Hi everyone, DragonBlitz85 here. As some of you may know, I have taken up the mantle of writing this story out in DeadRich18's place. Now, I am NOWHERE near as good as him. But I am going to try to live up to everyone's expectations for this story.
I'll give you more details about the future of this story at the end of this chapter. Enjoy!
~o0o~
Grimm Heir
Chapter Forty-One: Clash
Weiss probably checked her Scroll about twelve times by now since her last call with Rojo. Outside the possibility that she would miss a call from him, letting her know that he was out of the city. Although that would be impossible at this point.
To say that she was worried would be wrong. But not because it was incorrect, no. It was that it would be an understatement. She was beyond worried at this point and started to fear that the blonde dunce of their team would be lost for good.
Now, Weiss was not about to go back to Vale right at that moment, mainly for two reasons. The first, most obvious reason was that she had no idea how to override the controls of their transport that was currently taking them to Patch nor had any idea how to fly the airship. Reason number two was also obvious, she couldn't put the lives of the other students from the other kingdoms at risk for just two people. It would only make the situation worse.
Still, if only she could go back...
"You look just as bad as I do."
The voice was soft, but caring. The white-haired heiress turned to the source and found Blake looking at her with sad and concerned eyes.
Weiss let out a sigh, "That obvious?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
Blake nodded before looking back to the floor, "I'm probably more scared than anything, though." she confessed while hugging herself.
Weiss could see that she was being honest. She's beyond scared in fact, judging by the way she was slightly trembling. The heiress has a hunch what Blake was planning on doing once they got to Patch. The black-haired girl was going to run away. And to be fair, she won't judge the Faunus for her actions. Weiss was just as scared as Blake was.
But she refuses to let that stop her from going back to get her friends. Not while she can still fight. Not right now.
She will find a way to go back. She will not lose another family like she had lost so many before. Not again. She just had to figure out a way to go back for Yang. Maybe she could ask for someone to fly her back and look for-?
"What the hell is that?!" someone suddenly yelled.
Weiss turns to look at the student who called out. She is pointing out the window of the transport and has a look of obsolete horror plastered on her tan-skinned face.
Weiss and Blake follow the finger out their own side window…
And both of their collective jaws almost hit the floor.
Swimming across the dark rolling waves of the night-lit ocean below is a massive black object. It was underwater, so nobody could tell what it was at first glance. But even flying at three-hundred feet above the seas beneath them, all could tell that it was gigantic in size. The two-glowing red-ember lights that were just ahead of the objects massive wake and slightly beneath the water-surface was the only clue as to what it could be. And as Weiss paled at the idea of what it was, a colossal, inky-black, finned tail rose from the dark waters and splashed back down, casting tidal waves as it disappeared underneath the ocean surface again.
"It's a Grimm!"
"By the Gods…"
"It's huge!"
"Atlas can't stop that! Forget it!"
Panic started to consume the rest of the people onboard the transport. And Weiss knew for a fact that all this panic would only encourage more Grimm to attack the transports on their way to the island.
Worst case scenario, the Grimm follow them back to Patch and start attacking the island with everything they've got to spare. It'll be a massacre. There'll be blood. Human and Faunus alike.
A new cry of horror only confirms her fears.
"INCOMING!"
Within a matter of a second after the alarming cry from the student who spotted the coming attack, the transport shakes violently. And Weiss knew almost on instinct what was the next best course of action. She looked over to Blake.
The poor Faunus girl was shaking up a storm and had a look of frozen fear on her face. Like a deer caught in headlights would react.
Weiss remembers taking a class about people who have been traumatized by situations like this about a month ago. She also remembers how most of her teammates didn't really pay attention in the class, looking completely bored about it. It almost brought a small smile to her lips.
Almost.
Another shake from the transport brings her back to the present though. And she narrowed her eyes in determination. If the Kingdom of Vale was to fall tonight, then Weiss will personally see to it that the kingdom goes out in style.
She places a hand on Blake's shoulder and gives her a light pat. The move draws Blake's attention for a moment and the Faunus looks up at the heiress as she begins to stand. The white-haired girl gives her raven haired a warm smile. A small way for her to say 'goodbye'.
Weiss then started making her way to the back of the transport, toward the shuttle bay. With her weapon in hand, several other students look at her as if she has completely lost her mind. Some even try to stop her by calling out, telling her that it's hopeless to fight those monsters. But duty called for the young Huntress-in-training.
And nothing was going to stand in her way now.
~o0o~
Yang was on fire. Her golden mane glowing almost white hot from the fire in her lungs. Her eyes were a blazing red.
