Hey Guys!
Kind (Girl): Sorry we took so long but we'll be starting to write regularly on this fanfic again.
Also, thanks for all the reviews and for reading despite our terrible grammer hehe…
Jago Li Son Shiranui, you words were very compelling but unfortunately we could buy 'Writer INC' since it isn't available in our region online or local. But to improve the chapters a little bit we're using Grammarly software though with some limitations.
And to some of you guys concern about Naruto's naivety. One of the reasons is that he's a mc that repeatedly has his memories reset due to a reason we'll share later and he's also a dense god but we'll get on this detail later on too.
Just a reminder, here Naruto's age is lable '?' since he's a god meaning he's way older than everyone and his child like appearance staying the same is because it's only a physical form made by his powers. He won't stay like that forever though.
Also I'm posting this while Strong finishes on our Christmas tree Decorations. It's not too late for finish okay.
Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto or RWBY.
Chapter – 13
Mindscape
Anyone knows how a cycle starts and when it eventually ends, as it keeps repeating which depends on the circumstances. Similarly, someone of a different existence but similar topic has started and ended only to restart again.
A boy that appears pretty young for the amount time he had spent with the living stares off into space with his beautiful eight golden luscious fox tails sway as he sat in what seems to be a dark place and where the only light that made it possible to see was very dim.
The boy eyes lack the hopeful look he always seems to have and this made him express hollow inside.
The place around him was a place where someone or something… rather a being unknown to the history of Remnant lives not by forced but out of its own will.
*drip*
The place was indeed cold and dark. Small droplets of water fell from the darkness above not until its last drop did something change and where time slow down to initiate the change.
"…" The darkness around him and dim lighting started to slowly glow in a blissful shine.
The boy's surrounding began to changed and where darkness once envelop now replaced by pure white blank space.
"*huff*"
Another change was the place and the change of his surrounding was the new presence of a large orange fur creature with huge long nine tails. It was sleeping and it was very much tremendously frightening with its head laid before the young boy with eight golden fur tails.
"Are you awake?"
The humongous creature asked while its eyes still close.
"…" The boy looked up to the huge creature but did not respond with words as if he was a doll with hollow eyes.
"Do you remember anything?"
The creature understands the boy's silence due to the reaction of the little one looking up to it.
"…"
This time the boy closes his hollow eyes with the intention of finding what he could remember. A rather odd reaction for someone in his situation and yet something was different in the little one's action to recall what he could find.
"…"
"….." The fox waited for a while and would do so until the boy answered.
"Mi…Milady…"
The boy finally opens his eyes where a little light of what his eyes were supposed to be started appearing.
He wasn't able to remember anything for a while and continues trying to find what in his memories until a person appears out of nowhere with hers and his pinky fingers entwined. Her smile made him react in a similar action.
"She's my friend… Milady is my best friend and we made promises together." The boy spoke out with a happy tone.
"*sigh* I see…" The creature was not amused at the boy's answered but was not surprised either by his answer.
"Than do you know who you are?"
"No."
"Where you came from?"
"No."
"Anything else apart from this milady?"
"No."
The huge fur creature asked on and on, the boy on the other hand always answered with straight answers. This also in some way bothered the creature in more than one way.
"D-Do you… know me?" In his sudden clarity of sense, the boy took his chance and asked as he stared up to the two large eyes that were now open.
"…"
"…" The creature stayed quite while they stare at one another, while one shows curiosity the other show contemp.
"Does it bother you not knowing anything?"
"Yes."
"Do you feel weak and helpless?"
"Yes."
"Do you want these bothersome feelings gone?"
"I do."
Instead of answering his question, the creature continues with another bundle of questions. By no means were such questions aimless.
"Then you'll just have to let go."
"Let… go?"
The words of the creature confused the boy, and yet the creature did not show any kind of action to show it was a jest.
Despite now showing much expression, the creature inside was very adamant in making the boy decision of letting whatever he mention free.
"Exactly, just look at your finger."
"My finger?"
Upon the creature's instruction, the boy look to his hands but at first glance he did not see anything until after a few seconds something started to appear on his pinky finger.
He could see numerous shiny thin golden threads tied to his pinky finger.
"Strings?" The boy touched the threads in a delicate manner and felt new emotions rushing into him.
"Let them go and everything that would ever hold you back will disappear… you'll finally be freed of those earthly chains," The creature was not forcing him. It was only trying to persuade him, "that I assure you."
"…" The boy stare at the numerous light but endless threads as the emotions from them sink into him and no, none of them overwhelm them.
"I-I can't..."
The words of the creature were so promising and good but the boy did not succumb to his desire.
"What you ask of me felt so… right and yet… I do not… I cannot… I should not unlink them." The boy spoke out with better clarity of self-confidence, completely different from his earlier demure and this surprise the creature a little.
