A/N: Once again, I have returned with yet another chapter as part of my weekly update to this story folks! Sadly, I do apologize for the somewhat late update, work had out me through exhaustion on Monday and all I wanted was to sleep from it. So again, I apologize but rest assured, the update schedule will be back on track. I know some of you are wondering if this story will be slightly shorter than its previous one, which I am here to answer: yes. Given that the main viewpoint took place in Menagerie, the volume 5 arc would be slightly short as is Volume 6 arc. So it's about… 24 chapters long. Rest assured, we will get to the Volume 6 arc soon enough so for right now let us continue on with the Volume 5 arc.

NOTE: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ REMNANT OF DESIRES, READ IT BEFORE YOU START READING THIS STORY.

NOTE 2: RATING WILL CHANGE TO 'M' IN CHAPTER 16

Henshin!

Third Person View

'Thought'

Greeed/Yummies

The business in the residence was the usual for us. Well, temporary residence being the right word now that the chieftain's house was burnt down no thanks to the ambush from the White Fang. After the deal and plans we set, we had already set our temporary quarters. However…

I sighed as we heard Ankh yelling and cursing, a lot.

Reason for his yelling, he had to train everyone for preparations of stopping Adam and the White Fang from attacking Haven Academy. He would rant on and on about their lack of skill, the complaining, all that crap.

"Geez, I get that Ankh has been around for a couple of years but man, he sure knows a lot of colorful language." Sun whistled.

"I just pretend I don't hear it." I shrugged before taking a bite of the rice and swallowed. "I had to deal with it every time when he had to teach in Beacon. And believe me, he had a lot of comments about the students and me especially."

"You don't say." Ghira rubbed his eyes. "You sure he is even up to continuing with it?"

"We have no choice. Besides, I bet even he wouldn't allow a single one to go without some form of training. We just have to trust him and believe it's enough for now." I responded back.

We covered our ears by a shout and a loud clang along with a soft 'gweh!' of Gamel at the end.

"Should we be worried about that?"

I pondered before I waved off, "Nah."

"How on earth can you four deal with him?" Blake's dad inquired.

"I just let it stride and play it cool." Sun replied.

"Ignore him." Blake was next to answer.

"He... can be harsh but I still feel a bit nervous regarding his behavior at times." Pyrrha replied.

"But, we can't deny how effective it is. I doubt I would've gotten this far if it wasn't for him." I admitted. "Though he can be a jerk at times."

I ducked to a blur as did Blake and we saw a popsicle stick embedded into the wall.

"I heard that!!" Ankh yelled.

"Ain't the first time you've been like that, Ankh!" I retorted, only to receive the Medal Book to the face and fell back against the mat. "Ow…" I wheezed.

"Hehe, well, I think he's doing fine." Kali giggled in response. "Tea anyone?"

Remnants of Desires: After the Fall

Chapter 15: Training Day, Forgiveness, the Similarity

After the incident a few days ago, we finally had to plan accordingly now that we had the support of the locals. With two weeks being the time frame before the attack, we had to gather the needed gear for everyone. Ankh on the other hand had to be the one training them. He didn't like it one bit to the fact he had to but it seemed he was taking advantage of it.

How do you ask?

"First row, fix your defensive stance!" Ankh chatisied.

That's how. He was harsh and acted like a freakin drill sergeant. Sure he was harsh towards me during my time in Beacon and our travels here, but he sure can be criticizing to the Faunus he was training.

"Third row, for the love of all things, adjust positions for your shields or the only thing you will meet is a blade or bullet to your torsos!"

Talk about being harsh.

"I can't believe I have to endure this shit for two weeks." Ankh grumbled irritably while scratching his head with his talon.

"At least they are making progress Ankh." I assured. "Some never fought before."

"Which is the problem! Teamwork is necessary in the upcoming operation and there cannot be any screw ups!"

"Can't blame them if they're hard to teach. Some just aren't able to go the distance." Pyrrha noted, "But with them at least trying to pick it up, does show they do want to do something."

"At least Gamel is not faced first in the ground by you." Sun joked. "Besides I bet some of the girls are digging your style and personality from this. I'm sure Neptune would have agreed to that."

