For a time, all I saw was darkness.
I couldn't feel my body, nor did I have any perception of time. Had it been minutes? Days? Weeks?
From darkness sprung a pinpoint of light, and from that point came a flood of it. Yet when I opened my eyes, I knew that I was not awake.
Suddenly I found myself standing in the middle of a house that I had only held vague memories of up to this point.
And yet the warmth was familiar to me. It was so, so familiar. Like…
Like I knew it my whole life.
I looked around, I saw I was in a living room sitting on a couch. There was a regular TV on the stand, not a holographic one, and when I took out my phone I saw it was a regular smartphone, not a scroll. I was wearing a black T-shirt, a pair of jeans and a pair of running shoes, distinctly without my talisman around my neck. I recognized the clothes as being the ones I arrived on Remnant with.
I felt a well of confusion and sorrow building within me. This…
This was my home.
I blinked and suddenly the Assistant was sitting next to me, an uncharacteristic sad smile on their face. Before I could ask anything, she spoke softly, "This is your home. This is… where you grew up. This is Earth." Then, she explained, "The God of Light saw fit to give you something of a reward for your efforts so far… Everything you say and do here will be remembered by all of them, and yourself. Make it count… When you sleep in your old bed, you will wake up back on Remnant."
She vanished and I was left to wonder, who were they talking about?
That was when it hit me. A smell that was pleasant and made my mouth water, it smelled like…
A cake?
That was when I heard a woman's voice coming from what I assumed was the kitchen, "Os, dear! Can you come here for a sec?"
I don't know why I felt compelled to listen to her, my name wasn't Os or any variation on it, but I did. I stood up and started walking towards the kitchen, towards the voice and the smell of cake.
When I stepped into the doorway and looked at the owner of the voice, my breath hitched.
Standing next to the counter with one hand on it as she looked at me was a woman with fair skin, brown hair that went down to her shoulders and green eyes. She smiled at me with a warmth that felt all too familiar, all too comfortable. I knew then that this was my mom. She looked moderately surprised to see me, as if she hadn't actually been expecting an answer to her call, "Os…?" She almost immediately began to tear up.
I was right there with her as I swallowed a lump in my throat, "Mom…?"
That was all she needed to hear, she practically ran over to me and pulled me into a tight hug. She began sobbing, "My baby! Y-You actually came! You… You've never shown up before… I called you and called you but you were… you were never there."
I returned the hug without a second thought. I was afraid she would vanish into thin air, and she seemed just as afraid of that as I was, "Mom, I…" I sobbed as I held her closer, "I-I don't know what to say… I… I missed you." How was I supposed to explain how I felt, how long I had dreamt of this exact moment? How many nights were spent in tears because I just wanted to go home?
Almost as if she knew what I was thinking, she kissed my cheek, we were about the same height, "You don't need to say anything, Os… You're home. You're finally home…" She was still crying even as she looked into my eyes, "This… This doesn't feel like a normal dream…" Then she shook her head, "Oh, it doesn't matter! You're here…"
There was a staircase back in the living room, and I heard a man's voice coming from it, "Honey? What's wrong?" He sounded concerned, and I knew who he was immediately as well. His footsteps were hurried, and I turned my head to look back at the entryway when he rounded the corner.
Dad was a tall, thin man with black hair and blue eyes, his face was clean shaved and his hair was messy, like he made some small effort to keep it neat but ultimately gave up halfway through. He wore a tweed suit and a pair of rimmed glasses, and once he saw me he took off the glasses, rubbed them on his jacket, and then put them back on, "Osiris…?"
He didn't say anything else, instead he stepped forward and joined the hug. He didn't say anything, I could tell from how he sniffled that he was struggling to keep his composure.
We stayed there for a full minute, although I wished it could have lasted for an hour. Yet soon we broke apart, and in an attempt to lift our spirits, I asked, "Osiris…?" Regarding Dad with a strange look, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and smiled.
Mom giggled, although her voice was still shaky, "You don't remember? I guess it has been awhile, and who knows what life's been like for you… Your father here is an Egyptologist, he insisted we name you that. I'm not a big fan, but… Os is a good nickname, don't you think?" She smiled, "I chose Serina's name though, thankfully, otherwise he would have named her Cleopatra."
Dad scratched his cheek and looked away embarrassed, "Ah… Yeah. In hindsight it was maybe not the best name choice, but it's cool!"
I smiled amusedly at his embarrassment, I supposed Neve was kind of an upgrade as far as names go, then… Although part of me does think to this day that Osiris is a cool name, just… not something I'd name one of my kids.
Then, I remembered what Mom had just said and asked, "Serina?"
Before an answer could be given, I heard a young girl's voice, "Dad, where'd you go?" She hurried down the steps from the sounds of it, and soon she was in view as well, "We were… gonna…"
She was around ten, from what I could tell. Her hair was long and brown like Mom's but her eyes were blue, like Dad's. She wore a dark blue sundress, and was looking at me with wide eyes.
I didn't need to think about it, I knelt down to her height and held out my arms for a hug. She immediately ran up to me and hugged me, now she was crying and the tears that I thought had dried up were coming back all over again, "Os! Os! Brother… You're here… I-I've missed you…"
All I could do was respond, "Yeah… Yeah I'm here…" While holding her. I remembered, now, that I had a few visions of her before, but they were very blurred, the most obscured out of all of them. More obscured than even my parents were, I felt I knew why.
I was easily brought down into a depressive state when I thought of my parents. I knew that thinking of Serina would only make it worse. Maybe, in some way, it was for the best that I didn't remember much about her until then.
Although now that I was hugging her, memories came flooding back. Time spent playing with her, giving her piggyback rides, watching after her, spending time with her. My sister, that I was looking forward to being there for just as much as my parents were. My sister, that I now never wanted to let go of, because just like my parents I loved her, and just like my parents I wanted to keep her safe.
But I couldn't.
