Chapter 25: Illuminus Nocturna
As a short statement: Addiction is hard to beat. Adelheid's been without for a month. It's not easy to get rid of something that's become a habit.
Saphron saw her bestie stagger towards the restroom, her eyes following after her friend, only realizing that she'd gone into the wrong one after a moment, getting up.
"I'll just go and check up on her."
She wasn't much of a drinker under normal circumstances, but something just felt a little off, the Artemis woman having a look in her eyes that seemed to be like a wake-up call to her. There was that distant, soft warning, a warmth blossoming inside her at the feelings that she felt.
Pushing open the men's door and scanning the vicinity, she caught sight of her bestie and adoptive sister-of-sorts already in the process of getting some guy's pants off, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, she's got a bit of a problem… Come on lil' sis, you don't want to infect these guys with what you've got."
It was lying, but Adelheid needed someone to watch out for her especially when she was drunk. Saphron's older sister sense just told her to go, and she did. Friends were friends, and she had precious little of those. She'd thought that Terra and her had been special, but that apparently had been a lie, so she wasn't going to give Adelheid up. An Arc was loyal!
The guys looked at her, as Adelheid moaned something softly, her hand caressing one of the men's manhoods, starting to get it hard with a small tug. Saphron's lips pressed together. This wasn't going very well.
"Come on, Addie… Time to get up and get home. They don't want to get MIV, come on…"
One of the men gave a disgusted look at Adelheid, getting out of her grip. Of course, it was bad to insinuate that Adelheid had that, but it would make some people back off. For a brief moment, she mentally thanked her memory of having been for a screening for venereal diseases recently with Adelheid and her little brother, making sure to look at the chart of what they were looking for.
"Hey, hey! Don't go away! I'm clean! I just need your dick! Come on, come on…"
Saphron looked at the other guy, who looked a little dubious at the claim, the guy's face shifting between Adelheid, who most definitely was getting those pants off if Saphron left her alone.
'You poor dear…'
"If I scream rape, there'll be a lot of fuss for you. Two women, attacked by a man… Doesn't look good for your chances of getting out of here intact, does it?"
It wasn't a threat she'd like to make, but Saphron had found herself not quite caring so very much. The guy drooped off and she looked down at Adelheid, who had started to cry, shaking her head softly at her friend's behaviour and jerking her up to her feet.
"We're getting you home and to your pills, sis. I knew I should've just put you on the water diet or something…"
It was just a random excuse she voiced, trying to make it sound like a regular thing. Adelheid didn't deserve to have her reputation be slandered, especially not when she was drunk. She pulled Adelheid out of the men's room, glad to be out of it and into the smell of beer and cigarettes again. Looking around for the Artemis woman, she found the woman where she'd left her, sipping a glass of beer, a curious look on her face as the two half-staggered towards her, Adelheid mumbling something about needing a dick.
'Damn it, Adel…'
She couldn't help but care for the other woman, knowing that she was responsible. She would be responsible for her friend, or else she'd feel like she abandoned her friend to the fate of being hurt by Mama. Mama had little tolerance for things that didn't fit her world.
"We're going to go home, I think she's had more than enough."
The other woman nodded and gave another sip to her drink, smiling at Adelheid and giving her a pat on the back.
"Stay safe, Adelheid. I'll see you at the banquet at the end of the week."
Adelheid slurred something that was like a 'yeah-shure' and then just leaned against her. Most of the energy seemed to have gone out of her friend the moment when Saphron had pulled her out of those circumstances…
'You poor, poor thing…'
She had to get Adelheid back to the house, make her get to bed safely. As she dialled the number for Mister Callows' personal Scroll, it rang a few times, the man answering, his face looking a little sweaty as the camera turned on.
"Yes, Lady Saphron? What can this humble, humble man do for you?"
Someone moaned about wanting it in, to stop teasing a poor guy who just needed a load in his shitter, a deeper male voice speaking and not familiar to her at all and Saphron flushed a little, as she looked at the man with hesitation in her eyes, knowing that she'd interrupted the man when he was intimate.
"Ah, we were a little… I'm sorry, I'll eh… We'll make our way home, I just wanted to call and see-"
She felt mortified at having interrupted the man when he had been busy with someone, much like how Adelheid would have wanted it. She'd have to call option B… Which meant Beryl. That wasn't too much of a stretch, thankfully. Beryl was a good little sister, even if she was always getting into fights.
"If you wish this Tyrian to come and fetch, do wait a moment."
Someone in the background made a sound of 'Aww man, I wanted to get laid.', Saphron giving a shake of the head. The man shouldn't be distracted from his own personal time off with a partner by a drunk girl and her best friend.
"We'll make our way home by ourselves, don't worry. Enjoy your time, I eh… I hope it's fun?"
The man grinned boldly, as he looked down and someone gave a soft 'AH!' sound. That definitely sounded like a manly ah, and Saphron hoped that the man would be pleasant in the morning after having had a bit of time to unstress.
"Undoubtedly. I will be back in an hour, Lady Saphron. It's going to be one killer of an evening for me tonight, haha!"
The man's laugh was a little unstable, but the Scroll call was shut off, and she hoped that the man had fun. She felt embarrassed and uncertain whether she would be able to do get Beryl to come pick them up.
She called her younger sister's Scroll, Beryl answering a moment later, her voice grumpy and annoyed, as was the usual late night grumpiness with her when she was woken up. Beryl went to bed earlier now, apparently, or it wasn't a fight day.
"It's twelve, Saph. What do you need?"
Saphron smiled for an instant, before her attention went to Adelheid, who was just stumbling out of her grip. She tightened her grip a little and pulled her back.
"Keep! Come on, back with big sis. Bear, think we can get a pick-up? My friend hit the booze like you do a sandbag, and she's not… eh, super."
Adelheid looked at her and she smiled broadly. Saphron just felt bad for Adelheid, seeing her eyes unfocused and a little bit hazy, her hands spreading comically wide.
"You brother's got a biiiiiig one. Like, woah."
Saphron shook her head at Adelheid's rambling, Beryl's face looking a little odd, but her younger sister obeyed without any comment about her brother's 'big one', Beryl's face showing something that was a little awkward, mouthing 'big one' to herself as she looked thoughtful.
"I'll get the new one… Don't worry, it's all legit. The old bike couldn't handle the stress and- well… Where are you two at?"
She gave the street name, realizing that it'd take a bit for Beryl to get there.
"On the way, sis. One bad-ass beat-em-up babe coming your way, as ordered."
Beryl was good for that, especially when she had something to do. She was training under someone to be better, last she'd heard. She guided Adelheid towards the nearest bench, setting her friend down, Adelheid's face pale.
"I w-wanted that dick, Saphy… Big… big. Not like him, but better than nothing. It's been sho long."
Her best friend mumbled softly, Saphron trying her best to make sure that she was better. It had been a little too much to drink, Adelheid having downed several glasses in a quick tempo. Saphron had a good inkling of what it'd been that Adelheid had drunk, the stuff stronger than you'd imagine.
"No, you don't, Addie. You're able to be stronger than that, we've got a career for you."
She tried her best, as Adelheid's head shook slowly back and forth, a slow rhythmic shaking, as if she was trying to deny the truth of her problem.
"Sho needy. Saph, sho guud. It felt good, rubbing. Yes, he liked it. Wanntit… Yesh."
Her friend was drunk and in need, she knew. Saphron just rubbed her friend's back as Adelheid started to mumble something about big brother dick. She continued to rub her friend's back cautiously, her eyes searching for anyone who might be trying to take advantage of them, the state in which Adelheid was not being very great for anyone to be in.
"That's good. Now, you were saying something about pictures earlier, right?"
