To say that the Schnee Dust Company Vale Remembrance Gala was an exquisite gathering, was the equivalent to saying that 'Kuo Kuana houses a few faunus'- on the right track, but vastly underestimating the overall amount.
These were Blake's thoughts as she stood atop the stairway, looking down at the dozens of humans and faunus that were politely mingling inside the Schnee family's ridiculous mansion, clad in all manner of formal apparel.
Blake herself was dressed in a simple short-sleeved cocktail dress with black pumps, following a particularly luminescent blush she'd managed to elicit from Weiss after first showing off the garment when the two were planning for the gala. For the night, she had opted to keep her signature bow, but it would seem that a great many people had quickly realised her faunus heritage, questioning her about her family's status in menagerie practically every second sentence. It had highlighted just how little she knew about the goings-on with her family.
For a time, she had considered discarding the bow as its intended use was rendered moot by her apparent popularity, but eventually decided against it. Such an action would only attract more eyes. Something that Weiss would no doubt claim to be the goal of her nefarious Father.
Shaking her head, Blake forced the thoughts away. She was on the other side of the Oum-damned world and there was nothing she could do about it at the time, people were going to recognise her no matter what she did. Weiss needed to be here, growing and healing in her own way, and Blake needed to be right beside her. What right did Blake have to deprive Weiss of her support when she needed it most?
And Weiss did need support from all manner of people, no matter what she said about how messed up her family was during their private time. She was smiling more and happily prancing about the mansion with Blake in tow, reminiscing about moments in her childhood to the one person in the world who could understand them through her own eyes. It had been an enlightening experience to remember an event that, chronologically, hadn't actually occurred for Blake herself.
"...Blake. There you are."
She turned to the sound of the voice, surprise briefly registering in her mind. How had she been able to sneak up on Blake? Had her senses dulled that much?
Or, a raunchy part of her mind helpfully supplied, had she spent enough time with the Schnee heiress as to intimately familiarise herself with her scent?
"Weiss!" she started, blushing. "It's good to see you. I was beginning to think you wouldn't be showing your face tonight."
And, suffice to say, Blake was most certainly delighted to see the Schnee Heiress who had captured her heart, especially wearing that outfit.
From what her greedy eyes could divine, Weiss had opted to wear an over-the-shoulder evening dress that glimmered like the stars, wrapping comfortably around the frame of the Schnee heiress. Her skirt was cut asymmetrically, flowing to the side and revealing her legs, much to Blake's delight. Amusingly, Weiss had also opted to wear little white pumps.
The heiress put a hand on her hips, deadpanning. "And miss this? Hardly. The Schnee heiress not showing up to a function in honour of the tragedy of Vale? It would destroy my reputation."
Blake smirked, she could see all of the tell-tale signs that her partner was putting on an act. It was honestly quite adorable.
"I see you followed my advice to ditch the heels for pumps, hm?" Blake said, shamelessly abusing the opportunity to leer at her lover's form. "You look wonderful," she added with a warm smile.
Weiss's cheeks coloured prettily as the heiress looked away. "Y-Yes, of course, I would follow your advice… and… you look wonderful as well, Blake."
She smiled, ignoring the heat in her cheeks in favour of enjoying the moment with Weiss. "I am glad that you came, however. I know you had some reservations about this event."
Weiss frowned, looking over the ledge and staring down at all of the groups of humans and faunus. There was an unreadable expression growing on her face, equal parts apathy and a morose sense of foreboding that rubbed Blake the wrong way. She didn't want to see such a look on her lover. Oum, nobody would.
"...Yes, I suppose it is all wonderful, isn't it? Always wonderful," Weiss murmured, her voice displaying none of the friendly pleasantry of the evening. "I think I need some air. Will you escort me downstairs and to the gardens?"
Blake frowned a little, having wanted to mingle with the faunus attending in hopes of learning about their struggles, but acquiesced at her partner's request. There was a time and place for everything.
"Of course."
Taking the hand of her partner, she walked down the stairs alongside Weiss, smiling pleasantly at the whispers that sprung forth. When she had originally been offered this chance to attend the gala by Jacques, she had been rightly hesitant of attending anything under the Schnee name, but just witnessing the sheer size and scale of attendance that Jacques had managed to gather had more than justified simply attending.
This could be the site of some real change for the faunus people, a beginning of a new era of cooperation between the two dominant races of Remnant. After all, if the infamous Schnee Dust Company could be made to see reason, what, then, was the world in comparison?
Sure, there was a good chance that this was all some publicity stunt for the SDC, but the opportunity was still there. As Lady Khan would say, fortune favours the opportunistic.
As they were walking down the stairs, Blake and Weiss caught sight of a great many influential figures, many of which Blake had either learned through her acquisition of Weiss's memories, or had learned of her own volition while helping the heiress recover.
