A/N: Chapter 54 of REKT. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters and teams of my OCs: REKT, GTSY, KACE and DAZE. I also claim Ingrid, Teo, Reina's parents and aunt as well.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 54: Unleash It All
Outside near the bullhead docks...
"That's it, everybody on board!" After ridding the arena of grimm, Professors Port and Oobleck were out and about addressing the other remaining students. Some muttered amongst themselves, others shivering and huddled for warmth as the night wore on. Nearby the students of various teams loitered around, anxious or warily of their next plan of action. A couple of beowolves that had been under my control kept their own distance, communicating to one another via snarls and soft barks. It took a lot of convincing from the huntsmen and huntresses to argue that the wolves meant no harm, since soldiers and professors were quick to draw weapons. "This is a mandatory evacuation!"
"A safe zone has been established in Vale! Please file in a calm and orderly fashion!" Oobleck added, adjusting his spectacles with a forefinger. "Atlas personal are on stand by and are ready to assist if need be!"
"Raf! Raf!" At Zwei's eager barking, Weiss turned around to see Ruby running up to meet her. The heiress had searched for the leader even with the corgi's help, but came up empty handed. Her eyes glistened with worry and relief at the same time as she walked forward to meet her team leader and partner.
"Ruby!"
"Oh, I found you! Sorry for being late!" The leader apologized, holding Weiss steady and consoled her. She could see just how worried the heiress was and felt bad for not being punctual. "The ship crashed further than I originally anticipated, so I had to run as fast as I could."
"Ruby, where have you been?" Weiss asked, dialing back her usual admonishing tone and looked over the girl for signs of wounds. "Zwei and I had been looking everywhere for you!"
"It's a long story, but if I were to be brief, Torchwick is dead and I killed a griffon. Otherwise I'm fine!" The young leader assured her. Glancing around, she took in the almost solemn air and frowned. "What's going on? Why is everyone looking so down?"
"Umm...well..." The heiress lowered her head and avoided eye contact. She nervously rubbed her arm, trying to articulate her thoughts on how to break it to Ruby that Yang received a devastating wound. "You see..."
"Weiss? You look bothered...what's ailing you?" Ruby watched as her partner stepped aside, opening her up to what's in front of her. What she saw broke her heart and she couldn't help but let out a sad whimper. Yang and Blake, laying together on the ground with Ren and Nora not too far away, sad expressions on their faces. The brawler didn't seem to be moving and the faunus had a hand wrapped around her stomach wound. "N-No...it can't be..."
"I'm sorry...Yang..." Blake whispered, tentatively reaching out and held her partner's only hand. Sniffling, she inched closer and wrapped an arm protectively around Yang, burying her face against the brawler's shirt. "I'm so sorry."
"Yang...what happened to her?" Ruby asked quietly.
"We don't know the details." Sun walked up to them, seemingly tired himself. "Timber and Efram came with them...maybe they can shed some light." He gestured to the two huntsmen who seemed to be having a conversation with the Grimm wolves. "But don't worry...Yang's gonna be okay."
"I...I'm gonna go talk to them then." Ruby excused herself and made her way to the small group, watching as the wolves watched her approach with perked ears. Noticing the change of bodily behavior, the boys turned around to see the huntress. "Hey guys..."
"Ruby..." Timber started before looking away, unsure of what to say. "Hey...yourself..."
"...we're sorry about what happened..." Efram spoke up, putting a reassuring hand on his partner's shoulder. "Timber and I were cleaning up in an area when Blake stumbled in, carrying Yang in her arms."
"So Yang was already wounded when she got to you two?"
"Yeah...sure shocked us since we have never seen her in such a state." The huntsman stated while Timber nodded his head in agreement. "Blake wasn't fairing any better, and it's only natural she was looking out for Yang's well-being."
"We don't know how she got it, and Blake said it was her fault Yang got wounded." Timber told her. "Looking at the wound it seemed to have been a really strong sword that cleaved through."
"B-B-But what about her Aura? Why didn't it protect her?" questioned Ruby in a soft voice. "I thought our Aura protected us from getting hurt..."
"Then the best hypothesis we could think of is that the attack was strong enough to pierce through it; there's no doubt she would've had her guard up, but her opponent was probably way over her head this time around. An attack like that, striking through Aura and taking away a limb, Yang going into shock makes sense." Efram addressed with his voice as calm as ever; the last thing he wanted was to spook his friend even further. Stepping up, he placed a calming hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I know you've probably heard this, but believe me when I say that Yang's going to pull through. You've been with her most of your life right? You know her better than the rest of us."
"...yeah..."
"She'll come around, you'll see. And when she does, we'll be there for her."
