GOMU GOMU NO!~
Hey guys, I don't know what happened to the last 20 chapters, but for those who read my food for thought 3, that comment was never supposed to be poster. I think I uploaded the wrong document for the new chapter. But that's probably because I don't tend to label the documents I upload to fanfic. So that's my bad.
With that, have a great day guys, and happy reading/rereading.
Cheers, Searoar.
*Vacuo Arc. Begins.*
"And that should be the last of them." Said an old woman as she packed the remnants of her medicinal herbs into a small wooden box.
Kneeling on the fertile soil of her garden, the old woman lifted her head at the sound of footsteps that approached her. A tall, muscular, and stoic man adorned in his regular ruffled cloak made his way through the garden and was careful not to step on any of his cohort's plants.
"Well, this is rare," the old woman said with an air of curiosity. "You usually call before you visit, and our scheduled therapy session isn't until the end of the month."
She adjusted her glasses and observed her blonde guest. From a mere glance, she could tell that something was amiss.
The way the magician's brows scrunched and hips lips twisted, the blonde appeared to be in a state of inner turmoil that struggled to be put into words. Not to mention the bandages around his head and neck that most likely reached to his torso and legs as well if his wrapped arms were anything to go by.
The old woman stood herself up and patted the dirt and grass bits off her pants.
"Well, come on in then, I'll put the kettle on while you sort through your thoughts."
The man sighed and offered a small nod. He trailed his therapist's footsteps but stalled when he reached the door of her humble cottage.
"Hawkins?" The old woman called from the kitchen.
His crimson pupils scanning the area behind him, he couldn't help but feel as if he were being watched. However, he had no time to investigate his suspicions and shrugged. The chances of his teammates following him stood at 27%, as Summer had ordered a mandatory meeting today which he promptly ignored.
"So, what's new?" The old woman said with a smile as she put down a tray of biscuits and a tea set on the coffee table.
Settled in the living room, Hawkins clasped his hands and hunched forward on the couch. His therapist across from him, she sat patiently on her leather chair and softly hummed a comforting tune.
"My son has been kidnapped and has been forced to serve as a combatant in an upcoming bout for succession in the wildlands of Vacuo."
Straight to the point, Hawkins' words brought both confusion and alarm into his therapist's eyes.
"Ms. Mallari," Hawkins continued, " I understand that you have been counseling both myself and the other members of STQH, but I must ask. Have they ever mentioned someone named Raven Branwen?"
The old woman, now known as Ms. Mallari, sipped her tea then tapped her right foot.
"As a therapist, it is a respective obligation that I keep my clients' treatments under complete privacy, but I suppose that this may be the one time that I can indulge you."
She took a deep breath and showed her patient a concerned frown.
"Tai was the first who sought my aid. As he was the most devastated when Raven chose to abandon him in favor of her tribe. Even to this day I still converse with him every now and then, but our meetings rarely go over an hour in length."
Ms. Mallari paused and waited to see if Hawkins had any input to give or questions to ask. When he displayed no signs of doing either, the therapist continued.
"Then your leader, Summer Rose. I knew her even before she went to Beacon. As I served a precious role of an instructor at Signal Academy. The red reaper always presented me and the other instructors with great potential, and her general desire to do good for her peers was always appreciated."
Ms. Mallari sighed. A mixture of concern and rare frustration in her eyes, her lips set into a neutral line as she recounted the details.
"Although, Summer had her quirks, and often lost track of time which led to a few makeup assignments and tests. She also proved to be very emotional. Especially when it came to those she cared about."
A brief pause, Ms. Mallari glanced at the magician once more, and he seemed to be in an even deeper state of thought with the way his brows creased.
"Ms. Mallari," the blonde grumbled, "would you consider it wise to involve my teammates in a personal rescue mission?"
Now it was the therapist's turn to think. Recounting the many details she'd gathered from both friendship, therapy, and schooling, the old woman came to a stubborn conclusion.
"If it's trust you're looking for, then you needn't worry. However, even though my opinion of Summer, Qrow, and Tai are rather high; I cannot say with a clear conscience that they will perform to your standards when under emotional pressure."
