There was an odd feeling when the group awoke that morning. The animals may have felt as they kept a wide berth of the temple, birds would over or around it. Pierdut was huffing and stomping at nothing while the raptors were practically having breakdowns, snapping at everything. It was not the warm feeling back at Trezzahn's home, it was freezing, the only ones not bothered by it were Catalaya and Weiss. Yang voiced her feelings through the silence.
"Anyone else feel like shits about to happen?" Blake facepalmed at her girlfriends bluntness while Ruby only huddled closer to her sister. "You just jinxed it!" She shouted at her. "There's no such thing." Yang reassured her while looking at Cat expectantly. Unfortunately, Cat didn't respond how she wanted, "Ruby may very well be right. This seems more mystical than a gut feeling some of us have, a spell maybe." She turned to the blonde, "You may very well have 'Jinxed' us." With that she set about saddling and soothing Pierdut, leaving Yang at Ruby's mercy.
Weiss helped Velvet pack up their things, watching out the corner of her eye how Cat summons another portal, sending Pierdut back to his little pocket dimension. She knows from her studies that a being such as him can either be summoned or willingly break from the dimension if the bond with their master is strong enough to shatter limitations.
With as often the two speak, telepathically, and joke around, Weiss doubts there would be a problem. They wait anxiously for Trezzahn's gaurds to finish scouting the area, making small talk to calm their nerves. Ruby and Jaune discussed some of the movies they've seen, team CFVY meditated alongside, Pyrrha and Yang talked sports, Blake read with Ren, and Catalaya had Weiss complete some more magical studies and practices while Nora watched.
Weiss was doing pretty well until the writing on the page went from easily identifiable letters to backwards symbols. Cat caught her confusin, "What is it?" Weiss pointed to a page that was blank exept for a sentence in the very center that seemed similar to another language she had seen.
"सबसे बड़ा दूत दिल से पैदा होता है। फिर भी, सबसे मजबूत शैतान मन से आता है."
Catalaya seemed confused for a moment, she'd read that book numerous times, that had never been there before.Maybe it has to do with her magic?She dismissed that idea,From what I've read of the Winter Knight, their power doesn't do this. Maybe something else?She felt her shoulder being tapped and came from her thoughts to be face to face with a concerned Weiss.
"Sorry. It means 'The greatest angel is born from the heart. Yet, the strongest demon is born from the mind.'" Weiss nodded in comprhension and kept reading. "If Weiss can do magic-y stuff, does this mean I could?" Nora asked from Catalaya's left. Cat shrugged, "It's possible. Almost every living, sentient, being has some type of magic potential. Although it depends on how much of said potential they hold within them." Nora nodded and was about to speak when Trezzahn's gaurds came back.
"We found nothing out of the ordinary, sir." The lead gaurd stated, prompting the group to began their journey into the temple. Their an odd troupe to outsider view, a combining of the races usually things of imagination. Yet, there they were. Together they cautiously enter the dark temple, nervousness surrounding all but Nora who pestered Catalaya with question after question with a cheery tone. "Maybe fire, or wind. No, earth! That has to be it right?!" Cat chuckles and Weiss rolls her eyes,"I wouldn't know. Different people have different magical affinities." "What does that mean?" Ruby asks, holding a torch to the writing on the wall.
Cat thought for a moment, "Say your mother has an affinity for Water magic and your father Wind magic. It's not a guarantee you will have either affinity." Nora nodded and went quiet in thought. "What about you, Cat?" Ruby asked,"You never told us specifically what magic you use."
Catalaya nodded, "That's a bit complicated. I guess you could call it Dark magic, yet, it is not that." Nora and Ruby had confused expressions. "Yet," they turned to Weiss,"the magic, although it has Dark potential, seems tempered by Light magic." Cat nodded ,"You're right. Too confusing."
The group continued on in silence for a while until they heard a scream,"What the hell!?" Coco shouted as they ran into the direction they assumed it came from. But all they found was a room empty of evrything but a single lone candle lit with a blue flame. "This is creepy." Yang said. "No duh Yang, you jinxed us." Yang sighed, "I didn't. This is nothing to be freaked about."
