Chapter 60: The brightest lights give hope
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The shopping tripe (Yang Xiao-Long/d'Arc-Night)
"Aww, you shouldn't have!"
The smoothie went down in a few gulps, as Ruby licked her lips, trying to get the strawberry residue off her lips, smiling up brilliantly at her. It wasn't something to be bothered about for her little sister, but Yang was bothered about it. There was just so much that Ruby needed, guidance in some ways. Weiss had been the final straw for her, the girl having needed some reassuring looks from time to time in order to make sure that she didn't have a breakdown.
'This is all for the best…'
She knew that it was wrong, but her sister wasn't right in the head. It was one thing to wish to deny something that didn't fit your world, but another altogether to languish under the delusion that it'd be all like the fairytales. This wasn't some sort of grim fairytale told by an author with a sick and deluded mind, this was reality!
There were no princes that would be coming to rescue you, no mothers locked away in some deep dark cell and raving mad, no dubious allegiances of friends that would be hitting you in the gut like a fist, just a stark reality that the world had been changed, that there was death, despair and nothing but that.
'I'm not going to drop you…'
The world made little sense, to her. She was used to punching things to get through them, to care for her partner when she was in a mood. Her eyes watched Ruby and Blake like a hawk, spotting the headmaster in the distance a few times.
'A sick and twisted plan…'
She wasn't going to let anything happen to her little sister. Mom and Summer had been present during her initiation into the Order, something to belong to, a whisper that brought the mind to easiness, but also one that held despair.
She wasn't going to break or bend to the despair of life, she was going to burn like a beacon and light up the life of those around her.
"So, how'd you think Professor Oobleck will grade us? We did the essay he wanted and even Weiss submitted hers through a dictation thingy."
She grabbed the beaker of smoothie, washing it in the sink in the bathroom. She was sure that it wouldn't be too bad with her grade, especially because of her extra work done in the art of 'smoothening over the creases' in the totally not copied component.
"Are you going to go shopping with the cousins?"
She nodded, Ruby smiling brightly at her again. Yang had a bad feeling, but it was important that Ruby not suffer too much. It was all for the family that she had left.
'Even if dad…'
"Can I come? It's been a while and I need to have some things for Crescent Rose. The barrel started to jam a few times at Mountain Glenn, I'm just going to give it a check-up later, so I need a new ST-1f-Sieben-"
The words were useless to her, as she barely remembered what parts she used for the barrels on Ember Cecilia, knowing that she had six or seven spare parts in the case that they got busted up in a fight.
"Sure thing, sis."
It was something that would be needed for them to fight, so it was going to be just sisters going out for a day on the city. Dad had left, luckily, so it would not be any other thoughts of doing anything to Ruby. She hoped that the dreams would stay away. She couldn't use distractions.
'What Weiss her mother told us…'
She knew that it was wrong to suspect, but the thought of Blake's sudden change and the way that Ruby acted made her suspicious, the feeling inside her quivering and trembling at the changes that had come through the world. Had Ozpin given something to Ruby? She'd mentioned cookies when she'd come back from her Dust shop expedition, but she hadn't paid attention to it.
The silver eyes were the key. A cadre of loyal executioners, the Order that was supposedly the best of the best, a sisterhood that seemed to care not for the lives of others. Her mother had said that it was something that Summer had done, her partner having been the leader, whilst her mother had followed.
'Is there something about that which makes them obey Ozpin?'
She didn't know. Blake gave a concerned look at her whilst her fingers were busy with erasing a mark on the note bloc that she'd been drawing on. Pictures of a woman with a cloak and features that were wonderful, cast in shadows and with little hearts on it.
'At least she's found something to focus on…'
She didn't know who the woman was, but if Blake was happy, she could be happy too. She should probably ask whether Blake wanted something, running a comb through her hair. Without Weiss, the dorm felt a little emptier, but it was still different than the team PWN dorm.
'Ren's death hit them hard.'
It was painful to see Nora shuffling through the cafeteria, her body paler and tired, her eyes red. Pyrrha was at her side at every time. The members of the former team JNPR were starting to break up. She could hear the shouting sometimes, Nora's voice loud enough to be heard through the wall, shouting about how it wasn't fair to her, how she was supposed to get married.
'First Jaune, now Ren…'
It was all such a mess. They were supposed to be sister teams of sorts, with Jaune and Ruby being friends and just having fun. She'd even consider dating him, because she wasn't going to be going for girls anymore with Blake having been a mess like that, but now…
"Need anything, Blake?"
Her Faunus partner looked up, the kitty ears twitching a little as the feline Faunus regarded her for the longest of moments. A little heart was finished off and the girl adjusted her pencil a little.
"A nice set of Lightning Dust cartridges would be nice. I've run out of them for my Semblance."
'Alright, that means I'll need to get by the Dust shop as well…'
With Torchwick trying to be as criminal as he could be, the man most certainly was not going to be giving himself up without a fight. She knew that with the recent attack, people would be upping their prices again, even if the Schnee Dust Company had lowered them slightly for the bulk supply buyers, making it somewhat more accessible for the average person.
She knew that things were going to heat up after the attack on Vale by the White Fang. Enough had been stirred up, with anti-Faunus sentiments being high. Yang couldn't even blame the people for feeling that way, remembering how fragile Weiss had looked. Even though she was a Schnee, she was still a frail girl and did not deserve to be treated like that.
'Nobody should be treated like that.'
She didn't like to think about it, what had happened to Rowena. The woman had been raped, but she'd still kept some of her sanity, enough to function. Disgusting though it might be to Ruby, Yang could appreciate the woman for loving her son so much that it hurt, so much that it'd be agony for her every day to miss her son.
'If there was something that I could do…'
She didn't know really what she would do if she'd given birth. She'd love the child, no matter who the father was that she'd marry. She'd like a big family too. Three children, all of them as spunky as she was, loved like they were the centre of her world, never to be gone from her. She'd be a good mom, unlike her own, who was…
'You did it all for me, together with Summer.'
She didn't know where her mother was, but she knew that she was always watching out for her. That time with Blake before, as well as the moment when she'd faced her trial, her mom had watched over her.
