A/N: Heyo what's up guys? So I'm not planning to follow the story very closely, eventually it'll probably be every AU. Anyways I've written the first 50K words so this story isn't going to abandoned in the near future. Anyways, this is the first fic I've ever published. I've written stuff in the past, but well. Here ya go! Hope you enjoy it. Oh and as for why this isn't on the crossover section I couldn't find a bloodborne section sooooo yeah. It's here.
"Good Hunter. You've done it. The moon presence is gone, and now you have become the most powerful Great One. Only... You cannot stay here anymore. Humanity does not want the Great Ones anymore. I must follow Gehrman's last wish, and take you to the beyond."
The Hunter, Rey Faust, could hear the voice of the doll. He couldn't move or speak, as his body had changed into something truly alien. Though the world was finally clear to him. His insight knew no bounds, and the very walls of the multiverse were the only things keeping his true sight from seeing beyond.
"I am sorry Good Hunter...Rey. Perhaps we will meet again some day?" The Doll walked to the edge of the Hunter's dream. There, she stepped out into the great expanse and plummeted into the white void, with Rey still gently clutched in her arms.
Air flew into Rey's lungs for the first time in what seemed like centuries. All of his senses had receded back to his human form's limitations. The euphoria of knowing all had been suddenly stripped away, leaving a hunger for the inhuman knowledge. He sat up, searching for his weapons. There were none, and he appeared to be surrounded by people in robes.
"Well well. Tell me, are you the spirit Ebrietas? You are from another world right? Right!?" Gracefully springing to his feet, Rey got a good look at the people who had apparently summoned him here. It was fairly obvious that's what happened, as he was standing in the middle of some magical circle etched into the ground with blood. "How do you know that name?" The Hunter asked.
The mad man laughed hysterically. Clearly his amount of insight was driving him to insanity. "The gospel tells all! It said that you were going to help out our cause in the name of our beloved!" Even without his insight into the void, Rey could tell this man was beyond hope. He could see the others surrounding him. Some were tense as a spring, others slightly more relaxed. It was clear they didn't know if he would go along with their plan.
"Clearly your gospel is wrong. Check it again." As the insane man reached for his book, Rey heard a familiar voice trickle down the back of his mind. "Good Hunter. Reach out and feel the void. Call upon your tools, and do what must be done." The sudden voice of the Doll shocked him for an instant before he did as she implored.
"No No No No NO! This can't be! My Gospel! Where are the commands?!" Rey didn't waste a second more, and reached out. A portal to the void appeared before him, and the Blade of Mercy was pulled out.
The cultists were on him almost immediately, all slashing at him with their daggers. However, this wasn't Rey's first time dancing with death. The cultists were cut down with ease, until it was just him and the mad man from earlier. "I guess the gospel was being purposefully misleading to teach me a lesson. No matter. By the authority of sloth, the unseen hand will take care of you now!"
A massive hand cloaked in shadow sprang out from the cultist, reaching for Rey's life. If it were any other man in this world they would have been cleaved in two. However, Rey could see it coming, and dodged backwards with a quickstep. "Impossible! You can see the unseen hand?! No! This isn't in my gospel at all! It isn't It isn't It isn't It isn't!" The mad man looked ready to burst out of his own flesh as he flipped through the book.
Suddenly, he stopped and immediately became calm. "Oh. I see now. Very well then. I'll see you another time!" Before Rey could question him, the mad man generated another unseen hand and 'flew' away leaving him confused.
The book must be a wealth of insight. I see. With nothing else to do, he put his weapon back into the void and donned the Crowfeather garb. He left the mask and hat off, leaving his snow white hair open to the world. Instincts lead him forward, and soon he found a road sign pointing to the closest town.
Surprisingly, he couldn't even recognize the strange symbols etched into the sign. With a sigh, he walked onwards.
It was strange to no longer be threatened by any manner of beast or unworldly threat. To simply walk along the road without a worry was... unbelievable. So much so that it brought a tear to his eye. "I'm free...Free of the dream." Rey let a light laugh overtake him as he began to silently cry. Even the clear blue sky was something he never thought he'd see again. And yet, here it was.
Before the dream had taken away so much from him, Rey was a noble's son from a distant country. At only 19 years old, he had come down with a strange illness nothing could cure. So his father sent him to Yharnam to be cured. The next thing he knew, he woke up on a cold metal table in a clinic and was soon eaten alive by a scourge beast.
That death was only the first of many. He lost count after fifty. So many horrific deaths followed.
His sanity was saved by a few people he met along the way, and even then they were still distant towards him. All of them, except the Doll. She was motherly, tender and always happy to encourage him. As he walked along the dirt road, Rey could tell he already missed her. Well there's nothing I can do about it now. I just have to find out how to survive in this world.
A sudden idea was brought forward. He had a large store of coins before he was ejected out of his world. And they could be accessed still. It seems fortune is finally paying me back. If the worst comes I can still melt the coins down for the metal.
Thinking about trivial subjects such as this was a welcome change for Rey. He didn't know how many years he was trapped in the dream. Reliving the same night over and over again.
