Hello friends. I bring another chapter! Thanks for everyone following along for so long. Getting incredibly close to the end.
It had been awhile since Blake last felt something was off, but today, that dreadful feeling had returned. It made it extremely hard to enjoy watching Sun and Neptune fight some other double-pair of students from Shade Academy, especially considering her friends were winning. The feeling just sat in her stomach, grumbling. Call it instinct, whatever, the point was, the air just seemed… different.
She'd tried figuring out what had her feeling this way. Maybe it was because Sibyl wasn't around? It was a bit weird, actually, considering how supportive he was of anyone who was blessed enough to be considered a friend by him. He would normally be here cheering on Sun, not locked in his room or wherever it was he was. Weiss wasn't around, either, which was equally strange.
While she would have been willing to write off these worries in the past, these days, if anything seemed even slightly off, her alarm bells went off. Even more alarm bells went off when Coco had ended up firing at Yatsuhashi during their fight. For two extremely familiar, competent second year students, the fact that friendly-fire had occurred was unthinkable. At least that she could write off as some sort of semblance, but still.
All together, something was wrong, and she seemed to be the only one willing to acknowledge it. What would it be, she wondered? A White Fang attack by the remnants of what were left in Vale? Grimm? Something… worse?
...Or, maybe she really was being paranoid. She hesitated to say she felt safe, but the fact that Atlas had flown in so many forces made it unlikely anyone would attack. It also helped encourage her that- despite whatever she thought of Atlas- they seemed to be just as paranoid as she was.
Exhaling a breath of deep air, she allowed herself a smile as Sun somersaulted over his opponent, slamming his staff into the back of her head and sending her face first into the ground, aura depleted.
Sun joined Neptune, who was getting beaten back, in combining forces to overwhelm the leftover student. They made short work of him, and Peter, in the announcer box, exploded in excitement, ringing them endless praises.
Just the ego boost Sun needed. She roller here eyes. He was basking in the glory, flexing. Of course he was. Why wouldn't he, the showoff, what with those abs and gleaming muscles and-
"Enjoying the show, Blake?" Blake nearly jumped out of her skin at Yang's words. Nearly. Instead she settled for a light glare, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.
"He's a showoff," she muttered, ignoring the red tint in her cheeks.
"I didn't hear a no, there." Crossing her arms somehow tighter, Yang laughed, giving her a clap on the back. "Oh, relax Blake. There's nothing wrong with admiring your man," she commented, eyes wiggling.
'I hate everyone,' Blake mused internally, though Yang succeeded in managing to get her to smile, however lightly.
"There we go! You've been so tense today. I've no idea why. This is freakin' awesome!" Blake didn't comment on that, instead staring as Sun and Neptune left the stage, both incredibly excited and happy.
It was pretty awesome. Maybe she was being paranoid. Maybe.
Yang wrapped a hand around her shoulders, pulling her in a bit closer. "I get it, Blake. Things have been an absolute mess. But we stopped the breach. Adam… Adam isn't around anymore. Sibyl has stuff with his eye pretty figured out these days, and Weiss has finally stopped being so bitchy all the time now that she has Sibyl."
"...This isn't about Sibyl, is it?" Yang asked, and Blake shook her head.
"No. He's a great friend," Yang was nice enough to leave it at that, and Blake took her own words to heart. She was fine with Sibyl being with Weiss. She had to be, after all. All her feelings were due to trauma. They had to be.
"You're right, Yang. I think I'm just… not used to things going our way," she concluded, watching as the next four contestants came out to fight in the doubles-round.
"You're not the only one," Yang agreed. "I wonder where Sibyl and Weiss are? You think they'd be here to watch," Yang commented, echoing Blake's own thoughts from earlier. Ruby and Sif were here, after all; they were just hanging out moreso with Jaune's team.
"Who knows. Maybe they're making out in his bedroom. Ah, young love," Yang commented, smiling. Blake rolled her eyes… though, that was very possible. Her heart both warmed and ached at the thought. Turning her attention back to the next battle, she observed and wondered.
Weiss pursed her lips, standing outside of Glynda's office and hesitating, knuckles inches from the door. It was surprisingly difficult to knock. Maybe she should have told Sibyl? He would have barged in there, demanded answers- he was never shy, always confident. If only he could be the Maiden; things would be easier for everyone if that were the case.
But no, she had been chosen, and now, she'd have to choose. Taking a deep breath, her knuckles tapped against the door three times and no more. She didn't hear any noise, but a moment later, the door opened to a… messy looking Glynda. Her usually impeccable hair was a bit shriveled, and her eyes had bags beneath them.
"Weiss?" Glynda questioned, lips moving but no words coming to Weiss's own deaf ears as she blinked. Glynda shook her head a moment thereafter, stepping aside and allowing her to enter. She did so tentatively, looking around Glynda's office. There was a (mostly empty) bottle of opened wine on her desk, a very expensive one of Atlas make. Glynda moved around back to her chair behind her desk, positioning herself carefully before grabbing the wine and pouring two glasses.
Weiss took the one she was offered tentatively, taking a sniff of the liquid and scrunching her face. It didn't smell good. Glynda gestured for her to try it as she herself savored the taste, eventually setting it onto the table slowly.
Nodding in agreement to the suggestion, Weiss took a sip, not sure what to think about the taste. It wasn't all that sweet. Wasn't most wine supposed to be sweet? Shaking her head, Weiss set the glass onto the desk in front of her.
