START OF CHAPTER ONE
Sanctuary...
"Welcome home girls." I muttered, my eyes on an empty space above the mountains of Atlas. The helicopter flew forwards into the air, stopping as two drones flew up to the aircraft and ran blue lights over it. I waved at a drone, the machine nodding and flying back into the empty space. The empty space disappeared, a fortress in its place, shimmering steel in the winter air.
"W-What?" Pandora asked weakly, attempting to sit up before Petunia pushed her back down.
"This is Sanctuary." I stated, gesturing to the fortress. It was a huge cylindrical building, glinting in the moon. However, two similar buildings would occasionally pop into existence, with a small building held up by the three others in between them all. Bridges ran to and fro, connecting the buildings in many different ways.
A small light winked on near the base of the material building, signaling a landing zone. I nodded, gesturing towards the light. Claudette eased the helicopter forwards, taking us in low and fast across the frozen tundra. "The most advanced inter-dimensional fortress on all the Remnants. It also serves as the headquarters for The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. In addition, it's also where you'll be staying for the next few days."
"I-I am?"
"Yes. Don't worry, I contacted the Vale P.D. and informed them of your situation. They know." I grabbed a handhold, grunting as Claudette brought the helichopper in for landing. Once we touched down in an enormous cargo bay, two medics arrived, helping Pandora onto a stretcher and wheeling her away. A person that looked similar to Brafez walked up to me, the upper left side of his body along with the entirety of his arm covered in a white carapace. "Brutus?"
"Hey Xeñ. Clement wants-" the man named Brutus said, walking up to me.
"Go ahead. I don't mind."
"Thanks." I nodded in response, watching as a little girl- ah, young lady, sorry- ran up to him and leapt into his arms. She looked like an undead eleven year old Ariad, merrily chatting Brutus' ear off.
"And you won't believe how much fun I had-" I smiled, watching the adorably fucked up couple walk away. They were cute, and reliable once you got to know them. Claudette hopped out of the helicopter, leaning on Petunia as the rabbit faunus walked out of the hanger. I sighed, happy for the couples yet disheartened by the fact that I had no one of my own. Yet.
An alternative version of myself sashayed towards me, her pea coat fluttering in the breeze. Her name was Soliloquy, and was the female version of myself. However, while I mostly kept my pea coat buttoned, she had it permanently unbuttoned, revealing her bare stomach. In addition, she refused to wear her fedora, letting her brown hair flutter in the breeze. Unlike myself, that is, not having decency, she wore a cut shirt that stopped just below her ample chest, colored teal.
"Hey Soli, how's Iso?" I inquired, walking over to the shade. Soliloquy tilted her head to the side with a smirk, sitting atop some metal BAWKSES. Ehem.
"Still his usual 'I can't find my dead girlfriend and my life sucks shit' self. You?" I shrugged, climbing up the pile of boxes and sitting down next to myself.
"Good, I guess. Still miss Iota, but I'm managing. And you?" I said, shrugging plainly.
"Seems like I'm the only one who isn't without their significant other, so that seems alright. I'm having fun fucking with Ariad and Braliza, figuratively that is. Ariad be like, 'I see dem cheekbones be rising', and Braliza is all 'N-No they aren't! S-Shut up!'. Man, Braliza is such a tsundere, it's not even funny. Thankfully Ariad's there to make her scream~" I smiled at the gender-bent Brafez's tsundere antics, knowing I had made the right choice in not gender-bending Ariad. After all, you don't mess with perfection.
"Well that's good. How's Pandora?" I asked, nodding to a doctor.
"She is stable, just suffering from shock. I recommend a therapist due to deep-seated psychological issues, but besides that, she's fine." The doktor stated, bowing at the waist.
"Good, good. Welp, I best get going, gotta debrief the girls on their next mission." I hopped off the pile of boxes, waving goodbye to the two before muttering under my breath, "But first I've got to have a chat with the princess of the underworld."
Elsewhere...
