Distortion
Raven's portal opened up into a familiar forest clearing. Neo and Ren walked through and looked around, Neo had a sense of realization wash over her while Ren looked around in confusion. Pyrrha was right behind them and joined Ren in his confusion, "Why aren't we back at the Headquarters?" she asked out loud while removing her facemask. Ren shrugged as he did the same while Neo moved her mask to the top of her head again. Her answer was to just give them a knowing smirk.
Jaune walked through with Velvet, who was still holding his hand, and she looked around in just as much confusion. "This is where you've been staying?" she asked in confusion.
Jaune just chuckled and shook his head, "No, this is just a brief stop before we go there."
Before the three confused members of the group could ask anything, Raven finally walked through the portal and it shut quickly behind her. She removed her mask and she had a somber expression on her face. Jaune's smile fell and he let go of Velvet's hand, to her displeasure, and gently hugged his wife. He then whispered into her ear, "You're protecting her, from all this, there's no shame in that. And no one would blame you for trying to save your only child." Raven hugged him close and placed her face into his shoulder and nodded.
The married couple stood like that for a couple of minutes before they pulled apart. That's when Jaune drew his sword and sliced the air behind him, creating his own portal. A few seconds later, Aaeron, Gil and Onyx walked through before it closed. Each one was armed with their masks on. They all looked around before they all relaxed. Aaeron placed his spear on his back before he removed his mask, "So, I take it they proved themselves."
Jaune nodded and it finally clicked for Pyrrha and Ren. The champion was the one to speak up though, "Wait, this was some sort of test?"
Raven was the one to speak up, "Yes. Don't misinterpret this. It was an important mission for information and safely bringing back our informant. But we used it as a way to truly test your loyalties."
Aaeron continued, "It would've been the best time for you to backstab us, if that was your intentions. If you did, us three were ready to come through Jaune's portal to act as backup and to put you two down."
The two were stunned by the way he easily said that but that was Aaeron for you. Gil took pity on them and removed his mask, "Please understand, what we are going to entrust you with is very important to the Branwen tribe. We had to be certain we could trust you. Otherwise we could lose them or they could possibly be destroyed."
"What are you saying?" Ren asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this whole situation.
Jaune walked over to them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. He then smiled at them, "You two have proved yourselves time and time again. But now, we know for certain that you are loyal to us. So, now we can fully induct you into Knightingale."
Their eyes widened and Pyrrha gained a huge smile before she wrapped Jaune in a hug. This was what she had been wanting since she agreed to work with Jaune and Raven. Meanwhile, Ren had a small grin as a fire of determination burned in his eyes. With this, he'd be one step closer to getting his revenge on the Grimm as a whole for everything he lost.
Jaune pulled away from Pyrrha with a smile before he stepped to the side and Raven stepped in front of them. She just looked at the two before she spoke seriously, "Kneel." The two complied while giving Jaune a sidelong look. "Do you swear to cast off your past? To serve the Tribe? To die for the Tribe?"
Pyrrha nodded, "I swear on my life to serve the Tribe to the fullest of my ability."
Ren nodded as well, "I swear on the memory of my family to serve the Tribe until my death."
Raven handed them the white bladed dagger to them. "Prove it." Both started to remove the glove from their right hand, Ren took the dagger first since Pyrrha had to remove her bracer too. He ran the blade across the palm of his right hand. He clenched his fist as the blood ran from the wound and placed it on his chest, over his heart. He stared up at Raven as he handed the blade to Pyrrha.
Pyrrha took it but was hesitant to cut her hand with the blade since Ren's blood was still on it. But that was when she noticed that Ren's blood wasn't on the blade any longer, not even a drop. There wasn't any blood on the ground either, so she was curious on where did it go. She realized that everyone was watching her as she stared at the dagger. So she shook her head before she ran the blade across her palm and placed it over her heart, just like her teammate.
