A/N:
SilentKnightFan- I am reading this dude. Just wanted to stay silent for a while cuz I felt that I was replying too much and influencing it. Im loving how it's going so far and I am excited for more. I haven't been watching v9 due to RT screwing the fans over by switching to CrunchyRoll a month before release instead of the 2 years we spent waiting. Anyways, yes I do hope she survives but knowing RT, they're gonna screw it up.
Excited for more dude. Keep it up :)
Influencing? Is that what I made you think? Oh, no. You see, a lot, and I do mean A LOT of King of Grimm is prewritten. These were originally Private Message stories from months ago that I decided to post. Besides, I don't mind a bit of influence from others. It's how my stories grow and evolve. A lot of King of Grimm is thanks to impute from me best friend and his sisters. Don't be afraid to reply, my guy. Oh, dammit. A rhyme. Anyway, I'm sure you've seen it on YouTube by now. Just type in rwby neo and you'll see that she lives! Which means I can upload one of my favorite side stories of King of Grimm, Beauté Noire. Trust me, it's a ride, and not just because its based off of my favorite Disney movie.
Guest- You should stop depending on the rooster teeth..They arr Trash.. RWBY Is better off in the hands of the creative hands Of Fanfic Authors.
Do not let their trash Writining of 9 Volumes Influence you
Meh, RT has SOME uses. They may be trash, but they're the trash that gave us RWBY, to begin with.
Anyway, onto the story. And before you think it... yes, it's heavily plagiarized, but then again, this is a fan fic, not something to e sold, so I'm somewhat in the clear.
In the Valean city of Minuit, the people were living their lives in peace. People were fishing, buying, or arguing about the price of something. In the middle of the city was a cathedral in dedication to the God of Darkness, Beauté Noire.
Minuit was a beautiful city, said to be at its most gorgeous in the light of the full moon. Many wealthy men and women lived in this city, but few were Faunus. In fact, Minuit was one of the few cities in all of Sanus that was still prejudiced against the Faunus, even with some of Remnant's greatest heroes being Faunus. They all but ignore the actions of Blake Xiao Long and Velvet Daichi in the final battle against Salem.
Sadly, as beautiful as the city was, it had an ugly underbelly. The aristocracy was filled with selfish and bigoted people that treated anyone lower than them like trash. Though would only show respect to those of equal social standing. They barely respected the heroes of Remnant, save for two, Weiss Schnee-Rose and Jaune Arc, and that's only because of their vast wealth. Jaune even once saved the city when it was about to be overrun by Acrideaths, Locust-like Grimm infamous for attacking huge towns filled with greed.
It's one of the few missions Jaune wonders if it was right to complete, seeing how vile the upper class was, barely even thanking him and cheating him out of nearly half of his pay.
The only reason he doesn't regret it is thanks to the lower classes, almost everyone thanking him profusely as he left. Some even cried tears of joy when he willingly gave his reward money to them.
This was years before he was cursed as the Grimm King, and not much has changed.
The worst example was one of the head council members of Minuit, Judge Fue de L'enfer.
He was a grim, aging man with a permanent scowl on his face. Everyone, even his fellow council members feared him. He had a desire to purge the world of evil, seeing corruption everywhere except in himself... and the Grimm.
He believed the Grimm were justified punishments for the evils of humanity. The judges who would punish the undeserving. He was even able to somehow capture a pack of Beowolves, which he keeps in a special pit that he throws the guilty into. Being one of the few in the city with Aura and a Semblance, which he calls Touch of the Judge, no one can stand up to him.
He may call it Touch of the Judge, but everyone else calls it Hellish Hand, for his very touch feels like a blazing inferno. He has ignited countless stakes using this terrifying Semblance, and sadly, his dark sense of justice has kept the city at peace for years, for no criminal wanted to be captured by Fue, especially when he personally burned the most powerful crime lord in public... after he burned his entire family alive in front of him, which included not only his pregnant wife, not just his eighteen-year-old son... but his ten-year-old son and his four-year-old daughter.
This cruel judge was walking down the clean, well-kept street of Minuit, not being bothered at all by the looks of fear people were giving him, or the terrified bows of respect when people walked out of his path.
"Excuse me, sir."
Fue looked down and sneered.
