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:

Happy New Year!

A new year is here and that means a new chapter. I seriously had to modify this chapter significantly but some of the elements of the old chapter 23 may be used later. Looking back on the previous story, I noticed much later that I wanted to incorporate more interactions with the Ace-Ops if possible. Between the five of them, Elm and Marrow are my favorites and I wanted to get them involved.

As far as the dynamic with them, I read that Elm was actually the better agent out of the other four, leaving only Clover as her superior due to his semblance, so I wanted to give her more of a spotlight. As for Marrow, I am not doing a love triangle. With Pyrrha's connection, there is the case of unresolved/buried old feelings that she's dealing with, though it's just a small thing since this and the last couple of chapters are around the beginning of Volume seven's timeline. I will not let the romance overtake the plot or direction, rather it'll be a minor wrinkle.

Any conflict that may come will not happen between Aganju & Marrow; at least not with this being the catalyst. The same applies to Elm and Pyrrha, though there is an attraction from the Atlesian. (I may make a non-canon one-shot between them or something since there's a lack of Elm fiction here).

Finally, I'd like to give an update on any future stories.

I won't be starting on the MHW fiction until I finish catching this story to the timeline of the old one. I still have a lot of changes to make so I won't push for that until I catch things up. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and continue to enjoy your New Year's holiday.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY... that honor belongs to Rooster Teeth. I do own the rights to my OCs.

Chapter 24

The next day arrived, and with it came a host of new routines. For starters, the wake-up call was at four am sharp, courtesy of Penny Polendina. It was a safe bet to say that, aside from Ruby Rose, the others were none too thrilled to be woken after having so little time to rest. Even Qrow was grumpier than usual, made even more impactful considering he had begun giving up drinking cold turkey.

"Whoever made waking up at the crack of dawn a scheduled thing should be shot..." he grumbled, earning a chorus of approval from the Beacon crew.

Among their group, only one person could even come close to emulating Qrow's level of irritation. Ironically, it wasn't Aganju or Nora despite the pair having to be scraped out of their beds. No, it was actually a certain Mistralian who had trudged her way to the showers, saying nothing of her turmoil. A long night with little sleep can cause even the most pleasant of souls to enter a dark place.

After they'd hit the showers, everyone ate a hearty breakfast before going on to collect their newly upgraded weapons and clothing. On top of that, some of them were granted access to a specialized salon to update their hairdos, a luxury Pyrrha took full advantage of when she was able to. After that, they were on their way to their first official mission under Atlas' jurisdiction.

Clearing out the abandoned Dust mine of Grimm. However, it was what happened afterward their success that truly began their new direction in Atlas.

Clover Ebi, the leader of the Ace-Ops called for Jaune, Qrow, Ruby, and Aganju while the others hung back. Among them, Pyrrha took a moment to relax after battling a guest. Her moment of reprieve was well in the sight of her significant other in his new garb, much to her delight. Despite his free-spirited approach to attire, Pyrrha had to admit that he still looked professional as he and the others discussed their next move for the Amity project.

Even from afar, he wore a long dark grey, short-sleeved, hooded gunner coat that showed off his toned arms. It was perfectly fit his body so there was no doubt that the slight bulk in his appearance was visible. Underneath, he wore matching baggy pants tucked into black assassin boots. His hair, while still long, had been trimmed slightly on the sides and pulled up into a high-end ponytail that fell just above his shoulders. She even noticed the trace of a cowlick, similar to yang. He continued to wear Pyrrha's red sash around his neck, complementing the black and grey perfectly. Finally, long black fingerless ninja gloves ran up his arm, stopping just under his bicep, completing his new look.

"Looks good doesn't he?"

"Excuse me?" Pyrrha asked, silently cursing her defensive tone.

Yang didn't react to it though, pointing at the astute demeanor of her remaining.

"Aganju; He sure cleaned up nicely didn't he?"

"I'll say!" Both girls nearly jumped out of their skin when Elm slapped both of their shoulders callously. "Didn't know you had such fine warriors in your ranks."

