Chapter 13: The Truth Hidden Within The Terror
The sun began to set on the city of Vale, the festivities dying down for the day as the massive crowd drained out of Amity Colosseum, airships galore flying down towards the city, with thousands of tourists booking hotel rooms so they could stay for the remainder of the Vytal Festival, even after the end of the Tournament. With so many people flooding Vale, the Festival was guaranteed to be going on for at least a few more days following the Tournament Final. Ozpin was rumored to be scheduled give a massive speech for the final night of the festivities, to remind everyone of the importance of the festival, the origin of its inception, and to close the festivities with a giant celebratory fireworks display.
For now however, things were winding down, and thousands of tired tourists and visitors were bedding down, despite the early hour of the evening. The Vytal Quarterfinals had proven to be among the most intense matches in the Tournament, with Pyrrha VS Noir being particularly praised as one of the best fights yet seen in the Tournament. Now, with the Quarterfinals concluded, only four contestants remained.
Noir Harceleur, Yang Xiao Long, Remmy of Haven Academy, and Altas's final contender, Ivan Malinovyy. The Final Four, as they were called, had their faces being shown all over Vale, hyping everyone up for the Semifinals, and of course the Final, which was being projected to be the highest-rated event in the history of worldwide broadcasting, let alone the Vytal Festival itself. Expectations were higher than ever, and coinciding with that increasing quantity was the increasing quantity of tourists and visitors from the other three kingdoms, flocking to Vale in droves to witness the event for themselves. The very air was rife with excitement, and even as the sun went down over Vale's skyline, anticipation could be felt around every corner for the Final Four's face-off.
One of said Final Four now sat on a bench in Downtown Vale, his headphones in with what sounded like old-school instrumental rock music cranked up to the point that it was all he heard. His eyes were closed, his left hand forming guitar chord shapes as he listened to the music pouring into his ears, and his foot was bouncing to the down-paced, bluesy rhythm. This was a rare moment of pure catharsis for Rouge/Remnant, who through years of assassinations and killings and ending up with enough blood on his hands to fill an entire ocean had found solace from the chaos in the form of music, not mindlessly aggressive fare, but more mellow, soothing, yet grittily bluesy material that gave a sense of calm to the young assassin. Music was an escape for him, and he never once failed to enjoy it, even in his darkest of moods.
As it happened, he was listening to music on this particular evening while sitting on a bench to kill time. After reporting to Erebos on the events of that day, he'd been given the evening to himself, in Erebos's words, "to mentally prepare for the days to come," which only Remnant himself would have even begun to understand the meaning behind when Erebos worded it as such. In other words, Erebos had given him time off, or rather, that's how Rouge interpreted it, and that's what he was going to call it. Hence his decision to kill some time on a bench in Downtown Vale with music playing.
In truth, he was actually waiting, having arranged to meet Ruby there for another date that evening. Obviously, Cinder and her two compatriots weren't aware of what he was doing, and it was going to stay that way, regardless of how it went. They didn't need to know what he did on his own time, and as far as he was concerned, if they had a problem with that, they could go to Hel. But who was he kidding, they were already there! He couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the sky-rending irony of such, it just hilarious to him. They already thought their situation now was absolute Hel? Ha! They had absolutely no idea what Hel really was, not even the slightest. Not like he did.
"ROUGE~!" Ruby's voice cut through his headphones, and as he lowered them, he saw the red-hooded girl dashing towards him from up the street, and he couldn't resist the smile that appeared on his face. Hearing her actually say his name was as cathartic as the music he was listening to, and just thinking this made him do a mental double take. Her saying his name was a source of catharsis? How? Why?
"Ah, hey, Red Ridi- ACK!" Rouge was cut off as Ruby, not stopping her forward motion, tackle-hugged him full force, catching him off guard and throwing him off balance. He stumbled back several feet from the force of the hug and took a moment to regain his balance, realizing with a jolt that there was only a four inch difference in height between them. Ruby was five feet two inches, and Rouge was five feet six inches, which saw them almost seeing directly eye to eye as Ruby straightened up with a wide smile, that absolutely adorable smile of her that would melt anyone's heart. "Well, someone's happy!"
"Oh my gosh, you were amazing today!" Ruby squealed, almost literally jumping up and down in excitement. "Like, he used that blinding semblance thingy that he used in his other fights, and it always gave him a huge advantage, but you're the first person who actually broke it! That was so cool, and then the way you just attacked him head-on, just like, 'Nice try buddy, now get off the stage!' EEEEEEEEEE~! It was so cool~!" Ruby spewed this without pausing to catch her breath and moment later paused to inhale, comically supporting her hands on her knees, before continuing. "I can't wait to see what you in the Semis! Oh, dust, it'd be so cool if you got to the Final! I would totally bet on it if I had the money to spare!"
"Heh, somethin' tells me you won't need to." Rouge responded with an amused chuckle. "Bets are being taken left, right, and center already, in fact I heard this dude who owns the Aviari Nightclub has been makin' a fuckton from bettin' on that Noir dude."
"Whoa, you mean that guy Noir beat up yesterday?" Ruby's eyes widened in surprise.
"Is that him? I've never seen the dude, I just know he's a bird." Rouge stood in thought for a moment, and for the life of him he could never say why, but for some reason Ruby's presence was making him uncharacteristically jittery, and as he had no brain-to-mouth filter as it was, he kept talking, increasingly faster with each second. "By the way don't you think that's just weird? A bird getting beaten up by a bat? I mean, wouldn't you think a bird would be the superior animal? Though then again, it would depend on the bird, now that I think on it. What kinda bird is he exactly? I mean a falcon would wreck a bat with no effort whatsoever, but a thestral would be eaten alive, but then again isn't that Noir dude a fruit bat? So I guess a bird would be superior anyway, but then again, I don't know how bats behave, I'm not exactly spelunking on a regular basis, by the way, have you ever gone spelunking? If you haven't I recommend it, cave diving is super fuckin' fun, like, 'Gerominooooooh fuck that's a rock floor IFORGOTMYBUNGEECORD' aaaaaaaaaand splat! Hahahahahahaha I'm kidding it's not like that every time but it's still fun, I recommend it highly, and I-"
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, slow down!" Ruby was giggling hysterically. Rouge's long spiel had gotten to the point where everything he was saying sounded like one very long word, and the fact that not even once had he stopped to draw breath was simply staggering.
"Huh? Oh, was I going too fast there? My bad, Red, gotta work on that, I get carried away sometimes." Rouge stretched a bit and popped his back. "Ooooooh, that hurt a tad, no big deal!" He shook himself a little to loosen up and then smiled at Ruby. "Soooooooooooooo, anything you wanna do? I mean, you asked me out this time around, so you got a plan, or do we gotta improvise, or what, talk to me here, I'm all ears!"
"OH! Um, well..." Ruby instantly blushed as she remembered the reason she and Rouge were meeting up in Downtown Vale in the first place, and fidgeted a little as she shuffled in place in slight embarrassment. "I...wasn't thinking that far ahead, I was...kinda planning to wing it."
"Huh, can't say I expected that, you being your team's leader, I would think you'd be the planner, here!" Rouge said with a raised eyebrow. Ruby giggled a bit sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck in an embarassed manner, a light blushe tainting her cheeks.