She tried to keep Adelheid talking, Adelheid's soft humming light, her cheeks flushed and her eyes losing focus.
"They totally want him. Nikos especially, she's jusht about t… Yeah. Wants."
Adelheid murmured softly something about big bad titty monsters, Saphron trying her best to keep Adelheid from falling over and off the bench as she lurched forward. The sadness inside her heart didn't go away, seeing her friend like this.
'You've got a problem, Adel.'
The sound of an engine rumbling came and Saphron watched how a motorcycle came rolling up, the helmeted woman looking familiar, the helm pulled off to reveal her sister, the clothing that she wore little more than just a top and a set of jogging pants, her midriff bared, an ugly scar that Saphron hadn't noticed before standing out.
"Hey lil' sis…"
She got up, pulling Adelheid up to her feet. Adelheid jerked herself loose and started to throw up, the liquids splattering onto the ground, Beryl giving a wince.
"Yeah, that looks like someone who drank too much. Don't worry, sis. For you guys, the Beryl Express rides."
Saphron looked at the motorcycle, wondering just how Beryl could have afforded it. It looked like one of the types that you'd ride if you were one of the people who liked to go fast, aside from the fact that it looked like it'd fit two, three if a bit tight.
"Won that one in a fight?"
She'd remembered the fight of a week ago, Beryl's eyes looking angry for a moment, as she seemed to straighten out, an angry sneer coming to her impulsive sister.
"The new boss decided that I needed something to get around with a bit more class than the ratty thing that I used to drive before they tried to kill me. He's really tight on that part, but hey, he's not tried to kill me yet."
The scar stood out against her skin, clearly showing where a blade had went into her sister of some sort. Saphron looked at her younger sister, putting her hands on her hip, Beryl giving a light cough.
'You're not lying to me.'
"Okay, so I may have- Oh Gods Saphron, I know that look. So, the boss didn't think I'd be suited for the amateur division, so he had his little two strumpets take me out. If not for some guy coming out and getting me to a medic, I'd not be there. I owe the guy my life, even if he's a weird fuck with a creepy laugh and zero concept of personal space."
Adelheid mumbled something, but Saphron wasn't quite thinking about Adelheid at this moment in time. She frowned, but she would be strong, for both of her little sisters that she had around.
"I'd like to do weird fucks. Oh yes, Ara Ara, Jaune-kun… Hmmm… Fuck your big sister like a dirty hooker."
Beryl and Saphron looked at Adelheid, who was staggering back and forth, clearly too drunk to really take care of herself. Saphron could make a fuss about that comment, but she was starting to get used to the shocks of her sanity and Adelheid's manner of being free-spirited and open.
"She needs to get back home and put to bed. I've spoken with Violet earlier today and- Do you know whether Rouge is around at any time on Wednesday? I'd like to talk about-"
Saphron indicated Adelheid with her hand, Beryl looking at her friend, who currently was leaning against the motorbike and mumbling something about wanting another shot. Beryl would obey her big sister, Saphron knew. Beryl got back onto the motorcycle, looking at them and then motioning for Adelheid to get up behind her.
"It'll be best of you sandwich her from behind, Saph. It's not originally meant for three… But hey, fuck the police, aye?"
Saphron pushed Adelheid onto the bike's seat and Adelheid hugged Beryl, mumbling something about wanting cuddles. Saphron got behind her.
"Hmm… fuck me, Saph. You and your little brother, a Blau tag-team effort… Yah. Mama wants. My Mommy won't like it though. She thinks I should be chaste little wee Addie, whee. Alwayszh going on 'bout dad an' how girls shouldn't 'ave fhun... Boring! So boring!"
Saphron shook her head, as Beryl started the engine, the rumbling making a shiver go through her lower parts, the vibration just being good enough for her to feel a little gush of heat, Adelheid mumbling some more about how she wanted that big hard dick in her.
As they pulled up to the house, Saphron already had her key out, opening the door up for them, the smell of something like cooked meat in the air as they entered, the humming from Mister Callows in the air, the man obviously cooking something for them again. The snacks were a hobby, she supposed. Beryl made a sound of amusement as she smelled the scent.
"Someone's cookin' meat!"
Adelheid lurched off to the bathroom downstairs, the sound of someone throwing up again loud, as Beryl and herself stood there at the bottom of the stairs that went up, the sound of Mister Callows humming something of a song that she didn't know the name of loud in the air.
"Well well well, if it isn't the little sprog! Good evening, hello and well met!"
Saphron noticed that Beryl seemed to have gone a little paler when she saw the man, her eyes watching the man for any sudden movements, and Saphron realized that the man knew her sister. It might just have been through the brief meeting at the airport, but it was definitely more of a response that she'd thought of from Beryl. Beryl usually wasn't shy about saying anything, but now she seemed almost meek.
"H-hello, Master Tyrian."
Beryl's attitude shifted immediately, showing more respect to the man than she'd had before, the man giving a smile that was a little scary-looking, her eyes catching the fingers being wiped off on the towel in his other hand.
"So good to see you, my dear, dear, dear! Now, now, your dear sister and her friend need to get up to their room, yes yes."
Beryl nodded softly, looking more obedient than anytime Saphron had seen her, as Beryl went into the bathroom and a tired-looking and sick Adelheid was fetched. Mister Callows stepped aside to let them ascend, his eyes looking at her with a faint expression of manic energy inside his eyes.
"Go and bring her up, her name's on the doorplate. Put her into bed and she'll sleep the day away."
Mama had said that the man would never harm her, but fear spiked through her body as the look was directed straight at her, something like a predator staring at what should be a meek lamb.
'I'm not weak.'
She firmed her shoulders, trying to push herself up to be like her Mama. She knew that there would be something in the man that would back down, but she would not. She was Saphron Arc, daughter of a rapist, she would not cower anymore like some child. Her father was wrong, her mother did not care, but she was not weak!
"Thank you for saving my little sister."
She spoke the thanks, the man's eyes widening a slight bit, as he smiled. The braid moved a little as he gave a bow, still standing on at the lowest point of the staircase, his smile broad and manic.
"For the Mistress, anything. A sister saved, a sister taught… She has told me that you mean much, yes, yes… This Tyrian will ensure that you live, Mistress Saphron! Oh yes, yes, yes…"
Ominous words, dedication in those eyes that was beyond what a servant would feel for one's employer, but there was something of a twisted truth in those words. Saphron looked at the man and her lips firmed, her blue eyes looking for a moment.
"Hurt her and I will make sure that you will hurt. I'm sure Mama Selene would not like to be hearing that I was afraid of you."
The man's face turned terrified, as he shook his head, the man's eyes wild and panicked. The power that she held with just a few words, it was something that she felt a momentary surge of strength in. She could do this. If Mama had this much influence over the man…
'I'm sick of this.'
"No, no, no! Nothing, just training! She will be good to protect, yes, yes. I will make her great, yes!"
There was a truth in the man's panic, as Saphron looked at him and then gave a nod. If the man was teaching her to protect others, then it would be right. The man was a Huntsman, after all, and he was for Mama's protection in Vale, she thought she remembered…
'Beryl might just need it…'
"Thank you, Tyrian. I wouldn't have liked to hear of my younger sisters' death. If you rescued her, then I can only offer my thanks."
She saw the man calm down a little, which was a good thing. She had to mention it to Mama, because it was something important.
"She said that none of your sisters should come to harm, she should not have to fear, no, no, I am loyal, I am loyal."
'Mama is looking out for me…'
Rouge might be a bad girl, but she was still her sister. She'd deal with this on her own, especially if she had to make sure that Adelheid didn't go too far off the rails…
'What has my own mother done?'
