Chapter 2: Foxes, Boulders, and Rabbits

The now twelve year old Sabito leapt over the pitfall trap that opened a second earlier, landing in a slide and ducking under the knives that lodged themselves in a nearby tree. Taking a deep breath he continued his descent through the large forest that encompassed Urokodaki's home. After nearly two years of living and training with the old Cultivator, Sabito was becoming convinced of something…

Sabito sucked in a sudden breath, throwing himself to the ground as a spiked log sailed over him, smashing into another tree and turning both of them to splinters. "He's trying to kill me!" He breathed out, tightening his sword inside his belt before continuing on. It continued like that for almost four hours. Urokodaki had placed ten carvings across the entire forest for him to retrieve, and when he found all ten they would be reset and placed in more obscure spots. So far his favorites were on the tallest branch of a boobytrapped tree, in the middle of a lake with spike traps, and in the middle of a seemingly innocent field. Sometimes Urokodaki would attack him and Sabito would be forced to fight him off and try to escape. If he failed, he would spend the afternoon swinging his sword well over a thousand times.

In a way it reminded him of training with Raven, but it was infinitely better. Because despite Urokodaki's harsh standards and methods of training, the man actually cared. Where Raven would show indifference, Urokodaki showed pride. When Sabito injured himself, Raven would scoff and maybe make it worse, Urokodaki was concerned and actually helped him. The man was quickly becoming the father he never had. The pride Urokodaki would show increased his desire to do better, and the man had a lot to teach him. But despite it all, it was unbelievably brutal.

Sabito slid, dodged, and twisted away from knives, logs, and all manner of traps, rolling and swiping a small wooden fox carving off of a rock. He didn't stop for a moment, stopping would mean getting hit by a trap. This continued for another three hours before he finally stumbled his way back to Urokodaki's home. During dinner he began teaching Sabito about the latter half of the Water Breathing forms.

Water Breathing… And Total Concentration Breathing as well… Sabito had no idea how this wasn't all common knowledge. There were a seemingly unlimited number of benefits and basically no downside, yet his master told him that it had fallen into an almost forgotten art. When he initially asked why, the answer became apparent.

Aura.

Aura allowed for many of the same benefits, as well as a personal shield that an enemy had to go through first before actually injuring a person. Total Concentration Breathing was enhanced when combined with Aura, but not to a massive extent. The benefits and the training required to maintain it apparently weren't seen as worth it. But as Urokodaki had explained, you could continue TCB indefinitely unless physically unable, even when your Aura ran out. But if you relied entirely on your Aura, there wasn't anything else to rely on when it ran out.

Total Concentration Breathing involved flooding one's lungs with as much oxygen as possible, accelerating blood flow, increasing your heart rate, and increasing body temperature to excite the muscles and give extraordinary physical powers. It did not require Aura to work, only breathing. Urokodaki took that even further and taught/forced Sabito to perform what he called Total Concentration Constant. Or simplified; Total Concentration Breathing but performed every second of every day even when unconscious. Sabito managed to do it, but several old bruises on his Solar plexus told of how long it took. If he stopped for even a second, and Urokodaki found out… the result was painful.

The benefits though? Every physical aspect of Sabito was dialed up to eleven. He could run faster, run farther, take more hits, he didn't get tired as easily, he could ignore minor injuries entirely, it was incredibly difficult for him to get out of breath, and when coupled with his newly unlocked Aura it allowed him to hit really, really hard. As Sabito blew out a small candle he thought about that day…


"Your mother never unlocked your Aura?" Urokodaki had asked him during a bout of training.

"No… She told me that I'd have to unlock it myself or I'd be grimm food. She wasn't exactly a forgiving teacher." He responded, standing back up. His master was teaching him the defensive falling technique; or essentially a way to land while minimizing injury and damage. Sabito fell down… a lot…

"Hm… That's something that I should have considered immediately. Come over here." Sabito did as he was told, sheathing his katana as he did so. His eyes widened when the man placed both of his hands on his shoulders. "Wait," he stammered.