'It's probably not right, but…'
She looked out the window at the tree, her fingers touching the mask in the pouch. It was a sign of the special troupe she'd been inducted into, the place where she would have sisters of the same creed, to belong…
But it was not the Order that she followed. She would never accept that sway, even if her mother had once done so. She was her own person and she knew that anyone who dared to even think about harming her little sister by making her pregnant, would not be a good person to follow.
'If I have to-'
She peeked a quick glance at her little sister, the silver eyes peering at her with that seamless wonder, that hope for the future, like she'd heard in the stories that Yang had told her when she was a child. Ruby wasn't alright. It hadn't been alright and-
'What if something happened?'
She couldn't know everything. She wasn't the arbiter of knowledge and she'd not known the proper ways to raise a child, so perhaps Ruby might've already fallen under some malicious sway. If what Rowena had said during that late-night conversation was true…
"You don't exist anymore, outside of the order. You're just a blade in service to the grand design, there to achieve the peace for Remnant that is planned."
A grand plan for Remnant, one in which the person would be submersed within the Order of Slayers, never to be free from that web of deceit. She had the mask and the cloak, and was supposed to become a full member with those items and the test passed…
"Let's go, sis."
She called out to Ruby, her eyes looking clearer as she focused herself on the task at hand, getting some stuff for her partner and getting Ruby what she wanted.
Stepping off the bullhead and walking into the terminal for the Valean general area, she spotted a sour-faced woman leaning against one of the walls, her hair braided, a dress on that looked so out of tune that it was almost comical, a bright shade of orange, contrasting with the woman's sour expression.
"Ooh! It's cousin Heather!"
Ruby cheered, her little sister bouncing a little, Heather Arc giving a sigh as she raised her hand in a greeting, her fingers waving a little, the woman's large weapon hung over a shoulder, the weapon undoubtedly making it so that not many people dared to approach her, the motions with a grace that Yang had to admit she couldn't quite get yet.
People watched the woman move, probably due to her bright-coloured dress, but they didn't dare to interact, Heather Arc's face set in that way of grim workmanship. There was a smell of Fire Dust ignition that hung around her, something new, something that undoubtedly had to do with her job as a Slayer.
"Rowe's out on business, so she's sent me to take you shopping…"
The woman's face did not shift much with that announcement, Yang feeling the faintest hint of amusement go through her. Heather Arc seemed to hate shopping for clothing, if her sour face was any indication. The woman's fingers clutched the weapon's barrel, her eyes flicking through the crowd.
'Paranoia, or justified anxiety for an attack that may come?'
She didn't know, but she wasn't taking any chances herself. She'd always keep an eye on how the world around her moved, whether anything was out of place, the feelings of nervousness fading slowly with every breath she took that confirmed her own safety.
"Ooh! You're going shopping for clothes with Yang, right? Do we have time to go by the Dust store? I need some rounds and barrel adjustments, and-"
The woman smiled, though it looked more like a dark grimace on the face. Heather Arc adjusted herself a little, her fingers tugging the dress down a little. It already reached nearly to her knees, Yang spotting the pale flesh, burn marks visible on the skin.
'She's had a few accidents.'
"Of course, Ruby."
The woman's voice was barely louder than before, but there was something in the woman's voice that seemed antagonistic against Ruby. Yang didn't like it, but Ruby had said that Rowena was evil, simply for not being what she'd wanted to see.
'You still think that weapons with evil names must be evil, like the tale of the Good Sir Mauve and the Leviathan.'
It was a sad situation, but not one that she could easily fix. She would need to keep an eye on her younger sister.
"Let's have fun, yay!"
The smile on her little sister's face was precious, as her silver eyes looked at Heather with an innocence in them, Heather's fingers gripping her weapon with a greater strength, her fingers touching the metal, a glow spreading through the metal, the warmth of it increasing, something in those blue eyes changing.
"Let's have fun indeed, Ruby."
The woman smiled, but it never reached her eyes.
Yang supposed there was a story behind that, but she didn't know whether she'd get told about it, as something undoubtedly had happened to evoke such a feeling.
She could only make the best of it.
The task (Rowena d'Arc-Night)
Her scythe cut, twisting and whirling, arcs that bounced through the room as her body swayed like a tree during a storm, her Semblance wrapping around the bodies of those that dared to resist. The cloak and the mask were in place, her fingers shifting the grip, another of the enemies dead.
'Another…'
The blood always washed out, of course. Sweeping her scythe was just the finishing blow as she watched the bodies fall. It was disgusting work, filthy and cruel, but she could hardly care about that. A hand on her side, she pressed on her Scroll, connecting.
"Mission fulfilled. Resistance culled and destroyed."
The clipped tones of her voice were enough, as someone registered it on the other side. The bodies laid in the positions where they'd fallen, hacked apart. She didn't need Heather for something like this, as she pulled the mask from her face, her long hair falling in her face, walking towards the next room and looking at the final survivor, her eyes meeting the Faunus curled in the corner, half of an outfit still on.
"Where is Harmony Tallow?"
She was not going to stop tracking down the cunt because she'd killed Adam. No, that just wouldn't do…
'Always tug the infection's roots out before it spreads…'
It would be such a shame if the little animal went and ran away like the scared little rabbit that it was. The Faunus started to scream and Rowena's scythe cut off an arm. It was a little impolite.
"Where is Harmony Tallow?"
She left the apartment, this one having been a bust as well. It wasn't too bad to take the missions that had been given to quell the White Fang's presence in Vale. The Grandmaster, as much as she hated him, had given the order. Missions aplenty for those people who were skilled enough
'Little rabbit, run away… Run away, because when I get you, you're going to pay.'
She put the cloak back into the pouch that she wore under her Huntress uniform, mentally scanning the people around her as she emerged into the streets once again, taking the time to relax a little with the thought of her little boy.
'We'll be together again soon, Jaune. This is all for you…'
Yang would be with them too, once Heather got herself decked out properly. There'd been some shopping and there had been a very persistent saleswoman. The lingerie would be perfect for Heather, because of the face that Heather had made, bought without another word. It did look nice on her, Rowena had to admit.
'Ro and Heather, forever together.'
She couldn't deny that urge inside her. Before Jaune had been born, there had been only her and her little sister Heather, with the others coming around as well. She was trained to be the best, knowing how to wield the weapon that she'd chosen herself, and learning the scythe afterwards.
