Chapter-60
Tezcatlipoca, Ruby
Ruby found herself standing on a street.
"Another weird dream…" Ruby muttered with a groan as she looked around, but as expected, there was no one present…
…All except for one man in a trench coat and a cane, who was standing a few metres away from her.
"Good evening, young lady." The man spoke up. "Are you also out for a leisurely stroll?"
Ruby was about to respond, before she noticed the man's face.
Ruby blinked rapidly as she saw that the man's facial features were completely hidden by some sort of distortion.
M-Maybe it's just my brain being funky… Ruby thought, although she couldn't shake the feeling there was something weird about this man.
"Well, care to join me for a walk?" The man asked as Ruby scratched her head.
"O-Oh! Really?"
"Well, I don't see anyone else around. So why not?" The man spoke as Ruby twiddled with her fingers.
"Uh…okay…" She spoke.
Ruby! What are you doing?! Her mind screamed at her, but Ruby simply followed the man.
"So, young lady, I suppose you're a huntress, judging from your clothing and weapon?" The man asked as Ruby walked beside him.
"Um, yes sir. I am a huntress-in-training at Beacon Academy." Ruby replied.
"Oh, Beacon? Hasn't it been destroyed?"
"W-Well…yes, but it's being rebuilt. I'm doing my second year at Shade at the moment."
"I see. Me, I'm just a normal worker in a dust shop, nothing too big."
First of all, I'm dreaming, right? How am I having a conversation with this man like it's real life? Ruby thought.
But Ruby continued on.
"So, you work at a dust shop."
The man nodded. "Yes. But right now, things are a bit risky at the moment. There's a serial killer on the loose, you see."
Ruby's eyebrows rose. "A serial killer? In Mantle?"
"Yes, yes. Things like that have been going that in the past few weeks. Causing quite a trouble among the general populace."
"And the authorities aren't doing anything?"
The man shrugged. "They are. But they haven't been able to catch them yet."
Ruby looked down. "Oh. Do they have any idea who that serial killer is?"
The man was silent for a moment.
"I don't know. Maybe they do." The man replied as Ruby frowned.
"But I can tell what kind of person they are."
Ruby perked up.
"What kind of person?"
"Someone full of hatred. Someone with the mindset of a vigilante." The man replied.
"A vigilante?"
"Indeed. Speaking of which, what are your views on vigilantism, young lady?"
"Why this question?"
"Just to satisfy my curiosity. You are training to be a protector of the people, who will look up to you as a paragon of justice. I wish to know what your thoughts are on those like vigilantes?"
"I…" Ruby tried to speak up, but for some reason, she couldn't get exactly what answer she was supposed to give.
While Vigilantes usually had a reason for taking the law into their hands, they still behaved like criminals, right?
But then Ruby's mind went back to when she stopped Roman Torchwick at Dust Til' Dawn.
At that time, she'd rushed in out of a sense of catching the criminals and stopping them from harming the shopkeeper. A sense that someone needed help and she was the closest one who could do so. Even after Ms. Goodwitch caught her, Ruby didn't feel too ashamed of what she'd done, and Ozpin accepting her into Beacon Academy only made her even more proud.
…But over her first year, talking with the professors…Ruby slowly started seeing more and more that what she'd done that night was like that of a Vigilante…the same people she was just thinking of condemning moments ago.
Not to mention her own adventures with her team at Nepotain, Operation Night Raid, Mount Glenn…all of them could definitely be seen as vigilante activities, and Ozpin had repeatedly told her that he was the only reason she wasn't facing harsh consequences for her actions.
In the end, Dust Til' Dawn was the only time her vigilante activities had ever succeeded. Nepotain resulted in a shootout, Operation Night Raid saw her and her friends getting thrashed and being a burden to the adults overall…and Mount Glenn…
Ruby still remembered receiving the news of the Breach, an event that had shook her to her core, and saw her doubting in her ability to be able to carry out such missions like these.
Could she really condemn these vigilantes, when she had been one herself in Vale?
"Well, I didn't expect my question to cause such contemplation within you, young lady. My apologies." The man spoke up as Ruby looked down.
"...I-It's a little difficult for me to give the answer I'm looking for." Ruby spoke sadly.
"I see…well, when you really look at it, things are a lot more complicated than we think." The man spoke.
"Looking back at my life, I just realize that all the stuff we say about 'good' and 'bad'...they're just simplifications for our poor brains to comprehend the mess of meeting different people throughout our lives."
"..."
"Really, there are first those who have a rather idealized view of life, seeing it as just white…or just black."
"Which isn't true. If the world was just sunshine and rainbows, we wouldn't be having bad people." Ruby replied.
"Oh? And you think the world has good and bad things?"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah. There are some who commit terrible things, and those who do good things. That's how I see it. And it's the job of us huntsmen and huntresses to maintain order and make sure these terrible things don't get out of hand."
"Ah, but that is also an idealistic view. As I said, Good and bad are too simple of terms to capture the layered and multifaceted nature of a person's beliefs. Even when we say that 'good people have some bad in them' or 'bad people have some good in them', it still isn't able to capture the complex mess of beliefs and ideologies we carry in our hearts."
Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. "Really?"
"Even those who claim the world is grey are simplifying it. The way I see it…morality is just like the world around us." The man spoke gesturing around them.
"The buildings here are made of red brick, with white marble and transparent windows that shine with yellow light. The snow that falls in Solitas is white, which is contrasted with the dark brown color of the rocks as well as the ice, while the thunderstorms that rage above have purple lightning bolts light up the dark grey clouds."
"Through our eyes, we perceive so many colors around us. Is it not so that in the moral perspective, it is the same? There are colors that represent the beliefs and perspectives of people, which seem different but intermingle with each other. Someone who kills without a hint of remorse also laughs and jokes in some random tavern, and weeps in depression in their home. There can be businessmen who donate to orphanages and invest in children's education yet drive their parents out of jobs through aggressive business expansion and out of fear of strike, may even compensate poor workers."
Now, Ruby was having a little trouble wrapping her head around the man's speech.
"And even our serial killer here, they are made out to be a person with the darkest heart of all, filled with nothing but hatred and vengeance…"
"...But if you think about it, that person may have once been the kindest and most compassionate human being you'll find in the world. One who would even stoop down to do the lowest of labor simply to put a happy smile on the faces of those who are unable to do so themselves. People like that are often praised by those they help, treated like heroes, and in the process, it is forgotten that they too are vulnerable people who need some comfort to be able to continue striving for what they believe in."
