A/N: Kept you waiting, huh?
Back at the guild hall, Cinder stood atop a stage, prepared to address everyone in the guild.
"Recently it has come to my attention that our newest members are in need of guidance." He said. "And so, I have decided to pair them up with some of you, in a bid to help them become stronger and learn the ways of Earthland."
"Ruby Rose!" He exclaimed. "From studying the videos you shared and merely observing you in general, I have decided that the best person to partner you up with is . . . Natsu Dragneel!"
Natsu grinned. "I'm all fired up!"
"Weiss Schnee! With your analytical way of thinking and general way of conducting yourself, you shall be partnered with Gray Fullbuster!"
"I won't go easy on you." Gray said with a smirk.
"Yang Xiao Long. With your ferocious temper yet righteous will to do good, you shall be partnered with Erza Scarlet!"
"As expected." Erza said with a hand on her hip. "I'll make a fantastic wizard out of her."
"Blake Belladonna! With your solid foundation, what you lack most is versatility and the ability to shift with the tides. Your partner shall Lisanna Strauss!"
Lisanna looked shocked. "Eh, me? But I haven't even shown up yet." She muttered under her breath. "I'll do my best though!"
"You will each do your best to learn from eachother and become stronger for the sake of the future!"
The four filed into the guild hall with a look of excited anticipation gracing their pale faces. It almost felt like they were back in the main hall of Beacon Academy, waiting to receive their team assignments. At least, that's how it felt to Ruby. She wasn't sure what the others were thinking, but did note their determined looks. Ruby had immense measures of faith and trust in her team- now that they knew some of their greater flaws, they would all work to improve themselves. Which meant their dear leader would have to work twice as hard to be a good example for them! Hopefully she'd get a good partner. Who would Cinder assign to her? She was almost giddy with the wonder and curiosity of exploring this world of magic.
After that rude pause for dramatic effect, Ruby pumped her fists and let out a triumphant, "Yes!" Which she was sure could be heard by others around her, but she didn't care. She got Natsu as a partner! Heck yeah! She had to find him asap and ask him more about that dragony magic of his. And maybe talk about a few other things. And maybe hug him more. She found her cheeks flushing a little pink when she thought back to the hug and how warm he was. Would Yang be that warm, too? Even when not using her flames? Once unlocked, magic seemed to have this effect on the body without it even being active. Maybe it just depended on the type. Weiss would probably look into it sometime. She'd ask her later.
So, Gray would be her mentor? A small wry grin curved one side of Weiss' lip. "I expect nothing less, Fullbuster," she shot back at him, inwardly glad that the one who's magic interested her the most had become her mentor. She could already see similarities in her old powers. Not just the icy nature of her 'ice queen' attitude a few years ago, but in the way it worked a little like her summons. Wonder if she could find a way to replicate that power here... Summoning an ally in battle could prove quite useful. Regardless, she was determined to find the magic that worked for her and, ironically, hopefully find a way to chill out and stop overthinking things.
Erza Scarlet would be her partner. One of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail and a veritable one woman army. A wide grin was the blonde's immediate response. They had already bonded and shared a bit, so she had no doubt that she'd be able to work well with her. She also admired the redhead's tenacity and attitude, but did notice that she seemed a bit lacking when it came to social skills. Maybe that's where she could help her? Yeah, if Yang spent enough time with Erza just hanging out and having fun- without running into their training time, that is- she had no doubt that Erza would become even more well rounded. And hopefully some of that stoic calm would rub off on her. She could really use that. It might also prove nice to have another brain to pick. Yang didn't always understand the more advanced aspects of Aura, she'd rather focus on how to use it, not why she can use it, but Erza looked like someone who would have a better idea of the nature and origin of magic than, say, Natsu.
As for Blake, she merely scanned the area to find this Lisanna. As the shocked girl claimed, the two hadn't met yet. Oh, though the girl had whispered that quite quietly. It would be impolite to bring that up in conversation. That said, it did prove to her that her enhanced senses remained. As a Cat Faunus, she had a fair number of feline traits, including enhanced smell, sight in the dark, hearing, a penchant for fish, and a fascination with yarn. Which the last one she would never dare tell anyone. Yang had gotten it out of her on a bet and never let it down. "A pleasure to meet and work with you, Lisanna," she said when she reached the girl's side.
"So your name is Blake, huh?" Lisanna asked the other as she sat down at one of the tables located outside of the guild. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what to make of the other. But in a way, she sympathized with her.
