Apologies for the delay, but at this period in time, school must take priority.
Hey, I have a life beyond writing, you know.
Chapter 12: Team RWBYD
"...ake...asy...rel...yo...re...stil...urt..."
A pain wracked my side, and my hand instinctively grasped it. My fingers slid over flesh, and small lumps on my side. Scars, fresh from the healed wound. As my sight returned, I looked around, taking in the surroundings. Looking around, I found myself in a clinical room, with beds, tables and couches lining the walls. Curtains surrounded some of the beds, and a door was left somewhat ajar. Inhaling, I could detect a whiff of honeysuckle and cinnamon, clearly used to help patients relax. From what I'd gathered, I was in some kind of hospital. I slowly shook my head.
'It was just a dream.' I lectured myself in my brain. 'I'm still on Earth, I got swept into the sea, someone rescued me, and I'm now in hospital.' I glanced out the window. Stars shone from the black void, along with... a shattered moon?
Oh crap. It wasn't a dream. I really am in the world of Remnant! Instinctively, I began to panic, nearly falling out of bed, before a strong hand clamped around my arm, causing me to freeze in shock.
"Heyheyheyheyhey, calm down, Darrel! You're still on some painkillers, so don't try to move." A voice. One I've heard before. Glancing at the source, my cloudy senses began to right themselves. Yang was the one who had spoken. She was sitting on my bed, with Ruby standing beside her. Blake was leaning against the far wall, while Weiss sat on the bed next to mine. All four were in their pajamas, and their eyes appeared to be red and bloodshot, as if they had been awake for hours into the night. Although looking closely, I could have sworn Yang's violet eyes looked a little puffy.
"Whassa... what happened? Am I dead?" I garbled confusedly. Ruby reached for a glass of water, and pushed it into my hands. Immediately, I drank, gulping down the freezing liquid like I had been stranded in the desert for a week. It burned as it hit my teeth, but I hardly noticed the pain, still chugging the pure liquid like mad. Weiss sighed.
"You're not dead, you dolt. You were nearly torn in half by the Nevermore before my partner killed it. After that, you passed out, and Jaune's team help to treat your wounds. Jaune used his aura to stabilize your wound, I froze your scratches so you wouldn't bleed everywhere, and we helped carry you up here." Weiss calmly explained.
Slamming the glass down, I looked out the window again. I could've sworn that it was morning when I'd passed out.
"How long was I out?" I breathed, water dribbling down my chin. Blake kicked herself off of the wall she was leaning against, and strode over to the four of us.
"About 14 hours. Its two o'clock in the morning. Technically, we're all meant to be asleep by now, but Professor Ozpin let us stay here until you woke up." She explained.
I sighed. Once again, life threatened, and saved by the denizens of RWBY. I really needed a way to thank them, as well as learn how to properly use my weapons and Aura.
"Well, Darrel. Glad to see you're awake. I'd hate to think one of my students had fallen to a Grimm." Out of the shadows stepped Professor Ozpin, his obligatory mug of coffee resting in his hand, with Glynda Goodwitch right behind him with her scroll.
"Professor." The members of Team RWBY stood to attention, which would normally look serious, but given their clothing, actually looked kind of funny. Ozpin turned to them.
"Students, it's late. You should go get some rest. I did agree to let you stay up until your friend awoke." Ozpin addressed the four, who nodded, and walked out of the sick bay. Then he turned to me, a hard expression on his face. Glynda's glare nearly paralyzed me.
"Now Darrel. I must admit, you have... intrigued me. You claim yourself that you are not an able fighter?" Ozpin's glasses looked me over, penetrating my body, and staring into my soul.
"Yes, sir. I'm not a warrior, and I hardly see how I could potentially become one." I droned, my fingers instinctively running over the scars that criss-crossed my body.
Glynda sniffed in disbelief, while Ozpin nodded his head in her direction. She opened her scroll, to show third-person footage of me fighting the Nevermore at the ruins encompassing the cliffs. I had to admit, it looked impressive. If that wasn't my face on the screen, I wouldn't have believed that that was me riding the Nevermore like a dragon.
"Then how do you explain this? You seemed to know what your enemy would do, and struck back with a perfect counterattack. You even managed to ride and control the Grimm, something no sane being would dare to consider, let alone perform."
I looked away, a little scared of what I had managed to do to that kaiju-like bird. Thinking back to when I had first arrived on Remnant, I hated the thought of killing any living creature, Grimm or otherwise. But after having an exterior perspective of my actions, I began to think if it would be best to stay in Remnant. Even though I was barely an adult, I could be very dangerous to a number of people back home. I'd be pushed into becoming a hitman, or worse, an assassin. The government would lock me up, dissect me, want to know why I could shoot blasts of blue energy from my hands. Ozpin cleared his throat, which drew my eyes back to him.
"Darrel, you may deny it, but you have the potential to become a mighty warrior in your own right. You have a strong soul, stronger than any I've ever seen." He continued. I began to twiddle my fingers, confused at this praise.
