IZanAGi

by WATCHER89

Who were they? A Failed Hero? An Unsung Hero? A True Hero? A Fallen Hero? Now in this world of Remnant what will Fate bestow upon them? Or will they change the course of Fate in this new world? A Multi Cross x Over.

5. FIRST DAY

Hey guys and girls, WATCHER89 here, back with a new chapter. But before we begin, let me answer a few queries. I'll make it quick.

1. Andromeda, I cannot divulge much into details. It may act as potential spoilers. Sorry about that.

2. DBSLordUltimar, my apologies but I am not going to write that story.

3. Philipsebastian26, glad you liked that tortoise knight reference, but to speak the truth, it was not my creation. I sort of borrowed/Stole/Copied it from the Kekkai Sensen Manga where Michella talks about Leonardo being her tortoise knight. If you have the time, check out the anime and the manga, it's pretty good.

4. REALGUY, who sent me a Pm but for some reason I am not able to send you one back, I did not make Alsius up. It is legit canon material. There is an Alsius academy in Atlas which is like their Signal or Sanctum. I don't know if they have team systems over there. But I thought having that would be better for my story. It brings in room for more development when you have an already popular and highly talented individuals deemed as prodigies join Beacon, rather than having four teenagers with skills greater than the best hunters join the academy out of the blue. Not only is that route tried and tested my many, but also is difficult to envisage convincingly. I don't think, judging from Ozpin's character he would simply let people like that into his academy. To pull it off I would have had to create some good reason. In this scenario, he might view them with suspicion, but not that much as to create awkwardness.

DISCLAIMER: DRAGON BALL Z, NARUTO, FAIRY TAIL, 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

The initiation ceremony was finally over with IZAG being the last team to be formed. Most of the teams had left the auditorium with only a few remaining, including IZAG minus their captain, RWBY and JNPR.

Zack was making acquaintance with the members of teams RWBY and JNPR. Everyone except Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos that is. The Schnee heiress preferred to stay out of the ongoing conversation. For one she was vexed at being overlooked for the position of team captain when according to her own analysis, she deserved it. Another being her hatred for the ex-Soldier passed down from her elder sister and former heiress, Winter Schnee.

"Good job out there scythe girl. You were made captain. Congrats to you." Zack remarked as he gave Ruby a fist bump.

Zack was happy beyond compare, not because Ruby was made captain, but for the fact that he got all the attention he desired. Right now the former soldier could just jump up and down in joy. But still, he couldn't deny the fact that he felt a bit elated that Ruby Rose also made the cut. Zack knight was labelled as a flirt by many. The reality was that he was a flirt, but not the bad kind. He just liked making conversation with cute girls and no girl that ever talked to him would point to him as a jerk or a player because he was not. Zack never did anything to hurt the feelings of any woman he made acquaintance with. When women approached the ex-soldier with romantic interest, he would coolly deal with them without hurting their sentiments. He wasn't interested in romance, only wanted to make a lot of friends and have a great time. In case of Ruby Rose, he felt a bit different. Whether it was her optimism or her cheerful personality, he honestly didn't know. There was something about her that interested him.

Ruby did not like the name Zack had given her at all. "It's not scythe girl. I told you its Ruby." The crimsonette pouted, resting her arms on her hips.

Zack chuckled slightly at the reaction but still maintained the cool guy attitude. "Sorry about that Ruby. But honestly, scythe girl suits you better."

The crimsonette pouted yet again.

"No, it does not." Ruby was not amused.

"Hey Rubes, not gonna introduce us to your... extremely handsome friend over here." Yang Xiao Long, the elder sister of Ruby Rose cut in without waiting for the initiative.

"Yangy likey." She buzzed to herself as she gave a quick once over to the ex Shinra first class soldier in front of her.

Ruby slightly blushed at that comment. "Zack, this is my elder sister Yang." She gestured Zack towards her sister.

"And Yang, this is…"

"Glad to meet you cutie." The blonde brawler interjected before the newly appointed leader of team RWBY could finish, which earned her a smile of approval from the Former soldier and a look of slight annoyance from her sister.

"Glad to see meet you too." Zack returned the greeting.

"And might I say, you have a great eye, my lady." He added with a fake Gentleman like accent, bowing his head a bit.

Yang was amused and decided to play along. "Handsome and well mannered. My kind of man. I am impressed, Mr. Knight." She replied in a flirtatious tone.

"Yang." Ruby tried to chastise her sister.

Yang put a hand over her sister's shoulder. "What Rubes? I am just being honest here." She shot back.

Ruby decided to continue with the introductions than trying in vain to reform her sister.

"And this is Blake" Ruby continued motioning to the raven haired cat faunus who gave a nod in acknowledgement.

"Nice meeting you Blake." Zack greeted her.

The cat faunus returned the greeting. "Nice to meet you too."

Zack guessed from the tone of her voice that she was not much of a social person, nevertheless better than Acno however. Almost everyone he met was always better than Acno when it came to social graces. Other thing that came to the ex-soldier's attention was the strange fashion sense she had. It did not take him long though before he understood why the raven haired teammate of Ruby had on that strange bow. She was clearly a faunus and Zack had enough experience in remnant to perceive what it implied. He was no stranger to the racial atrocities that happened in this world and decided not to delve any further into that. If she wanted it to keep it a secret he had to respect her personal space. It was not in his nature, to reveal someone else's secret to others.

Unlike Acno who believed the strong would and should always rule over the weak, he believed the strong should always protect the weak. That is what strength is for.

Isn't that what a true hero does? Anytime, someone attacked or insulted a faunus on racial terms, Zack couldn't hold back from interfering. Even if he felt it brought him a lot of enemies, the former soldier was not dissuaded by it. According to his views, no one had the right to look down on someone. What he hated the most were people who tried to crush the dreams of others. People who found joy in insulting others, telling them they had no right to dream like them. It was wrong. Everyone in the world had the right to dream big and it did not matter if they were faunus or humans. To him, having the freedom to dream big and follow your heart is the greatest and most beautiful thing about being alive. Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams. This was the philosophy he staunchly believed in.

"And…." Ruby paused to look around to find someone.

"Weiss was supposed to be here, but apparently she is not." She continued after the light pause, a bit disappointed.

"Good for me." Zack thought to himself. The last thing he needed was having a confrontation with Weiss. Winter Schnee hated him by a lot and had already labelled him as a thief, according to her viewpoint and the former soldier did not want the younger one saying anything more in this situation. He knew the younger one from Alsius and she met the perfect definition of a spoilt brat. Like she couldn't stand him, he couldn't stand her at all.

"That's my team and then this is Jaune, Ren and Nora." The silver eyed teen gestured towards the members of team JNPR who shook his hand in turns.

"And Zack, you didn't tell me, you and your friends were a super famous team." Ruby Rose asked seemingly a bit excited. That question came out of nowhere. It was as if she was waiting for the perfect chance to ask it. It took Zack by surprise.

"Even at Signal, the students used to talk about you guys." She wanted to ask that question a bit earlier but was too nervous. The crimsonette felt that he might be giving himself airs after all the happenings. She expected Zack to be a highly arrogant fellow from all that she heard about his team and was a bit startled when she realized he was the cool guy she met on her first day. Now, after making better acquaintance with the former Shinra soldier first class, she felt more confident than before.

"And I have heard all of you guys are hotties to die for." The busty blonde brawler winked at him as she let out a light purr. "And I am not disappointed in the slightest."

Zack scratched the back of his head and tried to hide his face which showed how much above the ground that comment had lifted him up. "Well, I am not much of a fame person. Actually, I do not like showing off you know…" Which was the biggest lie he ever told in his life.

"I actually met two of your friends earlier." The blonde haired captain of JNPR who Zack was introduced to as Jaune nervously spoke.

Zack raised an eyebrow. "Were you the guy who went to meet Acno the other day?" He questioned.

"Yes." "I mean. I didn't actually meet him. It was like…" Jaune was at a loss of words on how to describe the encounter, a sentiment equally shared by his raven haired teammate.

"Well it was not just Jaune, Ren and I also had a strange meeting with him." The hyper active Nora Valkyrie who was surprisingly silent for a while interjected making a comical action when she said 'strange'.

"He almost puked on the airship." She giggled.

Zack felt a bit irked at her mocking his friend. He could mock him as he pleased, it was his right to do so. However, he did not take it lightly when someone else did it.

"That's not a first. He is definitely not the social type and it's actually better you keep your distance with him." Zack replied trying to lift the awkwardness that was creeping into the conversation, while failing miserably at doing so. Whenever someone dragged Acnologia into a conversation, the mood always seemed to change into a dark and depressing one. It was as if his name itself emitted some sort of evil aura.

The ex-soldier decided to shift the topic of conversation from Acnologia.

