All belongs to Monty Oum may he rest in peace, or be resurrected by some benevolent being, and Roosterteeth.
First fic i've published in a while...I'd like to think it shows in good ways, but eh that's up to you decide. Read, possibly review, eh do what you like.
The night was young, yet the stars were old. Old and dead… lifeless despite the deceptive light they offered.
Salem liked the stars in spite of, or perhaps her knowing the truth they held. That the light the mortals craved and believed in so fervently, was nothing in the end compared to the everlasting darkness that would consume them. The stars made her laugh. There were not many things that could accomplish this feat, though the girl she'd recently taken under her wing had proved surprisingly adept at it, though it was entirely by accident. Salem twisted the shadows around her as she gazed up at the sky, taking in the energy the shadows held, energy stolen from the humans of the nearby settlement.
The energy was bitter with the tears, sadness, hate, and grief that madeup the townsfolk by and large, and to her it could not have been a sweeter thing to experience. The town was ripe for harvesting, it would not take long now before she could begin to spawn more of her children from their tears and sorrows, from their petty rivalries and selfish desires. Another falls to me dear Ozpin.
She smiled in anticipation of the feast to come.
The smile faded as an annoyingly bright light neared to her, she could sense it approaching from the forest's edge. It was a feeble light, like that of an old man though it felt young in its essence, yet still she could taste the rot in the air, the beginnings of decay. Most interesting. Salem thought, and held her ground as the light's source drew closer until suddenly a figure burst through from the brush. Twigs and thorny vines decorated the...human she decided, though it was hard to tell even for her given the figure's disheveled appearance.
"Ohh man, I am so freaking lost." The figure moaned, pawing at itself with small grubby hands, pulling at the leaves and vines that covered itself.
Salem saw pale blonde hair, and bright blue eyes that shone under the dead light of the sky, though she could see it was a similarly empty light lit those sapphire eyes. A light that flickered even as she watched, though the boy himself showed little sign of it. This one is dying. She thought, I wonder if it knows.
No matter she decided, and began drawing the darkness close. She decided she would do this little one a favor and end it's torment before it could even fully realize the true tragedy of it's pitiful existence… just as soon as it gave her the sweet song of it's terror. Salem drew close, gazing contemptuously down at the young child who still hadn't noticed her presence yet, as he gazed off in the opposite direction towards the broken moon.
Abruptly the child turned, and gawked up at the strange ethereal figure before him clad in what looked to be pure darkness, eyes growing wide as he gazed into the face of evil. "Wow," the child murmured, awe clear in his voice "you're pretty."
Salem froze. Of all the things she'd expected to hear. Screaming, pathetic whimpers, or even just for the child to wet itself she had not thought to hear that. "Excuse me?" She intoned, voice disbelieving. The child flushed slightly, but continued to hold her gaze unafraid, "Y-you're pretty." He said again, more shyly this time, but no less sincere in his tone.
Salem thought a moment about his statement. She had heard mortals proclaiming the beauty of others, of themselves, even of the lands that had been created for them, never had she heard the words spoken of herself however. Oh so occasionally when a mortal had come across her, she had heard the words 'Monster' and 'Abomination' thrown about, though never had she cared much for them.
But this flickering light before her, this… child who had more reason to fear her than most, he saw her as beautiful?
Perhaps he is faking. She reasoned. This could be a trick of Ozpin's to confound me, while his hunters attempt to ambush me. To test this, Salem drew on the darkness, feeding on the pain and petty hatreds that saturated the land about her, heightening her senses to the max, and causing her eyes to glow with a hellish dark light.
In this state she could sense every life for miles about her, regardless of how well they cloaked themselves, or even if they possessed a semblance to shield their emotions from her, she could hear better than any bat, see in the darkness more than any cat could dream of… She could feel the vibrations of every heartbeat around… including that of the boy before her. It was a fast, but steady heartbeat. Calm, yet inordinately weak like so many of his kind were, though she could see the weakness was due in large part to a creeping illness, a defect in the very genes that gave him life which would soon steal it away, had already begun to steal it away as evidenced by the deathly pallor of his skin nearly as light as her own, and the unhealthy manner of how his flesh clung to his bones as though he hadn't eaten in weeks though she could smell the animal fats and plant matter being broken down in his stomach.