"That is where the tragedy comes in. When a 'hero' falls from grace…and there is no one to pick them up or even tell them one kind word to let them know they care."
They then heard someone scream.
Ruby gasped. Someone was in trouble!
"Sorry!" She apologized as she immediately dashed to the source, which was a dark alleyway.
"Hey! What's going…on…" Ruby's voice died out when she saw the sight.
There was someone standing over a corpse, which was…
"Is that me?" Ruby spoke as she looked at herself, wearing the same outfit she'd worn on her first day to Beacon a year back, her silver eyes completely lifeless as a pool of blood formed around her bloodstained corpse.
Standing above her corpse was someone dressed in a black cloak with a hood covering their head. The person turned around to look at Ruby, who noticed their face was covered by the bone mask of a beowolf, which along with their cloak, dripped in blood.
Ruby's mouth fell open in horror as she stared at the cloaked figure, who looked back in silence.
A hand fell on her shoulder, as Ruby turned back to see the same man…except their face was distorted anymore.
Ruby's eyes widened as Cinder fall's face stared back at her with a smile.
"Remember one thing, Ruby Rose." She spoke, caressing Ruby's cheek.
"When a kind heart is broken by despair, it gives birth to a soul filled with vengeance and hatred."
"...!" Ruby sat up in her bed, looking around in confusion.
"Cinder again…" She muttered, putting a hand to her forehead.
Ruby then looked over at a clock and noticed it was still about 2:00 in the night. Weiss was still on her bed sleeping.
Ruby shook her head and lay back asleep.
Don't wake up this early, Ruby. You have a long day ahead of you today. She thought before closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep.
"Damn it!" Tezcatlipoca snapped as another bullet hit the wide off course of his target. He was holding a sniper and had gone out of Vacuo with EMIYA to practice shooting.
"Sir, I think you should start practicing with pistols in a smaller range. Your sniping is, forgive my rudeness, absolutely shit." EMIYA spoke from nearby.
"I know, I know! Just give me three minutes! Hand me some more bullets." Tezcatlipoca spoke as EMIYA sighed before handing him some more.
"Anyways, things have been quiet, haven't they?" He commented as EMIYA nodded.
"For the rest of Vernal, there was just patrols. After our altercation with Sigurd on the day he arrived, there hasn't been much."
"And are our men positioned in place?"
"Abi helped out during the preparation phase. They're all ready, and today, you can pretty much decide which road in Vacuo can be used and which can't."
"Cool. And do we have our sacrificial lamb prepared…GRK!" Tezcatlipoca grunted in frustration as another bullet missed the target.
"..."
"Sorry, sorry. Continue."
"Perseus and I went and caught someone appropriate for this occasion. They'll be perfect for the trigger."
"Good. In 2 hours, Vacuo is about to wake up to the festivities of Bāhram. Tell Perseus to gather everyone and brief them on the targets."
"Just to run it by you…our primary objective…?"
"No change in that." Tezcatlipoca spoke, before cursing as his bullet missed again.
"Got it. And Quetzalcoatl?"
"You know how it is. My job is managing this dry hellhole and holding Quetzalcoatl at bay. Lucky it's not Hummingbird, though."
"Really?"
"Really. I may have been worshipped as the god of war some times, but in the end, I'm more like a philosopher preaching about war. Huitzilopochtli's the real fighter in the end, and good luck if you ever run into that weed-smoking maniac."
"I…see. And what about the Hound?"
Tezcatlipoca shrugged. "Leave it be. That thing's only here for one person, and Salem claims he's the best for the job of hunting the little silver-eyed girl."
EMIYA nodded and turned to leave.
"Assassin?"
EMIYA stopped. "Yes?"
"I know you're not one for delving into the thinking and morality part when it comes to stuff like this…your morals are just getting whatever job assigned done."
"Indeed."
"So, what is your 'job'?"
"Hm?"
"I recognize the way you work. It's as if…you're prioritizing something else over this operation."
"That I am. It's related to my entire purpose for being summoned here."
"Really? Do tell."
"Well, I can assure you what we're doing is supposed to be my main mission…but my highest priority is tying up a loose end."
"I see. Alright then, off you go! We've got a big day ahead of us…HOLY SHIT!" Tezcatlipoca screamed.
"Sir?"
"Bullseye!" He exclaimed as EMIYA looked at his binoculars to notice that Tezcatlipoca's latest bullet had indeed struck the center of the target.
"Congratulations, in that case."
"WOOHOO! This is a great sign, EMIYA!" Tezcatlipoca exclaimed, getting up. "Things are going to get really spicy today!"
Tezcatlipoca then picked up his scroll and called on it.
"Yo, Tez." The God of Atlas' voice came from the other side.
"Get them ready. It's finally here!" Tezcatlipoca spoke.
"Oh? You're all set."
"That I am."
"Gotcha. Atlas over here's been quiet. Stir a little chaos and I'll make sure Jimmy makes his big screw-up."
"And when are you coming?"
"...I don't know." The God of Atlas replied, although Tezcatlipoca could feel their smirk coming from the other line.
"Hiding stuff again, you slippery bastard? Alright then, I'll be waiting to cave your skull in with a Macuahuitl when you show your face here."
The God of Atlas laughed.
"Traditional weapons? I thought you were more willing to shoot me with a gun? But oh wait, you suck at shooting, so I shouldn't be worried."
Tezcatlipoca kept smiling, hiding the slight bristle he felt at the insult.
"Just get over here you, idiot."
"Alright then, Tez. Keep practicing, maybe one day you'll actually hit someone." The God of Atlas replied before hanging up.
"Gosh, I hate that jerk." Tezcatlipoca grumbled. The God of Atlas is pretty much the living embodiment of everything he hates, but he somehow manages to jell well with the guy.
He was annoying back in the South American Lostbelt, he'll be annoying here as well. He thought.
Tezcatlipoca called another scroll.
"Taurus?"
"Yes, Mr. Tez?" Adam Taurus' voice came from the other side.
"You coming to Bāhram?"
"Hm, you've been running my men ragged in the past month for your 'grand plan'. Is this it?"
"Is this it? Taurus, this is just us getting started. We still have a really long way to go if we're going to see through our plans to the end."
"And this won't be another Beacon?"
"No, no! I'm not going to be like Prometheus and try to burn down Shade. Shade is going to be important."
"Tch. Then alright."
Tezcatlipoca nodded before hanging up.
"Now, EMIYA, go. Give me some time to myself." He spoke as EMIYA nodded before leaving.
