A/N: I have recently become re-obsessed with my favorite Final Fantasy game, FFIX, and it's just as good as I remember it being. Though FFVII is definitely a close second. Hey, quick question for you all: what's your favorite RPG, if you have one. Mine would probably have to either be FFIX or Kingdom Hearts 3. They're both just so good! Anyway, enough rambling about videogames. Enjoy the chapter!
Actually, before that, I'm going to be putting this up:
TRIGGER WARNING FOR: PTSD, extreme guilt, self-loathing, depression, and anger issues.
The reason I'm putting this up here is that I know these kinds of things can be very painful. While my descriptions here are only as accurate as I can currently make them, I still urge you to take caution, because this may bring up some painful memories if you've experienced one, some, or all, of these things. Proceed at your own risk. You've been warned.
Now, with that out of the way, I do hope you enjoy the chapter despite the bleakness. Now! Onward!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or My Hero Academia. They belong to Monty Oum, Kohei Horikoshi, and their respective publishing companies. Please support the official releases.
I do not own the cover image.
Chapter 47: Breakdowns, Beatdowns, and a Bar
"..."
"..."
The silence continued for several more seconds before Oscar rather suddenly slapped himself across the face, likely in some feeble attempt to wake himself from this 'crazy dream he was having.' Ozpin wished he could be as young as Oscar again for a brief moment before a sudden flash of multiple puberties quashed that thought in an instant. All he was left with was the sense of hollow dread that he would be in a teenager's body once more. Luckily, this sharp pain in his cheek was proving to be rather distracting, thank the gods.
"Ow."
"Yeah, I didn't... wait, you felt that?!" Oscar exclaimed in surprise as he briefly rubbed his cheek to dull the pain.
"Keep it down before someone hears you. Try... thinking to me. That usually works better than talking directly."
"Erm..." Oscar let out, hesitance clouding his mind as he started doubting his own sanity. How in the hell was Ozpin, fucking Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, in his head?! He'd heard that the professor had fallen in the fighting, but if they were going by reincarnation theory, this was not how reincarnation was supposed to work! Maybe he was going insane?
"I can assure you, young Oscar, you are quite sane."
"But-"
"Think, don't speak."
Oscar resisted the urge to groan as he thought, Like this? with sarcasm dripping from each word.
"You could use less sarcasm, but it will do. For the moment, at least."
Oscar resisted the urge to slap his own head in frustration at this sudden arrangement, turning away from the mirror in question in order to start thinking more clearly. C'mon. It was just in his head. There was no way this was-
"I've been conscious for all of two minutes, and this is already getting old."
"Were you expecting me to be calm about this?!"
"Oscar! Beth's asking for you! Are you still in the barn?" he heard Aunt Shino call from their homestead.
Oh crap!
"'Oh crap' indeed. You'd best move along before you draw anymore suspicion."
"And how the hell am I supposed to do that with-"
But by the time Oscar's eyes moved back to the mirror, Ozpin was gone, as though he'd never been there in the first place. The only evidence was the small but still noticeable streak of grey towards the right side of his bangs. Worried that someone would notice, he quickly tousled his hair further, hiding the streak from plain sight. Okay. Now that that was over with...
"Coming Aunt Shino!" he called back to his second guardian, emerging from the barn and shutting the large sliding door behind him, then dashing for the homestead with the faintest whispers of suspicion on his mind. He'd just sleep it off, and then he could pretend that it never happened.
(meanwhile, somewhere in Anima, Izuku's POV)
Things were starting to get supremely strange, and not in a good way. At least, in Izuku's opinion. Even though their journey for the past two weeks had been entirely unhindered by Grimm, that was only one of the seeming oddities that he kept noticing. Even though Anima was notorious for housing a vast and diverse range of Grimm species and types, they'd hardly seen a Beowolf in days. There were times when they ran into some, but they were few and far between.
Ruby wrote it off as good luck, as did Nora. At least, that's what she said. What she implied was far different. He knew that this was bothering her too, and everyone else in the group had at least noticed it by now. So, he kept his eyes open, trailing towards the back of the group while the others marched onwards, chatting about their travel routes and joking around a little, to lighten up the mood.
Urgh... I stayed up too late again. Man, I miss good coffee...
A tap on his shoulder pulled him out of his thoughts, turning to see his partner standing next to him as they continued to walk at the same pace.
"You alright?" he asked with a bit of concern in his tone. Crap, were there bags under his eyes now? Like he wasn't already worried enough about the scar across his face scaring people. He was turning into a younger version of Aizawa, at least appearance-wise. He could actually feel a bit of scruff starting to grow on his chin. Not all that noticeable, mind you, but enough that it got occasionally annoying.
"I'm getting by," he answered honestly. He wasn't about to lie to anyone, but this was his problem. No one should have to deal with it but him.
"... okay. But we're here if you need us."
It was an invitation to open up. He knew it was. Despite everything that was going on, Shoto had stepped up and offered to talk to anyone who wanted to get stuff off their chest. Most of the group declined, but he noticed that the ones he actually talked to the most, who now seemed much happier than they were at the start of their journey, were Ruby and Jaune. He wished he could do that. Talking about this would make it so much easier. Maybe it wouldn't solve everything, but it would be a start, at least.
But every time he tried, his chest and stomach filled with dread and terror. That by admitting everything was affecting him he'd be letting it win. He'd be letting that thing win.
He could not let that happen. He wouldn't let that happen.
A sharp but familiar sensation of pain in his forehead caught Izuku by minor surprise, causing him to bring his hand up to his temple to soothe it and distracting him from his internal monologue. He heard the others heading onwards without him, and he made no move to make himself known. Process had flared up once more, and he had to see through a hunch. It might've been nothing, but he just had to be sure.
