Author's Note: Please keep in mine that my Nasuverse knowledge is limited at best and culled only from watching Fate/Zero, Unlimited Bladeworks, and the first season of Apocrypha (And a few wiki searches for Kirei). I apologize to anyone whose enjoyment of this fic is decreased due the incompatibility of the scenario I described with canon.
Now then...
"We kicked butt!" Nora screeched at the top of her lungs.
"Nora, please don't break your bed" Ren requested.
The energetic girl immediately stopped jumping on her bed. Unfortunately, she still had to come down from her last bounce and the bed sent her flying into the wall.
"I'm okay!" Nora assured everyone as she pulled her head out. There was quite a large hole left behind.
Team RWBY, JNPR, Sun, Neptune, and Arturia all stared at the girl for a moment. The group had congregated in Team JNPR's room for food and drink until the singles round that afternoon.
Weiss coughed lightly. "Well that wasn't how I would have phrased it, but she's not wrong. We all managed to defeat our opponents quite handily."
"Indeed" Arturia concurred. "It is good to know that you all are the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses. The people of Remnant will sleep soundly in the future." The woman gave her son a proud nod as she spoke and Jaune returned it with a grateful smile.
Neptune shimmied up to Arturia. "Such sweet words from such a beautiful lady. I'm honored."
Arturia raised an eyebrow at the boy. Sun facepalmed at his partner's action.
Jaune's face twitched unnaturally. He put a hand on Neptune's shoulder. "Neptune, buddy, can I talk to you outside for a moment?" His voice made it clear that was not a request.
The two walked out and the door closed behind them. The rest of the group soon heard voices from outside.
"Dude, that's my mom!"
"I can't help it man! She's hot! Have you never noticed?"
"Why would I ever want to notice that about my mom?"
Everyone in the room looked at Sun. The monkey faunus shrugged. "Don't look at me, I'm not his dad."
Suddenly Pyrrha's scroll went off. She picked it up and turned the device on. She raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What is it?" Ruby asked.
"It's a message from Professor Goodwitch" Pyrrha told them. "She says Professor Ozpin needs to speak with me."
Arturia froze. "The headmaster wishes to speak with you?"
"What about?" Blake inquired.
"It doesn't say" Pyrrha responded.
"Ooooo" Nora hummed. "Maybe it's some secret meeting of how to win the tournament for Beacon!" She looked at Sun and then shuffled next to Pyrrha's ear. "The enemy must never know."
"Doubtful" Weiss interjected. "Still it could be some sort of information about the singles round."
"Wouldn't I be called up too, then?" Yang pointed out.
Pyrrha shrugged. "I guess the only way to find out is to get down there and see what it is."
The young huntress opened the door. Jaune and Neptune were stretching out each other's cheeks like they were made of rubber. Both turned to look at their friend.
Pyrrha chuckled at the sight. She made to go but felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Arturia.
"Pyrrha" the other woman began. She paused for a moment, looking down at her feet before returning her gaze to Pyrrha. "The headmaster is a good man, but…sometimes he can ask too much. Know that you can say no."
"Oh" Pyrrha uttered, not really sure how to respond to that. "Thank you, Mrs. Arc."
Arturia let go and Pyrrha walked off. Jaune separated himself from Neptune and came up next to his mother. "Don't worry mom. Pyrrha's never done anything wrong in her life. The headmaster probably just wants to congratulate her on how she's been a great example of what Beacon stands for or something."
Arturia didn't seem convinced. The headmaster had unnerved her greatly since their last encounter. How could he not, given their history?
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Arturia waited patiently as the elevator climbed Beacon Tower. Her face was set in a resolute stare. The talk with the Schnee Specialist had been enjoyable but it was over now.
It was time to find her son.
The elevator dinged, and the door opened. Arturia stepped into a large office with massive clock gears taking the place of a ceiling.
Behind a black desk sat a man dressed in green cloths and silver hair. His hands sat atop a long cane and there was a playful smile on his face.
Arturia hesitated. There was something familiar about this man. She had felt it in the courtyard as well. She didn't know exactly what it was, but he had a manic twinkle in his eye that unsettled her greatly.
"Greetings, Mrs. Arc" the man said.
Arturia raised an eyebrow. "And you, Headmaster Ozpin" she replied in turn. "I must say, I thought to have you at a disadvantage. I did not expect you to know my name. Have we met before?"
"Before?" Ozpin chuckled. "Indeed, we have. I must say, I'm a little disappointed that you can't recognize me."
"Then I must apologize, sir" Arturia answered. "For you are a stranger to me."
"Perhaps" he mused. "But then again, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."
Arturia froze. Those were words of wisdom that she had passed on to her children for years. Jaune never used them unless he was truly terrified, so he could have said them in front of this authority figure.
