Opening File: Cree Lincoln
Cree Lincoln is the older sister of Abigail Lincoln. She is currently around 15 or 16 and it was from her that Abby learned many of her fighting skills and abilities. Due to living the beginning years of her live in the Twisted Forest there is not much information on her time with her family. It is known she was born in France before her parents moved to America, taking up residence in the Wilds for reasons unknown. It is known that after their parents were killed Cree along with her younger sister Abigail fled to GrimmFall where she left her sister with the Uno family, despite the fact that they were total strangers and there was no guarantee they would look after her even if they did.
Once she left her sister in GrimmFall Cree Lincoln disappeared for the next several years until she appeared again as a leader of Team CROW, the team assembled by Sammael to rescue the Elementals from the Empire, including her sister who is the Candy Elementals.
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Opening File: Magic Tree of the Wilds
Deep in the Wilds on Mt. Blackhead there is said to exist a tree that has been said to have kept the surrounding land safe from the Grimm, purifying any form of darkness that came too close. This tree is believed to be a magical guardian that safeguards the land around it and even the people who live close by. Due to the Wilds existing in close proximity to the Darklands and the tree's presence protecting the nearby villages this tree is hailed as the Magical Tree, a spirit of the forests meant to keep the darkness living in the Darklands from spreading.
Close File
Xxx
"The worlds we are born on are not ours to do with as we please despite what others might think but they are ours to care for and protect." TOM remarked, closing the file. "We are born, created, allowed to live but that only comes from our homes giving us what we need to live. Food, water, air, all of these come from the worlds we are born into and if we're not careful in our gifts we lose what gives us our right to exist. Be mindful of your home, look after it and it will look after you."
Xxx
She kept moving.
It was the last part of her mission and it was the most important one.
'If you value the life of your younger sister you will remove her completely from the battlefield. While her path, like the paths of all Elementals leads back to me it need not be this day. Take her, maybe even her Ice friend and move them far from the others. The life of the Grimm Slayer along with his comrades will be enough for me and the others for now.'
Those were his words.
He had explained to her the details of his plan before her departure. How he planned to use their return as a trap to take down the Grimm Slayer along with any of the other likely heroes with him.
She hated him.
She feared him.
His power, his cunning, his cruelty, all of showed just how much of an idiot she had been thinking that she could have killed him.
Xxx
(Flashback)
It was simpler time back then.
She liked to run and hide in the woods, waiting for her brother to find her. She was small but she was quick and each time they played she got a little better at hiding herself. And as she grew she liked to venture out more, deeper into the woods and even out of the Twisted Forest. Her parents would scold her but she kept on doing it.
And then one day she heard about a magical tree on Mt. Blackhead.
Deciding she needed to see this tree she gathered enough food and water and then snuck out once her parents were asleep. She knew the woods like the back of her hand and she was stealthy enough to avoid the occasional Grimm. She even took down a few of the smaller ones on her own thanks to the self-defense moves her brother taught her. Her dad said she had an adventurer's heart and she more than showed it.
Her parents told her not to stray too far but she never listened. She thought they were overprotective and living in a shack in the middle of the woods was suffocating.
She craved the outside world.
She craved to see what was beyond the forest.
Beyond the Wilds.
So she set forth into the night and traveled towards Mt. Blackhead. It took nearly the entire night and she stopped to rest for an hour before reaching the hub where the tree was said to be. The hub was home to traders who lived in close proximity to the tree for protection from the Grimm. It wasn't a large mountain but it stood in an elevated position over the forest.
She saw a giant tree in the middle of the village and walked over to it. It was breathtaking. The tree was larger than any tree she had seen in her life and if that wasn't enough it actually had a face.
"Come forward, Cree Lincoln."
The young Faunus was shocked even more as it spoke her name and she slowly stepped forward.
"Do not fear me, little one. I offer no harm for I am the guardian of the forest against the darkness." The tree said, staring at her with eyes full of endless wisdom. "You are curious about me."
"Are you really a magical tree?" Cree asked as she slowly approached the tree.