As the others continued on, he opened his eyes and scanned the tree line, the world filtering into black and white as he searched with an intense gaze. Then, out of the corner of his vision, atop a scarcely notable plateau, he saw a dot of red. It wasn't like Ruby's, which was an almost neon combination of both her namesakes, but darker. Not quite crimson, but not quite red. He'd know that color anywhere.
Qrow.
But why was he following them? Was he the reason they hadn't run into any Grimm as of late? What-
A sudden migraine caused him to close his eyes from the suddenness, informing him that his time was up. Damnit. He opened his eyes to find the world as it had been before, awash with rich greens, browns, and greys as he once more found the same spot where he'd seen Qrow's Aura signature. If he was ever there, he certainly wasn't at the moment. Though the fact that the signature smoke of Grimm corpses was rising above that same spot gave credence to his second question's merit.
I still don't know why he's following us, though. I should probably let the group know we're being followed by a friend, at least.
"Greenie! Where are you?" he heard Yang call from further down the path.
"Over here! I'll catch up!" he called back before looking at that spot for a few silent seconds, then turning heel and jogging after the rest of the group, not wishing to worry them any more than he likely already had.
(Yang's POV)
Yang felt immediate relief when she saw Izuku jogging back, apologizing for slowing them down before receiving reassurance from the rest of the group.
"I think we're being followed."
That phrase caused everyone's collective jovial mood to turn sour in almost an instant before Izuku quickly added, "No, no! I think they're friendly!"
"How can you be sure about that?" Jaune asked as Lancelot's helm silently materialized next to him.
"Well, I'm pretty sure they may have been killing nearby Grimm for a while now. It might be why we haven't run into that many of them lately," Izuku explained, though there was some hesitance in his voice.
"... if they're really killing Grimm, then we can assume they're probably a hunter," Yang chipped in. "But I also don't think we should let our guards down," she continued as she fought the urge to rub the bandana covering the scar on her right arm.
"Agreed," Izuku and Shoto said simultaneously before the latter continued, "We're only a couple of minutes away from the next town, so we'll be able to get some proper rest and maybe make a little Lien while we're there. Let's get moving."
As the others quickly got back on track, Yang noticed that Izuku was still walking at the rear of the group, his eyes flickering to the sides and even behind them before they found themselves again on the trail in front of them. Was he looking for the hunter he saw?
She slowed her pace to match that of Izuku's, not making herself known until she was right next to him. Were they not currently on a very important mission, this probably would've elicited more of a reaction out of her than a brief but noticeable heart-skip.
"Hey, Greenie. Whatcha doing back here?" she asked in her normal tone, though there were a few other questions that she really wanted to ask, among them being: how did he know they were being followed in the first place, should they be worried, how did he feel about her...
… actually, scratch that last one. Scratch it out of sight and mind, this is no time to asking something like that!
"I'm keeping an eye out," he answered simply.
"You've certainly got an eye for the finer details," she punned with a trickster smirk.
The dumb pun was enough to elicit a brief laugh from the green haired boy, the wind briefly kicking up and causing the hooded cape he wore to flap in the wind before dying down as quickly as it had come.
"Hey, Greenie? I kinda just noticed this, but it seems like you and Shoto are sharing the leader position," Yang said.
"Er... wait, you think I'm leading?" Izuku asked with genuine surprise.
"Yeah. I mean, Shoto's more the steady guy that keeps people calm, and you're the one who rallies everyone together when they need some guidance or clarification. You're like the ultimate one-two combo! Seriously, you guys have done great," Yang said with a shrug. "Not that Ruby's a bad leader or anything, but she differs to you guys a lot, so you must be doing something right."
"Erm... well..." Izuku let out as he gathered his words, finally managing to string something together. "Ruby and Shoto are honestly better leaders than I could ever hope to be. I mean, I can get people together when we're in the middle of a fight, but... I kinda have no idea how to lead outside of that specific situation. I mean, look at what Shoto did not even two minutes ago. He got everyone back on track and focused. He's a great leader. And Ruby's just got this energy and drive that I'm... honestly a little envious of. Me? I'm a good strategist, but I honestly think that they're better in terms of actual leadership," Izuku said with admiration in his tone, contrasted by the sad smile upon his lips.
"Don't discount yourself so easily, Greenie," Yang replied. "You'd be a great leader if the need ever arose for it. At least, that's my opinion."
"... thanks," Izuku answered.
There was a comfortable silence after that, something that the two had gotten used to over the past four months. Sure, they had conversations aplenty, and they were quite enjoyable, but there were other times when just being in each other's company was... enough.
They eventually made it to the next town over, Higanbana, which was a bit larger than the last town they'd been in, and was additionally just a few more days away from Athens, Pyrrha's hometown. It was also a bit more traditionally modern then most of the other towns they'd seen and visited during their time in Anima, which also meant they had decent Scroll signals. That, in turn, meant that they'd likely seen the Vytal Festival in its entirety.
… craaaap.
And, just as Yang hoped they wouldn't, the second a little kid on the edge of the town spotted them, they were almost immediately swarmed by people with questions of all kinds, questions like 'why are you in Mistral?' 'How long do you plan on traveling?' That sort of thing. Trivial, but ultimately harmless.
And then, of course, there are those questions that, no matter your effort, you can never give a real answer to. At least, not one that satisfied a hunger for controversy.
"Hey! You!"
Yang slowly turned to the person addressing her, being a middle-aged blonde woman with a smug look in her eyes.
When the blonde brawler pointed to herself, praying that it wasn't the clarification that the woman was looking for, the woman in question then continued, "Yes, you. Are you the one who shattered that poor boy's kneecap?"
