Chapter 15: Long Ago In A Distant Past
-Menagerie 9 years ago-
It was late in the night, around nine, young Nova sat playing in the living room in his day clothes, a simple red shirt, and black shorts. His white and orange hair short and barely reaching his forehead, both eyes a ruby red. He would jump off the black sofa and attempt to do a flip only to fail and land on his rear, a few of the paintings that lined the pristine orange walls rattled on impact. Thankfully he suffered little damage from the plush red rug that sat in the middle of the white-tiled room.
"What are you doing up past your bedtime kiddo?" A tall man wearing a white lab coat and grey underclothing said as he passed through the room, his hair a shining silver and his horns a glossy black in the light of the room. His eyes matched Nova and his face exuded an aura of a loving father.
"Trying to do a flip!" the young dragon said, rubbing his sore rump. "Son, you'll never attain the right attitude with the couch... if you want real air time I'd say I could help you jump from the staircase..." the older man said with a devilish glint in his eye.
"THERE WILL BE NO SUCH THING IN THIS HOUSEHOLD FLINT! AND SEND NOVA TO BED!" The shrill voice of Elain yelled from somewhere in the house, her voice booming along the walls.
"Sh- Crap I forgot your mother has the hearing of a wolf... I mean... Get to bed this instant Nova Alexandrite Flareheart!" He fake yelled pointing his finger up the stairs, despite his voice he was grinning like an idiot, they both were. Nova stifled a chuckle as his father winked and walked into the other room, his study.
As he left the room another man entered the room, he was shorter than Flint, his eyes were a hazy purple and his hair was a faded silver, he to had black horns on his head, he also wore a lab coat and grey underclothes. "Hey squirt, where's your dad?" he asked.
"Uncle Quartz? What are you doing here?" The eight-year-old asked puzzled.
"I came home with your dad, we're supposed to work on some stuff tonight. " Quartz said holding up a stack of papers.
"If you came in with him then why didn't you just follow him?"
"I... may have taken a detour in your fridge... by the way you're out of strawberries."
Nova just cackled at his uncle's antics, "Once you don't eat my tuna we're cool. Dad's in the study." He said pointing to the other room. Quartz saluted thanks and disappeared. Nova had no idea how many hours had passed but he'd not seen anyone come out of the room... which was strange... He pressed his ears up against the wall, listening in, he could barely hear what was being said but he could make out a few words.
"... WILL NOT HAVE THEM! ..." He heard his father yell... the share anger and ferocity behind the voice was terrifying.
"...THEN...WILL...YOU!" An unfamiliar voice sounded off. Nova was shaken by the violent yelling, who was that man? It wasn't uncle Quartz... so who was it? How did they get in?
He didn't have time to think on it as the sound of stomping boots and a yelling voice echoed throughout the household. Several men clad in white armor and Grimm masks flooded into the house, the smell of smoke began filtering and Nova was now thoroughly panicking. Three men came into the living room, aiming rifles down at the young boy.
"Sir, we found the boy. Your orders." One of them said into a radio attached to their ear. "But sir he's just a boy... I...understand..." the man turned to the others, staring down the young Nova, the boy was scared stiff, unable to move.
"Waste him." Were the only words that left his mouth, Nova's eyes went wide as they all raised their guns, ready to fire. He closed his eyes and awaited the impending pain but nothing happened. Gunshots went off and men screamed in pain. Nova peeled back his lids to see his Uncle Quartz standing there looking like he'd run a marathon and all three soldiers on the floor.
Nova looked up at his uncle teary-eyed, "W-What's going on?! Who're these guys?!"
"No time to explain, you need to find take your sister and get out of here! Find her quickly! I'll hold off the White Fang!" Quartz said as he pushed the confused and terrified boy. "YOU NEED TO BE BRAVE!" He yelled out.
The White Fang? Is that who those guys were? I thought the White Fang were good guys... he thought as he made his way through the house. He heard his mother scream from the kitchen but he had no way to help, the entryway was blocked by a collapsed door frame, "MOM!" He called out frantically but there was no response. Silently cursing to himself he resolved to stick to finding his sister.
Nova ran up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him, stumbling up all he could smell was the thick scent of smoke that sat heavy in the air. The heat that radiated around him was immense, he was barely able to approach it. He could hear the desperate cries of his sister coming from her room. Instantly on alert, he mustered as much courage as he could and plunged himself down the corridor and barged straight into Luna's room. He almost fell over when a burst of fire erupted blocking his path. He looked on in fear of the dangerous calamity before him, how could he pass? No... he needed to pass. Inhaling sharply he ran headfirst into the blazing inferno, thoroughly expecting to get burned... instead, the fire was pleasantly warm, the moment it graced his skin his entire body stopped feeling fear as if the fire was welcoming him with open arms. Not contemplating it, he pushed forward and barged into Luna's room.
The inside of the room was worse than outside as if the fire had been started from that general area. The ceiling had collapsed in and flames erupted from the walls, the entire room bathed in an ominous orange glow. "LUNA WHERE ARE YOU?!" He cried out desperately searching for his sister. A stifled cry erupted from the pile of ceiling on the floor, Nova's face paled, she was trapped under a pile of debris that weighed more than three times his own body weight. Without sparing a moment of hesitation, he began attempting to lift the mass mixture of stone and wood, squeezing out as much strength his little arms could generate.
COME ON PLEASE! PLEASE I NEED THE STRENGTH PLEASE! He cried out in his mind, desperate to save his sister, the longer she stayed down there the worse it got, she could die. He was just eight years old, he couldn't handle death.
Struggling with all his might he pulled and tugged, willing his muscles to go far beyond their limit, the longer he pulled, the easier it got, eventually, it was simple to lift it off. His entire body was glowing a fiery orange, almost red. He'd unlocked his semblance. He didn't have much time to dwell on it as he reached down and pulled up his sister, she was also glowing a bright cyan blue, she looked unharmed for the most part.
"Are you okay?" He asked dusting off her dress. She just nodded meekly, staring up at him her eyes filled with fear.
"What's going on? Where's mum and dad?" She asked pleadingly. Nova grasped her hand tightly and pulled her along, "I'm not sure but they'll meet us outside." Once he managed to get back downstairs he saw Quartz standing in a pile of fallen soldiers, they weren't breathing. When he realized that the kids had seen the pile of corpses he silently cursed.
