Chapter 1: Fox Cub

When Raven Branwen left that night, she left behind a husband and a daughter. None of them knew that she had taken another child with her, it was far too early for her to take a test, but even if precautions are taken, accidents happen… It didn't take long for him to be discovered, and it was only Raven's aura of fear that kept any of the Tribe from making a move while she was vulnerable. Nine months later, Sabito Branwen was born. And it didn't take long for him to learn that he wasn't in what you would call a stable household. The first three years of his life weren't easy, but they could be considered heaven compared to the hell he would go through for the next seven…

When Sabito was five, he held a sword for the first time. It was wooden, and barely the size of a Tanto, but it would be the foundation that his life would be built on. Raven was relentless in his training. Getting things right meant dinner, getting things wrong meant being hungry and covered in bruises. It didn't matter that he was her son, and even if she really cared for him, to his childlike brain all that equated to was her hating him. Luckily for him, whenever she taught him something it didn't take long for him to pick it up. He was a natural, though he didn't know why. Holding a katana just felt… familiar, somehow. But fundamentally they were different, and it wouldn't take long until something snapped.

When Sabito was seven, both of them were eating dinner together.

"Mom… why… why do you steal from people?" A six and a half year old Sabito asked Raven during dinner. He was young, but he wasn't stupid. Every time mom and the others left, they always came back with things they didn't have before.

"It's the nature of things, Sabito. The strong can do whatever they want, and the weak can't do anything about it. Remember that: the strong survive, and the weak perish." His mom responded coldly.

He frowned, looking down at his food. "That's… then why don't the strong protect the weak? Then both of them can work together, that would be better, wouldn't it?" He regretted it the minute the words left his mouth. Raven was scowling. That's right, Raven, not mom. Mom was the person who showed kindness, and though it was rare he still saw it from time to time. Whenever he perfected a form, whenever he stood his ground during training. There was a flicker of pride, a small quirk of the lips that made his heart soar. What child didn't want to impress their parent? It made him want to get better, it made him happy and he would find himself grinning as well.

Raven was different… Raven was the woman who would beat him even when he was down. The one who kicked him even when he was covering his face. The one that scolded him or harshly tried to correct him when he did something "wrong." Because there was one major difference between the two of them.

Raven was a survivor.

Sabito was just kind.

And no matter what she did, she never managed to beat that out of him.

"Those are the ideals of a fool. The faster you get rid of those the better. Your father was the same. Ideals make you weak. Kindness makes you weak."

Defiantly, Sabito shook his head. "You're wrong, mom. Ideals, core values, those are what give people power!" Just stop his mind kept yelling at him. You'll only make things worse. And though he was putting on a brave face, when Raven narrowed her eyes he began trembling. Still, he only tilted his chin up and met her glaring red eyes with his lavender.

But she didn't reprimand him any further. "It's about time for bed, finish up." Dinner was quiet from then on.

He didn't face any repercussions from their conversation until the next day.

It was raining, which was already a bad omen, but there was something particularly vicious about their sparring that day. They were using real swords this time, they had been for awhile now, but it wasn't that. It was in the air though, like static before a lightning strike. Sparks flew off of their blades every time they connected, and the sound of steel meeting steel echoed throughout the entire camp. It was to the point where a lot of people were watching, awestruck. The Tribe was neutral when it came to Sabito, and it was only that way because he pulled his weight when it counted. Most just saw him as Raven's brat, because when they trained together most never saw… this.

"I knew that he was skilled, but this is on a whole 'nother level…" one said

Sabito blocked an overhead swing, stepping to the side and slashing diagonally before leaping away when Raven deflected the attack. He predicted the follow-up swing, and he couldn't deflect it. He landed and slid, hand on the ground. When he stood he kept his blade low and off to the right. Lightning lit up the dark sky for a moment, and when the thunder followed both of them just… moved. Their swords met with a clang! Sabito's vertical and Raven's horizontal. He couldn't win a battle of pure power, but getting out of this was going to be tricky. He was being pushed back, so he jumped, pushing his sword forward to keep Raven from taking advantage. Twisting his body he brought his sword back down, missing as Raven twisted and kicked him. It was only through gut instinct that he brought up his sword, taking it on the hilt instead of his stomach or face.

