Hello everyone, and welcome to what I hope will be a successful crossover. I got this idea after playing a bit of Fable and I thought to myself 'This could make a pretty neat RWBY crossover'. I didn't act immediately and I let the idea fester a bit in my mind when I finally thought 'Hang on...this might actually work'. So I did a bit of research and at the time I thought of the idea, there were no other Fable/RWBY crossovers. So I decided to change that! Unfortunately someone else beat me to it...but that won't stop me! I decided to base the main Fable character as the Hero of Brightwall seeing as lore-wise he/she has been the youngest at roughly his/her late teens and doesn't dramatically age during the story. Their armour and weapon morphs should be obvious from the cover but their gauntlet combo is shock/inferno. Now, on with the show!
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Chapter one- Light in the Darkness
Albion was doomed. Aurora had already fallen to the Darkness, and it was only a matter of time until Albion fell too. Even if the Hero managed to unite Albion and successfully take the crown, it would only delay the inevitable.
I know that now.
It was because of my desire to bring an end to all evil that the Corruption was brought forth into this world. The Darkness soon followed, led by the Crawler, and swarmed over Aurora like a plague. Even now, the demons corrupting influence festers in the heart of the brave Sir Walter Beck, and soon it will claim Him too.
But all is not lost...at least not for Him…
My old eyes see another world, shrouded by a different yet equally deadly Corruption. I have seen the 'Hunters' of this world fight the Corruption with marvels beyond imagining, yet not even that can prepare them for what will come.
For a shadow far darker than anything they have seen dawns upon them, and they are hopeless to stop it. Even now, their servants pour their Black Magic into a vessel for this evil to inhabit and if they succeed, that world will fall. Their only hope is to stand together, yet even then victory is not assured. They need someone to inspire them, someone to unite them…
They need a Hero…
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"Are we out? Did we get away?"
The Hero covered his face as the blinding light of the sun pierced his eyes, causing him to turn slightly as they readjusted to the sudden change. As his eyes adjusted, he turned to face Walter, his own eyes shrouded in Darkness. Whatever that Thing did to him, it appeared to be permanent. He had hoped that the light of the sun would pierce the magic, yet it seemed to be ineffective.
"Yes." the Hero replied, guiding Walter through the old ruins around them. "We're safe now."
"What can you see?" Walter asked, quivering in fear as he continued to guide him.
"A desert." He swiftly replied, continuing through the ever shifting sands.
The area was a vast plane of sands that continuously blew over one another. A flight of stairs led to a small rise, where what he could only assume was the remains of some ancient altar stood. It was impossible to tell how old it was, or what its purpose was, for the ruins were just that. Ruins.
He continued to guide Walter, ascending the stairway before him as Walter coughed uncontrollably.
"I can feel the heat and the sand but...whatever that Thing did to me, it's like it sucked all the light from inside me." Walter said, pausing as he entered a coughing fit. "I still can't see anything! Just-don't let go!"
"It's okay, I'm here." the Hero said, turning as he squeezed Walter's shoulder reassuringly.
His dog, Rex, barked happily at his side as the Border Collie nuzzled Walter's hand affectionately. The Hero couldn't help but smile at the young pup's tenacity. He had half expected to lose him too in that god forsaken cave. He continued to guide Walter through the desert, his eyes set on the ancient altar above. If they could reach it, they could perhaps spot some form of civilization. He clung to the hope that perhaps someone would know how to treat Walter. He wasn't going to let him die out here.
"Be careful, there are some steps up ahead." the Hero warned, as he slowly walked up the steps, gently guiding Walter up the flight of stone stairs.
"All right." Walter sighed, taking a deep breath as he braced himself for a tumble. "Okay..."
Walter slowly placed his foot on the first step, shuffling the foot around to ensure he was standing on it properly. He repeated the step a few more times, nearly falling a few times until he reached the top where his feet purchased level ground.
Eventually, they reached the top of the altar, where another flight of stairs descending to a balcony. He continued to guide Walter down the stairway when he noticed the old knight was only getting worse. He couldn't go on for much longer.