The warmth I felt from that moment was comforting, but I still knew deep down that I would never get to see her follow in my footsteps. I would never get to be the cool older brother that intimidated away boys that weren't right for her, nor would I ever be able to be there for her in her brightest and darkest moments.
The warmth that I felt was like a puzzle piece I had been missing. Three puzzle pieces that I couldn't replace, that fit perfectly into my heart. So perfectly I wondered how I had even lost them to begin with, and yet…
And yet…
I was missing from them, just as much as they were missing from me.
I knew that these pieces would be lost again, but while I still had them, I wanted to cherish them. My family…
We separated, her eyes were red and she had tears staining her face. I reached out and wiped her tears with my thumb, "Don't cry, Seri… Don't cry, please." I smiled sadly at her, "I'm here."
Serina was always a smart girl, she reminded me of Shi in a lot of ways. She nodded and took a deep breath before asking, "B-But… you won't be later… right? When… When we wake up?" I could tell it took all of the effort she could muster to not cry while asking that question, to even ask that question
It took every effort of mine to keep my composure while I nodded, "R-Right… I'm… I'm just visiting. I… I wanted to see you guys…" I looked back at Mom and Dad, they both looked as torn as I felt, "Just… one more time. Before… Before I have to say goodbye."
God, I didn't want to say goodbye.
To this day, I don't want to say goodbye.
I can't…
Serina nodded, sniffling as she wiped her eyes, she spoke softly and shakily, "I love you, Os…"
All I could do was nod and whisper back, "I love you too, Seri… I love you so much. I wish…" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I opened them again, "I wish I could be there for you, but… You've got Mom and Dad. You'll be okay…"
She nodded, trying to put on a brave face while barely holding back how sad she was, "And I'll be a good big sister too… someday…"
My eyes widened and I looked back at Mom and Dad, they both nodded and Mom explained, "I'm not far along yet, but…"
That was all I needed to hear, I stood up and pulled Mom into a hug, "Serina will be great as an older sister. I know she will. She'll pick up the slack… Since I can't be there."
Mom returned the hug, sniffling as she responded, "She will be… After all, she learned from the best."
It was Dad who tried to lighten the mood, "W-Well…" He wiped a tear away under his glasses as Mom and I separated, "How about some cake? You should… You should tell us what you've been doing, Os…" He smiled sadly, "We'll tell you what we've been doing as well."
Would they believe any of what happened to me? They'd be afraid, they'd be worried, they'd never rest if they had an inkling of the things I dealt with on a daily basis. Yet, I didn't want to lie to them, so I just smiled, "I don't know if I can tell you everything…"
Mom nodded, she seemed like she was fighting herself to not ask a million questions, "We shouldn't pry, after all, we're not supposed to know what it's like for sure…"
The four of us went to the dining room after Mom took the cake that she had been baking. None of us knew how eating here would work, it was technically a dream, after all, but I could taste it just fine. It was easily the most delicious cake I'd ever had, and it brought back fond memories of birthday parties long past, of other special occasions and even just regular nights eating dinner with them.
While it was clear they wanted to know about what it was like on the 'other side', they refrained from their questions. Maybe they were worried that overstepping their boundaries would end this visit prematurely. Not everyone got visiting hours from one side of the looking glass to the other…
The three of them regaled me with stories of what their lives had been like in the time since I… got game over. The conversation was kept lighthearted, but it was clear that my parents had been fighting hard to move forward, not just for their sake, but for the sake of Serina.
A lot of the stories were about my sister, she had been getting into a lot of different things. Soccer on the youth team in our town, dance lessons, singing lessons, she was a busy bee, and she seemed to enjoy everything she was doing. Another way she reminded me of Shi, she was determined and driven, even at this young age. I told her that I knew she was going to do great things, and that she needed to keep that fire in her heart burning, no matter what.
As much as I wished that this time could last forever, that I could go to sleep in my bed, wake up, and it be a new day on Earth, with Remnant just a distant dream, I knew that that wasn't going to be the case. This was the dream, only brought close enough to reality to bridge our worlds by the will of the God of Light.
A part of me hoped that maybe if I did what he asked, I might get a chance to go back, but who knows how long defeating Salem would take? And as much as I wished I could go back, I knew that Remnant had changed me. The last few days in particular, though this was a wonderful distraction for the time being.
Better than I deserved.
Of course, nothing good lasts forever. Eventually it was becoming clear, as the sun dipped in the sky and night began to take hold, that our time was running out. I didn't just want it to end like this, though, I needed to give them something, but… How?
I mulled this over as Seri yawned, although I could tell that she was desperately trying to hide it. It was as cute as it was heart-rending. I just smiled at her, our plates were long empty now. The upside to a dream world was that we could eat all the cake we wanted and not worry about weight, not that I ever had to worry about that with my line of work…
Still, I asked her, "Are you getting tired, Seri?"
Reluctantly, she nodded, looking down at the table, "Yeah, but… I don't want you to go." I could see tears welling up in her eyes all over again, "I miss you…"
My smile grew somber, "I know, Seri…" I thought of something, it was a long shot but if it worked… Maybe I could give her something to remember me by, more than just the things I left behind at home, but also something that was part of who I was now.
As unfavorable as I was now, she would be remembering the old me and I wanted to give her something important to present me. Maybe, then, she would always carry a part of me with her. Now and forevermore.
I finally said, "I have an idea, I need to check my bedroom real quick." I could see the concern in their eyes, so I tossed my head towards the stairs so they knew they could come with me. I was sure they were afraid I would go up those stairs and never come back down, and I couldn't blame them. I was afraid that if I walked up there and back down again, they would be gone, even if I knew that this dream wouldn't end until I went to sleep.
Together the four of us walked up the stairs, and I instinctively knew which room was my own. My old memories were back in full force now, there was no amnesia to hold back the memories, the good, bad, and ugly.
I opened the door and immediately felt a sense of comforting familiarity with the room. It was a very simple teenager's room, a twin-sized bed against the corner near the window, a closet with the door closed, and a desk with a computer setup on it, it looked fairly nice by Earth standards, and I remembered how I had saved money to buy it, only for my parents to get it for me on my birthday.
