Sparks Among the Stars

by Lorithomar

At the fall of Beacon, Ozpin enacts a final, desperate plan. Now, the sparks have been lit and scattered throughout the Blind Eternities. Meanwhile, the former headmaster finds himself on a plane that he thought he would never see again. However, he is not alone, for alongside him is another soul; smaller, but more honest...

4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a little later than usual, everyone. Real-life waits for no fanfiction, as they saying never goes. Anyway, a few things….

1). I have tweaked Pyrrha's scene in the previous chapter, adding a small but vital thing that will come into play later on, and show that things are not as you might expect. The same goes for Jaune/ Nikos, in that the armor he has scavenged leaves his left armor relatively uncovered.

2). I would like to give a shoutout to everyone who is watching/ following this story. It really means the world to me, you guys. Special shout out to Unseen Lurker, TheMaster4444, mdkcde, Xavier Rell, Arcahm Wyntier, daedalus725, and everyone else.

3). Disclaimer: I own no stock or financial interests in either Rooster Teeth, RWBY, Wizards of the Coast, or Magic: The Gathering. If I did… Urza would not have been so stupid as to put PHYREXIAN oil in Karn's heart, Tarkir would not be as screwed up as it is right now, Someone would have given Ozpin a hug, and parts of Volume 8 would have been handled a whole lot better…

Anyhoo, now that that is all out of the way, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 4: Hope And New Horizons

Ozpin

After their formal induction into the guild, Ozpin and Ruby returned to their living quarters. Ruby seemed a bundle of energy and a wide smile on her face.

The minute the door closed, Ruby all but exploded and bounced off the walls in showers of rose petals and excited babbling. "Ohmygosh, but this is so exciting! We're members of a guild that has a dragon as its boss! So cool, so cool! And we're official members! Ohhh, I can't wait to tell Xanther!"

Ozpin smiled wearily. "Yes Ruby, I am glad that you are ecstatic about this. But please, I need you to calm down for a minute."

That caught his student's attention, and she skidded to a halt in a flurry of petals. "Professor? Is something wrong?"

He looked at her, with her earnest silver eyes, and then let loose a sigh. "I promised you answers, back in that alleyway," Ozpin said. "And you shall have them."

He took a seat at the small dining table, and rested his cane against his chair, before intertwining his hands. "Please, sit down."

Though undoubtedly confused, Ruby did as she was bid.

"As you have no doubt ascertained by now, we are not on Remnant," Ozpin said.

"Well, yeah, that was kind of obvious," Ruby said. "I mean, the moon is a pretty big bit of proof that this isn't Vale, at least."

Ozpin nodded. "Now, I know that you are fond of comic books and fairy tales. Are you at all familiar with the concept of multiple universes?"

She nodded. "Yeah, a bit. I mean, for fairy tales, there's The Girl Who Fell Through the World, and from the comics, there's Universal Wanderers but… wait a minute, is that what's happened to us?"

Ozpin nodded. "Indeed, very perceptive, Ruby."

He then held up a hand and muttered under his breath. A moment later, small illusions of glowing orbs filled the room, each a variety of colors and sizes, and they all started to rotate around and about with no real pattern.

"Remnant and Ravnica are merely infinitesimally small parts, two small threads of a great tapestry known as the Multiverse. The multiverse is comprised of an infinite number of planes of existence, all of which are similar and yet infinitely unique. Now, think of each of these orbs as a single plane. Do you see? In addition, all of these are… connected, for lack of a better term, by the Blind Eternities; a realm without form, meaning, rationale, or substance."

As he spoke, chaotic-looking lines started connecting each and every orb to one another, and over and over until a thick, web was formed, of sorts.

Ozpin then waved his hand, and the web vanished until only the orbs remain.

Ruby cocked her head. "So… it's like alternate realities or timelines?"

Ozpin shook his head. "In a very basic sense, though you will not find alternate versions of yourselves on other planes. You are yourself, and you are unique. As for timelines, no, that is time travel, which is an entirely separate entity on its own, and one that I hope you never have to deal with."

"Okay… so how did we get here, to Ravnica?" Ruby asked.

"Ordinarily, travel between planes is impossible. At the very least, trying to traverse the Bline Eternities is an almost guaranteed death sentence. However, there exist… people throughout the multiverse, people with a certain ability to shift between the planes, and survive traversing through the Eternities unscathed. They have this ability because of a spark that is an inimical part of their very being. These people are, colloquially, known as 'planeswalkers.' You are a planeswalker, Ruby. Similar to what I once was, and now just I have once again become."

She raised a crimson eyebrow. "Wait, so… I can hop between dimensions or something?"

"Between planes, but yes. All of the multiverse is open to you with but a thought… at least if you know where you are going. If you don't… then you could end up anywhere."

She seemed to mull over that for a moment. Then, to his slight despair, a hope ignited in her silver eyes once, so uncomfortably bright. Before she even opened her mouth, he knew what she would say next, even as he also hoped that she would not verbalize it. "So, then, that means we can go back to Remnant, right-?"

"NO!" Ozpin exclaimed, all but slamming his hands on the table, making Ruby recoil.

At her frightened expression, he realized that he had shot to his feet. He looked down at his clenched hands and took several shuddering breaths to center himself. Then, he shook his head, slightly dreading what he had to say next. "We can't, Ruby. We can't."

"But… what do you mean we can't? You just said-"

"I know what I said, but we can't. It's not possible."

He raised his hand, and tweaked the illusion about them, and created another small orb, this one emblazoned with an 'R'. It was soon surrounded by a glowing field. "I discovered this over several thousand years ago; Remnant's plane, for some reason, is enveloped by a… field of some sort. It prevents any planeswalker spark from lighting, just as it all prevents any planeswalker from entering or leaving."

He let loose a bitter sigh. "Of course, before the Rift Crisis, before I was sent back through time, I had discovered that exact same barrier. But how could I have known? By the time I did, I knew that it was too late. I was trapped, and I could not find a way to even signal to my past self the danger of Remnant…

He took a deep breath and clenched his fist. "Besides, even if the field did not exist… I have no desire to return to that wretched plane. I was functionally kept prisoner there for over ten thousand years, through the whims of cruel and uncaring gods… and ever at the mercy of a twisted and nihilistic monster whose existence and machinations have caused me no end of grief and misery."

Ruby cocked her head at his words with confusion. "Wait… several thousand years? Ten thousand years? How have you lived for that long!? And what do you mean by 'cruel and uncaring gods'? And what monster are you talking about? Also, what do you mean by past self!? And what's a Rift Crisis?"

Ozpin looked at her, with her eyes that seemed so confused, a bit scared, and yet still so trusting. Would she still feel so trusting of him, after she knew? Or would she turn away in fright and disgust and despair, as so many had before her? Would it not be better to keep the ugly truth hidden?

No, better that it be the ugly truth, rather than a beautiful lie. Besides, he had already caused her more grief and harm than any child should have to endure; separating her from friends, family, and home. She was owed the truth, that, and more.

He sighed again. "Please bear with me, Miss Rose, for it is a long and weary tale…"

So, for the rest of the day, and into the night, he told her everything; about his life, the planes he had visited, the adventures he had, and the enemies and friends and loves that he made and lost and fought for. He told her of Yawgmoth, Urza, the Nine Titans, and the crew of the Weatherlight. He told her of the ancient horrors he had helped to lock away, alongside a trio of old and dear friends. He told her of his student, the Thran named Dyfed, who had been as a daughter to him; of their travels, as well as her defilement and death at the hands of a monster. Then, he told her of the great love of his life; he told her of Jhoira, and of the small house that they had shared together on the beach for a few centuries, once upon a time.

He told her everything; about how, when he attempted to close the time rift, it had sent him hurtling back 15,000 years into the past, and his almost literal crash-landing onto the plane of Remnant. "Back then, Ruby, the Moon was whole and unbroken, a mighty sentinel in the night sky. But, beyond that, the planet and plane were ruled by Two Gods, Light, and Darkness, and magic was as abundant and commonplace then as it is here. Since I was still quite weak from the time rift, I journeyed across its lands for a few centuries, doing what I thought was right, as I had always done, all the while healing; I healed the sick and dying, I stopped wars, and I even taught many of its people new forms of magic. Thus, my legend grew… and perhaps a few religions as well, much to my chagrin.

"In retrospect, perhaps that was how it all truly began, my legend growing to the point where I caught the attention of the Gods of Light and Darkness themselves… and the jealousy and paranoia that it had cultivated within the God of Light.

"After I had felt strong enough, I was ready to depart. I was eager to wait out the timeline, and return to Jhoira, to our house on the beach. But, before I could leave, I heard the story of a woman, locked away in a tower by her possessive father. Thus, I decided to do one last good deed upon that plane…"

He told her about the woman named Salem, who he had only regarded as a friend, but who looked to him as something more. "She reminded me more than a bit of Dyfed, so much that it almost hurt at times."

Then he told her of his death, "the cause of which is still unknown to me, even now", and the horrific chain of events that it set off, events that had ended up dooming both the planet and the plane irrevocably.

"While the gods argued and bickered like children, and Salem watched, I was resurrected and killed over 86 times, if I recall correctly, though I may have lost count. By the end of it… I think I had gone quite mad."

He then told her about his first reincarnation, borne through his accepting the God of Light's deal…He told her of coming back to life, bereft of memories, save for an impulse to seek out Salem. And, eventually, he found her.

His hands briefly shook. "I think she knew, at that moment, that something was wrong, why her feelings for me had suddenly been reciprocated… but for the most part, I think she didn't care. After all that she had suffered through, she had something that she actually wanted, and… for all the horror of her later actions… I can't fault her... too much for wanting to take what happiness she could, even if it was at my expense..."

Then he told her of how it had all fallen apart, how he had died again amidst fire and tragedy and destruction, and how it had allowed him to remember the horrific defilement that the God of Light had inflicted upon him.

"When I awoke in my third body, most of the memories came flooding back, and, to my horror, I realized what had happened, of how the God of Light had defiled my mind, my memories. For you see, Ruby, the Gods… while the God of Darkness did not truly care, the God of Light… he is a jealous, fickle creature, paranoid of even the thought that anything within his grand experiment could be beyond his control, beyond his benevolence. Looking back… I think he feared what I represented and, before I could realize it, he had warped my mind, made me forget what I was. I was made to think that I had always been the god's loyal pawn and that I had always been of the world that would be known as Remnant… and that I had been in love with Salem. And so, thus brainwashed, I accepted his damned deal…"

He told of how it had broken him, again. And he told her of how he eventually regained the will to walk forward…

"And so, I was trapped in an endless cycle, one wrought of hatred and of horror. But that was never the worst of it. Oh no, not by far. You see, by the time I realized what the barrier did, how it suppressed the sparks, kept them from igniting, I then realized the strange and winding loop I had unwittingly been sojourning through. The plane I had discovered all those millennia ago... it was Remnant, and the moment that my past self had found it? At the same time, I was trapped on the other side. I then came to the realization that Salem had already known this as well, and it gave me an insight into some of the horrific acts that she had committed since the moment our eternal war had begun. You see, for all her power and all her wrath, Salem is afraid. Not just of planeswalkers, but also afraid of what they represent.

"For all her desire to die, she wants it to be on her terms. Her final act of defiance against the gods; the complete and utter failure of their grand experiment, and she wants to laugh in their faces as the world and humanity burn to ash and dust, even as she burns along with it. She wants to be remembered by the gods before they destroy her; she does not want to be simply swept aside like an ant under a boot.

"She is aware that there exist things out in the multiverse that are more powerful than she. She knows because, when we traveled across what would be called Remnant, I told her of them, of my travels… and that makes her afraid, afraid of dying before she can achieve her grand and final vengeance. She knows about the barrier, and I can assume that she must have witnessed and felt it being erected by that tyrant of light...but she is too much of a paranoid monster to take any chances. She knows who carries a spark… and thus, she would hunt them down, despite the fact that they could never ignite, never truly tap into their power while the barrier remained intact. If they didn't join her, she would kill them; kill them in such a way that I would be at fault for it, in some manner. It became her new pastime, after her previous one of hunting down my reincarnations and brutally murdering me over and over again lost interest for her after a millennium or so."

He told her this, and she listened. He told her everything; he told her everything, and she never said a word through it all, and merely listened with rapt attention, while her eyes would occasionally widen with either horror or shock or surprise.

By the time he had finished his tale, culminating with his activating Beacon Tower's hidden function, he felt… drained. He felt tired, and he felt weary. But also… he felt a bit lighter, as if putting all this into verbal form had released him of its burden, even if just for a moment. With a word, he dissipated the rest of the illusionary representation of the multiverse.

It was odd, but… he could not recall the last time he had ever told someone the whole truth… Had he ever actually told anyone at all?

No… he hadn't. He hadn't, and that thought truly saddened him, at that moment. When had he become so… untrusting? When had he started to hoard secrets as a miser would their wealth?

She looked at him and then spoke, her hand to her mouth in horror. "All those people… and what about everyone else? My friends, dad, uncle Qrow? All the other 'sparks?' Do you have any idea where they all went, at all? And what about everyone else who's still stuck on Remnant? They're stuck, with her. Is there nothing we can do at all to save them!?"

