(3rd Person POV)
It was morning in Menagerie. Blake and Sun were on the steps of the Belladonna Family Home, both of them each holding a Scroll.
Blake: Okay. Are you ready?
Sun: I beat up on giant monsters and robots more than once, I think I can handle getting a few signatures.
Blake gave a small smile at Sun.
Blake stood on a platform in front of a crowd of Faunus, holding her scroll up in front of her.
Blake: Your chieftain needs you! Your people need you! Please, join the fight and help us save Haven Academy!
The Faunus just stared back at Blake.
Elsewhere, Sun tried to recruit a Faunus with ram horns.
Sun: Are you kidding me? We'd love to have someone with your skills on our side!
The Faunus nervously rubbed the back of his head, before his mother called out to him.
Worried Mother: Mata! Get back inside.
Mata: Mom!
Worried Mother: You're not going anywhere!
Sun sighed in disappointment.
Back to Blake, she held out her scroll to two Faunus girls asking them to sign up, but the two left.
Elsewhere, Sun hung upside down by his tail from a tree, getting the attention of a couple of Faunus cutting logs and gathering wood.
He gestured to his scroll, but the Faunus simply exchanged confused looks with each other. Sun sighed until another Faunus tried to cut down the tree that Sun was hanging on.
At the docks, Blake conversed with an aquatic Faunus as two more swam up to her. The Faunus Blake was conversing with left, and she turned to the two female aquatic Faunus that had just swam up, before they too swam away.
Blake, unsatisfied with the lack of progress, walked up to a nearby fruit stand where Sun happened to be present at also. The two of them shared disappointed glances.
After that, the two of them were sitting at a nearby table drinking from coconut cups, as Sun slammed his cup down.
Sun: I don't get it! How can they just sit around and do nothing with the White Fang getting ready to attack?
Blake: Because not everyone is like you and me. The Faunus here in Menagerie - the ones that weren't born on the island - moved here because they were tired of fighting, of having to struggle constantly. Menagerie is filled with people that just want to be left alone, and here we are, asking them to put the rest of the world before themselves.
Sun: I guess I never really thought about it like that.
Blake: The problem is, whatever happens at Haven is going to affect them whether they like it or not. If Adam gets his way and Haven falls, it's only going to make things worse for the Faunus. Everywhere.
Sun: Adam... He's the guy you used to... work with?
Blake: Yes.
Sun: Sorry, forget I brought it up.
Blake: No, it's okay... Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, "They are the personification of this word."
Sun: Uh...
Blake: Okay, well, I remember getting to know Ruby and thinking, "This girl is the embodiment of "purity"." After a while, I saw Weiss was "defiance". And Yang was "strength".
Sun: What am I?
Blake: Jury's still out on that one, but I'm leaning towards "earnest".
At this, Sun wrapped his tail around his cup and took a sip from it, before leaning on his hand affectionately. Blake giggled and smiled for a bit, before frowning as she continued.
Blake: At first I thought Adam was "justice", then I thought he was "passion". But over time, I realized I was wrong. He wasn't any of those things. He was "spite". Not "hatred", not "rage", "spite". He won't accept equality, only suffering for what he feels the world did to him, and his way of thinking is dangerously contagious. That's what worries me about Ilia. She's not like Adam, not yet at least, but I don't know how long that will last.
Sun: She was your friend, huh?
Blake: She was. Her chameleon traits meant she could pass as human. She could've lived a normal life if she wanted, but she didn't. I always admired that. She lost her family in a mining accident when she was young, then she joined the White Fang. Like me, she was more or less trained on the road alongside other Faunus. She learned to survive, to defend herself, but as people like Sienna and Adam started to gain a following, she became more dangerous. I guess I did too. My parents tried to get me to leave with them, but I refused. I had Adam and Ilia, after all.
Sun: You know we're gonna have to face her eventually.
Blake: I know.
Sun: So, what are you gonna do?
Blake: I'm going to try and help her the way you helped me.
Sun was surprised at her response.
Blake: You showed me that sometimes you need to be there for a friend even when they don't want you to be. I was drowning in guilt and fear, I tried to push you away, but you didn't give up on me. And I can't give up on Ilia. It's about time I saved my friends for once.
Sun smiled at her response.
