Dragons in Remnant-35
"So the next town is… Uh-huh! Uh-huh… we're lost…" Ruby said putting the paper map down.
"We're not lost! The next town is Shion. My family used to visit it all the time." Jaune chuckled.
"Oh yeah, don't you have, like, four sisters?" Ruby asked.
"Uh, seven." Jaune exclaimed, making Ruby giggle.
"I bet your entire family was proud of you for becoming a member of the Guardians." Ren smiled.
"They uh… actually don't know… I sort of ran away from home when I went to Beacon." Jaune exclaimed.
"Why?"
"My dad thought I was going to be a failure as a Huntsman." Jaune sighed.
"Y'know the seven sister's thing actually explains a lot." Nora interjected before the conversation continued about Jaune's running away.
"Wait what do you mean?" Jaune asked as Nora simply smiled.
"So, what did you guys do there?" Ruby asked before Jaune and Nora could start arguing.
"Oh, all sorts of stuff!" Jaune said coming up to Ruby's side to point at the locations. "Over here is a great hiking trail, and over here is where we went camping all the time, I got my own tent because I was special." Jaune smiled.
"And?" Alpha asked appearing on Ruby's shoulder.
"Also so my sisters would stop braiding my hair." Jaune exclaimed in shame.
"Didn't like the look?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, they just kept doing pigtails, but personally, I think I'm more of a 'Warriors Wolf Tail' kind of guy." Jaune exclaimed.
"That's just a pony tail at the base of the skull, Scythe had one when we first met." Ruby exclaimed.
"I stand by what I said." Jaune smiled, while Ruby gave him a questioning look.
"Uh guys?" Nora exclaimed as she and Ren stopped in their tracks.
"What?" Jaune asked.
"Huh?" Ruby inquired.
Both looked up and saw what their teammates saw.
The entire village looked like it had been ransacked, decimated from a Grimm attack, as there was smoke from fires rising into the air.
Ruby and Jaune dropped the map as Team RNJR began running into the village, searching for survivors.
"There could be survivors." Ruby stated looking around.
"Over here." Ren called as he found one.
"A Huntsman." Ruby exclaimed.
The rest of team RNJR ran to the armor clad Huntsman, as Ruby began to use her Sky Godslayer healing magic on him.
"What happened, who killed all these people?" Jaune asked.
"Bandits." The Huntsman coughed.
"Ruby, is he going to make it?" Ren asked.
Ruby looked at the Huntsman, then at Ren with tears in her eyes.
"He's lost too much blood, the most I can do is ease his pain as he passes on." Ruby stated.
"The whole tribe… then with all the panic…*Coughs up blood*…"
"Grimm." Ren stated understanding what happened.
Jaune, Ruby, and Nora walked back, while Ren walked forward a bit passed the fallen Huntsman, trying to calm himself.
"Alright, we can get him to the next village, and try to find a blood donor there." Ruby stated. "After he's got more blood in him, I can handle the rest."
"Yeah Ren and I can take turns carrying him." Jaune said.
"I don't know if he'll make it." Nora said in worry.
"He will. He has to." Jaune exclaimed.
"If we get going now, his chances will be better. I can run ahead and look for help!" Ruby added.
"Guys…" Ren said simply.
The trio turned around to see the Huntsman leaning against the wall, lifeless, and cold.
"Should we… bury him?" Nora asked.
"We should go. It's not safe here." Ren stated.
"Ren, can't you use your Magic to bury the dead of this village?" Jaune asked.
"I'm not that in control of it Jaune, I'd end up tearing them apart." Ren stated.
"Ren…"
Nora began following her childhood friend as Jaune just put his hand to his head, trying to keep calm.
"It'll be okay." Ruby stated.
"I'm just tired of losing everything." Jaune exclaimed.
Ren and Nora walking back through the village, stopped, upon seeing a familiar Grimm's hoof print. Ren's eyes widening in horror as memories of his past came back to haunt him.
