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World of Remnant

Summary:

Every child in the four Kingdoms is taught a very simple lesson as they grow, the world outside the walls and limits of the Kingdoms is full of monstrous Grimm that are barely kept away by our proud Hunters and our superior technology, not magic, magic doesn't exist. There is no Vampire running the city from the shadow, no shape-shifting monster in the woods, no witches, no faeries, nothing. So don't try to go out, don't look outside and certainly don't read history book from before the foundation of the Kingdoms if you, by miracle, find one. Learn this lesson and follow it and your life will be great. Just great.

N.W.O draft for hidden propaganda n.02338

Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter Text

     The gravestone was lost amidst a frozen landscape, on the edge of a great cliff overseeing the calm water of an ocean that extended far over the horizon. It was a beautiful spot in summer, the sort of place one would go to have picnic with its family or romantic partner, watching the slow waves crash against the cliff and the sun’s slowly go down the horizon in a fireworks of colors, shining over the crystal clear water. In winter though, the place was like a wasteland, a silent graveyard with harsh winds that swept the land like whips. Nothing lived there but things so empty they couldn’t even feel the piercing cold. When winter close its icy claws on the land, the only spot visible through the heavy white mantle was a little gray headstone. No snow, no leaves and no salt ever touched the stone surface which was as pristine now as when it had been made. Kneeling in front of the tombstone was a small figure clad in black and red, a mere dot in the landscape, immobile in the snow, only by getting very next to it could you identify the thing as a young girl.

The snow cracked gently under the hooves of a black horse as it slowly walked toward the gravestone before fizzling as the surprisingly high heat coming from the animal boiled the ice crystals to steam. On its back, the rider was draped in a shimmering cloak. Of a midnight black it shone with sparkling lights with each movement from its wearer like if she was wearing a patch of night sky that had somehow been ripped off and turned into fabric. As she approached the tombstone the young girl didn’t move from her position, nor did she reacted when the rider dismounted from its horse. The newcomer’s head was covered by a large wide-brimmed felt hat with a long royal blue feather from a strange bird that had never seen the sun’s light and with prophetic tendencies on the left side, her face cast in shadow even as the snowy land glittered under the light of the full moon. Her boots produced no sound as she walked beside the young girl, made from scales tiny as a rat's fingernail and bright as beads. Stopping just behind her, the rider stood motionless as the wind swept through the landscape and blasted her cloak open, revealing her feminine features clothed in an outfit of white and blue with mysterious gleams of apocyanic.

“She looks peaceful.” Commented the rider.

Another figure was present on the land, kneeling beside the sleeping girl in black and red clothes. She had not walked to the side of the girl, she had not teleported or landed or flown in, rather her arrival could be best described, in a limited language, as if the shadows themselves had gotten more and more solid until it was as if a patch of oil was standing in the air and was then slowly distorted as something passed through the patch, letting it drip over itself and drape it like a liquid veil, slowly giving the thing a human shape until every single spot of skin and cloth was perfectly defined, only then did the colors begin to appear on the person’s face and clothes, and all that in but the blink of an eye. She was dressed in a white cloak whose touch of gant dye made it beige, a cloak that hide most of her feature apart from her dark red hair and silver eyes.

“She is young and innocent.” Answered the newcomer.

Gently, she replaced some of the sleeping girl’s hair before carefully laying her down on the gravestone.

“You know she would probably appreciate knowing you are still alive Leliel.”

Slowly, the women in white shook her head. “She would follow me to the end of the world if I asked it of her. Starting with a smile on her face and hope on her heart, ending empty of both, less than a shadow of herself.” She turned her head toward the rider and for a passing second her face was an ivory skull with empty eye sockets that looked right at her soul. “That will not happen.”

The other women nodded. “I can understand the feeling, but I have to ask, why are we meeting here if that is the case?”

The mother rose from the crouched form, her eyes watching other place than the one they were. “An old thing is awakening. Something from very long ago, when the world was young and deception had not yet been invented.”

The world turned silent for a second, the wind stopped howling, the sea stood still and everything was calm. Then, a yelp.

“Hey!” Taking a step back, Liliel rubbed the top of her head where the other girl had swatted her.

