A/N – Follows RWBY closely at first, may write my own plot further down as the OC develops.
Chapter 1 – Shadow Breaks Shadow
The imp swept at the floor, the dust and outside lining of the magic circle steadily dissolved. The tests had ended for the day and it was her turn to cleanup after all of the examinations had been finished. As for herself she had an average capacity for magic. Not too bad, not too poor so she would not find herself as a magic caster. Though something made her lavender hair stand up.
She was then stunned as magic rippled through the air. The core of the magic circle glowed now unbound with no containing line. 'Crap,' She thought to herself unable to shout for help. 'someone open the door and pull me out of here!' Without the outer line the spell was unbound. She could end up fried or blasted to magic power by the energy which now paralyzed her.
No one would enter the room in time though to save this imp from the circles draw. Pulled into the core of spell she was sent off. The next who entered reported the incident. Though the class would see no her, of that particular imp. They held a moment of silence once the details of incident surfaced.
For all demons were created in the image of the demon lord. All of them were given the potential for greatness and to see one kin suddenly depart was a tragedy. Nonetheless, her kin hoped she had survived and wherever she may have ended up would treat her nicely.
For they had one who could ascend to status of demon lord, if her talent were not kept in check. A new throne could be established, another domain created in the name of her lordship. That magic which was cast if done successfully would send the imp to a spot that would be somewhat safe. If not, she became a part of residual magic in air. A fate similar to a peaceful death.
…
The imp felt grass under her. She stood up unsteadily magic arched, dissipated between her horns. At least she could move now. The area was dim, though her vision was enhanced she could clearly see.
Wherever the imp has ended up she was alone. She sought to navigate to somewhere she could get her directions straight. Stepping across sprawled over branches, circumnavigating around patches of rough bramble and overgrowth. And eventually the imp broke through the shadows of the woods to a path. She glanced down either way.
Looking more closely the path seemed to be rarely used. One direction the path narrowed and the other way the route widened. There seemed to be trail as well from a small cart of some kind. "Hmm, paying attention during hunting classes paid off."
If this path was rarely used, then the present of a trail meant it had been relatively fresh. The imp went down the trail towards tapered end. "Ku~, I'll find someone down this trail and figure things out from there." She started slow and then started running down the trail, a bit impatient-
Though getting a visual on the ones heading up trail did not take long. The imp saw two female humans, one being pulled along by another. "They are young ones." She approached. The one with black heard the quiet steps of the imp and turned around. "Big sis, there is someone-" Then one pulling the little wagon stopped. "What?!" The yellow haired shouted a bit jumpy.
Jeez, the imp helda hand to her lip. Humans needed to keep an eye on their youths. "What are you doing out? Do you kids not not know that big monsters hunt in woods like these?" She teased as the little human in the wagon shrunk against the blonde one. "Yang-" She squeaked.
Yang as well knew that. They were out looking for clues though. "Ah-" Just as she went to raise her voice against the imp red eyes peered though woods. Grimm surrounded them as fear sunk in with the imp's simple statement of fact here. The imp perceptive, empathetic glanced around. The demon lord always had a saying for this, say it, and the nemesis will appear.
She just had to open her mouth. "Heh, what is this?" Several wolf like creatures stalked out from the woods. They had their eyes on the humans in the wagon, she could abandon them to their fate, as bait. Though that's not how demons rolled. Her cape which she donned for cleaning duties separated the young humans from the creatures.
One pounced forwards intent on barreling through the imp before them and tearing them to threads along with the humans. Though that wolf would not last, the magic which bound the shadow to the world was unwound by the imp as she grazed past the dissolving body. "Boorish magic, these creatures are barely of the darkness." She muttered to herself having broke the magic making up these creatures.
Convenient, the gasps of the humans behind her fueled the imps ego. The wolf behind one she dissolved swung wide towards the imps head. She ducked and placed a hand against the body that shadow become a mist with light press on her behalf.
"These creatures are so weak." She mused. The gasps of the human girls behind set her ego on fire as the imp went forwards and grasped two of the wolves with a push of her magic into them their intimidating pupils faded into dark mist. Though with hubris of the demons always came a fall, the fifth wolf slashed across her back the side. Nearly toppling the imp with one strike.
