Fangs of the Exiles
Rated M
Rwby
Summary:
Life is not about what happens to you, but what you make of it... At least that's what everyone says. Two faunus will answer whose way is right, carrying the will of a titanic kingdom while the other, the spirit of one who shouldn't exist. Forgotten, their paths will cross, for better or worse.
A/N:
Chapter 17: What Remains of What We Were-2
"Mistral..."
Aganju looked around, taking in all that the city had to offer while he and Sienna crossed up one of the many pathways leading to Haven. He'd always wondered what the city was like and it was safe to say that he was not disappointed. Remembering the lowest levels of the kingdom where illegal sales were conducted to the much more elegant settings of families enjoying their time together. The latter, while enjoyable to witness brought with it a pang of sadness in the faunus' heart.
"You're not that helpless little boy anymore," Sienna commented, noting his solemn demeanor. "You're not alone Aganju. You have a wonderful young woman who's waiting for you, and I promise that you'll be reunited together soon once we stop Adam's plan."
The fox's mind then flashed back to the task at hand. They'd just arrived in the city only a short time ago but, he and Sienna Khan knew that there was little time for them to settle into the scenes around them.
He apologized and kept climbing.
"You're right. I can't lose afford to lose focus now," he chanted softly.
"Precisely. We're almost there anyway and we need a good vantage point for scouting and I doubt you'd want to fight the entire White Fang AND Adam without proper planning. We should head back to the inn and rest."
"But what about...?"
"Relax, Aganju. Without proper preparation, we won't be any good for the task at hand."
Aganju felt embarrassed but a brief grin from the tigress informed him that her reprimand wasn't with ill intent. A renewed sense of confidence rushed through the young man as they head to their base of operation at the lower levels of the mountain-based kingdom as the sun began its descent. True to her words, he was exhausted.
After a quick bite, the fox allowed his eyes to close, drifting off into a slumber that afforded Sienna some measure of peace as she departed the room. Unknown to them, someone had been awaiting this opportunity to capitalize on the private moment of respite.
[Mental Void]
A realm surrounded by infinite darkness greeted the faunus, leaving him with a sense of trepidation as he floated aimlessly.
"Where... am I?"
"You've finally awake."
Rubbing his head, Aganju glanced around, seeing nothing but negritude for miles. With no knowledge of what was happening, the fox was completely lost in more ways than one. On top of that, the voice in his head wasn't making things better for him.
"What's going on?" he clutched his dome, feeling a headache rising.
"Quiet child..." The voice cooed in a sweet and tender tone that rang with a hint of sadness. "There is much to say and so little time to say it."
Feeling his anxiety growing, the gentle voice continued.
"I know your first question: Are you dead? Simply put, no... I managed to reach you through the void, a domain between consciousness. Some like you are far too strong to be granted entrance to the world of the departed so easily. I simply want to ask you a few questions. Understand?"
Aganju was still disjointed, but he chose to remain silent for the time being.
"First, who are you? Your name? Where is your home?"
"My name..." he paused for a moment. "My name is Aganju Umbrae and I have no home. Or... I don't recall ever having a home."
"Do you know who I am?"
"Forgive me if I seem sarcastic, but I doubt I would know the voice of someone I've yet to see yet."
This was for the woman conversing with him. If he didn't know her identity, then that meant HE hadn't gotten to the male yet. Sensing an advantage, she decided to take a gamble, one that could easily backfire. With a deep breath from the shadows, she stepped out of the dark veil that surrounded them, revealing herself.
Aganju felt his throat hitch at the sight of the pallid-white woman that stood before him in her black gown. Her eyes burned with dark fire, yet, her soft grin conflicted with this imagery. The gnarled purple veins adorning her features didn't help, but he never felt anything that should put him on high alert.
Oddly enough, he felt serenity swirl around him, almost reminiscent of a breeze on a warm summer day.
