Remnant's new ACE hunter
Chapter 8: The dillusioned regard of past things.
"Talking."
Thinking.
ATTACK!
DISCLAIMER: I have no rights, nor will I ever, to either One Piece or RWBY.
Ace and company walked into the hotel restraunt. There was a buffet to one side and seating arrangements to the other. If one wanted, he/she could either get food from the buffet or order something from the kitchen. Being an all expenses paid trip, the family could order anything they wanted and it wouldn't cost them a single Lien. Ace was well aware of this fact, much to the dismay of the kitchen staff and Ozpin's personnal bank account.
What? Someone has to have paid for the hotel and everything.
"So kids, what're you going to get?" Taiyang asked as they sat down at a table. Qrow immediately grabbed the menu listing the variety of alcoholic drinks the hotel had.
"I want a strawberry sundae." Ruby said.
"Real food first." Taiyang said, going into 'dad' mode. Ruby pouted as she reconsidered her options.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ordering a huge bowl of ramen." Ace said as he waved over a waiter.
"Can I get your order?" The waiter politely said.
"Give the the biggest bowl of pork ramen you got." Ace said. The waiter nodded as he took down the order.
"I'll take some sweet and spicy chicken with noodles." Yang spoke up. "The spicier the better." The blonde huntress in training said.
"Alright, anything else?" The waiter asked.
"Steak, medium rare." Taiyang spoke up. He looked at Ruby, expectantly.
"Cheesburger, no onions and extra pickles." Ruby said.
"I'll have an order of chicken on rice," Qrow said, "and whatever you call this thing." The alcoholic hunter said as he pointed to a drink on the bar menu. It looked like a fish bowl filled with blue liquied along with glowing ice cubes. The waiter nodded before leaving.
"Didn't know you drank such… fruity alcohol, Qrow." Taiyang said in amusement.
"What? Regular beer and whiskey gets boring after a while. This helps mix things up." Qrow defended. The family casually chatted, unaware of what was ocurring in the kitchen.
"Where'd you get the chef getups?" A lackey asked Raymond.
"I know a guy on the eastside. Runs a costume shop." Raymond said. He went to where the orders were left and quickly looked through them. He found the one for Ace's table and smiled. He and his lackey moved off to the side and pretended to be doing chef stuff while the food was being prepared. When the ramen was put on the tray for Ace's table, both goons crowded around it. The lackey pulled out the vial while Raymond supervised.
"Remember, just a few drops. Anymore and the kid might not live to fight." Raymond told his lackey. Both were currently dressed like chefs in the hotel kitchen. In front of them was a giant bowl of pork ramen. Outside the kitchen, Ace and company were sitting at a table, waiting to be fed.
"Don't worry man, I got it. I got it." The lackey said as he took out the small vial of liquid. The lackey uncorked it and positioned it over the giant bowl of ramen. He carefully poured three drops into the ramen.
"Okay, that should be enough. Re-cork the vial and let's get out of here." Raymond said as he wiped his forehead in relief. That relief turned to dread when an unsuspecting chef jostled the lacky. The underling let go of the vial, and it fell into the ramen. Both goons stared at the ramen in shock, unable to do anything for a full ten seconds.
"Take it out!" Raymond furiously whispered. Because the ramen was extremely hot, the lackey got a ladle and fished the vial out of the dish. The lackey was on the verge of crying when he saw that the vial was completely empty.
"We are so royally screwed." The lackey said as he took the vial out of the ladle. Raymond was about to respond, but a waiter came in at that moment.
"This dish ready?" He asked. Raymond dumbly nodded. Without another word, the waiter took the big bowl of ramen and gave it to Ace. Both goons cringed when they saw the red eyed boy consume the bowl at a furious pace.
"Yep, we are completely and utterly screwed." Raymond said as he and the lackey walked away.
"So, what'ya wanna do with the final hours of our lives?" The lackey asked. Raymond thought for a few seconds.
"Wanna get hammered and watch anime?" Raymond asked.
"A noble use of the last of our time here on Remnant." The lackey said as he nodded in agreement. Back with the family, Ace was nearly done with his bowl of ramen, and he was already starting to feel the effects. It wasn't anything big, just a little lightheadedness. He disregarded it, thinking that he had eaten his ramen too fast this time. On the way back to his room, he was having a hard time concentrating.
"Guess my fights today took more out of me than I thought." Ace told himself as he bid the others good night. "I'll just sleep it off." The red eyed boy said as he placed his hat on the nightstand and laid down.
Ace was back in Marineford. All around him fighting was going on. One thing got his attention though. Akainu was standing over Luffy.
"Luffy!" Ace yelled as he ran in his brother's direction.
"Ace help!" A new voiced called out. Ace turned and saw another Akainu standning over Ruby and Yang. Ace froze, unsure of what to do.
"HIKEN!" Ace shouted as he pointed a fist in each direction. Both Akainus sneered at Ace's attack before countering with their own magma. Ace's attack dissipated, not changing anything. The Akainus were still standing over Luffy, Yang, and Ruby. Ace looked in each direction helplessly. Both Akainus had raised a magma covered fist, ready to end the lives of their victims.
"Ace!" Ruby and Yang yelled in desperation. Luffy just looked up at the admiral in fear, unable to move or talk. Ace knew he could only save either Luffy or the sisters. Ace tried to come to some sort of decision, but was unable to. Those seconds of uncertainty cost Ace. Both Akainus brought their fists down on their victims.
"NO!" Ace yelled.
"AH!" Ace yelled as he sat up in bed. He was drenched in sweat and was very hot. This wasn't the kind of heat he usually had. This was the kind of heat that meant something was seriously wrong with his body. He got off his bed and staggered into the bathroom. He turned on the light and looked into the sink mirror. His normally bright red eyes had dulled and were now bloodshot. He suddenly felt something inside him lurch. He coughed up blood into the sink. Ace wiped the excess blood off his mouth as he stared at the blood in the sink.
"The Hell is going on with me?" Ace asked as he felt another fit of coughing overtake him. More blood was splattered on the bathroom sink as Ace struggled to control his coughing. Once his coughing fit had ended, Ace rinsed the blood on the sink into the drain and rinsed out his mouth. Ace stood there, taking deep breaths as he tried to think of some way this could have happened to him. He staggered back to bed and sat down, though didn't go to sleep.
"After that dream, there's no way I'm going back to sleep." Ace muttered. The red eyed boy reasoned that a night without sleep wouldn't kill him. He was sure he would have more than enough stamina to compensate for his fight tomorrow with Pyrrha.
Reality seemed to have wanted to screw over Ace at that moment, for his narcolepsy chose to rear its ugly head.