"Thank you. So...what about these wolves?" The red caped huntress glanced at the beowolves around her, their eyes looking at her out of curiosity. "What's their story? How come no one attacked them?"
"From what Sun told us, these wolves are under Reina's control. However, not every single wolf you see will act this way." Timber said, watching as she reached out to touch the black mass of fur of one of them. "Truly a miracle if one thinks about it, but it just shows that even our leader doesn't really understand the extent of her power."
"How long have they been under her control?" asked Ruby, watching as some of the wolves jostled one another to get a whiff of her scent.
"Perhaps a few hours at most. What's interesting is that even without our leader's presence, they're still as calm as ever." Timber mused, scratching his chin in wonder. "You'd think they'll break away and do their own thing."
Just because the Great One isn't here, doesn't mean we lose our composure. We aren't mindless animals.
"Huh? Did you just...speak?" Ruby glanced up with surprise, looking into the eyes of a beowolf. The boys did a double-take as well, unsure of what to think of the disembodied voice in their heads. "You talked didn't you? In my head at least."
The Great One's aura is close enough for us to latch on to. You should try it sometimes, one could compare the feeling to that of an aphoristic drug.
Her presence is so soothing, we can't help ourselves but to be indulged.
"Is that the reason why you haven't broken out of her control?" Efram asked, looking at the grimm in wonder.
Why would we ever dream about breaking free?
Even if we were to break away, we would find ourselves reaching for it again. We'll keep on chasing and chasing until we can't chase no more. Why? Well...there's just something thrilling in that aspect.
It's been a long time since someone with that kind of mark has walked this land. Some wolves like us, gyrate towards the source out of wonder and a need to maintain it. Others seek it out just to destroy it.
"What is it about Reina that draws you guys to her? It can't be just about her aura..." The wolves all looked at one another at the question, snapping their teeth together. Once they came to a consensus, they turned their attention back to the students.
The Great One may have told you a chunk of her family history, but even she does not know all of it. We have no clue either, but we've always relied on our instincts. And we can't ignore that, it'd be like going against nature.
The one sure thing we know is that the bearer of the mark is our Great One. However, this disturbance we feel can only mean one thing: two bearers of the same mark has appeared, and that is an anomaly.
"It definitely matches Reina's story, the idea that those with the exact same marks are not supposed to coexist together." Efram nodded his head in thought. "But, since there's two of them, then how come you guys are quick to label Reina as your 'Great One'?"
"...now that you mentioned that...that does sound complicated." Timber said.
If we're being honest, we ourselves have never had the chance of meeting the other one who bears the mark.
It's safe to assume that the beowolves would be swayed one way or the other. Due to loyalty, wolves won't switch sides once they have chosen. Once the Great One has been established, the wolves will follow unconditionally.
"So...if a wolf is under the influence of Reina's aunt, then there is no way Reina herself would be able to pull that wolf to her side. In a way, this could be very very bad. Based on the few wolves here, there wouldn't be enough going against a large swarm." Efram deduced, nodding his head in understanding. "Since we don't know the exact numbers, our leader could potentially be at a disadvantage in terms of numbers."
"Hey! You guys!" They looked over to see Sun waving his arms and gesturing them to join him, interrupting whatever it was Ruby was about to say. The young leader puffed out her cheeks in annoyance before letting out a sigh and walked back, the others following not too far behind. "The soldiers have a ship ready to take everyone to Vale. We should hurry and board on while we still have time."
"But Jaune and Pyrrha haven't come back yet!" Nora said from where she sat. She attempted to get up but let out a groan of pain and rubbed her side with a frown. "Yikes, that hit from earlier did a number on me. Remind me never to take on an Ursa and a Paladin at the same time."
"What?! They're missing?" exclaimed Ruby, clearly out of the loop since she was up in the air.
"Not only that, Reina and Kairos seemed to have gone off as well." Ren informed her and shook his head from side-to-side. "They aren't the only ones, a couple of other teammates and friends didn't make it out unscathed."
"And it doesn't help that that giant dragon keeps circling the skies, dropping masses of dark puddles for others to crawl out of. Even the White Fang has decided to beat a hasty retreat!" Sun twitched his tail angrily, his fingers curling and uncurling by his side. "I know times are hard on all of us...but we have to leave!"
"We're not leaving- ouch!" Ren growled as he too, had sustained a considerable amount of blows. Nora held out her hand in a supportive fashion, getting a grateful look from her partner. With Blake and Yang unable to fight, and the other students fatigue and exhausted, there wasn't much anyone could do now. However, the inevitable still lingered overhead, and there hadn't been any news from either Ironwood or Ozpin. It wasn't a stretch to believe that everyone had been left in the dark to fend for themselves.
