Evolution

Chapter 21: Race Pt. 1

A terrible storm erupted over the kingdom, sending battalions of rain skydiving towards the ground. A large clap of thunder erupted frequently, as hundreds of lightning strikes flashed in the dark gray sky. Even though it was hard to tell, nighttime has graced the hemisphere. The lunar orb was hidden behind the dark clouds, but managed to shine brilliantly through the darkness.

Inside the school of Beacon, a certain wolf Faunas shifted in his bed. An angry aura emanated from him as he growled menacingly at nothing. Delving deep into his dream, he was fighting an old foe. The Faunas moved around the battlefield at break neck speed. His claws glistened shortly until they were stained with blood. He moved through a forest filled with destroyed trees and terrain. He followed his nose, but only found hordes of Grimm waiting for him. He gritted his teeth as his eyes flashed brighter. He dashed forward, a shadow rushing towards the monsters of darkness. Red streaks flashed around the arena, the Grimm came to a halt, and the shadow disappeared to reveal Mizu. He stood in the middle of the horde; however, the Grimm didn't attack. As soon as the remaining streaks vanished, thousands of roars and wails filled the forest as limbs and crimson liquid splattered everywhere.

Mizu didn't waste time and ran past the decapitated, amputated, and lifeless horde of Grimm. The blood filled his nostrils, but he focused on one smell in particular. He ran through the remains of the forest and leaped over the decimated debris. Broken trees and debris filled the place, the smell of blood reeked through the air, and the anger of the Faunas continued to rise. More menacing growls escaped his lips as he tried to keep himself calm. It didn't work, and Mizu let out a scream.

"RAIDEN!"

His crimson aura exploded around him and increased his speed. The crimson bullets moved flawlessly through the obliterated falls. His nose tracked the scent of his partner, guiding him towards the individual. Mizu didn't let up for even a second; he never stopped running, even with hordes of Grimm standing in his way. He cleaved them down with the sharpness of his claws. He called out to him, but didn't get a response. He progressed deeper and deeper into the forest. The scent he followed became stronger, causing the Faunas to stop. He looked around and faced the direction where the smell was coming from. Without haste, Mizu ran through the path of more destroyed trees until he found a cave nearby. The smell emanated from the cave, which Mizu cautiously entered.

He walked the hard, rocky ground, searching desperately for his partner. The smell was intoxicating, yet very familiar. Mizu widened his eyes in surprise as he picked up the pace and ran through the cave.

"RAIDEN!"

The voice echoed, the vibrations shaking off the walls. There was no response still, causing Mizu to grit his teeth and growl. The smell was even stronger. Mizu came to a halt and turned his head to find the source.

Where are you Raiden? I know you're here. Mizu stopped again and narrowed his eyes. He drew his claws and turned around, his crimson eyes scanning the room. Crimson aura flared around the Faunas, who growled once more and pivoted. He launched wave sickles at the ceiling, causing the Arachnid to fall to pieces behind him. The light from the attack revealed the rest of the nest. Mizu casually walked deeper into the horde with his crimson aura erupting around him.

He walked into another section of the cave; the areas behind him were covered in dead Grimm and limbs. He retracted his aching claws as he breathed heavily.

"Tch, why can't I find him? His smell is overwhelming, and yet I can't find him."

Mizu searched the entirety of the cave, but he still couldn't find Raiden anywhere. He felt an aching feeling in his chest and an intense anger coursing through him. He was about to explode, even his aura was reaching critical levels. The intensity of the surge made the cave tremble with fright. Mizu was only focused on one thing and one thing only at the moment; he wanted to find his friend, his family, his brother; he didn't care how many hordes he needed to face. He only needed to find his partner.

"Raiden, come on man; I know you're hiding here. Please don't joke around."

He stopped. "Raiden! Where are you?!"

There was no response. "Come on; are you really going to kick the bucket? What about Yang? What about the girl you have yet to confess your feelings to? Did you forget the promise you made her? You said as soon as you take care of the beast, you would rush back to tell her how you felt. She's been waiting for you this entire time. She's so heartbroken over you not returning and so is every student and teacher at Beacon. Did you forget about them as well?"

