Kirakishou was silent as Ruby led her to her 'dorm room' after a prompt summation as to what such a location actually entailed for the young doll. At the current moment they were standing outside what was to be her new... room.
From what she had been able to gather, it was similar to housings found within the school in which the unwound-world Jun attended, albeit this particular institution hunted the beasts of dark that lay beyond the kingdom walls. The beasts themselves were a curiosity to her, yet in the current timeline they were of little consequence. Once she established her sanctuary and spent some more time with Ruby, she would use the N-Field to investigate the matter and the consequences that lay within action. Her protector had, after all, chosen the life of a student who would slay these creatures. Which would mean that it was highly possible that most instances of Ruby involved her tangling with them.
This academy was a garden of choice filled with hundreds of seedlings waiting to flourish with the proper nurturing. She needed to proceed carefully, lest she cause more harm than good.
"If you need anything," Ruby stressed the final word with a slight tremble to her voice, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'm only two doors down. My team miiiight be a little bit, er, troubled at the moment, but I promise you I'll be here. I just need to fix this thing, whatever it is, with Weiss and Blake and then Team RWBY will be back to kicking grimm butt."
...I promise you I'll be here...
She didn't know why those particular words held such reverence to her. Nor did the doll know when exactly she'd latched her arms around the girl. Ruby squeaked at the contact, yet didn't seem to shy away from her touch. There was a certain heat to the young huntress-in-training that she simply adored. Her arms found their way around Ruby's corset, fingers interlocking and pulling the red-clad reaper tightly around her.
Eventually she settled her brief flare of emotion, curling her lips upwards in that display of gratitude that humans enjoyed, a variation of the way that father had taught her. Ruby was special and deserving of special smiles. Exactly how she had seen, from the N-Field, how others express their joy when they stood outside a bedroom with their protector.
She pulled back, yet momentarily refused to let go of the girl, instead opting to stare at her longingly. An emotion bubbled in her chest that she couldn't place. "...Thank you, Ruby. For choosing to nurture a beautiful rose like me."
"H-happy to help!" Ruby chirped out in response, her voice high-pitched and face aflame. "WellnicetalkingtoyouIgottagobyeeee!" she rushed out, before speeding off in a burst of... rose petals.
Kirakishou stared at the retreating figure of her saviour, frowning. She ignored the inquisitive stares of the other fellow onlookers -likely students themselves- and instead focused her attention of the power that had briefly flared in front of her.
She was, of course, aware of the semblances that academy students possessed. When she had been originally confined aboard that cargo ship, her withered excuse for an N-Field had detected several human and faunus crewmates speaking and dreaming of that particular topic. Many were excited to witness such abilities during the upcoming festival and the hunters and huntresses attending were the focal point of many such things.
Supposedly, hunters and huntresses were able to grant one-another an aura, which acted as some form of protection from bodily harm during combat. Each human or faunus possessed their own unique aura, which was believed to be some form of energy taken from the soul of an individual. For this power to be of use to humanity and faunus-kind, however, it needed to be unlocked first.
The idea had been vexing to her at first. An entire group of enhanced humans and faunus with the potential to utilise their own souls only by co-operation. Comparatively, such a power bore similarity to the enhanced durability that a Rozen Maiden possessed due to their Rosa Mystica- born through Father's tireless creation. With their darling treasure, a Rozen Maiden would never truly depart, only to fade into obscurity until the world turned oncemore. So to, was it, for these humans and faunus. Were it not for their aura they would be a stagnant, lonely people- none too dissimilar to the humans of her old world that she was not able to reach.
Where the Rosa Mystica were comparable to the aura of hunters and huntresses, so to was the unique power of a doll of some passing similarity to a semblance.
Only certain students possessed a semblance; a unique power meant only for them. Students with an unlocked aura could develop a semblance following a training event of some kind. The power appeared to be tied intrinsically with the user's own personality, in most cases. The upcoming Vytal festival had led to wild speculation regarding the possible semblances that various students may possess.
So why must it be, she wondered, if each semblance is unique and tied to the personality of a user, that Ruby's personal semblance resemble Shinku's so adamantly?
It saddened the seventh doll, to see her caretaker possessing any kind of similarity to her rotten, traitorous sister. One whom had been the centre of Jun's affections, both wound and un-wound. The doll whom had escaped her confinement and ruined her.
