~~AAAND START!~~ (The Songbird and the Stray)
It was a bolt from the blue when James Ironwood burst into Commander Ozpin's office with a look more grave than full of rage. "Ozpin, I know you're helping the rebels…"
"What gave you that—"
"But I don't care. Explain this to me—surely you must know something. My daughter… she's… she has magic. Magic! Why would you help the rebels? What is the magic they use?"
Ozpin took a long sip of coffee, contemplating the situation before returning the mug to his desk and walking towards the windows to gaze at the battle below. "The first thing I should tell you is that it's not magic. It's aura. It exists in the balance of all living things."
"So, my daughter… has aura?"
"Your daughter was terminally ill, correct?"
"Yes, she was."
"Aura has healing properties. She likely had hers unlocked to correct the course of the illness."
Ironwood thought for a while. "And, you're telling me the truth?"
"What would I gain by lying to you now, James?"
"Penny was saved by a witch. If what you say about aura is true… then the story would make sense."
"Saved by a witch?"
"Yes. The queen—"
"Say no more." Ozpin turned to him and stepped away from the window. "What I should tell you next are the sins of our ruler." When he had finished explaining, Ironwood demanded his aura be unlocked. "What are you going to do with it, James?"
"I'm going to fight my own men. All this time, I've allowed myself to be strung along. I was blind. Weak, even. When this rebellion is over, I'm resigning as general."
Ozpin shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that."
"Why not?" Ironwood asked angrily.
"This is not your battle or mine." Commander Ozpin gestured to the scene below his window. "These children saw what we could not, and now they strive to fix it. Savior is a role they are destined to play. All we can do is watch."
/-/-/-/
Neopolitan lead Yang into the castle's ballroom, ornate designs on the walls and ceiling about to bear witness to a different kind of dance… perhaps the one least holy.
Neopolitan held her umbrella out to the side and took off her White Fang mask, revealing eyes that matched her hair. She threw the mask aside. The adventurer stalked towards her, prepared to strike, and the woman did the same, calling out her aura. Brown, pink, and white lights fluctuated on her arms like those in the northern sky after dark.
She took a step, and her appearance changed. The umbrella became a vaguely familiar sword from what seemed like years ago, and she became cloaked in black, giving her identity a new dimension. That sword… the cloak… the illusions… She was the king's assassin.
She snapped her fingers and returned to normal. Behind the illusion of the shroud was a sinister grin that was somehow still twisted and playful. The two met in the middle of the ballroom, inches away from each other in a stare-down only one of them seemed to be serious about. Neopolitan blinked, switching the colors of her eyes. Yang growled at the taunt and began her assault. Every hit was dodged. Eventually seeing an opening, she kicked.
Neopolitan's umbrella blocked it. She opened it and rested it on her shoulder. Not to be discouraged, Yang rushed again and now, every assault was either blocked or parried. She knew she was being toyed with—a fact that only served to fuel her rising anger. Eyes flashing red, she feigned a punch but opened her hand at the last second and yanked away the umbrella, unsheathing a polished estoc underneath.
Neopolitan looked from the sword and back to Yang with a smirk, eyes changing in color. Then, it was she who rushed. Without her umbrella to block Yang's fire and spells, the flames singed her more than once as they cut through her ice aura… but it hardly seemed to affect her. She advanced without pause until Yang began to show signs of fatigue.
She kicked Yang to the floor and waited for her to get up before kicking her down again. Yang flames were starting to fluctuate. Her fury added to the blaze and simultaneously shortening the time until it burned out.
Suddenly, the room went dark and the chink of chains echoed off the vaulted walls. Yang's heart rate began to pick up at the familiarity of the scene. A jagged, red flame flared up near the edge of the room, her eyes instantly burning red in response. The estoc pierced through her right leg, bringing her to the floor for a third time.
She began to hear screams… not Ruby's… her own. On constant replay. Yang felt as if gravity had increased ten fold. She reached forward and her hand brushed hair slick with blood. She began to hyperventilate.
It wasn't real.
It wasn't real.
There's no way...
She repeated it over and over, trying to calm herself down. The sound of heels on the ballroom floor broke her mantra. "Are you willing to give up?" Adam's voice ran around the room.
Yang stopped listening. It wasn't real. None of it. Why was she still so screwed up? Why couldn't she just get over it?
Blinding anger, frustration, helplessness… she felt it all. Her aura increased in intensity and she roared, shattering the illusion. Ripping out the estoc, Yang rose and grabbed Neopolitan with vehemence, lifting her off the ground, aura engulfing her.
All of those sleepless nights. All of those flashbacks. All of those looks from her teammates. All that pretending and smiling. That dead and cold, black scar… All of the hurt and fear… It fed into her aura and gushed outwards, begging to be heard as much as it screamed to destroy its cause.
Burn.
Neopolitan jolted against her grip, eyes widening in surprise before lowering in understanding. She watched the flames eat her flesh in silence. There was a smile… it was no longer playful. Yang's flames burned on.
Neopolitan blinked, her eyes changing color one last time. Then, she closed them and stopped moving. She never uttered a single sound.
When Yang calmed down, she realized what she'd done. Dropping the small corpse, she took a mortified step backwards. Her hands went limp at her sides and she fell to her knees with a sudden wave of exhaustion. Staring at her bloodied hands, crimson returned to lilac.
She didn't notice the darkness taking over the corpse. She didn't see the King Taijitu rise from the chest cavity… she only saw her hands.
The Grimm bit her. Shocked, she grabbed the creature and burned it until the small double-headed snake decomposed in her hands… By that time, it was too late. Venom from the bite took over, and she passed out next Neopolitan's corpse.
