After dealing with the hidden mine and saving the Faunus, I had them follow a family member to a safe zone, where they could heal themselves from the abuse.
It was hard for me to see them like this, scars running across their bodies, while others had hollow eyes.
I could only sigh as I watched them follow the servant, walking through the storm. Once I lost sight of them, I opened a portal back home.
'Does it get easier?' I asked my mother. 'Seeing all the pain and suffering?'
'It does, but when you see it every day, you feel numb.' I took one last look at the frozen wasteland before stepping through.
Once crossing, I sat down and sighed, holding my head with one hand and closing my eyes.
As I invaded the mine, I saw human mercenaries forcing themselves on the women and children, and a few guards were Faunus as well.
I took a bit longer dealing with them, since seeing them as traitors made me act irrationally.
"I need to control myself, I can't let it happen again." I muttered to myself, and my mother soon appeared by my side and began to make tea.
"This is the third time that you acted like this. I must admit, it's… concerning." She said while boiling the water.
"Yeah, it is." I replied and turned my head to find Gramps standing above me. "I need a break."
"That you do, kiddo, and a long one." He said and soon sat next to me. "Let us deal with the problem, enjoy what you have before coming back."
Mother soon offered me a cup of tea, which I smiled in thanks and took a sip. Enjoying the warmth as it slid down my throat.
"How's Blake doing?" I asked while standing up and stretching my arms and tails.
"She's improving, with her choice of weapon and semblance, I think she'll be ready before leaving for Beacon." Gramps said, grabbing a cup for himself and downing it in one go.
"Speaking of training, have the other ancestors thought of teaching me yet?" I asked.
"Sorry, but they're still waiting for the right time." I only sighed. "Hey, the fact that I, your mother, and Kairai decided to teach you is something."
"But that's just it, I've mastered mother's, Kairai's, and your technique. Yet the other six still stay silent." Gramps only patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me.
"Look, just go spend some time with Blake, don't worry about the other six, they're just pissy that you didn't call them first." He laughed and slammed his palm on my back.
"Fine, just keep an eye on Adam, he may be smiling, but the mask is still in place." I said before leaving.
"Make sure to shower first!" My mother called out to me, reminding me to remove the scent of the mine.
As soon as I left, Gramps ' smile soon turned into a frown, and the silence began to feel heavy.
"How long are you going to say nothing?" Gramps asked, glancing at my mother, who kept silent.
Seeing that she remained silent, he could only scoff and disappear.
"He can never know, never." My mother whispered, her hand crushing the cup she held.
After showering and changing clothes, I made my way to the training ground to see how Blake was doing, and the results were surprising.
In front of me were a few statues of Blake with different elements. Some were made of stone, others were made of ice.
'Guess she's been training, good for her.' I thought while staring at a few statues.
As I kept observing the status, I heard the sound of sand shifting behind me. I spun around and raised my fist, only to strike the air.
Yet, behind me, I could feel the air shift. I felt something rushing towards my neck. Yet, I used my tails to grab the person behind me.
"I'll admit, you're getting better." I chuckled and moved the person in front of me. "But the wind gave you away, Blake."
Blake only huffed at my words and didn't struggle, she only narrowed her eyes and looked annoyed.
"Nothing gets past you." She huffed. Anyway, can you put me down?" She asked, and I obliged. Gently placing her on her feet.
"So, why are you here?" She asked, and I shrugged in response, pretending to look bored
"Just bored, mom is in the library reading her novels, while dad is in his office with all the papers." Hearing that I was bored, Blake could only sigh and place her head in her palm.
"And why should I entertain you?" I only smiled and rubbed her ears.
"Because I want to see how far you've gone, besides, you might win this time." I said with a grin.
"Fine, if it'll get you out of my hair sooner." The second she agreed, all of the status were destroyed by my tails.
It's as if they were never there in the first place. "Shall we change the scenery?" I asked.
The second I asked that, Blake widened her eyes in realization. "Aiko, don't you-!"
"Too late!" I grinned and jumped. Blake soon did the same, avoiding a sea of flames that flowed underneath us.
Some flames soon began to rise, forming trees and vines, while below us began to turn into water.
"Really, Aiko, a jungle?" Blake looked at me, unimpressed. "At least make it dark, so it can be easier for me."
"Fine, fine, if it makes you happy." I said with a smile, the day soon turned to night, leaving both of us in darkness.
However, the difference could be seen between the two of us. "So, should I give you a head start?" I asked.
"No thanks, but just to make sure, blindfold and earmuffs." I rolled my eyes but did as she asked.
Once both my sight and hearing were covered, Blake stepped back into the darkness.
Leaving me standing on a tree branch, and all I could do was wait for Blake to make the first move.
I soon began to use my tails to act as my eyes, extending them to feel my surroundings.
With my 'sight' restored, I began to jump around the jungle, using my tails to grab hold of the trees.
