"One two, here we go! Uno, don't ya know?"
If I end up regretting this, I swear I'm gonna murder you... So this is the first chapter of a collab with LunaTheBlackWolf that I decided to do that involves my RWBY OC, Diego Kapila, and her OC, Luna Greyback. Oh, and my other one, TD... however brief. He's the one speaking in this AN.
"You will hopefully enjoy our work!"
Emphasis on hopefully...
"Pardon me, good sirs."
The pair of White Fang soldiers turned around to inquire of who had spoken to them. They were on a secret mission given to them by their leader, and they did not wish to disappoint them. The figure who had spoken to them was a boy of eighteen, with brown hair, a bushy beard, and blue eyes that seemed to be full of mischief. He was wearing red shorts and a red shirt that had the initials "TD" on it. The boy grinned and spoke again.
"I'm looking for a friend of mine, a Faunus to be precise, and I was hoping that you could help me with that."
The guards glared at the boy.
"Get lost!" one of them threatened, pointing his gun at the boy. The boy didn't look at all afraid.
"Please," he stated and lifted his hand. Suddenly, both guards started choking as an invisible weight started to crush their throats. The boy smirked and held up a Scroll that showed the face of a girl on it.
"Now tell me, where would I find this person?" he asked darkly, "And in case you need a name... it's Luna Greyback."
The boy suddenly felt the tip of a cold blade pressing gently against his jugular.
"Put them down", said a familiar feminine voice. The boy could feel those glacier-like eyes glaring at the back of his head. Chuckling, the boy said, "I knew that'd bring you out somehow, Wolfie." He then lowered his hands and the guards fell to the ground. The boy looked them in the eyes and raised a hand in a side-to-side gesture.
"You will forget you ever saw me and leave us be," he said in a hypnotic voice,
The guards were silent, then replied, "We will forget ever seeing you, and leave you be." They then stood to their feet and walked away slowly, as if in a daze. As soon as they were gone, the boy sighed in relief.
"I almost thought I'd be forced to kill them for real," he said.
A distinctive click told the boy that the blade had been retracted back into the girl's weapon.
"And I almost thought I'd be forced to kill you for slaughtering my men", the voice replied. The boy turned to face whom the voice belonged.
Like he expected, the first thing he saw were those glowing ice-blue eyes glaring at him, one eye being covered by grey bangs that shone in the moonlight. Her black cloak covered her form, save for her large, fluffy tail. The girl gripped a black bow-staff at her side, the ice Dust embedded tips fogging slightly.
"Why are you here?" The she-wolf asked, displeasure heavy in her tone. "You're lucky it was me that found you and not Adam. He wouldn't have been as kind."
"And he wouldn't be alive either," the boy replied. "After all, I'm called the Terror of Dimensions for a reason. Or TD, if you'd prefer."
"Yeah, you're starting to terrorize my nerves," she retorted. She folded her arms, impatience clear in her stance. "And you didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"
TD gave her an expression of mock hurt.
"What? I can't just say hello to a friend? Last I checked, the closest we got to a friendly get-together was when you walloped my butt in the Chaotic Arena Rumble. Big thanks to you and your author for that, by the way."
"Not here!" Luna glanced around before grabbing the boy's arm. "This area isn't secure. You know a safe place we can talk?" She asked, pulling her hood over her head.
"Right this way," TD stated, leading her towards a nearby club. A bouncer at the door attempted to stop them, but another hand gesture from TD made him change his mind. Inside, TD brought Luna over to a table that was reasonably secluded from the rest of the place.
"I know the manager here," he said casually, "He won't dare to cross us. Because if he does... let's just say he'll be out business permanently."
"You sound like a comic-book villain," said the Faunus, removing her hood. "And I told you before, if you ever needed to contact me not to come to any of the bases I was stationed at! Adam is already suspicious of me, and I don't need you blowing my cover!"
"That was you?" TD asked in genuine confusion. "I thought that was a different Luna trying to get back at me for changing the night to day, and vice versa. My apologies."
Luna face-palmed, shaking her head. "By the Gods, do you pay attention to anything?"
"That's a good question to ask," TD replied. "So, the real reason I wanted to talk to you is because I wanted to see something for myself. But first, how good of a warrior would you say you are? On a scale of 'Noob' to 'None rival me?'"
"Please tell me you're joking," the Faunus rubbed her temples in irritation. "You risked blowing my cover for this?!"
TD's silence and unchanged expression was answer enough. Luna sighed.
"I'm not the best, but I'm not a pushover either. Maybe a 7 or 8. You happy now?"
"Very," TD stated, "Now, how would you like to visit another Remnant, different from your own? No one will notice that you're gone, and it may allow you to meet some new faces."
The young wolf raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What exactly do you mean by 'another Remnant'? This is the only one! And aside from that, what do you mean no one will notice I'm gone? That makes no sense! Sounds like you're talking about time travel or something!"