Urokodaki glowed a dark, ocean blue as he began speaking. "Though immortality is a fleeting dream, we rise to become paragons of justice. Rising to become the swords that strike out at the encroaching darkness and shields to defend the innocent and the defenseless. I release your soul, unbound by death's shadow, and stand by thee in this endeavor." When he finished speaking Sabito's entire body was surrounded by a soft pale blue. Inside of him, something just… clicked. Like a missing puzzle piece had just been slotted in to complete the whole.

Sabito looked up at the red Tengu mask. "Thank you… I know how personal something like that is. I won't forget this, ever." His eyes grew slightly misty, but he forced himself back to normal. Before he could even speak, Urokodaki threw him over his shoulder and onto the ground. It still hurt, but not nearly as bad as it had before. It still knocked the breath out of him though.

A hand suddenly slammed against his chest, forcing a pained groan out of the boy. "Expect danger no matter where you go! Again!" He was hit on the chest again. "And don't forget Total Concentration Constant!"

Urokodaki was an incredible teacher, but he was still brutal.


When Sabito turned thirteen, his world was turned on its head.

"What did you just say?" Sabito sat in shock in front of Urokodaki.

"You have a sister… By your reaction I assume that your mother never told you. A year after she was born Raven abandoned her family, but she didn't know that she was carrying you when she left." The Tengu mask stared at him, patiently waiting for Sabito to process the revelation. The boy was clearly shocked, but he wasn't panicked or overreacting.

Eventually Sabito closed his mouth, looking down at his lap. He had a sister… It… Sabito… wasn't really sure how to react to the information. He looked up, "tell me about her."

Urokodaki made a humming noise before sitting just a little straighter. "Her name is Yang Xiao Long, and she is a year older than you. She lives on the island of Patch with her half-sister Ruby Rose and your father, Taiyang Xiao Long."

"No mother, and a half sister?" He asked, more curious than anything.

"About a year after Raven left, your father remarried to a woman named Summer Rose. She went missing roughly nine years ago. It is assumed that she died in battle. They had a child, Ruby, your younger half-sister."

Sabito pursed his lips, looking at his lap again. He had… never really considered having family beyond Raven. He had asked once, and was beaten into the ground as a result during their next sparring session. Beyond that there was never time to think about it. It was shocking, but was it really life changing? He was training to become a Hunter, and would probably never interact with them, but…

Seeing the conflict on his student's face, Urokodaki spoke up. "Would you like to see them?"

Sabito's head snapped up, lavender eyes widening in shock. Was that even a question?


Sabito and Urokodaki stood across the street from what looked to be a kind of school. Sabito was wearing jeans, a green shirt, and a plain white haori, but what made him stand out was the blank wooden fox mask over his face. According to Urokodaki there was a low chance of him being recognized, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, even if Sabito looked a bit out of place, he was practically invisible compared to his master. Urokodaki hadn't changed at all, his blue and white cloud patterned kimono and his Tengu mask on full display. Both of them screamed deep Mistral. Sabito palmed the hilt of his gifted katana, calming down at the comforting presence. The blade had been ordered by Urokodaki after a year of tutelage. The sheath was pitch black with a bronze colored tip. The katana itself had white ito wrappings around the hilt and a bronze colored hexagonal tsuba guard. After months of training, the blade had turned into a pale, watery blue. According to Urokodaki, the metal used in the blade came from a special kind of ore that absorbed sunlight. It was particularly effective against Aberrant Grimm, because while their hides protected them their insides were particularly weak to UV Lights. It was the first real gift he had received in his entire life; something made specially for him. And because of that he took impeccable care of it.

A loud and distinct voice reached his ears and Sabito went back to watching the school. When his eyes found the door, his body froze. He saw her, clear as the sun. She was almost a perfect carbon copy of Raven, but with wild golden colored hair and very, very familiar lavender eyes. It was his sister, without a shadow of a doubt.

Yang Xiao Long.

Before he could continue processing that, a ball of red slammed into her back before turning into a human. A small girl wrapped her arms around Yang's neck, almost sending the taller girl to the ground, but both of them were laughing so it was clearly expected. The smaller girl had dark, almost black hair that ended in red tips, and eyes of pure silver. Ruby Rose, then.

