Luminous Twilight
"The sun loved the moon so much he dies every night to let her breathe." - Anon.
Optional Music - the Eternal Forest
As courageous as he'd like to believe he is, Malcolm felt a little bit scared. Wyvern is one sick son of a bitch, but he's also a cunning bastard. It's how he climbed the ladder of command; merciless moves and ruthless tactics. He certainly despise the eagle faunus, but to be honest he admires his skills. There's nothing wrong with admitting that - to defeat an enemy, one must first recognize what he is capable of. And the usurping Overseer is capable of many things.
That said, Malcolm won't let any of it show. He was in chains, bruised and beaten, but he hasn't lost his common sense. The prison guard walked behind him, forcing him to keep moving with a lightning rod. He swore with every sting, making promises about the bull faunus's death, the questionable matter of his ancestry and vivid descriptions of what he'd do with the guard's apparently minuscule genitals once he got his hands on him.
He's worried about his partner, but Travis can handle himself. He probably escaped already - Malcolm joked in his mind, just like his brother Roland. Knowing Roy, he's got to have a plan to free the city soon. Yeah, that sounds like them.
Empty words.
They were in the upper floors of the prison level, directly beneath the city. Every few corridors they travel he would get a glimpse of the city from behind barred windows. A shallow slant marked their descent to the lower floors of the dungeon. The air grows thicker the lower they went, and a faint feeling of claustrophobia washed over him.
The coup leader hasn't said a single word since they started the walk, although the same can't be said for the prison guard. He was growing tired of Malcolm's tirade, but it seemed that a single sentence out of Wyvern was enough to safeguard him against further retaliation for his insults. For the time being, at least.
"Let him go." Wyvern said.
"What?" the bull faunus exclaimed, disbelievingly.
"He's tired, dehydrated and unarmed. What's the harm?" Wyvern said light-heartedly. His calm demeanor suddenly shifted to a dark, threatening mask. "Or are you saying I don't have the situation under control?"
"Of-Of course not, Overseer!" the guard blabbered. He produced a key from his combat vest and unlocked Malcolm's chains. They clattered to the ground.
"Now, Malcolm." Wyvern said. "The thing is-"
The moment he felt the weight on his legs disappear, Malcolm's right foot shot out behind him, striking the bewildered guard in the knees. He heard the sound of bones cracking - he broke a kneecap. The bull faunus was over his astonishment the next second and immediately launched a powerful right hook, roaring in anger as he did so. Malcolm sidestepped, used his feet to kick up the chains that once imprisoned him and tackled the guard, wrapping the cold steel around his throat. An instrument of captivity turned to one for freedom. How ironic.
The bull faunus gasped for air, and slammed his hulking body against the wall, smashing Malcolm into it. The air glowed brown - the guard was using his faunus heritage and aura to multiply his strength. Malcolm's grip weakened, and the guard slipped out, attempting to elbow him in the attempt. The deer faunus recovered just in time to avoid the crushing blow that created a small crater in the wall.
They separated, and used a moment to gather their energy.
What is Wyvern doing? Malcolm thought. The eagle faunus leaned against one of the dungeon's many doors, watching the fight, amusement twinkling in his eyes.
"Subdue him, Garwog, and you can be the warden of this facility." Wyvern interjected.
Great. Now the bull faunus was breathing steam through his nose, face flaring and eyes bulging.
No matter. His opponent is right before him, and dust damn he is strong. The bull faunus make excellent tanks - their aura allows them to become unstoppable powerhouses that demolish through infantry. If he doesn't finish this fight soon, chances are the warden-wannabe will land a blow eventually. If he's lucky, it would kill him. It he's not, he'd suffer an agonizing death by collapsed lungs for the next few days. To make matters worse, he's starved and bruised, and his aura is draining as well.
The guard shouted a hoarse battle cry and charged, legs pumping and fists trained at Malcolm's chest. Two hundred kilos of flesh and armor, driven to a near unstoppable momentum.
It comes down to one gambit.
Malcolm did not move a single inch. He stood unwavering against the monstrous faunus's charge. When they reached each other, it felt as if time slowed down.
The fists were the greatest threat he faced, and he used his arms to deflect them. Had they collided straight on, every piece of bone in his arms would have been shattered, but all he needed to do was push them away from him. His arms rattled from the glancing blow, but it was worth the astonished expression on his enemy's face.
