Well, time to continue the story from last chapter. That means there may be dark elements to this chapter. Before we start I wanted to say that I have a few special chapters in mind for this month that I think you might enjoy…
Weiss is going to have a unique shopping trip this chapter as well. No lemons, but there's going to be talking about things related to it.
Muhammad Advul- I plan to have Torchwick doing something else, so that won't quite work. I might have Loki be sent to infiltrate since he's almost literally designed for that kind of thing and it puts him in proximity of the guy everyone seems to love watching him troll.
GrnDrgnzrd- It's a good idea to remember that this story's premise is that events of the past continue to drive events of the future. This chapter and the last one are proof of this.
Splatterpxnk- Grandpa Auri gets a small break in this chapter, but it makes it feel that much worse as a result because of the specifics. Things aren't as cheerful from here on out for him in general…
Chapter 59: The Source of Darkness and Weiss' Awkward Purchase
Bastion Commercial District, with Weiss
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this…" Weiss thought quietly as she stepped into the store, face red. She glanced around the shop, silently cursing Qrow as her eyes moved over the harnesses, whips, gags, and various other toys and equipment on the wall. "Ruby, I'm thankful that you're my girlfriend and mate, but your parents are perverts and I can't understand how you could seem so innocent with their genes…" She stepped up to the counter where a blonde woman stood.
The woman smiled at the white-cloaked girl. "Oh hey, is this your first time in a place like this?"
Weiss blushed and gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, my girlfriend's father gave us a list of things he insisted we had to try, so we figured it couldn't hurt…" Weiss held out a piece of paper that was being held in her clenched fist as she put it on the counter. "This is what they, um… suggested."
The woman hummed as she looked it over. "Well, you're in luck. With it being the time for the Winter Festival, we do have a few discounts. Have you looked through this list by any chance?" she asked, causing Weiss to shake her head. The woman grinned. "Oh, in that case I think I should inform you that there's one or two items on here that require getting some measurements and I can't actually give you for your girlfriend if she isn't here. I'll explain the rest if you're confused, but for that specific part I'll need to tell you what's required, alright?"
"Um… Okay, thanks," Weiss said meekly, tail twitching behind her nervously. Weiss watched as the woman collected various objects, placing them on the counter and occasionally explaining how to use them safely. Weiss' face became redder with every object until the woman clapped her hands together. The girl let out a sigh before the blonde spoke up.
"Okay! All that's left is to get a few measurements for a harness!" she said cheerfully, causing Weiss to freeze up.
"W-what?"
"Oh, well whoever gave you this list also suggested a few harnesses," the blonde started. "If you don't want them, we can remove them from the list, but I can give you one with silk bands instead of the classic leather. You'd just have to be more careful with it is all…"
Weiss let out a sigh, burying her face in her hands. "Gods, I just want this to be over with… F-fine, I'll get a silk one I guess. It's not like we can't find a use for the material if we never use it after the first time…"
The woman rolled her eyes. "That's the spirit, I guess… Let's go in the back and get you sized up, alright?" Weiss nodded meekly as the woman led her into the back, quickly taking some measurements before prepping a harness, explaining how to put it on comfortably to the beet-red girl. After the woman added the harness and two collars to the collection of items, Weiss quickly paid for them and turned to leave. "Just remember, you need to put the tape over the-" the woman started to call out before Weiss let out a squeak, running out as fast as she could. The blonde giggled to herself. "I love amateurs… They're so fun to tease!"
Citadel Tower, Aurelius' Office
Winter placed her cup on the desk and looked out the window, waiting for Aurelius to speak up. "Apollyon is the foe that haunts my dreams the most, even today…" he started, causing Winter to look at him. "He looked like a demon out of your nightmares and could be mistaken for a Grimm… at least when I fought him. He wasn't always like that, though…"
"What do you mean exactly? How could he ever be anything other than a bloodthirsty monster?" Winter asked before Aurelius went silent. She almost thought he wouldn't answer when he finally spoke up.
"For my kind, the Stalwart or Doom-Driven, thought begets form due to every one of us having semblances with transformative aspects. They appear as whatever they wish to be at the time, taking on whatever form suits them, but each had a true spiritual form, one that represented them and revealed everything about them," he started before Winter interrupted.
"Wait, Apollyon was one of your brothers?" she asked, eyes wide.
