After we got back from the Naga tribe camp, after Vernal, my team, and I had helped Raven get all of the new recruits situated, Raven had asked to have a word with me in her tent.
"What is it ma'am?" I asked as I entered her tent with her.
"Nothing you need to overly stress yourself about, I simply need someone to help me plan our next move." She explained.
"I see. While I'm flattered by this, why not have Vernal help, she is quite the tactician after all." I asked.
"She's, uh, going through a phase I think. Not acting like herself you know."
"Understandable, a phase we've both also been through I suspect." I said.
Raven sighed, "Yeah."
She sat down on one of the floor pillows beside her table, one leg bent on the ground, the other knee bent upwards to lay her arm on while she rested, "Kids these days."
"What about them?" I inquired.
"They're just so, you know, obsessed with each other; and they can't be within proximity of someone else their age without wanting to either fight for fuck, I mean, what the fuck?"
"Need I remind you that you are one of the few people here with a child, and we both know I do not need to remind you how old you were when you gave birth to her." I said.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Raven asked in an angered tone.
"Nothing madam." I said, "About our next offensive?"
"Right, back on track, I'm having a hard time deciding between two locations to strike next."
"Those being?"
Raven walked over to her drawer and pulled out a large, worn out, folded paper map with several triangular tears along the edges, which she brought over to the table and unfolded across its surface. The map itself displayed the continent of Anema with some of the nearby islands, all land being masses of dark green with black outlines. In the same place as the Naga tribe camp we had just destroyed was a large black X over a smaller N, though not too far from it were about 4 other N's, two of which were about the same distance from the X'd out one.
"After out last assault, it's likely they're on high alert, and now they have one less camp to put their bandits." Raven said.
"So our next move shall be inevitably met by much more resistance."
"Exactly," Raven agreed, "Problem is, I don't know where to go next. Peach told me who's currently in each of the closest camps; the most eastward camp has Proditor Harenae, or at least it should soon, as he was apparently present for your attack, Peach said he was retreating eastward near the end of it all. Then there's Quill Brevard in the west, though Peach hadn't heard from him in a while, so he may have been compremised."
"Wait, where is Peach anyway? Shouldn't he be here to help us?"
"He's resting, and I don't believe he quite holds the same tactical mind you do. Besides, I doubt we'll come to a decision on this right now, I just needed to catch you up to speed and thought your two cents on this would be helpful before I make a final decision." Raven explained.
"Ah, I see. Well if we look at each camp, the east will likely have more troops, as it is closer and likely will have many bandits who escaped the assault present, so an assault would very likely be more difficult on them. Looking towards the western camp, with the possibility of Quill's position being compremised, we may be more expected there, and if they killed him, then there would be less to gain from attacking them." I explained.
"So either way will be a bigger pain in the ass than last time?"
"I would not word it like that, but in essence, yes." I said.
Raven sighed and put her hand to her head as if she were dealing with a headache.
"Right, why don't you go get some rest, we can finish this discussion later." She said irritatedly.
"Yes ma'am, if you need help anything at all, please do not be afraid to ask." I said.
"Alright. Thank you Arcenciel." Raven said as I exited her tent.
I walk through the camp, seeing everybody busy with introductions and their daily routine as I made my way back to my team's tents, "Everything alright?"
I looked to my right to see Virgil walking towards me, dressed in his black tank top, blue pants with wave patterns at the bottom, blue head band, and ocean blue sweater tied around his waist, he carried with him a rather heavy looking book, though it was nothing to someone of his muscular build.
"Of course, and how are things on your side?" I asked.
"Well thanks to you and your team, a bit busier than usual." He answered, now walking beside me.
"Oh, sorry about that." I said, looking up at him.
"Ah don't sweat it! Something tells me you're gonna be having just as much trouble with your new recruit."
Of course he knew about the whole Hydra fiasco, it was always hard to keep things from Virgil after all.
"You don't say." I commented.
"Yeah, saw him and Maxie talking before you left, and from the looks of him, you're in for nothin but trouble." Virgil said.
It is probably better he didn't know, unlike myself, Virgil had actually seemed pretty interested in the Hydra destroying its path across Remnant a few months ago, I could not imagine how interested he would be in our new recruit if he found out about his transformation, though he would have to eventually I suppose.
"Oh come now, I am sure they will get along superbly given time. Why I don't exactly remember us getting along so well upon our first meeting." I said.