Nora came up behind him, looking at his face, than turning to see what he saw. Her eyes widened as she recognized the shape of the mark, and remembering which Grimm it belonged to.
…
"So, let me see if I got this right." Iida stated as he and Scythe found a hiding spot to rest in for a bit. "For sixteen years, you were in another world, filled with magic, raised as a farm boy instead of a noble, didn't show any of your Faunus features consciously or otherwise, while at the young age of eight, you had to run the farm all on your own, equipment and all, while raising your sister, until two years ago, she was murdered by a genocidal psychopath who mistook her for the Maiden of the Sky."
"So far you're spot on with my past." Scythe stated as Iida removed his helmet.
"Then you fight him, injure him in his full dragon form, and bathe in his blood, gaining his magic and curse, then a year after that you're brought back to Remnant, where you meet a girl, get accepting into the most prestigious school in all of Vale, become a soldier in the military, Rank Major no less."
"You got a good memory for an old guy." Scythe chuckled reaching into the rations bin he had installed with compression magic, tossing his grandfather a power bar.
"You find out you're originally from Remnant, find out you have kids, are taken back to Fiore by a celestial spirit, fight the mad tyrant, who partnered up with your ex-girlfriend, take them down, then fight another mad tyrant who took over where you grew up, killed him, came back to Remnant, was captured by the now former head of the Schnee Dust Company, escaped, and revealed he had been enslaving Faunus, and covering his tracks. Then you meet your aunt, and father outside the quarry, where you received the Armor of the Fallen, the old model, then you awaken the Fall Maiden from her catatonic state, and the rest is history?" Iida asked opening his power bar.
"Pretty much yeah." Scythe chuckled.
"Though given biology, no matter which world you're from, you shouldn't have been able to gain Acnologia's powers just by bathing in his blood." Iida stated taking a bite of his bar before looking at it in shock. "What the hell is this?"
"Chocolate-Chunk Mountain Ranger. An energy bar filled with chocolate and protein for body builders. I did a few commercials for the manufacturers before the Vytal Festival." Scythe stated. "Might not taste very good, but then again not a lot of healthy stuff dose." Scythe chuckled. "Forgot to mention something to you."
"What's that?" Iida asked as Scythe tossed him a water bottle.
"The night I returned to Remnant for the first time, I had unknowingly started the change in the Faunus Oppression act." Scythe explained taking his helmet of for a breather.
"Hold up, in a good way or a bad way?"
"In a good way." Scythe smiled taking another bite of his power bar. "Even the White Fang started to listen to what I told them, all except for Adam's splinter group."
"Ah, my oldest grandson." Iida stated.
"It was proven that he's not actually related to dad." Scythe smiled.
"A Paternity test I had done on the two of them before my death, would disagree with you there my boy." Iida chuckled.
"But I was able to operate the Armor of the Fallen, how is that possible if Adam is my older half-brother?" Scythe asked.
"Probably the same reason you were able to absorb Acnologia's powers and curse through his blood, when it shouldn't have been possible." Iida exclaimed. "You said your original magic was something called Sage Magic right?"
"Yeah, what does that have to do with it?" Scythe asked.
"Tell me something, did you bathe in Acnologia's blood while you were still absorbing energy?"
"I guess…"
"There you go. You unwittingly used Sage Magic to become an Etherion Dragonslayer. You absorbed his magical energy through his blood as it entered your system." Iida exclaimed.
"Then how'd it pass on to Ruby?"
"You said she gained your Sage Magic right, in addition to gaining Etherion Dragonslayer magic?"
"Yeah."
"Then there's your answer. The Sage Magic bonded with her before it integrated the Etherion Slayer Magic into her system. Sometimes the answers we look for, are the simplest." Iida smiled.
"This is some messed up grandfather-grandson bonding." Scythe laughed. "We're literally trying to survive as we trudge on through the UFC Argent Facility, where they experimented on Demons, while sitting in a hiding-hole, sharing stories and laughing."
