Author's Note: That's it, here's the end.
Black Rock Shooter and co. belongs to Huke.
"Something Ever After" - the HIATUS
B RS opened her eyes as she slowly turned over before picking herself up from the ground, which caused the blue-eyed Anomaly to arch an eyebrow as she looked around the area, trees and grass surrounding her under a black sky with a crescent moon shining above them, something that's unusual considering what happened a while ago when she had to fight against Icicle and prevent the malevolent other self from getting her way. Looking around the trees, B RS turned around and started walking away as she tried to piece together how she wound up in a forest until she felt someone staring at her back, prompting the blue-eyed Anomaly to turn around and bring out her Rock Cannon, the weapon powering up as she looked at Mato, who's dressed in the same clothes as she was as the girl raised her hands over her head. B RS clicked her tongue before turning around and walking away as her Rock Cannon disintegrated, aware of Mato trailing behind her as she tried to navigate through the various trees while straying back to her previous thoughts about where she is now, hearing the soft crunch as she stepped on some fallen branches until her eyes locked on an image beyond the trees. The blue-eyed Anomaly picked up her pace a bit as she moved around the trees and exited the forest, reaching a clearing that has a house not to far from her as her eyes locked on Gold Saw, who merely looked towards her before looking away and focusing on the person beside her, which caused B RS to immediately compare how both Saya and her other self looked and reacted, the former also dressed similarly to her counterpart. Mato stepped out into the clearing and noticed Saya, but before she could say anything towards the woman, her friends and their other selves started coming out from different sides of the forest, Yomi, Kagari, and Yuu dressed like their other selves as they heard a faint rustling coming from behind Mato, but their worries eased when they watched Geshumaru, her robot, Maid Gunner, and Vulcan walk into the clearing.
Kagari looked around before speaking, "Alright, I know that this feels awkward and jarring after.. everything, but someone got to ask: where the hell are we..?"
"It seems that Dragon Slayer opened a destructive rift, but I can't figure out where we are.. or understand how we got here," Gold Saw said as her red eyes wandered around.
"While it's nice to see our other selves again, or for the first time, I think we're forgetting another important question," Yuu spoke up as everyone's attention focused on her, "Where's Dragon Slayer..?"
Mato arched an eyebrow, "Maybe she died from that explosion..?"
Geshumaru looked worried until she heard a voice resound towards the group, "If she did, then shouldn't I be dead as well?"
"Kanna..!" Geshumaru cried as she rushed towards the young woman, hugging her tightly.
"Hey there, sorry about that," Kanna told Geshumaru before focusing on everyone, an embarrassed and sheepish smile appearing on her face as she raised her right hand and wriggled her fingers, "Uh.. hi..?"
Saya looked at Kanna, her expression showing that she wanted to say something to her, but the grown woman decided otherwise and focused on the group's current issue, "Alright, if Dragon Slayer is alive, then she can explain what's going on.. just one thing, where is she?"
Before anyone could give an answer to Saya, a gunshot resounded from the house and their eyes focused on it before they started running towards the sound, which seemed to multiplied several seconds afterwards, causing the group to wonder what's going on as they reached the back entrance, causing them to realize that the house was more villa-like, but the way it looks caused several of them to arch an eyebrow. The gunshots got louder and the group proceeded to enter the residency from the back before each of them froze at the sight that's in front of them, two bodies littered with bullet holes with blood flowing out from them as several men in uniform holding rifles of their own stood in the house, but only Kanna and Saya narrowed their eyes at the men who started moving around after one barked out orders that's in a different language. For a moment, they thought that they could hear something going on above them in the second floor, but their attention got drawn back to the soldiers that were moving around, specifically at one that was heading straight towards them, which forced them to freeze up as the man got closer. Kagari and Yuu closed their eyes as the soldier was a foot away from them, but they didn't feel anything and opened their eyes again, just to see the soldier walk through them like they were nothing more than ghosts, and if anyone in the group was paying a close attention, they would have noticed a look of realization crossing Kanna's face as she saw one of the soldiers rushing towards what looks like the leader of the troop. Before the soldier could say anything, screams resounded throughout the residence and the troop moved towards the entrance hall, prompting the group to move towards the frame as they watch the soldier's eyes widen slightly, and what happens next gives the group a good reason behind it.
"Hello there chaps, quite a lovely night, no?" The group looked towards the voice and noticed Dragon Slayer, who's dressed differently than what they know while having an unfamiliar, sinister smirk gracing her lips.
As the soldiers started murmuring to themselves, Saya looked back at the group, "I'm guessing some of you haven't brushed up on your history..?"
"You don't need a good memory to know who they are, and I'm gonna say it outright: Nazis..." Kanna said as she took a couple of steps forward.
Every real self and Geshumaru sucked in a breath before refocusing on Dragon Slayer, whose smirk appeared to grow slightly, "It seems that you've been having fun, considering you and that fascist bastardized government you all serve under are doing..!"
"Who are you..?" The commander of the Nazi troop inquired, him and his men readying themselves.
"I'm the ghost you can't kill.. sadly, two of your men failed to realize this when they went after my real self," Dragon Slayer said, which drew arched eyebrows from the soldiers, "I know that you're all here to seize France, but considering that lives are being lost from those in internment, I ought to repay you from the damage you're causing to the Otherworld.. with your lives..!"
Dragon Slayer punctuated her statement by tossing two objects from the second floor, which caused the soldiers to gasp as they watched the heads of their comrades roll towards them, their shock quickly getting replaced by anger as they aimed towards the amber-eyed Anomaly and started firing, prompting Dragon Slayer to jump over the railing towards the soldiers as her broadsword gleamed from whatever moonlight it could capture. A joyous laughter exited Dragon Slayer's mouth as she landed on the floor below before rushing towards the soldiers at a speed they thought wasn't possible, the Anomaly avoiding the gunfire as she got close to one before thrusting her sword through his ribcage, blood spewing from his mouth until Dragon Slayer turned her broadsword and bisected him. The amber-eyed Anomaly made use of the momentum to turn clockwise before she proceeded to slash another soldier's arms off from the elbow, hearing him scream as she avoided the bullets racing towards her before rushing to the next batch of soldiers, her eyes wide as she continued letting out a belittling laugh that seemed to echo throughout the villa. The group could only watch the amber-eyed Anomaly race around as she ripped the group apart like they're nothing while looking like she's having the time of her life, which caused both real selves and other selves to feel disgusted and horrified about what they're watching, the bloodshed spreading as the metallic plasma splattered on the walls and ceiling, staining the once-polished entrance hall. Dragon Slayer's onslaught ended as quickly as she began it, bodies lying on the stained floor as she stretched out her arms while blood dripped on her from the ceiling, but she dropped her arms when she heard one of the soldiers trying to back away, the commander glaring at her with wide eyes while yelling in German.
