Goodbye
~ Okami ~
She didn't know why she woke up that night.
It had been three days since she arrived at the hospital. The arrangement she and Ai had was soon found out and Ai was asked to leave so she was alone. She rolled over and reached for Ai's warmth and when she felt empty sheets her eyes slowly opened.
"That's right, the nurse found out Ai snuck in again and asked her to leave."
She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes when she felt a sudden breeze in the room. She removed her hands from her face and stood up. She winced at the pain of her broken right leg. She put all of her weight on her left leg and hopped over to the window to make sure it was shut. She locked the window and made sure it wouldn't open but still felt uneasy.
"…It feels like something big is about to happen…"
"Yes, and hopefully it's for the best."
Okami jumped from being startled by the stranger's voice. She quickly turned around to see a boy the same age as her. He was sitting in a chair by the door; he was wearing a white collared button down shirt with matching white dress pants. He had long black hair that was tied back with a pink strand of hair on his right side along with pink eyes.
The boy smiled at Okami. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."
Okami glared at the boy. "Who are you, and how the hell did you get in here?"
The boy cast his eyes downward and frowned. "That doesn't matter, she said you need help, so I came."
"Who?" Okami asked. The boy stood and slowly started to approach Okami. When he got close enough he raised his arm and Okami felt a surge of warmth coming from her chest. Okami then looked the boy in the eye. "Mei called you?"
The boy lowered his arm and nodded. "I heard her voice calling me, I followed it and it led me here. She said you needed help."
Okami lowered her guard, for some reason she felt at ease around this boy. She tried to step toward the boy but her broken right leg buckled and she fell to the ground in pain. The boy stepped forward to help but Okami stopped him. "Don't! I can get up myself!"
The boy stepped back and Okami stood herself up, she then made her way back to the bed and laid back down.
"You seem tired." The boy said while walking toward the door. "I'll leave you be for now, but I'll come back soon."
Okami nodded and the boy left the room.
"What a strange kid… But why would Mei call him here? She hasn't said a word to me since we fussed… Why would I need help?"
Okami then closed her eyes and quietly went back to sleep.
~ Dawn of the next Day ~
Okami woke up to the sound of the door almost silently closing. She sat up to see that the boy did indeed leave. The chair he was sitting in was moved over to the side of her bed. Strong rays of sunlight were beaming through the window slightly blinding Okami. Okami listened and heard birds chirping from outside, but she still had that sinking feeling that something serious is in the works.
At that moment, the door opened and Ai came into the room. Ai was slightly surprised to see Okami awake already. Ai sat down next to Okami's bed and they talked for a little while, that's when Okami noticed something was off…
"Hey, where's team RWBY? Don't they normally come visit with you?" Okami asked.
Ai looked at Okami with a sad expression. "Unfortunately, one of their friends is in the hospital as well…he's in critical condition right now…"
Okami instantly sat up strait. "What? Who was is? What happened?"
Ai stared at her feet as she explained. "He was from team JNPR, is name was Lie Ren. His team went out on a mission to go see what the sudden amount of grimm was caused by. They were ambushed by a large pack of beowolves. They weren't sure what happened, but they found Nora in shock next to…who they assume to be Ren… He's in very critical condition."
Okami laid back down.
"'Assume to be Ren' she said… That means the body is unrecognizable… I've heard of team JNPR, they are a very skilled team almost as skilled as RWBY. How can a trained huntsman get hurt that badly by beowolves?"
They both stayed there in silence letting the news sink in. Finally, Ai left for class and said that she would be back tomorrow. Okami waved goodbye as Ai closed the door leaving Okami alone once more. After a long moment of silence, Okami tried to contact Mei.
"Mei, why did you call that boy to me last night? Why won't you even speak to me? You asked for help but yet you won't even tell me what you need. Is this really how we are going to work together? You tell me a few things then step back for me to figure things out? I don't want that…"
Okami then closed her eyes and sighed as her day came to a close.
~ Midnight ~
Running.
She was running as fast as she could as arrows were flying past her. She was weaving in and out of the trees of the village, however a few arrows hit their mark and she fell to the ground. She tried to pull the arrows out but they wouldn't budge. She looked up to see Tsume looking down at her with her menacing red eyes. Her sword was already drawn and she raised it for the final blow. Okami closed her eyes as the sword made contact with her neck and made one final painful cry.