"Who are you?" he asked in awe as she approached him, even going as far as to kneel in front of him.
As she placed her hand on his cheek, she sensed him shuddering from her cold touch. Although his reaction didn't deter her, she focused her attention on something far more important. With closed eyes, she felt an immense power flowing within his soul, and she pushed past it to enter his heart. Inside, she sensed waves of hurt, despair, and rejection, but they all paled in comparison to the two emotions that were driving him. It must be tough for him to deal with those emotions, and she empathized with him deeply.
Love and loss.
"If you will, open your mind, dear. I'm not here to harm you."
If rationality were in play, he would've run from her. That would've been the correct response, right? Aganju could will himself to decline her actions and rip himself away from the hand of the ominous figure but, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. She wasn't forcing her influence on him. She didn't demand his cooperation.
She... asked him and he obliged.
As he took a deep breath, he tried his best to clear his thoughts and allow her to see his memories. In front of her, many scenes unfolded like multiple movies, each representing different moments from his past. As she watched, she could feel the weight of his experiences. One memory revealed a painful attack he endured as a child, simply for being himself. It must have been a difficult memory to share.
This is nothing new... she surmised, combing through the various wisps of agonizing memories. Discrimination against the faunus is far past common ever since they were created. I must go farther.
She scanned the different memories, each one more discouraging than the last. This went on until a few of these caught her attention. She found herself staring at a few mental screens that appeared to be faded and blacked out.
Perhaps these were memories long buried?
Though none of them were of any direct importance, Salem couldn't help but feel closer to him, as if the threads were connecting with each passing recollection that departed. But one stood out! The one memory that was so faded that it took intense concentration for her to truly understand what she was witnessing.
She saw the sky, similar to where she oversaw the Grimm, fade to the common blue skies of a partly cloudy day. He was very young at this point, cradled in the arms of someone. Tilting her head, Salem noticed dark hair with... red tips? Her eyes flared with a fury, the likes she hadn't felt in what felt like eons.
"It couldn't be...!"
"Don't worry, sweetie!" she heard the unseen figure's voice shush the cub's whimpering. "I know someone who can take care of you. You'll be perfect for each other."
Salem wanted to erupt but reminded herself that she was not alone. On cue, she heard the footsteps of the owner of these repressed memories approaching. Turning on her heels, she found herself staring not at the fine young adult Aganju had become, but at a timid tiny little cub rubbing his eyes.
"Who was that?"
It took every ounce of willpower for her to hold back the shattering of her heart. He had now become the spitting image of the child she'd forgotten about; She made herself forget to avoid this excruciating feeling. For the first time, Salem felt something akin to her former humanity awakening, turning away and biting her lip to choke back the tears that ached for release.
Should she tell him the truth?
No... It's... It's not time yet.
"My apologies, child. I don't know this person..." she lied. "I would assume she was doing what she thought was best for you."
"Really?" by now, his voice returned to its original tone. "That's funny. Given how things turned out, I would say they made a mistake."
Salem could've smiled, eager to bite the proverbial bullet and reveal all. She wouldn't though, not when there was more work to be done. Instead, she pivoted and began her exit, but not without placing a hand on his shoulder. As their eyes locked on each other, she smiled warmly.
"You've grown into a fine young man. You're healthy and full of life, make no mistake about that. While I comprehend any bitterness toward the event of your life thus far, never let them dictate who you are. You are going to get stronger and better as you advance. Just don't forget that you were always a bright light in this world of darkness."
With that said, Aganju watched as the white-haired woman left him to awaken. It was bittersweet, but she swore she heard him say that he would try to be the best he could be, resembling a child pining for his parent's affection. Whether it was her imagination or not, Salem finally allowed the cursed drops to fall before returning to her place in the world; A singular reply skating along her quivering lips.
"I hope I get to see what your destiny is... My dear Aganju."