Looking up at him was a tired-looking, elderly, sickly-looking Goat Faunus woman in a ragged cloak, holding a bowl up toward him. "Could you spare some change for a weary traveler?"
"How vile. How dare you even speak to me, beast? Why the God of Darkness allows abominations such as you to exist is beyond me. He should have had his servants devour your filthy species, but I suppose he allows you parasites to exist to remind us, humans, how blessed we are in comparison. Allow your suffering to teach you your place in this world, Faunus Filth." He then walked away, still muttering about the Faunus. "Hideous old goat. Beasts like that old hag should be grateful to so much as step foot in this beautiful kingdom."
The goat watched Fue walk away before taking off her hood. "So he saw me as an old goat? Says a lot about your soul, old man," the Faunus said in a beautiful voice.
"He is quite an ugly man, isn't he?"
The Faunus looked up to see another Faunus, a Raven Faunus, given the black wings hidden under her own cloak. She was absolutely gorgeous. Long hair as black as her wings, eyes as green as emeralds, lips as red as blood, and beautifully dark skin. She wasn't wearing any shoes but had a gold bracelet around her right ankle. She was wearing quite a bit of gold on her, like her earrings or bracelets. She wore a simple white blouse but a lovely purple skirt. She also looked quite young, sixteen.
"He also seems to be going blind. How could he call you hideous? In fact, why did he think you were a Faunus? You're obviously human, and a beautiful one at that."
"You can see my true face?"
"True? Oooh, you're using your Semblance. Is there a reason you're hiding that lovely face," the woman asked as she squatted down. "Are you hiding?"
"Asking a lady such personal questions? How bold of you, my dear."
The beauty giggled. "Honey, I'm pretty sure you're too young to call ANYONE my dear."
"Am I? Tell me, what do you see when looking at me?"
"Honestly, a very pretty girl who looks around my age. Though, you do look unique. I've never seen anyone with two different hair AND eye colors."
The girl's eyes widened. "You can see that much of me? Tell me, what are the colors you see?"
"Considering your reaction, it must be important. Well, you have a brown eye, and half of your hair is brown."
"You already knew that wasn't important, didn't you," the girl deadpanned.
The other girl giggled. "I did. I just wanted to tease you. The important part of your hair is as beautifully blonde as the gold I wear, and your eye is as blue as the sky."
The girl finally stood up, the other standing with her. "You. You're pure-hearted. One of the purest I've ever met. Not even my own father could see that far past my Semblance."
"Your father? Who are you?"
The girl smiled. "You've proven yourself. My name is Anita. Anita Vanille."
The woman's eyes widened. "Vanille? As in Trivia Vanille?"
"My mother."
The woman smiled, excitement in her eyes. "Could you help me and my people?"
"That depends. Who might you be?"
The woman smiled as she pointed at herself. "My name is Esmeralda."
Anita followed Esmeralda through the streets of Minuit. She had a sad look in her eyes. There were so many miserable people lying on the street or dragging themselves around, obviously starving. Some were humans, but even more were Faunus. It broke the thief's heart to see children digging through the trash for scraps of food.
"I was told stories of Atlas before it became New Mantle. Seems Minuit is even worse than that."
Esmeralda sighed. "You have no idea," she said before looking toward the taller buildings, bridges, and walkways visible from where they were. "The wealthiest of Minuit live in luxury above the skyline, literally looking down on anyone here. People like Fue only come down to judge the state of the city... but not the people. He makes sure that even the streets are clean, keeping the city as beautiful as it is, but doesn't do a thing to help the people. He just looks at them like they're trash."
"I heard that Jaune Arc once saved this city from Arcideaths."
"The biggest mistake he has ever made if you ask me. He should have just let the city be destroyed." She then sighed. "But if he did that, who knows how many innocents would have died that day? He tried to help, you know. Give money directly to the people. Thanks to him, life was good for... a week. Then Fue ruined everything by forbidding Jaune from giving money to anyone that wasn't a council member. What's more, since Minuit is practically an independent kingdom, no one in Sanus can do anything to help, not even Jaune himself."
"Where does Fue live?"
"See that cathedral," Esmerelda asks as she pointed at the magnificent building. "Beauté Noire is where he's been seen frequently, but his actual base of operations is the Palais de Justice," she explained as she pointed towards a slightly shorter but intimidatingly beautiful building. "He actually lives in that glorified prison."
