CH: 7
Hey ya'll. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving last week.
Disclaimer: you know, the usual.
Journal 288: year 71984
"Today's the day I go back to the temple where so many memories bloomed. I first learned of my power there, I trained the first Huntsman there, I met Kam'eil there, I met Ozpin there." 'And now, I am taking a girl to my birthright. A girl, that has the genetic potential to be like me.' "Nothing else eventful will likely occur today. I hope."
As I finished my recording, I noticed Ruby turn the corner dragging the Schnee heiress along. They were arguing, like usual "To what do I owe the honor of being graced with the elegant presence of the fabled Ice Queen, so dubbed by her fellow greenhorns, at an ungodly hour such as this." I called out, interrupting their quarreling with a flourish of my and a deep bow. Ruby, with her ever innocent smile, replied with an "It's only 6:00." "So true, fellow lover of the wee early marrow, yet this frosty specimen seems to have an inherent want to retire to her chambers, calling out her groundhog cry, six more weeks of winter!" I reply, continuously speaking more and more pompous.
And with that she laughed. The girl in red could not contain her mirth, and laughed. "So, miss, Schnee, why are you here when you clearly would rather be asleep?" I had inquired. Her tired reply, a low mumble, " Ruby insisted we spend time together, and since she's going on this excursion with you, she dragged me along." "You have my condolences. Take this as a peace offering," and with that, i materialized a fresh cup of coffee for her. She took it with a simple nod, and began drinking.
Afterwards, we left for the temple, taking the long path that led to the forest floor. As the forest came into view, both girls tensed. It was needless to query since the forest is the one from their initiation. I did not want to run into any unnecessarily large Grimm on this trip, so I calmed their fears, "Do not worry, you are safe within the forest with me." They relaxed, if only a little, and we continued forward. A half hour later, we were deep within the forest following an old stone path when growls began to emerge from the bushes. Before they could even reach for their weapons, I spoke once more, "Do not bother. The Beowulfs will not attack a pack with an alpha if they themselves have no alpha." "What do you mean they will not attack a pack with an alpha?" Weiss inquired. "Simple, I am an alpha, and you are in my company, which to them, means you are in my pack. As long as we do not encounter an Alpha Grimm, we will not be attacked. The most they'll do is tail us until we leave their territory." And so we continued on.
At the end of the path we emerged from the forest, the Grimm not daring to leave the cover of the trees. We continued walking past the altar has put his pieces for the greenhorn initiation. We continued to follow the path until we came upon two rows of columns with a massive cliff overlooking them. They were staring like it was the first time they'd ever seen the place."For the first time in two hours I spoke, "This is where I became who I am today."I had shocked them out of their awe. "Come, we are almost there." And so we continued on. As we reached the gorge, we began to traverse the massive stone bridge, the only piece of architecture left after their initiation, something I had brought up, much to their embarrassment. As we entered the temple, a small stone building built into the wall of the cliff, at the end of the bridge we came upon its only room. The room had various stone poles topped with wax and wick, there were also various vases filled with oil. At the end of the room, there was a hole in room, wide enough for one of the stone pulls to be inserted into. As I went about preparing a a light. I explained this place to my company. "I spent 10 years here, trying to control my power. My power had blinded me, and thus, I had to continue without sight, as I do now."
I had inserted a lit torch, flame first, into the hole. After it had gone in all the way, I turned the torch 90 degrees left, suddenly, there was a dull rumbling coming from the wall. As it opened to reveal a dark passageway I set the torch with the others and continued speaking, "Do not bother creating light in here. Like a black hole, all light will be absorbed, that is the spell that was placed upon this temple. Inside is a labyrinth of absolute darkness. Keep your eyes closed, lest you you lose the light in your eyes," I joked. I formed a chain, and attached it to all three of us. "It took me two years within the labyrinth to find the way out. I learned to use my power to let me see within a darkness so dark, night vision is useless. Now, let us be off. The entrance will seal in forty seconds." And with that, I led them within the labyrinth.
After a couple minutes, I began again, "I taught myself to fight in here. I learned to use many styles and weapons. For example, my signature style involves only using your legs to deal blows. Learning to use pole arm weapons was always the hardest, but once I mastered the scythe, the rest was child's play." "How old are you?" Weiss had asked. "Hm? How old am I? Let me think. This year, I will reach the age of seven billion years." I felt them stop. "That's... That's impossible!" Weiss exclaimed. "For a human," I added, and she fell silent. "How do you look so young?" "I learned all about myself in this place. I had no formal schooling. I taught myself how to control aging. I practiced on the earth. Reverting it to the dust of the cosmos, and progressing it to the ashes of Armageddon." This time, Rub spoke, "Can you control the aging of other people?" To answer her question, I focused my will upon her. I moved her. I progressed her body to ash, moved it above me, and regressed her back to her fifteen year old self, to drop into my arms, bridal style. "Does that answer your question?" Her reply a whisper as she clung to my chest, in fear of me dropping her, "Yes." "Good, let us continue, we are near the end. Each wrong path stretches on for miles, but the correct path is but a thousand meters long."
I continued to carry Ruby the rest of the way much to her embarrassment. As we reached the end of the tunnel, we came upon a massive cavern, at least a mile wide, with a lake in the center. Embedded in the wall were many endless gems of emerald green and ruby red. Along the ceiling were massive stalactites of bright yellow gems. Deep within the lake were sapphire blue stalagmites.
