Wraith

Chapter Thirty Six

Beta: Smithrooks

Spark

Grimmlands, present day…

Salem could feel it.

Like a malignant tumor festering on the edges of perception, she could feel it.

There was something… lingering… in the world that hadn't been there before. Something that was just edging at reality, and yet was also distinctly… apart.

Salem hadn't felt anything like this for many years, since a time when the Gods of Light and Dark still lived. To feel it now was troubling, and yet it was also something of an opportunity.

The latest report from young Cinder had indicated that the 'Lord of Hunger' had died, but with this Salem was certain that something altogether more amazing had happened.

Whoever this man was, he must have found a way to delve into the power of the soul - just as she had done so long ago. But he seemed to have achieved something she herself had never attained: the ability to cheat death.

She could feel him clinging to the edge of the world, like a ghost going unseen to all the blind fools that inhabited the land. Nihilus… not his real name obviously, but it spoke of him, of the things he believed in.

Or rather, the lack of things he believed in.

And what, she wondered, had driven him to this? The title 'Lord of Hunger' was something that wretch Ozpin had called him, but Nihilus was something witnesses reported the man calling himself. What kind of life had the man led? Something akin to normal humans of this age? Or something altogether different? Or perhaps… was he like her? Such things committed unto another… Salem felt her hatred for humanity increase.

But Nihilus had obviously found his solution, even if he had died eventually anyway. Such was the issue with the frailty of mortal flesh. And yet… Nihilus had survived his own death. That knowledge was something Salem needed. An answer to the dilemma that had plagued her for millennia.

Salem feared only one thing, and that was death. She had conquered the test of age aeons ago, but a dagger in her heart would kill her just as it would anyone else. But this Nihilus had survived his physical death...

She needed him. That much was beyond question. The wraith had solved a dilemma that had plagued her for years beyond counting, and if he could be persuaded to share the secret of his true immortality with her… well, grand things would lay in store for the man. Grand things...

"My lady?"

"Hush, Watts," Salem commanded to her minion. She was concentrating.

She needed to summon the revenant, bring him to her and force him to spill his secrets. Her perception of the man felt so much duller now that he was without a physical form, so he must have been greatly weakened by dying. But that was acceptable; she could grant him power enough to force himself into the world once again.

"Watts," Salem commanded once her ruminations came to a close, "I have decided that I will summon the spirit of the Lord of Hunger and bind him to me."

Watts was a good little servant. The intellectual among… well, lesser intellectuals. Hazel was quiet, not stupid. Cinder was a manipulative little wretch, but cunning. And Tyrian… well, if nothing else the man was very good at what he did.

"I see, my lady," The mustached man agreed, "is there anything I can do to assist in the matter?"

He was also a kiss-ass. But that was okay, Salem did so enjoy it when her minions were good.

"Stay with me, Watts," Salem commanded, "I will call the ghost here - but I want him to choose to work with us, and you know much of the current world of man so you shall be useful in procuring whatever it is that he wants."

Salem peered into his soul, the greedy little thing. Watts was a good little minion because he was easy - the man preened under anything complimentary, and in addition was highly greedy. If something looked to benefit him in any way he'd jump at it, including a chance to gain favour from his master.

Watts bowed. "Very well my lady, I shall stay by your side."

Salem acknowledged her glorified slave with a nod, her mind and powers turning to the much greater task.

Salem felt her power reach into the darkness of reality, her might bending the essence of the world to her will. She stretched out and clawed around the grotesque soul of Nihilus, drawing him to her domain.

"I summon you. Come to me, revenant…"

He was huge, a beast of thousands of souls. But Salem's power was immense, and she would not be swayed.

He would be hers.

Beacon, present day…

Once upon a time, Jaune may have found this endearing.

"I can't believe you were so reckless!"

Now he only found it irritating.

After his little jaunt last night, he'd returned to find his team in a state of panic over his disappearance. They'd been easy enough to calm and reassure, mostly with Pyrrha and Nora refusing to leave his side for hours and Ren giving him stern and disapproving looks. However…

"What would I have done if you'd disappeared?!"

Weiss was not an issue he'd anticipated.

