Chapter 11 – Maria Calavera
Ozpin
It was so peaceful here…
After everything they had just seen in Vale… it felt… unnerving to be here, in a place so full of life. Maria Calavera's home was simple yet ornate, with gorgeous flowers of so many colours. All the colours in the rainbow and beyond.
Ozpin walked past her flowers as he approached her, gorgeous butterflies adorned with blue and silver markings across their fluttering wings. Glynda held out her finger and one of the beautiful little creatures landed there, gently flexing its wings. It made her smile to just see such a beautiful example of life.
It helped remind her of what they were fighting to protect sometimes… to see the most innocent and simple life forms just trying to get by. But Glynda turned her gaze once more to Maria Calavera.
"It's been a long time, Ozpin. Twenty years?" She asked him. She walked right up to him.
"I believe so, roughly."
"Twenty-Seven Years?" Glynda inquired.
"Hmm." Maria hummed.
Suddenly she punched him in the face, with a cold scowl on her face, he stumbled a step. Glynda already looked ready to attack Maria. She said nothing and just walked past him as he massaged his aching jaw. "Yes… I deserve that. I'm sorry things went the way they did for you." Ozpin explained. Glynda looked at Ozpin with confusion.
"I knew the names of all the students we taught. Why is Maria not striking a cord? And… what the hell happened?" Glynda questioned.
"This was before I appointed you to be my Vice Headmistress. I believe you were that important mission in Vacuo for a few years." Ozpin explained, planting his cane down against the cobblestones, his palm over the pommel.
"Oh, yes… I remember that excursion." Glynda sighed.
"Maria was… well… I guess you could call her one of the earlier students I saw to stand where Ruby is now." Ozpin explained.
"Ruby Rose… I've seen her face all over the news in the past few years. For good and bad reasons. You teach her to cut other Huntresses up like she did in Vacuo?" Maria asked, carrying the carcass of the deer she head over her shoulder to the barn, opening the door with her free hand.
"It wasn't that simple. You of all people should understand that." Ozpin explained as he followed her. Glynda let the Butterfly roam free before following them. As she approached the table inside, she let the deer fall on the table. She had the equipment available to skin the animal, ready to cook. Glynda could quickly tell that she wanted to live a life free from the problems of society, of the Kingdoms and anybody else. Yet she still kept her eye on things…
… but she did not even seem to be aware of the calamity happening all over the world right now.
She was alone, living in peace. They could see the smoke from Vale in the sky, but down here on the ground? It was admittedly a lot harder to notice. It all seemed so peaceful here.
She was in for one hell of a surprise when they told her.
Ozpin stood on the other side of the table, and he couldn't just stand there and not explain what happened with Ruby at Vacuo. "Team N.D.G.O betrayed what they stood for, took money for any job and joined the Acolytes of Lien. You've heard of them?"
"Of course I have. Had more than my fair share of run-ins with their Mercs and Bounty Hunters who tried to kill me because of these." Maria commented, gesturing to her eyes.
"Well, Dew Gayl? The Huntress that Miss Rose slew? She was one of them…" Ozpin explained. She scoffed and stabbed the knife down into the table, staring at him.
"I watched the footage. She didn't need to do what she did. The girl was beaten. It was unnecessary. I don't doubt the chick had betrayed what you called virtuous, old man, but don't try to say that her actions were justified." Maria explained. She then pulled the knife from the table, having to twist it back and forth a few times to free it from the oak.
Ozpin stood right up beside her with a more intimidating look in his eyes. "Are you really going to judge her about that?"
Maria stared back and sighed, turning back to the dead deer, slicing away at the creature's hide. Ozpin composed his internal frustration at her words, and turned back to her, speaking more calmly now.
"Ruby was in a terrible time of her life back in those days, and I can confirm that I was still in a comatose state at the time. But I have been told about what happened… she still laments her actions, but despite that she is still working hard to atone for them." Ozpin explained.
"Also, it's hardly fair of you to judge her when you only know what you saw on the news." Glynda commented, her arms crossed. Maria raised her brow and turned to Glynda.
"And who the hell are you?" Maria questioned.
