-Chapter 51-
Future Me
"Ooof." I moaned. I slowly opened my eyes. I saw a white ceiling. I noticed some video game posters hanging on the wall. I slowly got up from a bed. I looked around. I saw a drawer, closet, and a desk with a laptop sitting on it.
"Wait, this room…this is my bedroom!" I jumped out of my bed. I looked around, touching every part of my room.
"This is really it! I am back, back at home!" I cheered. "But, wait!" I stopped in mid air until I dropped back to the floor due to gravity.
"If I am back home, then that mean!" I checked my right arm. I was not wearing a gauntlet or anything. I went to my mirror and checked myself. I had the same, old black hair, dark brown eyes, black pant, white shirt, and everything else. I was back to my old self.
"OK, so I don't have a white hair and monochrome-colored clothes. I get that, but that means…Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and…Yang. Everyone I met and everything I experienced in Remnant…was just a dream?" I asked to myself. I felt both relieved and confused, but mostly just strange.
"Ellix!" A familiar female, kind voice shouted. "Your breakfast is ready!"
"Mom?" I said to myself before I rushed out of my bedroom.
This felt very weird, but good. I am back in my world. My mom and dad, the two people I missed so much, I was so happy to meet them. I ate the breakfast she makes for me. After shortly eating my first ever meal with them for a while, I went back to my room and reviewed what I thought.
"So, I am back in my world. That means, everything I experienced in Remnant…was all just a dream. Very, very long dream?" I asked to myself.
"Ellix! You know you have school, right? Get ready or else, you will be late!" My mom shouted from downstairs.
"Wait, today is school!?" I checked my digital clock I had which also tells the date. It was Monday. "Oh crap! It is school day!"
I got out my backpack, putted all of the stuff I need for school like my pencil bag and homework.
I went to my high school, and just made in time for my classes. I was silent most of the times, taking barely or no notes at all. I was still thinking about everything I experienced in Remnant. I was just thinking about that and only that. It was just strange.
"Why…just why do I have feeling that everything I experienced was all real?" I thought.
"Yo, Dude!" A voice said behind me.
"Dude? Sun!?" I asked, turning around to see if it was him, but instead it was my friends, real friends. Two of my friends. "Oh, it's you guys."
"Huh? What do you mean 'oh, it's you guys'? How rude, Mono!" One of my friends, who was a tall, skinny one with green shirt, hat, and black pant said. And also Mono is my nickname, referring to the reason why I like to wear monochrome clothes.
"You're alright, Ellix?" Another friend of mine asked. He wore glasses, kind of little chubby, and wore blue shirt with the word "Death Battle" logo on the front and gray trouser.
"Huh? Oh, I am fine." I said to them as I rolled my eyes to another direction.
"Well, whatever." He said. "Hey, did you check out the new episode of Death Battle?"
"Oh! Yeah, I checked that out, too man and it was awesome!" The skinnier friend of mine stated. "And dam! Tifa got what she deserved!"
"Yo, bro! Not so cool! She was like my waifu!"
"Yeah, yeah. Well, Yang definitely ended that battle…with a Yang!" He joked.
My other friend just sighed at him, face-pawning. "Seriously, dude. That's pun? That is ridiculous."
However, I just laughed at that pun. I couldn't control myself that I laughed to my knee.
"Yo, Ellix, I know it is a pun and all, but it isn't that funny."
"Sorry, man! It is just that it reminds me of so much of when she said it."
"Oh, so I guess you finally got into the show, huh?"
"Wait, the show…" I repeated. "That's it!"
I ran, passing through my friends. They looked at each other, confused as to how I was acting. I immediately headed to the nearest computer lab. I login, opened up Firefox, and searched up RWBYE. Google corrected my search, but it also gave me the link to the show's wikia page. I opened it up, and read through all the information. After about almost the end of the break, I found everything, except about me in it.
"So, I guess it was all just a dream." I said to myself, staring in space as I got up from the computer.
After school was over, I walked down the street by myself as I thought to myself.
"So, everything was a dream…just a wild, long dream." I walked to the park, not even realizing it. I sat on the nearby bench, watching the lake quietly as other people passed me by.
"Everything was a dream. About Beacon, about my friends, about everything. It was all just a dream. It must be because of after watching Death Battle, but that wouldn't explain how I experienced everything about the show, RWBY just by after watching that episode, but most importantly…I still feel that it was all real. Just why?"
I shrugged and rubbed my head so hard, it started to get hurt.
"Argh! This is so frustrating!" I groaned. I just looked down and began to feel sad, very sad.
