Chapter Six. I hope everyone enjoys. Onto reviews!
With regards to my previous segment on Jaune, I never said I really like Jaune all that much, just that he's a well-defined character. I don't dislike him, either. Sorta my same feelings on Blake, honestly. All I can do in writing is portray them as accurately as I perceive their personality to be, and in that regard, I hope I do well.
As for Sibyl's strength relative to the world of Remnant, I won't comment one way or another as it can kill suspense or create a false sense of one. That said, I personally think the level between the two worlds is roughly equal with RWBY having an edge. Though, the difference is humans in RWBY are very strong and most of the "very strong" in Dark Souls are Gods. I think we can all agree the Chosen Undead isn't really stronger than most of the foes he faces.
The husk of Artorias can do repeated frontflip overhead slams twenty feet in the air, but the chosen undead won't be. He does have other things going for him, and I'm buffing him a bit in terms of fluidity of magic/sorceries/pyromancies to balance things out. As you'll see when reading this chapter, there is some foreshadowing in regards to the divergence I have planned soon. I hope I'm doing a good job setting it up.
Read and review or just read, it's your choice! Edit: Thanks to ekaterina016, again, for beta'ing.
For the past two hours or so, Sibyl had done a remarkably good job of ignoring things. He ignored the light shining through his window with a simple shutting of the curtains. He ignored the sound of students bustling around outside his dorm by covering his head with the second pillow he was provided. Yes, Sibyl was sleeping, and he was doing his damnedest to keep it that way.
Unfortunately, such an endeavor was filled with obstacles even he couldn't overcome. There was a knock on his door, followed by another and one more after that. It was the only reason his eyes bothered to open, and even then, they nearly closed right back shut again. When a fourth knock tapped against the wooden panel which separated him from the outside world, he sighed softly, digging his head deeper into the pillow it was laying atop. It couldn't be that important, could it? Certainly not more than his sleep, which he had gotten more than he ever had before thanks to the wondrous mattress beneath him.
And it was so wonderful. Even his less-than-pleasant dreams, previously a soul a dozen, had stopped bothering him... albeit for just two and a half weeks. It was actually strange; he had been here for so long, yet the time had flown by! Classes were so very odd, and in truth, he hardly knew what he was doing. They had given him a scroll, some odd, supposedly crucial device which he had tucked under his bed the moment he received it.
Outside of that, his schedule had turned more solid. They had classes five days a week, which varied heavily, with combat class twice a week much like most of the other academies had. Glynda had explained to him they would be… looser with his learning responsibilities, but he was still doing his best to keep up with those around him. It was just hard, and he was mostly failing. Still, he longed for combat class, where he could let his skills thrive! In fact, Sibyl was fairly certain today was combat class, and seeing as how he had completely missed his first class, not been called upon to duel in his second class, overslept his third class and his fourth class, he longed to be on time and get called upon today. He had plenty of time to get there, so it was no worry. Probably.
Regardless of all the more complex intricacies this place had, he was grateful and very much enjoying his new bed. The kink in his lower back which was damn near constantly there since his awakening in the asylum had even begun to fade. He simply felt better.
It made him wonder just what else he had been missing in Lordran. This place had showers, the steaming water feeling better against his skin than even a divine blessing, and now, he discovered they had beds this comfortable? He was in the great thereafter, and it was far better than anything he had ever imagined. Sure, the people made no sense – absolutely none – but everything else? It was as perfect as anything could be.
"Sibyl? Are you awake?"
It was the soft voice of Pyrrha which came calling through his door. He took a moment to debate whether or not to answer. Would the redhead drag him out of his own slice of heaven, forcing him to go to some insufferable class? Or would she understand that, after all this time, he had finally found peace, and it was the bed he laid upon.
"Oh, c'mon P-Money! Fireball's a lazy bum; you gotta' be firm with him."
Gods above, not Yang. Whimpering quietly, Sibyl tried to force his head to burrow further into the pillow. Maybe they would go away… oh, who was he kidding. Yang wouldn't just go away.
"Fireball!" Yang pounded on his door repeatedly and without pause, "Get up!"
Sighing softly, he whispered a sweet goodbye to his pillow. It would miss him, and he would miss her, but they'd reunite again tonight. Taking a deep breath, he finally responded to the annoyance he had been forced to call a student for two weeks. "I am up, Yang. Please stop your Velka-damned knocking."
The blonde vixen, without warning, invited herself into his room, barging in.
He frowned. Pyrrha followed in behind her and much more hesitantly. He appreciated she at least had some respect for his privacy.
"You know, Fireball, Miss G is sooo mad at you."
Blinking, Sibyl tried to figure out just who this 'Miss G'Yang spoke of was. Hmm… Goodwitch, perhaps? It made the most sense. He knew of no others who would match. Yang's peculiar nicknaming methods continued to confuse him.
"She… she was a bit miffed," Pyrrha admitted, a small smile on her face. He decided to believe it was Glynda they were speaking of. It would make things easier. "I just can't believe it – you, sleeping in and missing combat class, again?"
Mouth opened to dismiss Yang's words, his jaw was left unhinged when he realized just what she said. "What? Nonsense. Glynda was very clear to me to not be late again; I still have... err," How long did he have to get to class? His eyes moved over to the broken, digital clock which had been explained to him earlier in the week. Of course, he never quite figured out how to turn it on.
Yang nodded, slapping him on the back and doing a remarkable job of waking him up. "Exactly! You were supposed to fight Ruby. She was so upset when you weren't there." Yang put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing hard enough even he could feel a bit of pain. "Miss G agreed to just have you two be the final combatants today. You're not going to disappoint my little sister, are you?"
He coughed lightly, removing Yang's hand from his shoulder carefully and meeting her deadly stare down with his own eye. "Of course not. I'll get dressed at once."
"Sibyl?" Pyrrha questioned, drawing his attention, "Did you draw these?"
He blinked, turning to look at the redhead. She was holding his makeshift artbook, something he had left open on his desk the night before. The page being shown was his more recent attempt: one of Sif. The undead had something of an exceptional memory, so he had taken to drawing the not-so-small pup. For some reason, he could even imagine the white wolf full grown, his fur turned grey. That would make a good sketch at a later date, but for now, his drawing of a much smaller Sif was mostly done.
The pencils this place offered were remarkably useful and made drawing a lot easier than the charcoal he had sharpened to a fine point. He was even thinking of copying all he had worked on to a new artbook, that was how good they were to use.
