Chapter 28 – The Question
Eryka
Why, oh why, did I not pack better clothing?
Fucking hell, I forgot how hot Vacuo could get, sweating my ass off.
"Eryka?" Winter's voice snapped her back to reality. She lifted her head swiftly, blue eyes wide with surprise.
"Huh?" Eryka jolted.
"Your head's in the clouds." Winter softly laughed. No matter how many times she heard it, the sound of Winter Schnee laughing always made Eryka smile automatically. Joanna quickly moved ahead, keeping her head down and her Staff close. They had arrived at the place where the Sidewinder was being kept. In fact, they could hear them working on a dismantled one. The sound of powerful suction powered tubes roared inside as they got the sand out from the vents of the vehicle. Or the scraping shrieks of saw blades cutting away the black glass that had been fused to the metal chassis.
Eryka moved with May, and they peered round to see some of them. They were not what they were expecting; they had heavy cybernetics, but they were not professionally handled. The level of cybernetics was beyond anything they had seen, outside of the Black Gallows, that is. "What the hell?" Eryka gasped in a soft voice.
"These guys have changed a lot since I was a kid." Joanna commented.
"Who are these guys? You never said?" Winter asked.
"They call themselves Purgatory. They don't really bother the people of Vale as long as they're in the city, but out in the Dunes? That's a whole other story, and back when they were still alive, the U.G.R didn't give a damn. End of the day, the Dunes are even more lawless than the city itself." Joanna explained.
"Damn…" Eryka softly said.
"What about the cybernetics? Seen no one other than the Black Gallows use the tech. Nobody else can." May asked.
"That's because they can't. But they take the parts from dead or destroyed Black Gallows soldiers and equipment. And they repurpose whatever they can find out there in the dunes, and raid anything they see. Including Black Gallows… most of the time it ends in failure, but it looks like they've been stealing more and more from them." Joanna explained. "Looks like it doesn't work even half as well as it does in the hands of the Gallows, though. I mean, look at their optics… a fraction compared to what we've seen Stockholm Troopers using."
"Yeah… bastards must be insane too, completely ripping out the old stuff and building new faulty equipment to replace the stuff that they couldn't decrypt – and then weld that into their heads." Eryka stated, keeping Constantine Damascus close.
"And lemme guess, they kill folk on sight?" May presumed.
"Good guess." Joanna nodded.
"Of course. Just once it would be nice to meet a mild-mannered gang." May chuckled, shaking her head. Winter peered over, and she examined the area. There were quite a few Purgatory Mercs in there, all of which were armed to the teeth with old rusted cybernetics and weapons. Their weaponry was pretty deadly too, by the looks of things, old Atlesian Firepower.
"Looks like they couldn't do the same for Black Gallows weapons. Everything is Atlesian Military." Winter explained.
"Well, that's good. Black Gallows firepower is way worse than anything the Atlesians made on their own." Eryka teased, in which Winter just shot an annoyed look at her. Eryka raised her hands, surrendering. "Sorry."
Winter rolled her eyes and kept examining the area. "Damn… no sign of a working Sidewinder, they're repairing them. Lots of black glass on them."
"Magma Storms, no doubt. I've heard they're getting worse out there." Joanna confirmed.
"They sound pretty scary." May joked.
"Well yeah, when lightning is crashing down in a massive tornado, burning so hot it forms spires of black glass after melting the sand, yeah… kinda scary." Joanna chuckled, making May chortle, too.
"First the Cryostorms in Atlas and now the Magma Storms here in Vacuo… what the hell's next?" Eryka sighed.
"Well… in fairness, the Magma Storms are a natural phenomenon. The Cryostorms, though? That's a whole other ball game… there's something really weird about how that storm just never ends." Joanna stated. "At least Magma Storms are random."
"Never thought I'd hear someone find a completely unpredictable storm normal." May commented.
"What stops the storms from hitting the city?" Eryka asked.
"I think it's too cool over here. They only happen in the Dunes, and pretty far out too. In the hottest regions. The Dune Sea is big." Joanna added, shrugging her shoulders.
After they passed the time with idle chatter about what they were heading into, Winter hushed them. She listened carefully, overhearing a conversation between two Purgatory Thugs. "Hey! The hell's taking so long with that Sidewinder? All you have to do is refuel the damn thing!" One thug barked. His voice sounded more machine than living. It actually made their hairs stand on end.