It felt like the docks all over again. When they'd first gotten there, there was a journalist there who'd taken himself way too seriously. She was too exhausted to really process it at the time, but he found them again and asked the same exact question the exact same way. She barely spoke for the rest of the day.
It wasn't even the question itself that was the problem. The tone when she asked it, the sick glee in her eyes when she saw the blonde brawler's face suddenly fall...
She couldn't be here. She had to get away, she had to get away, she had to-
A gentle hand on her shoulder shook her out of those thoughts before she was too far gone. Yang didn't have to turn around to know it was Izuku, or that his face was probably asking her something along the lines of 'are you alright?'
Yang quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly for reassurance, letting him know that she was fine, at least for the moment. She needed to get somewhere quiet. Where she could think of nothing at all.
"We should get going," Izuku said, knowing that she wasn't going to remain this calm for very much longer. Yang silently nodded in agreement, turning to follow the green haired boy before the woman again tried to get her attention.
"Hey! I'm talking to-"
"Mam, we've had a long journey, and I think we could all do with some rest," Shoto quickly explained, trying to get everyone away from the crowds as soon as possible.
"But-"
"Miss, I don't know why you're being this persistent with my sister, but please stop," Ruby spoke as she fixed the woman a tense stare, seemingly taking all of her willpower to not fire off Crescent Rose in order to shut her up. Fortunately, the former strategy worked, as the woman broke from the rose-themed reaper's gaze with a huff before turning on her heel and stomping away from them as quickly as she could.
It didn't take much longer for them to get to the inn and check into rooms. Yang hadn't let go of Izuku's hand until she got into her room, practically collapsing onto the bed inside with a loud flop and a heavy sigh, slowly curling up and clutching one of the pillows for some semblance of further comfort.
"Erm... do you want me to..." Izuku asked.
Yang tried to answer, but couldn't. It felt like there was something stuck in her throat, keeping her from uttering even a simple word to her friend as the silence went on for far too long. And then, she heard the slow click of Cyrus and Stratus against the hardwood floor of the inn before the door shut silently behind him.
Damnit. Why didn't she say something? Anything? Ask him to stay? Why?
She tried her best not to cry. She wasn't supposed to cry. But Oum, it was so hard not to.
(Izuku's POV)
Izuku stood in the doorway for a few seconds before turning his gaze to the floor and silently closing the door behind him, giving Yang the privacy she sought. He barely made it a few steps before slumping against the wall, smacking the back of his head against it before sliding down and sitting against it with his knees close to his chest.
Damnit. Couldn't he do anything else? He felt so... urgh!
Izuku leaned forward as he reached behind his head and pulled the hood over his face, as if doing so would block out the frustration and the feeling of helplessness. That same feeling that made him want to spar with someone, anyone, if only to find something different to focus on than this.
The heavy click of combat boots on the hardwood floor alerted him to someone's presence. Slowly tilting his head upwards, he found Ruby looking down at him with concern in her eyes. Well, that's what he assumed. It was kinda hard to see her face with this hood covering most of his upper vision.
"Hey," she awkwardly greeted.
"... hey," he eventually replied.
"You okay?" the rose-themed reaper asked as she lowered herself down to Izuku's level, placing most of her weight on her heels and putting her knees almost against her chest.
"I'll be fine," he said. "Yang's in the room. She's pretty..."
"... yeah, I don't blame her," Ruby said as she rose up from her spot and made for Yang's door, suddenly stopping as her hand froze in mid-air, just inches away from the doorknob. She then turned back to Izuku, saying, "You know, you don't always have to be strong for us. It's more than alright to just... be yourself."
…
After a few more seconds of silence, Ruby sighed and opened the door to Yang's room, closing it behind her shortly thereafter. Izuku again smacked the back of his head against the wall in further frustration. He wanted to take her advice. Oum, he wanted to take it so badly.
But I can't. I'm just too damn scared of myself. I can't... I can't put you all in danger. I don't... I don't...
And even still, his inner turmoil reached the ears of no one. No one but him.
(Ruby's POV)
The silent click of the door marked Ruby's entrance into the room that her sister now resided in. They'd both probably be sharing it with Nora later. The blonde brawler in question was currently curled up on her bed, a pillow practically being crushed against her torso as she tried to find some form of comfort. Slowly, the rose-themed reaper made her way over to her sister's bed and sat on its edge, alerting her sister to her presence, but not starting a conversation. Not yet. Yang should be comfortable before they started talking; if they started talking. If Ruby had to wait here all night, so be it.
Yang slowly lifted her head and let her lilac orbs find their way to her sister, who gave her a small smile and moved a bit further to her left, to give the blonde brawler some room to sit next to her if she wanted to. After what felt like ages, with nothing but the silence of the room tone and the rhythmic clicks from the overhead fan, Yang finally uncurled from her ball, pillow still clutched between her arms, and sat next to Ruby as the silence of the room continued.
.
..
…
"... sorry for worrying you all," she began to apologize. "It was stupid-"
"Yang. You're not in the wrong here," Ruby interrupted, determined to stop her from going down a path of self-loathing. "That woman had no right to act the way she did. It's not your fault."
"But... but..."
Ruby put her arm over her sister's shoulder, loosely, in case she felt the need to leave. After a few long seconds, the blonde brawler moved closer than she'd been before, her arms losing their tension as she finally began to relax.
"Hey, Yang?" Ruby asked. "You remember that one game we played when we were in middle school?"
"... which one?"
"Oh, you know, the one where I'd have to tag you with these?" Ruby said as she briefly closed her hand before opening it again, then revealing a few lightly shaded rose petals in her palm. Unlike the flower of their namesake, however, they were a much lighter shade of red, nearly pink in their hue, though not quite.