But with the twinkle in his eyes, Arturia's mind flashed back to when she had first heard them. Back when an unknown knight named Lancelot had first come to her kingdom. She had been hesitant in accepting him into her newly made court, until those words were spoken to her by…
No.
Ozpin's smile widened into a grin. "It's good to you again, Arthur."
"Merlin" Arturia breathed, for she had no air to be spared for speech. "How?"
"Through a darker story than I would wish" the man cut her off, his face downcast for the first time since he saw her.
"But, you were trapped" she stuttered. "Trapped on Avalon until the end of the universe. How could you have possibly escaped?"
"I didn't escape" Ozpin- Merlin told her. "I was kicked out. Someone far more important needed the room."
"Who could possibly have the power to do that?" Arturia wondered.
"Gaia herself" Merlin answered.
Arturia was quickly getting tired of being stunned into silence.
Merlin continued. "At the end of the Fourth Holy Grail War, a dark presence emerged from the chalice. Though the cup itself was purified, the rest of the world was faced with a far worse problem. Within a month, humanity was on the edge of extinction. When the corruption gained enough strength, it struck at the spirit of the world itself. She was wounded, barely managing to escape to Avalon. Seeing no other option, she freed me, took my place and locked the doors behind her. I've been fighting her war ever since."
"But, if that's true" Arturia said, and she had no doubt it was. Merlin was annoying most of the time but when he got serious, wise kings listened. "Why are you here in some other world training huntsmen?"
Ozpin smiled sadly. "It's called Remnant for a reason."
And just like that, the pretty little world Arturia had spent thirty years building for herself shattered.
The grail hadn't sent her to another realm. It had sent her forward in time.
"The battle between the corruption and Gaia reshaped the planet's surface and shattered the moon" Ozpin explained. "We stand now on the husk that remains. Fortunately, our enemy did not escape the clash unscathed. It had to regroup, heal, strategize and my presence prevented it from claiming total victory. It adapted however. Changed from an it into a…she. The creatures of Grimm emerged not long after."
"But then, if this is not another world, then how do you explain dust? Or aura? The faunus?" Arturia yelled.
"Crystalized prana left behind by Gaia's wounds and the rapid depopulation of mages" Ozpin revealed. "The faunus seemed to be an extreme form of rapid evolution influenced by the magics that were affecting the atmosphere right after the battle. As for aura, well, I needed fighters and not enough people had magic circuits so I…improvised. Think of it as the power being constantly spread out the body instead of being focused into concentrated streams. You can't do as much, but when all you need is a hammer…"
"Would those with magic circuits still be able to use them after having their aura unlocked?"
"Possibly" Ozpin scratched his chin. "I've never exactly had the chance to test it. Since aura became common, magic circuits have slowly died out. I haven't seen one in eons."
"What about your own?" Arturia accused.
"Do I look the same as when I did when we last saw each other?" Ozpin remarked. Off her silence he continued. "Gaia wasn't sure that I could win in one lifetime, so she altered my curse from Avalon before I left. Each time I die, I move on to another soul and merge with it. Magic circuits are bound to a body, so mine are long dead and buried."
Arturia shook her head. "I don't understand."
"Merlin was the foundation. Ozpin is the building" the man said, his quirky smile back on his face. "It's really quite simple, your grace."
Arturia's confused dropped away and eyes focused like daggers on the headmaster. In the blink of an eye, she had her sword out and pointed at her old mentor.
"Do. Not. Call me that." Arturia seethed.
Ozpin held up his hands in surrender. Arturia shook her head and lowered her sword.
"Despite how…well, earth shattering this is, it is not why I'm here." Arturia closed her eyes for a moment. Stay focused on family. Don't be a hero. "Where is my son?"
"Young Mr. Arc has just led his team to victory in the first round of the Vytal Festival" Ozpin informed. "You must be very proud."
"He should not be here" Arturia growled. "How could you even let him into the school? He didn't even know what aura was?"
"His transcripts indicated otherwise" the headmaster responded.
"Transcripts?"
Ozpin typed something on his scroll. Arturia's own rang and she brought it out. Inside was a new message. Opening it, the Arc matriarch's eyes widened.
"Top of his class? Training in a dozen sword styles? The Vacuo Arcademy for—he's never even been to Vacuo!" Arturia shouted.
"Really? I never would have guessed" Ozpin replied. His cheeky grin said otherwise.
"These are forgeries! You knew they were forgeries the moment you saw them!"
"Not true" Ozpin protested. "I had to finish reading them to know for sure."
Arturia seethed. "Why would you let him in?"
Ozpin took on a solemn look, the same one Merlin had worn when he had told her of the risks involved with pulling Caliburn from the stone. "I saw promise in him. How could I not when he's your son?"
"Where is he?"