Glynda laid out a notebook, so they both might lay out their questions quickly. She had already written at the top of it. 'What do you want to know?'
Midnight, the Day Before
Sibyl grunted, adjusting the chest-plate resting against his body for a moment before nodding in agreement. It had been some time since he last wore this armor- the armor he had arrived with in this world, armor of Astora's most trusted circle of knights. The helmet had long since been lost, unfortunately, yet he had a knight helm of slightly less make that would suffice in its stead.
That decided his armor. He would wield no shield on this trip; not for the weapons he intended to take. Solaire's longsword, ever faithful, sat at his hip. He could hardly think of leaving it behind.
He retrieved the Blackknight Greataxe from his bottomless box, hefting the large weapon with ease and resting it against his shoulder. It would seem he was all situated, then. Well, mostly situated. He shrunk his bottomless box and put it at his hip. He moved over to his bed, reaching for a picture that Ruby had given him sometime ago.
A picture of team RWBY as it were, one they had made him take. It had been much earlier in his time here; one could tell easily by the disdain Weiss showed to everyone around her. Yang was making some face that had Blake rolling her eyes, and only Ruby was content to simply stand there and smile.
Sibyl stared at the picture for a few moments, eventually removing the picture from its frame and setting it inside a small pouch on the underside of his chestplate. He walked over to his desk, staring at the letter he'd already written. He'd rewrote it ten times, and he dared to do it ten more times if he were able. But time was of the essence; James Ironwood could not get his grasp on him, lest the world itself be consumed by the abyss.
He has opted to leave his book detailing his spells, instructing Weiss to keep close hold of it in his letter. He kept his art-book with him, uncaring that only a few pages were left.
Standing up tall and proud, as was expected of him, Sibyl gave the room around him one final, longing look. It had grown just as familiar to him as Firelink Shrine. He nodded, opening the door to his dorm and departing.
He did not look back or break stride in hesitance. He could never afford to.
They were all in danger. If Weiss had taken one thing from her meeting with Glynda, it was that. Not just her friends, not just Beacon, but the world, if what Glynda had told her was true. And it had to be true. Glynda would never lie about something so serious. Glynda, Ozpin- everyone in their little circle, which apparently included Dusk, suspected an attack would be coming soon. Terribly soon.
Was… Was this what Sibyl's life had felt like? She felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. The fate of all her friends. They needed a maiden now, and she was the first- and only real- choice. It finally made sense, how Sibyl would clench his fist when he thought about the… destiny that had been thrust upon him.
Because that's what this felt like. She was going to accept the powers of the Maiden. Who else could? No one. No one was as… uniquely prepared as she was. And she had a support network; she was going to tell Sibyl right away, then the rest of her team afterwards. Glynda had told her to keep it silent, but she scoffed at that.
Sibyl was the strongest person she knew, and having him in the know would only be a boon to whatever defensive efforts they'd make. He just needed to be told. He could be trusted, and she would trust him. It actually made her stomach twist that Glynda didn't seem to trust him with the information.
Shaking her head, she dismissed the thoughts in her head and allowed herself entry into Sibyl's room. They were way beyond knocking for permission. She practically lived here, after all. "Sibyl?" She called out, unable to hear her own voice as she did so, but knowing it had probably carried all the same.
As she looked around, she came to the conclusion that something was… off. His dorm was more empty than normal. Things were missing from his desk, and she couldn't even see his bottomless box.
'...Sibyl?' She imagined her voice sounded much, much more meek. Inching forward slowly, she tried to ignore the hammering of her heart as she came to his desk. A letter lay there, his beautiful handwriting sprawled all over the once blank page. It was addressed to her.
'Dearest Weiss,
It is with a heavy heart that I have been made to leave Beacon. The consequences, were I to stay, are neigh immeasurable. I did not wish to leave. I desire nothing more than to stay with you until the end of my days or until hollowness knocks upon my door, whichever may come first. My hand, however, was forced. They wish to use the infection that haunts me as a weapon against the Grimm, Weiss. I cannot allow such a thing to happen. I saw the abyss consume Oolacile, and I will not allow it to consume Vale. I hardly believed it at the time; the only reason we are able to avoid this fate is a timely warning from a mutual friend, who is in the know and inadvertently sent someone with damning evidence to my aid. I suspect you know of whom I speak of. Please, inform them that I received their warning clear.
I do not know when I might see you again, and tears fall unbridled at the thought. I have sought many things in my miserable life, but none more than you. It is why I have left. Your safety is paramount, as are our dearest friends. I have failed more people than I have any right to, and may my soul suffer until eternity for it. That is why I cannot fail now. I refuse to. I am the Chosen Undead; I have slain the Gods themselves, and demons have cowered at my feet. I do not have the right to fail, and thus, I will not. Not anymore.
I leave with you the book entailing the true depths of my magical knowledge. I trust you to use it, and use it well, for the prosperity of all. Please, share any information with Yang that is pertinent. I adore all of you, and wish only to see both my students succeed.
Let me not mince any words, for I do not know how long my solitude may last. I love you, Weiss Schnee, both now and until the skies themselves fall and the world crumbles at my feet.