"Oh, so you're still alive," Dragon Slayer remarked as her eyes focused on the missing left leg before moving towards her, "Frankly, killing you during that frenzy was a nice thought, but I suppose this works as well"
The commander continued shouting as Dragon Slayer walked towards him, a smirk gracing her lips as he instantly shut his mouth from the fear coursing through him, "About time you shut your mouth, I thought that serving under a fascist bastard would teach you all a bit of tact.. seems like I'm wrong"
"Hexe.. Demon..!" The commander muttered, his eyes focused on Dragon Slayer, who bent down next to him.
"Ha, compared to you, I'm more like an angel serving God, but I digress, you've breathed enough and frankly.. you're wasting my time," Dragon Slayer said as her left hand snaked around before pulling out a knife, sliding it out of its sheath and waving the blade in front of the soldier, "This is for Clara's aunt and uncle, as the saying goes.. an eye for an eye..."
Everyone looked away and felt like gagging as Dragon Slayer thrust the knife through the soldier's left eye, digging the blade in until she couldn't hear his screams anymore, but the action left an impression on everyone, with the only ones barely showing any reaction being Kanna, B RS, Maid Gunner, and Vulcan; the scene barely registering in their heads as the scenery started disappearing, floating mirrors surrounding them along with a sunset-like sky. Kanna looked around until she managed to spot Dragon Slayer, who laid her right hand on one of the mirrors with her head hung low, looking lost in her thoughts as she didn't hear the young woman walk towards her or even show any sign that she acknowledges Kanna's presence, which caused Kanna to wonder what's getting to the amber-eyed Anomaly. Kanna's actions drew B RS's attention away from the group, who were trying to recover from the scene that they saw while figuring out what they should do when they meet Dragon Slayer, which was happening sooner than they expected as they noticed B RS heading towards both Kanna and the amber-eyed Anomaly, her hood obscuring her expression. Kanna got within three feet of Dragon Slayer before she saw the amber-eyed Anomaly flinch, the supernatural being turning around and staring at both the young woman and B RS with eyes that seemed to lost all life in them, but neither of them backed away from Dragon Slayer's intense stare as they heard the many footsteps that's nearing them, despite the apprehension looming around them. No one made any moves for a moment until Dragon Slayer started laughing, but it felt more condescending and self-loathing than what everyone's used to, which prompted Kanna to ball her hands into fists and scrunch her face into a frustrated, but determined expression.
"Dragon Slayer, the hell was that..?!" Kanna inquired, her voice laced together with frustration and confusion as she started at the amber-eyed Anomaly.
"You already know since you've been though the process, it's a piece of my memory," Dragon Slayer responded and she leaned back, her back against the floating mirror, "It was a few days before Nazi Germany seized France, and they were obviously searching for refugees that managed to escape.. which lead to the death of my real self's aunt and uncle..."
Dead Master looked a bit disgusted, "So you decided.. to slaughter them?"
"It wouldn't matter since in several years, the country they served for fell apart, especially since their all-powerful leader hung himself so he couldn't get captured," Dragon Slayer responded before barking out a laugh, "Such an idiot, doing the Allies job for them..."
"Dragon Slayer, you told us not to kill anyone so balance can get preserved when everything goes back to normal," Geshumaru spoke up, taking a couple of steps forward, "I can get that what you did came from revenge, but you looked like you were having fun killing them.. and it wasn't other selves you were killing, but real selves..!"
"Yeah, but everything was different the second time around," Dragon Slayer said, walking away from the group as she scratched the back of her head.
Chariot arched an eyebrow as her yellow eyes focused on the amber-eyed Anomaly, "The second time around..?"
"I can remember the way Clara smiled, how everything that happened to her didn't affect her in any way, how she wanted acceptance and could only get it by struggling to find any possibilities," Dragon Slayer said as she closed her eyes, reminiscing judging by how she was moving and reacting, "A bastard child who was left everything that her mother could scrounge up for her, as well as the wealth her aunt and uncle had; she had a life filled with happiness, and I was glad to pave the way for her.. until it all collapsed when she got murdered..!"
"Murdered..?" Saya asked, arching an eyebrow as she slowly learned more about the amber-eyed Anomaly.
"It was only a vacation to her, a break that I was willing to accept.. but it changed when a friend she recently met started shooting her while Clara was sipping some wine over a balcony," Dragon Slayer told them, her expression changing slowly as she continued, "The first couple of shots missed when Clara turned around and saw what her so-called friend was doing, but after a struggle, Clara got suppressed and was promptly killed"
"Shouldn't you be dead then..?" STR asked.
"Not everything translates between the real world and the Otherworld, because the other self that attacked me wound up in half from my broadsword, and I was ready to die when Clara just punctuated a wish.. for me to keep going on and do what I strive for," Dragon Slayer said as she turned around, anger flaring throughout her eyes, "I wished for everything to go back, for everything to change so I could have protected her, but it was worthless.. I became immortal, broken, and an enraged Anomaly, and I knew who were responsible for causing her death..."
"You went after them, I knew there's a reason behind all of this.. you want us to know the real you," Kanna said as she walked towards Dragon Slayer, her eyes firm and resolute, "I still remember that memory I saw, how Clara was talking to you about what we all just saw and about her family.. you killed her siblings..."
Dragon Slayer's shoulders shook, a smirk gracing her lips as she looked towards Kanna," You know me all too well, and it hasn't been long.. I killed them and their assassin, the latter by crushing her soul and taking her body for my own, just like what Icicle did with Shooter's insane counterpart.. but after killing the three bastards, I burned all four bodies to a crisp along with the villa.. and even since then, I've been a wandering Anomaly, just ripping my former identity to shreds and becoming who I am now: Dragon Slayer"
Kanna didn't say anything as Dragon Slayer continued talking, "I've lost everything and what I received from the aftermath was no real self and immortality, so I'm showing and telling you all this so you understand who I am and what I did, because everything that I've done was for both realities.. and to make sure that no other self or Anomaly becomes like me, but it seems I failed due to one person's emotions influencing her other self's actions..!"
