Breaking Remnant: Bound by Shadows
Rating: T/M
Series: RWBY
Pairing:
Volume 3: Fall
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:
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to RWBY... that honor belongs to Rooster Teeth. I do own the rights to my OCs.
Chapter 14
The skies above shined a bright blue hue over the campus of Haven Academy. The shattered remnants of the moon glowed brilliantly as ten bodies stepped through the quad heading to the main hall. After meeting with one another to discuss their next move, Qrow received a message from Leonardo Lionheart about the council's decision.
While that wasn't something out of the ordinary, what did seem a bit off-putting was the timing. Even now as they trekked closer to the grand hall, Qrow Branwen tried to make sense of the sudden invitation and the timing for their arrival. The only logical explanation for this may be the nature of secrecy in terms of finding and retrieving the spring maiden.
Many of the younger generations marveled at how tranquil the place appeared. Even a stoic Pyrrha couldn't help but take in the sight of the school she was expected to go to after her time at Sanctum. This only brought on a looming dark cloud that her teammate Jaune tried to help her out of.
He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder to pull her from the depressing thoughts.
"Are you alright? You don't have to go inside if you don't want to."
[Flashback- Mistral Homestead]
That morning brought with it a welcomed sense of peace as Oscar (currently Ozpin) sat alongside his most loyal soldier, Qrow. While the students slept, they opted to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee while discussing everything that'd transpired the prior evening. What started with only six of them had now grown to ten with the inclusion of Yang Xiao Long, Roxanne Octane, Weiss Schnee, and Pyrrha Nikos.
"Speaking of her," Qrow spoke up. "How's she holding up?"
"I won't lie to you; If what miss Nikos stated is true, then there's no definitive way to tell." The brown-haired boy took another sip from his mug, letting the hot liquid trickle down his tongue. Looking over, he noticed the conflict behind the red eyes of Qrow Branwen. This was further proven when his grip on the mug tightened around the piping hot cup. "Qrow?"
"I should've protected him..." he sighed.
"You couldn't have been in two places at the same time. Nobody can fault you for something you didn't know..."
"But..."
"We both suspected that this was a possibility. Neither of us knew for sure, but we did our best to help him with the clues that were gathered. All we can do now is try and be as comforting and understanding of miss Nikos when she's ready to share more."
Qrow still didn't remove his grasp from the warm vessel, but at least his glower began to relax. This was good as Ozpin did have more to discuss with the man. Even still, he'd find his own mind drifting off to that night. The shriek of agony followed by a brief explanation was enough to leave a chill down any person's spine, but, it was a bridge that had yet to be built completely.
Taking another sip of his drink, Qrow took a deep breath.
"Things aren't looking good, Oz..."
"Ever the optimist," the boy chuckled. "While I would not say that our current predicament is... ideal, I think that we can both agree that our situation could be much worse. Humanity is a resilient force."
"Pro Huntsmen like that don't just bite it all at once. Salem's powerful; It seems like her reach is growing by the day. What does that say about humanity?"
"That there are indeed a misguided few who have filled their hearts with malice. It doesn't take a great number of people to cause harm. But, I still believe that there are far more people in this world willing to prevent it."
The debate would've continued but the sudden interruption ceased their discussion for the time being. Looking over, the sight of Ruby Rose and Pyrrha Nikos entered view; the pair working their way around to the couch.
"Ah, Miss Rose! Miss Nikos! Good morning," Oscar/Ozpin greeted formally. "It's a pleasure to have you join us. We were just about to gather everyone to discuss our next steps. I hope you both slept well."
Both girls nodded but, it was evident that the last statement was more directed to the green-eyed girl who hadn't even fixed her hair. Thankfully, the dark circles under her eyes had begun to fade. The shine in her eyes appeared to have returned as well, though they were still a mere fraction of what they used to be.
"It's been a while since I've slept in a real bed," Pyrrha half-heartedly joked. "I almost didn't want to get up."
"No one would blame you if you'd chosen to sleep in," Ozpin grinned kindly. "You've been through a lot and I doubt anybody here would be upset if you got all the rest you needed."
Pyrrha bowed her head in gratitude, forcing a smile on her face.
"While I appreciate the concern, I'm feeling better now."
If only this were true...
"I'm fine," she lied, snapping back to the present day. "I said that I would help and I intend to follow through."
Let's hope that things start going our way for once... Qrow mentally groaned.
Pushing the doors open, the assembly was greeted by the lone figure of Professor Lionheart himself. While this was to be expected, a few of them noticed that something was off; something in the air that pierced their senses upon crossing the threshold.
"Thank you for... coming. There seem to be more of you than before."