“You have not changed at all from the Melancholish navigator I took on board at Venderbight’s port. Still as dramatically dramatic and a poor truth twister as you were back then. Now answer me, why have you chosen this place?”

Now with all of her previous gravity dispersed, the women in beige looked more like a schoolgirl being scolded by her teacher than the grim reaper she appeared to be only a moment ago.

“I… I know what this looks like, but this land and I have hidden a lot of useful things here and…”

Another swap interrupted her.

“Why this time? You could tell where she was even in the middle of the Iron Republic.”

“It was only once.” She mumbled. “And I hadn’t realized what day it…”

The rider raised its hand. “Stop. What did I say about you and lies? You could not sell a water bottle to a rich man in the desert, yet you can deceive yourself in thinking that the day is night while looking at the blazing sun.”

With a sigh, the rider produced a small pouch from under her cloak and picked two marbles sized balls of gold wrapped honey out of it before handing them to Liliel.

“Now do get on with it you dunce, captain’s order.”

The girl in white gasped at the sight of the two golden candy, grabbing them like they were diamonds.

“I… Winter I…”

“Shush. I commanded you to get on with it, no hug, no thanks, do it!”

With a nod, Liliel rushed to the sleeping girl’s side. An instant latter, they both disappeared for a dream they desperately needed.

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When Liliel reappeared, several hours had gone by and a small campfire was now burning in the night, a circle of melted snow around it. Sitting on a fresh log, Winter was watching a teapot being slowly heated above the fire as Liliel moved to sit on the other side of the fire on another log.

“Where?”      

“I dropped her at h… her home.”

They both noticed the slip and both ignored it, one in the hope of maintaining her self-imposed exile, the other because it was the polite thing to do between respectful associates.

“Good. Now, could you please inform me as to why you asked me to travel all this way into the inner border of a Technocracy’s enclave?”

Shifting her weight and playing with her sleeves, Liliel resumed her story.

“Back in the time of Atrocities there was a great Angel of the Wild who fought on It side. At first he was the creator of many beasts and creatures, responsible for the protection of some of the great forest of this age. His battles were battles of survival of the fittest and uncontrolled expansion fighting against the world itself to survive. Slowly though, through eons of new species and constant brutal survival, he met another Rabisu. This Rabisu was a follower of the Ebon legion and brought with him flocks of humans, sending them in the forest in droves to die and drown the land in blood. The Angel, for a lack of better word, relished the challenge. His creation grew more and more violent, viciously hunting every human that entered his lands, devouring them. The trees would move and laid trap, the animals slowly moved from an balanced ecosystem to an entirely predator base one, the grass itself was releasing digestive enzymes, in short, the entire forest had turned into a predator specifically designed to hunt, kill and digest humans.”

“Quite a fall from high.” Commented Winter as she removed the teapot from the fire and poured two cups of steaming tea, handing one to the Fallen before her. “I’m not sorry for that.” She said to the glaring Liliel.

With a sigh at Winter’s humor, the girl took a sip. “Is that tea from…”

“Yes. Please though, go on with your story.”

“Ah yes. To resume a millennium long story, this Angel of the Wild eventually fell and took on another name. In today’s language I suppose it could be pronounced: The Thing of Leaves and Fangs that Thirst and Prey Through Night and Day for The Joy of Human Cries.”

“Quite the mouthful.”

Liliel nodded. “His Celestial name is now known only by those who fought him and serve him.”

“Serve him?” Winter asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yes. For all his bestiality, he developed one goal over the ages. To devour and consume every human and angel that had turned their back on gods.”

“Which most likely include about every living human on the universe.”

“Precisely. He was infamous for this even back in the days of the war. As for serving him, some angels and human managed to survive his hunger by pledging themselves to him, acting as is agents and infiltrators. He was destroyed in the End’s days of the fall when his domain was burned with lightning and drowned under the sea. Ultimately, he was sent to the Pit like all the rebels.”

“An intriguing snippet of history I agree. I suppose he has recently emerged from some of the dark corner one can find when they start looking for the things hidden under the forbidden secrets. Still, it is not quite a tale of terror yet.”