Eventually his walking came to an end as he saw the city appear from the distance. Walking through this big city was astonishing. All manner of Demi humans walked around, peacefully interacting with each other and pure humans. At first he thought they were beasts and prepared to cut them down. However, he quickly could see that they were just as human as the real thing. Not a one of them had been driven to madness.
This world seems so peaceful. Nothing like my own. He continued walking until an irresistible smell hit his nose. Turning on a dime, Rey quickly walked the extra block down the city and approached a bakery.
There were fresh pastries being brought out, and he just had to try one. They looked exactly like the ones his mother would bake. "How much for one of these sir?" The hunter pointed at a glazed doughnut, eager to devour it. "That'll be 5 copper." The shopkeeper responded.
As he handed over the money, the shopkeeper looked up at him. "My my you aren't from around here are you? Sorry kid, this money is no good. I've never seen coins like this before."
With a sigh, Rey nodded and walked away after retrieving his money. He proceeded down the street, not having any particular plan in mind. That's when a boy, no older than 18 bumped into him. He seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, and the moment he made contact with Rey, the hunter knew something was different about him.
The insight of knowledge tickled the back of his mind, whispering to him. There was something radiating off of this boy. No, it was familiar, but he couldn't place what exactly it was about this strange energy. "S-Sorry man, but I gotta go!" Just before the boy in strange clothes turned to run away, Rey grabbed his arm and yanked him close, staring into his eyes.
"Tell me, what's gotten you to the brink of madness like this?" The young man tried to pull away and Rey snapped out of his trance, releasing him. "What the hell is with you man?! Didn't anybody teach you manners growing up?" The hunter adverted his eyes. "My apologies. After the- Never mind. Tell me, why are you radiating that unworldly energy?"
A confused face appeared on the young man. "Unworldly energy? What are you talking about?" His voice dropped into a mumble. "And why didn't I see you the last few times here?" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't have the time. I'm looking for someone." The dark haired man turned and left, leaving Rey standing in the street. Well now, now I am curious.
He shadowed the boy, watching him meet up with a red haired man. The ever keen senses of a hunter allowed him to hear their introductions being exchanged. The one called Reinhard was especially interesting. Rey could feel the energy radiating off of him. He was powerful. So much so that Rey doubted if he could kill him the first try. No... I do not have dreams anymore. I will only have a single attempt. Hopefully it doesn't come to that.
Eventually, the pair reached a section of slums. Subaru disappeared inside of a rundown building, while Reinhard temporarily vanished. Suddenly, his presence appeared right behind Rey. "Just what do you think you're doing? You've been following us all day, though I don't feel any malicious intent."
Rey turned around, confident this man would not attack him. "Well. I can feel an inhuman energy radiating off of that man, Subaru. It feels similar to something I've felt before. And then. Then there is you. The amount of energy coming off of you, it is incredible. My curiosity had to be satiated." Reinhard let a small smile onto his face. "I will admit your presence is strange as well. However, I need to know your intent. Are you a threat to me or those people in the loot house?"
The hunter shook his head. "Since you are not a beast or stricken with blood drunken madness, you are not a threat to me. Therefore, I am not a threat to you." Reinhard shrugged. "Guess that's good enough for me. By the way, you probably already know my name, but what is yours?"
"My name is Rey Faust. As interesting as a conversation with you could be, we'll have to put it aside for now. I can feel something approaching."
He took a deep breath through his nose, eyes widening. "Yes.. Oh yes. There is something I have not felt since Ebrietas herself." Not a moment later, a silver haired girl approached the loot house. However, there were two presences clearly detected by Rey.
"Lady Emilia? What is she doing here?" Reinhard frowned, not liking where this was going. After a few minutes, Rey suddenly stood up. "Someone else has arrived. And they are dangerous." Without another word Rey charged into the loot house. Reinhard was very tempted to go after him. But he would not go back on his word, so he waited for Subaru's signal.
Subaru was sweating bullets. For the first time Emilia was considered to be a threat to him. Shards of condensed and frozen atmosphere were pointed at him, poised to strike. "Come on Felt, just give her back the insignia." He was quickly running out of words to come up with to salvage this situation. Emilia can be reasoned with. At least she seems more reasonable than Felt. But we need to get out of here as soon as possible before-
The hinges to the loot house were blasted off the frame as the door flew inside. Subaru saw the strange man from earlier today rush through the door, heading straight for Emilia. No, heading for the madwoman behind her. Elsa took note and swung for the immediate threat. Metal clashed at insane speeds as the two fought with their short swords. Their movements were a blur as they swung for each other's life. That's when the strange man leveled an object at Elsa. Is that a gun?! Subaru's thoughts were quickly answered by the loud crack of a pistol firing
To Subaru's amazement, Elsa actually dodged the bullet. "I see you are as fast as the hunters of the healing church, you blood drunk woman." Elsa giggled at his words before charging in a blur. Emilia fired off a volley of ice shards at the woman, but she easily dodged all of them as she closed in on the strange man. "Puck, come out. Puck?" Her spirit wasn't responding as the fast paced fighting kept up. "Oh no, it must be too late for him to come out!"