Yours truly, Sibyl
Weiss cupped her mouth as tears fell, staining the letter beneath her. T-This couldn't be happening. She stumbled back, sitting on his bed. The bed she'd decided not to sleep in last night, too distraught about the news. This wasn't real. she was going to wake up. Sibyl couldn't be gone!
He… he couldn't have abandoned her. No, no, whatever he did, he did it with a reason. He kept talking about their safety. About his abyss infection, about someone wanting to use it. She had saw what it did to him once, and she was going to tear whoever even brought up that idiotic idea to shreds. And who was he talking about? Who was in the know? Moreso, who would have warned him?
...Glynda. It had to be Glynda. Weiss almost ripped the letter in her hands, snarling. She didn't waste a second longer, getting to her feet and rushing to Glynda's office.
Life was exhausting, Glynda decided, pouring herself another cup of wine. Was it mature, to drown her confusion and depression with alcohol? No. Did she feel like that pig-headed Qrow to some degree? Yes, yes she did. Was she ashamed? Sure. Would she stop? No.
She just had to tell Weiss all about how the world had been in a war for forever, and central to this war was about to be her. And she hadn't minced words. Weiss may die. Summer Rose had died in this same war, and Glynda would be damned before someone else too kind, too good went down the same road to the same exact fate.
Despite her blunt approach, Weiss had taken it… rather well. Not that Glynda had been surprised by that. She was dating Sibyl, and that boy might be the only thing more ridiculous than the idea of magical maidens existing. It was probably one of the few things that helped calm her nerves.
Sibyl. For so long, they'd thought it would be maidens who were the answer. A more adult game of keep away with much higher stakes. Only recently had Glynda begun to realize her mistakes, and the more she did, the more she found herself believing that what James did was right.
Technology. Advancement. Sometimes Ironwood would even talk about space travel- about leaving Remnant to somewhere more peaceful. The idea didn't seem all that awful. And what better way to jump start advancement than three lost arts? Pyromancy, Sorcery, and Miracles. Things anyone could learn. God, imagine it! Farmers could learn pyromancy and actually have a chance of surviving a stray Grimm.
It wasn't right, trying to put the fate of the world in the hands of kids. But here they were…
Glynda despised herself for it. She set her wine glass down, running a tire hand over her face.
She nearly jumped out of her chair when her door was thrown open. Weiss stood there, something clutched in one hand and her face a concoction of anger, sadness, and confusion. She ran up to her desk, thrusting whatever had been in her hand in Glynda's face.
It was a letter. Glynda took it gently, recognizing the handwriting instantly. And as she read, she grew more and more worried. There was a knot in her stomach, and she resisted the urge to just let go with her semblance and send her work-space into a proper mess. It would have vented her frustrations, certainly.
As she reached the end, she frowned. It was clear she was the "mutual friend" Sibyl referred to in his letter, yet she definitely hadn't warned him of anything. Alarm bells were going off in the back of her head, and she was ready to go straight to Ozpin's tower.
Standing up, Glynda paused at the sight of Weiss. She was beyond distraught. The beautiful girl looked so… disheveled. Glynda moved around her desk, reaching forward and wrapping Weiss in a tight, tight hug. The girl sobbed into her shoulder.
None of this was right, yet here they were. As the sobs slowed and only a few tears fell, Glynda separated gently. She quickly wrote a message. 'I have no idea what Sibyl is talking about. I'll bring this to Ozpin at once,' Glynda informed, pausing before scribbling another note. 'Please, Weiss. Stay strong. I fear there is more to this than either of us know.'
Judging by the grave look on Weiss's look, she knew it too- and suspected. "I want the Maiden's powers. Now." Weiss informed, and Glynda nodded.
It was only right. They had no more time to waste.
"This is bad," James Ironwood declared, pacing back in-forth through Ozpin's office, Glynda and Dusk his only company. Ozpin had left with Weiss, the girl demanding the Maiden's powers and the former being all too happy to comply. That left him and Dusk getting much more pertinent information from Glynda.
Sibyl was missing. Someone had driven him away through deceit last night, because that was the last time Weiss had seen him. The answer as to why he was driven away was a simple one: something important was going to happen incredibly soon, and whoever Salem had sent to do her bidding wanted him gone. It made sense; he was incredibly strong.
Strong enough to likely fight and beat whoever was sent to retrieve the Maiden. And that was the game, definitely. This was all about the Maiden. Still, while this was bad, they had measures in place beyond Sibyl. There was a reason he'd brought his fleet here, regardless of what Ozpin, Qrow, or Glynda had thought about it at the time.
"Yes, James, thank you." Glynda told him, irritated and spiteful, fists clenched in tight little balls. He might have found the sight endearing in its own way if it wasn't directed at him. Also, if they all weren't in danger. Glynda took a deep breath, pushing aside a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face. "It's clear that something is going to happen soon."
Dusk sighed, staring at the ground. "It does not bode well. To think that the savior has been moved through deceit?" She murmured, clearly as worried as they all were.
"Sibyl's valuable, yes," James conceded, but he had come to Vale before he even knew about Sibyl to the fullest extent. "But with everything I've brought, the security measures we have in places-"
Glynda slammed her fist on Ozpin's desk. "No, James. We have had disastrous event after disastrous event. We need to prepare for every inevitability, even the thought that your entire defense may be compromised."