"If you consider the ability to think, see and speak magical then yes, I suppose I am." The tree answered mysteriously.
"I mean, can you do anything magical?" Cree asked skeptically as she stopped right in front of the tree.
"And what constitutes magic in your eyes?" The tree asked, raising an 'eyebrow'. "Do you consider me to be a form of amusement for yourself?"
"I'm just…" Cree stuttered, struggling to find the right words. "I've been stuck in these woods with my family since I was born. I'm bored. I want to see something…new."
"Something new." The tree mused. "There is something new each day. A new day, new time, new little creatures scurrying on the ground and new actions made by you, your family and everyone here."
"How do you know? You are a tree. You don't go anywhere." Cree pointed out, frowning now since she thought this tree was somehow insulting her.
"And yet in your words I am a magical tree." The tree calmly replied. "If I am truly magical would knowing such things about your home be simple?"
Cree wanted to retort but couldn't since the tree had a point but she was still annoyed. "Are you like this with everyone here?"
"Everyone has their own needs and they live here because they cannot live anywhere else. Though dependent on me, they have learned to exist in symbiosis with me rather than seeing me as the answer to all their problems." The tree answered. "Perhaps instead of requesting displays of amusement from me might I suggest you instead ask me three questions?"
"Why would I do that and why only three?" Cree asked.
"You seek prove of what I can do. While I cannot grant wishes perhaps asking of me questions you would not expect me to know would cure your skepticism." The tree suggested. "And as a sign of trust: I will not consider the questions you just asked to be one of the three."
Cree brought a hand to her chin as she considered the tree's suggestion. "…All right. I got three questions. First question: will I ever leave this forest?"
"Yes."
Cree's eyes widened slightly at how fast the tree answered her question. "How? When?"
"You were quick to ask your other two questions so I must answer and will consider all three answered." The tree said, watching as Cree face palmed herself. "In order, you will be forced to flee your home when the earth itself will shake to claim your family. As for when it will be when your sister's true self is found."
"My sister…I don't have a sister." Cree shook her head in disappointment. "Thanks for nothing."
She didn't bother to let the tree say anything else, heading back home to where she would be furiously scolded and grounded by her parents for a month.
She didn't really care that much.
She was too disappointed by the so-called Magic Tree that she sat through her punishment without a word.
However at the end of the month her mother came with news.
Xxx
"Cree, there is something your father and I must tell you." She said, sitting at the table with her husband, son and daughter.
"What is it, Mama?" Cree asked, idly playing with her food.
"Well, for a while it's been you, me, your father and your brother living here."
'Don't remind me.'
"But now things are about to change."
Cree looked up, confused by those words. "What you do mean? Are we finally moving?"
"Oh, no. Not that, dear." Cree's mother placed her hand on her stomach. "We're having a new baby."
Cree's widened in absolute shock, stunned into deaf silence while her brother seemed happy and her father happily hugged her mother.
'As for when it will be when your sister's true self is found'
'My sister…' Cree stopped and stared at her mother as she hugged her husband and son and looked to her. 'Mama's new baby…'
"Cree, sweetie." Her mother leaned forward with a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay?"
Cree was shaken from her thoughts. "Y-Yeah, I'm okay."
"I know it's not what you were expecting but I hope-" She was stopped as Cree bounced forward and hugged her.
"I'm okay, Mama. I was just…" Cree trailed off but didn't need to say anymore her as her mother along with her father and brother hugged. "I'm going to be a big sister."
"Yes, you are."
'Sister…I'm having a baby sister.' Cree thought, staring at her mom's stomach.
The tree told her that she would leave when her sister's true self was found.
Her Mama was having a new baby.
Her baby sister.
The Magic Tree had been right!
'You will be forced to flee your home when the earth itself will shake to claim your family. As for when it will be when your sister's true self is found.'
Xxx
A week later she snuck back to the Magic Tree to find out more.
"You have more questions." The Tree spoke, not even opening its eyes to look at her as she approached.
