After encounting the child from yesterday, Blake and I brought the child him to our home.
Though, both mom and dad were horrified when they saw him. Half of his face was covered in bandages, and he was malnourished.
When we asked what happened to him, he told us he was a slave to the Schnee family, forced to work in the mines day by day.
No rest, no food, just raising a pickaxe and mining solid dust. Some days he was lucky to be given a piece of bread, other days, there would be an explosion and multiple Faunus would die.
Hearing this, mom took Blake away to not let her hear the rest of the story. While dad and I stayed to listen to the rest of the story.
And it was something I wish I could forget, but I had to hear the entire story.
Now, we had the child in one of the guest rooms. While my mother, grandfather, and I sat in my room, planning our next move.
"Is it possible to fix his face?" I asked my mother, but she shook her head.
"The skin is already damaged, we would need to remove the damaged area and regrow it." She said, but then sighed.
"But with the lack of resources and medical equipment, it will be difficult." I was now confused, wondering why we need medical equipment.
"I should be able to fix the skin and eye, why is it that I can't?" Both my mother and grandfather stared at each other, then returned their focus on me.
"Even we have limits, the damage to his skin and eye was inflicted long ago." Gramps said, sighing with remorse.
"We would need to remove the damaged skin, nerve, and tissue. As for the eye, it's possible to grow a new one, however, without the proper equipment…" Mother didn't need to say more, I knew what she wanted to say.
"Then we have to focus on improving the island. We already have the supplies to build better homes, and roads, but those aren't enough." I said and looked outside.
"There's no plumbing system, no electricity, and we have no political standing in this world." The three of us fell silent, wondering what we could do.
"Well, it's best to focus on plumbing." Said my grandfather. "We don't want the people to fall ill."
Once done, we brought this idea to him. However, he was more worried about something else.
"While I agree with your concern, I'm needed at an upcoming meeting with the leaders of the kingdoms." This caught our attention, and alarm bells were going off.
'Well that isn't concerning at all. The day we start improving our city, the leaders of the kingdom want to meet?' That's a recipe for a conspiracy.
'High chance that he'll be targeted by Atlas, more specifically, by Jaqcues.' Gramps said, and I nodded at his guess.
'Since dad and I have the same last name, he'll try to target dad because of what I did.' Well, I guess I could take one piece off the table.
But I decided against it.
If a man who was accused by some rumors started confessing that they were true, a few people will grow curious to why he was confessing.
And then it'll snowball downhill and cause multiple problems for the people. And that would be a head ach I would not like to have.
'Just protect him, I'd rather not be a person that controls the entire world from the shadows.' I said while leaving my room.
As I arrived at the front entrance, mom and Blake were there, saying their goodbyes to dad. Who was wearing a black suit and purple dress shirt, he even had a purple tie.
"Aiko, come say goodbye to your father." Mom said with a smile, and I soon stood in front of him. However, as we stood in front of one another, we stayed silent.
Staring at each other with respect.
Both him and I closed our eyes, and took a deep breath. Seeing what we were about to do, mom grabbed Blake and quickly left.
As soon as dad and I opened our eyes at one another, we threw a glare, releasing our blood lust at one another.
As to why we do this?
Because the one in front of him is a clone, trying to create its own bloodlust. After a few seconds, both the clone and my dad soon stopped
"Better, if I didn't notice the small fluctuations, I wouldn't have known it was a fake." He smiled and the clones head.
"Stay safe dad, and bring us some souvenirs." The clone said with a smile, fading away like a flame that is dying.
Dad only chuckled and shook his head. "Kids will be kids, no matter what." He said and soon left with a few guards following him.
Meanwhile, I was in the woods. Using a tree trunk as a chest press. Slowly lowering it and soon pushing it back up.
As to what I laid on? Nothing, I used my tails to hold myself up.
Did it hurt? Immensely.
Was I going to quit? No.
"Alright, that's enough for a warm up. Time to get to work." Gramps said, I tossed the trunk to the side, and stood up.
Catching a large wooden sword with both hands. However, I struggled to holed it upwards.
"Alright, one hundred thousand swings. If you drop it, we start over again." I could only sighe at his instructions, but I did so anyways.
POV GHIRA
After leaving my family and making my way to the docks, I've felt like I was being watched. Most likely by my son's family, which I am grateful for.
But I worry for his safety from all of the training he is going through. I don't mind that he traines, I've trained him and his sister.
But the training he is going through, it's something that even I would struggle with. Yet, his mother assured me that he will be okay.
My wife on the other hand, wanted to protest when she caught him training, she looked like she was about to break.
When she saw how Aiko was being trained, she wanted to rush at Sakura with a spear. in the end, both my wife and Sakura came to an agreement.
Aiko would only be allowed to train until noon, any later than that, and Khali wouldn't mind attacking her. Well, if she could figure out how to harm her.
