Ownership:
RWBY is owned by creator Monty Oum, God rest his soul, and Rooster Teeth Productions.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is owned by 20th Century Fox, Chenrin Entertainment, and TSG Entertainment.
I, the humble author of this fan-work, own absolutely nothing, gain no profit whatsoever, and wish only to express my writing and love for these fandoms artistically.
Life sucks hard. Prepare for original backstory for Blakey.
Chapter 3: Mission Report
Yesterday evening
Now was a good time for rest.
The entire day was quite harsh towards Caesar. The day's hunt was a trial of his patience, as the rain had come down on his hair and skin, and the sickly fog was enough to keep him from seeing clearly, momentarily. What was more challenging was teaching his son during the event. It was Blue Eye's first hunt today. Someday, the boy would take his place, so Caesar knew that Blue Eyes must learn of the challenging custom that the colony members must perform, in order to sustain itself and thrive.
Caesar's work was cut out for him, though he already knew. Blue Eyes was impatient, eager to make a kill and bring home the meat for their clan. Caesar had to keep him from signaling to early. If an ape who didn't understand saw the young heir's sign gestures, the whole hunt could have been botched. Nevertheless, Caesar reminded Blue Eyes to wait; he gave the signal himself, a great shout that broke the tranquility of the forest. Their prey, a great herd of elk, sprung into a stampede. The hunting party broke into groups, each after a different prize, as Caesar took only his son after their own quarry, a large and proud bull elk. Caesar easily brought it down with a pair of bolas, trapping its legs together and forcing it to fall down the hill; Blue Eyes witnessed his father's display in awe.
Yet again, however, Caesar was gravely reminded of Blue Eye's tactlessness. Before they approached the downed animal, Caesar saw marks on a tree. He told Blue Eyes to wait as approached the tree. Brushing his hand over the bark, Caesar found that the tree was marked by something like claws. The wood was freshly sliced; a beast was nearby. Before he knew it, Caesar heard a cry of pain, a bestial roar, and the sound of flesh being cut deep. He turned around, and was dismayed by the sight: an adult Grizzly Bear, the size of at least two of Caesar's kind. Blue Eyes was knocked to the ground… and his chest was slashed – two long, narrow gashes that bled freely of Blue Eyes' blackish red blood, the natural color of the Grimm Apes' blood.
Caesar could not bring down the bear himself, even though he tried to attack it, only having his spear knocked out of his hand. Caesar shouted loudly for help, and the bear mistook his roars of pleading for trying to make himself sound bigger and stronger. In the end, Koba answered his calls and brought the bear down while it was distracted. However… Blue Eyes would not take the incident lightly. He felt ashamed for falling before a savage animal, and that he had the new scars to prove his failure. Caesar worried for his son's condition. The hunt resulted in the kills of the bear, a few elk slain by other members of the party, and Blue Eyes' dejected mood.
Although, the day did not end without a greater reward. A reward that couldn't be more fulfilling for Caesar than ever. The colony's doctors told him of the new, just moments before it happened. Caesar rushed to the top of his house, sitting at the top of the village tree. Surrounded by other apes was his dearly beloved, his devoted mate, his cherished Cornelia. For months, Cornelia was blesses with their second child and had just now given birth. Not any different kind of joy could have been greater than what Caesar was feeling now. Even Blue Eyes forgotten of his shame upon meeting his baby brother. They would later name the boy Milo.
And now was a good time for rest.
Caesar sat at the top of the stairs leading up to his house, and gazed at the setting sun. The grey clouds opened to reveal the mixture of the red and gold colors that came with the ever fleeting moment. He couldn't be more thankful for the serenity he basked in, surrounding his very being. It was this very feeling of peace that he sought for, the goal of his people's freedom.
While sitting there, he heard someone coming up the stairs. Caesar turned to see his close friend Maurice, slowly climbing towards him. Caesar welcomed his companion's much valued presence. Maurice took his last step before taking his seat, just a couple steps were between the two friends. Maurice looked to his friend and leader with happiness in his expression, already knowing of the good news.
Another son? he asked in elation. Caesar smiled to Maurice as his answer.
Makes me think of how far we've come, Maurice, Caesar signed with nostalgia, and pride for their colony. It was a feeling Maurice could agree with. The two looked towards the setting sun again, taking in the artful scenery. Just then, Maurice thought of a more… serious subject.
Seems long ago, he signed. Caesar saw what he said, curious of what Maurice was going to conclude. Maurice turned to face Caesar directly and asked, Still think about them?
The question was a little surprising, and slightly vague. Caesar knew, however, what his advisor was referring to… or who he referred to. Nonetheless, it wouldn't hurt for some clarification.
Humans? Caesar signed in question.
And Faunus, Maurice added.
The Humans and Faunus. It really has been a long time ago, since the apes had last saw them. About ten years, at least. The Humans and Faunus were previously the more evolved counterparts to the apes, and the sworn prey of the Creatures of the Grimm. Humans had looked down on apes as much as the Faunus, often using their name, 'ape,' as a derogatory term for some Faunus or the uneducated and unmannered. Although, both species have fought together against the Grimm. Caesar, Maurice, and their people were the amalgamation of both Ape and Grimm. One could imagine the kind of poor treatment they'd receive, if encountered by the Humans and Faunus.
However, the Grimm Apes were much more than that now. A tight knit community of brothers and sisters in arms, they have evolved beyond their animalistic and demonic roots. They believed to have lived long past the Humans and Faunus now, only the Grimm and other animals were coexisting with them. They have proven themselves to be greater the formerly superior races, surpassing them in intelligence and achieving what they could not – peace. It was ironic, really… because it was the Humans and Faunus that made them this way. They molded the Grimm Apes into what they are now. It was because of this and their incompetence that they are gone now, with the Grimm Apes taking their place.
Even with their supposed extinction though, Caesar couldn't help but think about them from time to time. After all, he arguably had the better experiences with both species, the Humans and Faunus, compared to any other ape in the colony.
… Sometimes, Caesar earnestly answered Maurice. Maurice took a moment to comprehend the answer. He did expect that Caesar would say something a little more meaningful, knowing that Caesar knew about them more than he or any other ape ever did. Then again, he knew Caesar for giving short and concise answers.
Didn't know them like you did, he admitted, catching Caesar's attention. Only saw their bad sides.
Good, bad… doesn't matter now, Caesar claimed, and continued to sign a thought-provoking opinion. They thought they were different. I think they're the same.
Caesar always thought that the Humans and Faunus were two sides of the same coin. He knew members from both races, having made deep or shallow bonds with them. Of course they were physically different – one would have to be blind to not tell the difference between those with animal features and those without such. But Caesar knew them from an unbiased viewpoint, he understood many of them; he loved many and he hated many, and not a single one of them was the same kind of person. Caesar did not consider them as different species, because there were good and bad on both sides, which he saw in person. Because of this, Caesar considered the racial bias that is between them as foolish. Such ignorance of their similarities was one reason why neither of them had evolved far enough to coexist alongside the apes.
They destroyed each other, he concluded.
Apes fight too, Maurice argued. The apes' community was not perfect, obviously. There would be some minor conflicts between individuals, arguments here and there.
But we are family, Caesar pointed out, and Maurice conceded. There may be infighting, but in the grand scheme of it all, the colony was driven by the unbreakable bond and sense of family.
Caesar and Maurice looked to the sunset again. The colors were fading out into a darker red as nighttime was starting to befall, but the beauty of the closing light was still there. At least a moment more would last for the two apes to gaze at in appreciation.
… Wonder if they're really gone, Caesar signed wistfully, still focused on the topic. Seeing what he said, Maurice chose to relieve Caesar of those thoughts.
Ten winters now. Last two… no sign of them, he informed Caesar. They must be gone.
Caesar looked his friend with a neutral expression, and turned back to the sunset again. Even if the facts were against any chance of survivors, Caesar couldn't possibly keep himself from being skeptical. Besides, the Humans and Faunus were stronger than letting themselves die out. Either way though, Caesar wouldn't know unless he saw them for himself again.
Present day, after the encounter with Humans.
The conversation with Maurice was the first thing that came to Caesar's mind. It was the first thing he thought of since the encounter earlier. The more he thought about it, the more it became ironic, since everything he saw today disproved what Maurice said. The Human race was alive, that much was Caesar able to distinguish from the incident. It was incredibly surprising to him, seeing eight Humans found before him and the aped.
But Caesar also thought of questions. Millions of questions sprung up into his mind from the incident. Why were the Humans in the forest? Could they have been looking for something? What if the Faunus was alive too? If the Humans were still thriving, it would only make sense that they did too. Was there a Faunus hiding among those eight, one that was disguised so well that even Caesar couldn't see clearly? And the tools they carried… the weapons. Caesar saw the eight Humans manipulate them, transform them, shifting their sizes from larger to smaller weapons. Caesar didn't need to question why they had such weapons… he knew who they were.
