Volume 4 Issue 10: Kuroyuri
Kingdom of Mistral
Oscar's Farm
Following the events of Death's talk with Helen, the camera opens on a view of The Pine Farm at sunrise, then cuts to the interior of Oscar Pine's bedroom where he is staring at a packed, green backpack on his bed. He looks toward the window. His fingers tense for a moment. Cut to Oscar, now wearing the backpack, walking along a dirt road away from the farm. He stops and looks over his shoulder, then faces forward, adjusts the backpack and resumes walking. Cut to Oscar following a dirt road in a forest.
"I'm sorry." Ozpin apologized.
"You know... the weirdest part is how it feels. Leaving home is crazy. Going to the city is crazy. Everything you've told me is completely crazy. But it doesn't feel crazy anymore. It feels like I'm doing the right thing." Oscar explained.
"Well… I suppose that's good." Ozpin replied.
"No. It's scary." Oscar explained.
Oscar bows his head as he speaks, then lifts his head up and looks nervously at the sky as thunder crackles in the distance. He quickens his pace down the road.
Mistral Train Station
Cut to a train station. It has begun storming, and Oscar hurries to the covered platform, holding his hands over his head. When he gets there, he walks up to a large machine with a screen on it, which reads:
"Welcome!
Scan Lien to begin."
He rests a Lien card against a scanner. The screen displays an error message that reads:
"ERROR
Unable to complete request.
REASON GIVEN:
Insufficient Funds (Code: 726)"
"Stupid thing. I'm assuming whatever weird magic this is doesn't come with an infinite supply of money?" Oscar asked.
"I'm afraid you'll have to solve this one on your own." Ozpin explained when suddenly they felt two presence coming into the station.
'Be on your guard.' Ozpin ordered, hoping Ganon doesn't sense Him.
"What do you mean?" Oscar asked.
The view slowly pans to the left, moving out from beside the machine. Soon, Hazel and Ganon, who is walking toward Oscar, becomes visible.
"Here." Hazel said gruffly.
Oscar turns his attention to Hazel, who continues to approach him. Hazel stops near the machine and raises up his fist. In response, Oscar flinches away and widens his eyes, uttering a small noise. Hazel then slams his fist down on the machine, which beeps and makes the sound of dispensing paper, while Oscar straightens up and stares. As Hazel moves his fist, the machine spits out a small ticket. While Hazel walks away, Oscar picks the ticket up and then looks at him. Hazel then stops and looks back at him.
"Don't let such a small obstacle block your path." Hazel stated.
He resumes on his way, while Oscar watches before turning to Ganon who just started chuckling darkly at Oscar.
"I cannot wait to see the look on his face when he finds out who he just helped." Ganon added before following Hazel.
"Those Men. I felt... Who are they?" Oscar asked.
"Powerful people, you do not want to fight either one of them." Ozpin explained.
The camera moves to the other side of the train tracks as the silver-gray train arrives. Its engine has glowing cyan markings, each in the form of two parallel lines with a series of evenly-spaced diagonal lines connecting them.
The Continent of Anima
Kuroyuri.
A cracked signed bearing the name Kuroyuri rests against ruins. An upwards pan and several cuts show the dilapidated village. Ruby and Jaune walk down the road, carrying Qrow on a stretcher. They pause and look unhappily around.
"Oh, man." Jaune groaned.
"Come on." Ruby said as they continued to move foward.
"Any of these look like a Pharmacy?" Ruby asked.
"It's... honestly hard to tell." Jaune replied as he looked around the ruins to see a broken bike.
"Ren really didn't want to come here, did he?" Ruby asked.
"Uh... didn't seem so." Jaune replied.
"Do you know... why?" Ruby asked.
"*Sighs* I think I have a pretty good idea..." Jaune replied as the two continue on and the image pans away from them to show a withered waterlily on the ground atop a miniscule puddle.
Flashback: Lie Ren's Past
Suddenly it quickly changed to a pretty waterlily in full bloom floats on an aqueduct in the town center of Kuroyuri. Ren, as a child, looks eagerly at it with a smile.
"Why, hello, little Lie. Are we trying to catch a fish?" An asked, laughing lightly.
"I've found a flower on the water!" Ren cried excitedly.
"Oh, I see!" An laughed.
"Can we take it home and plant it in the garden?" Ren asked as he rushed over to his water.
"Oh no, sweetheart, that flower lives here." An replied, causing her son to look down dejectedly as she rubs his head.
"But I'll tell you what you can do. Take this Lien and go find something nice for your father's return. He's been hunting for quite some time. I bet that the journey's been very tiring, don't you?" An asked.
"Yes." Ren agreed, taking it.
"Do you think you'll know what he wants?" An asked.
"I think... he wants a water flower in the garden!" Ren answered.
"Haha! Why did you have to inherit my sass?" An replied with a chuckle.
She gives her son a playful nudge on his bottom as Ren turns away on his new mission to find a gift for his father. He crosses the planks that serve as a bridge over the aqueduct. An watches him go with a smile.
A wide shot of Kuroyuri shows a prosperous and peaceful town. Ren rushes up to a weapons stand.
"What can I buy with this?" Ren asked.
"Well, something just your size." The Young Blacksmith replied, chuckling.
He holds up two wooden toy weapons. One is a sword, reminiscent of Crocea Mors and the other is a hammer reminiscent of Magnhild.
Ren deflates in disappointment at being unable to buy a new weapon for his father before he goes to wait in line at a liquor merchant.
"Sake, please." Ren asked.
The wine merchant gives him a bemused look, and with a sigh, shakes his head in the negative. Ren groans, a little frustrated.