Councillors Sleet and Marrow were present, chatting amicably with a pair of deer faunus about a topic of which Blake couldn't begin to make out amidst the bustle of all of the many attendees. Judging by the laughter from both sides and the warm smiles on their faces, they all seemed to be having a good time.
The Happy Huntresses were in attendance, much to her inner delight. Blake had heard much about the group of Atlas Academy graduates and their quest to assist the good people of Mantle over the past few years. She could spot three of their members leaning against the corridors and chatting here and there, but they all seemed to be keeping to themselves. Blake wouldn't have put it past the group to have come here to investigate Jacques Schnee's actions tonight.
She hoped to have a chance to speak with them sometime tonight. They were some pretty influential figures and their words reached the ears of many. If her time in the White Fang had taught her anything, it was that networking was a tried and true strategy in successfully getting a foothold in an unfamiliar environment.
"Come on, the gardens are this way," Weiss pulled on her arm insistently, the slight edge to her tone notifying Blake that Weiss had clearly caught her staring at the group.
She sighed good-naturedly. Weiss had been like this ever since she woke up at the conclusion of the tragedy at Vale. It was sweet that Weiss felt so protective of their relationship, but it reminded her far too much of Ruby's and Kirakishou's relationship dynamic, where their wayward team leader had fought to the bitter end with Yang in defence of the insane doll. Would Weiss go that far for her?
...Perhaps, it was not that it reminded her of Ruby and Kirakishou than it did for Blake and her previous partner.
Adam Taurus. How many years had she spent pining for the man, ignorant of the monster hiding beneath? She would not make that mistake again.
Yet, she couldn't bring that up to Weiss. She had Blake's memories. Including at least some of those featuring Adam, although to what extent she wasn't certain. All that Blake knew was that if she voiced her concerns, Weiss would figure out that she was being compared to Adam and grow…
Well. Blake didn't know how the heiress would respond. But it certainly wouldn't be pretty. Especially not so soon after the incident with their team leader. Tensions were high, even within an event meant to offer support for those in need.
"...Here we are."
Blinking, Blake was greeted by the sight of an elaborate garden, the feline faunus feeling surprised that she didn't even realise she had exited the mansion. Oum. She was a terrible partner.
Weiss had led her towards the Schnee Family's illustrious garden, which had clearly been tended to by masters for hundreds of years. The growth was immense, layers upon layers of flora and fauna combined together into a single beautiful display.
Looking back, Blake could see they had walked through an overgrown archway, sporting many flowers that continued to bloom even during the cold climate, with the shining lights of small little hidden lightboxes creating an illuminating display that Blake hadn't even noticed, lost in her thoughts as she had been.
She needed to focus more on her partner at the moment. Weiss was in a fragile state right now, and Blake needed to be there for her. She would be strong for the two of them, even if doing so meant delaying future progress with the faunus people.
And yet, even amidst the turmoil raging through her mind, Weiss Schnee still looked as serene as she always did, standing beside a large water fountain display and dispassionately watching the trickling water with a neutral expression. At that moment, she looked every part of the true Schnee Dust Company Heiress.
Was that growth? Change? Development? Or, was it the sign that her partner needed her?
"Are you feeling better now, Weiss?"
The heiress looked at her with a scrutinising gaze, before slouching and sighing softly as she turned away from the water fountain to fully face her. "...Why are you-"
"Um. Excuse me? I think we need to talk."
Before Weiss could finish her question, an unknown voice interrupted them both.
Turning around, Blake's feline eyes could make out the appearance of a younger boy, perhaps in his mid-teens, with spiky black hair and dark brown eyes framed by wire-rimmed glasses. He was wearing an elaborate suit fitting for the Schnee gala, yet displaying none of the posture nor etiquette of those that Blake had witnessed throughout the night. A boy outside of his element, a dangerous sight indeed.
He, also, wasn't alone. There were others with him. Three girls, each wearing their own unique outfits, in styles that Blake hadn't seen in Atlas before.
The smallest of the girls held beautiful light blonde hair that was kept in two twin-tails, tied at the back of her head. She had an aristocratic flair, gazing imperiously at Weiss and Blake with radiant blue eyes. She was dressed in a rich crimson gown and matching shawl, with a similarly-shaded bonnet sitting atop her head. Oddly enough, the girl was wearing white tights connected to little black pumps, of which Blake would mark as the first time she had seen someone wearing stockings of any colour other than black.
At least, in recent terms of footwear, she idly wondered if pumps were making a return and she hadn't noticed until now.
The second girl held a rather tomboyish charm, seeming ever so slightly taller than the red-clad blonde, yet with a distinct style of dress. She possessed hair shorter than Ruby's own hair, coloured a rich chestnut-brown flair, that hung loosely around her neck and framed her mismatching red-green eyes. She wore a blue shawl and matching puffy pants over a white long-sleeved ruffled shirt, clad in a fair amount of black lace. There was a cute black hat situated atop her head, looking long some age-old top hat, albeit sleight shorter. Also, to Blake's increasing bafflement, wearing white stockings with matching black pumps.
