In the north of the capitals of Atlas is Anton Village that's lying on the mountains. The village lays on the side of the hill, immersed and blended into the trees. A teenage boy is walking up the path towards the village gate. He is dressed entirely in his blue and black combat gear that matches his dark hair. Carrying a basket of dust crystals, he was assigned to collect by his Master. Upon reaching the Gatekeeper, he quickly takes a look at the basket before letting him inspect it.
Desmond hands over the basket to the Gatekeeper and takes a peek back to make sure he hasn't dropped any. The Gatekeeper gives back the basket with a cheerful demeanor on his face.
"Hello, Desmond. Off to see Tuklia?" The Gatekeeper says while opening the gate, letting him through.
"Well, I just got back from the caves up north. Found a sweet deposit of Dust Crystals. They're even pure." Desmond says while wearing this proud smile.
"Okay, just be careful with those!" The Gatekeeper waving at him, has he nods back, putting on his hoodie.
Desmond walks through the crowded market in the village center, where humans and Faunus alike are welcome. He looks at multiple shops and decides that maybe he'd come back later when it is less crowded. Ignoring a busy street he enters, an ally and removes his hoodie. He is revealing his dark hair and blueish eyes, as well as his young face. Making sure his combat attire is not dirted, has his Master hates how he couldn't do that during training. While being in his thoughts, making sure his blade is secure, he hears a soft voice calling for him.
"Desmond. Desmond! Over here!" The soft voice was coming from behind him.
Desmond turns around as the voice suddenly puts a smile on his face, and he realizes why. Diara Velnam, a childhood friend of his, is running towards him. In her red outfit and skirt, that matches well with her red hoodie and red hair.
"Hey, Diara." Desmond smiling, always happy to see his friend.
"Desmond, are you going back up the hill to see Tuklia?" Diara with an anticipated and excited tone.
"Yeah, I'm doing my Combat Test today. Hopefully, today is the day I can finally beat her." Desmond says, looking at his sword and recounting all the times he tried so far.
"I'm sure you can do it this time. Oh, by the way, I was told to come to tell you my father would like a moment later if you are able." Diara says as she stands firm, clearly trying to be mature.
"Sure ill come as soon as I'm done with my master today," Desmond says with a single sweat coming down his forehead.
"Okay! I'll let him know, good luck Des!" Diara says while hugging his arm quick and walking off towards her house.
Desmond walks and thinks about how Diara had barely changed since the times when they were kids. She had always cheered him up, especially during hard times. Now they had been growing apart more than ever since he started his second phase training five years ago. He notices he is at his Master's residence, making sure everything is right. Proceeding to knock on the door, then resting his hand on the basket and the other on his weapon just in preparation. He shakes his wrists to make sure his gauntlets are on tight as he takes a breathe while the door opens.
Desmond tightens his stance and takes another quick breath as his master steps outside. In her purple and black combat dress, she stands in front of her student with this face giving off no emotion. She takes a quick look at the basket in his hands.
"Took you long enough, Apprentice." Tuklia has she stands aside, allowing him inside.
"I got the crystals you asked for, from the Revora Caves, just like you said." Desmond placing the basket on the table and take a seat.
Tuklia breaks her emotionless face and smiles at the sight of the crystals, and Desmond remembering his manners. Has he removes his gauntlets and places them away from the table, stretching his arms.
"You equip dust into your wrist gauntlets yet?" Tuklia is looking through her cabinets, preparing lunch for both of them.
"I have, but I feel like I haven't trained enough yet. I feel like I'll burn my face off soon." Desmond thinking back to when he almost did.
Desmond decides to bring up a topic he wanted to ask his Master for a while. His semblance, pondering that he had been training his Aura for years and still, he hasn't seen any form of power. So far, Desmond learned that his Aura was a considerable amount to last in a battle against Grimm or opponents. Maybe it has something to do with that. As he gives off a look, his Master knows what it means.
"What's on your mind, Desmond?" Tuklia is now boiling some water for their meal.
"Master, I was wondering after today's combat test. We could move on to Aura again; I want to train harder and unlock my semblance you say I could have." Desmond flat out, bringing up the problem he thinks he has up to his Master.
"Well, with the training the past four and a half years I've been putting you through. You have been training hard on your Aura as well. It's part of the reason you can unlock it, but your semblance can sometimes just come to you." Tuklia explains as she is stirring the pot.
