Chapter 2: Sunny Dragon, Little Rose, Monkey Boy

What is Aura?

"Breathe in... and out."

Aura, according to history and modern research, is the manifestation of our soul. It is the light that shields us against the dark. An esoteric energy that allows Hunters to combat the Creatures of Grimm. Much like Ki, it is a tangible energy that exists in every living being that possesses a soul. From my training, I've discovered that Aura can be an extension of Ki, a stepping stone towards a greater power. Those with great dilligence can access Ki through years of mastering their Aura, though so far, I've only seen my mother break past that barrier.

Byakuya, the Combat God.

Warriors of unparalleled strength, skill, and Aura Control in martial arts. While they aren't inherently divine in any nature, they'd earned the title because of their capabilities being considered 'godlike' in comparison. Mom mentioned one other warrior that rivaled her skill during one of her drunken ramblings, though, but I never got his name. I knew of his title, though.

'The Strongest Hunter'. I hope I can meet him one day.

In any case, in contrast to Aura, Ki involved manipulating life energy. Which was the very make up of the universe. Aura manipulated life force, the power derived from the soul. Aura was far more focused on the spiritual side of training and energy manipulation while Ki focused heavily on the physical. That isn't to say that neither delved into the other, but there's obviously different methods to honing both these different energies.

In comparison to the characters of Dragon Ball who used Ki thoroughly for various attacks and physical enhancement, the people of Remnant seemed to be far more in tune with the soul, and used Aura more defensively in comparison. An invisible forcefield that negates most damage, a passive healing factor that regenerates wounds, a mutation in the soul that grants them an ability unique to themselves...

Ki was certainly more versatile, but Aura still had it's benefits. And they'd been using this power for centuries. They definitely had the capacity to surpass their limits and channel Ki, but only those diligent enough have managed to free themselves from that self-imposed barrier. As if their potential was just... sealed away.

"Relax your mind... and focus on the energy within you."

I exhaled through my nose, feeling my soul extend across my body, covering me in a familiar warmth. I opened my eyes to see Adam standing across from me, his visible eye closed as his Aura briefly rippled across his skin, flashing a bright red. His eye opened and locked with mine.

Off to the side, Mom stood diligently, watching us. Or... rather, she was blankly staring, slouched against the wall, with several bottles of booze surrounding her. She didn't look drunk in the slightest. I knew it took a lot more than that for her to get tipsy. It was actually a miracle she's even alive. Is that the perks of becoming a Combat God? Alcohol tolerance?

Adam slid into an Iaido stance, gripping onto his weapon, Wilt and Blush. One thing I found out while living on Remnant is that everything is usually always a gun. Swords? A gun. Staffs? Gun. Suitcases? Uh, raincheck on that, but I wouldn't be surprised if those were also some type of gun.

Was never really my style. Couldn't get into it. I was better off using the good 'ol left right goodnight!

"You'll fight until you're too tired to continue or the other pins you to the ground. Understood? BEGIN!"

At Byakuya's call, Adam and I rushed forward with a fantastical burst of speed. Adam was the first to make a move in the instant we'd closed the distance between each other; Wilt flying out of Blush and slicing through the air. I ducked low as it whished past my head, clipping a few strands of hair.

I shot forward with a palm strike. Adam blocked it with Blush. I contined the offensive with a sharp elbow strike to his sternum. His Aura flashed as a shockwave shot through his system, his eye widening as a pained grunt left his lips.

I narrowed my eyes, straightening my stance and snapping my foot upwards, fracturing the ground and kicking up debris from the force. Adam leaned back in time to avoid the attack.

He sheathed Wilt against and pulled the trigger. I raised my forearm to block the blade as it was fired from it's scabbard. The blade bounced off my skin and my Aura flashed from the blow. Adam was already in the air, lashing out with a spin-kick that I promptly blocked with the same arm. The force behind the strike sent my skidding back. In the same motion, he grasped Wilt mid-air and brought it down in a downward swing.

