Author's Notes: *Everything is dark. No sound, nothing to see. Nada. Then, a voice speaks*
Hello lovelies... It's been a long time coming (about six months) but today I'm finally releasing it... the sequel you've all been waiting for... *A fanfare of trumpets starts to play, notes surging through the air as the sky lights up with the bangs of fireworks in all colours. Then, in a fiery pillar of awesome, I appear*
Hello there people! Vex here with the long awaited sequel to Pyrrha and the Idiot! No no, please, no need to stand up. *Bows repeatedly* Thank you! Thank you! You're too kind!
...
Too much? Eh, screw it, after this chapter I'm gonna do whatever I want. Speaking of doing whatever I want, this chapter - nay, this whole story - is going to be a bit different to the last. I began building to the style this one is going to take in the last few chapters, but this is going to be an ensamble cast story. That means not just focusing on Pyrrha. I've set it up and now it's time to see if I can pull off this shindig.
I won't say it's perfect - far from it in fact - but I'm pleased with this being the introduction to the next part of this story. Oh, and of course, if you haven't yet, I'd suggest going back and giving the first story a read before coming onto this one.
Anyway, rather than babble on anymore, I'm just going to let you get stuck in. I hope you enjoy this debut chapter, and I'd love to hear what you think of it.
Let the show begin! Vex out!
Our Covenant - Mission One: Signal the Start
The endless maze. The dream that she could never escape from: room after room in a continuous sequence of repetition. It always began the same: she was sat in a bright room, illuminated by a chandelier hanging in the middle, adorned with long thin candles, burning bright. She would pass through the single door from which she could exit, in search of something unknown.
The hallway beyond was narrow, made longer by the plain lines of wallpaper to either side, with only two doors on either end. Singular lamps hung on the walls at perfectly spaced intervals, as though to measure the passage between rooms. She knew the distance between each one was approximately seven steps – she had memorized it over her countless visits. With no other choice, she would move into the next room.
This one was much the same with its sparse décor – a simple wooden table being the centrepiece on display. It was here that the choosing began. Three doors to the left, right and ahead greeted her, begging to be chosen to hold her hand, if only for a brief moment. It wouldn't matter which she chose – they all led the same way.
And so began the repeating pattern of room and corridor, identical to the smallest detail. The light was the only thing to change. Each door that she passed through caused one candle to extinguish, the wax melted down into white stalactites, the wick burned to ash. The others remained untouched, flickering away in a suspended bubble of time. But still, every door that opened left one more light eliminated. Backtracking made no difference. A room she had been in previously would still be that little bit darker.
And that was where the fear came in.
As the darkness encroached on her journey she found her feet moving faster, breaking into a frantic run that was supposed to outrun the shadows. The faster she ran, the faster the darkness grew. The thought had occurred to just stay still, but something deep in her gut told her that would attract something even more distressing.
And so she ran. She ran as fast as her short legs could take her, bursting through one door after another until there was but one light left. This was where she always hesitated. One more door and the darkness would have her; it would drag her into a world of sensory deprivation where nothing exists. That room was the final frontier, the threshold between her and the abyss. But still, she grasped that dull door handle as she always did, and passed through, in search of that thing she had lost.
Her eyes widened at what greeted her. Not the pure, unadulterated black that she had expected. It was white. Deep, opaque white ran across the floor as far as the eye could see. This was strange. It was new. It was… terrifying.
The dream never changed. Years had passed and the sequence of events had never altered even the slightest. Right now she should be smothered, kicking and screaming out, choking in the unseen hands that grabbed at her and pulled her down into the murky depths. But she wasn't. She stood in the hollow shell of a world bereft of any matter. It was terrifying… and exciting.
The door waited behind her, a last offer to leave the unknown dimension she had just entered. Eventually it turned into just a small speck in the distance. Then it was gone, committing her to the void.