The two stared up at Raven in resolution. Raven analyzed the two of them, looking for the slightest bit of deception. When she didn't find any, she smiled at them. She helped them both to their feet and took back the dagger, "Welcome to the Tribe." The other masked members of Knightingale smiled and nodded to them as well. Although, Velvet was off to the side and was confused about this entire situation.
"Now for the next part." Jaune spoke up. He motioned to one part of the clearing and Raven walked past him to guide the party to the next location. Ren and Pyrrha followed behind her and then the other four members of Knightingale. Jaune just turned to the confused Velvet and raised an eyebrow, "You coming?"
She quickly nodded and jogged over to him before they walked few feet behind the rest of the group. They started to walk through the forest as Raven guided them through the old woods. Jaune turned to Velvet, "You're probably confused, huh?"
She nodded to him, "A little bit. What was that all about?"
"It's the ceremony for inducting new people into the Branwen Tribe. After the tribe was nearly destroyed, we adopted it into our organization to let the Branwen's live on spiritually." He looked over to her. "If you truly want to join us, you'll have to do the same."
She nodded a little nervously, "Is there something special about that dagger?"
Jaune nodded, "It was created, along with all the masks, by the original leader of the Branwen tribe. They were all made from the bones of Grimm."
Velvet looked at him in shock, "How is that possible? Those disappear along with the Grimm themselves."
"Apparently, he had a powerful Semblance called Transmutation. He could use his aura to change the shape of nearly any substance on Remnant. Apparently, after defeating the Grimm, he used his Semblance to create the masks and dagger while they were still alive." Jaune explained.
Velvet's eyes widened before her eyes trailed down to the mask at his belt. "That is horrifying, if I'm being honest."
He nodded at her, "You're right. You can feel it when you look at it, right? That deep seated fear. Like looking at an ancient Grimm. That was carried on from the very Grimm used to make them. It symbolizes that the few who can wear these masks are just as strong and fearsome as the beasts they are made of."
"But, why would someone even do all of this?" she asked, just trying to understand.
"No one really knows." Jaune replied with a sigh. "No one besides the creator of them, that is. The dagger, masks and a third relic of the Branwen's are all linked together, for a greater purpose. It's imperative that we reclaim that lost relic. To end this war."
"War?" Velvet asked.
Jaune looked back at her with a tiny smile, "I'll explain when we get back to the base. For now, watch what is going to happen. You're the first non-Branwen to ever see this part. And maybe, you'll do the same somewhere down the line."
Velvet looked to see that Raven had led them to a small cave entrance. The group of nine made their way in and followed the tunnel until they were in the chamber that had the remaining Grimm masks on their pedestals. Raven turned to Ren and Pyrrha, "The remaining masks of the Branwen tribe, our highest honor. You two have proven yourselves, so…" she motioned to the pedestals, "Claim your mask."
"How will we know which is ours?" Pyrrha asked.
"You'll know it when you find it." Onyx spoke up and they turned to him. He just shrugged, "Trust me, you'll know what I mean."
The two new members of Knightingale turned to each other and shrugged before they walked among the pedestals, looking at the remaining masks. Each one they laid their eyes on filled them with intimidating fear. The two eventually separated from the other as they kept looking.
Pyrrha's eyes landed on a mask and that fear was not there. It was as if the very mask was calling out to her, telling her to come closer. She did just that. The mask reminded her of the powerful Grimm that she heard about from going to Sanctum Academy in Argus. The Leviathan. When she was close enough, she reached her hand out to it and black miasma started to rise from it. She froze for a second before she took a deep breath and placed her hand on top of the mask. The miasma vanished instantly and she pulled the mask from the pedestal.
Ren looked through the pedestals, trying to feel what he was supposed to. That was until his eyes landed on a mask but he didn't feel the fear. Just rage and hatred. He could feel that it was calling out to a part of him but that was easily ignored because of his anger. He stomped over to the pedestal and glared down at the mask. It looked identical to the Imp half of the Nuckelavee he killed. His hand tightened into a fist before he slowly reached for the mask. Black miasma erupted from the mask but he didn't even flinched. He grabbed it and the miasma disappeared.