"I'm not sure-" Walter paused as he took another deep breath, only adding more worry to the Hero's concern. "I don't know how far I can go. Are there no signs of civilization?"
The Hero walked towards the balcony, Rex planting his head in Walter's palm to let him know they were still there. He placed his hands on the balcony, leaning forward as he gazed out into the distance. A small sand flurry had begun to stir, blowing sand everywhere, making it nearly impossible to see. Then he noticed something in the distance. The outline of a large stone figure with open arms.
"There's something in the distance. It looks like an enormous statue." The Hero finally replied, squinting his eyes as he focused on the statue.
Walter suddenly began to violently cough, falling forward as he continued to spasm. A pool of mucus soon formed beneath him, a black substance dominating the bodily liquid. He was confident he also saw traces of blood as well.
"How far?" he managed to wheeze, though his voice was strained as if he had overused it.
The Hero winced as he looked at the pool before turning to face the statue. He honestly didn't know the specifics, but he knew it would be too long.
"It's going to take us a few hours..." he finally said, turning to face Walter who had managed to clamber up to the balcony and was now leaning against it, panting heavily. He turned to grab hold of his hand and continue to guide him, but was caught off guard when Walter batted his armoured gauntlet away, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"No, stop. Stop. Stop." Walter begged, his voice seemingly accepting his fate. "I can't do this."
"Of course you can!" The Hero replied, grabbing Walter by his shoulders as he turned him around. "Come on!"
"I'm...I'm too weak." Walter stated, resisting the Hero's pull as he gently pushed him back. "You have to leave me."
"No! We're in this together!" the Hero shouted, attempting to grab Walter again only for the knight to push him back again, harder this time.
"Listen to me, I can't see, I can barely stand! I-I-I won't just slow you down, I'll get you killed!" Walter reasoned, holding his hand out in a pushing motion. "You have to go on without me."
"Leave him...Let us take him..." a voice echoed in the Hero's head, causing him to furiously shake his head and clamp his eyes shut.
Part of him wanted to. Prolong his own longevity. Walter was right, he WOULD slow him down. He was on a different continent to Albion, he didn't know what he would find here. He was relatively sure that the Sand Furies from Reaver's Manor had originated from here. There were no deserts in Albion, and the architecture of their arena fitted this place.
"Let us take him...Save yourself..."
The Hero once again shook his head to be rid himself of the voices. No, he wouldn't leave Walter. Ever since his father and mother had died, Walter had treated him like his own child. He wasn't going to let him die. He looked up to see Walter still had his arm held out, ready to push him should he attempt to grab him again. He quickly grasped hold of Walter's outstretched hand and clamped down. Walter attempted to force the Hero to release his grip, but his own fatigue made the attempts seem fruitless.
"It's no use, you can't save me! I'm dead weight now!" Walter pleaded, attempting to resist the Hero's pull, but to no avail.
"Stop talking like that! We're going to make it through this!" the Hero demanded, continuing to lead Walter down a flight of stair's to his left that led to what he hoped was a way to the main ground.
"Will you listen to me? You have to leave me behind!" Walter repeated, his attempts of pulling away from the Hero becoming weaker.
"Leave him behind! Let him rot!"
The Hero once again winced at the voice, shaking his head. An act that did not go unnoticed by the blind Sir Walter.
"That Thing left you weak too." Walter observed, no longer resisting the Hero's pull. "Don't you think I can tell?"
The Hero blocked out Walter's questioning, focusing instead on guiding his friend down the stairs. As he reached the bottom, he could tell Walter was already beginning to waver.
"What you have to do is too important to risk for an old wreck like me." Walter reasoned, his voice even more ragged then it had been before. "Listen, you have to go on without me!"
As he finished his sentence, he collapsed on the floor. The Hero only just managed to catch Walter, supporting him on his shoulder as he hefted him up off the floor.
"I won't leave you here!" the Hero said determinately, as he continued to guide Walter, who couldn't even stand at this point.
