As the time passed, many things happened… both good and bad.
Barely a few hours after he met Blanche, Harry learned that Blake Belladonna ran away from her Team after an argument with Weiss Schnee about the White Fang. Of course he asked Ruby for the whole situation and needless to say he wasn't pleased by what he heard.
Apparently, there was a robbery at one of the Dust store and from there, things turned worse when Weiss started to say her view on the White Fang, calling them degenerates who only know how to lie, cheat, and steal. Blake, angered, tried to defend the Faunus Group , saying they were just misguided but nothing seemed to work…
Yang then explained that the argument was interrupted by a Faunus escaping some Policemen who came out of nowhere. Of course, they followed after him but soon lost him. Harry was a bit amused when he learned that they got to meet someone (a certain Penny Polendina)who was, apparently, as 'excited' as the Leader of Team RWBY.
Then things turned bad again when Weiss made further comments about the Faunus which led to another heated argument with Blake. The Heiress had tried to explain why she hated the Faunus (which Harry could sympathize with) even if it was a bit too much to say that all Faunus were nothing but liars, thieves, and murderers.
Blake ,then, accidentally revealed her true heritage both as a Faunus AND a member of the White Fang with caused her to flee the scene. Harry already knew of her heritage (heck it wasn't difficult with how much her bow twitched from time to time) but had stay silent because it wasn't his secret to tell.
Once Ruby finished the story, Harry sermoned Weiss, using a bit of his aura to clearly show how unhappy he was with her behavior when she promised to be better. Yang and Ruby had been pretty terrified by him after that… but less that the Schnee Heiress who had been pale for the whole night.
Two days later, Blake still hadn't returned and so the little group went around the city to find their missing friend/teammate. Of course, Harry had refused to be around Weiss as long as she didn't apologize to the Belladonna girl.
However, during his research, he received a call from Ruby and headed toward where she was : the docks. He tried to head there as fast as he could but sadly he arrived only near the end of the fight.
A fight ? What fight ?
The fight between, Ruby, a short orange haired girl, Blake and a blond Monkey Faunus… and ROMAN TORCHWICK ?! Seeing the man about to shoot at one of his friends, he unleashed a bit of his Semblance which caused everyone to pause what they were doing to stare at him with fear.
Harry's eyes were locked on the master criminal who then used a Bullhead to escape the place as fast as possible with his tail between his legs. Once he was gone, our hero turned his gaze toward the group of three (the orange haired girl was gone at this point) before going into a rant about how reckless they were… especially Blake.
By the time he finished his rant, Yang and Weiss appeared in the scene and Harry looked away from Ruby and Blake to stare at the newcomer, especially at Weiss who flinched upon seeing his stare. Without another word, he left the docks, leaving behind Team RWBY and the Monkey boy.
However, things quickly returned back to normal after Weiss apologized to Blake for her words. Team RWBY was now united again… and they got a new friend by the name of Sun Wukong. A nice guy who kinda reminded Harry of Sirius… per cent.
Apart of that, two other things happened : the first one being Amber's new role at Beacon. The Fall Maiden, who wasn't allowed out of the Academy by Ozpin became a Professor ! What subject does she teach ? Survival. Of course, she would sometimes shot secretive glances at him and he would nod at her in respose.
The second thing that happened was his growing relationship with the gorgeous Wolf Faunus, Blanche Moonflower.
As the weeks passed, they got to know each other a little better : apparently Blanche was the only one left of her family who were all killed by Human racists some years ago when she was only 3. For the following years, she lived on the streets until a kind Huntress took her in.
Sadly, the Huntress died during a mission and left behind a heartbroken teenager. Thankfully, Blanche was 16 at that moment so she knew how to take care of herself properly. For the following three years, she had been a student of Shade Academy… until she had been expelled for harming a student.
When asked why, Blanche explained that the guy she beat up was a Racist who hated Faunus and one day, after seeing him bullying someone again, she saw red and lost her cool. Of course, she tried to defend herself but in the end, she was expelled. The Racist guy she beat was from a rich family and so used their influence to turn the situation to their advantage.
Her Team was disbanded and because it was HER fault, all three of them refused to speak to her again which had saddened her greatly. A few days later, she received a call from her former Headmaster about her becoming a student in another Academy.
To be as far away from the people who harmed her, she chose Beacon Academy. That's why she came to Vale… the rest was history.
After he lead her to Ozpin, the Headmaster allowed her to attend his school… but not as a student but as an assistant for Glynda Goodwitch ! Why ? Because she was already a Third year student when she was expelled from Shade and no other team could take her in.
