I don't own RWBY or LoL
Lesser Vale City, also known as Zaun
Vi, professional huntress and peacekeeper of the lawless half of Vale's capital city of Vale, often referred to as Zaun or Lesser Vale, could only sigh as she stared across the interrogation table. Cuffed to that table was the single most destructive individual she had ever met, including the countless grimm she had killed in her time.
Her sister Jinx truly was a menace.
"Can you repeat for me why exactly you thought it would be a good idea to blow up that restaurant." Vi asked, desperately wishing one of her teammates could handle her sister instead of her, but no. Family issue they called it.
"Well Fat Hands, one of their waiters was getting a little handsy, which I did not appreciate, so I told him to kindly to back off, and when he didn't, I let Fishbones continue the negotiations." Jinx replied, using an accent close to Caitlyn's in an attempt to sound smarter, making wild hand motions as she told her tale.
"So one of the waiters assaulted you, and you defended yourself." Vi asked, hoping beyond hope that maybe Jinx had an actual defense this time around.
"Yeah, he tried to take Fishbones and Pow-pow from me, so I let him have it!" Jinx agreed, nodding rapidly, making her long twin braids whip about.
"Did he ask you not to bring large, loaded weapons into the restaurant before this." Vi asked, her head almost hitting the table in frustration, of course Jinx would bring her rocket launcher and minigun to go eat.
"Maaaaaaaaaaybe, I wasn't really listening to him until he tried to take Pow-pow, I was talking with Fishbones about what we should order. I wanted a burger, but Fishbones had his heart set on a soup and salad." Another answer Vi should have expected, because according to her sister, her weapons could talk to her... all of them…
"You can't keep doing this Jinx, you're 17 now, I can't protect you forever." Vi groaned, trying to get through to her sister for the millionth time.
"What can't I do, I didn't do anything, you have no evidence!"
"You were caught on camera, again, and you spray painted the rubble with your name, again." Vi deadpanned, before flipping once again through the notes in front of her.
"No one suffered any long term injury, which is good at least, Miss Loose Cannon of Zaun, and as much as I hate to say it, it was a faunus run and owned shop so there won't be any pressure from above to make you serve a sentence, but there will be damage payments, which will have to come out of MY paycheck, AGAIN." Vi continued, fully aware Jinx wasn't listening to her, like always, despite her rising temper. Quickly reigning in her trigger temper with one of many exercises Beacon had beaten into her.
"In three weeks, you're moving out." Vi changed the topic and shocked Jinx into finally paying attention, a spark of focus that was so rare for her sister alight in her eyes.
"But where will I tune up Fishbones if I don't have access to my workshop, or my ammo stockpile, or my collection of broken junk." And there were the puppy dog eyes.
"You will moving out because I signed you up for the combat test for admission to Beacon Academy, as much as you destroy, you are damn good in a fight, and your semblance is terrifying in extended combat, its long since time to point Fishbones and Pow-pow at grimm instead of the city." Vi continued, making sure to appeal to Jinx's love of destruction to get her to go along with the idea long enough for her to forget she'll have classes to go to, and be forced to wear a uniform instead of her usual hot pants and bikini top, both lined with bullets and further covered by belts, that Jinx claimed she wore 'for no reason at all'.
"Oooooohhhhh, that does sound fun, splattering grimm would be more fun than buildings, maybe even people. Oh, and I could get a new buddy for Fishbones and Pow-pow. Hmmmmm, what if I got a gun, that shot...other guns!" Jinx finished with a large grin, her finger lightly tracing one of the cloud tattoos on her right shoulder, now in weapon heaven as she pictured new tools of mass destruction. Vi could only groan and roll her eyes.
"Does that mean you're on board?" Vi asked, this was happening one way or another, but it would be so much easier if Jinx went willingly.
"Bullets! I mean, sure!" Jinx answered with a thumbs up, still off in weapon la-la-land.
Vi could only sigh in muted relief, one more week, then Jinx would be Ozpin's problem. And then she could keep alcohol in the house again without worrying Jinx would get her hands on it. Somehow, a drunk Jinx was even more destructive than the normal one.
Demacia, second largest city in Vale
"Luxanna Crownguard, you will not be going to Beacon Academy."
"Really Garen. Mom and Dad already approved, my bags are packed, my application was accepted, I even agreed to wear a set of Crownguard family armor that I don't really need and you are still protesting!"
Luxanna Crownguard, Lux to her friends, protested at her older brother's insistence that she go to Atlas for her huntress education, just like he did.
"Beacon is a good school, but there is no discipline there like in Atlas. Compare the graduates, both myself and my team leader, Winter, are now specialists for Vale and Atlas respectively, and we have only been graduated for a few years, while no Beacon graduate has obtained a high roll in society since Qrow Branwen." Garen responded, his naturally loud voice filling the room.
"Well, maybe that's because Beacon graduates actually go out and fight grimm like huntsmen are supposed to instead of being stuck in a government building all day. And I know you know my fighting style doesn't fit what's taught in Atlas. They emphasize on melee combat and muscle building, I'm a beacon of light. See, beacon, it matches." Lux argued back, her arms crossed over her chest as she refused to back down from her overbearing brother.
