And here we are! The beginning of the second book! I'll admit, I've been excited for this. But first, a little word please.
This story will not be happy. It will not have as dark of a tone as the first story, but it is still a grimdark story. There will be the depressing moments, and characters will die. That's just my preferred writing style.
But don't worry! Y/N and Vao have a good childhood, and they aren't abused. They have a loving family, since Salem is unable to interfere.
WARNING: If you are starting with this book, please read the first one before starting this book. There will be things mentioned that will not make sense without prior knowledge of the original story.
Enjoy the first chapter!
...
"Want to play a game?"
It was the first question Y/N had been asked that day. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looking at his brother in annoyance. "... Vao, do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Three in the morning!"
"Exactly, go to bed." Y/N rolled over and pulled the sheets over himself, trying not to remember that Vao was standing over him, watching him attempt to sleep. His brother grinned, poking his cheek.
"C'mon, Ruby and Yang want to play airsoft... Don't you want to join us?"
"We have school in the morning with Dad... And how did you and Yang even get here? You live with Aunt Raven..."
Vao shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I walked!"
"You live two miles from here... Two... Freaking... Miles..."
Slam!
The next thing Vao knew, he was standing back in the hall. He heaved a sigh and looked at his siblings and uncle. "He doesn't want to play..." He muttered. Qrow lowered his toy rifle in devastation.
"Well, what do we do? Mom'll kill Uncle Qrow if she finds out he snuck out with us. Then kill us."
"Well, good luck with that," Ruby butted in before returning to her own room. Qrow sighed.
"Look, kids. It'll be fine; we'll run back over there real quick before she even knew we were gone."
And that was how Qrow were seated on the couch, being screamed at by Raven. She had awoken to Qrow stumbling out the door and waited for them to return.
"I was worried sick, and you wanted to play with a toy gun!" She screamed in his face.
"Actually, it's airsoft..."
"I don't give a fuck!"
Vao and Yang sat in their shared room, listening to the argument. The blonde gripped the sides of her head in annoyance. "Ugh, dang it... All that noise is makin' my head ache..." She whined. Vao slouched on his bed, a lazy look in his eyes.
"Man... It never ends..." He muttered. Except it did. Footsteps were approaching their door. Immediately Yang dove into the closet, shutting the door behind her and leaving Vao to face his mother's wrath alone.
"You traitor!" He cried. The door opened, but it wasn't Raven.
"I got kicked out of my room..." Qrow whined. He sat down on Yang's bed, pulling out his flask and taking a hearty sip. Yang peeked her head out of the closet, relief washing over her face.
"Oh... We're safe..." She breathed.
"Not quite," Raven growled from the doorway.
And that was how Qrow got sent to the couch and the siblings got grounded.
...
Y/N and Ruby knocked on the door to the Branwen house excitedly. Well, Ruby was. Y/N kinda just had his hands in his pockets, a little annoyed he was woken up at three. Raven answered.
"... Ah, they're getting ready. Yang! Vao! Get down here!"
"I don't wanna!" Yang's high pitched cry came from deeper within the house. She sounded like she was crying. Raven closed the door, reappearing with the siblings in tow in a matter of seconds. Ruby gasped at the sight, and Y/N burst out laughing.
Yang had her hair cut to her shoulders as punishment for the night before, but what made Y/N laugh the hardest was Vao. His brother was placed into the girls' uniform for his school. "Vao, I didn't know I had three sisters!" He said between laughs. Vao snickered, striking a pose.
"Am I cute?"
"It's not a punishment if you enjoy it," Raven growled. Vao ignored her and kept posing, waiting for Y/N to take a picture. That only got him a smack on the back of the head.
"Why does Vao get to have a fun punishment!?" Yang bawled.
"Because your brother is ten years old and can't read," Raven answered.
"Hah!? I can read!"
Wait for it...
"You struggled with Pumpkin Pete and friends..." Ruby muttered. Before Vao could answer, a yellow school bus zoomed past. Y/N's eyes widened in terror. "Crap! We missed the bus!" He cried. Vao looked horrified.
"You want me to run around town in a dress!?"
But his fuming mother was enough to send all four of them sprinting down the street. Ruby had already unlocked her Semblance... The same couldn't be said about the other three. They lagged behind, Yang ahead of them.
"C'mon, guys! We're gonna be late!" She called back to them. Y/N panted heavily.
"Says... The one who... Goes for a freaking run every morning...."
Suddenly Qrow zoomed by, Vao riding on his shoulders. The little delinquent had his uncles's flask tied to a stick, dangling it just out of the older man's reach. As they passed, Vao flashed his signature shit-eating grin and waved at them. Y/N growled angrily.
"Vao, you little sneak!"
"Says the one who's gonna be late!"
Y/N growled, trying to push himself harder. But he wasn't getting past Yang, and she wasn't catching Qrow.
By the time they caught up to them, Vao was being yelled at by a teacher for utilizing human transport.
...
Bbbbbrrrrriiiiing!