Aurelius nodded grimly. "In a way. None of us shared any blood, it was more we were all created as a single race of beings. Back before they all went mad, we were a family… Apollyon wasn't his original name, either. Each of us had a name given to us by the brother-gods, a "soul" name, that we only used in private amongst each other, while we each chose a "face" name to use outside our number, except Isolda, who went by the name our creators gave us. Apollyon was originally Julius, the favorite of the gods. He was the first of my brothers and sisters to comprehend that we were meant to do things humans couldn't, and so he gained much of their attention. Isolda, however, was the first to realize that this meant we were meant to be wardens and defenders, keeping the rest of the brothers' creations safe. As a result, the two of them received much of our creators' attention. Isolda always had a warm heart and would spend time with me when I wasn't wandering aimlessly trying to learn as much as I could while the others were instructed by the gods."
Winter frowned. "She cared about you, didn't she?" she asked, getting a nod from the Blue Rose.
"More than she did for the rest of our brothers and sisters. It took me a few years to realize why, but she'd come to be a calming presence for me and I did return her feelings, though nothing ever came of it. It was probably because I was so determined to focus on my purpose. By the time I was able to admit I felt the same way for her, she'd already started a family of her own," he said, before Winter spoke up.
"If Aurelius isn't your true name, what is?"
The Blue Rose smiled weakly. "The name the gods gave me isn't important anymore. I am Aurelius, I have been Aurelius for almost all my existence and that is the only name I will ever need now. As for what my "true" form is, since I assume that's your next question, it's something I prefer to not share. I have only taken on my true, spiritual form once in my entire existence, the rest was spent as a human and, now, a faunus."
Winter nodded. "What was Isolda like beyond that?"
"As I said, she was a kind and gentle soul. Once the gods left, she visited from time to time, making sure that, every year, on the coldest day of winter, she would bring something that the people under my charge needed. Eventually she started to bring gifts for children or various treats to the villagers, sometimes telling stories as well. After the first few years, I decided to raise a small snow fox for her and I'd never seen her without it after that. She was the one who taught me what it meant to care about the people I was meant to protect… but it was also her death that hit me the hardest. One year, when it was time for her arrival, she simply didn't show up. I went down the path that I knew she followed and found Julius, Apollyon, standing above her, knife in hand… He'd killed her, stripped her down, and was in the process of skinning her like some common animal. I never knew if that was all he'd done to her, but… I never cared to find out. He'd killed her and defiled her body and he needed to pay."
Aurelius let out a sigh. "It wasn't until later that I learned he had perfected the "art" on numerous humans before Isolda confronted him. Apparently, what the gods thought was brilliance in understanding his purpose was really pride and delusion. He believed that since we could do things no human could do, that we were superior to them and that the world was meant for us to rule, with humanity existing to serve us and entertain us. I had no choice but to hunt him down, going to places humanity should never think of entering… The depravity of Apollyon was so much worse than anything the White Fang or the HPF could ever come up with on their own, skinning people alive, boiling people in Miasma and watching them slowly disintegrate as they begged to be put out of their misery… I know he even kept a few women for his own "enjoyment" before killing them. In the end, I had no choice but to hunt him and put him down… I suppose it's fitting that Luctus, the blade Isolda crafted for me just the year before, would be the weapon to end her murderer…"
"And what happened to her family?" Winter asked before Aurelius glanced at her.
"It survived… In fact, I believe that you're one of her descendants, though the power contained in her blood has weakened I suppose," he said, causing the woman to go wide-eyed.
Winter took a sip from her tea to process this before she spoke up. "You're certain? You're saying the Schnee family is descended from her?"
"It is. She was the one to give her family that name, the same way I gave my family the name of Rose," he said. "I doubt she'd approve of Jacques, however…"
Winter laughed, a peculiar feeling at the statement. "Most assuredly not given what you've said of her."
Aurelius nodded, looking at the woman in front of him before standing up. "As much as I hate to admit it, I have work that I must finish…" he said, causing Winter to look down sadly. He smiled and gave her a peck on the forehead, causing her to look at him in surprise. "I'll meet you for dinner, alright?"
Winter nodded, a smile on her face. "Of course. I'll see you in a few hours then."
Aurelius watched the woman as she walked out before letting out a tired sigh, thinking back to a day he'd never forget.
