Breaking Remnant: Bound by Shadows

Rating: T/M

Series: RWBY

Pairing:

Volume 2: Summer

Summary: Aganju came to Beacon wanting to be treated as equal. Pyrrha wanted to be viewed as a normal girl. Neither of them expected to be that fate would have them meet. Now, they navigate the academy grounds and beyond, with secrets and danger awaiting them at every corner. The alternate timeline takes place just before the start of RWBY volume 1 and AU in the Breaking Remnant series.

(Rewrite of RWBY: Shadows of Destiny)

Author's Note:

I had to take out Weiss's story from the original story as it no longer coincides with this version. Originally, there was another character named Earna who left for Atlas and was a member of Team AZRE who would help the former heiress but, it just doesn't fit. So, I'm reverting Weiss's story to that of the original canon.

Also, this is the final chapter of Volume 2: Summer as the next chapter will cover most of Volume 5 and 6. Thus, Fall is up next so be on the lookout for that coming soon.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY... that honor belongs to Rooster Teeth. I do own the rights to my OCs.


Chapter 11


Two sets of optics stared at the masked woman with unsettling hearts as her heels clicked against the stone terrain. Unlike their first meeting, Aganju could feel the adverse intention radiating from her. Their first encounter was merely by chance; no real reason for their clash aside could be found other than the defense of himself. Now, she's declared that he was her target...

But why?

"What do you want with us?" The soft yet stern voice of Pyrrha broke the smothering silence.

"You? You have nothing of value to me." The woman merely peered through her helmet, before waving her hand dismissively. "I could kill you right now and not bat an eye."

"Stay away from her..." Aganju bared his canines, a low growl rumbling in his chest.

How 'charming'... She rolled her eyes. "Relax boy. If you come with me, I can assure you that your 'master' won't be harmed."

It was a lie, but they didn't need to know this yet. Knowing that her subordinates were still gathering near the exit of the cave, she had to keep the two distracted long enough for the ambush.

"Watch your mouth!"

As expected, Aganju's growl grew in power, echoing against the rock faces surrounding them. His eyes glowed but didn't contort to their sinister counterpart. It emerged that his greatest weakness would reveal herself to be the one keeping him back as the scarlet haired girl took the faunus' arm.

This would prove advantageous.

"And what will you do if I don't?"

"I'll rip out your tongue..."

Hearing this, the woman's lips twitched upward; her heartbeat quickening as she felt something that made excited her. What was this sensation that fascinated her mind and ensnared her soul? Just what was it about this male that made her feel a sense of pride in him?

Bloodlust.

It was a mindset; a drive that motivated one to go in for what they wanted or needed without hesitation. It was something that she herself carried within her very being that's kept her alive all of this time. It's what allowed her to ascend to the role of the leader of her tribe. She began to see something in the focused male standing across from her.

But, she couldn't allow this to divert her from the plan.

"My name is Raven..." she announced while slowly drawing her blade. "...and you're more than welcome to try, mutt."

Aganju closed his eyes, feeling his breath course throughout his body. This was just like at Beacon tower with the woman now known as Cinder. The way she mocked him for moving forward and establishing bonds with others, a notion she considered for the weak. It was infuriating, the perfect motivation for someone looking to let loose.

If this mystery woman wanted a rematch, he'd be more than happy to oblige. He then looked over to Pyrrha who simply nodded in understanding. She worried for his safety, but she trusted that he was capable of handling himself in battle.

Using her semblance, she summoned his weapon, Nguangus to her before handing the sword over to him. Exchanging quick glances, she wanted nothing more than to join him in battle. Aganju shut this down with a head shake but also a soft gaze that told her that this was personal. Understanding, an unhappy Pyrrha frowned but she wouldn't argue with him.

She gave him a peck on the lips that told him 'Be careful' before retreating over to her clothes.

Aganju then shifted over to the woman, eyes narrowed and concentrated at his opponent. The weapon then split into two blades. His glower deepened as he took his stance. Above them, the heavens grew dusky and the rumbling of thunder proclaimed its appearance. It appeared that the stage was now set.

"My name is Aganju Umbrae and don't call me mutt..."


[Island of Patch/Xiao-Long residence]

Yang and Roxanne came inside the Xiao Long family home, sweaty and exhausted from their training. Week after week the pair grew closer and closer with each punch and kick they threw at one another. The more time that passed, the more Yang began to open up and, while Roxanne accepted that the overly-cheerful incarnation of Yang would never fully return, she loved that her friend had become open again.

Drenched and laughing, the two progressed to the kitchen. They each grabbed a bottle of water, guzzling the clear liquid to refresh themselves after a hard day's workout.

"That was rough...! Your kicks are improving."

"I still can't believe that you pack such a punch without your semblance!" Yang slapped the Faunus' back, nearly making Roxanne spit her gulp of water out.