The sound of the bell echoed through Signal Academy, allowing students to be free from math class. Y/N sighed, closing his textbook. "Ugh... I hate surprise tests... Right, Vao? Vao!" He slapped the back of his brother's neck, waking him from his sleep. "You were sleeping this whole time!?"
Vao rubbed his eyes, glaring at his younger brother angrily. "Yeah, I was. Is there a problem?"
"Yeah," Y/N hissed. "What's ten plus thirteen?"
"I don't have that many fingers."
Yang and Ruby listened to Y/N berate Vao from the doorway, waiting for their brothers to join them for lunch. Yang snickered. "I can't believe he fell asleep in class..." Ruby looked at her in disappointment.
"Yang, you fell asleep when the principal was yelling at you..."
The blonde turned bright red, her face twisting in embarrassment. But before she could reply, she was saved when Y/N stormed out of the class, dragging a beaten up Vao with him. He smiled, as if he didn't just commit war crimes against his older brother. "Hey, guys. You ready for lunch?"
"Uh... Yeah..." Ruby answered hesitantly. Soon they found themselves in the courtyard with their lunchboxes, eating what they had brought from home. When Y/N pulled out his ham sandwich, he smiled in relief and took a bite. Ruby of course, had a box of strawberries and a turkey sandwich, and Yang had bacon and a cheeseburger. Vao had a horseradish. A whole horseradish. That was it.
"Why do you guys get the good stuff? Ruby, I'll trade you those strawberries for this!"
"Get your own."
Vao turned to Y/N, but the bitter student only held up his open palm. "Don't even think about it, Radish Boy."
Vao pouted. "You guys are cruel! Here I am, wearing a dress, and no one will help me!"
"I thought you liked the dress?" Yang asked between bites. Vao smiled.
"I do, I think it's cute."
"Then go ask Cardin what he thinks," Y/N replied, pointing at the ginger who sat alone on a swing. "He just moved here, so he probably needs some friends."
Vao beamed. "Okay!"
That got rid of Vao. The little crossdresser pranced away, flaunting his attire as he crossed the schoolyard. Y/N took a bite from his sandwich, swallowing before asking his sisters his question. "So, who did you guys have for second period?"
"Dad," Ruby answered, munching on a strawberry. Yang visibly cringed.
"Uncle Qrow..." She muttered. Y/N and Ruby looked at her in confusion. "What's wrong with Uncle Qrow?"
Yang held her hands up defensively. "He's a good teacher, but... He was kind of drunk from this morning, and he began talking about his depression..." She looked down at her burger. "Then he started talking about the best way to flirt with a barmaid in a short skirt..."
"That's awesome," Y/N answered. Ruby smacked him on the back of the head.
"Y/N! Uncle Qrow is a Huntsman! And he should be taking school seriously!" She cried.
The peaceful student rubbed the sore spot on his head, sighing audibly. "You're right... It's actually a miracle he hasn't been fired yet..." He mumbled.
Not far away, Cardin was half-heartedly eating his bag of potato chips, watching the other kids play and laugh. He hated having to move. He had to leave behind Russel and Dove, just to come to a new school where he had no friends. He dug his hands back into the bag when someone came up to him.
"Hi! You're Cardin, right?"
He looked up to see some strange girl wearing a dress. "Huh? Yeah, what do you want?"
Vao pointed at his uniform. "Well, what do you think?"
Cardin nodded, letting out a small hum. "It looks alright. What's your name?" He asked. He was actually a bit happy. No one really went out of their way to talk to him.
"My name is Vao Branwen."
Cardin looked down thoughtfully. "Vao...? That's a weird name..."
"And you're lonely and will always be alone."
"You didn't have to point it out!" He whined. Vao snickered, pointing his finger at him.
"You made fun of my name. Lonely, lonely~"
Pow!
Y/N took another bite out of his sandwich, watching Cardin deck Vao. He groaned, knowing full well that Vao was going to fight back. Yang pumped her fists excitedly. "Aw yeah! Lunch and a show!"
"Yang, don't encourage it..." Y/N whined. He wanted the day to end...
Eventually, Tai came out and saw the fight. Y/N breathed a sigh of relief. Finally a responsible adult.
"Give him an uppercut! Break his guard!"
Y/N facepalmed. He handed Ruby the rest of his sandwich and packed up his lunchbox. He was going home.
...
When Y/N walked in the house, Summer was surprised to see him. "Oh, hello dear. What are you doing home so early?"
"Dad encouraged Vao to fight the new kid."
"He what."
Y/N instantly felt guilty. Summer was probably going to kill his father for that. But he wasn't about ready to put himself in danger by lying after the truth slipped. "Yeah, Dad saw a fight and then gave Vao tips." Y/N was beginning to figure out why Tai was the best father. He started to trudge up the stairs. "I'm going to my room to work on my weapon. I'll be back down for dinn-"
Screeeeech.
Summer had already peeled out of the driveway in her car. Y/N sighed, walking the rest of the way back to his shared room with Ruby. When he stepped inside, he threw his bag into the corner and sat on his bed, reaching underneath and pulling out a wooden box. Upon opening it, his weapon was revealed to the light of day.