"Using a pun as reasoning to go to Beacon doesn't help your case. The Crownguard family is strong, Atlas will foster that strength in you." Garen insisted, stubbornly sticking to his point.
"It might have for you, but I'm not you Garen. You remember Weiss, your teammate's little sister, well she's going to Beacon too, and Winter supports her choice. She knows Weiss isn't her, and just because something worked for her, doesn't mean it will work for her little sister." Lux played her cards well, knowing how much Garen respected his team leader and close friend.
"I am aware of Winter and Weiss's situation, and that the only reason Weiss is going to Beacon is because she passed a test given to her by her father. I know you did the same for our father, but I still must make my opinion known, even if I know it ultimately means nothing." Garen said before exiting the room with grace that seemed out of place on such a large and muscular man.
Lux sighed and ran her hand through her hair. She knew about the Arma Gigas Weiss had to fight, compared to that her own trial was nothing, just a spar with the same brother she had just been arguing with.
She was going to Beacon, it was the right decision for her. Ever since she had discovered her semblance, she knew Beacon was where she would go. Not because of some pun like Garen insisted it was, but because it was a symbol.
Defeating grimm was good and all, a very necessary job, but protecting people, making sure they felt happy and safe, being a beacon of hope that kept the peace, was what Lux wanted to be. The world was far from perfect. From the slums of Lesser Vale, the Ionian and Noxian factions vying for control in Mistral, the White Fang terrorizing Atlas, the rampant criminal activity in Vacuo despite the Triumvirate's best efforts.
The world wasn't perfect, it would never fit that perfect militaristic vision people like Garen and General Ironwood had for it. But it could hope, it could strive for something better. But it needed someone to lead it there, a beacon, a roll Lux was determined to fill herself.
Clenching her fist, a warm glow of light surronded it, Garen's opinion be damned, she was going to Beacon.
Somewhere in the Vacuo Desert
A hooded and goggled figure slowly walked across one of the many sand dunes that filled Vacuo. A shoulder bag slung across body, filled with supplies and the results of his latest hunt.
As the figure crested the dune, a port city came into view, less than a mile away. Flexing his gauntlet covered fist, he continued on his way, keeping an eye on the many ships coming and going from the harbor.
Once the figure entered the city, he flipped back the hood of his brown leather jacket and pulled his goggles up past his forehead, revealing light blonde hair and bright blue eyes scanning over the many stalls in the city. Everything from 'magic' jewels to maps of the desert.
"Who needs a map." Ezreal Lymere scoffed as he continued his way through the city, stopping only once to sell a small golden idol from his bag. No historical value compared to most of his collection back home, but an easy way to make a quick buck to further fund his adventures.
Once Ezreal reached the docks, he quickly located the dockmaster to ask for a ship.
"What can I do for you kid." The dockmaster greeted gruffly, barely glancing up from the papers in front of him.
"I'm looking for any boat heading for the Crucible, think you can point me in that direction, I can pay for the ride." Ezreal answered, holding up the cash he had just gotten for the golden idol.
"The Crucible. Why the bloody hell would you WANT to go to the Remnant forsaken Shadow Isle." The dockmaster asked, shock in his voice as he looked up from his work, his attention now fully on Ezreal.
"I'm a treasure hunter, found a pretty good lead, pointed me to the Crucible. Can you imagine it, the glory of finding ruins from a time before the grimm on the one continent currently uninhabited by people, and where there's glory, the girls are always watching." Ezreal finished with a smirk, giving his stack of bills another wave in a blatant attempt to bribe the dockmaster.
"There's a reason why no human lives on that continent kid, they're called the grimm, maybe you've heard of them. Big black armored monsters that exist to tear humanity apart, nature's wrath? Ain't nobody sailing to the Crucible except for the rare hunter team going there for some recon mission or the like, and even then I've only ever seen one come back." the dockmaster told Ezreal, which brought a frown to his face.
In his time wandering the Northern deserts of Vacuo, the Southern Jungle of Ixtal, scouring the Eastern plains of Vale, and sulking through the Western docks of Bilgewater, Ezreal had learned many things in his exploration of the continent, things long forgotten. Prime among those was the true nature of the grimm.
They weren't 'nature's wrath', they weren't the world fighting back against humanity. They were different, they were alien. Ezreal flexed his gauntlet covered hand thinking it over. How much simpler it would be for him if the grimm truly were born of the world's aura. Then he could beat them without ever breaking a sweat, treasure hunting would be easy. But no, grimm were the opposite, the antithesis to all life, even Remnant itself.
"So the only way I'm getting to Crucible is by being on a hunter team huh?" Ezreal asked, getting a nod from the dockmaster.
Well, that was an option, the clear front runner. But if he was going to become a huntsman, he was going to do it right.
Big four academy, anything less would just be utterly boring. Couldn't go to Atlas, no one there would understand his flair, and they'd probably make him cut his hair. Shade too was out, as a treasure hunter, the best in the business he'd say, the Vacuo government wasn't overly fond of him. He'd been run out of the capital city of Shurima three times now.