TIME SKIP
After arriving in Vale, I was greeted at the sight of the councilors of the four kingdoms. Vale, Mistral, Vacuo, and the more… radical group, Atlas.
"Ghira Belladona, we thank you for taking the time to meet with us." Said one of the councilors of Vale.
"Of course, when I heard that all of the councils were meeting, I knew that it must have been for a good reason." I said with a kind smile.
Seeing me act calm and composed, I saw the councilors of Atlas shift uncomfortably. While the rest of the councilors stayed silent.
"We noticed that you have started to improve your city, improving the infrastructure to the multiple homes, that is a well thought plan." They said.
"We may be far from threats of Grimm, but the wrath of the sea and wind is something we need to prepare for." Hearing my reason, the couldn't deny my answer.
"True, your home is surrounded by a large body of water, and you may never know when a flood or a storm may pass." The rest of the councils began to murmur in agreement.
Atlas on the other hand didn't say anything, only staring at me with barely hidden disgust. "Then what about the ani- the people you are training? It looks like you are preparing for something."
Oh great, Atlas is trying to cause problems already. Sometimes I wish I could grab a large tree, and stick it right up their ass, but I must be better.
After all, I have no enemies. Only my family, and my people.
However, their question has caused the others to look at me with caution. "We are, but not the reason you may think." I said.
"In fact, it was my son's idea to have more of them train, such an intelligent young man." I chuckled.
"Your son? But that wouldn't make any sense, a child is too young to have that kind of thought." Another Atlas councilor said.
"And? The boy has the right idea." Said a Vacuo council member. "If you don't have the strength to defend, what good is it to live?"
"T-that still doesn't explains to why they are being trained!" Another Atlas councilor shouted, pushing their chair back from standing too quickly.
"Simple, we want to protect ourselves, we had made an agreement that Menagerie is a home to the Faunus, we only wish to protect it." I said with a calm look.
"Or to invade the mainland, you could be trying to plant spies in each kingdom, trying to find our weaknes, to make us turn on one another!" The Atlas council began to murmur in agreement.
"I can assure you that is not the case, as to why I say this? It is simple." The council then went silent, wanting to hear what I have to say.
"Menagerie was given to us, letting the Faunus live in peace from the discrimination, the attacks, and from the constant abuse." I stood up and began to pace back and fourth.
"Is it wrong for us to protect our home, to protect ourselves from the Grimm, from ourselves?" I asked, then I stopped to face them all.
"If all of you were in my place, experiencing the same attack, the abuse, and constant threats, would you train your fellow companions to protect yourselves from these threats?" Silence rang through the entire room, and no one could deny my words.
"Would you let your people die, starve, even suffer from the Grimm attacks?" I was greeted with silence once again.
None of them could say anything, nor could they make an argument. They knew about our situation, our lack of resources.
And with Atlas trying to cause problems, I had to say something. Once I did, they couldn't say anything, they had no room to deny my words.
In the end, I was allowed to leave. With my head held high, and putting Atlas in their place.
Yet, I didn't feel safe. In fact, I felt the gaze of an enemy. However, I didn't act, instead, I moved to a more quiet area, where the innocents would be far from the danger.
Once I did arrive to a quiet location, my ears flicked at the noise. Three, no ten pairs of footsteps.
"So, the leader of all the animals led us to a nice quiet spot. Makes it easier for us to skin you." Looking back, I saw multiple men and women in front of me.
Mercenaries, I'm not surprised. "If I were you, I would leave while I can." I said staring at them with pity.
"And why should we do that? We're getting a good amount of money to keep you quiet, after all, a noisy animal is a no good animal."
They all laughed, some drew knives, others drew axes, some even dew a sword. Yet, I didn't do anything, I didn't need to do anything.
"Don't kill them." Was all I said, they were confused at first looking around to see if someone was with me.
But when nothing happened, they laughed and soon rushed towards me. With their weapons raised to strike me.
————————————————————
I walked out of the alley that I stepped in, looking up at the sky. It was a beautiful day, but it didn't make me feel better on what had happened.
Behind me, all the mercenaries that tried to attack me, were unconscious. Some were imbedded in the ground, others had their limbs broken.
Yet, I walked away with guilt.
"Don't worry, we will heal them. And they will forget about the job, enjoy your time." A voice said to me, but their was no one behind me.
I could only sigh at this. My son is a smart boy, I only worry that his intelligence will lead him down a dark path.
I could only walk away, leaving behind the incident between humans and Faunus.
(A/N) Hey hey, here's today's chapter, sorry for posting so late, or early. But it's been a long time since I updated the story, and I fear that I may have gotten rusty.
But, that's on me, over all, I'm glad to be posting once again. As for my P.A.T.R.E.O.N
I have no idea what I'm doing, so don't expect any updates soon.
All in all, send in some power stones, and check out my other fic Sinners and Hollows.
Not as good as this, but hey. Send those power stones to shows support.
For now, peace.