Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, RWBY, or the Fate series
They are owned by Square Enix, Rooster Teeth, and Type-Moon respectively
Guardians of Remnant
Chapter 13 – Memories
Everyone just stared at Yang in silence. "Are you sure it was him?" Weiss asked. "That…that seems like it would be too much of a coincidence." Finding no response from Yang, she turned to Ruby for answers. Ruby jumped back, noticing Weiss's intense stare "Uh…I…I…don't really remember. I was really young."
"But I remember that day." Yang interjected. "I remember everything about that day" Her face fell slightly, memories flooding her head.
"It all started off like any other day…" she began
Patch, 10 years ago
Yang blinked several times as the morning rays began to shine through her window. She sat up, stretched her arms and elicited a long yawn. She slapped her lips together for additional effect. She turned her head slowly and looked at her sleeping sister, tucked tightly in the bed next to her.
"Oh she's so cuuuuute when she sleeps!" Yang couldn't help but squeal as she looked to her little sister. She began looking around the room, observing the familiar sights. Ruby and Yang's room was rather large. It had two large beds for the two of them, a television by the window, and a large bookshelf with tons of books and little Grimm figurines.
Yang smiled brightly, she really loved her room. Everything about it just gave her the utmost feeling of safety. There were no monsters or bad guys that would ever dare step in here! Yang yawned once more "Well it's still early, maybe I can sleep a bit longer. She laid down and closed her eyes "Take me away to dream land
…
…
…
Unfortunately, the day was calling. Or rather, their mom was. Both Ruby and Yang shot up in their beds as the door slammed open and a slender figure wearing a white cloak stepped in.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Ruby and Yang screamed in Unison
The figure removed the hood of their cloak, revealing the smiling face of Summer Rose, their mother. Summer wore her usual attire. A plain black dress, a white hood and cape, and almost knee high black boots. She had shoulder length black hair with red highlights. "Come on, get a move on! Breakfast is ready! Get out of bed!" she happily exclaimed. "Mom! Don't do that! You scared me!" Yang shrieked
Summer then had a mischievous smile on her face as she approached Yang "Oooooh did I spook you? Did I look like a ghost when I came in all like, Waaah! Woooh!" Yang giggled as Summer made weird ghostly movements and sounds. "How do you have so much energy?" Yang laughed.
"I'm a mom! I need energy! Energy to do this!" she said as she began tickling Yang, eliciting small laughs from the child. "Now come on you two, breakfast is ready!"
Yang smiled "Ok" she turned to Ruby "come on Ruby" Yang was actually surprised to see Ruby puffing her cheeks, looking kind of hurt "I'm not so hungry right now mom" she whimpered
Summer smiled "I also made cookies…"
Ruby shot up, her eyes sparkling. She quickly jumped out of bed, grabbed her little red cape, and ran to the kitchen. "Oh, Ruby don't run! You'll trip on your cape again!" Summer shouted as she ran after her
Yang kept watching her mom as she walking away. She admired everything about Summer. To Yang, she was the most beautiful, intelligent, and kind person to ever live. Yang walked out to the kitchen to see Ruby already scarfing down a small plate of cookies, happily salivating in their taste. Their father, Taiyang, was standing by the stove making pancakes. Summer walked beside him and planted a small kiss on the cheek "AH! You're making pancakes! I love your pancakes." Summer squealed in delight
Taiyang turned around and planted a small kiss on his wife's lips. "Well, today is special. Happy anniversary, honey. Now sit down and chef master Taiyang will be there in a moment!" he said as he flipped the pancakes. Unfortunately he flipped the stack of them too high and they stuck to the ceiling. "I'll…just start another batch" he said lowly
After several minutes and another two batches of pancakes later, their whole family sat down to eat. After some time scarfing down all the food readily available, Summer's scroll began to ring. She took it out and read its contents carefully. "Is everything alright, Sum?" Tai asked. Summer put her scroll down and sighed "Its Ozpin, he has a mission for me"
"Can't it wait? I mean, it's our anniversary!" Tai pleaded. Summer smiled and gently grabbed hold of Tai's hand. "I know, I know, but…this one's important. I promise I'll be back in no time." She then leaned in close and said "And then you'll have me all to yourself" Tai began blushing bright red.
Ruby tugged on Summer's cape. Summer got on both her knees in order to be more on level with her daughter. "Do you have to go, mom?" Ruby asked. "Yes, sweetheart" she replied. "I gotta go teach the big bad monsters a lesson, Right Yang?" Yang got up and walked beside Ruby. "That's right! Go get em!"