TD chuckled. "There's so much that you can't possibly fathom, Luna Greyback. Allow me to show you what I meant..."
Before she could protest further, TD shouted, "Alakazoo!" and she disappeared in a puff of smoke. All around him, the entire club stopped as if someone had hit pause on a video. TD smirked.
"THAT is what I meant."
Diego Kapila fired away at several targets set up in the forest he was rushing through. Even though he knew he wouldn't miss a single target, he wanted to do something that would distract him from the things on his mind. Besides, there was always a first time for everything, and it could possibly be missing his targets. Diego leaped over a stump as he approached the final target and aimed carefully. He squeezed the trigger... and then stopped himself just in time as a portal opened in front of him and dropped out a female figure in front of him.
Luna felt a snarl threatening to rip from her throat while she spit unwanted dirt out of her mouth.
How do I keep getting myself into these situations with that guys?!
As she rose off the ground, she saw movement in her peripheral vision, along with a glimmer from metal. Not taking chances, she drew Solstice as she spun to face this new opponent.
"Drop it, now!" She ordered, tail swaying behind her in a cautious manner.
The figure in question simply stared at her with a revolver pointed at her. But after a few seconds, he put it away and stepped closer. Now that she could see him better, Luna noticed his features distinctly. He looked around eighteen with blue eyes that held a sense of mischievousness, but also pain. A red and black cloak or cape was over his outfit, which seemed to be some kind of outfit a rouge would wear. The boy looked to her more fully, a concerned look on his face.
"Are you okay?" he asked, "I almost blasted a hole in your face. How'd you get here?"
Luma didn't lower her weapon, and kept her icy eyes trained on him for any possible signs of attack.
"Still trying to figure that out myself. Who are you? And in addition, just where are we?"
The boy smiled a bit and introduced himself. "Diego Kapila, the Dancing Rogue. This is one of my many hangout places, specifically just some ways outside of Haven. May I ask, who are you?"
Not feeling a threat from the boy, Luna lowered her gun and holstered it to the mag-plate on her right thigh. Still not tearing her watchful gaze from the newcomer, she walked up to him and offered her hand.
"Luna Greyback, operative of the White Fang. A pleasure." Now that she was closer, she noticed very small scales covering his eyes. She almost mistook the ones around them for freckles from afar. Another Faunus. Diego gave her a look.
"White Fang, huh?" He smirked. "And I thought Adam had gathered up the stragglers by now. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but... the White Fang and I aren't on good terms. Especially since they attacked both Beacon and Haven, and attempted to kill my friends. Twice."
The she-wolf narrowed her eyes. "Clearly, you didn't hear me. I'm with the White Fang, not those terrorists. Do you see a Grimm mask on me?"
Remembering her unfamiliar surroundings, the Faunus glanced around before looking at Diego once more.
"This area is secure, yes?" He nodded. "If you want specifics, I work undercover for the White Fang to find out possible ways we can take down the terrorist splinter group. And what do you mean they've attacked both Beacon and Haven? I've only recently heard about plans of them invading Vale." She asked, confusion written all over her face.
"What are you talking about?" Diego demanded, "They've already done the inva- wait a minute." He looked away from her for a second, then groaned and looked back to her.
"I thought that portal looked familiar. You wouldn't happen to know an all-powerful entity who goes by the name 'TD,' would you?"
"Yeah, he's an all-powerful pain in my ass. Wait," she paused. "How do you know him?"
Diego sighed. "I had a run in with him, when he dragged my world and several others into a fight for our very existence. The only good thing I got out of that was making new friends and the fact that he didn't do it willingly. I'm willing to bet that he has essentially dragged you out of your world and time, and into my own."
Luna groaned, rubbing her temples.
"That idiot...", she mumbled to herself. "Well then, do you mind filling me in on what's happened? If what you say is true, I must be much further ahead in time than my own world, if Haven was hit as well."
"Well, what can I tell you?" Diego thought aloud. "Let's see... Beacon has fallen, Pyrrha is dead, Blake is taking back the White Fang, Cinder is presumably dead, Ozpin is reincarnated into the body of a child, and Yang..." He stopped at Yang for a second. "My beautiful Goldilocks lost her arm to that monster, Adam. Her robotic arm may help, but the scars still remain."
The she-wolf held her hands up. "Okay, hang on. I only recognized three names. You're referring to Blake Belladonna, I presume? The deserter? I've seen her a few times in the past, but we've never interacted or spoken to one another. And, I'm sorry this Yang had the misfortune of crossing paths with Adam. As for Ozpin, what do you mean he's 'reincarnated?' That's impossible."
This was starting to become overwhelming for the silver wolf. She was unsure what to think of all of this new information.
