Sera hated her life. One day she's holding hands with the girl she likes and the next she's chained up in a small room roughly half the size of her old dorm. Which is to say, not that spacious.
Once the blackness lifted from her vision the spots disappeared from her eyes, she brought her tired head up. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and tried to bring her hands to her face, only to find that she was bound. She looked up to see her arms strung up by black chains so that it looked like she was the Y in YMCA.
Her ankles were chained as well, but with much more slack so that she could actually move her feet more than three inches in any direction.
Sera's head pounded like she'd been subjected to a whack from Nora Valkyrie. Despite her daze and tiredness, she looked around to check her surroundings. She was in a square cobblestone room roughly fifteen feet in length and width. There were no windows, save for the slat in the metal door on the wall she faced, and the room was dimly lit a single torch on the wall to her left.
She looked down to inspect herself for injuries. Thankfully, her battle injuries had healed, courtesy of her aura, but she still felt like she'd been hit by a Bullhead at max velocity. She wore only her torn purple shirt and white jeans. Her white jacket was missing, along with her boots, bracelet, and gun belt.
With nothing else to do, she replayed the events of yesterday in her head. At least, she thought it was only yesterday. There's no telling how long she'd been out. Her last memory was of her falling—falling into the dark abyss with Cinder Fall.
Hours passed in that small room. She didn't know how many. Sera just sat there, counting the walls, and trying to think of a way to escape. She struggled against the chains, but it was no use. They were much too strong for her.
. . .
Sera jolted awake when the door slammed closed. She'd fallen asleep in her bonds, and now her neck was stiff from hanging down. Despite the sharp pain, she picked her head up to see her visitor, and her blood ran cold. Her breathing became so quick, she thought she was hyperventilating.
Standing before her was a tall woman with white hair held up in an ornate design, blood red eyes and black sclera, skin as pale as snow with black veins on the sides of her face and on her arms, and a black robe that was so long, it collected around the floor.
Salem herself looked down upon Sera with a distasteful expression on her face.
Sera was panicking. Here she was, the woman who wanted to destroy the world and her mother.
"Daughter," she said coldly. Sera didn't respond. She was too busy wishing she could run away. Far away.
"Finally, we're reunited." She spread her hands. She reached down to touch Sera's face, but the huntress flinched. Salem's red eyes seemed to gaze right through her, as if she wasn't looking at her daughter, but a source of power. Returning her hand to her side, Salem smiled. "We have much to discuss." Then she snapped her fingers, and the chains that bound Sera were released.
The amnesiac immediately dashed backwards and pressed her back against the cold stone wall behind her.
"You're meant for great things, you know." She said.
"My father is here, isn't he?" Sera blurted. She didn't even have the courage to come up with a witty retort.
Salem's expression soured. "That… man." She said 'man' like it was the worst thing she could come up with.
"What do you want with me? If you and my… my father were a 'thing,' then why—" Sera asked. Salem spread her arms and laughed.
"Why, did you think you were born because I 'loved' your father? That we were a happy family? That you were just a normal huntress?"
"Oh, I'm far from normal," Sera thought.
"No, my daughter, I used your father because of his bloodline. A child with the abilities of the old gods and Grimm darkness? Your destiny is to take over the world for me!" She announced. Sera didn't like the sound of any of that. But it made sense. World domination and all that. That old chestnut that villains loved to obsess over.
"What do you mean by his bloodline and old gods?" Sera managed. Salem's sinister smile broadened.
"Why do you think your semblance is the way it is, girl?"
I blinked, "Because semblances are a reflection of one's soul, and—"
"NO!" Salem's voice shook the small room. "There's immortal blood in your veins, girl. Old gods. Not as old as the Brothers, but old. The very essence of time is your legacy, daughter."
Sera blinked. Okay, so she's crazier than I thought, Sera thought to herself.
"O-o-o-kay…"
Salem sneered. "Have you wondered why you're more powerful than the average huntress, why Ozpin made sure to keep an eye on you? Your father is the reason. I know that you think I'm insane. You, my daughter, are the last descendant of the Titans, of Cronus himself."
Sera blinked again. "Who?"
The witch scowled. "Have you learned nothing? That symbol on your arm—that represents the old gods. But the Titans are older. Much older. Older than me."
Then a flashback went through Sera's head. Whenever Ozpin gave her her new weapon and clothes, he'd told her about old gods. A powerful civilization as old as Remnant itself. That's what the symbol on her arm represented.
Sera looked down at her tattooed arm. Then she felt something…odd. Memories, like puzzle pieces, fitted themselves into her mind. Not all of them, she could feel that much, but suddenly…she knew what this symbol stood for.
The last descendant of the old gods. The last symbol in that civilization's alphabet. The Omega.
"Yes," Salem seemed to read her mind.