"Hehe, my partner Weiss would probably say something similar, only with much bigger words and in a more like...rich-girl way." Ruby giggled a bit. "Like I said before, I'm not good at this, like, at all. I never considered dating and such while I was at Signal Academy, I was always so focused on weapons, and fighting monsters and stuff. My sister Yang and I have always had each other's backs, so I never really gave any thought to anything else."
"Huh...kinda funny, most girls your age obsess over boys and dating and all that. I mean, I've seen gaggles of girls all following that one guy they all have a thing for. It's...different to meet a girl who's never even thought about it." Rouge was more thinking aloud than actually talking to Ruby, but it wasn't untrue.
"Well...like I said before, I've always wanted to be a huntress since I was little, it was all I ever really focused on, so..." Ruby trailed off, her social awkwardness coming to the forefront, and even Rouge found himself awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Neither of them were at all accustomed to dating, as they were both very acutely aware, and Rouge found himself trying to figure out a way to move it forward, his mental alarms all going off at once, until Ruby suddenly spoke up and broke the train of thought.
"Oh, hey! You're into weapons, right?!" Ruby looked genuinely excited as she asked the question, and though Rouge was, in fact, quite the weapons aficionado, it felt odd to admit it openly.
"Um...yeah, love 'em, why…?" He was still somewhat thrown off by the break in his train of thought, and it took him a moment to fully process where this was going.
"OOOOOOOOOOOH, there's this dust shop in town with like, a ton of awesome magazines, wanna go there?" Ruby asked the question with rapid fire delivery, demonstrating just how excited she was with all of one sentence, though if Rouge's inner smart aleck was anything to go by, it was more like two sentences in one.
"Uh, sure!" Rouge inwardly shrugged. Why not, after all? He collected weapons, he tinkered with them, he built them from scratch, he dismantled them and reassembled them, and all as a hobby at that. So why not indulge his obsessive interest for once? He stretched a bit as Ruby practically jumped up and down with glee.
"Let's go then!" And before Rouge could reply, Ruby had grabbed his hand in hers and had started dragging him down the street.
Isn't this more akin to what her sister would do…? Rouge found himself thinking. Ruby, as was clearly established upon their first meeting, was very socially awkward, and even a borderline introvert with she tended to fumble over her words at time. She never came off as the type to grab someone's hand and drag them down the street for any reason, especially a guy, though, then again, there they were. Eh, fuck it, let's see where this goes.
Ruby, after several yards down the street slowed up a little, the excitement subsiding just a tad, as she racked her brain to remember the location of From Dust Til Dawn, a dust shop she'd frequented regularly prior to her enrollment at Beacon. It'd been a while, especially with the Festival, the Tournament, and everything that led up to it. And besides, wasn't its owner currently at the fairgrounds selling noodles? Ruby hadn't thought of that, and now she slowed up a little more thinking hard on whether to continue. Rouge noticed her decrease in pace, and raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. What was she doing? Was this normal? Was she lost?
"Oh!" It finally lit up in Ruby's mind and she whirled around in a 180 and pointed. "It's that way!" Without hesitation and throwing caution to the wind in earnest, Ruby took off once again, dragging Rouge behind her in the opposite direction. "I passed it on my here, duh!"
"Huh...I'm guessing this place is a frequent haunt of yours?" Rouge inquired, and Ruby looked back at him, confused.
"Haunt? I don't haunt anything, I'm not a ghost!" Ruby's innocent reply almost made Rouge facepalm in amusement. Did she seriously just say that?
"I mean, like, a hangout, place you go for fun, area of recreation, that sorta thing." He quickly corrected, and Ruby's eyes lit up as it clicked in place.
"Oh, yes! I used to go there all the time! Heck, I stopped a robbery there once….well, tried to stop a robbery...kinda...sorta...I might have kicked a guy through the window...and then knocked them all out…" Ruby was starting to fidget awkwardly, though Rouge seemed impressed.
"Really, now." Rouge was faking, hard. He already knew the story of how Ruby ended up in Beacon, but hey, why cut her off now? Might as well let her tell it.
"Yeah!" Ruby smiled happily. "And I chased after the last guy, and almost had him, but then this airship came outta nowhere and picked him up, and he shot at me, but then Professor Goodwitch saved me and fought back! She took me to see Professor Ozpin and he let me enroll two years early!"
"Huh...didn't you tell me this story on the first date?" Rouge grinned a bit as Ruby became flustered and a little embarrassed.
"Um...yeah, I guess I did, hehe!" Ruby quickly covered her awkwardness by dashing forward, covering some extra distance ahead of Rouge, who watched her with an amused expression. It was odd, really, her awkwardness with people, and how it often coincided with people who weren't people she knew. But whenever it came to anything related to Dust, Huntsmen and Huntresses, and weapons, the social awkwardness disappeared and she was chatty, chatty, chatty. The fact that social awkwardness could evaporate at the mention of one subject was both odd and fascinating, and Rouge couldn't help but wonder. What else could bring Ruby out of her shell? More interestingly, how thick was that shell? How secure was it? What made one withdraw into a shell like a frightened turtle faced with a bird of prey? It fascinated him to contemplate it, truly it did. He was so wrapped up in all these questions regarding Ruby as a person that he almost didn't notice that Ruby had stopped walking.
"We're here~!" Ruby declared joyously, and Rouge looked up, seeing the logo for the shop that read From Dust Until Dawn. Beneath it was a small sign that looked like it'd been put there recently, literally tacked on with a nail.
"'Store hours have been Temporarily adjusted to accommodate the Vytal Festival Events. Store will close at 10pm.' Huh." Rouge checked the time on his scroll. "We have some time, but not a lot, it's 8:45. We'll have to leave quick-"
"Pssh, that's plenty of time! Come on!" Ruby grabbed Rouge's hand and pulled him into the shop, beelining right towards the magazines in the back. "Here we are! Every weapon-related publication is right here!" She'd barely finished her sentence before Rouge had plucked one such publication, titled Weaponry Maestro, off the shelf and was skimming through it, his eyes widening at the sight of some of the weapons he was seeing within.
"Swords, daggers, guns, knives, throwing stars, guns, axes, maces, flamethrowers, guns, guns, guns, guns, guns, guns, guns, guns, guns..." Rouge spoke rapidly as he rifled through the magazine, and rolled his eyes at some of the designs. "Oh, please, a revolver sword? Be more original, man, add an axe blade on the hilt, make the blade double edged, add some extra shielding on the hilt, do something!" He groaned showed the weapon he was bemoaning to Ruby. "You see this shit? You see this shit?! Jeez-us! Miss-No-Respect-from-my-team can make a better weapon than this piece-o-junk!"
"Hmmm..." Ruby inspected the picture closely. "I mean, simpler can be better...but why have it be two weapons if you're going for simplicity?!" Ruby took the magazine and inspected it closely. "The balance has got to be, like, soooo lopsided on that thing, it looks like the hilt weighs a ton!"
"Right?!" Rouge pointed at the blade. "Look at this! Fuckin' amature, when you make a curved hilt, the blade has to curve in the opposite direction for balance of weight and proper aerodynamics!"
"And not to mention having a sharp edge only on one side is, like, totally impractical!" Ruby seemed to be reading Rouge's mind as she completed his train of thought for him. "You should sharpen both sides for multi-directional attacks!" Rouge looked at Ruby with a raised eyebrow.