Once I landed on a random branch, I felt the air shift. As if something was flying towards me.
Reacting to the subtle shift, I raised my tails blocking the oncoming projectile. I expected a few dust bullets or one of her solid clones.
But instead, I felt small pebbles bounce off my fur. 'Trying to probe for weaknesses, smart Blake, smart.' I thought, but didn't give chase.
Instead, I stayed in place, waiting for her next move. During the next few minutes, everything was still, no shifts in the air, no change in weight.
However, that didn't last long, because something big was coming. I spun around and raised my arm to catch Blake, but what I touched wasn't skin, instead, it was stone.
I then felt her hand on my arm, while also feeling the subtle change in weight. Next thing I knew, Blake was tossing me down into the water.
Now, need I remind you, I'm forced to hold back. And the only way to do so was to use weights to hold me down.
The reason why I don't have them on is simple. One of my ancestors placed a sigil on me.
How it worked was simple: the more strength I used to strike, the weaker my attacks became. That was the reason why I didn't have my weights.
And now, I landed on the water below with a splash. When I reached the surface of the water, I had one of my tails grab onto a tree to pull me up.
"I really wish I could use magic." I muttered to myself while climbing up the tree. The next second, I heard muffled gunshots.
I reacted instantly by rolling to the side, sinking my fingers into the wood to pull myself away from the gunfire.
Is it cowardice of me to run away? To some, maybe. But I'm limiting myself to not harm her, after all, there are more ways to win this fight.
"Time to play by my rules." I whispered before vanishing before her eyes, leaving only a cold laughter.
"Great, I lost." Was all Blake said before hiding in the shadows herself. Preparing to face me head on.
————————————————————
I HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHAT TEAM? Pt 2
Currently, I'm falling through another portal. The same damn portal that brought me to this different earth.
The next second, I saw that same man again, dark skin, white hair, and a three-piece suit. He looked familiar, but for some reason, I couldn't recall where I saw him.
But that didn't matter, I soon flew out of the portal and saw that I was in the air again.
"Damnit!" I screamed while falling once again. I wrapped myself with my tails once again and waited for the impact.
However, I felt nothing.
"Hey, are you alright in there?" I heard a woman's voice, unfurling my tails a bit, and I saw a woman with blond hair.
Her eyes were a clear ocean blue, and she had a somewhat muscular figure. What made it weirder for me was what she wore.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, and soon realized how she was holding me. "Though I would appreciate it if you wouldn't grab my rear."
Hearing that her hand was on my ass, she became flustered for a second but composed herself and flew down to the ground.
"Sorry about that, I couldn't catch you properly since you were falling, and you were covering yourself with, whatever this is." She then placed me on my feet.
"I don't blame you. I was trained to have a landing strategy for whenever I'm falling." Hearing that I had a landing strategy for falling was enough for her to look at me with concern.
"That… doesn't sound ominous at all…" She said. "Anyways, I'm blond blazer, and you are?"
"Aiko, Aiko Belladonna." I offered my hand for a handshake, blond blazer took my hand and gave a firm shake.
"Nice to meet you, though. I'm concerned about what you mentioned earlier, it sounded like you're a soldier." Ah, right, I'm no longer in remnant.
"Well, I was taught that way in case I ever fell from a high place." Blonde blazers, eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Uh-huh, and where did you learn this, landing strategy?" Now I began to panic.
I couldn't just tell her about remnant or about beacon. She would think that I'm crazy and say I must've taken something.
So, the smart thing I did was put her under an illusion that I was in front of her, while I ran away.
By the time I was far enough, I sighed in relief. But my relief soon turned into worry. I was on earth with no money, no identification, no way to contact anyone, and no place to stay.
I could maybe do some street performances in order to get some spare change, or I could go to a casino and 'borrow' some money.
For now, I decided to roam the streets. Finding a good place with a decent amount of foot traffic to attract some attention.
'Mom, Gramps, you there?' I asked, while hiding my tails and ears, and changing my appearance to blend in with the crowd.
'We're here, brat, and we heard everything.' I sighed in relief, knowing that my folks have my back.
'Let's find a place that has a lot of people, we can make money that way.' As I walked, my shadow began to shift and ripple.
Multiple family members dispersed and began to scout the area, though it didn't take long.
Once they returned, I began to make my way towards the spot. But at the same time, they reported that a few people were looking for me.
People who were heroes, but acted more like a ragtag group of delinquents. I was curious as to why, so I sent the one who reported the news to follow them.
By the time I found a good spot, I dropped my illusion. At the same time, music began to flow through the air.
People stopped and began to look at where the source was, but their attention soon shifted towards a large puppet.
Seeing the large puppet that appeared out of nowhere, they were nervous. Some even tried to approach it, but before they could do anything, it moved.
The puppet twisted its body a few times, then it moved. Soon, standing in front of a mother and child.
They were surprised at first, but when the puppet held up a deck of cards, the mother was scared, seeing the large puppet in front of it.