"Then again, I don't get how you didn't recognize me. I am a bit offended you know." The ex-soldier voiced folding his arms.

Jaune Arc being the rookie he was, felt a bit intimidated from that response. "No offense man. But I haven't actually seen your faces before. It's just that I have heard people talk about Acnologia's hair and his weird dressing. That was the reason I recognised him. And also his attitude." The blonde finished while he spoke the last sentence in a hushed tone.

That reply did not please the former first class. "Come on, people would have surely talked about the best looking one in the group. Isn't that enough?"

"Yes, I did recognize Itachi, but I didn't get a chance to meet him yet." Jaune Arc answered ignorant to the real motive of the question.

Zack's face took a weird expression which forced everyone except Ruby and Jaune to try their hardest to stop the laughs that threatened to escape. The crimsonette felt bad for the former first class soldier and did not wish to laugh at him. Jaune Arc only read the mood at that instant and felt bad for him. Except the questionee, all the others knew what the question implied.
"What is it with that guy? Everywhere he goes, this is the same." Zack's inner mind boomed.

"Sorry Zack. I didn't understand what you meant. I thought you were being serious." Jaune again stated, trying to make up for all the damaged he caused.

Zack was at his breaking point now. "You know something Goldilocks. You are just super rude." He said in a raised voice which made the blonde flinch.

"Zack, you were called the nightmare at Atlas. I thought someone with that kind of nickname would be really rude and arrogant. And scary."

Zack glared at Jaune draining away any confidence he had.

A pregnant pause ensued and the silence was broken only by the laughs that escaped the others present.

"Sorry again. What I really meant was..." Jaune Arc tried in vain to make amends, after he regained some of his former confidence.

Before Jaune could finish what he started, he was interrupted by Zack. "Well whatever blondie."

"No harm done." Zack looked away. Simply put, he was being roasted since morning.

"Don't fret Zacky." Yang cut in. "Ruby here thinks you are the cutest one."

"Don't you Ruby." She stated as she laid a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Yang" Ruby protested while she blushed heavily.

But Yang did not want to stop "Sis, you were the one who told you met a guy with a cool sword and really pretty eyes, weren't you?"

Ruby looked away in embarrassment. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Eyes that have the colour of the sky." Zack did not do much to help either. "Pretty cool right?"

"Yes I agree." Yang playfully shot back. "Can I get touch them?"

"Yang" Ruby tried to drag her sister by the arm. "Remember. Boundaries."

"Can't I have a little fun here, Rubes?" The blonde wasn't the one to stop at that.

Zack giggled at the interaction between the two sisters. However he put it, they were really close and though Yang found a guilty pleasure in teasing Ruby, she cared deeply for her.

"Come on Blondie. Stop harassing her." He came to the crimsonette's defence.

Yang was in one of her best ever form. "Oh! The brave knight in shining armour coming to the rescue of the princess, is it?" She continued to tease them.

This conversation would have gone on forever if it was not interrupted by the sound of crackling thunder behind them courtesy of a certain dragon slayer who was leaning against the wall a few distance away. The Dragon king's hearing let him descry every word that was spoken between them. Now he regretted overhearing this garbage talk, as he would describe it.

Zack turned to see a highly vexed dragon slayer give him an extremely pissed off look.

All the others present except for the former soldier, felt terrified. Even Yang, who usually had pun for situations like this felt scared. The dragon slayer's angry stare was enough to send shivers down the spine of even the most headstrong of people.

Zack mumbled out some sort of apology at him which was not even barely audible to those around him

"Shit! I remember telling him I'll be back in a minute." "Oh Boy! Is he pissed?" He made a goofy expression at his comrade.

"Anyways guys. I gotta go." He said in an apologetic tone addressing the others present. "It was great meeting you."

"Wait. You are leaving already handsome." Yang tried to persuade him to stay for longer. She was having a hell lot of fun teasing him and her sister and did not want it to end abruptly like this.

"We'll meet again tomorrow guys." Zack answered. "Things go haywire when Acno is in a bad mood which he is always in. And to top it all off, caps has gone off somewhere."

"Okay then, see you tomorrow Zack" Ruby waved him goodbye.

"Bye bye Zacky." Yang still had on her teasing tone.

The rest also waved him goodbye. Except for Yang, none of the rest wanted to cause further irk to the blue haired dragon slayer. Ren and Jaune especially.

"Alright, bye again." He waved back to them as he walked towards the direction of the dragon king.

X-X

"I am surprised to see you here, Pyrrha." Son Gohan exclaimed as he saw an old friend of his in one of the hallways in Beacon as he tried to find where Itachi went off to. "I thought you might be at Haven. I didn't expect to find you at Beacon."

"Really. I should be the one surprised seeing all of you here and not at Atlas." The red head replied rather excited, earning a sheepish smile from the half saiyan.

Gohan and Pyrrha had met before when a friendly match was organized between the junior academies of Atlas and Mistral. Gohan was chosen to represent Alsius. Itachi disliked fighting as a sport, Zack was not feeling well at the time and the Alsius management feared sending Acno might trigger a war or something. So they sent Gohan who was strong yet a humble nice guy. Pyrrha was the obvious choice for Sanctum.

"Well Captain thought Beacon was better and so we ended up here." The half saiyan cooked up a hasty lie. "How about you? Why would the invincible girl of Mistral attend Beacon?"

Pyrrha Nikos scratched her chin. "It was just that, you know...the popularity and all."

"You should know what I am talking about." She found it hard to convey what she really wanted to say. The red head hoped Gohan would understand what she was implying. The both of them were more or less similar in their standings at the junior academies. They were both considered prodigies and hence were on the receiving end of a lot of attention.

Gohan smiled back to show he did understand what she had meant. "I understand." He answered with an honest smile.

"Truthfully speaking, that was one of the reasons we too decided against Atlas."

His reply earned a smile of satisfaction from the redhead. She was glad to find he understood what she felt.

"And by the way, I saw your face on a cereal box. Are you doing modelling nowadays?" the saiyan hybrid added after a brief pause, wanting to shift the topic of conversation.

"Well just a little." The red head chuckled. "That cereal is not actually good for you, you know?"

Gohan scratched his head. "He he. I did not actually like it." He replied with a sheepish smile

"It was just too sweet for my liking. I only had a single bite before I spit it out."

"Truth be told. I myself hate it." Pyrrha added earning a slight chuckle from the demi saiyan.

"So Pyrrha, I can see you have gotten a lot stronger than last time. You have been training intensely, haven't you?" Gohan continued after the laughs had died down.

The red head raided her chin. "Yes I have. After our last battle, I have really notched up my training."

"I can see that clearly. You have grown considerably stronger." The demi saiyan retorted. "We could spar again sometime if you like."

The Invincible girl of Mistral smiled in approval "I'd like to."

"But, this time it won't go like before." Pyrrha Nikos added with a bit of confidence.

"You were really good last time. You gave me one hell of a fight."

"But I have also been training a lot and had got a lot stronger you know." Gohan replied as he rolled his shoulders.

Unlike his past counterpart, he did not abandon martial arts though the world he was in was far peaceful than his home world. Son Gohan knew what some enemies were capable of. He had borne witness to beings labelled as the universe's strongest. If by any chance, stronger enemies of their level were to surface in this world, he had to be prepared to face them. There was no window to completely let go off everything. In the hard way, he had learnt that with great power comes great responsibility. This made him strive every day to push himself beyond his limits. The distaste the half saiyan felt toward combat did not act as a deterrent in his quest to get stronger. This world had too much precious memories of his and he was not going to let it all end. So, every day he had trained with great determination and intensity to be the best he possibly could.

"You are just being too humble Gohan." Pyrrha declared, punching him lightly on his arm.

"The last time we fought, you barely had a scratch on you. Not to mention your aura bar did not even budge in the slightest."

"He he." Gohan did not know what to say in reply, so he simply gave her an embarrassed version of the son grin.

"But I believe you can get even stronger with training." Gohan responded. Gohan wasn't lying when he said that. Of the many people he fought, Pyrrha Nikos was easily among the strongest in her age group. He believed she was even on par with some amateur hunters.

"Come on G man. We are leaving. Cap's orders." Zack butt in abruptly between the conversations between the two.

Gohan and Pyrrha were a bit taken aback with the sudden interjection which came out of nowhere.

"Yea sure. Just a minute." Gohan replied reeling back from the sudden surprise while he gestured to him to wait for a moment.

"I believe the both of you haven't met before."

"Pyrrha this is Zack" He motioned the redhead towards the ex-soldier

"And Zack, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha extended her hand towards the former soldier first class" I have seen you before Zack. But we never actually met." Pyrrha stated as Zack accepted the hand shake.

Zack flashed a welcoming smile. "G man's told me about you Pyrrha."

"I heard, you have a killer semb..." He paused abruptly.

