Wraith

Chapter Twenty Four

Beta: Smithrooks

Mind of Madness

Vale, many years ago…

It was like there was a drum beating in the back of his head.

A constant, pounding noise, banging away in his mind.

Hungry.

He didn't quite know why he was hungry, or why that word just kept smashing against his thoughts. But right now… he couldn't find it in himself to care.

Pure power unlike anything he had ever perceived before washed over him, his own aura utterly dwarfed by the unrelenting flow of energy. He could almost taste it, the might it gave him, the strength he now held.

But Jaune couldn't stop to marvel over it. He had a mission to complete.

His burn wounds - the ones that had literally killed him - closed and healed over as Jaune exerted his will over the swirling cyclone of air and fire. He didn't know where his unquenchable hunger and power was coming from, but he used it to great effect.

The fire burned hotter and brighter as he guided it away from himself and towards the gaping wound that had allowed the Grimm their passage into the city. Jaune's will was like iron as he commanded the raging inferno into the gap, utterly incinerating anything within. The acrid smell of roasted Grimm permeated the air for mere moments, before the fire consumed that too.

This was what they would get; this is what anyone would get if they dared threaten what he cared for. For this single moment, Jaune was a God - and his will was a reality.


Vale, many years ago…

Ruby staggered and crashed to the ground.

All around her the same was happening; all the hunters and civilians within the makeshift wall were all hitting the ground like dolls with their strings cut. Ruby didn't know about the others, but she felt her own aura being ripped away from her viciously by something unseen to her. It felt like a great, clawed hand was scraping away at her soul - forcing her to be so much less than she had been mere moments ago.

With what seemed like a herculean effort Ruby rolled onto her back, her silver eyes weakly locking onto the powerful figure of Jaune. How was he still up there? Did he not feel the poisonous sting of the aura drain?

He mustn't. Jaune just stood atop his artificial pillar in his righteousness, his hands shaking as he guided the most epic attack Ruby had ever seen in her life. He must have gotten a second wind, because less than a minute ago he had nearly toppled from his pedestal - but now with his face twisted into an expression of untold determination, Jaune looked like he could carry the weight of the entire world.

Ruby, as well as the rest of her team and those within the stone wall, wailed as she felt her aura take another downwards dive - torn from her in an almost vicious fashion.

The fire had moved away, the painfully bright inferno guided by Jaune's steady hand towards the hole that allowed the Grimm into the city. And with the flames went the stifling heat that had assailed her, but still her aura was draining.

BOOM!

The thunderous noise of high-powered cannons firing was enough to snap Ruby's gaze away from Jaune and the fire, her silver eyes falling squarely onto the sky where an approaching armada of battleships sped ever closer.

What few Grimm that had survived Jaune's impressive assault were quickly slaughtered as Atlas made their presence known, Jaune himself apparently content to keep his raging inferno contained within the mouth of the opening to the abandoned subway while Atlas mopped up the rest.

The circling dome of air around the wall sputtered and died, though that did little to change the deleterious effect Ruby felt clawing at her aura. Her spirit soared, however, at the sight of Atlas' fleet encroaching onto the now scorched battlefield.

They were late, almost inexcusably so. But they were here now, and the streams of automated soldiers just now hitting the ground were a welcome sight after the Grimm and the sight of Jaune's terrible fury. There was literally nothing left for the machines to shoot at, the entire plaza and everything outside Jaune's protective dome having been utterly immolated by the inferno. So all the Atlesian Knights could do was wave their guns around and look comforting to the panicked civilians.

All of a sudden, the weight seemed to lift, and Ruby felt the poisonous effect on her aura ebb into nothing. It was like someone had removed a boulder from her shoulders moments before her back broke; so great was the relief that she nearly gasped in surprise when it finally ended.

The roar of Jaune's fire withered and died too, the baleful orange that had coated the charred plaza dimming to embers quickly as Ruby and the others staggered to their feet.