Summer smiled brightly "Make sure you watch your sister while I'm gone ok?" Yang nodded "I will, don't worry!" Summer leaned in close and wrapped the three of them in a warm hug. "I love you guys."
Summer got up and walked to the door. Before leaving she turned and smiled, looking on at her family "I'll see you soon" and with that she left
Later that day
Yang and Ruby were hanging out in the living room. Ruby was currently doodling pictures, attempting to draw what looked like Grimm lying motionless, each saying "Owchie" Yang was currently watching a cartoon about a group of kids at a crazy summer camp. She looked outside the window, staring at the low setting sun. She hadn't heard anything from her mom all day. She was beginning to worry. "Huh?" Yang noticed in the distance a man approaching their house. As the man got closer, Yang began to notice more of his features. He had tan skin, white hair, and grey eyes. He wore black body armor and pants with a two part red coat over his body. He held his head low as he approached their home.
Yang jumped up as she heard the doorbell ring. "Dad, somebody's at the door!" she called out. Taiyang came into view, passing by and walking to the front door "Thanks, kiddo. I'll get it." Yang couldn't see her father from her current position. She listened closely as she heard the door open and her father eliciting an audible gasp "I had no idea you were coming! I wasn't…expecting…you" Yang could hear a sudden shift in her father's tone.
She was surprised to hear the door close, sobbing could be heard from the other side. Yang went back to the window and looked out, seeing her father and the mysterious man speaking. The mysterious man turned sharply, noticing Yang's presence. "Eep!" Yang quickly sat down, hoping he didn't really notice her.
She sat there in silence, watching Ruby as she drew. Several minutes would pass by before she heard yelling coming from the outside
"After what this bastard did to Raven, how can you still defend him, Tai!?" the voice of another man rang out. Her Uncle Qrow. "This is his fault! He's just too much of a coward to admit it!" Qrow yelled
"Qrow!" Taiyang pleaded, his voice cracking "Please…not right now….just…go inside"
"But Tai-"
"Please, Qrow. Just…" Taiyang couldn't finish
Both Ruby and Yang jumped up as Qrow slammed the door open and stomped in. He stopped out of the doorway, noticing the two girls. Yang could see tears in his eyes as he walked into the guest room and closed the door.
Why was Uncle Qrow crying? Yang was shocked to see Ruby drop her drawing and shoot up. "I wonder who dad is talking to!?" she said. Ruby quickly ran off to the front door, her cape flowing behind her. "No! Ruby come back!" Yang pleaded
Yang ran after her and stopped once she was in the hallway facing the open door. She stood back, away from her father, Ruby, and the mysterious man. She could see Ruby clutching onto her father's leg, holding him closely.
The mysterious man was kneeling down, looking at Ruby. He turned, noticing Yang, and gave her a light smile. He turned back to Ruby, and began to speak.
"You must be Ruby, right?"
Ruby, still clutching onto Taiyang's leg, looked up shyly "Yes"
The man smiled "I thought so. You look just like Summer. You have her eyes."
Ruby began to move away from her father's leg, now more comfortable in front of the man "You know my mom?"
He nodded "Yea, I know your mom. She's…the strongest person I've ever known, even when she didn't need to be." He said, averting his eyes towards the ground.
Ruby laughed "Well that's my mom for you!" Ruby's smile faded as she looked upon the man once more. "Hey Mister? Are you ok?"
The man looked up, confused. "Yea, I'm fine! Why would you ask that?"
Ruby pointed to his face "You're crying"
The man brought his hand to his face, surprised to feel the wet substance from his eyes. He traced the tear along his cheek and wiped it away "Sorry I don't know where that came from." He looked up to Taiyang, who was now struggling to hold back his own tears.
"Oh!" the man exclaimed "I almost forgot! Your mom told me you like stories. Here, I got you something"
Ruby began jumping up in excitement as she patiently awaited her gift. The man reached behind his back and kept it there for a moment. Yang could have sworn she saw blue electricity swirling around his back. When he pulled his arm out, he handed two small objects to Ruby.
"Whoaaaa!" she exhaled "Who are they?"
The man smiled "They're…they're people I respect deeply. Heroes of the highest caliber."
Ruby smiled and held the objects closely "Thank you! I love it!"
Yang could see the man's smile fade and be replaced by a bleak expression. "Hey, Ruby?" he said
"Yes?"
"Has…your mom ever told you the story of the Wrought Iron Hero?"
Ruby seemed to think for a moment "Yea! She tells me that one all the time! It's her favorite!"
Another tear fell down the man's face
"Mister?"