"You know. I myself was sent to another world once." She said with a somber smile. "So I can relate to your plight. I spent three years in a place called Edolas while everyone here thought I was dead. And then one day, my friends showed up and one thing led to another and I ended up home."
She laughed softly. "Sorry if that was sudden. I just wanted to create a starting point for our conversation. Truth is, I don't think I'm fit to be your teacher. All I've ever done is be a burden. But if Cinder thinks I have what it takes, then I'll do my best."
Blake merely nodded in reply as she joined white haired girl at the table, taking in the warmth of spring. Remnant was never all that warm, whether it was some unnatural chill due to Grimm or some form of geography, she wasn't sure. As far as she remembered, the only warm areas she had found in her travels were in Menagerie, which had a fairly low natural Grimm count. She wasn't sure that meant anything, as correlation is not causation, but it might be worth looking into later.
"So you're the reason Natsu ended up in- what was it called- Edolas?" She had thought she heard someone say the name of that other world at some point. A small smile turned the corner of her lip. It was... pleasantly surprising to see someone who knew what it felt like to be displaced. "It's okay, it's not that sudden at all," she added. "Truth be told... I'm not really the best at starting conversations myself." Well. She did have a bit of a temper at times- blame Yang for that- and she could fire off some brutal attacks first then, but in normal conversation she rarely felt a need to talk first. Unless she was trying to instigate the conversation. She had tried to get better at that, but old habits die hard, she supposed.
"I trust Cinder," Blake continued, "I'm not entirely sure why he paired us up, but he did say that we could learn from each other. My guess is he thought that we would grow better together than apart." Her black cat ears twitched a bit as she spoke, some part of her mind still on high alert in case anything went wrong. She had long since given up on hiding her ears with her bow. And while she still liked to wear bows, she generally kept them towards the side of her head, as she did with the one she wore bow. A fashion statement, not a coverup. "Truthfully... I'm a little.. surprised at how cheerful this world is. Where my friends and I come from... every day is a matter of life or death. People like us train to fight these shadowy monsters, the Grimm, so that those who cannot fight are slaughtered. But sometimes the strongest enemies are the ones next to us, not the ones we banded together to fight." Letting out a long sigh, she figured she might as well explain it all.
"Do you see these ears? Yes, they're natural. I'm what they call a Faunus. And for decades, my people were treated as lessers and slaves, just because we were different. Just because we had these animalistic features. Since as far as I can remember, I couldn't go anywhere without getting some degree of contempt. I ended up joining a group that protested this unfair treatment, but it steadily grew darker and darker. I almost fell into that darkness myself, but there was... something my former partner did that I couldn't agree with." A shiver passed down her spine. "All of those innocent people..." she whispered under her breath.
"So I left. I left everything I had known and ended up at Beacon Academy, the training school- much like your guild- where I met Ruby, Weiss, and Yang. The four of us became Team RWBY. We were just school children back then... back before the war broke out..."
She shook her head. She didn't want to dive into those memories anymore. "The point I'm trying to make is I had already felt that trapped feeling without ever leaving my world. I should be the one sympathizing with you. This place is heaven compared to my old world..."
Lisanna tapped her chin thoughtfully. She wasn't exactly sure how to respond to everything Blake had said, especially because of how tragic and dark it was. But . . . a certain part did strike a chord with her.
"That part about being looked down upon and hated by others for being different. I can relate to that." She said softly. "When I was much younger, my older sister and brother were the only family I had. And . . . because of a type of magic my sister had, we were seen as monsters. We were hated, bullied and one time we even almost died. Despite my sister helping people she across with a magic she did not understand, they never said thank you. They merely looked upon us with contempt. My brother and I were seen as guilty by association and my sister . . . she went through so much pain. She even came to see herself as a monster. But-"
Her body suddenly began to glow, signifying a change in her as she grew cat ears, fur and a tail.
"-I chose to become different as well. So that my sister wouldn't feel alone. Maybe that's why Cinder paired us together."
Being seen as a monster. Yes, that was something Blake knew well. Many had called her one while she was young. More had called her such when she took up the mask of the Grimm as a member of the White Fang. She had even called Adam one when she met him again after leaving him. But what struck the strongest chord with her was what Lisanna said of her sister. That she eventually began to see herself as a monster...