Hunters of the Grimm. Caesar knew of the hunters of the same beasts his people originated from. He actually did not know one knew one personally, but he witnessed to their work.
There was one question, however, that Caesar thought of and considered the most important. How did the Humans manage to survive? Where were they the past ten years? What could they have possibly done to surpass death? With what he could tell from the eight Humans, they seemed to be in the same advanced technological state they were ten years ago. How did they not go back a quite few years, in terms of evolution? This was his most irksome concern, because… of what his kind had done to them. What they had done to the Humans and Faunus. Ever since the day his people left the place of their birth, the day they liberated themselves from those who oppressed and abused them… in short, it did not end well for the city they left behind.
Caesar sat on the porch of his house, as all of these thoughts ran through his head. Even with these continuous thoughts though, it was overwhelming for him at the moment. His concerns with the return of the Humans was a subject he has to think over, but there other things he must do, as leader of the colony. He can come back to it when Koba and his troupe come back. Standing up from the porch, Caesar went to do something rather important at the moment.
He had to check up on his nephew.
*CLINK*
Maurice put the tool on a slab of rock, surrounded by him and two of his older students. He was cautious with handling it, but he couldn't prevent the sound of metal hitting rock. The tool was mainly red in color, with sections of black. This tool in particular was important, because it was something the Humans had hastily left behind. The girl who was clad in the same shade of red had this tool. Maurice saw her drop it and as her friends pulled her away from it, she wailed loudly like a depraved and troubled animal. Maurice earnestly felt sympathy for her, seemingly having to depart from a tool she felt connected too.
Maurice merely studied the compacted tool, gazing at it intently, along with his students. They were the same kind of Grimm Ape as him. There was about three kinds of apes among the colony, each one distinguished by their size and bone extensions, whether they had long thorns, thick plates, or both. Even though they knew that the Grimm was defined by actual titles, the apes didn't really have a name for the three types. They didn't really need them, they were all merely apes; they felt that there was no need to divide themselves with labels.
Maurice's two students were the same type of ape he was – they have the same number of thorns, six, growing from their backs, they were about the same size, and had the same long hair. But the main difference was that they were younger and inexperienced. Maurice was the overseer of and teacher to the colony, appointed by Caesar, for his wise and understanding nature. It was his job to teach the youths about the laws, norms, and customs of the colony. In the matter of understanding this tool, Maurice picked these two, from the advanced class, in helping him dissect this bizarre piece.
Maurice looked at it, picking it up a few times, but he couldn't really understand it yet. The other two weren't doing any better. They did not come with the party that met the humans, so they hadn't seen the girl in red use it. They couldn't make heads or tails of it, looking at all sides of the object with their dazed expressions. Maurice found their befuddlement a little amusing. The student to Maurice's right, however, had enough of figuring it out for himself, deciding now was the appropriate time to ask for help.
What is it? He asked his teacher. Maurice thought a little before giving an answer.
Not sure. Maurice earnestly signed, surprising his two students, who expected him to know at least everything, being their teacher and all.
Red Girl made it move. Maurice added. His second student, to his left, looked confused by his teacher's statement.
Move how? He asked.
Transform, he answered, surprising the two young apes.
They glanced and held it a few more times, not finding any clue to understanding its inner workings. The first student almost felt that the entire thing was a waste of time, but the object was somewhat interesting. When he picked it up again, however, he did something to it.
Neither of the apes noticed there was a small button on one side of the tool. When the first student took hold of it in his grip, his finger accidentally clicked said button. In an instant, the tool shifted in the blink of an eye. Noises of metal scraping against itself came from the object. No longer was it shaped like a rectangle; it became long and thin, with a handle sprouting from the bottom of it, and had thick barrel piece. The three apes were surprised by the sudden change in the tool, bellowing with shocked pant-hoots. Some of the other apes watching this joined in expressing surprise.
However, Maurice became more shocked when he looked at the newly shaped object closer. With that barrel, handle, and even a scope, he instantly realized what it was – a gun. A weapon that he and Caesar both abhorred. He looked to his first student, both expressing intense disbelief, who was holding it the moment it shifted into a killing tool.
What did you do? Maurice asked him, wondering if he had something to do with it.
I don't know! The student confessed. He never even seen a gun before, adding on to his confusion.
The second student was amazed by the tool, having never seen a gun himself. He was astonished and in awe of the piece, but instinctually felt afraid of it. He looked at it intently, reaching out to wield it. He picked it up while Maurice and the first student bickered. The second brushed his hand over the heavy tool, feeling the smooth and edged metal. His hand moved to hold it from the handle but his finger tapped something. He looked to what his finger touched – it was a little sharp piece right in front of the handle. Unknowingly, he was touching the trigger, and unknowing to all of them, the gun was loaded.
The ape was more curious than ever when looking at this little piece. Unlike every piece on the tool, that was snugly pieced together, this piece was loose. Why did this beautiful tool have such a conspicuous flaw? The ape couldn't help but wonder. He used his finger to push on the little piece, pushing it towards the handle. Maurice looked to his second student and saw him fiddling with the gun. He was pulling onto the trigger, obviously not knowing what it will do. Maurice couldn't stop the student in time, even as he shouted in protest. The ape pulled the trigger all the way, and the gun fired.
The sound of the blast was unlike anything they had heard before, easily popping their ear drums, and the force of the shot pushed the ape forcefully to the ground and the gun flew out of his hands. What was worse, however, was that the bullet almost hit one of the apes. Luca, the colony's fourth in command and leader of the third type of apes, happened to be passing by when the second student pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed by in front of his face, merely inches away from his nose, completely catching him off guard. The bullet instead it one of the huts, blowing a piece of wood apart into splinters.
The colony went wild from that single shot. Many of the apes hadn't heard a gun before, which added to the panic. Many of the apes were running amok, scared out of their minds and yelling shouting like their primitive counterparts. Luca, although he was still surprised, looked to see where the projectile originated from. He turned and saw Maurice with two of his students, the gun in front of them and smoking. Immediately angered and annoyed, Luca roared. His great bellow surprised the colony, taking the apes' minds off of the gunshot by utterly scaring them. Luca's temperament was not to be trifled with.
Watch it! Almost blow my head off! He angrily signed to Maurice and his students, glaring at them all the while.
Sorry! Maurice quickly signed back in apology. Partially satisfied, Luca grunted and went off to his business. The many other apes, while still shocked, continued to whatever they were previously doing as well. Maurice looked to his second student, who held his head low, completely ashamed of what he had done.
Don't touch that again. Maurice signed to get his student's attention, referring to the gun. It is called a gun. Guns are not for Apes. The student understood, but now felt more ashamed, knowing what a gun can do and seeing it first-hand.
Yes Maurice, the second student apologized to his teacher, to which Maurice accepted with a nod. Maurice told them they did enough with reviewing the tool and the three disbanded, Maurice taking the gun with him.
Caesar saw everything as he climbed down the steps of the village tree. He was at least glad that Luca was able to calm down the colony with a single roar, but was troubled that the tool was being handled poorly. He'd have to talk to Maurice later on what happened, but for now, he continued with what he was going to do.
Caesar came up to a hut. It really looked like all the others, the entryway stood open with no door. This hut in particular was where his family members were, by honor and blood. Taking a breath in, Caesar slowly entered, hoping not to disturb anything. Inside the hut were four tenants, the one closest to him was Rocket and to his left was an ape who wore a garment over his mouth and nose, indicating the individual was a doctor, like Cornelia's midwives.
On a handmade table lied Ash, whose chest was rising up and down slowly, meaning he was taking deep breaths. Standing to Ash's right was Caesar's son, Blue Eyes. His gaze was downcast and his face slightly turned away from Caesar, making it that he couldn't see his current expression. However, Caesar didn't need to figure out that Blue Eyes was deeply shaken up by the incident.
When Caesar met Rocket, he saw him as a dominant figure. He was commanding, oppressive, and was self-centered. The two didn't see eye to eye at first but after some events involving forced persuasion, overtime, Rocket became an avid follower and a friend to Caesar. Caesar saw him as a strong and intelligent ape, one who truly deserved to be his second command.
So it was no wonder that Caesar found himself surprised to see Rocket so scared. Never had he seen his honorary brother, a strong-willed warrior, seem so vulnerable before. The reason for it was obvious, his son being hurt after all, but his reaction was nonetheless shocking.
Caesar felt sympathetic towards him. Caesar approached Rocket cautiously, intending not to disturb him. The ape doctor left to give the four apes privacy. Rocket looked up to Caesar with tired, sullen eyes.
How is he? Caesar asked his compatriot. Rocket sighed heavily before answering.