A katana, with a sharpened blade and a function to turn it into a fully automatic assault rifle. He smiled at his reflection in the curved blade, getting to work on it.
He liked his katana. It helped him forget about his dysfunctional family. Don't get him wrong, he loved them to pieces. But sometimes he wished they could act normal, whatever that meant. He popped the handle out of place, holding the rifle carefully as he inspected the chamber.
"Clear..." He muttered, taking a cloth and wiping it down before popping it back into place and giving it a few experimental swings. He carefully placed it back in it's sheath, then in the box and under his bed. He was already bored. His scroll rang. He answered it, only to hear his father's high pitched cries coming from the other end.
["You snitched on me!"]
Y/N hung up when Summer's voice came on the line. She was throwing some choice words that Y/N wasn't entirely sure a ten year old should be hearing. The sound of the front door opening made him perk his head up.
"I'm hoooome..."
Y/N left his room, peering down the stairs at Ruby. She had already kicked her shoes off and was making her way up, smiling at her brother as she stepped up to him. "Mom made Dad cry."
Y/N looked down guiltily. "... Oops..."
The sound of the front door again, this time followed by loud voices. Y/N and Ruby looked at each other before going back downstairs. In the doorway was Vao and Yang, in the middle of an argument.
"Vao, we're grounded! Mom's gonna kill both of us, then you again for getting into a fight!"
"Hey, I won that fair and square!"
"You hit him with a rock!"
"Street rules."
Y/N and Ruby sighed, heading back up the stairs. Yang and Vao followed, still arguing.
"You got suspended!"
"So? I don't even like school!"
"You didn't need to hit him!"
"He hit me first!"
Y/N rubbed his temples. This was getting annoying.
"You femboy!"
"Shut it, Buzzcut."
THWACK!
Vao was sent sprawling to the ground unconscious by Yang. Ruby threw her hands up in relief. "Thank you, Dust!" She cried. Yang just huffed, while Y/N booted up his game console. "You guys want to play a bit? At least until Aunt Raven picks you guys up?"
That was how the rest of their day had went. Vao had woken up at some point and left, likely going home. Y/N didn't really know what Vao did in his spare time, and wasn't interested in finding out. It's not like he was off secretly communicating with an immortal Eldritch Abomination who held a bitter grudge because she got blasted in the face by a combination of Light and Darkness. It's not like he was going to be kidnapped and twisted into a cannibalistic serial killer who had a public execution waiting for him. Definitely.
Yang smirked, mashing the buttons. Somehow, she was kicking Y/N's ass by randomly spamming the controls. The boy sighed, tapping away as he watched his health bar drop to nothing in the span of five seconds. This was why he preferred to play games with Ruby; she wasn't nearly as good. The one time Y/N played a fighting game with Vao, the femboy lost the game and then his shit, swearing up a storm - mainly using words he learned from his mother.
"This sucks..." Y/N muttered, losing another match. Yang only snickered, starting another game. Ruby was currently digging through Y/N's stuff, messing with anything she found interesting.
"Hey..." She said aloud, catching the attention of her siblings.
"What's up?"
Ruby was looking at something, and she picked it up to get a better look. It was a book. Ruby turned to her older brother angrily. "I knew you stole it!" She shouted.
Y/N sighed, sounding exhausted. "I didn't steal it, I just forgot it was in there..."
"That's what they all say! You thief!"
Y/N folded his arms, his expression changing into a frustrated one. "And what about my jacket? You stole that three months ago and claim it's yours now."
"I am not a crook."
Yang laughed. "Vao does the same thing all the time! Last month he stole my Ember Celica and lost one of them in the woods! Mom made him build me a new one."
"How did he do?" Y/N asked. Yang suddenly looked very cross.
"He built it out of what he found in the trash and called it his 'greatest creation's and said it reflected my personality. I ended up having to lock him outside until he found it. He never did..."
Ruby looked guilty. "Oh... He was playing with me that day, and then he told me..." She muttered. Yang's jaw dropped.
"He told me he searched hard! He made me feel bad for kicking him out!"
"Vao's a jerk, what did you expect?" Y/N asked quietly. Yang and Ruby seemed to agree, the blonde stretching her arms.
"Ugh... It's getting late. Mom'll kill me for sneaking over here, so I'm going home before it gets worse... See you guys-"
Yang was interrupted when the front door slammed shut downstairs. The trio looked at each other worriedly before going to investigate. As they peeked from the banister, they could see Summer and Tai in the kitchen. Summer was currently murdering her husband with words. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Tai was bawling.
Summer's face was beet red with anger, and she was throwing her arms in the air wildly. "You cheered on my nephew to become a delinquent, and then you laughed when I talked to you about it!" She screeched. Y/N sighed, regretfully recalling the events at school.
"You were wearing pink slippers, how could I hold it in?" Tai whined. "I thought it was funny!" Upstairs, Y/N winced and Ruby groaned. Their father really wasn't making this any better for himself. Summer did not take it very well, nor did she find it hilarious.
"I can be even funnier! Go stand in the corner!"
