Third chapter, woohoo! Thanks to all of you who left such positive reviews, it made me want to write and post this chapter almost immediately! So... Here it is. A lot of you also seemed to have some sort of predictions/ideas for the direction of this story, and let's just say some of you aren't too far from the truth ;)
Also I feel like I should admit that I kind of lied to you guys. There is gonna be another Soul Calibur character other than Nightmare, but they won't appear til later, so no need to worry about it now. I'll give you a hint, and you can guess in the reviews or something: He is one of the few characters to appear in every single game, starting from Soul Edge all the way to Soul Calibur 5.
Have fun, kiddies!
...
"You were a fool, Ozpin. You truly believed that your children, your smaller, more honest souls, could actually save the world. But already one of them has fallen. The legend of Soul Edge has many chapters, Ozpin, and the boy has just written a new one."
"..."
"The last time the wielder was ever seen was during the Great War, where his reign of terror ended in an epic battle of myth and legend."
"Yes, I recall. If memory serves me correctly, the one that killed him was Sir Nicholas Arc, also known as the hero of Crocea Mors."
"Correct. The Arc family has existed for generations, dating back to the earliest days of humanity. Little know about this part of Soul Edge's story, but every defeat its wielders suffered was at the hands of someone from the Arc family. One of them even attended your school, did he not?"
"Correct."
"Was he one of those smaller, more honest souls, Ozpin? Because if he was, then your plan has already failed. Soul Edge has just claimed a new host, and it just so happens to be the Arc boy. I'm sure you understand now, Ozpin... With an Arc wielding the might of Soul Edge, Remnant has no hopes of survival."
"You'd be surprised, Salem. I am still confident that my students have the skills to stop Nightmare. As for Mr. Arc, I have faith that maybe he too can still bring peace to this world."
"We shall see, Ozpin. We shall see."
...
Ruby may have been fast. Her semblance could launch her at speeds that would outpace a god. But there was one flaw she had when it came to her usage of her super speed. She was horribly predictable. With a well timed move, any opponent could easily turn the tables on her, leaving her open for severe punishment.
Blake Belladonna may have not been as fast as Ruby, but she still held the advantage of being completely unpredictable in combat. With her clones, an opponent could find themselves locked helpless in a corner as she slowly chipped away at their aura.
And because of this, Nightmare was having trouble landing a hit on the faunus girl.
He growled in frustration as he swung Soul Edge at the girl, only for it to harmlessly slice through a shadow she had left behind. Meanwhile, Blake's Gambol Shroud made another scratch on his armor as she leaped between the hulking knight. Nightmare attempted to catch her in his giant claw, but once again all he managed to hit was a clone. Blake then ducked under a mighty swing, shifting Gambol Shroud into its gun form and firing at Nightmare's helmet. Nightmare shook off the distraction, thrusting his blade forward in another attempt to kill the wretched girl.
Blake jumped out of the way, landing gracefully on top of Soul Edge itself. Thinking quickly, she stabbed her sword into the eye of the cursed blade, wincing as a blood curling shriek sounded in her head. Nightmare took advantage of the momentary hesitation, and he grabbed the girl and slammed her into the ground. The force took a large number out of Blake's aura, and she was forced to leave behind another shadow clone to escape.
Ruby, who had been watching the fight progress, now rushed into the battle. She swiped low with her scythe, tripping the hulking knight. Nightmare landed shamefully on his rear, but quickly recovered and sent another sword swing at the young girl. His attack came short as Gambol Shroud's ribbon wrapped around his wrist. It tightened, cancelling out Soul Edge's momentum. Blake then rushed back into battle to rejoin Ruby, and the two wasted little time going on the offensive.
Nightmare growled in anger as he was forced to block all of their blows. This wasn't what was supposed to happen! How could two puny mortals cause him this much trouble?!
"You've only just began your reign as my wielder," Soul Edge's slightly pained voice explained. "You need experience. Thankfully, I know just how you can get stronger."
"Then show me," Nightmare responded as he delivered a swift punch to Ruby's gut.
Ruby went flying back, landing on her side painfully. Nightmare charged, swinging his sword downward in hopes of cutting her into two. Right as he was about to confirm the kill, Blake had once again rushed to her teammate's aide, grabbing her and rolling them both away from harm. The faunus helped Ruby to her feet, and both of them readied themselves once more.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Blake asked her leader, a smirk forming.
Ruby chuckled and nodded, Crescent Rose ready. "Yup," she answered. "LADYBUG!"
The two leaped into battle as one, once again forcing Nightmare onto the defensive. Their strikes proved swift and true, slowly but surely wearing down the dark blue knight. Then, Ruby swung her scythe in an upward arc, catching Nightmare's chin. The force of the blow lifted up his helmet, and soon it clattered to the ground, revealing Nightmare's face to the former members of RWBY.
They both gasped, halting their assault immediately. The messy, blonde hair... The dorky yet handsome face. The only thing different were his ocean blue eyes replaced with the vicious color of coal red.