Ankh's eyebrow twitched before he swung his fist at Sun. The Monkey Faunus was punched so hard, his head was in the dirt, smoke leaving it as a result. "Tch." He adjusted his shirt. "Watch your words next time, monkey boy."

"Yeah, rule number 22 from Ankh. Don't be a joker in the middle of a fight." I commented to Sun.

The blonde raised his hand up. "Noted…" He muffled before he began to pull himself out.

I chuckled but briefly noticed Ilia talking to Blake who eventually pointed at me before leaving. The brunette approached us in which I decided to acknowledge her presence.

"Oh hey Ilia." I greeted the Chameleon Faunus.

"Can we talk?"

"Uh, sure." I looked at the three. "I'll be right back."

"Alright," Pyrrha waved as Sun was waving his hands to get himself out from the dirt. The redhead had to be the one to get him out.

Ilia and I though made our way across the village given she wanted to talk. With the 'bad' blood between us now gone, she was now helping all of us put a stop to Adam's plan.

The young Faunus led me towards one of the secluded beachside of the village, as it was private enough, just in case any of this felt too embarrassing for her to say in front of others. Seems it must be a very big deal for her, as she was obviously nervous about doing this.

After a moment, the brunette took a moment to think. She rubbed her arm but I decided to speak up.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I… I want to apologize for what I did to you."

I stared at the Chameleon Faunus. She was referring to the incident when she nearly killed me on our first encounter and also the attack at the Belladonna residence.

"You mean from a few weeks ago?" Ilia nodded. "It's alright. You didn't kill anyone, and you've managed to realize what is the right thing to do." I stated. "It's all water under the bridge now, Illia."

Her mood changed to a positive one.

"And also, Blake told me the reason why you joined the White Fang."

"So you know…"

"I do understand where you are coming from, Ilia. As I said before, I lost my family and to see them vanish on the same day within different years, it made me depressed but also a part of me was angry. Angry at the world that I wanted to lash out. Something Adam did and what you could have ended up as."

"... Yet you didn't."

"It's because their death was something that was my fault. I was too selfish and it brought consequences…" I inhaled for a moment. "And I promised myself and my family, that I would reach out and help others cherish what they have. To show them having more won't bring satisfaction, it will only bring consequences." I look at her with a firm gaze. "And with my new family, I had let go what I clinged to, to move on and grow up."

"Sounds like you went through quite the experience to learn that."

I chuckled dryly, "You have no idea. So you see Ilia, while things have happened, there is a second chance for you. A chance to redeem and find your real path. Just like Blake and I have." I extended my hand. "And as a friend, I will help you. Just as I helped my friends."

Ilia stared at my hand before she began to grab it, doing a handshake. "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do." I responded.

"So...how does it feel… becoming this 'OOO'?" She asked.

I paused before I placed my hands behind my head. "To be honest, when I first used it, I felt a rush of adrenaline when I had to fight a Yummy." I explained. "Eventually I fought with each combo it uses. Some left major strains on my body. One time, when I used Ankh's Cores, I lost so much energy, I barely had any Aura and coughed blood."

She cringed. "That must be painful…"

"It was but over the past year, I sought to train in each one which worked out gradually. Now, my body is already adjusted to the use of the Full Combos."

During my time training to use them, it was hell. Every attempt placed my body through exhaustion but I eventually adapted to its use.

"I see." The Chameleon Faunus murmured. "If I may ask Enrique...where exactly are you from?"

Oh right, she never knew about my actual origins. "It's… a very long story." I sighed.

"We have time now. You still need to prepare before going to Haven, right?"

"Well, I think you should sit tight because I have to start from when I first arrived at Vale."

With that said, I began telling Ilia about my origins and stories during my time at Beacon.

Man, a few hours had gone by and I never realized it. After telling Ilia of my origins, the girl was surprised and astonished to say the least. Especially when I had to explain to her much about it for further evidence as well as why my name isn't like most here in Remnant due to the culture. Each answer brought more curiosity from the Chameleon Faunus than I expected.