I think that money I never spent was still in the wallet I saw sitting on the desk, I hoped they'd find a good use for it.
My attention was on the closet, however. I walked over to it and gripped the doorknob. I held it and closed my eyes, silently hoping that maybe the Assistant would pull through for me.
When I opened the closet, I didn't expect to see them standing there, but they were. My family couldn't see them of course. She had a somber smile on her face, in her arms she held four of my scarfs folded neatly together and whispered, "Give these to them. They'll wake up with them."
Four was more than I had expected and far beyond what I had hoped. I smiled gratefully at her as I took them and nodded silently before I stepped back and Assistant vanished. When I turned towards them, they seemed surprised to see what I was holding. These scarfs were far more ornate than anything else I had worn in my original life, I was a very subdued person back then… Of course, by Huntsmen standards, what I wore on Remnant wasn't all that flashy either, compared to someone like Ruby or Weiss, but it was, in my mind, more than I would have worn without Cinder's skilled hand at tailoring.
They each took a scarf, and when Mom saw the last one, she seemed to immediately pick up on who it was for, "For your new sibling?" It was a shame she didn't know the gender yet, I would have loved to have been able to imagine what kind of activities I'd do with them.
It'd probably be mostly the same either way, honestly.
I nodded, "Make sure you tell them all about me, okay?" I smiled sadly, "Tell them I love them. That… That I wish I could have seen them." That did bring tears to my eyes.
Serina spoke up with a soft pleading to her voice, "...Can we sleep in the same bed, Os?" She sniffled, "One last time…"
I wiped my eyes of coming tears as I nodded. Mom spoke with concern in her voice, "Before you… Before you go, Os, your father and I wanted to talk to you alone… Just for a moment."
Serina looked worried, but I placed my hand on her head and ruffled her hair as an assurance that I would be back. She stayed in my room with my scarf while I left and together my parents and I walked downstairs, back to the kitchen.
Once we were there, they looked at me and Mom asked, "Os… are you okay? We didn't want to mention this in front of your sister, but… the look in your eyes. I never thought I'd see something like it on you…"
Dad followed up, "You look tired, and not sleepy tired… You look like you've been through a lot." He fixed his glasses, emphasizing the look of concern in his eyes, "Where are you? What are you doing? You look more tired than I imagine Ahmose the First did, in ancient times."
I assumed that was some reference to Ancient Egypt that I didn't understand, but I couldn't linger on it. I sighed, "I… I can't go into too many details, but… When I died, I was taken somewhere else. It's… not heaven yet, and it's busy, very busy, but… I'm there for a reason." I couldn't exactly explain the exact place, even in this situation that was just a bit too much to believe. Still, I did have a hope, "When I've finished there, when my purpose is done, I'll rest." Maybe not in death, hopefully, but rest at all was something I had begun to yearn for.
Mom's eyes were filled with tears while Dad's looked the same, although both of them were filled with a sense of bitter pride. Dad responded, "So even after everything you did, you're still doing more?" He shook his head and chuckled, "That is just like you…"
Mom stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder, "I know you can't tell us much, so, please… Just be careful. Okay? We love you. You may… You may be gone, and our home is colder for it, but… We will be fine." She smiled, "Just… take care of yourself, okay?"
Dad put his hand on my other shoulder, "I knew you were a special boy from the moment I saw you, just after you were born… That's why I named you Osiris." He smiled sadly, "Remember to rest. You've always had a bad habit of wanting to do everything yourself, so try to delegate like I taught you."
…I remembered that he did. Maybe that was where I had gotten that instinct, even if I was still ultimately over-controlling.
I stepped forward and wrapped them both in a hug and closed my eyes, "G-Guys…" My composure slipped, everything I had done and everything I was supposed to be fell away, "I…I don't want to go…"
Neve the Wanderer? Neve the Wannabe Hero? Neve the Dragon Slayer?
No, no I was none of those. I was Neve the Lost Boy, barely a man and way in over his head, who had wanted nothing more than to just return home, to his real home. The one he was standing in at that moment.
Yet, I knew that the Lost Boy would remain that way, forced to act stronger than he was for the sake of others around him.
For now, though, I let that vulnerable side of me free as I admitted, in much more despair than last time, "I'm scared… I just…" I couldn't tell them I had killed two people, one if you were being technical, but I still felt the weight of two. Instead, I tried to steady my breathing as I felt Mom rub my back. Finally, I spoke again, and asked a question that I had been asking myself from the very beginning, "How…? How did I…"
I didn't need to finish the question. Mom sobbed and I felt terrible just for asking, Dad kept steady, if only barely, "There was a fire at the university you were attending… You weren't even in the building when it happened, but…" As I pulled away, just slightly so I could look at him, I saw a pained yet proud grin on his face, "The firefighters were still a ways away. You saw people were trapped inside, so… You went in after them. We were told you saved a lot of people, but… Before you could leave, the building collapsed."
Mom held me tighter as she placed a hand on the back of my head, "You're a hometown hero, you know…" She sniffled, "But… You're our hero too, Os." Mom sobbed for a few seconds before she caught her breath, "You were always a hero to your sister, and to us… I just wish that the world could have seen it some other way…"
At this point, Dad also pulled me tighter, "We never thought you'd be taken away from us, Os, but… At least we were blessed enough to get to say…"
I cut him off, still fighting back my tears, "Don't say it." I paused before elaborating, "Don't say goodbye. This…" I sniffled, "This isn't goodbye. We will see each other again. I don't know how, I don't know when or even if it will be in this life, but we will…"
Mom responded, "Okay… Then… We won't say goodbye." We parted from our hug, "We'll say goodnight." She smiled warmly in spite of her tears, "When the rain stops and the sun shines on a beautiful morning…" The sad look in her eyes brightened, "You will be there to see it with us. In spirit now… Then, if fate is willing… Together again, if not in this life, then in another."
