Moments with Family and Deep Things
Kibo and Hakuocho are walking together because the latter ask him to come with her to go meet up with someone who just arrives in the city.
"So, who is this someone you wanted me to meet?" Kibo asked.
"Let just say this old gal is a special case because she knew someone very special and strong back in her younger days when the Great War was still going on." Hakuocho explained.
"Bet she was quite the warrior back her days." Kibo commented.
"She used to be a fierce warrior who fought off nothing but a couple of yo-yos, two Emeici spikes, and a bowgun! She wouldn't let any men touch her again." Hakuocho described who fierce this woman used to be.
"Again? I take it she had some bad experience?" Kibo asked.
"Just one man, one bastard who took everything from her and tried to force her to become his slave, but she escaped and sworn to become a warrior who would never be taken away by anyone ever again! Though she kinda had to give up being a womanhood to do so." Hakuocho explained.
"That must've been hard for her." Kibo commented.
"That's what I thought too, but she made her choice and was like that for a while until"
"I would like it if I told the story myself, young lady." An old woman chuckled walking up to them.
"Oh, Grandma!" Hakuocho smiled upon seeing her grandmother here.
"I'm happy you came from all the way back home!" Hakuocho hugged her grandmother.
"I wouldn't miss seeing my precious swan show the world how strong her wings are, and I also wanted to see this boyfriend that you mentioned in your letter." Hakuocho's grandmother smiled.
"Ah, and this must be him." Hakuocho's grandmother noticed Kibo standing next to them.
"My name is Kibo Hokuto, it is a pleasure to meet you." Kibo greeted with a respectful bow.
"My, such well-mannered too! Kenshiro did an amazing job rising such a wonderful boy." Hakuocho's grandmother said, Kibo got surprised when this old woman mentioned his master's name.
"You knew my master?" Kibo asked.
"Indeed, I did. In fact, he was the first genuine man I met that I fell for and the strongest one there was." The old woman nodded.
"I'm not sure if Kenshiro told you about all the friends he met during his travels, but just in case. My name is Mamiya, the chief of my village. It is an honor to meet you, Kibo Hokuto." Mamiya revealed her name.
"Mamiya! My Master has mentioned a woman by that name, one of his friends and allies who stood by his side in battles to protect her village and fell for one of the South Star Masters." Kibo said.
"So, he mentioned that, huh? My, I feel so embarrassed from hearing that." Mamiya blushed a little.
"But it's nice to hear that Kenshiro still remembers me after all these years." Mamiya smiled.
"I'm sure he would be happy to see you again if he were still around, but he passed away months ago." Kibo informed her about his master's fate.
"Oh, and I was hoping to see him again. But that's alright, looking at you right now can tell me everything that Kenshiro lived a good life up until the very end and passed on the great legacy of Hokuto Shinken to a very shining star." Mamiya smiled.
"You honor me." Kibo smiled.
Mamiya smiles as she can still remember every moment she had with Kenshiro and another man entered her life and even helped her leave the fighting to live a better life the best she could, and seeing Kibo right now it's like looking at Kenshiro still alive.
"You remind me of how my granddaughter was chosen to be the Successor of Nanto Suichōken, I was both shocked and overjoyed." Mamiya mentioned.
"Grandma used to tell me how Rei, the master before me, used to make her happy and even helped her embrace her womanhood again. Even though she found love again, she never forgotten Rei." Hakuocho explained.
"I can still feel his arms onto my body, the last embrace we had." Mamiya remembered that moment, feeling tears coming out.
"Now, I believe my granddaughter here was about to give me a tour of the school." Mamiya mentioned.
"Oh right, almost forgot about that." Hakuocho chuckled.
"Hey, do you wanna join us? I'm sure she would like to get to know you more." Hakuocho offered.
"Sure, I don't mind." Kibo accepted.
Kibo feels like he could learn a little more about his Master Kenshiro, something that he didn't know when he was under his training and looking forward to spending some time with one of his friends too.
(With Weiss and Winter)
Weiss and Winter are a simple table with a plate full of croissants and strawberries, and some lovely tea, but Weiss is looking a little sadden from what her big sister just told her.
"You're… leaving?" Weiss repeated those two words.
"Yes. I was merely needed to oversee the transport of additional units to Vale. Our last shipment was lost to an ambush. I believe you had a run-in with its cargo, actually. It's fortunate those Paladins were in the prototype stage; otherwise, your team may not have fared so well." Winter stated.
Weiss let out a sigh as she drinks her cup, thinking what she just said may be a little hurtful though also truthful that those Paladins were not fully developed that not even Kibo could fight them off. Then Winter grabs her hand reassuringly.
"Weiss, you've done... well, out here, on your own. You should be proud. I'll be honest, it was quite amusing seeing Father's face the day you left for Beacon!" Winter chuckled.
"I can't wait to show him what I learned!" Weiss smiled proudly and crossed her arms.
"Oh? Then what do you think you've learned?" Winter asked curiously with a raised eyebrow, Weiss felt like she walked herself into that one.