"…" The creature now fully awake raised its body to its peak height. The scene changed to the creature being a giant compare to the little boy.
"Are you sure of this decision?" At its full height while standing on its hinge legs the creature stare down and asked in annoyance.
This action of the creature might intimidate anyone and most would do its bidding but not the little one before it.
The boy also got up to stand and gaze up to the huge creature with no fear or any kind of rebellious expression instead faces the creature with a humble nod.
"This…" The creature started to speak once more abide a bit irritated by the grinding of its teeth and fangs, "this decision of yours will only lead to hardship, confusion, and… betrayal. Are you not scared?"
"It's okay."
The boy smile now understanding the creature a little bit, "You don't have to worry about me," His words were very sincere after how he could tell about the fox's intention, "It'll be fine."
*!*
With a powerful tremor, the fox slumps back down to continue his sleep causing even the random things around to be toss up mid air at a small height.
"…"
The boy now staring at the sleeping creature that was actually a large huge fox blinks a few times before moving forward slowly to it.
The fox did not even bothered to look at the boy and just slept as its attempt on persuasion failed yet again.
"You know…"
The fox felt the tiny hands of the little golden foxtails boy on his fur.
"It was scary at first… when I woke up..."
"What made it even scarier was that everything was really blank to me, besides remembering milady…" The little one speaks clearer and clearer as new feelings but familiar ones came to him.
"…" The fox's ear twitches as an indication that it was listening carefully.
"But… then after seeing you and talking to you, I felt that I could handle through the scary things."
"…"
"Even though I don't know your name, I do know that you've been always been by my side."
The little boy than made himself comfortable on the large fox's surprisingly soft belly fur. "Thank you..."
"…"
The fox eyes once again open in a very narrow way, as it was sadden and annoyed a bit by the boy's words.
Waiting for the boy to wake up from his mindscape, the fox speaks once again with a tired tone.
"No matter how many times… no matter how many centuries. I will not stop, I will convince you Naruto. That this world isn't worth saving."
Beacon
A supposed place where young future protectors could gain the knowledge as well as the experience to prepared against the dark forces residing in the world of Remnant.
At a normal person's viewpoint, the academy has an enormous area but to a few it was where many secrets lie in plain sight and yet none of them could be compared to the tower where greater secrets hide and where the headmaster of the academy's office situated.
In this tower, a room unaware by many was again finally open.
"…" The headmaster of the academy walks in the room with a plate of fruits in one hand and a cup of coffee on the other.
The man was calm and relaxes for the first time in a while, unlike the past few months. Many of his staffs could vouch for it.
Inside the room, a bed and other furniture were place like a bedroom. The inside was neat, clean but lacks the many accessories most normal bedrooms own, and yet for some reason it had something much better.
What made it so much better was the fact that it was giving warmth that could soothe the heart, the man knew it as ever second he was inside the room the weight he always felt on him lifted and this made him distracted for a few seconds to sink in such warmth.
"Professor Ozpin?"
The voice of his trusted staff member, a woman name Glynda Goodwitch snapped the man out of his sudden paused and daydream.
"Apologies, I was…" He could exactly describe to the woman as he could not and felt not to give more details about his strange paused, "…distracted."
"…" Glynda acknowledge his words without much thoughts and turned back to the one who was soundly sleeping with soft breathes as well as tugging on his golden fur fox tails.
"Is he… really like what you describe him to be?" The huntress asked with doubts, as she can only see the boy like any ordinary innocent child they had retrieved from Atlas by coincidence.
"Accepting the fact that I myself am a phenomenon, I assure you he is one. Yet…"
The headmaster placed the pate of fruits on the small desk beside the bed and took a seat on the chair near the bedside. "I truly believe he is so much more."
"I see…"
"Glynda, you can rest now. I'll take the next shift."
"Of course, Professor."
The woman got up and approached the handle of the door but stop. She stopped as she still has a question.
"Professor."
"You still have doubts don't you Glynda?"
"…"
"I will not force you but I do ask of you if I am not present to look out for him whenever this cycle embedded to him again resets."
"I will Professor."
It was one of the most unpleasant moments the woman had to experience with her superior whom she admires and trusted with her life. His request was not hard and yet Glynda felt hesitant due to a few reasons but accepted it nonetheless.
To her, the little boy was just a little boy.
It was hard for her to accept such an innocent child as a being that could create life on a whim. She knew things were going to be nothing but abnormal and this somewhat prepared her for the many surprises and truth she learned along the way.
It was too much for her to process thoroughly without doubts.
Even with these doubts, the woman trust in the man did not falter.
…..
"I'm honestly lost as to why you still remain in such a state."
