With all this quarantine stuff I can get to focus on writing more often, which is nice. But god family sucks when they need things and you're the only one braving the world for them .
Sir Maou: Haven't played it yet and need to see what those are about.
Melter Bunny: I wish I could but I'm the only one going out for supplies in my family home soooo that's hard to do.
Dragonfan: Never read it. Which I still need to get to.
Marioturtle: I would have to ask for permission first.
Bakai77: Maybe! I'm going to finish the Gaim power ups first and then go to the next tokusatsu thing.
Guest: I really do love Jojo but I find myself at a quandary of what to do. Part of me really wants to do The Fifth Lesson on Spin with Jaune as Johnny.
Reiki27: Yeah, I did it like that on purpose. If you noticed every girl who used that world to their advantage were ones who had some sort of power others. Pyrrha was not an exception.
Hecseferblade: It did a little!
TheChosen69: I might do Yakuza 0 or Judgement.
Mechdragon99: Welcome back! And I have thought of the other league characters a lot honestly. I may do him as my main in the next one. Gonna be a fun assassin! As for the suggestions, I'll have to ask the authors first. But Zero would be fun if not a little sad.
WearyCurmudgeon: Someone is already doing Deck of Heroes so I won't be stepping into that one. And Once and Future King does sound good though, will have to ask the author.
GUEST: Not gonna lie, I never got into the To Aru series.
Dragon Bone Z: I have Azir' planned out in my mind with stand-ins for Xerath Renekton and Nasus as well. But I won't be doing that one just yet.
Argus456: Sorry to hear that! I understand since I have foot problems from time to time.
As for everyone else, thank you for the continued support.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or LoL.
It was a weird feeling, not being able to stand up from their seats. As if something was pushing down on their bodies.
"So this is what happens when a dark universe appears?" Mercury asked as he shifted in his seat, trying to find a comfortable sitting arrangement. Sadly, he couldn't seem to. No one could.
"It's rare for someone to be in the theater when one of these come up, so this is actually a bizarre treat," the Curator replied. He was the only one able to move around freely but there was a frown on his face. "Let's just see how dark this world is."
"Can we not?" Ruby whimpered but the world started up.
On the outskirts of the city-state known as Demacia, a group of thieves had managed to leave the militaristic walls of the city and get out into the farmlands. They had procured several bags worth of gold, antiques, and jewels from various houses of nobles.
"Demacia?" Ozpin asked. "I've never heard of such a city-state before."
"Neither have I," Salem said.
"Because this world is one from a completely different world entirely. One both magical and scientific at the same time," the Curator replied. "One that is on the constant brink of war and destruction from various forces."
"That doesn't sound good at all," Summer frowned.
"What of this Demacia though?" James wondered.
"If I were to put it in terms related to Remnant, Demacia is similar in ideology as Atlas but constructed in Anima instead of Solitas." That made the General blink.
"Man, I can't believe those pompous assholes up there had this much stuff laying around!" Mercury said as he ran over a bridge, being the last one to cross.
"Makes sense a criminal like you would be a thief," Yang grinned at Mercury who shrugged.
"Right?" Yang grinned as she hefted the bag over her shoulder. "With this, we should live well for months!"
"How does that foot taste in your mouth?" Mercury grinned back causing Yang to glare.
"Quiet, you guys," Ren said as he led the group since he was the one who remembered the way back to their little hideout. "We have to hurry or Cinder is going to get angry."
"Nooo! You're working for the bad guy Renny!" Nora yelled.
"I still don't see what's scary about this world just yet," Raven stated as she tried to move her arms.
"This is an updated version of this world...namely for this version of Jaune," the Curator replied, watching closely. "So, I do not know how well this is going to go."
"That doesn't put me at ease at all," Qrow groaned. "I don't do well with horror movies."
"Amen!" a chorus of various voices replied.
"You're starting to sound like Emerald," Mercury chuckles as they made it past a small farmhouse and down the road.
"I'm right here jackass," Emerald huffed as she was the one having the hardest time carrying the items but despite that, she was the third one in the marching order. Mercury was the fastest and was there to ensure nothing was dropped. "And we wouldn't have gotten away with anything if I wasn't there."
"I see I am once again solving all your problems," Emerald smirked at her partner, who just gave her the finger.
"Yeah, you and your heretic magical powers," Yang replied. "I'm glad they helped with the situation but keep them away from me."
"Whoa!" Ruby, Summer, and Tai shouted looking at Yang and then the screen.
"Why am I a racist?" Yang demanded.
"You're from Demacia, a city-state who espouses moral superiority over others. While at the same time absolutely hating magic-using people."
"Why?" Ruby frowned.
"Much like how in the normal world, people don't like Faunus. They hate what they don't know or are different from them." Blake, her parents, Ilia, and Velvet nodded their heads at his words.
Ren and Mercury rolled their eyes. Ren came from Ionia and Mercury from Zaun where magic was more commonly accepted as to Demacia where Yang was from. This, in turn, made the green-haired girl frown. "At least Cinder appreciates me." That caused the other three to chuckle.
"You sound just like yourself," Cinder told Emerald.
"Thank...you?" the mint haired girl replied. She was unsure of how to take that.
As they made it past the last few houses, the quartet slowed their pace. All that was left between them and their hideout was thirty minutes' worth of walking through woodlands. However, when they passed by a signpost Yang reached out and grabbed Ren. "Uhh...you do know where we are, right?" the blonde thief asked.