"Huh. How long has it been since we've actually used our quirks for anything like that?" Yang wondered as she aimlessly rubbed her fingers together, feeling the brief sparks between her fingers before stopping them, not wanting to cause a fire at this point in time. She'd done it for most of their campfires so far, and it had been a literal life saver. Especially on rainy nights.
"Long enough that I can get the drop on you!" Ruby said as she lightly tapped her sister on the left shoulder with the rose petals.
…
"... okay, it's on, sis," Yang said as she and Ruby rose from their places on the beds, placing their weapons to the side as they readied themselves for Quirk Tag. It was a simple and rather silly game: essentially tag with quirks only, but it was fun nonetheless. Besides, they could use the distraction.
"Guess I'm 'it,'" Yang stated, knowing how the rules of the game worked. "You ready, sis? I still remember how this went down the last time."
"Of course I am! Let's get ready to rumble!" Ruby exclaimed as she leapt out the window of their room, Yang quickly chasing after her as their game continued for far longer than either of them had anticipated. And neither of them cared a bit.
(twenty minutes later, 3:47 pm, the same inn, Izuku's POV)
Izuku had long since gotten himself out of his proverbial relapse one he saw that Yang was indeed starting to feel better, at least for the moment. He wanted to talk to her, sure, but she both deserved and needed some time with her sister. Even if it was to just play a silly game of modified tag.
A game that you can't play.
Izuku quashed that thought as soon as it had appeared. They both needed this. It had been a long time since they'd genuinely done something fun, let alone together, and it was a nice change of pace regardless.
"You thinking about joining them?"
Izuku turned slightly to find Jaune standing next to him with Crocea Mors still at his hip, responding, "Nah. I think I'd just weigh it down."
"Well, whatever you're alright with," Jaune said as he took the seat to Izuku's left. "Hey, I noticed you were kinda down earlier. You okay?"
"... getting there," Izuku answered. He understood Jaune's concern, but the frequency of this particular question was getting a bit annoying. Just a bit.
Jaune didn't ask anything after that, since he'd been asked the same question at a similar frequency when he was feeling particularly down or depressed. It seemed that his talking and training with Shoto was helping him out in more ways than one, though none of their group would ever claim to be therapists.
"So, you feel like sparring? I don't think we've ever really done that, and now that we have so much to work with..." Jaune trailed off with a smile on his face. Izuku couldn't help but reflect it with one of his own.
"Gladly!" Izuku said as he bounced from his seat to his feet. "Got a spot in mind?"
"Yeah," Jaune responded as he too rose to his feet. "There's a glade over by the eastern part of town. It's seemed pretty empty, so we should be able to practice relatively undisturbed."
After five minutes of idle walk and excited conversation, they made their way over to the luscious green glade that Jaune had previously spoken of. It was like something out of a fairy tale, honestly. The grass was one of the richest green hues he'd ever seen, and the trees surrounding them were so high they almost looked like pillars, bearing the weight of the sky upon their wide trunks and heavy branches.
"This place is beautiful," Izuku said as his eyes widened in childlike awe, the excitement he felt only further heightening when a sudden flow of wind came through the glade, causing the leaves and grass to both sway in harmonious movement.
"Yeah. Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to eat out here later. Not that inns are bad or anything, but I think the others would like this place too. It's certainly more scenic than other placed we've holed up in," Jaune said with a similar look on his face.
It was also at that moment that Lancelot chose to appear with his helmet in tow. "Not that I wish to interrupt your collective awe, but I do believe you two have a spar scheduled?"
It was also at that moment that the two were brought back to reality, drawing their metaphorical lines in the sand as they went to opposite sides of the glade and drew their respective weapons, Crocea Mors' new look catching the slightest glint of the sun as its wielder prepared to activate its dust chamber, while Tempest was freed of its position on Izuku's back with a quick flourish of sword strokes before he shifted into the stance that he'd been drilled into by Qrow.
"You ready?" Jaune asked.
"Whenever you are," Izuku responded.
A single solitary beat passed between them, taking so long to pass, yet leaving as quickly as it came.
Then, simultaneously, they sprung forwards, and clashed. As blade met blade, a ring of force echoed outwards, causing the grass to sway in tune before they separated and clashed once more.
A harmonious song of steel echoed through the treetops and giving the combatants something to almost dance to. Jaune then broke the pattern by blocking with his shield, letting Izuku's blow slid down its length before he made a swing at the green haired inheritor's shoulder as Crocea Mors' blade came alive with lightning dust. However, Izuku expected this, flipping Tempest into a backhand grip and pivoting as quickly as he could, his legs screaming with effort as their blades met once more for a prolonged clash.
"Almost got you," Jaune taunted with a smirk playing at his lips, lightning dust giving a vibrant hum to his blade as the standoff held.
"You've gotta learn new tricks, Jaune. The same thing doesn't often work twice," Izuku retorted in equal measure, though it was all in good fun.
"Oh, but I have," Jaune said as he pressed forward, letting one of Lancelot's gauntlets materialize and nearly catch Izuku across the face, breaking the clash and allowing him to throw a line of electricity towards his opponent, which he luckily dodged, only for the bolt to be caught instead by a nearby tree trunk.
"Watch the trees!" Izuku chided as his cloak flapped in the draft he'd briefly made, settling behind him not a second later.
"In my own defense, you were right in front of it, like, a second ago," Jaune gestured from Izuku to the marked tree with his sword.
Izuku simply shrugged in response before rushing forth and stabbing Tempest into the ground, using the newfound leverage to assist himself in jumping at least fifteen feet into the air as Jaune summoned Lancelot's full torso, swiping at the green-cloaked blur as shotgun shots echoed from beneath his feet, letting him dodge that swipe and effectively used the same projection as a launch point from which he could survey Jaune, with the perfect angle for a dive attack.
