Author Note: Greetings, my readers. My name is Cryocene and here I am, with another new story! An OC-oriented fic titled "Nightmare Angel".
I'm here with some news for those who have read my ongoing RWBY story, "Something about a Rose" and "Bring it on, our Destiny". I'm sorry, but the former will be put into a hiatus for a while. (I'm really sorry, even though in the latter's A/N I promised to continue it...)
I don't think I'll be able to handle more than three fics for now, and since I am already handling one fic outside RWBY category, I can only handle two RWBY fics and update them regularly in the future.
Also, I figured it would hone my character-creation and character-interaction skills better if I concentrated on this OC-oriented fic and the Adam x Weiss story first.
Let it be known that I don't like OCs. They tend to ruin a fan fiction, and it's typically rare for fics with OC to become anything resembling a story. But I write this story in order to test my OC's credibility to become a main character, so that I can use it in my future, actual stories of mine. This OC is basically a prototype of the protagonist for my future novels.
That being said, I'm testing her personality and character, not her backstory. So this OC's backstory isn't completely original, and relies on my own perception regarding Remnant's setting... although I would want to say with confidence that it hasn't crossed the line of unrealistic, why don't you judge it by yourself?
Note: By the way, like "Bring it on, our Destiny", this fic will make full use of lyrics of many songs, they are not mine and likely never will be, and for each chapter with them I will list them at the bottom of the chapter.
Extra Note: I'm not arrogant or ignorant enough to just ignore the reviews of my other stories. It's just I dislike to reply to the reviews in my stories... outside of that story's A/N.
Now that's done, let's do this!
It was a perpetual darkness.
In a faraway land unknown to man, with landscapes straight out of hell itself, decorated with lonely crystals on the ground and ghastly clouds on the sky, inhabited by nothing but creatures of darkness.
It was only fitting that ignorant souls would think that it was the worst place on Remnant.
They couldn't be more wrong.
Deep under the surface of the hellish land, resides a location where not even the Grimm dared to enter.
It was a prison of eternity. It was a vault of endless tears.
It was a huge chamber full of obelisks both on its ceiling and on its floor. Being black, glowing crystals, each obelisk was radiating with darkness. There was no way in or out, except by tearing the very fabric of space-time itself. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to state that the room was inside a different realm.
In its center, a Witch stood.
It was Grimm in human form. It possessed the body of a woman with the deathly pallor complexions. Purple veins were visible around her face and throughout her arms, and her eyes were those of the Grimm themselves.
Clad in a long, dark robe that gave off the impression of a twisted sorceress, and had the ornate hairstyle that resembled a queen, it was crystal clear that the Witch was not of this world.
"Rise from your slumber, my Angel."
As the Witch spoke, the obelisk closest to her began to crack soundlessly. A few moments after, the crystal shattered into pieces.
From its wake, a figure of a girl was left.
The figure appeared young, her body was small and of slim build, giving the impression of a girl in her earliest teenage years. Her hair was unkempt and messy, casting a shadow over her face.
She was lying on the floor sideways, unmoving, and without anything to preserve her modesty- revealing scars throughout her form.
Scars from various injuries -garrotes, stabs, slashes, bites, burns, frostbites, every form of wound known to man- were there, carved on her body.
"...Ugh."
The girl grunted, as if she was in pain. Slowly, she stood.
"How was your sleep?"
The Witch spoke with a surprising amount of gentleness in its voice.
"It felt like an abyss..."
The Angel replied as she looked up on the Witch.
Unlike her body, her pale face was free of scars. However, her eyes were shut tightly. After a few moments- tears of blood flowed down from it.
It was almost as if she didn't have any eyes at all, within the sockets.
The Witch continued. "I suppose it's enjoyable, then."
"Is it finally the Promised Time, my master?" The Angel asked.
"Indeed, it is."
The girl's lips instantly curved into a smile. "Oh, it's been so long..."
The Witch smiled at her.
"I'll give you the freedom to choose, Leliel Blith."
After leaving the eternal prison with her master's portal, Leliel found herself not within the familiar land of darkness, next to her master. Instead, her feet felt like she was standing on a floor of a building.
She must have sent me somewhere else, Leliel thought.
"Hello?" She spoke.
There was no answer.
She didn't need one, though. Although blind, Leliel was highly sensitive to vibrations and sounds. Using her own voice, she could perform what only certain animals and certain Faunus were capable of doing- echolocation.
