Orion hated many things, being kept in the dark was one of them. Jaune had told him about what was being called the Four Kingdoms Summit, and how he was to be given amnesty for previous crimes. Vytal was to be the location where everything would happen.
Cinder had taught Orion many things about trust. The most important thing was never to trust a politician or anyone that worked under them. The Summit was to be held on a neutral ground, a floating island where all the issues of the kingdoms could be discussed.
The moment Orion, Jaune and Sun stepped foot onto the floating structure, Orion was placed under arrest. He could have easily decimated the dozens of machines that were there for him, but he willingly let himself be taken. He was relieved of Muramasa, his knife and his chain. He was placed in aura limiting handcuffs and was isolated from anyone else.
Jaune protested, much to Orion's surprise, but was met with indifference until the meeting began. There, the Four Kingdoms Summit began.
People would prefer to live a peaceful lie rather than a painful truth. That was the case with Chaos and Orion. The representatives of Atlas were steadfast in having Orion either executed for his crimes or sentenced to imprisonment
Jaune, other representatives of Vale, along with Weiss and Blake, argued against it.
" Madam Schnee, surely YOU of all people would want to see this man dead or imprisoned for his crimes. We have evidence that links him to not only the attack on Beacon but several other heinous crimes! Here, an assault of Atlas military depot, kidnapping, torture, the theft of military secrets, the destruction of said secrets along with the research, and even the cold-blooded MURDER of Atlas Huntsmen !"
Weiss, calm and collected, listened to every detail. She knew all of this, had experienced some of it firsthand, and even added onto some other charges. Many people thought that she and Jaune would agree to be against Orion, however, they stood firmly by their intentions.
" Atlas has many points, some which I remember too vividly. However, you all can't be so blinded by rage to not see that there is an even greater threat," Weiss snapped, throwing the Atlas representatives into disarray. " Vale managed to repel the largest Grimm invasion we've ever endured. We sustained minimal casualties, mostly in part to the efforts of Orion, Jaune and Sun."
" Notice," Jaune began." That while she said both me and Sun Wukong, she also mentioned Orion. Sun and I can't defeat Chaos on our own, without either one of us dying and the other being left unable to fight. We can't defeat Chaos without him, despite our past"
" Three of you? What makes you believe that the full might of the most powerful military force on Remnant isn't enough?"
" The fact that I've decimated an entire team of Huntsmen from your kingdom" Orion said. He had been kept in the center of the room, bound and with armed weapons trained on him at all times. " When I was captured, I took out a team of trained Huntsmen, a group Atlas soldiers, and soo much more. If that was the best of Atlas, Chaos would make complete trash out of your kingdom and this world."
A female representative, medium height and short black hair eyed down Orion. " You're not helping your case, Mister Flamesong."
Orion chuckled lightly as he rose to his feet, ignoring all the weapons trained on him. " I don't need to strengthen any case. Atlas would fall, Vacuo would fall, Mistral and Vale would fall as well. You Atlas higher-ups have always tried shoving your will onto others, hell you annoying shits started the First Great War! You aren't as powerful as you all believe. Case and point, these handcuffs that your kingdom designed."
Without a second thought, Orion overloaded his handcuffs. They exploded, becoming nothing scraps of burnt out scarp electronics and useless metals. All the robotic guards aimed down at him, but they went up in blue flames.
Orion walked over to the Atlas representatives, no one daring to cross him. He slammed a fist into their table, shattering it with ease.
" You just DON'T GET IT! Chaos can and will utterly destroy this world without a second thought. That Grimm horde that attacked Vale was the tip of the iceberg and we cant' be everywhere at once. Honestly, I allowed myself to be taken prisoner as a gesture of good will, but you don't seem to understand the gravity of the situation. So I'll say this nicely, work with us or stay out of my way."
Jaune and Weiss merely watched with slight amusement as blue flames gathered behind Orion, becoming evermore intense. To everyone else not personally familiar with him, he was the devil incarnate.
" I have things I want protect. In all honesty, I could care less what happens to any of the kingdoms, but I am obligated to defend them," Orion spoke, giving a quick glance towards Jaune. " I have people important to me in Vale, the deserts of Vacuo are my home, I have nothing against Mistral personally. Then there's Atlas, which I hate with a burning passion. However, one less kingdom means it's easier for Chaos to win should we lose. Either stand with the other kingdoms against Chaos, or don't. But I'm gonna warn you know, you're going to need every last bit of firepower to take me out if you try."
The flames receded, as Orion pointed to a nearby guard. " Give me back my blade, dickhead."
The soldier listened without a second glance as he gave Orion his sword, chain and knife without hesitation. When they were all in their respective places, Orion turned away from the Atlas table, the flames vanishing with him. Orion exited the building without resistance from anyone.
Silence was left in his wake, so Jaune cleared his throat to speak. " Now that that's taken care of, I'd like to move onto other matters, if you don't mind."
The meeting continued without protest from anyone.
Jaune's plan was utterly risky, but thanks to his warning, Orion and he were able to create an impromptu plan. More precisely, it was to bully Atlas into submission, which Orion was more than willing to do.
Orion, lurking in a tree on the outer regions of Vytal, opened his scroll smirking at the message he received from Jaune. It was simple, and needed only word to get the point across.
