Red Roses, White Scales

Chapter 24

The Evil Within Part 2

On the roof

It was already noon, and Mikhail was currently on his favourite place, one of the many roofs of Beacon.

The young boy just stood there while looking at blue sky of Vale.

He was exhausted….Being a leader for his team, which consisted also of his sisters, the work doing for them, training them and his other chores together with other things, strained him more then he thought. Well a human body is really frail.

Those things weren't really exhausting him, rather the secret training he was doing. Using Aura and Mana at the same time, took a big toll on his body, meaning he was tired and not in the best mood.

The training showed fruit, yet it was so frustrating. Accord said that it was possible, that he could become even be stronger, than before, but…."It's so frustrating…."

Mikhail sighed and touched his white scarf, he had from his mother, and then he took his medallion out and opened it.

Team RWBY's leader felt some comfort, by seeing the smiling faces of Rose and Summer.

"What would you do, mom?" He smiled when he remembered the time with his mother. Then he looked at Rose's picture, he drew.

It took him some time, to make perfect pictures of people, but his urge, to see her face, was a good incentive.

Mikhail closed his eyes and sighed "I should apologize to Nora….." He felt regret for being so angry and letting it out on his friend…..yet he was also so…..unsatisfied with the things here.

'Those fights, those…..exercises…it feels so….'

'JUVENILE!? Not enough, bloodshed, eh!?'

Mikhail's suddenly opened his eyes, when he heard a deep male voice. It agitated him to a degree….where he felt that his blood literally boiled.

"Mikhail?"

The former dragon snapped his head to the right, seeing Blake standing and looking at him with a worried face.

Well, he wasn't really surprised, not even sisters know this place, only Blake.

"Hey Blake….." He greeted her….in a rather, less cheerful voice…..

The Faunus looked for a moment at his opened medallion, which he immediately closed, then at him.

"Are you…alright?"

"I'm….."

She held her hand out "Don't say 'I'm fine.' Or I will smack you." And looked at him, with a stern face.

"Actually I wanted to say…..That I overused myself….."

Her stern face turned into a blush and she looked with embarrassment away "Sorry."

Mikhail chuckled "On the contrary, I should say sorry." He rubbed his head back "I wasn't really….on a good mood today."

Blake shook her head "It's alright…..but Weiss feels a guilty, since she asked you about your…"

Suddenly Mikhail's eyes widened "No, no!" He shook his hands in a denying way "That's not the reason for my bad mood." Okay now he felt again like shit, Weiss must have been felt terrible and thought she was the cause.

"Then why are you so…..?"

"I'm a little bit exhausted…..I maybe worked a little bit too much…."

Blake finally understood. She smiled lightly and crossed her arms "A little bit? Seriously?" The Faunus shook her head "You worked like an animal, Mikhail." Honestly she couldn't understand it. Blake already knew that Mikhail was someone, who gives 110 % and still tried to makes things better and work harder. But even he was, even though with his Semblance, a human. And humans and faunus have limits "Mikhail I think, you should let us handle some work."

"Okay."

Now she scowled "No, you will let us…..wait, what?" Her scowl turned into a flabbergasting one.

"I said okay." He shrugged.

"Really?" Blake quirked an eyebrow "You are not against it?"

He sighed "I secretly train, Blake, and since then, I am more exhausted then before….and now I understand, that I need help, so okay."

"You train….. in secret?"

"Yep…..It's a secret-secret, so please don't say anything to anyone.

Blake was taken back, a secret about Mikhail, she only knew? "Sure. It is not something dangerous is it?"

"Nope, don't worry."

'As long as he doesn't hurt himself, it is okay' She nodded "I promise."

"Thank you."

"Don't be, you are my friend and leader."

He snorted "Using my own words."

"I learned from a wise person…." Blake walked towards his and both looked now up in the sky.

"I love the sky, especially Vale's."

"Well for someone who can fly…actually I am envious."

Mikhail bent his to his teammate "Why?"

"Because you can fly," She sighed "You can go where ever you want, and whenever you want."

Mikhail put a hand on her shoulders "That doesn't mean, that having wings, gave you the skill to run from your problems, Blake."

The girl understood, what Mikhail meant. She looked with guilt down "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Because," She clenched her fist "You lie to your sisters, to our friends, while protecting me and my secret."

"And you think, that gives me more stress then I already have?"

"But isn't it!?" She shook his hand off and became suddenly agitated "I see, that you love your sisters so much but you also do everything for your friends, me!" Blake put her hand on her chest "You lie every goddamn day, for me, protect me!" Her voice became hoarse "And because of me you suffer, you developed guilt….and it is all…"

Suddenly she stopped yelling, when she felt being hugged.

"Stop, just stop, Blake." He said softly.

More tears began to flow out of her eyes and she returned the hug "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

They stood there and after some minutes passed, they parted "Blake, look." He wiped a tear from her soft cheek "Yes, I feel a little bit guilty, that I lie to our friends and my family," That caused Blake to frown, and it hurt her more then she thought "But there are many reason why I help you."