"Then prove your loyalty, Tyrian. If Mama told you to make Beryl the best, then make her the best."
As far as she knew, she'd be meeting a 'nice boy', if she worked for Mister White. A nice boy who'd make her not wrong, who'd probably ask her…
The man went up the stairs with feather-light steps, and Saphron's eyes caught her reflection in one of the reflective surfaces, her features a little darker. Like Selene, they were set in that look of understanding.
'Adelheid… We need to have a talk. First… I need to talk to Mama.'
There was a need for some words, and it had been nearly two days since she'd last talked to the woman.
"Saph, she won't let go of my arm! Come and pry her loose! She's like one of the damn leeches!"
But first, she had a little tomboy to free from the clutch of Adelheid. There was really nothing too bad about it, but Adelheid was someone who clung to you like she was trying to hold on to you, reminding her just a bit of Jaune when he'd been younger.
'Heh… She'd be a cuddler, alright. Only kid, so I'd imagine that she'd not had much of that whilst she grew up.'
She had to spring her sister free now from the clutches of her drunken best friend…
Salem looked at the incoming call request, her fingers tapping the button to accept the call, her fingers brushing lightly over the expensive mink fur coat that she wore, standing out in the cold. There was nothing to it, really, but she had to make an appearance, watching the crowd of reporters go and talk, the latest news that'd come out being unpleasant… but it would be something that undoubtedly would send waves through the world, what with the unfortunate events happening...
"Saphron, my dear…"
Her daughter's eyes were tense and tired, her body laid down in her bed. She briefly pushed her finger to the side of the screen, calling the other programs on the curious device up to view the other tasks on her schedule. A few meetings, a light brunch, before the evening came.
"Mister Callows saved Beryl. Did you know that?"
A nod, given to reassure the girl that shehad known. Lies were distasteful and below a queen of her stature. She would not hide the truth from the girl, if she asked.
'And so, the dominoes tumble…'
Everything would be according to the plan that she had envisioned, the moment that he had come into her life and brightened her day. Beryl Arc, but a footnote in the names of those who had been thought of as a challenger, a bloodsport enthusiast, now moulding into the one who could take the fighting chances and come out a victor…
'You never had an opportunity to resist my will, dear girl… The moment that the Spider of Mistral had found out of your refusal, it would be your demise…'
It was all for the family, of course. Saphron was a good, obedient girl. Her questions about the world and how it functioned were a delight. She smiled, her daughter giving her that look of willfulness, stubborn eyes looking at her with those questions that she knew the answers to.
"I did. I am ensuring that it never happens again, my dear. Beryl will be taught how to defend herself, how to be strong and able to protect the family that you have. What your father did to your younger brother…"
The thought made anger roil within her, to imagine it in her mind, to invite madness and rage once more inside her. Things burned, when her anger took too much of her control. Calmness and compassion, of sorts, would always win out. Cooler heads prevailed when dissent had to be sown and men and women shown their true fate.
Her eyes caught sight of one of the cars riding past, a little twitch of the magic inside her sending the ground with a faint sheet of water that froze near-instantly with the chill of Solitas. Three moments later and a car slipped, her lips watching with amusement as it careened into the crowd of reporters still crowding there as she slowly walked away. It really was no place for a press conference but after the events of last night…
"It's wrong, Mama. It's wrong but… Thank you. Thank you for being there and looking out for us. My mother has said that I should get a job, that I should… work."
A dark look on her little flower's face made her feel a surge of warmth, her little Saphron starting to feel the dark emotions too. It was really wonderful to see the little princess spread her wings.
"For your little brother, I would do anything, my dear. He loves you with his whole heart, as I know very well."
Saphron gave a small smile, as the screams started, several people calling for the medical emergency services. Salem's steps carried her towards the car that had been waiting there, her fingers flicking through the air, the water slowly evaporating as she got in, giving Mister Rainart a signal with her hand to drive off, enough chaos sown to soothe the dark urges inside her.
"That's… That's great, Mama. I just… I am afraid."
She should not be. Saphron Arc would not be harmed by anyone. Salem supposed some additional measures might be needed, just in case the fear caught her. A girl should never fear those around her…
"Mister Callows will protect you. If there is anyone who would dare to harm you, he knows that he will suffer if even a hair is harmed on your head."
She would make sure of that. Her family would be perfect and there would be nothing that would stop her from getting her way. She was still a queen, she was still someone who could know the burden, even if her plans had gotten somewhat derailed.
"Mama, I'm… I'm just not sure."
The girl needed her mother. Salem knew that it would soon be time to leave Atlas, after all the hubbub had finally settled. A little visit to her castle, just to ensure that things went along the planned lines…
"No worries, my dear. Everything, when I am there, will go perfectly."
Saphron looked so hopeful that it brightened her heart, her smile soft on her face as she glanced at the screens with information on the road, showing the latest news. The traffic accident due to the slippery road had made the news, it seemed.
"Thank you, Mama. I'm… I'm just happy that you're there. I have the feeling that you know everything, and are…"
The girl had no idea how true that statement was, Salem guessed, the image of Selene Umbra looking pensive, the woman's features giving Saphron the image that she could trust. Saphron could trust her on her word, for one never lied to one who was becoming a part of the family. She had loved her blood-born daughters and now, Jaune was taking that place too.
"Give my regards to Adelheid, Saphron. I hope her stomach issue clears up swiftly. Eating burgers is so common."
It was not food fit for a king, but if her son wished to eat it, she would ensure that it would be there if he so desired it. Saphron smiled softly at the mention, Salem's fingers moving to the file adding part.
The pictures of Jaune's team were in a neat little folder, pushing them to send towards Saphron's Scroll address, the blip blip blip of the sending files offering some reassurance. The picture of Adelheid and Jaune staring at each other, the woman looking at the man who she was not supposed to touch…
'It is regrettable, my dear… Truly regrettable.'
"Oh, pictures. Ooh, she looks cute here, and Jaune's just giving his best. Mama, thank you. Adel is… She looks happy."
The young woman did. The look in those eyes was more than just the mere craving, something else that Salem could sense as a little faint kinship. It was such an easy emotion to manipulate, even as the game continued, her fingers tapping lightly the message into the chat window, sending it with a press of the button.
"She does cut a striking figure, do you not think? Would you say that she is a good fit for Jaune's career?"
Saphron looked thoughtful at the thought, and then smiled that smile that made Salem's own brighten as well, because of the beautiful understanding that it held.
"I like her, Mama. I'd like her to stay around, okay? Don't… Don't punish her, if she's going in the wrong direction. A few mistakes aren't bad…"
The sweet girl's eyes looked imploring, wishing that Adelheid would come to no harm. Salem hated those who broke their word and acted like harridans, merely sharing their bodies with one not their husband.
'Oh, I would say that a few mistakes are the least of Adelheid's problems, my dear…'
"Nothing will be happening to your friend, my dear. If your friend can keep her hands to herself and stay away from the alcohol, I am willing to void the clause after a year."
'Good behaviour can be rewarded… But touch what is mine, get in the way of my son's career, and I will show no mercy…'
Saphron smiled at her, rubbing at her eyes with that sleepiness. Salem checked the time. It was nearly a ten hour time difference, sadly something that had to be accounted for when dealing with the Vale-Atlas time difference.
"She's like a little sister, yeah. Adel and Saph, partners that're good for a laugh… I've… I've had bad thoughts again, Mama."
There was a mournful tone to her daughter's voice, Salem's eyes catching sight of the look in those eyes, as the Blau woman's issue was shoved aside. It must be about the events that had happened in Argus.