"Prison?"
"Many Faunus and accused criminals are dragged into that tower to be... 'punished'. Sometimes the screams are louder than the bells."
"What bells?"
As soon as Anita asked that, bells rang from Beauté Noire. "Those bells."
"What a loud yet lovely sound," Anita said as she took out her scroll to see it was noon. "Timer on that thing is on point."
"There is no timer."
"What?"
"Beauté Noire has a bellringer."
"In this day and age?"
Esmeralda shrugged. "As advanced as Minuit is, some things remain untouched by progress. That cathedral is older than even Fue himself and has remained untouched for centuries. Some people see it as a holy monument protected by the God of Darkness himself. No one would dare to even suggest renovating it, especially with Fue around. He's a feverish fanatic, after all. The last person to suggest 'improving' the cathedral when he was around was never seen again."
"Well, that's not disturbing."
"Many things in this city 'aren't disturbing'. Oh, in here," Esmeralda said as she dragged Anita down a dark alley. She then pulled off a manhole cover before jumping in, Anita following.
SPLASH.
"Great," Anita said sarcastically. "These were my favorite stolen pair of boots."
"Sorry," Esmerlda giggled nervously, Anita looking up to see her flying. "I forgot that you couldn't fly."
"I obviously don't have wings."
The beautiful Raven Faunus shrugged before flapping down the tunnel, Anita following her. The two walked through tunnels until Esmeralda flew out of another manhole, Anita following her. When she got out, she saw a graveyard.
"Cheery."
"One of the oldest areas in the entire city," Esmeralda explained. She then walked towards a large tombstone. "Mind helping me with the cover?"
Anita casually pushed the stone cover off.
"You're strong."
"My mother thinks it's thanks to my father."
"You keep mentioning him. I know your mother is Trivia Vanille, but who's your father?"
"You can see my true hair and eye, but can't deduce that," she asked with a teasing smile and raised eyebrow.
"Blonde hair and blue eyes aren't exactly rare, Anita."
She shrugged. "Well, a lady needs to keep some secrets to herself. Much more fun that way."
"Can't argue with that. Come on," she said as she walked down the stairs, Anita walked down a few steps before placing the tomb's cover back behind her.
"Can you see in the dark," Esmeralda asked.
"Master thief, love."
"Good to know. Mind if I borrow your stick?"
"Knock First is more than just a mere stick, sweetheart. It's been my partner through thick and thin, more so than even my own mother."
"Special stick. Got it."
"I will shoot you."
"Oh, it really is special. Anyway, mind if I borrow it?" Anita handed Esmeralda her staff, the beauty tapping the staff on the wall in a certain rhythm.
"A code to let the others know we're friends?"
"Exactly. Come on."
Splash.
Anita sighed. "More sewage."
"Sorry."
"Do most of your fellows have wings?"
"Well, most of the women. The men... just don't care."
"Ah."
Esmeralda led Anita down the tunnel until the light was able to be seen. As soon they walked through, Anita was amazed by the beauty of the cavern.
"Anita, welcome to the Court of Miracles."
Before the Master Thief was an underground town filled with Faunus and humans. They were all wearing colorful clothes, some with gold on them. All around were quilts and curtains that seemed to sparkle in the torch and lamplight. Anita could also smell incredibly delicious food, see people drinking merrily, and kids running around while laughing.
She also saw dummies of what she assumed were the leaders of Minuit, covered in knives or old stab wounds, Fue's dummy being the most damaged. She also saw an incredible tapestry of a familiar man.
"Jaune Arc," she whispered.
It was indeed a tapestry of her father, his hair woven from golden thread. He was holding up his dominant arm, Nimueh in her sword form shining with glorious purple thread woven around her as her awesome power. He was surrounded by Acrideaths, protecting the Faunus and the humans below him. Anita also noticed that he was stepping on someone. Fue.
"Beautiful, isn't it," Esmeralda asked, getting Anita's attention. "He tried to save us, you know. Tried to bring equality to Minuit, but even his influence can only go so far, especially against a corrupt government. Still, we see him as what he is: a hero."
"A hero who would be welcomed, but can I say the same about your friend, Esmeralda?"