Yang snickered. "Dad's getting time out..."
"Yang, that's not really funny..." Y/N muttered quietly. Downstairs, Tai was begging Summer to change her mind. But she was persistent, pointing at the wall. Wiping at his eyes, Tai obeyed his wife's orders and trudged away. Summer folded her arms angrily.
"Now think about what you did!" She hissed. She turned around, her entire expression changing to a warm smile. "Y/N, Ruby! Dinner's almost ready!"
Yang looked at her scroll, her eyes going wide with panic. "Oh, no! Mom cooked an hour ago!"
"Guess you'd better run," Y/N shrugged. Yang gripped her chest painfully.
"You're so cold!" She whined. But she didn't stay to argue. She bolted down the stairs and out the front door, not even saying goodbye. Y/N and Ruby shared an exhausted look and trotted down the stairs. As Y/N passed by, Tai looked at him sadly.
"You tattled... And now I'm in trouble..." He whimpered.
"Sorry..." Y/N muttered. Summer looked up from the stove, scowling at her husband.
"Hey! I said face the corner! Your time is starting over!" She hollered. Tai let out a wail, returning to his silence. Y/N sighed, wondering what Yang and Vao were up to...
...
"Three hours ago you should have been home!" Raven roared. Behind her, Vao snickered. Bad move, because Raven rounded on him next. "Don't even get me started on you! You got suspended!"
"But I won the fight! And he took the first swing!" Vao protested. Raven seemed to think about it.
"... Fair..." She growled begrudgingly. She turned back to Qrow, who had been watching a cartoon on the television. "And you!"
The drunkle looked up, fear etching itself on his face. "What did I do?"
Raven stomped her foot into the ground, threatening to damage the woodwork. "You just sit there listening to me yell at my kids and you don't even lift a finger to help!" She screeched. Qrow pointed at the telly sadly.
"B-but Pumpkin Pete is on... I love that show..."
"Fuck your show, and fuck your chair!" Raven snapped.
Yang watched as Vao began to smile. She quickly shook her head, trying to change his mind. But Vao had already taken a deep breath, already determined to repeat the word his mother had just screamed.
"FUCK."
Raven and Qrow stopped arguing, the drunk uncle going very pale. Raven turned dark red, her expression going blank as she took a dangerous step forward. Vao suddenly felt like he had made a big mistake. She leaned down, her nose nearly touching his. "Qrow..." She hissed, her voice as deadly as her weapon. "Get the hot sauce..." Vao trembled, his tongue already beginning to ache.
"A-and a spoon?"
"Just the bottle. The entire bottle."
That night, Vao walked away with a sore tongue and the privilege to boast that he had drank an entire bottle of hot sauce.
...
When Y/N woke up, the first thing he did was got dressed and went down stairs. Ruby had already awoken and was eating her food like she was a starving animal. Her brother scowled.
"Could you eat that any louder?" He muttered. Ruby held her hands to the side as if challenging him.
"I'm hungry, and Mom put strawberries in them. You know they're my favorite," she cried through a mouthful of food. Y/N wasn't even going to try and decipher that. He grabbed his own plate, stacking his pancakes high and sat down.
"Whatever. Where's Mom, anyway?"
Ruby swallowed her food before speaking this time. "She went to Aunt Raven's. Said she wouldn't be back until late."
Y/N nodded, resting his head in his left hand as he ate quietly. Quite a few years had passed. He was now nearly seventeen years old, and Ruby was fifteen. Vao had already turned seventeen, and Yang was seventeen and a half. They were almost finished with Signal Academy. Again, Ruby spoke with her mouth full.
"You decided if you want to go to Beacon with Yang, yet?" She asked. Y/N nodded.
"Yeah, I'm going. Vao wants to go, too..."
Ruby swallowed her food before taking another bite. Y/N wondered if she was deliberately choosing to talk with food in her mouth. "What's wrong with that? You guys are like, best friends."
Y/N held his hands up defensively. "Hey, hey! I'm happy he'll be with us. I'm just worried about him, is all. He isn't very bright, you know."
Ruby swallowed her food and snickered. "He's only smart when he wants to be... He still has trouble reading..." She joked. Little did she know, that was not a joke. Yesterday Y/N tried to pass Vao a note with the test answers written on it, but his loudmouthed femboy brother shouted at him because he couldn't read it. Vao had gotten them caught, and they both failed the test and got detention for the rest of the week. And to make matters worse, Y/N didn't even have bad handwriting. Vao just couldn't read very well. Y/N stayed quiet and finished his food. By the time he was done, Ruby already had her shoes on, Crescent Rose resting on her belt.
Her weapon, Crescent Rose, was one she had built herself, as everyone in Signal had. Y/N had built his katana, Yang built her Ember Celica, and Vao built his battleaxe-rocket launcher hybrid called Grimm Demise. Y/N threw his shoes on, following his little sister out the door and to the road. They had stopped riding the bus, choosing to walk to school for the exercise. As they walked, a voice called out to them. Yang was running to catch up. What was odd was that she was alone.