The magician sighed and lowered his cards. "Would you assume that I am able to rescue my son on my own?"
The blunt question stunned Ms. Mallari for a moment, but she quickly gathered herself and narrowed her eyes.
"Out of all the members of team STRQ, Raven was the one I interacted with the least. She was your typical strong and silent type, but she did show genuine care for her younger sibling if one paid close attention."
She stood from her seat, politely excused herself, and promised to return with a helpful folder that Hawkins could read.
The blonde, left to his own devices, allowed his eyes to wander about the living room until his sights landed on a small picture frame above the fireplace. Curiosity peaked, Hawkins put away his cards and walked over to the picture.
Yet a peculiar sight caught his attention by the open window. The magician knew he saw something moving in the front yard and confirmed his suspicions as a plump bush by the dusty dirt roads had a hand peek out to grab a cookie that had been dropped.
A chocolate chip cookie...
"Hawkins?" Ms. Mallari's voice echoed from the hall and the magician instinctively busied himself with inspecting the photo that had caught his attention moments prior.
Narrowing his crimson pupils at the familiar visage, Hawkins was surprised to see the image of the eldest member of team GPPO. His hair a deep brown and lacking any gray streaks, the photo had to have been taken when Port was still in his school years.
The mustached man also wore a gray uniform that Hawkins wasn't used to seeing. He knew it didn't belong to Vale, as he often saw Beacon students in Tukson's shops and the commercial district, and the emblem stitched on the uniform's breast pocket wasn't a Valesian symbol.
However, Port wasn't alone in the photo as he had his arm slung around the shoulder of a fellow classmate. Her hair a faded pink, she had thick round glasses and wore a similar uniform as her male colleague, but had a skirt and black stockings instead.
"He was a lot happier many years ago." Ms. Mallari smiled softly from behind the magician.
Hawkins curled a brow. "Mr. Port doesn't strike me as an unhappy fellow and there haven't been many instances where I've seen a frown on him either."
Ms. Mallari returned to her seat then gestured for the magician to do the same. She handed him a brown folder with the image of Vacuo's kingdom printed on it.
"As usual, your ability to observe is impressive as it took your teammates a few minutes to figure out that it was Port in that picture. I assume you already know who the young lady is as well?"
"Judging that I'm in your home and you're still wearing the same glasses, the best assumption would be that it's you who Port has his arm around." Hawkins said lazily.
"Indeed, in truth, only Oobleck, Thumbelina, and Summer are of Valesian descent. All of your other friends have orogins outside this kingdom."
Hawkins nodded and flipped open the folder Ms. Mallari had given him. Inside, there wasn't any information on Raven, but there was a map of Vacuo with a few red X's marked around various settlements.
"I've visited that sandy kingdom many times in my life," Ms. Mallari said, "though I can't say I'm a fan of it."
"Is that so?" Hawkins inquired.
The old woman grinned. "Vacuo's headmaster is a man named Theodore. He isn't as keen on having visiting hunters in his kingdom, and he's rather meticulous when it comes to gathering information."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Hawkins cut in. "I asked for information in regards to Qrow's older sibling, not the political figures of Vacuo."
"I'm telling you this because I'm trying to prepare you for your voyage." Ms. Mallari chuckled.
"You're used to doing as you like, and the passive environment from Vale's peaceful state has left you in a state of comfort. However, I warn you that Vacuo will not be as receptive to any type of violence or suspicious activity."
The therapist cracked her fingers.
"I'll give the sandy kingdom the credit of being the least racist when it comes to the Faunus, as Vacuo's common motto is survival of the strongest, but I'm cautious to say that Shade Academy's headmaster has also adopted that belief. Theodore doesn't take kindly to those who try to stir up trouble in his territory, and the hunters he has under his command are nothing to scoff at."
Hawkins set down the folder and clasped his hands on his lap.