Mato flinched as she could feel Dragon Slayer glaring at her, but the amber-eyed Anomaly's gaze stopped focusing on her as Gold Saw spoke up, "Even if the goals were different, you're no different from Icicle"
"Ha, I was like Icicle, but I've changed after discovering.. unpleasant things about me and my fate, so I'm not the same person as before," Dragon Slayer said before her glare hardened, "But don't you even lump me in the same group as that folly, I've done things to protect the Otherworld for longer than any of you can imagine, and given your actions over the past several days, I don't want to hear any of that crap coming from your mouths!"
"Life wasn't fair for you, but don't make it into an issue that we can't help you with," Kanna told Dragon Slayer, causing the amber-eyed Anomaly to look at her before her harden gazed softened.
"Icicle tried to invade into my life and use it as a weapon, and she has the strongest one," Dragon Slayer said before looking at everyone, "I'm sorry, but this is where our paths diverge from each other.. at least I know two who will accept me"
Maid Gunner and Vulcan stepped out from the group and walked up to Dragon Slayer, the former saying, "Regardless if we're created by you or not, it doesn't change our thoughts or our loyalty"
"I don't care about your past, but you helped us out, even if you caused problems that led to solutions," B RS spoke up, looking straight towards the amber-eyed Anomaly, "Besides, it seems like you're the only one I can trust aside from Geshumaru..."
B RS's words seemed to have a chain reaction towards the real selves and other selves behind her, but the one who felt like everything was shifting before her was Mato as she didn't expect the blue-eyed Anomaly to vocalize her thoughts, even Dragon Slayer didn't show any reaction despite her attitude towards Mato throughout the entire Icicle situation and how it managed to play out. Dead Master looked towards Mato and arched an eyebrow at how the teenager's expression stuck to shock, worry coursing through the green-eyed other self as she refocused on Dragon Slayer, who looked a bit apprehensive as Kanna walked towards her, the young woman keeping her firm expression as she covered the small gap between them, feeling anxiety welling up inside her despite it not showing outwardly. Before the amber-eyed Anomaly could react, Kanna managed to seize her into a hug while muttering something into her left ear, which caused Dragon Slayer's eyes to widen before she roughly shoved Kanna away and snapped her fingers, causing the world around them to shift as everyone behind both Kanna and B RS fell to the ground unconscious. B RS looked back at the group before refocusing on Dragon Slayer and her two servants, but they were disappearing before her and Kanna before a heavy sensation started weighing them down, forcing them to their knees as they tried to stay awake and figure out what's going on around them. Kanna could hear B RS collapsing behind her as she struggled to stay conscious while her eyes darted around, trying to find the amber-eyed Anomaly who disappeared along with Maid Gunner and Vulcan, but it was for naught as she fell to the ground, her consciousness leaving her as she heard the clicks of heels heading towards her, a hint of white meeting her eyes until she passed out.
The sun was setting across the horizon while people were walking about, heading either home or to their next destination while remaining unaware to the giant splash occurring in the river, several shadows moving towards the bank before pulling themselves out from the water with their clothes soaked and sticking to their bodies, but the expressions on their faces showed an unusual sense of content as they laid themselves out on the grass. Kanna let out a sigh as she looked at herself, recognizing the clothes that she wore to work a couple of days before she got assaulted by both Icicle and Gold Saw, and Geshumaru seemed relieved as she managed to let out a smile while looking at her cell phone, which shorted out from the water entering into the electronic and damaging its systems. The young woman looked away from Geshumaru and focused on everyone else, watching Saya pull Yuu close as the girl sobbed into the older woman's left shoulder, all while Saya had a grim and despondent expression on her face, the two of them looking like they managed to lose a part of themselves from the ordeal. Focusing on Yomi and Kagari, the former was mumbling and trying to say sorry to her friend, both girls looking pretty broken up about whatever Icicle did to them, though it looked like blond-haired teenager was trying to owe up to some sort of responsibility for whatever happened to them, and Kanna was sure that she wasn't going to get the full story from any of them. Kanna grunted before pushing herself up from the grass before placing a hand to the side of her head as she felt a headache growing, which she's guessing is from the force of them getting sent back in time and having reality get restored to its former glory by Dragon Slayer, but the young woman could feel something scratching the back of her mind as she remembered to sound of heels clacking against the ground.
"Was there someone else with us..?" Kanna thought to herself as she tried to remember anyone that she haven't met that appeared in Dragon Slayer's mind-scape.
"Kanna, are you alright..?" Geshumaru asked as she got up from the ground.
Kanna looked back at the blue-eyed Anomaly before smiling, "Nah, just a bit relieved that everything is back to the was it was.. before Icicle sent both realities through hell"
"Yeah.. but I'm a bit worried about Dragon Slayer thought, I never knew about all of that," Geshumaru said, which brought Kanna's thoughts back to when she hugged the amber-eyed Anomaly to comfort her, which fell apart when she said something she shouldn't have, "I knew she was some sort of ageless being, but I never thought she became immortal from her real self wishing her to continue despite what happened to her..."
"Hmm, I wish I could help her, but our partnership was only temporary," Kanna said as she scratched the back of her head, "I can't even feel her snoozing in my head, so she really cut off all ties with me once everything was over"
Geshumaru pursed her lips for a moment as she stared at Kanna, "... I think you two would work great together as partners, as a real self and an other self"
Kanna was about to say something when she heard a commotion going on behind both her and Geshumaru, prompting them to turn around as they watched Mato shove her friends back before backing away from them, a look of uncertainty and fear crossing her features as the teenager started running away from them, causing the three other teenage girls to look a bit worried as they watch their friend run away from them. Kanna felt like telling them to give Mato some time to get over what Icicle put them all through, but she knows that it's only one half of the blue-eyed teenager's problems as both B RS and Dragon Slayer dropped bombshells on her that's causing Mato's reactions, and the young woman wasn't sure what could help the teenager get over the issues before her. Geshumaru looked at the group with worry showing upon her face until she felt a hand resting on her right shoulder, causing her to look up at Kanna as the bespectacled woman stared at the blue-eyed Anomaly with a knowing look before shaking her head from side to side, which sent a clear message to Geshumaru as she looked back at the group before sighing in discontent. Kanna placed a hand at Geshumaru's back and started leading her away from everyone, her eyes glancing at them for a moment before refocusing on the girl in front of her, who the young woman knows been through enough and having to deal with Icicle probably took a lot out of her physically and mentally, but Kanna wasn't sure if she was even right about her thoughts. The duo managed to get to the sidewalk as they started making their way back home, drawing curious stares from people due to their soaked clothes, but both Kanna and Geshumaru ignored their stares as they lost themselves in their own thoughts, completely oblivious to the world around them except for each other, which was fine since they needed the moment together.