When they turned around the door was gone, all that remained was a stone wall where it used to be. "It's just a trick, nothing to be scared of Ruby." Yang said, her tone more to sooth her own worries than her sister's. As she said that the light on the candle grew brighter, in the background Cat thought she could see writing and sheathed her katana in order to get a look.
"This is too freaky, I want to leave." Jaune claimed, not even trying to hide his fear. Pyrrha did her best to calm her partner, struggling with her own apprehension in the situation. Nora was holding a shaking Ren's hand, finding comfort in her long time friend. Yang held Ruby and Blake close to her, her presence an immense comfort. While Weiss was with Catalaya, trying to help her decipher the writing. "Are you alright, Yatsuhashi? You're shaking." Coco asked her teammate. "I'm fine." With that the light brightened and the room became colder, causing everyone besides Cat and Weiss to shiver.
"We should calm ourselves," Trezzahn stated,"It seems the room is reacting to our fear." The lead gaurd scoffed, "The humans maybe, not me." With that the candle went out, and a blast of cold hit the group. "Oh shit." Catalaya said. "What is it?!" Weiss shouted over the wind.
The wolf shifter grabbed onto Weiss and pulled her to her chest, "I just found what the name of the temple is." Weiss looked to her expectantly, "It's the temple of the Fear Goddess."
At that name the group was suddenly split apart, the goddess of the temple sending them to their worst nightmares, smack dab in the middle of their greatest fear.
With Ren and Nora
Ren awoke to find himself face down in the dirt. Brushing himself off he immediately began searching for Nora. "Nora!?" He shouted as he traverses the slightly familiar terrain, he was becoming tired, yet, refused to collapse until he had his overexcitable partner in his arms. He heard a shout most definitely belonging to Nora,"Ren!?" He was off in a sprint, any earlier fatigue gone as he headed for his best friend. He ran right into the girl, falling on his rear, he looked up to see Nora crying, hugging him tightly babling nonsense and reassurances to herself. "I thought you were dead."
Ren laughed softly,"I'm not going anywhere." She laughed heartily and they could've stayed in that position forever until a screech caused them to look up. Ren and Nora gulped, crawling backwards in fear. Before them stood their greatest terror, a complete understanding of Catalaya's message clear as the Horseman Grimm turned in their direction.
With Jaune and Pyrrha
Jaune was currently running for his life away from a volatile version of his father. "You're a disgrace to the Arc name, Jaune! I'll kill you for dishonoring your grandfather!" Jaune hurriedly wiped away some tears and kept running. He'd landed in front of his house, thinking it was safe like the idiot he was, he went in. Only to be chased out by his family who screamed of his disgrace. His fear of disappointing his family had come true. He knew what was happening was some sort of illusion, but just because he knew what it was doesn't mean he's not afraid.
The scared blonde tripped right over a wounded Pyrrha. "Oh my dust?! Are you okay, what happened?" He frantically tried to help his girlfriend. "I failed." The redhead gasped out, "I couldn't save them. They died because of me." She began to cry, wincing at the pain she was causing herself. Jaune looked behind him to see his father still coming at him. He made his decision then as he picked up Pyrrha and ran.
With Velvet and Fox
Velvet was scared-no-not scared nor was she frightened. She was scared shitless, shaking down to her core, clothing ripped, tears streaking her face as she cried and cradled her left rabbit ear. It was bleeding badly, clones of Cardin and other abusers had attacked her when she woke up, beating her, chasing her, and attacking her.
She'd seen Fox, he was in worse shape mentally. She'd found him reliving the memory of his abandonment by his parents, his parents had turned into the team he had told her. She heard a sound, "They found us." She quickly and as quietly as she could with a sobbing Fox on her shoulder, ran trying to avoid the spray of bullets and hatred aimed at her back.