Yet as the child stared up at her, eyes going even wider as the power of darkness infused her, he could not have looked more alive… what a joke.
"Whoa, that's so cool!" The child gushed staring up into the dark goddess' eyes unflinchingly, a goofy grin spreading across his lips. "I have neighbor who can do that! Well had, she moved, but she could totally make her eyes go all red and glowy like that… especially when someone messed with her hair… like i did." the child flinched at the memory. Salem cocked her head to the side as she looked him over. There was no dishonesty, no bravado, no fear… the child honestly had no clue of the danger she posed, and more than that was actually enticed by her power, and by her form.
Ever so curious.
Salem sensed nothing about them, no hateful hearts, dark intentions, nor ones of light. It was just her and the boy here in this clearing, so she released the darkness, and frowned as she thought of what she might do with the boy. Strangely enough she didn't feel like killing him any longer, but she certainly didn't feel that letting him go was the answer either. So what was she to do with him?
First she decided to get some information from him. "How did you come to be in these woods boy?" She inquired. The child flushed and turned his head to the side, "I err… I got lost." he reluctantly admitted. "I decided to go on a little adventure, my sister Hazel said of how there was a grove… somewhere around here with really pretty orchids that only bloom at night and well I wanted to try and find them. For my mom i mean, not for me I err I don't like those things of course I…" The boy rambled on, and she caught herself gazing in amusement down at the young boy.
She knew of the flowers he spoke of, and likewise knew that he was about as far from them, as he could possibly be, given that they were far on the other side of the town, a fact she broke to him not unkindly. "Oh…" the boy deflated a bit, though his feelings were more of annoyance, than any real sadness that she could feed on. "Yeahh that happens to me a lot, I'm not good with directions."
Suddenly he looked up at her a slight frown upon his features, "Are you lost too miss?" he inquired innocently, and Oum help him but there was genuine concern in his voice. Salem contemplated the question for a while before deciding on how to answer, "I suppose one could say that, yes I am indeed lost young one."
A laughably determined look came to his young features and he reached up to take her hand in his. "Then come with me." He said, his tone surprisingly firm. "I can help you find your way, and if not then my mom or dad could, I'm sure." he assured her. And she could have laughed at the audacity of the situation, but she didn't, merely allowing an amused smirk to cross her expression.
She was truly quite entertained by this young boy, and felt reluctant to let the moment she was sharing with him end.
Salem took the boy's hand in both of her's as a plan began to form in her mind. "Very well then," she smiled beatifically and he smiled happily back, "but first why don't we find our way to that grove you were searching for?" He frowned and seemed a little uncertain, so she decided to take a page from Ozpin's book, "After all," she murmured, "you were searching for flowers for your mother correct, why not bring back both a beautiful queen, and rare flowers for your mother like a true hero would?" That got him hooked, she saw the moment his predictable male pride flared to life, and he nodded eagerly.
"Very well then, let's get going." hand in hand, the dark queen and the young aspiring hero walked off into the night.
They walked some ways, and she noted how before long his confident stride began to slow, and his breathing grew uneven. It took her a moment to realize that he was growing tired. She contemplated taking a rest with the lad, but knew the longer she kept him from his family, the greater the risk of discovery and she couldn't have that.
It was with some trepidation that she cautiously began to channel some of her energy into the boy, not much only the tiniest trickle of dark power, but it was enough that his pace quickened considerably and he no longer strained to draw in air, though she sensed the inward decay had increased its pace ever so slightly.
Truly odd how the human body responds to to power. She noted rather contemptuously. Truly imperfect beings, unable to handle even the tiniest slithers of power, yet craving it all the same. They disgusted her.
This one though...She could feel the warmth of his fleeting light, see the promise it held and how he tried to live up to that promise in spite of his failing body. It was a false light same as the stars that lit their path, warm, short-lived yet enticing and seductive in its power to sooth the chaos of reality and she could almost understand why Ozpin had left her side to pursue it… almost.