"And…these are?"

"First you are my friend, second you are my teammate, third I already think of you like my family," Somehow Blake blushed a bit "And fourth, is because you needed help."

"Because of pity?"

"No, because I want to help you and also said we are friends." He sighed "Blake, no one can live alone."

Blake tilted her head "Yes….but….."

"Do you want to know, how being alone feels for me?"

She looked at him…..

"For me, being alone is no different than being dead." Mikhail sat it flat out.

Blake suddenly frowned, she….she seriously didn't expect that.

"And for me, my family, my friends is everything for me, my pride and my light."

"I-I don't understand…"

"Blake you aren't alone anymore."

Then the faunus-in-hiding understood…..'For me, being alone is no different than being dead'….he wanted her to feel the same…..

"No matter how much you think, that you could things alone, no matter how much you think you can suffer, you can never ever life only by yourself and bear your sorrow and worries as well."

Blake couldn't say a word…she always saw Mikhail as…..someone who could do everything…someone who was talented and strong….someone who was perfect…but now she understood. 'Mikhail…..is also just a normal person…..' Behind the strong warrior, the Pseudo-Faunus, the dragon, the Reaper…was a boy, a young man, who was hurt, who lost precious people, who died nearly dozens times…..someone who is just human.

Like Blake, like Weiss, like Ruby and Yang…..Mikhail also had insecurities…..and that was the fear of being left alone and seeing his precious ones suffering.

"I-I don't….."

"Blake," She suddenly perked up "I will never stop, helping you, not because of pity, because I like you, because I don't want you to suffer alone."

"Y-yes….I….."

"You need to talk with Ruby, Yang and Weiss. They can help you, too."

"But!"

"Don't forget, that I will be on your side."

"Yes, *Sniff*…..thanks, you are right."

"*Sigh, man, sometimes I really wish that Zwei was here." Mikhail loved the family dog. He really missed the little dog; it would be so much fun having him here.

"Zwei?" Blake raised an eyebrow.

"My dog."

Suddenly Blake's bow twitched, and she suddenly looked a little bit aghast. Mikhail couldn't ignore this and a big grin decorated his face.

"What's the matter, Blake?" He chuckled "Don't say, you are afraid of dogs?"

Blake scowled "N-no, I am n-not."

"Really?" Her eyes narrowed further feeding Mikhail's amusement "D'aww, the little kitten is afraid of a little doggy! That is so cute!"

"I can kill you in your sleep."

"Relax, I made joke."

"…Then make no jokes about me being part cat, or I will punch you in the chin." She rolled her eyes 'And you are lucky, that you are cute.'

He shrugged "If you want, you can make jokes, about me being a dragon." Then he put a hand on his chin "And please don't hit me, or my Semblance will activate and trust me nobody wants me to lose control over my Semblance.

That picked her curiosity "What happened the last time, something like that happend?"

"I killed a Goliath when I was twelve."

Blake's eyes widened and then the narrowed "You kidding, right?"

"Nope." He put his hand on his chest "My Aura was activated, when I was born….so…."

She nodded…..was this related to the times, where he was almost killed? Well it doesn't matter "By the way, the others and me, wanted to ask you if you want to go to the City of Vale?"

"Sure, let me….." Then suddenly Mikhail's scroll rang and he took it out and unfolded it. His eyes narrowed, when he saw, who sent him the message.

"Who is that?"

"Ozpin, *sigh*, he wants to talk about me and I should give him the monthly report of Team RWBY.

Again, Blake raised one of her brows "Those reports are normally sent, via scroll. Why is he asking you, to come to him personally, or rather, why does he call you more often to his office then normal?"

"Dunno." Mikhail folded his scroll together "But it will take some time." From his back emerged his wings "You girls can go to Vale"

"Okay." Honestly, she wanted him to come, too. But he still had his responsibilities as team leader.

He nodded "Oh and Blake?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, I love you!" He said playfully before jumping down the roof and flew away.

Hearing this caused Blake to blush "Dumb lizard." She mumbled and went back to their team.

So this it, this chapter shows with which girl Mikhail is coming together. It is Blake, yes.

Why? Because why not? I will also not discuss around, since I think those both are a good couple, I mean yes, Winter is like Zero/Rose and many of you wanted her for him, but truth to be told, somehow Blake reminds me more of Zero/Rose.

I have also an announcement to make.

And that is, that I will take a break for one or two months. I need some time, since I will soon start my new job. It isn't really well paid, but hey, as long as it enough to pay some bills. I also need it to write new chapters and think about new ideas. I really want to make better chapters for you guys.

I also start other Drakengard fanfictions, such as a Fairy Tail x Drakengard crossover. I will also make a poll with the main pairing for Mikhail and one of the girls from Fairy Tail.

The reason is, since I am writing Drakengard fanfictions, which are rare, I think you fans deserve some of them.

Also I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer.

If you have questions you can of course, pm me.

And I lay my pen down for now.

See ya guys.

Khan