"I mean he told me you are crazy strong."

"Why, thank you Zack." The red head replied. "But apparently not as strong as Gohan it seems."

Zack gently nudges Gohan on his arm as a sign to mock him.

"We should definitely spar sometime." He added.

"Yes I look forward to it." The redhead beamed as she answered.

"Anyway, it was nice meeting you Pyrrha. But we have to leave now."

"Captain said he had something he wanted to discuss." Zack retorted as he grabbed Gohan by the hand.

"Okay Pyrrha, see you later." Gohan waved goodbye to her.

"Bye Gohan. Bye Zack. See you guys tomorrow at class." Pyrrha waved back.

X-X

"This is one pretty big room." Zack couldn't hold back his surprise after seeing the vastness of the dorm that they had been allotted.

"Ozpin gave this specifically for us." Itachi cut in. "Supposedly, it is three times bigger than the regular one."

"The guy is pretty cool." The ex-soldier said as he rushed onto the bed near the window. "This one's mine" he squealed while he began to jump up and down on it.

Gohan giggled at his antics. "Calm down Zacky." The saiyan hybrid tried in vain to calm him down. Even the Dragon King forced a chuckle.

Itachi Uchiha on the other hand was busy scanning the room for any cameras or surveillances with his sharingan activated. He felt it was rather strange that they were given special treatment from all that he had heard earlier. After the ceremony had concluded Itachi went around the Academy extracting information from senior students and from the non-teaching staffs on how things worked at Beacon. From all he heard, Ozpin was a reasonable guy and that everyone here at the academy had complete faith in his decisions, believing him to always make the right choices. But like he suspected, Ozpin was not one to be easily fooled or one who would easily invest his trust in someone. Nevertheless, Unlike Ironwood, the headmaster of Beacon was more of a pacifist which was a quality he admired.

The room they were allotted was a bit farther off from those of the other students. But it was way bigger than the regular ones. Four large tables were provided for each and it also had two large cupboards. Then there were two attached bathrooms along with a small separate space. The beds were arranged in a cross like pattern. One was near to the farthest window from the door which Zack had claimed earlier while two were arranged side by side in the middle. Itachi took the one on the right and the saiyan hybrid took the other one. Acnologia's bed was the closest from the entrance.

"Okay, all of you settle down. There are some things I have to say." Itachi motioned in a commanding voice as he seated himself upon his bed. This made the rest sit upon their beds and shift their attention towards him.

The Uchiha took a serious demeanour as he began. "After the ceremony I went around collecting information from the senior students and some of the school staff on how things work at Beacon. That is why you did not see me after the function concluded" Itachi paused to clear his throat and to make sure that the rest of them were listening.

"Apparently, this room might be the only special treatment we will get here. Unlike at Atlas, Beacon does not discriminate based on strength."

"Discriminate" Gohan interrupted the Uchiha.

"That's quite a harsh way of putting it isn't it?" The half saiyan countered in a serious tone. He found himself unable to agree to that. Alsius did give them special treatment, but discriminate was just too much. Whatever the reason, Alsius had sheltered them and fed them during their tenure over there. The demi saiyan could not let Itachi label it as such.

Itachi understood what his friend meant and did not say anything to oppose him. He too regretted using that term and felt it was indeed harsh.

"What I meant to say was." He continued after a brief interval of silence. "We are not going to get any special treatment like we did over there just because we are deemed as prodigies."

Itachi paused a bit again. "Like teachers overlooking our academics and our attitude problems just because we are a so called bunch of highly talented students." The sharingan user continued shooting quick glances towards the dragon king and the ex-soldier.

The dragon slayer understood what he meant and simply scoffed. Zack pretended to adjust his hair as he whistled to himself. Contrary to the other two, Itachi and Gohan posed no problems at both aspects. The Uchiha used we, which showcased his inner mentality that all four of them were in it together. And the problems of one was the problems of the rest.

"Let me be more specific." Itachi resumed after a deep sigh.

"At Alsius, Acno had written only a handful of exams, to be more precise, just two tests and he failed miserably at both. You actually went and attacked a professor which would have got any regular student expelled. To top all that you have an attendance percentage of below 10. They overlooked it all because of your combat prowess." Itachi continued calmly but with an authoritative tone, his eyes still fixed at the dragon slayer.

"You cleared the final exam you had to pass mandatorily, to officially graduate from Alsius, all because I helped you cheat, by using an illusion on the invigilators." Itachi concluded with his tone taking a harsher note, which made the Dragon King twitch his brow and grit his teeth in annoyance.

"Then Zack" he turned over to the former soldier first class. "Your academics weren't that bad and…"

"You passed all the exams." The sharingan user hesitantly added as he placed a finger on his chin.

Itachi forced a fake smile when he realized he had nothing to say at all. "When I think about it, there is nothing wrong with your record in that area."

"Well done to you." Itachi clapped his hands in a gesture of false praise that got him a laugh from both the dragon slayer and the half saiyan, but a glare from the ex-soldier.

This made the ex-soldier leap up to his feet. "I know that." Zack shot back clearly irritated. "Then why the hell did you try to start a lecture for me."

Itachi scratched his chin in slight embarrassment. "My apologies. I believe it has become a habit of mine to include the both of you when I have to say something about rules and regulations." The Uchiha let out a laugh as he spoke.

Zack fell back on his bed in defeat "You know caps, you are getting really rude now a days." He remarked procuring giggles from all the others present.

"Yes, there is one thing I forgot to include." Itachi voiced. "The two of you would from this day onwards, do your own assignments and homeworks. No more taking advantage of poor Gohan to do your work."

Acnologia nodded at this statement like he did for all the instructions Itachi had given earlier. As anyone could guess, the Dragon King had no intention of abiding by it. He would do as he please. Itachi was also very well aware of the futility of his instructions but he, never the less, felt he had to let it be known.

Gohan sat there keenly listening to all the instructions the Uchiha was giving. The demi saiyan had already braced himself to complete the assignments of the two as he too understood like Itachi also did, that nothing was going to change. Zack was too lazy to write assignments and would sweet talk him into writing it for him. As for Acno, the half saiyan did it without him asking, for the dragon king never bothered to ask and Gohan did not want him to be held back. It was a surprise, if Acno even attended classes once in a while except for combat classes.

"Gohan." Itachi's voice came piercing into the saiyan hybrid's ears. "I know what you are thinking, but don't."

"You are also at fault for encouraging such behaviour in them."

Gohan made a goofy expression as he scratched his head giving his leader a trademark son grin to show that his words had gotten through to him.

"Zack." The sharingan user suddenly remembered something he had skipped earlier.

The ex-soldier lazily got up from his sleeping posture in his bed. "What is it caps?" he responded aloofly.

Itachi began to speak but then decided otherwise. "Oh nothing." He blurted out. "Now is not the time for that. I will tell you about it later."

"What the hell caps?" Zack exclaimed standing up.

"Now I am curious. What is it?" The sudden halt did not go well with him.

"I will tell you about it later. It won't make any sense now. Every one of us should hear about it." Itachi vouched his cause. His tone a clear indicator that, it was of no use to try persuading him to reveal what he wanted to say

.

Zack had seen enough to understand that when Itachi decided upon something, he won't budge in the slightest. Reassuring himself it would be in vain to continue, he went back to his previous position on the bed.

Itachi Uchiha then looked at each of his teammates faces to see if his words earlier had seeped through enough.

"Anyway that was all I had to convey." Itachi lied down in defeat acknowledging the fact that his instructions weren't going to change anything at all. Acno would still be the same Acno, Zack would be the same Zack and Gohan would still continue writing the assignments of the two.

The other two also followed suit and prepared to rest for the night. During the last two days, a host of events had unfolded and they needed time for everything to seep in. Itachi especially was really tired. Tomorrow would mark the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

Sometime in the middle of the night, a thought struck Itachi which made him wake up abruptly.

"I forgot to mention that part." He face palmed. "Things might get really bad tomorrow."

X-X

"I'd rather die than wear this ridiculous piece of garbage, Uchiha." The Dragon King barked at Itachi who had to use his arm to block the incoming set of clothes thrown at quite a force at him.

Itachi Uchiha's bad feeling came true. The leaf's former Anbu feared that the dragon slayer was not going to abide by the dress code and he was not wrong. Things spiralled out of control when Itachi tried to force him into wearing the uniform. He wanted to sound dominative yet calm and collected, but Acno took it the wrong way. Now he was throwing tantrums like a toddler.

"I knew something like was going to transpire." Itachi inwardly sweat dropped.

Zack was laughing up a riot like he always did in situations similar to this. The only thing his actions did was add fuel to the already raging fire.

"It's not that bad." Gohan tried to calm the nerves of the dragon slayer. "Actually I think it will look good on you."

Itachi nodded his head in the negative with a deadpanned expression. "You are not helping at all." He tried desperately to convey to the half saiyan.

