Li woke up slowly. He looked to his side, but saw nothing. He looked to his hands, and saw clouds dissipating at his knuckles.
He reached for his scroll once the clouds faded, to check the time. 13:26. Li no longer felt bad when he noticed how long he had been asleep, it was Wednesday, and Velvet had classes.
Li noticed the message blinking on his scroll, "Good morning, or afternoon, depending on when you read this! Sorry I left without saying goodbye this morning, but I had class and you looked so cute I couldn't bring myself to wake you up! I will see you tonight! –Velvet"
Li smiled upon reading the message, and replied to it, "Its afternoon! That's okay; I can't wait to see you!"
Li looked at his surroundings, getting bored by it already, Li decided to message Professor Ozpin, "Good afternoon sir, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something, in person? I can come to your office sometime today. – Li Kage." Li realised he sent the message before being sure what he should say to Ozpin.
It took roughly an hour until Ozpin replied; giving Li the time he needed to plan out a speech. Li opened the message, "Good afternoon Mr. Kage, I am free within the hour, however I have been led to believe you are still under observation in the medical wing. I will drop by at exactly 14:30. – Professor Ozpin."
Sure enough as the clock struck 14:30, Ozpin entered the room, with Goodwitch in tow. Ozpin noticed Li's ears, "Ah, I see you finally decided to let your ears breathe, they look very grateful for it."
Li's hand shot up instinctively, but he caught himself, and instead of hiding the ears he rubbed one lightly. Goodwitch looked at his ears, with a surprised look on her face, but she quickly composed herself, nodding at Li and smiling.
"Miss Goodwitch, I am sorry I doubted you." Li started.
"It is okay Mr. Kage; I wish I hadn't needed to keep you in the dark about it all." Goodwitch explained.
After the pleasantries were over with, Ozpin sat down in the chair next to Li's bed. "Why is it you have asked to talk to me today, Mr. Kage?"
"It is in regards to the space within team PLYM. I would like to recommend a replacement."
"Oh?"
"My original partner. He deserves a second chance, and it is my fault he needs it."
It was the first day of the school year. Li was finally starting his training to become a huntsman at the prestigious Beacon.
He walked off the airship, the beauty of Beacon mixed with what today meant to him, made him euphoric. He didn't know how to process the feelings he was having.
His beanie felt uncomfortable, he adjusted it, ignored the feeling, and kept walking towards the front gates. On his way there he noticed a lot of well forged weaponry, and felt like asking people about them, but he chose to keep to himself.
He saw out of the corner of his eye a bunch of people forming a crowd on the other side of the courtyard; he decided to investigate.
When he got to the group he noticed few larger boys picking on a smaller boy, calling him names, slapping his head. Li thought about doing something to help, but he knew he could do nothing helpful.
As he was turning to leave he heard a new voice enter the thrum, a strong and stern voice. "Hey! Stop picking on this kid. It is our first day, and you are going to pull this crap now?"
As Li turned back to inspect the new development, he noticed nothing, only the backs of people's heads. Li could barely make out a mop of brown/blonde hair in the centre of the crowd, which hadn't been there a moment ago.
Li heard gasps grunts, and as Li forced himself to the front of the crowd he saw why. The three large boys were crowded in a tight circle, pummelling something in the centre.
Li reacted instinctively; he reached for Love and War at his back, and activated his semblance. He disappeared in a puff of black smoke, shocking the people around him, and suddenly the legs of one of the boys pulled straight up, causing the boy to fall head first onto the concrete. Li popped back into vision, now standing behind the largest boy, War in his left hand, and a clenched fist. He hooked the boys left leg backwards, and punched at the knee outwards, breaking it cleanly. As the boy fell to his knees, Li spun behind him and smashed him in the temple. Li noticed that the third and final boy had back away from the body they had surrounded. Li locked eyes with the large boy, daring him to attack. As soon as the boy reached for his pole arm weapon, Li disappeared again. The opponent hadn't seen Li's semblance, and took a step back eyes darting about, looking for his enemy. Suddenly the boys' legs gave out from behind him, and there was a hooked blade at his throat. He could read the inscription across the blade, "War does not decide who is right, only who is left." Li whispered to his ear, "You will not hurt anyone else. Ever again. Got it?"
The large boy nodded, breathing heavily. Li pushed him forwards to the floor, and walked over to the young man on the floor. He turned the boy over; he noticed the boy's cloudy blue eyes and gave him a hand up. "Are you okay? You need a nurse?"
"No, I'm okay, my aura kicked in; they were tickling me as far as I can tell." Li laughed at the bravado in the young boy's voice.