"You telepathic or some shit, cos gurl, you just read my mind!" Rouge quipped and Ruby giggled in her signature adorable manner.
"I like weapons! I tinkered with Crescent Rose like crazy until she was just right~!" Ruby stated, patting the folded up weapon on her belt, "I like to look at other weapons and figure out how they work~!"
"Heh, I'm a very DIY person, myself. My swords are simplistic, but I tinkered and reworked them until the buster mechanism was just right, like, do you have any idea how hard it is to design twin swords that, combined, extend into a buster sword?! There is so much fucking metal work involved! It took me months to get it right!" Rouge stopped and took a deep breath, before realizing what was happening: He and Ruby were bonding, like actual friends, something he'd seen multiple people, most notably couples, do on a many an occasion, and yet he'd never been able to understand how it worked, until now. He and Ruby's mutual love for weaponry was a foundation for what was becoming a fast-developing friendship, or so Rouge believed it to be. Yet there it was, that warm feeling in his gut, that feeling of being drawn towards Ruby the more she spoke, the more she gestured and pointed, the more she was just...there. The longer he was in her presence, the more that feeling of being drawn to her strengthened exponentially.
"Rouge...?" Ruby's voice snapped him to reality. He'd zoned out, completely, and had been standing there for several moments looking blank. "You okay? You in there?"
"Huh?" Rouge shook himself a bit and smiled to cover it up. "Sorry, hehe, lost in thought there for a second!"
"A second? More like a few minutes!" Ruby giggled. "I was talking to a statue there for a bit!"
"Sorry 'bout that, hehe." Rouge rubbed the back of his neck a bit.
"Well, let's have a look at this one!" Ruby grabbed another magazine, and in the same manner as before, Rouge and Ruby looked over and critiqued nearly every single weapon featured in the pages they were browsing, suggesting additional features, design changes, aesthetic choices, and many other things for each one, as though seeing who could suggest a more practical and yet effective weapon than the other. So caught up were they in their discussion that it seemed mere minutes later that the elderly shop owner, whom Ruby evidently sort of knew personally, walked over and told them that, unfortunately, it was time for them to leave.
"Damn, I was having fun, too..." Rouge remarked as they exited the shop, Vale's streets lit now with streetlamps as night had long fallen. Vale's usually bustling nightlife was all but gone, with the usual club-goers and bar-hoppers having spent themselves during the Vytal Festivities, and general tourists and visitors flocking to hotels. No one wanted to miss anything the Festival had to offer.
"Yeah, well, there's always another time!" Ruby chirped happily as she followed after him, and she smiled as she stood next to him under a nearby lamppost. Rouge smiled back, though he knew in the back of his mind that this likely wouldn't be true.
"Fair enough. So, where to next?" He smiled a bit at Ruby, the warmth in his chest spreading to the rest of him. He had no idea what it was, or why...he just knew that it was warm feeling, and it made him feel something. It wasn't anything else he knew, like anger, ecstasy, excitement, or anything akin to those. It was very different from them all, and he had no name for it, no word to describe it, which messed with him more than somewhat. Yet at the same time, in that particular moment, he didn't quite mind it as much.
"Well, I know there's a bakery that's open late, I love the cookies they have there!" Ruby said excitedly smiling widely as her silver eyes glistened at the thought of having freshly baked cookies. Apparently she had one hell of a sweet tooth, and couldn't wait to satisfy it once more.
"Heh, can't say I'm against that." Rouge stretched a bit and smiled at Ruby charmingly, a wide grin that looked more genuine than any smirk he would give on the battlefield.
"Awesome~! Let's go!" Ruby immediately started forward, but neglected to notice a public trashcan more inches for her, and bashed her knee against it hard, causing her to stumble. "Oh, crap!" A moment later Ruby fell forward on both her knees, rubbing them tenderly before looking up at Rouge sheepishly. "Hehe, I'm such a klutz...Rouge...?" Ruby's expression became one of concern as she saw the expression on his face.
Rouge, seeing Ruby in that position, was staring at her in that same wide-eyed expression of shock from their first date, his hand extended as though he was about to walk forward and help her back up to her feet. His breath had caught in his throat, and his mind had suddenly shot into overdrive, alarms going off in his head as his vision blurred, and as he continued to stare at Ruby in that position on her knees, his vision changed...
Before the young man is a young girl in her twenties, garbed in dark clothing similar to his own, a black bag over her face, forced on her knees with her wrists bound in front of her. She is clearly terrified, for she is not speaking, nor even whispering, she is whimpering in fear. She knows she is in a bad position, and she knows that the end is very near for her. He stands a few feet from her, and standing behind him is his Master, the reason he lives. His master paces behind him for moment before stopping and speaking.
"What is your name?" The master asks.
"I have no name but that which you give me, master." The young man replies.
"And what is your purpose?" The master asks once more.
"I have no purpose except for that which you give me, master." The young man replies with no emotion. Behind him, his master nods.
"Very good. You have completed your training, and you have proven that you are the most gifted of my students. Now, there is one final test of your loyalty that must be passed." The master walks around to the bound girl in front the young man, gripping the bag on her head and flinging it off, revealing a beautiful, light brown face, slender medium-defined cheekbones that enhanced her feminine glare. Her eyes are silvery gray, and her hair looks like his, almost identically, only her highlights and roots are silvery white. A two-inch Ice dust crystal dangles from one ear, and her face is soft, and yet eerily fearsome. The Master walks around behind her and looks to him as her eyes widen, staring at the young man in front of her in shock, and recognition.
"Rouge?!"
"..."
"Rouge, what's going on?!"
"..." He does not answer. The master speaks instead.
"This is Melioda Etille, the last of their line, and your final test of your loyalty." The master walks back around to the young man and holds out a scimitar, handle first, to him. "Kill her."
The girl's eyes widen in fear as the young man takes the sword, approaching her with a blank expression. One look in his eyes is all she needs to erase all hope from her heart. He does not know her. His eyes are blank, unrecognizing, unknowing. She is very much a stranger to him.
"Yes, my master." He raises the blade to decapitate the young girl.
"ROUGE!"
"Rouge! Rouge, snap out of it!"
"Huh?! What?!" Rouge gasped out for air as he felt Ruby slapping the side of his face, jerking him back to reality. Sweat was pouring from his brow, and Ruby looked scared as he jerked back to the present.
"You were spaced out for like 20 minutes! I was trying to get your attention but you wouldn't speak! What happened?!" Ruby sounded like she'd seen something explode, and she wouldn't have been entirely wrong to think such, and as Rouge looked down at his feet, eyes still wide open, tears began to fall down his cheeks, a strangled sob escaping him as he backed up slowly, his back pressing to the wall behind him. His breathing was shaky and unsteady, and his hands were gripping at his arms as his teeth set, trying to hold in a torrent of unchecked emotion that was threatening to explode out of him with every second.
"I...I..." He could barely form a coherent thought, let alone speak, as everything he'd just seen cycled through his mind again and again and again, and tears continued pouring down his face. "I...ca...I c-c-c-can't..."
"Rouge...?" Ruby nervously walked up to him, placing a gentle, pale hand on his dark face, and gasping a little when she felt the tears on his face. She didn't even think. She immediately pulled Rouge into a tight hug, resting his head on her shoulder and placing her right hand on the back of his head, her left hand around his neck as he hugged her back, shaking as he cried silently, not saying a word. Ruby didn't care, she didn't care about how sudden it was, or how random. She only cared about comforting the boy in front of her as he held onto her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him.