Tezcatlipoca sighed as he sat up and looked at the night sky.
"Haaa…It's only darker than it was back during Ocelotonatiuh." He muttered, his expression turning serious.
Tezcatlipoca's hand went to his left leg and pulled up his leather jeans.
Instead of a leg of flesh, there was just a leg made of obsidian, his face reflecting off its surface.
One of the names of Tezcatlipoca was Tloque Nahuaque, the Lord of the Near and Nigh, who cared about what happens now, not what happened then or what will happen.
And of course, that became his undoing.
Back then, Cipactli carried an entire world in its womb, full of life, from all the power she consumed from the Heavens whenever they tried to shape the world below them. If you looked inside Cipactli's stomach, you would find a massive rainforest full of creatures nourished by whatever ether Cipactli consumed with it's maw. Outside, was just an endless ocean…with Mictlantecuhtli residing in Mictlan, and Ometecuhtli and his family residing in Ōmeyōcān.
Him and Quetzalcoatl had once descended from Ōmeyōcān to observe Cipactli. Both of them were young, and they wanted to see the chaos monster that even their parents were wary of. They came down and kept their distance…and in that moment, he'd seen Cipactli's stomach.
Tezcatlipoca could never forget his awe and wonder at the lush rainforests he saw, with enormous trees that dwarfed anything that could be found on the planet at that time, with Cipactli's heart serving as the forest's sun that lit it up. Seeing such a beautiful world hidden in the stomach of a hideous monster made him think:
Such a shame. Why can't we bring this world outside for everyone to enjoy?
Quetzalcoatl was also of the same opinion, when she'd seen Cipactli's stomach, and that sight stuck in both their minds.
"Heh, now I wonder… Tezcatlipoca muttered.
"Maybe our differences in opinion started much longer than we thought.
He could remember Quetzalcoatl excitedly telling him about all the possibility she imagined about bring the world out of Cipactli's stomach and shaping it into something like their home in Ōmeyōcān…
…Only to fall silent when Tezcatlipoca pointed out the obvious problem of Cipactli.
Sister sometimes gets so engrossed about the future that she ignores the present, like how I got engrossed in the present and ignored the future. Tezcatlipoca thought.
He was the one who made the plan of luring Cipactli with his leg.
He could feel the phantom pains of when Cipactli's sharp teeth tore into his leg and ripped it clean off, while he winced as he looked at the stump where his leg was.
Quetzalcoatl had told him that if they were to destroy Cipactli and create the world from its body, they would need a star to light it, as Cipactli's core would cease to function with its death.
He and Quetzalcoatl had decided that after Cipactli's death, he would become the star that would shine light upon this new world, his Malla cells using his divine core to emit the natural light produced by a star. But to become a sun, they would have needed to sacrifice their entire self to morph into the sun, because the Malla in them need the entire body to be able to replicate the complex structure of a celestial star that could burn with enough heat and light to sustain life in the world. Not to mention that none of their divine cores could match the energy output of Cipactli's heart, so their entire self was required to be able to match Cipactli's celestial heart.
If even a single body part was cut off, the Malla would be numerically insufficient to replicate the structure of a star, and would be unable to fully harness the divine core to be able to produce ideal heat and light conditions.
That was something Quetzalcoatl brought up, but at that time, he'd said:
"Oh don't worry, sister. We'll just have to make do with whatever we have. We'll still be able to support life, right?"
Back then, he'd realized that Quetzalcoatl was right. He would never see
And so, he lost his leg, allowing his siblings to trap Cipactli, cut its body open, lay it upon the wasteland to create a massive rainforest that would serve as their new world, with the World Tree at its center stitching it together with Mictlan and Ōmeyōcān to serve as its backbone. Even the Amazon rainforest paled in comparison to the Primordial
He ascended as Ocelotonaiuth, the Jaguar Sun, and the first humanity, Homo Gigantes, was created, all being the size of giants to be able to adapt to the enormous nature of their environment.
Ocelotonatiuh, as Quetzalcoatl predicted, was unable to provide the required heat and light conditions…and as a result, Nahui Ocelotl's flora and fauna had reduced lifespans, including humans.
But of course, Tezcatlipoca wasn't concerned about that. Death and Destruction were things that were a part of the world they lived in. So what if the lifespans were shortened? As long as they existed, no matter how short their live were, things would be fine, right?
The humans even had begun worshipping him, erecting shrines in his honour, praying that he continued giving them the means to survive. Those times…were the happiest he'd ever been.
Tezcatlipoca then scowled.
But of course Birdie had to go ruin all of that. He thought.
After all that he'd done, all the sacrifices he made, Quetzalcoatl cast him aside like he was some sort of monster. There was no gratitude, no care for that he had decided to let go of his dreams for the world.
No. She'd regarded him as a villain who did not care about the world.
Tezcatlipoca shook his head.
I can't believe how different I was at that time. Tezcatlipoca thought, remembering his younger self boiling with hatred when he was cast down from the sky.
It'd taken the destruction of four suns before he finally calmed down and decided his time was better spent being a responsible deity to the current humanity.
That…was the event that set him straight, turning him from the vengeful god he once was to the Tloque Nahuaque.
But well, he was in a different world.
And what is the Rainforest I see now? Tezcatlipoca thought before his hands glowed dark blue as he clutched his obsidian mirror.
Immediately his landscape changed to a bustling city built upon wetlands fed with cool and fresh water from a lake and surrounded by bountiful rainforests with the most fertile soil on the planet.
A soft smile formed on his face.
"There. There's that rainforest I see now." He spoke, before the landscape changed back to Vacuo's desert as he looked at Vacuo in the distance.
"Ah, Vacuo. You'll be caked in blood and tears very soon. In this year, your lands will be splattered by the blood of your people." Tezcatlipoca spoke.
"But this is nothing new…I've seen your history. I've seen your struggles."
Tezcatlipoca got up as a breeze blew through his hair.
"...What happens next is merely a small sacrifice you must offer to me. After that…"
"...I will grant you the peaceful rest you should have gotten centuries ago."
"Good morning!" Brun greeted, as Team RWBY came down the stairs.
"Good morning, Brun!" Ruby spoke as Weiss, Blake and Yang made their wishes as well.
Outside, they could hear a voice coming from some sort of megaphone.
"That's ancient Vacuan." Weiss observed as Brun nodded.
"It's Bahrām. All our festivities begin with a reciting of the Safrnama, the legendary account of Malik and his people's journey to find the promised land that led to him slaying Asag."
