A/N: Fluff, literally. Most of this is just a filler chapter of sorts between now and the start of the Vytal Festival in S1 EP15-16. This chapter is mainly just character development and a few surprises. I think I made a few parts a bit iffy, just a bit off.
I also have Eien displaying a very powerful ability in this chapter, something that I will try and not make OP but it'll be hard, but I assure you I am not adding this for no reason, as it has a future purpose :) Some other canon things will change in this chapter, subtle and seemingly unimportant but different all the same.
ALSO I've changed Eien's Dunkelheit to make his Iris purple, not his Sclera - got the two mixed up.
NEXT UPDATE WILL BE ON SUNDAY (27/03/16)
I DO NOT OWN RWBY
Chapter 7: Training, The Beach and Explanations
Two weeks had passed since Eien transformed his teams weapons into their Adamantite form, and things had progressed nicely. Eien had improved his skill with Dunkelheit to the point where he could almost use it without effort and nearly instantaneously, he had finished the telekinesis sword-pack-thing that he still refused to show his team 'until the right time' since he was still in the process of learning to control it. She and the rest of their team had repainted their weapons and gotten adjusted to the weight difference, finding that their weapons could cut through steel with ease, much to their pleasure. Team JNPR had also gotten their weapons re-forged - Jaune having to ask his grandfather for permission, and got it. Eien also forged a secondary gun for Jaune, since the blonde-haired teen didn't have a ranged weapon on him.
However all these positives were countered harshly on their leader, from the exhaustion of training and using his Semblance dozens of time a day. It was barely noticeable at first, with him grimacing but passing it off as a headache. But it became apparent when dark rings came under his eyes and he was only starting to slack in combat classes, to which he matched Pyrrha in. Thankfully since most knew of his strength and opted not to fight him, their team and JNPR could spar with him so when he lost it looked like it was because they were equally as strong, and not because he was growing weaker with his lack of sleep.
They approached him about it, obviously, but he just smiled and waved off their concerns, saying that he could handle it. It became apparent quickly that whatever it was, he couldn't handle it if he couldn't be trusted to go to bed without getting up at five in the morning to train until breakfast. And so that led to their current situation to prevent him from leaving; by tying him down to his bed.
''Guys, let me go'' He sighed, struggling weakly against the bonds.
''No'' I said immediately, Yang having left for something, leaving me, Blake and Ruby ''You will rest, whether you want to or not''.
''But-''.
''No buts!'' Ruby cut in, pouting furiously with all her might. If anything Eien seemed to cave into the pout, both my own and Ruby's... actually, probably anyone who pouted really. He was soft like that.
''We will not allow you to continue to destroy yourself! So if you cant lie down and go to sleep, then we will make you!'' I scolded and he himself pouted, looking between funny and cute. Eventually after ten seconds of a pout-off he gave in, sighing as he nodded as much as his head would allow.
''I'll make sure he doesn't escape'' Blake smiled in amusement as she sat on her bed, which was next to his. and pulled out a book to read. I nodded in response, heading to my own bed to finish up for the night while Ruby joined me.
Forty seconds later, they all smiled fondly as soft breathing indicated Eien's sleep.
''Was it really necessary to tie me up?'' I asked idly as I drew another Sigil with my finger, my Aura flowing through it with Weiss off to the side. They were in their usual training spot in the forest, so privacy wasn't a real issue.
''With you, yes'' She said dryly. I sighed in response but smiled, I had been pushing myself a bit too hard I guess, but in the end it had been worth the strain, as my skill with Dunkelheit had increased quite significantly. I finished the Sigil and recited the words, sending the same bolt of lightning from before, albeit more perfected.
Deciding to bring up the subject, I asked ''Hey Weiss?''.
''Mm?'' She hummed, looking up from my mothers journal.
''How... do you fell about Faunus?''.
She stiffened immediately, but answered hesitantly ''Well... I try to judge a person on who they are, and most Faunus that I've met are thieving, murdering monsters''.
I nodded, showing I understood ''And what of the White Fang?''.
Weiss scowled ''They're an army of murderers, rapists, thieves and everything a Faunus is and worse!''.
''Easy, Weiss'' I cooed softly, standing in front of her ''What's... inspired this hatred, for the Faunus?''.
She hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other as her eyes scanned around the area ''My family has been war at them for years... war, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfathers company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I could remember. And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear, board members executed, an entire train car full of Dust... stolen. And every day my father would come home furious, and that made for a very difficult childhood''.
''The reason I despise the White Fang is because they're nothing more than a bunch of liars, thieves and murderers!'' She yelled the last part, frustration on her face. I smiled softly at her and hugged her much like last time, making her stiffen in surprise initially before she hesitantly relaxed.
''Its... a shame, what you've had to go through. It must've been lonely, huh?'' I asked and she nodded, resting her head on my shoulder, giving in ''I was much the same, growing up in the hospital, with anybody I got too friendly with ended up dying, before I managed to control my Semblance''.
''You've been able to use your Semblance since you were a kid?'' She murmured evenly.
''Since I was born, but it was passive; I didn't realise it was my Semblance until I was around six, and I didn't understand how to fully use it until I was around twelve'' I smiled wistfully at her, although she couldn't see it ''Its a weird thing isn't it, loneliness? You still interact and speak to people, but they never truly know you, and it becomes suffocating without anyone to turn to''.
''I felt the same'' She said softly.
''Loneliness is a terrible thing, something nobody should feel'' I agreed quietly, enacting the second part of my plan ''In a way, it puts the White Fang and the general Faunus population in perspective''.
''What do you mean?'' She asked, not breaking from the embrace for a moment.
''Several years ago, before the White Fang became violent, they had peaceful protests, but were ignored. Faunus all over Remnant joined in the protests, demanding equal rights. The Faunus are bullied from when they are in preschool - before they even understand why, the Faunus are picked on for something they had no control over. The bullies didn't even know why they were doing it, only that their parents didn't like Faunus, so why should they?'' I said sombrely ''Humans are vicious creatures, the only difference between us is how vicious we are verbally and physically. Grimm may kill us, but we aren't much better, are we?''.