"Eh, could be worse." Iida stated taking a sip of water.
"How so?"
"We could actually be in Hell." Iida exclaimed.
"We will be after another level of the game or two."
"Oh, then never mind."
"Hey um, gramps…"
"Hmm?"
"Tell me about Saito?"
"Hmm, your father told you about how he died, didn't he?" Iida asked, not expecting that questioned.
"No, Aunt Sienna told me during our first school assigned mission."
"Well, your uncle Saito, he was a stubborn little prick. Always getting into fights in school, always getting detention, nearly getting expelled if I hadn't threatened to sue." Iida sighed. "But he was brave, honest, trustworthy, just like Shiro, everything a father like me could ask for in a son like him and more. He and your father had the biggest hearts I had ever seen. Saito being the middle child of course was always trying to prove himself to be stronger than his brother. But that only proved your father was stronger than the both of them. Saito was more a strategist than a fighter. But that didn't stop him, from standing between the Silverback and your father and aunt."
"Aunt Sienna thought I was making a crude joke about Saito's death when I told her how the curse I got from Acnologia was activated. But every word I said about it was true." Scythe chuckled. "I had died during orientation, protecting Ruby. A Death Stalker was charging at her, ready to kill. I had used myself as a shield, and was skewered through the heart."
"I wouldn't say you were making fun of how your uncle died. I'd say that proves Saito lives on through you." Iida smiled. "He was willing to give his life to protect his siblings, while you were willing to give your life to protect the woman you love."
"I guess Ruby and I are meant for one another, we did go through an Aura Unification on our first date."
"My word boy do you know how powerful those are?" Iida asked looking at him with wide eyes. "An Aura Unification connects two peoples souls into one, do you know what this means?"
"No… no I do not." Scythe stated.
"It means that with your bond, you'll be able to teleport straight to your woman as soon as you get the family Semblance back." Iida smiled.
"You're coming with me though right?" Scythe asked.
"My time in the world of the living came to an end long ago my boy, but yours was interrupted. You have another chance to go back and finish your mission. I'm just here to help you through it." Iida sighed.
"Well in that case." Scythe said with a saddened sigh.
Scythe reached into the storage compartment again and pulled out two glass bottles of beer.
"You are not old enough to be drinking young man." Iida stated as Scythe handed him on.
"They might be a little warm, but hey, when's the next time I'm gonna get a chance to share a drink with my grandpa?" Scythe asked smiling as he opened his bottle.
"How do you fit so many things inside that tiny compartment?" Iida asked opening his bottle.
"Compression Dust and Magic combo, twice as much room, and twice as effective." Scythe smiled.
After finishing their beer, both Iida and Scythe made their way out of their hiding-hole and back towards the battle they were to face. It wasn't going to be an easy one, Scythe had Iida look for the access keys, while he went to fight the Demon-Grimm.
"Alright you soulless freaks, I'm about to show you why what I do isn't very nice." Scythe growled, gaining their attention.
(Que Song: All Good Things ~ Fight)
Scythe ducked under the swing of the first Imp-Geist, and side swept its feet out from under it, before flipping over to his other side and slamming his elbow down on its chest, breaking it's chest cavity and killing it instantly.
Without missing a beat, Scythe used the wall by the door to push off, and using his shield as a sled, sliding through and under multiple Imp-Geist, Possessed-Beowolves/Alpha-Beowolves, and Hell-Griffons.
"Sound off." Scythe smirked.
Using the momentum of the sliding, Scythe flipped over through the air. He pulled out his pistol and fired it, putting one in each of the Demon-Grimm's heads.
"Easy, but if memory serves correct…" Scythe exclaimed landing on the railing on the floor up. "This is the level where the Hell-Knight comes out."
Jumping down to the lower levels, Scythe kept his gun at the ready, with his shield on his back.
"Might as well see what would happen if I were to use my Sage Magic." Scythe exclaimed as the red part of his Guardians tattoo began glowing.