The void however, had no intention of staying empty for long. The floor began to deviate from its smooth nothing, raising and dropping unevenly. The ground crunched beneath her boots, the prints of her boots the only thing left in her wake. Breath came out in small puffs of mist, a chill running through her body. She stopped and squinted, trying to focus on the horizon. The frosty air was crackling in a rapid frequency, the sound becoming louder and clearer with each second. Soon, the crackles turned to crunches, and approaching was its source.
A grey, faceless phantasm, slight of build and running straight for her. A crack appeared where its face should have been, and a single word began to echo, rippling through the world.
''Die!''
Her hand shot to her hip and grabbed at thin air. She never had her weapon in the dreams. Why would that change now? Anything that could empower her was taken away, and so she turned and ran as fast as her legs could move, all the while the chanting chasing her, closing in.
A searing pain across her back sent her sprawling to the ground. Red droplets stained the ground. She rolled onto her back, the damp clothing pressing against her flesh. The phantasm stood above her, a long, straight-edged knife in his hand. The course crack of a mouth curved at the edges – a look of glee emanating as he raised his blade.
Her eyes slammed shut as the silver flash descended.
She waited for the inevitable strike.
A wave of hot liquid flushed over her.
But no pain.
She opened her eye a crack to almost be blinded by a bright yellow light, blazing hotter than the sun. Boiling red liquid seeped from where the knife had pierced the light's chest, peeking through her defender. The light grabbed the arm of the phantasm tight, before swinging with all its force through a swift right hook.
The phantasm vanished in a flash, but the girl still wanted to scream. She wanted to scream, to cry until her voice broke and her tears were drained. But she couldn't. All she could do was lay there as the yellow light turned and smiled at her, before erupting in a great golden burst.
The pain in her back disappeared and the girl was able to stand, albeit on shaky legs. A warm calm pulsed through her body like a heartbeat, a pair of protective arms wrapped around her from behind. That feeling disappeared in an instant though.
She turned. Behind her, tearing through the ground was a deep, black crevasse. The world had been ripped in two all the way into the distance and beyond. The ground began to rumble as the hole widened, inch by inch. A claw reached out and grasped onto one edge, then another to the other. They pushed, widening the rift with brute force, and a huge dark mass broke through. Its thick, winding tail slammed into the ground, tearing up chunks as its head reared in a mighty roar. Time slowed to a crawl as the scaly creature's great jaw inched forward and observed her with gleaming yellow eyes.
Through its agape rows of teeth a green light emanated, building up. Rearing back and swinging back again, a wave of white flame spouted forth, looking to wash the girl away. At that moment, a crimson figure threw itself in front of her, arms spread wide. As this newcomer took the brunt of the attack, the girl found her voice return.
As the icy flames overwhelmed them, the girl let out a scream.
''Mom!''
She shot up in bed, drenched in a veil of cold sweat.
Her ragged breath heaved in her chest. Claustrophobia zoned in, the plain white walls of the room seeming to construct her torso. It was the same every time, and so she would deal with it the same way. A quick glance at the clock sitting on the bedside table and she rolled off the mattress, leaving the blanket sprawled on the floor, and shuffled to the bathroom.
Warm water gave her no relief on mornings like this – only water the temperature of the Atlas tundra could wash away the residue of a night's horror. Goosebumps coated every inch of her fair skin as the minty gel was rubbed in, bubbling everywhere she could reach. The lather would stay as she ran shampoo through her short hair; brush her teeth to remove that awful taste of morning breath. Spit. Using the shower head as if it were a brush, she would let it glide across her body, washing off the shower gel.
In the steamy bathroom she could cleanse herself of the physical effects, but her mind was a bit more difficult; that overbearing weight that sat in her head, knocking around with every step, pounding on her brain with no mercy. That was something you couldn't scrub off.
She pulled her head through the hooded jumper and tightened her belt around her waist. She grabbed the weapon that sat on the side and looked it over. It shined just as it had last night after the daily polish. Pulling it close to her chest she breathed in deep, feeling her heartbeat resonate with the smooth steel that was her most trusted and reliable companion. There was no chance of this one leaving her.