The two beauties looked behind them just as someone landed behind them. A Goat Faunus with cloven hooves and goat horns, but with human eyes and a kind but mischievous smile. He wore a jester outfit, had a triangular hat that was just below his horns, and a long black goatee.
'I prefer father's,' Anita thought.
"Anita, meet the leader of the Court of Miracles, Fendu Clopin."
"My, my, you brought quite a lovely one, Esmeralda. Her hair is as silver as can be. Never seen fellow Goat Faunus with such pristine hair."
"So that's what you see me as."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I thought your Semblance only affected those of dark hearts," Esmeralda asked.
"Not exactly. My Semblance is useless against those PURE of heart. Pure good, specifically. Everyone else just sees me as they wish or believe me to be. It just takes a tiny bit of corruption to see me as someone else, which explains why my father saw me with red hair and a green eye instead of my true form like you."
"I wouldn't say I'm pure good," Esmeralda giggled. "But your father couldn't see you fully?"
"Let's just say that he's going through complications. Of course, it doesn't help that he's a bit of a womanizer."
"No offense, but knowing who your mother is, that doesn't seem surprising."
"No offense taken. It is quite true," Anita giggled.
"So, you are not a Faunus," Fendu asked as he examined the beauty.
"I'm afraid not. I'm a human with an Illusionary Semblance."
"Illusions! You'll fit right in with us, my dear. Oh, you just became a human in my eyes. Still lovely to the eyes, though."
"My, my, aren't you a charmer?"
"Only to the ladies," Fendu said with a bow. "So, what brings you to the Court of Miracles?"
"I plan on robbing Fue blind."
All activity seemed to stop in the Court. People began to murmur among themselves, many staring at Anita, some with concern, others like she was mad, and others with an impressed gleam in their eyes.
Fendu laughed. "I already like this one!" He then sighed. "But I wouldn't recommend it. Fue is not only a heavily influential man but also greatly guarded. Many assassins have tried to take his life, only to disappear within the Tower of Justice."
"Then it's a good thing I'm not an assassin, but a Master Thief like my mother."
"Your mother?"
"She's the daughter of Trivia Vanille," Esmeralda explained.
"THE NEOPOLITAN," Clopin went in excitement, other humans and Faunus getting just as excited. Clopin then began to shake Antia's hand. "If you truly are her daughter, then you're most certainly an honored guest among us!"
"Uh, I know my mother is famous, but I thought we were more infamous than anything."
"It's BECAUSE of her infamy that we revere her. She has been able to rob people like Minuit's elite for YEARS. We've wanted to follow her example, but no one can compare to her."
"Except for me," Anita bragged.
"Oh, I hope to see if that's true," Clopin excitedly said.
Then, the bells rang.
"Wow. Even underground, they're audible."
"Ah, beautiful, no? So many colors of sound, such changing moods, because you know, they don't ring by themselves."
"Esmeralda told me. Somewhat."
"Yes. Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bellringer."
"Mysterious? No one has seen him?"
"No. Very few even know how he came to be there, but Clopin will tell you. It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster."
Dark was the night when our tale was begun on the docks near Beauté Noire.
"Shut it up, will you!"
"We'll be spotted!"
"Hush, little one."
Four frightened Faunus slid silently under the docks near grand Noire.
"Four lien for safe passage under palace."
BUT A TRAP had been laid for the Faunus, as they gazed up in fear and alarm, at a figure whose clutches were iron as much as the bells~
"Judge Fue de L'enfur."
The bells of grand Noire.
'Of course, he'd play a role in this story,' Anita, accidentally ignoring Clopin's common description of the vile man.
"Bring in these Faunus filth into the Palace of Justice."
"You there! What are you hiding?!"
"Stolen goods, no doubt. Take them from her."
She ran.
'How does Clopin know about this,' Anita whispered to Esmeralda.
'No one knows. Some say it's thanks to his Semblance, but as far as anyone knows, he doesn't even have Aura.'
Clopin told how the woman tried to beg for sanctuary at Beauté Noire, only to be kicked onto the steps by Fue before any help arrived. This angered Anita. She was no hero or saint, but she has never taken an innocent life, especially not as cruelly as Fue had.