The Sage markings were different, making the exposed part of his face look like the teeth of a skull, while his arms were covered in tribal flames that glowed red, before settling to black.
"SCYTHE WATCH OUT." Alpha shouted.
Scythe turned around and jumped back just as a Hell-Knight landed where he had once stood.
"Guess we know which Grimm this one is." Scythe exclaimed seeing the nine waving Kitsune Grimm tails attached to the Hell-Knight. "Alpha, give me something good here."
"The Kitsune Grimm tend to be on par with the Dragon Grimm, despite being a fraction of the size, their power is equal." Alpha explained.
"Great." Scythe stated jumping back. "I've got an idea, but I'm going to need only the boots of the armor for it on the lower half, think you could do that for me?"
"I hope you know what you're doing." Alpha exclaimed.
"Me to Alpha, me to." Scythe stated as the bottom half of the armor removed itself, returning to the boots.
"I need Armor enhancements Hercules and Hermes, both in the boots." Scythe explained.
"On it." Alpha stated charging up the boots.
With the boots containing so much power, six engine pipes on each boot popped out, three on each side of the calf, allowing the overflowing energy to be released safely in the form of flames, without causing the armor to explode.
'Normally, I'd only be able to use this much energy because of my immunity to the elements that produce heat, but because I'm without them, my legs are gonna be charcoal by the end of this if I fail.' Scythe thought before running forward, taking his shield off his back.
"HEPHAESTUS BURNING BLADE." Scythe shouted slicing the Kitsune-Knight's head off with the edge of his shield.
(End Song…)
Scythe knelt down on one knee with his arms spread out behind him as the Kitsune-Knight's body fell headless behind him.
'Normally an attack like that would require my shield's edge to be on fire, but with increased speed making up for the lack of the flames, it had the same effect.' Scythe mentally mused before he winced, his calves ached from the heat searing his skin and flesh.
"Damn it, I'm fucked now." Scythe stated. "Thankfully my Sage Magic is dulling the pain, so I'll keep it up, it should increase my healing alongside my Aura."
"SCYTHE BEHIND YOU." He heard his grandfather call from the second level.
Unfortunately, Scythe was unable to turn and run in time, as a second Kitsune-Knight grabbed him by the shoulders, and hauled him over its head, grabbing his legs, and pulling on his body.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH." Scythe screamed as he felt his body being torn apart.
"SCYTHE." Iida shouted as the Kitsune-Knight tore Scythe in two like a Kit-Katt.
Iida jumped down from the ledge and landed right behind the Kitsune-Knight producing a plasma blade from the gauntlet on his right forearm and slicing the Demon-Grimm in half at the waist, forcing it to drop Scythe's now split body.
"Scythe, c'mon kiddo stay with me, stay with your gramps." Iida said grabbing the top part of Scythe's body. "Alpha is he still alive?"
"Thanks to his Sage Magic still being active, and the demonic energy he's absorbed, yes, but it's fading." Alpha stated as the marks on Scythe's arms began fading. "He's in a catatonic state until his Sage Magic wears off."
"Then I gotta do something, I gotta…" Iida stopped as he saw the bottom half of the Kitsune-Knight still in one piece, as one of the tails began disintegrating. "Alpha, if I connect him with a bottom half, will his Sage Magic reconnect with it and bring him back?"
"It's a possibility, I mean his Sage Magic was what allowed him to absorb Acnologia's powers and pass it on to Miss Rose like you said. But there's a seventy-five percent chance it will fail." Alpha explained.
"I don't care, I'm going to save my grandson if it's the last thing I do." Iida stated dragging Scythe's upper half, to the Kitsune-Knight's lower half.
Hastily, Iida put Scythe's upper half on the ground in front of the Kitsune-Knight's lower half, before pushing the Demon-Grimm's feet forward and connecting the two halves.
"C'mon Scythe please, you can't die here, you still have a life to live in Remnant. You father needs you, your mother needs you, your aunt needs you, Fairy Tail and the Guardians need you, but most of all…" Iida exclaimed taking off his helmet and cupping Scythe's face in his hands. "Ruby needs you."
