RWBY: FaLSE Tale

Chapter 11: Magic Gathering

Chapter 11:

In an elevator with General Ironwood and Professor Goodwitch, Spinel sits out from the two in his club-wear with his sword sheathed on his back. So a soldier, a dominatrix, and a cowboy are in an elevator going up the tallest tower of Vale. Once they finally reach the top, the doors open with a ding to the office of Headmaster Ozpin, they come witness to Pyrrha in shock at his desk.

“Sorry we’re late.” General Ironwood apologized as he fixed his tie.

“Wait, what is this?” Her eyes narrowed at Ozpin, “Who are you?”

Professor Goodwitch spreads her hands welcoming, “You know who we are. We’re still the same teachers and Headmasters you met when you arrived at Beacon.”

The unknown guy leaning on a pillar to the side of the room speaks up, “‘cept we’ve got a little part-time job.”

Spinel clicks his tongue and chuckles, “I’m not a teacher or a Headmaster.”

“Spinel?” Pyrrha looks between them all, “You’re a part of this too?”

General Ironwood tells her, “Ms. Nikos, we are the protectors of this world.”

Ozpin stands from his large chair, “And we need your help.”

~~~~~

Going down the elevator in great silence, Pyrrha stands nervously between the group. A steady beep is the loudest sound, a beep for every floor they pass. Spinel lights a red stick and puts on a pair of headphones, bobbing his head and tapping his boot. Once they are finally at the very bottom, the doors let them bear witness to the high corridors sparsely-lit by decorative scones of green flames. The Beacon Vault goes out for what seems like forever, having winding corridors that span across the entirety of the cliffs and mountains.

Headmaster Ozpin leads through the labyrinth, bringing them to a dual-pod console at a far corner. In the left pod, a minimally dressed young lady is laid in a coma, her light tan skin having a burn scar across her face from around the left eye. The central console has a lit screen that reads body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure; all being relatively the bare minimum for life to be held.

Spinel takes off his headphones and sighs, “It’s been too little to return down here.”

Pyrrha, hesitantly holding her hand to the pod, asked: “Is that..?”

“The current Fall Maiden, Amber.” Headmaster Ozpin looks behind him and motions for Spinel to move ahead, “She’s alive, but we don’t know for how long… A few months back she was attacked by - someone, and somehow that somehow was able to steal half of her magic. If that someone got the other half- it won’t bode well for us…”

Spinel lets out a long breath of flames, “Pyrrha, we’re not exactly friends, but as a classmate I must tell you- we’re not fighting just Beowolves and Ursai, but Humans that seek the power and Grimm that are older than Atlas.”

Pyrrha looks in disbelief, “What about Silva and Luna? Are you really keeping this a secret from them?” She then looks at them all, becoming agitated, “If all of this is true, why keep it a secret? If this girl is so important… if we’re truly on the brink of war, why not tell everyone?”

“From what we understand,” Professor Goodwitch explains, “it used to be common knowledge.”

Spinel offers the group a twig from his pack as he gets himself a second, giving one to Qrow. “I’m here because of what I've inherited. Magic tends to be bad luck of sorts, a price for power.”

Pyrrha relaxes her shoulder, “... I’ve never heard you say so much…”

“You haven’t seen me away from Garnet that often.” He said under his breath, he claps back to life, “Look-! If it makes you feel any better, they aren’t forcing you to do it.”

General Ironwood looks down to Spinel, “Going already?”

“I gave my wisdom, but I’m just a downer.” Turning and walking away, he gives his salute as he goes. “See ya around, Pyrrha.”

Looking at his pack of sulfur fisticks, he sighs and leaves the elevator, throwing the pack into a trash bin as he leaves. Waiting at the entrance of the CCT, Luna smiles and joins him as he leaves. The two walk past many, unrelated yet looking related, he’s slumped as she giddily skips ahead.

She asks him, “Aren’t you excited to plan a birthday?”

He finishes his last twig by quickly eating it, holding a finger up, “Fuck no. Didn’t even celebrate mine.”

She vilifies him, “That’s because you didn’t tell us!” She clears her throat and sweetly says, “Well Garnet should be easy to plan, she's really simple.”

“We all are, you’re just the special one.” He lets out a long sigh, “Can we at least get something to eat? I’m starvin.”

“You’re always starving!” She snips at him, then just as fast being her sweet self once more. “We can get something at the fairgrounds, but you’re paying.”

“Don’t I always?” He jogs to catch up.

She smiles mischievously, “Nope, Silva’s in the team.”

“What about when he’s gone to chase the bun-” He pauses and looks to the Atlesian fleet in the sky, “the ice queen lately… huh, fuck me- he’s got taste in women.”

She holds a finger up, “Then you pay.”

“Told you.” He smirks and flicks her head, “We spoil you, you know that?”

She turns and faces him, walking backwards. She smuggly looks up to him, “And you’re gonna stop?”

“Possibly not… no, I don’t think we will fully stop…” He looks up to the sky, the sun on his pale skin warmly making them shine as it sets…

~~~~~

The night sky shines down on the world and yet the city below is lit by the bright lights of the amity arena. Spinel watches as the fleet in the sky is struck by massive shadows, yet one massive shadow flies straight through the unnoticed havoc of the starry night, heading straight to the arena of which he watches. Reaching behind him, he grabs the collar of a random passerby and tells them to pull the fire alarm, pushing them to run off. Taking out his scroll, he calls Silva to get Luna and warns them of the attack, to get hold of their weapons.

In the stadium, Luna tears up as Silva squeezes his scroll in a vice grip. Down below, dread is all that waves up the rafters. Pyrrha stands in the arena now alone, grieving in horror as to what she has just done. At her feet, spread across the platform, Penny’s lifeless eyes stare in opaque voids. Ripped in four parts, her head leaves the faint signs of her final look in life, confusion. The stadium erupts in chaos as the fire alarms begin to blare, above the arena a giant nevermore lands on the hardlight barrier and pecks and claws at the shielding.

“Spine…” Silva lets out a trembling heavy breath, “No mercy.”