"I'm sorry. It's just that…I've done something really bad. And because of me, people have gotten hurt. Your mother included. I'm just not…I'm not sure how I can fix it." The man said
"Well…You wanna know what my mom would say?" Ruby asked
The man nodded "Well…she would probably say to not worry about that stuff. As long as you try your best from now on, it'll all work out!" Ruby exclaimed
The man looked at Ruby, staring at her in silence for a moment "Thank you. I think I needed that." He stood up and gave Ruby a bright smile "Don't you worry. I'll try my best from now on too" he finished
Taiyang placed his hand on Ruby's head. "Why don't you go back inside and show Yang what you got?"
"Ok!" she sprinted back inside, stopping directly in front of Yang while excitedly shoving the two objects in her face. They were books.
"Yang, Yang, Yang, Yang! Look what I got!" Ruby yelled
Yang looked at the books curiously "The legend of King Arthur and…Alexander the Great?"
"Can you read one to me? Please, please, please, PLEAASSSE!" Ruby begged
"Uh…yea, sure. Which one would you like to read?"
Ruby looked at the books and thought deeply "This one" she said while pointing to the book about King Arthur.
"Ok then let go-AAAAHH!" Yang screamed as Ruby dragged her away to the living room. Yang sat atop the couch, Ruby leaning in next to her. Yang opened the book and began to read from it "Alright, let's begin"
Yang began to read about the origins of the legendary King of Knights. His upbringing, pulling Excalibur from the stone, the formation of the round table, and more. Ruby listened intently, eager to learn more about Arthur's legend. Arthur was the type of hero that Ruby looked up to.
After several minutes of reading Ruby shot up in excitement. "Hey Yang, I just had a crazy idea!"
Yang put the book down, her mind was being drawn away, still focusing on the mysterious man and her father, who were still talking outside.
"What is it Rubes?" she asked
"What if…King Arthur wasn't a guy….but actually a girl acting as a guy?"
Yang laughed "Then why would she be called King Arthur? Wouldn't she be a Queen?"
"Girls can be King too!" Ruby argued back. Both girls were pulled out as they heard the door gently close, Taiyang emerging and walking into the guest room, Uncle Qrow waiting inside.
Yang turned around and looked out the window. She could see the man walking away in the distance, never turning back.
Yang felt Ruby tugging on her arm "Come on Yang, continue!" she pleaded, with puppy dog eyes.
Before she could continue she heard yelling coming from the guest room. Yang quickly took the book and turned towards the middle "Here Ruby, this section has some really cool pictures for you to look at, I'll be right back ok?"
"Ok!"
Yang got up and slowly approached the guest room door. She listened closely to the sounds of her father and Uncle Qrow as their fighting increased.
"Qrow…Summer wouldn't want this. Even if it is true, she wouldn't want you seeking…revenge!" Taiyang pleaded
"Well Summer isn't here now, is she?!" Qrow spat
A loud booming sound followed, dust blown off the wall. An indent of a closed fist could now be seen beside the door. Yang just stood there, frozen in place
"All you're doing is spitting on her memory. Get out, Qrow. Just…leave"
"Tai you can't be serio-"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Taiyang yelled
Yang fell back as the door swung open, her uncle standing before her, his expression unreadable
"Uncle Qrow? Are you and dad fighting?" Yang shyly asked
Qrow knelt down and gave a reassuring smile "No of course not, Firecracker. Your dad and I…are just having a bit of a disagreement right now" Qrow got up and walked to the front door. "See ya around kiddo" Before stepping outside he looked to his left, noticing a small night table. Atop the table were two small glasses and a large bottle of wine. On the bottle's front rested a small sticky note that said "Happy anniversary"
Qrow picked up the bottle, observed it for a moment before uncorking it and spilling some of its contents into one of the glasses. He quickly lifted the glass, drinking the numbing liquid and spilling some of it on himself. As he prepared to pour himself another glass, Qrow stopped and just looked at the bottle. He placed the glass down and instead began drinking straight from the bottle.
After gulping down most of its contents, he stepped outside, bottle in hand. Yang ran to the window, watching as he continued to walk away, drinking the remainder of its contents.
Yang walked back to the guest room, now noticing her father kneeling beside the bed, his head buried into his arms. His shoulders were rising and falling rapidly. He was crying.
"Dad?"
End of flashback
Present day, Beacon Infirmary
"Neither Mom or dad ever mentioned the man. Sometime after the funeral…I asked him about it. But no matter what, he just stayed silent. He just kinda shut down for a while." Yang said, finishing her story.
Everyone stared at Yang in silence. Ruby walked in front of her and held her in a loving embrace. The two sisters stood there hugging each other in silence before Ruby pulled away.