Okami woke up with a start.
This had been the fourth nightmare she had since she came to the hospital. Each nightmare was different but always ended the same…being killed by Tsume.
Okami sat up and held her head in her arms. She was too startled to sleep so she started to think when she heard a voice.
"Couldn't sleep?"
Okami looked up to see the boy in the room again.
"I guess you can say that." Okami replied.
"Nightmares?"
"It's none of your business."
"So I'm correct?"
"I said that's none of your business!" Okami snapped as she stood on her feet and immediately fell due to her broken leg. Okami pulled herself back onto the bed and tried to calm herself down when suddenly she felt a warm sensation.
Okami looked up to see the boy touching her broken leg, then her torso, then finally her shoulder. Okami looked at the boy confused but he just smiled and started walking towards the door.
"I'm sorry to have upset you," The boy said. "I'll come back tomorrow to see if you feel any better."
"I thought you were asked to help me?"
"I can't help you if you won't let me." The boy chuckled.
"Whatever." Okami said with a sigh as the put her head back on her pillow. A short moment passed before she spoke again. "Exactly what did Mei say I needed help with?"
There was no response and Okami looked up to see the boy already left. So she laid back down and started to drift off to sleep.
"I didn't even hear him open the door."
~ The Following Morning ~
Ai came over once again and this time she brought some notes for class. Okami did her best to follow along but the night before kept coming back to her mind. The nightmare, the boy, what could it all mean?
At that point the doctor opened the door. "Miss Kiba?"
"Yes?" Okami responded nervously.
"We detected some abnormal activity in your healing progress last night and ordered some testing this morning while you were still asleep and…"
Ai then took Okami's hand and sternly looked at the doctor. "And?"
"I just read the results… You are completely healed."
Okami and Ai stared at the doctor blankly. "What?"
"You are completely healed." The doctor repeated. "In fact, you're better than healed. According to the results you were never injured to begin with. No punctures, no new scar tissue, no torn ligaments, and no broken bones. Nothing is wrong with you."
Okami and Ai just stared at the doctor in confusion. How was that even possible? Okami was a complete wreak and then suddenly she's perfectly fine? What was happening?
"So can I leave?" Okami asked.
"You are perfectly fine," The doctor replied. "But I would like you to stay overnight just in case."
Okami nodded thanking the doctor as he left. The room was quiet for a long time until Ai was about to leave.
"Ai?" Okami spoke. "Would you stay with me no matter what happens?"
"Where did that come from?" Ai asked.
"I was just thinking…maybe I should just leave. I'm no match for Tsume, she would kill me without even trying. And even if I do win, why should the village follow me?"
Ai was quiet as if unsure how to answer. "In the end the choice is yours. If you fight, I will fight with you. If you run, I will run with you."
"And if I die?" Okami asked. "I refuse to let you die with me."
"I won't!" Ai replied firmly. "I would do everything in my power to avenge you!"
"If I die where would you go?" Okami asked. "The village?"
"…I would never go back to the village."
"The village is your home."
"NO!" Ai snapped startling Okami. "The village is ourvillage where we were raised. My 'home' is where ever YOU are. If you die fighting Tsume then I'll leave and fight with the humans against the village. I would never stay in the village unless you are there, I would just come back to Beacon."
Okami stayed quiet feeling guilty of putting Ai in that position. At that time Ai stood ready to leave.
"Think about what you want before you decide." Ai said with her back to Okami and half way out the door. "I will stay with you no matter what you decide."
And with that Ai left leaving Okami by herself once again with her thoughts.
Okami doesn't know what she wants.
~ That Night ~
Again, she was running.
She was running as fast as she could. But this time it was different, she was in her beowolf form. What was also strange was that there were two people riding on her back, one wearing black and the other yellow and the person wearing yellow appeared to be wrapped in a blue cloak. Running next to Okami was a large wolf also carrying two people, one in red and the other in white.
She ran until they came across a courtyard where they stopped. The person wearing black carried the person wearing yellow into a large building with the wolf not too far behind them.
However, Okami stayed outside.
She slowly turned into her normal form and fell over coughing violently. As she coughed, blood was coming out. She was dying.
Eventually, the coughs got weaker and the light in her eyes slowly dimmed but before they went out she heard a voice.
"You will never win."
Okami slowly opened her eyes.