The air sizzled and crackled with energy as a blade of Aura was unleashed, cleaving through the earth and flying towards me. I narrowed my eyes and bent my knees, chambering left fist back and channeling my internal energy. With imperceptible speed, my fist shot forward, unleashing a wave of pure, pressurized air - or in other words, a kiai - that collided with the projection, resulting in a dazzling explosion.

I charged through the smoke and thrusted my fist forward. My fist crashed against the flat of Adam's blade. We remained still for a moment before backing up and launching at each other again, exchanging various blows as we danced across the battlefield.

Today was when we'd began training again. Adam challenged Mom but she shot him down and thrusted him upon me again, which led to this spar. This slowly became a routine over the years, and it proved for decent training. With each session, Adam grew stronger and stronger. He was a quick learner and possessed a strong drive for strength. He was very persistent and stubborn in that goal.

But he was also very angry. Like the world had wronged him in someway. I didn't understand his anger. But I knew it had something to do with why he covered half his face with a cloth. When I asked... he closed me off.

Whatever the reason, I hope I'd find out eventually.

Adam and I broke from each other. My senses tingled as I felt his Aura and latent Ki suddenly explode in vigor, sheathing Wilt into Blush. Red bio-electricity began to crackle across his body from the excess energy. His crimson hair shining brighter as he shifted his stance for a lower one. The power continued to build...

He was using his Semblance. It allowed him to store kinetic energy within his sword and dish it back out with ten times the power. He'd been absorbing the energy from my attacks to stockpile his own power and was going to use it all against me. I refrained from pouting.

I totally wasn't jealous because I hadn't unlocked my Semblance yet. Not at all!

I allowed myself to grin, though, as I cupped my hands together and began to channel my Ki. "If you're gonna do that, then I can try out this new move I've been wanting to use~!"

Off to the side, Byakuya sat up straighter with a blink.

A warmth spread through my body, flowing into the center of my hands. A ball of light formed, and began to expand... "Ka..."

Adam tensed. "Me..."

The light grew in intensity. "Ha...!"

Adam's Aura reached it's apex. "Me...!!"

With a roar, Adam unleashed all of his latent energy with a precise swing. A blade of pressurized Aura seared through the earth and barreled towards me. With a feral grin, I thrust my hands forward and released all the Ki I was charging up; "HAAAAA!!!" firing a condensed beam of blinding blue light. Both attacks collided against each other in a brilliant clash of red and blue, tearing the ground asunder in a brilliant explosion that shook the training grounds with a thunderous tremble.

Sweat dripped down my chin and I let out a shaky shudder, my legs trembling and my hands suddenly going numb. I grimaced deeply at this, growling under my breath. "Tsk... guess I've got a ways to go until I perfect the technique."

Unfortunately I wasn't Goku, who could master the technique just by looking at it once. I hoped that one day I would reach that level of skill, but I was still in the early stages of Aura and Ki training. But I knew I had to grow stronger. And while I was impressed with my progress so far, it wouldn't be enough for what's out there.

Enemies like Frieza, the Ginyu Force, Cell, Buu, and many more. I was an ant compared to those monsters. I still don't know if I'm in the proper timeline of Dragon Ball, but if I am, I need to be ready to protect Remnant in case those bastards come knocking on our doorstep.

The dust cleared. Adam could be seen across from me breathing heavy. We stared each other down in silence, and slowly slid back into our respective battle stances. Our muscles tensed and we prepared to launch at each other once more to resume our spar, until Byakuya clapped her hands and barked.

"That's enough!"

Blinking, I whirled around and looked at my mother in shock, shaking my head. "What?! I can keep going!"

"Me too," Adam said, furrowing one of his brows. "Why did you stop us?"

I blinked again and suddenly she was in front of me. I couldn't respond in time when she poked me in several places on my arms and legs. My body seized up and went totally numb, and I collapsed to the floor with a yelp.

What... THE HECK WAS THAT?!

"That technique you just pulled... it threw your internal energy out of wack." Byakuya stared at me sternly. "You've obviously never used it until today and have yet to perfect it. You were going to fight with the potential of your body locking up like this. Am I wrong?"