"Ruby!" Yang cried out as she moved over to her sister, worry evident on her features. "Are you okay?"

Ruby smiled wanly. She was so very tired… but Yang looked much the same, her shoulders sagging and each step being a staggering effort just to move. "I'm fine, Yang. What was that though? My aura felt like it was being sucked away!"

Weiss and Blake moved into the conversation, the two girls looking equally as weary as Ruby herself felt. "Whatever it was, it's gone now," Blake muttered, "But-"

"That's my partner!"

The shout was a joyous one. Cardin Winchester looked drained, but also extremely elated - and who wouldn't be? Jaune Arc had just saved Vale in a single move. And, as Cardin pointed out, Jaune was his partner. How cool would that be?

Cardin shouted something again, but it was swallowed up by the sound of cheering as all those Jaune had saved praised their saviour's name. Ruby cheered with them, overjoyed that she and her friends had played the role of heroes on this day.

The stone walls around them crumbled into powder, the man of the hour himself staggering through the dust and ashes towards the dozens of people he had saved, a mad grin on his scarred face. His clothes were tattered and little more than strips of charred material, but that didn't subtract from his heroic figure.

The cheering got louder as he came closer, his grin still in place as he neared his team. Ruby rushed to him, a smile lighting up her features as she drew near to her friend. "Jaune!" she shouted happily, "That was so cool!"

The writhing crowd quieted for a moment, eagerly awaiting Jaune's first words after his heroic victory.

"That," he announced, "was really, really, fucking hot!"

A ripple of laughter rolled through the crowd, the odd humour starkly out of place in their scorched surroundings.

Atlas soldiers were just starting to get to them, but even they chuckled at Jaune's proclamation. And who wouldn't? That fire had been… hot.

Oh God, Yang was starting to infect her brain…

"That was awesome!" said infection shouted, her blonde hair waving about as she grabbed Jaune and shook him happily. "Come on hot-stuff, we need to get a group photo!"

"W-what?" The oh-so-mighty hero of Vale stammered, a sudden look of unease on his scarred face. "I don't think that's a good idea…"

Everyone ignored him as a boisterous voice cut across the noise. "You guys weren't planning a group photo without us, were you!?"

Ruby's grin widened as Nora and the rest of NRVR came into view - they were too late to defend the city, but they were just in time for the celebration!

"I think a photo would be a grand idea!" Pyrrha announced happily, seemingly ignoring the look of betrayal on Jaune's face.

Cardin moved in and slapped Jaune on the shoulder. "Hell yeah, man! Let's get a photo of this!"

Ruby and the others didn't let Jaune have another chance to weasel his way out of it, all the young hunters collectively charging in and lifting the blind boy off his feet with a cheer.

Ruby wasn't quite sure who, but one of their number passed their scroll to a nearby Atlas soldier so he could take the picture.

The camera snapped, and the moment was immortalised.

It was the whole gang and the new Hero of Vale.


Docks, present day…

The moment stilled, everything seeming to freeze and lock itself into place in the span of a single second.

Jaune and Pyrrha were unaffected, but Nihilus was as still as stone, his ghostly white face twisted into an expression of utter joy as he stared at the treasure in his hand.

Pyrrha looked around in confusion, but Jaune knew what this was. He could feel the other presence here, the other awareness.

"Hurry up and show yourself," Jaune sighed, tired of the struggle.

A mirror image of a slightly older Jaune faded into view, his blue eyes serious for the first time since Jaune and Pyrrha had met him. It was the Memory, Fragment, whatever.

"He's never going to stop, you know," the fragment said, eyes boring holes into Jaune and Pyrrha. "Not ever. Now that he knows about Violet, he will never stop. Not for her, not for anything."

Jaune didn't reply; he knew that in Nihilus' situation he would be the same. He would do pretty much anything to protect his family.

"I didn't know this would happen!" Pyrrha cried, obvious anguish on her face. "All I wanted was for Jaune to come back!"

