Chapter 16: The Stray...
(Vale.)
The streets of Vale are being decorated in time for the Vytal Festival. Red, yellow, and green streamers and balloons are proudly on display, and Team HIRO is strolling through it with an awed Ilivane in front. A sign is being put up by the elderly Shopkeep that reads in bright red letters 'WELCOME TO VALE!' for all the foreign newcomers from their respective kingdoms of Remnant.
"The Vytal Festival!" Ilivane said, stopping and raising his arms in amazement." Oh, this is absolutely wonderful!"
"I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before, Ilivane." Hero said.
"Yeah, it's kinda creeping me out..." Oliver said, annoyed.
Ilivane turned to Hero." How could you not smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances! Parades! A tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply incredible!" They continue walking.
"You and Weiss have something in common, you both really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring." Oliver said.
"Oh! Hush, hush!"
"Speaking of events..." Riku said, as they stop near the docks as they hear the sounds of foghorns are heard."...Someone remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?"
"Ah! I've always loved the smell of the sea!" Hero said, sniffing the air.
"Well boys, today is our lucky day!" Both Hero and Riku look at Oliver in confusion." We've got dates."
"Dates?" Riku looked more confused.
"I got us a date... With Team RWBY!"
"Ruby's team?" Hero asked in surprise.
"I can't believe Yang even agreed to go on a date with you.." Riku said, looking at Oliver suspiciously.
"What can I say? I got the Panterra moves!" Oliver said trying to sound cool.
"By moves, he means that he literally got on his knees and begged her to go out with him." Ilivane told the truth, causing both to look convinced.
"H-Hey!" Oliver yelled in protest.
"She agreed to it, under the condition that Ruby, Weiss and Blake came along, as well."
"Ilivane!"
"Just telling the truth."
"Fine! Yes, we are going on a date with team RWBY!" Oliver admitted.
"And were going, where?" Riku asked.
"There's this awesome café located around here, were going there!"
"So you can continue to beg." Ilivane said, with a smile.
"Ilivane!"
Turning away from the friendly argument, Hero turns his head to the right." Whoa." Getting the other three's attention, the team looks at a shattered window down the street and a door full of yellow caution tape of the Vale Police Force before walking over to the detective in front, who is writing on his pad." What happened here, sir?"
"Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." He walks over to his partner.
"Well, that sucks." Oliver said, looking around.
Detective 2: "They left the money again."
Hero turns his head when he hears this." Huh?"
"Yeah, just doesn't make a lick of sense." The first Detective said." Who needs that much Dust?"
"I don't know, an army?" The second detective said.
"You thinking the White Fang?"
"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough." The second detective said, removing his sunglasses.
"Damn! The White Fang." Riku said, with a little tint of anger in his voice." Those monsters are still at it!"
"What's your problem, Riku?" Oliver asked.
"My problem? I don't care for the criminally insane."
"Hmm...doesn't the White Fang consist of misguided Faunus?" Ilivane asked.
"Misguided?! Are you idiots blind!? The White Fang...The Faunus, want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!"
The three looked at him for a second, until Ilivane spoke." Speaking of misguided...I think it's time we had a talk about your little dislike."
"My dislike?"
"No offense dude," Oliver started." But whenever someone mentions a Faunus or if your in the same room as one, you tend to get a little pissy."
"That's got nothing to do with this! I know the White Fang are the culprits!"
"Hmm...I don't know." Hero said, getting their attention." I've been watching the news recently, and the police are chasing after a man named Roman Torchwick...Maybe it was him."
"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." Riku said, as he growls with anger." Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, steal,...And murder." The last part he mumbled to himself.
"That's not necessarily true..." Ilivane said.
Sailor 1: Hey, stop that Faunus!
As the team overhears the cry for the help and rush over to investigate, a Faunus with a golden monkey tail named Sun Wukong is seen running down the length of the boat and leaping on to the edge as the two sailors are about to apprehend him.
Sun looks back at his pursuers." Thanks for the ride, guys! Haha!" He jumps off and hits the dock running.
Sailor 2: You no-good stowaway!
Sun uses his tail to hang on a lamppost while he peels back a banana." Hey! A no-good stowaway would've been caught! I'm a great stowaway!" Before he eats, one of the detectives down below throws a stone at him to get his attention.
Detective 1: Hey! Get down from there this instant!
Sun drops the banana peel on the detective's face, who growls in return. The monkey-like Faunus twirls up to crouch on the lamppost, laughs in amusement, and proceeds to leap off and run away from the detectives. As he runs past Team HIRO, he throws a banana peel at Oliver's face, as he continues to be chased by the officers.
"Oliver..." Hero looked at his friend, seeing Oliver get extremely angry.
"...I'M GONNA F**KING KILL THAT MONKEY BASTARD!" Oliver screams out, and runs after Sun.
Ilivane held up a finger." Quick! We have to observe Oliver getting arrested!"
Ilivane and Hero give chase. Riku stands still, tilts his head in annoyance and follows his friends. The teams rounds the next corner, but then Oliver bumps into someone and tips. He looks up only to see Sun jump on to a building and disappear from her view.
