A/N: Patrick is loose while under Salem's control. With him, she'll be able to find her missing Fall Maiden...well, half Fall Maiden. Ironwood's plan to put him down failed, thanks to Mashika and her students. But, Mashika now knows she is right to spare Patrick's life. The question is, can she save it?
And on that note, Mashika and her students learn the darkest truth in Remnant.
Chapter 50: The Power Within Part II - Spark of Hope
Ironwood has something to tell Mashika and the remaining Team PASM. However, Mashika believes that whatever it is he has to say, Marina and Team CPER should also be a part of it. Ironwood was hesitant but agreed to these terms.
However, none of them expected anything like this.
Ironwood tells Mashika, Marina, and the students the truth about the world. How there are Four Maidens of absolute power, the existence of powerful objects known as the Relics, and how he and the other headmasters are the true protectors of the world by guarding the relics and training and protecting the Maidens. And the one thing that strikes fear into everyone's hearts.
"Mew...Mew're kitten, aren't mew, General?" Clawdia asks.
"A terrifying being of human intelligence who can control Grimm?" Rayla says.
Earnest speaks, but nobody bothers to translate for him due to shock. And he doesn't blame Ralya or Clawdia.
"That's impossible...There's no way, such a thing exists." Marlene says.
"I know all this sounds hard to believe, but it is true." Ironwood says.
Mashika is silent as she thinks. She knows about this 'voice' Patrick has been hearing. And since it is discovered that Patrick is part Grimm, there's only one explanation for what this voice is. But there is something that's been bothering her.
"What about Patrick?" Everyone turns to Mashika. "Did he know?"
Ironwood, Qrow, and Ozpin were silent at first, before Ozpin answers. "We have informed Mister Aki about the Maidens, however, he knows nothing about Salem."
"But...why? Why did you tell him about the Maidens?" Selena asks.
"Well, the answer to that is simple: It's because the Fall Maiden is his sister." Qrow answers. Everyone is shocked to hear this, some of them mutter to each other wondering if they actually knew he had a sister. "On the night the Fall Maiden was attacked, we learned about your little friend. Ozpin ordered us to capture and enroll him into Beacon."
"We entrusted him with the knowledge of the Maidens for the time being, though letting him know that his sister is one of them and is in danger was the only him that's kept him grounded at Beacon Academy." Ozpin says.
"But the one thing we never thought was the possibility that he was actually part Grimm. And because of that, Salem was able to gain control over him. And since we entrusted him with the location of the Fall Maiden, humanity is in great danger." Qrow says.
"Why? What's so important that the Maiden is in danger?" Marina asks.
"The Maiden's are the key to opening the vaults that guard the Relics. And for the first time ever, Salem managed to steal some of the Fall Maiden's power. We have no idea what'll happen if Amber dies while some of her power is missing, but we fear the possibility it'll go to its other half." Ironwood says. "This is exactly why I wanted to put an end to Patrick Aki, before Salem took control, before she uses him to get to the Fall Maiden and reclaim her full power."
"Shut! Up!" Everyone turns to Mashika. She sounds pretty mad. "Is that your solution? To take away his life? That's the big plan to save humanity?" Mashika raises her face, glaring at Ironwood. "What about Patrick? He may be a monster now, but he's still human! And despite what he is now, he is still alive!"
Ironwood folds his hands behind his back as he stands up. "And what makes you so sure about this, Mashika?"
"You weren't there. When he cried." Mashika says. She looks back to that moment. Patrick had her pinned down at death's door, but he hesitates, and despite his expression still the aggressive feral Grimm remains unchanged, tears were falling out of his eyes. "Even though he was still as aggressive and feral as the Grimm, his human nature still pushed through. Patrick is still in there, we need to find a way to reach him."
Hearing that last part has Marina thinking. While everyone else is discussing how they're going to be able to reach Patrick's consciousness, Marina looks at her hand, the one she holds Selena's hand on that day. He thinks deeply about the conversation she had with Mashika.
Hardening her expression, Marina speaks out. "I think I know how we can reach him." Everyone turns their attention to Marina. "This may sound weird, but I believe my Semblance is linking emotions."
"Your Semblance? I didn't know you have one." Marlene says.
"Well, I don't...At least, I didn't think I did." Marina turns to Selena. "Then I was comforting Miss Akimura, and something happened. I can't explain how or why other than it could have been my Semblance, but I felt her feelings."
"You mean, you understand the feeling?" Selena asks.
Marina shook her head. "No. It was actually feeling them, almost like our souls were connected."
"It sounds like your Semblance is Maguilty, the ability to link emotions." Marlene thinks for a moment. "Hmm...Theoretically, it might be possible Marina can reach into Patrick's subconscious. But if Salem is in control, it's possible we might connect with her as well."