I responded in kind with an old joke I remembered us sharing, "Some other winter…" Long ago, when I would ask for something that Mom couldn't give or had no idea when she'd be able to, she would use that phrase on me.
It wasn't lost on her as she kissed my cheek again.
Together we walked up to the doorways again, and I knew once they shut the door behind them, that would more than likely be the very last time I saw them. We shared one final hug before we parted, "I love you guys." I told them.
"We love you too, Os." They had both responded with no small amount of sorrow in their tone.
Then they turned, walked into their bedroom, and shut the door behind them.
There was still one more person to say goodnight too, though…
I returned to my bedroom, Serina was relieved to see I was still there. She was already under the blanket, and wearing my scarf besides. I smiled as I walked over and, in spite of my clothing, got into bed under the covers.
She clung to me and whispered, "I've missed you…" She repeated her sentiment, it was truthful every time and hurt my heart just the same, "You're Os… You were always there for me. Even… Even when you left to go to… col-llege…" She had trouble pronouncing the word, "You-You'd call me… Every night." I remembered that, I looked forward to seeing her and everyone else, considering how foreign being on my own was at the time.
She continued, "I love you, Os… I… don't know…" She took in a deep breath before she finally began to cry, pressing against my shirt, "I dunno h-how I-I will… I will…"
These were emotions no ten year old should have had to deal with, she didn't need to be so lost. She found her words by recalling the past, "Y-You told me a-about the north star w-when I was younger…" The so-called guiding light, always pointing you towards home. She continued, "Y-You need to follow yours…"
I smiled sadly, even though she couldn't see it, "I will, Seri, I will… This isn't goodbye…" I kissed her forehead as she calmed down, "Anytime you want to see someone again someday… never say goodbye. Instead…"
"...Tell them goodnight."
I knew that it was over.
My body felt numb and as I tried to open my eyes I found that they were heavy. How could my eyelids be heavy? What I did see, through incredibly blurry vision, was incredibly bright light.
If it weren't for the fact that there was a heart rate monitor I might have thought that I died and was back in front of the God of Light. I heard voices, although they were faint and fleeting. I could identify their owners, at least.
Jeanne was the first, "He's-!"
Lunus followed, "Call-!"
Violet sounded excited, "Wake him-!"
Then, finally, my eyes deemed it appropriate to gain focus, the light retreating to a more manageable level as everything gained definition.
My team was looking at me, gathered around me with Jeanne and Violet on my left and Lunus on my right. They weren't alone, though. Shi was there, standing and looking at me worriedly next to Lunus. Judging by the hand he had on her shoulder, he probably had to keep her from jumping to hug me, I appreciated that.
Along with the four of them, there was Ruby and Team JNPR. I would have found the absence of the rest of her team strange if I wasn't certain that I knew why. Weiss likely got called back home, hopefully under better circumstances than the other timeline, and the other two… Well, I hoped what I was worried about didn't come to pass, but with how everything was going, I didn't have time to think about Adam.
I couldn't be everywhere at once. That was something I knew I was going to have to internalize.
Yet still, I didn't want to think about self-improvement at that moment. As heartening as it was to see my friends, I still felt the soul-crushing weight of what I had done that day weighing on me. I killed two people…
I didn't know if they knew about Amber, but I knew they'd all seen what happened to Penny. The look of pity mixed with sorrow on Ruby's face was enough for me to see that. She was never good at hiding her emotions.
Neither was Jeanne, but she seemed more relieved to see me alive and awake than anything else.
The pointed absence of Cinder did not escape my notice. We were alive, so that meant she hadn't died to Orchid, which was a massive relief, but where was she?
Lunus was the first to speak, a smile on his face, his tone comedicaly over-dramatic and yet laced with relief, "The Dragon Slayer wakes!" He clearly wanted to ask me how I was doing, but maybe he was trying to avoid asking questions while I was still orienting myself.
Jeanne did not have the same reservations, "How're you feeling?! Everyone at Beacon saw you riding that dragon! Then you blew it up and people found it half-frozen and half-burned! That was super cool!" Her eyes were lit up brightly and I just knew that her tail was wagging, although from where I was laying I could only see her upper-half, same with everyone else, although it was harder to see Shi and Violet.
That was a difficulty they soon overcame by leaning on the bed, placing their hands on it, both of them at almost the same time. Although I had a feeling that Shi got the idea from Violet. Violet added, "I swear, Neve, I take my eyes off you for one second and you go and kill a dragon without me!"
While her voice held its usual bravado, there was also an undertone of concern and something akin to pride in her voice. Was she proud of me? Were people proud of me? They really shouldn't have been. I was in the right place at the right time, in my mind any one of them could have killed the thing in my place.
Jaune seemed concerned as well. I wasn't as close to him as I was to Lunus, but I guessed that some level of brotherly concern was inevitable when his sister was my partner, "Are you… alright?"
I had trouble finding the right words, so instead I managed a smile. It was weak and awkward, but that seemed to be more than enough for everyone to relax somewhat. Shi was uncharacteristically quiet, but I assumed that it was just out of concern. I wondered where her parents were?
Her mother would probably be very busy helping the wounded, and her dad would hopefully be back at their home…
I finally tried to sit up, but that was probably the worst thing I could try to do. I winced as the movement practically lit my body on fire. Pain, agony even, coursed through my body. Lunus placed a hand on my shoulder and gently guided me to lay back down completely, "Ah ah! Doctor Bronze said that even after you wake up you're going to need to take it very easy for the next few days to a week. I don't think you'll be bed-bound for that whole time, though."
I couldn't thank God enough for that.
Jeanne followed up by grabbing something from the table on my left and holding it out to me, "Here." It was a remote, probably to the bed I was in. With no small amount of effort, I raised my right arm, not trusting my left arm at all right now, and took the remote. Then, I pressed a button and grunted softly as the upper half of my bed elevated so I could be sitting, or at least close to it.