Her blood was boiling, muscles tense, ready for a fight. She was ready to take on all comers. To strike down anything that got in her way, to kill anything foolish enough to try and stop her. She didn't care if she had to rip this whole damned city apart if it meant finding her. She has to find her. She cannot stop until her sister is home safe and sound.
Even after her sister's scream had long died off and the sounds of chaos surrounded the blonde now. She has to find her beloved baby sister. Undue the mess she had made all those years ago. She's got to find her.
But it's been almost an hour, with no sign of Ruby anywhere.
Starting to worry that she may have missed her last chance to find her sister, Yang redoubled her efforts to search for her. Taking each of Vale's streets one at a time atop of her beloved motorbike, Bumblebee. It's engine roared as she pushed her bike to the limit and beyond. Revving the throttle as high as it could go, not caring if she was damaging the bike as she went. She just needed it to hold out until she could find Ruby. She couldn't care less if the bike gets wrecked in the process.
She took each street corner sharply. Drifting like something out of a race-action movie. The rear tire squealed, spun, and burned rubber. She passed by wrecked cars and ruined shops that were familiar to her. And as much as she wanted to stop and help anyone inside those stores, she knew it was too late to help. Most were on fire, flames belching out of the windows. Some cars were upturned, on their roofs and smashed in.
It was a nightmare out here, but Yang knew that she wouldn't wake up from it anytime soon. Nor will any of the citizens of Vale either. No, this nightmare was going to last for years and years to come. And there was not a single damned thing Yang could do to undo it.
She rounded another corner and saw an obstacle blocking her path. A makeshift barricade was blocking the road and Yang can't get around this one. Her bike skidded to a stop and she tried to look for a way around it. Turned out that stopping was a mistake as Yang was quickly surrounded by a pack of hungry Beowolves. They circle her and close in for the kill, but the blonde brawler was not about to get turned into a snack by these flee bags just yet.
As one of the Beowolves lunged at her, she leapt into the air off Bumblebee and drew her fist back into a punch. Using her other fist, she fires into the air behind her to propel herself down to the Grimm and slammed her fist into the beast's skull, crushing it in a split-second. She followed the punch with a spinning kick that hit the side of another Beowolf's head, sending a white tooth flying from its jaw which was followed by the rest of the Grimm.
With the pathway cleared, Yang landed back on Bumblebee and cranked the throttle to the max. With a lurch, the motorcycle heaved forward, and she took off back the way she came with the Beowolves right behind her.
She did not have the time to deal with the Grimm, she had to find her sister before-.
"SHREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~!"
When the scream came, Yang skidded her bike to a halt, and she looked in the direction the sound was coming from. She had just so happened to stop right in the middle of Vale's main street and was more or less clear of debris, rubble, or any other kind of obstacle.
Yang knew that scream was Ruby and she also knew that it was close.
Please, she thought as she brought the bike around and revs the Dust engine to full power, please let her make it in time.
As she flew down the street toward the scream, all other noise seemed to fade away, replaced by the sound of her heart beating. Her mussels were tense, her grip on her bike's handles tightened, and Yang could feel the blood in her body pumping from her heart to her limbs.
The blonde knew, without a doubt in her mind, that she would find her sister. However, she also knew that there was going to be something else there with her. Something that Yang had not seen in thirteen years.
A monster… one of great power.
Yang's instincts were screaming at her to be ready for anything. To trust nothing that the monster might have up its sleeve. For all she knew, this thing could easily put an entire horde of monsters in her way to stop her. Or even possibly split this entire continent apart to keep her away from her sister. So many possibilities with just as many unknowns to boot.
But she was ready for almost anything the monster had to throw at her. She had ammunition for days and filled with so much rage that she felt like she could destroy a mountain with her fists alone.
Yang was fired up, armed, and ready for a war.
If it meant getting her sister back from that thing's clutches, she would do anything.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she spotted what seemed to be her destination.
Sitting in the middle of the street was something with a fur cape of sorts. Near the top of the fur cape and concealed by it slightly were a pair of boney white horns that curved upward. And Yang immediately recognized those horns and the fur cape. Beyond it was a strange looking canine Grimm with a single large eye in the middle of its forehead. It looked like the Direwolf from Mountain Glenn in a way, just altered.
Then the sounds of a sobbing child reached Yang's ears. The voice registered with the blonde's memory.
This was it. The moment of truth.
It was all or nothing now.
As she brought the bike to a halt as quietly as possible, the monster either didn't notice her or didn't care. It just kept its back to her. Even as Yang dismounted Bumblebee and began walking toward it with clenched fists, it didn't look back. Even as the unknown Grimm hound noticed her and started to growl with fury clear in its warning, the monster did not look back.
