The Bird and the Garden

Chapter 17: Bonds

And we're back. This chapter takes place in no arc, but rather in between. It is simply a summary of how the years had gone while the brothers were training. So it may be a bit shorter than other chapters.

Y/N darted forward, only for Oscar to kick him straight in the back. He moved so fast, afterimages were left behind, and Y/N could barely fight him.

It had been four months since Ozpin began training him, and he had been using Oscar's body to do it. Beaten and bruised, Y/N stood to his feet, his legs wobbling as he staggered forward. Oscar sighed, and he spasmed again, as he seemed to regain control. The nine year old shook his head. "O-Ozpin wants to stop for now... you need to rest, Y/N. You can't fight when you're hurt like that," he said worriedly.

Y/N didn't argue. He had a healing Semblance, but it had its limit. He had already reached that limit. He nodded, before slumping to the floor. He was more sore than he had ever been in Beacon. When Qrow had told him it'd be hard, he didn't expect it to be like this. But he knew it was for the greater good. Oscar left the room, quickly coming back with a hot plate of food, fresh from the oven. He set it down, and Y/N devoured it hungrily. The nine year old sat with his legs crossed on the floor, rocking back and forth slightly.

"So... Ozpin wants to know if you've been practicing your magic at night?" He asked curiously. Y/N sighed as he set his fork down, meat still clinging to it.

"I've been trying, but I can't figure it out..." he whined. Oscar's gaze hardened to a much more strict expression. "Y/N, don't give up! Ozpin needs you," he exclaimed. The Rose nodded.

"I know. I haven't made any progress, but that doesn't mean I've given up," he replied. Oscar seemed to listen to something, before looking back up at him. "Ozpin says he'll help with your magic tomorrow," he confirmed. Y/N nodded, finishing his plate before rising to his feet. "Okay. Ugh, I'm beat, I'm going back to my room," he muttered. Oscar gave a wave as he picked up the dirty plate to take it to the sink, watching as his new friend left.

Y/N and the others were currently residing in an old fortress used in the Great War eighty years ago. With a bit of fixing, it became a great place to train. They didn't touch the exterior; they didn't want to risk Salem or her minions discovering their whereabouts. Y/N walked down the old hallways, before stopping at Ren's door. He stared at the steel frame, before knocking on the cold, hard surface. It had been a long time since he had visited his best friend.

The door creaked open, and Ren jumped at the sight of him. He took a deep breath and straightened out his shirt before looking back up. "Hello, Y/N. What do you need?" He questioned in his usual mannerly voice.

"Hey. I was wondering if we could hang out," Y/N asked. Ren nodded. "Yeah, come in," he invited. Y/N entered the room and admired how cleanly it was. Not a speck of dirt anywhere; the only thing possibly dirty here was the beaten dummy in the corner. Y/N and Ren took seats at a small table, the latter reaching down and picking up an old box.

Y/N's eyes widened as he read the title. Chess. He remembered all the times he and VAO played it together, and the happiness it brought. As Ren set the board up, he looked to the Rose with a smile on his face. "I know you like this game. So I bought it after the Vytal Festival Incident, in case we ever met again," he explained. Y/N felt a surge of happiness as he finished setting up the board, sorting out the pieces to each other.

The first few minutes were quiet, with both young adults brainstorming their strategies. Until Ren finally spoke. He sighed and looked up to his best friend, a worried expression worn on his face. "Y/N, are you doing alright?" He asked.

The Rose tilted his head in confusion. "Yeah... why?"

Ren hesitated, biting his lip. "It's just... you're a lot more quieter these days... so I thought maybe... maybe you wanted to talk?" A long silence formed, and Ren barely dared to breath. Y/N sighed, before moving his knight forward.