The gentle sun peaked through the trees upon the clearing that Minato sat. His back rested against the trunk of a tree as he read. The book in his hand was one of fiction, as he had already long exhausted his parents' bookshelf of worldly information. A year had passed since his encounter with Kira, the fox Faunus. They had met several times a week, slowly getting to know each other. Minato had patiently smothered the notion of humans being evil and Kira had, in time, become more docile in her interactions with him. That being said, she still held quite a temper. Their time in the forest was usually spent talking or relaxing. However, every now and then they would spar. Training their semblance or just with the items on hand. Even now Kira's shouts could be heard as she swung a stick practicing.
Beside Kira was their newest addition however. Minato watched as the shy black haired girl notched another arrow into her makeshift bow. Cinder Fall had met the odd duo on one of their many outings. She had understandably been nervous, but Kira's outgoing attitude and Minato's calm gestures had gotten her to come out of her shell somewhat. She had infrequently joined the duo when she had time. She lived in Ion along with Kira, but her family didn't interact with Faunas. Although she was outwardly meek, she was curious, fiercely so. Minato saw it in her eyes when she asked questions. She thirsted for knowledge, for something beyond what she had. He had answered all he could, but even he was at a loss for words at her endless supply of inquiries. To get some peace, he had taught her how to use a bow. Now she practiced with it daily, honing the skill.
"Tell us a story." Minato looked up from his book at the two pairs of eyes pinning him to the tree. He had been so lost in thought that he had missed them approaching.
"I am not your parent, you know." Minato replied as his eyes returned to the literature before him. "Ask them for a story."
"They only tell the boring stories." Kira responded with a huff. "About knights and princesses." Her face scrunched up as if remembering a particularly bad story. "They always end with kissing and gross stuff." Minato rolled his eyes at her childishness.
"Don't you two know stories? Just tell each other a few stories." Minato suggested as he turned another page.
"No!" Cinder's declaration caught him off guard causing him to jump. Minato and Kira sent her a questioning look and she blushed under their scrutiny. "I-I mean. You tell the best stories and..." She trailed off sending Kira a narrowed glance. "Kira always ruins the stories by adding in a bunch of silly scenes."
"I am trying to make the stories more interesting." Kira defended crossing her arms. "The story of little red riding hood would be so much better if the grandmother was a pro at extreme sports." Minato snapped the book in his lap closed. It seemed like he would have to get his reading done another time.
"Enough." The bickering stopped instantly as Minato spoke. "Sit down." The order was instantly followed, both girl's eyes alight with the possibility of a new story. "There once was a pink alligator-"
"You already told us this one," Kira whined. "It's so sad and depressing and…" She stalled apparently running out of adjectives to define the story. Finally, she gave up on the description and jumped back to her argument. "We already heard it, tell us something new."
"What story would you like to hear?" Minato asked patiently looking between the two. The two exchanged a look trying to decide on what kind of story they wanted to hear.
"Uhm…how about the story about the boy who changed fate? You never did finish that one." Cinder spoke up. Kira immediately agreed, ears perking up in interest. Minato inwardly sighed. There was no book containing the story, 'The boy who changed fate.' It was his past life told in a story-like way. There was no real harm in it though. There was no history book detailing the past of Tokyo they could read. The Kirijo foundation and Tatsumi port island didn't exist, just names in a tale that he told. They could never make the connection between himself and hero that fought through the mysterious tower of Tartarus.
"All right, where did I leave off?" Minato asked trying to recall the story he had told the pair.
"The hero was meeting the monk in the magical cavern." Kira filled in excitedly. Minato almost snorted aloud. He had forgotten that he had described Club Escapade as 'a magical cavern to forget one's worries.'
"Yes, the hero met the monk and…" It almost was nostalgic talking about his past adventure. Memories of his past bonds and teammates brought a private smile to his lips and elicited laughter from the listening pair. There were times he changed details or left them out entirely. He was rather sure they wouldn't be interested in his dates with Elizabeth and almost positive they didn't want to hear about the full brutality of Tartarus. So as the tale continued on the sun slowly crawled across the sky.