"I-I..." He finally spoke, softly, and he swallowed for a moment before continuing. "I think I should get back t-to my dorm...they'll be wondering where I am."
"I understand." Ruby said, gently rubbing his back. "I should be getting back to, Yang worries."
"Yeah..." He shakily nodded, and with one supporting the other and neither saying a word, they set off back towards Beacon, Rouge shaking as he wiped his eyes, and Ruby simply being there for him. No words could be said, and no words needed to be said. Ruby's presence was enough, and she knew it.
If she only knew that as they walked from Vale to the airships to take them to Beacon, Rouge was having one of the most reality-crushing realizations he'd ever had in his life.
She was my family... He thought to himself, his heart thudding like a drum, the true realization hitting him as everything clicked into place.
...And I killed her.
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The next morning's Festivities kicked off with a bang, as the number of tourists from the day before had easily doubled, pouring onto the Vytal Fairgrounds in droves. The vendors had started preparing for the massive influx of people in the wee hours of the morning, stocking up on everything to nearly triple their normal capacity and even building extra stands for their products, simply for the exponentially increased demand for the festival's food and other goods. Some recreational stations had been set up as well, from an arcade pavilion to cornhole sets dotting the fair grounds all around the area, and as the sun climbed ever higher into the sky above them, the many people in Vale, natives and tourists alike, were eager to enjoy the Vytal Festival and all that it had to offer.
While thousands of people were enjoying the Vytal Festival, Noir Harceleur stood in Ozpin's tower office, looking out over the city from the window while Ozpin himself stood close by him, as always sipping his coffee as he looked at his student with mild interest. Noir wasn't saying a word, and simply continued to gaze out over the city in silence as Ozpin stood by him. Noir sighed after a moment and turned from the window, pacing the office a little as Ozpin took his seat as his desk. After pacing the office at a very slow pace, Noir finally spoke.
"I can't shake it, Professor, this feeling that something's about to happen." Noir stated, with an air of forced calm. "Vale's underbelly is too quiet. Crime hasn't just dropped, it's stopped altogether. We haven't even seen a single Grimm since the invasion was thwarted. White Fang has been silent, as in completely, and we have seen nothing suspicious of any sort since Torchwick's murder. Something's off, Professor, I know you can feel it as well as I do." Ozpin was silent for a moment as though contemplating Noir's words, before responding.
"We can all feel it, Noir. This calm is a very uneasy one, for those of us who know the truth behind it. I, like you, do feel that this calm is engineered, but by whom and why, I cannot say." Ozpin sighed a little as he sipped his coffee, looking very sombre. "It would seem that this situation is far more delicate than we first believed."
"Not to mention Ironwood still hasn't returned." Noir said flatly. "At this point it's safe to say he's dead."
"As much as I would not like to agree to such, I believe you are right, Noir." Ozpin looked very grave as he said this.
"Which means we have a very serious problem. Whoever took him out has to have intimate knowledge of the Atlas Military, as well as some way to keep the High Council placated so they don't get suspicious that Ironwood isn't reporting back, and in addition keep them from taking action once Winter reports that Ironwood's dead." Noir walked towards Ozpin's desk, looking very serious. "Whoever's behind this isn't some criminal, Professor, and I'm going to be frank. I don't think the Academy's infiltrator is the real brains behind this. Someone else is out there, calculating, planning, and making sure nothing goes wrong, and the longer we take to figure this out, the closer they get. For all we know..."
"I am well aware of how dire this situation is, Noir." Ozpin said sternly as he stood once more, and Noir stopped talking immediately. "And believe me, I wish there was more to be done about it as much as you do. But the fact remains that none of us have enough information or evidence to take significant action. If there is indeed a larger mind behind all of this, it is unlikely they will show their face when we want them to." Noir hung his head humbly.
"I'm sorry, professor...it's just frustrating." Noir admitted, stepping back a little. "Being unable to do anything about this situation is worse than being in the dark about it."
"I understand your frustration, Noir, truly, I do. For now, put it aside. After all, the Tournament's semifinals take place today, and after your match with Miss Nikos yesterday, I certainly hope to see an equally impressive match today." Ozpin smiled warmly. "After all, you and Miss Xiao Long are the final representatives of this Academy, and I wish to see one of you in the Finals."
"Professor, I really don't think the Tournament's a priority right now, I-" Noir didn't finish.
"You cannot spend every moment of your life on a battlefield, Noir." Ozpin stated firmly, something he said to Ruby Rose not too long ago as well. "This tournament is a great opportunity for you to utilize your skills in a manner that doesn't involve criminals, or the Creatures Of Darkness. You should make the most of it." Noir was silent for a moment before looking Ozpin eye to eye, his expression sombre and even sad.
"You and I both know that's not why I entered the tournament, Professor." He said, and Ozpin's expression became unreadable for a moment, before he placed a hand on Noir's shoulder.
"Yes, I know." He said in a softer, less stern tone. "But I encourage you to do your very best all the same. I know Sherry would say the same thing." Noir hesitated, feeling the need to say more, but after a moment nodded in understanding and turned to leave the office. As the elevator door closed behind him, Ozpin's scroll began to ring on his desk. He cautiously approached it, the number being apparently private. After a moment he picked up the scroll and answered it.
"Yes?" For a moment, the line was silent, and then a female voice answered.
"Hello, Ozzie."
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Noir stretched as he exited the Tower, taking a moment to take in the late morning sun before shaking himself to loosen up a little. As he walked down the steps, he took out his scroll and dialed Yang's number, waiting for a moment as the line rang, and a moment later she answered.
"Hey! How'd it go?" Her voice made him smile, though he couldn't help but sigh a bit.
"About how I expected it too. Can't really go into detail, Ozpin's insistence. But I can say that he wished me the best in the Semis." Noir replied, stretching a bit and continuing to walk away from the Tower. "Don't forget our promise."
"Heh, me? Never. See you in the arena!" Yang's grin was audible through the scroll, and Noir smiled in earnest in response.
"It's a date. See you then." Noir grinned as Yang severed the connection, and he stretched a bit before spreading his wings. A moment later the ground dropped from under him as he took flight, gaining altitude rapidly and beelining it straight for Amity Colosseum, the cool, clear air more refreshing than anything else in that moment. He loved flying. It was as much a part of his normal life as walking or running were for most people, and yet it still brought him true joy to soar through the air, nothing holding him down, nothing in his way. He took the opportunity to savor it, reminding himself to take Yang flying again sometime as she clearly enjoyed it the last time he did so. A moment later, he touched down on Amity's airship docks, with several people whispering and pointing at him as he walked by, heading towards the locker rooms to prepare for the match to come.
As he entered, Ivan Malinovyy, Atlas's final contender for the finals, was exiting, and the two fighters nodded to one another in respect. Ivan was massive, standing at an imposing six feet nine inches, built powerfully, and yet looked lean enough to be quick on his feet. His garb was rather simple, with a deep crimson armored vest covering his upper body, leaving his arms bared, and loose-fitting cargo pants garbed his lower half. His hair was very short, and dyed vivid red like blood, and his skin was tanned as though he spent his entire life outdoors. His eyes were grey and dull looking, and as he passed Noir on the way out, he actually stopped for a moment and turned to face him.
