Breaking Remnant: Bound by Shadows
Rating: T/M
Series: RWBY
Pairing:
Volume 3: Fall
Summary: Aganju came to Beacon wanting to be treated as equal. Pyrrha wanted to be viewed as a normal girl. Neither of them expected to be that fate would have them meet. Now, they navigate the academy grounds and beyond, with secrets and danger awaiting them at every corner. The alternate timeline takes place just before the start of RWBY volume 1 and AU in the Breaking Remnant series.
(Rewrite of RWBY: Shadows of Destiny)
Author's Note:
Given how long this one is, I just want to say that I'm so sorry for the delay in updating. I caught a bad virus (not COVID-19) that had me bedridden for nearly a week. Today, I was actually well enough to do things so I wanted to get this out asap. Thanks for your patience, I truly appreciate it and the love you all have shown this rewrite.
I plan on getting another few chapters out before Christmas. In the meantime, I hope you all are staying healthy and wearing a mask when you have to go out. Keep moving forward, everyone.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY... that honor belongs to Rooster Teeth. I do own the rights to my OCs.
Chapter 16
Two pairs of eyes stared at the indecipherable features of one Yang Xiao-Long, cold steel shaking in the hands of their respective wielders. The prospect of death did nothing to rattle her disturbingly placid bearing. Whatever her reasoning for putting herself in such peril, it proved to be more powerful of an influencer.
The same could not be said for the two standing on either side of her.
"Yang?"
"What are you doing here?!" Raven seethed, her eyes flaring with surprise as Yang said nothing still.
She was too preoccupied with the dueling fronts.
On one side, dangerously shivering eyes of the faunus stared back at her as if she'd lost her mind. She found deep-rooted suffering now tangled with a scolding layer added toward her wellbeing. It was endearing and yet, heartbreaking given what Yang would expectedly find from the woman she called mom.
A dark glare from the woman she spent years wondering about searching and longing for; those bloody eyes perfectly suiting Raven's checkered past. The coldness she observed only a couple of days prior were now filled with a viciousness that could challenge any demonic gaze from the Grimm.
Figuring she had a good analysis of what stood near her, Yang gently pushed Ngaungus down with her left hand, seeing confusion from the boy. A soft grin began to form as she watched the faunus trying to make sense of her actions. It didn't help anymore once he noticed that she was missing her prosthetic right arm. That didn't stop the older girl from doing something that really caught the fox off guard.
She hugged him.
This surprised both parties as she wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him tighter into the embrace. Even Raven was taken aback by the sudden display of affection, sheathing her sword though, her hand remained near the hilt as a precaution.
The shocked vulpine reluctantly returned the gesture, still uncertain as to what brought this sudden act of kindness.
"Yang...?" he tried to pull away, but she refused to let him go.
"I can't lose you too!" she whispered.
"You're not making any sense right now."
Raven, having enough of this soft scene, cleared her throat. "Are you two done?"
Raven...
That's right. Aganju about to finish things with the woman who nearly succeeded in ending his life.
Once more, his gaze stiffened as his desire to slaughter the woman began brewing once again. He wanted nothing more than to unleash his wrath, but seeing her tear-brimmed eyes and outstretched arms of the blond, Aganju found himself unable to fully commit. He didn't understand why she was trying to protect the woman.
"I tried to warn you, Yang..." Raven spoke up, forcing the girl to acknowledge the matriarch. "I gave you every opportunity to walk away from Qrow and Oz. So, you can believe me when I say, this wasn't personal."
Expecting a snappy comeback, Raven wasn't given the satisfaction. Instead, the warrior matriarch watched as lavender orbs silently studied her. No, Yang wasn't looking at her. She was staring past her...
"You opened the vault..."
"Thanks to the chaos you and your friends caused upstairs. I knew you could handle it," Raven gloated. "You are my daughter after all."
"Daughter?" Aganju's left ear twitched upon hearing this. "Then that would mean..."
"Yes. You both are siblings." Raven rubbed her temple.
Aganju simply watched as Yang turned to him, nodding.
Now, he understood why she wanted to stop him so earnestly. He knew the girl was headstrong at times, but not completely reckless. Given what he heard about her actions to defend Blake back at Beacon and her protective nature with Ruby, he couldn't help but feel a knot in his stomach.