It was a good compromise…
Later, after the Wolf Faunus thanked the Headmaster for allowing her to stay and thanking Harry for his help, they decided to get to know each other a little better.
After she told him her story, he told her his while ,of course, hiding some part (him being Death and being Millenniums old) and changing some parts. He told her how a madman killed his parents at the age one, how he had lived for a decade with abusive relatives and then how he went to a boarding school where he was pretty much hated.
Blanche had surprised him by hugging him tightly… with his face a bit too close to her generous chest. After that, their relationship grew a bit more. They would go on many dates together and just enjoy their times, chatting and laughing. Harry tried his best to make sure everything would be perfect as he didn't want a repeat of his Fourth year at Hogwarts…
Thanatos, the embodiment of Death, grew to enjoy Blanche's company, using his clone as a proxy. It had been a long time since he dated someone and so far, things were smooth… It was the first time in a long time that he felt this good. Of course, each time Amber came to visit, he had to act like nothing was happening. He shivered at the thought of his surrogate sister knowing of his relationship.
Thankfully, his clone knew how to keep it a secret… for now.
But how long it would take before people start to notice ?
But so far, Harry's relationship with Blanche was a secret… but it all changed during the end of the First Semester.
Our hero was in the Cafeteria, sitting with his friends from both Team JNPR and Team RWBY. Blake was looking at some notes while the rest was enjoying their meals. Ignoring everyone present, Harry, him, was deep in thought : he was thinking of what he should do with Blanche now.
He knew now that he loves her… and that the White Wolf Faunus loves him back but he was still scared. Why ? Because she was still mortal and would one day die of old age while he would leave for another millenniums.
The thought of loosing her pained him…
However, his thoughts were interrupted by a slamming sound. Caught of guard he looked up to see Ruby with an enormous binder in her hands. On its cover, we could see written on it "Vytal Festival Activities, Property of Weiss Schnee".
Harry shot a raised eyebrow at the youngest girl of Team RWBY as she hastily crossed it out with a red marker pen before writing underneath. "Best Day Ever Activities". He didn't know if he should be amused or worried for Ruby…
Speaking of the girl, she cleared her throat before opening her mouth to speak " Sister... friends...Weiss..."
A smirk grew on Harry's face when the Heiress released an indignant cry "HEY !"
"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream..." Ruby added while ignoring Weiss's cry.
"This ought to be good..." Yang commented as she caught a berry with her mouth… a berry tossed by Nora Valkyrie.
"A dream that one day, the four of us will come together, as a TEAM, and have the most fun anyone has ever had... EVER !" The Leader of Team RWBY said with a bright smile on her face.
"Did you steal my binder ?" Weiss suddenly asked her with narrowed eyes.
Ruby quickly made a gesture of 'peace' with her hands while retorting "I am not a crook !"
"What are you talking about ?" Blake asked the young girl with a raisebrow.
"I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang !" Ruby replied while pointing at the Cat Faunus.
At this point, both Teams knew of Blake's heritage and JNPR had promised to not say anything.
"I always kick my semesters off with a Yang ! Eh ? Guys ? Am I right ?" Yang inquired from her seat and groans escaped from the group at the horrible pun.
Nora then threw an apple at Nora while booing which caused the blond Firecracker to glare back at the girl from Team JNPR.
"You guys are no fun !" Yang commented with a slight pout on her face.
"That or your sense of humor Yang is just ancient history..." Harry commented from his seat with a tiny smirk.
Everyone turned their heads to stare at him before laughing.
"How come you guys laugh at this jokes and not mines ?!" the blond from Team RWBY asked with a hint of frustration and jealousy.
"Maybe because he doesn't use the clichés jokes !" Weiss hissed back from her seat which caused many to nod in agreement at her words.
Yang huffed while crossing her arms under her bust "You are all mean..."
Chuckles echoed for a moment before Harry turned his head toward Ruby "You were saying ?"
"Oh right ! Thank you Harry ! Everyone, it's been a good two weeks and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great ! But, classes start back up tomorrow ! Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today !"
"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store..." Weiss grumbled from her seat with slight fear which caused Harry to snort in amusement… and agreement.
"I don't know... I think I might sit this one out..." Blake said with an unsure tone.
"Me too… I have… important things to do..." Harry said with an apologize look toward Ruby.
"What important things ?" Yang asked him with a tiny smirk.
"Things that don't concern you, Mis Xiao Long~" Harry cooed back with a smirk of his own.