"A baby?" Fue gasped. "An abomination!" He then saw the well and prepared to drop the baby.
"STOP," cried the archdeacon.
"This is an insult to our God of Darkness! It can at least be used as an offering to him, unworthy as it is."
"See there the innocent blood you have split, before Beauté Noire."
"I am guiltless. She ran. I pursued."
"Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt, before Beauté Noire."
"My conscience is clear!"
"You can lie to yourself and your minions. You can claim that you haven't a qualm! But you never can run from nor hide what you've done from the eyes! The mighty eyes of great Noire!"
And for one time in his life of power and control, Judge Fue felt a twinge of fear for his immortal soul.
For to Fue, the statues of the Grimm seemed to be staring at him, as if judging the darkness in his soul. The most terrifying of all was the Grimm Knight, the Champion of Darkness, the great armor seemingly looking down at Fue directly, its Sword of Destruction at the ready. Oddly enough, yet unknown to Fue, the Grimm Knight's armor was an exact replica of what would one day be known as the legendary Ambrosian Garb. "What must I do?"
"Care for the child and raise it as your own."
"What?! I am to be settled with this filthy, misshapen... Very well, but let him live within our Lord's cathedral."
"Live here? Where?"
"Anywhere. Just so he's kept locked away where no one else can see. The bell tower perhaps. And who knows? The God of Darkness works in mysterious ways. Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be... of use... to He."
"And Fue gave the child a dark name, a name to honor the God of Darkness: Ténèbres. Now here is a riddle to guess if you can, sing the bells of Beauté Noire. Who is the monster and who is the man~?"
Anita looked up when she heard the bells ring once more.
"Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells Of Beauté Noire~!"
As Clopin held that last note, the entire city of Minuit was seen, bathed in sunlight as we are shown the inside of the cathedral, a hunched shadow seen ringing the bells before riding down the rope and landing on the ground and walking towards the morning light.
After ringing the bells, a figure dropped onto the lower floor of the bell tower. Walking up to a Beowolf statue was a deformed Faunus. He had a large hunch, a swollen left eye, the long ears of an aye-aye, the nose of a star-nosed mole, and salt and pepper hair that draped towards the right side of his head. This yellow-orange-eyed Faunus was Ténèbres, the bell-ringing hunchback of Beauté Noire.
Ténèbres looked over the ledge of the bell tower before looking into the mouth of the Beowolf to see a nest. "Good morning."
A chick chirped awake, looking at Ténèbres.
"Will today be the day? Are you ready to fly?"
It chirped in a fearful tone.
"You sure? Good day to try. Why, if I picked a day to fly, this would be it. The Festival of Fools! The happiest day Minuit ever gets to experience. Said to be allowed by the God of Darkness himself, since he finds humans amusing!" Ténèbres realized what he said and sighed. "Humans. I don't know what he thinks of Faunus, but we're allowed to participate! I-I think he likes to watch Faunus be fools for a day, too! I'm sure we can make him happy! It will be fun! The jugglers and music and dancing, all in his name!"
The chick flapped its wings until it was flying, Ténèbres laughing happily for it. Then, a flock of pigeons flew by.
"Go on. Nobody wants to be cooped up here forever." The chick then flew away.
The Beowolf statue then spat the nest out of its mouth. "FINALLY! I was ready to chomp that chick and be done with it," the stone beast roared in a male voice.
"Please, don't," Ténèbres begged.
"Only because you asked, Ténèbres. Anyone else, save for two others, I would have ignored."
"You get what you deserve for sleeping with your mouth open," a Nevermore statue with a feminine voice went as she flapped her wings, the statue the same size as the Beowolf.
"Ah, go carry a child away," Beowolf growled.
"Why don't you go eat a baby," Nevermore cawed.
"Please stop fighting. I don't like seeing my friends argue," Ténèbres went sadly.
"Ah, you'll forget about it," Beowolf went. "So, Ténè, what's going on down there?"
"It's a festival," Ténèbres answered.
"Ah, the Feast of Fools. His Excellency really does approve of this, you know. He enjoys watching the colorful pageantry of the mortals, especially since it's in his honor."
"It's nice that we get to witness it from here," Nevermore went.
"Yeah. Watch," Ténèbres said sadly before walking away.