As for the third and final girl, she was in a similar state to her tomboyish friend, bearing mismatching green-red eyes. Were they related? It was an odd thing to see back-to-back like that, on two separate people in a group. She wore a long-sleeved green ornate dress that reached down to the floor, adorned with black frills, a white collar, and a long-laced bonnet. Her hair was some of the longest and thickest that Blake had seen in her life, a deep auburn colour that curled at the ends into three massive curls.
Weiss looked at the two incomprehensibly, clearly confused at their sudden appearance. As the heiress glanced over her way in question, Blake shrugged her shoulders. She didn't have a clue as to who these people are.
They certainly didn't look like huntresses, whether trainees or fully qualified professionals. They didn't exactly look like any of the other guests at the gala, either. If anything, they seemed remarkably out of place, now that she focused on them. Were they survivors from Vale, perhaps?
"And who exactly are you all?" Weiss demanded, the particular tone to her voice alerting Blake to the fact that her partner was startled and defaulting to her 'snooty heiress' behaviour as a defence mechanism.
The boy grimaced a little and paused, looking towards the girls he had arrived with for help. Blake instinctively went to reach for Gambol Shroud, only to curse at her current state of attire. She hadn't brought her damn weapon, of course she hadn't. Damn it all.
The blonde, twin-tailed girl stepped forwards. Blake tensed-
"...There's no way of saying this easily, so it falls upon me to deal with this situation. You may know of a mutual acquaintance of ours. Laplace-no-ma?"
Weiss all but froze at the sudden name. But Blake? She was fine, really. Nothing outwardly visible. No paling of her face, no gasp of surprise, no narrowing of the eyes.
But, she could not breathe.
"H-How-" Weiss tried, eyes locked onto the group in alarm.
"Why do you think?" the green-dressed girl spoke up distastefully, scowling even as she hid behind the lone boy and clutched his suit tightly. "We're trying to find our stupid younger sister and we can sense her lingering presence. You might know of her-"
"...Kirakishou," both Blake and Weiss spoke at the same time, the realisation settling in their minds almost instantaneously.
"You're her sisters," Weiss finished for them both, "Rozen Maiden."
The boy raised a brow at their reactions. "Ah, so you know of us, hm? Laplace didn't tell us that. Only that you all were connected to Kirakishou…" he muttered to himself, before shaking his head. "I suppose it would be best to introduce ourselves, wouldn't it? I am Sakurada Jun. But, please, just call me Jun. This is Shinku, Suiseiseki, and Souseiseki. They are my dolls."
Red, green, and blue nodded in accordance to the introduction with varying degrees of interest and disinterest. Shinku, Suiseiseki, Souseiseki. And the young boy was Sakurada Jun.
And, Blake had known of that boy, had known of his reputation, through Laplace-no-ma.
"Our youngest is very possessive of her toys. Once, with Sakurada Jun-kun. Now, Ruby Rose has taken his place…"
Yes. That was it. She could remember Laplace saying those words, during the end of the Vytal Festival Tournament, when it had arrived wearing the body of Yang's Father. It had explained, to a degree, the Alice Game.
Kirakishou, from what the doll had rambled about during her occasional talks with Team RWBY, had experienced something of a falling out with this… Sakurada Jun, and instead found herself pairing with Ruby instead. She had, in Laplace's words, disregarded everyone else as mere toys and developed an obsession towards their Team Leader.
"Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company," Weiss replied faintly, giving an overly mechanical curtsy that clearly highlighted her discomfort with the situation. "And this is Blake Belladonna."
"...Charmed, I'm sure," she responded stiffly, grimacing when the dolls all moved to glance at her, or more specifically towards her feline ears, having likely twitched in response to her mounting anxiety.
It was a remarkably strange experience, to have creatures outside human and faunus looking at her like she was the oddity.
Dolls. Rozen Maiden. Inorganic creatures, akin to robots, yet so very lifelike. For some reason, it is beyond jarring to look at them, let alone see them react. Hm, would this be the uncanny valley effect, perhaps? Blake mused to herself. Never before did she despise her instincts, not until this particular moment.
But, something about the dolls, just seeing them after getting a first-hand impression as to what one of them could do, was something that was rubbing her the wrong way.
And these had been the dolls that, in Kirakishou's words, had put her into this downward spiral in the first place. And the boy, Sakurada Jun, had also been an integral part in this nonsense as well. Now, they were here.
Looking for them, on behalf of Laplace-no-ma.
What in the world was going on? Was Laplace finally making its move? Was this what it meant, when it said it was welcoming them to the Alice Game?