He walks through the open town before stopping to look in a bakery window. There are several treats, including slices of lemon meringue pie, frosted cupcakes, actual cakes with frosted waterlilies atop them, and a shelf of kitten-shaped bread. Ren is happily excited but turns when he hears a voice.
"Hey, get back here!" A Tall Boy cried.
Ren looks around the corner of the bakery, following the sound of a group of kids laughing and mocking. Three boys stand in a semicircle around a dirty looking girl who is crouched on the ground and clutching a loaf of bread. young Nora wearing a white shirt with a pink heart design on the chest. Over the shirt, she wore a black hooded jacket, faded pink pants and matching shoes with black tape bound around them. Nora's hair was straight as a child, though it eventually became wavy but what really grab his attention was the fact she was all dirty.
"Where'd you get that bread? I didn't see you pay for it, thief!" the Tall Boy asked.
"No, look, it's all moldy!" A Short Boy added.
"I think she got it from the trash!" A Tall Boy replied.
"Lemme see!" a Medium Boy said as he reaches out only for Nora to bite his finger before he can touch the bread.
"Ah! She bit me!" the Medium Boy cried.
Tall Boy looks at Medium Boy's hand in horror before Medium Boy pushes Nora backward onto the ground. Nora whimpers for a second but gets up and grabs her bread off the ground. She takes a few more steps back before crouching away again.
"Where'd she come from?" the Short Boy asked as Ren watches, taking a few uncertain steps forward.
"She's dressed all weird!" The Short Boy said.
"I bet she's abandoned! Like a dog or something!" the Tall Boy replied.
"Does that mean I have rabies?" The Medium Boy asked.
All three chuckle meanly. Nora sees Ren getting closer and looks at him with big, blinking eyes. The bullies see her focus has changed to behind them and they turn to look. Ren panics at having their focus and he turns to run, only to immediately bump into the legs of his father, Li. He falls back and looks up at him.
"Father?" Ren asked.
"What is happening here?" Li asked.
The three bullies panic and look around, uncertain whether to run yet. Nora, however, sees this as her opening and takes off with her bread. After a beat the bullies decide to run, too.
"Do you wish to run with the rest of them?" Li asked to his son.
Ren is standing upright, but he lowers his face in response.
Li puts his hand on his son's shoulder and lowers to one knee.
"Sometimes the worst action to take... is taking no action at all. Go home. I need to speak with the mayor." Li explained as he leaves while Ren watches briefly and turns away thoughtfully.
Naruto Universe
Flower Fruit Mountain
With Ben.
The scene changes to Ben under the tree being watched by the three monkeys Sages and Kitty who was completely bored at the moment because Enma and Erna where having some family time.
"Ugh... So bored...!" Kitty complained.
"Silence, Child. You must practice the ways of patience." Yin replied.
"I'm not a doctor, so I don't have patience." Kitty replied with some sarcasm and innocently.
"Then you could practice your inner strength." Simian suggested.
"How do I do that?" Kitty asked, confused.
"To exercise the inner strength, you must look inward as well as out. There are two kinds of strengths. The outer strength is obvious: it fades with age and succumbs to sickness. Then there is the Chi, the inner strength. Everyone possesses it, too. But it's indeed much more difficult to develop. The inner strength lasts through every heat and every cold. Through old age and beyond." Saru explained.
"What does that mean?" Kitty asked.
"It means to be both Strong and Wise." The Voice of Light explained as she appeared, snapping Ben out of his meditation, summoning his Sword of Thorin, ready for anything.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Ben demanded.
"I've come to talk, Thorin, something we desperately need to do." Light explained.
Feeling the tension between the two, the monkey sages picked up Kitty and went inside the palace, giving them privacy.
"You have 5 minutes, talk fast." Ben said, still pointing the Sword of Thorin at her.
"I know you don't like me, which is putting it lightly. I hated you for your power, I'm not asking you to give me a chance or to like me, but I do ask that we try to be civilized towards one another." Light explained.
"Why? You had over 6,000 years to reach out and send some kind of sign! You could've shown some kind of sign that you did care for her!" Ben shouted.
"I did reach out. I helped her in each life." Light explained.
"Explain." Ben ordered.
"As Satele, I helped her stay hidden for her pregnancy, as Nana, I made sure she got a power up against All for One even if it did very little, as Poison Ivy, she, for lack of a better term, blossomed because I asked Nature to keep her alive when she got her powers, as the Ancient One, I guided her to the Sanctum where she learned the Mystic Arts, as Zoe I helped her get to Artemis, so she'd have a new family, as... Yang, I made sure her Uncle saved her at the last second." Light explained.
"You heisted for a moment. Why?" Ben asked, getting suspicious.
"It's not important. I know you're not going to trust me without letting off steam towards me, so go ahead but don't touch my eyes, hurt those and everyone here will go blind as a result." Light explained.
Staring at her in surprise, Ben could only wonder what happened to make her willingly go through with this, especially when he has a lot of issues with the Light as both the Son of Darkness and The Demon Knight and now he has a chance like no other to let it all out.
Ben looks at his Sword of Thorin as prepares to charge it with Darkness and Dark Lightning via Telekinesis as Light doesn't flinch as she closed her eyes behind her Sunglasses, expecting it already.
Light opened her eyes to realize that Ben stopped himself from using his sword as he stabbed it into the ground with telekinesis as he breathes calmly.
"...No." Ben replied, after a moment of breathing, putting away his Sword of Thorin in his Hammerspace.
"No?" Light repeated, confused and shocked.
