A.N: hello again! Enjoy the story and laeve a review.

Discalimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and Dark Souls belongs to From Software and Bandai Namco.


The Knight of the Faded Fire

Chapter II

Of new Worlds and new Beginnings

'Hey, look on the bright side,' said Ember, 'at least were out of the Kiln, right?' The attempt to cheer Onyx up didn't work, as the knight sighed, sheathed his sword and prepared to climb up another ruined tower, just like the Kiln.

When he opened the door, they found themselves in a thin and old bridge made out of rock, which connected the exit from where they came to a tower-like structure, or what remained of it. The building extended down into a ravine and upwards until the beginning of the cliffs. The door and the bridge led them to the center of the tower, but the stairs going up were almost completely destroyed, forcing Onyx to use his powers to propel himself up onto the next level.

After a few more jumps, they reached a circular floor with a bridge connecting the tower with more ruins and a forest that could perfectly pass as a sea of green colored leaves. They left the tower and stepped into the ground and rock, surrounded by the rest of the ruins, with the forest in front of them. Before continuing, Onyx turned around and looked towards the tower, an idea in mind. He pulled out another Black Knight Sword and impaled it deep in the ground, just in front of the bridge. He raised his right hand over his heart and spoke a prayer in the name of his brothers. Ember remained in silence until he finished, 'We should find a place to rest and formulate a plan. I also need to let you in on how the people of this world live and their history.'

As much as he complained, he needed to know this world as much as possible. He stepped into the forest and headed west. After a few minutes of walking, his ears picked a sound: water flowing downwards. He changed directions and walked until he reached a small river going through the forest. 'You didn't use your Aura to improve your hearing. How did you manage to hear the river from so far away?' asked Ember.

'You do realize that my helmet doesn't allow too much on the way of vision, right?' He sat down, leaving sword on the ground, but close enough if something happened. Onyx took his helmet off and started drinking. He didn't needed it, but he felt his throat was dry. 'The Black Knights are trained to use every sense in our bodies, to the point that we can 'see' around us in an area without using our eyes. We aren't blind, but we improve our senses to incredible levels. Even without Aura.' Ember hummed affirmatively. After a few drinks, Onyx sat there for a while, taking in the sights and sounds the forest provided.

Ember took this time to explain the history of Remnant: from the beginning to the actual times. Onyx learned about the four kingdoms – Vale and Vacuo in Sanus, Mistral in Anima and Atlas in Solitas – and the island of Menagerie, with the latest population being only faunus. Ember explained the Great War that occurred almost 80 years ago and the creation of the Vytal festival and the CCTS. It explained how the students of the four academies reunite in one kingdom and participate in the tournament. Although, when Onyx started learning about the technology he was at a loss and awed at the same time. 'It'll be better if you see it for yourself. I can try to explain it, but it will be easier if the people that know about it show it to you.' Finally, he learned about Dust: the most important material and source of energy in Remnant.

Ember told him that they will continue later, as they needed to move before the Grimm found them. Not because they couldn't win, but because they could not waste more time. They moved away from Vale in order to reach a less populated settlement and remain more inconspicuous for now. While dusk fell and night stated to settle, a terrified screech came from within the forest. Without missing a beat, Onyx ran to the source. They found it in a clearing in which the light of day still reached. A small, crying children, cramped in the grass with her back against a tree, surrounded by three wolf-like creatures – beowolves, as Ember had explained – with another four eating the remains of another 2 people. Guts and blood laid all across the clearing, with half of the male's body being devoured by two of these creatures, another one eating his lower half and the organs that came from it. The woman's body was being feasted upon by another of the creatures, this one taller and with more bone-like structures around it's body.

None of them noticed Onyx, too focused on their prey. One of the beowolves jumped towards the girl to finish her, but was caught in mid-air in the back of his neck by Onyx. All the beast turned to him: he had equipped his greatsword and was using his left hand with his shield in his forearm to grab the grimm. Using his strength to crush the beowolf's neck without effort in a loud snap!, he launched it's corpse against the other two and moved to stand between the girl and her attackers.