Pandora was floating, a mind on the breeze of unconsciousness. She felt at peace, for the first time in decades. Then two voices were heard.
"You really think she's ready?" Pandora heard a female voice say, sounding awfully familiar.
"You weren't when you took the Oath. But yes, I do believe she is ready." An unfamiliar voice muttered, this one male.
"And if she isn't?"
"Then she shall die, just like the rest." I remarked offhandedly.
"Olly, what are you doing in here?" I asked, walking into Pandora's hospital room. The girl in question snapped her head up in surprise, backing away from the Grimm girl.
"W-Well I-I um, wanted to wish her luck?" Olive said slowly, twiddling her thumbs. I narrowed my eyes at her.
"You know what she's about to go through?"
"No, but...if she dies, this'll be my last chance to-" I smiled, walking up to the young cat faunus and placing a hand on her cheek.
"You can be so adorable when you want to, ya know that?"
"Yeah, I know..." Olly muttered, a small blush on her face.
"Say goodbye then, you have studies to attend." I gestured to the Grimm girl, waiting as Olive walked over to her and planted a kiss on her lips. Olive sighed, muttering something under her breath and leaving the room, closing the door behind her. I sighed, taking a seat at the end of the bed. "Hello Pandora..."
"...You don't know me, but I know you. You are about to undertake an arduous task, one not meant for mere mortals. The same path your mother took, you shall take as well." Pandora looked around, the vast darkness stretching out for miles. The voice boomed from every direction, amplified by the darkness.
"M-My mother?" she hesitantly inquired.
"Yes, Pandora. She would like to speak with you before you follow in her footsteps."
"M-Mom?" Pandora spun around, her next words caught in her throat. "I..."
"Shh, my daughter. You have grown so much." The elder Ragnarök said, walking over to her daughter. She had piercing fuchsia eyes, and long winding hair the color of dried wheat. Behind her were many shadows, all humanoid in figure, and most definitely all Barsküld. "It was not your fault. You did what you had to in order to survive."
"I ate you!" Pandora cried, falling to her knees and sobbing. The reappearance of her dead mother was too much to handle, and set off too many emotional triggers, overwhelming the poor girl. Persephone strode forward, kneeling in front of her daughter and hugging her.
"I know, my pup, I know. And I know how badly I have wounded you. I can't take it back, but I want you to know I've always loved you."
"I knew that, Ma. W-What do you request of me?" She stood, rubbing her eyes dry of tears and giving her mother a solid gaze. The past was put off to the side: right now she had a job to do.
"That's my girl." Persephone gestured behind herself to the shadows, revealing them one by one. "What do you notice about these Barsküld?"
"They're um...they all look like they're black super saiyans?" Pandora answered quizzicly, tilting her head to the side. True, each figure did look like they were surrounded by a black aura.
"How eloquently put. But yes, they are surrounded by the Dark." Persephone turned to her daughter, smiling. "Do you know why?"
"They seem very...protective. Almost as if...are they guarding it?" Pandora asked in disbelief.
"Come with me, my child. I have much to show you." Persephone grabbed her daughter's shoulder, dragging her towards the lines of Barsküld. "The Grimm are not mindless, my dear. While we do not have souls, we feel emotions, and in rare times, even the smallest of Grimm may speak their minds. But the Barsküld were created when the first Grimm encroached upon Remnant's soil. The Grimm do not originate from Remnant."
"U-Umm, what?"
"Grimm come from the moon, my darling. We are animosity manifesto, and once, we were entombed within the moon. When humans were brought into this world, the massive influx of emotion shattered the moon, casting darkness onto Remnant. Barsküld are the sacred Keepers of Dark, created by the Dark itself. Whenever a shard of Dark is discovered on Remnant, we Barsküld are there to purify it. That is why you have not seen black dust crystals on Remnant."
"Wait, are you saying...dust crystals are really shards from the eldritch abomination known as the Heart of Dark?"
"Ah yes, the Heart. It is a good thing you know about it, or else we'd be here all day."