He shook his head. "No, there isn't. The barrier is impregnatable from the outside Ruby, forged by the gods, for who else could have done it. It took everything I had, three millennia of stockpiled fading power and coaxing enough mana out of the planet's fading leylines to jumpstart all the sparks that I could reach, and to pull open a hole long enough for the ignition to let them all escape. And I don't know where any of the others were sent. I wish I did, but I don't. I don't know where they could have ended up, for the list is near endless. They could be anywhere in the multiverse, and trying to locate them would be as fruitless as trying to find a single needle in the middle of the ocean. I'm sorry."

He let loose a sigh and leaned on his arms against the table. "That is the entire truth, Ruby, about myself, about Salem, about everything. I have not omitted a single detail, that much I can assure you if nothing else. I wish it was all different, I truly do, for what little you may find that to be worth."

She didn't say anything else then, and just looked at him with those large silver eyes of hers; eyes that were so much like her mother's and all the silver-eyed warriors that he had known in the past. Now they shined with tears. Had he killed her hope too, just as he had killed the hope of so many others, all those who had put his faith in them?

He sighed again as she stood up, hands at her sides, and her face shadowed by her hair as she started to shake. Of course. Any minute now, she would call him a monster, a murderer, and a liar, and perhaps demand that he leave her sight and-

She flashed towards him and, amidst a shower of roses… she hugged him.

He stiffened from the unexpected gesture, but she held firm and tight, and he felt something wet splash against his neck. "You had to endure all of that… all of that, and alone? You poor man."

He had not been expecting her to say that. Whenever someone had discovered any of the truth, they had reacted with disbelief, rage, or madness. They would scream at him, or, in many cases, kill him in a fit of mania. But… never before had he ever been met with understanding, or empathetic pity, especially one who had endured the end result of his desperate planning. He had torn her from friend and family and home… and she still had it within her to feel sorry for him.

Even after countless eons… people could still surprise him. He then felt a tear trickle down his face and, before he could stop himself, he gripped onto her tight, like a drowning man would onto a piece of driftwood. Thus, for a moment, student and teacher were swept adrift in a shared sea of sorrow.

She pulled back from the hug and wiped at her eyes. "Thank you, for telling me all that."

He looked at her. "Are you angry with me Ruby, in addition to your pity?"

She shook her head, her red-and-onyx locks waving about. "No. I mean, I'm not one-hundred percent okay with this, but why would I be angry at you? You were put into an impossible situation, with the odds blatantly stacked against you. And yet, you did the best you could, right? I guess in the end, that's all you could do."

"Yes, I suppose… but it was still never enough."

She shook her head at that. "Nope."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "I beg your pardon?"

She gave him a smile, made sad by the tears still staining her cheeks, but still a bright thing nonetheless. "You don't get to wallow in self-pity anymore, professor. Not here, and not now. I won't let you… because you are not alone anymore. I'm here, and I won't let you fail again… Not when there's still a chance to make it all better, to find everyone, and to save Remnant."

That caught him by surprise. "Even after everything I told you, about the field, about Salem and the gods, and the endlessness that is the multiverse, with all its horrors… you still have hope?"

She nodded adamantly at that. "Yeah. I mean, it's all so big, and yeah, there is a lot of bad, from Salem to some of the other stuff you told me about. But from what else you told me… there's also a whole lot of good in it, in the multiverse. A lot of good, and a lot of beauty… and that means there is also a lot of hope.

"So what if Jinn said that you couldn't destroy Salem? You can still beat her, and you did, and not just by freeing us. You beat her by still having the strength to stand against her, and by doing your best to allow future generations a chance to grow up. Every day, you beat her by making the world a bit brighter. And that was when you were trapped. And now, you're free. We're free. We're free and, without a doubt, I believe that we will all be able to find each other again. And who knows? Maybe, just maybe there is something out there that can help you, help us to finally stop her, and save everyone?"

She looked him dead in the eye, then. "And even if there isn't…How will you know until you try?"

Ozpin looked at his student for a long moment, at her renewed optimism, and he shook his head in wonder. "A small, more honest soul is as a sun in the darkness," he whispered.

He then returned her smile. "I understand. Thank you, Ruby," he said. "Thank you."

"For what? She asked.

"For not losing hope… and reminding me that I can still feel it."

She gave him another smile, which was then followed by another hug, and one that he returned. It was strange to think about, but… it had been so very long, since the last time someone had done that for him.

Ruby then released the hug, and wiped at her eyes one last time, before looking at him. "So… I know I just said all that, and I meant every word, but… what do we do now?"

"Well, I don't think it would be prudent for us to leave Ravnica for the time being. Besides, I am still very weak, and it is going to take a good deal of time for my soul and this body to reacclimate themselves to using mana and magic on a scale that I have not been able to in a very long time."

He then took her gloved hands in his. "So, in the meantime, we will learn, live, and grow, here on Ravnica. I will teach you everything that I know about planeswalking and magic, and then, when the time is right, we will head out into the multiverse, and we will find our hope… and we will find all the sparks of Remnant, this I promise you. But for now; live, learn and grow. That is all that we can do, at the current time. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "Okay. Sounds good. So… is there anything you can teach me right now?"

"Oh? You're not feeling too tired right now?"

"I mean, I am a little bit, but I'm in a guild of knowledge-seekers, now. We both are, and it's never too early or too late to discover something new. I mean, it doesn't have to be anything super-duper huge or whatnot, but maybe something interesting, something small? Then we work our way up?"

He could not help it, but the earnest request made Ozpin chuckle a bit. "Very well. Take a seat, and be sure to pay attention. Now, a fundamental truth of the universe is that it is supported by five core concepts, which often translate into five distinct colors. These are exemplified over ten ways, here on Ravnica…"

Xxxxxxx

Ruby

A few days later…

Within the walls of the laboratory, the roar of the mizzium engine swiftly filled the area as it revved to life, and glowed with an arcane purpose.

At its base, Ruby deftly maneuvered several levers and knobs into the required positions. "All set, Ruby?" Xanther asked from next to her, as they held up a clipboard nad quill in their gloved hands.

Ruby nodded as best she could through her helmet. "Yep. The emitter is primed and ready! You got the timer all prepped?"

"Of course! So ready when you are!"

Ruby gave a gloved thumbs up to her friend and then tapped the recording piece on the side of her helmet to life. "Alright then! Commencing controlled burst of the transforming electrostatic-mizzium ion-cannon emitter, MK1.5! Test number 44! Preparing to fire in 3! 2! 1!"

With that, Ruby yanked down the requisite lever, while Xanther started the miniature clock. Tick tick tick tick tick tick.

The reinforced glass carriage of the cannon soon began to glow with multicolored flashes of light as the device let out a high-pitched whine, and the runic emblems all along its metal chassis flared to life. Soon, crackling energy gathered at its tip into a throbbing ball of light. With a turn of a crank, the emitter was aimed at the straw test dummy that had a sloppy frown painted on its burlap face in bright red paint. A dented breastplate was all that stood between it and uncertain destruction.

"And let 'er rip!" Ruby then pushed down on the big red button on the console.

The emitter let loose its chaotic payload, and there was a sound like a small, innocuous pop as the ball of energy collided with the dummy, and then… dissipated, leaving the metal breastplate slightly glowing red, as if it had been freshly cast from the forge. Meanwhile, the emitter powered down with a low hum.

Ruby and Xanther both blinked in confusion behind their goggles and the helmets of their safety suits, while the timepiece continued to tick tick tick tick tick. "Huh," Ruby said. "Well, that was a lot less then-"

The breastplate suddenly started to rattle and shake as its glow turned a violent cherry-red. Then, a moment later, there was a FLASH and a large burst of fire, and the force of the explosion sent both Izzet members flying off their feet and slamming into the wall that had been set with reinforced padding. They then both fell to the floor with loud clangs.

Once the long beeeeeeeeeping noise faded from her ears, and there weren't as many big flashing lights in front of her eyes after she blinked rapidly several times, Ruby groggily got to her feet. There was smoke everywhere, and she waved her hands to try and dissipate some of it.

"Xanther?" she called out. "Can you hear me?"

"No," came the reply. "Now can you help me up, please?"

Ruby groped around until she gripped onto their outstretched hand, and lifted Xanther to their feet. After Xanther activated the laboratory's Internal Zephyr sanitiZing Environmental refilTration (I.Z.Z.E.T.) system to flush out the smoke with a handwave and a whispered word, the two released the locks and catches on their safety suits, and twisted off their helmets with a hiss. Soon, their sweaty, goggled faces were bare to the world, with their hair plastered against their heads.

Ruby wiped some preparation from her brow, and then she and Xanther turned their attention to the test dummy. Or, rather, to where it used to be. All that was left was a large black scorch mark and several deep, jagged furrows in the metal floor and wall, both of which were still glowing hot from the blast.

A moment later, the pair whooped in delight. "Success!" Xanther screamed as they and Ruby embraced and jumped for joy. Rather, It was Xanther doing most of the jumping and screaming though Ruby was contributing a bit. The girl's face was currently set in a contemplative frown.

"Maybe," Ruby said, once the pair stopped jumping. "But we still have to account for the lag in time between dissipation and detonation, not to mention making sure that it can recharge quickly enough and…"

As she mumbled, Xanther ended the embrace and stepped back with a look of confusion on their narrow face. "Well, yea, but at least we managed to emit the blast without overloading the internal focusing. That was the main purpose of the test, remember? All the rest is a bit ancillary at the moment, right?"

Ruby nodded absently. "Right, right. I know. Just thinking ahead. Plus we still have to run tests on the prototypes for the ax-bow, and not to mention implementing some of the proposed upgrades for Crescent Rose and…"

As concern flashed in Xanther's dark eyes, they put a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Is everything okay, Ruby?" they asked.

Ruby blinked. Was she okay? Sure, she was, but still, after everything Ozpin had told her… how could anyone be completly, one-hundred-percent okay?

She flashed her friend a smile. "Oh, I'm fine, Xanther. Just… just have a lot on my mind at the moment, you know?"

They looked at her for a moment and then shrugged. "Yeah, I hear ya. I'm just worried, is all."

That earned them a heartfelt smile and hug from Ruby. "Thanks."

They patted her on the back. "Anytime. That is what friends/ co-inventors are for, right?"

"Ahem."

The third voice made the pair jump in the air and spin around to see the guild's chief researcher, Ral Zarek, leaning against the doorway with arms crossed, and a mean and disdainful smirk on his face. "I hate to interrupt… whatever the hells this is, but I got orders from the parun. There's an errand he needs running, and, for reasons beyond my grand comprehension, he wants you two to carry it out. Here are the details. Don't fuck this up. Also, not a half-bad demonstration. Just next time, remember to calculate the proper half-life of some of the ambient ion particles that the mizzium gives off. It's probably what contributed to the delayed reaction. Of course, if you two were actually capable enough, then I wouldn't have to spell it out to you like I'm your fucking caretaker. That goes for you especially, Rose."

He dropped a rolled-up piece of parchment on the floor and then strode away with a flippant wave of his gauntleted hand. Of course, it did not escape Ruby's notice that the far-left coupling was now properly tightened.

Ruby wasn't really sure how to feel about Ral, all things considered. On one hand, he was rather abrasive, always smirking, and never really had much of a kind word to say to anyone, and instead had plenty of nasty things to say in their stead. And yet, his advice, though snarky and rather mean, usually ended up being to the benefit of whoever was its recipient. Well, Ruby supposed he was the chief researcher for a reason, after all.

Besides, he was just like her and Professor Ozpin, so that was also something… kind of.

Xanther blinked, and then bent low to retrieve the rolled-up paper and promptly unfurled it. "Huh," they said as their eyes scanned over the page.

"So? What's the errand?" Ruby asked.

"'Head to Tin Street, and then go to Workshop Nerrit to pick up a package. You will be expected.' That's it?"

Xanther shrugged. "Seems so. Still, at least it gives us a good excuse to head out into the city. You know, stretch our legs, breath in some (relatively) clean air? Plus, maybe we can catch a neat little show or two. Tin Street is always a lot of fun. What do you say?"

Ruby returned the shrug. "I mean, it's not like we can disobey this or anything. Still… why not? I really need to walk around, and there doesn't really seem to be a time limit on this. Maybe someplace where there are a few fewer explosions?"

"Okay," Xanther replied. "Though, I don't know why you would want less explosions. Explosions are a sign of progress."

The two shared a laugh as they headed out of the laboratory. "Right," Ruby said. "Let's collect our gear, and then meet at the guildgate in ten?"

"You bet."

12 minutes later, the two met up at the guildgate, both with their personal mizzium apparatuses, Ruby with Crescent Rose, and Xanther with their ion gauntlets, staff, and a 2-foot tube that hung from a sling on their belt.

In Ravnica (as Ruby had learned from Professor Ozpin) there were many unspoken rules. One of these was 'never go around unarmed.' Not that Ruby really needed to be told that. As an (ex?) huntress-in-training, having Crescent Rose on hand was really second nature to her. She also really hoped this errand did not take too long. She wanted to add more upgrades to her baby…

With that, the two friends headed off into Precinct Four. They crossed over the Izzet bridge, past the gate, and onto the street, which was bustling and noisy, as ever. Various citizens and guild members walking around, arguing, and just going about their daily lives. The two then took a right to head around Nivix and cut through the Bulwark.