He flew back, landing on his back and rolling back onto his feet. And as soon as he righted himself, the two of them were back at it. It was a flurry of blades, measured swings, timed pirouettes, parries, and perfect forms that the average eye would be hard-pressed to keep up with. But something was wrong, and Sabito was too involved in the fight, too focused to realize. Raven swung downwards, and at the last second Sabito twirled, using the momentum to throw himself onto a horizontal swing.

To the present day nobody knew what happened. It could've been instinct, Raven might've let her anger take control of her, or it could've even just been a freak accident. Regardless, as Sabito was twirling Raven sheathed her sword, and when it came back out it was an eerie red. There was another major difference between the mother and son as well. Raven was a former Huntress and master swordswoman who had been using her aura for decades, while Sabito was a seven year old. There was a horrible snap-like breaking noise as their blades met, with Sabito's snapping in two and Raven's continuing… until the burning red blade met his face.

Sabito didn't know what had happened, because one second he had heard the noise and the next he was on the ground, clutching at his face and crying out in pain. He missed the way his mom looked at him in horror, stunned for a brief moment before the camp exploded into a panic. He thought heard his mom calling his voice, he heard people scrambling around, he felt hands on him, he felt people dragging his arms away from his face. But he couldn't see anything, his eyes were clenched and clouded with tears. All he could hear was his own heartbeat and a sickening sizzling sound. A few moments later he passed out from the pain.

Sabito was scarred, from the corner of his mouth to his right ear. It was an ugly thing that was a mix between a cut and a burn wound. The Tribe only had medics, and they did the best they could. He was unbelievably lucky that the cut wasn't that deep, and that he still had full range of motion in his face. But it still pulled painfully when he talked too much or smiled, not that he did much of that anymore… He also hadn't spoken to his mom or to Raven in a few days. They ate separately, and they hadn't sparred in that time either. That didn't stop Sabito from practicing though. That was pretty much all he did these days…

When Sabito turned eight, Raven brought him on his first raid…

It was horrible. He hated it. It was wrong.

Sabot could only watch as the Tribe burned down a village that had nothing to do with them. According to Raven, they were weak, and that's why they had been killed so easily. He didn't really leave Raven's side, only once when she pushed him away to deal with a local Huntsman. When he was alone, it all kinda just got to him. The burning buildings, the screams, the laughing as the Bandits did whatever they wanted. And all he could do was watch it. He just needed to get away from it, if only for a minute or two, and so he broke through a door into an undamaged house, panting and holding back tears. It was only the noise of a rolling can that startled him.

In a flash Sabit had his sword drawn, blade held by his head and pointed at the noise. He was in a crouch with his teeth bared, eyes somewhat wild. And the whimper that his presence caused only tore at his heart more. Two kids his age stared at him, eyes wide in fear. They knew, anyone that simply looked out a window over the past few minutes knew that he was with the bandits. One of them had dark hair and magenta eyes, the other one had orange hair and turquoise eyes. The dark haired boy was holding the girl with his body slightly in front of her. A kitchen knife was in his hand, and a mallet was in the girl's hands. They wore tattered clothing, and just by a glance he knew that they were suffering from slight malnutrition. Sabito was well fed, trained, and had a well-maintained katana. If this turned into a fight, all three of them knew who would win.

The outside sound was muffled, but not muted. The two stared at him, and he at them. Ever so slightly his blade trembled, his eyes twitched. The fear that they stared at him tore his heart in two. His katana shook and his wild look turned pained. Making a wretched groan he fell to his knees, dropping his blade. For a solid minute he cried, and the two looked at him with confusion rather than fear. Their grips on the mallet and knife loosened.

Running footsteps met their ears and Sabito was back on his feet, katana lashing out on a swing.

"Woah! Watch it, brat!" It was one of the bandits. Sabito's katana rested a hair's width from his neck. "She really taught you to go for the kill, huh?" He didn't answer. "Why're you just standing around, is there anything good it here?"

Sabito looked back at the two children, making it look like he was just scanning the room. "No, nothing valuable," he answered without emotion, eyes locked with the two kids. He was about their age, but he honestly didn't feel like it.

"Really? Man that makes most of the fucking village. We're heading out, place is toasted and Grimm're on the way!" Without another glance the man left, and the three of them were alone again.

He lowered his sword, "you two should hide or leave. They might set the house on fire and the Grimm won't leave anyone alive." He sheathed it in a practiced motion, opening the door.

"You're not a bad person," the girl spoke up. He paused. "I can tell, your eyes aren't mean like theirs are!" The girl was smiling, though the boy still regarded him with suspicion.