"Right, about that...where is 'here'?" Pandora asked, gesturing to the massive darkness around them.
"We are currently riding in the Currents of Dark. We're going to the moon to have you appointed as current Keeper of Dark."
"Oh. W-What do I have to do again?"
"You must take the Oath, and pass the Trials. If you do not, you will die."
"Well, that's comforting."
The darkness around them solidified into a cracked landscape, curving into the sky. In the middle of the sky was a massive black mass, curling around and outside itself, pulling light inwards. It gave her a feeling of nausea, and made her head turn to mush the more she looked at it.
"Apologies, daughter." Persephone grabbed the Grimm girl's head, tilting it away from the sight. "I had forgotten what happens to Remnant-born Grimm when they look upon the Heart."
"That's the Heart?" Pandora inquired, trying to look at it before her mother sighed and slapped her silly. "Okay! I get it, don't look at the eldritch abomination. Why not?"
"You die a horrible death, with your brain turning to mush and your insides liquifying while you suffer through excruciating pain for the next thousand years."
"Seems a bit nonchalant, don't you think?"
"Eh, it happens now and then. Come along, deary." Persephone said, taking her daughter's hand and leading her towards a massive cathedral, coated in black substances. Pandora gazed at the sight in wonder, shortly before averting her eyes due to the whole painful death scenario. The two Grimm ambled up the cathedral's steps, stopping at the door.
"Well, what do we do now?" Pandora inquired, looking at the massive doors.
"We quietly take a bat to the head."
"What-" And then the younger Grimm was rendered unconscious.
Pandora woke up in a bed of black roses, her head throbbing. She was atop a bed of roses in a pool, the black stone surrounding the pool making up most of the room and hallways beyond. The thorns dug into her palms and the soles of her feet as she stood up, drawing blood. She strode forward, walking down the obsidian hallway, bloody footprints in her wake.
"I will not appoint a Remnant-borne Grimm as Keeper of Dark!" A male voice shouted, coming from the door at the end of the hallway.
"Seuz, I will have you taken off this court if you cannot see past your prejudices." Her mother said, not needing to shout. Her voice was stern enough as is, probably even able to give a Beastrouss pause.
"Lady Persephone, as much as we respect your power, is this really the best choice? There are others-" another male said, stopping as her mother growled.
"Yes, there are others. But I know my daughter, and she will pass the Trials."
Pandora wearily crossed the threshold, stepping into the room from where her mother had spoken. It was a grand, spacious room. The roof was open to the sky, a visible beam of darkness jutting in and landing on a crystal in the middle of the room. The court was magnificent, with three thrones arranged around the crystal, each sat upon ascending stairs. On the thrones were three Barsküld, her mother in the middle, and two males on her left and right.
Pandora descended into the middle of the court, kneeling before them. All Grimm knew of the Court of Dark, three judges appointed by the Heart itself to rule over the Grimm on the moon.
"Mother," she spoke softly, averting her eyes.
"Rise, my daughter." Persephone gestured, her voice like steel. "Seuz, Enutpen, we are gathered here to appoint a new Keeper of Dark. I have voted for my daughter to bear the burden. What say you? And before you speak, may I remind you that prejudice is not welcome in my court."
"I agree with your ruling, Lady Persephone. Your daughter seems like an excellent choice."
"Thank you, Enutpen. However, kissing ass is not allowed." Pandora stifled a giggle. Her mother was a tough cookie. "Suez?"
"While I too agree with your ruling, I would like to make a note that I objected."
"Of course, Suez. Not like we haven't heard you say that a thousand times before." Persephone snorted, clearing her throat and turning to her daughter. "It is decided. Pandora Ragnarök, daughter of the High Mistress of Dark, do you accept this burden?"
"I do." Pandora replied without pause.
"Take the crystal before you in hand, and ready yourself." Pandora stepped up to the pedestal, grabbing the crystal with both hands. All at once she felt like her skin was on fire. Pandora screamed as her flesh was torn away, layer by layer. Her organs were torn from their places, swiftly replaced by new ones. When it felt like it was all over, the pain redoubled, taking her sanity and shredding it. She fell to the floor, falling through it and into a comforting blackness...