Knowledge washed over her like a tidal wave. She used to research this old civilization. She was obsessed with it, and she had no idea why. Mysterious names and stories filled her mind. But one word stood out among the rest: OLYMPUS. It was the name of her original team, but it also stood for much, much more.
Sera stumbled, catching herself on the wall as she breathed heavily. Cronus… he was the King of the Titans. The gods overthrew the Titans and ruled the world in their place.
Salem was smiling victoriously now. "You see, this is your destiny. Retake your ancestors' place as ruler of humanity. It's only right."
Sera gazed in her direction, but her eyes felt glassy. She was a descendant of Cronus? But why would…why would he take a human companion? What was the purpose? For this? So that his descendants would take revenge in his name and reclaim the planet for their—our own? It wasn't right, and Sera refused to have any part of it.
Sera stood unsteadily. Her 'mother' was still talking.
"With the power of the Titans and my own blood pumping through you, you'd be unstoppable. Take your place at my side, daughter."
Her words were soothing, but Sera was far too upset to listen. This is the purpose for her birth? To be some sort of doomsday child? No. If this was her fate, she would have nothing of it.
"No." She stated calmly.
Surprise spread over Salem's pale features, but it was quickly replaced by rage.
"You dare—"
"Fuck you and your twisted logic. Reclaim my place as ruler? I want none of that, mother." Then Sera raised her hand at the pale woman. She intended to use her semblance and attack her, but as soon as she urged her power forth, white-hot pain washed over her body.
The huntress crumpled to the floor and gasped as if she wasn't getting hair. Heat seared through her entire body, and she felt like she was going to melt.
"Did you really think I'd allow you to attempt escape?" she chided.
I mean, a little, Sera thought. Then when she looked up, the witch was smiling. She waved her hand, and several circles of picture floated in the air. Each of them showed a familiar-looking girl, but she was also not familiar. Sera saw herself in each circle, but not her. In the first one, she saw herself walking down a sandy beach. Except she had long blonde hair and eyes the color of the sky. In another, she was holding hands with a pretty girl with brown hair and green eyes. Her clone had black hair in her same usual style and light blue eyes. In the third, she was fighting for her life against an impossible foe—a giant humanoid creature as tall as Beacon Tower with a horrendous, scaly body. This Sera had the same black hairstyle, but she had electric-blue eyes that sparked with energy. She wore a bronze breast plate, bracers, and wielded a short sword about three feet long with a leaf-shaped blade.
In the fourth image, Sera saw her usual self. White hair, violet eyes, tattooed arms, but this time… This time she was holding an infant with blond hair and eyes the same color as hers. This Sera bounced the baby gently, her eyes full of love and care. Then someone walked in, and it was Yang Xiao Long. Yang smiled and wrapped her arms around the clone Sera from behind. She had no idea how the things in the image were even possible. Unless some sort of modern technology made that sort of thing, well, possible.
Sera tore her eyes away from the image. She could feel tears threatening to fall.
In the final circle of reality, Sera saw herself with black hair tied back and violet eyes. She was sitting in a classroom full of other people her age, paying close attention to what the person at the front of the room was saying.
"These are alternate realities. Some, what your life could be."
Then Salem waved her hand again until only the one with Yang in it remained. "You could have this if you submit, you know. But don't you think you're a bit young for children?" Salem mused as she held the image in the palm of her hand. She closed her fingers, and the image shattered like glass.
Sera glared at her mother with pure hate in her eyes. "I won't do it."
Salem scowled and snapped her fingers again, and Sera was again suspended by chains. She looked distastefully at her daughter's pained face.
"You are a disappointment. You have power. Enough power to take on the Brothers themselves, and you choose to waste it. The power of Time runs through your veins, along with pure darkness. How you have seen the light, I haven't an inkling. But if you won't serve me—" She snapped her fingers, and the chains tightened until she was suspended in midair like a human X. "—then you can rot."
And with that, Salem dissipated into darkness and disappeared.
Sera felt on odd vibration in the floor. She recognized it instantly—thunderclaps.
She wanted to get angry, to call upon whatever power her mother was talking about and bust out of there. That's what a real hero would do. Instead, she broke down and sobbed. For the first time since waking up in Forever Fall, she felt absolutely powerless.
. . .
Sera lost track of how much time had passed since her mother introduced herself. The huntress was desperately trying to think of an escape, but it leaving this room was either impossible or Sera wasn't clever enough to find a way.
It had felt like hours, maybe a day, when the heavy metal door swung open again. Sera picked her head up to see who was "visiting" her now, and it was none other than Salem again.
A cold smile spread across the immortal's face when she saw the look of pure despair, yet with a hint of defiance, in her daughter's eyes. "Have you thought of my offer?"
"What, ruling the planet with you using my so-called 'gifts'? Yeah, I've thought about it." Sera spat.
Salem spread her hands. "And?"
"And I think you're a lunatic."
