A/N: Here it is! The 50th chapter! The final chapter of 2019! I never thought this story would get this far but here we are. It's been an amazing year for VRSZ...and the story will conclude in 2020. I want to say Happy New Year to all the readers and a special one to VRSZ's biggest fan and supporter, LinxBento.
Setting: Ebony's Airship
"What do you want me to do to prove my loyalty to you?"
Ebony sat in the cockpit of her airship, piloting her vehicle to its new destination. It was there the Charming Vantablack planned to win Brenton back to her side. Her eyes kept to the land around her, keeping a straight path to her objective, Corona. Experiencing tunnel vision, she planned to follow through her mission. She vowed to herself she wouldn't lose one of her friends over her semblance as she did at Signal Academy.
"Never again,"
With Ebony taking charge of the airship, Brenton was left to his own devices, but he wasn't where he wanted to be.
"You don't have to be so dismissive to Ebony," Zinnia scolded her friend.
The lizard faunus sat on the couch with Zinnia standing over him with her hands on her hips and body language similar to a mother scolding a misbehaved child. Laying on the couch, he sighed under his breath because he knew Zinnia would call him out on it. Out of everyone on their team, she was the most motherly.
He groaned in annoyance as she dug into him. He knew Ebony wasn't going to say anything, so Zinnia acted for her.
"Even if I leave, she'll follow," he realized.
"Are you going to be like this until she gets it done?" Zinnia asked him.
"We made a deal. Once she holds up her end of the bargain, everything can go back to normal. Unless she used her semblance to mess with my mind to make me believe that," he remarked and Zinnia's nostrils flared.
"Aw shit," He regretted what he just said.
It happened in an instant. Brenton hardly saw Zinnia's fist coming as it collided with his chest. The sudden blow knocked the wind out of him and he clutched his stomach as he gasped for air. He saw that coming.
"It's talk like that that destroys Ebony! Do you know how terrible it is to have no one trusts a thing you say? Can you even imagine how lonely that could be? I can't… and I don't want to witness it."
Brenton had no response to her outburst. To be isolated or called a perpetual liar. What kind of life was that? His gaze turned to the ground.
"You're upset because she didn't tell you or because she probably used it on you. If our roles were reversed, I'd feel the same way, but she's trying hard to make up for it. She's even doing your request so you won't hate her and let's face it, what you're asking is a lot, even for her."
"And if she gets it done, I'll listen to whatever she has to say." Brenton got on his feet and walked away, retreating to the confines of his room to avoid any more tongue-lashings.
"Ebony's doing because she doesn't want to lose you. I hope you realize how highly she thinks of you," Zinnia told Brenton before he left. She heard footsteps momentarily stop before they continued, fading out of the common area. "I hope I'm getting through to you. She needs us now more than ever,"
Setting: Corona
Corona. The civilization that sprang up in recent months was still standing. The law that governed this place was the strong make the rules. Those who can conquer and dominate call the shots and the strongest of all ruled over everything. Once ruled by Royal, the people live under new rule after his defeat by the combined effort of Team VRSZ and Ebony's retinue.
Claiming the title as the strongest woman in Vacuo, Alexandrite, who was once Royal's lover now the ruler of Corona. With her new position, she named herself sovereign and took control of the settlement. The manner of her claim to the throne was met with a number of citizens departing, favoring Royal over her, but the ones who remained made good use of the space their neighbors left. With fewer people, more resources were available to everyone. Inadvertently, Alexandrite's disposal of Royal brought Corona the survival it needed.
"This whole place sucks," the despondent sovereign complained in her massive chamber. Her words echoed and she didn't care who heard her.
Alexandrite sat on a throne made of crystals consisting of various colors. They shone beautifully as the sunlight hit it and lights danced around the room. She got rid of Royal's old throne and created her own with her semblance. The throne crumbled away anytime she walked away from it. She made this a sign that no one else could take what was hers. Slouching in her fabricated furniture, Alexandrite sighed from immense boredom.
She found nothing to entertain her thirst for battle. No one was around to satisfy her will as a warrior. Raiders were vanquished with ease, Grimm posed no real threat, and the citizens at the Coliseum were too delicate to spar with. The silence of her domain was too much to bear. She needed to do the only thing that didn't bore her.
Self-imposed exile.
In frustration she leaped from her seat and walked away, listening to her seat of power crumble to dust. Walking out of her chamber and through the settlement, Alexandrite left her domain to train in solitude. It was the only way her combat prowess wouldn't dull. Passing through her kingdom, many denizens called to her, praising her, and wishing she come back stronger.