Back in Mistral, Oscar was in a training room while wielding The Long Memory. As he panted from exhaustion, he heard a voice enter the room.
Ruby: You're really getting better, huh?
Oscar watched as Ruby walked down the stairs into the room he was training in.
Ruby: Are you hungry? It's almost dinnertime.
Oscar: Uh, yeah. That sounds good. I was about to call it a night anyway.
Ruby: So, you've never fought before?
Oscar: Just the occasional small Grimm. Nothing like this, though.
Ruby: Wow.
Ruby giggled at his response.
Ruby: You look like a natural.
Oscar: It's strange, I have only had this cane for a few weeks, but... I feel like I've had it for a lifetime. Longer, even.
He paused, thinking.
Oscar: I sound like a crazy person.
Ruby: I mean, uh, yeah just a little. But at this pace, you'll be combat ready in no time!
Suddenly, Ruby frowned upon mentioning her last phrase. Oscar noticed this and tried to ask a question before Ruby interrupted him.
Oscar: Uh...
Ruby: Well, see you upstairs.
Oscar: How do you handle all of this?
Ruby: What do you mean?
Oscar: I'm... scared.
His voice had started to crack.
Oscar: I'm more scared than I've ever been in my life, than I ever thought was possible.
He walked over to a weapon rack.
Oscar: I always knew that I wanted to be more than a farmhand, but this?
He placed The Long Memory in the rack.
Oscar: Who would ask for this?
He glanced down at the floor as a tear dripped from his eye. He sniffled before kneeling to the floor to reach his backpack. He grabbed the cane off the rack and pulled the lever on the handle to compact it before putting it in his backpack.
Ruby: We all went to Beacon because we wanted to help people. But, you're right. None of us asked for this either. We just have to press on and...
Oscar: How can you be so confident? People have tried to kill you! The world's about to go to war all over again! How are you okay with any of this?
Ruby was taken aback by Oscar's question. She frowned as she said her response to him.
Ruby: When Beacon fell, I lost two of my friends: Penny Polendina and Pyrrha Nikos. I didn't know them for very long, but that doesn't change the fact that they were two of the most kind-hearted people I have ever met. But that didn't save them. Pyrrha thought that if there was even the smallest chance of helping someone, then it was a chance worth taking. And because of that, she died fighting a battle she knew she couldn't win. And Penny... was killed... just to make a statement.
Oscar: I'm... sorry.
Ruby: I am scared, but not just for me. What happened at Beacon shows that Salem doesn't care if you're standing against her or not. She'll kill anybody, and that scares me most of all. Pyrrha... Penny... I'd be lying if I said that it didn't hurt, that I didn't think about them every day since I lost them, that I didn't wish I had spent more time with them. If it had been me instead, I know they would have kept fighting too, no matter how dangerous it was. So that's what I choose to do - to keep moving forward.
Oscar walked up next to Ruby, and they both shared a smile. Ruby wiped tears coming from her eyes with her arm, before putting a hand on Oscar's shoulder.
Ruby: C'mon, if we don't hurry, Nora's gonna eat everything. It wouldn't be the first time.
Ruby began to leave the room as Oscar lingered for a bit.
Ruby: Hey, Oscar? This isn't gonna be easy, but the fact that you're even trying says a lot about you. You're braver than you think.
Ruby proceeded up the stairs while Oscar watched, before suddenly he flashed white and green, Ozpin taking over again.
Ozpin: Ms. Rose.
Ruby tuned back around, a confused look on her face.
Ruby: Yes...?
Ozpin: A moment of your time, if you will.
Ruby hesitated for only a moment, before she walked back down the stairs.
Ozpin: While Beacon has fallen, I still feel the need to ensure the well being of my students... So what is ailing you?
Ruby stopped, her neutral look falling further down as she stopped.
Ruby: It's (Y/N)...
Ozpin paused, waiting for Ruby to continue, and when she didn't, he spoke once again.
Ozpin: What seems to be the matter?
Ruby: That's the problem. He refuses to talk to me. I put my hand on his shoulder and he pulled away. It's like he's...
Ozpin: Well times are difficult for everyone, perhaps...
Ruby: No. This is different. I know him.
Ozpin: Do you? You've known him only a fraction of your life, unless there is something else that you have seemingly remembered...