Before long with her power fueling the boy, they found their way to the meadow where the flowers blossomed in relatively short order, carefully clearing the path ahead of them of any and all obstacles with her power over the darkness, far ahead of the boy's line of site naturally. The child's breath caught in his throat as he gazed upon the meadow and its flowers. They were tall thick petaled orchids of a bright white dappled in red appearing like a field of snow spattered in blood. Salem could definitely see the appeal.
That wasn't what caught the boy's eye though, no. What held his attention was the bright, glowing pollen that hovered over the flowers, shimmering in the night air. To him it looked as if someone had brought all the stars down from the sky and placed them right in front of him where he could touch them if he wanted to.
They stood there enthralled by the sight. They might have stayed there too, were it not for the distant call of a concerned female voice. "Jaune, Jauunne where are you!" the voice called, and the boy whipped his head around to stare off towards the town. "That's my sister." he chirped happily. "She must have come looking for me."
The boy seemed overjoyed at the fact, Salem however was anything but. She could not afford discovery, and knew that while the boy may not have seen her as a threat, the rest of his family surely would and undoubtedly would alert hunters of her presence, who in turn would alert Ozpin, and that just would not do at all. Luckily however she could sense the girl was a ways off yet, and not quite heading in the correct direction, so they had time yet.
"Quickly boy," she murmured pushing him onward, "gather the flowers for your mother, I will keep watch for your sister." The boy she now knew as Jaune nodded and sprinted forward, happily going about his task. While she did indeed intend to keep a watch for any unwanted visitors such as the boy's sister, more than anything she just wanted a moment to herself to contemplate what precisely she would do about the boy. She should have killed him, would have if not for his bizarre statement, and rare determination she felt in him, the strength of will that had pushed him into these woods, yet kept fear from overtaking him… or was it foolhardiness? Truly it was ever so difficult to tell the difference at times.
Whatever it was that drove the lad, she got the sense that he had the makings of one of those 'Heroes' Ozpin loved so much, and so commonly used in their game. Salem despised heroes… but he was not truly one just yet, and could yet be swayed, she could… use him make him over into an asset of her own devising, make him into her own dark champion.
But only if the illness doesn't claim him first.
Salem contemplated the matter carefully, gazing down at the dark veins in her wrists and pondering the power held within them. She could spawn any grimm she so desired had she the energy for it, and more often than not they held the answer for issues that troubled her. Not this time however, she knew right off the top of her head that none of them were capable of producing a satisfactory answer for her.
So on the spot she decided to take another page from Ozpin's book and began to create one that could.
Jaune returned with an armful of flowers and nodded to her eagerly. "Okay, let's go I can't wait to show these to my mom, she'll be so happy." he sniffed at the flowers contentedly and sighed with appreciation.
Salem smiled down at the lad, and ruffled his hair gently. "Very well, but let us rest for a moment if you please?" She nodded to a nearby log, "the journey was… tiring, and i must take a bit to catch my breath." Jaune frowned but nodded, obediently following her over to the fallen tree. She wasn't actually tired of course, but she did need time to grow the new organism that festered within her, time to adapt it and figure out precisely what it was she intended for it to do.
They sat there together for a while, and it was only when Jaune began kicking his feet impatiently that she realized that she should probably provide some smalltalk to quell the youth's eager energy. "So, tell me Jaune what exactly do you dream of for your future?" Jaune looked at her quizzically, and she figured his brain probably was not developed enough to quite understand what she meant. "What...do you wish to be when you grow up?" She elaborated carefully.
Jaune smiled toothily, "I wanna be a knight who saves people, defeats bad guys, and rescues pretty princesses like you." He blushed at the last bit, but he was firm in his resolve she could see that, his words were not empty like so many others of his kind that she had met over the years. "That is very noble of you, Jaune." She complimented, "Quite… archetypal." He nodded happily, though she could tell he didn't quite grasp the words she'd used nor the subtext in her tone.
"That being said… there are many people and kinds of people out there, not to mention differing variations of 'bad' and you are but one boy." She ran a hand down his cheek ever so gently, "One sweet, simple boy with a good if failing heart." Jaune frowned, "So?" he asked petulance filling his tone, "it works for X-ray and Vav… more or less." Salem did not know who this...x-ray and vav were, but assumed them to be some kind of classical heroes the kind of which Ozpin loved to use to fill the minds of his champions with courage and inspiration.