"You know… we could always just take a shortcut through the Red Wastes," Xanther said, snidely.

Ruby gave her friend a flat look. "Yes… because I was really looking forward to getting my face eaten by a gruul today."

She really needed to thank Professor Ozpin again for the crash course in the Guilds… though she was a little confused as to how exactly the Gruul Clans counted as one… or how they had lasted so long.

"Okay, but your loss. I hear running from giant boars all day is a great way to work up your endurance."

They made their way through the crowds. It never ceased to fill Ruby with awe at the sight of this place; the people, the markets, the magic, and the life that every corner seemed to exude. It just never ceased to amaze her with just how different the city felt from… back home.

Even in Vale or Patch, there was always a sort of wariness in the air. After all, the grimm were always lurking just outside the borders, and walls didn't last forever. Even now, Ruby found her eyes almost unconsciously darting to the nearest wall. But here? It wasn't here at all. There was no fear of grimm. Ruby wondered what it must be like, to grow up in a place where that sort of fear wasn't hanging over your head all day.

Of course, it didn't mean that things were any more peaceful here. She and Xanther passed by no less than a dozen fistfights between rival guildmembers, and most people were still carrying weapons. But still…It made Ruby wonder if Remnant could have been like Ravnica, if not for Salem and the grimm and the gods. Would the kingdoms have also stretched all over the globe too? Would she have grown up riding on giant birds or seeing winged women in the sky?

It was a lot to think about….

As she and Xanther walked on, they eventually made their way to Tin Street. Ruby's eyes widened at the sight. Market stalls and shops as far as the eye could see. Restaurants that emanated tasty smells and scents and fares in their front windows. And, of course… the weapon shops. Even if none of it could transform, it was all still just. So. Cool!

"This place is awesome!" Ruby exclaimed.

Xanther chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Man. You act like you're just seeing this place for the first time, Ruby."

Ruby blinked rapidly at that. Oh crap! "What're ya talking about? Of course, I've seen this place before. Who hasn't? It's Tin Street. Tin Street! Longest thoroughfare in Ravnica. Of course, I've seen this place before. Why would you think otherwise?"

Alright, Ruby. That was totally smooth. Completely, and totally smooth.

Xanther blinked and raised a brow for a moment. Then, they just shrugged. "Okay. C'mon, let's get something to eat. Can't go to the Workshop on an empty stomach, right?"

Before Ruby could say anything else, she felt someone bump into her. Almost instinctually, Ruby's hand shot for the coin pouch on her belt that Professor Ozpin had given her… and felt nothing.

Her eyes widened as she turned, to see a cloaked figure quickly scurrying away. "THIEF!" she yelled out. She then started after the thief, with Xanther close behind. But the crowd was getting a bit thick. No, that was all the money she had on hand! Money was important in a city!

Right, time for a different tactic. With but a thought, Ruby activated her semblance. As she did, the mizzuim in her harness began to glow as red as rose petals, but that wasn't important and-

Everything became clear and streamline and compressed As Rose Petals filled the air, everything seemed to compress, and she was off.

She zoomed around carts and market stalls, and over people, and even under the legs of a few giants. The thief was running. They were fast…but Ruby was faster.

She angled herself over them at a downward angle, and then deactivated her semblance, and let gravity, and thick leather-and-iron boots do the rest.

"HIIII-YAH!" She cried out, as she descended upon the thief like the wrath of an angry red inventor god made of rose petals. Also, the air smelled of lemon!

The thief barely managed to look up with wide eyes as the boots collided against their face with a loud CLONK-THUD!

A moment later, a triumphant (and slightly off-balance) Ruby was standing precariously on top of a senseless thief, her hands on her hips, and looking generally heroic… much to the slight confusion of the other passers-by. Still, she thought that she heard a smattering of applause coming from some of them. Also, it was like she could see everything in clear detail! This was awesome, and she felt awesome!

The thief beneath her feet groaned, and then dazedly tried to push her off, only to have Crescent Rose's blade rest lightly against their neck. "None of that! Also, I would really like my coin pouch back. So, can you give it back, please?" Ruby said with a grin.

It was the sort of grin she had seen Yang use enough times (and that Ruby may or may not have practiced a bunch of times in the mirror when she was alone). Still, it seemed to do the trick, and the wide-eyed thief shakenly handed her the coin pouch back… along with several others.

A moment later, after Xanther had caught up, a small troop of knights in Red and White (the Boros, as Professor Ozpin called them), arrived. They promptly cuffed the thief and dragged them away, along with giving Ruby both a small commendation for catching the thief… and a stern warning for engaging in vigilantism. Ruby simply blew them a silent raspberry after they left.

Xanther scratched at their cheek as Ruby transformed Crescent Rose back into its compact form. "So… that happened, I guess. Are you okay?"

Ruby nodded, and opened her mouth to reply-

"Wow! That was so cool!"

The two Izzet members jumped in surprise (understandably), at the little voice that seemed to have suddenly come out of nowhere. They then turned and looked down a bit towards its source.

The girl was tiny, a bit shorter than Ruby, who would (reluctantly) admit that she wasn't all that much in the way of height either. She had bronze-hued skin, a messy little rat's nest of brown hair, and her eyes were a deep violet, almost like Yang's.

She looked up at Ruby with a beaming smile. "Hi! Name's Araithia, but my mommy calls me Rat," the girl said. "Which is very cool. Are you two from the Izzet league? That's also cool, though I hear they are kind of crazy, and you're wearing all the right colors, plus you have the goggles, which seem to be a thing with them. And what you did was just awesome. That guy was like 'haha, stealing!' and you were like 'THIEF,' and then 'whoosh, whoosh, zoom, rose petals!' and then all 'HI-YAH,' and it was just so COOL, the way you slammed in them! Anyway, as I was saying, my mommy calls me Rat. I think you're cool. Wanna be friends?"

Her smile was wide, bright, and innocent.

Xxxxxxxx

Taiyang

Tai added more twigs to the crackling flames and rolled his neck. It was something he often did when he felt tired; the rolling of the neck, not the fire thing. He then took a bite of the jerky. It obviously wasn't beef or pork, but it tasted pretty good.

"This tastes pretty good," he said aloud. He then held some out to Yang. "want some more?"

His daughter looked at him. The swelling around her eyes had all but faded, and she could walk on her own cognizance for the most part. She was still stumbling though, still acclimating to the… lack of her right arm.

Tai sighed. "Yang. We've had this conversation already. You need to eat. You need to keep up your strength."

She said nothing and turned her gaze away and to the flames. Tai, in turn, had to fight the urge to weep. Ever since she had been a day old, Yang had always been an exuberant little spitfire. She didn't coo when a loud laugh would do, and when she screamed… oh boy, but he had to get his ears checked a few times. All of that had only increased when she learned to walk and talk, and it would take hours to get her down for a nap or the night.

His little golden dragon, so full of energy, full of laughter and fiery grins, ready to take on the world with a joke and a sock to the jaw. Now though… she barely even talked or ate, and he heard her crying in her sleep.

Though, after what had almost happened to her… he couldn't blame her. What kind of asshole blamed someone for going through something like that, after all? The thought of it made him clench his hands tightly. He had been doing that a great deal lately, so much that it was a wonder that his gloves did not have finger-sized holes in their palms already.

He didn't regret killing them. He had killed people before. Being a huntsman did not come with a guarantee that all you had to kill were grimm. Sometimes, you had to put down monsters who walked and talked like people, and who smiled and laughed as they did horrendous things. People like the ones who had hurt his little spitfire.

He didn't regret killing them… but that didn't mean that he had enjoyed it.

He shook his head. That wasn't important right now. What was important was finding some sort of civilization, where he and Yang could recuperate more adequately. Somewhere where the land didn't do weird stuff all the time. Like having rocks shoot out from the ground… or have sinkholes with fire in the center spontaneously appear… or massive earthquakes. And all of that, without getting into some of the strange creatures they had to avoid at times.

Seriously, what the hell was with this place? And what the hell were those giant things floating in the sky all the time?

And why was the moon not missing pieces!?

No. None of that was important. Find shelter, get some help for Yang, along with some source of income, and then worry about other existential bru-haha.

He held out the jerky again. "Please, Yang. Just eat. Keep up your strength."

She looked at him, with dull purple eyes.

Xxxxxxxx

Yang

She looked at him, at the expression on his now-bearded face, as he held out the food.

Why? Why did he have to look at her like that? Why did he have to talk like that to her?

Was she really that fucking weak?

Of course, you are, a tiny voice whispered. If you were strong, you would still have your arms. If you were strong, those bandits wouldn't have defeated you so easily. If you were really strong, then you wouldn't have to rely on daddy to protect you in this strange and dangerous place.

But, you're not strong… are you?

She hated that little voice, hated it because it was true. It made her want to scream. She wanted to scream until her throat was hoarse; until blood and tears ran down her cheeks. She wanted to... but just couldn't find it within herself to do so at the moment.

She just felt so fucking weak.

No. She would get better. She would not be weak again. She was a dragon, and dragons were not weak. They were strong and fiery. She would regain her fire… and burn away all the pity that seemed to lay upon her.

She would not be weak.

So… she took the food without a word if only to get him to stop looking at her like that, even if for only a moment. The food had no taste to her, though.

Her dad sighed. "Get some sleep. It'll be better tomorrow."

He had said that for the past few nights. At first, she had hated it. He had sounded like he was just saying it to try and make her feel better. Stop lying. Stop lying to me, dad, she wanted to scream.

No, that was a weak way of thinking. She had to be strong.

"…Okay," she said, and his face lit up at her verbal response.

As she slept, she dreamed of little ravens, mocking her with their cawing. She dreamed, and dreamed, and dreamed. She dreamed of voices, some familiar, and some not, all talking down to her with pity. And she dreamed of a red claw, biting into her arm, over and over, and over again, drowning out the sounds of her shrieks.

But mostly… she dreamed of laughter. And she dreamed of fire, burning everything in sight, from the ground to the stars. Was she the one who was laughing?

The next day, they rose early.

Xxxxxxxx

Taiyang

The next day, he and Yang rose early, and made their way, following the edge of what seemed to be a large, white-water river. It seemed almost as large as an ocean.

Eventually, though, they crested a hill, and what he saw made Tai almost whoop in a desperate joy, even as it also left him gobsmacked.

Beside him, even Yang, who seemed a bit less withdrawn than last night, let loose a slight "woah."

It was a large, fortified city. Even from this distance, he could make out the gleaming white walls, and the tall, proud spires, shining in the distant sun. It looked more radiant than Vale, that was for sure. For some reason though, when Tai looked at it, he was reminded of an impregnable, standing tall and strong against anything that nature dared to throw at it. Beyond the city gleamed a sparkling sea.

Right… so at least they had found shelter now.

With that, he and Yang headed towards what would hopefully be their new home….

xxxxxxxx

Weiss

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

If there was, perhaps, one good thing about the swamplands they were in, it was that it was warm and that there was little risk of Weiss and Neptune freezing to death, at least in some respects, and only if it was not raining. If there was another good thing about the swamplands… then Weiss could not bring it to mind. Of course, she had no real inclination to try so. In fact, it seemed as if there weren't any other 'good' things about wherever the hell it was that she and Neptune were.

The sun shined with a dim and grey light, no doubt to the equally grey skies. There was a haze in the air that clung to your skin alongside the sweat and grime, and, of course, there was the stench… and the wet. All the gods-damned moisture… and the mud.

Weiss had taken to wringing out her ponytail several times already.

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

And, again, she was seriously regretting not wearing socks with these boots. She also wished that she had a better pair of boots at the moment.

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

But, beyond all that, there was something about this place, this area. It just felt… wrong. Dark, or perhaps… malevolent could be a better word for it. She knew Neptune felt it too, and she hoped dearly that they could find a way out of this place soon.

Behind her, Neptune idly cracked the knuckles of his free hand. His other was held loosely on Tri-Hard's gun handle while it hung from a strap on his shoulder, ready to aim and pull the trigger at a moment's notice. It was the same with her and Myrtenaster; one hand almost always resting on her blade's pommel. The two had also taken to tying their jackets around their waists, as it was too warm and muggy for them to be comfortably worn.

"Lien for your thoughts?" Neptune asked as they continued to slog through the knee-high water.

"Sure, my thoughts are this; I think that I truly and utterly despise swamps," Weiss replied. "But wait, didn't you ask that yesterday?"

He gave a humorless chuckle. "Can't argue with that, I guess. I'm finding that I'm becoming rather averse to them myself. Who'd have thought, huh? And yeah, I think I did. Though, I also recall that you gave a similar answer yesterday, somewhere within the vein of 'I want to burn this swamp to the roots."

This time, Weiss gave a humorless chuckle of her own.

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

Crunch.

Weiss and Neptune's heads both shot up at the sound, and they immediately readied their weapons with desperate and weary ease.

For a long moment, they heard nothing else but the sounds of the swamp interlaced with that of their own breathing, the slow whine of Tri-Hard's barrel charging to life, and the slight clicking-noise as Weiss thumbed Myrtenaster's hammer, rotating her blade's chamber to the desired setting. All they could see was each other, the mist, the swamp, the grey skies, and the gloom.

