Breaking Remnant: Bound by Shadows
Rating: T/M
Series: RWBY
Pairing(s):
Volume 4: Winter
Summary: Aganju came to Beacon wanting to be treated as equal. Pyrrha wanted to be viewed as a normal girl. Neither of them expected to be that fate would have them meet. Now, they navigate the academy grounds and beyond, with secrets and danger awaiting them at every corner. The alternate timeline takes place just before the start of RWBY volume 1 and AU in the Breaking Remnant series.
(Rewrite of RWBY: Shadows of Destiny)
Author's Note:
Okay, so...
It's been a crazy few weeks and I'm going, to be honest with you guys. I was so close to not only abandoning this story but abandoning writing here completely due to losing a second relative a few days before Christmas. Thankfully, I had some support from my family and friends during this difficult time.
That being said, there are two things that I'm planning for the future.
As for this story, I will be continuing the rewrite/repost but, I'm also working on a dual setting story involving one of my favorite games, Monster Hunter World. It's in the early stages, but it's definitely a challenge that I can't wait to get started. In the meantime, I hope you all have enjoyed the holiday season, we're only a few hours from 2021 and I can't wait!
For those of you who have been following and supporting this story, thank you so much. It means so much to me to see a decent amount of readers. Given that it's new year's eve, I'm going to try and upload another chapter but, I also want to wish you all a happy new year!
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY... that honor belongs to Rooster Teeth. I do own the rights to my OCs.
Chapter 22
"Manta-51? Welcome home."
The peaceful beauty of the aurora lining the night sky was overshadowed by the blatant symbol of impending war. Everyone aboard the aircraft exchanged looks of concern; clearly, this was an unexpected development. They all knew that the kingdom would be on guard after Beacon's fall, but, to see this stark contrast only brought more anxiety as they slowly sailed toward the floating city and its army.
Maria said nothing, recalling how disastrous her previous attempt to communicate with the Argus branch went. After a couple of minutes though, they all would find themselves backed into a corner.
"Please continue your approach to Atlas docking bay Omega-12. A security team will meet you there, over."
"I don't understand," Ruby whispered. "What's happening here?"
"I don't know," her uncle replied.
"We are here, right? We've brought the lamp to Atlas... So, I guess we land and try to get some answers."
Weiss however, didn't think this was a good idea. Given that she was the only Atlesian on the ship, her skepticism held a bit more weight than the blond boy's logic. She ignored the eyes pointed at her, carefully inspecting the ominous display.
"I've never seen our forces deployed so aggressively before. If we land in a stolen ship, there's no way the security team will let us anywhere near Ironwood. They might even take me back to my father..."
"So...?"
"Winter!" Weiss unknowingly answered, a small smile beginning to form. "Put some distance between us and the fleet."
"You don't have to tell me twice." Maria smiled, glad that they finally had something resembling a plan to work with.
The elder directed the ship toward the large settlement below the floating kingdom. If they were going to avoid the fleet, they needed to do it swiftly or risk being captured... or worse. They assumed that their act would be discovered soon enough by whoever was contacting them. Sure enough, their assumption was correct as they entered the city of Mantle, the original kingdom before Atlas, the radio clicked again.
"Manta-51, we've noticed a detail in your route. You are to make your way to docking bay Omega-12 immediately. Do you copy, over?"
With Weiss trying to contact her older sister and the depressing view of the rustic city, there was only one thing they could do.
"We need to ditch the ship unless we want to get caught..." Roxie crossed her arms.
"Good idea, but, where are we going to go?" Aganju groaned softly. "Eventually, we'll be spotted if we're just wandering around recklessly."
"I think I can help with that..." Maria chimed in.
"Manta-51! Why aren't you-?"
The old woman shut the radio off, having enough of the constant pestering of the Atlesian soldier.
"Take a hint!" she huffed.
"I'm telling you, my sister can help us."
"Um... Weiss?" Blake pointed out of the left window. When the former heiress peered out, she was shocked to find the specialist's face broadcasting on one of the large screens.
"A reminder; failure to cooperate with Atlas Military personnel offense."
"No offense Weiss, I don't think that's such a good idea anymore..."
With her only plan shot down, she relented. The group eventually abandoned the airship and moved throughout the city. Weaving through the many streets, it was clear that Mantle carried a dark aura that sat poorly with some in the group. Shown to have slums within the edges of its borders, the two remaining members of Team ASRE looked visibly uncomfortable.
Roxanne would find her breathing hastening at times, seeing the unfortunate conditions surrounding them. Thankfully, Yang slipped her hand into the ram's, reminding her that she didn't have to suffer alone.
The vulpine sported an uncharacteristically solemn expression.