Mistral and Haven academy could be interesting, a whole new continent for him to explore, but the political situation there was damn near at an exploding point between the Noxian and Ionian factions. And a war was the last place Ezreal wanted to be caught. Which left one option.
Beacon Academy. Returning to his home city of Greater Vale might be a little boring because of the lack of new things to explore, it certainly beat out the other options. The combat test was only two weeks away if he remembered correctly, a walk in the park for an adventurer like him.
And he could even mess with his uncle, the old curmudgeon was probably still working at Beacon.
"So, can you point me to the nearest boat heading for Greater Vale?" Ezreal asked the dockmaster, once again holding out the money.
"Cargo ship at dock three. I take it I'll see you back here in a few years, probably with a team?" the dockmaster asked, trading some of the money for a ticket to the ship.
"Count on it." And with that, Ezreal was on his way, pocketing what was left of his earnings.
Ever since his first hunt six years ago, the one where he'd found his gauntlet, all he'd found were more and more questions. Something about the grimm, about Remnant, didn't add up, and Crucible held the answers. He was going to find the truth of Remnant, the truth that was hidden in the past, the truth his parents died to find.
And the first step lie at Beacon Academy.
Outskirts of Demacia
Just outside Demacia proper lay a large compound. Simple housing surronded by arenas meant for training. Since the city had been founded, a single clan had lived on these lands, and had watched over one of the oldest weapons known to Remnant. They had even traded in their original clan name for a title. The Hammer clan were a hardy and powerful folk, and they had not abandoned their mission since Demacia's inception.
At the largest of the many training grounds stood a solitary figure, only a little taller than four feet in height, panting lightly, a small bronze buckler shield held in her grasp, and a group of sandbag training dummies lay demolished across the field in front of her.
"Well done daughter, you have progressed immensely since I last saw you practice with your little shield." a man with flaxen blonde hair said to the shorter girl, whose hair of the same color was pulled up in two high ponytails almost like horns, the rest falling slightly and framing her face. Both figures had long sharp ears, evidence of a faunus heritage somewhere in their lineage. While the father had deep tan skin, his daughter was paler, and her skin held a tinge that was almost a light blue, a side effect of her semblance. While their eyes were blue and purple respectively, the daughter's purple eyes held more life to them, as well as a wide slit for a pupil, somewhere between a cat's eyes and a normal pupil.
"Thank you father. I have been accepted by Beacon Academy as you know, and I aim to fight well there, among the best." the daughter responded, placing her buckler into its sheath on her hip, rolling her shoulders under the heavy plate she wore while training. Both parent and child knew Beacon had accepted her in a heartbeat, her combat school records were flawless, and their clan had always been welcome within the halls of Beacon Academy.
"Speaking of Beacon Poppy, your journey is about to begin, and you know what that means, the passing of the torch, or in our case the hammer." The man joked with a laugh and Poppy rolled her eyes at her father's poor sense of humor.
"I am ready for the responsibility, and I will succeed where our ancestors failed, I will find the hero." Poppy insisted, drawing a loving smile from her father.
"I said the same when my father passed the hammer to me as well, and I still hope to live to meet the hero myself, but I have long suspected that there is more to our search than any of our clan first thought, maybe you will be the one to find the answer."He answered his daughter, ruffling her sweaty hair with one hand and reaching to his back with the other, drawing the massive hammer he wore on his back and setting it head down in front of Poppy, whose eyes traced the massive weapon with gentle eyes.
This was the weapon that had been passed down through their clan since the first leader of Demacia had given it to them to guard. The man her father was named after and whose name also belonged to the weapon. The Hammer of Orlon, the weapon of the Hero prophesied to rid the city of Demacia and it's land of Grimm forever.
The hammer's shaft was split into two portions, a well worn leather grip near the base and a sturdy metal connecting that grip to the hammerhead itself. The hammer head was made of stone, with the same metal as the handle gripping the stone on two sides. Despite many years of use, fighting both criminals and grimm, the hammer bore not even a scratch. The stone was weathered and smooth to the touch, but the flat edges promised broken bones with every powerful swing.
Poppy lifted the weapon for the first time, her long trained strength put to good use as she lifted the five foot hammer over her four foot frame.
"She will defend you on your journey, just as you defend her." Orlon said, watching his daughter lift the weapon he had wielded since he was seventeen, whether he was talking to the hammer or his daughter even he didn't know.
And as though it were responding to it's ally for many years, the Hammer gave a soft pulse of light and aura that went unnoticed by the father daughter duo as both girl and hammer prepares for lie ahead, one for the first time, the other ready for yet another adventure at Beacon Academy.
Kinkou Temple, Ionian territory, Mistral
This, Akali decided, was not what her training was for, the reason she put her body and aura under constant stress to grow. She was NOT some common bodyguard, nor was she a tool for 'peace'.
Impartiality, passive judgement, and pruning the tree. The three edicts she had been taught since child had seemingly lost their meaning when Master Shen, the Eye of Twilight himself gave the order.
