What's up everybody, it is I, M12R0R, here once again to present to you all the next chapter of Brightest in the Dark! What? Another chapter? Has it already been another six months. No sir and or ma'am, your eyes do not deceive you and you have not jumped to the future. I am uploading the next chapter just over two weeks later. I've felt bad for the time I did not upload so I've pulled...1 2 3...like 2 all nighters to get this out as quickly as I could. (All nighters to me apparently mean only just past 2 a.m.) Regardless, thank you all for the continuing and growing support. I love reading some of the comments and liking how some of you do know the lore of Destiny, questions about Ruby being like Shin Malphur and other stuff make me feel like the amount of time I'm putting into research is worth while. Believe it or not, I'm positive for every hour I write there is another set aside for strictly making sure my story follows the rules and logic of both universes, while also hopefully introducing elements of my own accord that play into it all and connects them perfectly. Also, I wanted to do some responses again to comments. Because I think its fun.
Guest: SAINT-14 IS SPARE PARTS IN THE INFINITE FOREST! HE DID NOT MAKE THE CUT AND PERFECT PARADOX IS MINE! HAHAHHHAHAHA! (Not being mean I only kid.)
BraveSeeker3 in regards to chapter 3: Yes, I meant Warlock, not Wizard, thanks for pointing that out.
Wacko12: No, Summer was not a Guardian, Cronus has murdered Police, Huntsmen, and Guardians alike for years and as Thorne just learned, Cronus got her too, she was one of the many Huntsmen/Huntresses that fell to him.
OnePunchPlayer: Look, I know you don't like Cronus but you can't just go threatening him like that he's a very testy boy and SUPER DE DOOPER powerful! For the Traveler's sake his text is BOLDED!
Sooo, without my further ramblings of insanity, May I present you all with my latest creation! Also, yell at me for Grammar mistakes plz!
I...it's my fault...I'm responsible for Ruby's mother's death." Thorne hovered dumbfounded. Even after only thinking for several minutes, attempting to make heads or tails of it all, it still was something that he couldn't believe.
Show me more! I need to understand all of this!" Thorne shouted in his head, trying to force the database to give him all the information he wanted. But just as he reentered, all of the info disappeared. The computer that made of the table shut down.
"No!" He audibly shouted this time. His voice reverberated all throughout the cog filled office.
I got stupid! I tripped the security systems!" Thorne knew he had screwed this up. He heard the elevator start up again, and he knew, someone was coming for him. He looked around, looking for some sort of exit. He considered the elevator again, but he figured that they may have a way trap him in it. He looked upward, past the cogs, and noticed an opportunity. A vent, for the ventilation system, one covered by a grate. Thorne flew up to it, studying it for a moment. He wanted to initially figure out a way to remove it quietly, but as the elevator car was getting louder and louder, he knew this wouldn't be an option. He heard the car beginning to slow, meaning it was soon on him. He backed himself into a corner, he there was no electronics that could aid the Ghost's escape. He thought about just waiting it out, but he knew the staff knew about him, and if they realized he was away from Ruby, the consequences for him and possibly Ruby could ruin all that they've worked towards. As he thought about Ruby, the "Lightbulb's" lightbulb went off, and he remembered the type of Guardian he was the Ghost for. Thorne sighed, knowing what he was about to do was stupid, but after this brief hesitation, he started into action. Thorne lowered his shell, not as an expression of emotion, but rather as a safety reinforcement. He backed up slightly, and using a burst of his Light, threw himself forward, ramming the grate with his own body. He clanged against the metal, dropping in height slightly, recovering a second later.
"Ow. Ow. Ow…OW!" He complained for a moment, but kept at his mission, Thorne backed up and looked at the progress he made, the grate stood strong, but there was the ever so slightest bend in the metal. This was enough encouragement to push him to keep going. He backed up and crashed into the grate several times. Eventually getting to the point where the grate had a baseball sized dent concaving the bars backwards. The elevator dinged, and Thorne reared back for one last burst. He completely covered his lense with his shell, making himself blind, but regardless he rocketed forward. In a massive crash, he busted through the vent, he opened his shell, and without stopping, continued down the metallic maze. The doors to the shaft opened slowly, but as soon as they were wide enough, Professor Goodwitch rushed in, her riding crop in hand. She searched around the room with her eyes, looking for any sort of intruder. Ozpin was also present on the elevator, but was much more cavalier in his entrance. He walked as if he wasn't paying much if any attention, but his eyes told a different story. They were as sharp as daggers, shooting from one thing to the next, searching for anything out of place. Everything at eye level was the same, except for the table being offline, but that was something that was known. However, once the Headmaster looked upward, his suspicions were confirmed. Past the gears that shifted with each passing second, there was a strange sight. He noticed one of the upper grates, used for ventilation, appeared to be smashed inward, the metal bent and twisted, and the bars that made it up were emitting a strange glow, a bright, almost a heavenly incandescence.