"Glynda Goodwitch." She answered.
"Good for you. Now why don't you get to the point and tell me why you're here so I can tell you to piss off?" Maria questioned.
Charming.
Glynda shot Ozpin a bit of an annoyed expression. After everything they just went through, they at least hoped to have a pleasant conversation with someone. "How long were you hunting that deer?" He asked her, as she cut through the skin, lifting one leg up so she could get through its torso with ease.
"What does that matter?" Maria questioned.
"A great deal." Ozpin answered. His expression did not change. She looked at him and took notice of his very serious tone.
"Since this morning. Bastard took a while to hunt my turn. – Why do you ask?" Maria questioned.
She really has no idea… gods… she's never gonna believe me.
He decided to just be blunt with her. It always seemed to work with this Silver Eyed Warrior in particular.
"Because Vale has fallen."
She stopped cutting, and her eyes widened. That definitely got her attention. She let the leg of the deer drop and she set the bloody knife down on the table. She pressed her hands down onto the deer's body, then looked up at Ozpin.
"What?" she asked, bewildered by what he just said.
"I had been trying to prepare Remnant for this day… if you had stuck around at Beacon for longer, I would have eventually entered you into the fold. Like I did with Team R.W.B.Y and many others. This was a day that was always coming – The Shivering Dominion. Remnant's days are numbered now, and the Grimm are surging through from the realm they herald. And they have a leader, one that if we are able to kill – will end all of this." Ozpin explained to her.
She stood there for a few moments, contemplating his words, squeezing her hands shut over the Deer's body. "I…"
"It's a lot to take in… I know…"
"Did you not see our warning?" Glynda asked.
"Believe it or not, I don't really use that television much… especially not recently with all the horrible things. Vacuo falling, the disease in Vale? I just wanted to stay away from it all… it's why I came out here." She sighed. "And this is happening everywhere?"
"Yes. I believe Argus and Queen's Cove are already under siege from the Oncoming Shadow, if not already destroyed, that is." Ozpin explained. It sent shivers down her spine as she thought about these words.
Ozpin walked around the table to stand beside his former student. "Look… I know you and I have our differences. A lot happened… none of it was pretty… but up until now, I kept my word. I kept your home a secret. I kept you a secret. But now I need your help… the fate of the Universe depends on it." Ozpin explained.
Maria sighed, but she closed her eyes and shook her head and walked away from the deer to her house. "No."
"What? Did you not hear what he just said?" Glynda questioned.
"I am done with all this. I have been hunted by more people than I ever helped for my eyes, and I have spilled more blood than I ever thought I could. I'm done fighting for this world." Maria coldly said as she stormed off.
"Without your help there will be no world left to abandon!" Ozpin shouted. She froze at the sound of him actually shouting at her. But she shook her head and kept on walking, opening the door and slamming it shut. Glynda scoffed, shaking her head and pacing around.
"Delightful friend you have there." Glynda commented. Ozpin walked around the gardens, tapping his cane on the floor. "What do we do now?"
"We wait… end of the day we need another Silver Eyed Warrior with us and she's one of the few who's left that isn't at Dragonspire Keep. And they need all the Warriors they can get to protect the two Relics." Ozpin explained. "We just need to divide his efforts, even if he doesn't come after us in person and just sends Grimm. That's something. It will mean Umbra cannot completely focus on a single target. And if we can save as many lives as we can whilst keeping this Relic from his hands? Then our efforts are not in vain." Ozpin explained.
"Gods… when you put it that way, it sounds insane. But you're right, and I'm with you." Glynda assured, he smiled at her and sat down on a bench, resting both hands atop his cane. Glynda looked at him and she pinched the bridge of her nose before she sat down beside him. "Why did you never tell me about her?"
Ozpin closed his eyes. "I'm not looking for an argument, I just wanna know…"
He tapped his fingers on the top of Mihi Vindicta. "The circumstances of which I met Maria were not like your usual Huntsman or Huntress. Usually they come to us… but… sometimes we bring them into this life. Maria was an example of the latter."
"How so?"