These men and women did this to themselves on purpose.
That was scary to imagine… ripping your body apart to improve it for killing people.
Unimaginable evil…
They kept listening for the mercenary to respond to the man who was yelling at them. "Dude!" He barked again, and Winter listened carefully, hearing him kick the engineer. "Wake the hell up, dumbass!"
"Wha? Ugh…" He grumbled.
"Sleeping on the job? How about I put a fucking bullet in your head, huh? Then you'll get to sleep all day long. For the rest of frigging time!" The man yelled.
"I-I'm sorry okay?" The other whimpered, scrambling back up to his feet.
"Get back to work, you stupid shit! Get that Sidewinder fuelled up already! We need it for that score!" He yelled, storming back into the room they had their eyes on.
"Despite all that tech, they still have lazy assholes." Eryka scoffed, turning as Dulcis landed next to her. He chirped softly at her, rubbing his head against her cheek cutely.
"Alright… May you can get us through with your Semblance." Specialist Schnee was back, immediately coming up with a plan. "We could take them out. There aren't too many and they're disorganised. But it would be a hell of a lot easier to steal the Sidewinder as fast as possible and make our escape." Winter explained.
"Sounds like it's the only one that's working, too." Eryka agreed.
"Sure, but it could go wrong." Joanna explained.
"We just need to be quiet. Last thing we need are Black Gallows falling on our position and killing us." Winter explained.
"Yeah, I don't feel like dying." May shrugged.
They all turned when the mercenary looked like he was pretty high on the food chain – mainly because of the size of him and the massive amount of metal on his body. His entire face had been mechanically replaced with optics and a mechanical jaw that flashed whenever he spoke. He approached a terminal in the office and he answered a hailing call from somewhere.
"Yeah?" He responded, like all the others. His voice was sharp and inhuman.
"This is the Black Gallows." An Operator informed, the Mercenary immediately changed his tone.
"Ma'am." He replied.
"We have sent a contingent of our best combatants to Vacuo. If you can apprehend these wanted individuals, it would add a bonus to the payment we owe you for your information." She stated, which he chuckled as a response.
"How much are we talking?" He asked her.
"Double the original price." She answered. He laughed.
"Well then, we will make it our mission then." He assured.
Winter sighed and slid down against the wall. "Damn it." She sighed.
"Lemme guess, we're the people they're talking about, right?" Eryka assumed.
"That's right." Winter sighed.
"Damn… in Vacuo for only a few minutes and we're already public enemy number one. Guess that means the Ace Ops are headed straight for us." Eryka stated.
"Well, let's make sure we get out of the city before they find us." May said, holding out her hands. "Everyone ready?" She asked.
"Yeah… let's grab that Sidewinder and get the hell out of here." Eryka agreed.
May activated her semblance, forming a protective bubble around them all, which also concealed them completely, making everyone completely invisible. They entered the area, weapons at the ready. May kept her eyes peeled on their surroundings. All it would take is one mistake and they would be all over them. Eryka kept her finger on the bowstring but did not draw, not unless she needed to. A Purgatory Walker pounded a hammer into metal, shaping it to replace the slashed up remains of a Sidewinder's Tail. Looked like massive claws or teeth had dug into the metal, tried to drag down into the sand.
Blind Worms…
"Did ya hear what happened to Charlie's team?" They heard a couple of Walkers conversing in the next room. Eryka and Joanna stood by the door, ready to go in when it was clear. May could keep them cloaked for a while, but she had to be careful not to let any of the thugs into the bubble itself, or their cover would be blown.
"Yeah, swallowed by Blind Worms, right?" Another Walker inquired.
"Yeah, nasty business. Saw it go down. They were heading back to base with some pretty good gear, too. Found it all in the ruins of the Old City." The Walker explained, Joanna peered inside the next room, seeing the two men conversing. The one who just spoke was cleaning a rifle, covered in dust and grime, alongside some blood on the stock where he smashed someone's head in.
"What's the statistic these days? Ten people a month get eaten by Blind Worms?" The other Walker inquired as he twisted the nuts on the Sidewinder with his wrench. It wasn't the Sidewinder they were looking for, it too was really dismantled.