The magic resistant cape flew off revealing a black shirt on her frame. Blood trickled into the tattered clothes. "F*ck." That smarted, pain seared. Though she responded by grasping onto the claw as it pulled back, busting apart the last creature of shadow. She stumbled her frame threatened to fail.
Yet she endured and pulled herself together. She would not fall so easily after having just survived being blown through an unbounded magic gate. The bleeding stemmed and skin patched itself together, like new, as the imp cast basic regeneration on herself. Just in time for another human, an adult human this time. Grasping on air like they were out of breath. "Are these your kids?" She gestured to the cart.
"Yeah, kid, those kids are mine." The scruffy looking man scratched his chin. "And where are your parents?" He gave a sharp reply. The imp could not do much but give a wry smile. She walked towards the cart. Then crawled in and fell asleep by the black haired girl in a near instant.
The scuffy man sighed and then took his nieces plus some sort of odd faunus pickup back to the homestead the family had on Signal.
…
When the imp rose from her slumber she found herself in a comfortable bed in a homely room. And across from her was another man, one could say he was as just scruffy as the man from before, despite being slightly more tidied in comparison. The imp rose silently from her sheets stretching a bit.
Immediately after she noticed her torn uniform had been swapped out for a white dress. How kind of them she mused to preserve her slighted modesty after that slap from the wolf. Though she frowned at the missing black cape. Losing that would be unfortunate, there are few capes of that quality that resist magic. The clothing would be almost impossible to replace outside of the Demon Lord's academy.
The imp took a second to straighten herself out. Patting dust off her leg stockings, tightening her brown shoes up, adjusting her new white shirt, pulling her black skirt taut, and finally flipping her lavender hair out with a bit of charm magic applied overall. Just as the arch-imp would have her do every morning.
Her habit done she tapped on the man to stir him. The snoring giant did not wake that easily so she thought of something, she shook him like a daughter would shake their dad. And immediately he began to wake up slowly stretching. Then looking down at the imp with tired eyes.
"Hey there," his voice was heavy with sleep. "I heard from my daughters you save them beowolfs." He spoke and the imp nodded. "Is that true?" The man sat upright still tired after the events that had unfolded.
The imp shook her head. "Nah, I just got them out of a bit of pinch." She spoke sincerely, if she did not then the man would have to cast suspect her. Humans were not ones to easily believe something that did see or experience. He nodded.
The man gave a tired chuckle and smiled. "You must have been tired? I heard you passed out right away. And your clothes were torn when Crow pulled you in.." The imp gave a nod and smiled in return.
She lightly strode back and forth, her energy recovered after a short nap. "Hmm, I suppose you could say I tuckered myself out." Those wolves took some magic to shatter their build. That would not normally be an issue, though she also took a heavy wound in that encounter.
He got up from his seat and patted the imp between her horns. "So where are your parents? I'm sure they must be concerned for you." The imp shook her head. Her eyes down as she looked aside for an answer.
"I don't know." She said curt with a slight frown. The man shook his head. Then he walked to the window outside where the moon had began to set in the distance. The sun was about to break this morning and he gave another yawn.
Then the blonde haired man turned towards her. "What is your name?" He asked. Perhaps this would give him insight into the mysterious faunus. Though her head shake gave him pause.
"I do not have a name Mr." She answered looking up to the man in eyes. He tapped his foot against the floor and then gazed over her. There several possibilities floating.
Though in all likely hood this girl was a survivor and as faunus and in likely hood her family was not with her any more. "Lavender." He spoke. Naming the girl after her hair color. "Is it alright if I call Lavender?"
The imp thought on it for just a second. Humans sure do like to name everything that see. "Sure." She gave a curt response. A bit uncertain for once. The man got on his knee and got onto eye level with her.
"Lavender, I am Taiyang." He smiled. The imp, Lavender nodded and made a mental note to herself, Taiyang was his name. "Thank you, thank you very much for helping my daughters out there." His voice broke though the morning's fatigue. "I'll look into getting things sorted out for you Lavender."
Taiyang went to the door. "You can go back to sleep if you want to Lavender." The imp shook her head and went towards the door. "Alright you can do you." Inaction would not do, she could not get lazy so easily after arriving here. So Lavender went to help Taiyang with whatever tasks he would for the morning.
"Ku~, let me help out this morning." Lavender had some energy she needed to burn off now that found herself without her usual slate of tasks to work through.
A/N – R&R