... my silence was telling.

Adam slowly stood up straight and blinked languidly. "So this means...?"

"You win this round."

Adam paused, then smirked and pumped his fist in victory.

OH, COME ON! WHAT THE FU-

X-X-X-X-X-X

"Will you quit sulking like that? It's less cute when you look like you're about to keel over."

"I-I'm not... URP!!"

I covered my mouth, slumping over the rail. Mom continued patting me on the back, the scent of salt water tickling my nose only making my stomach feel even worse as I tried not to upchuck my breakfast. After our training session, and my internal energy getting skewed from peforming an ill-prepared Kamehameha, 'Ma practically forced me to take a break. And I wasn't about to test her.

Of course, I wasn't going to just sit around all day doing nothing. I didn't like doing that... so, Ma had the idea of visiting some old friends. Apparently, she hadn't seen them in a few years. Which was why we took a boat ride back to Vale, and towards it's neighboring island.

Patch.

I'd never been to Patch before, and 'Ma hardly talked about her old friends... or her past at all. So this could be fun! I was interested about who they were. In any case, this would be far less boring than sitting around all day waiting for my internal energy to fix itself.

Now if only I could get off this death trap... it was times like these where I wish I could fly...!

"BLEEUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!!!"

"...gross."

"...mooooooooooom..."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Patch was a small island on the west coast of Vale, hence being a neighboring island. It was a rural place. And while it was small in comparison to the other islands and archipelagos that dotted the map of Remnant, it was still large enough to house a large population of humans and faunus. Large enough to house one of the primary combat schools that children can apply for once they reach the age of 13, where they'd begin four years of training before being eligible for applying for one of the four Hunter Academies.

The island was rich with large forests and small towns. It wasn't as large and diverse as Kuo Kuana, nor as dangerous, since the island of Menagerie was initially Grimm infested territory before being colonized for faunus use. But apparently there was still Grimm infesting the forests around here.

If Ma didn't say I couldn't train or fight anymore today, I probably would have ran off to go beat some up.

I bit into a peach as I walked beside her, savoring flavor of the fruit as the juices trickled down my lips. The fruits from Menagerie were a lot more juicy and flavorful, especially the peaches, but the fruit they grew here on Patch was decent enough.

"What're we doing here again?" I asked in between chewing, looking around the town in interest.

"I told you before, we're here to visit an old friend of mine." Mom said softly, her ears twitching at the sounds of children laughing and playing. "Plus, she has kids. It'd do you some good to socialize more with children around your age..."

She paused, scratching her cheek. "... at least, that's what Kali says."

Let it be known that Mom is constantly seeking parental advice from Kali. Like I said before, she isn't a perfect parent. But she's the right parent for someone like me.

I bit into my half-eaten peach again, furrowing my brows. "I already socialize, though."

"Aside from Adam and Blake." she clarified.

"Oh."

"And besides, I haven't seen her in a few years... so this may be good for the both of us."

We left the bustling town behind and walked down the path into the forest. To my mild disappointment, no Grimm showed up during our walk. But even if they did show up, Mom would have killed them before they could make a move, so I wouldn't be doing anything. The abrupt ending of my spar with Adam had left me twitchy, and my inner Saiyan indignant at the loss. I desired a rematch, but my Earthling side knew I needed to prioritize my health first before getting into anymore brawls.

I experimentally flexed my other hand, frowning as it barely closed into a fist before the strain flared up again. I bit back a hiss and lowered my arm, huffing silently in frustration. Goku and the others made using Ki look so effortless. I thought it'd be simple, since Saiyans seemed to be able to use their energy naturally, but it was a lot more complex than that.

Simply screaming and powering up wouldn't do much. I'd greatly underestimated the amount of physical conditioning the Z-Fighters must have gone through in order to use their internal energy the way they do. I had to train much harder in order to attain proper ki control.

Guess this means no more advanced techniques like the Kamehameha until then.

We entered a clearing and found a large cabin sitting in the middle of the woods. It looked to be at least a two story house. It was rather modest looking. Still though, a cabin in the middle of Grimm infested woods? Well, if who ever lives here is a friend of Mom, then they must be strong then.