It did not take Thorne long to find an escape from the vents, and once he did, he wasted no time getting back down to Ruby, by the time he returned, all the lights of the hall were out, and it appeared like all students were asleep. In these situations, Thorne would normally activate his flashlight, but lucky for him, the night was clear, and the light of the shattered moon was just enough that he could find his way back. It took him a few seconds, but he pinpointed where she was, and slowly descended next to her. Guardians never sleep, they could if they so choose, but it was not a necessity. Thorne's Guardian never did, so he never had to deal with these hours upon hours of rest normal people needed, but staying attached to one for over a decade, Thorne has learned to cope with this free time. He took a look around, searching one more time to see if anyone was looking. Even seeing Yang sprawled out on her back, this close to snoring like a chainsaw. Once he confirmed he was clear he slowly revealed himself, trying to be as inconspicuous as he could. The Ghost managed to release nothing more than a slight glow. He looked Ruby over, the girl was taking up very little room of the sleeping bag, her legs being the only things covered. He was ready to place himself next to her for the night, but his hesitation grew like a fire, the information he learned in Ozpin's office made him rethink his entire relationship with her. Would she accept it and forgive him if he told her? Or would she banish him from her life, not wanting anything to do with the machine that supposedly ruined her life? His hesitation disappeared in an instant when he heard a soft and sweet whimper coming from the form in front of him.
"There you are." Ruby's voice was quiet as her silver eyes struggled to remain opened. A small smile worked its way across her face. "I was wondering where you went?" Thorne wanted to respond, but he couldn't make up any words to say to her. His mind was still on the horrific news. "What's wrong, you never see a girl clutching a Corgi pillow while see sleeps before?" He needed to say something, he couldn't just float there. He finally mustered up the strength.
"Every night actually. Sorry I took so long."
"Its okay, Yang was keeping me and half the others up with her snoring." As if planned, Yang let out a noise that could rival a boat engine. "See?" The two snickered a little, but holding back any real laughter to avoid waking anyone up. They both simultaneously checked again.
"I wish we didn't have to stay so quiet, that's hard, especially for us." Thorne saw that he needed to try to take his mind of the thoughts, and what was the best way for that, talking, no matter what it was, he needed this for now. Ruby shifted herself, propping herself up silently on her elbow. She put the pillow down, and with the other hand, grabbed the edge of the sleeping bag. She lifted the edge of it, revealing all the additional room she had.
"Ask and you shall receive." Ruby waited for Thorne to enter the dark willingly, but he just hovered, his shell making it look like he was raising a questioning eyebrow. Ruby pointed with her other hand, pointing a finger towards the opening. "Get in my hole."
"Uhh-?" Thorne wanted to acknowledge her choice of wording, but Ruby was not having it.
"Shut up, I know." She said with a blanked expression, pretending to not be amused. Thorne descended into the cotton filled cave. He dug his way in, only to be followed by Ruby, who was preforming a reverse butterfly, making it so she was curled up completely in the sleeping bag, her back being the only thing visible. Thorne flashed his light on, aiming it towards the ground so as to not blind Ruby, the latter of whom was looking crammed in her current state.
"You okay like that?" Thorne asked puzzled. Ruby assured she was fine as she rapidly nodded with a goofy smile, but this didn't last long. Concern furrowed her brow.
"Hey?" Ruby reached towards Thorne, grabbing hold of him and pulling him towards her. Thorne had flipped his light off, but it was replaced with Ruby reaching into her pajama pocket for her Scroll, turning its light on as a substitute. She focused it on his shell, and her concerns were solidified. "What happened to your shell?"
Thorne had no idea what she meant. So, Ruby went to her Scroll's camera and snapped a few photographs. Once she was done, she turned it to show him what she meant, the sight was shocking to the Ghost as well. His red shell, the one that Ruby handcrafted for him months ago, had seen better days to say the least. The red and black paint was scrapped away and scratched, even that spot engraved with his name, the paintjob was destroyed, and to top the cake, one of the four spikes that she added facing back was snapped in two, was now a stumpy reminder of what it once was.