She said nothing, so I continued ''Not all Faunus, including former and current White Fang members, are as evil as the media interprets them to be. They are all misguided, told that they can make a difference and entranced by the offer, determined to make a better future even if they aren't. The ones who wish to destroy all humans are driven by a primal drive; to remove anything that threatens its life and the lives of its companions. In all, its not the White Fang that are the problem, only the higher-ups within their military''.
''Its gotten to the point where Faunus in general hide their appearance just to avoid being attacked, while others seclude themselves in the farthest reaches of Remnant just to have a chance at peace. No matter where Faunus go, as long as they are around the human population they are picked on, whether it be a dirty look, a sneer, verbal insults or even physical abuse, nowhere is safe for them'' I went on and she listened silently, her arms having found their way around my back while remaining in the embrace ''They live in fear, forever and ever, however small or large it is''.
''So tell me Weiss, if there was a former White Fang member on our team, what would you do?''.
She stiffened slightly, no doubt thinking about it heavily before she responded with ''...as long as they don't have any intention to harm me or the rest of my team, then I don't care''.
I smiled at her ''Would you like to know who is the Faunus on our team?''.
She blinked in surprise, before smiling wryly and nodding.
''Blake'' I said and she gained a look of surprise ''Cat ears''.
''But how? She wears... a bow...'' She drifted off, understanding dawning on her face ''Ohhhh''.
''Mm. When I confronted her about it she was terrified, absolutely terrified is the only word for it'' I explained and Weiss's face softened ''She's afraid of our reactions to her past. She grew up in the White Fang, never knew any parents or relatives and, well, grew up amongst the other Faunus protestors really''.
''I'll talk to her about it'' Weiss smiled kindly and I returned the gesture.
''Should we continue?'' I asked, gesturing to the area where my lightning had struck. A faint blush came to her cheeks and she nodded, and I let her out of our extended embrace. I sent a mildly teasing grin her way, and her blush increased as she looked away, muttering vehemently about dunces - cute ones. Huh.
I just smirked and went about memorising the seemingly endless amount of Sigil combinations.
''I'll go get Blake'' I smiled to Weiss, who nodded and went out onto the balcony where I had originally calmed her down - and unknowingly started our friendship. It was a few hallways to get to our dorm room and the halls were quiet as students were probably busy at post-lunch hour. I opened the door to our dorm and peered in; Ruby and Yang were missing, leaving only Blake doing what looked like homework or revision at her desk.
''I'm going to need to borrow you Blake'' I smiled, a slight amount of teasing coming into my smile. I understood why Yang did this so much, it was fun~
''I'm busy'' She mumbled, reading the book with a flush on her cheeks. I took note of the fact there was in fact a book, within a book - and judging from the black hardback with red corners it was one of her smut novels. I grinned.
''Too bad'' I grinned and before she could blink hefted her up from her chair, holding her by the waist and putting her on my shoulder - despite the size difference. As predicted she immediately flailed in both cat-like nature and human reflex, but my grip was unwavering yet gentle.
''Let me down!'' She barked, an embarrassed flush on her cheeks.
''Nope'' I answered as I went back into the hall, making Blake turn a darker shade of crimson ''We're going to visit Weiss''.
''I CAN WALK!'' She all but screamed, to which I responded with a light-hearted chuckle.
''Yeah, but its more fun this way'' I smirked up at her and she looked down at me with an embarrassed flush.
''I will kill you, slowly and painfully'' She threatened lowly and I chuckled again.
''Lighten up, you need fresh air'' I half-lied ''Besides reading smut all day probably isn't good for you''.
Her blush turned extremely dark, steam nearly pouring out of her ears ''W-WHAT?!''.
''They aren't too hard to find'' I commented cheerfully ''Besides they don't seem too bad, second one is probably the best one''.
She paused, her embarrassment temporarily forgotten ''You read them?''.
''Yup, when I finished homework and you guys were busy I went and read through them. Not too bad a story, but the smut gets overbearing after a while'' I commented before smiling slyly up at her ''But for a pervert like you, its probably just right''.
Her face heated up again ''I'm not a pervert!''.
''Watch the volume Blake, people might here'' I chuckled and her face flushed again ''Besides there's nothing wrong with a bit of smut every once and a while''.
She looked at me inquisitively, but tore her gaze from me as we entered the balcony. Weiss turned to us, blinked several times at our position, before sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. I let the fiercely blushing Blake down to the ground, standing off to the side as the two girls faced each other, one stoic the other confused.
''So why did you guys call me out here?'' Blake asked, using the word 'call' sarcastically.
''The White Fang'' Weiss said and immediately Blake stiffened, her muscled tensing in preparation to flee. I gave her a gentle look which succeeded in slightly calming her down, judging from how she took a deep breath and hesitantly faced Weiss. Weiss's face softened, much to Blake's confusion and quietly began talking with the Faunus girl. I couldn't hear, and felt that they deserved enough privacy so I moved to the edge of the large balcony, only hearing their unintelligible murmurs. Two minutes later a purring sound drew my attention, and I turned to see an interesting and cute sight.
Much like what happened when I did it, Blake had knelt slightly so Weiss could stroke her ears better. Blake was purring like a cat unashamedly as a blushing Weiss tenderly stroked her ears. In unison both females caught sight of me watching with an amused smile and both flushed a deep crimson in embarrassment, parting from their activity. I chuckled and both glared, but it was ignored in favour of smiling knowingly at the duo.
And that was how I ended up getting tied up with Gambol Shroud and left on the balcony till nightfall - I could've dissolved it of course, but I didn't want to damage Blake's weapon, regardless if I could easily reconstruct it.
''What'' Weiss, Blake and myself said in unison upon entering their dorm the next day after coming back from the library, looking at an eager Yang, Ruby and Nora.
''Lets go to the beach!'' Yang repeated, beaming happily and totally unfazed by our flat 'what'. No question mark required.
I turned to Ren, and he sighed ''Nora's idea''.
''Hey!'' Yang huffed, annoyed her idea had been revealed to be, well, not hers.