Sabito was broken out of his stupor when Urokodaki began speaking, "they're training to become Huntresses, protectors of humanity. They're following in the footsteps of their parents." Yang tried to throw Ruby off of her but it ended up sending both of them to the ground, much to the amusement or exasperation of their fellow students. Neither of them cared, only laughing harder. And then a man came out of the building, laughing and picking up both of the girls, righting them on the ground. Sabito's eyes widened, words frozen in his throat.

"Your father," Urokodaki confirmed, "Taiyang Xiao Long." But fate had decided that Sabito hadn't been dealing with enough revelations, because almost the second the words left his master's mouth his father's eyes found them.

His father broke out into a loud grin, "Urokodaki!" he called out across the street. The added effect was two pairs of lavender and silver eyes also finding them, but more importantly him. The man said some inaudible words to his sisters before the three of them started walking towards them.

Sabito unconsciously took a step back. "U-Urokodaki," he stammered.

"It's fine," the older man said, "relax." Sabito's eye twitched, relax? How?!

But he couldn't protest, because the trio was already upon them. His hand found the pommel of his katana, not gripping it but definitely putting pressure on it. Before he could fall into a panic though, he felt a warm and comforting hand on his shoulder. His heart slowed down, just a tad.

His father spoke first, "Urokodaki! Long time no see, how have you been?!" He held out a hand, one that Urokodoki took without hesitation, giving the man a firm handshake.

"Indeed it has, and I am doing well as I hope you are, am I correct to assume that these are your daughters?" Urokodaki gestured to the two girls who had almost identical smiles, if a bit confused. Sabito didn't say a word.

"Yep, my pride and joy's! The older one's Yang," the girl threw up a friendly wave, "and the younger's Ruby." Ruby gave a much more enthusiastic greeting. "Girls, this is Sakonji Urokodaki. He was Beacon's combat instructor for a few years, but he left the year before we graduated. I'd never forget that mask though!" His fathers eyes found his own, though the mask hid it. His heart rate increased, and the grip that grounded him became a tad firmer. The blonde grinned, "It looks like your retirement is a bit more eventful than I thought it'd be. Is this a new student?" And suddenly all of the attention was on him again.

He did his best to ignore the curious lavender eyes as Urokodaki spoke for him, apparently knowing that his own words probably wouldn't be able to come out. "Yes, this is Sabito," his shoulder was patted as the man spoke. "He's been under my tutelage for roughly three years now! I apologize if he doesn't speak much, the boy's rather shy." In return Sabito gave a semi-low bow to the trio, mentally thanking Urokodaki for sparing him.

Urokodaki looked down at the three children, "now why don't you three chat for a bit while I catch up with my former student?" Sabito mentally cursed Urokodaki! In every way he knew how! His blood turned to ice as he tried to convey a pleading look at his master. And in return the bastard managed to look coy!

As the two adults moved out of audible range he looked back at the two grinning girls. His sisters, who had no idea that they were related. How was he going to handle this?!


Yang looked the boy in front of her up and down. His clothing wasn't unusual, but his white coat and fox mask made him stand out more than a little bit. Meeting her Dad's old instructor from Beacon was definitely unexpected, but it was a very nice surprise, especially after that massive exam they had just had! And his student was almost even more interesting. But right now Yang had to be careful. In any other instant she would let loose her normal over the top charming personality, but even she could see this situation was a bit delicate. The boy hadn't said a word during the entire greeting, and right now he was a statue. This Urokodaki person may have been underselling the shyness bit. So she'd play this carefully, she could do that! Definitely!

"Can I see your katana?" Ruby blurted out before Yang could even finish her thought. The boy jumped, almost literally, as he turned to face Ruby. Said girl fidgeted after a few seconds of no response.

Yang looped an arm around her sister's shoulders, causing the younger girl to pout, "Sorry about that, Ruby loves all things weapons, she's a bit crazy at times, heh." It was still recoverable, it was fine, but even Yang was a little put off by the silence. "By the way, I like the mask, it really sells the mysterious look."

One moment, then two. "It's alright," the boy, Sabito; was it? Murmured. "And sure!" He added quickly, almost as an afterthought. He gripped the sheath with his left hand and flicked the guard with his thumb, drawing it out in one smooth motion. The blade almost glowed a pale blue in the sunlight. He flipped it around and held it by the blade, offering the handle to Ruby who took it with a barely contained squeal.