"Eh... You know what they say: 'The more the merrier'." Qrow joked.
Leo studied the group, trying his best to push down his venations. His voice stammered for a second before resuming the conversation as best he could. Of all in attendance, Pyrrha noticed the faunus' jittery behavior. She knew all too well of the lion's nature at times, she still found it odd that he'd be acting this way in front of allies.
"So what's going on with the council?"
Once again, Leonardo's nerves got the better of him. "Why... did you bring your weapons?"
"Huh...? Leo, we're huntsmen." Qrow raised an eyebrow at his comrade, picking up that something was indeed off himself. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes... I... just haven't had my evening coffee is all."
"Look, it's nice to see you and all but we got work to do. Are we getting support from the council or not?"
Unknown to the two, a pair of lavender eyes looked over and found something that didn't belong; a raven with eyes as red as blood staring back at her.
"Mom?"
Her voice was only a whisper, but it was loud enough for the expert huntsman to fire a warning shot. The fowl managed to flap its wings in enough time to avoid the hit only to fly over to the headmaster. In a flash, it shifted its form, returning to that which was all too familiar to over half of the gang.
"Raven..." Ruby seethed.
"They... really are magic!" Nora looked on in complete awe at what she'd just observed.
The woman pulled off her mask, revealing eyes as dark red as Qrow Branwen's though she was much paler than he was by comparison. Everyone looked on, wondering what to do next.
"If you're going to shoot me, shoot me. That was insulting."
"What are you doing here?!"
"I could ask you the same thing," Raven replied as she descended the left stairwell. "You've been scheming little brother; planning to attack your own sister."
"Leo, what have you done?!" Qrow snarled.
The professor tried to find the words to explain himself, but sadly, his opportunity would be snatched away by the woman cursed by magic.
"He did what any sane person would do in his position. He looked at all the information he had in front of him, assessed the situation, and made a choice. And it seems you have too."
The truth of everything had now been exposed; Leo's betrayal. The council for which he sat on. Everything suddenly began to make sense as Qrow processed the current situation.
"You have the spring maiden." he declared.
"I do..."
"Then hand her over and let's work together. We can beat Salem-"
"All that time spying for Ozpin...!" Raven cut her sibling off. "Yet you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem!"
"You're wrong..." All eyes turned to the girl in the red hood looking back at the tribe leader with a hopeful gaze. "We've done things that most people would call impossible. And I know the only reason we were able to do it is that we didn't do it alone. We had people to teach us; people to help us. We had each other. Work with us. At least I know we'll have a better chance if we try it together."
Raven stared at the girl with a disapproving stare before taking in her words. It was a cute notion if she had to admit it. Unfortunately, that's all it was to the older woman, naive words from an ignorant child. In a way, Raven had to admit that she saw a bit of herself, the old her as she processed those words. Sadly, that version of her no longer existed.
For Raven, there was only one person who she knew died by that sword of hope.
"You sound just like your mother..."
A portal was soon sliced open, allowing a ball of fire to emerge that hit Ruby square in the chest. As she skids across the polished floor, several individuals began to pour out of it, all recognizable in some form or another.
"Hello, boys and girls..."
"Cinder..." Ruby grunted with narrowed eyes.
Indeed, Cinder Fall had returned along with her cronies, Emerald & Mercury, and another girl with short brown hair. Of course, Yang, Weiss, Roxanne, and Pyrrha knew all too well who Vernal was. Soon, everyone prepared themselves for a fight while Qrow did his best to keep things calm. There was no need to clash yet, not when there were still questions that needed answers.
"Everybody stay calm."
Unfortunately, things were about to go from bad to worse. Behind them, the sounds of the double doors opening drew their attention, revealing a tall and muscular middle-aged man wearing a two-tone olive green coat. As he shut the door behind him, he began to speak, unveiling a low and deep voice to rival his already intimidating form.
"The White Fang is prepping demolition and securing the school grounds. No one's getting in, and no one's getting out."
[Haven Academy/Courtyard]
Outside of the grand hall, several members of the White Fang were nearly done with setting the charges around various points of the academy. Once they finished, each devoted member returned to their new high leader, the usurper Adam Taurus who couldn't help but smile darkly at the victory within his grasp. By this point, Sienna Khan watched impatiently as the group continued their plot.
"Once the charges are set, move to perimeter watch," he ordered. "Tonight, Haven falls!"
By the looks of things, she could tell that their chances for ambushes were too far and few for them to efficiently take out each and every affiliate. Sadly none of that mattered as Sienna simply glared at the red-haired male, his arrogance making her stomach crawl from such a blatant and disgusting act. In truth, she wanted nothing more than to rip the boy's throat out but, another part of her wanted him to suffer from what he did to her.
