Metal like Roses
By ReaderWarrior
I do not own Mistborn or RWBY.
The Battle of Beacon
Beta'd by: Icarus720
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Emerald clutched her head in pain as Mercy closed the door behind her
"Shit," she hisses and stumbles slightly.
"What's wrong?" He asks, turning to face his co-concentrator.
"Nothing," Emerald responds, taking a moment to lean against the cavern's walls. "Just that girl. She's more trouble than she's worth."
Mercury nods in agreement. The point where the remains of his legs meet metal seemed to burn more than usual, almost like his nerves were aflame.
I want a go at her, he thought, reminding himself of their interaction the week or so before. I'll show her what it's like to feel dead.
After they successfully brought the strange woman down here, it was a breeze to tie her up in an empty storage room. Even Cinder, who had been keeping calm throughout the entire mission, had lashed out when she was alone with the girl.
Even after all the things he's seen, even after the things he saw his father do, Mercury's stomach twisted when he first saw Vin's face after Cinder sent him and Emerald to find out more answers.
"Do you think she's going to give us what we want?" Mercury asks, kicking the wall and exercising his joints.
Emerald shrugs and groans. "Doesn't matter. That girl is gonna do what we want eventually."
"Yeah," Mercury scoffs. "I just hope I get to be there when she gets it."
"Now, now," a voice comments from the darkness, causing both of them to jump and turn back to the tunnel's entrance. The sound of footsteps grows louder as Adam Tauras steps into the light. "I'll be sure to describe it in detail as long as you keep your end of the bargain." He smiles and pats his sheathed blade, Wilt.
Mercury growled and stepped towards the almost-leader of the White Fang. "We'll keep our end when you do as you're told."
The Faunus didn't like that. Adam slid his hand up from the sheath and began to pull the blade out at the hilt. "What did you say?"
"You heard me."
Emerald clutched her head and groaned. "I swear if you both don't stop trying to measure yourselves, I will personally snip you both until you're barely an inch combined!" She turns to their newest ally and points a finger at him. "Why don't you hurry up and do your job? Then we'll give you what you want."
A moment passes slowly. For a moment, Mercury thought she might soon be a shish-kebab. However, Adam instead clenched his teeth and let go of his blade.
"Consider it already done," he responds.
"What do you want us to do?" Weiss asks, staring through her scroll's screen. In the background, she could see her fellow classmates help escort civilians to the closest Amity port where they would be sending the masses up to be secure in the flying stadium.
Glynda barked a few orders to one of the escorting teams before turning back to face Weiss. "Come help us usher the noncombatants. With this many people concentrated in one area, Grimm are most likely going to become more aggravated and highly likely to attack. And these bombings aren't helping with the amount of negativity growing from the broadcast."
Over Weiss' shoulder, Blake frowns. "What about Vale's walls and security systems? The turrets should still be able to shoot down any Nevermores or Griffons. And none of the ground-types are strong enough to get through our walls."
"We also thought nobody would be able to infiltrate Beacon," Glynda answers. "Not to mention, place a bomb quite nearly underneath our noses."
"So we are evacuating," Weiss clarifies.
Nodding, Glynda gives a quick glance behind her. "Yes. For now."
"But what about Vin?" Ruby asks. The red-hooded girl had remained silent ever since she saw the footage of her attacking their teammate. Even though she knew it wasn't really her, Ruby seemed shaken. She was kneeling in front of where her bed once resided, holding Vin's cloak. "What about Yang? Do you want us to just… leave them?"
"Ms. Rose," Glynda starts. "There will come a day when you will have to choose between saving your fellow huntresses and saving those who cannot fight for themselves. That is one of the first things we teach our students at this school."
"That doesn't make it any easier!" Ruby snaps. "Cinder or Neo or whoever took her and you want me to run away? Yang probably went after them and I-"
"I'll find them."
Ruby and Weiss turn sharply to their Faunus teammate.
With a stern look, Blake nods. "You two should go with Glynda and help Vale's citizens get safely secured on a bullhead. I'll find Yang and Vin."
Glynda frowns. "Ms. Belladonna, I don't believe-" Suddenly, the screen went black in Weiss' hand. The heiress turns with a sly smile and faces her teammates.
"It seems that I forgot to charge my scroll last night," she comments. "Now, I for one think Blake's idea is the best course of action. We'll go and help Professor Glynda with the evacuation while Blake looks for our friends."