I have a sister...
Meanwhile, Yang shifted her focus back to the woman who left her all of those years ago.
"Qrow and Oz told me how the maiden powers are transferred. The girl you found, she would've had to trust you if you were in her final thoughts."
With her back now turned to the pair, Raven hid the disgusted look on her face; this was just like her brother all over again. Why couldn't the pair see her perspective? Why must she be the bad guy in all of this? It ate away at her, knowing that her offspring had no clue of the truth that loomed ahead.
"I'm sure they told you plenty and you just sat and obeyed."
"No. I'm starting to ask questions as you said. So tell me, what happened to the last spring maiden? Did she die in battle? Was it a sickness?"
"What does it matter to you?"
Raven finally faced her estranged children, seeing the judgmental glare from Yang, and the slowly growing look of repugnance from the faunus as their judgment slowly transformed into a horrifying awareness.
"I can already see the answer... It's all over your face."
"How could you?" Aganju grimaced at the idea, feeling that all too familiar burning coursing through his lower torso.
"She was scared when we found her; weak. No matter how much training I put her through, she never learned! She wasn't cut out for this world, and with those powers, she would've been hunted her entire life! What I did..."
"...wasn't personal?"
"It was mercy!"
The hallowed room soon fell silent as Raven's response echoed into oblivion. Every second that followed only the air of discomfort heavier. Aganju just stood there, trying his hardest to keep the queasy sensation in his stomach from coming up. Yang was tired of all the excuses.
...and Raven? Raven just wanted to get the relic and disappear from the two who eyed her as if they were better than her.
"Which is it, mom? Are you merciful or are you a survivor? Did you let me walk into that trap because 'you knew I could handle it' or because it meant you could get what you wanted?!"
"Its... not that simple."
"Oh? Was it that simple when you rejected your own kids only to threaten one and attempt to murder the other when confronted by them?!
Raven said nothing, choosing only to stare at the floor underneath her heels.
"You don't know me; don't know what I've been through. The choices I've had to make."
"You're right. I don't know you... and neither did he."
Raven looked over her shoulder, noticing that the faunus standing a good distance away. His eyes were downcast, yet there was no deciphering just what was going on in the vulpine's head. Whether that was a good thing or not had yet to be seen.
Even worse, Yang wasn't finished.
Back on the main floors, Roxanne was busy taking on Mercury who was none too pleased with missing his chance to stop the blond girl from heading to the vault. He continued to expertly dodge all of the girl's attacks, comfortable with being the defensive for the time being.
It wasn't that he couldn't attack. It just wasn't wise to do so without a clear opening. Roxanne had improved greatly thanks to her time training with the Xiao Long family. Where she was primarily a technical kickboxer at first, the ram learned how to shift her techniques to accommodate other conflicting styles of combat, such as Mercury's.
When he stood and traded with her, she would assume a traditional boxer's stance, bobbing and weaving under and away from his otherwise solid strikes. When he switched to a wilder approach, she would flare up her semblance to counter his gun-boots, and take a freer stance akin to capoeira. She'd twist her body around seamlessly to outmaneuver the cocky boy, even scoring a few hits of her own.
"You're just full of surprises aren't you?" he sneered.
"I'm surprised you've lasted this long. Guess you're not a quickie..." she smirked confidently at her insulting innuendo.
The silver-haired boy frowned and resumed his onslaught; tactics be damned. He began throwing sloppy punches and kicks that were easy to dodge or block. Roxanne used her knee to block his shin and stepped under a straight right giving her an opening to launch a six-punch combination to his exposed body. Using her semblance, the fire dust added more power to her strikes, taking Mercury off of his feet.
With the final hit, Mercury tried his best to recover some air into his lungs only to receive a flying knee to the gut that sent him sliding across the floor in intense pain. Thankfully, his aura took the bulk of the damage, otherwise, he'd be unconscious or worse.
"Had enough, pretty boy?" she placed a hand on her hips, a smug grin creasing her lips.
"Grrr..." he picked himself up, staggered but, not yet beaten.