"And even that has failed," the mirror image said calmly, "for the Jaune you knew is gone." He pointed to to Jaune, "This one is but a reflection on a cracked mirror - similar, but distorted."

"What happened to me?" Jaune finally croaked, equal parts curious for the answer, and loathing the look of angst on Pyrrha's face.

The Memory smiled grimly, "You experienced death. You felt for the barest moments what Nihilus is constantly subjected to, the torture of his - my wretched existence."

"What…" Pyrrha interjected, "What happened? After you died, I mean."

Jaune didn't answer; he hardly understood it himself.

"He was subjected to the absolute truth of the world," the Memory answered in his stead, "and you showed, beyond any shred of doubt, that you and Nihilus - you and I - are not the same person."

Jaune's gaze snapped to meet the eyes of the Fragment. "What?" he demanded, "What do you mean?"

The mirror image of Jaune paced around their still surroundings, the phantasm staring at the frozen form of Nihilus in mild contempt. "Nihilus has died twice, you see." He ran his hands over the ghostly white skin of his real self, of Nihilus, "The first time was in the defence of Vale; Grimm had breached through the ground like a great eruption, and I summoned a great inferno with which to defeat the fell creatures - but I too was consumed by the fire."

The not-Jaune turned to stare at Pyrrha and his younger counterpart, "Death claimed my soul. But my task was not yet done; I made the choice to linger. Death is like a tsunami; it is enormously difficult, but with the right motivation and knowledge, one can swim against the tide."

Jaune sagged, a feeling of defeat weighing down on his eroded soul. "And I didn't. I just… went with the tide."

The fragment scoffed, "Fear not, that is what happens to the overwhelming majority. Even by that point in his life - which is only a few short months away - Nihilus had been taught by the greatest of teachers. Suffering."

Jaune didn't reply, too lost in his despair.

Pyrrha was not, however. "And the second time?" she asked, "Perhaps… if we can replicate the situation, we can force him to move on?"

The mirror image smiled gently, "That would be quite impossible I'm afraid, as technically he is still dead."

Jaune's eyes widened, the full horror of that statement sinking in. "Still dead? You mean he's constantly trapped in that state?"

"Indeed," his reflection replied, once again resuming its pacing. "Nihilus as you know him is a wraith - clinging to the world of mortals thanks to his fury over what he has lost."

"Then…" Pyrrha whispered, "Can he ever be defeated?"

The other Arc peered closely at the frozen form of Nihilus, the dark lord utterly motionless in the moment of frozen time. "Not in the conventional sense of the word, no," he admitted, "even if the stolen body he now haunts is utterly destroyed, he will still exist - and be all the more powerful for it."

"What?" Pyrrha whispered, a thin note of horror in her voice as reality began to set in. "How would he be more powerful? He's untouchable now!"

The Fragment glanced sadly at the purple speck trapped in Nihilus' hand as he answered, "Nihilus - I, am practically a god. While he is within the body he currently possesses he is bound by the limitations of man, but when he is not? You saw the effects yourself Pyrrha; he resurrected the dead. Last time he was unbound, he caused utter desolation and destruction to anything foolish enough to be nearby - an everlasting scar was created on the world."

"So it's pointless, then," Jaune breathed, "there's nothing we can do?"

His counterpart smiled, true joy showing on his face. "I didn't say that. In some ways, Nihilus is more fragile than spun glass, and the weakest of touches would cause him to shatter."

"How, though?" Pyrrha demanded, "How can this be done?"

The Fragment opened his mouth, but the world seemed to shudder. Everything jerked in place for a moment.

A panicked look crossed the Memory's face for a moment. "I must go, else he will discover me too."

"Wait!" Pyrrha cried just as he began to fade, "How can we stop him?!"

The reflection was fading, the barest shadow now. "Just keep doing what you're doing…" and with that, he was gone.