Everyone suddenly was alerted by the infirmary's door suddenly opening, one of the attendants popping their head in. "Excuse me, sorry for interrupting, but Miss Schnee needs plenty of rest if she's going to be ready for the doubles round."
Everyone said their farewells and wished Weiss a speedy recovery. As everyone was leaving the room, Weiss called out Sora "Wait, Sora! Do you have time to speak, just for a moment?"
"Uh sure Weiss" he replied with uncertainty. He turned to Ruby "I'll be out in a moment"
"I'll be right here, I've got something I want to ask you when you're done"
Sora walked back to Weiss's side "What's up?" he asked
Weiss turned to her side, casting her gaze on Ven. "When Ven and I were fighting Shir-I mean Archer…" she said begrudgingly, almost believing the man she once knew and the man she knows now to be two separate people "Ven mentioned something…something about you."
"What did he say?"
"He said that…that you've seen Archer before. In a dream?"
Sora sighed "Of course he did. Yea, I saw him. I guess Ruby has mentioned that I've seemed distant these last couple days?"
Weiss nodded in agreement "She did mention that something was bothering you"
"Well, I haven't told her this yet but…a few days ago I had this strange dream. There were people and places I've never seen before. I saw some…really bad things." Sora said, not wanting to get into the more gruesome details. He began clutching the sides of his head as he struggled to remember his dream.
"A lot of it is still a big blur, but there is something that I definitely do remember. I saw that man. I saw Shirou"
"Archer" Weiss corrected
"Sorry. I mean Archer. I've never met him before, but there was something about him that just…" Sora trailed off
"What?"
"…Terrified me" Sora finished "But that's not the only time I saw Archer. Earlier today, when Qrow and Winter were fighting, I didn't see them, I saw Archer and some woman fighting."
"Some woman?"
"I'm not sure yet, but judging from Yang's story, I think it was Summer. They knew each other. It's possible that he might be the one who…"
Weiss knew exactly what he was going to say. She couldn't bear the thought of Shirou being Summer's killer "What do you think this means?" she asked
"I don't know" Sora admitted "Normally I wouldn't think too much about a bad dream, but this one felt so much more than that. I know that my heart is trying to tell me something. And if there is one thing I've learned after all this time, it's that I have to hear it out."
Weiss smiled "I understand. You're at your best when you're listening to your heart. I'm sure, whatever all this means, you'll figure it out"
Sora stood there stunned. Weiss raised her eyebrows at Sora's reaction "Um, Sora?"
"Oh, sorry. It's just that…that was actually nice of you, Weiss. Thank you." Sora admitted
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Weiss shot back
"Well usually your yelling at me for a bunch of stuff and calling me an idiot, or a dunce, or a dolt, or a-"
"I get it, thanks." Weiss interjected. She wasn't angry. He was right. That's how she always treated him. But it's different now. "Sora…" she began "Before you go, I just wanted to say…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for how I've always treated you. I know I can go a little far and I'm a bit unfair. You are…an excellent warrior, and I consider you to be a good friend. It's just taken a long time for me to realize that."
Sora was speechless "Thank you Weiss. And don't worry, there's no hard feelings. I've always considered you to be a good friend. But where is all this coming from?"
Weiss turned to her side, looking at Ven. She smiled brightly "Someone gave me some new perspective"
Sora saw how she looked at Ven. It filled his heart with happiness. "Ven has that effect on people. It's nice to know you two are friends now. He was really excited to meet you"
"I know. He's a nice guy. He helped me realize how wrong I've been." She shot her head around quickly, her usual stern expression returning. "But that doesn't mean I won't criticize you if you do something stupid! Got it?"
Sora laughed "Got it. Wouldn't be the same if you weren't there to set me straight." Sora smiled brightly, to which Weiss reciprocated as well.
"Anyway, I should probably go now. You should get some rest. You need to be ready for the doubles round."
"Yes, of course" She audibly began to yawn "Goodnight Sora"
After leaving the room, Sora turned to see Ruby waiting nearby. She shot up excitedly when she noticed him. "Sora!"
"Hey Ruby"
"Um…"
"Oh yea!" Sora poke up "Wasn't there something you wanted to talk to me about?"
Ruby shyly shifted her feet around, looking to the floor, her cheeks bright red. "Well, yes…I mean…gah! How do I put this?"
"Ruby?"
"Ok…ok." She took in a deep breath, calming herself down "So theres kind of this…d-dance this weekend, and I thought it would be…uh…cool…no, no, nice, if we went together…you know as a couple. So…would you want to go to the dance with me? I mean, I'm not completely into the idea myself, but I think it would be nice"
They both remained silent for a few moments. Ruby began panicking, feeling self-conscious as Sora just stood there, staring at her. She jumped as Sora burst into a fit of laughter. "What's so funny?" she asked
"Ruby, we've been dating for three months. I've seen you stare down hordes of Grimm without batting an eye. And in all that time I have never seen you so nervous before."