He channeled every last iota of his aura to his antlers and lowered his head. They hardened, changing from light brown to pure black, and struck the bull faunus right in the throat. Malcolm felt one of his sharper antlers impale the guard in the neck, the one vulnerable spot in his armor. It kept going until it pierced through the spinal cord, sealing his opponent's fate.
What ensued wasn't pretty, though. The faunus's arms fell as he lost control over his body, but his charge was still considerably powerful. Garwog slammed into Malcolm, breaking the wall behind him. He felt ribs cracking. They both toppled into an empty cell in a crumpled heap of faunus flesh and armor.
Malcolm groaned, opening his eyes to see the warden-not-to-be lying limp on the ground, eyes white and blood pouring from his throat. Rubble lay scattered all around them, and the cell's light flickered on, detecting a new inhabitant inside.
What unsettled him the most was that Wyvern watched it all while cleaning his fingernails, absolutely aloof to the fate of his guard. His eyes were shining with delight, and he started a slow clap.
"Bravo! Absolutely astounding performance, Malcolm; I expect nothing less from Travis's second in command!"
Malcolm laid his head back to the ground. He wouldn't even try bluffing his way out - he knew it was over. He doesn't have any energy left to fight the Overseer, but at least he killed that Garwog guy.
"It was worth killing the horned bastard." Malcolm smiled, blood smeared on his teeth. "What are you waiting for? Kill me already."
"Why would you suggest I do such a thing?" Wyvern returned the grin. He lit a cigarette and walked towards him. "You're far too precious to die in some dust forsaken prison cell."
"You think I'd join you, you treacherous swine?"
"Go easy in the words there, cupcake." Wyvern threatened, his countenance returning to one of cunning and deception. "Why not stand with the winning side while you can?"
"If I jump down from your ego to your intelligence quota, I'd die."
"Oh, that was a good one." Wyvern complimented, hooking his arm around Malcolm's neck in a choke hold. "I predicted as much, coming from the stubborn idiot you are, so I brought something to help.. coerce you from your position."
The usurper unlocked the cell next to them with a wave of a card.
Malcolm felt his heart stop for a second.
"Malc?" a small voice said. It came from a teenage girl lying on the floor, covered in filth and waste. Her clothes were in tatters and the hallway's lights revealed countless bruises across her body. Tiny antlers protruded on her head, but it was obvious that part of them has been sawed off.
"Is that.. you?" she croaked.
"Ri.. na." he whispered. The girl raised her hand feebly and sagged, unconscious."What have you done to her?"
"The usual. You received the same treatment this morning, correct?"
"SHE'S FOURTEEN!" Malcolm exploded. Gray aura swirled around him. He threw a devastating punch at the sadistic faunus. It was blocked by a firm arm radiating a golden glow. Malcolm continued his assault, fueled outrage. His blows were stopped by the Overseer's own. "A LITTLE GIRL, YOU FEATHERED PRICK!"
"I WAS NINE WHEN I FIRST KI." Wyvern shouted, his calm demeanor shattering. He deflected a jab and returned the favor with a crushing kick to Malcolm's torso. The deer faunus gagged, buckled and spat blood. "Eleven when a roving band of humans killed my family! An entire year they tortured me," Wyvern kicked him again and again and again and again until he was a broken shell on the floor. "Twelve when I broke free and slaughtered those wretched animals and part of the elite guard by the time I was her age!"
"I'm.. going to.."
"You're not going to do anything." Wyvern said, brushing off his vest from the dust their fight raised. He regained his composure and stood before the cell's door. "Thing is, Malcolm, you can either help me or or die. Knowing you, you'd gladly accept the latter option, but with your sister here, I know you will concede."
"You don't agree with my ideals, but I assure you they are what we need. Humans has, is and always will be a threat to the faunus everywhere. I intend to change that, Malcolm, and I will sacrifice anything and everything for the our freedom, including the life of a single faunus girl. But do what we ask and I'll let her go, I swear that by my ancestors. I'd even guarantee her safety in the Sanctuary. I am ruthless, not heartless. I know full well killing her would serve the faunus no purpose. What you can do, however, will. So, Malcolm."
The eagle faunus grabbed him by his neck, staring at him with burning intensity.