He'd give a smile whenever Pyrrha would sneak glances, but it was clear that she could pick up his true feelings. His violet eyes took in the remnants of the slum-like town; a constant reminder of his past. He watched as men, women, and children did their best to make a living in a place that one would be forgiven for believing that this city was nothing more than a slow and methodical grave sentence.
Anti-faunus graffiti adorned many of the walls on their way to their destination, but, it was a honking horn that pulled their attention exposed a slightly damaged pickup truck. On the back sat several men and women of faunus descent, each wearing dejected expressions on their faces. The dirt and grime that coated them only solidified their unfortunate situation. Maria tried her best to give some clarity on the connection between Atlas and Mantle but, it did little good to lift the moods of the young adults.
At times, Aganju's eyes would shake upon seeing the horrid conditions of both humans and faunus alike until he felt someone slip their arms around his own. He peered into the emerald orbs of the amazon. In her eyes, comfort and understanding began to clash with the woe and conflict behind his own, earning a forced grin from the faunus.
"This whole city, it just seems... so wrong." Blake wrapped her arms around herself.
"Oh yeah?" another voice startled them all. From the alleyway behind them, a man wearing glasses stumbled around the corner, his flask tightly gripped in his hand. "You don't like it here?! There's plenty of space out in the tundra!"
He was clearly drunk, made noticeable by his incessant slurring.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to-"
"Atlas is the greatest kingdom in the world, alright!?" he garbled drunkenly.
"Hey!" An already irritated Atsura slowly stalked toward the man only to be stopped by Pyrrha giving his arm a gentle squeeze. Still, his tail stayed stiff and upright, clearly showing that this was only a temporary fix, given the situation.
"We shouldn't cause a scene..."
The man was joined by his drunk associate sitting on the stoop nearby. He tried to make light of the Dust embargo and how it affected Mantle but, the drunkard wouldn't allow the pleasantries to stop his rambling.
"We try and help the other kingdoms and this is what happens?!"
"I apologize..." Blake replied, hoping to quell the issue. "I didn't mean to insult you."
Despite her genuine apology to the man, he glared back at Blake with contempt before spitting off to the side.
"Stupid faunus like you wouldn't under-"
The man wouldn't get the chance to finish his berating as he was suddenly launched into the air, courtesy of a white symbol that appeared below his feet. Thankfully, he was granted a somewhat soft landing within a nearby dumpster. When the others looked back, they found none other than Weiss wearing a smug grin. Aganju and Roxanne returned the gesture, having no love lost between them and the now groaning idiot.
"It was worth it."
They didn't have time to savor this victory as the stomps of robotic soldiers caught the foxes' ears. They ran off, not bothering to acknowledge the young man on the stoop as he called out to them, recognizing the glyph semblance.
From there, Maria led them down a few more blocks stopping as a door opened. A young ram Faunus giggled happily as a stern yet caring tone trailed behind.
"...And no more heavy lifting, you hear?"
"Ah, it's good to see you, old friend."
[Evernight Castle]
Emerald sat in her room, eyes glued to the plain wall across from her. She exhaled raggedly as her mind tried to process everything that'd occurred over the past year thus far. From the fall of Beacon to her position now, there was no way Emerald could've predicted her life turning out like this. How did she go from a life of thievery, scraping by to feed herself, to this?
Her mind recalled a past fight she had with Mercury about Cinder's true intentions; a battle that resulted in the grey-haired boy forcing a potentially soul-shattering truth down her throat:
"Cinder Doesn't care about you..." she pulled her knees toward her chest, concealing her features as she pushed back tears. "He's wrong; He has to be..."
But, if Mercury was indeed wrong, why did she find so many forms of evidence to support his bold claim? From their time with Roman, Cinder barely acknowledged her but, it was for the mission, right? The mission came first. But, what about after? No matter what scenario she brought to the front of her mind, Emerald couldn't find a single trace of actually love and care from Cinder.
We were nothing more than tools for her to use!
She didn't care about us! She never did!
Tears slowly pierced through her shield, cascading down her cheeks. It was painful to accept, but Emerald couldn't deny something so blatantly in her face. Even now, she knew the fighter was probably off training with Hazel after revealing that he actually wanted to be a part of Salem's faction. Speaking of Hazel, he was the only silver lining throughout this whole hellish ordeal.
Where she craved attention and understanding from Cinder, Hazel Reinhart provided that willingly. He even took the brunt of Salem's wrath after they failed at Mistral, despite it not truly being his fault. Emerald actually felt like he truly cared for her by comparison. When they returned from Vale, Cinder threw everyone she could under the bus to avoid the witches' ire, Emerald included.