"And I get into trouble when I'm by myself?" She spoke in a snarky tone. "You were gone for less than an hour and you get this beat up. What happened? What did you do? Who did this to you?" Their standard roles were reversed, Thorne could feel the irony in the air like the Light inside him.
"I…I was attacked by a bat, it…wanted to turn me into a vampire…" He did his best to be evasive.
"Thorne…" Ruby looked at him with a pleading gaze, but he did not want to reveal the where and what to her. So, he kept up the act.
"I ripped a tag off a mattress…I found out the cake was a lie…I wished to master the arcane arts…I had to run across Snake Way so I could learn the Kaio-."
"What? No, Thorne I'm serious. What happened?" Thorne knew that he couldn't lie to her, that he shouldn't, but he needed to keep her mom a secret for now. He would tell her in time, but not before possibly one of the biggest days of her life. He looked up to her.
"I snooped around…" He wasn't wrong.
"Define "snooped"?" Her eyes narrowed on him, piercing him to his core.
"Explored the campus, looked at the cafeteria…" Thorne spoke in a normal tone, but as he got to the last one, his voice shifted to a low mutter. "…hacked into Ozpin's terminal in his office…and had to bust out of the vent when someone came back." He panned his eye away from her, not noticing to sheer and utter bewilderment that overtook her.
"You did what?" She wanted to yell, but she muffled her voice down into a loud whisper. "Why?"
Her voiced returned to a normal hushed tone. This is where he knew he had to bend some truth.
"I was curious so I went into his files to see the bios on everyone you met today. The heiress, that book girl…JAUNE."He wasn't entirely lying, just being very selective, fact is, for a brief moment, he wanted to see what they all had to offer, all before he found the encrypted files.
"Oh, you mean my two new friends and my one enemy." Ruby said rolling her eyes. Her voice in a dead panning manner.
"Ah, so you made up with Weiss, tossed that boy Jaune to the side, and made friends with the book girl, Blake I think, good…good decisions." Throne nodded his shell up and down in self reassurance.
"Yeah it was Blake, she and I got off to a good start. No, I like Jaune, he's nice he's just like me…"
"So, you're a hormonally crazed teenage boy who vomited on the airship too…" He retorted back to her in a non-serious manner.
"…And no, there is still no progress with Weiss." She seemed upset by that last bit.
"Don't worry about her, its not like you'll be on her team." He tried to comfort his best friend, but it did not seem to be of any aid.
"Its not even that, I just don't like the idea of someone hating me." Thorne knew that this was something that really bothered he, he was about to speak again, his light in his lense even started to intensify in a pulse as if he was, but Ruby unexpectedly cut him off. "Hey Thorne…I know I gave you and Yang a hard time earlier, but I just want to let you know that I wouldn't have made it through the day without you specifically." She gently reached her hand out, her finger tips gently caressing the edges of his shell. The Ghost leaned his body into it, making it so over half his shell was enveloped by her cupped hand. His lense darkened for a moment, but shot open when a question came to him.
"What about Yang?" His shell lowered as he inquired looking up at her.
"She left us, remember? She deserved it"
"Right." He glanced over in Yang's direction, a muffled snore could be heard through the sleeping bag a person away from them.
"And also, just thanks, in general. For staying around, for helping me through everything, training, saving me…" Ruby's voice shifted to a very somber one.
"Woah, where is all this coming from?" He was rather caught off guard by this, it had been a while since they've had a serious heart to heart kind of conversation.
"I just was doing a lot of thinking lately, and I don't think I would have ever made it through…anything…without you by my side." She shifted her hand so that Throne was letting gravity take affect and she was now holding him up.
"Well, I don't know about that, you're an extraordinary girl. I'm sure that even without me, you be on the fast track to greatness. But regardless, thanks, I don't know if I'd even be around still if not for you."
"Thorne, I want to make you a promise, as soon as I graduate, we're going to find your Guardian." Her face was filled with a newfound determination.
"Ruby…" Thorne was speechless, this was something they had never talked about.
"And hey…who knows…maybe we'll find a way for you two to come and visit…between you two saving the universe that is." Her eyes started to glass over slightly. The edges of were welling up with tears.
"Ruby…thank you…but right now…I'm not going anywhere. As far as I can tell…" Thorne started to rise up from her palm. "I'm your Ghost, and you're my Guardian…figuratively speaking." Thorne hovered closer to her, seeing that she needed some comfort right now. She reached for him and closer to her. She wrapped him up in her arms, holding him like a stuffed animal, while he could not be further from that. It was a warmth, one that he had grown accustomed to over the years he has been with her. They laid there for a while "You're going to do amazing tomorrow."
