"Many years in the future there is one great warrior who is awesome and defeats all of the Grimm!" Shadow announced standing in the kitchen.
"How many years?" Eliana asked.
"Probably one, maybe more," Shadow told her. "Her name is Shadow Xiao Long, the greatest warrior ever!"
"Do you mean huntress?" Eliana asked. Shadow grabbed Eliana by the head and looked her in the eyes.
"The horse isn't supposed to interrupt," Shadow scolded.
"Sorry," Eliana replied.
"Go on," Neela told Shadow.
"Now I have to start over," Shadow groaned. Neela looked at Eliana who blushed and shrugged.
"Sorry," Eliana repeated.
"Just stay quiet," Neela told her.
"I wonder what this is like in her head," Eliana offered.
"I'm starting over!" Shadow announced.
"Elli!" Neela blurted out.
"Sorry!" Eliana offered a last time.
Shadow Xiao Long was highly regarded as the best huntress in all of Remnant, sought out both day and night for her skills by the council and Ruby Rose, just the sound of her name was normally more than enough to place fear and terror in the minds of Grimm far and wide. Others feared her too, the White Fang, the Stardust Gang, and the Neo-Salems.
"How do you know about all of those things?" Blake asked.
Being the best huntress in all the world, it was only natural that Shadow was well aware of all of these things, especially when her mothers talked about them late at night while she was in bed, thinking that she was asleep and forgetting that she had the ears of a Faunus. Shadow stood in the doorway of her childhood home, her long black hair harken to that of her Grandma Raven's as it blew in the wind that swept into the house, filling the cabin with nice smells, like lilacs, and those cute orange flowers that Mommy Blake planted in the garden a month ago. She had large boobs like Eliana or Mommy Yang, and a nice butt like Mommy Blake or Neela.
"Aw, you think I have nice boobs?" Eliana said flattered.
"Aren't you a little young to be worried about those things?" Blake asked.
She wasn't. She was the best huntress that ever lived and if she had to keep reminding them of that, she was going to have to start her adventure all over again. Plus, Mommy Yang had told her that girls with 'a nice rack and ass' get all of the boys.
"Yang!" Blake shouted across the house.
"Guilty!" Yang replied.
The world was waiting for Shadow to save it, and she turned back to her mothers, giving them a confident smile that let them know they wouldn't have to worry about her while she was killing Grimm and saving Remnant.
"I'm leaving to save the world now!" Shadow announced. "I'll tell you all about my quest when I return!"
"Just be back in time for dinner," Blake told her as Shadow left the house, closing the door behind her.
Of course, she'd be back in time for dinner, it was Wednesday which meant that Mommy Blake was making fish sticks, and some things were just more important than saving everyone in a single day. Shadow looked at the forest around her, the trees loomed larger than she remembered and she feared that Grimm might come soon and scare off her trusty steed, Eliana.
"Neigh!" Eliana declared, picking Shadow up and placing her on her back.
"Horses don't say neigh," Shadow said with a long sigh. "They sound like this." She made an over-exaggerated horse noise that Eliana mimicked and Shadow smiled. "Now Elli, we must ride into the forest before the Grimm come. There is a pasture on the other side where you can rest and eat some grass while I train with a warrior who was taught the ancient ways! Even the greatest must continue to train! Sissy's awesome and she trains every day!"
With that, the unlikely duo was off, Eliana galloped gracefully through the deep dark forest, crossing rivers and hills, neighing on occasion to let her master know that she was happy to have come along on the journey. Shadow was equipped with her sword, beating back evil lurking branches from the living trees that tried to attack them whenever the wind woke them up and squishing a spider that was climbing up her horse's leg.
"Is that why you kicked me?!" Eliana asked. "I mean… Neigh!"
Shadow shook her head as she finally reached the edge of the forest, perhaps her mentor would be able to teach this horse how to speak like a horse instead of making the strange noises it was making instead. The field was colorful and smelt just as nice as Shadow's home, they must have rode for hours to reach this place, and no one else knew about it except for her and her master. Her horse smelled the grass and decided to take a bite.
"Seriously?" Eliana asked.
"Just pretend," Neela huffed under her breath.
Shadow lightly gripped her sword, preparing to unsheath it as she nodded to Master Neela who had beaten her here as she often did. Neela had once been the most powerful fighter ever, but she fell in love with a girl named Eliana and the two of them lived next door to Shadow. They have like two kids, a boy, and a girl, and they're cute like Neela and Eliana, with a puppy that Shadow sometimes went over and played with.
"Woah woah woah," Neela waved her arms in rebuttal.
"Yeah, hold up kid," Eliana said spitting the grass out of her mouth. Neela looked at her for a long moment.
"You didn't need to put it in your mouth," Neela informed her.