''Why?'' Weiss sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
''We'll we've worked hard so far, haven't we?'' She said, crossing her arms ''We deserve to relax a little!''.
''Yeah!'' Nora and Ruby agreed, the latter probably because she just wanted out of doing research via Weiss.
''Its eight in the morning on a Saturday, so we've got time'' Ren concluded with a shrug ''I don't mind''.
''It could be fun'' Pyrrha added with a smile, looking at me, Jaune, Weiss and Blake.
''We'd need swim wear'' I commented with a raised eyebrow, which raised further when Yang grinned ''And no, I'm not making us clothing - its more difficult than you'd think''.
Yang pouted, but Yang had nothing on Ruby's or Weiss's pout, so it was nothing really.
''We could go shopping for some!'' Nora cheered, myself and Ren sighed.
''Fine'' I shrugged eventually, not too bothered with it - it was only one day of training I was missing.
Blake shifted uneasily ''I don't know...''.
''You don't have to go in the water, if you don't want to'' Ruby smiled, mistaking her nervousness to the water. Not entirely untrue, cats did dislike water.
Blake sighed ''Fine, I'm in''.
All eyes turned to Weiss and Jaune, the heiress just huffed ''Very well''.
''Y-Yeah!'' Jaune grinned, hesitance beneath his mask of faux confidence.
''Then lets go shopping~!'' Yang grinned, and I sighed when she turned to me.
''You planned this, didn't you?''.
''Yep''.
I sighed.
''You'd think it wouldn't take them this long to find a swimsuit'' I commented dryly as myself and Ren waited outside the store, bags in hand. I had went in and purchased a pair of black shorts and Ren got a pair of dark green ones, and we were done. Literally; in, picked a colour, pay for them, out. It had taken all of sixty seconds, and the girls were in there for ten minutes.
Also, Jaune was in there still.
''Well to be fair, women's swimsuits do vary quite drastically compared to swimming trunks'' Ren replied smoothly and I gave a noncommittal shrug. The door opened beside us and the bell jingled as someone left, and finally Jaune came out with his own black bag in hand, looking tired.
''What took you so long?'' I asked with a raised brow.
''I walked in on Weiss getting changed'' He groaned, rubbing his head ''She hits really hard''.
''Anyone who is embarrassed does'' I shrugged, it was logical. I think.
''How much longer will they be in there?'' Ren asked and Jaune shook his head, showing he didn't know. The three of them stood outside the shop, idly holding their bags - Myself and Ren had gotten the other little things such as sunscreen, towels and a few foldable beach umbrellas. The beach we were going to had food nearby, so we only packed water - ice cream was also sold at the stands thankfully, Nora would've gone insane from lack of sugar.
Two minutes later the girls filed out with smiles on their faces - though Weiss was scowling, with good reason I presume. They headed down the road to where the beach was, and when we got there it wasn't overly crowded. It was a nice sunny day, not overly hot though, the temperature just right despite the late autumn/early winter weather. We found ourselves a more unattended to part of the beach and set our blankets down and pinned the umbrellas up, heading over to the changing rooms.
''No peeking boys~'' Yang teased us, but mainly directing it at Jaune. Said teen flushed a dark red, Ren remained impassive and I raised an eyebrow in amusement.
''I should be saying that to you, Yang'' I said, an amused smile coming to my face. She laughed in reaction, heading to the girls section to get changed. I dumped my clothes into my bag and slid on my black trunks, leaving in tandem with Ren as we - once again - had to wait for the others. Jaune came out next, clad in dark blue trunks with a Nevermore on the side. We collectively waited once again for the girls, only this time it was more understandable why it took so long - we only had to slip our trunks on, while they had to tie the bikini pieces or slip into a body-sized one, depending on type.
Pyrrha came out first, wearing a dark red two-piece bikini with a white swim skirt around her waist, hanging off at once side. Nora came out second, wearing - as one may expect - a pink two-piece bikini with a white trim on it. Blake came out wearing a black two-piece bikini with frilly ends, Weiss came out in a white-come-teal two-piece bikini, shuffling awkwardly. Like the rest of the girls apparently Yang came out in a two-piece bikini that was surprisingly plain white, not yellow like her usual colour scheme. She also put her hair up into a ponytail, which was huge but much more manageable than her free hair, probably for swimming and a pair of sunglasses on her head. Ruby came out last, wearing a black frilly two-piece bikini with a red trim.
Jaune stared at Weiss in particular, until said girl glared at him menacingly, to which he hid behind me and Ren. I sighed, and Ren sighed.
''So whatcha boys think?'' Yang grinned teasingly.
''You guys look nice'' I smiled amicably, and several of them blushed (*Cough* Weiss, Blake and Ruby *Cough*) but I pretended not to notice. Ren silently nodded his assent, peeling Nora off him as he did so.
We headed back to our blankets, Blake and Weiss immediately lying down onto their blankets, hiding under the shade of the umbrella as Blake pulled out a book and Weiss her sunscreen, coating herself twice over. Ruby was immediately dragged to the sea by Yang and Nora, while Ren lay down on his own blanket and I joined him on my own, sitting up slightly as I read my book. I got through twenty pages before I felt a tugging on my arm, courtesy of Ruby trying to pull me while Yang tried to get Blake to the water, who was insistently trying to stop her.
I raised an eyebrow at Ruby ''You could just ask if you wanted me to join you in the water''.
She flushed a deep red ''Eheh... sorry''.
''Its fine'' I smiled as Blake was eventually convinced and let Yang drag her towards the ocean, bow in place on her head as Weiss reluctantly trailed behind her, a few feet ahead of us. The sand was slightly hot on my bare feet but I easily ignored it in favour of starting a conversation with Ruby.
''Hey Ruby'' I said, drawing her attention immediately ''Remember the spare Adamantite we have left over?''.
''The other twenty five blocks?'' She asked and I nodded ''What about them?''.
''I was thinking of making some military stuff, a custom Bullhead maybe'' I shrugged ''When we get back you wanna help?''.