"Hey, Sis. Where's Vao?" Y/N asked. Yang was trying to catch her breath. Ruby muttered something about Yang not even running that far, and that she was being dramatic.
"He's sleeping. He says he'll just use his Semblance to get to school on time."
All three of them bitterly growled at Vao's Semblance. He had inherited a teleportation Semblance from his mother, giving him the ability to sleep until seven thirty, and still show up on time for first period. Ruby had her speed, and Yang had her strength. Y/N had a healing Semblance, which he didn't really like too much. He felt like it was outshone by his siblings. Bitterly, the boy growled angrily. "We should prank that delinquent..." He hissed. Ruby was immediately on board with the plan, but Yang shook her head.
"We can't do it tonight. Uncle Qrow is taking him to a bar to celebrate becoming drinking age."
Y/N cocked his head. "Vao's been drinking since he was fourteen... Why celebrate it now?"
Yang just looked at him like he was the dumbest person alive. "Do you think Vao is stupid enough to tell our mom that? She'd literally kill him."
"Don't flatter him. He's about as bright as a box of rocks on a treadmill," Ruby muttered. Y/N snickered.
"Even that's smarter than him."
"You guys are fucking assholes." The trio turned to see Vao walking up to them, his hands shoved into his pockets lazily. He didn't seem too happy. "I'm not a fucking moron."
"Hey, Vao. Read the title of my textbook," Yang said. She held out the large book, allowing Vao to look at the title. He peered at it curiously before glaring at her.
"You know I can't read, Firecracker..." He growled. They all shared a laugh, except for Vao. He was getting angrier, trying to make a comeback. He failed. He eventually just dug into his pocket and fished out his flask, taking a hefty sip. Y/N looked at him in horror.
"You're drinking as we're walking into school!? It's too early in the morning for that!" He shrieked. Vao just laughed at him.
"It gives me the motivation to get through the day! Oi, Yang. I'm skipping first period, you want to hit the arcade?"
"Oh, I'm down!"
Ruby stomped her foot angrily. "No one is skipping school!" She hollered. Y/N completely agreed with her. He pointed at Yang.
"You're failing in Language Arts," he pointed out. He moved his finger to Vao. "And the only thing you're passing is combat class!" Vao seemed overjoyed.
"Yes! New record! I'm finally passing a class!" He cheered. Y/N smacked him on the back of the head.
"Take school more seriously, you damned drunk!"
"I'm not drunk, yet!" Vao hissed. He stood up straight, a smirk crossing his face. Y/N felt a shiver of fear run down his spine. That was never a good sign. He waved his hand, confusing the poor student. "Oi, Cardin! Yang and I are going to the arcade! You want to come?" He shouted. Y/N turned around. The ginger was behind him, his scroll still in his hand.
"What about school?" Cardin asked.
"Screw math," Yang answered. Cardin seemed to think to himself before nodding his head. "Yeah, sure."
Yang and Vao turned to Y/N and Ruby victoriously. "Three against two!" The brawler grinned. "We'll be back by second period."
"How about you go to first period?" Y/N muttered. Vao just laughed, already walking over to Cardin with Yang in tow. They both gripped his shoulders and he teleported, leaving Ruby and Y/N alone. The young reaper sighed.
"Dad's gonna get mad at us for letting them go..."
"Dad's probably at the arcade, too..." Y/N growled. "Let's just go to class, we have..." He glanced at his schedule. "... Uncle Qrow. Let's go."
Together, Ruby and Y/N walked to class. When they entered the classroom, Qrow was already intoxicated, swaying at his desk as he tried to grade the tests from the last quiz. There is a huge emphasis on tried, he could barely write. When his niece and nephew walked inside, he looked up and grinned like an idiot.
"Rubyyyy, Y/N!" He slurred on his words, almost falling from his chair. "Good ta see youuu..."
"Uncle Qrow, are you okay?" Ruby asked worriedly. Qrow nodded dramatically.
"Uh-huh. Peachy keen, jelly bean."
Y/N brought his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose, knowing full well class was going to be... Interesting, to say the least. He also knew that little work would actually be done. He and Ruby sat at their desks as the rest of the class filed in, some staring at the drunk professor at his desk. After the bell rang, Qrow stood up, leaning against the blackboard lazily.
"Good mornin'," he greeted.
"Good morning, Mr. Branwen..." The class groaned. The drunk uncle leaned forward, squinting at his students in confusion.
"... Was there this many of you before...?" He whispered to himself. He shrugged, glancing at his notes, scribbling what was written down. When he finished, he pointed at the nearly unintelligible writing. "So, we left off at Mountain Glenn's history..."
The class just seemed to drone on forever. Y/N was currently tracing the lines on his notepaper, waiting for the bell. Seemed like it was taking it's time. He sighed, leaning his head into his hand and he tried to make sense of the ramblings of his uncle.
When the bell finally rang, Y/N and Ruby stood to their feet, collecting their textbooks and leaving the classroom. The younger sibling sighed, slouching as she walked. Y/N felt the same way. Class with Qrow was exhausting; he rarely talked about the actual subject, usually making jokes, drinking in front of them, or telling false stories of cute bartenders he had met in his travels. Y/N couldn't even remember Qrow talking about Mountain Glenn.