She was inside her own room. The last room she slept on before being petrified in the vault of tears.
Despite being empty for decades, the room was not dirty at all. The air was fresh, free of dust. Similarly, her feet could feel no dirtiness. Every single furniture there was still in the exact same position as decades ago.
It was as if time was frozen within the room.
Turning around, Leliel stepped forward twice, and stopped before a large wardrobe.
Smiling, the eyeless girl opened the unlocked wardrobe. She didn't need to see to know what was inside: her clothes, her accessories, her weapons, and her gifts.
Undergarments; full-body suit, fingerless gloves, and high-heels made from obsidian glass residues of Volcanic Dust; a Dust Carrier Action Cloak Wings of Thorns; and lastly Salem's gifts, a pair of artificial eyes and a lyre called Nocturne.
Okay... this may take a while.
On top of a cliff within the land of darkness, Salem stood against the blood-red sunset as she waited for her underling to wear her gear.
It had taken half an hour, if she counted it right. But Salem didn't care. She had gotten used to waiting.
Patience is a virtue, after all.
"...Oh?"
The Witch turned around, noticing something even before she had turned to see it.
The Angel was right behind her -fully clothed and equipped with her black cloak- kneeling and ready for her commands.
"I see that you're done." Salem said.
"Yes, my master." She replied curtly.
Salem smiled darkly at that. Her Angel had always been the more pleasant among her pawns. Totally unlike most others -such as Cinder Fall- Leliel Blith was interesting.
She was driven not by the selfishness of greedy ambitions, nor the determination to realize hypocrite ideals- no, Leliel was more like her.
She wanted the truth to be told.
"Well?" Salem said in a challenging tone. "Why don't you leave? You know what to do."
"Master..." Leliel said in a low voice, "Are you sure to let me do this?"
"Of course. I'm giving you a chance to prove your loyalty to one of us." Salem smiled.
"I might become your enemy, master..." She said, hesitating.
"And what of it? My victory is already assured, with or without you. If you wish to remain by my side, I'll praise you for your wisdom. Even if you wish to become an enemy, it's your choice to make, and I'll praise you for your courage."
The Angel was silent for a moment.
"...Truly, you are kind, even if you say otherwise."
The Angel looked up to meet the Witch's gaze. Black and red met white and silver.
Salem smiled as the sight of her Angel's eyes. It was a gift of hers, a pair of eyes with silver irises, designed to fit into a human-sized doll.
Fitting, considering her Angel is her doll.
"I am kind?" Salem's irises radiated crimson.
"You sure know how to amuse me."
The world was red.
It was within the forest of eternal autumn. The Forever Fall.
Standing by the cliffside in the midst of the forest, a little black riding hood was having a private concert.
"We were so close together, but the twilight is of different colors now..." Leliel sang softly, as she strummed her black lyre gently.
Five years.
It had been five years since her master released her from the chamber of deep abyss.
Five years had passed since the 'Promised Time'...
And I haven't found my answer.
Nothing had changed. Not her body, and not her soul.
Her time was still frozen.
Leliel stopped strumming, and clenched her right hand.
The dark glove in her right hand was her master's parting gift. The accessory to tear a hole in time and space.
Its significance was clear to her. The gift was reminding her of one fact.
That I can return, anytime.
"Ah..."
Leliel heard something.
It was a continuous sound, one that was produced by something moving at high speeds on top of a metal rail.
What was it called again? A train, was it?
Putting her Nocturne on her back, the little girl grabbed the handles at each side of her Wings of Thorns, and widened her arms.
As her cloak -her wings- were spread, its features was seen clearly. Like its name, the edges of Wings of Thorns were rigid and sharp, formed like blades. And like its name, it carried Dust. Lots of them.
"There it is~"
Leliel jumped off the cliff, and with her wings spread... she remained airborne.
She flew.
Setting her unseeing sight on the incoming train, the angel flew right above the vehicle.
Preparing to land, Leliel slowly lowered her altitude until her feet could touch the train's floor. Right after, she let go of her cloak, and landed safely on one of the train's flatcars.
Sensing her surroundings through the vibration of her stomp, the eyeless Angel recognized some humanoid metals moving.
Hmm... what was the name of these things again?
As a large number of robots came out from the freight cars behind and in front of her, one of the robots in front of her activated the guns on its arms.
