Chapter 21 – Memories of Home
Dutch
He saw the alert on his terminal, the files on all Safehouse locations… and he knew it was her, continuing to dig through his archives of hidden information.
Anger was not a word strong enough, and thankfully he was not alone in confronting Amara about what she had done. The Deacon was walking beside him, and so was Sienna, both with anger in their eyes. Sienna especially, for she was there in that council meeting, and she heard all the Councillors agree that Amara's request was too extreme for a case lacking so much critical proof.
And now she had just gone behind the Council's back and did what she wanted to do anyway, like a child who was having a tantrum for not getting their way. The trio approached the door to her office, and he opened it with their combined override keycards, opening the door despite her lock in place. She was standing in front of the large window, staring out across Vale with her hand held to her chin.
"Did you really think we wouldn't notice what you just did? Our stockpile of Legion Knights? Two Huntresses? A massive battle lighting a portion of the Emerald Forest aflame?" Dutch sounded calm, but the anger could be heard growing in his voice, staring her down.
"The Council will know of this, Amara. You have just gone against the Council who agreed to stand against such a vicious and senseless attempted murder of an innocent man!" Sienna was not as calm, but the Deacon was the most unnerving, staring at her silently, and his fists clenched, until he finally spoke.
"This was not what the Legion was supposed to be used for." The Deacon snarled.
Amara still said nothing, staring at the rising smoke from the Embered Forest, spotting the airships dousing them with water cooled from ice dust. "Why do you say nothing?" Dutch questioned.
"Because you're blind to the truth, Dutch. You keep believing that your secrets, your games will work. That reading the journal of a dead witch will give you the answers you want. Did you really think that the Safehouse location was all I had retrieved from your files?" Amara questioned, still not turning to face him. "How about the Horn of Darkness? Pulsing rhythmically? Or as your private log with Heimdall's Lab put it… communicating?"
The Deacon turned and stared at Dutch, seeing him sigh. "Or how about the most recent one? That… all… of the Grimm from the Atlesian Wildlands have escaped alongside that Hound, and they're all out here somewhere? And a Hound that is pursuing Jaune Arc savagely? A man who was corrupted by a monster, and still has been showing signs of that power residing within him?" Amara listed her reasons, leaving them silent.
"Tell me, all of you… am I mad? For coming to this conclusion? I don't believe in coincidences. Something is happening here. The Grimm are waking up, and if those tar pits open once more, we may not be able to stop them." Amara explained, turning to them all.
"We have a powerful military, and those mechanised units you sent after them were designed to hold back such a threat." The Deacon explained.
"And yet they cut through the Drake like butter." Amara argued.
"They're Huntsmen and Huntresses. They were trained to fight against seemingly impossible odds. It's in our nature." The Deacon stated.
"Perhaps, but where are the Huntsmen and Huntresses now? We offered many a place here at the Legion, but most refused, and I can't say I blame them. What Killian did… what Salem and her followers did? The Inhumane Necessity? We don't have enough Huntsmen and Huntresses left to fight the Grimm if they return."
"Then why have you been fighting against having the Academies rebuilt?" Dutch questioned, sounding confused now more than ever.
"It should never have fallen onto the shoulders of children to save the world, and that made them all a target. Corrupted some from the power, and lead so many to their deaths. I do not want to see anymore names in those graveyards from people so young trying to be heroes. It's why I've been pushing so heavily for automated defence in such an eventuality." Amara explained, and there was no doubting her honesty, for once she was told them the truth.
And Dutch would be lying if he claimed he couldn't understand her logic. The Academies were essentially training child soldiers unknowingly, preparing them for a war they never knew was coming for them.
Not until it arrived on their doorstep, clad in black armour.
"Killian had a similar thought…" Dutch said. "But of course, he was obsessed with control. At least your intentions are noble. But we still don't know the Hound's goal, and we don't know if Jaune is its target or if what you fear is even true. We are drowning in unknowns that we are letting our paranoia drive us."
He turned to the Deacon, who was standing silently. "Please… let's just stop this, stop all the infighting. The desperation… and work together like we always have in the past. No more desire for revenge, and no more fear guiding our choices." Dutch begged, looking at the Deacon first and then Amara. She looked at him and sighed, sitting down in her chair.
