Well, I said there would be a birthday surprise...
Did not surprise me what won the poll.
So my gift is to surprise you with an update!
A lovely appreciation to all my readers
Given the speed of this...
Just a quick response to all my reviewers since I really didn't have time!
I was working tirelessly on updating Torn to Oblivion and From the Shadows of My Heart today as well!
Arashi Uzukaze - You up first, my friend, as this question kind of needs the most answering, for I kind of said something in my last notes, but I kind of immediately contradicted myself by adding more to it for later readers.
Yes, Hushed Dreams will be the only story I write so far within the RWBY world that will use what happened in The Ever After and the revelations learned there after I did some thinking. There is no reason not to add that touch in, it simply hurts every other RWBY story I have written up to this point, and I have to ignore it for them.
As for that third version of humanity, all signs so far point to it.
Reishin Amara - Yes, but here is the funny thing...
I wrote this chapter before I watched single episode of Volume 9 as I binge-watched the majority of it in a single sitting! Things fall into place beautifully sometimes, other things crash and burn and make me want to bash my skull in... And honestly, yeah, tons of ideas have spawned from it, I'm imagine, for many people!, and I have a few, but I got to manage them as I have too many as it is!
ReddFoxx - It did its job appropriately, then! Love to hear that!
Randomguy - Definitely dealt with them if the Brothers were there, just saying their world plans aren't known to be very good...
I'm sorry the story reads for you that way, but its not entirely meant to be for you. I chop it that way for those that listen audibly on the app (it's actually one of my edits as I listen to my story before I post it), and I give distinct pause to where I want sentences to be paused in the reading. I will admit I do need to improve it a little more and will make slight adjustments after chapter 20, but it's not changing much, my friend.
Zero - OOOHHH MMMYYYY GGGOOODDD! Is that a Jojo reference?! :)
Guest #1 - No, Oz and Salem will come slightly after. Now with some revelations to come, as you can already tell, the Brothers might not have entirely erased everything...
Dasgun - 0.0
kurogane1602 - Appreciate it! A day early, my friend, as I knew this would win the poll and get updated. It was inevitable...
KHARAKI TAKAN - Thank you! No! No, no, no! You might be thinking the Last Shinobi War is the same as a Great Shinobi War we are accustom to, and I'm not afraid to say it isn't.
No. The only ones I would consider are Kaguya and Toneri, and even then, it is a hard no. The lore of the Otsutsuki extends into Boruto, and I will say, I gave up on it after a little while as it did not hold my interest. So I know nothing beyond my Naruto knowledge and what I have to look up for them!
ObserverJodah - Glad you are enjoying it! Hope that trend continues!
codywhite162 - More to come! Have my usual stock good and loaded and can usually get a chapter written per week, so no danger of falling behind any time soon!
Guest #2 - Glad you are enjoying, but I am not going to do that, my friend. The way I'm writing is how I can sustain a healthy life outside while being able to produce consistently without horribly long hours of editing, (my last chapter of Fox of Remnant took 12 hours to edit)! I've already dealt with this issue in my other stories and have come to this conclusion that I cannot do more than what I am currently writing per chapter with it being reasonable. The way it is now, it lessens the stress and time considerably when I have much smaller chunks to go through my process.
TheSlySage - Mostly right, with a few adjustments here or there based on the maps I was using.
Tera12 - You are welcome! But the thing is, everyone, is kind of thinking these are cliffhangers when they really aren't. Yeah, dramatic ending and all, but it was conclusive ending. Anyways, I try to end them at logical points before continuing to the next chapter, sometimes it does take two to three to tell a full event. It's kind of meant to read like a weekly manga.
Tr1vium - Sooner than you think, little longer than you would like!
King0fP0wers - *Heartbeat intensifies* Well, um, maybe? :) But yeah, the lore of that was cool and all, I do find it interesting, it is going to cause problems for me soon in my other RWBY stories...
Kid RBY scenes are some of my favorite parts to write in this. Sad that W really is a nonfactor in the story. Funny thing about that, check the preview!
Lone survivor1 - Because of him and Sasuke. Typical when you think about it.
Monster King - Keep up those motivational reviews!
Guest#3 - Officially, yes.
Now onto the show!
This was all too much to handle.