"Woah…But they do it in Valeian?" Ruby asked.
"Ruby…" Weiss spoke exasperatedly.
"What don't give me that look as if I asked a dumb question!"
"You did ask one."
"Well, there are Valeian translations in Atlas' Wotan Library and Vale's national library as well. You could check them out."
"Cool! I'll go find one, then!" Ruby spoke.
"In case you haven't noticed, Brun, Ruby's got an obsession with tales about heroes." Yang spoke as Brun laughed.
"That's so sweet. I'll see if I can find something to give you."
Blake smiled. "Shade academy's festivities are going to start soon. We need to get our breakfast done quick if we're going to get there."
"How's Chandni?" Ruby asked.
Chandni was the name of the baby she found on the doorstep. After she was found, Ruby and Brun tried to find her parents, before finding out that they'd apparently been murdered.
After that, of course, Brun called her husband and got his permission to adopt the child, so…she was now a part of the household. It was decided her name would be Chandni, since that meant 'silver' because Chandni really liked it when Ruby had her silver eyes light up.
"She's still sleeping, I think she really likes listening to your stories last night, Ruby."
"Good job, mom." Yang spoke, chuckling as Ruby turned red with embarrassment before she lunged at her sister.
"Come here, you!" She yelled, trying to get Yang into a chokehold while Yang tried to pry her off.
"Shh!" Brun spoke before pointing to a cot where Chandni slept.
"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed, shutting her mouth, before slowly walking over to Chandni's cot.
Chandni's eyes had opened, and her face was scrunching up.
"...!" Ruby's eyes started glowing a soft silver light as Chandni calmed down.
Ruby let out a sigh of relief before she grinned. "Good morning, sleeping beauty!" She spoke, tickling Chandni's nose as Chandni giggled.
"She really, really likes you, Ruby." Brun spoke with a smile before Zar turned up at the door.
"Good morning, Ammi!" He exclaimed happily as Brun looked at him.
"Oh, hello, Zar! Happy Bahrām!" Brun greeted.
"Happy Bahrām, Ammi!" Zar replied, before yelping as Ruby suddenly appeared beside him.
"Yo, Zar! I was just waiting for you!" Ruby spoke happily as she wrapped her arm around his neck.
"H-Hello, Ms. Ruby…" Zar gagged out under Ruby's chokehold.
"Excited?" She asked.
"Oh, absolutely! Me and my friends in the street have a lot of pranks planned today!" He exclaimed with a grin.
"Ooh, ooh! What is it?" Ruby whispered.
Zar looked at Weiss, who was talking to Brun.
"We're going to pelt the Schnee with water balloons." He whispered, as Ruby stared at him.
"..."
"Uh…"
"When?" She asked seriously as Zar perked up.
"You're in?"
"Heck yeah I am. Weiss has been an ice queen for the past few days. We need some ammunition to get her, don't we?" Ruby spoke as she and Zar shared mischievous grins.
"Ok, Shade academy's gate. Afternoon." Zar spoke.
"You got it." Ruby spoke with a wink as she and Zar shared a high-five before he left.
"What were you discussing with Zar?" Blake asked, stepping next to Ruby, the two of them walking out of the house and leaning against its walls, looking at the street, with the hum of the recitation of Safrnama ringing in the air.
"Buddy stuff." Ruby spoke, shrugging.
"It involves Weiss." She spoke as Blake shook her head.
"Honestly, after your talk with Russell, I can't decide if you've matured or haven't."
Ruby smiled. "Come on, Blake. I may not be the wide-eyed girl I was a year back, but I'm not grouchy like Weiss. I still feel like having fun once in a while."
Blake shook her head. "Honestly…that's great, seeing you like this after…"
Ruby sighed. "...After Cinder, I know."
"..."
"Blake?" She asked as Blake looked at her.
"When you were in the White Fang…did you kill people?"
"..."
"I-I, know it's a stupid question, of course you must have…"
"I didn't." Blake spoke as Ruby stared at her in surprise.
"Not even once?"
"No. Although, my time as a white fang operative was quite limited, so I guess I got out before I ever got the choice."
"..."
"But Adam did. He never told me, but he was practically raised like a killing machine by a tough mentor. He has less reservations about killing like I do. As much as I believe my father's pacifist methods are not doing much, I wouldn't want to go so far as to ever commit…murder."
"..."
"The scary part is…I came close to doing something like that, one day."
"Really? When did this happen?"
"It happened just after I ran away from Adam in Forever Fall. I didn't talk about it because it was perhaps the lowest point of my life."
"Because you didn't know where to go?" Ruby asked quietly.
"Of course. I'd already abandoned my father's ways by then, and Adam…had fallen into his vengeance. And then, I just…I was confused. Confused as to how I was going to achieve the goals for which I lived my life."
"And so, in that state, I found a human beating up a young faunus boy in Vale, for stealing from him."
Ruby's eyes softened. "..."
"The boy was Adam's age when I first met him. And…my own anger over Adam…I attacked the man."
"Despite his build, he didn't have aura. I was stronger and faster than him, and within moments had him pinned to the wall, with Gambol Shroud's barrel pressed against his forehead."
"The man had lost all of his rage and pleaded to me, blubbering as my finger hovered over the trigger."
Blake gulped.
"And up till that moment…I truly intended to put him down. Put down the scumbag for what he had done to the boy."
"And you…were stopped?"
"The boy worked for the man. He tried to tackle me, but I…kicked him away."
Blake sighed. "At that moment, my anger vanished. The faunus trying to protect the human who was beating him only moments before and staring at me as if I was the bad guy, the sheer absurdity of it completely flipped my emotions upside down…and I let the man go, not sure what to feel."
"..."
"If that boy hadn't interfered, I would have shot the man dead." Blake spoke looking at Ruby.
"Except…nobody ever stopped you when you raised Pyrrha's rifle.
Ruby looked away. "...I couldn't afford to lose Yang."
"Don't be. I would do the same in your position. Like I was driven by anger, you were driven by fear, so…I would killed Cinder if she were going to take Ilia's life."
"Yeah, and…" Ruby frowned.
"Wait a minute. Ilia?" She asked in confusion as Blake's eyes widened.
"Oh…I guess I never really told you, did I?" Blake spoke. "She…was perhaps my closest friend after Adam."
"...Was she…?"
Blake furrowed her eyebrows. "Ilia was about as passionate as me about faunus rights, and we were quite a team. She too shared my frustration about my father's methods."