"Wow, Fireball. These are really good," Yang observed, taking his artbook and flipping through some of the pages.
"Really? You think so? I always find them lacking in… something."
It was hard to place just what they were lacking in, just that they were.
"No, they're quite good. Do you mind if we look through some of the others?"
He shrugged at Pyrrha's question, hardly caring. "It is of no bother to me, just do be careful with it."
Yang and Pyrrha both nodded, dismissing themselves to the hallway so he could get properly dressed.
Stiffling a yawn, he barely even thought about it as he began removing his gold-hemmed robe, the process taking only a few moments. His mind was focused on the eager opponent he would be facing: Ruby Rose. Hmm, if he was going to fight Ruby, then perhaps a change of attire was in order. She seemed like a fragile opponent, though quick. It was something which was rather difficult to deal with, given his larger weapons.
Sure, if he got a hit in, the duel would end quickly, but getting those hits in were always difficult. No, he wouldn't use anything too unwieldy for this duel. Instead, he would use Quelaag's Furysword, a weapon forged from her very own soul. As always, his left hand would be kept open; the versatility and surprise factor of his miracles, pyromancy, and sorceries could never be made up by a mere shield. As for his armor, something light would be ideal.
He settled on the same wear Patches preferred, a black-leather set complete with an iron plate on his shoulder. It came with a hood and mask, too. The only thing he didn't wear was a glove on his left hand, as it made casting pyromancies marginally more difficult and unnatural. It took some time, but he was eventually fully dressed and ready to show everyone he could do more than just swing around hunks of metal.
Sibyl would not disappoint an eager Ruby.
Exiting his dorm, he found Pyrrha and Yang still going through his sketches. He coughed, getting their attention a moment thereafter.
His blonde student didn't even wait a second to speak. "Fireball, you gotta' let us show these to everyone else! They're freakin' amazing." Pyrrha nodded in agreement. Sibyl stroked his chin, considering the offer.
The drawings were special to him, but not so special as, say, Solaire's talisman which he dared to call his own. In the end, they were but drawing; they paled in comparison to the memories they were based off. If Yang sought to show them off, he had no real issues with it. "I suppose I don't mind."
Yang cheered, slapping him on the back, "That's the spirit!"
Pyrrha hummed softly, still looking at one of his drawings. "Did you come up with these, or are they based on someone?" She was looking at a sketch of a fully armored Siegmeyer, sitting in front of Sen's Fortress's closed gate, his trusty shield and Zweihander lying beside him.
That large, lengthy sword and height were the only differences one could tell between him and his daughter, Sieglinde. "All are based on someone or something. That one in particular is of an old friend, Siegmeyer. He was quite the knight, if a bit rotund." He couldn't stop himself from chuckling, memories of the plump, onion-looking knight brought to the front of his mind.
"I see," Pyrrha commented, still staring at his sketch.
Sibyl decided to elaborate a bit more as they continued to walk, Yang on the other side of him opposite Pyrrha. "He was an adventurer, always going here and there, never staying in one place. Though, I suppose he found time to start a family long before I met him."
"Wait, he just… left his wife and daughter?" Yang questioned, seemingly a bit too offended at the prospect.
"At some point, yes. His wife had already passed by the time I met his daughter, Sieglinde, who made the venture to Lordran to deliver her mother's final words. She was well–trained, from what I saw. She even wore the same armor and wielded the same shield as her father, both a standard throughout Catarina, though she did prefer a bastard sword to his Zweihander."
"Catarina? Is that another sort of Badlands village?" Pyrrha questioned, and Sibyl quietly thanked the gods she had made up a self-explanation for it, so he wouldn't have to.
"Indeed, it is."
The redheaded Mistral champion nodded, humming as she turned to the next page of his artbook. Was lying really so easy? He'd never engaged in it until he arrived here.
He'd try to refrain from lying too much, however. It made him feel sick.
"How nice of you to show up, Mr. Sibyl," Glynda spoke, a quiet fury in her voice which the undead likened to Quelana, "Seeing as how you missed the first time I explained it, as well as both of last week's classes, I will take a moment to explain the rules. Again."
Yes, Glynda had quite a lot in common with Quelana. She'd never been a particularly lenient mentor either, a far cry from Laurentius. Then again, he had saved one of them from being eaten alive. Perhaps that had something to do with their different attitudes?
As Glynda explained the rules, something about when their Aura, measured by a green bar on another one of those odd screens, reached red, the duel was over. It was simple enough, and to be frank, he was just ready to start their fight. Ruby was equally eager, fidgeting in place with her oversized scythe resting against the ground.
Twirling Quelaag's Furysword, he watched as the threads of red were left in the air briefly before dissipating. Ruby nearly squealed in delight at the sight, electing a small chuckle from him. He really ought to show her his full collection, but then again, she might fall dead from the sight! Lords knew Shiva had; Sibyl fought off attempts to buy his many different weapons every time he encountered the Forest Hunter captain after that event.
"Fight well, young Rose."
It had been so long since he engaged in a friendly duel, the last one he recalled being with Solaire before his bout of insanity. They had dueled amidst the ruins of Izalith. The Chosen Undead had only offered to try and get his dear friend out of his funk. It was his last cherished memory with his companion before… well, before things changed.
Ruby smiled with a nod before speaking, inadvertently forcing the depressing thoughts out from his mind, "You too!"
Giving one final glance towards Glynda, his blonde student and teacher nodded.
"Begin!"
Ruby didn't waste a single second, shooting at him in a blur which would have made Ornstein proud. Sibyl slid his foot back, waiting for Ruby to close the distance before slashing horizontally, shifting the swing of his blade into a backwards cartwheel which allowed him to avoid Ruby's attempt to sweep out his feet, his hand coming down right after the blade had passed.
She slid right past him, and he rolled to the side on instinct alone before she fired something at him. He really needed to figure out what in Izalith it was, because it flew by far too fast to be an arrow. Still, a fight was no real time to be mulling on such things. Charging at her, he brought his blade upwards to guard against her scythe, not bothering to block the kick she threw at his chest.
Or, well, he had expected it to be a kick with the intent to hurt him. Instead, she kicked off his chest, creating much needed distance between the two of them as she landed, scythe already behind her, angled at around her hip-level. It was simply marvelous; he had never seen someone so mobile! Ornstein had been fast when it suited him, but nothing like what he had just witnessed Ruby do. The undead grinned, grabbing his weapon with two hands as a laugh forced its way out of his throat.