"That explains why it was so easy to get them off you. Where is the kid they were picking on in the first place?" They both started off towards the front gates, pushing past the crowd and leaving the agitators to clean up the mess.
"I gave him an escape route when I started talking; I managed to distract them long enough for him to slip away. That's what got them so aggressive towards me! By the way, I'm Jun."
"Li! Good to meet you!" Li saluted, "I was glad someone stepped up, but that wasn't the smartest decision, you could've gotten hurt! They weren't violent before!"
"Just because they weren't violent, doesn't mean they couldn't have done any damage. Someone needed to step in, and no-one did." Li felt bad. He had thought it unnecessary to step in, he hadn't thought of any of that. The jab hurt Li personally.
"I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry? You did get involved? Granted you didn't before, you still chose to intervene when it was smart. I don't blame you for that, but just know that it's not how well it goes that matters, it's the gesture that counts." Li smiled at that. He hadn't thought Jun would be a particularly wise person, but Li was impressed by the boy.
They walked into the main hall together, chatting and joking together. They showed off their weapons, Li's Love and War and Jun showed his magnum/blade, Clint. The handle made of rich mahogany, the blade and barrel made from polished chromatic steel. Li was impressed with the professional quality in Jun's weapon; it looked beautiful, and was quite powerful too.
Once they made it to an open space in the hall, they stopped talking, and looked at the stage. Professor Ozpin was standing there, waiting for the all the students to make it in. Li and Jun were talking to other students around them, making introductions, showing off weapons, explaining where they had all come from.
Li met a nice pair of twins, who used fan weapons and came from Vacuo. Jun met a boy named Peter, who used a mace and shield.
Once they heard Ozpin cough into the mic, they all stopped talking, Jun and Li made their way back to each other.
"Welcome students, you have come here to learn how to become warriors. The path to becoming a huntsman or huntress is not an easy one, and many of you may fail. I wish you luck, but be aware that the life you have chosen is not a simple one, and certainly not one with a happy ending."
He left the stage quickly, leaving Glynda Goodwitch to explain the day to day plans. "You will stay in the ballroom tonight, and tomorrow you will start your initiation."
Li and Jun looked at each other, "Ozpin seemed a bit moody, didn't he?" Jun pondered aloud. Li only shrugged.
Li and Jun made it to the ballroom, and set up beds close to each other, they talked about why they were each here, both simply wanting to help others in any way they could. Although Li had the additional reason of needing some freedom, however even Li didn't know that at the time.
Morning came and the students were in the lockers, most discussing and asking who wanted to form teams. Li and Jun knew that they would try to be partners, regardless of what other people asked or offered, and they didn't worry about the other partnership that they would be with.
The intercom buzzed on, and Goodwitch's voice rang out, "All first year students please report to Beacon Cliff immediately." Li and Jun locked eyes, shook hands and both exclaimed, "See you out there!"
It only took a few minutes to walk across the campus to Beacon Cliff, no-one talked though, everyone was preparing, mentally and physically for the forthcoming test.
All the students stood on platforms in a long line across the top of the cliff. "Today your skills will be tested and evaluated." Ozpin started.
"Your teams and partners will be decided today as well, and you will all work together for the next four years. The first person you make eye contact with on the ground will be your partner for the next four years." Goodwitch added.
"This is the emerald forest. At the northern side of this forest lies an abandoned temple; here you will find a number of relics, each pair will pick one and report back to the cliff. Throughout the day, you will be monitored, and at the end of the day, your teams announced, and grades given based on your performance." Ozpin still seemed out of touch. "There will be obstacles on your path, there will be no intervention from staff, the dangers are real, be careful."
Li and Jun locked eyes; Li nodded towards the largest tree ahead of them, and Jun silently understood. The platforms that the students were standing on started to fire people into the forest, one after the other. Li fired off before Jun, and after four or so others, Jun flew off the cliff.
Mid-flight Li connected Love and War at the bases, creating a staff, he then aimed the hook towards a tree off to his side, fired the harpoon into the tree, spinning around twice before releasing the hook. Having slowed his momentum, he quickly fired off the hook again as soon as it had reeled back, this time towards a branch overhead, causing him to swing forwards landing on a branch of the tree he had pointed out to Jun. He made his way to a low hanging branch with a couple bounds, and sat, waiting.
Jun appeared a minute later, walking to the base of the tree. He saw the lazing Li and decided to throw a rock at the unawares boy. The rock hit Li's leg, and startled him, he stood up unsheathing his weapons instinctively. Once he saw Jun laughing below, he sheathed his weapons and jumped down, "You're a jerk!"