"You're going to help us catch Roland Wulf. Or rot to death with your sister in this cell, with no one to mourn your wretched souls."
"What do you mean, it's not Myrtenaster?"
The moment they arrived at a silent location, a small dump situated between two desolate buildings, Ruby launched into full interrogation mode at her newly acquired companion. Her name was Mauve Lin and she was twenty years old. She lived in Sanctuary after the fall of Atlas. The others tolerated her because she was an excellent fighter, something the city sorely needed in the first months of its existence. But when Ruby asked her how she got her hands on Myrtenaster, she merely looked at the Huntress with a confused expression.
"I have no idea of this Myrtan-thing you are talking about!" Mauve insisted.
"Then where did you get it? And how can you use it so well if you don't know what it is?"
"It was my stepmother's! She gave it to me before she died!"
Her head swam around. What on Remnant?
"What's her name?"
Silence.
".. She said it's not a good idea to tell people about her."
"Tell. Me." Ruby said menacingly.
".. Winter. Winter Schnee."
Ruby collapsed against the alleyway wall. The purple haired girl looked on with a concerned expression, but refrained from saying anything when Ruby raised her hand. She gestured at what is apparently not Myrtenaster. She took a moment to observe the silver blade. Mauve was right - it is not Myrtenaster. It was pretty damned close, though. She recalled that Myrtenaster did not have a sheath like this one, and that this saber sported an extra set of dust cartridge - purple dust. The grip was darker, the crossguard was wider and the blade was longer.
If Weiss were here she'd definitely lecture Ruby for not recognizing her own partner's blade when she saw it.
"Her sister, huh?" she murmured, not loud enough for the other woman to hear.
"I didn't know her for that long." Mauve admitted. "I was thirteen at the time. My brother and I were struggling to survive in our house in the southern district. The city was besieged, but we were sure everything would turn out fight. Atlas was the center of Remnant's military power. My dad was a member of the infantry and my mother worked as a nurse in the airfleet."
Mauve sat down besides her, staring at the granite ceiling of the Sanctuary above. They sat in silent camaraderie for a few minutes before the younger woman began recounting her story.
"A month into the siege, mother didn't come back. The Nevermore swarm that overwhelmed Mistral took the air fleet by surprise. You must've heard the news. Everyone in Atlas did. Three thousand aviation personnel, dead. Just like that."
"After mom was gone, dad rarely came back from his work with the garrison. And soon enough, he never did."
"Everyone in the apartment was gone but nobody checked if we were still there. We were. My brother was only a year older than I was - we didn't know what to do or where to go. Food was running out and water has been down for weeks ever since those wretched Deathstalkers drilled through the aqueduct system."
"And then they broke through." Mauve hugged her knees, shivering in reminiscence of the tragic events that had transpired in her past.
"I thought we were going to die right then and there. Grimm everywhere, writhing masses of black monsters rampaging through our neighborhood. There was this one neighbour we had, right? A kind old lady, the one who lives next door and bakes you cookies whenever you come by. We saw an ursa rip her apart, screaming, alive, right in front of us. My brother never spoke a single word since."
"We hid in a closet while a Beowulf tore apart what little was left of our home. It left a few hours later, taking away the last of our food."
"We began to starve. We were thirsty too. The snow we used to drink was tainted with ash and dirt. Grimm crawled everywhere. We couldn't leave, but we'd die if we stay, too."
Mauve raised her head, smiling faintly in nostalgia.
"Then she came."
"Winter Schnee, eldest daughter of the family that owned the biggest dust company in Remnant, killing common Grimm in the slums of Atlas. Could you believe it? Neither could we. She was leading the small private army the company owned to take back the city from the Grimm. She found us, saved us, even took us in when the shelters said they were full."
"They were winning, you know? It was unreal."
"But not for long." Ruby said sadly.
"No." Mauve agreed. "The Tide came, and Atlas fell like every city before it.." she faltered. "If only I was there.."
"Don't kid yourself." Ruby snapped. Mauve looked up in surprise at the ferocity of her voice. "I've blamed myself too. For not being there, for not being with my partner when she needed me.. but it doesn't change anything. Running away didn't, too. I.. I betrayed them. I ran away when I was needed most, when I could've saved lives. I hid in some dust forsaken wasteland as far north as I could go, living, sleeping, hunting, eating, reading, living.. It doesn't help, Mauve. All you can do is suck it up and move forward, even though it hurts like a bitch."