"It'll be dangerous, risky, but it's the best chance we've got." Mashika asks.
"It'll be more dangerous than you think." Marina says. "If I'm going have to link with him, I need to make direct contact with him."
Clawdia turns her attention to Ironwood. "General Ironwood? what do mew think?"
Ironwood doesn't say anything. Just gives off the expression that he isn't gonna set aside his plan. "James. If I may..." Ironwood turns his attention to Ozpin. "If what Mashika says is true, that Mister Aki is instead still alive and trying to fight against Salem, then I believe this plan might be worth a chance."
Ironwood says nothing but lets out a sigh and sits back down on his desk. "You'll get one shot. That is it. The plan fails, I'm moving in."
Mashika doesn't like the idea, but she agrees to these terms.
With everything set into motion, Mashika, Marina, and their students make their way to the courtyard. Discussing their next move.
"Qrow will scout the skies to try and locate Patrick. In the meantime, we'll need reinforcements of our own." Mashika says.
"Even if we get some additional assistance, how are we gonna keep him grounded? You saw him take out the Atlesian army. They fell before him like toys." Marlene says.
"I'm with Marlene on this one. We need more than just soldiers to subduce Pet-rick." Clawdia says.
"What if we tried to get the other professors at Beacon to help? Glynda's pretty strong and I've heard Ozpin's no pushover." Peter asks.
Selena thinks deeply about all this before she speaks. "I may know someone who can help."
"Who, Love?" Mashika asks.
"It's complicated, I'm not even sure if I should mention them." Selena says. "But let's just say they owe Patrick a favor."
Everyone's confused by this, but they go with it. "All right. So where do we find these people?" Marlene asks.
"That's the thing, finding them might be difficult. But, if I'm positive, then they reside somewhere within Sanus." Selena says.
Everyone wonders what Selena could be talking about, then Marlene catches on and looks horrified. "Selena, you're not suggesting..." Selena nods. This only just confuses everyone else. And concern in Mashika's case.
A week has passed. The whole time during that week, Qrow, Mashika, and Marina are on the search for Patrick, while the students are following Selena to the lands of Sanus. Selena and Marlene asked around town for the people they are searching for. From one town to the next, village to village, they don't find the answers they see. Everyone was too afraid to speak of them. Even Marlene is having doubts about this plan.
Finally, they found their answer. A Villager points them in the direction, telling them to head for Viper Chasm.
Selena and her friends head toward Viper Chasm, a 300 ft trench only 25 yards wide, filled with corpses and weapons, either stabbed on what once were bodies or on the rocks.
As they walk in the trench, they move deeper into the endless path of death. Marlene moves close to Selena and whispers to her. "Selena, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, we don't know these people, and we barely know her at all. If we have Patrick with us, it might be different, but-"
"I understand how you feel, Marlene, but I'm positive about this. Don't worry." Selena says.
The group arrives in a wide open session of the trench. "We should be here." Selena steps forward, speaking out loud. "Hello? Anyone here!?" Selena's voice echoes throughout the trench. Marlene and Team CPER are feeling uneasy about this. "We know you are out there. We just want to talk. Look." Selena draws out her staff and raises it. "We'll lay down our arms." Selena slowly kneels down to drop her staff on the ground, then stands back up on her feet with her hands up. Selena turns to her friends and sees they are still armed, and encourages them to do the same.
Eventually, they all agree to follow Selena's lead, and slowly drop their weapons. But everyone looks at Earnest, knowing he still has his "weapon", but Earnest just shrugs his shoulders. Suddenly, steel bolas were thrown and they instantly snares Earnest. Seeing Earnest alerted everyone, but were too slow to respond, for they all become snared as well.
They all try to break free but their struggles were pointless. Then they come out. Ninjas.
After taking their weapons and dragging the students, the Ninja's retreat to their hideout. A hidden tunnel within the trench. They arrive at a settlement, where there are Ninja's everywhere. Some sharpening weapons, several training, the rest testing each other's combat skills.
The students were tossed to the front of a throne. "We have apprehended intruders, Chief."
The chief jumps off of her throne and approaches. Everyone is surprised to see it's a ninja of a familiar face. "Well, well. If it isn't Shadow Boy's little clique." Sakuya says. "The Princess. The Brainiac. Cat Girl. Jazz Hands. Lady Maid. And..." Sakuya looks at Peter and gives a disgusted reaction seeing his face making a lover's expression. "Uck, and the idiot pretty boy."
"She thinks I'm pretty." Peter says excitedly.
"I don't think that's a compliment." Rayla whispers to him.
"Wait. Mew're the leader of hiss tribe or clan or whatever it is mew are?" Clawdia asks.