Diego chuckled. "Why don't you come with me? The rest of the group could probably explain better. Besides, it's not as safe here as you'd think. I wouldn't be surprised if some Grimm are in the area."
"I'm not worried about Grimm. And how do I know I can trust you, or these friends of yours?" She asked, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
Diego looked to her and smiled. "You're a smart one, Miss Greyback. How about this? I could've held you at gunpoint back there, and hearing that you were with the White Fang, I could've attacked you if I desired. But if you want to be extra sure, just know that I am not the kind who will stab you in the back." He looked at the ground and finished. "I know how that feels all too well."
He seemed sincere, but she had run across many snakes in her life. And she wasn't gonna let another one lower her guard and get its coils around her. Still...
"You get ONE benefit of the doubt," she stated, holding up a single digit for emphasis. "But if I find out you're bullshitting me, I will show you a whole other level of Hell."
Diego raised a brow when her fists faintly emitted a black mist as she said this, only for the mist to disappear as quickly as it appeared.
"I get the picture," he stated, "Follow me, please."
Diego led the way through the forest, past several targets with holes in them, until they finally found themselves at the edge of the forest. They were standing on the edge of a cliff and below them was Haven.
"I'm only half Faunus, by the way," Diego said out of the blue, "My father was human, my mother a Copperhead Viper Faunus. Hard to tell for most, but it seems that other Faunus are the only ones that ever seem to notice my Faunus traits."
The she-wolf's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Really?" she asked in wonder. "Meeting new Faunus species was one pro to spying on that splinter group. Mammalians were the most common, followed shortly by Reptiles and Amphibians. After that were few Aquatics, and even fewer Avian types. But hybrids," she continued. "I've only had the privilege of meeting less than a dozen in my lifetime. Just standing in the vicinity of one is enough to give me hope. Hope that there is a future for Faunus and Humans to live among each other in harmony."
"That makes two of us," Diego said, "My ancestors, parents included, believed in that hope long before the White Fang was even a thing. I'm proud to say that I too follow that dream. Sadly, it seems that even now the steps towards that are too slow and gradual." He looked out at the city below. "And on top of that, there are far worst dangers to worry about, ones that the public eye knows little to nothing about."
"You have to admit though, things have progressed a lot faster since Sienna Khan became High Leader. I don't fully support her methods, but what she fights for I can get behind," Luna added. "And just how worse are these dangers you speak of?"
"Like 'end of the world' kind of worst," Diego stated, "And, hate to break it to you, but in this world Sienna Khan has been killed. By Adam, no less. He's now running the whole operation, and what's worse is that he's sided with my... former associates that are a part of the bigger danger."
Anguish filled the silver wolf's gut as she processes this new information. Then anger replaced that as she clenched her fists. "That bastard..." she said through grit teeth. "When I find him, may the Brothers have mercy on his soul." Her large tail swished wildly behind her. She suddenly remembered what he had just said.
"Are your friends aware of your relations with those behind this supposed, up-coming Armageddon?" She questioned, suspicion returning.
Diego sighed. "Ozpin knew from the very beginning, even tried to warn me about them. The rest of my friends... they learned when I finally spilled the beans to them. Of course, that was after the fall of Beacon. They took it... surprisingly well considering their personalities... as well as what I became as a result of my foolishness."
What he became? she thought quietly. He makes it sound like he's some kind of monster or something. Well then, anyways...
"How much further?" Luna asked, changing the subject. "And anything concerning I need to know about any of them?"
"Well, considering what the White Fang have done in this world, you might as well come clean with them and tell them the truth," Diego stated, "You're from a different Remnant, where you work undercover among the ranks of the White Fang. They'll believe you, especially Ozpin."
She nodded. "Very well then. And as for my first question?"
Diego smiled. "Not too far. We're held up in that hotel over there." He pointed to a hotel resort in the distance. It was roughly within range of their ranged weapons.
"Lead the way then."
They continued walking in silence after that. As they neared the doorway of the hotel, Luna suddenly said, "Oh, I forgot to ask. What is the Headmaster of Beacon's role in all of this?"
Diego looked to her. "Long story short: he's essentially the one who's been trying to stop the 'greater danger' since the beginning of time. Immortality curse, in a sense. I don't have that, but what I have is just about as bad."
She gave a humorous 'hmph'. "No offense or anything, but you sound crazier with every question I ask."
"To be honest, sometimes I think that I am crazy," Diego replied, "It's a mystery that I have yet to solve."
He walked with Luna into the building and then to the door of the room his friends were staying. He knocked on it a few times and waited. Soon, the door opened and a red blur tackled him, almost making him fall to the ground. It turned out to be a little girl.
"Diego's back!" the girl shouted joyously. Diego just chuckled and returned the hug the girl was giving him.
"Hey there, Ruby," he said, ruffling her hair a bit, "Did you miss me?"