"Geshumaru, I know you want to comfort them, but they already got each other," Kanna told the blue-eyed Anomaly, looking away for a moment before focusing on her, "I'm worried about Mato possibly alienating her friends though, and all because..."
Geshumaru frowned a bit, "Because Dragon Slayer had to punctuate her point.. honestly, I never knew anything about Dragon Slayer's past"
"It caught me off guard too when I wound up viewing her memories while sleeping, even being in her position in most of them," Kanna admitted, scratching the back of her head as she looked down at the concrete they're walking on.
"Dragon Slayer said she only has one moral code, and I can understand why, because she became the very thing she grew to hate," Geshumaru said as her voice took a somber tone, "I almost became just like her, and now knowing that she won't hold back killing me.. it really puts reality into perspective"
Kanna stared at Geshumaru for a moment in shock before looking forward, ".. I want to help her, and I can't help feeling like this, even though I know our partnership was temporary.. so why..?"
"Maybe there's a bond between you," Geshumaru said before turning around and looking Kanna straight into her eyes, "It looks like Dragon Slayer doesn't like talking about the past, but for you to view her memories.. she probably thinks you're unique"
"Hn, doesn't feel like it," Kanna said as they refocused on reality, noticing the house before them, "Well, we're home..."
Geshumaru showed a wistful smile, "Never thought I would hear that, especially if Icicle got her way"
Kanna opened the gate and they walked towards the door, apprehension and anticipation looming on their faces, "Let's see what happens next"
The young woman took out the house keys and slid it into the lock, turning it and hearing the door unlock before grabbing the doorknob and turning it, pushing the door into the house as a familiar smell greeted them, with no shadows moving as the duo rushed inside to greet the family.
Icicle stared at the three black metal balls that she was rolling around in her right hand, her back up against the cage she's sealed in as support due to the lack of a left arm, which stems from B RS cutting it off along with her powers, rendering her plans ineffective and her control over humanity completely voided, a fact that she's been seething over the moment Maid Gunner and Vulcan tossed her into the cage for Dragon Slayer. She thought that playing that one gambit she had on Dragon Slayer would get the amber-eyed Anomaly unhinged so she could take advantage of her weakness, but considering her fight was with the twin-tailed hair, blue-eyed Anomaly, it instantly became a moot point and will only help make her death slow and methodical than what Dragon Slayer was probably planning. As Icicle continued to think to herself, the sound of metal doors getting pushed open resounded and caught her attention, prompting her to look to her left as she heard footsteps approaching her cell, which came from the Anomaly that her thoughts focused on, Dragon Slayer's amber eyes reflecting anger that couldn't show physically in any way. The malevolent other self arched an eyebrow at the amber-eyed Anomaly's clothing, a stark difference to her modern-style knight outfit as the clothing Dragon Slayer was wearing was mostly skin-tight save for the sleeves, white straps around her biceps as the Anomaly walked around while keeping her eyes trained on Icicle. Dragon Slayer stopped walking and flicked her right hand, bringing forth a tome from nowhere as the large book opened up before her, resting on top of her left hand while the amber-eyed Anomaly kept her focus trained on Icicle, who arched an eyebrow when the tome got summoned while trying to figure out what's going through Dragon Slayer's mind.
"That was a horrible decision you made calling me by my real name," Dragon Slayer told Icicle, not even looking at the tome once.
"It was a foolish gambit, one that I lost since I now have no left arm.. or my abilities," Icicle responded, narrowing her eyes and she looked away, "But the gambit seemed to work since you're more impassive than what I would expect; you told them about who you are..."
Dragon Slayer frowned, the room's temperature dropping as her emotions shifted, "I told them a little of what I've done, even showed them who I once was.. anything else related to me isn't important to them"
"You can't hide from your fate, even I know about it and it sickens me," Icicle stated before glancing at Dragon Slayer, slowly getting up from the cage's floor, "You're a bloodhound that feeds on vengeance, an Anomaly with no soul or heart, so why is it that you are defying the path that's set before you years ago..?"
"You're asking me a question that you already have the answer to, so let me tell you the difference between the me of now and the me that fate wanted me to become," Dragon Slayer said as she walked closer to the cage, reaching inside before grabbing Icicle by her hair and slamming her against the bars, "I killed because I was grieving and trying to find a new reason for living, but the me that fate set up for me was nothing more than a tyrant who doesn't care who she kills, but whether she can become god.. something that you tried to become..!"
Icicle cracked open her left eye as she stared at the enraged amber-eyed Anomaly, "But I managed to become one, something that you chose to deny"
"Because there are no gods, we're all fated to die one way or another, and I can assure you that in one month, you'll meet your end with one question plaguing your existence.. or whatever remains of it," Dragon Slayer stated before letting go of Icicle and backing away, "Besides, just because I kill, it doesn't mean I don't have regrets.. this entire room is full of them"
Icicle arched an eyebrow at the statement until she saw the room light up, revealing a bunch of caskets planted against the wall with beings inside them, and Icicle could tell from the way their eyes seem hollowed out, they were only mere corpses that's being hung like an animal getting beheaded before the severed head gets planted on a plaque, one that can get hung up as a satisfying reward for the owner. The malevolent other self looked back at Dragon Slayer as she watched a blue aura surround the amber-eyed Anomaly, runes appearing around her as she whispered incantations to herself, which resulted in the room illuminating in a variety of colors as the caskets surrounding them started glowing, and Icicle could see the hollow out eyes gaining life in them before it all stopped. This prompted Icicle to refocus on Dragon Slayer before her eyes settled on the tome the amber-eyed Anomaly was holding, which caused Icicle's eyes to widen slightly as she realized what it was that Dragon Slayer just used, a look of understanding crossing her features while the amber-eyed Anomaly closed the tome. The sound coming from the door drew the malevolent other self's attention as Maid Gunner and Vulcan stepped into the room, their pink eyes focusing on Icicle for a moment before locking on Dragon Slayer, who outstretched the tome towards them, gripping the giant book by its binding as Vulcan walked over and took it from the Anomaly before stepping back to place. Dragon Slayer let out a sigh as she looked towards Icicle with an impassive expression on her face, one quite akin to that of the malevolent other self's own expressionless mask, but Icicle could pick up on the heavy dread that permeated from the amber-eyed Anomaly, a dread that can speak volumes if it could.
