In the few seconds it took Glynda to help Ozpin and James reach the peaks of Beacon, the silence was all that hung in the air, accompanied by an undeniable sense of unease.
There were many questions haunting their minds, not only concerning what awaited them at their destination but also what would happen next.
Thinking about the rumble that made the entire school shake represented possibilities that could end in tragedy.
Uchiha Sasuke was dangerous like that, even more so when one took into account his current mental and emotional state, which could only be described as unstable and gave reason to James' concern and hostility.
As a safety measure, Ozpin had his Long Memory prepared, where what he really wanted was to have brought along one of those girls, be it Ruby Rose, if she was awake, Weiss Schnee, or Blake Belladonna. Surely, each of them would be much better suited for the task than a weapon of mass destruction that could hardly be used without putting everyone within the academy premises at risk.
However, even if betting on those girls was the best solution, he already knew what one of his biggest problems would say about it, and avoiding even more conflict was the priority... even if it was only a temporary measure; an illusion.
No matter the era, conflict would always exist and so Salem was not allowed to succeed in gathering the relics, where the judgment of the brothers of light and dark would be only one on Remnant; confirmation of how unworthy this world was of the second chance it received.
The difference of opinion that James and he had only confirmed this.
As long as there was individualism and free will, exactly what made humans and fauns what they were, nothing would change.
It was at times like these that Ozpin's resolve inevitably faltered and for a good reason.
Until that day, his existence could only be considered that of a cursed person, in every sense of the word. Truth be told, there were numerous occasions when he succumbed to despair, an outcome that even Salem must not have been able to avoid after living for so long and all that was lost.
Not this time.
A variable had entered this world to change the game completely; one that was much more inclined to his side than Salem's.
There was a chance for everything to end in this life.
A chance to move on and finally rest.
Such optimistic thinking was what cheered him up and gave life to his anxiety, but not the kind that generated worry but excitement.
The small smile on his lips was more than proof of that.
James, on the other hand, couldn't be more different. Just as his opinions differed from Ozpin's, his expression was stern and cold, where his heart only beat that way when he was about to be killed after losing an arm years ago.
The danger that Uchiha Sasuke posed was absurd like that, to the point where he desperately created fanciful expectations and prayed to find that fainted boy on top of that castle who was supposed to represent a beacon of hope but now could only fill his heart with despair.
Again, that boy was a monster capable of making him feel like this at every moment since his existence and power became known.
Reason why he was ready for an inevitable conflict, where his healed wounds were aching like a bad omen that made even his breathing increase along with the acceleration of his heart, being taken by the inevitable feeling of fear.
Uncertainty tended to have this kind of effect.
This was why his entire fleet stationed around the school was on alert, ready to act at any second now, whether it was to go into battle or use contingency measures.
All the expectations James had were with the latter option.
There was a problem, besides Uchiha Sasuke, however.
Even if by some miracle that boy was somehow weakened, Ozpin would certainly get in his way.
This zombie alone was trouble enough on his own, with Glynda by his side James would really have to resort to extreme measures to have things go his way.
At times like this, he missed his lieutenant and lamented for the weakness of her heart to let herself fall for the enemy.
Regardless, James would do whatever it took, even if it meant starting a war.
As for Glynda, she could feel through her Semblance how on edge these two were and it made her follow suit, where her heart danced in a way she had even forgotten...with the fear her own mentor rekindled within her just now. In that case, her focus would be on not being caught in the crossfire between these two men and doing her best to protect her students, even if it meant going against the one hailed as a hero and a monster.
Fortunately, at least for her, none of that would be necessary, where they came across an empty place, however, whose characteristic leaves still hung in the air to indicate that Uchiha Sasuke had been there, possibly until a few seconds ago.
The only problem was that the relief felt was fleeting, soon raising more than justified doubts if the blood splattered around the site meant that much.
"W-what happened here?" Glynda asked in a shaky voice, thinking the worst. "Did Sasuke hurt himself or..."
She didn't finish, the possibility that someone else had been caught in that moment of anger was there to make her stomach turn.
Her concern was reflected in Ozpin and James, both whose gaze they shared at this moment.
So alike yet so different.