"What do you mean? I'm getting better and better with my glyphs! I've even started Time Dilation!" Weiss listed the things she trained on, while not looking directly at Winter in the eyes.
"And what of your Summoning?" Winter asked as she stares intently at her younger sister.
"I... You know I can't." Weiss sighed.
"Don't be ridiculous. Every Schnee has the ability to summon. We have for generations." Winter reminded her of the Schnee family's ability.
"I've tried! It's just... it's the one thing I've been having trouble with!" Weiss confessed, feeling sad that she hasn't been able to get the hang of that ability.
Winter knew that Weiss would have difficulty with mastering that ability and fear that she could give up if not motivated enough, and with the right help as well.
"We Schnees are unique. Unlike many, our Semblance is hereditary. But that doesn't mean it will come easily." Winter explained as she lifts her hand, and a small glyph circle appears over her palm. "Your Semblance is like a muscle. The more you practice with it, the stronger it will become. But if you only focus on one aspect of it..."
The glyph sudden exploded into a bright light that causes Weiss to look away not to get blinded, the light fades away and Weiss looks back to see a white and blue Beowulf standing by Winter's side.
"If you fail to test the limits of what you think is possible, then you'll never truly grow." Winter stated.
Weiss smiles upon seeing her big sister's Summoning that is always amazing to see, and she hopes to be able to do that someday soon.
"(I still got time, what better way to spend it than to help my little sister.)" Winter thought smiled.
"I bet Kibo would be impress if I could do that." Weiss blurted.
"Oh, so you have an interest of this Kibo boy?" Winter grinned, causing Weiss to blush upon realizing what she just said.
(With Ruby, Yang, and Qrow)
"You'll never beat me, old man!" Ruby yelled with a grin.
"You're nothing but talk, kid!" Qrow grinned as well.
"You can do it, Ruby!" Yang called out in support for her little sister to beat their uncle.
The reason for all the excitement with the family is because Ruby and Qrow are playing a fighting video game together, and Qrow appears to be the better player than his niece as he just won the fight with skills higher than Ruby's.
"SOARING NINJA WINS! TOTAL ANNIHILATION!"
Qrow grins at his victory while Ruby groans as she hangs her head in shame.
"Ouch." Yang whispered, feeling bad for her little sister having lost to Uncle Qrow.
"And by the way, don't ever call me old." Qrow said.
"My turn!" Yang pushed Ruby out of the spot and took the spinning controller that was in the air.
"Now, where was I?" Qrow tried to remember what he was telling his niece before getting too caught up in the game.
"You were telling us about your last mission!" Ruby answered excitedly.
"Right, right... I'd come across a small village in the swamps west of Mistral. Right off the bat, I knew something wasn't right." Qrow started his story.
"What were you doing there?" Ruby asked curiously.
"I needed information. Tired from battling Grimm along the way, I decided to start my search at the town's inn. The place was crawling with lowlifes and thugs, even a few Huntsmen that I could only assume had been hired by less-than reputable people for less-than respectable jobs. And that's when it happened." Qrow said with his eyes widen a bit.
"What happened?" Yang asked, feeling a bit worry.
"I was defeated... by the mere sight... of the innkeeper's skirt length!" Qrow grinned, remembering how short and sexy that skirt was and how the innkeeper was working it hot.
Hearing that stupid thing causes Yang to throw a pillow that was easily caught by him and losing the game to him from the announcement from the game.
"You are the worst!" Yang angered, that got Qrow and Ruby to laugh for a moment.
"Best two out of three?" Qrow asked.
"So, Uncle Qrow, did you get in trouble with Ozpin?" Ruby asked.
"Nah, me and Oz go way back. We're cool." Qrow bragged a little.
"Cool for an old man to get scolded by a kid the same age as Ruby after stopping a big fight?" Yang asked sarcastically.
"You're not going to let that go, are you?" Qrow asked chuckling.
"Nope." Yang answered with a smug.
"So, what are you doing here anyway? I thought Dad said that you would be on a mission, for like... ever. And Kibo thinks you visiting here has a purpose." Ruby asked and remember what Kibo said back at the courtyard.
"Oh, did he now? Well, he's right in a way." Qrow said before getting back to the game.
"Well, a professional Huntsman like myself is expected to get results, as soon as possible." Qrow stated.
"Yeeeeaaaah, I get that. We're pretty much pros, too." Ruby smirked.
"Oh, really?" Qrow raised an eyebrow.
"Psch, yeah! Read the news sometime. We totally saved Vale while you were gone." Yang bragged.
"Funny, because I heard Vale suffered a Grimm attack after you almost managed to stop a train. But they don't give out medals for almost." Qrow said after beating Yang again.
"They do, and it's called silver!" Ruby said resolutely.
"Well, we helped take down Roman Torchwick! He's locked up in Ironwood's ship and crime's been down ever since! That's basically a bounty mission!" Yang mentioned.
"Oh, and Kibo took down a big bad member of the White Fang. I think he called himself Father Fang or something." Yang recalled hearing about that fight.