"Yes! Be relentless, young Rose!"
She charged at him in another blur, scythe overhead. Just as suddenly as she charged, she stopped, slashing twice in such quick succession one might have even been able to see the blur her weapon left behind as an 'X'. He stepped back and managed to dodge both rapid slices, but they did snag a bit of leather off his chest. Still, he moved forward again, bringing his blade along the ground and up at her face.
She redirected his attack with the pole of her scythe, but by that time, he had already removed his second hand from the hilt. Palm open and pointing at her stomach, he allowed fire to simply expel from his hand, the cast of Fire Surge catching her by complete surprise.
With a wide, sweeping swing of her scythe, she managed to get away from his constant stream of fire within a second. He allowed the flame to stop, taking a moment to circle Ruby as she did the same to him.
"Pretty sneaky there!" She commented, smiling eagerly.
Good; nothing was as fun as a good duel.
"Your skill with that scythe and incredible speed has me in something akin to awe," Pausing, he let the words settle, "but you've yet to blossom." Channeling his pyromancy internally, he exhaled, a purple mist coming out from his mouth like smoke from a chimney. He got to see Ruby flinch back before not only hers, but his own view was completely obscured by the purple dew.
Ruby would likely be afraid to go anywhere near the purple mist. He was not.
Sprinting into it, he grabbed the talisman at his hip. A silent prayer left his lips as a lightning bolt formed, the sound quite distinctive in both its forming and continued existence. He heard whispers from all around, quickly tuning them out as he listened for his target. It wasn't much, and truth be told, he was impressed Ruby didn't say anything in response to the cackling of his lightning bolt. Some of his past foes would curse or gasp, but not her.
His opponent did make one crucial mistake, however. She reloaded whatever projectile her scythe shot. It wasn't much, and the only reason he managed to pinpoint her location was thanks to Solaire's… peculiar training methods. Countless hours spent with his eyes wrapped, forced to hit Solaire's shield with his bolts as the sunlight knight would stomp on the ground precisely once. If Sibyl failed, well… he got a shield thrown at his shins.
Ignoring his sudden sluggishness as he could finally feel the poison infect him, he tossed the lightning bolt from his hand with no small amount of force. He was already rushing out of the purple mist he had created when he heard the cry of surprise and pain. The undead was upon a stunned Ruby in an instant, and she only just managed to react to his sideways slash, managing to limit it to a glancing blow.
The scythe-wielder was not so lucky with the two strikes which followed. Her Aura protected her, or else he would have ended the duel right then. His strikes caused pain and somedamage, but it was heavily limited, far more so than even the best armor could provide. Aura really was a blessing.
She spun her scythe to try and block his continued assault, mostly succeeding. 'Mostly', because it forced him to quickly conjure Iron Flesh as he continued to slash wildly, losing his form due to the focus such a cast required. As soon as the cast took effect, he reached forward with his offhand, her whirlwind of steel slamming against it. Rather than battering his hand away like she seemed to expect, it just stopped with a loud 'clang'.
He saw her eyes widened the moment it happened, and watched as they were drawn down to the iron sheen which was covering his hand. The duel effectively ended right then and there. Gripping the pole of her scythe with the same hand which had stopped it, the undead pulled, Ruby stubbornly refusing to let go. It was her final mistake; he slammed his head against hers before letting go of her scythe and snatching her wrist within his much larger hand.
Twisting, he brought her much smaller body into his own, getting a good grip under her throat with his forearm at the same time.
"Match!" Glynda called, and Sibyl didn't waste a second to let go of Ruby, the girl falling forward onto her knees and panting. He wasn't surprised by that; she didn't strike him as a well-conditioned fighter. She was likely used to winning, and winning quickly.
Their bespectacled instructor gave the younger girl a chance to breathe before speaking "Excellent performance, both of you."
Sibyl nodded in appreciation at the words, reaching a hand to help Ruby up. She took it gracefully, still breathing a bit hard, but smiling.
The smile turned to a confused frown when she felt his hand. "How… how is your hand so hard? It feels like iron!"
He rose an amused eyebrow. "That's because my skin is covered by iron. It's a pyromancy cast, young Rose."
The girl 'oh'd, squinting at his hand before poking the middle of his palm with a single finger.
Glynda cleared her throat, electing an 'eep'from the young girl. "Miss Rose, where do you think you went wrong?"
The girl in question closed her eyes, thinking hard in response to the inquiry. "I… I reloaded when he was in the shroud, ya' know, because I was going to try a few blind shots, but it just gave me away. Then he threw that lightning-thingy."
Quite the eloquent explanation, but all the important details were correct.
"Precisely. You're very skilled – Qrow saw to that – but you must have a plan opposed to always reacting. The moment you let Sibyl set the pace of this duel, you lost."
The girl nodded solemnly at Goodwitch's words. He gave her a solid clap on the back to try and cheer her up, not realizing the effects of Iron Flesh had yet to die out.
She slammed into the ground hard, and he flinched. "Terribly sorry, young Rose. I forgot the effects of Iron Flesh can take some time to dissipate."
"Ish fane,"was her mumbled response, face still against the floor.
Sibyl made to apologize again, but instead coughed with bit of blood expelling itself onto his lips. Oh. How silly, he only just remembered he was in fact poisoned. Right, that seemed a prudent detail to not forget. Reaching for his catalyst, he wasted no time to cast Remedy and cleanse his lungs. It was another crisis averted.
"…Mr. Sibyl, just what was that purple mist you went into?"
Rubbing the blood away from his lips, he turned his gaze to Glynda's curious and somewhat fearful green eyes. "Poison, of course."
His instructor sighed softly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I trust whatever you did just… cured it?"
He nodded and swore Glynda muttered something foul under her breath.
"Yes, well… I suppose I can't reprimand you too harshly for going inside a cloud of poison mist, given you had a cure and it resulted in a quick end to the fight. Just… do be cautious."
He shrugged off her words, helping Ruby back to her feet once more. "Oh, not to worry, Glynda. I've done it more times than I care to count."
She shook her head slowly. "That's what I was afraid of. Class is dismissed."
Turning to Ruby, Sibyl was much more careful in giving her a congratulation. He hardly wanted her to eat dirt again. "You truly are exceptional, young Rose. It was a fine duel."
