Nothing to say here, on with the chapter!
Beacon infirmary, ? Days since Mr. Grimm appearance
Dan laid in the bed, IVs in his remaining arm. He had been sleeping ever since that faithful encounter with Mr. Grimm and his Souless, and with no sign of waking up. Zeta, Malthazar, and N'than'el had recovered almost instantaneously compared to him, staying only a single night. They stayed in the infirmary, watching over their supposed leader.
"... Why am I even waiting for this idiot? Ozpin said I don't get my reward till we clear out these Souless, and I gotta eat to live somehow." Malthazar said, throwing a knife into the air and catching it with ease.
"That idiot is the only one of us who was able to fight then, and I rather not go into a suicide mission without the one who can fight the giant scapel guy." Zeta said as she wiped her sheath.
"Yeah, and he just about attacked Ozpin! Don't know about you, but I rather not be his next target."
N'than'el stood in the corner, quietly thinking.
"So he's a bit of a loose cannon. Big deal. We should be so lucky that he might be the only cannon we got. Let's hope you're not the one aiming."
Malthazar laughed. "Oh, is that a crack at the blind guy, shorty? At least I might to be able to reach the cannon completely!"
"You mean after you find it first. And why would you even need to use said cannon when you don't want to wait for it? Honestly, either wait or go. I could do without your blind hand dropping the knife on yourself and being stuck to the floor because of it."
"Go to hell, shorty. I'd rather drop the knife on my head and not listen to your squeaky voice again. But you see, I need the money, honey."
That sent shivers done her spine. "Don't call me honey, otherwise the next time it's said, it'll be the nurse giving you applesauce through a straw."
They kept bickering like that, until Ozpin, Goodwitch, and Peach walked into the room. Ozpin took a single look at Dan, and shook his head.
"Still not waking up, Dan? You seem to always give me more trouble than I need."
N'than'el walked over to Ozpin, silently glaring at him. "Ozpin, answers. Now. Why would this guy," he gestured to Dan, "want to leave so much he would fight? And who was the scapel wielding nutcase?"
Goodwitch was about to berate him, but Ozpin shook his head.
"In order to answer your first question, I would like to get any others out of the way. We know nothing about Mr. Grimm, as he calls himself, other than he is an important part of the Souless."
"You already explained what Souless are, Ozpin. I want info on this Kitari guy."
"Dan Kitari is the child of Ken and Jen Kitari, who died along with three other children's parents." Ozpin stopped talking and walked towards the window. "These four children, Dan Kitari, Clara Rosenburg, Jack Hue, and Alice Jace, were adopted by us all, you could say."
Peach spoke up, continuing what Ozpin was saying. "There were inseparable, those four. And skilled, too. They all wanted to be trained, and after taking the first year exam, they were hunters and huntresses in training before they were ten. We made sure to keep this was a secret team of sorts, since they were all prodigies. They kept the Grimm around Beacon on an all tilme low for about six years. Until the first Souless attack..."
Beacon, a full week before D: Dan Kitari
"Dan, did you fight with Alice again?" Clara asked, lookong at Dan lay in the rafters. He opened one of his eyes, sleepily yawning.
"Eh, a little. But no worries, for as long as I live, I will make it u..." He said before faking sleep and snoring. Clara didn't laugh, just stood there looking at him. He sighed before getting up, and he let himself fall to the floor, landing perfectly.
"You should apologize so she doesn't get angrier."
"Yeah, because she needs to be right or otherwise she'll blow a blood vessel. Which might actually be cool, since the only blood we actually see dissolves with the Grimm we kill. Who knows, she might be able to use it to blind the enemy."
Clara sighed. "You're not going to, are you?"
"Nope. Now, want to have some fun in town?"
She sighed again, nodding. She knew when to give him some time to decide for himself.
Vale
After a quick visit to their dorm for a change of clothes, the pair of orphans wondered the streets of Vale. Whenever Clara wasn't looking, Dan would sneak glances at her.