The headmaster of Beacon Professor Ozpin a man who was renowned for his strong front amongst many now was showing sadness for a boy that was far different from meets the eye.
The man was not surprised at the boy's state and yet felt conflict by which not a lot but a certain few would understand.
Seeing the boy sleep with such a calm expression despite being in an unfamiliar place the man could not help but chuckle to himself. Memories of past flicker inside his thoughts and all of them happen to have a child the looks exactly like the one before him.
"…" Ozpin leans back to his chair and closes his eyes. He knew that wherever the boy before him stayed with absolute calmness there was also an air of tranquility which could soothe the aching heart and mind. Therefore, he finds it a waste not to enjoy it while he waits.
…
Outside the hidden room and inside the headmaster's office stood three people.
These three had just gathered not too long ago with different reasons. They had stayed silent for the past hour since the headmaster of Beacon had entered the hidden.
"How long does Ozpin plan to stay inside? I need to speak to him now."
The first to speak was a man who held great power and duty name James Ironwood. Despite being the headmaster of Atlas academy, he also held the post of being the head of his country's military.
"?" A black hair man with a lazy demur quickly stopped James Ironwood's intention to head into the hidden room.
"Wow… wow, hold on just a minute General," The man with a tendency to get drunk almost all the time stood in the way of the General as he wasn't going to let the military man do what he likes, "Can let you bother Oz and the kid. You just got to wait like the rest of us."
"Like Qrow said James, wait until Professor Ozpin comes out himself," The only woman of the three too stood folding her arms beside Qrow while glaring at the General and his impatience. "Or do we need excessive measures?"
"…" The General saw how loyal the two were to the man behind the door and stop his pursue. He too was loyal to Ozpin as he was a good friend but what happened back at his country's secret lab was something he could not slide so easily.
He wanted an explanation and since his trusted friend just left with the cause of the confusion without even a shred of detail made him on edge.
"I just want to know why he described a fanus child as… a god." James asked out with a frustrated expression.
Yes, before they had left with the little one Ozpin describe the little one as such without giving the General much detail. The man was frustrated to know more since the head Scientist of his country had and was able to imbue the soul of his daughter on the core of a future high-tech military synthetic android, all with the help of the boy with eight fox golden tails.
It was a good thing his head scientist rushed to him first an explained with proof otherwise the knowledge of such could lead to disastrous outcome for the secrecy he was included here.
"Is that all what you want to learn James?" The woman, a powerful huntress herself was always annoyed at the General's overbearing habit of rushing details with other excess intention.
"…" James Ironwood learned that opposing the two here and now was not something he wanted since they were all allies on the same side but he had the feeling that his trusted friend Ozpin was hiding more
"No, I won't lie at the fact that I have other questions. However, if what Oz said was true, such a possibility could lead to too many possibilities. You two should know what I mean."
As a leader who has great responsibility to protect the people, James Ironwood had many thoughts on the subject that was the little one who could do such a miracle might be a threat.
Indeed, the man's words seem to sink in the woman's own thoughts. Glynda was not sure what to say anymore and stood silent as to the point that the General would be able to pass through her and into the room.
"…" Seeing the hesitation on the woman's face the General decided to march forward again.
"I told you James, no one is going in until Oz comes out himself."
*!* Qrow came forward and push off James, not enough to be push to the floor but enough to give a good amount of space between them.
"Qrow did you not hear what I said? I told yo-!" The General ignore the man's ever familiar
"Oh, I heard you loud and clear James…" Qrow cuts into the man's words and without any hesitation pulls out his weapon.
"But there's just one thing."
*!* Qrow then thrust his blade at the man and said man block the attack with his left arm which withstood such a dangerous attack only due to being a reinforce mechanical arm.
"I don't!" Qrow quickly puts more strength into his thrust and starts pushing the general off his strong stance.
"Give a damn!" In addition, with a final push, Qrow blows the man off his feet and on to the wall with a painful collision.
*!* The General quickly got back up and without wasting time made a mad dashed forward only to be at a standstill with the pissed off man.
"Of all the hunters around, you're the most uncooperative person I've ever had to meet!"
"I can say the same thing Jimmy!"
"!" Both men struggle for an edge on the each other and glare one another.
*!* Suddenly, a bright light flashes from the edges of the hidden door.
"…"
"….."
"…." Even with such actions both did not move from their power struggle until something like a refresh in the head came to both out of nowhere. The light that flashed earlier might have been the culprit for their actions to be stop.
"What the heck are we even doing?"
"Not sure why but I blame my bad mood on a terrible drink I had earlier."
Both men came to the realization that fighting here was not going to end to anything good. James just reminded himself that nothing could be rush in a place out of his base and Qrow on the other hand just felt a bad taste in his mouth bumming him out.