She blushed, averting her eyes from his own and instead focusing on the ground. "Ooh, it was nothing; really, you were the amazing one!"
Waving off her words, he guided the both of them back over to her team who stood beside the members of JNPR. "The only thing I have over you is experience. In time, I'm sure you'll eclipse me."
Sibyl scarcely had time to duck beneath Yang's grasp as the blonde tried to grab both himself and Ruby into some sort of hug. Ruby, unfortunately, failed to dodge. She was left taking the full brunt of Yang's bear-hug. The blonde sister started babbling about how impressive Ruby was; Sibyl quickly tuned it out.
"That was incredible," Pyrhha said, capturing his attention. He rubbed the back of his head at the redheaded warrior's words.
"I hardly think so. Really, compared to Ruby's speed and agility, I find myself rather lacking."
"Nonsense," Weiss interrupted, arms crossed in front of her, "what you lack in speed, you more than make up for in recklessness."
The undead didn't say anything in response for a few moments. Was this one of those worded traps the women he had met were oh-so-fond of? "...thank you," he eventually settled for.
Weiss exploded immediately, and he realized that yes, it had been a trap. "'Thank you'?! No, you imbecile! You poisoned yourself just to win a duel! Do you have any idea the damage that can do, even if you had the cure?! Blood came out when you coughed, you idiotic oaf!"
He shrugged off her scathing statement. "Really, Weiss, you worry far too much. That was the much weaker poison pyromancy cast of the two I know. Even I wouldn't go into a cloud of Toxic Mist except in the direst of circumstances." He'd only gone into his own Toxic Mist cloud once and nearly found himself dead for it. No, only the purple poison cloud was the one he dared to regularly use to mask his sorcery and miracle casts.
"...I'm surrounded by idiots," Weiss mumbled, running a palm down her face.
He prepared to respond, before Pyrrha interrupted, voice curious. "Anyways! What was that yellow bolt you threw? Was... was that actual lightning?"
Sibyl chuckled, reaching for the talisman at his hip. He showed it around briefly before raising his hand, conjuring the Great Lightning Bolt with but an internal prayer. Everyone stared in awe, and he hardly blamed them; the lightning bolt was perhaps the most... heroic-looking of all his abilities.
He prepared to explain the intricacies behind it, seeing the expressions on Yang and Weiss-
"Teach me!" Nora yelled, suddenly in his face and shaking him out of what thoughts he had, "Please! I'll share my pancakes with you, but not all of them, just some. Maybe."
Sibyl blinked at the orange-haired wonder whom he hardly even knew. It was a bold approach to trying to get him to teach her anything, one which utterly failed. "With respect, Lady Valkyrie, these miracles are... well, they're for Warriors of Sunlight. Unlike pyromancy and sorcery, they are not something widespread in use, something all are entitled to use. They're far more prestigious."
The girl opened her mouth to whine, but Ren squeezed her shoulder and shook his head slowly. Nora deflated visibly, head hung low. Sibyl grimaced lightly; he took no joy in declining the offer, but... "I truly am sorry, Lady Valkyrie, but one must prove themselves worthy long before I'd ever offer to teach such miracles."
She lost some of her gloom, face getting thoughtful. "So, I just have to prove myself worthy?" He hesitantly nodded. He didn't want to get her hopes up, after all. "Then I'll just train harder than ever!" Nora exclaimed, pausing to turn to her partner in crime, "Renny, be ready to double my morning pancakes- no, triple it! Gonna' need lots of fuel. Lots."
Ren seemed less than thrilled at the prospect, and Sibyl hardly blamed him. He had watched the orange-haired girl absolutely devour those pancakes, the stacks on her plate sometimes being taller than she herself was! Still, he was more concerned with what the girl in front of him had taken and run with. So much for not getting her enthused...
Well, who knew what would happen? Perhaps Nora would prove herself worthy. It wasn't up to him to choose, really; the choice would always lay with the sun and Gwyn above. He was merely an extension. He would feel when someone was worthy.
"Anyways," Yang interrupted, finally done suffocating her sister between her bosom, "let's go get lunch!"
Sibyl hummed, nodding at the suggestion. "As good an option as any, I suppose."
The lunch they were undertaking together as one large group had turned into something of a bonfire tale, though per usual, he was the only one sharing. It had begun when Yang started showing off his drawings; with a curious question by Pyrrha, Sibyl was left weaving stories and legends he had taken time to capture in ink, either from memory or sight. It was actually quite enjoyable, and his audience was respectfully curious. He'd already spoken on Ciaran, the Lord's Blade, as well as his early sorcery mentor, Griggs.
He ignored questions which delved on his drawing of demons and dragons, simply saying they were his imagination.
As Yang turned another page from his artbook and a sketch of the Darkmoon Knightress was displayed, he couldn't help but smile in appreciation. "That was a woman who was truly after my heart."
Ruby sat forward in her seat, resting her head between her hands as those silver eyes of hers sparkled. "Wow, really?"
Sibyl nodded, leaning back and stroking his chin. "Yes. I wouldn't have ever joined the cult she was a part of if not to impress her."
Blake rose an eyebrow at his statement. "You joined a cult just to impress a girl?"
He didn't hesitate to nod in response. "Absolutely. She was more than just a girl, however. She was incredible, impeccable! Her skill with an estoc left me breathless, not to mention her voice which soothed my soul even more than a divine blessing." Really, she had been amazing. A welcome sight when he first arrived in Anor Londo, certainly, and a joyous sight every time thereafter.
"Well? What did she look out without the helmet?" Yang questioned, resting halfway on the table in front of her.
"Truthfully? I don't know. She claimed to be malformed beneath it, but there is much more to a woman than looks, I believe."
Weiss couldn't help but be skeptical at his words, "Really? You tried to form a relationship with someone you'd never even seen the face of?"
The Chosen Undead didn't understand why that sounded so unbelievable. Sure, Weiss was the only one who voiced the thought, but everyone else at the table had a face of disbelief. "Why? Is that considered odd?"
Pyrhha cleared her throat, and his eye naturally went over to her. "I think its sweet. Most men are vainer than you seem to be."