I blinked a few times as I took in everyone around me. Ruby looked distracted, I had no doubt she was only here because Lunus was, but I knew that wasn't a slight against me. Her team had been split apart, it was only natural to want comfort. Pyrrha… She still looked shell shocked, she smiled at me but there was clearly something hidden in her eyes. No doubt she was thinking of her brother.
Finally, I cleared my throat and spoke, my voice was weak, "Everyone's… alright?"
There was silence as everyone stared at me for a second before everyone reacted to my first words since I had passed out… however long ago.
Jeanne pouted and crossed her arms. Violet placed a hand on her hip and shook her head with a smile on her face. Lunus rolled his eyes, Ruby's distracted expression briefly turned to some form of approval, I guess she would ask the same question in my circumstance. Hell, I knew she would. Shi just looked at me with what I assumed was admiration in her eyes, or maybe some sense of awe.
Jaune grinned at me while Pyrrha's smile grew somewhat. Ren remained stoic while Nora…
Well, Nora burst out laughing, a full on belly laugh. That drew the eyes of everyone else as she exclaimed, "Get a load of this guy!" She then mimicked my voice by making hers sound slightly deeper and raspier, "Everyone's alright?" She then returned to normal, "He's the one in the hospital bed!"
My voice was not raspy normally, but I couldn't help but amusedly note that she got my inflection correct.
Ren lightly jabbed Nora with his elbow, a small smile gracing his features, "I can think of a few other people in this room who would ask the same question. Everyone, actually." That at least lightened the teasing, because it was true.
That was when the door opened and in came two people. One was Peregrine, wearing the same outfit she was wearing before, albeit minus her sword. Well, nobody had their weapons here, it was an infirmary not an armory.
The other was Doctor Bronze, a man with salt and pepper black and gray hair and a very noticeable five o'clock shadow. The look in his hazel eyes was tired and his skin was slightly pale. He was around as tall as Jaune and wore a white doctor's coat and scrubs. In his hand was a clipboard as he walked over to us. He spoke, his voice was friendly if tinged with exhaustion, "Alright, would everyone mind stepping outside for a moment? I know you're eager to talk to Mr. Cadere, but I have to check on him."
The others were fine with that, although Shi didn't clearly didn't want to leave, she still went with Lunus as everyone stepped out.
Now that we were on our own, Doctor Bronze went over my charts, "You're lucky to be alive, I hope you know that." He delivered that information as if he was discussing the weather, "Your arm was broken, you were bleeding internally and externally, your aura was gone and you suffered injury to your spine that, frankly, I'm amazed didn't leave you crippled."
I winced at his words but I knew he was right, between falling off the Wyvern and taking the express option to the vault, my back had been through a lot. He continued, "If you had been found even ten minutes after you were, you may well have died." Well, that wasn't a terrifying thought.
Sure, I'd done it once before, but given what I had left behind, I'd rather not do it again. Doctor Bronze looked at me with a smile, "In that regard, you're either lucky, made of iron, or both. Huntsmen without their aura are just as vulnerable as anyone else, the fact that you didn't die speaks to your qualities, be it endurance, grit, or luck." Then he looked back at the chart, "I was a Huntsman once, served with Atlas. I was in a situation similar to yours, at one point, and it cost me my career."
I couldn't help but feel bad for the doctor, but he didn't seem too perturbed, at least not outwardly, and he changed the subject back to me quickly, "Enough about me though, you're going to be in a lot of pain for the next few days. Try not to move too much. I had to drain blood from your lungs, and I'm sure that didn't help the pain. Your back needs the most rest, if you strain it too much too early, you'll suffer a permanent injury, even aura won't help you with that."
I nodded along to his explanations, the underlying casual behavior he showed made sense, it could have been much worse, but I was alive. He finished with, "I reckon… Two days in the infirmary and the rest of the weak with very light activity should set you on the path, but…" He wrote something down, "You're not going to be allowed to do anything related to Huntsmen work for a few months. Lucky for you, the semester has prematurely ended due to the attack and it's a very real possibility classes won't resume until next fall."
Was that lucky? Months of not doing anything? I couldn't bear the thought! Just two days laying here was going to be agony, but months? I was incredibly tempted to tell Jaune about his semblance just to speed up my recovery, if I was correct he already had it unlocked and just didn't know about it yet. However, I knew I couldn't do that.
I just nodded, "Okay, thanks Doc." My voice was still weak, I was sure just a drink of water would be enough to fix that, but alas, I had none.
It didn't escape Doctor Bronze's notice, though, as he smiled at me he said, "I'll let your team know to get you something to eat and drink. You should be able to do that just fine."
It sounded like he was prepared to leave and while I desperately wanted something to eat, I knew I had to ask him a question, "Doctor… How long was I out? And… What happened to the old doctor?"
Doctor Bronze's face turned grim as he sighed mournfully, "The difficult question first. Doctor Xia and her husband were found dead after the attack concluded." My blood ran cold and my eyes widened, shock went through my body, but he continued, "They were hurried onto a bullhead by Atlas officials so they could escape, but… That Bullhead was destroyed by the Wyvern you slayed after it emerged from the mountain."
Well, in some way, I had avenged their deaths. Yet, they wouldn't be dead if I hadn't fucked up the way I did. Their blood was on my hands, and Shi was orphaned because of me.
…Orphaned, no. I couldn't let that happen. Orphanages were hit and miss, she could end up in a good one and get a good stable family, or she could end up in a bad one and either get hurt or end up being influenced by bad people. No, no, I wasn't going to allow it.
He answered the easy question next, I almost didn't hear it with how my ears were ringing and I lost my focus, stuck thinking about the Xia family, torn asunder. He explained, "You've been out for twelve hours. Were you a normal person, you'd have no-doubt been in a coma for weeks at least, but your aura has seen to it that you've regained enough strength to wake up. "
I nodded a few times before I responded, "What… What about Shi? The girl?"