"What happened to her?"
Blake was silent. "..."
Ruby put her hands on her hips. "...She stayed, didn't she?"
"Transferred before I left."
"To where?" Ruby asked as Blake remained silent.
"Blake…where?" She asked softly.
Blake's jaw clenched. "...Vacuo."
Ruby's eyes widened. "Wait a minute…but that means…"
"She's somewhere in this city, Ruby. I've known that since we learnt we were transferring to Shade." Blake spoke rather coldly.
"...So you're afraid?" Ruby asked.
"Afraid?... I suppose you could say that."
Ruby smiled, and punched her arm. "Don't worry, Blakey. I'll kick her butt if she tries anything."
Blake snorted. "...I see. Well, this sort of shifted from you talking about your problems to me about mine."
"Hehe." Ruby spoke. "I was just curious."
"And now that I've answered, what do you think?"
"Yeah…" Ruby spoke. "You know what? Let's go back in." She spoke as they turned back.
"What time is Mr. Beech coming?" Yang asked.
"Well…Mr. Beech, actually isn't able to." Brun spoke with a smile.
"Whaaaaat?" Ruby spoke with a groan. "Then who's coming to pick us up?"
Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door.
"...I think they've come." Brun spoke before rushing to the door and opening it to see…
Ruby gasped.
"Grandma!" She exclaimed in joy as Maria Calavera stood smiling at the doorway.
"Hey, there, Rosebud." She spoke.
"You're coming to pick us up?" Ruby asked in confusion as Maria nodded.
"Of course I am! I originally was from Vacuo, remember? And Bahrām's a major festival of this year. I've got lots and lots to show you youngsters around!"
"I was very surprised to know of your relation with Ms. Calavera, considering how famous she is here in Vacuo."
"She's like me, in a way." Maria spoke. "Anyways, get your breakfast done, we're leaving soon!"
Later, RWBY and Maria got into a car that was apparently sent by Shade.
"Where to, Ms. Calavera?" The driver asked.
"Kurush Bazar first. After that, El Castillo de Asture. You can drop at us at Shade Academy after that."
"Got it."
The car then took off.
"Alrighty kids, if you want to start off your Bahrām with a bang, go to Kurush bazar first thing of the day."
"Why's that?" Yang asked.
"It's just a blast, and you've got shopkeepers giving discounts on their wares. You know what? You'll see when you get there."
The streets were clogged with traffic, so it took them a long time to get there. On the streets, Ruby saw people moving about in orange clothing. On random spots in the street, she also noticed people sitting on chairs, laughing and joking with each as they consumed some sort of alcohol.
As they passed by houses, Ruby noticed children running around with sweets in their hands, knocking on the doors to hand the sweets to the people sitting inside. She even noticed faunuses among them.
"Woah…they're a lot more casual towards faunuses than in Vale." Weiss spoke, as Ruby remembered Clan Humanitas and the White Fang clashes in Vale after the Nepotain shootout.
"Vacuo is the most liberal kingdom when it comes to faunus rights, Ruby. Faunuses accepted here with very little prejudice from their human neighbours, and on Bahrām…racism is often a rare occasion."
"How do you know that?" Ruby asked in wonder.
"Menagerie celebrates Bahrām as well, in homage to Vacuans for treating faunuskind so well." Blake replied.
"Alright, we're here!" Maria spoke as the car stopped at a street, and the huntresses got down.
"We're going to be walking from here." Maria spoke as the group of five walked through the streets into Kurush bazar, which was packed with stalls of people selling their wares as musicians sat in corners singing.
Weiss looked around. "Um…this doesn't look…"
"Don't worry about that. You'll definitely get some nasty looks and a few insults, but no one is going to be crazy enough to assault you, Schnee." Maria spoke as Weiss nodded uneasily.
As they walked through, the girls marvelled at the sights, which seemed so lively compared to the Vytal festival in Vale.
As they walked through, Ruby looked at Maria, who was staring longingly at the sights in the market.
"You're looking…wistful, grandma." She whispered as Maria perked up.
"Hm?"
"I said you're looking wistful, grandma."
"...Oh, that I am." She spoke with a sigh. "And for good reason."
Ruby tilted her head.
"What is it?"
"A story for later. For now, just keep on walking."
Soon, they split off as Ruby began walking through the bazar, enamoured. She was so distracted that she bumped into someone.
"Oh! I'm…" Ruby gasped as she noticed who was there.
Tezcatlipoca grinned. "Why hey there, red. Enjoying Bahrām?" He asked as Ruby stepped away.
"Y-You!" She spoke, her hand going to Crescent Rose before she stopped.
"...Good. You remembered." Tezcatlipoca spoke. "So, how's stuff been going in the past month?"
Ruby frowned. "Well…okay. The Shade students are jerks."
Over the month, her team had gotten quite a few run-ins with the Shade students, who've harrowed them every step of the way, and they've usually settled it out in the ring. The Shade students may be tough, but compared to Sigurd's speed and power, they might as well be nothing.
Really, it's almost scary how strong Professor Sigurd is. Ruby thought. Even when she compared him with the other servants, the only one who's been able to match him so far has been Quetzalcoatl, who's apparently a goddess or something that's even stronger than him.
Tezcatlipoca laughed. "Well, you can't blame them. They live in a shithole of a country and they try to cope with it by being strong. That's how their mentality is."
"..."
"But anyways…even that can't fully hold back the discontent." Tezcatlipoca spoke. "You've seen it. You've seen the underlying sadness."
Ruby frowned, thinking of the elders who lived in the neighbourhood and their evening meetings talking and reflecting about their lives.
"They all say they're 'tough', but deep inside, many of them feel saddened by the state of their home. If you told some outsider that this and the floating city of Atlas lived in the same world, they'd be flabbergasted."
"Where are you going with this?"
"I'm just repeating what I said last time. Your fight is not with me. It'll be with Vacuo itself."
Ruby looked at him confused.
"No need to figure it out." Tezcatlipoca spoke putting a hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"Tonight, you're going to know exactly what I mean."
Ruby's eyes widened.
Is he planning something? Ruby thought.
"Don't tell your friends. I want this to be kept between you and me." Tezcatlipoca spoke taking Ruby into an alley.
Ruby glared at him. "And why should I listen to you? I should go straight to the headmaster and…" Ruby stopped as something touched her cheek.
It was some sort of spear, but with a wooden shaft and a club-like head with obsidian spikes lining it.