"From this day forth, the Kinkou order will support the Ionian faction against the Noxians. We must oppose their pointless bloodshed, and so, I place our services in the hands of faction leader Karma, in hopes that she lead us to a brighter future."
The statement itself was not one that Akali held issue with, she had long been of the belief that the Kinkou order should help in the stand against the Noxian faction, she had even encouraged Master Shen to join the fight against them.
Her issue lay in how Shen joined the Ionian faction, by lowering himself, and the entire order, to the whims of faction leader Karma, whose most drastic action taken against the bloody Noxians was to champion a pair of tournament fighters, and neither held perfect victory against the Blood Brothers of Noxus.
Despite all that Noxus did, draft children into their bloody training, the execution of criminals in public displays of cruelty, all the Ionians did was talk and pursue elongated, shaky peace.
That was not the route Akali wished to take, and it was not the route she was going to take. Noxus was a sickness to Mistral, almost as much as the grim themselves. They worshipped bloodshed in combat, both with people and with grimm, their tyrant leader ruled with an iron fist, and Karma's response was to sit back and do nothing as people suffered because they lacked the 'strength' that was so prized in the Noxus half of Mistral.
It was no wonder so many from this country left for their schooling, even places like Haven Academy had become battlegrounds for the two factions. Noxus always the aggressor, and Ionia always the one who struck back.
Enough was enough. Akali was going to take action, regardless of what Shen had preached for so long. She was going to prune the tree.
"I have had enough Master Shen, your refusal to take action was bad enough, but to prostrate the entire order to the whims of a woman like Karma, who refuses to answer all but the greatest of actions taken against Ionia and against life itself. No more, let us take action, real action, I ask this of you only once." Akali stated loudly to her master in the courtyard of Kinkou temple as Shen meditated. As always a large crowd had gathered simply to be near the master, and that large crowd was now focused on her, some in support, others in admonishment.
Shen didn't respond quickly, not that Akali expected him too. Shen was a man to make long drawn out responses. Waiting for him to answer to the best of his ability after long meditation was not uncommon. Akali was prepared to wait all day if-
"No."
Shen's answer shocked many, for its brevity more than its conclusion.
Akali growled beneath her mask as Shen slowly rose from his meditative position, his face completely covered by his mask, but his glowing eyes were unrelenting in their gaze upon Akali.
"You seek a fight too eagerly Akali, for the one who now bears the title of our temple's Fist of Shadow. You must find balance in our current situation. I urge you to meditate and come to a firm resolution within your own mind, you speak much as Zed once did." Shen's words were delivered in monotone, but held more meaning than they first appeared.
He was calling her out, the youngest to ever hold the title of Fist of Shadow, the most skilled in the temple. He was calling her judgement, her balance, into question. And he was comparing her to the order's greatest traitor Zed, who had murdered the previous master, Shen's father, and founded his own order, one far more aggressive than the Kinkou.
Akali remembered that night, and had to withhold the shudder that wracked her body, she may desire conflict, but she was not like that monster.
"I have meditated long on this Shen. I have found my balance, and it calls for me to act, Each month, more and more pilgrims pass through, seeking escape from the Noxian faction, those who steal children from their parents, those who kill for sport, then rationalize it as survival of the fittest. Prune your tree Shen, I'm going to go pull some weeds."
As Akali turned to leave, Shen's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"I know of your plans Akali, and Haven will not accept you. Professor Lionheart is a close friend of mine, and I will not allow you to throw away the balance you have found and maintained over your lifetime of training."
"Then I will find another way, as you taught Shen, this is my path, the path I invite any who desire true balance to follow. Noxus is a plague, one I cannot see exist without taking action any longer. The Fist of Shadow was my mother. I do things differently. I will be a huntress, and I will protect the balance, this I swear."
And with her piece spoken, Akali left the Kinkou temple, left behind the master who had taught her since she was 5, left the mother who passed on her title to her. Left the grave marker she had made for her father because the order refused to after he was declared dead after Zed led his strike against the Kinkou.
Akali left with her head held high and a purpose to guide her, much like the mighty dragon tattooed to her back, a legend told to her many times by her father as a child, her only true memory of the man called Tahno.
Beacon Academy still had a week until their combat trial, and it would be easy to get there in time, her first step to restoring the imbalance she saw in the world.
Western Tip of Mistral, Ionian land
"Though we stand at the crossroads, our paths do not cross, though we sit and rest, our hearts are weary."
Taliyah could only groan as her teacher once again tried his hand at waxing poetry. Though he was skilled in a great many fields, Taliyah had seen him put his foot in his mouth on countless occasions, usually when trying to slip past guards.
Granted, she wasn't much better, all things considered, rarely did she say anything to improve the situation. Like master like student.
"Once again master, your words simply tie you in circles, you sound like how one of my weavings looks." Taliyah shot back, drawing a soft laugh from Yasuo, the man who had saved her from being a Noxian child soldier, the man who had taught her to wield her powerful semblance without harming others unintentionally.