"Why does it feel as though I'm used as a literal stepping stone most of the time?" Lancelot wondered to himself aloud as Izuku made his move, launching himself with furious speed down to where Jaune was as he called out to Tempest, the blade humming in response before taking itself out of the ground and quickly sped back to its wielder's hand, being caught mid-fall as Izuku then spun himself, effectively putting the pommel of Tempest under Stratus' barrel and firing it, causing the blade to bury itself halfway deep in the dirt where Jaune once stood, recognizing the attack in time to just barely avoid it.
"Oh Oum, that was-" Jaune tried to say before he was suddenly interrupted by a kick to the stomach, and, though his Aura had dulled the blow significantly, it was still enough to knock the wind out of him.
However, this didn't mean he didn't counterattack. On the contrary, he managed to give Izuku two strikes with Corcea Mors that, with the addition to the lightning dust that still ran through the blade, effectively brought them down to the same level of Aura. At least, he hoped so.
They now stood twenty feet apart from each other, eyes locked as the faintest drops of sweat started to form on their foreheads. How long had it been? Maybe three minutes? They were barely even winded, despite their efforts. Well, Jaune had to briefly catch his breath, but otherwise, they were nowhere near done.
The silence between them was suddenly broken as Jaune slammed his shield into the ground, cutting off the flow of dust to his sword as he sheathed it within the shield, and Lancelot came to life. Ghostly pieces of armor materialized out of thin air, stacking themselves higher and higher until, finally, Lancelot was revealed in all his glory, standing nearly half the height of the trees that surrounded them with a long, thick, misty white blade of such scale that only one of his size and strength could even hope to wield it.
Izuku let his lips upturn just the slightest bit as he began the transformation sequence for Tempest, the blade curling into a crescent as Lancelot swung his blade downward in a wide arc, causing the green haired inheritor to leap from the ground to avoid the attack. At the same time, Tempest's handle finished fully extending, causing Izuku to slid his grip down to the end and giving the blade a heavy overhead swing and threw it towards the ghostly knight, who managed to bring his sword back up in time to block the attack.
However, Izuku had already planned for this possibility, quickly flipping his body mid-air and launching himself with Cyrus and Stratus straight towards the meeting edges, grabbing Tempest's handle once more as he used the momentum of his redirection to hook himself around the massive sword and launch himself upwards once more, a hollow metal drag echoing through the glade as Izuku rose to such heights that he could almost see the tops of the trees. For just a brief moment, he let himself be encapsulated in a moment of sheer awe.
But it was brief nonetheless, and Izuku spun Tempest into a position behind him and readied himself for his planned attack. Lancelot, rather suddenly, shifted out of Paladin mode while Jaune took his place on the ground, reaching for Crocea Mors' sheathed form at his left hip, preparing for a quick-draw strike.
The clash was inevitable, Izuku spinning with a wild momentum about as he plummeted towards the blonde knight as he gathered his strength for this final clash.
For the briefest of moments, Izuku's mind went elsewhere. To a building filled with flame and smoke, the smell of ash overpowering his senses as, at the center of it all, stood a man outlined in charcoal black and burning crimson, his blade sheathed at his side as his hand deftly gripped at the hilt. The sound of blade against sheath was hollow, echoing through his mind more times than he could even begin to count in less than a split second.
It was this single slip-up, this single moment, not even lasting half a second, that caused him to cross his threshold, rocketing forwards at a speed that he had achieved during times of desperation, and, barely half an inch away from Jaune's neck, halted as he recognized his friend, who, despite the fact that he might've just barely avoided death, only had concern for his friend as his hands let go of their grip on his weapon.
Izuku dropped Tempest almost instantly, taking in deep gulps of air as he stumbled backward and eventually fell to the ground. His chest rose and fell at a rapid rate, closing his eyes as he tried to calm down. Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay...
Can't stay calm, can't stay calm, everything's going too fast, I can't-
"-zuku?"
Jaune's voice eventually broke through the haze, causing him to flinch back in surprise as Jaune stood over him, offering him a hand up while Lancelot took the form of his helmet next to him.
"Can you stand?"
I'm... I'm so sorry...
But as he opened his mouth to form the words, an invisible lump of air got stuck in his throat. So, after a few awkward seconds of silence, Izuku simply nodded as he accepted the blonde's help up and was pulled to his feet.
"Hey, Izuku?"
The green haired inheritor in question stayed silent as he took a few shaky steps towards Tempest, plucking the weapon from the ground with a slow lift of his own hand, as though he were dragging the weapon out of sap despite the lack of resistance. A twist of the pommel shifted Tempest back into its blade form, allowing him to snap it to his back even as the weapon hummed in concern of its wielder's wellbeing.
Without a sound he walked out of the glade alone, leaving Jaune behind him as he heard the semi-distant sound of a tree tumbling from its stump to the ground with a loud thunk. Izuku didn't need to look to know that that was his fault.
A drop in a bucket full of fuckups.
(a few hours later, near the inn, Izuku's POV)
Izuku hardly spoke when dinner passed by with the setting sun. Mainly because there was no one to talk to. He'd eaten earlier than the others did, and made himself scarce afterward. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to them. There was an urge to tell them anything, everything, what had been happening to him, what he was dealing with, what he'd learned, just to calm this chaotic swirl of thoughts that was his mind.
And then I'd be putting them in even more danger than they're already in. Damnit.
Izuku felt the slightest urge to slap himself, if only to receive some form of distraction, but he did not, instead allowing the trickling droplets of rain to roll off of his hood and find their way to the ground. He brought his plated forearms around himself, rubbing his biceps to generate some warmth as the chill of what would surely soon be a downpour began to rear its ugly head.