'Your father's actions will be rewarded, my dear…'
"They're bad thoughts. Jaune is… He's so strong, Mama. He makes Adel feel safe too, and he just makes me feel safe. I'm… It's nice to see how he wants to protect us. He acts a little like you too. He's so warm, Mama."
'Oh, my dear girl… You have nothing to fear.'
She would make sure that anyone who dared to harm what was hers, what belonged to her son and herself, would be destroyed, no matter what she had to do. A decade was like an afternoon, an age like a week… Compared to all the years that she had lived, she could escape and rebuild over the decades, but…
'Nobody understands the torment that I feel…'
Her son did, somewhat. That moment when he had declared his love for her…
Saphron was talking, but Salem was barely listening, Saphron's voice soft and caring. Such a good sister. Such a good daughter. Topics that were rough, Saphron's conflicting feelings about the rape that she'd suffered, the rape that her brother had suffered…
'I had no brothers or sisters when I was growing up…'
"- feel like that, Mama. It is-"
She focused on the young woman again, her smile maternal and caring, just like how Saphron needed it to be. Her daughter asked for advice, and she would give her advice.
"You have told Jaune, my dear. You should not feel bad. He will be there to keep you safe, when he has fully graduated. He will keep Adelheid safe too, if she requires it…"
It was like her little prince to do so. The look in his eyes whenever he called, whenever he told her of the things that had happened in his day-to-day life. The Schnee girl was absolutely enthralled by the love that he held for her, the skill with which he plucked at her strings like a fine violin.
"He will, won't he? I'm- I'm not wrong, am I? Am I…"
Weakness, doubt and fear in her daughter. All would need to be smoothened over before the girl would be able to accept the truths of this world.
"You are not wrong, my dear. Your father may have assaulted me and your mother may have dismissed you, but I am still here. When you called me Mama, I was reminded of the time when I had met your little brother for the first time."
The girl's parents were neglectful at best, the father absent for long periods, her mother barely caring for the world aside of her little appearance and social standing… Truly a leech on her daughters' beauty.
"Mama, it's wrong, but… I wish you were my mother."
Salem couldn't stop herself from smiling, her expression not dimming as she heard that be said, and the girl's eyes hopeful. At twenty-five, Saphron Arc was someone who craved the guidance of a woman who knew her place in the world as a mother and queen.
"Everything will be as it should be, my dear… Focus on your own life, grow. I'll be in Vale in a month's time."
Saphron smiled, giving her a soft little whispered 'Thank you'.
"Oh yeah, show me that big dick, Jaune. Big sis is here to take it all. Hmmhmmm… Let me show you a magic trick with that fat dick. Now, my throat is a hat and I'm the magician, and I'm going to make it disappear."
Her face showed some disapproval as Saphron flushed a little, Adelheid's hair visible from the corner as the girl shifted in her sleep. Saphron smiled sheepishly, looking apologetic for Adelheid's commentary. Salem's expression was pinched, as she raised an eyebrow.
"She's eh… having pleasant dreams?"
Salem's lips pressed tightly together… That was not exactly the best thing to hear when one was talking about serious subjects.
'Standards, my dear… A lady has decorum and style…'
It was time for Adelheid Blau to show her mettle.
"Sleep well, my dear. Do keep Adelheid safe and ensure that she does not sleep with men of ill repute. A lady's bearing is important."
She shut the conversation down and then opened the chat window, spotting the call notification. She slid it to accept, the call that'd been on hold opening up. The image of her facial features changed immediately, her hair darkening to a deep red colour, almost auburn and her eyes turned brown, her skin darkening somewhat, the illusion changing her appearance.
She had someone to attend to. There would be words had about someone's attempt…
The image of her son and his team was perfect for a background image for her Scroll.
One had to see the faces of the next generation of Huntsmen, after all…
Beryl moved through the course that'd been set up, dodging under one of the strikes of her mentor, the man's body moving with that elegant grace that was like a dancer's, but with a deadlier load, her armguards up to block, the edge glancing off with a shower of sparks.
Since she had seen Saphron, she'd known that the man was with Saphron, that he had been training her for Saphron, because of how frail Saphron seemed to be. The look in Saphron's eyes had been horrible to see, and Beryl did not like that.
'First the druggies, now Saphron… What happened to you, Saphron?'
She kicked, her body moving through the motions, as the man stood there and blocked with his arm, body moving and twisting. It was bad enough that she didn't get another day of rest, but the man had said that it was all to 'be better', her body acclimatizing to the murderous training schedule. Since she didn't have to work so hard anymore and Violet had come home with a thousand Lien from the old grandmother that she was helping, she knew that it would be best to focus on this.
"Balance, balance… Now… now… Yes, yes, yes! You're ready! Good, good!"
She looked at the man as he held out something for her, one of his weapons, the edged blade looking like it could cut through metal as easily as it was. There was something in his eyes, a dark and twisted sense.
"I've told them you were here, little Beryl… Yes, yes. They know you're here, now… Fight, fight, fight! Take a life, take a life, kill, kill, kill!"
She looked at the man as he suddenly took the bladed weapon from her hand, something in his eyes changing, her bare fists still in the air, the door rattling as someone seemed to bash something against it, the man's eyes blazing with something that wasn't nice.
"Kill, kill, kill… Protect the Mistress, protect the master, yes. You'll kill or you'll die, and that would not make them happy! The young Master dies easily, yes, yes… He's so weak, so he needs a guardian."
He held up his Scroll, an image playing. A redhead she recognized as the cereal girl, bent over a body, three lightning Dust Crystals emptied on the ground beside her. She was trying to revive her brother, as the man looked at her and gave a challenging look.
"Keep them safe, little Beryl. Yes, yes… You'll keep him safe, won't you? Good little students fight, they fight, they kill, yes!"
'No, no… He nearly DIED?'
She would be saddened by the death of a brother, but it would destroy her older sisters. Saphron, Violet and Rouge would be devastated by the thought. Anger blossomed inside her as she looked at the man, hate flashing into her mind. If it hadn't been for this man, she would be dead. The twins would be after his family, if it became known that she had survived…
'The others don't have Aura. Dad has it, I've got it… Jaune does, but if Master Tyrian says that he's weak…'
She wouldn't let that happen. Her family was too important to lose.
"Good look, good look! Yes, yes! This Tyrian will watch."
The weapons dropped to the ground and she picked them up, fastening them to her hands, and she felt their weight for a moment. She'd prefer something a little heavier, allowing her to use more of her agility to her benefit, but-
The door was forced open and she saw the flood of men storm in. Markings that belonged to the Blood Hound Gang, their faces looking serious and angry.
"You caused a lot of us to lose our bets, girl!"
There was always that danger, but Beryl Arc would not lose a fight.
"Come and get me, assholes."
She was going to dance the dance of blades with them, no doubt until they drooped off. She would do what she had to, and then she was going to ask Callows about her little brother, who most certainly was somewhat involved with the man, if Saphron looked right.
It was so easy, as her fist shot out and the blades cut through skin, to make sure that they would stay down. The blood started to fly as she lost herself in the pulse and throb of the beat of her heart, her body moving like it had been training to do, her whole flesh lighting up with the spray of blood gushing out.
'Woops, that's the throat… I guess he won't be suffering anymore.'
The machete she blocked with one of the blades, making sure that she had enough room to move back, her feet leaving the ground for an instant to avoid the leg sweep, a sword trying to stab at her, the other blade on her wrist blocking the next one. She could hear the excitement pulse, as she could feel the danger rise.
'I'll kill you for this, Callows…'
Her body moved, as she punched, the blades gouging out the flesh wherever she punched, the fingers a little too thin to get the proper switch for the guns inside the weapons, the edges glinting in the light.