"But-" Ruby whimpers
"But nothing," Weiss counters. "We are in no way equipped or capable of sneaking our way into what I can only guess is a highly secured area, while Blake had more than enough skill to do so."
Hiding a slight redness on her cheeks, Blake nods. "Thanks."
Ruby looks back down at the mistcloak in her arms. With a sniffle, she stands up and turns, holding out the cloak for Blake to take. "Promise you'll bring them back?"
"You have my word," Blake nods, taking the cloth and tossing it around her shoulders. She then turns to the door and prepares to leave, only to be stopped by Weiss grabbing her wrist. "What's wrong?"
Weiss places something in Blake's hand. "Vin might need this. I've been keeping a spare on me just in case there was an emergency." The Faunus looks down at her palm and smiles at the small vial of metals. "I think this qualifies."
She nods in thanks and places the vial in one of her pockets. "Got anything for Yang?"
"We're sending you, aren't we?"
Blake chuckles and runs out the door, pulling her scroll from her pocket. With a press of a button, she summoned her locker and dashed after the missing members of team RWVBY.
Yang pressed herself against a door. Pulling out her own scroll, she groans as the device registers a lack of signal. Stupid piece of junk. Every message I send keeps failing. And I can't even call for Ember now. It was probably a safe bet that not even the rocket-lockers would be able to smash through the stone walls and ceilings. And without aura, Yang was quite literally at her weakest.
Doesn't mean I still can't kick the crap out of whoever gets in my way, she thinks to herself in a moment of cockiness. However, even without being able to call or summon backup, her scroll was still quite useful. Utilizing the camera function, Yang used 'selfie mode' to peer around the corner, allowing her to look down the next hallway without being seen herself.
Luckily, it appeared empty. Yang quickly dusted herself off and took a deep breath before entering the next corridor. Unlike the previous hallway, this one wasn't as brightly lit. Unable to tell if that was useful for her situation, or possibly a hindrance, the blonde kept herself to the walls, slowly stepping forward and wincing at every small noise her shoes made.
It wasn't long until she heard other noises, whispers coming from down the hall. With a panicked look, she quickly glances around her, desperate to find a safe room to hide in.
Luckily, she was standing right in the apex of a crossroad, with two rooms to either side of her. With a quick glance down the hall to her left, then her right, she quickly deduced the safer option was to her…
Left. Right. Left? Right?
Shit!
Silently kicking herself for being so slow and indecisive, Yang dashed into the door on her left, quickly shoving it open and silently closing it behind her. However, she leaves it open enough for her to look through.
"Is everyone in position?" A male voice asked, recognizable to Yang.
"Yes sir," someone replies, this time a female, "but we have yet to see the target anywhere near the strike zone. Should we wait for her to arrive?"
"No," the original voice responds, louder now as they grow closer. "Begin the attack. It's time these humans," he snarled at the word, "pay for what they have done to our brothers and sisters."
Yang stares through the crack and gets a small glimpse at the conversers. One of them, the woman, is in normal White Fang attire. A Grimm Mask that covers the eyes and forehead and a uniform consisting of a white sleeveless jacket, a sleeveless black hood, and black pants. They also have black fingerless gloves, metal foot guards, and boots.
However, the male was something completely new to Yang. He wore an asymmetrical black, long-sleeved, double-breasted stylized high-collared blazer with slit sleeves along with red thorn sigils adorned with a white crest that lined up on his left shoulder. His suit jacket had crimson lining atop his red shirt, with red thorn sigils atop a black flap attached to the bottom of the left hem and a wilting rose emblem on the back over an emblazoned white sigil.
His blazer was half-buttoned, exposing a red shirt with a black line running parallel to his collar under it. His mask was whitish-tan with red horn-like symbols decorating the front and two slits on each side. He also wears long black dress pants, black shoes with red soles, and black gloves with red sigils on the backs of the hands. At his side is a long blake sheath with an equally, onyx handle jutting out from the hilt.
"Are you sure she will come?"
"Absolutely," he responds. "I know Blake, she'll show."
Blake? How does he-
With a stifled gasp, Yang remembers about one of the things Blake told her in private. She mentioned how her ex started to become more erratic and violent, treating her more like a possession than a person. How he is one of the highest-ranked members of the White Fang.