"Yeah..." the ram flashed a light glare. "That arm of yours is something else."

"My punch makes you shiver, huh?" Yang stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Something makes me shiver... and I don't mean your punches either."

The teasing Yang's eyes widened as her cheeks flared up with intense heat. To make matters worse, she found that her sparring partner was sizing her up with a seductive gleam in her eyes. In truth, their physical battles paled in comparison to the silent ones they'd wage, either subtly or blatant; the latter would be held whenever they were confident they were alone, mind you.

"Roxie?" the blonde quietly scolded. "My dad's upstairs! What if he hears us?"

Roxanne Octane eyed her worried girlfriend with both intrigue and concern of her own. She loved being close to Yang but, she also didn't want to disrespect the man's home and his rules. Thus far, she was a gracious and polite guest so, there was a bit of care of her own in regard to their... situation.

"Okay... I see yer point, Yang. I'll tone it down inside the house."

"Thank you."

Yang smiled warmly at her partner before taking another swig of her bottle. What she didn't count on was a light peck on her cheek that nearly forced her to choke on her water. Yang tried to resist the urge to cough, watching the Faunus rush out of the house. After a few more moments to collect herself, she ran after Roxanne, and soon the two were back to sparring, each working on their grappling strategy.

Upstairs, Tai Yang Xiao Long watched from the balcony as the girls resumed their combat training with a soft grin, content to relax as their giggles and fighting grunts filled the air.


[Amestras/Mountain Region]

Raven and Aganju clashed all over the open area of the cavern. With every contact made by their weapons, sparks of varying colors lit up the otherwise dark grotto. On the ground. In the air. No matter where they collided, the force they both exuded appeared to be equal to the other. Each brought something that gave them enough of a chance to shift the tide, even if they were only feeling the other out.

Pyrrha watched as her comrade found himself into a test of strength.

She didn't doubt his resolve nor his chance to come out on top as he swiped at the woman, forcing her to jump back, creating enough space for him to combine his blades again and charge forward. Raven could tell that, despite the short time between their last meeting, the faunus had adapted rather quickly to her style.

That was his greatest advantage in a fight; His ability to adapt and modify his own approach to keep himself at an even pace with whomever he was fighting would always serve him well in combat. His large sword collided with her own repeatedly as he pushed her back with just his strength alone.

He's deceptively powerful...

Raven smirked under her concealing mask though, eyeing a significant weakness for her to exploit. She then ducked under him flipping Aganju with her shoulders, freeing herself and slashing the air beside her, creating a portal and stepping through it.

"Not bad... But not good enough."

The cavern now grew quiet. The dimly lit area did nothing to stop Aganju though as his eyes could easily see in the dark. Still, the woman was nowhere in sight.

He couldn't even pick up her scent, yet he wouldn't drop his guard.

He slowed his breathing, searching every nook and cranny of the hollow. He could feel the looming presence but, there was no way for him to pinpoint her location. The sound of the portal could be heard in the distance, prompting the vulpine to twist his body to face it but, there was nothing there.

Then he heard it...

"Aganju!" he turned to find the gladiator being dragged through the gateway, several hands clutching at her form.

"PYRRHA!"

He tried to catch up, hoping to at least catch her leg and pull her back but, he wasn't fast enough. He dove in only to just miss her by a few inches. Alone and furious, Aganju ran down the long corridor until he found himself at the crossroad. Panting, he tried to catch his breath but, the sounds of metal clanking provoked him to start again toward the noise.

His mind filled with the things he would do to Raven and anyone else he's come across. All that mattered was Pyrrha's safety; damn anything else. His lungs burned but he didn't care. His legs were growing tired and yet, he refused to quit until he caught up the unfortunate victims in waiting. His trek reaped a much-desired reward as he watched as a surrounded Pyrrha Nikos was fending off a band of brigands.

Standing in the way of their exodus was a seemingly calm Raven, watching the scene unfold in silence.

While she was doing rather well against the majority, there was one, a girl with short brown hair and icy blue eyes giving her trouble. Atsura wasted no time and ran up the inclined slope that leads to the exit of the cave standing back to back with her. While she was relieved to see him unharmed, Pyrrha was equally worried about the well-being of their opponents.

"Aganju?"

He didn't acknowledge her pleading tone. He couldn't afford to do so now, not if they were to survive.

He rushed off toward the lackeys first, leaving his partner to battle the short girl. He wound up knocking them out with solid kicks and strikes. He knew that Pyrrha wouldn't approve of a mass killing, but it wasn't anything that noble keeping him from exterminating the hapless cronies.

Every attack was just a means to get closer to hurting the woman behind the group. If anyone's blood would stain his blade, it would be hers. One by one, the men and women of the tribe would fall until one of them jumped on the boy's back followed by another and another.