"We sure did!" she stated. She then released him and looked to Luna. "Who's your friend?"
The girl's age was surprising. She looked only a few years younger than her and Diego. As was her energy, Luna could practically feel it in waves emitting from the girl. But what surprised her the most was the girl's unusual eye color.
Silver.
She had seen eyes of nearly every hue of gray in her travels. But this? This was extraordinary to say the least! The girl's irises actually looked like two orbs of the valuable metal. She then remembered the girl had spoken to her, and cleared her throat.
"Luna Greyback. And, Ruby, I believe it was?"
"Yep. Pleased to meet you!" Ruby said kindly, shaking her hand. "Come on in! Ren's about to cook dinner."
Diego smiled. "Lead the way, Red Riding Hood."
Ruby giggled at the pet name and led them indoors. Following behind, Luna leaned close to Diego and lowered her voice.
"Did someone leave sugar where she could reach it or something? I think she has enough energy to run the entire Kingdom!"
"Don't worry about Ruby," Diego answered with a chuckle, "She just likes meeting new people and she has a very childlike innocence to many things. Just a heads up, she will most definitely want to talk about your weapon and she'll even show you her own."
"Duly noted." She could live with that. Hell, she was a sucker for weapons, too, if she was being honest. She didn't get quite as excited as Ruby, though. Following the trail of rose petals, they entered what appeared to be a kitchen and living room all-in-one. And surprisingly, more people than she had expected. There was at least eight other people in the room, half of which were Faunus. They were all in the middle of some conversation, but when they noticed Diego, the majority jumped to their feet and with a cry of "Diego!" they gathered around him for a group hug.
"Hey guys," he said to them, "I really missed ya." He then looked around. "Where's Yang?"
"I think she's out on Bumble Bee," a Faunus boy stated. He had a monkey tail and blonde hair. Diego looked to him and smirked.
"Or she's trying to sneak up on me."
Faster than lightning, Diego turned around just in time to block a punch thrown by the blonde haired girl in question. He clashed with her fist for a moment, which happened to be a metal one. She suddenly gave him a kiss, startling him enough to land a blow that sent him flying across the room. He sat up and chuckled.
"No fair Yang," he laughed, "You learned that one from me, didn't you?"
"You know it," she replied, helping him to his feet. She then gave him a hug of her own that he returned as quickly, but it was different from the others that had been given to him. More... emotional.
Ah, so this must be Goldilocks. Seems like an appropriate nickname, she observed in her head. Sure enough, the blonde's mane of hair was nearly identical in color to molten gold.
The hug lasted a little longer than necessary, so she cleared her throat to regain the Rogue's attention.
"Didn't think you were this popular, Diego."
Her words caught the attention of everyone in the room, especially Yang. Luna saw a shift in the blonde's purple eyes as she scanned her up-and-down.
Oh Brothers above, please don't let this be another one who gets intimidated by other attractive females near their boyfriends...
And she wasn't full of herself, she was just aware. Luna was aware she was attractive, but that didn't mean anything. That didn't define her. Plus, she had respect for other people's relationships. Diego seemed to notice this and chuckled.
"No need for jealousy Yang. She's an unintended stowaway I met in the woods today from another world."
"What?" Yang asked, while everyone looked just as confused.
"Yep," Diego stated, "And guess who her here?"
The group looked around for a moment at each other, then Neptune (of all people) spoke up.
"TD?"
"Bullseye!" Diego congratulated.
"Seriously?" Blake asked, looking to Luna.
Luna face-palmed. "I wanted to say I'm surprised, but I'm not. Is there a universe that idiot hasn't invaded?" She sighed and continued speaking, "Idiots aside, yes. I'm not from this world, nor this time to be specific."
Looking at Blake, she was surprised to see the girl's cat ears exposed.
"Forgive my forwardness, but I'm glad to see you finally ditched that stupid bow," the wolf Faunus commented, offering what she hoped was a friendly smile.
Blake smiled a little. "I decided that I was done with hiding what I am from the world." She looked to Diego. "He decided to stop hiding as well, but not until after Beacon."
"For the record, I never was hiding what I was, Kitten," he replied, "Unless you count the... other side of me."
"Well, before we get into any possibly emotionally-scarring backstories, I think introductions are required. So to start, I'm Luna Greyback. Back in my Remnant, I was an operative and undercover spy for the White Fang." She noticed a few eyes widen before narrowing, "And before any of you ask, I'm not referring to those terrorists that follow Adam Taurus. Speaking of whom," she turned her attention back to Blake. "In my world, I only knew you as his trainee and partner before you deserted. You and I had never interacted or spoken, until today."
Luna was truthfully uncertain of what became of the cat Faunus after she deserted.
"I haven't heard anything about you since you left. But knowing your skill and stubborness," she chuckled at this. "I had a feeling you would be okay."