"J-Jaune...?" Ruby whimpered, nearly dropping Crescent Rose at the sight of her friend. "No... There's no way!"
Blake narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on Gambol Shroud. "Jaune?" she hissed. "What's going on here? Why are you wearing that armor? How did you get that sword? Why are you fighting us?!"
Jaune, or Nightmare, simply grinned maliciously. "Fools." he said, his voice deep and grave. "Tremble before Soul Edge!"
Suddenly he swung with all his might, finally catching the two. They were sent flying through the woods, tumbling over rock and dirt before reaching a painful stop. They shakily rose to their feet, catching sight of Nightmare stalking towards them. Blake could tell that their aura levels were critical, and that they would not survive another blow like that. She gripped Ruby's arm and began leading her away. Ruby instantly struggled though, trying in vain to free herself from the faunus's grip.
"But...Jaune!" she protested.
"That's not Jaune," Blake stated as calmly as she could muster. "Ruby, we have to get Ren and Nora and retreat. We'll die if we keep fighting him like this."
"But..."
"Ruby, please!" Blake now begged, her amber eyes filled with worry as Nightmare still approached them. "We'll figure this out later, I promise! But we have to leave, now!"
Ruby opened her mouth, but then closed it and reluctantly nodded. The two then ran off towards the direction Ren and Nora had landed, and thankfully the two seemed alright. Nora was unconscious, but breathing. Ren was bloodied and bruised, but still able to stand. Nodding at the girls, he picked up Nora bridal style while Ruby grabbed Magnhild. The three then bolted away as fast as they could, leaving Nightmare behind in the small clearing.
Nightmare picked up his helmet and placed it back on his head. Soul Edge's eye, red but otherwise okay, shifted towards its wielder. "They'll die in time," it promised. "But for now we must build our strength."
"How so?" Nightmare asked.
"I'm sure you feel it too," Soul Edge continued. "A hunger... A thirst... To gain strength, we must consume the souls of all those who stand in our way!"
Underneath his helmet, Nightmare grinned. He then glanced down at the sword's broken edges. "And will this feasting repair your damage?"
Soul Edge blinked. "It'll help, but I will not be fully restored that way," it said. "Let me tell you a story, wielder. During the Great War, I was defeated and shattered. My shards were spread all throughout this world, eventually finding their homes in the souls of others. To reach my true form, we must find these people and destroy them. We will collect my shards, and then Remnant will truly bow before us."
"And who are these others?"
"I am unsure," Soul Edge admitted. "I was aware that one of them was locked inside the Fall Maiden of legend, but she has already been killed. Whenever a maiden dies, their powers are sent to the last person they thought of. She was murdered, was she not?"
A faint memory played in Nightmare's head, and he slowly nodded. "Yes," he answered.
"Then the shard is now within the one who murdered her," the cursed blade reasoned. It's eyes gazed at its wielder. "And you know who that is, don't you?"
Nightmare nodded, a feeling of pure hatred and rage filling every fiber of his being as one name echoed in his mind.
'Cinder...'
...
Ruby had no idea how long she and the others had been running, but they had ran far enough to be clear from the forest, now reaching a large flower field that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Ruby collapsed to her knees as she struggled to catch her breath, Ren lowering Nora down next to her, before falling face first into the ground. Only Blake stood, staring back towards the direction of the woods with caution.
"I can't believe it..." Ren murmured under his breath. "That...thing was Jaune?"
Blake nodded, turning back to look at her companions. "I don't understand it either," she said. "But yes, whatever that was, it used to be Jaune."
"B-But what happened to him?" Ruby breathed, curling into a ball. "I mean... He was perfectly normal just an hour ago, why and how did he become that thing?"
Ren shrugged. "It certainly is strange," he muttered. He turned his eyes up towards Blake. "But I was wondering, how did you know where to find us?"
Ruby also turned to Blake with curious eyes, and Blake's bow twitched slightly. "I... May have been secretly following you guys for the past two weeks..." she admitted, rather lamely.
"Why?" Ruby wondered.
Blake bit her lip. "During the Battle of Beacon, I ran," she began. "I was so ashamed after what happened to Yang, I thought I could never be a huntress. I wandered around for months, killing Grimm and helping others in whatever way I could. But it wasn't enough. Without Team RWBY, I felt empty, hollow. So after a lengthy debate with myself, I decided to look for you guys. I managed to find your house, Ruby, but you weren't there."
"Did you see Yang?" Ruby then asked, leaning forward a bit.
Blake hesitantly nodded. "I didn't speak to her," she told them. "I...I was too scared. Anyway, after that I decided to make my way to Atlas, to try to find Weiss. But along the way I met your uncle, Ruby. He told me about your journey to Mistral, so I decided to follow you guys. I eventually caught up to you, and here we are."
Ruby nodded, then smiled softly. "Well, it's really great to see you again," she said. "Having you here, it gives me more hope for our mission."