"You did this on purpose to tick me off, haven't you Uchiha?" Acnologia was beyond his breaking point. "Do you think I would stoop so low as to wear such ridiculous human made clothing?"

"Listen, Acno..." Itachi began only to be abruptly halted when a ball of fire was hurled at him. Luckily for him and his bed, the fireball was too tiny to actually start a fire.

The Uchiha took a deep sigh as he braced himself. "I did tell you about rules yesterday…" Itachi tried his best to persuade him but to no avail. The sharingan user's voice was barely audible among the ruckus. He again prepared to open his mouth to say something however decided otherwise. This situation was going on for about an hour and dragon king was beyond the point of no return.

Zack on the other hand kept trying his best to crack jokes no one even remotely cared about. The only purpose that they did was helping in pushing Acno to the limits. "Come on Tribal man. All great magicians wear suits. You could…"

The ex-soldier wanted to continue but a shuriken, which whizzed past his right made him stop in his tracks. He looked up to see a very angry Uchiha glaring at him. The former soldier flinched at the glare fixed upon him and pretended to look away plastering an expression of false innocence on his face.

X-X

After an hour had passed, the situation was finally under control. Acno was adamant as ever, but Itachi and Gohan were finally able to calm his nerves and make him agree to wear the uniform for once. The deal was that he had to wear it only on his first day. Since the code also allowed for wearing additional clothing or accessories, Acno had on his cloak around him which concealed the suit underneath.

Itachi promised he would have a talk with Ozpin to exclude him from the dress code required. A promise he had no intention of keeping.

"Hurry up. We are already late for class." A very frustrated Itachi shouted at two who were lagging behind.

"Yea yea. We hear you." Zack answered aloofly, not making any efforts to further his pace.

Acnologia was too invested in cursing under his breath about the dress he was wearing and was deaf to the orders.

"Gentlemen. May I ask why you are so late?" came the authoritative tone of Professor Port, an man of considerable age whose most striking feature was his big grey moustache, when he saw the four.

Gohan who was in front was automatically tasked with seeking permission for entry.

"We are terribly sorry professor." Gohan bowed in respect.

"It's just that the alarm clock broke and…" Gohan muttered out a hastily cooked out lie.

"What a strange looking guy. His moustache is bigger than his belly." Zack couldn't hold back his laughs. These laughs were stopped instantly before they became audible, by a stomp to his right foot, courtesy of Itachi Uchiha.

"I will let this pass since it's your first day." Professor Port stated folding his arms.

"Do not repeat this again." He cautioned them.

Gohan bowed his head one more time. "Thank You professor. I promise you this will be the last time." Gohan replied in a humble tone.

"Ok then gentlemen take your seats now." Port notioned them to where the seats where.

Gohan did not give any reply. He just complied with the Professor and entered the classroom. The rest followed suit. Even Acno did not bother to mutter out any insult.

The scenario inside the class was not what they expected to see. The class room was larger enough to fit in a lot of students. Inside, Weiss Schnee was currently in her combat dress, awaiting her chance to go against a grimm kept contained in a cage.

She gave a cold stare to Zack when their eyes met to which the former soldier returned a mocking smile. Ruby called out to him and gave him a welcoming wave which he returned. Yang near her winked at him and he returned that gesture too.

The four of them took the seats on the second row on the right. Acno took the extreme right, Gohan next to him, then Itachi and finally Zack on the other extreme end. Gohan and Itachi's faces showed that they were a bit embarrassed from being late. Unlike the other two, they knew how one should behave in schools. Itachi especially believed in maintaining good etiquette. He was a bit strict in maintaining that proper decorum. Being a prodigy of the hidden leaf also meant that he was also studious in his dispositions.

"I hope you are settled down gentlemen." Professor Port said addressing the members of IZAG, finally hushing the whispers that were going on.

"Okay then." He turned to Weiss Schnee.

"We shall resume where we left off." The professor moved towards the cage which held the grimm. With a swing of his weapon, he broke the lock on the cage which kept it in check.

The four heroes understood that the professor was carrying out some sort of test to analyse his students. Itachi and Gohan shifted their attention towards the matchup between the younger Schnee and the boarbatusk. Acnologia showed no interest whatsoever and leaned back on his seat with his eyes closed.

Zack also eyed the match with interest, rooting for the grimm. He wanted to cheer loudly for the boarbatusk, however decided otherwise.

Itachi was in approval of the method the professor was using to analyse his students. It gave him quite a vague idea on what kind of person this Professor Port was. Though his appearance might invite ridicule from many students, the professor was a man of vast experience in a lot of matters. It was evident that he had also suffered some form of loss but has overcome it. Like his actions suggested, Professor Port cared deeply about his students.

The battle between Weiss Schnee and the grimm was getting interesting. Ruby Rose was trying her best to cheer on her teammate. But this gesture of hers was only taken to be really annoying by the person it was meant for. The Schnee kept shouting at the crimsonette to shut up. Her actions were clearly upsetting her younger team leader.

Zack too was getting annoyed Weiss's behaviour. He liked Weiss Schnee as much as she liked him, and that stood below hate. But now, what she kept doing was horrible. He narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Itachi, to see if he too shared the same sentiment.

"Hey caps, that Schnee is being a real B. You know what I am saying?" he directed his opinion towards the Uchiha who still sat expressionless.

Itachi turned his head towards Zack. "In battle Zack, absolute concentration is necessary." He retorted in his usual calm and collected tone.

"Though Ruby has good intentions. In this fight, I believe it acts as a deterrent to the combatant."

For Itachi, friendship and combat were two different things. Having a trusted comrade to watch your back would be the biggest advantage someone could ask for in a battle. Still, he felt Weiss Schnee was justified in behaving that way. Words of encouragement or support according to him, meant nothing in a life or death battle. Then again, they were all children with no worldly experience compared to him.

"In a real battle, a slight lack of concentration can mean death." Itachi concluded shifting his attention back towards the ongoing battle. Itachi was not a fan of fighting for entertainment or to show off. Still he eyed the match with interest, only for analysing how good the other students were.

Zack wasn't pleased at the response. The ex-soldier puffed his cheeks to show his displeasure. "You know caps, for someone who listens to heavy metal all day long. You are terrifyingly too calm and composed."

All the three others present couldn't help but laugh at the comment.

"Well, you need patience to listen to metal." Itachi joked procuring giggles from the ex-soldier and the demi saiyan.

Zack always held is captain in high regard but he did not agree with what Itachi said before. Then again, the way he analysed things and the way Itachi analysed things were leagues apart. Itachi thought about everything too deep unlike him. More specifically, Itachi's way of thinking was more mature. It had a lot to do with the way things worked in his world. For a Shinobi, every battle was a life or death battle. His deductions were therefore almost spot on, aided by the multitudes of different personalities he had dealt with. Zack's way of thinking was almost like that of a teenager who believed too much in happy endings. The ex-soldier also had his fair share of experience in that regard, still he could never think like Itachi could.

With a final strike, Weiss Schnee emerged victorious over the grimm. Professor Port was quick to praise her for the job well executed. The students present except for Zack and Acno applauded the huntress in training for her effort. Itachi's face showed he was not that impressed at the display. It was understandable, back in the hidden leaf there were kids far younger than Weiss who could take on bigger enemies without breaking a sweat. Nevertheless, the Uchiha had to agree that the younger Schnee was better than many students he knew.

"Now, students." Port began after Weiss had returned to her seat.

The professor then paused lightly to have a quick glance at all his students. "Who wants to go next? I have one more cage here with me." He added with a grin after the pause.

Many hands were seen raised after he posed the challenge. The professor laughed lightly to himself, feeling proud of his students for the huge response.

"Might I add?" Professor Port stroked his long moustache.

Assuming a more serious demeanour he continued. "The next one is an ursa major. A stronger grimm. It will be a tougher battle."

This made many of the raised hands go back down. Only a few hands remained raised with Zack's being one of them. Gohan and Itachi both were aversed towards needless fighting and showed no interest in engaging the grimm. Acnologia was lost in his own thoughts so much that he had no clue what was going on around him.

Professor Port scanned the room for potential candidates among the ones who had raised their hands.

"Mr Knight. If you may step on down." His eyes finally rested upon the figure of Zack.

Zack was elated "Sure thing professor." He pumped up his fist into the air.

"Woo hoo. I am thrilled."

This was the perfect opportunity for him to show off in front of the whole class. He wasn't going to let it go to waste.

Professor Port was beguiled at the ex-soldier's response.

"Young man firstly change into your combat apparel and come stand where I am standing right now."

"Don't worry Professor. I only need my sword." Zack replied haughtily. His response fulfilled its intended effect which was to impress the women folk present.

