Elise was used to feeling odd when she used her semblance and shifted her body from a solid mass into smoke, but this sensation was... different.
Elise was... confused.
She held a firm grip on Krimson's ankle and wouldn't let go of Cheyenne's hand even if someone shot her. They were floating in absolutely nothing.
It was a strange sensation. When she shifted her body into smoke she was at least aware of what was up and down and her surroundings. But here in the darkness, she didn't have to hold her breath. She didn't need to breathe.
In the shadows, there was nothing.
It was mind boggling.
It was terrifying.
She imagined that this was what death must have felt like.
Elise was horrified.
She tightened her grasps and closed both her eyes. She then flinched as Cheyenne grabbed her arm with her free hand and latched on tight.
The Faunus wasn't fairing any better. Her mind was a blur.
The lack of everything was overwhelming. The silence of where they were was deafening. The darkness was blinding. None of it made any sense yet at the same time, no words were ever more true.
Elise felt Krimson's body being pulled and clenched her jaw. She pulled Cheyenne in close as they were both suddenly pushed down by gravity. The brunette let out a gasp as she collapsed onto the sandy wastelands of Vacuo. She hissed as dust got in her mouth and spat a few times as she pushed herself up onto one knee.
Sekishi Shoku blinked once at the sight of the two girls. He was after the Huntress and didn't recall pulling them into the shadows with her. It didn't matter though. He reached behind him and grabbed one of his bladed rings. He took a single step and his body fell into the darkness casted across the desert from the moonless night.
In a fraction of a second, Elise watched as he slowly rose from the ground in front of her. Well, not out of the ground. Out of the shadows. But still, it was something out of a horror movie. She barely had time to shift part of her body into smoke to avoid getting cut while dodging out of the way.
On his feet, Shoku took a step to eye her. His face hidden behind the hood of his dark cloak. "A smoke shifter? Hm."
"And a shadow stepper. Whoopdeedoo." She rolled her eyes while taking a few steps back. Her mind was racing with every possible idea she could think of. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to fight him? What would Kagami do?
"A distasteful attitude." He snarled while adjusting his grip on his weapon.
"An arrogant man." She bit her lip hard while taking another step back.
"The sands will soak up your blood and the Grimm will feed on your rotten flesh and bones." He snarled before taking a step and falling into the shadows at his feet.
"I uh..." She swallowed. "Yeah, I don't have a comeback for that. You need to seriously chill." She glanced over her shoulder and shifted her body partially to avoid an attack while quickly stepping away.
With a frustrated breath, she watched as he slipped into the darkness again. She shifted into smoke and dodged another attack. As she pulled out her rifle, Shoku appeared in front of her.
Elise's weapon was knocked from her hands and she quickly tucked and rolled behind him. Taking a deep breath, she slowly stepped back.
"Think, Elise, think." She bared her teeth before a thought came across her mind. She hid her smile as best as she could.
Shoku stepped out of the darkness behind her and let out a silent growl. He slashed at her back and hissed in frustration as his blades caught nothing but smoke as she jumped away.
As Elise dodged, she tossed a few of her Dust darts into the sand. She then started quickly stepping back, tossing more and more as she evaded him. Eventually, she fully turned into smoke to avoid an attack and appeared several feet away. She was panting.
"Not used to using your semblance so much?" Shoku couldn't help but tease as he watched her aura flicker from overuse.
With narrowed eyes, Elise bared her teeth before falling onto one knee. Her lungs were burning from exhaustion. She clenched her jaw right while digging her fingers deep into the sand.
"Hmph. You are just a nuisance. Nothing more." He scoffed while casually walking up towards her.
"Heh..." Seeing his feet, Elise flashed a smile. "Sometimes, I really enjoy when you people underestimate me." Grabbing the knife in her boot that Cheyenne made her, she flicked it.
It shot right past Shoku. It wasn't even close to him. He raised an eyebrow. He was just about to laugh before his attention shifted to behind him.
Elise's knife struck one of the Dust darts she had thrown into the ground. It burst into flames and ignited the darts on either side of it. A chain reaction went off and a wall of fire came to life in a circle around the two.
Taking a deep breath, Elise lunged forward. She grabbed one of the many ring blades on his back. She took several quick steps before stopping and skidding against the sand. The wall of flames danced behind her as she held up the weapon with narrowed eyes.
Blinking, it took Shoku a few seconds to process what had happened. Taking a single step back, he glanced down at his feet. With the ring of fire around him, there were no shadows anywhere. Despite it being a moonless night, there was no darkness for him to step into.
"It seems I did underestimate you." He glanced over his shoulder and turned around.
Now that he was no longer hidden in the darkness of shadows he practically lived in, the dark shades of his clothing were no longer black. Illuminated by the fire, his magenta cloak fluttered in the wind. The bottom of it was torn and tattered from age. His hair was a few shades lighter in color and his eyes were a glistening fuchsia. The flames that reflected in his eyes danced like a wildfire as he narrowed them.
