[Dragon Ball Super OST – The Earth's Fate]


残り:四の影/ Remnant's Four Shadows

End of Remnant, Episode 7: Pain for Gain


[Vale] |Day 2|

Morning came bright and early as one by one the drinkers of the Wellness Wine recovered feeling stronger than before. Their skin was cleared up of any blemish, their hair had a sheen to it, and their aura had a white glint to it. Blake was a bit down that Sun and his team left for Mistral, but she knew they were needed. But, she was a bit annoyed with the stink eye Scarlet was giving her.

Sulfur shuddered looking down at his hands feeling the aura radiating within in. The effect was on Shampoo was a bit more interesting. Shampoo had never dropped her unrestrained form in front of CASL. Shampoo got up and stretched before getting off Yuki's bed. She stumbled a bit but got her footing at she came out.

"Shampoo, you're not restraining yourself." Sulfur said.

Shampoo got out her scroll and used the mirror app.

"The wine just involuntarily brought that out." Shampoo said before taking a breath.

A hiss of aura and she returned to her restrained form only to find said restrained form kept her at the same height…but just looking less like athlete and more like a model. Shampoo looked in the mirror and just dropped the restrained form.

"I'm going to need to retrain restraining my form." Shampoo remarked as Cael looked her other.

"Come on, let's get some breakfast." Yuki said going to the door.

Serena pinged into the room alerting Yuki that they need to pick up Team STRQ. Yuki took his jacket off the rack.

"Cael, Ruby. You're with me." Yuki said stone-faced.

"Right." Ruby said getting her cloak on.

Cael nodded and the three left as Yuki texted Jaune to meet up outside. As they made it outside, Jaune was waiting for them.

"Jaune, I want to say that I'm glad you had Lapis's back there." Yuki said before opening a portal. "Let's just hope this goes better."

The four went through. He did not expect to find Toriel at her home cooking breakfast with Emerald and Mercury helping. The smell of pancakes was intoxicating.

"Yuki, you should call before you portal." Toriel politely spoke.

"So, how did my parents' team reunion go?" Ruby asked.

"Summer promptly was rekindling some intimacy with Taiyang. Even Qrow got some with that tall, tanned chick." Mercury snarked.

"Aside from that, it went fine…and that's the problem. She just forgave me…" Raven said with guilt evident on her face. "She was just happy I'm back."

Yuki was frankly surprised she was easily forgiven, but maybe there was an underlying issue he thought. He shrugged that thought off though. If Summer wanted to forgive her, that was fine. Raven was just going to wallow in her own guilt.

"So, is she aware of the situation?" Yuki asked.

"Not yet. That were saving for this morning." Toriel remarked finishing up. "Now care for breakfast? I have a feeling you haven't eaten."

Yuki was not going to pass up Toriel's cooking and accepted the offer for his team to stay for breakfast. Everyone heartily ate as Cael eyed Dreemurr. He had heard plenty of the woman's exploits. Even Harleen came over for breakfast.

"Raven, you're here. But I thought…"

"It didn't happen, Harleen. I told you so." Toriel said knowingly.

"You never know, it could in the future. Just give it time." Harleen remarked.

"Do I even want to ask what you're talking about?" Ruby asked as she finished her breakfast.

"We don't have time. We need to get ready considering the lack of time we have. Get your teammates ready." Yuki said sternly.

Raven rolled his eyes and went upstairs. She soon come down with the tired teammates and Vernal looking clearly annoyed to be awoken.

"Was waking us up needed?" Qrow asked.

"We're at war. Save your sexual flings and sleeping in for AFTER we win." Yuki said seriously.

"Do I have to take part?" Vernal asked. "Because I'd like to bow out if you…"

"Fine with me." Yuki said as she went back upstairs to sleep. "Merc, Emerald, you want in?"

"Tell you want, if you can restore my semblance, I'll join the fight." Mercury remarked.

"Can you?" Cael asked.

"I can. I got Marcus Black's semblance data…thanks to my mental dive through the timelines." Yuki said shocking Mercury. "But I have a feeling you didn't get I'd have it. The question is…do you really want it ba-"

"YES." Mercury said before calming down "Please do."

[Cues: My Hero Academia OST – You Too Can Be a Hero]

Yuki focused before glowing with an aura was eerily black and purple. He had semblance data for Mercury, but it was incomplete. Yuki had theorized for a long while that restoring Mercury's semblance would complete the data. He focused on Mercury and began to speak.