''Sure!'' She beamed happily I returned the gesture, walking into the warm water with her. We went in until it was waist height when suddenly my instincts told me to duck, and I did so. A beach ball flew over my head and hit a surprised Ruby in the face, making her topple back into the water. I blinked and looked over at a smirking Yang, and put two and two together easily. Ruby jolted out of the water, glaring fiercely at the smirking Yang before slinging the ball with all her might at the elder sister, who easily dodged it but coincidentally struck Weiss.
Thus began a chain reaction of volley-ball throws, with me being the only one to avoid them by either ducking or simply falling into the water to evade the ball. Two minutes later we were suddenly in a free-for-all version of dodgeball, with me being the main target apparently.
''Hold still!'' Weiss yelled in irritation as I once again ducked under the large beach ball.
''Nope'' I smirked, ducking under it when Nora tried hitting me with it. The one plus side with the water is that none of them could jump to strike me down with the ball, only fire horizontally.
''This is so not fair-'' Ruby began to say when she actually managed to hit me, sending me into the water. I instinctively put my hands out in front of me, pushing myself out of the warm water just in time to see Ruby grin in a prideful manner. Immediately I hit her with the beach ball in turn, making her pout as she was once again 'it'. Swiftly I hid behind Ren, smirking as he was the one to take the hit for me once more.
''Never gonna catch me!'' I laughed as I dodged their attempts, hiding behind each person and avoiding being grabbed. Once again it went on for so long before Yang eventually got me with it, and this time I directed the ball at Nora and missed, but Ruby caught the ball and threw it at Jaune, who did get hit. We continued to play sea-volleyball late into the day, till the sun turned orange and made the ocean have a dull orange hue to it. We retreated back to the shore, surprised at how fast time had flown but having fun all the same.
In a collection of fluid motions we gathered our things, got changed and began to trek back to our beloved academy.
''That was awesome!~'' Nora cheered as we walked back through the streets towards the airship, her short sentence gaining nods from all of us.
''It was enjoyable'' I smiled.
''We should do it again'' Ren agreed as we passed a group of kids, grinning and laughing. We turned a corner and were surprised when we nearly banged into someone. It was a guy around our age with a hoodie and cargo pants on, a look in his eyes that held excitement, borderline mad glee. I easily side-stepped him and he continued running, but a flash of light made me narrow my eyes. Time literally seemed to slow down as I caught sight of the object, making my eyebrows furrow.
A knife.
A bloody knife.
I looked to my teammates, and a few looked confused by my frown while others were either wide-eyed or stunned. Blake's nose twitched as she narrowed her eyes and looked at me, and I made a 'show us the way' gesture. She nodded and quickly walked, with me just behind her as the others followed uncertainly. She led us to the alley but immediately after entering it she let out an uncommon gasp, her posture immediately becoming tense as she stared wide-eyed. I came up to her side and grimaced at the sight, several gasps of surprise coming from my friends signalling they also saw the grizzly sight before us.
A woman in her early teens lay against the wall, her white dressed stained crimson as her messy black hair also had crimson dabbed in it. Her throat was slit open, blood running down her front and down her front as her sea blue eyes were dull. The front of her dress was cut open at the stomach, revealing her swollen... I cant even bare to look or even say it. The bruising on her thighs showed signs of struggling, and the knife wounds on her stomach might've been during the... process. I felt my lips turn into a dark scowl of silent fury, that kid- monster was the one responsible for this, the knife wounds were fresh as was the blood on the monsters knife - as was his slightly loose pants.
''Yang. Pyrrha'' I growled.
''Right'' Both said in unison, anger clear in their voice as they bolted out of the alleyway, sprinting after the madman without so much as an order. Ren approached the undoubtedly deceased woman, his hands glowing with Aura as he put one to her heart and the other to her head. He stayed like that for thirty seconds before he sighed solemnly, shaking his head as he looked back at us. Ruby was pale and looked like she either wanted to be sick or cry, Blake was frozen on the spot - probably because the woman was a Faunus judging from the fox ears, Jaune was frozen as well, Nora was stunned and Weiss looked ready to be sick herself.
A memory ran through my mind;
''Does this mean I can bring people back to life?'' I asked.
He gave me a hard look ''While I will not interfere if you do so, I would advise not messing with the lives of others if you can help it, Eien Haizen, playing god is harder than it seems''.
I could bring her back, probably at least, and it doesn't hurt to try - since she's already dead, its not like a whole lot more can happen to her. I moved past Ren and knelt down next to her, letting a piece of my soul - several - flow into her deceased corpse. Her own soul - which felt shattered like I hit it with a hammer, shards flowing around it like the moon in the night sky - rejected them at first, as was to be expected of a dead person. I forced them to though, my body giving off a glow as I forced the shards to enter what remained of her soul, her body taking on a small shine too.
''Eien?'' Blake asked hesitantly, confused ''What are you...?''.
I ignored them, focusing on moulding the shards of my soul to repair hers. As they did I felt the words come to my mind, and dutifully recited the rite as if I knew it all my life.
''Aufstieg und Fall, vom Himmel zur Holle und Wasser zu Schnee. Das Leben schwindet aus den Augen, wahrend der Tod Ihrer Aufnahme in den ewigen Schatten der Nacht lockt. Ich befehle Ihre Ruckkehr ins Leben, wie es ist mein Wille und wird nicht durch eine andere Kraft ungehorsam werden. Kommen Sie wieder zum Leben: Licht Weben'' I recited, my Dunkelheit activating by itself as I did so. A bright green and yellow Sigil appeared on the ground beneath me and the unnamed woman, but I ignored it and instead focused.
When I recited the final two words, Licht Weben, there was a burning white flash, far more intense than any of my previous encounters. It burned through the layers of skin, allowing you to see the bones and veins in your forearms via the intense light, as if you put it under an X-Ray. It cleared in a few seconds and I quickly blinked away the spots in my vision, and I waited with baited breath. The Sigil beneath us shrunk in on itself until it faded from existence, in a matter of seconds, leaving my recovering team. I smiled faintly in relief as the woman's chest rose and fell slowly, oxygen filling her lungs once more.