"Thankfully, nobody was killed in your reckless attack." Sienna sighed.
"No… Elm Ederne… she was killed in action." Amara revealed, her voice filled with regret. All of them stared at her, Sienna, with the hardest glare compared to the others.
"What?" she harshly replied.
"Harriet returned from the mission. She's on her way back now with a snapped arm and broken ribs. She said that… Jaune Arc crushed her skull with her own hammer in a moment of rage." Amara explained to them. Dutch pinched his brow and walked backwards, and Sienna growled with frustration, pacing around the office. The Deacon was motionless, bowing his head and clenching his hands into fists. Her inability to communicate with the other leaders was simply angering him all the more, because now he had lost a friend and a trusted soldier in the Legion. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he buried them all. But he couldn't even bear to look at her. "This is on me. I know that and I accept that."
"The Council will not take kindly to this, Amara. You forced Jaune's hand, and now he's killed many Legionnaires and now a famed Huntress." Sienna stated, and Amara sighed, hanging her head with grief.
"That… wasn't all she told me. She said there's something she needs to tell us… all of us, not just me. And whatever it is, it's serious." Amara explained.
"Where is she?" Dutch asked her.
"I asked to have her brought here once she was patched up." Amara explained, and so they all waited until two armed Onyx Guards, who stood outside, brought Harriet to her office. They welcomed Harriet and sat her down. The Huntress had her broken arm in a cast, and she had bandages around her chest where her ribs were broken. She was still battered and bruised from the fight, but she knew she had to tell the leaders what she saw.
"Harriet… you said to the President there was something we needed to know?" Dutch asked.
"During our fight, Jaune's daughter kept trying to fight me, trying to help her aunts when I had them pinned down. I kept mocking her, insulting her…" Harriet explained, making Sienna scoff.
"Mocking a child…" Sienna sounded disgusted as she said the words. Unlike others, she had no time for Ex-Black Gallows, especially ones who did very well when under their leadership, like Harriet did.
"Continue." Dutch, of course, remaining neutral on his stance, focusing on the new data to be collected.
"She got angrier and angrier, then she started screaming, and her eyes turned purple… burning too. Just like…"
"… Jaune…" Dutch replied, furrowing his brow and walking around the room.
"How is that possible?" Sienna asked, even Amara was confused.
"Is it genetic? I know Schnees are the only family who have a hereditary semblance, but that wasn't Jaune's semblance and his isn't like the Schnees." Amara suggested.
"No, we know Ori's semblance. It's some kind of electro-kinetic power she can use to amplify attacks. She used it to punch a bully across a hallway at her school when she unlocked it." Dutch explained his brain was sorting through this revelation, and he had a very worrying thought manifest in there.
"What happened next? After her eyes changed colour?" The Deacon asked Harriet.
"She passed out, collapsed to the floor and went pale. I froze when I saw her do that, because it was just like the Salem Knight." Harriet explained. Hearing that title be spoken made the Deacon flinch. "But Madam President, I beg you… we need to kill Jaune Arc. He killed Elm savagely. He's no different to how he once was!" Harriet begged.
"No, he's sick. And you all kept pushing him to his limit again and again. What we need is to leave this family alone. And right now… I need to find out what is happening with his daughter." Dutch explained, then the Deacon walked over to his side.
"What are you thinking?" He asked.
"I'm not sure yet… but I think Salem's journal may give us the answer. Right now, we need to stop causing scenes, stop worrying the public. And focus on the cleanup effort." Dutch explained, quickly exiting the Presidential Office, his mind racing.
Please… please don't mean what I think this means…
Ruby
Beacon Academy…
Seeing it again made everyone freeze for a few moments, now claimed by nature, and the bodies buried beneath the grass. They walked carefully, not wanting to disturb the lost souls who fell here. As Ruby stood there, she blinked and saw it as it once was, a beautiful towering building in the centre, full of colour and people, people who had dreams of becoming heroes.
But now… it was silent, empty… and dreamless.
But not colourless, for nature had a wonderful way of making even the darkest sites of bloodshed look so beautiful.
She shook it off, and walked inside of the ruins of her old school, following Pyrrha and Jaune, who held onto Oriana tightly. She could tell that everyone was thinking about the exact same thing. They all saw her eyes when she started screaming. It was all too familiar to them, those piercing purple eyes.