Blake had never dared tell the others, but she suffered from nightmares. They had grown more infrequent after all this time, but throughout her time at Beacon and until she defeated Adam... it was terrifying. She would wake in a cold sweat far more often than she wished. Not even a quick session with her favorite erotic novel helped.
These dreams ranged from reliving the few terrors she had committed on purpose or without her full knowledge while she was in the White Fang, all the way to horrifying visions of what could have happened if she stuck with Adam.
Becoming like him... it was her greatest fear. The image of a version of herself, skin pale as the moon and an aura as black as the night sky... a panther-esque Grimm mask with a Cheshire grin... That face haunted the worst of her nightmares.
Even now she could see it staring at her in the back of her mind. Silently mocking her. Reminding her of the world she left, the people she'd lost. All of her mistakes slipped from this darker self's lips like water streaming from a brook. She had grown resistant to this creature over time, but it was still unnerving.
Lisanna's feline form managed to catch her attention long enough to shake away the heavy feeling of her darker thoughts. "Yes... perhaps that's why," she answered quietly and calmly, not daring to betray the thoughts she had been thinking.
All of a sudden, Lisanna flicked the other on the forehead. "It's okay you know." She said to Blake. "It's okay to be sad. You don't have to hide it. You're a member of Fairy Tail now. The pain of one family member is a pain shared by the entire family."
She smiled at the other, wanting to make sure she felt welcome, even if it was a completely new world.
It's okay to be sad.
The sentiment echoed through her mind, taking her back to a moment where Ruby had said just the same words. Even flicked her forehead just like that. It was early in the War, some time before she clashed blades with Adam for the last time. Regrets had begun to affect Blake's skill in battle, and of all people to notice and come talk to her about it, it had been Ruby.
We're family, you know. The pain of one of us is the pain of all of us.
Those words Ruby had said had brought tears to her eyes, and the two shared a hug for the first time. A rarity for them both.
Hearing similar words from Lisanna elicited the same tears. Suddenly realizing she was crying, she dabbed at her eyes with the back of her hand and sighed, "Sorry, sorry. You just... reminded me of something my leader said..." Forcing herself to smile, she reached out and grasped Lisanna's hand. "I'm glad that you people are so welcoming. I think... I think I can feel like I belong here, just like I do with Yang, Ruby, and Weiss..." Clearing off the last of her tears with her other hand, she smiled more genuinely. "I did a lot of things in the past that I truly regret... there were times where I didn't think I deserved the love my friends gave me. I, too... thought I was a monster. And... well at times... I still do..."
Saying it out loud actually felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders.
Lisanna gave the other a smile before laughing lightly. "Well even if you are a monster, you'll fit right in here. Between Natsu and Erza, this guild isn't exactly a stranger to monsters in human form. Especially in Natsu's case. Come to think of it though, you haven't learned what his magic is yet, have you? Care to take a gander?" Lisanna said as she shifted the topic to something lighter in tone.
"Bet you'll get it wrong~."
She supposed Lisanna had a point. Both Natsu and Erza were quite skilled and powerful mages worthy of the attention they no doubt garnered. But the white haired girl did bring up a topic she hadn't considered. "It's a type of Fire Magic, isn't it?" What had he called that spell? Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame? "He names his spells with a dragon theme. But, that couldn't mean..." Did... did dragons exist here too? Her eyes widened with momentary shock. "Lisanna... this world. It has dragons, doesn't it? And Natsu's magic... it's not normal Fire. It's something more..." An image of a flaming Grimm Dragon releasing hordes of fiery Beowulves, Death Stalkers, and all other manner of horrors filled her mind. The one they had dealt with that wasn't on fire was bad enough. There was no telling how strong a dragon with magic could be.
"We had dragons at one point. No one knows where they've gone." Lisanna said with a thoughtful expression. "But Natsu. He's the Fire Dragon Slayer. Dragon scales for protecting against flames. Dragon lungs for breathing flames. Dragon claws for carving flames. Dragon Slayer Magic is magic that transforms one's body into that of a dragon. It is the only type of magic known to be effective against dragons."
She sighed.
"Igneel is the one who taught Natsu that. Before he vanished of course."
The thought occurred to her that it was almost odd for a Dragon to know the type of magic that could slay it, but it did make sense if it was the only way to harm another dragon. Regardless, it spoke to Natsu's true power. This magic made his body inhuman, like a walking human-shaped dragon instead. Did that explain why he seemed to get so fired up about fighting? She thought back to Yang's bravado- probably not. If anything, that's a bruiser's thing. A trait the blonde and the pink haired boy had in spades. "Igneel... What happened with him? And the other dragons?" Huh. Hadn't Natsu mentioned something about finding Igneel? She was certain he had said something about how close the two were. Perhaps in the same vein as Ruby and Qrow. Student and Mentor, perhaps?