Though it was just a simple compliment, neither girl was naive to the veiled purr lacing the strongwoman's words.

"He sure is." Pyrrha lazily replied, secretly stripping the boy with her orbs.

"I wouldn't mind having him on our team!"

"W-What?"

"He's strong, intelligent, and handsome to boot!" the Amazonian chuckled as she walked past the pair. "We'd gladly trade Marrow for him if he wasn't such a capable fighter in his own right."

Yang let out a soft laugh but only one was half-hearted. Eventually, the Atlesian operative rejoined her group but spared a glance over at the young faunus, mentally pondering about the upcoming training as they compared notes, Yang spared a glance over at Pyrrha, noticing the subtle shift in her stature.

The normally sweet girl, strong and confident, now looked visibly rattled, something not even the vilest of Grimm could ever accomplish. From what she knew, not even her near-death experience with Cinder Fall was enough to break her, and yet, now, she shivered like a leave in the wind.

"Pyrrha, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, y-yes. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're shaking..." the blond deadpanned.

Pyrrha finally noticed her trembling hands, quickly rubbing them together. "It's just colder than I anticipated."

"But... You're wearing gloves-"

"What was that Nora? Something about a new team name?" Pyrrha rushed off, leaving Yang to raise a brow while Nora Valkyrie yelled out something about 'Thunder Thighs'.

Eventually, the meeting concluded as evident when she watched the small group disperse just as a rather large and luxurious airship began to descend. It was only after noticing the initials SDC stamped on the side that she'd leave her investigation of Pyrrha alone for a more pressing matter:

Her teammate, Weiss.

If who she figured was on that ship, then the former Schnee Dust Heiress would need as much support as she could get. Thankfully, Ironwood intercepted the pompous man, providing her enough time to grab Blake. While this went on, Pyrrha sought to distract herself by taking a good look at her new attire. While she didn't have a complete overhaul in her clothing, she did find her current garbs to be an improvement over the old clothes she'd been wearing for months.

While she still wore a brown underbust corset, there was also a darker brown thermal shirt underneath. The armor, whilst still modest, was extended to defend key areas of her body such as her shoulders. She replaced the brown gloves with a more armored variant, her skirt embellished with belts over a golden sash. Her bronze greaves covered brown leggings, cupping her figure quite nicely. The greaves were fastened to black/gold platform styled boots. Lastly, while Pyrrha still had her circlet and gorget, the most conspicuous change came with her hair; long scarlet tied in a messy bun with two tufts hanging loosely along the sides.

Even with such a significant shift in style, Pyrrha still exuded the confidence that her new look gave off.

The reason was obvious.

"Hey, Pyrrha," she involuntarily flinched hearing her name being called. She turned to see a beaming Aganju jogging toward her. Unfortunately, that brightness began to dim when he suddenly noticed her damper posture. "Hey, are you alright?"

Not trusting her voice, Pyrrha nodded with a forced smile suddenly appearing on her face.

"Are you sure? If not, I can tell Ironwood and we can rest back at the school."

"N-No...! I'm fine!" she managed to push out, following up her lie with a surprisingly convincing laugh. "I was just a little tired from the mission. Perhaps I'm still a bit tired from our previous adventure?"

Confusion.

Skepticism.

Apprehension.

Those three prominent feelings swam around the girl's mind as he tilted his head.

"Well, I came over to tell you that I won't be heading back right away. I'm going to hit up the training room once I'm back but, we can hang out afterward if you're up for it."

Relief disguised itself as a mild case of disappointment on the warrior's face.

"It's alright. I'll probably get a bite to eat and rest."

A mix of emotions flowed within him; too complex to decipher within the faunus for now. Still, the air of concern could be felt as he gave Pyrrha a constrained smile.

"Oh okay. I'll be back after a few hours..."

"Oh, right... Be careful."

Pyrrha watched as her boyfriend waved goodbye before setting off to join the others chosen for the team. There was no kiss. No hug. No evidence of their relationship was visible as Aganju headed in the back of the truck along with Elm and some other Atlas grunts.