"*sigh* I'm sorry, I'm…"
"Save it for Oz James. Don't know about Glynda over there but I don't really care."
"Yes, that would be appropriate."
"…" Qrow saw how restless the military man was acting, and clicks his tongue, as it irritated him. Taking a seat on one of the few chairs inside the headmaster's office, the huntsman had something he felt reluctant but decided to share it to shut the General's annoying impatience.
"I met the kid a year ago…" He mustered out the words, which got the General's attention.
"And I am sure about one thing. He's more than just his powers." Qrow shared but gave little detail too as well as remember the little one somehow reduce his semblance effects. For his case, it was a good thing and made his life a little easier.
"So let's just avoid steering up more trouble for Oz and the kid." The black un-kept hair huntsman just jumps on to a couch, and waves his hand to the General lazily indication to buzz off.
"I suppose." Finally, the hardheaded General agrees to wait and be patient not only because of his argument with Qrow but also due to the strange feeling coming into him after the sudden flash of light from the door.
"…" Gylnda too finally relax a little, relief at the two men's decision to stop their bickering. Folding her arms she had been her thoughts elsewhere and such bother too were also gone when the light from the room flash earlier.
They all felt a little better when the light flash and wonder why it felt so normal and yet so different.
It did not take long for Ozpin to come out, and surprisingly all three that had been waiting impatiently gather to a calm conversation amongst themselves.
Vale
Vale lies in the north west of the largest continent of Remnant. Like most successful kingdom, the place where many live mainly due to the region's well-guarded landscape from the creatures of Grimm.
Vale might have a hard time extending its territory but despite such outcomes, the city has a good natural climate and barrier as well as national borders, which not only secure the lives of many from Grimm but also from bandits and dangerous outcasts.
"haa~" Within this city, a boy with pure innocent eyes exhales out blissfully despite being aware of the difference of fresh air between a city and nature.
He was wearing a small hoodie that almost fits him as he like the extra space and he hide a lot of candy inside the front of pocket.
The boy walks without being bother by the many people watching him, more specifically his eight golden tails that sway around due to his jolly mood.
"That's an unusual Fanus."
"Yeah…"
Those with animal features like a rabbit ears or cat tails were consider a sub species called Fanus but the boy that was walking by was rather unusual which even the local Fanus had their attention on him for a while.
"I hope he's only on an errand… with all the rumors spreading around."
"You mean that rumor?"
"Yeah, I don't know what kind of crazy sociopath he or she is but I'm not letting any of my kids outside without supervision."
"It's just a rumor, aren't you being a little paranoid?"
"I would be happy if that was true."
Even in a stable society like Vale, there were problems that did not fall in the category of death by Grimm. The world was still harsh even at the short absence of Grimm.
Still many eyes were on the unusual fanus looking boy and many agreed that the child was very beautiful as if he was a walking doll. His small but sweet smile somewhat gave their mind a sort of peace without them even knowing it.
"I hope she isn't waiting too long." The boy quickens his pace while wondering about the person in his mind would be bother by his tardiness.
His path continues and the nice neighborhood of the city turned into the not so nice part of the city. Hooligans around and the boy just kept moving forward still unbothered by the many different kinds of stares that came along with the path he was using.
"…" None approach the boy as the silent confident he held in moving along the way made it seem he was not a dumb child that could be bother and this made it for others a different story
The boy was just happy like any other day especially since his current guardians allowed him to venture outside alone for some reason the boy did not knew about.
"Oh?" Though his attention was caught by a couple of neighborhood kids playing and he joins them doing hopscotch. However, he had to handover the candies in his pocket to play with the little playful but little rascals.
"…"
"psst! Guys, I-It's her…"
"I-I think my mom's calling me, sorry b-bye."
"Y-Yeah, me too…"
"C-Catch you later kid… maybe…" For some reason the kids that were having a great time with the little one suddenly saw someone and their expression turned to fear stick in mere seconds.
Nervously they went away one by one. In the end the little one with confuse pure eyes was left to himself by the sidewalk unsure why they left all so suddenly.
"Okay, bye." The words of the little one wasn't what many would expect since most would feel down being left alone suddenly but his tone was just a simple one saying something. He had fun and he felt it was good enough.
"…"
"huh?"
He was not aware of the person that scared the kids away until his attention was being pulled by said person.
"Neo?"
Behind him stood a little girl with tattered or rather ragged clothes for a girl her age and she was looking at him with a smile that gave off the wrong impression.
The boy had met the girl a couple of weeks of ago and sometimes goes out with Ozpin's permission to play. She was weird and so was he, eventually they seem to get along or rather in this case the girl seems to get along with the already friendly naive little one. Another fact was that she was an orphan and he didn't know what parents mean so the girl saw him as her pair like two peas in a pot though all of these seem too easy for her.
