Opening File: Light of All

The Light of All is a power that can only be given to those with the blood of Arthur Eld by Gan. It is a ritual that involves Gan offering a human descended from the royalty of Gilead a portion of his power in exchange for the Semblance of the person who accepts the offer. The Light of All bonds with the very soul of the one who accepts the deal and thus the Semblance is completely eclipsed and erased by the new power. Once the deal is made the person will carry the Light of All for the rest of their lives and when they die the power is returned to Gan.

The Light of All is a form of divine energy, a power of righteousness that can not only destroy Grimm but can even harm and kill Fallen. In the past the kings of Gilead had killed several Fallen, earning Sammael's ire who set in motion the plan to create a Fallen to destroy the kingdom. That Fallen was none other than Los, the Crimson King. While Los did have the blood of Arthur Eld it is unlikely he would have been given the Light of All simply because Gan would never bless a Fallen with his power and while the Light of All could possibly be corrosive to a Fallen if Los was able to adapt himself to withstand that power he would have been an even greater threat as a Fallen with a corrupted Light of All.

The Light of All grants unlimited stamina, the ability to form portals and the power to manipulate and use light as a weapon, much like the Semblance of Arthur Eld himself which has led many to believe it was not his natural Semblance but the Light of All given to him.

Close File

Xxx

"The definition of a contract is written or spoken agreement, especially one concerning employment, sales, or tenancy, that is intended to be enforceable by law. Some contracts can lead to a profitable partnership while others…You have to be careful and remember to read the fine print." TOM lectured as the file closed. "Sometimes a contract can ensure you end up with almost nothing while your partner walks away with all the cash, leaving the last sucker to pick up the check. Read, make sure the terms are agreeable and always be ready for the little surprises."

Xxx

SMASH!

Major Glory smashed his way through another barrage of wooden tendrils sent his way as he flew straight at Moloch. The Fallen easily caught the Major's fists and both entered a contest of strength.

"So the prodigal nephew returns to continue the fight he fled from as a child." Moloch mocked, hoping to get under Glory's skin. "You failed your uncle in life and now you'll fail him in death."

Major Glory remained silent but Moloch saw his lips twitch.

"Yes, it is only a matter of time. I heard you also have a new apprentice." Moloch continued. "I wonder if you have told her what happened with your uncle. Or that every host of the American spirit is destined to die by our hands?"

"Not this time." Major Glory retorted, firing his Star Spangled Vision.

Moloch tilted his head to the right, dodging the beams but was left open as Major Glory slammed his knee into the Fallen's face.

"Your idealistic uncle." Moloch spot, gliding back and dodging the continued attacks from the major. "Your soft pacifistic mother. Your whimpering cowardly excuse of a dad."

Major Glory let out a growl as he slammed fist into Moloch's torso. However the Fallen seemed to feel nothing as he grabbed the Major's arm and then slammed him into the ground.

"No matter how hard you try you can never erase the shame you feel for not being strong enough to help dear Uncle Sam." Moloch tossed the major, watching as he smashed through several trees. "You can fly through the sky, beat your enemies down with your unlimited strength and try to represent all that is good in the world but you'll always be that scared little boy who trembled before Sammael."

As the Major landed on the ground he found himself standing next to Roland who was still in the middle of his fight with Black Velvet. The female Fallen stopped, watching the major carefully while keeping her eyes on Roland.

"Major," Roland greeted.

"Mr. Deschain," Major Glory replied.

"Having trouble Velvet?" Moloch asked, appearing next to the female Fallen.

"The Gunslinger is more trouble than he's worth," Black Velvet said. "I want to see him bleed for the pain him and his father have caused me. Killing the son of my past life and shooting me with holy light has earned my hatred."

"Very well. Since both are our targets stand before us then perhaps we should work together to finish them off." Moloch proposed.

"Agreed."