He stiffened at the thought, eventually scoffing. The Atlas military was his pride and joy,and he trusted his men beyond a reasonable doubt. They weren't compromised, and not for a lack of trying. Plenty of agents had tried and been found out. "Atlas only employs the best, Glynda, and I have upped security measures everywhere. We are prepared for every inevitability." He said coolly, secure in his trust of his people.
"I often thought the same," Dusk said, forlorn, and James felt himself stiffen up at the reminder that she had once been a similar position as he was. Still, while similar, they were also different. Her fight had been against a literal corrupting force, an infection, a natural disaster. Their society had been more feudal, not as advanced scientifically as Atlas and all of Remnant was.
No one had more advanced tech than they did. Not even Salem, given that she preferred to rely on her favored beast monstrosities over modern science. That was one thing he felt he could be sure of.
Things teetered off for a moment before Glynda spoke again. "James, be honest. Did you ever mention to Sibyl that you might try to use the abyss for anything? He seemed very sure in his letter."
He didn't say anything for a few moments, musing if he ought to tell the truth. He had, obviously. It had been his best attempt at making Sibyl see that the abyss could be more than the corrupting force they saw it as; it could be their savior. If they could harness even just a bit of its ability to attract Grimm, its uses would be endless. The others would never see it that way, however. They were too sentimental.
"I did," he conceded, Glnyda's eyes narrowed as he did so, "but I would never forcefully use it, or take it against his will. I am no monster." He paused, seeing the stares the other two were giving. He hadn't updated anyone recently about the potential of the magic. Now seemed as good a time as any. "But the abyss, it acts as a draw, Glynda! The Grimm are attracted to it, and if we managed to harness even a fraction of that ability, we could draw all the Grimm into killzones, we could-"
"You… you must have said something. Maybe not to him, but in private. Someone heard you, James. What. Did. You. Say?" Glynda's tone demanded an answer.
He shook his head; nobody in Atlas was bold enough to spy on him. Besides, it had only been himself and Winter in that room, and he would never dare think of her betraying him. Yet a small portion of his mind was panicking. He had said a few things that, taken out of context, could be quite damning. He couldn't remember the exact words, but he remembered the context.
"I was frustrated," he said, his own fists clenching at the idea of this all being his fault, "that he refused to use it. I spoke to Winter in private, mentioned that one day he'd see reason. I… I also admitted that he was a potential threat to Weiss-"
"General," Dusk said, voice beyond soft and betrayed. James gritted his teeth, shaking his head and trying to focus back on Glynda- and he had never seen Glynda so angry in his life, and as she approached him with the attempt to maim, the elevator door opened. Ozpin walked in, along with one Weiss Schnee.
He was thankful for the interruption.
"It's done. Weiss now has the powers of the Maiden," Ozpin declared, and that, at least, was a major relief. The Maiden was no longer immobile, and Amber was no longer forced to hold onto a life that had, by all accounts, already ended.
Weiss, though, the girl moved with a different stride as she looked around the room, her eyes cold as steel. She was ready for war. Good. That made two of them.
"I want to know everything. Now." Weiss said, staring at all of them with no love lost. James shifted, crossing his arms and realizing that, while they had a Maiden, it was also a broken Maiden. She would be at risk until they fixed her hearing. It was too essential to situational awareness-
"It would seem that, upon absorbing the Maiden's power, the influx of aura was enough to heal Weiss's hearing issues, as well." Ironwood nodded at Ozpin's words, glad to hear that, at least. Weiss hand slowly lowered to her stomach, and it would seem that her other wound had not healed in quite the same way.
"Tell me why Sibyl's gone. Tell me what is going on now." Weiss demanded, and James nearly interrupted her with a scoff for demanding things, but Glynda's glare and Dusk's disapproving stare stopped him from doing anything but shuffling awkwardly. He was already in deep waters, and he shouldn't let his own frustrations with the situation make him act a fool.
"James, in his infinite wisdom," Glynda seethed, "seemed to have been spied on when he was considering the uses of Sibyl and the abyss, and how it might be able to draw in Grimm. It seems his words were taken out of context, and someone, somehow, told Sibyl with enough evidence that he believed them."
Wind was blowing, and James realized it was coming from Weiss a moment later. Ah, yes. She was the maiden now, wasn't she? "Something's going to happen," Weiss said, her eyes trained on him in anger, "Sibyl's the stronger person I know. If this Salem wanted him out of Vale, we're going to get attacked. We need to cancel the tournament, now."
Ozpin shook his head. "While I agree that something is sure to happen, we can't cancel the tournament. Were we to do that, a kink in the armor would appear; the public would lose trust in our ability to protect them. Fear would grow to an all time high, drawing in even more Grimm-"
Then what happens if an attack occurs tomorrow and people die, Headmaster?" Weiss asked, stepping forward as the wind continued to blow around her. "A-Are you so concerned with image that you're willing to sacrifice lives?!"
Ozpin met her stare deliberately, probing her defenses and getting a response ready. James didn't envy the man. "This is a very delicate situation, Weiss. Even if we cancelled the tournament, we have no certain way of knowing when an attack might come."
"You've got to be kidding me! We could track down Sibyl easily enough, right? It might take a few days, but we could do it. Getting Sibyl out of Vale was a temporary solution to whatever they have planned."
James conceded that it was a solid thought process. He could have Atlas scour for Sibyl easily enough, explain that this was a misunderstanding. Sibyl was by no means out of their grasp; he'd only been sent away temporarily. If he put his forces to it, it would likely take anywhere between three days to a week.
