HELLO GUYS. I AM BACK WITH A NEW CHAPTER OF IZANAGI. LET ME FIRST THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR CONTINOUS SUPPORT.
Before I begin, I want to give you guys' details about their weapons. I did not want to include their descriptions between the story, mainly because except Zack and Itachi no one uses it unless in rare circumstances.
Zack's weapon: I have explained earlier. It is basically the buster sword with the only difference being the handle is a deep purple colour. It is named Honour.
Itachi's weapon: It is a larger version of the kunai knife. Itachi wields two of them. The blades are 30 cm long and the handle is 10 cm long.
Both have black handles.
The colour of the blade on the one he wields on his right hand is blue in the middle and red on its edges.
The blade on his left has red in the middle with blue around its edges.
They are called Shine (Right) and Shadow (Left).
Gohan's weapon: It is an exact replica of the sword he had on when he trained with Piccolo. With an exception that it is longer to suit his size. He calls it Legacy.
Acno's weapon: They are a pair of black gauntlets that serve no special purpose. The dragon king wields them just for show. He calls it The Slayer.
Now, all of their weapons are not of the hybrid type. They are simply ones with no additional features.
That brings us to questions and queries.
1. I got suggestions from 'THE HOLY GRAIL' and from 'A Fan' on pairings.
Both of you guys suggested Zack x Ruby and also Gohan x Yang.
Now, Zack x Ruby: I can see it happening. I actually went and added a little part about it after reading your suggestions. But please do not expect anything exceptional and also it won't progress real fast. There are a lot of other stuff I have to cover before I can concentrate on that.
Gohan x Yang: don't know. I actually don't think Gohan is anyway the romantic type. He is just too nice. Moreover, this is future Gohan and unlike his past counterpart, he is still a bit traumatized from everything that had happened to him. But maybe it may happen. But I can't give any promises because I have already written 5 additional chapters where there are nothing on this pairing. All of them are pending editing. Sorry if I disappointed you.
Itachi x Weiss: Maybe. It would depend on how my story pans out. But I have to say, it is a pretty good suggestion.
Itachi x Pyrrha: Not going to happen. It would be boring if this happened.
Acnologia x Blake: Honestly, I don't understand why you suggested this. Never ever gonna happen. I could never bring myself to pair The Dragon King with anyone. So, no. It would be plain horrible if I actually go and make him all lovey dovey. Again sorry to disappoint you but no pairings for Acnologia. Never gonna happen.
Let me add again that I am really bad at writing romances and romantic encounters. So please bear with me if they seem awkward.
2. Dear Pickle Rick. Where did you get any indication that my story might have Yaoi or Yuri in it in the future? It's just gross. I rather light myself on fire than have Yaoi on my fic. SO, have no fears. Even if someone puts a gun to my head, I would never ever ever put Yaoi in my story, and also Yuri for that matter. This story deals with friendship as one of its major themes. These thoughts and flashbacks that I include in my fic are only there to showcase the depth of character. I like exploring the different emotions of my characters but please don't compare it with something like Yaoi.
PS: The four of them share a strong bond and are like brothers. Please do not mistake it for something else.
3. Yes, 'A Fan'. Itachi would still have the MS overuse problem. It is something that cannot be avoided unlike his sickness.
4. Yes, 'Dark Empyrean' and 'A Fan', I have been thinking about bringing other characters into my story. But in all honesty I haven't decided upon whom to bring. And also whether I should bring characters as allies or as nemesis. So, I cannot actually confirm on that. But if you guys have any suggestions feel free to PM me. Only condition is that they have to be either from DB, Fairy Tail, Naruto or FF7.
5. One more thing I forgot to mention before. Acnologia does not have a last name. I thought about many different ones but it all seemed lame. I thought of Slayer, King, Black, Dragon, Apocalypse and all. But, I guess Acnologia itself is awesome in itself.
DISCALIMER: DRAGON BALL Z, FAIRY TAIL, NARUTO, FINAL FANTASY 7 SERIES AND RWBY BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT THIS FANFICTION AND MY OC'S.
X-X
Gohan had woken up late the next morning. If it was not for the rays of the morning sun that fell on his face, the saiyan would have continued with his peaceful slumber. For over a decade he had not known peace. Every day was a fight for survival. The entirety of the hopes of his people rested upon his shoulders and sleep was the last thing he could hope for. A peaceful sleep was like asking for fresh water in the hottest desert. But for these years save for some rare occasions, he was lucky to enjoy peaceful sleep every night. Honestly, he wished he could just lay there a bit longer without any care in the world.
Acnologia was seated beside the saiyan hybrid fully dressed in his combat apparel which was similar to the one he had always worn. The high collared long black cloak and baggy black pants. But unlike before, he did not have on his draconian markings or the sash around his waist. The red claws around his neck was also missing. Contrary to the others, he did not require much sleep nor did he sleep that much. He was always the first one to rise, but when surrounded by people like this he would continue to lie down on his bed until one of his comrades had awoken. This practise of his, he continued again today. Currently, he kept his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.
"Good Morning Acno" Gohan's sleep laden voice gained the attention of the dragon slayer.
The Dragon king opened his eyes and gave him a smirk. "Good Morning Gohan." Acno returned the greeting while eh cracked his knuckles. His tone still inexpressive as always.
The saiyan hybrid returned a smile as he lazily tried to get upon his feet. Stretching his arms slowly as he did so. His efforts were half-hearted at best and he was only making progress at snail's pace. Even now Gohan wished he could go back to sleep.
Acnologia's face started showing a bit of annoyance at the Saiyan hybrid's antics. "We are running pretty late. You better hurry it up." He barked at him growing impatient at the slow movement of things.