"For it is within our souls, our semblance forms. To me, to you, to us all…it is most sacred. I cannot undo the suffering on your soul, but I can restore the scarring. I restore your semblance to you…may you solution be with you." Yuki said as he extended his hand to him.

Mercury could feel his aura rise as it consumed him for a brief moment as energy crackled around his body. The feeling came back. He had his time with Toriel. He had time to make peace with his losses. His semblance's return felt…oddly underwhelming.

[Music Abruptly]

"I don't know how to feel about this. I've been without my semblance for so long and you just give it back…" Mercury said at an impasse. "Not that I'm grateful, it's just…overwhelming."

"If you to talk to me, call me. I can't imagine what must be going on in your head, but I can listen." Yuki said earnestly as Serena had the completed data.

As Yuki continued on, Mercury had left the house hands in his pockets with his head abuzz with thoughts. No direction in mind, he was more focused on trying to come to terms. He did not notice that Beowolf sneaking on him only for it to be shot. He did not even turn to see the smoking barrel of Emerald's gun.

"Thanks." Mercury said.

"I know this isn't exactly how you figured you'd get it back." Emerald remarked.

[Cues: My Hero Academia OST – Anguish of the Quirkless]

"I figured when I finally put it all behind me…I'd dramatically get the power back. I know it sounds dumb, but Yuki kind of cheapened it." Mercury said punching a nearby tree. "I always had it in mind to work hard all my life and maybe it'd come back on my own. I don't feel I earned it."

"I'm surprised Toriel did not say anything about this. I figured you'd talk about this with her one on one." Emerald remarked as he faced her.

"I have, but not everything. Toriel might be a great comforter, but I still don't want to go into detail about everything. Emerald…what my father did…was beat me into a killing machine. But him taking my semblance…I never felt it was because of his bullshit reasoning. He wanted to keep me weakened as his little punching bag. He already beaten my mother to death…and there was only me. Fuck! I can't even be happy to have it back!" Mercury said punching the tree much harder knocking it over.

"Mercury, for what it's worth…having your semblance back can at least maybe allow you some closure." Emerald said gently.

"Damn it. I didn't even want to help Yuki and his little war. From what I heard about the battle, it's going to get ugly. I hoped to avoid the call when I left Cinder behind." Mercury said wistfully. "But I guess I couldn't avoid it. I can't just back out."

"Then don't. Because I'm going with you. You think I was going to stay behind and let you go on to war without me." Emerald said embracing him. "You and Toriel are all I got. And I know Toriel's going to fight with him."

For all his thoughts, he completely forgot Toriel was definitely going to aid in the upcoming battle. Even with all his issues, Toriel was the one other person that completely had his back. She took her time with him and the closest thing to a caring parental figure he ever had.

"You know, I never saw myself as the hero or the villain…just a guy drifting through life with no real goal. But fuck it, let's be heroes, Emerald." Mercury said as the wind blew behind him.

[Music Ends]

Emerald could not help but give a little laugh. Walking back hand in hand, she asked teasingly if they were going to get capes.

~[R4S]~

Later at the Dragon's Den, another round of the Wellness Wine. All of Team YUKI, Cael, Ironwood, Winter, Blake, Weiss, Team JPNR, Team STRQ, and the Ace Ops (including Jase and Elsa) were under the effects. Team YUKI, Elm, Ren, Vine, and even Nora was all sitting still in a meditative pose as Pyrrha asked how they were being so calm about it.

Adam had agreed to aid in the fight citing to redeem himself for the fall of his own universe.

"They're using Qigong to focus on their internal breathing." Shampoo remarked.

It was a bit of a shock to those that knew Nora never thought she was capable of being this focus…much less quiet.

"My insides are on fire!" Harriet said twitching.

"That means it's working." Toriel said as she got a text from Mercury and Emerald. "Oh my. I'll need someone to pick them up.

"I'll do it." Ayla said.

Mercury and Emerald arrived at an odd scene and filled on what's going on.

"So, this wine brings out your full potential…and all it takes is twelve hours of pain." Mercury said looking at the bottle.

He downed it much to everyone's shock and threw the bottle at the wall letting it shatter.

"Bring it on."

Emerald decided to take it as well…and she was on the ground writhing in pain. She could not feel her stomach screaming at her making to puke up her insides.


(A/N: Originally, I had ideas for X.I. to directly drop a 'plot device' that would help our heroes a bit more directly but talks to with Cabanilla and some more thought…have made me nix the idea. X.I. delivers something yes, but it's for the aftermath. I actually had intended for X.I. to physically appear after the battle ends. As for Mercury's reaction, considering his backstory, he probably sees it as no big issue.)