The entrails that had spilled from Scythe's body began recede back into it, as his Sage Magic merged his severed body at the waist with the Kitsune-Knight's.
The Demon-Grimm's lower half began to shrink, and contort, looking more human than demon.
The blackness of it began changing hue to match Scythe's skin.
Iida grabbed the cloak off Scythe's severed lower half and placed it over the new one that had attached to him.
"His heart rate is increasing to normal rates, he's going to be alright, but I'm not sure if we're going to be safe here." Alpha exclaimed standing on Scythe's chest in her holographic form.
Iida looked up to see several Demon-Grimm coming towards them, a slight distance off, but coming in fast.
"Can you control the bottom half of the armor?" Iida asked.
"I can. But I'm gonna have to open the tail port for him when I reattach it to the suit." Alpha explained as the two armor coins flew in front of Iida's face.
"Put up a barrier around us, make sure it'll last long enough for me to get Scythe properly dressed. I'm sure that his Guardians Uniform is the under armor to keep himself from being scratched or pinched by the metal plates." Iida exclaimed grabbing Scythe's boots and clothing from his dead lower half.
"It is his chainmail yes." Alpha confirmed.
"Why would you need to open the tail port for his partial transformation though?" Iida asked turning back before the answer became clear to him in the form of nine crimson red Kitsune Grimm Tails sprawled out around Scythe, the spiked bone vertebra a metallic silver, while looking like knife blades instead of bone spikes. "Never mind."
"From my estimate, the tails are the same as his summoning's, metallic thorns and everything." Alpha exclaimed examining the closest spiked tail.
"Should have seen that coming oh well." Iida said before a fire ball hit him in the back. "Barrier now."
Alpha set up the barrier, as Iida dressed Scythe's new lower half. However, unknown to him, more changes were happening to his grandson, the cartilage spikes on his ears became metallic blades, his canines grew sharper, and his eyes, while still under the visor and eyelids, became more animalistic, as if he never lost his Dragonslayer Magic.
"There, now add the armor quickly, and wake him up." Iida said putting Scythe's last boot back on.
Alpha set the coins on the sides of his boots, but nothing happened.
"Alpha, what's happening?" Iida asked as the Demon-Grimm got closer.
"The armor is keyed to his DNA, but the coins aren't registering the new power within his system. They need a total reboot, all three of them." Alpha explained.
"How long will that take?"
"Not long, but the barrier will be down as I will have to shut down for it to be done."
"Damn it." Iida stated.
"It's fine…"
"Scythe…" Iida exclaimed as Scythe spoke up.
"Alpha, complete system reboot, override code Excalibur." Scythe stated sitting up.
"Override code accepted, reboot commencing." Alpha exclaimed as the chest plate around Scythe's body receded, disconnecting from his helmet.
Scythe removed his helmet and took all three coins into his hand, pocketing them before standing up and grabbing his shield, and putting it on his back, just as the barrier went down.
"Here they come Scythe, you sure you'll be okay without your armor?" Iida asked, noticing all nine of Scythe's Kitsune tails waving about in the air, though he couldn't tell if it was in annoyance or anger.
"I'll be fine." Scythe stated as he extended his claws. "I just need to let off a little steam."
'Okay, waving about in anger it is.' Iida thought before they both charged at the oncoming horde of Demon-Grimm.
…
Ruby woke with a start, and sat up in her sleeping bag instantly, thinking she heard Pyrrha's voice.
She looked around noticing Jaune was not in his sleeping bag, while the ambers of the fire burned just enough to keep the group warm.
"Alright, Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions…" Pyrrha's voice resonated from a distance.
Ruby got out of her sleeping bag and followed the sound of Pyrrha's voice, finding it originating from a clearing near their campsite. Standing there, was Jaune, with his sword and shield, listening to a recording training session Pyrrha had put on his scroll.