He was in love, after all. Not many girls like Clara existed, and he knew it. He wanted to actually go out on a date, but he couldn't find the courage to. He could see Alice and Jack teasing him when they got back, all in revenge for the prank he pulled. Who knew feathery faunus don't like syrup and feathers from a pillow?
"Dan? Remnant to Dan!" Clara said, her hand waving in front of his face. He didn't notice, so deep in his thoughts. She shrugged, walking behind him. After jumping up onto a bench, she leaned over his ear and blew on it. He jerked, knocking her off balance and him unto the ground. She kept trying not to fall, but finally lost to gravity as she fell on top of Dan.
Silence. Her eyes stared into his, a blush already filling her face.
"Uh, hi."
"Hi. Is this where you seduce me? Because I'm willing to try being seduced." Dan said jokingly. At that point, Clara had pushed herself off him, getting some distance between them.
"I'll take that as a no. Well, I'm going to drop some coins in the fountain, be right back." He left, although a little too quickly. Clara shook herself, not believing her luck.
"Ugh, why does love make me do this?! He was right there, I could've confessed then and there." Whacking herself on the head, she paced. She stopped in place, thinking about how close their faces were...
Dan was walking alone, berating himself for... whatever that was. Yeah, like he'd be able to get seduced by his crush. And his excuse? Coins for the fountain? Weak. He stopped thinking when he heard ragged breathing from the bush...
Clara decided to follow Dan. She was going to confess right now, and hope that he would like her back. When there was moaning coming from the other side of the tree...
He fought. He wasn't sure for how long, since the... thing he was fighting kept healing it's wounds. But that couldn't be right, since it was wearing a Grimm mask, and Grimm don't have aura. He heard a screech, and Clara burst through with another thing on her heels. His sword blocked a claw going for her, and she smacked another claw away from Dan...
The Things were losing, another blow and it would be two versus one. Dan was about to cleave one of them, when four spears came flying towards Dan's back...
Clara had jumped between them, spears drove deep in her stomach. Dan turned and saw her fall over. He couldn't remember what he did afterwards, but soon the pair of things were smouldering. He ran over to Clara, trying to stop the bleeding. He ripped his shirt, bandaging anything red. He pulled out his scroll, yelling for medical help. He held her close, trying to stop death.
Clara smiled, watching him try to save her. But he couldn't. She knew she was dying. She pulled him closer, her arms around his neck.
"So, this is it, huh, Dan?"
"Don't say that, help will be coming! Just don't die on me!"
"We had a great time together, so much so I don't want it end."
"It won't, we'll do more stuff! Anything you want, just keep your eyes open!"
"Anything I want? You promise, Dan? Because there's something you can do for me..."
"Anything! I'll spend all my lien to get you clothes! Food! Games! Just stay with me!"
"I want to see your smile. Just let me see you smile...one last time."
"But it won't be the last time! Just stay alive, please!"
"Dan, please?" Clara's eyes met his. He couldn't say anything more, tears falling freely down his face. He looked away from her, then when his face turned towards hers, he was smiling.
"This good enough, Clara? I want to do more for you if it's not..."
"No, this... is good enough...just like you are, Dan. I hope you..." She started, but then stopped. Her breathing slowed, and her arms fell to the side. He caught her hand in his.
"Clara, please, just stay with me. I don't want our time together to end! Ever!"
"...Dan, just one more thing?... Promise you'll never forget... our time together."
"THERE'S NO WAY I'LL FORGET MY FIRST LOVE! JUST HANG IN THERE A LITTLE LONGER!"
She smiled one last time, her other hand reaching up to touch his face, only to fall again, but never rise again.
Dan screamed, long and loud. He had lost a partner.