"Nova, you've found your sister, good... You need to take her and get out of here, run, run as far as you can and never look back! Trust no one, just get as far away as possible, you two are all that is left of this family and I will not lose you!" He yelled pushing them out of the front door, the burning house collapsing around them.
"BUT WHAT ABOUT MOM AND DAD?!" Nova yelled over the raging inferno. Quartz didn't answer, he couldn't as they made it to the door the ceiling came down on the old man crushing him, leaving Nova and Luna to watch in horror as the house along with their uncle went up in flames. Nova could barely shield Luna's eyes from the ghastly scene before them. Sucking in his cries and sobs, he wiped a stray strand of snot that threatened to leak from his nose. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, to pinch himself and wake up to find out this was all a bad dream but he couldn't.
"I THINK I HEARD THEM THIS WAY!" A male soldier yelled in the distance. Acting on instinct Nova grabbed his sister by the hand and bolted.
"We need to hurry, if we don't move fast they'll definitely spot us trying to escape," a young Nova said tugging his sister behind him. The grassy lawn of the Flareheart estate was damp and slick with the ash that had floated from the billowing pillar of smoke rising into the air. Rain poured lightly and despite the atmospheric downpour, the manor was still ablaze with flames flickering up and out of the windows, roof and anywhere it could, licking the night sky ever so longingly, as if its fuel wasn't nearly enough to satiate its hunger.
Six-year-old Luna barely struggling to keep up with her brother, her once bright pink dress now blackened and dirtied from soot, her legs and knees scraped from falling debris. To say she was crying was nothing short of a lie, despite the gravity of the situation, the young child who very well could never see her parents again, survived a ceiling collapsing on top of her and running for her life, was holding it in. Her tears lay unshed in her eyes as her face contorted in an effort to spill the overwhelming emotion building up inside her but she would not. Not until they were safe could she cry, she was overwhelmingly smart and observant for a six-year-old, a child prodigy she was called, learning how to read and write by the time she was four.
As the crossed the grassy expanse of land leading to the fence wall, Nova spotted the faint lights of White Fang foot soldiers scanning the area for any escapees or witnesses. With no hesitation he yanked his sister's arm, pulling her and himself into a nearby shrub where he hid in wait.
"Any sign of the kids?" One of the soldiers called.
"None, north side is good. Pretty sure they burned up in the debris but Master Onyx said we need to stay alert." The other said.
"Meh, he's just being paranoid," the first one replied stationing himself a few yards from the bush where the children hid.
Nova's brain was wracked in thought. He needed to escape, quietly, they can't know they survived and escaped, otherwise, they'd be hunted down as long as they lived. His sister tightly clutched onto his hand, and he felt for her, they needed time to grieve, recuperate and plan but now was not that time.
He willed himself forward, concentrating on moving as quietly as possible. He barely had any control over his semblance but he prayed to Oum that it would work. Gradually but surely, his footsteps became softer and softer as he padded his way across the grass towing his sibling. It wasn't long before they were faced with the daunting task of scaling the south wall. While not particularly large to an adult, in the eyes of an eight-year-old and four years old, it looked pretty dicey.
"We might need to find some other way around, not sure how to get both you and me over…" Nova contemplated to his sister.
Luna sniffled and wiped her eyes and nose. "I can push." She uttered out. She was still young and complex speech was still a task for her but he knew she had an idea. From a very early age, mere moments after she was born, Luna's powers manifested. Nova could vaguely remember the shocked faces of the nurses as a newborn baby was causing the hospital trays and tables to float.
Luna took a deep breath and concentrated hard, feeling the force and vectors gather in her core, she felt the flow of the objects around them and pushed mentally. Within the instant, a strange repulsion force rocketed both Luna and her brother over the wall.
Luna, having exhausted her power fell unconscious mid-air. Noticing this, Nova quickly grabbed hold of her in his arms and braced for landing. "Oh shit, this is going to hurt," the swear left his mouth as he came colliding into solid concrete.
"You alright Luna?" Nova asked his little sister, the small child just silently breathed, still unconscious. "Oh right, guess I'm carrying you…" he muttered to no one in particular.
Hoisting her up with a great heave, he trudged off into the night. The back streets were deserted and devoid of any form of activity. All gone to see the big flaming commotion huh. He thought.
Uncle Quartz's last words were that we can't trust anyone, for all we know the next person we talk to could be a White Fang member. WE NEED to hide. His thoughts rambled on the various options he had as he stumbled through the dark alleyways of Menagerie. This one particular alley fed into a dead end where he finally collapsed behind a dumpster out of exhaustion. Barely managing to set his sister in a comfortable position against his lap, he stroked her head gently. The once glistening silver hair was dirtied and laden with ash.
"I swear on Oum, I will protect you, even if it costs me my life. You're all I have left now and I'm all you've got. We'll get through this together." He quietly spoke to her. The words felt more akin to his own fears, as though saying them would somehow make their situation any less terrifying. No home, no parents, no food, no one they can trust, stuck on an island where everyone could be a potential threat.
The tears began welling up in his eyes, silently sobbing throughout the night trying not to alert anyone to where they were... until he began laughing maniacally. If he had to be completely honest, their situation was so bad it was hilarious. How the hell would he save them? When he was just some eight-year-old kid with barely a few years of sword training. He couldn't get a job, he was too young. He couldn't enroll in a hunters school because Menagerie had none, there was only the White Fang.
THAT'S IT! The idea struck him like a slap to the face, if he couldn't survive here, he needed to go somewhere else. Anywhere, he didn't care where, anywhere was better than here. In the dark of the night, under a starless smoke-filled sky, he hatched a plan, a plan that would change his world even more than it has already.
-The next morning-
The distant squawking of gulls echoed from the cloudy blue sky. The stench of salt, fish and unwashed rope permeated the sensitive nose of one Nova Flareheart causing him to turn his face in disgust.
He was currently crouched behind a mountain of cargo crates, he wasn't sure where they were headed all he knew was that they were being delivered to one of the Kingdoms and he and Luna would be on the first ship off this wretched rock.