"Alright, Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions." Pyrrha's recording stated. "Shield up, keep your grip tight, don't forget to keep your front foot forward, ready? Go." Pyrrha instructed.
Jaune lunged forward.
"Again." Pyrrha stated.
Jaune swung his sword diagonally behind him as he pivoted his footing. Sending a wave of energy forward, as he brought his shield back up.
"And again."
Jaune turned completely around as he swung down, sending another wave of energy forward, blowing the grass like a breeze.
"Okay, now assuming you aren't cheating… we can take a break." Pyrrha smiled in the recording. "I know this can be frustrating, and it can feel like so much effort to progress forward such a small amount. But… I want you to know, that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. You've grown so much since we started training. And I know this is just the beginning." Pyrrha stated, then pausing for a bit. "Jaune… I… I… I want you to know that I am just happy to be a part of your life." Pyrrha smiled, putting her hands to her heart. "I'll always be here for you Jaune."
After that, the recording stopped, and replayed from the beginning, where Pyrrha began instructing again.
Ruby watched in awe as she was inspired by what Jaune was doing, and thought to herself that Scythe would want her to do the same, as she pulled out Caliburn from the storage compartment on her armor.
She smiled as she went to join Jaune in training.
…
"C'mon guy's if we pick up the pace we can hit the next town before Sunset." Ruby stated as she and her team were now walking through the forest the next day.
"Assuming it's still there." Jaune exclaimed, still upset about Shion.
"Of course it'll be there." Ruby argued. "This one's supposed to be pretty big. Hee… gan… bay… na…" She butchered the name.
"Higanbana. It's a well-protected village with a popular inn." Ren stated correcting Ruby.
"Which means, no camping in the rain!" Nora cheered.
"Thanks to the money Scythe left me, we're all set for inn's any time we want. We don't really have to worry about cash." Ruby stated. "You see Jaune, everything's gonna be fine."
"You know, we've had a lot of ups and downs, but things could be a lot worse." Jaune stated. "Really thought we'd see more Grimm."
"As did I." Ren added.
"I guess our luck is finally turning around. To Higanbana." Nora cheered again.
The sound of lightning striking and thunder clapping was heard close by, high up the mountain.
"We should definitely pick up the pace, sounds like a thunder storm." Ren stated.
In reality, that thunder clap was caused by Lauxus, killing an entire pack of Beowolves that had been tailing the team for several kilometers. The blonde Dragonslayer and crow haired drunk watched as the team carried on through their trek to the next village, before a raven cawing caught their attention.
They looked to the tree and saw it sitting there, watching the team of four travel down the road before taking off as it cawed.
"Hmp…" Qrow scoffed. "Luck."
"Raven?" Lauxus asked.
"Yeah, she's wanting to meet." Qrow exclaimed. "Nothing good ever comes from that."
In Higanbana Team RNJR were talking with the inn keeper about getting two rooms, while across the street in the tavern, Qrow and Lauxus sat with one holding a drink. The one being Lauxus holding a mug of ale as they both watched the team through the windows, before a waitress came over and put a glass down on front of Qrow.
"Oh I didn't-"
"From the woman upstairs. Red eyes. Said you wouldn't mind bottom shelf." The waitress said pointing two fingers to the upper level.
After a second of looking, Qrow turned back and grasped the scotch glass.
"Thanks." Qrow stated.
"But, I went ahead and gave you top. Lucky you." The waitress said winking at him, then leaving.
"I think she's looking for a good time tonight." Lauxus smirked nudging Qrow with his elbow.
Qrow smiled at the waitress as she walked off. Once she was out of his range of sight, his eyes turned back to the window, seeing the team of four no longer in his view.
"Yeah." Qrow stated getting up, Lauxus following as they went upstairs with their drinks.
There sitting at one of the middle tables, sat Raven Brawnwen, with her helmet on the table's surface, and her sword leaning against the wall behind her chair.
"Hello brother." Raven smiled. "You can tell your muscle to leave us be."