This continued until Aganju found himself buried under a dog pile while Raven looked on, unimpressed.

"Such a disappointment..." she muttered, turning her back. "Take back to camp after you've..."

"GET OFF!"

Aganju flared up his power, pushing off the bandits with just the flexed aura.

His roar caused those remaining to halt their next assault as demonic orbs dared the now trembling souls to attack. Gone was his reservation. No longer would he hold back. If they wanted to die, he'd be happy to oblige them. When the fox turned to the masked assailant, he was taken aback when he saw that she was no longer there.

"Enough!" All eyes turned to the voice.

Raven now stood with her second-in-command with Pyrrha trapped between them. On her neck, the edged weapons of both women dug into her flesh, threatening to taste the sanguine blood underneath. "Deactivate your semblance and drop your weapon."

Was she serious?

"Can't take me one-on-one, bitch?!" he roared, his face contorted into a grotesque expression.

Raven wouldn't take the bait, however, choosing to maintain her composure; she did have the high ground after all.

"Do it! Or would you rather I remove this weakness permanently? I wonder if you'd be stronger as a result?"

There was no choice. Aganju had his back to the wall and he knew it.

Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and recalled the power until the normal violet optics re-emerged. Raven finally took Omen away from Pyrrha's neck but Vernal remained poised to strike if necessary.

"Now your weapon..." Vernal commanded, earning a dark glare. "We won't ask again."

Aganju weaved his fingers around the handle of Ngaungus, ferociously shivering in defiance. But, seeing the look of fear and humiliation on Pyrrha's face, his heart knew that he lost. Seeing no other option, he tossed the glaive behind him near a cliff-face.

"Foolish..."

In a matter of seconds, the faunus felt something pierce his stomach as he was driven back into a large stalagmite. His eyes shot open in shock as he watched another infernal portal begin to dissipate behind his attacker, forcing him to watch the horrified Pyrrha Nikos scream out. He couldn't hear her though, only the crumbling stones around him gave him the comfort of sound.

The pain soon began to course from his core all throughout his form but, what came next would haunt his dreams. The woman responsible for his impalement reached for the Grimm mask, slowly revealing her features. Pale skin, white like snow. Crimson eyes, sanguine gems that matched his right orb.

Despite this observation, the most notable thing Aganju notice wasn't that but what came from those eyes.

A tear.

A single drop of regret fell down her cheek as she gazed back at the boy. The hysteria behind his eyes made him appear like a frightened child. Her lip quivered slightly but, he was close enough to see it.

Why is... she crying?

Raven withdrew her katana, watching as Atsura fell into her. The world around them ceased to exist as she caught him, leaning in to whisper something in his ear; something she said when he found himself hanging off of the edge of a cliff outside of Shion. Back then, he couldn't tell what she was trying to say exactly, but now? Now, there was no denying what she said.

"I'm sorry, my son..."

His shivering turned into full out convulsions as he slowly slumped to his knees. His mind had no time to process her words though. The next thing he remembered was feeling her heeled boot push him over the edge of the cliff watching as the image of Raven grew smaller, as did the image of a broken Pyrrha reaching in vain for him.

Raven watched with melancholy in her heart as the shrieks of the red-haired girl echoed throughout the fissures of the cavern. Her futile cries for her Atsura fell on deaf ears, but not on a stone soul. The men and women rushed her shortly after she had managed to break free from Vernal's grip. She put on her mask before acknowledging her lieutenant.

"Take the girl back to camp and keep her tied tight. I don't want her being able to use her semblance either, so keep her blindfolded as well."

"Yes, ma'am."

They dragged Pyrrha away, noting her broken demeanor as she merely stared at the spot where her beloved once stood. Tears stained her cheeks as she was bound securely by the woman of the group, not even teasing resistance. She was lost now, seeing her friend and lover killed before her very eyes. If she hadn't seen it for herself, she wouldn't believe it.

She didn't want to believe it...

Eventually, she'd her vision robbed from her when a dingy scarf was forced over her eyes. She was then led out of the cave but, as she was escorted, she could feel the presence of the woman who just took her Aganju away from this world. As her tears stained her features, curses were hurled at the murderer even after she was taken far from Raven.

Raven didn't react.

It was simply a cruel word from a pained girl; what would it matter in the long run? She called Vernal to supervise the journey until she returned to the camp. She remained until she was sure she was alone, taking in the conclusion of the ambush. Crimson eyes took in the scene. A few specks of blood adorned the ground, no doubt her followers. The two most noticeable things were on either side of her.

On her right side, a cardinal sash floated along the ground by her feet. Picking it up, she recognized it as belonging to the girl before looking to her left. She then turned to the edge of the precipice where the fox's glaive rested. Raven, feeling the weight of her deed, simply walked over to the blade, tying the red scarf around the hilt before tossing them both over the side, removing the last physical remnant of her crime.

