*(A/N): SUP! So, as I mentioned before this chapter goes more on the third plot. I have another announcement at the end, so enjoy!*
Memories of the Past
~ Ai ~
"Okami," Ai said with a huge smile. "it's been so long…"
"I finally found you!"
Ai took a step toward her friend, but Okami stepped back and her friends got into defensive stances.
"Koko de nani ga jigoku o shite iru no? (What the hell are you doing here?)" Okami asked with venom on every word.
Okami's switch to their native language took her friends by surprise. They looked at her in shock but quickly got back into their stance.
"Oh no…please, not this."
"Watashi wa ima koko ni gakkoniiku, koreha watashinoheyadearu. (I now go to school here, this is my room.)" Ai responded still trying to act happy.
"Ie, naze anata wa koko ni iru? (No, why are you here?)" Okami said glaring at the white wolf faunus in front of her.
Ai sighed before she answered. "Watashi wa anata no tame ni sagashite itanode, watashi wa koko ni iru yo. (I'm here because I've been looking for you."
"Shikashi, naze?! Watashinojinsei wa, sono naka ni anata nashide sudeni jigokudesu! (But why?! My life is already hell without you in it!)" Okami snapped.
"Okami, anata wa kono basho de koko ni zokushite inai! Anata wa watashitoisshoni-ka de suru hitsuyo ga arimasu! (Okami, you don't belong here in this place! You should be at home with me!)" Ai was now on the verge of tears, she had never seen Okami like this before and it was scarring her.
"Ai wa, watashi wa kaibutsuda! Watashi wa dokoni mo zokushite imasen! Ima sugu ienikaeru! (Ai, I'm a monster! I belong nowhere! Now go home!)" Okami yelled even louder.
Ai couldn't take it anymore; she wanted the Okami she used to know. "Watashi wa ie imasu, watashinoie wa anata to aru! (I am home, my home is with you!)"
Ai saw something she never thought she would ever see… Okami was crying, she sounded and acted like she was angry, but she was in so much pain. Ai knew that Okami didn't want to say the things she was saying, Okami was trying to push Ai away…and it was killing her on the inside.
Okami took a deep breath to try and calm herself before she spoke. " Ai wa,… Watashi wa anata o kizutsuketakunaide kudasai! Teokure ni naru mae ni o makase kudasai! (Ai, please… I don't want to hurt you! Leave before it's too late!)"
Okami's cries grew louder and she ran out of the room most likely heading for the forest. Team RWBY started to go after her but Ai stopped them saying that she needed some space right now.
"What if she gets attacked?" The red headed girl asked.
"You don't have to worry about that with Okami," Ai responded sitting on top of the second futon laid out. "Okami is our number one hunter back home."
"Wait, Okami is a hunter?" The girl with black hair asked.
Ai looked at them cautiously. "Exactly what do you know about Okami?"
The girl with white hair stood and walked closer to Ai. "We know that she was banished from your 'home', that she is a wolf faunus, and that she obviously doesn't like you."
Ai looked at the four girls in the room, her wolf started to growl and Ai understood why. "I can understand the cat faunus, but why is Okami close to you humans?"
The four girls looked at each other then looked back at Ai.
"Well, we're her friends. We are the only friends she has at this school." The girl with blonde hair responded.
Ai eyed them from head to toe, she finally relaxed when she knew she could trust them. "My name is Yukimoto Ai."
"Ai is your last name?" The red head asked. "I thought it was your first name."
"It is," Ai explained. "in our culture we say our sir name before our first name. So for Okami it would be Kiba Okami and for me it would be Yukimoto Ai."
They all made a "ah" sound all at once. The first one to speak up was the red head.
"Well hello Ai, my name is Ruby."
"I'm Weiss."
"Blake."
"Are you really a wolf faunus?" The blonde asked before Blake smacked her in the stomach. "Oh, I'm Yang."