"Does it have something to do with that Faunus girl ?" Ruby asked him innocently.
At those words, everyone froze in shock before looking back and forth between Ruby and Harry… who was staring at the young girl with wide eyes of surprise.
However, because he could ask her how she knew, Weiss asked her partner with slight curiosity "What Faunus girl ?"
"The Wolf Faunus I saw with Harry yesterday ?" Ruby answered with a tiny frown.
"When ?" Yang asked her sister with a growing smirk on her face… which caused Harry to pale a bit.
Blake tensed at the word 'Wolf' but was still listening.
"I went out to buy some ammo with Crescent Rose and I saw Harry and her eating at a restaurant…" Ruby explained still wondering what was going on.
Our hero, for his part, felt like banging his head against the table, groaning in annoyance. How come he hadn't noticed the girl ?!
"Ooooooooh sounds like a date to me~" Yang giggled at this as she turned her head toward Harry who shot her a small glare.
"Harry has a girlfriend ?!" Nora cried out in shock and some people turned away from their meals to stare at them.
Harry's face reddened a bit before shooting a glare toward everyone present… which caused them to quickly avoid his gaze to wanting to anger him.
"I hate you both you know that ?" Harry muttered grumpily as he glared at both Yang and Nora. The former only grinned back at him while the latter chuckled nervously.
"So is it true ? You really have a girlfriend ?" Jaune asked him gently but respectfully.
He flinched when Harry's gaze locked on him but calmed down when his comrade answered him "Yes…"
"Congratulations Harry !" Pyrrha said to him with a sincere smile.
Ren nodded at him while Jaune gave him a thumb up.
"Can you tell us more about her ?" Weiss asked him with curiosity.
Why ? Because he was dating a FAUNUS and not a Human. Her view on Faunus changed a bit but not on the White Fang.
"She must be something if she managed to tame you~" Blake joked from her seat with a tiny smirk.
Harry shot her a glare before glaring at Yang when the blond Brawler started giggling in amusement.
He was about to answer when a ringing sound echoed… from his Scroll. Picking it up to see who was calling, he wanted to slap his face when he saw a really familiar name
'BLANCHE'
Glancing at the other people present, he groaned in annoyance at the fact they were all staring at him.
"What are you waiting for ? Answer !" Yang cried out with impatience as a grin was plastered on her face.
"You are enjoying this a bit too much..." Harry grumbled at her before looking at the message.
For a moment, nothing was heard until our hero released a sigh
"I have to go…Can't let the lady waiting !" Harry quickly said before rushing away in a cloud of dust.
"When did he become that fast ?" Blake asked everyone blankly as she stared at the spot Harry disappeared from.
"He always was ?" Ruby inquired from her place.
The young people stared at one another before shrugging as none of them have an answer for this. Harry was still a mystery to them all… A few moments later, once they finished their meals, they all left the Cafeteria to do their own business with Yang thinking of how much she would have with Harry and his secret girlfriend.
At the same time, our hero felt a shiver passing through his body as he and Blanche were heading toward the Emerald Forest to get rid of a pack of Grimm. If you wanna know it was Professor Ozpin's idea.
00/(Elsewhere)/00
Meanwhile, in the Land of Darkness, a certain someone was sitting on her throne, deep in though. She recently received words from Arthur Watts that Ironwood was soon going to leave to Beacon with multiple airships. Salem, in response, ordered both the Scientist and Tyrian to stay low until the General's departure.
Of course, they accepted… even if Arthur's face showed nothing but reluctance and resignation. Maybe because he had to endure the antics of a certain Serial Killer ? Who know… and who care. Apart of that, still no idea where the last Relic was… it must be well hidden.
The first three weren't as difficult to find… except maybe the Relic of Shade which took her a while before retrieving it as it was hidden in a cave not too far from Shade Academy. The Relic from Vale was pretty easy to find, seeing that it was hidden under Mountain Glenn in Old Vale. It had been a shock to find the Relic here of all place but hey, at least, she didn't have to destroy Beacon Academy to get it.
Releasing a deep sigh, the Queen of Grimm then rose from her throne to stare at her 'Kingdom' with a neutral expression on her face. While she was still a bit frustrated to not have the last Relic in her hands, Salem knew that sooner or later, like the previous one, it would be hers.
And once all Four of them will be at her disposal, she will finally have her revenge against the very beings that cursed one to a Life of Immortality ! And she will also have her revenge against her former paramour, Ozma for betraying her for the God of Light.