"Okay Luna, this requires the highest of stealth," he turned to his tiny sister who crouched behind him. Her pink dress torn into a skirt and beyond dirty now, in truth they were both in terrible condition, his own clothing was in rags. A thick layer of grime-covered their faces barely leaving a fingertip of clean skin.
The small girl nodded, "Hm," was the noise she made staring directly at him.
"Okay so, on the last crate, we jack ourselves into it and hitch a ride on that boat, so we need to be as sneaky as…" *GURGLING GROWL* "Possible…." His stomach interrupted his explanation. In truth he and his sister hadn't eaten since they had dinner the night of the fire which was near twelve hours ago, in short, they were starving. They only had one option however, and that was to sit and wait, so they did.
"Alright haul in the last batch over there! The crates with the fruit!" A gruff male voice yelled out.
"Aye boss!" a similar voice responded.
"Alright let's go, this is our shot!" Nova exclaimed. "Luna can you crack open this crate and seal it so it looks intact?" he asked his tiny sister, gesturing to the rather large crate infront of them. He hated having to rely on her so much, the poor kid must be laden with grief and confusion but he had no other option.
The young girl breathed and channeled her magic forcing the sealed crates open, their contents which looked to be dust were tossed out in a flash. The two climbed inside and she sealed the giant crate. It was a tight fit but the only one they had, luckily the crate had a sole apple as if someone was too lazy to fill it, Nova held up the fruit for his sister, she looked hesitant, her eyes asked what he would eat. "It's fine, you're the one using your powers, you need to keep your strength up," he whispered, smiling. The younger dragon nodded and viscously dug into it.
The waited, and waited, Nova occasionally peering through the small air holes in the crate while his sister just crouched silently near him.
"Oi this crate is a pain must be some heavy fruit." A male voice said as the crate they were in was hoisted up and carried around. The initial raising caught them off guard and they almost slipped up by making a surprised noise.
"Aye Cap'n why's this crate so heavy?!" The man called out, causing the two kids to freeze in fear.
"It's loaded with apples, of course, it's heavy you dimwit. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LET THOSE GOODS GET TAINTED OR SO HELP ME I'LL KEEL HAUL YAH!".
The two didn't know if the man responded but they took his quickened pace as a sign they were safe.
They were stowed away on a ship probably miles off the coast of Menagerie by now. They were starving and tired. Neither knew just how much further they were from their destination, or what that destination might actually be.
A low growl was heard next to him and his sister tugged on his shirt. "Nova, I'm hungry." She said softly, her face pale, dried lips and dark eyes told him she was indeed starving. They hadn't had any food or water in nearly twenty-four hours. He probably looked no better than her since he hadn't eaten in days. His body was weak, but his newfound semblance kept him going, his body was apparently adapting to the weakness, giving him just enough strength to push forward. He felt the insides of his stomach scraping itself for hours now but he kept it in. He was willing to starve until they hit land however long that might be but his sister, on the other hand, wouldn't make it. She was much younger and the use of her powers drained her.
He peered through the peephole, it was night time outside as far as he could tell. They were stowed in the bowels of the ship, so he had no clear answer but given there were no avid movement noises or footsteps it was safe to assume the crew had gone to sleep.
"Stay here, I'll go find some food." He whispered to her. With a strong push, he lifted the crate lid off them. Normally impossible for an eight-year-old, his years of training and semblance aided him.
He glanced around, no one in sight. Gingerly he crept out of the crate, careful not to make any noise. His semblance working around his footsteps helping him be quieter.
Forcing open a few crates he realized his efforts were in vain, it was all dust, crates, and crates of dust, nothing edible.
Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. Hey god or whoever, throw me a bone here, literally. He mentally cursed. Guess I have no choice, this ship has to have some sort of mess hall or kitchen.
The ship itself wasn't very large, it seemed to be a standard sailing vessel. Unlike its modern counterparts, this ship was quite the antique, sporting large white sails standing aloft its wooden oak deck. It was like something out of an old pirate movie, minus the fact that it also had a motorized engine and underwater propulsion. Creeping onto the deck he scouted around for signs of anyone. Minus the snoring deckhand, nothing. The poor chap must've been on nightly cleaning duty and fell asleep.
Nova tiptoed around the deck toward what looked to be a light at the back of the ship, a door with a window. He ducked and rolled around a group of barrels for unnecessary dramatics and gently pushed open the door. Inside was a strange sight to behold. The entire crew or at least most of it were sprawled out in various positions in what appeared to be a mess hall. The stench of alcohol permeated the yellow-lit room. Overturned tables and bar stools, drunken and asleep sailors in their uniforms snoring soundly on their bellies in some of the most uncanny position. Nova had to stop and wonder how in the world someone managed to fall asleep upside down against a wall. His eyes scanned the room for any signs of edible food, surely as he expected, there were plates of scraps and food laying all around him. Jackpot.
Working his way around the room, he gathered whatever leftovers he could find that looked consumable. A bunch of bananas, some sizeable grapes, even a few chicken legs. The tray of food he carried was growing quite heavy and he needed to get water. A pitcher lay on the table a few feet from him, the main issue was, there were three sailors all sprawled out on the floor at the base of it.
It's never easy is it? he sighed in his mind. The smell of the food on his plate was stirring his stomach. He gingerly stepped over the first of the three, stretching out for the pitcher on the table that stood almost as tall as he was. Being a four foot tall eight year old was starting to have its downsides. He stretched and strained and prayed to Oum that his stomach wouldn't *GROWL* make noise….
He immediately froze looking around to see if he disturbed anyone. Thankfully the snoring of the sailors made them immune to disturbing so easily. Grabbing the pitcher he was about to make a break for it when he forgot that he was currently standing over a very large individual. With a quick misstep, he tripped sending the tray of food minus the pitcher that he was grasping into the air. Within an instant he angled himself catching all of the food using amplified reflexes from his semblance.
"Brrhuh huh?" A male voice was heard, thick and laden with sleep. Nova's eyes shot wide, he turned to see the very man he tripped overlooking up with semi-closed eyes as if he were still half asleep.
In a last-ditch effort to maintain his cover he donned a soothing voice, "Shh you're dreamingggg~" he said wiggling his voice for effort.
