Athena stepped out of her hut for the morning and walked past the fields for farming as she entered the village, greeting some of the children with a smile and a few apples which they accepted graciously in the deep of winter and ran back to their housings for warmth. The cold hadn't bothered Athena in a long time, she'd grown accustomed to it during her endless months inside a cage in the middle of their old settlement. She inhaled the icy air deeply into her lungs and watched the smoke roll out of the chimneys. They had gathered all that they could for the winter and if they rationed it properly, it would last them long enough. Ebony insisted on hunting and had brought back meats from different woodland creatures that were appreciated and well received by all with the exception of Crimson.
Despite the fact that Ebony had been with them for several months now, Crimson hadn't grown to care for her or trust her anymore and only viewed her as competition. Somedays Athena grew sick of their bickering and forced them to stop and get along with one another, but on most days she let them do as they would and fight it out. It pleased her to think that both women were fighting to serve as her second, even more so when they came to her in the night to release their frustration. Athena spotted Crimson who approached and knelt before her, bowing.
"Mistress. My Goddess. How wonderful to meet you this morning, and in such stark contrast with the white landscaping poised behind you. It only amplifies your beauty and magnifies your majesty," Crimson said, taking her hand and kissing it before Athena bade her to stand.
"How goes the reconstruction project?" Athena asked her as they made their way towards the temple.
"We are almost finished Mistress," Crimson told her. "Even despite Ebony trying to set us back."
"How so?" Athena asked.
"She insists on making changes. Making your throne larger, more pronounced. I tried to tell her that it wasn't in your designs, but she gives the orders to the workers anyway, as though they came directly from you my Goddess. I can see to it that she is punished if you so desire, I can make her pay for her blasphemy," Crimson droned on. Athena waved her off as she stepped into the temple.
"That won't be necessary," Athena told her. The workers knelt as she entered and she waved her hand, motioning for them to stand. Ebony ran quickly to her and bowed her head.
"Mistress, I was unaware that you would personally be stopping in this morning to check on us. I'm glad to say that we are nearly finished, it won't be but another day or two," Ebony told her. Athena smiled softly and nodded her head once.
"And I am glad to hear it," Athena told her walking towards the throne. "Might I ask why the throne seems… different?" Ebony approached her and knelt.
"That last throne simply would not do Mistress. You will soon be the Goddess of all of Remnant, that small throne in which we won a part of our rights back is not pronounced enough. It needs to respect authority as you respect authority," Ebony explained. Another nod from Athena as Crimson covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
"I agree," Athena said. She permitted Ebony to rise and Crimson watched with her mouth agape, Ebony and Athena looking deeply into each other's eyes. Athena glanced at Crimson from the corner of her eye, satisfied to see that her handmaiden was worked up and ready to explode. "I trust that the two of you can come together long enough today to finish this, hm?" Both of the women knelt and bowed their heads.
"Yes Mistress," they told her in unison. She smiled at them and waved her hand once more, leaving the temple as they both stood. Crimson grabbed Ebony by her top and drove her back into a wall.
"Shouldn't you take me to dinner first?" Ebony asked. "Even Raven wasn't this forward."
"You think this is funny? I can see right through you bitch. You put on this act to impress Athena but all that you're really doing is sucking up to her and kissing ass," Crimson said. "You don't truly love her the way I do. You're not as strong as you let on either, you were nearly killed by that girl, bested by her, to say the least."
"I only lost because Raven showed up," Ebony said. "You're telling me that you genuinely love that monster? That you aren't just trying to ensure a seat at her lap when she destroys the entire world?" Crimson shoved her harder against the wall and Ebony grunted.
"Athena saved me. Saw the beauty in me. Gave me new life," Crimson explained. "I love her with every fiber of my being and if she needed to take my life, I would gladly give it to her if it gave her joy." Ebony shoved her off.
"I'm here for the long haul. Kiss ass or not, Athena chose me for my strength and unless I fail her miserably, she won't get rid of me, she needs my skills," Ebony said.