"Are you sure, Mr. Knight?" The professor was a bit worried. "I know of your abilities, but…"

"You have to be prepared to fight in any situation. That is what I believe professor." Zack cut in before the professor could finish what he wanted to convey.

"Besides, why waste time changing for a weak ursa."

Zack wasn't lying about the ursa not being a challenge. However in the present scenario, he said that only for the sole purpose of showing off and looking cool. It worked like a charm as well. Many of the students gasped in awe and admiration at his confidence.

Professor Port couldn't help but chuckle slightly in admiration at the response. "Well young man. You may begin whenever you like."

"Do your best Zack." Itachi tapped him on his back with a small grin on his face. Itachi was more concerned if Zack knew what an ursa even was, rather than if he would be okay . Even during their second year at Alsius, the ex-soldier could barely differentiate between all the grimm.

"Show them what you are made of Zacky." Gohan gave him a thumbs up, thinking more or less the same things as his captain.

Acnologia opened his right eye to show his support before drifting back to his thoughts.

Zack took out Honour. He touched the flat side of the blade with his forehead. "Embrace your dreams. And always protect your Honour as SOLDIER."

Still in his uniform clothes, he got down to the spot the professor indicated and prepared himself to face the grimm.

"Do your best Zack." Ruby Rose cheered from his side.
Zack could also hear the other students he met yesterday also cheering him on but they did not meet Ruby's enthusiasm or her level of loudness. Zack gave her an approving grin and assumed his stance.

"His stance shows no openings at all." Professor Port thought as he keenly analysed the former Shinra soldier from where he stood "He might act a bit aloof, but there is no denying his high level of skill. He is someone who has seen many battles."

"He barely moved a muscle, still I can sense great aura emanating from him." Professor Port stroked his moustache still continuing to observe the former soldier's stance.

"Now I understand why he is considered unbeatable. From my judgement, there won't be any academy students who could match him in strength."

The professor then lifted his weapon higher. "Get ready, my boy."

With that he brought down his weapon and broke open the lock on the cage that held the Ursa Major.

The presence of the Ursa Major had some impact on the students in the class. Unlike the previous grimm, no one was cheering on the combatant. It was just too intimidating. Many held their breaths and only a few cheered under hushed tones.

The four members of IZAG were far from intimidated. Zack was enjoying the new mood that now enveloped the class. Itachi and Gohan were keenly observing him. The Dragon King now leaned forward, his apathetic look taking a complete 180. Something now piqued his interest, so much that he tried desperately to lock onto its source.

Back with Zack, the ursa did not wait for an initiative and it charged at the former soldier. Zack sidestepped its first attempt to claw at him. Before the ursa turned towards him, he rolled over behind it. The ex-soldier w\quickly got up on his feet and delivered a sharp kick to its back, propelling the Ursa a bit forward.

But, the grimm was a tough one. It quickly regained its footing and made another attempt to strike him down.

Itachi who was watching could easily assume Zack was facing a slight difficulty, fighting in his uniform. Obviously it did not afford him the same flexibility as his combat apparel. Though it was not a disadvantage big enough to pose him any serious threats, it did pose a problem that his uniform might get torn if he over exerted himself. From his observations, Zack too had the same concern which was putting a limit on his movements.

Zack use the flat side of Honour to block the ursa's second attempt to claw him. The grimm tried with all its might to pin him down, but the ex-soldier's strength proved to be superior to its own. He effortlessly lifted it off the ground. With one sudden jerk of his sword, he tossed it into the air and in a flash cut it into two at its midsection.

The victory of the Ursa Major earned roaring applauses from all who were watching. Itachi and Gohan applauded acknowledging a well done effort.

Zack kept his cool guy attitude and pretended to be unfazed by all the applauses.

"It was so awesome Zack." Zack heard the familiar voice of Ruby cheering from his right. Only this made him turn to the source and accept the praise.

"Great going Zacky" The Blonde Brawler winked from the side.

"Great job Mr Knight." Professor Port patted him on his head. Zack did not mind the gesture, though he hated when people messed up his hair. He could sense that the professor was a very good man who cared deeply for his students. The ex-soldier admired teachers who cared deeply for their students. They would remind him of Angeal in a way.

"That my dear students, is how you take down a grimm." The professor directed towards the rest of the class.

"Mr Knight showed great skill and tacticality in overpowering his foe." He continued with his praise of the ex-soldier.

"It seems we have quite a bunch of highly talented individuals with us."

The rest of the class went without anything interesting happening. Zack felt he needed to reconsider his opinion on the professor whose class only consisted of him retelling his glorious, highly exaggerated stories of yesteryears. With great difficulty, he tried to fight back from falling asleep. Many students did not share his fighting spirit and were already dozing off. Weiss was giving Ruby the cold stare. Surprisingly, a few of the students were taking down notes.

And to add to that surprise, Itachi and Gohan for some reason were also taking down notes, even clearing doubts among themselves.

"Prodigal Nerds" was all Zack could think.

But he was a bit worried about Acno who was lost in deep thought with his eyes closed. The dragon slayer's facial expressions constantly changed whenever he sensed something. It was certainly unusual for Acno to be interested in something. He wanted to ask what was bothering him but decided otherwise, when he deduced that Gohan and Itachi understood what Acno was trying to do and themselves did not interfere. What went through their minds sometimes? He could seldom fathom what it was.

X-X

After classes were dismissed for lunch, the four of them were seated in the cafeteria with their share of food laid before them. The cafeteria was crowded and noisy. But they were able to find a table a bit isolated from the rest courtesy of arriving early as soon as classes were dismissed.

"Gohan. I assume you must have also sensed that." Acnologia was the first one to speak which was a rare thing in itself. He seldom was the one who initiated a conversation. The dragon slayer's facial expressions showed that he was really serious.

The saiyan hybrid was expecting that.

"Yes I did." He nodded in the affirmative.

Acnologia was pleased with the response. "It's quite strange sensing magical energy at a place like this." He folded his arms.

"The energy that was being given off was faint. It took me a lot of strain to try and locate it."

"What exactly did you sense Acno?" Itachi who was silent throughout the conversation interjected. From what he saw back at class, he could ardently say that it was something really important otherwise Acno wouldn't bother talking about it.

"I will try to keep this short as possible. Still, there are many things I have to convey to you before you understand what I mean." Acno began while he shot a quick glance to Zack who was surprisingly quiet for the duration of the conversation. The dragon slayer expected some sort of ridiculous remark from his side.

The Dragon Slayer heaved a deep sigh. "You already know about my home world, Earthland. And from Gohan's life story, I have come to understand it is nothing more than another planet, among countless others in the universe."

"In my world the major power like you r ki and chakra was magic power." Acnologia took on a serious demeanour now. "I know you are already aware of all this, however it is absolutely necessary you have a clear picture of things if you want to understand."

"In Earthland, there was infinite supply of ethernano which is a necessity to use magic power. Unlike Ki and Chakra, magic does not originate from the body of a wizard itself. Without ethernano, you just cannot use magic."

The other three of them leaned in a bit closer indicating that they were intently listening to what the Dragon King had to say.

Itachi sat with two fingers pressed against his right temple. There were a few things he wanted to ask the dragon slayer, yet he decided against it, not wanting to interrupt the dragon slayer's explanations.

"This ethernano constantly replenishes your depleted magical energy. But the amount of magical power you possess varies from person to person. You can increase your magical reserves through training or sometimes individuals are born with vast reserves." Acno continued after he scanned his surroundings for any potential eavesdroppers.

"Now, only less than ten percent of the population could use magic in Earthland. And for these wizards, their magic power is their life energy itself."

"In other words." Acnologia resumed after clearing his throat. "You will die if magic were to vanish."

"But in rare cases like mine who has lived for centuries drenched in infinite magical energy, it is possible to generate the same amount of magical power without the requirement of ethernano."

"To be more precise, in my case, ethernano is produced by my body itself. This was the reason my powers were intact when I came to this world." The black dragon took a sip of water and paused momentarily to let his words settle down.

"I am not aware of any other wizards who possess a similar trait, but that is not a concern for now."

"Do you have any queries you wish to be cleared upon?" The dragon king questioned in a commanding tone.

The faces of his comrade showed that they understood clearly what he said. Satisfied at the response, he recommenced his explanation.

"Ever since I came to this world, I have sensed traces of ethernano here and there. It never seemed much to be concerned about. This was the sole reason I did not bother you with it."

Acnologia folded his arms. "Do you remember when we visited Haven in Mistral?"

The other three nodded to indicate that they did. The three of them were too interested in what the dragon king had to convey and so made no effort to ask anything in case it may break his flow.

"I sensed the same kind of energy I sensed there, over here." Acnologia closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again.

"It is without doubt ethernano." He added convincingly.
"That means there are only two possibilities. Either ethernano existed in this world a long time ago and now only few traces of it remains. Or this small amount had always existed over here accessible only to a few."