Mom stepped up and knocked on the door before taking a step back. She turned to me with a stern expression. "Now, be polite, alright?"

I blinked. "Aren't I always?"

"... let me rephrase, don't do anything stupid."

I pouted. "So little faith in your own son..."

She let out an unladylike snort and rolled her eyes.

"Hold on, I'll be right there!"

We turned to look at the door. I pulled out another peach from my pocket and began to chew on it as scrambling footsteps ran to the front door. It creaked open and a woman with black hair and red tips, dressed in a white sweater, black skirt, black stockings, and dress shoes stepped out. And her eyes...

It was a beautiful silver color that possessed an ambient glow, glittering like stars. I'd never seen such a unique eye color before... ever.

She looked around before locking gazes with Byakuya, letting out a gasp of surprise. "Byakuya!"

Mom smiled. "Summer."

Summer pulled her into a tight hug, squealing. "Oooh~! It's so good to see you! It's been what? 10 years? You haven't visited as much in such a long time."

"Give or take," Mom nodded as Summer pulled away. "... and there's a reason for that."

Summer paused and finally spotted me, blinking owlishly. "Huh? Who's the kid? You didn't kidnap a kid to teach them your martial arts again, did you?"

W h a t.

"No." Mom glowered at her friend. "He's my son, Gao."

I took that as my cue to speak up, lifting my hand in greeting. "Yo!"

Summer stared at me blankly for a minute straight. Then she turned to Mom, then back to me, then back to Mom, then back to me. Her eyes slowly widened like saucers. "... your son."

"Yes."

"You have a son?"

"Yes."

"SINCE WHEN?!"

"... Yes?"

Summer grabbed Mom's shoulders and shook her. "WHO DID YOU SHACK UP WITH TO GET THIS ADORABLE LITTLE GUY, HUH?! AND WHY DID YOU HIDE HIM FROM US?!"

Hah?

"I- didn't- hide- anything- from- YOU!" Mom grabbed Summer by the wrists, scowling slightly. "This is the reason I haven't came to visit. I adopted him. I've been... trying to navigate this whole parenthood thing."

Summer hummed, beaming softly as she crouched down and ruffled my hair. I stared blankly at her while biting into my peach. "Well he's absolutely adorable!" then she pouted, shooting Mom a look. "You could've came to me for help! I'll have you know, I'm pretty much a super mom!"

"... a super mom." Mom dully replied.

"Yep!"

"... right. Well, I think I've done a good job taking care of him so far."

"Mommy? Who's this?"

We all turned to see a young girl that looked like an exact copy of Summer, in a small full red hoodie, black skirt, and tiny red cape hanging from her back. She appeared to be two years younger than myself. If I had to give an estimation, I'd say she was eight years old? Maybe nine?

"Oh, Ruby." Summer beamed at her daughter, gesturing to Mom and I. "This is one of Mommy's old friends and her son! Say hi!"

Instead of speaking up, Ruby instead scurried behind her mother's leg and peeked at us from behind her. Summer chuckled and sent us an apologetic look. "Ahah... sorry, she's pretty shy."

I stepped forward and pulled out another peach, offering it to Ruby with a smile. "Here!"

Don't ask where I got all the peaches from. I like peaches.

Ruby stared at me, then eyed the peach. She stood there in silence, probably debating on what she should do, before she finally decided to step away from her mother and reach for the peach. She bit into it and hummed happily, her silver eyes sparkling with delight.

I snickered, rubbing the bottom of my nose.

"Well isn't that sweet," Summer cooed, then pulled Mom inside. "Well, come in! Don't be a stranger! Taiyang is with Yang outside in the backyard right now."

As our parents walked inside, Ruby and myself stood alone on the porch. She gave me a shy glance and shuffled awkwardly on her feet. "I-I'm... Ruby..."

"I'm Gao, nice to meet'cha!" I grinned and raised my hand in greeting, trying my best to channel my inner Goku. He was always able to make people like him really quick, so I was doing my best to make Ruby comfortable around me.