What had the fox done?
Not only was he in a world utterly different from his that spoke a different language than his, but…
It was the distant future? The Nine-Tails transported him through time to reach this foreign land with all these strange people and creatures.
If he didn't hate it before, he felt hatred toward the beast now! Just what deal did it strike to do what it did?
What was the deal with these Gods that the cat-ear woman mentioned? Gaara was Kazekage? He held him in high regard as someone who changed his life? He was the last leader of all Shinobi!
What happened?! What did he miss?
"Gah, I have so many more questions!" Naruto frustratedly threw his hand down against the bed.
Rolling over on his side, he sighed deeply as he looked out the window. Watching the tiny, iridescent snowflakes scatter and flow down to the ground, he closed his eyes. No one here would have any real answers.
Only speculations and guesses. All that was known was what was written down as, from the sound of things, this world had undergone drastic changes multiple times. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but these Grimm didn't sound very good, and things were only starting to look up for them.
And considering his people weren't here any longer, it wasn't the first time humanity was pushed to its limit.
"Really, what have I been thrown into, you stupid fox…" Naruto muttered, gazing upon the frozen winterland outside longingly.
Wishing he was home. With his friends. With the people, he considered his family. People he was familiar with.
He might even take a few scornful looks from the villagers. At least those were things he was accustomed to compared to this world where nothing made sense.
And that everything was new.
"What the…" Naruto sat up as he felt a depression in his bed, not feeling or hearing anyone enter his room. "I said I wanted to be left…"
"Little Red! How do you keep sneaking in like this?"
Upon noticing a barely out-of-toddler stage girl having crawled onto his bed, clutching something tightly to her chest, Naruto repressed, rolling his eyes. He didn't have the heart to say no, but he could read to her, so it was very awkward when she kept bringing him books and…
"A board game?" Naruto titled his head as Red held out a vibrant colored box filled with odd characters and candy-like construction pieces.
"You want me to play?" Naruto pointed at his chest and then to the board, and Red furiously nodded, making him hang his head and sigh depressingly as he returned the nod. "Well, this is going to be a chore. Let's see if I can figure out how to play a game in a different language."
Shrinking back from the ear-piercing squeal of joy, Red gripped his wrist, slid off the bed, and led him out of the room, taking him down the stairs. Naruto almost had to laugh seeing Yellow having a stare-down with the young cat girl as they arrived at the coffee table, and Red slammed the board down.
They did not like each other, and he found that hilarious for some reason. Did not know why but oddly enough, he was getting a strange vibe watching the two of them. Felt strangely familiar to him, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.
It was as if there was some rivalry between them…
Naruto shrugged as he couldn't quite figure out why it related to him. He sat cross-legged at one end of the table as Red set up the board. He wasn't sure what to do, but the game didn't look very complex. It was a small, colorful board with bright rainbow-colored men as pieces and had a small stack of cards.
That didn't help to figure out the rules outside, seeing it was a snaking path from one end to the other. Were there shortcuts on the board? How did you move? What was the point of the cards? Why was he given the blue man? Okay, there wasn't an orange piece and fair, Yellow should get yellow, and Red should get red…
Hearing the woman known as Kali's voice come from the kitchen, the young cat-ear girl's ears twitched. She looked up and toward the kitchen with a bewildered expression, then toward him and frowned. Red and Yellow had already drawn a card and moved their pieces.
Well, it seemed like cards were for movement…
"Draw," Naruto's eyes snapped back to the small cat-eat girl struggling to speak. "A card, move to color."
"Oh," Naruto looked somewhat surprised as he did as the young girl asked. "Two oranges? Does that mean I move two orange squares?"
Her eyes widened at how quickly he spoke, and she seemed alarmed at first, almost unable to keep up. Naruto almost apologized, observing her reaction, seeing she must have just started learning. It was new to her, but seeing the suddenly determined furrowing of her brow and concentration on her face, he stopped.
He knew that look well enough. She would not back down from the challenge she was just given.
And she slowly nodded her head, having deciphered what was said. "Yes."
"Cool." With that, Naruto took his blue piece, moved it forward two orange spaces, and grinned. "Seems simple enough. Those shortcuts on the board?"
"Only when you land on them."