"This information is appreciated," he said, "but I can assure you that I have no intention of causing an unnecessary ruckus for any of Vacuo's citizens or the general public. I've already predicted that my son is located in Vacuo's wildlands, which means that he's far from civilization."
"If you assume that a man like Theodore is ignorant to the outlying sections of his home, then you're sorely mistaken. In fact, he makes sure to keep track of the bandits that occupy the shadier parts of the dessert, and has even personally dsimantled a few rebellious tribes."
"He sounds like a very proactive person." Hawkins commented.
"He believes actions speak louder than words," Ms. Mallari stated matter of factly, "and he's keen on maintaining a powerful figure at all times. Both physical and political."
"Will he hinder my mission then?" The blonde sighed.
"Not necessarily," Ms. Mallari cupped her chin, "though he will be curious as to why a member of STQH has decided to visit his kingdom unannounced. I'm sorry to say, Hawkins, but he probably already has your general hunter information since your teammates are already well known outside of Vale's borders."
The therapist pointed to a magazine that had been on the coffee table since the early morning. Hawkins picked it up and rolled his eyes at the title. He'd seen this magazine before, but he didn't care much for anything that wasn't the newspaper or informative articles revolved around the kingdom's politics.
"World Hunter's Monthly?"
Ms. Mallari shrugged. "The magazine has been around for about a decade now, and its contents are all related to gossip and pompous fame. STHQ is among the top thirty teams, and Summer seems to be rather high on the recent polls."
Hawkins flipped over a few pages and found his team leader giving a humble smile with her beloved weapons unsheathed. She was ranked 9th on the ladder, with Qrow tallying in at 27th, and Tai having a place in 53.
The magician sighed as he read the general descriptions of his teammates. He didn't expect to have a spot in the magazine, to begin with, and wasn't offended when he wasn't mentioned in the gossip-filled pages either. However, he was intrigued when he saw the image of a certain witch that he'd come to familiarize himself with who found herself holding the number 3 rank.
Glynda adorned in a flashy violet dress lined with silver threads, her long hair was tied in a braided ponytail that reached a tad past her shoulders. She wasn't wearing her glasses, thus allowing readers to gaze directly into her pale emerald eyes.
She posed with a hand on her hip, but other than that, her posture was strictly perfect.
"Glynda's always been popular, mostly for her skill and dedication to being a role model huntress, but her natural beauty might have given her a bit of leeway on the polls." Ms. Mallari showed a short smirk at Hawkins' furrowed brows.
"It says here that Ms. Goodwitch is a sociable sort with a high tolerance for crowds." The man raised a scrutinizing brow.
"So it does," Ms. Mallari repeated, "but not everything that's printed in a magazine is credible is it?"
"I've spent enough time around the witch to know that while she tolerates loud environments, she prefers ones that are ordered. If she can't find such a setting, she'd most likely try to find a calm and peaceful setting far away from the usual noise of large crowds." Hawkins sighed.
Ms. Mallari leaned forward on her chair. This was the most Hawkins had ever spoken about his peers, and she truly wanted to see if he had genuine friends outside his team, especially since he was such a gloomy person. "Really now?" She prodded. "What can you tell me about Glynda? I haven't spoken to her since I assisted Ozpin with her first year's initiation, but I've heard she's been doing well despite her dip in performance in Mantle."
"I play chess with her every two weeks or when she's around in the commercial district's former ballroom building. It's annoying really... all because I decided to study the game before our first match doesn't mean she can complain about me bending the rules of a board game."
"Hoh? This is the first time I'm hearing about your hobbies other than writing and sparring with your son." Ms. Mallari felt the corners of her mouth reaching for the ceiling as Hawkins gave another grunt, though this one didn't come off as rude or dismissive at all.
"I didn't feel like giving Ms. Goodwitch any leeway against me, so I borrowed plenty of novels from Mr. Tukson's store in regards to chess. That, coupled with the various tarot readings that foretold which openings Ms. Goodwitch would use, gave me the edge in our first match..."
Hawkins rubbed his temples. "At this point, I can tolerate her presence like most who socialize with my teammates, but I'd still prefer to keep my distance from them all."