It was so fast Subaru didn't even see what happened, though when the two passed by each other the man was now holding two short swords instead of one. He turned back towards Elsa before blood spurted out of him in quantities that would definitely kill a normal person. The man flinched, but quickly regained his composure. "It appears I have grown weaker since I last awoke."
Elsa turned to face him as well, surprised that her prey had actually stepped into her attack instead of trying to dodge. There was a clean stab wound in her chest rewarding her for not expecting that. Though it would take much more than that to bring her down.
Subaru had seen enough. "REINHARD!" In a flash, the red haired sword saint appeared between the strange man and Elsa. "Let me take care of this now. Go get yourself healed, Rey. You've done enough." Rey stood up out of his combat stance and flipped the sword in his left hand back into his right hand. The two swords collapsed back into one and he took a few steps back towards the group at the far end of the loot house. "Suit yourself Reinhard. But just know, if you are to fall I will not hold back on her next time. I'll make sure she dies quickly."
"L-let me heal you! That wound looks bad!" Emilia approached him, hands glowing with healing magic. However, Rey held up a hand that told her to stop. "No need. Save your energy." He reached into the void, pulling out a blood vial and injecting it into his right leg. Within seconds the wound closed, leaving nothing but the blood that stained his clothes. "Amazing. What was that?" Emilia's curiosity got the better of her, and Rey shrugged. "If I told you, you would be disgusted. I know I was the first few times I used these."
"Ahem. Subaru can you please hand me that sword over there?" The sword saint pointed a finger towards a sword that had fallen off the wall.
Elsa looked like she was about to pout. "What's wrong sword saint? Aren't you going to use that fancy blade of yours to cut me down?" Reinhard had a smirk on his face. "Unfortunately you aren't worthy of this sword. So I will not be drawing it." By the time he had finished talking, he caught the sword Subaru tossed towards him.
Elsa had the audacity to lunge at Reinhard when he looked away. However, he effortlessly blocked the blow. "I'd recommend you all get to the far corner of the loot house." Energy started to course around the knight, and up into the blade. All the while Elsa giggled in glee. "My my. Let's see what you got Reinhard! After this I'm going to see how your beautiful guts feel!"
With a single swing, half of the loot house was ruptured into splinters. A great crash sent the entire group into a brief stupor as the deafening noise and blinding light struck them. All but one of them looked away when the shock hit. Meanwhile, Rey was grinning widely at the display of power. "Magnificent! You would make an excellent hunter Reinhard!"
The humble red haired knight almost looked sad as the sword in his hand crumbled into ash. "Is that so, Rey? What exactly is a 'hunter' in your terms?" Rey responded without hesitation. "The definition of a hunter is broad. Most of them slay beasts, and keep the world in balance so humanity isn't overrun. Though, I'm not sure that will be required now that I'm not in that world."
Subaru cut into the conversation. "What do you mean by that world? Are you saying you're from another dimension or something?" After all, you had a freakin' gun! Before Rey could respond, debris erupted out of a corner of the loot house and Elsa was heading straight for Emilia who was looking towards Felt. Subaru did the only thing he could, which was jump in front of her and take the full brunt of the attack.
He was sent flying away, impacting a wall just as Elsa made her escape. Impossible! Rey thought, How was she able to hide her life force like that? No, she had to have been dead! Emilia was desperately trying to heal Subaru's wound, which was deep and almost certainly fatal. "Please, I need to know your name." Subaru reached up with a trembling hand towards the woman trying to save his life. The silver haired half elf had tears in her eyes. "My name is Emilia! Please don't die, Subaru!" However, one man was certainly capable of saving his life. "You aren't allowed to die yet, Subaru. Step back, Emilia."
Seeing what he was able to do before, Emilia complied, still looking extremely worried for the person that just saved her life. Retrieving a blood vial, Rey injected it into Subaru's leg and within seconds he too was healed. Though he had fallen unconscious. "He has lost too much blood to move around for a while, but he should be fine." Emilia stared at Subaru for a few seconds longer before straightening up and addressing the group. "Felt, I believe you owe me something."
The thief flinched, "Do I now?" Old man Rom flicked the back of her head with one of his massive fingers. "Go on Felt, give it back. Its not worth anything to you now anyways and it almost got both of us killed. You ask me, we should get this thing out of our hands as soon as possible." Felt grumbled as she dug through her pocket and retrieved the insignia.
In an instant, Reinhard snatched her wrist and looked between her and the insignia as if to confirm whether or not his eyes deceived him. "I see. So you're the fifth candidate." Rey interjected. "Candidate? For what?" Emilia answered for him as Reinhard handed her insignia back over as Felt continued to struggle. "She's the last candidate for the royal election." Her voice came out in disbelief.
"A royal election instead of a royal inheritance? Strange." Rom secured Felt and held her as she continued to twist and struggle. "You mean you didn't know?" Now it was Emilia's turn to be baffled. "No. I've never heard of a 'royal election' but, considering where I'm from, I'm not surprised."
