"I still don't like her and especially after everything she said. If she said it when she was mad then she meant all of it."

Yuri sipped on his drink looking his brother and best friend.

"Well Akairo-

"She's too nice."

Red gave his friend a tired look.

"Honestly, you should marry Akairo," Yuri said finally putting down his drink.

"Really?" Blake said looking annoyed, "I have been saying the same thing. For the last year."

"I care about them both deeply, how can I pick?" Red asked, "Mom is getting more and more angry I haven't married one of them at least. She told me this wasn't a harem and I needed to grow up already."

"To be fair, you're more grown up than some people. Not many people can handle all the dumb shit you deal with on a daily basis. I mean… Shit, you had to go on a rescue mission."

"Fine, we will deal with this from a logical point," Blake stated, "Scarlet hurt you when you two were together. She knew all the dangers of having someone and she sucked you in. You were a student. AKairo might have sliced your stomach open but she was willing to jump in danger's way for you. She went back into that building and rescued someone she hated for a long time."

Yuri nodded.

"I don't wanna leave someone out."

Yuri and Blake groaned.

"Multiple marriages aren't really illegal but more frowned upon."

Red made a face at his pizza.

"I just need want things back to the way they were."

"You mean when Scarlet was a mopey, depressed mess? Now she's just angry."

That is true. Everything was ok until about six months ago…. Scarlet started becoming more distant. I wonder what I should do…

"There's nothing you can do. You three will have to be single together or two of you marry leaving one out of the equation."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore because I can't do that."

Red got up and left the pizza parlor.

X

X

It had been a long time since he was at the park. He sat on the swing looking up at the white clouds as they passed by in the fading blue sky. Red hadn't really thought about Crimson and his death in the end. He pulled the paper out of his pocket and he stared at it. It was old looking from rereading and handle.

Dear Red,

I know you hate me and you have every reason too. First off, I'd like to thank you. It all started with saving Scarlet's ass from the bank and then everything after that. I left you four million Lien, a car key to Akairo's dream car, keys to a beautiful house in a small gated community and this letter.

First off I would like to apologize. You actually were meant to be with Scarlet in the beginning but I changed that for the sake of everyone else. I know you will be pissed but what can I say? In the world you were with her, a lot of people got hurt. Neo was killed, so was his girlfriend, Scarlet and Akairo were kidnapped, Gavin was hurt too... Jazmin's club was almost blown up and Eton was poisoned. In the end... Akairo fell in love with you and killed herself from depression.

I had the ability to alter that reality creating this one where I die and only Scarlet was kidnapped. An old friend of mine... he told me, he was afraid for my life even though he didn't want to tell me so. I didn't do it to get Scarlet- I did it because I cared more for everyone else than myself.

You are one hell of a man. You deserve a lot more credit than we all gave you. If you had never gotten hurt by Akairo and powered up through some fucked puberty thing, we would all be dead and Vale would be in flames. You would have died at Graylyn's feet and never saw your girlfriend rescue Scarlet from that burning building.

I have a favor to ask. Scarlet is pregnant with my kid and I know it was an asshole move to leave her alone but it was the only way to ensure everyone stayed alive. Help her out over the years. She does fall in love again so don't worry about that. Take care of her. You'll be a great uncle to my kid.

Wait six years before having kids. Take Akairo on some of your missions because she'll be lonely without you. You have everything you need. Finish school and marry our crazy red head Faunus because she loves you a lot.

It's funny how things work out in the end... isn't it?

This is goodbye,

Crimson

Akairo had never taken the car or wanted to move into the house. She gave it all away to help out with an orphanage in Vale. It was almost time to start having kids like Crimson had said. He knew about Akairo and her medication. This was the world he had told Red about. He always wondered who Scarlet would've been with if he hadn't taken her in upon Akairo's request.

"You're still an asshole even if you're dead."

I never forgot what that letter said but I always reread it. I never know why… Maybe because I wish at some point my life was a lot better. I wouldn't be dealing with all of this. I wish things weren't decided for me a long time ago. I wish I didn't know anything but it's burned into my brain.

He hung his head.

What if I messed everything up? There's only one person who would know because he trusted her… I haven't visited her in a long time.

Red pulled out his scroll.

"Hello?"

"Hey… Um… You in the mood to hang out at the park?"

"Red Rose. It's been a long time."

"Yea."

"Almost a year and a half now…"

"Um… I have been busy."

"I hear about your adventures all the time."

"Yea…"

"I'll be there shortly. Are you alone?"

"I am."

"It seems you have some stuff to ask me then."

"I-I do."

"Ok. Bye."

He stared at the scroll as the light went off.