"These caskets are the sleeping ground for the homunculus whose existences I eliminated years ago," Dragon Slayer explained as her eyes wandered for a bit, "Seventy-two beings beyond the common plane for other selves, and they got killed by me.. at least there's one good thing that stemmed from me killing them"
Icicle arched an eyebrow, "And that is..?"
"If it wasn't for me killing them, I wouldn't have found out how to create Maid Gunner and Vulcan," Dragon Slayer stated, "They're still other selves, but their existence is on par with a developing Anomaly, but they will never become one because they weren't designed to become ones..."
"And you think becoming a god is a joke," Icicle sardonically quipped.
"I do, but the other me would never do something like this, and there lies the difference," Dragon Slayer said as she turned around and walked away along with the two other selves, "Just understand that when everything settles and we all move on from your actions, we'll find that one thing that allows us solace.. aside from watching you die"
Icicle dropped back down to the floor of her cage, her eyes reflecting anger before regaining their impassive nature as she leaned up against the cage again, her eyes focusing on the metal balls again as she started to shift the around her palm with the fingers attached to her right hand, which is the only thing she could use to keep her company before her execution that's coming a month from now.
A month waiting while being sealed in a room with multiple reanimated corpses inside caskets that's hung on the walls.
A grunt escaped B RS's lips as she jumped away from the fireballs that's racing towards her, the mechanical wolves in front of her attacking wildly since they aren't following Icicle's commands anymore, which will only cause problems in the long run if they aren't brought down, and the blue-eyed Anomaly isn't willing to take anymore risks with whatever remains from Icicle's rule. Even with both realities restored to a point where Icicle's influence was insignificant, there was several things that Dragon Slayer couldn't correct and B RS took it upon herself to erase them from the Otherworld so there isn't any trace of the malevolent other self's rule anywhere, and her primary target was the colosseum that's still around the wastelands, but the only thing that's preventing her is the feral machines. Leaping to the right, B RS pointed her Rock Cannon before firing retaliation shots at the machines, who scattered the moment they saw her fire at them, racing around the colosseum walls and seats with no regard to the structure's stability, cracks forming all around from the building's lack of connection with its owner. The blue-eyed Anomaly narrowed her eyes as sparks lit up around her left eye while she tried to keep her eyes trained on the machines, firing at spots that the machines were heading towards and forcing them to take a different way, but her focus left her vulnerable and a couple mechanical wolves appeared from behind and firing at B RS. An explosion occurred when the attacks met its target, but once the smoke cleared out, there was no sign of the blue-eyed Anomaly anywhere and the machines started roaming around silently, their sensors on high alert until one of the machines got its head impaled by B RS's Black Blade, the Anomaly in question dropping from the sky while aiming her Rock Cannon down at the ground.
"Got you..!" B RS roared as she fired her Rock Cannon at the mechanical wolves down below.
B RS could see her attack ripping the machines apart as she descended from the sky, the machines howling as they met their destruction without any chance to launch a counter-attack, pieces of scrap metal flying all around the field as the blue-eyed Anomaly landed on the ground before tumbling a bit from the impact, clicking her tongue in irritation as she thought about the difference in her abilities in connection to both realities. Even if it was for a few days, she didn't struggle using her Rock Cannon like she did the first time when she went into the real world, nor did the limitations show themselves to her when in the middle of a fight, though she did chalk it up to being focused on taking down Icicle and making sure that everything get back to normal. So once Dragon Slayer managed to restore both realities, it caused a mental backlash to the blue-eyed Anomaly as her body adjusted itself to the real world from the time that she spent there, but she didn't let that stop her from roaming around and killing anything that threatens her life, which became a side-job for her when she discovered the mechanical wolves going berserk. Looking around, B RS analyzed the area as she got back up from the ground, her weapons dematerializing as she walked around and stared at the multiple cracks forming in the decaying colosseum, but before she could take action and rip apart the structure that surrounds her, the blue-eyed Anomaly felt her senses alerting her as she turned to the right. It wasn't hard for B RS to make out the forms of Dead Master, STR, and Chariot, and she had no doubt that Gold Saw was somewhere inside a rift, observing all of them, which prompted the blue-eyed Anomaly to narrow her eyes and put up her hood, annoyance clearly etched on her face.
"B RS, wait.. we've been looking for you..!" Dead Master shouted before coming to a stop, Chariot and STR stopping beside her.
Chariot took a couple of steps forward, her arms out, "We have to talk about what happened, not just about Icicle, but..."
"There's nothing to talk about, so get lost," B RS told them, her voice icy as she turned around before encountering Gold Saw, "That especially means you, Gold Saw, so don't think I won't know when you're spying on me"
"We're not doing this so we can have a clear conscience, we're doing this because Icicle demolished us at a level you can understand," Gold Saw stated, her eyes flickering to STR for a moment, "We were nothing than puppets to her, she demolished our existence and morals like an insignificant bug"
"I don't care, now get out of my way," B RS told Gold Saw, narrowing her eyes at the red-eyed other self.
"B RS, just hear us out, I know you went through the same thi-" Dead Master said as she rested a hand on the blue-eyed Anomaly's shoulder, but her sentence got cut off by B RS whipping around towards her.