"That guy was a serious problem who would kill anyone who gets in his way, even to his own fellow Faunus if they didn't agree with him. Not that I'm complaining about the guy doing well, but I think he has more of the thinking like a Hunter than you two." Qrow stated.
"What do you mean?" Yang asked.
"D you really think four girls and their friends could end all crime in a Kingdom?" Qrow asked.
"Well, now that you ask… Kibo might have told us about some darkness still being among us and us…" Ruby tapped her fingers together, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"It sounded like he was really worried about something." Yang said.
"And he should because that'll keep him on edge and guards up. Violence hasn't dropped since Roman got nabbed; it's stopped, completely. No White Fang activity anywhere around the city. You cut off the head of the King Taijitu, but now the second head's calling the shots. That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick metal head of his." Qrow said, sounding serious now.
"You… Know the General?" Yang asked surprise.
Then Qrow's expression went back to his joking demeanor with a grin.
"Hey, I know everybody to some extent. Remember, you're talking to a member of the coolest team that graduated Beacon!" Qrow reached into one of his back pockets and took out a photo of himself along with three other people that Ruby and Yang knew.
The young woman in the white hood is Summer Rose, the blonde guy is their dad, Taiyang Xiao Long, and the second woman is the one Yang has been searching for a long time, her name is Raven Branwen.
"Hah, Team STRQ... That's where I met your parents. We were pretty well known back in the day." Qrow smirked.
"Well known for crummy fashion sense!" Ruby commented with a chuckle.
"Hey, we looked good! And I have a number of inappropriate stories to back that up!" Qrow said, then notices Yang is still staring at the photo on her mom and put the photo away. "But I'll save those for when you're older."
"Oh, gross!" Ruby disgusted, not wanting to hear those kinds of stories.
"Anyways, I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style." Qrow proclaimed as he got up and walks away but pause himself and turns around to face the girls while Zwei is seen sleeping on Blake's bed.
"Look, just remember that you've still got a long way to go... And don't think for a second that graduating means you're done. Every day out there is worth a week in this place. You two, you're gonna go far. But only if you keep learning, if you never stop moving forward." Qrow gifted his niece with strong wisdom and then leaves.
(Back with Weiss and Winter)
Weiss is holding and points her sword Myrtenaster at the ground with a white glyph circle as she is trying to perform the Summoning technique with Winter helping to guide her through it.
"Excellent form! Now think of your fallen foes! The ones who forced you to push past where you were and become who you are now. Think of them and watch as they come to your side." Winter advised.
Weiss does her best though it's really hard just like the other times she tried as the white glyph circle is flickering, then it wobbles for a moment and dismisses much to her frustration.
"I can't." Weiss complained as she stomps her foot to the ground.
"Stop doubting yourself!" Winter said.
"I'm trying!" Weiss said as she turns around facing her big sister.
"If this is what you call trying, then you have no hope of winning the tournament, let alone succeeding as a Huntress!" Winter stated making Weiss sad, but the big sister smile.
"Why don't you just move back home? I'm sure Father would give you a nice job as a receptionist!" Winter said.
"I don't need his charity!" Weiss refused to see her father at the moment.
"But you do need his money, don't you?" Winter leaned in.
"What!? How did you know about that!?" Weiss asked shock.
"Lucky guess. I may have been in a similar situation when I joined the military. So, what have you done this time?" Winter asked, wondering what Weiss did to make their father mad at her.
"Well, that's the thing: I'm really not sure! I went to pay for lunch the other day, but the card didn't work!" Weiss explained while circling around Winter.
"How embarrassing." Winter said sarcastically.
"I know!" Weiss looked to Winter who shook her head.
"Well, it was! Why would he cut me off like that?" Weiss asked.
"Perhaps so that you'd stop avoiding him and call home." Winter said, but that only made Weiss a little upset and went back to her Summoning training.
"Emotions can grant you strength. But you must never let them overpower you. It sounds to me like you have two choices in front of you. You can either call him, beg for his money back, and explain once more why you would want to study at Beacon over Atlas, or you could continue to explore Remnant, discovering more about the world and honestly, more about yourself." Winter said with strong and wise words.
Weiss took in the moment of the words she said, something she will need to think about a lot.
"It's time for me to go." Winter said, hugging her little sister who hugs her back.
"It was really good to see you, Winter." Weiss smiled.
"Until next time, sister." Winter smiled back and the two walk together to the dock.
Unknown to them, a caterpillar comes across a miniature broadsword for a moment before disappearing into icy sparkles.
After Winter left, Weiss got a call from her father again and was uncertain to decline again though she forces herself to decline the call again and felt happy like a new path has open up for her.
"Hey Weiss, you look happy." Kibo walked up to her.
"Feeling happy, Kibo. Truly." Weiss smiled as they walk together, with her hand being very close to his.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
A break from the fighting before going back to the tournament as everyone got to hang out with familiar faces, and Kibo even got to meet Mamiya who used to be an old friend of Kenshiro and glad to see Hokuto Shinken live through him.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!