"Noir Harceleur." His voice was heavily accented, though still intelligible, and Noir turned to face the hulking fighter. "I want you to know that I am honored to have made it this far in the tournament with a fighter as skilled as yourself. I shall fight you with honor, should we face one another." The tall, muscular young man bowed respectfully to the bat faunus, and Noir couldn't help but smile a bit, touched by Ivan's sense of respect and sportsmanship.
"I am honored as well, Ivan Malinonvyy." Noir bowed in return to his fellow contender. "If we face one another, I will fight you fairly and honorably as well. Best of luck today." Ivan smiled now as well, the two fighters nodding once more to one another before Ivan turned and exited the locker room fully, Noir walking over to his personal locker, moved to the Colosseum with many others from Beacon, and began preparing for the battle to come. As he picked up Schwarze Klinge, he couldn't help but look it over, admiring it for a moment as he held it in front of him.
This blade has served me well. But it has never quite felt like a part of me... Noir took a moment to examine the firing mechanism on the hilt, loading more shurikens into it, and then wincing at the added weight. Too much... Noir unloaded it and sat on a bench, examining it with a critical eye, and sighing after a long moment. It's just not my original weapon...it's a good weapon, and one that has yet to fail me. But it's never quite felt a part of me the way the other one did. Maybe... Noir thought on it for a moment, before nodding to himself, resolved in his decision. After the Final...Schwarze Klinge will be retired.
Satisfied, Noir sheathed the weapon at his side, proceeding to don his scale armor vest, his arm guards and shin guards, and the hesitated for a moment to pick up his trench coat before grabbing another from his locker, this one sleeveless and sporting his insignia, a red angled bat symbol with a katana down the the spine, on the back. Garbed thus, Noir took a moment to stretch thoroughly, popping his neck and shaking himself to relieve the tension from his joints. He was ready.
The crowd was gathering in earnest now, Amity Colosseum's stands packed to full capacity, the roar of an eager audience reverberating throughout the massive floating structure as the holographic screens throughout the arena lit up with a countdown clock, amping the suspense to eleven as tvs around the world began to tune in. Down in Vale, every TV and hologram was being switched on, PA systems were being adjusted, and everyone was ceasing their hustle and bustle in anticipation of the event to come. In the Tower overlooking the Academy and the city, even Ozpin was watching with interest, though his mind was occupied with a recent conversation. Glynda Goodwitch watched behind him, nonchalant as ever, though admittedly interested to see which of her students would make it to the Final. Qrow Branwen sat in the stands with his niece and her teammates, having been dragged there by Ruby, and even Winter Schnee sat next to Weiss in the stands with them. Team JNPR weren't far away, with Team CFVY just one row behind them, and Team SSSN sat with Team NDGO nearby while Team FNKI conversed with Teams ABRN and BRNZ. Team ACVR were sitting front row, with Team TRRF sitting nearby. Everyone was there, and everyone was eager. The Vytal theme began to blare throughout the arena, and the crowd immediately went ballistic, the roar of thousands of people deafening.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, AND ALL OUR AUDIENCES WATCHING FROM HOME! WELCOME TO THE VYTAL FESTIVAL SEMIFINALS!" Professor Port declared in his signature bombastic manner, with the crowd responding with a deafening roar of approval. "It has been a stunning journey to this moment, and today is the moment of truth!"
"Only four combatants remain in this tournament, and the winners of today's matches will facing one another in the Vytal Final!" Oobleck declared as The Holographic roulette began to roll, and the crowd held their breaths in anticipation. Only four faces were there, now: Noir, Yang, Ivan, and Remmy, and as the roulette picked up speed, the suspense escalated with it, with the entire crowd gripping their seats as they stared at the screens. A moment later, they began to slow, and the tension skyrocketed as the wheel on the left side slowly rolled to a stop.
Noir Harceleur.
The crowd very nearly lost it, and as they waited, the right wheel slowly rolled to a stop. For a moment, the entire crowd went utterly silent as they stared at the matchup, and a moment later, as it sank in, the crowd's roar shook the air.
Noir Harceleur VS Yang Xiao Long. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake all stared at one another for a moment, the implications of this matchup sinking in, and Qrow sat back in his seat with a smirk.
"This'll be interesting." He took out his flask and drank from it, grinning as he leaned forward to watch.
Noir walked out onto the arena floor, several people ogling his new getup with interest as he strode forward, his arms bared save for his forearm guards, and stood on the center platform as Yang walked out as well, grinning ear to ear and cracking her knuckles in anticipation. Her Ember Celica gauntlets were fully loaded and ready to go, and as she shook the tension from her joints, the central platform rose into the air, the young couple staring one another down.
"Why am I not surprised." Noir remarked with a grin. "Somehow, somehow, I just knew it would be like this."
"Hey, shit happens!" Yang grinned and took her stance, Ember Celica expanding into her deadly shotgun gauntlets. "Promise is a promise anyways! Don't hold back!"
"Right back at you." Noir drew Schwarze Klinge and took his own stance, the platform stopping as they prepared mentally for the fight that was mere seconds away. Noir was legitimately excited, and despite his efforts, draining emotion for this fight wasn't easy to do. This was it. The match that decided who would represent Beacon Academy in the Vytal Final.
"THREE!"
Noir relaxed himself as he felt adrenaline starting to spike.
"TWO!"
Yang in contrast was more excited than ever as she felt the crowd's excitement, fueling her own and making her want to charge right then.
"ONE!"
Everyone in the crowd was tensed, ready for this epic fight to finally begin in earnest.
"BEGIN!"
Yang instantly leapt forward with a loud yell, aiming a devastating punch directly at Noir's face. Noir, having predicted this, timed it perfectly, and side stepped the punch, planting Schwarze Klinge's pommel right in Yang's back, which of course only served to make her stronger, due to her semblance. Yang stumbled forward a bit, and then whirled around and with a shot from Ember Celica blasted herself back at Noir hard. Noir this time blocked her incoming punch with grunt of exertion, planting his feet on the platform and holding his ground as Yang pressed hard on his block. Yang then brought her left fist for another strike, ready to take Noir off guard. Noir smirked, and just as Yang was about to slug him in the face, he dropped to the ground, sliding forward between Yang's legs and then leaping up behind her with a kick right in her back, and then spinning around to nail her right in the face with a spinning kick as she turned to counter attack. Yang grunted as the blow knocked her off-balance, and she smirked as she felt more energy surging through her, jumping right back into it, throwing punch after punch in Noir's direction, punches that Noir deftly avoided, blocking several with his arm guards as well as Yang sustained her all-out frontal assault. She wasn't letting up even for a moment, adrenaline coursing through her as every blow she missed or was blocked only added to her determination. Noir himself was sporting a grin as well, letting Yang wail at him for several moments as he mentally calculated and waited.
Noir timed his counter perfectly. As Yang brought back her right fist for another punch, Noir grabbed her left fist, twisting it around and forcing Yang into a flip that he then broke with a roundhouse kick to her gut. Yang fell to the platform as the wind got knocked out of her, and she just growled, slamming her fist on the ground in frustration and leaping back up, using the force of it to push herself into the air, firing multiple shots at Noir from her gauntlets and pushing herself higher in the air with their recoil. Noir avoided most of the shots, with one of them clipping him on the left side and knocking him back several feet. Noir grinned at Yang as she went higher into the air.