"Ah so here is the turn," Terra said. Saphron grabbed her hand and closed her eyes.
"Tell me when it's over," she begged.
"Of course honey." Terra then thought about it. "I wonder what our son is up to."
It cuts to the training room with Adrian attached to Spider-Man!Jaune as he swung around. "At least you don't throw up mid-swing like my Adrian," he chuckled.
"YA!" Adrian laughed, enjoying the feel of air rushing past him.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. When Yang pointed at the signpost that pointed out to the numerous cities such as Bandle City, Piltover, Mt. Targon and of course the port that leads to Ionia. But what she wasn't pointing at was that but the small trinket hanging off of it.
"Those all sound like radically different places," Glynda stated.
"I won't exposit about the city until we visit a Jaune from that city, saves us some time," the Curator replied.
"Of course, that is reasonable," Kali agreed. She turned to her husband who was also closing his eyes, much like Saphron and shook her head.
It was of a tiny scarecrow with blue eyes made into "x" shapes and tufts of yellow hair-like hay sticking out from the top. "What about it?" Ren asked.
"If I didn't know this was about a murderous scarecrow version of that Arc kid, I may have found that cute," Neo said. Pyrrha nodded.
"It does look like him doesn't it?" the champion mused.
"I'm not going in there, not at this time of night," Yang said before shaking her head. "Nope! I'm not going in there at all!"
"A racist and a coward, how pathetic, daughter," Raven taunted.
"Oi, fuck you," Yang glared. "You hate a lot of people too."
"Yes but I hate everyone equally." That made Yang make a frustrated noise through her nose.
"Really? You're scared after seeing something as tiny as this?" Mercury laughed. He even went as far as to grab the trinket and mess with it.
"I'm not risking my life right here," she said back.
"What is going on?" Emerald asked. "In case you forgot, only you're the one from this city-state, Yang."
"That little toy is a warning sign to most villages here in Demacia, usually to tell people that there's a chance Crocea Mors is around," Yang informed them. "And I for one am not going to go in there after seeing that."
"Superstition always has people jumpy," Salem said. "Then again we come from a world where our past has been turned into fables so we're not one to talk."
"I feel like I'm being insulted," Ozpin stated.
"Because you are being insulted," Salem said dismissively.
"We sure my sister isn't related to that?" Qrow asked Tai and Summer who just giggled.
"Crocea Mors? I heard of that," Ren said as he looked at her. "It's just a kid's tale. A story to scare little children into being good kids."
"So...Jaune is the boogeyman?" Ruby asked.
"One of many yes," the Curator replied.
"Many?" Weiss whispered. "Just how twisted is that world?"
"Very much. Lots of the versions of Jaunes that come from that world specifically are either heroes, villains, or outright monsters. With some of the monsters being on par or stronger than any Maiden."
Those that knew of how strong Maidens were felt their stomachs drop. A world full of beings that strong and yet have not been destroyed? What sort of world did they live in?
"Don't tell me you're superstitious Yang," Mercury grinned.
"Wait...where are you going?" Emerald asked as she noticed Yang as she dropped her sack of loot and went back towards the village.
"To find a place to sleep. You guys can go back if you want tonight but I will see you tomorrow at the hideout," she replied without even looking back at the trio.
"I don't know if I should applaud her sense of self-preservation or her willingness to show her back to other thieves," Roman hummed.
"Do it for both," Neo grinned.
They heard a gun cock and saw Ren had readied his flintlock pistol that seemed to glow green with energy. "Yang, if you leave now, you know we have to kill you," Ren said. Emerald stiffened but Mercury got into a stance ready to fight the girl if need be.
"What? But I thought they were a team!" Ruby shouted.
"Thieves tend to betray one another if it will cost them their livelihood," Emerald replied. "That version of the blonde bimbo knows who they are and is about to walk off."
"Hey!" Yang frowned. "Who are you calling a bimbo?"
"She's a liability," Cinder chimed in. "They should kill her now and be done with it."
"Do it. I still find it better than going into there right now," Yang answered as she kept walking away from the group.
"Damn," Sun whistled. "Look at the balls on her!"
"Ugh...not the image I wanted to think of," Neptune gagged.
Ren frowned and didn't fire but made sure to say, "Be at the hideout tomorrow. We'll let Cinder deal with you." Yang just waved her hand and kept walking.
"Should have shot her," Neo shook her head.
What the trio didn't see as she walked away was the sheer look of abject horror and sadness on her face. Yang had managed to put on a brave face until she turned around. Tears streamed down her cheeks, as she held her side and her mouth, choking back a sob.
Yang was afraid of Crocea Mors because she already had a run-in with it years ago.
"Did it suddenly get colder for anyone else or is it just me?" Yang asked and everyone looked at her funny. "So just me... good to know…"
"Yes, just you," a voice whispered in her ear and Yang looked around but saw no one.
A fifteen-year-old Yang groaned as her little sister dragged her through the woods near their home, the sun close to setting. "Ruby you know that can't be true," Yang sighed but still smiled. It was rare for her to get to hang out with her sister, what with going to school and conscription just right around the corner. So any time with Ruby was better than anything else.
"So this is very much like Atlas," James said.
"Racism included," Ilia whispered to herself.
"But it's true!" Ruby shouted as they walked about, the thirteen-year-old looking around every corner as she tried to find the thing she was looking for.
"Don't you look precious?" Tai teased. Summer cooed at the sight of a younger version Ruby.