"Well…at least Black Knight is gone. He wasn't even real in the actual show, anyway, but at least I defeated him. By now, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and everyone else are happy now, happily living after. Although, by checking some episodes for Volume 3, it appears that Cinder is up to no good, but it didn't go the way I experienced. Even so, everything I experienced was not real or non-canon to the show and yet…why do I still feel everything I experienced with that web series was real?"
I just stared in space, feeling depressed.
"Ruby…Weiss…Blake…" The last name I wanted to say felt painful in my heart to say it, but… "Yang…I miss you guys."
A man approached me and said, "Excuse me, sir? May I sit here on this bench?"
I looked up to the guy. He wore a black dress shirt and pant. He had black hair, and looked kind of someone from Asia.
"Um, sure." I said, not caring about it, but I didn't mind.
"Oh, thank you, sir." He said happily, sitting down on the bench next to me. He looked up to the sky as the birds chirped.
"What a lovely afternoon, don't you think?" He asked.
"Yeah, I guess so."
He looked at me. "You sound very sad. Is there something wrong?"
I shrugged and said, "Well, it is kind of…hard and long story to explain, but…I just missed certain friends of mine."
"A friend? If you miss them, why don't you go and meet them? Or, if I know any better what most people would do, chat them online."
"Well, it is not that easy. They lived…at a faraway place. Somewhere not even Facebook can even reach them. Well…I don't think they have Facebook, but the whole point is…I can't even contact them. They are really lived faraway from here, and I really want to meet them. A lot of stuff happened between them and me. I…basically saved them, and as a result…I am here, let's just say. I know I am not making any sense, but the whole point is I really missed them and I want to see them again."
The man stared at me calmly. "I see. So, that is your answer to my question that I asked to you when we previously met."
"Wait, what?" I looked at the man. He was looking out to the big pond.
"I asked you a question long ago, which was 'do you risk your life to protect your friends or do you risk your friendship to save the world', and you seemed to have picked the latter. However, deep down in your heart, you still cherish your friendship with your team, Team RWBY in the world of Remnant. And here you are, back in your home world, and you missed them dearly."
The man stood up, and looked at me, smiling. "Mr. Ellix Knight, you proven to be a wise and worthy person. And for that, I grant your wish to return to your friend."
He gestured his arm when a portal opened up in front of us.
"Wait? What!? Are you…You're that same guy I met!" I remembered.
"That is right, Mr. Ellix Knight. I am glad that you remembered me ever since then. I was little bit worried that you may have forgotten about me, but of course, the reason why everything you experienced in the world of Remnant is because I let you keep the memories, everything about what you experienced while you were in that world. When I asked you why you were sad just now, you answered me with clear thought that you really want to meet your friends in Remnant, proving that you know that you couldn't ignore everything you experienced to be a simple, long, crazy dream. I say congratulations to you, Mr. Ellix Knight. You have done well."
He bowed to me. I was so surprised, and yet…I felt very joyful.
"So, is this mean I…I can go back to Remnant? I can meet them again!? Ruby? Weiss? Blake? And Yang!? Everybody!?"
"Yes, of course. You are free to go back to Remnant through this portal." The man said.
"Oh thank you so much sir!" I said as I was about to ran into the portal. However, I stopped and looked worry.
"What's wrong? Do you not want to meet your Team RWBY and your friends again?" He asked.
I turned to him and said, "Well, yes! I really want to meet them again so badly, but if I go through this portal, is that mean I can never come back here? My home?"
The man just chuckled. "Oh, do not worry about, Mr. Ellix Knight. The flow of time works differently here in our world to their world. You can stay as long as you want in Remnant, and you may come back to your home world at any time you desire. Also, aging works differently, too. Even if you stayed in Remnant for many years as you become an elderly man, if you come back here, you will revert to the age when you left from this world."
"Woah! That sounds heavy, but I think I understand. It is like I stayed there in Remnant for like 2 weeks, but I only left from this world for only like 2 minutes. I get it!" I said. "Well, thank you for everything, sir! Thank you so much!"
I was going to walk into the portal until I turned back to him. "Say, I didn't get your name, sir. What is it?"
He smiled at me and said, "My friends just call me Monty. And I wish you good luck, Mr. Ellix Knight. And remember…never lose hope."
I smiled in return. "Thank you, Monty! I will never forget this! Thank you for everything!"
I waved at him before I ran off into the portal completely. It closed and disappeared as he watched to the sky, smiling widely before he faded away like a spirit.
Wait...Monty, that name sounds so familiar...
I flied through space. My body felt light and kind of weird. Suddenly, that was when I got a vision.