Ruby blinked in surprise when he let go, "wow! It's really light!" The silver eyed girl grabbed it with two hands, mimicking a classic stance. It was kind of weird seeing Ruby with a katana, considering the monstrous scythe hybrid she was currently designing for her entrance into Signal. Ruby had been shadowing her for the day, and the girl had been positively giddy. Then Ruby furrowed her brow as she began feeling around for something. Eventually she gave up, looking at the masked boy, "it doesn't turn into anything?"

After a moment the boy shook his head. "No… It was a gift, so I don't want to do anything to it." After a moment of hesitation he continued, "I've been using a katana for so long that anything extra would feel… odd."

Ruby tilted her head as she gave a slow and experimental swing. "How long have you been using a katana for?" She handed the blade back to Sabito, who looked at it as if he was thinking about something. The fox masked boy got into a similar stance as Ruby, but it was clearly professional and mastered. He held the stance before swinging almost faster than Yang had time to blink. He followed up with a series of slashes and swings, moving almost like it was a dance, a type of artwork rather than an attack. But Yang could see the speed and strength behind the swings, and if she concentrated she could just barely see some kind of water droplets follow in the wake of the attacks.

The dance ended when Sabito swung vertically, hanging onto the position before steadily releasing a breath, sliding the katana across the sheath before sending it home. He turned his 'face' to look at the two awestruck girls. "Since I was five," he murmured.

"That… Was… Awesome!" Ruby yelled as she jumped up and down. "You've been training since you were five?! No wonder you're so good!" Yang swore she could hear a small laugh come from beneath the fox mask. She smiled to herself, it was good that he was opening up. She was worried for a minute.

The small conversation ended as the two adults came back to the small group. "That was some fancy swordsmanship, I'd recommend you become a Huntsman if you weren't already with Urokodaki." The boy nodded towards her Dad in thanks. Aaaaand he was back to being shy and quiet.

"It was nice catching up, but I'm afraid that Sabito and I are on a tight schedule. We'd best be leaving now." Urokodaki and Sabito both gave low bows before standing up. Yang flashed a grin and a wave as the two of them turned to leave. But as they did she frowned to herself. There was something… she didn't know. There was just something about that boy, and she didn't really know how to describe it. Her attention was drawn away though as Ruby began excitedly describing the moves Sabito had shown them. She cast the duo one last look before their trio made their way back home.


"I didn't tell your father anything, I can promise you that." Urokodaki said before Sabito could say anything.

"I didn't think you would… But I'm still a bit angry that you left me alone back there."

Urokodaki slowed down until they both came to a stop, and Sabito was scared that he had offended the older man somehow.

"I won't lie to you, Sabito. There was another reason why I wanted you to come here. Another reason why I wanted you to see them." Sabito gave Urokodaki his full attention, letting the man speak. "Your sisters are well cared for, your father is a great man. I've taken you in these past years, trained you as my own, but I am no substitute for your real family." Urokodaki turned to face Sabito fully, Tengu meeting fox. "The life of a Hunter is extraordinarily dangerous. Most don't live past thirty due to the enemies they make and the sheer danger they are constantly in. You could go back, if you want." Sabito's breath hitched in his throat. "It wouldn't be hard to prove that you're family. You've seen how nice they are, they would accept you with open arms. You could live your life, become a Huntsman if you wish…" The air was quiet as the two of them began walking again.

Eventually Sabito reached his hand out and intertwined his fingers with Urokodaki's. The man looked down at him, and Sabito pulled his mask off, showing a sad but genuine smile. "I have the only family I need right here. They may be nice, but they aren't you." Sabito couldn't see Urokodaki's face behind the Tengu mask, but as they began walking again he felt the man's hand tighten against his own. Besides…

Why trade one father for another that he didn't know?


Six months before Sabito turned fifteen, he mastered all ten Water Breathing Forms. Striking Tide, Water Wheel, Flowing Dance, Blessed Rain, Whirlpool, Drop Ripple Thrust, Waterfall Basin, Splashing Water Flow; Turbulent, and Constant Flux. In his spare time he was even drawing sketches for his own forms; which would become eleven and twelve. Water Breathing and Total Concentration Constant were as natural as, well, breathing… In fact, though he didn't know when he started Sabito found himself doing Total Concentration Constant without even thinking about it. It had literally become his normal breathing pattern.