Moloch spread his arms out, summoning more tendrils of wood from the ground and lunge at their opponents. Major Glory his Star Spangled Vision and Roland fired more enchanted pistols, burning through the wood tendrils like a knife through hot butter. Velvet placed her hand on the ground and darkness spread through the ground, regenerating the tendrils and helping them grow even larger with extra appendages. They lashed out again, forcing Major Glory and Roland to step back and blast away any that came too close.

"These two fight well together Roland. I'm not sure how we can make it out of this," Major Glory said, standing back to back with the Gunslinger.

"I may have an answer," Roland replied. "The woman is somehow drawing strength from her hatred but the more her hate grows the more her attacks become sloppy and the more mistakes she'll make. If we can make her angry enough into making a mistake I can kill her."

"Can this plan even work?" Major Glory asked.

"A member of my old Ka-tet, Eddie, once did it." Roland said as he reloaded his pistols with marked Dust Rounds. "Though you wouldn't have appreciated the vulgarity he used."

Black Velvet conjured blasts of red lightning, forcing the two jump away in opposite directions to avoid being hit.

"You may think that you're powerful, but the power you display is just a crutch." Roland said as he dodged Black Velvet's lightning. "In fact I believe you are my most pathetic opponent yet."

"Shut up!" Velvet shouted as her cloak and clothing started to change, becoming a form of black liquid that grew out.

Roland watched as the blackness became a giant insect, similar to the insect forms of the Crimson King and his own son Mordred. It lunged at him, trying to bite and skewer him but he was fast. The power of the Light of All granted him unlimited stamina and when combined with his own speed that was above the average Huntsmen he was able to dodge Velvet's pincer legs. He moved through her legs and shot from underneath her, hitting her belly several times.

Velvet let out a scream and jumped into the air, latching onto several trees, glaring hatefully down at Roland with several red glowing eyes.

"The Fallen I killed, Walter Padick, was more powerful and impressive than you. Not only was he a Majesty class but he was the son of a death goddess." Roland continued to taunt.

"Stop talking!" Velvet fired several web streams but Roland easily dodged.

"He used his true form to fight me just like you are. But unlike you he managed to gravely wound me. I killed him by the skin of my teeth. Compared to his strength yours is just like how you appear now, an insect."

Black Velvet growled at this comment.

"Ironically the legends of your past self have been described as an insectile entity in the old legends."

Black Velvet screamed in rage and jumped down, falling down on Roland. The Gunslinger fired a few rounds at her charged with the Light of All and when she tried to deflect one it exploded along with the rest engulfing her and Moloch. Major Glory managed to get out of the way.

"That was Hydrogen and Shadow Matter Dust!?" Major Glory said in surprise. "Mr. Deschain, must I tell you that those are illegal Dust types!?"

"You can arrest me if we survive this." Roland said as he approached something crawling on the ground.

It was Black Velvet back in her normal form and she looked half dead. Roland kicked her onto her back and planted his foot on her chest. He pointed a gun at her head, it glowed, and when he was about to pull the trigger...

"Stop!" Black Velvet said sounding scared. "I want to tell you the joke about the archbishop and the chorus girl!"

"Heard it," Roland said as he fired at Black Velvet's head killing her.

"The forest is still here," Major Glory said, seeing nothing changing from their surroundings. "Moloch must still be alive."

"I doubt he escaped the explosion unharmed," Roland said as he lit a match and dropped it on Black Velvet's corpse. "With any luck he's too injured to continue fighting and retreated to regain his strength."

"Then we must make haste." Major Glory said, taking a second to close his eyes and offer a small prayer to their deceased enemy.

Though she was a Fallen killing was not something the major would endorse and struggled to avoid having to resort to that scenario. Destroying Grimm was easy as they had no souls and lived only to kill and destroy.

But livings beings, including Fallen?

'Would you feel the same if it was Sammael?' A small voice whispered the major's mind but he ignored that question for now.

"Sammael is after the Elementals and I think he staged this entire battle just to get rid of a few other enemies such as the Grimm Slayer and his team along with Valhallen and Krunk." Glory continued.