Beowolf and Nevermore looked at each other before looking at their friend.
"What's with him," Beowolf asked.
"Is he sick," Nevermore asked.
"Impossible." They looked to see an aged Beringel statue walk up, the statue speaking in an elderly man's voice. "If listening to you two bicker for fifteen years isn't enough to make him sick, nothing will," he said as he walked past the two.
"But watching the Festival has always been a highlight of the year of Ténèbres."
"What's the point of watching a party if you never get to be a part of it? He's not made of stone like we are. He has wants and desires."
"Inconveniences of mortality, I guess," Beowolf went.
Nevermore pecked at him. "Show some concern. We only get to move because of his Semblance, you know."
"Yeah, yeah."
Ténèbres walked up the stairs towards a wooden model of Minuit, sadly sitting down in front of him, his friends looking at him sadly.
Beringel walked up to him and placed a massive stone hand on the Faunus's back. "Ténè, what's wrong, my boy? You can talk to this old ape."
"I just... I just don't feel like watching the festival, that's all."
"Well, did you ever think of going instead?"
"Sure, but I'd never fit in out there."
"Son, there are plenty of Faunus in Minuit."
"But I'm not... normal."
"Oh, Ténè, there is no such thing as normal. There are plenty of beings in this world far stranger than you."
Jaune sneezed.
"Come on, Ténè," Nevermore went. As your friends and guardians, we insist you go attend the festival," she said as she pushed him up with her wing.
"Me?"
"No. The Vale Knight," Beowolf said as he held up a wooden figurine of Jaune Ténèbres carved before sticking it in Ténèbres's mouth. "Of course you!"
"Ténè, take it from an old spectator, life isn't a spectator sport," Beringel said. "If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're going to watch your life go by without you."
"Yeah. You're a Faunus. Flesh, blood, hair, and need to breathe and eat," Beowolf says. "We're just stone statues allowed to move thanks to your Semblance, Living Stone."
"And we love you for that," Nevermore said. "But we want you to be happy, even if it's without us."
"Just grab a fresh tunic," Beringel began. "And a clean pair of sandals and-"
"Thanks for the encouragement, but you're all forgetting one big thing."
"What," all three went.
"My master," he said as he took out a carving of Fue.
"Ew," they all went.
"Well, does he really mean never leave the tower," Nevermore asked?
"Never ever, and he hates the Feast of Fools, even if it's in the name of Darkness. He thinks there are much more dignified ways to honor God. He'd be furious if I asked to go."
"Who says you gotta asked," Beowolf.
"Oh, no."
"You sneak out," Beowolf began.
"It's just one afternoon," Beringel continued.
"I couldn't."
"And you sneak back in," Beowolf went.
"He'd never know," Beringel finished.
"And if I got caught?"
"Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission," Nevermore went.
"He might see me."
"Just wear a disguise," Beowolf went. "Just this once. What Fue doesn't know won't hurt ya."
"Ignorance is bliss," Nevermore said.
"Didn't you say to the chick that nobody wants to stay cooped up here forever," Beringel asked.
"You're right! I'll go!" The statues cheered. "I'll get cleaned up! I'll stroll down those stairs! I'll march through the doors and-!"
"Good morning, Ténèbres," Fue went.
"G-Good morning, Master."
A/N: Yup. Of all the classic Disney movies, Hunchback of Notre Dame is my favorite. My it NEVER get a live-action remake. Though, it does have a musical play. Does that count? Then again, Hunchback has TONS of versions, some even better than Disney's. Still, I like Disney's version because they made the most evil version of Frollo, which is important to the story.
And yes, like I said before, I know I plagiarized, but hey, Kingdom Hearts gets to do it. It's a game series owned by Disney, I know, but still.
Anyway, if I was insane, this would have been one of the movie chapters. However, I HATED the movie chapters! All that proof-reading! Editing! And one mistake, like accidentally closing the window or the computer having a routine update, and all that hard work is gone! No! This will be a series of specials! Yeah, we're taking a break from Jaune and Argent and looking at another of Jaune's children like we did with Sparrow himself! Only, this time, we're going on an adventure with Jaune's oldest child, so strap on in and enjoy the ride, boys and girls!
SilentKnightFan, I hope I live up to your expectations especially with this one.
Until next time!