The group looked over at Rey, and Felt even stopped struggling. Reinhard tilted his head in astonishment. "You said something about another world right?" Rey folded his arms. "I believe that is the case. I woke up earlier today in some sort of magical circle, with some sort of cult surrounding me. One of them was adamant about a 'gospel' for reasons unknown."
That got a reaction out of Reinhard and Emilia. "The witches cult? Are you saying you were summoned here by the witches cult?" Reinhard now looked slightly on edge as Rey blinked in response. "I'm not sure who they were affiliated with, but they were trying to summon a Great One named Ebrietas. Unfortunately for them, I killed and absorbed Ebrietas, so in summoning her, they summoned me instead."
The two looked between each other before sharing a shrug. "How were they able to summon you? What happened to you in your original world?" The pair seemed skeptical about Rey's true origins, causing him to sigh. "Look. I realize to you its very far fetched, but the Great Ones work in strange ways. The most powerful of them aren't limited to one existence. They're capable of existing between worlds where you cannot see them. Oedon may even be watching at this very moment, and before you ask, He is the most powerful Great One, capable of things unimaginable. He has no physical form what so ever. As for me... I had just slain the Moon Presence, a Great One that kept my version of mankind locked in a perpetual struggle against their own minds and beasts. For a moment, I myself had become one of them, losing my Human body. Then, the doll..."
His face betrayed him, revealing short lived anguish. "Never mind. What matters is that I am here now. Choose whether or not to believe me, it matters not." A long moment of silence washed over the group before Emilia broke it.
"Regardless of whether or not your story is true, what do we do now?" Emilia asked. Reinhard looked back over at Felt and Rom. "Well I now have a fifth candidate to look after." Felt broke free of Rom's grasp for a moment. "Like hell you will!" Reinhard just ignored her. "As for Subaru, I can provide him refuge within the Astrea mansion." Emilia shook her head. "No, I owe a great debt to him. He saved my life because I wasn't paying attention. I can't just leave him after he gave everything to protect me. I'll bring him to the Mather's estate. He will understand the circumstances."
Reinhard nodded, "I'm sure he will. Now, what about you Rey?" The hunter only looked down to Subaru. "I wish to follow this man. Even now this energy that radiates off of him peaks my curiosity. It is...eerily familiar, yet completely foreign at the same time. Miss Emilia if you would allow me to join you, I would very much appreciate it." She seemed unsure about his request, though she thought of how he dove in to save her life as well. "You will join me under one condition."
Rey frowned, ready for a difficult decision. "What is the condition?" Emilia smiled, "You have to answer any of my questions about your world to the best of your ability." For the first time in what was most definitely years in his perspective, he let out a genuine laugh. "I thought you were going to ask something extremely difficult of me. Of course, yes I can answer questions about my world."
The two groups eventually parted. Rey carried the unconscious Subaru bridal style as they walked back to an awaiting carriage. Along the way, Emilia bombarded Rey with questions. "What was that tool you used during the fight with Elsa? The one that made that loud sound?" Rey wasn't surprised. "It is called a firearm. It sends a projectile flying at my target with great speed. This world doesn't have any firearms then, I take it?"
She shook her head. "No, at least to my knowledge they don't. What about magic then? I saw you cast some sort of teleportation spell to retrieve those vials that healed Subaru." The arcane? I haven't tried to use any arcane power since coming here. Perhaps... He stopped walking and concentrated deeply, searching the cosmos. The amount of insight and concentration to do this was staggering, but he eventually found what he was looking for.
Lights started appearing above and behind Rey, growing out of a circular portal behind him. No, they aren't lights. Those are stars! Emilia was taken aback by the beauty of the display. A grand nebula of stars and cosmic dust gently flowed behind Rey. "This is a window into the distant cosmos. You're looking at the birthplace of stars. A nebula of this universe."
"Is it safe to touch?" Emilia asked. Rey nodded, "Yes. This is a mere image of the real thing." She reached out, and cupped a small orb of light in her hands. It was gentle and warm, full of life. "Its beautiful." A sad smile looked back at Emilia. She stared into Rey's eyes for a moment. They were tired, very tired. Like he hadn't slept in weeks. "Yes. It is. Its also repugnant." He cut off the spell, "Let us continue onwards."
Emilia caught up with him. "I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean to cause you pain." Rey shook his head. "Do not be sorry. The arcane of my world is just as abhorrent as it is beautiful. The Great Ones make sure of that." His mind flashed to all of the creatures in Byrgenwerth. Of the madwoman Iosefka and the Kin. Then he thought of the Hunter's Dream and the Doll. He had become one of the most powerful Great Ones, safe inside the dream to grow and prosper. Why did she kill herself and me? Were the Great Ones bound to cause humanity danger as long as I lived with the Moon Presence within me? Was humanity finally free once I died, breaking the contract forever? The rest of their walk was quiet, and slightly awkward. But Rey just kept replaying those thoughts in his head.