Salem smiled kindly, "Of course… but not everything is as… easy as it sounds in stories I'm afraid, sometimes it takes more than just courage to see a champion through on his path. It takes knowledge, power and more importantly control. Control over yourself, and of others if need be, and trust me my dear boy… there is nothing harder in the world than perfecting control over yourself."
Jaune looked up at her curiously, "Do you have control over yourself?" Salem paused to think on that, though the answer was readily apparent to her, still it was good to question one's self every now and then, if only to keep one on their toes. "Yes, yes I believe so." she finally answered. And he nodded thoughtfully to himself.
Suddenly he frowned and peered down at her hands which now rested in her lap. "Are you okay miss?" he asked innocently, "I didn't notice it before but those dark line things are kind of weird, a bit like when my sister got bit by a snake." He looked up at her eyes full of concern.
Salem's smile widened at the ridiculousness of the situation, and she felt a bit like laughing. She restrained herself though, if nothing more than for the boy's pride's sake, though she was also worried how far the sound might travel, for the boy's sister was drawing uncomfortably close.
"I am fine Jaune," she assured him, "I am simply… different from you." In so many ways. It was a simplistic explanation, but it seemed to satisfy the wouldbe-hero. Salem could feel the girl nearing, it would not be long now before she arrived at the meadow herself. Luckily however the being she was creating was also close to completion, merely a few moments more and it would be ready.
"Tell me boy- Jaune." she corrected herself quickly, seeing the slight agitation in his young features at being called 'boy'. Such fragile egos these creatures have. "Have you been ill of late?" she inquired as delicately as she could manage. Jaune froze for a second before shaking his head. Salem frowned, now that just would not do.
Salem took his chin in her hand and turned his gaze up to meet hers. "Do not lie to me young one," she murmured, "I am well versed in… the ways of medicine, and can see that there is something not together right with the way you hold yourself, and I am thinking I may be able to help, but only if you are honest with me Jaune." She narrowed her gaze, "If you are not, you may not be capable of becoming a great knight, such is the way of some illnesses."
"I-... I've been sick." Jaune admitted reluctantly, cowed by her glowing crimson gaze, as well he should be. "My chest hurts a lot, and I've been feeling dizzy a lot, I-... throw up a bunch when i get dizzy." he flushed at the admission, obviously not proud of this acknowledgment. Salem stroked his fine blonde hair soothingly, "It's okay dear boy," she whispered soothingly, "even the mightiest of warriors can be felled by illness, I'd venture to say even the mighty X-Ray and fierce Vav would find illness such as yours… harrowing to say the least."
Harrowing was certainly one way to describe an illness that turned the cells of one's own heart against him. "Yeah," Jaune nodded, "my mom's been getting really worried lately, so have my sisters… they did bring a healer to see me but I couldn't understand what he said much but my mom was really sad, i think my dad was too. I hear them crying sometimes and I'm pretty sure it's because of me." Jaune sniffled slightly as tears began to burn at the corners of his eyes. Salem could taste the pain these admissions were bringing him thick in the air… she wanted more, but restrained herself, it would not do to slay her pawn, before he could even begin his way to becoming her knight.
"Well, I am no ordinary healer my boy." She smiled reassuringly at him. "Trust me, I will think of something for you."
A twig snapped underfoot, and again they heard the call of the girl as she yelled out Jaune's name terribly close now, though too late to prevent what was to happen. Jaune turned and got up, ready to greet his sibling, but Salem took a tight hold of his hand preventing him from going to her.
"No Jaune, I must tell you something." The urgency in her tone got through to him, and he turned a quizzical but attentive expression upon his features.
She took his hand in both of hers. "Regrettably we must part ways now, I cannot follow you into the town young one," she murmured, "I am as I stated before different from those who dwell within your town, and they would not accept me I'm afraid." The boy frowned deeply and looked as though he wanted to protest, before he slumped slightly, "Yeah I suppose you're right," he murmured disheartened, "We had a...Funhouse family here for a while but… well the mayor really didn't like them for some reason, neither did a lot of others, I dunno why though, i mean yeah they looked a little different but not a whole lot, they seemed nice and funhouses are normally good things right?"