"The hero and his companions came across a hot spring."
"Hot Spring?" Cinder asked at the unfamiliar term.
"Imagine a pool of water, but instead of being used to cool someone off, it was warm and used to relax in." Cinder slowly nodded her understanding and Minato continued."The hero and his companions relaxed in the hot spring, feeling the ache ebb away from his muscles. However, their relaxation was to be cut short."
"Did a monster attack them from the springs?!" Kira nearly shouted, and she was immediately shushed by Cinder who urged him to continue.
"The door the hot springs opened and the hero's female companions entered unaware of them being there." The girls gasped, eyes widening at the implications. They knew of Yukari's fury and even more of Mitsuru's ability of 'execution.' "The hero and his male companions panicked but saw that there was a back door to the hot springs. Silently they made their way to the door hoping they could escape."
"They got away?" Cinder whispered despite no reason to keep quiet.
"No," Minato resisted the chill that shot down his spine. He could still remember the feeling of ice in his bloodstream after the girls had caught them. "They received an execution." Kira howled with laughter and Cinder's eyes went wide as dinner plates. Damn it Junpei, he just had to lose his towel.
"Some hero," Kira chuckled, "getting caught in the hot springs."
"Well we will have to end there for today." Minato stood suddenly brushing off the soot from his pants.
"But, it's not even late yet." Kira complained as Cinder stood and mimicked Minato motions. Minato sent her a dry glance.
"You only have to walk a mile to get here. I have five miles to travel," He pointed out effectively quieting Kira.
"Will we see you tomorrow?" Cinder asked innocently as Minato turned to leave. He shook his head and a downtrodden expression attached itself to Cinder's face.
"I promised to go to town with my parents tomorrow. I will be free the day after though." At his announcement Cinder cheered up and even Kira's tail began to swish back and forth. "See you in two days." Minato smiled as he heard their farewells as he slowly made his way back through the woods. He hoped these lazy days would last for a while longer.
-Ω-
Three months had passed and fall had finally arrived. The trees had changed from their sea of green to flurried mess of orange, red, and yellow. Although the temperature was still comfortable, Minato still had a jacket clasped tightly around his body. The days were steady getting shorter thus his meetings with his friends had become shorter as a result. He could not let his thoughts drift too far however as he was under the assault of two girls. Kira was acting as vanguard and attacking from the front, while Cinder played the role of support, trying to snipe him with dull arrows. Minato was alone using wielding two sticks.
"Stop dodging!" Kira shouted in frustration as Minato ducked under another swipe from her makeshift sword. In response to her clumsy swing Minato countered by using one of his sticks to poke her in side causing her to shriek. Cinder, hoping for a lucky hit, let loose an arrow from in front of Minato. He only sigh and knocked the arrow down in midflight.
"Cinder, you know better than to attack from the front and Kira what do you expect me to do?" Minato chastised them both.
"You have two weapons and we have one each!" Kira grumbled. "You have the advantage!"
"Kira," Cinder spoke up. "I think he wants us to improve our teamwork because he had two weapons. He may have more weapons but we have more people." Kira sent Cinder a sharp glare, and Cinder gave a small whine and backed off.
"She is right Kira." Minato confirmed. "I hear most huntsmen and huntresses work in teams. It is vital that you can work with the people around you to achieve the best result." Kira only huffed in response, but gave a single nod to acknowledge the lesson. Minato decided that was the best he was going to get from her and called for a break.
"Why are you trying to teach us anyway?" Kira questioned as she relaxed against a nearby tree. Cinder knelt down as well, the leaves crackling beneath her.
"We won't always be able to see each other." Minato stated simply. Kira's shocked look was matched with her wilting ears. Cinder too looked distressed by his words.
"Are you going somewhere?" Cinder asked quietly. Minato smiled and shook his head.