They walked north silently, focussing on the task at hand, and keeping themselves prepared.
They had walked roughly a mile before they made it to a clearing, with no temple in site, they walked through the clearing quickly, hoping nothing saw them.
Li stopped, hearing something muffled, long before Jun had heard it. "Hold up. Prepare yourself."
They stood back to back, waiting. This was the first time they will fight together, and Li hoped that they would fight as well as they got on together. They both heard a clear hissing, and Li knew that they would soon find out.
A king Taijitu, fully grown, both heads present, slithered through the tall grass surrounding the pair of huntsman in training. The two exchanged a look and shot off into action, Li attacked the white head, Jun the black head.
Li could hear the shots from 'Clint', noting the screams from the head he was hitting. Li focussed back onto his own target, he charged the head, and as soon as the head thrust forward, he activated his semblance and sidestepped the lunge. He quickly spun, charged the dazed head, he phased back into the visible world just as he reached the head, mid-swing. Love caught the grimms ear canal, War lodged into its eye; he pulled War out, causing the eye to come out with it. The Taijitu head reared back and thrashed at Li viciously, Li dodged closely, pulling Love against the side of its mouth and letting the momentum of the head rend its own mouth open. Li jumped onto the head, connecting Love and War, and fired War straight through the white head.
Li had won. He looked to Jun to see how he was faring; Jun was struggling to penetrate the thick hide of the black Taijitu. His weapon was not up to the task. Li jumped off the limp head and headed over to help Jun; he knew once the Taijitu realised its counterpart's fate, it would go into a fury.
Li ran in between Jun and the lunging black head, blocking the lunge with his staff. He looked to Jun and said, "Need a hand?"
The humour of the moment quickly evaporated as the Taijitu broke Li's parry, and knocked him sailing away.
Jun needed to press an attack, but the front of the head was too tough for his weapon. Jun dodged a furious attack, somersaulting over to Li, picking him up, and explaining that he needed to get at the back of its head. Li wasn't good at being a distraction, but he needed to help his friend.
Li got up, pointed Jun towards a tree nearby, and went to get the Taijitu's attention.
Once Li saw that Jun was on the branch safely, he shot War towards it, and flew underneath the branch. Putting a concealed Jun between himself and the remaining Taijitu head; the monster slithered forwards with speed, lunging at Li, who had not expected an attack so quickly, Li instinctively used his semblance and dodged out of the way.
The Taijitu had lost its visual prey, and scanned the immediate area, using both sight and its vomeronasal system to 'smell' for prey. It caught the scent of Jun in the nearby tree and attacked. Jun thought he was hidden, and so did not block the attack. The branch he was on flew away, the tree snapped and began to fall, and Jun fell to the ground. Hard.
Li saw this happen from the side, and ran to Jun quickly, but the Taijitu was faster, it reared up, ready to finish the unconscious Jun off. As it lunched forward its head was crushed by the tree, inches away from Jun's legs.
Li had not stopped running while this happened; he reached Jun seconds later. He could not prepare himself for what he saw.
Jun was still unconscious, but his lower half was hidden under the tree. Li shouted at Jun to wake up. Li hooked War into the tree, jumped over, running the opposite direction. He got to the treeline, wrapped the wire around a tree and started to reel War back in. He left his weapons to do their job as he ran back to Jun.
He still couldn't see any movement in his chest. He ignored it, and started to push the enormous tree with his hands, it was moving, slowly, too slowly. He tried lifting it, he tried punching it, but nothing sped it up. He knelt at Jun's side, the tree had moved past his knees now, but still pinned him down.
Li had read about aura healing, but he had no idea how to apply it. He had to try something though; he held his hands above Jun's chest, closed his eyes and concentrated his entire aura into his hands. Once he was sure he had summoned as much aura as he could, he slammed his hands down onto Jun's chest.
Nothing.
He tried again. Nothing.
He tried again, with eyes watering. A twitch; Jun's hand clenched.
Li changed to more conventional means, giving Jun CPR, confident that there was sufficient aura in his body. Jun gasped, and coughed. Li hugged him, and lay his head back down softly. "Jun! You're alive!" Li roared.
Jun only coughed and smiled, "Thank you!" he whispered meekly.
After a few moments of silence, after Jun had composed himself, he spoke, "Why can't I feel my legs, Li?" Li sat quietly, not daring to answer. Jun looked to Li, who was staring at something below his vision. Jun propped his head up; looking down at the point Li was staring.
His eyes widened, filling with tears. "I'm so sorry, Jun! It's all my fault!"