To Taliyah, Yasuo was the father she wished she had been born too, not a man who would sell his own daughter to Noxus and ship her to another continent.
"Well, speaking has never been my greatest talent." Yasou replied, drawing a small tea set from his bag, quickly going about to make a pot for them to share. This was one of the many peculiarities Taliyah had picked up from her master, and one of the few she knew wasn't a bad habit. Everytime they stopped on their journey, teacher and student would share a cup of tea, and discuss the nature of things, and where they would wander too next.
It was a time Taliyah had always looked forward too.
"You have grown all these years Tali, you are no longer the small child who clung to me at every cold breeze."
"Of course master, I was from Vacuo, I hadn't adapted to the climate of Mistral yet, I was always freezing." Taliyah responded, rolling her eyes and holding out her soft earthen cup for Yasuo to pour her some tea.
"That's true I suppose." Here the mna paused to take a sip of his own cup, relishing in the flavor of his own make. "Once again, I can confirm, tea making is another talent that evades me."
Here Taliyah didn't even try to stifle a giggle as she watched her master's lips twist at the flavor of his own tea. Taliyah had grown to enjoy Yasuo's strong and bitter tea, it's earthy tones one of the few reminders of her first home, of the cresting dunes and cliff peaks at the edge of the seemingly endless sand. Although there were few pleasant memories of the place, she would always cherish her memories of the desert itself, of the land and how it spoke to her, even before her aura had been unlocked.
"But tea aside, we have wandered here for a reason, and as I said before, we lay at a crossroads." Yasuo's tone was serious, lacking the usual airiness that he wore like armor. "You are strong Tali, you can do so much for the world with that strength, things you can't do by wandering with me." And there was the blow, Taliyah had known it was coming soon, each year, Yasuo would try to convince her to set out on her own, that he had nothing left to teach her, that she could not grow by depending on him. A notion that was ridiculous to Taliyah, but before she could again voice these thoughts, Yasuo stopped her with a wave of his hand.
"I know your protests Tali, but first listen, then decide." Taliyah only nodded at her master's insistence. Yasuo reached into his well worn shirt and pulled from over his head the necklace Taliyah had seen him wearing since the day they had first met. It was a simple chain, worn and sturdy. The charm attached at the center wasn't metal, but rather a single maple seed.
"In the sword temple where I first learned, the gifting of a maple seed was the highest lesson in humility that could be offered. It was a sign that no matter what you thought you were, you were still but a simple seed, waiting to grow into what you truly can become. My brother gave me this seed when we were both students. My arrogance had gone to my head, and though he tried, his gift did not reach me. My arrogance led to both his death and my master's. It was only then that I learned the lesson meant to be taught by this little seed."
Taliyah knew her master's story, his innocence and pain. He had first told her when she was 13, his first attempt to convince her to leave him, but all it had done was harden Taliyah's stony resolve to stay with her master, because she now knew that no matter how much she needed him, he needed her, a friendly face to cherish and a voice to answer back his many musings. An anchor in his windswept world.
"I now pass this seed onto you, not as a lesson in humility, but rather one of acceptance. It is time for you to move on Taliyah. I will always be here wandering, even if I were to be cleared of all charges this very moment, I would continue to wander as I do now. This is the life I have chosen for myself, and one I wish to continue, but this isn't the life for you. You dislike combat, but you wish to help others. You know restraint that many in our world don't. You would make a fantastic huntress, a team leader I'd bet, but you can't do that here, please Tali, take the next step."
The emotion in Yasuo's words told Taliyah he thought the idea of leaving her as repugnant as she did, but he did make a point. She did wish to help others, in every village they passed through, Taliyah would help the women treat illnesses, would act as a midwife, for both people and livestock. She would join men in hunting for game, and would defend the village people against the creatures of grimm. And she could do more as a huntress.
Carefully taking the necklace from Yasuo's outstretched hand, Taliyah carefully pulled it over her own head, feeling the maple seed rest on her chest. Running her fingers over her new acquisition, Taliyah nodded to Yasuo, her unspoken agreement to move on, to find a place to help others, a place to grow into a huntress.
She knew she wouldn't be returning to Vacuo, as much as she enjoyed the land, the memories there were unpleasant. Atlas was also out. Far too cold for Taliyah's liking, not to mention that militaristic Atlas academy wouldn't have the tools to properly teach a dust enchantress such as herself. Haven was an option, but Taliyah held great dislike for both factions, bloody Noxians and 'justified' Ionians both. Which left one option.
"Beacon Academy, in Vale." Taliyah said, finishing her tea.
"Yes, I thought that might be your choice." Yasuo said with a chuckle, finishing his own tea with a grimace. "Which is why we are here. To the north lies a port town, with a ship leaving for Greater Vale tonight, and I just happen to have a ticket for it here." Yasuo said with an easy smirk, holding up the stub of paper that would allow Taliyah to cross the ocean to Vale.
"A crossroads after all huh." Taliyah joked taking the piece of paper from her teacher, a soft laugh echoing from her lips.