Leaving the confines of her room she began her ascent, racing up staircases, screeching across landings and along hallways until reaching an open-aired portion of the roof. She could go higher but there would be no point - more distance would just mean she'd be less accurate. This was a place usually off limits to students, a small platform with no railings where one could easily look down upon the area below.
She prepared and set her sights on the action below.
The grunts of combat mixed in with the occasional clash of metal as the two girls below fought. As the brawler's punch was about to land, her opponent disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a shadow for the attack to sail through. Using her momentum, the brawler was able to roll forward, dodging the cleaver's slash that came from behind. With a crack from her gauntlets she shot back, a vengeful fist looking for its target.
The air of dawn still held the chill of early fall as it brushed the sniper above. From behind the academy stray streaks of sunlight began to wake from the slumber of night. The trigger felt smooth, coiled around her finger, inviting it to twitch, to intervene.
She heeded the call, letting her eyes slide shut, blocking out the world and its senses. Find your centre. Calm your breathing. Let nothing distract you. Her heartbeat pulsed in her ears as a steady countdown, when the image of white flames engulfing her returned. The image disappeared in the snap of gunfire, letting bullets loos in a trio.
They whizzed through the air towards their target, only to be blocked by a wall of ice erupting from the ground.
The sniper leaped from her vantage point just in time to avoid the sting of a rapier from above. Flicking her gun out to the side it unfolded. She took the handle into both hands evenly spread as the blade of her scythe leapt out, clawing into the ice to slow her descent. She landed on one knee next to faunus clad in black.
''Sorry I'm late.''
''Don't worry about it.''
The blonde brawler shot them a playful smirk at the attack's failure, before addressing the white figure that landed beside her with the grace of an angel. ''Thanks for the save, Princess.''
''You owe me for that one. Pay more attention next time.''
''You got it,'' she smirked as she threw herself forward once again, looking to land a hit on the ladybug pair. Her attack missed again, and she raised her gauntlets just in time to deflect the blows of sword and scythe. A hailstorm of icicles whizzed around her, forcing her faster opponents to dodge again. ''Are you two gonna keep running all morning, or are we going to have a fight?'' She slammed her fists together, rearing to let loose.
Her partner slid low, the bow in her hair twitching in muted excitement. She returned the taunt with a sly smirk, snapping the sheath off her cleaver, revealing the blade beneath, and gripping the sheath in her spare hand. ''Movement is just as important as power in combat Yang, you should know that.''
''Oh, look at the kitty getting sassy with me. Alright Blake, round two, let's go!'' At that moment, a bell rang from inside the building, eliciting a groan from Yang. ''Aww man, really?''
''Afraid so. Training is over for today ladies!''
A tall man stood at the top of the steps that lead back into the academy. He was tall, with a slim body that hid the great strength that he held within. He wore his usual jacket of black leather, heavy black boots tapping down the steps as he approached. His raven hair had begun to take on a grey tone over the years, but still, Qrow Xiao Long, lead weapons engineer of Signal Academy, looked as full of life as ever. ''Not bad though, you girls have gotten better - all thanks to Qrow's Summer Training Camp of course!''
''You call it training camp; I call it palming off your work on others.'' Signal Academy offered extra summer courses to any students who chose to stay rather than go home for the holidays. Qrow would oversee this while using any of the older students who also stayed to act as leaders for the activities. This system was changed slightly when he realized he had four able-bodied Huntresses-in-training coming to stay.
''Hey, that's just good use of resources.'' The grin aimed at his daughter was the same one he used whenever they shot comments back and forth, with him usually emerging the victor.
Yang took it in jest, mirroring his expression.
Qrow stepped past three of the team and loomed over their leader, and youngest member. ''As for you, young lady, what time do you call this?'' Usually, she would follow in the blonde's lead, taking up the man's challenge, returning the goading with great fervor.
This time, Ruby Rose simply bowed her head. ''Sorry, I overslept.''
An innate sense sparked in Qrow's skull and his glee fell. Looking over his shoulder, he addressed the other three. ''You guys go to your rooms and get started packing, you don't want to be late – Yang, when you're finished get started on Ruby's bags please. Ruby, come with me.''