And with that, there was nothing left for Urokodaki to teach him. Nothing left to teach, but the man had one final trial for the young fox. And that's how Sabito found himself standing in front of one of the largest boulders he had ever seen.

"Cut through this boulder, and you'll have passed the final test. Cut through this boulder, and you'll be a Hunter…"

Those were the last words Urokodaki had spoken to him. And so for almost two entire months Sabito tried to cut through a boulder with a katana. Every failed attempt built a raging fire within the boy. Every time his blade bounced off of the rock his grip tightened that much more. Every pathetic attempt increased the red haze over his eyes. It was so infuriating. So maybe that's why he began thinking about back then…

Sabito coughed as Raven slammed the pommel of her sword into his stomach. He fell to his knees, dropping the katana he was holding.

"Weak…"

Raven backhanded him, sending him sprawling to the ground. All he could do was cough pitifully.

"At this rate you won't even be able to kill a beowulf. Forget about anything stronger… You call yourself my son?"

Raven spit out the last word as he forced himself to his knees. He grabbed his sword and stabbed the blade into the ground, trying to get leverage to stand. Raven scoffed and kicked him in the stomach. "It's only your blood that's keeping me from tossing you to the grimm. And until you can stand on your own two feet and beat me in a fight I won't even acknowledge that. But that'll never happen, will it?"

Raven turned and walked away, not even giving him the pleasure of a parting glance. For one of the only times in his life, Sabito cried, and a few days later he ran away.

Weak, pathetic, useless, all of the things that Raven used to call him came back all at once. His rage was at a fever point. But then he heard another voice. It was familiar, he knew that voice, but he couldn't place a name or face to it.

"Feel that rage, the powerful, burning conviction of being unforgiving, wanting vengeance." Sabito gripped the handle of his katana. "Take that rage, that hate, and it will become your unwavering drive to take action!" Sabito drew his sword and breathed. "The only way through is to go forward!" He took all of his rage, his wants for justice and vengeance. He took every negative feeling he had been bottling up and used it to power his downward swing. Water danced along his blade and his arms glowed a pale blue. There was a flash and a loud crack, followed by a horrible shaking in his arms, but when his eyes opened they immediately went wide.

The boulder was cloven in two, with his sword at the very bottom. He had done it…

Sabito heard footsteps behind him, but he didn't look away, not until he saw Urokodaki out of the corner of his eye. He was staring at the boulder too, until they both turned to face each other.

Urokodaki drew the boy into a hug. "Well done, truly, Sabito. I'm proud of you." Sabito didn't say anything in response, but he did wrap his arms around the older man, and for another rare moment he began crying. Just… this time they weren't tears of frustration or of sadness, they were tears of joy.


To become a Hunter, Sabito would have to take a licensing exam, which was a slightly modified version of Beacon's entrance exam. He wouldn't attend the academy, as his training and studying under Urokodaki satisfied the "schooling" requirement, but he still needed to prove that he was capable of fighting and completing an objective. On the application, when it prompted him for his name Sabito told his master to put Urokodaki as his last name. When asked why, he gave a simple answer.

"You've been more of a family to me these past few years than my real family ever has. You're… you're basically my father, Urokodaki." He spoke with a genuine smile, and he didn't miss the way his master—his father—sat up just that little bit straighter.

"You've made me so proud these past years, and I know you'll only continue to do so as time goes on." Urokodaki straightened his haori and did a once over of his outfit, making sure everything was in order. And finally, he handed Sabito a wooden fox mask. It was like the one he had worn nearly two years ago, but it had a painted scar that perfectly matched his own. Once upon a time that may have made him uncomfortable, but in a way his scar was a source of pride. A reminder of where he came from, and what Urokodaki had turned him into. So he took it gladly, and giving his father one last hug he turned away and left the house he learned to call home.

His look had changed drastically, and now it was something that defined him. Sabito wore a green kimono patterned with yellow and darker green hexagons and a white haori that had very faint cloud patterns in a very slightly darker shade. He wore black pants with gaiters the same color as his kimono and a pair of black and red boots. Completing his look was the warding mask that Urokodaki had given him, the bag he carried over his shoulder, and his katana that was secured safely at his side. To say he stood out amongst the prospective students of Beacon Academy was an understatement, but he didn't have it in him to care. He wouldn't be attending, and probably wouldn't be seeing them again, So let them look as much as they want. Still though… He would do his best not to stand out as much as possible.