Sabito smiled back, though it was sad. He didn't say anything else, running out of the building and closing the door behind him. Soon enough he was back by Raven's side. Neither of them spoke a word to each other.

By the time Sabito was nine he went on more raids than he ever wanted to.

Every time his heart tore, and on his fifth he was forced to make his first kill. It was a town guard, who didn't care that he was a child. To the man, he was just as guilty as the people participating. It happened so fast he almost believed that it didn't happen at all. The man charged at him with a spear, it was painfully slow. When he jabbed, Sabito just… reacted. He batted the spear away, twisted to the side, and with his blade held high he brought it down on the man's neck. In slow motion he watched the man's head tumble away from his body, and he watched crimson liquid drop off of his blade.

Since then he had to do it ten more times…

The last time he was forced to watch as the man's daughter tried to rock his body in the hopes he would wake up. The Tribe didn't take her in, and the howls of the Grimm told him of the girl's fate.

He couldn't take it anymore…

Sabito had reached his breaking point…

In the middle of the night he grabbed supplies, grabbed his sword, and with one last look at Raven sleeping soundly he stepped out of the tent. Most of the camp was asleep, only a couple of guards patrolled, and he knew their pattern by heart. The rear entrance only had one right now, and she went down with a knife hand to the neck. Sabito didn't look back once as he disappeared into the forest. Ten minutes later the alarm was sounded when the guard was discovered unconscious.

When Sabito Branwen turned ten, he ran away from the Tribe.

He didn't know why he left. In hindsight it was kind of stupid.

Sabito ducked under a swing and brought his sword up vertically. The now headless beowolf sailed past him, dissolving as it hit a tree. He brought his sword back into a stance, held vertically and angled in front of him. One beowolf was dead, and more than thirty lined up to take its place.

Sabito should've known better. Leaving the Tribe while carrying around this much negativity was beyond stupid. It didn't matter how skilled he was, the mightiest swordsman would be brought down by a million amateurs. Already a black haze filled the air, a testament to how many he had killed already.

But Sabito had spiraled. Nobody in the Tribe cared about his mental state. And despite all of the killing, the raids, and Raven's brutal treatment of her own son, his kindness had never been beaten out of him. But it was a double edged sword, because everything he experienced brought him low with depression. He couldn't take it anymore, so he left. He wasn't being rational right now, and he knew it, but he didn't care.

"Come on…" he began advancing, his sword held in a white-knuckled grip. He danced from enemy to enemy, killing in one to two strikes at most. "Come on!" He sidestepped an Ursa, cutting its knees and leaping onto its back as it fell. Jumping he brought his sword down, beheading it. But he missed the boarbatusk that rammed into his side, sending him into a tree. There was a worrying crack during the impact and pain laced down his side. His ribs then, but he didn't care at the moment. He just didn't care anymore… It was getting hard to see now, with all of the black haze and mist from the dead and dying Grimm. But no matter how many he killed, four would take the place of one.

"Come on! Is that the best you got?!" He yelled, voice running ragged. He began screaming as he fought and killed, in rage rather than pain. Tears streamed down his face, his throat was sore. And finally he was growing tired. Scratches started appearing, blood seeping through his clothes. But he didn't. Stop. Killing.

He didn't feel the pain. Not even when he was slammed through a tree and into a boulder. So he missed the Ursa Major… that was stupid of him… Breathing was suddenly difficult. Just about every bit of his body was throbbing. And as he saw the massive bear advance on him, he just felt content. He wanted to die, he realized. His entire existence was hell; being forced to kill and cause pain without any end in sight. He figured, he realized, that maybe killing a bunch of mankind's greatest enemy would be some kind of redemption. He hoped it would be. But he wouldn't just let himself die, even if he wanted that end result.

He gripped his sword, but when he brought it in front of him he saw a snapped blade, broken near the hilt. In front of him was the Ursa. It was massive, much bigger than it should have been, and it had an unusually large underbite with fangs peeking through the lip. None of that mattered though…

So that was that then.

Despite everything, Sabito smiled. His memories played like a movie in front of him, but honestly he couldn't really bring himself to care that much. He close his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Water Breathing, Eighth Form; Waterfall Basin!"