Neptune scanned the skies through the sights of his weapon, whilst Weiss kept her eyes on the ground and swamp all around them, Myrtenaster held at the ready. The two stood back-to-back, a necessary precaution in this sort of situation, of course.

A minute passed… then two.

A roar broke the silence, full of malice and horrific hunger, and a twisted shape leaped towards them from out of the gloom, claws extended.

As a glyph flashed to life in front of her hand, Weiss flicked Myrtenaster up and shoved it forward, just as a conductor would with her baton. A larger glyph appeared before her and burst forward to intercept the leaping thing with a slam. The creature howled and screeched as it was sent tumbling back, only to land on its feet in a deranged scramble.

It had the same general body shape as a great hunting cat, but that was where all resemblance ended. Its skeletal structure was clearly visible through its dark-purple fur, and its jaws seemed jam-packed with long and distended fangs, while long, wicked talons extended from its paws. Its body was also idly contorting in ways that Weiss had never seen any animal move, not even a grimm. Though, like the grimm, this creature had the appearance of something that was very good at killing. It was really almost reptilian, in a way, with the way its long, curling tongue seemed to be tasting the brackish air.

But its eyes; its solid yellow eyes seemed to gleam with a sickly and hungry malevolence as it glared at Weiss. It leaned down, with its ears pressed flat against its skull.

Above and behind them, there came the distant flap of wings and a shriek. Weiss then heard Neptune swear under his breath. "Shit. We got a flying one. It's hovering and coming straight for us. How do you want to play this?"

Three were also portably more of the cat creatures waiting in the mists. Weiss steeled herself and raised her hand again. "On my mark," she said.

"Got it. Ready to fire."

She kept her eyes firmly on her own foe, even as the screech of the flying creature pierced the air. Neptune's gun slowly whirred to life.

The cat-monster's muscles bunched together, and it dropped low as it prepared to pounce. Then, there was another shriek and, while the flying creature dived, Weiss gave the signal. "Now!"

She and Neptune dove and rolled to opposite sides, and the cat-creature bounded after Weiss. Allowing the creatures to slam into each other. Neptune fired off a blast of energy from Tri-Hard that slammed against the flying creature, making it spasm and shriek in pain, only to be silenced a moment later when he leaped and drove the reconfigured Tri-Hard into its thrashing skull. Meanwhile, Weiss rolled to her feet and slammed Myrtenaster's blade into the ground, and a large glyph opened underneath her as the cat creature pounced once again.

A moment later, a shining white Arma Gigas burst from the glyph, blade raised high as it descended upon the leaping cat creature, and cut it in two from tongue to tail. Her summon then pivoted to decapitate another cat monster that came hurtling out of the gloom.

Neptune yanked out his polearm, its large blue blade crackling with energy, and he brought it up just in time to fend off the fangs and claws of a third beast, only for Weiss to shove Mytenaster's tip through its neck. The creature coughed up black, viscous blood, and then died. Neptune twirled his weapon and, once Weiss jettisoned them both into the air, he threw it down. The minute the blade touched the ground, the water became electrocuted, and the air was filled with the dying, pain-filled screams of more of the creatures for at least several seconds.

After staying alight in the air through the summoning of a copy of one of the flying creatures, Weiss ordered the summon to gently deposit them on the ground. The pair looked around at the now-charred husks of the creatures, and the air that was filled with arid and thick smoke that made them cough.

As Neptune retrieved his weapon, and the pair continued on their way to… wherever it was that they were headed, Weiss let loose a sigh. "Nice work," she said.

Neptune looked at her as he balanced his weapon over his shoulder. "Thanks," he said, without much enthusiasm.

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

Their days in this muggy hell had slowly started to pass with a dreary sense of repetition, tinged with dejá Vu.

Every night, it was the same thing; they made a fire, skinned and cooked whatever lizard-thing or fish/ aquatic creature that they managed to catch, drank some water that looked somewhat palatable, and then went over what dust they still had in their on-hand inventory… which was not very much, and it was dwindling a little bit more with each passing day. Then, they took turns sleeping and keeping watch. When it was her turn, she also made sure to practice as much as she could with her semblance, summoning copies of the creatures that she and Neptune managed to subdue and overcome. Of course, she always made sure to begin and end with the Arma Gigas; her own shining knight.

It was of some comfort to Weiss that whatever power it was that had caused her and Neptune to end up in this brackish hell, it had somehow resulted in her summoning having grown in massive leaps and bounds. Before, it had taken a good effort just to summon a single arm of the arma gigas. Now, not only could she summon it in its entirety, but other creatures too, including anything that they killed while squelching through the marsh.

Aside from that, Weiss could not find all that much to be elated about. Though, on another partial positive note, Weiss had quickly discovered how useful her semblance could be for catching fish. Neptune helped with that too, when he could, though his hydrophobia was still making it a bit difficult. But, after a few days of slogging through brackish water that tended to vary between ankle and knee-high, he seemed to have gotten it partially managed, even if he did his very best to not look down.

Their days were not much better though; they walked, tried to make listless and short conversation, and, occasionally, fought off any of the strange creatures that tried and attacked them, which ranged from the cat-monsters to the flying ones to what could only be described as hideous, fanged toads… and other things that seemed straight out of a madman's nightmares.

Sometimes, the creatures attacked at night, too. Weiss could imagine that the circles under Neptune's eyes were no doubt matched by her own.

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

At times, the two came across strange and foreboding ruins in the swamp, alien in design and unknown in regards to whatever ancient function they may have once fulfilled. Some of them, when approached, seemed to exude a sort of… well, feeling might not have been the right word for it, but Weiss was honestly too tired to think of anything more articulate or descriptive. They just felt… wrong, just like the rest of this place. Those ruins, the pair stayed well away from.

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

At the moment, they were taking shelter in one of the ruins that did not give off such ill feelings. Luckily, this one came with a makeshift roof, as it was raining at the moment. They huddled around a fire that was cooking their latest catch.

As they cooked their catch and listened to the rain, Neptune leaned his head against the mossy stone wall, and let loose a tired sigh. "How much dust do you still have left?" he asked.

Weiss shook her head. "Counting what's left in Myrtenaster… two whole vials. And neither of those are gravity dust. What about you?"

He shook his head as well. "The energy carbine for Tri-Hard is almost out of juice, and I don't have any more backups. So, soon, I'll just be left with a very heavy trident. I mean, it can last if I don't use any more blasts…"

The Schnee heiress (though it was highly unlikely she was that anymore) dragged a hand across her face and stared at the flames. While they had managed to catch a few little lizard-things, they had not been able to find any water that seemed halfway potable. They would be sleeping with dry throats again, it would seem.

She shook her head. "Neptune… I don't think we'll be able to keep doing this for much longer. We've been walking for days, and there seems to be no end to this swamp. Sooner or later… we may have to face reality."

He gave a tired nod. "I figured as much. Still… what's our alternative? Weigh down our clothes with a few rocks, jump in the next deep body of water that we see, and just hope that it's quick?"

Weiss just looked at him and said nothing. In turn, he let loose a humorless chuckle and shook his head. "Man… Who'd have thought that this would be how it ends for us, huh? Two quality huntsmen-in-training. We survived grimm, rampaging robots, and terrorists… and now, here is where it ends; dying of hunger or thirst in a swamp in some distant world that we still have no idea on how we got here. Who'd have thought, huh? And who'd have thought I'd be so freaking blasé about drowning?"

Weiss said nothing, and simply… put her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and gave a small smile, one that should herself returning. Whatever his faults, Neptune was a reliable person to have at your back, all things considered. And, she would admit, he still did look kind of handsome, beneath all the grime and muck and dried blood and-

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

Despite their tired states, the two were upon on their muddy feet in a flash, weapons at the ready as the footsteps drew closer. Soon, the firelight revealed a figure, who held up their gloved hands high in a gesture of peace. "Peace, peace, friends. No need for any ill intentions. Name's Lask. I just saw your campfire, and hoped to avail myself of its warmth."

'Lask' was somewhat on the thin-yet-stocky side, with a narrow face, small eyes, and swept-back hair of dark brown that was nonetheless as disheveled as Weiss's and Neptune's. They had something of an open, androgynous look about themself, and they were dressed in dark leathers that seemed to blend in with the marsh. Their face also seemed to be covered in small burns.

Lask gave them a crooked grin, even as Weiss and Neptune kept their weapons train. "Easy now. No need for hostility."

They then narrowed their eyes at the pair. "Nevinyrral's gleaming skull, but you two certainly seem like you've had a tough time here in Urborg, eh? Maybe I can help with that a little."

As they spoke, they reached down to their belt, making Weiss and Neptune tense. The traveler kept one hand raised as the other detached a canteen from their belt, and held it out. "Here. You two must be thirsty. I have water and rations in my pack. I'd be willing to share if you let me sit for a moment?"

Weiss's eyes darted to the canteen for a moment but kept Myrtenaster raised. Lask chuckled again. "Oh, alright. If it makes you feel any better…"

They then took a quick swig from the water bottle and smacked their lips. "Nice and drinkable. See?"

Almost hesitantly, Weiss reached out, snatched away the bottle, and took a quick sip. It tasted… like water.

As she slowly lowered Myrtenaster, she handed the canteen to Neptune, who lowered Tri-Hard as well while he took a sip.

Lask chuckled. "Drink as much as you want. I have another. Anyway, now that we've established some trust here, how about some food, while I sit by the fire. It's a cool night, and I need some warmth in my bones right now."

Weiss and Neptune slowly returned to their seats while Lask sat down and divested themselves of their pack, which they set on the ground with a sling jangling sound. They opened a flap and proceeded to rifle through it for a moment, before withdrawing a small sack from the pack's interior.

They undid the drawstring, and the scent of dried fruit filled the air as they handed out what looked like dried apricots and nuts to Weiss and Neptune. Still, as with the water, Lask took a bite to prove all was safe, and then Weiss and Neptune all but devoured their own fruit and nuts. It was simple… and it was fucking delicious.

Lask chuckled. "Aye, but it seems that you have not eaten well. How long have you been in the swamp here?"

Neptune swallowed. "Almost a week, I think."

"It's been… difficult to keep track of the days," Weiss added.

Lask nodded. "I can imagine. Time is not kind to those trapped in these swamps without preparation, as you two can no doubt attest."

"Indeed," Weiss said. The fire felt very warm now.

"Yeah... Makes a soul wonder just how you two managed to survive. Grit? Determination?"

"I… guess,' Neptune said, as he blinked.

Lask made an affirmation sound with their throat. "Or maybe some heavy magic? Like oh, I don't know… killing your foes and then summoning them as strange copies? Maybe some of that, huh?"

Weiss's eyes widened, and she and Neptune shot to their feet… or tried to. Everything felt just so… heavy, and thick.

"Feeling a bit unbalanced?" Lask inquired with a wide grin. "That's to be expected. The compound I put in the water you drank tends to have that effect on people who imbibe it. Tasteless and odorless. A nice little mixture if I do say so myself."

"But… you… drank…" Weiss slurred.

"I did, I did. But then… I just wouldn't be that much of a poisoner if I neglected to build up an immunity to my own concoctions, now would I?"

Neptune managed to rise and shamble towards Lask for one moment, and then tumbled to his side. "p… poison?" Weiss said with a thick tongue.

That… that was… bad…

Lask nodded. "Indeed. And quite good at it too, I might add. A person has so little that they can truly take pride in, these days. Oh, not to worry. It's not going to kill you. All it'll do is simply send you two off to dreamland for a wee bit. Just long enough for the rest of my fellows to come so that we can all have a proper chat."

They then stood up and leaned over Weiss, and their grin was something dark. "It's a mighty odd little power you have, and that piques their interest. Bringing back the dead in a fashion. Now, what isn't interesting about that?"

They were saying something else, but the ground swallowed up Weiss, and she knew no more….

Xxxxxxx

Blake

The fire was comforting and warm and crackled pleasantly as it cooked their fish. Meanwhile, the water from the river was palatable at the very least.

Blake had never really had any occasion to be near a jungle. She had read about them, of course. A good deal of her… personal novels had a large variety of scenes that took place in jungles, though those involving leopard-skin leotards and loincloths… bare skin… and swinging on vines. There was that, but when in her life would she had ever been in one? The answer was never. Now, here she was, in a jungle, with Sun.

Overhead, the moon gleamed through the canopy of the trees. Sun had freaked out about that for a hot second, and she had to admit that she had felt almost the same. But that had been two days ago. There were better things to do than freak out over an impossibility like what hung in the night sky.

After finding the remains of the boat, the pair had headed inland, always being sure to follow the water as it transferred from the ocean into a long and winding river. Stay near the water; that was survival 101, after all. Of course, survival 102 also said that you should never be in the wilderness without a weapon of some kind on hand. Luckily, Sun's weapons, Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang, had a third battle configuration as a pair of fighting sticks, though he rarely used that form, given his preference for the bo staff and the nunchakus. Still, without a second thought, he gave one to Blake for her to make use of. She would have preferred a sword but was she was thankful to have it on hand nonetheless. As they headed more and more inland, the pair had found it best the don their shoes once again.

Despite the roars that they had heard on the beach, they had yet to encounter any wildlife aside from the fish they caught and ate at night.

Sun looked at her as he chewed on a mouthful of fish and skin. "So… How are you doing?"