"Uh…um…" Ruby muttered before Sora gently held her hands, intertwining his fingers with hers. "Ruby, its not even a question. Of course I'll go to the dance with you."
"Really?"
"If it makes you happy, how could I ever say no?" Sora planted a small kiss on Ruby's lips. After pulling back he could see her face was as red as her cape.
"Ok…um…yea, great! Oh! I need to start looking for a dress! Um…Where do I go to get a dress? Do you think they allow capes?"
"Um…maybe you should ask Weiss, Blake, or Yang for advice on that. I'm not exactly an expert on dresses." Sora replied
"Yea of course! How silly of me!" The couple began walking back to the dorms together, hand in hand
Outside Team RWBY's dorm
Blake was tired. It was a long day to say the least. With the tournament looming over her Team's head, she has a lot on her plate. But perhaps what scared her the most was the sudden appearance of that man. Archer. Memories of Blake's past began flooding back into her head. How long has it been, twelve years? How is it that he looks exactly the same as he did back then?
Approaching her dorm, she noticed somebody standing by its entrance. Riku could be seen leaning along the wall, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Sensing her presence he looked up and smiled. "Hey Riku, are you alright?" she asked
"I'm fine. But I guess I should be the one asking YOU that." He answered. Blake began to panic internally. What does he mean? Does he know something more than he's letting on? "What do you mean?"
He rose from the wall and walked directly in front of Blake "Back in the infirmary. You seemed off when that picture of this Archer person came on the TV. Why is that?" Riku questioned her, knowing full well that Blake was hiding something underneath the surface
"Riku, I've never seen that man before. I don't appreciate you accusing me like th-"
"Blake, you don't need to keep secrets from me. We're friends. You can trust me" The truth was, in the short time that she's known Riku, she has trusted him. He wasn't like the others. He didn't look at her and see a Faunus of the White Fang. He just saw her.
"Plus your cat ears twitch whenever you lie, so it's pretty easy to tell when somethings wrong" Riku shot in with a quick laugh. Blake's cheeks flushed red and she sighed deeply. She looked around both ways, making sure nobody was in sight. "Come with me" she quickly grabbed Riku's hand and began leading him towards Beacon Library
Unbeknownst to the two of them, Yang had walked out of the bathroom, her toothbrush still in her mouth. She noticed the two sneaking off and began smiling devilishly. "Ooh, Blakey is being a bad little kitty isn't she" She walked into her dorm, letting the two go do as they please
Upon arriving in the dark lit library, Blake led Riku to a small secluded corner. Normally Riku would be pretty nervous if he found himself in situations as this one, but he trusted Blake enough. "I can't see a thing" Riku said, confused and disoriented. "You don't have to, I'll guide you' Blake reassured
"That's right, Faunus can see in the dark"
Blake smiled "Yep, I can see you just as clearly now as I can in the day"
"That's pretty cool. Must come in handy, right?"
"Uh…yea" It was a good thing Riku couldn't see Blake right now. Since he couldn't see, he wasn't aware how close Blake was to him currently. Blake was blushing slightly at the uncomfortably close distance between her and Riku. She calmed herself, looking into Riku's shifting eyes.
"The truth is…" she began "I have met that man before. A long time ago"
"Ok, well how did you end up meeting him?" Riku asked
"He…he saved my life. My mom and dad, we were being cornered, and there he was"
Outside the Kingdoms, 12 years ago
Blake was walking home with her parents after attending a movie. It was midday, and the sun was beginning to set, casting large shadows across the village. The village Blake lived in was fairly peaceful. At least for the most part. In recent times, protesters from the civil rights organization, The White Fang, were popping up around the village's largest businesses.
Blake and her family tended to avoid the protests, distancing themselves from the Faunus. They didn't want to involve themselves with the crowd, wishing to remain invisible. Unfortunately, remaining invisible is somewhat difficult for a Faunus. Tensions between Humans and Faunus were rising. Faunus were finding themselves being cornered and attacked. Some were even being sold into slavery.
Today, Blake would see this firsthand.
Blake and her family were walking through a shadowy alleyway, heading home after a nice day. Holding on to both her mother and father, Blake noticed a man walking behind them closely. She began tugging on her mother's long dress "Mommy?"