/-/-/-/
After Yang had left, the four running rebels reached just before the throne room. A man with red-streaked hair and a White Fang mask blocked their path. Blake walked in front of him. "Adam," she greeted with cool conviction.
"Blake," he returned. "You're not wearing your bow anymore."
"A lot has changed." She looked back at her companions and they nodded. Then, she and followed Adam into the castle's private court. The garden was peaceful under the broken moon.
He felt her intent. "You want to kill me."
"I am."
"Hmph. We'll see." Adam put his hand on his sword's hilt and she pulled out Gambol Shroud.
"There's still hope, Adam… It really is possible."
"Then show me with your sword."
They lunged.
/-/-/-/
A portal opened in the ballroom. Raven walked out of it, having sensed Neopolitan's death; however, what she saw next to the body wasn't what she was expecting at all.
Yang—it had been so long since they'd last seen each other… So much had changed. Crouching, she delicately brushed Yang's blonde mane from her face. She was cold.
It was then Raven noticed the bite marks on her skin and decided she would help… but first, of course, she would take the item she valued most. Raven's hand ran through more golden tresses, then moved down to the scarf. She ripped it off Yang's neck and held the soft, yellow cloth, deciding to keep it until the she came to take it back from her. It was only a matter of time. These changes had brought them closer together than they'd ever been... With her free hand, she gave Yang strength.
Raven then walked back to Neopolitan's body and paused, dipping her head in a final show of acknowledgement.
Her voice… was truly beautiful.
She left as quickly as she came, red portal closing behind her and leaving the room to its quiet night.
/-/-/-/
Adam and Blake fought at blinding speeds without restraint or worry. The flowers in the garden were cut down, the entire thing being reduced to reminders of what was. Before the change in the White Fang, before that day nine months ago... Back to when they were just children and knew nothing of the world.
Time passed so slowly it may as well have been frozen. The years they'd spent training together in the White Fang offered no edge here. As their convictions changed, so did their habits and weaknesses. Adam absorbed a hit with his semblance and returned it. It hit a clone, and he was flanked by the real version of his opponent.
Blake slashed at him, electricity following in the blade's wake. He bore it and knocked her into the fountain, which crumbled to pieces upon the impact. She got up slowly to fight again.
"Why do you side with the humans?" he snarled.
"I side with my friends."
"They're using you."
"We're counting on each other to do the right thing."
"And this is it?"
"Yes, it is." They exchanged blows again. This time their blades locked, grating against each other. If this was solely a competition of strength, Adam would have pushed her back, but their auras battled for dominance more than the physical.
"She screamed," he said lowly."Through the blood and vomit… it was pitiful."
The fur on Blake's ears bristled and the voltage in Gambol Shroud increased.
Adam activated his semblance, using that surge of emotion to overpower her, knocking away Gambol Shroud and putting a hand to her forehead. "When I asked her to give up, she said no. Humans don't know their limits. They're arrogant and full of hatred. Do you think they'll stay friends with you? That she'll stay with you? After you're not useful to her anymore? Humans move on."
Blake held his gaze without falter. "There are some humans like that, yes… but not every one is the same. Adam, you're the one full of hatred and fear. You're using the queen for violence because it's the only thing you know. You want equality, but you're too arrogant to view the humans and your fellow Faunus as equals."
He frowned, signaling the end of their talk, but Blake grabbed his wrist before he could do anything more. Spiking her aura, she channeled it towards the jagged, red flames across from her. All of her emotion went into it for the sole purpose of not attacking, but connecting the rift between them. The elements met and merged for a split second, temporarily stunning Adam.
Shock.
Blake easily threw him into the fountain basin. The water extinguished his flames. "So… you figured it out." His voice was low, calculating. "You won't kill me."
"Nine months ago, you would have been right." She approached him. "Do you remember the first time we met? We were so full of hope for the future."
"We were naive."
"Yes, we were… but we weren't wrong." She stepped in the water with him and waves of electricity wracked his body. "Adam..." There was a pain in her eyes he hadn't seen before. He recognized the feeling from earlier. "I won't let you do to others what you did to Yang."
"Why? What do these humans have that I don't?" he managed through gritted teeth. "Blake!"
The voltage lowered. "This isn't about human or Faunus. Why can't you get that?"
He paused then managed a smirk and a breath of laughter. "You've always been a fool." She stabbed him through the chest. He coughed out blood. Frowned. "Your triumphs… your failures… I'll be watching for them."
Shredded petals lifted on the night's wind and towards the broken moon. "Goodbye."
/-/-/-/
When the last three rebels made it to the throne room, Queen Cinder sat waiting for them. Emerald stood on her right while Mercury was on her left. "Well, if it isn't the little rebel prince," she greeted.
Neptune stepped forward. "Cinder… this has gone on long enough."
Emerald went to meet him. "Actually, it's only just begun," she corrected.
Sun blocked her path. "Whoa, there. You'll be fighting me."
Weiss stepped into Mercury's path when he, too, stepped forwards. "I will be your opponent."
Cinder chuckled. "Go and have your fun." At her command, Emerald and Mercury led Sun and Weiss away. She turned to Neptune. "And then there was one…"
He adjusted his diadem under the pressure.
~~AAAND STOP!~~
A song to face old partners to: Kean kavanagh - sing through the blood (demo)
AN: CAN WE JUST—
CAN I JUST—
AHHHHHGCCK
Was it even justified? For the best? He's gone and there's nothing we can change about that (says the irony-loving author).
NEXT: Black Phoenix