"Something like that, yeah. The Sea of Sand is a merciless place. Can't count the amount of Nomadic Tribes out there just disappear because of what's out there. Some say there are Grimm species there that we haven't even discovered yet but make the Blind Worms look tiny." He explained, which made the other chuckle.
"Gods, I hope not. Blind Worms give me the heebie jeebies." The Purgatory Walker commented, shuddering at the thought of those massive monsters.
They made their way through the next room, but as Joanna entered she gasped, slightly bumping into a trolly which had a bunch of pieces of scrap metal inside. The rattle was not very loud, but it got the attention of the two men. "The hell?" One muttered.
"Eh, probably a rat. Damn, things are everywhere." He sighed, walking over to the trolly. Joanna quickly but silently got back to May, who guided everyone away from that trolly and near the Sidewinder where the other was working.
The Thug looked around the trolly to find the rat, humming away to himself. "Y'know, I saw a rat the size of a cat in here yesterday?" The one by the Sidewinder asked.
"A cat?" The other questioned.
"Yeah, ugly bastard had been eating a bunch of shit in the storerooms, thing was huge. Caught it and throw it out and all, but damn… big bastard." The two thugs were just engaging in idle chatter now, not much worth of note. Although the image of a Purgatory Walker scrambling around to catch an enormous rat was a pretty amusing image. They waited for there to be a clear path.
Eryka picked up a piece of scrap metal on the floor and waited for nobody to be looking in their general direction, then threw it across the room to make another noise. "Ah ha! There you are, ya little shit." The Rat Catcher cheered, running to the area where the metal hit the floor. That gave them their window, and they quickly passed through the room, and got into the next.
They gasped – seeing a man dangling from the ceiling, a hook rammed through both his hands. He had been beaten to death by the looks of things. They used him like he was a living punching bag. Covered in bruises, even cuts from where they were having fun torturing. "Fuck…" May whispered with shock in her eyes.
"These bastards…" Winter snarled. "They're an abomination…"
Joanna looked across the room, and she smirked, noticing something. "We could leave these guys a parting gift, stop them from chasing after us." She suggested, nodding towards something. They turned and saw what she saw – pipelines.
They were specifically connected to this building, and it looked like they were flowing with liquified dust crystals to power up the vehicles. The same stuff they used to power the Sidewinders. "We just need to fuel up our Sidewinder, and once we're clear? Blow the place sky high."
"What about the rest of the town? Will the explosion cause damage to Vacuo?" Eryka asked.
"No, this pipeline is connected to their own network, see? They have a central tank that they melt down dust crystals into their fuel source." Joanna explained. They followed the pipes and saw the large refinery in the centre of the warehouse, melting down all those dust crystals. It was such a waste of perfectly used dust, and this was such a primitive fuel source. But maybe they could use it to their advantage.
"I guess we'll give the people of Vacuo one hell of a firework show." May chuckled.
They continued onward, and they found the Sidewinder. The fella who was asleep was now refuelling it, and it was in tip-top shape. No damage left on it and ready to go. All it needed was fuel, and not too much more by the looks of things. Winter gestured to everyone, getting them all to spread out across the room, whilst Eryka drew Slice 'n Dice. She waited until the light went green, and it pinged.
She grabbed the Merc by the mouth and rammed the sword through his back and out of his ribs. He screamed into her palm, then swiftly ripped the blade out of his spine and down the back of his neck, killing him. The man collapsed to the floor, bleeding everywhere. Eryka kicked the fuel pipe off the side of the Sidewinder and Joanna jumped into the cockpit. "Let's ride." Joanna chuckled, setting off the engine.
It made a guttural sound, like an old diesel engine, chugging with a rhythmic drumming sound. Everyone got aboard. May got onto the second seat in front of Joanna, whilst Winter and Eryka took opposite sides on the side platforms they could connect themselves to. Eryka held stood there. Not only were they connected via cables, but there were also slight gravity dust linings on the platforms that kept them aboard. Eryka drew her Explosive Arrow on Constantine Damascus as Joanna roared out and drifted around.
They saw the Boss of the Purgatory Gang rush out. "The hell's going –"
Eryka needn't say a word. She just winked and launched the arrow directly into the fuel line. It exploded, and the entire building rapidly went up in a fireball. Alongside ice, rock and electricity came bursting out from it, forming huge spires of ice and rock rising from the roof.