"Judging by your mutual reactions, you both have experienced sights outside what you both typically deem as within the bounds of expectation. Laplace-no-ma, I would assume," Shinku inferred critically, garnering surprised looks from the other dolls and a heavy sigh from Jun. It would appear that Laplace held a reputation with the contestants in the Alice Game.
Blake and Weiss glanced at each other, before Blake took the opportunity to speak up when the heiress remained silent. Her time in Beacon Academy was wrought with ruin and had ended in a great calamity for Vale as a whole, but she owed it to those departed souls to explain the situation to the dolls.
Perhaps, then, they would leave Blake and Weiss alone together.
"...Our reactions are more for your… younger sister. She's caused a lot of damage, to say the least. Seeing another Rozen Maiden, let alone three, isn't something we wished to experience after dealing with her."
Suiseiseki, the doll with the green dress, shook her head dismissively at Blake's comment. "Tch, no surprise there. She always was a messy little thing, taking what she wants with no regard for others. What has she done this time?"
For a brief moment, both heiress and faunus wondered how exactly they would explain a massacre to a young boy and several magical dolls. Or, conversely, if they even should.
"Kirakishou released her N-Field into the world."
Snapping her gaze over to Weiss in surprise, Blake could see the emotions stirring within her partner's ice-blue eyes. She could see the events playing in Weiss's mind, replaying each and every moment spent in Vale, over and over again.
Without thinking, she moved closer to Weiss and grabbed the heiress's hand, who clutched her own hand tightly in response. Her face was blank, but her grip was fierce.
"...Her N-Field..? So Laplace wasn't…?" Shinku muttered minutely as Suiseiseki downright gasped.
"That… shouldn't be possible," Suiseiseki spoke up, frowning at the thought. "The energy requirements alone…"
Blake, however, was quick to catch on to what the red-clad doll had been speaking about.
"You knew, didn't you? About what Kirakishou did."
Shinku gave a curt nod. "Yes. Laplace spoke about it. Or, more specifically, showed us an image of Kirakishou's N-Field. As you can likely understand after speaking with Laplace, it is best not to make inferences without gathering outside evidence."
It spoke volumes about what the other dolls, alongside Sakurada Jun, thought about the entity known as Laplace when they all nodded at Shinku's assessment.
"We had good reasons to be suspicious," Souseiseki continued for her green-clad sister. "Kirakishou's Palace of Beginnings is vast, impossibly so. It grows and grows in accordance with her desire, fuelled by those she has captured within. Yet, all of the Masters in the world would be nowhere near the fuel required for a physical manifestation of such scale."
Jun frowned as he looked between his dolls. "...What does that mean?"
"It means, Jun," Shinku spoke up, looking towards Blake and Weiss, "that there is more to their pain than a physical manifestation. Look at them. They are traumatised. As they said themselves, they are not reacting this way due to Laplace-no-ma, they are reacting in such a manner because of Kirakishou."
"...What could possibly be worse than her entire Palace manifesting in the physical plane?" Suiseiseki asked confusedly, crossing her arms.
Blake felt like this was her time to answer. "...In Vale, Weiss and I were part of a team, known as Team RWBY. Our leader, Ruby… she has entered into a relationship with Kirakishou."
Suiseiseki gaped at the news, eyes widening before she looked away with a heavy blush. "...With a human?"
Shinku hummed curiously at the news. "Which, no doubt, infers that Kirakishou entered into a contract with this supposed paramour…" she murmured to herself thoughtfully, before looking up at the two girls. "And yet, for a human to be capable of supplying energy of such a scale to warrant a full manifestation… If I may ask, how would you describe this team leader of yours?"
Weiss answered before Blake had a chance. "Ruby is… selfless, yet wise in her own way. She is ruled by her emotions, overly so, but she has a good heart. Whenever she was with Kirakishou, she seemed like any other person in love. However, it quickly grew into an obsession. Soon enough, Kirakishou become all that she would ever talk about. When the explosion hit and the N-Field was released, the first thing that Ruby did when she had the chance, was run off to try and save her."
The three dolls looked down at the description, hiding their reactions, while Jun merely scowled. "...To even imagine a crazed doll like that finding love, after everything she's done. It's insane."
"Love is love," Shinku disagreed softly. "It's not supposed to make sense. It is an emotion that captures us, wholly, and overrides rational thought. Where it manifests and with whom is not something that is up for debate."
Weiss and Blake glanced at each other, feeling their eyes drawn to each other before they both looked away with slight blushes. This was not the time.
Souseiseki agreed with a nod towards Shinku, before looking over at the two girls. "While this does complicate matters significantly, her actions cannot be denied. Whether it be done in her quest to become the perfect girl, or as due to a perceived command from the Master she loves, she is still the very same doll that we have experienced in the past."
"...Out of a perceived command for her Master?" Blake repeated, confused. "What do you mean by that?"
