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[A/N: If you think Madara should be more like his old personality and not have begun crying due to hormones, I have an explanation. Hear me out: I felt like it would be cuter to have an angry little fox girl but still have some semblance of Madara. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk, I’m glad you agree.]

 

Character Communication Key:

“Speaking.”

‘Thoughts.’

Flashback

Time Stuff

POV

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Third POV

 

During one morning breakfast, Qrow finally asked, “So, what are your plans for the future? I know you’re mature enough to think of that. Despite your looks.”

 

Madara pouted with frightening efficiency, as odd as that seems. Her weeks at the household made her practice with her facial muscles, leaving her formerly stoic face behind. “What’s a good occupation that relies on saving people? ...And I’ll grow.”

 

“How about becoming a huntress?”

 

Madara had heard Qrow and the rest mention hunters, whenever Qrow visited and the rest would crowd him for stories. She assumed it was like a shinobi due to taking missions for money; however, it seemed as if it had more responsibility as of now.

 

Tilting her head, she asked, “What does a huntress do?”

 

“Well, they investigate and take out certain threats based on missions and cities. They also defend settlements depending on levels of security and threat levels of surrounding threats.”

 

“Threats? Like Grimm?”

 

Elaborating, Qrow explained, “Threats also include bandits, criminals, etc. However, Grimm often get investigated more, due to their odd nature. Being more durable than the average person allows them to reach anywhere on remnant and different types have different behaviors, like packs of beowulf or solitary deathstalkers.”

 

Comparing shinobi and hunters, Madara could connect many points. However, she noticed the mention, or lack thereof, for investigating enemies from, say, other kingdoms.

 

“So like society defenders?”

 

“Mhm, basically.”

 

‘ ‘Heroes of old’ huh? This is as close as I’ll get to my wish.’

 

Madara looked up from her blueberry pancakes covered in whip cream and sliced strawberries, and stated with full seriousness and bits of cream around her tiny mouth, ”I’ll become a huntress... after I finish my pancakes.”

 

Chuckling, Qrow decided to prep her early and bring her along with Ruby and Yang for training. “Pfft, alright kid, meet me after breakfast in the yard and show me how you’ve been taught.”

 

Madara waited until he left earshot, “...I’ll beat you up for those comments. Meanie.”

 

One Breakfast Later… Okay, Maybe Two

 

Qrow stood off in the clearing, resting his hands on his scythe’s handle and his chin on his hands. Madara exited the cabin, wiping her mouth with a red and black handkerchief she had taken to recently. She had changed from her onesie pajamas, into a black skirt and a red sweater with the sleeves rolled up.

 

Stretching one arm over another arm, Madara’s atmosphere suddenly changed, “Let’s have a nice match, Qrow. Or rather, I meant ‘Let’s Dance’.” Her tiny arms crossed over one another. And her eyes spiraled into three tomoe.

 

The air turned cold and heavy, Qrow’s skin tingled. Instincts running wild, Qrow’s eyes widened. ‘W-what the hell? Eye related powers? I should ask her later.’ 

 

The forest lost its comforting sound, scurrying animals escaping the vicinity.

 

The forest never was silent.

 

Qrow felt this atmosphere before, going against veteran huntsmen and huntresses as well as experienced killers. 

 

Slowly, Madara paced around Qrow, while he dropped his weapon on the grass to match the itty bitty fox. ‘My body is weaker but also smaller. I’ll have to use speed as well as my legs to deal actual worthwhile shots or aim for weak points.’

 

Suddenly, Madara managed to flicker in front of Qrow without any prior warning except her odd feeling aura gathering under her feet. 

 

‘Someone this young shouldn’t have this much aura. At least I think it’s some type of aura.’

 

Keeping up her momentum, her leg shot up in a kick, forcing Qrow to raise his arms in a weirdly angled block.

 

Despite her weak arms and slightly slower attacks, Qrow was getting thrashed purely through technique and leg work. Putting his arms up to block a straight right punch only for said attack to change direction with her twisting her waist and crouching to smack the pressure point under his left arm. ‘Shit.’ was the only thought on his mind currently. Without aura, his arms and legs would have long been left useless.

 

Out of nowhere, Qrow noticed an evil glint in Madara’s eyes. Her legs whipped up, spinning and hooking, but the flow was unpredictable. The one common trait among them was that they all aimed for the head.

 

He began using his aura to empower his legs, jumping back while blocking the relentless curving strikes and swift, snapping kicks. 

 

Again, Madara used her body flicker to position herself behind him as he jumped back. Using his momentum, she grabbed his feet and spun him around, straight into a nearby tree. She slowly walked a few feet away to allow him to gather himself.

 

She was sure he was feeling the heat, and maybe he’d finally get serious.

 

Bringing himself back up, he gladly obliged, “Okay, let’s dance.” Holding his arms at the ready, he dashed forwards as Madara mentally noted how aura blocked forms of incoming damage. ‘I wonder if aura can block something non-harmful or from inside one’s own body.’

 

Forming a deceptive plan within a single second’s moment, she noted Qrow’s twitching leg muscles as he brought himself to a stop and prepared a heavy “punch.”

 

Madara didn’t even flinch as the punch was cut short instantly as a leg shot up towards her in a roundhouse, albeit somewhat held back.

 

Dipping under the leg, she smoothly grabbed Qrow’s ankle from the back and kicked out his supporting leg. However, Qrow managed to hold himself up with his hands and pulled his feet upwards, easily twisting himself free and flipped backwards.

 

Qrow noted her tendencies, ‘Grabbing, huh? Her body isn’t that strong so against her it should be somewhat effective.’