"Hoh... So that's it." Ms. Mallari cupped her chin in a classic thinker pose.
"What is it?" The magician asked.
"Nothing... for now. Let's get back on topic, shall we? I'll lend you that map for Vacuo free of charge, but there is something that we must do before you head off to the sandy kingdom."
The therapist stood from her chair for the last time that day, before taking a sudden lunge at the magician's form.
Hawkins staggered back and dropped his magazine. Of all the things the old woman could do, she chose to attack a man much younger and taller than her.
The blonde's hand flinched to the hilt of his longsword and managed to unsheath it just in the nick of time to stop Ms. Mallari's heel from clashing against the side of his skull.
"Your reaction time is decent, but you're taking it easy on me aren't you?" Ms. Mallari clicked her tongue and the sound of a gear shifting echoed across the living room.
Hawkins took heed of this and seperated physical contact with his therapist immediately. He jumped back but was followed in his retreat as Ms. Mallari tightened the belt around her waist and kicked consecutively without pause.
His wounds aching and sweat smudging his bandages, Hawkins faltered in parrying an incoming blow for his midriff and recieved the full brunt of the assault. He coughed a bit of blood then grit his teeth as Ms. Mallari sommersaulted next to the fireplace.
He was already on an emotional spiral when he arrived at the therapist's humble cottage, so he was in no mood for pointless games. His devil fruit manifesting, Hawkins lashed out with his trademark attack and thrust his serpent-like straw at Ms. Mallari's chest.
The old woman jumped off the wall and soared over the sharp straw. She did this around the room several times, testing the magician's ire as she hopped out the open window.
Hawkins' straw retracted to its original sword form, and he blew a long sigh of hot air. Why was Ms. Mallari acting like this? What had he done to initiate this fight? He followed her outside and narrowed his eyes at her carefree expression.
"Is this all the great magician of the North Blue has to offer? Come now, Hawkins, I would have thought that a fierce pirate such as you would have dealt with me a lot quicker. Has the mighty scarecrow truly fallen into a pit that he cannot climb out of?"
Hearing such jeers and taunts from someone he could trust chipped the blonde's heart more than he had assumed. Eyes lit with determination, Hawkins pursued his therapist with a war cry and hacked and slashed at her person.
Ms. Mallari retaliated with her legs, which after striking a spark against Hawkins' sword, reminded the magician that his opponent's lower limbs were swapped for metal prosthetics.
On the twentieth clash of their lengthy duel, the blonde finally managed to gain the upper hand as an overhead strike set Ms. Mallari off balance. Or that's what he assumed. To his shock, the therapist flipped herself so her hands were on the ground and her feet were in the air.
She proved to be just as mobile this way as when she was upright.
Her legs jerking forward and back, Hawkins found the scene troublesome as he wasn't used to fighting under such odd conditions.
"Bang!" A sharp flash of light emmited from a hidden gun compartment in her heel, Ms. Mallari clicked her tongue as the blonde before she shuddered and shielded his eyes.
She knew it was moraly improper to resort to trauma to win a fight, but in truth, she was trying to tell Hawkins something, something that he needed to overcome before he was consumed by it.
"Argh!" The former pirate grunted as a strong foot met his stomach.
"Bang!" Another flash of light, the former pirate felt his heart skip a beat, but this time a different picture manifested among the sparks of his PTSD.
A little boy, scared and alone, his hair was a similar tint to the light that blinded his father's pupils.
Skidding back on his heels, Hawkins refused to fall and choked out another breath. He blinked to gather his bearings and prepared his sword for another round of swift exchanges. Though oddly enough, Ms. Mallari set herself proper and dusted the bits of grass and dirt off her dress.
"Not a bad fight, but you're still hindered in a very crippling way."
Hawkins lowered his head and balled his hands into a fist. He knew exactly what she was talking about.
"Hawkins..." Ms. Mallari walked over and rested a hand on the blonde's shoulder.
"I'm sorry for getting you so worked up, but you need to realize that in order to have the highest chance of bringing your son home in one piece, you must climb over this mental wall that you've constructed."