''W-W-Wha...?'' Ruby was, very clearly, had lost any trace of words to say.
I grinned tiredly standing up and nearly falling over, Ren steadying me before I could do so. I nod my thanks and didn't even attempt to hide the pride I felt surface, after all how many times have I resurrected somebody?
None, none at all.
Death looked about the rolling green hills dotted with trees and flowers and scowled. In the distance, near what one would consider the edge of ones soul, disintegrated into black ash, but did not disappear with the wind. Instead it became like sand, settling in its place as it covered an area of several dozen sport pitches, turning anything it touched into ash.
''You foolish child'' He muttered vehemently ''I warned you not to play god, Eien Haizen... the cost is too harsh''.
He lifted a hand to his own chest, feeling no soul within his bony body, hidden beneath the robe. Crimson eyes shined with an endless ocean of despair, buried beneath the weight of continuing his mission.
''Don't waste your life, like I have seen so many others do''.
''Did you...'' Blake murmured, wide-eyed.
''...bring her back to life?'' Weiss finished, equally as wide-eyed.
I nodded, grin still in place ''Yeah... damn... took a... lot of... Aura though...''.
Ren looked at the woman, seemingly unfazed by the current situation ''I suggest we move her to the hospital, just to be safe''.
I nodded ''Yeah... I agree... phew...''.
Getting over their shock, Ren picked up the teen gently in his arms. I put a hand against the wall to steady myself but Blake and Ruby came to my aid, helping me standing as we collectively moved towards the hospital - funnily enough, only two streets away. We were halfway down the street when Pyrrha and Yang returned, the kid unconscious and limp in Pyrrha's arms, blood soaking his hoodie as both women scowled in a way that would make lesser men flee.
''Police should be here any minute...'' Pyrrha trailed off, looking at me in concern ''Are you alright Eien?''.
I just grinned, jerking my head at the unconscious woman (Ren had slipped his trunks on to cover her 'parts' up). Yang and Pyrrha looked confused, but when they realised her chest was rising and falling in tandem with her lungs their eyes shot wide open, looking at me for an answer.
''He brought her back to life'' Weiss explained crisply, awe still in her tone.
''WHAT?!'' Yang exclaimed in shock and I chuckled, nodding ''HOW?!''.
''I'll... explain later'' I said uncertainly, idly realising my demeanour just did a 180 ''Lets get her checked at the hospital first, and that bastard in a cop car''.
Just as I said that a police car rolled up beside us, eyeing us distrustfully. After a brief explanation, the coppers understood our situation and got him in the car while Ren went ahead to take the teen to the hospital. Before the car could roll away I put a hand on the side of the car, partly to support myself and partly to get it to stop. I handed the driver my scroll number, to which he took it and raised an eyebrow.
''I'll be around the station tomorrow to... pay him a visit, please send me his name when you get the file'' I asked politely and the man shrugged, nodding before I let go of the car and let him drive off.
''Well today has been... interesting'' Blake broke the silence in our dorm room, JNPR also present.
Yang snorted ''That's an understatement''.
''Unique?'' I offered.
''Definitely'' Ruby nodded with a hesitant smile, likely still traumatized from earlier, judging from how she was leaning into her sister. I sat on my bed with my back to the wall, Weiss sitting on the edge of the bed while Blake, Yang, Pyrrha and Ruby sat on Blake's bed, the others sitting on the floor.
I sighed ''I'm guessing you want to know how I brought her back, Hm?''.
A chorus of nods. I sighed again, looking up at the ceiling ''Where to start...?''.
I had come up with a speech on the way here, but the tension in the room was thick and even I was effected by it. I sighed away my troubles, looking all my friends in the eyes before speaking.
''Have any of you heard of 'The Miracle Child'?'' I asked and several of them blinking in confusion, Weiss and Blake understanding but not saying anything.
''I do'' Pyrrha offered ''A baby that was born deprived of its senses, and was said to be able to heal anyone who merely touched it, but were said to have their lifespans drastically reduced''.
I nodded ''And do you, by chance, what happened to him?''.
Pyrrha shook her head ''I'm afraid not''.
''I'm that child'' I say coolly, and everybody - sans Weiss and Blake - widened their eyes ''I grew up in the hospital, and the reason behind the reduced lifespans was because of my Semblance, though I didn't know it was that at the time''.
''You had your Semblance since you were a baby?!'' Pyrrha asked, wide-eyed.
''Yep'' I drawled in mild amusement ''At the time I had no control over it, so any human or Faunus that touched me would die. However there was, and is, far more to that story than you know of''.
They stayed silent, so I continued ''When they die, their memories come to me. I've rarely slept in my entire life, instead falling into a semi-unconscious state were I am surrounded by darkness. Memories of all who died flickered through my head, and still do. I learnt from their experiences, and I believe that is why I was so adept for my age - because I had the memories of dozens of people in my head, and all their life experiences''.
''That's how you knew how to fly the Bullhead!'' Blake realised, eyes - like everyone else - wide.
I nodded ''Yes. Memories of Hunters and Huntresses, Pilots, Engineers, builders, miners, everything. All their knowledge, all their experiences and all the names of the people they knew, are inside my head''.
''However recently things have changed. Allow me to explain; my Semblance is Matter Manipulation, as you know, but I identify it as my 'soul' in a sense. When I use my Semblance, I break off a tiny shard of my soul and put it into the object or person I intend it to interact with. It requires physical contact and concentration, but I can pretty much turn it into anything. If I were to roughly pull the shard out of someone else's 'soul', then it would cause their death - or in the form of an object, disintegrate''.
Their eyes shined with realisation, obviously remembering the times where objects around me have disintegrated.
''The reason why I say I can't overuse my Semblance is because its metaphorically or literally tied to my soul - its effectively the same as using my blood, I can use a lot of it but the more I use the more strain I'll feel'' I explained ''As I was saying prior to this; things have changed. More players have entered the field, and whether they are inheritably good or bad is unknown to me... now how to explain this...''.
