THREE YEAR TIME SKIP GANJI POV
Menagerie has flourished over the past three years, with people now having better homes.
However, we had to make a few adjustments over the years. One of the adjustments was to create runways for the Faunus that could fly.
The reason for this was to allow the children to learn how to fly. Near the bottom was a large net to catch them.
The second adjustment we had to make was multiple water channels under the city, allowing the aquatic Faunus to travel through them.
This was more challenging to adjust, as we had to create a sewer system beneath the village. However, the solution to the problem was simple.
We created two waterway systems. One system was for the aquatic Faunus, allowing them to swim through the village, then to surface to sell any fish and plants.
While the second channel would be used as the sewer system, sending it to the other side of the island, away from the aquatic Faunus.
As for the guards, they were trained well. Once in a while, my grandfather and mother would occasionally pretend to act like criminals.
Testing their combat abilities and teamwork with each other. They even recruited more members, testing them to see what they could improve.
Yet, one of the recruits is... dangerous. I could see the rage and hatred in his eye and his movements. He acted like a beast, not caring what he was doing.
Some of the recruits even distanced themselves from him, causing them to fear him. Some even followed him, seeing him as a leader.
I didn't mention it to the kid or my daughter, this was something I had to do myself. While everyone was resting, they all went to their own groups.
With the bull brat surrounded by multiple Faunus, I knew I had to step in. "Bull brat, front and center!" I shouted, catching his attention, including the Faunus that surrounded him.
The kid then rushed forward, knowing what would happen if he took too long. "What do you need, sir?" He asked, and I nodded my head at the respect he gave.
"Walk with me, theirs something I want to talk about." I then spun around, not waiting for him to reply.
As the two of us walked, I led us through the village, where we could see many Faunus walking with baskets in their hands; some had smiles on their faces.
When I turned to look at the boy, he smiled as well, greeting the younger kids, the elderly, and others who were as old as him.
"You seem happy." I commented, observing him as I walked next to him. "Seeing all of this, do you feel safe?"
Hearing my question, he nodded his head with the same smile. "I do, I'm glad to have a home, surrounded by people I can call friends and family."
I kept silent, listening to him what he like about this place. But, he began ti talk about his time in Atlas.
The slavery, forced labor, even the exploitation he had to endure. He suffered through it all, though, when they branded him like an animal, he swore he would kill all humans.
That was what worried me the most, his rage would cause problems in the future. Creating a large rift if we left him alone.
I had to notify both the brat and my daughter about this, but for now, I had to keep the bull tame
"Kid, let me tell you a story from my time." I said and sat down on a large piece of a tree.
"During my time, I was like you." I said, recalling how I acted before becoming the head of the family.
"I was reckless, irresponsible, and was arrogant. Thinking I stood above both Faunus and humans." I chuckled as I recallled that day.
"How naivé I was to think that way." Adam was surprised, already knowing that I lost to a human.
"But you are strong, you showed us that." He looked like he was about to shout, but when he saw me give him a warning glance, he kept silent.
"Adam, I was young." I said to him, wanting to drill the words I would say into his very thic skull.
"I thought that with strength I could do as I pleased and not worry about consequences." My voice turned serious.
"I soon began to use violence when things didn't go my way, I got mad when someone didn't do as their told." I still remember the days when I destroyed a few tables.
Not my best moment.
"What opened my eyes was when I nearly killed someone." I could only scratch my head, remembering what I saw.
"My mother warned me that if I took a life, she would take my own. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." I then showed the moment where I nearly lost my life.
Both of us were still on a log, but our surrounding was now different. We sat in front of a large field, the clouds were dark, with the wind howling like a wolf's howl.
And in front of us was a younger version of me, my figure stood above a person, their face covered with bruises, and their blood dripping towards the ground.
"That day, the person told me that I was nothing, just a coward who bullied the weak." We continued to look at the illusion, the aftermath of my rage.
"And he was right, I bullied the weak, used my anger to harm the innocent. Mom even warned me a few times, trying to get me to walk on the righteous path again." Behind my younger self was my mother, her mask covering her face.
Soon, the sound of a string hummed though the air, and my limb was sent flying. I winced when I saw it, and I remembered the pain.
"That's what'll happen to you if you don't let go of that anger." I said to Adam, who's eyes were wide with shock and fear.
"B-but she's your mother, she can't do that!" Adam stood up, turning to look at me with anger.
"Kid, our family is strict when it comes to rules, you abide by them, you'll be fine." I then pointed to my younger self, who was holding the arm.
"Or you'll end up like that." I said, Adam looked at the past then present, seeing what will happen to him.