"Don't get me wrong, I really, really want payback for all the pain you cause Dark users, I truly do, but I can't do it." Ben explained.
"You won't get another opportunity." Light replied.
"Vengeance is a water vessel with a hole. It carries nothing, but the promise of emptiness." My master Caine taught me many things during my Shaolin Training including forgiveness towards the past because "To hate is like drinking salt water. The thirst grows worst." However, learning from Kratos, the Ghost of Sparta and former Greek God of War, is the same way. He taught me about the Cycle of Patricide or walking the path of Vengeance as it won't bring me peace as he speaks from experience or him killing the entire Greek Pantheon due to the Evils of Pandora's Box and he quoted his father's words after he killed Baldur, which I'll say and quote: "The Cycle ends here. We must be better than this." So, all I'm going to do is this." Ben explained.
Ben stood up, held up his hand, containing the Warp Moon and blasted her in the chest with a beam of pure Darkness from the Warp Moon, sending her into the wall in critical pain as the Warp Moon unleashed a powerful blast from itself.
"You blasted me and I payed you back." Ben explained.
"...You're a better person than most." Light said.
"If I was Darth Bane, I'd try to destroy you with the Dark Side of the Force, If I was Sparda, I try to seal you away with my demonic weapons that seal the Light, but as Ben, I'll remember the past, but I'll move forward." Ben explained.
With that said, Ben went inside to give the monkeys the OK as Light followed behind him only to stop when she felt Death appear behind her with Helen.
"Helen, go after Ben, I have to talk to Light." Death ordered.
Doing as she is told, Helen took off after Ben, surprising the hero that she was there, not noticing Death was talking to Light about something.
"You cannot hide it forever. Sooner or later it will come out." Death warned.
"It was your idea to hide it, you will tell them as part of the agreement." Light replied.
"I know. But I also know he'll flip out about this." Death explained.
"Then I suggest you come up with a good explanation quickly." Light suggested before she left just in time for Ben to come back outside with Helen following him outside.
"I can't believe it." Ben said.
"It's true." Helen replied.
"You are Biwako Sarutobi." Ben said.
"Yep. I was and am your wife as the Third Hokage." Helen explained.
"Which means we both have grandchildren." Ben said.
"Our remaining son is also older than us biological." Helen explained.
"I'm more worried about how the rest of the world may respond if it was discovered." Ben replied.
"What about your two students? I was never to much into anime, but I do know that Orochimaru is pretty messed up." Helen asked.
"He may have became a valuable asset to the future of this world, however, as of this moment, he's still a traitor to the Hidden Leaf Village, as for Tsunade, I know she'd demand proof." Ben explained.
"She always did have quite the temper and strength to back it up." Helen replied.
"I thought you said you didn't like anime." Ben said.
"I don't, but like you, I know who I am in all lives." Helen explained, bringing a smile to his face.
"Oh. Who are you then?" Ben asked.
"Well in order it is Natasha, Angel from Borderlands, Biwako Sarutobi, Baigujing the Bone Demon from Journey to the West, The Librarian from Halo, Evie Frye of Assassin's Creed, and Helen Wheels." Helen explained.
"Seems we were both a demon at some point." Ben said, chuckling a bit.
"You wouldn't be laughing if you knew what I did as her." Helen replied.
"If your talking about trying to eat the priest, I don't care. You're not the only one who has done something like that." Ben said.
"What did you do?" Helen asked.
"As Sparda, I ate my Father, Spartacus's heart." Ben explained bluntly.
"Why?" Helen asked.
"He swallowed me whole when I was sleeping, so I ate him from the inside out." Ben explained.
"Ok... Anyway, we'll keep that a secret from Kitty." Helen replied as Ben nodded in agreement and walked back over to the Tree of Heavenly Wisdom.
Continent of Anima
Kuroyuri
With Jaune and Ruby.
The scene shifted to to Jaune and Ruby in the ruins of Kuroyuri. Both are looking dejected at only finding organs of Dead monsters from Ganon, showing there has been something here at some point recent.
"Nothing." Jaune said after a moment.
"We should get back to Qrow." Ruby replied.
'Qrow leans against a dead sakura tree, groaning. Though not conscious, he holds a hand over his wound. A wide shot shows Ruby crouched near his legs and Jaune standing over them both.
A creature makes a loud noise from off in the distance, causing both Ruby and Jaune to turn. Jaune's hand immediately goes to his watch and looks around for the source of the noise.
"It's far off." Ruby commented.
"I know, but Ren and Nora are still out there." Jaune replied.
Worried, Ruby looks at Qrow before standing and approaching Jaune.
"I'm sorry." Ruby said.
"Huh?" Jaune asked, confused.
"This is all my fault. I should have never dragged you guys into this." Ruby explained, looking down.
"You didn't drag us in. We wanted to come." Jaune replied.
"But you didn't know about Salem, about—" Ruby began until she was cut off.
"Ruby. We lost... We lost Ben. You lost him, too. And Penny, and your team, and in a way... your sister. But you're still here, despite everything you've lost, everything you could still lose, you chose to come out here." Jaune explained.
Ruby turns to face Jaune, and becomes emotional as he continues.
"Because you felt like you could make a difference." Jaune added.
She lifts her head and looks at him.
"You didn't drag us along. You gave us the courage to follow you." Jaune finished.
Jaune puts his hand on her shoulder. Ruby smiles at him, grateful, and he smiles back.
Back to the Flashback of Lie Ren's Past.
The scene then changes to a framed picture of the Ren family set to ominous music. Young Ren is sleeping until the sound of Grimm awakens him.