… Meanwhile…
"You had one job," Boss man said as he stared at hungover forms of Raymond and his lackey, "and a simple one at that. Do you realize that you just killed the kid? There was enough in there to kill ten people, and you just gave it all to a thirteen year old." Boss man said.
"It wasn't our fault Boss, another chef jostled us." Raymond weakly defended.
"You're supposed to be my second in command, Raymond. It reflects bad on me if you can't even plan for a crowded kitchen." Boss man said. "I'm in a good mood, so I won't kill you… yet. If, by the slimmest of chances, the boy survives and makes it to the tournament, then I'll just break your arms. If he loses to Pyrrha, then I'll let you go with nothing more than a broken thumb, okay?" Boss man darkly said.
"R-r-right Boss." Raymond said, stuttering out of fear. The lackey didn't even bother responding. He was too busing trying and failing not to defficate in his own pants.
"Get these two failures out of here." Boss man said. Both were dragged out of the room.
… Back At The Hotel…
Ace was facing the god Monty. They were back in the white room, exactly the way Ace remembered it.
"I''ve given it some thought Ace, and I decided to let you go back to your world if you really want to." Monty said as he pointed to a door that said "One Piece World."
"Just go through that door, and you'll be back with your friends and family." Monsty said. As if by magic, Luffy appeared on Monty's right alongside Garp, Shanks, Makino, and Whitebeard. Ace smiled when he saw them. He was about to go embrace them, but Monty spoke up.
"However, if you do leave, you'll be leaving behind friends and family." Monty said. On Monty's left Ruby, Yang, Qrow, Taiyang, and Sally appeared. Ace stopped in his tracks, adopting a conflicted expression when he fully realized what Monty had said.
"What're you waiting for Ace? Let's go be pirates!" Luffy exclaimed.
"We're going to be hunters, right Ace?" Ruby asked.
"C'mon, it's not too late to join the marines." Garp said.
"We're going to Beacon together, aren't we?" Yang asked.
"I want to get to know you more, Ace. How about some sake on my ship?" Shanks asked.
"Kid you got class in the morning, hurry up and come home." Qrow said.
"The Whitebeard Pirates need their Division two commander, son." Whitebeard said.
"Ruby and Yang are worried about you." Taiyang said.
"I miss you Ace, please come home." Makino said.
"You were supposed to visit me in Vale, Ace." Sally said.
Ace looked at both groups of people with desperation. How could he choose? No matter what he said, he would be abandoning peopple he loved.
"This is what you wanted originally, wasn't it? To go back to your old world?" Monty asked. Ace backed away as he tried to form some sort of coherent thought.
"Please don't make me choose." Ace begged.
Ace's head snapped up when he heard someone knocking on the door.
"Ace! You awake yet?" Yang's voice said through the door.
"Yeah." Ace said, his voice slightly raspy. He tried getting up, but found he couldn't concentrate as easily. He fell to the floor in a jumble of limbs and bed sheets. Ace pulled himself up and looked at the clock. He gasped when he saw it was half past four in the afternoon. He would be fighting Pyrrha in less than a half hour.
"Well hurry up! We're leaving soon!" Yang said before walking down the hall to her room. With a grunt of effort, Ace stood and went to the bathroom mirror. He cringed when he saw his reflection. His eyes were even more bloodshot than before. No longer were they the radiate crimson they always were, they were now a dull red. His skin was pale and sweating. There were faint dark circles under Ace's eyes. The thirteen year old found that it was getting harder to breathe. His heart was going a mile a minute. Ace felt something in his stomach give. He vomited blood and stomach acid into the sink. The red eyed boy rinsed out his mouth and the sink, not wanting anyone to know what was happening to him.
The wise thing to do would have been to tell Taiyang and Qrow. They would have most likely taken him to the hospital, which means Ace wouldn't make it in time to fight Pyrrha. She would win by default. No, Ace wouldn't allow that. He owed it to Pyrrha to fight her one on one. He owed it to Yang and Ruby to try to win the Mistral Tournament. He owed it to himself to fight no matter what.
Ace did his best to make himself look normal. He washed his face and took a lightining fast thirty second shower. He put on a long sleeve shirt to hide as much of his paleness as he could. When he put on his hat, he angled the brim so it would cover his bloodshot eyes. He opened the door to his room and made his way down to the dining area. Ace knew that if he tried eating anything, he would end up vomiting it out. Ruby and Yang would consider it weird though if he told them he wasn't hungry. He went over to the buffet table and grabbed an entire leg of ham. He then discreetly tore off most of it, leaving a small bite size chunk. He then made his way outside where his group was already waiting for him. He made a big show of eating the small bit of ham. Though he had to fight to swallow it, Ace was somewhat positive that he would be able to hold down that little piece of ham.
"Ready to go Ace?" Taiyang asked. Ace nodded and began walking ahead of everyone. He hoped above all else that they would leave him alone just for today.
"You nervous Ace?" Yang asked as she sped up to walk alongside him.
"Nope." Ace said in his slightly raspy voice.
"Your voice sounds weird. You got a cold or something?" Yang asked.
"Uh, yeah. Must have been the blizzard I had to fight in." Ace said, thinking up lies on the spot.
"That's not gonna affect your fight today, is it?" Yang asked, slightly concerned.
"You know it'll take more than a cold to bring me down Yang." Ace said. He didn't bother mentioning that whatever was happening to him was definitely not a cold.
"Isn't that the truth." Yang said, lightly chuckling. "After you beat Pyrrha, I'll get you some warm milk and we'll play Ultimate Kung Fu Ninja Death Battle." Yang said. "That always makes me and Ruby feel better whenever we're sick." Yang said.
"I'm still not very good at that game." Ace said in his slightly raspy voice. Though he would have preffered to stay silent, Ace could see that Yang was planning on talking with him the entire way to the stadium. He might as well try to have a normal conversation to avoid suspicion. Yang laughed when she heard this.
"Blieve me, I know. You're amazing at fighting in real life, but when it comes to video games you crash and burn." The blonde thirteen year old said. "If it makes you feel any better, you could probably kill every character in that game if you had to fight them." Yang said while lightly slugging Ace's arm.
"That doesn't really help when you've beaten me for the sixth time in a row." Ace said. Yang chuckled in response. The red eyed boy felt the urge to cough, but pushed it down before it could get any further. As each minute passed, Ace could practically feel himself getting weaker. It wasn't by very much. Most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but it was there nonetheless. How this would affect his fighting prowess remained to be seen. The walk to the stadium seemed to take forever in Ace's mind. Finally, to Ace's relief, they were at the combatants entrance.