It was also minutes until midnight, and the tournament final would be tomorrow at noon. They hardly had time to track down Sibyl. James ran a hand over his face, beyond frustrated. How, exactly, could this situation get much worse?
The elevator opened again, and this time, Winter Schnee entered unannounced. "General, sir, Roman Torchwick broke out of confinement approximately ten minutes-" She paused, seeming to realize that there were more people than she had thought there might be.
James felt his heart drop. "Roman Torchwick broke out?" She nodded at his question, and he felt fear for the first time in awhile.
Then the alarms sounded.
Cinder, while she had expected this to happen, was irritated. "He betrayed us," Emerald said, voice scathing. Cinder couldn't have said it better herself, and when she found that little weasel, she was going to snuff his life out and watch his eyes go still in death.
He had decided to try and be a hero. Had he not learned in all this time that the heroes didn't win? Did he think she was stupid enough to put all her plans on his loyalty? All his betrayal did was accelerate her plans and get rid of some of the… theatrics she had planned for tomorrow. It didn't change anything but when she acted.
"I told you he would," Chester added, a pointed reminder that he had been wanting to kill him since the two met. He was rather relaxed about it, but that was his personality, she supposed. Still, they couldn't afford to wait too long. If Roman broke out early, then James Ironwood was going to hear about it soon.
She blew a bit of air, tilting her head as she felt a bit of regret that she wouldn't get to embarrass Ozpin directly tomorrow, in front of the entire world. "It was an eventuality. Still, if Roman thinks his little change of heart is going to matter this late, he's as foolish as he is annoying. Chester, contact our agents aboard the other ship. I'm going to call our friends from the White Fang, then Salem, and we're going to… accelerate our plans. Vale burns tonight."
"Joy," Mercury muttered, thoroughly bored.
Things were going almost according to plan, Roman decided. Not that bitch Cinder's plans, but his own plans. Plans where 'ol Roman Torchwick made out on top, and she was put six feet beneath the dirt. Preferably painfully. He and Neo were going to do their good deed for the decade and then go back to stealing, pillaging, and killing.
All of this had mostly been at Neo's discretion. Roman, for better or for worse, had been stuck in a jail cell. She'd done all the leg work. She'd bugged him; a tag on the back of his armor when he'd finally made his leave from Beacon. She'd monitored him day in, day out, kept track with all of Cinder's tireless tasks to distract her.
She was damn good at her job.
They had already left the Atlas carrier via a dropship, making way to try and follow the tracker. Sure, the other Atlas airships had taken to try and shoot him down, but he was a decent pilot. He could avoid a few shots... probably. Sibyl was heading west to Mountain Glenn, which… was not great, because that was where the bulk of the Grimm would likely be coming from.
Roman cursed as his procured dropship rocked, another shot from the Atlas airship hitting. Really, he was surprised this thing was flying. Atlas really did have the best tech. As they finally seemed to reach the edge of its range, he spared a look back. One of the airships was turning to face the other two…
It fired, and Roman had known better than to hope, but it was clear Cinder had plans other than him. Their plan was going to still happen. He just hoped that whatever the hell he was doing was enough to limit the damage.
As the sirens sounded from far behind him, he tensed. He stared ahead, waiting for the inevitable swarm of Grimm. He didn't have to wait long. They moved like a flock of crows, blackening the clear sky. He wasn't going to have a choice; according to the bug Neo had planted, Sibyl wasn't too far off, but he wasn't exactly close.
They couldn't afford to fly this thing into the swarm of Grimm. He was going to have to land it somewhere and continue on foot. Damn it. It took around a minute of scanning to find a place suitable to land, and by the time his dropship had touched the ground, the Grimm passed overtop of them like a wave. He was sure some on land would be following soon, but he had to have had enough time to get ahold of that crazy bastard and try to fly him back. Try to stop Cinder's plans.
He had no time to lose. "Come on, Neo. Cinder's plans aren't going to ruin themselves," he grumbled, leaving the cockpit, grabbing his cane, and grimacing at the fact that running through all this brush was going to ruin his coat.
"Y-Yang, what's going on?" Ruby asked quietly, hugging her scythe close as she, Blake, and her sister finished getting dressed out. They had been sleeping peacefully when the alarms sounded; the whole school was in a flurry of movement. Team JNPR wasn't too far away, also getting ready to face whatever threat was big enough to have the alarms going off.
"Clearly, we're under attack," Blake explained, giving her blade one last look over. "And we don't have any time to lose. I wonder where Weiss is, though…"
Yang shook her head, a snarl on her face. "I'm sure she's doing something important. We need to get out there, though." As Ruby prepared to ask get out there to face what, the monitors all amidst the school lit up, a disheveled Glynda Goodwitch appearing.
"Dear students, these alarms are not a drill. Vale is under attack; Atlas airships have been compromised, and Grimm are approaching in a swarm. Some have already arrived, but that number will only grow. Rapid response is a must. All first year students are to report to the following stations for handling: first years, Professor Port's classroom. Second years, report to Professor Oobleck's classroom. Third years with Atlas specialist Winter Schnee in the arena, and all fourth years are to meet with me in front of the school."
Ruby tensed, looking around her to see how everyone else was reacting. Everyone looked so… ready. And she was, too, but she was also scared. This was different. The air wasn't even the same as the breach.