That means he's Adam Taurus, the blonde realizes. And he's working with Cinder!
"Yes sir," the goon responded, continuing to follow the bull-horned Faunus back to the entrance.
After they left hearing range, Yang counted to sixteen to make sure they were truly gone. Then, and only then, did Yang let out the breath of air she was holding in.
"Crap," she mumbled. "Why do I feel like this isn't going to be ending soon?"
Is this my destiny?
Pyrrha looked back and forth between the screen and the girl she now knew as Amber. Her tan skin was a stark contrast to Pyrrha's pale body. Her harsh, visible scars contrasting against Pyrrha's not-so visible ones. How can two people, so completely dissimilar, find a balance to share with each other's souls.
"Will it even work?"
Ozpin started working on the screens, pressing buttons and spinning holographic dials. "James has assured me this technology-"
"Professor," Pyrrha interrupts, looking down at the broken body of the Fall Maiden. "Will it work?"
"..." Beacon's headmaster falters for a moment, his hands stopping mid-execution. He looks down and sighs. "Ms. Nikos, I do not know. This is an entirely new situation, even for me. If you are asking for assurances, I cannot give them to you." Ozpin then resumes activating the device. "But I have faith. Faith in you, in James, even Ms. Venture."
The Invincible Girl turns to face the other container. The empty one.
Hers.
"Then why are you acting so hastily?" She asked.
"Because," he answered, "faith only goes so far. And I'd rather have the maiden's power safe and secured, rather than falling into the wrong hands."
"Cinder's?"
"... Yes."
Pyrrha frowned. If not hers, then for whom is he worried?
"Ms. Nikos, as appreciative as I am for your worries, I am afraid we no longer have the time to keep such uncertainties in our hearts. You need to make a decision, and it needs to be now." With that, Ozpin flipped one last switch and the empty tube's glass front lifted upward.
Strangely, the first thing she thought of was Jaune. She thought of him and what he would say. Would he want her to do this?
Yes, Pyrrha thought. If not for me, then I'll do it for him. The Invincible Girl stepped inside the machine. Laying down on her back, she gives one last glast to the current Fall Maiden. As she does, Ozpin flips another lever and the pod seals, letting out a small hiss as it does.
"Are you ready Ms. Nikos?" Ozpin asks, his voice muffled. "I… need to hear you say it."
Pyrrha nods. "Yes."
"Thank you, Ms. Nikos."
He turns one last knob before backing away from the device. After a few moments, orange light begins to shine around Pyrrha, spreading and engulfing her.
"I'm… so sorry," the headmaster whispered as Pyrrha began to scream.
Cinder felt something was wrong immediately. The power she had fought so hard to obtain started to swell within her, churning against itself. Her flames wanted to ignite and turn against her.
No… NO!
She closed her eyes and mentally pushed the power deeper. It was her to control, her's! With a hiss, she feels her eye ignite and flames begin to spark around her. Then the sound of a woman screaming filled her mind.
However, that was nothing new for her. Smiling harshly, Cinder rose to her feet and pulled out her scroll, quickly messaging Emerald.
'Be sure to keep our guest occupied. Oz is attempting to create a new Maiden. I will return after dealing with them.'
'Yes, Cinder,' she responded, to which Cinder pocketed her device and began walking to one of the many 'backdoors' she discovered in this underground maze. Perhaps one of the previous headmasters had them built, or maybe they were used in the Great War to help keep a storage of supplies or weapons.
Whatever their purpose might have been, they were more useful now. One of the first things Cinder did when they first infiltrated Beacon was locate a backup center, should they ever have need of it. Even though I never thought I would have to use it.
Cinder steps towards what is disguised as another caved-in, dead-end. She places a hand against one of the rocks and pulls on it. With a slight rumble, the others begin to fall. Dust, the normal kind, billows around Cinder as the stones fall down, revealing a large metal door.
On the door reads a faded yellow sticker. 'Emergency elevator hatch.' The half-maiden reaches inside of her, only to feel it resisting her. However, with a growl and a half-snarl, Cinder was able to harness the Fall Maiden's powers once again.
As her eye burned with an amber flame, the silver door began to turn orange.
Vin chewed at the ropes. It was difficult, having to do so without pewter to strengthen herself or tin to help her see how close she was to snapping through her binds. Even the boost of strength she receives from aura would be useful. But instead, the young Mistborn resorted to the difficult task of gnawing at the rope.