Beacon Courtyard, next day
The funeral was going on, everyone crying. They missed the kind girl who helped anyone, the girl who lived a life in school and still loved it. Dan stayed next to her coffin, clad in black robes and hood up. Jack wore a black suit, and Alice, her own black suit on and wings covering her face.
After all the farewells were said, a torch was pulled out and was about to be lit. Dan shook his head and instead said an incantation:
"May the flames cleanse your ashes and send them to fair winds",
and the coffin soon became a blazing fire, engulfing Clara Rosenburg.
Once the funeral was over, it drizzled as the guests and students left. Dan stayed near where Clara was, on his knees. Alice walked over with Jack, tears streaming down their faces.
"Dan, we got to go now." Alice said with a break in her voice. Dan stayed on his knees.
"Come on, pal. We still need you." Jack said, a small smile on his face.
"Clara needed me, too. And I couldn't save her. Seems like anyone who needs me dies so far."
Alice kicked Dan, sending him flying into the wall. "Watch what you say, Kitari. Clara died because she decided to save you, not because of anything else."
Dan pushed himself up, standing now. "I'll say what I want to say. I failed Clara. I let her down. I let her die. I. Let. Her. Die. I. Should. Have. Died. Instead." Another kick made a small crater.
"No. One. Should. Have. Died. Dan, you are not at fault."
"... Stop it."
"You did not kill her."
"Stop it."
"You stopped those Grimm from attacking other people."
"I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THEM FROM ATTACKING PERIOD! SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTENTION BEHIND ME! SHOULD HAVE DIED INSTEAD! THEN, SHE WOULD BE ALIVE AND WELL! SHE SHOULD BE HERE, LIVING AND BREATHING! INSTEAD, SHE'S GONE!"
Alice slapped Dan across the face, tears renewed. "Yeah, and now we're left with with her idiot partner!"
When he slapped her back. She was sent reeling away from him, landing in Jack's arms. They both looked at him, seeing his orange orbs grow hard.
"Then go. Leave. Stay away from the idiot! Then you won't die trying to save the idiot! Because he's an idiot who leaves death wherever he goes! Fly away far from me, and never return!"
"That night, Ms. Alice Jace left Beacon. She left eveything but her weapons and the clothes on her back. Jack Fyr would soon leave on a lead about the weird Grimm, but we lost contact with him an hour afterwards, only to be turned into one of them. Six days later, it would attack the city and Dan was sent to kill it." Peach took a ragged breath, tears rolling down her face.
"And that is how Team JACK split apart, leaving Dan Kitari by himself. He blames himself, and by extension, myself, for their deaths. After all, it does appear I may have made a mistake. Only appears so, anyway. He doesn't want more deaths to happen. That's why he was against being a leader, Mr. Drak. He can't go through the pain again, at least that's what he believes."
They stood in shocked silence, not believing the cruelty he had gone through. Peach just shook her head, wiping her tears.
"And I can understand his feelings, since I can't stand it either. I will never hear their laughter again, or see their smiles. They won't steal anymore sap like they did when they were children. They are gone, and I feel like Dan will end up with them if we don't save him."
Yeah, no real action in this chapter, only sadness. Yeah, this story is labeled as a humor fanfic, but that happens later. Now, it's sadness. So there. Author wins. Don't worry, it should pick up next chapter. I say should since I haven't decided what happens next. Oh well...
Have a short extra. ~DarkJester420
He watched over the kid's dreams. All of them were sad, reliving his recent losses. He decided to do something about it. He brought up all his happy memories, and changed the dream from a sad nightmare to a gentle nostalgia. He sighed as he watched the kid's life flash through his mind.
Not an ordinary life, but it was happy. You lost much, but gained so much more. In the end, everyone parts ways. Some earlier than others, but know this. No matter what, I doubt their was anyone who would regret knowing you, kid. Your life won't be easy from tommorow on, but I won't let your nights be sad anymore. You will only remember the good old times in your dream while I am your partner.
Azmodeus smiled, watching the memories of the children playing.