"…" The girl narrows her eyes at him while folding her arms suggesting to him she wasn't pleased.
"I'm sorry Neo, when I saw them playing I couldn't hel-!?"
Before the little one could finish the little girl stops him but a finger on his lips. The colors of her eyes change shortly to show him that she forgave him and the little one could tell for some reason.
"…" The girl eye roll at the boy's modest behavior as she always seem to see him expressing a confident yet gentle front wherever and whenever even with his choice of words.
"…"
"Neo?"
Without wasting any more time, the little girl grabs his hand and pulls him toward the direction of where they were supposed to meet.
For the little one it was fun running around even though his new found friend would not speak. She was sometimes mean to him which the little one was not bothered by and at times show act of kindness to him.
But to the boy, the girl was right now expressing someone that was lost and confuse despite her usual facade. He was also wondering about the wet red color stain on the girl's ragged clothes as well as the same stain on her hands.
Eventually they arrived in a tall cardboard shed like house the girl and the little one had built through the weeks of being friends. It was a little secret hideout the two made by the girl's suggestions.
The little one always felt so thrill seeing the small place like hut since the feeling of making something with such weak hands surprises him quite a lot.
"Are you okay?" But the thrill he was supposed to have suddenly replaced itself by the worried he felt for his friend.
"…" The girl upon arrival just sat quietly looking outside since whenever they arrive she would play with him by trying to embarrass him. Yet, it never works since the boy took all her teasing and actions as playing around.
*!*
"!?" Suddenly, there immediate surround change from all his golden fluffy tails surprises the girl out of her trance like state. She was envelope around by the tails and now inside a dome of those tails brimming with light that does not disturbed her sight.
The girl felt the soothing embrace and the warmth that came with it. It almost pushed down the new exhilarating feeling she had an hour ago, a feeling that was staring to change her for life.
Within all the warmth that surrounds the two, the girl felt his palm on her back and it shook her demure for a moment.
Her hand clench into a fist as the frustrated and the lost of word was too bothersome for her. Something that should not be possible for her and all of this was coming from a mere boy she befriended within a short span of time.
"!?" Her instincts were sharp but for some reason she didn't saw it coming. She did not expect the sensation of his touch; the little one was using something soft to clean the blood stain she had on her hands and arms. It almost made her pushed him off but his touch was so undeniable and so she let him clean the blood stains.
"!" She took a quick turn to face him and stare directly into his eyes.
Why wasn't he asking why she dragged him here without any explanation or made the least bit resistance?
Why isn't he asking any questions about the blood stains on her?
Was he just a very ignorant kid or scared to ask her? Then it doesn't explain why he kept so calm beside her.
Things weren't making sense to her and he doesn't make sense to her. Usually when she approach others they express fear or pity on her but instead of expressing those common feelings he felt excited talking with her or at least excited having her presence.
Unlike the random person that tried to take her to an orphanage while prating her… what and what not to do. Let's just say the said person that took a pity on her got dye red the other night. The little one didn't stop her from doing what she wanted to do like steal some food from random stores and only ask why she did it and only calmly nods on her reason and answer.
"?" The little one just tilts his head and without any kind of movement or hesitation the boy stayed still and faces her serious expression and gaze. He continues to just stay still with a confuse expression and both stay at such a position for a while.
It was not unusual for them to exchange words as the little one can communicate with her perfectly without words most of the time. He didn't ask her how or why she avoided using her voice and this made the girl saw the little one as a strange one.
"…" The girl's clench fist started tightening to the point where she could feel a stinging pain.
To him she was his friend but to her he was something like an interesting toy that she could and might discard any second.
But how she viewed him before gradually changed and this made things difficult.
She really did start to view him as such but unbeknown to the little one, the girl still had plans she could not stop even for him.
On the other hand for the little one, the girl was a friend and that made him happy since she recuperated the friendship though only through his eyes she did. He might never saw him any confirmation when he asked if they were friends but she was always at their usual playing spots and this was enough for the little one to understand she was his friend.
"…"
But even with a good friendship or any kind of bonds, things weren't always what they should or could be.
"!?"
With a quick push, the little one felt his body being forced backward and this marks the end of their new found bond.
"Good work kid; didn't expect things to take this long but good work anyway."
"Finally, we just got enough to sell under everyone's nose haha!"
The little one upon being shoved away was grabbed by someone that was reek with alcohol and something of the stench of bad news.
"…" The little one while being tied up glance between the three men that had appeared suddenly and praising the girl that he called his friend.
"…"
"….."
Neo, the girl that always seem to smile and not speak walks closer to the tied up little one.