"I found her on the road during a mission, about to be butchered by assassins sent by Salem. They had already murdered her mother and father in… a horrific way. Gouged out their eyes and tortured them to death. They were about to do the same to her… she was only fourteen when this happened." Ozpin explained, Glynda closed her eyes in grief for the poor Silver Eyed Warrior. "I killed the men Salem sent… I'll admit a dark part of me was revived when I killed them… but when they laid dead on the floor, I picked her up and brought her back to Beacon with me."
He stood up and walked around her garden, moving his hand through the golden leaves of the tree that stood over her home. "I never initially intended to teach her to become a huntress. I was contacting some of the local orphanages to find her a home. And they did, but… she came back. She wanted to become a Huntress."
He walked to the pond, where some beautiful fish wiggled around. "But I knew from the get-go why she wanted to become a Huntress. She wanted to know why her parents had to die in such a horrible way. She wanted to hunt down the people who sent them and kill them. Kill anyone else who was like them. She had quite the black-and-white way of looking at the world. Of course, I couldn't blame her. The issue was that… I knew who sent them. And I knew she would just die like all the others who thought they could kill her." Ozpin explained.
It felt strange to talk about Salem in this way, in the past tense, knowing that she was dead and gone for good.
"So you trained her?" Glynda asked.
"I did… and I will admit it was for similar reasons why I let Ruby join Beacon Academy when I did. Because she had Silver Eyes… and she surprised me. It turned out her father was also a Silver Eyed Warrior, and he taught her how to fight, even showed her how to unlock her semblance at a very young age. So she was already far ahead of everyone else in the classes. But she was not perfect." Ozpin explained as he walked around. "She was too brash, and never really worked well in a team."
Ozpin leant against the tree. "But she was one of my greatest students, alongside Summer."
"Did they know each other?" Glynda asked.
"No, no, this was after she graduated from the Academy. And… well… Maria never graduated." Ozpin explained.
"What happened?" Glynda asked.
"There was another student – his name was Blizz. Nasty little bastard liked to pick on everyone who looked different. The Faunus kids hated him for how he was. I was very close to kicking him out of the school, in fact. But of course, I had to follow regulations. He was smart and made sure none of his incidents were serious enough to be expelled. No matter how much I wanted to. Maria was one of those kids, and he mocked her for her eyes." Ozpin explained.
He walked to the pond again and looked down at his reflection. "But Maria Calavera had a fire in her, still does, and they were on a training mission in the Emerald Forest. Only Maria came back."
He looked at Glynda, and her eyes widened. "It was a mystery for a long time about how he died. We never found his remains, but I had my suspicions that it was her. It was only when a First-Year student saw what was left of him… chewed up by a pack of Grimm. But from those remains… we found slash marks across his throat, caused by a pair of scythes." He explained.
Glynda's eyes widened. "She murdered him?"
"She did… although she never admitted it publically, only to me. I wanted to protect her. I knew her eyes made her a target, and I wanted her to be one of my allies. But the Council and the other Headmasters told me she had to be expelled… I was overruled… and was forced to send her away." Ozpin explained. "She's hated me for it ever since… because what she told me? She was defending herself when he came for her. But the council didn't care, they just had to follow the rules."
She could hear the anger in his voice towards the Old Council, even as ashes they pissed him off.
"But… just because I had to expel her… it didn't mean I couldn't keep an eye on her. That's why I gave her this place. It was nothing like this originally. Just a lonely cabin in the woods… and I told her to look after herself. To constantly train herself to become better… and do the right thing. The only thing she asked of me was that I never come here again… something that until now I honoured." Ozpin explained.
"This must be hard for you… to have to break your promise to her?" Glynda asked.
"It is. If it weren't for… all of this? I'd still be honouring it. But I smiled when I heard of her efforts… becoming the Grimm Reaper. A Vigilante with Silver Eyes who would protect the innocent and slay the condemned. That's why she saved Coco Adel all those years ago… poor girl." Ozpin explained, and Glynda nodded her head.
Glynda looked at him in confusion. "Wait… if she was expelled at that age… and you never told her about… everything… then who told her about the Maidens? How did she know?" Glynda asked. His eyes darted around as he pondered her question.