"You've been a good companion on my journey Tali, but yours is just beginning. And just as the sky meets the earth, so to shall we meet again." Yasuo smirked and Taliyah laughed.
"You can count on that old man, I'm going to beat you in a spar one of these days, bring you back down to earth." Taliyah said with a smirk, rising from her seated position even as Yasuo remained seated, pouring himself a second cup of tea.
"You can try little stone, you can try."
And with that, Taliyah gave a soft tap of her foot on the ground and a shard of earth rose under her feet. "You better not let your negativity attract any more grimm than it already does old man." Taliyah called as her stone shard quickly carried her north and away from her teacher.
"And you better not get pickpocketed, again!" Yasuo's voice carried over the wind as the teacher and student separated for the first time in 12 years. Both using the wind to hide their tears.
"Do me proud Taliyah, you've got a long road ahead of you, and if that doesn't suit you, you can always make your own." Yasuo said with a chuckle, getting up slowly and repacking his tea set and heading the same direction Taliyah just left in. By the time he arrived though, she would be long gone.
And for the first time in 12 years, Yasuo the Wanderer got absolutely plastered. It wasn't right for one to force their daughter to drag their drunken ass home after all.
Order of Shadow Compound, Ionian territory, Mistral
Strength came from mastering oneself, this was what had always been taught to Shieda Kayn, and up to this point he thought he had mastered himself completely. From the first moment a Noxian had tossed him into an arena, shoved an old farm scythe into his hands, and told him to survive, he had been the weapon that had killed that day.
He was the weapon that Master Zed found and took in as a son, and he was the one who would go on to master not only his semblance, but every weapon available within the Order of Shadow.
And it was the arrogance of these successes that led to his downfall, the deceptively simple weapon in his hands sending waves of pain through his body, yet only silent screams were released.
Slowly, like a wild beast awakening for the first time, the eye at the head of the scythe Kayn had found locked in the deepest dungeon of the Order vault, opened.
It has been so long since I have feasted, and what a feast you shall be boy
A twisted and ancient voice rang through Kayn's head and confirmed his suspicion of what this weapon was, one of the ancient three, one of the Darkin.
So you've heard of us boy, good, then you know the abyss that awaits you, and the blood shed I shall unleash because of your folly.
Kayn felt his left arm begin to burn as his skin melted off his flesh, and flesh rotted off his bones. In their place grew a stronger muscle, a harder skin.
Kayn heard the darkin grimm within the scythe laughing as he felt the corruption finish with his arm and begin to spread into his head and torso.
"NO! I WILL NOT BE CONTROLLED BY A TOOL! YOU ARE NOT A WEAPON DARKIN, YOU ARE MY TOOL, AND I WILL WIELD YOU!"
With a cry of rebellion tinged with arrogance, Kayn slammed the full force of his aura and semblance into fighting the corruption spreading throughout his body. The sheer power of the darkin blade nearly overwhelming both his mind and soul. But Kayn held strong.
"This power will be mine, you say you will corrupt me, but you are a means to an end, you are a tool." Kayn's aura was holding back the corruption, but it was his semblance that did the real work. Among all the members of the Order of Shadows, his was the semblance that made him most fit to be an assassin, a weapon. And it was why he KNEW he could control this tool.
Your will is strong boy, but I have waited centuries to be free, what's a little longer.
The darkin was confident, good, overconfidence was a weakness, one Kayn just took a large lesson in. Even as he thought that, he felt the pressure from the blade lessen, the sickly red glow diminishing to barely a light coming from the single eye at the heart of the scythe.
"You say you have time, but it is you who will fall to me, both of us are racing against the other, your strength versus my will, I wonder which will win." Kayn said smugly, feeling the power his semblance had absorbed from the blade. Unseen by him, a strand of his hair glowed a light blue, the stolen energy filling his body.
We shall see boy, we shall see.
Now that Kayn had a moment to collect his thoughts, he knew he could no longer stay with the Order, with his Master Zed. He had broken into the deepest of vaults and potentially endangered all of Remnant by awakening one of the ancient Darkin. Grimm so old they evolved and developed their own aura, their own abilities. It took dozens of trained huntsmen to even match a single darkin, and any grim nearing the age was targeted without extreme prejudice.
There was a reason why Crucible was uninhabitable for humans, for too long grimm were allowed to remain there, and darkin formed.
Only three darkin were known to exist off of Crucible, the three ancient weapons. The blade, the bow, and the one he now held in his hands, the scythe.
Once geist grimm, they aged to the point where they truly became the items they possessed, and from those items, could possess the weapon's wielders to gain a true form for themselves.
Very good boy, your master has taught you well, but you still underestimate my power.
"Silence tool, you are mine, I will consume your strength and prove my own." Kayn scoffed, examining his body now that the pain from the corruption had ceased.
His left arm, once the epitome of human strength, had been remade. His flech a sickly maroon and partially exposed. His skin was now a dull turquoise, and harder than armor. The corruption stopped at his shoulder, but he would need to hide his condition if he were to go out in public.