"Lie, get up. We have to go." An cried as she rushed over to him.
"Mother?" Ren asked, tired and uncertain.
"Now, right now, okay? Let's go!" An cried, grabbing his arm and pulling him up.
In the kitchen beyond Ren's bedroom, the outer door bursts inward as a heavily-breathing Li enters.
"Li!" An cried.
"An, what are you doing?! We need to hurry!" Li shouted.
"We can go to the safehouse!" An explained.
"No. I saw the beast. We need a Huntsman. And you two need to leave." Li ordered.
"What?" An asked, surprised.
The creature sounds, loud and ominous, causing all three to look up at the ceiling and walls in alarm.
"Mother?" Ren asked, worried.
An in response gets down to her knees to make eye contact with Ren.
"It's OK, darling. Everything's OK." An assured.
The roof breaks above her head and the screen cuts to black. Crashing and a faint scream can be heard. They are soon followed by the muffled screams of many and loud footsteps accompanied by Li's heavy breathing.
Ren comes to gradually, held by his running father. Bits of flaming sparks speckle the air.
"Father? What... Where's Mother?" Ren asked, confused.
Li is bleeding profusely from above his left eye. A woman nearby screams.
"What's going on?! Where is Mother?" Ren asked.
Villagers run in a panic, and black specks of ash float with the sparks. A rumble caused the ground to shake and Li falls, dropping Ren and landing on his back.
"Father!" Ren cried, ignoring how everyone runs past them as Li pushes himself up slightly.
"Lie, you have to run." Li ordered.
"No. Don't. Please. Get up!" Ren cried, moving to his father.
He looks up when he hears the Grimm roaring noise again. Behind them, people run while slowing flowed by the silhouetted image in a cloud of smoke that will haunt Ren for years to come.
"Listen to me, son. You have to be brave now. Do you understand?" Li asked.
"No, please. Please, I can't!" Ren cried.
Li withdraws a knife from its sheath on his hip.
"Yes, you can!" Li replied.
He puts the knife in Ren's hand and pushes him away before falling back with a groan. Ren looks at the knife.
"Take action, son." Li said as he stood up.
"Your mother and I love you." Li finished.
"Father…" Ren said, gripping the knife tighter and fighting tears in his eyes.
"Go!" Li ordered on a cough.
He notches an arrow and pulls it back. He shouts at his son one more time as he releases the arrow.
"Run!" Li shouted.
Ren runs and Li lets loose arrow after arrow at the towering Grimm.
Under an arch and jumping sideways down to a landing beside some steps, Ren crouches, panicking. The cries of Nevermores overhead cause him to look up. He hears sobbing from across the way and discovers Nora crouching beneath a building. A Nevermore flaps loudly and lands on the roof of a building near to the girl. It lets out a loud, dangerous cry.
The Grimm stomps through the center of town releasing its own roar. Ren realizes that his father is now dead and cries. Behind him, the waterlily for the aqueduct floats untarnished. There's another Nevermore cry as Ren continues to sob. He stills and Aura shimmers over him, graying out his appearance.
Ren lets out a calm breath as color returns.
The next shot is of him running toward Nora, and he moves under the building to where she is.
"Hey!" Ren said, putting his hand on her shoulder.
Nora gasps but calms when she sees that she's not been found by anything intending her harm.
"We have to be brave." Ren said.
The Nevermore cries above them, leaning down its head closer to the ground.
Nora whimpers and then throws her arms around Ren. His eyes and arms go wide before he accepts in. Putting his arms around her the shimmer happens again and both of them lose the color vivacity in their appearance.
The Nevermore, now shown to be dangerously close to where the two children crouch, turns its head and lets out a confused cry. Smoke rises from its body as it turns and cries again before launching into the air.
Color returns to the two children and the sounds of heavy steps are nearby. Ren watches the Grimm come closer. Nora turns and together they watch and wait as it pauses next to where they hide before moving on.
"I'm scared..." Nora explained.
"Me, too." Ren replied.
The shot pulls back to show the wooden hammer on the ground. Ren moves to retrieve it but Nora clutches his arm, afraid.
"It's OK." Ren assured.
With another whimper, Nora lets him go and watches with big eyes as he moves away. Ren grabs the wooden hammer and returns to her.
"We'll keep each other safe." Ren explained.
He offers her the hammer. She looks down at it, clearly emotional before she takes it from him.
"What's your name?" Ren asked.
"Nora." Nora answered.
"My name's Lie Ren." Ren replied, smiling at her, blinking.
Flashback ends.
War's Realm
With Julie.
The view changes to a large room with many black pillars with elaborate gold bases that support the roof and has black tiled floors. At the end of the room was an ornate covered throne on a higher platform surrounded by a wall of fire, the throne itself was made out of Skin from an unknown Reptilian skin. An enormous bas-relief image of a horse breathing fire pulling a chariot adorns the wall behind the Throne The imposing atmosphere is designed to instill awe and fear in all who enter, intimidating all who face the lord of this place.
Appearing in front of the throne, Julie glared at the woman who just sat down holding a chalice drinking some red liquid.
"What do you want, War?" Julie asked.
"You have questions, but that isn't what you really want to ask." War replied.
"I don't care. You never cared for me." Julie said.
"That was the old me. The new me, however, does." War explained, confusing Julie.
"War is always changing. Every 20,000 years my form and personality change to something random, Even I don't know what's going to happen." War explained.
"So, what does this mean for us?" Julie asked.
"I'll be giving you another chance to gain my power. And, to make it fair, I'll give you all your memories/powers of your other lives." War explained.