"Neo." The little one spoke out confused and look up to her.
"…" She gave him a grin that was very different from her usual expressions.
"Did you actually think she was your friend? Haha riot!"
"She was actually helping us get fanus kids to be sold for big bucks and you fell for it so much. You're really gullible you know."
"She even killed an orphanage caretaker and brought back all kinds of merchandise we can sell. She's want I called a true remorseless henchmen."
"…." While the bunch of lowlifes kept on sprouting out nonsense, the girl look back down to see how the little one that made her feel so stump would react. Since the exhilarating feeling of going against orders and rules of the world felt so good to her that killing meant nothing to her.
But his reaction was far from amusing her.
"I'm glad Neo; you found that was you were seeking for right? I'm glad you're not confused anymore."
The little one only said it because he knew or at least could feel the truanting feelings and emotions of confusion that haunts her everyday but now it was gone and she was more focus in her path. This result made him glad for her well being.
"…"
"…."
"….."
"HAHAHAHA!" All three men laugh at the little one's words and find it funny as to it was nonsense and didn't make any sense.
"…" Neo grin slowly faded and the amazing feeling that swelled within her suddenly stop, this annoyed her. His words annoyed her.
"!"
"Hold on their girly."
The sudden entrance of someone none of them knew without any sound spook the three men as well as the little girl whose action was stopped by said man.
"…"
"Surprise? Anyway, can't let you do that." The man indeed stopped her action and that action was her sudden intention to lunge a knife she held onto the little one.
"Haha… thanks buddy, we didn't think she w-was going to do that."
*!* One of the men pulled the girl by her hair dragging her to their side.
"I don't like what you just pulled brat!"
"Excuse us pal, she's just one of those alley kids we ask stuff to do. Didn't think she would do that right guys?"
"These stray kids these days, crazy right?"
"She must want some candy, maybe that's why."
The three men shove something that look like candy to her and pushed her to the other side of the alley to scurry away.
"…" The girl was still in a shock state since she was literally was in front of the man that stop her action.
She had something like a six sense and it felt something from him and how dangerous he was and it reminded her of someone she never wanted to remember but can't forget.
"And tell that Roman not to ever trespass our turf again." One of the men whispers to the nerve stricken girl.
"…" being given the small pill shape like candies, the girl rush off not wanting to turn back or even willing to do out of curiosity.
She knew one thing, those men were fucked.
…
*!* The same girl that acted so confident even after the many misdeeds she has committed now was on her knees and her bleeding fists on the ground.
Neo was tricked; she had prided herself as someone who was able to come out of many things as a victor both in deception and many things that pertain to the underground world.
"arrg…" Upon hearing the groaning sound of someone near her, the girl rushed to the person's side. The person seems to be suffering from some illness or many something like the side effects of over dose drugs from the many incorrect needle shots on the person's arms.
"…" The person only groan in pain and it seems his last breath in the world was approaching.
The girl had tears falling from her eyes as she just helplessly stare into the person's painful groaning.
*!* Her fist once again slams onto the ground as her anger never subsided with her anguish and sadness.
She had gone through many days helping those scumbags do their dirty work smoothly under the cop's radar and this was what they had rewarded her for the hard-work she put in.
The man that was groaning in pain was someone very important to her and she regretted her stupidity for not stopping him from his deal with underground drug dealers since said person wasn't well experience yet to survive such a world. It resulted in him getting addicted to the drugs that were killing him right now.
"…" She then crushed the pills like candy relentlessly that were given to her for her helping those men. It was supposed to help her important person.
Unfortunately for her, they were fakes and this made her very upset to the point of drawing tears from her eyes. Her important person was about to die and her hard work was in vain.
"N-Neo, you there?" Her important person was calling out for her while enduring pain.
She felt her heart pinned down and never felt more lost.
"…" After a few more silence in the dark corner of the slum in Vale, something that might change or at least leave a very long impression was about to happen.
"H-Hey, who are you kid?"
"?" Hearing her important person speaking out and upon said words, Neo quickly got up without wiping her damp eye lids and then she saw him.
"…" She saw him here and completely fine. She had indeed made a good illusion of acting as a friend in order to lead him to those drug dealers who were also human trafficking bastards.
Many thoughts gone through her head as she saw him moving closer to her important person and this did not sit well with her.
She had hurt, betrayed him, and upon seeing him injured less, the girl thought he had come for revenge especially after she almost lunge a blade into his head earlier.
Her important person always said to only trust him and no one else as the man did the same. With such a mindset, Neo only saw the little one as a threat and nothing else at the moment.
The little one flinched at the heated glare the man was giving as well as unnecessary words he never heard off at him.
"A-Ah I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to startle you bu-!"