He looked up to her, he could see her eyes were starting to dry up just a bit, but this was do to the fact that she was fighting the urge to sleep.
"You think so?" She spoke with a soft yawn afterwards.
"Absolutely. Hey, lets get you some sleep. You're going to need it." Her eyes were closed, but she nodded in agreement. She groggily shifted her body out of the sleeping bag. She entered into a similar position to when he first came back, but rather the Corgi pillow in her arms, Thorne was the one who replaced it. Within a minute, Ruby was out, Thorne took a little bit longer, contemplating the events of the last few hours.
This is going to be harder than I thought." Was the last thought he had before he took entered into a hibernation state, one that the Guardians and Ghosts developed as a form of meditation. He unconsciously cloaked himself, and waited for the morning's events to unfold.
The lab in which the Vex monstrosity had grown accustomed to in its time on Remnant was dark, all the machines and scientific instruments were either placed in standby mode or turned off completely. But a it normally happens, the lights and machines start going haywire, the veil between dimensions is lifted ever so slightly, and Cronus is able to slip through. It stood amidst the darkness, the glow from its eye illuminated everything. It looked to the doorway, and made its way for it.
The Vex was not a quiet one as it trudged through the great halls of twisted structure, it passed by several windows, the likes of which allowed for a maroon glow to pass through, jagged stone and violet skies were all that filled the horizon line, in the foreground were blackened pools that birthed horrid abominations that plagued humanity. It had grown fond of it all, giving it a solace as it thought of its next moves. It stopped for a moment, looking out as a Grimm Beowolf was crawling from the blackened ooze.
"Ah, it appears that you've returned, and how was you're little outing this time?" A familiar voice filled the audio receptors on the sides of the Vex's head.
Accomplished far more than expected, all thanks to our creations, Watts. Congratula-." Cronus spoke before it turned, and when it did, it was met with two figures, one more then he expected. Watts was there, as thought, but next to him stood a being, one draped in black robes with powdery white skin. Her piercing eyes illuminated as she waited for it to continue speaking.
"No, Cronus, please by all means, this is a moment of celebration for you." The Vex dropped down to a knee, the tip of its scissor tapping the tile, its head bowed respectively, like how the Vex worshipped the Heart of the Black Garden.
My Queen, Salem, to what does your servant owe the honor." The Vex was acting completely different, its attitude and cockiness escaped it. It now only spoke humbled words.
"Why don't you tell me, you've been busy lately." She gestured for it to explain the situation for itself.
I do so to serve your will." It was avoiding the question.
"Then explain to me the "creatures" you and Watts manufactured." Cronus' head shot up and looked daggers at Watts, its eye illuminating immensely. "Do not place blame on Watts, he was only trying to help the cause, I SPECIFICALLY forbad you from expanding your Mind again." Salem began to walk towards Cronus, almost gliding across the floor at it. "And you go and create those imitations under the ruse of hiding them from me. Tricking me, is that about right, Cronus."
Cronus' lense dimmed as it looked up at Salem, who stopped right in front of it. She reached a hand out and grazed the edge of its fin, running it from the top slowly down to its eye. She had a slight grin to her mouth, an almost comforting, mother-like one.
No, my intentions were never to trick you, my Lady." Cronus' eye was almost blacked out.
"So, its treason then…" Salem suddenly wrapped her fingers on the edges of the Vex's lense, and applying enough pressure that its eye began to crack, one for every finger, and they all met in the middle. "…You have done much for me in the years since you've first came to us. You've grown so much, it would be a waste to throw all that away in dismantling you now." The Vex remained silent. "Do you know what I am thinking?"
Unfortunately, I do not."
"I am thinking that you are to keep your pets. You are to continue to do as you are, you preform best on a long leash, as we've learned. But deceive me again, and you will have more than a crushed lense to deal with." At the moment she applied more force to the Vex's eye, shattering the lense entirely and caving the metal around it inward, blinding the Vex and making it more then a simple repair. She turned away from Cronus, walking back from the direction she came. "Watts, see to it that is eye is repaired, bring him back to one hundred percent."
"Yes, my Lady" He spoke as she walked off behind him. The scientist looked back to the Vex, who had not moved an inch. He walked forward himself, he evened his moustache and extended a hand out to the Vex, but not to offer help. "Tell me, Cronus, does it look like my glove is tearing…oh wait…sorry."