"Well Ace, know that whether you win or lose, you've made us all very proud." Taiyang said as he smiled down at what he considered his nephew.
"Although it would be nice if you won." Qrow said. On the outside Ace was smiling, but on the inside Ace was very nervous. His insides were starting to hurt and it was getting harder to breathe with each passing minute. Even though he was aware of what was happening to him, Ace still said nothing. Call it stubborness on his part, but Ace was determined to fight under any condition.
"Don't hit Pyrrha too hard." Ruby said while briefly hugging Ace. The eleven year old girl let go of Ace and went to stand next to her father and uncle. That just left Yang. The blonde thirteen year old found herself feeling slightly self conscious at that moment. She felt as if she sould say something meaningful to Ace before he fights. The girl reflexively started combing her hand through her hair as she looked at the floor.
"Ace… whether you win or lose, just know that you'll still be amazing in my book." Yang said, her cheeks gaining a rosy hue. Ace looked at her in slight surprise. Yang wasn't one to get sentimental like this.
"Thanks Yang… that actually means a lot to me." Ace genuinely said. Knowing that his family would love him wether he won or lost relieved some of the pressure he was feeling. The blonde girl lingered for a few seconds before bringing Ace into a quick hug. It was so brief that he didn't even have time to comprehend that Yang had hugged him. She quickly made her way to stand with her sister, hoping that her hair would hide her burning face.
"I have to go. I'll see you all after the fight." Ace said before walking down the combatants only hall. As Yang and her family made their way to the seating area, Yang couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Ace walked into the combatants waiting area and found Pyrrha already waiting there. She smiled when she saw her friend.
"Hello Ace. Are you ready for our match?" Pyrrha asked. Ace wanted to make sure Pyrrha didn't know there was something wrong with him, so he did his best to sound healthy.
"I've been looking forward to it since we met. Better not go easy on me because we're friends." Ace said as he smiled at Pyrrha, his hat still hiding most of his face from sight.
"Nor should you. This is a test of our abilities Ace. Giving anything less than our best would be disrespecting the tournament." Pyrrha said, not noticing the slight wince Ace got. "They're about to call us out. We should probably get ready." Pyrrha said as she stood in front of the hall that would lead them into the arena. Ace nodded and stoood next to her. Ace had Straw and Spade holstered while Pyrrha had her sword and shield on her hands. Both finalists started walking down the hallyway, the roar of the crowd steadily getting louder an louder.
"And here they are, the two finalists, Pyrrha Nikos and Portgas D. Ace!" An announcer exclaimed into the microphone as Ace and Pyrrha exited the hallway and stepped onto the arena. Ace and Pyrrha nodded to each other once before going to stand at different ends of the arena. Ace put his hands on the handles of Straw and Spade, but didn't draw them out yet. Pyrrha raised her shield and held her sword to one side, fully prepared for battle.
3…
2…
1…
GO!
Ace pulled out Straw and Spade and charged Pyrrha. The redhead turned her sword into a spear, put her shield on her back, and went to meet Ace. Right before clashing, Ace holstered Straw and pulled out its sword. Pyrrha slashed at Ace's shoulder. Ace blocked with his sword and aimed Spade at Pyrrha. Pyrrha pulled her spear back and turned around. Ace fired and the bullet hit Pyrrha's shield. The redhead turned again and tried to slash at Ace's head. The red eyed boy ducked and sent a kick at Pyrrha's midsection.
Pyrrha jumped over the kick and, using her spear as a pole vault, launched herself a few meters away. Almost instantly Pyrrha turned her spear into a rifle and fired at Ace. The red eyed boy blocked each bullet sent at him, retaliating every now and then with Spade. Pyrrha pulled out her shield to block the ammo sent at her. Ace took a deep breath of air before charging at Pyrrha again. The redhead turned her rifle into a sword and readied herself for Ace's assault. The red eyed boy holstered Spade and pulled out its blade. Now he had a sword in each hand.
Ace swung with Spade. Pyrrha parried with her sword. Ace jabbed with Straw. Pyrrha raised her shield to defend. Ace used his superior strength to push Pyrrha off balance. He tried to land a hit, but Pyrrha threw her shield at Ace's face. The red eyed boy was forced to duck as the shield went sailing past him. He wasn't ready when Pyrrha jabbed her spear into his midsection. She then lifted Ace using her spear, throwing him clear across the arena. Ace gasped as he felt his body flair with pain. That strike should not have hurt that much, but whatever was in his body was making him far more susceptible to it. He grit his teeth when he finally landed on the arena floor. He got up and gazed at Pyrrha. She had retrieved her shield and was now waiting to see what he would do.
Though he could feel his energy draining away, Ace was far from done. His stamina was considered inhuman for a reason. Even with whatever was happening with his body, Ace could still fight for a long time. Ace grabbed his swords and ran at Pyrrha again, intent on winning this confrontation. Pyrrha saw an opportunity and decided to take it. She flipped her sword so she was holding it in a reverse grip. She let Ace slash at her shield. When he tried to slash with Spade, Pyrrha blocked with her hand, briefly touching the metal of Spade. She turned and did the same thing with Straw. Confident that her polarity would take care of the rest, Pyrrha flipped her sword so she was holding it properly.
Ace slashed with Spade which Pyrrha blocked with her shield. Ace feinted a swing with Straw, which Pyrrha fell for. She raised her sword to parry, but was shocked to see Ace drop Straw and grab the blade of her sword. He quickly pulled himself close to Pyrrha and kneed her in the stomach. The redhead doubled over, not used to such a blow. Her grip on her sword faltered, which Ace took advantage of. He tore the sword from Pyrrha's grasp and tossed it to the other side of the arena. Pyrrha took this opportunity to jump backwards to gain some distance.
Ace picked up Straw and followed Pyrrha. He swung Spade, but somehow missed. He didn't notice Pyrrha discreetly raise her hand and force the blow to go too far to the left. He spun and tried again with Straw only to be met with the same result. Undeterred, the red eyed boy continued to try to hit Pyrrha. The swordless redhead used her polarity to divert each attack, much to the frustration of a certain former pirate. To the rest of the crowd, it seemed like Ace was wasting his energy. Trying to hit Pyrrha was like trying to hit silk billowing in the wind. She seemed to weave out of each attack effortlessly. It got to a point that Ace had enough. He swung one more time, using the momentum from Pyrrha redirecting the attack to transition into an airflare. Mid airflare Ace sheathed Spade and used it to fire at Pyrrha. The redhead raised her shield to block.