The one eating the lower half of the dead man charged the knight, but before he could get too close, Onyx swung his weapon downwards, breaking the monster's skull and cutting it in half up to it's hips. The Alpha roared and while the ones under the corpse got up, the other two charged from his right. In a single horizontal swing to that same side, he decapitated both of them. The remaining two and the Alpha run towards him trying to surround Onyx. He waited until the first one attacked. It came from the left, and jumped at him, but Onyx used the tip of his shield and punched it's skull hard enough to crack and break the bone plate on it's face. The second one tried to claw at him from his right, and for his efforts received a sidekick that sent him crushing to a tree, breaking both it and the beowolf's back.

Thinking that his target was distracted, the Alpha jumped to bite the knight's helmet. Onyx simply raised his shield and the Alpha's torso collided with it, while the grimm tried to harm Onyx with it's claws. But the armor was too strong, not even leaving marks or dents. Onyx pushed the Alpha to the other side of the clearing. He then grabbed the one that was still in pain from it's skull being broken and hurled it towards the one lying against the broken tree. Before any of them could untangle themselves from the each other, he reversed the grip on his greatsword by throwing it in the air and then used it like a spear, launching it and impaling both monsters.

The Alpha used that time to recover and moved to attack with it's right paw. Onyx caught it with his left hand and sucker punched it in the face, making it recoil in pain. "You weak," he said as he punched it again, "pathetic," another punch, "disgusting," another, "soulless creatures!" A final hit that put it's back against a tree, dazed. "You prey on the defenseless and innocent. I have seen your kind, time and time again, and hear this," he grabbed it's head with both hands, closing it's mouth while it tried to pry them off, "I will make all of you suffer. I will be in your nightmares, and this time, you will be the ones to experience fear!" Onyx planted a feet on the Alpha's stomach and pulled with his hands. The muffled sounds of pain and the attempts at resistance ceased with the sound of flesh and bone being ripped apart, as the grimm's body disappeared, alongside it's head in Onyx's hands.

Calming himself and picking up his weapon, he noticed the terrified, crying girl looking at him. He didn't know if the look on her blue eyes was of fear, awe or hope, but he knew the child couldn't stay here. Luckily, Ember had a plan, 'I can interact with someone's soul if you touch them. I will calm her down and see in her memories where she lives. Maybe she has someone that can take care of her.' Onyx complied and strode calmly towards the girl and positioned himself between her and the massacre of the ones he supposed where her family. He put his weapon on his back and kneeled in front of the child. She tried to back away from the tall, black, armored warrior, but relaxed a little bit when he extended a hand towards of her. She reached out slowly and placed her hand in the gauntlet. Instead of a cold, metallic feeling, the armor was warm and comfortable to the touch. Onyx's Aura flared for a moment, moving towards the child and healing her wounds, before Ember put her to sleep.

'What did you do?' asked Onyx, watching the calmed and resting child sat against the tree.

'I cured her and made her sleep. She needed it.' Said Ember. 'And before you ask, I know where her village is. It's less than three kilometers to the south. It's well defended and is quite prosperous, but she doesn't have anybody else than her parents, and, well, you already saw their state.'

Picking up the small child in his left arm, he cradled her against his chestplate. The girl hummed and smiled while snuggling closer to him. Giving a good look to the child in his arms, he denoted the small extra pair of eyes, now closed. They were nothing more than two small orbs diagonally over her main pair of eyes. Onyx had seen them open before when he approached her, but he thought that they were just a couple of jewels glued to her forehead as something cultural. The rest of her seemed pretty normal: beautiful blonde hair and a small, round and quite cute face.

'I suggest we take her to her hometown and see if someone can look after her. And we could also search for a map of the zone while we rest and plan.' Suggested Ember

He walked calmly towards the town while still looking at the child. Without a family she wouldn't be able to survive unless someone took her in. He'll have to make sure that whoever adopts her knows how to take care of a 10 year old.