"Kill her… betray them as you betrayed me."

Jaune ignored the whispers of the dead god that clawed through his skull.

Weiss had… attached herself to him. Not out of any particular affection she held towards him of course, but instead because she seemed to believe that he still somehow held the key to curing her. Utter nonsense, he couldn't fix her any more than he could fix himself. The 'voices' she claimed she was hearing would be staying with her for a lifetime.

Why? Because the rage of Nihilus would never die.

"I killed them all. I made stars die and worlds wither."

The words lingered in the air like a poison.

"Died or gone insane, I expect," Jaune replied eventually. Though that was probably going to happen eventually anyway...

He didn't want to have this conversation. It was his first day back in classes, and he just… well, he just wanted nothing to do with it. Why Weiss had dragged him into an abandoned classroom for this talk he'd never really know.

"How dare you!" Weiss shouted in his face, "You realise that you're the only one with any understanding of what that monster did!? You're the only way I can ever find a cure! You're the only one that doesn't make the voices start!"

Jaune tilted his head to the side, "I can't fix it, Weiss."

"Then I will find a way to fix it myself!" she scowled at him, "But in the meantime, I need the silence."

That was fair enough he supposed, though Jaune would admit he hadn't expected someone as proud as Weiss being able to admit it. Maybe she was just that desperate? "Okay," Jaune conceded easily, "I understand."

"I understood. I understood it all, I reached depths long since lost…"

That still didn't mean he was going to tell her whenever he went anywhere outside of Beacon, all it meant was that he understood.

"I'm pleased that you see my side of things!" she huffed with her arms crossed. "We should probably get to class now, lest Xiao-Long start thinking up asinine rumors about us."

Jaune just sighed but nodded his head, Yang did seem like the type to do that. Whatever, at least it was going to be an easy first class. How ironic that he thought that now…

Combat with Miss Goodwitch, something that Jaune hadn't had a chance to participate in before Nihilus had taken him. Also the class that he'd been the most terrified to participate in, what with having utterly no combat training at all. But now… with the help of the rings Jaune could confidently say that he could easily kill almost any fully trained hunter, so the students were barely a blip on the radar.

And as an added bonus, Jaune wasn't likely to be called up given that it was his first day back, so the professor was likely content to just allow him to watch for now. Hopefully, anyway.

"Let's go," Jaune muttered as he stepped out of the disused classroom, Weiss following him closely behind.

"HahaHA! She clings to you, Betrayer. Clawing at you for some false salvation."

Weiss was likely doomed however, and nothing he could ever do would change that. Perhaps if he were still a bit more naive he may have asked for Nihilus' help… but now? Now he knew how foolish that would be. At best the Lord would just deny him, but more likely Nihilus would find a way to do something profoundly horrible to Weiss under the pretence of 'helping'.

That was just how the man operated.

A dark shadow passed over Jaune's vision, the hazy apparition of the being he hated most in the world oozing into his perception. It looked… odd. It was the true form of Nihilus that he'd 'killed' when Nihilus had posed his final test to Jaune. Milky blue eyes sunken into a face trisected by three massive scars, with the hobbled gait of a crippled man.

The true Nihilus then. Formerly Jaune Arc.

"I hear you… I feel you. Are you eager, Betrayer? To rip, rend and tear?"

Jaune stepped past the ghost, unsurprised that Weiss didn't react to it in the slightest. Of course she couldn't see it, Nihilus was saving that torture for Jaune alone.

The rest of the walk was in silence, Weiss taking obvious enjoyment out of the lack of words spoken. Jaune himself just… ruminated.

"Well, well, well!" Yang greeted as he and Weiss entered the combat hall, "Where have you two been?"

"We were just talking," Weiss snapped as she sat down on the bench, the empty spot beside her a clear demand for Jaune to take that spot. "That's all you need to know."

Jaune just sighed as he sat down and Weiss lashed out against the other blonde. Silly girl didn't realise that she was just fuelling Yang's teasing by being defensive.

"Are you okay, Jaune?"

"She's lying."

Pyrrha's voice from his right side crashed into him despite how gentle it was, Nihilus' comment utterly ignored because of how spiteful it was. Her green eyes followed him like a hawk, her expression kind but worried all at once. That was why he'd escaped last night. The pity that she looked at him with, as though he was a broken doll.