She smiled slightly, cradling the peach I gave her in her hands. "... do you want to play games?"

"Sure! What did you have in mind?"

Her smile became a bit brighter.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Summer watched as her little Ruby dragged Gao along to play with a fond smile on her face. Her kettle hissed as she warmed up the water for her tea. Byakuya sat silently at the dinner, her eyes gazing across the house and eyeing the photos. Summer quietly poured their tea into two cups and she offered one to Byakuya.

"Thank you." Byakuya nodded to Summer, dropping two sugar cubes into the cup and stirring with a small tea spoon. She blew on the warm beverage to cool it down and took a sip, humming. "You've gotten better at making tea... what kind is this?"

"Thanks," Summer smiled. "It's beryl herb tea, ported from Mistral. Reaaaal fancy stuff."

"Mm, I might have to get some the next time I visit Mistral." Byakuya murmured, tapping her mug as she gazed at Summer with a smirk. "So... you and Tai finally made a mini-you, huh?"

Summer choked on her tea, coughing and pounding her chest with her fist before shooting her friend a flustered glare. "Byakuya!"

The woman merely smiled. "Sorry."

She wasn't apologetic in the slightest. They both knew this.

"It- it just happened, okay?" Summer pouted. "But I don't regret it... I love Ruby with all my heart. Yang too. My little girls..."

"... Raven still not back?"

Summer's expression faltered and she sighed harshly, closing her eyes. "... No."

Byakuya casually flexed one of her arms. "Want me to go kick her ass again? Maybe it'll teach her a lesson this time."

"No!" Summer squawked, shaking her head before running a hand down her face. "Gods, Byakuya... no. Just, no. She... Raven is Raven. She visits Yang when she can, at the very least. But... you know how the tribe is."

Her expression became pinched. "I still don't understand why she can't just abandon those nutcases and just... stay with us. With me and Tai."

Byakuya sipped her tea calmly, remaining silent for a minute. "... Raven's a tricky woman. I still don't know what goes through her head after all these years, but I do know one thing. She loves you and Tai, and she loves Yang even more so - even if she tries to put up the tough love act. At least this way, that tribe can't get up to too much trouble with her at the helm."

Summer could see the merit in Byakuya's words. While Raven leading the Branwen Tribe was bad, it could be worse. Someone far worse than her could take the reigns, and make the tribe into a far worse threat for the people of Mistral. At least this way, the chaos can be controlled. She may not like it, but that's how it had to be. She was grateful that the woman didn't end up ghosting them completely. She almost did - but Byakuya had personally went on a one woman crusade to drag her back by the skin of her teeth.

The next day, Byakuya and Raven were standing at their doorstep covered in blood and grievous injuries that would have killed an average man ten times over. To say that she, Taiyang, and Qrow were startled would be an understatement. But it was obvious after the encounter that something had changed with Raven. And while she wasn't around the house as much as Summer would like, she could at least say with confidence that Raven was making an effort to be in her daughter's life.

... even if she and Qrow tried to toss Yang off a cliff to teach her how to fly that one time. Ooh, just thinking about it made her angry...!

"I guess you're right," Summer conceded, then smirked at the tigress. "But enough about me. What about you? How'd you end up adopting a kid?"

"He fell from outer space." Byakuya said simply, causing Summer to blink and chuckle.

"Haha, okay, funny joke, Byakuya. But seriously, how..." Summer paused as the woman stared at her.

And continued to do so.

...

"Oh my Gods, you're serious."

Byakuya fished a scroll out of her haori turned it open, pulling up the gallery and sliding the device over to Summer. She took it gingerly and gawked at the photo of a smoldering, spherical pod looking craft with a few dents and scratches lying in a crater.

"What is this...?"

"Some kind of space pod. Initially I thought it was some sort of experiment from Atlas; luckily my opinion of them doesn't have to waver, because I may not be a tech wiz, but I know alien tech when I see it. Despite how simple it looks, it's advanced. More advanced than anything I've seen Atlas cook up." Byakuya muttered, taking her scroll back and pocketing it. "I'm sure if they discovered space travel, those pompous assholes up there would have been floating about it for months."