Difficult, she thought, but not impossible. Who knew how long it would be until Cinder or Emerald returned. Or what if they realized she had stolen one of their keys, which was safely hidden in the palm of Vin's enclosed hand. Every thread of her binds seemed to take an eternity to chew through.
However, with one last gnaw, the ropes on her left arm loosened and fell to the floor. Vin let out a soft sigh as she moved her arm around, thankful for the freedom it granted and started working on her right arm. Then, when both arms were free, she reached down and untied her legs.
Finally. Vin stood up and stretched for a moment before taking a hesitant step forward. When the door was shut, all light disappeared as well. She reached out, holding her hands in front of her, and took a step to where she had thought the door was.
Shuffling and hissing, Vin reaches a flat object. It was cool and hard. Metal. She presses her hands around the door until she finally located the handle and keyhole. Grabbing the key, she inserts it into the door and light begins to pour out. Vin winces and keeps the door cracked, letting only a limited amount of light in.
Luckily, as she looked to the ground in an attempt to keep herself from going blind, she caught the shining glimmer of her armor. Uttering a prayer to whatever god Sazed told her last, Vin reaches down and begins to strap her armor back in place.
All of the hidden slots Ruby had made into her armor were empty. It seemed that her kidnappers had removed the blades she kept stashed. Not only that, but her chest plate was missing as well.
In hindsight, perhaps Vin should have requested to have a file installed in one of the gauntlets, so she could shave off metals from whatever metallic object she had in hand. For example, the door.
But that wasn't going to help her in this instance. After Vin slid her remaining pieces of armor into place, she glanced once more through the open crack and into the lit hallway.
No guards. I need to find an exit soon before they notice I'm gone. The young Mistborn took a hesitant step out the door and looked left and right. The foot markings were more prominent to her left. However, to the right, there were long lines in the dirt, as if somebody had been dragged.
Not just anybody. Her unconscious body.
Kicking herself mentally, Vin began to walk towards what she hoped to be the exit.
Ruby, using her semblance, flowed between the marching residents of Vale. After summoning their weapons, Ruby and Weiss rushed at their own respective speeds to the docks. The first using her speed and the latter utilizing her glyphs. Thankfully, the distance between the airstrip and the dorm rooms was fairly close, as they needed to provide speedy travel for the contestants in the festival.
Stopping in front of their sister team's leader, Jaune, Ruby reforms from the petals.
"What's going on?"
Jaune looks down at Ruby with a frown. "Apparently General Ironwood ordered all Bullheads and aircraft to stay on the ground unless he gives the order. Ms. Glynda is trying to convince the dockmaster to let us up, but she's been pretty unsuccessful." He turns and watches over the panicked-looking citizens. "If we don't do something quick… I don't know."
"Well, why doesn't anyone just call the general and ask him for it?" Weiss asks, catching up to them and gripping her rapier.
"We've tried," Ren answers, walking towards them from the front of the line. Nora walked next to him, her hammer slung over her shoulder. "But he's worried there might be an attack using a ship."
Ruby pauses and looks around. "Where's Pyrrha?"
"She said the headmaster wished to talk to her," Ren answered. He patted Jaune on the shoulder, who had been clenching his sword and shield tighter at the mention of his teammate's name. "I'm sure she is fine."
"Yeah," Jaune muttered. "I just don't like not knowing where she is when there's something like this happening." He turns back to Ruby and Weiss and looks around. "Where's the rest of your team?"
Ruby's face darkens. "They're-"
Suddenly, screaming begins to spread. Panicked shouts and movements start racing toward the front. Instantly, Ruby, Weiss, Jaune, Nora, and Ren pull out their weapons and dash forward. Jaune and Ruby lead, followed by Weiss and Ren with Nora covering the rear.
As they reach the back of the line, they are shocked by what they see. Large black vans continue to roll up from the inner city, dozens of them still arriving. The ones that have already shown up are releasing dozens of White Fang members into the area. Each one equipped with little more than knives at their waists and assault rifles in their hands.
The worst part was their organization. They had utilized their vehicles to the fullest of their capabilities. The vans were not only a means of transport but also a blockade. The only direction the citizens could run was toward the docks, which held no exit yet.