Before Dead Master could react to B RS's actions, the Anomaly in question grabbed the green-eyed other self and pulled her in close before raising her in the air, Dead Master's eyes widening slightly as B RS slammed her into the ground, a small crater forming around them while the area got surrounded with a think aura laced with malice, causing the other three other selves to bring their weapons out. Dead Master felt her eyes slam shut from the impact and it wasn't until several seconds passed that she managed to open them, only to stare down the barrel of B RS's Seven-Shots as the blue-eyed Anomaly's eyes glowed an ominous blue, flickers of fire flying off from around her left eye as the image of a translucent crown threatened to appear on top of her head. Both Chariot and STR inched forward towards the crater, which caught B RS's attention as her eyes darted towards the two other selves, who stopped getting closer when Gold Saw signalled them not to with a simple shake of her head, but that didn't stop the red-eyed other self from tightening her grip on her King Saw as her eyes focused back on the blue-eyed Anomaly. The way everything is going on before all of them, the four other selves should have expected a negative reaction from B RS since they got manipulated easily, and the fact becomes a lot worse since Icicle also attempted the same thing to the blue-eyed Anomaly, but without much success aside from put her out of commission until she regained her senses. Dead Master looked past the barrel and stared at the blue-eyed Anomaly who refocused on her, their eyes connecting as the green-eyed other self could pick up on the anger and scepticism that's shining deep inside B RS's eyes, and she knew what she wanted to say to B RS, but the words wouldn't reach the edge of her mind, nor would her mouth open to the Anomaly before her.
"The difference between me and you four is that I didn't lose myself to that deep-seated regret that your real selves buried deep within you," B RS stated, the crown slowly forming around her head as she inched the muzzle to Dead Master's face, "I didn't violate someone I could consider a friend, and I certainly didn't follow some megalomaniac with a blind eye turned to the rest of the world, much less two realities..."
Dead Master frowned slightly, "I get that, we all do, but let us-"
"No, I'm done letting any of you explain for yourselves or even pushing the threshold just a bit," B RS told Dead Master, her blue eyes narrowing as the crown fully formed and rested on her head, "I don't care if Icicle had you all wrapped around her finger, not only are you a disgrace to your real selves, but you also had a hand at the near-destruction of two realities, both that's important for our existence as well as our real selves; tell me, how exactly am I suppose to trust someone when they don't have the power to stand up for themselves?"
"But Icicle..!" Dead Master said before she got silenced by a shot a mere inch to the side of her head.
"None of you have excuses because you're better than that, but I guess that time disappeared the moment you let petty things obscure your vision," B RS said as she slowly got up, her Seven-Shots still pointed towards Dead Master, "This is why I can only trust Dragon Slayer because, despite her personality and twisted past, she won't bullshit me when everything is on the line.. and I can sympathize with her; we're the ones alone in our own situations, and not one of you can understand that, so from me to the four of you, you can go to hell since then next time any of you try to stop me, I will put a bullet through your head"
Dead Master wasn't sure why her body went rigid after B RS told her everything, but she knew that she could equate the feeling to that of fear as that's the one feeling that they all felt at one point or another, and the blue-eyed Anomaly's threat seemed to have an effect on the other three considering that both Chariot and STR had pensive looks on their face, while Gold Saw's expression seemed to harden in response to the threat. The crown on top of B RS's head disappeared as she let her Seven-Shots flip by loosening her grip on the gun, the weapon fading away into various blue sparks before the blue-eyed Anomaly, her eyes remaining impassive as she turned around and put up her hood, ready to get away from the four other selves. As she turned around and took her first step away from them, B RS felt her senses going insane as she felt a piercing stare focusing on her, prompting the blue-eyed Anomaly to look around for whoever was staring at her until a certain shine caught her attention, causing her to turn to her right as she saw the flicker of bright hair passing behind an opening. The four other selves couldn't help but watch B RS dash off towards something that managed to catch her attention, and despite the blue-eyed Anomaly's threat lingering in their heads, it didn't stop them for going after her as they watched B RS exit the colosseum before she made a sharp left turn, leaving them a trail that they can follow. They weren't sure where B RS was heading, but once they noticed a rift several meters away from them, they knew that the answers will lie beyond it, especially since the blue-eyed Anomaly leaped into the portal without any hesitation; Gold Saw narrowed her eyes as a sinking feeling entered her gut, but the moment they all reached the rift, they jumped in without a second thought, banishing any doubt from their minds.
Mato wasn't sure what to say about her current predicament since it certainly felt like any other day, what with Kagari dragging her along the school hallways with Yuu accompanying them, but what made it jarring as to everyone else, it only seemed like a couple of days ago that Yuu was doing the same thing, when it was actually a week ago to the three teenagers moving through the halls. She couldn't read the expression on Kagari's face, especially when the blond-haired teenager removed her chair from under her and started dragging her along the floor without wasting a single minute, but Yuu looked a bit troubled since then, and Mato had a good idea of what it's about since its been only a day after everything went back to normal. Mato could feel her body coming to a stop and she looked up to see where exactly she is, her eyes focusing on the sign stretching out from the wall as Kagari slid the door to the consultation room open, dragging Mato inside while Yuu entered and slid the door close behind them, the blue-eyed teenager feeling everyone focusing on her the moment she got placed on the couch. Mato looked at Yomi, watching the green-eyed teenager look away from her gaze before her eyes focused on Saya, who looked the same as always, but the only hint towards her uneasiness is her grip on her favorite mug, which Mato isn't surprised about since Saya is technically the oldest in the tight-knit group that they all had a hand in making, and probably the only person able to handle a leader-like role. Mato looked to her left and watched Yuu plop herself down on the couch, far from her while Kagari walked up to the wall and laid against it, her eyes half-lidded as they focused on her, and that brought Mato back to what the focus is, and the blue-eyed teenager couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh, her frustration boiling slightly at her friends' plan.
"Look, I get that you're back to normal, but that doesn't give you the right to force me into forgiv-" Mato said before Saya raised a hand, cutting her off.
"Mato, this isn't about forgiving us, we know that would take time, especially for our own sake," Saya told Mato, her tone despondent as she continued speaking, "But you need to understand that we couldn't just fight off Icicle.. she's like a parasite that preys on and abuses our weaknesses, to where we would just cave in to them..."
"I know that, we all do, but what's my connection to that..?" Mato inquired.