[Underneath Haven/Relic Room]
Golden leaves fell down around the trio, a mother and her estranged children surrounded by gilded brilliance. It was the perfect contrast to the darkness that shrouded their past as the younger pair stood on either of Raven Branwen, each trying to gain answers. Lilac and violet were filled with a calmness that, ironically, made Raven tense.
After nullifying the woman's claims of not knowing one another, what more could be said in her defense?
"I only know the Raven that dad told me about," Yang pressed on. "She was troubled and complicated but, she fought for what she believed in, whether it was her team or her tribe."
The stoic face of Raven was like a stone fortress, unmoving, and impenitent to her only daughter's words. It didn't matter what she said; the ends justified her means and that was all that mattered to her. Yang figured this, only then did she noticed something off in the distance. It was the unmoving body of Vernal.
"Did you kill her too?" Yang accusingly inquired.
This only infuriated the woman, finally showing a crack in the emotional armor that was Raven Branwen. Crimson eyes looked away for only a moment before a small flame appeared, showing the cracks in her resolve had begun spreading like a virus.
How dare she ask such a heartless question of her?
"I've stared death in the face over and over again and every time I've spat in that face because I'm strong enough to do what others won't!"
"Shut up!"
Both women looked over to the shivering form of Aganju, his left ear twitching violently. It was clear that he'd had enough of the subterfuges.
With fists clenched and eyes glistening with fresh tears, he stared at the now incautious woman with no malice but a lingering pain that Raven finally noticed; the pain of a child with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Even Raven couldn't deny the hurt she felt seeing the young man in such a state.
"Strength? That's what you call strength?! Abandoning your children? Threats and ultimatums? attempted murder?!" His eyes flashed red but, lacked the darkness that usually surrounded the sanguine orbs. It was like looking in a mirror now, forcing Raven to view the heinous deeds she'd down to both Aganju and Yang. "You don't know the first thing about strength! You run away or take the easy way when things get too hard. You'd rather put others in harm's way instead of yourself! In what sick world does that equal strength?!"
Hearing the agony in his voice, Raven was speechless.
This was the first time she'd ever had anything remotely close to a decent conversation with the boy she birthed but, this was too much. She didn't even see the young man standing before her now. Now, only an image of what she perceived to be a small faunus pup with large red eyes, filled with fresh rage and abandonment glaring back at her.
...and Raven knew it was her fault...
"You were my mom! You're Yang's mom!" he pointed angrily. "Mom's are supposed to protect! Love! Comfort! Nurture! How dare you even consider using such a word when you were too damn weak to take care of either of us?!"
"I..."
"You left us; Yang with her dad and sister but... I had no one and yet, I managed to survive. I did what I had to because I was a child with only two choices, fight or die. Your creed is all about survival, right? How ironic to see that, even after living under that damned creed, it still wasn't good enough; I wasn't good enough!"
Yang looked on with empathy as he finally stopped to catch his breath. How long has he been holding this in...? She wondered. One thing was evident though, Aganju had reached his emotional limit, so she'd take the lead again while he calmed down.
"You may be powerful, but that doesn't make you strong..."
Floored at such a bold claim, Raven clenched her eyes shut. Anger and denial crawled up from the deepest crevices of her soul, once more removing any accountability from the tribe leader. They were only children. They knew nothing about the real world, only what Ozpin and Qrow told them. They had no right to judge her when they were nothing more than naive youth.
How could they possibly understand?
"Who do you two think you are lecturing me?! Standing there, shaking like scared little children!..." she unleashed her fury at the duo.
"You're right. We are scared, but we're still standing here! We're not like you... We won't run."
Yang stomped closer to her mother, a newfound fire burning from her soul.
"Which is why you're going to give us the relic."
Of all the audacity, this took the cake. No amount of yelling or recounting the past could compare to such an outrageous claim.
"And why would I?"
"Because you're afraid of Salem!" Yang cut her off. "And if you thought having maiden powers put a target on your back, imagine what she'll do when she finds out you have a relic."
Stunned.
Silent.
Those two words accurately described Raven Branwen at this point. In truth, she hadn't thought about that; how could she not have thought of that? She spent so many years protecting her identity as the spring maiden with a carefully crafted ruse and yet, her shortsightedness caused her to forget that Salem wanted the relic...