"Soon… I will finally be free of this cursed existence..." She whispered to herself as she looked upon the Land of Darkness, the former home of the youngest of the Two Gods.
"But you do know that even if the Gods are dead and the curse removed, I cannot send you to Elysium right ?" a familiar masculine voice echoed from behind her.
Turning her head, Salem came face to face with the very Being that offered her Hope a decade ago : the embodiment of Death himself. Chuckling, she bowed at him respectfully but allowed a tiny smirk to grow on her face.
"How many times do I have to tell you that it isn't necessary ?" Thanatos inquired her with a sigh of annoyance and a roll of his eyes.
In response, she sent him a devious smirk before asking him curiously "My Lord… Why are you here ?"
"I had nothing else to do… beside I was curious of how things were going for you… Any news of the last Relic ?" Thanatos asked her with a raisebrow.
Salem shook her head before answering "Unfortunately Harry, Arthur and Tyrian found no clue of its whereabouts… but I got some news..."
"I'm listening..." the embodiment of Death commented while gesturing for her to explain.
"You do know the Vytal Festival is coming soon ?" Salem asked him with a raised eyebrow.
Thanatos nodded his head but said nothing.
"Well… Arthur just sent me a message : the General is going to leave soon with several of his floats…Without him and a large portion of his soldiers..." The Queen of Grimm began to say before pausing while shooting him a look.
"It will be easier for your followers to find the Relic… Excellent…" the embodiment of Death finished with a nod of understanding.
"My Lord… May I ask how is life at Beacon ? For your counterpart I mean..." Salem asked him with a bit of curiosity.
"He is not counterpart… he is a part of me… a fragment of my very being I can summon any time I want..." Thanatos began to say in a stern tone (which caused her to flinch slightly) before his voice turned softer as he added.
"And to answer your question : it is a really good experience for me… Weird but not unpleasant..."
The Queen of Grimm nodded her head in acceptance of his words, unknowing that he was half-lying to her. After all, it was not entirely a new experience for him as many millenniums ago, he was a student in a prestigious school for Magical people.
"As for me not going into Elysium… I don't care as long as I can finally rest in peace..." Salem said in response for the question he asked at his arrival.
"What about your daughters ? Don't you want to be with them again ?" Thanatos asked her with a frown.
"I want nothing more than to be with them… but I know how much atrocities I committed for my quest of vengeance… my daughters are better off without me..." Salem's sad little speech caused the embodiment of Death to silently smile in approval.
While he agreed that she DID made a lot of bad things, Thanatos could understand why she did but also how much it hurt her. Unlike Voldemort, Salem acknowledged her mistakes and her crimes and seemed ready to accept whatever punishment awaiting her once her vengeance is accomplished.
The embodiment of Death knew where to put her once her curse will be broken…
" Salem… If there is one thing I know more than anyone, it is that our lives are not written on paper but are determined by one's choices, whether good or bad..." Thanatos explained gently to the Queen of Grimm who looked at him with a grateful expression on her face.
"You are right… but are you sure there are no Gods of Fate around here somewhere ?" Salem asked him with a chuckle.
"I didn't met any yet but I'm sure there is not… or else I would have a bigger headache than usual..."
His answer caused her to snort in amusement before chuckling a bit. Thanatos smiled at her before freezing. Seeing this, Salem raised an eyebrow before asking
"Let me guess : another poor soul had entered your domain ?"
"Your sense of deduction is as sharp as ever..." The embodiment of Death commented with a roll of his eyes which caused his interlocutor to snort in amusement.
"Then you should go… and Harry ?"
"Yes ?"
"Thank you~" the Queen of Grimm whispered to him with a smile
"You are not only an ally Salem… but also a friend… Remember that..." Thanatos said before disappearing in thin air.
Salem stared at the spot he was standing a second ago, smiling as she whispered gently "See you soon… my friend..."
00/(Elsewhere)/00
When Thanatos reappeared in his Palace, he had thought that today couldn't get any better… but the moment he sat on his throne, it had been proven wrong when the soul he felt a moment ago entered the Great Hall.
The Soul was a fair-skinned with white, slicked-back hair. He had a large, thick mustache and cold blue eyes. He was wearing a pure white blazer with a red handkerchief in the chest pocket. In addition, he had a light-blue dress shirt, vest and a white clip-on tie , printed with the same emblem on his shoes and above his study. Then on his right hand, there was a silver-colored ring.
Thanatos instantly recognized the man and couldn't help but internally smirking. Why ? Because the man before him was none other than Weiss's father and the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company : Jacques Schnee himself !