He stopped and pivoted to another open path. The smell slammed into him like a truck. He let out a loud gasp and took off running.

I found him. Mizu stated in his head. The smell became even stronger than before, and Mizu followed it intently. He felt his heart racing like crazy, the intense suspension affecting him. Mizu stopped at another entrance and panted hard. The smell was at its strongest sense. Mizu slowly walked inside and found a circle shaped chamber. He looked around and scanned the surroundings. He knew he was here; his smell was covering the place. Mizu treaded lightly until he finally spotted someone in the distance. He gasped loudly and ran to the person, who rested on their stomach. Mizu saw the blood pouring under them and quickly flipped them over; however, another loud gasp escaped his lips. The person was severely injured with his body battered and torn. Deep gashes covered his body, especially the biggest one traveling diagonally from his shoulder to right hip. Blood covered his form with its crimson pigment and stained the Faunas's hands. Mizu shook the person vigorously, but didn't get a response.

"Come on, come on, wake up," Mizu begged. He shook Raiden some more while calling out to him, but still didn't get a response. Raiden never responded to his partner's begging. His body simply remained lifeless and destroyed. Mizu gulped a little saliva and felt for his pulse.

Slowly, his mouth widened, as choppy breathes escaped the opening. His hands trembled with much panic. Mizu lifted Raiden's torso and placed his ears on his partner's chest. Mizu gulped a little saliva, but his mouth opened wide once more. He didn't feel anything, no rhythm, no beats, nothing; Raiden remained lifeless in Mizu's arms.

The wolf moved his head left and right. He shook his partner again, but there was still no response. Mizu stared at his lifeless partner, feeling the coldness of his limbs getting colder. Tears began to fill up his eyes and fall down his cheek. Mizu brought his partner into a hug and held his body tight. He gritted his teeth as he embraced the dead body of his partner. Instead of sobbing, growls came out the Faunas's mouth. His heart thumped hard while the speed picked up.

"No," he growled. He trembled, but not with fright; he tried to hold back the intense rage coursing through his body. However, he couldn't keep his aura from exploding. Mizu tried to keep calm, but the sudden revealing chipped away at his resolve. He placed Raiden's dead body on the ground and positioned his hands to where his fingers were intertwined above his chest. Mizu stood up and tightened his fists as tears continued to stream down his face.

"Pay…you'll pay; I won't let you get away with this."

Mizu stared at Raiden until he couldn't hold back anymore. Vociferously, a loud roar escaped his lips and echoed through the cave. The place vibrated from the scream, and Mizu's aura exploded more powerfully. The vibrations were too much for the cave to handle and caused it to crumble. Mizu carried Raiden out of the collapsing dungeon and laid him down in the forest, where the Faunas worked on burying his partner. He cried the entire time but didn't sob one bit; Mizu finished burying his friend and prayed for him. The anger was still volcanically rising inside him. However, the entire world began to shake and crumble as white light illuminated the dark skies. When it was all over, Mizu opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of his room. He blinked a couple of times and turned his head, where he saw the worried look of his girlfriend's face staring at him.

"Blake?" He said. Just as Mizu attempted to sit up, Blake tackled him and wrapped him a tight embrace. They ended up falling back on the bed with Blake holding her boyfriend tight. Mizu was confused on the situation, but managed to calm down a little. He returned his kitty cat's hug with his own and caressed her head, dragging his fingers through her long black hair.

"Mizu, are you okay? I heard you screaming in your sleep; you were in so much pain," she told him. The effects of the dream still ran through his head. He recalled every single thing that went on inside, especially the part of his partner's demise. Was it a vision? Mizu hoped not; he looked down at his girlfriend's head.

"Did you stay with me the entire time?"

She nodded her head. "I did. After we arrived back at Beacon, some of us carried you here and left you to sleep. You've been doing so ever since Professor Goodwitch used her wand. Everyone went to their rooms to recuperate, and I stayed here to check on you."

"I see. So everyone made it back safely? Were any injured?" He asked back.

"Just a few people, but it wasn't anything severe."

"That's good. What did they say about him?"