"Yeah, but I don't think they'll be ending up like us Quince." He said, rubbing my hair with his free hand.
"Oh stop it." I said, shoving him aside slightly.
"You started it."
"Well I would certainly like to know how." I demanded.
"When you woke up so handsome." He said, leaning down to my level.
"Don't do that!" I said, hiding my blushed face behind my hands.
"Hey now, why you hiding it now?"
"Because I don't need my teammates seeing me like this." I explained.
"Well I wanna see you like this." Virgil said, pulling my hands away from my face, the warmth of his own hand sending jolts through my body and causing my heart go beat faster.
I looked at him and took in his own beautiful features. His lightly darkened skin, his spiked hair escaping his head band. The brilliant shades of green and blue of his shining eyes. The way his smile was brimming with confidence and joy with a tinge of excitement.
"I-I believe you said you were busy." I said.
"And I'm guessing that means you're busy too. I'll get out of your hair then," Virgil said, putting his hand to the side of my face and kissing my forehead, "See ya Quince."
I watched him walk away, something I loved to do, even if I hated to have to see him go.
I quickly regained my composure and brushed my hair back with my hands as I came up on my team's tents, Maxie just entering his own tent as I arrived. Looking at the tent of my new recruit, I began to think back on how he had conducted himself. He has not acted in a way someone in his current situation normally would, no memories in a world of bandits, he was too calm, and that lead to more questions like why he had activated his semblance when he did, or what his true motives were. In any case, I believed it was time that we had a talk...
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I was lying in my tent trying to sleep, thinking about what to do with my new life. I was finally free! Free to live as I wanted, to do as I pleased without anyone to hold me back. So why? Why couldn't I let go? I couldn't get rid of them, the moments of memory, the flashes of my life at its worst. My father, mother, Neo... I was only free physically, but never again would I find myself truly relived of my past.
I balled my fist and stared at it until I heard someone come in. I turned and sat up to see who it was, Maxie.
"Uh, hey man."
"What happened?" He asked, "What happened to make you so enraged?"
"What?" I asked.
"My semblance, it allows me to absorb anger, but it doesn't get rid of it, only transfers it to myself. After so many years, I've learned to distinguish between types of frustration, their targets. I can feel that you aren't just mad at yourself, but the world. I've seen people die from that feeling, and I know Arcenciel wouldn't be able to forgive himself if you ended up dead because of it."
"Uh, okay. I don't really feel like talking about it right now, could we talk about this later?" I asked.
"*sigh* Alright. Just get some sleep; don't want you attracting any Grimm with your negativity." Maxie said, leaving my tent, "We'll talk tomorrow."
I lied back down, now worried I wasn't even physically free. If I couldn't even get angry without someone knowing, what else would I not be able to do?
I heard the tent flap open again and sat up, "I though we were gonna talk tomorrow man!"
"Oh, bad time?" Arcenciel said, coming into my tent.
I realized my mistake and found my composure again.
"No, sorry. Just, uhh, somebody else. You're alright." I said.
"Well I hope you're alright too, come on, we need to talk." He said.
"Now?" I asked, thinking about how late it was.
"Come on! It's part of your initiation." He said.
"Alright, alright. This better not be anything weird though." I said, getting out of bed and joining Arcenciel outside.
He led me through the camp, then out of the camp. I asked him if it was really a good idea, explaining how unsafe it was, Grimm and all, but he assured me everything would be perfectly fine. He led me through the forest, all the trees we passed having a piece of bark missing in the same spot near the bottom.
"You're not bringing me out here to murder me are you?" I asked.
"Haha! No, nothing of the sort, I am far weaker than you in combat. You will simply need to wait and see where we are going." Arcenciel said.
Eventually we came to a clearing, a tall hill overlooking the forest with the clear night sky above visible clear as day. The stars and moon out this morning shone beautifully in the darkened blue and orange sky with the sun barely brimming over the horizon.
"Woah. Where are we?" I asked.
"Hm? Oh, this is merely my quiet place, the little spot I have to just chill and think without worry of anybody disturbing me. Though I do have to find a new one every time we relocate the camp." He said.
"It moves?"
"You'll see, but we can get to that later, let's just sit and talk for now." Arcenciel said.
I sat down on the hillside and he laid down next to me, the night sky full of stars above us.