"What the? Am I seeing…another future?" I said. What I saw was a person in front of me. He was tall, had white spiky hair that I had, wearing black jacket and inversed monochrome pant. He also had a dark blue scarf around his neck. He turned around and faced me.
"Wait? You are!" The vision stopped there until the light shone in front of me so bright that I closed my eyes.
I slowly opened my eyes, realizing that I was in a hospital room again. I was in a bed. I looked around until a nurse showed up.
"Oh!" She jumped. "You…you are awake! Please wait here, sir!"
She stormed out of the door as I titled my head.
"Aah, it is not like I am going anywhere I guess." I sighed.
The next minutes or so, a group of people came in. I smiled at the people. They were my friends, my teammates.
"Ellix…" Ruby said, shaking. Everyone else looked surprised as well.
I smiled at her and them. "Hi, Ruby."
"Ellix!" Ruby yelled as she jumped and gave me a big hug.
"Ellix!" Weiss and Blake said in unison as they also joined in with Ruby.
"Ellix! We thought you would never wake up!" Ruby exclaimed, crying.
"You foolish boy! We are so glad you are awake! Don't scare us like this!" Weiss said as she cried, too.
"Ellix, we are so happy that you finally woke up! I…was so worried! We all were!" Blake cried.
"Ruby, Weiss, Blake…I am glad to see you guys again, too!" I cried, too. I looked up to the rest of my friends. "And of course, you guys as well!"
"Dude, we are like so happy that you woke up, man!" Sun exclaimed, wiping his face from crying.
"Seriously, man! You've been sleeping like almost a month!" Neptune said, shocking me.
"Wait!? I was in coma for a month!?" I exclaimed.
"Well, yeah, Ellix! Even the doctor was not sure if you would ever wake up again." Jaune explained. "But that does not matter, you are awake and that is all that matter!"
"Yeah!" Nora exclaimed. "Let's give Ellix a huge group hug!"
They all approached me, giving me a big warm…and now very hot hug.
"Thank you, guys! Even though you are like crushing me, I am very happy just to see you guys!" I said, crying in so much joy, but I soon noticed something strange.
"Hey…I have one question. Where is Yang?"
They all got off from me, and they looked at each other kind unsure or nervous.
"Hey guys, did Yang…not made it?" I asked.
"Well, no, Ellix! Of course not!" Ruby said, slapping me on the cheek.
"Ouch! What was that for!?" I yelled at her.
"Oops! Sorry about that, Ellix, but yeah, Yang is alright! She's been fine, but…she just doesn't want to meet you or just afraid meet you." Ruby said sadly
"She? Afraid of me?" I asked. "Well…I wouldn't blame her. I did horrible thing to her, anyway."
"Ellix. That is not true. It wasn't you, it was Black Knight. He controlled you." Blake argued.
"Yeah, I know, but even so, I am still feeling responsible for this, all of what happened. As soon as I get out of here, I will definitely tell her that…I am really sorry." I said.
"You better!" Weiss scolded me.
"I will, Weiss. Geez, maybe I should've stay in coma not to hear from your nagging, but I do kind of miss your nagging, anyway." I said jokingly.
"Hey! What is that supposed to me!?" She pouted. We just laughed together, and soon she joined with us.
I was released sooner than I expected. However, there was one thing on my mind that I need to do. Professor Ozpin asked me to come to his office, which I did. There, I met him, Professor Goodwitch, Professor Port, Dr. Oobleck, General Ironwood, Winter, Qrow, Taiyang, Nene, and Gojira.
"Mr. Knight, I just want to say that we are very glad that you fully recovered. How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I am good, Professor Ozpin. I just still wouldn't believe it is been a month now." I said honestly to him.
"Yes, you've been in coma for a while, but you are now much better. We are so humbly glad you are alright, but now you are awake; there is something we must discuss." He said, with a serious look.
"Yes, sir. There is actually something I want to say, too." I said.
"Oh really? Well, then I will let you say it first before what I will say to you. What would it be, Mr. Knight?" Professsor Ozpin asked.
"Professor Ozpin…I know that you are here to tell me that I am expelled from the academy."
My word surprised him and everyone here. Qrow, however, looked calm as he listened and slouched on the wall.
"I see." Ozpin said before sipping a cup of coffee. "I take it that your Semblance predicted this."
"Yes, sir, but there is more than that, sir." I said. "I…I...I request to go on training, sir!"
Everyone looked shock when I said it.
"Training?" He asked. "What's training?"
"You see, sir. I…can still feel it within me." I said to him.
"Within you? What do you mean, Mr. Knight?"
"Black Knight's darkness…he is still within me." I said. This also shocked everyone.