He hated it.

It made him burn, his fingers twitch, and his rings ache.

"I'm fine."

"You're lying too."

"Well," the champion hedged, "If you're sure-"

The sound of leather smacking on flesh drew the class into silence immediately. Professor Goodwitch had arrived, riding crop in hand and a stern expression on her face.

"Good morning students," the scary woman greeted them with all the joy of a dying man, "Today we will continue with our usual bouts. Do I have any volunteers?"

"I want to fight!"

A voice cried out on the far side of the bleachers, though Jaune didn't bother turning his head to see who it was. He didn't recognise the voice, thus it was someone irrelevant and unimportant.

"Very well, Mr. Winchester," The Professor conceded. "Who would you like as your opponent?"

"I killed him. I killed my partner."

Jaune lazily watched as the large boy strolled onto the arena. This guy had been Nihilus' partner? How underwhelming.

"I'd like to fight Jaune Arc!"

Jaune felt his eyes open wider. This guy wanted to fight him? Why? He didn't remember doing anything to piss him, or anyone else, off.

"Hmm… very well," Goodwitch hummed, "do you accept the challenge Mr. Arc? I understand if you do not, you have only just begun to recover from your ordeal after all."

Jaune suppressed the throb of rage he knew wasn't entirely his own. How he hated pity. He couldn't stand it when others looked down on him as though they thought they were any better than he was! He would take this fight then, and he would show that he was not going to be pitied by anyone.

"I'll fight," Jaune declared.

Pyrrha's hand latched onto his arm as Jaune rose to his feet, her green eyes wide with alarm as she looked at him. "Don't do it," she whispered urgently. "You don't need to fight, you don't know what could happen if you use the rings again!"

"Doesn't the pale imitation realise? You know exactly what will happen…"

Jaune shrugged her hand away. "I'll be fine," he countered as he stepped down to the ring.

"Oh?" Weiss asked quietly as Jaune left, "Are you worried about him?"

Jaune barely heard the sound of Pyrrha sighing, "It's not him I'm worried about…"

Whatever else was said, Jaune didn't hear it. Nor did he care to. Pyrrha had good intentions, but ultimately she was the reason Jaune was stuck in his current wretched existence. He didn't blame her, but on some level, he couldn't forgive her either…

"Mr. Arc?" The blonde professor inquired as he stepped opposite Cardin. "Do you not wish to retrieve your weapon?"

His weapon-?

Oh… Crocea Mors. Had he omitted that detail when explaining things to Ozpin's little group? The sword was with its true owner: John Arc. Wherever the man was. Maybe he should look into finding out what happened to him and the rest of the family? Not that it really mattered anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.

"No," Jaune muttered without bothering to actually explain. "I… won't need it."

Opposite him, Cardin's face grew red with anger and the crowd snickered.

"Very well Mr. Arc," Goodwitch intoned, "you may begin when ready."

The professor stepped back, but neither he nor Cardin moved an inch.

"He was a good partner and a good friend. Weak in body, but indomitable in spirit. Even now, I cherish his soul."

The boy looked formidable enough, Jaune supposed. Far more suited to be a hunter than any of the girls on RWBY, at least in terms of fighting attire anyway. Though Jaune wasn't sure about the anger he felt radiating off the larger boy.

"Why did you want to fight me?" Jaune asked eventually, just to break the staring contest.

Cardin swung his mace before him threateningly. "You survived being with that rogue hunter, the bastard that attacked Vale, so you must be pretty strong." The giant mace shifted upwards to point at Jaune's face. "I want to prove that I'm stronger."

How petty.

"Okay," Jaune sighed. It was rather pathetic, but he needed the stress relief. "I'll try not to hurt you too much then."

Cardin's eyes bulged. "You bastard! I'll-"

Jaune scoffed and clicked his fingers.

Cardin howled in pain and dropped his mace so he could clutch at his lips as flame erupted in his mouth, saliva boiling from the sheer heat alone. It was amazing how quickly the tongue could be rendered into a bubbling grease.