"She's not much taller than she is now is she?" Weiss asked Blake with a teasing smile.
"Really? Look how skinny Yang is, she's almost like a twig!" the ninja of team RWBY laughed.
The two sisters looked away in embarrassment. However, dread began to pool in their stomachs as they saw the woods and knew that something bad was about to happen.
"Ruby, I miss her just as much as you do, but we both know mom is gone," Yang sighed again. She then heard a small caw from above and noticed a crow with blue eyes staring down at her. "Huh weird…"
"Oh..I died in this world too?" the Rose matriarch asked.
"In lots of worlds, you do," the Curator replied. "But it is the same that in many you live."
"It's just that we're seeing ones where I died." Summer didn't like that at all.
"But I heard her! I swear I did!" Ruby pouted. "She was calling for me! Calling for help!"
"Ruby I…"
"Yang! Ruby! Help...me…" The words caught in Yang's throat as she heard it. Heard the sound of her mother Summer calling out to them. "Please help me…"
Yang began to grip the arms of her seat. "You hear it don't you...her calls for help?"
"Okay, who is ever doing that, cut it out," Yang growled. "It is getting annoying."
"Uh...doing what Friend Yang?" Penny inquired tilting her head.
"Whispering in my ear."
"Yang...no one is sitting behind you," Qrow informed her. Yang turned around and saw that indeed, no one was there.
"MOM!" Ruby shouted before she ran off. With her speed, Yang was left dumbfounded before she ran after her.
"Ruby wait!" Yang ran off looking frantically for her sister who ran into the now darkened forest. But as she ran she couldn't keep pace with the younger girl.
"You're going to lose her...like you lost both your mothers…" Yang felt something touch her neck and she turned again, to see nothing there once more.
The Curator saw this and looked at the screen. While the audience was protected, it seemed like this world was trying to taunt the people in the theater.
And the more she ran, the more crows she saw perched upon the branches. All of them cawing, looking at her with those nasty blue eyes.
"That's not scary at all…" Pyrrha said.
"Don't you see it Pyrrha!?" Nora shouted. "They're not real eyes!"
"What do you mean?" Ren asked.
"They're just glowing blue orbs!" Nora told her boyfriend. Everyone looked and it was indeed glowing blue orbs rather than actual eyes.
"Ruby! I'm over here!" the voice of Summer shouted once more and Yang turned to see a flash of red off in the distance.
"Mom!" Yang sped up her pace, following the cry from her sister. Following the trail, she thought she saw...
"i'M...ALwAYs...wiTH...yOu...mY...LitTlE...ROSE…"
Ruby started to wretch in her seat as she heard that. "RUBY!" Tai shouted.
"Dad...I don't feel so good," she coughed out. The young girl was breaking out into chills.
Yang's blood ran cold as she heard the words echoing forest. "N-No, It can't be…" she said to herself. "Ruby! Come back here! That's not mom!" The blonde dashed forward hoping to reach her sister before whatever this thing that was impersonating their mother did.
How did she know that?
Because it just repeated Summer's last words before illness took her.
"Fucking hell," Qrow said, eyes wide. "What sort of mind game bullshit is that?"
"I feel like I'm going to throw up," Yang gasped, gripping the arms of the chair even tighter.
"Aren't we safe in here?" Summer asked.
"We are...but it seems like this being has a sort of terror effect pouring through the screen," the Curator replied. "I'm actually mitigating sixty percent of that terror right now." That made the crowd look at him? The chills and terror the siblings were feeling were only at forty percent!?
"Yang! I'm scared! Help me!" Ruby shouted. It seemed like her sister noticed too.
"Good, at least she can run away," Kali nodded.
"I don't know what is happening but it doesn't sound good…" Ghira said as he kept his eyes closed.
"Hold on, I'm getting closer," Yang replied as she frantically looked for her sister.
"Please! Yang!" She kept running and heard the caws grow louder and louder. Thankfully she found her sister who was standing still.
"Ruby thank god you're…" Yang stopped and saw why Ruby was frozen.
Standing a few yards away was a dilapidated scarecrow. Its head was a ragged sack with stray pieces of hay sticking out, making it resemble a mop of blonde hair. Its head was limp, hanging towards its right side, where she saw a wooden arm that looked oddly outlined in blue carrying a lantern. The other was a little thinner as if they didn't get set similarly, clutching a rusted and broken scythe in its hand. Its legs were spindly and made of metal…
With a metallic hand matching the left next to its feet.
"Fuck…" Mercury said as he took in just how disturbing it looked. He suddenly felt like he was back home...before his dad died.
"Oh no…" Emerald gasped. "We're going to go up against that thing? I'm breaking out into a sweat just by seeing it!"
Ren looked and suddenly bent forward as a bucket magically appeared before him. He threw up his breakfast. "Ren/RENNY!" Pyrrha and Nora exclaimed in shock.
"I feel like it's the day we lost Kuroyuri just by looking at it," Ren said shuddering in fear.
"Ruby get over here now," Yang commanded her sister who was frozen in shock.
The cawing got louder as the dying afternoon light disappeared beneath the murder of crows overhead and Yang felt her dread grow.
"Yup...this is a horror movie alright," Coco said. Velvet was covering her eyes with her bunny ears.
"Ruby-" Then the scarecrow's head twitched.
Yang threw caution into the wind as she ran and grabbed her sister, who broke out of her trance and screamed before running in the opposite direction of the thing. "What is that!?" Ruby shouted as they ran back to where they entered.