With Coco andYatsuhashi
Yatsu was chasing after a frustrated and broken Coco. When he woke he found her breaking down in front of a line of headstones. They were labeled as her mother, her brother, father but it was what he saw after that made him understand why she was gripping the fourth headstone. On it was a name, 'Velvet Scarlatina-Adel' was written in the depressing stone. Yatsu wasn't one to comfort, but he made an attempt for his leader. Yet, when he turned not only was she gone but he was back in Vale, during the Fall. Before him Emerald Sustrai was mutilating his teamates. He tried to stop her but chains came and held him to the wall, keeping him there and muffling his shouts with the metal. He watched Fox's skin flayed and Velvet's ears cut, no matter how hard he struggled he couldn't stop them. He couldn't protect them.
With Blake
Blake was dealing with a situation similar to Yatsu, exept she was the one being attacked. Adam stood over her, slashing and hitting her with his weapon, Wilt and Blush. "You shouldn't have left me my darling." She'd already watched him kill her teammates. Taking pleasure in watching her beg to stop hurting them, yet he continued on, "You will learn your place or die like them."
He opened a curtain and before him stood Yang, she was in chains and covered in blood and tears, "How could you,Blake?" The blonde sobbed.
"I trusted you!" Yang shouted as she hit Blake over and over again.
With Yang and Ruby
Ruby watched fearfully as Yang fought against herself, literally. Another version of Yang, with crimson eyes, had been there when she regained consciousness fist cocked and a gun in her hand. More than ready to kill Ruby, before the trigger could be pulled, Yang-her Yang- tackled the doppelganger to the ground. Fists and hair flew from the two, it was like a flaming aura surrounded the fighters, neither backing down. Ruby wanted nothing more than to help her sister but she kept seeing a zombiefied version of her mother coming after her, blaming her being for her death. Claiming she should've abandoned her like Raven did Yang. Ruby fell to the ground in both mental and physical pain, the world swirling around her.
With Weiss
"What in the hell was that?" Weiss asked as she pulled herself up from the floor ready to dust herself off when she stopped. She was wearing a pristine white dress with light blue accents, a dress she hadn't worn since she still lived in the Schnee manor. A light hit her face and she found herself in front of a huge audience, eyes on her, filled with expectation. She recognized the place, the same amphitheater she performed at before running away. In the balcony above her father sat with a disappointed look on his face, eyes practically sparking with malice. When she tried to stand she fell to the hardwood flooring. She looked up as she stuggled, her father stood in front of her, anger in his expression. Hatred steaming from his ears as he slapped her across the face. "You disappoint me, Weiss." She turned to him in defiance, defiance he quickly squashed with an even harder hit to the face that had her sprawled on the floor.
"All I ask of you is perfection. Is that to much to ask?!" He shouted and the audience cheered him in as he attacked her verbally and physically. Winter was in the crowd, fighting to get through and Whitley stood with a venomous smile laughing like a sociopath. Jacques chuckled, a dark shadow crossing his image as he used an old crop to beat his child. "You must be perfect!" He shouted over and over.
With Catalaya
"I suggest you just face me." She said to the darkness, "We both know what happens when I'm left in the dark, Goddess." Like that, the room was lit with a blue light, candles casting strange shadows. Tables sat against the walls, laden with trophies, tributes, and sacrifices surrounded by flames. In the center was a lanky, charcoal skinned woman with white hair and eyes of the darkest red. She wore what looked like a torn hospital gown, her nails unnaturally long, dripping blood that flowed from the gashes on her wrists. "How come I cannot hurt you?" The woman said in a raspy voice. "Why do you not succumb to the insanity?"
Catalaya said only, "Let them go." The woman screeched loudly, "I am Tifana, Goddess of Fear! You will answer when I speak!" Cat blinked at the woman, smirking as she scratched at her wrists in frustration.
"Let my friends go." Cat stood from the stone floor, "Or suffer consequences." Tifana stopped scratching and looked intently at the woman before her. She was frustrated, she's had Phantom Beasts here before, each time they succumb to the darkness inside them. Yet, the one before her doesn't respond. The magics ahe uses to induce fear in her victims hits her mind, but does nothing. She looks deeper into the Beasts soul, and she finds it: insanity.But it's not hers.Her thoughts are cut when a throwing knife cuts across her cheek. "I shall not ask you again." She catches the knife in her to forefingers, "Release my friends or die."