The man nodded hazily and smiled, almost instantly the man's head dropped back onto the wooden floor with a soft thud.
Breathing a sigh of relief Nova snuck back out of the room carrying his tray.
"Here eat this," he said handing the tray to his starving sister, she looked pale and thin. The mere thought of her suffering any longer hurt him beyond words. Gratefully the small child dug into the mass. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" she asked concerned for her brother.
Nova shrugged it off, "I'll just eat these," he said picking up the bananas. They were a little brown but not inedible. Honestly, he had no room to be picky so he ate what he could.
The next day Nova and Luna could discern the voices of the crew outside their cargo hold.
"Sir I think the ship is haunted." A gruff male voice was heard outside. The morning had come and the crew had awakened, the general busying of their various duties could be heard echoing throughout the hull where they were stored.
"What makes you say that," An authoritative voice responded, most likely the captain.
"Well sir, last night the men say they heard growling noises, and when we woke up some of the food was missing." The original speaker answered.
Nova was shocked, he had no idea they would catch on this quick. If the ship didn't dock soon they may as well be found out.
"You lot are just crazy. Seafaring superstition is all, drunk sailors hear things all the time, 'twas probably just a squall." The captain responded brushing them off.
"But sir…I swore I saw a figure last night." He insisted.
"Well if it makes you feel any better, go check the storage holds and below deck, do a thorough sweep." The captain commanded.
"Aye cap'n"
The loud thump of boots on wood could be heard romping about along the deck. It felt roundabout and random but there must have been a method to his searching.
Surely, soon enough those very boots came knocking on the very door they hid behind. Nova held his sister close and placed a finger to his lips signaling quiet.
She nodded silently and held her breathing minimally. A short stocky man wearing a blue overcoat and white trousers was scanning the area, taking note of all the items they had. He opened one or two crates but not all.
Nova could feel his very breathing stop as the man drew ever so close to their crate. The hand of the sailor hovering just above their crate. Nova was prepared to do anything to ensure their safety, even if it meant killing the man. Though he was unsure how he would rid the smell or not cause a commotion. He hoped to Oum that he wouldn't need to result to those measures, after all, he had no weapon other than his semblance and his unpredictable powers.
The man placed his hand atop the wooden crate, teasing the unknown residents inside. The tension built up to a point where it was so thick it was suffocating.
"GIBBS ARE YOU QUITE DONE?!" The captain's voice rang out. "I NEED YOU ON DECK!"
"COMIN' CAP'N!" Gibbs responded, relinquishing his hold on the crate lid and scurrying off to the above deck.
It was only a day more before the ship finally docked. Nova and Luna managed to sneak themselves off the ship without being seen, leaving a very paranoid Gibbs behind. The port city was strange, unlike any he had seen before. The buildings weren't very tall and many of them looked residential. Human and Faunus seemed to get along quite well here.
"M-Mih-ster-all… Mistral! We're in a place called Mistral." Nova said squinting to see a tall welcome signboard.
They spoke English, good. It would definitely be a problem if they stood out any more than they already do. The docks smelled strongly of fish, causing the siblings to pinch their noses in disgust. Being Dragons their heightened sense of smell made this place dizzying. Ducking and dodging around the various cargo, they scrounged around for any scraps or supplies they could find. Nova spotted something strewn off to the side.
"This…is going to come in handy." He said to his sister who just tilted her head in confusion, an act that was both heart-wrenchingly adorable and funny. Nova reached down into a small dirty box and hauled out a large brown cloak, it reeked of fish, probably used by one of the sailors on a trip, it was big enough to fit both of them. Extending the nails on his hand forming claws, they weren't big or sharp like his dad's as he was still young, but they were about as useful as fabric scissors. Tearing the cloak into appropriate pieces, he rinsed them in the ocean before wrapping the smaller one around his sister.
She pinched her nose and recoiled. "It's gwoss." She said nasally.
"Just bare with it until we find something better to hide ourselves," Nova said. Most people outside of Menagerie have no idea what the royal heirs looked like, still, they couldn't take any chances, their silver hair and horns were a dead giveaway to those who knew.
First thing's first. Nova thought. We need to find a place to stay.
They wandered the city for hours, their feet swollen and raw in the poor shoes they had. Most people avoided them, they looked like vagrants after all. Seemed this city wasn't too keen on helping the poor. Many alleys were filled with the homeless, castaways of society who either couldn't fit in or lost their way. Nova's heartfelt for them at one point, but he was one of them now. Sighing to himself he pulled his sister along until they eventually found what looked to be an inn, it was old and wooden, definitely not the cleanest place in the world, the rats outside just completed the look.
Cautiously the two entered, they barely made it through the door when they were stopped by a large, fat woman. She was the very definition of the word ugly, the matted brown hair with obese body, three chins and a mole on her left cheek. "And where do you think you're goin you little street rats?" her voice was rough and deep for a woman.
"We'd like a place to stay for the night, ma'am. We... have no money but we could work labour so... if you'd allow us..."
"The rule is, No money, no service." She responded without a hint of compassion for the two children, "I'm the owner, and I make the rules, no money." She lowered her head to their level, "No. Service." She practically spat.
"Please ma'am, We have nowhere else to..." He couldn't finish as they were forcefully picked up by the lady.
"GET OUTTA HERE AND DON'T COME BACK!" the grouchy female voice said as Nova was violently kicked, quite literally, out the door, his sister was simply thrown out since she couldn't kick them both. Nova silently thanked Oum that it was him and not her that got the beating.
Luna looked at her brother worriedly, holding him up. He coughed harshly and wiped his greasy and blackened face.
"This was the last one this side of town," Nova said solemnly looking up to the sky. It was getting quite dark, and the cloud coverage called for a heavy shower. They had tried seven inns and taverns excluding two bars. Seems no one here was generous enough to take pity on a couple of homeless people, even if they were kids.
They were running low on food, whatever scraps Nova managed to save was long gone. They were thoroughly doomed if he didn't find something soon. So he did the only thing that he could think off, setting himself and his sister down in the driest looking alley possible, he held his hands out to the people passing on the cobblestone sidewalks.
The passers-by simply looked in disdain at the two small children begging for scraps on the side of the road. Some kindly folks took pity and dropped a few Lien, others spat in their face. It was here Nova and Luna learned the true cruelty of the world.