Men, women, and children all screamed as the White Fang began to fire. Waves of bodies began to fall, blood soaking into the cement.
Ruby instantly dashed forward, swiping her scythe in an arch to block as many bullets as they could. "Run!" She ordered the people behind her, frozen in terror. "Get to the docks!"
Weiss and Jaune fell in line next to her, each offering their best equivalent of a shield. Jaune raised his Crocea Mors to block the barrage of metal while Weiss summoned a large wall of ice. This gave the group enough time to turn around and help others to their feet.
Nora grabbed a small child, still holding his mother's hand. Ren, ushering an elderly man who was kneeling in front of his wife. More depressing stories of rescue continued to grow as the conjoined efforts of RWVBY and JNPR began pushing the crowd forward.
However, the wall of ice wasn't enough to hold back an army. Bullets beat against it as Vale residents continued to run away. Within only a few minutes, the ice had cracked and shattered, releasing a torrent of bullets.
"Hold your fire!" A voice cried out from behind the wall. If Ruby hadn't paused to look back, she wouldn't have noticed the man in black with a red sword hold out his hand. "Release them!" The man ordered, waving his blade to the vans.
Ruby's silver eyes went wide as the back doors burst open as Ursai and Beowolves began charging towards them.
"James, I'm telling you, if we don't get these people into the air soon, there'll be a riot!" Glynda yelled over the scroll, glaring at the screen.
"And I'm telling you," the Atlas general exclaimed back, "that there is a likely chance of the attackers to use an air-ship to-"
Glynda groaned and had to refrain from smashing Ironwood's face, or just his projection, into the ground. "For once, in your LIFE, stop thinking of this as a war and open your heart!" She turned to the dockmaster and glared at him, "can't you just let these people in?"
"No can do, ma'am," he responded, lighting a cigar. His features were mostly hidden in yellow overalls and a red t-shirt. He had tan skin, probably from long days at sea, and a not-so-well trimmed beard. "General's orders. And unless you've got the 2/3rds majority of the council with ya, I can't do nuthin' to change it."
Before she could berate him or Ironwood further, the doors began to pound and screams began to be heard through the doors. Glynda grabbed a hold of her riding crop and marched to the door.
Years of being a huntress taught the Goodwitch of Beacon to trust her instincts. When the screams grew louder and the banging increased in ferocity, she felt that familiar feeling of danger. Using her semblance, she ripped the doors off their hinges and rushed outside. As she did, many people began to barge in, frantically fleeing away from something.
Once again, Glynda uses her semblance and levitates herself upwards, getting a better view of what was going on. To her shock, she saw members, no, an army of White Fang soldiers gunning down unarmed civilians.
"CFVY!" She yelled, looking down at one of the teams of students helping escort the masses. "Get to the back, stop the attackers at all costs! CRDL, I need you to give them support." Both teams nodded and followed orders, running towards the end of the parade.
"What about us?"
Glynda looked down to see more teams stand at attention. Shade academy's SSSN, NDGO, BRNZ, and ABRN, as well as Atlas' FNKY had already summoned their weapons and were ready to fight.
Nodding to the people, she yelled back, "NDGO and BRNZ, help shepherd the civilians. Keep them from running to the sides or backward, lead them all back here."
"Yes ma'am!"
"ABRN and FNKY, you defend them. Anything that comes close to you with the intent to kill, you give them the same in return."
Sun Wukong looks back and forth as his fellow huntsman and huntresses dash away. "What about us?" He asks, gesturing to his teammates.
Glynda floats down to the ground and turns back to the shipowner's shop. "I need you to convince the dockmaster to get these people up into the air."
The monkey Faunus smirks. "Easy-peasy."
Yang stepped out of the room she was hiding in. After her close call with Adam Taurus, Blake's ex boyfriend-Adam Taurus, she couldn't help but feel… unimpressed?
Yeah, she smirks as she begins continuing her descent. I couldn't beat him up with one hand behind my back. I mean, c'mon, what kind of idiot only uses a sword!
Somewhere inside of her, Yang knew she was fooling herself. The bloodlust she felt pooling off of that man was something she'd only felt when she fought Grimm. Not even Neapolitan's desire to kill her, both on the train a year back and less than a few hours before now, compared very little to him. That was a fight Yang didn't know for certain she would win. Especially without her aura or bracers.