But the child reached out and grabbed one, he was about to show it to the puppet. But it stopped the child with a finger.
Instead, the puppet then split the deck in half, holding it in front of the child, pointing at the card, then at the deck.
As the child placed it in the middle, the puppet began to shuffle the deck oddly. With one hand, the puppet flicked the cards in the air, letting them spin above everyone.
As soon as it got to a certain height, it stayed there, hovering above everyone. Seeing this, the child began to laugh.
Catching the attention of the other people, they then noticed the cards, stopping in place to see what was happening next.
The cards soon began to spin around, creating a small gust that caused the people to gasp and awe. Yet the cards soon stopped, forming what looked like a staircase.
When the people tried to see where it led, the sun blocked their view. But the sound of footsteps could be heard, with a shadowy figure stepping on the cards.
They began to murmur and whisper, pointing at me as I descended, all my tails were displayed, gently waving against the air.
"It's... like looking at a god." Said a woman, her eyes wide, and she knelt on her knees.
A few soon did the same, watching as I descended step by step. As I descended, I made sure to wear a white dress shirt with black pants, and a fox mask was on my face.
By the time I stood in front of the mother and child, I was holding a single card.
The card that the child drew at the beginning, I slowly flipped the card, showing an Ace of hearts. "Is this your card?"
The child gasped and soon nodded her head. "Yeah, that's my card, how did you do that!?" I raised my hand to my lips.
"Sorry, but that's a secret." I said and placed the card on the child's hand. I then made my way to the puppet, who knelt and put its hand under my foot.
The second I stepped on it, it launched me into the air. I flipped a few times, making the people gasp.
Some even thought I was going to hurt myself, but I extended my hands and landed on its head.
"Greetings to one and all, I'm the cunning kitsune, a magician that travels through the world, entertaining old and young!" I said, and soon stood on the puppet's shoulders.
"For now, that is all for today, good day, and goodnight!" I shouted and bowed, and soon my flames surrounded both me and the puppet.
The next second, the flames died, and both of us were no longer there. The people whooped and clapped at the show, and they saw a small hat on the ground that had a note saying, 'donations'.
A few people left a few pennies, some nickels, a few dimes, and some quarters. Some even donated some dollars.
Yet when someone tried to take the hat, the inside rim snapped shut. Causing the woman to scream in pain, she tried to smack the hat a few times, but it only clamped down tighter.
"Oho, so you thought you could try to steal from me?" I asked the woman, who now looked at me with anger.
"Do you know who I am?!" She screamed, trying to intimidate me; however, I only tilted my head to the side.
I turned around and soon leaned forward, my sudden movements caused her to take a step back.
"An overgrown idiot who can't take no for an answer, who constantly lies about having power, when clearly you have none." I then spun around and faced her.
"And go ahead, call the cops, I've got time to wait to hear what they have to say when they see this." I then held up a random person's phone, who was trying to shoplift, and showed her a video of her trying to steal the money.
The woman didn't say anything; instead, she pulled out her phone. "Hello, SDN, I have a suspicious individual who won't let me go, HELP!"
She then ended the call and looked at me smugly, as if she won a battle. I wasn't impressed with her display; instead, I only shook my head.
"Pathetic, calling a supe for help when you can't do anything, I'm quaking in my boots!" I said and pretended to shake in fear.
However, that didn't last long. I felt the temperature rise quickly and it was coming from my left.
I mearly raised my and stopped the oncoming flames, it was as if a wall was between the both of us and the flames.
"It's best if you run along, just leave the money." Was all I said while turning to look at the person who tried to burn me.
"What the fuck are you supposed to be, some kind of wizard furry?" Looking at the man who said that, I felt my brow twitch.
The man himself wore what looked a skin tight suit and a long v cut that exposed his chest and a part of his abs.
While his hair was a mix of brown and black, with a band holding most of it into a pony tail.
"Okay, first off, rude. Second, no, I'm a magician." I said and soon pulled out another deck of cards from my hand.
"Yeah, that doesn't really matter to me." Said the man. "I'm just gonna need… wait a minute, you're that kid Blond blazer mentioned."
Fuck.
"Wow, you really did me a favor, look, just come with me so that I can keep my position at the top of the leader board." He said and tried to grab me.
Instead, I extended all of my tails and pushed the civilians to the side, not wanting to get them caught in the fight.
"You'll need to catch me first." I said and lifted both my hands and got into a fighting stance.
He on the other hand, threw a large blast of fire towards me. The flames enveloped my body, and the people gasped at the sight.
"Oh, shit. I think I fucked up." He winced, but before he could do anything, a skeletal hand grabbed him by his chin, slowly lifting him up.
"That you did."
(A/N) Hey hey, sorry for the late update, I had a few fumes goin in my head, but now I'm thinking clearly, so no worries for now. Just send power stones to show support, and hope to see you guys in the next chapter. Peace!