"Today I felt theta presence although it was faint, almost as if the user was on the verge of death barely clinging onto life."

"You are right about that." Gohan now cut in. He felt that it was time, he too joined the debate.

"The energy was somewhat similar to Acno's but all living things possess Ki, which is their life energy itself."

Gohan picked up again after quickly glancing through the faces of each of his comrades. "I cannot sense magical energy as such, only the pressure it gives off, however I can sense KI"

"From my deductions, the KI of this person was terrifyingly faint."

All of this seemed highly interesting to Itachi who himself was intrigued by the legend of the maidens he had heard about.

"Gohan" the Uchiha turned to the demi saiyan.

"Were you able to pinpoint the location of this person?"

"Yes I was" Gohan replied a bit confused on what Uchiha was implying.

"It is somewhere in the academy."

Itachi placed a finger on his chin. "Interesting. Seems the headmaster was indeed hiding some big secret"

"Caps, do you have any idea about all this?" Zack directed at the Uchiha. Whenever a serious conversation would ensue, the ex-soldier hardly ever tried to open his mouth or partake in the conversation, preferring to only remain as a listener. For one he seldom had anything worthwhile to add, the other and most important reason was that Zack never thought about things the way they thought. Unlike them, he rarely viewed anyone or anything with suspicious eyes. Nor did he try to find a deeper reason for their appearance in this world. To him, everything was a chance to live life to the fullest.

Itachi did not answer outright. He kept pondering on the question posed to him for a while.

"It is only an assumption of mine. But all of this might have something to do with this legend of the maidens I have heard about." Itachi added after the brief silence.

"Maidens!" Zack yawped only to calm down quickly when Gohan hushed him to be discreet. He made an action of covering his mouth in a comical fashion.

"But aren't they only fairy tales?" The former soldier continued in a lower voice, regaining his composure.

"So were dragons back in my world." Acnologia cut in.

"And also people who could destroy planets on a whim." His voice was laced with contempt.

"Acno is right Zacky." Gohan was the one to speak. "The four of us being here is absurd in itself."

Zack sort of seemed convinced. "It makes sense when you put it like that."

The ex-soldier slumped back to his seat.

Itachi's face showed, all of this was generating a great amount interest in him.

"Do you think we should investigate on the matter further?" He voiced addressing the three others.

"I suggest that we don't" Gohan was the first one to respond. "If we are found, it will only complicate matters further."

"Gohan is right." The dragon king came in support of the saiyan hybrid. "Unless, we have anything more on it or unless it poses a threat to us. I feel it will be not worth our time looking into it."

"If that's what you say." Itachi slightly nodded his head.

"How about you Zack? What is your opinion?" The Uchiha turned to the ex-soldier.

Zack laid back on his seat "I have to agree with G man on this. No point in us being so concerned about this." Zack only said that because he did not want them fretting over everything and not because he was disinterested. He just wanted everyone to just sit back and relax, not fretting over everything they feel is out of the ordinary.

Itachi smiled gently to himself and took a bite out of the dango on his plate. After which he looked at the Dragon King. "It's time you told us what you actually wanted to say Acno?"

"There is no escaping your intuition, is there Uchiha?" Acnologia smirked.

"Still, I have to ask you how you read my mind."

"It is not that difficult to figure you out." The Uchiha folded his arms.

"You exposed yourself when you asked me not to inquire any further into what you sensed."

Itachi continued. The other two had disbelief planted on them, unable to figure out what had suddenly ensued.

"It is unlike you to show interest in the matters of others unless it concerns you somehow. I was sure you said that as some kind of warm up before the real thing."

"What are you guys talking about?" Gohan couldn't make heads or tails about where this conversation was headed.

Zack was just too shocked at the sudden turn of events. Atleast a thousand different questions rummaged through his brain. Still, he was unable to utter anything.

"I will have to be blunt here." The dragon slayer began before anyone could voice their thoughts.

"For what purpose were we, to be more precise why was I brought into this world?"

"We have talked about that many times, haven't we?" Zack commented in a serious tone. "I don't think there is anything more to speak on that matter."

"Actually there is."

Zack slammed his fist into the table with some force causing a depression on it. "No. There isn't."

The former soldier was getting a bit irritated. He never wanted such a talk to surface yet again. They had talked about it numerous times and every time he felt himself get a bit hurt.

Itachi understood Zack's feelings. The raven haired cheerful comrade of his never wanted to see a rift happening between his friends and always, went to great lengths to prevent one. The Uchiha knew that the forthcoming conversation was going to hurt his dear friend, yet Itachi understood that it was needed.

He gently placed a hand on his shoulder "Let him speak Zack. I think he has something important to say."

The sharingan user then motioned to the dragon slayer to continue.

Acnologia sat up straight before carrying on. "Like I mentioned before, I have to be straight forward with this." He shut his eyes, maintaining an austere demeanour.

"The question about why the three of you were given a second chance does not bother me anymore. You were all selfless heroes, who died young, protecting what you cherished."

Acnologia opened his yes. "Unlike me, you never let power corrupt you or let vengeance blind you. All of you, used your superior strengths, not for yourselves but for the sake of others, sacrificing your happiness for theirs. If you were given a second chance, you deserved it." The Dragon Slayer's tone had a tinge of sadness as he spoke.

"I only fought for myself, only to satisfy my lust for anger and vengeance. It would have made more sense if I died young like you. Then I could argue, I did not have enough time to reflect on my actions." He paused a bit to clear his throat.

"But…that was not the case with me"
"I lived for centuries terrorizing civilizations. I had more than enough time to think back on my actions and change if I needed to. I never did that."

"So I ask you, for what reason was someone like me given a second chance. Do you honestly believe I deserved it?" Acno shot the question directly at Itachi's face.

The dragon slayer said those with so much conviction, such that a long period of silence followed as he finished. The bell signifying the end of the lunch break had rung already and almost all the students except a handful who planned on bunking classes remained in the hall. Itachi and Gohan were so engrossed in the discussion that they remained oblivious to all the happenings. Zack on the other hand noticed it, but chose not to say anything. This conversation was getting more serious.

Itachi looked at Gohan for some support only to see the saiyan hybrid sit expressionless. Conversations like this was not a rarity. The only difference now was that this one was serious and more vitally, this time it was asked by Acnologia. Whenever such a question arised, the answer always remained the same. But it was never the dragon slayer who brought it up. It always felt like he did not care about it. This situation just made it clear that such a thought always lingered in his mind.

Zack was annoyed, sad and also angry not at anyone but himself. During occasions like this, he was always the one who would lighten up the mood. He hated this. The ex-soldier always wanted things to remain as they always did. Him pissing off Acno by cracking stupid jokes, Itachi with his calm and sometimes threatening tone trying to break them off, Gohan acting as the peace mediator. Nothing tore him apart more than the thought of a divide happening between his dear friends.

"I was sure that one day this would come from you. It was only a matter of 'when'." Itachi was the one to break the ice.

"If I am honest Acnologia, the answer is yours to find. Ask yourself this, did you or do you deserve a chance?"

"Still, let me tell you what I feel." Itachi said in a composed tone. "I too will be blunt with my response. You are a precious friend of mine and I would never lie to you on this."

"It is always the journey and not the destination that makes you who you are. My experience has taught me this much"

The Uchiha looked straight into the Dragon Slayer's eyes as he spoke. "In your past life, your intentions were not wrong. For whatever reason you swore to slay the beasts that terrorized your dreams and those of every other human in your world, you were prepared to put your life on the line. There were atleast a few who considered you as their saviour."

Gohan understood Itachi was being as direct as he possibly could. The saiyan hybrid hesitated for a moment thinking if he should stop him before something may befall. He moved in to force the Uchiha to stop, however the expression on Acnologia's face stopped him from proceeding any further. He felt as if the Dragon King wished for such a response from the Uchiha. The naked truth thrown at his face. It was understandable. There was no denying that what Acnologia did was wrong. All of them felt the same about it. But they never said it openly. He had grown into precious family for them. So the fear that it might offend him always held them back.

Gohan sat back on his seat and thought about the situation more clearly. Itachi was right in what he said. One day or the other, it had to be said. The truth was always the easy way out.

Zack on the other hand was so ticked off that every word Itachi was saying made him more sad and angry at the same time. He desperately wanted to close his ears, not wanting to hear any more of this conversation. The former soldier clenched his fist to keep his growing frustration in check.

"You accomplished your goals but the path you took ripped away the nobility of that cause." Itachi paused momentarily.

"You were supposed to be the hero of the people, the one who would bring the chaos and nightmare to an end, only to have your actions turn you into their most feared villain."