He had cursed the man a while back and had completely forgotten about him knowing that someday he would end up before him in this very Hall. Looks like he had been proven right as Jacques FUCKING Schnee was in front of him !
"Approach mortal !" Thanatos said to the soul in a deep stern tone.
Jacques turned his head to stare at him in shock before a scowl formed on his transparent face. He didn't seemed to be afraid of the young man on the throne… His arrogance was surely too big to allow it.
"Who are you and where I am ?! I order you to tell me this instant !"
Those words caused Thanatos to almost lose his cool but he managed to retain himself as he stared sternly at the (former) CEO of the SDC.
"You are in the Underworld… MY DOMAIN !" He began to say in a cold tone that seemed to afraid Jacques a bit… that and the fact he released a good portion of his aura to add more effect.
"As for who I am… I am the Shadows…I am Oblivion… I am everyone's Final Fate…I am..." Thanatos began to say before adding with a toothy smirk
"DEATH !~"
Jacques' eyes widened in shock and horror as he looked at the young man in front of him with a pale face. Thanatos was taking pleasure in the guy's fear but then became professional again as he stared into the man's eyes.
What he saw almost caused him to destroy the man right there and then. The sight of the man beating his own family members reminded him too much of his past life with his 'loving' relatives. However, he decided against it as it would be both a waste of time and energy. Instead, he started to speak in his usual professional tone.
"Jacques Schnee… Husband of Willow Schnee ,the former Heiress of the SDC, and Father of Three young people..."
The former CEO of the Schnee Dust Company tensed when the young man spoke again and tried his best to stay silent despite the growing feeling of uneasiness within him.
"From what I saw from your memories, you were far from a good man aren't you ? You are guilty of Slavery, Racism, Domestic Abuse, Fraud, Abuse of Power…"
However, he was interrupted by the Soul before him who looked to be pretty angry
"I DID NOTHING OF THOSE THINGS !"
Thanatos merely raised an eyebrow at him with an uncaring look on his face.
"Oh ? And how do you call marrying someone just for the fortune and prestige ? How about how you forced your Faunus workers into Labors ? Lastly, how do you call the way you 'treated' your children ? " The embodiment of Death asked him calmly but there was a dangerous undertone in his voice.
Jacques sneered at him before snarling haughtily, ignoring who he was talking to.
"All I did was making sure that the Company remains strong and powerful ! Why should I care for the lives of some disgusting ANIMALS ?! They should be lucky I allowed them to work under me ! And Family ? There is no such thing : nothing is more important that MONEY and POWER !"
Thanatos' eyes hardened at each words Jacques said and soon, he was tightening his fists as he stared at the man… no… the MONSTER before him with nothing but hidden disgust and anger. For a moment, he was thinking of sending the man straight to Oblivion but it would be showing mercy for such an evil man.
He had another idea in mind…
A far more pleasant one…
With a smirk, the embodiment of Death looked back at the former CEO ,who just finished speaking, before opening his mouth to say
"I see… Well then, Mr. Schnee, you see the Red Door behind me ?" Thanatos asked him while pointing at the Doors behind his throne.
"Yes and ?" Jacques asked him with impatience and a total lack of respect.
"This Door will lead you back to the World of the Livings… Enter and you will go back in your body..."
"What's the catch ? You will just leave me like that for free ?" Jacques asked him with narrowed eyes and a sneer.
Retaining himself from destroying the man on the spot, Thanatos nodded his head, forcing himself to remain professional.
"If you prefer I can always ask you to pa-" he began to say with a shrug before the former CEO quickly shook his head.
"Nononononono its perfectly fine !" Jacques inquired his interlocutor in a alarming tone before making his way toward the Red Door, completely unaware of the evil smirk Thanatos had on his face as his neon green eyes followed the man.
He watched as Jacques opened the door… before screaming as he found himself being pulled in ! Thanatos laughed as he watched the former CEO of the SDC being literally sucked in Inferno before the Red Door closed behind him, trapping its latest victim inside.
The embodiment of Death calmed down after a moment but just as he relaxed on his throne, someone else entered the Hall. Not a Soul but a corporal Being he grew to like very much.
"Hello Amber…Here for the Libr-" he began to say in greeting… only to blink when she went to stand in front of him with a really large grin on her face.
"Hello Harry… I heard a strange rumor about you having a girlfriend… Care to tell me ?~"
At those words, Thanatos stared blankly at his surrogate sister before slapping his face with a groan.
The day had been so good so far… but look like the Universe decided to put a stop to it !
(To be continue…)