"You two may have noticed this alongside your team members, but our youngest is not entirely stable. She has developed a fixation on the idea of Masters, having taken the souls of all former Masters into her N-Field in order to continue surviving. Her actions, combined with her isolation, have warped her significantly. There is a good possibility that her actions may have been due to some desire to impress her chosen Master, desires which may have been intensified by her… romantic affection."
"...You're saying she released the N-Field in Vale for Ruby?" Weiss gasped, scandalised. "...That's sick. Twisted. Ruby would never want that!"
"It's not about what she wants, it's about what Kirakishou thinks she wants," Suiseiseki dismissed acidly. "To be bonded with a Rozen Maiden is to take them into your very being. It is a merger of souls, to a degree. Kirakishou, in accordance with her powers, can intensify and alter these bonds. She would twist your precious Team Leader into a shadow of herself until they are two of soul."
What?!
Kirakishou had been twisting Ruby's personality?
She looked towards Weiss, who had gone pale at the news. Her eyes were wide.
"...You're sure of this?"
This time, it was Jun that responded.
"...It is what she attempted with me. So, yes, we're quite certain."
In some grotesque manner all too daunting for the two girls, the sheer possibility of Ruby's actions not being entirely of her own will made far too much sense. It was, in a sense, a sort of feedback loop. Kirakishou would twist Ruby's desire, which would twist Ruby's response, which would in turn alter Kirakishou's reaction. A slight deviation could, over time, affect great change.
How far had the doll gone in order to satisfy her feelings for Ruby Rose? How much of Ruby Rose still remained?
"It would appear that you both seem to understand the complexity of the situation," Shinku observed critically, frowning at the two trainee huntresses as she crossed her arms. "If we are to stop her, we will need to sever this connection between your team leader and Kirakishou, before the world is showered in their love."
Blake and Weiss shuddered at the words, their minds recalling a particular set of phrases that Laplace-no-ma had used to describe Kirakishou and Ruby when speaking to them atop Amity Colosseum. During that time, the enigmatic referee of the Alice Game had called Kirakishou's and Ruby's relationship as something akin to twin mirrors, reflecting their light back against one another as the world burned around them.
Had Laplace known that this was going to happen, that things were going to progress so far? What even, technically speaking, was the creature named after a concept of scientific determinism?
They both shuddered, unwilling to follow that train of thought any further.
"...And how do we do that?" Weiss decided to speak up. "In case you are unaware, we're currently in the city of Atlas. In the continent of Atlas. Vale, where Kirakishou and Ruby were last sighted, is on the other side of the globe."
For that, Shinku merely glanced towards Suiseiseki and Souseiseki, before levelling a knowing gaze towards Sakurada Jun.
The boy, seeming to understand Shinku's unspoken intent for what it was, coughed and stepped forwards. "...Tell us, you used the correct terminology before, but what do you all truly know about the N-Field?"
Fire.
The village of Shiragiku had been destroyed by a fire.
A grand fire which burnt the inflammable, that charred stone and rendered work into ash.
How?
For a time, Summer Rose had wondered what could have caused such a calamity. Her knowledge of Shiragiku, stolen and harvested from the 'seedlings' contained within the walls of her daughter's lover, had spoken of the Pale Village as something of a trading hub. A popular route for travellers and traders of all kinds as they journeyed throughout the continent. Had this been the result of a dispute? Had a deal gone wrong?
As Summer gazed upon flames of bright silver, dancing around and embracing teal crystalline with which reality shuddered, only then did she realise one particular truth. One which brought with it an uncomfortable realisation.
Nothing natural could have caused the fire at Shiragiku.
It hadn't been the result of some failed dispute, an unwieldy semblance or even some arsonist with a unique mixture.
No. The fire had been the result of something unnatural.
A grimm.
ROARRRR
From deep within the crystalline cave, Kirakishou's head darted upwards, the blonde doll glancing towards the ceiling with a visible frown. Nearby, Summer's daughter, her precious baby girl, was laying on the floor, unconscious. Silver flames spun around her, circling her like an angry tidal wave of ravenous, all-consuming stars swimming within a crystalline sea.
"Ruby will need time until she awakens. Her power is raging, trying to condense and become whole. We must protect her until the process is complete, Summer."
Summer nodded resolutely, Null Value springing to life in her hands, despite the weapon not being present mere moments before. There was no point in voicing her surprise, for she felt that Kirakishou's ability to warp reality would be sorely needed when facing whatever creature was raging above.
"There's no use in staying in this cave, waiting for the beast to make its way down here," Summer voiced aloud, wincing as a particularly vicious growl tore through the surroundings with enough force to shake the very walls around them.
Kirakishou glanced down at Ruby, looking conflicted. It was clear that she didn't want to leave her alone, even if only to protect her.
"Please, Kirakishou," Summer pleaded intently, raising her voice in order to forcefully gain the doll's attention. "We need to get out of here. We can better protect her if we face the beast head-on. We just can't do that here. We have to do it outside."