"Hatred is the most powerful of emotions. Let hatred break your chains…"

Jaune rolled his eyes; the weakling was being melodramatic. His aura would have protected him from the worst of the damage, it was just a little bit of pain. Pain was the greatest of teachers, after all.

"Can't you taste the envy in his soul, Lord of Betrayal?"

Cardin coughed and sputtered as he finally regained himself. His blue eyes glared venomous hatred at Jaune. "You'll pay for that!" he hissed, his hand snatching his mace from the floor.

Jaune felt rage pooling in his blood. He would make this fool suffer. With a hateful grimace Jaune snapped his fingers again, fully intent on hurting the other boy.

To his credit Cardin did attempt to move out of the way of the sudden attack, but he wasn't nearly fast enough.

Cardin dropped like a stone as heat erupted around his eyes, his meaty hands dropping his mace to claw at the source of his new agony. The large boy began to wail in agony as the fluid in his eyes began to boil, his eyeballs roasting in their sockets under Jaune's power.

It was what he deserved, the wretched pathetic scum was getting his just desserts. This was perfect-

"That's enough!" Professor Goodwitch's power slammed into the arena like a hurricane, the flames around Cardin's eyes sputtering and dying within moments. "The match is over! Stop now!"

All at once Jaune felt his rage break, the red haze over his vision clearing. What-

Fire, pain, suffering.

Jaune felt no shame for this new atrocity of his, for he had none left to give after his other horrors. However, the looks Goodwitch and the rest of the class were giving him were… painful. Hatred tinged with just the slightest touch of fear.

All for little old Jaune.

Professor Goodwitch's hand clamped onto his shoulder like a vice. "I think you and I should see the Headmaster, Mr. Arc. What you have done…"

She didn't say it, she didn't need to. He was a monster.

And now everyone knew it.

Mineshaft, many years ago…

One year, six months after the Fall of Amity.

Jaune felt his his gut twist with worry and fear.

Pyrrha was fighting Grimm - for what else could it be if he could not see it - out in Forever Fall with what he presumed was her team. It was hardly the first time she'd been in battle of course, but Jaune couldn't help but feel a spike of worry for his old friend as he watched her soul begin to colour with fear.

She was losing.

But Jaune was a world away, locked in his deep dark little hole. There was nothing he could do to help.

He didn't want to watch, not really. But he couldn't not see it, as Pyrrha was always in the back of his perception. She was his best friend in Beacon, the one he'd confided in and trusted above even his own team. She probably hated him for the things he'd done, but there was no way he'd ever hate her.

Not in a million years.

The real problem came from her teammates, as they were practically soaked in fear and terror. Unlike Pyrrha, whose soul had only the barest colouring of the negative emotion. The other three were bringing in more Grimm through their negativity, and with more Grimm they became more afraid, and when they became more afraid they brought more Grimm…

It was maddening.

And Jaune could do nothing but sit and watch.

But perhaps he could do one thing…

Hope was the greatest weapon against the Grimm, a shield of compassion and kindness to drive them back into the foul darkness they came from. Such things were beginning to be lost in those that fought with Pyrrha… but Jaune could fix that.

Perhaps some would consider it morally wrong to play with the hearts and minds of others, but for Jaune… he was selfish. He wasn't a hero, and he wasn't a good man. He wanted Pyrrha to live.

Right and wrong didn't factor into it.

Jaune let his mind reach into their souls, metaphysical hands violently rearranging their emotions into the correct patterns.

Hope, kindness, and compassion. The greatest weapons against the Grimm.

Jaune wasn't so worried after that…

Beacon, present day…

They were lying.

It was all a lie, all a wretched little lie that would fade and die as all things did.

Nihilus knew this.

He was a wraith, a ghost lingering just in the folds of reality and only existing because he demanded it. Because he willed it.

And yet still, despite knowing it was all a lie, Nihilus found that he was unable to look away from it.

"I summon you. Come to me, revenant…"

They crowded around like insects. Words were fickle so Nihilus didn't bother listening, instead he peered into their souls and listened to the songs they sang. RWBY and NPR were all so concerned about the Betrayer, their emotions telling the tale of the fear they had felt when the boy had disappeared for the night, as well as the awe and disgust that lingered after the display he'd put on when he'd fought Cardin.