"Yeah! You better run!" Oliver yelled out.
"Uhh...Oliver?" Ilivane points strangely at the girl underneath his teammate.
Oliver finally sees that he fell on a smiling girl, which startles the young man and he hastily gets up.
"Sal-u-ta-tions!" The girl said, still down on the ground, smiling widely.
"Um...hello." Hero said.
"Are you...okay? Oliver asked her.
"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking."
The team looks at each other in bewilderment before Oliver speaks again." Do you...wanna get up?"
She thinks about this for a moment." Yes!" She leaps back on her feet while the team steps back a little." My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
"Hello Penny. My name is Hero."
"I'm Ilivane."
"Riku."
"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Oliver said, before Riku hits his side." Oh, I'm Oliver."
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny said.
"You already said that."
Penny pauses again." So I did!"
"Well, sorry for running into you!" Oliver said, as they turned around and started walking away.
"Goodbye, friend!" Hero said, waving his arm.
The four get far enough away from a startled Penny." She was...weird..." Oliver said.
"Well, I thought she was nice." Hero said, as Ilivane checked his scroll.
"Uh...Oliver? What time is it?" Ilivane said with a smile.
Oliver checked his watch." It's 2:05."
"And...What time were we supposed to meet the girls?"
"1:55."
The three look at him for a minute." Uhh..." Hero was about to tell him, but Ilivane put his hand up.
"Wait for it..."
Oliver stands there for a minute, looking dumb. His eyes finally shoot open in realization." We're late!" He ran off in a hurry.
"Haha! I'm starting to love this Friday outing!" Ilivane walked on after him, as both Hero an Riku slowly follow.
The team arrives at a café where The members of Team RWBY are waiting for them. Ruby looks up and sees the boys running towards them.
"There they are!"
Oliver stops in front of the girls, out of breath." Sorry...we're...late..." He managed to say.
"What took you guys so long?!" Weiss said.
"Hello to you too, Miss Schnee." Ilivane waved to her.
"Oh great. Your here too..."
"Well, we had quite the interesting afternoon!"
"Interesting, huh?" Yang said and pointed behind next to them." Does it have something to do with her?"
The four look to their right and see Penny, causing Ilivane to jump up in surprise." What did you call me?" Penny asked.
Ilivane looks back and forth in shock and Oliver looks apologetic." Oh, I'm really sorry, I definitely didn't think you heard me!"
"No, not you." She walks through the group and leans her head down to Hero." You!"
"Me?" Hero said, startled." I-I don't know. I, what I, um, uh..."
"You called me 'friend'! Am I really your friend?"
"Uuuum..." He looks over Penny's shoulder while his teammates motion to deny her." Y-Yes! We are friends! Why mot?"
Hero's teammates comically faint, but Penny looks overjoyed and laughs." Sen-sational! We can go to the mall, and go see movies, and talk about our love lives!"
Ruby groans to Weiss." Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?"
"No-she seems far more coordinated."
Oliver jumped over to Yang." Believe me! This girl is not with us! We don't even know who she is!"
"Easy, Romeo..." Yang walked to Penny." So...Penny, right? What are you doing in Vale?"
"I'm here to fight in the tournament."
"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?" Weiss asked.
"I'm combat ready!" Penny said, saluting.
"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part."
"Says the girl wearing dress." Blake said.
"It's a combat skirt!" Weiss said, with her arms crossed.
Ruby, the skirt sister speeds over to Weiss' side." Yeah!" Weiss holds out her hand and Ruby low-fives it.
Realization suddenly hitting her." Wait a minute." Weiss walks over to Penny and grabs her by the shoulders." If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed...rapscallion?"
"The who...?" Penny asked, in confusion.
Weiss holds up a poor drawing of a familiar person." This guy! The Monkey-tailed rapscallion!"
"Wait!" Oliver runs up to Weiss." You saw Monkey-Bastard!?"
"Monkey-what?"
"He's talking about a Faunus boy with a monkey-tail." Ilivane told her.
"Oh, him!" Ruby shouted." He passed right by here!
Oliver quickly ran over to Ruby." Where did he go, Little Red?!" Oliver began to shake Ruby in a hurry, leaving her dizzy.
"Oliver!" Hero called out to him, making him stop.
"Oh! Hehe...Sorry."
"He left...before you guys got here..." Ruby said, still dizzy.
"Darn it! You got lucky, you bastard..." Oliver said, gritting his teeth.
"Why are you after him?" Yang asked.
"Oh, Oliver is just having a tantrum because he threw a banana peel at him." Ilivane said, with a smile.
"Hey!" Oliver screamed out in protest.
"Monkey-tailed rapscallion?" Penny said in confusion.
"It's called a Faunus." Riku told her.
"Oh! I've heard about them! Faunus are-"
"Faunus are filthy, horrible degenerates that deserve all the pain they get!"
Blake: "Why do you keep saying that?!"
Riku turns his attention from Penny to Blake." Huh?"
"You've been talking like that for the last several weeks! Stop calling them rapscallions! Stop calling them degenerates! Their people!" Blake said, walking over to Riku, angry.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Riku said, as he starts motioning to objects around him." Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?"