"But… what if I can't let it go?" His head was lowered, to the point I couldn't see his face, but I didn't need to.
I could see his veins growing, pulsing from the anger he held within. "Then we use your anger for something else."
He snapped his head in my direction, surprised on what I told him. Yet, I remained silent, letting the silence hang in the air.
"How, how can I use my hatred, tell me!" He said, grabbing my arms. I could see desperation growing within his eyes.
"Use it to protect the Faunus, or help free the Faunus." I said, giving him two options. "Ghira himself has a goal, having both humans and Faunus to coexist."
"Aiko himself wants to achieve the same goal, however, his methods will be different. He'll need help on 'convincing' some people to agree." Hearing my hint, Adam stood up and nodded.
"Who do I need to deal with?" I'll admit, manipulating the kid isn't that hard, though, I do feel pretty bad.
I'm exploiting a person who is unwell, extending an olive branch to help him. But he has his uses, and as long as he believes he's doing it for the Faunus, it's enough for him.
"You'll get your assignment soon, for now, keep training and prepare." Was all I said and dropped the illusion.
With our conversation ending, I stood up and walked back to where Aiko lived. Leaving Adam on the street to think about what I said.
POV AIKO
"Did you really have to say that?" I asked gramps, who was sitting on my bed with a serious look on my face.
"Yeah, I had to, the kids unstable. He's a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode." He explained, with annoyance growing on his face.
"Thanks for telling us, at least I won't feel guilty using him now." I said, while bench pressing twenty logs.
"Any words from Atlas?" I asked, breathing carefully when lowering and lifting the logs.
"Not much, just the usual chatter of the upper class flaunting their wealth." Mother said with a sigh.
"What about locating new mines?" I asked and placed the logs to the side, I then saw some documents held in front of me, and I could see multiple photos.
"A few were located in the north, near the base of the mountain. With multiple Faunus slaves inside." Looking through each photo, I could see that they were bruised and malnourished.
"How big is the mine?" I asked while making my way back home, but not before burning the documents in my hand.
"Not too big, barely even a few miles deep." My mother said, letting her body dissolve before reaching back home.
'Hower, the guards are pushing them to mine as fast as they can, and will most likely cause a cave in.' After finishing her report, I was left with two choices.
'Is the mine heavily guarded?' As I asked, I greeted the guards while making my way to the bathroom.
'No, it's not. The only people that are guarding it are mercenary huntsmen, no Atlas personnel.' That's exactly what I wanted to hear.
'How long until dinner?' I asked while I washing myself.
'Half an hour, think its enough time?' My grandpa asked, once stepping out of the shower, steam rose from my body.
"Yeah, it's enough." I then went to my room to change, dawning a red haori with black baggy pants, but before leaving, I grabbed a black fox mask.
"Set a member near the mine." I said before changing my body, growing taller and having my waste curve.
My white hair soon turned black, and my tails shrunk until there was nothing left. Once done changing, I had grabbed the weapon I was given.
It trembled for a few seconds before slowly changing, becoming narrow and increasing in length.
In my hand was no longer the metallic ball, only Ravens sword. I slashed the air in front of me, and a tear through space appeared.
"Time to get to work." I said and stepped through, as I stepped through the tear, I was met with the cold harsh winds of Atlas.
Once through, I reverted back to normal. Standing in what felt like a blizzard.
However, I wasn't bothered by it. Instead, I raised my arms and embraced it. Feeling the wind flow past me.
"It feels nice, like a summer breeze." I said out loud, once done feeling the cool air. I began to walk towards the mine.
"So, which weapon will it be today?" Asked my mother, who walked by my side to keep me company.
"The fool." The sword that was in my hand slowly dissolved, and the metallic liquid began to surround me.
Arms and legs began to extend, and the metal began to form a body. One that surrounded my entire body without making it uncomfortable.
Joints soon formed, and the limbs began to bend at impossible angles. And the head began to spin in circles, soon, I was controlling the fool.
"Oh, and by the way, your moms making her famous fish and chips, so you better hurry." I heard my mother teasing.
The second she mentioned fish and chips, I had the large puppet run. Leaving deep footprints on the ground, with a large boom at every step.
"Now I'm motivated!" I said with a smile, rushing to the mine as fast as I could.
(A/N) Hey everyone, sorry for the late update. Right now, I have a huge problem on my hand, first off, there's a flood near my home and I'm worried that it may reach where I live.
So I'm going to be more focused on my home and make sure everything I have is safe. And for the second thing, I'll try to have my patron up and running.