"I didn't mean that we wouldn't see each other soon. I meant we will eventually grow up and separate." Kira and Cinder visibly calmed down and Minato continued. "But remember, I am going to travel the world. Sure, it is quite a few years out, but I will leave eventually." The silence dragged on till it was awkward and Minato felt bad for bringing up the subject. He decided to switch topics to clear the air. "Do you two have future dreams?" His question startled the two from their inner thoughts and Kira was the first one to speak.
"Well I know now that not all human as bad," She spoke giving Minato and Cinder and small smile. "I think I might join the White Fang. My mother said they are a peaceful group looking to keep equality between humans and Faunus." She gave Minato a shy glance and was overjoyed when he gave a nod in approval.
"I think I am just going to stay in Ion." Cinder's soft voice drifted into the conversation. "I am not too skilled in anything else aside from housework." While her skills with a bow were improving, she had yet to show her semblance and was timid when it came to fights. She was certainly not suited to the battlefield.
"What, don't you have any dreams?!" Kira shouted. "Like exploring the world or becoming a huntress?" Cinder quickly held up her hands to rectify her statement.
"I do…but I don't have those abilities." She said weakly. "I mean I wasn't born knowing my semblance or under a rich family. It's just how it has to be." The silence after she finished was thick, even the excitable Kira stayed silent. Kira looked to Minato for help. He sighed.
"Then fight fate." Cinder head snapped up and looked at him incredulously. "Nothing in this world is set in stone. Truthfully it won't be easy. You will have some things stacked against you, but that doesn't mean you have to give up."
"Like the boy who fought fate from the fairy tale?" Cinder asked. Minato had to resist the urge to laugh. If only she knew who she was talking to.
"That's right, even though the world was doomed, he refused to run away. He fought fate head on and won. If you follow his example, then you can achieve anything," Minato promised. "And if even you fail, I will be there to help you." A blush filled Cinder's face as his words sank in.
"No fair, you're getting ahead of me!" Kira interjected pointing at Cinder. She quickly grabbed Minato's arm. "You have to promise to help me too!" Minato raised an eyebrow at the five-year-old fox Faunus.
"You know I would help both of you. Now stop fooling around. We need to focus on training." Minato shook Kira from his arm and picked up his makeshift weapons, much to the pair's dismay.
"Can't we focus on our semblance instead?" Kira asked lighting a fireball in her palm. Minato shook his head quickly.
"The ground is covered with leaves Kira. If your fire hit the ground, there could be a forest fire." He pointed out.
"Nonsense, watch!" In her inexperience Kira firmly believed that her fire would fade seconds after landing. She couldn't have been more wrong. She threw the stray fireball into a nearby cave. The fire began to spread slowly until the flames grew out of control. Minato immediately threw out his shadows trying to smother the fire. It worked to some degree, and finally the flame died.
"See! What did I-" Minato's rant was cut off by a low rumbling from the cave. Three pairs of red eyes glowed from the cave. The echoing steps of a monster sounded until two claws became visible and then long spindly legs. They watched in horror as a Death Stalker emerged from the cavern. The eyes fixed on the three.
"Get behind me!" Minato roared throwing the sticks to the side and forming swords in both his hands. Beowolves and Ursa Minato could handle…but this. A claw shot forward and he formed a shield out of reflex. The Stalker was unperturbed as it used its golden stinger to strike from above. Minato leapt back, but was unable to avoid the shockwave from the impact. The Stalker screeched, its call echoing around the woods.
"Minato!" Cinder yelled from behind him. He turned to scream at them to run but his eyes widened. Beowolves were slowly surrounding them. Not just one or two, but an entire pack. Cinder was shaking like a leaf and even Kira looked seconds away from crying.
"Come to me!" He rushed towards them and they responded in kind, closing the distance between them. "Hold on tight." He ordered as he attempted to wrap one arm to encircle the girls. He used his shadows and formed a claw to pull himself and his friends from harm's way. They landed in the branches of a tree, but the feeling of safety did not last for long. The wolves rushed the tree, clawing and howling trying to get them. The Stalker slowly made its way to the trunk as well and with one motion struck the tree with its claw. The tree shook from the force and gave a large groan. Two more strikes and the tree began to fall. Minato leap to another tree, but the process only repeated itself. The wolves calling for their blood and the Death Stalker happily destroying trees. Kira was openly crying now, and Cinder was whimpering after each strike from the Death Stalker. Minato's panic was beginning to affect his thinking. Maybe he could summon Messiah to get them out safely? No, he would be dead before the summoning could finish. Forcing himself to calm down he finally realized what could save them.
