Chapter 14: The path ahead

Belladonna Household

Kuo Kuana, Menagerie

9:39 pm.

Walking outside, Sun crossed paths with Ilia who was taking a break on the balcony. They heard the fighting from the town beyond the rise, as the members of the militia and White Fang protected the estate as Kali was in charge while Ghira helped thwart the Insurgent Advance, and Goh was in charge of the defenders of the grounds. They looked out to the town where there were flashes of light coming over the hill, in which Sun said "They're really going at it out there."

Ilia turned to him and remarked "Well of course, they're trying to seize the island for their master." as Sun straightened out. As they looked towards the hill, their focus was shifted as Sun became distracted by something that even one of the guards caught onto as they raised their ears after catching on. One of the guards looked up to see if there was something in the clouds, in which the young monkey faunus approached him carefully and asked "Something up?"

The Guard kept his gaze fixed on the sky, saying to Sun "There aren't many bird species on the island, and the Night of tears caused many local bird populations of the kingdoms to go crazy and scatter as they sought out new homes." Sun, confused with why the guard was bringing birds up, responded with "Yeah, why does that matter?"

The guard then said "So why can I hear roughly 14 sets of wings flapping and moving towards the house at a quick stride."

Sun raised an eyebrow at the guardsman like he seemed crazy, and walked back inside to Blake, who was sitting up on her bed as Kali helped her with some quick exercises to help her before she could try to rest more despite the estate being under guard. Turning to Sun, Blake said "Hey, Sun, how's things going outside?"

The young man simply responded with "One of the guards seems to be a bit on edge, supposedly 14 sets of wings are advancing towards us."

Kali's ears rose at the news as Ilia entered the room, saying "I hope this gets ov-"

The young Faunus was cut off from her sentence when a guardsman crashed through the sliding door and into the two, his uniform stained with blood and his sidearm clattering to the ground beside Kali. The other guardsman staggered into the room as a muscular man with Bat wings on his back marched into the room, cracking his knuckles with a sinister smile on his face. Ilia hopped to her feet and readied her weapon, looking to her opponent and saying "Yuma."

Looking to Blake, who was holding her Gambol Shroud in its pistol form, The assassin chuckled and said "Well, looks like the reports on you were true; you are in bad shape."

Kali picked up the dead guard's pistol and pointed it at the man, while Sun readied his own weapon and commented "So, I'm guessing its just you breaking in to target Blake and her mom here at the house?"

Staggering to his feet, the faunus guardsman explained "No, he's not alone. There are others with-" before Yuma grabbed him by the throat and began to choke him tightly in which Sun struck him and got the assassin to drop the guard as Ilia struck him with her electrified whip, sending him staggering as Kali fired a shot that hit him in the knee. He fell over in which the guard restrained him with a set of cuffs he carried, in which Sun inquired "Are you alright man?"

The guard said "I'm fine (cough), just knock him out."

Sun delivered a blow to Yuma's head, knocking him unconscious as another winged assassin breached the room in which Ilia fought them off as Kali helped Blake. Goh and his men fought off several other winged intruders, in the different parts of the estate.

Hidden Bunker

Vale

10:00 pm

Limping, bleeding, and scarred badly; Cinder made her way towards a nearby window and leaving a trail of blood. Mercury followed alongside her, a bleeding wound on his forehead and clutching one of his arms carefully. Frustrated, the young man stated "Damn, that bastard's tough."

The wounded agent inquired from her subordinate "Where's Emerald?"

"Safe, I had her hide so that freak doesn't find her." Mercury responded.

The two heard a loud roar and loud, banging sounds as something massive approached them. The Grimm swung its arm towards them , slamming into the steel wall and tearing into it as the two began to move further away. Mercury helped Cinder move faster, saying "We've got to take this bastard out, otherwise we're in trouble."

"Take us to Sanitation, I have an idea." Cinder instructed her student.

The two maneuvered their way down a hall to a large chamber were several tanks were. The Grimm smashed through the door, as Mercury turned a valve attached to one of the tanks at a rapid speed while Cinder fired glass arrows at the monster. A bright, green liquid sprayed in the path of the Grimm as the beast began to slide and lose balance as Cinder readied a fireball in her hand, tossing it into the liquid and setting fire to the Grimm. It howled and screamed in pain, falling to the ground and beginning to evaporate in a cloud that was quickly sucked by the vents as Mercury and activated a fire suppression robot that went to work on putting out the fire. He then went over to Cinder, helping her up and saying "That thing was a freak."

Cinder shrugged and said "But, I think we can share the form of the beast with Salem, she might be able to get some use of it."

"Let's hope so." Mercury responded.

Mercury walked Cinder to the infirmary as the robot extinguished the flames, unaware of a small Grimm observing them from one of the vents...

Cloud Banner Estate.

Atlas.

10:34 pm

Ruby was sound asleep, while Yang slept on a nearby couch to be on standby in the case of Ruby needed something. The young, aspiring huntress' eyes began to twitch and shake as if she were having some form of dream. The movements were fast, and Ruby's mouth began to move as she began to say "I can still be...please...don't expel me...please!"

The sounds of those words began to pick up on the ears of the slumbering blonde, who began to open her eyes as she listened to her sister's words. Her voice was scared, afraid, as the dream she was having had terrified her. She gently laid her hand onto Ruby's shoulder and said "Ruby, wake up."

Ruby quickly awoke, visibly shaken by the scene that had occurred in her dream as signs of tears began to flow down her eyes. Yang pulled her sister close, drying her tears with a handkerchief and saying "That dream must have been pretty scary for you to start crying like that."

Resting her head on her older sister's shoulder, Ruby explained "It was. I dreamed that I was standing before the school board, and that they were deciding to expel me because of my physical state."

Yang's eyes widened at her sister's explanation of her dream. Ruby's overall dream was to become a huntress, which to her, were like the heroes of the stories that Yang and her father used to read to her when she was young. The incident of the Moonfall, and the injuries she had received that day were like living threat to her as she was terrified of not achieving her dream. Yang pulled her close and started "That dream is still a good distance away, and this little setback shouldn't hold you down." Ruby raised her head to sister, who rested her hands on her cheeks and continued "Focus your energy on getting better, then, myself, Weiss, and even Blake and Uncle Qrow will help you find a way to help you get stronger and set you back on track."

Ruby smiled at hearing her sister's words, in which Yang kissed her on the forehead and instructing her to get some sleep. Yang got up and walked back over to the couch as Ruby drifted off into sleep in which the blonde drifted off into her own dreams as well.

In the land of the Grimm, at the edge of the secluded stronghold of Lilith, the Grimm queen stood with tower as Grimm arose from the numerous spawning pools in droves. Lilith raised her hand, causing a skeletal type Grimm to begin to change its shape, massive bone plates began to form around its body and a pair of horns formed on a bone plate "helmet" began to form around the Grimm's head. By the time that the transformation was complete, it appeared as a towering knight with a large bone sword for an arm on its left side. Lilith directed it to fall in line with thousands of rows lined with similar Grimm to the one that was summoned, but also massive Ursai and beowolves which stood among the rows, their eyes radiating with a bright blue light. One of the "Knight" Grimm, who was much larger than the others with a large cape made of dark webbing turned to the horde which stood before Lilith. Raising his sword, the Grimm spoke and proclaimed"

"SERVE YOUR MISTRESS, THE TRUE QUEEN!"

All of the Grimm openly roared as Lilith looked at her creations with a smile...

Sorry if this seems rushed.

TO BE CONTINUED IN RWBY: FINAL DARK