Meanwhile, in the upper part of Beacon's tower, a man with white hair is sitting at his desk, with a cup of coffee in his hand, watching a recording in the holographic screen in his desk. Through his glasses he watches the recordings of his cameras in the Emerald Forest, while the sound of the clockwork mechanism in his office ticks in a calm demeanor.

"Hmm…" He hums as the recording repeats itself for the tenth time. The other person in the office, a blonde woman, sighs, losing her patience. She wears a long-sleeved, pleated top with a white keyhole. Her lower body is covered by a black high-waisted pencil skirt with bronze buttons and black-brown stockings, combined with black boots. The short cape that she wears is black on the outside while colored purple on the inside.

The woman pushes her glasses up her nose towards her emerald eyes, while she holds her crop on her other hand. Walking towards the man on the desk, she speaks "Ozpin, while I understand the usefulness of those cameras during initiation, I fail to see what has caught your attention so that you have watched the video ten times."

The man, Ozpin, raises his head and beckons the woman. "Come see for yourself, Glynda. I'm sure you'll find this discovery as interesting as I have."

Glynda rounded the table and watched the video as it started again. The first part was horrendous, as it showed a father and a mother butchered while returning to their town. When it appeared that the small girl would suffer the same fate, a tall and black figure killed the grimm that was about to end her life. From that point on, the armored figure massacred the entire pack alongside the Alpha, in feat of strength and power, as if the dark creatures were nothing more than training dummies.

The recording ended with the figure healing the small child, picking her in her arms and walking away. "You are right, it is quite impressive," said Glynda, "but it also raises a lot of questions." Who was this person? What was that armor that they were wearing? Are they friend or foe? Those were some of them going through her mind.

"Indeed." Answered Ozpin, as he sipped on his coffee and closed the video, "And I believe that he is the only one that has the answers to them."

"What makes you think he will even care to listen to us? He might have helped that child simply because the grimm were in his way."

"I don't think so. The anger and violence with which he killed the Alpha show something more than just killing for the sake of convenience. What, we can only guess." He opened his message system and choose the number of a dusty old crow.

"Are you going to send Qrow to investigate him?" Asked Glynda at the sight of the number.

"With the dark times that we are facing we need all the allies we can gather." Said Ozpin, "I highly doubt he is aligned with her, but if we can't have him as an ally, the least we can do is have him tracked and watched in case anything occurs."

Glynda nodded and watched as the Headmaster of Beacon Academy wrote the message. Ozpin, on the other hand, wandered if- no, how this was going to affect the times to come. Giving one final look to the armored man, he called Glynda before she left. "Glynda," the woman turned before entering the elevator, "send a copy of the video to Oobleck and see if he finds anything related to our mysterious friend or his choice of clothing." He finished with a smirk hidden by his cup as he drank from it.

Glynda nodded and entered the elevator, leaving the Headmaster alone in his office. He raised from his chair, picked up his cane and turned to see the nigh fall over Beacon and Vale.


They were arriving at the village after a short walk, when something came to the mind of Onyx. 'I do not think their language is the same as mine. I don't know if we will be able to talk to them,' he looked down to the small faunus in his arms, still sleeping, 'and I doubt she will be of much help. I rather not force her to remember what she has seen.'

'Don't worry. When we arrive, touch one of the villagers or guards and I will use my powers to connect with their memories and give you the ability to speak like them.' Ember answered.

Before they could talk any further, they reached the end of the forest and the walls and gates of the town. The walls were made out of solid rock, without a crack, and several armed guards posted atop of them. They were accompanied by some turrets and spotlights to cover the area at night. The enormous doors were made out of wood instead, but were heavily reinforce with metal. A trail of ground lead from them to the forest, cutting through trees and grass forming a clear path for people and vehicles.

When they approached the doors, a guard called them, "Hey, you down there! What are you doing outside at this hours? The Grimm will kill you if you aren't careful." He looked more closely at the black figure. "And what's with the armor? Are you a hunter?"