While her sight was blocked with her shield, Ace reached into his pocket and pulled out two dust carttidges. He inserted one into his sword and one into his gun. The orange outlines of Spade seemed to glow as they were infused with red dust. He fired the gun, and a veritable fireball was sent at Pyrrha. The redhead was so suprised that she didn't react in time. The dust round hit her right in her stomach, causing her to fly backwards. She flipped in midair and landed on her feet, ready for whatever Ace sent at her. Ace fired Spade again, sending a volley of dust ammunition streaking at Pyrrha. The green eyed girl blocked one with her shield, the force causing her to skid back a couple of inches, before dodging the rest. Seeing that she was at a disadvantage if she stayed away, Pyrrha closed the distance between her and Ace.
The red eyed boy raised a flame covered Straw and sent an arc of fire at Pyrrha. The redhead jumped over the fire arc and quickly turned her sword into a rifle. She fired at Ace, who responded by firing his own dust ammunition at Pyrrha. The green eyed girl moved so that her shield was behind her feet. She then used that as a platform to launch herself at Ace. She turned her sword into a spear, aimed, and threw it at Ace. The red eyed boy swung with a flame engulfed Straw, hitting the spear upwards. Pyrrha caught the spear as she fell and slashed at Ace's head. The former pirate did a matrix style dodge to avoid the spear. He then placed his hands on the floor and kicked upwards at Pyrrha.
The redhead caught the kick with her spear before landing on the ground. She readied herself for another confrontation when she saw something shocking. Ace was breathing heavily. Ace was getting tired. Pyrrha honestly thought Ace couldn't get tired. The announcers were just as shocked as Pyrrha.
"What's this!? It seems that Ace is getting tired! Folks, I never thought I would see the day when the stamina monster that is Ace would be figting to catch his breath!" One of the announcers exclaimed into his microphone.
"Wow, Pyrrha must really be pushing Ace." Ruby said.
"Guess she's better than we thought." Yang said while watching Ace take deep, ragged breaths. Qrow didn't say anything as he gazed as Ace with narrowed eyes. Something's wrong with the kid, Qrow thought to himself. It wasn't very obvious, but, as an elite hunter, Qrow was able to spot the small diffrences between this Ace and the one who had fought yesterday. This Ace seemed to be trying too hard to stay upright, as if he was scared he would collapse if he relaxed a little. This Ace wasn't moving with as much fluidity as the Ace from yesterday. He seemed to have trouble doing the simplest things. Most of all, this Ace was getting exausted. If there was one thing that Qrow knew about Ace, it's that a match like this wouldn't have even winded him.
"Something's wrong with Ace." Tayang whispered to Qrow. Though he hadn't been in the field for awhile, Taiyang was still an elite huntsman like Qrow. He could spot the differences as well as his former partner.
"I know. I get the feeling Ace knew too, but didn't tell us." Qrow shispered back.
"That does sound like him." Taiyang said as he nodded in agreement. "What should we do?" The blonde man asked.
"Right now, nothing. If he keeps getting worse, I'll get them to call off the match." Qrow said, getting more and more worried as he watched Ace try to catch his breath.
Dammit, this isn't good, Ace thought to himself as he tried to steady his breathing. Whatever's happening to me just got a lot faster. Ace thought as he forced himself not to grip his stomach in pain. He wanted to cough, but knew that coughing up blood here would cause the match to be disqualified. Something had caused his affliction to worsen at a faster rate. He could feel his lungs burning as he had to labor to so much as breath. His heart was beating so fast Ace thought it would come out of his chest. What was most detrimental was that Ace coudln't focus anymore. When he looked at Pyrrha, she not only appeared blurry, but he could see two of her. Ace knew that if he was going to have any chance of winning, it would have to be now.
Pyrrha ran at Ace, intent on finishing him while he was till catching his breath. Ace raised Spade and fired multiple times. Some went wide of Pyrrha while others were close enough for her to have to block the dust rounds. Ace ran as fast as he could at the distracted redhead. Before Pyrrha could raise a defense, Ace tackled her onto the ground. He raised a fist and brought it down on Pyrrha's face only to have the redhead turn her head at the last second. Ace's fist cracked the arena floor a little where he hit. Before he could try again, Pyrrha raised her shield and smashed the rim into Ace's head. The red eyed boy saw stars as he began to fall back from the blow. Only sheer willpower kept Ace from blacking out.
Ace shook his head to clear it, meeting little success. Seeing that he wasn't getting off anytime soon, Pyrrha bashed Ace's head again with her shield. This time the red eyed boy was knocked off of Pyrrha. He lay on the ground, trying to force himself to get back up. He smashed a fist into the ground nd used it to push himself up. Once he was on his feet, Ace looked around with dazed eyes. His mind was blank, still trying to focus itself. Ace turned and saw Pyrrha slashing with her spear. In his dazed state, Ace barely felt the blow along with all the others Pyrrha attacked with. Defense didn't even occur to Ace as he watched Pyrrha attack him over and over. Ace suffered another blow to the head, which sent him stumbling backwards.
Ace was in a semi-conscious state. He couldn't focus on anything. When Ace opened is eyes, the first thing he saw was Pyrrha's red hair.
The very same shade of red worn by one of his most hated enemies.
The same color of his enemie's magma. Rage boiled within Ace as he saw a mirage of the admiral who had killed him.
In his dazed state, Ace didn't see Pyrrha. He just saw the one who had taken everything from him. The former pirate charged, only able to say one word.
"Akainu!" Ace yelled as he brought back his fist and swung at Pyrrha. Straw and Spade were forgotten as Ace resorted to fisticuffs. If you were to look closely, you would see that Ace's forearm and fist were slightly darker than the rest of his body. In his semi-conscious state, Ace had activated his BUSOSHOKU HAKI. Pyrrha brought up her shield to block Ace's fist, but was startled when she was laucnhed backwards from the force of the blow. She landed on her feet, but had to react quickly as Ace was already upon her. He swung another fist faintly coated with Haki. Pyrrha ducked under, but wasn't prepared for the knee Ace smashed into her jaw. Her head shot upwards as Ace steamrolled a punch into her stomach. The green eyed prodigy gasped but managed to stay on her feet.
Pyrrha swung her sword, but Ace caught it with his hand. He pulled Pyrrha towards him and slugged her in her jaw. Pyrrha went stumbling backwards. Ace followed and raised his fist. Pyrrha tensed as she raised her shield to block the blow. Pyrrha felt her arm go numb from the force of Ace punching her shield. He kicked the bottom of her shield, causing her arm to go upwards. The semi-conscious boy pulled back his fist, now darker than before. Before Pyrrha could react, Ace delivered a haymaker to her midsection. Pyrrha opened her mouth, but no noise would come. She doubled over Ace's fist. When he pulled it back, she collapsed to the ground.