Vindication
Orion smiled lightly, and closed his scroll. A familiar bird placed itself on Orion's shoulder, blank red eyes looking back at him.
" Humans are strange, Flamesong. What a meaningless squabble you all place yourselves into, denying the presence of the greater threat."
" Whatever you say, Obliteration. You're a demon, I don't expect you to understand what it's like for human beings."
Obliteration cocked his head. " In my world, the strongest rule while the weak serve them. I was once the ruler of an army that rivaled that of the one Chaos possessed. Yet, you humans are strange, an enigma that no amount of omniscience can unravel. Tell, what do you plan to do after you defeat Chaos ?"
Orion smiled lightly, digging into his pocket. He pulled the same golden ring and stared at it thoughtfully. " Something that's been on my mind for a long time."
" A ring?"
Orion tucked the ring away, and rose to his feet. " Don't worry about things that don't concern you. I'd like a ride back to Vale, if you don't mind."
Obliteration hopped down from Orion's shoulder, onto the ground and grew in size. Orion jumped down onto Obliteration's back, and they ascended into the sky. They flew above the clouds, avoiding detection from anyone that would be looking for them.
" If I defeat Chaos, what'll you do?"
" As I told you, I acknowledge your potential. Time will see how we proceed."
" Are all of you demons so cryptic?"
" Yes," Obliteration spoke, not missing a step. " I shall warn you now, you're attachments will make it easier for Chaos to exploit what you value the most."
" And you know this how?"
" It is what I would do."
When Orion arrived back in Vale, he still hid himself. Despite the news that he was pardoned of all crimes, people still shot him glares, darted away from him or outright insulted him. Though it didn't bother him, he still felt the need to vent himself to Yang, who listened intently over a drink in her home.
" Oh don't be that way," she said hopefully. " It'll take some time for people to warm up to you. But at least it's a start. Mercury, Emerald and even Pyrrha are happy for you, for what it means for us."
He couldn't help, but smile at her. They enjoyed each other's company, despite what they had done in the past, as all that mattered was the future. The sky turned to a peaceful and serene orange as the sun began to fade.
Yang got up from her seat and made her way to the window, simply staring off into the fading day.
" It's beautiful."
Orion smiled in agreement, digging in his pocket. He thumbed the ring nervously, a bead of sweat on his forehead. He wiped it away quickly as he thought of words to say.
He had faced trained Huntsmen and Huntresses, Grimm, people that controlled demon and angelic powers, a demonic dragon and the right-hand of the most powerful threat Remnant had ever seen. All those, he met with enjoyment, but this was something that shook him to the core.
Mercury had given three words of advice for this scenario : Just Do It.
Biting his lip, he got up from his seat walked over to Yang, and lightly taking her hand in his. Yang looked at him in a mixture of confusion and anticipation.
" Yang Xiao Long, I have something I wanna ask you."
The angels wept when Sun had brought Naomi to them, they tears tears on the inside. They had to stand strong and focus.
In their home, Naomi would have been laid to rest in their family crypt, alongside their ancestors, the gem that held her spirit would be shattered. For angels could return to life after death. Their spirits, being more powerful than any, are able to condense themselves and continue to live on after their physical body's death.
However, there are reasons for angels to continue living through their gems. Some couldn't cope with the thought of dying a true death, or they sought to be of aid. Their gems would become apart of another angel's weapon, usually a trusted friend, or loved one.
Naomi, her consciousness still present, sought to be of aid to the humans against their struggle with Chaos..
" Sisters, please I choose to. Chaos is a threat and every advantage that can be gained MUST be used."
Amira placed Naomi's gem in the center of the Twilight Forge, listening intently alongside their other sisters.
" Amira, Serana, you two aren't arguing, which means you planned on something like this?" Naomi asked the two. Amira and Serana shared a forlorn look and nodded.
Nuri was outraged by this. " What do you two mean YOU PLANNED SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!"
Amira raised her hands, a gesture to ease her angered sister. All it did was make her more furious, yet she ceased speaking.
" I had planned to... I planned to use myself. I had hoped to use myself, forged into something for Serana to wield in order to aid against Chaos."
" And you neglected to TELL ME?! YOU BOTH KNEW AND YET I WAS LEFT IN THE DARK!?"
White flames began to form around Nuri, her rage becoming evident.
" We knew how you would react. You haven't changed since we were younger, you let your emotions get the better of you despite the solution at hand. Put your rage and childishness aside and focus on the reality of the situation at hand!"
" NO!" Nuri roared in anger. " I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU WOULD RESORT TO THIS!"
" Well believe it" Serana said with a terse tone. " This is the reality that we have to endure. I've seen what the lesser beings of Chaos are capable of. Sister, I love you and I would die for you, as we stand now WE CANNOT DEFEAT CHAOS WITH WHAT POWER WE HAVE NOW!"
" THEN WHO WOULD WIELD NAO-" Nuri's words caught in her throat. She knew the answer to the question she had planned to ask. " You plan to be wielded one of the three, not by one of your own family." There was pain in Nuri's words, as if she had been betrayed, and the knife of betrayal cut to deep for her to bear.
" They're the most capable people to draw out what power Naomi can't," Amira said a golden glow formed around her and Serana's hands. " This will be faster if you assist us."
Wordlessly, Nuri's hands began to glow as well. Naomi's gem levitated from the ground and began to glow with a brilliant golden shine.