Blake smiled a little wider, then Ren came into the room with some bowls full of a steaming soup. He looked to Luna apologetically.
"We didn't expect visitors, so we're one bowl short," he said.
"She can have my bowl," Diego said, "I already ate some ways back on my way here."
"What did you eat?" Weiss asked, "There's no stops for miles."
Diego looked around. "I... think it's best not to-"
The group suddenly seemed to realize what he was saying and didn't pester further.
"Still a touchy subject, huh?" Qrow asked, taking a swig from his bottle.
"Well, it's kinda hard to take in the fact that one of your friends is a Grimm at times," Diego stated, "And for once, PLEASE stop drinking! You're going to destroy your brain cells... if there's any even left."
The wolf faunus took an empty seat on the sofa, and gave her nod of thanks when the long-haired boy placed Diego's bowl in front of her. It smelled delectable. She then turned her attention back to the group.
"Well as I said, before we get into sad stories, I believe introductions are needed."
Ruby started with herself and her team, pointing them out as she went.
"You know my name already, but I'll say it again. I'm Ruby Rose. That's my big sister Yang, Weiss, and you already know Blake to some extent. We make up Team RWBY."
Just then, a girl even more hyper than Ruby jumped in front of Luna.
"Hi! I'm Nora! That's Ren and Jaune, and we're part of Team JNPR! Minus one member..."
Diego gave her a slight glare at that and pulled her away from Luna's face, then sighed and introduced the rest.
"That drunkard on the sofa is Ruby's Uncle Qrow, those two are Blake's parents, the Faunus over there is Sun, the other is Ilia who is a former follower of Adam's, and..." He turned to Qrow. "Where's Oz? Or more appropriately, the kid he's infesting?"
"He's still asleep," Ruby said to him. "The training today was a bit exhausting."
"Gotcha," Diego nodded.
"A pleasure to meet you all," she said with a smile. She then turned to the large panther Faunus across the room. She briefly bowed her head with respect.
"Mr Belladonna, it is an honor to finally meet you. High Leader Khan spoke very highly of you, sir. I was greatly disturbed to hear of her departure from this world..." Sadness just barely crept into her tone.
"As were we when the news came to us," he answered her, "It's a shame that Adam has so much influence over the White Fang. But we plan to take it back from him someday." He smiled. "You're lucky that it was Diego that found you. The rest of us probably wouldn't have been as welcoming to hear that you work among the White Fang."
"I like to give some people the benefit of a doubt, cousin," Diego replied.
"And I'm grateful for that," Luna replied. She looked back at Diego, "Now then, I believe you were going to explain to me what has happened in the...past year, I believe?"
In the span of the next 2 hours, the group had informed her of the many tragedies, as well as victories, that had occurred in their time. She learned of the disaster now known as the Fall of Beacon. She learned why Team JNPR was now only a team of three. The stories of the Maidens were true, and that the Headmaster of Beacon was the one to grant them their powers. The Grimm having a queen known as Salem. The betrayal of both Leonardo Lionheart, Haven's Headmaster, and Raven Branwen, Yang's long-lost mother. The uncertain fate of Cinder Fall, the Fall Maiden.
And now, they planned to soon leave Mistral and begin their journey to Atlas. Carrying with them an artifact she long believed to be mythical: The Relic of Knowledge.
"I assume that, in general terms of events, that basically explains things in full to you?" Diego inquired. He was sitting beside Yang on the sofa, having kicked Qrow off after some minor difficulties.
Luna nodded while swallowing a knot that had formed in her throat. Her mind was racing at a million miles a minute. It all sounded so crazy, yet...well what reason did they have to make it up? Diego was right earlier...the world was surely on its way to possibly ending.
Why did TD send me here? Does he think I can help? she thought to herself. How could I? From what they told me, we may as well be going up against the God of Darkness himself! How does one stop a god from taking over the world!? It sounds impossible...so then what would be the point of even trying?
Luna's heart skipped a beat at the dark thought. She had never doubted trying in her entire life.
But should we? From what they've told me, Ozpin has been battling this Salem for thousands of years, and has been met with the same results! Failure! Well, there is Ruby...
They had given her a brief rundown of the legend behind the Silver-Eyed Warriors, how Ruby is now the last known in existence. The last one being her late mother, Summer Rose.
But if Summer couldn't help stop Salem, how could Ruby? She's still very young, and she has no one who could possibly teach her how to control the power of her eyes. And then there's the Maidens. Two of them are safe, yes, but the uncertainty of the Fall Maiden's fate could change that. And then there's the disappearance of Raven.
All Yang had said was that she was able to convince her mother to let her take the Relic, and then Raven flew into a portal and was gone.
Qrow suspects where she could be now, but part of him highly doubts it. He didn't specify. All of this, and they still hope to win? How...?