A pity that was only as far as their ability to analyze the current situation and coldly calculate what to do next.
"Glynda, have the other teachers do an immediate count and check on the students." Ozpin came to the same conclusions as his assistant, imagining the worst. If Sasuke didn't do this to himself, he did it to someone else.
If that were true, then...what should he do?
Contrary to his doubts, James seemed to know exactly what to do as he ignored everything else and examined the scene with almost morbid interest.
Would this blood be...he swallowed dryly and almost broke a smile, soon contacting his troops. "Send a collection and analysis unit to my location immediately!"
An immediate confirmation from his soldiers was all he needed to hear, not another moral lesson from a person whose era should have ended long ago.
"James," Ozpin tried not to show it, but the incredulous tone in his voice was undeniable. "What are you doing?"
Especially when the priority should be the welfare of the people residing within the school premises and not...whatever that was.
This wasn't the first time that question had been asked that day and so nothing would be more appropriate than to give the same answer.
"What is necessary." Nothing had changed and James was sure that would continue to be the case. "So you still believe that thing is a hero?"
A clear attempt to change the focus of the conversation and avoid conflict...for the moment.
"We don't know what exactly happened here." Ozpin wasn't buying any of that. "Even more, I don't think you care."
His attitude left little room to think otherwise.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" James already knew the answer, yet he refused to accept these absurd implications. "I'm not the one who wants to risk everything by trusting a monster like him."
That was the truth he would never forget.
Ozpin said nothing, only clenched his fists over his weapon.
He had already explained more than once his point of view towards Sasuke, about how useful that boy was after solving the Grimm problem in almost the entire continent in seconds, so trying to use words again was bound to have the same result.
It has been a while, so much so that it has been more than a lifetime since the last time. That I considered killing someone I believed I knew and trusted.
After all, there was always someone else to do it for him.
The blood spilled, however, was the same blood that stained his hands.
"I-I have the check numbers, sir," Glynda did exactly what she needed to do and stepped in to dissuade this impending conflict from escalating to a physical level. "There is a student from Mistral who came to attend the initiation and disappeared, a girl who goes by the name Yami Hitomi."
The image of a young girl, more than most who came to try their luck at the initiation, with black hair and green eyes, was being passed on to the Scroll of these two men with the additional information about her.
"A student prodigy, just like Ruby Rose, recommended by Lion Heart..." Ozpin pondered, trying to find a connection that would justify her possible involvement with Sasuke. In addition, why would he recommend someone talented like that to Beacon instead of having her study at Haven?
Curious, but even Pyrrah Nikos preferred Beacon when she could have stayed at Mistral. In that case, this could represent the student's own choice, coveting the best Academy.
A choice that could very well have put an end to the bright future of a young girl who only wanted the best for the world.
Considering the good looks and attraction that the other female students had for him, there was a chance that Hitomi was similar and had followed Sasuke after he left the auditorium.
As for what happened next, the blood splattered around was more than an answer.
Please, Ozpin almost begged in a silent prayer to whatever higher entity was listening. Let me be wrong about this.
Otherwise, this world would be taken over by chaos once again, and that shouldn't happen.
It didn't take long for a pessimistic response to appear to indicate the worst and prove that there was nothing and no one listening to his prayers.
James was on his knees near the largest concentration of blood, holding between his fingers a more than familiar lock of hair.
"Winter?" he muttered in doubt, trying to make sure that these strands of red-stained white hair belonged to his lieutenant. Uchiha Sasuke had white strands of hair too, no?
Just a few, but they were unfortunately not that long.
This hair definitely belonged to a Schnee and if Glynda's report was correct and it certainly was given this woman's competence, Weiss was still inside the school and completely fine.
His troops were stationed at all the exits precisely to keep the students inside, whether they wanted to or not.
Then, Winter too got caught in the little emotional hurricane that god was, and she paid the price for it.
The result of her weakness of heart and mind.
Still, James couldn't help but feel guilt for pushing her away without thinking better of it; without trying to help her get rid of a possible brainwashing and that made his hatred for Sasuke grow without end.
"He'll pay for this," he promised, his eyes soon falling on other locks of hair further ahead near a cracked wall that made his instincts scream to be exactly what he wanted and needed. Maybe Clover's good luck is really on my side.