Blake stayed quiet for a moment. She didn't want to respond to the question, but knew she had no choice.

"We're not sure yet. They said that due to the storm, it will be some time before an expedition team can go out and search for him."

Mizu narrowed his eyes and hugged his girlfriend tighter.

"I see. And what about her? How is she holding up?"

Blake didn't respond again and just let the words echo in her ear. Mizu knew her reasoning and didn't probe further.

Across the hall, she stood at the window, watching the intense storm rage on. She had a hand against the window, which had rain pouring down its surface. Thunder continued to screech, lightning resumed its crashes, and tears poured from her iliac eyes. Yang stared out her team's window unable to sleep. How could she sleep? The entire day turned from bad to worse. It started out fine until she saw his flock of fan girls fawn over him, ran off to fight a S-Class Grimm, almost witness the death of her partner, but things started to brighten up when they showed up, especially him. As soon as that bolt of lightning crashed down, Yang knew her own knight came to save her. However, when she heard he was going to stay behind while they escaped, she felt a painful sensation tightening in her chest. At first, he came along with, but when she turned back around, he was gone. They left him; she left him, and regretted every moment of it.

"Yang?" her little sister's voice broke her thoughts. The blonde brawler quickly wiped her tears and faced her sister.

"Ruby; I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

Before she could say anything else, Ruby walked into Yang's chest and gave her a big hug. Yang was surprised by the sudden hug, but Ruby could tell she was hurting the most. She could tell her big sister is in so much pain.

"It's okay Yang; he'll come back. I know he will. Just have faith in him. Raiden has never gone back on his word; and I know he won't now. So please, just have faith in him."

Yang didn't know what to say; she never acted this way at all, and yet she was in so much pain. Breaking down, Yang wrapped Ruby in a bear hug and cried softly so she wouldn't wake Weiss. However, the heiress was already awake and listening. She turned over to show her back and gripped the pillow.

You're in for a world of trouble when you return. I will make you regret making her cry.

After Ruby and Weiss went back to sleep, Yang sat up and headed to the bathroom. She washed her face and patted her cheeks, but couldn't shake her previous thoughts. They filled her head again, reminding her of what she did.

Why? Why did I leave him? Why didn't I stay and help? She pondered and gripped the sink bowl. She hung her head low and thought back to their departure, but it made her cry again.

Raiden, please come back to me; I need you back here with me, please.

She left the bathroom and crawled back into bed. She rested her head on the pillow, as her mind began to play tricks on her. She felt someone rest their hand on her head and gently stroke her hair. Immediately, she snapped her eyes open, but saw his presence giving her alleviation. She calmed down at his touch and sighed in bliss, feeling his fingers gently drag through her hair. She didn't mind someone touching her hair; however, de-stranding of any kind is strictly prohibited and will result in… painful consequences. She sighed once more, any stress she felt slowly seeping out of her being.

She opened her eyes again and leaned forward, pressing her lips to the one soothing her to sleep. It felt so right, as if they were meant to kiss. Yang enjoyed every second of the tender kiss, even though she knew it wasn't the real thing. She didn't have to gesture him, for he hugged her as they continued. She missed this feeling, the sensation of his arms wrapping around her, giving her protection.

They broke the kiss, but Yang refused to look him in the eye. She rested her head on his shoulder and let the drowsiness overwhelm her. Her eyelids became heavy, as he placed her back on the soft bed and kissed her forehead. He proceeded to leave, but a hand grasped his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

"Please come back to me, understand?"

He smiled and turned to face the blonde beauty. He caressed her cheek and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Yang welcomed it and melted into the warmth. She felt a wave of sadness when he pulled back and pulled the covers up to her chest.

"I'll see you again when I come back. Do you trust me?"

She nodded her head. "I always have."

Raiden kissed her forehead and held her hand as she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning

The intense storm weakened a little, but rain and lightning continued to erupt while thunder ceased for now. He fixed his clothing and headed to the sleeping feline in his bed; Mizu gently her cheek and planted a kiss on her forehead, making sure she was tucked in before heading towards the door. However,

"Are you really going?"

Mizu stopped at the door.