This remark made Gohan pick up the pace. The demi saiyan knew he was acting a bit childish. But in this world away from the demons of his past, it somehow gave him the liberty to act a bit childish and goof around. For some reason, he felt really happy today.
He got upon his feet and now fully stretched his limbs. "Where are the others?" He inquired between yawns.
Acnologia got upon his feet and rolled his neck. "The Uchiha's gone to pick up your weapon and Monkey brain went to get some breakfast." The dragon king answered as he tossed Gohan his change of clothes. "Now you better get it moving fast. The last thing we need is making the Uchiha all angry again."
Gohan couldn't help but chuckle at the remark. "Is that a bit of remorse I see?" He teased him lightly, flexing his muscles as he did so.
The dragon king was a bit perplexed and embarrassed at this. He merely looked away, folding his arms as he did so.
"Don't stand here making foolish comments. Go and get ready already." His voice echoed of annoyance born out of embarrassment.
"Okay okay. I'm going." Gohan giggled as tossed his combat clothes which consisted of his orange gi and his dark blue, short sleeved undershirt over his right shoulder and then took out his dark blue boots and placed them near his sleeping bag. Then wrapping a towel around his waist and taking a bar of soap in his left arm, he headed toward the showers waving goodbye to Acno.
Acnologia waved in return and he went back to his initial position on the ground. His eyes closely followed Gohan's movements until he was lost in the crowd. He sighed to himself and closed his eyes again.
Somehow, earlier he could sense a bit of etherion on the school grounds. Etherion was mandatory if one was to use magic. But for him who had used magic for centuries and who had mastery over all the elements, etherion did not act as a hindrance to his magic. The dragon king could not wrap his head around what he had sensed. The faint trace he sensed earlier had now vanished. There was only two possibilities the dragon slayer could think of, etherion used to exist in this world or a small amount of it had always exited here. He had at some rare instances, felt the presence of etherion and magical power but they were either too faint or vanished before he could pin point their location. These reasons made him hold back from informing the others of his doubts. Acnologia had heard stories and myths about some maidens in this world but passed it off as nothing more than folklore but back in Earthland, dragons too were deemed creatures of myths and legends. He wished to have solid proof before he engage the others on this. They had enough to do as it was and this did not need to eat away there time.
"Maybe I'm just imagining things." He reassured himself. "Surely, there is no way etherion or magic could be present in this place."
He opened his eyes again to see if any of the other three had returned. This was met with disappointment and he resumed his initial stance.
The Black Dragon was always alone by himself for several centuries. He was all alone during his flight for survival in the beginning and also during his killing spree against the Dragons. Never did he have any allies or comrades. But now, this solitude actually bothered him. He could never perceive why? Somewhere in him, he wished one of them would soon return. He was not much of a talker. However he enjoyed being amongst his comrades, even Zack, though he would never admit that.
"Guess those guys are really growing on me."
X-X
Zack Fair or Zack Knight as he had renamed himself, now stood at the cafeteria on the grounds of the academy. He stood at the cafeteria fully changed into his combat apparel with his beloved sword, Honour strapped to his back.
After some time consuming exploration, Zack was able to get his hands on combat gear that closely resembled the one he wore during his days at Soldier. The dark blue uniform was adorned with black boots and black gloves. He also had IZAG printed on the upper part of both his gloves which represented the first letters of the names of his friends and himself. This was in symbolization of the deep love he harboured towards his comrades. He still wore that silver ring on his left ear like he did during his days as a Shinra soldier.
The ex-soldier was given the task of fetching breakfast for the team and return to the ballroom. In all honesty, he preferred to have his breakfast together with all of them in the cafeteria itself. But Itachi had been a little agitated since the incident with Ozpin yesterday and so he did not put up any signs of resistance. Unlike him, he knew Itachi was more on the cautious side with tons of experience dealing with all kinds of people. He himself was a frontal fighter who did not bother much with planning and strategy while contrary to him, Itachi was a genius at formulating strategies and reading the real intent in the hearts of everyone. The former soldier admired Itachi's leadership skills and also held in high regard his planning and deductions. Never did he question the Uchiha's judgements unless in extremely rare scenarios. However, presently he felt that his 'caps' was worrying a bit too much and needed to take it easy and let loose. Zack was a bit bothered Itachi was overthinking things too far.
Sincerely, he did not know if Itachi was aware or not, that he understood why they had taken a year off to travel around Remnant. His captain did not disclose the entirety of the reasons why he did that. Laying low, Ironwood digging into their past and all was just a charade to cloak the real reason.
7 years ago, they were grown men in the bodies of their 10 year old selves. They knew nothing about this new world they found themselves upon. In any way, he imagined they were still in a way children. But after their tryst at Alsius, they were teenagers equipped with all the knowledge about this world. This was why Itachi took a year off in pretence of those reasons. All of them were capable of making their own choices now. Itachi was in reality giving them a choice to continue together as a group or walk their own paths in the world. He was indirectly telling them they were free to do as they pleased and he would not hold them back. Zack was well aware of this. He knew Gohan and Acnologia had also figured it out at some point in their travels. Even though Itachi did not show it, his sudden shift in emotions during the early months was a clear indicator that he feared of the harsh reality that may fall upon their group. Itachi would be irritated and lose his cool even at slight provocations. Though he did not vent out his frustration towards them, it was evident in the way he lashed out at his foes.
Deep down inside, the ex-soldier felt himself bleeding, picturing of the possibility that they would part ways. Every day, unaware to the rest he used to pray for them to stick together. If one of them left, Zack didn't know what he would do. He was afraid maybe Acnologia would leave the group. They would still continue to be friends but he did not want to imagine the four of them not together. The first three months, he found himself unable to even sleep properly.