"Don't ask questions; get out of there!" Tai shouted as Ruby began to hyperventilate. Like Ren, the young girl felt the bile rising up her throat. The longer her counterpart was close to this twisted version of Jaune, the more she felt sick.
An inhuman screech tore through the forest and it forced the girls to run faster. They did not dare look behind them for fear of what was there.
"It's like metal being shredded against metal and ripped apart by a bear," Neptune said, nearly wetting himself hearing that.
"I think I need a change of clothes," Sun said embarrassedly as he did wet himself. The moment the head twitched and looked at the screen he swore that the thing was looking at them!
A shame they didn't, for if they did they would have seen the danger fast approaching.
"How can something so scraggly move so fast!?" Winter shouted in fear. The way it moved was inhuman, it was cross between a mad dash and a frantic crawl.
"It's even traversing the uneven terrain so easily," Glynda gulped. Even a veteran hunter could feel fear by just seeing that thing. "I can't believe this is a version of Mr. Arc."
"Believe it," the Curator replied.
Ruby screamed as she felt something grab her ankle. "Yang!" Ruby cried out. The sister turned and nearly cried out in shock herself. Standing there with one arm clutched around Ruby's ankle was the imitation of a man. The arm dark as night, outlined in blue gripping tightly onto Ruby's ankle.
"AH!" Ruby shouted as she felt something literally grabbing onto her ankle, the exact same one as the one being grabbed on screen. Yet there was nothing there but the pressure and the growing feeling of coldness.
And staring into her own purple eyes...were a twisted pair of blue glowing orbs.
This time Yang did throw up into a magical bucket as she felt as if her very soul was being devoured.
"You can't save her…" The voice taunted.
"Oh god...It's talking to me…" Yang gasped as she wiped her mouth with a magical napkin summoned by the Curator.
"Yang please, help! Don't let go!" Ruby begged her sister, crying.
"I'M...aLwAYs...WiTH...yoU...MY...lIttLe...Rose…" Crocea Mors repeated in a raspy guttural voice.
"Fuck off with that shit!" Tai said frantically at the screen as his Ruby was having a panic attack. He was trying to calm her down with Summer, while Qrow tended to Yang.
"I won't let go Ruby!" the blonde replied as she held onto her sister as best as she can. Both of them were crying as this monster began to pull Ruby closer. Starting to overpower her. Yang was trying her hardest to not let go of her younger sister, but her fingers were slipping.
Yang looked at her own fingers and felt them become sweaty, clammy. The feeling of something slipping out of her own grasp affecting her. "Nononononononono…" she said to herself as Yang remembered the time in their childhood where Ruby almost died.
"Don't let go, Yang!" Ruby cried but they both saw it. Saw the metallic arm raise itself and was poised to strike down Yang with the scythe.
"NO!"
The voice that shouted that caught everyone by surprise. They turned and saw a frightened Raven staring at the screen. That made Qrow pause, Tai and Yang would have too if they weren't preoccupied.
In her fear, the elder sibling let go.
"No…" Yang said before throwing up again.
And at that moment, Yang ran. She ran as she heard her sister scream out for her life. She ran as she felt her blood grow cold. She ran even as she looked behind her and saw the twisted arm choke her sister and the maw of the beast open up and…
Ruby grasped her neck as if something was choking her. As if Crocea Mors was actually doing that. That the twisted version of her best male friend was actually trying to kill her. And the moment the mouth opened, Ruby stopped breathing for a few moments. Her heartbeat went flat from the fear she felt for those few seconds.
Only to be awakened by the Curator.
"It seems the hold it has on her is over," the Curator said as he gently took Ruby out of her chair. She was deathly quiet. A haunted look was on her face. "I'll take her outside now."
The world kept going, everyone still stuck in their seats knowing that whatever happened. It could happen to them.
"Dark universes are not to be taken lightly it seems," Ozpin said, fearing for the young Rose.
"That they are not," Salem nodded. Her own motherly instincts kicked in upon seeing the frantic girl. While they were enemies, seeing a family be useless to help their child was one thing she hated.
As the world continued, the Curator led Ruby to the lobby. "I'll try to see if I can get someone to stay with you okay?" the Curator said. Ruby nodded quietly as she sat down in one of the many dining tables.
However, as he did a random Jaune sat down in front of her. Lifeless silver met happy yet concerned blue as he sat down. "Hey there Ruby. I see that you're down in the dumps after whatever you saw," the Jaune said.
Ruby just nodded.
"So how about we turn that frown upside down?" this Jaune asked.
"I don't think you can…" Ruby muttered.
"Oh trust me, I think I can." He took hold of her hand and raised up his left arm and pressed a few buttons on a device on his wrist. "Let's go see my world yeah?"
Back to the group.
Yang stopped thinking about it. She did not want to think about the worst day of her life again. But seeing the doll made her far too scared not to. "I need to move out of this place," she mumbled to herself.
"YAng…" a voice called out, Ruby's voice. The blonde stiffened and turned towards the woods...where she saw two blue eyes looking back at her. "pLEasE...DoNt...lET...GO!"
"Ugh...the feeling of utter dread is gone, but there is still some fear there," Yang said as she accepted the drink the Curator handed her as he returned. "How's my sister?"
"Oh, I saw her hanging out with one of the Jaunes. I think she'll be fine after speaking to him. In fact, I think we'll go to that world next after this," he replied.