Ruby fell in step behind her uncle, moving ahead of the rest of her team without saying a word. She followed his lead through the academy that had been her home for the majority of her life. In that time routines were easy to make, and she didn't have to ask where they were destined, entering the elevator. With the smooth mechanical movement of the pulley cable, their box rose through the structure to the second highest level of the building.
The room you stepped out into was the generic office you would expect of the head of a school – if a bit more homey than the one at Beacon. A polished desk of darkened wood curved around the chair that the headmistress would sit while working – currently vacant. Beside the desk sat a large dog basket, the cushions stuffed inside threatening to spill over their thatched boundaries.
Several doors lead off from the room, building the office into one room of what was essentially a high-class apartment. Through the door to the right there came the excited yapping of a dog, followed by a woman's voice. ''You want this, do you?'' A single yap followed as though in response to the question. ''Alright then,'' the woman laughed. ''Go fetch!''
A generous leg of meat on the bone flew out of the kitchen, followed quickly by a blur of black and white fur, which leapt into the air, catching its target with conditioned precision between its jaws. Taking a mighty rip at the meat, the dog started inhaling its prize. A few bites in it froze, looking up at the two new arrivals through black beady eyes, sparkling with innocence. He barked happily at them.
''Hmm, what're you barking at now, Zwei?'' Through the door to the kitchen stepped out a woman, wiping her hands off. Seeing Ruby and Qrow, she just smiled and nodded. ''Ahh, I thought this might happen. Come on through, sweetie.''
Accepting the invitation, Ruby entered the kitchen and took a seat on one of the stools at the island counter. The room was rich with the scents of a productive morning: fresh bread and coffee, the piping hot mass of a Boarbatusk, one of its legs held in the jaws of Zwei. When the headmistress of Signal wasn't doing her usual job, it was a safe bet that she would be in here, cooking up a storm of delights unlike any other.
Crossing the room, she opened the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk, and poured out a large glass. She set that in front of Ruby, along with a plate of fresh cookies; they were still warm enough for the chocolate within to be just a bit melty – absolute perfection. She looked over the teenage girl to the man and dog waiting in the doorway and gave them a warm grin. ''You boys might want to go take a walk.''
Qrow and Zwei shared a look and both released a deep breath of exaggerated disappointment. ''Fine, I have stuff to do anyway. Come on fella, let's give the girls their privacy.'' Zwei barked his agreement and they walked away, the elevator doors closing in the other room.
''How did you know?''
''Ruby, you always have these dreams whenever you have to leave here. It's been a pretty peaceful few weeks so it seemed likely to be today. Even if it didn't happen, you could have just taken them with you.'' She gave Ruby a conspirital wink, as though to say it was their little secret.
It was always like this. She would have a nightmare and her aunt would always instinctively know, and would always be ready to comfort her. Even when she was a kid and sleepwalk, waking up in the middle of a darkened corridor somewhere in the school, she would be ready, appearing in her nightgown with baked treats to calm her niece.
''So, tell me what happened.''
Sat at the window-side desk, Blake scratched at her left shoulder and the upper arm that sprouted off it through one of the long sleeved shirts she had taken to wearing as of late. Despite the soft, thin material with which it was weaved, the fabric still managed to irritate her skin beneath. Catching herself, she forced her hand away, laying it flat on the desk as she forced the thought of the discomfort away, and directed her attention to what lay in front of her.
A sunbeam slowly slid across the table, trying to keep up with the journal that was always a few millimetres off. It wouldn't reach its target though - Blake would make sure of that. She had learned the hard way the side effects of leaving an open book beneath the sun too long, despaired at seeing the few faded pages in an otherwise perfect book. A book should be allowed to age naturally with grace. It's pages should be worn by the grip of an engaged reader's hands, the spine folded and cracked with the numerous reads it has had over its lifespan - not assaulted by the world, forced to give up its youth before its time.