"Excuse me, someone needs to uphold some kind of legitimacy in her imagination," Eliana said. "Anyways, wouldn't it be a little strange if Neela married a horse?" Neela looked at Shadow who shook her head, Neela's eye began twitching as she took a few steps back.
"A different Eliana, one that looks like you," Shadow explained.
"One that looks like a horse?" Eliana asked. Neela's jaw dropped, unable to tell at this point if Shadow or Eliana was more confused. Shadow facepalmed and groaned in frustration.
"Nevermind," Shadow said. "Let's just keep going." Eliana shrugged and nodded.
"Okay," Eliana replied.
Shadow nodded, greeting her master with a slight bow as they both charged at each other, their blades clashing and they both pushed against one another for a moment.
"Shadow, I see you've gotten stronger since the last time that we fought each other!" Neela exclaimed. "But can you hold off my flurry attack?"
"I can stop anything you try!" Shadow exclaimed. Neela's sword came down repeatedly in a flurry, Shadow barely had time to block and it seemed there was no way that she'd win until she had a great idea that only the smartest huntress in the history of fighting could have come up with. A clone leapt out of Shadow and off of her shoulders, bringing her sword down and hitting Neela on the head.
"Your stick- I mean blade! It grazed me! You did it! Truly you are much better than the last time that we faced off," Neela declared as she fell down. "I was never a match for you, and I knew that someday this would happen. You've surpassed me! Have this, it will make you stronger." She took off the necklace that Shadow had made her and put it on the girl.
"Am I ready?" Shadow asked.
"Yes. It's time for you to defeat the greatest evil of all time," Neela announced. "The evil bird mage, Raven Branwen."
"I'm not a ma-," Raven began to protest from the tree line.
"You are now!" Neela shouted. "Go wait at your castle, would you?" Raven mumbled something under her breath as she teleported away, leaving the three of them in silence for a moment.
"I like how she didn't argue that she wasn't evil," Eliana laughed. Shadow cocked her hip and pointed at Eliana.
"Can you teach her how to horse better?" Shadow asked. Neela walked over and checked the horse out, inspecting it over before scratching behind its ears.
"There's no hope for this one," Neela said. "This might help keep her quiet though." Neela gave Eliana a carrot and she happily snacked on it, whinnying before Shadow mounted her once more. "I must tell you before you go, the road is long and difficult. You may have to fight more trees and something worse." Shadow's eyes lit up with wonder.
"Something worse?" Shadow asked nervously.
"My evil clone, who for convenience sake is also named Neela," Neela informed her. "Now go! My time here runs short, I must return to my home across the way and my wife, Eliana." Shadow nodded to her sister and rode off back into the treacherous forest that seemed to continue on for days and was unforgiving. She fought many beasts off, but the horse twisted its ankle in the river and Shadow had to carry on without her.
"Goodbye, Eliana," Shadow stated in requiem. "You were a silly horse, but you were good at what you did." Eliana lay in the grass and took a deep breath before rolling her head to the side and sticking her tongue out. Shadow threw dirt on her before leaving her companion behind, the rest of her journey was sure to be difficult on her own.
"Shadow!" Someone shouted. Shadow looked up, a giant standing before her as she removed her sword from its sheath. "I am the giant Titus! You must get past me to get to the evil mage bird!"
"He said it wrong," Eliana muttered to Neela who helped her up.
"At least he's enthusiastic," Neela replied. Eliana smiled and wrapped her arms around Neela, swaying her back and forth.
"Does this mean I get to be wife Eliana for the rest of the adventure?" Eliana teased. Neela blushed and pushed her away.
"I'm the evil clone now, remember?" Neela asked.
"Maybe I was in love with the evil clone all along," Eliana stated. "Or maybe I have a thing for evil clones, I read a Ninjas of Love like that once."
"Guys," Titus interrupted. They looked at him before looking at Shadow who was glaring right at them. "The greatest huntress ever is trying to get past a giant and needs to concentrate, so can you take it elsewhere?" The two girls nodded and left them, allowing Shadow to get back to her fight. The giant was tall, the greatest and strongest and largest beast that she'd even fought. She swung at his legs but it was no use, his skin seemed to be rock hard… Wait… Was his skin…?
"Titus!" She shouted excitedly. "You're body is stone." He bent down and winked at her.
"Did I say, giant? I meant rock golem," he corrected.
Shadow nodded and steadied her breath, this would be even harder than she first calculated, but nothing could be allowed to stand in the way of her and her goal. She kept swinging, the blows glancing off of his leg but having no effect no matter how hard she swung. After a moment she created two clones without even noticing, the three of them together laying into him and managing to knock him onto his chest. She grabbed his arms quickly, using Neela's necklace to secure his wrists and patting her hands together as she claimed her victory.