Her fist whizzed past one of the thugs' heads, the blade cutting through the neck. More blood spurted, as she felt another impact rock her Aura, the blood whispering to her ears. She wanted to see more, she wanted to feel more.
She was laughing, her voice shriller.
'I'll KILL YOU FOR THIS! NOBODY FUCKS WITH BERYL ARC!'
Hysterical laughter, as she killed, striking faces and pulverizing flesh, her body fed by that tint of anger and rage as she whirled, her steps as light as a feather and her strikes as heavy as a mountain. There had been thirty guys before, but now there were ten, watching her like they would see a dangerous snake, like some danger that was not to be challenged.
"Afraid, boys? Afraid of a little girl, huh? Come at me, bitches! I'll see you bleed!"
She wanted to see them all bleed, because they were trying to challenge the best! She was Beryl Arc, she was good, she was the best, she would keep her family safe! She wasn't some weak-kneed girl like Violet, working as some drab secretary, no, she was a girl that liked to hit people in the face and make sure that nobody dared to harm a member of her family!
She advanced, catching sight of hesitation that was within the eyes of the men, their eyes looking at her, the blood dripping from the two weapons that she had been loaned. She should make her own, something that would need to be funded…
'Time to ask for something in return of being able to kill these guys…'
A soft smile on her lips, as she watched them shift. One of them seemed to have the bright idea to go for the door, to escape and make sure that the others knew where they were. Tyrian appeared, a set of thin knives visible in his hands, blocking the door.
"No, no, no… My little apprentice, my little student… These are the men who raped your little sister! Violet Arc, little Violet Arc, raped in an alley, crying so hard."
She had no reason to disbelieve the man's words. There had been truth spoken, as he had showed her something horrible, something that shouldn't have been. Beryl Arc saw red, as her body moved like an avalanche, something violent and cruel coming from her lips as she hit and punched, blood gushing and flowing from the wounds that she inflicted.
"Now, now… This little one managed to get away. Tell the girl what you did to her sister, little animal…"
The man looked like every other man, and Beryl's hands were stained with blood, the blades absolutely dripping with the stuff, the blood of others, luckily. Tyrian pushed the man to his knees with an easy move, as if he'd practised before. There was anger and fear in the hoodlum's eyes, but the presence of the man seemed to offer some incentive to speak.
"Yeah, I fucked the whore, she's always working well for her pay. I came inside her too, you brutish bitch. It felt good to fuck that little whore of a sister of yours even if I didn't know she was related to a brutish gorilla like you!"
The man had no reason to lie, she supposed. Beryl shifted her stance, moving her hips a little. You had to make sure that you could get what you wanted, no matter how.
'I guess you're just going to die then, bitch.'
"You know… I've always loved my little drab sister Vi… She was the cutest little baby, or so I've been told. No matter what she is…"
She walked closer, the edge of the weapon against the man's cheek. There was fear in those eyes. The blood pumped through her veins, as the anger and rage built up inside her, as her face kept composure, but her eyes blazed.
"She's STILL my little SISTER!"
A punch, the throat pierced with the blade and her other hand grabbing the head of the man, before tearing it off with brute force, the look on that face looking surprised at what she did, but she found herself not caring.
Looking at the devastation and the blood that she'd caused, she scowled. This was going to be annoying to clean, but it would serve its purpose, she guessed…
The bodies laid where she had felled them, Tyrian making an appreciative sound deep in his throat.
"See? See? SEE?! This is what you can do! Good girl! Yes, yes… Defend your little sister, defend your big sister… Don't let your sister get raped again, little apprentice."
It hit her at that moment that she'd killed, that she'd ended lives, that she'd not even thought about it much more other than a 'that's going to be annoying to clean', her whole body shivering and shuddering. She wanted to throw up, but she hadn't eaten a thing for the past two days, on the orders of Mister Callows.
"I'll clean up here, my little apprentice. Fear not… It will not be a tough challenge for this Tyrian, nope!"
She felt so sick all of a sudden, feeling how her whole body shuddered and shivered. It had been a fight for her life, she'd done what she had always done, punched, kicked and did whatever… and they'd tried to kill her.
'Is it true? Did Violet get…'
She had to know. Her clothes were covered in blood, there were rips and tears in her clothes. Mister Tyrian was getting something out, something sleek and nice. A jacket, much like his own, lighter in colour, holding it out to her.
"It washes blood out in the washing machine, yes. Good fabric, it will make you fit in nicely, yes. Good, go now, back home you go! You live, you live, and the Mistress will be pleased!"
'The Mistress…'
She looked at the man, anger on her features, her feet nearly stumbling over one of the bodies, the puddles of blood that she'd created with the impromptu massacre that had erupted from her actions, as she threw on the jacket, her pants dark enough to have the blood soak into it. The man's smirk was enough to warn her that she'd forgotten something…
"Face. Your face is bloodied."
She grabbed a towel and a water bottle, splashing the water onto her face and using the towel to wipe the blood away. As the large Faunus man continued to make a stack of people, she moved to the exit.
"What'll you do now, you asshole?"
The man looked up, as he held up the symbol that the ex-boss had used, throwing it next to the bodies.
"Sending a message, of course… It's all according to plan, yes yes… Even if she doesn't want to, she'll have to! Worthless maiden for the Master, yes... Who cares about the Fail maiden, right? She's just too weak, too fragile!"
The man could've said Fall or Fail, either would work, but she gave him an angry look, the man's smile broadened by the time that he'd finished the sentence.
"I'll send you a message when you're due next! Enjoy your day, Beryl! Yes yes… Enjoy, enjoy! Keep your sisters safe, Beryl! You never know what will happen, ahahah!"
She went back home, parking her motorcycle a bit away in order to keep the secret that she'd gotten a new one, making sure that it was locked securely and safely. She didn't want to take any risk, as it'd been a perk of the job.
'Now…'
She opened the front door and checked the coats, spotting three of them. Her mother, Violet and Rouge, who had the day off, apparently. She didn't really care about appearance, barging into Violet's room without even knocking on the door.
Her younger sister looked up from her bed, her fingers busy with something in her free hand, something silver, sitting down in front of her. The silver thing was pushed away, and Beryl thought it might've been a vibrator or something, something that didn't even bring forth a pulse of a smile to her lips like it might've had before, when she could tease stuffy Fifi about being sexually interested in something.
"Violet… Were you raped? Tell me, Fifi."
Her voice was strict and she was aware that Violet seemed to startle, her sisters' eyes looking a little ashamed, but nodding softly. She grit her teeth, aware that it would look bad either way.
"Was it by a guy or something that wore a patch on his shoulder with a big hound on it?"
A small nod, as her sister's head moved, her eyes looking saddened by the admission. Rage blossomed inside her, a burning rage and anger. It wasn't fair.
'Well, fuck…'
That meant it was definitely the truth. Violet sucked at lying, so it must be.
"How many times, Fifi?"
Her sister looked up and there was a hesitant look on her face. She didn't even need to answer, as the look told her enough. She felt her breath escape her lips.
"How do you know?"
Beryl put something resembling a smile on her face. She was shit with emotional stuff, but she knew that she'd have to be the bigger sister for her little sister.
"Met a guy, beat his face in, he called you a whore, said he'd been inside you a few times."
She'd ripped the guy's head off, and she'd killed a lot of men today. She was a killer. She was a slayer of men, someone who should be locked up, but it would not be on her watch that her sisters were injured or hurt.
"Is he dead? You smell of blood, Bear."
Beryl paused for a moment, before she nodded. The guy was deader than dead. Violet patted her side softly, trying to get her attention to talk, to know what she'd done.
"Thanks. I'm… I guess you know what I did, to make sure we wouldn't be kicked out on the streets."