"I'll find them..." Ruby decided, making up her mind and strengthening her resolve. Her friends looked at her, even Blake's ear twitched signaling that she was listening in. "I'll find them all and bring them back. I won't leave them alone."
"No. We will find them." Weiss stepped forward with a knowing smile. "I won't let you go back there by yourself."
"Weiss, you're the best!" Ruby chirped, not missing the flushed cheeks adorning her partner's face.
We'll go as well.
There's still leftover Grimm walking around that need to be taken care of.
"Are they...did they just..."
"Yes Weiss, they're communicating with us. Fascinating isn't it?" Ruby nodded, confirming the heiress' skeptical expression. "I know, it's definitely a weird feeling."
"It's...something more than just weird, I feel like my privacy has been breached. It's like someone actually speaking back to me in my mind when I have my inner monologues. But...how is it that we're able to hear them? Huntsmen and huntresses have never been able to hear voices such as this before."
"Don't ask me, I have no clue..."
"Ah, forget it. I can only hope this is a one-time thing, I don't appreciate having multiple voices in my head all at once." Shaking her head to clear away any more nagging questions, she turned to Nora, Ren, and Sun, stating, "Please take care of Blake and Yang. We'll be back."
"Ugh, you better be!" Sun yelled after them while Zwei released a series of encouragement via barks. The monkey faunus angrily stared at the ground and muttered, "Idiots...they don't know what they're doing."
"At least they're doing something..." Ren said quietly, but Sun still heard him. The faunus turned around and watched as the other two did their best to comfort Blake, her arm still wrapped tightly around Yang. The former member of the White Fang was well aware of the situation, yet managed a small warning growl if anyone wondered in too close.
"It's okay Blake...we won't separate you two...we'll make sure you two end up on the same airship back." Nora spoke softly as she kept her distance, Blake snuggling against her partner once she felt comfortable. It wasn't that she didn't like her friends, but Yang was by far her top priority above anything else. "Judging by the wound...You almost lost her..."
"...and I won't let it happen again..." came the faint whisper, almost as if Blake was reassuring herself. "She's someone who's...very precious to me..."
On top of Beacon's Tower...
The battle between Cinder and Pyrrha had sparks flying through the air, lighting up the hovering gears strung up along the ceiling. The fall maiden had sensed someone coming up the elevator, but she knew exactly who it was when Miló came hurtling through the air. Deflecting it, she caught Akoúo̱ next, right on time as the warrior herself slammed both feet into her own shield.
Heh, she's just how Emerald has informed me of in terms of fighting abilities. Cinder thought, keeping her opponent on the defensive while scouting out potential openings. She didn't seem to have any luck, as Pyrrha always kept her in her line of sights so her counters were very effective. Out of all the brats, she's definitely the most skilled. There's nothing wrong with her form, she's attacking and defending in response to my own patterns.
"You look worried." Pyrrha noted, somersaulting backwards as a fireball whizzed past her head. Sensing some heat coming her way, she lifted Akoúo̱ up long enough to withstand a stream of fire flying out of Cinder's palms. "Am I the reason why?"
"Don't concern yourself too much," Cinder spoke sweetly once she stopped her flamethrower attack. Expelling flames from both palms out behind her, she rammed into Pyrrha, knocking the younger into the wall. A sharp gasp left her lips and the spartan soon found herself flat on her back, her mind registering the fact that she had been flipped over. "It'll give your enemies an advantage."
Rolling to the side so a heeled foot smashed into the ground instead of her skull, the huntress used her semblance to maneuver her weapons by her side. Thrusting her left arm forward, she sent Miló flying once again, watching as the javelin was deflected. Gripping Akoúo̱, she rushed Cinder head on, something her enemy didn't predict. Recalling Miló to hand, she displayed her prowess and kept Cinder on her toes, something the power hungry temptress hadn't felt in a long time.
"Enough!" She snarled, sending Pyrrha back with a well placed kick to the ribs. At first she was afraid Ozpin would be her worst adversary, but the girl who stood before her proved to be just as lethal. "How? How can someone like you push me this far? Even when I have the power of a maiden within my grasps...how? Tell me how!"
"Unlike you who seemingly rely on a borrowed power, I rely on my own strength and skills."
"That's impossible! I won't believe that!"
"Doesn't matter if you believe or not, I know my own strength when I fight." Ember eyes narrowed as Pyrrha rushed forward, thrusting Miló with the intent on stabbing her. Lighting her hands on fire, she grabbed the weapon tightly, putting them both into a stalemate. Sensing something bad about to happen when the metal began to melt in Cinder's hold, the huntresses tried to pull her weapon back but it was to no avail.