'It's all for the right causes…'
Heather was a great partner and sister. Rowena knew that and appreciated that. From her earliest memory, to the time when she'd birthed her son into this world, it was all for the cause. She had accepted it, she'd brought the child the love that it craved with all of her sisters, never complaining once…
'But will it be enough?'
"Hey there, gorgeous."
Someone spoke up, her eyes going over the young man that approached her with a smile, Faunus Mors on her back in a collapsed state, her fingers twitching a little, regarding the young man. Dark brown eyes, bluish-grey hair. Not unappealing to the eye of most girls, but her preferences ran in a different direction.
She passed him by, feeling the blood within him pump a little faster. She kept her calm, as she heard him call out to her again, turning her head. Blue eyes met those brown eyes and she raised an eyebrow at him, as if questioning whether he was referring to her.
"How 'bout we go somewhere to have a nice bit of lunch, eh? I know this place off the port-side, it's just a short way."
She looked at him, her lips pressing thinly together. She disliked this. She could ignore it without much of a problem, but that would present an image that wouldn't be right.
"I'm sorry, but I've got a meeting to go to."
'Persistent…'
The man grabbed a hold of her arm. She narrowed her eyes, her lips pressing very thinly together, turning white as she fixed him with a look. She hated being touched by men who weren't worthy, her other hand grabbing his hand and then twisting sharply. A satisfying crack was audible, as her eyes glared at him. The wrist had been given a ninety-degree turn, her eyes blazing.
"Don't touch what you cannot ever reach. I have given you a warning and you have ignored it."
The man was screaming, but she hardly cared much about that, turning herself around and slowly letting the momentary irritation simmer out of her mind, her fingers idly tracing over the shaft of Faunus Mors, her eyes glancing around, noticing that people seemed to be afraid of her.
'Good, you should be afraid. The world is not a place where you can live without feeling that fear…'
She was not going to deny the feeling of fear herself, knowing that if she fell, there would be nobody to watch for her son. Her Jaune was most important to her, and everyone else could rot in the depths of the shadow for all she cared.
She moved along, unworried by the consternation on people's faces and their hushed looks, her features as blank as they were, dissipating into the mass of people again. It was put out of mind immediately, the man's presence barely a blip. It wasn't a murder, at least. Those were usually explained away due to her status as being Sectioned.
'A little number, and a drive… Such a way…'
She sat down at one of the seats as she got into the bus, pulling her Scroll out and looking at the pictures of her darling that she'd made before, the look on her face thawing from that frozen placidness, watching the small baby in her hands on one.
"Is that your kid?"
Someone asked and she looked up. A motherly woman, clearly around sixty or so, sat next to her, round and filled out, nothing like the well-trained body that she had, below the clothes that she wore.
"He's seventeen now."
She couldn't stop the smile, as she watched carefully the pictures. A few of them skipped by, a painful grimace that she made at some of the memories that came past her mind's eye. She wasn't going to be emotional at a time like this.
"Had him young, didn't you?"
The woman seemed to bother her, and there was that mournful state that she suddenly felt. She had her son too young, at barely older than thirteen. It was young for most, but not for the Order.
"He died earlier this year."
That was the official story. The arm had been recovered. He had been so strong when she'd seen him again. Sienna and Kali knew, and they loved him nearly as much as she did. Jaune would have what he deserved. She was pure again, with the light and the darkness within her quivering and trembling.
"That's a shame. Was he caught in the Breach? Nasty business, that is."
A sad smile on Rowena's beautiful lips, as she lamented that moment. She had killed one, but the other would be free to roam the land. Harmony Tallow would get what she deserved, a painful death that would serve no cause but the cause of Rowena d'Arc-Night.
"He wanted to be a Huntsman. He never quite finished a month at Beacon before there was an… accident."
The woman pulled out a few pictures of her own children, patting her on the shoulder. She shrugged it away.
"Sometimes, you've got to keep hope, dear. I lost my little Ember in the Breach. She was thirteen."
A pretty girl of thirteen, with red hair with blue highlights. A smile on her face, as the woman seemed to have given her daughter the same jovial personality.
"My sympathies for your loss."
She could feel the heartbeat of the woman remain steady, knowing everyone around her. This wasn't an assassination attempt, at least, not yet. She was aware of everything, the light and the shadow burning through her system.
"You were looking sad, so I decided to join you, dear. There's enough sadness in this world. My daughter is gone, but I've still got my two sons. I'll mourn her, but you're still young. You can have another child, if you wish."
She could, theoretically. Would she? Perhaps. She didn't know yet, neither did she think too much. Her eyes looked at the Scroll and the message popped up on the side, her eyes catching it for a moment. A series of numbers, meaningless to the casual observer, but workable for her. The coordinates for the next mission.
"Maybe. Have a good day, Miss."
The woman gave a smile, before she started to talk to the older man next to her, showing the same picture. It was loneliness, mixed with that faint mournful loss that was suffered.
'To fight so that others do not have to…'
She had to kill to survive. For her son, for her world, she would. She knew that he would be there for her when things were done. Even if she was only his sister in his mind, he would still not give up on her, because he was the beacon in her darkness.
'When the knives come out and the darkness starts to wrap around the world…'
She exited the bus after nearly five more minutes, her destination yet another place. It was the task that had been given to her, and the blood that she would shed. Harmony Tallow would need to be found and put to justice for her crimes.
'When I catch you, little rabbit…'
She had a special little thing in mind for her target.
The world we once found to be one of order (Gloria the Good Witch)
It was dull. Laying in bed and not looking at anything but the books that she'd stored on her Scroll, being visited by Ozpin a few times to check up on her, but finding nothing amiss with her. It was a slowness of her wits that she showed, as her mind calibrated her Semblance a little. She acted a little absent-minded, all to give the appearance of being hit in the head.
'No, I don't think I appreciate those classics…'
She could feel the darkness within her bubble and boil. The light that had briefly touched against it when Ozpin had come to visit had been accepted and pulled in, giving the effect that was expected. She could feel the power within her, could remember the ancient rites to focus it. It was all so easy for her now, with the dark blessing that had been given.