Rey's thoughts were interrupted by their arrival. A short pink haired woman in a maid outfit was waiting for them. "Hey Ram. This is Rey, and the man he is holding is Subaru. As thanks for saving my life, they are going to stay with us for a while. The maid quickly corrected her skeptical face, falling back on her usual neutral expression and taking a respectful bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you Sir."
The hunter held Subaru out to the side with one arm in a demonstration of superhuman strength and returned the bow. "Likewise, Ram." There's something about her. He sniffed the air subtly. Yes. She smells similar to a beast. I will keep my eye on her.
"Where shall I put Subaru?" He asked. Emilia opened up the carriage. "Go ahead and lay him down on the opposite side of the bags. Oh." She paused, now looking downtrodden. "I- I'm sorry but there's only room for one other person, so I'll have to ride up front with Ram."
She started to move, but Rey stopped her with a raised hand. "That isn't necessary Emilia. I'll ride up front. It's cold out, and believe it or not this garb is quite warm. Also, I'm sure Subaru would be much happier to see you back there than me if he wakes up." Emilia reluctantly agreed, and soon the group started on their way.
Ram drove the carriage while Rey sat next to her, slightly tense. "You should relax, sir guest. This road is quite safe even at night. Even if there are bandits, I can take care of them easily." Impressive that she can tell I'm on edge. "Its not bandits I'm worried about." The maid turned towards him. "Oh, is it me then? Don't worry, I won't harm you unless I absolutely have to. Make sure it doesn't come to that through an idiotic display of yours."
Rey didn't respond. Instead, he stared at the full moon in worry. How many years was I trapped in that terrible Hunter's dream? This will be the first night I've lived through since that never ending nightmare. A deep sigh escaped Rey as he stretched his senses out as far as possible, looking for any sign of the Great Ones trying anything during the full moon. There was nothing. Nothing but the small tinge of madness etched into his own mind permanently like all others from his world. This world however, didn't even have a single whisper of a Great One within it. There was a different energy in the air here, one he couldn't place.
Ram looked over at Rey once more, curious about what he was doing. The feeling she got from this enigmatic man was odd as he stared at the full moon, tense as a coiled spring. "Does the full moon bother you sir guest?" She prodded. He slowly craned his neck over to look back at her. The look in his eyes was far off, cold, and tired. Those eyes had seen far too much for such a young life. "Please, just call me Rey. And I used to love the full moon. It brings about light when the world is cloaked in darkness. Then, the dream happened. That unending nightmare..." He grabbed an arm, squeezing so hard Ram could hear the leather he was wearing groan under the strain.
A second later, he seemed to realize what he was doing and stopped, releasing a shaky breath as he put his fingertips together in a calming fashion. "Forgive my behavior, Miss Ram. Perhaps one day I will finally forget the dream, like Gehrman offered me. But right now that isn't an option." His hands formed fists, and he looked back to the moon as if he was waiting for something terrible to happen. Frowning, Ram gripped the reins harder. "You really are mentally damaged aren't you, Rey?" He didn't respond. What was Emilia thinking bringing this lunatic back with her? Has she completely lost it too?!
The pair said nothing more as the carriage slowly made its way back to the Roswal estate. Upon reaching the estate, Rey was forced to carry Subaru once more. Emilia smiled at him. "I'll show you the way to both of your rooms." She still seemed cheerful, if a bit sleepy from the journey. Rey gave her a nod of respect. "Lead the way Lady Emilia." A tinge of red appeared on her cheeks from the amount of formal respect Rey was giving her. "Please, just Emilia is fine. And don't feel the need to bow down to me either."
"As you wish, Emilia." The half elf was still embarrassed as she sharply turned around and lead the way. Ram opened the door for her, revealing yet another maid on the other side of the door. She looked very similar to Ram, with different colored hair and eyes. Twins? They have to be. They both smell reminiscent of beasts "Welcome to the Mather's estate. I am Rem." The second maid bowed to Rey, and he returned the respectful bow. "I am Rey Faust, and this man I'm carrying is Subaru Natsuki. A pleasure to meet you." The blue haired girl straightened out of her bow. "It is nice to meet you, Sir guest."
Without further ado, the three of them headed off towards the rooms. Ram watched them walk away until they turned the corner before looking at her sister. "Keep an eye on the one with the weird outfit." Rem blinked back at her. "Sister, which one do you mean? Those two men both had strange outfits. Would you like me to keep an eye on both of them?" Ram thought about that for a moment. "I can't speak for this 'Subaru', but the one called Rey has an unsettling feeling about him. He seems like a madman, going on about the moon and dreams as if it was responsible for his problems. Hmpf! What an idiot." Tilting her head in confusion, Rem frowned. "The moon? Did he go into any detail?"
A single mocking laugh answered Rem. "Hah! As if that lunatic could be capable of such a feat. No, he didn't. The man seems like a pot about to boil over if you ask me. I don't know why Emilia would bring such a man into this mansion, even if he was responsible for saving her life." She shook her head. "Anyways, I'm going to bed. Goodnight Rem." Rem nodded back. "Goodnight sister."