...and she'd come for it at any cost.
"She'll come after you with everything she has! Or, she could come after us..." Raven gradually stared at her daughter in disbelief. Soon, a silent Aganju joined her, the tiniest of grins crossing his face. "...and we'll be waiting for her."
Unity.
The one thing she always rejected since leaving Beacon and team STRQ; a worthless notion to live by, according to her. But, seeing her two offspring standing united despite just finding out their relation, it was both something to be proud of, and yet, she was saddened that she was the commonality that brought this on.
The falling petals continued to fall around them as an uneasy stillness only ate away at the matriarch.
"You don't want to do this..." she pleaded softly.
"Nope. But, we're going to do it anyway." Yang answered without faltering.
Aganju nodded in agreement, no longer willing to keep the cycle of bitterness going. If Yang was going to fight for her courage, then he'd do the same. As they passed her by, the former bumping shoulders with their mother, Raven couldn't find any further justification. All of this time, she believed that everything she did was just one more step to getting stronger.
Raven's mind reflected on the cruelty she'd yielded to them. Yang, wanting nothing more than her presence, grew up with love and affection, though she still ached from the void left by her absence. Aganju was worse. Not only did she leave him to fend for himself at a young age, but, she tried to kill him upon their first meeting in years without hesitation.
Secrets weighed heavy on her heart, pushing her to commit such a dark act, but... there was no excuse.
"Aganju... I..."
"I heard El- Cinder was down here," he cut in. "I guess I have you to thank for not finding her here, Raven."
His serene tone only made the woman feel worse. True, he was genuine in his thanks, but it didn't take the sting out of his words. No mother. No mom or mommy. She didn't deserve that title after all she'd done to them both. She wouldn't challenge that as tears began to strike the ground. A heart once solid and cold as granite itself had now begun to feel like that of a true human.
Now, all she craved was to hear that name; the only words that could mend her shattering spirit at this moment.
Sadly, what she'd receive only wounded her more.
Guilt.
Shame.
Remorse.
None of these feelings within her could change the truth in Raven's eyes. As of this moment, she could've dropped on her knees and begged her children for their forgiveness, but, all she could muster were two words; two words that may not change anything, but, they at least deserved to hear.
"I... I'm sorry." she finally eked out.
Aganju said nothing, keeping his eyes on the relic straight ahead. In truth, his chest was tight as he fought with every fiber of his being to repress the sorrow in his soul. Yang mirrored his actions, but she couldn't find the power to fully mask her true emotions.
"Yeah... Me too."
The next thing they heard was the familiar noise of Raven's gateway. When they turned around, there was no trace of the woman whose love they once clamored for. Only a single black feather floating to the ground remained.
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh
Raven left... again.
This was the norm but, it didn't hurt any less. The pair just stared at the spot where the feather lay for what felt like forever. The only remnant of their mother, the coward. But, when they turned to each other, Yang and Aganju flashed smiles that both knew were forced. Yet, they wouldn't press the issue.
"You okay... sis?" his voice trembled slightly partly from the awkwardness.
Yang giggled softly, understanding how he felt.
"Nope... but, I'll get over it. You?"
"I never had a mom until a month ago... I'll get by."
Dream of anything
I'll make it all come true
Everything you need
Is all I have for you
I'm forever
Always by your side
Whenever you need a friend
I'm never far behind
"You get the relic," he instructed. "I'll keep watch just in case we're attacked again."
Yang wanted to say something but, she only nodded before making her way to the glowing lamp. However, her truth only grew heavier with each step. Try as she might, she couldn't get the harsh reality out of her mind; it was still fresh. Their mother abandoned them again. She reached for the handle, glaring softly at the item that gave that woman another easy way out.
She didn't hate it but, there was no excuse at this point.
In seconds, what little resolve Yang had left had all but disappeared, giving way to the little girl who only wanted her mom.
The nights of wishing. Days spent asking her father about her. No answers. No birthdays spent with her mother's love. No. Summer was there for a while, but, even that didn't last. In the end, Yang, Tai's sunny dragon felt the weight of storm clouds crashing down on her as she sobbed softly, holding the infernal artifact.