A simple wrap of bandages would do, to cover both his arm and the eye of the scythe. His time for training was over, his time to struggle was to begin. He was going to prove his existence to the world. He was going the slaughter the grimm, the white fang, and the Noxians. Their blood would coat his balde.
Good boy, let their blood flow and strengthen me. The undoing draws near.
"Yes, yours." Kayn replied simply, picking up the darkin blade and dropping it into his shadow, keeping it out of sight, and ready to be drawn at a moments notice. It wouldn't do for someone to recognize the ancient blade as he made his was to Vale. Beacon Academy was touted as the strongest of the four great huntsman schools, and he would accept no less than the best. He had even heard one of the dueling champions had declined the invitation to Haven in favor of Beacon. That would be a fight to enjoy, the blood to spill….
No, not blood, these thoughts weren't his. Shieda Kayn knew his own mind, and he was not a mad butcher, he was an assassin, if he were to fight, it would end in a single blow. These thoughts, this blood lust, they were darkin's.
You truly are perceptive boy. It might just be fun to break you after all. For providing me entertainment, I shall give you the name of your future master, I am Rhaast.
Kayn gave a smirk as he left the vault, the cool wind flowing off the nearby ocean passing through his long braided hair. Finally this darkin was taking him seriously.
Good. Kayn didn't want the road to strength to be too easy.
Zaun slums, Lesser Vale city
While he might appreciate and enjoy spending time with his friends and fellow rebels, Ekko was also an individual who cherished his alone time.
So when walking into his workshop's inner sanctum after a long night of scrapyard raiding, the last thing he expected to see was a tall man sitting in his chair, taking a nap.
Slowly raising his blade, Ekko prepared to strike the man, to get him out, when one of his eyes opened and a smirk formed on his face.
"Found you."
That was enough to unnerve Ekko, his off hand straying to the ripcord on his Zero Drive, ready to start his greatest accomplishment at a moments notice.
"No need for that, not here for any nasty business like most would be, I just got a few questions for you." the man said in a drawl, his red eyes flicking over Ekko's tensed form.
"Then ask them." Ekko responded curtly, activating his semblance as discreetly as he could, letting his dark eyes glow softly and almost unnoticeably. He could feel it, this was an opponent he would need every advantage against if they came to blows.
"There's been rumors going on for years now, about a certain Zaun gangs that acts wildly different from the other gangs. They never graft tech onto themselves, they never dope on chem drugs, they never start fights, they mostly steal from scrap yards, and they have never had a member captured." The man said, still relaxed in Ekko's old recliner that he'd fished from a dump.
"They sound like small business, nothing a huntsman should be getting worried over." Ekko responded, keeping his face neutral. A bark of laughter was his response.
"That is what it sounds like, but there's two small details I forgot to mention. One, every member of the group are children. And two, while they never start fights, they always finish them, and only their leader ever fights. That sounds like a dangerous individual that requires attention, doesn't it." the huntsman answered, his arms stretched above his head as he casually got up from his seat. His weapon now in view strapped to his back, tucked under a worn cloak.
"And what does all that have to do with you here in my workshop." Ekko challenged, already knowing the answer, he had told his friends that leaving his mark behind would bite them in the ass, but they had scoffed and said it was long since time he left his mark on the world, almost like his parents said of him.
"We both already know the answer to that, the real question now is what happens ne-..." As the huntsman began to speak, Ekko quickly cut him off by leaping forward, pulling the ripcord on his Zero Drive as he went, locking in the dimensions of the paradox to the workshop only, and swung his glowing blade at the huntsman's ribcage.
With a practiced draw and flick, his opponent's weapon elongated into a sword and blocked the attack.
"You're gonna have to-..." Once again Ekko's attacks cut the man's speech off, knowing his opening blow would be a failure, he flickered forward in a series of 'randomized' movements to throw the huntsman off his back, preventing a large number of well practiced counter strikes Ekko already knew the man had ready, he could see them.
What Ekko didn't expect though, was to trip on a loose blueprint he had left on a workbench when he landed on it, causing him to slip and the huntsman to pounce at the opportunity with his sword.
Before the strike landed, Ekko quickly hit the switch on his dominant hand and, suddenly, he was charging the man again, who was just rising from his chair.
This time, Ekko aimed his strike at his opponent's dominant arm, preventing him from drawing his weapon as smoothly as usual, jarring his shoulder as the gravity dust enhanced blow struck against the man's aura.
Quickly darting backwards the man rolled his shoulder as his weapon elongated once again. "You're gonna have to-..." he started to say when Ekko once again dashed forward, falling into a duck and roll, his bat primed to swing at the man's knee caps, when his glove caught on a piece of loose scrap metal that was scattered around his workshop, an opportunity his opponent jumped to capitalize on.
Only for the two to return to their starting position.
It took three more resets for Ekko to realize that the 'bad luck' he had been having with his usually flawless maneuvers were actually the work of his opponent.
It took another four for Ekko to realize this wasn't a fight he could win, not with his current ability level, no matter how many tries he had, the man's semblance was too unpredictable. He could perform the same maneuver a hundred times, and it would protect him differently every time.
