FILE_RECOVERY_COMPLETE

PARTIAL_FILE_RETRIEVED

RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.

Chapter 22: Fools Let Me Loose

With the girls, nothing of too much importance happened during that weekend. Ruby just followed her routine. She was getting much better at calling forth her power as a Revenant. I know it may seem like a few months is pretty slow just to learn how to call forth your power, but you got to remember, the power I gave Ruby isn't her power. Honestly speaking, she is progressing fast for a Revenant. Fast enough that I decided it would be time to continue her training the following week. I knew she would be relieved when I pulled her from campus and we started doing something different.

Yang, Blake, and Weiss, on the other hand, weren't able to fall back into routine quite so easily. Blake and Weiss were dealing with the fact of our existence. At one point, Ruby told them what she told Yang. Though Blake was more interested in the revelation of other worlds. After all, we had just confirmed the existence of a multiverse.

Hey, don't get your hopes up. The only aspects of the multiverse that are relevant to these events are the realms that my siblings and I inhabit.

Anyway, Yang spent the most time coming to terms with it. After all, like I said earlier, her mother was very much alive, very much present in her life, and not at all the woman Yang thought she was. Though, there was a rather… humorous conversation that occurred that Saturday. At least I think it was funny, though I was only ever given one side of it. War hasn't seen fit to tell me the rest… neither has Yang or Qrow for that matter.

Anyway, it was after lunch. Blake was off in her own little world. Weiss was studying, probably. Ruby was reading a novel and Yang was just lying on her bed. Soon enough her scroll began vibrating.

"Hey, dad." Yang answered.

Ruby looked over at her half-sister.

"Uh… good interesting or bad interesting?" Yang asked.

A pause.

"How can it be both?" Yang questioned.

Ruby chuckled as she figured out what was going on.

"I guess that's how it can be both." Yang muttered.

Weiss glanced over at the brawler.

"Honestly, I wish this was an elaborate prank." Yang replied. "What? Uh…"

Yang desperately tried to think of something.

"No?" Yang answered. "I think for it to truly be incest, she actually has to be related to you… and since she's not…"

Weiss and Blake both looked at Yang. Ruby was stifling her laughter now.

"I'm sorry, I just found this all out yesterday. I never thought of the implication for your old team's dynamics. I'm still trying to figure out how this changes ours." Yang stated.

"It really doesn't… much." Ruby muttered.

"Why do you care about this now?" Yang asked.

Another moment of silence.

"She's pregnant?" Yang repeated. "I'm going to have another half-sister?"

"Aunt War is pregnant?" Ruby whispered to Yang.

"Dad, now is not the time to drink. You've been sober for years now." Yang almost yelled as she nodded an affirmative to Ruby.

A moment of silence passes.

"Ok, fine, I probably would too." Yang admitted. "Actually, I do. Too young though, remember?"

Another moment of silence passed.

"I guess…" Yang replied. "Maybe you could talk to Ruby about it? She definitely helped me?"

Another moment of silence.

"Ok, is mom there?" Yang asked. "At least take her with you, please? She can probably explain things better than I can."

"Yeah, love you too dad." Yang replied as she hung up her scroll.

"Did Uncle Qrow find out about Aunt War?" Ruby asked.

"Yep. She's also pregnant." Yang answered. "I don't think he's taking it well."

"Better than he could have." Ruby replied, nonchalantly. "Hey, do you know why he hasn't come to visit? I know he knows I'm here."

"Busy." Yang replied. "I think he keeps getting called away on missions. His first time off in a while last week was taken up by a visit from Ozpin and someone named R."

"Probably dad." Ruby said.

"He did say he'll try and come next week." Yang replied.

Their conversation turned to other less interesting topics.

There was an interesting development with me though. I finally got a lead on Erebus Grimshaw. You see, that same day, elsewhere in Vale, the Acquirer delivered on his contract and Cinder Fall became owner of a significant quantity of Dust.

Shortly after that, he opened a portal between his office and Ozark's home. Ozark told me about it, and requested that I deal with the interloper. His words, not mine. I entered his house, saw the portal and stepped through.

"Thanatos." Widget greeted. "How's it going?"

"My name isn't Thanatos." I replied. "And I hope things are about to go a lot better. Did you call me here to deliver?"

"Mostly." James replied. "Consider yourself lucky that I like you."

"I can end your existence with the snap of my finger. You know that right?" I asked.

"Yes. Of course. I also know that you have a very low opinion of me. That doesn't change the fact that you need me." James countered. "By the way, what happened to your skull?"

"Not important." I replied. "What did you learn?"

"Very well. I learned that if I am to acquire the glove you wanted, I need an audience with her Grimmliness." James replied.

"Salem?" I questioned.

"Indeed. One of her minions made an acquisition request earlier this week." James replied. "She tried to muscle and seduce me into lowering the price. I agreed if she could provide information or another acquisition. You know how my contracts work."