The blonde doll closed her eye, a heavy sigh escaping her. Then, only then, did she look up and focus on Summer. There was no smile nor frown to be seen, only the look of one that had been backed into a corner. A universal expression that, as it would appear, manifested onto dolls as well.
"...Very well, then. Let us face this threat together."
The world shifted, reality rewriting itself around her as Summer and Kirakishou found themselves in a separate area entirely. Tepid, corrupt air rushed through her artificial body, as smoke and ash assaulted her senses.
Most notably, there had been a distinct lack of fanfare involved in the unnatural movement. This had not been the Rozen Maiden putting on a show, displaying her beauty for Ruby's eyes to behold. Instead, it had been a pure effect, simple and unforgiving.
From what Summer could see, Kirakishou had transported them both into a topside village building, one that had clearly belonged to the former village blacksmith. The house seemed made up primarily of heavy brick and corrugated iron, with reinforced concrete for flooring, covered in a healthy dose of Kirakishou's signature crystals. Discarded tools and half-completed weapons and armour littered the ground, having been shaken off their fixed positions.
An uncomfortable sight alerted her to the lack of dust coating the fallen crafted items. They had been moved recently. Likely, the very same roar that had shaken the crystalline cave mere moments ago.
She wasted no time, darting to a nearby broken window and glancing outwards, Null Value held tightly in her grip as she did.
To her semblance-enhanced eyesight, it became beyond obvious that much of the pale village was in the crux of being consumed by Kirakishou's ever-present N-Field, as patches of crystal heavily outnumbered what remained of the broken and battered village remnants. Much of it appeared to have been forcibly flattened into a crystalline plane, with only choice few buildings and crippled homes scattered around the place.
The home that Kirakishou and Ruby had spent the night in was, unmistakably, in the midst of being converted into some bizarre crystalline cavern. The same cavern that currently housed her unconscious daughter, no doubt. It was a hodgepodge of stone and teal-green crystal material, forcibly shaped into a circular cavern-like structure that looked to run deep underground.
Worryingly, flames were present in the area, a twisted orange colour that burned far more intensely than any wild blaze. The crystals did not appear to be wholly affected, but the parts of which had yet to be converted, namely the steel and brickwork, had begun to melt and twist despite the temperature being nowhere near enough to melt any of the materials involved. An unnatural flame indeed.
The fire seemed contained around the general vicinity of the cavern, the rest of the village yet to be affected. Which, in all intents, meant that it was a targeted strike. Was the grimm, whatever it was, purposefully going after the cavern in order to get to Ruby? Could it sense her?
She looked around for any sight of the creature, protective instincts flaring in her core.
It seemed to be early morning. Sometime before five, judging by the position of the sun just beginning to peek up over the horizon. Long shadows drew heavily across the distance, the outcropping of trees creeping up and scaling the walls. And, yet, there was no movement. Nothing out of the ordinary. She couldn't see anything out of place.
Or, she couldn't, until one of the shadows moved.
A harsh roar was heard overhead, followed by a rush of wind that swept through the numerous pieces of decayed rubble of Shiragiku, sending soot and ash flowing everywhere amidst the smoke generated by the flames.
"...It's a flying grimm," Summer assessed aloud, voicing her concerns to the other doll. "Capable of generating flames, no doubt. If we stay here, it will only continue to burn down the area. Come on. Let's go."
Kirakishou nodded succinctly, face set in a distinct cute frown at the implications brought forth by Summer's assessment. For the most part, she didn't know exactly what to make of the diminutive little doll on the best of days, but she could clearly recognise the protective instinct flaring for Ruby in her time of need. She was feeling much the same, after all.
Without a moment's hesitation, both dolls were rushing out of the blacksmith's broken home, darting out of the front door and rushing into the fight. Situational lay speaking, Summer knew that leaving cover when faced with a large aerial threat was overall a terrible idea. However, she also knew that they needed to attract the beast's attention to keep it from burning down or collapsing the cavern containing Ruby Rose.
"Can you bury Ruby any deeper?" Summer inquired quickly, eyes scanning the sky in search of any sign of the beast. "It would be best to keep her out of the range of any potential vibrations carried by the beast's roar or from the flames melting any supports."
Kirakishou shook her head. "...I have already carved as deep as possible, in order to collect the Fall Maiden power. Any deeper is outside the current range of my N-Field…" the doll trailed off mid-sentence, her lone eye widening minutely as it slid to the space behind Summer. "Ah. It is a rather large beast of dark, is it not? I have never seen one that large before."
Whirling around in the direction of the doll's gaze, Kirakishou's revelation regarding the beast became blatantly obvious. It was right there. Watching them. True to her word, the creature was utterly enormous, easily dwarfing that of most grimm Summer had witnessed in her memories.