Salem took a moment to mentally translate 'funhouse' into 'faunus.' and nodded, "Indeed, it is saddening but… funhouses are rarely truly appreciated for the gifts they have, particularly in small towns like the one you dwell in."
Salem fixed him with her gaze and asked, "Would you like a gift, child?"
"Like the faunus, it would not be a well...appreciated gift if people were to know of it particularly of it's origin, but it would help you to become a great and… fierce warrior like your X-ray and Vav, and it would rid you of your current illness, indeed I think it would rid you of all illnesses, you would never again have to be forced to regurgitate your lunches, nor be forced into bed because of a measly cold." Jaune's big blue eyes went wide at such a prospect and he nodded eagerly.
Salem smiled, "Okay then… close your eyes Jaune, and… do your best not to scream for me child, okay?"
Jaune only had a moment to ponder what she meant by that when one alabaster hand closed over his mouth while the other clamped down on the flesh just over his heart, and agonizing pain filled his world as Salem tore into him.
Hazel Arc cursed her little brother and his easily swayed brain for the dozenth time that day as she waded through the brush, twigs and leaves filling her long strawberry-blonde hair and filling her with yet more annoyance.
It wasn't the first time she had been forced to trudge through filth and brambles to recover her wayward brother unfortunately, but it was one of the few times wherein her brother being lost could technically be labeled as her fault. She'd known it was a bad idea to reveal the meadow with the special flowers the moment it left her mouth and she saw his big shining eyes go wide with excitement at the prospect of such an unusual find.
Her adorkable little brother was an avid collector of unusual things, and quite the lover of pretty flowers cutely enough, though hardly a surprise given the sheer number of females in his life. So she really should have expected that he would sneak away in the dead of night to try and find that special spot.
She could only hope that he actually did find it. She noted worriedly as she made her way through the dense forest. There weren't any Grimm around, but there were plenty of other hazards one had to look out for in the forest… and Jaune was hardly the most observant member of the family.
Oh Oum please let my little brother be there and safe! She prayed.
Hazel thought she saw a dark figure ahead, and hurried to step in closer to get a better look, only to burst out swearing as her foot sank into a muddy pit of what she could only hope was water, and she struggled to rest her booted foot free.
Damned idiot brother! Hazel snarled as she struggled forward. Jaune should know better than to do shit like this by now, especially in his condition! Hazel herself wasn't altogether sure just what her brother's condition was, other than that it was bad, and it had her parents very worried to say the least… she'd even caught her father crying silently to himself one night, while nursing a glass of liquor.
That sight more than anything else had driven home the fact that her brother was seriously ill, and probably… but no, she couldn't think like that, there was always hope.
Though there won't be any if mom finds out I lost him in the middle of these fucking woods and it's all my fault! Hazel kicked out at a nearby branch, and fought to keep herself from passing out when the 'branch' hissed and slithered off into the distance. I did not see that, it was a trick of the shadows, there are no such thing as snakes, all is good with the world. She mentally chanted to herself, and renewed her struggle to get through the remaining bit of forest between herself and the meadow with triple her usual vigor, and if she let out a few yelps and girlish shrieks in the process, well she was in a hurry and tired, and most definitely not thinking of every branch and twig she came across as scaled serpents in disguise that scared the crap out of her, nope certainly not.
When Hazel finally broke through the treeline and found herself in the little field full of bioluminescent pollen, it was with a tremendous sigh of relief as she set eyes on her brother resting peacefully his back to a log, an armful of carefully plucked and slightly glowing orchids under one arm.
Ohh thank Oum! She sighed and stumbled her way across to him.
It was only when she drew close to him that noticed… his eyes were wide open staring sightlessly, and his chest didn't look like it was moving. Hazel's breath caught in her throat, and her heart skipped a beat as she stared down at the worryingly pale form of her brother. No, no no NO! Hazel sprang to her brother's side, cradling him in her arms. He was deathly cold to the touch.
"No, No Jaune, please no!" Hazel sobbed as she clutched the body of her little brother to herself, and was startled when he suddenly came alive in her arms, coughing and pushing at his elder sibling. "H-hazel get off you're gonna crush my flowers!" he whined, and never had Hazel been so glad to hear her brother's nasal-heavy voice, she clutched him to herself despite his protests and feeble struggles for a moment longer before releasing him. "Good gods, Jaune don't you ever do that to me again!" she half-laughed, half threatened, wiping grateful tears from her gaze.