"...Because you've got no choice." Tezcatlipoca spoke, as Ruby felt the cold obsidian of the spear press against her cheek.
"This little thing here is called a Tepoztopilli, a spear used by the Méxica Aztec army when they went to wage war on an Altepetl. It's not as well known as the Macuahuitl, but it can get the job done. It's range makes it a great use for the more inexperienced soldiers who're slightly afraid of engaging the enemy in close combat, before they start using the macuahuitl as they get more experienced. But for the time being, you stab, jab or smash it against your enemy, and the obsidian will shatter and embed its shards into their body to cause internal bleeding."
"..."
"I heard you once got hit by ice shards from a Tröll during your initiation at Beacon? Well, you're going to be in even more pain when this thing's obsidian shatters and sends its shards digging into your body."
Tezcatlipoca leaned towards Ruby's face.
"Do note I am a god. My colleagues want you dead, and you're only alive so far because of me. I have my own goals to achieve, but I'll happily set them aside if you don't cooperate."
Ruby gulped, as the tepoztopilli moved away from her cheek.
"Plus, things are going to be different. The burden you carry in your heart…it'll only grow the more you cooperate with Theodore and less with your own sense of right and wrong."
Ruby looked down. What did he mean by not cooperating with Headmaster Theodore?
"Well…I'll put it in much simpler terms. Tell Theodore…and a lot of people are going to die."
"W-What?!"
"Whatever happens, there will be casualties tonight, Little red. But the thing is…those casualties will vary on the amount, depending on whether you go tell Theodore or not."
Ruby froze up. "I-I…"
"Don't think about that whole 'I'll save them all' mindset. Trust me, you won't."
"You don't know that."
"Don't need to. I've been around here longer than you. I can read the atmosphere better than you. And trust me…after tonight, you're going to have to choose whether to be a hero of Vacuo…or an outcast thrown out by the city's displeasure."
"...Why are you telling me this?"
"Now…the reason…is that you've been chosen, Ruby." Tezcatlipoca spoke.
"For…what?"
"Fun stuff. I'll elaborate when I think I can keep you under my list of candidates." Tezcatlipoca spoke, lazily resting his tepoztopilli against his shoulder.
"After all, us Aztecs value information and communication as the most important aspect of a war. Plus, after today, your time of frolicking happily is going to end, and you're really going to see the mess Ozpin and Salem have cooked up here."
Tezcatlipoca then turned.
"One last thing. When you are no longer welcome in this city, head north to the Jungle, and survive the trials you face along the way, and then I'll put you to my final test."
"And…after that?"
Tezcatlipoca grinned. "Again…I'll teach you with a lesson you'll remember for the rest of your life. That is…if you don't die."
Ruby blinked.
Teach me a lesson? Is this guy trying to kill me or not? Ruby thought.
"Anyways," Tezcatlipoca spoke ruffling Ruby's hair. "Enjoy the day. This may be the last time we meet face-to-face."
"What?"
"I'll meet you again in the jungle of Aztlán when the star of Ocelotonatiuh hits its peak." Tezcatlipoca spoke before waving and disappearing, leaving Ruby alone.
I…I'm scared. Ruby thought. Now, she couldn't shake of the cold dread in her stomach.
"Something's about to go wrong." Ruby muttered.
She needed to inform everyone…
…Or should she?
Tezcatlipoca already threatened her against doing that.
Grr, what should I do?! Ruby thought, before she dialled her scroll.
"Hello?" Headmaster Ozpin's voice came on the other side.
"Headmaster, it's me, Ruby." Ruby spoke.
"...Is the crown secure?"
"...It is."
"Alright then. What is it, Ruby?"
"Do you trust Theodore, Headmaster Ozpin?" Ruby asked.
"..."
"Ozpin?"
"I do, Ruby. If you're afraid that he'll not help, squash those worries. Theodore may not be as cooperative as James, but he has not intentions of letting the enemy gain any leeway. Is there something wrong?"
"...No. Thank you." Ruby spoke before hanging off.
Ruby then dialled Theodore's number and stared at it.
Tezcatlipoca's warning went through her mind.
If I tell him, he says more people are going to die. But he is going to launch an attack tonight! Ruby thought frantically.
She lost sight of her surroundings as she stared at the scroll.
What if she didn't tell Theodore and still tried to stop Tezcatlipoca?
No. I'm not going to commit last year's mistakes. Ruby thought sternly. She'd seen a lot of times what had happened whenever she tried to do things by herself with her friends.
And with servants back at their original power, things will be even worse for us. Ruby thought, immediately ejecting that idea out of her mind.
Ruby shook her head.
What do I do?
What do I do?
What do I…Oh blast it! Ruby thought. She can't think of anything.
Ruby's hand fell to her forehead as she felt the stress slowly getting to her.
She wasn't going to simply stand by and let Tezcatlipoca do whatever he was about to do. She needed to act.
If not for Tezcatlipoca's warning, she would have…
Gah! I should just tell Theodore. Ruby thought.
Yes, that should be good. Theodore had powerful servants with him, and if she alerted everyone, she could avert Tezcatlipoca's designs.
Whatever Tezcatlipoca's planning, I'm sure we'll be able to avert it if everyone was warned. Ruby thought.
She couldn't simply weigh lives like that.
She didn't have the courage or the will to do that.
She couldn't break her promise to Tulip.
An image of Cinder's corpse appeared in her mind as Ruby took in a gasp.
I have weighed lives before. A part of her mind whispered.
"Shut up…" Ruby whispered. Cinder was desperation. There was no other choice but to…
How do I know this isn't like that? Her mind whispered again.
"Shut up!" Ruby snapped, before sighing as she tried to rein in her mind.
Stop worrying, Ruby. We'll get through this together. She thought.
"We'll get through this together…" Ruby repeated before she closed her eyes and pressed the call button.
"...Hello?"
"Headmaster…I just received some news."
That evening, Shade Academy was bustling with people, as it had opened its doors for Bahrām. Like Kurush bazar, Ruby could see people had set up stalls, and students and teachers were walking about, laughing.
But…things were not as calm as in where Ruby was standing. She, her team and Maria were standing with Sigurd and Quetzalcoatl, two of the strongest servants who Theodore had appointed to watch over the night festival.
Quetzalcoatl had a scowl on her face.
"...It's going to be fine, right?" Yang asked.
"Probably not. We're scattered, and have lesser numbers. We only have strength and power on our side. And even then…my brother's always worked under disadvantageous conditions." Quetzalcoatl spoke.