A thunderous crack resounded as the streets became less populated, and where people once walked were now puddles to replace them, as though the sidewalk must remain filled at all times.
Luna shivered against her brother, the stench of muck and grime that had stuck to them like a second skin was being somewhat cleansed from nature's downpour. Huddling under the small overhanging of a drainpipe, crouched behind a metal dumpster, the once Prince and Princess of Menagerie were now cold and starving.
Days passed, Nova and Luna were both growing thin and pale, Nova more so than his sister. They had been chased out of their original spot by the owners of the building, finding themselves now close to the outskirts of town, living in an alley between a rich looking apartment complex and an old house. The alley itself was clean, there weren't many homeless people in this part of town and the only other one they knew of, was an elderly man who looked like he'd been there for ages. He lived in the same alley as them and was the closest thing to a friend the two dragons had ever known, he was kind and helpful, oftentimes offering water or food if he had any to the young Nova. The man was like a sort of protector, he would watch over Luna when Nova was away, they didn't know his real name because even he didn't remember, they just settled on calling him Old Man Jitters because he would vibrate like a rubber band whenever it got too cold.
The siblings survived by begging, what little Lien they got, Nova would spend it, if he even got the chance as most places didn't let him in, on food and water. He gave every scrap of whatever little he got, to his sister first, telling her that he had already eaten at the store. Late nights while she slept, he would go dumpster diving for the food people tossed out in hopes of finding a meal, most nights he couldn't find anything edible and thus he starved as long as he could. He never got sick because of his semblance, the moment he felt something coming on, his body would instantly adapt its immune system to be rid of the disease. His sister never got sick because he ensured she always had dry clothes, clean food, and water. Not once did he allow her to eat out of the garbage, he had to take care of her because no one else would take care of them.
It was late at night now, Luna was alone in the alley, awaiting her brother to return.
She sat there, huddled with her knees to her chest for warmth, the dull yellow glow of the street light was their only source of luminescence. Her brother was taking longer than usual to get home. She had a sickening feeling inside her that something wasn't right. A loud scream was heard in the darkness of the alley, instantly on alert now, she whipped her head around to find the source. A dark chuckle emanated from the shadows and Luna could only shiver in fear as she felt a pair of cold, sticky hands hover around her before she could scream the hands had clamped down on her mouth.
It was a month now, maybe six, Nova was unsure at this point how long it had been since they'd been on the streets, he could no longer keep track. All he could do was trudge silently in the night back to the alley where his sister slept. If his height as any measurement it might've been a year.
As he neared the ever so familiar dumpster that he had grown somewhat attached to, he heard a whimpering cry. Instantly he was on alert, rounding the corner with intent to launch himself at whatever was near. His eyes went wide in shock by what he found. A man standing maybe six feet tall, his eyes deranged and mad, torn clothes and tattered trousers stood over his sleeping sister. The young girl was awake staring in shock as the man's hand covered her mouth so she wouldn't scream. His sickly brown skin gripped around his face like a walking skeleton, a knife glinting almost as horrifying as the look in his eyes, bathed in the yellow street light.
Not a single word was uttered in the dead silence of the night as before the man could breathe Nova had sprung from his position tackling the man into the alley's brick wall. The crash resounding like a cymbal in the dead silence.
"Don't you DARE lay a hand on my sister!" Nova seethed with venom dripping with every word. Luna looked on terrified, too shocked to scream. The man just stared back unblinkingly, a wild look in his eye and cackled. Nova had no idea what kind of drugs this psycho was on but he didn't look like he'd get a straight answer if he asked.
The man wildly lashed out with the knife but Nova was quick to dodge, his body, however, couldn't respond to his reflexes and lagged due to lack of nutrition. The knife which normally would have sailed harmlessly passed his chest had managed to nick his shoulder, spraying blood on the ground. The wound wasn't deep but the hot-blooded fight had caused a greater flow. Enlarging his claws Nova slashed at the pain tearing three gaping gashes across his chest. The man, however, began laughing even harder, unphased by the apparent lethal wound in his upper abdomen.
Nova lunged in barely dodging a fatal blow from the knife and sank his claws into the man's eyes, holding it there. The young eight-year-old boy held his hand in place in horror at his own actions. The dread and guilt of the act he was committing sinking deeper into his subconscious as the man who was victim to his attack began to convulse violently until he stopped moving. The pulsating, warm and wet flesh of the inside of the man's skill was a sensation that burned itself into Nova's memory. Dropping to his knees in horror, he began to throw up on the floor.
Luna ran up to her brother holding him and crying, the dead look in his eyes scared her. The man that tried to kill her terrified her and the stinking corpse that had been made of him scarred her. Neither sibling would be the same after that. Nova just thanked his stars that his sister was unharmed and the worst was over… or so he thought.
"YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!" Nova awoke to the sound of a male voice towering above him. Apparently he had passed out from nausea and exhaustion last night, the corpse of the man still there behind the dumpster.
"W-Wuh…" Nova said groggily.
"YOU MURDERER!" The officer said, smacking the young boy with his baton. The man began a series of assaulting blows, Nova could only assume non-lethal force was being used because he was a kid. The instant the baton swung near Luna however, Nova was at her side.
Instantly alert Nova recoiled and stepped in front of his sister to protect her.
"Officer you got it wrong, this man attacked me last night, it was self-defense!" Nova pleaded staring up at the man. The officer just brought out a stun gun.
"OH yeah? Then what about that one over there, was that self-defence to?" The officer gestured to what appeared to be a second corpse further down the alley, it was Old Man Jitters. The sight which made Nova want to throw up again. He held his sister to him so she wouldn't see, both of their hearts breaking at the death of the old man, their friend. It explained why Nova didn't come back to find a dead Luna, Old Man Jitters had found the madman first and delayed him as long as possible before he eventually succumbed.
"He must've been done in by the other guy!" Nova argued, trying not to admit that he knew the other old man, any connections now could make things worse.