The little one stopped as a blunt force to his chest made him shut his mouth.
"…" It silent was again and only the sound of dripping water or rather something with the color dark red could be heard.
"…" It was Neo and she had finally done it again, her second kill in her life. The small pocket knife she had on was now finally pierced into the flesh of another again.
First it was a very annoying orphanage home caretaker who kept nagging and annoying her to no end to come and live there and the second now was a person she could not understand but the person was able to understand her more than most. Yes, it was the little one and she had aim to kill him when she first tried and now it was the same.
"…" Neo breathe in and out, yet the feeling of excitement and exhilaration was not there. Being a bad girl was fun to her but the misdeed she now did felt so sour and almost reaching to the point of feeling terrible.
"…"
"…."
"….."
"Neo?" He was speaking to her but it was impossible to her.
"Are you okay?" She had jabbed the pocket knife into his heart and yet he still spoke as if he was worried about her.
"…"
"!?" Again, he was embracing her. What was with hugs and the boy? The girl thought as such while not understanding his action even after she had done to him.
It was a strange sight, a girl with a pocket knife jabbed deep into a boy whom wasn't struggle in pain but instead hugged the girl gently.
"I'm gonna miss you Neo…"
"…"
His words were confusing her and yet she couldn't break out of the embrace.
"But before that I'm going to heal your important person first okay?"
"!"
"!"
"!"
The girl eyes widen and her hands made the action of pulling out the knife she jabbed in him before thrusting in him again, again, again and again.
She couldn't trust him and she was afraid without knowing the reason.
*!*
*!?*
The girl was grabbed back and suddenly a scythe was held again her neck. Neo was suddenly pushed further down into her a fearful state upon remembering a similar terrifying presence.
"No Mr. Qrow, she's my friend!"
"Kid, you're kidding me right?"
"…" The little one shook his head while wearing a tired and sad expression.
"Kid, I don't know why you're standing up for her but news flash she left a dozen life threatening wounds on you. From my experience, that's not something little girls do."
The little one indeed was bleeding and enough it would kill many within seconds but he was different even with blood coming out of his nose, mouth and on his multiple knife wounds. He didn't understand but he knew he wouldn't die from it and Qrow knew it too.
Qrow had suddenly rushed in when she saw him gutting the little one with a pocket knife without hesitation. He wasn't someone who just stands and let stuff like such happen despite being a weird occurrence.
"She's my friend and I'm going to help her important person."
"!" Neo upon hearing his words tried to struggle off Qrow's hold despite fear reaping her from inside.
"It'll be fine."
With those three short words the little one move to the dying man that seems to be in his 20's. The illness was also making looking as if he was in his 30's. One look and one can guess he was very unusually pale along with his expression showing signs of intense pain.
"Your one weird kid, y-you know… *cough*"
"Mister?"
"Neo used you… and did a lot of stuff even I would consider a little too much. *cough* Not only that," The dying young man was amused and wondered if he could anger the unusual kid before dying, "…she literally stabbed you multiple times and you still tried to help me?"
"Yes, but…" The little one then made two of his golden tails move before the dying man, "I made a promise to her when we first met to help her when she really needed it. I have to keep that promise Mister."
"…"
Suddenly a golden glow came from the two tails of the little one and it enveloped the dying man who was rather surprised from the little one naive words but much more to the glowing tails.
"…" Neo, who was struggling to get off Qrow's hold stops and stares at the scene just like he was doing.
The boy and the dying man were covered in golden light which did not even hurt their eyes. In fact it was or at least felt a soothing kind of feeling.
"…"
When the light finally died down, Neo snapped out of her stupor and stomp on the still daze Qrow's foot to be release and rush to her important person's side.
She pushed the little one off without hesitation from her important person and the tears that were supposed to fall were now dried by her important person's fingers.
"Cut it out with the water works, you won't make it big in the world."
"…" Neo's was somewhat in shock upon seeing her important person glowing in health, without any warning the girl hugged him without holding back and this hurt said person a little from such a strong hold for a girl her age.
*sniff*
Your okay! Your okay! You're really okay…
The girl's mind was easily readable for the person that was dying a moment ago but now back in full health. Surprisingly the little one also could read her happiness. Yes, he saw the small beautiful smile forming on the girl's lips.
"Come on, whatever you did caught attention and I don't want to be here for that." Qrow shook his head trying to push down the confusing state he was in and picked up the little one on his arm like a log.
The huntsman also saw the bleeding stop from the little one's body and this somewhat surprise him. It only surprised him a little since his boss literally just said the little one was a god and he was babysitting a god. Life was just that weird for the man name Qrow.
"Hey kid!" The person who was saved by the little one called out to him while getting up with Neo's help.