''Essentially there is a place between life and death, call it purgatory if you want. It consists of a 'wall' of black on one side, and a wall of white on another, while a thick line of grey divides them. That is all that exists there. I have been there several times on the several occasions when I was fatally wounded and brought to the brink of death. I always walked into the light, and I was brought back to life reinvigorated with adrenaline, just enough to eliminate the threat and get to a safe location before I passed out''.
''However I had recently visited that place despite not being in a bad shape, the day I came back with Ruby and we both passed out'' I say and Ruby gained a light blush ''Unlike before, I had a visitor; Death''.
Everyone stiffened, presuming the worst but I numbed them with a hand gesture ''I meant that literally, as in the physical embodiment of Death. Guy in a black cloak with a scythe, standard description. We talked for a bit and he showed me a door, which led to my soul''.
''Again, literal. It consisted of grassy hills and a few forests, apparently based upon my personality'' I paused and got several agreements on that apparently ''Anyway, it turns out that all of the people who have... died... to my Semblance, their souls are absorbed into mine. They are somewhere within the world in a comatose state, and can be awakened for a short amount of time if I used some of my Aura, but it could only last for a short amount of time. However... 'unique' individuals can actually wake up on their own, one of them being in my head right now''.
''Who?'' Ruby asked with innocent curiosity.
''Neopolitan'' I said and they, for the millionth time, widened their eyes as they remembered the girl who suffered my Seele Ernten ''Yeah. She wasn't too happy, but I've worked out a deal with her that'll be beneficial for the future''.
''Which is?'' Blake persisted.
''Information. She's a former criminal, and worked for Roman not because of allegiance but because of the money. So, I manifest her with my abilities, give her money and let her do whatever she does... probably shopping... and she'll come back with information on criminal activities, White Fang and Cinder's group''.
''And how do you know she won't tell Roman?''.
I shrugged ''I can hear anything she hears, plus she often doesn't talk and has only done so recently because I don't know sign language, as she prefers not to talk''.
''Anyway, after gaining access to Dunkelheit I began training to use the Sigils, Manifestation Abilities, and all other aspects of Dunkelheit in general'' I said and Yang coughed, muttering something about overdoing it ''One of these abilities, I have discovered, is close to what the powers of Life and Death hold. I can repair and put someone's soul back together and thus bring them back to life, or I could utterly destroy the soul from existence''.
''...wow...'' Pyrrha murmured and I nodded idly ''So you can bring back the dead...?''.
''Only the recently dead, I guess - and I can only do it a few times before my Aura runs dry, if I'm lucky'' I shrugged nonchalantly ''However Death himself warned me not to overdo it, as 'playing god is harder than you think', to quote him''.
''Huh'' Yang blinked.
''So, does this change anything between us? Between all of us?'' I asked.
''Not really, no'' Yang smiled and looked out the window ''... but more importantly, you guys also know its like ten at night, right?''.
They all blinked, before Pyrrha got up with a smile ''Well it would be best if we went to rest then, good night all''.
''Night'' Yang waved as the JNPR sluggishly made it out of the room, legs numb from sitting. Yang immediately claimed the bathroom, much to Weiss's obvious chagrin. Ruby crawled up to my bed, puppy dog eyes present and pouty lip out as she made an eating motion.
I sighed, taking a pen from my desk and transforming it into a small cookie ''Here''.
''Yay!'' Ruby smiled widely ''Thank you~''.
I chuckle. Nothing has changed, nothing at all.
With a heavy, metallic groan the cell door swung open. Darius Idaho sat in the middle of the room, bound to a chair as I had requested. It was troublesome to convince the head of the station to sanction this, but after 'persuading' him with 'making an impression' on fellow criminals, he allowed it as long as the results were positive. He looked up at me, dull green eyes glaring as his messy hair fell around him.
''Whadda ya want?'' He grumbled, accent clear despite his age.
''To punish you, for what you did to that woman'' I said coldly, glaring at the teen and taking delight when he flinched.
''Hehe... I-I don't swing that way man'' He said, stumbling over his words at my glare, which increased when I grinned at him.
''Oh I won't, but my friend here will'' I stepped aside, allowing Neo to walk into the room, parasol in hand as she sashayed up to the bound teen, grinning in mad glee. The teen began to sweat and yelped when Neo kicked his shin, grinning even wider as I spoke ''Neo here is a bit of a sadist, and I've gained permission from the head of the department to allow her to... play with you''.
''W-What?!''.
''I'll have you know, as well, that the woman who you raped and murdered is actually alive now'' I said and his already wide eyes widened ''I brought her back to life with my power, and I can assure you I will do the same to you to prolong your suffering, it is only deserving of a monster such as yourself''.
'W-Wait! I didn't mean to-'' He tried to say, only for Neo to slap him, his shock making his sentence die off.
''You deserve nothing more, nothing less'' I stated, heading for the door slowly ''Neo; try not to kill him, but if it happens call me so I can bring him back''.
The quiet girl grinned madly and nodded, licking her lips as she looked at the terrified Darius.
''I'll be on my way'' I commented, closing the door behind me with a thunk, muffling the screams of the teen who committed the terrible act.
''Mae Sui?'' I asked as I entered the hospital room, my hood and bandana already pulled down.
''Yes, who are you?'' Mae asked, cautious with good reason.
''Eien - just Eien'' I introduced with a smile ''I was the one who... healed you, I came to check to see if you're doing okay?''.
She perked up, a smile growing immediately ''Oh! I was hoping you'd stop by, I wanted to say thanks for saving me''.
''Its no problem'' I dismissed with a smile ''How are you feeling?''.
''Alright, I guess'' She sighed, rolling her shoulders ''Still a bit sore, and feel a bit bad down there, but all together I'm fine''.
I nodded, smiling sympathetically ''Did the guy just jump you or...?''.
''Yeah, the asshole'' She murmured.
''If it means anything to you, he's currently in the care of one of my more... less-than-sane friends'' I smiled and she clearly got the message, smirking in response.
''Thanks again then'' She giggled before calming down, tilting her head at me ''How did you heal me? The doctors said I was only unconscious when they brought me in, but I remember him... cutting my throat''.