"You have to-I can't-I-I can't-" Walter panted, slumping to the ground as fell over, dragging the Hero to the ground with him.
"Walter!" the Hero pleaded, attempting to pick up the old knight again, yet to no avail.
"It's all right..." Walter wheezed, his voice weak as he looked up at the Hero. "It's all going to be all right..."
"I'll come back for you. I promise. I'll get help." the Hero said, squeezing Walter's shoulder as Rex whimpered behind him, looking at the knight with downcast eyes. As he pulled away, Walter grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him closer again, speaking so quietly he had to strain to hear.
"You'll do me proud...I know you'll do me proud..."
As he said those words, his arm became weak as he relinquished his grip on the Hero, his eyes rolling back as he slumped to the ground, letting out a final breath.
"Walter?" the Hero whispered as he shook the knight, attempting to wake him up. "Walter!"
He could feel tears well up in his eyes as he attempted to wake the old knight up, yet to no avail. Rex let out a whine as he nudged Walter's unmoving hand, only to receive the same result as the Hero. The Hero swallowed back his tears as he picked up Walter's unmoving body and slumped it up against one of the decrepit pillars, covering him in the cool shadow of the structure. As Walter lay unmoving, he clenched his fists as he turned to Rex, the pup looking at him with the same determination.
"Let's go boy..." the Hero said, earning a bark from the Border Collie as the two jumped from the platform they were standing on, landing on the soft sand below. Their only choice was to head for the statue and hope the natives were friendly. At least it was only a few hours away…
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One Day later…
"So much...for being a...few hours away..." the Hero panted as he wandered through the desert.
He was exhausted to say the least, the heat made worse by his armour. He had considered taking it off or leaving a few pieces behind, but then some giant insect or Sand Fury reminded him why that was a bad idea. Sure he could Shock them or burn them up with an Inferno, but on more then one occasion did the armour help him.
He looked to his left to see Rex panting heavily. His thick fur was making the heat even worse to bear for him. He was used to the mild weather of Albion, not some god forsaken desert!
He quickly unclipped the Waterskin attached to his belt and lifted his helmet slightly so he could drink what precious water he had, which was very little to say the least. Every waterhole he had found here was either stagnant or the effects of a mirage. He continued to amble forward, heading towards a stone bridge that loomed over a vast canyon. He fell to his knee's as the exhaustion began to catch up to him, panting loudly as Rex attempted to push him up, his own fatigue weighing him down too.
"Help! Someone help me!"
The Hero looked up at the sound of a voice. It was too far away to make out, but he could definitely hear cries of panic.
"Help me! Please help!"
The Hero rose immediately, clambering up the steep sand dune before him. Someone was here, that much was for sure. Perhaps they could point him towards signs of civilization, or better yet, get help for Walter! He continued to clamber when he paused.
Something wasn't right. His vision was slightly blurred and his movements felt sluggish. He put it down to pure exhaustion, but it felt...unnatural.
"Someone help me! Please!"
That voice. It sounded familiar. But it couldn't be him, it was impossible! As he reached the peak of the sand dune, he froze. No...this wasn't happening...it couldn't be happening! As he continued to stare, the sand dune collapsed, sending him tumbling forward towards the impossible sight.
There Walter sat at a table, looking as if he was expecting him, his eyes still black. He quickly backed away as Walter turned to face him, tilting his head sharply to the right.
"I'm blind! I can't see! Help me!"
That voice...that wasn't Walter's voice. It was that...that Thing!
The creature laughed as he continued to mock the Hero, Walter's body disintegrating into flakes of shadow as the sky turned black and darkness crept into his vision.
"You abandoned your friend to die." the creature stated, pretending to sound sympathetic as it assaulted his mind with various images of death and destruction. "He's calling for you, while the Children spread out his heart to the skies."
He violently shook his head and clamped his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out the malicious laughter, yet to no avail. As he continued to block out the noise, he heard something. Fighting...and it was close.
"Is that...Is that you? What's happening?"
"Walter?" the Hero whispered, lifting his head up to gaze out before him.