But, it did not end up that way. After the first three months, all of them began to show signs that they had no intentions of parting ways. Albeit the reality that none of them told openly they knew Itachi's real motives, their actions and words during those time clearly echoed their sentiments. Zack understood those and he was happy beyond compare. That day he had decided that he would always be there to lighten up the mood in the group. He could not let his worries and troubles hinder them.
One thing that sometimes haunted him was the fate of his parents. He had run away from home to join Soldier. Those four years when he was Shinra's test subject, his parents were not aware of his state. They never knew if he was dead or alive.
When he was a kid, his mother used to tell him stories about the tortoise knight. The tortoise's psychology would prevent it from moving backwards. So the tortoise knight, though he is not strong, keeps pushing forward and only knows how to walk ahead leaving all his sorrows and hatreds behind. This was why he changed his last name to Knight. Even if Zack Fair was the name his parents had given him, he changed it to Zack Knight as he felt it would help him carry their hopes and dreams with him. It was like him, even when he felt himself crushed by the weight of his past, he would always keep walking forward, never being a slave to it. Even if he found himself not strong enough to protect his comrades, he would still fight with all he had.
In his group, where the past continued to haunt two of his comrades, he had undertaken the responsibility of being the merry and lively one. There was no time for him to waste time pondering about his worries and sorrows. They meant more to him than his life. He had to be there for them at all times.
The cafeteria was pretty crowded and noisy when he reached there. It was just less than half an hour away for the initiation and many of the student hopefuls had already prepared themselves to face whatever was in store. He himself had risen up early but due to the fact that he took his sweet time reaching there, he had to now deal with the crowd. Fortunately, there was no big queue to deal with for placing his order as most of the teens present had already obtained their food.
Zack hoped that Itachi would overlook him getting late. He seriously did not want to incur his wrath especially now, when he was really frustrated. Acnologia's anger was child's play when compared to Itachi's. Unlike the dragon slayer, the sharingan user seldom lost his cool. But on occasions he did so, it wasn't pretty. Even Acnologia himself feared Itachi's wrath. What scared the ex-soldier the most was those eyes that turned blood red when he was angry. No matter how long he had seen them, they never ceased to give him the creeps.
Sighing to himself, he made a beeline towards the counter and brought everything he needed and ended up carrying quite a big parcel in his hands. Gohan and Acno were heavy eaters and he himself too could eat a lot. Last night, they had to make due with chips and burgers. So, all of them were really hungry this morning. Zack chuckled to himself, wondering whether this much food would be enough to satisfy them.
The handsome teen warrior with his spiky black hair was attracting quite a lot of attention from the fairer sex. Zack wasn't the one to complain about getting attention. He loved it and honestly was a bit of a show off. But now he stood there adjusting the single lock of hair that kept falling on his cheek, pretending to remain oblivious to all this. He did not have the time to respond to his admirers, as he liked to call them. Everything paled in comparison to Itachi's wrath.
As Zack was prepared to teleport away, a girl in red walked upto him and gently tapped him on the shoulders.
He looked over his shoulder to see the same Qrow's niece from yesterday.
"Hi..." she nervously waved to him.
"Hey there scythe girl. Came here to grab some breakfast?"
Ruby's face brightened up. "It's not scythe girl, its Ruby actually. Ruby Rose." She replied now gaining a bit of confidence, blissful that Zack recognized her.
"Ruby. That's a cute name." he replied gaining a slight blush from her.
"Anyways. I gotta go. Don't want to get caps enter rage mode." Zack turned towards the exit and prepared to leave.
"Wait." Ruby called out "You didn't tell me your name."
The ex-soldier scratched in head in slight embarrassment. "OH! I didn't, did I? Sorry about that."
"It's Zack, Zack F… Knight, Zack Knight." Zack turned towards her and extended his hand towards the girl who accepted the gesture and shook it.
Ruby stood there for a moment staring at his face.
"Wow, they are pretty." Ruby said with her eyes wide open.
"What is?" The former Soldier was a bit dazed at this sudden compliment.
Ruby realized what she just said and quickly looked away slightly blushing. "I meant your eyes. Your eyes are really pretty." She added quite embarrassed.
Zack went blank for a moment. This took him back to the first date he had with Aerith. She too had mentioned about how pretty his eyes were. These eyes of his, due to the effects of the mako energy injected into his body, were indeed a sight to behold.
'Hello, Zack? You there" Ruby waved in front of his face in an attempt to snap him back to reality.
"Well, Thank You, I guess." Zack replied scratching his chin as he looked away.
"You too have pretty eyes. They are a beautiful silver." The ex-soldier now leaned in close to her.
The hooded teen's blush increased tenfold at the remark. "Than... Thank You" She muttered out shifting her gaze towards the floor.
Zack noticed that the conversation was getting a bit awkward. On top of that he was getting late.
"Okay, Ruby. I gotta get going. It was nice meeting you." Zack lifted the bag over his shoulder and followed a small crowd that was heading out of the cafeteria while waving goodbye to the teen.
"Okay bye. See you at the initiation." But Zack had already disappeared into the crowd before Ruby Rose could finish with her sentence.
X-X
Itachi Uchiha took out Gohan's weapon from his locker while his own was sheathed in his waist band. He swinged the sword over his shoulder and then strapped it to his back. Anyone who had any experience of dealing with people could easily understand the Uchiha was highly agitated. His experience with Ozpin being the main cause for this.
Itachi purposefully did not wake up Gohan as he knew how much peaceful sleep evaded the saiyan hybrid. The sharingan user himself was trained at a young age to be a shinobi. He could go days without sleep. Unlike the half saiyan, he was not forced into being a fighter.
Though he enjoyed the peace this world offered to him, his mind was always occupied by the thoughts of his comrades. Ever since it was decided that he would be the leader of their group, Itachi had taken upon himself the responsibility of their well-being. He would go to any lengths to ensure the safety of his friends. All of them deserved a life away from all the ghosts of their pasts.