Yang was annoyed by this. No, she wants it to see her coming. She wants it to know that it was going to die tonight and that she will take back her sister.
Although she couldn't see Ruby yet, Yang knew that the Grimm was holding her right now. The sounds of sobbing obviously coming from her red-haired sister.
Finally fed up with being ignored, Yang speaks with deep rooted hatred in her voice.
"Get the Fuck away from her… Monster…" she ordered.
For a moment, it does not respond to her words, either ignoring them or something else. But then, slowly, the Grimm turns its head to gaze over its shoulder at the blonde. Seeing its face for the first time in thirteen years, Yang's glare deepened as the Grimm seemed to glare right back at her. Its blood red eyes glowing with its own hatred and loathing for her.
Yang's own eyes returned the look with her own fiery, red eyes. She cocks her gauntlets and beings walking forward toward them in a calm demeanor, even though that was not the case at all. Her blood was boiling, fire raging in her lungs, and she was about to pummel this thing into powder any second.
As she approached it, the Grimm slowly stood up from where it was and turned to face the blonde as it gave her a menacing hiss. But Yang didn't care if that was a warning of sorts, she was taking back what she lost all those years ago.
"You took something from me… and you are giving her back!" she screams as she slams Ember Celica together to make them clang.
After staring at her, for more than thirty seconds, it tilted its horned head slightly.
For a moment, Yang is shocked that it took that action. As if it was asking: 'What are you talking about?'. This action only fueled Yang's rage to a boiling point.
With her teeth bare and trembling with fury, pointed at it with a raised finger "Thirteen years ago! You took my little sister from me! I am taking her back from you and turning her human again! That is a promise!" she roared with seething hatred for the thing before her.
The monster stares at her for a time, most likely processing what was said by the enraged blonde.
After a moment of silence, Yang added "But before that… I. Am. Going. To. Kill. You." she said with venom thick in her declaration.
More silence.
Yang knew what was about to happen. She got into her combat stance, ready for anything.
For what felt like a few minutes, there was only silence. Then, the monster looked back to the blonde with absolute anger in its red eyes. Out from underneath its black fur cape, the Grimm pulled out a nasty looking mace. Its grip on its weapon tightened and then it took a single step forward, the ground shaking slightly.
That was it. The instant the Grimm moved forward; Yang knew they were officially done talking.
Taking a moment, Yang spares a quick glance over to her sister. Ruby was sitting on the ground, tears streaming down her pale skinned face. Ruby looked slightly different from before when Yang hugged for the first time in thirteen years. If those two horns jutting out of her head were anything to go by. But Yang chose to ignore them for the time being and flashed her sister a small smile.
Her smile faded away before she glared back at the monster before her. Fists clenched and her golden mane a blazing inferno, Yang let out a war cry as she propelled herself forward at the monster that had haunted her nightmares for years.
~o0o~
The Overlord didn't even bother responding to the Deliverer's furious roar as it charged at it with flames almost emanating off its body.
As it flew through the air and brought its fists forward to begin attacking, the Overlord simply continued on its course as it maintained its calm demeanor. Then, just as the Deliverer got within striking range with its fists, the Overlord simply took a side-step and moved out of the way of the attack, letting the blonde Dustling fly past it, totally missing its mark.
The Overlord then went on the attack itself and spun around with its mace in hand, ready to obliterate the Deliverer once and for all.
But the Dustling was fast. Just when it looked as if the mace would hit, the blonde creature used its Dust-shooters to propel itself out of the way of the king's mace. The weapon just barely grazed the Dustling's Aura, making it glow yellow as it just nicked some of the Dustling's clothes.
While the Overlord's swinging arced across the air, creating a large gust of wind, the Deliverer took the opening to launch an attack. It swung its right fist directly into the Overlord's left side, just below where the arm met the body. As the blow rippled throughout the Overlord's body, the king had to admit, it was fairly impressed with the power behind the attack.
So, just as the rumors about the Deliverer said were true. It truly did fight with the strength of ten bears.
But that doesn't mean the Overlord's couldn't match or completely overpower it.
As the Dustling looked up at the ruler of Grimm with wide eyes of shock, quickly figuring out that its attack had little to no effect on the Overlord, the king struck back. The Overlord spun around and, with its free right gauntlet clenched into an armored fist, processed to back-fist the Deliverer across the face, right on its right cheek.
There was a bright flash of yellow and the Dustling was sent flying into a nearby wall, kicking up a large cloud of dust and debris.
When it lost sight of the Deliverer, the Overlord used its senses to locate its target.