Ai smiled at the girls she just became friends with and bowed to them. "If there is anything you would like to learn about Okami you can just ask."
The four girls looked at each other and finally Yang asked the question they were all thinking. "What do you like the most about Okami?"
Ai thought about it for bit before she answered. "Okami has every right to give up, break down, and complain about her life…but instead she has the brightest smile, the kindest heart, and is the strongest person I know. That is what I love about Okami the most."
Team RWBY smiled and seemed to relax a bit more around Ai the more tey talked to her.
It seemed like a whole day had passed but they knew it was only three hours. The five girls were getting along great when finally the important question was asked.
"Ai," Ruby asked becoming dead serious. "after all this time, why did you just now come looking for Okami?"
Ai stopped laughing, her breathing almost stopped, and her eyes dropped to the ground. "I never knew Okami was banished until a little over two months ago. I always thought she would come home…I have learned some things I shouldn't have. I need to tell Okami about it…"
"What exactly did you find out?" Blake asked suspiciously.
There was a long moment of silence while Ai was trying to figure out how to tell them.
"You see…Okami was-"
Ai was cut off by a blood churning howl, a howl she was too familiar with.
"What the hell was that?!" Yang shouted.
Ai jumped up and started running for the door. "We need to go, now."
"Ai, what's wrong?" Ruby asked.
"Okami is in danger!" Ai shouted. Team RWBY understood and were out the door not too far from Ai.
"I didn't know they that close…they are here for us…"
~ Okami ~
"What is wrong with me? I've been wanting to see her for years…but she's the reason I was banished."
Okami was in the woods near her old shack. It was dark and still snowing, but she didn't care. All the running she did to get where she was made her hot, sweat was dripping down her face mixing with her tears and her breathing was fast and heavy.
She looked up into the trees; it was so dark that you couldn't see the trees themselves, only the shadows of them and the snow. It reminded her of her home back in the Dark Shadows Forest and the snow reminded her of the day she met Ai…
~ Ten Years Ago: Age Seven ~
The sun was just setting and as usual, Okami was up to no good.
The snow was deep and hard to walk through, the air was cold and every time she breathed out a white cloud would float through the air. All that she was wearing was the top of a sleeveless karate gi that stopped just above her knees and her infamous sky blue infinity scarf. Okami never went anywhere without the scarf, it was the only thing found with her and assumed to be her mother's. To her it was her only link to her parents and her only source of warmth.
The young Okami was climbing up a steep hill trudging a long wooden board behind her. When she made it to the top she wiped the sweat off of her face, she flung her long bangs back and tied her hair in a high pony tail, and then she let out a loud sigh.
"This should work this time." She said to herself.
She set up the board where it was still flat and with a running start she jumped on it and started to snow board down the hill. She was laughing and cheering at her accomplishment until the board collided on a small rock and shattered half way down the hill. Okami got thrown off the board and tumbled down the rest of the way down the hill, four long wooden pieces of her board stuck into the snow all around her.
Okami got up and dusted all the snow off of her. "Well, that was a total bust-"
"Someone, please! Help me!"
Okami turned towards the sound of the person calling for help. Her instincts kicked in, she grabbed the four pieces of wood and ran towards where the voice came from. When she got there she saw three beowolves surrounding a small girl.
Okami jumped up in a tree and threw three pieces of wood like a spear killing the beowolves one at a time. After the remains of the beowolves vanished, Okami jumped down from the tree and ran to the girl.
The girl had white hair and matching white wolf ears on top of her head, she wore a white kimono that helped her blend into the snow around her, and her eyes were a beautiful ember with a tinge of green.
"Wow, she's so beautiful…"
"You…you're that orphan." She said.
Okami stuck out her hand to help the girl up. "Sorry I hogged all the fun, but it looked like you needed some help so I stepped in."
The girl didn't move, she looked at Okami's hand then looked into Okami's sky blue eyes so Okami continued to talk. "The name's Okami, I'm a wolf faunus, like you."