"Awww, that's too bad. I think you're overestimating yourself here." Pulling Miló towards her, Cinder crushed the weapon before jabbing her left elbow right into her opponent's solar plexus. Rolling backwards and disoriented, Pyrrha fought to bring air to her lungs. Cinder made a clicking noise with her tongue, stating, "Now what are you gonna do without your little toy?"
"Even without a weapon I'll still find a way to fight." Pyrrha replied as she rose back to her feet. Glancing around, she noticed just how delicate the gears were now hanging from above. Raising a hand, she used her semblance to rip them off their hangers, letting the top completely crumble to the ground and expose them to the elements. Using Akoúo̱ as a decoy, she swept Cinder off her feet before crushing her underneath a gear head. Letting out a roar, the huntress brought the rest of the gears down, creating some sort of concealment barrier. Will it be enough to contain her?
"If you think this would keep me imprisoned..." A voice spoke as the ball of flame grew steadily from within the gear confinement. "Then you're in for a big mistake!" A burst of flames send the gears flying, one of which slammed into Pyrrha who managed to block with Akoúo̱. However, the blow was too strong and her aura broke after saving her from crashing. Once her feet touched the ground, she summoned her bow and generated one of her infamous black arrows. "This is the end!"
"Hyaaaaaah!" Pyrrha yelled as she rushed forward, pivoting with all her strength to throw Akoúo̱ straight and true.
"Hmph." Cinder unleashed the arrow, watching as the two made contact and the arrow dispelled into red particle pieces. It didn't change the course of the shield, the arrow just came back together in one piece and embedded itself into Pyrrha's heel. The huntress cried out in pain and collapsed, her eyes widened with surprise. "Oh how the mighty has fallen."
"Damn it..." The huntress growled, reaching behind to break off the shaft and left the tip alone. Attempting to stand, she wobbled and fell on all fours with a yelp. I...I can't...I can't stand...
"I'll commend you for lasting longer than I had originally anticipated." Cinder said with a purr, walking around and knelt down. Reaching out with a hand, she grabbed Pyrrha's chin and lifted her head so their eyes met. She smiled down and said, "Take comfort in knowing that I will use this amazing power in ways you could never have imagined. It makes me feel somewhat...sad for you."
KRRRRRRRRRRRSHHHHHHHH~
"Wait, what the-" The dark-haired woman released Pyrrha and turned around at the sound of something careening right at her, a plume of smoke billowing up into the night sky. Lunging to the side, she watched as the remnants of a damaged locker tipped over with a groan, coming to a harsh stop. "What is that..."
"Ugh...that went better than expected...could've worked more on my landing..." I groaned, sitting up and shaking my head to get rid of the dust stuck in my hair. After throwing the locker first, I hit the ground hard about a second later and continued to roll until I came to a halt. Getting to my feet I slowly stretched out my muscles, "Thank god for auras otherwise I would've busted my tailbone with that landing."
"Reina Raylan...so happy of you to join the party." Cinder drawled to capture my attention. She seemed a bit upset to have been disrupted by my entrance. "I should count myself extra lucky. It's not everyday I get to host a funeral for two huntresses."
"Tell me, Cinder. What is your motivation? Why are you doing this?" I asked her. "What's wrong in preserving the peace and making this world tranquil for everyone to live?"
"That's what I hate most about you hero types, always thinking everyone can live in harmony. With that kind of thinking, the weak will always lose." Her eyes flashed with the ignited fire and she smiled, "Where there is peace...there is chaos. And I intend on disrupting your so called peace by burning it to ashes."
On the ground...
"There's fighting going on beyond the smoke...I can sense an unimaginable power flying through the air." Ruby noted, lifting her head to look at the tower top. She and Weiss had made it safely to their destination, their path kept clean thanks to the small group of Beowolves that accompanied them. "I'm afraid it doesn't look too good."
BZZZZT~ BZZZZT~
"Hey, it's Jaune!" Weiss wiped out her Scroll, seeing the boy's face appear along with the ID name. Clicking the green icon, she also pressed the speaker icon so Ruby could listen in. "Jaune! What's going on?"
"Weiss! Please you have to stop her!" His voice pleaded, sounding like he was almost on the brink of breaking down. "Pyrrha! She's fighting that woman...the same one who was probably behind the microphone at the tournament!"
"What?!"
"Please! She doesn't stand a chance! She'll get killed!"
"Well, we're at the location. Preparing to go on up!" Ruby chirped with confidence, tightening her grip on Crescent Rose. "We'll save her, Jaune!"
"...that's all I'm asking for..." with that the connection broke and he went offline. Giving Ruby a questioning look, Weiss quickly put the device away and released a sigh. Everything seemed to be going so fast, it'll definitely take awhile to digest in the morning.
"He sounds so broken...I worry about him."
"We all would and currently do, if it were any other significant partner." Ruby assured her in a supportive manner. "Pyrrha is our friend, and we'll do whatever it takes to save her."