The wind gently blew around the mansion as Rey sat at the desk in his room with a stack of papers and a pen provided by Emilia. He was recording a journal of what happened to him today. For what purpose, he didn't know. But he had to do something. Sleeping was not an option, not tonight. A full moon represented the night of the hunt, and would always bring about untold horrors. Not to mention there's a very real possibility of me forgetting everything... He glanced back at what he had written down in his native English.
Today I woke up in an unknown land, surrounded by people driven mad with blood. They had summoned me from my own world, seeking a different entity altogether. Though, I should be partially grateful to them. In my mind, just moments before the Doll and I were plummeting into the void. In a way, they saved me. I cannot get over that feeling of absolute knowledge of all things that I felt when I transcended my human form. The death of the Moon Presence finally released the shackles of mankind. I could feel my new purpose in life when I became a Great One with power greater than the master of mankind. Humanity was finally going to stand on its own. But, Gehrman's last wish was for the doll to cut out the Great Ones from Human affairs, and that is what she did. Just as I was reborn, I died yet again in that horrible Hunter's Dream. How many times have I died now? several hundred, easily. Years were spent in that nightmare, the same night never passing as I cut down the same foes over and over and over again. Now I'm here, free of the dream. It's been so long since I had a life to live that I don't even know what to do anymore. The dream killed Rey Faust. His innocent curiosity and personality are both dead. All that is left is a shell of his former self, one capable of great atrocities.
With a sigh, Rey put down the pen. Why did I even write this? As he wrote, the same presence kept walking by his door and listening. Finally, he had grown tired of this near constant espionage. "If you are trying to gather information about me, would you like to talk instead?" A minute gasp on the other side of the door answered him before it cracked open, revealing a head of blue hair. Rey wasn't exactly surprised. "Ah, its you. I suppose Ram told you to keep an eye on me then?"
Rem fully stepped into the room and nodded, closing the door behind her. "Yes. Sister believed you to be a madman, close to boiling over. So she instructed me to keep an eye on you." A light sigh escaped him. "Well. I suppose that's not entirely false. What with all I've seen. I doubt you would believe anything I have to say, as almost all of it is baffling to those who know nothing of Yharnam or the blood."
Her blue eyes narrowed slightly in a challenge. "I need to know if you are a threat to the mansion or not. So any information that would prove you are a friend and not an enemy would help your case." Rey looked down at the paper in front of him. "I'm sorry, but what I have to say cannot be simply believed by anyone. I'll have to physically show you. And if I were to show you some of my memories I cannot guarantee your sanity will remain." He looked up, back into Rem's eyes. They were fierce and determined. "Very well then. It seems I cannot change your mind." Dammit Micolash. Your telepathy better not cause damage to her.
"Rem. Please hold your hand out, palm up." She did as he instructed, sticking her right hand out. Rey stood up and put his hand atop hers channeling his energy. "Grant this one eyes to look upon me internally. Protect this one from madness as she gazes into the past." The pair saw the world suddenly crack apart, shattering into the void. Endless stars surrounded them. "Please, do not be alarmed Rem."
She was tense, but collected. "What are these stars surrounding us?" The stars gently orbited the pair as they floated through the space. "Each one is a memory. Larger or brighter stars are more powerful or long lasting memories, while the dim ones could be a passing thought or a simple observation. They are nearly infinite, and contain the entirety of my being." Rey called upon a not so disturbing memory, and the star floated towards them. "Hold this in your hand and concentrate on opening it."
Rem did as she was told, holding the star. She briefly closed her eyes and concentrated. When she opened them, their surroundings had changed. There was someone standing near the edge of a building, so she approached carefully. As she got closer, she could see this person was wearing clothes extremely similar to Rey's. The figure turned its head, revealing a ghastly beaked mask. "Oh? A hunter are ya? And an outsider." The figure's voice was that of an older woman. "What a mess you've been caught up in. And tonight, of all nights." She paused to reach into her pocket and offer him something. "Here, to welcome the new hunter. I have no use for these anymore." The enigmatic woman handed over four golden shreds of paper with a symbol carved into them. Bold Hunter's marks? A voice bounced around in Rem's head, clearly belonging to Rey. He sounded different. More alive. Less cold and unfeeling.
The beaked hunter looked down to the street below, and Rem's eyes followed. Men with elongated arms and twitchy, disturbing movements massed in the street. "Prepare yourself for the worst. There are no humans left, they're all flesh hungry beasts now." She could feel Rey's fear trickle down her spine, hesitant to leave. "Still lingering about? What's wrong, a hunter unnerved by a few beasts?" She let out a tiny laugh. "No matter, without fear in our hearts we're little different from the beasts themselves."
The two were silent for a few moments before Rey spoke. "Hey, What's your name?" The woman looked over. "Eileen. They call me The Crow. Now, go out and kill some beasts. A hunter must hunt." Reluctantly, Rey obliged, turning around and heading back from where he came. "Oh and, you still have dreams, don't you? Do tell the Doll I said hello for me." Rey snapped his head back to Eileen, who stood in the same place watching him. "I will."