Somberly, Liliel took another sip from her cup. “He disappeared from the Pit a long time ago and I believe most had forgotten about him until some years ago. It started with reports about dark forest moving around, merging together, then of creatures that had not been seen since the dawn of time popping around. I did not become aware of until some months ago though. Winter, there has been roots digging through the rooftop of the Neath.”

“The Masters reaction?”

“Terrible. For now the growth is restrained to the eastern part of the zee, but it’s only a matter of time. They are not alone though. The Burning Sea’s tribes, the Lords’ realms, the Rokugan, even Horizon and the Second city have all reported signs of the forest growing. It won’t be too long now before the Kingdoms are under attack.”

“Another enemy to consider then. I nice warning, but a simple pigeons would have been enough.

“I know.”

Both women shared a look.

“You had a part in his downfall.”

Somberly, Lilied nodded. “I need to ask something of you.”

xxxxxxxx

As the sun rose over the horizon, one shadow extended over the land. The fire had died not long ago, now reduced to a pile of burning cinder slowly dying and being covered by blowing snow. On her horse, Winter gave a last look to the lonely tombstone.

“In all manners of things, always look for love.”

The shadow moved on and the land was empty.


 

     Yang smiled as she saw the two girls approaching. The little minions had pumped her up for a real fight and those two looked slightly more competent than their peers. Bracing herself, she was ready to engage in another session of beat down. What he was not expecting to happen was for the music to suddenly stop and be replaced by somebody clapping hands.

“What?”

She turned toward the source of the clapping, somewhere on the balcony on the second floor overseeing the whole club. The spot was lost in deep shadows, revealing only the outline of a silhouette standing there.

“A beautiful show of huntress combat skills. Unfortunately, I am afraid this will have to stop.”

“Oh, and I suppose you’re the one who’s going to do it?” She answered, raising her arms for the attack to come.

“As much as it would be entertaining, I am afraid this confrontation will have to wait. Though, you are very welcome to fight these gentlemen and gentlewomen.”

As he finished his sentence, four police officer rushed through the front door and on the dance floor, weapon drawn.

“Everybody stops! Drop your weapons! Get on the ground!”

For a second she was stunned at the sheer idea that a bunch of criminals would simply call the cops. This second was well used by Junior and the girls to do exactly as the cops had said, drop their weapons and get on their knees. As they rushed forward, Yang was tempted to fight her way out. After all, she could get away from the police, could she not? They weren’t that thought? And they didn’t know who she was, right? Very carefully, she tightened her first.

“Smile for the camera blondie.” Suddenly said Junior.

She flinched, snapping her head toward the newcomers that were tailing the cops. A man with a camera and a woman in a suit with a mike, both from the VNN. She felt a knot in her throat as the camera was aimed at her, taking in her picture on the dance floor, weapon deployed with multiple unconscious bodies around her. Now she had really messed up.

“I said hands in the air!” One of the cop commanded, gun aimed at her.

With an annoyed grunt she complied, retracting Amber Celica and raising her arms. This night was on a fast track to be in her top ten worst nights, close to her first hangover. Closing on her, one cop grabbed her arms and pulled them in front of her while the other kept her at gunpoint.

“Hey watch out with the merchandise.”

She protested as he tightened the cuffs on her wrists and relieved her of her bracelet.

“Shut up scum. The kind of sickos who start fights in public like you don’t deserve better.”

She gasped at the insult. “What! He’s the criminal, not me!”

“So, you didn’t start the fight here, shooting shotguns beside the crowd.” He cynically spat.

“Hm, okay, maybe. But hey, what is a girl supposed to do when surrounded with a bunch of clingy guys?”

“Call the police.” Was his short answer as he began pulling her toward the exit.

“Well, if you promise to be the one to come next time, maybe I will.” She said with a sultry smile, pushing her chest up.

“Shut up bitch.” He said, twisting her arm slightly.

“If I wasn’t tied up y…” She swore through her gritted teeth as they passed the door, only to be interrupted by the blinding sight of the many cop cars’ light illuminating the night, the screaming ambulance and paramedics rushing inside the club, the crowd of curious that had gathered around to watch, the people from the club ushered together with blankets. It was a big organized chaos.

“Oh! Crap.”