Her mother saw the scared look on her daughter's face, turned and saw the man walking closely behind them. She nudged her husband, signaling him to walk faster. Almost halfway through the alleyway, two more men appeared out in front of them. They approached them, one of them pulling out a small knife
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked with a wide, maniacal grin
Blake's father began reaching into his pocket, pulling out his wallet "Here take my money, just let my family go, no need for anyone to get hurt."
"I have to disagree with that, your family brought this on themselves, filthy Faunus" He looked past him and gave the man behind them a quick nod
Blake's father was thrown into the wall as the man behind them bludgeoned his head with a bat. He crashed into the ground, unconscious and blood running down his face.
"NOOO-Gah!" Blake's mother screamed as one of the men grabbed hold of her, roughly gripping her face "Quiet now, you don't want anything happening to the little one do you?" Blake's mother looked to Blake. She was frozen in fear as the third man was holding a knife up to her throat "Mommy, I'm scared" Blake whimpered, tears running down her face
"It's ok honey, everything is going to be ok" Her attempt at reassuring her terrified daughter seemed to help, Blake's sniffling becoming less frequent.
Blake began crying harder as the man holding a knife to her mother's throat began laughing uncontrollably "Oh, that's not exactly true. But before it comes to that, we'll be sure to have some fun with you, little kitty cat" The man left a long sloppy lick across her mother's cheek
The man who hit her father spoke up next "How much do you think they'll sell on the black market?"
The man holding Blake laughed "The ones with more…exotic features sell pretty high. But…" he looked down at Blake "The younger ones also pay a hefty price"
The man holding up her mother spoke next "But before we get down to business, lets introduce ourselves to the property!" he mocked. He signaled toward himself "I guess you can call me…Moe" He then signaled to the man holding Blake "I guess that's Larry" he then signaled to the man with the bat "And the kind gentleman who bashed your husband's head is Curly"
Mere moments felt like an eternity. Blake wanted to scream out for help, but she knew the moment she did so, they would hurt her mom. 'Please, someone, anybody?!' she prayed
And her prayers were answered
"What do you think you're doing?!" a voice rung out. The three men turned, facing the man. He stood at the entrance of the alleyway. From Blake's point of view, it almost appeared as if he came out of a sea of light, the only living being in sight. He had tan skin, white hair, and grey eyes. He wore black body armor, pants, and a long white cloak
"Stay back!" Curly yelled
Archer shook his head "I asked you a question. I won't repeat myself again."
"Get lost old man! We're only dishing out the justice these filthy Faunus deserve!" Curly barked
Archer tilted his head "Faunus? I only see a family trying to enjoy a nice afternoon together" Archer began walking forward. The sound of the Faunus protesters in the streets began to dissipate. All but silence remained. The only sound that could be heard were the loud metallic echoes of Archer's boots as they clanked along the ground
Curly gritted his teeth "I said stay back!" he demanded. Archer kept on walking forward, his face expressionless and devoid of fear. "Grrr, Larry!" Larry walked forward, dragging Blake along. He shifted the knife from her neck to her left arm. He quickly swiped his hand, leaving a long cut on the top of her arm. She screamed in pain as blood began to ooze down her arm.
The sudden action stopped Archer in his tracks. Curly laughed "That stopped you didn't it? Don't want to see the little brat get hurt, huh?"
Archer stood in place, completely silent
"If you walk away now, I promise you'll have your time with this filth."
They stood in silence. None of Curly's remarks seemed to even faze Archer. He just stood there, motionless
"Well?! What do you say-AAARRGHH!" Curly screamed in agonizing pain as six longswords materialized overhead and impaled him straight through. He fell to the ground, heaving, and lying in a pool of his own blood. Both Moe and Larry let go of Blake and her mother, backing away from Archer. They would have run, but they found themselves frozen in fear, seeing their friend skewered along the ground
Archer walked up to the pinned body of Curly. Curly was still alive and coughing up blood. He looked up at Archer.
Archer only looked down on him, observing Curly in his pitiful state. "About what you said before" Archer began. He kneeled down beside Curly "I think you have it all wrong"
"What…?" Curly coughed out
"You kept on calling the Faunus filth. But really the only filth I see here…is you" Archer stood up, raised his foot, and brought it down along Curly's face. Curly's muffled screams echoed into the ground as Archer stomped on his head again and again
…
And again
…
And again
…
And again
Archer stopped, looking down at the now caved in head of Curly. Archer looked up at Moe and Larry, blood splattered along his face
Moe and Larry were still frozen and shaking uncontrollably. Throughout the entire violent exchange, Blake ran into her mother's arms as they looked on. Archer pointed to the two men "Run…now" he commanded
The two terrified mobsters mustered enough courage and began running in the opposite direction. Blake watched as two broadswords materialized overhead and flew straight through them as they ran. Blake didn't understand why, but she felt a sense of relief as the men fell to the ground, dying. She felt horrible about it and yet she couldn't shake it. She wanted them to die, and it felt good knowing they met their fate
She felt her mother's hold on her tighten as Archer began to approach them. She was terrified of the man. Normally Blake would be too, but right now, she couldn't feel safer.