He wasn't too sure what to make of the claim, so he elected to just continue with his story. "Yes, well... it didn't exactly work out." Coughing lightly, Sibyl could feel his cheeks heat up. "She got quite miffed I kept staring at her while we were on hunts rather than assisting her." He closed his good eye in bliss. "She put her parrying dagger to my tenders and just stared at me through her visor, an unspoken threat if there ever was one." Sibyl sighed, reopening his eye and breathing softly. "Ah, what a woman..."
Yang whistled, lips upturned in a smirk. "Into the, uh... dominant type there, Fireball?"
His head swung side to side lightly as he considered the question. "I... I do prefer a degree of brazen confidence in women, yes, though I once entertained thoughts with a much meeker woman. I was somewhat of a mess at the time, a bit after Laurentius had-"
His face, usually full and lively, was bony and wrinkled. Laurentius didn't stutter through his words in that nervous tick of his; in fact, he didn't speak at all. Instead, his mentor moaned, looking at him with dead, hollowed eyes which wanted only one thing: his humanity. Sibyl had seen the look a thousand times, and now, he saw it once more amidst the swamp of Blight Town. It had never felt so personal.
"No, no," the Chosen Undead mumbled, eyes wide as the grip he had on his longsword tightened, "Stop, Laurentius! Overcome the madness that has gripped you!"
His friend and mentor didn't stop. No, he conjured a fireball, and Sibyl screamed as-
His hand instantly rose to his patch covered eye, which was burning insufferably! He hissed in pain, slamming a hand against the table in front of him which nearly broke it in half. It took a few moments, and he was left panting for breath as his ears rung. What had that even been? He'd had haunted memories in the past, yes, but they were never so vivid! It had to be the damnable infection on his eye, much like most of his issues could be traced to. Sibyl finally got control of himself and with a deep breath, removing his clenched fist from the table.
Everyone at the table was quiet and staring at him with varying expressions.
"...forgive me. I didn't mean for-" He tried to explain, but Weiss quickly cut him off before he could even finish speaking.
"It's fine. Now, what were you saying about the Knightress?" He gave the Heiress a long gaze, softening his eyes and inclining his head lightly.
"Yes. Right, well, our relationship never developed. The duties we had were far too different and drew us apart long before anything could form. She was a Fire Keeper, and I was-"
"Wait, what did you say?" Blake questioned, suddenly alert and in fact standing.
Sibyl stared at her in confusion, raising his single, visible brow. "I said she was a Fire Keeper."
The bow-wearing girl spared a glance around, the attention of the table which had previously been centered on him now on her. Slowly, she returned to her sitting position. "I was... I was just wondering what a Fire Keeper was. It sounds important."
Ignoring the oddity of those around him, Sibyl nodded his head. "Indeed, it is important. Many would consider being a Fire Keeper an honor, but I always saw past the honey-laced words and title. They are unwilling servants, forced to..."
Pausing halfway through his explanation, the last sunlight warrior heard something. It wasn't much, but it was enough to draw his attention to the side.
There were four boys, of whom he only recognized thanks to the ceremony after initiation. That in and of itself was of little notice, however, they were doing something to someone. He knew the girl to be a Faunus, the word he had looked up last night after a late trip to the library and the retrieval of a dictionary. It was obvious by the large rabbit ears atop her head, which were currently being pulled.
"Atrocious," Pyrrha exclaimed, electing nods from those around him, but no actions.
"Yeah, that Cardin guy's a real piece of work. Hasn't he been messing with you, Jaune?"
The blond, who had been remarkably quiet most of the lunch, finally looked up from his meal at Yang's question. "What? Nah, he's just..."
Sibyl was confounded. Why was no one doing anything? Pyrrha herself had already called their actions atrocious, yet she continued to eat, albeit with a foul expression. Sibyl felt his face fall flat, reminded by the actions of those around him of a story he once heard.
"They dragged me through the gates, my friends and family watching," Solaire explained, laughing softly and weakly, "I thought one of them would step up, say some protests, but... they simply watched and averted their eyes whenever I bothered to stare back." The sunlight warrior shook his head with a smile, "But it hardly matters. I've found myself a new brother, as it were. Haha!"
If those at the table beside him would ignore such an obvious injustice, what would they do if he was discovered to be an undead and put away for it? Would they do the same as Solaire's Astoran family or would they act? Judging by their immediate reactions, he was forced to assume they'd avert their eyes.
He paid the conversations around him no more attention, standing up from his seat and trying to stop his abyss covered eye from acting out, because he was angry.
Sibyl could hear them as he got closer, laughing and mocking the girl. They claimed her a freak, an animal. Why? Because of a pair of ears atop her head? They weren't as dangerous as an undead, who were always at risk of hollowing and killing people, from strangers to family. At least the disillusion people had with the undead made some degree of sense, but this? Mocking her simply because she was different? It reminded him of the dragon girl he found in the Painted World, Priscilla.
He decided then to show them what a real animal behaved like.
The leader and biggest of them barely had time to look aside before Sibyl grabbed him by his breastplate, lifting the poor fool off from his seat and slamming him into the ground below, denting the floor. As the other three stooges instantly converged on him, he grabbed the talisman at his hip and muttered the prayer for Wrath of the Gods. The three attempting to dogpile atop of him were launched back with the expanding white force, while Cardin beneath him simply went further into the ground below. His Aura would keep him alive, so Sibyl didn't really care how much damage he did.
Sibyl leaned in close, his eye inches away from Cardin's own.
"Tell me, what would you do? Would you force her and all like her to live in isolation in some desolate land, caged and imprisoned simply so you can feel comfortable?" Cardin, dazed and confused, gave some vague attempt to force Sibyl off. The undead laughed, standing up and sneering at the boy beneath him. "You disgust me. All of you!" He wasn't speaking just to the group which had committed the act he had just stopped. No, he turned and glanced around the whole lunchroom, from those he had previously been eating with to those who he didn't even know. "You come here to be humanity's protectors, yet not one dared to act against these fools.
"Why? Because they are peers? Because you don't know the girl they act out against!? Or perhaps because she's a Faunus, and you are a selfish bastard incapable of even an ounce of empathy." Sibyl took a deep breath, shaking his head quietly as he turned his gaze to the rabbit-eared girl who was looking at him with fear and confusion. "Make a stand for yourself, because as you see yourself, those around rarely will. These weaklings would hardly be a challenge; I'd know."
Sibyl heard the punch heading for the back of his head the moment it was thrown. Ducking aside, he grabbed Cardin's extended arm and leaned forward, throwing the idiot over his shoulder and onto the ground in front of him.