"Intruder. Identify yourself."
Leliel smirked in response.
Activating the Dusts on her Wings, the Wings of Thorns radiated with black light.
"An Angel."
Channeling the energy to the blades of the Wings, the Angel twirled and fired two crescent-shaped energy waves -one to the front and one to the back- bisecting any robots on their paths.
Taking advantage of the robots' slow response, she ran toward the freight car ahead, and twirled and crouched several times as she went past the robots -slicing them right, left, and center- before reaching the connector between the cars.
Which she quickly cut off, before jumping onto the rooftop of the freight car in front of her.
As most of the robots were left behind along with the flatcar behind her, Leliel whispered.
"Be safe..."
She turned and ran along the roof of the cargoes, passing through six freight cars before jumping onto another flatcar.
As she felt more robots rising out from their slumber there, Leliel smiled.
"Let's dance!"
The girl bisected the first robot that tried to attack her with her right Wing, before twirling and sliced another two behind her back with her Wings' swipe. After she turned, the Angel released another energy wave with her left Wing, destroying a group of robots stacked together ahead of her.
As two remaining robots with guns fired at her from a distance, Leliel covered her body with her Wings, stopping all the bullets from hitting her. As soon as the barrage stopped, she charged her blades once more and sent another energy arc- destroying the two shooters and proceeded to move forward.
As the Angel entered another freight car, within it, a large, spider-like drone climbed from the ceiling of the car, ready to fight her.
"Oh."
As the spider drone fired several beams at her, the girl dodged the various shots by zig-zagging toward the large robot.
"Let's see how tough you are..."
Leliel proceeded to quickly circle around the droid and slashed at its four legs, but it didn't seem to be damaged at the slightest.
Tough.
The little girl retreated, and charged her blades to burst open the now-locked door of the freight car, returning to the flatcar she came from.
"Eh?"
Leliel stood still as she sensed two people in front of her.
"Huh?" A male voice uttered.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Another, more feminine voice, asked.
Leliel's eyes widened in surprise as the two voices allowed her to examine the two people in front of her.
It was Adam Taurus and his pupil.
Leliel chuckled at that. That was good. You spared me the effort looking for you.
Adam spoke. "Were you responsible for cutting off those cars behind?"
Before she could answer, the spider droid entered the flatcar and fired a beam at them, forcing the three to jump in separate directions to dodge.
That ticked the Angel off.
Huh, these things do not know manners, do they?
Leliel decided to activate a different Dust from the one she had used earlier. She had been using the standard White Dust -the one used for most bullets since it creates energy beams- and the most common artificial Dust type.
How about something more natural? Leliel smirked as her cloak radiated with darkness once more.
Activating Wind Dust this time, Leliel leaped high into the air, spread her Wings, and quickly dashed twice -once to pass over the robot, the second toward the floor- landing behind the robot.
"I hope you enjoyed your ride, since you are about to end it!"
Leliel twirled as she released a large gust of wind, blowing the spided droid off the train, and into the abyss below.
Satisfied at the droid's doom, the Angel turned around again, facing her targets.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion... where were we?"
Leliel wasn't able to see their expressions, but judging from their silence it was clear that the two faunus in front of her were cautious of her.
"Who the hell are you?" Adam asked with a threatening tone.
"You are curious?" Leliel asked back with a neutral tone. "I thought you were much more aggressive than that, Adam Taurus."
"You... are you another human who wanted to recruit me?" Adam's voice sounded more annoyed this time.
That received Leliel's attention. Another? She raised a brow.
That meant Cinder had come to them... Did he say, tried? That meant Cinder hasn't acquired the Fall Maiden's power yet... Otherwise the White Fang would have submitted to her will.
Heh...
"You don't know me," Leliel frowned, "and yet you said that I'm a human? I must say that I'm quite offended."
The two faunus seemed to be surprised. Leliel didn't know, if they didn't gasp, she wouldn't know.
"What? Are you a faunus?" The girl asked, this time.
"I wonder what's wrong with all of you," The Angel chuckled, "did you think that this world revolves around you, humans and faunus?"
Well, it kinda does, but not in the way you are thinking.
The Angel charged her blades with White Dust once more, and slashed.
"Ack!"
"Ahhhh!"
Leliel smirked as she heard the sounds of a broken mask, and a scream.