Heck, I could have sworn that she has taken an interest in the humans on Earth. Maybe due to having no Faunus there, she must have thought at the very least it's better there. But sadly, I had to tell her the events we people on Earth experienced war, terrorism, and discrimination (be it from religion, race, or even sexuality). She laughed at it at first until my further explanations regarding the discrimination silenced her, even unsettled her.

Her curiosity was sated for the time being so I decided to call it a day. Seeing the sun slowly setting, I was reminded how much has truly changed not just for the others but for myself.

"You seem to be in a good mood." Blake said, as she walked up to me.

"Oh hey Blake."

"I saw your chat with Ilia earlier. Seems you two have made up." My girlfriend replied with a thin smile.

"Yeah. I even told her about my actual origins and how I arrived at Remnant." I chuckled. "Imagine her surprise hearing that I'm not from here. She asked me a lot of questions about it and I answered every single one. And I mean a lot of questions."

"Anyone will be surprised about that. It's like hearing you're an alien from another planet."

"Fair point…" I scratched my head. I remember telling the rest of team RWBY, even JNPR, about my homeworld during the Greedification incident. They too had so many questions they asked and it was too many to answer.

"Did she ask about us?"

"Yes…I told her. She gave her blessings despite…her own feelings."

Due to the defeated Yummy's goal, it was obvious she harbored feelings for Blake.

"I'm glad to hear." Blake smiled, "That means she understood our relationship and is willing to move on. Though, I doubt her feelings will fade. More like she entrusted herself to you."

She leaned against the palm tree. "At least the good thing is… everyone is now going to help us stop the White Fang from attacking Haven. I just hope it's enough to get them to see the error of their ways…" She murmured softly.

"We will be ready, Blake. After all, not every day they get to be trained by Ankh." I assured. "Well, aside from his attitude of being a drill sergeant to them."

The cat Faunus giggled slightly at Ankh's frustration with the training. "Right about that. Hopefully he doesn't push them too much."

"Knowing him? He'll try." I chuckled.

"We should make sure they get a break soon, then." Blake noted. "But for now… how about a walk together?"

"Sure why not?" I accepted. The Huntress gently hooked her arm around mine and we both began our walk across the shore. I glanced at the ocean, reminiscing old memories. "You know… it kinda reminds me of how it was in my hometown."

"You mean back on Earth?"

"Yeah. My hometown was close to the beach. My dad also owned a cabin in the countryside whenever we felt like we should be out of the city." I remembered how it was. The gentle breeze of the ocean air, the waters I often felt whenever I rode my bike across the bridge.

"Do you still remember what it was like?" I glanced at her. "The lifestyle I mean since you did say your dad was military."

"Well, it was a little challenging since you know, having a dad going on deployments and all due to his position." I recalled. "He would always tell me to always do what I can to protect the family whenever he's busy."

Blake giggled slightly. "Sounds like you practically became the second man of the house."

"Somewhat." I shrugged my free arm. "But other times, it was just the usual stuff. School, home, family."

"... and… after? You mentioned how you were treated but not after losing your mom and sister."

My eyes moved to her side, seeing her look. She wasn't sure how she felt to bring up mentions of my family.

"Well… it was… rather lonely." I confessed. "Yeah, Zack looked out for me during my years in high school but I was more focused on helping people and whatnot given the promise I made. Not much of what I call being social, just a good samaritan helping people."

"Good Sa… maritan…?" She pronounced.

"A charitable or helpful person." I defined. I was still surprised there were some things people of Remnant are not familiar with such as certain terms or phrases that have a meaning. Then again, they didn't have some things that Earth has.

"So you help people for a reason…" Blake could see personal similarities she shared with the Rider. He kept walls up due to losing his family but helped people for a reason - to continue his promise in the name of his family. He wouldn't interact with a lot of people due to his inner fear but kept moving. Regardless he changed ever since he came to Remnant.

"It's one promise I will keep to the very end." I held my locket with my free hand.

"I just realized, how did you get the locket in the first place?"