Doctor Bronze hummed, "Well. Right now, she's a ward of the state. I have no idea if she'll be taken to an orphanage, or adopted outright by someone she knows, but right now she's staying at Beacon, I believe with your team."
I would have to thank all of them later for taking care of her.
Now, however, it was my job to take care of her. I had done this to her, it was only right.
He waited for me to speak, I guess he could tell I had something to say, and I did, "How can I adopt her?"
He definitely wasn't expecting that as his eyes widened, "Mr. Cadere, you're eighteen. You might legally be allowed to, but are you sure that's the best choice?"
He might have been talking sense, but I didn't care much for sense right then, "Just… answer the question, please Doctor."
Doctor Bronze furrowed his brow, "Well… think on it before you do anything, you won't be able to act on it until you're healed anyway, but I suppose the best person to talk to would be the Headmistress, Professor Goodwitch. She is a member of the council, after all, if anyone could expedite the process it would be her."
I smiled, "Thank you, Doctor. I know… I know it might seem odd, but… I owe it to her."
He shook his head, "You don't owe anything, you're a hero." Then he turned towards the door, "Right, I'll be back around later today to check on you more thoroughly."
Then, I was alone. Well, for a few moments at least.
I used that time to close my eyes and take a deep breath. My mind was abuzz with everything. The warmth and sense of closure I got from seeing my family, the people I had spent so long trying to remember, and yet the bitter cold of knowing that they were gone from my life now. The feeling of dread and sadness was only made worse as I thought about the attack.
Careless, careless, careless…
That was when I got a notification.
Quest Complete!
Fall No More
Beacon stands bright and shining, if temporarily taken out of action. With Beacon saved, is it perhaps time to take a breather, or is it time to turn to new horizons?
Rewards
50,000 Lien (To be used exclusively on acquiring a place to live for you and your soon-to-be adoptee, incapable of being used on anything else), New Title: Dragon Slayer, Permanent notoriety increase with Vale and Beacon, increased relations with several people.
…Well okay then.
I hadn't even been given this quest, I had to assume that this was just something that came up after the fact, or maybe I hadn't noticed that I gained it in all the chaos. I made a note to remember that the System could give me quests completely unprompted now. Maybe I needed to ask the Assistant about it.
…And thank them for everything they've done for me.
I decided to check my stats, more out of idle curiosity than anything else.
Neve Osiris Cadere
Level 17 Dragon Slayer
Age: 18
HP
100/100
Aura
150/150
Stats
Vigor - 24
Mind - 38
Charisma - 42
Endurance - 40
Strength - 20
Dexterity - 45
Intelligence - 23
Sorcery - 10
Skills
Sword Fighting
67/100
Archery
68/100
Fist Fighting
40/100
Dodging
70/100
Blocking
44/100
Aura Usage
67/100
Dust Usage
65/100
Stealth
58/100
Deception
80/100
Leadership
60/100
It seemed that a good deal of my stats were raised after the attack, I shouldn't have been surprised, really, given everything that had happened.
Still, the fact that 'Osiris' was added to my name and the change from Wannabe Hero to Dragon Slayer didn't escape my notice.
…I guessed that now that I knew my original name, maybe the System wanted to add it to my bio? That made sense… somewhat.
Osiris was a much better middle name than a first name at least. Sorry, Dad, but why on earth would you think Osiris was a good first name for a kid?
Ah… well, he hadn't meant anything by it. I couldn't really rag him for it too much, as nerdy as he was.
I looked around the room as best I could, it was the same infirmary I had been in before, right alongside Cinder, yet she was nowhere to be seen this time.
The Long Memory rested against the wall near my bed. I was in a patient's gown, so I had to assume my weapon and clothes were back at the dorm. The Long Memory was probably left here so I could use it to walk, once I was capable of doing so.
And I had joked about wanting a cane of my own once, now I have this one…
…Granted, it wasn't mine. It was Oz's, and I was sure that Qrow was going to want to take it so he could give it to Oz, once his new incarnation was discovered. I assumed that Qrow was at Beacon, even if I hadn't seen him, I had no reason to. I didn't hang around with Team RWBY nearly enough to have chanced upon him.
I just hoped he'd let me hold onto it until I could walk on my own again, or until I could find a different cane.
Not long after that everyone returned. Well, most everyone. Team JNPR left, Lunus explained that Pyrrha was still messed up over finding out her brother was not only alive, but working for the forces of evil, understandably so. The others wanted to help her feel better, so they went to spend time together, also understandable.
Ruby was still there, though, albeit she was a lot quieter than she usually was. Having her team ripped away from her likely had that effect, and if Yang had lost her arm, I imagined she was probably worried. I had to anticipate she'd be going back to Patch soon.
I talked with my team and Peregrine for a while, an hour or two I think, eventually though Violet said she wanted to go check on Mercury and Emerald, while Peregrine mentioned needing to work on sharpening her sword. Jeanne was very quick to offer to go with her, 'We can sharpen our swords together!' She had said.
Eventually, it was just Lunus, Shi, and I. The mood shifted once I asked, "So… what happened after I passed out?"
Lunus rubbed his chin as he looked up at the ceiling for a moment. He had shifted to sitting down on the bed adjacent to mine, with Shi sitting on mine, careful to not sit too close, lest she exacerbate my injuries. Lunus finally spoke after a moment, "Suddenly, Cinder had this… crazy power. One moment, her aura was almost depleted, the next she was completely fine and creating firestorms, flying using wind… It was nuts."
I was going to have to explain what a Maiden was to him, and to everyone… Oz might not have wanted that, but Oz wasn't here. I always operated independently of him, but I respected the wish to keep things like the Maidens secret.
However, it seemed that I was going to have to build my own circle…
Once I was fully healed. I could only be silently frustrated that I was going to be out of action for so long.
Lunus continued, "She went down that elevator and then flew back up with you, The Long Memory, and Daybreak. Then she left you on the ground and wrote me a note, she asked me to give it to you when you woke up." He fished around his pocket before pulling it out, a neatly folded piece of paper that he held out to me.