"Agreed...Watch out!" Weiss suddenly shouted as the pieces of the tower came falling down, blocking their way in through the front. A screech of terror reminded them of the gigantic lizard still dominating the skies above, its wings bringing up small gusts of wind. "That damn dragon...making a mess out of ancient architecture! I have a few choice words for it!"
"Not gonna happen, I mean we can only talk to wolves at the moment." Ruby chuckled, hearing Weiss harrumphed with annoyance. Brows furrowed on the situation, she noted, "I don't think going through the front door would be an option. Got any other bright ideas?"
"I might have one in mind." Looking up the body of the building, the heiress used the same tactic since our first year at Beacon; a plethora of shimmering white glyphs made themselves known as stepping platforms to the top.
"Ooooo! Nicely done!"
"You can do this." Weiss said confidently, a small smirk on her face. She was quite proud of herself, and although she wouldn't dare say it out loud, she was proud of Ruby and how far she came. Since the first time meeting her, Weiss could see the development of a leader within her partner. "I know you can."
"Just like when we took down the Giant Nevermore." Ruby grinned, looking over her shoulder to meet Weiss' gaze. "What about you though? What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry Ruby, I'll be right behind you once you're already up there. I have to stabilize the glyphs after all, can't have them disappear from underneath your feet."
"You promise?"
"Of course, you dolt. I'm your partner, am I not?" Weiss questioned before smiling, a smile that Ruby almost thought was fake. For a Schnee like Weiss, smiling was a very precious and rare emotion to show, and the leader was sure the cherish every moment she laid eyes on the curved lips. "But yes, I give you my word."
"Then, I'll see you up there."
"Yeah." Weiss watched as Ruby disappears in a flutter of petals. The rustling of nearby bushes caught her eyes and she growled out, "Who's there? Show yourself!"
"I would...if I wasn't in pain."
"Kairos? What are you doing over there?" The heiress questioned, moving over to see the said faunus flat on her back. Lancelot could be seen embedded tip down in the tile, smoke smoldering off the surface of the red metal. "And how did you end up like that?"
"Well you see...ouch...Reina and I took a ride on those school lockers. Hold your thought, I'm still in pain." She interrupted when the heiress attempted to speak. "Making our way up the tower, I thought we weren't going to make it because even two of us were just adding weight; not to mention the amount of fuel was running out. So! Giving it a mega push, I used my flames to fuel the rocket and we were smooth sailing."
"Then shouldn't you be up there?"
"I should...but dragon boy appeared around one of our blind spots, and I knew he could have proven a threat or derailed us from our goal. I jumped ship, attacking its scaly behind to throw it off before falling straight back down. So, here I am, unable to move for awhile."
"Sad to say I can't relate to your predicament." Weiss teased, getting a snort of laughter from the faunus.
"Get out of here, you tease. Weren't you going to follow Ruby? Don't keep your lady waiting!" Kairos laughed, noticing the faintest tint of red on the pale skin. Flabbergasted and mumbling incoherent words, Weiss bid a hasty retreat and took off, using her own glyphs to run up the side of the tower.
Back at the top...
If I were to be honest, fighting against Cinder when she didn't have the fall maiden powers seemed simpler than her current self. In fact, past Cinder couldn't even hold a candle up to the now Cinder gloating before me. My body was trembling, every nerve and cell in my body screaming at me to run. Her Aura signature burned brighter than anything I've ever encountered, overshadowing the rest of the competition. As of now, I was on the defensive most of the time, trying to take as little damage as possible. Pyrrha, although she tried to make herself useful, could only hope that she wouldn't get hit by a critical attack.
"What's the matter? Tired yet?!" Cinder crowed with laughter, feeling excited seeing her prey struggle against her. "C'mon! I'm barely breaking a sweat here!" Running forward, she broke through and slammed me against the ground with just her shoulder. I gasped in pain before feeling fingers wrap themselves around my neck, attempting to strangle the life straight out. "Now this position seems familiar...except I had you under my foot. Still trembling like a leaf."
"Still a...cocky villain I see."
"Hmph, since the last time we've seen each other you only managed to bark louder." She noted, keeping a tighter grip on me. "You weren't a threat then, what made you think this time would be any different? Now that I hold immense power...power your mind couldn't possibly understand, you have no chance in victory."
"Nnngh...you never know...unless you try!" I spat in her face, and she just laughed.
"Don't try to be a hero. Deep down, you're nothing more than a frightened little sheep." She growled, pushing deeper against my neck till I felt the lack of oxygen. Kicking my legs and struggling, I held onto her wrist with my left hand and attempted to pry it away, but I was getting weaker. Without fresh air going into my lungs, I felt suffocation. "That's it. Ease into eternal sleep...and let things happen on their intended course. Your job is done."