Before anything, the tigress looked back, seeing the boy still resting. She knew this would happen. In fact, she hoped for this outcome. Over the time she spent getting to know Aganju, Sienna didn't want to risk his life for a battle that was hers. Sure, she intended for him to assist in pushing back the extremist organization, but, now...?
Touching the spot where her wound was, she recalled how much the fox wanted to get back to his beloved and, in a sudden change of heart, Sienna knew what she had to do. In her heart, she knew that, unlike her, there was a bright future awaiting the youth. There was no need to drag him into her petty desire for vengeance haphazardly.
I'm sorry...
Back inside, the group of young huntsmen began to understand the seriousness of the situation. This wasn't just some coincidence. It was premeditated but, how could something like this happen so flawlessly? That was the question that drove Qrow to look at the two individuals he once respected with ire.
"Raven. Tell me, how long have you been with them?"
Instead of his sister, it was the one-eyed maiden who chose to answer him.
"Awww. Don't take it personally, little bird. Your sister was a recent addition." her disgustingly smug tone only fueled the embers smoldering within her adversaries. "The lion, on the other hand... Entrance into the Vytal Festival was a real treat. But, Leonardo has been sending Salem all sorts of information for a very... very long time. Isn't that right, Professor?"
"Stop it..." the headmaster pleaded.
"It was you," Qrow finally found his voice again, another realization hit him heavily. "You sat on the Mistral council. You had information on every huntsman and huntress in the kingdom... and you gave it all to her?"
Lionheart couldn't even look at the man berating him for it was all true. It had been so long since he'd come into service of the witch he knew as Salem that he'd forgotten when he started working for her. Sadly, his cowardice and doubt in Ozpin brought this moment full-circle for the once courageous lieutenant of light. Now, he truly felt the weight of his deeds come down on him; the lives of so many men and women, many trained under his own tutelage, extinguished because of him.
Oh, how he wished he could go back in time and change things.
"I-"
"I couldn't find any of them because you let her kill them!"
"Don't beat yourself up about that, Lionheart. I'm sure Tyrian and Hazel would've found them on their own eventually."
This was getting them nowhere, but, something interesting began to develop. While most of the teens remained silent throughout this ordeal, one girl couldn't contain her rage any longer.
"What is wrong with you?" Her tone was trembling yet, there was no sign of fear. "How can you be so broken inside? To take so many lives and then come here to rub it in our faces like it's something worth praise...? All with that disgusting smile on your face!"
"Pyrrha?"
Her eyes crossed between Cinder and Raven, the two whom she had the most anger toward, one for the deaths of some of her friends back at Beacon and the other... it was far past obvious why she harbored such ill will toward the latter.
Tears flowed down her face but she never broke the dark stare pointed at the pair. Even while Qrow once again tried to keep things from escalating, she heard nothing from the man. All that mattered was that one or both of them paid for what they did. Of course, they both were responsible for hurting the one person she'd come to care immensely for which didn't make things any better.
"You'll pay for what you did!" she yelled, shocking all of her friends and even Qrow with her sudden outburst.
While Raven appeared unphased by Pyrrha's declaration, Cinder couldn't resist the wicked smirk tugging on the corner of her lips. Given the circumstances, she peered at the hatred brewing within the girl, choosing to stoke the flames; if this mission was business, teasing her would be strictly pleasure.
"I remember you... You're the girl I almost killed on Beacon Tower, right? Although, something's missing." She tapped her chin while curious red orbs cut in her direction, unnoticed by the cocky woman. "You're the one Aggy tried to protect, right?"
"Tch..."
"Where is he? Did he find some new tail to sniff and leave you behind?"
The room grew silent at the implication.
Cinder was talking about Aganju, completely clueless to the fate that befell him. Raven, though she felt a pang in her chest, ignored it to keep her attention on her brother. Mercury & Emerald grinned in delight at the choice of words used by their leader. Hazel had no clue as to what was going on and as such, he didn't care. Vernal was no different, although she did know.
Everyone else just watched Pyrrha, wondering what she would do; hoping that she'd keep her cool.
This wasn't the case though when she rushed forward with Miló and Akoúo̱ in hand.
Round two had officially begun.
Summoning a glass blade, Cinder withstood the blow from her opponent. Immediately, Ruby and Yang joined in only to be stopped by Emerald and Mercury respectively.
"Hey there blondy! I'm thinking... you owe me an apology for my leg."
"I'm only sorry that I didn't break both of them!" Yang roared.
"Then how about we each take one..."
