The Bird and the Garden

Chapter 20: The Relic of Knowledge

We left off last chapter at a turn. Whether it was expected or not is up to whatever you guys were thinking. It was a turn, nonetheless.

VAO has the Relic of Knowledge, and Raven's status is unknown. What will become of Y/N and his allies?

Again, this chapter is about Y/N and his allies. VAO will have little to no physical appearance in the present time, except for a small segment at the end.

Y/N woke up at four in the morning. He didn't have an alarm set or anything, it was simply a habit he had learned during his training. Sitting up with a grunt, he rubbed his hand across his face. He felt like shit. He swung his legs over the bed and stood up, his knees and spine popping as he made his way towards the bathroom. Roman and Neo were asleep in their own beds, undisturbed by the shuffling of his feet.

He stopped in front of the sink and stared at his reflection. He looked almost as bad as he felt; his hair was greasy and pointed in seemingly every direction in a serious case of bedhead. Stubble dotted his chin, and his eyes had bags under them. Reaching down, he grabbed his razor and a can of shaving cream. After a quick shave, he brushed his teeth and splashed cold water on his face.

A few minutes later, he left the bathroom and exited the room, stepping into the hallway. The air was chilled, and he shivered as he walked downstairs. The tavern section of the bar was mostly empty and inactive; it was early, after all. There was only three people at the bar, a man in a hood laywith his head in his arms fast asleep, and Yang. The third, was the bartender. Y/N moved forward, taking a seat next to his sister. But before he could engage in conversation, the bartender approached. "Your order?" He grunted.

"Coffee. No cream, no sugar," Y/N answered. The bartender nodded and turned around. The Rose looked over to Yang, who was looking at her hands. "Hey," he greeted. The blonde looked at him with surprise. It seemed her mind was elsewhere.

"Oh... hi, Y/N."

The bartender came back with a cup of coffee in his hand, sliding the glass to the Rose. Y/N took a sip, his eyebrows furrowing from the bitter taste. "So what are you doing up so early?" Y/N asked his sister, setting the mug back down. His coffee was too hot.

"Just... thinking, is all..." Yang answered distantly, looking back at her hands. Y/N nodded. "Thinking about what?" He asked.

"Just... things..." she mumbled half-heartedly. Y/N chuckled.

"Well, I'm a master of 'things'. So tell me what's up," he joked. Yang smiled softly.

"Well... I was thinking about the future. I was wondering what we'll do after we finish our mission," she confessed. Y/N paused, giving her a smile of his own. He patted her on the shoulder.

"Let's not think too far ahead. We still have a long way to go. The best we can do is prepare for what comes next," he said wisely. Yang's smile grew, and the siblings stared at each other. Deep down, Yang felt something she still couldn't quite remember. She felt the bond she used to have with Y/N; she had no memories of his as a person, but she remembered the bond they held. She leaned forward, and she wrapped her arms around her brother, who returned the gesture.

"Thanks, Y/N."

The Rose smiled. "Hey, if you ever need someone, I'm here, Sis." Y/N reached for his coffee and took a sip, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

Suddenly a gunshot broke the silence, and Yang screamed. At first Y/N didn't feel anything. But when he looked down at his arm, the entire limb was encased in a thick layer of ice. He screamed in agony, flailing his free arm wildly in the air. The bartender stood with a handgun, his finger resting on the trigger.