Author's Note 1: OK fair warning readers this chapter has a rather nasty event happen towards the end so you might want to be aware and brace yourselves. Another note and the disclaimer is at the end. Enjoy for now I guess.
Stardust
Chapter 15
Burn
SHING!
Down the Ursa went. Cerise frowned at the body of the Grimm and he folded his fan shut, dismissing his energy blade, then he shoved his fan into his belt and pulled out his scroll consulting the data on it.
Cerise hummed as he made several more notes on it as the sound of his team put away their weapons their fights with their own Grimm done as well but Cerise wasn't really paying too much attention just yet.
Though his attention was certainly grabbed when Smoke tapped his shoulder the faunas saying "Cerise?"
Cerise twisted his head to look at Smoke "yes?" He asked.
"I got to ask what we are doing exactly; those Grimm seem to be focused on us and not our targets I guess?"
It had been a few days since their mission began in that time they had mainly spent crossing the wilderness. When it came to towns they had Citrine go in and do the information gathering reluctant and nervous though he may have been but he did do it. Cerise didn't want his uncle catching word of him looking for him, he knew the man had contacts and didn't want to tip him off. Titania could be pretty memorable and Smoke very much looked like military so it had to be Citrine.
The strange thing was the initial information Cerise had Citrine gather was on the movements of the Crushed but after the second day Cerise asked Citrine to gather information on Grimm activity.
Which did make sense. If a large group of malicious people were running around it makes sense they'd follow the Grimm around but then they went in the opposite directions sort of. It was good they were avoiding Grimm but… the whole thing seemed counterproductive.
Cerise just blinked at Smoke and confusedly said "they would be more attracted to us?"
Now Smoke blinked and said "whuh?"
Cerise blinked again and then the light of understanding came into his eyes and he shook his head saying "oh right" turning to face his team he said "sorry I forgot you guys were, well, anyway um contrary to my story and time with the group um well. Grimm usually came after me and on a few rather memorable occasions Uncle Silver."
The trio blinked at these words and Cerise gave a wry smile "I know right? Mind you if Grimm spotted us, they came running in so to speak but for the most part things were steady enough or as steady as you could get for Remnant. It was one of the few good things about being with the tribe."
Titania slowly said "then…"
"Yup. We're not looking for where the Grimm are, we're looking for where they aren't."
(CCTS)
With that explanation his teammates moods improved considerably and they picked up the mission again with some sort of plan.
As they trekked along though Cerise noticed something though.
It was more of the rainbow-colored stones they'd seen before and their appearance sort of got to Cerise oddly enough.
He's seen the things before but there seemed to be a lot more of the things scattered about sometimes cluttered together or by themselves and considering how he had no idea where they came from Cerise considered it something worth noting minor though it may be.
However, they still went on and with Cerise knowing what signs to look for they soon found what they were looking for…
(CCTS)
It was in the desert they found them tucked away among the dunes. A massive campsite and there was music playing. The music in question was soft chimes and wind instruments and it was supposed to be soothing but taking in the whole display of gathered people and such it felt condescending.
"Is it always like this?" Smoke asked in a low mutter.
From his position laying down with the other members of team CCTS their forms covered in cloaks designed to camouflage them Cerise said "no this is more extravagant than usual." Using his scroll (which they were all using and was set to a mode designed for stealth use) the team leader looked this spectacle over and said "probably because this is some big event."
Titania then said "I really wonder how this actually became a thing with worship and the like."
Cerise said with a sigh "yeeaah, after living in Stronghold I really question this whole thing and I'm half considering that a hypnosis-based Semblance is at play here…"
Citrine hesitantly cut in here saying "or it could be something in the food and water?" As he indicated the communal pot and barrels near the center of the encampment.
After a moment of silence Cerise said "sound theory."
Smoke said "so what now?"
Cerise said "we maintain our watch from a distance. We can't really do much and they gathered here for something so we wait it out at a distance" he finished indicating the guards circling the camp because even if no negativity was attracting them if Grimm came across them they would attack.
Titania sighed.
And that was how things went for the next few days and it was HELL.
Staying out of sight really only moving at night, dodging the Grimm as best they could, and sending what messages they could manage. By day two of the campaign they were all miserable and questioning what the hell Headmistress Blank was thinking.
At least they were getting experience with recon missions.
Then on the night of day 3 there was activity as the evening began there was activity from the larger tents towards the center of the camp as a woman wearing an ornate robe walks about giving instructions.
And shortly after they began breaking up camp and before the front of the tent the woman began to set up an array with elaborate patterns and Dust crystals lain in the sand.
"Well that looks very ritualistic." Smoke said with a mutter.
Then as night fell and the scene was lit by the flickering of torches there was movement from the big tent in front of the array.
From the flaps of the entrance emerged a figure. There was silence for a moment and then:
"Oh my God." Cerise muttered in a flat tone.
Titania tried very hard to burst out laughing.
Smoke just looked pained.
Citrine hesitantly said "is that?"
"Ye-up." Was the dead response.
Standing there in front of the tent wearing a jewel encrusted robe complete with the gaudiest headdress imaginable was his Uncle Silver.
"Hello my brothers and sisters! Faithful devotees. Tonight's the final night of our holy celebration. Soon enough your journey for the trials ahead start but it will all be worth it. The Absence will punish all the heretics The Materialization and more recently The Burning is just the beginning. Soon enough we will be rewarded for our faith. But before the journey begins there is one more divine punishment to be handed down. Everyone begin the prayers."
As one the crowds of people knelt down and began to mutter the "prayers" which just sounded like nonsense and probably was while Uncle Silver just stood there arms raised above his head.
It was very unsettling.
And it was only going to get worse as from the tent behind the man there was movement and the woman from earlier that set up the spectacle with another man and between them…
Cerise's breath caught in his throat.
Between them was a little girl in a dirty dress, her arms and legs in chains, her form starved, emaciated, and just frail in general as she struggled between them while they dragged her forward.
"Alice?" Cerise whispered getting his teammates attention before they looked back at the girl realization appearing on their faces.
In unison they tossed her right into the center of the array as out of nowhere a drum beat started up and the prayers got louder.
Then the array around the girl flashed with light as did the chains she was wearing creating a storm of color around the girl and seeing the fearful expression on her face Cerise found his hands holding the scroll shaking.
Then as the music and the chanting reached a crescendo the color storm gathered around the girl and then with noise akin to the cracking of glass solidified in the shape of a very familiar rainbow-colored stone!
Titania and Citrine tensed up and they opened their mouths to scream and Cerise and Smoke dropping their scrolls jumped on top of them clamping their hands over their mouths muffling them as the team struggled in the sand.
Smoke himself was pale and looked very ill and he looked at his team leader he felt an abyss open up in his stomach at the sight of him also looking pale at the sight of a little girl he clearly knew getting entombed or what may very well have been the equivalent of it but there was more to it that scared Smoke.
Cerise had a scowl on his face, his eyes were narrowed, and they burned…
Author's Note 2: Ladies and gents there's chapter 15. This is where the climax of the story starts arguably and with luck in a few chapters I'll have Stardust complete at long last. Writing the end was a bit difficult as I find it one thing to kill monsters and another to sort of do what I do there as strange as that logic may be but there we go. Not much else to say really. There's a drawing that goes with the chapter tgar was done by me and is up on the AO3 chapter version, DeviantArt, and Tumblr. I hope you like this. I do not own RWBY in any way, shape, or form. My OC's are my own. Reviews welcome.