"That's been a long time coming." Joanna chuckled.
"C'mon, let's get to Robyn and the others and get out to the Sea of Sand!" Winter ordered.
The massive hardlight forged – almost parachute – extended, acting like a sail to help guide the powerful vehicle across the bumpy terrain. They swiftly roared off, the blades on its underside effortlessly cut through the dunes of sand, leaving a beautiful trail behind as they banked around the dune and headed to where Robyn was waiting for them. They saw emergency teams already arriving at where the explosion happened, and like Joanna said, nobody else was hurt – only those Purgatory scumbags.
The Sidewinder quickly made its way around the borders of Vacuo and drifted to the small shanty town which sat on the very outskirts of the city. That was where Robyn was waiting for them, and Joanna drifted it around. They parked and saw Robyn lift her head from behind cover, and they rushed out. "C'mon!" Robyn called out to Saphron, Terra and Fiona. Saphron held little Adrien's hand as they quickly got to the vehicle.
May immediately exited her seat so that Saphron and Adrien could sit there, since it was far better for the six-year-old kid to be in the safest place on the vehicle, whilst the rest would be on the platforms. "I take it that enormous explosion was you guys, right?" Robyn inquired, getting aboard.
"Yeah… thought we'd leave a delightful distraction for the Black Gallows – that and those bastards had that coming." Joanna answered. Robyn chuckled.
"Fair enough." She agreed.
Eryka held on and stared out at the desert. Winter turned and gently touched her hip, getting her attention. "You okay?" She asked her.
Eryka had been drifting off more and more lately.
"Yeah…" Eryka sighed.
"We'll find her." Winter assured, and Eryka nodded.
"Yeah… maybe…"
Joanna sent the Sidewinder roaring forward, and the mood suddenly skyrocketed when they heard Saphron and Adrien both cheer with excitement at how cool it was.
It was enough.
But Eryka just hoped that maybe all of this would be worth it.
Blake
Embers… the smell of blood…
She was back there, at Beacon…
She looked around, wide eyed and afraid. It was like she had her eyes back, and she felt younger again. She held her side in pain, desperately looking around the fire as she heard the deafening roar of the Grimm.
It was like she never left. Despite the six years that passed, she kept on finding her way back here. But this time it was different. Most nights, she would always see Sun being brutally killed by Adam. It haunted her… and then he would come for her, either dragging her back to where he came from, or he would just butcher her. It had been a long time since she had those nightmares, but this one felt different.
She stumbled forward and held her hand against her belly, feeling the blood leaking from her open wound. "Blake?" She heard her voice weakly call out. Blake spun around and she gasped, seeing Yang crawling across the ground. She was bleeding heavily, stabbed multiple times in the chest.
"Yang!" Blake cried out, then she saw Adam above the Golden Beauty, stamping his hoof down on her back. Yang grunted in pain, reaching out for her, and Blake gasped, amber eyes wide. Adam smirked at Blake as he held Wilt and Blush over to her.
"I will take… everything… you love." Adam snarled, before ramming the sword down through Yang's heart.
"YANG!"
Blake gasped, swiftly awakening, lifting her head. Heart hammering, and a bit of sweat beading on her skin. She pressed her hand against her head, feeling a slight headache, sighing softly.
She rarely got a lot of sleep these days, that was simply something she had been getting used to.
Being blind meant that every other sense had been dialled up to eleven, especially her hearing, so the smallest thing could wake her up. And yet despite that, this may have been one of the best sleeps she had in a while. She still woke up a few times, or struggled to fall asleep. But it was the comfiest bed she had in a long time. The bed she had back at Cinder's Farm was lovely, but being back at her home? In the bed she always used to sleep in?
But that nightmare?
There was something strange… usually when she had nightmares of Beacon, it was always about the night she lost Sun and lost her eyes. The Fall of Beacon… but this was not of that night. This was the Attack on Beacon, the first attack, when Yang lost her arm and she was stabbed by Adam. It had been a very long time since she had thought of that night. Perhaps since the third time the School had been attacked, it was far more traumatic for everyone involved than the first.
And the second? Whilst that one was scary, they still killed the Praetorian Knight and stop Neo from killing Ruby. Despite losing Oobleck in the process…
But it still hurt.
She sat upright and hugged her knees, thinking about that night, thinking of Yang.