Tifana laughed,"They must face their fears before being released. So, no." Catalaya nodded, "So be it."
That was all the goddess needed to attack.
With Jaune and Pyrrha
"You can't fight alone, Pyrrha." Jaune said after patching up his friend. He knew what had happened then, she tried to save someone by hereself, no help was given, she fought alone. It was her fear; losing the team. Just as his fear was to disappoint his family.
They must face these in order to fight. "No more running." Pyrrha looked at him strangely, "This coming from Mr. Run and Live?" Jaune smiled and rolled his eyes at her ability to get him to smile. "We have to face them. It's what Catalaya meant." Pyrrha wasn't happy that she had to revisit the place of her terror but she allowed Jaune to pull her up anyway, she limped beside him on the way to his family's home.
With Ren and Nora
They'd been fighting this monster for what felt like days. The weapons only seemed to make the damned thing angrier. Nora had been hurt, nearly knocked unconscious, and hidden away by Ren. He knew what he must do, yet, despite his plan it seemed Nora refused to black out. She placed a hand on his shoulder and ran with him, sledgehammer in her hands ready to fight with her brother in arms. She slammed the beast's legs into the ground as Ren leapt into the air, his father's knife in hand, ready to kill the beast.
With Coco and Yatsuhashi
Coco and Yatsu were back to back, fighting waves of killers alongside the team. Coco had come to terms with the fact that she may lose those she cares about, but she'll be damned if it'll happen now. Yatsuhashi was slowly understanding that he can't always protect his family alone, he must rely on others if the time comes. He slammed his large arms down on the neck of two approaching assailants, glancing back to see Coco unloading round after round into their attackers.
With Velvet and Fox
Fox was confronting the illusions version of his parents, no longer was he the silent one, he screamed and shouted his emotions for what felt like hours. When it was over his throat was sore, his tears cried out and he had a smile on his face. He walked away with a sad smile and renewed joy in his step as he shot one of the Cardin clones in the head. He watched, proud, how Velvet handled herself. The quiet bunny girl was a brutal avenget, she hacked and slashed at the men. Refusing to back down and cower as she's always done before. No more sould she suffer abuse at the hands of others.
"Fear the bunny!" She shouted as she leapt into the air slamming her weapon down as she landed, a ginormous cavernous crack splitting the ground and swallowing the racists whole. "Fear the bunny? Really?" Fox asked as he approached. "Oh shut up."
With Blake
Blake stood triumphant over a cowering Adam. She'd broken the restraints and fought after Adam tried to grope Yang, fighting him bare handed, using the chains to stramgle him into unconsciousness. After she literally stomped him inti the ground, the illusions Yang, Ruby, and Weiss held her close as she cried tears of joy, sadness, and hatred. She vowed internally to tell her team of her past. She couldn't hold these secrets amy longer. She followed her fake teamates out of the warehouse and into a bright field, she walked with determination. To where she didn't know.
With Yang and Ruby
Ruby held down the doppelganger Yang as the real one killed her. She'd already faced down her belief that her mother's death was her fault, denying that claim wholeheartedly and squashing her doubt. Then she ran to her sister, smashing the evil twin over the head with a log. Carefully she hepled Yang to her feet, by her side the entire time, helping her face down her almost literal demon. When the twin's body faded to ash, the sisters collapsed on their backs, panting heavily, wiping away the sweat of battle. They looked to each other before bursting out laughing. Rolling around, clutching their stomachs. Smiling to the heavens.
With Weiss
She stood, frozen rapier in hand, blood sliding down her arm, and dead set on killing this man. Her father had fared even worse if that was possible, suit ripped in places, tie cut in half and across his brow sat a scar almost exactly the same as the one on his daughter's face. A feat Weiss took much pride in. The clashed again, "Why don't you bow!?" Her father asked her.
She couldn't answer until she saw an image at the side of the stage; Catalaya. She nodded at her to finish the fight.