It was also in that moment that he gazed through the window of the building standing across from the inn, which was, coincidentally, the second largest building in the town: the bar. It was made from dark mahogany wood, and framed in such a way that it could blend into almost any aesthetic, with two stories and a classic saloon door with windows evenly spaced on either side of it. To put it simply: it was a bar.
It was not the bar itself, however, that caught Izuku's attention. Rather, it was one of the people he saw through the window. He was sitting at one of the tables that was closest to the bar, yet had a clear view of the inn through the window, and, as was common for the man at that point, he had a glassful of whiskey clasped in his left hand. The combed back, feather-like hair, the pale skin, the cape, and the unique shade of red in his eyes gave Izuku all he needed to know. This time, he was certain it was Qrow.
Fortunate timing for him, seeing as the weather was starting to pick up steam and the gradual rainfall was starting to get heavier, to the point that it was starting to soak through his cloak. So, he quickly made for the aforementioned building, Cyrus and Stratus making wet echoes against the cobbled path as he got to the door, pushing through it with an ominous creak that drew the attention of everyone sitting within it.
At least that's what he thought would happen. Instead, people just gave him a brief glance and went back to their business, which either involved conversing with one another at varying volumes or drinking themselves into oblivion. That, in combination with the fact that Izuku had his hood over his head and the rain had darkened the shade of green in his cloak, were probably the main reasons he wasn't immediately recognized by everyone in the bar and swarmed for questions. Again.
Actually, one of the latter group of patrons was actually at the bar itself, her head slumped forwards with a mugful of brandless, golden alcohol clutched in her hand as she spoke in slurred speech to the current bartender, who looked at her with both concern and pity. This appeared to be the same blonde woman who had tried borderline interrogating Yang only a few hours earlier.
Everyone has a story, no matter how boring, adventurous, or tragic. You might never hear it told, but that never means it doesn't matter. Isn't that right, Qrow?
Izuku thought that as his gaze shifted to the man in question, who, after a second of seeming contemplation, gestured for him to come over and sit, which Izuku did as quickly, and silently, as he could.
"You've got good eyes, kid. Getting the hang of the details?" Qrow said in recognition, taking a sip from the glass in his hand before putting it back on the table with a silent clink.
"Well, I think I have a bit of a ways to go. I'm getting there though," Izuku responded in kind.
"Good. You're probably gonna need that skill in the long run," Qrow said, both knowing exactly what was being left unsaid.
.
..
...
"... so? You gonna ask?" Qrow said as he folded his hands over each other, putting them on the table the balance himself.
"... it's not what I wanted to start off with," Izuku admitted.
"That's fair, but we should probably get the awkward stuff out of the way now. So, I've been tailing your group for the past two weeks or so. I was actually on the way back from a hunt when I first saw you guys," Qrow answered. "I didn't make myself known because... well, how do you think Ruby and Yang would've reacted to seeing me?"
"You mean besides immediately trying to hug you into submission?" Izuku asked, knowing just how fond the two sisters were of their aforementioned uncle.
"I mean, there is that, but they'd eventually start thinking that I didn't think they'd be able to get to Mistral on their own. I certainly think they could, but that would welcome a lot of undue stress, and you guys already have enough of that just from trying to get to Athens.
"As for the whole Grimm clearing thing... I mean, Oum, you guys would barely get a moment's rest outside of towns and villages. So, I lightened the load a bit," Qrow explained with a shrug.
"A bit?" Izuku asked knowingly.
"... what can I say? Old habits die hard. Especially good ones," Qrow quickly responded. "Besides, I let you guys kill the Nevermore and the Geist. You'll have to get used to fights like that as hunters, because they'll be popping up a lot. I'm not kidding, it can get very tiring, so better to get used to it now. I also won't interfere directly unless any of you are in lethal danger, you have my word on that."
"So, you'll keep trailing us?"
"Yup. If you want to tell the others, that's your choice, but I'll still be keeping an eye on you all."
"Well, they already know that you're following us," Izuku answered.
"... they don't know it's actually me, do they?"
"No, I kept the whole identity thing vague until I knew for certain. Which I now do."
"You gonna tell them, then?"
"... I'm not sure. If they ask, I'm not gonna keep it from them, but this isn't exactly something you can just... bring up normally," Izuku said as he rubbed his forehead with his fingers in minor frustration.
"Yeah. Sorry about that. Erm... hey, now that I'm looking, you kinda-"
"Look like I haven't slept and I'm stressed out of my gourd?"
"... yeah. Rough few days?"
"You could say that."
…
A few seconds of silence passed before a young waitress came to their table and handed Qrow another glass, this time with a far more expensive looking liquid within it.
"Erm... I didn't-"
"The woman upstairs got it for you," the waitress said as she pointed in the aforementioned direction. "Red eyes. Kinda like yours. Said you wouldn't mind bottom shelf."
Qrow and Izuku turned their gazes in that direction, finding a mass of hair that was so similar to Yang's that the green haired inheritor was honestly a little surprised to not see that same hair structure be golden. That could only mean one person. The woman he'd rarely heard of, and the one who he'd been warned by Qrow to not trust.
"Thanks," Qrow answered as he turned back to the same drink. Izuku then tried, and failed, to try to block out the flirting that took place briefly before the waitress left, Qrow letting a sly smile slip out as she passed.
He then noticed the 'really?' look that Izuku was giving him and sheepishly scratched the back of his head in seeming shame. "What? I didn't say anything."
"Just... can we please get back to the situation at hand?"
Slowly, Qrow nodded, the two rising from their seats as the made their way up the stairs. There was a tension in the air that Izuku could almost touch, continuing as their footsteps echoed up the stairs and towards the woman waiting for them, alerting her to their presence.
