"But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return."
"Your wooooorld needs a great defender..." Yin sang softly to himself, walking through the forest, his arms swinging at his sides and his eyes looking around.
He always loved leisurely walks in the woods. Something about the calming woods and the way everything in nature seemed to work. How the trees were so mighty, the waterfalls so large, how the little squirrels would chase and play with each other. He loved all of it.
He whistled the tune a bit, a smile gracing his lips. He placed his hand over a fallen over tree, jumping over it in search for the temple. And Ruben. And that lovely miss Pyrrha.
He gave a little wolf whistle at the thought of Miss Pyrrha.
"Your world's in the way of harm..." He sang, his hands retracting to his pockets as he continued walking. "You want a romantic life-" He heard sound of rustling bushes, his smile taking a turn to playful. He stopped for a brief moment, looking towards the moving bushes.
"A..fairytale that's...full of...Ruben?" He wondered, as he walked back towards the rustling sound. He pushed the bush aside, coming to face with a deadly Grimm. He looked up into it's big dead eyes, letting out a sigh. He poked the Grimm's fang, smirking slightly. "What sharp teeth you have, Ruben."
The Ursa let out a vicious roar before it charged, Yin rolling out of the way of the oncoming Grimm. He knocked his knuckles together, his gauntlets forming as he took in the massive beast before him.
The wide shoulders, the bones sticking out of it's back and skull face. Like many other Grimms. The large bear like monster roared at Yin once again, only for another roar to follow. This other roar was a response. Yin turned to the other roar, seeing the other Ursa rushing towards him.
Yin moved out of the way, the monster joining it's partner across from him. They nuzzled muzzles as they met, their vicious roars now lowly hums and purrs. Yin held up his arms, bobbing and weaving. All the while smirking just a little a bit.
"There's Mama and Papa bear." He teased, before one of the Ursas once more charged. He swung his arm back, letting out a chuckle as his fingers curled.
"This one's too BIG!" Yin shouted, sending a straight punch into the beast's snout. The skull visibly cracked on impact, puffing up a cloud of smoke as the beast was blown back. Flying past it's partner.
The partner roared, snarling as it moved in towards Yin. The unhurt Ursa lunged towards Yin, it's jaw open and it's pearly white fangs dripping with anticipation.
"This one's too BIG!" Yin shouted, knocking his forearm into the snout. It was dazed for a brief moment, it's nose possibly broken. Yin followed the hit by uppercutting the beast's chin. The lower jaw smashed into the upper, fangs breaking with a chilling crunch. The beast fell back onto it's hind legs. "TOO!" Yin jumped up and sent both of his feet into the beast's chest, knocking it back into a tree.
The tree rocked back, the sound of the bark and wood giving into the beast's force almost making it topple over. Yin landed, looking over the damage. One was laying against the tree, maybe unconscious. Maybe dead.
"Now, that I got you attention. I'm looking for a guy. My little bro. Red Hood? Carries two big scythes?" The Ursa slowly moved to Yin, letting out vicious growls and rolling of it's shoulders back. "Anger issues? I'm sure you've see-"
The beast swung it's massive arm, Yin jumped back. The sharp claws passing over his face, missing his nose by a mere inch before landing back on his feet.
"That's a no? Oh well!" Yin smiled, his right hand retreating into it's pocket. "I'll have to not ask so nic-" Yin stopped, his left hand not running into his jacket pocket but against his abs. He looked down, seeing four large slash marks cut into his jacket's side.
His jacket. His leather jacket. The very same one his mother made him. He felt his eyes turning red, looking up at the beast. He let out a lowly growl, squinting his eyes.
"Oh," Yin mumbled, his teeth barred and his hands curling into fists. "You're done." With that, he grasped the beast's snout, his middle and ring finger in the nostrils of the the beast. He roared, swinging his arm around over his head and slamming the beast into the ground.
The beast slammed against the woodland floor with a thunderous clap, before Yin began swinging the beast around. Yin was spinning on his heel, the turning getting faster and faster as time went on. He let out another roar, throwing the beast into it's mate.
They both fell over, before the one who wasn't spun around got up and charged once again. Yin smirked, cracking his neck and waving for the beast to come at him.
The beast swung, Yin smacking it's arm away with his forearm and sent a punch into it's chest. The beast fell onto it's rear, before Yin jumped up. Grasping the beast's snout, the fingers in nostril and his thumb under the jaw to keep it shut, he sent a flurry of punches into the beast's skull.
He could see the skull cracking, bits of of it being pounded into dust and caught up in the gentle wind. He stared intently into it's eyes, before jumping up and sending a hard kick into it's jaw.
His heel caught the jawbone and nearly broke it off with that single kick. The beast was sent flying through a cluster of trees, breaking through their old yet strong trunks.
Yin heard another roar, turning to see the Ursa that he swung around moving towards him, getting onto it's hind legs.
"What?" Yin asked, his arms out. "Back for more?" With that, he saw an axe head get swung into it's skull. The beast blinked once before it fell down, landing on it's chest. Yin followed the chain that was attached to the weapon, coming eye to eye with Blair. Yin saw Blair tug on the chain, the weapon's handle flying back into it's master's hand.
Yin looked down at the beast, pointing down at it with a chuckle and a smile. "That one counts as mine!"
Winter raised his dagger, the Beowolf ramming it's shoulder into his body. Bones dug into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Winter was sent back, landing on his back and staring into the beautiful clear blue sky. Once again. He groaned softly to himself, sitting up and holding his hurting side.
"Remember Winter..." He thought to himself, letting his pain out through soft, controlled breaths of air. He felt time slowing. He felt his breathing giving him new life. Rejuvenating him.
"Do not aim with your hand. Aim with your eye." He twirled his weapon around his finger, once more bringing it into gun form.