The skies above shined a bright blue hue over the campus of Haven Academy. The shattered remnants of the moon glowed brilliantly as ten bodies stepped through the quad heading to the main hall. After meeting with one another to discuss their next move, Qrow received a message from Leonardo Lionheart about the council's decision.
While that wasn't something out of the ordinary, what did seem a bit off-putting was the timing. Even now as they trekked closer to the grand hall, Qrow Branwen tried to make sense of the sudden invitation and the timing for their arrival. The only logical explanation for this may be the nature of secrecy in terms of finding and retrieving the spring maiden.
Many of the younger generations marveled at how tranquil the place appeared. Even a stoic Pyrrha couldn't help but take in the sight of the school she was expected to go to after her time at Sanctum. This only brought on a looming dark cloud that her teammate Jaune tried to help her out of.
He placed a hand on the girl's shoulder to pull her from the depressing thoughts.
"Are you alright? You don't have to go inside if you don't want to."
[Mistral-Homestead]
That morning brought with it a welcomed sense of peace as Oscar (currently Ozpin) sat alongside his most loyal soldier, Qrow. While the students slept, they opted to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee while discussing everything that had transpired the prior evening. What started with only six of them had now grown to ten with the inclusion of Yang Xiao Long, Roxanne Octane, Weiss Schnee, and Pyrrha Nikos.
"Speaking of her," Qrow spoke up. "How's she holding up?"
"I won't lie to you; If what Miss Nikos stated is true, then there's no definitive way to tell." The brown-haired boy took another sip from his mug, letting the hot liquid trickle down his tongue. Looking over, he noticed the conflict behind the red eyes of Qrow Branwen. This was further proven when his grip on the mug tightened around the piping-hot cup. "Qrow?"
"I should've protected him..." he sighed. "If I'd been-"
"You couldn't have been in two places at the same time. Nobody can fault you for something you didn't know..."
"But..."
"We both suspected that this was a possibility. Neither of us knew for sure, but we did our best to help him with the clues that were gathered. All we can do now is try and be as comforting and understanding of Miss Nikos and Miss Soleil if, or when, they're ready to share more."
Qrow still didn't remove his grasp from the warm vessel, but at least his glower began to relax. This was good as Ozpin did have more to discuss with the man. Even still, he'd find his mind drifting off to that night. The shriek of agony followed by a brief explanation was enough to leave a chill down any person's spine, but, it was a bridge that had yet to be built completely.
Taking another drag of the hot liquid, Qrow took a deep breath.
"Things aren't looking good, Oz..."
"Ever the optimist," the boy chuckled. "While I would not say that our current predicament is... ideal, I think that we can both agree that our situation could be much worse. Humanity is a resilient force."
"Pro Huntsmen like that don't just bite it all at once. Salem's powerful; It seems like her reach is growing by the day. What does that say about humanity?"
"That there are indeed a misguided few who have filled their hearts with malice. It doesn't take a great number of people to cause harm. But, I still believe that there are far more people in this world willing to prevent it."
The debate would've continued but the sudden interruption ceased their discussion for the time being. Looking over, the sight of Ruby Rose and Pyrrha Nikos entered view; the pair working their way around to the couch.
"Ah, Miss Rose! Miss Nikos! Good morning," Oscar/Ozpin greeted formally. "It's a pleasure to have you join us. We were just about to gather everyone to discuss our next steps. I hope you both slept well."
Both girls nodded but, it was evident that the last statement was more directed at the green-eyed girl who hadn't even fixed her hair. Thankfully, the dark circles under her eyes had begun to fade. The shine in her eyes appeared to have returned as well, though they were still a mere fraction of what they used to be.
"It's been a while since I've slept in a real bed," Pyrrha half-heartedly joked. "I almost didn't want to get up."
"No one would blame you if you'd chosen to sleep in," Ozpin grinned kindly. "You've been through a lot and I doubt anybody here would be upset if you got all the rest you needed."
Pyrrha bowed her head in gratitude, forcing a smile on her face.