Any moment now, the flash would capture her full glory as she was guided to the cop’s car. Sure it wasn’t the first time she had been arrested, but it was the first time it had been so public. Well, at least let’s make this a nice occasion was her train of thoughts as she began the long walk to the car. Grinning, she raised her chin as she walked the red carpet, winking to some cute looking onlookers, swaying her hips and acting like this was a VIP club entrance. Well, it was, but more like she wasn’t handcuffed. She even sent a kiss to the assembled crowd as the flash of camera illuminated the night before the police car’s door was slammed shut.

“Well, that was fun.” She stretched on the seat, completely comfortable. “Hey, do we really have to make such a big thing about it.” She asked the cop who got behind the steering wheel.

“You beat up a dozen person in a club.” Was is answer.

“Okay, that. But they had guns and they were real assholes.”

“Doesn’t mean you could shatter a guy’s pelvis.”

She cocked her head on the side. “A what?”

“Damn huntress.” He muttered as he drove away from the club and into the city. On the backseat, Yang was whistling to herself, observing the defiling city streets passing by the window, the streetlights and neon signs giving her brief glimpse of Vale’s nightlife with all its club, bar and other place to hang out after dark. Slowly though, the sights along the street began to change. Darker bars, shady clubs, even streetwalkers started to appear as the building became more run down with graffiti popping up on the walls, trash littering the ground and rough looking people haunting the front of liquor store.

“Hey, what’s going on? I thought we were going to the station.”

The cop didn’t answer, he simply kept driving. The road led them right into a tunnel and suddenly all light was gone. Nothing could be seen through the windows except for the fast passing blink of white light from the security lights and the only true source of illumination came from the car’s head’s up display.

“Hey!” She kicked the seat in front of her. “What’s going on jackass?”

“Many things miss Xiao Long. Most you will never notice.”

She jerked back into her seat at the voice. Not because of the voice in itself, though there was a certain unsettling quality to it, like if the speaker had pebbles grinding against each other in his throat. No, it was because it was coming from the passenger seat and she could have sworn that it had been empty a second ago.

“What the hell! Who are you?”

“Not somebody of note. You on the other hand Miss Xiao Long, are quite the interesting person. At seventeen you already have quite the record, minor offense, assault, public fighting, speeding tickets, and many more. Minor offense in the eyes of today’s law and unlikely to be much trouble, at least as long as you are a minor that is.”

She shrugged. “So I’m a bad girl, you have a problem with that?”

“None at all. But let’s continue with you. You have recently been chosen to pass Beacon Academy entrance exam and until then have been studying at Signal Academy along your sister Ruby, is this correct?”

Yang simply glared at the dark shape on the front seat.

“Your uncle and father are teachers at this academy are they not? Your status as a huntress makes you as close to immune as one can be to the consequences of those minor offenses, you would not be the first huntress to be excused of any criminal acts short of murder after all. They, on the other hand, stand much to lose if words of your acts were to spread beyond Vale.”

She snorted at him. “If you’re trying to scare me, you’re failing.”

“I’m not trying to scare you Miss Xiao Long. If I wanted to scare you I would mention that dogs are particularly vulnerable to many commonly available drug, most easily hidden inside dog food. I would also remark on the fact that gravestone are easily smashed by sledgehammer.”

Her feet smashed against the grilling separating her from the front seats, bending the steel.

“If you dare to touch them you fucker I will…”

“Assault a police officer?” Interrupted the creepy sounding man. “I hardly see how this would stop me. Maybe you wanted to say that you would kill me rather? That would be an interesting situation to be sure.”

Okay, this was seriously wrong. Nobody normal simply mentioned being murdered the way he had. Looking through the window she could still only see deep darkness and there was no tunnel in Vale going for as long as that.

“What’s going on? Answer me!”

“We are simply discussing. Now, there are a few more interesting things about you Miss Xiao Long. Or rather, your mother.”

Yang instantly froze on her seat.

“Your mother, Raven Branwen, left some time after your birth. Most of your minor infractions can be traced back to the personal quest you have undertaken in finding her. Quite the dedication toward someone that you knew for barely a moment.”

Both her feet hit the grilling. “Fuck you!”