Once again, cracks appeared in the world until it shattered and revealed Rey floating across from her. "Eileen was very kind to me. She was the only other one I could truly talk to besides the doll and-" A sharp piercing pain ravaged his subconscious. "We- We need to leave here, and fast. A few seconds later, the world morphed back into view. They were back in Rey's guest room.
Several drops of liquid splashed onto Rey's hand as he stood in front of Rem. He removed his hand from Rem's and took out a handkerchief. The shorter woman looked up at him, seeing blood trickle from his nose. "I apologize Rem. I didn't mean for this to happen." He looked slightly embarrassed about the whole ordeal. "Are you alright?" She asked. Rey nodded, "I will be fine. I've never tried that before with another person, so I'm glad this didn't affect you."
Rem still seemed standoffish. "I still don't trust you, even if you did show me that. I fail to see how that proved you weren't a threat to the mansion. Also, what was that place?" Rey looked into her eyes, deadly serious. "I wanted to show you more. And that was Yharnam, on the night of the hunt. Oh, what a fool I am. Ram was never told by Emilia, so you yourself were never told. I come from a different world entirely, and that's what you were seeing."
Rem's eyes widened. "That seems impossible. I suppose more of your memories could prove your point though?" Rey nodded. "Indeed. I'll show you how I got here. I was summoned to this world by some sort of cult. I believe Emilia called it the witch's cult." Rem visibly flinched. "The witches cult?" The maid got close to Rey and inhaled through her nose deeply. "Its there. I can smell it. The stench of the witch. You. You're one of them aren't you?"
Killing intent started to radiate out of Rem, directed towards Rey. The hunter dreaded what would happen next, and threw out the last card he had before things became bloody. "No, I'm not. I killed some of them when I first awakened here. That cult, they are driven mad with blood. It is too late to try and save them, they are better off dead now."
Rem started to reach for her flail. "How do I know I can trust you?" Rey prepared for what was about to happen. "Rem, please. I'll share more of my memories with you later to prove I'm not part of the witch's cult." Clearly that was not enough for her. "The witch's cult is capable of many things. Those could be tricks! You won't trick me! I won't let you hurt my sister again!"
In one fluid movement, Rem drew her flail and launched the spiked ball at Rey. He didn't resist, and allowed the ball to smash into him and send him flying out of the window to the ground below. The combination of impacts nearly killed Rey as he felt his bones crack and break. His first instinct was to grab a blood vial and inject it into his leg, but his conscious quickly caught up and he stopped himself just before he plunged the needle into his flesh.
He heard an impact to his left and saw Rem recovering from her landing. No emotions went through him as he watched his soon to be killer approach. "What's the point of it all, Rem? I'm finally free of the Hunter's Dream, and I'm going to die anyways. Was I ever truly free? I never even made it through the night, once again." Growling in anger, Rem prepared her flail. "Be quiet, witch cultist!"
Rey closed his eyes and waited for the end as the flail approached. Not half a second later he found himself on his feet with the Blade of Mercy in hand, stained with blood. "It appears I can't just let myself die after finally being freed from the dream. I'm sorry Rem." An orange light briefly surrounded him as the blood on his weapon was absorbed into his flesh and his wounds partially closed. Her blood. Its invigorating.
The maid was gurgling on her own blood as the deep cut in her throat poured her life force onto the stone below. Her flail fell to the floor as she collapsed to her knees, holding her throat with healing magic in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. Despite the several broken bones, Rey calmly walked over to Rem and injected her with a blood vial.
Instead of drowning in her own blood, Rem was now coughing it up onto the cobblestone. "W-Why?" She asked. Rey injected his own blood vial before responding. "Because even though you're a beast, I can sense you aren't driven mad with blood. You have an intense hatred for this witch's cult. This has been a misunderstanding. I do not wish to cause you, nor Emilia or your sister harm. Besides. If I really wanted to, I could kill you all so easily. That Great One around Emilia's neck may be a problem, but I'll kill it too." He finished his sentence off with a quiet stuttering laugh of a madman.
His conscious seemed to finally understand that he was silently cackling and cut it off. Could I be losing the grasp on my sanity? No, it can't be. Did the Moon Presence do this, or is it my own fault for becoming a Great One myself? He left the weakened Rem in a pool of her own blood as he walked back up the stairs. "I will be returning to my room now. Though, I think I will choose a different one now that there's a hole in my wall. Goodnight Rem." He didn't wait for her response as he walked up the stairs.
Before he reached the front door, Ram burst out of it with her magic at the ready. She was dressed in a nightgown, clearly just having leapt out of bed. "What the HELL DID YOU DO TO REM?" Rey held his hands up indicating he didn't want to fight. "She said I was a witch cultist and attacked me. All I did was defend myself and ensure she didn't die. That is all." Ram was torn between wanting to tear him apart with her magic or rushing over to her sister. In the end she ran over to Rem and helped her up. "Is it true, Rem? Did you attack him?"