"While I appreciate the concern, I'm feeling better now."
"If I may say," the former educator stood to his feet, cane in hand. "What you and Ciel have gone through is nothing short of traumatic. While I applaud your desire to press forward, I will not fault you for sitting out the upcoming altercation. The spirit may be willing..."
"I'm fine," she lied, making Ruby flinch beside her. "I said that I would help and I intend to follow through!"
Let's hope that things start going our way for once... Ozpin mentally groaned. "Very well, Miss Nikos. If you're certain, then I suggest that you eat and clean up. We'll go over the plan once everyone is prepared."
Back in the present, Pyrrha shook off any idea of hesitation that coursed through her mind. That part of her that wished she'd remained with Ciel had no place here, not now.
Pushing the doors open, the assembly was greeted by the lone figure of Professor Lionheart himself. While this was to be expected, a few of them noticed that something was off; something in the air that pierced their senses upon crossing the threshold.
"Thank you for... coming. There seem to be more of you than before."
"Eh... You know what they say: 'The more the merrier'." Qrow joked.
Leo studied the group, trying his best to push down his venations. His voice stammered for a second before resuming the conversation as best he could. Of all in attendance, Pyrrha noticed the faunus' jittery behavior. She heard all too well of the lion's nature at times, but she still found it odd that he'd be acting this way in front of allies.
"So what's going on with the council?"
Once again, Leonardo's nerves got the better of him. "Why... did you bring your weapons?"
"Huh...? Leo, we're huntsmen." Qrow raised an eyebrow at his comrade, picking up that something was indeed off himself. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes... I... just haven't had my evening coffee is all."
"Look, it's nice to see you and all but we got work to do. Are we getting support from the council or not?"
Unknown to the two, a pair of lavender eyes looked over and found something that didn't belong; a raven with eyes as red as blood staring back at her.
"Mom?"
Her voice was only a whisper, but it was loud enough for the expert huntsman to fire a warning shot. The fowl managed to flap its wings in enough time to avoid the hit only to fly over to the headmaster. In a flash, it shifted its form, returning to that which was all too familiar to over half of the gang.
"Raven..." Ruby seethed.
"They... really are magic!" Nora looked on in complete awe at what she'd just observed.
The woman pulled off her mask, revealing eyes as dark red as Qrow Branwen's though she was much paler than he was by comparison. Everyone looked on, wondering what to do next.
"If you're going to shoot me, shoot me. That was insulting."
"What are you doing here?!"
"I could ask you the same thing," Raven replied as she descended the left stairwell. "You've been scheming little brother; planning to attack your sister."
"Leo, what have you done?!" Qrow snarled.
The professor tried to find the words to explain himself, but sadly, his opportunity would be snatched away by the woman cursed by magic.
"He did what any sane person would do in his position. He looked at all the information he had in front of him, assessed the situation, and made a choice. And it seems you have too."
The truth of everything had now been exposed; Leo's betrayal. The council for which he sat. The disappearance of multiple huntsmen. Everything suddenly began to make sense as Qrow processed the current situation.
"You have the spring maiden." he declared.
"I do..."
"Then hand her over and let's work together. We can beat Salem-"
"All that time spying for Ozpin...!" Raven cut her sibling off. "Yet you still have no idea what you're dealing with. There is no beating Salem!"
"You're wrong..." All eyes turned to the girl in the red hood looking back at the tribe leader with a hopeful gaze. "We've done things that most people would call impossible. And I know the only reason we were able to do it is that we didn't do it alone. We had people to teach us; people to help us. We had each other. Work with us. At least I know we'll have a better chance if we try it together."
Raven stared at the girl with a disapproving stare before taking in her words. It was a cute notion if she had to admit it. Unfortunately, that's all it was to the older woman, naive words from an ignorant child. In a way, Raven had to admit that she saw a bit of herself, the old her as she processed those words. Sadly, that version of her no longer existed.