I winced in tandem with her, her hand reaching up to the phantom pain as I spoke ''Please keep this between us, but... I brought you back to life with one of my techniques, it only cost some of my Aura but otherwise both of us are fine''.
''You brought back the dead?'' She whispered in awe and I waved a hand, slightly embarrassed by the continued awe I gained from telling people.
''Uh, Yeah'' I murmured, rubbing the back of my neck ''Don't worry about it''.
''Is this the power of a Huntsman?'' She asked innocently. She was probably either my age, or a year older/younger - though I was willing to bet younger.
''Huntsman-in-training'' I corrected.
''Wow~'' She hummed, stars in her eyes ''I wanna become a Huntress!''.
I blinked ''Well you'll have to... ask about that, I cant help you with that''.
She smiled and nodded ''I know, I guess you go to Beacon?''.
''Yes'' I replied and pretended to look at my watch, though she wouldn't be able to see since she was lying down ''I better get going, my team will need me''.
''Ah, sorry for keeping you'' She smiled.
''Its fine, I'll see you sometime Mae'' I smiled back as I gave her my number, waving goodbye as I left the hospital.
When I returned to the academy, still early in the morning, I got a surprise when I found Glynda Goodwitch standing outside my dorm room. She was tapping her foot impatiently and looking around, her eyes zeroing in on me the second I entered the hall. I blinked in confusion and tilted my head slightly - something I belatedly realised, I did often - and she approached me.
''Ozpin wants to see you... its of the highest importance'' Glynda said in her usual serious demeanour, but this time it seemed to have... even more seriousness to it.
''When?''.
''Right now''.
I looked at my dorm room ''I'll be there in less than five, I just need to change and tell my team''.
''Very well'' She nodded curtly, swiftly walking away down the hall. I sighed, curious on the urgency of the message and headed into my dorm. It was only eight and after yesterday everyone was tired out, so they were obviously still asleep. I snuck over to my bed and took out a piece of paper from my notebook, writing a quick message down on it before walking over to Ruby's bed and leaving the note on her beside desk. With stealth comparable to Blake I snuck out of the room and down the halls, I had lied about getting dressed - since I already was.
I got to the elevator quickly, taking the short ride up to Ozpin's office. Upon the doors opening I took note of the other people in the room; Ozpin, Glynda, a man he didn't know of and someone he easily identified as James Ironwood. I blinked as they all turned their eyes on me, easily keeping up a blank mask of confused indifference as I walked over to the group.
''Hello'' I greeted with a nod.
''Greetings'' Ironwood nodded, a friendly smile on his face despite the militaristic nature of his posture.
''Yo'' The unknown man smiled crookedly at me, eyeing me critically, as if to say 'Is this him?'.
''Eien, meet James Ironwood. James, meet Eien Haizen'' Ozpin started, waving a hand between us and we shook hands ''Eien, meet Qrow Branwen. Qrow, meet Eien Haizen''.
I shook his hand too and turned back to Ozpin, very curious as to why someone who was undoubtedly a Huntsman - and likely a powerful one at that - and James Ironwood were present. Ozpin swivelled on his chair slightly and rested his head on his chin, glasses gleaming slightly in the light.
''I have called you here Eien because you may be able to help us with something'' He said sternly, an air of grave seriousness airing through the room ''...Are you familiar with the term 'Maiden'?''.
I paused, then nodded ''Information on them is incredibly rare, but I have found a few books on them, and a couple dozen about theories of their existence''.
Ozpin nodded ''The Four Seasonal Maidens, an extension of just 'Maidens', are four individuals granted with incredible power. This power was originally given to four individuals by an old wizard nigh a millennium ago as a gift for their kindness. We do not have time for the whole story, but we do have time for the facts''.
''Maidens - Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter - are not immortal. They will age and die like normal Humans and Faunus, and when they do the last person on their mind becomes the next Maiden of the season they embody. However the last person in their thoughts must be female, relatively young, and other smaller factors are required. If the last person in the Maiden's thoughts do not meet these conditions, then it randomly chooses. This ensures that nobody can keep the power forever''.
''The current Fall Maiden, a woman by the name of Amber, was attacked a few years ago. This is the reason for our groups existence - to hide and protect the nature of the Maidens from those who attempt to steal their powers for their own'' Ozpin said darkly ''Amber herself is currently in a comatose state because of the nature of the attack by her assailant, who has now been identified as Cinder Fall''.
I clenched my fists, a dark crooked grin settling behind my bandana ''Of course its her... next we'll find out she's the one who blew up the moon or something''.
Qrow snickered, but a glare from Glynda shut us both up.
''As I was saying, Cinder Fall was the one who was responsible for not only attacking Amber, but also draining her of a majority of her Maiden Powers'' Ozpin continued ''We have kept her alive with state-of-the-art technology, and therefore preventing her powers from potentially transferring to Cinder, but she has been in a comatose state since...''.
''...and you're willing to bet I can help?'' I finished for him and he nodded ''...You saw the camera footage in the alleyway, didn't you?''.
''Possibly'' Ozpin said, a tad smugly as he took a sip of his endless coffee.
I clicked my tongue ''Its possible I could, but the problem being was I resurrected Mae Sui, not brought her out of a coma. I could try obviously, and I have an idea on how I could fix it, but I'll need to, well, see her''.
''Of course'' Ozpin nodded, getting out of his chair regally as he led the small - and mostly silent group - over to a separate elevator, which had 'Storage' above it. I raised an eyebrow and entered the elevator with the others, staying silent as we all descended down the elevator. With a ding the doors opened, allowing us to walk out and into the green-tinted halls. The room was vast, extremely tall and long with intersecting corridors at different points, candles already lit. Ozpin led the four of us towards the other end.
When we reached the other end of the hall we were greeted by the sight of two Atlas Containment Pods, one of them elevated upwards so it could show the girl, which I presumed to be Amber, inside. A set of computers and monitors were in between the two pods, the second pod being flat and inactive. Amber herself was only wearing a tube top and skirt, but it was for obviously so they could have better access encase she required medical attention, and not because she wanted to wear it.