"HA! We got a witness in the building next door says she saw you kill both of 'em. You're comin' with me you lil' criminal!" The man moved to grab Nova but he ducked and pulled aside with his sister. A woman dressed in rather rich clothing was staring out of the third floor of the apartment complex. Her face was scornful yet smiling as if she'd gotten rid of the thorn in her side. Nova couldn't understand what he'd done to her, he'd never seen her before in his life. Perhaps she was just another vile human.
"I SWEAR IT WASN'T ME!" he yelled.
"TELL IT TO THE JUDGE!" The man yelled back and began chasing after the siblings.
Cursing under his breath he took off in a run, his sister in tow, an all too familiar situation having to run from the authorities.
He had no idea how long he had run, his sister now pulled onto his back he couldn't stop. The angry cries of law enforcement long lost in the ears as the roar of the wind picked up. His semblance working on overtime to accelerate his movement as he ran top speed down the streets. He was thankful that his hair was practically grey and black from dirt and his face was too dirty to be recognizable. It would be some time before things cooled down but one thing was for sure, the city was no longer safe.
The siblings stood at the edge of town, facing dense coagulation of green. Apparently the city itself was surrounded by a thick forest, most likely loaded with Grim. Sucking in air sharply he mustered the courage to step foot inside, it may be dangerous but chances were they would die either way. At least he could deal with Grimm.
Nova wasn't sure how long he walked, Luna was long asleep on his back, it helped his semblance was aiding him but his aura was running out. He could hear the Grimm lurking in the darkness, his keen Dragon senses were picking up on all of it, but he kept moving. They were waiting for him to stop and become vulnerable, he couldn't let that happen. So he kept on walking, and walking, and walking. His walk became a trudge, which became a hunched over creep to eventually a crawl. He could feel his eyesight blurring, strength in his body was long gone. So this is how it ends… we had a good run he thought. His mind drifted back to when they left Menagerie, maybe if he stayed, found some decent Faunus and asked for asylum, they would help. Maybe he wasn't thinking rationally, but the more he looked back the more risks he had to account for. In the long run they were doomed regardless of their choice. Ironic truly, the universe played the world's sickest joke giving them hell, hope and then death. His eyes drifted closed as he awaited his death for what felt like the umpteenth time, his wish being that his sister would somehow survive.
With a start he awoke, almost instantly he felt pain rushing through him. He lay in a wooden bed with a woolen sheeted mattress. The room was entirely wooden except the windows, the furniture and upholstery looked all handcrafted, no electricity, only oil lamps, and candles.
LUNA! He remembered now, the events that transpired, quickly he rushed out of the room only to slam face-first into wall of hardened flesh.
"Woah slow down there kid, if you're lookin' for your sister, she's fine." A gentle male voice said,
Nova looked up to see a tall wolf Faunus with grey coloured ears and a tail, a slight stubble around his chin. Nova was on the defensive, eyeing the man cautiously. If the man wanted them dead, he'd have done it already, so what was he playing at? What was this man's angle?
"Here eat this." The man handed Nova plate of food, various meats and fruits lined the tray. Nova's first instinct was to smell for poison but he found none. The man laughed, "It's not poison and no I'm not going to hurt you or your sister. I found you two half-dead and about to be killed by Grimm in the forest." He said guiding Nova to the dining room table where the two sat and ate.
"Tell me, what reason you have for being out here alone? Two kids such as yourselves shouldn't be anywhere without their parents" the man raised an eyebrow.
"Forgive me if I seem rude, but given my…experience…with adults, especially fellow Faunus, I'd rather not share." Nova said eyeing him.
"Well spoken for such a young lad. Judging by your hair and your horns…I'd say you two are Dragons? Flareheart family?" The man guessed.
Nova almost choked. "Spot on it seems. Tell me what would literal royalty be doing out here so far from home?" the man insisted. Nova just looked apprehensively, like a deer caught in headlights, scared and panicked.
"Look, I really do mean you no harm, you need to trust me. Here if you think I'm going to make a move on you then use this," the man handed Nova a large kitchen knife, placing the knife-edge at his own throat.
Nova stared at him wide-eyed, did this man have any concern for himself?
With a heavy sigh, Nova relinquished the weapon, "It's rude to ask a person's story without introducing yourself first." Nova said.
"Ah forgive me, I am Randolf Wulf, a huntsman. And you are?" he introduced himself before gesturing to the boy.
"Nova Alexandrite Flareheart," Nova said stiffly.
"And pray tell young Flareheart, why are you so far from home?" The man asked his voice gentle and soothing.
Nova sighed heavily, seeing no other option that to trust this man, he recounted the tale of their personal hell.
"Well you've certainly seen your fair share, what do you intend to do now?" Randolf asked the young boy. Nova pondered for a moment, in all honesty? He had no idea. With nowhere to go, no real plan ahead he was at a loss.
Randolf saw him deep in thought and laughed.
"My boy, it should be a no brainer," he said.
Nova turned to him quizzically. "Huh?"
"Stay, with me, you and your sister are welcome to stay here, I am no friend of the White Fang and no one knows I live here, we're isolated in the middle of the forest, what more do you need?" Randolf smiled warmly.
Nova was dumbstruck, "Are you serious? We aren't a burden to you? I mean, what could you hope to gain?".
Randolf just patted his shoulder, "Kid, not all adults are selfish and greedy. You have nowhere to go, it wouldn't sit right with me to let two kids starve in the wilderness alone, besides if my sister were around she'd probably kill me if I turned you away. Of course you wouldn't be completely staying for free, you'll have to help out with odd jobs around the house. On top of that I'll be training you to be a huntsman."
Nove was once more flabbergasted, "What?!"
"You heard me, I've been meaning to get a disciple, what say you Nova Flareheart, are you willing to learn under Randolf Wulf?" the older man outstretched his hand in a shake.
Nova hesitated for a moment, trying to discern the truth in the man's words. There was no hidden motive, he was genuinely offering to help, and given the state he was in, the state his sister would be in, he had no reason to refuse.
"I accept." Nova said firmly grasping his hand.
-One week into training-
"Tell me, Nova, what drives you?" Wulf asked as he leaned against a tree, watching the young boy swing around a katana in a clearing.
"My sister, my family, for revenge on the ones who have wronged me, but I will not let revenge cloud my judgment," he repeated as if those words were his personal mantra.
"Good, what will you do to achieve your goal?" Wulf asked folding his arms.