Pyrrha got up, one hand clutching her stomach and the other holding her sword. She wouldn't give up just yet. In a way, she was just as stubborn as Ace. The red eyed boy raised a fist shimmering slightly with Haki and was about to bring it down when his head finally cleared. He no longer saw Akainu, but instead he saw a defeated Pyrrha. Ace looked down in shame at what he was about to do. He didn't want to fight Pyrrha anymore. Being the warrior she is, Pyrrha forced herself to get up. She swung at Ace, who ducked under and placed his palm on her stomach. Before she could do anything else, Pyrrha found herself shoved out of the ring. She landed out of bounds.
Pyrrha had just lost.
The crowd went wild, causing more noise in one minute than they had in the entire time the MIstral Tournament was going on. Pyrrha sighed as she got up. She hadn't won, but she wasn't mad about it. She had lost to Ace. The fact she had lasted so long showed just how much skill the red haired prodigy had. Pyrrha walked up toward the arena, intent on congratulating Ace herself. She grew concerned when she saw Ace standing in place, gasping for air.
"Ace?" Pyrrha asked as she started walking faster. Ace's hands were shaking unctontrollably. Qrow narrowed his eyes as he prepared to jump in.
"Ace?" Pyrrha asked as her walk turned into a jog. Ace was staring with wide eyes at the floor, about to go into shock. Something within him finally gave out. Ace felt something snap before coughing up blood and falling on the arena floor. Pyrrha's jog turned into a run and Qrow jumped from the seating area, intent on landing on the arena.
"ACE!" Pyrrha yelled as she quickly closed the distance between them. She fell to her knees, not sure what to do. At that moment Qrow landed on the arena.
"What's happening to him!?" Prrha asked the older hunter. Qrow pushed Pyrrha to the side as he checked Ace's vitals. He became worried when he saw that Ace was bearly breathing.
"Someone better have called the damn paramedics!" Qrow yelled, breaking everyone out of their stupor. The announcers shook away the shock to regard the crowd. You could pactically feel the unease of the spectators. Grimm would be attracted soon if something wasn't done about this.
"It seems something has happened to one of our contestants. Remain calm everyone. Everything is under control." One of the announcers said in what he hoped was a soothing voice. The medical staff was already on the arena floor, placing Ace in a stretcher.
"Is he going to be okay!?" Pyrrha earnestly asked. The paramedic didn't answer, too busy carrying Ace out of the arena floor. Qrow looked up at the audience and caught Taiyang ushering the sisters to an exit. The grizzled hunter gazed at Pyrrha and saw her looking at the ground in worry.
"Was it my fault?" Pyrrha asked, dreading what might happen if Qrow said yes.
"No, kid, it wasn't your fault. Someone did something to Ace, and he probably didn't tell us about it." Qrow said, hoping his words would comfort her. He saw her calm down somehwat, but Pyrrha was still very distressed about Ace's condition.
"Listen kid, I have to go. I'll message you what room he'll be staying in later, alright?" Qrow asked. There was only one hospital in Mistral, so Pyrrha would already know where to go. Pyrrha gave a barely perceptible nod.
"I have to go see my mother. Please make sure to send me the room number." Pyrrha said before walking back to the combatants room. Qrow looked at her again before sighing. He dashed in the direction the medics had taken Ace in. The alcoholic hunter found the medics about to load Ace into a ship that would take him to the hospital. He was allowed to enter as he was technically Ace's dad.
Qrow messaged Taiyang, telling him that they were on their way to the hospital. The alcoholic hunter asked how the sisters were fairing. Taiyang responded that Yang and Ruby were confused and worried mostly. Qrow sighed, not very suprised. He gazed at the prone form of Ace. One of the doctors was pressing an oxygen mask to his mouth while the other was using a needle to administer some sort of medicine. The first doctor removed the oxygen mask when he felt Ace about to have another coughing fit. The red eyed boy coughed up more blood before falling silent.
"Step on it. This kid isn't going to last much longer." One of the doctors told the pilot. Qrow barely felt the slight jolt as the pilot increased his speed. He was too busy looking at Ace. The alcoholic hunter clenched his hand in frustration and worry.
"Why does this always happen to you, Ace?" Qrow muttered, his gaze not leaving the prone thirteen year old.
Ace opened his eyes and found himself staring at… himself. There was another Ace here, except that this Ace looked just like he did before he was reincarnated, tattoes and all. Thirteen year old Ace found himself looking up at twenty year old Ace.
"Ace?" Thirteen year old Ace asked.
"Yeah, Ace?" Twenty year old Ace responded.
"What's going on here?" Thirteen year old Ace asked.
"You tell me." Twenty year old Ace replied, not giving a helpfull answer. Ace gave his taller counterpart an annoyed look.
"Well, the last thing I remember is shoving Pyrrha out of the arena. After that, everything kind of blacked out." The younger Ace replied. A sudden thought struck him. "This is a dream, isn't it?" Ace asked, hesitation very clear in his voice. His last two dreams had been unpleasant to say the least. He didn't need another one right now.
"Interesting world you're in." Older Ace said, ignoring Ace's question. "I mean, it's pretty dull compared to our world, but it does have its perks." Older Ace said. Younger Ace nodded, not very sure where his older self was going with this.
"i definitely wouldn't choose to live here though. Don't you agree?" Older Ace said, adopting a manipulative smirk.
"This world isn't so bad." Ace defended.
"But you would choose your original world over this one, right?" Older Ace asked. Younger Ace frowned, not liking the direction the conversation had taken. Both worlds had their pros and cons. Ace didn't consider it very fair to choose one over the other.
"You can't just choose one world over another." Ace said, causing the older Ace to scowl.
"Yes you can. Why are you even trying to argue this? Our world is so much better than Remnant." The older Ace growled, causing the younger Ace to take a few steps backwards. "Just look at these people. They're barely surviving as it is! We both know you don't like how they hide behind their walled cities." Older Ace said.
"They do that because of the Grimm." Younger Ace defended.
"The Grimm aren't even that strong!" The older Ace exclaimed. "You managed to kill one when you were six! If Whitebeard were here, the Grimm wouldn't even be a problem." The older Ace said.
"If everyone had Pops' strength then nothing would be a problem." Younger Ace said.
"That brings me to another point. The people here are weak, Ace. They don't fight the way you're used to. Sure, with their fancy weapons and aura they can fight some mindless monsters, but the moment you take away both of those, they become sitting ducks. Remember your fight with Jinbei? The one that lasted five days? These people will never be able to give you that kind of fight." Older Ace said. It was true. The moment someone had their aura depleted, they were as vulnerable as regular people. Ace highly doubted anyone on Remnant would have enough aura to fight continuously for an afternoon, let alone five days.