Ruby is not Shinku. Ruby is not Shinku. She repeated in her mind, over and over again like a mantra. The two are nothing alike. She doesn't possess a Rosa Mystica. She isn't a Rozen Maiden. The Rozen Maiden are gone. They betrayed me. I am the sole survivor. My rose shall bloom without the other roses. I am free.
Why then, if that was the truth, did it make her feel so sad? Was it the betrayal that had caused her such feelings? Betrayal was such such an ugly, fetid creation. She had witnessed countless subterfuges and betrayal by the humans, through her passages in the N-Field, yet experiencing the act personally by her sisters had been a torturous affair that had evidently led to her apparent demise in that timeline. Father's Alice Game had torn her darling sisters apart, eventually culminating in the defeat of her pure self.
This world is different. It is only the humans and faunus that can impede my growth. My sisters cannot bother me. They cannot fill the head of my host with their lies.
Nodding to herself, she allowed her focus to move towards the door that heralded what would become her 'room'. It was a simple thing, really. Aged wood that had likely seen many students pass through its confines. It was, through a passing glance, similar to many of the other doors that adorned the dormitory of Beacon Academy.
Kirakishou had been through many doors. The N-Field often took the form of a cacophony of doors and hallways trapped within a black abyss. Such was the nature of sight for humans. Doors were passages. A material view for the web of connections that lay within the unconscious and their small souls, unknowingly joined together through the power of the N-Field.
Without a doubt, she knew that whatever lay inside this door would be a poor imitation of her Palace of Beginnings; her true home. This would be a room that had been made in mind for the humans and faunus who would see themselves in such a world. Not for one like her. Never for one like her. Simply put, nothing could compare to the world made manifest by a pure white rose, for this world would never be hers.
She touched a hand to the old oak.
How could one compare a home created by her dream? Her very birthplace. Her desire, given astral form. It was an entire world, an entire dimension, all for her and her alone. Once, she had thought it to be her jail, yet only now when she walked free and the N-Field resided within her, did she realise that she had called it Home. Father had placed her there, whether it be through neglect or charity mattered little to the doll. Not anymore.
For the first time since the betrayal by Jun, she allowed her field to flare to life.
She tore the room to shreds.
Her being expanded beyond her.
Kirakishou allowed her astral form to fall free from the restrictions of life, revelling in the feeling as the abyss claimed her once more. Immaterial for physical became material for metaphysical as her vines stretched and grew, nurtured by Ruby's guiding light. Her web spun a tapestry of free movement, a beautiful pale rose growing beneath lay atop her vines, sighing in contentment and bliss for the first time in what felt like an age. This was her Home. A filthy room crafted for hunters and huntresses-in-training couldn't even compare.
Ripples pooled and twisted as the world turned for her. New avenues presented themselves before her sight. Visions of others, of their dormant rooms and their sleeping minds. Distant reflections granted insight, a view of others and their hidden lives; revealed to her and her alone. None else would be privy to her sight, as father intended.
Beacon Academy lay bare for her, such was her range; barring a choice few minds she had touched prior to this event. Few slept at this early time, many content to remain within their own meagre rooms and speak with their peers about subjects unknown to her at the current time.
Yet she was timeless. Sleepless. Needless. Immortal. She had witnessed the development of her world after Father had left her. She had seen their cultures, experienced the souls of her sister's masters and learned their deepest memories. Each of their heart's desires nurtured her; provided her with the necessary understanding in order to survive.
She would learn of this world. Of Remnant. It would only take time, and she had all the time in the world.
All she needed to do, was wait until certain minds fell into her domain.
Weiss had resigned herself to an early night's rest, after the events of the afternoon. Yang and Ruby had abruptly departed; whether it be to give her some space or attempt to find their departed teammate- she knew not. She lay in her bed, staring out into the darkening sky and attempting to quell her rampant thoughts.
With the revelations that had arose, a great many things were on her mind. The arrival of the faunus from the boat and the odd blonde girl were -at the time- major concerns… yet they easily paled in comparison the Blake's inadvertent admission that had arose amid their argument over the faunus. It had brought back memories and questions that Weiss had long since attempted to bury and move past.
She knew that Father's teachings could be rather… strict at times. Militant, some would say. There weren't many who would agree with his manner of understanding. After Mother's… departure, Jacques Schnee had become a hardened, frigid man. She knew this. Winter knew this. Oum, even Whitley knew this. But he was their father. His word was law.