"I never told her… no… but I left her with a book. A book which I wrote, telling her of the tale of the Maidens, and that they existed. And of Salem. I promised her I would help her identify the person who ordered the murder of her parents… I keep my promises." Ozpin assured. "But considering I never heard of her coming after her… she clearly found her new purpose instead. Becoming the Grimm Reaper." He explained.
"I feel for her." Glynda admitted.
"Just one more failure on my belt." He sighed. "I wish things were different… but without Maria's help… we will fail."
Neither of them even realised that Maria was still at the door, her back pressed against it, listening to every word. Her silver eyes darted around as she pondered on what they spoke of.
And her eyes turned to her Skull Mask and Scythes on the table.
Then she clenched her hands into fists.
Coco
Ice surrounded her…
… it had been a very long time since she saw this place in her head. She sat upright, looking around to see her old friend – The Ice Lady. She looked as perfect and beautiful as ever, with her arms held behind her back and a kind smile on her face. "Hey…" Coco softly greeted to the Maiden Power that lived within her.
"Are you ready? To face the horrors that are coming?" The Ice Lady asked her, and Coco just sat atop the ice and hugged her knees.
"How can you be? Nobody has ever faced an Army of Grimm like this before. Infinite amounts of the monsters… and they're gonna be everywhere. Killing… destroying… all so then that bastard Soothsayer can have those Relics." Coco explained, and the Ice Lady approached her.
"Wise." The Ice Lady said, sitting down beside her.
"Wise?"
"You admit that you're afraid. That's good. It means you're not hiding from the truth. That alone already gives you an advantage over your enemy… you have control over yourself, and you know who you are." The Ice Lady explained with a smile. Coco closed her eyes and bowed her head, smiling as well.
"It was nice to see you again… if only for a moment." Coco said to her, and the Ice Lady smiled back, before she faded away once more. Coco woke up, gasping, finding Velvet still asleep on her. Her bunny ears were lightly flopped beside her, whilst Yatsuhashi was asleep by the crate, but Fox was still awake. Coco didn't move too much, not wanting to wake up Velvet, since she looked so cute.
"Get any sleep?" She sent.
"Heh… you kidding?" Fox chuckled telepathically, looking at her. This was always a great way to have conversations when everyone else was asleep. His telepathic connection to his team was by far one of the most useful things they had to work with. "I doubt I'm gonna be sleeping for a long time. Even if we survive all of this."
"We're gonna survive, Fox." Coco assured.
He sighed. "You don't know that."
Coco looked at Velvet, who was still snuggled up to her, and she gently stroked her hair. She didn't want to think about that possibility, but Fox wasn't wrong. Not one bit. "No… I don't… but we've made it this far."
"Heh… yeah… we have." Fox agreed as he leaned back.
Velvet softly moaned as she came to. "Oh, sorry, did I wake ya?" Coco asked.
"Nah… can't sleep." She sighed, but she stayed close to her girlfriend, nonetheless. "What were you two talking about?"
"Our odds." Fox honestly answered.
"Gods… morbid…"
"But still worth thinking about. I mean let's be real here, if anyone was ever safe before… that safety's been thrown out the window." Fox explained as he kept Sharp Retribution on his lap. He had been sharpening the blades earlier with a whetstone. "But that's not gonna stop me. I'm too stubborn to get put down."
Coco and Velvet laughed at that. "Yeah, ain't that the truth?" Velvet said, making Fox chuckle too.
Coco looked at her hand, and her eyes gently ignited with white flames. "I… I've been thinking about some things lately. The Ice Lady… Maria… all of it…" She softly explained to the two of them, then Yatsuhashi woke up slowly as well. He joined in the conversation naturally. "It's crazy how much we've done in the years we've had, isn't it? And… I couldn't have done any of it without all of you."
Velvet smiled and lovingly kissed her cheek. "And we couldn't do it without you." She was always so sweet and adorable, never had a bad bone in her.
"She's right. I was just some… survivor who lost everything in the Dunes. Some dumb nomad… who had ambitions, although he couldn't see a damn thing. But you helped me." Fox explained.