I know she's okay… she's just in the next room… but…
She quickly got up and put on her purple dressing gown, wrapping it around her body, hiding the scars. She opened the door and gasped, finding Yang already there, holding a tray. They both yelped. "Hi." Yang nervously greeted.
"Hi." Blake also nervously greeted.
Yang's eyes, for a brief second, looked at Blake's body but immediately shot back up to her eyes. "I-I-I thought I'd make you some tea." Yang squeaked, and Blake smiled, accepting the tray.
"Thank you, Yang." Blake whispered. Yang tilted her head out of concern.
"Hey? You okay?" She asked her.
"Hmm?" Blake jolted, ears stood on end with surprise. "U-Uh yeah… yeah… I just…"
Yang leant against the doorframe. She was wearing her orange crop top and her trousers, but that was it, really. Most likely just woke up as well. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"How did you…"
"You're not the only one who gets them." Yang assured, wringing her hands. Blake smiled at her and she walked bed to her bed and sat down. Yang approached and sat down next to her. "What was it?"
"I…" Blake nervously stammered. "It was of Beacon… the first time."
Yang nodded her head. "Gods that feels so long ago." Yang looked down at her cybernetic hand and closed it into a fist.
"Sometimes I just feel like I'm… going crazy. So many nights I just can't sleep… always having nightmares or I just can't sleep. I just start… listening… to every little noise." She sighed, and Yang looked at her.
"You're not crazy, Blake. At least no crazier than normal." She joked, which made Blake chuckle.
"Thanks." Blake giggled.
"Thing is… I know what you mean, really I do. Even now I still have nightmares of when Adam cut off my arm. Or of Valravn… the Atlesian Wildlands…" she listed, holding her hands together. "I think it stops though… after a while… it doesn't end overnight. Or after a few years… we just gotta… stop letting it get to us." Yang explained, staring vacantly. "I guess I'm still working on that part."
Yang bowed her head and squeezed her hands together, still able to hear the faint whispers of Valravn in the back of her mind. "I'm not him… sometimes I have to just… remind myself that."
"You're not. Hey?" Blake cradled Yang's arm, getting her attention. "You're not Valravn Branwen. You're not a Branwen at all. You're Yang Xiao Long…" Blake assured with a gentle smile on her face. Yang smiled and her cheeks warmly turned red, and she exhaled.
"Yeah… you're right." She chuckled.
"I guess we'll just have to remind ourselves of that every now and again." Blake admitted, making Yang chuckle.
"Sounds like a plan." Yang agreed. The Golden Brawler stood up and gently squeezed Blake's shoulder, walking out of her room. She then picked up her tea and drank it, feeling a warm butterfly feeling in her chest fade the second that Yang left.
A feeling she hadn't felt in a very long time.
Blake ate the breakfast Yang made her and drank all the tea, then got dressed. She walked out with her tray, and by now Yang was also dressed too. Nora was sitting on the chair with a big smile, given a big tray of food – most likely a treat from Kali to help feed the pregnant mom-to-be. Even Kali stood there with a beaming smile – like always. "The second we have a pregnant lady in the house, you suddenly start cooking up the biggest breakfast I have ever seen." Ghira chuckled.
"What? I can't leave our guests with empty bellies." Kali said.
"Would you like help?" Ghira timidly asked.
"Out of the kitchen." She immediately laid down the law. Despite being such a small woman, she was by far the fiercest one in the house. "Good morning, darling!"
"Morning mom…" Blake replied, letting out an enormous yawn. Oscar emerged and so did Weiss and Ren, sitting down inside of the main room.
"A beautiful morning, today." Kali said, looking out the window as she cooked all the food. Kali truly was an amazing cook. She could have three hobs on the go and somehow not be stressed out. And always made the most delicious meals they had ever tasted.
"Yeah… I always missed waking up every morning here. Sun rises are always so pretty out here." Blake said, crossing her arms as she sat down.
"It's a beautiful place." Weiss said with a sweet smile on her face.
"We have made this place something beautiful. We are very proud of it." Ghira agreed.
A knock on the door surprised them, and Ghira chuckled, walking over to the door. "You have a guest, my dear." Ghira announced. Blake turned and heard the door open.
She walked in and Blake gasped, immediately knowing who she was by her aura alone. "Ilia…" She gasped.