"More than you know," Crimson muttered. Ebony walked away and began working on something as Crimson glanced over her rod. She could waste its power and end it quickly, but then she would have no time to savor the victory, and if there was anything that brought her more pleasure than bringing happiness to her Goddess, it was eliminating threats and tasting their blood. She placed the rod back and unsheathed Wither, Athena's old blade that she had been entrusted with and charged at the woman as her back was turned.
"Not so fast," Ebony told her spinning around to greet Crimson's blade with her knife claws. Ebony threw one of her daggers, watching it plant in a pillar behind Crimson and wrapping the other around her neck, choking her. "You think I'm that weak? I grew up in a murderous clan that didn't allow for sleep. I'm on alert at every moment, every sense on fire and ready for the impending attack. I can't kill you though, then I might lose favor with Athena, and we can't have that. Not if I'm going to ride her coattails to victory and kill her once we've seized control of it all." Crimson brought her blade up, risking cutting her own neck to free herself of the Dust line that connected the two daggers.
"I'd say that you have the disadvantage then because I have no qualms over killing you," Crimson replied. Crimson knocked her back, charging in and running her blade through Ebony who dissipated into smoke.
"Lucky for me that we fixed the roof quickly in here," Ebony said. "Every torch that we stand in front of casts a shadow." Crimson shook in anger as she turned to face the woman. "Care to keep going?" Ebony reached down and picked up her second dagger, connecting it back to the first.
"You think your shadows can save you?" Crimson asked. "You lost to a huntress in training at night." Ebony frowned.
"So be it," Ebony replied. Ebony threw it like a disc, it spun towards Crimson who deflected it without giving it a second thought, slicing at Ebony as the daggers came back and glanced off of her arm. Crimson snatched them out of the air and used it to block Ebony's claws, swinging with her katana. She made contact, slicing through Ebony's aura and forcing her to break free and take solace in the shadows. Crimson waited, Ebony freed herself from the darkness behind Crimson, grabbing her katana by the blade and wrenching free the daggers. She made the mistake of letting the blade draw blood, Ebony getting away for only a moment.
"Do you not understand how my semblance works?" Crimson asked with a crazed grin. "Or did you think you could defeat me regardless of the fact?"
"I'll take my chances," Ebony said. They met each other again in a flurry, Crimson attacking with a force that surprised even Ebony who had been trained to expect everything. Ebony was forced back by Crimson until she slammed into a wall. "I… I can still… I can still take you."
"I wouldn't count on it!" Crimson declared. She held her blade against Ebony's dagger, her power seemed to be increasing exponentially. "I hope you know that while I'm pleasing my Goddess tonight, I'll be thinking of you the entire time."
"Funny, that's what I was going to tell you," Ebony said. Ebony's orb expanded from her quickly and the darkness swallowed both of them and the workers in the building on the upper level, prompting screams as Crimson stepped back in confusion and swung around herself lightly. "This is my power Crimson. I am the darkness. We are one. You can't hope to defeat me now, but I'm a reasonable woman. Give up now and I'll let you live." Crimson spun and met Ebony's daggers as she appeared from the shadows. "How!? You and that Neela girl both!"
"I haven't had the pleasure of reading her full report, but I can smell your blood second before you're about to strike," Crimson explained. Something unexpected grappled Crimson from the darkness as she strained against it, it gripped tightly to her wrist, trying to wrench her katana away, a flurry of cuts tearing Crimson apart. Crimson stumbled back for a moment before she felt a hand reach out through the darkness and pull her out along with Ebony who screeched. Athena had Crimson by the arm and Ebony by the tail, the girl thrashing.
"What did I ask the two of you before I left?" She asked. "I asked if you could work together long enough to finish restoring the temple. Was my question unclear, or is it that you just don't care? It doesn't matter to me if both of you fight with each other until you're both blue in the face, but I don't want the two of you killing each other."
"I wasn't going to kill her Mistress," Ebony said trying to defend herself.
"Of course not, that's why you were using your most powerful attack and your tail. If Crimson hadn't cut you before you tried that you easily could have dispatched her," Athena told Ebony. She released Crimson and removed Wilt from Blush. "If you two would like to continue I can even the odds and remove your tail now."