Summer couldn't help but agree, but she didn't say it aloud. "... so Gao is... an alien? Not a faunus? But the tail..."

"Easily mistakeable. It made for a good cover story at the very least. I don't know what he is, but he's strong. Stronger than most children his age." Byakuya narrowed her eyes. "He can use Ki, Summer. Effortlessly, might I add."

Summer sputtered in shock. "W-What?"

Summer knew about Ki. She and her team had delved into Aura Mastery thanks to being around Byakuya for so long - they'd picked things up. While they weren't highly proficient in the art, they were at least at the intermediate level, though they had nowhere near the level of control as Byakuya.

It was, after all, a dying practice.

"That doesn't make any..."

"Usually it takes years to master your Aura and harness Genki, Yūki, and Shōki. Gao can manipulate it freely. Today he'd just invented a technique I didn't even see before." Byakuya shook her head. "While his control requires some refinement, it was rather impressive. He called it the 'Kamehameha'."

Summer juggled the words in her mind. While she wasn't well versed in ancient Eastern Mistralian, she still knew enough to translate. "... Turtle Destruction Wave?"

"Odd name, I know."

"And you haven't... told anyone?"

"I've told friends of mine back home. Ghira and Kali. But you're the only other person I've told." Byakuya admitted, her expression becoming severing. "We've done our best to cover up the crash site. Simply chalked the explosion off as me getting overzealous in training. If word got out about Gao... people would fear him. You know that people fear the unknown, Summer. And when they feel fear..."

"It brings out the ugly in our hearts," Summer muttered grimly, earning a nod from Byakuya.

"He wouldn't be able to live a normal life without constantly looking over his shoulder and seeing looks of disdain and fear. Hell, he already does as a 'faunus'. Worse, if those damn Atlesians found out about his true nature, they'd try everything to dissect him, or worse, throw him in a cage like an animal in fear of a possible invasion..."

Ki rippled off Byakuya's body in angry waves, making her wild mane of hair float and stand on end. Summer placed a comforting hand on top of her's. "Byakuya... it's okay. I won't tell a soul. I'm glad you told me."

Byakuya gradually calmed down and slowly nodded, her expression becoming neutral. "Thank you... but... that's why I haven't made so much of a peep these past couple of years. I've been raising him in secret, waiting for the right time to let him see the world. I don't... want anything to happen to him."

"Despite his goofy attitude, he's frighteningly intelligent, top scores in all of his classes, he's thoughtful and encouraging, he's diligent in his training and hardly makes a fuss. He can be a bit of a ditz sometimes, though. One time, he brought a dissolving Grimm corpse to my temple and asked me if Grimm could be eaten. I was so shocked, I didn't know what to even say, but he was so disappointed when the Beowolf just up and turned to ash-"

Summer's hysteric giggles broke Byakuya out of her rambling, seeming put off. "What? What did I say? Did I say something funny?"

"No! No! Just... you really care about that boy, don't you...?"

Byakuya's jaw clicked shut and she went quiet. The two of them knew, that at her core, Byakuya was a lonely woman. She was the last living heir to the Yamamoto Clan, who'd all been wiped out at the hands of that woman... the Queen. She'd gain the title of Combat God through technicality, because she was the only one left to uphold the title. She spent years cultivating her strength, devoting years of her life to keeping the legacy of her clan alive.

She didn't have time for friends. For love.

And then she met him, and she was given a chance to mingle with people her age group. She'd joined the illustrious Beacon Academy. She aced the practical exams, she was the top of the class. Easily the strongest student of the entire academy - but she was never a team player. So much so, that the Headmaster had no choice but to delegate Byakuya into a one-woman team, because she refused to work with others. The first in history.

To others, she was a prodigy, blessed with strength she didn't deserve.

To Summer, she was a lonely girl that simply resorted to the only thing she knew how to do.

Even when she befriended the tigress and she gradually opened up, she always felt detached to a degree. Like she was keeping a part of herself locked away from everyone else. Summer could see it in her eyes.