She felt bad as the vehicle took off into the tundra, cursing herself for the small tension between them as they departed. She felt bad just leaving him without even the smallest sign of affection but, something inside her just wouldn't let her, not when she was plagued by the act.

On cue, Pyrrha chewed on her lip as her consciousness began gnawing at her soul once again.

[Mantle]

Below the hovering city, a tall male with ash hair wandered into a rustic looking hotel. It wasn't the fanciest place, but it didn't need to be. Shining grey eyes dazzled as the young man took hold of the room from a brunette woman, a deer faunus.

"Here you are, Mr..."

"Silver." he finished with a soft smile.

"Well, Mr. Silver... I do hope that you enjoy your stay at the Wicked Tusk."

He nodded his approval, noticing the subtle wink she gave him before departing up the stairs. Only once he was out of sight did his true feelings become revealed, a dark sneer coupled with an equally demonic like glare. He entered the room, finding a rather quaint setting, the only upside in his opinion. He tossed his placed his jacket on the hook behind the door before removing his shirt.

"Alright... She should be here but, I shouldn't make my presence known just yet" he pondered, pulling out his scroll, searching through a series of folders before arriving on one that piqued his interests. "I don't know the full extent of this partnership, but as long as things remain favorable, I'll keep my distance. Still, there has to be a reason that they're in Atlas now."

The man felt his tail twitch, alerting him of a looming threat.

A few more seconds passed by before a knock was heard outside his door. He opened it to reveal the doe from the front desk downstairs, only now she was sporting a shy grin. Noticing the dark red hue on her fair skin and the way she was looking at anything but him, the reptilian faunus immediately knew what she was here for.

"May I help you?" he asked in an icy tone.

The woman flinched, further making her timid posture worsen.

"I... I j-just wanted..."

"Yes?" he raised an impatient brow.

"I was wondering if you were... I mean, there's supposed to be a special gathering t-tonight here and I wanted to let you know just in case you wanted to enjoy what o-our hotel has to offer."

The male faunus blinked several times, further exacerbating the awkward air around them.

Eventually, those grew eyes would calm as he sighed.

"Thank you, but, I'm really here for business... Plus, I'm spoken for."

What little likeness of courage the woman had promptly dissolved upon hearing the decently veiled rejection. However, she smiled and thanked him for his time before heading back to her station. The man actually felt bad seeing her reaction, but, it was better than allowing himself to be distracted. His eyes flashed before he returned to his own devices.

He had a mission and he wouldn't let himself be misled.

[Atlas Training Room]

"You're pretty strong!"

Aganju allowed a shadow of a smirk to stretch his lips before rushing in. It'd been an hour since their return from the delivery mission, and the vulpine was more than grateful to stretch his legs and get his blood pumping again.

Sparring against the Amazoness was definitely a start.

She lowered her weight and prepared for a full-frontal assault only to be surprised when he slid under her legs. No problem. Her semblance would protect her from any sweeps though, even he knew that. Aganju knew this as well, using her rooted ankles for leverage while trying to throw off her perception.

While she turned her head, Aganju had gotten back to his feet and spun around her with a back fist at the ready.

Elm blocked it expertly, proving that her timing was also on par with his own.

He used the momentum to throw a flying knee that too was parried by the specialist.

"Gotcha Foxy!" she grinned devilishly.

Before Aganju could discern the severity of his mistake, Elm had already shifted her weight, slamming the fox hard against the smooth floor. Despite the pain, his aura held up, though his lungs were aching from the impact.

"Ow...!"

"I hope you're not giving up!" A sweaty Elm placed her hands on her hips with a grin. "You've already lasted far longer than 85% of the trainees here. I'd hate for things to end already."

Aganju scraped himself off the floor and dusted himself off.

"Hell no! I'm not leaving until I've landed a hit."

Elm's grin grew wider, a roguish gaze dancing behind her brown eyes as she raised her fists in a boxing stance.