Staring with his one good eye, he scowled. "If I ever see you do something even remotely similar to what you did to this girl, I will kill you. Am I understood?" The student was left wheezing for breath, but muttered out a 'fuck you' in spite of that. Sibyl dismissed himself, shaking his head and turning to stare at the table of people he almost dared to call friends.
He was disgusted.
"...that went poorly," Weiss muttered as Sibyl left the lunchroom, barely able to stop himself from punching a hole through the damn door he opened. Yang thought the heiress's words were about as big of an understatement possible. That was way worse than poorly.
"He's right, though," It was her little sister who spoke, staring at the table with somewhat wet eyes. "Why are we here if we're just going to allow people like Cardin to act like that? It's not right!"
The blonde sighed, setting her fork down. She wasn't hungry anymore.
"We... we did just watch," Pyrrha conceded softly, "By doing nothing, we condoned their actions."
Weiss shook her head and crossed her arms, "While I agree what Cardin was doing deserved punishment, it's none of our business. We shouldn't have to interfere."
Ren, usually quiet, finally spoke. "Then when does it become our business?"
The Heiress opened her mouth to respond but paused. It seemed she didn't have a good answer.
Yang didn't have one either. When did it become their business? When it was someone they knew? Yang knew if Cardin had touched a hair on Ruby's head, she wouldn't have hesitated to break every bone in the bully's body.
"...Fireball's right," Yang observed, tapping her fingers against the table in front of her, "If that was you, Ruby, I wouldn't have hesitated to go and punch Cardin through a wall." She slammed her other fist down onto the table, breathing heavy as her hair lit up. "But we didn't know that girl, did we? That's why we watched. Gah!"
The blonde was beyond mad at herself. Was she really one of those people? She always told herself she'd do something, but she'd just sat and watched until Sibyl went and did something about it. What if she had done something like that in the past? She couldn't remember, but she might not have even remembered today if Sibyl hadn't done something to stop it.
"Do you think it's something more... personal to Sibyl?"
Everyone at the table spared a look at Pyrrha after her question. "What? You think he's a Faunus?" Weiss questioned, electing a shrug from the Mistral Champion.
"I don't know. It's possible? We really don't know all that much about him," the redhead answered.
Yang opened her mouth to say more when Blake suddenly stood up. "I'm going to go talk to him." She didn't give any of them a chance to follow, already walking away.
Yang hummed silently. "We gotta' make it up to him," she thought aloud, electing nods from still at the table.
"But how?" Ruby asked, and Yang had to admit; it was a good question.
"Sibyl seems to be... practical. I think a simple apology would suffice," Weiss said, and Yang was inclined to agree. Still, she didn't just want his forgiveness. She wanted to make it up to him.
Slowly, she conjured a flame in her hand, staring at it for a few moments before dismissing it herself. She could hold it for around a minute before it faded now, and she was pretty sure that was more out of boredom if anything. He was teaching Weiss, too, and might even teach some of the others on how to do something as amazing as how to throw lightning bolts.
They'd figure something out to make it up to him. They had to.
Of all whom Sibyl expected might attempt to follow his trail up to the very rooftop he had taken to pacing around on rapidly and angrily, Blake was not on the list. He had figured perhaps Pyrrha or Yang would chase after him to try and calm his rage, but not the black-haired girl whom he hardly had undertaken more than a passing conversation with since initiation. It was enough to cause him pause in his frantic pacing when she came through the same door he had, steps subdued and quiet.
"What? Have you come to reprimand my actions?" He asked, hissing.
Blake shook her head slowly, opening her mouth, but closing it promptly. The undead scoffed.
"Then why did you follow me up here?" Sibyl questioned, crossing his arms in front of him "I'd much prefer to be kept in solitary, if I'm honest-"
"You're right," Blake said, stopping whatever rambling explanation he had been ready to explain. "We should have done something; I should have done something," she paused, averting her eyes from his own. "Especially because I'm always talking about how Faunus are treated poorly. I just didn't want the attention doing something would cause." She took a deep breath, her eyes rising to meet his own single grey one. They were a beautiful amber, now that he bothered to notice.
"So, I'm sorry. And thank you for doing something when we wouldn't."
He hadn't exactly expected anything she just said to be what she said, so he simply nodded lightly, moving over to the edge of the roof he stood upon and taking a seat on the ledge. Blake slowly made to sit next to him, but Sibyl paid it no mind, instead turning his gaze to the sun above. It was as beautiful here as it was back in Lordran.
"I am fond of many people, Blake. But I do not like the people." He gripped the ledge beneath his bottom, nearly breaking the stone with the force. "They're selfish," he began, slowly loosening the pressure of his grip, "unable to put themselves in another's boots. They'd rather be rid of us all than understand our plight." Sibyl couldn't say his words came from experience, not his own. But he had heard stories, from Patches to Siegmeyer on how they had been treated when the dark sign branded them.
Ousted and abandoned by lovers, family, and friends, not to mention kingdom and city folk whom once spoke with them kindly. Status didn't matter; Laurentius had been treated much the same as Logan had been. Sure, Logan hadn't been cursed out of town or imprisoned, simply because no fool was dumb enough to try, but behind his back, they talked. Oh, they talked. And Laurentius? He was nearly burnt alive by his fellow pyromancers before he managed to leave. Siegmeyer's very own wife had told him to leave, in tears or not.
And yet, he couldn't imagine a finer group than those undead. Well, except for Patches. He could imagine quite a few fellows better than Patches.
"...I understand. Really, I do," Blake explained, slowly reaching a hand up to the bow atop her head. Sibyl was quite confounded when she slowly removed it, and blinked at the sight revealed when it was gone. Blake was a Faunus, complete with cat ears. "We're... we're both Faunus, so if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm here."
Wait? Why did she think him a Faunus? Regardless of the why, Sibyl coughed lightly, feeling his face turn red as he prepared to correct her mistake.
"I'm... I'm afraid you misread me, Blake. I am no Faunus."
She was silent after his words, looking at him with a hundred-yard stare. He truly did feel bad; Blake was trying to hide her Faunus heritage, perhaps to avoid what Cardin had been doing to the rabbit-eared girl. It wasn't much different then how he was hiding his dark sign branding, and yet, she had revealed it to him in some attempt to comfort. "Y-You're not a Faunus?" She stuttered, eyes wide like... well, like a cat, "But you said we!"