Misty walked over to Ruby's side, with Weiss next to her as well. "Um… Mrs Rose?" Misty nervously said.
"You can call me Ruby, honey." Ruby promised with a gentle smile, which made Misty smile back.
"I… I saw Ori's eyes… what does it mean?" Misty asked.
"Nothing good… but whatever it is, we'll find a way to fix it. We always do." She promised.
"I saw her eyes turn purple once before." Misty confessed, which made Ruby stop and look at her.
"You have?" Ruby inquired.
"Yeah, it was a few months ago. I told Pyrrha about it a couple days ago, after Oriana had that night terror? She was at my house one night for a sleepover and she had one of those nightmares, and for a second… I know I saw her eyes turn purple when she woke up. It was so fast, but I couldn't stop thinking about it." Misty explained. Weiss looked at her, then at Ruby.
"Hmm…" Ruby mumbled.
"Do you think it could be linked to her nightmares?" Misty asked.
"It's possible. If anything, it's our best lead. But for now, let's see what else we can learn. We don't know anything for certain just yet." Ruby explained.
"That's right, we all need to stay calm." Weiss agreed.
"Okay." Misty agreed.
They all looked around, but the buildings were all in rough shape, most of them collapsed or so torn apart from time that they could fall at any second. "This place has seen better days." Yang said, sighed and crossing her arms, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder.
"Misty? You and Ori were here recently. Is there anywhere safe you remember?" She asked her. Misty nodded and turned, pointing to one of the large overgrown buildings, scarred by old scorch marks from a raging fire.
"There, I think they were the old Dorms. Of all the buildings we explored, that one was the most stable and had the best shelter." Misty answered.
"Okay, let's go. Looks like there's a storm coming." Ren suggested, spinning Stormflower through his fingers. As they approached, Misty stared at Jaune, spotting him standing motionless, staring at the destroyed Fountain… the very spot where he blew himself up to try to destroy Salem all those years ago.
"Jaune! C'mon, let's go." Yang called out, and Jaune snapped out of it, following them, which Misty agreed to do the same. They climbed inside of the ruins, following the chunks of rubble that lead inside of one of the old hallways. The teams made their way through them, feeling so much nostalgia hit them, pushing through fallen vines, and passing by the hanging, rusted and creaking lights. The power in this school had run out a very, very long time ago, meaning there was no threat of electrocution at the very least. Pyrrha held Oriana close, seeing the halls become traced over with her memories.
Seeing students rushing past to their classes, the many times they were late for said classes, and arrived sweating and gasping for air. Her parents never let her hear the end, but she wouldn't trade those happier memories for anything… simply the happier times when she was with her team.
Her family.
And here they were, once again. At times, Nora felt like she was going to hear Glynda shouting her name for being late once again, but she'd always have to remind herself that Jackdaw killed her.
As they kept moving through the halls, passing by the destroyed Dorm Rooms, Misty lead them further into the area, and pointed at the one that they stayed in that night when she and Oriana came here.
Team R.W.B.Y froze, their eyes widening. "This was the one Ori, and I hung out in for a bit. It's the safest, by far." Misty assured. She looked at all the adults with concern, seeing the looks on their faces. "What's wrong?"
"… this… was our dorm." Ruby revealed, and Jaune nodded his head, looking back at the dorm room behind them.
"And that was ours… right next to them." Jaune said fondly, looking at it, although sadly their dorm had collapsed from the years that passed by. Misty's eyes widened, staring at the Team of Heroes stood behind her, then back at the dorm, seeing the old journal, and the book she found… this was where they stayed when they were her age?
She'd be squeaking with excitement at this, if it weren't for the saddened look in their old eyes. But Ruby exhaled, and she walked inside first, pushing some rubble aside so they could lay Oriana down on the floor, picking up the old dirty pillows that weren't disintegrated, and used them to support her head. Pyrrha pressed the back of her hand against Oriana's forehead, feeling how hot she was getting.