Adam was caught off-guard.
"Ack!" His right hand instinctively held his face. His mask was destroyed.
How did she?! Adam widened his now exposed eyes for a moment, before throwing a glare at the little, cloaked girl in front of her.
"Ahhhh!"
Adam twitched. That was Blake's scream! Reflexively, he turned to his pupil.
Blake's head were bleeding. Her bow was gone. Did she attack her, too!?
"Oh," The cloaked girl giggled, "I missed."
Adam focused on the girl in front of her. Her stance suggested that she just slashed... twice.
He let his guard down. She released Dust in her cloak for a ranged attack while disguising it with melee stance. Just like himself with his Wilt.
Bitch!
Adam unsheathed his Wilt and slashed twice to release Dust waves at the girl, but she blocked it by covering herself with her cloak.
"...Predictable, Adam." She said, sweeping her cloak to the side. "It seems anger actually makes you weak."
Although Adam was pissed, he knew that this little bitch was right. Knowing that, Adam calmed down, and assumed his normal fighting stance.
"Come, midget." Adam taunted.
"Ha ha ha," She laughed. "I would take that as a compliment. But I'm not here to fight you."
Adam could feel his anger leaking. "You said that after you attacked us!?"
"That's because I'm not here to talk, either." Her tone became dangerously low. "That, was what I call a warning."
"Warning?" Adam raised his brows.
"Leave the White Fang."
"What?" Adam and Blake's voice became one.
Did she hear that right? This little girl... just asked her to leave the White Fang? Something she wanted to do? Blake wasn't sure she heard that right, as she was holding her wounded head. It was fortunate the girl didn't cut her cat ears off.
"You were approached by a human, weren't you?" She asked.
"How is that any of your business?" Adam replied. Damn it, Adam! We need to at least hear her first.
Blake could tell how dangerous this girl was. Her weapon was unorthodox, and she was clearly a skilled Huntress. There was no way she could win against this little girl.
Maybe Adam could beat her, but if I'm here... The possibility of herself becoming a liability was high.
"It isn't my business," Her lips curved into a frown once more. "but it is yours. I'll tell you something... she will return, and she will put you to become her slaves."
"What?" Blake was alarmed.
"Nonsense," Adam replied, "I could kill those three by myself. She couldn't possibly become strong enough to enslave us."
The girl giggled.
Blake shivered. The girl's laughter sent chills down her spine.
Are they even talking to a human?
"That's only if she, was a normal human." The little girl continued.
She drew a black lyre out, much to Blake's surprise. Is that another of her weapon?
Suddenly, Blake could feel killing intent.
Knowing the source, Blake spoke. "Wait, Ada-"
The cat girl couldn't do anything as Adam charged forward and swung his sword at the little girl, who surprisingly blocked the strike by covering her body with her cloak, staring Adam down.
"Did you think I would let you?" Adam asked venomously.
"I did not." She replied cheekily.
That moment.
Blake wanted to throw up.
"Argh!" Adam took a few steps back, rubbing his nose.
He felt like two hard objects just hit his face like a truck.
What did she shoot to my face?! Adam refocused forward.
"...What."
Adam widened his eyes in horror, seeing two bloody objects on the floor.
Eyeballs. Those were the projectiles that had hit his face.
The girl's eyes.
As Adam's eyes trailed up, the girl was smiling at him- despite the fact that nothing remained in her empty sockets.
Smiling at him, the girl slowly opened the empty holes on her face, giggling as fresh blood trailed down her cheeks.
"Surprised?"
"Wh-what the... What are you...?!"
"I don't need to answer that, I guess."
And with those words, she strummed her lyre.
Silence fell upon them.
"RRRREEEEAAAAHHHHHHH"
A massive Nevermore Grimm descended behind the girl.
"What the..." was all Adam could utter.
It was over twenty meters tall, and its wings clearly spread more than twice that length. Its dark feathers appeared dirty, worn out- signs of experience.
"Come, come, my dear~" The little girl said, in an unnerving sing-song voice.
The gigantic bird of prey stared down at him. It was not even looking at the girl underneath its legs.
Is she... commanding it!? That lyre... she used the lyre to call it?!
As Adam froze in disbelief over what he just saw, the girl continued as she casually picked up her eyes, and plucked them back to her empty sockets.
"Don't be surprised. This is just the surface of what that woman could do."
