Chapter 5

Seven years ago:

Blake had escorted Adam and Yuki along the beaten path, going past the wooden buildings, and the market, which were built in shallow waters, made for walking for regular faunus and swimming for aquatic faunus. The sun had shined on the land that the faunus had tamed, some palm-trees visible on the nearby beaches, making it seem like a tropical resort. For the most part, it seemed like a relatively peaceful island.

However, the population density was incredibly high. Everywhere you go, there's faunus. It made maneuvering around the towns incredibly difficult if you wished to make your way through the crowd. It was especially so for Adam as his cumbersome blade had forced him to take it off of the straps that he hung around himself, which turned with him when fighting, so that he was able to move past the citizens.

As the three walked, Adam and Yuki began to take in the sights of Menagerie. The two had lived a rather self-centred lifestyle. For a good portion of their lives, they've been up against the wall and corners from every conceivable angle, against threats that most people would balk at facing, but at the end of the day, they had no choice but to face such threats. They had to surpass their limits in order to survive. That was the main focus for their survival.

However, they weren't stupid to completely forget regular studies. If they were going to succeed in the real world, they needed to have actual studies. For the most part, they read what they actually needed, Dust Science, Mathematics, History, and whatnot. What they learnt about History was the Faunus Revolution.

Amongst all that, they also studied about Menagerie. About how, after the Great War, the humans had tried to centralize the entire faunus-population onto Menagerie, an attempt that had disgraced a majority of the faunus at that era. It was only further supplemented by the fact that, after the Great War, they were 'gifted' Menagerie at the end of the war after they had 'assisted' the Four Kingdoms. By 'gifted', they meant a mere participation prize meant to isolate them from the rest of the world, and by 'assist', it meant that some faunus were forcibly enlisted into the army as fodder.

While the Faunus Rights Revolution had legalized equal rights for people, very few people had actually approved of such a thing. Many people would continuously push for faunus to be centralized into the newly-named Menagerie, which would end up becoming the Faunus Rights Revolution. Their so called prize would eventually become their safe haven, where they would be able to freely control their destinies.

But that was all immaterial, finding Blake's house was the main importance, which was a simple job when it was sticking out amongst the trees. The building was reminiscent of old Mistralian buildings of the past, a roof that was curved, which were supported by wooden beams, moveable wooden frames for windows, without any sort of steel supporting it, with the windows being made out of nice blue glass.

The only thing that wasn't wood was the pathway. The stairs, the small walls that surrounded them and the house were made of concrete with pots decorating some of the outside, and moss was growing on the roof itself as well. The house looked quite large, and rightfully so. For the leader of the White Fang, it would be important to have space for meetings between the leaders and for other diplomatic purposes. Or perhaps they had other reasons for such a thing.

However, it wasn't a thing to dwell upon. Right now, Adam and Yuki were rather focused on getting Blake on hitting the grind. Blake got to the door and she knocked a few times. Blake could barely contain her excitement as she was jumping up and down with Yuki smiling warmly at her.

"Are you excited, Blake-chan?" Adam teased, his sword being back in attached to the magnetic plate, which was attached to the straps that went over his shoulder.

"Of course I am," Blake eagerly said. "I can finally see my parents after three whole months! How can I not be happy?"

"We could always be slave-drivers again," Yuki teased.

Blake gasped in fear. If there was one thing that she learnt about Adam and Yuki, it was that the two can be intense slave-drivers when they want to. Thankfully, the two were only slave-drivers when needed. Blake did not want to wake up with her muscles sore, feeling that they're about to burst under the slightest pressure, and drenched in sweat. It was that sort of feeling that made her hate that trait about Adam and Yuki, however effective and necessary it actually was.

One of the wooden doors had slid open, the face of Kali, her eyes wide when she laid her eyes on Blake, before sweeping her into a hug.

Her mother was always a playful type, even when she was younger. She would often sneak up on her, making her jump. Often times, she would often scoop her up and bring her into a hug when she was reading one of her favourite books, ones that originate from adventure or some simple princess stories, annoying her incredibly.

However, now that she was in her mother's embrace, she realized just how much she missed her mother. True, she knew that she would be reunited with her family, and Adam and Yuki had made up for that during training and during the talks that they had along the way. But just being here, feeling the nostalgic warmth radiating from her mother was enough to bring her to tears and settle into the hug of her mother.

"I'm home, mom," Blake said, as she nestled into the gentle embrace of her mother. "I'm really home."

"It's so good to see you, dear," Kali whispered, gently kissing Blake's forehead. "I'm sure you've had a wonderful time."

"I certainly have!" Blake said, her grin showing her happiness. "Adam-nii and Yuki-nee are the best!"