He still had doubts if he did the right thing by coming to Beacon. Ozpin proved to be a different kettle of fish than he had imagined. He believed Ozpin intended no malice but unless he was sure of his true intentions, he couldn't trust the man. Itachi didn't know if Ozpin would prove to be a threat to their peaceful existence. These very thoughts were troubling him at the moment.
"Hey, Itachi." The Uchiha felt a gentle tap on his shoulder from behind which broke him away from his train of thoughts.
Itachi turned towards the source of the greeting.
"Hey, Gohan. Finally awake?" Itachi greeted with a slight smile.
Gohan had finished with the showers and was heading back when he saw Itachi standing near the lockers.
"What can I say? It was a good sleep." Gohan grinned. "Let's head back, shall we?"
Itachi tossed Gohan his weapon.
"Sure. I just preparing to head back." He added as he prepared to leave his present spot.
Gohan easily deciphered that Itachi was troubled with so many different thoughts clouding his mind. There wasn't the usual cheerfulness in his voice. He very well understood the Uchiha had shouldered upon himself the responsibility of ensuring their happiness. But in all honesty at the present situation, he felt his friend was just taking things too far. Ozpin's words somehow had a big impact on him. In all honesty, the saiyan hybrid did not think of it a big deal to fret upon.
"Itachi" Gohan laid a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder. "Just relax buddy."
Itachi Uchiha simply smiled at the comment.
Gohan made Itachi cease walking and turned to him. "There was a dear friend of mine who once told me that I should relax and enjoy my life. He told me that I have done all my worrying in the past and so I have to use this chance to live the life I never could. Do you know who he was?"
"It was me, wasn't it?" Itachi chuckled with the colour now returning to his face.
"Yes. It was you. And now that you is worrying about such a petty thing." Gohan added.
"It's just that I …" Itachi found himself at a loss of words. He couldn't find words to express what he actually felt.
Gohan went up and stood right in front of Itachi. "I know how you feel. You are just confused on what to do. But in truth you are overthinking things. If worse comes to wear, we'll have each other's backs. Do not fret over some guy you just met. "
"And Itachi, no one's gonna do anything to us. Ozpin just has doubts about our origins. He's not gonna do something that would harm us. Don't waste your time being anxious about that. Let's just relax and live our lives for what it's worth. I know this might be strange coming from me, but after all that's transpired we deserve this." Gohan looked the Uchiha straight in the eye as he spoke.
"Maybe you are right." Itachi replied after a small pause. "I am just worrying too much."
"And don't think even for a moment we blame you for deciding to enter Beacon. Whatever happens, we will always trust your judgement and the decisions you make. You are our brave captain after all. But for now let's just sit back and enjoy the ride as Zack always says."
Itachi couldn't help beam at the saiyan hybrid's words. "Yes you are right. Let's"
"If you are still worried, I can give you a piggy back ride back to our spot to cheer you up." Gohan asked jokingly.
"I'd rather hang myself than bear that embarrassment." The Uchiha shot back which made the half saiyan burst out in laughter.
.
X-X
"Well both of you took your time returning back" Acnologia was really pestered. His annoyance clearly indicated by the tone of his voice.
Gohan and Itachi ceased with their laughing and put up an apologetic face.
"Aww, just say you missed us, tribal man." Zack added further fuelling the dragon king's foul mood.
Acnologia simply scoffed and looked away. Zack was still giggling, but his giggling was stopped when he saw Itachi's stare fixated at him.
"Zack why were you so late?" Itachi had his hands on his hips as he raised an eyebrow.
"I wasn't late. I got back a long time ago." The ex-soldier pleaded his cause.
"Zack, we saw you pass us just a few seconds ago" Gohan sweat dropped as he answered.
Zack folded his arms and looked away "Well that wasn't me."
"Well, whatever let's just eat something. I am really hungry." Itachi sighed and reached for the bag in the former soldier's hand.
Both Gohan and Acnologia nodded in consent and joined in.
"Don't start without me." Zack too entered into the fray.
This messy breakfast session where food was flying everywhere was interrupted by the voice of Glynda Goodwitch which was heard over the intercom.
"Will all first year students please report to the Beacon cliff for initiation?" Her voice demanded. "I repeat, all first year students report to the Beacon cliff at once."
"Wait, now. I am not done eating." Zack complained as he swallowed a piece of bacon, surprisingly gaining a nod of approval from the Dragon Slayer. Acnologia could never enjoy the taste of normal food ever since he turned into a dragon. Now back in his human self, the dragon king could relish the sensations that for so long had evaded him. The physical sensations and consequences of being a Dragon did not carried over.
"Then, let's get this thing over with quickly and get back to breakfast." Itachi cracked his knuckles with a smirk plastered on his face.
"WO, someone seems pumped and I have to say rather unexpectedly." Zack voiced his surprise.
"Quit making stupid jokes and follow me. Or do you want to be left behind in the dust." Itachi grinned. Unlike most people thought, the Uchiha did have a sense of humour which he rarely exhibited.
Zack gripped Honour and arched his back. "Is that a challenge I sense?"
Gohan was glad that Itachi had lightened up a bit. He saw that the Dragon King also shared his opinion though he did his best to conceal it. The saiyan hybrid too stretched his muscles and prepared to face whatever challenges was in store for them.
X-X
Beacon cliff was a very steep cliff which led to a grimm infested forest known as the emerald forest. Each of the student hopefuls stood on a square platform and Itachi, Gohan, Acnologia and Zack were no exceptions. The four of them stood among the other hopefuls. While two had a serious expression on them, the other two had totally different demeanours. One was seemingly acting too cheerful and the other too irritated.