"Thank you, but just so you know, Win or Lose, I don't want to see you again." Julie replied.
Continent of Anima
With Ren and Nora.
With that said, the scene changes as wind blows with the whistling note of high altitude as present-day Ren walks a stony ledge. Before him is more of the mountain, with a cave just ahead.
"We never get the easy path." Ren said to Nora, as she comes up behind him.
"Easy's no fun." Nora responded, putting her hands behind her head.
"You OK?" Nora asked, dropping her hands as she turns to him.
"Mmm. And you?" Ren replied with a nod.
"I've got you here, don't I?" Nora asked.
Confused, Ren looked towards her, not knowing how to respond to that.
"Come on. There's more than one way up a mountain." Nora said.
Ren watches her for a beat before smiling. Thunder rumbles and Ren loses the smile, turning to look up at the sky.
"Hey! There's wind blowing out of this cave!" Nora said.
'Shown from inside the cave, Ren catches up to Nora. Leaves blow outward toward them.
"Think it might lead to a peak?" Nora asked.
"I suppose there's only one way to find ou—ah!" Ren replied.
He cuts off as a large piece of fabric abruptly blows out from the cave and covers his face. Nora giggles, covering her mouth with her hands, as Ren frees himself.
"Yes, yes. Very funny." Ren said.
He looks down at the marked fabric in his hands and goes still. Nora lowers her hands and steps closer.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Nora asked.
"This is the symbol for Shion Village." Ren explained.
"Shion? But that's... that's the village where we found the Huntsman. It's weeks away from here!" Nora replied.
Becoming worried, Ren rushes in leaving behind Nora.
"Ren! Wait!" Nora cried.
Ren stops once he is far enough into the cave to have a good look at what's there. Nora catches up to him and becomes alarmed at what she sees.
"Oh my gosh..." Nora whispered.
In the spacious area, weapons speckle every place you can look. Swords, axes and staffs are all either propped up or on the ground. Ren moves in and picks up an arrow. He studies it while Nora approaches just behind him. As she looks he also sees what's on the ground... the same hoofprint. It is pointed toward another opening on the opposite end of the cave.
Several trees are outside this opening, just below. One at a time, moving away from the cave where Ren can be soon looking out, the trees shake.
"No..." Ren whispered, shaking his head.
Before the two of them are the shaking trees and the abandoned village of Kuroyuri. Nora takes his hand and he returns the grip before the scene cuts to black as the sound of a Grimm roar echoes.
Omake: A Training of the God of War.
Naruto Universe
With Ben, Kitty, and Helen.
The opening begins at a single-story house. Wide, stone steps stand before the front door at the center of the building, leading to a finely laid stone street on steps lead to a tiled porch supported by stone pillars. This porch wraps around the perimeter of the building.
A small stone mailbox to which newspapers and other announcements were delivered adorns the pillar closest to the front door, facing the street. The house sports twelve windows, four on the front and back, and two on each side; one per room. Each window is made of wood of a rich brown hue, and each has yellow shutters. The windows are on hinges, allowing them to fully swing open to let in the warm air of the mountain.
A white picket fence surrounds the building, enclosing the green grassy yard with sparsely placed trees. Lining the perimeter of the house and its porch is a trimmed, evenly spaced line of shrubbery. The back yard is a decent sized, open grassy field. Close to the home, rocks can be found jutting up from the ground, perfect to lean against if desired.
With The three family members we see that they are in a vast living room with a raised ceiling. The living room leads to four rooms through elegant wooden doors, two on each side. At the rear end of this room stands a stepped lounge, complete with a railing further sectioning this area off from the main floor.
The house comes fully furnished with all supplies necessary to live both comfortably and aesthetically. Each room has a large square carpet that sports a dark green border with a light green square center to match the Earth Kingdom feel. In the living room, one such carpet sits beneath a low-set dark wooden table. Surrounding this table are four lime-green pillows to serve as comfortable sitting areas. The stepped room at the back offers similar pillows strewn about the larger carpet in pairs of two, allowing the house's occupants to lounge. Similar pillows await the guests in each bedroom.
Intricate paintings are hung on each of the room's walls, each artistry different than the other. Green drapes surround the stepped lounge, It is possible to lower all the drapes, the length of which would extend to the wooden banister below, allowing for the utmost privacy to encase the entire room in their dark green hues.
A small chest of drawers sits just beside the wall beneath the corner of the stepped lounge on either side, a simple lantern resting on its surface. Similar small desks sit in opposite corners of the room, although these bear either potted plants or finely crafted vases and pots.
At either side of the living room's main double-doorway, and in the back corners of the lounge, tall blue vases stand elegantly. Stylish lanterns hang from the ceiling, providing vibrant lantern light to illuminate the warm colors of the interior. Wooden chairs can be found in the neighboring bedrooms set against the walls, should the guest prefer to draw them out in lieu of the room's current layout.
"Man. Who knew monkeys were so great at architecture." Helen commented.
"I just wish they'd have meat. I'm tired of nothing but Fruit!" Kitty cried.
"Please, don't complain. I promise once you're done eating breakfast, we'll train a bit before I have to get back to my training." Ben replied.
"Sitting down for hours doesn't sound like training for me." Kitty replied.
"You be surprised how much sitting around can do for you." Ben commented.
"On Finite, we used to sit in meditative poses for hours to connect with our magic." Helen explained.
"Yeah, but what about all the cool skills you guys can do. I mean where did you learn to do all that?" Kitty asked.
"Years of training." Helen explained.
"Or as I used to collect years of damnation specially with my advance weapons teacher." Ben added.