Archer extended his hand towards Blake. Her mother hissed at him, as if telling him to back off
He looked to her with a sad expression "Your husband's suffered some trauma to the head and your daughter is bleeding. I just want to make sure they're ok."
Blake's mother waited a few moments before nodding her head slowly
Archer smiled "Don't worry, if at all you see me doing anything wrong, I give you permission to bite my head off" He knelt down beside Blake's father, placing both his hands on his back. Blue electricity swirled around his hands as a large golden scabbard materialized. Its golden light began to bathe her father's body. "Avalon" Archer whispered. After a few moments the scabbard disappeared, its light fading away.
"He'll be ok. He just needs a little rest." Archer got up and knelt beside Blake now. He took hold of her left arm, turning it over as he wiped away the blood and cleaned her wound. She looked on in awe as several miniature swords, the size of needles began weaving together her wound. "Whoa" she uttered "That was awesome" She gritted her teeth as she moved her arm, still hurting.
"Try not to move it too much for now, or you'll open it back up" He reached down towards the end of his white cloak and ripped some off. He took it and wrapped it around the top of Blake's left arm, acting as a bandage.
"Thank you…" Blake muttered. "Huh? What are you doing?" Archer reached up, lifted part of his cloak, revealing a metallic silver band along his collar. He took it off and placed it over the piece of cloak along Blake's arm. She observed the silver band, marveling at its pristine shine.
Archer rustled Blake's hair "As long as you have this band, it'll make you brave, ok? You think you can be brave for me and your parents?"
Blake beamed brightly and nodded "I will"
Archer was alerted to the sound of Blake's father rustling along the ground. He slowly rose, holding his head "Ahh, what…what happened" he asked. Archer quickly rushed over and supported him up "Take it easy, your still recovering."
He looked around noticing the deceased bodies of Moe, Larry, and Curly. "You…did…did you do all of this?"
Archer nodded, noticing Blake's father balling up his fists. He began to relax, seeing his wife and child safe "Thank you"
Blake jumped back as the sounds of explosions could be heard from the streets. People were seen running away in fear, pitch black monsters chasing after them "Grimm" Archer muttered
"The Grimm? Here? What…what should we do?"
"This village is no longer safe. We need to leave. Now!" Archer demanded. "But where will we go? Our whole life is here! We'll have nothing!" Blake's mother cried
"Don't worry. I'll get you someplace safe. I know people who will take care of you"
Archer led the Belladonna family outside of the village and into the nearby woods. After a couple hours of walking, they came across a small camp. Approaching the camp, Blake noticed dozens of Faunus, all bunched up together. They came up to the largest tent, directly in the middle of the enclosure. Blake looked up, noticing the familiar symbol of the Faunus civil rights group, The White Fang.
They walked inside, noticing several people around a large table. A large man, wearing a grim mask, a sleeveless white vest, and black pants. He looked down at Archer, trying to use his immense size to intimidate him "What's a human doing here? You lost?"
Archer shook his head "No, I'm right where I need to be. This family is from the village a little ways back. There's been a Grimm attack and they need your protection."
The White Fang lieutenant seemed to contemplate this for a moment "Of course, our borders are always open to our Faunus brothers and sisters. Thank you for bringing them safely, it's not every day I see a human helping out one our own. Unfortunately, I must ask you to leave. No humans. I hope you understand"
Archer nodded "As long as they're safe, it doesn't matter what happens to me" Archer tilted his head, noticing someone peering out from the lieutenant's side. A kid, probably around 9 or 10. He had red hair and two horns protruding from his head.
The lieutenant noticed this and pulled him out from behind him "Adam, don't be rude" Turning back to Archer, he said "Sorry for the boy startling you. This is Adam, Mr. Taurus's younger brother."
Blake recognized the name Taurus. It was the name of the family that founded the White Fang. Adam looked at her and smiled
"Where is Mr. Taurus now?" Archer asked. "Mr. Taurus is currently setting up several demonstrations in Mistral. The fight for equality goes on, one day at a time"
"Of course" Archer said, tuning face and heading out of the tent. "Wait!" Blake yelled. She ran out, stopping him in his tracks
"Before you go, I just have one thing I need to ask you!"