Yang saw the flock of crows migrating into the forest and broke out into a sprint towards the closest tavern. She had made the right choice...and prayed for the other three to have painless deaths.
"We're screwed aren't we?" Mercury gulped as he felt himself break into a cold sweat.
"Yeah…" Emerald replied. She was about to ask Cinder for her thoughts when the thief saw her usually calm and composed boss having a look of sheer fear on her face. "Cinder are you alright?"
"No…" Cinder hissed. "This thing is powerful enough to affect us through the screen. I am not alright."
"God I would be laughing if I wasn't so scared," Roman said to Neo, who could barely nod her head in agreement.
Trio in question was walking through the forest, all silently making their way through the forest. Well, it would have been silent if Emerald wasn't asking questions. "What is Crocea Mors, and why was Yang freaking out so hard?" Emerald asked.
"You mean you've never heard your variation of it?" Ren answered with his own question. "About the boogeyman?"
"So their ignorance is based on them being from different cities," Glynda said while trying not to focus on what just happened.
"Everyone has a boogeyman," Kali agreed. "They're just different ever so slightly."
"For us back in Zaun, Crocea Mors was a failed automaton possessed by the spirit of a mad scientist. Now he's taking people off the street," Mercury chuckled.
"That sounds the closest so far," Weiss said, her eyes going to the door every so often.
"In Ionia, it's about a corpse returning from the dead during a blood moon, donning its old armor to take little kids away," Ren frowned.
"And that sounds the farthest," Blake commented. She hoped this world finished soon, she wanted to check on her leader.
"Oh! Yeah, we had something like that back in Noxus. An old farmer was blamed for the bad harvest. Superstitious folk beat the old man and had his body left for the crows to eat," Emerald replied. "And like yours...came back for revenge."
"Uh…" Pyrrha froze. As did the rest of RWBY and JNPR.
"What's wrong?" Penny asked.
"Jaune's family is a group of farmers and hunters," Ren replied, although he was shaking a little.
"So that one...may have some credence…" Weiss said in fear. Did that really happen to the dork in that world?
"Sheesh, and you think that someone like Yang wouldn't be scared of ghost stories with how long she's been running with us," Mercury laughed before noticing some crows up in the trees.
"How long have we been working together?" Yang wondered.
"Probably since after Ruby died," the Curator guessed.
"Whatever, let Cinder deal with her," Ren replied as he kept trekking forward. He too noticed the crows.
"Agreed," Emerald nodded before noticing something off. "Hey Mercury, wasn't there another bag?"
"Ah, a reason to split the party," Roman morbidly chuckles.
"They know they're not supposed to do that," Summer said offhandedly.
"Huh?" the grey-haired boy asked, all of them stopping to see that indeed the bag that he was carrying was missing. "Did...I just had it a second ago."
"Maybe you left it when we took that short break a couple of minutes back," Emerald stated on remembering when they took a quick sit to catch their breath.
"Dead," Mercury said to himself. "I am so dead." As he was trying to make light of the situation, he heard a voice whispering in his ear. He couldn't hear it completely but...no...it couldn't be right?
"Cinder won't be happy if she knows you lost it," Ren said, his face going into a frown. "Go get it. We'll wait here."
"Ugh, I hate that your bossy face is our second-in-command," Mercury said as he walked off, back the way they came.
"Really? Him?" Emerald mumbled to herself. "I'm better than him."
Walking back, he began to notice a large number of crows flying about at night. "Man, Demacia is fucking weird…" he shook his head. Getting back to the stump he sat on in a small clearing, Mercury found the bag. "There you are…"
"meR-Cu-ryY…" a voice echoed out towards him. A feminine voice, a recognizable voice to Mercury.
"I don't know that voice," he said, but the strange whispering in his ear grew. It made his spine tingle and had him sitting on edge.
The young man froze. "Mer-CUR-y…"
He turned around and looked through the trees. "No...that can't be…" Mercury said to himself. "Amber died."
Those who knew of Amber were confused. How can she like a man like this asshole?"
"sTOp...HIm...pLeAse!" Amber's voice continued. "doNt...LEt...him dO Thisss…."
Mercury felt the cool dread go down his back as something literally touched the nape of his neck.
The one in the theater slapped the back of his neck and looked around, but nothing was there. "Shit...it's starting for me isn't it?" he asked. Salem looked at him and raised an eyebrow, wondering how her minion's minions would handle this.
Turning around he kicked and a shot could be heard from the area. His leg was smoking as his gun grieves had fired off a shot at whatever it was behind him.
"Ruby would have loved to see that," Pyrrha said.
"Agreed," Yang sighed. That damn aura of fear was still in the theater and she couldn't calm down.
However, there was nothing in sight.
"I must be going out of my mind. All this talk of ghost stories…" Mercury said to himself. He turned to grab the bag and found it missing.
"oNCe..A...faiLURE...ALwayS...a...FaiLUre!" Another voice this time, one that scared Mercury to the very marrow of his bones.
"...no." He uttered. "That can't be real." The taunting laugh was echoing in his ears and he couldn't help the feeling of rage and fear that took hold of his body.
As he froze up, Mercury heard it. His father's raspy laugh just off to his left. The same one he made when Mercury killed his father for murdering his girlfriend via chemtech experiments.
"I want to know what that means but the implications it was used on an innocent girl make me wary," James gulped.
Turning to face the sound, Mercury came face to face with a silhouette just out of view in the moonlight. The very same silhouette of the man who was supposed to be dead. "No…No! I killed you!"