"That took forever..." Ruby groaned. Y/N could only nod in response, too tired to speak. He glanced at his schedule.
"... We have combat class, next... Twenty lien that those three don't show up and just stay at the arcade."
Ruby laughed lowly. "Not really much of a bet if we both think that..." They shared a laugh, entering the classroom. It was almost empty. Not even the instructor was there. There was only three figure, two of them leaning in their seats. Ruby nearly screamed in horror. Y/N's jaw dropped to the floor, a stammering gasp escaping his parted lips.
Cardin was slouched in his chair, nursing a broken and bloody nose. Yang was leaning against her desk heavily, bruises dotting her face. One of her fingers was bent at an odd angle, an unnatural angle, and swollen three times it's original size. Vao was the only one standing, and seemed very angry. His eye was swollen shut, and his lip was split open. The Rose siblings ran up, catching their attention.
"Hey, what the heck happened!?" Ruby almost yelled.
"We were at the arcade and somebody attacked us!" Cardin explained. Y/N set his textbooks down, looking at his older sister with worry.
"Did you see who it was?" He asked. Yang remained quiet, staring at the desk with a very pale face. "... Y-Yang...?"
"We don't know..." It was Cardin who spoke again. "They came into the arcade and... They attacked us. Vao was able to get us out of there with his Semblance..."
Y/N looked at Vao, an almost accusing glare in his eyes. "What did you do?" He groaned. Vao sent him a deadly look, one that silenced the younger brother.
"You won't believe it, but for once I didn't do anything," Vao hissed. "I didn't have any idea who he was. I don't even owe anybody money right now."
"What did he look like?" Ruby asked quietly.
"..." Yang raised her head, and finally she spoke the first words since they had appeared. "... He was wearing all black... Like a robe, kind of... He was an older guy, with a blonde mustache... He looked really angry with us... He shouted something about, 'for the Queen', or something like that... And then he said Vao's name..."
Y/N and Ruby looked at Vao, who was sipping from his flask, wincing as the alcohol burned his split lip. He lowered the metal tin and looked at them. For once, he seemed worried. "... I have no idea who that guy was... I'd never seen him before in my life... He seemed to know me, though..." Vao leaned against a desk, resorting to waterfalling his drink to avoid the wound. Y/N was beginning to grow more and more concerned. Nobody hated Vao to the point they'd chase him down. And according to their story, it sounded like it was a grown man. Even if Vao caused trouble, he was only a teenager.
"... Do you have any idea why it happened? Even a tiny idea?" Y/N pressed. Vao shrugged his feminine shoulders.
"I don't. I was just playing a fighting game with Cardin," Vao replied. "He came in and looked around. Yang was the first to see him because she was waiting for her turn against the winner and she pointed him out. But the moment he saw her, he smiled at us... Not a happy one, but a really creepy one. Like he wasn't right in the head. And then he saw me, and he looked really angry. He screamed my name, and then said something about a queen and doing what she wanted. I really don't have anything to do with this, Y/N..."
The younger brother looked down at his feet, trying to piece together the puzzle. "... I don't think you did anything wrong, Vao..."
"Oh, thank Dust..."
"But it's really weird... I think we need to tell someone."
Yang shook her head. "If we call the police, Vao will get blamed. You know they don't like him after that incident at Dustbucks."
Ruby nodded. "Y... Yeah... We could tell Dad, though... Or Aunt Raven..."
Vao and Yang shivered. "I don't want to imagine what Mom would do to that guy if she found out..." The blonde muttered.
"Then..." Y/N began. "What about Dad?"
Vao nodded. "Yeah... Probably our best bet. Plus, he attacked our friend, too. Look at Cardin's nose," he exclaimed. Cardin just slouched down.
"Dude... I only got a broken nose, you and Yang look like you went against a Huntsman... Or a moving car..."
"Shut the fuck up, Cardin. How often do I actually show concern?"
"... I appreciate it..."
Y/N glanced at the clock above the instructor's desk. Class would be starting soon, and neither of the three looked liked they would be able to participate. He turned to Ruby. "Hey, can you stay here?" He asked. "Someone needs to tell the teacher that I'm taking them to the infirmary."
Ruby nodded her head, a worried look still haunting her face. "Y... Yeah... Keep me updated, okay?"
"Of course. Let's go, guys. We gotta get you patched up," Y/N called. The trio stood up, following him out of the classroom.
As they walked down the halls, students would give them concerned looks. A few times, Vao nearly got into a fight over it.
"Hey, take a fucking picture. Then you'll have some material for later."
"H-HUH!?" The random student in question had been staring at Vao, and the femboy was still steamed about the incident at the arcade. Y/N watched as his brother struck a pose, one hand on his face and the other on his hip. "Go ahead, take the picture. I'm ready."
"Vao, stop harassing people!" Y/N snapped. Vao whipped around to face him.
"Then do you want to take a picture of my pretty little face?" He snickered. Then his face fell. "Actually... Don't use it as material for later if you do..."