"So what your saying is that your semblance can come to you at any time?" Desmond is still thinking hard about what it could be.
"Yeah. When you train, when you're under stress, even in a random accident. It will depend on the situation you are put through or come across. Now gear up. It is about time for the combat test." Tuklia says as she gently lands the pot on the table and grabs her staff.
"But Master, I thought we were going to eat." Desmond is looking at her with a confusing look.
"We can after we finish your test. Nothing like a meal after a good fight. Now get that dumb look off your face, and let's begin." Tuklia as she grabs her staff and goes towards the backyard.
The day's sun gets overtaken by grey clouds of a storm in the distance. The mountain behind Desmond as he takes a deep breathe and looks forward. Standing eye to eye with his Master once again, Tuklia readies her staff, a glimpse of the snowy terrains glow, and the capitals light up in the distance.
"After today's Combat Test, there is something I want to talk to you about," Tuklia says as she gives off a hint that she objects to the idea.
"Is it something about training?" Desmond asks as she has; he's hoping for a new technique to learn.
"No, I'll explain after we are finished. Oh, and before I forget, did you get those upgrades from when I sent you to Atlas the other day?" Tuklia is asking before they begin.
"Well yeah, do you want me to use it?" Desmond asks, lifting his arms with confusion on wondering why she wants him to.
Tuklia nods at him as Desmond grabs his holster from his waist and equips it on his gauntlet. The holster then transforms into his gauntlet as the blade comes to rest on his wrist as it resembles an assassin's blade. He stretches out his arm to get the blade's weight and then stands firm and readies himself. With a simple nod, the battle begins, has Desmond takes one last breath. He lunges forward with speed with his blade spinning, landing four quick strikes, all that was easily blocked. She returns with a series of strong attacks, all blocked, which causes Desmond to stumble backward.
Desmond regains his footing fast and blocks the next attack causing their weapons to lock. He then goes low to try to gain some distance, which Tuklia predicts with an attack on his midsection. Desmond lets out a small cry of pain, but Tuklia follows up with another attack using her staff to slam him into the ground. Struggling for his breath, he rolls through as the light from the gravity dust infuses back into Tuklias staff. Grabbing onto his stomach has his aura flashes with sparks of the dust crystal as well. Taking a knee in hopes of keeping it going, slightly embarrassed, it's maybe over this quickly.
"Remember when you lunge, push off with the appropriate foot. Your strength didn't back each one of those attacks. I could easily read them." Tuklia says as she continues to stand on guard.
"Thought this was a Combat test, Urh. Not a lesson.." Desmond, as he is getting back to his feet.
"It can be both." Tuklia.
She lunges forward at him and unleashes a barrage of strong attacks. Desmond blocks them all this time while repositioning his footing. He lands a quick kick and missing an opening, as Tuklia lands a hit right onto his jaw with her staff. They both go back and forth at speeds any normal Huntsman or Huntress would be amazed at watching. Tuklia eventually gains the upper hand, tripping Desmond, but he quickly regains his footing. Desmond blocks another series of attacks and lands a strike on his Master. But before he could take advantage, he's swept low, and Tuklia uses her staff again to slam him into the ground.
Letting out a cry of pain and spitting out dirt, struggling to let his breath out again. He gets to his feet, Tuklia holding back her concern for her student. She strikes a pose knowing well that Desmond is nowhere close to done. They both stand and stare at each other for a moment as the wind picks up around them. For the next twenty minutes, they are reaching the end of their battle. Desmond lands hard on the ground from an attack as his Aura shatters, and the contest ends. Tuklia runs over to Desmond to make that he is alright.
"Easy now, are you alright?" Tuklia as she removes his sword and gauntlets, helping him up.
"Yes, Master. I'm fine, gotta catch my breath..." Desmond, as he slowly sits up and leans against a rock, he landed beside.
"Shit. Now Jomir will have a good time cleaning this up. But I'm sure he won't mind if we pay him well for the job." Tuklia says as they both look at her backyard, all torn up from their battle.
"You fought well, my apprentice." Noticing that he is disappointed, he lost again. "But you have to remain calm. You get too excited when you fight. I see that even when you're losing." Tuklia says, trying to cheer him up but with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"I'm sorry," Desmond says as he is thinking to himself, he does have a habit of doing that.