Cronus swiped at the air, in an attempt to knock his hand away. The Vex clambered back to its feet and turned back down the hallway it came. Watts stood there and watched as it struggled by immediately running into a wall. Watts rolled his eyes and continued past the struggling Cronus.
"Just follow my voice." Cronus readjusted its course and did as Watts asked, and the two made their ways back to Watts' lab.
As the next day progressed, Thorne and Ruby's overall attitudes were very different. Ruby was probably the most excited she had been ever. It was like she swallowed a gallon of sugar, but she was showing no signs of crashing. She could not stop talking about it to Yang while they were prepping their weapons and equipment in the locker room. While Ruby and Yang started to fight over Yang not wanting her little sister on her team, Thorne stayed quiet, his meditation only mounting more and more stress on top of him. Flashes of the Vex monstrosity echoed continuously in its mind, its words stung with intensity, but he knew he could not say a word, he couldn't ruin this for her, especially with the complete one eighty she has gone through. It wasn't until the students were line up along a cliff, all standing on their own individual platforms, that Ruby finally took notice of his strife.
"Everything okay up there, big guy? You've been quiet all day." She was looking upwards, as if she was talking to the sky.
Uh…yeah, I'm okay sorry." His voice was very drawn and monotone.
"Hey, come on, I'm the one supposed to be nervous here." She poked fun at him, trying to elicit some sort of reaction from him that was positive.
You should quiet down a bit. People might think you're crazy." He still refused to change his pitch.
"Nah. Yang's on my left and Jaune is on my right…he's really nervous, he looks like he's about to…"
Vomit?"
"Pretty much. Now come on, get excited. What could go possibly go wrong?"
(3.5 minutes later…)
"…the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Ozpin said with a sort of smug smile on his face. All of Ruby's plans that she had made for coming up with some sort of team shattered into pieces.
"Whaaaat?!" Ruby exclaimed in protest, Thorne was not surprised, the ironic timing lately has been elevated higher than usual.
That. That could go wrong." He could not help but comment.
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die." Thorne could not believe how casual he is being with the type of words he was muttering. It was clearing getting to Jaune, who's nervous whimpers almost everyone could hear. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Jaune was of course filled to the prim with concerns, but ultimately had them pushed aside.
"Good! Now, take your positions." All of the students prepped themselves by entering into their own unique stances.
You sure you're ready for this. This doesn't seem very…safe." Thorne commentated as he watched the first of the students hurled up into the air in a slightly comedic fashion. "I mean you guys don't even have lifts to break the fall, how are you supposed to stop. We never practiced something like this…"
One by one, more students started to be mercilessly thrown skyward, forturnately for most this seemed like no bother. Jaune continued to pester the Headmaster, his anxiety attack only growing greater. As he did so, their numbers continued to dwindle from the cliff. A short pink girl with a war hammer, then a green ninja with dual submachine guns, then a brutish knight with a mace and a smug face, and it finally came to Yang. She looked over to her sister, winked and pulled out a pair of aviators, throwing them on as she too was thrown.
Oh, by the Light! Ruby! Slow down! Please!" Thorne continued after her, pushing his capabilities to their maximum in order to not lose her. Sparrows were one thing, hell even a ship out of orbit, but this was a whole other beast. By his estimates, he was doing at least, and Ruby was flying even faster than that, he could have even sworn she caused a bird to explode by accident. Thorne got close enough where she could hear him speaking in her mind.
Hit the brakes, child!" She at this point was in a diagonal nosedive, only a few dozen feet above the top of the trees' canopy. But she was apparently a step ahead of him. She flipped herself so her back was facing the ground, her cape and hood were flicking wildly in the as the air ripped by it. At some point in this she pulled Crescent Rose out and fired several rounds from it, somehow slowly her descent just enough. Thorne looked forward, seeing that all appeared fine.
TREE!" A carboniferous giant was on a direct collision course with her. But, continually too his surprise, Ruby appeared to know exactly what she was doing. Crescent Rose unfolded, forming into its scythe mode, she held it out, and like an old pro, she got it to wrap around the trunk, forcing her downward in a spiraling spin, one that Thorne was getting dizzy by just looking at it. He followed her down, now actually being able to stay by her side at this point. She got down three fourths of its trunk, before unhooking Crescent Rose, she flew downward and landed relatively easily. She was knelt down for a moment. Thorne flew to her side and uncloaked his body, scanning over her to see if she had any injuries.