"Y-Yeah! We killed you!" Mercury nodded. Roman saw the usually cocky teen sweating and shook his head.
"I think this is the first time we'll see them lose their cool," he stated loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Fuck you!" Mercury shouted. Even Cinder glared, but that was because she was sweating under the collar. She was trying to keep calm and composed but it was starting to break. The way her eye twitched and frantically looked around was a sign that she was not okay.
The rasping cough was his only response as the silhouette moved closer and closer, causing Mercury to panic. Turning around, he bumped into something cold and metallic. A hand grabbed his throat as he came face to face with the fake blond scarecrow.
"How the fuck did he sneak up on me!?" Mercury shouted as he watched with eyes wide. Just like Ruby, he put his hands towards his neck and gripped at an invisible force there. He began to gag and choke on something that wasn't there.
"Shit," Coco said. Even though he was on the bad guy's side she couldn't just let this happen. Even Sun wanted to help him. Sadly they were stuck in their chairs.
Blue "eyes" stared into his own grey as the demonic arm lifted him up. "Shit...SHIT!" Mercury shouted as he flailed his legs and tried to pry off the arm of Crocea Mors.
"Help! Ren! Em!" he shouted as the thing began to choke him. "I...I can't die here!"
Mercury coughed up spittle as he felt the hold on him getting stronger. His eyes were starting to roll backward.
"Why aren't you guys doing anything?" Sun demanded from the villains who were too shocked or afraid to do anything about it. Or in the case of Cinder, more worried about her own skin. Emerald looked at Mercury and was unsure of what to do, as she felt her own fear consuming her.
Salem just ignored them all.
The raspy laugh came closer and Mercury was allowed to see over his shoulder to see a faceless imitation of his father crumble to dust.
"I guess...that's how Crocea Mors gets his victims…" Raven said after finally calming her wits. "Makes effigies of people they know and murders them."
"The question becomes how," Summer concurred.
"I...CaNT...diE...HeRE…" Crocea Mors mimicked his voice as he spoke, making Mercury pale in response. It was a little late for the living scarecrow opened his mouth and Mercury screamed along with it.
Just like Ruby before him, Mercury flatlined for a couple moments. He had convulsed and twitched as his body. However, he came back and unlike Ruby ended up shouting. He was shouting so loud that his voice went hoarse before fainting.
Emerald looked at him wide-eyed and slack-jawed. Her breathing becoming a bit ragged. Cinder's own breath stopping as she saw him faint.
The Curator got him out before he shook his head. "Ruby took it better than he did," he shook his head.
A few minutes later Ren was pacing worriedly. Emerald was sitting on a large root biting her lip. "You don't think he ran off with the goods do you?" Emerald asked her leader.
"No," Nora said, her eyes even wider as they saw not one but two people getting taken out because their hearts stopped from pure fear. "I don't think he's alive."
"Oh god…" Ren stopped. "That's going to happen to me." As he said that, the usually stoic boy starts to hear screams. "No...no…"
Pyrrha and Nora grab his hands.
"Mercury? He's too much of a coward to do so," Ren shook his head. "Something must have happened to him."
"I would have insulted him too if my body wasn't too rigid from fear," Emerald replied. She could feel the cold grasp of terror slowly entrapping her in her seat.
"You think so?" Emerald stood up and dusted herself off. "We can always just go get him after we drop the stuff off."
Cinder started to hyperventilate, her eyes closing shut for a few moments before opening them. The feeling of both terror and weakness taking over her body. A feeling she absolutely hated.
Ren nodded. As he was about to say something, he noticed crows landing nearby. "That is odd. Aren't crows supposed to be asleep at night?"
"They are," Qrow answered. But he was too distracted at wanting to check on his niece.
"They are yeah." Emerald nodded before they saw movement just in their periphery.
"It's here," Terra said, very glad that her son was not here to see this.
"What was that?" They both asked at the same time.
Emerald turned her head to see what was there and found nothing. "Man this day is just getting weirder and weirder," Emerald said only to hear nothing in response. "Ren?" The thief saw that she was alone with just the gold that was there. "This is not funny guys!"
Ren's eyes began to flicker open and closed before he looked around. "Who is screaming?" he asked. "Do you hear that screaming?"
"Renny…" Nora hugged him, also afraid for she knew what was going to happen. Pyrrha held his hand still.
A few moments prior.
"rEN…" a voice whispered into the thief's ears as he heard it. He turned around to see the figure of his childhood friend running into the woods.
"W-Was that my voice?" Nora gasped. "Did I die in this universe?" When she didn't get a response, her mind started to think of how sad that was.
"Nora," Ren gasped. Distracted by the voice, he followed it. Was this true? Maybe...maybe his friend was really here.
"Don't go there!" Pyrrha shouted at the screen.
Ren gagged and puked again. "There's another voice screaming in my head…" he began crying. "It's your voice…" He said looking at Nora.
Seeing her form run deeper into the woods, he picked up his pace. "Nora, where are you going?"
"REn…" Nora kept running in a sidewinding way. It almost made it impossible to follow her.
"Why are we still watching this?" Nora glared at the alternate Jaune standing there and the screen.
"I sadly can't stop dark worlds. This theater is meant for light worlds or one at least in twilight. Dark worlds like this tend to overpower the theater," the Curator frowned. "That's why I said it was rare for this to happen."
"Nora stop running!" Ren shouted hoping to catch up to his friend. "Nora stop!"