'I guess…'
Her little sister, a hooker. A prostitute. A whore. Little Fifi, the girl who'd always been one of the prettiest, a whore. Anger showed on her face, as she hugged her sister tighter.
"I'm sorry, Fifi. I didn't know, I'd…"
Violet sighed softly in her ear, hugging a little closer. Violet smelled like sweat, like something that was acrid and vile. She was thinner than she'd been before. Had it all been because of the rapes? Because of what she'd suffered?
'I feel so bad for you. I've been inattentive, just…'
"It's okay. I'm helping an old lady now. She's… She's teaching me something, something about cooking. I- Do you remember when I said that I'd like to have a nice marriage and a guy who loved me?"
She did, and Violet had been obstinate about it as well. It was all in the past, and she knew now that her little sister had been providing the cash through selling her body.
'I remember when it still was okay, when we didn't have to spend every Lien we had, Jaune hadn't even been born yet…'
Ten mouths to feed might be too much, but her little sister had been selling herself to make ends meet.
"I do."
Her younger sister shivered a little, as she smiled. A beautiful smile, even though Beryl wasn't gay, still appreciative of the smile as it was, Violet's eyes looking a little brighter.
"I want you all to be happy, first. If- if you're someone who killed someone, then it's okay. I can understand, Saph understands too. You can tell her everything. She knows what I've been through."
It was good advice, indeed. She'd be making certain that she'd have a little more contact with Saphron, and if Tyrian had more stuff to teach her…
'Well, I'll have to learn how to be the best, won't I?'
Those two bitches had a date with Beryl Arc too…
'And when we're going to have a little party, it'll be the two of you bleeding out.'
Blood was beautiful when it was being spilled, after all… She'd have to make sure to repay the favour.
The well-dressed man sat on the table at the café where he'd said he would be, the moustache looking like it was most definitely cared for professionally, the man's eyes glinting with interest as he looked at him, motioning for the open seat.
The last homework that he'd handed in to the man had been received well, as the man held up a Scroll.
"I am not in the habit of doing these things, Mister Arc."
The man's voice was pinched, as Arthur Watts looked a little pointedly at him, the man's fingers producing a thin folder, as the man's features barely shifted.
"But I have procured for you the details and the amount of equipment, within budget. With your word, we can make sure that miss Xiao Long's day will be a very unpleasant one."
A smile on his lips as he opened the folder up, the image of the place already looking pleasant to the eyes. A simple room was all that was needed, after all…
'What face will you make, Yang?'
He burned with the indignation, as he felt that anger inside him. He knew that it was silly, but his arm still had not fully recovered. The pain that had accompanied it had been the brush of fire on his body, not even stopping to dye him with a deep disdain for the girl…
'It really is as Mama said…'
He looked through the folder, flipping the page and looking at the other pictures. Several of them he pushed aside.
"And you are sure that her father and her… uncle?- wait, how are they even relate- oh, her mother. Yeah, she looks like she's a murderous lunatic, just like her daughter. Are they going to be out of contact?"
The man gave a short nod, presenting a Scroll with the last-known locations of the father and the uncle. Signal Academy and someplace in the upper Valean countryside, a small annotation with 'Maiden hunt', which probably was something in reference to the man's looks of being some shaggy bandit.
"As far as we can guess, Qrow Branwen is out on a mission and Taiyang Xiao Long has duties to attend to at Signal Academy as a teacher. The Mistress has commented that doing something of this scale is… precarious, for lack of a better word, but fitting. Do peruse the folder for the prospects that have been scouted. Her Majesty wishes that you have some taste when deciding upon your vengeance. She would not enjoy the sight of your unfortunate demise due to an irate brute with a temper problem…"
Yang was a problem. He had cut down the affection to Weiss in public, trying to keep it more modest, like a set of friends should. He wasn't sure whether they counted as friends at times. She seemed to idolize him. He wasn't really much to idolize, especially not with what he had planned. Pyrrha and the others had been forming a circle around him in order to guard him, something that would make him feel strong enough to overcome whatever was in front of him.
"Arrange for a meeting with this one. I wish to ask them a question. It needs to be perfect for little miss Xiao Long."
The photograph was slid to the man, who pressed his lips together tightly.
"Increase the amount of money, if they're not initially interested. A thousand Lien makes doors open, just in case they refuse. The criminals seemed not to be too hesitant to hurt little miss Xiao Long…"
Yang would see the error of her ways. Seeing that body of hers flush with redness and vulnerable was like uncorking a fine bottle of wine…
'It's a pity…'
Dealing with criminals and a blonde criminal who had stepped into his path with her spunky attitude was just the worst. She could have been a good friend, but alas…
Three hours later, he found that out personally again as he was slammed against the door, the angry blonde looking at him with her eyes blazing.
"No! She doesn't need that right now, you keep your sick hands off of her!"
He'd only gone to check up on Weiss to see whether she was alright, but that had apparently not been enough for Yang Xiao Long. He'd been slammed against the door, the blonde standing up against him, her hand holding him by his shirt, his jacket already crumpled. Pain flashed through his heart.
'I think I broke one of my ribs…'
"I just wanted to ask whether she was alright, I-"
Another slam and the door creaked, as he felt the pain hit his side. He tried to keep the pain to a minimum, as he caught Ruby's eye. The silver eyes in her skull burned, but the pain he felt was secondary right now.
"She. Doesn't. Need. You. You'll be bouncing her on your little spear and she'll forget all about it, and who'll be caring for her when you aren't around, huh? Us. We're a team, and we'll take care of her."
He could feel a sense of emotion from her, as he groaned a little. Weiss was in a horrible state after she'd heard what had happened, but it was all-
"Just- Just stay away, okay? I know what boys are like. I've seen how you look at her. She isn't even your friend, is she? She's just something you use, until you've had your fun. That's not going to happen to my lil' sis, buddy."
He felt the pain, as she let him go, sagging a little, his knees weak. Ruby looked apologetic. He felt the anger go through him, though his face showed little of it, masked with pain.
"He's just trying to be her friend, Yang, I'm sure-"
Yang made a sound as she opened the door and then slammed it shut, Ruby following after her, their quiet teammate named Blake having remained elsewhere. She'd been in a mood that was a little more positive after that night, at least, she'd looked a little happier after hearing the news, whilst Weiss had been distraught.
'You poor girl…'
He really felt bad for Weiss.
She looked into her reflection, the circles under her eyes showing her exhaustion, bringing a deep dark and terrible feeling to her as the needle went into her arm again. She was feeling her body react to the mild paralytic, her resistance getting better. It would be another moment of sluggishness, she supposed. It felt hard to move after she injected herself, keeping a straight face throughout the procedure.
"Get up, Cyanide. You've got work to do."
She had to work for Grandmother. It was all part of her training, all part of what she would eventually become. Grandmother didn't really have the skills at times to be personable, but she did. As Violet, she was warm and sociable, as Cyanide, she was deadly. She'd much rather be Violet, though.
Her fingers grabbed the doorknob and turned it, on her Grandmother's instruction. She caught sight of the Faunus, restrained to the chair. It had cute little goat horns, but that was it. A Faunus. Disgust welled up inside her, as she knew what she had to do. Six had gone before it.
"Kill it."
The words bounced in her skull, in her mind. Images of what had once been a woman who fought in the Faunus Rights Revolution, mixed with a twenty-one-year-old ex-hooker's, as she knelt softly next to it. It looked at her, wide eyes looking at her with fear in its eyes. Its mouth had been taped shut and the nostrils flared.
"Don't worry. It'll be over soon. You can join your sisters."
