Patterns [RWBY X DEMON SLAYER]

Now what?

Despite all the odds Bell found himself in front of 'it'. His gravestone. It had taken months but he had convinced himself to come. To visit 'his' grave. The landmark was placed in the back of a house the man had build by hand, only using materials he harvested from the land. Bell had fond memories of the place, it was where he had grown up after all. The text printed on the headstone was as clear as day.

"Inosuke Hashibira."

A soft wind whispered through the clearing, the forest completely silent save for the waving of the trees. Curiously, an assortment of flowers rested at the base of the stone block. The fact this grave existed at all was somewhat of a mystery. Bell had never seen anyone save for Inosuke while growing up. Every once in the while there would be the straggler or two who managed to stumble across this humble abode. But they were out of their hair within the hour.

"He spoke fondly of you." Bell whirled around to face the voice, beside him was an old man. His almost yellow blonde hair was tied up in a bun. He wore a sort of jacket, it was yellow with white triangles littering it in a generous pattern. The wrinkles on his face showed his age.

"Inosuke was one to keep to himself, but you should've heard his praises when we talked. He went on and on about your potential, learning The Tenth Fang at only eleven. Surpassing his expectations time and time again, by the end he told me you had finally learned Total Concentration Breathing Constant at the age of twelve."

"How did he sneak up on me?"

In his arms he held flowers, purple in color. The man leaned down to place them "Oh Inosuke...we were close, bothers in arms you might say. The three of us together and nobody could stand in our way. You should've seen us!" his voice rose in excitement as he continued.

His voice suddenly dropped "Oh Tanjiro, why did you have to leave us so early?" the man's word's gained a more somber tone. "Now it seems I'm the only one left who remembers."

"Who...who are you? What do you know about my master?" Bell finally decided to speak his mind. "Me? I'm just an old man passing through." he smiled at the boy.

_

Bell did nothing but train over the next year. Day after day, night after night, he cleaved through Grimm and practiced his forms. This is how Bell found himself sitting on a stump, sharpening his swords with the whetstone Qrow had gifted him not too long after meeting him.

" 'Eh? Why do I need some rock? I can cut stuff just fine with my swords!' "

" 'Suit yourself.' "

Bell remembered it like yesterday, his blades bouncing off the spine of a Ursa and having to practically beat the thing to death. The boy had demanded an entire toolbox to take care of his weapons after the incident. It had become a daily part of his routine, cleaning and sharpening the blades.

"Hello young man." a man stepped out from the shadows.

"Here we go again."

"What do you want geezer? Come to replace your lost pawn?" Bell gave him a snarky response. Ozpin stepped in front of the teen completely revealing himself.

"Why do you always come all the way out here to ask? I don't need a team to find Qrow." Bell continued to sharpen the swords, not giving the man a fraction of his attention. "I know someone who can find him."

Bell snorted "Sure you do."

"His sister, her semblance can get you to him. It can teleport you to be exact." Bell's smirk vanished after his statement. "Why tell me now? Why wait this long!" the teen jumped to his feet, meeting the headmaster eye to eye.