"She's so pale…" Pyrrha was desperately trying not to panic. Jaune was right beside her, holding Pyrrha's hand tightly, staring at the swelling and red marks around her eyes from those purple flames. "What if… what if she…"
"Hey." Nora suddenly reached over and grabbed Pyrrha by her face, making her look right into her eyes. "Look at me… she's your daughter. Daughter of Pyrrha Nikos… you didn't stay down, did you? Neither will she." Nora promised, sounding so certain and serious, and hearing her said those words, it instantly calmed her down.
Jaune stared at the blood that was still all over him, afraid of what Oriana would see when she'd wake up, and he could tell that Misty was still afraid of him. "C'mon Jaune." Weiss said, clearly able to tell that he was stressing about that, and she took him away to get cleaned up in a nearby puddle of clear water. Misty approached Oriana's side, holding her hand and never letting go of her.
Pyrrha refused to leave Oriana's side, but Ruby did, and she sat down with the others. "We all saw the same thing, right?" Yang asked.
"Yeah… her eyes went purple… just like when Jaune was possessed by Thaddeus. She's been having nightmares lately, and I think it's connected. I just don't know how." Ruby explained.
"But I thought the God of Darkness erased Thaddeus after Pyrrha killed him?" Blake asked.
"We all thought that, but he still had that power in him, but just the strength of the Salem Knight. I'm starting to wonder if maybe… Thaddeus has been dormant. Waiting?" Ruby suggested.
"Waiting in Ori?" Ren asked.
"Maybe… but I don't know, I'm no scientist. I don't know what to do. I want to take her to Dutch, but right now, Legion H.Q is the last place we should go, with both the Deacon and Amara hunting us." Ruby explained, and they nodded their heads.
"Looks like we're all we've got." Nora sighed.
"But what about Ori? She's going to want answers now. We can't keep hiding this from her." Blake stated.
Ruby sighed. "It's not up to us… it's up to Pyrrha and Jaune."
Jaune
He splashed cold water against his face, scrubbing the drying blood from his face, panting as he did it. Weiss was standing beside him, hand resting atop Myrtenaster's pommel, keeping her eyes on the sky for any sign of Legion reinforcements. He stopped scrubbing, staring at himself in the water's reflection, and for a split second he saw Thaddeus staring back, eyes glowing purple, grinning madly.
He gasped and recoiled away from the water, but Weiss caught him. "Whooaah… easy tiger." Weiss said, crouching down beside him, holding his shoulder. "Still seeing him?"
"Every year I'd catch a glimpse of him… or Salem… sometimes both. But lately he keeps reappearing. Salem too… she's always mocking me, and it constantly feels like Thaddeus is trying to… take the reins again." Jaune explained, his hands shaking. "I still… remember… very faintly…"
"Everything he made you do?" Weiss asked, resting her knee against the floor.
"It's all so… hazy. Like a faded dream, but… yeah. I can still make it all out, everyone I killed… and remembering how it felt. The strength, the power… all of it. And… part of me loved it… because I finally felt strong enough. I don't know it's… it's so messed up." Jaune sighed, pressing his hand against his dripping face.
"Thaddeus latched onto your insecurities… you always wanted to be stronger. That's why you took Pyrrha up on her challenge to train you all those years ago. You wanted to be a hero more than anything… and Thaddeus twisted that into mad power. That's how he took control of you." Weiss reminded.
He sighed, sitting down on the floor. "I know." He admitted, then he looked at the sun, feeling the tears welling in his eyes. "It's just… I've felt like I'm slipping again. I'm so scared of failing them, Weiss…" He started cried as he spoke, choking up on each word. "We lost so many… but Athena… that one hurt more than anything. And I never felt so helpless."
Weiss closed her eyes with grief, nodding her head understandingly. He stared at his hands, and he swore he could see blood on them for a few moments. "I don't want to hurt anyone else… I never wanted to hurt anyone, I just wanted to help people. I thought I was free from that life, but now… I've killed a squad of soldiers, tried to kill Cardin… and murdered Elm in cold blood. It feels like I'm stuck in an endless loop…" Jaune stammered, then he looked at Weiss. "And I don't want her to see me as a monster."
"You're not." Weiss answered simply. He just scoffed.
"I dunno… after everything I've done already, I can't help but wonder if the Deacon has a point. Like I told you… part of me enjoyed having Thaddeus control me… something dark within me, something he latched onto. That was in me… so maybe I really am to blame." He sighed, getting up and walking away from Weiss.