Her skin was raw, and her bones ached.
Pandora sat up, clutching her head and looking around. The first thing she noticed was that she was naked, and tribal tatoos ran down her arms. They pulsed a sickly black, almost like they contained Dark itself. Her whole body felt like it was sore, and her muscles ached in protest as she struggled to stand up.
"Ugh...feels like the morning after a good threesome." Pandora muttered, rubbing her eyes. She felt...fresh, reborn. A quick look confirmed she was in a maze, branching hallways leading everywhere and nowhere. She spun around, hearing a soft giggle. "You...I remember you."
The girl with shoulder-length orange hair said nothing, only giggled again. Pandora waggled her eyebrows at the girl, sashaying towards her with a hungry glare in her eyes. The girl squeaked, clutching her nose and running down a hallway. Pandora smirked, taking off after the girl. A roar resounded behind her, and Pandora chased after the girl, not eager to meet whomever or whatever that roar belonged to.
The maze stretched on for miles, with the only thing keeping Pandora going was the girl. She stopped at a fountain, pointing to it before continuing on. Pandora walked up to the fountain, taking a sip of the viscous liquid. It soothed her aches and gave her a small boost of energy, one that she desperately needed. Pandora turned to her left, and nearly hit the floor. The girl was...fingering herself, soft moans escaping her lips.
When the girl opened her eyes, she noticed that Pandora was staring and removed her hand, proceeding to suckle on her fingers. Then the girl waved at her, skipping down the hall and out of sight. Pandora shook her head, trying to focus on anything but the arousing sight before a roar resounded again, closer this time. Pandora muttered something under her breath, chasing after her mystery girl.
What seemed like hours passed by, Pandora practically tackling the girl at every turn, only for her guide to disappear from sight. Every once and a while she would come across another fountain, with the liquid starting to taste more and more like blood as she went. Finally the girl stopped at a room, with the room seeming more and more like a cave. The roars were coming from inside, yet they sounded more like pained howls.
"No, no, this isn't...that's not..." Pandora stuttered, walking into the cave and looking down at a baby Barsküld on the floor. Her...mother lay against the wall. Pandora shook her head, trying to back away before her back hit a wall, the baby Barsküld walking over to her mother and nibbling on her arm.
"No! NO! STOP IT!" Pandora cried, trying to turn away from the horrid sight. She couldn't, for every time she turned around all she could see was the scene replaying itself over and over again. She felt bile rise in her throat as the Barsküld cracked open her mother's skull, it's tongue lapping at the grey matter inside. Pandora cried out again and again as she covered her ears and closed her eyes, trying and failing to forget what she had done. It was necessary, she had told herself, that she needed to do it in order to live. But it didn't make it hurt any less.
After several agonizing minutes, the baby Barsküld hobbled over to her, a strip of flesh in its mouth. It dropped it at her feet, waddling away. Pandora grabbed the flesh, trying not to vomit. She raised it to her mouth, closing her eyes and thinking on what her mother had told her. You did what you had to in order to survive...
She took a bite.
Pandora snapped awake, the bedsheets almost flying off. She was in a hospital bed, a man sitting in a seat at the end of her bed. She shook, lifting aside the covers to peer at her arms. Tribal tatoos ran down to her wrists, pulsing an inky black. The taste of flesh was still fresh on her tongue.
END OF CHAPTER ONE
A.N. GOD. DAMN. GOD DAMN. Now that, is a fucked up chapter one if I've ever seen one. Like, fuck, that's messed up. Well, now you know my theory on the Grimm and their creation. I really hope that the canon doesn't make the Grimm animosity manifesto, because that is uber-cliché. Yeah, I just insulted myself. Eh. Also, anyone ever wonder why Pandora likes to fuck? That'll be answered in the next-next chapter. I need to take a cold shower...fuck...