He averted his gaze, sighing softly. "I'm cursed. Being a Faunus would be a blessing, really. I can only imagine how good your hearing is," Sibyl assured, turning back to Blake. She looked mad at his claim, perhaps thinking his claim of being a Faunus to be a 'blessing'insulting. "I won't tell anyone what you revealed to me."
She didn't seem so reassured by his words. Sibyl slowly pulled down the cloth around his neck, revealing his imprinted, orange dark sign which stayed at the base of his neck. He could reveal this without much issue, honestly. If this place had no idea as to what an undead was, he could simply claim Blake insane if she tried to tell anyone.
It wasn't as if he took any real shame in being an undead, either. How could he when the finest people he'd ever met were also undead? It was just... if they understood what could happen to him, that he could snap and hollow at any moment, really, they would be cautious and fearful. Though, perhaps not as much so as back home. Undead had been a dime a dozen, making the threat of hollowing far harsher. Just one undead hollowing was hardly an issue, but when thousands turned, it quickly became a dire problem.
In the end, if sharing his secret would bring her comfort and stop her worrying he might reveal her secret, he would do so. She had revealed her ears to try and calm him down, so he was simply repaying the favor. "...what I am is not as simple as having an extra pair of ears. Since you revealed your secret, I suppose it's only fitting I show mine."
Touching a single finger against his dark sign, it glowed brightly. He felt his skin, flushed with blood and alive, wrinkle and grow thin. Blake gasped, leaning back away from him in confusion and fear. It hurt, but he hardly blamed her. An undead was quite the disturbing sight when not masquerading as a normal being. "I am cursed with the Dark Sign. It is destined to one day leave me little more than a frothing corpse, desperate to tear apart any and all who came near me, friends or not."
She tried to meet his eyes but shivered and looked away. He allowed his curse to fade, his skin returning to its much livelier state. "I somewhat understand the plight of you Faunus. They have no reason to fear you as they did us, yet they do."
Blake didn't say anything, still seemingly shaken by his transformation.
He decided she needed time to process what he had revealed. "I shall keep your secret, and I do hope you will keep mine." Blake wasn't so uncomfortable anymore, and she shook away whatever haunted thoughts floated within her mind. He decided a change of subject was order. "If you're still curious, I'll explain what a Fire Keeper is in more detail at a later date."
It seemed to be what she needed to hear, as her still wide eyes slowly relaxed. "S-Sure. I'll... I'll see you in class," the Faunus girl declared, grabbing her bow and quickly securing it back around her head. Sibyl watched her leave, eventually turning his eyes back to the sun. He sat like that for some time, just... looking at the sky. It was peaceful.
Someone else now knew he was cursed. He found something akin to comfort in it actually, just in case he hollowed. Others might try to spare him, keep him alive, but hopefully Blake would know better. If she was willing, she could take the burden of ending his life, much like Siegelinde took the burden of sending her father's hollowed corpse to a restful afterlife.
He was looking forward to it.
"Sibyl," Glynda's voice sounded behind him, nearly causing him to flinch and fall forward off the edge of the roof he was sitting atop, "I've been told about what you did, and we need to discuss your actions."
Oh, great. It seemed he wouldn't be getting out of a lecture on proper manners. Scoffing, he gave his sorcery student a small glare. "I'd sooner jump off this roof than apologize to that bumbling fool who somehow gained admittance to this academy."
She sighed. "I don't intend to make you apologize, but attacking a fellow student has consequences here, whether they deserved it or not." He gave a lazy glance over his shoulder, an unspoken plea for her to get to the point. "You'll miss our field trip to Forever Fall at the end of the month."
The undead hummed, shrugging lightly and turning back to the sky. Missing some field trip was hardly a concern for him.
"Care to take a seat, Glynda?"
There was silence after his question, and he nearly expected her to simply leave him alone on the rooftop. Instead, she settled down beside him. Neither of them said anything, simply looking up at the sky.
"...are you adjusting well?" She eventually broke the silence, her voice cautious.
He wasn't entirely sure how to answer. "This place... it is very different. I would have killed Cardin for what he did today if I was back in Lordran. Is that wrong?"
She didn't hesitate to nod, and he appreciated the blunt honesty. "Yes. It is wrong. He is young, racist, and ignorant, but that's not enough reason to kill someone in a civilized world. If his actions ever rose above simple bullying and turned to maiming, or worse, murder, then perhaps."
The undead absorbed her words. Goodwitch had become something of a sounding board for what morals of his needed adjusting in this new world. She didn't judge him, simply correcting him on what was right in a more 'civilized' world. It was nice, not having her tell him indirectly he might have been in the wrong with old actions took while roaming Lordran. She had explained, in precise terms, that where he came from and here were so far different and that he deserved time to adjust.
Turning to meet his student's green eyes, he nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. How comes your Soul Arrow?"
A small smile worked across her face as she adjusted her glasses. "I believe I'll have it mastered by the end of the day. I've been rather busy these past weeks, but found time to work on it more lately."
Sibyl clapped in appreciation. Without having the natural resource of souls to augment her learning, she had done a fine job. Two weeks to have the casting of Soul Arrow down to a mere second? He could only imagine how quickly she'd advance on the next cast, now that she was used to forming the soul energies. "Good. It's been something of a bore these afternoons, with my wayward students not needing to come see me. I hardly know what to do with myself!"
"I would suggest going into town. It's bound to be interesting, at the very least. Perhaps at the end of the month, while we're on our field-trip?"
It was a good suggestion, so he decided to run with it. "That seems a fine idea." It would give him something to do other than sit around this place, bored out of his mind.
"I hope you enjoy it. Now, I must be off. Dotry not to be tardy to Professor Oobleck's class."
Sibyl groaned. He was going to have to listen to that babbling man again?
How wonderful.
Sibyl had made himself scarce the rest of the day, hardly even talking to anyone during Oobleck's class, but Ruby wasn't worried about that. She had a great plan to cheer him up, one which everyone was on board with!
"This is the dumbest idea you've come up with, yet."
Well, everyone except Weiss was on board, but who cared about Weiss! This was a great plan, and before Sibyl could blink or threaten to kill Cardin again, everything would be great.