This current journal in her anthology had first felt ink on its pages the day she first laid eyes on Beacon. That day she had lay propped up against the wall of a barn, filled with her fellow first-year student, scribbling in her first entry under the warm glow of a candelabra. Since then the pages had continued to fill steadily with her innermost thoughts, general observations, and the occasional sketch. It would be her bucket to catch any thoughts that overflowed from her mind, preventing a flood.
''Well, you finished quickly.''
Blake snapped the book shut and whipped her head around to the person who had intruded upon her private ruminations. ''Oh, Professor Xiao Long, it's you.''
''Hey, don't sound too excited, will ya? And I told you before, call me Qrow. All that Professor stuff just makes me feel old.''
''Right...'' Blake stood, turning to face her amicable host for the past few weeks. ''Is there anything I can help you with?''
''Oh, nah, not really. I was just taking Zwei for a walk.''
''I see.'' There had been a moment of great betrayal the day they had arrived at the beginning of summer, as Ruby and Yang had just happened to forget mentioning anything about the Corgi to their cat-faunus team mate. It had taken Blake some time, but she found she was now able to tolerate the dog without having to leap away whenever it appeared. ''Where is he now?''
From a room several doors down they heard Weiss' excited squeal of ''You are just the cutest thing ever!''
''Oh... just running interference,'' Qrow shrugged. He closed the door and sat on the bed, his arms folded. Dropping the smile, he got straight to the point. ''You were listening to us last night, weren't you?''
Blake's grip on the chair tightened, feeling herself cornered. With a sigh she sat back down, and admitted her guilt. ''Yes, I was. I'm sorry, it was-''
Qrow waved his hand back and forth, waving away the apology. ''Pfft, don't worry about it. If my daughter trusts you enough to let you listen then I'm not about to lecture you about it. Thank you for being honest though.'' He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. ''What did you think of it?''
''I... to be honest, I'm not sure.''
''Alright, well, do you know why I told her that story?''
''Context?''
''Exactly! I knew you were sharp.'' Qrow opened his mouth, to continue, then hesitated. A troubled look shined in his eyes for an instant as his mind scrambled for how best to follow up. ''That... might have been where all this began. No, it started way before that even... It's been building up for decades now, and I'm willing to bet things are going to only get worse from here. I hate to say it, but things are probably gonna get worse before they get better.''
Blake nodded. ''I had a feeling that might be the case. Why are you telling me this though?''
''Yang trusts you. Simple as that. That's why I can trust you to look out for each other and Ruby...'' He paused again. His eyes flicked down and then back up, locking onto Blake's. ''Be wary around Weiss Schnee.''
Blake frowned, immediately understanding his train of thought. ''Weiss isn't anything like that.''
''That's what I thought about Reiner when we were your age... I'm telling you this, and not Yang or Ruby because I think you might know what it's like to see people change - to see them become someone... or something you never thought they could be. Am I right?'' A knowing gaze pierced through her, scanning her every thought and filing through her memories at lightning pace, knowing everything about the person named Blake Belladonna. Or at least that's what it felt like.
''You and Professor Ozpin are a lot alike.''
Qrow laughed at that observation. ''I'll take that as a compliment.''
At that moment of laughter the door opened. ''Hey Blake, you done? Come and - oh. Am I interrupting something?'' Yang folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe, raising her eyebrows.
''No, we just finished actually,'' Qrow answered.
''Great! Blake, come with me and help pack Ruby's stuff. This is looking like a two-man job.'' The blonde disappeared as quickly as she appeared, beckoning her partner to follow.
Blake stood and strode across the room, pausing at Qrow's final parting statement.
''Just remember what I said, Blake.''
She spared him a momentary glance and left without saying a word.
''... can't take you with us but you are the most adorable thing to ever walk Remnant!''
Zwei adored the love being showered on him by the white haired heiress, scratching behind his ears and rubbing his sides vigorously.
It was the same thing every day, the dog's cuteness never losing that first impression it had on her. It was irresistible, that magnetic pull he had on her soul, melting the ice queen with a wag of his short, stubby tail. Weiss could get lost in his company for an eternity if she wasn't careful.