"You helped me control my semblance… erasing memories terrified me, but you helped me find a way to live without needing to think about it, and only using it whenever it was necessary." Yatsuhashi remembered, leaning his shoulder against the crate.
"Well… I think we all know how you helped me, how all of you helped me out." Velvet said with a bright smile, snuggling up to Coco.
"If we're gonna be like this… all emotional… you all helped give me something to fight for. After I lost Raz… I was in a dark, dark place. I wanted to die, but Maria helped me get back on my feet… and then that helped me find all of you. And you've all helped me more than you can ever imagine." Coco explained.
Fox chuckled. "Damn, we're a bunch of saps, huh?"
"A bunch of badass saps." Coco corrected as she wiped a tear away.
"I like that." Fox joked.
Coco sat there and closed her eyes. "I wish I could have seen Maria again… I always wanted to thank her for what she did for me. She didn't have to, she didn't need to. She didn't even know me, but she helped me anyway."
"I would've loved to meet her too." Velvet said with a smile that melted Coco's heart.
Their touching conversation was cut short when they suddenly heard the intercom activate, and Ortega started speaking.
"All units, get to battle stations. We're approaching Mantle… and it's a war zone down there." Ortega answered.
Coco sighed.
"Alright everyone… let's get ready for another big fight." Coco sighed, grabbing Gianduja.
Ruby
She walked up the steps to the bridge with her team at her side, alongside Team J.N.P.R, Qrow, Hazel, and K.O.P.S.
Team C.F.V.Y got ready for a fight immediately, alongside Cinder, Emerald, and everyone else down below. They all walked up the steps, and Ruby turned to Weiss beside her. She gently bumped her shoulder, noticing she was miles away in her head. "Hey… you okay?" Ruby asked.
"It's been a long time since I was back here, Ruby. I dunno what to expect." Weiss stammered, that on top of losing Neptune and knowing that her Father and Brother were down there? It was clearly becoming more stressful by the minute for her.
"It'll be okay. We're with you all the way, I promise." Ruby grabbed her hand and clasped it, it made Weiss smile. She hadn't realised how vacant this affectionate Ruby Rose was until she got to see her so often. If Ruby could beat the demons in her head, then so could she. She strengthened her resolve and kept on walking with them.
They all reached the bridge, seeing Ortega with his arms behind his back, and Qrow stepped forward. "What's the situation?" He asked. Mazen was here too, with some other big names in the White Fang.
"Well… could be worse." Ortega admitted, which was relieving. "No sign of the Oncoming Shadow yet. But they'll be here soon, maybe in a few hours, max."
"The hell is Umbra waiting for?" Jaune wondered.
"No point in guessing what that bastard's planning. He's always ten steps ahead. We just gotta make sure we can get further." Ruby explained.
"How the hell do you get further than ten steps?" Sun questioned. Ruby just smirked.
"You jump." She answered. "And that's the plan. We swipe the Relic of Destruction, get to Dragonspire Keep, get those Relics, and – if the Architect has finished decrypting Merlot's files – we get to the Embered Grove. It's not about fighting, it's about being fast."
"Sounds so easy in theory." Sun chuckled, shaking his head. "Sure that asshole is gonna pull some shit though."
"I expect him to." Ortega stated. "He doesn't go down without a fight."
Ruby walked forward with Weiss and Qrow, and they both looked through the thick glass to see the city. Weiss felt her hands shake, having to clench her fists to control herself. But her heart was beating a hundred pulses a minute. She let out a shaky breath, seeing Mantle, and in the distance – Atlas.
The Economic Disparity between the two was obvious from the outset. You could tell just by looking at them. The City of Mantle was Grand, yes, but it was severely outdated. Protected by a wall and by the looks of it, some old-fashioned Shield Dome technology. At the very least, that will give Mantle some time before the Oncoming Shadow overwhelms the city.
Atlas, on the other hand?
Mantle was mainly dark grey, with a very function over style aesthetic to it, but Mantle was clean and… looked silvery white at times. It was a gorgeous city, filled with more corruption and cruelty than you could imagine. And Atlas Academy stuck out like a sore thumb with the gigantic C.C.T Tower looming over the entire Kingdom. It was twice the size of Beacon's and was incredibly impressive to look at.