"Raven. Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my friend." Qrow stated as he and Lauxus sat down. "So, what do you want?" Qrow asked.
"A girl can't just catch up with her family?" Raven asked, sounding offended.
"She can, but you're not." Qrow stated.
"How about we get on with it?" Lauxus asked. "For starters, with the subject of your tribe being the one to slaughter Shion Village."
"True, but the Brawnwen Tribe does what it must to survive." Raven stated.
"So let's get on to the matter at hand." Qrow stated taking a sip of his drink. "Unless you plan on keeping these coming." Qrow smirked putting his glass down.
"Does she have it?" Raven asked.
After a moment of silence, and Qrow rubbing his finger along the edge of the glass, the drunkard spoke up.
"Did you know Yang lost her arm?" Qrow questioned.
"That's not-"
"Rhetorical question. I know you know." Qrow stated interrupting Raven. "It's just obnoxious that you bring up family then carry on like your own daughter doesn't exist."
"I saved her, and that bluenet that was with her." Raven argued.
"From my understanding, it was once, and right before that incident that a criminal named Roman Torchwhick, now Griffon Shit, caused a week before the Vytal Festival." Lauxus exclaimed.
"Because once was your rule right?" Qrow added. "Real *Mom of the Year* material, sis."
As Qrow reached down to grab his glass, Raven grabbed his wrist, before Lauxus appeared behind her with a knuckled blade against her throat. A weapon he had purchased during his travels with Qrow.
"I told you Beacon would fall and it did. Taking a member of our tribe with it." Raven stated. "I told you Ozpin would fail, and he has. Now you tell me. Does… Salem… Have it?" Seeming unfazed by Lauxus's move to protect his ally.
"I thought you weren't interested in all of that." Qrow smirked.
"I just want to know what we are up against. Her subordinate Cinder killed a member of our tribe Qrow." Raven stated.
Qrow's eyes widened for a second as his eyebrows rose, before getting serious again.
"And which 'we' are you referring to?" Qrow asked.
Raven scoffed, realizing she had let something slip, as she released her brother's wrist, followed by Lauxus returning to his seat, his weapon sheathed in his boot.
"You should come back, Raven." Qrow stated grabbing his glass. "The only way we beat her is by working together. All of us."
"You're the one who left. The tribe raised us… and you turned your back on them." Raven stated.
"They were killers and thieves." Qrow stated, his right arm becoming covered in an emerald green essence.
"They were your family." Raven stated.
"You have a very skewed perception of that word." Lauxus growled, scale markings appearing on his upper right arm.
Raven stood up instantly, angered, and annoyed, having heard enough of their insults.
"I lead our people now." Raven stated. "And as leader I will do everything in my power to ensure our survival. I will ensure Scythe's death is avenged."
"I saw, the people of Shion saw to." Qrow stated.
"The weak die, the strong live. Those are the rules." Raven stated before Lauxus burst into laughter, confusing both Raven and Qrow.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Qrow. It's just that, I used to be the exact same as you Raven." Lauxus laughed. "Believing only the strong live, and survive, while the weak die and suffer. I just find it so amusing how my past is so much like Ravens life."
"What are you talking about you ape?" Raven questioned, anger rising in her.
"I ran a kudeta against my gramps years back, with the members of it being myself, and my friends Bickslow, Freed, and Evergreen. I had planned on taking over Fairy Tail, saying crap like you're saying now. The weak would be weaseled out, while the strong remained. But at the end of it, I learned true strength isn't about your body. It's about your heart." Lauxus stated, his expression slowly growing more serious by the second. "So take it from someone who's been in your state of mind, join the Guardians, and we'll overlook the Shion incident, no matter how hard it is. We can win against Salem together if we combine the force of your tribe and the rest of the Guardians."
"I refuse." Raven stated.
"Well, you've certainly got someone strong on your side. I've seen the damage." Qrow stated, bringing them back to the original topic.