She didn't want to kill him, but after seeing how uncontrollable he was, there was no bringing him back to her tribe.

"I had no choice..." she uttered, putting her mask back on. "I just hope that you can forgive me in the next life."

Those haunting words were carried off into the wind as a blackbird flapped its wings out of the cave, into the gloomy dawn.


[Evernight Castle/Salem's War Room]

Amidst the darkness, several slashed of fiery energy tore through the void. One after the other, each strike more ferocious than the last continued to break down the abyss until only one was left standing in the middle of the room.

Cinder Fall.

Destroyer of Beacon.

Killer of Ozpin.

Fall Maiden.

She huffed as she tried to regain as much of the energy she'd just exerted as another Beowolf began to disintegrate in front of her. She'd been at this exercise for hours yet, there seemed to be no end to the ravenous beasts that appeared, courtesy of Salem. The spectral woman looked on with an expressionless gaze as her protege continued to try and fend off the creatures.

Soon the girl found herself stalked by four Grimm at once, eyeing their sickly yellow eyes with only a single thought in her mind: Kill or be killed.

As they struck, she focused her mind to exterminating them all in one fell swoop but found that it drained her stamina much more than she anticipated. As she wheezed for sweet air, Cinder would find herself nearly accosted by an ape-like Grimm that happened to catch her off guard. Thankfully she had the presence of mind to shove her hand in its gut, draining it of its very existence before dropping to her knees in exhaustion.

"Enough!" she regally exclaimed. "I thought you were the girl that wanted power. Did you lie to me?"

The woman's words cut deeper into Cinder's heart than any weapon ever could. She wanted so badly to lash out, but her recovery was nearing its end; she could feel it. Instead, she turned to Salem, shaking her head.

"Then stop holding back!" she glared at the once proud and vocal girl on her knees. "If you want to master your powers, you must-"

Suddenly the door to the chamber shifted open, cutting the master of Grimm off. Both looked down the shadowy corridor, hesitant and nervous murmurs announcing the presence of the scorpion Faunus, Tyrian. He whimpered like a child preparing to be disciplined, his body quivering as he emerged from the blackness that he wished could've swallowed him whole.

"I'm sorry... She'll forgive me," he dropped to his knees, muttering to himself as if there was another conversing with him. "Please, forgive me."

"Tyrian?" His form ceased its rattling on command as she called his name. "Your task? Were you successful?"

Despondent and discouraged, he couldn't bear to look at his queen directly in the eyes.

"No."

Salem did not like hearing this, evident in the darkening of her hellish eyes. He could feel her disappointment burrowing into his black heart despite his face kissing the stone floor. A few seconds of soul-crushing silence pass before she began to walk off, prompting Tyrian to (hopefully) salvage whatever standing he had with her.

"But, hope is not lost! My tail- erm... My stinger! It poisoned him... Qrow! He will not be a nuisance to you any longer. No! No longer!"

The revelation of his deed caused Salem to stop, eyeing him with an unreadable gaze.

"Have I done well? Have I pleased you?" the meekness returned in his voice, hoping for the woman's approval.

"The last eye is blinded." She pondered. "You disappoint me..."

Stunned.

Whatever remnant of a glee quickly left the male as she departed the room. As the door slammed behind her, she could hear the faint wailing of Tyrian reverberating from the walls of the castle, and yet, she didn't so much as budge. His despair was like a lullaby to her, as well as the Grimm she'd summon. Soon the sounds of his wailing twisted into crazed cackles combined with his blades stabbing at whatever monstrosity she chose to feed to him.

None of that would matter right now, as she entered her own room, wanting nothing more than to think about all that'd happened. With Qrow poisoned, she couldn't be sure that he'd no longer be a threat unless she was able to confirm his death. This also meant that the silver-eyed girl was still alive which could prove to be a bigger issue down the road.

However, something else drew her attention. These apparent obstacles would be handled and planned out, but there was that itch that the woman just couldn't scratch. Closing her eyes, Salem sat down in her chair, staring back at her reflection with a look that she never thought she'd ever see again.

Hope.

The unknown identity of the faunus who shared her eyes was something that Salem didn't take lightly. Yet, without Cinder's voice being healed yet, she would have to keep waiting until that happened. But, as a creature of magic, she wasn't completely out of options. Reaching over to a small music box, she ignored the figurine of a little girl in green and instead, clutched a small jewel in her hand, crushing it into dust.

She then closed her eyes, focusing on the main description of this enigma before blowing the dust.

She watched it float away as the music box played an eerie lullaby before retiring to her bed for a needed rest. The child-like symphony did trigger something, but it was still too abstract for her to focus. Curiosity would soon give in to the depths of slumber, dragging Salem into a dreamless night, a single, lingering question accompanying her.

Just who are you?