"Get down here, you." Noir growled to himself, smirking as he launched himself into the air, passing Yang and using his wings the hover over her as she came closer to him. "Need a lift?" Noir then broke into a falcon dive, grabbing Yang out the air and diving straight down towards the platform below them, accelerating faster than Yang could react. Yang yelled as she felt her back slam into the central platform hard, Noir having released her from six feet up and touching down as she hit the platform hard. Yang pulled herself up, her hair starting to glow slightly, and her eyes tinting with red as she launched herself at Noir once more, faster than before with her added strength from the impact.
The crowd was in awe as the two fighters utilized every ability they seemed to have, Yang using her semblance to full effect and gaining more and more strength with every hit she took, with every impact to her body. Ruby and Qrow looked at one another, Ruby in confusion and Qrow knowingly. Qrow could see what Noir was doing even if Ruby didn't, and he had to admit it was effective.
Noir's agility was being pushed to its limit as Yang continued to wail at him repeatedly, her punches gaining more and more speed and strength. Noir was forced to retreat as Yang pressed her attack, and he watched her carefully, analyzing her patterns as she continued to throw punch after punch at him, never once breaking pace. Noir then spotted an opening: she wasn't protecting her legs. Noir then ducked and executed a low spinning kick that took Yang's feet out from under her, once more putting her on her back, and Noir followed this with a downward kick in the same motion. Yang caught his leg and slung him over her, putting Noir flat on his back before launching herself in the air for a meteor punch, aimed right at Noir's gut. Noir instantly dissolved into ashes and moved out of the line of fire rapidly before launching several fire shurikens at Yang from the ground. Yang was forced to block, landing on her front as she covered her face. Noir then darted forward, landing a knee right in Yang's face as she tried to recover, knocking her flat on her back once more and then flipping over her, flinging ice shurikens at her to freeze her in place.
Yang growled, using Ember Celica's firing mechanisms to free her arms, and then freeing her legs a moment later. Her hair was positively glowing now as her eyes turned fully red, fire beginning to appear as she grew more and more frustrated. Noir was using his agility to outmaneuver her, and she was growing ever more irritated as every blow Noir landed on her increased her strength exponentially, and yet she was unable to land a blow of her own. Noir understood how her semblance worked. All that added strength and power was useless if she couldn't hit him, and thus he was making sure to outmaneuver her. Noir smirked at Yang's frustration, which only served to irritate her more, and she launched herself at him faster than ever. Noir was unable to dodge this time, and raised his arms to block the punch that was aimed at his face, and the impact created a shockwave that blew both fighters' hair back. Noir gritted his teeth as Yang once more pressed her attack, putting on the pressure as Noir continued to block, keeping his cool as he dug his feet in, not letting Yang gain any ground even for a moment. Noir glanced quickly around the arena and then got an idea. As he continued to block, Yang then smirked and aimed a blow right for Noir's crotch, a blow Noir barely managed to avoid using his wings to launch himself in the air.
"GET DOWN HERE!" Yang grabbed Noir's leg and yanked him back down, slamming him on the platform hard and then landing a really hard punch in his gut. Noir yelled in pain as his aura dropped significantly, and now it was his turn to growl. If that's how Yang wanted to play, fine. Noir dissolved into ashes once more and dropped down on Yang's back as he reformed behind her, slamming her into the ground as his attacks began growing more aggressive. Yang rolled and got back up, launching herself at Noir rapidly, but this time Noir was ready for her. Noir grabbed Yang's arm preemptively and twisted her around, landing a roundhouse kick right in her diaphragm and knocking the wind out of her once again. Noir pressed his attack again, growling aggressively as he began using Schwarze Klinge's blade as well as its pommel, forcing Yang to block with Ember Celica. She was being driven back now, and Noir was pressing the attack, bit by bit, and Yang, her aggravation and anger dominating her judgement, was unable to counter. Yang roared as she attempted to throw her hardest punch yet, and Noir sidestepped it, grabbing her arm and twisting it around behind her, putting her at his mercy as he held her arm in the position. Yang's heart leapt out of her chest as she realized they were right at the edge of the central platform, and for a moment everything stopped, and Noir leaned forward to whisper to her.
"Mind your surroundings." And then Noir released her arm, leaping up and landing a double-footed kick in the small of her back and knocking her clear off the platform, sending her to the arena below. Yang landed hard as the crowd roared, and she glanced back up at the platform, her eyes returning to their normal lilac purple as she couldn't help but smile. Noir outsmarted her and used both the environment and Yang's own semblance and irritation against her. He'd known he couldn't best her in close quarter combat, so he'd decided on a more creative strategy that put Yang's own asset against her. She had to admit, she was impressed.
I am SO gonna make his night when all this is over. She thought to herself, pushing herself to her feet at the platform lowered back down.
"NOIR HARCELEUR IS THE VICTOR BY RING-OUT!" Port declared over the roaring crowd. "HE SHALL REPRESENT BEACON ACADEMY AND THE KINGDOM OF VALE IN THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT FINAL!" Noir sighed in relief as the platform touched back down, and he promptly walked over to Yang, holding his hand out for her to shake.
"Well fought. You almost had me there a few times." He said with an earnest smile. Yang smiled and shook his hand firmly, before pulling Noir into a firm kiss right on the lips in front of the entire Colosseum, eliciting an even bigger roar of approval from the crowd. As it parted, Noir blushed deep red, and Yang flashed him a wink, taking his hand in hers as the young couple walked off the field to thunderous applause and approval.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Rouge/Remnant watched on his scroll as Yang and Noir walked off the field, hand in hand. While the matchup had been what he'd expected it to be, the outcome, not so much. Noir had been on the ropes almost from the outset, and yet despite being unable to best Yang with close-quarters-combat, had still ended up coming out on top. This was starting to bother him. With every match Noir was in, it seemed that even when his opponent bested him in some way, he still found a way to come out on top. It was getting more and more frustrating for Remnant. How? How was he doing it? And so consistently, as well! Rouge was growing more and more frustrated, as though the last few days hadn't been frustrating and mentally grueling enough.
Rouge sat sharpening his twin blades in the locker room, sighing in irritation at the mere sight of them. He was sick of using them, sick to his stomach. They weren't his style, and he'd used plenty of different weapons before. He could wield swords, axes, maces, guns, bows, knives, and of course scythes, of all shapes and sizes, but these cumbersome blades were irritating him. Why did he pick them in the first place? To be imposing? To intimidate? He didn't know at this point, and it was too late to throw them aside. He'd wanted to use Wilt and Blush after receiving them from his master, but at Cinder's interference had been prevented from doing so. Not that her opinion swayed him in any way whatsoever, but she'd made a good point. Many faunus knew who Adam Taurus was, and to see his blade would cause outrage among some of the more fanatical White Fang supporters. And so he'd forgone using it, but he still itched to. Perhaps in the final, he would...if he made it.