The beast's body appeared vaguely reptilian, a lizard-sharped bone skull covering the entirety of its upper head, while a gaping maw of teeth ran down past the ending of the bone plating and continued to open midway down the creature's neck. It seemed bipedal in nature, possessing two powerful legs, a clawed tail and massive crimson wings that grew from the creature's shoulders.
It hovered there, some eighty metres away from the two, watching them. No, assessing them. With wings large enough to generate gales of their own, enough to be felt even at their distance. This was not some mindless grimm. This was a creature that had, long ago, grown to understood sentient life and found it sorely lacking. Only now, when it gazed upon this corrupt space, did it find something of interest.
Cuts and scrapes littered the beast's wings, telltale signs that it had been through a great many battles and emerged victoriously. Her eyes could divine slashes from swords of all sizes and impact marks of dust-laden weaponry dotting the creature's thick hide. Wounds from battles passed, having long since healed.
"...How very curious that it resembles a mythological creature," Kirakishou remarked to the side, drawing her attention momentarily. The doll didn't look the slightest bit concerned or worried, possessing the air of a scholar gazing at a unique text. "A dragon? No… a wyvern."
The creature roared in challenge, harsh flames spewing from its maw. Summer wasted no time in darting forwards and twirling Null Value in a rapid motion, discharging the ensuing flames around the two dolls. Kirakishou looked at her, slight bewilderment flaring in her eye as if seeing her for the first time.
Moments later, the small doll offered her a thankful smile. "Very well done, Summer."
She nodded gratefully, before refocusing on the wyvern. "Focus on protecting the cave containing Ruby. Your crystals appear to be impervious to the flames, but the rest of the structures around here are still potential hazards to avoid."
Kirakishou nodded, moving to say something. Summer wasted no time in pushing the doll, razor-sharp talons missing her peach-blonde hair by mere inches. The smaller doll reacted quickly to the sudden movement, flaring out in a burst of aura as crystals detached from the ground to launch at the beast.
Summer allowed her semblance to overtake her sight, focusing intently as she witnessed the crystals impact against the beast's scaled black hide as it flew outside the village.
"...Ineffective," she muttered, just loud enough for the other Rozen Maiden to hear her. "We'll need to find a weaker point in the wyvern's armour, or try and prevent movement…"
She trailed off, her eyes widening at a sight brought forth before her.
Black ichor wept from dark pores, tearing off from the beast itself and falling onto the ground below. From where the ichor landed, ooze burst forth and as smaller reptilian grimm began to rise, their distinctive guttural growls ripping over the countryside and assaulting her semblance-enhanced senses.
Memories came to her, flashes of insight and events from past battles. Some grimm, she remembered, possessed the distinct capability to spawn more grimm in their wake, turning a single skirmish into a fierce battle. As it would appear, so too did this beast. And she knew, now, what exactly this collection of summoned grimm was called.
Creep. The wyvern is spawning creep, Summer noted intently. She had never seen a Grimm Wyvern in her travels, the creatures being as legendary as they were sparse, appearing mostly in tale and myth. Many a legend and story spoke of the creatures being heralded by the advent of hordes of much smaller grimm, yet she had dismissed such things as mere conjecture. Negative events attracted all manner of grimm, after all.
And, yet, it would appear that this particular grimm was capable of creating an army in its stead. Already, she could hear creep beginning to push against the marble boundaries of the village, using their sheer numbers to attempt to scale the walls themselves.
"...It's making more of itself?" Kirakishou questioned to herself, uncertain. It appeared she hadn't seen this particular ability before. Not a complete surprise, considering what Summer knew of the girl's history. Between battling her sisters and attempting to court her daughter, she supposed that Kirakishou didn't have much time to research old myths and legends.
"Not more of itself," Summer perished the idea of such a thing with a shudder. "They are known as 'creep'. Subterranean creatures, known mostly for their involvement in the fall of Mountain Glenn. No forelimbs, only clawed hindlimbs. Come in a bunch of sizes, though typically all on the short side. A powerful bite can rip through aura."
The doll blinked, before frowning. "That sounds very unpleasant."
Summer stifled a chuckle, "Yes, well. You won't need to worry about them. I'll take care of them. I think you would be best suited in defending Ruby from the wyvern using your crystals. Focus on defence if you can."
The smaller doll eyed the outside wall with a wary look, having noticed the black mass of creep beginning to spill over the ruined walls. "If you're sure…"
Summer nodded resolutely, brandishing her weapon. "I am. Let's go."
Kirakishou eyed the retreating form of Summer Rose for a moment longer, her opinion of the woman rising several degrees. She was a stalwart individual, racing into battle without a moment's hesitation, even against a sizeable threat.
"You know what to do, don't you, Shinku? Aim for the body."