"Because I can't be perfect!" She countered his strike, "I can't fit the mold you made for me!" She pushed him backwards, "I'm my own person!" She flung herself at him at sudden speeds with the aide of her magic.
"I'm! My! Own! Woman!" With that final slash, she shattered his sword, her sword cutting straight through the Atlas metal, piercing that bastard of a man's heart. The image of Cat nodded and motioned for her to follow her out the door.
With Catalaya
The Phantom Beast had been avoiding the hits Tifana tried to land the whole time. The goddess had seemed to become weaker during her assault breathing heavy, becoming dizzy and her muscles heavy. "What have you done?" Tifana rasped from her position on the ground, sprawled on her back.
"It wasn't me." Cat said, "They simply fought their fears." She walked closer to the fear goddess, crouched down to her level, "But I am the one to kill their monsters." With that she stuck a clawed hand into Tifana's chest. She pulled out a black heart and tossed it into the firepit, the only way for the goddess to truly die. Once she stops twitching anyhow.
Just as the group crashed through the wall, various arrays of anger and saddness on their faces, Catalaya was punching into the adjacent stone wall. "What's going on?" Velvet asked as the group stared at Tifana's twitching dead body, a gaping hole in her chest, the place where her heart should be was empty. "Trying to get the armor peice, why?" She said so casually as though the fact that there's deady chick in the middle of the room. Weiss knew better, she could see the blood on Cat's hands, how she seemed to force herself to turn away from the body, with a residual hunger in her eyes.Her wolf's too close to the surface."Yang, do you think you can help her? Or do you need a minute?"
"I may need a day." Yang chuckled then coughed harshly.
Weiss was going to ask Yatsu when there was a crash. Part of the wall had collapsed from the strenght of Cat's punches. It would've been a worrying sight, a person getting crushed by giant stones and all, but they weren't worried. Especially when she pushed her body from the rubble, a peice of stone in her mouth. She spit out the material and pulled her right arm from beneath her and waved an item in her hand. It was the armor peice. The group celebrated and journeyed back to their camp for a well deserved rest. Before they could sleep, Blake called her team to a private area of the woods and spilled everything, every single thing.
She closed her eyes and hunched in fear, something unneeded. Yang picked her up and held her as the faunus cried. Ruby and Weiss smiled and joined the hug, "You're still our Blake." They said at the same time. At that moment Coco spoke with her wife about what she saw, how it broke her and Velvet told her what had happened to her and Fox.
They cried together, the men joining in the emotional drainage. Ren and Nora told their team of their trials just as Pyrrha and Jaune told theirs, they stayed in one tent that night, it was much easier to sleep surrounded by friends. After making sure her team was okay, Weiss tried to sneak over to Catalaya's tent. "I hear you, Snow. Just come in."
Weiss sighed and walked into Cat's tent, "I'll never figure out how you do that." Cat chuckled and moved over a bit so Weiss could sit. "You need something?" Catalaya had her legs crossed and hands out, she was obviously meditating, but not in a deep enough trance to be disturbed by the other girl's entrance. "I saw something while I was in there." Cat cocked a brow expectantly, "You were there. In the illusion."
Cat's breathing hitched, "I was?" Weiss nodded.
"Why?" Weiss seemed confused, "Why what?"
Cat turned to her,"You were going to ask how I was there correct?" Weiss nodded slowly. "Then the question you should really ask yourself iswhyyour subconscious put me there." Weiss stopped, she really hadn't thought of that.
"I suggest you sleep on it. We move out again in a few days, give it a while." Weiss wordlessly left the tent and walked back to the one she was sharing with her team.
As she came in Blake awoke from the sound of the flap closing, "What're you doing?" She asked in a tired voice. "Just coming back from a quick bathroom run." Blake seemed to accept that answer and opened tbe covers for her friend. Weiss silently layed underneath them and allowed Blake to rest a comforting arm around her. Weiss eventually fell asleep thinking on why her mind would put Catalaya there for her. Her dreams of white forests and black mountains.