For Raven, there was only one person who she knew died by that sword of hope.
"You sound just like your mother..."
Before the girl could inquire further, Raven sliced open a portal, allowing a massive fireball to knock Ruby off her feet. While she slid across the polished floor, several individuals began to pour out of it, all recognizable in some form or another.
"Hello, boys and girls..."
"Cinder..." Ruby grunted with narrowed eyes.
Indeed, Cinder Fall had returned along with her cronies, Emerald & Mercury, and another girl with short brown hair, Vernal. Of course, Yang, Weiss, Roxanne, and Pyrrha knew all too well who she was. Everyone prepared themselves for a fight while Qrow did his best to keep things calm. There was no need to clash yet, not when there were still questions that needed answers.
"Everybody stay calm."
Unfortunately, things were about to go from bad to worse. Behind them, the sounds of the double doors opening drew their attention, revealing a tall and muscular middle-aged man wearing a two-tone olive green coat. As he shut the door behind him, he began to speak, unveiling a low and deep voice to rival his already intimidating form.
"The White Fang is prepping demolition and securing the school grounds. No one's getting in, and no one's getting out."
[Haven Academy/Courtyard]
Outside of the grand hall, several members of the White Fang were nearly done with setting the charges around various points of the academy. Once they finished, each devoted member returned to their new high leader, the usurper Adam Taurus who couldn't help but smile darkly at the victory within his grasp. By this point, Sienna Khan watched impatiently as the group continued their plot.
"Once the charges are set, move to perimeter watch," he ordered. "Tonight, Haven falls!"
By the looks of things, she could tell that their chances for ambushes were too far and few for them to efficiently take out each affiliate. Sadly none of that mattered as Sienna simply glared at the red-haired male, his arrogance making her stomach crawl from such a blatant and disgusting act. In truth, she wanted nothing more than to rip the boy's throat out but, another part of her wanted him to suffer from what he did to her.
Before anything, the tigress looked back, seeing the boy still resting. She knew this would happen. She hoped for this outcome. Over the time she spent getting to know Aganju, Sienna didn't want to risk his life for a battle that was hers. Sure, she intended for him to assist in pushing back the extremist organization, but, now...?
Touching the spot where her wound was, she recalled how much the fox wanted to get back to his beloved, and, in a sudden change of heart, Sienna knew what she had to do. In her heart, she knew that, unlike her, there was a bright future awaiting the youth. There was no need to drag him into her petty desire for vengeance haphazardly.
I'm sorry...
Back inside, the group of young huntsmen began to understand the seriousness of the situation. This wasn't just some coincidence. It was premeditated but, how could something like this happen so flawlessly? That was the question that drove Qrow to look at the two individuals he once respected with ire.
"Raven. Tell me, how long have you been with them?"
Instead of his sister, it was the one-eyed maiden who chose to answer him.
"Awww. Don't take it personally, little bird. Your sister was a recent addition." her disgustingly smug tone only fueled the embers smoldering within her adversaries. "The lion, on the other hand... Entrance into the Vytal Festival was a real treat. But, Leonardo has been sending Salem all sorts of information for a very... very long time. Isn't that right, Professor?"
"Stop it..." the headmaster pleaded.
"It was you," Qrow finally found his voice again, and another realization hit him heavily. "You sat on the Mistral council. You had information on every huntsman and huntress in the kingdom... and you gave it all to her?"
Lionheart couldn't even look at the man berating him for it was all true. It had been so long since he'd come into service of the witch he knew as Salem that he'd forgotten when he started working for her. Sadly, his cowardice and doubt in Ozpin brought this moment full circle for the once courageous lieutenant of light. Now, he truly felt the weight of his deeds come down on him; the lives of so many men and women, many trained under his tutelage were extinguished because of him.
Oh, how he wished he could go back in time and change things.
"I-"
"I couldn't find any of them because you let her kill them!"