Blake shrugged as she took a bite of her fish. "As fine as I can be, I guess, given the circumstances. And as fine as the last times you asked that."

He nodded. "I hear ya. Man though, who would have thought? Two desert-rat kids, stuck in a freaking jungle forest of all places. Still… at least this should all make for an interesting story, right, for when we get back?"

When. Never before had Blake felt so attached to such an innocuous word. When they got back; when they got out of wherever it was that this place was. When. Of course, though neither said it aloud, Blake knew, deep down, that the more correct word was probably if. If they got home. If, if, if.

She sighed and took another bite of fish. "Yeah," she said. "When."

The fire kept crackling, and the area around them echoed with strange sounds.

"So…" Sun said, as he awkwardly tapped his hands against his knees. "What do we do tomorrow? Keep following the river?"

Blake gave a half-shrug as she took the last bite of her fish, leaving her charred stick holding only the skeleton and what little bits of charred flesh that she could not sink her teeth into. "It seems like our best bet… at least until we find some sort of civilization."

"Then what do we do when that happens?"

When. Not if. "Then… we'll take a page out your book, and just take it as it comes, I guess."

The brought a smile to Sun's face, and he let out a laugh. "Ha! I like it!" He then held out his empty stick in a strange sort of toast. "Well, here's to winging it!"

Blake could not help but return his smile. The monkey-faunus's good cheer was neigh-on infectious. She held up her stick, and they tapped against one another. "To winging it."

The fire kept crackling, and it was warm and kind and protecting… as fire perhaps should be.

They slept fitfully, and then rose early, doused and smothered the fire, and then headed on their way the next morning following the riverbank. The morning dew was a bit damp on their skin, as was the humidity of the jungle, offset slightly by the feeling of a cool breeze on their faces. Though the fact that neither had bathed in a few days did not really help all that much.

As the sun continued to rise, they walked on. For a while, there was no incident but then… the ground began to shake with the rhythmic sounds of large footsteps. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Exchanging fearful glances, Blake and Sun quickly scampered up the nearest tree and hid within its foliage. They each kept a firm grip on their sticks but neither dared to move, and the footsteps drew ever closer, and louder.

Thud. Thud. THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

They exchanged a look, as the tree started to slightly tremble from the huge footsteps.

THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

They watched with bated breath as the thuds grew louder still, and… a human, an ordinary human, ran past their tree, screaming in fear. Then before Blake or Sun could do anything or even move, a moment later, a huge creature shot into view behind him and snapped up the human in a single gruesome chomp.

Blake and Sun watched in horrid fascination as the creature proceeded to chew its meal in a few loud crunches and chomps. Whatever it was… it had two small forearms, while the rest of it was just massive, from its head to its tail. It looked reptilian, though, in addition to its shimmering grey-and-green colored scales, its arms and back and head were covered and crested with brightly colored feathers, like those of an exotic tropical bird's.

It also did not escape Blake's notice that it seemed to be wearing some sort of armored harness.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Neither faunus dared to move, to even breathe or sweat, as they watched with unashamed fear as the beast's massive jaws worked and snapped up the remaining bones and flesh of the human, and as it tilted its large trunk and head backward to… to swallow.

Once it had finished its grisly meal, the creature seemed to peer about the immediate area, its small eyes gleaming with bestial instinct. Then, its head perked up at something, and it thundered off into the jungle. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Even after it vanished, the pair were still loath to risk descending to the jungle floor. Who knew if it would come back, all of a sudden?

"What… what kind of grimm was that?" Sun whispered, dread present in his voice.

Blake swallowed; the sound now almost uncomfortably loud to all four of her ears. "I… I don't think that was a grimm," she whispered back. "And now I am really certain that we are not alone here. It had... armor."

Finally, after what felt like hours, the pair hesitantly made their way down the tree.

Blake could not help but stare at the large footprints in the ground… as well as the small splatter of blood on the ground. The footprint was almost large enough to lie in comfortably without curling up too much. Of course, where there was one, there was likely more. And then there was the matter of its armored harness….

Neither of those thoughts did much to help Blake's mood any-

Suddenly, there was a massive explosion in the distance, so loud that it seemed to make the ground shake. It was soon followed by several loud and mighty roars, and other screams. Smoke was rising in the distance, visible through the foliage of the trees.

The commotion sent lances of cold down Blake's spine, and Sun's tail was currently standing on end.

They each exchanged a glance, as more explosions and roars rocked the ground. Blake then gripped her stick tightly and started moving forward, Sun close on her heels. Was it risky, running towards explosions and roars and screams? Yes, but, usually, those equated to some sort of civilization. What kind of civilization, though!? Well, that was another question altogether, and one to be answered after they found said civilization. It wasn't great, but, tight now… it was all they had.

They followed the sounds as they increased in volume and clamor, each sound causing a nervous sweat to pour from their brows until they passed through a few more tangling of trees and they saw…

Blake… actually did not know what she was seeing, save that it was nothing short of madness.

There were humans in strange steel armor decorated with colorful feathers that were… riding some of the strange reptilian creatures. And there were plenty of those, in all shapes and sizes. And they were fighting not only strange, pale-looking humans dressed in gold armor, but also strange faunus-seeming creatures, all of whom seemed to possess exaggerated aquatic traits, and who were using weapons and armor made out of… was that jade?

Caught in the middle of it all were people dressed like the man from earlier, with leather armor, bandanas, cutlasses, and axes. These were humans, small strange monkey-like creatures with blue skin, and tall, grey-fleshed, muscular figures with tusks.

It wasn't a skirmish; it was like at Beacon, kill-or-be-killed combat. But this also seemed… more. This didn't seem like a single battle, like at beacon… their cries of rage sounded as if they were all familiar with the other.

This seemed more… like a single instance in an all-out war.

That, and the fact that some of them were throwing out fire, water, lighting, or dissipating into smoke or… biting people and was that person drinking someone's blood!?

"What… what the hell is all this!?" Sun gaped; his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

Before Blake could answer, the hair on the back of her neck stood up. Instinctually, she tackled Sun to the ground, just before the sword could skewer him from behind.

The pair rolled to their feet to face their attacker and saw that it was one of the pale humans in golden armor. He had short black hair and a trimmed goatee… and his eyes were solid gold while a liberal amount of blood that was stained his face, especially around his fanged mouth. That, coupled with his pointed ears… all pointed to the fact that this was nothing human.

He looked at them with an uncomfortable expression in his eyes, and he raised his blood sword high. "Yes! More sinners to die upon my blade! May Saint Elenda bless me! Now ave at thee, infidels!"

Then, with a cackle that bordered on deranged zealotry, he charged forward.

Sun was the first to meet his stride with a raised stick, blocked his blow, and followed shortly it up with a kick to his armored solar plexus.

The man tanked the blow, laughed, and pushed hard against their locked weapons, sending Sun staggering back into the battle proper, only for Blake to use the brief distraction to sneak up behind him and slam her own stick down upon his head.

The man's hand shot up, grabbed the stick, and then, a moment later, Blake was flying after Sun, thrown with one hand almost effortlessly.

While the pair got to their feet as quickly as they could, the man's lower body dissipated into inky vapors, and he flew towards them, sword outstretched, and joyful madness etched onto his face.

Blake and Sun each jumped to the side and slashed out with their sticks. He parried almost effortlessly and attacked back. His swordsmanship was quick and brutal, and his blade flashed and flashed and flashed.

Sun barely dodged a blow that would have taken off his arm, and shifted his stick into its nunchaku form, and leaped into the offensive. The assault by the unfamiliar weapon made the bloody figure take a few steps back as he tried to dodge, only to get a shotgun blast to the arm, and a solid whack across the head again from Blake, which h was unable to dodge this time.

With a shriek of rage, the man whipped his shredded arm into Sun's face, momentarily blinding him with drops of blood. As the faunus staggered, the man's sword arced towards his neck, only for Black to quickly parry it aside. The man's wrath now directed towards her, he slashed and cut furiously, all the while screaming out semi-incomprehensible things that sounded half like a strange prayer, and half like wordless growls.

Even with only one hand, he was fast, and his swordsmanship almost exquisite in its brutality. Blake felt a long cut open up on her cheek and as she instinctually recoiled, he parried aside her stick and… reached out with his now healed arm, and grabbed her by the throat.

It was only through the quick use of a shadow clone that she avoided getting her throat crushed and her stomach stabbed, but her eyes widened in surprise nonetheless. How had his arm healed so quickly?

Undeterred, the man pushed his advantage from her slight confusion, and laid blow after blow with his sword down upon her, and she was barely managing to parry them away. He opened another cut on her shoulder, and hot crimson spilled down her arm.

Then, she stumbled, and he slammed the hilt of his blade into her stomach. The blow knocked the wind out of her and sending her tumbling to the ground. As she fought to regain her breath, he laughed as he raised his sword high, and the blade glinted in the sunlight.

A moment later, the sunlight solidified, and two golden, translucent copies of Sun gripped his arms and knocked his sword out of his hand. Then, the original monkey faunus leaped onto the man's back and pulled his stick and arms around his throat. "Now, Blake!" Sun called out, as he and his clones struggled to hold the soldier steady.

For some reason, smoke was rising from wherever the clones were holding the man, making him shriek in pain.

Regaining her bearings, Blake swept low, grabbed the fallen blade, and then dashed forward, sword and stick at the ready.

The man screamed out again as he struggled, and he suddenly wrenched his arms free of the clones, making them dissipate into motes of light and white sparks. He then gripped Sun by his shirt collar, yanked him off his back, and swung him about like an impromptu flail, slamming him into the surprised Blake with all the force of a speeding train.

As Blake went flying from the power behind the hit, she watched dazedly as the man slammed Sun against the ground three times, all the while he bellowed with inarticulate rage.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

After the third hit, the man promptly dropped the senseless monkey faunus to the ground with another thump. Then, he straightened and drew a knife from a sheathe in his belt. His shadow stretched out behind him as he bent down and raised the knife high.

Blake's eyes widened in fear, and she screamed. "SUN!"

She had to get to him, she had to stop him, but he was just a too far away but, she had to get to-

Suddenly, everything felt cold, and she could feel herself sinking into something thick and viscous and cool, and then she felt herself being propelled forward as if caught in a current. Little lights flashed before her eyes in a dizzying display of rotation and ink and then-

Then she was rising up right behind the man as he raised his knife high. Without hesitation, she plunged her pilfered sword, which now gleamed darkly, into his back with a meaty schlunk!

He arched his back straight up as he howled in agony… and then he promptly backhanded her with a blow that sent her tumbling to the dirt. All around, the battle seemed unending. She then felt two hands wrap around her neck and start to squeeze. He was strangling her, his eyes were two pinpoints of red, and the sword was still stuck in his back, leaking blood down his armor. "HEATHEN! HERETIC SCUM! DIE, DIE, DIE!" he screamed, as she tried to tear his hands away from her neck, and it was getting hard to breathe and was Sun calling out her name and what was that glow-

A moment later, Sun tackled the man with a yell, and why were his arms and hands and feet all glowing and crackling with some sort of strange light? Then, the moment that Sun's glowing fist collided against the man's head with a sound like shattering stone, said head promptly exploded in a small flash of light and blood and other bits. The blood and bits coated Sun and Blake on their faces, just as Blake was forcing gulps of air through her bruised throat. Meanwhile, the now-headless corpse collapsed to the ground with a wet thud.

Blake and Sun both blinked for a moment at what happened as the latter helped the former to her feet. They stared at the corpse, and at Sun's hands, though the glow had just faded. They felt nothing less than perplexed as they wiped some of the blood out of their eyes and off of their faces. What the hell?

A moment later, more screams and explosions drew them back to the fact that they were currently standing in the middle of a pitched battle. They exchanged a look. Then, Blake wrenched out the sword from the corpse and handed her stick back to Sun, who quickly reconfigured it with his own into his customary staff. Then, as one, they headed into the fray. They did not target any specific side, they just stuck together, and fought any who attacked them.

Along the way, Blake managed to acquire a second sword, and this one was one of the jade weapons from the aquatic faunus-seeming creatures. Yet, it was a sharp as any steel blade. While she slashed at a human in feathered armor, Sun twirled, pivoted on the butt of his staff, and delivered a sweeping roundhouse into the face of one of the aquatic creatures with a crunch. Blake cut a deep furrow into her opponent's chest, and the human fell to the ground with a gurgle. They then moved on, fighting if engaged, and doing their best to stay out of biting range of any of the large lizard creatures

The two faunus fell into a strange trance, the sort that was only achieved in battle. They blocked, parried, punched, slashed, twirled, and dodged and kicked. Sun even switched to his weapon's two nunchakus, blasting away until the only sound they made was click-click-click. That nearly got his head bitten off by a creature if Blake had not been able to slash out its eye and neck, showering them in a good deal more blood. At times, they managed to replicate whatever it was that they had done against the bloody man, whether it was Sun's fists and feet glowing as he caved in someone's chest with either a punch, kick, or a whack from his staff, or Blake somehow finding herself flitting around the battlefield instantaneously, before ricocheting back to Sun's side. But there was no good time to ponder it. Not when they were fighting for their very lives.