Kali had quirked an eyebrow at the honorifics, but didn't speak out. Being born and raised in Mistral, she had grown up with such honorifics being used around her by the higher ups of the settlement she was raised in. However, they were used so little in those times so what honorifics she had heard didn't stick. What she did know was that "-nee" and "-nii" meant sister and brother respectively.

"I'm sure they were, dear," Kali noted. "I thought that only Adam was the one training you."

"Yeah, but Adam-nii got Yuki-nee join in to help. She's amazing," Blake said. "Yuki-nee is amazing with the training that she's giving me."

After that, Kali had brought Blake inside, motioning for Adam and Yuki to do the same, who had stepped inside the house.

"It's so good to see you again, Blake," Ghira said, a smile gracing his face. Blake could understand. She could imagine being without Blake for a few months could have it's impact on Ghira. He was always the sort to worry over some things, mainly concerning her safety. However, she knew that, deep down, Ghira really did care for her.

It was also one of the reasons she had massively appreciated Adam and Yuki. The two had never treated her like she was a genuine china-doll. Instead, the two always went as hard on her as possible, always pushing her to her limits. She can keenly remember all the times where her muscles felt like they were on fire, where she was sweating bullets incredibly. The two always knew that she was determined, so they turned that to an advantage. They would use her determination to drive her forward. In the beginning, Adam was more or less dead set on leaving her behind, or really just trying to motivate her.

"It's great to see you again, Dad," Blake replied, her legs swinging down on the sofa. "I missed you."

"And we missed you too, Blake," Kali said. "You should've seen Ghira when you left. He was all nervous about you travelling with a stranger out in the wilderness. The first week after you left he was worried left and right."

Kali let out a few giggles at that, with Ghira grumbling in embarrassment, saying something along the lines of that he wasn't that bad, which had prompted Kali to laugh even harder, with Blake joining in with a few giggles.

"Yeah, as worried as I was," Blake started. "Their training really does help."

"Yeah, that Adam Taurus really knows his stuff, if you're getting pretty strong fast," Ghira said. "I did some research on the guy myself. Supposed to have Aura-techniques that no one else actually has. Is that what he's teaching you?"

Adam and Yuki had decided to leave Blake with her parents to make up for lost time. As of now, they're currently wandering around Menagerie, taking the home of thw Faunus in.

Blake nodded. "Yeah," She held up her hand, which glowed a faint purple. "My Aura is more firm, so I don't lose as much when I take a hit, and I don't expend as much Aura when I use it for attacks. The flow of my Aura has become easier for me to control as well. I'd say it really does work. He even said I might be able to unlock my Semblance soon."

"Really?" Kali wondered.

"Yeah, I'm really excited for it," Blake said, her body jumping up and down. "Although, it would take some time for that to happen though. Adam-nii thinks it will be unlocked in about a month I think..."

"Well, I, for one, am quite excited," Ghira said. "While I do have concerns, however, I do think this training is beneficial. Speaking of, where are your teachers?"

"They're currently wandering around Menagerie, exploring and stuff. They're trying to find some good spots for training and stuff," Blake answered. "They're also gonna try to find some ppaces where they can get the necessary equipment for my weapon in the future."

"It's an impressive training spot, isnt it?" Yuki asked.

Adam and Yuki had decided to take the time to wander around Menagerie, see what it really has to offer, besides the sun and tropical beaches that it has. It also gave them the opportunity to explore where they're going to do training. A flat hill of nice even earth, spacious enough, not for all out battles, but for spars.

"That it is," Adam answered truthfully. "It'll be critical when she's planning for actual battle in the near future...if she's going to go down the route she's going."

"A White Fang member, right?"

"Yep," Adam responded. "I've already asked her why she's training, and she responded that, through the techniques she's learning, she'll be able to inspire the other faunus to explore the concept of Aura, which would then pass on to the humans. If it was revealed that the faunus have done such a thing, it may prove to be rather beneficial about Faunus Rights."

"Are you sure that it's the safest move?" Yuki asked. "I'm not entirely sure about the White Fang. It's goals are noble, but the subtle signs of its methodry turning towards violence is becoming more and more apparent by the day. I'm afraid that, soon, overwhelming hate and zealotry will override any sort of care for any lives that will be placed in front of them."

"Well, we may just have to keep her on the right track," Adam's voice held a determined tone to it. "The White Fang, as of now, don't wish for violence, but if the signs become far too obvious, we will warn her about the path she'll be taking in the future, and she will have to decide if being in the White Fang, even after it has desended into unbridled anger and violence, is the right path for her."