"That's not necessary!" Ebony yelled in a panic. "I'd prefer that I keep it, I'm quite attached!" Athena dropped Ebony on her face and pointed at Crimson.
"That goes for you as well," Athena told her. "I don't want either of you dead before we complete our plan." Athena left and the two women scowled at each other as several of the others peered down from the second floor.
"Get to work!" Ebony yelled at them.
"I was hoping that we'd get a moment alone with Eliana later in the day," Coco told Neela.
"I know Coco," Neela replied. Coco and Neela had been worried for the past few days, Eliana was a shell of her former self, it was as if she'd had a revelation, and that revelation had torn her apart and put her back together in a different order altogether. Eliana had accepted that her father had been killed and had been killed by Grimm at that, many years ago and they had no reason to believe any differently. So what was going on? Was Eliana not telling them something? Neela had been trying to pull her aside to talk to her, but for the first time in their lives, Eliana was actively avoiding her.
Eliana walked by, looking distracted and Neela grabbed her, pulling her into the classroom and locking the door behind.
"Eliana," Neela said sternly.
"What?" Eliana asked. "What? What?! Neela, what do you want?!" Neela looked at Eliana confused as Coco showed Eliana to a seat.
"Eliana, we just want to help," Neela said. Eliana sighed and shrugged.
"I was under a lot of stress, I snapped," Eliana said. "Is there anything else that I need to say?"
"Clearly something is bothering you," Coco told her. Eliana looked at her hands, her eyes welled up and she looked hard at Neela.
"Neela, if Coco wouldn't have stopped me, I would have killed Paris!" Eliana yelled. "I can't be trusted with a weapon."
"Eliana, stress in battle is normal, sometimes it makes us do things that we normally wouldn't do," Coco said. She looked at Eliana, standing in front of her. "Things that we shouldn't do." Eliana looked at her hands.
"I just keep replaying the scene in my head of standing over him, aiming the gun at his head and wanting to pull the trigger," Eliana said. "Why? How could I stoop so low, once those thoughts went through my mind I thought that I was just as awful as all of the criminals that my dad put away!"
"What did Paris say that set you off?" Neela asked.
"He said that all I talk about is my father. You saw his face. You heard what he said before he was shot," Eliana said.
"I think he was just trying to get you all fired up," Coco said. "I've seen the file. We care about you Eliana, there was nothing else to your father's death, he was killed by Grimm." Eliana sighed.
"I know, I just lost it," Eliana said. "It sounded like he knew something and I…" Neela wrapped her arms around Eliana and drew her in.
"If it happens again, just think about me, your mom, or your dad," Neela told Eliana. "I shouldn't have put you through that kind of stress. We should have just let the teachers handle it."
"Neela… I…" Eliana tried to say but Neela pulled her in tighter.
"When I get stressed Elli, I think of you," Neela said. Eliana's eyes grew wide as her breathing steadied. She stared off across the room as the words resonated. "You're the anchor that brings me back to reality. If I can be that for you, I'd be more than happy to be your anchor. If not me, then your mother or father. I just want the old Eliana back. I can't even guarantee that I wouldn't have reacted in the same way."
"I'm sorry Neela!" Eliana cried out. Neela rubbed her back. "I ruined your plan!"
"You did fine Eliana," Neela told her. Eliana cried hard and Neela looked up at Coco who nodded at her.
"You both did a great job," Coco told them. "And Neela's right Eliana. I use Velvet and Lamar as my anchors when I get nervous in battle." Coco smiled at them and headed for the door. "Take as much time as you need, I'll be heading out to my next class now."
Cobalt slowly rode into the town on his horse, stopping as he reached the outskirts and reading the sign that was crudely painted, welcoming travelers, or more accurately, warning them to stay away. Salem's Bend was a growing epicenter for commerce and trade for Vacuo, but mostly the drifters and vagabonds came here for the saloons and gambling. He smirked as he spurred his horse, continuing on towards the town as he pulled his Stetson down to further block the sun from his eyes. He rode down the dirt road through a winding gorge between two bluffs, spotting the town as he exited on the other side.