Shoulder only scratched. Shaken up, Rocket admitted. The news was honestly good to hear, since it was nothing too serious or life threatening. However, it was still enough to stir Rocket's parental instincts for his son. He is fine right now, Rocket added, showing some relief towards the matter.
Caesar nodded in understanding, and moved closer to Ash, wanting to see him. Caesar could see where the bullet had hit him. The bullet struck Ash in his left shoulder, going into the flesh that was just barely under his bony shoulder plate. However, the bullet seemed to have deflected off of the plate, since no bullet was visibly lodged in his shoulder. Instead, Ash was left with a scarred groove in his shoulder, covered in dry blood. Ash cautiously looked up to see his honorary uncle and king approach him. Seeing the father of his close friend always made Ash feel a little special inside.
Uncle Caesar… He signed in admiration, reaching his left hand out to Caesar. Ash put in some effort to reach with that hand cautiously, since it was the arm on the side of his wound, thus making it a little weak. Caesar took Ash's hand into his own, and looked down onto him with a warm smile.
How are you, Ash? Caesar asked his honorary nephew. Ash took a moment to think of what to really say. He basically survived an attempt on his life by sheer luck. What could he honestly say about how he felt? In the end, Ash opted to give a concise answer.
… I'm alive.
Surprisingly, his comment managed to earn a chuckle from Caesar himself. The stoic leader doesn't really show this side of himself often, only his friends and family ever getting the pleasure of seeing such.
Of course you are, Caesar told his nephew, his smile having widened.
While he and Ash shared the family-like moment, Blue Eyes' mood hadn't turned better yet. Not even by a hair. Instead, he couldn't help but think of shame, guilt, and weakness. He even felt more ashamed of himself than the incident with the bear. He was even getting over the accident, no less, and he wouldn't have were it not for Ash. Blue Eyes couldn't have had a more cherished relationship than with Ash. They were the same age, same type of ape, and both were respected and valued among the colony. There was no more reason than that for Blue Eyes to fear for Ash's life.
The reason he felt ashamed, however, was because he failed to protect themselves. They were enjoying each other's company when they encountered the first two of the human group. One had associated herself with the color of yellow, the other had the color black. Both had pulled weapons out to threaten them; both apes were taken aback but for some reason, Blue Eyes almost felt powerless at that moment. Upon instinct, he started snarling at them. It seemed to work at first surprisingly, as the girl in black seemed to quiver in fear at his snarling. But instead of running away… she shot Ash. She shot him without giving Blue Eyes the chance to blink even.
Why did that happen? Why did she not fear his intimidation? Why did Ash have to get hurt?! Why did he fail?! All these questions ran through Blue Eyes' mind like a river flowing at high currents. Thoughts of doubt and fear came along with these questions, and he felt so much disappointment from this that he considered it to be such a devastating failure, he almost couldn't see himself as an ape. Blue Eyes felt even more ashamed as he kept thinking about it right now.
Caesar took a moment to glance at his son and immediately saw the his dilemma, the youth's expression wrought with pain. Instantly concerned, his smile towards Ash disappeared into a frown towards Blue Eyes. Caesar emitted a quick hoot to gain his son's attention. Surprised, Blue Eyes hastily looked up to see the worried gazes from Ash, Rocket, and his father. Caesar looked the most worried. Blue Eyes blinked a couple times, before he decided to address what was bothering him.
Father… I should have stopped this… he signed in distress. Caesar understood what was going through Blue Eyes' head. He was completely worried for his friend's well-being, a feeling Caesar understood better than anyone. However, what he was going to tell his son was likely not something Blue Eyes would not want to hear.
No. The simple, two-letter word that was ever so powerful to come from his father, earnestly shocked Blue Eyes. He didn't understand what his father was trying to say.
It wouldn't have ended any better, Caesar continued. Unfortunately, as Caesar thought, Blue Eyes became distraught with his father's words. His expression wrought deeper with shame and misunderstanding, Blue Eye hastily made his way out of Rocket's hut. Caesar sighed heavily but turned back to Ash.
Get some rest, Ash, Caesar advised to him, and made for his way out.
Yes Uncle, Ash complied.
Caesar stepped up to Rocket to say his goodbyes for now. Take care, Rocket, he told him.
Caesar, Rocket addressed him and he paused, waiting for what else Rocket was going to say.
Thank you for stopping me, his claim of gratitude slightly surprised Caesar. Would have been hurt if I attacked humans. You knew better than me. Caesar took a moment to think of what to say, how to reply to his friend.
Just be careful Rocket, Caesar told him. Can get hurt when angry. Rocket understood what he advised by giving his leader a nod, and Caesar made his way to leave, but Rocket again paused him from going.
Caesar… the human who shot Ash… Caesar's interest then peaked in what Rocket was trying to say, and was curious of why Rocket sounded reluctant all of a sudden.
… She is Faunus, he finished. Caesar's eyes widened in surprise at the claim. He thought that the chances of the Faunus were still alive, alongside the Humans, was very likely. It was surprising because he didn't see a single Human with animal traits among the eight they saw. Perhaps one really was hiding in disguise, but how could Rocket tell if he couldn't?
Are you sure? Caesar asked him.
Not sure, Rocket admitted, indicating why he was reluctant to bring this up. But she had something on her head. I saw it twitch a lot, he claimed in his defense.
It would be interesting if Rocket was right, but Caesar couldn't be sure of this at the moment. He would have to take some time to consider everything at the moment. Caesar thanked Rocket for letting him visit Ash and left, heading back towards his house at the top of the village tree.
Caesar climbed up the stairs to his house, and entered. He closed his eyes and sighed in relief, being able to rest for the time being. He opened them, and sitting on the floor before him, he saw his beloved wife, Cornelia. In her arms, she was holding their sleeping baby son, Milo. She looked to him with a loving grin, to which he returned with his own. He walked towards and sat next to her.
Have you seen Blue Eyes? He asked. Cornelia shook her head.
Haven't seen him since he went to Rocket's home, she stated. Caesar sighed, now slightly worried as to where Blue Eyes had run off to.
Are the Humans really alive? She suddenly asked him, catching him by surprise. Caesar realized that he hadn't really told her about the encounter with the eight Humans. She must have heard from another ape.
Yes, he answered honestly. Faunus might be alive too. Cornelia gasped slightly to hear it confirmed by her husband. She blinked a few times, and her expression then turned to that of worry. Caesar raised a brow in the change in her mood.
Caesar… if Humans come back, what will happen to Apes? She asked him out of the blue. Caesar was caught off by her hypothetical question.
What would happen if the Humans came back? Would they be the same eight he encountered, of different ones? Caesar wouldn't know what would happen. All Humans and Faunus were different from each other as individuals; they are unpredictable. Caesar would never know if something good or bad would come from Humans returning to the colony. That was something he didn't want to risk right now.
I don't know, Caesar told his wife. Cornelia motioned her hands to sign something, but Caesar continued. But if Humans attack Apes, I will stop them. I will protect Apes. Protect us.
Cornelia looked to him in awe, the confidence in his words were very much convincing. She gave him another warm smile and signed, I know you will.
Cornelia and Caesar pressed their foreheads together, a common thing the couple done to signify their devotion to each other. The bond between the King and Queen of the Grimm Apes was very strong, their love having been created from the first day they met. Even if the world burned around them, Caesar and Cornelia could rely on each other. The funny thing about that was they were afraid of that actually happening.
Two hours later, 6:13 PM
The sun began to set at this hour, lowering ever so slowly to the horizon. The bright yellow and red colors that formed from the dying light were reminiscent of the event of sunrise at dawn, earlier this day. As the evening was coming, a lone bullhead flew through the clouds. Its sleek metal hull was reflecting the colors of the setting sun. Though it was still so high in the air, the bullhead was close to its destination – the docks at Beacon academy. As the pilots saw the docks in view, they started to slow down their vehicle. The engines turned and shifted so that the vehicle was hovering in place, and the bullhead then lowered itself closer to the ground. The vehicle's bottom safely contacted with the landing platform. The bullhead's side doors opened and a ramp emerged, connecting to the ground. The vehicle's passengers were about to make their leave.
But they did not simply walk. They did not have order, grace, nor humility when they left their transport. As soon as that ramp touched the ground, they ran. Eight student Huntsmen and Huntress ran instantaneously. They ran off the ramp, they ran across the main avenue, they ran towards their academy; they ran, ran, and ran! Not a single passerby was undeterred by their tactless stampede. Once they got to the front gate, one could tell they were impatient to get to the other side. Once the gate opened, they hastily entered, and it would be assumed that they continued their race once the gate closed behind them.