"Who was that?" Kitty asked.
"It was during my training with the bloody Ghost of Sparta and Former Greek God of War." Ben explained.
"Come on and tell us." Helen said.
"Alright. Get comfortable because it's a long story." Ben replied as he thought of it.
Flashback.
The Legend of Zelda Universe
Ocarina of Time
With Ben.
BGM - Hyrule Field - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST
Opening the camera shows Ben infront of Hyrule Castle during the Ocarina of Time period where he has just finished packing to go home when Paradox appeared.
"Hello Benjamin, I'm glad to see that you're finished with your training." Paradox greeted.
"And, I'll be glad to go home." Ben replied.
"You're not going home. At least not yet, Link was only here to teach you the basics of what you'll be learning. However, you need a much more broad teaching which is why I've negotiated with the next person to teach you." Paradox explained.
BGM end.
God of War Universe
Ancient Norway (Ancient Scandinavia) AKA Midgard
Grabbing Ben before he could protes, Paradox took him to a clearing in the woods in Ancient Norway where he saw a wooden cabin all alone in front of the cabin was two people training, not noticing the company.
BGM - God of War 2018 OST: Overture (Main Theme) [English Lyrics]
The first actually looks very similar to Pyrrha's dad without hair and a very bushy beard full beard which covers half his face and has several gray hairs looking as if they could pass as older and younger and brother respectively. His skin is still pale and covered with the ashes of his Spartan family, and his red tattoo had faded slightly. He has a very large scar on his Chest, he also has a long scar covering almost all of his back. Also present are faded scars attached to his forearms look more like burns than anything, which he prefers to keep covered beneath with what appears to be fur-lined leather, secured with thongs of leather. Until he unwrapped them after he spread his second wife's ashes.
Attached to his belt is a head that has two small horns on his head and a growing, grey beard. The crown of his head is covered in runic tattoos, and his lower lip in tattooed with a pattern, trailing down from the sides of his mouth and ending just above his beard.
Besides him was a young boy about 11 or 12 wearing what appears to be wolf fur clothing and on his back was a bow with a quiver of arrows.
This man wasn't no ordinary mortal, ladies and gentleman. Oh no...
This man is a God, specifically, a Greek Demigod from Ancient Greece.
This Mortal Demigod was born a Bastard Child of a Greek God who had an affair with a mortal woman who raised him in the city of Sparta in Ancient Greece.
This Mortal Demigod would one day make a deal with Ares the Greek God of War that will cost him his very soul as he killed many not deservingly innocent and those who were deservingly guilty alike as his champion with chained twin Falchion-like blades forged in the foulest depths of the Underworld and seared permanently to his forearms, as they were used into accidentally murdering his Spartan Wife and Daughter, with their White Ashes clung to his skin, along with a red tattoo marked on his body in honor of his brother's birthmarks as a result of his punishment for his sins and failing to save his brother from Thanatos the Greek God of Death.
This was the Mortal Demigod who would symbolize the Cycle of Patricide against his own father, and his father before in a fulfilled prophecy of the destruction of Mt. Olympus as the Marked Warrior who killed the entire Greek Pantheon in his Rage and need for Vengeance as the Hands of Hades couldn't hold him nor the Sisters of Fate could control him since he killed them along with both Olympian Gods and Titans who betrayed him as they used him as a pawn for their own personal goals...
This is Kratos, the bloody Ghost of Sparta, the former Greek God of War, and Demigod Son of Zeus, and this his Norse Son, Atreus, or more commonly known as Loki along with Mimir, the Smartest Man Alive, who's head was cut off and reanimated by Freya, the Queen of the Valkyries and Mother of Baldur, making her the former wife of Odin.
BGM end.
"Paradox, what's going on? Why am I Here with those two?" Ben whispered.
"Kratos will be teaching you more advanced ways to fight, this is a week after they spread Fraya's ashes in Jotunheim and killed Baldur. Also, you should go see Brok and Sindri and tell Mimir that this makes us even." Paradox explained before leaving.
Grumbling about time traveling british scientists, Ben started to approach the house only to be met with an Arrow that nearly hit his shoulder by Atreus who noticed him approaching.
"Who are you?!" Kratos demanded as he held his Leviathan Axe at the ready.
"My name's Ben Tennyson. Paradox said you'd be my next teacher." Ben explained as he held up his hands to show he is no threat.
"Paradox? Brother, let me see." Mimir ordered.
Lifting up the Head Kratos allowed Mimir to see Ben who quickly gained a look of fear and surprise.
"Oh no. No, no no, no, no, no. Paradox can't possibly be serious!" Mimir declared, confusing the three.
"Paradox also said this would make things even." Ben explained.
"As if this makes us Bloody Even! Brother, whatever you do, you must never, ever let him be found out by the Aesir Gods or Freya! If they kill him, SHE will make Ragnarok look like a Temper Tantrum!" Mimir cried, showing that he's aware of the Embodiments existence.
"What are you talking about, Head?" Kratos asked.
"He's her Son! Don't you know what she'll do if he's killed in your training?!" Mimir cried.
"Who is "She", Mimir? Why are you scared of This guy?" Atreus asked.
"Yeah. I'm just a normal guy with a seriously powerful watch." Ben added.
"You really have no idea who you really are?" Mimir asked.
"I know who I am. I'm Ben Tennyson, Hero of the Universe." Ben replied.
"Brother, a Word in private, please?" Mimir asked.
Grunting, Kratos moved away from his Son and future student to be out of earshot, but still close enough to see the green clad hero.