Then, something seemed to change in the air. Invisible but tangible. Perhaps it was when there came one last huge explosion of fire and fury, so large that the shockwave blasted Sun and Blake off their feet for a split second. The smell of cooked flesh soon filled the air.

All around them, the rest of the fighting soon began to die down, as the aquatic-looking faunus retreated back into the rivers, while the pale creatures and the humans in feathered armor retreated into the jungle. All of these chased by the laughter of the humans and monkey creatures and tall, grey-skinned figures. As the adrenaline began to recede, Blake and Sun stood back-to-back as they were quickly surrounded by the… pirates. Yeah, the humans and monkey-creatures and grey-skinned people, were dressed as pirates like something out of an old history book. Meanwhile, they all still had their weapons trained firmly on the Faunus pair.

One of the grey-skinned figures then strode forth, a pair of axes and a large cutlass slung across his back and hanging idly from his belt, respectively. He was also very, very big, bigger than anyone else in the immediate area. In fact, it would not have been wrong to say that he was taller and held more muscle than even Blake's father. Though he had a large pair of tusks jutting out from his lower lip, he did not seem like a faunus. A large red bandana was wrapped around his head, and at least half of his upper lip looked like it had been sheared off at some point, leaving his face to bear a rather macabre-looking grin. His leather armor, tight against a huge barrel of a chest, was festooned with all sort of strange geegaws and trinkets and things.

He looked them over with dark eyes that were set in a wrinkled and tattooed mask of a face, as he stroked the thick black-and-grey beard that hung down from his chin to the middle of his chest like a miniature waterfall of hair. "Hmmm," he said, in a deep voice. "You two can fight. You really gave those bastards a good hiding. And such odd little abilities you have. I saw what you did. Shadow and Light, it would seem. Curious, very curious. Though, you also gave some of my family members a good thrashing, which I am not so happy about. Thus, the present question is thus; now what do we do? Decisions, decisions, decisions."

He then bared his teeth, and silver and gold glinted out among ivory. Blake thought that it was a smile, and, in some ways, perhaps it was, but it brought her little comfort at the moment. "Well, you two are nothing if not an oddity to figure out. Still, you might be of some interest and use to me and my family. So, I think it would be better for you to come with us."

"And what if we refuse?" Blake asked as she raised her blades.

The pirate (for that was what they certainly seemed to be) shrugged nonchalantly, the motion like hills rising up into mountains. "You could do that, which would then present my family and myself here with two brand-new options; we leave you here… or we cut you down and turn you into fertilizer for the jungle. Trust me when I say that if you refuse to come with us, then the latter option would probably be the kinder of the two. Aside from the river bastards, the blood-suckers and the dinosaur-fuckers won't be as quick, as you no doubt saw. Isn't that right, everyone?"

The other all laughed and nodded out their assent.

The captain, for that was who and what undoubtedly he was, nodded at that. "As I said; you have options other than coming with us. However, I highly doubt that the others would be all the conducive towards long and meaningful lives on your part."

As he spoke, he idly held up his hand… and a small ball of flame and lightning wafted up from his fingertips to rest in his large palm. He was holding a ball of fire and electricity… just like how one would hold a schoolyard ball. Blake and Sun watched this with wide eyes.

Then, he clenched his fist, and the ball was extinguished, and his macabre grin turned a bit less… something. "As I said though; it is your choice. Not mine, nor the rest of my family's."

Blake exchanged a glance with Sun. The memories of the people in gold armor and the gigantic creatures devouring people en-masse was still terribly fresh in her mind. That, and the fact that she and sun were rather liberally covered in blood, and that they were quite outnumbered. So, slowly, they dropped their weapons to the ground, where they were quickly collected by a few of the strange monkey creatures.

The large pirate smiled. "A most excellent and well-made decision, you two. I can tell that we are all going to be friends, and then family. I like that, being able to make new friends, and thus being able to expand this family of mine. Now, let's all stop flapping our jaws and get out of here. I need the feel of a good ship under my feet, and I don't want to be here when the dinosaur-fuckers inevitably regroup. Pack up what loot and weapons you can, mark this area on the map, and then back to the Memory! I want us sailing before nightfall. And give these two back their weapons. There's no reason not to trust their intentions, right?"

A human with one eye saluted. "Aye captain. Alright, you miserable land-lubbers! Let's get fucking moving!"

The captain then flashed Blake and Sun another grin as the same monkey-creatures promptly handed them back their weapons. "Welcome to the crew of the Torrezon's Memory, you two. I think that we are going to get along just swell."

Xxxxxx

Weiss

When Weiss came to, she was in a cage. And it stank. In addition, she saw that she was in a large encampment of some sort, full of tents and small masses of people, and lit by torchlight. She tried to stand up and put a hand to her throbbing head, but both those motions were thwarted. She was jerked back down to the cage floor.

She looked down and saw that her hands were also chained to the floor of the said cage, low enough that she couldn't stand up, and thus forcing her to have to kneel. Then, she heard a shuffling, squelching noise, and saw a figure slowly approaching her. It looked as if they were bent partially to one side. The figure drew closer… and she gasped in shock and horror.

It looked like a person… but one that was decomposing, covered in putrid flesh and maggots, and desiccated eyeballs. It wasn't even breathing. What the hell was this?

"What? You're first time seeing a revenant, girlie?"

She whirled around as best she could to Lask leaning with an insouciant manner against the outside of the cage, all the while bearing an easy grin on their face. "Nasty things, revenants. All that shuffling about. But they have their uses. Still, that's not really important at the moment. What is important is this; and just how are you feeling? I made sure not to use too strong a dose, after all, and I did my best to make sure that there would be no side effects. At least… no lasting ones, anyway."

In response, Weiss tried to jump towards them, the short length of the chain the only thing holding her back. "How about you ask me that when there are no bars or chains between us!?"

Lask chuckled. "Tempting. Very tempting. But, while I have to decline, I am delighted to inform you that all of this…." They gestured to the cage and chains. "…Is a temporary situation. At least, it might be, depending on a few things."

"And what may those 'things' be, you bastard?" Weiss spat.

Lask looked affronted at the insult. "Okay… that was a bit uncalled for. After all, if I was a bastard, I would have just killed you and your little boyfriend, and then looted your corpses. Fortunately, I was paid to bring you in alive, so a little gratitude would not be misplaced. Anyway, as I was saying… well, it all depends on you, girlie… and how much you are willing to cooperate, with me, and the Cabal."

"What are you talking about? And where is Neptune?"

Lask grinned and snapped their fingers. A moment later, two guards wearing black and gold and red armor marched forward… and Neptune was held between them, wrists bound with firm rope, and a gag stuffed into his mouth. He looked up at Weiss with fearful eyes. Their weapons were in the guard's other hands.

Lask followed Weiss's gaze for a moment and chuckled. "It's like this; the people who hired me are very interested in that little power of yours, Weiss, and so, they were hoping that you might be willing to use it for their grand and noble cause. At least… see if it's totally compatible with their brand of necromancy. Even if it isn't, then at least we might still be able to get some use out of it. Like I said back at our little campfire; killing your foes and then summoning them as strange copies? There has to be a bit of necromancy in that, something which my friends are quite interested in. And so, here we are, and you are going to give them a nice little demonstration?"

"And if I don't?" Even as she said that Weiss already knew what the answer would be… and she had a feeling that Lask did as well.

In turn, Lask kept smiling and then turned and gestured the guard on Neptune's left, the one who was carrying Myrtenaster in her free hand. The woman then held the sharp tip of the weapon against Neptune's throat, who tried in vain to struggle away from it. The guard simply pushed the sword inwards… and a small bead of blood ballooned on Neptune's throat

"No! Stop!" Weiss called out, as she tried in vain to pull out her chains.

Lask gestured for the guard to cease, and then turned back to Weiss, that damned smile still on their scarred face. "Well, I think we've got ourselves a nice understanding. I mean, it's no skin off my nose, I'm already getting paid handsomely for this. But, just to be clear; are you ready to cooperate, girlie?"

Weiss glared at the poisoner but nodded nonetheless. "Yes."

"Most excellent. Was that so hard?" Lask asked snidely.

Lask then snapped their fingers again, and a third guard approached with a ring of keys. Weiss did not resist as the man unlocked the cage, and then the lock that held her chains to the cage floor, before sharply yanking her out. Weiss did not stop glaring at Lask the entire time.

"Sorry," they said, as they gestured towards her still-manacled wrists. "Can't be too careful. Still, let's be off, shall we? Oh, and, do ungag dear Neptune, would you? Can't stand the sight of his face getting all teary-eyed from trying to breathe through that gag in his mouth, you know?"

The guard on Neptune's right yanked out the gag, and it made Neptune cough for a few moments as he tried to regain his breath.

Neptune and Weiss were then practically dragged through the camp. It was full of people wearing the same colors as the guards, as well as the 'revenants,' as Lask had called the rotting creatures.

Soon enough they were dragged in front of a large, mobile pavilion, in front of which were two people. Both were heavily armored, and one was standing, while the other sat upon an imposing wooden throne. The one standing was a pale woman, her skin almost deathly in contrast to the darkness of her armor and robes, and what appeared to be an unlit incense censer. Meanwhile, the seated figure seemed to be male, and his armored hands were empty and entwined together. It did not escape Weiss notice that their dark armor did not so much reflect the camp's torchlight… rather, the armor seemed to absorb it, like black ink on white paper.

Lask bowed low before the two figures. "Your Graces. Here are the girl and boy, as promised. Willing and ready to cooperate."

The woman nodded, a hallow and disturbing look in her wide, kohl-rimmed eyes. "We thank you for your services, friend Lask. Blessings of the Eternal Patriarch be upon you," she said.

Lask smiled. "But of course. I would wish for nothing greater… though there is still the small matter of my fee?"

"Indeed. You shall find it waiting at the outskirts of the camp. You may depart when you wish."

"Much obliged."

With that, they turned on their heel and walked away, flashing Weiss and Neptune one, last, mocking grin and wave as they departed.

A moment later, Weiss's hands were unshackled. Then, she was thrown to her knees before the man and woman. She did her best to look up at them without any fear, and she liked to think that she succeeded in that endeavor.

The man's face and expression were unknowable, hidden as it was behind the horned great helm whose faceplate was wrought in the shape of a leering skull. However, Weiss got the feeling that he was looking her over.

He then rose from his seat with a rattle of metal and a creak of leather, and he walked forward until he was looming over her. He was a very tall man, and he looked like the embodiment of the dark knight in all the old fairy tales. In addition, he stank of death and something else. It almost made Weiss gag.

The man then spoke, in a deep and disturbing voice. "Get up, and demonstrate for us your power. Summon us one of your shades, as the necromancer described. Else the boy dies."

Slowly, Weiss got to her feet. She exchanged a look with Neptune before looking around at the camp. Everyone was watching, and all were heavily armed and armored. She then sighed in defeat. "Alright… just don't hurt him, please."

She then raised her hands and concentrated. A large, glowing white glyph flared and spiraled to life on the muddy ground, mirroring the small one that appeared over her right hand. She was tempted to summon her arma gigas, but then thought that a terrible idea, as it might be construed as a threat. So, instead, she brought up a white, translucent copy of one of the cat-monsters, which sat demurely before her, though its face was distorted into a grimacing snarl by its oversized fangs.

The man and woman seemed to examine the summon for a moment, and then they both reached out an armored hand towards it. A dark glow, one that seemed the color of malice and the space between stars, surrounded their hands. Then, it leaped from their palms and slammed into the summons's translucent side.

As it did, the summon… started to turn from translucent white to inky black, and… it looked like it was writhing in pain. As the summon actually screamed out, Weiss felt a pain rocket through her body and… a strange, almost agonizing sensation on her face, near her scarred eye and nose. It made her briefly spasm. She reached up, touched her nose and eye, and then pulled away to discover…

Blood. There was blood coming from her nose and eye. Then, another spasm of pain, and it made her almost cry out, as she fell to her knees. All the while, her summon kept… screaming, like claws and a chalkboard and a knife on glass.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours, but could have only been a few seconds, the pair withdrew their hands. The darkness subsided, and the summon regained its white glow before it dissipated with what almost sounded like a mewl of relief.

A moment later, as the pain subsided, Weiss promptly fell to her knees and vomited a mixture of what little she had eaten, and blood and spittle.

"Fascinating," the woman said. "I could feel something of a spirit within the construct. Newly-made, newly forged…Very interesting."

Weiss felt confused at the woman's statement. The man looked at her, and then at his companion for a moment, before raising a hand again. Thankfully, there came no dark glow this time. "Then she will be of use. Our Lord will be pleased with this prize. Have the revenants break camp. We make for the Stronghold."

But, before the order could be carried out, there came a large explosion from the other side of the camp, drawing everyone's attention. Then, as smoke and flames rose in the air and small exclamations of panic rose in the air, there was a strange whistling noise, and arrows suddenly flitted down from the sky and sank into the armor and flesh of several of the watching inhabitants. As they all fell gurgling and grunting to the ground, there came a grand and defiant bellow from beyond the gloom.

"WINDGRACE!"

Then, as the sky was alight with fire and more arrows, from out of the mist and darkness of the swamp charged a veritable host of warriors, each one armed and girded in hides and leathers and armor colored to blend in with the swamp, while their faces were colored the same. Some were obviously human, while others looked more graceful and had pointed ears, while the rest appeared to be… humanoid cats. Humanoid panthers, to be exact. Before the camp's inhabitants could fully react, the attackers fell upon them.