"How did you know I was going to have a baby sister?" Cree asked, refusing to believe that this tree could see the future.
"The same way that I know how you will come to leave these woods." The Tree answered. "I consider this to be your first question of the day."
Cree scowled. "I am not in the mood for games."
"This is the agreement we made. Ask me three questions and I will answer." The tree replied calmly. "Ask me your other two."
Cree wanted to make a scathing comment but bit her lip, remembering that she didn't want people looking at her as she spoke to the tree. Luckily it was normal in this village to ask the tree for something, almost anything but Cree didn't want them hearing anything she said.
So she took a deep breath and asked her next question. "What did you mean when you said my sister's true self is found?"
"Everyone has a true self." The tree answered. "In time, they are revealed."
"That doesn't make a lick of sense!" Cree grumbled, annoyed with the answer. "All right, final question then. What do you mean when you said the earth will swallow my home?"
"Exactly as I meant it." The tree answered. "The earth will open up and your home will be swallowed."
Cree narrowed her eyes and left the tree, frustrated again by its answers.
Xxx
Cree would not go see the Magic Tree for months. She hated the tree for its mysterious answers to her questions and refused to see it again, focusing on her own daily life and the upcoming birth of her sister.
It wasn't until the day she was born that Cree understood.
She was so small.
Her skin was the same as the rest of the family with tiny arms and legs that she waved as she reached for her elder sister.
And then Cree saw it.
Eyes that resembled hers and yet for a mere second she saw them change.
From honey brown to bright gold and flames colored red and white flaming.
It happened so fast Cree thought she imagined it all but that mere second had burned itself into her mind.
What was that just now?
Why did her little sister's eyes flash like that?
And why did Cree suddenly feel afraid of her own sister who was just a baby?
Xxx
"What is she?"
Cree finally returned to the tree and asked the first of her three questions.
"She is…a Guardian. A force of power that is reborn every century to safeguard those that were the building blocks of our worlds."
"Do you ever talk in English?" Cree asked, getting annoyed with all of the answers sounding more like riddles.
"I speak in many languages, but if I wasn't speaking English you would not understand me." The tree answered. "That was your second question."
Cree growled but took a deep breath to calm herself.
It didn't help her losing her temper in front of this loud mouthed log and she really wanted to stay focused.
"What is this Guardian you are talking about?" Cree asked her final question of the day.
"One of the four, the building blocks of life." The tree answered.
"You said she was a Guardian of the building blocks already." Cree retorted.
"I said she was the Guardian of the buildings blocks of our world, not the life on it." The tree corrected calmly.
"What difference does that make?"
"The world and life on it are two different subjects. A world can exist without life but life cannot exist without the world." The tree answered. "I consider this the first of the next three questions that will come from your next visit."
Cree scowled but returned home, feeling more and more frustrated with each visit. Still she left home and came back the next day with two more questions.
"Okay, I want a clear answer from you for once." Cree said, stopping in front of the tree. "If my sister has some sort of power then what is it and what exactly does it do?"
"A two part question. You are improving." The Magic Tree mused. "Each Guardian wields an aspect of the universe, condensed down to terms that can be comprehended by those of this one little planet. Each wields the power to create and destroy in their own unique form: glucose and carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, oxidative metabolism, water and homeostasis. But you may better know these as the building blocks of life: fire and ice, candy and slime. Your sister wields that best suited to creation: candy."
Trying to process everything the Tree told her, Cree considered her last question for the day. "How will Abby discover her true self?"
The Tree fell silent for several moments before providing an answer. "She will discover it the day that you betray her."
Xxx
'The day you betray her.' Cree shook her head at those words.
She didn't betray her sister.
The tree was lying to her.
Her brother was the traitor.
Xxx
She listened to the argument from her sister's room, making sure that their voices didn't wake the sleeping Abby up from her nap.
"How can you support those terrorists?" Her father asked.
"At least they want to make things better for us!" Her brother argued.
"For us or for them? They attack and hurt people, Human or otherwise for speaking against them. They're why we live here so we don't get caught up in their extremist views." Her father said.