The spell cast on her suddenly snapped, and her eyes swept to the clock on the wall. Far too long had passed since the dog arrived, distracting her from the task at hand. ''I'm sorry, Zwei, I need to keep packing.'' She stood and returned to working on one of her half-full suitcases, the scattered clothes a icon of what still needed to be done. From her feet came a bark, trying to attract her attention.
''What is it?'' Weiss asked. She smiled at the lolling tongue waving up at her. ''Oh, I see. You want to help, do you?'' Another bark. ''Well, alright. Could you please bring that over here?''
The dog bounded over to the other side of the room and shoved another empty suitcase to Weiss with his head. Bouncing onto the bed, he announced the completion of his task.
''Oh, you are such a good boy!'' Weiss was banned from carrying dog treats around after the first week by Yang, for fear of making the family pet obese. To compensate, Weiss simply increased the amount of petting she bestowed on the animal. Her hands left the clothes she was folding and reached to feel that fluffy fur once more. Balancing on the precipice of a kawaii abyss, a voice saved her from falling.
''Enjoying yourselves you two?'' an amused voice asked.
Ruby grinned as she stepped into the room, as she always did whenever she saw her partner around Zwei.
''Ruby!'' Weiss immediately straightened up, pretending to clear her throat so as to regain her composure. Surprise quickly gave way to worry as Weiss recalled the sullen mood the younger girl had before being lead away. ''What was wrong earlier? You seemed upset.''
''It was... I just had a bad dream is all.''
''What was this dream about?''
''No offense, Weiss... but it's personal. I promise I'll tell you sometime, just not now, deal?'' This wasn't playful Ruby, but serious Ruby - the tone the same as that she would use when on a mission. Hearing that, there was no point in Weiss trying any more, and so she nodded out of respect for her privacy.
They stood in silence for some time, before both looking at the clock again. Their eyes bolted open and the pair scrambled, the time for their departure drawing ever closer.
The dark tunnel was silent, excluding the steady dripping of water leaking into the cavern somewhere, and the occasional sniff of the bipedal grim. The thick mask that covered the upper half of its face concealed eyes and short upturned nose. As always there were no humans, no matter where in the underground system it went. Just the other Grimm that wandered around, looking for a meal just as it did.
Another of its species stepped slowly out of one of the side paths of the tunnel. It paid this newcomer no mind. There was nothing to be gained from another of its kind if there was no fight to be had. The first Grimm just lumbered on, its hind legs taking one step after another.
In that moment a pair of jaws closed around the side of its neck, teeth tearing into the black flesh. The assailing jaws pulled hard, ripping the neck open strand by strand until all that was left was a red mess of liquid and muscle. The Grimm fell to the ground with a thud, able to see the flash of string attached to the back of the creature that had attacked it before its vision blurred and faded.
From the darkness two figures stepped forward.
''And that's another,'' the smaller of the two, a teenage boy, said. His arms were raised, fingers spread out to the Grimm with wires in it. He approached slowly until he stood at its side, and laid a hand on its back, stroking as the wires disconnected. ''Good boy.'' The poor beast had only moments to regain its awareness before a hand plunged into the back of its neck. A sharp snap and it fell just like its brethren.
''You are brutal, Adin.''
The boy, Adin, looked over his shoulder as his female partner and raised his eyebrows. The innocence of youth still played on his face. ''Dead is dead. It doesn't matter how they get killed, right?''
The elder of the pair sighed and shrugged. ''I suppose not. Come on, let us keep moving.''
At this Adin took his turn to pass judgement. ''Wait, we were told not to spend too long here.''
''We are needed at Beacon tomorrow, so there is no need to rush this. Come on.'' Without listening to another objection, she continued on.
Adin ran a hand through his bronze hair and smiled at the stubbornness of his partner, trotting after her. ''Still, I can't wait for tomorrow.''
''It will be the first time you have seen your sister in some time, correct?''
''Yeah, it's been about a year now. I can't wait to see her again.''
With that, the two teens continued their training through the derelict subterranean settlement of Mountain Glenn.
Next time, Mission Two: Guess Who's Back!?