Ruby: I know (Y/N).
Ozpin: Do you?
Ruby paused, trying to keep in the tears that threatened to spill out.
Ozpin: (Y/N) has seen things that would break the average person's mind. The only reason that he has survived in this condition is that he was experimented on as a child.
Ruby: What?
Ozpin: That is not (Y/N). He should have never been a student at Beacon. He wasn't strong enough then... He isn't now.
Ruby said nothing, turning away from Ozpin, and walking back up the stairs.
(Your POV)
You were flying through the air in a desert... You looked around in all directions, and all you could see was the sky.
You landed on the ground, collapsing to one knee from the unexpected force.
You were about to stand up when suddenly your head started to break in splitting pain. You grabbed your head, trying to overcome the pain, as you groaned.
Your vision started to go, it started to slip away when you felt a hand gently grab your wrist, pulling your hand away from your head.
You looked up to see... Edel grabbing your arm with his right hand.
He was different though.
He looked the same.
Edel: Careful now.
He drew your hand further from your head as he looked down at you.
Edel: That which lies ahead may not yet exist...
He paused, smirking.
Edel: Although I suppose that all depends on you.
You leapt backwards, yanking from his grasp as you realized that he once again had both arms. He held a spear in his left hand.
He turned away from you, and towards a library of books that you didn't think existed only a few moments ago.
Edel: Our world will become a part of it... one day... it will be another written story in a book of worlds. Our world will end like this, destroyed by the brothers as Salem wins...
He paused, lowering his spear.
Edel: But I... will not end. Nor will I have you share their fate... Neither of you.
(Y/N): What is this...?
Edel turned to face you, lifting the tip of the spear from the sand.
Edel: A pocket dimension... dedicated to holding knowledge... both as a placeholder, and in a written form detailing the past, present... and future.
He looked down at his weapon, and back at you.
Edel: Two twin roses stand together... one will burn.
He stepped forward, his spear tip once again dropping as he held out his right hand in offering.
Edel: (Y/N), lend me your strength...
His hand was now only a short distance from yours, only in reaching distance. All you would have to do is take a single step towards him.
Edel: Let us defy the destiny that was written for us... together.
You looked at his hand, waiting for you to take it, to join him. You clenched your right hand as you looked back at him.
You were drinking.
It had been your new thing, something that you had picked up since the first vision.
At first they had all featured you killing Ruby, in all different scenarios, but they had evolved... To Edel, killing you along with the previously mentioned ones.
You were in all of them, either dying or killing, all in a variety of situations.
They came to you when you were sleeping, when you were awake, at all times of the day and night. The only times that they didn't affect you were when you were drinking.
You knew that alcohol dulled the senses, and so you had tried it. You stayed away from everyone else for a day, drinking, and it worked. You had no visions come to you.
Suddenly someone slid into the seat next to you, as you vaguely heard what he was saying.
Stranger: Water.
After a few moments, the bartender turned away to get the drink, when he turned to look at you.
Stranger: Why are you here?
You said nothing, looking down at the drink in your hands. Why did his voice sound familiar?
Stranger: Guilt, huh?
You looked to him, seeing him for the first time.
He had fair skin and amber eyes. He had messy, medium length blonde hair, with waist-length braided hair in the back.
Why did he look so familiar? It seemed like you were almost there to figure out who he was, or where you remembered him from.
(Y/N): Something like that...
He nodded, as he got his drink from the bartender, taking a small sip, before returning his attention back to you.
Stranger: Do you wish to talk about it?
(Y/N): Not really.
Stranger: Fair enough.
The two of you sat in silence for a while, finishing your drinks.
You threw the appropriate amount of lien on the table, and were ready to leave when the stranger called out.
Stranger: Would you spare me another moment or two? I'll buy you another if you so wish.
You turned back to the man, and nodded, before sitting back down.
(Y/N): Save the drink.
Stranger: For next time, then?
You snorted at the thought, running a hand through your hair.
(Y/N): Sounds good to me.
You turned to the man, waiting for his thoughts.
(Y/N): Well then?
Stranger: Remember that every choice in life is yours to make. Anyone that attempts to tell you otherwise is lying to you.
(Y/N): Sounds like a theme in some sort of movie.
The stranger shrugged.
Stranger: Perhaps... But that does not disregard the meaning.