Blake placed a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped. "Ruby, we're going to be fine. We need to get to Professor Port's class, though."
Ruby took a deep breath, nodding in agreement with Blake. They were going to be fine. They were going to save Vale. "Shouldn't we try to find Weiss?" Yang asked.
It was a hard question. She was their teammate… but Vale was under attack. They couldn't afford to waste time trying to find her, and besides, Weiss would probably find them. "Vale needs our help, Yang. I trust Weiss to find us."
All three shared a look, her sister and Blake nodding in agreement. Steadying herself, she breathed deeply. Weiss was going to be safe. They needed to move. Now.
Everyone around her were scrambling, but all she could do was watch as one of the Atlas airships fell to the ground below, one of the others having turned upon it and fired. Traitors. Not just to Atlas, but to the human race. Who… who could side with Salem? The Grimm? They wanted to devour all of them!
"Weiss, you need to report to your station like the rest of the first years," Ozpin declared, the gleam in his eyes deadly serious. "The less you stand out, the better. You're at risk as a new Maiden. They are here to find you and kill you." Weiss nodded, scrambling to the elevator .
"Do not use your powers. If you are exposed as the new Maiden, all their focus will be on you."
Weiss didn't say anything as the elevator door closed. She needed to get out there. She needed to be with her team, be there to help them, to support them. And as far as she was concerned, these new powers were hers. She would use them however she wanted, and that was in protection of Vale.
As she left Ozpin's tower, making way towards where the rest of Beacon's first years would be, she missed a woman dressed in red entering the tower, just as the woman in red missed her leaving it. Someone else saw her, though, and he followed.
The sky was black. The Grimm were arriving, Weiss realized, seeing the seemingly endless number of Griffin that now began to fill the sky above Vale. It was awful, but she'd be doing everything she could to stop the-
Shlink. The moment Weiss heard the noise, she leapt to the side, rolling back to her feet and trying to see what had just fired at her.
Her answer was simple. It was a man wielding a massive crossbow, a black coat hiding most of his figure. A red rose was pinned on the front of the jacket, around his chest, and a porcelain mask, shaped in an eerie, creepy grin blocked his face. "A little princess, all by her lonesome…" He spoke, his voice distinct. Familiar.
"I promised I'd find you and end you, didn't I?"
It was him. Him. The one who she'd fought on that train, the one who had nearly killed her. The one responsible for the ugly scar on her stomach. The one who had rendered her deaf until this very night.
She withdrew her blade, the wind picking up around her in anger. The man tilted his head, pausing briefly before breaking out in laughter. "O-Oh my, you? They made you the Maiden? And you were so kind to just reveal this to me…"
Weiss didn't say anything, instead probing how to deal with him. He had a new weapon, a ranged one. He probably still used throwing knives; he had been too proficient with them. "I can't kill you… but I can do everything else."
Calm. She needed to stay calm; he was trying to goad her into quick action, to make her sloppy. "Trying to act so calm, hmm? Well, let me let you in on a little secret, princess: I'm the one who sent Sibyl away."
Weiss froze, and that seemed to be the reaction he'd wanted. He laughed again. "You…" Weiss whispered, unaware that the wind around her was picking up more and more harshly, "I am going to kill you!" She roared, using her semblance to form a glyph behind her. As she shot forward, the winds became icy.
This man was going to die tonight, alone and afraid… she would make sure of it.
Sibyl heard the sirens, and it had been the exact moment a sinking pit of regret had begun to form in his stomach. He'd been anxious ever since he left, worried about Weiss and the others. What might James Ironwood do to them in an attempt to manipulate him? But he realized it now, just like he'd realized it back then.
He had been deceived. Chester had, once again, made a fool out of him. Chester hadn't lied, but rather, twisted the truth. There had to have been something that was missing that he hadn't been shown. Why had he been such a fool? He'd thought it to be Glynda's handwriting, yet he couldn't help but wonder. Had he read through it too quickly? Had his suspicious mind been willing to overlook things?
Whatever the answer was, it didn't matter. Vale was far, far behind him, and he'd never be able to get there quickly enough to do anything. He waited, and then he watched as Grimm engulfed the skies above him, all blowing past him without a care in the world towards Vale.
He could hear more, stampeding in the distance. He couldn't make it back to Vale in time, but he would do his damn best to thin what beasts came by him. The first to come through the brush was a Beowolf. Sibyl flung his axe upwards, catching it underneath the chin, the axe catching halfway through its skull.
Roaring, Sibyl used all of his strength to force it all the way through; its detached head rolled away uselessly. More Grimm came by, some running past him. It angered him. Channeling his pyromancy, he shoved his palm against the ground; pillars of flame shot up all around, hitting multiple Grimm that had previously been rushing by him, but the flames were enough that not even the Grimm would ignore him any longer.
Unknowingly to him, a certain red-haired thief also saw them.
As an Ursa Major swung at him with its sharp claws, he spun backwards, avoiding the strike and using the momentum of his spin to carry his axe straight through the beast's torso. He was given no quarter thereafter, ducking as another Beowolf leapt straight for his head.
He rolled to the side, forming a Chaos Fireball in his hand as he regained his balance. He launched it in an instant, catching the Beowolf that had attacked him. He didn't watch as the flames of chaos burned through its flesh, but he certainly heard its cries of anguish.