A sneer formed on the woman's pale face, her red eyes glowing in the dimly lit room. She walked further into the cell until she stood directly in front of Sera, who was smirking defiantly. Salem raised a hand, her fingers dancing with sinister purple energy.
A flash of fear went through Sera's mind. She wouldn't kill me, would she? Sera thought. Then Salem sent the energy at her, and Sera braced herself for the worst. And it was just as she expected.
Searing pain engulfed her entire body as the energy wrapped around her throat, chest, and wrists. Sera cried out, Salem's energy invading every fiber of her being. The witch herself smiled at the sound of her daughter's pained screaming.
Sera balled her fists and clenched her jaw. She just wanted the pain to stop. She wanted Salem's dark energy to leave her body. She pictured it, the sinister aura expelling from her body and dissipating.
Then, the pain eased in her body. Her breathing returned to normal. When she looked down at herself, she almost yelped.
She looked like she did on top of Beacon Tower. Her skin was pale and black veins mapped her arms. She figured her eyes were all creepy too.
Sera saw the purple energy that her mother sent at her, except it was different. It stuck to her body, like her aura does. Instead of giving off an evil vibe and making her skin crawl at the sight, the energy was warm. Radiant, even. It pulsed with life and reminded Sera of herself, in an odd way.
Then deep laughter emanated from the woman in front of her.
Sera looked up to meet Salem's eyes. The immortal was smiling, as if she were actually happy. No, it was something else: satisfaction, as if a plan was all coming together.
"Excellent! It's just how I pictured! Well, not exactly. But close enough!" she cackled.
Sera could only blink in confusion. The hell was she talking about?"
As if reading her mind, Salem bellowed, "Your true form! How you're supposed to always look! Like mother, like daughter, eh?"
"I'm nothing like you," Sera growled.
Salem smiled wider. "No? Then how did you make my energy your own? Look at it, you know it's true."
A sense of dread settled over Sera. Salem wasn't wrong. But…she wasn't entirely right either. She'd said, It's just how I pictured! Well, not exactly. Maybe there was something different about how Sera looked. She cursed herself, wishing there was some sort of mirror.
In order to but up a tough front, Sera glared her mother in the eyes, "I'll never help you."
The immortal smiled slyly. "We'll see. Until next time, how about you think on my offer some more and come to a better conclusion. One that benefits the well-being of those you hold dear."
The hell does that mean?
With a cocky wave, Salem turned and swiftly left the dim cell, leaving Sera alone once more.
The huntress took a deep breath and tried to process everything that had just happened. She'd taken Salem's energy and made it her own. She was somehow compatible or something with Salem's powers, probably because she was her daughter and everything.
Then her eyes widened when realization dawned on her. She could fight Salem. If she could learn to control her "true form" as Salem put it, she could actually stand a chance.
Sera glanced at her arms, but her skin was already returning to its normal shade. It didn't matter. Smiling to herself, she began to formulate a plan.
. . .
Days have passed since Salem's last visit. Every day, some minion would come into her cell and feed her horrible-tasting gruel that was the color of lint. She got one bathroom break every six hours. You don't wanna know what the bathroom is.
She'd had dreams as well. None of them were pleasant. In one, she saw Qrow, RWBY, Oscar, and an old lady riding in the back of an old wagon that was being pulled by Yang on Bumblebee. In another, her team fought a swarm of flying Grimm on top of a train on a snowy mountain.
She desperately wanted to see her friends, to get out of this evil castle.
Sera Purpura could do nothing but wonder how her friends were doing and review over the newly unlocked knowledge in her mind. Dozens of names floating around her head, each of them holding more meaning than she could comprehend. The gods of Olympus, the Titans, the Underworld, Tartarus, the countless heroes that did the gods' bidding.
But where were the gods now, and why were there so little traces that they actually existed? It made no sense, and it drove Sera mad. She desperately wished that more of her memory would return instead of all this useless information that she had no idea what to do with.
Footsteps rang across the stone floor. Sera didn't even look up. She was too busy imagining her teammates and idly mumbling lyrics to a song she'd heard long ago.
"Almost heaven…"
"Sera." A gruff voice said.
"West Vale, yeah…" She mumbled and scratched at the floor with her toe.
"Sera," the voice said, more urgently.
"Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah River..." Sera half-chuckled.
"Look up."
"Life is old there, older than the trees…" Sera's glazed eyes shifted, her hair hanging in her face.
"Please."
"Younger than the mountains…"
"Sera."
"Blowing like the breeze…"
"SERA!"
Sera looked up as if she'd just awoken, and what she saw was not pleasant. A man in a white robe with black hair, electric blue eyes, and a neatly trimmed beard stood before her. She didn't know what to make of the man. Under normal circumstances, she would've made fun of his toga-like robes.
"Who're you?" she mumbled. The man looked pained to see her like this.
"A friend. I've come to give you news."
"What sort? Like, the bad sort, or the really bad sort?" Sera asked with an odd tone of voice. She was delirious.