"And possibly me as well. In all my years I've been I was never offered the deal of my ancestors. It was made now then the enemy is close to finding them." Roland agreed. "Hopefully they will be safe in the hands of the spirit guardians of the Beams. Go and find the Elementals and save them."

"What will you do?" Major Glory asked.

"Buy you time by facing the enemy himself." Roland said as he opened a Todash portal.

"Wh-Wait!" Major Glory called out but was too late as Roland vanished into the portal. "…Good luck, Gunslinger."

Xxx

Deep in the woods Moloch sprouted out from the ground and watched as Roland torched Black Velvet's body…

And chuckled.

"Velvet, the Gunslinger killed your clone as expected." Moloch whispered.

'I can feel it!'

Xxx

Black Velvet, the real Black Velvet groaned as she collapsed onto the ground. "The Grimm essence I used to give my clone its blood and control it as my puppet is burning away…AAAAAAAAHHHH! GOLB, that hurts!"

"But now we've confirmed that the last Gunslinger now carries the Light of All…Just as yours and Sammael's premonitions confirmed."

Gritting her teeth from the pain Velvet took a few deep breaths and slowly stood back up, leaning against the table in the middle of her lab. "Yes…We knew it was matter of time before the last Gunslinger was desperate enough to make the deal…He's every bit as powerful as his ancestors…"

"Which unfortunately means a great deal of trouble for us. Deschain and all these heroes keep on growing stronger."

Velvet let out a grin. "Like Sammael said…It will be their undoing."

Though her clone failed to kill the last Gunslinger she collected a great deal of information on him. As the new incarnation of the Fallen Crimson Black Velvet understood better than almost anyone the danger that Roland Deschain represented to her and the other Fallen. If they were not careful he'd hunt down and kill a great many of them. So Black Velvet as the most scientifically skilled of the Fallen and the one with the most experience decided it was best to set in safe guards to ensure their safety and to begin collecting on any data she could use against Roland.

She held out reasonably well but not enough against the Gunslinger, especially when he started taunting her.

"That's the main weakness of that power." Velvet said, summoning her lightsaber to her hand. "The anger and hate dulled my effectiveness in battle. If I was truly there I would be dead…I even took on the Fallen form of my past self."

Contrary to what the Gunslinger might have believed even if Crimson was her past self Black Velvet was different.

Stronger.

Faster.

And much smarter than the woman who was eaten alive by her own offspring.

Velvet's eyes softened at the thought of her past self's son. 'Even while each Fallen is reborn as something new I suppose there are still lingering feelings.'

It would just be something she had to live with.

She was not Crimson anymore.

She was Black Velvet.

And she would see to it that her former self's mission was complete: the complete and utter destruction of the line of Arthur Eld.

Xxx

By the time Roland had emerged through the other side of his portal his eyes came on the enemy who had seemingly been waiting for him.

Sammael was sitting casually on a tree stump nearby, eyes closed and a calm smile on his face. "Roland of Eld, standing before me with the proud power of his ancestors. How does it feel to be blessed with the power of the king? How desperate could the situation be if you were only now to be given this power? Perhaps a little too close for your, Sebben's and even Gan's comforts."

Roland said nothing as he pulled out his pistols, enchanted them with the Light of All and fired directly at Sammael who simply vanished. Roland spun around, seeing Sammael now leaning against a tree with his arms crossed and a casual smile on his face.

"Does it make you feel stronger? Perhaps even happy considering it took away that Semblance of yours?" Sammael remarked. "No longer able to bring great harm to those close to you."

Roland fired another batch of bullets but Sammael moved with such speed he was a blur as he dodged and jumped up into a nearby tree.

"Only now are you brave enough to consider facing the dangers of the Darklands. Perhaps because all this time here you lacked the motivation to continue the sacred duty of your order." Sammael looked down at the Gunslinger. "Because you know exactly what it's like to fail."

He jumped down and landed back on the ground.

"To watch everything around you burn and crumble, wishing with all your heart to desperately to reverse it…Only to be the only one left standing in the ruin of it all. It's a horrific experience that shatters the heart and leaves nothing but an empty shell."