"Yes, I have to go find him. I'm the only one who can track him."

"Then wait until more assistance is available; you don't have to do it alone," Blake told him. "How are you even supposed to track him without a sample?"

"I don't need one. I can follow his natural scent. As I said before, I can track ten scents at once. You eight and Raiden make up nine while the tenth is more of a wild card," he explained. "It doesn't matter how stormy it is."

Blake knew there was no point in changing his mind; it was already set. She sighed softly and hopped out of bed. She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's waist and placed her head on his back.

"Promise me then that you'll return here safely with Raiden."

Mizu eyes glowed as they narrowed.

"I won't return until I've found and brought him back."

"I need to hear more," his girlfriend told him. Mizu pulled her arms away and turned, pulling Blake back in for another hug.

"Tell Yang I'm bringing her lover back; and I promise to return to you as well."

He picked her up bridal style and placed her in bed. He tucked her back in and kissed her forehead.

"Wait for me okay?"

She nodded back. "I will. But wait, shouldn't you tell your folks the news? They need to know what happened."

Mizu narrowed his eyes and shuddered at the consequences he'll receive from his folks. He nodded and saw Blake holding out her scroll. He accepted it and sat on the bed. Blake stood on her knees and nuzzled his back. Mizu contacted his parents and waited for someone to respond. Pretty soon, his mother answered; and she did not look pleased. Her hair was a mess and her eyes had a serious flame of anger in them. Mizu gulped a little, as Blake cowered behind him.

"Mizu, this better be good; you know I'm not an early riser," Mizu's mom stated. She straightened her hair and fixed her robe. "Now, care to explain yourself?"

Mizu felt nervousness slam into him like truck. He failed to form words and took a deep breath. Blake could tell he was nervous and rested her head on his shoulder. Mizu let out one more deep breath.

"Mom, something happened to Raiden."

His mom didn't respond at first and continued to stare; however, she showed no signs of worriment. Rachel sighed and leaned off her hand.

"I know Mizu."

Mizu is the surprised one.

"Wait what?"

"I know something bad happened to Raiden," his mom pulled out a charm with a beautiful blue gem in the middle. Mizu and Blake tilted their heads in confusion as they stared at the gem. They saw a crimson claw contrasting against the jewel. That's when it clicked in Mizu's head.

"That charm. I know what it is."

His mom nodded. "You better know, because your auntie and I have been trying to get you two to carry these with you."

"Yeah, you kept pestering us about them," Mizu retorted.

"Well let me point something out for you, my hardheaded son. The claw on the one I'm showing you represents your life force."

"My life force?" Her son repeated.

"That's right. Now look at this one," she pulled out another charm with the same gem. This one however, had a dark blue lightning bolt repeatedly flashing on the jewel. "This one, as you can tell, is Raiden's life force. Notice how it's blinking?"

The Faunas couple nodded their heads.

"It's blinking because it means Raiden is in a critical situation. Yours is shining brightly because it's signaling you are at full health. However, Raiden is the complete opposite."

"Is that why his color is duller than it's supposed to look?" Blake asked. Rachel nodded in response.

"Good observation Blake; you see, this is a special gem called orichalcum. It's a mysterious gem said to hold extraordinary abilities. What my hardheaded son and nephew didn't know is that this gem can help restore one to their life energy, completely heal them, fix any broken bones, you name it."

"What? It could do all that and you didn't tell us?" Mizu gasped. His mother shot him an angry glare.

"As I recall Mizu, you and Raiden specifically told Michele and I that you didn't need them. We've told you over and over again that they would come in handy, but you two talked us out of giving them to you. You called us worrywarts and said they weren't necessary or you could handle things. Well let me tell you something my son; these 'unneeded' charms are the reason Raiden was brought back to life after using his ultimate attack."

The couple gasped at the information.

"That's right; his life force was reactivated thanks to this gem. When your father and uncle found them, they researched the possibilities they could allow. When you two were young and were working on your aura control, your auntie and I secretly placed a few around you two so the orichalcum would respond with your aura. If your life force is depleted, the gems will work its magic and restore some of it back to you. Now, my guess is; Raiden's somewhere deep in a forest bleeding out, his body has gone beyond its limit, and he's on the verge of death."