And unlike Mantle, its Shield Dome was separate to theirs, and was double the strength, maybe even triple. Even the Oncoming Shadow would struggle to penetrate those defences. The Shield Domes were not activated yet, but once online it would be an impressive display of Atlesian Might.
And from here, Weiss could see her home – The Schnee Manor.
If her father was anywhere, it would be there.
But from here, they could already tell where the Rebels were currently fighting. They could see the flames and the gunfire where the Acolytes of Lien were holding them off. "Damn, things are working more in our favour than I expected. Looks like Robyn's army is bigger and more powerful than Jacques'." Ruby observantly noted.
"Seems so. I heard they were stealing lots of Atlesian Military Equipment, alongside Acolyte tech… but I wasn't expecting this. Robyn has ten Colossus M.E. down there… Gods…" Ortega sounded genuinely impressed.
Weiss looked closer at where the fighting was. "They're at the border between Mantle and Atlas. Looks like plans went into full on execution." Weiss noted.
"It seems so, but if you ask me, it looks like Jacques' got the advantage over there. They're at a choke point, and they have a shield wall activated. No climbing it and no blasting through it. The only way into Atlas is through that S.D.C facility. Do you know anything about it?" Ortega asked Weiss.
"Originally, it was where the Mantle and Atlesian Mining Teams would deliver their yields from the mines. I mostly heard about all the cruelty the Faunus faced in that facility. It's large… but it looks like it's been heavily fortified since." Weiss explained, Mazen nodded his head.
"More like a Military Base now… it won't be an easy nut to crack open." Mazen stated.
"Robyn will most likely have more intel for us down there." Ortega explained. "I'm going to get in contact with our forces, see what we can do to assist. The rest of you need to get down there with the Airships. Speak with Robyn, find out how we can get through that Facility. We need to get into Atlas before the Oncoming Shadow shows up." Ruby nodded her head and turned.
"C'mon everyone. Time to go to war." It hurt for her to say those words.
When she became a Huntress, fighting in a war was never in her dream. It was simply saving lives from savage monsters.
Just like her mother did before…
… but as the Shivering Dominion kept reminding her.
Life is not like a fairy tale.
Ozpin
They continued to wait and see if Maria would change her mind, and Glynda walked around the front garden of her beautiful home.
For someone who was essentially exiled here… you could do a lot worse… such a beautiful home.
She walked up the steps to a Garden Pagoda that was atop a small hill, adorned with more stunning flowers. This must have been where Maria liked to sit and read her books from time to time. But up here, she could smell the stench of the smoke coming this way from Vale. It made her shudder and her mind drifted back to the reality of what was happening to the world. The sky even darkened as well.
Not in the same way as when the Oncoming Shadow was coming, just from the smoke that was up in the atmosphere now. Like a rain cloud drifting overhead. Ozpin stared up at the signs of destruction, and he sighed. "How many more people are going to die?" Glynda sighed to herself. It's all she could think about.
"Try not to think about it." Ozpin's words sounded sincere, but they did not ease the pain that swelled in her heart.
"It's hard not to, Oz… it really is." Glynda replied, which silenced Ozpin from speaking. He paced back and forth, then the door opened, and they both turned around.
It was Maria; she held her mask in her hand, whilst having both her Scythes holstered on her legs. And she wore her iconic Grimm Reaper outfit, that both the Grimm and the Cruel knew to fear when they saw it. She sighed as she looked at the old Professor, and she walked down the steps from her house towards him, letting the door close behind her. "Okay…" She sighed. "I'll join you." She agreed.
"Maria… thank you, I…"
"I forgot who I was for a very long time. Who I wanted to be… I read the book you left me and I tried going after Salem. But I could never find her, and the stories I heard about her? Well… I knew I was never gonna kill her." Maria explained. Glynda smiled as she walked down the steps.
"Well… I think it will gladden you to know that Salem is dead." She revealed her eyes widened.
"What?" she gasped.