Before he could continue, another guard came. "Is it them, Daff?"

The first guard shaked his head and pointed down to the figure, "I'm sorry Elec, but no. It's just a weirdo or a hunter with a strange armor and a gigantic sword, but you know how hunters are, always compensating for something."

While his companion chuckled, Elec leaned closer, "What is he carrying? I can't see it with the shield."

Both guards directed their attention towards him and turned a light over him. 'They want to know what you are carrying, Onyx.' Said Ember.

Onyx looked down at the small child and then turned his arm outwards to let the two humans see her. When they saw the child, both of them gasped and went wide-eyed. "By the Brother Gods…"

"Open the gates! Open them now!" Yelled Elec.

The mechanism was put into function and the doors slowly opened, letting Onyx and the child in. The two guards of the wall quickly reached them after the doors had closed. When they were closer, they were surprised once again by the height of the man carrying the girl and his equipment. The armor was as black as night, with beautiful gold trimmings all around it. Two horns rested over the helm, which didn't allow them to see his face at all, even with the lights. It looked like an evil knight from old legends and fairy tales, something fear-inspiring. The only thing that changed that image was the small faunus sleeping calmly, hugging his chest, as if he was her protector.

Onyx sheathed his sword when the guards came closer. "By the Brothers, it's Cyane!" Said Elec.

"What happened? Where are her parents?" Asked Daff, a little bit more cautious of the giant stranger than his friend, but still leaning close to Cyane.

Onyx didn't understand what they were saying, but the looks of worry in their faces were universal. The second one, a man with a long beard and a round frame came after the younger, fitter person. Reaching in a swift motion with his unoccupied hand to his shoulder, he flared his Aura and let Ember do the job. A couple of seconds was all it took for it to take the memories that Onyx needed to learn the language, but out of the sheer power of Ember, the man's Aura was destroyed and he fainted when Onyx retracted his hand.

Seeing the scene play in front of him, Elec ran towards his friend before he hit the ground, catching him. "What the fuck!? What the hell are you doing!?"

Onyx took a moment to compose himself and search for the right words. After a few moments, he spoke, "My apologies, but I needed to enter his memories to learn your language, as I was unfamiliar with it. He will be fine after resting."

"Is that your semblance?" Asked Elec.

"Yes." Lied Onyx. He was good with words, but the helmet helped a long way in hiding his face. Not that he needed it, but it didn't let out anything when he lied. "I know this is the village of this child," he said, gesturing towards the small figure in his arms "and I came in order to bring her back and find a place to rest, if possible."

Calming himself down, Elec let his partner down and moved towards Onyx. "Yeah, her name is Cyane Mika, she's one of the few faunus in here, and this is the town of Tealle." He said, "But anyways, what happened? Where are her parents?"

Onyx shaked his head, "Grimm. A pack of beowolves that I dispatched, but both of them were already dead." He said coldly.

"Oh, gods. Poor kid..." Elec said with a saddened face. "They were good friends…" After a few seconds of silence he spoke again. "She doesn't have anyone." He seemed to be in thought for a moment before he let out his thoughts again. "You didn't told us your name. I'm Elec and the poor fool in the ground is named Daff." He said, pointing with his thumb backwards towards the fainted man.

"My name is Onyx Aureolin." Said the Black Knight, with a clear but imposing voice.

"Onyx, eh?" He said, while looking at Cyane. "How about a deal? You said you needed a place to rest and she needs someone to take care of her. You can spend the night with her in her house and look after her until tomorrow. Then, we will take her to the Major and see what to do with her. This way she has someone with her for the night and you have a place to rest for free." He paused for a second looked at the darkness inside the helmet of Onyx. "I would do it myself, but I have guard duty and I can't keep her out here all night, as you can understand."

He was ready to complain, but the idea didn't sound so bad. The girl seemed to have a liking for him and he would be lying if he said that she hadn't grown a little into him. 'Plus, we don't have any lien. We can't pay an inn.' Ember also made a good point.