"I heard that he and some friendly teams are having a little get together, a party to celebrate their success in the tournament" Ozpin informed her. "I sent his dorm's location with his transcripts."
Arturia turned to walk out, but the headmaster called out behind her. "Arthur, there is more I can tell you about what's going on. There are maidens and relics of great import that you should be—"
"I don't care, Merlin" Arturia cut him off. "I'm not here to get involved in this war. I'm here to keep my son out of it."
"You are a hero—"
"No, I'm not!" Arturia roared, reeling on her foster father. Tears pooled in her eyes. "I am no hero and I am no king! I refuse!"
"A hero can save many" Ozpin argued calmly.
"Heroes die."
A vision of Lancelot howling in madness. Tristan leaving Camelot declaring she knew nothing of others. Morderd demanding to know where her hatred came from.
"And everything they care about pays the price for their foolishness."
Irisviel. Maiya. Lancer.
Kiritsugu.
"I am king no more, Merlin. I wish you well in your war." Arturia finished.
She entered the elevator and hit the down button. The door closed.
Ozpin sat down on his desk. A sad smile on his face.
"And I wish your peace will hold, my dear King of Knights. You deserve it."
Then he recalled the Queen's pawns in play.
"Though I fear what we deserve is so rarely what we get."
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Cinder sat on her bed, a glass of wine in her hand and a pleased smile on her face. Everything was going according to plan.
With Mercury and Kirei's easy victory in the doubles, they would move on to the singles round, where she would pit Mercury against that hotheaded bimbo Yang Xiao-Long. Her little assassin would throw the fight and then, with some assistance from Emerald's semblance, the blonde brawler would attack her defeated opponent completely unprovoked. The resulting negativity would set the mistrustful mood she needed for Nikos' match with the Atlas android. After all, one could not build a house before first laying the groundwork.
And since no one had even seen Emerald in combat, there would be no chance of anyone deducing her illusions were at work. She supposed she did have Kirei to thank for that boon.
She had been wary of the man when they had first entered their alliance. She had encountered him chasing her prey after all. Still, as a man, it wasn't as if he could claim the maiden's powers and she had confirmed his mysterious associate was not in the running either. He was no threat to her rise.
Whether he had been after Amber for a personal grudge or some other reason, she couldn't deny the man was helpful. He filled the fourth slot on their team quite neatly, freeing Neo up to prepare for breaking Roman out of Ironwood's custody and reducing the risk of them being discovered. His combat skills were unsettling at times, but she'd met Tyrian, so it wasn't as if she hadn't seen worse.
The only irritating thing about him was his independence. He recognized their alliance as just that, an alliance between equals. He did not wait for her orders to act, going out and integrating himself into that annoyance Ruby Rose's friend group. She didn't know what his interest was in the silver-eyed girl, but she had a feeling it would complicate her plans.
She had to get him under control. Which is why she'd denied his request to take Mercury's place against Xiao-Long.
Her scroll suddenly rang.
Cinder looked at the caller's number. It was unknown. That could mean someone misdialed, or…
Cinder answered the call. "Hello."
"Cinder, my dear. How goes your little scheme?" a rich, dark voice asked jovially.
Cinder shuddered at the sound of one of the few beings on Remnant that she truly feared. "It goes well, Mistress. Everything should be done by tonight."
"Good, good" Salem congratulated from the other end. "I have noticed that your group is larger than you informed me of in your last report."
Cinder swore internally. Of course, Salem would be keeping an eye on the Vytal Festival.
"Yes" Cinder confirmed. "His name is Kirei Kotomine. He was also pursuing the Fall Maiden and after Qrow Branwen's interference we decided cooperation was in our best interests. Rest assured, he knows nothing of the larger game."
"Kirei Kotomine." Salem said the name like an incantation. "It's been nineteen years since I've heard that name."
Cinder raised an eyebrow. Kirei barely looked twenty, how could the Queen know of him? For that matter, what could he have had to do with the events of nineteen years ago?
Cinder admittedly didn't know much about it, other than it had been quite a large clash between Salem and Ozpin's forces. The former Team STRQ had been involved and Salem's at the time large inner circle had been reduced to just Hazel. Watts and Tyrian were recruited afterwards.
"Be wary of that one, Cinder" Salem warned. "If he is on your side, you can have no finer ally. But alienate him at all and he will prove himself a whirlwind that will sweep all your plans to dust. His master is even worse."
Cinder was shocked. She had never heard her mistress speak of another with such dread.
"I am sending Hazel to observe future events."
"My lady, that is unnecessary" Cinder protested. "I have this under control."
"Do not question me, Cinder" Salem scolded. Cinder recoiled, but her master's fury quickly quieted. "Do not worry. He will not interfere unless he is needed. It is up to you to make sure he is not."
Salem ended the call. Cinder sat on her bed, wine forgotten on the ground.