"This was my home for so long." I voiced in a low whisper. I dissolved the chain keeping us together and let Ruby down. I then removed a pouch from my pocket. As I began to empty out its contents, I began speaking once more, "A Magi's power is wild and unstable. Because of this reason, Magi need a focus, an object that helps to channel our power. That object for Magi, are gold rings with a specific gem, made from within our being, just like these." I held up both of my hands, having put ten rings on my fingers. Each ring within their hold, with an onyx gemstone, "With these, I am able to cast spells," In my left hand, a fire ignites, held aloft an inch above my palm, and in my right, electrical currents visibly jump from finger to finger. "These kinds of spells are divided into several disciplines, each using a different dialect. All of them connect to some form of elemental ability. Fire, rage, destruction, magic focusing solely offensively, Water, solemnity, healing and binding spells, Earth, tranquility, telekinesis, heavily defensive, Storm, lightning magic, self-augmenting spells, Life, a discipline created from both Earth and Water paths, spells that make life, neither offensive or defensive. There are literally no combative uses to this magic, yet it is still the most diverse. This is also the official dialect used for reading and writing. Finally, Death magic, used by combining Fire and Storm magic. In the empire's prime, capable death magic users could be counted on a single hand. We each devoted ourselves to a different one of its paths. To be proficient in all paths was illegal, you would be labeled a Lich, a creature seeking immortality through killing and cannibalizing its own species. Only a god can learn more than one path without going insane. Two of my cousin took Time-Sight, the ability to change the past and future. One focused on the past, the other the future. My mother took on Soul manipulation, the ability to control a soul and in turn a body. Luna took upon her Time manipulation, she could regress the time on an object until it turned to dust, similar to my ash."
They were staring at me, wide-eyed and silent. So I continued, " I took Necromancy. The ability to raise the dead, sadly, I hadn't realized till it was too late. To gain mastery over necromancy, I had to be a master at Time manipulation. My mind held firm from the curse of decay that came with combining two paths of Death magic, my body was not so lucky. The curse forced my nerves to fuse to my skeletal structure. My skin and muscles, all of my organs save my brain were destroyed. Yet I did not die. How could someone who had mastered age progression die?" At this, I let all of my illusions fade. The color in my skin faded to a bone white. My hair, three braids running down behind my head, becoming bone-like horns. I grew, now standing at eight foot four inches. My fingers and toes, claws,tribal tattoos covering my my fingers and toes, the onyx gemstones were embedded within my body. Wrapping around the top of my head, were another ten onyx gems. Upon each pectoral another gem rested, vertically along my stomach were another three, upon each elbow and knee, were one more. Thirty nine total gems adorned my body. "I used illusions to hide this form. I was afraid. When I had first awoken in this new world, people feared me. They thought me a Grimm. They attacked. They ran. They told others and came back in droves. I mourned the death of my family, my people. They could not touch me. I wouldn't let a pathetic human worm touch me." I spit the last few words out. "They had killed everyone I ever loved. They thought me a mindless killer, they treated me like one. So I became one. I did not bloody my own hands. I called forth waves of the undead. I watched and laughed. Afterwards, I cried. For five hundred years I cried for my people. Then I came here. I made the illusion you saw before. I built the ruins you two and you friends destroyed during your initiation, I don't blame you by the way. I blame the Nevermore you killed. I subsisted off of the gems around us. That is why I have more than one. The gems around us are like the ones upon me, except they are naturally formed, they hold great power. If I eat enough gems, I form another onyx."
"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm telling you both this, well, you remember how I told you about there being around ten Magi still alive today, well, I included those capable of becoming Magi. Humans are nearly identical to Magi. Humanity evolves into Magi. Apes evolve into humans. The cycle continues. In truth, there are only three preexisting Magi still alive. There are six students at Beacon that can become Magi and one more. You met her Ruby. The night you meet Glynda Goodwitch." Realization dawned upon Ruby's face. "Another three are my team. I learned they were compatible at the beginning of the school year when their semblances had seemingly evolved to need a focus. I taught them to form gems, but that's it. You two are the first I've taken here. And you know why."
I would let them realize it. I would not force this upon either of them. Ruby spoke first, "Weiss and I, are we..." she trailed off. My reply, a somber nod, "Yes, you two are another two." This time Weiss spoke, "Who is the last?" "I have decided not to involve her. If she were to become a Magi, she would have to leave someone she loves above herself. Her first true friend since coming here. I will not force her to say goodbye to him," My somber reply.
"I will avoid the point in coming here no longer." I bowed deeply. "Will you help me in repopulating the Magi species? Would you please become a Magi?" They were frozen. I will not pry into their thoughts, nor would I force them to choose.
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Ruby took a step forward, her head hanging low.
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She looks up. Her eyes brimming with tears.
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"Yes"
And I'm done. Finishing this an hour before December 1st.
So, finals for my first semester in college are coming up in two weeks, and I am sending my laptop in so it can be fixed, so I may not post a chapter in December. Hopefully I can get it done before then, but if I can't don't expect it for December.
Anyways, have a good Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whetever you celebrate. Have a happy December everyone.
Goodnight.