The headmaster of Beacon, Ozpin stepped up in front of the student hopefuls. "For years you have trained to become warriors"
"And today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest" Ozpin added as he eyed each of the hopefuls with a gentle look while giving extra attention towards each of the so called former Atlas prodigies.
Then Glynda Goodwitch, the second in charge of Beacon academy took charge of the situation. "I''m sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams."
Goodwitch paused momentarily to observe the varied reactions of the student hopefuls. It was mostly silent, seeing as how Ozpin and Glynda together created a very commanding presence. Only a very few nodded in acknowledgement, while many others seemed too tensed. But a certain dragon slayer gave her a cold stare and a certain ex-soldier gave her a grinning 'thumbs up' when their eyes met which made her s\narrow her eyes at them.
"Well, allow us to put an end to your doubts and confusions. Each of you will be assigned teammates today itself." She added choosing now to ignore them.
Ozpin now stepped up continuing where Professor Glynda Goodwitch left off. "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time at Beacon, so it is on your best interests to be paired with someone with whom you can work with."
Zack could hear a few groans coming from some of the others present voicing their displeasure at this. He looked towards his teammates standing next to him. Itachi who was on his right had a serious expression on his face. Gohan beside the Uchiha was listening intently to the instructions. Acnologia actually had a tensed look after the part about assigning teams was made, which made the ex-soldier chuckle slightly. At any rate, he had to remain alert and activate telepathy once the instructions were laid out.
"That being said, the first person with whom you make eye contact after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Itachi felt his eye twitch at this information. That meant he had to make his moves carefully.
Zack still kept looking around not paying much heed to the instructions. His gaze met that of the crimsonette from earlier whose entire demeanour showed displeasure at the given instructions. He smiled and waved to her to which she waved back.
This exchange of niceties stopped abruptly when Itachi's elbow rammed into his ribs making him yelp in pain.
Ozpin observed the happenings but preferred not to interfere. "After you are partnered up, make your way up to the northern end of the forest. You will encounter several opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will surely die." Ozpin took a more serious tone.
This statement earned a smirk of approval from the Dragon King who found it to be the only useful instruction among the lengthy speech. Destroy everything in his path, he liked the sound of that
Ozpin noticed this. "But I stress, do not attack any fellow students under any circumstances. If you do, you will be expelled." The headmaster stressed as he shot a glance towards the dragon slayer who grit his teeth to show his annoyance.
Ozpin paused for a brief moment before continuing. "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return with it to the top of the cliff." Ozpin concluded.
"Now, any questions?"
A blonde who stood next to the dragon king raised his hands. "Good, now take your positions." Ozpin went on completely ignoring the Blonde and his raised hands.
"Guys listen to what I say carefully." Itachi's voice echoed in the heads of the remaining members of his team. Zack had activated his telepathy as per Itachi's instructions earlier.
The remaining members nodded in consent.
"After we are launched, Gohan sense our energies and head towards each of us. We will use your ability to fly, to head towards the relics together. The rest of you stay put at where you land. Make sure, you do not make contact with anyone else. Acno, please keep in mind the instructions Ozpin directed specifically at you."
Itachi barely finished laying out his plan, when he was launched into the forest making him the first among the four.
Gohan was next and the Dragon King soon followed. Anyone who listened closely to the surroundings could hear Glynda Goodwitch give a sigh of relief when he was launched.
Finally, it was Zack's turn. As he was launched, he saw Ruby look at him and give him a thumbs up before being launched herself.
X-X
Gohan wasn't fazed at all by the velocity at which he was launched into the forest. The saiyan hybrid was used to flying at speeds hundreds of times greater than this without even trying and this felt like a stroll in the park for him.
He let the force at which he was launched up, carry him as far as it could. When he felt that he was slowing down, the half saiyan gently landed on his feet right in front of an ursa.
If he was being honest with himself, he did not like taking lives whether it was humans or monsters. He could never bring himself to take the life of a human or faunus and also found itself difficult to even take that of a grimm. Gohan believed everything deserved a chance to live and atone for themsleves. But after several years in this world, he had come to the conclusion that these grimm was the natural enemy of remnant's citizens and also that they lacked a soul. He began to regard them like the heartless androids of his world. These reasons made him change his view on the grimm though he still did not kill unless necessary. In this present situation, mercy was not an option nor could he let this one live and pose a threat to the existence of this world's citizens.
The Ursa lunged its claws towards the demi saiyan who blocked it with ease. He then, slammed his fist with some force into its skull effectively killing it.
After the ordeal with the ursa, Gohan closed his eyes and tried to locate the energies of his teammates. He easily found the three of them only at a few distance away from him. The saiyan hybrid lifted himself up into the air and head towards the nearest energy signal he could lock on to.
X-X
To most students present for the initiation, finding yourself surrounded by three death stalkers the moment you land, would be their worst kind of nightmare. Many would not hope to survive the encounter and give up without a fight while most others would hope for a miracle to happen. But The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse was not most students. For him, this was the perfect chance to vent out some anger and frustration. Unlike many, he grinned in satisfaction. The reality was, he was not stuck with them, the death stalkers were stuck with him.
"Come at me you vermins." Acnologia bellowed as lightning crackled throughout his entire figure.
One death stalker foolishly fell for the taunt and launched at him only to have its head cut off in a flash.
The Dragon King sidestepped the other two when they charged at him. He launched himself to the air and crashed his fist infused with lightning onto the head of one of the grimm crushing its skull before proceeding to tear it into two.
The last death stalker's movements indicated that it actually felt fear, confronting the Black Dragon. Acnologia grinned at the spectacle before baring his teeth and charging at the grimm. Just with his brute strength, he tore apart the death stalker's tail and with two quick moves, ripped it into two.