Hazel could not be allowed to steal her hour of glory. She would have the maiden's powers. She would bring Salem the relic. She would be the one Remnant would fear.
Which meant she had to make sure everything was under control.
The evil mastermind sighed. It seemed that she would have to grant Kirei's wish. She couldn't afford the man deciding she wasn't worth helping, not when she was so close.
He would have his duel with Xiao-Long. He would do as Mercury would have and Emerald would ensure the rest.
What was the worst that could happen?
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Yang was pumped.
Here she was, a first year from Patch, about to fight in the one on one finals of the Vytal Festival in front of the entire world. But she really shouldn't be surprised. She was awesome after all.
The stadium was packed, and the crowd was wild. Port and Oobleck had to shout over the mics just to be heard. The energy was infectious.
Yang glanced down the line of competitors. Aside from her, there was Pyrrha, Sun, Ruby's friend Penny, a few other kids she didn't know…
And him.
She couldn't wait to wipe that smug smirk off his face.
The match randomizer went wild and Yang saw her face appear on the screen.
A few moments later, it was joined by Kirei's.
Yang didn't think she could have been happier than she was at that moment.
As the other combatants left the stage, she lined herself up with Kirei. "Guess I finally get to see what you're made of, Robes!" she shouted. "I'll tell you what, I'll give you one free punch!"
"How pitiful that you think I'd want anything from a pathetic cur like you" Kirei snarled. His eyes glared.
Yang was stunned. That wasn't normal. She'd been antagonizing Kirei for months and all she'd gotten was passive deflection. Where was this rage coming from?
It was actually kind of scary.
Kirei took her silence as a sign of confusion. "You don't understand?" he asked mockingly. "Then let me explain it. Your sister, your teammates, even that fool Jaune Arc, they all have goals, dreams, something they strive for and seek with every fiber of their being. But you? You have no aspiration, no wish. You just follow them on their paths like a lost puppy, fighting any battle so they don't have to, praying for them to give your life meaning. And they let you, because you're useful as a meat shield."
Fear turned to rage as Yang curled her fists. How dare he?
"Eventually though," Kirei continued, "there's going to be a blow you can't take. You will be broken. And they will leave you to be broken. Because they have goals more important than a sad little girl, desperate for love!"
Yang's eyes turned red as she glared at Kirei with all her hatred.
Kirei's smirk returned to his face. "It's really no wonder Raven abandoned you."
Yang's hair ignited, her fury too great to question how Kirei knew that name.
"Ready?" Port announced. "Three! Two—"
"AAARRRGGGHHHH!" Yang roared. She fired her gauntlets back and shot through the air with her fist raised. She aimed for his smile.
That god damned smile.
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Kirei was pleased. His words had the desired effect.
And she even came before the match began. It seemed Cinder would have her outrage after all. How lovely.
But he wasn't doing this for the public. He was doing this for himself. For his joy.
As Yang flew towards him, he activated the strength his executor training had earned him and added it to the power of his aura.
"Reinforcement" he muttered, lighting glowing blue lines along his right arm. He hadn't expected Kiritsugu to survive this attack in their duel, but he had, and it simply would not do to be surprised similarly by this heathen.
In the blink of an eye, he entered moving stance and in a flash, was under Ms. Xiao Long's guard. The poor girl's red eyes didn't even have time to widen before Kirei struck.
'Eight Postures of the Buddha Guards.'
The punch with the power to reach infinity in all eight directions struck Yang in the diaphragm. The girl bent all the way over Kirei's fist for a single moment.
Then her aura shattered, and she went flying across the arena.
Yang struck the stage protective barrier with the force of a rocket. Had it been a physical wall, it would have been crushed beneath the force.
The girl's limp form stood against the energy shield. For a second, Kirei wondered if she had replicated Kiritsugu's feat, if she had survived his most deadly Bajiquan attack unscathed.
But then she crumpled to the ground and he knew he had nothing to fear.
Kirei noted the Atlesian knights who had narrowed in on her position, before likely meaning to arrest her, now calling for a medic.
"I, I don't completely understand what just happened, folks" Bartholomew Oobleck admitted from the booth. The large screen in the stadium played back the brief clash for the audience. In the corner, Yang's aura meter was empty. "But it seems Ms. Xiao-Long attacked her opponent before the match began and now she's…she's on the ground."
Kirei narrowed his eyes at Yang. A dribble of crimson was slowly falling from her mouth.
That was not what he wanted.
"Yang!" squealed a high-pitched voice in horror. Ruby Rose flew in from the stands in a storm of rose petals. She rushed past the security team and knelt beside her sister's fallen form. There were tears streaming down her face.
Kirei began walking towards his exit and smirked.
Much better.
So...
That happened.
This is my first WHAM Episode as TvTropes would say, please let me know your reaction and thoughts.
I crave these things.