"Neat. I'll ask about the other things when they happen. The food icons look interesting, and I'll see what they do here shortly."
Smiling brightly, the young black-haired girl nodded as she happily drew and moved her piece. She then returned her attention to Naruto. "My name is Blake. Yours?"
"Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto grinned back at the small beastkin, enjoying the introduction as it was a cheerful change of pace.
Suddenly the table shifted with a bang, and Yellow's voice resonated loudly, her eyes moving between him and her. Blake's vision was drawn straight into Yellow's eyes, and they nastily stared into each other's gaze and began to verbally spar with one another in their usual tongue.
"Woah, woah, woah! No, no, no!" Naruto cried as he separated the two while Red looked frightened. "Let's chill! Be friendly about this! Can there just be some chill in this house for like ten minutes? I know I'm at fault for some of that, but come on!"
Successfully separating the two by sitting in between them, Naruto sighed as the game returned on track. Flicking his hand through his hair with a groan, he noted Yellow was still glaring at Blake every time it was her turn. She would silently mouth off all the while she scooted closer to him and narrowed her eyes when Blake tried to speak to him.
He rolled his eyes as Red cheered as she drew a food icon and was suddenly halfway across the board, leaving Naruto utterly confused about how that happened. "Well, I've become someone's hero, it seems…"
"Wonder how that other girl is doing…"
"Why would you tell him such a thing?" Tai tried to keep his voice from rising, bearing down the faunus woman in his house with tunnel vision in his kitchen. "Look, I understand he asked you a direct question. He is inherently perceptive and excellent at reading people, and telling the truth will most likely keep endearing you to him, but there is no evidence that Gods existed at such a time. It's widely believed that another more advanced civilization came in…"
"There is no documented proof that another civilization existed then!" Kali hissed lowly as she kept her voice low, so as not to startle the children in the separate room. "Given the facts, it's difficult to dispute what he is any longer. He's already challenged my perception as he recognized what a faunus is. Now he personally states he knew the most renowned figures of my father's ancestry? And his name is the same child documented by the said figure that disappeared when he states these Gods arrived!"
"Can you call that a coincidence?" Kali countered and kept her gaze level with Tai's.
"Yes, honestly!" Tai responded, shaking his head adamantly. "Look, I'm not disputing the fact that he seems likely lost in time and that his name bears a resemblance to the child that was mentioned by the last Shadow. Evidence points to him being from that era, and that is his name. How many other children could have had the same name? It could have been a common name in that era."
"How many of them knew the last Shadow and defeated them in battle?" Kali retorted, refusing to back down an inch. "To be the only person ever to give him a defeat in combat as other records found in Vacuo stated he never lost a battle to anyone other than the Gods, yet in his personal memoirs, he stated time and time again that Uzumaki Naruto once defeated him! The boy admits he beat him! That should state that he is the same person, and we now have historical reference to what happened to him!"
"Granted, that holds weight, I admit," Tai held his hands up passively as he wouldn't argue against it. "But there is still so much that we are unsure of about this circumstance, and jumping to brash conclusions is inadvisable."
"And then telling him his people fell to Gods was an asinine decision." Tai lambasted her as he crossed his arms across his chest. "He's not in a right place mentally at the moment, given the circumstances, and that's not what he needed to hear."
"Qrow, why are you not backing me up on any of this?"
"What?" Qrow looked up from the table, rolling his eyes as he did his all to stay out of this conversation. "Oh, right. Gods and that sort of stuff. Not real, sure. The kid didn't need to know that. As for the rest, she was on point since he asked her to tell him, and she needed to maintain his trust. Simple as that."
"What the hell, Qrow?" Tai looked baffled at Qrow's response, given how he had recently acted around the blonde kid known as Naruto. "You are the biggest none believe I nonbeliever in mystical powers and bullshit I know. You've never believed in Gods or religion, and that's the response I get out of you from that?"
"Look, it's been a day, okay? So cut me some slack." Qrow tried to wave off his lack of reaction as he looked away tiredly, not wanting Tai to try and dig further.
He did not need to know the truth of the matter. That many of the stories of the Gods were indeed factual. And he feared the kid was somehow involved in all of this, and now he had no choice but to involve Ozpin in his life directly.