Letting loose a stream of flame, he pushed back a pair of Beowolves and an Ursa to his left, leaping through the obscurity of the fire and cleaving into the back of one of the Beowolves; the other continued to cry as he increased the intensity of his flame, burning it alive.
The Ursa charged at him on all fours, and he kicked out with his foot, armored boot catching it on the face and sending it staggering to the side. He put his freehand's palm on its head and cast Great Combustion: its skull exploded.
Next another Grimm he had learned about charged into his small clearing. A Goliath, an elephant-like Grimm said to live to very old age and be incredibly intelligent. He would destroy it with prejudice.
As it charged at him, intent on crushing him beneath its massive feet, he rolled to the side. It attempted to swing with its head, hoping its tusks might skewer him alive. They did not; instead, he took a step back as a Beowolf leapt at him. The beast, instead, found itself impaled upon the Goliath's tusks. The Beowolf's corpse helped obscure the beast's vision, giving it a large blindspot.
He took advantage, charging at it and leaping with a roar, bringing his axe against its hide. The axe broke through it as easily as it did demon's, and as the Goliath reared back in pain, Sibyl found himself off the ground, his axe lodged in deep.
Summoning a Chaos Fireball, he slammed it into the same spot as his weapon before putting his feet against the beast's side, pushing off and tearing his axe free. He swung it as he controlled his fall to the ground, catching an Ursa in the face and sending it to the ground. The leftover flames from his fireball began to seep into the Goliath's wound, burning it internally.
And the Chaos Flame, as long as he willed it, would not go out. The Goliath began rampaging in anguish, flailing wildly in an attempt to keep its insides from burning. It failed, but succeeded in widening his clearing and taking out a few stray Grimm.
It reared back one more time, giving a cry of anguish before it crumbled and fell to the side, catching a Beowolf beneath its massive frame and crushing the minor beast. He didn't pause for a second to admire the carnage; no, he turned and summoned another fireball, approaching the next group of Grimm that dared to try and pass him.
He would fight until he could fight no longer… and Sibyl could fight for a very, very long time.
"Where's the Maiden, Ozpin?" Cinder demanded, standing across from the man she was going to burn to ash. He was staring out that window, back turned to her, watching as Vale was falling. He was ignoring her, and Cinder wasn't very fond of being ignored.
"Do you think you'll win today?" He asked, tone bored.
She smirked. "I know we will." It was obvious, wasn't it? Atlas had been their only hope against the Grimm. They were coming in overwhelming force; civilians were confused, scared, and the sight of the only Atlas flagship in the air firing upon their city did nothing to ease any of that.
"Even if Vale falls, you'll have won nothing." She felt her brow twitch in annoyance at his lecturing tone, "We are stronger than Salem thinks. Human perseverance is something that cannot be measured." Ozpin paused as if admiring the view outside.. "It was very bold of you to come and challenge me without assistance." He finally turned around, facing her down. Ozpin was dangerous, yes… and even she wasn't so bold as to risk her plan failing because she didn't know his combat capabilities.
So she had a plan for backup. And as an ear-piercing roar shattered whatever hope may have remained for the citizens of Vale, Cinder smiled. The Wyvern had arrived, and with its help, Ozpin's tower would fall, followed by Vale.
"Still confident, Ozpin?" He looked shaken, at least as much as someone as passive as he could look shaken.
Cinder didn't flinch as the Grimm Wyvern slammed against the tower she was standing in, breaking one wall and shaking the entire building. It was a second later that she moved in a blur of flame, intent on ending Ozpin's miserable existence.
They'd been moved to the city, Professor Port having given each team a section of the city to hold as the police escorted civilians. It was like the breach all over again yet somehow worse. Yang hadn't thought that to be possible, but Vale had been a weird place lately. And as she met a pack of Beowolves with fervor, Blake and Ruby behind her, she'd admit to being scared.
There was no Atlas to help them. The only airship belong to Atlas had been hijacked and shot down the other two, and now, it was firing at any sort of dropship or airship that tried to take to the air. Civilians were having to be evacuated via boat, which didn't do much to ease her worries.
Yang ducked beneath a swing of an Ursa's claw, punching upward and shattering its jaw while she conjured a fireball in her off hand, swinging it against the same Ursa's head and ending its life.
Ruby rushed ahead in a blur of roses, slashing rapidly with her scythe while Blake provided cover to the both of them, taking out and Grimm that survived the onslaught of the two sisters. The issue, then, was that there was no end to the Grimm. The streets were crawling with them, and if that wasn't worse, the griffins above were another worry, not to mention that… that dragon. There was a Grimm dragon, and Yang didn't have the first clue how to deal with that.
Fortunately, the Griffin were the only ones attacking them, and they were lucky enough to have a straightforward way to defeat them. As another Griffin swooped down, intent on attacking from above, Yang conjured a stream of flames when it got to the point of no return in its flight towards the ground. It cried in pain, taking the full brunt of a Flame Whip. Ruby wasted no time switching to her rifle form, taking aim and splitting its head with a well-placed bullet.
The Griffin fell to the ground ungracefully, pushing up dirt when it impacted the cold, hard stone below. Yang was given no more time to gaze on it when a Deathstalker showed itself rampaging down the street. She spared a glance at her two teammates, the two nodding in an unspoken agreement of attack.
Yang took position in an alleyway while Blake made to the destroyed rooftops.