"…"Qrow stop on his tracks and the little one tilt his head to look at the person and Neo.
"…"
They stared for a few seconds until the person spoke something that shook Neo very hard.
"Take Neo with you!"
"…"
"….."
"…"
Only Qrow and Neo reacted from the person's words.
Qrow just groan in annoyance at such a request but which the decision wasn't his to make but find it very annoying and stupid. Neo on the other hand hugged the man's side tighter and shook her head with new tears falling off her. She couldn't understand why he was saying such words and it really scared her.
"…" The little one tried to speak but he suddenly coughs out blood which made it hard for him to talk. Qrow saw it and sighs that it was his cue.
"What the hell are you asking us buddy?"
"I wasn't asking you, I was asking the ki-!" The person felt his eye twitch in annoyance since he was cut off his words by a pebble thrown by Qrow.
"I'll tell you exactly what he's going to say." Qrow turns to the man and glared heavily, "You're that girl's irreplaceable person and after all she did for you you're just gonna abandon her to some strangers?"
"I'm only asking since Neo has a better chance," The man tried to ignored everything else and, "if she's with you two she can live like a normal kid than staying with a crook like me."
"kch!" Qrow chuckles humorously at the man's word though he was also pissed, "Normal? Chance? She already crossed the line when she held no hesitation or remorse after stabbing someone for you. Bet she already did more horrible stuff for you. Trust me when I say she's already where she belong bub."
"…" Annoyed at the harsh accusation, Roman was about reach into his back pocket.
"I won't do that if I were you." Qrow warned him and a simple glare was enough for the recently recovered man to stop whatever he was about to do.
Roman did not want to be talk down when he had enough the guts to ask for a request but his instinct shut him down when Qrow glare intensified at him. He was still inexperience after all to face someone like a professional huntsman.
"Let's get out of this dump."
Qrow then start walking away.
"…" The little one who was pushing his mortal body like no one again peek out from Qrow's shoulder with some struggle and wave goodbye to the two with a smile.
"…."
"You could at least wave back, you know."
Feeling the girl hesitating to let her hands off him or even giving a second look at the waving little one, the man sighs, "As much as I don't like to say it. He did save my life and we owe him, Neo."
The man felt bitter saying such words but he was not just some common criminal he was a classy one.
"…" Neo sniffles, and hesitantly wave her hand back hesitantly and only did it due to her important person, Roman's words. Though she took a short glance at the little whom she really owed even after all the horrible things she did to him.
The little one just saw another side of the friend he saw but said friend did not recuperate the feeling. He still gave a smile anyway and continues to wave goodbye.
"Mister Qrow."
"hm?"
"Are people… inherently good and bad?"
"What do you mean?"
"Neo… and her important person, their good in the eyes of each other but it isn't the same when others look at them." The boy felt it was a simple answer and should be easily accepted but finds it perplexing to take it in.
"*sigh*" The man shook his head and knew this was how the little one was always when comparing what was good and bad which was supposed to be common knowledge but things made sense after the little one's secret was revealed to him.
"Don't think too much on it kid, even a grown man like me don't think about the small stuff." It was awkward for him to treat the little one as a child and he was even given orders to treat the little one as such albite a bit different manner.
"It also hurts Mr. Qrow," A single tear drop from the little one's eye while a small and sad smile etches away on his lips. Qrow knew the boy was confused and hurt at the same time about the girl's act. "I really wanted to be friends with her."
"Wanna get some noodles?" The man could only come up with said words as a distraction since he remembered how the little one liked them.
"Noodles?" The little one tilts his head as if he heard the same words spoken out in a similar manner in his head.
Qrow took the little one to the local ramen shop own by Mr. Shopkeeper before taking him to a casino which he had planned since he met the little one again. Unfortunately, before Qrow could win big bucks, Glynda arrived and was not pleased.
Upon their return, a soft smile again appeared on the Headmaster of Beacon on seeing the curious little one asking away on what he had learn even if being hurt was one of them.
And done!
Age difference:
Naruto - ?
Cinder - 13
Yang - 8
Ruby – 6
Blake - 8
Winter – 13
Weiss – 8
Neo – 11 (I don't know her real age but someone else had an analyst on the subject and came to conclusion that Neo was 20 when Ruby started in Beacon at age 15. She's just really petite for her age is wat I assume.)
HAREM
Cinder (Somewhat going to be obsessive yet regards his words very important.)
Yang (Still developing her crush into a higher level of love)
Ruby (Still developing from like to like-like.)
Winter (Currently, sees his presence as a stress reliever mainly from the cruelty of reality.)
Weiss (Right now, he's just an important friend to her.)
Neo (Theirs a spark but it might take a while for her to realize it.)
Have a happy holiday, bye!