"Kira! Start dropping fireballs!" Minato shouted over the howls. The teary eyed girl only yelled back.
"Are you insane? We are in a tree! We would burn up with it!" She twisted he face to look down at the clawing Grimm as the Stalker struck the tree.
"Trust me!" No sooner had the words left his lips then Kira eyes cleared of fear. Flames burst into her hand and she dropped it down into the howling mass. The wolves leapt away allowing the flames to feed on the dry leaves. The fire soon spread, like a deadly wall of flame chasing he Grimm eastward. Using his ability Minato used the trees to leap of over the wall of fire and guided the trio to the ground.
"Go to Ion and warn them about the horde of Grimm." Minato wasted no time instructing them. "Tell them there are at least thirty beowolves and a Death Stalker."
"What about you?" Cinder asked nervously as Minato glanced back to the fire.
"Those Grimm are headed for Scorch. I will see if I can lead them off the path to somewhere else." He turned, intent on chasing the fleeing monsters, but someone caught his sleeve.
"You'll be here tomorrow, right?" Kira asked clutching Minato's jacket. You won't die…right? The hidden question was painfully obvious. Minato voice ignited, lips forming the words to make a promise to the two of them. However, the howls of the beowolves echoed from the distance and Minato stepped away, Kira's grip failing to hold him. He needed to get back to Scorch, he needed to leave immediately.
"I have to go, please warn Ion!" Without wasting another second, Minato left ignoring the calls that echoed after him. He started at a full on sprint, but even with adrenaline pumping through his vein his young body could not make the complete distance without rest. He attempted to lean against a tree, but hissed at the heat it gave off. The ground below him was completely burnt proof that the fire had already passed. How naïve he had been to believe he could catch up to a horde of Grimm. He choked on the acrid smell of smoke coming from the remaining ash left by the flames. He began to move forward, breathing hard. Maybe the fire had died out, or the Grimm had changed direction. With his dim hope, he trudged on.
Minato didn't realize he had reached Scorch until he noticed that the dirt he had been walking on was now cobblestone. The town was demolished and in flames. The once tall houses were completely leveled. The Grimm must have rushed through the town, causing major damage until the fire swept through and burnt the rest. Minato walked through the ruins no daring to make a noise. Bodies were strewn across the ground. The corpses were either burned or crushed. he mentally tried to avoid looking at the faces. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized his parents had gone to town today. He sincerely hoped they had left before the Grimm came. He was at fault for this. He had told Kira to drop the fire to allow them to escape, but in doing so doomed his entire village. Minato chocked down the bile he felt rising in his throat.
"Minato." The call was so weak that he thought he had imagined it at first. Upon turning, he felt his heart bleed. His mother lay under a collapsed house a trail of blood coming from her mouth. He was at her side in seconds desperately trying to move the rubble. To his horror his mother stopped him, grasping his arm her weak hold. "Please listen." Her weak command stopped him and he got as close to her as her could to hear her voice.
"I am so happy to see you one last time." She whispered, and Minato strained his ear further in fear that the wind would snatch her words away. "We love you, Minato. Both your father and I, we have high hopes for you. You can be anything and I hope you never lose sight of your dreams. I am sorry we can't stand beside you. We will continue to watch over you." She reached her hand up to wipe the tears that he didn't realize were spilling down his cheeks. "we are so proud of you, so please, continue to make us proud." With that the light in her eyes faded and her hand dropped from his cheek. He continued to kneel there for what seemed like an eternity. Not just once but twice had his parent be stripped from him, in a blink of an eye.