If the stars all fall
And there's no more light
And the moon should crumble
It'll be alright
In the midst of her agony, she heard the clank of metal clanking behind her. She prepared herself as best she could, but, even she couldn't be prepared for what she saw. Aganju, her maternal half-brother was on his knees. Though she couldn't see it, she knew his gaze was fixed on the spot where Raven previously stood.
His tail hung limply and his sniffles could be heard, even with the distance between them. His Ears hung lower than she'd ever seen them before. In his mind, Aganju had been without a family.
Yang had her father and sister to fall back on but, he had nobody. Eightenteen birthdays passing without a party. No parental guidance or support. He didn't want to break down but, his own willpower failed him as he clenched his eyes in a last-ditch effort to hold back the tears but it was all for naught.
Memories of him being hurt and having to fix himself up. Cold winters night spent in the slums instead of the warmth of his mother's warm arms. Years of questioning his value, he finally found her only to be attacked and even impaled by the woman who gave birth to him.
How could anyone handle that without breaking?
Don't you worry about the dark
I will light up the night with the love in my heart
I'll burn like the sun, keep you safe and warm
Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day
I will be there to take all your fears away
With the touch of my hand, I will turn your life to
Gold
With the touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to gold
His silent sobs were met with the imagery of him crying out for someone... anyone... but it was always the same. Now? He knew the face of the person who left him to fend for himself.
Screw her...
I survived all of these years without her and I'll keep going.
Good riddance!
WHO NEEDS HER?!
No matter what his mind told him, the anguish just poured out of the Faunus as he felt pressure on his shoulder. Wait... He wasn't imagining this feeling. He opened his eyes to see the blond looking at him with a woeful smile.
Tears stained her cheeks as well.
Let's have everything
Nothing we cannot do
Every heart just beaming
Every sky turns blue
I'm so happy
Just to have you here
Smiles bringing sunshine
Worries disappear
"Why didn't she want me? Was I not good enough?" he asked as more river of sadness flowed without restriction.
Yang simply shook her head, wiping some of the wet streaks from his face. The desperation in his features pained her more than her problems at the moment.
When the days turn dark
And we start to fall
I will pick you up and
We will fix it all
Don't you worry about the dark
I will light up the night with the love in my heart
I'll burn like the sun, keep you safe and warm
Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day
I will be there to take all your fears away
With the touch of my hand, I will turn your life to
Gold
Gold
Pulling him into an embrace, Yang allowed him to let out all of the negativity that had taken root in his soul since he could form a coherent thought. He mumbled more self-loathing barbs but, she'd quickly shushed him every time. Though the woman was no longer willing to be a mother nor try to heal the damage she caused, they weren't alone. Yang never viewed Ruby as anything other than her sister even though they had different moms and Atsura was no different.
Don't worry, I've got you
Nothing will ever harm you
I'm close by, I'll stay here
Through all things, I will be near
Close your eyes
Don't you cry
Love's around you
In time, you'll fly
"No more hatred," she whispered. "It's not your fault."
"But..."
"No 'buts'. She made her choice and nothing will change that. That doesn't mean that we won't get through this together."
Aganju nodded, but it was clear that they'd both need more time before they'd fully heal from this traumatic ordeal. Still, it was comforting to know that there was a positive that came out of all of this. He gave his newly acquired sister a squeeze before they pulled apart to stand up.
"You're family and family sticks together," Yang smiled, wiping her own face. "You don't have to be alone anymore. You got me and I know Ruby will love you as one of us as well. Plus, you got Pyrrha and the others too! We're your family now..."
Don't you worry about the dark
I will light up the night with the love in my heart
I'll burn like the sun, keep you safe and warm
Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day
I'll be there to take all your fears away
With the touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to
Gold
With the touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to gold
Aganju grabbed the lamp, studying it before handing it to the slightly older girl. To him, this cursed thing was only a symptom of the bigger disease that plagued him. Still, they both couldn't remain in this chamber of sorrows for too long.
"Thanks, Yang..." he grinned gently.