The thought was not sitting well with him as it should be Naruto's choice, but if somehow she were to become involved with this and he had some involvement with the Gods…
He could not let that happen.
A silence fell after his words as Tai winced and Kali's ears drooped. It indeed had been as the door replacement had only just arrived and was installed, and that was the least eventful thing to occur.
The day was indeed rough.
Then a ring echoed, and Qrow rolled his eyes in recognition of where it was coming from. Retrieving his scroll, he answered it. "Yeah, I know."
"Haven't been at work the last couple of days. Been dealing with Tai and making sure the kids are okay. I'm sure you understand. I'll be back to teach the runts for combat studies tomorrow morning."
"Thanks for your understanding. See you tomorrow morning." Qrow flicked his scroll off and then returned it to his pocket.
"You're a teacher?" Kali had a shocked expression before a grimace escaped her lips. "Oh, those poor children…"
"Right!"
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, wise asses!" Qrow grumbled, looking thoroughly unamused. "I might have just got the stupid job, but those kids worth their salt will pay attention to what I have to teach them and might learn a thing or two. The rest will flounder as they aren't ready to take this life seriously."
"So I assume his course has the highest fail rate at the academy?" Kali pondered as she looked amusedly at Tai, making Qrow twitch.
Tai grinned as he chuckled and shook his head. "Well, that's how combat studies are supposed to be conducted. It's not a simple grade. It is a pass or fail course as you have to be physically apt and able as it is the instructor's role to prepare them for combat against Grimm."
"First years at Signal can only pass the combat portion if they can take on a single Beowolf," Qrow interjected before throwing Tai a shady glare. "Second years are required to combat a small pack of Beowolves or a lone Ursa. And finally, Third Years have the biggest challenge as they have to take a stand and face a King Taijitu…"
"Alone. You must kill one in solo combat and then pass the exit exam to officially graduate from Signal. So the kid is nearly ready to head off to a Huntsman Academy like Beacon, I'd say. He just needs to clean up his act a little bit, and he's ready to start at the ripe age of what? He looks maybe twelve?" Qrow paused before grimacing as he finished his words, not liking them in the slightest.
It reminded him far too much of how the tribe handled childhood. And how ready he had to be at that age.
Kali frowned. She also didn't like that such a young child was battle-tested at his age, but given the era he lived in, it could have and probably was the norm. But she was surprised to hear what was required to graduate from the Primary Academy here on this island.
And she and Ghira had been thinking about how to proceed with Blake since she awoke her Semblance recently.
"So that would mean that the graduation rate from this academy is…"
"You get about five to twenty at most from any academy in a given year, depending on the crop of students they receive." Tai placed his hand on his hip and sighed. "Being a Huntsman is not an easy job, and we do not hold our standards any lower. A King Taijiti is among the average amongst the exit Grimm one has to face to graduate and have the privilege to continue their academics at the Huntsman academies."
"Yeah, pretty sure Sanctum has the worst of the lot," Qrow muttered, shaking his head. "Taking on a Sphinx is a rough way to graduate. Known some Huntsman that didn't make it out alive against those things."
Silence fell after his comment as he and Tai paid a remembrance to the fallen while Kali's ears dropped once more. She knew the life of Huntsman was dangerous and that Grimm were a grave threat. However, she wasn't aware of just the extent to which Huntsmen trained and prepared to face the rigors of their life.
Most of them she had come across had been quite unpleasant. So meeting these two was a nice change of view for her.
It gave her slightly more confidence to send Blake to the academies if that was the path she chose.
"It's getting late, huh?" Tai looked out and saw the sun setting and sighed. "And I don't feel like cooking tonight after this day…"
"I swear you say pizza again," Qrow muttered as he propped a foot on his table in annoyance before getting a sharp stare from Kali.
Despite it not being her home, he wisely removed his foot from the table. He knew not to cross a mother when she gave that look.
"Well, do you know another place in Patch that delivers out here now?" Tai mused, and Qrow grumbled as he saw him pull out his scroll.
"You'll get a pass on today," Qrow rolled his eyes, and Tai grinned and began to make the call. "Order one without vegetables. Noted the kid hates 'em the last time you ordered. He picked them all off. Stacked Yang's pieces with them when she wasn't looking. Made my day as she hates them too, and seeing her muscles through them not to get chewed for not finishing her plate out was hilarious."