"But what happens to our mission now?" Ren suddenly asked. "Our original goal was to find where Cinder was hiding, and we're nearly towards the edge of Vale. Within a couple days, we can already be on a boat to Haven. But is that still the plan, now that Jaune has turned into that 'Nightmare' creature?"
Ruby hesitated, biting her lip as she weighted their options. On one hand, she wanted to track Jaune and try to change him back, but on the other hand... All of Remnant could be doomed if they ignored the threat of Cinder. She opened her mouth to answer, but Blake quickly cut her off.
"We continue to Mistral." she said. "Right now, Cinder is the bigger threat. We can figure out what to do about Jaune on the go, I doubt tonight will be the last we see of him." She then turned to Ruby and scratched the back of her head. "Is that okay with you, Ruby?"
Ruby hesitated again, still unsure. But truthfully, it was their best option. Giving a heavy sigh, she nodded in agreement. "No, you're right," she agreed. "But for now we should rest. With our auras so low and Nora still unconscious, we should find a place to rest and recover." The other two nodded in agreement, and Ren stood up with Nora in his arms once again.
"I would suggest right here, but it's too open," he told them. "With what happened tonight, I don't think we should risk it."
Blake and Ruby nodded. "Then let's get going," said Blake. "I vaguely recall this area, I believe that there might be an abandoned farm about a half mile south of here."
"Are you sure you can handle her?" Ruby asked Ren in concern, gesturing to Nora. "You did take a harsh blow from that sword earlier."
"I'll be fine," Ren assured, wincing slightly. Ruby frowned, but the ninja gave her a determined look. Knowing she wasn't going to be able to stop him, Ruby accepted defeat and began following Blake, Ren in tow.
The three walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts. All were thinking the same thing, however. They... They simply couldn't believe it. Jaune Arc, their loyal friend and comrade, and turned into... Something else. Something they could tell was pure evil. Just the knight's appearance was enough to send shivers down their spines. And that sword... It was unlike anything they ever seen. Even though it had clearly been broken some time ago, its strength hadn't faltered in the slightest. Ruby and Ren both shuddered.
If Blake hadn't been there, they would've died.
Hell, even when Blake was there they barely escaped with their lives.
Ren took a glance down at Nora, frowning. Even though she had nearly been crushed by Nightmare, her face was peaceful. Her breathing was a bit ragged, but thankfully her aura reserves were always the second highest within RWBY and JNPR. She would heal soon. But that wasn't Ren's concern. What were they going to tell her when she woke up? There was no denying Nora's affection for Jaune, he was the only one whose friendship with her rivaled the green clad ninja.
How could they tell her that the one who nearly took her life was Jaune? How could she handle the fact that she attacked Jaune? How could she deal with Jaune...
Ren gulped and forced the words to form.
...being...evil...?
Jaune was the brother Ren never had, no doubt about it. Growing up in the orphanage had been lonely save for Nora. None of the other boys ever wanted to play with him, Jaune was really his first guy friend. His leader. His brother.
But what now?
He was brought out of his thoughts when Blake announced their arrival. Glancing up, he saw they were in front of a large barn, its red paint mostly stripped away due to age. He watched Blake force the door open, and after she did a quick inspection she nodded towards them, indicating that it was all clear. Stepping inside, Ren gently laid down Nora on a pile of hay, before collapsing in exhaustion. His body ached from his injuries and having carried Nora such a long way, but right now he was just glad she was safe.
Still... He had to figure out what to tell her when she awoke.
"We'll camp here for the day," Ruby said. "It's almost sunrise, so we'll be here for awhile. But as soon as our aura is fully restored, we'll start heading towards Mistral." Blake hummed in agreement, perching herself on the top of the barn. Ren just wordlessly nodded, keeping close to Nora.
Suddenly, the viking girl stirred, causing all heads to whip in her direction. The girl had not woken up, but she appeared to now be dreaming. She grimaced and squirmed, a slight gasp of brief pain coming from barely parted lips.
"...Nora?" Ren breathed, scooting closer and slowly taking her hand in his. Nora's stirring stopped, and slowly she opened her eyes. Her turquoise orbs tiredly glanced at her childhood friend, and she frowned slightly. This confused Ren, and he gently squeezed her hand. "Nora, what is it?" he asked her.
Nora didn't answer immediately, her eyes turning towards the ceiling. "Ren..." she began, her voice sounding raspy and hoarse. "Do you remember that fairy tale Mother Abigail used to tell us back when we lived in the orphanage?"
Ren blinked. "Yeah..." he answered, not entirely sure. "The one about the sword, right? Why ask?"
"That sword...that the guy had..." Nora murmured. "I...I think it was the same one from that fairy tale..."
...
Of course Nora would know XD Why wouldn't she? Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, guys! So far this has been a really fun story to write, so just keep all that joy coming my way! Also, seriously try to guess on who the other character will be? He won't be coming for a bit, so you guys have all the time in the world. Remember my hint: he's one of the few characters to appear in every single Soul Calibur game.
Don't forget to review! And remember, stay wykkyd!