"I... I'm weak aren't I?" Hawkins muttered patheticaly. A tear rolling down his pale cheek, it was promptly wiped away as a pair of hands cupped his face and brought it towards a pair of sympathetic hazel eyes.
"You're not weak, but you've built your strength on a weak crutch."
Hawkins curled a brow but said nothing.
"It's easy for you, since you've retained most of the combat abilities you gathered during your earlier hardships in the north blue and grande-line, and your intelligence is well noted so it's easy for you to settle things on your own. However, that came at a cost didn't it?"
The magician's lips bent downward and his eyes gained a hollow look to them.
"It's important to remember what we lost and the history of those we care about and those around us, but you're using your grief as an excuse to shut yourself away even if you don't realize it. I hear from Summer and your teammates that you rarely attend missions with them and the only times you leave your home is to visit Ms. Goodwitch or Mr. Tukson."
Ms. Mallari slowly advanced and pulled Hawkins in for a hug. He didn't reject the offer, but he didn't really accept it either and simply allowed himself to be moved into place.
"Hawkins, I've been your therapist since you joined team SQTH, and while I have witnessed improvement in your mental and physical health; I cannot help but see that there are still barriers that you've erected and maintained."
Her grip tightened and the therapist rested her head against the magician's left ear.
"You managed to snap out of your fear very quickly this time around, and you were even ready to prepare a counterattack. What did you think of that broke you from that horrible nightmare with the admiral and warlord?"
"My..." Hawkins sighed wearily. "I saw my son..."
"It's good to see his smile after a tiring day in the farms or a lengthy writing session isn't it?"
The image of a smiling Jaune holding up a crayon-based drawing of his father taking over his view of the world, Hawkins felt a subtle heat grow steadily hotter as Ms. Mallari's palm cupped over his beating breast.
"But... There's another pain gnawing at you isn't there? One that only happens when you're around a certain someone who you deeply care for no matter how often you'd probably deny it."
Hawkins stared straight into his therapist's eyes with a mournful expression.
"You still love her, deep down, don't you?"
"... I do. But, she's already with a better man who can take care of her personal needs. All I would accomplish is to drown her in an emotional ocean that she would never be able to swim out of."
"Is that so? That's not what she told me the last time I talked to her." Ms. Mallari quipped with a smile.
"In fact, she tells me that it's because of you that her team is so well knitted these days. That it's because of your many selfless actions that her teammates finally came to realize their own shortcomings and decided to do something about it."
Hawkins felt tears sting his eyes, as his gaze fell to the ground.
"And you've also told me that Jaune has expressed his desire to have a mother, but I don't think you're seeing the whole picture, Hawkins."
"And what is it that I am missing?" Hawkins asked.
"Jaune's main reason for wanting a mother is so that he doesn't have to see his father sad or lonely anymore."
Hawkins felt a pinch in his stoic heart.
"He talks very highly of you whenever I meet him, saying how strong and kind you are when it comes down to it and that you're surrounded by people who care about you. That's why Jaune is confused, he doesn't understand why his father is set in such a gloomy state despite being in such a happy environment and its very frustrating for a boy that's only six years old."
The magician was gently separated from the embrace as Ms. Mallari stared him straight in the eye.
"Your son is young, but we both know that he'd throw himself into danger without a second thought if it meant saving the people he cared about. While noble, that mindset is dangerous and often leads to short-lived lives. Care for him, Hawkins, and teach him to trust both his heart and his mind."
The old woman's fingers pressed harder against the blonde man's chest.
"So, whenever you feel down or overwhelmed by your nightmares, you must remember the ones who care about you and let them be the push that fuels your independant strength."
The breeze still and the sun growing hot, Hawkins closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he exhaled, his body visibly shivered but the pain in his chest had subsided substantially. Ms. Mallari hadn't reclined either, offering what comfort she could as she once again hugged him.
"Are you prepared to rescue your son, Basil Hawkins, father of Jaune and proud magician of SQTH?"