"These people don't have devil fruit or Haki. They make due with what they have." Younger Ace countered.
"But you do! You don't need those little guns of yours. The only reason you have them is to fit in with everyone else." The older Ace said. The younger Ace was about to reply, but Older Ace cut him off. "Before you say anything, let me ask you this. Do you honestly think that being a huntsman is better than being a pirate?"
Ace had nothing to say.
"Well Doc, how is he?" A concerned Taiyang asked. Next to him was an equally concerned Qrow. In the background Yang and Ruby could be seen sitting on some chairs in a small waiting area. The doctor sighed as he looked over Ace's paperwork.
"Not good, I'm afraid. We ran tests on his blood, and found a whole cocktail of dangerous substances in it. It's a miracle he's survived this long. Any normal person would have died within minutes. Whatever's inside him has taken its toll though. Ace has internal bleeding all along his stomach and small intestine. We've had to pump blood out of his lungs, lest they collapse." The doctor said before pausing to look over some more information. With each affliction the doctor was stating, Taiyang and Qrow were getting grimmer and grimmer.
"Whatever he's ingested has caused his nervous system to act up every now and then. He spasms uncontrollably when this happens. His body functions are close to failing. We're doing all we can, but I don't know if he'll be able to recover." The doctor said. Qrow and Taiyang looked at each other before looking at the sisters.
"One thing I can tell you, though you may have already been able to guess, is that this was no accident. Someone deliberately drugged Ace." The doctor said. Having said everything he could, the doctor turned and walked down the hall. Qrow clenched his fist so hard that, if it wasn't for his aura, blood would have flown out of his palm. Taiyang had known Qrow for so long that he was able to guess what Qrow was thinking.
"Qrow, calm down." Taiyang said as he laid a hand on his former partner's shoulder. Qrow rudely brushed it off.
"Don't tell me to fucking calm down Tai. You heard the what the doctor said. Someone did this to Ace, and I'm going to find out who." Qrow growled as he turned to exit the building. Taiyang stepped in front of him, blocking the hallway.
"Move." Qrow said while glaring at the blonde huntsman.
"So what? So you can go running around the shady parts of town, looking for someone you have no leads on? You should be here Qrow. If the worst does happen, then Yang and Ruby are going to need our support." Taiyang said, not moving an inch.
"Tai, move or else." Qrow said, though his glare had lessened somewhat.
"Qrow, I'm not moving. You're not thinking clearly." Taiyang said, being the voice of reason in this situation. It's too bad that the voice of reason is usually ignored.
"I'm warning you, Tai. I don't want Ruby and Yang to have to see their father and uncle fight each other." Qrow said, sparing a glance at the sisters.
"Then don't leave." Taiyang stated. Qrow growled in annoyance.
"Tai, someone did this to Ace, and you're telling me to do nothing!?" Qrow exclaimed.
"Dammit Qrow! Don't you think I'm angry too!?" Taiyang snapped, having had enough of Qrow's attitude. "Believe me, I want to go out there with you and annihilate whoever did this to Ace! I'm not going to though, because right now, I have to be here for Yang and Ruby. I have to be here for Ace. You have to be here too, Qrow." Taiyang said, his scowl morphing into a pleading frown. Qrow glared at his former partner, unsure of what to do. For a few seconds, Taiyang thought Qrow would actually force his way past him. The rage seemed to leave Qrow, however. The alcoholic hunter's shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Dammit Tai, why do you always have to make so much sense?" Qrow weakly complained. Taiyang silently sighed in relief that he wouldn't have to wrestle Qrow to the ground in a hospital hallway.
"One of us has to." Taiyang said. He and Qrow went to sit next to Yang and Ruby, already emotionally exhausted. They both absentmindedly noticed two shady looking males with obviously broken arms enter the hospital.
"How is he?" Yang asked, worry etched all over her face.
"The doctors are doing everything they can." Taiyang answered, trying to dodge the question.
"It's that bad, huh?" Yang asked, knowing what her father meant. The blonde huntsman internally sighed. Sometimes his daughters were too smart for their own good. Ruby leaned on her sister, seeking emotional support from the blonde huntress in training. Yang wrapped an arm around her little sister's shoulder while Taiyang took her other hand. He noticed how hard Yang was squeezing his hand.
"Ace has been here before. If he can cheat death once, he can do it again." Qrow said with slight optimism. It did little to boost the spirits of everyone there. In fact, the mere mention of death had put them in an even sadder funk.
"Dad?" Ruby asked.
"Yes sweetie?" Taiyang said.
"I don't want Ace to die." Ruby said, her voice breaking a bit.
"Neither do I." Taiyang responded. He wished he could say something more reassuring, but at this point he could do nothing. Qrow was thinking similar thoughts.
The only other time they had ever felt this useless was when Summer died.
"Why is this such a big deal!?" Ace exclaimed.
"Because you seem to have forgotten who you really are, who your actual family is." Twenty year old Ace said. "The Ace I knew wouldn't have even bothered with weapons. That's what your devil fruit is for. The Ace I knew didn't need to go to some school to learn to fight. You were a master of combat before you were even ten. Most of all, the Ace I knew would never have become a huntsman. You're a pirate, Ace. That's the way it should be. Why be a huntsman when you can be the greatest pirate to sail on Remnant?" The older Ace asked.
"Don't you think I haven't thought about being a pirate again? I've had to change for a reason. My old way of life just doesn't fit in here. There aren't thousands of islands for me to explore. There isn't anything like the Grand Line or the New World. There's four main cities: Atlas, Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral, plus a few dozen villages here and there." Ace said. "I'm not saying I don't miss it, but I can't be a pirate here." The red eyed boy said.
"So you're settling for the next best thing? Huh, guess that explains Ruby and Yang." Twenty year old Ace said. Ace narrowed his eyes when he heard this.
"What do Yang and Ruby have to do with this?" Ace asked.
"Isn't it obvious? You can't have Luffy anymore, so you tried to replace him." Twenty year old Ace said. Thirteen year old Ace scowled and took a menacing step towards his clone.
"I did not try to replace Luffy!" Ace exclaimed, his fists clenching in anger.
"Oh really? Ruby is caring, kind, and innocent. Yang is brash headed and loves excitement. Put those together and you get Luffy in a nutshell. Admit it Ace. Yang and Ruby are just replacements." Twenty year old Ace said while sneering at his younger counterpart.
"While Ace is still far from safe, he's stabilized for the time being." A doctor said. "If you want to see him, you may."