I don't know how you managed to do that, what with the actual laws of physics and everything, but at least your o-." Before he could finish his sentence Ruby bolted forward, using her semblance to take off in a flash. "Woah, slow down...again!" He took off after her, deeper into the dark of the Emerald Forest. However, unbeknownst to them, a dark shadowy form shifted in the brush. The form took off in their direction, avoiding light, and using the dense thicket as its highway.
Ruby hold on! Whats the plan here?!" Thorne was fast, but Ruby's speed was something he could never hope to match. Aside from Dust and Aura, Semblances were something that he just could not make any real sense of. From their origins to how they are unique from person to person, it was all a foreign concept still to him. But nonetheless, all he needed now was for Ruby to hear him and stop. Luckily, she did. Ruby turned her feet to the side and dug them into the grassy dirt, bringing herself to a grinding halt. She turned, seeing Thorne lagging behind in the distance, and her face was growing with some impatience.
"Thorne, we have to hurry up, we need to find Yang. Or Jaune or Blake...Someone I know!" As Ruby explained the Ghost managed to reach her, even panting slightly through his mechanical voice, strangely considering he does not breathe.
"I know you would want to find someone you know, but we have to be careful just running straight through the forest. Ozpin said we'd meet opposition, we need to move with caution so we don't..." The faint sound of a tree snapping made Thorne stopped his sentence. He turned around, staring into the bushes where the noise came from. Ruby heard it too, and placed a hand onto Crescent Rose that sat on her lower back.
"Do you see anything?" Ruby whispered over to Thorne as she took a step next to his side.
Thorne scanned his motion trackers, he picked something up momentarily when the noise occurred, but both it and the sound disappeared.
"No, but there is something there, I'm sure of it." He glanced over to her, just to see if she was prepared, he then had to take a second glance, there was two trees with a bush behind her, with a slight gap between those, and just in the sliver of visibility, he caught a shift of the shadows.
"Ruby, behind you!" He shouted out as loudly as he could to alert her. Just as he spoke, the foliage he was watching parted, and from them lunged out a large black form, its sides covered in crimson glowing stripes. Ruby, leapt back, narrowly missing the extended claws of a massive paw.
The beast ghosted past Thorne, its landing was near silent as it exposed itself in its full glory. Its long, barbed tail swished back and forth, its upper back covered in a rib cage of bone plating, which then overlapped with a massive red stripes that extended its full torso and hind quarters. Its front legs had additional bone plating that had a central shimmering orb in its center, with two inward curved spikes that jutted from the top. Its legs were muscular, easily seen even through the density of its charcoal colored fur. Its head was covered in a familiar skull that eerily contoured to the head of the creature, as if the top half of it grew larger for the lack of tissue and hair. The bone of its mask was highly decorated, glowing red markings covering it in an almost regal form. Its eyes were spherical, but still seemed sharp, cutting into you like it was studying your every movement. The teeth that were fully exposed were long, knife-like canines, perfectly capable of collapsing the windpipe of almost anything. Its feline-like behavior was horrifyingly menacing when it came to a creature that size. A low, distorted growl reverberated throughout Ruby's body and Thorne's core. It turned to face them, barring its teeth fully with its ears back, lowering its head as it snarled with malicious intent. Ruby pulled her scythe around, extending it out fully, the process formed the big cat Grimm to shift its feet fiercely, its front paws sat widely as it watched her.
Thorne did not cloak, but remained high enough that the demonic cat could not reach. And seeing that it was essentially ignoring him, he spoke out loudly, scanning the appearance of the Grimm and properly identifying it.
"Ruby, careful, this thing is not like the other Grimm you've faced..."
Ozpin and Glynda stood overlooking the forest, from the ledge that they threw the new year students off. Both of them had tablets, each having various camera views of the different students, Glynda's was mainly comprised of a multitude of different students, Ozpin's, however, was primarily focused on two; a girl cladded in roman-like armor with a red, flowing ponytail, and the other was none other then Ruby and Thorne, the likes of whom were just encountering the first Grimm of the day. Glynda noticed this too, and enlarged the feed as well, focusing on this altercation.
"It looks like the young Ms. Rose has come across one of the unique Grimm that have entered the forest in the last few weeks. By the looks of it, it's a Saberian, sir. It's a surprise one migrated here all the way from Anima, just proves the lengths the Grimm would go to nowadays..." Glynda was speaking aloud, and Ozpin was listening, but adding little to the overall conversation.
"Mhhmmm." Was what his only response as he continued to focus on the video display.