"Your friends are in grave danger." He insisted.
"That's a first," Sera chuckled and hung her head.
"Don't you wish to see them again?" he asked.
"Of course, I would, Mr. Toga Man. But I'm kinda preoccupied with being a prisoner." She said quietly.
"And if I give you the power to escape, you could free yourself and return to your friends." The man promised.
"That'd be great. But see, I'm like, Miss Doomsday, apparently. So, I should be just fine." She said. The man sighed and stroked his beard. His very presence reminded Sera of the calm before the storm, as if he were made of pure lightning.
Somewhere deep in her mind, something clicked. "Wait… are you…?"
The man looked hopeful, like he'd been waiting to be recognized. "She's wrong, you know. Well, not completely. It's true, time and darkness run through your very veins. But something else does as well—light. The very essence of the gods. You're strong, Miss Purpura, but you could be so much more."
Sera was blinking heavily now, as if coming out of a daze. "You're…?"
"There isn't much time. This very moment, Salem is coming to this room. She intends on wiping your memory once more. She thinks that she can brainwash you into doing her bidding. On behalf of Olympus, I cannot have that."
"But you're…"
"Yes, child. Now! Free yourself and escape!" His voice boomed like lightning.
"To where? It's not like I can—"
"Trust your instincts, child. Olympus is watching over you." And with that, he turned into a gust of wind and disappeared. A wisp of cold air went straight into her mouth, and suddenly, she shook her head and perked up. She felt like she'd just been doused with cold water. Suddenly, all her senses were on high alert.
Did that just happen? Sera thought. Had I just hallucinated a god? And not just any god…
Then she looked at her chained wrists. Well, he was right about one thing. It was time to blow this joint.
She concentrated on the cuffs that bound her hands. Shutting her eyes tightly, she imagined the chains being removed.
There was a loud pop, and Sera opened her eyes to see the chains fall to the ground. The cuffs that bound her were smoking. Her wrists had momentarily turned pale, but were quickly returning to their usual color.
Then she grinned and yanked off the chains on her ankles. Thank the gods for my strength, she thought.
Sera immediately got to her feet and hurried to the door. Wrapping both hands around the handle, she tugged. No use. The lock was unrealistically resilient. She groaned and released the door. Then a lightbulb went off in her head.
Salem was on her way…
Sera immediately pressed her back against the wall behind the door and waited. It felt like a lifetime, but finally, the heavy door swung open. Salem stepped in, and Sera could only imagine the look on her face. But there was no time for that. She didn't know how long she'd be able to do this…
Sera inhaled sharply and squeezed her eyes shut. STOP!
Then all sounds immediately halted, and Sera opened her eyes and peeked around the door. Salem stood in front of where Sera had been bound, her fists clenched.
The huntress immediately dashed through the door and slammed it closed, bolting it fast.
She took off down the hallway while her semblance was still active. She counted in her head how long it took for time to resume and for Salem's scream of outrage to shake corridor. Ten seconds. Not bad, given her state, but as soon as she felt the familiar tug in her gut of her semblance ending, Sera immediately felt weaker.
She huffed and panted as she ran through the dark corridors. She had no idea where she was going, but anywhere is better than where Salem was.
Sere hung a left at the next intersection and ran for what she assumed was the center of the castle. She'd been thinking about an escape for days.
Salem's pawns had to have some sort of transportation to get around so quickly. They couldn't just walk to and from this castle all the time. No, there had to be some airships around. Of course, she had no idea how to pilot one, but one problem at a time.
She kicked open a set of large ornate doors and ran inside, slamming them behind her and leaning against one door for support.
Sera panted and slid down to a sitting position. Okay, she thought. Airships should be stored high up, so I just have to climb higher in the castle.
Then she picked her head up and gasped. She was in a giant chamber with large crystals providing light, a long black table with over a dozen seats, and a tall throne in the back of the room. The throne room.
Luckily, it was empty. Unluckily, it didn't stay that way for long.
Sera got to her feet and ran for the throne. There had to be some sort of weapon around she could use.
Where is my stuff? She thought. I know they stripped all my belongings when they brought me. Then she remembered her half of Ember Celica that Yang gave her. Oh, they better not have gotten rid of it.
She angrily marched up the throne's staircase and inspected it.
"Wow, mom," she thought aloud. "Guess I didn't get my sense of style from you."
Then a horrible thought occurred to her. She remembered the dreams she'd had so long ago about a man with black hair and violet eyes, strung up in the exact same manner that she was.
Perhaps it's from long ago, she tried to convince herself. Maybe that guy's long gone. He couldn't be my fa—
Then she heard the sound of glass shattering. Sera turned her head towards the source of the sound. A Gryphon had burst through a high window on the wall. It landed on the long black table and squawked at her.