"I've been bested," Titus declared. "I'll tell you something before you continue on." Shadow's eyes lit up again and Neela smiled as she watched her sister. To be so innocent and naive over everything when the world outside of her home was crumbling apart. "The evil clone of Neela has a friend that can take over bodies. Watch out for the body snatcher."
"Right! Yes, sir! I mean, thank you, rock golem!" Shadow declared before trudging on. Eliana helped Titus stand and freed his hands, pocketing the necklace.
"You brought Ilia with you?" Eliana asked.
"She didn't want to be lonely back at the dorm and her boyfriend was busy," Titus said.
"So she got bored and dragged you with out here?" Eliana pried. Titus hesitated for a second.
"Yes," he admitted.
Shadow's legs carried her quickly, she hoped that she'd reach the castle of the evil supreme bird mage overlord tyrannical dictator that controlled the land before the clone caught her, but it was no use, it was as if the clone knew exactly where she was going to be, and Shadow found herself facing down both Neela and Ilia, her weapon at the ready. Two at the same time? These foes were formidable and filled her with fear, but she knew that she could overcome them if she remembered everything that she'd been taught. Ilia leapt into Neela's body and they charged, Shadow found herself on the defensive as she parried and redirected blow after blow, the clone unwilling to give up and she feared that the body snatcher would jump out at any moment and take her.
Shadow drove her back, the sparks lit their faces in the dark forest as metal met metal and as Neela nearly slipped Ilia leapt out, but Shadow was ready. She threw herself back, Ilia taking the sword to her head as she grabbed the clone Shadow created but was unable to claim the doppelganger as a body. Ilia hit the ground, lying in defeat as she'd been slain and Neela glanced down at Ilia before looking back up at Shadow.
"How did you know that would work?" Neela asked with genuine surprise.
"I'm the best huntress ever, that's how!" Shadow explained. "Now move or I will defeat you too!"
"I have something to reveal," Neela confessed. She sheathed her sword. "I am your master! There is no evil clone, it was one last test and you passed!"
"No!" Shadow yelled. "What a plot twist!" Neela laughed.
"Hey, you lied!" Eliana shouted from across the woods. "That means I could have been your wife for the rest of the time." Neela blushed and moved in close to Shadow.
"Do you hear the winds speaking?" Neela asked.
"Neela!" Eliana yelled again.
"I do!" Shadow exclaimed looking at Neela amused.
"You mustn't listen to them," Neela instructed. "In this evil forest they will try and tempt you from your final goal, but the path is clear now! Reach the castle and defeat her!"
"I will!" Shadow said heading towards the tree fort.
"She thought that up on her own?" Ilia asked as she stood up, brushing herself off. Neela laughed and nodded.
"Yeah," Neela replied. "She's pretty clever."
Shadow, the main character of this adventure, and the undisputed conqueror of both Grimm and evil men alike had finally reached the precipice of her journey, the penultimate battle that would free all of Remnant once and for all, bringing freedom to all of the people that she loved and cared about. Her mommies told her that all people were important and that all people should be loved. That's why Shadow fought. To protect all of them. This was it, the defining moment of her legacy. The fortress was high in the clouds, shrouded in both darkness and lightning, the way in was distorted and slightly destroyed and she'd need to look for a different way in if she wanted to sneak up on Raven.
Grimm began closing in and Shadow slashed her blade, the Dust tearing through them like a knife through butter and leaving nothing but the smoke of their remains behind.
"Does Shadow need a hand?" a familiar voice asked her from behind. She turned around to see Titus, his arms reaching down to pick her up and placing her in the back window.
"Thanks!" She declared.
"Shhhhhhh…" Titus replied. "She'll hear you." Shadow nodded, sneaking into the throne room to find Raven sitting on her seat, looking at her nails with her katana sticking out of the floor beside her.
"Is there a kitten in the halls of my castle?" Raven asked.
"I'm not a kitty! I'm a warrior!" Shadow called out across the room.
"You think that a little 'warrior' like you can defeat the mighty and terribly bird mage, Raven? My looks alone could strike you down," Raven told her.
"Boo!" Eliana shouted from outside. Raven stuck her head out the window and looked down at them.
"What?" Raven asked.
"You're mock fighting a child, Grams," Eliana replied. Neela shook her head as Raven sighed and pulled her body back into the fort.
"Your master has taught you well if you got this far, but now I must reveal something!" Raven told her. She opened a portal, pulling Neela through and strong-arming her. "I've been teaching your master the new techniques that she's taught you."
"Is that true?" Shadow asked.
"Don't listen to her Shadow!" Neela demanded. "You can take her down! She's scared that you'll defeat her!"
"You fools!" Raven said. She tossed Neela away, using her blade to freeze Neela's feet before turning to Shadow. "Fight me if you dare." Shadow smirked and her face darkened.
"I will!" Shadow declared. She reached into her pocket, charging Raven who was confused in general how to proceed before generating a rock clone that exploded and trapped Raven's feet in stone.