Ms. Mallari released her embrace then stomped her foot which was followed by a loud bang and a flash of yellow light.
This caused Hawkins to flinch and his heart rate to increase, but he held his ground while clenching his fists. He performed the breathing techniques his therapist had taught him and started with slow deep breaths that eased his senses back into normality. It took a while, but Hawkins eventually gathered his bearings and was back to his usual stoic self.
"I'll... try to be." He tried to sound assertive, but doubt clouded his mind as he felt his fingers twitch for his tarot cards.
"But first, there is someone I need to speak to. Well, come on out then or I'll be forced to grab you myself."
Ms. Mallari curled a brow as Hawkins shifted his sights to a nearby bush on the road.
The blonde called again, this time more sternly.
"Ruby, I know you're there. I'm not mad at you, so come out before I do get angry."
The bush shuddered as a cute head of red-tinted locks and silver eyes revealed themselves. Ruby, scared but brave, approached her uncle Hawkins and his therapist with trembling steps as she nervously nibbled on her last chocolate chip cookie.
"Ms. Mallari, could I deal with this in private?" Hawkins asked the old woman.
"Of course. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find anything else on Vacuo that can help you on your journey."
The therapist departed after a polite bow and waved to Ruby with a kind grin as she entered her cottage.
Now alone with his niece, Hawkins lowered himself to a knee, much to Ruby's confusion.
"Let's talk over there, alright?"
The little reaper nodded shyly and followed her uncle to a set of benches set across from one another beneath an old oak tree with many full branches that blocked off the sun. Hawkins took the bench closest to the road, while Ruby sat herself down on the bench closest to the tree's stump.
"To be honest," Hawkins said, "I was expecting Yang or Trifa to be the one to trail my steps but it's fortunate that you were the one who did. After all, other than Yang, I've been meaning to talk to you since last night."
"W-Why?" Ruby stammered with her eyes toward the ground. Her cookie consumed, her hands clasped the hem of her black shirt as she swayed her legs back and forth as if she were on a swing.
"I taught my son how to read, write, and how to calculate numbers with some assistance from Carla." The magician stated in a matter-of-fact tone and pulled out a crumpled note from his cloak pocket.
"So the chances of him having such messy handwritting, and mispelling simple words is very low. So tell me, Ruby, why did you decide to give the letter to me instead of your own parents?"
Ruby tensed at the sight of her crayon scribbles across the white sheet of paper. The word uncle was scribbled out but still legible along with Hawkins' name.
The letter read:
Dear, Oncle Hawcins. Yang, J-Ruby, and me are going unto tha woodz. Pleaze com and sav us if we get unto truble.
"I..." Ruby shrunk under the blonde's gaze and started to cry.
"I-I didn't want anyone to get hurt!" She bawled, letting her innocent tears drench her shirt. "B-But I made a sister promise with Yang to not to tell anyone about our secret adventure!"
She lurched forward, almost falling off the bench as she covered her face with her hands.
"B-But then we got lost in the forest, then Jaune fell down a cliff and-and!"
Before she could utter another word, Ruby felt a large hand pat her head.
"Thank you, for letting me know. It's important to be brave in front of Grimm and those who approach you with evil intent, but it's also important to council those you care about so they don't lose sight of what's truly important. At least that's what I think Sam would say in this instance."
Ruby practically fell into her uncle's chest as she nuzzled her soggy nose against his cloak.
"I'm s-so sorry!" She wailed but her volume was muffled by the thick cotton of Hawkins' clothes.
After a few minutes of heavy sobs, Ruby lifted her head from her uncle's chest.
"I-Is Jaune coming back? Y-Yang really wants to say that she's sorry to you and him too..."
The little reaper's eyes widened as the rarest image was registered and burned into her memory. Though a tear strolled down her uncle's cheek, he wore a small smile, a genuine smile that showed no teeth but radiated warmth and assurance all the same.
"You can't apologize to my son if he's not around can you?"
Ruby beamed and wiped her face with her sleeves after Hawkins released her from his hug.
"Nope!" She said and popped the P.