Y/N held out his arms. "Vao, what the heck are you talking about? What material?"
Vao began to start explaining, but Cardin covered his mouth in an effort to save Y/N from being emotionally scarred for life. The rest of the way to the infirmary was mostly quiet, with some argument between Yang and Cardin about whose responsibility it was to keep an eye on Vao. Y/N just sighed, sticking his hands into his pockets.
He had a lot to think about. His family and a friend were attacked at the arcade and he couldn't figure out why, not even to save his life. He thought about the description he was given.
A middle-aged man with blond hair wearing a black cloak that nearly covered his face, shouting about a queen. And then immediately after, attacked his siblings unprovoked, growing angry when he saw Vao. He looked forward, his gaze hardening. He couldn't afford to think about that now. At that moment, all that mattered was getting them to the infirmary to be taken care of, and then telling his father about the situation.
What Y/N didn't know was that something was resurfacing. Something he had no memory of. Something that was more than capable of forcing his life down a hellish path, filled with death, misery, and chaos.
...
They watched as the scenes unfolded before them, the creatures of Grimm floating quietly as they displayed the ongoings of Y/N and Vao. At the long crystalline table, three people sat very nervously. One was a massive man who stood over two meters and had rippling muscles that showed even from under his jacket, sweat dripping from his dark hair as he watched his master with worry. His name was Hazel Rainart.
The second was a woman dressed in red, with long black hair and piercing amber eyes. She wasn't looking at her master, she was focusing on her hands to avoid the glare. Her name was Cinder Fall, and one of the only two in the room who possessed magic.
And the last was a man who dressed like he believed he was important. On his face his moustache was wet, drenched in sweat. He was an intellectual, a disgraced scientist named Arthur Watts.
There was a fourth. But it was not human. Once, it had been able to assume a human form. But now it couldn't. It was incapable of doing such a thing, it's power having been severely weakened. It sipped from it's wineglass, gripping the beverage with a long, pitch dark tentacle. It was small, and yet deadly. That was why the three feared it so. Because even at its weakest, the abomination was more than capable of ending lives. It was the embodiment of evil. A creature who, in another time, had almost successfully destroyed the world. The creature responsible for sending the Cultist who attacked Yang, Vao, and Cardin.
But that was then. Even with careful planning, the creature had failed. Destroyed by the two young boys she watched, who no longer even remembered it. But the thing remembered. It remembered what they did, what it had done to them. And it wanted revenge.
The thing set down the wineglass, thousands of tiny eyes focusing on its servants. Three mouths opened and closed, but it's voice only came from one.
"... Do you see it, Cinder?"
The woman swallowed, praying her terror was unnoticeable. "... S-see what, Mistress?"
The thing let out a noise resembling a growl. Or perhaps it was a chuckle. It was impossible to tell.
"No one remembers. No one but I..."
"Queen, what are you talking about?" Watts asked. He was by far the most confident of the three, yet his voice still shook.
The creature seemed to ignore him. "... Those... Insolent scraps of filth... I want them to die. I want them to suffer. Cinder, I trust the infiltration of Beacon is going smoothly?"
Cinder nodded quickly. "Yes, Mistress. We should be in before the Vytal Festival."
The thing nodded thoughtfully. Or, at least it seemed to. It was hard to tell what it was doing; it was not shaped like a human, nor anything reminiscent of one. It was as if someone had taken something from the very depths of the mind, from the abyss that haunts the dreams of all humans, and made it a reality. With a flick of it's tentacle-like appendages, it pointed at its underling. "... Forget destroying Beacon... Nothing good will come of it..."
Cinder seemed appalled. "M-Mistress? Wouldn't it get rid of Ozma? And I think-"
"I care not for what you think," the thing snapped. "Instead, you will be observing those two, Y/N Rose and Vao Branwen. Heed my warning; do not cause a ruckus in Beacon. And should Ozma, Y/N, or Vao recognize you, fly as fast as you can. Though, I doubt even he would... Still, I'd rather be safe, for now..."
Watts let out a grunt of disagreement. "My Queen, why are you so cautious of children of all things? Why should such a powerful goddess like yourself have any worry?"
The creature took another sip, emptying the wineglass and setting it down for the final time. "Because I remember what others do not. That is none of your concern, Doctor. Should you continue questioning my commands, I will slaughter you. Is that your wish?"
Watts fell into silence, his face growing more pale with each passing second as he turned his gaze to his reflection in the table. Taking it as a no, the abomination dismissively waved the creature of Grimm away, leaning back in it's chair. "... This meeting is concluded... All of you, leave my sight."
It didn't take long for the room to clear out, all the servants hurriedly pushing out the door and leaving the abomination in silence. It sighed, resting it's misshapen head against the back of it's throne.
In another time, it was not worried about such small matters as children. But it remembered what no one else did. That once, in another time, the creature was much more powerful. And here it was, reduced to something that could not take a human form, something that could not control the minds of others as it once had. And it had Y/N and Vao to thank for that.