"Blake…" Ilia gasped back, smiling and laughing with joy, sprinting to her and hugging her. They both spun around as they held each other, laughing. Yang smiled, standing up and crossing her arms. "YOU'RE OKAY!"
"More or less." Blake chuckled. Ilia clearly noticed the blindfold but never commented on it, perhaps waiting for a better time to ask.
"You're all okay?" She chuckled, but then she looked around and her face changed. But yet again… she did not ask about Sun, not yet. "Wow… when Ghira called me, I couldn't believe it. I nearly stormed down there if he hadn't told me you were asleep."
Blake laughed. "You do not know how good it is to see you, Blake… it's been hard." Ilia admitted. She stood there and looked at them all. Blake knew she had so many questions.
Where's Sun?
What happened to your eyes?
Are you friends with everyone again?
How did you survive Beacon?
But she did not ask those questions, but Blake knew those questions would be here soon. "How have you been? It's been a long six years." Blake asked her.
"Well… surviving, like you, I guess. You know about what happened to the White Fang?" Ilia asked, leaning against the wall.
"Yeah, the Feral Ones destroyed them." Blake answered.
"Well, not all of us, honestly most of us just went into hiding. When we saw the Revolution get quelled and all those people be killed? People didn't want to fight a battle they couldn't win… hell, even I didn't. Not since…" Ilia lifted her hand, showing the wedding ring. After everything that happened, it completely skipped Blake's mind that Ilia was engaged the last time she saw her.
"Congratulations!" Blake squeaked.
"Thanks… we did it in private. Didn't want any unwanted guests. We've had to stay under the radar here in Menagerie, but I've been keeping in contact with your parents." Ilia explained.
"You're family to us, Ilia." Ghira stated, smiling.
"And I cannot thank you enough." Ilia replied, which made him chuckle.
"And I will continue to tell you that thanks are unnecessary." Ilia just shrugged.
"But Sienna gave up… she couldn't just stand down and hide like the rest of us, but she also didn't see the point in fighting for the Faunus when so many joined a terrorist group who wanted nothing but an excuse to hurt people. That was never what the White Fang was about, but that was what Adam tried to force things into becoming. Now the Feral Ones hurt anyone they please, and even here, they beat and kill anyone who doesn't believe in Salem's leadership. They treat her like some kind of goddess." Ilia explained, sounding sad about how this whole ordeal turned out.
"Yeah… we've seen their handiwork." Weiss commented, anger fuelled by her words.
"Well… it's partly why we're here. We're trying to stop Salem, to kill her. We have another team out there looking for more reinforcements like us – and another trying to keep the other Relic she doesn't have out of her reach." Oscar explained, his hand atop The Long Memory. Ilia gave him a look, clearly remembering how he was originally on the opposite side, but clearly fine with it.
A lot has happened since.
"And you're here for the White Fang? To join your army against her?" Ilia asked, and Blake nodded.
"Yeah… we won't stand a chance without some help." Blake stated, and Ilia walked around.
"There's still plenty out there who wanna see Salem cut down. For things to be better than they are, but they need a leader. I'm no leader… I tried but I can't lead them." Ilia explained.
"It's been a long time since I led, plus Sienna was a far fiercer leader than I. That's what the White Fang needs, someone who will do whatever is necessary… something I couldn't do." Ghira sighed, but Kali cradled his arm and lovingly rested her head against him.
"You did the best you could." She assured.
"He's right. Sienna is our best option. We need a leader who can rival Salem in terms of strength." Ilia admitted.
"I was always better during peacetime… but for war? You unleash Sienna Khan." Ghira stated.
"And lucky for you – I know exactly where she is." Ilia assured with a smile, walking ahead of them to the doors.
"W-Wait you do?" Blake stammered, following her with everyone behind her.
"I do. She lives alone in the Desert, which is indeed a big place. But at first we had many who stood with her. She never left the place… and now guards it day in and out. Killing anyone who tries to come near." Ilia explained.
"Anyone?" Nora asked.
"Yep, she even took a shot at me. I know it was a warning shot, and I took the warning for what it's worth. But I doubt her second shot would've missed." Ilia explained. "And I will help you find her."
"Are you sure? I mean…" Blake stammered.