She was thirty-six, the youngest daughter of three children. She could feel the muscles ache still from the part where her skin had been parted, where something had been pushed into her and never removed. Like a sick dark feeling inside her, her dreams had been like a nightmare, but also a blessing.
'The Vitae Tenebris, the Life of the Darkness, contrasting with the Lux Aeterna, the Eternal Light... He has been quite sparse with the blessing that he gives out.'
She could have had more, but the power within her would not stop. The moment of freedom that she felt, as the raw power gushed through the barriers of the Good Witch and streamed into Gloria the Good Witch…
'Servitude or death…'
She wasn't sure whether there was any other choice. He had offered her a hand, something to hold on to. A familiar feeling, a warmth that she could feel, a connection that was beyond the mortal and into the immortal, a feeling of a leash around her throat, yet giving her the freedom.
'Worth it. Rather in service than in chains.'
She got up from her bed, ignoring the faint ache of her legs, of the unstable feeling that she had no inkling of a doubt about, unsteadily walking to her closet. She'd been off, adjusting the power within her. It was so easy to break things now. There was no restraint anymore, no desire to stop when the bodies started to twist. It was freedom of her power, an exercise of her skill.
She had played chess against Peter, using solely her Semblance. The shirt that she had donned for the occasion had been the only thing she'd worn, in bed as she was. It was an exercise of strength and skill and she'd won, the man's sense of tactics never having been the greatest, even as he recalled his great exploits.
'Am I just a pawn in the grand game?'
A question that rose, bringing with it more of that hesitation. Not the slightest hope remained within her at the burning which she felt, the blood in her veins bringing her hope and joy and anxiety. She was a pawn, but she could become a queen. The King and the Queen worked together. Ozpin, in his skilled manner of being, would control the board and Salem, whose influence stretched further than expected, would be the one who moved her pawns.
She dressed slowly, pulling on her clothing. Her breasts ached, as did her stomach. There had been pain, there had been terror and blood, and still her body ached with those phantom pains that never went away.
'There should be a guiding hand…'
The students needed their Professor. She was their professor still and she knew how to educate the children with the skills that she could impart upon them. Mister Arc, as…
'What even is he? A saviour? A villain? Something that goes against the order of all things?'
She doubted, but the power within her did not lie. He had shattered the bonds that held her constrained, had given her the freedom to think for herself. She knew things now that had been unable to be spoken of.
Over two hundred times, she had been the enforcer of Ozymandias Pinnacle. She had been brought to a place and given the order to fix what had been broken. Bodies had been torn apart, her duty as it had been. The sisters of the Order were there to kill, and she was there to mend. Her power was as a beacon, and they were the flock of birds that heralded the demise of those who threatened the balance of power.
'I should communicate with the younger Mister Arc. It is… regrettable, indeed, that we met under such dire circumstances.'
She was still a woman of some tact, even if her appearance was as it was. She looked at herself in the mirror, noticing that her hair needed a brushing through. She applied some perfume to herself, the same brand that she'd worn for years, putting her face in the stern disciplinarian's look that she had perfected over the years. It was the look of someone endowed with the powers of magic, forged through a sacrifice of a soul.
'And now, the power rests within me with no guidance.'
Her smile made her look haughty and cruel, she noticed idly, as she shifted herself a little. Her bosom wobbled, as she noticed that she'd forgotten a bra. The little things, she could barely remember. Three minutes later, with a bra on, she gazed at herself in the mirror again, the shirt pulled on, before she straightened out, her face set once more in that grim look of a disciplinarian.
'The things that I must do…'
She was not a woman who revelled in death, as was the young man who she had been sworn to with his offer. It was likely that he would not wish her to massacre the Beacon students, as kindness was still within him.
She stepped out of her chambers, not stopping to adjust her stride as her heels clicked and tapped onto the floor. Her lessons were not being taken care of by Sage Arc, a man who was dedicated and able to teach with that efficiency that she could only marvel at. Her oldest brother. A man who felt nothing, who had banished Verdigris when he had been young due to his emotional outbursts. She felt little kinship to the man anymore, even though her memories told her that her older brother had once been capable of love.
"Good afternoon, Mister Morr, Miss Terpentain."
Politeness in her actions was expected, as she made her way towards the medical facilities. She knew several of her students laid there, their bodies in varying states of recovery. Her eyes spotted two team members of team CVFY standing at one of the beds where a young woman was laid up, her body bandaged up. The taller of the two men nearly brushed against one of the ceiling lamps, his eyes meeting hers for a moment, the hollow look in the young woman's eyes not fading.
"She stabbed me. She just… She stabbed me. Why did she stab me?"
The murmuring of the young woman was a clear sign that things weren't alright, Glynda taking a seat next to the bed. She grabbed the girl's hand. She felt responsible, even with her mind feeling unshackled.
"She's not responding very well, Professor Goodwitch. No change."
She felt for the poor dear, Coco Adel's eyes hollow as she kept on whispering the same words, questioning why the woman who'd gone by the name of Velvet Scarlatina, stabbed her. The Faunus had been beaten back with the price of blood, yet she knew that tensions would remain high. The White Fang had become more extremist with time, not stopping at the acts of vandalism, but spiralling out into the air.
"Did Cardin come again? He might know why she changed. She changed, Yatsu. She was such a nice girl, but she stabbed me. Why did she stab me?"
It was the poor woman's loss of her own confidence, as she kept looking at her teammates. Fox Alistair gave a soft shake of the head, not speaking a word aloud, but telling her more than he could through his Semblance.
"Rest assured that we'll do whatever it takes to bring her in."
Standards must have been slipping under Ozpin's watch, if such a girl had been allowed entry. The girl's semblance was perfect mimicry, so it would have been easier for her to slip in when there was less scrutiny. Another thing that would need to be perfected later on, because if infiltrators could just slip into the school, things would be a lot more pressing around the security of the Fall Maiden.
"Good, I'd like to… I'd like to ask why she did that. Was all of it a lie, Professor?"
She didn't know the answer to that. Coco Adel looked lost, her fingers gripping the older woman's hand, but Gloria the Goodwitch did not change her stance. She would make sure that the children were protected, because she hadn't been protected by the people that were supposed to.
"I don't know. We'll bring her in alive, if we can."