"Well, at least it will be a good way of observing her and her "friend's" abilities when working together." Glynda continued, and Ozpin still spoke little as he continued to watch the standoff from the feed, fully enthralled by the situation.
The Saberian refused to take its eyes off of Ruby, staring her down as it paced around her, circling her for some sort of opening. Ruby stood broad, listening to Thorne's instructions from above. She remembered hearing about Grimm like this, but she never thought she would have to face them. She heard the stories, what the Saberian Grimm were capable of, so she stayed on her toes. She kept her body rigid, turning as the panther moved, not giving it the opportunity it was longing for. The Grimm's shoulders were raised, and it started to shuffle its back legs beneath its abdomen, as if it was preparing to make a sudden jump. Ruby shifted her hand higher on Crescent Rose, and on that it rushed her. It dashed to the side of her body that the head of her scythe was not, trying to avoid its massive blade. It reared its paw back and swiped at her, trying to graze her with its jagged claws. Ruby brought her scythe down, matching its paw, batting it away. She continued the sweeping motion, spinning her weapon around her body once, and on the second revolution shifted it vertically. She brought it down in an axe swinging motion, trying to strike it on the head. It backed its head up and the scythe struck the ground, and it lunged again, wrapping its jaws and forcing its teeth into the backside of the weapon's head. It snarled, saliva coating the weapon and the fiery glow of its insides shining like some sort of dulled flashlight. Ruby tried to pull her weapon away from it, and it stretched its claw out again, this time striking the handle of it, leaving some marks in the red paint. She then switched up her approach, she pulled the trigger on the sniper, a round erupted out, piercing the Grimm in one of its rib-like bone plating. The Grimm reeled back in pain, the round lodging itself in its back, black smoke pouring out from the wound. It bounced back, roaring violently at her, all its eyes and stripes growing in intensity. It looked back on its wound, and snarled as it did. The Grimm looked around at the trees above, and back at Ruby. Its eyes stayed locked on her, and it once again ran at her, she drew her weapon back, ready to block its attack again. But the Grimm did something unexpected. It took a sudden ninety-degree jolt to its right, and effortlessly scaled up the tree. One after another, it took bounding leaps, until it reached the one above her. Then it shifted its weight around, and pounced downward, using the trunk to launch itself. Ruby raised her scythe up, but the sheer weight of the Saberian proved to be overwhelming, it tackled her to the ground.
"Ruby!" Thorne shouted outward, watching as the black beast's body fully covered her own. The feline laid across her body, crushing her beneath its mass. Its front paws and teeth would be sinking into throat, but they were instead only scratching the hardened steel that made up the handle of Crescent Rose. Ruby used all her strength, trying to keep her only remaining defense up. She struggled, but any more force applied by her was negated by the Saberian's own. She tried to kick, but her legs were completely pinned. The Grimm pushed its paws down, trying to stand up over her. It pushed Crescent Rose's handle down onto Ruby, pushing it down onto her windpipe. The Grimm watched with enjoyment, its tail swishing back and forth as it watched her face change to a reddened state, it opened its jaws fully, preparing to fully engulf her head. It slowly lowered its maw, its canines were inches away from Ruby's eyes.
"Paws off!" Like a cannonball, Thorne shot his body forward, and right before impact, he spun himself around, ramming its spikes into the right eye of the Saberian. It forced it to lighten its pressure, allowing for Ruby to push back. Its paws shifted, sliding off the handle and onto the ground. Crescent Rose started to collapse into its travel mode, and making it more manageable in close range, she held it at her side, firing once more into its body, this forced the Grimm completely off of her. She rolled back, taking a knee and aiming her weapon at the Grimm again, this time unloading three additional rounds into its body. The Grimm still refused to go down, but it was clearly hurting. Ruby herself struggled to her feet, still trying to recover breath. She had a haggard look to her, wincing as she grasped at her abdomen. "Are you okay?!"
"Yeah...I will be...I didn't get my Aura activated in time..." she pulled her hand away and looked at it, her palm was matching the red of her cloak.
"You're bleeding..." Thorne's lense widened with worry as he stopped over her abdomen. A series of cuts that was about equal to his length was stretched on the upper right side of her stomach. They were deep, but seemed like the blood loss was controllable.
"Its...okay its not fine...but we have to finish this thing off first." Thorne's eye shifted back to the Saberian, its intense raging stare was filled with hatred. Its right eye, the one Thorne attacked, was like a deflated balloon, smoke circulated in the socket, trailing upward and dissipating, other parts of its body had a similar smoke, and its left leg seemingly was struck with one of the Dust rounds, the Grimm refusing to put any weight down onto it.