Roland fired again but Sammael casually dodged each bullet, moving so fast Roland almost couldn't keep up.

"But could you have truly done anything to prevent it? Perhaps and would you have done absolutely anything to do so? Whatever it takes, Gunslinger. That is why you are here now." Sammael's eyes burned red as he stopped in front of Roland and the Gunslinger placed his pistols on the Fallen's forehead. "Fight us, flee us, a great change is coming and we all are that change. We are the inevitable."

"You are a pestilence." Roland bit out before squeezing the trigger only to find himself shooting empty air.

"Sticks and stones, Gunslinger." Sammael chuckled, standing at the edge of the clearing. "Fire away."

Roland was prepared to comply, but realized that the Fallen hadn't been speaking to him. A bombardment of black darts fell upon him, only the shadows they cast to serve as a warning that gave him time to roll out of the way of the first salvo. Looking up, Roland quickly unloaded both revolvers skyward and picked off many of the arrows as they arched over the surrounding trees.

There had to be an army of bowmen hidden among the forest for there to be this much firepower brought against him, yet the Gunslinger's keen eyes- enhanced further by the Light of All, told him that the swarm emerged from three distinct positions and were fired in rapid succession with inhuman speed. Even before one of the arrows made it through his defense he knew that this battle had become untenable on his own.

Roland. Run away. Live to fight another day.

It gnawed at him, the fury. He wielded the Light of All, the gift of kings of yore and was still forced to retreat.

No, power blinds. Remember your training.

"First you came to rescue the Elementals." Sammael called out as Roland's coat was pinned to a tree, briefly stopping him. "Then you came here to slay me."

Roland tore himself free and dove into the cover of a large black tree with roots that twisted up and down into the ground, forming a temporary shelter.

"The blood of Arthur Eld never changes." Sammael taunted, stepping into the open with such a lack of concern for being in Roland's sights. "Each of you nothing more than a dog acting only on the whim of its masters."

Roland spotted movement around the clearing. The bowmen were repositioning to where they had him in their sights. He saw only black figures with bright red eyes dart through his vision before the rain of arrows resumed.

Three. Just as I thought.

Sammael had acquired new bodyguards of particular talent with a bow, almost equal to his with a gun. There would be no victory this day that much he had to accept. There could only be retreat, to fight again under better odds.

And without the risk of his Semblance, Roland's options had multiplied exponentially.

"I know what you're thinking, Gunslinger." Sammael chuckled. "Flee now, fight another day. But are you truly fleeing, or simply regrouping for another futile attempt with your new friends? The race is on, Gunslinger. Ice, Candy and Slime await at the finish line. I eagerly await to see who gets there first."

"Not you, wretch." Roland muttered, forming a Todash portal beneath him which engulfed his body just before it could be stuck with a dozen arrows.

Once the Gunslinger was gone, Sammael's three bowmen stepped into the open, each of them tall and completely black as night from head to toe. Long, thin ears lay at the top of their heads while their faces ended in snouts like a mouse.

"Admirable work today, my mice." Sammael praised them. "You will have a chance to finish him again someday. Him and so many more."

Xxx

New Grimm Sighted

Name: Mice

Classification: Mice

Appearance: Resembling humans with mice ears and noses. Unlike most Grimm they lack white skeletal armor.

Abilities: Blind Mice Grimm form bows and arrows from their own bodies, virtually having unlimited ammo supply. Their hearing is like sonar and can pick up even the slightest bit of sound. With unlimited arrows they can rain arrows down in a matter of seconds and have unparalleled precision and accuracy.

Note: I would like to thank Endeavor-T who supplied the scene and the lines in the battle between Roland and Black Velvet. Originally Black Velvet would have died but I feel she could still have a role to play for later. Now she's faked her death at the hands of Roland by testing out the ability to clone Fallen but it is not a perfect process as even if a Fallen's humanoid body is cloned it still needs the Grimm essence to properly move and behave as if it is alive. Without the Dark Substance it is essentially a lifeless meat bag.