There was a short period of silence, Ruby's bitter words fading in the darkening alleyway. Night has fallen and the city's lights were fading away until they were covered in darkness. The faunus can see perfectly well in the dark, but to Ruby and Mauve everything was pitch black save for the faintest glow of the few street lights that continue to shine.
"Ruby, I.." Mauve started.
"Sorry. I got carried away there." Ruby apologized.
"It's fine."
Pause.
"You said you could've saved lives. Were you in of the army?"
"I was a Huntress." Ruby said, . "My partner was Weiss Schnee. Winter's little sister and.. your aunt. Her weapon was very similar to this one."
"She never told me she had one." Mauve muttered. She took the blade back from Ruby and caressed it fondly. "Her name is Nivalis."
"Did.. did Winter teach you how to use it?" Ruby asked tentatively.
Mauve lowered her head, downcast.
"She didn't live long enough to. No, I learned to use it myself. And not very well, looking back on the dust explosion." she looked at Nivalis with a scrunched up expression. "Didn't know it can overheat like that."
"Don't feel so bad! It happened to my partner too." Ruby said. "Weiss always rants on and on about perfection but there was this one time she used two whole cartridges in one go!"
"How is that even possible? Shouldn't the weapon break or something?"
"Beats me. One minute we were fighting three nest's worth of Taijutus and the next we had a small thunderstorm above and a blizzard raging everywhere."
"How could she get dust of that quality? It must have cost-"
"Nothing, not to her. Heiress to the SDC, remember?"
"Oh.. right. You sound like you were really close to her."
"I was. But," Ruby chuckled. "We didn't exactly like each other in the beginning."
"You made it sound like you've been best friends all life long."
"I wish. I sneezed at her dust vials and made a small crater in front of the school! Not as big as the one you made back there, but big enough she was furious. Jaune actually called me crater face for doing that- oh, Jaune's another friend of mine, he leads his own team. He's clumsy and kind of an idiot but he's really kind and helpful and he sucked at first but he turned out really good cause he's got a crazy amount of aura, but that's only because Pyrrha helped him train, and Pyrrha's the best Huntress in Mistral, she won the Vytal competition in our first year there, with the team's help, of course. You should've seen Nora eating her pancakes while fighting an entire team and Ren's aura control is so good he could punch the stinger right off a Deathstalker! But Blake can do that too, she's a cat faunus, see and she can make shadows and stuff.. but her partner's cool, too! She's my sister Yang and we're actually half sisters, which is probably why I don't have her hair which I sometimes think she loves more than me but it's okay and I-.. I.."
"Ruby?" Mauve looked on, concern in her eyes. "You're…"
She felt her eyes blur. She touched her cheek and found it wet with tears, their trails streaking down her face like a small river.
All her years in the wilderness she never talked to anyone about the reason she left in the first place. Isolation was beyond harsh for the awkward girl who loved talking and eating with friends, but she managed to cope. She'd talk to her books, to Crescent Rose, to the prey she slew, to the faint breeze in the wind and the majestic gale of the blizzard. She kept her grief and her sorrow locked away in a vault of ice within her heart and threw away the key, believing she'd never need it again. But the vault has cracked, her stony visage shattered, and the floodgates poured forth.
"Oh, I miss them so much." Ruby sobbed. "I miss them so, so much. I'd give my right arm to hear Weiss lecture me just once, or- or have Yang pound my back so hard I'd spit out my cookie, to.. to.."
She felt a pair of arms encircling her, pulling her into a warm embrace.
"It's okay." Mauve said. "I'm sure they miss you too."
The purple haired girl rubbed her back, trying to ease the pain, the hurt, the guilt, the burden. Ruby cried into her shoulders, every wall broken, every feeling unleashed and every scar reopened, and when they bleed, it wasn't the crimson hue of blood, but the clearest reflection of tears.
A/N - Each chapter keeps getting bigger..
No review guys? Come on! I promise I will reply to each and everyone even if they're just a simple "ok" or "trash". I thrive on it. I caress them in the middle of the night, whispering, "Precious... My PRECIOUSSSSSSSSS!"
I probably belong in a loony bin but then I'd never get to finish the story, eh?
Have a good day!
-Deathwhisperer.