Perhaps those who were most baffled by the students' spectacle were the bullhead's pilots, Robin and Thomas. Over the course of their return flight, the co-pilots couldn't hear much from them other than distress and chaos. They were unsettled by something, unnerved by their three-day stay on dark continent of "West Dragon." Then, once they seemed to calmed down, the pilots heard some sort of discussion among them. The engine noise of their bullhead was too loud for them to hear their conversation. As they were reaching the landing port, the students were just quiet, waiting to return. Now, they saw them run the moment the ramp opened up, instantly running for their school. It truly confused the pilots, why the students were acting as such.
"… Those kids are weird." Thomas proclaimed.
"… Ditto." Was all Robin said in agreement.
They wouldn't know for the life of them why the students were so eager to leave. It was their loss; They wouldn't know yet of the greatest discovery on Remnant, made by teams RWBY and JNPR.
However, neither groups would notice the three dark figures that jumped off the top of the bullhead.
Professor Glynda Goodwitch and Headmaster Ozpin were waiting in the latter's office, atop Beacon Tower. Glynda was organizing a stack of papers, while Ozpin simply drank from his coffee mug. They waited for the two teams returning from West Dragon. Though the both of them were experienced people, they couldn't help but wonder, what would teams RWBY and JNPR find on that continent? None of the previous explorers ever returned, so nothing was really known about the wild land and everything was only left up to speculation.
It didn't seem they would be left unknowing for long, though. A chime came from the elevator and its doors opened. Rushing out of the cramped contraption were both the students, successfully returning from their mission. Both Goodwitch and Ozpin turned their attention to them.
"Splendid, you all made it back." Glynda observed, satisfied that the students had arrived on time. "I hope the mission went… are you eight alright?"
The two professors realized that the students were exhausted. They were hunched over and had their hands over their knees, all of them were breathing and sweating heavily. Some had their heads up while staring aimlessly at the ceiling, perhaps in a futile attempt to get a better chance at catching their breath.
"We're! … Fine!" Ruby spoke up for the group, taking shaky breaths between each word. "… Just… exhausted!"
"Yeah! … We just! … Ran all the way up here! … No biggie!" Jaune added, in the same condition as Ruby.
Glynda and Ozpin looked to each other in concern and puzzlement, neither of them knowing why they rushed all the way to the tower. They weren't going to be late, if that was what they believed.
"… Very well then," said Glynda. "If you prefer, we can discuss your findings after you all catch your breath – "
"Professors…!" Ruby interrupted Glynda's offer for them to relax. "… There's something… we have to tell you…"
Though he was unsure if she could make a report in her condition, Ozpin's interest peaked in the girl's information. "Is it about the Dust?" He asked.
"No… more important… it's about the Grimm…" She revealed.
Goodwitch and Ozpin once again took a moment to glance at each other, out of confusion and intrigue. "… Please inform us, Ms. Rose." The headmaster requested.
In a span of a couple minutes or more, the students told them everything. Everything they saw, everything they heard, everything they witnessed today. Everything they knew so far about the strange Grimm. As the students finished their explanations, Ozpin looked to them with an unchanged, neutral expression. However, his eyes were slightly wide, expressing some shock towards this discovery that the students made. Glynda, on the other hand, kept a stern and questioning look throughout their story.
"So you mean to tell us," she began, "that the Grimm horde in 'West Dragon,' just so happens to be an army of Grimm that resemble apes?"
"Yes, Professor," Ruby confirmed. "There was about 80 of them, I think."
"That can hunt, like primitives," stated Glynda, recalling the particular detail.
"Yes," said Jaune.
"… And can talk… like us," the strict professor stated, wanting to clarify if that was exactly what the students said.
"… Yes," Ruby confirmed. With their strange report submitted, now came the hardest part for the students: whether the professors believed them or not.
"… Of all the harebrained excuses," was all Glynda said, to the students' surprise.
"Professor, we're telling the truth!" Pyrrha proclaimed, wanting to defend their honesty.
"Need I remind all of you that the Grimm are soulless creatures that intend on wiping out humanity and civilization?" Glynda asked them.
"We are well aware of that Professor, but–!" Weiss attempted to answer, before Professor Goodwitch interrupted.
"The keyword being soulless, mind you," she continued. "If a Grimm has no soul, having no sense of compassion or sentience, then how is it that one specific Grimm is capable of mercy, let alone speech?"
"… We don't know," Ruby confessed, only adding on to Glynda's skepticism.
"But we saw them with our own eyes!" shouted Blake.
"Now I don't know what any of you thought you saw," said Glynda in response, "or what influenced you to–"
"Thought?!" Blake interrupted, once again shouting. "And you think we were under influence?! How asinine can you get?!" To the students' surprise, Blake acted uncharacteristically, showing signs of impatience and frustration.
However, Glynda was not phased in the least, narrowing her eyes at the unusually outspoken girl. "Watch your tone with me, young lady," she warned.
"I'll say whatever I want, however I–!"
"Ms. Belladonna!" Ozpin's sudden interruption caught everyone by surprise, especially Blake. It was times like these that everyone forgotten the power he had, in his position. "… I suggest you tone down your attitude. You're not helping your situation by being so raucous," the Headmaster advised.
Blake did not give much of a response other than staring at him, until her gaze lowered to the ground in guilt, and she took step back.
"… Now, I want to review everything that was said," Ozpin continued. "You all stated that they were the Grimm's variations of apes, correct?"
"… Yes professor," said Ruby in confirmation. "But there's a little more to that."
"How so?" He asked of them.
"They were more like actual apes than Grimm," Ren interjected. "The only similarities they had was black fur and skin. They had little bone armor covering them, some white coloration where armor should have been, and their eyes were… human."
"'Human?'" Ozpin asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion towards what Ren meant.
"I mean that physically, professor," he clarified. "Sclera, iris, and pupil." The description of these Grimm was certainly concerning, but hearing what their eyes were like was made it much more alarming. Glynda was starting to be troubled by the matter, as her eyes widened slightly and blinking a few times.
"I see. That certainly isn't the description of a Grimm's natural eye." Despite such information, Ozpin remained nonchalant as ever. Surprised, Glynda questioned what the Headmaster was thinking.
"Ozpin, are you actually believing this–?"
"I haven't said anything as such Glynda," he claimed immediately. "I only want to know everything the students experienced. Now, what types of Grimm were they?" The students looked at him oddly, due to his question.
"Professor?" Ruby asked for clarification; they already explained that the Grimm they discovered resembled apes.
"I'm not referring to their animal counterparts, I mean their actual title as Grimm," said Ozpin, justifying his question's meaning. "Such as how the wolf's Grimm counterpart is the Beowolf or, in this case, the gorilla to the Beringel."
Having a better understanding, Ruby felt that she could answer the question to the best of her knowledge. "… I… think a Beringel or two might have been there but… I don't know the others," she stated.
"Alright then," the Headmaster said, satisfied. "I am asking because aside from the Beringel, there are no other Grimm variations of apes."
His sudden revelation shocked the students. It wasn't the actual information he gave that was a surprise, but it was what he was implying that caught them off guard. The Beringel was a Grimm that resembled a Gorilla, but the only Grimm that resembled an ape. There was no Grimm Chimpanzee, no Grimm Orangutan, not even a Grimm Gibbon (a lesser ape)! If the Beringel was the only variation of apes among the Grimm, then it would mean that any other Grimm Ape was not discovered, or did not exist. To the students, they felt that the Headmaster implied that the latter was the truth.
"But… but we still saw them!" Yang spoke out. "There were, like, a whole bunch of different Grimm monkeys!"
"Apes," Ren corrected, only earning a wide-eyed glower from the blonde brawler.
"Whatever!" She shouted in frustration.
"Putting the correct terms aside," Ozpin spoke again, "I want to get to the most important factor of these Grimm Apes – their capabilities of speech. What did they say?"
The students looked to each other, remembering the exact moment they heard the Grimm Apes speak.
"GOOOOOO~!"
That moment was the greatest shock that ever came to the students. Nothing else could possibly affect them like that. The significance of a Grimm capable of speech was damaging to everything they knew about the Grimm, because it meant that they could be capable of so much more. However, whether it would be for better or worse, they're not really sure. Since Ozpin was waiting for his question to be answered, Ruby decided to speak up.
"They… I mean… he told us to go." She proclaimed. Both Ozpin and Goodwitch picked up the word "he" in her answer. The two professors looked to each other in puzzlement. There was someone involved in this? Was this someone…?
Hoping that Ruby didn't mean what he thought she meant, he pushed for clarification. "'He?' Who's 'he?'" the Headmaster asked of her.
"That's what we're trying to tell you, professors," Ruby explained, apparently getting to a point she wanted to convey. "They were organized, they were really smart, and they had a leader. And he was just so… remarkable."
It was strange, even to Ozpin, to hear a compliment being given to a Grimm, especially from someone like Ruby Rose. Unfortunately for her, Ruby seemed to be the only one to have such an opinion.