"I do have a feeling you'll pass soon, at the rate I've been putting you through now. At this point, if you went to the Academy in Atlas. You'll graduate, no problem." Tuklia as she looks up and notices a storm approaching.
"You are suitable for your age. To become a Huntsman, just like your parents. Hehe, at this rate, you'll be better than your old man. Who knows, you may even surpass your mother and me." Tuklia is slightly pausing in the middle of her sentence, thinking about his parents.
"My parents, you never really bring them up. Is that what you wanted to talk about after the test?" Desmond is now sitting on the rock he was leaning on earlier, now wanting to learn about his parents.
"Yes. Now move over, and I'll tell you some of the details I know about them." Tuklia as she takes a seat on the rock beside Desmond, he moves over fast, as he is interested in what she has to say.
"Your parents, so far, I told you their names. Linda and Darwin Ralcull and that they attended Beacon Academy. They were both kinds, and they always helped others. I was attending Beacon around the time that they had arrived. We met on a cooperation mission on Beacon's outskirts, and afterward, we became friends. That's when we all started to become more and more-.." Tuklia as she is going on and on about stories of the three back her days.
"-one day, I have begun to notice they were more distant from everybody else. Three years after we had graduated, they had a child, you. I had met you once before they gave you to me. That day I'll never forget it. They were both exhausted and fresh from a long journey to get to my front steps. They explained that they didn't have time to explain and asked me to take of you until they returned. I was hesitant because I had no experience dealing with toddlers, but I accepted because they were my friends. That was over fifteen years ago." Tuklia as she is holding back some of her sadness.
"Do you know what happened?" Desmond asks as he realizes his teacher was more connected to them than he is.
"I don't know what happened. No one does. I went out to search for Linda and Bron but came up with nothing." Tuklia wipes a single tear and a raindrop from her face.
"Thank you for telling me all this. It means a lot, and for what it's worth, Master. I'm thankful to have a Mother like you. You helped me get strong against the Grimm. Not to mention raising me since I was a newborn. I honestly don't know how I could ever repay you." Desmond says, trying to comfort his Master.
"Don't mention it, son. Your parents will have to owe me in the next life. They owe me one this time." Tuklia says as she embraces Desmond after their conversation.
Their hug is interrupted as they begin to hear loud crashing sounds from the village below. More serious crashing sounds are happening, but Tuklia picks up what appears to sound like a screech. The ground begins to shake as Desmond almost loses his balance. Tuklia looks back and motions for him to follow behind her as they start running down towards the village. They both begin to hear screaming along with the crashing sounds as they get closer. Desmond gets a strange feeling going through his Aura, ass he stops to notice Tuklia halted on one of her knees, feeling through the ground below her.
"Master, what's-" Desmond gets cut off before he could finish his sentence.
Tuklia puts her hand up for him to be silent. With the screams and mayhem happening in the distance, she pops back up to her feet as quickly as she could at the same time throwing her staff at Desmond to get him out of the way as well. Multiple black scaly, slimy tentacles come out from under the ground. Tuklia and Desmond attempt to dodge an attack but are blindsided due to the numerous tentacles. They are launch through the air, crashing down in front of her house. Struggling to grasp what's in front of them, Tuklia grabs her staff using her gravity dust.
"Desmond, are you alright?!" Tuklia is looking back as Desmond barely nods, slowly getting to his feet.
A fifth tentacle comes bursting out of the ground, flying towards them as Tuklia keeps all of them at bay. The tentacles land a blow sending her flying back as she coughs out for air. She notices that both of their Auras are depleting due to the fight they had earlier. Tuklia nods back to Desmond as they lunge forward for an attack but shows no effect on this creature. Tuklia gets Desmond out of harm's way and gets an opening, piercing through one of the tentacles. As Desmond tries to contain his composure, she holds as it swings around as he feels fear coming over him. Tuklia activates some of the dust crystals in her staff as the creature screeches from down below.
A sixth tentacle comes flying out of the ground fast as it hits her, launching her as she crashes into her house through the roof. Desmond sees this and rushes the tentacles, but in his state, he does nothing as one of the tentacles wraps around him and then slams him multiple times into the ground, damaging his Aura. The tentacle proceeds to send Desmond flying as he smashes through the front door of the house, almost shattering his Aura. Losing vision in his sights and barely getting any breaths out, he feels like he is close to dying. Tuklia gets out of the rubble and lands in front of the house. She looks behind and sees Desmond barely conscious behind her.