And the Deliverer didn't make it wait for long, either…
It followed the creature's movements from it getting back to its feet, to it starting to move to charge the Overlord again, right up to it clearing the dust cloud and reemerging with a look of absolute fury on its face.
A small line of blood dripped down from the corner of its maw and its face looked very swollen from the strike from earlier. But the Deliverer still showed every intention to fight on and, by the look on its face, seemed almost obsessed to defeat the Overlord once and for all.
How foolish. Couldn't this creature see that its attacks were worthless?
Judging by the way it roared out of pure rage and drew its fist back to try and strike the Overlord again, obviously not.
It brought its armored gauntlet up, palm up, ready to catch the blow. Planning on catching the blow and finishing this battle, the Overlord is struck by surprise upon the Dustling's fist making contact with its palm.
Somehow, the force and power of the Dustling had increased, thrice-fold, forcing it back!
Staggering back slightly from the blow, with pain lacing up its arm, the king stares back at the Deliverer with shock clear on its faceplate. It watched as the blonde creature landed back on the ground, looked up at the Overlord and let out another roar of anger before charging in again to attack.
Quickly, the king's shock was transformed into its own pure anger.
Realizing it was going to have to take this one a little more seriously, it summoned forth a second tool to aid it in combat. It couldn't take a risk from simply taking the blows from the Deliverer if it had that much power backing it, especially when it plans to find and murder the Witch later on. It needs to be at full strength. So, it'll have to be smart about this.
As the black tar from its palm began to take shape and expand outward, the Deliverer stopped in its tracks and watched the Overlord in confusion.
Soon, the tar took its shape of a great, broad, and boney white shield. The Overlord rarely ever used this shield, but it was its strongest defense it had. Nothing has ever broken past this shield, evident by the amount of scratches, dents, and blast marks on it.
And the markings of the Overlord's seal on it made it look all the more intimidating.
But it didn't seem to deter the Deliverer, as it went back on the attack after shaking off its confusion. This time, it seemed to start using some of its brain, for instead of charging in head on, the blonde leapt into the air, propelling itself with its Dust shooters upward. Once airborne, the Dustling allowed itself to fall back to the ground, bringing its fist back to deliver a great downward punch right on the Overlord.
The king brought its shield up to block the attack and braced for impact, tensing its legs and clenching its mace tightly.
There was a sharp ringing sound as the Deliverer's weapon collided with the Overlord's shield and a light shock wave expanded outward, creating a gust of wind. The king's knees buckled slightly from the sheer force of the attack and there was a crack in the shield, but the Overlord had accomplished its goal.
And it didn't do this without a plan of action.
In a split second, just before the Dustling continued on its path downward, the ruler of Grimm slid the shield out from under the Deliverer, let go of its mace, and reached up with its now free armored gauntlet.
It grabbed a hold of the blonde's left fore-arm and then sealed the Deliverer's fate.
The Dustling's eyes widened in horror as it realized what was about to happen. It tried to struggle free, punching at the white, armored gauntlet, but to no avail. Then, the Overlord started to squeeze the creature's arm slowly. Increasing pressure every few seconds.
Its scream of agony echoed throughout the streets, still trying to push itself free from the king's hold.
A smile formed on the Overlord's maw as the Dustling's Aura started to blink yellow. It was only a matter of time before it broke. Victory was secured for the-.
"YOU! ARE NOT! WINNING!" the Deliverer yelled without warning.
Suddenly, before the king could react, it was free again. Slipping right out of the Overlord's grip! It then proceeded to pull both its feet up and kick off the Overlord's faceplate.
The unexpected move forced the king of Grimm to take a step backward and it shook its head before looking back at the Deliverer as it landed on the ground a few meters away with complete shock on its face faceplate.
How?! How did it escape its grip?!
As the Deliverer huffed and breathed in and out deeply, the Overlord took notice to the blonde's left arm. The arm itself was still attached to the Deliverer's body, but it was covered in cuts that were starting to seep with blood. However, the lack of the Dust shooter on its wrist is what the Overlord took notice of the most.
Ah, so that's how…
It glanced down to look into its armored gauntlet's palm. There rested the gold Dust shooter, half bent and broken. The Deliverer chose to give up one of its weapons to free itself from the Overlord's grasp.
'Clever…' the Overlord thought to itself as it crushed the Dust weapon in its palm with full force, turning it into a crumpled piece of metal.
~o0o~
'Crap, that was close!' Yang mentally screamed to herself as she watched the Monster crush one of her two shotgun-gauntlets with ease.
She was furious that she had to make a choice, but she definitely made the right call in sacrificing her weapon. It was either the weapon or lose her whole left arm. But now, she was in really deep shit.