From there it only took two resets to get the man to start bantering. Another five after that to get his purpose for being there.
And after the 17th reset, Ekko flicked the hidden switch on his other glove to end the paradox. His Zero Drive's soft whirring quieting to barely a hum.
"...what happens next." The huntsman, now revealed to Ekko as Qrow Branwen, one of the specialists of Vale, finally finished his sentence.
"Well, I know I can't beat you Qrow Branwen, the Scareqrow, specialist of Vale and scythe user, but I won't allow you to go after my friends, the Lost Children of Zaun need to remain that. Lost. But I am unsure how you plan to get me into Beacon. I don't have records from a combat school and the combat test was two days ago, not to mention, I'm two years too young to apply."
Qrow Branwen blinked, his hand falling away from his weapon as a thin smirk formed across his face. "So the rumors are true then, the reason behind the symbol, the leader of the Lost Children has never lost a fight, he does the impossible on his first try every time. You don't lose fight because you choose not to fight the ones you can't win."
"To be fair, you're only the second person to force me to choose not to fight." Ekko sniped back, weapons relaxed, but body still tense.
"Ekko, son of two 'true Zaunites' who chose to rid themselves of a family identity and embrace individuality, noted above genius level intellect in the one year you spent to finish all basic required schooling. Leader of the Lost Children of Zaun, the only noted peaceful gang of Lesser Vale, and most famously, the Boy-Who-Shattered-Time." Qrow finished, eyeing Ekko's Zero Drive with unmasked curiosity.
"A title I had thought I had kept my face away from." Ekko said with a sigh.
"Those who are more than others always rise to the top, no matter how they try to hide it. While most are after your persona because they think you have created time travel tech, I think it's your semblance, and tech has nothing to do with it. How many times did you fight me before you called it quits?"
"Seventeen, although I knew I couldn't win after nine." Ekko admitted, letting his guard fall even further. While Qrow Branwen was a formidable man, he was also kind, unlike many others who frequented the streets of Zaun, revealing a few things to him wouldn't hurt in the long run.
"More than I thought. Obviously there are restrictions, but I'm not here about that. I'm here to get you off the streets and into Beacon, which you already know. The how is rather simple. Every year, Beacon takes in 20 new first years out of the hundreds of applicants they get. Some based on combat school records, and others based on the combat trials for those who grew up outside the kingdom proper. But every year, at least two of the twenty spots are reserved for students recommended by huntsman and huntresses. It doesn't matter their age, all that matters is skill. Some years more than two recommended are let in, some years there's none recommended at all. But I know for a fact only one has been recommended this year and with classes starting in two days, my word will get you through the door."
Qrow's response was clear, and Ekko knew there was a was a catch, there always was.
"Normally I wouldn't bother, but the higher ups feel something is going to happen soon, and having someone like you on the streets is just giving them a target. The plan is to station a few more huntsman under huntress Vi and her team here in Zaun, if you go, I can ensure your friends will be kept safe, without you around, they're just small fries to groups like the White Fang." And there it was, they were scared of what would happen if terrorists could use time to their advantage, and they had sent Qrow to prevent that from happening.
"Alright I'll go, but you're coming home with me to explain to my parents why I won't be around, and you're not gonna tell them about what I do when they're busy at one of the factories." Ekko countered, holding out his hand to shake with Qrow.
"Deal kid, but if you want to stay hidden, either don't put your symbol around, or don't tattoo it to your face." Qrow said with a laugh returning handshake with a lazy hand.
Ekko could only groan and roll his eyes. He told her a tattoo was a bad idea, but did she ever care, nope, not at all.
She was right about one thing at least, tattoos were very good at hiding scars.
Ekko rolled his shoulders as he led Qrow out of his workshop, the man following with hunched shoulders and hands deep in his pockets. At least his parents would be proud, they had always wanted the best for him, knew he was destined to make something of himself in this world. Ekko had never shared that vision, but maybe, just maybe, his image of himself and his parent's would align, and he might be able to do a little good in the world by going to Beacon.
Only time would tell.
Just another story idea I had knocking around in my head. I've got a bunch of stuff like this where only one or two chapters is written before my focus shifted elsewhere. And I've decided it's doing nothing for me just sitting in a google drive folder. So throwing my ideas out to sink and swim here we go.
I completely melded Remnant and Runeterra, which was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I even found a map of Remnant online and drew all over it with labels for what areas are what in relation to the League of Legends world. I've got ideas for where a lot of different League champions will fit in, but any ideas that are thrown my way in a review will be considered.
I know there weren't many RWBY characters in this chapter, but these 8 will be melded with the RWBY world in the next chapter, in theory at least. As far as power scaling goes, I've been translating the league champions into RWBY power levels, which is harder than you'd think, but it's working so far.
Probably will be a month before I update this again. Magical Sense is priority 1 at the moment, but that's been fighting me to rewrite. After that comes Trickster, which is coming a lot easier at the moment. Then there's this, which is probably more of a pet project than anything.
Happy Reading -Centurion Africanus