"We couldn't have known the Grimm would set in as quickly as they did." Raven stated turning around, her voice cracking a bit.
"I'm not talking about the Grimm, and I'm not talking about you either." Qrow stated.
"If you don't know where the Relic is, then we have nothing left to talk about." Raven stated, trying to end the conversation.
"I know you have the Spring Maiden, Gajeel and Natsu confirmed it the night I brought them back to Tai's place, after rescuing them from you." Qrow stated.
"I'm not going to be giving her to you, if that's what you're hoping for." Raven stated.
"Then without her, we're all going to die." Lauxus stated.
"And which 'we' are you referring to?" Raven asked putting her helmet on, and using her katana to open a portal.
Behind them, the waitress from earlier gasped, and dropped her tray as she saw the portal. Qrow and Lauxus turned to see her standing there, in fear, her legs shaking.
"Relax." Lauxus said in a calming voice. "There's nothing to be afraid of, it's just her semblance."
But Qrow knew better, knowing that stories of Raven's portals and power had spread through all Mistral, no doubt the waitress feared that her life would be in danger due to the Brawnwen Tribe.
The waitress looked to him as he slumped his shoulders.
"Make this one a double." Qrow sighed holding up his glass.
"Here, let me help you."
"N-no it's okay, really. I can manage, I don't think it would be proper for two members of the Brawnwen Tribe to help me." The waitress said shaking in fear.
"Relax, we're not part of the tribe." Lauxus smiled putting a calming, reassuring hand on her shoulder. "My last name is Dryer, his might be Brawnwen, but he left them years ago. We were just in a surprise meeting with his sister, who wanted to catch up."
Qrow knew Lauxus was lying about the last part of Raven wanting to catch up, but he understood why.
"Where do you keep the cleaning supplies?" Lauxus asked.
"N-no, it's fine. I'll clean it up when I close for the night." The waitress said, seeming much calmer, than before.
'At least her legs aren't shaking anymore.' Qrow thought.
"I'll make that drink a double. I'll get you another pint of ale to." She said turning her gaze to Lauxus.
"Thank you." Lauxus smiled before returning to his seat, as the waitress left. "Now Qrow, why would Raven think Scythe's a member of the Brawnwen tribe?"
Qrow sighed knowing this would be coming after Raven's vow of vengeance.
"Because he is." Qrow stated, finding no way around the topic. "After finding out he's originally from this world, I did some research into his genealogy. His great-grandfather was not only a white tiger Faunus, but was also a member of the Brawnwen Tribe, before he fell for the daughter of the Black Beast of Death."
"His great-great-grandfather was that much of a badass?" Lauxus asked.
"Indeed, with his Armor of the Fallen, the Black Beast of Death took on an entire army all on his own, not only surviving, but came out covered in their dried blood, earning the name Black Beast of Death, while staining the armor black. It was the fallen men he killed, and the blood it's stained with, that gave the armor the name it is known by as legend."
"So, his great-grandfather must have had some serious balls to go after the Black Beast of Death's daughter."
"He did I guess. I even found the old coot's journal. He had won over the Khan's trust by committing the biggest taboo known to the Brawnwen Tribe, he killed the current leader of his time, and conveyed the Tribe's location to the authorities." Qrow explained. "He was pardoned for all he had done, and married to the Beasts daughter a year later. The Brawnwen Tribe barely survived, the assault that the authorities dealt. All that remained were a handful of people, including my grandfather. Who became the next leader, and his son, my adopted father, inherited the title after my grandfather's passing. Now it seems Raven is leader."
"Here you go boys." The waitress said bringing them their drinks.
"Thank you." Qrow smiled.
"I don't think you're gonna get laid anymore." Lauxus chuckled, as the waitress confirmed it.
After the waitress left, Qrow turned his attention to Lauxus.
"So, was what you told my sister true? Did you try to commit a kudeta against your grandfather?" Qrow asked. "All to inherit Fairy Tail?"
"Yep, I've regretted it ever since."