"rEn…" Nora said as she turned over a corner and vanished.
"He should stop following," Kali frowned.
"But if you saw a friend you haven't seen in years, wouldn't you be curious?" Tai replied, understanding what that version of Ren felt.
"Nora? Nora!" Ren shouted as he lost track of his friend. "W-Where did she go?" Now that he could think clearly, where was he? Looking all around Ren couldn't tell where he was.
"That's not good!" Blake pointed.
"Lost, confused, and afraid," Winter agreed.
"REn…" Nora's voice rang out all around him. "HoW couLD You bEtRAY me?"
"He...betrayed me?" Nora gasped. As soon as she said that, Ren couldn't puke anymore. So instead he was dry heaving.
The crows around him began cawing, looking down at Ren with their cold blue eyes. They began to spiral around him as he locked up.
"Very much in danger," Salem said. After getting used to the energy, she actually didn't mind. It wasn't targeted at her after all.
"Betray you?" he said in fear. How? Did she find out what he did? Ren heard a small sob that sounded awfully similar to what he knew Nora's was.
"No...don't cry...don't cry…" Ren begged the invisible voice in his head.
"Ren! I'm right here!" Nora shook her boyfriend.
"Mom...dad…" Ren sobbed as the fear was taking over his body. "MOM! DAD!"
"YOu...leT...tHOse...piRAtes...TakE me…" That made Ren freeze even more.
"That's not true!" Ren replied as he tried to defend himself from the accusations.
"BeTRayeR!" Nora shouted at him and it felt far too close for comfort. He turned and found no one there, his paranoia that his friend found out what he had done putting him on edge.
"Pirates? He let pirates take me?" Nora asked.
"I did what I had to do, Nora," Ren said as he heard rustling leaves behind him. Turning around, he found no one there once more. "It was either your life or my family!"
"...who...do I choose?" Ren gagged as he thought about that.
"LiARRRR!" The shout was right next to his ear and Ren pulled out his gun and shot at whatever it was. That's when he saw that he did indeed hit something. Just off to the side, next to a tree, slumped was Nora, her face not visible.
"NO!" Ren shouted as one of his greatest fears happened.
"No!" Ren shouted as he ran to the limp form. "Nora! I'm sorry!" However, as soon as his hand touched her body, "Nora" crumbled. "W-What?"
A searing pain caught his back as something hit him. Before he can get another shot off, a rusty weapon slashed at Ren's arm, forcing him to drop the weapon. A third slash caught his ankle, forcing him down.
Ren screamed as he felt the pain on his back, arm, and leg. There was no blood but the pain was there. He began to hyperventilate.
Ren looked up and saw the demonic scarecrow of hay, metal, and demonic force. A horrific, metallic, toothy smile met it as it reared its scythe up again before bringing it down. A scream left Ren's lips as Crocea Mors spoke one last time.
"I...LovEd...YoU...REn…"
Ren screamed in pain as his fear took his hold and had him die for a couple of seconds. When he awoke, he hugged Nora and sobbed into her hug. Sadly, only he was freed from the chair and not her. So when the Curator took him away, she tried to grab his hand but he was almost in a vegetative state.
"This world is almost done, I hope, I want to see Renny," Nora cried.
Emerald ran, none of the loot they had stolen was with her. It had only been a few minutes since Ren had vanished and all of a sudden the crows began to caw into a frenzy. Tens, if not hundreds, of crows began to caw incessantly.
Emerald meanwhile heard the caws of the birds in her ears. Next to her, Cinder was panicking too. Her golden eyes shut as she became deathly silent.
"What the-" she shouted before they all took off as one. And began dive-bombing her. Each one pecking at her, all trying to take a piece of her.
The illusionist began slapping at herself, as she felt the pecking. "Make it stop! Make it stop!" she yelled.
Neo and Roman gave their fellow thief a look before sighing. As much as they didn't like her, the two of them felt sorry for the girl. Especially with how Cinder wasn't even looking at her at all. The two shared a look before nodding.
So she ran, ran in the direction she thought her hideout was. All of the birds attacking at her flesh that was not hidden by clothing.
"STOP! STOP!" Emerald sobbed as she kept patting at her skin.
And the more she ran the more Emerald found herself surrounded. Bits of flesh were taken off her body as they kept attacking.
The mint haired girl began crying. She was hugging herself. "Cinder...Cinder please help…"
Cinder's own fearful eyes turned to her minion before looking away.
Her eyes widened at the implications. Emerald turned away, not noticing the way Cinder slumped in her chair. A silent scream as she only passed out for a few seconds. As she fixed herself, the false Maiden hugged her body but didn't get up. She didn't want to seem weak in front of others.
But finally, Emerald found herself at the mouth of the cave she and the others used as a hideout. Running in, Emerald began to shout. "Cinder! Cinder it's crazy out there!" Emerald said.
Thankfully the crows didn't follow her into it.
"She made it…" James sighed. Even he was worried about her. After seeing all of what had happened, he felt at least some pity for the four.
"You haven't seen many movies, have you, James?" Ozpin said, trying to remain calm as it all happened.
"Emerald is that you?" Cinder's voice asked from within the cave. "Where are the others?"
"She's still alive," Glynda said in surprise. "I thought for sure she would have been murdered by now." Cinder didn't reply, still trying to keep calm. Her death via fear getting the better of her, but she tried so hard not to show it.