She closed her eyes and shook her head.
"If you are a monster, Jaune… then why does it hurt you so much?" She asked.
He froze, unable to find words to reply, then he just kept walking to return to his daughter's side.
Dutch
He spent hours combing through this old Journal of Salem's, seeing all her stories. Many of them made him feel kinda depressed, seeing how much she wanted to die, the ways in which she harmed herself to feel any semblance of pain, feeling like that was what she deserved. But nothing ever worked.
He turned the next page, and his eyes widened. It was about the family she made with that man who was loyal to her. And how she just wanted to feel alive, to feel something again, and how much she missed being a mother. And she truly loved her family, just as she loved Ozma once, and the daughters she had with him. For many years she seemed to abandon her journal, happy with the way things had gone over these years, until the day came that Thaddeus butchered them all.
Slaughtered her children and lover, killing them slowly, and back then she believed it was all Ozma's doing. That he did it to hurt her, and that lead her back to the dark path she was on. And eventually to the point when Haytham gave Thaddeus to Salem, but that was as far as it went for Team C.P.P.R, Ozma and Oscar, for Jinn never showed them what exactly she did to Thaddeus that dark night, only that she dragged him away into the dark fog, kicking and screaming.
And after that, after Haytham sacrificed himself to shatter the moon, Thaddeus was never heard from again, not until Jaune was brought back to life.
Salem hadn't written in the journal for nearly a century, letting it grow old. It was only after Watts had found her and helped her find her footing once more did she write again. But specifically… this was after Jaune had died, and when she was trying to resurrect him.
Resurrection was a messy subject when it came to using magic. There were no methods with pure magic that could do it, the Brothers made sure of that. Couldn't risk their creations dismantling the very balance they created.
But then I thought of those pillars again… the Primordial Pillars that showed me other arts of magic, the Dark Arts.
I've used these methods before, I used them once to bring Ozma back to me, and that was what lead me here, cursed with immortality because of those monsters. Dark Magic always has a cost, and for resurrection it demands a life for a life. That was something I always knew how to do.
But… this boy, Jaune Arc… is a fool, blinded by love and desire.
Of all the souls, it had to be an Arc that was connected to the Relic of Creation, wherever it was hidden. All I know… is that only an Arc can draw the sword from where it was contained. Locating it will come later, but first I need a key, and he is my key… how will I be able to control this boy to do my bidding?
He kept reading, moving onto her next entry.
I never thought I'd ever have to face such a cruel monster again, but perhaps I can mould him into something actually useful.
Thaddeus… dividing his soul was difficult, and one half is discarded where none will find him… but the other, I hid in the ruins of his home. Arcadia. The two couldn't be more different, one a pure soul and the other a monster, but perhaps… their bloodline… will make combining them more feasible.
Replacing a soul with another's is an arduous task, and cannot truly be done by something that is not a true God, and the Brothers would never do such a thing. But with Dark Magic… the very thing his soul was tainted with… I know another way, a more… cruder method.
Dutch kept reading, and his eyes widened when he realised what she did, and the implications of it were.
One cannot bind a soul to another, only a God or a Godly Being can, and despite how powerful I have become I am incapable of this, however… if I bind Thaddeus' soul to Jaune's blood, the two would eventually merge. Using my magic, I can expedite the process, but the two would merge, or simply put, Thaddeus would amplify Jaune's darkness, latch to it, and eventually replace him.
Similar to Ozma's curse, but far more aggressive, and without the consent of its host. I wonder, though, what would the consequences of this be… being bound to someone's genetic code… could it be passed down to another generation?
No point in wondering. He will never be with his beloved Spartan ever again, impaled as she is and nothing but dead bones beneath Beacon Academy.
It's time to begin.
He dropped the Journal with horror, realising the horrific truth.
"They're not just nightmares… and it's not just the Salem Knight power… we've been looking at Jaune the whole time. The Hound isn't hunting Jaune… it's hunting his daughter." Dutch realised with horror.
"It's not just a shadow in her nightmares… it's him… reaching out to her. Thaddeus Rex isn't dead."
Oriana
Her blue eyes burst open, coughing up what tasted like blood in her mouth.