There Walter stood, cowering as shadowy figures wielding swords surrounded him, making threatening gestures to the knight who stood defenceless.
"Walter!" the Hero shouted, charging forward and tackling one of the Shadows, sending it to the ground where he punched it square in the head, the Shadow dispersing soon after.
The Shadows soon surrounded them, causing the Hero to draw his blade, the light blue runes seemingly warding the creatures off.
"This world is ours!" the creature taunted, as the Shadows charged him, each one dispersing as his blade made contact with them. "We will smother every light, every last breath from every last mouth!"
The Hero continued to slash at the converging Shadows, but for every one he hit, another took its place. As one charged from behind, he swung his sword in a wide arc. As the blade hit the Shadow, it dispersed as its brethren did before it, but the blade continued towards Walter. Unable to stop himself, he reached out a hand to warn Walter...but stopped.
The blade had passed right through him, yet Walter did not even notice. Holding out a shaking hand, he grabbed for Walter's face...only for his hand to pass right through.
It wasn't real...it wasn't him.
He closed his eyes and shook his head again, attempting to block out the screams of his friend as the sound of flesh being torn resounded around him. As he opened his eyes, he saw Walter's body fade away as the Shadows seeped into the floor.
"Don't leave us!" the creature shouted, once again pretending to be begging. "Don't leave us here forever and ever and ever!"
He continued to move forward, ignoring the gnawing shadows at his back, as screams sounded all around him. Walter's screams.
"You try to run away, but you are made of sand!" the creature taunted, the malice clear in its voice. "You are falling apart between Our fingers!"
He continued through the smothering shadows as Walter once again came into view. Yet it was not the broken man who he was forced to leave behind, it was the same man from the night he left the castle. The same man who had trained him his entire life.
"One day the people of Albion are going to need you. I have to find out just how ready you are." Walter said, causing the Hero to look up in confusion. This...this was the same conversation he and Walter had on that fateful day...could that Thing read his memories?
The false Walter drew his sword and advanced on the Hero in a threatening manner. The Hero drew his own blade as the false Walter advanced further, not relenting its threatening approach.
"Fight!" the false Walter commanded, lunging forward as the Hero only just managed to parry the strike. Reacting instinctively, the Hero thrust forward with the blade, piercing the false Walter's stomach as the false image melted away in a pool of blood.
"He would have done anything for you. Now he screams alone." the creature moaned, causing the Hero to crumple in pain as he clutched his head, staggering forward in an attempt to escape the voice. "He curses you! Not even in death will he forgive you!"
He continued onward, crawling on the floor as yet another false Walter appeared before him, holding a torch as if guiding the Hero onwards.
"Your strength is ebbing...We can feel it..."
The Hero ignored the pain as he continued forward, the only thing he could see was the ground before him and the false Walter, who was beginning to fade with each step he took.
"My brigade had been pinned down by the enemy, until there was just me and two other men left." the false Walter explained as he continued to lead him forward.
He...he hadn't known about this story. Walter would revel in telling him his old war fables, yet this was new...was it even real?
"We retreated into a cave, but they never came after us..." the false Walter continued as his form became more and more blurred by the second. "They just blew the entrance. Sealed us in."
The pain seemed to ebb away as the false Walter continued to speak, telling the tale he never knew.
"We spent three days in that cave. No light, no food. Just three men waiting to die in the dark..." the false Walter said, turning to face him as his eyes turned as black as the shadows around him.
"The light in your eyes offends us!" the creature shouted, the false Walter's lips moving in unison as he faded into nothingness. "Let it go out!"
The Hero fell to the floor as the residual shadow entered his mouth and nose, causing him to choke violently as he grasped his throat. Then he heard it. It was muffled at first, but getting louder. It sounded...like a dog barking.
"Rex?" the Hero muttered, looking up to see a blurred figure dash towards him.