Soon enough, the camp was filled with the sounds of violence and screams and clashing weapons and… explosions. Explosions that resulted from people flinging balls and blasts and rays of different colors; red, black, green, blue, or white. Almost like… magic.

But there was no time to dwell upon that now.

Neptune took advantage of the commotion to wrench away his arms from his guards, and then dive and roll forward, just as Weiss slammed her hand onto the ground, and sent a newly summoned arma gigas barreling towards the guards that had threatened Neptune's life. As she dashed forward and helped him to his feet, Weiss's summon cut the guards down and then dissipated into white sparks. Weiss and Neptune promptly grabbed their weapons, and joined the fight against their captors, parrying and stabbing and sending out glyph after glyph to push and slam and block.

Still, even compared to the fall of Beacon… this was madness. She saw one cat-person bite out a soldier's neck with its fanged maw. Then, as she hamstrung a soldier, she saw one of the painted attackers screaming in agony as the black-armored man held him up by his throat. The attacker was kicking and screaming in agony and seemed to… shrink in on himself. His skin turned yellowy and taut and dry, like parchment, and, a moment later, the man dropped a dried husk of a corpse to the ground, where it shattered into fragments.

As the killer turned to Weiss, Neptune wrenched out his trident from the body of a revenant, reformed Tri-Hard into its gun configuration, and then fired off a blast of energy right into the man's chest, which sent the dark figure stumbling back. Then, he regained his footing and started to slowly walk towards the pair, a dark miasma gathering about his empty hands.

Neptune's eyes widened, and he fired off blast after blast, even as Tri-hard's battery began to wind down. He kept firing, and the armored man's stride was not even broken this time, and he drew closer. The dark figure idly crushed and slammed aside and… drained any who got in his way.

Weiss wanted to stab Myrtenaster in the ground and send her arma gigas down upon the dark figure, but a small part of her was afraid that the armored man would just twist it again, and make her bleed from her nose and mouth again. Her heart seemed to be beating rapidly as he drew closer. It was as if he was not a man, but some dark, otherworldly being of horror and nightmares in that moment-

No. this was combat. There was no time for that right now. With a yell of defiance, Weiss stabbed her weapon into the ground, and her summoning glyph roared to life beneath her and Neptune's feet.

Soon enough, the arma gigas emerged from it with sword raised high, like the divine emissary of some deity of light and justice. The sword swung down and-

The armored man raised his empty hand and stopped the blade's swing cold. He clenched his armored hand around the ethereal blade, and, as a discordant shrieking noise filled the air, he started pushing the summon back. He kept holding on and a dark miasma began to slither up the blade and the aram gigas' arm. Weiss could feel the agony returning, and blood starting to drip from her nose again as she cried out. Then, the dark knight's hand tightened, and the gigas summon shattered into pieces, while Weiss spat blood.

Neptune yelled, reconfigured Tri-hard into its trident form, and rushed forward. With a yell of triumph, he plunged the tines into the dark man's chest… only to react in horror when the armored man did not die, and instead was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and tossed aside without any apparent effort.

"You will not escape," the armored man said, as he continued to march forward, his voice somehow all she could hear, even over the din and roar of battle.

He nonchalantly slid out the trident from his stomach, and his blood was black and viscous. He was then before her and reached out a hand, one that brimmed with more of the dark miasma. She could almost feel it, worming across her skin, and it made her shake in pain. Distantly, she heard Neptune scream out her name. "You will belong to our Lord," the dark knight said.

"You are my daughter. You will obey my commands, give up this foolish bit of childish defiance, and you will stay here… where you belong."

Belong.

Belong.

How she hated that word.

No, no, no… NO!

Weiss looked up at the dark man… and screamed. She screamed out her defiance, and the dark miasma stopped, as another glyph flashed before her, rotating and dilating in strange and unknowable configurations. The dark miasma stopped and… it seemed to retreat, as if in fear.

A moment later, the armored man started to scream as well… only his were screams of pain and anguish, as arid smoke suddenly started to rise from his hand and armor once the glow of the glyph touched him. He recoiled from her, as she stood up, and another summoning glyph flashed to life, this one shining more brightly than a newborn star. Then, the arma gigas, glowing like a newborn sun, rose forward and swung its glowing bade towards the dark man once again, who was still screaming in agony

As the arma gigas completed its swing, the dark man's two halves went flying off.

Both glyphs then dissipated, and Weiss leaned heavily upon her weapon, feeling almost utterly spent, and what seemed like the beginnings of a massive migraine forming behind her skull.

"Weiss?" came Neptune's voice, as he limped towards her, having retrieved his fallen weapon. One of his arms, he held against his chest, and there was fresh blood dripping from his nose… just like hers. "What… what was that?"

She just shook her head, her confusion as great as her own as she leaned against him; a solid pillar in a strange moment.

Meanwhile, the death and defeat of their leader seemed to demoralize the remnants of Weiss and Neptune's captors, and they were all quickly slaughtered by the attackers. Soon, the clamor of battle died down, and there then arose a great cheer of "FREE URBORG!" and "WINDGRACE!"

The attackers cheered for a minute, and then it died down as they all began to rifle through the camp. While they did so, Weiss and Neptune each let loose a shaky breath. Well, maybe now, it was…

"You two," came a deep voice.

The two looked up, to see that they had been addressed by one of the panther-men. He wore only a pair of breeches, and his dark fur was unadorned by anything save some strange jewelry… and blood. His eyes were amber, and his brow was furrowed, whilst his ears narrowed against the side of his head. "Those weapons you bear… they are yours?"

Weiss felt confused at the odd question, but right now, she felt too worn out to inquire why he was asking. So, she and Neptune simply nodded. "They are," she said.

The panther-man nodded at that and then sighed. "I see… that is unfortunate."

A moment later, there came the creak of a drawn bowstring, and Weiss and Neptune were once again surrounded by a host with drawn weapons.

As they looked about in fear, the panther-man spoke again. "By the edicts of Lord Windgrace; for the crime of bearing unholy technology and artifice upon this island, you will hereby be sentenced to death, and your bodies fed to the swamps. I hope that it will be of some comfort that your deaths will be swift."

He raised a hand, and Neptune and Weiss tensed. Would they have to fight again? They were tired and worn out. Weiss knew that they would probably not survive this-

"Hey now! how about we all just take a minute, shall we?" came another voice, and it cut through the tension like a hot knife through soft butter.

A moment later, a female cat-person, pushed her way through the throng of warriors and stepped in front of Weiss and Neptune. Two curved swords hung from her belt, her leather armor looked well-made and well-used, and the fur on top of her head had been styled into something of an odd mohawk, while a gold earring dangled from her left ear. Unlike the panther-men, her fur's coloration was more of a tawny tortoiseshell.

"For crying out loud, Maki," she said. "These two helped to fight off those Cabal kooks. Not to mention the fact they had been captured by them first. And you want to kill them because their weapons whirr and click?"

"Stay out of this, smuggler," the male panther-man, Maki, said. "None shall bear artifice upon Urborg, as decreed by Windgrace himself. Their ignorance does not forgive their crime."

"Okay, that is just idiotic, even for you. But hey, if that's what you believe, then all the power to ya. Still, I and my friends are not about to sit by and watch you butcher a pair of innocent kids."

As she said this, more joined her in front of, and around, Weiss and Neptune. Weiss noted that they were all dressed differently from the rest of the painted, grim-looking warriors.

"And just what is it that you think we should do?" Maki asked. "Let them go?"

The Cat-woman snapped her furry fingers. "Ding ding. Correct. So, how about this? We'll take them off your hands, and, in return, we'll double next month's shipment of supplies, along with any noble volunteers who want to join your cause. What do you say? I mean, by my count, you've lost almost a dozen fighters tonight. Without those supplies, recruits, and the generosity of my captain, you'd all be long dead, and so would your little movement. Surely, two kids are a small enough price to pay for that, right?"

The panther-snarled at her, and at Weiss and Neptune, who were watching the exchange silently. He then looked around at his compatriots. Now that the clamor of the battle had dissipated, Weiss noted, even though her tired state, that many of them looked haggard.

The panther-man then nodded and lowered his hand. "Very well, Ellei. Just make sure that these two never set foot upon Urborg again, or I will not be so merciful a second time, your captain and his assistance be damned."

The cat-woman, Ellei apparently, clapped her hands together in apparent delight "Excellent. So, with that, let's all be on our way, shall we? See you all in a month's time, as promised."

Slowly, the throng of warriors opened up a path, and Weis and Neptune, not willing to look this gift horse in the mouth, departed alongside their new companions.

Ellei smiled at them as they walked, the expression odd when made on a feline face. "Hey there. Sorry that you two had to go through that, on top of what you already have, by the looks of things. They mean well, those Free Urborg fellows, but fighting against the Cabal and necromancers for as long as they have can make anyone a bit… antsy, I guess. You know?"

At their lack of a reply, the cat-woman peered at them for a moment. "Then again… I guess maybe not. Oh well. The captain will sort this all out, I guarantee it. You'll see."

Weiss exchanged a look with Neptune. That sounded ominous… but at this point, the two were a bit past the point of caring. Plus, they were still surrounded, so their options were a bit limited.

Soon enough, they came upon a beach, where a small encampment lay, alongside several boats. In the distance, a large ship sat anchored off the coast.

Ellei nodded to the others who were sat by the fires and then motioned to one of the boats. "Right then, on we get."

Weiss looked at her. "It's probably too late to ask… but how can we be sure this isn't a trap?"

Ellei looked right back at her with a flat expression on her feline face. Then, she shrugged. "A fair question. But, conversely, just how can you be certain that it is?"

That was a fair point. So, Weiss and Neptune got on the boat. It said something about how completely tired Neptune was, that he made little fuss about being surrounded by so much water. Though, the minute the boat cast off the shore, he did start to look a bit green.

After roughly 10 minutes, they were at the large ship. There was lanternlight, and through it, Weiss could see that on the side of the ship was emblazoned a name.

Nunieve.

"Three coming aboard!" Ellei called out. "Receiving three!" came the reply.

A moment later, a long ladder of wood and rope was sent down, and everyone climbed aboard.

A sailor, a short man with a clean-shaven face, approached Ellei. "Captain received your message, ma'am. He's waiting for you and our new guests."

Ellei nodded. "Thank you, Smythe. Let him know we're here."

"Right away."

The man then walked to the large cabin near the back of the ship and knocked on the door.

"Captain? They're here."

As he stepped back, the door to the cabin opened and the first thing anyone heard was the scritching sound of a match being struck. Soon, the air was filled with the scent of tobacco, and then, out from within the cabin's depths strode a man holding a rather large cigar.

The man was dressed in a sky-blue frock coat that was similar to that of a Mistralian sky-admiral's, complete with the gold braid, epaulets, and shiny buttons. A crimson sash was tied around his waist, and he wore functional-looking black boots over a pair of brown pants. A saber with a used handle hung from a sheath on his hip, alongside a messenger bag filled with rolled-up parchments. Of course, the most noticeable part of him was his large and elegant mustache.

At first glance, he reminded Weiss of her father. But on second glance, he seemed… more than the man who had sired her. More real, more human. Just… more.

No one said anything as he walked over to them, the click-click-click of his bootheels loud and clear. He nodded to Ellei, and then looked over Weiss and Neptune as he took another drag from his thick cigar. The smoke from the stick's lit end had started to waft around his head like a vaporous grey halo. Though he appeared to be anywhere from his sixties to his eighties, he seemed remarkably fit and hale, with noticeable muscle beneath his clothes, and his eyes were bright and clear as they took in Weiss and Neptune's grime, blood, sweat, and mud-covered figures, and then their weapons.

He exhaled the tobacco smoke in a small cloud to the side and then chuckled. "The more things change…. Ah, anyway. Pardon an old sea dog's rumination about the past. Now then, welcome aboard the Nunieve. Seeing as you two have no doubt been through quite the ordeal, let's get you both scrubbed down, and get your bellies filled with some good and hot food. Afterward, you can fill me in on how exactly a pair of new planeswalkers like yourselves ended up in the Urborg swamps with Cabal maniacs gunning for your heads. Ellei, see that it's done, and be sure to let them use my personal baths. I think they've earned it, to say the least."

The cat woman saluted. "Aye, aye, captain Levar."

Xxxxxxxx

A/N: Weren't expecting that now, were ya? As you can see, things will be a good deal different here than in canon.

Just so you are all aware, I am doing my best. That is all I can do. Now, I know some of you are probably curious as to why Ozpin just told Ruby everything, about Salam and The gods and his past, and you would be right to be curious/ confused/ maybe a little angry. But consider this; in canon, he felt he had no choice but to keep things close to the proverbial chest. He had been stuck in a war that was, let's be honest, blatantly unfair towards him almost since the beginning, he has been slowly losing since day one, and every time he told someone, they always turned on him. Of course, a great deal of that stemmed from the fact that he was so secretive in the first place.