I blinked and looked at my pendant in question. I chuckled dryly at the memory. "I had it made like my dad's dog tags but to hold photos. As for the cross, it represents a meaning where I'm from. To remember them even if they're gone. To symbolize promises, peace, forgiveness. A cross like this holds such meanings in the religion where I'm from."

"You did mention Earth had a large variety of such religions."

"Hence why I wanted to have this locket made. To remember my promise but also to have some forgiveness."

"And you did find forgiveness." I paused and saw Blake move ahead to face me. "To your family when you fell into that dream." She took a step forward to stand directly close to me, resting her forehead against my own. "And someday… we all can find forgiveness."

I held her hand and agreed with her. "Yeah." I gently motioned her hand. "Come on, we should head back before your dad starts wondering what we are up to."

"True," Blake hummed and followed.

The next day of training was the usual but Ankh was slouched on a rock, chewing on his ice cream. "Total… bullshit…" He muffled and swallowed his frozen treat. "We are a few days in with training and some don't even understand the reasons for the stances!"

"Because most of the people here aren't fighters. They can't pick up these things as easily as others." Ghira noted.

Ankh growled furiously and began to devour the rest of the ice cream much to Ghira's bewilderment. "How on Remnant aren't you getting a brain freeze?"

"It's called good resistance to such ailments, thank you very much, big lug." The nickname made Ghira's eyebrow twitch furiously.

"You best also treat me with respect too, Ankh." He glared at him.

"Tch." The red Greeed scoffed, tapping the spoon against his talon. His brows furrowed before an idea popped in his head. He facepalmed in disbelief. "Why didn't I think of this before?"

"What is it?"

"Just gather everyone along with my charge and his friends."

"O-Kay?" Ghira wasn't sure what Ankh had planned but informed one of the guards to gather everyone while bringing along the rest of Team ENBA, Sun, and Gamel.

"Everyone is here. What did you want to tell us?"

"I have an idea of what can get the trainees prepared for the upcoming battle."

"And that is?"

"A spar." Ankh announced.

"A spar?" Blake repeated. "Why suggest that?"

"So the Faunus can see what a real fight is. Most of them probably never witnessed one nor experienced it." Ankh explained. "It is why they all will watch a duel." His crimson eyes looked at me. "You will be sparring, against me."

"... Eh?"

"Huh?!" Pyrrha and Blake remembered the last time the two sparred. Well, more like it was a losing end for Enrique since Ankh was more experienced back then.

Ankh rolled his eyes. "If they are to understand the ways of fighting, they will need to watch one to fully understand what to do in a situation. Thus a spar." He crossed his arms. "Otherwise they won't learn shit from this and be prepared."

"Do you seriously have to put it like that?" Sun asked.

"I tell it like it is. Get used to it." He looked at Gamel and Pyrrha. "You two, set an arena."

"Aye!" Gamel saluted while Pyrrha sighed.

Gamel and Pyrrha drew a large circle on the dirt, creating a faux arena as people gathered to watch but kept at a good distance to avoid any debris and misfires from either of us. The rules were simple: the loser was the first person to lose their Aura or step off the ring. I was unable to use my O-Driver, only my swords and Semblance.

It has been a long time since Ankh and I ever sparred. The last time was in Beacon during the Shark Incident. Pyrrha would be serving as the referee to make sure nothing occurs outside the ring to disturb the duel.

"Okay, rules are simple! The first person to concede or lose Aura is the loser." Pyrrha instructed. "And uh… try not to go overboard on this, please?"

Ankh curled his Greeed arm in preparation and adjusted his coat. "Easy for you to say." He huffed.

"Alright then." The redhead sighed and raised her hand, allowing myself and Ankh to ready ourselves. "Go!" She swiftly brought her arm down, signaling the start of the duel.

I dashed towards Ankh with both swords but he quickly unsheathed his twin short swords and blocked them, sparks blasting off upon impact. Our blades trembled slightly but I quickly saw Ankh raise his knee to my gut harshly. The spectators winced to the harsh blow while I reeled back.

From my peripheral vision, I saw Ankh making an assault but I summoned a wall of ice. I leaped over and Ankh saw it but I managed to land a blow when I made ice distract his focus. Ankh held his side in minor surprise as I landed on my feet.