The sound of footsteps returned, freezing Yang in her tracks. Like before, they arose from the tunnel's depths. Yang quickly jumped to the side and opened another door, hiding inside.
Through the almost-closed door, Yang watched as Mercury and Emerald walked by, the former almost carrying the latter.
"Don't you dare throw up on me," the silver-haired boy hissed.
"Or what?" Emerald snapped back. "If you kill me before we find her, Cinder will melt your brand-new boots."
"I never said I'd kill you."
The mercenary snorted in response before wincing and clutching her head. With more care than Yang thought he had, Mercury patted Emerald on the back and continued to move her forward.
What the hell are they planning? Yang wondered to herself.
Blake reached inside her locker and grabbed Gambol Shroud. After a quick check of the magazine, she extended the blade and slid it into the sheath. Following her exit of the building, she had summoned the mobile weapons unit. As she ran outside to retrieve its contents, Blake passed through the front doors as well as a large hole in the ground.
Now, where do I start? she thinks as she straps the weapon to her back underneath Vin's mistcloak. Blake turns around from her locker and studies the school entrance. By now, the entire student body had disappeared, leaving the cat Faunus to her lonesome. The silence would have been shocking if it wasn't useful.
Underneath the bow, her cat ears strained to catch the sound of anything unfamiliar. As she stepped inside, noticing the doors blown off their hinges, Blake knelt down to the floor and closed her eyes.
Weiss and I followed Ruby. Yang was last out of the bullhead. Ruby landed on the dormitory's rooftop. If it wasn't for Weiss' glyphs, we would have splattered somewhere along the wall. Continuing that line of descent, Yang should have landed near the front doors. That would explain the large crater out front, as well as the broken doors. But what happened after that?
"Where are you?" She whispered.
"Well, damn," a voice commented. "I didn't think it would be this easy."
Blake looked up and glared at the figure stepping from the custodian's office. Mercury didn't look any different from when she last saw him a few days ago. He still sported that same cocky grin.
Standing up, Blake made a tentative reach for her weapon. "What are you doing here?"
Mercury laughs. "What do you think, Blake? I'm out for a stroll? Or perhaps I'm going to turn myself in and tell good ol' Ironwood our nefarious plan?" He smirks and kicks a leg out, firing a quick projectile towards Blake.
She dodges to the side, spinning in a circle as she grabs her gun. Then, using the moving cloth as a distractor, she fires two quick shots in return. Like her, he moves to the side as well.
"Oh, nice new cape. Where'd you get it? I thought I saw that same thing on a dead body I know."
Liar, Blake thinks as she looks around the corner she hid behind. "If you did kill Vin, why didn't you just leave her body? Besides, she told me what happened that day after combat training. I bet you're still too scared of her to actually go anywhere near Vin."
A growling echoes throughout the room. Instinctively, Blake leaps to the side again, and barely in time. The familiar sound of his weapons firing quickly drowned out his noises as more white spheres came crashing into the wall where she was standing seconds before.
Ignoring her comments, Mercury comments, "you know, when we first found out you were Blake Belladonna, we didn't know what to think. I mean," more shots are fired and both dodge, "THE Ghira Belladona's daughter? Here? This is just too good! It was easy for us to spur the more docile members of the White Fang into thinking their former leader's daughter was being abused. And even easier to get them ready to burn this place to the ground."
The White Fang? Here?! Blake leaps back and uses her semblance to project a body double. Its shadow-like projection still creates an excellent dummy target. "The White Fang would never work with a human like you!" She yells back.
"Oh, they did. Especially with the help of Adam Taurus' recommendation!"
Even hearing the name makes Blake freeze. He's not here. He's not here. He's-
"He's here too!" Mercury adds, his voice getting louder. "Your boyfriend was more than happy to lead the charge against a school of Faunus abusers. He even had us promise that when this is all over, he gets to take you home himself. That he's the only one allowed to bring you down."
Blake watches as Mercury leaps around the corner and kicks at her shadow-double. As he does, she leaps at him from behind and unfolds her blade. Slicing across his back, she hits him forwards, smashing him into the wall.
His aura flashes as he turns around, his cocky smile replaced with a much darker one. "Okay then. I guess this is just another broken promise for me to keep to myself."
The headmaster of Beacon watched as the wires connecting two of the most promising students in this lifetime continue to burn orange. He barely even heard the screams bursting from Ms. Nikos.