"You know, you were a big help yesterday, saving those kids was not easy, even if one has done it before." Arcenciel said.
"You've done that before?" I asked.
"Yes, but only once, Houzer was there as well." Arcenciel explained.
"You two seem close." I noted.
"He was the one to form our team you know."
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes. It was after Maxie had finished training. Houzer, Maxie, and I, the three of us had already been hanging around each other for a while, but Houzer was the first one to say we should form an official team, the ones who took on the most important missions, I was just amazed Raven approved. If I had a say in the matter, I would have made him leader, but you know how people are about trusting the youngest as leader, they just thought I should be leader. I know we're five years apart, and Maxie is only a year older than he is, but he always knows what to do, admittedly, I find myself thinking he should leader at times."
"Wait, wait, wait, how old are you?" I asked.
"Twenty-three." He said.
"Really?" I asked.
"I get that a lot, trust me."
"Alright, you can keep going then." I said, bringing us back on topic.
"Oh if I were to continue I believe we would be here far too long, but why don't you tell me about yourself, where you are from, things like that." He asked.
"I thought I told you, I can't remember a thing." I said.
"Nice try Hydra, but I know when someone's lying. I won't go telling the others, you can trust me to keep a secret, I just feel like it would be better for me to know." He said.
"Hydra?" I asked.
"Your new name, I have to call you something, and I believe your semblance would suffice, now are you going to talk or am I going to have to tell Raven your dirty little secret? Something to which she will most likely respond to with a less than kind punishment."
"Alright, alright! I'm telling you this in trust though, alright?"
"My lips are sealed." Arcenciel promised.
"Okay. Where should I begin from then?"
"Early childhood should suffice." He answered.
I proceeded to recall the events of my life, starting from my father's abandonment, followed by my mother's struggle while the uncle I was named after tried his best to help before getting recalled to Atlas, then the awakening of my semblance, to my mother's proceeded to push me away, resulting in my roaming the countryside for years. Without using their names, I told him about Cinder and what came after, all the way up to Neo's betrayal.
"Sounds rough, but love can be that way sometimes. Virgil and I, we argued more times than I can remember, we would always make up, but then one day we just stopped arguing altogether. Things just tend to work out I suppose." Arcenciel said.
"Wait, who's Virgil?" I asked.
"I think you've met him, tall dark and handsome, dresses like an islander. The guy with the blue headband." Arcenciel said.
"Oh that guy. Wait, you're-"
"I am literally a walking rainbow. Do you have a problem with that?" He asked.
"No, just wasn't expecting it" I awkwardly.
"Good, though it would not matter if you did, love is the most powerful thing in the world, something I am positive you shall find.
"Already did. Then she, y'know." I said.
"Can't stop thinking about her huh?" Arcenciel asked.
"Nope. I can't bring myself to forgive her yet, but I also can't bring myself to hate her. Part of me is mad, and part of me wants to know what I did wrong." I explained, it felt odd that I would get that personal with him, but I found this guy's presence oddly calming, like a therapist that I'd known for years.
"Ah, then perhaps all you need is time to get over her. There are plenty of fish in the sea, and I do believe some already have their eyes in you. Gossip gets to me rather quickly you know, and the competition around the camp is not too intense, if you know what I mean."
"They don't know me." I said.
"One of those guys huh? Just like Virgil, I respect that." Arcenciel said, getting up, "Everybody is probably wondering what is taking us so long, and I wouldn't want Virgil to get any ideas, best we head back right about now."
He extended his hand to me and I took it, letting him help me up and beginning our walk back to the campsite.
"Y'know, I think I could get used to this." I said, walking while talking.
"So it's a bandit's life for you?" He asked.
"Yeah, but I was also talking about, y'know, the whole team thing."
"Heh, glad to have you aboard, Hydra. I will make sure to inform the others. We will need to take you to see a tailor though, one of Vasta's hobbies, so you shouldn't have to worry about that." He said.
It was strange. I felt a strange feeling of security with this man. Guess he just reminded me of my uncle, strong and caring. I could get used to hanging around him, the others might take a bit, but this man, his presence was calming, warming. He was a like a rose on a summers day, only he smelled like lemon drops and spoke like an old man, an old man who cared and understood all the struggles and frustrations a person could have.
This was what I had been looking for, my safe haven. I may not have gotten Neo, but at the very least, I knew where I belonged. Right here with my new friends. I was home. I was finally home...