Reality reasserted itself, motion coming back into the world with the passing of the now-distant reflection.

Jaune could only sigh. That conversation had availed them nothing…


Docks, present day…

Nihilus grasped at his precious treasure.

He had it, he had it! Years and years and years of her absence had made him cold and alone. But! But now he had his daughter back! Wasn't that grand?! Wasn't that simply exquisite?

The souls of the two petty mortals jerked on the spot. What was wrong with them?! Why weren't they excited for this marvelous discovery? Shame! Shame on them!

No, no, no! He mustn't think that! Silly Nihilus, for it was Jaune that had given him this insight. The little shell of a boy had known about her when he had not. A curious thing that, but Nihilus didn't bother questioning it - who would question such good luck? Not he!

"Nihilus?" the illusion was speaking, the annoying interloper that was so similar to his beloved, but nothing more than a trick! Pyrrha was dead, dead, dead! He saw it, he had watched it happen! This girl was a fake, and unwanted by him. Especially after she dared use her image to force his hand. "What now, Nihilus?"

What now? What now indeed! Nihilus' clairvoyance was great, but now he only saw two paths stretching out before him. In his hand he cradled the gem of light that was his lost daughter; should he abandon his righteous quest for justice so as to find a suitable host for his lovely daughter?

But would his beloved Pyrrha accept that choice? Her spirit was in the beyond, guided by the twin hands and she was no doubt watching him with her careful eyes. Would she understand his pause in the quest for righteous vengeance?

Pyrrha, Pyrrha, Pyrrha… what to do? Speak, speak…

Silence.

Nihilus couldn't help but let out a morose laugh. Of course she wouldn't speak to him! She was dead! Stupid! How could he be so stupid!?

Maybe he should ask his dear daughter? She would know, such an intelligent little girl she had been. Beyond her years in her wits, and the light of his life. "Violet!" he sang, "Violet! What do you want, my dear? What should Daddy do? Fetch you a shell, or find this world's Lord of Pain?"

Silence.

Jaune, Jaune, the shallow, hollowed soul that he was, spoke up, "Nihilus, I don't think she can hear you…"

What? That was preposterous! He was her father! She could always hear him! "Violet? Speak to me," Nihilus whispered, a sudden feeling of uncertainty pooling in his gut, "Speak to me, Violet…"

Silence.

No, no, no… this wasn't right. She either couldn't hear him or couldn't speak back. Both weren't fair; he'd spent years longing for this moment. His unquenchable fury had never even wavered - for that was all that sustained him - but right at that very moment Nihilus felt the barest flicker, and with it came the impossibly powerful pull on his twisted soul to join the void.

Iron will snapped into place, and the all-consuming rage pooled within him once more. He wouldn't accept this.

"Fine!" Nihilus snarled, his two young charges jumping slightly at the volume. "I will do both then!"

It would be harder, and he would have to clamp down on the desire to destroy, but he would do both. That wretch would suffer through a death unlike any other, and while he was there he would find a suitable host for his lovely daughter's soul.

"Nihilus?" the irritating interloper again, couldn't she see that he was deep in thought?! "What… what are you going to do?"

Nihilus scoffed. Though she may not actually be the real Pyrrha, she asked the same questions. A similar thought process, perhaps? Just another thing she had copied from his beloved wife. "To Atlas!" Nihilus shouted at no one in particular, "My noble mission can be delayed no longer! And you, my dear Jaune," he touched the boy on the shoulder, "are coming with me."

The boy seemed to crumple inwards, though his despair was hardly a surprise given the gift Nihilus had bestowed upon him. The soul shard of the Ring had coiled around what was left of his soul tightly, never to be unraveled unless Nihilus were to do something truly… foul.

"What are we going to Atlas for?"

The interloper again, though she misunderstood! Yes, yes. The illusion had had enough, for she was irrelevant now. She had been irrelevant anyway, but now Nihilus cared less for his original reasoning behind taking her too.