"Stand up!" Pyrrha cried out at that moment, her eyes fixated on the fight. I felt my eyelids twitch, honing in on her voice and holding onto it like a life line. "C'mon! You gotta stand up!"
"Foolish fool!" Cinder grinned psychotically, looking at the spartan out the corner of her eyes. "She's slowly slipping consciousness. A shame really, she won't bear witness to the greatness of my gift to the world."
"You're wrong." Pyrrha said in a firm voice. "You don't know her like I do."
"Tch, weaklings spout the funniest of things in desperate times. Even a group of you all together gives me massive headaches." The fall maiden huffed after a minute of processing the words, taking her attention off of me. Holding onto what conscious is left, I willed my Aura to collect in the palm of my right hand, and prayed for Pyrrha to hold Cinder's attention a little while longer.
"And what would you know? Didn't you say you're an all powerful maiden?" Pyrrha goaded, noticing the twitch of the brows. "What would you know about weaklings?"
"I've had my fair share of weaklings. It comes with the territory, but now...I see no use for them."
"Is that so? What about your two lackeys? Mercury and Emerald right? Are you going to throw them away just like that?"
"...what are you implying?"
"They probably did so much for you, helped you in your plans...seems to me like you're weak. In fact, you could be just like us." Pyrrha felt a rush of adrenaline go through her as she spoke. "You say we're weak and that we tend to bark the loudest when there's more around, doesn't that concept applies to you as well? You put up a strong front, and yes I'll admit you're tough when you rely on a source not of your own...but in the end, you're a normal human."
"Shut your mouth!" Cinder seethed, removing her hand from my neck which was a huge mistake. She was fuming and her anger was clouding her judgment. "If you're so eager to die, then I'll gladly deliver the death sentence!"
"I would pay attention to someone else rather than myself."
"Huh?"
"A-Aura...Palm!" I lifted my upper body off the ground, extending my right hand forward, and made contact with her stomach. There a loud bang and I was able to take in a shuddering breathe, the force blowing my opponent a good distance away. Gasping for much needed air, I felt my conscious returning in full and I was no longer light-headed.
"Mmmmmm, I seemed to have underestimated the two of you annoying insects." Cinder's voice made my body quiver. She was looking at the tattered clothes from where my attack went through, a look of resentment crossing her face. "I didn't even give you enough credit, little girl. You left yourself unguarded...just like how we were inside the tower. Except you used the help of another to throw me off your trail." Her fingers curled into fists and she grit her teeth tightly, "Fool me once, shame on me. You've fooled me twice...shame on you!"
"Aura Bind!"
"Gaaah!" Cinder grunted as chains seemingly erupted from underneath her feet, wrapping around her body like snakes and held her still. Struggling against the bindings, her face twisted into a heavy grimace before morphing into absolute annoyance. "What...is this?! Let go of me this instance!"
That should hold her there for awhile...I gotta move fast! I thought to myself before hurrying to Pyrrha's side. The spartan hadn't moved an inch from where she knelt on all four, head slightly lowered to stare at the floor. "Pyrrha! Are you okay?! Talk to me!"
"Reina, we won't make...huff...huff...we won't make it out of this battle alive. At least, even if we do, it won't be unscathed...who knows just how much more we can take." Pyrrha huffed in response, keeping her leg from shaking due to an arrow sticking out of her heel. "Against Cinder, powered up by maiden powers, we're way over our heads. In fact...it doesn't feel like she's using too much of her power."
"Your heel... you can't walk anymore can you? What about your Aura?" I asked worriedly, getting a small head nod in response. "Come on, I'll try to carry you."
"I already know what my destiny is, there's no time to change. Even if you manage to drag me off to a safe place, that won't stop her from destroying everything." Pyrrha shook her head and said, "My aura has been broken, and the arrow in my heel is a prime example of that. Leave me behind, I'll try to buy you some time...no matter how broken I am."
"Don't be stupid, Pyrrha." I disagreed with her, refusing to believe her. "If we're going to get out, we'll get out together. If you aren't going anywhere, then I refuse to leave you behind."
"At this point what can you do? ...what can I do?" The red-haired huntress sighed. "In the face of danger, when split second decisions can tip the scale...I'm sorry, I wish I could be anymore helpful."
"C'mon, you can't fall here." I told her.
"Honestly, I too do not want to go out like this. Only seventeen with a long life ahead, I had hoped to live a little longer."
"You can. We can win this together, we'll get out of this battle and live."
"But it is my destiny, I can't run away from it." She replied solemnly, shaking her head. I opened my mouth to retort when something popped into my head, a memory I was actually blessed to remember.