Ancient Times, Draconys Badlands
Aurelius let out a grunt as he jumped back, Apollyon's talon grazing his chest and scorching a line through his flesh. The cavern around them was littered with craters, cracks, and fissures from the conflict. "Weakling! Is this all the fight you're able to muster, Marcus? Is this all the self-proclaimed defender of humanity is worth?" he snarled, causing Aurelius to stand up and glare at him.
"Never call me that. You've lost the right to call me that, Julius!" Aurelius charged forward, slashing at the monstrosity's legs and delivering a cut before jumping out of the way of his tail.
"The gods should have destroyed you the moment they realized you were defective," he snarled before slamming his fists into the ground, rupturing the ground and releasing a wave of magma at the white-cloaked individual. He jumped over the flow before a flaming fist slammed into him, sending him flying into the wall with a groan. Aurelius tried to stand up before Apollyon forced him to his knees with a clawed hand. "I don't understand what they saw in you that made them keep you around. You're almost as useless as Isolda!" he laughed before getting knocked backwards by a gust of wind. Aurelius stood up, his normally silver eyes a deep blue.
"I don't care what you say about me…" he growled before exploding into a cloud of white petals, creating a solid mass as large as Apollyon. "But nobody says anything against her!" he roared before a series of vines lashed out of the cloud, wrapping around Apollyon's ankles, yanking the beast of his feet. Apollyon growled, igniting himself in blue flames that licked the vines. Aurelius let out a growl before they tightened, forcing the demon to slash the vines. The tendrils retracted into the cloud as it continued to obstruct the being within. Apollyon made a move to charge at the cloud before a sword launched out, stabbing him in the chest. He let out a pained roar as his flesh started to melt, his body shrinking down along with the blade and cloud of petals. Eventually, Aurelius stood over a dark-skinned man, blue eyes glaring hatefully at the lunatic's brown.
Apollyon let out a bitter laugh. "Maybe I was wrong… When I look you in the eyes right now, I can tell you really are capable of savagery," he said, causing the other man to recoil. "Just imagine all the carnage you could inflict… The gods really were right about you!"
Aurelius hesitated before his gaze hardened. "We were meant to protect this world, Julius, not destroy it! How could you abandon that and think we could be anything alike?"
The man smiled cruelly. "Keep telling yourself that, Marcus. Beings with our destructive potential could never be meant to exist as protectors… And even if we were, you're the only one left now, alone, to carry out this task you so desperately insist is ours to carry out!"
Aurelius took a calming breath, his eyes closing as he contemplated the other man's words. When his eyes opened, they were once again silver. "Very well… If that's what must be done, I will maintain my Vigil until the end of time, even if I must do so alone… Goodbye, brother," he said, ripping the blade out of his chest as the man let out a howl, his body bursting into flames. Aurelius quickly glanced down at his blade, checking it for any imperfections or damage it may have accumulated from the fight. Once he was satisfied the blade was still intact, he looked on as Apollyon's body crumbled into ash before turning around, heading out of the cave. "If I'm lucky, I'll be back before the day Isolda always visited… I know she wasn't one to enjoy celebrations for her, but I think it would be nice to have a celebration in her honor…" he thought quietly. When he returned a tradition would start. For the people of what would become the Kingdom of Sanctuary, this was known as Isolda's Day. Centuries later, to the people of the modern kingdoms, this would be the Winter Festival.
Unbeknownst to the man as he left, however, was the small child watching him, fear and hatred within his eyes. A silent oath of revenge was sworn that day… for even the most monstrous of demons could have loved ones.
I won't lie, I was suffering through a bit of writer's block for this chapter.
Aurelius' eyes and Apollyon's lack of silver in his are meant to indicate that even the Rose family's iconic eyes are more a result of his choice of form than anything else. Members of his kind, which he calls the "Stalwart," have unique eye colors but their eyes are silver when they're in their Vigil. This caused the silver eyes to be inherited as a base trait by his descendants, but I'm playing with the possibility of them being able to shift their eye colors to a "true" eye color, like how Weiss' were originally blue. If I did have that happen, I'd have to figure out how to decide what color everyone's eyes would be.
The Schnee family being descendants of one of Aurelius' brothers and sisters is something I've been toying with for a while, but it felt like it'd fit here. Someone who's clever might realize this has major implications for Weiss and Winter, however.
Let me know what you guys think. As always any input is appreciated.