Holding my swords downward, I circled in which Ankh did the same. Ankh's crimson eyes were studying me but also criticized my brief mishap of not able to stop his first blow earlier.

I conjured a few shards of ice and threw them at Ankh. His eyes widened in fury and made his Wing appear to slap it aside as I rushed in for the attack.

"Woah… they sure are going at it." Sun whistled.

"I'll say." Ghira nodded.

"To be honest… Enrique really didn't have much fighting experience when we were enrolled in Beacon." Blake informed.

"Huh? He never told me that!" Sun exclaimed in surprise.

"So when he was enrolled in the school." Kali realized.

"He barely knew much aside from the armor." Pyrrha admitted, recalling his combat as well. It made more sense given she had seen him train occasionally in his spare time.

Blake reminisced about the days in Beacon. "Back then, Ankh didn't teach at first, just a jerk to us and Enrique. It wasn't easy to grasp the fact he was one of the Greeed but eventually, he was… forced to teach." She remembered their time in the school, watching her lover and Ankh duel. It was becoming from a casual to a serious duel. "Ankh would be harsh on Enrique than others he was teaching. We didn't understand why but regarding recent events… we began to notice why Ankh wanted Enrique to fight on his level."

"He wanted to make sure he became that strong… or die." Sun got out.

They winced a few times to the blows landed between Ankh and the dual swordsman.

I dodged and weaved but grunted as Ankh used the pommel of his weapon to hit my shoulder. While I buckled from the pressure, I retaliated with a kick to his leg. He lurched to the side before I used the ice of my Semblance to glide back.

Ankh unleashed a blast of fire which startled me so i conjured another wall of ice to stop it. The ice shattered but I didn't see Ankh. Looking up, I saw my sparring opponent with his blades raised.

The sharp blades were nearing me but with sudden instincts, ice shrouded my body and moved back, leaving the icy form of myself behind. Anks brows were raised as his swords got caught in the ice statue of my form.

He tugged and tugged while I felt some relief. Good thing Ankh didn't see that coming. I made one last attempt to attack him but Ankh punched through the ice with his Greeed arm to free his weapons and went for the swing.

I felt his two blades touch my neck but Ankh's eyes trailed down to the O-Calibur touching his stomach while Medajalibur touched his throat.

"Any ideas on their Aura?" Sun whispered to Pyrrha.

The girl checked her Scroll to check and her eyebrows were raised. "Both are near empty."

"So… that's a draw right?"

"It is, monkey boy." Ankh spoke, lowering his swords in which I did so in return. "If we had gone any further we would have ended up literally hurting each other, or killing."

"Well, from what I could tell, you both did amazing!" Kali smiled as she made a few short claps.

Everyone else followed along but Ankh scoffed. "Just remember what you all have witnessed today! There will be a time your opponent won't show any mercy! No restraints to hold back! Either fight with everything you got or be slain - your choice of your fate!" He turned away from us but when he was beside me, I heard him whisper silently, "You did better than last time. Don't lose it." And continued to walk away.

I turned to glance at Ankh, surprised by his words. He acknowledged my current skills.

"Something up?" Sun asked.

I stared at Ankh's retreating form before I shook my head. "It's nothing." I replied.

With the duel over, everyone had some encouragement to resume their training which eventually ended but we could tell there had been significant progress thanks to Ankh's words after the spar. He wasn't kidding either. Never hold back in a fight against someone out to kill you.

It reminded me of how things will be with my future fights against the Greeed. Then there was the possibility of facing Adam due to his grudge against me. Which is why I decided after my Aura recovered to spar with Blake during the night.

She threw the ribbon that connected to her weapon towards me but I slid across the field and dragged my two swords across the dirt. Sliding one foot across the dirt, I swiftly used the Upgraded Medajalibur and made ice meld together from the arc of air that I pushed. The sharp arc of frozen ice made the Cat Faunus use her Semblance to make the ice hit the stone copy.