The information that had been passed on to him was accurate, the town was bustling despite its location being inconvenient, there were no fresh water sources nearby to speak of, yet there seemed to be more people than he had originally expected. He scanned the buildings as Salem's Bend came into view, a clocktower sat at the end of the main street, notifying him that it was roughly 11 AM, the trip from Valewater had taken him nearly four hours and he had made minimal stops, staying his horse only once as he spotted a group of bandits on the horizon, but luckily he hadn't been noticed. There was a water tower on the far outskirts, a mercantile on his left, and a saloon with an inn above it on the right. He figured that to be his best bet for collecting information to complete the purpose of his trek and rode the horse up to the hitching post, securing him and entering the establishment.
The doors swung open and no one paid him any mind as a glass smashed against the wall beside him and he made his way to the counter. A woman danced on the stage in a large showy dress and several men whistled from their seats, catcalling.
"Show us a little more sweetie," one of them called out. She walked to the edge of the stage and placed the tip of her boot on his chest.
"You know that costs extra," She told him. "Maybe tonight once I'm done with my last shift?" She winked at him and covered her face with a folding fan.
"You're such a tease Bái!" Another called out. Cobalt met her eyes for a moment before proceeding past a table that was playing poker and sitting at the bar.
"What will it be?" The bartender asked as he cleaned one of the glass mugs.
"Anything on tap is fine," Cobalt replied. The man nodded and filled the mug sliding it down to him. "Seeing as you're the bartender, this must be your saloon. You're Vincent?" He nodded.
"Most people 'round here call me Vince, but I can tell that you're not exactly from around here, are you?" Vince asked. Cobalt shook his head as he slammed the beer down.
"You're right. Pretty perceptive man, aren't you? They sent me here from the east, Valewater is looking to ensure its own safety in assisting Salem's Bend with its biggest problem," Cobalt explained.
"You don't mean…" Vince began.
"I do. Taking down the top outlaw in all of Remnant, along with the rest of her gang," Cobalt said. The doors crashed open and Rowan stood in them, smirking with a toothpick between his teeth. He moved to the right, Ilia entering after him and taking up her place on the left as Tawney crashed through last, a cigar hanging out of her mouth and she dashed the ashes off on the edge of Rowan's hat. "Speak of the devil." Cobalt turned back around and tended to his drink as she stepped in and cleared her throat loudly, grabbing the attention of everyone and silencing the chaos.
"Maniac Tawney and her Hellions are back, and we don't think we remembered to collect our taxes last time that we blew through this joint. Maybe it's because I'm in a good mood today, or maybe it's because I heard a rumor that Valewater sent their best man here to snuff me out, but in either case, I'm going to give y'all an offer you can't refuse," she said. She grabbed up the nearest man by his collar. "Mostly because if you do I'll riddle this entire saloon with bullets." She threw him back down, breaking the table and the other patrons sitting with him scrambled out of the way. "Twenty lien from each of you!"
"You collected last time!" Someone called out before covering their mouth. Tawney snapped and Rowan grabbed him, dragging him to the door.
"Did I?" She asked. He shook his head wildly for a moment until Ilia placed a bullet in his head and Rowan threw him to the ground. "I'm sorry, maybe I was unclear before, but now I'm going to make it thirty lien. Anyone who doesn't pay is going to end up like this poor bastard." None of the rest of them wasted time and quickly stuck their money into the sack as they exited, Cobalt leaving last and trying to short change her. She grabbed his arm and wrenched him back in. "You smell like new clothes and I ain't ever seen you 'round here before. Thirty is thirty."
"How about you allow me to challenge you to a duel instead," Cobalt asked.
"Ha!" Rowan chortled. "Is this man suicidal? Ain't nobody ever won against Maniac Tawney before!" Cobalt grinned and tipped his hat.
"I reckon there's a first time for everything," Cobalt replied. Tawney let out an over exaggerated laugh and took a drag from her cigar.
