Lucien...wake up...Lucien... a voice called out. The voice had a deep masculine baritone and it had an authoritarian tone.
Your time has not come yet...we will not allow it.... another voice spoke. It was distinctly feminine and it carried a more calm and collected tone.
"Ugh, my head" Lucien grunted as he slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself in a clearing of a forest. The sky was cloudy and dark, the wind howled against the rustling trees like screaming souls looking for a way out.
"Where am I?" the half-Grimm asked." What is this place? "
You are where you've always been... The male voice answered.
You are at the point where your two halves meet... said the female voice. We represent them... she continued.
Out of the shadows came in two shady figures. Their bodies were humanoid yet engulfed in a black aura and had no humanly features in them. Lucien looked around and all around him, he could only see an endless rows of trees around him, blockading him like walls and restricting him to the clearing.
"Am I...dead?" the boy asked again.
No...no yet... the male voice replied.
Your demise has not yet arrived, for as long as we are here, you shall not perish... the female voice said.
"Who are you?!" Lucien questioned as his eyes widened.
Fool! Do you not know who we are?!...We are you and you are us...angrily exclaimed the male voice. We have always been by your side..since the day you awakened us.
One cannot live without the other, If you perish so will we. We cannot allow it... the female voice spoke.
"W -why! Why are you doing this?" Lucien asked. His body shaking and tensed as tight as it could with his heartbeat steadily pounding heavier and heavier.
Do you not wish to live? The female voice asked back.
"No! I don't wanna live! I'll only make things worse for everyone around me. The only thing I'm good for is becoming a monster and destroying everything. That's been my only existence!"
Naive... Foolish...just like your father... the male voice spoke back.
"You bastard! How dare you!" Lucien screamed as he charged towards the shadowy figure. He attempted to punch him, yet the figure simply disappeared as the half-Grimm hit nothing but thin air and fell to the ground.
Just like him, you truly believe you can accomplish anything without acknowledging the truth. Hiding behind layers and layers of lies, you will achieve nothing but failure. Just like him... the male voice continued.
On the ground, Lucien curled up his fists as he attempted to get back up. "Shut up! You don't know anything!" he gritted.
We know everything about you, Lucien. We are you, and are much a part of you as your own flesh, blood and soul... said the female voice.
"No,...no you're not!" the half-Grimm shouted as he ran forward and punched again. And just like before, he hit nothing but thin air as he collided with a nearby rock.
Deny as much as you please, it is none of our concern. But we implore you here and now: Stop rejecting us and accept your heritage as a half-Grimm...and have your revenge... said the male voice.
"And why should I?!" the boy angrily asked.
Only be accepting us and embracing who you really are will it save you and take you back to the real world. But in order to do that you must first release the shackles that you have placed on us ... you will need us for the journey ahead . Our strength is the only thing that can fight back against the forces at work ... for they are beyond your comprehension... the female voice replied.
"No...No! I'm done living! I'm not going to back just to become that monster again...all that I will ever bring is pain and misery to innocent people just like I've always done. I don't care what they do...I'm not going back just to become that thing again!" the half-Grimm barked.
Suddenly, the eerie silence of the forest broke as a beastly growl echoed through the woods. The trees rustled as the twigs cracked under the movement of the earth; something was coming.
Weak, pathetic...you truly believe your own lies. Denouncing your heritage will do you nothing!... The male voice angrily shot back.
And just as he was saying that, a massive beowolf emerged from the thick forest. Landing in the clearing it howled and snarled as it walked in circles around Lucien, who simply stood still...frozen in fear. As the ashened haired boy looked at the monster dead in the eye, it lunged at him ...pinning him to the ground. Lucien struggled but it was to no avail: the creature was just too strong. As it pinned the boy, it dug it's snout in closer to the boys face, jaws opening and shutting at every turn, showing off its massive snarling teeth.
If you do not embrace who you are and live to fight another day, then many more will suffer because of your inactions. You will not be the only one your assassins will come after. They and their armies will keep on getting stronger and stronger until there is no one strong enough to oppose them. And then...countless more will die. All because of your foolishness... the female voice coldly explained.
And that includes your allies as well. So tell us, would you rather die a meek mortal and let millions perish for you naivety. Or will you accept who you truly are and live as a monster, and save thousands more. The choice is yours... The male voice finished off.
Hearing this, Lucien's heart was now at a dilemma. The jaws of the best stared at him, with a foaming mouth, helpless at its mercy: all that he could do now was put himself in deep thought. Die as human and let those responsible carry out their plans and destroy everything? Or live as a grade A freak and save everyone. It seemed all the more clear as to which choice was selfish and which was dutifully bound. It wasn't even a choice anymore.
With a heavy sigh, he made his answer." Alright. But on one condition."
Name it... the two voices spoke in unison.
"I get to be in control" he commanded.
Very well...they replied in Unison. And with that the beowolf slowly let go of Lucien and simply stood beside him as he got up to his feet.
And then, the two voices started reciting some sort of incantation and began chanting,
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, blood by blood we are you as you are us. Two souls together as one, bound by unison... the male voice recited.
Belonging to the world of neither man nor beast. Two hearts beating as one, bound by blood... the female voice recited.
Neither man or Grimm, yet strength that surpasses both. The two voices chanted in unison.
Suddenly the atmosphere around changed rapidly as the winds started howling more fiercely than ever. Lightning struck at every turn while thunder cackled with it, as a violent storm commenced. The shadows started merging together along with the Grimm, as it slowly formed one massive shadowy aura. Lucien struggled to stay on his feet as the storm became more and more violent. Then, all of a sudden, the black aura rammed through his body as it merged with him. The half-Grimm was lifted from the ground as the aura entered is body, gritting at the seeping pain yet at the same time feeling his strength regaining. By the time he hit the ground again, he blacked out.
It was all over...
Darkness. There was nothing but an empty void that seemed to go on forever. Then a tiny sparkle of light cracked through the empty void. As time passed it grew closer and closer and closer and with each passing it grew larger and larger and larger...until it engulfed the whole darkness and took over in a bright flash.
As things became clearer and clearer, Lucien's senses started coming to him as he slowly opened his eyes. The beeping sound of a machine as well the passing of cold air suggested that he was in some sort of medical centre. The sound of his own breathing accompanied him as took noticed of his surroundings; the blurry haze in his eyes becoming clearer and clearer with each passing second.
He's coming around!
Wake up...Wake up...Lucien...
He could see blurry figures staring at him although it still was not clear yet.
He's opening his eyes again...!
You mean the same ones he grew back in months.
Remarkable...
Through all of this he could only hear collective voices and blurry figures as his five senses were slowly recovering. The minutes felt like hours but he was finally able to pull through. And Lo and behold, the first person he sees was none other than the Gray haired man who had been visiting him for years now.
"Ugh! Mr...Ozpin?" were the first words he muttered.
"Welcome back to the world of the living, Lucien. It seems death has been merciful to you...and gave you some eyes as well."