"But that's the most we can do, guide," Yuki countered. "Forcing people to do something, in the short run, can be counterproductive, especially with Blake-chan. We're only in the first few months in Blake-chan's training, so by actively forcing her to steer away from the White Fang, it will make her even more obstinate and would further her resolve to stay with the White Fang.

"On the other hand, if we push for her to follow her resolve, it may end up with the result we do not wish for Blake-chan herself to fall prey to."

"Damned if we do, damned if we don't, huh," Adam grumbled, before he pushed his hand into his face. "Who knew teaching could be so complicated?"

"You're the one who signed up for this, Adam," Yuki's mouth curled up into a mischevious smile, before dropping. "In any case, the best scenario is to build our relationship with Blake-chan as best as possible, not just as siblings, but as teachers. The job of a teacher is someone that is meant to guide and instruct, to keep someone on the right path, while the job of a sibling is to support one another in any way they can. If we wish to assist Blake-chan, then we must take those principles, and then apply them to Blake-chan. We must act as both a teacher and a sibling to her if we wish to assure her future."

"That's true," Adam agreed, before his face fell into an uncharacteristically grim face, his mouth falling into a thin line. "So what's the plan on telling her?"

"She'll know in a few months," Yuki revealed. "I do not intend to hide such a truth from her, especially as grave as this one. It is one that can easily threaten her livelihood and, potentially, the world."

"Yes, it can," Adam agreed. "This... 'Queen', whoever She is, won't rest until all of your kind are wiped completely. There's no telling the sort of people that She has all over the place."

"Yes, indeed," Yuki growled, her tiger tail whipping in subtle anger. "In any case, if She does try to send any sort of enforcers here to deal with me..." Yuki then reached behind her, before she pulled out two tessens, each one an icy-blue, matching her particular colour scheme. Each part of the tessen was decorated with green gems, seemingly clashing with the ice cold aesthetic. "We are more than capable of dealing with them."

The next few weeks were filled with even more rigorous training. A good chunk of it is was filled with the usage of Chikara, an exercise that Blake had struggled with. It was the usage of letting your Aura explode into a tangible force, one that allows you to make your Aura into a mutible shape. You can utilize Chikara from your own hands or shouts in order to create a more concussive force, or from the edge of your blade in order for it to pierce the Aura of your opponent.

It was only in the first week that Blake had managed to use Chikara, however she was only able to do it three times before she bled her own Aura reserves dry. It was also debilitating to experience the act of her own Aura shattering and scattering apart. The act of shattering had a physical aspect, which is why having your own Aura break apart drained your own stamina. Adam and Yuki had pointed out that, if she was gonna have Aura and use it right, she was going to have to get used to that feeling. She would use Inpei in order to ensure that she could quicken the rate of her Aura-recovery. The combination of these two techniques would provide great benefits to her Aura.

Through all of this, she had decided to learn the katana, much like Adam, while also following a bit of Yuki's path, utilizing throwing knives. Remembering Adam's words about making sure that the weapons you wield must be treated as an extension of yourself, and not as a mere additional piece of yourself. Channelling your Aura through any object was easy for her, but you had to maintain such a thing. Much like Kotetsu and Inpei, the key to such a technique is maintaining.

Normally, a weapon, at it's most basic level, acts as a force-multiplier. A warhammer and a mace acts as a way to focus and enhance the concussive force it carries. A bladed weapon is meant to focus that force into a thin line meant to leave a thin, but deep, cut, leading to lacerations, or even worse, severing limbs. Aura acts as a way to magnify the concentrated force. With it, she is capable of reinforcing the weapon that she is holdong so that it doesn't shatter as easily. She can enhance the power behind the concussive forces behind her punches and kicks, along with the sharpness of any weapon.

Adam had gotten the two a pair of practice weapons, his was red while hers were purple. They were plain nodachi at the end of the day, each one specifically tailored to their respective sizes. After that, he began to direct her through the katas required for Kenjutsu, teaching her how to string all of the katas together. It also turns out that he was also rather creative with training dummies, which he would use trees as substitutes. By having her repeatedly hit her new nodachi at the trunk, she would have to get accustomed to feeling the impact of an attack, before going at it again. This was one of the more strenuous training exercises, and one that did not involve Aura.

He was also instructing her on how to properly maintain a weapon's condition. Throughout the course of their travels, Adam has stated that it's not enough to view your weapon as a mere tool, but as an actual partner. Treat the steel as if it were flesh. Care for it and maintain its life so when the time comes, you can make it come alive in your hands.

Yuki, on the other hand, would have her practice with chucking the knives into the air before recapturing them. She would use the dulled knives instead of the sharp ones, in order to avoid accidental injury. At first, it was simple chucking and catching the knives, before it evolved into outright juggling a bunch of knives before the began to throw the sharp ones right at the some simple wooden logs. Doing this would continuously practice her accuracy and throwing power.