One of the ninjas whispers to another one. "I thought Sister Sakuya said it was the big guy who's the idiot."
"I wasn't. Until that day I came seeking the Shadow Hunter's aid. The Chief and his heir fell along with several of our brothers, and after we liberated our people, I stepped up and took leadership. Now, I must admit, I didn't expect you guys to be around our hideout. You must either have guts or are idiots." Sakuya takes a look at the group. "I couldn't help but notice, where's the Samurai Fox? Come to think of it, where's Shadow Boy?"
"It's a long story, but it's also the reason we have come to you." Selena says.
Meanwhile, Mashika and Marina are searching the skies for Patrick. Mashika is piloting the ship. She activates her communicator to report in. "Qrow, is there any sign of Patrick?"
"Afraid not, sweetheart." Mashika rolls her eyes at that 'sweetheart' comment. "Anything on your end?"
"Negative. We're heading to coordinates 30, 17. We'll inform you if we see anything." Mashika says. Mashika turns off the communicator. She lets out a sigh as she drives. "I hope we'll be able to save Patrick."
"You seem to care about him very much." Marina says. "Even after this whole mess started."
"And you don't?" Mashika asks.
"It's not that I don't, it's more like it feels complicated." Marina says.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound hostile. I'm just worried as well. You know how we were involved in the Abduction Agency. I was one of their slaves, and Patrick...well, I'm not sure what he was. Back then, he was just a little boy. Sad. Scared. Alone. He once mentioned he mostly never sees his mother."
"Is that way you see him as a son?" Marina asks.
"Sort of. Back then, I didn't think of him like that since I was younger. Maybe as a little brother." Mashika says. "Still, he certainly was nothing like all the men in that prison. Aside from Saurfang."
"Saurfang?" Marina asks.
"Elizabeth's Slavemaster. He was just as cruel and ruthless as the rest, but during the time of taking charge of Elizabeth, he had a change of heart, and set her free." Mashika says. "I believe he and Patrick supported each other during his time of redemption, but I don't know."
"Where is he now?" Marina asks.
"No idea. Elizabeth doesn't know and Patrick won't say anything." Mashika says. Mashika focuses her vision on something down below. There's a far-off explosion happening on the edge of the woods. Mashika activates her communicator. "Qrow, we've detected unusual activity outside of the Black Forest. We're landing for further investigation." Mashika dives the airship for a landing.
Back at the hideout, Selena explains everything that's happened since the vytal festival to Mashika. About how Patrick turns out to be part Grimm and his power causes him to go terrifyingly berserk, and that Akira had fallen from his blow, and now Patrick is loose and they have an idea on how to stop him and came to the Shadow Tread's aid.
Sakuya pays attention and listens carefully to Selena's explanation. Once she's done, Sakuya speaks. "Nice story, Princess. But that's a tall order to convince me it's true."
"If I may, sister...I mean, chief. We have heard about how that friend of theirs couldn't make it to the finals." Hikari says. "It's possible they could be telling the truth."
Sakuya takes a moment to think about Hikari's words. "Okay. Let's just assume everything you have said actually is happening, why have you come here?"
"We come here seeking aid. We have a plan that might save Patrick, from both Ironwood's wrath and the power from within him." Selena says. "But we lack the reinforcements we need to match against his power. We had hoped the Shadow Tread would provide us that aid."
Laughter starts to build up in Sakuya. By the time she's laughing out loud, Selena looks disappointed. "I'm sorry, it's just funny. You risked your own life, as well as the lives of your friends here, seeking a clan of dangerous ninjas and assassins all for a little favor of aid. You've got a lot of guts, princess, I'll give you that. But I'm afraid we cannot provide you with any aid. Brothers Hikari and Wallace, get them out of here."
Sakuya turns and walks away as Wallace and Hikarias well as half a dozen of ninjas beside them begin forcing the students onto their feet and pushing them out. Wallace and Hikari is about to do the same with Selena as she speaks.
"I was there that morning!" Sakuya stops in her tracks, realizing what Selena is referring to. "I know about the mission, how you and Patrick faced the 'Abductors'. I also heard what you said to him, about how the 'Shadow Tread are in his debt.' That 'If there's anything he needs for you to return the favor.'" Sakuya doesn't say anything, just remains silent with a stern expression, an expression that Selena can't see. "I may not know anything about ninjas or clans, but I do know honor. Our friend Akira values it. Just as you do, otherwise you wouldn't have offered him a debt repaid. You came to Patrick seeking aid and he offered it, and now he is in trouble, and we as his team, his friends...and his family, come to you to aid us in saving him. And you are just going to turn your back on him when he needs help the most?"
Sakuya says nothing. Her hand tightens into a fist as the knuckles slowly crack. "Well, Sakuya...What is your answer?"