"Sister.. He is coated in the witch's scent. He's one of them." Rey frowned, craning his neck back towards them. "If I was one of the witch cultists, why did I not resist when you crushed my bones with your flail? I was ready to die by your hands, but my instincts prevented myself from letting you kill me." Now he turned around, approaching the two sisters in anger. "You didn't even think about your actions! All you did was connect a smell from me to the witch's cult! You and your sister both smell like flesh hungry beasts, but I didn't cut you down did I?! That's what Hunters do! Hunt Beasts! If this was Yharnam I wouldn't have hesitated!"
Rey took a deep breath to calm himself and stared directly at Rem with scornful eyes. "Consider yourself lucky that I'm not like you Rem, or you'd be dead right now. Think upon your actions and learn from them. Now goodnight, both of you." He stormed back up the stairs without another word.
Rem's thoughts quickly drifted back to what she saw through Rey's eyes. A hunter must hunt beasts. The female hunter had said. Guilt ripped through her mind. "I'm sorry." She whispered it over and over as she cried in her sister's arms.
"Rem.." Ram was livid that Rey would make her sister feel this way. The puddle of her sister's blood she was standing in just made everything worse. However, off to the right was another puddle of blood. It was much larger than the pool beneath her sister's, and the stones were broken and warped into a crater. How did he survive that? She looked down at her crying sister. Rem.. You really did try to kill him.
Rey walked along the large hallways of the mansion, going back to his room. Upon opening the door, his room was no longer on the other side. Instead, he found himself in a grand library. "Who are you, I suppose?" This feeling. Beatrice looked at the stranger entering her forbidden library. "What is this place?" He asked, masking his killing intent. Beatrice sighed in annoyance. "This is Betty's multi-purpose room. Now answer my question I suppose."
He walked deeper into the library, looking around at the thousands of books. "I am Rey Faust, a guest in this mansion. Well- That is to say I was a guest. I don't know if I'm particularly welcome anymore after Rem attacked me." How odd, Beatrice thought as she slid out of her chair. Now Rey got a better look at her as she approached. "You're not human either it seems."
"That much is obvious I suppose. Now, I'm going to need a sample of your mana." Rey tilted his head. "My mana? Is that similar to the energy of the arcane?" Beatrice huffed in annoyance. "You are incredibly ignorant I suppose. No way that you are Betty's they. She walked over and put a finger to Rey's chest. "Miss Betty I wouldn't try to absorb any of my energy, you might get hurt." Go ahead, try it and see what happens you scum.
Beatrice sighed in annoyance once more. "I know perfectly well what I'm-" A pulse of pure terror shot through her as not only energy, but Rey's blood echoes seeped into her finger. She jumped back, ready to fight. "Wait wait! I'm not your enemy Betty! I told you, you might get hurt if you try that and look what happened." Deceive the Great One. Make her guard drop. Beatrice seemed to be much more logical than Rem, and deactivated her magic. "I guess that's true I suppose. My name is Beatrice by the way. Do not call me Betty." Rey just blinked at her. I have to know for sure before I strike her down. "Nice to meet you Beatrice. If I may point out something peculiar, your presence does indeed feel like the one attached to Emilia. Are you a Great One?"
She frowned, never having heard the term 'Great One.' "If by Great One you mean great spirit, then I guess I am." Rey clenched his hands into fists. I only need one more piece of proof. "Who is Oedon?" Beatrice could feel the churning energy within him start to boil, as if ready to strike. "Oedon? Betty's never heard that name before. Is that one of the 'Great Ones' you speak of I suppose?" Rey stared into her nonchalant eyes for another second, looking for any hint of a lie. When there was none, he visibly relaxed. "I apologize Beatrice, I thought you were an enemy. No doubt I would've..."
Rey realized his great blunder. I was going to say I would've struck her down here and now. But that would make me a hypocrite after lecturing Rem on a very similar subject. I would've killed her immediately if she answered that question wrong, without thinking. Just like Rem tried to do to me. "What a fool I am. Clearly the unending hunt has warped my judgment. I deeply apologize Beatrice. I would've tried to kill you without hesitation if you answered that question wrong."
"Betty knows I suppose. I could feel your bloodlust." Her eyes did not waver from their usual nonchalant slightly angry stare. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you, great spirit?" Beatrice waved him down. "Please, do not call me great spirit. Betty is Betty. And no. There is nothing you can do to make it up to me. Now leave my library at once I suppose."
Rey did as he was told, turning to leave the library. But before he fully left, he reached into the void and dropped a book inside the library. Who knows, she may be able to actually read it. It was a book named 'The History of Yharnam and Blood Ministration.' "What an annoyance, I suppose."
With nothing else to do, Rey found a guest room and sat down at its desk, waiting for the long night to end. What an idiot. I truly am a hypocrite, aren't I? My thoughts were as tunneled as a beast chasing the scent of blood. Eileen... I'm sorry. No doubt these are the thoughts you wished to quell.