"..desmond.. You leave my son alone, you son of a bitch," Tuklia with a look of no fear and total expression of rage.
Tuklia roars as she activates her semblance and manipulates the roots in the ground from below her. She makes them wrap around each of the tentacles around them. She follows up with an attack, slicing through one with her fire crystals. The creature screeches from below the ground, and two more tentacles come bursting out of the earth, flying towards the house. Tuklia notices, and let's go, throwing her staff just above Desmond with the gravity dusts still active. The two tentacles destroy the rest of the house as the debris is prevented from hitting Desmond, thanks to his Master's staff. Before Desmond tries to get out, he sees his Master still fighting outside. As he tries to get out, a large board crashes down, making its way through the gravity and knocking him out cold.
He awakens during the night as he tries to get his eyes and head straightened. Desmond slowly comes to as he quickly comes to notice his Master's staff is still active above him. Feeling some wounds around him, he decides to activate what's left of his Aura. Grunting in pain, trying to find a way out of the debris, Desmond squeezes through the rubble as rock shards scratch his hands. , Deciding to get out before trying to grab his Master's staff but swiftly grabs the sword he barely noticed. Desmond stretches and takes a few pauses before checking the states of his wrist gauntlets. Activating one and using the gravity dust to obtain his Masters's staff.
Desmond equips his sword and the staff onto his back as he prepares to set off. Wondering where his Master could be, he sees that the area looks like a battlefield. He makes his way towards the village, where he can see nothing but smoke and light flames. Rain begins to pour down over the area, and lighting strikes above him, revealing the horrors of what had happened. Bodies are lying everywhere as he tries to keep his composure and not look at what's going on all around him. Keeping the negative emotions away and hoping Tuklia, Diara, and some people got away from this. Desmond hears howling in the distance and draws his sword to be sure. More lighting strikes appear, lighting up the area, as the thunder bombs in the sky.
With the lighting, in the corner of his eye, he recognizes a body in the distance. The rain comes down all over his face, and the wind is blowing, causing a chill to go through his entire body. Lighting strikes again, giving light in the area, and Desmond sees what he never wanted to see in his lifetime. The thunder booms once again as Desmond kneels to reveal Tuklia lying lifeless on the ground. Desmond tries his best to hold back his emotions, seeing her face with a faint smile. Like she had passed on with peace during a hard-fought battle.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no... I'm not ready for this.." Desmond is barely talking straight, starting to let out his emotions as tears roll down his face.
The Grimm in the area begins to feel his strong negative emotions as they start to run towards his direction. Desmond's sadness and rage come pouring out of him as he yells at the top of his lungs and smashes his hand, not holding onto his Master on the ground. Now gripping his fists in anger, he sobs as his body experiences a chill he doesn't feel. His Aura around his body begins to glow and brighten the darkness around him as the weather starts to get more vicious. Desmond screams again, but this time it's in pain, as his Aura flashes aggressively. He feels pain, which his mind describes it as the worst he had ever felt.
He slams his head into the ground as he feels tremendous pain in his forehead. Desmond's eyes begin to change from a brownish to a light greyish color. The Aura around his body is now pulsing. Different colors begin to pulsate at his hands. The light-generating from his eyes begins to light up the whole area, as Soldiers from an Atlas Airship swerve as they see it nearby. People from Mantle and Atlas notice a little flash on the mountainside from a distance. Shattering the Grimm around him, that was running towards his before.
"Argh! AragAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Desmond lets out a giant roar, filled with all of his negative emotions. Until his vision blackens and all of his energy and stamina drains as he passes out.
Characters In Chapter.
Desmond Ralcull
The Gatekeeper
Diara Velnam
Tuklia Loa
Reference.
After Desmond awakens after being beaten by the strange Grimm creature earlier, he finds Tuklia dead, and that was enough to drive his body to change, unlocking his Silver Eyes and his strange semblance. It refers to when Trunks finds Future Gohan dead after he gets defeated and killed by the Androids, 17 and 18, which leads him to become Duper Saiyan for the first time. History Of Trunks.