Sabito heard something similar to the rushing current of a waterfall and a loud cutting noise. Opening his eyes and looking up he saw the Ursa Major, decapitated, and a man standing in front of it. The man turned to him, and Sabito's eyes widened. Something was… familiar about him. He stared, and an angry looking red Tengu mask stared back at him. The man had graying hair, which made him old, but he instinctively knew that that didn't mean he was weak. He wore a cloud-patterned kimono and dark navy pants, and he was holding a katana with a blue blade. Their moment ended as he turned around, holding his sword in a horizontal stance.

"Water Breathing, Third Form; Flowing Dance!"

And then he was just gone. Sabito tried following the man's movements, but all he saw were after-images and a flowing current like a River. Everywhere the man went a Grimm would lose a head or its limbs. At the end of it the entire clearing had been… cleared. The man turned back to Sabito and began walking towards him, but his exhaustion was catching up with him. As he got closer, Sabito fell unconscious.

Raven Branwen stared down at the shattered katana with empty eyes.

It didn't take her long to find her son. All she had to do was open a portal to him, but she didn't expect to end up in a very traditional Mistrilian house. She definitely didn't expect to see her son lying on a futon, covered in bandages, and she definitely didn't expect to see a masked old man kneeling in front of him.

"So you've finally arrived, Raven Branwen." The man spoke without turning to face her.

"What did you do to my son?" She asked, coldly.

"I saved his life," he answered simply. "He was surrounded by Grimm.

"He was foolish." It's my fault.

"Perhaps. But I find myself asking, why did he leave in the first place?"

"Who knows? Maybe he just wanted to prove that he wasn't the weakling he is?" I did this.

"By my estimate he killed roughly fifty Grimm of varying types completely on his own. More than the average huntsman in training can manage." He still didn't turn to face her.

"Yet he still failed, you had to save him." A hollow argument, and I should've been there.

"Hm… before I arrived I saw his face. He was angry, crying, and desperate. When I killed the Ursa Major I saw contentment." Every word was like a stab wound to her heart. "If he was trying to prove himself, why would he be content with death.?"

He wanted to die… She didn't answer verbally. "I never beat the kindness out of his heart. He couldn't stomach the life we lead. I should've been harsher." I'm so proud of him for that, and I hate myself because of it.

"Save your lies and platitudes for somebody who cares for them. I know that even you don't believe them." His tone was neutral, but she could see the way his hands clenched. All the while her injured son slept with the most peaceful face she had seen in years. Why is that, Raven? She mocked herself.

There were many things she could have done or said. She could have demanded her son back. She even would have fought for him if the man said no, but in her heart she saw an opportunity. She thought she could raise a son to be like her. Strong, and a survivor to the core. But that was what she wanted him to be. She didn't even consider what he wanted. And now he probably had no idea what to do with his life, other than ending it. She had always ignored the way he looked when returning from a raid. The agony in his eyes, the pain as he looked at her. He would grow numb to it, she always told herself… he never did though. Because her strong, wonderful son was kind. So…

"Just… take care of him, Urokodaki." She hated how weak her voice was in that moment. Still, the man didn't look at her, simply grunting and nodding his head.

Raven turned away, and a single, solitary tear fell down her cheek. With a slash she opened a portal and stepped through. It closed moments later.

Urokodaki stared at the face of Raven's son. "Raven… Despite what you may believe, this boy's kindness came from both of you..."

At age ten, Raven left behind her son. As far as the world was concerned, Sabito Branwen was dead.

Sabito woke to the sound of cutting wood. It wasn't anything too unfamiliar, so he didn't think much of it. It was when he opened his eyes that he shot up. Where– Pain shot up his side and he forced himself to lay back down, evening out his breathing. He woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling, which meant he wasn't at Camp anymore. And it was then when the memories of that night came rushing back. Pushing the cover down his body he saw that he was covered in bandages. And from what he could see there was an ugly bruise on his back and underneath the bandage on his side.

The sound of cutting wood met his ears again, and his lips pressed into a thin line. He was in unfamiliar territory, injured, and at the moment he was without a weapon. Slowly but steadily he stood up. He walked with a limp, stumbling in the direction of the noise. The closer he got to the door the louder it got. Until finally he stepped into the warm sunlight, wincing and covering his eyes until they adjusted. The noise of chopping wood met his ears, almost painfully loud now. His eyes shot to the left. A man wearing a red mask and a cloud patterned… kimono? The Tribe had stayed in Mistral for a bit, but when he ran away they were in Vale. Had he been moved?

He opened his mouth to speak, but the man beat him to it. "My name is Sakonji Urokodaki. Welcome to my home, Sabito Branwen."