Itachi paused yet again, deciding whether he should proceed any further. "Decide for yourself what you want to make of it. The path you choose must be your own. The rest of us can only act as your guides to prevent you from making the wrong choices. As your comrades and friends, it is our duty to do so. It's upto you to weave your story, to make it into what you want it to be."

Itachi Uchiha concluded, rather harshly. He himself felt sharp remorse for putting it out like that, especially the last few lines. However those were his real thoughts. They were what he really felt. As a friend and team leader, he had to say it. Itachi noticed Zack was still sulking but Gohan showed approved of what he said.

"You put it really well Uchiha." Acnologia was not angry or sad. The dragon slayer was elated. This incident only convinced him that his teammates were people who would tell him what they felt straight to his face. That's what real friends did. They wouldn't try to soothe you with sweet talks and polished lies. Real friends would tell you directly to your face what they really felt. They would tell you whether your actions were right or wrong.

Four centuries of living invoked no regrets in him and even another four would make no difference. Whatever happened, the path he chose and the ideals he had would not change. To him, only the lives of his and his comrade's mattered.

What he wanted from them, was the truth, and said straight to his face. The truth about how they viewed his actions which they had always kept hidden away. They had never openly criticised his actions in the past. Acnologia was not a fool, he knew why they did so. Either it was not said to avoid offending him or because they thought he was not too fond of his past. The three of them simply accepted him for who he was. The Dragon King wanted to hear their thoughts while also to confirm once and for all whether he was right in bestowing his complete faith in his comrades. The question wasn't one that showed repentance, rather it was one to convince himself once and for all, they were his true and real friends. Dear friends for whom he would gladly sacrifice his life for.

"It proves to me now, more than ever, that I can trust you and your judgements with my life." The Dragon King beamed. "Let me say this Uchiha, my respect for you has grown exponentially."

Acnologia gave a haughty smile. "It also proves the answer I thought of myself is the right one."

The last comment made the other three look at him totally jolted. None of them were expecting such a response from him. What they expected was him to be either angry or annoyed. Acnologia's actions only surprised them.

Acnologia laid both his hands on the table. "I am someone who does not believe in miracles. For me everything comes at a price. One thing life has taught me is that anything you do has its consequences." He asserted.

"This is what I postulate." He ceased for a brief moment.

"There is some purpose that I have to serve in this world. An objective that only I alone can fulfil. It is the sole reason for my existence over here."

"Rather" The dragon slayer scanned the faces of each of them. "This is the reason for our existence on this world. For this world needs us to fulfil a certain duty." The Dragon King concluded.

Gohan and Itachi beamed at each other after the Dragon King had wound up. They were glad that things did not go awry. What Acnologia deduced was not a surprise. All of them had thought about that possibility at some point but never believed in it so much as to say it out loud. They also felt a bit let down for underestimating the Dragon King. He had grown so much since the first time they met. Earlier, his actions and judgements were. However he had changed now. He had also proved that his centuries of living also came with large amount of experience.

Zack was not pleased with any of this. He loathed situations like this. One moment they were talking about sensing some magical energy and in the next, the topic had shifted to something else altogether. The ex-soldier only wanted to think of this as a chance for them to enjoy happiness after living through hell for most of their past.

"Well all that was highly philosophical." Zack retorted sarcastically, unable to hide back his frustration anymore.

"What Acno said was the truth Zacky." The saiyan hybrid intervened. "Don't get so upset over it. It's not like he is going to pack up and leave you behind." Gohan ended with a chuckle, trying to soothe down the former soldier first class.

However, this did not bode well with the ex-soldier who was highly irritated. "All I want to say is that it sucked big time. What is it with you people and your big ass philosophies, trying to find a hidden meaning in everything… no one gives a damn about any of it?" He grit his teeth to indicate his displeasure.

"Zack. Hey, come one buddy." Gohan's attempts to calm him down fell on deaf ears.

The ex-soldier bashed his palm onto the table, shattering his plate along with it. "You guys are always like this. Can't you just chill for a while. You are always about finding a purpose which is all just a load of bullcrap."

The former soldier first class was beyond words. It was as if all the feelings pent up inside him was released in that moment. The broken shards of the plate, had cut his palm and he was bleeding. It wasn't a big concern and his aura would heal him in no time. But the thing was Zack currently did not give a damn about his bleeding palm.

"Zack. Listen to me" Acno came near him and laid a hand on his back.

This gesture caught the ex-soldier by surprise and helped ease the tension a bit. It was highly unlike Acno to try calming down a situation. Zack shifted his gaze towards the dragon slayer who got himself seated beside him. His eyes were open wide in shock from the gesture.

"You are someone who has a rare ability to look ahead whatever the situation. Unlike me, you remain untied by the past, you just keep moving forward. This quality in you, I have always admired." Acnologia's tone was not his usual self. It was still cold, yet in that coldness it emanated a strange sense of warmth and comfort. Zack felt strangely at ease on hearing his words. He did not know why, whether if it was due to Acno acting out of character or because his words showed a lot of care.

Gohan and Itachi were also taken aback by the strange turn of events. But quickly regained their feet and looked at each other in slight shock and admiration for the dragon slayer. The Dragon Slayer had actually swallowed his pride to comfort his friend. It became more evident on how much he had changed.

Itachi had a vague idea of what Acno was about to say. Though this gesture from Acno surprised him, he made efforts to prevent it from showing. He himself was going to say the same thing yesterday, however decided not to at the last moment. Like what he had told the dragon king earlier, this too was something that had to be said.

"But sometimes, Zack. You have to look back." Acnologia continued after a brief pause.

"Honestly, all that you are doing right now is running away from your past. You hide back your tears and put up a brave front in front of us."

Acnologia heaved a deep sigh and braced himself for what he was about to say. "You are a cheerful and optimistic individual. You try your hardest to make sure that none of us feel let down. Every time there is a situation you are there to lighten up the mood That is no reason for you to keep your feelings all locked up inside."

"The ability to keep walking forward in life might be the greatest quality someone can have. That I have no doubt. But it does not mean you should not reminiscence about the path you walked and the memories you had."

"If you keep it all in your heart, one day it will explode and consume you. I know that feeling. It will slowly destroy you." Acnologia concluded with some conviction.

Itachi would describe the situation like an elder brother consoling his younger sibling.

"He's come a long way." The Uchiha mused to himself "You have proved me wrong Acnologia."

Acnologia was still cold and heartless towards everyone else, this Itachi knew very well. But his friends meant more than his life to him. Itachi glanced over to see Gohan too shared his opinion.

An eerie silence prevailed after that. Acno's words hit Zack real hard. Gohan and Itachi were not able to bring themselves to say anything. Zack was just too kind and too good natured. Seeing him hurt like that was not easy for them.

"Guys, it looks like it's really late to think about attending classes." Gohan started. "Why don't we head back to our room?"

Zack did not wait for anyone else to add anything more. He got up and walked back to the room. He was still a bit dazed from what had transpired. He could not think clearly. Acno's words still echoed in his brain.

The rest of them also followed suit. Acnologia walked just behind Zack. Itachi and Gohan walked a bit back assuming a slightly lesser pace.

"I never thought Acno would step up like that." Itachi expressed to the half saiyan as they walked towards their dorm.

Gohan closed his eyes and smiled gently. "It shows he has changed a lot. I told you many times didn't I? He really cares about Zack."

"Did you think it was a bit harsh?" Itachi voiced again.

The saiyan hybrid narrowed his brow "It was something that had to be said one day."

"Honestly, Itachi. He put it a lot better than you would have. You can be really cold sometimes, you know?" Gohan folded his arms as Itachi simpered at the response.

"You were going to say the same thing yesterday, weren't you?" he looked the Uchiha in the eye.

"Yes, I was going to say the same thing."

"But I agree with you. He did say it far better than I ever could."

Gohan nodded gently in approval as they continued to head over to their dorms.

X-X

Night had befallen over Remnant. Stars filled out the night sky. The lack of a full moon made little effect on the beauty of the night. Zack stood alone on the top of Beacon academy. The ex-soldier's face easily gave away the varied emotions he was experiencing now. He was not a good actor and did not know how to lie. He found no sense in lying at all. All this made it such, that even a toddler with no worldly experience could figure out from his face, whether the former soldier first class was experiencing sadness or happiness. Currently, it showed he was more confused than sad.

Zack tried hard to wrap his head around what Acno had said. What stood out most for him was that it came from Acno. Inwardly, he was a bit elated to see that the Dragon King cared about him deeply. However that did not do much to overthrow the other emotions he felt.

Was he actually running away as Acno had said? Honestly, Zack did not know what to make of it, rather he couldn't even understand about what he should even think right now. The only time he cried out his heart was when Angeal had died. The sheer weight he felt during that time, being forced to take the life of his beloved mentor was just too much for him to bear. Even then, he did not waste away his years drowned in sorrow. Angeal had passed on his honour and legacy to him. He had to carry that with pride. And he did carry that with him till his dying breath. Angeal wouldn't want him moping around every day.