Both looked up seeing Roxanne Octane taking off her jacket only to toss it to the side. Her fiery eyes burned with a need to fight.
"Fine, maybe now it'll actually be a challenge," Mercury taunted.
On the other side, while the others were preoccupied, Qrow simply sighed heavily before lunging at his estranged kin, eyes furious at what she'd done, all in the name of power. As their swords clashed, Raven could tell that there were still signs of hesitation on his part, faint as they may be.
"Running away was one thing, but this?! You've crossed the line."
"Sorry, brother. Sometimes family disappoints you like that." she spat.
"We're not family anymore..."
"Were we ever?"
The lines were drawn and two who were once connected severed the tie of blood as each sibling sought to end the other. Qrow and Raven pushed one another to the brink, neither showing signs of weakness. They were evenly matched on the battlefield in terms of skill, meaning that whoever would be the victor had to be the one who capitalized on the smallest mistake made by the other.
Weiss took on Vernal who was ordered by Raven and the latter would not disappoint. While Weiss was a skilled sword fighter in her own right, she found that she relied too heavily on her constructs recently, leaving her at a disadvantage against the close-range tribal woman. Every time the former heiress found herself ready to summon anything, Vernal would either cut them down or fire a shot at Weiss.
The anarchy was becoming too much to handle and with the others trying to help, it seemed that things were only growing more turbulent.
The sounds of chaos from within the building would soon capture the attention of the White Fang. Even Adam Taurus pondered what was taking so long at this point. From what he'd been told, the plan should've been handled so that Salem gets the relic, leaving him to destroy the school as the first major display of his power as the high leader.
He'd remain patient though; even his ascension to power wasn't an overnight thing. Surely, things would be taken care of soon enough and he'd have his victory. Still, like a child on Dustmas, he felt his eagerness tickle him as the sight of Haven crumbling at his feet brought him nothing but pleasure.
"Taurus...!"
The armed members turned toward a clearing where a sight truly jarring made their jaws drop. Adam himself couldn't help but grind his teeth once the figure came into full view under the luminescent moon above her.
"S-Sienna?" for a moment there was a slight sense of trepidation in his voice. "How are you alive?!"
While most would smirk at the fear etched on their victim's face, there was only a deep scowl on the lips of the former commander of the White Fang as she stepped forward. Her golden eyes flashed with judgment; a determination to reclaim the throne that was stolen from her.
"Didn't you know, Adam? Cats have nine lives..."
The bull Faunus quietly erupted into a chuckle that intensified into a substantial roar of pride.
"It appears that I underestimated you, Sienna. But," he raised a hand, signaling his soldiers to aim their weapons at the former head. "I'll make sure you stay down this time. Men, ready your weapons and fire on my mark."
Sienna figured this would happen and yet, all she cared about was killing Adam. All she cared about was seeing his blood flow as his eyes rolled back in death but, she underestimated the number of grunts she'd encounter.
If I time my movements just right, then maybe I can take him with me. she readied Cerberus whip.
"Aim..."
Here we go.
At that moment, a gust of wind could be felt from behind Adam. He was able to turn around quickly enough to block an incoming attack with his sword. To his disdain, another Faunus smiled back before pulling back his blade for another strike. The soldiers weren't sure of what they should do as some of them took aim at the flipping and agile vulpine. Not one to be made a fool of, Adam took another swipe at the boy who dared to challenge him only to wind up missing his tail as he jumped backward to Sienna Khan's side.
"You are so selfish!" he yelled back at Sienna as she took down several members.
Soon, they were back to back, surrounded by the White Fang on all sides.
"And reckless. And foolish. And all around so predictable."
"Excuse me?" she hissed. "I thought you were asleep."
He shrugged lazily before focusing again on the approaching Adam Taurus.
"That your guy?"
"Yes. But, are you sure you can take him?"
"I don't have to. I was just stalling."
Sienna was about to ask 'for what' when the main door to the grand hall suddenly blasted open with the burly Hazel staggering to his feet. Everyone was surprised, even the formerly confident Adam who watched his associate dust himself off.
"What's going on?" one of the grunts asked.
"None of your concern," An irritated Hazel replied.
Sienna eyed the fox suspiciously.
"Was that your distraction?"
"Nope..." he shook his head, staring blankly at the scene in front of him. "I was referring to that."
Pointing behind him, Sienna looked on to find a young woman with long raven-black hair and cat ears standing above them all. Her eyes were similar to hers but it was clear to Sienna that this person wasn't someone whom she could identify immediately.
"Adam!"
The usurper turned around, recognizing the voice all too well. Behind his Grimm's mask, the young man looked up, seeing that all too familiar long hair flowing in the skies above.
"Blake?"