"Very well, I accept. But I won't stay more than one night here. After tonight, you must find someone that will take good care of Cyane." Said with a voice that left no room to argue or doubt.

The young man nodded guided them to the girl's house after another guard took care of Daff. It was close to the center of the big town. It was a robust and cozy wood house, of two floors and with a design equal to the rest of the square. "Here it is." Said Elec. He handed Onyx the extra keys that were under the rug and waved them his goodbyes.

It was hard to enter the house, as it's door was too small for him. After entering, he examined the house from inside. The stairs that lead to the second floor where in front of the entrance at his right side. Besides the stairs a hallway that led to some crystal panels that made the entrance to the backyard. To his left, the wall had a frame that lead to the living room. The room had a window that showed the street in front of the house with pure white curtains. In the center of wall contrary to the entrance to the room was a chimney with some photos and what Ember had told him was a TV – pretty big one, by the way – over it. On the wall closer to the backyard was another window and an elegant table with chairs. The sofa in front of the chimney close to the wall of the hallway completed the look of a cozy but open family space. A last entrance to the room on the other side led back to the hallway.

The kitchen was on the other side of the house. It was quite big and had mirrored entrances to the living room. Ember told him that it was equipped with everything: fridge, oven, sink, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, several cupboards with food and plates, drawers with silverware and a small window that he supposed gave light during the day. Onyx didn't understand half of the machines yet, but with Ember guiding him he wouldn't have too much trouble. The upper floor had four rooms: two complete and perfectly clean bathrooms at either side of the end of the stairs and the room of Cyane in front of the main one, the one of her parents. The main dorm had a big double bed, with a couple of nightstands and a small walk-in closet beside to a second entrance to the bathroom at the other side of the room.

He entered the room of Cyane just as she began to move in his arm. He laid her in her bed and tucked her in before looking around the room. It had some drawings on the wall along a poster of Beacon Academy. Several books of fairy tales and bedtime stories, alongside some others that talked about hunters and huntresses. They seemed a little too much for the girl, but then again, Onyx didn't know how clever she was or what she liked. Some boxes with toys, mainly hunter-like weapons and a couple of hunter costumes, were under the only window in the room. A table was between the bathroom door and the closet.

Onyx closed the curtains and prepared to leave, until a voice stopped him at the door. "Wait…" The knight turned and saw the faunus looking him with four eyes. The human ones were bright blue, but the other ones were completely red without pupils. 'What type of faunus is she, Ember?' He asked while he moved forward kneeled with one leg and asked with a warm voice, "Yes, small one?"

'A spider faunus.' Answered Ember before continuing, 'I saw her memories. She is terrified, Onyx, and probably traumatized. I saw that her mother made her some sweets if she was feeling down after dinner. I can guide you while you make dinner and the sweets, if you want.'

"I-I'm hungry." She said in a small voice.

Onyx chuckled. 'Yes, if it's not much to ask for, Ember' He extended his hand towards her and spoke, "Of course. Why don't we go downstairs and we search for something that you like, hmm?"

Cyane looked at the giant armored hand before putting her own on it and giving a weak smile and a nod. Onyx picked her up like how he had been carrying her before and exited the room. While slowly moving towards the kitchen, he changed into a serious and almost angry demeanor under the helmet and asked, 'Ember, does this mistress of the Grimm have a name or something similar?'

The little flame also changed it's demeanor to a more serious one, 'Yes, and she also has people serving her.' Answered Ember, 'Her name is…'

'… Salem.'


A.N: this the largest chapter until now and I've realized that they have grown progresively larger. I still don't have a limit on words and base the lenght of the chapters on what I think will be enjoyable without being too long. On the other hand, we are moving forward and not even I can wait for Onyx to meet the cast. I will try to portrait them as close to canon at posible, but I wil apologize now in case they turn out to be somewhat diferent. As for the timeline, we are before the start of the series, by 5 years give or take. I'll speed things up in a few chapters, don't worry. Anyway, I hoped you enjoy this chapter. Have a great day!