But now, she had a feeling it was different.

Byakuya smiled finally, her stoic expression breaking into something tempered, but bright and full of light. That confirmed Summer's suspicions, and she felt nothing but genuine joy for one of her closest friends as she uttered those next, beautiful words:

"Of course I do. He's my son, after all."

X-X-X-X-X-X

"I, Ruby the Hero, have come to slay you, Grimm Lord!"

"You think you can even hope to stand up to me? HAH! Don't make me laugh, foolish Hero... this world is MINE for the taking! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Turns out, instead of playing actual video games, Ruby liked to play pretend. A game she'd frequently play, and seemed to be obsessed with was "Hero vs. the Grimm Lord", where Ruby was the chosen Hero destined to save the day, and I, of course, happened to be the evil Grimm Lord that wanted to take over the world. Naturally, I had to play the part.

This has been going on for several minutes now. The story was reaching it's inevitable 'climax'.

Holding her wooden sword in front of her, Ruby stared me down with an adorable pout. That was probably her war face. Pft. "Hey! What are you snickering for!"

Ah, that came out on accident. "Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking of something funny!"

The door creaked open and a girl older than Ruby, around my age. She had messy blonde hair done up in pigtails, and wore a brown shirt with black shorts. Her eyes were a bright shade of lilac, and she also looked rather tired.

She blinked slowly, looking between us. "Ruby...?" she registered my presence and narrowed her eyes a bit. "Who is this guy?"

"Yang!" Ruby zipped over to the girl and hugged her tightly for solid five seconds before pulling away and gesturing to me. "This is Gao! A friend of Momma stopped by, he's her kid!"

"Yo!" I said. I feel like I've been saying this a lot. "Nice to meet you,"

"... yeah. You too." Yang hummed, turning to her sister. "What were you two doing?"

"Playing Hero vs. Grimm Lord! Gao was the Grimm Lord!"

"And on my path to inevitable victory~!"

"Nuh-uh! I was gonna win! The hero always wins!"

Rolling my eyes, I turned back to Yang and grinned softly. "I heard you were training with your Dad! That must mean you're pretty strong, right?"

Yang tilted her head, blinking. Then she grinned and punched her palm. "Heck yeah! I'm gonna become a huntress, so I'm starting training early for when I can apply for Signal!" she smirked. "What? You wanna fight? You don't look like much."

My Saiyan side roared in indignation. I wanted to call back, but I remember Mom's words and let out a chuckle instead. "Normally I'd take you up on the offer of a spar, but my Mom told me I can't train anymore today. Gotta focus on resting."

It shouldn't take too long. Aura enhances our natural healing process to superhuman levels on a physical and spiritual level. It was only a matter of letting my internal energy work itself out. Still, I'd at least like to get some meditation in some time. Maybe some image training can do me some good...

Flexing one of my hands, I grinned. "But once I'm rested up, I don't mind kicking your butt!"

Yang hummed, placing her hands on her hips. "... mm, okay! I'll hold you to that!"

"I wish I could train..." Ruby muttered with a pout, kicking at the floor. "Momma won't let me, though."

"Only until you turn ten, Rubes. That isn't that long! Just..." Yang paused, counting with her fingers. "Two more years!"

"But that IS long!"

"Time flies by when you have stuff to do," I pat Ruby on the head, but that did little to satiate her pout. "It'll come in no time flat! You'll see."

"Mmm." she pouted harder but relented, nodding.

"Ruby! Yang! Come downstairs, please! And bring Gao with you, would you?"

That was Summer. The three of us shared a look as Yang called out. "Coming!"

Not wanting to keep our parents waiting, we were quick to scurry downstairs. I instantly took note of the smell of food, perking up immediately with a grin as we turned the corner. I saw a tall, muscular blonde man with a stubble and bright blue eyes conversing with Mom and Summer. I could only guess that he was Ruby and Yang's father.

There was a bunch of food at the dinner table prepared. I guess Summer must've prepared food while we were playing. Awesome! I was getting a bit hungry...