It was another dream, not quite a nightmare but it still left Okami with a bad feeling.
She didn't understand where these nightmares were coming from. She had already made up her mind before. She was going to fight Tsume and take back the village. Then she fussed souls with Mei and suddenly she has second thoughts.
She was scared.
"So, will you admit it now?"
Okami jumped and saw it was the boy once again. "How the hell do you keep doing that!?"
"Okami, you need help. Let me help you." The boy replied.
"I don't need help!" Okami snapped in outrage.
"Yes, you do."
"Why? Why the hell do I need help so badly?"
"Because you are afraid." The boy responded
Okami was silent before she responded. "Scared of what?"
"Of death, you are afraid you will die and possibly get your friends killed too." The boy said calmly. "You don't have to be. Trust me."
"Trust you?" Okami said agitated. "What do you know about death? What do you know about the situation I'm in?"
"Everything."
Okami looked at him a bit taken aback. "How so?"
"Follow me and find out." The boy said as he walked over towards the door.
Okami followed him and opened the door for him. He walked over to the room next to hers and waited. The boy nodded to Okami telling her to enter, as she opened the door she was shocked.
In the room was the same boy laying in a hospital bed wearing a gown similar to Okami's. The boy was connected to a series of computers and monitors showing his heartbeat and breathing. Okami saw a clipboard with the status of the patient and picked it up to read his name.
"Lie Ren."
Okami dropped the board and started backing out the door. What was going on? Ren was in a comma, how could there be two of him?
So many things were rushing through her head all at once and her emotions didn't help any.
"What the hell is going on?"
Okami looked at the Ren she had been speaking to for the past few days in shock.
Ren sighed then smiled a little. "You don't need to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."
Okami didn't know what to say at first so she asked the first thing she thought of. "What happened to you?"
"There is this girl that I have been friends with my whole life. Before I met her, my life was gray and meaningless. But then I met her, she made me feel alive for the first time, and I fell in love with her. She wanted to become a huntress and left for training, me wanting to be by her side followed her. We trained together, we laughed together, and we mourned together. After many years we came to this school and ended up on the same team. However, I never got to tell her how I feel…" Ren Then released a sad sigh. "My team was sent out to investigate the increase of grimm as of late. We separated into pairs and fought of the grimm. My friend and I thought it was over, she ran over to me happily trying to 'boop' me…that's when I saw the alpha wolf right behind her. I quickly grabbed her arms and switched our positions… When it was done it just simply turned into shadows and vanished."
Okami looked towards the ground.
"The person he loved was in trouble so he let this happen to himself to protect her… Even if it meant he would die…"
Ren turned towards Okami and asked her a question. "Okami, what is more important to you? Being alive, or using your life to change someone else's? Would you rather live with regrets, or lose your life knowing you changed the world in some way?"
Okami thought about it for a while, she finally made up her mind and smiled. "Thank you, you really did help me out. I know what I'm going to do."
"Before I leave, there is something I want you to do for me." Ren said in a sad tone. "There is a locket around my neck, a special one my friend made for me. I need you to give it to her for me."
"What do you want me to say to her?" Okami asked.
"You don't have to say anything, she'll know what to do once you give it to her." Ren said with a smile. "Thank you for doing this."
"Will I ever see you again?" Okami asked with a sad expression.
"Maybe in the next world in another life, but in this world I'm afraid not." Ren said placing his hand on Okami's shoulder. "But I look forward to hearing what happens when we meet again."
A bright light slowly consumed Ren and gradually he faded away. When he was finally gone the heart monitor made a continuous low sound. Okami walked over to his body and retrieved the locket and pressed the button calling the nurse.
With her mind made up, Okami walked out the door without any fear.
~ The Next Day ~
Okami was released from the hospital that day. Not long after Okami left Ren's room the night before, team JNPR was contacted and said their final goodbyes. Ren's funeral was going to be held later that day.
Ai didn't come to meet Okami after her release, but then again it was the middle of the morning so classes would still be in session. Okami stopped by the dorm room to say hi to Urufu and Hime and took them on a walk going into Vale.
As they were walking through Vale Okami stopped by the White Rose Café and said goodbye to Jacob. Okami explained to him about her situation and he understood completely. He gave her some money for some new clothes and with that Okami bought a simple suit for Ren's funeral.