Archer remained silent, patiently waiting.
"Why did you save us? Out of everyone, why did you choose us?"
Archer turned around, facing the camp's exit "Because you would have done the same" And with that, he left, disappearing into the woods
End of flashback
Present day, Beacon Library
"And that's how I found my way into the White Fang" Blake said, finishing her story "Archer saved me, if he wasn't there that day, I…I don't know." Blake felt the silver band on her left arm, still holding onto it after all these years. She kept it as a reminder to herself. In the threat of danger I need to be strong. Instead of letting others push me around, I'll push back.
Riku was speechless. He had no idea things could get that bad. "Blake, I'm so sorry for what those men put you through. What they did was horrible. And Archer…No child should ever witness something like that"
Blake smiled. "It's alright Riku. It's not something I think about too often. There's a lot of things from my past that I don't really like to talk about. Although I only knew him briefly, Archer was one of the good ones. There was something about him that I respected. But…if he really is back, then we all need to be on guard
"What do you mean?" Riku asked
After some time in the White Fang, I met Adam's brother, the original leader of the White Fang. He told me more about Archer. He said that…Archer would occasionally pop up and disappear all over the four Kingdoms and that wherever Archer appears, only death follows.
"You don't think he would try to hurt you, do you?"
"I...I don't know. You saw what he did to Weiss and Ven. He could have done a lot worse. I've been to some of the places where he was sighted. I've seen the people he's hurt. Human, Faunus, it doesn't matter."
"If he comes, I won't let him hurt you or anybody else."
"I know you won't, but I can take care of myself"
"I know you can" Riku admitted. His head fell slightly, his smile fading
"What's wrong" Blake asked
"It's just that…I still can't believe what those men almost did to you. It's still bothering me. To think that there are actually people like that in this world" Riku gritted his teeth and balled his fists. Blake was so much more than just a Faunus. She was someone unique, someone who he understood.
"Riku, really its fine" She gently held onto Riku's hands, calming him down
"I guess what's really bothering me is that somebody looks at you and only sees a Faunus. They see an animal, which is just horrible. But the truth is that your so much more than that, and anyone who doesn't see that is either blind or just an idiot" Riku said lightly
Blake began blushing furiously in the darkness. There he goes again. That deep sense of injustice. Knowing the difference between what's right and wrong. Not giving a damn whether she was a Faunus or a human.
"Riku…" she began "Your one of the first humans I've ever met that hasn't judged me, accused me, or treated me any different because of my Faunus heritage. When I told the rest of my team, it took some getting used to...but eventually they looked past it. When I told Sora, he freaked out at first, but he didn't seem at all bothered by it. But you…you never once looked at me any differently."
"Why would I? Being a Faunus shouldn't be something you're ashamed of, Blake. It's part of who you are. Without it, you wouldn't be…well….you. I think you're perfect the way you are, not because you're a Faunus, but simply because you're…Blake" she said with a shrug
Blake shifted her feet slightly. She felt like her face was on fire. "Riku, can you do me a favor?"
"Sure"
"Close your eyes"
"Um…sure, but I can't see anyway so what's the poi-huh?" Riku was cut off as Blake leaned forward and planted a light kiss on Riku's cheek.
"Thank you" she whispered
"Uh…um…uh" Riku began muttering, a bit off balance from the sudden act. Blake elicited a small laugh, seeing how flustered Riku was now, it was so different than his usual calm persona.
"Hey…uh…Blake…I just remembered…um…there's this dance this weekend. If you're interested, maybe you and I could-"
Blake placed a finger on his lips, halting him "I would love to"
Riku felt like jumping up and screaming. The only reason he stopped himself was out of fear of falling and breaking something.
Riku felt Blake release his hands. "Come on. It's late. We should get some sleep" Blake said as she began to walk away
"Yea right behind you" Riku stepped forward, accidentally walking straight into a book shelf. "Uh, Blake? Cant see in the dark, remember? Kinda need some help!"
Riku felt his body jerk forward as Blake grabbed hold of his hand, leading out of the dark library "Sorry about that" she apologized
After they left, peering out of the darkness was a figure in a yellow cloak. He watched the two teens as they left the library. His expression hidden behind the mask of a white leopard. A monkey's tail moving back and forth behind him.
He gritted his teeth "Archer..."
Happy Halloween Everyone!
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Within the coming chapters, things will really hit the fan. Thats really all I can say. The next chapter will revolve around Sora as he heads off to Merlot Labs and ultimately has his first confrontation with the Foretellers. This may be Sora's ultimate test of strength and will so stay tuned!
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Next Chapter: The First Move
Until next time!
InfiniteKingdom