With an envigored strike, "Anything necessary, if I must kill someone, I will, if I must make the world my enemy, I will. Nothing will stop me," he said breathing raggedly.
"Good, AGAIN!" Wulf instructed.
-Two years later-
"This kid of yours is a real piece of work…" Qrow said as he leaned back in his wooden chair, staring out at Nova training with a scythe in the field.
"He's not mine," Wulf said joining him on the porch of the wooden house.
"Whose are they then?" Qrow said referring to young Luna who was carrying a large stack of logs like it was paper.
"That's a long story…" Wulf said.
"Spare me," Qrow stopped him. "That boy's got a lot of potential, he's a natural with nearly any weapon you give him. That girl is no different, she's so small yet she possesses unnatural strength. Those two are gems." Qrow said looking at his soon to be proteges.
-Four Years Later-
"What happened to you?" Wulf asked as Nova and Luna trailed in at a late hour of the night.
"Really big Deathstalker, nothing major," Nova said with a grunt as he shrugged off his backpack.
"Nothing major he says," Wulf shakes his head in dismay. "What happened really?" he asked Luna.
"We got ambushed because Nova's nose is stuffy from a cold. He used his body to protect me, his aura blocked some but because most of it was already being used to adapt to the cold he has, he took a bad hit." She said worriedly pointing to his back.
"Turn around let me see," Wulf instructed.
Nova did as he was told, low and behold on his back was a number of small scratches and gashes, nothing fatal, just might leave scars, the real problem was the x-shaped wound on his left shoulder blade, and what looked to be a stinger puncture mark. Wulf sighed, "Get the needle and thread I'll take care of him." Randolf instructed Luna.
-Six years later-
"Hey kids," Wulf called, stumbling through the door of their home.
"Where've you been Master? The food's mostly gotten cold." Luna said disappointed. It was May 15th, Nova's birthday and though he hated to celebrate it, Luna still tried to at least make a decent meal for him.
"I snuck back onto the island a few days ago and did some digging around," Wulf said.
Nova's eyes went wide. "You went back to Menagerie? What did you find?!"
"Not much, the place was mostly cleaned out. People 'round the place kept it mostly preserved as a relic of remembrance or some crap. Thankfully no one found the real basement." He said heaving an object wrapped in burlap onto the table.
"Your dad hid this thing pretty well. I think he meant for you to have this eventually though I'm not sure if he meant for it to be like this." Wulf opened up the wrapping to reveal three large white metal ingots.
"Is that?" Nova said amazed as he drew his hand toward the metal, a resounding satisfying clang was heard when he came into contact with it, a gentle warmth radiated.
"Incindium, the last of it's kind. There should be more than enough here to forge a weapon for you and your sister." Wulf said.
"Does this mean…?" Nova asked hopefully.
"Hmph, believe what you will," Wulf said heading upstairs to rest. "Oh, and kid?" he said before he left.
"Yeah?" Nova turned quizzically.
"Happy birthday." He left.
Nova beamed, sure he was stoic and hard on the outside but that was mainly to show his sister that he was a reliable and strong individual. In truth, young Nova was just like the rest of us, and for his stoic father figure to wish him Happy Birthday was something that made him warm and happy. Perhaps birthdays weren't so bad after all.
-Two years ago-
"Hey Luna where's Master?" Nova said coming downstairs into the creaky kitchen. The place was eerily quiet, save for the dripping sink and whistling wind outside. The autumn chill rolling in and the vibrant green forest was beginning to wither a little. Despite it being a relatively tropical climate, they were far enough from the equator to receive winter chills.
"Not sure…. Hey there's a note," she replied finding a torn paper on the dining room table. Scrawled on the torn note was the handwriting of their master.
I'm leaving on a journey alone. Some news came in regarding The White Fang and given the gravity of the information, I may be gone for some time. The food supplies in the fridge may not last you that long, but it should hold out until the coming September. Once it runs out, I recommend you leave this house, venture back into Mistral and attend Haven Academy, the headmaster is to expect you. There you two will learn to become Huntsmen. I know you may have your issues with going back into the city that cast you out, but I've prepared some cover for you. Your time at the academy will serve you well, especially you Nova. Do not look for me, you will not find me. Take care of yourselves, I'd hate to see anything happen to you.
Sincerely your Teacher, Randolf Wulf.
"That shitty old man!" Nova cursed crumpling the paper. Luna looked on in worry.
"What does this mean Nova?" she held her arms around her.
"It means we hold out as long as we can until we're forced to go…" Nova said reluctantly. "Damn shitty old man, he couldn't have picked a better time to…" Nova cursed again.
-Present-
"And that's how I ended up here more or less," Nova said reclining on his bed, the rest of team ASHNRWBY staring at him.
Yang was the first to break the silence. "So that time you spent on the streets… you said that Luna, even though she was young, never cried or made a fuss. Don't you think it's a little odd?"
Ruby smacked her sister over the head, "Yang that was rude!".
"No, she has a point, Ruby, I thought it was weird, we were out there alone, by ourselves yet we knew how to handle every situation. Thinking back now, I honestly don't know how I had the strength to keep going. It might have something to do with this." He said rolling up his sleeve to display the flame on his shoulder.
"This is the symbol of the Aspect, well one of them. Persons with this gift are generally born with a mark depicting what element or category of power they fall under. Mine is a flame, depicting my control overheat. Luna has one on her back depicting a dotted semicircle, kinda looks like a swirling galaxy." Nova said.
Luna blushed hard, "You idiot, don't just go about telling everyone!" she huffed.
"Daww, it's cute, don't worry Luna," Weiss smiled and pinched the small girl's cheeks.
"How does a birthmark help you stay cool? " Blake asked.
"Honestly? I'm not 100% sure but, from what Master told me, we retain the survival instincts of our ancestors, previous wielders of the gift in our bloodline. Some mystic mumbo jumbo if you ask me." Nova folded his arms and leaned back again.
"Sounds pretty cool, but when are you gonna show us how you shoot fire?" Ruby said with gleaming eyes.
Nova laughed and ruffled her hair, "We can go now if you all like?" he asked everyone. There was a resounding simultaneous "hell yes!"
