Chapter 5
A Step Forward.
It was morning on menagerie.
Blake Sun and Erika were leaving the house.
"Are you two ready?"
Blake asked.
"Let's do this."
Erika said happily.
"I've beaten up giant robots and monsters, more than once. I think i can handle getting a few signatures."
The three began going around trying to convince the Faunus to join the fight to help Haven.
Unfortunately no one was convinced.
Erika sighed and was about to rejoin Sun and Blake when she was interrupted by a Faunus flying above her with crow type wings.
"You wont get anyone to agree with you Erika."
Erika looked at the flying Faunus.
"Grayson."
Grayson dropped down.
He was dressed black pants and boots with a white shirt, he also had a katana on his side.
"You can't convince people to join the fight with just a few words you need action."
"But we need people to perform said action."
He just shook his head and placed his hand on his katana handle.
"Unless you actually do something you wont get results."
"I am doing something!"
"No you're trying to do something."
Erika readied her spear.
"Fine you want to see action I'll show you action!"
Erika ran at Grayson and tried to stab him.
He just took a step out of the way and let her run past him.
"You have never been able to get me to draw my weapon, lets see how you've grown over the years."
Erika ran at Grayson again.
She swung his spear at his legs this time.
He flew to dodge the spear but was then almost punched in the face by Erika's fur covered hand.
Grayson quickly blocked her fist with his left arm.
Erika moved her spear up and shot Grayson's back causing his aura to take the hit.
He flew up and air flipped, kicking her chin sending Erika in the air.
Grayson flew above her and jabbed her in the gut with his sheathe.
Erika fell to the ground.
Her hands were on the dirt.
Grayson landed on the ground.
"You can't save Haven like this."
Erika just smiled.
Suddenly Erika's hands started to glow.
"Your nature call?"
Erika's arms surround themselves with green plants and then bark glowing with aura.
"Whats this?"
Erika smirked and pushed herself up and punched Grayson in the face.
"What did you forget my ability is not just giving life to plants"
She opened her hand to show a couple acorns.
"It's to command them to my will."
The grassfield they were standing on started to glow as well.
Grayson pulled his katana slightly out of his sheath but just smiled and put his blade back.
"Well well well, little Erika all grown up."
Erika's plant gauntlet shrunk back into acorns and she placed them back in her pocket.
"I was unaware you could reverse the age of plants."
"It only works on plants I grow with my aura and I can only reduce them back to where they were before they grow."
"What about your ability to take from plants?"
"That's irreversible."
Erika shook her head.
"Well I must say I'm impressed."
Grayson walked to her.
"I'll sign that petition of yours."
Erika smiled.
"Really?"
He shrugged.
"Why not I'll be at Haven that day anyway."
Erika pulled her scroll out and Grayson signed it.
Grayson Zera
He flew above Erika.
"See you later."
Grayson flew away leaving Erika alone.
"So strange."
She shook her head.
"Well at least that's one signature, i wonder how Blake and Sun are doing."
Erika walked back to Blake and Sun, unaware that they were having worse luck than her.
Blake and Sun were at a table drinking and Blake was talking about how the people of Menagerie are tired of fighting and don't want to put the rest of the world before themselves.
She also mentioned Adam.
"Have you ever met someone and thought they were the personification of this word?"
Erika spoke up.
"Yes actually."
They both looked at her.
"Dawn Determination, Hiroki Darkness,Shade."
She thought back to their times at Beacon.
"Heart."
She smiled.
Blake continued talking saying how Ruby would be Purity, Weiss would be defiant and Yang was strength.
"What about me?"
Sun asked.
"Jury's still out on that.But i'm leaning towards earnest"
Blake looked at Erika.
"But you would be Hope."
Erika was confused.
"Why hope?"
"Nobody would be able to go through what you went through and still be happy unless they still have hope."
Erika thought for a moment then nodded.
Blake looked down.
"At first I thought Adam was Justice, then I thought it was passion, But over time I realized I was wrong, he wasn't any of those things. He was spite.Not hatred not rage. Spite"
Blake began to talk about how Adam won't accept equality and his way of thinking is dangerous and how she was worried about Ilia.
Erika's mind wandered thinking about her brother.
'There has to be a way to get Shin back.'
Erika snapped out of her trance.
"So how many signatures did you get?"
Sun asked.
Erika tossed her scroll down.
"One, but it's a good one."
Group House Mistral (Night)
Shade was about to enter this open room that was used for training exercises.
'Why does Ozpin want to train me this late at night?'
He thought to himself as he remembered what happened before.
Flashback…
A bit of time after Shade told them how he unlocked his Semblance, RNJR were heading into the house.
Shade was about to enter when he jumped behind him to show Ozpin was pointing his cane at Shade's back.
"Well done Mr.Leaf, your reflexes are quite strong."
He put his cane down and faced Shade.
"You wouldn't have done that without reason."
"Your right, it was a test. Later tonight i want to do some quick training to learn exactly where you are."
"Why night though?"
"All will be revealed in good time."
Ozpin switched back to Oscar.
"Don't suppose you know why?"
"Sorry Shade I don't."
Present Time…
Shade went down the stairs when he heard Ruby talking.
"When Beacon fell I lost two of my friends. Penny Polendina and Pyrrha Nikos."
Shade heard this and felt a huge amount of guilt on his shoulders.
He looked at his gauntlets and the weapons in them.
His body was shaking a little but he continued to listen to Ruby.
"I didn't know them for long, but that didn't change the fact that they were two of the most kind hearted people i ever met,but that didn't save them."
Shade kept shaking.
"Shade tried to save them."
He stopped when he heard that.
"I know he blames himself for what happened."
Shade looked at Ruby but kept hidden.
"He and Pyrrha fought a battle they couldn't win. He almost died and as a result he blames himself."
'How does she know?'
"And Penny was killed just to make a statement."
Shade held his right arm with his left.
"I am scared but not just for me."
Ruby turned to Oscar.
"What happened at Beacon shows that Salem doesnt care if you stand against her or not. She'll kill anybody and that scares me most of all."
Shade took a deep breath.
'I won't let that happen.'
He thought to himself.
"Pyrrha Penny, I'd be lying if i said it didn't hurt, that i didn't think about them everyday since i lost them. If it had been me instead i know they would have kept fighting too."
Shade walked in the room.
"No matter how dangerous it was, so that's what I chose to do."
"To keep moving forward."
Shade said, causing Ruby and Oscar to look at him.
"Shade how long have you been-"
"Long enough Ruby. I should thank you. I really needed to hear that."
"You did?"
Shade looked at his gauntlets.
"Yeah, I really did."
He smiles.
Shade turned to Oscar.
"Ozpin wants to begin the training session."
"That can wait."
Ruby said, stepping between them.
"Cmon, if we don't eat Nora will eat everything, it wouldn't be the first time."
Ruby said as she left the room.
"Can't train on an empty stomach."
Shade said before walking out .
"Those two must have been great students."
"They were certainly unique."
While all this was happening.
The Albain brothers began to plot to get rid of the Belladonnas.
Telling Ilia that the Belladonnas are a burden and convince her to help them.
When Ilia left, Adam's transmission revealed to take Blake alive and slaughter her friends and family in front of her
AN:So I did want to include training between Shade and Ozpin to show some more plot points. But I figured that it would be more fun to save that for the next chapter. So what did you think of my latest character Grayson Zera. If you liked him don't worry he'll be back soon. But for now this chapter was kinda getting dull so i figured having an Erika fight scene would make it a bit more fun. Anyway Until Next Time.