Sigurd's mask scanned the people going in. "We've set up a bounded field with Nitocris' hieroglyphs and my runes. It hasn't detected any servants so far."
"And how effective is this bounded field?" Blake asked.
"To the point even Assassins wouldn't be able to get past with their presence concealment. Besides, we have our own assassin monitoring the perimeter." Sigurd spoke, pointing at Jack, who was hopping around Shade's walls.
"Robin and Tristan are not reporting any large scale movement within the gang areas. The gangs are silent and quiet, not making a move with all the huntsmen moving about, although they have destroyed some golems that randomly appeared."
"Golems?" Weiss asked.
"Humanoid giants made of different materials made with thaumuturgy meant to emulate the miracle of the Hebrew God creating mankind. Robin says the quality of the golems is the work of a Kabbalist Magus."
"And is that…bad?" Weiss asked.
"Very. On Earth, Kabbalists are considered the master specialists of the art of making Golems, being capable of creating humanoid golems with their mystic arts. Sometimes you couldn't even make out the difference between a human and a Kabbalist Golem."
Ruby shivered.
"But rest assured. Things should be fine here. Shade Academy is removed from politics and essential to the kingdom's defense. The Crown shouldn't be mad enough to attack Shade itself." Sigurd spoke. "...At least, that's what Theodore says."
"O-Okay." Ruby spoke, not liking it one bit.
"For now, keep an eye out. Councilman Abi is about to give his opening address to the audience in the entrance." Sigurd spoke, pointing to Councilman Abi, a tall dark-skinned middle aged man standing on a podium at the top of the staircase leading into Shade's entrance, with the audience of students, huntsmen and common people standing in front of him.
Quetzalcoatl crossed her arms and walked off.
Soon, Theodore called for everyone's attention as people turned to the stage, where Theodore welcomed Councilman Abi. Although they smiled and shook hands, Ruby could see the tension in the air among the huntsmen.
Councilman Abi was a known Royalist, one who was suspected of making financial donations to the Crown's activities, which did not make him much of a popular figure among Vacuo's Huntsman's Association. They couldn't do anything on the occasion of Bahrām, but Ruby still did not feel well.
What if Tezcatlipoca's plan involves the councilman? Ruby thought, as a bead of sweat went down the side of her head, while Councilman Abi began his address, wishing everyone on the occasion as he talked about Vacuo's proud history under the monarchy.
As she listened, Ruby started growing more suspicious. The more she thought, the more it seemed valid the councilman was involved somehow.
"Stop." A huntsman spoke, as a truck stopped in front of Castello De Asture.
Robin had his eyes narrowed. He already did not feel well about this being his assigned post, with Castello De Asture being a pretty strong Royalist symbol, where he'd caught a number of people hiding in the hallways discussing seditious topics.
Though I don't really know if I have any right to judge people for rebellious behavior. Robin thought shaking his head as the huntsman walked up to the truck.
"Open it." He spoke as the driver went to open it.
"Hm…" Jack hummed, looking down at the gathered audience below.
"So many people…" She muttered before looking around and spotting something shine.
Jack narrowed her eyes before gasping as she noticed someone holding a sniper aimed at the Councilman from a rooftop.
Jack put up her hood and jumped off, moving through like a dark shape under the shadows of the buildings as she moved towards the sniper.
Jack turned into spirit form as she entered the house on which the sniper was, bounding up the stairs before looking up at the rooftop.
There! Jack thought as she phased through the rooftop, jumping up behind the sniper who was still holding their rifle.
Jack brought her knife down, only for it to collide with the sniper's own knife that they pulled out as the jumped up.
"Got you." The sniper spoke coldly as Jack's eyes widened.
Quetzalcoatl felt the malla within her body detect a familiar bio-signal.
…He's here. Quetzalcoatl thought as she noticed her brother, moving silently through the crowds with a smug smirk on his face.
She noticed Sigurd perk up in the distance, along with Nitocris as well as they started moving in, but she was the closest to him.
Quetzalcoatl moved towards Tezcatlipoca until she stood right in front of him.
Tezcatlipoca's face immediately shifted into a frown as he and Quetzalcoatl stared at each other."
"...Xoco." Tezcatlipoca greeted.
"Āchcāuhtli." Quetzalcoatl responded as the two of them faced each other.
Tezcatlipoca looked up at the night sky. "...Well, looks like we're in my domain right now. Pretty disadvantageous, no?"
Quetzalcoatl smiled. "Not that I would care about that." She spoke as Tezcatlipoca chuckled.
"Of course not. With how bone-headed you are, Birdie, you'd probably pull out a Macuahuitl and try to cave my skull in right here and now."
"...And you would pull out a Tepoztopillil and try to impale my chest to rip out my heart." Quetzalcoatl responded.
The two stared at each other before they grinned viciously, Quetzalcoatl's mouth giving way to her reptilian teeth while Tezcatlipoca's mouth had jaguar fangs in them.
"...Ah, sometimes I wonder whether Cipactli's savage spirit lives on in our blood." Tezcatlipcoa spoke, clearly excited at the prospect of mutilating his sister.
"Or perhaps we've always been like this. Mictlantecuhtli would be annoyed if he saw us like this." Quetzalcoatl replied, equally excited at the prospect as well.
"True that. But before we throw down…let's start off our war with a bang." Tezcatlipoca spoke as Quetzalcoatl's grin faded.
"You did a good job, there was supposed to be an royalist insurrection, but a lot of my gangs were unable to reach their designated locations because of the security you put up. However…you forgot one tiny thing."
Tezcatlipoca smirked.
"...I play both sides, Xoco."
The huntsman opened the truck to see a golem made out of fire dust standing in front of him.
Robin's eyes widened.
"TAKE COVER!" He screamed as the huntsmen jumped back while Robin tried to encase the golem in vines…
…Only for the explosion to send him flying back.
A huntsman walked up to Councilman Abi, in an effort to guide him off the stage, when they suddenly grabbed his arm.
"What is the meaning of…?"
"DEATH TO THE CROWN! FOR VACUO!" The huntsman screamed before he exploded, taking down many people with him in his suicidal explosion while Sigurd, who was nearby, took the brunt of it without much of a scratch.
"Huh?!" Quetzalcoatl spoke.
"I live for conflict. And I generate it. If that means I attack my own allies…heck yeah, I'll do it." Tezcatlipoca spoke with a grin.
"Now come, Xoco. This city is about to be thrown into chaos. And we'll have the time we need for another duel." Tezcatlipoca spoke before his eyes burned with dark flames, and he began chanting a spell, shrouding the city in his smokey fog.