"Tomorrow then. High noon. If you don't meet me in the middle of this washed-up shanty town, then I'm going to turn it into a washed-up ghost town," Tawney said. She left followed by Rowan who scoffed, Ilia taking up the rear and nodding to Cobalt. Vince ran over to him and grabbed his arm.
"Were you born yesterday partner?" Vince asked.
"Why do you say that?" Cobalt asked.
"Maniac Tawney ain't never fought fair once," Vince informed him. Bái stood beside them and watched the patrons scatter as Tawney chased some of them, laughing as they tripped over themselves in fear.
"There goes my business for the evening," Bái said dejected as she looked Cobalt over. "Unless you're planning on sticking around for your funeral tomorrow." Cobalt tipped his hat.
"I suppose I might be back tonight," Cobalt told her. "Save me a room, would you?" She fanned herself and headed back inside with Vince behind. Cobalt continued down the street, leaving his horse back at Vincent's saloon and made his way past the land office to the sheriff's office. He stepped into the small wooden building, it was complete with one wooden desk and chair, keys hanging beside the door, three cells on the opposite side of the room, all but one empty.
"You let me out of here and mayhaps I'll tell you how to defeat Maniac Tawney," the prisoner called out.
"Pay no mind to him," Eliana said laying back in the chair with her feet up on the desk. "Orion here thinks that I might let him out early for good behavior, but after he and the other Hellions attempted to taint the water supply, I haven't taken to kindly to the idea of releasing him soon." She brought her feet down and extended her hand for him to shake. "Eliana Latherus. Sheriff. Sharpest shooter in the west.
"Why haven't you taken down Maniac Tawney yet?" Cobalt asked.
"Sharpest shot. I never said quickest. I reckon you came by to ask for my help with a situation involving the woman. Ain't got no help left to give after Grimm killed my pa. I've always fought for myself and these people and I don't think that challenging Tawney is in the town's best interest.," Eliana explained. "Now you can handle it, or take yourself back to wherever you might have come from and forget that it ever happened."
"It might be your problem," Cobalt said.
"How do you figure?" Eliana asked.
"She said that if I'm unable to best her, she'll destroy this town," Cobalt said. Eliana walked around the table and slammed him against one of the cells.
"What's the matter with you?!" Eliana asked. "Finally we had gotten used to having ourselves a little bit of peace and quiet and then fools like you have to try and be the hero! Y'all only ever make things worse! In what way did you think that any of this was going to help? Maniac Tawney is known throughout the land for being ruthless, that's why we give her however much she wants, and she treats us personably."
"She killed a man at the saloon," Cobalt told her. Eliana let go of him.
"He probably talked back to her, right?" Eliana asked. "Served him right if he did."
"So you'll help?" Cobalt asked.
"You deaf son?" She asked. "You can probably fix this whole misunderstanding by finding her outside of town by sundown, and paying her whatever you tried to withhold from her earlier." Cobalt shook his head, clenching his fist.
"Sheriff Glynda and Deputy Blake from Beaconridge worked with Valewater to send me this far and stop Maniac Tawney from hurting anyone else," Cobalt explained. "Wouldn't you rather be remembered as the sheriff that helped stop Tawney, rather than the one that allowed herself to be walked all over?" Eliana glanced at Orion and dragged Cobalt outside, taking him around the back of the building and undoing the top few buttons of her shirt, removing a note and handing it to Cobalt.
"My hands are tied, Maniac Tawney listens from everywhere," Eliana explained. "Follow this map and it will take you to someone who can help, but it will take some persuading." Cobalt nodded and pocketed the note as she kneed him in the stomach for show and threw him out into the street. "Now go home before I have no other choice but to lock you up!"
"Alright, alright," Cobalt replied as he brushed the dirt off of him and moved to his horse. He mounted his steed and rode out to the south, leaving the town behind him as he rode along the path for almost an hour before heading directly East and continuing to a small watering hole that seemed to be surrounded by crude huts and teepees. He was jumped as he crossed a ridge, something hard hit the back of his head and he fell off of his horse and into the sand before remembering being dragged for quite some time.