What was another one to the wails he heard constantly echo throughout his mind?
Ozpin watched as both women convulsed slightly within the aura transfer pods. Why must I have to do this? Why is it every year I have to sentence some young child to die in my war?
Before he could ponder on this more, the sound of a bowstring being pulled caught his attention. Quicker than anyone his age should have been able to move, Ozpin reached to his side and grabbed his dueling cane, holding it out in front of him in a perfect sixte form. Instinctively, he moved in front of the pod containing Ms. Nikos.
That was his mistake.
He'd barely caught a glimmer of the attacker and their bow before the arrow shot towards them. However, its trajectory was aimed at his right. Ozpin's eyes went wide as he realized what was happening, but he was too slow to stop it.
The arrow pierced through the flash covering of the pod and presented itself directly into Ms. Selhat's chest.
"No!" He yelled as her body shook from the impact. Her eyelids flickered open briefly, letting Ozpin stare into the eyes of her one last time. Those eyes that used to be so full of life. They laughed, they cried, they twinkled, they shone.
They were empty and hollow.
Ozpin watched as the orange light began to fade from the machine.
"What a wasted effort, Ozpin," Cinder Fall remarked, her bow now tossed aside. "Not only did you fail to save Amber, but you also tricked poor little Pyrrha into thinking she could have a power that was never destined to be hers."
"The power never belonged to you to begin with," Ozpin retorted.
Cinder smirked. "It does now. That's all that matters."
Suddenly, a spear of flame appeared next to him and launched itself at the woman. Cinder's eyes went wide as she raised her hands to defend the attack. When it hit her, the spear exploded on impact, filling the area with smoke.
A gust of wind came from Cinder, blowing away the smoke. Her right eye burning with the Maiden's power.
"No," she gasped, looking at Ozpin.
Not at me, he realized.
"Then this is my destiny as well," Pyrrha Nikos added, pulling herself from the pod. She looked up at Cinder with sweat upon her brow, shaking hands, and a confident smile.
And a single eye now wreathed in emerald flame.
Tadaa! Done! And within a month too! That's amazing!
Honestly, this chapter was a lot of fun to write. It felt long in some places, even though it isn't nearly as long as other chapters I have written.
A lot of credit goes to my editor, Icarus720. He's made sure I'm staying within the lines of reality and making sure I don't do anything that doesn't make sense. I owe him a lot for this chapter, as well as all the ones he's now helped me write. (BTW, it was his birthday earlier, so please comment some birthday wishes.)
A lot happened in this chapter. The attack has begun, and it is different from canon. I hope it's different enough to be enjoyable, but not too different that it seems I'm just pulling stuff from nowhere. We've got some fun scenes with Vin, Yang, Blake and Pyrrha.
I wanted to make the fact that this is a war believable. Most of Vale's citizens probably don't have aura unlocked, so they would die from what we real humans would. As a military child, I feel a special connection to that aspect of the story. That part where a child won't let go of his mother's hand? It's happened. And it's heartbreaking.
But that's war.
On a more cheery note, Vin's escaping and Yang's in the tunnels with her, somewhere. Not only that, but Blake is hot on the trail with Mercury blocking the way.
Oh, and Pyrrha gained the other half of the Fall Maiden's powers. Nothin' much.
:D
Editor's note:
Remember that thing about me keeping the story in the realms of reality for the Cosmere? Well, seeing as I am moral (for now) and fallible, I missed the bit of era 2 information about metalminds requiring expectation before they might be accessed. Seeing as this is a rather important thing to Feruchemy and therefore this story, I do want to say now we're sort of hand waving this thing, at least when it comes to Ruby seeing that memory. My bad.
I PM'd a few of you regarding your own reviews. Be sure to check your accounts if you haven't as I love to continue conversations.
We have still been unable to meet our goal of being the number 1 Mistborn Fanfic. First is still being held by Slavok's Beautiful Destroyer with a difference of 123 Favorites and 228 Follows. C'mon guys! We can do it! Spread the word! Spam the 17th shard! It is possible!
(I mean this to be a fun competition, not to slander Slavok. His stories are really good and what got me into writing a Mistborn FanFic.)
Please, feel free to follow and comment on predictions, thoughts, etc. I am always looking for new ways to improve my craft. Tell your friends!
Also, if you have the money, please think about supporting me.
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