On top of losing one of her beautiful gauntlets, Ember Celica, her Aura was now all but depleted, she was starting to lose blood from her wounds, and she might have a concussion from the blow she received earlier. It was getting harder to stand at all. Her feet were beginning to give out and she was starting to see blurred doubles.
The ground slight shook as Yang watched the Monsters take a step toward her.
This was bad. She needed to defend herself, or dodge, or something that would keep her alive in the next few seconds. But her body felt weak. And she had used up most of her stored-up power in that last strike she made against the Monster's shield.
Another shake and Yang's knees finally gave out and she landed on the pavement with a plop.
Was this really it? Was this as far as she was meant to go?
No… she had to keep her vow. She had to make sure Ruby was home safe and sound.
But… how could she win?
She hazily watched as the Monster grabbed a hold of its mace again and continued to approach the blonde. Tears formed in her eyes as she collapsed to her hands now. She stared at the broken roadway, trying to make her eyes focus. But it was a fruitless endeavor.
The ground shook again as the Monster came closer…
Then, without warning, everything became very quiet. The ground had stopped shaking and then Yang heard what sounded like low, but not angry, growl. It almost sounded like confusion to the Young Huntress.
Curious by the sudden silence, Yang forces what little strength she had to look back up at the Monster.
And there, standing between herself and the Monster that ruined her family, ruined her life, was her little sister. Ruby Rose.
The Monster stared down at the girl with its blood red eyes wide in obvious shock. Yang couldn't help but mimic the look onto her own face. Up till now, Ruby had been on the sidelines with the large canine Grimm, just watching the fight between Yang and the Monster unfold.
Was Ruby... trying to protect her? Was her little sister stopping the Monster from attacking her any further? Was she…? Was the little girl that was taken away so many years ago still in there? Was her baby sister really in there still?
Summoning the last of her strength, Yang attempted to stand. But her head was in a thick fog. And her vision was getting darker to boot, seeing things in double and even triple. She forced her feet to work, and she slowed her ascension upward so her head wouldn't get dizzy due to lack of blood. It didn't really work.
As she tried to stand, she took notice that Ruby was now looking back at her. Those same blood red eyes as the Monster's glaring at the blonde with fury in them. The single black slit in the eyes narrow and full of rage, like that of an enraged cat.
While Yang finally stood up on shaky legs, Ruby fully turned to her and began walking toward the brawler with a hard glare and deep frown on her face. But Yang ignored the look the teen was giving her, in favor of just taking in her sister's appearance.
Now fully standing on trembling legs, Yang took a weak step forward toward her sister.
The girl in question stopped a few feet away from the blonde and simply stared at her with a cold expression. But Yang didn't care. Instead, the young Huntress gave Ruby a small, comforting smile as she used the last of her strength to reach out to her baby sister for the second time today in the last thirteen years.
In that instant, just for a brief moment, Yang saw the same toddler Ruby from back then instead of the creature she had become. It made Yang happy, even as the last tiny bit of energy left her body.
"Ruby…" she said softly, as she started to fall forward "My… baby… sister…"
That was it.
With those last words, Yang Xiao Long, team RWBY's heavy hitter, collapsed onto the pavement. She was checking out of reality, a smile on her face.
Never knowing of the shocked expression, she left her sister in.
Nor ever knowing of what came next.
~o0o~
Boom. Done.
You all thought I was going to kill Yang, didn't you… Well, you'll see what happens to her in the next chapter. Cuz I love cliffhangers and I love leaving people in a ranting rage about a wait.
But hey, at least this came out sooner than a full year wait. So please don't complain too much.
Now as I said before at the top of this chapter, I'm not near as good as DeadRich is. But I'm trying my best here, okay. I'm also sorry if the ending of this chapter seemed a little too 'Anime' like. But you know what, I needed to do this. As a way to wash my eyes out after the GOD AWFUL ENDING OF VOLUME 8!
Yes. I am pissed off as well.
Anyway, now onto the plans for this story. This story will continue on here for the time being. I will let you all know when this story will "End". And when it does "End". I assure you it will NOT end in the truest sense of the word.
It will continue. Just be moved somewhere else and maybe with a different title. I will let you guys know when that day comes. For now though, it will continue on this story.
Oh, one last thing: Please give me feedback, like actual Feedback, I read your reviews on this story a lot. So PLEASE stop leaving the "Where's the next chapter?" B.S. cuz that just makes me angry and irritates me. This will take time to make, so please don't be in such a rush for it.
That's all I wanted to say for today. Have a nice rest of your day.
DragonBlitz85, signing off.
Peace!