I took it while he kept talking, "Then she just… left. Nobody's seen her since. Emerald and Mercury don't even know where she is, and they were her teammates. After that… Well, the others arrived in time to find me trying to stop your bleeding. We got you triage care, and… now you're here."
I unfolded Cinder's note and read it, brief as it was.
I'm sorry.
I love you.
I had to fight to keep my lips from curling downward into a frown as a pang of sadness pulsed through my body. Sadness and something else…
A burning fire in my chest, smoldering in a way I had never felt before. Anger, pure unbridled rage, mixed with betrayal, hurt, sadness, feelings of abandonment…
She just left Beacon. Left me, after I killed for her! I watched the light leave Amber's eyes, her blood was on my hands, and I did it all so she could live. She and everyone else.
Cinder should have been there when I woke up, she should have been there to console me, to tell me that what I did was okay, because she was the only person who would know what I had done.
…Yet she wasn't, and I felt pangs of sadness and anger continue to pulse through me.
Lunus tore me out of my thoughts by saying, "Neve… If you need to talk about it. I'm here. Her just… running off like that? While you were dying?" He closed his eyes and shook his head before he opened them again and smiled a weak smile as he attempted to add some humor to our situation, "That's rough, buddy."
A callback to when he comforted me before, and a silent assurance that I could turn to him again.
Ah, where would I be right now if it wasn't for him? He'd been my confidant when I could turn to nobody else, and even though I was certain he would rather be at Ruby's side right now, he was here talking to me.
He saw that I was hurting when nobody else did, and for that he had my eternal gratitude. Blood Bound Brothers indeed.
I managed a smile, for his sake and for Shi's, "I'll… I'll be okay. I just… It's a lot." I wasn't going to lie and say it didn't hurt, because it did. She did save my life, in her small way, but was I wrong for still feeling slighted and betrayed that she just… took off?
I just had to forge ahead. With or without her…
Although through all this pain, I still couldn't say that I hated her. I love her, and that hasn't changed. If anything, it just exasperated the pain I felt.
The conversation shifted as Shi finally said something, "Uncle Neve…" She looked at me and I could see that heart-wrenching hurt in her heart, "Mama and Papa… They're… They're not here anymore." She sniffled and I responded by gesturing for her to come closer. She listened, and took it as permission for her to hug me. She did so, hiding her face in my patient gown while she sobbed.
Physically it hurt, but it didn't hurt as much as hearing her cry. I consoled her, "It's okay, Shi, it's okay… You can stay with me, alright? I'll take care of you…"
Although as I thought about it… I didn't think I'd be able to go back to my old apartment. Cinder abandoning me was so fresh on my mind, I didn't want to go back to all of those memories. Even the good was tinged with bad, now that I knew she had just… left like that.
Did she have a good reason? I didn't know. All I knew was that I was left to deal with the whirlwind of emotions that came about from what I did to Amber on my own now that she had left.
Part of me, desperate and wide-eyed, hoped that she wasn't actually gone. That she'd come back, and that all she was doing was securing the city or chasing our enemies.
Yet, I remembered exactly what she had talked about before. She wanted power, she claimed she needed power, to defeat Salem. We did need power, but did she even know what she was going to do? Now that she was no longer hunting for Maidens, the path to power was a lot murkier.
She couldn't get to the relics without the assistance of the other Maidens. Would that be what she did? Would she try to get their help?
No… I knew Cinder. She'd sooner get into a fight with Raven than work with her, the Winter Maiden was still Fria, the old woman that was probably being heavily guarded, even at this point in her life. The Summer Maiden, well… that's Orchid.
Maybe that was why the System saw fit to give me all of that Lien? Did the Assistant know that Cinder had run off and decided it would be best to give me that reward?
Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing, I'd have to ask her later.
Lunus and I comforted Shi, who seemed at least somewhat put at ease by my promise to take care of her.
Eventually though, the two of them left so that Shi could get some sleep and so I could rest. I could tell she didn't want to go, but I wasn't going anywhere.
Not this time, not this time.
The next couple days went by aggravatingly slowly.
I had my scroll at least, and the company of my team and Shi fairly consistently, but not being able to go anywhere or do anything was making things difficult.
Finally, however, after I got to the second day something new happened.
Doctor Bronze came in around noon and told me that I would be cleared to leave once the paperwork was finished. Which was good, because I was capable of walking and moving again. My body still ached, and if I overexerted myself it downright screamed at me, so even after I was free I knew I was going to have to take it easy.
Then he left, and I was alone for a few more hours until around four, when someone else I hadn't expected to see entered alongside Shi. Not Lunus, not Jeanne or Violet, but Glynda Goodwitch, the new Headmistress.
I was wearing my huntsman attire again, I put it on the second I was able to move without hurting myself and could get Lunus to bring it to me. When I saw Glynda, I moved to stand up from my position laying on the bed, slowly.
She regarded me with a level gaze softened slightly by a smile, "Neve. It's good to see you're recovering well." I took hold of The Long Memory so that it could help me stand and she regarded me with a curious gaze, seeing me holding Oz's cane was probably strange, but it was all I had at that moment.
She continued when I looked at her expectantly, "Doctor Bronze has told me of your intention to assume guardianship of young Shi, here." I nodded and she crossed her arms, "I hope you understand how strange that is, you're only eighteen and you're still a student. It's very rare indeed for someone your age to take guardianship, and even then it's usually for a younger blood-related sibling, never for someone totally unrelated."
I nodded and shifted a bit, "I know it's strange, but… I owe it to her, Glynda." I saw she regarded me with an even stranger look and I furrowed my brow before I noticed I was standing with the cane resting in the middle of my person, with both of my hands on it.
I knew that was Oz's favored pose when standing with the cane, so it must have struck her as weird. I left the stance quickly and just leaned on the cane with one hand, causing her to return to the topic at hand, "...I see you're determined." I nodded and she hummed, "In that case, your lodging at a studio apartment will not do, you will need new accommodations."