""WHAT?!"" The students suddenly gawked at Ruby, completely in a stupor that one of the team leaders was giving a commendation to a Grimm, of all things.
"Remarkable?! That's what you have to say?!" Weiss shouted incredulously at her partner.
"Why would you praise them at a time like this?!" Blake questioned angrily at her leader, once again being unlike herself.
"I'm not praising him! I'm just saying what I saw!" Ruby claimed, in attempt to defend herself.
The students soon devolved into heated argument, shouting and blasting at each other on whether it was acceptable to think of a Grimm in such a way, no matter how much on-point Ruby's statement was. Ozpin looked towards arguing students tired exasperation, while Glynda was deeply annoyed the students' fickleness. Her eyes twitched and a blood vessel could be seen, visibly pulsing on her head.
"You can't just say a Grimm is remarkable!" Weiss accused.
"Why not?!" Ruby questioned.
"It… it just… it doesn't make sense!"
"Well I don't know what else to say!"
"ENOUGH!"
Goodwitch's deafening bellow caused the room to go completely silent. The students were reminded not to test the patience of their infamous professor. Even Ozpin was startled by his associate's wrath. Glynda took a long moment to glower at her students, until she closed her eyed and a deep breath, in and out, to calm herself.
"… Headmaster," she addressed Ozpin, her volume lowered back to normal. "I think enough has been said on the matter."
"… Perhaps you're right, Glynda," Ozpin concurred, to the surprise of the students. They had much more to tell them, they can't leave now!
"Teams RWBY and JNPR, before you leave know this: none of you are to reveal this information to anyone outside of this office." He requested. The students were further shocked by his order of silence.
"Professor, you can't be serious–!" Weiss attempted to reason with the Headmaster.
"I most certainly am," he interrupted, adamant in his decision. "It is much more preferable if a panic does not ensue. You are all dismissed."
The students looked to each other in worry. They had more information to give, they really did. But even so, they had to follow his commands. After all, it was his academy; In this establishment, his word is law.
The students moved to the elevator and made their leave, disheartened. They had the weight of unspoken information to bear, and they could not do much about it. As the elevator took them down, the professors couldn't get their minds on anything else. Despite skepticism, the concept of intelligent, talking Grimm was rather troublesome.
The elevator reached to the ground floor, and its doors shifted open. From the elevator, the student teams RWBY and JNPR emerged, dejected from their report with the professors, which had resulted poorly. They exited the tower building, and started heading for their dorm. All of them had different expressions towards the matter.
Ruby was sullen, having pushed down her distress over losing her weapon, Crescent Rose, so that she could explain the situation properly to her professors. Now that she done so, her emotional heartache crept up on her.
Weiss was frustrated, pinching the bridge of her nose between fingers. The least the professors could have done was try to absorb everything they tried to tell them, instead of questioning their information. Blake had an expression that was close to portraying anger, but it couldn't really be distinguished due to her visible fatigue. None of them really understood what made her so aggressive in the meeting… save for Yang.
Jaune was nervous, believing that the professors would consider the mission a failure on their record. Pyrrha was contemplating the situation, wondering how the proffers did not believe them. Ren merely tended to a downcast Nora, who was disheartened that the professors didn't believe a word they said.
Yang, while very much angry about how the professors did not take their report so well, couldn't help but notice everyone in such a sulk. It wasn't fair that they had to be dismissed like that, they were telling everything they saw and were as truthful as they could be, no matter how they were unbelieved. She didn't want them to feel so dejected like this, even if she felt the same.
"Well… that could have ended worse, am I right?" She asked in a cheerful tone, hoping to get herself and the others to see the bright side of their predicament. Her peers looked at her in exasperation.
"Oh, really? It could have been worse than our professors believing us to be liars?" Weiss asked sarcastically.
"Or that we found a really dangerous group of Grimm?" Jaune added.
"Or that I lost my Crescent Rose?" Ruby also added, emitting a sad sniffle.
"… Sorry," Yang amended half-heartedly, seeing her attempt to bring up the mood was a failure.
"It's surprising that we made it out alive." Pyrrha stated, turning the conversation back to the Grimm they had encountered.
"It's not just surprising, it's baffling!" Weiss proclaimed. "How was it that not a single one of them intended to consume us?!" It was a good question, as none of the Grimm Apes acted in any way similar to a normal Grimm.
"Well… what if they let us go?" Jaune proposed his theory. "So they could follow us and find out where we live?"
"Ugh, that's creepy just to think about," said Nora.
"I'm not sure why they would go that far," Ren speculated, assuring Nora that the outcome was unlikely.
"Who knows? A Grimm would do anything to get their jaws on human flesh," Weiss stated, the fact of the Grimm's insatiable hunger was irrefutable.
"They… seemed so unlike a Grimm, though," said Ruby, reminding everyone that they were not dealing with normal Grimm.
"Well, they're smart. What if they were acting?" suggested Yang. "They could be gentle one second… and then instantly go ape on us!"
Instantaneously, everyone groaned at another of Yangs unbearable puns. Oddly enough, Blake seemed to be the most upset over the pun, as she let out a low growl after Yang mad the pun. Everyone was surprised by Blake's partially feral action.
"… Too soon?" Yang asked innocently.
"Yes, it was VERY too soon!" yelled Blake. She then pushed her way through the group, rudely bumped her shoulder in Yang's, and walked fast enough to leave everyone else far behind. Everyone looked at the dark girl in a stupor.
"Blake?" Yang said her partner's name but it was to no avail, as the normally quiet girl was long gone.
"What got into her?" asked Nora.
"I… don't know…" was all Ruby could say for an answer.
Yang was the only one who somewhat knew what was bothering Blake. Before their encounter with the first two Grimm, Blake revealed that she was still upset over Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. Yang wanted to convince Blake that she was pushing herself, but the coincidence of meeting the Grimm interfered. She wasn't sure whether to the others about what she knew. How would Blake react if she found out Yang talked behind her back? For the moment, Yang could only wait for the right moment to discuss her partner's troubles with the team.
As much as the others wanted to ponder on why Blake was in such horrible mood, Weiss remembered another shell shocking discovery on the island.
"Wait a minute… oh, dammit! Ruby, we forgot!" She claimed. Ruby, along with everyone else, was confused when the heiress made such a declaration.
"Huh? About what?" Ruby asked her partner.
"The Dust!" Weiss informed, to the shock of everyone present.
"The Dust–?! OH GOSH WE FORGOT!" with a gasp and her mouth hanging open in shock, Ruby remembered what Weiss was referring too, which was apparently Dust. The others were still puzzled. They remembered that the mission was intended to find Dust, but all they found were the Elk and the Grimm, if they recalled.
"What? We didn't find any Dust," said Jaune.
"Of course you didn't," Weiss remarked at him, "but we did!"
""WHAT?!"" And just like that, the five of them were just as shocked as Ruby was, when she remembered. So, by technicality, they completed the mission after all.
"You two found Dust?!" Yang incredulously asked her teammates.
"You sure bet we did!" Ruby proudly confirmed.
"Why didn't you tell the professors?!" Jaune tactlessly demanded and both Ruby and Weiss realized their fault, upon the leader of JNPR mentioning it.
"We… might've forgot, after the Grimm. Eh-heh… sorry." Ruby said as her excuse. Now to be fair, everyone was completely blindsided by the talking Grimm they encountered. Who wouldn't be distracted by such an incredible and inconceivable confrontation?
"Wait… does this mean you guys won the bet?!" Nora asked. The others were then further surprised, remembering the friendly and expensive competition they made between the teams.
"Well… not that it really matters but–!" Weiss attempted to confirm such, but was interrupted by the following, ludicrous statement made by none other than Nora.
"NO~! MY PANCAKE FARMS! MY DREAMS ARE SHATTERED~!"
…
Everyone gawked at the short, orange haired girl, who shouted such an odd thing, and preceded to fall to her knees and wail and sob in despair. She did it in such an exaggerated and extreme manner, it was almost like she was a cartoon character. Then again, none of them would expect any less from her.
After a moment of staring at the hammer-wielder, Ren sighed in exasperation. "… I'll help her calm down," he stated, and knelt down to her level to give his aid.
"… Well, back to the matter at hand," said Pyrrha, fortunately turning the conversation back to what was important. "Where did you find a Dust mine?"
Upon hearing the champion's implication that they found a Dust mine, Ruby's and Weiss' eyes widened in realization. It would be natural that they believed them to have found a mine, as Dust normally formed underground, and had to be dug up from the earth. However, though the partners did find Dust, it certainly wasn't found in a Dust mine.
"Oh, well… it wasn't a mine we found, per say…" Weiss admitted, nervous of how they would react. Everyone looked at them in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Yang asked.
"Well… um… you see…" Weiss attempted to explain.