Sera blinked as if she couldn't believe what had just happened. Then the Grimm launched itself at her, and she was forced to avoid it. She rolled to the side, slipping off the short staircase and falling to the floor. She landed in a kneeling position and immediately shot to her feet. The amnesiac sprinted towards the large double doors at the other end of the room.
Sure, she could've killed it no problem, but she couldn't waste her time to take out some lowly Grimm. Her mother was probably already free.
Sera dashed through the doors and ran down the hall towards where she hoped was the staircase. She passed many rooms, but one caught her attention. The door was open, and she cautiously stalked towards it.
She peeked her head around the corner. A gasp escaped her lips and her eyes widened at what she found. In a brightly lit room was a giant tapestry. On the tapestry was a family—several small children, a man with a kind expression that Sera found extremely familiar, and Salem. Except she looked different. Her hair was long and straight and went past her shoulders rather than being up in that odd design. Even her eyes looked kinder, with much less intensity and maliciousness.
Sera found herself staring at it. She couldn't tear her eyes away. But then something glinted in the candlelight, catching her eye.
Laying on a small table were two objects: a golden bracelet and a familiar leather belt with a holster on the side. Sera smiled at her good fortune and rushed inside the room, quickly putting her gun belt around her waist and Ember Celica on her wrist.
She wished she had her sword, but she'd have to make do. Sera drew Silver Linings and stepped out of the odd room, then continued on her way.
She had her belongings back.
. . .
Finally, she found a winding staircase. It took forever to climb, but at last she reached the top. She realized her mistake when she found herself on top of the tallest tower of the black castle. The night sky would've been pitch black if not for the shattered moon in the sky.
Sera hadn't meant to go all the way to the top. She wanted to find an airship and get the hell out of here.
She quickly turned to go back down the stairs, but her blood ran cold when she saw a familiar pale woman blocking the entrance.
Salem smiled playfully at her, like Sera was some sort of amusing dog that barked for her or something. The amnesiac drew her revolver and took a step back.
"Going somewhere?" Salem leered.
"Oh, you know, just enjoying the night air. Figured I'd give you some time to yourself."
"Cute."
"I try," Sera shrugged.
"You have no idea what's really going on, do you?" Salem asked. The question caught Sera off guard. "What has Ozpin told you? That I'm the big bad woman trying to wipe out the human race? That he's just the heroic headmaster who wants to save everyone? That he's done nothing wrong?"
"Basically, yeah."
Salem smirked. "You have no idea." The witch was so busy talking that Sera didn't notice her walking slowly towards her. "Perhaps if you knew the truth…" Then Salem pressed her cold index finger into Sera's forehead.
Sera gasped as her vision blackened. She saw a man in armor walking towards a tall castle, where a beautiful woman with blond hair and blue eyes sat in a chair, gazing at herself in the mirror. She was a sorceress—a magic user. The man rescued her, and they ran away together. They fell in love, but something tragic happened. The young man, Ozma, had died. Grief stricken, the beautiful woman, Salem, went to the garden of the Brother of Light. She demanded that he return her Ozma to her. He refused.
Outraged, the woman then went to the Brother of Darkness's garden of, well, darkness. After a lot of boring stuff, Salem had raised an army to confront the Brothers. It failed. After coming to an agreement, they…they wiped out the entire human race, allowing them to start over. But they had cursed Salem with immortality, so that she may never see Ozma again in the afterlife. Somehow along the way, Salem had become what she is now—pale skin, red eyes, and everything else.
Years passed, but Salem found Ozma again, only… he wasn't exactly himself. He was sort of possessing someone else's body. Just like what Ozpin had told Sera with Oscar.
Salem and Ozma, aka Ozpin, got together again. They raised a family. Salem proposed an idea for world domination with Ozma, because they were the only magic users left. Ozma refused. Salem was outraged, like usual. She… she killed her own children, along with Ozma, but he simply moved to another body.
So on and so forth, here we are now—the present.
Salem removed her finger from Sera's forehead with a cold smile on her face. Sera was breathing heavily, trying to process what she had just seen. This…this was life changing. If not for the threat of imminent death, she probably would've crumpled to the ground and got in the fetal position.
"Well? What do you think now? Ozpin is evil. Now do you see things from my perspec—"
"Yeah," Sera managed, her grip tightening on her firearm. "You're even crazier than I thought."
Salem scowled. "I should've wiped your mind again when I had the chance." She tried to grab Sera, but the huntress was too quick. She dashed out of the way and raised her gun.
Salem laughed at the gesture. "What are you gonna do with that? You just saw that I cannot die."
"Yeah, but the way I see it, mom, I bet a bullet to the head doesn't feel too great." Then she pulled the trigger. A Dust round entered the immortal's head, just above the right eye, and her head was thrown back by the force.
Taking that as her cue to leave, Sera fled down the winding stairs. Salem repositioned her head and sighed, the wound already closing. "Teenagers." She muttered, then disappeared in a flash of purple energy, transporting herself into the castle to intercept her daughter.