As they turned the corner, Qrow stopped on the edge of the wooden railing, Izuku stopping just behind him as the red-eyed reaper had a stand-off with what he could almost call his counterpart. In terms of appearance, at least. Her outfit consisted of a shallow cut black and red dress with black shorts underneath, with series of beaded necklaces hanging loosely from her neck and a belt that wrapped around her waist and carried her weapon's sheath, though that was currently set to her side. Attached also was a long black object that was either fur or feathers, with a red and white bandana material hanging from behind her. Her forearms bore red armored gauntlets that protruded outwards along with solid black gloves. She wore black mid-thigh high boots with red splatter patterns, black heels, and red soles. Lastly, she had a long mane of hair and bright red eyes, only slightly darker than the shade that Yang's turned when she was either angry or had her semblance active. On the table in front of her was a distinct and recognizable design: a mask. It was bone white with red designs, with four separate eye-slits to gaze through. He wasn't entirely sure why it was designed that way, but he did know that it was strikingly intimidating, even though it wasn't currently being worn.
The woman herself looked strikingly similar to Yang, with the same facial structure, hairstyle, and height, were she not wearing heels. But there were significant differences. Her hair was jet black, even darker than Qrow's, her skin was almost as pale as Tomura's, and there were small but noticeable age lines beneath her eyes. There was also a portion of her hair done up in a ponytail slightly above the rest of it, ending in what resembled curved black feathers. Similar to Yang, she also had a slight cowlick protruding from the top of her hair.
Raven Branwen. Former member of Team STRQ, ex-ally of Ozpin and his council, current leader of the Branwen Bandit Tribe. Yang's mother.
And as far as Yang's concerned, she's not worthy of the title. At least, that's the impression I got.
After a few more seconds of tense silence, Raven finally greeted them, "Hello, little brother. I thought you weren't teaching anymore."
The hunter in question glanced back to Izuku before shrugged, turning back to his sister, and sitting across from her, setting his glass on the table before answering, "Officially, yeah. I was done with that profession as soon as Ruby passed her first year of combat school. Doesn't mean I can't take apprentices every now and then, Raven. Now, what the hell are you doing here?"
Izuku took this brief discourse to get closer. Not enough to be noticed, but enough to get a better look at Raven's weapon. The sheath had a rotary chamber filled with different types of Dust blades, reminiscent of the Dust vial chamber of Weiss' Mytenaster. While he currently couldn't see either the size or the shape of the blades in inside, he knew that they likely had the properties of every dust type under the sun, and if the length of the handle was anything to go by, the blades were likely very long.
Then, the conversation picked back up again. "Can't I catch up with family every now and then?"
"You can... but that's never been your style. And you wouldn't come to the middle of Mistral if you just wanted to 'catch up.' So cut the crap and answer my question," Qrow responded before sipping his drink and giving his sister a cocky but firm glare.
Raven held her ground, however, and asked, "Two things. Who's this kid you're with and why the hell do I feel that semblance coming from him, and does she have it?"
And the tension within the room suddenly increased tenfold, Qrow's eyes narrowing on his sister as Izuku's hand twitched, almost beginning to reach for Tempest out of habit, before catching himself. Qrow gestured him forwards, the green haired inheritor grabbing a nearby chair and placing it between the two siblings, though he sat closer to Qrow than he did Raven.
"Before we say anything... I want to know something."
Raven gestured for him to speak his mind. Qrow's finger made its way around the edge of the glass in front of him as he played out a few more seconds of anticipating silence.
"... you know Yang lost her arm, right?"
And again, Izuku had to try his hardest not to show too much of a reaction. But, as the question sunk in, he could see the look of building anger on Raven's face as she answered, "That's not-"
"Don't bother finishing. I know you know. Don't take the high ground of 'family' around me when you carry on like your own daughter doesn't exist."
"I saved her."
And that was where Izuku could no longer hold back. A combination of the stress that had been piling up, the stress of nearly going too far in his spar with Jaune, and the helplessness he felt at not being able to do anything to help Yang... and now this person was claiming to have saved her?!
"Saved her? Saved her?!" Izuku interrupted the two's argument, his voice bubbling with anger so potent it was a miracle he wasn't yelling. "When the fuck was that?! I didn't see you or anyone like you at Beacon. You weren't there when the Fall started. You didn't go there at any point when people were dying in the streets. You weren't there when Yang lost her fucking arm and nearly died. And you weren't there afterward, when all was said and done, when she could've used a real mother the most. You didn't save her. You did nothing."
.
..
…
The silence went on for several, aching seconds, long enough that Izuku could hear a candle or two fizzle out in the background. But he didn't care. This woman could hold one of her swords to his throat, and his answer wouldn't change a bit.
"... who in all the hells that might exist are you?" Raven asked, beginning to reach for her own weapon ever so slightly.
Izuku sighed as he grabbed the hood of his cloak and pulled it from his head, letting his partially wet, dark green locks flow freely as he brought his gaze back up to Raven's, who, after a few seconds of waiting, widened her eyes in recognition.
"... well... that answers one question," Raven said as she put her hand on her face, rubbing it to rid herself of what seemed to be a headache.
"... that's it?" Qrow asked in surprise. Izuku would've joined him in that surprise, but frankly, this woman wasn't worth the effort.
"I don't think I need to ask his name. He's clearly Hisashi's kid," Raven answered. "Oum, this was not how I wanted this conversation to go..."
"Tough shit, you snake-tongued bitch."
"Fuck off, you feather-haired asshole."
.
..
…
"... well, since you already asked so nicely earlier... no. She doesn't have it."
He knew little of the person they were referring to. He knew her name, Salem, and that she was a kind of queen for the Grimm, but that was really it. However, he didn't what the 'it' that they kept referring to was. Was it one of the relics that Qrow had mentioned in that fairy tale? Maybe. But he'd ask once this conversation was over.