She bumped into the boy softly, eliciting a chuckle/giggle from them both. When they felt they were satisfactory, the half-siblings made their way back to the elevator. As they ascended, Aganju tried to break the awkward silence.
"Hey, Yang?"
"Yeah..."
"Promise me that you won't bombard me with your bad puns?"
Surprisingly, Yang nudged him in the side playfully.
"Hey! I'm funny, ya know?" she defended only to receive an unconvinced scoff. "Fine. But, I'll only cut back if you do the same with your brooding, cool-guy act."
"I do not brood..." he deadpanned.
"Please, if you squat on a ledge, people would mistake you for a gargoyle. Talk about... going batty?"
"Ew... Yang...?" he stuck his tongue out in disgust. "That was worse than your one-woman act!"
"Heyo..." she weakly replied. "Out with a Yang?"
Aganju rolled his eyes, though not without a small grin.
"Out with a Yang."
It wasn't much in terms of changing their mood but, it was a small and welcome change from the depressing experience that just transpired. It got the job done and that's what mattered the most; a brother and sister trying their best to cheer the other up.
It was a good start.
The battle was over...
Emerald, Mercury, and an exhausted Hazel had been defeated and the White Fang, arrested. With only Adam Taurus escaping, it was clear that things had finally turned right for the good guys.
"That's enough! Just give up..." Ruby Rose proclaimed through labored breaths.
A sore and tired Mercury yelled, slamming his fist into the ground. However, it was Emerald who still appeared to be defiant.
"It's not over! Cinder will come back! She'll have the relic and she'll stop all of you."
Her delusional confidence in the woman was both alarming and disheartening. Sadly for her and her crew, the elevator made its way back to the top revealing not Cinder Fall, but the image of a calm Aganju and Yang.
In their hands, they both held up the relic of knowledge in somber triumph.
What little bravado Emerald had, it vanished almost instantly as she processed the soul-crushing truth: Cinder wasn't coming back.
She'd failed and either ran away or was killed. No... There's no way that Cinder would just leave without them; without her. But, the idea of her being defeated and/or killed was even more farfetched. Either way, Emerald could only silently mourn as she watched the faunus and blond standing there, victorious.
The pair looked down at their friends with gentle grins of victory before descending down the steps. When they made it to their comrades, Roxanne walked over to Yang, slapping her on the shoulder in approval. Ruby, Jaune, and the others soon joined in the congratulations.
Meantime, Aganju was greeted with the vision of a certain green-eyed girl who looked at him as if she was viewing him for the first time. As the two approached each other, Pyrrha reached out her hand. Trembling, she dared to touch his face, finding it was not an illusion but, the real Aganju standing in front of her, lopsided grin and all.
He didn't get a chance to formally greet her before she slammed her lips onto his, surprising everyone at her sudden act of assertion. She didn't care who saw though as she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Aganju welcomed this gesture by slipping his arms around her waist. The group watched as his tail shot up, stiff as a board, much to their amusement.
While this was a touching moment for the group, it was nauseating to their defeated foes. This was the tipping point for Emerald. Seeing this disgusting display the girl dropped to her knees. Soon, she began hyperventilating as her mind raced. Mercury tried to whisper for her to get up and escape but, it was too late. Her brain couldn't handle everything that'd occurred and in a fit of rage, she did something she was warned never to do.
"Emerald... We've got to go."
She tried to steady herself, focus her scattered mind, but after several failed attempts, she shrieked in pain.
The lights suddenly went out, shrouding everyone in darkness. As they tried to figure out what was going on, a large puddle of bubbling ooze began to take shape in front of them. It grew larger and larger by the second, only completing its transformation once it towered over them all.
White hair wrapped by ornaments.
Eyes as dark as blood and the abyss.
Ghastly white skin covered with purple veins.
Only two of the heroes recognized the image, only one of them remained shocked though. The creature then released a sonic-like scream before flying toward them to attack. Except...
Nothing happened.
While frozen from the monstrous figure, the terror that such an image wrought was enough to leave its mark on the party, even it was merely an illusion. However, the fear that gripped them as a result surely was as they completely forgot about bringing their enemies to justice in favor of shielding one another until even the lingering presence of the visual could no longer be felt.