They were weak little creatures. So reliant on their petty feelings and perceptions… but at the same time, there was an indomitable strength about them. It wasn't love, but instead greed. They wanted the Betrayer to be safe, to be happy, to be healthy, to be so many things that he simply wasn't. It was the nature of all life to want something it did not have, but for Nihilus it was… odd.

There were differences. RWBY seemed… so young compared to what he knew. Yang's soul played the tune of happiness still, and Ruby's soul still carried the damning heat of hope. Blake's was unburdened by the self-given guilt, and Weiss'...

Something was wrong with the soul of little Weiss.

"Come to me, I command you…"

Unseen, Nihilus swept through the school. It had been so long that he had forgotten what this place was like, the cancerous thing that it was. He settled around the Schnee girl, his phantasmal essence oozing through her soul. He was impressed; the way the broken fragments of the real Weiss clung unto the younger girl was… new. He'd never seen anything like it… oh, he knew it was possible, he'd just never expected something like this to happen.

The shards stabbed and dug their way into the still living girl as though trying to escape him, as though they were still aware.

They weren't of course, the Weiss Schnee of his world was dead - and nothing could ever really change that at this point. But what made Weiss Weiss remained, and all those little pieces were now trying to cling to the mortal world. Memories, emotions, feelings… they clawed at the younger Schnee girl like a lifeline. Why her he did not know, perhaps the soul shards felt the familiar nature of her soul? Or maybe it was merely dumb luck...

She never feared death… Nihilus' thoughts oozed into the folds of reality where he existed. Weiss was a strong girl, stronger than the insipid weakness of the rest of her team. Maybe this would only serve to empower her.

"Come to me…"

Nihilus removed himself from Weiss lazily, his awareness stretching out and grasping into the darkness beyond petty mortal sight. She was still here? How novel, sometimes Nihilus forgot that others considered her an actual threat. She was growing bothersome; the petty witch had wisdom and ability enough to discern his true nature. What she lacked however, was the ability to do anything beyond that.

Regardless, Salem would make for an amusing diversion. He always loved the way she wailed.

Nihilus oozed his way around the Betrayer, his ghostly arms settling onto the boy's shoulders as he walked with the little teacher towards Ozpin's disgusting excuse for a tower. "I will return, Lord of Betrayal."

WIth but a thought, Nihilus allowed the pull and winked out of existence.

Reality unfolded around Nihilus, the being that 'summoned' him drawing him into her clutches deep within the Grimmlands.

"Mistress?" What was that one's name? Nihilus had killed him before of course, but the name… Whatts? What? Something like that. "Did it work? I cannot see it as you do…"

"Of course it did, Watts." Ah Salem, the Dread Queen herself. "The spirit is simply choosing not to show itself to your eyes."

Nihilus looked into the ancient soul of Salem. She was an interesting thing, a creature of hatred and pain that lashed out at the world like a wounded animal. If Nihilus chose, he could soothe her pain, but why would he? Her soul was terribly broken, a tiny little thing that was so very cursed that it tarnished her absolutely. But she'd already killed the one that had done this to her, again and again…

So Nihilus would grant her one last mercy.

With the barest flex of power the shade of the fallen Arc abruptly became visible to the mortal world, his ghostly appearance taking on the visage of his true self - a white, red, and bronze soul riddled with cracks. Amber and Cinder had granted him much…

"Hello," Nihilus greeted, hatred oozing, "I am the Lord of Hunger."

1237

A/N

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

As a Christmas gift to me how about some reviews?

Speaking of reviews…

Blaiseingfire:

Thanks for reviewing.

Yeah, Neo had no interest in fighting someone with obvious training. Too much time, time that could be better spent eating ice-cream.

Nerd315:

Thanks for reviewing.

Thanks. And sorry for not getting back to you on your second PM, this time of year is always busy for me.

ZHsteven:

Thanks for reviewing.

At the end? Not even close. All the really fun stuff is still coming.

And yes, team RWBY is in for a shake up thanks to Weiss' new… condition.

I'd love you all forever if you left a review!