The rumbling behind him caused him to numbly turn to see the Death Stalker and several Beowolves around him. Apparently they had escaped the fire and return to the town. Emotion swirled within him. Hurt, regret, rage, despair, sadness, everything seemed to engulf him. He screamed out feeling his throat go raw from the single action.
The sound echoed through the dead town and the beowolves stepped back unsure of what had transpired. Minato stood, his silver eyes flashing to each his opponents. The first beowolf rushed forward intent on ending his life. Black dust erupted from the ground and Minato swung the short sword already having formed in his hand. The Beowolf landed head severed from its base. Minato slowly stepped forward the agitated particles dancing around him like bugs to a light. Two more beowolves tried their luck, but their lives ended in moments of reaching Minato. One bisected through the waist the other stabbed through the head. The last of the beowolves would not back down however. At once they all jumped, trying desperately to avenge their fallen brethren. With a single twitch of his finger the shadows around Minato moved forming a net catching the beasts. The net then curled in on itself forming a bag trapping the beowolves. Minato held out his palm and clamped his fist shut. The shadows obeyed shredding the Grimm into particles. Minato stopped before the Death Stalker staring it, one of its many eyes. It hisses out a warning, but even the beast had limited intelligence. It was no longer the hunter, but the hunted.
It struck with its claws simultaneously hoping to clamp Minato between them. The shadow however blocked it and resisted its enormous strength. Next the Stalker used its stinger but this too was a wasted effort as the black particles block it too. Minato drew back his short swords and lunged forward stabbing the closest eye. It screeched but was given no time to recover as Minato struck again and again. It moved away its claws and stinger trying to escape but Minato pursued it, jumping on its back and piercing its hard shell. It wasn't till a few minutes later that the Death Stalker met its ultimate demise. It collapsed under the countless wounds that Minato had inflicted. As the corpse faded away, Minato stumbled trying to regain his breath. The limitless energy he had felt moments before suddenly disappearing like someone had switch off a light. A low whistle pierced the air.
"That was impressive," A voice said. "Not as impressive as me of course." Minato whirled around sword at the ready. The man was thin wearing a gray uniform or sorts. A sword with what seemed to be a gear near the handle, was resting easily on his shoulder. His black hair was slicked back, but what caught Minato's attention was his red eyes. Just like Grimm. The man seemed to follow Minato train of thought as he held up his hand innocently. "I am not an enemy kid. I am a hunter sent in at the request of the town of Ion. They said that there were a herd of Grimm including a Death Stalker on its way to Scorch. I came as fast as I could but…" he trailed off looking at the wreckage.
"Yeah…you were a bit late." Although it sounded harsh, Minato's voice held no venom. It was simply a statement of fact. At least that meant Cinder and Kira had delivered the message. His vision began to swim before him as everything blurred into one color.
"Well the name is Qrow Branwen, I will need to take you in for question- hey!" Qrow leap forward, but was too late to stop Minato falling face first into the rubble. He lifted Minato up calling, but Minato made no response. As Minato's consciousness faded, he heard Qrow speak on last time. "I was right…this kid has silver eyes." After those word Minato heard no more.
-Ω-
The first thing Minato heard when he woke up was arguing.
"You dragged a kid all the way to Ozpin because he had silver eyes?" A feminine voice sounded from his left. The accusation in the voice was quite clear.
"The kid not only was using a semblance but took down ten beowolves and a Death Stalker by himself." A voice he recognized as Qrow's responded. "That has to be something to check into."
"You know what else needs to be checked? Aside from that empty skull of yours, what about his name? His family? This kid could have a family and you just dragged him god knows where to parade him in front of Ozpin."
"I don't have a family, not anymore." His voice cut through their argument as he slowly got up from the bed, ignoring the sting pain in his joints. A hand was on his shoulder instantly gently pushing him down. He didn't resist and laid back onto the pillow. The blond haired woman, looked at him with concern behind her bespectacled green eyes.
"You need to rest, young man." She spoke calmly. "You used your Semblance to an extreme amount and your aura was almost completely used up." Minato eyed her wearily for a short moment before he sighed and closed his eyes. After a few moments of contemplation, he opened them again.