"Kratos, you do not want to make him into your Enemy. You may have killed Thanatos and Hades, but he's connected to their boss even if he doesn't know it. No matter what happens ,no matter what he does, you must train him and leave a very good impression." Mimir explained.
Shocked that Mimir actually used his name, Kratos was a little worried that someone could be that powerfully connected and make the head actually scared.
(Am I the only one to notice he has never once used either of their names?)
"You know who he is. Tell me who." Kratos ordered.
"He is the Son of Darkness, He is Thorin... And, you have no idea who I'm talking about." Mimir replied.
"No." Kratos replied.
"*Sigh* I'll make it as simple as I can, he is someone who could be even more powerful than you and the entire Olympians plus the Aesir gods combined." Mimir explained.
Opening his mouth to comment, Kratos was stopped when a set of familiar dwarves came out of the gateway with Sindri leading the way up until they stopped in front of the Spartan.
"Here you go, we were sent to- Oh fuck me Six ways to Jörmungandr's stomach!" Brok said as he laid eyes on Ben.
"That's him! Brother we must pack up and move as far away from this universe as possible!" Sindri cried.
"Dwarves. Explain why you're here." Kratos ordered.
"We were commissioned to make something more powerful than your Axe and Mjolnir combined by a very rich and very powerful Embodiment then to deliver it here to you." Sindri explained.
"Didn't know it would be to the For-Njótr." Brok added.
"For-Njótr?" Kratos asked.
"Wait, Brok. Look at his Aura, I mean really look at it and tell me who is it reminds you of." Sindri ordered.
Looking closer towards Ben who was showing Atreus the wonders of Tetris on the Watch that he may or may not of had Kevin secretly installed without Azmuth knowing-
Flashback Pause.
"Wait. You have Tetris on your watch?" Helen asked skeptically.
"Yeah, I kept getting bored sometimes during my breaks in less advance places, so I may or may not have asked Kevin to install it without Azmuth knowing." Ben explaining.
"What do I have?" Kitty asked as she looked at The Biomnitrix.
"Same thing. Now as I was saying." Ben explained before Helen stopped him.
"Wait. How do you know what the're saying? You didn't know what they were saying. Helen asked.
"It's because of the "Flashback Effect." Ben replied like it was obvious.
"The what?" Kitty asked.
"The multiverse has an effect that allows people to know everything in a flashback." Ben explained.
"That is not a thing." Helen replied.
"Then, how am I explaining this right now?" Ben asked.
Flashback Resume.
Looking at Ben's dark aura, Brok was a first confused for a few moments before his eyes grew huge at the sight as he actually started to smile.
"By Freya's perfect tits, he's the Frigjører! Maybe this won't be so bad." Brok cried.
"What are you talking about? Who is the Frigjører?" Mimir asked.
"So there is something you don't know. So this is what it's like to know something you don't." Brok replied before the Right Half of the Blades of Chaos embedded itself right in front of his foot.
"Talk now." Kratos ordered.
"Long story short, he and the one they call Minerva have been reincarnating. In one lifetime, he was known as Sparda, a demon who turned his back against his own kind for the sake of Humanity. However, before he sealed the demon world and the human world apart, he freed hundreds upon thousands of different races enslaved including a Dwarven King who gave him The Perfect Amulet to show that all dwarves will help him in his time of need." Sindri explained.
"And, considering I don't see any innocent blood on his soul, it means I don't have any problem giving this to him." Brok added.
"I just hope that this isn't a mistake." Sindri said.
"The mistake would be to ignore an Embodiment's orders. Speaking of which which embodiment is it?" Mimir asked.
"Fear." The Brothers explained, causing the Smartest Man Alive to feel sick to his nonexistent stomach.
"Explain what these embodiments are. I wish to know more about these gods." Kratos ordered, saying the wrong thing.
Opening there mouths to talk, the brothers where silenced when time stopped around them, freezing the dwarves as they were about to explain the embodiments were not gods.
"Oh no, no, no, no! Brother you must be respectful at all times!" Mimir ordered before he was teleported from Kratos's belt and onto the ground.
Fear's Realm
With Kratos.
BGM start - Fear - Lucas King
Kratos, however, appeared in a widely proportioned room. Probably the grandest room he has ever seen even compared to Mt. Olympus, it had ceilings 30 feet high, two chandeliers, and a pipe organ at one end with a man in a silver clown suit, similar to Italian opera clowns, and orange hair. His face has two red lines starting above his eyes, streaming down the cheeks, and ending at the corners of his mouth. His nose is not genuine but painted red. Most often, his eyes are orange, playing phantom of the opera. It had a long ornate table, with Fear on the other side of the table. The drawing room has a handsome, ornate marble mantelpiece with a gilded mirror which has an intricately scrolled frame on top.
"That's enough, Pennywise, I shall entertain our guest myself." Fear ordered as he took a sip from his Wine.
Getting up, the clown revealed it was his Champion, Pennywise The Dancing Clown AKA IT, as he bowed towards his master before teleporting away.
Flashback Pause. Again.
"Wait. You're saying Stephen King got IT right? Should we be worried about him? But I thought champions couldn't be resurrected, so how is IT alive?" Helen asked.
"In order. Yes King got IT right, we don't have to worry too much, but when we get back, I'll be marking all the kids basically telling Pennywise that they are off-limits. Also, do you really think a week ritual could actually kill a champion of Fear? All it did was banish him from the universe. You could cut off my head right now and it'll grow back, the only way to actually kill a champion is to just weaken our healing." Ben explained.
Flashback Resume.
"Who are you?!" Kratos demanded.