Upon collision, Blake dashed towards me, using her Shadow to swiftly attempt to land a blow. However I was able to block most of her attacks until she flipped over me. 'Shit!' Just as my girlfriend had thought to have the win, I used my own ability to push myself ahead as her blade was caught in ice but once again, she used her Shadow to prevent it.

Our battle wasn't even finished as both of us were still trying to gain victory against the other. With each attempt she made, I countered it and vice versa with me trying to get to her. We just knew each other too much to outmaneuver or overtake each other to where we could predict our next 10 steps and moves.

Blake soon lunged at me, but she only gripped my wrists before she kissed me. I, of course, smiled as I began to return the kiss to her as I enjoyed my girlfriend's embrace.

After what felt like a minute, we parted and laughed slightly. "Didn't expect that." I admitted.

"The fight would only lead to an eventual draw."

"Fair enough." I chuckled. "Reminds me how it was when we first sparred." I still remember how it was a draw when we spared against each other for first time

"And how I kept sweeping you off your feet at times after we began dating?" Blake countered with a giggle.

"That too."

Taking a moment to relax from the fighting, the both of us sat on the steps and looked up at the starry night. A view that was always something to admire as the village wasn't a city thus giving a very good view of the stars in the night.

"I sometimes wish the old, more peaceful days would return…." Blake murmured, "This all just feels… like such a bad dream…"

"... At peace…" It made me wonder how things were before it all happened. During our time in Beacon, we all had our peaceful time. Sure we occasionally had to stop trouble but most of the time we had been enjoying our days in school.

Blake gently rested her head on my shoulder, "Will… we be able to win this…? Will this fight ever be over…?"

"Someday… just… not sure when." I admitted. I didn't want to lie and neither did I want to be bitter about it. Only time would tell how long things will end for all of us. I briefly noticed her glance. "I don't want to lie about it. While I'm not sure how long it will take, I do know that as long as we do something, only then there will be progress to finish things from there."

"I know…. Thank you." She said, nuzzling into my side, "Could you… hold me for a bit?"

"Sure." I smiled, allowing Blake to take comfort in the silence as I looked up at the sky. Moving my hand to my side, I removed the keychain that was clipped to the belt and stared.

I remembered the promise I made to my late family. To protect the people who became my family. My fingers enclosed the trinket and held it close to my locket.

'Only time will tell.'

CURRENT MEDALS:

Blazing: Taka (x2), Kujaku (x1), Condor (x1)

Scorching: Lion (x1), Tora (x2), Cheetah (x1)

Strongest: Kuwagata (x1), Kamakiri (x1), Batta (x1)

Legendary: Kobura (x1), Kame (x1), Wani (x1)

Water: Shachi (x1), Tako (x1), Unagi (x1)

Gravity: Sai (x3), Gorilla (x1), Zou (x2)

Invincible: Ptera (x1), Tricera (x1), Tyranno (x1)

Ultimate King: Super Taka (x1), Super Tora (x1), Super Batta (x1)

(NEXT TIME)

"Hrm…" Poseidon pondered on the information revealed to him. "So they are heading to the mainland."

"Blake, I am not going to stay here while my friends and you go there to face the White Fang. I know things haven't been easy for us and there's a lot of things that we still have to fix." I pointed to myself after lowering one arm. "I've been trying my best. My damn near best to not let myself end up repeating the same mistakes I made back on Earth. I lost one family and avoided who I was, I am not going to lose anymore. To not abandon who I am and not leave others behind."

"I will kill you one way or another, OOO! If it means to kill every single animal on this boat!" He stabbed the boat, allowing more projectiles to appear via water but also above much to our horror. "I will be god one way or another!"

Next time: Last Day, Preparations, The Grimm Greeed

A/N: It looks like we are getting close to the end of the Volume 5 arc! But it seems things will be getting more challenging due to their upcoming battle against the White Fang. Only now, there will be some things they have to face. Also, as I mentioned in a previous chapter if you are interested in being a Beta-Reader/editor to any of my upcoming or current stories, let me know through PM. While work has been keeping me busy, it won't deter me from the werkly update schedule for this story. Don't forget to leave a review, follow and favorite this story.