"I will not make that mistake again." He flipped his weapons around in his hands and grabbed a second one.
Everything had happened so fast in Krimson's eyes. Even as trained as she was, she couldn't keep up. But that wasn't her problem.
She let out a gasp as her back struck the sand and then cried out. She had never been controlling someone's blood and had the connection severed so abruptly. With a groan, she rolled over onto her side and clenched her eyes shut tight. Her calf muscles tensed and tightened and she curled up and grimaced. With a twitch of her eyebrow, she held her breath and waited for the cramping to stop. That's all she could do.
When it ceased, she let out a breath and relaxed. "Damn..." She shifted her shoulders and hips and pushed herself up to her hands and knees. She was panting, severely. "Gods..." She was so out of breath. She groaned and lowered her head. And her chest ached.
Her vision began to grow spotty. Baring her teeth, she quickly shook the feeling off. She then let out a rage filled shout to keep herself conscious while slamming her fist into the sand.
"Um..." Softly squeaked from beside her.
Krimson's head snapped in the direction of the sound. Her eyes locked on Cheyenne who was sitting back on the ground.
"Whoa, whoa whoa." Seeing the feral look in her eyes, the Faunus held up her hands. "It wasn't us! We didn't-hmph!" She let out a sharp grunt as she was pinned to her back. "Wait!" Her voice cracked as her eyes widened.
With her hands on her shoulders, the Huntress in red straddled her. Her breathing was rapid and sharp. Her ears were starting to ring and the noises of the Kingdom were fading. She was less than a minute from passing out.
She then grabbed Cheyenne's left hand and brought her arm up. Without a moment of hesitation, she suddenly bit down on her wrist. Her teeth punctured her skin and blood immediately began to trail down her arm.
"Ow!!" She winced and hissed while jerking slightly. "What the heck!?" She snapped.
Krimson took a few deep breaths as she pulled her mouth away. She then quickly snatched her injured wrist with her left hand while bracing herself against the sand with her right hand. "Damn... it..." She closed both her eyes before groaning.
The Faunus went to struggle more only to freeze with wide eyes as she watched her blood slowly being absorbed into Krimson's skin. "What... the..." She groaned slightly.
Taking a deep breath, the Huntress quickly pulled back and scooted away from her. "Sorry." She said with a sharp exhale. Her breathing was returning to normal and she was far more self aware than moments before. "Hm..." She licked her teeth clean. "A positive, huh?" She glanced up at her.
She blinked.
Cheyenne was giving her the most concerned and wary look possible. She was definitely scared of her. Krimson then let out a small sound that made the Faunus jump back.
"I'm so sorry!" The Huntress moved to her knees and pressed her forehead against the sand. She didn't even flinch as sand got into her mouth and eyes. "You were one of the girls who were trying to help Jayde!"
"I-" She cut herself off and used her feet to move back and away from her.
"No! Please! I'm sorry!" Krimson pushed herself up but her hand slipped against the sand and she fell back down with a grunt. She quickly sat back up with a small embarrassed blush.
Cheyenne clenched her jaw and her eyes widened. There was no way this was the same terrifying Huntress with all the more terrifying semblance. There was absolutely no way.
Seeing the look she was given, she let out a small breath and averted her gaze. Her shoulders fell slightly. "I'm sorry." She slowly breathed in and out. "I can control blood. But as I do, my own blood evaporates in a sense. I lose blood. And with whatever happened," she eyed her hand and curled her fingers into a fist, "I was going to pass out if I didn't replenish it. It helps that I'm AB positive. I can take blood from whoever I want."
Krimson then stood up and looked around. She was so far from the Kingdom's walls. "Now, I need to get back to Jayde. She's not going to last very long without-" She stumbled a bit and brought her arm up to shield her face as flames burst to life near them. "What the..."
"Elise!" Cheyenne stumbled to her feet while looking through the fire and at her friend who stared down a man in magenta.
The Huntress in red then narrowed her eyes at the cloaked man. "You." She let out a low growl. Using her middle finger, she scratched at her thumb until she bled. She didn't have the blood capacity in her to kill him with just a look and she didn't want to take anymore of Cheyenne's blood.
The girl was already afraid of her enough. She hated that so much.
But the man in magenta was the one that dragged her out here. He was the one that took her away from Jayde. He was friends with the men who hurt Jayde.
Her blood trailed down her hand before it started to move. It shifted and hardened into a long spear that Krimson firmly gripped.
She was going to kill him.
I don't really have a place to ever mention it, but while Kagami's blood type is O negative and Chey is A positive, Elise is B positive and Kris is B negative.
Not that it matters just fun useless facts I think about.