"I know that this is very shocking and I wish this is all a lie, but it is the truth. Even though he is defeated, he is not technically dead. His darkness still resides in me, became part of my darkness. However, I saw it in my vision. I saw…myself, a future me. He…or at least, I will be him, but he is stronger and more control in his darkness, and…I want to be that person. I want to go out in the world, train, and master over my darkness."
I summoned the gauntlet through my right arm, and then made it disappeared. "However, I won't become that future me if I stayed here or even just be expelled from the academy. Nonetheless, I can still summon out my weapon as you all just saw, but even with that, I am not fully well in controlling my power, and the only way to do so is go out there to the outside world and train really hard."
Everyone looked at each other, looking quite perplexed. Professor Ozpin thought to himself as he had his eyes closed before he opened it.
"I see, but you are still young and quite in-experienced to even survive by yourself in the outside world."
"Well, I didn't say I will be going alone." I said to the headmaster before I walked forward to Qrow. He looked at me, confused as he was drinking out from his flask.
"There is only one person I can think of who would be a perfect trainer for me. And that is this man, Qrow." I said.
Suddenly, he spitted out his drink at the side to the floor. "Say what!?"
"Mr. Knight! Are you sure about this!?" Professor Goodwitch surprised. "I mean, Qrow is a teacher, but…I am not sure if he is qualified enough for him to be your personal trainer!"
"I know it sounds crazy, but I propose a deal." I said.
"A deal?" Ozpin wondered out loud.
"Yes, a deal!" I exclaimed. "If I show my proof that I am serious about this, then I will fight Qrow in a battle and if I win, he will train for one whole year! Until the time when my classmates and teammates become 2nd year."
"I see, but what if you lose?" Ozpin asked.
"If I lose…" I looked down until I looked up. "Then, you may expel me and…I will let General Ironwood, sir here to arrest me as a war criminal."
"What!?" Everyone exclaimed, except for Nene and Gojira.
"What!? But, Mr. Knight! You are not serious, are you!?" Professor Port asked.
"I am dead serious, Professor Port. This is a fight for not just my future, but my redemption. If I lose, then General Ironwood and Miss Schnee can take me and put me in the most highly secured prison. I don't care where, but I will face my trial and charges for all the evil things I done as Black Knight. I will accept to be put in solitary confinement if I have to."
General Ironwood breathed in and out. "Ellix…you don't have to do this."
"No, general. I have to do this. It is only fair. I caused a lot of trouble, not to mention damaged the Amity Colosseum, destroyed your android soldiers, and possibly caused mass panic around the world. It is the right thing to do. I rather not let anyone interacts me. I may be Ellix Knight, but I am still the Second Coming of Darkness, a huntsman with the most dangerous power in the world, even dangerous to the people around me."
Everyone was silent until Nene spoke up. "Ozzy, Jamey, let Ellix do this."
"I agree with the old hag on this. The kid here is really determined to see if he can really change himself or not. The power he holds is uncontrollable for us to handle, but only he can control it. Let him do this." Gojira said as he smoked his pipe.
Ozpin think for a moment. "Qrow, what do you think?"
Qrow just smirked. "Yeah, sure. Come on, Taiyang. Let's go to the old arena."
"What!? I am joining in, too!?"
"Just come along." Qrow ordered.
-Not Ellix's POV-
Ruby, Weiss, and Blake were at their dorm room. They were waiting for Ellix and finding out where Yang is.
"I wonder what Professor Ozpin wants to talk with Ellix about?" Ruby wondered.
"It must be something very important. Well…especially with everything that had happened." Blake said seldom.
"But, I feel kind of worried." Ruby said. "I don't know why, but I just have a feeling that...today it may be the last time we'll see Ellix."
"Why do you think that?" Weiss questioned.
"Well, I really don't know, but I just have a feeling. Don't you guys feel the same?" Ruby asked.
They momentarily thought to themselves.
"To be honest, I…do have the same feeling as well." Weiss admitted.
"Me, too." Blake nodded.
Ruby looked up with determined eyes. "Weiss, Blake, let's go. Let's meet Ellix!"
They nodded and headed to Prof. Ozpin's office. On their way, Ruby used her Scroll to call Yang. She didn't pick it up.
"Yang, where the heck are you?" She thought out loud.
While they were heading there, they were immediately stopped by Sun and Neptune.
"Yo, guys!" Sun waved at them.
"Sun, Neptune, what's up?" Ruby asked.
"Yo, guys, have you heard about Ellix?" He asked.
"What happened to Ellix?" Blake questioned him.
"Well…we heard that he is going to fight…against your uncle and your dad, Ruby." Neptune explained.
"Say what!?" Ruby exclaimed.