Nothing she did was ever wrong in the eyes of her people and she knew it. Grinning in her mind, Alexandrite liked Corona despite the dullness. Being allowed to do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted was something she could never do in Virago, with Grayson, or anywhere else.
Her desire to train was short-lived as she heard a familiar sound she hadn't heard before. In the sky, the Bedazzled Behemoth found an airship descend by her home. With no idea what was going on, the sovereign was happy to have something new happen to her.
"Who is it? It doesn't matter! Just bring me a challenge!" she chanted in her head as the airship landed. After docking, her face showed great surprise when she saw who was walking out of it.
The same people who helped her ascend the throne. The same woman who also got involved with the Ravagers and helped them claim Fortuna. Why was she constantly showing up? What else could she want?
And why was he here?
Brenton's presence was not welcomed. All she saw when she looked at him was a usurper, a potential threat to rule.
He watched from the bridge of the airship as his friend, Zinnia, and his former friend, Ebony, marched down to begin the mission. The deal was for Ebony to remove Alexandrite from power so he could claim Corona. He was never going to let a tyrant take his home ever again.
But for him to work with her again, Ebony must do this without him. The only question he had was how. He admitted that she was the most cunning person he ever met but didn't know whether that was her or her semblance. Either way, he watched from the sidelines.
Ebony's eyes were cold as she looked at the person before her. "Alexandrite. She's not important. She's in the way,"
"Talk about an unexpected visit. Why are you all here?" Alexandrite asked but received no response from any of them.
Then, a flash of the blade.
Ebony wasted no time in unsheathing Trois Reines and striking Alexandrite diagonally down her body. The sudden attack damaged the surprised, but ecstatic sovereign's aura. She's been waiting for real action for weeks.
A head-on attack. The Charming Vantablack was going to use force.
Alexandrite was unfazed by the blow yet she stood there like she was stunned. What was this sensation? This pulsing through her veins? Her heartbeat was racing and a deranged, crooked grin grew on her face. She's been missing this for so long. Alexandrite found a worthy challenge! She swiftly reached for her opponent.
With a strong grip on her neck, Ebony was lifted into the air then thrown to the side, seeing nothing but a blur and feeling nothing until her back and left shoulder smacks into a stone building. She got back up and took notice of the citizens who didn't flee from the battle.
The people of Corona watched in awe of their queen, cheering for her, having full confidence in her inevitable victory. After all, the settlement of Corona was only ruled by the strongest.
The thudding sound of rapid footsteps alerted Ebony to her opponent moving toward her. Alexandrite had her massive polearm drawn and was ready to run it through her enemy. Ebony immediately sprung to her feet and rolled out of the way, dodging the spearhead as she felt it pass her body and heard it pierce the stone wall behind her. She landed right beside Alexandrite's legs and quickly changed Trois Reines from sword to spear. Swinging her weapon at the back of Alexandrite's knees, she watched as the Bedazzled Behemoth buckle and fall.
"Aren't you going to help her?" Zinnia heard Brenton asked. So he was concerned?
"She wanted to prove her loyalty to you by overthrowing Alexandrite by herself," she answered, not keeping her eyes off the fight.
"That's insane, even for her! Alexandrite isn't some pushover. She should know that! Royal chose her to be his partner for a reason," he thought, thinking Ebony might be in over her head.
It took everything Zinnia had no to intervene. She was respecting Ebony's wish, but seeing her friend fighting and not getting involved was nerve-racking. Reason over instinct. That was the only thing keeping her at bay.
Crystal armor formed around Alexandrite's body. Her semblance was active and she used it to protect herself from incoming attacks. She turned to continue engaging Ebony, but the thunderous sound of gunfire and a powerful force sent her back to the ground, kneeling on one knee and feeling a breach in her armor. The crystal was breaking apart on her right shoulder where the gunshot hit her and Ebony stood over her with her scabbard rifle aimed at her.
How powerful were those shots?
Hands holding her up, Alexandrite created a crystal wall around her, erecting it between her and Ebony who backed away from the sudden move and fired again. Her shot was able to crack the wall, but no further. Alexandrite made sure to reinforce what she made now that she acknowledged Ebony's strength. She swung her halberd and smashed through the crystal wall, sending shards straight at Ebony who deflected them by spinning her spear. Back on her feet, Alexandrite braced herself for a grueling battle.
"Are you really that scared of me?" Ebony called out to Alexandrite who was taken by surprise. No one ever called her scared. She was fearless.