"Yes, we would like to see him." Taiyang said. Yang and Ruby perked up at the thought of seeing Ace, so they jumped out of their seats and eagerly followed the doctor. The MD led them down a series of hallways before coming to Ace's room.
"He's right in here. His condition is still grave, so try to refrain from harming him in any way." The doctor said. Ruby and Yang barely paid him any attention as they impatiently opened the door.
"Ace you ok-" Yang trailed off when she saw the state Ace was in. His normally slightly tanned skin tone was a pale gray. Various veins and arteries were visible all along his body along with a sheen of sweat. An oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and nose, but even then his breathing was ragged and uneven. Though his eyes were closed, Yang was willing to bet they were bloodshot.
Yang's excitement fizzled out as she gazed at the unconscious form of one of her best friends. Ruby reflexively grabbed Yang's hand in an attempt to comfort both herself and her sister.
"Ace…" Ruby murmured. He's not supposed to look so… vulnerable, Ruby thought to herself. Ace was a pillar of strength to Ruby. She idolized him for not only his power, but also his gentleness. The hands that could bend metal bars with ease were the same hands that would lift Ruby up so she could reach the cookie jar. He always seemed to radiate power and confidence. Even when he had nearly been killed by a Beowulf, Ace was up and smiling the next time Ruby saw him.
He was an invincible fighter. More than that, he was her invincible fighter. He wasn't supposed to get hurt. He wasn't supposed to look so weak. To see him in such a state was a huge blow to the silver eyed girl.
Not again, Yang thought to herself. Waiting around to see if Ace was going to die had been one of the worst moments of her life. Please don't make me go through that again, Yang silently begged as she walked to the edge of the hospital bed. Tears formed at the edge of her eyes as she watched her childhood friend wither away.
"Why're you doing this!? Why does this matter!?" Ace yelled.
"You tell me." The older Ace replied. "I'm just a representation of your thoughts. Deep down, you feel the exact way I do. You just don't want to admit it."
"I do not believe what you believe. Yang and Ruby are each their own person. They could never replace Luffy." Ace said. Older Ace sneered and was about to talk, but Ace held up his hand. "On the other hand, Luffy could never replace Yang and Ruby." Ace said while glaring at his older counterpart.
"Alright, fine, you win. Yang and Ruby are not Luffy." The older Ace said. Ace raised an eyebrow, not expecting older Ace to give up so easily. "Who do you care about more?" Twenty year old Ace suddenly asked.
"What?" Ace asked in confusion.
"It's not a hard question. Who do you care about more?" Older Ace said, sneering at his younger counterpart. "Does Luffy not mean as much to you anymore?" Older Ace said. Younger Ace scowled at his older counterpart.
"I never said I cared less about Luffy." Ace growled. His older counterparts manipulative ways were really starting to anger him.
"Then do you prefer Luffy over Yang and Ruby?" Twenty year old Ace asked. Ace was silent, not wanting to talk lest his clone manipulate his words again.
"Is that a no? Huh, it's a real shame you prefer a blonde bimbo and socially awkward freak over your own brother." Older Ace said, causing younger Ace's scowl to deepen. He made a fist with both hands, ready to jump into action at any moment.
"I'm warming you. Do not talk about Yang and Ruby like that." Ace said as fire started appearing on his fingers.
"Or what? You'll hurt me? I'd like to see you try." Older Ace said while making a 'come at me' motion with his hand. That was all the invitation Ace needed. He pulled his fist back, ready to attack his older counterpart.
"HI-gack!" Ace gasped as older Ace suddenly appeared in front of him, fist imbedded in his stomach.
"HIKEN." Older Ace stated. Thirteen year old Ace was sent rocketing backwards as a pillar of fire engulfed his entire front half. Ace flipped and landed on his feet.
"SHINKAI: SHIRANUI!" Ace yelled as he hurled two lances of fire at his older clone. Twenty year old Ace laughed before sidestepping the first one and catching the second one. He flipped it and sent it speeding back at Ace. The thirteen year old boy narrowly dodged the flaming projectile only to have his clone appear behind him and trap him in a headlock.
"I don't think you understand just how outclassed you are." Older Ace said. Thirteen year old Ace frantically kicked, punched, and bit as he tried to get out of his clone's grasp.
"I'm what you were before you died. You know, the one who Monty said could turn everyone here to ash? There's no way in Hell you could ever beat me now that Monty made you weaker." Older Ace said as he tightened his hold on his younger clone's neck. Ace's struggling increased as he felt his air supply dwindle.
"If you try to fight fire with fire, you're going to end up burned." Older Ace said as his limbs turned to flame, Ace still trapped within their grasp.
"How long has Ace been in this state?" Ozpin asked through his scroll.
"About thirteen days now." Qrow replied, his speech noticeably slurred. It was very obvious that Qrow had been partaking in some comfort drinks.
"Is it a wise idea to be drinking now of all times?" Ozpin asked.
"Give me a damn break, Oz. I've been trying to cope with the stress." Qrow said, his voice taking a somber tone. Ozpin internally sighed, having now just realized how hurt and worried Qrow was.
"Qrow, I've already got Glynda working on tracing that poison. One way or another, we will find whoever did this." Ozpin said in hopes of raising Qrow's falling spirits.
"What does the Witch know about tracing poison?" Qrow asked, using his nickname for Glynda. She disliked it for obvious reasons.
"She herself knows nothing. However, she knows people who do that kind of thing for a living." Ozpin said. Qrow was silent for a moment, as if a thought had just occurred to him.
"Why are you doing this Ozpin?" Qrow suddenly asked.
"Doing what?" Ozpin asked in confusion.
"Going to all this trouble to track down the people who drugged Ace. I appreciate your help, but you didn't have to do any of this." Qrow stated. Ozpin considered his response. He was wondering whether he should lie, or say the truth. He decided to go with the truth.
"Qrow, I've made a lot of mistakes in my lifetime. This is another one. Ace was in Mistral because of me. If I hadn't put him in the Mistral Tournament, he wouldn't be in the hospital right now. Consider this me trying to make up for one mistake." Ozpin said, revealing the horrible guilt he felt at the moment.
"... Ozpin… thank you." Qrow said. Maybe it as the alcohol talking, or maybe Qrow truly did appreciate what Ozpin was doing for him.
"Thiink nothing of it, Qrow. Please keep me updated on Ace's condition." Ozpin said before hanging up. Qrow put away his scroll before entering the hospital. He walked towards Ace's room and walked in, not even bothering to knock. No one was there anyways. Yang, Ruby, and Taiyang were at the hotel, getting some much needed rest. Pyrrha and her mother had visited a few days ago to see how Ace was doing. Qrow, being fueled by the power of alcohol, didn't need to rest as much as his nieces and former partner.