In addition to that, her control over channelling Aura into weapons would become more efficient and easier, when it came down to actual combat. She must be able to channel her Aura into a conduit as efficiently and as quickly as possible.

She was allowed Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays off training, although she was expected to maintain her Kotetsu. Through out all of that, she was making some quick progress. In addition to that, she was also in the process of designing her own weapon. It was still in the midst of being designed. In fact, she was going through multiple designs in order to ensure that the weapon she was creating would be perfect for her specifically.

Then, an amazing discovery happened...

Blake's hands had gripped her nodachi as she felt the sizzling sensation of the red crescent flying by her head, the energy wave had shaven off a few strands of her own hair. Surprisingly, she didn't even felt herself move when she dodged the attack, but rather, she felt as if something had spawned right where she once stood and had shoved her right out of that spot. Because of the sudden push, she had fell right onto her rear, her grip loosening on the handle of her nodachi as it fell right onto the even earth of their sparing ground.

Adam's own nodachi was swept out to his side, finished unleashing his attack, before he set the sword back into the black lacquered sheath. One of the benefits to his Semblance was that he was allowed to substitute the Aura required for the usage of his Semblance with the kinetic energy he normally stores up, which ensures thay he doesn't waste as much Aura as he does. Using his Aura for his Semblance instead of the damage he stores up was simple, especially back in the early days of his training, when he was younger. However, his fighting-style had preferred absorbing the damage dealt by his opponent before returning it at the critical point. Even though using his Aura as a substitute had made his attacks weaker.

Because of his disintergration ability, if he wasn't careful, then the sword he wielded could very easily disintergrate into ash. This sword was made out of the required metallic alloys that would resist such a thing, as inferior as it was compared to Hinoha, but it shall do.

"Not bad," Adam noted. "Nice Semblance you got there."

"Huh?" Blake said as she stood up, confused.

"You seem to be able to create shadow clones," Adam said. "At least, different clones."

"What do you mean?"

"Well for starters, a shadow is defined by the absence of light," Adam said. "It shouldn't have any sort of physical force applied into it, yet your clones do. If I had to guess, they seem to carry a tangible force on their own, capable of interacting with the physical world, more than what shadows are capable of."

"Woah..." Blake whispered as she looked at her hands.

"That being said, if a sudden force had caught you off guard, you should always maintain your grip over your weapon. It will be difficult to maintain your grip, but it will be easier over time." Adam continued on.

Blake had pouted at that. Adam was the person who would always nit-pick at virtually every mistake she made. The childhood adage was 'If you can't say anything nice, then say nothing at all'. However, Adam, seemingly, lived by the inverse of that rule. If there were no nits for him to pick, no mistakes he could critique, he would stay silent. However, there were few moments where he would offer words of praise, such as her determination, so he didn't live by the inverse of such a phrase entirely, but it was something that was used to motivate her in a way.

Still, the fact she had unlocked her Semblance was amazing. She had a Semblance. She had a Semblance. People with unlocked Aura's isn't too common in the world, but it wasn't something that made up a minority of the worlds population. Most of the time, people that have their Aura's unlocked tend to have gotten admitted into Combat School, which is something like a rite of passage. If they didn't do it, then, possibly, their parents would do it, if they were trained as a Huntsmen or Huntresses.

"Still, we need to interpret the mechanics of your Semblance, how it functions, how it can be applied. Such things must be ironed out, if you wish to make full effective use of your Semblance," Adam said, making Blake grumble, realizing her training was going to get even harder than before.

Yeah, this chapter was hella short compared to the other ones. I was just glossing over a shit ton of the details compared to the other chapters, so sorry if this chapter isn't really what you guys had expected, even with the rather long wait time for this one chapter. I've been really busy with college, and I wasn't particularly sure how to approach Menagerie in a descriptive manner. I felt like this chapter is less than enough, however. So I'm sorry for those that didn't particularly enjoy this chapter.

In addition to that, the next chapter will be Blake's enrollment to Beacon Academy, or rather just before the entire Initiation actually begins, mainly because I want to put in a bit of more detail into that chapter. So no actual fights, but instead just some detailing of Beacon Academy.

In regards to the first chapter of this story, I won't actually be continuing what will happen next, mainly because I am reserving it for whay will be tied into another future chapter. Furthermore, I'm putting this story on the shelf for a bit. I am not discontinuing this story. I will try to push through and continue it, however, for the most part, I wish to try another story, and I feel like trying 2 different stories at the same time will be a bit complicated.