"Don't give me that excuse. You're not afraid of them. You're afraid that if you lived anywhere else that the humans would treat us as bad as they treat the rest of us!"
"We're not as weak, helpless or exploited as Saytra says. These ideas are attractive to young ones like you, meant to cloud your eyes and see what only they want you to see." It sounded like her father was struggling to remain calm. "They are terrorists who just want power for power's sake."
"They want power to stand up to those who abuse power!"
"And what is their idea of standing up? Brutally attacking anyone just for not liking someone for their heritage?"
"It would get the point across."
"The point that we're every bit as vicious as they might think." Her father said sadly. "I would have thought you'd have understood that."
"Then you don't know me at all."
Her brother left the house the day, seemingly moving away.
Xxx
As it turned out her brother would be back, spreading the word of the Satyra to the nearby villages in the Twisted Forest. It got worse as some of the younger Faunus were considering his words and started getting into disputes with the Humans lived with them. Neighbors who had lived side by side for years were suddenly fighting for reasons no one seemed to understand or care about. It only got worse for the Lincoln family to those who knew that her brother was involved.
"Cree?"
She looked at her sister, seeing her clutching a blanket as she walked up. "Why is everyone being so mean to us?"
Cree sighed and pulled little Abby close to her. "I don't know, Abby. I really don't know."
"Is it because of our brother?" Abby asked, sitting on her sister's lap.
"…I guess so." Cree sighed. "I guess so."
The door opened and to their shock their brother was standing there, staring directly at Abby.
"Brother?" Abby whispered, feeling afraid for some reason.
"So is it true?" He asked, looking at his sisters with an awestruck face.
Cree stood in front of her little sister, glaring at her elder brother. "What is true?"
"Did you think I never noticed where you went all the times you snuck out, Cree? I know you've been seeing the tree on Mt. Blackhead."
Cree's eyes widened in horror as her brother grinned.
"And I know what it told you."
"Get…Out." Cree whispered harshly. "Get out and don't come back."
"She needs protection, Cree. She'll only get it with-"
"GET OUT!" Cree shouted, scaring her little sister but held her ground with her brother. "Or I'll throw you out myself."
"…" Her brother slowly turned around. "You know she'd be safer with them than here. It's only a matter of time."
Xxx
Cree stopped at seeing a cave and rushed inside it, gently dropping her sister along with her Ice Elemental safely on the ground.
"I'm not a traitor." Cree whispered to herself.
Xxx
"You told him I was seeing you?!"
The Magic Tree did not react as Cree shouted at it, choosing to wait for her to calm down. "I was under no obligation to keep our meetings a secret."
"He knows. He knows and he's going to tell them about her." Cree anxiously paced her. "They'll come and take her like they've been taking the other kids."
"They will indeed try." The tree agreed.
Cree turned and glared harshly at the tree. "You got her into this so help me get her out."
"I take no sides in this dispute. My one true concern is for the world and the life on it. Not the ideology disputes that divides that life." The tree refused.
"…Then answer me my last three questions." Cree demanded.
"Very well."
"Where can I take my sister where they can't get her?"
"There is no place on this world or any other where those that seek the Guardians would not find her. However to ensure she is safe for the time being you must deliver her to the home of ice and water." The tree answered.
"Where is that?"
"In the city of heroes and hope." The tree answered. "The place known as GrimmFall."
"How do I find them?"
"Follow the dreams and visions of your sister. Ask her about the boy who stands in the snow. The Guardians are naturally drawn to each other through their past lives, powers and bonds." The tree answered cryptically. "And because of this quest you are about to undertake and since it is unlikely we will see each other again I will allow three more questions one last time."
"…Who will come after my sister?" Cree asked, taking a second to decide what to ask.
"The servants and followers of the Dark One."
Cree's eyebrow furrowed. "Who is the Dark One?"
"The one who will seek the four Guardians."
"Name him!" Cree shouted.
"…He has gone by many names for many years but his most well-known name is Sammael." The tree answered, surprisingly answering her demand even if it wasn't a question.