"We found a way, found the truth as to how to kill her, and we did it." Glynda explained that took Maria a couple seconds to comprehend. So many years she wanted to kill her, and eventually she just gave up, thinking it was pointless. And now she has just learned that her enemy… the one who ordered the butchering of her parents… and the attempted murder of her… was gone.
"Wait, then who's behind all this? You mean to tell me she was just a pawn for someone else?" Maria questioned.
"That's exactly what we're telling you. His name is Vir Nominis Umbra. An entity from a Universe completely unknown to us… and he has destroyed countless Universes before ours." Ozpin explained. Her eyes widened.
It took her a moment to digest that. "And… you know how to kill him?" She asked.
"Not yet – but we know where that secret is. Ruby is already attempting to get there with her team, alongside retrieving the Relics that Umbra needs to end our universe in a single motion. We can kill two birds with one stone. Even if Umbra lacks a single Relic, we still have a fighting chance of killing him." Ozpin explained.
"Then if she is doing that… what are we doing?" Maria asked.
"Keeping this Relic away from him, it's concealed at the moment, meaning Umbra, his minions, and the Grimm cannot locate it. We need to divide his efforts to give Ruby a better chance of surviving him. And we can save lives, recover as much strength as we can to help her when the time comes." Ozpin explained.
"When what time comes?" Maria asked.
"The last stand… it's near. Maybe within the next few days." Ozpin stated. "But there are two more people we need to retrieve – if they are still alive."
"Who's that?" Maria asked.
"Carmine Escalados and Bertilak Celadon. They're both criminals, a team of Huntresses and Huntsmen we know arrested, currently in the prison at Queen's Cove. They are powerful warriors, and at the end of the day, which to survive. We can convince them to help us, and if they survive – they will be free people in the new world." Glynda explained with her arms crossed. Maria raised a brow at Ozpin.
"That's a risky move. They're criminals." Maria commented.
"Yes, but they're still alive – and I wager they want to stay that way. And with their strength we will stand a much better chance at accomplishing our mission." Ozpin explained, which just made Maria chuckle, shaking her head.
"You really do like crazy plans, don't you?" Maria commented, and Ozpin just shrugged.
"It's worked thus far." He stated.
Maria sighed, and looked back at her home, then put on her Skull Mask and stared at her old teacher.
"Alright… time to carve up some Grimm."
Vir Nominis Umbra
Ashes drifted in the wind, and the sky was blood red.
Vir Nominis Umbra stood at the edge of the same cliff that in Patch was where Summer Rose was buried. He smirked, feeling the suffering that filled his realm. Hearing the screaming souls in the pits of the Charred Forest already being tormented. Their begs for mercy just made him feel stronger.
Yet despite that… it made him feel ill as well. His smile faced and his eyes narrowed, turning cold, and he turned around to face his comrades.
The Hound was here, sat down beside where he stood, softly growling. Stood nearby was Kannix Volantis, and he looked even more cybernetic now more than ever. His modifications have improved immensely since the heroes last faced him. He had his arms crossed with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. The Knights of Grimm and Higher Demons have not arrived yet, so it was just him and the Hound that shared this place with their leader.
He walked towards the Broken Silver Eyed Warrior. "I was hoping that I could help Neopolitan see the greatness in our work, to see that only through wiping the canvas clean can things be better. But Ruby Rose, once again, had beaten me to it. She filled her mind with doubts and turned her against us. Neopolitan abandoned you, Kannix." He reminded. He knew Kannix had feelings for the silent yet beautiful assassin, and like always, used the bitter truth to twist people into following him.
And he also knew… he once loved Cynthia Nikos – Salem.
Kannix clenched his hand into a fist and gritted his teeth. "I'm sure this leaves quite a gap in your plans, but you're not alone. Losing Salem has blasted a hole in my own plans as well, alongside the loss of Raven Branwen… and this is a void I intend to fill." Vir Nominis Umbra explained, clasping his hands together as he stood beside Kannix. "And thus… it is due time I add a new power to our cause… you." He said as he looked right at him.
Kannix did not turn but listened to his words. "I can offer you… a prophecy."