Not that he doubted at all if he would at this point. He hadn't lost a single bout in this tournament. It was ridiculous, really. The whole point of him competing in this tournament was to find out what kind of opposition Erebos faced from the huntsmen and huntresses in Vale, and so far, all he could say was that all initial impressions had been flat out wrong. Noir was now in the Final, and every opponent he'd had up to that point had stacked the odds against, except perhaps for Wukong, who despite his best efforts had been defeated rather easily. Not that this at all surprised Remnant, given that Team SSSN's victory in the round of Teams had been an utter fluke, and their doubles round was even less impressive, at least to Rouge. The fact that Sun Wukong made it to the finals at all was baffling. And yet, he had. Rouge shook his head. Nothing had been right. Or rather, nothing had gone the way he'd assumed would be right.
Rouge sighed as he sheathed the twin blades on his back. So now, he'd be facing Ivan Malinovyy, the final contender from Atlas, and the last obstacle for Remnant to overcome to reach the Final. Simply put, Rouge was in no mood to drag this out anymore. He knew that fighting Noir Harceleur was inevitable at this point, and he couldn't help but feel excitement. The chance to actually meet this enigmatic fighter in person on the battlefield made Rouge legitimately excited, and he could barely contain it as he stood up, walking towards the arena as Port and Oobleck spoke once more over the P.A.
"AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THE FINAL MATCH BEFORE THE VYTAL TOURNAMENT FINAL IS HERE!" Port announced to roaring applause, with Rouge/Remmy's and Ivan's faces already emblazoned on the holographic screens around the arena. "REMMY OF HAVEN ACADEMY VERSUS IVAN MALINOVYY OF ATLAS ACADEMY!" The crowd's roar redoubled as both fighters walked into the arena, Ivan waving to the crowd with confidence, while Rouge merely looked like he didn't want to be there. As they reached the central platform, Ivan bowed in respect as he did with Noir.
"It is an honor to face one with skill such as yours. I wish you the best in this-" Ivan was cut off.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, fight well, it's an honor, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." Rouge rolled his eyes. "Look, Big Guy, I'm not in any mood to fuck around, so how's about we just get this over with?"
"...I detest rudeness. I will not go easy on you." Ivan growled, sliding a pair of what looked like brass knuckles on his hands and slamming his fists together. The weapons crackled with white-hot energy as they lit up, becoming shock knuckles. Rouge simply rolled his eyes and took his own hand-to-hand stance, not even bothering to touch the swords on his back.
"THREE, TWO, ONE, BEGIN!"
Rouge wasted no time and dove right in, his lightweight build allowing him to get right into the thick of it from the outset. Ivan growled and threw a powerful punch that Rouge blocked with his left arm, and smirked as he spun around under Ivan's next punch, landing a hard left cross right in his gut. The huge young man stumbled back a bit and growled, throwing another powerful punch that Rouge once again dodged, landing another punch of his own with his left hand in Ivan's right side, below the kidney. Ivan seemed to only grow irritated as Rouge's hard punches made their landing, and a moment later, whirled around, grabbing Rouge's face and slamming him hard into the central platform, so hard it shook. Rouge grunted as he was slammed down, thankful for his aura as he grabbed Ivan's wrist and squeezed hard. Ivan roared in pain as Rouge then kicked upwards, landing a vicious kick in Ivan's groin and causing him to stumble in pain. Rouge wasted no time, already irritated that he hadn't put Ivan down already, leaping to his feet and charging once again.
The crowd was roaring with approval, the fight getting off to an amazing start as they watched a smaller boy go toe-to-toe with a man who towered over him, not even flinching at Ivan's prowess and unbridled strength. Indeed, Ivan was impressed that someone with an attitude like "Remmy" did could back it up in such fashion. Even after getting slammed face-first on the ground he was still eager to fight head on, and wasn't backing down for a second.
The pair continued their bout in hyper-aggressive fashion, with Rouge punching and kicking at lightning speed, Ivan forced to block as Rouge wailed on him. Rouge didn't want to waste any time, and was eager to get this fight over with. As his punches continued to only irritate Ivan, Rouge rolled his eyes and drew his blades, combining them in his massive buster sword, wielding it in his left land as though it was light as a feather, and charged once more, using its added range to his advantage and landing several hard hits in rapid succession. Ivan was forced to retreat from the massive blade, and roared as he charged shoulder first, slamming into Rouge and knocking him back several yards, but not far enough. Rouge spun the buster in a rapid circle, stopping himself from falling off the edge using the sword's weight, dragging it across the platform.
"Oi! That's dangerous!" Rouge yelled, lifting the massive blade up once more and charging forward in lightning speed. Ivan charged forward to meet him, growling aggressively as he raised his fist for a hard hit. Ivan's fist collided with the flat of Rouge's blade, resulting in a massive shower of sparks and a loud metallic clang that reverberated through the arena. Ivan felt the bones in his arm vibrate from the brutal hit, and ground his teeth from the pain coursing through it. His bones were intact thanks to his aura, but it still hurt. Rouge smirked and split the buster back into two swords and ducked under Ivan's arm, slashing at his torso rapidly as he spun in an almost acrobatic manner, his eyes starting to flash purple. He was having too much fun and was starting to laugh.
"Oh, YES!" He roared as Ivan was forced to retreat from the onslaught, Rouge's yells sounding more skin to death growls than battle cries. He continued his onslaught of rapid fire sword blows, not giving Ivan any room to recover, his heart pounding hard as he became more and more excited. Ivan could see the glowing purple in Rouge's normally bright green eyes, and he felt a spike of dread as Rogue's face became twisted in a look of pure psychotic glee, all his repressed emotions from the past few days coming to the forefront as he once more combined his twin swords into a buster, wielding it one handed and finally breaking through Ivan's guard.
Wham! The massive blade made contact with Ivan's arm with a sickening thud, and a moment later struck his other arm, depleting his aura to dangerously levels, and Rouge finally found his opening, jumping in the air and bringing the massive blade down on Ivan from above, striking him on the top of his head and knocking him cold instantly and putting him flat on the platform, on his front.
"AAAAAAAAAND REMMY OF HAVEN ACADEMY WINS THE BATTLE BY AURA LEVEL!" Port announced, and the crowd roared in approval, the central platform lowering back down to the main arena as paramedics rushed out to check on Ivan's condition. "JOIN US TOMORROW FOR THE FINAL MATCH OF THE VYTAL FESTIVAL TOURNAMENT: NOIR HARCELEUR VERSUS REMMY OF HAVEN ACADEMY!" Rouge shrugged and bowed to Ivan's unconscious form, seemingly in sportsmanship, but it was in a mocking manner. He didn't care about sportsmanship, not by a long shot, and he wasn't going to say he did. He just wanted this stupid tournament to be over with.
He wanted to fight Noir Harceleur, more than anything else. And soon, he would be. As he walked off the arena floor, his scroll suddenly rang out, and he answered it as quickly as possible, knowing who it likely was.
"Yes?"
"Congratulations on making the Final." It was Erebos, and while he was congratulating his student, he sounded anything but pleased or proud. As if he ever did to begin with. "You have been doing very well. I must say that I am impressed by your progress."
"Yeah, cos winning a tournament is totally representative of things you've taught me." Rouge said with cynical sarcasm. "This whole no killing thing is fucking killing me, when am I going to actually get to be myself again?!"
"Quiet yourself, boy." Erebos said it calmly enough, but that subtle panther-esque growl could be heard underlying his tone. "I did not contact you for you to wax sarcasm with me. I have contacted you to warn you."