"Wait, I thought those pieces looked a bit heavy on veggies…" Tai glowered as he made his daughter eat her pieces and swear off pizza after she was done. "And you saw that, and you didn't say anything? What kind of uncle are you?"
"The lie, cheat and steal kind," Qrow responded with a grin, and if Tai's look could kill, Qrow would have died a horrible death ten times over. "The kid is proficient at it and not getting caught. Would have fit in with the tribe. Those that get caught get punished."
"Again, they allowed you to teach children?" Kali tilted her head and scowled at the man.
"They allow him to teach combat. Combat only. Not morals." Tai groaned as he palmed his face, waiting for the call to be answered on the other end of his scroll. "He's only been learning these last fifteen years…"
"Fourteen."
"Are you really going to be pedantic about how long you've been away from the tribe?"
"I count every single day. Do you want an exact count?"
Tai narrowed his eyes and would have responded if a voice on the other end had caught his attention. "Ah yes, I would like to order three large pizzas, one cheese, one meat lovers, and a supreme. For sides, I would like…"
Kali flicked her ears as she continued to listen to the order. She then turned to Qrow, questioning the order."Isn't three too much, especially if he's getting sides? I know there are seven of us, but the kids won't eat too much…"
"Maybe yours doesn't," Qrow responded simply with a yawn. "Yang's a bottomless pit, and Ruby eats whatever is put in front of her. The kid…"
"As long as it isn't vegetables, he could probably eat all three pizzas, the sides, and keep going with a smile on his face. But I'm starting to see maybe why he has that appetite given how he exerts himself in everything he does." Qrow tilted his head, and his eyes half-rolled in understanding. "The kid burns through a lot of calories."
"All right, pizza is ordered and will arrive in an hour." Tai clicked his scroll off with a grin. "Yang, can you come set up the…"
"I DON'T WANNA! I HATE PIZZA! IT'S GROSS AND ICKY!"
"Yang Xiao Long! Do not force me to come in there! Do I have to start counting?"
"No, sir!"
Several annoyed cries, one in a different language, were followed as Yang stumbled and bumbled into the kitchen, looking panicked, making more of a mess of things in the process than she needed to.
And Tai rolled his eyes at his eldest as she pulled a chair to pull down the plates. He wasn't sure if it was his or her stubbornness she inherited, but it didn't matter.
She was his dearest problem child, and he loved her. But Oum, could she drive him crazy.
Training first thing in the morning and receiving tutoring through the rest of the day was quite exhausting, Trivia had to admit. But having that surprise test thrown at her this afternoon after lunch was unexpected.
Did Aurelia have to call her out like that after mocking her boring sessions? Yes, she knew the material, but if that meant dealing with more complex material and her tutor making everything more strenuous for her…
She would rather not deal with it. Why was she so inattentive at times and very attentive at others? It would make her plans easier in the grand scheme, but for now…
It was so exhausting! She was physically and mentally drained and barely returned to her room after dinner and her nightly bath.
She desired pristine perfection despite liking getting rough and dirty on occasion.
One must look pleasant to behold…
Blonde boy needed a few tips. Maybe a new outfit? Something that better suited him? Orange did suit him, though…
Stupid doorbell. Being so loud. She was trying to think about her escape plan! How dare it interrupt her train of thought?
Friend?
Why are you here?
I'm quite tired and don't want to play, Neo. Hm? You want to show me something? You're right. I do hear voices below. Let's investigate!
Allowing Neo to take point as they left her room, Trivia pursued her pink hair doppelganger. Unfortunately, several servants were in the halls before her, and that wouldn't do. She didn't need them to see she was out and about and alert her parents to her presence.
A purple feline dashed through the halls, frightening the staff as it passed by them in the blink of an eye. Two maids panicked and quickly ducked into nearby rooms at seeing the ghost cat again while the butler chased it, attempting to catch and throw it from the premises.
Most likely believing it was a cat that somehow entered the premises.
Seeing how they react to a simple cat made Trivia giggle.
Oh, what if she were to summon the spider? What would they do then? Oh, maybe the mythical dragon forged of gold when she was strong enough with her Semblance?
The possibilities were endless!