That got his attention.
"What kind of prophecy?" Kannix asked.
"One I think you have earned. Those prattling children have been a fun group to mess with, but I am done with games. All their heads are to be cut from their shoulders. Now as these prophecies go… I can only grant you only up to three lives to claim. But after that? The rest are up to you." He explained.
"You mean… you can make it be set in stone that I will kill at least three of them?" He asked.
"Yes." He answered with a smirk. "Who knows? Perhaps… dear old Kragen Nox… the man who abandoned you to die… will be amongst them?"
Kannix gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists. "All I ask… is that you become my new executioner."
"Like Salem?" He asked.
"In a way… sadly I do not have anymore fragments to imbue you with. But with your upgrades and your semblance? I doubt you'd need her powers to slaughter them." Vir Nominis Umbra stated, then he opened his palm, forming a piece of paper.
A Contract.
"So… do we have a deal?" Vir Nominis Umbra asked him, and Kannix smirked.
"Done."
He smirked and signed the deal, making the Prophecy so…
"Come. It is time for us to discuss our plan." Vir Nominis Umbra explained. He walked down the ash covered rock with Kannix beside him. They both approached the centre, where the Knights of Grimm and Higher Demons formed. The Hound followed as well, softly growling as it stood beside Kannix, eye level with him when on all fours.
"The enemy have split up to divide our efforts, hoping that this will make our work harder to execute… but oh contraire." Vir Nominis Umbra darkly laughed, smirking. "They have made things very simple. We have the Oncoming Shadow and the enormous bulk of our forces attack Ruby's team, and a small team of our strongest warriors brings another chunk of the Shadow after Ozpin. Either we kill them all… or shatter their will entirely." He explained.
He turned to Kannix and the Hound. "Kannix – take the Hound with you and infiltrate Atlas, and wait for the fool to initiate his master plan. Prepare to sabotage the Shield Dome from the inside." He commanded, and Kannix nodded his head.
He turned to the Knights of Grimm, speaking to Death specifically. "Jacques and his stupid son have betrayed us and rally the remaining Acolytes of Lien to his side, surrounded by rebels attempting to kill him. Ruby's team most likely amongst them to retrieve the Relic of Destruction that he holds onto so tightly. Bring the Oncoming Shadow with you, alongside half of the Krastax Titans, and tear the Kingdom apart." Vir Nominis Umbra ordered, and the Knights all knelt, bowing their heads.
"It will be done." Death assured.
He then turned to the Higher Demons. "My sons – Ozpin still has the Relic of Knowledge in his custody and aims to run us amok to weaken us. His next target will undoubtedly be Argus after he is done at Queen's Cove. Prepare to attack him and bring the other three Krastax with you. That should test his might against us." Vir Nominis Umbra explained. The Onyx Phantom laughed maniacally, and the Whisperer nodded its head.
"Consider it done, father." The Whisperer assured.
Vir Nominis Umbra walked up to the verge and turned to them all, holding out his hands. "Jacques Schnee and his son, alongside with all remaining Acolytes of Lien, are no longer minions of ours to use. I command you slaughter every last one of them!" He ordered.
Turning to the Charred Forest, smirking sinisterly.
"It's time to cut off all loose ends…"
Author Note - The Villains are making their play... and dear god... it's gonna be scary...
Quick thing! Sorry this took a while for me to update, me and my family were super ill out of nowhere last week, and I'm not joking I thought it was COVID and had a test to make sure. Thankfully though, it was not! And I'm now feeling better enough to write! As are the rest of my family :)
We are now in Atlas, time to face the Acolytes of Lien one last time, and to find Jacques and Whitley. Of course, the ending here shows that the Oncoming Shadow are not going to be far behind. But I bet the part we're all afraid for is... who are the three that Kannix has been fated to kill? He does not know, and we don't know.
All we know is that he will kill 3 people we love.
And we have Maria! It was fun finally adding her into the story, especially reworking her to A) Be Younger B) Have a different past with Ozpin, and of course linking it back to Coco was nice as well. That's what I love about this story, I get to call back to like... all the stories XD
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter!
- Matt