"Don't beat yourself up about that, Lionheart. I'm sure Tyrian and Hazel would've found them on their own eventually."
This was getting them nowhere, but, something interesting began to develop. While most of the teens remained silent throughout this ordeal, one girl couldn't contain her rage any longer.
"What is wrong with you?" Her tone was trembling yet, there was no sign of fear. "How can you be so broken inside? To take so many lives and then come here to rub it in our faces like it's something worth praise...? All with that disgusting smile on your face!"
"Pyrrha?"
Her eyes crossed between Cinder and Raven, the two whom she had the most anger toward, one for the deaths of some of her friends back at Beacon and the other... it was far past obvious why she harbored such ill will toward the latter.
Tears flowed down her face but she never broke the dark stare pointed at the pair. Even while Qrow once again tried to keep things from escalating, she heard nothing from the man. All that mattered was that one or both of them paid for what they did. Of course, they both were responsible for hurting the one person she'd come to care immensely for which didn't make things any better.
"You'll pay for what you did!" she yelled, shocking all of her friends and even Qrow with her sudden outburst.
While Raven appeared unphased by Pyrrha's declaration, Cinder couldn't resist the wicked smirk tugging on the corner of her lips. Given the circumstances, she peered at the hatred brewing within the girl, choosing to stoke the flames; if this mission was business, teasing her would be strictly pleasure.
"I remember you... You're the girl I almost killed on Beacon Tower, right? Although, something's missing." She tapped her chin while curious red orbs cut in her direction, unnoticed by the cocky woman. "You're the one he tried to protect, right?"
"Tch..."
"Where is he? Did he find some new tail to sniff and leave you behind?"
The room grew silent at the implication.
Cinder was talking about Aganju, completely clueless about the fate that befell him.
Raven, though she felt a pang in her chest, ignored it to keep her attention on her brother. Mercury & Emerald grinned in delight at the choice of words used by their leader. Hazel had no clue as to what was going on, though he didn't care either way. Vernal was no different, although she did know.
Everyone else just watched Pyrrha, wondering what she would do; hoping that she'd keep her cool.
This wasn't the case though when she rushed forward with Miló and Akoúo̱ in hand.
Round two had officially begun.
Summoning a glass blade, Cinder withstood the blow from her opponent. Immediately, Ruby and Yang joined in only to be stopped by Emerald and Mercury respectively.
"Hey there blondy! I'm thinking... you owe me an apology for my leg."
"I'm only sorry that I didn't break both of them!" Yang roared.
"Then how about we each take one..."
Both looked up seeing Roxanne Octane taking off her jacket only to toss it to the side. Her fiery eyes burned with a need to fight.
"Fine, maybe now it'll be a challenge," Mercury taunted.
On the other side, while the others were preoccupied, Qrow simply sighed heavily before lunging at his estranged kin, eyes furious at what she'd done, all in the name of power. As their swords clashed, Raven could tell that there were still signs of hesitation on his part, faint as they may be.
"Running away was one thing, but this?! You've crossed the line."
"Sorry, brother. Sometimes family disappoints you like that." she spat.
"We're not family anymore..."
"Were we ever?"
The lines were drawn and two who were once connected severed the tie of blood as each sibling sought to end the other. Qrow and Raven pushed one another to the brink, neither showing signs of weakness. They were evenly matched on the battlefield in terms of skill, meaning that whoever would be the victor had to be the one who capitalized on the smallest mistake made by the other.
Weiss took on Vernal who was ordered by Raven and the latter would not disappoint. While Weiss was a skilled sword fighter in her own right, she found that she relied too heavily on her constructs recently, leaving her at a disadvantage against the close-range tribal woman. Every time the former heiress found herself ready to summon anything, Vernal would either cut them down or fire a shot at Weiss.
The anarchy was becoming too much to handle and with the others trying to help, it seemed that things were only growing more turbulent.