“With methods like these, I can understand your lack of result. Which is why we might come to an understanding.”

She stayed silent, glaring at the shadow.

“Good. You understand that contrary to your previous attempt at information gathering, this will require compensation on your part.”

“What do you want?”

“A simple exchange, nothing more, nothing less. Favours against information. You are completely free to refuse, but should you be interested, simply wait for us to get in touch.”

With a screeching noise the car came to a halt and the door beside her unlocked. As fast as she could with handcuffs Yang got the hell of the car, jumping out on the sidewalk. When she turned back toward the cop car, she only had the time to see a glimpse of a dark parched hand throwing her weapons and a photo out of the passenger’s window before the vehicle sped away, leaving her behind. She dove down to grab her gauntlet and the picture, flipping it over with trembling hands to reveal the image of her mother walking into a motel, the picture from a security camera indicating the date of it being taken as only last week.

Shaking, she got back on her feet. Forcing herself to take her eyes away from this single piece of new information, the first one in months casually thrown her way, she looked at her surroundings. There was beer bottle and cigarette butts on the ground, a group of people assembled around a flaming barrel, old run down apartments with broken windows, people on the other side of the street looking at her with guns tuck away in their waist belt.

“Shit.”


 

     Weiss slammed the door to her private dressing room with enough force to rattle the frame, gratefully putting a barrier between her and the crowd of sycophants praising her singing. More than half of them couldn’t have told the difference between a tone and a semitone to save their lives and yet kept telling her how good she was and how perfect her natural voice was. Natural voice. Did they even realize how much work went into singing? None of them was here to hear her sing anyway, simply seeing her recital as another tool to further their ascension up the corporate ladder, a way to be seen or use her for themselves.

Inside the room there was the usual bouquet of flowers, a rainbow of colors filling a quarter of the room, the largest with a little card from her father about how he was too busy to attend her show, but was proud of her. Given that the card’s message was typed and not written and had been the same since her first show, she doubted the sincerity of it. However none of that was important. Enthusiastically, she dived down into the forest of flowers looking for the only one that really mattered. She looked, then looked some more, then even more, she looked until she was smashing aside bouquet of flowers, frantically searching for something that didn’t appear to be there.

“Miss, is everything alright?” Came the voice of one of her bodyguard from the other side of the door.

“Did anybody entered my room?” She almost yelled at him.

“No miss. Nobody went in beside you.”

Panting with frustration she slumped down on her chair, looking at the mess that was now her dressing rooms with broken ceramic and crushed flowers, glaring at them like they were personally responsible for the current situation.

“Miss, the staff is here for you.”

With a sigh, she turned back toward the large mirror and composed herself, putting back on her usual mask.

“Let them in.” She answered him with a defeated sigh.


 

     She kept her mask all the way through the post-recital reception, making small comments with the spectator, politely accepting the proposition of many sycophants trying to use her to influence her father without ever engaging herself to anything, faking flutter when the heirs of other grand family tried their hand at seduction, enduring it all through gritted teeth. It was only several hours later in the limo driving her back home that she allowed herself to drop the act and let a scowl twist her traits.

“A problem miss Schnee?” Asked the bodyguard facing her with its usual monotone voice.

Plenty, she wanted to shout, but there was nothing she could do about it besides making the situation worse. So, she simply shook her head and looked outside at the screen of falling snow blocking her view. What could have happened? Did her father intercept it? Was there a problem with her? Did it get lost on the way there? What had happened? She was deep into these reflections when the car abruptly came to a halt.

“Wha…!” Weiss exclaimed as she was jerked forward.

Almost immediately, her bodyguard had straddled Weiss back into her seat and was in contact with the rest of the convoy.

“Client 1, what’s going on?” She said into the microphone around her ear.

Weiss didn’t hear the answer, more focused on her bodyguard’s hand pressing her against the seat. She did hear what followed though.

“Client 1, what did you say was blocking the way?” Snapped her bodyguard, immediately followed by the sound of gunfire coming ahead of them.

Instantly, two cars rushed part theirs and the limo moved away from whatever was in front of them while their car turned around and began accelerating into the city’s street.

“Miss, put on your seat-belt. Now!” Ordered the bodyguard as she drew her weapon.