Seeing Neo halt her at the top of the stairs, Trivia frowned as she could hear the voices, which were still indistinct. She needed to get closer, but a few servants were still in the way. A few more distractions should work, but she would be discovered if they returned. She needed to find a more discreet way of not being located…
Friend, what shall we do? Wait, where did you disappear to? Are you still there? How? Is this part of my gift too? Can I do that for myself?
Concentrating her Aura through her Semblance and as the thought of what she witnessed Neo perform came to mind, she imposed the same image before her.
And before her very eyes, light began to refract around her. Her image began to shimmer and disappear before her very eyes while tiny glass shards fluttered into the air.
Trivia gleamed with external glee as she watched her transformation.
It worked! She was bending the world around her to her will! Turning into what she wanted and becoming a shade in this world!
No one could see her if she wasn't there to be seen!
Carefully traversing the stairs, for it was a bit more tricky than she thought while unable to see her feet, Trivia winced at every noise she made. Well, she might not be visible, but her sound sure was.
Definitely needed more gymnastic training to learn to be lighter on her feet. Aurelia was teaching her an invaluable skill, after all…
That would aid her eventual plan when the time came.
Making her way to where she heard her father and mother's voices as stealthy as she could, thankful she could not be seen, Trivia looked into the gapped door to see what the commotion was about.
Aurelia? What is my tutor doing here? Especially at this time? In the dining hall?
Hate all these lavish and garish ornaments strung amongst this room. And this room! It's too large! It's like he wants to show off and prove he is superior! To whom father? What matter does it make?
Wish this place would just burn to the ground! Show him how useless it was!
"...understand? Your daughter is in the top five percentile! I gave her the exit and intelligence quotient exams to gauge where she was. I was not expecting her to pass and rate as highly as she did! She's a certified genius when she isn't trying to cheat!"
Trivia's eyes flickered. She had passed the exit exam? She only reasoned a few answers to some of that material, which she did not understand. Others…
Well, she might have summoned Neo when Aurelia wasn't paying attention to grab a few answers and text them to her. But it seemed she caught onto that and was aware of it happening. Was she more observant than she thought?
That would put a damper on her future plans…
"Absolutely not!" Her mother's voice resonated, and Trivia's eyes darted in her mother's direction.
"Now, dear, let's be reasonable." Her father's voice followed with a disappointed tone. "I'm not the greatest supporter for this either, but she clearly stated she's not ready and needs several years of training before she can be considered ready for a Huntsman Academy. But given the difficulties Trivia has endured…"
"I will not tolerate my daughter being turned into a freak, Jim! She's struggled all her life, which would only put her in the spotlight further, and I don't want to see my baby ridiculed anymore! Her potential lies elsewhere. We just need to find it!"
Trivia's heart sank.
What was this change? Her mother was always so supportive. Yet when something came along and genuinely improved her life, it was her father pushing for it to remain?
And her mother was resisting the change?
A snarl escaped her lips. She kicked the door open, glass shards shattering around her as her unseen visage dropped, and Trivia stood before her parents. Her chromatic eyes shimmered vividly in rage as she glared straight at her mother as her Aura built around her.
"Trivia?" Carmel looked out in astonishment at her daughter, her eyes filled with a frightful gaze. "Honey, we were only having a discussion…"
"Trivia!" Jimmy called out, startled and worried by the display before him. "Please go to your room! We'll discuss this later!"
Taking a careful, descending pace toward her parents, holding her arms outstretched. Glass shards formed and hung in the air behind her, rising higher and higher into the air. Tears bubbled at the corner of her eyes. Her throat squeezed shut and burned as she screamed, a silent rage as she brought her arms down and the glass converged.
A giant reddish dragon, its scales shimmering in a golden, metallic hue, reared on its hindlegs, its bat-like wings expanding throughout the room in the dining hall and roared momentarily behind her before shattering out of existence.
Trivia's Aura crackled around her as she fell to her knees, panting breathlessly. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her body trembled violently.
Her eyes stared defiantly, never ceding from her mother's gaze.
Chapter 12 Preview:
"Gotcha ya!" Naruto cried victoriously as he landed a hit.
Only for Tai to grab the log, throw it straight into his stomach, and send him tumbling.
"Who throws logs!"