"What?!" she growled at the girl who dared to say that.
"Why don't you drop the armor, unless you're actually afraid you need protection from me," Ebony taunted and her goading seemed to work.
Alexandrite deactivated her semblance, shattering the blue armor around her body. Enraged and insulted, she charged toward Ebony. Three swings, two horizontal and the third were vertical, but Ebony deftly avoided them all. She backed away from the first two and stepped to the side for the third one then followed through by pivoting her foot to spin and shift Trois Reines back to sword form and struck Alexandrite in the ribcage. Immediately after, Alexandrite felt her head get knocked back by a strong foot to her jaw. Everything was a blur as she tried to get her mind straight, but a sudden jab at her stomach forced her to take a few steps back.
Don't let up. Don't give her an inch. Ebony was continuing her assault against Alexandrite while she was dazed. She doubted the self-proclaimed queen knew a thing about her semblance so it made it very effective in tricking Alexandrite to stripping herself of her armor and best advantage. She knelt down with her back toward Alexandrite after the kick and changed her weapon to a spear again with the polearm extending from the sword hilt which hit her foe's stomach and pushed her back. Ebony jumped with explosive force, armed with her weapon and turning to face her enemy, she swung down Trois Reines against Alexandrite's shoulder. The force of the blow knocked the Bedazzled Behemoth to the ground.
Grace, cunning, and power. Those were the keywords for Ebony's display. The citizens who were once cheering for their queen were left in silent disbelief at the flow of the battle.
Brenton was just as surprised. Thinking back to the childish, playful girl she was, he couldn't believe the Charming Vantablack could be this strong.
Training beside Ebony all this time has made Zinnia aware of her prowess in battle. The Paragon could say she was on par with some of the strongest people she has ever fought. Many training bouts turned to real fights and both sides were always left exhausted. In this fight, Zinnia could tell Ebony wasn't fighting like she usually did. She was being fluid in her movements, acting and reacting according to Alexandrite and her abilities. Just like when they fought, Ebony was highly adaptive.
That blow did a number on Alexandrite's aura, but the warrior didn't intend to stay down. The moment she fell, she lifted herself with her left arm while thrusting her halberd with her right, striking Ebony's shoulder and pushing her back several meters. Irritation and bliss. How could one feel both at the same time? Alexandrite was grateful for Ebony's arrival.
The battle was still hers. Ebony knew this as she got back on her feet. Her aura was strong, she could continue the fight. Charm was more for social interactions, but it had a few uses in combat. Like now.
"How can someone so strong need to rely on a weapon to face her enemies? Are you that pathetic?! I thought you were the one who surpassed Royal? Show it!" she shouted while using Charm.
Grinding her teeth and falling for Ebony's taunting, Alexandrite tossed her massive halberd aside and charged for her opponent in a reckless manner.
Her semblance, her weapon, and her common sense were stripped away by Charm. Everything was aligned for Ebony to claim victory and she didn't plan on showing mercy.
A flurry of jabs came to Alexandrite as she rushed to Ebony. She was so full of openings, it was hard for her not to strike the large woman. Repetitive thrusts bore into Alexandrite's aura, but it wasn't enough to down her. Swinging her spear down, Ebony slammed the blunt end of her polearm against Alexandrite's head, bringing the proud sovereign to her knees. No mercy.
Alexandrite felt her head spinning after taking such a heavy blow. In a daze and feeling her aura waning made her realize the situation. She was losing, badly and embarrassingly. How could she perform so poorly? Despite all her experiences, she was fighting like a novice in front of her people. Looking their way, she could see the shock in their eyes and their open-mouthed disbelief.
Why did she abandon her weapon? Why didn't she use her semblance? Those questions were finally burgeoning in her head, but that was as far as she was able to go. All she heard before everything went black was gunfire and she felt immense pain in her chest.
It was over and in a much shorter time than he expected. The lizard faunus looked at the sight before him. Ebony, with her scabbard rifle, standing over an unconscious Alexandrite. The Bedazzled Behemoth's back was to him. Her slumped body proved she wasn't moving anytime soon. She had done it. He couldn't tell what kind of face he was making. He didn't expect her to conquer such an opponent without help like Zinnia or Monochrome. He was half-expecting to see her use some trickery or an underhanded ploy to triumph. She didn't need to.
Ebony did exactly what she said she'd do. In less than a day, she took down the sovereign of Corona and usurped a settlement in his name. Corona was hers.