The man turned to us and smiled at his daughter's before focusing on me. "Ah, you must be Gao!" he crouched slightly to meet my height, holding his hand out. "The name's Taiyang, nice to meet ya' little guy!"

"I'm still growin'." I grinned softly, shaking Taiyang's hand firmly.

He blinked. "Huh. Strong grip."

I flashed my teeth more in response.

"Meatloaf!" Yang and Ruby cheered, exchanging a quick high five before hopping into their respective seats.

I climbed into the seat next to Mom, shooting Summer a grateful nod and bowing my head in respect. "Thank you for preparing the food, Ms. Summer."

"No need to thank me," Summer smiled, preparing our plates my gaze roamed the table. There was meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits, and baked beans prepared. Reminded me of a thanksgiving lineup, honestly. "It was nice to exchange cooking tips with your Mom here! Especially since I heard that you've been cooking a lot recently~"

Mom coughed into her fist, adopting a sheepish look.

"Girls like guys that can cook, don't they?" I quipped, smirking with a shrug.

Taiyang let out a bark of laughter. "He's got a point, Summer!"

Summer blinked, shaking her head and shooting me an amused look. "Hoh? Got your eye on someone already at your edge?"

"Nah, I was just usin' that as an excuse to save Mom's hide. Did it work?"

Laughter broke out across the table. I felt Mom shoot me an exasperated glare, to which I offered a cheeky grin back. We soon fell into a smooth rhythm of conversation. Initially I didn't know what to think of Mom's old friends. But they seemed like good people. I was a bit disappointed to not be training at first, but this was nice. Talking with other oeople and sharing some laughs. Almost made me miss Adam and Blake back home. Just a little. I wouldn't admit I missed Adam even a bit.

The three of them would exchange funny stories about their times at Beacon Academy. Yang and Ruby ate it up with attentive eyes, happily - and messily - munching away at her food. From what I could garner, it feels like Summer's team got into a lot of chaotic situations, and Mom was simply unfortunate enough to get dragged into their mess.

It made me realise the world was much bigger than just Menagiere, even back when I visited Vale for the first time. There were lots of people to meet out there. Hearing their stories, I had the strong urge to explore the world to get those same experiences. I had no interest in being a huntsman - that wasn't the goal I wanted to climb towards, but visiting other areas could be good.

I know Mom wanted to protect me, considering my secret. But I can't stay on Menagiere forever. It'd only hinder my growth... and I think she was realizing that too gradually. Which was probably why she took me out here to Patch in the first place. I needed to get stronger to protect everyone; but for right now, I decided to not worry about getting stronger. I focused on the delicious food and pleasant atmosphere.

"Thirds, please~!"

"Oum, kid! Do you have a black hole for a stomach or something?!"

"Shishishi~ probably!"


A/N.

A slice of life chapter, as will be the usual theme as we set up stuff for the future. Finally got this done. Just want to shed light on my other stories instea of lettng them collect dust. Some of them, anyway.

Got some insight on who Byakuya is. Aura and Ki have been expanded on upon. They are indeed two seperate abilites, but they're both internal energies. As stated, Aura is more in line with the soul and spiritual aspect of energy control, while Ki focuses on the physical conditioning and manipulation of life force.

Onto reviews!

The Storm Master 567: Right on the money! Kiritsugu had some minor influece on Byakuya. As for Gao an Adam, they'll be having the Goku Vegeta style rivalry. Adam's path towards heroism wlll be slow, though. I have no issue saying that he'll pretty much walk down the same path as in canon. But there will be a few differences. Keeping that close to my chest though.

elmowafi.shadi2001: simply put, byproduct of his childhood. Gao has been isolated on Menagiere most of his life under Byakuya's care as stated. Only recently is he beginning to branch out. There's only so much he can get from fightng wild Grimm. The only solid training he can get with his current resources is through Byakuya and Adam via training. Don't worry, he won't stay this weak for long. But don't expect him to be an early planet buster.

REDwolf28: Glad you did! And you will get more! Can't guarantee frequent updates though.