The figure walked behind him and pushed him up with its head, causing the Hero to stagger forward slightly. He could do this, he could still escape! He looked up to see what looked like the entrance of some ruins. He pushed onwards as the sounds of his loyal dog barking guided him. Yet as he moved closer, his vision blackened. He staggered forward as he reached out with flailing arms, falling to the floor as he felt his mind being assaulted by psychic visions.
"Are you blind?!" the creature growled as the mental barrage continued. "Are you blind yet?!"
The Hero huddled on the floor as the ground beneath him seemingly gave way and the whines of his dog grew ever further away. He removed his helmet, throwing it to the ground as he clawed at his eyes as the creatures manic laughter echoed around him.
"There's nothing left! You're gone! All gone!" the creature cheered as the shadows continued to claw and whisper around him, tearing his body piece by piece.
"This land is ours!" they whispered in unison as the creatures laughter continued around him.
He...had failed. Walter, his father, friends...his people. Logan would destroy them all, and all he could do was die in some forgotten corner of the world. His mind drifted to those he was leaving behind. Rex, his most loyal friend who had attempted to save him in his final moments. Jasper, his loyal butler who helped him escape alongside Walter, who god's knows was most likely dead as well. Ben Finn, who accompanied him to Aurora and who he only hoped was still alive. Sabine, the first official ally in his rebellion and Paige, who he had promised to rebuild Bowerstone with.
Then his mind drifted to those he would be seeing soon. His mother, who had bore him and nurtured him. His father, who had inspired him to be a Hero. And...Elise. Oh how he was sorry. He would never forgive Logan for that choice he made him make, nor would he forget. But it mattered little, he would be seeing them soon…
Then suddenly, he saw a light. At first it was small, but it soon began to get larger and brighter.
"What?! What insolence is this?!" the creature demanded as the light grew bigger and brighter.
Suddenly, cracks of light began to pierce the darkness around him, causing shrieks of pain to emit from the shadows around him.
"Death is not your destiny today, little sparrow..."
That voice, it was Theresa's voice! But why did she call him sparrow?
"No...he is mine! Mine!" the creature declared as the shadows began to fade away as the light grew larger.
"Step into the light, and you will be saved." Theresa ordered, as light and found his way back into his vision.
He opened his eyes and was greeted by a beam of light that protruded out before him. Rex, who was already inside the beam with his helmet in his mouth, awaited him, urging him forward. He walked forward, his strength returning with each step he took. Yet as he was one step away, a force pulled him back, spinning him around as a clawed hand grasped his neck.
He looked and was horrified with what he saw. Before him was a hunched, hulking figure, clothed in brown rags with lanky arms dropping from either side. Its head was crested and filled with a fanged maw, with three faces staring intently at him.
"This wretched light must be eradicated!" the creature seethed, tightening its grip on his neck as it spoke.
The Hero felt the air being forced out of him as the creature continued to apply pressure. As the creature smiled, the Hero remembered something. Back in the cave...when Walter threw his torch…
"You think I'm afraid of you?!" the Hero shouted, causing the creature to tilt its head back in confusion. "Let's see how you like being blind!"
Powering Will energy into the vambrace on his left arm, he unleashed a blast of fiery energy at the creature, causing the creature to release its grip on him and scream in pain.
"MY EYES!" the creature wailed as it flailed about uncontrollably, clutching its face. "The Children...I can't see the Children!"
The Hero threw yet another blast of fiery energy at the creature, causing it to scream yet again as it tumbled backwards. Soon, the shadows around him became restless and angry as they began to surge forward in a flock of inky feathered crows. Realising he had little time, he turned and ran towards the beam, Rex once again urging him forward.
He heard an angered growl behind him as the creature recovered from the assault, and let out an inhumane roar as it barrelled forward. With what ounce of strength remained within him, he leapt forward towards the beam. And then, darkness…
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Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! I'm hoping to update once every week so stay tuned next Sunday for chapter two. As for time settings in Remnant, I don't know yet seeing as how I don't know how Volume three will end so an update on that hopefully next week. Liked it, leave a review and constructive criticism is welcome. Any questions, either PM me or leave in your review and I'll answer them next chapter.
Raging Archon out.