''So that's Amber?'' I asked the obvious question, noting the facial scarring. Must've been Cinder.
Another reason to hate that bitch.
''Mm'' Ozpin nodded ''She is currently on life support, so we can't move her much''.
''How long can she go without the life support?'' I asked seriously with a tad of grimness to it.
''Less than two minutes, but her condition has deteriorated since then, so I'm willing to bet less than a minute''.
I clicked my tongue again, thoughts racing ''Can you open the pod without disabling the life support?''.
''Yes...?'' Ozpin said in a rare moment of uncertainty.
''I have plan on how this might work, but I'll need the pod to be open, and when I give the signal the life-support needs to be removed. I'm not entirely sure about it, but I have a feeling said life support may interfere with the recovery, since it is not a natural part of her, but I may or may not have to give the signal'' I explained crisply and with utmost seriousness, as the situation certainly demanded it ''Permission to do so?''.
Qrow snickered again, pulling out a flask and taking a swig of whatever the contents were while Ozpin answered ''Yes, I'll open the pod now''.
I nodded and approached the pod as the front opened, a thin wire attached to her arm indicating the life support. I raised my hand and gently placed my palm over where her heart was, ignoring the soft flesh below it. My vision became sharper and cleaner as my Dunkelheit activated, and a glowing soft green Sigil appeared on the ground below me and the machine - but my focus was on Amber, so it directly affected her. I closed my eyes as I channelled my Semblance into her, trying to find what was wrong as the Sigil healed the facial scarring without too much trouble.
Then I saw it in the darkness of my eyelids, a soft orange sphere floating in the abyss. It was cracked everywhere, already missing dozens of shards as the dust on the floor indicated their fate. My mouth twisted into a grimace as I saw another piece disappear, disintegrating to dust in seconds. Mentally I reached out to the soul of Amber, wordlessly commanding the shards of my own to heal hers. It regenerated, slowly, but even then I saw another piece fall off - indicating that even though I was healing, she was only living on borrowed time.
My lips shifted into a scowl as I tried to repair the damage, but it wouldn't stop wilting like a flower in winter. I tried to slow it down but it would wilt at the same rate regardless, the only saving grace being that since it takes so long to wilt it doesn't majorly affect Amber. However during my prodding I found something unique amongst the glowing orange orb; a darker shade of orange near the top. Most souls that I have inspected are consistent in colour, so for this to be a shade of colour different is a big thing. I think. I mentally extended my reach to it, hissing under my breath when it gave me the equivalent to a mental electrical shock.
''Remove... IV'' I ground out just loud enough for Ozpin to hear, and I heard the sounds of keyboard tapping before a hissing noise of air, followed by the IV being unplugged from Amber. The dark orange blotch on the top faded away, revealing a severely damaged core. It was like mashed pumpkin in there, and it did not look appealing in any sense. I easily changed the Sigil at my feet, sweat running down my forehead as I changed it to the revival one I used before on Mae. I doubled this with a healing one just as a precaution, and to top it all off I added several more shards to her soul as I willed them to repair her, to heal her.
I was abruptly assaulted by images, most of them either featuring Amber or from her perspectives. Memories. I dismissed them but they poured out like a torrent, so I just brushed them off as I continued my work. I was dimly aware that on the outside lightning was sparking around us erratically, but I ignored the distraction. Eventually the memories stopped, and there was a brief pause, allowing me to gather my breath as the adrenaline rushed through my veins, but even though the dull pain of Aura overuse and the lightning that had struck me was beginning to become noticeable.
...Hello...?
I was brought back to reality as the soft, tired-sounding voice reached my ears and apparently my ears alone.
'Hello? Amber?' I replied with a thought.
Who...?
'I'm Eien, and I need you to wake up Amber'.
I'm... tired...
'I know, but just wake up for a little bit, you've been in a coma for a LONG time'.
I got no response, and I assumed she 'went back to sleep'. I stiffened when I realised her soul was deteriorating faster, so I did the only logical thing and took more shards of my soul and formed a sort of shield around hers, stopping them from falling. I grimaced as I sacrificed more of my soul to shield hers, fixing it and weathering it from the void around it. I idly took note of the blood running from my nose, something often related to brain or nose trauma, or in my case sacrificing over two thirds of my soul to contain and repair the soul of a Maiden that's been in a coma for possibly years.
'Dammit Amber... wake up...'.
But... why?
My arm felt weak, my legs gave out, but my hand never left her heart. The surprised calls from my superiors were ignored.
'Because... you need... to live...'.
...live?
I felt crimson liquid running from my mouth and ears, but ignored it. It was insignificant.
'Yes... yes, to live... I'm probably killing myself... to bring you back... so consider it a favour... between strangers... who could be... friends'.
I never heard her reply, as everything left me.
A/N: BOOM! How'd you like that? What will be the fate of Eien? How will his friends react? What of Amber? FIND OUT NEXT~ TIME~
In difference to canon, Eien went with the 'Inner Circle' and has been given a chance to bring her back because of his Semblance and Dunkelheit. I will say now, that Dunkelheit will be a recurring concept in this fanfic and will play a major part later.
How did you guys like the scene with Eien bringing back the dead? I won't play the 'Can bring back literal armies with ease' card, because that's just OTT and unrealistic. It costs quite a bit to revive someone and it only works if they died recently, and as long as it isn't major such as losing the head completely or brain destroyed. Heart is up for debate, as that could be regenerated.
Eien talking a bit to Weiss, helping her with her anti-Faunus views a bit and cooing her into accepting Blake. Eien being the innocent troll he is teasing the two of them.
I hope you guys enjoyed the Beach part of the chapter, as that was to add a bit of fluff but ultimately I think I did a pretty SHIT job of it. If you look at it, and squint really hard, maybe you could fine some fluff in there, but its as clean as- gonna stop that sentence right there.
Eien's Dunkelheit Revival Spell Translation:
Rise and Fall, from heaven to hell and water to snow. Life fades from your eyes while Death beckons your admittance to the eternal shade of night. I command your return to life, as it is my will and shall not be disobeyed by any other force. Come back to life: Light weaving