"What?" Raven and Neela declared in unison. They exchanged blows with their sword before Shadow knocked Raven's from her hands and it landed at Neela's feet.
"You've been defeated, Raven!" Shadow exclaimed approaching her.
"You're right," Raven agreed squirming. "I give! Don't kill me, whatever you want is yours!"
"Anything?" Shadow asked. Raven raised an eyebrow.
"I'm starting to think that this is poor phrasing, but sure," Raven replied. Shadow laughed as she leapt up and down, handing Raven's weapon back to her and helping her free herself.
"When you die, I want your sword," Shadow told her.
"In the story?" Raven asked.
"No, for real!" Shadow declared. Raven chuckled as she teleported to the front yard with Shadow.
"You're a morbid child, I plan on being around for a while, you know," Raven informed her.
"I know," Shadow replied happily.
"Haven't we had this conversation already?" Raven asked. "I don't think Blake or Yang would want that." Shadow motioned for Raven to bend down and the older woman complied, letting the child cup her ear and place her mouth close to it.
"They don't need to know," Shadow offered. Raven smiled wickedly, rubbing the top of her head and laughing.
"You definitely have Branwen blood in you!" Raven chortled as she opened the door and Shadow rushed in past her.
"Are the fish sticks ready?" Shadow asked.
"Almost," Blake answered her as she mixed the mashed potatoes. "Are all of you staying for dinner?"
"I am," Raven announced. Yang and Blake glanced at each other before Blake smiled softly.
"I expected that much, I was mostly asking the kids," Blake replied.
"No thanks, mom," Neela informed her. "We're heading back to the school to do some group studying, we'll probably grab a bite there."
"Okay!" Blake called out. "I love you, Neela! See the rest of you tomorrow!"
"Later, Ms. Bellabooty!" Ilia said quickly closing the door.
"Yang!" Came a shout from the cabin as they walked away.
"Game night time!" Eliana whooped.
"Eliana, we really did have a group study planned for tonight," Neela reminded her.
"Pfft. So?" Eliana scoffed. "We've got time for both!"
"She just hates that I always beat her," Ilia added.
"You win every time, that's not fun for anyone," Titus argued.
"Except Eliana, she has fun playing no matter what happens," Neela said.
"We could find a different board game," Eliana suggested. They glanced at her.
"You've got something in mind?" Neela pried.
"Does it matter, I'll kick your ass at all of them," Ilia bragged.
"Cobalt was saying that he's been wanting to play spin the bottle. We could go do that with Team CBLT," Eliana offered.
"No," the other three replied in unison.
"Why not? It could be fun," Eliana argued.
"For Cobalt maybe," Titus chuckled.
"Lykos and Bái won't play, they've got each other," Neela pointed out.
"I've got Vin," Ilia offered opting out.
"So?" Eliana groaned. "It's harmless fun. What's a little kiss?"
"Who here would you want to kiss?" Titus teased looking at Neela the whole time.
"I'd be okay kissing any of you," Eliana huffed.
"We can't all say the same, Elli," Neela informed her trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.
"I see you all as sisters," Titus replied.
"I'm just not feeling it," Ilia said.
"I wouldn't want to kiss Cobalt," Neela mumbled. All three of them looked at her.
"What was that?" Eliana asked.
"Let's just try to find something that doesn't involve kissing," Neela blurted leaving them in silence for a long few moments.
"The sister thing isn't that weird, I read a Ninjas of Love once…" Eliana began.
"Elli…" Neela interrupted.
"That's fantasy," Titus told her.
"And not everybody's into that kind of thing," Ilia clarified.
"She kind of goes overboard into the fantasy thing," Neela chuckled.
"What makes you say that?" Eliana asked.
"You asked Shadow if I married a horse," Neela mentioned. Titus and Ilia broke out into laughter.
"That's a legitimate question!" Eliana defended.
"I think the better question is why Shadow put the two of you together as a couple," Titus teased again, this time drawing a punch from Neela.
"She didn't, I was the horse," Eliana answered. Titus stopped for a moment as they continued, possibly actually feeling Neela's pain towards Eliana's ability to be oblivious for the first time. "You're gonna miss the airship big guy!"
"Yeah, c'mon Gargoyle!" Ilia shouted back at him.
"I'm coming," he yelled.
"Sure," Neela replied sarcastically.
Hey everybody, SilentCelica here. Next week is Chapter 100, and the official 2nd Year anniversary of uploading! I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone, new and long-time readers, for sticking with the story for this long! OrganoidZero and I have really enjoyed writing it and the best is yet to come! Once again, thanks for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed it, and continue to enjoy it, for many chapters to come! Next week, a special chapter! Chapter 100 - Adoption Party!
A big thank you to Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, 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!