"W-what was that?" Blake exhaled, her heart pounding.
"An illusion..." Oscar/Ozpin remarked. "But, an accurate one. That was Salem."
Even with the sudden scare and the escape of Emerald, Hazel, and Mercury, there was no denying the fact that they'd won the night.
The battle for Haven was finally over.
[Haven Residence]
Aganju walked out of the bathroom in nothing but his boxers, yawning after a refreshing shower. Having to live in dingy inns and the 'great outdoors' for so long really did a number on him, so it was no secret that he'd savor the hot water soothing his aching muscles. As he dried his hair, he was surprised to find a certain red-haired girl sitting on his bed wearing a rather large t-shirt.
Specifically, his t-shirt.
"Pyrrha? I thought you already went to bed."
"I was going to until I found that Jaune and Weiss took it over instead." Shaking her head, Pyrrha Nikos smiled warmly toward her confused boyfriend. "Besides, I've been finding it hard to sleep lately."
Aganju didn't need any further explanation. Between his near-death experience and her kidnapping, not to mention the imagery of the witch Salem, there was no denying that Pyrrha was in need of some R&R herself.
"I didn't realize they were a thing..." he chuckled.
"They're not. But, they were so exhausted, I just chose to let them stay and come in here with you if that's okay."
While her story sounded legitimate, Aganju didn't miss the slight gleam in her eyes that suggested more on her mind. However, he wouldn't press the issue and instead shut the door behind him. Cutting off the lights, the room became bathed in the warm glow of the approaching sunrise, signaling the early start of the day.
For the two, however, found no joy in the orange hue that peeked through the closed curtain.
The vulpine leaned in, gently capturing Pyrrha's lips to which she happily reciprocated. It had been a little over a month now since they were around one another and even longer since they'd shared any moments of intimacy. Now, they both agreed that there needed to be a change if their relationship was going to prosper. Sadly, the need to sleep continued to make its presence known despite the pair's desires emerging.
It was a race against time now.
"Agan..." she moaned, clutching at his strong arms as his lips latched onto her neck.
She thanked Oum that she wore a forget; she was going to need it. Aganju growled softly as he teased her, allowing his lips to travel down to her collarbone before returning to her neglected mouth once more. For Pyrrha, she savored every second of this, even biting down on the boy's bottom lip gently upon his return.
Their escapades soon transitioned into the bed with Aganju being the mattress for his beloved spartan princess. From there, they'd remain, staring into each other's eyes, stealing kisses every so often. There was a lot to say, but a yawn from Pyrrha finally made its stand, followed by the faunus. However, even as the sandman took hold, there was one more thing that was needed to be taken care of.
"Agan?" she called in a hushed tone.
"Yeah?" he peered through half-lidded eyes.
"I love you..."
He didn't say anything at first, making Pyrrha feel completely embarrassed for having possibly crossed a line too quickly. It didn't help when his body tensed slightly. Did she do it wrong? Was he not ready? Would things be awkward now?
These questions plagued the poor girl until a sudden yawn snapped her out of her daunting imagination. Her fears were then put to rest when she felt his soft lips press against her forehead accompanied by a warm and comforting smile.
"I love you too, Pyrrha."
Don't you worry about the dark
I will light up the night with the love in my heart
I'll burn like the sun, keep you safe and warm
Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day
I'll be there to take all your fears away
With the touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to
Gold
With the touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to gold
The couple remained that way for the entire morning and most of the afternoon.
It was a perfect end to what was a rough several month's journey. From their first kiss in the hospital back at Vale to their current one now, they were happy and hopeful that they wouldn't be disturbed as their minds gave way to sweet dreams and fantasies. One such visual was of a child form of Aganju and Pyrrha running after each other in a meadow together.
Such innocence was welcomed after facing perils aplenty, both physical, mental, and emotional. Their only concern was their hope that nobody would disturb their slumber. Brother's have mercy on the poor sap foolish enough to barge in.
What they didn't know was that their privacy would be protected courtesy of one Nora Valkyrie.
It appeared that the hammer-wielder was one step ahead of the couple as she posted a handmade sign on their door:
Booping in Progress
Do NOT Enter Dumb Blond
i.e. Jaune