Its neck was broken in a single snap and a twist, as she got up, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling again, the head dropping from her grip and laying still against the chest.
'It's all for Grandmother… It's all for Grandmother.'
The body she left, because Grandmother would take care of it. Grandmother knew what to do, and she didn't want to think about it. It was an order and she did not fail, because failure meant death. There was the target, there was the mission, there was only one condition: Victory.
"Good, good. Your predecessors failed at this test. You show some promise, Cyanide."
She smiled, just as she'd been taught, all the act that should be. It was necessary. It was necessary and she would do what she had to. She wanted to be free, but she had to learn the necessary things first.
"Kneel before me, Cyanide. It's time. You're barely struggling against the venoms now, so it is time for your Aura to be awakened."
She knelt, shedding her shirt, her back bare. She never wore a bra whilst in her Grandmother's house. A withered hand touched her, cold to the touch, nothing like the memories of what had once been flesh and blood, not metal.
'It's all for the just cause… It's all to make sure that the world is better.'
"By the passing of this gift, you will let others pass. Cyanide you will be, a poison to those around you. By my touch, I will grant you that which I have, in order to serve and to slay. Eternity is but a blessing, for it is time to hunt for your prey."
A soft shock went through her, as something unlocked inside her, a shiver going through her as she began to feel something filling her. The tiredness that had plagued her for the weeks that she had been under the care of her Grandmother faded away, her eyes brightening as she felt that light within her blaze, as an eruption came from within her, feeling the old woman lean against her, her breath coming in sharp gasps, the old woman giving a soft sighing sound as she fell to the ground.
"Grandmother?"
She looked at the weak old woman that was struggling to get up, her instincts telling her to strike, to bring an end to the woman. It was natural, she supposed. The old woman groaned, not quite able to speak, her body laying there.
"Help me up, girl. I didn't know- If I'd known you'd have those reserves, I'd have asked… Very well. Come on, what are you doing still kneeling there? I unlocked your aura! Help me up."
She put a smile on her lips as she knelt and helped her Grandmother up. Memories were slowly flowing back into her mind, the touch having done more than just unlocking her Aura.
'Grandmother lost control. How peculiar…'
It was a little like looking at a movie in reverse, watching how the memories slowly pushed themselves back into place, probably only because the Semblance was touch-activated. She remembered the things that Grandmother had taken from her. Pleasant and unpleasant, fitting back together into her memory's tapestry.
"Now, you have graduated from being a mere apprentice, to someone who can truly learn the tricks I have for the work we do for the Mistress."
The old woman was talking, but Violet was only half paying attention, reminded of something in the past. She went through the motions, watching as the vial was offered, putting it into her bloodstream and feeling the wonderful light within her push against it, trying to heal the damage that it could do. She accepted it, feeling the pain become a part of her.
"Now… it is-"
A ringing Scroll drew Grandmother from her speech, motioning for her to take it. She did the actions, as usual. Answering the Scroll and then handing it to her Grandmother. Hearing the voice of the woman who was owed Grandmother's loyalty was somewhat soothing, as Cyanide Moor's eyes opened, and Violet Arc's eyes closed.
"She is pleased with your progress, Cyanide. The Mistress hopes that you will serve well."
Cyanide Moor smiled, as a good girl should. It was time to learn more tricks of the trade. She'd get her weapons next. The silver dart-gun that she'd had for practice to work on her aim would be replaced with something a little more fitting.
'How thrilling…'
She would keep her family safe. Her younger sister Beryl had asked her about the rape and she'd done something about one of the guys who'd gotten away. Her big sister was a killer. She wasn't going to let Beryl worry about her anymore.
'Well… I'll make sure that you don't have to kill for me again, Beryl… Fifi is going to be hunting a different set of prey.'
There was a man named the Mad Scorpion, a Faunus who had been at odds with her Grandmother. There had been talking about a little exhibition match between his apprentice and herself.
'Let's see who can last the longest, hmmm?'
Cyanide Moor would be a good granddaughter to her Grandmother, of course…
Snow drifted through the air as she strode over the elegantly tiled path that'd been covered with a light dusting of snow, her footsteps not even leaving a trace, the fur coat that she wore as an accompaniment to her current attire made from the fur of one of the rare creatures that had been born an albino. It was so hard to find a decent fur in these times… But one had to make do with what one got, when one was to rule the world.
'All is as it should be.'
The chair that had been set at the edge of the path had been covered in snow, and the mound of snow stirred slowly as she approached, as Salem's footsteps came closer, eyes that looked away from the focus of its attention shattered and frost-blue.
'A little push…'
She was frustrated internally that there had been something arranged without her knowing, but she hardly let it show. That there had been an opportunity created by the actions of one had not escaped her eyes. It was why she was here.
"Hello, my dear."
The wind whirled around her, kicking up a storm of snowflakes, sprinkling her fur with the fine flakes and making her feel the cool chill of the cold against her skin. The person in the chair looked back at the focus, skin as pale as it could be, eyes half-tear-streaked. If not for the woman's aura, she would have frozen to death, but even that was still a sputtering flame in the chill of the night.
"He's dead."
Salem's eyes went to the marker for the grave, furnished from heavy granite, made to order, marking the site where the body laid. She truly felt a little for the woman, but the plan would continue. She brushed her hand over the stone's snow-covered surface, the seated woman's eyes watering a little more.
"I know, dear."
It had been a messy affair. One moment, Salem had been talking about the interview of her beloved son with Willow indulgently smiling at her as she gushed about how masculine he had looked, before someone had struck. It had been brutal, as the knife had hacked into the pale skin, the guests too stunned to react.
Here lies Whitley Schnee, the youngest child of Willow and Jacques Schnee. Taken too early, not yet to blossom, yet forever in peace and to be remembered.
The head had half-detached, and the anguished scream of "Whitley!" from Willow had tugged a little at her own heartstrings. The funeral had been yesterday, and the woman hadn't strayed from the spot, her chair left there. A glass of frozen liquid had been set on a snow-covered table, the woman barely having eaten or drank anything since.
"Why? Why did they take my son? Why?!"
She looked at the woman, her hair snow-riddled and half-frozen. Frostbite might claim her, if she was left there. Salem knew, of course. The interrogation of the man, a Faunus who had been serving as the staff, told enough. The transcripts had been enough for her to glean at the motive. A younger relative had been lost to the mines and the man had lost himself in grief.
'Unfortunate…'
"Sometimes, things happen, Willow. Things you'd never want to happen."
A little push, a little hope. A moment that could be used to galvanize, to shift to her favour. The tear tracks on the woman's face had frozen, fresh salty tears added to it.
"When I was young, I saw many things, Willow. When my husband took from me what I had loved the most, my four daughters… I lost it."
A personal anecdote, Salem's crafting of the narrative, as Willow's eyes looked broken, hopeless, yearning for something to give her purpose. Salem internally smiled, as her face was set in a look of understanding and care.
"There are guilty people, Willow. I know who killed your baby boy."
There was desperation in those eyes, a mother yearning for something, anything to grasp on to. Salem's heart was like ice as she looked at those desperate eyes, her expression tender and hurt, as she channelled her magic. The space around them whirled with a miniature cyclone, obscuring the image of them from any onlookers, no sound escaping the veritable wall of air around her.
"It's always him, my dear. The Great War, the Faunus Rights Revolution…"
She held Willow's attention, as the flame heated the air, the snow melting around her as she let the power flow. It had been too long since she had wielded her magic, too long since that burning flame within her had blazed along the darkness that flowed through her veins.
"Who? Who would be mad enough to do such a thing? Who could be responsible for all of this?"
