The Bird and the Garden

Chapter 18: A Long Journey

And here we are, the Adult Arc. This is the final arc in the brothers' story. It has been quite a long journey, and I hope you all enjoy this arc. I'm not saying it will be fast; it will be a long arc.

As I said in the last chapter, VAO's life with Salem will no longer be told. He will only make appearances when encountered by Y/N and company or when it is necessary for the plot.

The only side of the story that's being told from this point on is Y/N or the people he has grouped with.

Please enjoy the chapter.

Y/N breathed hard as Oscar stood in front of him, The Long Memory held in his hand. Eight years had passed. Y/N was twenty-five now. Eight years since his training began. It had been miserable; the exercise routine he followed had been a nightmare. But he had made it. And now, it was his last spar with Oscar.

"Mr. Rose," the ancient soul said in a dark, serious tone, "you have made it to the end. This will be your final battle against me. But this time, I will not pull my punches. I'm going to give it everything I have. Your goal is to deplete my Aura, before I deplete yours. Should you fail; I will leave you and never return. You will have to fulfill your quest alone. I cannot tolerate weakness now. Do you understand?"

Y/N swallowed, the lump in his throat growing. He was nervous. This was it. This was his final exam. He took a deep breath, and he gave a very hesitant nod. Oscar looked down at his cane, before facing the Rose once more. The forest green eyes of the former farmhand stared up at him, filled with worry. This was no longer Ozpin speaking through him; it was his true self.

"Y-Y/N... Ozpin... h-he's serious about leaving. P-please, make sure you are prepared," he nearly begged. The katana-wielder gripped the handle of his weapon firmly in his hands, a sign that he was ready. Oscar only nodded sadly, before Ozpin regained control. "Very well. Do not disappoint me, Mr. Rose."

Oscar zipped forward at blinding speeds. Y/N could feel the wind coming off him, and he attempted to dodge. But Oscar had anticipated this. The Long Memory lashed out and struck Y/N in the side, digging into his skin and chipping away at his Aura. He hissed in pain as he backflipped away, dodging another strike. He needed to weigh out his options.

Compared to Oscar, Y/N's Aura was halved. The farmhand's own Aura was combined with Ozpin's, giving him a major advantage. But the Rose had magic; and even then, it only improved his chances only slightly. Ozpin had an unknown amount of knowledge of magic, and could possibly deflect any of Y/N's attacks with ease.

Oscar seemed to rely on speed and pressure points, able to pinpoint and strike Y/N's weak spots. He had to be careful. He himself used speed; it worked well with his katana, but he wasn't as great with pressure points. He relied on slashing, rather than quick strikes. This proved a problem. In the time frame Y/N swings his weapon, Oscar could easily strike him twice, or even thrice.

Y/N's thoughts were interrupted when Oscar charged in again, his cane zipping towards his face. The Rose blocked it, and Oscar smirked. A sudden pain struck Y/N's leg, and he nearly collapsed. A pressure point had been struck, and the katana-wielder's leg throbbed and ached. But he pushed past this, and leapt away using his uninjured leg, gaining distance between him and the farmhand. Oscar wasted no time, darting forward. Y/N was at a serious disadvantage; he was unable to move his leg whilst he was healing, and had no other choice. Summoning his energy, a blinding flash brightened the entire room. He could hear Oscar's surprised cry, and slashed forward.

Oscar had been expecting an attack from behind; that was usually how vision-obscuring attacks worked. He spun his body around, holding his cane in front of him. But instead, he felt something strike his back, followed by a sharp pain. He yelped, before flipping away. He readied The Long Memory, eyeing Y/N carefully.