She sat upright, finding herself found in a frigid wasteland, snow blowing everywhere. She grabbed at her shoulders, shivering instantaneously. Everything felt so real. She looked around in a panic, trying to decipher where she was. "Mom? Dad?" she called out with fear in her voice.
"Ori…" a dark voice whispered from the snow, getting her attention. She looked at the snowstorm ahead, seeing the ancient buildings smothered in ice, trapped in time. As she walked, she felt the eyes of monsters watching her from the fog, seeing their piercing red glow. They were enormous creatures, Grimm most likely, but ones unlike anything the history books had ever described to her. She kept moving, trudging through the snow of the cold wildlands.
With every step she took, she felt like she was getting closer to the voice, seeing a faint glow of light in the distance. She moved closer to it, feeling the air becoming warmer and warmer the closer she got. The snow thinned, and the sky darkened into a purplish red, seeing bones scattering the land, thousands of them… maybe millions. But the road of bones was leading to a giant abandoned castle, claimed by time itself. "What's happening? Where am I?" she questioned, hearing her voice echoing off invisible walls.
"Seek your answers…" the voice whispered, seeming to be right behind her, whispered right into her ear. She turned with trepidation, expecting to see the Hound, but it was not there. There was nothing there, just the darkness.
She didn't like it, but she also did not see any other way, so she followed the voice, walking towards the castle, and passing by the ancient sign on the ground, covered with autumn leaves.
The sign said…
… Arcadia.
She walked inside, yet instead of seeing a crypt of some kind of throne room, she found herself in a freaky lake of blood. It was everywhere, sloshing back and forth like some kind of horrific ocean. She did not want to step any closer to it, for she saw bodies everywhere, not bones this time. There was a beautiful young woman, her chest stabbed and torn open, eyes wide open, and nails covered in blood.
Then there was a man, with three dead children around him, all horrifically butchered. Seeing them made Oriana recoil backwards in fear.
Then she heard a creepy humming tune come from the ocean of blood, and it parted. He hummed endlessly, emerging from the blood, his body clad in shadow, and eyes glowing purple as he approached, dragging a broken sword across the beach of bones as he approached the young girl. She stared with confusion as he got closer and closer.
"WHO ARE YOU? WHY DO YOU KEEP SHOWING UP?" she screamed, her voice echoing across the beach.
He stopped and slowly lifted his head, his glowing purple eyes staring directly at her. To her disbelief, he looked strikingly similar to her father, with a few differences. His hair was longer than her dad's, flowing locks of black smoke, and black smoke trailing off his featureless body.
"Hello, Oriana… you don't know me, but I know you." He greeted, remaining motionless.
Suddenly Oriana felt frozen in place. No matter what she did, she could not move from that spot. She cried out, screaming as she fought. It felt like hands were holding her in place, thousands of them… and no matter how hard she tried, she could not move. She blinked at the shadowy man, vanished, and reappeared right behind her, sliding his fingers through her locks of red and blonde hair, sniffing them with a creepy smile. "Yes… such a young and wonderful scent… you are definitely theirs… no wonder I am here, in such an innocent mind." He chuckled, walking around her, scraping his broken sword through the bones.
"Who… are you? Why won't you leave me alone?" She yelled. He stared at her, then coming very close, right up to her face, caressing her cheek.
"Because you… belong to me. Your body will be mine, no matter how hard you fight… I will return to your world… and oh my, there will be such a wonderful party for my arrival. So many festivities… so much… blood." He took great pleasure in said that last word, making Oriana shudder in fear.
"I don't understand." He tutted as she whimpered, pointing at her as he circled around.
"They haven't told you a thing, have they? Haven't told you the truth of what happened? Why the masked Deacon hates your precious father so much?" He questioned, sounding like he was going to start laughed at how ridiculous it all was. But it just started filling Oriana's mind with even more questions.
What the hell is he talking about?
Who is he?
How could he know my parents? I thought these were just nightmares!
What… what is going on?
"You're… just in my head. You're not real." Oriana hissed. He stopped and stared her right in her blue eyes.
"Really? Then do this one thing for me, Oriana Nikos. Tell your precious mother this one thing: Thaddeus Rex Arc… always keeps his promises." Thaddeus commanded, smirking at her.