Beacon Academy itself was impressive, like a castle from an old fairy tale he read when he was a kid. In the middle of the massive courtyard was a statue of a huntsman and huntress standing victoriously over a beowulf. Prospective students milled about as they got their bearings, some knew where to go, and some wandered aimlessly. According to Urokodaki; in ten or so minutes they would be listening to a sort of welcome speech by the headmaster, and then they would spend the night in the Great Hall. He would learn the specifics of his exam the next morning. Sabito gazed at the statue, thinking. If things had turned out differently, he could've been here with his sisters. He could've been a student, assigned a team, become a huntsman rather than a Hunter… His gaze lowered, it wasn't good to dwell on 'could haves' when his path was already laid out before him.

"Hey! Cut it out, please!" Sabito looked to his right. A girl was being harassed by a group of four people, and it wasn't hard to see why. Sticking out of her head was a pair of brown rabbit ears. He scoffed, even in the most prestigious academy on the planet, nothing was different. He shouldn't get involved, but… Looking around it was clear that nobody else was gonna do anything. What a pain…

"Please! That hurts!" The rabbit-eared girl tried to shove the main assailant away, causing the others to chuckle.

"Look at that! The animal attacked me! You all saw that right?" The amused agreements made the girl's eyes widen in fear. "Somebody ought to teach you a lesson, ya filthy animal!" The boy brought his fist back and began to throw a punch. The girl closed her eyes.


Honestly she should've expected this… It was the same no matter where she went, why would Beacon be any different? Velvet Scarlatina held back tears as she awaited the blow that was seconds away. If she defended herself, then they'd claim that she was the attacker. So she just had to take it, and hope that a member of the faculty would show up soon. For the umteenth time Velvet wished that she was born with a faunus trait that was easy to hide.

"H-Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" What? But that was the voice of the person that was assaulting her, wasn't it? Velvet opened her eyes, and widened them in shock.

"I should be the one asking you that." Was the venomous reply. A fist was held inches away from her face, shaking as the assailant tried to break the grip of her savior. Said savior was definitely one of the more different looking people wandering around. Dressed in green, yellow, and black clothing with a white Mistrilian styled jacket over it all. In fact, everything about him screamed Mistral, especially the katana, and the serious looking fox mask that was staring down her attacker.

"What did you just say?!"

"Are you seriously so weak that you need three people to back you up? Do you get some sick pleasure out of it? Bullying those you see as powerless?" Her savior's grip tightened, and Velvet watched in awe as her attacker's aura flared orange around his hand. "How can you call yourself a man?"

"What the hell are you talking about?! It's just a filthy animal!" Her attacker bit out, straining to move his arm. "Are you three gonna do anything?!" Said three looked at each other before moving in, but a sharp look from the fox mask had them hesitating.

"Animal? The only thing that isn't human around here is you." With that the fox threw the bully into his friends, causing them to stumble as they caught him. Her savior turned, standing in front of her with his left hand calmly resting on the sheath of his katana.

"Why you… Do you know who I am?!"

Her savior chuckled. "Hiding behind a name? How pathetic can you get?!"

Her attacker's eye twitched before a cruel grin spread across his face. "Somebody should teach you a lesson, both of ya. Luckily I happen to be in the perfect position." The bully reached and grabbed a hammer off of his hip, taking a threatening step forward.

"So be it…" Her savior muttered, and then Velvet heard breathing unlike she ever had before. She could make out something like a rushing current, but that couldn't be from breathing. Could it? And then she began to panic as her savior thumbed the tsuba of his katana, exposing a hint of the blade. His right hand gripped the hilt, ready to draw. They were about to fight!? Here?!

"W-Wait, you shouldn't be doing this!—"

"What is going on here?" Someone interrupted. When Velvet saw who it was, she nearly sank to her knees in relief. It was the woman from the hologram, Professor Goodwitch.

