The Bird and the Garden

Chapter 19: Mistral

And we are back. In the previous chapter, Y/N and company arrived in Mistral. Currently, Raven is suspicious that Salem's minions have entered the city, and now Qrow and Ozpin are wary.

Y/N is currently spending time with Neo, and has no idea of what is happening. What could happen next? Will he be ambushed? Will he have a chance to explore his hometown? Only this chapter will tell.

Enjoy.

Neo followed Y/N as he wandered down the streets, his eyes reflecting a deep and personal sadness he held deep within his heart. As they walked down the street, he stopped at a park. It wasn't very big; it was just a small area with grass and a few trees. He began walking into the park, Neo following behind.

The flowers had died from the cold Autumn air that seemed to always engulf Mistral. Their petals had changed from oranges and reds to an ugly shade of black and grey. The leaves crunched under their feet as they walked, and Y/N was beginning to remember much happier times. His eyes panned across the field, tears beginning to well up as the memories came back...

"No fair, you cheated!"

Y/N's knees began to tremble.

"Bitch, this is tag! Tag is war!"

A lump formed in his throat. Neo looked up at him in silent shock as he cried in front of her.

All the memories he had made in Mistral; they were gone. It was something he could never have back, no matter how much he wished for it. All the misadventures he had with Nora and Ren and VAO would never come back. It was all gone, and he could only remember.

He never wanted this. He never wanted things to go the way they did. And despite the weak feeling that he could collapse at any given moment, he began to walk again through the small park, Neo following close behind.

The memories only replayed in his mind, seemingly taunting him, reminding him that he will never have what he had in the Mistral days of his childhood. He finally stopped at an old tree; a cherry blossom tree. The petals lay scattered across the ground, the tree barren and skeletal. But on the black bark was a very crude carving of four stick figures. Years ago, he and VAO had made it...

A younger VAO tapped the end of his stolen pocket knife with a small stone, his single eye narrowed in concentration. He turned around at the sound of footsteps, and broke into a smile. Y/N was approaching.

"VAO, what are you doing?" He asked curiously.

"Working."

"On what?"

"I'm carving Nora, Ren, you, and myself into this tree. Y'know, so we can all remember it one day." He turned back to his work, tapping the end of his knife with the rock again. Y/N leaned over his brother's shoulder, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Why didn't you just spell our initials? It probably would have been easier," he said after a long time. VAO turned back to him.

"Dude, I'm only thirteen. I can't read," he answered. Y/N nodded, before processing what VAO had just said.

"Wait, what do you mean, 'I can't read'?"

VAO shrugged. "I don't listen to the teacher. Ms. Malloy is kind of a bitch. She needs some dick in her life."

Y/N's face twisted in disgust. "Inappropriate! She's in her eighties, VAO!" He shouted. The small Branwen shrugged and turned back to the tree.

"All the more reason for that nasty hag to kick the bucket already. I'll learn to read at some point. But I won't go as far as you, reading all those big books," he muttered. Y/N arched an eyebrow. "The books I read aren't that big," he said in confusion. VAO turned around, seemingly annoyed his work was being interrupted again.