See, Ruby knew something about Sibyl which no one else did. Really, it had been obvious before, but she'd never even thought about it until they started going through his artbook and he kept talking about all these great friends he used to have. It was sorta' hard to remember, but Sibyl wasn't from around here. He was from deep in the Badlands, maybe even beyond where most of the Grimm concentrated. So, him being here meant he had left a lot behind, mostly friends. Yang even shared about one more in depth. He had a father named Siegmeyer, whose armor made him look like an onion. As if that wasn't enough, Yang then told everyone about how he always kept this bucket helmet in his room on his desk. Well, the guy who wore that helmet had a drawing in his artbook!
It all meant one thing: Sibyl was lonely. Sure, the rest of them were away from old friends and family too, but the difference was they had teams. Sibyl? He didn't have a team... yet.
"Are you sure he's even going to want us to do this?"
Weiss continued to question her awesome, amazing plan. Really, Weiss had been better ever since that one night with the coffee, but she was such a downer! "Of course he's going to love it! Well, maybe not at first, but it'll be one of those things where he acts all grumpy but actually enjoys it!"
Yang snapped her fingers, smiling. "Just like Uncle Qrow."
Ruby nodded. "Exactly!"
Humming as they all came to a stop in front of Sibyl's door, Ruby and the others paused. It wasn't all of them, but it was the entirety of Team RWBY, as well as Pyrrha.
"Pyrrha," Ruby began, turning to look at the Mistral native, "he likes you the most. You knock!"
The redhead champion 'eep'ed when Yang shoved her forward. "O-Okay," she mumbled out, turning to look at the door before taking a deep breath. She knocked three times before speaking, "Sibyl? Are you there?"
"Yes, yes!" He called through the door, apparently busy with something, "Come in if you must."
The group all turned to look at Ruby. It was her plan, so it made sense, but still... She gulped, slowly moving in front of Pyrrha and opening the door. Ruby entered first, following by everyone else, and immediately found Sibyl in the middle of the room, sitting on the ground cross legged with a book in front of him. Not just in front of him, actually; they were all around him. Ruby blinked in wonder, eyes squinting as she tried to scan them from across the room. He leaned forward to get a closer look at one of the pages before turning to a notebook, writing down some hastily scribbled notes.
Eventually, he spared a look over his shoulder. Sibyl paused upon seeing all of them piled into his room. Ruby waved lightly, clearing her throat and beginning to speak, "Hi! How... how are you doing?"
The sole student opened his mouth but closed it a moment after. Shaking his head, he tried again. "What are you all doing here?"
"Well," she began, taking a deep breath, "we just wanted to say sorry for not standing up for that Faunus during lunch, but saying sorry doesn't feel like enough. You've just been so awesome and helpful, and nobody was really thinking about it, but you don't have a team, right? That has to be super lonely, so we're going to make your room all of our room's! Like a hangout room."
Sibyl blinked, squinting his one good eye at her for a moment before asking a simple question: "What?"
Yang pushed herself to the front, plopping down on his bed. "We're sorry, Fireball. About what happened at lunch, but mostly because we've sorta' just... let you do your own thing. You're like an honorary member of Team RWBY, what with teaching me and Weiss, not to mention how you and Ruby both like weapons, and who knows what you and Blake did on the roof."
The amber-eyed girl stomped in protest, opening her mouth to say more but Yang just continued on, "The point is, we just wanted to make sure you know you're not alone here. What better way to do that then us always being here except when we sleep?!"
"I appreciate the apology, but all of this is very unnecessary-"
Ruby rushed forward with a boost of her Semblance, leaning forward and resting a finger against his lips. "Nope! You're not getting out of this! You are part of Team RWBY, like it or not, and that means your room is our room!" Ruby declared before sparing a glance at Pyrrha. "Oh, and Pyrrha too. Nora, Jaune and Ren would be here, but Nora got a hold of some coffee."
It had been an absolute nightmare, and secretly, Ruby was just glad Nora wasn't on her team.
Sibyl shook his head lightly, sighing and turning back to the books all around him. "Well... it hardly matters to me. Do as you like, just leave my bed in the corner alone."
The scythe-wielding girl internally cheered. She knew he'd react just like that! See, he didn't want them to think he wanted this, but he totally did.
"...what are you doing, anyways?" Weiss asked, peeking over his shoulder.
"Ah, yes. Well, getting to here from my homeland in the Badlands was no intentional feat. I'm not entirely sure, but I'm inclined to believe a soul sorcery sent me here. I've been trying to figure out how for the past two weeks, but it just... baffles me." He sighed, slowly shutting the book in front of him. "I don't even know why I bother. I was never as good with the theoretical as Logan was..."
Oh, no, he was getting all depressed again! Looking around, Ruby tried to find something to distract everyone with. In the end, she settled for grabbing an obscenely large hat which was resting on the ground near Sibyl. "Wow! This hat is really big."
Sibyl chuckled softly, so she considered her mission a success. "That it is. Logan didn't receive his nickname as 'Big Hat'without reason." He stopped speaking, staring at the hat for a moment. "It's rather silly, but I've actually taken to wearing it while I try to dissect these theories and readings."
Ruby opened her mouth to respond, the hat atop her head getting snatched by Yang the moment she stopped paying attention. The blonde wasted no time in trying it on. "Damn! He didn't wear this thing all the time, did he?"
Sibyl nodded in response to Yang's question. Ruby was just upset she didn't get to wear the hat anymore. It made her look like a witch!
"He did. Always said it muffled the noise of those bloated politicians who tried to converse with him."
As Yang delved deeper into conversation with Sibyl – her sister and him seemed to get along really well – Weiss, Ruby and Blake took to rearranging the room, keeping all of Sibyl's stuff in the corner while they used the beds as a sort of makeshift couch along the walls. The chests which were at the foot of every bed were moved together to make a sort of coffee table, and-
"See, Fireball?" Yang declared, having finally removed herself from the bathroom. She was wearing some gold-hemmed robe which Ruby recalled Sibyl wearing the night he stayed over at their house, "I make this look good."
"I think your hair contrasts with the black far too harshly," Sibyl declared flatly, scanning Yang up and down before turning back to the book in his hands.
Yang, of course, was furious. She always got mad when people talked badly about her hair in anyway. "What?! No, my hair is freakin' perfect! You take that back!"
Sibyl responded promptly and without even looking up, "No. I won't lie to make you feel better."
Yang cursed, and it was at that moment Ruby decided her mission had been accomplished.