"'We'?" Nihilus parroted, "There will be no 'we' this time, your journey is at an end!"

Nihilus felt a savage grin split across his face. What would she taste like? Her soul was young and fresh; she had developed a minor resistance to his influence, but when he got his hands on her…

"What?" her soul flickered in puzzlement.

Nihilus leapt forwards, his right hand outstretched to rob the illusion of her soul while his left hand still cradled the last soul shard of his daughter.

All in a single moment Nihilus found himself stopped, his right hand held tightly in an iron grip by Jaune. The boy had been fast! Fast indeed, too fast. And judging by the anguished quivering of his soul, Nihilus could see that he'd used his new ring! "Good! Good!" Nihilus cackled, "You access my lent strength without hesitation! Always remember, he who strikes quickly will end it quickly!"

"Leave Pyrrha alone. Let her walk away."

Oh… was that why he'd stopped him? How petty. "And why should I?"

"Because she's not a threat."

Hmm… True! He could crush her as easily as he could kill an infant. But what did that matter? He was still so hungry! All the power in the world rightfully belonged to him! All life existed to serve him, that she yet lived now was because he allowed it - and she would die if he demanded it. "And neither was I!" Nihilus eventually cackled, "I was simple and quiet, but they still robbed me of my life."

"I returned your daughter to you, now let Pyrrha go."

Ooh… Clever tactic! It was true; Jaune had returned his dear Violet through the gift of insight. But did that warrant a soul being spared? Perhaps, perhaps… Violet was worth letting all things burn for, and now he had the chance to bring her back. Maybe he could allow the illusion to leave? As a favour to dearest Jaune, of course.

"Very well!" Nihilus announced finally, his counterpart's grip on Nihilus' arm loosening as the words were spoken. "You may leave, little illusion. But know this: you are alive only because he spared you, and because I never break my promises."

She looked at him, her soul quivering under his mighty gaze - as it should.

She turned to Jaune, "Come with me! Leave him to his… mission."

No, no… didn't she ever listen?! He and Jaune were together in this now, perhaps not equal, but together nonetheless. Nihilus had said so! Or did he? Memory was a tricky thing these days; he had so many! Three decades of living as Jaune Arc, two decades of being Amber Autumn, and another three and a half decades of being Cinder Fall! That was a full life, especially given that over fifty years of those memories had just been dumped on him all in a single instant!

"No," Jaune answered, "someone needs to… contain… him."

Contain? hahaHA! That was funny! "You cannot contain a God," Nihilus laughed, mirth clear on his features.

Trying to contain him would be like trying to touch the sun. He wasn't a person, nor was he something so easily dismissed. Nihilus was an emotion, a single desire turned into a reality by his will. From beyond darkness he struck at those in power, at the vile and corrupted ones that Cinder had so hated - though her anger and hatred paled in comparison to that of Jaune Arc.

And to think, he had once contemplated using his greatest treasure on him… ooh… that would have been a mistake. No. That wretched weapon was going to wait a little longer. Wait for the blood of lords to stain it, all so his suffering could shared.

Nihilus didn't bother to listen to what the little illusion's reply was, for just the merest glance at her true soul told him that she was about to leave. A wise move on her part - his hunger was unending, and if she lingered too long then he may have grown impatient, even with his iron will.

"Come now, Jaune," Nihilus sang as he practically draped himself over the shoulders of the boy, "we have a noble task ahead of us. I waited too long in my original efforts to keep you safe, and now I can wait no longer."

His grip turned to iron, and with the barest flicker of his Maiden-gifted strength Nihilus propelled the two of them into the air. Jaune didn't even flinch this time, maybe he was getting used to it? Or maybe he had stopped caring…

It didn't matter. Now, the mission was underway. What was left of Violet was safely tucked within the folds of his own soul - ready to be transposed into a new shell once he found one. Off to Atlas it was, and once again Nihilus would have the pleasure of causing untold agony to the Lord of Pain.