An infiltrator would undoubtedly have skills to hide amongst the people, with Faunus having a few traits that were special, without any ability to really hide them The Good Witch, Glynda, had experiences with hunting down a target, knowing that there were only so many places to hide. The Semblance that she had, infused with her magic, made the whole world her battlefield and her weapon. If one could rip open the earth to barrage a Grimm with, one could wield trees as maces, to attack from any direction.
The only weakness was that there was literally a requirement for her to remain relatively motionless. If her stance was broken, it would take a moment to regain control, which was crucial in a fight. Nothing could stop her if she had a clear line of sight, but she had failed at the fight against the young man who she now had to see as her superior, not wholly unwarranted.
"I have to continue to others, Miss Adel."
The hand went down the bed once more, the woman looking with empty eyes at her, not fully aware of what was being said, starting to repeat herself. It was definitely the shock from the betrayal that the girl had suffered, she knew.
She visited the students in the infirmary once every day or so on a regular schedule, to offer them the comfort of a familiar face. She was technically still recovering as well, her head injury having been offered to the medics as a 'complicated concussion', her feigning of the stress having given enough reason for them not to do further investigation.
"Are you feeling better, Mister Wisteria?"
The look on Viridian Wisteria's face was withdrawn, his eyes looking doubtful. His close friend Neptune sat at the bedside, as Viridian's face showed a clear tension, regret and something more in his eyes.
"He's gone. I just wasn't looking for a moment and he was gone. I'm… I'm a horrible person."
'Guilt.'
She could understand it from a logical perspective. She moulded her features into something sympathetic, as she sat down in the other chair. She looked at the young man's face for a little before she cleared her throat.
"You are not at fault, Mister Wisteria. I'm sure that your teammates are just as distraught as you are."
The young man, distasteful in his behaviour as she might find him, looked into her eyes with eyes that had seen enough to be haunted. There was that look of incomprehension.
"They blame me. They'll all blame me, because I wasn't good enough. I should've taken care of them, but because I wasn't able to react quickly enough…"
She had to feel a dash of sympathy with his pained tone, as Mister Vasilias grabbed his friend's hand. There was understanding and care in the young man's eyes, as he cleared his throat.
"We're… We're announcing, Vir. I'm not going to let you deal with this alone. I love you too much to let you go on without me. If you want, I can ask whether you'd be able to study at Haven, you'll like it there. There'll be a replacement for Lionheart, and- and I don't think you should be alone."
She didn't let her emotions show, as Viridian Wisteria's sigh was deep. She didn't really care whether someone was a homosexual or not, but the comments that the young man had made had been crass and unsightly.
"I don't know. Pyrrha and Nora are taking it badly. I want to be there for them, but I know that Nora blames me. She just looks at me with those eyes, accusing and telling me with a look that I killed her boyfriend by not being fast enough. He didn't have much in the way of defence, my weapon is much better suited for that. It'd always be Pyrrha and Nora, me and Ren…"
She could understand that sentiment, knowing the loss of teammates and friends and colleagues. There was always another hill upon which to place your feet and to stand against the tide, and it would never end until the Shadow was defeated.
"There are counselling services available if you feel the need to receive it, Mister Wisteria."
She could at least be a good teacher, even if the student transferred due to the trauma's suffered. It was more common than one would think, their line of duty not quite lending them the morality that was shown in the recruitment posters.
"Thank you, Professor. I'm… I'll see whether I can go. I might need to talk to someone."
She got up, giving a small nod to Mister Vasilias, silently asking him whether there was any sort of problem and receiving no real response, understandable given the situation. There were different needs for different students, as well as personal issues that cropped up.
She walked into Jeremiah's office, intending to go and speak to him about something, barely expecting that the man had turned to the window, just looking out of it. There'd been a wound inflicted on him and she had been somewhat concerned.
"Good afternoon."
Gloria was soft-spoken, compared to the strictness of Glynda. Gloria's voice, a little more emotional in the touches of empathy than Glynda's had been, struck the chord. The man turned around, his face looking serious as he walked back to the desk and took place behind it.
"Hello, Glynda. It's not a good moment right now, I've got a meeting scheduled in a few…"
The look on his face was serious and Gloria forced a small smile of understanding. She could understand that the man was dedicated to his work, after his wife and children had passed, not much having remained of the young man that she'd met once before he'd become an educator.
"I was just inquiring whether you were alright. It'd be a little quieter with you gone."
The Faunus man shook his head, rubbing over his scalp. He looked like he needed something more, drink or two, but she held out hope that he wouldn't go on to become an alcoholic. She saw the weary look on the man's face, looking at her with a hint of a deep burden on his face.
"I'm fine… I've got to find something, and… And there are just so many students in need of help."
She could understand that, giving an encouraging smile. Glynda Goodwitch had been a stern disciplinarian, mortal in her emotions yet immortal in her restraint. Gloria was different, and it showed.
"If you need to talk, you know where my office is."
The man smiled softly, giving a light nod to her in an understanding of the circumstances. She nearly bumped into Professor Peach as she left the hallway, the woman moving with hurried steps down the hallway.
'I guess things are proceeding just as they always have.'
She was no expert in psychology, but the purpose that people assigned themselves was something that was a harsh burden on the soul. She was free now, and she should do something about it.
'I should ask Professor Peach whether she's recovered already.'
He might have a meeting, but she hadn't spotted any students yet, having paused only half-way around the corner. Turning on her heels, she moved with deliberate paces towards the office, pushing open the door.
"Amaretto, do you h-"
'I should learn how to knock.'
She attributed it to being freed from most of her restraints, but most certainly did she not expect a half-unclothed Amaretto Peach to push Jeremiah away from her and pull her blouse shut again. An off part of her mind wondered whether the black lace had been a conscious effort or whether it was something else entirely.
"Glynda, I mean… He was checking my pulse, I was-"
She turned away, the man righting himself after being pushed away, looking at her. She cleared her throat.
"Do… do keep your medical examinations away from the eyes of the student body, alright? I wouldn't want to be caught having serious fraternization between members of the staff…"
'I saw nothing. I saw nothing.'
The woman's embarrassment wasn't worth giving too much thought to. She gave the man a look and a nod before she shut the door behind her. There would be some words had about appropriate circumstances for engaging in such things, but it was nice to see that two people had found some measure of solace in each other, even if it was merely something from the haze of desire.