Ruby took aim and fired a single shot, intent on piercing one of its many eyes. She succeeded, and it roared in anger, immediately turning to face the huntresses. Ruby didn't stop firing, trying to keep its attention. Yang prepared a Great Fireball, the large, powerful cast weightless in her hand.
As the Deathstalker reached her position, she heaved it, the large fireball exploding against its face and stunning it briefly. Blake took that moment to leap off the rooftops, aiming for the orange sack of poison by its tail. She slashed through it easily, leaving a jagged cut at the front of the stinger bag; Ruby readied her aim and fired, her round piercing where Blake had cut it open and causing the sack of poison to explode.
Yang charged its face, swinging her fists as much as she could to stagger it for an extra moment; she barely leapt to avoid a pincer catching her torso. As she did so, she laid her open palm against where a crack had formed on its face mask. Channeling Great Combustion, she allowed it to cast, the explosives flames seeping through the cracks of its armored skull and killing it.
The explosion also launched her back, and she landed with a roll. The Deathstalker was dead, and the three of them shared a look of brief joy before ironing it out. One of the Deathstalkers were dead. Who knew how many were in the city?
Life gave no time for rest, and as the three of them set off to head to their next destination, they didn't realize they were being shadowed by two students with less than noble intentions, waiting to strike.
Sibyl was surrounded by carnage by the time Roman and Neo finally found him, a sea of dead, fading Grimm all around him, including two Deathstalkers, a couple Griffins, and a Goliath. He was busy cleaving apart a Beowolf to notice them in an instant, but when he swung his axe and the Beowolf was flung across the clearing, he gave another scan around his area, looking for whatever else might be ready to attack him.
Then he saw them, and he froze for a moment before his posture changed. He was definitely angry. Who could blame the guy?
He approached them quickly, and Roman wasn't sure if he should be glad or not that Sibyl had his visor down. He was dragging his greataxe behind him, over the corpses of Grimm and along the dirt. When he finally stopped in front of the two, he spoke. "Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right this moment," he seethed.
Roman wasted no time in speaking. "Cause I'm here to help you, damn it! Cinder's trying to bring Vale down in flames, and I don't know why, but they sure as hell wanted you gone, pal! I've got a transport to try and bring you back."
Sibyl scoffed, flipping up his visor and revealing his single good eye and a myriad of blood running down his face. "Do you see the Grimm that flock around us, you fool!?" Roman conceded: he had a point. They wouldn't be able to approach Vale with the number of griffins in the sky, not to mention that damn dragon.
"Well, listen, pal, I'm just trying to do something! Vale is going to be finished if you don't reach into your bag of tricks and ruin Cinder's plans like you seem to have a penchant for doing!" Roman said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. He'd been hoping that moving at night would delay Cinder's information network and he might have been able to pick up the bastard in time, but Cinder's response had been quicker than he had hoped it would be.
"There are no solutions, you good for nothing thief! I could try to draw them to me with whatever draw the Abyss seems to have on them, but what good would it do? I'm hardly that far from Vale. They would snuff me out like a torch before continuing their attack!"
Roman blinked. "Wait, you can draw the Grimm to you?" Sibyl grunted, crossing his arms and giving a glance around the clearing. Neo was busy taking care of any Grimm that crossed their path.
"Yes, for as much as it concerns you, you bastard. I ought to kill you where you stand. You helped orchestrate this!" Sibyl took a step closer, and Roman resisted the urge to gulp as he could feel Sibyl's breath against his face. He was a very, very scary individual.
Roman took a step back, raising his hands in surrender. "And now I'm trying to fix it. You said you were worried about the Grimm being too near for that whole draw them in thing?" Sibyl nodded, clearly irritated with every word that came out of his mouth.
Which is why he was trying to keep it to a minimum. "Me and Neo have a transport. We could try to put you somewhere far away, then you can do your weird voodoo magic and get those Grimm the fuck out of Vale!"
Sibyl paused, his one eye lighting up with understanding. "You may be onto something. Very well, I won't kill you until you escort me to this ship. Let us make haste."
Roman breathed in relief, though he had to wonder how this crazy bastard was going to survive drawing all the Grimm to him. "...Is this going to be a suicide mission, pal? Cause I didn't exactly sign up for that."
Sibyl shook his head. "I've no intention to die if I can help it. The effects of the Abyss on the Grimm can cause them to get a bit… chaotic. The herd should thin themselves out in their haste to reach me, and I should be able to deal with whatever is left.
Well, it was a surefire better plan than he had. Roman yelled for Neo, and the three took off to the Atlas dropship he'd left in a clearing… somewhere. Neo seemed to know where she was going, so they'd just follow her and hope to whatever God there was that she wasn't as dumb as he was in forgetting to mark the way they came.
That would be a really embarrassing way for this to end.
Another chapter. We're in the end-game now. Probably another 2-3 chapters before this long journey will have been complete. I appreciate everyone who's followed me this long. This chapter is a bit intentionally "rushed" feeling; with Cinder's hand being forced earlier, things are both more organized and more chaotic. I'm debating between two endings, and it's pretty tough to decide how I want to go about it. My desire for a happier ending is at war with my desire for a bittersweet ending. Decisions to be made, but I'll be happy with whichever one I go with, I imagine. This isn't impulse; I've fought with these two endings since I started writing this.