Suddenly, the nightmare ended as quickly as it began, and Oriana gasped for air, like she had just swam out from that ocean, but being caught in her mother's arms. "ORI!" Pyrrha yelped with relief, hugging her tightly and kissing the top of her head. Oriana's eyes immediately stared at Jaune, seeing the similarity between the two. There was no mistaking that Jaune was related to that man… that Thaddeus Rex… Arc?
Jaune rarely talked about his family. Saphron and his sisters were as far as it went. She rarely ever saw her grandparents on his side. And he never spoke about the history of his family. It was always such a touchy subject for him. "Thank the Gods you're okay." Ruby sighed, giving Oriana a warm hug, but she crawled away from them, staring at her parents with fear.
"Ori? What's wrong?" Pyrrha asked, reaching out to her.
"Stop lying to me… tell me the truth… what… is going on?" She questioned, staring at her.
"Ori… I…"
"He appeared in my head… walking out of an ocean of blood."
Pyrrha's eyes widened with fear, hearing his words in the back of her mind.
Thaddeus Rex Arc… is eternal… and when I walk this world again… I will be wading through… a sea… of blood…
"He said his name was Thaddeus Rex Arc… and that he keeps his promises." Oriana said, not breaking her stare from her mother. Misty gently approached Oriana's side, also looking at her parents. The look of horror in Pyrrha's eyes. There was no denying it now. The truth they feared the most… is real.
Thaddeus Rex was back, and reborn in their daughter.
"Ori…"
"TELL ME!" she shouted suddenly. "No more lies. Tell me who he is… and why the Deacon is coming after you."
Silence filled the air, for there was so much to cover and it was such a hard story to talk about. Pyrrha searched her memory to find a way to explain it to Oriana, but as she took her time, Oriana flinched, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She turned and saw Thaddeus sat upon the broken bunk bed, one leg crossed over the other. "Searching her memories to find a way to simplify the truth for you? Tsk… so pathetic, just you wait. She will twist the truth to make it easier for you to digest." Thaddeus scoffed, kicking his leg back and forth.
She tried to ignore the entity in her head and stared at her mother. "Thaddeus Rex was an enemy of ours, a monster created by Salem. During the Inhumane Necessity, an Abductor kidnapped Jaune, and she had Thaddeus possess him, turning him against us." Oriana could see everyone bar Jaune looking at Pyrrha with disbelief, but not because she was told the full truth.
"Wooooow, that's worse than I expected." Thaddeus laughed, slapping his knee. "Your mommy's one piece of work, kid. How did you ever trust a word out of her mouth?" He asked, appearing over her shoulder, hand resting on it.
"But dad wasn't a Huntsman… why would an Abductor take him?" Oriana questioned. She could tell the others wanted to chime in and told her the truth, but their loyalty to Pyrrha and Jaune was stopping them.
"Look at her… still finding loopholes… unwilling to tell you the full truth… I wonder why? Guilt? Or maybe she doesn't trust you?" He hissed right in her ear. She flinched, something Ren spotted.
"… you're still lying to me…" Oriana stammered.
"Ori, sweetheart I'm not-"
"STOP! LYING!" Oriana screamed, her eyes wide, and a faint glimmer of purple in them. Thaddeus smirked, standing tall behind her and fading into thin air. Jaune stammered, looking at Oriana, then he stood up.
"Ori I…"
"No… I'm done with this. I'm sick of the lies." Oriana hissed, turning and storming off, her hands shaking.
"ORI!" Jaune called out, but Misty held up her hand, stopping them all in their tracks, and she followed Oriana.
Pyrrha buried her head in her hands, feeling immense regret. "Why… wouldn't she listen to me?"
"You were telling the truth too…" Ruby revealed.
… then why did Oriana hear something different?
Misty
She rushed after Oriana, desperately trying to keep up with her. "Ori!" She called out.
"Stay away! Please…" Oriana whimpered as she got further ahead of her, but Misty was faster, and caught up with the girl she loved. The two found each other at the shattered rooftop of the Dormitory Building, looking out across the overgrown ruins of Beacon Academy, seeing the Legion Tower in the distance.
"Ori… I'm here… I have your back, I always will. Please… talk to me. You can trust me." Misty promised, holding her hands. Oriana stared at her, sensing Thaddeus returning in the back of her mind.