Instead of charging in again, Aganju began shedding his jacket and compression shirt, exposing his scarred chest. The sounds of him cracking his neck filled the mostly hollow room which only added to the competitive energy surging around the pair.

Elm wasn't complaining though as she tossed her own jacket aside. Aganju had either tried to psyche the woman out by his sudden act or perhaps he was finally getting serious. The notion was further solidified when she noticed something was off about him... or rather, his eyes. Gone were the admittedly cute hue of purple, replaced now by a focused shade of crimson. This wasn't in his official report.

Should she attack first this time or risk allowing this anomaly to take her off her game first?

Aganju took a deep breath, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

This one's full of surprises. she mused inwardly.

Soon, he charged.

Elm threw a swift roundhouse that would normally connect with the faunus' ribs only to hit nothing but air as he managed to push back, missing the counter by mere inches. He kept up the drive going by zig-zagging, keeping the Atlesian guessing. Aganju soon got inside her guard, weaving around several punches thrown. The only saving grace for Elm was that she was dodging his only open palm strikes. The sheer force of his strikes could be felt despite missing their mark which further showed her that her opponent wasn't taking her lightly anymore.

Still...

She also knew that the vulpine was capable of more.

"Stop holding back!" she growled, grabbing his left wrist. Elm then twisted her body around, flipping the younger male over her shoulders.

This was the opening he was looking for as he spun in the air using his tail to grab hold of her arm. He planted his feet into her abdomen and monkey-flipping Elm. She wasn't one to go down easily though as she landed hard on her ass from the surprise attack.

The fight had finally begun.

The two rushed at one another, abandoning tact completely at this point. What started as a sparring session would now turn into a full out fight. They were going to be a bit sore, but neither minded it.

Whenever Elm landed a thudding hit, Aganju would expertly match it with an accurate strike of his own. For each body punch, she'd connect with, he'd pay her back with a solid uppercut. When she drove her elbow into his collarbone, he launched his knee into her solar plex. It was a war and neither had objections.

Eventually, both noticed that their auras began flickering, forcing them to take a different approach. A few rolls later and they were wrestling, a position that favored Elm who was the stronger combatant. That didn't mean that she'd pin the fox and end things; he was too crafty for that. Whenever she'd gain an advantage due to her power, Aganju would slip one of his limbs into a more favorable position. Elm found herself pushed forward, finally allowing Aganju that chance to get back to his feet. She mirrored his actions and the two were ready to resume their combat symphony.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Elm breathed/laughed vigorously.

"I have to admit," Aganju wiped his cheek with his forearm as he ignored the pounding in his head. "I'm enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would..."

"Then don't stop! You are a worthy adversary, Aganju!"

"That's enough!"

Just as Aganju was about to oblige the soldier, they were both stopped by a white glyph launching a hail of snow at them. Soon, their attention was pulled by an approaching Winter and Weiss. The general's right-hand woman and the former heiress both appeared to take notice of the young man's appearance, shocked that someone his age had a body that'd weathered so much, but only the former made things worse by attempting to maintain her professionalism.

"S-Specialist Schnee!" Elm stood at attention, albeit rigidly given her exhaustion. "Is there something I can do you, ma'am?"

Winter Schnee huffed softly without a word, simply pointing to a large monitor with an eye roll.

"You two have been using the training room for over two hours. It's high time that you allow others to use it as well; my sister and I for starters. Besides, you both should know better than to keep fighting past aura restrictions."

Both Elm and Aganju looked at the nearby monitor to find that Winter's words were indeed true. While they both still had enough in the red, it was dangerously low.

"Looks like we both got carried away," the perspiring vulpine sheepishly chuckled.

"Clearly!" Weiss chimed in while keeping her eyes on anything other than the semi-nude faunus. "Must you be uncouth by resorting to stripping?"

"Un... co-what?" he tilted his head in confusion, causing Weiss to face-palm.

"Long story short: Nobody wants to see your half-naked body."

"Speak for yourself..." Elm/Winter replied/thought to themselves while watching the faunus put his clothes back on.