"Stop it!"
"Stop what? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!"
"(growls)You ignorant little brat!"
Riku looks offended and then angry, but when Blake walks away, he follows." Who are you calling a ignorant brat?! If anyone is a brat here, it's you!"
"You are a judgmental little boy."
"You say that, because?"
"The mere fact that you would sort that Faunus boy with a terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!"
"Oh, look who's trying to act all noble!"
Ruby slides up to Hero, looking uncomfortable." Um, I think we should probably go..."
Oliver slides up to Hero on the other side, looking annoyed." Sounds like a plan..."
Penny pops up behind Oliver, smiling." Where are we going?"
"Get away from me!" Oliver jumped up.
"And another thing, you just admitted that the White Fang are a radical group of terrorists!" Riku yelled.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Blake yelled back.
As Hero and Ruby continue to observe, the area shifts from afternoon near the docks to nighttime in Team HIRO's dorm room.
At this point, Oliver was playing games on his scroll, Ilivane was reading one of his books, and Weiss and Yang came in.
"They still arguing?" Yang asked.
"Yep." Oliver said, not paying any attention to them."...For three hours straight."
"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!" Riku yelled at Blake.
"That is the problem!" Blake yelled back.
Riku got up from his bed." You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don't you? The Faunus And the Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!
Blake gets on her feet as well." There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"
"People like me?"
"You're discriminatory!"
"I'm telling the truth!" As they stare each other down in silence, Riku leans in close, leering as he speaks quietly." You don't know me. We haven't seen each other in seven years. And now that we finally meet again, you think you know everything about me!" He leans against the bookshelf by the window. "I've traveled. I've traveled to many other towns and villages, and each one I've been to, they all live under the fear of the White Fang. Many people: men, women. all dead. Not even the children were sparred. And there they were: Faunus, laughing and tormenting the innocents. It angered and sickened me, watching them find joy out of torturing many people, people who had nothing to do with their anger! I hated it!" Riku bangs his fist on the bookshelf so hard, it leaves a crack.
Hero goes over to comfort him." Riku, I-"
"No!" He turns away and walks back over to Blake." You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"
"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"
Silence drops on the scene again.
"Ha! Tired of being pushed around...? Yeah right! It's because of stuff like this, that I left the White Fang!" Riku got close to Blake." But hey, if you say their not evil,maybe they can undo all the damage they caused? Or, they can revive all the people they killed over the years? Or better, they can bring Himiko back to life!" The last part Riku said with so much anger and pain in his voice. He finally snapped out of his rage and looked at Blake, who was on the verge of tears, and then he turned to the others, who were shocked and surprised.
Riku fell to his bed, realizing his mistake." I...I..." Unable to speak, Riku then got up, took his blade in hand, and dashes out the door.
"Riku, wait! Come back!" Hero runs over to the door and calls to him. Hero tries to go after him, but he is stopped by Ruby as Yang sits herself down, Oliver runs over to Hero, Ilivane looking at Weiss seriously and she looks at Blake, who looks down in sadness.
Riku runs outside and arrives at a statue of an armored man with a sword and a hooded women wielding an axe on a outcropping, staring at the Beowolf under the stone heroes in the particular.
Riku growls in anger, he clenches his fist tightly, to the point of making it bleed. His teeth become sharp like that of a...Wolf. And, two horns begin to emerge from his silver/gray spikey hair, one full and the other broken in half. Riku slowly pulls out Shingi-To-Giri and is about to cut down the statue, in pure rage. He swings his blade at the statue, but suddenly, music begins to play, causing Riku to stop.
Riku pulls out his scroll, only to see he has a call from someone named, Boss. Riku calms down and his appearance returns to normal. He puts his weapon away and answers the call." Hello?"
The following morning at Beacon. Hero wakes up from his sleep, yawning in the process. He looks under his bunk at Riku's empty bunk, and groans sadly.
(Vale.)
Hero, Ilivane, and Oliver are walking through the empty streets of Vale.
"He's been gone all weekend..." Hero said.
"Damn!" Oliver said." The idiot chooses now, to run off!?"
"Are you worried about our teammate, Oliver?" Ilivane said with a fake smile.
"Y-Yeah right! I just don't want us to be kicked out of Beacon because, were one member short!"
"Hahaha...Your bad at lying, Oliver!"
"Shut up!"
"I just hope he's okay..." Hero said, worried.
Elsewhere, Riku is sipping a cup of tea and sighing.
Mysterious Voice:" Riku? Are you okay?"
He looks at whoever is sitting across from him." Oh! Yes, sorry to worry you." He said, with a smile.
Chapter 16: The Stray...Wolf
And that's another chapter! This has to be the hardest chapter i have worked on since i started this fanfic, but i still enjoyed it. As you can see, i did a lot of changes to the original story. You may like it, some of you may not like it, but i hope you do. Now on to Riku, this was definitely his chapter. I always planned for him to know Blake, and both will explain their backstory in the next chapter. From Riku's standpoint, he has seen the dark side of the White Fang, and it has truly haunted him.
Anyway, comment and let me know what you think, Next time, it's the final chapter of Volume 1. Until then...Keep moving forward!