The two walked back to where Raven and the other's stood. She looked at the two masks, "The Leviathan and Imp. Interesting choices. Wear them with pride." The two looked down at their masks, feeling a slew of emotions before they placed them on their faces. They looked back up to see the other members nod to them. "Alright, let's get back." Raven said as she walked to the entrance of the cave, she would open a portal once they were outside.
Velvet was the last to leave. She felt something weakly call out to her. She looked back at the masks before her eyes landed on one. She stared at it for a bit before she heard Jaune call to her. She blinked before she turned to face the exit. She looked back at the mask before running to meet up with Jaune. As she did, the Creep mask gave off a small amount of miasma before it stopped. It would have to wait before its new master could wear it. But the masks could all wait patiently for their time.
Ozpin was sitting behind his desk with Qrow off to the side, leant against one of the windows. The members of RWBY and the remaining members of CFVY were there as well. They were all stunned silent after everything they heard.
After Jaune and Raven left, Coco had demanded to know what they were talking about and what was going on. Her teammates felt the same and so did RWBY. That's when he brought them back to his office and he told them everything. The existence of the Relics, the Maidens and most importantly, Salem. He wasn't surprised by the silence. It was a lot to take in and he was content to just let them take all the time to come to terms with what they heard.
"Okay, so let me get this straight." Coco started talking, with her arms crossed and her foot tapping, "These four Relics, which have untold power, are hidden within the Huntsmen Academies and can only be opened by the Maidens from that old fairy tale. And this ancient evil wants them so she can conquer the world. Is that about right?"
Ozpin nodded, "That would sum it all up, Miss Adel."
"Okay, so let me ask this" she said calmly. "What in the hell have you been smoking?!"
That shocked everyone. No one expected Coco to just shout like that, especially at Ozpin. Although he just had a calm expression on his face and Qrow was chuckling in the corner, "Isn't that what I said to you all those years ago, Oz?"
Ozpin sighed, "Yes it is, Qrow." He turned from his colleague back to the team leader. "Trust me, Miss Adel, I know exactly how outlandish this all sounds but it is the truth. Every bit of it."
"What does this have to do with my mother?" Yang asked and everyone turned to her to see that she was glaring at Ozpin.
"When Team STRQ graduated, I told them everything that I've told you all." He linked his fingers together and he leant on his elbows. "They were one of the best Teams to ever graduate Beacon. I thought that having them involved in all of this may help in the long run." He sighed sadly, "But I was wrong, it seems."
"What does that mean?" Yang asked with just as much aggravation.
Qrow walked away from the wall as he spoke up, "We worked for Ozpin for some time after that. We all did what we could but as more time went on, the more Raven became more distrustful of what we were doing. After she got pregnant and gave birth to you…" he sighed and sipped from his flask, "She left to rejoin the bandit tribe we were raised in. We originally thought she was just running from everything but we were wrong."
There was a silence that was broken by Ruby, "Mom and Dad were a part of all this too?" she asked quietly. Everyone turned to her. Since Jaune had left, she just seemed so broken and drained. It was heartbreaking to see her like that. Especially for her family.
Qrow sighed again and nodded, "Yeah, they were, Kiddo. Even after Raven left, me and Summer kept working for Oz. Tai was less active but that was because he decided to raise you and Yang but he would help if he as needed." He looked away sadly. "That was until your mother never came back. After that, Tai just cut ties with Oz and everything else. I stayed because it felt like it was the best thing to do."
Ruby just looked at her Uncle as tears started to gather in her eyes. She looked down with a sniffle. Yang walked over to her sister and wrapped an arm around her to try to give her some sort of comfort. After a few seconds, Blake asked her own question, "So, what are Raven and Jaune trying to do then?"
Qrow and Ozpin looked to each other before Qrow continued. "That we're not entirely sure of."
"What does that mean?" Weiss asked, frustrated with all of this.