"Just don't. Leave it be, Li." Li could feel the hatred. He had failed his friend. He had failed in his task. He had failed.
It was another few minutes before Goodwitch and some people in white came to the pair. Li asked to go with them when they took Jun, but Goodwitch stopped him, saying "You still have a task to complete young man. You need to continue, or you will leave Beacon too."
The words hurt Li, not only because it meant a choice between his dream and his friend; but it also confirmed Li's fear that Jun could not continue at Beacon. Li watched them leave; slumping to the ground once they left his sight.
He stayed for what felt like hours. Suddenly the twins from the other day came running through the clearing, they ran to Li's side, and asked him if he was hurt, probing him with questions.
Li didn't hear any of it. He stood up, ignoring the girls, and walked north. The twins were still concerned but dare not probe further after they noticed the look on Li's face. Li had only one goal now; become a huntsman. Nothing else mattered, no friendship, no distractions and no-one else trying to help him, he could do it alone.
Li made it to the temple within ten minutes; breaking into a sprint closed the gap much more quickly rather than the leisurely walk he had been going when with Jun.
Once Li walked up to the podiums at the temple, he noticed that there were only two left, two separate black dice. Li went to pick one up, but before he could pick it up he heard rustling in the tree line behind him, he turned quickly, only to see the twins from earlier and a male walk up behind them. He recognised the boy, realising he was the one who Jun had met in the main hall the day before. Li nodded at him, realising that they were to be his teammates for the next four years.
"And that's why I think it was always meant to be Jun who joined team PLYM." Li had finished describing Jun's fight style, his understanding nature, how he got on with the team members of PLYM, but he skirted around the details of Jun's injuries.
"You don't have to sell him to me, Mr. Kage, I know the boy. I know what happened to him, how it happened, and how it still affects him." Ozpin proclaimed.
Li's hope flickered, "But it's not true! He doesn't need that chair! Not really. It is only his mind that keeps him in it. He just needs help, just a push. He will rise to the opportunity. I promise you. He has been with the police department since then, he will learn quickly. I know it." Li pleaded.
"Oh? And what makes you more qualified to assess his health than the paid professionals I have tending to him on a weekly basis?" Li sighed, losing hope in his own conviction.
"I'm not. I just... I just feel something about him. His aura is strong, stronger than it was a year ago. He just needs a chance. Please? Talk to him yourself, I am sure you will see it too!" Ozpin and Goodwitch glanced at each other.
Ozpin looked back at Li, "I will consider him." That was enough for Li, his body relaxed. He had succeeded, he knew he had.
His meeting with Ozpin had lasted over an hour, and it had drained him. He lay half asleep in the hospital bed. He heard the door open and close; he turned his head, and smiled.
His beautiful faunus had joined him. She walked over to him, ran her hands through his hair, rubbing his ears. He closed his eyes and relaxed. She whispered, "How are you?"
"Tired, talked with Ozpin for ages today."
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, I was just sorting some details out! Can you stay here tonight?"
"Not tonight, sorry."
Li's eyes opened, looking up at Velvets wide and sad. Velvet only smiled, "Not here tonight, but the nurse has told me that you can leave now! So I thought we could go back to my room, and have a nice big bed to ourselves?"
Li beamed, he started standing up, and embraced Velvet. "That sounds amazing!" he whispered into her ear. He walked to the bathroom, came out dressed, and with his wash bag in his arms; he looked for his suitcase, found it full underneath his bed, "I'm ready. Do you know if I have a room? Or is it okay to keep my things in your room for a bit?"
"You can keep it at mine!"
"Are you sure your team mates are okay with it?"
"Oh no, I forgot about them… Um… we will ask the nurse if she knows where you can stay."
They walked out, and asked the nurse for help. The nurse had no clue about Li's accommodation, but she did give them a key, and told them where they could stay the night. She warned them that they had better return the key, and find out tomorrow exactly where to go.
Velvet and Li walked together, off to the room on the other side of the school. It took twenty minutes until they reached the room, Li dumped his bags and fell on the large double bed in the room.
Velvet inspected the room, looked in the bathroom, and out the window; the view was beautiful, out over the cliffs, looking at the emerald forest. Li noticed Velvet looking out the window, and joined her, wrapping his hands around her, and kissing her neck. He moved away from her, taking his clothes off, and pulling on his pyjama trousers; he then slipped into the bed, and called for Velvet to join him. She dressed down to her smallclothes, once she removed them; she picked up shirt Li had discarded, slipped it on, and joined him in bed. They lay together for hours, within each other's arms, they were happy. They fell asleep; Li dreamt again.