It was still hard to describe. The people were welcoming them as he walked to the royal castle with Ebony and Zinnia. They were praising the young girl who bested their queen. Ther shifting loyalties was not something he enjoyed, but it did make the job easier.
"All hail the black-haired queen!" Chants like those were the most common. Brenton hated it and it was one of the reasons he needed to changed Corona for the better.
Inside the sovereign's chamber, nostalgia was filling Brenton's chest. This was where everything began for him. He hasn't been n here since he met Ebony and he betrayed Royal. He has experienced a lot of things in-between then and now.
"I thought this place had a throne," Zinnia stated as she searched the large room. Alexandrite changed the decorum quite a bit. There were more riches but they were scattered around instead of being in a pile and there was no throne to be seen.
"I don't need one. Playing tyrant is not my style," Brenton responded while looking around. He already had some ideas to make this place less intimidating.
"This place will be in great hands," Ebony complimented, "Make sure you guide these people right. They need to drop Royal's shortsighted mindset."
After defeating Alexandrite, Ebony told the people of Corona she fought on behalf of Brenton, making him the one to rule. Many were who shared their disagreement with her decision, remembering how he betrayed the founder and first king of their home. He knew this was not an easy task to do. It was near impossible.
Brenton has learned an important thing about Ebony Vantablack: For her, even the impossible was simple.
Spinning her words with Charm made it all too easy for the masses to see things her way. They welcomed Brenton with open arms. She made sure they spread the word to all the citizens and to those outside their borders. She wanted everyone to know what happened.
"Well, Corona is yours. I hope you rule it well, Sovereign Brenton Drake," Ebony said with a sorrowful tone. She turned to leave.
"Why was she leaving?" Brenton wondered. Zinnia followed but glanced at him as she passed. The deal was he'd stay if she overthrew Alexandrite and she did, so why was she leaving? Did she plan on giving it to him and expect nothing in return?
She opened the chamber doors and left. She couldn't be serious...right?
"Shit!" he cursed.
"Are you sure about this? You guys made a deal," Zinnia asked her friend. She didn't know what Ebony was doing not sealing the deal.
"It's better this way. I know we made an agreement, but I'm not sure he'll still want to work by my side anymore. People rarely do when they learn about my semblance." There was that pained look in her eyes.
Zinnia hated it. "I do. That counts for something, doesn't it?"
Ebony turned with her eyes softer and a small smile. "Yes, it does. You're the only one who has still thought of me as a friend and treat normally. Besides from my aunt, but she was insane."
"I guess that makes me third." Both women turned and found the new king walk up to them. Zinnia glanced at her friend and watched him already take the mantle of a ruler. She could see the swagger of his walk. Weirdly enough, she thought it suited him. Much better than it did Royal.
"You're-"
"Did you think you could leave a sovereign in debt? Do you want my reign to start so poorly?" Brenton interrupted her with a smile. "What about our covenant?"
"...Are you sure? How does it look for a ruler to follow someone else?" Ebony asked humorously.
"I'd like to think of it as a change in our group dynamic. Now, you have a Champion who can give you a place to rest and not worry about people knowing about your semblance. Actually, if you tell anyone and they give you trouble, I'll set them straight. Either way, Corona is a safe haven for you, Ebony."
The smile on her face couldn't be missed. Brenton's proposal gave rise to elation that filled her body. He didn't care about her semblance anymore.
"Now that that's settled, walk around the city with me. I want to share my ideas with you guys," Brenton suggested.
Ebony was so grateful to have people like Zinnia and Brenton by her side, but she wondered if things will stay this way once her work was done.
Losing her role as a hero, Ebony planned on walking a slightly darker path to fulfilling her ambitions. She struggled with this choice after her exposure in the kingdom, but she decided on it, nonetheless. Her next objective will take her to the Coliseum.
Setting: Ebony's Airship
Tied up and resting in the same room Grayson was held captive in was Alexandrite, sleeping with her back against the wall. She kept resting, undisturbed by the sound of a door opening and closing.
Squatting in front of the sleeping warrior was the one who put her there. Ebony stared at Alexandrite, silently contemplating what to do with her. Brenton didn't want her around and she assumed Alexandrite wouldn't be too happy to see her. She had a few days to figure it out. Placing a hand on her cheek while analyzing her prisoner.
What am I going to do with you?
Violet may not know this, but after the incident in the kingdom, the people of Vacuo gave her a new moniker. Instead of the Violent Flower, she is known as the Scarred Flower. It didn't matter to her if it was better or worse because Violet doesn't like monikers.