If those tufts of hair were Uchiha Sasuke's, James was one step closer to being able to turn this game around.
"We shouldn't jump to conclusions," Glynda was the one trying to keep an open mind when it seemed that the two men before her were already thinking about retaliation. "There has to be a reasonable explanation for all this!"
One that wouldn't lead to a misunderstanding with no turning back.
"You...are right," Ozpin sighed and tried to pull herself together; rethinking the alternatives. "Without the bodies or confirmation of their deaths, all we can do now is assume."
Which wasn't enough; it couldn't be.
"Think what you will," James wanted to have that optimism, but he couldn't. The reality was too cruel for that. "But as long as I don't see Winter, she's either dead or suffering at the hands of that out-of-control monster while we talk."
Something needed to be done; to show that no one, not even a god, was above the law and the possible solution was at hand, taking the form of black strands of hair.
It was cold.
That was the only way Winter could describe the feeling of having her blood leaving her body endlessly and finding herself unable to do anything about it.
Something that was familiar to her; growing up spending her teenage years in the military in pursuit of power...the same kind she could have obtained by staying at home next to her family that needed to be fixed. Instead, she ran away and finished tearing everything apart.
That must be why there was such a sense of regret inside her.
However, that wasn't all.
There was warmth too.
The kind that seemed to hug her tired body and invigorate her as she remembered her mother...as well as a boy with strange eyes who could stir her cold heart like ice.
A passing sensation that soon drifted away from her for what seemed like an eternity and scared her.
At the thought of being alone again.
The same way she had always been since she had decided to leave home.
Slowly, however, she could feel the warmth return, coming from a familiar source, from someone who had cared for her before but had no real meaning in her life.
That wasn't the one she wanted.
It could be someone who was helping her, but Winter's stubborn heart demanded the warmth from before, where a name kept constantly echoing in her mind; her hand outstretched as she tried desperately to reach out to him until he extended his hand as well.
Suddenly, nothing else seemed to matter, where the warmth she so desperately wanted was there to fill her with comfort, almost as if she were basking in the light of a purple sun, which although cold, couldn't be cozier; almost like the glow of moonlight.
A memory that brought up a moment of conflict experienced with pain, anger, and fear capable of waking her up.
"Sasuke!" Winter opened her eyes and almost jumped to her feet, only to feel her strength vanish and fall...into the arms of a half-naked boy! "Kyaa!"
Out of pure instinct, she tried to move away from this person, where she couldn't believe the kind of frightened scream that came out of her, but severe dizziness hit her before she could even take a step and she almost fell again. Before that, however, a pair of arms were there to hold her in place. Only this time it felt different, where there was the familiar feeling of this gesture that she should repudiate but found herself longing for.
Seeing who it was changed everything.
"Careful," Sasuke supported her as best he could without being disrespectful. "You can't get up yet."
It was actually impressive that she woke up so quickly, but not nearly as much as what happened next.
"S-Sasuke?" Winter could hardly believe her eyes, needing to use her hands to make sure he was real and caress this boy's face. "A-are you okay?"
The smile she had forming on her face, though tired, was genuine and it made Sasuke a little embarrassed to be unable to reject her concern.
She really reminds me of my mother... It wasn't for nothing that she managed to stop him from succumbing to his negative emotions fueled by the Six Path Mark and awakening that dream or memory. "I'm fine, thanks to you."
Truly, Sasuke owed this girl so much that he didn't know if he could ever one day repay her.
Letting her caress his face was the least he could do.
I did it! Winter had her heart filling with relief as her arms slid over this boy's shoulders to squeeze him in a hug. I kept him safe!
Despite her mistakes and weaknesses, where she had to ask for his help, in the end, it all worked out!
They were both alive and this made her eyes overflow with tears.
And to think that a girl who knows almost nothing about me would go that far for me... Especially when what was known about him was definitely not something good and that made Sasuke ponder her motives while returning the received gesture as best he could in an attempt to calm her down. Just like my mother would do.
Except the feeling present was completely different and it stirred his heart.
Especially since Winter wasn't the only one.