"Uh… we didn't find a Dust mine…" Ruby finished for her partner.
"So you found just the material itself?" Pyrrha asked to clarify.
"Yes… in large quantities… and sizes." Weiss confirmed, being somewhat misleading.
"God, would one of you just spit it out!" Yang demanded. Realizing that they couldn't hide what they needed to tell them, Ruby mustered enough volume to say what they found.
"… We… we're pretty sure we found… Dust Spires," she sheepishly proclaimed.
""EH~~?!"" And each of them made a noise expressing their surprise to the information. All of them except for Jaune.
"Dust Spires?" he repeated in question, apparently being the only one to have never heard of such.
"As in the ones told only in legend?!" Pyrrha asked of Ruby and Weiss.
"Yeah, those are it," Ruby confirmed.
"You can't be serious!" Ren incredulously asked. Even he was amazed by such a claim.
"We most certainly are," Weiss proclaimed. "We even touched them, up close!"
"Holy crap, this is big! Literally!" Yang stated, telling an unintentional pun. However, Jaune was still not understanding what they were talking about.
"What's a Dust Spire?!" He demanded, catching everyone's surprise.
"Oh, uh… well, Jaune," Pyrrha started to explain the Dust Spires to him. "To put it simply… imagine a typical shard of Dust."
"A-alright." Jaune complied, but unsure of what she was getting at.
"Which grows from the ground, like a plant, instead of forming in a mine," Pyrrha continued.
"Okay."
"And it just so happens… to be higher than, or as high as, a skyscraper."
"…"
"…"
Everyone looked at Jaune as his eyes widened, his pupils drastically dilating, a few drops of sweat rolling down his temple, and his jaw going slack and hanging open.
"… I think my mind just blew up," was all he managed to say after a moment of silence.
"So Dust Spires are real?! That's awesome!" Nora proclaimed.
"Let's get back to Ozpin's office! We have to tell him this!" said Yang hastily, and she started to head back to Beacon Tower. That is, she was until Weiss, of all people, stopped her from going by grabbing her arm.
"Actually… we can't," she stated, her words being a shock to everyone, especially Yang.
"What?" Ruby asked, puzzled by Weiss' decision to stay silent.
"Why not?!" Yang demanded, pulling her arm out of Weiss' grip.
"They're not going to believe us," the heiress claimed.
"Oh that's bull crap!" Yang countered, not believing her teammate's statement. "This whole thing was meant for us to get Dust–!"
"But not the Dust Spires," Weiss interrupted, catching Yang off guard.
"What?" the brawler asked.
"Yang, the Dust Spires are believed to be a myth," Weiss informed her, which was true. "If they don't believe us that those Grimm apes exist, then what hope do we have of convincing them about the Spires?"
Yang and the others looked at Weiss and each other as the facts settled into their minds. Even if that the Dust Spires were known among the public, much unlike the intelligent Grimm Apes, but they were considered to exist only fairy tales. Like the Grimm Apes, they would perceived by the public to be in the same category – fantasy.
"That's a good point, unfortunately," Ren sadly admitted.
"Then what should we do?" Yang asked, trying to look for a silver-lining.
"… I suppose the most we can do is forget about it," Weiss suggested, to everyone's surprise.
"Weiss, are you sure about that?" Pyrrha asked the heiress.
"In these conditions, then perhaps so," Weiss assured her, but did not seem completely convinced that she was going the right path.
"But, what about your dad?" Ruby asked her partner. "He won't like it if we have no Dust, will he?"
Hearing Ruby mention her father, Weiss donned a nervous expression. They remembered that the entire mission may not have been conceived, were it not his idea. However, he wanted this mission because he wanted more Dust to come out of it. If he were to learn that no Dust was reported on the continent, would he take it out on Weiss, the heiress of his company? Even tough thoughts like these and others were rushing through her mind, Weiss pushed them down with a deep breath, and made her response.
"I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there." And like that, she ended the conversation. Weiss moved past the others, walking down the campus street and heading for their dorms. As she was doing such, the members of team JNPR looked to each other for a decision.
"It may be best to just leave 'West Dragon' alone, for now," Pyrrha suggested, and Jaune seemed to agree.
"Yeah, it's not worth it with those Grimm there," he said.
With their decision to forget West Dragon for now, team JNPR also started heading for their dorm. Ruby and Yang were the last two left on the spot where they held their conversation. Ruby looked to her older sister with a worried expression, looking for some kind of response that could change the current position on the mission. However, Yang only shared the same expression as her sister, shrugged, and started walking for her dorm. Anxiously looking on at the group leaving, Ruby sighed, and moved to catch up with them. Whether it was the right move to put all of this behind them, she was not sure.
Blake kept moving, and she was still angry. When she entered through one of the school buildings, she was emanating fury from her own aura. Those who passed by her could sense her mood from a mile away, and stood clear from her path.
Blake was unsettled from the day she saw Roman Torchwick ordering members of the White Fang. No matter how she much she would wrap her head around it, she couldn't find any logical reason for it. She knew many members all too well, and of them she knew those who would never give their allegiance to a human… especially Adam. Her old partner, someone who she thought she knew, who had changed in every aspect expect physical. She used to see him as a revolutionary, but over time, he became a beast in her eyes.
Adam especially wouldn't align himself with a human, even of Torchwick's status. Did he know anything about it? Did he allow Torchwick to act like their boss? What was going on without her? Blake wanted to know everything there was to this situation. She feared that something awful was going to happen. However, the mission to West Dragon interfered. Now was not the time for finding Dust, in that continent of all places. She was completely scared that if they were gone from Vale, something was bound to happen. And they wouldn't be able to stop it in time. And she would still know nothing.
But even if the mission was a waste of time, there was still something that really stood out to her, something that disturbed her enough to almost forget the White Fang. Nothing that she could ever been prepared for in her entire life. The experience was traumatic, feeling akin to a curse; she could remember every single detail vividly, though she desired to forget all of it. She remembered the encounter with the Grimm Apes.
Blake could never have believed that such strange Grimm existed. None of them looked normal, having no skull masks and human like eyes. None of them acted normal either; not a single one of those Grimm lunged at them. None of them wanted to consume her or her friends. Their leader, however, was most memorable. A figure who radiated a sense of authority, nobility, and power – the makings of a true leader. As much as she hated to admit it, Ruby was right. The Grimm leader was remarkable, but that's what was wrong with it! Why was a Grimm so charismatic, so influential, so… human?! It didn't make sense!
However, none of it was comparable to the worst part of the encounter. The one moment that made her sick to her stomach…
As the memories of the incident were coming back to her, she thought she heard something. Something similar to a hoot, or a pant… or both. Blake stopped and swung her head left & right, trying to find its source, but found nothing. Though confused, Blake started to move forward, but came to came to sudden halt, and gazed at the sight before her with wide eyes.
No longer in a hallway of the school building, she was in the middle of a house. It appeared to be a log cabin, as evidenced by the wooden logs stacked together, forming the walls and ceilings. Strangely, she saw no color aside from black, white, and grays. She looked at her own hands and saw only black and white. What was going on? Was her fatigue starting to affect her, and she was having an illusion?
Suddenly, Blake heard snarling. It had a very familiar tone, to her fright. Blake swiftly turned around, gasping at what she saw. It was the first two Grimm she and Yang had encountered – the one with the blue eyes, and the other with the gray-speckled skin. The former was holding the latter in its arms. They too were black and white, but the grey-speckled Grimm had a splash of another color on its right shoulder: red. It symbolized blood. This was the exact position the two Grimm were in, merely seconds after Blake shot one of them. This time, however, the blue eyed Grimm was not calling for help, it was snarling, before she shot the Grimm.
Blake was horrified at what she was seeing and hearing. Her eyes and mouth were widening further with each passing moment of the Grimm snarling. It was getting louder, scaring her even more. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse, the Grimm's voice suddenly became distorted. The sound of its snarls became more demonic, rocking Blake to her very core. It was still getting louder as well, and was snarling faster and each snarl was getting longer too. Right at the moment she couldn't take it anymore, Blake bent over, held her hands over her (human) ears, and screamed.
In an instant, the snarling stopped. Once she realized it had, she felt a moment of surprise at first, but was immediately relieved and sighed, content that the hallucination stopped. When she rose up, however, another shock came to her. About ten or more students were gawking at her, having witnessed her sudden breakdown. She found herself feeling utterly small under their gazes. Embarrassed and baffled, Blake quickly ran past the group, even activating her semblance, creating clones to push herself farther away from them.
When she was a good distance away, she took a sharp right, and hid behind wall. She put her back immediately against the wall, her chest heaving with shallow, shaky breaths. Blake tried to catch her breath. She raised her hand to wipe her forehead, which was soaked in a nervous sweat. Then, she heard footsteps and voices coming her way. Not wanting to be caught, she tried to hold her breath. Having trouble, she held her hand over her mouth and nose. As the students came by, she heard what they were saying.