It was overwhelming for Luna. She thought taking down the splinter group inside the White Fang would be the worst of her problems...by the Gods, was she so wrong! And yet...
'I have to try.' She thought with finality. 'If TD sent me here to help, he must believe I could somehow make a difference in this game of chess. He's a pain in my tail, but...if he believes in me this much, then maybe there is hope.'
"I just have one question," she finally spoke. "What's our next move? If Atlas has closed off its borders, how do you hope to get to the Relic of Creation?"
Diego looked around at the group, then back to Luna.
"We're not exactly sure at the moment," he explained, and then added, "Plus, Rooster Teeth has yet to put up a new episode."
Most of the group looked at him in confusion when he said that. The silver wolf resisted the urge to growl.
Great, another wall-breaker. Just what I need.
She then noticed the darkness outside the window, "Well then, hopefully a few hours of sleep will help us think of something."
As soon as she said it, she received a few yawns in agreement. Which then triggered a yawn of her own.
Gods above, those things are contagious!
That night...
Diego apparently didn't sleep much, because when Luna woke by chance that night, he was still up and about. He moved through the house so silently, he might as well have been a ghost. Stopping only to give a sleeping Ruby a kiss on the forehead, he walked out onto the balcony of their rooms and looked out at the moon.
Her footsteps were silent, but he knew she was there.
"Can't sleep either?" Luna asked, standing beside him and leaning on the balcony railing. Diego glanced at her to his right.
Her usual cloak and attire had been switched for a borrowed pair of shorts and a t-shirt, both black. Her hair and tail gave off an eerie glow under the moonlight. And her intense, glacier-like eyes seemed to have a similar effect. It was, admittedly, a mesmerising sight.
Diego chuckled. "I know I'm already taken, but I can understand why any girl would be jealous to see you around their boyfriend."
"Thanks, I guess," she said with a tired sigh. "She has no reason to be, though. I'm not one to move in on someone else's significant other. And even if that weren't the case," she chuckled softly. "Don't get me wrong, you're cute, along with a great personality. But you're not my type."
Diego laughed softly, then sighed and looked out at the moon again. A saddened expression crossed his face and he seemed to be thinking about something. Luna also turned her head to gaze up at the shattered moon. She sometimes wondered what it would look like whole, but at the same time, she found its half-destroyed form oddly symbolic. She spoke without moving her eyes from the moon.
"Thinking about your 'former associates'?" she asked.
Diego sighed. "My associates, Salem, even my past. It's hard to let go, and I fear that I may still be too attached to- no, you'd think I was crazy to have ever tried."
"Well, I already think you're crazy, so..." She turned to face him, still leaning against the railing. "Little story before bed sounds like a good idea, yeah?" Her tail swayed gently while she waited patiently.
Diego managed a smile, then spoke.
"I was once with Salem's gang. Helped them create some of the methods they use against us. Even had a bit of a... relationship with Salem. Crazy, I know."
She gave her head a quick shake in disbelief, before opening her eyes wide.
"Oh no, you're beyond crazy now. You, my friend, need to be admitted," she said with a good-humored shove. She hummed in thought, then looked at him again, "I never been with a Grimm before, what's that like?"
Ironically, a wolfish grin stretched across her lips.
Diego smiled slightly. "She actually wasn't that bad. Or at least while I was around. We had something special... but we threw away the chance of a future together when she killed my 'fiance'." Noticing Luna's confused expression, he explained, "A Faunus. She was my fiance according to her father, but not to me and her. Her father was one who believed in more... traditional ways to choose a husband. So in other words, she didn't have a say in the matter. I was sympathetic to her for that, so I offered to keep the guise up and pretend to be her betrothed, while in truth I simply used it as an excuse to keep other unwanted suitors away from her. She saw me as a big brother, and I saw her as my little sister. We were both... young back then. I believe I was around sixteen and she just a year younger."
A soft growl rumbled in her throat.
"People still do that shit?", she muttered incredulously. She took a quick deep breath to suppress her rising anger. "If it's not rude of me to ask, do you know why she killed her?"
Diego sighed and lost his smile. "Salem had her Grimm attack a village, one which my 'fiance' was residing in at the time. She happened to be one of the many caught in the crossfires. I know now that Salem had not intended her death... but at the time, I was too grief stricken and too enraged to listen. I... forced her to leave me. I sent her away, screaming in the night. Her, the very definition of fear."
Diego grimaced when he said this and seemed to be trying to hold something back. Fro a brief moment, his eyes glowed with a sickly color, then returned to normal.
"Damn..." she said, "Well, Diego, I've heard of many strange relationships in my lifetime. But you've officially taken the cake, and thrown it in my face," she said smiling, hoping a humorous tactic would help to lighten the mood. And then, cool as a cucumber, she simply asked, "Do your friends know you're part Grimm? Or at least have similar powers to the Queen?"