"When Raven originally left, we thought she had just turned her back on everything and gave up." Ozpin started again. "But with everything that her and Jaune have been doing over the last few months, we have to believe they have a plan for trying to fight Salem."
Qrow continued where his boss left off, "They have been looking for followers, fighters, and they have been searching around for something that we have only heard of being referred to as 'the lost relic of the Branwen tribe.' That is definitely something extremely important to their plans because Raven has been tearing up the criminal underworld trying to find the damned thing."
"Weren't you a part of that tribe, how come you don't know anything about this 'relic'?" Coco asked the Huntsman.
He shrugged, "Sorry, Shades, when I was growing up with the less than merry men, the only things I knew about were that dagger and the masks. And even then, there were some secrets that only the higher members knew of. So, I'd guess that Raven only found out about it after she earned her mask and has been trying to find it since."
"So, you think that this relic would help them fight against Salem?" Weiss asked after listening to everything said so far. "But why would they go through all this trouble? The Relics must be safe enough as they are, so why go on the offensive?"
Qrow was the one to answer, "Raven has always been known to attack something head on. She thinks the easiest way to tackle an obstacle is through it, instead of working around it."
"Meaning?" Yang asked while still holding her sister.
Ozpin decided to answer that time, "She was never fully accepting of the defenses set up by my predecessor. She was always worried that Salem would eventually grow tired of waiting and attack the Academies directly and take them by force. And yes, that could be a possibility." That earned worried or even terrified expressions from the students. "But it is unlikely."
"What makes you say that?" Blake asked. "What's stopping her from just doing that now?"
"Miss Belladonna, it would take a literal army to attack and conquer any of the Academies. That would not go unnoticed and that would cause the other Kingdoms to unite to defend themselves against her. In the long run, it would take Salem more time and energy to claim the Relics that way. She prefers to work in the shadows, that way the world doesn't have a banner to unite against."
"Why doesn't the world know about Salem though? Wouldn't that help put an end to her threat?" Blake continued.
Ozpin sighed tiredly. "In all honesty, Salem is one of the most powerful beings on the entire planet." That brought about another set of terrified reactions from the students. "Her scheming and working from the shadows as an unknown is far better than her being revealed and having her fight openly. Plus the truth of her existence would just bring more fear to the Kingdoms, which would just be another weapon she could use against us."
"Not to mention. That could also have the chance of bringing the Maidens or worse, the Relics into the light. Which would just make them targets for ambitious people and could divide us further. The people of Remnant aren't ready to know that such items of power exist. They would go to any lengths to claim them and that could bring disaster beyond all else."
"And is it true you've been just using people as sacrifices?" Ruby spoke up but her voice was filled with anger. She pulled away from her sister and took a few steps closer to his desk. "Was my Mom just another sacrifice, Professor?"
"Ruby?" Qrow said in shock, not expecting that.
"Miss Rose…" Ozpin started before a tried expression crossed his face. No, tired didn't even cover it, it was so beyond that. "I will not lie to you; many people have died being a part of this and many more probably will follow. But, I do not take pleasure in knowing that. I have to live with every one of there deaths and the reality that I was a reason for it. Maybe their deaths were necessary. Maybe they weren't. I don't know the truth and honestly, I don't want to."
That brought a silence to the room. The students were just thinking over everything that they had heard while the Huntsmen didn't want to break it until they were ready. What Ozpin said to the young reaper didn't exactly sit right with her. She didn't want to think that anyone's death was necessary. Especially not her mother's. But she decided to leave it alone for now, she was too exhausted to try to argue. "So, what now?" Ruby asked calmly, shocking most of them.
"For now, I think you all should get something to eat. The cafeteria will stop serving dinner soon. Then I'd recommend getting some rest. You've all had a busy day." Ozpin advised them.
"What are you going to do, Professor?" Ruby asked after nodding.