"So this is the girl that's getting you all hot inside? Heh… a Faunus, of all things." He mocked, making Oriana grit her teeth and spin around, only to vanish, looking like she was going to punch him. She stammered, then lowered her fist, panting.
"Ori…"
"There's… something wrong with me, Misty." Oriana confessed. With tears in her eyes, all Misty wanted to do was hug her so tightly. "There's this thing… a man… made of darkness with purple eyes… called Thaddeus. I can see him right now, looking at you creepily… he's constantly whispering in my ear. He said he wants my body… I'm so scared…" she whimpered.
"Okay… let's go back to the others and figure this out." Misty suggested.
"No… they'll just keep lying to me. Filling my head with lies…" she stammered, pressing her hands against her head. "I can't take any more lies…"
Ori was worrying Misty more and more. She seemed like a different person in some ways after she woke up, far more paranoid, doubting everyone around her. She didn't know what to do, but she also knew that Oriana never enjoyed being forced to do anything. So she cradled her hands and came very close to her, making Ori blush slightly. "Okay. What do you wanna do?" Misty asked.
Ori was quiet for a moment, lost in Misty's eyes, and for that time she didn't even feel Thaddeus' presence. Misty smiled, tilting her head and the scales on her cheek turning pink. "Hey?"
"Uh-s-sorry," Oriana stammered, turning away from Misty and looking at the city of Vale, seeing the path that lead straight there. But there was a particular place she had in mind, no matter how stupid this plan sounded in her head. She pointed at the tallest skyscraper in the city. "There. That's where I'll get my answers."
"Legion H.Q? Okay, I know you passed out, but are you sure you're awake right now?" Misty asked.
"I'm serious. The Deacon attacked us, specifically because of something my Dad did. Maybe what my mom said is true, and if it is maybe with this freaky asshole in my head, I can explain the situation to the Deacon. But if anyone isn't gonna bullshit me… it's gonna be him." Oriana explained.
"Do I have to remind you of the army that tried to kill us all earlier?" Misty asked. "And the paranoid as shit president who commanded it, who is also in that tower?"
"I know it's crazy and dangerous, but I have to do this. I know Mom and Dad are twisting the truth to protect me… but trust means more to me than pampering." Oriana explained. "I'm going to go tonight when everyone is asleep. I hate asking you to cover for me, so it's up to you to tell them." Oriana said, but Misty just raised her brow and crossed her arms.
"Oh, I do hope you're joking." Misty replied.
"Huh?" Ori looked a bit terrified when Misty shot her that look.
"If you think I'm letting you go on a mission, this stupid on your own, you've got another thing coming." Misty reminded.
"B-But."
"It's dangerous? Funny, that's exactly what I just told you." Misty replied, leaving Ori silent. "We've always had each other's backs. Do you really think I'm about to stop now?" Misty asked her, then she smiled, caressing Oriana's cheek, making her blush again. She sighed, smiling at her. "So c'mon… let's do something really stupid. And hope that you're half as smart as you think." She teased, making Ori smile.
She looked past Misty and saw Thaddeus watching her, smirking sinisterly, eyes glowing bright purple.
You won't win. I will not let you take me…
I'll remember that, little one… when I watch you disappear beneath the crimson waves.
Author Note - The monster has returned
I imagine nobody is very surprised by this, considering what Thaddeus said and the monster in Ori's dreams being a beast with glowing purple eyes AND with her being Jaune's daughter. But I still loved having this revelation play out that way, especially by making that visual of him emerging from an ocean of blood. Fucker meant that literally XD
And Oriana is definitely up to something either really smart or really stupid, but then again with the people she's part of a family with? That's pretty expected considering the crazy plans they've cooked up over the years. And time for one of my favourite arcs in this story, Ori at the Legion HQ. Been wanting to do this stuff for ages hehehehehe
And man... what a day to write this chapter. Ngl it made it pretty tough to write this one, considering Rooster Teeth is dead and RWBY's future is a bit murky, but tbh? I'm hopeful. I think this may give V10 a better shot at happening than before. Plus the further it is from Warner the better if you ask me. Here's hoping RWBY will continue!
Either way I will see my fanfics through to the end :)
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter!
- Matt