Sera was panicking as she descended the stairs, three at a time. Before she'd even made it halfway down, a loud ear-splitting sounded throughout the castle, like an air raid siren.
Great, she thought. More friends are coming. How am I gonna get myself out of this one?
Then she made it to the bottom. Her boots padded against the stone floor as she ran towards the throne room—the only direction she could go.
As soon as she made it to the large double doors that led into the throne room, a large Ursa appeared in her path. It seemed to melt out of the shadows, blocking the entire corridor with its massive body.
Sera was forced to duck inside the throne room when the Grimm swung its large paw at her. She hadn't realized her mistake at the time, but she certainly did now. Facing her from across the large room were the glowing eyes of Salem. The immortal lounged in her throne, her legs crossed and a smug smile on her face.
But wait! There's more!
Accompanying her were three people whom she greatly disliked: Tyrian the scorpion Faunus, Hazel the giant of a man, and Cinder Fall.
Sera gritted her teeth as she shut the large doors behind her. She glanced down at the revolver on her hip and cursed. If only she had her sword.
"Well," Sera announced. "This isn't the bathroom."
"Enjoy your little stroll through the castle?" Salem mused. Sera's eyes glanced between the four of them. Hazel stood with his tree-sized arms crossed, a passive expression on his face. Tyrian was watching her with a crazed grin, as if he was waiting for the huntress to perform or something. Cinder, well, her expression was a treat. She glared at Sera from across the room, her fists balled, and her jaw clenched.
"Oh, you know, not really. No. How do you not get lost in here? Everything looks the same!" Sera joked. She figured she'd better keep them talking while she formed a plan in her head.
From her newly "unlocked" memories, she remembered the tale of Icarus, who escaped an evil king by using a set of man-made wings to fly over the ocean. He had been warned by his father to not fly to high, or too low, or the wings would come apart. Naturally, the kid did just that. But Sera didn't have a set of wings to fly from this hell hole.
"You can still change your mind, you know," Salem regarded her with a stony expression. Cinder looked at her like she was crazy, but the Maiden quickly averted her eyes. Even with her new Maiden powers, she knew her place.
"Nah," Sera stated coolly and drew Silver Linings. "What fun is that?"
Hazel uncrossed his arms as if he were preparing to charge. Sera remembered how he fought in Haven—injecting himself with Dust to get a power boost. He stood up to Qrow with no problem. If Sera had to fight him, along with Tyrian and Cinder, she'd be in trouble.
As if reading her mind, Salem stated, "You know you cannot win. Much better you submit to me."
Sera glanced at Cinder self-consciously. All that power, yet she still has to work under Salem? Sure, Salem was an all-powerful sorceress that can't die, but still. No, Sera refused to be another pawn that this queen could use.
The huntress smirked and spun Silver Linings on her finger as if she'd been doing it for years.
"I may not know much about this whole 'big picture' thing going on with you and Oz, but I do know one thing," Sera glared at Salem.
Salem quirked an eyebrow. "And what's that?"
"That you, are a terrible mother," Sera stated. Salem sneered like she usually does at the young huntress before her. Then she looked lazily over to her subordinates, "Capture her. She can still be of use after the right…conditioning."
Tyrian's tail flicked excitedly, and he cackled maniacally as bounded across the table towards Sera. Cinder's eye blazed with magic flames and she floated into the air, her palms glowing with energy. Hazel sighed and stalked towards the amnesiac, his shoulders squared, and his fists clenched.
Sera did the natural thing. She spun her weapon again and raised it in her signature fan-firing pose. "Now this is a party," She muttered, then squeezed the trigger rapidly. Six rounds flew at Tyrian, and all of them caught him the face. The Faunus lost his footing and slipped off the table, but he was unharmed. His aura took the brunt of the attack.
Sera was forced to dodge when a blast of red-hot flames shot towards her. She did jumped and twisted her body in midair, quickly dumping her weapon's cylinder and reloading it in the blink of an eye. The only thought that occurred was, Man, I wish I didn't have to reload this thing so much. Maybe I can get Ozpin to work some of his mumbo jumbo to have an unlimited cylinder capacity."
The huntress's boots thudded on the floor as she fired several rounds towards Cinder. The Maiden simply raised her hand and melted the Dust rounds with a wall of fire. Several small clumps of molten metal landed on the stone floor and hissed.
Hazel still hasn't joined the fight. He was rather passive, despite his large size and Yang-like tantrums when he sees a certain headmaster.
Sera evaded a stab from Tyrian's tail and countered, firing a few rounds into it for good measure. The bullets bounced harmlessly off of the appendage with dull pings.
That's when the amnesiac remembered that Ruby had cut off his tail. Did he grow a new one or something?
Stealing a quick glance at the Faunus, she found her answer. The end of his tail was robotic, and metal sheets traveled up the length of it, resembling some creatures' natural armor.