Acerbic, their commentary had been, but they seemed to be pretty decent as partners. She wished them luck, she would not tell anyone of their relationship. It was not her business and she had seen nothing.
It was with the same measure that she did not judge couples she caught making out. It was a part of life, and children had frightfully few things to enjoy these days of darkness and despair. A bit of leniency would be the blessing that she could give them, because she knew the stresses of the world better than most.
'Sometimes, I wish I was as free as they are…'
She would ignore the stirring inside her body. It was decidedly unpleasant, as she could remember the feeling of what it'd felt like to have sex, to feel someone hold her and kiss her, whispering into her ear that she was not going to be dropped into despair again.
'When did my name become Whitney? I could've sworn…'
It was a weird thought to think of anyways. She should perhaps take more rest. She might just have some time adjusting to being released from her bondage.
The fading hopes (Raven Branwen)
She cracked open an eye, aware of her position on the bed. Her man laid atop her, his head nestled within the crook of her neck. It was nice to feel his weight on top of her. His pale skin and the smell of their lovemaking was better, even as she slid him out of her.
They had made love. She hadn't turned into a bird, thankfully, keeping a level head throughout her orgasms, rather than going with the flow. It was even better the second time around. He had watched her and she had felt the warmth of his body against his own, her hands holding his own with that intimate caress, her fingers never fading for a moment. She shivered at the sensation that trawled up and down her spine as he twitched a little.
'It was wonderful.'
She kissed his pale neck, letting her fingers rub up and down his back. His spine flexed a little, a throb inside her as she felt him, as he stirred to awareness. His breathing invaded her ear with a hot breath, a shiver that seemed to work through the dark mane of her hair.
"Good morning, Raven. You were much gentler this time."
She smiled at him, kissing his lips gently as he raised himself. It was wonderful to be with him. She looked down, as she felt him stiffen.
"Can we go… and do that again?"
*The smut starteth*
*The smut is gone. I repeat, the smut is gone. Thine virgin eyes can be despoiled in Archive.*
She got up slowly as he entered again, still naked, his fingers tracing over her cheek as she got up, walking to the door.
"We need a shower. I'll show you the map when we're done… It's time to go to war."
She would make sure that Mistral's bandits united under her banner, that there was only the strongest clan surviving, to make the biggest and strongest force that Anima knew.
'A bandit queen and a young prince…'
She knew the status of the young man well, given how Whitney had explained it once. She didn't hold much stock in the power of blood and lineage, but she knew strength when she saw it. He joined her in the shower, his touch on her a little more gentle than she'd ever thought it.
"You're a beautiful woman."
She smiled. Compliments were a good way to start too as she kissed him lightly.
At least it wasn't like she was related to him or anything.
Pink frills and lace (Heather Arc)
She looked a little lost as the other blonde, nearly twelve years her junior, gave a soft thrilled sound at the store, the bags in the cousin's arms looking laden. A new coat and something that came with it, bought at the Huntsman apparel outfitter's, bought and paid for by the card that she had. It'd been a gift, and Heather hadn't really needed much money to supply her own food and such.
"Come on, we'll find something nice for you as well."
She already wore something nice. Rowena had dragged her to another store and she'd been convinced to buy it, because it apparently made her look beautiful. She grimaced a little, though it really didn't show well on her face, her eyes looking at the blonde as she made her way towards the lingerie section.
'It'll look perfect on you…'
Her older sister was the perfect one. Breasts that were full, a figure which was the envy of many, blue eyes that looked like they could suck the soul out of any person that gazed to deep in them and a mind that was keen and honed to a razor's edge whilst on the job. If there was one flaw in her sister, it would be her excessive hate for some things, which was regrettable but true.
"So, what's new with Rowe?"
They hadn't gotten much time to talk after dropping Ruby off at the munitions store, the girl starting to grate a little with her idealistic fancies. The fact that she kept on calling Rowena an evil woman was also not the greatest, but that was undoubtedly due to her relative youth and innocence. The girl's older sister seemed much more humane in her attitude, sheltered from the truth at times and aware of the hard reality of the world on others.
"She's still alive. She's working missions, hunting the White Fang."
Rowena's behaviour had been troubling, but she knew that if there was a need for her, she would receive a call. Rowena knew perfectly how many people were present, unless they held no heartbeat, and if they didn't, well, there was always the fact that Rowena's own weapon was able to block most blows easily with her agility.
"Those guys are around still… Gods, I hate them for what they nearly did to Weiss."
It was a genuine statement, anger growing in the other blonde girl's eyes, as a frilly black bra was pulled from the rack and held up. Heather judged it for a moment, watching out for any sudden attacks, alert at all times. In her line of business, an unwary moment spelled your doom.
"I loathe them."
They had taken her sister away from her, and she would not tolerate them in her presence, the men at least. People did not see Rowena as she had been, before she had been forged into this weapon of the Order, one of the best of the best.
"Yeah, they're not the best. I don't hate all Faunus, but the White Fang is evil. Weiss still has nightmares. How do you think this'll look in white?"
A nice frilly bra, fitting for a D-cup. Heather looked at her own chest, which was a modest upper C, something akin to the standard of the family. It was Rowena who had the biggest chest, a side-effect of having been the only one giving birth, or so it'd been said. She didn't care much for frilly adornments.
"It'll look good on you."
She tried to smile. It had been a similar manner of shopping with Rowena, though her older sister was much more eloquent and able to hide the danger behind a smile. The moment when the Faunus assistant had come to inquire whether they needed help, she'd feared that Rowena would whip her weapon out and bifurcate the woman, even though she'd only wanted to help.
"Here, this'll look nice on you."
She didn't know for sure, but she would try, at least. She wasn't going to be ever looking as pretty as some of her sisters, but it was better than what she wore right now. An orange dress, good enough for wearing, but not something that she felt comfortable in. Skin-tight asbestos was rough on the skin, but it was familiar. The flame inside her did not stop burning, holding up the nearly see-through bra and giving a soft sigh.
"If you think it will. I'm not the best-looking, I know."