"Besides, my school does not discriminate against whether prospective students are unrivaled in combat, or if they have any knowledge of their weapons. Beacon is open to you, and I would hate to see your talents squandered. But given your injuries, I will leave the choice in your hands." Ozpin sat in a couch, his cane resting delicately on his lap.
Looking away, I rubbed my injuries unconsciously, thinking back to the initiation, how I fought, and the bonds that I had built with RWBY and JNPR. How would they react if I chose not to attend Beacon?
Ruby would take it hard, undoubtedly. After all, I had been the first to interact with her. Weiss, wouldn't care one way or the other. She didn't like me, and I understood why. If I could have done it differently, I wouldn't have been such a douche to her when we first met. Blake... I didn't know. She supported me during the initiation, even suggesting that Yang and I could potentially work, even though I thought it wouldn't. She wouldn't be happy that I would leave, that much I knew.
And Yang... How would she react? How would I be able to take it, knowing that I could potentially never see her again in flesh and blood? The answer creeped into my mind before I could banish the thought.
'I wouldn't.'
In that instant, I decided.
"Professor Ozpin? I've made my choice. I'm going to stay here at the academy, if it's not too much trouble."
Glynda huffed irritably, while Ozpin shot me a small smile.
"Very well, then. I'll see to it that you are back in fighting shape soon. And I must say, I'm impressed with the leadership and selflessness you have demonstrated during the initiation. I only wish more could learn from your skills." He said, smiling. I looked away. True, I remembered giving orders during the trek into the forest, but it was in the heat of the moment. And as for the selflessness, that was debatable. I wanted things to be better.
"Speaking of which, you retrieved the White Pawn from the temple, if I remember correctly. And you are correct: it is a 'wild card', of sorts. You may choose to join a team, but I will only offer four choices. You must choose wisely, as they will be by your side for the next four years."
Glynda swept her finger across her scroll, bringing up four 2x4 grids, each holding four pictures of students. Labeled underneath were the team names: DUNE, RIFT, JNPR, and RWBY.
I had no knowledge of teams DUNE and RIFT, so I probably shouldn't join them. Jaune's team showed promise, but I doubt I could deal with Nora 24/7. And Jaune had enough troubles without being pestered by me. I swiped my finger on RWBY's grid, and it pinged. Before my eyes, Ruby's picture had moved to the centre, while my picture was added to the right of hers. Weiss, Blake, and Yang were repositioned to the left, above, and underneath Ruby's picture, respectively.
Glynda closed her scroll, while Ozpin shook my hand.
"Very well then. You are officially part of Team RWBY. Because you are a late addition, the team name will not be changed." Ozpin released my hand, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Ozpin stood from his chair, and began to walk with Gly... Professor Goodwitch. As she left however, Professor Ozpin turned back to me before he walked out the door.
"By the way, Darrel, your injuries may look horrific, but much of the damage is superficial. Your internal wounds were easily healed, so the nurse has said you can leave when you wish. A word of advice, though: I do not expect you to miss class in the morning." He smiled.
"Got it, Professor." I sighed. Despite being irritated that I wouldn't be excused from class, I was happy that I wasn't dying now. As Ozpin left, I lay my head back on the pillow, and shut my eyes, the calming aroma coercing me to sleep.
As my eyes slowly fluttered open, I saw that it was a little later into the night. The moon had disappeared, and most of the lights had been extinguished.
Looking at my arm, I saw that someone had drawn a sigil on my wrists. Looking closely, I saw that they resembled a plus sign with wavy lines drawn underneath. Moving my arms, I felt a little pain, but it quickly subsided. Feeling around my side, where the Nevermore had nearly torn me in half, my fingers rubbed over an alien material. My eyes rolled down to my side, and I saw that my abdomen was wrapped up with a bandage of some description. It felt smooth, and cool, almost like a gel of some description.
"Dust-infused medical gel. The nurse put it on you while you were asleep."
Startled by the voice, I rolled over to find that hooded woman who haunted my dreams, the one who had given me that crystal that had catapulted me here, was sitting on a couch, legs crossed. She removed her hood, to reveal her snow white lion's ears resting atop her head, along with the green hair with red skunk stripes. She stood up, and glanced at the gel covering my wound.
"Good to see you're still alive. I must admit, my confidence in you was well placed. Anyone else in your position would likely have been killed. The way you rode that Nevermore was... inspiring, to say the least." She praised, rubbing a smooth hand against my cheek. Irritably, I slapped her hand away, and grabbed the lapel of her robe, pulling her close to me. Surprisingly, she didn't flinch, but I didn't care. If I was brought into this world, I wanted to know why, and I was sick of not knowing anything other than who and where I was.
"Cut the soft serve, lady. If you want me to help you, then I want answers." I growled. She sighed.
"It's not that simple, Darrel. I can't tell you..."
"Don't give me that!" I yelled. If there was one thing I hated, it was being kept in the dark, and with my life on the line, I wanted details. I didn't want to die not knowing why I was chosen to be brought here.