"I'm going to contact the Council and let them know we had someone trying to sabotage the CCT. I won't give them any names but if I don't tell them, it'll just be more trouble to deal with when they do find out. We'll also look over the scroll they left to see if there is anything we can get off it. But I doubt they would be that sloppy. After that, we'll try to figure out what to do about Raven, Jaune and our wayward students." He gave them all a calming smile, "Once we do, I'll contact you all. But for now, go get some rest."
"Yes, Professor." They all said as they made their way to the elevator.
Yang and Ruby looked back to Qrow expectantly. He smiled weakly, "I won't be going anywhere for a while. So we can talk later, girls." The two nodded and went down the elevator. With them gone, Qrow turned to Ozpin, "Think that was the right move, not telling them everything?"
Ozpin just nodded, "Yes. They have no reason to know about my curse. It would just be a hindrance." He sighed and gently massaged his forehead, "I would've rather them graduate before we told them any of this but Raven forced my hand."
"Well, at least we can confirm one thing." Qrow said as he took another sip from his flask, "That Kid is definitely skilled. He was able to work with Raven perfectly. And teamwork was a rarity in her wheelhouse. And they weren't serious either. Honestly, if they worked together and wanted me dead, I probably would be, Oz."
"And now they have Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren and Velvet Scarlatina on their side as well. Each highly skilled in their own ways and two of them have the same darker power Jaune holds." He turned completely around in his chair to stare out his window. "For the first time in so long…I'm not sure what we should do." He said just above a whisper.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Qrow giving him a small smile, "Well, you're only human, Wizard. Can't expect you to know everything."
That earned the briefest of chuckles from Ozpin, "Good point." He turned his chair back to his desk. "Well, I better inform the Council of what has happened."
"Be honest, you going to leave out Raven and the Kid because you don't want more ammo for James' witch hunt?" Qrow said.
"Yes. James is a good man but his grief is blinding him. Having his army targeting the Branwen's is a waste of resources and could give Salem an opportunity to have her spies infiltrate Atlas under his nose while he is distracted."
"How is he doing after his fight with them?" Qrow asked in a rare sense of concern for the General.
"Better. He is getting new prosthetics installed in a few days. Apparently, he has made a few improvements from the last ones. I also heard that he is having his scientists trying to figure out what is going on with Jaune's new power. How he is doing that, I haven't the foggiest idea." Ozpin informed him.
Qrow just shrugged, "Well, they did figure out how to get an aura into that android so it's not impossible." Qrow then winced, "I…I shouldn't say that about her. It's disrespectful, all things considered."
Ozpin nodded solemnly, "She was your nieces friend, as well."
Qrow looked away, "She still doesn't know, does she?"
Ozpin shook his head, "James wants to keep it quiet. Sensitive information and all. "
"No leads?" he asked.
"Last I heard, no." Ozpin replied.
Qrow sighed sadly, "I should probably get going. Call if you need me." He waved over his shoulder at Ozpin as he stepped into the elevator.
When the Headmaster was sure Qrow was gone he leant back into his chair and looked up at the gears above him in silence. "I wish you would've come to me, Jaune. Or Glynda or any of the Professors. When things got so dark for you, I wish you would've reach out to us. Maybe then, you wouldn't have been put on this path. Maybe none of this would be happening and my students wouldn't be in so much pain."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he kept talking but with his eyes closed, "I don't blame you for your choices. It's one of the gifts we were given. I just wish I made a better choice and was there for you. But I failed you, like so many others before you." He sat there for several more minutes before he opened his eyes and went about the task of writing a message for the Council. He didn't feel like he could face them and remain calm at the moment.
Back on Vytal, Jaune and Velvet were sitting in one of the living areas of their base. Each had a mug of hot chocolate in front of them. Jaune was out of his coat and armor but was wearing is usual black outfit. Velvet was in her normal clothing. She didn't have anything else for the time being but they would go to Mistral to get her some more clothes tomorrow and Pyrrha had offered her some sleep wear for the night.