The girl kept staring without saying a word.
"You are a wolf faunus, right? Of course you are, you smell like one." Okami said.
The girl finally blinked but didn't say a word.
"What's wrong, don't you trust me?" Okami said with a smile.
The girl turned away from Okami and still never said anything.
"Okay, I get it. Your family is probably part of the pack and you're too good to be associated with an orphan like me." Okami said while starting to walk away. "Sorry for saving your life, have a good one."
Before Okami turned all the way around the girl screamed, and Okami understood why. An alpha beowolf appeared before the girl and was about to swipe at her.
Okami ran in full speed to the girl and pushed her out of the way, she used the last piece of wood to block the strike but it broke in half. Okami rolled under the beowolf's legs and with one of the pieces of wood she stabbed it in the back where the heart would be.
The beowolf turned and slammed Okami into a nearby tree. When her vision became less blurry she saw the girl on the ground trying to back away from the beowolf slowly coming to her. Okami struggled her way back onto her feet and picked up the second piece of broken wood and tackled the beowolf. When it got back up it charged at Okami at full speed and by instinct she raised her arms.
"So this is how I die, saving a girl who won't even give me her name."
Okami was waiting for the unbearable pain, but nothing happened. Okami opened her eyes to see the wood in her hand be wedged into the chest of the beowolf. It's eyes started to dim and bright red blood started to fall and the pure white snow turning it red. Okami let go of the wood and the beowolf fell back and started to fade into the shadows.
Okami looked back at the girl, her vision was becoming blurry but she was able to notice the look of fear on the girl's face.
"Let's try this again." Okami said. "My name is Okami. What's yours?"
Okami fell on her back and the girl ran over towards her and held her in her small arms.
Before Okami passed out she heard the girl speak for the first time. "My name is Yukimoto Ai, but you can just call me Ai."
Okami woke up an hour later and Ai was right by her side.
"Thank god you're still alive!" Ai said sounding relieved.
"Trust me; it's going to take more than that to kill me." Okami responded with a small laugh.
Okami started to get up and Ai started asking questions. "Why is your name 'Okami'?"
"I think it's a good name for me. 'wolf' seems to be a cool name."
"But why 'Okami'? At least 'Urufu' is a more respectable name."
Okami thought about it for a moment. "Nah, I see myself more as an 'Okami'. Maybe if I ever have a child I'll name them that. Besides, 'Okami' is really the only name I know, everyone calls me that already, I doubt anyone respects me enough to call me anything else."
It was quiet for a while until Okami felt something shiver next to her. She looked over to see Ai huddled next to her shivering. Okami took off her scarf without hesitating and put it on Ai.
"Aren't you cold?" Ai asked Okami with a confused look.
"Nah, I grew up on the streets. I've never slept in doors once in my life, even during the winter. This is nothing, besides; it looks like you need that scarf more than I do."
Ai blushed and looked away but Okami didn't think about it. Okami stood up and offered her hand to Ai and this time she gladly took it.
Okami took Ai back to the village where they found Ai's father. Mr. Yukimoto immediately started to mock Okami and walked away telling Ai to follow. Before she left, Ai turned and started to take Okami's scarf off of herself but Okami stopped her.
"You go ahead and keep it." Okami said with a smile. "It's looks better on you anyway."
Ai smiled and nodded and quickly ran after her father. Okami stood there for a bit before she turned to walk back to where her 'parents' were waiting for her training.
"Yukimoto Ai, a beautiful name for a beautiful girl…but why do I have a feeling that girl may cause me trouble someday?..."
~ Now ~
Okami came across the little shack she lived in, it was falling apart and buried in snow. Okami dug it out and found something she hadn't used since she came to live in Beacon.