With that the stranger stood up, pressing the lien down onto the table.
Stranger: Those that have wronged you may have reason to lie. Jut because something is comforting, or wraps up something nicely so you do not have to worry about...
He sighed, looking down for a few moments, before back at you.
Stranger: Just be careful with where you place value.
With that the stranger left. You looked back to the lien on the table, sitting there for another few moments.
(Y/N): That was strange...
(3rd Person POV)
In an ominous looking room, a small device projected a blue hologram with the text "MESSAGE END" deactivates. The room was candlelit, and there were White Fang banners hanging along the walls. Corsac and Fennec Albain stood in front of a painting.
Fennec: Your thoughts?
Corsac: Are of no significance. If this is how High Leader Taurus wishes to proceed, then we shall make it so.
Fennec: Of course, brother. Still...
A knock on the door was heard behind them.
Corsac: Come in.
Ilia entered the room.
Fennec: Sister Ilia, thank you for meeting with us.
Ilia knelt down.
Ilia: How may I be of assistance?
Corsac: Please, stand.
Ilia did so.
Corsac: We have wonderful news.
Ilia: What is it?
Fennec: We finally received a message from the Mistral brotherhood: the operation was a success. Adam Taurus has claimed his place as the High Leader of the White Fang.
Ilia: Good. And... Sienna?
Corsac: Buried... with honor. The other branches of the Fang have been given the story that was agreed upon.
Ilia: A necessary sacrifice. We won't forget everything she did for us.
Fennec: Indeed.
The Albains bowed at Ilia.
Corsac: Your maturity and understanding in regards to this matter is appreciated, and it is why we've summoned you here this evening.
Fennec: The White Fang is experiencing... a transitional period.
Corsac: Growth requires change.
Fennec: And change can be painful.
Ilia: If it's for the betterment of the Faunus, then... it's a pain we can endure. What's our next mission?
Corsac: Containment. With the CCT towers still inoperable, we have the luxury of control over the flow of information.
Fennec: News of Adam's ascension has yet to reach Menagerie, but when it does, the citizens of Kuo Kuana will undoubtedly react poorly now that the chieftain has spoken out against us.
Ilia: It's my fault the Belladonnas had any ground to stand on.
Corsac: Do not concern yourself with past failures, Ilia. Focus on the future. We have an opportunity for redemption.
Ilia: What do you need me to do?
Fennec: The Belladonnas are the only remaining threat to Adam's assault on Haven Academy.
Corsac: And so, they must be silenced...
Ilia was visibly taken aback.
Ilia: S-silenced?
Corsac: Like Sienna. They stand in the way of true progress for our people.
Fennec: We would never put such a burden on you alone, of course. Your brothers and sisters will be at your side, but your relationship with their daughter makes you an intrical part of this operation.
Ilia: Blake?
Corsac: We know how close you are with young Blake. Rest assured, High Leader Taurus has requested she be taken alive, but we cannot risk having her present to defend her family.
Ilia: But, the people of Menagerie--
Corsac: Will come to understand what happens to those who speak out against the White Fang.
Fennec: And will be left without a leader until our victory is complete.
Corsac put a hand on Ilia's shoulder.
Corsac: A necessary sacrifice, Sister Ilia.
Ilia briefly thought on this, before leaving the room.
Fennec: She's right to worry about the citizens. It's possible they may come to see Ghira as a martyr.
Corsac: It is a risk we must take for our High Leader.
Corsac reactivated the device from earlier, showing a blue life-sized hologram of Adam and his message.
Adam: I will not allow them to ruin this! The Belladonna name has brought me nothing but grief! You've done well in finding the deserter. Bring her to me, alive. But not before you've slaughtered her family. I have a promise to keep.
The hologram deactivated.
Fennec: He seems... unwell.
Corsac: He carries with him a tremendous burden.
Fennec: Are we sure he is the one to lead us?
Corsac: For now. We must do what is best for the Faunus.
A knock at the door was heard again.
Corsac: Yes?
A Faunus with bat wings entered the room.
Corsac: Brother Yuma. Did you see to Ghira's messenger?
Yuma: He rests beneath the waves... along with his warning.
Corsac: Then all is well.
The Albains gave ominous smiles with the news.
Until next time!
I...