She knew that, at least compared with Rowena. Out of the sisters, she was probably the one who did nothing about her appearance rather than braiding her hair. She supposed that she could wear it loose once or twice, but it didn't matter much to her whether she had it tied or not, as Yang handed her the bra, walking with her to the changing rooms. They got into the same room because all of the other ones were full, their roominess not too bad. She could move around, and she pulled the dress up, revealing the garments that she wore. The brassiere was put on, her eyes looking at her reflection, as Yang giggled.
"I never thought you'd wear pink. You always look so serious."
'She said it'd look great!'
She flushed a little, her face relaxing a bit from the severe look in her reflection in the mirror.
"The shop assistant said that it'd make me look feminine, and- and I bought it."
Heather really didn't like to shop for clothes. Rowena had laughed and shook her head at it, having said that she'd bought something extra special.
She hated pink. But if it made her look nice… If Rowena was happy then- Then she'd wear pink.
"Why did you buy it? You can say no, you know?"
She didn't know why. It might just be her own nervousness in such an environment. She'd never really gone shopping for clothing with her mother, only with Rowena. When it came to situations that weren't combat-related, she wasn't very great at it. She lost her temper entirely too quickly when stressed.
'I never really apologized. I should apologize.'
She was not going to remember the times she should've apologized, but Rowena was more apt and diplomatic than she was, when she'd been sane. When there had still been that thought of loving the son she'd birthed into the world, when she'd been brought to the cloak and the mask and the feeling of sisterhood.
"I don't really think I'm that appealing. I've never been beautiful like Rowena was."
She looked at her reflection, the bra pushing her breasts up a little. The scars from her missions stood out, contrasting with Yang's unscarred body. The girl had still been whole, had not been marred by the war against the Grimm and their wicked Mistress. It was her blessing.
"Don't think that, alright? Rowe said you're like a beautiful flower just waiting to blossom."
She grimaced. The heather plant wasn't exactly known for its beautiful flowers, more of a mauve colour rather than anything really beautiful. She was the plain one, the one that was like an enforcer, solid and dependable compared to her older sister, whose grace and agility outstripped hers.
With her Semblance, she just had to stand there and feed the flame, the burning razing flame that would gush forth with a simple pull of the trigger of her weapon, turning the world into a sea of flame, her sister's water putting out that flame with a flick of her wrist. It was their duality, the beauty and the beast.
"I'm-"
She doubted whether she would ever love someone as much as Rowena. They had been together for twelve years before Jaune had come around, that love for Jaune supplanting everything else in her older sister's mind. She had loved the young boy as well, as a sister should, as an aunt should. Not like Rowena did, but she could, if given time. He'd been a good young man, he had held potential and he was kind.
She liked kindness in people. Rowena was the kindest woman she knew.
She looked into the mirror and saw that there was a tear making its way down her cheeks. A moment of warmth washed over her, the tear evaporating. She didn't cry.
"She would say that. She's the woman with the plan, after all."
Rowena always had a plan. She did not let her love for Jaune interfere with her planning skills. That she could trust in, and she looked at herself in the mirror. Would she ever be thought of as beautiful?
"She's the one who steers you, so that's her right. I'm struggling with Ruby, it's… It's just not right. He's her father, and-"
Heather didn't comment, as she looked at her cousin, a bitter look on her face as she pulled the garment off, her pale breasts visible. She could feel the anger rise inside her. It should be wrong but it was not. It was what was expected of them.
"It's never right, Yang. That's what being a d'Arc-Night is. We leven en we sterven. We live and we die."
The words were bitter, knowing that there was no recourse for the sins that they had visited upon the innocent and those who had fallen into their path, the way obstructed. She knew that there was nothing else in the world that meant as much to her as Rowena.
"If you had a choice to make, would you choose the betterment of yourself, or the betterment of the world? The question was asked by my father to my older sister, and she picked the latter answer. Sometimes, it is best to pick the first, as we had no choice."
She looked at the girl, pulling the pink monstrosity back on, leaving the changing room and then going for a different one. A bright blue one might suit her just as well. She'd always liked blue. It was more Rowena's colour, though she never really showed much preference.
Returning with a blue bra, she checked herself out, Yang seated on the small seat in the changing room, her fingers tapping against her own leg, a look on her face.
"I'm aborting Ruby's baby without her knowing. Don't tell anyone, okay? I trust you. What the guy is doing, I don't… I don't want to see her like this, I don't want her to- to-"
Her hand was half-way to her weapon before she stopped herself, taking a deep breath. The Rose was different, the Rose had different expectations of the world, they were beholden to a different creed.
"I understand. I don't agree, but I understand. She is unfit to birth a child."
She looked at her reflection, the depths of her blue eyes slowly shifting to silver, trying to push that life force inside her to activate them fully. Rowena had given her a gift, and Rowena had the eyes of the saviour.
"But- but what if they try again?"
The eyes of the saviour held an advantage over all others, which was not able to be denied by anyone. With their power, the Grimm would fade away, blasted by the light from within. It was the blessing of the first Slayer, said to have been passed down, at least according to several of the Vacuan Orders, or perhaps a rare genetic trait inherited.
"Then you can only keep her safe. You are still her blood, you still hold the official status. Her eyes make her special, but she is too young to be initiated. You will complete missions, if they wish it, but not without a partner. Older members of the Family will assist. We are all sisters."
It was a truth that was often not practised. Sisterhood was expected, yet the division between the clans was enough. Calavera and Rose did not appreciate the d'Arc-Night, even though they would come together for the initiation. Their different styles of fighting conflicted, but there was cooperation in the event that the Grandmaster or his fellows requested it.
Every Kingdom on Remnant held their own detachment of the Order. She had visited the Atlesian branch once, sour-faced Slayers who hunted the Grimm on the Tundra and performed the sanctified duties of the Code, bringing with them death and devastation. Harpoon weapons… Bah.
"I'm trusting her. We'll be going to meet up in a few days, right?"
Rowena had said as much. Heather barely could believe it, but they would. She was not going to be *weak*. She was going to be *strong* and she was going to meet with Jaune. She would be a good aunt and older sister to him.
She noticed that her face had relaxed a little, as she fitted the bra on, looking at it. Yang gave a hesitant smile, a little more confident for some reason, trying to get the burden relieved. The talk during the Trial, the girl having spoken with her mother about something, a meeting requested.