-Inside the training arena-
"You think Glynda will mind if we use this place?" Nitro asked rubbing his chin, the arena was currently closed off for the day as it was getting pretty late and most students were supposed to be in their dorms.
"What she doesn't know won't kill her," Hex said as she traced the area for security cameras and remotely replaced their video feed with a constant loop of an empty room. "There, we're all set!" she sent a thumbs up to Nova who stood with his sister and team RWBY at the center of the arena.
"All right, you guys might wanna take a few steps back. Luna, just in case prepares to protect everyone." Nova said ushering them back.
"Try not to roast us alive please!" the younger sibling yelled from the stands.
"Finally, we get to see what Alex- er Nova is capable of. It's gonna be hard not calling him Alexandrite unconsciously." Yang said sheepishly as she sat next to her sister. Ruby stared increasingly curious as Nova closed his eyes.
He outstretched his arms and breathed in deeply, the skin on his forearms up to his fingertips, transformed into bright orange and red scales. An intense heat began surrounding him warming up the chilly arena. The heat was most intense around him but diluted the further it was from the centre. Within an instant, Nova opened his palms and a spiral of fore enveloped them, blasting outward at the wall, the intense heat charring it. It was no ordinary fire, it felt more intense, more dangerous and wilder compared to the fire of last night, Ruby note.
Nova's fire was like a living creature, dancing and flickering into what appeared to be a dragon, every time he blasted it out. Team SHNRWBY stared in awe as the flames wrapped around Nova's left hand, condensing into a concentrated ball of pure inferno, it looked like a mini sun. Nova then brought the sphere crashing down onto the ground causing an eruptive explosion that rattled the room. He took up a stance and felt his jeans stiffen and restrict his movement, this never happened before… God I wish I was wearing a skirt, they're so much freer to move in… wait why am I thinking that? I've never worn a skirt… maybe I should…
"OI! ALERT THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WHILE YOU'RE AT IT! We told you not to go overboard!" Luna yelled, shocking team everyone. The normally sweet and shy child was like an angry blue leprechaun.
"Sorry!" Nova called back. Toning his fire down, he drew Asura. The katana-scythe was much different that before, as everyone noticed. The once plain black scabbard and golden dragon was now a fiery, dark orange, and the dragon was bright gold with a red gem for an eye. The blade itself seemed less unstable and reliant on the forced vibration from the mechanisms and now seemed to resonate on its own frequency. The blade itself looked sleeker, sharper and more deadly than before. Once in scythe form, Nova looked like an actual reaper, an imposing figure that gave even Yang chills.
He swung the mighty scythe and as he did, flames erupted from the blade, covering it in a second layer of destruction.
"So cool…." Ruby gazed on in awe, captivated by the sheer violent beauty of a weapon before her, and the one wielding it wasn't that bad looking either.
Nova folded and sheathed Asura, simmering down his flames, the scales disappearing from his arms.
"Dude, with that level of firepower, I don't think any Grimm could stand up to you." Yang clapped him on the back.
Nova let out a hefty cough before straightening up as the bombshell blonde nearly sent him crumpling to the floor.
"It drains a lot of my aura to manipulate the fire, it's not very practical unless I'm going all in no defence." He said struggling to stand straight, leaning on his sister for support.
"The best defence is a good offence I always say," Nitro joked.
"So… If Nova's powers are so cool, what about Luna?" Weiss asked as all eyes in the room turned to the small girl.
"W-Well my powers aren't as flashy as my brother's but I can do this," She said as she proceeded to drag two loose tiles from opposite ends instantly together without crashing them, it happened in an instant almost as if the two tiles were together, to begin with. She snapped her fingers and just as quickly as they came, they returned to their original positions, she then proceeded to fix the entire arena back to its original state, as if no one was ever here.
"WHAT ARE YOU A GOD?!" Nitro exclaimed, even though they were teammates, he rarely saw her use her power, much less to this extent.
"Yeah what was that insane power?" Blake asked incredulously.
The younger dragon rubbed her arms, "It's really complicated…" she said nervously.
"Try me." Weiss insisted.
"Well…" Luna took a deep breath. "I can control the space between objects, the forces acting on them and their vector directions."
"The what now?" Ruby asked looking confused.
"Umm… essentially, think of it like there's an invisible string tying all the objects in the room to one another, and there are multiple strings going in multiple directions. I can pull on those strings to force two objects to come together or extend the strings to separate them. I can pull on the string and change the direction and I can also change how much impact something has." She explained.
"I still don't get it…" Ruby said dizzily.
"I want to call you a dunce but, I don't get it either," Weiss said also dizzy.
"Told you she was some funny type of genius," Nova said as he ruffled his sister's hair.
"You know, you should try switching up your hairstyles every now and then, a girl's gotta spice things up ever so often," Weiss commented looking over the blue girl.
"Ugh don't I know it? I tried putting mine up in..." Nova instantly turned red, "I mean I pictured Luna in twin tails because it's my job as her brother to make sure she looks presentable… yeah definitely." He lied. "I'm gonna shower…" he said bolting off.
"…. Okay… that wasn't weird at all…" Yang said awkwardly.
"Sir, are you just going to allow this?" Glynda said as she folded her arms. Ozpin sat back in his chair watching a wiretapped video feed of the arena from outside the building.
"Leave them be, they just came back from a tough mission, after all, they deserve a few days rest…besides, in due time they'll be back out into the field." Ozpin said shutting off the feed.
That's backstory done, sorta. I did say detailed I didn't say completed. There's still a few bits of backstory that gets revealed at later points, either way I hope y'all enjoyed this entire chapter dedicated to telling the backstory.
I must say, the amount of support this fic is getting is rather crazy, it amazes me every time I log in and check the progress on this thing. You guys either suckers for bad writing or crazy, or both. Just bare with me for the next few months or so 'cuz chapters are definitely going to slow down to a crawl. According to my class schedule I only have like one free time slot and that's on Fridays and weekends. I might still try to put out two chapters a week but once assignments start kicking in, this whole fic might go on a temporary stall. Don't worry I THOROUGHLY INTEND TO FINISH THIS THING. Though as of this chapter, we're just about halfway done with pre-written content.
TIL NEXT WE MEET! Stay awesome!