"Where can I find him?"
Xxx
A year had passed since she left her sister with the Ice Elemental. Since then she had trained herself to be good at sneaking and hiding. She had to be considering that everyone might be looking for her.
But it was all worth it for this moment.
She made it into the Darklands, the land where the one who sent the monster that killed her parents lived. However she found making it to the Darklands and actually surviving long enough reach the Dark One were two very different things. The Grimm here were larger, stronger and much more terrifying. She was forced to take shelter in a shack near a graveyard. During the daytime most of the Grimm would leave her alone and she took the time to train herself.
She created her own training ground, training her body and skills so she could fight her way past the Grimm. After a few months she had quickly gotten use to the Glob forsaken environment she found herself in and grew more experienced in the art of combat. She unlocked her Semblance and learned how to use it along with her naturally enhanced senses to her advantage. When night came she waited near her home, watching for the Grimm that would come for her, attempting to take her territory.
She only got stronger in each fight and she found herself believing this was all meant to make her strong enough for her goal. She fully embraced and waited in anticipation for them to come for her.
Only this time when they came someone or something came with them.
She watched as he appeared, strolling out of the darkness and yet it felt like all of the darkness in the land had come from him. Whatever of him that looked human clashed horribly with the pale white skin, dark markings along with the black and red eyes. The smile was warm and yet the look in his eyes made her think if she wasn't careful he would eat her alive.
"Cree Lincoln, I believe." He spoke in calming, polite voice.
"Who's asking?" She asked, trying to sound intimidating.
"I've been following your exploits over the last few years and I must say I am impressed. To survive this far and for this long." He said approvingly, unaffected by her tactic. "No one as young as you has ever showed such skill."
"What do you want? Who are you?" Cree asked, her instincts screaming at her to run.
He seemed amused by her questions. "I would have thought it was obvious as to who I am. I am the one you have been seeking this entire time but I will properly introduce myself anyways. I am the one you call Sammael."
Cree's widened in shock before narrowing in rage and she charged forward, ready to give everything she had to kill the creature before her…
Xxx
"Hey there!"
Cree's head shot up and she spun around, spotting four familiar faces at the entrance to the cave. "You…"
Drake Sypher, a man who loved to have it all by stealing it all.
Weathervane, an attention starved girl who loved being in the spotlight.
Mastermind, a girl with an ego the size of her blimp sized head who was thrown out of her university and landed in the Invisible Hand when she was offered the chance to expand her knowledge beyond anything she could have imagined.
And Massive, a brute if there ever was one.
"What are you doing here?" Cree demanded. "I didn't ask for help."
"Since when does anyone care what you want?" Drake retorted smoothly, taking a step forward. "Last I heard the only reason you were here with us is because it's what the boss wants."
Cree glared at Sypher but he was unintimidated. "I won't ask again. Why are you here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Drake eyed the two Elementals at the back of the cave. "The boss wants to meet them."
Cree's eyes widened in shock before narrowing and she pulled out her spear. "That wasn't our deal!"
"I thought the deal was he wouldn't try to take them. He didn't say anything about not meeting them." Mastermind pointed out.
"Which is why he wanted us here to make sure you didn't run off with them." Massive continued. "In case you had any ideas."
Cree growled. "He played me."
"Played you? He went through all the trouble of making sure your little sister was out of the way when the carnage started." Weathervane pointed out smugly. "Don't start acting all ungrateful because you didn't think things through as usual."
Cree growled.
Xxx
"I was impressed by your survival skills, at least until now."
Cree was on the ground, heavily bruised and sported several cuts that dripped blood onto the ground. She grunted as she looked up at the one she had come to kill but unlike before she didn't glare at him with hate.
She was too terrified for that.
"Don't tell me you are giving up." Sammael said, sounding disappointed. "Do you abandon hope so soon? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given how easily you abandoned your dear sister."
Cree growled, struggling to stand up. "Sh-Shut up!"