Qrow sat down at a chair next to Ace. The red eyed boy hadn't really improved. If anything, his condition had slightly worsened. While they hadn't outright said it, the doctors hinted heavily that Ace wouldn't survive this ordeal. He was considered very lucky to have lasted this long.
"You sure have a way of attracting the wrong kind of attention, Ace." Qrow said, wanting to fill the silence in the room. "I mean, it's not your fault, but you've been here before. You just can't stay out of danger, can you? " Qrow said. He looked at Ace before talking again.
"I kind of wish this was like the first time you nearly died. I say that for a few reasons. One, I knew what it was that was killing you. Two, it was pretty easy to kill the one who did that to you. Three, and most importantly…" Qrow paused as he took a shaky breath.
"... I didn't care about you so damn much the first time."
"I think you're starting to see the point." Twenty year old Ace said as he gazed at the battered and burned form of his younger counterpart.
"Fuck… you." Ace growled as he struggled to get to his feet. For the first time since he was reborn, Ace found himself completely and utterly outclassed. He couldn't hope to compete against the one Monty himself had said was too strong for Remnant.
"I'm only trying to beat some sense into you. You don't belong in this world, Ace. The sooner you accept that, the sooner this beating will end." Twenty year old Ace said as he raised a fist engulfed in flames.
"You… don't… know that." Ace croaked. "I… haven't even seen… most of this world." Ace said before coughing. He paused to catch his breath. "Unlike my past life, I haven't explored every corner of this world. How am I supposed to know if I belong here if I don't know more about Remnant?" Ace said as he stood up.
"You think visiting a few villages and cities will convince you that you belong here?" Twenty year old Ace asked.
"I'm not trying to convince myself. I'm trying to convince you." Ace said as he raised an eyebrow in confusion. The older Ace laughed in response.
"Wow, you really are an idiot. Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once. I'm not some individual entity. I'm you, Ace. Everything that I've said is what your subconscious is thinking, deep down. Whether you want to admit it or not, you're both figuratively and literally arguing with yourself over this." Older Ace said. Younger Ace frowned, not liking what he had just heard.
"You're telling me that I may or may not think Yang and Ruby are replacements for Luffy?" Ace asked.
"Yep." Older Ace said.
"That this world isn't good enough?"
"Yes." Older Ace said.
"That I'm ashamed of myself for changing from the pirate I once was?" Ace asked, displeasure clear on his face.
"Oh big time." Older Ace said. Younger Ace was about to respond, but older Ace held up his hand. "Ace, listen to me. You don't actually believe all of that… yet. That's why we're arguing right now. One side believes it, the other doesn't. What will happen is up to you to decide." Older Ace said.
"Right now, you're trying to convince yourself that you're wrong." Older Ace said.
"That is really confusing." Ace said, his head starting to hurt from all the information.
"Welcome to the subconscious, Ace. First rule, nothing can ever be simple." Older Ace said, chuckling at his own joke. "Seriously though, you should try to resolve this existential crisis soon. Otherwise it's just gonna build up over time and eventually explode in an unpleasant way."
"Wait… I'm gonna explode?" Ace asked in shock.
"No you idiot. By 'explode' I mean that that you'll probably not be the most mentally sane person, so yeah, figure all this out before you end up in an insane asylum." Older Ace said.
"One more question." Ace said.
"Shoot."
"Why now?" Ace asked.
"What do you mean?" Older Ace asked.
"This sounds like the kind of stuff that has been building up for awhile. Why am I going through this now, and not some time ago?" Ace asked.
"You were probably too busy to notice before. When you got drugged, your subconscious decided it would be a good time to bring up these existential dilemmas of yours." Older Ace said. Ace nodded. That explanation made enough sense… kind of.
"What now?" Ace asked.
"You wake up." Older Ace said.
"Are Yang and Ruby sleeping like they should?" Qrow asked into his scroll.
"Yeah, but it took me awhile to actually make them sleep." Taiyang said on the other line of the communication device.
"I don't blame them. You should probably-"
"Qrow?" A weak, raspy voice said. The alcoholic huntsman's eyes widened as he turned around.
"Ace?" Qrow dumbly asked, unable to think of anything else.
"You got anything to eat?" Ace asked while giving Qrow a lopsided grin.
A/N: I know, right? Pretty weird place to end the chapter. The thing is, this chapter was a lot longer than I had anticipated, so I kinda just cut it in half. This is the first half. The second half won't be posted right away(gives me time to write the tenth chapter), so that's kind of the explanation for this weak ending.
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD! IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED VOLUME 4 EPISODE 1 THEN READY AT YOUR OWN RISK!
On a separate note, HOLY SHIT VOLUME 4 EPISODE 1 WAS FUCKING INCREDIBLE! If you have not watched it, please go watch it. It's finally on youtube, so no complications there. Was I the only one who found it kind of weird when Salem referred to Adam as 'boy'? Either these villains are older than we thought, or Adam isn't as old as I thought he three new villains introduced have me hyped as Hell. Tyrion is a psychopath, which is always enjoyable. Hazel is a total badass, that voice alone stands out. Wat's whole "I'm better than you," aura is so enjoyable. I loved the way he ripped into Cinder,plus his mustache is gentlemen as fuck.
Speaking of Cinder, she has lost depth perception and can't speak. That's what you get for killing Pyrrha. The Geist was actually a really cool Grimm. Really begs the question, what ARE Grimm? The fight was a good way to introduce the volume.
Anyone else find it a little strange how Ruby can basically fly now? I got a little sad when I saw Jaune wearing Pyrrha's sash.
SPOILERS END HERE!
The next chapter is going to pretty much be the aftermath of all this. This little arc should come to a close either the next chapter or the one after that. I gotta say, I do not regret taking my time with the Mistral Tournament. Up until now, I've basically been rushing the plot so we could get to Beacon. However, I really did enjoy slowing down and covering one thing over multiple chapters instead of a new thing each chapter. Don't get me wrong, I'll still time skip where necessary, but I think things are going to slow down right now, especially with what I have planned.
As always, reviews are appreciated. Knowing what you guys and gals think helps immensely.
I'll see you all next update.
Until then.
Next chapter sneak peak:
"You really should be thankful that I found you before Qrow did. He's not quite as… forgiving as me." Taiyang said as cracked his knuckles one by one.
"P-please! Let me go and I'll never bother you again!" Boss man pleaded as he sank further into his chair.
"Oh no, you're not getting off that easy. You put my family through a lot of pain. It's only fair that I return the favor, right?" Taiyang said as he raised a fist. "Glynda never said I couldn't hurt you a little." The blonde man mused before bringing down his fist.