"Do what?!" Jaune griped as found his way unsteadily to his feet, "owe, and where's the lady?" Jaune looked around expectantly. Hazel looked at her brother confusedly, "What lady, you were all alone when I found you, and since when did you figure out how to sleep with your eyes open I tried to learn that trick for months?!" she demanded, aggrieved.
Jaune just stared stupidly at her, "Wha? I-i I mean the dark lady, the one who showed me to this place, she was really pretty with white hair and red eyes." Hazel narrowed her eyes at her little brother suspiciously. "That sounds an awful lot like that girl who beat you up till you cried, you weren't having a wet dream about her or anything were you?!" Jaune's expression was blank, and Hazel sighed, "Nevermind, you're too young for that anyway, c'mon let's get you home."
Hazel tugged at her brother's shirt and froze as his meager chest came into view. "Holy fuck Jaune, what the hell happened!" she demanded, not even caring how she had just cussed in front of her little brother.
No, more immediate in her concern, was the terrible, ragged scar over her brother's heart. Hazel yanked him forward, and pulled his shirt down so violently that it tore a little in her haste to get a closer look at the wound.
She brushed at it, just make sure it wasn't some kind dirt or anything, but no it was a ragged flesh-wound unlike any she had seen before, that strangely enough looked as though it had been there for years, but she knew damned well had to have been a day old at most, given how difficult it was to get him to wear a shirt this time of the year.
It looked… like something had crawled into him, back out and then straight in again. "Hazel, stop!" Jaune demanded, pushing at her a bit, but she ignored him. "Jaune, do you feel anything at all when I press on this?" she asked as she prodded at the scarred flesh. "Yeah I feel finger, so stop please, I just wanna get home and take these flowers to mom!" Jaune tore himself free from his sister and stomped off towards the forest, annoyance evident in his heavy footfalls.
Hazel swore, and hurried after her impetuous sibling, deciding to ignore the odd mark on his chest since it didn't look to be hurting him, in favor of informing him of the cover-story she'd devised for the both of them, incase their absence was discovered before they could sneak back into the house, and just how important it was that it be made clear, that Hazel was completely innocent of any and all wrongdoing.
In the distance Salem watched as the two siblings departed, stroking the warm pulsating lump of flesh in her hands thoughtfully. It didn't look like much, but if the stories were to believed it was the core of every living thing, the home of emotion, courage, honor, of love and hope and indeed hatred and despair, the vessel of which everything that made a person, a person.
It was Jaune Arc's still beating heart.
Salem had torn many hearts from chests over the years, some while the owner still lived even… but none had ever continued to live after she'd done so, none until now of course.
Salem held the organ that Ozpin and his people held so much sentiment over, up to the starry night sky and tried to glimpse the light she had seen in it's owner just a few minutes previous.
All she saw was red.
No light of courage, no darkness, just red pulsing meat.
Typical Ozpin. She scoffed, and made to toss the organ to the side but… hesitated, before carefully binding the heart in shadows and placing it within her own empty chest.
It was only right she figured, for if he was to live on with a heart of her own creation dwelling within his chest… her own heart so to speak, then she should live with his beating in her's.
Grow quickly my little dark one., for we have much to accomplish together, much to do… and I simply can not wait to see the look on Ozpin's face when I unleash you upon him and his forces, my beautiful Grimm Knight!
And that was the result of... I dunno 3 or 4 hours of work, not counting the 3 or 5 hours I rested. Mmm... well anyway hope those of you who made it this far have enjoyed a Grimm Knight's Dream, it was... interesting writing from what I felt was something close to Salem's prospective. Eh not sure I got it anything close to what it actually is of course, but i like to imagine I was at least somewhat accurate. That said characterization has never been my strong suit. Anyhow, that is the extent of what i'm gonna write for this i'm pretty sure, but if anyone wants to see more done for it... well ehh I'll see what i can do, but i'd rather just foist it off on someone else to deal with, I got other stories to occupy myself with.