"Maybe, he was-"
A long series of heavy knocks scared the girl, dragging her from her private moment. She remained silent before finding the strength to speak.
"Go away, Mercury. I'm not in the mood."
The knocking persisted, further angering the green-haired girl. Emerald hopped off of the bed, red pools burning with frustration as she stomped toward the door. Reaching out, she prepared to give the boy a lesson in privacy.
"I said I didn't..."
It wasn't Mercury though. In fact, it wasn't anyone she'd expected to see greeting her. Of all the choices she could've had, anyone would've been better than the person looking back at her.
"Hello, Emerald."
"S-Salem...? I mean, Ma'am." she bowed out before stepping aside.
Salem entered, her strides silent until the woman took a seat on the side of the bed. Her pale face held a serenity that ironically unnerved the girl even more. Perhaps, it was the eerie glow in her ruby gaze or maybe, the veins that adorned her features? Whatever it was, Emerald silently wished for Tyrian's presence at this point.
"Have a seat, child. I wish to speak with you."
Her voice was surprisingly gentle, almost motherly as Salem patted the spot next to her. Emerald didn't disobey for fear of angering the Grimm's master. She mentally cursed her brain for bringing up another memory of the woman she swore devotion to.
The air was awkward at first with the girl staring down at her hands. Who could blame her; she was literally centimeters from possibly the most powerful person in all of Remnant. This was an immortal being who could very well wipe her from existence with a snap of a finger or worse... she could summon any variety of Grimm to slowly devour her for her amusement.
"What troubles you, Emerald?" The girl's blood ran cold, halting her fiddling. "Are you still thinking of dear Cinder? Or are you thinking about the one she left behind?"
Her eyes shot wide. This was always a subject that caused dread and yet, Salem once again brought it up as if it was the most casual thing in the world. If it'd been anyone else, with one exception, Emerald would've told them off. However, she knew that the option was not available now. All she could do was fidget slightly. Salem saw this and smiled slightly.
"Perhaps you would be so kind as to share your thoughts on the matter."
"Well... I..."
"Cinder isn't here to make decisions for you, child," the sorceress interrupted. "Eventually, you'll have to do things on your own if you are to ever attain true strength for the war ahead..."
She closed her eyes, reminiscing over all that'd happened in her life thus far. Finally, after a moment's reprieve, Emerald took a deep breath before nodding in agreement with Salem's request. Whatever she knew about Cinder and the vulpine faunus, it was revealed to the pale woman who silently listened with both interest and rare contentment. Only when Emerald finished did she stand to her feet.
"It would appear that there's much more to consider before we proceed with the next phase; such little time." Salem then began to make her exit, feeling the wave of trepidation turn to curiosity from the young woman. "Some troubles you..."
"I... What are you planning to do with... Cinder, ma'am?"
Salem simply allowed her lips to curl up slightly, her crimson orbs glowing.
"That depends on her, dear Emerald."
[Mantle]
"Heads up!"
Blake shouted out, launching Gambol Shroud at a Sabyr Grimm that charged at Pyrrha and Aganju. The couple watched as it began to disintegrate, relieved that the Team RWBY member remained vigilant.
They both nodded in appreciation as it seemed that the threat was over.
What threat, you ask?
While meeting with Maria's confidante, Pietro Polendina, the gang heard alarms blaring along the streets outside of the Pharmacy. When they went to see what the cause was, they were greeted by many Sabyr who instantly charged at them. Thankfully, they were trained for such an occasion, easily dispatching of the sinister beasts with little issue. Even Oscar managed to take out a couple of the Grimm, showing improvement from the hapless farm boy he once was.
Yet, one can't account for everything as evident when a Sabyr appeared out of nowhere ready to pounce on Blake. With no time to dodge or defend, it seemed that the girl was going to be mauled. Then, from the skies above, a green blast pierced the monster, instantly destroying it.
While the act was welcomed, it was the owner said act who surprised them.
Above them flew a rather elegant figure, long hair that reached the middle of her back as she descended slowly to the Mantle streets. This allowed the group to finally decipher the woman's identity, confirmed when Ruby Rose spoke her name.
"P-Penny?"
The girl turned slightly only to have the largest smile appear on her face. Her green eyes grew to the size of saucers as she gasped in excitement upon discerning whom she had rescued. Ruby and Pyrrha, the two most affected by the girl's fate back at Beacon couldn't help but smile themselves... that is until Penny tried to greet them.
"Sal-"
"Huh?" Ruby's lips fell slightly in confusion.
"-U-"
Ruby gasped in sudden (and unfortunate) realization as Penny crouched down.
"-tations!"
Penny rushed at high speeds, zooming past all of the others to reach her first real friend. Ruby flailed her arms defensively, but it did little good as she wound up tackled for her troubles.