There are five of them... the number of girls who have been able to even enter his dream and mess with him like this. In addition, four of them are sisters.
What were the chances?
Likewise, there was also the question that these feelings raised and Neo's insinuations didn't help at all.
A breach that Sasuke was unable to hide and that vengeful girl was making the most of it to get under his skin.
At least he would admit that she had the courage to provoke him after all that had happened... or her hatred was that great, capable of making her ignore all the danger he posed.
The fact that Neo knew that Sasuke needed her didn't help, and worst of all was the way she was almost throwing herself at him by asking if he would treat her the same way as the other girls in his harem.
That was going to be a problem.
Not only Neo's attitude but also this supposed harem.
His younger self was just too pure and naive in his thoughtless statement, and Sasuke hated the fact that this idea refused to leave his mind.
Unknowingly, he wasn't the only one experiencing such problems.
W-what do I do now?! Winter was trembling for more than her emotional display and current physical weakness, where her legs were aching like crazy from her wounds, but for having let herself get carried away once again and hugged Sasuke without thinking about anything! And-and he's hugging me back! The feeling of having his hands caressing her back with all the care in the world and the warmth emanating from his body was something she had never experienced before! I-I... I want to be like this forever. Even though she was consumed by an almost unknown feeling of shyness, Winter didn't care about that right now, but only until her eyes regained focus and saw the state of Sasuke's body. "Y-You're bleeding!"
Actually, he was covered in blood and Winter felt bad for not noticing a glaring detail like that!
It filled her with worry and guilt to believe that she had failed to protect him.
"Calm down, Winter." Sasuke did his best to keep a comforting smile on his face. "It's not my blood."
Regardless of his current appearance, the one who should and was concerned there was him.
No bath in the world was more important than making sure this girl was okay.
A decision he doesn't regret making, considering that the old doctor literally passed out from exhaustion while healing her and was now resting under Neo's care in another room.
At least, that's what Sasuke had asked her to do when in reality, but without him knowing, at that moment, Neo had a sword on that doctor's throat while threatening to kill even his dog if he opened his beak about Roman being alive.
"It's not yours?" Winter didn't quite believe him, her doubt and worry getting the better of her to have her fingers slide over his exposed skin. "You don't have a single wound..." She could hardly believe her eyes and relief was there to comfort her until another doubt arose that was just as troubling. "So...who does this blood belong to?"
The multi-colored girl was the only option that came to her mind and thinking about what Sasuke might have done to her didn't please her at all.
While that girl might be a criminal, she was still a human being who didn't look any older than her little sister.
To be killed like that, without having a chance to pay for her crimes and find redemption, and still turn Sasuke into a murderer... made that feeling of guilt return.
If only Winter had been stronger, none of this would have happened.
The answer to her question was one that made all her doubts and fears become irrelevant with this boy's gesture and words.
"It's your blood," Sasuke said as he made this girl's heart almost jump out of her mouth as he brought her closer. "Why do you think you're getting a transfusion right now?" In the next second, his hand was under her weakened and injured legs to have Winter in his arms, even if only for a moment, before laying her down on top of the stretcher. "That's why you need to rest."
Winter could feel her mind in chaos, where her skin was glowing red!
A boy had just carried her in his arms!
The mere thought of that happening on any other day was ridiculous!
Still...it had happened and she didn't know what to do about it, soon changing the focus of her embarrassment when she saw that she was in a hospital room and the devices connected to her, which did include a blood transfusion.
I remember now. Winter clasped her hands with the painful and frightening memory of her desperate fight against that girl full of hate. She cut me so many times...
It wasn't for nothing that Sasuke was covered in her blood.
The result of carrying her to medical attention.
So much so that her body was scarred, from her legs all the way up to her face and it bothered her deeply.
Winter wasn't a vain woman, but the thought of being scarred like that forever made her feel ashamed to be in Sasuke's company.
Understandable, considering that no woman wants to appear less than what they really are in the presence of the one they have feelings for.
I hope my Aura will help with this. If not, she could always see a doctor to help. Speaking of which, is this Beacon's infirmary? If it was, Winter needed to praise this medical facility as being much better than the one in Atlas' academy and only then remember about someone else who would be as shaken as she was by her current state. "Weiss, does she...know about my condition?"