"Warn me about what? The fact that I'm wrecking everyone's shit and they see it?" Rouge smirked. "As if any warning's needed, they know it full well."
"I said quiet yourself, boy!" Rouge immediately shut up. Erebos was starting to sound angry now. "You should be concerned about your opponent in the final. He is not to be underestimated. My source tells me he is very close to the brink of breaking from within. He possesses a darkness like you, Remnant. A darkness that, if unleashed could very well spell certain doom for you-" Rouge cut him off.
"What, and he's supposed to be worse than the other three guys you had me kill as my rite of passage? One of whom fucking blinded me before I stole his eyes in retaliation? You're making it sound like I'm fighting you for fuck's sake..." At this Erebos finally lost patience.
"SILENCE!" He snarled. "You had best watch yourself, boy. That mouth of yours has always been your worst attribute, and I will NOT have your profane harangues aimed at me in such a manner, do you hear me?!"
"Yes sir..." Rouge shuddered. Even now, his master was scary when angered.
"I have said what I have meant to say. I expect a full report on the strength of our opposition the day after the tournament Final." Before Erebos could hang up, Rouge spoke up.
"I need to know something first..." Rouge felt a shiver as he imagined Erebos's mismatched stare glaring holes into him.
"What is it? Out with it, boy."
"...who are the Etilles?" The line went silent. Erebos's end was devoid of any sound whatsoever, and Rouge nervously continued. "I-I've been hearing the name in my mind for some time, and I have no idea where I've heard it before, I was wondering..."
"Silence."
"No, I mean, I just want to know who they are, Why am I remembering a name I've never..."
"I SAID SILENCE!" Rouge instantly stopped talking. "I do not know where you heard that name, but it is of no consequence to you! You are not there to research names, you are there to gather information on Huntsmen, so do your job and do not question me again!"
"Y-yes sir..." Rouge hung up, shaking visibly. He had been hoping Erebos would tell him what the name meant, but, it seemed like Rouge wasn't even supposed to know the name at all. Why? How did Erebos know the name? Did he know it was Rouge's name? If he did, why didn't he want Rouge to know his own name? Was he lying to him about his identity?
What else was Erebos lying about if that was the case?
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
In another part of Vale, Erebos closed his scroll in utter disgust, growling in anger at his servant's increasingly rebellious attitude, his increasingly brash behavior, and now, he somehow knew the name Etille. How he knew this name, Erebos didn't know. It was frustrating him, and it angered him that his servant was becoming so rebellious in such a way, for it could only mean trouble. It seemed that at some point in the near future, he would be required to discipline his student once more.
A brush of movement caught his attention, and he turned to see a woman exiting the White Fang building behind her. She was tall and beautiful, with a pale complexion framed by waist length black hair, and pair of amber-orange eyes gazed out from under her brow. She wore a green gown-like dress that fell to her ankles in the back but only fell halfway down her thighs in the front. It had a low-cut collar with bared shoulders and arm sleeves that extended over the backs of her hands, held by a ring of cloth on her middle fingers. She wore a brown vest over her torso, and a pair of brown sandals that reached her knees adorned her legs. She walked close, her arms crossed, and looked Erebos in the eyes with a stoic and emotionless expression.
"Even your most loyal servant is rebelling against darkness. Now why don't you? It's the most sane thing to do." Even her manner of speaking was stoic and emotionless, and watching him in his state of anger and frustration didn't even phase her. Erebos turned towards her, his mismatched eyes narrowing into slits as he regarded the woman before him, as though she meant absolutely nothing to him.
"Darkness is an inevitability. We all possess it, and we all must choose to embrace it, or it will consume all from within." He said in a small growl. He was in no mood to mince words. And evidently the woman in front of him was not to be ignored.
"You're wrong." She unfolded her arms and took a bold step forward. "We must all acknowledge the darkness that lays dormant in our souls. Not embrace it. If you "embrace" it, you will destroy yourself. You will become your own demise." Erebos growled at her as she said this. Already he was tired of the conversation and wanted it over, for he had no time to wax philosophical.
"If one is to know the truth of one's self, one's whole self, one must look into every aspect of themselves." He turned away from her, his fists clenching as he growled under his breath. "And I am tired of living in a world of fools who refuse to embrace the larger truth of themselves." The woman rolled her eyes at this.
"Drop the act for once, Erebos. There is still time to stop all of this revenge nonsense. We won't have to endanger Cinder's life. Or yours. Erebos, please." She placed a hand on his arm, a gentle but firm hand, trying to persuade the man before her. Her face had changed, and emotion was etched all over it. A torrent of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her.
"This is no longer about revenge, Fall." Erebos turned and looked her dead in the eyes. There was no pity, no remorse, no mercy in his piercing gaze. No humanity. "This world must learn that it was built on lies, lies that have convinced each and every weak-minded fool upon this planet that all is well, all is safe, the monsters cannot reach them, the monsters must be killed, not once realizing the real monsters were the ones who built this world in the first place." He turned so that he was fully facing her. "Do you not see that?! This Kingdom and the others like it are fabrications of power-hungry ingrates who care nothing, NOTHING, for those they trample upon." At this, the woman named Fall began to grow angry herself. And desperate.
"Bullshit! You and I fully know well that this is all for your own personal satisfaction. Not for the good of the world, not for our daughter, not for ME, only for yourself!" Tears were forming in her eyes, an occurrence that hadn't happened in many many years. Not since the monster before her had taken her daughter from, and robbed her of her worldly innocence. "Can't you see that? Please! There is still good within you, I know that!" Erebos had had enough now.
"SILENCE!" He unleashed a roar of anger, yanking his arm free from her grasp as though touched by something disgusting. "YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO ME IN THAT WAY, NYX FALL, NOT NOW, NOT EVER, AND YOU WILL STAY IN YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE!" His right hand, almost out of nowhere, came flying across the space between them, hitting Nyx right in the face, hard enough to draw blood, and sending her right to the ground. "And you will remain there until you die." This last word was spoken in a voice that sounded as though another was behind it. As though The Shadow is now speaking in unison with him. Tears fell down Nyx's cheeks, spilling onto the ground. Her hand was pressed to her cheek, nestling the open wound upon it.
"...You've changed, Kraid." She stood up slowly, gathering her strength that had been drained from her body from that one attack, facing the ground. "I thought that things would change at one point throughout all of this. Heh, I was a fool for thinking so. Now… You will bring MY child down with you in this path of darkness. I cannot allow this. I will die, so long as she lives in Light." She picked up her head to look Erebos/ the Shadow dead in the eyes, a newfound courage forming within her that hadn't been there before. "She, I will save from you. But you… you are beyond saving from yourself." And with that, Nyx Fall turned and stormed away, leaving Erebos for good, to never return to him again. The man now consumed by his dark side watched her leave, scoffing as he turned away. She was nothing to him, and never would be anything to him again. He would finish this mission on his own, without her help, without her intel, and without her...distraction.
As he turned his back to Nyx, behind him, unbeknownst to anyone there, something was watching, waiting, and relishing the days to come. It laughed to itself as it watched Erebos Kraid continue his descent into darkness.
Soon enough, Kraid. It thought to itself, continuing to observe. Soon enough, thou shalt bear witness to my return, and despair in thy foolishness and ignorance. Soon, Kraid, nothing and no one will stop us. Will stop ME.