"They do now," Diego said, "But I remember during the attack on Beacon... it was hard to keep it from coming out. There was so much fear in the air... it almost made me go feral. As for Salem's powers..." He looked at his hands, "I possess every power at her command, thanks to my Semblance. My turning into a Grimm... I guess it was my aura reacting to the presence of her powers, giving me a form that would keep me from killing myself for possessing them."
"What exactly is your semblance? Can you like, mimic other people's semblance or something?" she asked.
"I guess you can say that," he answered, "It's called the Inherited Semblance, a Semblance that can only ever be achieved through a blood inheritance to the original wielder. I... am the first of my family in more than one hundred years to possess it, as well as the longest bearer of it. With it, I can copy the powers of the Maidens or another's Semblance... even the powers of Salem. I can then summon the powers I've copied and use it against my foes. However, with very few exceptions, it comes at the cost of temporarily disabling my aura, making me vulnerable." He chuckled, "Thankfully, I can survive blows that would normally kill a Huntsman or Huntress, with or without their aura." He looked to Luna sheepishly. "I make it sound like I'm old, don't I?"
"Yeah, crazy old man," she laughed. But then, her face turned stoic again, as if she remembered something dark. "You mind if I ask you something serious?"
"Might as well," Diego said, "I've seen the Great War to its end, so I think I can take it."
She looked back at him, her blue eyes locked with his own. "Just how much do you trust Ozpin?"
Diego sighed again. "I trust that his heart is in the right place, but I do not support many of his methods. I understand that he feels like his actions are for the greater good, but I do not like the way he goes about his work. Especially in regards to the Huntsmen and Huntresses not knowing exactly what they are fighting. That's why I never became a Huntsman myself. I'm just a rogue, fighting on the opposite side of the law, working in the dark to protect the light." He looked to Luna. "Oz is my friend in some regards, but I'd like to think of him as a misguided friend."
Luna nodded in understanding. "I don't know what it is, but something about him just doesn't feel right to me. And I'm not just talking about the fact that he's probably hundreds of souls crammed into one body," she retorted. "I want to believe he's genuine, but something just doesn't sit right. And my instincts have never let me down before. I wouldn't have survived as long as I have if otherwise."
A small, nostalgic smile crossed her face. "You know, I almost became a Huntress, once upon a time."
"Really?" Diego smirked, "What made you almost try it?"
Luna chuckled, "Started out when I was just a kid. I'm a little like Blake, I was basically born into the White Fang. I don't remember a time when I was ever not part of it. I remember one day, when I was still small, my parents and I were part of a protest against a grocery store that refused service or employment to Faunus. The bad thing was, that store was near an area where Grimm were commonly sighted in Mistral. The humans that were shouting at us to 'go back where we came from', and all that negativity inevitably led a small pack of Beowolves right to us. It was only three, but that was too many for any of us. Luckily, there was a Huntsman nearby who took care of them before anyone got hurt. I wanted to be just like that. So I told myself that one day, I would go to one of the Huntsman Academies, and do my part that way; I can help give Faunus equal rights, and also protect all from the creatures of Grimm. Two birds with one stone."
She gulped before continuing, "My parents weren't what you would call poor, but we weren't exactly swimming in diamonds either. All I had for a weapon back then was a stick of bamboo, so I used that. Every day, I would wake up early and train by attacking either a bale of hay or a tree. Sometimes I would chase a rabbit or squirrel." She laughed. Her eyes then turned dark. "Looking back, I must have been way in over my head. Roughly a year after that, human rioters attacked the small village where our section of the Mistralian branch of the White Fang was living. They broke windows, burned our homes, dug up our crops. They destroyed everything... My mother died trying to put out the fire that had been set to our home. Whether it was smoke inhalation, or burned alive, or crushed by falling debris, I pray to the Gods she just went fast. And my father, he tried fighting back. I remember seeing him on the ground as a group of humans pummeled him to a pulp. I tried to protect him. I ran to them and started swinging that bamboo stick wildly. For a short second, I thought I had them. I hit one hard on the head and he went down. I swept another's legs out from under him. I actually thought I was gonna win. Gods, was I wrong... One of them had a knife, which I didn't see."
Her hand went up to trace the scar across her left cheek, just below her eye. "I thought I was gonna die. But my father saved me. He told me to run, and not look back. So I ran. I ran as far away from there as I could. I don't know if he survived or not... I didn't have any other family, so I only had one place I could go. It took me several weeks to find it, getting lost several times while evading Grimm, but I managed to find the main base of operations of the Mistralian White Fang. They took me in without hesitation. They cared for me, they trained me, they helped me build my weapons. At the time, during those years, I was so angry. And so, I had a new goal: I would go to an Academy to become stronger, so I could see Humanity fall. I was around 12 when Ghira stepped down as High Leader and Sienna took his place. When she presented her methods of pushing back against the humans, I was in instantly. And when the humans actually started to respect us, it got to my head. I think that's where my sadistic side first kicked in," she said with a short chuckle.