Or so she had thought, up until Winter had left one night; supposedly disgraced from the Schnee lineage in a public charity event that Weiss herself hadn't even been made aware of until she had awoken to the news of such the next day.
She had become the Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company that day.
...Father had been difficult ever since, yet there had still been times where he had consoled her. Comforted her in her times of need. They had simply… lessened over time, until Jacques Schnee had become the man he was today. Yet she could not forget how he had been there for her, helping her through her tears after Winter had 'left for the Atlesian military'. Father had taught her that outsiders could be thieves, just like the faunus, snatching up all you care for. Even him.
She had believed him. Believed everything he had to say. Yet she had seen the anger in the faunus in many of their protests throughout her childhood. Father couldn't shield her from them all, no matter how hard he tried. Was it even possible for all of that anger to just be 'animals being animals' like he had said?
Weiss had seen their rage. Seen their tears flowing from their faces as they screamed insults and tales of abuse until their throats gave out or the authorities were called.
And Blake Belladonna was one of them.
Worse still, she was, or perhaps is still, a member of the White Fang; a terror-group solely comprised of faunus who, in father's words, were attempting to annihilate the human race from the face of the planet.
Father had called the White Fang a group of monsters without remorse whom had targeted their family for generations. They had slaughtered members of their own Board of Directors throughout the ages. Several of which Weiss had known personally. By oum, she had been on amicable terms with some of their kids. She had studied with them. Laughed with them.
She had told this, gratingly, to Blake during the end stages of their confrontation in the hopes that she would finally understand the pain that she felt and the reasons why she hated the White Fang and distrusted the faunus so valiantly.
"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!"
...The words had ripped through her. Blake was out the door before she could even register the accidental confession for what it was.
She slumped in her bed, physically and mentally exhausted.
Did we cause this?
"Wh-"
She knew this area. Snow whipped across her skin, twisted into a frenzy by a harsh wind. Her sight was compromised, yet she could still see, somehow, despite the darkness around her. Despite hiding in the treetops, overlooking a building in the distance during the dead of night. In the middle of a snowstorm. She was there and she could see.
It was a mountainous area. She was freezing and she hated it. She hated this mission and everything that had to do with it.
"Blake."
A harsh, guttural voice called to her from below, barely audible from this distance with the wind ripping against her ears. It was a deep, commanding voice. She wished her voice could hold such gravity.
She jumped down without hesitation. A tiny part of her wondering just how she-
-landed perfectly, mere meters away from her partner.
The man, clad in blacks and reds, handed her a small red crystal of fire dust, to which she clutched greedily, murmuring softly at the heat held within. Who was-
"Blake..." the man spoke again, repeating her name as blue eyes stared into her amber eyes with something vaguely resembling concern. "Are you alright? What did you see?"
She didn't deem him with a response for the first question. It had been asked a hundred times during this trip and the answer was still the same. She was fucking cold and wanted to be anywhere else but here. But she knew this mission. She knew what... what-
-had to be done.
"...Guards are out, as you said. There's a small anterior passageway appearing slightly to the right side of the main entrance. Seems to be recently dug. Is that the one?"
The man stared at her for a moment, sighed, then schooled his face and nodded. It was better this way. He was more handsome when he was focused. "Yes. Our Brothers and Sisters have carved this passageway for us, so that we may slip through undetected. It should lead to a small subsection within one of the lower passageways just underneath the mine. They should be waiting on the other side of the wall for us; ready for extraction, for freedom, from these damnable slavers. There will be no danger for you. I promise you that."
She nodded resolutely, blushing slightly at his concern for her over a simple catch and grab. Hostage rescue. She had performed it many times now, albeit not with nearly as many hostages and during such a dangerous climate condition. Sure, they had been simulations, but it didn't matter. She was ready for this.
Blake was a big girl and her hero was beside her. Even if he acted creepy at times.
/The scene SHIFTED. Colours MOVED. Fragments Pa/SSED and CAME TOGETHER./
She held her arms up, barely. Bruises were rapidly forming on her body. Cuts and scrapes littered the rest of her.
It had been a trap. The warden had discovered the plan and had devised an ambush of his own. Dozens of faunus prisoners had greeted them on the other side. Chained to the opposite wall and staring wide-eyed towards them. Armed guards had swarmed the area immediately, several more flooding in from the very tunnel that had been supposedly dug for them.