Cinder blasted more fire towards her, and with nowhere else to go, Sera jumped off the wall, propelling herself up and over their heads, safely landing on the table.
Salem was watching with interest. As Sera fought, the immortal could make out a faint violet glow emanating from her eyes and the flower design tattoo on her arm. The amnesiac hasn't activated her "true" form yet. Maybe because she couldn't on command. Nevertheless, Salem continued to lounge in her throne and watch the ensuing fight.
Sera currently fighting off two opponents at once with a revolver. How? She didn't know. Her mind went on autopilot: kick, dodge, slam, evade, punch, repeat.
She was doing well despite not having her sword. She cursed herself for dropping it, but before she could scold herself too harshly, an exceptionally bright lightbulb flickered in her mind.
The amnesiac caught one of Tyrian's wrists and twisted, eliciting a pained grunt from the Faunus. Not wasting a breath, she slammed Tyrian into Cinder, causing her to stumble. Sera immediately thrust her fists forward, mimicking a familiar blonde that she had come to adore.
The one gauntlet of Ember Celica extended to its full length on her arm. The gold weapon glinted in the dim light, its red shotgun shells ready to fire.
Now would be a good time for that Queen song, Sera thought with a grin. Ah, never mind. I'll just sing it in my head.
Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time.
Cinder and Tyrian recovered quickly. The Maiden sneered and shot into the air, her eye blazing dangerously. The Faunus scowled and launched himself at Sera.
I feel ali-i-i-i-ve-e-e.
Sera sidestepped Tyrian and brought her left fist up, blasting the Faunus upward with a loud gunshot from Ember Celica.
And the wo-o-o-rld, turn it inside out.
Tyrian nearly touched the ceiling, and at the arc of his flight, Cinder blasted more fire downward at Sera.
I'm floating around in ecstasty…
Sera jumped into the air, coming face to face with Cinder. The Maiden looked surprise and furious.
So don't—stop-me—now.
Sera raised her fist and grinned.
Don't. Stop. Me. Now.
Cinder looked up in horror as Ember Celica stared her in the face.
Cause I'm having a good time.
Sera swung. Her fist connected with the Maiden's jaw. The gunshot blasted her backwards and into the foot of Salem's throne.
HAVING A GOOD TIME!
The huntress landed on the table once more and was immediately tackled by Tyrian. The Faunus growled and tried to impale her with his new tail, but Sera was fast. In an instant, she was gone. She simply disappeared from Tyrian's grasp and was suddenly above him.
Oh, right, Tyrian thought. Semblance.
Sera kicked him the side so hard, he flew across the room and into the wall with a sickening crunch.
Before she could appreciate her handiwork, a giant hand wrapped around her ankle and yanked her to the ground. Sera looked up to see the Hazel wrap a hand around her throat and lift her into the air.
He scowled and raised his large fist and scowled.
"You're a tough one," he grunted.
"Yeah, well," Sera replied as best as she could with this vice-grip of his crushing her windpipe. "Ozpin only trains the best."
That got a reaction. The giant man closed his fist around her throat tighter while his face contorted with rage at the mention of the Beacon headmaster.
Salem was about to step in and congratulate Hazel on capturing the amnesiac, but when she saw the look on his face, she chose to abstain for a moment.
"Don't. Even. Mention. Him," He growled.
Despite herself, Sera smirked. "Why? Too painful? After all, you're forgetting one, teensy weensy thing, Hazel."
"What's that?" he scowled.
"I'm her daughter," Sera pointed at Salem as her eyes transitioned to red, the whites of her eyes turning black as midnight. Cinder opened her mouth to warn him, but it was too late.
Sera kicked Hazel in the chest and sent him sprawling.
The bigger they are…, she thought with a smirk.
The huntress landed on one knee and rose to her full height. No one moved, all eyes were on her. The only sound was of Salem laughing. She even began to talk, most likely gloating somehow, but Sera didn't care.
She had only felt this once before. A sense of sheer power washed over her. Back at Beacon and in her cell, she was too distracted by her emotions to notice. She hadn't even fully noticed it in the fight against Cinder and Raven. But now, she could see what everyone was talking about. She had power running through her veins. The power of the old gods, of Salem and the King of the Titans.
Sera raised her palms to inspect her hands. Black veins mapped her arms, but now she could see a faint purple aura emanating from her body. It flickered and moved down her limbs like the waves of the ocean.
She raised her head and glared at Salem, who was grinning triumphantly down at her.
"Now, you see," the immortal told her. "The power you've been given. Use it as you're supposed to; take back our world."
Sera glanced down. If her mother thought that this little 'event' was going to change her mind, well, she had another thing coming. She raised her revolver, purple aura flowing over the weapon. And she aimed it directly at Salem.
The woman's smile faded. Then her expression turned to rage. "Still denying your destiny, eh? Cinder—incapacitate her."