"Do not shoot with your hand. Shoot with your mind." He opened the wheel and released the empty shells onto the grass. The golden metal and gray primer amongst the green knoll. He reached behind his back, loading another wheel full and flicking his wrist. The weapon was locked, his breathing steady and his hand unwavering.
"Do not kill with your gun. Kill with your heart." He raised his weapon, seeing the inscriptions glow on his weapon as he locked down the hammer and aims at the beast before him.
The beast's beady eyes stared into his own, letting out a vicious roar.
He squeezed slightly on the trigger, smirking to himself.
At that moment, Ruben crossed his path and sent his weapon into the beast's chest, cutting into it and knocking it back. Just as the weapon fired, Winter's eyes shooting open as soon as the hammer hit the pin.
"Ruben!" He shouted, lowering his weapon and cupping his mouth. Ruben heard the sound of the gun, and instinctually ducked, the round missing him and hitting a tree. As soon as the bullet made contact with the bark, the tree exploded into bits and pieces of burning wood. A piece of it flying and hitting Ruben's cheek. Burning him.
Ruben turned to the tree, the fires shining and spreading fast. Ruben turned to Winter, seeing an Alpha Beowolf jumping up and swinging both it's arms over it's head. Aiming to cut right threw Winter. Ruben jumped up, running towards Winter with his weapon drawn. He threw his scythe, the weapon spinning and hitting the beast dead in the chest.
Winter felt the beast fall atop of him, pinning him to the ground as the fire began to rage. Encompassing the area around them. Ruben ran to Winter, ramming his shoulder into the beast's side, pushing him off of Winter.
Ruben saw Winter get up onto his feet, looking over the fire he cause. He ran his hand through his hair, trying hard not to imagine what would have happened if Ruben was hit with that.
He already felt sick to his stomach.
Ruben dug his heel into the beast's chest, pulling and tugging on his weapon. After breaking a few of it's rubs when he pulled the blade out, he let out a sigh of relief and turned to Winter. He looked over the remaining Beowolves in the area, his hands swinging on the levers and taking aim.
Winter glanced at Ruben, while knowing that they would fair well against these beasts, the fire was getting to intense for them to stay another minute.
"Kid!" Winter shouted, grabbing Ruben's weapon and running. "We need to go! Now!" Ruben looked over at the fire, seeing it already claim a great chunk of land already.
The smell of soot and ash engulfed his sense. Winter began to run, Ruben following closely behind. The sound of crying Beowolves howling in the distance.
The two ran for what seemed to be an eternity, the smell of burning wood not a pleasant smell. The smell of fear. Irrational, relentless fear. They stopped a great distance away, wanting to put as much space between them and the fire. The no longer felt the heat, nor smelled the cooked bark.
"That..." Ruben started, his hands on his knees as he let out a heavy breath. Beads of sweat running down his cheeks. Dripping onto the floor in droves. "Was intense-"
"Are you an idiot?!" Winter shouted, turning to Ruben rashly and walking towards him. Winter wanted to blame Ruben for the fire. Blame him for making him miss. Blame him for almost hurting himself. Blame him for becoming his partner. Blame him for ruining his chances with Pyrrha.
"Do you not think? Even for once? Do you ever think, is the better question?" Ruben narrowed his eyes, his mind not thinking for a moment when he decided to answer. They almost died. Legitimately were in harm's way, and Winter is shouting at him.
It didn't sit well with Ruben.
"What is your problem?" Ruben asked impulsively, standing up straight and staring into Winter's anger fueled eyes. The two stared intently at the other, their hands in fists and ready to fight.
They wanted it. To thrash. To claw. To punch. To bite. To kick. Pummel. Beat. Devastate. Destroy.
"My problem? Was it my problem for running out in front of someone who was about to shoot a Dust filled round? A Dust filled round that could have killed me?" Winter asked, his eyes wide and his expression unhinged. He had a brief image of Ruben exploding into a pink mist dosed in fire. An unsettling sight.
"My problem?" Ruben asked in disbelief, his hands against his chest. He let out a chuckle, completely appalled. "My problem? I tried to help! And don't you dare get so 'high and mighty' on me, Princess! You started that forest fire!"
"Because you acted rashly and irresponsibly! You saw what I did to that tree? That could have been you!" Winter shouted, pointing his finger in Ruben's face. Ruben snarled, hating that know it all finger he had.
"How dare you!?" Ruben questioned, swatting Winter's hand out of his face. "I saved your life! I killed that thing before it could touch you! Even then, you can still find something to blame me for?"
"I would have handled it just fine!" Winter shouted, throwing his hands into the air. "If you hadn't distracted me by jumping in front of my shot! I would have had time to move and get another shot in!"
"Well, fine Princess!" Ruben shouted, barring his teeth and mere moments away from going full feral and attacking Winter. Clawing at him like some beast. Biting him like an animal. Howling with those wolves he would slaughter after he was finished with Winter.
"Don't expect my help again! In fact! Don't expect anything from me! Let me tell you something, Princess." Ruben stated, pointing his finger at Winter and stepping towards him. "I. Don't. Need. You!" Ruben walked towards Winter, his fist shaking at his side. "I fight and deal better on my own! I have, and shall, work better alone! Especially when I'm not dealing with some pretentious, over confident, spoiled Princess."
"Congratulations then!" Winter shouted, walking away from Ruben with his hand over his forehead. "Good job on being an antisocial, irresponsible, whiny child. I'm sure Mom and Dad would be proud of you."
Ruben felt his nostrils flare, his face lose coloration and his mind go blank. He roared, reached behind his back and pulling out his scythe. He spun around, cutting through a tree trunk to take out his frustration.
He heard the tree crash behind him, his breathing still uneasy as he kept a considerable amount of distance away from Winter the rest of the walk.