"I don't know," Emerald said as she turned a corner and towards where Cinder usually was. "Yang refused to come with us, Merc never appeared after he went to go get a missing sack of loot, and Ren just vanished. I don't know what's going on but-"
When she turned the corner, the dark-skinned woman saw Cinder laying there on the couch she was usually on. Nothing more than a husk of her former self, lifeless and unmoving. "C-Cinder?"
"What happened to her!?" Ilia fearfully shouted.
"I think we see what has happened if Crocea Mors gets to you," Tai whispered. An image of Ruby being turned into a husk like that made its way into his head. A sadistic laugh mocked the father, making his heart clench.
"You have failed me, Emerald," her voice echoed off the walls of the cave. The words that scared her the most.
Emerald's breath hitched as the monstrosity known as Crocea Mors stepped out of the shadow slowly, looking at her as if she were prey. "N-No! It's just a myth!" she said to herself.
"I guess this is the end," Kali said. Then she covered her mouth at how insensitive that sounded. She looked at Emerald who was looking at the screen in fright. Her body was extremely tense.
"You can't be real…" It said in Cinder's voice as it slowly approached. With each step its metallic feet took, it made Emerald take one step back as well. "No...stop!"
"It's been mocking all of them with the final words of the people they love," Terra said.
"That's just mean…" Saphron whispered.
"It's also been using what they are afraid of," Summer informed them.
Emerald turned to leave only for her to see dozens of crows now lining the walls of the cave.
"She's trapped," Velvet whimpered.
"EmERalD…" Crocea Mors stated in a patchwork voice of Cinder, Mercury, and Ren's voices. She felt herself lock in place as fear engulfed her. She could see the gold hey in her periphery, as its face was next to hers. The stench of death next to her nose.
Emerald lasted longer than the others but she finally threw up. She could physically smell the stench in her nostrils.
It raised its scythe up before swinging it to the left of them. It should have impacted the wall but the blade didn't.
"AH!" she screamed in pain as Emerald felt her chest be pierced. She was holding onto nothing, but in her eyes, she could see that the rusty blade was there. The scythe digging into her sternum.
In fact, the air shimmered to show another Emerald there, and the one in Crocea Mors's grasp was an illusion. The scythe embedded in her stomach. "FiltHy...MageS…" Crocea mocked in the voice of a dying man.
"Please...don't…" Emerald begged. The same blackened hand reached out and grasped her neck. Its deathly cold hold on her neck seemed to sap her of energy.
One hand left her chest and went to grip her neck as Emerald struggled against the unseen force. She was sobbing and Cinder still refused to look at her.
"Good work...Emerald…" Crocea Mors taunted in Cinder's voice once more as it opened its mouth.
"Fucking asshole," Qrow glared at the screen. He'd found a Jaune he hated more than Decade.
But unlike last time, the viewers were given full view of what happened. Black and blue wisps of energy started to escape Emerald's mouth and poured into Crocea Mors's. She struggled against the feeling, clawing at the hand but to no effect. More and more left her body and her struggle lessened until her movement stopped.
As the Emerald on-screen finished struggling, the one in the theater screamed and like the other three died of fright for a couple of seconds. Before waking up and crying as the Curator lead her out as well.
Her eyes were lifeless, her body becoming a husk much like Cinder was. With a monstrous laugh, the flock of crows covered Crocea Mors. The screen going dark with all the feathers covering it.
Suddenly the oppressive aura vanished and everyone felt like they can move. Everyone left the room quickly as if to get away from the accursed spot, even Cinder was in a hurry. Once they were out, the Curator waved his hand and locked the doors for a bit. "I shall be expelling the energy of that universe, so the theater is temporarily closed," he said.
"Better be," Tai said. "Now where is my daughter?"
"A version of Jaune came to pick her up along with the other three. In fact, he shall be taking you to his world to recuperate from such a harrowing experience. A nice world all of you can have fun in. Yes, even you lot who are giving me dubious looks."
Raven, Salem, Ozpin, James, Cinder, and Coco were the ones giving him a weird look.
"And yes, you still can't harm others there. You are still under the guidance of the theater after all."
A portal opened up, this time not a dimensional wall, instead it was a colorful ring-like structure. Stepping through it was Jaune Arc who looked similar to the regular one except he was in a different colored school uniform. Instead of the rustic red the typical Beacon one had, he was in a yellow blazer, black pants, and sneakers. On his left wrist was a high tech looking device with a large screen. It looked like a large scroll!
"Hey there!" He grinned. "Ruby, Ren, Mercury, and Emerald are already ahead. So just walk on through and we can have ourselves a good time."
Cautious yet curious, they walked through the gate and looked upon a large building with numerous spires and several domes. It also had a fair amount of trees and grass in the surrounding area from what they can see.
But what was even more surprising was the numerous portals opening up with the students in different colored uniforms walking through. Either red, yellow, or blue were seen. What's more, were the monsters duking it out, but no one seemed to be panicking.
"Welcome to the interdimensional Duel Academy!"
I shall be using the Duel Disks of Arc-V for this since they are far less bulky than most others, as well as act as both Scrolls and laptops. THAT AND SOME HAVE MULTIDIMENSIONAL ACCESS! Which fits into the story well! I'm going to have a little fun with the next one and have a few duels. Some will be the main cast, the others will be just strictly from the dimension itself. But Jaune will be there to explain away! And of course, have his own duel.
Any suggestions for decks for the characters? I know from standard to link summoning so hit me with what you've got!