"What's going on?!" Ruby screamed.
"He's made his move, and attacked his own ally!" Sigurd spoke, helping her up, before a smokey fog descended, severely reducing visibility.
"RUBY?!" Ruby heard her sister's scream but she couldn't see them.
"...!" Sigurd pulled up Ruby and beckoned her to stand behind them.
Ruby nodded and pulled out Crescent Rose, while Sigurd brought out Ridill and Hrotti as they stood back-to-back, hearing nothing but the screams of people and sounds of shooting and fighting happening within the smoke.
Ruby then noticed several shapes come out of the fog.
Them? Ruby thought as she noticed Mercury, Emerald, Neapolitan and some Scorpion Faunus standing.
"...Ruby. We need to run." Sigurd spoke. "I'm sensing a lot of servants."
Ruby's eyes widened.
"O-Okay…"
"Why, if it isn't our target!" The scorpion faunus spoke cackling as Mercury scowled beside him.
Emerald and Neo, meanwhile, stared at Ruby with burning hatred.
Emerald, I can understand. But Neo? Why's she mad at me?! Ruby thought before noticing Torchwick's hat resting on Neo's head.
Even then, that served to tell her little.
"Well, then…" The faunus jumped out of the way as Sigurd's knife shot past him, as Sigurd blasted forward, with Ruby turning into her petal form to trail behind him.
Mercury tried to stop her, but Sigurd's fist crashed against his leg and sent him sprawling.
"Go, go!" Sigurd yelled as he and Ruby rushed out of Shade Academy.
Explosions rang out all across Vacuo as every member of Tezcatlipoca's network was given one mission:
Kill Sigurd and Ruby.
A/N: Well, now that I'm in college, I can get back to writing again. The hectic period of transition really did not give me the time or energy to write this chapter. So, sorry for the delay. Plus, I've published another fate story, called 'Fate Grand Order - Knight Of Avalon'. It's an LB6 fanfic, so go check it out if you're interested.
Anyways, the chapter was mostly a discussion on the moralities and beliefs of Ruby and Tezcatlipoca in the first half, and just a buildup to the first hint of action in Vacuo in the second half.
Again, Vacuo will be going into greyer territories than Vale, so it'll be in the end, more focussed on discussions and dialogue than action, but I'll make sure it doesn't get boring.
Next, Tezcatlipoca's a great character, but his entire schtick about 'caring about the present' sort of contradicts his share of lore. The dude caused the end of the world four times because of a past grudge against Quetzalcoatl, something that someone who cared about the present wouldn't really do. So, I tried whatever way I could to sort of bring some harmony between the thoughts of Fate Tezcatlipoca and his counterpart in Aztec lore.
But anyways, next chapter is pure action.
Hope you guys enjoyed and constructive criticism is appreciated!
Foot Notes:
Cipactli: Aztec version of Tiamat. That's the simplest way I can summarise Cipactli. But still, Cipactli's basically a sort of chaos monster in the shape of a crocodilian fish with mouths on its arms who basically was just there suspended between the realms of Omeyocan (essentially Aztec heaven) and Mictlan, until the four children of Ometeotl (Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, Xipe Totec and Huitzilopochtli) captured it and turned it into Earth, at the cost of Tezcatlipoca's leg, which I think he replaced with an obsidian one. Here, I won't be trying to expound much on how Cipactli would fit with the nasuverse lore of Mesoamerican deities.
Ocelotonatiuh: Basically Jaguar Sun, or the time when Tezcatlipoca was the sun ruling over creation. During this time, humans were giant in nature. Of course, Ocelotonaituh or Nahui Ocelotl came to an end when Quetzalcoatl whacked Tezcatlipoca out of the sky with a stick and in his rage, Tezcatlipoca had Jaguars rain from the sky who ate all humans.
Tepoztopilli: A spear used by the Méxica warriors of Tenochtítlan. It had the same obsidian spikes as the Macuahuitl, but its longer range made it a suitable weapon for inexperienced fighters who did not want to engage in close combat. It could either be used in a jab, or in a slash, having the brittle Obsidian shatter to send shards digging into the opponents body. Currently, there is no remaining article left, with the last one being destroyed in a raid in Spain during the 19th century.
Thoughts of LB6:
Yep, since LB6 is done, I'll actually put my thoughts in. But this will be pretty short.
I loved LB6...but as its own fantasy story, not something in line with British folklore and History. The characters were...well...great, but I honestly preferred Aesc's group than Artoria's, because of the interesting lores behind each and every member, and I was a lot more interested in Aesc's arc rather than the main storyline's. As for fairies...my favourite one is actually Woodwose. Dude may be brutal, but he's honeslty one of the more decent ones out there. He was actually loyal to his Queen, and he essentially tried hard to make his people atone for their bloody past and be better versions of themselves. He looked like he respected strength, even in humans, so honestly, Woodwose is just great, but my favourite character is Aesc. It's really a shame we never got to see a bit more of her story, especially when so much could be done with her lore and Orkney.
But I must say, I also hated LB6. I hated it for being so good and being given so much love and care, while the other lostbelts are just...blank. LB1 was still amazing, but LB2, LB3, LB4, LB5.1, and to an extent...even LB7, seemed to blank compared to LB6. But truth be told, having a knowledge of mythology can really suck the fun out of enjoying FGO takes on mythology. LB6 put its twist, but rarely did it ever stick to British folklore or even touched upon the mixture of cultures that constitute the British isles. Other lostbelts...I don't want to talk about LB2. As a God of War fan, God of War's Valkyries make FGO's ones look like complete jokes.
But anyways, this is on LB6. So...in summary, I both love and hate LB6. And my hatred is pretty much the origin of my LB6 fanfic that I'm doing right now.
Response to Reviews:
Jebest4781: Thank you.
Toyomasu: Honestly, my favourite iteration of Medusa design-wise. I even like the added implication that Medusa has Athena attached to her, which is making for some great story potential that I'm going to explore in the future. But since I am an NA player and don't want to play JP, it's going to be a long wait for me. When she comes, I'll try to get her.
ZoukuYuujinchou: Missed you a lot, my friend. Also saw you found my LB6 fanfic and dropped a review, so hope you enjoy that as I work on it further.
WitnessOfFate: The Rider in Chapter-7 is not from FGO. I suppose you've figured out by now who the green-eyed rider is. Also, funny you mention Quetzalcoatl considering she is now a character in the Vacuo arc.