She then continued. "After I discovered my Semblance, I used it every chance I got. My ability to rob a person of sight, sound, touch and smell seemed almost like a gift from the Gods; like they were granting me the power to make humans suffer, like they did my parents. It got so bad that I was close to actually wanting to kill them. Sienna kicked me off my high horse so hard my head spun. She told me she understood what was going through my head, but taking a life was not something I wanted on my conscious. She reminded once more what our goal was: to gain the humans' respect. And if we had to push them back, so be it. But we were not going to become killers. That got my head straightened back on. She took me under her wing after that. I one day told her of my plan to attend a Huntsman Academy to become stronger, and she agreed with my plan. But she thought it would be a good idea for me to continue getting some real-world experience in, because Grimm wouldn't be the only thing I would face in the future. I agreed. And by the time I was old enough to apply to an Academy, I applied to Haven and was in with no problem. Initiation went by without a struggle, and I was made a member of Team BLNC (Blanche). I stayed with them for maybe 6 months. I enjoyed spending time with my teammates, but the teaching was pretty useless for me. In sparring, they penalized us for anything considered a 'dirty move'. I thought to myself, are you kidding? You think the enemy is gonna care about playing nice? Grimm Studies was helpful, but I was naturally perceptive, so I already knew all of this. I was hesitant to leave, as I had grown fonder of my teammates than I thought I would. I didn't hide around them, they knew I was with the White Fang, but they didn't care. They just saw me. And surprisingly, they were encouraging of my choice to leave. Said that the Academies weren't for everyone, and that if I thought getting back out there would make better progress, to go for it.
She wiped a tear that had slipped down her cheek. "That was possibly the hardest goodbye I ever went through. So I went back to working with Sienna after that. She eventually sent me undercover once rumors of a splinter group arose, and I've been hiding amongst them ever since. So, here I am now; in a whole other world where Beacon has fallen to the Queen, someone whom I considered a second mother murdered in cold blood by a psychopath, and now the race is on to secure four Relics that could spell doom or salvation for the entire world," she finally finished.
Several moments of silence went by before Luna blinked rapidly, as if suddenly noticing what she had just revealed.
"Okay, wow, um," she stuttered, "I didn't think I would tell you all of that. Don't know why I did. Sorry if I bored you with all of that, I just couldn't stop talking..." Her ears turned red with embarrassment, and she glanced away.
Diego chuckled. "You're fine. I liked listening to your story, and it certainly explains a lot. My backstory would probably be just as long, truth be told."
"I wouldn't be surprised," she replied. Then, a yawn forced itself outta her mouth, her sharp canines briefly shining from the moon's light. "Well I don't know about you, but I'm tuckered out. You gonna be out all night?"
"Only if you want to hear my story," Diego replied, "Otherwise... no. I'll be turning in pretty soon. Yang will be wondering where I went otherwise."
Luna grinned mischievously. "Don't want to be caught with another girl late at night, now do we?" she teased, arms behind her back as she backed away slowly.
"No, it's more around the lines of 'being a vigilante' and not telling her where I've gone," Diego explained, "She knows me well enough to know that I won't cheat behind her back. Although, that doesn't necessarily let you off the hook either."
"Never said you would," she retorted, standing a bit straighter. "And she'll learn to trust me when I say I'm not that type. Hell, if you want, tell her I take the phrase 'lone wolf' very seriously."
With that, the Faunus girl turned away and started back towards her sleeping area, but not before throwing a quick "good night" over her shoulder towards the Rogue. Diego chuckled slightly as he watched her leave, then looked back out at the night sky. For a short moment, he seemed to be looking out at something beyond Haven, or even Remnant for that matter.
"TD, I hope you brought her here for a reason," Diego muttered, "Otherwise, I'm going to personally find you and batter you to a pulp... then thank you for giving us a potential friend."
Giving one last sigh, Diego walked back into the room and located the golden hair of his precious Goldilocks. Lying down beside her, he soon was overcome by sleep...
"On a scale of one to ten, how mad will she be at me?" TD asked himself for no reason, time still at a stand-still in the club. "Ten. Definitely a ten."
Just then, time returned to normal, much to the curiosity of the chaotic entity. He looked around, then felt the presence of a dark being nearby for a brief moment. TD groaned and thumped his head against the table.
"And that just adds another 'crisis I unintentionally started' to my list," he said aloud. He then turned to one of the staff. "Get me the strongest non-alcoholic drink you've got."
TD, I swear you do this on purpose.
"It's possible, pig. I play mind games sometimes even when reformed."
*sigh* I hope you guys enjoyed, because I have a feeling this is going to go on for a while.
"Cya!"