"... you know, you-"
"I don't want to hear it, Qrow. I'm not stupid enough to think we're enough to defeat her. Not anymore," she cut her brother off, continuing, "And you're the one who left. The tribe raised us and you went and turned your back on them."
"... did the past few minutes just fly over your fucking head? Don't bring that up. They were killers and thieves. And as far as I know, nothing's changed that much."
"They were your-"
"Say 'family' one more time. I dare you. Because you have a very, very skewed perception of the word that anyone with half a brain could run into the ground," Qrow said as he held his gaze with his sister's, invisible sparks flying between them as the silence continued for an achingly long time.
"I lead now. And I will do whatever I must to ensure our tribe's survival."
"Yeah, I saw. So did Xione."
Izuku's fists suddenly clenched in anger. This person... she'd attacked that town? They were defenseless! Most of the people there were innocent! WHY?!
As though she had sensed his thoughts, she responded to Qrow, and simultaneously answered his unvoiced question. "... the strong live, the weak die. That's how the world works."
"... bullshit."
…
"... excuse me?" Raven said, her gaze returning to Izuku as he answered her declaration.
"You heard me. That is the flimsiest worldview I've ever heard. If it held true, I can guarantee I wouldn't be sitting here right now. I had to work myself half to death to get where I am, and hearing you and your blatant Group A, Group B bullshit is-"
"Izuku! Calm down."
It was at his mentor's voice that he suddenly realized that he was no longer sitting, rising to meet Raven's height with clenched fists, ready for a fight. Silently swearing under his breath, Izuku let himself sit back down, glaring at Raven with no less hostility than before. And still, she almost asked another question, likely one of the ones she'd asked about earlier.
"How did-"
"Raven. You should leave," Qrow interrupted with an eerie calm that froze Izuku to his seat.
.
..
...
Raven then sighed as she reached for her mask, saying, "If you don't know where the relic is, and you won't answer my questions, then we have nothing left to talk about."
Qrow gave his sister a sterner glare for several seconds before breaking it, saying, "Yeah. Now leave before this turns into a fight," as he turned his attention back to his drink.
Then, with a swoop of her blade, a portal opened, and with a rhythmic click of her boots, she stepped through it, causing it to disappear only a second afterward.
It was also at this time that Izuku let out a breath he didn't realize was being held, putting his forehead against the wood of the table as he said, "I fucked up, didn't I?"
"I mean... sort of, but not really. She had it coming, and you seem like you've had... well, one of 'those' days. Honestly, it probably would've ended like that even if I left you downstairs," Qrow said as he tried to reassure his student that this wasn't entirely his fault.
"She's just... urgh! She's so infuriating! It's almost unfathomable to think that she's related to people like you and Yang!"
.
..
…
"... oh Oum, Yang. What do I tell Yang?"
"I really hate saying this, but... you can't tell her. Not yet. The less people know about the secrets this world keeps, the safer they'll be. And, unfortunately, that includes your group."
"But their latest threat is in Mistral. We're going to Mistral!"
"And we'll fill them in on what we're up against once we're all there in one piece and there aren't as many people around to potentially listen in. Look, I want to tell them too. Honestly, there have been times where I want to spill everything to someone close because of the stress and the guilt. But for now, at least, they're better off not knowing. You've all got enough to worry about as it is.
"Try to get some rest kid. You're gonna need it," Qrow said with a firm pat to Izuku's shoulder as he rose from his chair walked back downstairs, the click of his shoes disappearing into the murmurs and aimless noise of the people downstairs.
Eventually, he didn't know how much time had passed, Izuku too stood and walked down the stairs, again glancing at the blonde woman, who was currently asleep with the slightest hints of tear stains lining her cheeks. A pang of sympathy rang out for the woman before the green haired inheritor turned and left the building entirely, the rain heavy enough to fill his hair within only a few short seconds. It was cold. Almost soothing, in a strange way.
Izuku then slowly breathed in and out as he looked up towards the sky, closing his eyes as the rest of his face caught the myriad of droplets the fell from unseen clouds overhead. A moment of peace and calm.
But it was a moment. Nothing more, nothing less.
A/N: Okay, this was much longer than I originally thought it'd be, and it may have some problems because of that. Seriously, I wrote out 3,000 words in a day because I honestly didn't think it would be this long. Let me know if there's anything I should change or clarify!
Also, special thanks to Shiakusa for giving me the idea of how Yang views Raven! You're awesome dude! Hope to see you around! And now:
Review Responses:
Odin's Eye: Yeah. He might learn it in some capacity, but this is Bakugo we're talking about. And oh yes, let's hope they do.
Kaiser Dragon: Oh yes, they both will. And while I certainly think that Jacque is worse than Endeavor... I mean, let's be honest, Enji isn't exactly 'father of the year' material by any means.
Midgardsormr Jr: There will be fire alright. Let's see who lights it...
Rune Dragon432: Yep! Well, I'd say Bakugo is less living fireworks than he is a living bomb with an occasionally very short fuse.
Mecha Manda: Not quite yet, but that's not to say he won't be... well, Bakugo.
Gorosaurus Fan: Patience and meditation in extreme temperatures, at least to start with. And considering just who we're talking about this isn't gonna be easy.
King Ceasar Jr: One day, but that day is not today.
Enku: That it most certainly is. It's part of his arc, but it's not necessarily going to be the end of it. It'll be the beginning. And that's a damn good quote. Makes me want to go and do something awesome!
God-King Ghidora: I mean, you'll have to wait till next time for that. And I do have some very funny interactions planned for next time, considering a large part of this chapter was rather... bleak.
Thunder Dragon: Not quite yet, though I'm sure he'd do it given the chance.
Next Chapter: Mar. 22nd
Seeya in the next one!