"Igneel was Natsu's foster father." Lisanna explained. "Natsu doesn't remember his birth parents, but he said he's known Igneel all his life. But one day, he up and vanished. And it seemed that all the other dragons did as well. July 777." She said, recounting the meaningful date. "But . . . there is still one dragon out there."
Her face became pale as she recalled him.
" . . . The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse. Acnologia. 7 years ago . . . he attacked our guild and it was only thanks to a last minute miracle that we survived. None of us, not even Laxus, Erza, Gildarts, Cinder or Master Makarov could damage him. He was completely unstoppable and all we could do was run. We were trapped in stasis for 7 years as a result."
She gripped her shorts.
"He's terrifying. And he did it all . . . for fun. He has no motives. He only wants to cause complete and utter destruction."
The torturous sadness carved into Lisanna's features made Blake's heart ache. The way her skin paled, the way she held on like a heavy wind would sweep her up... it reminded her all too well of how some people had reacted during the War. And, she realized, back at home. Before the White Fang became the hell that it ended up as. But this... Acnologia.. he was something more sinister. Salem had her reasons. This ... thing... had none. It made her absolutely disgusted, how could people do things like this? How could people be so... evil? "Lisanna?" Her tone was a tad shaky, and she hesitantly reached out to grasp both of the girl's pale hands.
"I promise you. We will do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen again. But please... don't give up hope. Hope... is the only force we have against insurmountable odds." Heh. Ruby's words had come to her lips again. She had said that speech about Hope not too long before their final battle with Salem. They had taken care of one Dark Lady. Defeating another Dark Lord... no matter how strong... was still possible. No one was invincible.
Lisanna didn't look Blake in the eyes, in fact. She was staring downward, unsure if she should share this next fact with her new friend. "Natsu told me something." She said quietly. "Something that he had learned during a little escapade of his when the Grand Magic Games were ongoing."
She raised her head and looked at the other with worried blue eyes.
"Acnologia . . . was once human. He was a Dragon Slayer just like Natsu and it was he who single handedly slayed a great majority of the dragons in the world. But that's not all. The fact that he's a dragon . . . it means that the final state of Dragon Slayer magic is losing your humanity completely. If Natsu isn't careful, he could end up just like Acnologia. A being who cares not about the race he was once part of and slays the race he joined."
An exhale.
"But . . . I know I have to trust in Natsu. He's always been there for me. Always been there for all of us. And I know that . . . with him around, everything will be all right."
She was unaware of how obvious she was making her crush on Natsu.
Blake Belladonna had lived with Yang, fought alongside Pyrrha, and spoke frequently with Neptune. Not to mention the hundreds of romance and erotic novels she had read. If there was one thing Blake knew about people, it was when they held a candle for another. And it wasn't all that difficult to see that the worry plaguing Lisanna was not due to mere friendship with the boy. She clearly had a thing for Natsu. As much as Pyrrha pined for Jaune, Neptune pined for Weiss, or Yang pined for anything with a pulse.
"Good. Keep that trust in Natsu. While he very well may end up turning into a full dragon, just like this Acnologia, he has something that that bastard doesn't. He's got you. He's got the others. He's got this guild." A small smile crooked the corner of her lip. "He loves this place and everyone in it. If what you said is true and Igneel was his only family, then this guild really does act as his family. If Natsu were to ever lose sight of who he was, I don't think he'd be able to hurt anyone here. Especially people he cares about. Like you."
Blake ran her fingers through Lisanna's hair, just like her mother had for her when she was a kid. It had calmed her, put her at peace. And made her purr a bit. Perhaps it could help Lisanna. "I know Natsu's type. Too focused on fighting to really care about romance. My leader has some of that, I admit. But it doesn't mean he doesn't adore you. He came to find you, didn't he? He braved a new world because he wanted to find you. If that isn't love, I don't know what it is."
It took a full minute for Lisanna to process what Blake had just said and when she did, her face turned bright red. The fact that Blake was treating her like a schoolgirl with a crush on the coolest kid in the class wasn't helping.