"I know I'm married, Blake – but neither of us wanna live like this. We wanna be free, and this? This is not freedom. We shouldn't be hiding from our own kind. The Feral Ones have to be put down." Ilia stated, clenching her fist. "And when Ghira told me you were here, I had a feeling it was for this reason. So I saved us some time and got in contact with some old friends from the White Fang."
They walked with her to the walls of Menagerie, and out there was the vast desert that made up most of the Island. The dunes were not as colossal and dangerous as Vacuo, but the wildlife was worse due to it being less hot. The main reason Blind Worms were so populous in Vacuo was because of the cooler temperatures underground to escape the heat. Hence why most Grimm out there were subterranean.
They turned the corner to the gates, and they gasped – beholding a few Gravity Hover-Bikes, charged by Gravity Dust. There were four overall. "Enough for us all to get to Sienna. We'll have to share a few." Ilia explained, hand on her hip.
"Thank you for this, Ilia." Blake said, cushioning her shoulder with a smile, and Ilia chuckled.
"Thank you for not being dead. I've been wanting to get some payback." Ilia joked as she approached her bike.
Blake hugged her father and mother in a warm embrace. "Come back safe… we don't wanna lose you again."
"You won't. I promise." Blake assured.
Everyone mounted up.
Yang and Blake on one, Ren and Nora on another, and Weiss and Oscar on the third. The gates opened, and Ilia raced ahead with the trio behind her, riding out into Menagerie's Desert.
To find Sienna Khan.
Cinder
The countryside of Vale seemed all too familiar again for both Pyrrha and Cinder, walking through the verdant fields. Not too long ago, Pyrrha had returned from the dead and walked through these fields, uncertain of what to do.
And Cinder was happy here… a happy life… and she did not know about the sickness she mysteriously developed… despite doing none of the things that usually caused Noctis Putrida to form. Ruby and Penny walked with them, hands held together. Penny looked so happy to finally be free from the Virus that plagued her.
But now it was time they finally asked Jinn the question that literally everyone in Remnant had been wondering. But first they needed to find a safe place, and luckily, Cinder knew of one. "So what is this place?" Pyrrha asked curiously.
"An old ruin. I passed it a few times when bringing the crops into the Vale Market. Amber and I explored it one time. She wanted to do a fun, spooky adventure there. It was pretty cute, her dressing up as a ghost to scare me." Cinder explained, smiling as she remembered all her time with that cute little girl. She closed one of her hands into a fist.
I wanna see her again…
… just one more time…
… please let me see her again…
They walked up the cobblestone path, then turned to see the old building. It was broken and overgrown, but it was safe and far from Vale, just as they aimed for it to be. They approached it and looked around. "Whoa… was this some old town?" Ruby wondered.
"I think so, yeah." Cinder agreed, hiding a cough.
They walked inside, and Cinder sat down, pressing her hand against her head. Penny tilted her head. "Are you okay?" She inquired.
"Huh? Yeah… just feeling tired is all." She lied, and Penny smiled – nodding her head.
"Take a minute, we'll check the area. Make sure it's safe." Penny assured.
"Yeah, keep an eye on Jinn, will ya?" Ruby asked, setting the lamp down beside her. Cinder nodded her head and waited for them to go. Then she felt her lungs burn again. She gasped for air and coughed violently, spitting blood onto the floor.
"Argh… fuck…" She wheezed, hand pressed against her breast. "Why? How? I don't get it… I never smoked… and I haven't used dust until recently… not in a decade…"
Suddenly, blue smoke rose from the Relic, and she gasped. "Oh shit, no I'm sorry I wasn't…"
"I know…" Jinn assured, floating before the Fall Maiden with her arms crossed. "There is great sickness in you, my dear."
Cinder scoffed. "Is it that obvious, huh?"
"The others do not know… why hide it?" She asked.
"You wouldn't understand." Cinder sighed. Jinn raised her brow.
"Really? I would not understand?" Jinn asked her.
"You can't get sick…" Cinder clarified.
"No… but I understand. I am trapped within this lamp." She said, floating down to sit beside Cinder, shaking her chains. "Sickness is not too different from feeling trapped, is it?"
"Heh… then I guess maybe you do." Cinder chuckled, resting her arms on her knees.
"I know of what caused your sickness, Cinder… I can tell you if you wish." Jinn assured.
"Don't waste it on me…" Cinder said.