Jaune had just told her the truth of the world and she was just processing everything. Jaune was used to it after telling Onyx, Pyrrha and Ren the exact same thing. She took a long sip from her chocolate before she spoke up, "That's…really heavy." She said weakly.
Jaune nodded to her, "Yeah. I felt the same way when Raven told me."
"But it kind of makes sense too." She added on and they lulled into another silence. "So, what do you intend to do about it?" she asked after a few minutes.
Jaune took a deep breath, "For now, we are splitting our efforts between recruiting new members and searching for the Branwen relic. Once we have both, we can begin the first step of our plan: taking down Salem's followers."
She nodded hesitantly and Jaune reached across the table to gently lay his hand on her's. "Velvet." He started and she looked at him, "If this isn't what you're up for. You don't have to be part of this. You're not part of the Branwen Tribe or Knightingale. You can walk away if you like."
She just looked at him with an unsure look in her eyes, "I thought you wanted me to fight with you."
He gave a small nod, "I would like it if you did but I won't force you to. I'd just prefer if I didn't have to fight you." He gave her a small but understanding smile.
She looked down at his hand on her's. She thought for a bit before she shifted her hand and returned the small pressure. She looked at him with a small smile, "I wanted to be a Huntress. But if we succeed, that will just mean we did what they were supposed to anyway. Besides…" she looked down bashfully, "I don't want to lose you again." she added weakly.
Jaune nodded, not hearing the last part. "Alright then. Tomorrow we'll get you what you need then we can start sending you out with the others to help look for followers." He finished his mug of chocolate and took his hand from her's before he stood up. "You should get some rest."
He turned to leave but Velvet spoke up, "Jaune!" he turned back in time to have the rabbit Faunus to hug him tightly. He was shocked by this but heard her speak up, "I've missed you."
He just smiled and hugged her back, "I missed you too, Vel."
They soon pulled apart and they went to the respective rooms. When Jaune opened the door to his shared room with his wife, he saw her seated in one of the chairs glaring at him, "So, you done?"
He just raised an eyebrow as he kicked off his boots, "Just did. Told Velvet everything and she still wants in. So, we have another member." He turned back to his unhappy wife, "But I have the feeling you're mad about something."
She just kept glaring at him, "Oh, no, why would you think that?" she drawled sarcastically.
Jaune just sighed, "Raven, it's late. Why don't you just tell me why you're pissed?"
She huffed, "I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the fact the this 'new member' wants to breed with you like a rabbit in spring." she hissed.
Jaune just stared at her with a neutral look on his face, "That's racist." He said simply.
"Maybe it is but I have a point." She said heatedly. "All the female members of our group all want to bed you. I have every right not to be happy about-mmpf."
She was cut off as Jaune closed the distance and kissed her deeply and passionately. She tried to resist him and stay annoyed. But feeling his tongue playing with her's in just the way she loved, made her crumbled. She returned the passion and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, with one hand tangling into his hair. Jaune had his hands on the chair so he wouldn't get pulled into it and tip it over.
He eventually pulled away and stared into her red eyes, "You are the only woman I love, Raven. Everything I am is yours and only yours." He told her heartfeltly. She smiled back at him and closed the distance to initiate her own kiss. He just smiled into it before sliding one arm under her legs and the other around her back, pulling her into a bridal carry. He then turned to the bed and started to walk them over to it. He wasn't someone to prove something through words. Actions spoke louder than anything he could ever say. And he had to show his wife, just how much he loved her.
A/N- Here's the next one! Man, this chapter just came to me so easily. Been a while since that has happened for a chapter of Distortion. Now the bad news: It is going to be a while before I put another chapter out for Distortion. It's nothing severe, so don't worry. My plan is to update TVS and this, which I have done now, and then I want to focus completely on DVYL May Cry until it is finished, which should only be 5-6 chapters. Similar to what I did for Unraveling the Knight. Once I do that, I'll be back to updating my other stories again. With that said, I hope you can all enjoyed the chapter and will be here for the next one. See you all int he next update!
Beta Reader was the amazing Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh, go check him out, now.