I knew why she didn't bring up Shi's old home. That would be traumatic for the young girl, having her things was one thing, but being in that home? No, no she needed a change of scenery. I nodded, "I was planning on looking for a place I could buy or rent, so we'd have space and… a fresh start."
Glynda nodded approvingly, "Good thinking. However, I will not allow you to handle this on your own. Not in your state. For your service, and if you must see it this way, a bounty for killing the Wyvern, I will be expediting the guardianship papers and locating a suitable place for you both to live. Afterward, Beacon will be paying the full cost for the home, and will cover all expenditures relating to bills."
That was a very heartfelt gesture, and I appreciated it, but I thought that Beacon's money should go towards repairs rather than getting a place for Shi and I to stay. I opened my mouth to respond and then she hit me with The Glare™, a move that no huntsman could hope to stand against.
There would be no arguments, Glynda wouldn't allow it, and she said as much, "Don't be a self-sacrificing idiot, Neve. You're not just looking after yourself anymore." She put a hand on Shi's shoulder, who looked excited at the idea of living with me, "You're looking after Miss Xia here. Or should I call her Miss Cadere?"
Well, when she said it like that, it made me feel like I was her father, and a lot older than I actually was. I didn't bring that up, though, instead I deflated, "...Alright, fine. What about all of our belongings?"
Glynda smirked, "Your team and Team JNPR have been given a mission to help you move, once I've selected a home. Of course, you will be forbidden from participating."
…Of course.
That was when I got a notification.
Alert!
50,000 Lien has been deducted from your savings.
Reasoning: "You don't need this anymore, now someone else is paying your tab!"
…Thanks Assistant.
It didn't take long for Glynda to find a place for us to stay.
It was on the Isle of Patch, a two story, four bedroom, two-bathroom home. It was far better than I expected, far better than we needed. To this day I still badger Glynda about having spent way too much of Beacon's money, but she has a good heart beneath that stern exterior. She was looking out for an injured student in a rough patch and his new adoptee.
It was official, the paperwork had been trivial, Shi Xia became Shi Cadere, which felt strange, once again it made me feel like I was her father rather than an older-brother figure.
I thought that maybe she would want to keep her old last name, but she didn't oppose changing it. I think, maybe, she felt that her last name reminded her too much of her parents. I had no way to tell, she was young. If she decided she wanted to change it back later, I would help her, but I guess for now, if nothing else, it would make paperwork and taking her places easy.
Even with my status as a 'Dragon Slayer' and a huntsman-in-training, I was sure that people would look at me strangely if she didn't have my last name. Who put that much care into someone else's child?
Well, the answer was simple, I did.
I was ashamed to admit that Shi and Serina were very similar, and that was the driving force between me being so quick to step up to take care of her. That wasn't the whole reason of course, but if I hadn't remembered Seri, I might have been willing to let someone else take care of Shi.
Now, though? I wanted to make up for what I couldn't do.
Violet and Jeanne both decided to move in with me, with Violet saying that she wanted to help take care of Shi and Jeanne not having a place to stay while Beacon was out. She didn't want to stay on campus when it was being repaired, let alone if she was on her own.
Honestly, I appreciated their help. I might have known about being a brother, but actually being a caretaker? That was a step above, something I had no experience with, and while I knew Violet and Jeanne didn't either, at least they had some form of maternal instincts.
…It was weird to think of Violet having maternal instincts, but she did.
The home was very rustic feeling, wooden floors with the exception of the kitchen and bathrooms, which were both tiled. Glynda had moved all of Shi and I's stuff here, which meant I was officially moved out of the Changing Seasons Cafe.
The end of an era, but June said I was free to come back if I wanted to, that was reassuring.
A month went by without me even thinking about it, I spent that time recovering while also instructing Shi on her training. The training provided a sense of normalcy to her life, and to mine. It let me take my mind off of Cinder, who still regularly invaded my thoughts.
Around mid-October Qrow came around and asked for Oz's cane, I gave it to him without question. He knew that I knew about Oz, that was expected. He mentioned he would be on the island for another month before starting his search for Oz's next incarnation so he could give the cane to him and bring him back, and so they could start forming plans.
I, personally, wanted to make plans of my own, but I was trying to focus on recovery above all. That just made it harder to not think about Cinder.
I even thought about getting rid of Daybreak and getting a different weapon entirely, Lunus suggested and championed doing that, but I couldn't. Instead I compromised and decided I would use it as the base for a new weapon before handing it off to Ruby, she mentioned knowing a master weaponsmith who worked at Signal that would be able to do something along the lines of what I wanted. What was his name again… Professor Burnfire?
Something like that.
On one chilly fall night, I was standing under the backyard awning while rain fell hard. The island was prone to rain showers basically all year, but whether or not it was raining, it was beautiful. The grassy, fenced in yard proved that much.
I fought hard to try and keep my emotions in check, I busied myself by being there for Shi and talking with my friends, but the pain was still there. Cinder running off, killing Amber, holding myself responsible for Shi's parents dying…
It weighed heavily on me, I just hadn't let it show.
Jeanne and Violet had both pointed out how I was acting more reserved than I used to. Truthfully it was just because I was trying to keep myself steady. I was ashamed of what I had done and who I was, so what reason did I have to act like I had things under control?
I didn't.
The rain was my only companion as I stood outside in my turtleneck, scarf, jeans, and boots, leaning on the wall while trying to think to myself. I loved the rain, the feeling of being so close to it without actually getting wet was nice, not that I minded getting rained on.
I enjoyed the silence. Silence only broken by the rustling of trees in the wind and the fall of rain. At least, at first.
Technically, the silence wasn't broken, because what I heard was entirely within my own mind.
I heard a familiar voice speaking to me as a strange sensation washed over my whole person. My whole body stiffened as my eyes widened. They stayed that way as I heard his words.
"Hello, Neve."