"I am not talking about my power. I simply know because I know of your past… I can simply tell you without showing you." Jinn assured. Cinder's eye widened… she could find out why… yet… something makes her tremble.
Her hand shook, and she had to steady it with the other.
"No." Cinder answered.
"Why?" Jinn inquired.
"I… I'm not ready… I don't know if I want to know…" Cinder wheezed, Jinn lifted her head, then nodded.
"Well… if you ever wish to know… you know where to find me." Jinn transformed into blue smoke and returned to the Lamp, leaving Cinder alone. She stared down at her hands and wiped the blood from her mouth. Every breath was more like a rasp now, and it was just getting worse and worse.
But so far… no bleeding eye.
"Okay! We're clear." Penny squeaked, Cinder cleared her throat and stood tall.
"Cool… okay… let's do this. You all ready?" Cinder asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Pyrrha chuckled.
Ruby walked towards the Relic of Knowledge leant against the wall and she grabbed the loop, lifting it up. She walked into the middle of the room and she closed her eyes.
"Jinn." she called, and time stopped around them. It showed how Jinn was always listening. She didn't even have to stop time for their question alone. She already knew what was coming. The blue smoke billowed out from the Relic, swirling around them all, and she formed before them once again. She stretched and smiled.
"Ahh… I have missed these lessons." Jinn chuckled as she floated downwards towards Ruby. "So… my beautiful rose? What question do you seek?"
Theatrical loser
Ruby softly chuckled at that thought. She took a deep breath and looked at the gorgeous being. "How do we kill Salem?"
Jinn knew it was coming, and she rose.
"Before I show you – there is something you must understand." Jinn began. They all looked at her with concern. "When Arthur Watts asked me this question, he already knew of the information I am going to have to show you. Meaning it required less energy."
"What are you saying?" Ruby asked.
"Salem will not just sense this… she will experience it as well. As will Oscar Pine and Ozpin." She revealed.
"Holy shit…" Pyrrha gasped.
"Wait… Oz?" Ruby questioned. Jinn said no further after that.
"Do you accept the risk? Salem will be here with you when you see this." Jinn warned. Team C.P.P.R all looked at each other, and they nodded at each other.
"Either way, she'd know… do it." Ruby requested.
"As you wish." Jinn agreed. She twirled and surrounded them with the blue smoke, and everything turned white.
Out in Menagerie, Oscar gasped, collapsing off the side of Weiss' Bike and falling into the sand. "OSCAR!"
And in Evernight…
Salem lifted her head, eyes glowing red as she felt the Relic activate… and around her as well… everything turned white.
Salem stood up from her table and walked across the white page, and stared ahead at Oscar, who got back up, with Ozpin beside him. They both saw Salem and their eyes widened. Then saw Team C.P.P.R stood nearby as well, all of which stared at Salem with fear.
Salem glared at them, then they heard her voice, which was all around them.
"Once upon a time…"
The blue smoke billowed around them all, showing forging a field of beautiful grass and giant mountains. "… there stood a lonely tower." Before them, the monumental structure formed before their very eyes, looking frighteningly similar to that of Beacon Academy.
Salem stood emotionlessly and so did Ozpin, whilst everyone else watched with bewilderment.
They all turned as the scene changed. "… which sheltered a lonely girl…"
Everyone approached the table that formed with many mirrors, and a beautiful young woman was sat there with long blonde hair.
"… named…"
She turned, looking very familiar as she rested her hands on her legs with saddened eyes.
"Salem."
Author Note - What's Your Favourite Fairy Tale?
Hoo boy, the next chapter (or Chapters, depends how long it is XD) are gonna be fun. Time to get some big answers, and yes this is gonna be heavily inspired by the actual episode The Lost Fable, however the Eclipse version shall be very different. Also with a lot more stuff being answered here. And of course the big difference being that both Ozpin and Salem are here as well, having to relive these events all over again.
Can't wait for this chapter :D
Eryka and Robyn's teams are also headed for Lavinia! First they gotta cross the Sea of Sand on their Sidewinder, which will be lots of fun! Adrien will have so much fun! :D
And on the other side of the world, Blake's team are riding across the desert... well... they have had to slow down with Oscar passing out due to the Relic yanking him into this vision... poor lad XD (It will be explained why he passed out worry not XD)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter - The Lost Fable
- Matt