With his task accomplished and his foes torn into pieces, the Dragon Slayer began to laugh hysterically at the sight that lay in front of him. He felt so good when he let go of the built up rage inside him.
"Having fun are we?" Gohan's voice broke his laughter and he turned towards the saiyan hybrid.
The Dragon King gave a haughty smile. "I don't disagree with you. I was indeed having a lot of fun."
"Anyway, grab onto me. Let's go find the others."
Acnologia heeded Gohan's instructions and grabbed onto the shoulders of the demi saiyan.
"Alright, here we go." Gohan propelled himself into the air carrying the Dragon Slayer along with him.
X-X
.
After he was launched Zack used his teleportation to instantly teleport himself to the ground from mid-air when he found a perfect landing spot. To his utter joy, he found himself right in the middle of a pack of beowolves. Cracking his knuckles, he unsheathed his blade Honour from his back. The ex-soldier first class then assumed his fighting stance.
Beowulf after Beowulf who lunged at him found the same fate as the former Shinra soldier graciously and with precise movements cut them down one after another.
After a short span of time had elapsed, only two remained. Zack lifted Honour above his shoulders and taunted the grimm to come at him.
"Zacky, hurry up." Gohan's voice called out to him from above. The saiyan hybrid along with the Dragon King were waiting for him at some distance above ground.
Zack looked up above to see Gohan carrying Acnologia on his back. "Just a moment." Zack waved to them both.
Then he turned to the grimm "Sorry guys, time's up"
And in a flash of seconds the remaining two had their heads cut off.
Zack then activated Teleportation to appear right above Gohan. With a loud thump, he landed on top of Acnologia. This action of his was answered by a powerful elbow to the gut from the dragon slayer. As expected a scuffle broke out between the two. The demi saiyan was losing his patience and his balance.
"Guys, please stop. You might fall off." The saiyan hybrid pleaded but only for it to fall on deaf ears.
"Guys please stop." He raised his voice further. But to no avail as the two continued throwing punches and insults at each other
"Both of you idiots." Gohan twitched his brows as he screamed. "Do you want me to throw you out?" Gohan was annoyed. Though it was just the second time it had happened since they came together, it was clearly intimidating to them both.
"Sorry G man" Zack scratched the back of his head as he lifted himself off the Dragon King.
Acnologia simply scoffed and turned away. Oblivious to Gohan he was just seconds away from unleashing a rain of lightning on the ex-soldier had he not intervened.
X-X
According to Itachi Uchiha's calculations, Ozpin must have planned it all before. Why else would he find himself immediately surrounded by Ursa as soon as he landed? If this was the case for the others too, then his suspicions would prove to be true.
He had a smooth landing. He just used the momentum from the launch to jump across the tree branches. When he found a spot without anyone else nearby, he simply jumped down from the top.
Itachi unsheathed Shine and Shadow. The two blades were named in honour of Sasuke and Shisui. Though he wanted to go with Sasuke and Shisui for names, Zack and even Gohan had convinced him that it would be cheesy and totally lame. Like the ex-soldier, Itachi was the only other among the group who actually used his weapon. Acno never used it and Gohan used it only when he was up against someone really weak. The Uchiha was proud of his weapon. He had crafted them himself along with Zack. The design and the colour scheme was all his handiwork.
Itachi rolled his shoulders and took his stance, waiting for the grimm to make their moves. One mindless ursa took the initiative and clawed at him only to be killed with a precise strike to the vitals.
The same fate ensued for the remaining grimm. They might have posed a challenge to a huntsman wannabe but to an experienced shinobi, killing them was child's play. With style and finesse Itachi finished off all the grimm that surrounded him.
Gohan and the rest of them waiting for the Uchiha a few distance away from the scene. The three of them not wanting to intervene with his battle. Honestly, the ursa possessed more of a chance of turning into fairies than actually posing a challenge to the Uchiha.
Itachi noticed them as he killed the last ursa. He gave them a glance to indicate he noticed them. Brushing off the sweat from his forehead and sheathing Shine and Shadow, he walked towards the direction of his comrades.
"Okay, Itachi. Ready to go?" Gohan questioned in a mocking tone. He witnessed the Uchiha's fight and was really sure that the latter enjoyed it.
Itachi mustered a light smile in reply. The sharingan user knew what it implied and did not feel like adding anything more to it.
Gohan looked around and continued. "There is an abandoned temple just a little further ahead. I am sure that was the one Ozpin was referring to."
"That's great news. Let's head for it now." Itachi retorted as he looked into the faces of both Zack and the Dragon Slayer who refused to look at each other. Both of them had bruises on themselves and obviously no grimm he knew was strong enough to do that damage to them. It was obvious Zack had started something.
The Uchiha sighed to himself "Another petty scuffle, I presume."
The saiyan hybrid gave a goofy smile and scratched his head as he sweat dropped.
"Anyway, let's get going." Itachi motioned to the others. He then climbed on top of Gohan's shoulder which made Zack and even Acnologia chuckle slightly.
"If you dare to take a picture or something of this. I swear, I will kill you." Itachi blared at the duo who immediately ceased with their laughter.
The Uchiha then motioned to the half saiyan. "Gohan, let's go."
"Both of you, grab his legs. " He said now turning to the former soldier and the Dragon Slayer.
This plan did not sit well with Zack. "No way, why do we have to grab his legs? I want to ride on his back too." The ex-soldier tried his best to put up a puppy face.
Itachi did not bother with himself to give a response. "Gohan, let's go."
"Yo, don't ignore me. What the hell is with that attitude?" Zack said before he turned to the dragon king.
"Read the situation pea brain. Obviously, the Uchiha wants to fly but is too embarrassed to admit it."