"I am more than familiar with how a contract works." I replied.

"Right, I suppose you would be. You use them often enough." Widget replied.

"Not anymore." I countered.

"Not anymore?" The Acquirer asked incredulously. "Don't even think you can try and fool me, Thanatos. You and I both know a certain little Reaperling that is a direct contradiction to that claim."

"Leave her out of this." I growled.

"I am just pointing out the obvious." James stated.

"I don't care. Did you get information on my acquisition from Salem's minion?" I questioned changing the topic.

"Surprisingly, she did have that information." James answered, leaning back in his chair. "Said it was a tool given to her by the Queen of the Grimm."

"Thank you." I replied and turned to leave.

"Before you go, please be honest with me. What is it that you're hunting? Why do you care so much?" James questioned.

I decided to humor the Acquirer.

"I'm hunting a soul thief named Erebus Grimshaw. I think he might be in contact with Salem." I answered.

"I didn't know you hunted down souls." James replied.

"I don't, but if you value your continued existence, I would highly recommend giving any information you know about him." I stated.

"I know nothing." James replied. "Though, I will keep your warning in mind."

"One more thing. DON'T try and use Ruby against me EVER again." I replied. "I won't take too kindly next time."

I stepped through a portal back to my home. I don't like James Archaea Widget. I know I said Bianca doesn't like him. I don't like him either. He rubs me the wrong way. You know, I used to think it was because he didn't have a soul, but I can't be too sure of that nowadays.

As I leaned back in my desk chair, a sharp pain rang through my skull, emanating from the crack that I gave it the day before. I decided it was time to do something about it. I called to my wife to tell her I had a couple important errands to run before portalling out. My portal opened to an old battleground. The small village had been leveled many years prior. The souls that entered my domain on that day all told stories of torment and death. At first, I assumed it to be the Grimm, War told me otherwise. It was a bandit raid. Ruthless bandits that felled the innocents. I will admit, I do dislike the needless shedding of blood. However, it was times like this that I appreciated places of death.

I suppose I should explain what I was doing. You see, I, unlike my siblings, am a skeleton. I know that's obvious, but it's important. Another important thing is the essence of… us. You see, none of us have souls in the traditional sense. Instead, what we have is our power, our will manifested and given form. It is our equivalent to a soul.

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. My body is more akin to a vessel than a body. Uh… it's difficult to explain… think of the bodies of my siblings and I as large steel plates and our power as a sledgehammer. Every day that hammer pounds at the plate. Denting it, tearing it, breaking it, etc.

Now, an advantage my siblings have that I don't is flesh. That flesh is like wrapping the plate in a protective covering of some sort, say pillows. They are also alive, which in essence leads to their bodies pounding out any dents the hammer would create. I am not alive, nor do I have flesh. So, the plate in my case continues to take a pounding until it can't anymore. The only thing to be done with it is to replace the plate.

Our bodies, our vessels, are more than just that. We could just let our power, our very being roam free, but it would be an unfettered, chaotic, embodiment of our domains. Which is a real problem when your domains combined are literally the apocalypse.

So, I replace my body by essentially finding mass graves and routing through the bodies of the dead until I find a skeleton or corpse viable enough to contain my power for a somewhat extended period of time. The longest a skeleton has ever lasted while containing me is five years. And that is after Ozark developed a compound capable of absorbing the damage my power does to my body. The one I'm in now has lasted a little over six months.

Sure, I could have told you about replacing my body last time. But did you really want to hear me wax on about skeletal structures, body conditions and me rooting through this same town I'm in now looking for a viable corpse? I didn't think so.

Now I can see a different question forming on your tongue. Why am I doing it now? Because of what happened. Now shut up and let me continue this story.

So, there I am, knelt down over a few desecrated corpses, searching for one that would suit my needs.

"I didn't think people frequented this neck of the woods." A voice spoke up behind me.

"That's funny, neither did I." I responded, as I stood up.

I ensured my human disguise was in place before I turned around. Standing in front of me was a strange duo. The large and muscular Hazel Rainart next to the wiry and agile Tyrian Callows. One was a revenge driven yet reasonable criminal. The other was a sadistic psychotic murderous scorpion. I used to think it was Tyrian Callows who was responsible for the death of Summer Rose.

"Might I inquire as to who you are?" I questioned.

"Servants of our goddess." Tyrian replied.

"Well, that's vague and uninformative." I snarked.

"What are you doing here?" Hazel questioned.

"Looking for a body." I answered.

"We could add your body to that pile, then your search would be complete." Tyrian replied.

"Cute but not the body I'm after." I replied.

"Cute?" Tyrian muttered to himself.

"Why?" Hazel asked.

"I'm on the hunt. A soul thief is wandering this world. It is my intention to see him brought before Death. I believe a certain witch knows his location." I replied. "I intend to see to it that Salem joins the thief should she withhold that information from me. The body is a failsafe."