"What the heck was up with that chick?"
"Who knows? Was she even a student here?"
"Maybe, but she must've been a first year."
"She probably felt that she was in over her head."
The students passed by, leaving Blake unnoticed. She removed her hand from her mouth, and started to control her breathing better. Then, out of exhaustion, she slid down the wall and fell to the ground. The entire vision was horrifying. However, it did not occur without meaning. As much as it was influenced by the Grimm, it was only half of the memory of her shooting the Grimm. The other memory, she remembered just as clearly.
The log they were in? She was in it before. The black and white colors? She saw them before. The corner where the two Grimm were? She saw two people there before. She remembered this memory the moment the Grimm snarled at her.
As Blake pointed her Gambol Shroud in pistol form at the Grimm, they suddenly stepped back in fear. It was a confusing action for a Grimm to do, but she kept her focus on them.
"H-hey… it's alright… d-don't be scared," she heard Yang say. Her partner's words only managed to make the blue eyed Grimm look angry. Blake looked at Yang in skepticism, unsure of why she was even attempting to communicate with Grimm in the first place. Yang only had an expression of unsureness in response to Blake. Then, they heard the snarling.
Blake turned to see the blue eyed Grimm snarling at them. It was trying to intimidate them trying to convince them to leave. It was another odd move for this Grimm, as they would usually challenge their prey, not scare them off. However, as it kept snarling, a memory was starting to flash before Blake's eyes. She tried blinking to make it go away, but after the next blink, she found herself in a different place.
It was an old log cabin, abandoned in the middle of a forest. It was night time, and the only source of light within the house was a ceiling lamp that shined bright light. The house was illuminated with white light that shined so brightly, that the shadows that contrasted with the light were almost a pitch black. It was a stark, abstract sight to see.
With her weapon in hand, Blake was standing over two people, huddled in a corner, both of them were Faunus. One of them, a deer Faunus, was half awake, holding onto her bleeding shoulder. The other was a panther Faunus, holding onto his partner while he looked directly at Blake, fearing for his life, and his friend's.
Adam told Blake of the situation earlier. These two had betrayed the White Fang, leaking information of the terrorist group's plans to the authorities, and even to the Schnee Dust Company. Adam's White Fang cell had found the two, and chased after them. Blake and Adam were successful in catching up to them. As they ran, Blake took a shot at, hitting the deer in her shoulder. The panther carried her with him to a cabin they knew, but once again Blake and Adam caught up to them. Now, Blake was standing over the two, while Adam watched.
Blake felt guilty. She harmed two Faunus, two of her own kind, despite the differing positions they were in. Was it right to execute their kin?
"I-It's… it's alright…" she said to them. The panther looked strangely at her for moment, then soon donned an angered look. He was apparently insulted by what she said. Before Blake could say what she meant, the panther Faunus suddenly snarled at her, making her jump back in confusion. She wanted to help them, why did he respond in such a way?
However, before she could try anything else, Adam walked past her. Blake looked at Adam in confusion, unsure of what to do. Adam looked down at the panther Faunus, as the panther looked back at him. With a sudden swiftness, Adam unsheathed his sword, swung up diagonally, and a fountain of blood erupted from both traitor Faunus.
Blake looked on in shock and horror as the two Faunus quickly bled out, and Adam merely swiped the sword to shake off the blood, and sheathed it. He didn't even bash an eye towards the two people he slew. Blake gawked at him, wanting an answer. He met her stare, and said only this.
"It had to be done." And with that, he moved to leave the cabin, further to Blake's shock. She was too dumbfounded to know what to do, only able to stare at Adam leave, and turn back her gaze to the bodies, before leaving herself.
This was one of the many reasons Blake left the White Fang. The use of violence, the change in Adam, and murders of their own kind, just to further the White Fang's agenda. She was appalled by the reformation in the White Fang, even if she thought that they were going down the right path at first. She never wanted to face this situation again.
The problem was though, she did, in a way. The two Grimm before were much like those two Grimm – innocent. Those Faunus knew the White Fang became murderous. They wanted to save the world from a violent cult. As for the two Grimm she met, they might have well been not Grimm at all. Not so much on a physical level, but in behavior. They were even sentient, like the Faunus and humans.
But she never considered that, did she? If Blake knew what she was doing, would she not have hurt that Grimm? If Adam realized what he was doing, would he not have killed the deer and panther Faunus? Perhaps… but neither of them considered their options. Adam coldly killed those two Faunus because of his devotion to the White Fang, his belief in Faunus superiority. And Blake… she was no different. She shot the grey speckled Grimm, because of what she believed the Grimm were. She shot it because of her devotion as a Huntress. Blake was like Adam in that situation, killing and hurting without knowing better.
And that was what disturbed her about the entire encounter. A deep, deep pit formed in Blake because of what she done. If those Grimm had acted any different, it may have started a war – a war that was her fault. If it had gone that route, Blake wouldn't be able to live with herself. Hell, she can't live with herself right now! Harming an intelligent creature simply because of what it was? What kind of forsaken person was she?!
Right now, with all of the guilt and shame flowing through her mind and body, along with trauma, Blake was on the verge of tears. A quiet sob escaped her throat and she curled up, bringing her knees to her chest and holding them close to her with her arms. She laid her head between her knees. She was ready to cry, as her emotions were close to breaking out.
…
But then another thought came up. She suddenly raised up her head, emitting a gasp and only shedding a single tear. She blinked and wiped her eyes with her wrist to get rid of the tears. She thought to herself, why does it have to be this way? Why do the White Fang have to be the winners? She wasn't a member of the White Fang anymore, she was an extremist for Faunus' rights, and she certainly wasn't a murderer.
So why should she put herself down?
"… No. No I shouldn't," she thought.
She was right. She shouldn't. Maybe she hadn't done nothing when Adam killed the two Faunus, but that doesn't truly make it her fault. Maybe she had harmed a Grimm who had done nothing to her, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't repent. These events may have occurred… but does that mean they should happen again?
"No… not again," she thought as answer. "Never again!"
And with a new confidence found, she stood up. She moved away from the wall, and headed down the hallway. She wasn't going harm another innocent, and she wasn't going to let the White Fang harm more of them. When she gets the time she needs, Blake will find her answers: She will find out why the White Fang are working for Torchwick, she will find out what they are planning, and she will stop them. No matter how much it will cost her, physically and mentally.
She was willing to lose herself, as long as the memories she loathed would go away.
As the evening passed, Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and all of JNPR spent some time in their dining hall before their dorm. They eventually felt hungry, so they detoured from going to the dorm and headed for food. However, the mission and their report were still fresh on their minds. They did not eat much and though they were sitting together, they hadn't said a word to each other. It was a solemn dinner that lasted for a whole hour, or more.
By the time the sun truly set and the night sky was turning blue, they left their table. They got to time they got to their dorms. Jaune and his team said goodnight to the remaining three of team RWBY, and entered their room. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang looked at each before entering their room for a moment. The entire incident was still bothering them and they were worried for Blake, their silent, stressed expressions told that much to each other. Sighing, Ruby turned to the door, and unlocked. Gazing at their room, the three were surprised to see who was inside.
Blake was putting a book away in the shelf. When she heard the door opened, she turned around to see her teammates. She too was surprised by their presence.
"Oh, Blake!" Weiss announced. "We didn't think you came back here." Her claim caused Blake to narrow her eyes.
"Why not?" She asked, unsure of why they thought of such.
"Well, you kind of ran off on us," Ruby explained. "We didn't think this is where you went."
"…" Blake said nothing. Her team leader was technically right, she could have gone anywhere else because of her mood, so their dorm was expected to be the last place to find her.
"… Are you okay?" Yang asked her partner.
"… I'm fine." Blake responded, but her tired tone made her sound less than convincing.
"Are you sure?" Weiss asked in skepticism.
"… Yeah," Blake confirmed. "Sorry for how I acted earlier."
"Eh, it's fine," said Ruby, she and the others easily accepting Blake's apology. "Today's been pretty stressful for all of us." That was something they could all agree on. Ruby then yawned, raised her arm to stretch out her side, and started to move towards the bathroom in their dorm.
"And I, for one, would like to sleep this all off," Ruby proclaimed.
"Same here. I'm freakin' tired," said Yang in agreement.
"I couldn't agree more," Weiss also complied.
"…" Blake merely nodded.
Thus, each of them prepared for a good sleep tonight. They each used the bathroom, changed into their nightwear, and they headed for their respective bed in each tactlessly made, makeshift bunk bed set. On the left bunk bed set, Ruby slept on the top, and Weiss slept on the bottom. On the right, Yang had top and Blake had bottom. With the exhaustion of their day finally getting the better of them, they swiftly fell sound asleep… except for Blake. She laid on her back for a moment to think of a single thought.