It wasn’t the first time Weiss had been targeted by assassins. Her whole family was constantly under threat from the White Fangs and other groups. Still, it was the first time she had been attacked so directly.

“Keep your head down!”

The bodyguard said as she pushed her down on the backseat. Weiss wanted to protest, but as she opened her mouth she heard a scream followed by an explosion.

“We lost Client 1 and 2.” The driver screamed.

Okay, now it was really terrifying. Especially when something heavy landed on the top of the limo, bending the aluminum frame. Immediately Weiss’ bodyguard opened fire through the roof as the shape sprinted across the top of the car and over the driver. The sound of steel being ripped open along with the gush of cold wind and snow that entered the car as the roof was pulled off was one of the most terrifying moments in her existence. With a shriek the driver ran out of the car, running into the snowstorm outside without even taking the time to stop the vehicle, abandoning them behind.

“Stay in the car!”

Weiss’ bodyguard commanded before getting out, her aiming her weapon at the top of the car the last image the heiress saw before the door was slammed shut. Several shots followed before a thunderous roar made deafened her, like if there was a whole pack of Grimm screaming on the other side of the window, followed by a shrieking scream and the sound of metal being twisted and crushed. Okay, no, she couldn’t stay here a second longer. Unlocking her seat belt, she rushed for the door opposite the one she saw her bodyguard disappear into and ran face first into the snowstorm blowing through the city. The cold she was used too, the wind and snow hitting her like a slap across the face, a little less. She could see and hear the piercing sound of car alarms, flames coming from somewhere ahead of them, the cacophony of gunfire all around, headlight acting as lighthouse through the snow wall in front of her eyes, the screams of people. This whole situation was pure chaos.

With only one idea in mind, Weiss started running. Her high heels snapped against the pavement, crushing the snow as she rushed beside the shadows of other human being and stopped car, wandering through streets she had no idea led to where, only that they lead away from there. In the distance she could hear even more gunfire and wailing of fear or pain, she wasn’t sure, then the wolf howl. It was as if every sound had been buried under the shrieking cry, a shadow that stopped everything and everyone who heard it on the spot, shaking them to their very soul. Then, what was chaos turned to pandemonium. Car previously immobile with worried drivers were suddenly going at full speed, the drivers so panicked they no longer cared what was in their way. Previously panicked pedestrians were now completely frantic, running and pushing each other out of the way like wild animals. Screams doubled in intensity, now also accompanied by violent snarls and growls as beasts invaded the street, at least she assumed since the only things Weiss could see were the trail of car’s headlights and people hustling past her. Blindly, she charged into a side street, hoping to escape the mayhem that had gripped the city. The alley was dark and glacial, but empty of people. Still, Weiss kept running deeper and deeper into it, motivated by a fear she had never felt before. She knew how to fight that was a fact, even if her sword was locked into the trunk of the limo she knew, deep into herself that she could still fight, yet, even deeper than that, in the very primal and ancient depth of herself, she knew there was something terrible and unnatural chasing her, something that would not stop until it was feasting on her flesh, something she should fear, something artificial. And so she kept running, kept running deeper into the dark alleys of Vale until she was completely and utterly lost.

Natural sunlight was rare here, blocked by the tall building surrounding her. Frozen trashcans, old rags, congealed waste dripping from pierced pipes and grey walls were her new environment as she continued running. The howls had not stopped, always just behind her, the sound of growls and jaw snapping seemingly only a meter away, chasing her. Then, suddenly, a bam as she smashed into something solid. The impact sending her tumbling backward on the ground, stunned.

“Aie! Hey! Look where you are going you… brute?”

The man, for it was certainly a man, must have been over 6 feet in height, towering over her like a mountain, a mountain with broad shoulders hiding the sun, covered heat to toes in some sort of black and yellow armor, his face hidden by a snarling golden mask. On the ground, Weiss felt the particularly mordant words she had in mind get stuck in her throat as the giant slowly lowered its head, glaring down at her with green amber eyes. She barely held back a yelp as a low growl came from under the mask and the man-thing knelt down over her, his arm slowly extending toward her.

“Lady Schnee.”