"Oooohhh... Penny used Super Glomp..." Aganju winced dramatically at the display of endearment.
"Against Ruby, it was super effective," Jaune finished, high fiving the fox while Ren shook his head in amusement.
Meanwhile, an enthusiastic Penny couldn't help but reacquaint herself with Ruby Rose, eager to share her story with the others. Though there were many questions, Pietro, her father/creator, gladly offered to answer as many as he could. Several of the huntsmen/huntresses-in-training watched in either amusement or elation but, there was one who decided to stay behind.
A certain green-eyed girl who felt nothing but guilt wash over her spirit.
"It is such a pleasure to see you all again!" Penny announced giddily.
"P-Penny... I- We thought you..."
"Died?" Pietro cut in, his tone still festive and hearty. "I guess in a matter of speaking, she did. But we were able to recover her core from Amity Coliseum once it had made its way back to Atlas. It took some time but-"
"I'm as good as new...! Better even; Now, I'm the official protector of the city!"
"That's my girl! We're not going to let a little ripping to shreds stop us, are we?"
"No sir!" she replied, knocking on her dome.
Though it was played for a joke, Pyrrha didn't find it humorous for obvious reasons. She couldn't shake off the lifeless stare of the former incarnation of Penny Polendina as she laid on the arena floor. She did that, whether she was under another's influence or not, she still committed the deed. It was one thing to see Ruby, but, how would Penny react to seeing her?
"Miss Nikos?" She released the air trapped in her lungs, not realizing that she'd been holding it in all of this time. Hearing Penny's voice clearly had the effect of a solid punch to the gut at this point. "Is that really you?"
She despondently waved, keeping her head bowed in shame.
She could hear the cybernetic steps growing louder until they stopped.
"Pyrrha? Why won't you look at me?" Penny tilted her head, puzzled. "Did I do something wrong?"
"What? N-No! I-"
"Then what is it, Pyrrha? You seem sad about something..."
Pyrrha wouldn't just come out and remind the girl of what she did. Even if she wanted to, she didn't have the strength to do so at this point. With the little she could muster, Pyrrha finally took in the full extent of Penny 2.0 and immediately began to shed tears, both of relief and regret.
"I-I'm sorry..." she cried, burying her head in her gloved hands. "I'm so sorry!"
Everyone around could feel the hurt behind the apology yet, Penny didn't quite understand. Though her processor knew of the incident, she didn't understand why Pyrrha was so distraught. Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to say much before another alarm from the eastern district began to go off. Instead, she reached out and hugged the weeping girl before flashing a confident grin.
"We can talk later and patch things right up later!" she saluted. "For now, it seems we will have to wait."
She took flight once more, leaving the group with many more questions but, at least Pyrrha had something positive to build on for later on. In the meantime, they all resolved to head back to Pietro's Pharmacy in hopes of getting them answered.
"This is not how I pictured this night going..." Qrow shrugged, slightly amused.
As they made their way down the street, Aganju and Lie Ren felt an ominous presence was lurking yet they appeared to be the only ones in the immediate area. They both had the same idea, opting to turn around only to hear several items being launched in their direction.
One by one, they dropped to the ground, Atlas restraints enveloping their bodies until only Qrow was left standing. Soon, he too was taken down, leaving only Maria and Pietro to watch in shock at what was happening. From all around, five figures appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, each one dressed in fancy uniforms.
"Good work, team." one
"Hey! What's going on?!" Oscar grunted as he wriggled around.
Even Qrow wasn't having it with whoever captured them.
"Hey, Pal! I'm a licensed Huntsman!" Qrow growl in the midst of his struggling "...Just helped save everyone?!"
The brunette male looked down on his prey while twirling a horseshoe, entertainment dancing on his face. He then reached down to claim the weapon beside his prisoner while his compatriots mirrored his action. Soon, they were joined by some of the Atlas Knights who collected the confiscated weapons and began escorting the controlled group into the back of a paddywagon.
"What is the meaning of this?! What are the Ace-Ops even doing here in Mantle?!"
The brown-haired male turned to Pietro with a confident and radiant smile.
"It's good to see you, doc. We heard a report of an unauthorized ship making an unauthorized landing followed by unauthorized use of weapons by non-licensed huntsmen."
Maria and Pietro exchanged looks of concern but couldn't resist the fact that their hands were tied.
"If we could... just talk this out..."
"They'll be able to talk once they get to Atlas," the man noted before tossing what looked like a fishing line that allowed him to sail off with his teammates. In the meantime, Qrow and the others were all loaded up, none able to escape the bonds that held them.
"Now this?... This is much closer to what I was expecting."