Okami went back to the dorm and started changing into her new suit when Ai came home. Ai didn't say anything to her, she started changing into a simple black dress. Okami hung her untied tie around her neck and watched Ai for a moment. Without really thinking, Okami came from behind and wrapped her arms around Ai's waist.
"I have finally made a choice." Okami said softly whispering into Ai's ear. "And I've decided to have you train me to beat Tsume."
Ai smiled and placed her hand on top of one of Okami's. "That's a good choice."
They smiled at each other and then headed out to Ren's funeral.
The funeral was short and simple, some people talked but most people cried. The Lei family came and wept at the sight of their only child. Then his parents carved his name on a monument that had a countless number of names on it, the names of students who lost their lives.
Finally they buried the body at a grave yard near an old temple that was in the woods between Beacon and the city.
After the service, everyone left…everyone but Okami.
Okami stayed a bit longer to say her final goodbye and when she was about to leave another person came.
It was a girl about the same age as Okami, she had short orange hair and wore pink clothing. She seemed to be the type that acted childish and smile a lot, however she wasn't. Her expression was sad when she approached the grave, she fell to her knees and wept.
"It's my fault…I'm so sorry…it's all my fault." She kept whispering to herself.
Okami walked over to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. "The past is in the past, you can't change it. And I'm sure he wouldn't want to see you like this."
The girl kept weeping so Okami continued to talk. "I'm sure that this happened because he was protecting the person he cared about most."
The girl was still crying but she slightly moved enough for Okami to notice a locket around her neck very similar to Ren's. "What's that around your neck?"
The girl sniffled. "Ren and I made a promise with each other when decide to start training. If and when we fall in love with someone we were to put a picture of them in our locket with a little note in it, and if something was to happen to one of us then the other was to retrieve the locket and give it to the person inside the locket."
Okami smiled and took Ren's locket out of her pocket. "That sounds beautiful… I asked because I found this locket in the hospital after I was discharged. It looks a lot like that one."
The girl took the locket from Okami in disbelief. She held the locket in the palm of her hand and just stared at it. "I don't want to open it…"
"Why?" Okami asked.
"Because his picture has been inside of mine for the longest time and I've been in love with him for even longer… The thought of him loving someone else…"
"You made a promise to him." Okami said in a soft voice to the girl. "Don't you think the person he likes deserves to know his true feelings?"
The girl shed a few more tears. "Y-You're right…"
She then opened the locket and stared in shock of what was inside. It was a picture of herself.
Nora, you were my light in the darkness.
The orange haired girl named Nora started crying even harder than she was before. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Okami and cried into her shoulder. Okami wrapped her arms around Nora knowing at that moment she needed a friend and they stayed that way for a long time.
Eventually, Nora left leaving Okami alone at Ren's grave.
Okami pulled out a stick of incense, lit it, and placed it at the base of the grave. Then she raised her arms and pressed her palms together in a praying manner and bowed her head.
"I never got to know you while you were alive and never had the chance to fight by your side. But I know that you and I had one thing in common… We wanted to protect the people we love. I hope that if you are reborn you will be born in a more peaceful life. If you end up in the hunting grounds then I hope you will look after me in battle. Thank you for giving me the courage to protect the people I love. May you rest in peace."
Okami turned to walk back home when a breeze blew something on top of her head. Okami reached up and pulled a white lotus flower off of her head.
Okami then heard a voice that wasn't Mei's and started to cry.
"Thank you."
*(A/N): There are no words that can describe how hard it was for me to write this chapter. I know I promised a Lemon chapter but I felt like this was something I had to do. The next chapter will be the lemon but it just didn't feel right to not write this. Monty meant a lot to me and I've always wanted to work with him at Rooster Teeth. To hear that he passed away just breaks my heart, but thanks to this chapter I was able to let go of a lot of my grief. Thank you all for being so patient.
On another note, I have decided that starting next chapter I'm actually going to change the title of this story. The new title will be "This Will Be The Day" and it will make more sense why later.
And one last announcement! I have sold my Xbox 360 so that I was able to get a PS4! Again it's Okami-Kiba64 for both the PS3 and PS4. The only multiplayer game I have is Assasin's Creed Unity but I have GTA V and Destiny on the PS3. I also have a Twitch channel I will be streaming on October 9th, 10th, and 11th between 3pm-9pm Pacific Time and my channel name is Okamikiba64. Feel free to join me! I'll see you all soon!*