It wasn't her original hunting bow; she had to leave it behind at the village, later on she bought a bow and some arrows off of a hunter she came across in the woods. It was a little too big for her; her original bow was a gift from Ai, a gift that she cherished greatly…
~ Nine Years Ago: Age Eight ~
"Are you sure about this Urufu? Becoming a hunter isn't easy; you may have to be away for days!" Ai said following Okami into the woods.
"I told you to stop calling me that! I know what I'm doing Hime (translates to 'Princess'), becoming a hunter gives me an opportunity to go explore more. I might even get to meet other faunuses out there, plus with this weather our people need food."
"Stop calling me Hime!"
"As soon as you stop calling me Urufu."
"Fair enough, I have something for you…"
Okami stopped walking and turned to face Ai, she motioned for Okami to wait there until she came back. Ai returned shortly after with a long box.
"A reward for passing the hunters exam." Ai said as she handed Okami the box with a smile.
Okami took the box and gasped at what was inside it. Inside the box was a white bow with wolves carved into the wood, the bow came with a matching quiver and dust encrusted arrows (the dust was connected to the arrow head so when the arrow made impact it would release whatever dust was encrusted).
"I'm sorry, but I can't accept this." Okami said handing the bow back to Ai.
Ai shook her head and tugged at the blue scarf around her neck. "I think it's a fair trade."
Okami smiled and started to walk into the woods but stopped when Ai grabbed Okami's arm.
"Please…be safe, Okami."
"As you wish, Hime."
Ai pouted at what Okami said and Okami laughed at her expression.
"I promise…you be safe too Ai." Okami said as she placed a chaste kiss on Ai's forehead. Okami gave one last wave before she walked further into the forest and past the faunus territory.
"Damit Ai…if only I was a guy…"
~ Now ~
She readied the arrow and let it loose. The arrow hit the target in the center. She walked over and pulled it out of the tree. She saw something move quickly from the bush and Okami quickly shot it from out of the sky.
She walked over to her shack and grabbed another arrow and got it ready.
"…She's the reason why I had to leave…"
She let the arrow loose and it completely missed the arrow. She went to retrieve the arrow as she thought back to that day.
~ Four Years Ago: Age Thirteen ~
It was the end of an entire day of the two friends spending time together. Okami was walking with Ai through the forest, they were having a great time until the topic of their conversation changed.
"Hey Okami, is there anyone you like?"
Okami froze in her tracks, she knew this would happen someday. "Yes, but I doubt that person likes me back."
"Who is it?" Ai asked innocently.
Okami took a deep breath, it was time the truth came out. "The person I like, is you Ai…"
Okami turned towards Ai to see a face full of shock. Okami stepped closer, their faces only inches apart. Okami slowly started to close the gap but Ai quickly turned away.
"I'm sorry, Okami…I've got to go…" With that Ai ran off…
The next day Okami locked herself inside her room and that night Tsume and their uncle told her that she was banished and had to leave.
Okami could never forget that rejection, no matter how much she tried.
~ Now ~
She didn't try to stop it this time; she let her tears flow freely.
"Why the hell did she come see me now after all this time?"
Okami was too deep in thought that she didn't even realize that she wasn't alone until an arrow knocked her bow out of her hand. Okami took a deep breath of air and froze.
Okami caught the sent of wolves in the air, and judging by the smell of it, there were a lot of them.
Okami took off running at full speed into the heart of the forest. Not too far she heard the howl of a wolf that caught her sent and she started running even faster.
"The hunt was begun…and now the hunter is the hunted…"
*(A/N): Who is after Okami and why? Find out in the next chapter! Now, we already have a winner for the last game, so I guess it's time for the next one.
If Ai didn't report Okami, then who did? (Hint: There is none.)
And this part isn't a part of the game but I am curious… Who is your guys favorite character (both from the series and one of the OCs; so like Okami, Ai, Tsume, or Jacob)? I'm curious and whichever character has the most "votes" I'll do a letter from them in first person like I did with Ai.
I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll see ya next time.*