Making her little sister worry was the last thing she wanted right now.
That and there was the feeling of guilt over her feelings for the boy Weiss also liked.
"No," Sasuke was direct about it, being able to imagine the reason behind that question. "She's at Beacon, so you don't have to worry about that."
Unfortunately, the same wasn't true for him.
Sasuke could still remember the scream of each of those girls, calling his name as he fled the hall in tears after watching that video.
Weiss, Ruby, and Blake...maybe Yang too, he needed to explain himself and apologize for worrying them like that.
"She's at Beacon?" Although she was more reassured about Weiss, Winter was confused about his choice of words. "You talk as if we're not in Beacon as well."
Which shouldn't be possible, normally speaking.
The problem was that this boy was anything but normal.
"That's because we're not," Sasuke clarified even though he didn't understand why she was so surprised by that. "Your condition was very critical and I only knew one person who could help, so I brought you to the old doctor Argento at the Vale hospital center."
A wise decision, where he was able to copy and replicate that man's Semblance without having any expected negative effects from his Chakra. Sasuke was sure of this, having used Neo as a guinea pig, both for revenge and because she couldn't even stand upright from how tired she was after breaking her limits time after time fighting him. Thanks to that, Winter was able to wake up so quickly, because the cure he used on her was much more efficient than that doctor would ever be able to do.
In short, the copy surpassed the original.
Something quite Uchiha to do.
"That..." Winter didn't expect something like that, but it explained why she was still alive, knowing full well of the skill of that man who served her family for a lifetime. "But how?" that doubt remained. "As far as I know, the General had blocked all ways out of Beacon."
To make it difficult for this same boy before her to leave and thus continue to monitor him.
That was the last information and plan she had access to before she was dismissed.
Besides, Winter was badly wounded and losing a lot of blood, so there shouldn't be enough time to fly all the way from Beacon to Vale.
"Irrelevant," Sasuke didn't give a damn about any restrictions that man had imposed. "If you must know, I jumped off that cliff and crossed the ocean to get here." He pondered about it for a moment. "I think it took me about twenty seconds, give or take."
Which was pretty slow.
If he didn't have to deal with the wind pressure and limit his power to keep Winter safe, plus the Six Path Mark under control, Sasuke would have made that commute in a tenth of the time.
"If...that's true," Winter swallowed nervously, unable to contain her surprise. "You really are some kind of god..." Someone who lived in a world completely different from hers and...out of her reach. So this is how it feels like...to consider yourself unworthy of something or someone.
While she had never been involved with anyone before, due to having no interest in it and the need to focus on getting stronger to help Weiss, Winter was no stranger to the looks and comments of other men.
One thing in common among them was to say that she was out of their league, whether it was because of her looks, abilities, status, or financial situation.
Even away from the Schnee family, Winter was still someone they could only admire from afar and dream of one day reaching.
At this moment, she was the same.
"As hard as it is to believe, I'm not one... not really." Sasuke wanted to keep denying that, but barely could anymore for the fact was that he and Naruto could no longer be considered normal; they transcended both physically and spiritually into something more. "But that doesn't matter." The truth couldn't be more different, he knew. "Only finishing healing you does." He took her hand and smiled as he channeled his Yin Chakra to reproduce that doctor's Semblance again even more efficiently than before. "After that, I can explain to you a little about myself."
Winter could only look at this boy as she felt the gentle touch of his hand and the power revitalizing her body to make the scars on her wounded skin begin to disappear one by one and realize something.
She was wrong.
He is not out of my reach, she had tears forming in her eyes as she squeezed his hand. Then maybe, I can walk beside him too.
Right now, there were few things in this world that would make her happier than that.
Sorry for the delay, but one day isn't much, so... Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter.
About the questions related to Neo and her powers, I want to answer them, but that will have to wait. Maybe I'll put some explanation about it in my profile, so if you guys want to know anything else that doesn't constitute spoilers, go ahead and let me know.
Once I have time, I'll see what I can do.
That's it for now, so review, and if you want to support me and read ahead, take a look at my P t r & on (slash) Bertoti
The next one comes out on the 15th, or so.