"I nearly died twice in the forest, and until you tell me what I need to know, don't expect me to help you out of the goodness of my heart." I continued. The woman gave me a hard look, and a huff escaped from her lips. Finally, she spoke.
"Very well. You have earned that much, Darrel."
I released her cloak from my grip, and she walked back to the couch she had occupied earlier. Sinking onto the cushion, she leaned back, clasped her hands together and began to talk.
"I'll start with my name. My name is Kimba. As for why you are here... This I have already explained. You will be the catalyst that brings about the Reckoning." She explained, before I held up my hand.
"Hold on, wait, stop. If you know that I'm going to bring about the apocalypse for both Earth and Remnant, then why would you bring me here? Why not try and kill me, or something?" I asked. Kimba sighed.
"Because even though you are the catalyst for this event, you are not wholly responsible." She explained. I listened for more details.
"I am not the only one seeking to use your abilities. There is another who seeks to utilize your abilities, only her intent is malicious. Her goals, however, are unclear, though I presume she only wishes to bring about the Reckoning so she can rebuild your world and this one in her image."
Wait a minute...
I think I may know this woman.
"Kimba? On the first night I was at Beacon, a woman contacted me on my scroll."
She looked up, interested.
"Might I ask who it was? Did you get a look at their face?" She asked intently. Thinking back to the call I had received that night, all I remembered was the fact that I would be sent home, nothing more. I looked down, cursing myself for not remembering the details. I uttered one word.
"No."
Kimba sighed.
"I see. Very well. I suppose she will try and contact you again. But please, try and remember this time." She said somberly. And without a word, she turned and left the medical ward with a simple wave of her cloak. Feeling a tiredness sweep over me, I lay back on the pillow, and shut my eyes, the medical gel still clinging to my side.
Waking up, i noticed it was a little later into the night. The moon had disappeared behind some clouds, and the stars were less visible than before. I glanced around the room, looking for a clock, or some method of telling the time. Unlike back home, there was no digital clocks, but an pendulum clock above the door said that it was about 4:30 or so in the morning. I decided now would be the best time to try and find RWBY's dorm room. Slipping out of bed, I noticed that the medical gel was still holding fast.
Heading to the front desk, I acknowledged the woman behind the counter, who gave me my back, which still contained the crystal and the Nightmare Maw's tooth, along with the scroll. Changing out of my hospital gown and into my pajamas, I slipped out, checking my scroll to make sure I knew where I was going. RWBY's dorms were on the fifth floor, while I was on the fourth. Shutting my scroll away, I began the long trek to my teammate's quarters. But as I climbed the stairs, I saw Professor Kor at the top, with a tomahawk stuck onto his back, and a candle in his left hand. I tried to slip past him quietly, but he turned and glanced at me with his bandaged eyes.
"Darrel? Might I ask why you are out and about in the moonlight?" He asked me. I looked away, petrified of what he would do. Report me? Drag me away? Detention? Use me as practice for his weapon?
"Sorry, sir. I wanted to get out of the hospital so I could go and sleep with RWBY." I hurriedly spoke, turning to the hallway RWBY's dorm was located. But as I did so, Professor Kor began to snicker. Wiping away some mucus from his dribbling nose, he looked at me.
"Darrel, I know you're a teenage male, but don't you think you're rushing it a bit?" He laughed. I went to ask what he was talking about, when my blood turned to ice as a mental image of Ruby and I engaged in activities that would not be deemed appropriate in public rushed into my head, finally realizing how poorly that sentence had been constructed.
"OH GOD, NO! That is NOT what I meant." I half-whispered, half-yelled in terror. Professor Kor laughed again, rubbing his nose free of mucus, which had begun to dribble down his chin as he chortled at my burning pink cheeks.
"I know what you meant, Darrel, and I'm sorry, but I couldn't let that one slip by." He guffawed. As the blood drained from my cheeks, I decided to head to RWBY's dorm tout de suite, lock up that mental image of Ruby and I deep into my memory, and never speak of it again. Turning back to the hallway, I walked as quick as I could to the RWBY dormitory. Quietly unlocking the door, and slipping in, I saw the four girls were sleeping. Reaching into my backpack, I grabbed my sleeping bag, unrolled it, and threw it into a corner by the foot of Yang's bed. Not bothering to check if I had been heard by the four, I dived into the bag, and fell asleep as if someone shoved a bottle of sleeping pills down my throat. My final thought before I shut down was this:
'I hope to God that Kimba doesn't see that...'
But a small cackle in the back of my mind proved to me that wishes sometimes don't come true.
Before I sign off, one thing I need to mention: even though I posted that a TVTropes page was in the works, stupid me, I forgot to put in the URL. So if you want to help, go to the link (remove the spaces, obviously).
tvtropes pmwiki / pmwiki . php / Fanfic / RWBYReckoning
Yeah, I'm shameless. But I'm writing a self-insertion, what else did you expect?