Yes… General Ironwood would suffer.

And then he would die.


1


A/N

So massive exposition chapter, with information being handed out like SDI's at an orgy. Hmm… I don't know where that metaphor came from, kinda gross.

Anyway… this chapter explains a crapload of things that were previously hinted at or were just left open to interpretation. Some of it may be confusing, but that is intentional on my part. If there are any questions I will attempt to answer them!

That said, let's look at the reviews:

Yuligan101:

Thanks for reviewing.

Still a little way to go before things come full circle, but we're getting there.

COOLER:

Thanks for reviewing.

A great deal was revealed this chapter, but also more mysteries were introduced… so I like to think that it will balance itself out.

The number is the total of complete souls that Nihilus (young) possesses - including his own. So while his semblance has made its first appearance, he has yet to actually kill anyone with it.

That was indeed the first use of his semblance - his own aura was pretty much depleted. As for fighting with the 'Beyond' as you put it… well, Jaune was the one fighting - the owner of that voice was merely playing.

Out of curiosity, do you know me IRL? I have something of a reputation at my school for drinking obscene amounts of tea/coffee and most people call me Jesus.

Potato:

Thanks for reviewing.

Jaune will have his good moments, don't fret about that. True joy is not something one can understand fully without having experience in suffering. Nihilus' life has had both extremes, and so will Jaune's.

Fayari:

Thanks for reviewing.

That's pretty much what I was aiming for so far. Now the real challenge lays in making you like and feel sympathy for them (in the 'Many years ago...' segments) during the rest of the story.

Tobi14:

Thanks for reviewing (twice).

I will never accuse RWBY of being sensible or intelligent combatants. Their fight with Nihilus is reflective of this. I tried to make their fighting styles similar to what we've seen in canon - read, stupid. Gonna be totally honest here: I don't like team RWBY. Ruby is an idiot. Blake keeps making the same mistakes. Yang is a damn fool who doesn't think. Weiss is the most redeemable for me since she is constantly moving forwards and trying to better herself - rather than stagnate like the others.

I use RWBY because they are easy - their characters are direct and their failures clear. I use Jaune because his character potential is almost endless; this is because we know very little about him, and as such I can bend him to whatever story I want to tell.

Nihilus' semblance is broken. It is made all the more over-powered by his aura sight, and by his (in the present anyway) near omniscience over… well… everything. As stated in this chapter; Nihilus is a literal God - he plays at being mortal, and he let's others think he can be bested, but if he were to get serious then very little could stop him.

PhantomStranger:

Thanks for reviewing.

The number is a total of complete souls - counting his own. If the number counted only people other than himself then past Nihilus would still be at zero. Present Nihilus' number would be… much, much higher.

Nihilus is fascinated with Jaune, and has gone through several different opinions of Jaune. On some level Nihilus hates that Jaune hasn't suffered and struggled over a long period of time to attain power. But at the same time Nihilus loves the idea of a younger and less polluted version of himself in Jaune. Nihilus as he is now see's the chance for an equal to be found in Jaune, given enough time and the correct motivation.

Alternate Ruby currently thinks Jaune is dead, but if she finds out that that he is alive then she will definitely try to kill him again. As for the rest of your theory… well, Nihilus will always exist in some manner if he so desires. So Ruby will have trouble killing him regardless.

And yes, since you asked: when referring to something Nihilus owns (or in this case saying there is two of him) it would be Nihilus'.

FractiousDay:

Thanks for reviewing:

The timelines are getting closer, but there is still a long way to go.

I tend to rely on introspective stuff as a writer. I appreciate your honest opinion, but I tend to dislike writing dialogue. I write introspection because I'm a deeply introspective person.

I'd also advise against skimming through this story, as many details will be missed.

Shaded Azure:

Thanks for reviewing.

One in total, not one taken my friend.


Thanks for reading! And don't forget to leave a review!