"He's waking up," a voice said. He blinked his eyes a few times, struggling to see in the dark hut before it all came in to view. He was tied to a wooden rod that ran horizontally above him and he glanced up at his hands before nothing a man wearing a Beowulf pelt with two women who wore the same, leather garbs covered their more sensitive areas. The two women trained their bows, the one to his left had captivating eyes while the one on his right had large bird wings. The man stepped forward.
"I am the chief of the Faunus Tribe, Lykos," the man spoke. Cobalt stared at the floor for a moment before looking back up at Lykos.
"You're a Faunus?" Cobalt asked.
"This is a dream. You could have imagined me as a woman for what it's worth," Lykos replied. Cobalt nodded.
"True," he replied. "I have sought you out in need of your strength, wisdom, and best warriors. If the Faunus Tribe joins me, we can put an end to Maniac Tawney once and for all and I'm certain that you would be able to work out a deal with the land office as well."
"We do not deal with the humans," Lykos told him. "They have only ever brought us pain."
"I'll go," Neela said lowering her bow. "Plus the sheriff sounds like quite the sight to behold." They all looked at her for a moment.
"I never said anything about the sheriff," Cobalt told her. She chuckled nervously.
"I'll go as well to watch over Neela," Ivory said. Lykos shook his head as he walked away.
"I will not let you leave without giving you my blessing, but both of you are quite foolish for thinking that you might be able to change the humans' opinions of you by simply saving them," Lykos informed them. "May the Maidens guide you and all that."
"I feel like this dream is slowly breaking down for the worst," Neela said as they mounted their horses and rode back towards the town as the sun was rising in the east.
"What makes you think that?" Ivory asked as Cobalt paid no attention to them.
"That Migoi Grimm from the Team CBLT Winter Break chapter is chasing after us and we're no longer in the desert," Neela said. Cobalt watched as the scene changed around him, he was still riding on horseback, but Tawney now clung to him for dear life as he darted through the snowy woods, the Migoi close behind them.
"I thought that this thing wasn't real!" Tawney shouted. Cobalt narrowly escaped it as it swung down at them again and he fired another shot back at it.
"Well it is, and now we need to take it down!" He replied. "Where are Lykos and Bái?"
"Didn't you leave them back in that western sequence?" Tawney asked.
"Oh yeah, I did," Cobalt replied. He leapt off of the horse and it continued running.
"Cobalt!" Tawney called out.
"Once I defeat this I'll come find you and we can play this out the way it should have ended the first time!" Cobalt shouted as he blocked the beast and pulled his blade all the way through it. It collapsed, dissipating as Cobalt posed and smirked. "Like a badass."
"Cobalt, you have got to stop talking in your sleep," Lykos told him from his desk in the dorm, effectively waking Cobalt up. Cobalt glanced around the room and groaned as he stretched, throwing the covers off of him to find Neela and Eliana lying beside him.
"Wait a minute… What kind of inception nonsense is this?" Cobalt asked.
"Beats me," said another Cobalt now sitting in Lykos's place.
"Come back to sleep senpai," said another Cobalt that had replaced the girls hanging off of him. He scrambled out of bed and ran to the window, throwing it open.
"Nope," he stated as he leapt out.
"Cobalt, you have got to-" Lykos began to tell him from his desk before Cobalt woke in a flurry and threw everything off of the bed as he left it. It was empty and he let out a sigh of relief as he glanced about the room.
"Nice boxers sensei," Tawney told him eating her cereal on her bed and watching him. He glanced down to notice that they were covered in anime swords and he groggily moved to the bathroom.
"He does talk in his sleep a lot, doesn't he?" Bái asked. Lykos nodded his head.
"It's going to be a glorious day when we all decide to act like polar opposites just to freak the hell out of him," Tawney said. "He wouldn't know what was real and what wasn't, which isn't that much different now for him, to be honest. His brain would be in a state of mass chaos."
"How do you propose that?" Lykos asked.
"I'll save it for another time," Tawney told him.
Another Week and another Cobalt Fantasy! Next Week, Paris gets put in his place, and Olesia goes on a date?! Chapter 55 - Strange Bedfellows!
A big thank you to Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. All of their artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.
Until next week, stay classy!