What? Controlling the very creatures of darkness was just the surface? Adam almost couldn't believe his ears.
"Now, I'm asking you... would you stay in the White Fang, after knowing who would command you... and what things she could do?"
Blake was terrified.
How could she not? In front of her, a demon clad in the form of a little girl was displaying a power that only the ultimate nightmare should possess.
And to think, that the White Fang would be controlled by someone with this kind of power... Blake couldn't imagine that.
Could she run away?
She was planning to do so- this mission was supposed to be the perfect time for her to escape from the White Fang.
But-
"No."
Adam, and the demon too, seemed surprised.
"We won't run."
"Blake?" She didn't respond to her mentor's call.
"We won't let our brothers suffer under someone with this kind of power."
Blake knew it was foolish. It would be best to just leave with Adam.
Everything was easy if you ran.
"We will not submit."
"Blake!"
Blake realized that Adam's eyes were on her. Even without contact, she already knew what he was about to say.
But she wouldn't run. She wouldn't let the White Fang be tainted further than it already was.
"Courageous..."
The two faunus became silent as the demon suddenly spoke.
"Interesting. You will fight for your freedom?" She asked, amusement clear in her tone.
"That's what we have done since the White Fang was formed." Blake replied without thinking.
"Even though you know you will die?"
"We will save ourselves, even if we have to die trying."
The demon laughed. Blake twitched at that.
"Ha ha ha...! They... they actually thought that they could make a difference!" She commented.
Blake wanted to say something. This girl was insulting the White Fang. The ideals of faunus.
If it was anyone else, Blake was sure her mentor would have her head.
That made her next words all the more unbelievable.
"Very well. Then I'll help you."
"Eh?"
The huge Nevermore behind her suddenly flew away.
"Huh?" Blake let out.
"I'll have my dear destroy this train, along with all the Dust within. I suggest you, should escape." The demon said, spreading her wings.
"What? Why?" Adam asked.
The demon chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
She proceeded to jump high, and with her wings she left them.
True to her word, the Nevermore returned at them, practically diving toward the train, aiming at the freight cars in front of them.
Blake's instincts flared. "Adam!"
"I know!"
The two faunus jumped together, and after reaching the highest height they could reach, Adam threw Blake further to reach the top of the cliffside.
As Blake landed, the law of inertia caused her to be thrown at the direction of the train's acceleration, forcing her to plant her sheath-sword on the ground to decelerate.
Blake watched as Adam drew Wilt from Blush, and used Blush's recoil to push him forward, allowing him to land on the top of the cliffside. He then planted his sword on the ground to slow down as well.
"Nice throw, by the way." Blake smiled.
"I try." Adam chuckled.
"RRRREEEEAAAAHHHH"
The two of them winced at the loud noise, as the Nevermore kamikazed toward the train, activating the Dust stored within the cargo, causing a chain reaction that completely destroyed the train.
Soaring in the skies above the Forever Fall, the dark angel flew away victoriously.
Leliel was satisifed. Her plan was not working the way she had expected.
It actually went better.
"We won't let our brothers suffer under someone with this kind of power."
"We will save ourselves, even if we have to die trying."
"Ha ha ha. Such an answer." Leliel giggled as she recalled the young faunus' answer.
She had to thank that girl. Her answer was the first step.
That was the first step toward the answer she was seeking for.
And there you go! All done! What do you think? Express your thoughts in your reviews~
I think it's obvious at this point, but I'll say it regardless. Yes, in this story, Blake didn't betray the White Fang. There's some possibility of Adam x Blake, but I'll consider that for later.
If you think that Leliel is too OP, don't worry... in terms of strength and skill, she is 'only' about an experienced hunter's level. Yes, in a straight fight, Leliel is only about as good as the likes of Qrow, Winter or Adam. It's just she can control the Grimm, like Cinder. That changes everything.
Thank you for reading... but before I forget, I would announce a poll regarding this story.
Leliel is a person. Not human, not faunus, but a person regardless.
And it is only fitting that she will have someone to be paired with.
You know where this is going. I'm going to ask your opinion, regarding who should become Liel's target of affection in this OC-oriented story. You may vote for ANYONE and for more than one person, and I WILL still be able to manage the story regardless.
Don't believe me? Why don't you vote for your favorite character and I'll show you how?
Note: The song used was "We were so close together, but..." by Rie Tanaka.