The growling voice shocked her out of her stunned state, enough to realize that no this wasn’t the big bad wolf from her youth stories, but simply a very large man in armor offering her a hand to get up. While her mind was still reeling from the run and the primal fear, it was outweighed by years of etiquette that had been ingrained into her and manner courses on how to be a Schnee. Quickly composing herself, she gracefully took his hand as he helped her up on her feet, ignoring the fact that she was shaking and not because of the cold. Once she was up, the man took a step backward and bowed.

“I am Tomoe Musashi, from the Ti...”

“Hm, right.” Frankly she was a little panicked at the moment. First the howl, then this odd man bowing and introducing himself like this was a polite meeting. “Well thank you, but I need to go now and you should probably run too.” She said, brushing the snow off her dress and carefully sidestepping the man only for him to move back in front of her.

“Please, I came from far away at the req…”

He was interrupted by, what else could it be, a shrieking howl that was coming from right behind them. The menace that had been at the forefront of her mind so recently to be replaced by confusion was back at full force.

“Ah, the mongrel is close. Lady Schnee I…”

Weiss wasn’t listening, mostly because something monstrous had just jumped from the alley. The closest thing to it was a Beowulf, as the size and color matched somewhat. That was it. People described Beowulf as snarling beasts, monsters of black fur with sharp teeth, red eyes and vicious claws. The thing that was charging at her was a true monster, a thing moving like a blur of pure darkness, jaws open and frothing as it rushed toward her, long yellow teeth dripping with saliva, eyes like two burning embers in the middle of a pool of black toxic waste, claws like cleavers slicing through the air with a piercing sound, overgrown muscles pumping black blood through this abnormal body, Grimm didn’t have blood, but this thing had and right on its chest, a black spiral like the eye of some terrible creature looking right at her soul. It was, in every sense of the word, too much for her mind. This thing could not exist, it simply could not. Grimm okay, this, this was simply unnatural, too savage, like a nightmare coming to life to eat her.

Then, too fast for her to see, the mountain behind her moved. One moment the creature was upon her, the next her vision was blocked and there was a terrible scream that shook her down to her bones. The man in armor seemed even larger this close, as if he was 10 feet tall, brandishing a large two hand saber that was dripping with dark blood. Stumbling backward before him, the mutated Beowulf now had a large bleeding gash all across his chest showing parts of his guts. Barely a moment latter and the cut was already starting signs of healing, the blood stopping to flow and the edge getting closer to each other. That was it for Weiss. Without a word she drunkenly walked to a corner a little further away and curled up against the wall, choosing to ignore everything else beside the little tune her sister had taught her.

“London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down, falling down.

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair lady…”

She continued to sing as the screams turned to violent screeches, the sound of flesh being cut and the smell of fresh blood spilled filled the alley, howls became gurgles and frantic pleas for mercy that were ignored until with one final sound of air being sliced along with flesh, bones and other biological matter, the fight ended. Still she kept singing, singing her little nursery rhyme as the shadow of a mountain moved in front of him and slowly knelt, putting something down in front of her.

“From Lady Winter. She hopes this humble gift of words and honest feeling will help you toward your journey of self-improvement and in making the choices that you feel are the most right for your future.”

“Silver and gold will be stolen away,

Stolen away, stolen away,

Silver and gold will be stolen away,

My fair lady…”

After a moment that felt like two eternity, the shadow moved away without a sound and only then did Weiss dare open her eyes to look at her feet. Resting there was a single white flower along with a single letter tied atop a small lacquered wooden box. The gift she hadn’t found before.


 

Blake watched as Adam slowly disappeared into the night along with half the train, leaving her alone, alone to find a new, better, purpose.

“GG.”

She jumped backward at the sudden voice, weapons raised, looking for the source. Only, even with her faunus senses she couldn’t see anybody. As she scanned the night, her scroll suddenly vibrated into her pocket. Surprised, she pulled out the small case. Displayed over the screen was a short message: 5000 points bonus for ethical righteousness. Minus 200 with the White Fangs faction. DEM.

“Okay…?” That was a little cryptic, and creepy.

It wasn’t until she checked her private account, two days later, that she noticed the 5000 lien deposit.