"This… might be the last time I sleep for a while."
Blake had decided to search for answers. That much she has decided for herself. She was willing to sacrifice herself for it, as long as she would learn everything she wanted to know, and she would prevent whatever would be a threat to the city, the school, her friends and herself. But how long would that take? If it had to be years, she would gladly oblige, as long as it meant she would get something done. But what if she would lose so much of herself, would she forget why she's fighting? Would she lose so much that all she would have left are the memories she wanted to rid herself of?
If she was going to do what she believed was the right choice, then she wouldn't want to forget her reasons for it. So Blake made a decision: She would start her investigation as soon as possible, but over the course of her work, she would use some of her time to experience the things she enjoyed, like reading, and the things she believed were useless to her, such as grades. That way, she would have the memories of the things she loved, an incentive for what she was going to do. That way, she would remember the things she would sacrifice and motivate herself further to find answers. And once she did, she would happily return to the things she returned.
Although, a part of her feared that she would come to sacrificing her friends… she hoped it may not come to that, but was considering such an option. For now though, she focusing on the little things, like resting. Blake believed that this would be her last night of sleep. She tucked herself into the bed, closed her eyes, and waited for sleep to take hold of her. If she would have good night's sleep, she cherish the memory of it, once she abandons rest in order to find her answers.
Now, all members of team RWBY were asleep. Not a single sound went by that disturbed them, so each of them slept comfortably. They could not hear a thing and they could not see a thing.
So they certainly could not see the large, black shape hanging literally in front of their window. The dark figure was robust, covered in shaggy fur. It was holding onto the ledge of the window. The figure reached with the hand it wasn't using to hold on, to test if the window could be opened or not. It found out that it could, and it was unlocked. The figure slowly, cautiously raised the window up, careful to not make a unsettling noise. It raised it all the way up, and carefully climbed through, into the room.
If anyone could see this figure, the bright moonlight would make some of its figures distinguishable. The dark hair and skin, the bony extrusions from its elbows and shoulders, and its narrow, flat face. One might also be able to see its eyes – one that was a pale blue, and another that was a milky white, with a scar around that eye.
Koba has arrived, and he had found the humans who invaded his homeland. Koba looked around the room, searching left and right. He saw each of them sleeping in their beds… and he saw how the beds were so tactlessly set up. How they made them such or why they couldn't afford something more efficient, was beyond him. Not caring much for their bunkbeds, Koba moved around the room, taking slow and careful steps to make sure he did not wake any of them up. He then saw three of the weapon he saw them use.
Two of them were swords, one long and thin, while the other was wide and thick. The other were two pairs of yellow gauntlets. He picked each one up carefully to examine them. He wondered just how they could have killed with such things. Judging by the colors the humans associated themselves, he could easily guess which weapon belonged to who. He remembered that the human girl clad in red dropped her weapon after she transformed it, and that Caesar picked it up.
Koba wanted to take the weapons to the colony, so that they could study them and, perhaps, replicate them. However, he knew that the humans would be suspicious of their precious tools disappearing on them. He decided against that, so he quietly put the weapons down, and made to take his leave through the window. However, he stopped when one of the sleeping girls caught his attention. He heard her turn and was immediately on alert. The girl did not change sides, so she only made the slight movement subconsciously, to Koba's relief. While he looked at her, though, he remembered something. He took a step closer, seeing her jet black hair, and a cloth bow atop her head, while her back faced him, Koba figured out who she was.
As soon as the large search party got to Ash and Blue Eyes, he saw his two honorary nephews surrounded by eight humans. They were too late from preventing Ash getting shot in his shoulder. However, when Koba looked at the humans for a culprit, he saw one them holding something that looked like a pistol and the barrel of that weapon was lightly smoking, meaning a shot was fired from it. It was the black haired girl who held it. The same girl that Koba was currently gazing at. The same human girl he wanted to kill.
Koba was angry. Angered that such a horrible thing happened to his honorary nephew, the son of Rocket. Knowing it was this human who did, it made him even more angry. Koba knew humans were bad like this, being indiscriminate when they shoot their beloved guns, not caring what their bullet hits. Killing this human now would mean one less bad human for the apes to deal with. His hand slowly reached for the girl's neck, which was barely visible under the covers she slept in. If he could do as quickly and quietly as possible, Koba would avenge Ash. He would avenge Rocket. He would avenge the Apes!
Suddenly, a hooting noise was called out, brining Koba out of his murderous state. He blinked a few times, and turned to look through the window. In the tree just outside of the room, hanging onto its thick branches, were Koba's lieutenants Grey and Stone. Grey was the one who called out to his leader. He was quiet enough so that the humans would not be stirred, but loud enough for Koba could hear.
Koba could see their worried expressions and realized what was wrong. He could not kill the human, no matter how much he felt towards them. If he did so now, the humans would be distraught, suspicious, and angry. Even though they would be out of the continent long after, there was still a chance of them being found the culprits, no matter how slim a chance that would be. With better judgement, Koba took his arm away from the girl, his hand merely inches away from her throat. Now was not the time for Koba to enact revenge for Ash, nor himself.
Both Grey and Stone sighed, relieved that Koba hadn't botched their mission. Koba came to the window and leapt out into the tree, making some rustling noises as he collided with the leaves and branches. He climbed up the branches to be directly in front of his subordinates.
We found humans. Got what we wanted, the scarred ape signed to them. Both Grey and Stone nodded. Now they had to leave, and Koba knew just how. He turned to Grey.
"… Grey… Powers. Now," He spoke in his still raspy but developing voice. Grey nodded. The three apes locked hands, and Grey focused all of his energy calling onto his 'powers.'
In a few seconds, Grey's Grimm-like body started to glow. He was surrounded in a bright, greyish light, which then surrounded Koba and Stone. Grey opened his eyes, his green eyes no longer visible as they were shining with pure light. Then, his body began to transform. Emanating from his very being were thick wisps of smoke. He was not dissipating, he was turning into another state of matter. Eventually, as his entire body turned into thick grey smoke, the process transferred to Koba and Stone. They too turned into smoke.
Soon, each gaseous form of the apes combined into a thick black cloud, engulfing the tree in itself. The smoky cloud then started to rise up, rising higher into the sky, almost blending in with the dark night sky. The cloud swiftly moved north, heading straight for their colony.
Koba had done what Caesar asked, and he intended to tell his king everything he knew.
Author's note, 6/10/17:
Hey all. I know it's been five to six months since the last update (not counting several additions/detractions to my profile page) and I apologize for that setback, but I have to reiterate what I've mentioned in my profile: I don't have a consistent schedule with publications and my personal life has priority. I'm sorry, but these kinds of things do take over writing fanfiction. My life will especially take over with my job this summer. So do not expect much from me for the rest of June and most of July. However, rest assured, I am working hard on my fanfics, so I will see if I can get at least one or two updates in. I will also work harder in August to get more chapters and stories published, before the next semester starts. I hope this makes up for everything.
Now aside from that, let's get onto what I have to say about this chapter. Since this is where Blake starts to act more antisocial because of the villains' plotting in volume 2, I wanted to focus more on the aspect of what may be going through her mind at that time. What motives would she have for cutting herself off from people or even sleep? How far would she go? I hope I was able to cover what the show hadn't. And the whole traumatic hallucination thing was kind of thought up last minute, but it came out pretty good to me. Not sure if people like to see characters get hurt like that, but that's the kind of stuff I like to write.
Last chapter I asked about names for the species of Grimm apes minus the Beringel, giving my own ideas and asking for suggestions. Now those three types of Grimm apes will be named, but canon-wise for this fanfic, those three species have not been discovered yet by the Kingdoms. As for what the names will be, I've decided for this: Hominidon will be genus name for the Grimm Chimpanzees and the two species will be H. Troglodytes (Grimm Common Chimpanzee) and H. Gremlins (Grimm Bonobo/Grimm Chimpanzee). Gigantops will be the name of the Grimm Orangutans. Grimm don't have a classification thing like genus but I figured it would be a little unique for the Grimm Apes, and it is inspired by the suggestions of fellow author GojiGrimlockSaurus.
And how did Grey turn himself and the other apes into smoke? Not telling now but again… they're not 100% Grimm, and have something other people on Remnant have. Hint hint. Hope it's not too obvious now though. If you figure out what I'm referring too, don't say it in the reviews, in case there's someone who doesn't want to be spoiled. Someone mentioned it in a previous review but, based on what they said, I don't think they knew what I meant.
Anyway, that's all I got. Wait for next chapter on this story, I don't know when it will be. Or, you can wait for the second chapter of my second story if you're reading that one too, which will likely come first. Laters.