Kagari looked at Mato before pushing away from the wall, "You don't know what it's like losing yourself to that psycho, it's like you get consumed with depressing thoughts and you feel suicidal until that.. thing makes your personality become the darkest thing possible"
"No, but Icicle did that to.. B RS, and that caused me to get stuck in her form," Mato shot back, but her hesitation didn't go unnoticed by Yomi.
"Then how do you think she felt..?" Yomi asked Mato, keeping a close eye on her friend's expression as Mato's face seemed to scrunch up in disgust.
"Like I care.. even though I'm glad that Icicle's beaten and powerless, what she did to B RS seems fair," Mato replied, appearing satisfied with her response.
Kagari looked like she was ready to throttle the blue-eyed teenager, but Yuu got to her first, her hands gripping the collar of Mato's uniform, "No it doesn't, and wishing someone a fate that's practically worse than death is something that you shouldn't do.. you probably have no idea how much she probably suffered from Icicle affecting her..!"
"So what, does it even look like she's going to stop killing other selves, or even try to become a better being.. person- whatever the hell that she is, hun?!" Mato shot back, her blue eyes glimmering with anger.
"I spent more than a dozen years as STR in the Otherworld, so I should know how other selves work, and believe me, B RS was bound to revert back to who she was when she got her memories back," Yuu told Mato, her eyes narrowing at her friend, "It's also human nature to revert to things that's comfortable, and the only way to break that is to change and adapt to those changes.. but you're denying her that chance, and with her own freedom, she can go against that..!"
Before Mato could say anything, Yomi got up from the chair she was sitting on and walked over towards the conflict, "Mato, B RS is an Anomaly, she has freedom and while you have a right to worry, it also shows the lack of trust you have for her..."
"... What's the point in this, care to tell me..?" Mato inquired, focusing on Saya, who was watching everything unfold.
"I want to move past this and try to get back into a normal life, whatever that is for any of us, but it isn't an easy road and we all suffered in one way or another," Saya spoke, her words heavy and laced with a regretful tone, which contradict her calm demeanor, "But that also means that we should adjust and try to grow stronger as a group, with each other and our other selves.. but we're too disconnected for any progress to appear, which is why I wanted all of us to talk and be on the same page..."
Mato couldn't fault them for that, but something was bugging her at the back of her mind, "There's more to this, isn't there?"
Saya nodded, letting out a sigh before talking, "While we can recover, I think it's obvious that we should work on making ourselves stronger, just like I said, but there's no clear-cut way for us to even pull that off without guidance.. which is why I want Dragon Slayer to take up leader-based duties in my steed and train us all if we get caught in a similar situation"
Saya expected a mixed reaction from the rest, and it's obvious that learning Dragon Slayer's past, her actions, and probably her true nature made everyone unsure or fearful of the idea that a probable omnicidal, sarcastic, nihilistic Anomaly that's probably older than all of them joined train them so that their fears and emotions don't get manipulated, and the mental image was more terrifying than just hearing the idea. Kagari seemed uncertain with the idea due to two factors, the primary one being that she started the process of the world falling under Icicle's control, and Dragon Slayer was sure to torment her with that fact if the amber-eyed Anomaly does decide to train them all, which is less than likely considering how everything played out after watching her memories. Looking towards Yomi, Kagari could see the green-eyed teenager have a contemplative look on her face that's mixed with a hint of fear, but the steel in her eyes showed a strange combination of content and determination, something that the blond-haired teenager couldn't understand as she wasn't there exactly when Dragon Slayer put Yomi on a path of self-discovery and courage by tossing her into a proverbial hell. Yuu had a more fearful expression and turned around to stare at Saya as if she just heard the world's worst joke, but the expression on the woman's face said otherwise to the young girl's thoughts, and she couldn't help but wonder why Saya would decide on that so suddenly until she got brought out of her musing, slowly turning back to the girl who managed to rile her up a moment ago. Unlike the rest of them, Mato was gritting her teeth as her eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, her mind replaying every word Dragon Slayer against her before focusing on that one moment when her life was in the amber-eyed Anomaly's hands, the same one that stated she had no qualms about killing her, the one being that has killed before and is probably the root of everything that happened to all of them recently.
No, to Mato, she is the root of everything, and she's the reason everything has gone straight to hell and back for her and her friends.
"No, there's no way someone like her should join this group, especially if she has no problem putting any of our lives on the line for her own benefit..!" Mato protested, a fire burning in her eyes.
Saya frowned at Mato, her lips becoming a thin line, "Mato, this isn't just any suggestion, this is a decision I'm making for all of us.. whether we like it or not, and I had the entire night to think about it, and frankly, she really our only hope of preventing another world-wide brainwash, and I'm tired of thinking that she has some ulterior motive"
"So you're willing to risk our lives for something that we could probably do ourselves?!" Mato roared, sure that her shout was attracting attention outside of the room.
"I'm taking that risk because none of us were really ready for anything like this, and the only one who can help us is her," Saya stated, her tone firm as she narrowed her eyes at Mato, "If you don't like it, that's fine, but that also means that you can't stay in the team if you're going to let your emotions and personal experience cloud your judgment, especially since Dragon Slayer already showed us why she's like that"
Mato was about to shoot something back at Saya when she heard a thud coming from her right, prompting her to turn to the sound as she noticed Kagari laying on the floor, unconscious as Yomi rushed over to her and checked on the blond-haired teenager, appearing relieved for a moment until she started cringing and grasping the sides of her head, her mouth opening in a silent scream. Mato wanted to move towards Yomi and help her, but she could only watch Yomi collapse to the floor as well before hearing groans coming from Yuu, who was sinking to her knees while Saya rushed up to her and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, trying to say something to her, but Mato could make sense of it as everything sounded like it was getting drowned out by whatever is happening around them. The blue-eyed reach over once she saw Saya gripping the side of her head with her left hand, but she watched her right hand phase through the grown woman, the latter not even reacting to her presence as she collapsed to the floor along with Yuu, leaving Mato the only one standing in the consultation room. Mato could only stare at the unconscious bodies laying on the floor as she noticed the color draining all around her, causing her to worry that something bad is happening until she heard the sound of the door sliding open, prompting her to look towards the opened entranceway as she felt a headache growing in her head, which caused Mato's eyes to narrow slightly as she gripped her head with her right hand. She could feel her eyelids flutter as she tried to make her way to the doorway, stumbling a bit before collapsing to the floor as the sound of heels approaching resounded in her ears, but she couldn't listen anymore or see who it was that's approaching as she finally succumbed to her headache and passed out, her consciousness leaving her.