Salem was, for some things. For others, like the killing of the woman's son, she was not. The yearning in the woman's eyes, the belief and hope and desperation in those eyes, as Willow Schnee held her attention. Shattered eyes, a mind that had been poisoned by years of neglect, yearning for something to hold on to.
'A firm hold…'
"What if I told you that everything in this world had been planned for by a single man, every little moment that had passed…"
Her voice, insidious and soft, reaching the woman's ear, the loose ponytail that the woman wore it in suddenly unbound, as Salem's fingers touched the hair and stroking through the hair like a mother might. It looked much better loosened, she thought, than tied up.
"That the accident that hurt your father was all because of his design… That the White Fang, revolutionaries of a foregone age, are all because of what he did?"
The woman's eyes widened, Salem recalling the moment briefly. Willow had been in need of comfort, and she had offered it, obviously to keep relations warm. It would not do for Selene Umbra to dismiss a friend… The girl had been but twenty-six, her daughter only a babe. It had been cruelty and spite that had brought her father his fate from those who disagreed with the woman's husband's labour policies.
"All those lives lost, and for what, Willow? Hate. Anger."
There was pain in the Schnee woman's eyes, as the woman stared at her, Salem's fingers caressing through the woman's hair. A mother of three, now made two.
"Who? Who did this? Why?"
Many had asked that question before, but Salem had not deigned it with much of an answer, a light curling of her lips as she beheld the woman. Classical beauty, marred by despair and depression. It was natural that the woman yearned for closure, for safety… security.
'A little push…'
"Are you sure that you wish to know, Willow? The answer may be too much for you."
The woman did. Salem saw it in the eyes, those vulnerable, teary eyes. It was not rationality that shone in those eyes, nor was it the craving of something that was attainable. Anger, fear, something that was grief and loss. The woman radiated it, all because of the death of her youngest child.
"Tell me his name, Selene. I had thought… I still have some measure of power in the company. The name of Schnee opens doors, and if… If I demand it, there will be no Faunus ever to work for any of the company's many branches again. They took my son from me!"
It was strength, anger and frustration, a purpose past the mourning, the last sentence half-shouted by an angry mother. Salem supposed that there would be no death in the cards for Willow Schnee today, so it was perhaps a fortuitous day for the woman.
'A single death has caused you to despise the Faunus… My, what a little gem you are, my dear… To stoke those flames into a blazing flame to consume the world…'
"He goes by Ozpin now, my dear. A man whose Semblance allows him to reincarnate into a younger body over the centuries. He was the former King of Vale, he was Osmund Petrifan, the man who harmed your father with his foolish actions… And now, he is Ozpin. A man whose fingers are in every Kingdom, whose pawns move through the world, beholden to none. Do you remember the tale of the Four Maidens?"
A slow yet careful nod from the woman, whose eyes looked doubtful, yet terrified of what it was that was being unveiled. A look of caring understanding and knowledge on Selene Umbra's features, as she played to the warmth within Willow.
"A single wizard and four Maidens, each corresponding to one of the seasons. Girls that were selected for their beauty and their personality, all imbued with the wizard's power… All below thirty, to inherit the power to move the world, or so it was told."
The conclusions that were reached within the woman's eyes, a flash of something that seemed to understand, to gain awareness of that. Of course, Willow would know the tale. Salem had ensured that her own fairytale had found a place within the legends of the world as well.
"A girl in a tower, rescued by a noble hero… A story for the ages, but nobody told you of the tale of the Maidens against the Witch, led by the noble Wizard. Do you see, my dear? A man who cannot die, four girls imbued with the power he held once…"
There was fear in Willow Schnee's eyes, as the woman realized what that could mean. She had known the man when she had been young, as had Salem. The incarnations of her former husband always had that irritating habit of interfering with her plans.
'Do you see now? Don't you understand what the world has come to? A mere playground for a man who does not know what he took from me.'
"No, but… Yes. But- "
There was doubt in the woman, as tears came from her eyes, her gaze looking directly at the grave of her child, the death that could have been prevented if Ozpin had simply accepted the demands of the Menagerian Ambassador as chancellor of Mistral… But he hadn't.
'Realize what has happened, all because of him… Your son's death, the daughters that you so cherish…'
"Selene… I'm… is it really true?"
A snap of her fingers, the storm of snowflakes kicking up fiercely around the pair of them as the illusion shattered around her, the true goddess-queen of Remnant staring down at the daughter of a miner, a woman whose eyes had widened at the beauty that was being unveiled. Salem knew that her appearance was frightful to those of lesser standing, but she would not be denied by a mere child in terms of age. Her face showed the understanding that she felt, that maternal look that she wore shifting into something resolute.
"Ever since he took my children… My beautiful, beautiful daughters, I have been trying to work to fight him, to put a stop to the madness…"
In the eyes of Willow Schnee, she could see the empathy that had made her weak, the care and the love that she held for her children and the one who had passed. It was human, it was weakness… but she understood.
"Will you walk with me on the path to put him to justice, Willow? Whitley's death was tragic, but what of your other daughters? Winter is General Ironwood's aide now… Weiss is at Beacon… It is awfully convenient, is it not, that the only one who did not wish to become a Huntsman has died, is it not? Now both of your daughters are within the system..."
Willow Schnee's features showed fear and resolute dedication, as the gears shifted and clicked, the woman's eyes looking more determined than ever before, as an angry hiss came from the woman's lips.
"He will not have my daughters too!"
'So easy…'
The truth was the worst weapon to use against Ozma, because of the lies that he peddled. She held out her hand and Willow took it, her body rising from the chair, moving for the first time in near to a day.
"Call me Salem, Willow… You're part of my family now."
'Jaune would just love you, my dear… All men prefer a woman with some experience…'
The look on the woman's face was just what Salem wished to see. Hope and despair and anger, as another soul joined the forces that were arrayed against the man who had taken everything from her.
Sometimes, things were just too easy.
The snow fell again as the illusion slipped into place again, Selene Umbra and Willow Schnee walking back towards the Schnee manor.
It seemed that another seat at her table had been claimed…
'Now… I am sure that Miss Manilla would like some instructions from a friend… It's such a shame that you strayed, Adelheid, such a terrible, terrible shame. Don't worry…'
The reason Weiss was so upset: Her little brother got beheaded by someone allied to the White Fang. Jaune just tries to help, and what does he get? An angry Yang!
KNOWLEDGE WARS: BRINGING THE TRUTH TO YOU, ONE HOUR AT A TIME!
"Darn dirty crunch-monkeys with their darn rhetoric like 'No, miss Stones, we don't have a secret government lab trying to develop Faunus trait-grafts! Nu-huh, take some of our special smoothies laced with Atlas pride, huh-huh!" The blonde woman shook her fist at the camera, puffing up. "Darn them Atlas crunch-monkeys trying to shovel their filth into our mouths! Never trust a Mantie until they're dead in your sights and you're ready to be a REAL Valean patriot!" More angry fist-shaking, as the woman looked fierce, getting up. One of the buttons of her shirt popped.
"I've got real Valean blood in me! THIS BODY IS STRONG!" The shirt had another button pop up as the woman gesticulated at the camera with a finger. "You hear that, Hill? You'll NEVER defeat Alexandrite Stones with your Sapphic Seductresses! You turn real good and upstanding men into women to have your secret Faunus rape orgies, and I have had it with that! When I get you in my studio, you're going to confess to your crimes! Faunus Force Vitality, people! It's good for your blood and brings out the Sexual Faunus in YOU!"
The segment cuts off with a graph appearing next to Alexandrite Stones about the power increase for regular humans after taking Faunus Force Vitality.
Knowledge Wars: Bringing you the truth, all the time! Female Faunus Vitality 50% off in the Knowledge Wars store.