It doubted either of the brothers remembered it, or even remembered their nightmarish adventure. If they had, they surely wouldn't be waking up happy, or smiling when they saw their family. No, they'd be waking up screaming every night, suffering horrifying night terrors as they remembered everything they'd been through. Vao would've been unable to socialize, remembering everyone who had died to his cursed weapon. Y/N would have been unable to face his family, who had died under his protection. They would've remembered the very creature sat on the throne, and fear it's return. And yet they didn't do any of those things. They were growing up to be normal children, something that almost pleased the abomination.
It could torment them again. Break them, watch them look on in horror and despair as the people they loved died around them... If it could. At the moment, all it could do was plan. Plan it's return, take revenge on them for weakening it so much and then restarting their lives to live free of memory. As of now, it was weak, unable to take action. It couldn't even corrupt Tyrian again; it didn't know where the Faunus was now, nor what he was doing. It doubted he killed his father without it's influence. It let out a sigh, which resembled the hiss of a serpent.
It was not pleased. Tyrian had been one of it's favorite playthings; so easily corrupted. So accepting of it's vile blood, so easily twisted. But it's favorite plaything had been Vao; watching as he unconsciously fought against it's blood, suffering as he was forced to murder and consume the ones he loved. Watching the many times he had tried to take his own life in an effort to stop himself, watching as he slowly broke until he could no longer tolerate his own existence, never realizing the truth until it was far too late. And Y/N, too. While he had not been under the abomination's direct control, it had loved every moment it pulled the strings, guiding it's deadliest weapon to take everybody he had ever cared about. Y/N and Vao, it's favorite toys. But now they were freed, living ignorant of it's existence. That only infuriated the thing.
And so all it could do was plan it's next move. The creature, small compared to a human being, could only think to itself as it planned, planned to take its revenge on the ones that had caused it so much trouble. And if they awakened their powers again... The creature doubted it would go in it's favor. The creature planned, thinking to itself quietly in it's castle, deep in the ashy wastes, where strange crystalline structures sprouted from the ground as if they were tombstones, devoid of life.
The thing's name is Salem.
...
When Ozpin's scroll rang, he hadn't expected it to be Tai. He figured Qrow would call him. Tai was usually too busy being a father to focus on more serious matters, and Qrow was the only one without children. He picked up the device and tapped the green button, lowering his mug of hot chocolate from his lips and setting it down on the glass desk. "Hello, Tai. Is there anything I can do for you?"
["Oz... My kids were attacked..."]
"I am sorry," Ozpin apologized. "However, I would recommend calling the police to deal with this matter. When it comes to child abuse, Huntsmen and Huntresses are not permitted to intervene unless a life is being threatened or it is happening within their sight." The headmaster could hear Tai's shaky sigh. Something was wrong. He lifted the beverage again, the hot chocolate pouring over his taste buds as he listened to his old friend.
["I did, but... They described one of her Cultists..."]
Ozpin spat his hot chocolate out, destroying his paperwork. He coughed into his elbow, his drink having gone down the wrong pipe. As he regained his composure, he nearly yelled into the receiver.
"Are you absolutely certain?"
["Positive... Yang even said he was talking about a queen... Oz, I don't want my kids getting involved with that... Thing. What does she want?"]
It was a question Ozpin could not answer. He did not know, nor comprehend what it was trying to do. "... I have no answer for you at the moment, Tai... I will send Qrow to investigate immediately. I'll call Signal later and tell them he is needed for important matters." He bit his lip. "... Your children will be safe, Tai. I promise you that."
A lie. Ozpin had lied to Tai through his teeth. In truth, he knew they were in danger. If Salem had taken a direct interest in the four children, they were in horrible danger. And Ozpin was at a disadvantage. He knew nothing of her plans. Could it have been a random attack meant to lure a Grimm attack? It would explain a lot.
["... Thanks... Thanks, Oz..."]
"... You're welcome, Tai. I'll let you tend to your children, now..." Ozpin hung up, setting his scroll down and rising from his chair. His blood boiled, and he slapped the cup of cocoa off the desk, the glass shattering on the floor and the beverage spilling everywhere. He stepped up to the window, staring off into the distance.
"... This can't be good..." He muttered. He turned, looking back at the broken mug. "... That was my favorite cup..." He sighed. "Glynda will kill me, later..."
...
This chapter was shorter than the last chapters I wrote for the first book. That's because the plot hasn't kicked off, yet.
But from what we know, Salem remembered the events of The Bird and the Garden; the first book. But now she does not have the power to take direct action, resorting to careful planning. What is she going to do? Whatever it is, it can't be good.
And as was revealed, Tyrian is not affiliated with Salem in this story. For those who remember, in the chapter of the last book where Y/N fought Tyrian, he discovered that the Faunus had been corrupted by Salem's Blood, devolving him into what he was in the first book. But because Salem is now severely weakened, she was unable to corrupt Tyrian. This plays a vital part later in the story.
I hope everyone is satisfied with the chapter. Again, not much seemed to happen because the plot hasn't kicked off yet. It's going to start out a bit slow, just like the first book.
See you all in the next chapter!