The injured boy froze. The man–Urokodaki knew his name? How? Urokodaki placed another log on the stump and split it with his ax. He was graying, so he was on the older side, but every time he split a log it was with a single swing. After another the man turned to face him, revealing the same Tengu mask that he had seen before he passed out.

"You're the one who saved me. Uh, thank you!" He said after a moment, bowing slightly.

"Hm," Urokodaki grunted, "follow me, Sabito." Without another word the man walked past him and into the house, leaving the pile of wood behind for now. Blinking, Sabito did as he was told, limping after him. Urokodaki was kneeling in front of a fire pit, a pot of something was already being prepared by the time he kneeled down himself.

"I am what is known as a Cultivator, Sabito. I train people known as Hunters." The eyes of the mask bored into his own.

Sabito tilted his head in confusion, "I thought the term was Huntsmen?"

"The Hunters are a lesser known subcategory that has largely been done away with by the Four Kingdoms. A Hunter is a highly trained and skilled individual that works alone or in very small groups. Rather than being sent to kill Grimm or local gangs, Hunters have a more… specialized role. A Hunter's primary target are Huntsmen and Huntresses who stray from the path, as well as a rare breed of Grimm called an Aberrant. Sometimes a Hunter is assigned to help Huntsmen and Huntresses, although that is uncommon." Urokodaki scooped some of the stew into a bowl and handed it to him.

"What exactly is an Aberrant?" He asked, tasting the surprisingly good stew. "Thank you, by the way, this is really good!"

"I'm glad you like it," the older man bowed his head slightly in thanks. "As for your question… To put it simply, Aberrants are mutated grimm. They don't appear that often, but they are incredibly powerful compared to a normal grimm, and much more vicious. Huntsmen and Huntresses don't expect them, and when Aberrants appear they find themselves unprepared. Hunters are uniquely equipped to deal with them."

"The Ursa that you killed, the one that nearly… killed me… Was that an Aberrant?" Urokodaki nodded, and Sabito was content to stare down at his food.

Neither of them spoke for a while, simply content to eat while Sabito reflected on what he had learned. His brow was furrowed, and after a solid ten or so minutes he finally spoke. "You called yourself a Cultivator?" He asked, looking up again.

"That's correct. I am one of the few left, as sending teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses is cheaper and easier than relying on Hunters." He watched the Tengu mask bob up and down as the man nodded.

Sabito swallowed before speaking, "would you be willing to train me? Can you teach me to be a Hunter?"

"The job of a Hunter is exceedingly dangerous. You will most likely die before you turn thirty." Sabito wasn't sure, but there was almost a pleading note in his voice.

Sabito shook his head. "I don't care. I was ready to die in that forest, I'll be ready to die protecting people from the worst of the worst this planet has to offer." Anything to atone from what I've done went unsaid. He had killed eleven people. Innocent people. To atone he would save eleven hundred by becoming a Hunter.

Urokodaki bowed his head for a moment before speaking again, with a sad tone and a note of finality. "Very well… When your wounds heal, I will refine what you have already learned. Until then, I will teach you everything you need to know about becoming a Hunter, and the basics of Total Concentration Breathing, as well as Water Breathing."

Sabito blinked. Total Concentration? Water Breathing? "I thought that water stuff was your Semblance?"

"No, Sabito. My Semblance involves my sense of smell. Water Breathing and Total Concentration Breathing are arts of fighting that have nearly been forgotten. Listen and listen well, because your life will depend on it."

At age ten, Sabito began his trek to become a Hunter.

This has been living rent free in my head for awhile and it's been bugging me so much that I haven't been able to concentrate on any of my other stories. And even if it's implied,

I do not own Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba or RWBY. They belong to Koyoharu Gotouge and Rooster Teeth respectively.

This story will not be a full and traditional FanFiction, rather it will instead be a series of oneshots or chapters correlating to the plot of RWBY. Sabito will not go to Beacon, but he will have interactions there. This will not go through the full plot of RWBY, but it will go through many of the major bits. This will not be nearly as long as my others will be, as it's a Short Story rather than a full FanFiction. However, if it is well received then I might make it longer than I intend to initially.

Other than that I don't have much else to say about this. I hope you enjoy it, and because of how this is still invading my mind the next thing I post will probably be a second chapter.

Next in the Rotation: The Dragon and the Fox.

After that, the regular schedule will resume with The Rider's Sentinel.

Thank you and I'll see you all soon!~