"Did you think you were any different from those that came before you? I've had my share of would-be assassins and all of them were more skilled and determined than you." Sammael chuckled. "What makes you, a child different from the rest?"
"Shut up!" Cree barked, managing to stand up.
Despite her show of defiance Sammael seemed to be pleased. "Ah, there is the difference. Better die on your feet then to beg on your knees."
"D-Damn right!" Cree grunted, ready to attack again but stumbled.
"However it should be obvious that you do not have the strength to carry out your plan." Sammael remarked. "Months of fighting for your life in these lands. Surviving on whatever you could use for food. Wasting all of your strength on attacking me the mere moment we met. Is it any wonder how easy your plan fell apart?"
"So what?!" Cree barked. "This won't stop me! I won't stop until you are dead!"
"Yes…" Sammael grinned, leaning forward. "I believe you."
Xxx
That night was when everything changed.
Cree was taken from her rundown shack and brought the fortress in the center of the Darklands, far from the reach of humanity. She had fought against being brought there, screaming in defiance but in the end she couldn't win.
She never had the chance.
She told him she hated him and meant it.
She said the same to his followers and meant it.
And yet at the end she lost the will to keep fighting simply because she was forced to see the truth.
And the truth was she never had the chance to stop him.
And he was going to find her little sister.
So she bargained.
'If you agree to work with me, if you swear on your sister's life and your own to serve me and me alone , to fight at my side forever, she will be allowed to live.'
She accepted the offer and thus began her new life.
Sammael said both she and her sister had a future.
It took some time for her to accept and adapt to her new life. She was surrounded by other followers, all of them driven by devotion, greed, vengeance and anything else that was exploited in order to serve their new master. She didn't socialize with them unless she had to. She devoted her time to training, forging her own weapon and learning how to wield it.
She hadn't gone on many missions since she was still younger than most of the Invisible Hand but that was what made her valuable for Sammael's plans.
"You really should listen better." Drake walked up to her, grasping her chin but didn't give into his natural desire to steal her Semblance.
Sammael would likely fry him alive if he did something as stupid as that.
"The point of this entire mission was to retrieve the Elementals for him." Mastermind crossed her arms. "Not so you could have some family reunion."
Cree smacked Drake's hand away. "Don't lecture me. Don't any of you dare lecture me a bunch of demented, insane-"
"Cree?"
She stopped at the sound of her voice.
Slowly turning around, she looked directly into the eyes of her sister who was sitting up and looking straight at her.
"Cree…Is that you?" Abby said slowly, unsure if this was real or not.
"Abby…" Cree bit her lip. "You're awake."
"Well, isn't this sweet." Drake chuckled. "Go on. Hug it out. Let little sis know what you've been up to for the last few years."
"Cree, what's going on? Where am I? Where are the others?" Abby looked at the team behind her sister. "Who are those guys?"
"We are Team DWMM, here to make sure you are not late for your meeting with our dear boss. I think you know him." Drake answered, bowing dramatically. "I mean, after all your sister went through the trouble of setting this up, saying you'd behave yourself."
"What are you talking about?" Abby demanded, scowling now. "I don't know you are but I'm not sticking around to meet whoever your boss is."
"Not just our boss." Massive pointed at Cree. "He's her boss as well. I mean, she went to him after she dumped you on ice boy's doorstep."
"And he was so kind to send her to help rescue you from those space rocks." Mastermind shook her head. "The least you could do is be grateful to him. I know your sister was when he recruited her. So why not stick around and meet him?"
"After all, Sammael's been looking forward to this." Weathervane shrugged.
Abby's widened and she looked at her older sister. "Sammael…You're working for…Sammael?"
Cree flinched when she saw the look in her sister's eyes.
Shock.
Horror.
And worst of all, betrayal.
Trying to process everything the Tree told her, Cree considered her last question for the day. "How will Abby discover her true self?"
The Tree fell silent for several moments before providing an answer. "She will discover it the day that you betray her."
Cree's eyes widened when she realized what the tree meant. 'It can't be. I saved her…Didn't I?'
'The day you betray her.'