 

In the face of his planning, Madara managed to see through it with his subtle hand and arm movements, as if he was preparing to grab. A miniscule smirk made its way onto her face as her plan’s foundation was smoothly placed down for her to test her ideas on aura. ‘So does it block harm and hurt or just harm?’

 

Punching forwards with her left, she “failed” her attack as Qrow smoothly avoided the punch and retaliated.

 

Managing to grab her outstretched punching arm, he pulled her forward and was in the process of landing a hook with his free hand, only for Madara to pull as well, turning legs forwards and head back. Pulling up over his hook, she placed her right foot next to his right arm’s socket on his chest and twisted to extend her free left foot onto his face in a makeshift back straight kick. Despite his aura keeping him safe from outside harm, she swiftly jerked his arm from his chest twice in odd directions, leaving it limp and dislocated from the intricately pulled joint and socket. 

 

“WHAT?!”

 

All that Qrow could think was, ‘It’s as if she can see my movements before I begin them. She can even perform moves with precision and speed.’

 

Suddenly, having an epiphany, he realized his legs were left out of his plan: unused, relaxed, and out of sight for her ruby eyes that were glaring back at him like the Grimm he faced. 

 

Ignoring his limp arm, he raised his knee up to the midair faunus, finally landing a well placed blow as she spun counterclockwise with the kick to avoid too much damage. Qrow grinned and locked his arm back into place.

 

Madara, on the other hand, was ridiculing herself. ‘Tch. Have I let myself become careless after my failure? My instinct is worse.’ Landing on the ground knees first, her emotionless face finally gained a slimmer of what seemed like disappointment. 

 

While her mind held heavy resistances to pushing past pain, her current body held no such experience towards harm. Her new body was left at the same level as Ruby, who was two years younger than her, and pain was reintroduced as a new concept.

 

Placing her hands on her knees, she raised herself up, yet she would find that to be a bad idea. She grabbed her lower back, kneeled, and gritted her teeth.

 

“Damn it, I think I’ve got some heavy bruises.”

 

Resting his arms, Qrow was baffled. “Kid, I know that was a good hit, but I held back for a kid like you. How are you that harmed with aura? It should have just been some pain.”

 

“Aura? You never asked if I unlocked it.” Madara was confused, didn’t she need to earn her right to aura through a trial by fire? ‘Besides, I need time and exercise for my chakra to temper my new body and physical energy to balance out with my spiritual.’ Taking a break, she sat down and heaved in and out.

 

“...WHAT? YOU DID THAT WITHOUT AURA?” The thought that she could appear within an instant and use an auralike energy made him clear away any possibility of a lack thereof. ‘How’d they teach the little monster in that Uchiha clan of hers? What even was that energy?’

 

“It’s just some technique? Besides, I’m pretty rusty.” Madara tilted her head from left to right, not comprehending the full impact of aura on the world. 

 

While it was odd, yes, in which it was a spiritual energy that protected from attack, it was by no means significant. It held no use for ninjutsu and could not retaliate like genjutsu. It was like degraded chakra, though chakra could not naturally protect someone. Her fox ears flopped from one side to another with confusion riddling her face.

 

Qrow looked up, placed both his hands on his face, and deeply sighed. “Alright, grapple genius. We’re unlocking your aura today.”

 

“Cool.”

 

Twitching at the nonchalant comment, Qrow walked over and placed his hands on her back. “Hey kid, what are your strongest traits? What do you want to accomplish?”

 

Thinking about her past life’s journey and how heavily she sacrificed for her plans for peace, she stated, ”I’m peace desiring at all costs with strength to back it up,” but a hopeful part of her desire to change continued, ”But I wish to be different. To save those I deem worthy and can.” A small, unnoticeable smirk crept onto Qrow’s face. 

 

‘How nice. Determination to become a hero despite seeing the darker parts of the world.’

 

[A/N: I’m assuming(Or if I’m wrong, I’m deciding) that traits determine how someone’s aura unlocking ritual is conducted.]

 

Suddenly, Qrow began, ”For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee. For it is in resolve that we disprove impossibility. Through this, we become beacons of hope to protect those under our umbrella. Breaking through limits and pasts becoming insignificant. I release your soul, and by my love guide thee.”

 

The forest’s sound began coming back, a squirrel even appearing on the branch above the girl. A black, deathly colored and wispy aura surrounded Madara, yet felt comforting. Whispers and hopes of the regretful dead could be heard emanating from the winds rising out of the aura. 

 

Despite the eerie color, Qrow could instinctively feel the warmth and hidden love from the Uchiha’s aura. Placing a hand between her ears, on her head as the appendages twitched, Qrow ruffled her hair. “How… caring. You have just barely the average for your age, but it’s warm and dense.” 

 

Dense like armor, hardened enough to bear the weight of darker secrets, but holding up to protect all, that was her aura. It may not be a large part of her soul currently, evident from the aura pool she held, but she’d change into a guardian, through and through.

 

For once in a long time, Madara felt at peace. ‘I’d love a semblance like this.’

 

She looked up at the Qrow, unknowingly taking the brightest smile she had ever taken in her new life, and replied, “Of course my aura is caring and warm, I have my new family.” Qrow’s breath stopped for a bit. His emotions were flooded with accomplishment and love, while his mind slowly became similar to that of an overprotective father. He walked back inside, patting Madara as she followed.

 

Under her breath, she continued with a soft smile, “And by the gods, I’ll make sure my family isn’t taken from me ever again.”

 

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[A/N: Another chapter done! I have a lot of inspiration but it only means I’ll lose it later on :( But I’ll try my best! Also, does anyone know where the cover page is from so I can credit them?]

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