"How long have I been out." He asked unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.
"Not as long as you think," Qrow responded. "About a day plus or minus a few hours. Frankly I am amazed you regained your consciousness that quickly. I expected you to be out for at least a week. The woman shot him a look before returning he gaze to Minato.
"I am sorry for Qrow's attitude. I am Glynda Goodwitch, right now you are in Beacon Academy in the medical ward. You are in the city of Vale, do you know where that is?" Minato nodded, remembering the map that he had seen of the continent. Glynda smiled and changed her focus to another topic. "Do you remember your name?"
"My name is Minato Aristato." Not that he hated his father name, but Arisato was far more natural for him to say.
"And your family?" Glynda urged.
"Most likely dead." The two immediately tensed, but Minato continued regardless. "My mother died after giving me her final wishes. I assume my father is in the wreckage as well." Glynda stared at him as if resisting the urge and hold him, however even that resistance broke and warm arms encircled him.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She muttered. He didn't break down in her arm but he did nuzzle closer, holding on to the small fragment of warm she gave.
"How is he?" A new voice rung out, but Glynda did not relinquish her hold on him immediately. As she slowly removed herself from Minato's line of sight a new man came into view. His hair was grey, and he wore a pair of glasses on the tip of his nose. In his hand a steaming cup of coffee billowed forth the smell of freshly ground beans. In his other hand a cane was held, but it didn't seem he needed it to support his weight.
"I am sure he has felt better, Oz." Qrow cut in. "The kid watched one of his parents die in front of him." The man shook his head at Qrow's lack of tact and took a quick drink of coffee.
"Forgive me for the late introduction. I am professor Ozpin. I am the headmaster here at Beacon." He paused as Minato introduced himself. "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I believe you need to hear it. As I am sure you know, Scorch has been completely obliterated. The combination of both the Grimm and fire have left it barren." Minato nodded knowing as much. "The sister town of Ion, made the report that Scorch may have been attacked so I sent Qrow to investigate. However, about an hour later another message was received from Ion that they were also under attack from a large horde of Grimm. Despair and negative emotion attracted more Grimm and Ion fell within the hour." Minato's face remained stoic but he felt another stab to his already broken heart.
"Did anyone survive?" Minato asked calmly despite his inner turmoil.
"That has yet to be confirmed. However, I will be frank. The chances are no much higher than Scorch." Minato nodded digesting the information. His hometown was destroyed and his parents were dead. His friends were also most likely deceased. He felt both mentally and physically exhausted and wanted little more than to curl up and cry himself to sleep. Still, he had survived the first time. He would persevere, to make his parents proud.
"So am I headed to an orphanage?" Minato asked though there was little doubt about it. Glynda frowned guiltily at him while Qrow only looked away.
"Actually, if you were of age I would invite you to my school." Ozpin voice carried an almost humorous note. "From what I heard from Qrow, you seem to be quite skilled at fighting for someone so young. However, you are only five and I have no doubt that you don't want to be thrown into a life of fighting so young. If it is all right with you, would you like to learn under me?" Glynda stared at Ozpin as if he gone insane and Qrow laughed.
"Learn under you?" Minato couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious of the offer.
"That's right. I would hate for a talent like yours to waste away. I will offer you shelter and necessities and you will learn from me until you graduate from my academy, free of charge of course." He winked and Minato had a hard time not questioning the man's sanity.
"I would say it sounds too good to be true." Minato responded warily.
"Then I suggest you accept it while the offer still lasts." Ozpin countered in a heartbeat. Minato ran over his option again. He could either take Ozpin's offer or be shipped off to an orphanage. It didn't take a genius to make the decision.
"I guess I will be in your care." Minato confessed with a sigh.
"Welcome to Beacon." Ozpin laughed.
-Ω-
A huge thank you for my beta Mingyu for reading the chapter even while he had computer troubles.
Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed or reviewed. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave a review or send me a private message. I will answer them as soon as I can.