Zack gave a careful look at Itachi to see Itachi excited like a toddler.
"Don't care any way or the other. I want the best seat." The ex-soldier shot back not ready to give up just yet.
"Guys, I am not some form of transport" The saiyan hybrids woes was left unheard.
"Hey, caps. Say something. You are acting like a kid."
"Says the real one." Acnologia flouted before he moved closer to Gohan to show that he did not mind it any way or the other and was ready to follow Itachi's instructions.
The saiyan hybrid was at a loss of words on what to say. Even Itachi was acting like a little child. But inwardly, he felt glad that his friend was easing off and enjoying himself. One other thing was the Uchiha was a bit embarrassed with the ride. Gohan could swear he saw him pouting a bit earlier. When Itachi wanted to have fun, he would mess with the two of them. Though his humour was mostly dry, Gohan enjoyed these sessions.
He did what he felt was the most logical thing to do and gently lifted himself off the ground. Acno grabbed onto his left leg as he had intended. Zack grabbed onto his right leg. But in reality the former soldier was actually trying to drag the demi saiyan down and prevent him from lifting off. Gohan understood this and was using a bit more of his strength.
By the time Zack realized that his efforts were unfruitful, they were at quite a distance from the ground. If he let go now, he would get seriously hurt. I he teleported down in protest, Itachi would simply leave him behind. Giving up, the former Shinra first class soldier kept holding on to the saiyan hybrid's leg.
In less than a minute, they reached the temple which contained the relics. Gohan gently landed on the ground. Zack and Acno jumped off while Itachi got off from his shoulders.
"There is the temple." Gohan pointed to an old ruin which contained many different chess pieces in white and black in it. "Now, all that's left is to grab a relic.
Zack walked towards the ruin and analysed his surroundings. He saw that none of the other pieces had been taken. This made him smile in jubilation inwardly. Looking around, he finally decided on the white king pieces.
"Looks like we are the first ones here.' Zack said as he returned back. Raising a fist into the air. "We will always be the best wherever we go"
"Good work all of you. Now let's head back." Itachi directed to the rest. "And yes, we will walk back." He added earning a groan from the ex-soldier.
As the four of them were about to return, the screech of a nevermore was heard behind them. The grimm were attracted by the negative emotions given out by an individual and with Acnologia with them, there was never a dull moment.
"Looks like we got some more company." Itachi smirked as they turned around to face the Nevermore.
The grimm charged towards the four, ready to take them all out in a single strike.
Zack hoisted Honour off his back and rested it on his right shoulder. "This one's mine guys." The ex-soldier prepared to finish off the unwanted guest.
"In your dreams monkey brain." In a flash the Dragon King lunged at the grimm.
Before Zack could protest, the decapitated head of the Nevermore rolled down on the floor while a grinning Dragon Slayer stood atop its corpse.
"Well, so much for holding back, I guess." Gohan sighed in exasperation.
Itachi scratched his chin and turned to the saiyan hybrid. "Don't complain now. You are the one who was for having fun this morning."
"Yes, but. Is this considered having fun?"
"To be honest, even I don't fully understand what having fun means to him." Itachi commented earning a defeated smile from the demi saiyan.
In front of them, Zack and Acnologia were locked in another squabble.
X-X
Back on Beacon cliffs, Ozpin and Glynda were monitoring the student hopefuls on their scrolls. A lot of things were happening and their expressions constantly changed to meet those.
"Well that didn't take very long." The combat teacher of Beacon academy couldn't hold back her shock. "The four of them didn't even seem slightly fazed by what they had undergone."
Ozpin simply kept sipping on his mug of coffee. With a slight smile on his face, the headmaster of Beacon was listening to his associate as well as monitoring the remaining student hopefuls.
"Professor Ozpin." Glynda narrowed her eyes." It seemed they had planned it all along from the beginning. How else, did they exactly locate each other in the forest?" The tone of Glynda Goodwitch displayed slight annoyance at Ozpin's refusal to reply.
"Do not fret, Glynda dear. I have got all the information I need about their character traits from their fights." Ozpin replied as he took another sip.
Glynda Goodwitch sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "And what exactly was this information, professor?"
"Their characters could easily be deducted from the way they took out their foes. Mr Uchiha, for example, killed those Ursa with precise strikes to the vitals. He did not wish to inflict any unnecessary pain on his enemy. It shows that he is someone who does not enjoy unnecessary fighting and was trained at a really young age in combat. He is someone who would eliminate anyone who would threaten his comrades. Kind to his friends and ruthless to his enemies. And easily, one who would gladly throw away his happiness for the ones he cares about. Obviously, the selfless leader and the strategist of the group."
"Okay, that seems plausible." Glynda was convinced of Ozpin's explanation and nodded in the affirmative. She had always trusted Ozpin and his judgement and always believed he had some reason for his strange actions. Like always, she was not proven wrong.
"And Zack" Ozpin continued. "He is kind hearted and the cheerful personality of the group. But I can safely assume, he has seen enough monsters in his life time to distinguish between friend and foe. Though I presume, he would hesitate to take the life of a fellow human or faunus unless they prove to be a dangerous enemy."
"He did seem a cheerful guy." Glynda rubbed her forehead with her fingers recollecting the thumbs up he had given her earlier.
'Then there is Acnologia. Frankly, the way he took out those death stalkers and that Nevermore, actually invoked pity in me towards the grimm. He is someone who had lost many precious things to some enemy. His actions show that he harbours a large amount of hatred and rage in him. A heart that was consumed by vengeance. And from my assumptions, he is someone who has no qualms about taking lives whether grimm or human. He is dangerous, unlike the rest. But as long as the others are around him, I don't expect him to do anything. Though, we might have to see that no student tries to pick a fight with him."