"Okay..." Ruby fought through the sting of her cut, and threw Crescent Rose's head to the side, the scythe unfolded further, extending into a halberd-like state. The Grimm saw that she was ready to go again, and it let out a series of low growling noises. She drew the blade back; the Grimm barred its teeth once more. The Saberian reared back once more. It stood tall, and charged her in one final, desperate attempt. Ruby planted the end of Crescent Rose in the ground. It lunged forward at her, and she held her ground, the blade pointing in the direction of that the Grimm was coming. The force was immense as the cat impaled itself on the weapon, though it cried outward in pain, it forced its body further down. It swiped desperately at Ruby, who tried her best to keep the Grimm back. It snapped its jaws viscously doing anything it could to do damage. The blade exited from the back, causing it slide to the very base, its stomach getting caught on the hooks the lined the back of Crescent Rose's head. The Saberian drove its feet in the dirt, pushing its body as much as it could, the angle disabled any true use of its front legs, but it allowed for its jaws to be once again, inches from Ruby. Thorne darted by the side of her head, unable to really do anything but hope that the Grimm perishes. The hooks started to pierce into the feline, and then one final lunge forward caused them too to cut into it, it came at Ruby and Thorne mouth fully opened, being able for it to full fit Ruby's head into it, which it did. Ruby shit her eyes as her vision fell into the mouth of the Grimm, her eyes blinded by the eclipsing jaws. She shut her eyes, waiting for her head to be crushed, fortunately, it never came. Her eyes opened as the light in the Grimm faded away, and its body began to dematerialize into formless smoke and ashes. The Saberian's form was lost to the wind, leaving Ruby and Thorne to recover their thoughts and breathes.
"I don't want to be cliché and say "that was close", but that was close." Thorne joked as he stayed motionless by Ruby head, the fear forcing him still. Ruby laughed just for a moment before gritting her teeth in excruciating pain. She fell back, letting Crescent Rose fall to her feet. She gripped at her side, trying to stop the pain in a futile attempt. Thorne flew just barely at her side. He looked at the wound, and now that she was in still position and there was not a giant demon kitten, he could try to tell the extent of her injuries. He started a scan over her. His hope was soon quickly turning to dread.
"Your corset is blocking me, I can't see the wound, but it's the only thing that keeping you from bleeding out." He looked up to her eyes, and saw that she was straining to focus on him. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"
"Thorne, it's okay, this is what I risk in this line of work, right?" Her eyes were growing watery. "Although...I thought I'd get at least five minutes in."
"Ruby, that's not funny..." He felt helpless as Ruby sat a little further up, he could see that the inside of her mouth was dyed a deeper hue of red. "...you know my Light can't heal you...it only works on my Guardian." She seemed like this was an answer she expected.
"I know, Thorne, and my Aura can't heal this kind of thing either...guess I bit off a little more than I could chew this time."
"Stop talking like that, I'm going to get you up, and we are going to finish this test..." Thorne seemed virtually beaten, lost on what to do. "...You have to live your life, it's not fair to you...y-you…you can't leave me alone." But before she could respond, Ruby fell backwards, her arms buckled out beneath her. Thorne panicked, he thought the worst possible outcome, but he could tell from their neural link that she was unconscious. This was relieving, but he still had to act fast. Thorne hovered above her, and extended his shell out, an orb of Light radiated around him.
"By the Traveler, please, let this work." Thorne looked down at Ruby and the orb of Light slowly lowered down into her. It infused in her skin, and Thorne began to release massive pulses of Light, bright enough that they could be seen from the cliffs, enough that it filled the darkest corners of the Emerald Forest, and enough that it felt like the shockwaves from a bomb were going off. "It has to work..." Thorne released as much Light as he could spare in one final blast, one that could be felt for miles around.
Cronus sat alone in the lab, its eye socket was restored by Watts and all that was left was replacing what was essentially a bulb. In its human-like hand it held an intact lense from a Goblin. Just as it was about to insert it, a strange feeling resonated in its core. It sensed an enormous release of Light, something that caused its Radiolaria to seep from its mouth uncontrollably. It was not close event by any means, but it still excited the Vex beyond belief.
Well, seems like things are going to get a whole lot more interesting…" Cronus started to bark out a abhorred laugh, what sounded like multiple voices layering over one another, its twisted glee echoing through the halls of its queen's reclusive home.