"Uh, yeah, that's really spot on," her son answered. Rachel crossed her arms and stared at her son, who sighed.

"I'm sorry for not accepting the charms; we didn't know they were so potent. I'm sorry for not accepting the gift when you first offered them."

"Apologize until after you bring my nephew back. Also, I'm not the only one you need to worry about; and I'm not referring to Michele," his mom warned him. Mizu tilted his head again, but he fixed it when he realized the warning. Slowly, he turned his head and saw the intense gaze of his infuriated girlfriend's eyes. If looks could kill, Mizu would already be dead, as Blake fired a malevolent glare at her boyfriend.

"You mean to tell me that this entire time, your mother offered you something of this importance and you didn't accept it?" She questioned.

"Yeah pretty much," Rachel answered back.

"Mom, not helping," Mizu told her. While he wasn't looking, Blake punched him hard in the back of the head.

"You idiot!"

Mizu held the area she punched and whimpered. His mom on the other hand, clapped her hands.

"Excellent work Blake; I'll leave the sense talking to you. Mizu, find Raiden and bring him back. Your uncle and father will bring you the gems and go into more details about them. Until then, keep Raiden alive; we were only able to revive him because we performed the procedure at the moment. If we do it too late, he might not be able to come back, so I'm demanding that you keep him alive until then, got it?"

"Yes ma'am," he nodded.

"Good, and Blake, one more time."

Blake nodded and punched her boyfriend in the back of the head again. Rachel ended the call, leaving the Faunas couple alone. Mizu rubbed the back of his head and felt sweat roll down his face as he was alone with an angry cat, his angry kitty cat. He turned his head slowly.

"B-Blake, you can make an…exception this one time…right? I seriously didn't know how special it was."

Instead of answering, Blake hissed loudly at him, causing Mizu to gulp again.

In a cave deep in Forever Falls, his body continued to lie on the ground covered in blood. The blood underneath him dried up and stained his entire form. There was no sound coming from him, nor was there a strong heat radiating from him. The final blow he suffered sent him crashing through numerous trees, only to end up slamming back first into a rock wall and crash on the cold hard ground. Even so, his natural heat hasn't diminished. He managed to twitch a finger and slowly extend an arm, but it was all he could do at the moment. His eyes remained opened, just a pair of solid azure orbs. The gleam disappeared a long time ago, but his will power overwhelmed that factor. Excruciatingly and weakly, he began to pull himself towards the entrance of the cave, where rainfall continued to pour and flashes of lightning rained down.

Raiden didn't have the strength to move hardly. His body was past its limit and whatever aura he had left was sitting below one percent. If people could see him, they would be amazed at how he could still keep going.

Back, he thought. Back, to her…to them.

He stopped and his hand fell to the ground. His eyes began to close, but he tried to fight it. He reached out again, but didn't have the strength to keep going.

No. I-I can't…stop now. She's…waiting for…me. Promised…I promised.

Suddenly, he heard a malevolent laugh.

"Ah, so you're still alive huh? I'm impressed. After all the damage you've sustained, it's unreal to see you still kicking."

The entrance to the cave became darker, until a large crimson eye appeared in the middle. It spotted Raiden and studied his form.

"No matter; you'll perish soon enough. Without your charger, it's only a matter of time before your time comes to an end; and only a matter of time before his seal is broken. The race against time has begun, as well as the countdown to your demise. After this, the world you know will be engulfed in fire, and a new age will emerge from the ashes. Enjoy the taste of failure, for everyone you tried to protect will suffer from the wrath of my creations, the wrath…of the Grimm."

A/N: There you have it everyone, the next chapter for your viewing pleasure. I feel better about the whole longer break thing so expect that more often. I hope you enjoy the chapter, a lot of stuff going on that's for sure. Let me know what you think in a review or pm please and tell me if you have any suggestions for me to use next chapter or any future chapters; I have one person I would like to thank; his name is ShadowUzumaki55 and he has been a great help to me. This has been MalevolentDarkness16 and I will see you all in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and take care.