When he came to this world, given a second chance, he was simply ecstatic. It did not mean that he forgot the past. He still recollected those days. Many times he just wanted to cry. There were just too much emotions he kept hidden away in his heart. Looking ahead, not being bound by the past was important but equally important was looking back sometimes and reflecting on everything that had occurred. It wasn't something entirely new to him. The ex-soldier knew that all too well. Then what differentiated him from the other three? They had accepted their pasts and their actions. Zack never told it out loud, however he too had accepted his past and moved on.

Still the reason for the complex emotions clouding his mind remained elusive. Is it because he did not let his sadness take over him that he felt so confused? Even if he did, how would he let it out? He had always thought about the happiness of his friends, never bothering to think about himself. Believing that he would only add to their burdens. Whatever emotions he felt, they were put aside so that he could be there to support them.

Maybe that was the real answer. The truth was just too simple, he was just a big dummy. He constantly wanted to be there for them but did not consider the reality that they would also always be there for him. Not just to watch over his back, also to lent him a supporting shoulder whenever he needed to. To comfort him when he was sad. To calm him when he was angry. And to lift him up, if he fell down on his knees.

"Why didn't I realize something so simple, sooner?"

Zack's many thoughts gently began to calm his heart. Without him knowing, tears had started to swell around his eyes while a few streams trickled down his chin.

He did miss many. His parents, his mentor, his best friend. He wanted to see his parents for one last time and tell them that he loved them and he was sorry he ran away. He wanted his mom and dad to tell him that they were proud of him and everything he had accomplished.

"Zacky, its okay buddy." Zack felt Gohan's arm around his shoulder. "Just let it all out. Cry as much as you need to."

"Know that we will always be there for you."

The former Shinra Soldier did not wait for further invitation. He rested his head against Gohan's shoulder and cried out his heart.

Itachi stood just a bit further back. The Uchiha was happy seeing that their beloved Zack finally realized everything. However he could not deny that seeing the always cheerful Zack cry was not a sight he would want to see again. He would make sure, Zack never shed tears again.

Acnologia stood near the entrance, not looking towards Zack. The Dragon King simply kept staring at the stairs that lead to the entrance. He felt a bit bad with the way he put things. Seeing Zack all teary eyed did not bode well with him. No matter how much the ex-soldier annoyed him, Acnologia thought of him as a little brother.

There were two reasons he kept looking away. One was to hide the emotions of remorse that creeped onto his face. The other was to strike down anyone who would try to come to the top right now. This was an important moment for them and he wasn't going to let anyone interfere in that.

A lot of time had passed. To Zack it felt like only a brief moment. He didn't know how long he wept, but he felt relieved after the ordeal. It was as if a load had been lifted off his chest.

"Told you, it will feel better." Gohan remarked, his hand still wrapped around Zack's shoulder.

The ex-soldier felt a bit embarrassed now, recollecting what he had just done.

"Don't tell anyone about this ok." He added sheepishly.

"It's a promise buddy." Gohan beamed.

Zack returned a snot filled bright smile. "Honestly, I do feel a lot better."

"That is great news." Itachi came upto the duo.

"Remember Zack, we are in this together. You don't have to keep your emotions pent up inside you. We will always be there if you want a supporting shoulder."

Zack saluted back. "Aye Aye Captain."

"Glad to see you are back in top shape already." Itachi joked earning a chuckle from Gohan.

"I think it's time we head back to our dorm." Gohan cut in.

"We got a long day tomorrow."

X-X

Professor Ozpin was still busy in his office going over some transcripts, his counterpart at Haven had sent him. Most of Beacon were fast asleep, but Ozpin could not sleep. What he held in his hands piqued his interest so much. The headmaster of Beacon kept pacing himself across his office room.

"Professor Ozpin." The second in charge of Beacon, Glynda Goodwitch entered the office room interrupting Ozpin.

"It is really late." She tried to hold back the yawns that escaped her.

Ozpin stopped where he stood and looked up, taking his eyes of the files. "Sorry to call you in this late in the night Glynda dear."

"But you have to take a look at this."

Glynda Goodwitch only wished for a single thing right now and that was to go back to her bed. However seeing how much excited the headmaster sounded, made her really interested in what he wanted to say. She took the transcripts from his hands and directed her full attention towards its contents.

The sleepiness she felt a few moments ago began to fade. Glynda Goodwitch could not believe what she had just analysed.
"Professor, this is astounding." She remarked, readjusting her glasses.

"Lionheart sent me those." Ozpin replied, taking a sip of his beloved coffee mug.

"Looks like Haven also has a bunch of interesting students with them."

Ozpin said those words with such calmness that Glynda found hard to believe how he maintained his composure.

"But these just feel unreal. They finished the initiation in under 3 minutes." Glynda was still trying to fathom what she had just seen.

"These four have no prior affiliation to any combat school. Where did he find them?"

Ozpin chuckled to himself and took out some files he had on is desk. "From what I heard. Two of Haven's final year teams were sent to exterminate a few grimm. But it turned out to be more than what they expected and the situation was as if the village would be overrun at any moment." Ozpin paused a bit as he put the files he held back upon the table.

"Then these four showed up and aided them in slaying the grimm."

The headmaster of Beacon cleared his throat as he continued. "According to the two teams, they killed about a hundred grimm without breaking a sweat."

Professor Ozpin took another sip of coffee, observing his subordinate's face which still had not reeled in from the sudden shock. "I do have doubts on the number of grimm specified. It might be highly exaggerated. However there was no questioning their skills."

"So, like that they were given an invitation to join Haven, which they accepted."

"Well, we also let in a student, somewhat like that." Glynda added slowly recovering back to her senses. "But atleast we have enough information on her."

Professor Ozpin chuckled yet again. "It seems to me that prodigies keep popping out of nowhere now." Ozpin knew some kind of connection must exist between the four he had and the four at Mistral. One of their name itself indicated that.

"Do you mean to say that those four and our four students might be related?" Glynda shot back, deducing what her superior was trying to convey.

"You saw one of their names, didn't you?" Ozpin folded his arms. "It said Uchiha."

"There aren't any other Uchiha's I know of, or are there any family I know that bears that name." Ozpin added as he adjusted his glasses.

"But it is just too soon to run into any conclusions. So I suggest we keep this information between the two of us for the time being."

"What does Lionheart make of this?" Glynda questioned. She always had full faith in Ozpin and his judgements. And did not object to the proposal he made. Ozpin wasn't the person who would say anything without thoroughly thinking it through.

"Do not fret over that Glynda dear" The headmaster stated taking back the transcripts from his subordinate.

"Honestly, quite a few heads were turned when word got out that those four had joined Beacon. Leonardo just wanted to boast that he has a team of highly skilled students that could challenge ours." Ozpin answered confidently.

"From is message to me, I feel that's as far as it goes for him."

"That is… good news." Glynda rubbed her temples to desperately calm herself. Any sleep she had was all gone now.

"Should we enquire about this to our students?"

"Keep it away from them for now" Ozpin sipped on his coffee. "If they are related in any way, it might cause some situations which I want to avoid."

The headmaster then sighed to himself before continuing. "Then again Glynda, they are our students."

"In reality, it pains me to view them with such suspicion. Though I feel it might hold some truth, it does not actually justify my actions." Ozpin paused for a brief moment.

"They do not seem to have any negative intentions but something about them seems very odd to me."

Glynda retorted rather abruptly "I have to take my leave now Professor." She prepared to take her leave.

All of this was a bit too much for her to take in. Anymore and she felt she would lose her sanity. Yesterday, she witnessed a teenager rip apart three deathstalkers like they were straw dolls, then decapitate a Nevermore without even trying, one of them flied through the air carrying three of his teammates with him not even remotely fazed by the weight.

Then today at this late hour, she went through videos of four teenagers swat lancers like they were flies, tear apart four Beringels like a piece of paper and see one of them shoot fire.

"Now I have a whole lot to think about." It was giving her a headache above anything else. At one point she even thought she might be dreaming.

"You too better get some sleep Professor Ozpin" Glynda added as she opened the door and left, not waiting for any permission from her superior.

"Good night Glynda dear." Ozpin waved her off. "See you tomorrow."

"But I have lost my sleep for today." He mused to himself.

X-X

Before I go, I want to apologise to everyone for the delay and also for the entire chapter being rushed and too much out of place. Initially this chapter was not intended to be like this, but I wanted to show the different sides of Acno and Zack. Frankly, I have been showing only a single side of both of them.

Most importantly, I wanted to showcase the character development of Acno.

Feel free to leave your thoughts and feedbacks at the review section or go ahead and PM me.

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We part now only to meet again next chapter

Take care all you lovely people out there.