"YOU WILL NOT HARM THE GODDESS!" Tyrian bellowed as he launched himself through the air.

I had barely any time to react before he reached me. It was with no hesitation that I summoned Thine End to deflect the wild attack. The faunus landed easily on his feet. I glanced and saw that Hazel's eyes were wide and he was slowly backing away. I smirked and turned to the fool that thought he could take on Death.

"Tyrian, I recommend we retreat." Hazel called.

Tyrian ran at me, twin wrist blades on each hand striking out. Each attack was deftly blocked or deflected. For as fast as the scorpion was, Thine End was faster. Each strike was caught by the shaft of my weapon. Tyrian was growing frustrated. I remained stoic throughout. Hazel just watched. However, Tyrian dodged each strike I sent at him.

It wasn't hard to tell, but he clearly knew who I was.

Now, as much as I would love to tell you that I came away from the fight with Tyrian Callows with nary a scratch on me, I won't lie. There were two things working against me. They both relate to the body I was currently inhabiting. It was damaged and weak. I noticed that as I blocked each of Tyrian's attacks, the force being transmitted to my arms was slowly cracking them.

Then, I felt a sharp point in the back of my head. Tyrian smiled with sadistic glee, and slight confusion. His tail. I had forgotten about his tail. He stabbed it into the back of my head. I could feel the venom inside the skull.

This body was failing, I knew it wouldn't last much longer. I stuck harder. Tyrian blocked one of my strikes and tried to pierce me with his tail again. With speed I seldom use, I swung Thine End and severed the scorpion tail from the faunus.

"You bastard!" Tyrian growled as he attacked again.

The force behind the attack was more than I anticipated as I blocked. We both heard the cracks and snaps as Tyrian smiled again. I glanced down for a second. The radius of my right arm had snapped, the ulna had snapped, and my humerus had fractured. The left arm was little better with a snapped humerus, and fractured radius. Dark energy was flitting between the cracks. This fool had just sealed his fate. In the second it took me to inspect my broken arms, Tyrian had thrown a haymaker that caved in my skull.

"You will never harm the goddess." Tyrian announced.

"You shouldn't have done that." Hazel said as Tyrian returned to his side.

"It's too late now, besides there's a body for him to find." Tyrian replied.

"Tyrian Callows. You are a fool to believe that you have bested Death. You have merely angered me. And now you will face Thine End." My voice called from my downed body.

You remember how I said that I don't kill save for a few exceptions? Yeah, one of those exceptions is people who attack me with intent to kill. Another thing I didn't mention is one of my… less than palatable powers.

Tyrian and Hazel both looked at the destroyed skeleton on the ground. However, more pressing was me standing above it. With my body completely gone, the black ethereal form that was my power, my essence given shape stood there. A pure black skeletal form thrumming with power. A dark purple flame burned beneath my rib cage and behind my eyes. My power swirled out behind me in the form of two massive demonic wings. Thine End floated next to me in all its glory.

I said nothing more before surging towards Tyrian. His eyes widened as I flew. Thine End trailed behind me as I grabbed him around the throat. I yanked him into the air and swung Thine End through his torso. From the ground it looked as though my blade had merely passed harmlessly through his body. To me, I saw it sever his still living mortal coil. Though I wish I could say it was the first time and would never happen again, it wasn't and it will.

As his soul was severed, I surged into his body. My power made his flesh begin to glow as I settled down onto the ground.

"You, Hazel Rainart, seem to carry some sense." I said, turning to the stunned man. "Return to Salem, tell her that I am hunting down Erebus Grimshaw. Remind her that all things must come, all things must bow to Death."

By this point, purple flames had erupted around the flesh of the faunus that was Tyrian Callows. Hazel backed away and left. I cracked my neck as my power quite literally burned away the sadist's flesh. There's a reason I'm always a skeleton. Being the Horseman of Death, my power is the literal essence of death. It is too much for a mortal body to handle. The skeleton only lasts longer because it is a much harder material. The flesh can be molded, remade. It is much harder to do that to bone.

I turned, dissipated Thine End and walked back to my old body. I grabbed my cloak and swung it over my new vessel.

I said it once, I'll say it again. I'm scared of the power I wield. However, that doesn't mean I hate to wield it. The power of death is… intoxicating. Fools like Tyrian Callows are the rare few who allow me to fully let loose. Even then, I have yet to fully let myself loose on this world.

ERROR-DATA_CORRUPTION-BEGIN_FILE_RECOVERY…/…

Data Log DoD-022

You know, I realize that I'm turning you viewers into as much of a character as the actual characters… fitting I suppose.

Thank you to all who read this, your feedback and views are much appreciated. Feel free to leave ideas and recommendations for the future.

Goodbye viewer; Fare thee well.

End Log S.T.K.