Her attacker flinched, but put a fake grin on his face. "Thank the gods that you got here, this maniac was—"

"These four were assaulting the girl behind me. I intervened, and the leader threatened violence." Her savior spoke calmly, and didn't move a muscle other than fixing his katana and standing straight again. Her attacker on the other hand was sweating bullets.

Goodwitch looked between the two of them, but yet another voice interrupted before she could speak. "Foxy's telling the truth, I saw the whole thing." The new introduction was another girl in an outfit that Velvet would describe… fashionable? Leather pants, a light brown turtleneck, a beret, and aviator glasses. And she was frowning as she looked at the now incredibly nervous group of four.

"Is that right," Goodwitch frowned. "You four, come with me. And you," She looked at her savior, "Violence should only be used as a last resort, it would have been much better if you had alerted a teacher. Regardless, you did well." And with that she turned away, voice harsh as she scolded the four attackers. That just left the three of them.

"Uh-um, thanks!" Velvet stammered, "you didn't have to do that…" She grabbed her arm as the serious fox mask bored into her own eyes.

"Aw, don't be like that, we were happy to—" The new girl was interrupted.

"You're right, I didn't have to…" Both Velvet and the other girl looked at him in shock. What? "You easily could've handled them yourself. So that begs the question, why didn't you?"

The fashionista frowned at him, but even she was curious. "You're probably right, b-but I just didn't want any trouble." Velvet murmured.

The fox mask stared at her eerily for a minute before he spoke again. "There won't always be somebody to defend you. If you can stand on your own two feet, then you shouldn't rely on somebody else as a crutch." Without another word he nodded at both of them and walked away.

"Wait!" Velvet called, but as somebody passed him, the boy vanished. "I never got your name…"

She heard a slow whistle as the other girl walked up next to her, hand on her hip. "Harsh, but he's got a point. If it were me I would've kicked him in the balls, him and his friends." Velvet gaped at the causal threat, causing the other girl to laugh. "Since Foxy forgot to, I'll give you mine. The name's Coco!" She held out a hand.

Despite the wild few minutes, Velvet smiled, "Velvet," she replied, taking Coco's hand.


Sabito had his eyes closed, sitting in a dark corner of the Main Hall. All around him prospective students were either asleep or getting there, chatting about the day or the Initiation tomorrow. Sabito himself had changed little, switching to a green shirt, black sweatpants, and his fox mask. It was amazing how quickly it had become a part of him, but honestly he wouldn't have it any other way. He didn't care much to mingle, as he had done enough of that earlier, so he decided that he would join the number of sleeping students as quickly as possible. All he had was a worn blanket and a feather pillow, but it was all he needed. Sabito let his mind go blank, letting the rhythmic pattern of Total Concentration Constant lull him to sleep… Or at least he tried to…

"That's him over there, isn't it? Come on!" A somewhat familiar voice whispered.

"Coco!" the girl from earlier admonished, "it's fine, just leave it be!"

"Come on Velvet! You said it yourself you wanted his name, and he's right over there!"

"Yes, and he's sleeping!" He wouldn't be for as long as they kept up that racket…

"That just means we can get a peek of his face too!"

"Coco!" Velvet hissed.

"You can't tell me you're not interested~ He has it on even when sleeping?~"

"Of course I'm curious," Velvet whispered, "but I also respect his privacy!"

The voices were getting closer. Sabito sighed as he resigned himself to his fate. The voices were right next to him now, and one of them was right above him. "Come on, only for a second~" Sabito reached up and grabbed Coco's wrist. Opening his eyes, all he saw was the palm of her hand, an inch away from his mask. He sighed again, sitting up and letting go of her wrist.

Coco was grinning, wearing a loose t-shirt and sweats, brown eyes no longer hidden by her aviators. "Nice reflexes, did we wake you up?" She asked coyly.

"I was never asleep," he grumbled. Velvet blushed in embarrassment. She was wearing the same as Coco, holding a very fluffy blanket.

"Cool, cause this place is getting pretty crowded and we noticed a fair bit of free space in your corner, sooo~"

"S-Sorry, we can go somewhere else, the place isn't that crowded, hehe."

"Speak for yourself, I think I'm good riiight here," Coco dropped her own expensive looking blanket and pillow, causing Velvet to stammer.

