Despairing Red

" Sil... a... Wa... p... Silva... Ake... up... Silva, wake up."

I, Silva Branwen, heard Vernal call for me, but I just wanted to stay in bed. She shook me awake, and I just buried my head under my pillow and wrapped my sheets around me. Vernal persistently tried to wake me, and I gave in and groggily got up, then rubbed my eyes. I saw Vernal looking at me with a mischievous smile, and I felt confused at sight, so I asked.

" Why are you looking at me like that, Vernal?"

Vernal giggled and told me.

" Silva, I feel flattered you find me attractive, but you're like a little brother to me."

Okay, I am now more confused, and Vernal giggled at my confusion, then gestured with her eyes to my stomach. I looked down and saw what got Vernal in such a mood. I have a boner... I HAVE A FREAKING BONER, AND VERNAL WAS SLEEPING WITH ME LAST NIGHT! I felt my face heat up and wished I had stayed in bed. Vernal erupted in a fury of giggles at my expense.

My face felt more heated, and I got angry at Vernal for laughing at me. I warned her feeling my anger get the better of me.

" Not. A. Word. Vernal."

But unfortunately, my voice also cracked at my threat which made Vernal's giggles into full-blown laughter, and I covered my mouth with my paws. My h*ll, known as puberty, has started. Raven walked into my tent and demanded, oh joy.

" What's so funny?!"

Vernal continued to laugh and pointed at me. Raven looked confused at Vernal's reaction and looked at me with narrowed eyes. Raven's gaze landed on my hardened member, and I quickly turned away to hide it. Raven then walked in front of me and placed her hands on my shoulders, and said calmly.

" Now, son, what you are experiencing is a perfectly normal and natural part of your life, so don't be freaked out by any other changes you may experience."

I would have felt a little bit assured if the corners of Raven's lips weren't twitching from trying to keep a straight face. I could see the amusement in her eyes, and I felt my blood rush to my head as I shouted at Raven and Vernal.

" OUT!"

And my voice cracked again, renewing Vernal's laughter, and Raven smiled in amusement as she picked up Vernal and took her out. But before Raven exited my tent, she then asked me.

" Do I need to explain where babies come from?"

" Scr*w you!"

Raven huffed in amusement at my outrage; putting aside my past life, being raised in a bandit camp introduced all the worldly vices at a young age. Gambling, drinking, and s*x plus everything else in between, so even if I didn't know from memories of my past life, I probably been told when I didn't understand at the time. I sighed as Raven finally left with Vernal in tow and said to myself.

" I hate my life."

***

A month quickly went by after I got my first hit of puberty, and I "thoroughly" explained to Raven and Vernal that I knew what I was going through; they did not give me the "talk." Thank the gods I did not have to go through that conversation again. Once was more than enough; thank you very much. Hormones are a b*tch to go through again; I paid a lot more attention to Raven and Vernal's womanly assets than I did before. Raven's little bit of cleavage revealed through her kimono top after sparring caused her sweat to slide into it...

F*cking hormones. I beat my head against the supporting pillar of my tent to clear and focus my head. I sighed depressingly at the next couple of years of my life, but on the bright side, I am more likely to unlock my semblance in my current state. I went to burn my excess energy through training at my usual spot near the camp. I started with Flash Steps; the hard part so far is to get a feel for the flow and compression of my Aura to get the right amount of distance with each Flash Step.

I have been crashing a lot less often, but I can't use it in a fight just yet because when I first used it against Raven, I went too far to swing my weapon at her or too close to do anything but try and tackle her. Also, through my training with Flash Steps, I figured out how to create shockwaves with my Aura as Lie Ren did in his first fight scene. I soon exhausted my Aura and started training with my double-ended glave.

With each swing, I felt myself become more focused. With each thrust, I felt my mind sharpen. I then imagined a foe before me. Using my memories and imagination, I used Kurosaki Ichigo before he went to the Soul Society to save Rukia as a template to face. He's stronger and faster than me, without Flash Steps, of course, and I clashed against my imagined foe. He swung his massive sword with reckless abandon, and I dodged by a hair's breadth.

I nicked his torso with my glave and deflected his counter strike with his sword. My glave's other end cuts deeply into his shoulder, and he socked me with his fist. I staggered back, and my imagined foe quickly slashed at me; I blocked his attack but was forced to my knee, and as he pressed down with his sword, the imagined weight behind his strike reminded me that I was still too weak to face to future foes.

Tyrian, Hazel, Cinder, Adam, Mercury, and of course, Salem. I felt my drive to become stronger burn in my chest, and I focused. I slid the massive sword against my glave and struck at my imagined foe's leg, then twirled my glave and thrust at his chest. I relaxed after facing my imagined opponent, and sweat rolled down my body. After resting for a few minutes, I got up and went to the nearby creek to clean off my sweat and grime as I scooped the water out of the stream and poured it over my head to cool down.

I wondered what I should do in the future aside from going to Atlas to advance my limited technical skills and attending Beacon Academy. I thought about sneaking into Haven and getting the Relic of Knowledge beforehand and asking Jinn all the ways to defeat Salem to have at least a few backup plans. It could work; I could probably convince Vernal to help me open the vault and make some contacts in Mistral's Underworld to disarm the surveillance system around Haven.

I could also try to reason with the suicidal Queen of Grimm by pointing out how likely the Brother Gods would just wipe out Remnant if she summonsed them and left her to rot in a dead world for eternity without even Grimm to keep her company. Through Salem's Grimm-like appearance is probably not for show, as the Grimm's destructive impulses influence her to seek out death and annihilation. Although I am more than content to have Remnant develop alternative energy sources that allow space travel since Dust loses its power after leaving the atmosphere and leave the Brothers waiting forever.

Nothing I can do right now but train and survive until some things are set in motion. As my thoughts wandered, a pair of hands covered my eyes, and I felt something soft against my back. I then heard an all too familiar voice ask.

" Guess who?"

As I felt my blood flow to my second head and I cursed.

" D*mn it, Vernal! Why do you enjoy teasing me like this?!"

Since my first sign of puberty, Vernal has found enjoyment in teasing me with peeks of her assets and casual touches. Vernal just giggled in response and eased back. I sighed and looked at her, feeling my tired body wanted to rest. Vernal was smiling at me as she enjoyed my reactions. I really need to build up an immunity to her current antics soon, or I am just going to get mentally exhausted sooner than I would like. I then asked the Spring Maiden.

" Why are you here Vernal?"

" Just checking on my favorite snow leopard faunus."

I rolled my eyes at her cheerful response, then sighed. Well, this is my life right now, but I wouldn't trade it for anything, though puberty can not go by quick enough.