"Yes. It'll be with the family that we share."
Rowena's judgment was the right one at all times, before anyone else. She had the sight to see things that others could not, and she had the silver eyes. Heather trusted her.
"Good. I want to see what the guy looks like. He may be cute."
Heather remained silent, as she turned around. The blue bra would do, as she saw Yang turning around with a black and yellow bra worn. Heather didn't think that it'd look good on Yang. Who'd want to look like a bumblebee?
'There's such a thing as bad taste…'
She didn't like pink, but Yang totally wasn't suited for that combination of colours at all. A simple black might work, or perhaps something like red.
"How about you go with red?"
It wasn't something that she'd had much taste for, as the blue one was put in the spot where she'd be able to pick it up.
"You think it'll look good? I want to look good."
Heather gave a light shake of her head, as she tapped Yang's stomach.
"These abs are good. You've got a nice full chest. Rowena would say that you should flaunt your beauty and be deadly like a viper."
Rowena had said something of the sort, but it'd been midway through a purge mission. They'd ran into a particularly pretty-looking Huntress that stood up against their assault, hesitating the moment when she'd seen Rowena's face. The blade had cut into the woman's body without hesitation, before they had returned back home and Jaune had been there to greet them.
'Sometimes, I wonder whether we're still sane… But then I look at her and realize that she's the sister I love.'
For Rowena, she'd do anything. She would be the most merciless killer, as long as it kept her partner and older sister safe.
'You'll be a great, Yang. Whatever Rowena wants to do with you, if she wants you as her daughter-in-law…'
She would keep the girl safe, even if it meant shopping for more stuff with her.
The dark nightgown wasn't intended to be bought, nor was the additional set of dark red lingerie. Heather looked at the lingerie that she had spread onto the bed in the room that they'd rented for a while in the hotel, Rowena giving it a look and starting to laugh.
"This'll be the day! You've finally gotten something that matches your body! Good job!"
She pouted. She just knew that this would look a little better! Rowena only started to laugh louder, and she laughed as well, forgetting the worries for a moment. She was with her older sister, the partner that'd always been at her side for her youth, and things were okay.
The flame inside her would never extinguish.
A start to conquest (Jaune Arc)
The camp had moved again, he noticed when he stepped out of the portal, Raven at his side. She had washed herself after their coupling, bringing them to the bandit camp's centre. His senses reached out, the pale skin feeling the caress of the sun as he looked at the bandits, spotting Vernal and Shay present, the latter trying to clumsily fix the bayonet to a rifle-gun-blade, dropping it when Raven called for attention.
'You're trying hard.'
It was not that hard to work with people if you had enough power at your disposal. Around him, the emotions flickered. Within the wilds of Anima, there were fewer emotions that were present, his eyes glinting as he felt the source within the tent.
'She kept it.'
It warded the Grimm away from the place, so it was still functional. He smiled softly as he saw the last bandits move into the circle, the guards abandoning their posts, waiting for their leader's declaration.
"We've gotten an ally who exterminated the last of the Beornir. Those sick fucks are not all dead, as far as I am aware. We bare our fangs at the others now! There will be no more resistance towards the Branwen, for we are the strongest!"
The words were powerful, Raven speaking behind her mask, the air around her ionizing, small bolts of lightning coursing through the air. A spectacle, working the magic of Ozymandias Pinnacle into a shape that could be used. He felt the Vitae Tenebris in her shiver and quiver, slowly twisting around in her as the power of Ozymandias Pinnacle burned.
Cheers went up as bandits raised their weapons. Grimm around the camp, warded away by the amulet he'd left, started to slowly become submissive to his will, as he focused his power onto them and dominated them. Beowolves and Ursae, several of them already starting to become more intelligent, slipping under the net. With a sweep of his mind's fingers, they were moving, forming orderly rows and making their way towards the camp, Raven's speech-making skills not really that bad.
'You could be a bit like Ruby when it comes to making speeches. Summer would babble entirely too much. '
"- make the change, when we do it! We are the Branwen tribe and we will be the Branwen tribe forever! With his power joining ours, we will conquer them!"
He felt Raven's hand on his shoulder, as he knew that it was his time to speak. Several bandits that he remembered from the time at the camp, months before. Others were unknown, new recruits or people he just hadn't met.
"Chieftain Branwen says it like it will be easy, but I will not be someone who makes false promises. There may be death in the future, there may be more than that that comes from the work of what I hold under my command. Open the gate."
A pair of bandits went, opening the gate. The rows of Beowolves and Ursa stood there, people readying their weapons, but because his mind seized control over the Grimm, none of them moved.
"An army of Grimm, under my control. You have your fight, Branwen! Your leader has given me the offer to join her in the conquest of Anima, and I have accepted! I will not accept anything but complete subjugation of all opposition to the tribe! With my power, they will fall."
Powerful words, as each Beowolf raised a claw and saluted, his eyes calm and in control, as the bandits cheered. The gate shut and he let the control slip for a moment, relaxing his mind. It had been a while since he'd done this, so his control was not as perfect as it should. Raven knew that there would need to be a moment to pack.
'Just a few days…'
He smiled to himself, as the bandit tribe seemed to find a reason to bring out the drinks.
In a few days, he'd be bringing the might of the Grimm to bear on the bandits of Mistral. She would probably notice if she was paying attention, but he could sense that her attention was wholly on the Vale area.
'Just a few days and I'll be making sure that your bandit tribe is the uncontested leader of Anima's bandits, Raven.'
If she wanted to unify the bandits, he would give her that boon. She had helped him, she was Yang's mother and Summer's partner and he had slept with her and it had been slow, gentle and loving. A hero made sure that he saved those people in need… and if there was a need, there would be a hero.
'Rowena wanted to see me…'
It would be time to talk with his sister, about things. He felt guilt go through him as well as shame, but it had felt right. It had felt right, as if he'd found something that he'd been missing for a while, something that had been pushed back into place.
'What sort of sick bastard loves his own sister like that? God, mom would freak out… She already didn't like it that I played with Rowena and Heather most of the time.'
There's some sexy parts on Archive, so head there for the bits where Raven gets screwed. Things are returning to normal in Vale. Ozpin's perspectives will make reappearances, but... well, there are things afoot!
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