The boy sighed, bowing his head slightly. After a moment he waved an arm at the general area, "it's fine, not like I need all of this space." Velvet sighed and dropped her own stuff, getting settled.

He watched them as Coco turned to give him a devious grin. He didn't like that grin, it promised nothing but bad things for him. "So you got a name? Or am I gonna have to keep calling you Foxy?" There was a small "Coco!" from Velvet but it went ignored by both of them.

Sabito sighed again. He didn't want to play this game, but he didn't like the idea of being called 'Foxy' either… "Sabito Urokodaki," he eventually said. Though his master was elated at his choice to use his last name, both of them agreed that using Branwen might attract too much attention. That was fine though, he liked Urokodaki better than Branwen anyways.

"Nice to meet you Sabito, I'm Coco, and the blushing rabbit's Velvet."

Velvet stammered before sighing and slumping in defeat, "I'm sorry about her…" She settled on, already used to the girl's nature. Coco pressed a hand against her chest and let out a mock gasp before laughing.

Coco, unfortunately, turned her attention back to him. "So, I gotta ask. Though I absolutely love the mask, totally adds to the whole mysterious swordsman look you got going for ya," Hadn't he heard those words before? "Why haven't you taken it off?" Despite her reservations about Coco's forwardness, Sabito could see her own curiosity peeking through.

He wasn't getting out of this, was he? For the umpteenth time today Sabito sighed, "It was a gift from my father. It's a warding mask, a good luck charm."

"Hm," Coc snapped her fingers. "I have an idea! If I can guess your eye color, you have to show us your face~"

Sabito blinked. What was she playing at? On Remnant a person's eye color could be literally anything. "Fine, but—"

"Purple," Coco interrupted him. Sabito froze, and Velvet looked between them in confusion. Coco grinned, resting her chin on her hand, "I'm right, aren't I."

"What?" Velvet asked. But the boy wasn't denying it, and he was sitting shock still. "What?!" She said a bit louder.

"How?"

"Your clothes," Coco held up two fingers, almost bored. "Green, yellow, black, and white. Black and White can go with anything. But there's one color that goes with green and yellow perfectly."

"And that's purple?" Velvet asked, confused.

"It's common knowledge!" Coco defended.

Sabito's resigned sigh drew both of their attention. With one hand he slid the mask up and off of his face, resting it on the pillow he had been occupying those fond minutes ago. He gave Coco a look that screamed; happy? Her coy grin was his answer.

"Your scar," Velvet said softly, eyes wide. "All you had to do was say something, we wouldn't have—"

"It's fine," Coco waved off, ignoring Sabito's flat stare. "Besides, if he wasn't fine with it, it wouldn't be on his mask." Her grin turned more genuine, "you look better this way. And they're more lavender than purple, but close enough."

Velvet was giving him an odd look, when Sabito's eyes met hers she jumped slightly, noticing that she'd been staring. "Sorry, it's just… how old are you?"

He blinked, pursing his lips. "Fifteen," he eventually answered. Both of the girls' eyes widened.

"Am I missing something here? Did Beacon lower the age requirement?"

Sabito moved his mask and laid back down, he was finished playing 20 Questions. "No, I'm just something of a special case." He closed his eyes again, and this time despite the noisy girls he actually fell asleep.

Coco kept talking of course, but Velvet noticed his expression turn lax, even if his weird breathing pattern remained the same. "Coco!" she hissed out, putting a finger in front of her lips.

The girl gave her an odd look, but when she looked at Sabito she gave an 'ah' before turning back to Velvet. "Now that he's asleep, I was right. He is cute without the mask~"

"Coco!" Velvet hissed as quietly as possible.

"What? I'm right! Even if it's in a kid brother sort of way."


Over 7,000 words? That's close to my record!

I always felt like if Sabito managed to survive, he would've been so much more powerful than we can imagine. He probably could've ended up as a Hashira, but we'll never know for sure. I'm hoping to explore that 'what if' in this story. He won't be ridiculously broken, but he will not be a pushover.

Expect more familiar characters to show up in the chapters ahead. I'll let y'all guess if they're from KNY or RWBY. Also, Urokodaki is best Dad, Velvet's a ray of sunshine, and Coco is a little shit.

Next Story in the Rotation: The Rider's Sentinel

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all soon!~