She remembered those words, uttered forth by Suigintou during her birth in the unwound world featuring Sakurada Jun. The eldest doll had witnessed her power firsthand on multiple occasions, and still fought against her with every ounce of her willpower.
It had saddened Kirakishou greatly that the other dolls would rebel against her in such a way. Those little shards of Father, fighting and moving about against her pure design. They trampled on her garden, kicking about and destroying all that she had worked for. And for what? Because they didn't like her? They did not like her methods, so they would see fit to follow in Father's footsteps and confine her to the N-Field once again?! Never.
Those dolls were mean, broken, useless toys that were best discarded. Only she would remain. And her dolls would be better.
Ruby Rose had taught her that, in order to accomplish the purity of a rose, one must sever the connections one possesses with the weeds. She had discovered the advantages to this path a mere night ago, when her Master saw fit to play with her like a real girl. It had felt so very wonderful. She had even been able to play with Ruby, if only for a little bit before other matters called for her attention. To think that her precious Master could go so far, when she was not chained down by those that would seek to tarnish their connection.
How far could her Master reach, how many minds could she touch, when guided by Kirakishou's pure self alone?
...This beast that threatened their pact, it needed to be destroyed. It needed to go away away away. She didn't like it, dark and covered with spikes and agony. It looked less like a monster of legend and more like a wound in the world. What right did it have to interrupt her time with Ruby? Because they had claimed some no-name ruined village that it had, once upon a time, destroyed for itself?
Her Master despised these creatures, for their perceived assistance in the death of Summer Rose. Now, Kirakishou did not truly believe she was capable of such a level of hatred for things, as her Master and her pure self was all that truly mattered to her, but she could understand Ruby's plight to a certain degree. These 'grimm' were nought but broken toys, of no use to them. So they would be removed.
Summer Rose understood that. Ruby Rose understood that. So, too, would Kirakishou.
Turning towards the grimm barrelling towards her, she reacted fiercely. Calling upon her repository of aura hosted within her Palace of Beginnings, she summoned a barrage of crystalline shards, which erupted from the converted ground in a burst of singular purity. The 'Grimm Wyvern', as her seedlings titled it in their memories, immediately reacted to her attack, veering to the left in order to avoid the majority of her shards. However, a choice few were easily manipulated to slice down the beast's tattered wings.
Flight capability thoroughly destroyed, the Wyvern let out a roar of anguish, flames billowing from its maw in return as it crashed onto the ground, ripping through several decayed buildings in the process and lighting them aflame. Kirakishou eyed the flames surging towards her with distaste, gesturing with a hand and raising a wall of jagged teal crystal to intercept the blow.
However, as it would appear, the flame possessed enough forward momentum to rip apart her wall, sending shards of crystal raining down over Kirakishou's immediate area. The doll frowned imperceptibly, as she felt a particular piece of crystal tear a slice through her ornate frilled dress, the same dress to which her beloved Master so deeply admired.
Repairing the damage with a burst of aura, Kirakishou frowned at the grounded Wyvern, digging deep into her aura reserves and summoning a vast array of crystals to entomb the beast. In an instant, a grand dome of spiked teal crystal burst from the assimilated crystalline ground, shimmering brilliantly with her power. The Wyvern let out a roar of denial as it forced itself to its feet even as the dome continued to form around its body, rage flaring in its crimson eyes.
She eyed the creature a moment longer before her line of sight was cut by the formation of her crystalline dome. In the meantime, Kirakishou assured herself that it would take some degree of time for the beast to break out from her rudimentary confinement. Distastefully, Kirakishou tore her gaze away and refocused on more important matters.
Namely, reawakening her-
ROARRR
A flash of flames, desiring the end of existence, coming for her. Hating her pure-
-cried out in fear-
And the world burst with silver, a towering pillar of a flame that cursed all it touched.
Finally…
"...Master," Kirakishou murmured.
A/N:
And so spells the end of Shiragiku, and the beginning of Jun's crew coordinating with the 'locals', so to speak.
Did you all like the gala? I figured that doing 'Vale Dance 2.0' would be something of a boring rehash, so Weiss and Blake promptly ditched the party and were immediately jumped by the Rozen Maiden crew. What of the dolls? Having three dolls and Jun and Weiss and Blake together was... difficult, conversationally speaking. There are just too many people. But, it needed to be done. No use in pointlessly separating groups that would, by all accounts, attempt to stick together in an unfamiliar environment.
The Grimm Wyvern was something of a sudden combat reveal. Think of it like the first time Laplace appeared in the Transmit Tower, many chapters ago. The plot was progressing normally and then sudden reveal BAM-
It was quite fun to write, but also difficult. I'm but a simple author who likes writing fluff with a little bit of psych in the background. This spicy combat thing feels weird. Why must one of my favourite pieces of literature be a combat show?
Be sure to let me know what you all think, yeah? A big thank you to everyone that's been following this story along. It's been quite the time indeed! Until next time~