died and left my mother to take care of me alone."
"He did not die on the battlefield. Boone, Your father was rallied all the huntman left after the first few waves to stand back up and fight. I may not have been there but I've been told by countless people he turned the tide of that battle. He was brought back after all the Grimm had been wiped out. No one knew he had been injured. He made sure everyone else was taken care of first. By the time doctors learned he was hurt he was already on death's door."
Ozpin reached into his pocket and pulled two rings out and placed them in my hand. "Your father gave up his right to the Forsythe fortune when he married your mother. Sadly it was kept under wraps by his parents. The only thing that proves you to be his son is inside that box."
I opened my hand and looked at the rings Ozpin had given me. The first was small gold engagement ring with a single black crystal. The other was a black gold wedding band. Across the bottom of each ring was an engraving of a dragon and wrapped around a phoenix.C
The box I was holding was a simple cardboard box about five feet long. When I pulled the box open surprised to find a cherry wood box. It was designed with golden patterns that slid across the polished wood. On the front was a golden crest shaped like a phoenix with its wings spread wide. The latch was closed shut using a lock without a key hole. When I pulled on it stayed shut. "It won't open."
Ozpin let out a chuckle as I pulled on the lock again. "That is an Aura lock. Only someone with the Forsythe blood running through their veins can open it. If you can it proves that you are indeed the heir to the Forsythe family."
I placed my hand on the lock and let my Aura flow into the lock. The lock popped open with a loud click and fell free from the box. When I lifted up the lid I was greeted by the sight of a cavalry saber sitting inside. When I picked up the sheath I was surprised at the detail of the sheath. The sheath was pitch black with the same gold details as the box running across it. Along each side, the sheath had raw dust crystals of all types embedded into it. I grabbed the saber's handle and pulled the sword free letting the sound of metal sliding on the sheath echo through the room.
The sword was longer than most cavalry sabers with the blade being close 3 and a half feet long. The blade's color matched the color of the blade I could summon with my semblance. When I held it in my hand it felt perfectly balanced. The most surprising part was I could feel the dust running through the metal as if it was alive. The most curious part was a large colorless dust crystal placed into the butt of the handle. "Ozpin what is this?"
"That is the greatest weapon in Remnant history. It is one of the first ever dust infused weapons created. It can only be used by the Forsythe family and has been passed from heir to heir for centuries. It was had no name until your father named it Grimm's Bane."
"Why am I the only one who can use it. It seems to me that it's just a sword. The only weird thing about is I can feel the dust flowing through it."
"That is what make it special. That sword was made using a technique that only the original maker knows of. The key to it is the colorless dust crystal. It allows the user to endlessly any type of dust. The sword rejects all who pick it up other than Forsythe's. Your father locked it up and gave it to your mother before he died so that you could prove who you were."
"Thank you Ozpin. Without you, I wouldn't know who I am. You've given me a reason to carry on and face whatever comes my way."
Ozpin stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Boone, you must understand the job of a teacher is not just to teach. Our job is to mold our students so that they may move along in life. What we do is more important than almost everything else in this world." Ozpin released my shoulder and walked over to the door and opened it. "I will speak with the doctors before I leave. I believe you will be able to return to your team. Do note I sent a message to your scroll. There have been some changes to your team and you are now stationed in the floor above where you had been." With that Ozpin left me alone in the room to contemplate what I had learned.
That night I was meet with a sound slumber and dreams of when I lived with Aria. When I awoke I was greeted by the sight of a nurse with food. After eating a doctor came in and declared me fit to return back to my dorm.
When I pulled opened my scroll after had it returned to me I went to look at the message Ozpin mentioned. When I opened it I was surprised to learn we would be getting a new teammate so we were moved to a larger room. The rest of my team had already been moved and all my stuff was with them. Also in the message was the information to access Aria's accounts.
When I opened the account I was surprised to learn I was now by terms rich. I closed my scroll and cleared the idea of the money from it. I then walked out of the room and began to make my way back to my new dorm room. Many people gave me strange looks as I walked. I would too if I saw a kid with white and red hair walking past me with a black sword hanging from his waist.
When I made it to the new dorm room I was surprised by the lack of traffic in the hallways. Classes had ended a while ago and yet no one was in the hallway other than me. I turned back to the door and let my hand rest on the handle before I pulled it open. "Ok, let's start another adventure!"