Ozpin's view on Acnologia only reaffirmed Glynda's deductions on him. She was still against the idea of having him among her students. But it seemed Ozpin did not object to him joining the academy.
There was a fair amount of silence that prevailed which was only broken by the sounds of gunshots that emanated from the direction of the forest.
"Then there is Gohan." Ozpin continued breaking the silence. "He is easily the strongest among them though he goes to great lengths to hide it. From what I have seen, he is extremely kind, humble and merciful. Even against the grimm, he had second thoughts about taking its life. The most striking feature that I fell about him is that his aversion to fighting. He is someone who loves peace and fights only when it is necessary. It felt more like, the demons of his past has forced him to take up arms. Like the other three, he values his comrades highly and would lay down his life for them." Ozpin concluded as he sipped on his coffee.
"Your deductions are rarely wrong, professor. I have no choice to agree with you. But…"
"Do not worry, Glynda. The case might be that those four have strength that exceeds even the best students but that does not mean we should shun them. To me, they seem like just four young men trying to find a way in this world. The four of them seem to have a painful past which shaped them to what they are now. They might hold many secrets but I do not see them as a threat. In time, they might prove to be powerful allies."
The headmaster of Beacon then turned to his second in charge "The one thing, I look for the most in anyone who wishes to enter this academy is teamwork and they possess it in bounds. They would trust each other with their backs with no doubt whatsoever. All of them are fully aware of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Not only the high degree of teamwork, their trysts with the grimm proved their high fighting capabilities. I don't see any reason to not induct them to the academy."
Glynda found herself in agreement with her superior's explanation. She decided to trust his judgement as she had always done. The combat teacher of Beacon nodded in approval and continued to monitor the students on her scroll.
X-X
"Russell Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day onwards you will be known as team CRDL led by Cardin Winchester." Ozpin's voice announced over the speaker. The four students walked towards the stage amidst applauses from almost everyone present.
The hectic initiation was finally over. Now at the auditorium, the students who had made it were being assigned into teams. Whenever someone's name was called, they had to move towards the main stage and their picture would be displayed in the holographic screen behind them.
"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos and Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From today onwards you will be known as team JNPR led by Jaune Arc." Ozpin continued with the ceremony for the remaining students.
"Gohan, that guy seems really weak. Don't you think?" Itachi motioned to the newly appointed leader of team JNPR while turning to Gohan who joined the others present in applauses whenever a new name was called out.
"He is actually really weak compared to the others." Gohan answered. "Before the initiation yesterday he came up to meet me and Acno. I couldn't sense any aura from him then. But now, I can sense a small amount. It actually looks like he unlocked it during the initiation."
Itachi was totally in agreement with the demi saiyan's observations. "Well, I am sure he's gonna struggle a lot unless he improves himself." He affirmed.
Besides them, Acnologia was a bit tensed about the assignment of teams and grew increasingly restless. He had his arms folded but his face clearly gave out what he felt inside.
Zack was in his usual demeanour. He had both his hands behind the back of his head and stood there with a bored expression on his face. But, inwardly he was picturing tons of different scenarios when their names would be called out. Will it be gasps of awe and surprise, fear, respect? Or maybe everyone would move to the side and give them a grand entrance. The ex-soldier did his best to hide his true emotions. In truth, he was more restless than the Dragon Slayer.
"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin resumed with the team assigning's. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day onwards you will work together as team RWBY. Led by Ruby Rose."
This earned a round of applause from the ex-soldier. He sort of liked the scythe wielding crimsonette. This applause gave way to an apologetic sigh "Poor scythe girl. The horror of having to be in the same team as a Schnee."
"And Finally." Ozpin said producing a slight grin as he did so.
Zack was about to burst with excitement while many nearby could hear the rapid heartbeats of a certain dragon slayer. Itachi's face was still expressionless. Gohan simply took a deep sigh to calm himself before stepping forward when called upon.
"Itachi Uchiha, Zack Knight, Acnologia, Son Gohan."
The four teens in question walked towards the stage bearing witness to the fuss and whispers going around about their credentials.
Itachi was now more assured that they were very well known. He could hear many mention Itachi "Demon Eyes" Uchiha when his name was called out by the headmaster of Beacon. And also many of the women folk swoon over the name.
The Dragon King was relieved when their names were called out. But what he enjoyed the most was the sense of fear that creeped into the minds of many present when they recognized the name Acnologia.
Gohan tried to block the noises to prevent himself from hearing the moniker "Aura Monster" that was given to him. Remaining oblivious to the fact that he too was getting a lot of stares from the opposite gender.
Zack was over the moon from all the attention and the sudden popularity they were getting. From the corner of his eye, he tried to locate every good looking girl who was eyeing him. Still, he kept a calm expression on his face trying to put up a cool guy act.
"The four of you retrieved the white king pieces while completing the Initiation in record time I should add." Ozpin paused in between to let the whispers to die down before continuing. "Like before at Alsius, you will be known as team IZAG (IZANAGI) led by Itachi Uchiha.
When their name were called out, an ample amount of fuss was created among those present as many recognized their names. Ozpin purposefully mentioned Alsius to allay all these doubts and confirm that they were the real deal.
Among the crowd a certain crimsonette cheered loudly and a white haired Schnee beside her clenched her fists when the name Zack Knight was called out. A blonde who stood beside her could swear she saw her sister blush slightly when the former Shinra first class soldier's name was called out.
Next to them, a newly appointed blonde team leader and his raven haired teammate felt a slight chill creep up through their spine, on reminiscing something, when they heard the name Acnologia.
The four members of team IZAG left the stage after the ceremony still receiving roaring applauses from the crowd.
"Looks like, it is shaping out to be ab interesting year." Ozpin mused to himself.
X-X
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We part now only to meet again next chapter.