"My true name is beyond your comprehension even as the former Greek God of War, Spartan. However, you can call me Lord Fear. Please, have a seat, would you like some refreshments? I have Lemnian Wine from the Greek Island of Lemnos in the Aegean Sea. Which is your favorite, Spartan." Fear asked politely.
Growling, Kratos threw the Leviathan Axe towards Fear, trying to intimidate him, but all it did was stop at midair before it even hit the wall and just drop to the ground.
"Your actions are not unexpected, but I asked that you do not try to attack me in my own Home." Fear replied politely, but he did have a hint of warning in his Tone.
"What do you want, God?" Kratos asked.
"Since you do not know about us embodiments, I'll allow that comment to slide, however, since the Olympians have utterly failed in their duty to teach you the stuff, I shall have to do it for them." Fear replied.
Reaching under the table, Fear pulled out a Lantern in the shape of a screaming skull with missing teeth and a single candle in its mouth that gave off a dim yellow glow that ctually made Kratos feel something He hasn't felt in so long.
Afraid or Fear. This object was Fear's Symbol of Power, The Lantern of Fear. Which glows yellow like the Sinestro Corps Rings and Lantern Batteries of DC Comics.
"By now, you're feeling what my power can do at its lowest setting. There is much I can do to you, why don't we save the time and skip straight to my proposition." Fear explained.
Afraid, Kratos nodded his head as he stood to attention, waiting for this proposition that this man has for him.
"You will train Benjamin exactly like you would a Spartan, he has most of the training, but he is not as strong as them because he was not trained from birth like you were. You will teach him how to use every weapon you know to its full extent within three years. Succeed and you shall have a very handsome reward..." Fear explained before the Lantern candle exploded with fire, engulfing the entire room with fear that made Kratos almost wanted to kill himself just to escape it.
"Fail and your dead family members shall be removed from Heaven and sent straight to my personal sanctum where they shall be tortured for all eternity." Fear warned.
Not waiting for a response, Fear swiped his hand and Kratos was sent right back to the same spot he was before hand where no one even noticed he left, but they sure did notice the fearful look on his face.
BGM ends.
"Lord Fear talked to you didn't he?" Brok asked.
"BOYS!" Kratos shouted.
Pausing the game, the two ran over to the group, completely ignorant of what was just transpiring a few moments ago.
"Boy, you shall teach Student how to read this language. Student you will be pushed to past your limits, your bones will be broken, your mind will be driven to mental exhaustion, your body shall scream in pain, you will be taught how to be a true Spartan within three years time." Kratos explained, surprising the two boys.
"Father, is everything OK?" Atreus asked.
"Be silent, Boy. Prepare your bed for you will be sharing with him." Kratos ordered.
Grumbling, Atreus walked away to do as he was told not happy to have to share a bad especially with some stranger he never met before.
"What is your greatest weapon, Student?" Kratos asked.
"My mind. I often run into many unexpected situations and have to adapt accordingly." Ben answered.
"Good. Familiarize yourself with the property because we start tomorrow at dawn." Kratos ordered.
Turning around, Ben was about to explore when he was stopped by Brok grabbing his arm.
"Now hang on a minute, Greenie. We were paid to make and deliver this to you." Brok added as he turned towards his brother who was pouring all sorts of stuff out of his bag from a small hammer to a book and even to his surprise a live fish which he threw into the air in surprise.
"How does that keep getting in here? Now where is- Ah, here it is!" Sindri declared.
Pulling out a ring box, Sindri passed it to the Son of Darkness as it slowly opened it to reveal a Viking style Wolf Head Ring made of a black metal and golden eyes.
"This is beautiful, but why are you giving me a ring?" Ben asked, staring at it in awe and fascination.
"It was commissioned and paid for upfront by a very wealthy individual." Sindri explained.
"More powerful than Mjölnir and the Axe combined. With this, you'll almost never need another weapon. Go ahead and put it on. Think of a weapon and rub the eyes with your thumb." Brok instructed.
Doing as he was asked, Ben put it on his right hand and thought of a sword which appeared in his hand and the only noticeable sign that it once was the Ring was the Wolf head on the pummel.
"Wow! What do you call this?" Ben asked.
"Ast Ulfr." Sindri explained.
"It means-" Mimir began until he was cut off.
"Loving Wolf. I know a little bit but not much." Ben explained.
"That will help. I suggest you quickly explore then get some rest, Student, because my training will not be gentle." Kratos added before walking away.
Flashback ends.
"And, that is how I met Kratos." Ben finished.
"But what happened to your ring?" Kitty asked.
"I had to give it to Paradox. Although, I don't even know if he can be trusted anymore, so if I see him again. I'm going to take it back." Ben explained.
BGM - BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle OST - CROSSING FATE (RWBY ver.)
Ben Tennyson: Hi, I'm Ben Tennyson. So after dealing with Light, I'm hoping if I can receive my old weapon Parallax from Paradox. Because I'm definitely going to need my ring again, so I can add it to my arsenal and quickly use it in my war against Nightmare and Salem.
Next time on RWBY: Heroes United...
Taking Control
Ruby: Ren! What is it?!
Toy2711: And voila! Another Chapter uploaded today! Now, how do you all like the fact that some of the scenes are similar to Canon like Ganon walking with Hazel to talk with Sienna or the Clone, and the fact that Helen's Past Lives are revealed? And also,Leave your comments in the reviews. Now tune in next time for Issue 11 where Ren not only faces the demons of his past, but also what's going on with Millenium and why is he after EVOs or Nanite Users. See you next chapter!