"T-T-T-That's not true!" She stuttered, pathetically waving her arms as she tried to make up excuses. "H-H-He came to Edolas by chance. And I ended up coming home by chance. He wasn't looking for me. Nope. Not at all. And I don't like him! No way! Never!" She screeched at the other. "B-Besides. He rarely speaks to me anymore. S-So there's nothing like that between us, got it?"
Blake broke out into a fit of chuckles, her laughter jingling like bells. It was an honest laugh, one that had been silent for many months. She hadn't exactly had too long since they ended the War. They were just returning to the norm, and she hadn't really felt the need to actually laugh until now. Lisanna's reactions had been too damn adorable not to. She was almost crying by the time she managed to control herself. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she muttered, "Sorry, sorry. I just... That was the cutest reaction I had ever seen. You get more flustered than Ruby does! Hehee~."
She just booped the girl's nose. "If Natsu doesn't melt at the sight of someone as cute as you, I might just have to step in." Blake, now now. There's a time and a place for flirting. Though teasing this girl like she teased Yang would be absolutely hilarious.
"A-Anyways. We should focus on more important things." Lisanna said, waving the conversation topic away like it was some sort of dust cloud. "We need to get you to unlock your magic. And I think I know how to do that."
And that's when Lisanna decided to get one last shot in.
"Oh and. I'm not into girls. So. Tough~." She said while sticking out her tongue.
"Dammit. So close," Blake muttered under her breath. Curses! it wasn't fun if the girls weren't at least bi-curious. Then again, she did a solid job of making a few girls at Beacon realize they were also into women, but she doubted her skills would change anything about Lisanna.
It was best she just move on and focus her teasing on someone else. "Yeah, magic. What's on your mind? I can't exactly say I have any experience here. Even in my world, I only awakened my Aura because my father triggered it. Said I needed to be able to protect myself in the world outside. A lot of faunus parents awaken their kids' auras at a young age for that reason."
Lisanna rubbed her chin. "Hm. From everything you've said. I think there's a certain man who can help you." She said as she gazed upwards at the forest in the distance. "In the forest surrounding Magnolia, there's a swordsman who is very much one with nature. He doesn't belong to any guild, but he can give Erza a run for her money. From your upbringing to the way to fought in those videos. I feel like you might be able to connect with a guy like that."
Blake had begun her trek through those woods not long after Lisanna had given her the rundown, and yet.. she couldn't quite clear her mind. A man stronger than Erza, a living monster like her and Natsu and possibly even this world's Cinder. Beings like those with powers so potent they could have probably tackled the Grimm Dragon singlehandedly. But the real question the real reason she couldn't shake an odd feeling in her mind, was why did Lisanna think that this man could help? Just what about the way she fought made him a good fit? She had kept her face calm earlier, even as the questions plagued her, a mask she didn't even bother to remove by the time she was alone.
It had become almost too easy for her to hide behind a façade of indifference.
She walked without real direction. Lisanna had not pointed her any place specific, so she merely figured that he and her would cross paths eventually. Besides, her mind was too focused on those questions to really care.
"Careful now." A voice said suddenly. "Walking absentmindedly in these forests can lead to disaster."
There was a flash and standing in front of her was a man with short red hair and blood red eyes. He had pale skin and a white longcoat with black patterns all over it. He wore a black t-shirt and black pants with black boots. In his right hand was a katana and in his left, well, he didn't have one. He only had one arm.
"One more step and you'd have triggered its instincts." He said as he flicked his gaze to a massive Wyvern sleeping in a tree. "And it would have cut you down without you even having a chance to retaliate."
He turned his gaze back to her.
"I see. So you are experiencing it too." He said as he noticed the expression on her face. "The feeling that you're witnessing a ghost from the past."
Her instincts had not been dulled by the sudden onset of wandering, and she immediately turned to face the source of the voice, her sword half-drawn in its sheath. She looked over him for a brief moment, wondering if he was in fact the man he was looking for, before something shattered in the back of her mind.
She didn't even see the hulking draconic beast slumbering above her. She barely even heard the man speak. The man who looked almost like a carbon copy of Adam.
Her more logical side was promptly kicked in the rear end by fear and guilt, the face of the man she had killed with her own two hands. She would not kid herself. her slate was not entirely clean. But she had been spending the greater part of the last several years trying to do what she could to make amends. Taking Adam's life, while it may have been necessary, was still the taking of a life. And seeing someone who looked just like him made her guilt return like floodwaters breaking a damn.
"...Adam..."