Neat trick right? But check this out... I can force something to turn into Aura and 'capture' it within the orb.
Then what happens? Kairos had asked, looking at the object with interest.
I can release it whenever I feel like it and it'd still retain its shape. I replied, holding onto the book that had been inside the orb in my hand. See that? I haven't tried it on any human, but I have a hunch that the idea still applies...
"That's right...I can still try that method!" Holding out my hand I quickly conjured up an orb and held it towards Pyrrha, placing it against her arm. Sweat began dripping down my face, my heart throbbing painfully against my chest with the amount of anxiety I was feeling. "Please...please make it work!"
For a good twenty minutes nothing seemed to happen. I couldn't see the transfer between Pyrrha and the orb, their auras not in sync; it was like an oil and water mixture. What I could sense was my own despair and fear being reflected through her green eyes. She knew that my plan wouldn't follow through, but she didn't voice her opinion. "Why? Why isn't it working? Does this not work on living beings?!"
"Reina..."
"Why!" Angrily I dispelled the orb and sat back on my heels, my head hanging low. "Why did this have to happen?" Just as she was about to answer, a massive fireball slammed into my side. Rolling across the floor I found myself colliding against a broken pillar, a gasp escaping my lips. Before I had a chance to regain my bearings, something sang through the air and my right arm jerked painful outward.
What the...?! It caught up to me that an arrow had embedded itself into the rock by going through my palm, and held me in place. Warm liquid signifying my blood trickled down my forearm and dripped to the ground, some even going all the way to my armpit. Fear coarse through my veins and I felt myself going into a state panic.
"Settle down, an arrow wound through the hand won't kill you. Though, if you continue to thrash around like that you'll most likely die of blood loss." Cinder snarled, brushing off remnants of the binds with the wave of a hand. It took her while before she was able to maneuver her wrists till she got a good grip on the chains, breaking them just by squeezing tightly.
Walking up, the clicking of her heels sharp against the ground, she conjured up another arrow and aimed it at Pyrrha. The huntress slowly turned her head to the dark-haired woman, her gaze never wavered in the face of death. "I'll handle you after finishing this one off."
"Do you believe in destiny?" questioned Pyrrha, fixing Cinder with a solid stare. There was no hesitance in her voice, no wavering at all.
"Yes." Cinder spoke a moment later, before letting the arrow fly gracefully from her fingers. The tip pierced the skin, embedding itself straight to the heart; from where I was, I could have sworn the arrow itself went through her back. Eyes wide, chest gasping for desperate breath the red-haired huntress leaned back on her heels. She couldn't focus on anything before her, her senses slowly losing their motor drive and shutting down.
"No...no..." I hung on the wall, my own breath leaving in shock after what I had witnessed. The rush of blood and the pounding of my own heart echoed rhythmically within my ears. "Please...no..."
"And now, there will be nothing left." Smiling, Cinder lowered her bow and tangled her fingers through the red locks, gripping them tightly as if they were reigns on a horse. With a deep shudder Pyrrha's body flashed a fiery hue, and shimmered away into little balls of dust.
"No...no no no no!" I watched as the aura signature for Pyrrha just whittled away, leaving the darkness behind. It was as if she wasn't there to begin with. Mouth open with aghast, I stretched out to touch the shimmering light with my left hand, my fingers just barely scraping by. "This can't be...please...come back..."
Oooh, I love this scarf. Where did you get it?
You want to pivot on your standing foot while also rotating your hip. Much of the power and drive comes from there. Without much rotation you wouldn't have enough power.
Reina, stop! The match's over...you can stop now.
Stand up! C'mon! You gotta stand up!
You're wrong. You don't know her like I do.
I already know what my destiny is, there's no time to change. Even if you manage to drag me off to a safe place, that won't stop her from destroying everything.
Do you believe in destiny?
"AHHHHHHHH!" The memories I had of Pyrrha barreled through like a coursing river, and an overwhelming amount of darkness erupted from deep within. I felt my conscious slip, something inhuman had clawed itself from the abyssal depths and took over. The signatures of various auras immediately submerged within the dark sludge. I felt like I was suffocating, choking, drowning by unseen hands wrapped around my neck. No matter how hard I struggled to get to the surface, I couldn't breach through it.
"Oh be quiet, huntsmen and huntresses die every day, what's one more gonna hurt? So loud...what the hell." Cinder snorted before looking down, a couple of accessories that Pyrrha wore lay at her feet. Kneeling, she picked up the bronze circlet that had been in huntress' hair and smirked. "Hmmm, now this is quite the accessory. Maybe I'll wear it better than she did."
"That's...not...yours..." An entity not quite my own voiced. The difference in tone made the maiden look up in wonder. "That's. Not. Yours." With a loud snarl I reached over and gripped the shaft of the arrow, attempting to rip it out. "That's not yours."