But here? Here, he managed a victory over Salem. He is far away from Remnant (for the nonce) and did tell Ruby that he would tell her everything. As a friend of mine pointed out; at this point, what reason does he have to lie to her? She obviously knows that he is knowledgeable about their current situation, and he does not want to alienate her, and thus make her do something rash. So, he tells her everything. Then, to his surprise, she… accepts it, more or less… and then does something unexpected.

She gives him hope. And that is something he has not truly experienced in a very long time.

Now, two more little things before the chapter ends, to keep you all just a little bit hungrier…

Xxxxxx

Cinder

…

…

…

…

It… it hurt. Every…thing… hurt. Every faint breeze that wafted across her skin… set her nerves aflame. It hurt.

Cinder tried to breathe, and her throat felt full of sandpaper. She didn't want to move her head, it hurt too much to even think about. The sun hurt her eyes and made her squint, and that caused her pain as well.

So much… hurt.

But… why was everything on the left side so… dark though? And why did her arm… why was it burning so much. She couldn't move though.

A flash of silver, and a girl, crying out in pain…

The memory of it made Cinder's throat give out a soundless scream. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek, and it was as a drop of acid on her nerves.

It hurt, and she could barely see or feel anything that was not agony but… aside from all that… she felt rage. She was strong. She was mighty. She could feel the magic, magic that she had earned through her own cunning, as it sang and blazed within her veins.

She would survive this, as she had survived so much before. She would survive this; she would grow stronger… and she would have her revenge. She would have it, and it would not be swift.

The sound of measured footsteps drew her pained attention away from her thoughts and agony-filled fantasies of revenge. She wanted to see who it was, but she couldn't turn her head, it hurt too much.

Soon, the footsteps stopped right by her, and now someone was kneeling before her, blocking out the harsh light of the sun. Three sharp points, cold and metallic, grabbed her by the cheek and chin and turned her head, and the movement generated fresh agony, making her let loose a low keening wail of pain as she spasmed.

She then found herself looking into an unfamiliar face. It was lined, weathered, and middle-aged, framed by a small chinstrap beard and long grey dreads. He was dressed in blue and black leathers, and his eyes glowed with a strange light.

His eyes seemed to drink her in for a moment, and then he let loose a hmmm. "And just where did you happen to come from?" he asked aloud.

A moment later, there was nothing but darkness.

Xxxxxxx

Xuéxí Yún

Tarkir

He often came here, when he was in search of guidance, or even just a need for a simple meditation. He felt at peace here, surrounded by the knowledge of generations past, from all the sages and monks of the past; dragon and human alike. He drew calm from the physical nearness of their wise writings, From Xi Long to Fei Fao, and even the rambunctious Chiyo Zhu of the Clear Sky. Of course, there was also an entire section dedicated to the Great Teacher himself, Shu Yún. Sitting before such an accumulation of knowledge gave him comfort in dark moments through its physical presence alone.

Even in moments such as this. He had known what was coming and had told his students to leave, to not waste their lives. But they would not hear of it, no matter his protests.

As he continued kneeling in peaceful meditation, it was much different outside the doors and hallways of the library. Screams and shouts of pain and defiance and death echoed against the walls.

Still, he sat, meditated… and waited.

Eventually, the commotion drew closer to the library, closer and louder. Then, he heard Rujin's deep bellows… followed by a sound of a blade cutting through flesh, and that of a large body being slammed against the library doors.

BANG!

As all fell silent once again, he continued to meditate. Soon, however, he could sense that he was no longer alone within the hallowed halls.

He inhaled slowly, and yet as the library doors opened and Rujin's corpse fell to the floor, the djinn's body hitting it with a wet splat, his eyes remained closed in contemplation. The door continued to swing open upon their hinges.

Soon, there came a new set of footsteps, clicking across the stone floors. Click. Click. Click.

Slowly, Xuéxí Yún, Grandmaster and Chief Librarian of the Jeskai Way's Cori Mountain Stronghold, exhaled his breath through his mouth. "Did it give you pleasure, slaughtering so many of my students as you have done?" he asked the intruder. "Many of them, I watched grow from infancy into adulthood, and I beamed with pride as they grew and blossomed into all that they could be. Now... they lie dead upon the floor, their lives cut short by your wicked blade. Does it bring you gladness, that knowledge?"

In a graceful motion that belied his true age, Xuéxí rose to his feet fluidly, his eyes still serenely closed. Not even his beaded necklace made a rattle, and his hands were empty and lax by his side. Still, his back was to the intruder, though he could hear every movement their body made, no matter how minuscule. He could even hear their breath.

"I know what it is that you have come seeking within these walls, carrion bird. But know this; with the blood now on your hands and soul it will give you no comfort for the tragedy that is your existence. Nor will I allow those bloody hands to defile it while I still draw breath."

He idly ducked to the left, as a blood-red blade slashed through the air. He then dodged a cut to his neck and chest and thigh, all the while his hands remained at his side, and his eyes still closed.

After almost idly weaving around a fourth cut that would have bisected him, he allowed the momentum to flip him onto his hand. Then he twisted and he promptly slammed his windmilling legs into his assailant's side and they were sent skidding and tumbling away.

It was a blow that could shatter stone and steel, and yet, Xuéxí knew that his opponent was unharmed. Perhaps barely even winded. As he pushed off the floor and flipped to his feet, he then opened his eyes and settled into a firm stance as he laid his eyes upon the intruder.

They were roughly his own height and garbed in armor and leathers of red and black. Held in their gloved hands was a long, crimson blade, longer than they were tall. Their face was obscured by a strange white mask, wrought in the shape of a bird of prey.

Xuéxí exhaled once again. "I am a peaceful man by nature and thus I hold no fondness in my spirit for combat, unlike the Mardu, or even my brethren that dwell within Dirgur. As such, I will give you this one chance; leave now, murderer, and I will not give chase."

In response, they slid their sword into the strange scabbard at their waist. Then, with a slight tensing of their muscles, they sped propelled themselves forward, blade extended once again.

Xuéxí slid his foot back and centered himself as the winding, draconic stormcloud tattoo on his right arm and shoulder glowed with a faint light. A slight shell of air and heat formed around his outstretched hand, and it was soothing. When the blade descended, he raised his hand to meet it, and there came a loud clang.

The assailant's blade shook as they struggled to push through, while Xuéxí's outstretched arm remained as immobile as stone, while his other remained folded behind his back. Still, one did not waste a given advantage, and the Grandmaster quickly lashed out with a flurry of blows as he pushed the blade to the side.

To their credit, the thief parried and pushed away his jabs, only to stop in midair and rocket back.

Xuéxí breathed in and leaped forward to meet them. Clang, clang, clang. Where their blade cut, his hand would rise or fall to meet it. He parried a hundred cuts and slashes, all within the span of seconds. As they were still in the air, his assailant then lashed out with a kick, only to be met with one of Xuéxí's own. The shockwave made the candles flicker and the scrolls rattle in their cases. Both combatants allowed the resultant force to carry them in the opposite direction. While the thief skidded across the ground, Xuéxí landed lightly on his feet.

His heels had barely touched the stone floor before he dashed forward, the motion mirrored by the thief as their blade swung forward.

Xuéxí ducked low, allowed his momentum to slide under the blade and his airborne adversary, and then jabbed upwards into their solar plexus with a spear-point hand.

They bent around the blow and were propelled upwards towards the ceiling. Xuéxí wasted no time in resuming his speed, and dashed vertically up the wall, his feet pushing lightly off on the spaces between shelves, being careful not to crease or rattle even a single scroll, let alone disturb their rest.

When he had reached the needed height, he flexed his legs and bounded off towards the thief upon the air. A burst of wind blew to life beneath their feet, and they rocketed down to meet him, sword held ready for an overhead slash.

He raised his hand and as the blade met palm… it shattered into small little fragments of embers. He promptly drove his fist into the thief's chest and sent them hurtling down to the floor below, making the shelves and scrolls lightly shake.

The thief remained sensate, and blasted a burst of air beneath them, arresting their fall.

Once again, Xuéxí landed lightly on his feet, sparing a brief glance around to make sure the scrolls were undamaged. "As I stated earlier, you will not be taking that which you seek to steal," he said. "I will not allow it."

The thief said nothing, and returned their broken blade to their scabbard, and, as they dashed forward once again… they drew forth a new, unbroken blade, this one as blue as the sky.

Interesting.

Xuéxí somersaulted over the blow and held out his hands. As he did, the storm cloud tattoo began to glow brighter, as did the symbol of the eye upon his forehead, and the air and heat around his hand soon forged itself into the invisible outline of a blade. A moment later, it was joined by a twin in his left hand.

The assailant turned on their heel and swung out with their sword, only for it to be met with two blades of ghostfire.

DING.

And the sword broke apart once again, while the thief swept low and drew out a red blade once more.

DING. DING. DING.

Every clash of strange steel against ghostfire let loose a clarion ringing noise. Ding, Ding, Ding, and several more times did the assailant's blade shatter. Xuéxí did his best to only let the blades collide when he could see that there was no danger of any errant spark hitting a scroll, as every time the blade shattered, its fragments dissipated into embers. Their blades kissed three more times, during which Xuéxí managed to deliver a sweeping kick to the thief's shoulder, and then they leaped away.

Xuéxí could feel a slight bit of perspiration on his brow, and he took a deep breath. He was getting older, but that was simply what it meant to be human, he supposed. Still, as invigorating as this was, perhaps it was time he ended this swiftly. The likelihood of the library's contents being damaged only increased with every moment. Besides, he could hear the alarm bells ringing from outside. With that in mind, he dashed forward. He would strike a nerve cluster this time. Then, with the thief incapacitated, they would be brought before one of the great Shu Yun's brood. And the library would be safe.

He also idly wondered if the thief was aware of the fact that, throughout the entire combat, Xuéxí had not allowed them any further into the library.

The thief swiped and rolled their arm to no doubt regain feeling, and they cocked their masked head, as if considering something, even as Xuéxí sped towards them.

Then, they raised a hand in a throwing motion… and a large ball of flame shot forth.

Xuéxí easily dodged it… but then, as it passed him by, he realized from the angle of the thief's hand that he had not been its target.

The scrolls!

Arresting his momentum, Xuéxí leaped and channeled a small tornado in each of his hands, and propelled himself backward and over the fireball. As he flew through the air, he twisted his torso and angled himself downwards and directly onto the fireball. The fire tattoo on his left hand and shoulder began to glow as well with bloodfire, and he slammed his glowing hands onto the fireball and pushed it down to the stone floor, and away from the scrolls, to smother it into the ground in a cloud of smoke.

The moment his hands and feet touched the stone, cold lanced through his body, as ice started to rapidly creep up his extremities. It took but a second to channel hard earth and shatter them into shards and free himself, but then, through the smoke flew the thief, taking advantage of his brief moment of capture.

It only took a second for him to raise his freed fist and shatter the blade… only to realize that only one hand was holding the blade, which was now a golden-white. The moment the steel shattered, a bright flash of light burst in front of his eyes, making him close them in shock and pain. A gust of wind then sent him tumbling backward to slam against a shelf, and still disoriented from the blast, he staggered to his feet. And sped forward through the remaining smoke as his sight swiftly returned. He heard the whistling of steel through the air, and he deftly parried one more kick and raised his hand to meet the next cut and-

SCHLIK!

He grunted in pain, as the cold sword of ice that had appeared in the thief's other hand impaled him through his right breast and out his back. Blood filled his mouth. Before he could move, before he could even grab at the hand of the thief, a strange pulse shot throughout his body, and, indeed, seemed to clash against his very soul. At that moment, he felt drained of any strength or magic that still remained within his body.

A moment later, the icy blade dissipated into watery mist, and he collapsed to his knees, as the dull pain from the cold spread across his flesh and being. Then, more ice crept up to cover his limbs and body, keeping him trapped as he bled cold blood.

The thief looked down at him for a moment and then walked past as they sheathed their blade.

Click. Click. Click, went their boots against the stone floor. Then, he could hear them begin to rifle through the scrolls on the shelves.

He slowed his heart rate down as close as he could, but it was becoming difficult to breathe, as more blood filled his lungs. He needed to remain conscious, to slow the bleeding. "That which you came to take…" he said with a ragged breath, "it… will not fill the hole that rests in your spirit, empty bird."

The thief soon strode back into view, scroll in one hand, and red sword in the other. They looked down at Xuéxí for a moment and then shrugged. "Perhaps," they said in a distorted voice. "But now you won't have to guard it, anymore, or live with your failure. You failed because you were weak. And I succeeded because I was stronger in the end."

He narrowed his eyes at the thief. "Is that… what you truly believe? How… sad... to think that you do... when you know that it... is a hollow lie."

They said nothing in response.

They then made a gesture, and the ice dissipated into a cool mist. Xuéxí collapsed to his side on the floor, as darkness crawled within the edge of his vision, and his blood pooled on the ground. With dimming vision, he watched as the thief drew their sword, turned around, and proceeded to make a cut in the space before them. As the blade descended, a strange opening, a portal appeared, and it was a swirling thing of red and black. At their side, the lantern that hung from their belt softly glowed.

The thief looked at Xuéxí one last time over their shoulder and then walked through the opening in the air, which closed behind them.

Soon, it was only Xuéxí left in the library, and then, as warmth and flame spread from his left side, the darkness overtook him, and he knew nothing more….

xxxxxxx

A/N/N: So, anyway, read, review, and enjoy!