The moment B RS exited the rift, she instantly felt weightless until she got pulled up, her body connecting with a solid platform with a sickening smack, but that was the least of her worries as she noticed the other four other selves exiting the rift before the same sensation caught them, prompting the blue-eyed Anomaly to push herself up and move away as the four other selves smashed into where she once laid. As she moved away, B RS found her control over her body loose as she felt it skirting back a few more feet than she had intended, causing her to wound up close to the platform's edge before she managed to regain control over her balance, glancing back so she could see how close to death she was, which became a concept she didn't want to think about considering that she's staring out into an endless space-like sky. There was something jarring about the new area that the blue-eyed Anomaly couldn't understand and it certainly left her a bit unhinged, and having the four other selves in the area as well wasn't easing her mood after what she told them what would happen if they got in her way again. Watching Gold Saw get up first from the group didn't stop her from wondering what's going on, but she stopped focusing on that when she felt a presence behind her, prompting B RS to turn around with her Black Blade drawn as she tried to attack whoever it was that's behind her, only to stop her attack an inch before it even got the chance the slice through Dragon Slayer's neck. Dragon Slayer merely stared at the weapon for a moment before taking a couple of steps away from B RS, who lowered the sword before letting it disappear from her grasp, her attention focused on the amber-eyed Anomaly as she ended everything at a point when they got blindsided by her explaining her past, which was certainly met with mixed reactions.
"It looks like you noticed the rift as well," Dragon Slayer stated impassively, but the tone laced with the words was chilling.
"No kidding, and I'm sure that I saw someone before I noticed the rift," B RS told Dragon Slayer, keeping her thoughts centered on the situation at hand, "You wouldn't happen to notice anyone before finding the rift..?"
Dragon Slayer looked back at B RS, "It scorched the floor back home, so no, and don't think that this changes anything"
"Not expecting it to, but since you're here, we might as well figure out what's going on," B RS said before walking away.
Gold Saw noticed the two Anomalies walking away from them with a contemplative expression on her face, wondering if it was a good idea to follow the two since tensions revolving around the two Anomalies were running high, but she tossed the doubts away from her mind and helped the others get back up before gesturing to them to follow B RS and Dragon Slayer in silence. The four other selves could barely hear what B RS and Dragon Slayer was saying to each other, but that gave them the opportunity to look around as they noticed the black-out sky getting covered by more platforms that's connecting with the ones that they are traversing on, black and white tiles making up the ground as structures started constructing themselves around them. The structures around them looked like they got made from glass, primarily the pillars around them since they were the only objects that they could make out, aside from the basic black chains that's attached to the pillars, but that slowly faded from their attention as they noticed both B RS and Dragon Slayer stopped walking as their eyes narrowed. Dead Master arched an eyebrow at their reaction before picking up on what stopped the two Anomalies from continuing; a laughter that was jovial, mature, and ominous resounding all around them caused everyone to draw out their weapons, their eyes narrowing as white ornamental walls sprouted from the floor and surrounded them along with windows, a glass-like layer surrounding the walls. It didn't take long for a ceiling to go with the walls around them, which caused the laughter to become more contained and focused, like someone was actually in the same room as they are and is laughing without any reason behind it; to say that its jarring is nothing more than an understatement.
"Oh my, I certainly didn't expect such a reception, even if you're missing one from the group.. not something that can't get corrected later on," They all heard as the wall in front of them vanished, revealing a circular veranda with a glass table set near the end, along with the person who seems to own the voice.
B RS raised her Black Blade at the person and was about to say something before she got interrupted, "Before you go threatening my life, please note that there are guests other than you and your group here..."
B RS arched an eyebrow as she wondered what the person before them meant until she heard STR gasp, and for a good reason as she caught a glimmer of something from the corner of her right eye, prompting her to look to her right, only to see Mato and everyone else sans Geshumaru in the same room as them, the same type of surprise etched on their faces when they noticed what's going on before them. B RS narrowed her eyes at Mato for a moment before refocusing on the person that's causing everything to happen within split seconds of each other, and there was something about the woman who is causing a certain sense of familiarity and alienation to course through her body, and the way things worked out for her before, that doesn't mean anything good is about to happen. The woman's lithe body that's seated and turned slightly away from everyone was merely covered by shorts and a jacket that merely covered her chest, but the snow-white hair is certainly not something you would normally see from an other self; the only exception known so far is STR, but that's something beside the main point that everyone is trying to figure out. If anyone was paying attention to everyone else, they would have noticed how realization started crossing Dragon Slayer's face after dissecting everything that happened within the past several minutes, but another one struck her when the woman got off of her chair and walked around the table so she stood directly in front of it, but before everyone in her full glory. White heel merely clicked against the floor as shock and confusion crossed everyone's features as they stared at the pale-skinned other self that stood before them, but it wasn't right to call the person before them an other self, since the way they are seeing it, it was better to drop her in with the Anomalies in her own special class.
The reason...
"That's not possible, there's no way..." Gold Saw mumbled, her red eyes widened in paralyzing fear.
Dragon Slayer gritted her teeth, "To think I knew everything about other selves and the working of the Otherworld.. how mistaken could I be..?"
"Hang on, I think I'm seeing things here," Kagari said as she rubbed her eyes, hoping it's a hallucination, "There's just no way, right?"
B RS could feel the grip on her Black Blade slacken, "Who.. are you..?"
They all were at an inverted, near carbon-copy version of B RS.
"My name is White Rock Shooter," 'WRS' introduced herself, her eyes opening to show magenta-colored orbs that was hidden behind her eyelids, "It's a pleasure to meet all of you, especially you B RS.. the other me"
"It means" - Nothing's Carved In Stone
Author's Note: I got hit with the procrastination bug big time, but I buckled down tonight and finally completed HBS. So that just leaves one more story in the main trilogy, but I'm not gonna work on that next, instead, I got some plot gerbils running for some stuff for RWBY, and I'm gonna work on that first before focusing on other projects, so I'm taking a break from the trilogy, and rightfully so. I hope you all can understand that and enjoy any other fics that I put out. Thank you for tuning in, please review, and I'll see you all next time.