Sera turned her head to look at the Fall Maiden, but she looked a little nervous. The flame over her eye dissipated and she was standing with both arms hung at her sides.
"Um, r-right," she muttered. Then the flames returned. Sera smirked at her, and the red-hot flames flickered slightly.
"You were right," Sera's voice startled her. It sounded colder and crueler than normal. She thought it was the power she was using, but maybe this feeling of cruel superiority had been within her all along, and that thought alone almost scared her enough to end this "true form".
Cinder faltered, as if she was wondering what Sera was talking about.
"I don't deserve this power. But now, I'm going to prove why it was a bad idea for you in the first place," Sera stated, then everything around her came to a silent halt. The huntress strolled up the stairs to Salem's throne. She regarded the pale woman before her, her own glowing red eyes boring into Salem's.
Then she raised her fist and swung.
The thing that happened next was rather unexpected. As soon as her fist came into contact with her mother's jaw, there was a purple spark where she connected, and an explosion sent her flying into the opposite side of the room.
The jolt was enough to shock her out of using her semblance, and everything moved again.
Sera groaned as she dug herself out of the crater she'd just created in the wall and fell to her hands and knees. Salem's sinister laughter was the next thing she heard.
But how? Sera thought to herself, nothing can attack me when I use my semblance!
She looked up to see that Cinder, Tyrian and Hazel were forming a loose semicircle around her.
"Now that that's taken care of," Salem announced in a triumphant tone. "Take her back to her cell until she decides to change her mind."
Sera spat a mixture of blood and saliva on the floor and glared at her assailants. Then, in a commanding and serious voice that she barely recognized as her own, she stated, rising to one knee, "You'll never get the chance." Then the amnesiac thrusted her arm forward, readying Ember Celica once more. "I'll take you all on!"
She rushed forward and grabbed Tyrian by the ponytail, throwing his head back and slamming her leg into him. In her head, an epic symphony was playing at her bold statement. The cool kind of music, like when the main character of a movie is doing some badass stuff. (Aka what played during Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen when Optimus Prime fought several Decepticons at once, despite being outnumbered.)
Sera then fired her gauntlet into Cinder and blasted her back. But before she could get too far away, the huntress grabbed her ankle and pulled her back, then slammed her fist downward. Cinder hit the ground so hard, cracks spread from where she landed. The Maiden's aura visibly flickered.
Not wasting a beat, Sera spun around and caught Hazel's fist. A blast of wind blew from where they connected, and a look of surprise was on his face. Sera smirked, her red eyes glowing in the dim light, and she twisted his wrist.
Hazel winced and brought down his free hand. At the same time, Tyrian was charging Sera from behind. The amnesiac ducked under Hazel's attack and spun, sending his giant body into the ground. She narrowly avoided the strike from Tyrian's tail, which impaled itself into the nearest wall.
Sera jumped straight up, bringing her knee right into the Faunus's chest. His face contorted in a mix of pain and surprise as his body was once again sent towards the roof.
Sera was feeling pretty proud of herself, but then a giant white-hot inferno consumed her entirely.
The heat was unbearable, and the only thing she could see was the flames directly in front of her eyes.
Fortunately, her aura absorbed most of it. Unfortunately, before she could even process what had happened, something hit her in the side with the force of a train.
Sera flew directly into the wall thirty feet behind her, creating another huntress-sized crater in the stone.
She lay in the stone spread eagled, her body shallowly embedded in the wall. Sera looked up to see Cinder with a smirk on her face and Hazel rolling his shoulders. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the giant man had slammed into her while she was distracted by Cinder's flames. Tyrian promptly fell from the sky and slammed into the table, effectively causing a large ugly crack on the top.
"Ugh…" Sera groaned as she climbed out of the not-so-comfortable wall. "Can you people stop sending me into walls? It's giving me a headache. Plus, I get enough of that from sparring with Nora."
"What do you mean 'you people'?" Tyrian asked pointedly. Sera blinked. Was he seriously trying to call her out as some sort of Faunus hater?
Sera's boots thudded lightly on the floor, but she immediately had to lean onto the wall for support. Her chest heaved and her vision was fuzzy. Had that hit really did that much to her? Or maybe, Sera gulped at the realization. Maybe using this form was too strenuous on her body. She couldn't use it for long with out tiring out.
Pushing that thought aside, the amnesiac drew Silver Linings and readied her half of Ember Celica.
"Well, that was quite the show," Salem said. She was approaching Cinder from behind, momentarily putting a pale hand on the Maiden's shoulder. "But I think it's time to end this, don't you? There's no point in resisting. I'll get what I want in the end," her glowing red eyes twinkled. "I always do."
Sera clenched her jaw momentarily, then as soon as she opened her mouth to speak, a black and red oval of energy appeared from behind her, and an arm stuck out of it, wrapped around her torso, then pulled her in.
The portal disappeared as quickly as it had shown up.