She seemed like she was eager to talk to me… Did Scarlet tell her things? I mean they are best friends….

X

X

Jazmin showed up in her must relaxed outfit possible… Pj bottoms and a tank top. She looked slightly annoyed seeing Red there which was weird considering she sounded so eager on the phone. She sat in the swing beside of him and glared at him. Her angry eyes pierced his soul.

Dear god what did I do?

"I have been wanting to talk to you for a long time now. I usually talk to Scarlet but what the hell, I suppose I can talk to you."

"Gr-great!"

"I see you have Crimson's letter in your hand."

Red looked down and nodded in response.

"Is this about him?"

"Kind of."

They sat in silence for a while.

Red finally spoke but his voice sounded angry and bitter.

"I feel like he has some kind of hold in my life. I never expressed it to Scarlet or Akairo since I know they care about him. I feel like… I feel like it was never fair to me."

Jazmin nodded.

"He didn't know anything until the night before his attack."

"Still isn't fair."

"It wasn't… To any of us."

Red wiped away his nose on his arm.

"He felt like he had to do what was right for us. For everyone. He was a scary and evil man to most but he loved this city. Now without him… It has been getting harder to control a lot of the issues going on."

"What do you mean?"

"I have been trying my best and so has Eton but it is getting harder and harder to suppress the crime. You aren't here that often and you are way out in the middle of a forest village but… There are a few rival gangs popping into Vale. At first… We noticed a small increase in crime… then at night some of my customers have been getting scared away…"

"Why didn't you ever mention anything to us" Red asked.

"One of the leaders had beef with Crimson a long time ago. He heard about the battle with Graylyn but then there was rumor of his death."

"I'm sorry."

"I didn't tell you three because of Ash."

"Have you talk to Professor Onyx?"

Jazmin gave Red a smirk.

"She did everything on her end. She had been sending out her fourth year students on night patrols at random days throughout the week. This is has kept a lot of it down…"

"I wish I could help…"

"Oh, you can."

Red glanced at the club owner to see the mischievous grin on her face.

"Eton and I had been talking. Crimson was about thirty five when he died and you are close enough to be his son or brother."

He made a weird face; he wasn't following what she was trying to say.

"We want to make you his son who was lost out there in the world that he had when he was fourteen and you decided that this was your new purpose in life. Of course, Ash would be your younger brother. You of course snatched up your father's widow without knowing and you have the ex White Fang leader as one of your girlfriends."

"Yuri is going to be so mad at me! What if they go digging around and see I went to Beacon?!"

"The story stays the same as Crimson had no idea who you were."

"Why are you doing this to me?!" he groaned angrily.

"Because… I found out Crimson's plan. You were never meant to have Scarlet. She was supposed to fall in love with me."

The color drained from his face.

"Of course… I didn't know this until a few months ago."

"Oh."

"We have two kings, Eton and Blake. Then the one Queen."

"Blake isn't a criminal."

"He is in the eyes of some. No matter how much good he does… He is a criminal with an army to kill."

"Why are you trying to upset my life?"

Jazmin grinned, "I was hoping you would fix this problem once and for all. You wanna know who the guy is?"

"Why not?"

Jazmin pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it. She handed it to Red.

"His name is Blanche Malum."

"His name certainly matches him."

It was no joke either. The man had long white hair with wisps of black in it. He had weird black veins on his face and his skin looked like snow. His eyes were a creepy red but they were no match for Akairo's when she had a breakdown. His lips were an odd purple color almost like a pale lipstick.

"He had a very common name I forget what it was but he picked this one out. Name to most is White Evil."

"Are you sure he's alive?"

Jazmin laughed.

"He is."

"What about me being a huntsman?"

"Onyx would be more than happy to take care of that. Considering you were once her student, she has a high pull at the Huntsmen's Lodge. You'll be a free lancer for her instead of hunting outside of the city boundaries of Vale. Instead, you will report to me when you need too. This is a very low profile job so hopefully we stop it from exploding outward like with Graylyn."

"I thought I made it out of this?"

"Not while Scarlet, Akairo and Ash are part of your life."

I should've stayed single.

I had every intention of this being a short story but I had no idea how to go about it. Red's main problem was dealing with Scarlet's feelings towards Akairo but that sounded too boring… So why not make it so he has to pretend to be the son of the man he hated?

I guess I need to change the description now!

tr1pmine: why thank you! I wasn't sure how everyone would like it when to me it seemed a lot of people liked AkairoxRed over ScarletxRed. I'm glad you approve of it!

I know a lot of you noticed I had updated a lot more lately. My three kids are in school so it gives me more time to update and work on my chapters as long as I'm not exhausted from work. Hopefully I can keep it up I don't like keeping you guys hanging!