"You won't get out that easily, I suggest you slice off that limb." Cinder taunted, which only added fuel to my anger. Nostrils flaring out to exhibit small bursts of hot air, I crushed the arrow shaft and landed in a crouch. Lifting up my hand I watched the remnants melt away, curling and flexing my fingers to make sure they still functioned correctly.
Sounds that sounded dull against my eardrums were now crisp and clear thanks to heightened senses; I was aware of the elongated ears there were on the alert, along with the bushy tail streamed out from behind. I had the mentality of a beast, with the only thought running through my mind was to kill. Yellow eyes scoured my surroundings – actually taking the time to appreciate my sight – before locking in on Cinder. I was able to memorize her appearance to heart, and my lips rose in a snarl.
Has she lost her mind? The fall maiden frowned as I lowered myself on all fours, the wind around us slowly picking up the pace making the fur bend over. Movement out of the corner of her eyes signaled the grimm dragon circling the structure, its jaw snapping every once in awhile making soft clicking noises; no doubt it sensed something had changed and inched closer to investigate. An idea formulated within her head, a devious smile making itself known on her face. Hmmm...if I can get that brute to join the battle...then victory is already mine.
She was a friend. She was a teammate. She was a fighter. She was a protector... And you KILLED HER!
Digging my claws into the ground, I launched myself at my enemy, swiping with my right arm, and tore off a chunk of her clothes as she rolled to the side. Snarling to myself, I swiveled around and rushed back with the intent on killing. Everything was a blur to me, my tunnel vision honing in on Cinder and her alone.
"Why you-!" Cinder's eyes widened as I slammed her into the ground, pinning her down with a claw covering majority of her face. She grunted on impact and gripped my wrist with a feeble hand, trying to pry me off. I held her steady, staring down till I was absolutely sure she would commit my appearance to memory. Saliva slowly oozed past the fangs of my parted lips and dripped onto my opponent's face, her eyebrows furrowed with utmost disgust. "God damn it...so gross!"
Yes. Everything is spiraling into chaos. Fear. Anger. These roiling emotions, I need more. I crave more.
"Let me go!" The maiden screeched, only to shut silent as I pressed my fingers deeper into her skull.
Kill her. Tear her to shreds. Bathe your claws with her blood. Letting out a loud snarl I released my grip on Cinder and sent her flying into a pile of rubble, watching as she crashed through. My tail flickered back and forth slightly as I awaited for movement.
"Seems I underestimated you...you did grow a spine. You're starting to peak my interest minute by minute." The fall maiden growled as she rose up, her eyes burning with the ring of fire around them. My heckles were raised, lips pulled back in a snarl as I set my sights on her. Burnt fur stench filled my nostrils, but my hatred for my enemy overrode everything else. "Is there even a hint of humanity left within you? Or are you just a mindless creature? Have you stripped away everything about yourself?"
Kill. Kill. Kill. The one who stands before you...is your enemy!
"Can you not form coherent sentences anymore? Such a shame." Lifting a hand, she conjured a burning flame as the power of a maiden oozed through her skin. "That makes things easier for me. I can fully kill you without feeling remorseful within my own conscious." Roaring with anger, I rushed towards her, feeling the heat rolling off my fur as I came extremely close. Cinder just smirked in response, getting comfortable enough with my fighting style to predict my movements.
Sensing two fireballs coming towards my head, my claws wrapped around broken pieces of rock and hurled them through the air one after the other. Various explosions resounded all around, but I lunged through the smoke, using my nose to guide the way. However, she was ready for me. Just as I pierced through, she held her dual blades in an 'x' in front of her chest, blocking the blow. We struggled against one another, relying on brute strength with out power. I felt my mouth curl up in a sadistic smile when Cinder's knee touched the ground, and I would have won if something hadn't slammed into my side. Crashing to the side, I jumped to my feet, shook my head and watched as a large scaly appendage waved in the air, taunting me.
"Grrrrrrrrrowllll!" The dragon snarled as it rose from behind the rock wall, fixating its stare at us as its claws dug deep into the structure. Jaws widened to display rows of ivory fangs it snaked forward at blinding speed, snapping against my face as I reeled back. Yelping when its teeth came inches near my skin, I turned my attention towards the other beast and decided to continue the fight.
"This just might be, one of my greatest hunts ever." Cinder mused as she rose unsteadily on her feet; due to the dragon's weight, the tower was now swaying and shaking, on the verge of collapsing. Cocking an arrow and taking aim for the middle of my back, she said, "Goodbye, wolf." A scream from somewhere behind disrupted her focus and as she turned around, a flash of silver encompassing her vision. Then everything fell into silence.