"...Animals will always chase after animals. It is a cycle of life, you see. Predator and prey." she had heard a voice Peter Tarkus say from the side of the room, clapping sarcastically at their downed forms. The warden. "Did you both honestly think that things would be that easy? That this would be some valiant rescue? That I, of all people, would be UNPREPARED FOR FILTH LIKE THIS?!"
A harsh backhand. She cried out in pain, her depleted aura doing nothing to alleviate the pain from a metallic prosthetic striking bare flesh.
"Don't you dare touch her."
Adam…
Sharp eyes snapped to his, ablaze in fury. "...Oh? Look at what we have here, boys. A hero. Calling out for the saviour of faunus from harsh reality. Boo fucking hoo." he turned abruptly towards the chained faunus, who were watching the scene with widened eyes, "...Look at him. A mere animal that dares to walk on two legs, breaking into MY mine and giving ME orders? Hm." he paused, sending a leer their way. "But don't worry, little ones. We do not kill our criminals. Oh, oh no. We are better than you monsters. We always have been. Perhaps, in time, you all can learn from this and understand. Until then, however..."
The warden Peter Tarkus turned towards a soldier. "...Fetch me the branding iron."
Weiss awoke with a scream.
'Winter… I love you. You're my big sister. You're everything to me. Whitley is a meanie. All he ever does is suck up to father. It's so annoying! He never wants to play. He just wants to do as he's told. Why… why did you leave me with him? Why did you leave ME?
...Why did you leave?'
Her hands scribbled in the notebook, tears staining the paper even as she scrunched it up into a ball and threw it into a nearby waste-paper bin. It joined many others.
It had been a pastime of hers. She knew Father would never allow a letter to be sent to Winter after she had left to join the Atlesian Military and renounced her ties with the Schnee family. Yet she had written her thoughts anyways. It calmed her, to imagine Winter writing back to her, telling her that she hadn't departed. That it was only temporary.
One day, she hoped that fantasy would become a reality.
/The scene SHIFTED. Colours MOVED. Time age Pa/SSED and CAME TOGETHER./
"Councilman Tarkus was found deceased this morning."
It had been her first board meeting that she was allowed to attend.
Her eyes widened in horror, a gasp escaping her before she had the thought to prevent it.
Several sets of eyes snapped towards her in varying degrees of concern and pity. None of which seemed overly surprised at the news that her father had just delivered. Had they known already?
She couldn't believe her ears. She'd talked to him just last night! They had attended a dinner at his residence… ate yummy apple crumble for desert. He always had this funny smile on his face that made his eyes look wonky… Father said it was the smile of a person bad at poker.
"Er… Perhaps this isn't the time to be-"
"Be silent." her father interrupted promptly, snapping his gaze towards Councilwoman Andrea dead before she could finish her request. "If your concern is regarding my daughter's attendance, it is best she hear such things now, before the media spins their webs. If at all possible, please leave the parenting to the actual parents and do your job, lest another do it for you."
Murmurs coloured the table for a moment, Weiss silently agreeing with her dead councilwoman. She didn't want to hear this. She wanted to be outside, practising her semblance. She had just discovered how to make a-
"How did it occur?"
"...Beheading, the same as his late wife." was Jacques's prompt response. She paled. "...Coroner places the time of death at roughly 10:30pm. Thirty minutes after we departed from his house last night. I have been answering questions all night whilst Weiss and Whitley slept."
BEHEADING. He… his h-head…
More of those glances from the others council members. She was beginning to grow uncomfortable with the looks. Pitying. Worrying. But they never DID anything. They just sat there and let her cry. She wouldn't be sleeping after this.
"...Do we know who is responsible?"
Her father leaned forward. There was a calmness on his face that didn't reach his eyes. A brief, small part of her thought that it reminded her of the bad poker face-thing. But she was smart enough to see what he could feel. She could see his hands underneath the table, after all, curling into fists and shaking violently.
Her father either needed to go to the toilet, or he was really REALLY mad.
"The White Fang. They planted their own pathetic little flag on the councilman's corpse like this was some kind of victory. The flag itself has been sent to Atlas RnD for processing. Ironwood believes they can identify the persons responsible. We are prepared to use the full-force of the-"
Blake awoke suddenly, rocketing forward in her makeshift bed and clutching her chest in an attempt to calm her rapidly beating heart.
It did little to soothe her.