Crreeeaaaaaakk...
The heavy doors resisted the push of the Heroes, requiring nearly all of their diminished strength to push open the entrance to the castle of the Gods, and reveal to them the grand golden corridors. But when they stumbled inside, their hearts sank when they saw what awaited them.
"S... Souls... We need..."
The groans of the Failures reached their ears as the dead Celestials staggered towards them. The Heroes had been hoping for a straight shot to him. If they had to fight their way through these halls, they wouldn't have the strength to fight him.
The Heroes drew their weapons and braced themselves, praying silently that there wouldn't be very many left. But by now they knew better; if the corridors had enemies, there were bound to be a lot more waiting. The Failures reached out for them, their mutilated faces twisted in hunger...
SPLAT.
In an instant there was a flash of Darkness, the Failures dropping to the ground, dead. The Heroes stood frozen, the sounds of their breathing echoing in the vast halls. And finally, a soft, raspy voice called out to them.
"... You've done enough fighting... Keep going... I'll take care of them for you..."
He was watching them. But when they looked around, they couldn't see anyone hiding in the shadows. Their weapons dragging across the marble floors, they stumbled deeper into the castle.
As they thought, more of the Soulless husks of the Celestials waited. Before they could even move, they were skewered on the shadowy tendrils, none of the Heroes stopping. If they stopped walking, they feared they'd collapse. The high of their adrenaline was dwindling, and unlike ever before they were tired.
"... Wot an adventure... If you told me when I was young that we'd meet here after such a nightmare, I'd have thought you had more than a few screws loose."
Salem's eyes scoured the halls in her search, her grip around Yin's hand tightening. "W... Where are you...?"
"... Just ahead. Don't keep me waiting, eh? D-don't rush it, though... You've still a ways to go... N-nyahaha..."
Was he trying to tell them a joke? His laughter was awkward, quiet. But they didn't smile.
They didn't even see the next group of Failures die. They were already dead long before they reached the next hallway, their corpses torn to pieces by the shadows. The voice of the Lord of Grimmore continued, growing quieter.
"... Come on... One foot in front of the other..."
The halls were coming to an end, a stairwell waiting for them. But before they could begin their ascent, the ground underneath them cracked off the floor, the Darkness lifting it into the air. The shadows tore apart the ceiling and lifted them through the hole like an elevator, gently tipping to the side to let them slide off.
Sasha caught Vao when he stumbled and nearly fell to the ground, the elf looking up at the ceiling. "Why are... Why are you helping us...?" She asked softly. "I can get Sapphire... She was a... A part of your Cult... But me...?"
"... I don't know anymore... It felt like the right thing to do. All I know is how to kill... How to destroy... I think... Think I just wanted to do one thing right... To save just one person... Becoz in the end, I couldn't even save myself."
It was the first time they heard every bit of the guilt he carried on his shoulders in his voice. For Mono, it was not the first time. But for everyone else, it was jarring.
This man had more regrets than nearly anybody. The only one who shared his guilt was the Last Celestial that shuffled forward with them.
The next series of hallways were packed to the brim with Failures, the rotting creatures groaning as they fell by the dozen, their corpses hitting the floor with wet thuds.
"... You're doing great... Come now. You've made it this far... Don't give in just yet..."
His words of encouragement did little to bolster their spirits. Knowing that he waited for them, Salem was wondering how she'd face him now. His actions had left her confused - she couldn't tell what side he was on anymore. He had given them a hand when they needed it, despite how much he had claimed he wanted them dead, despite how many people he mercilessly slaughtered to reach Salem.
For a moment she thought about everything that led up to this. From the day she poisoned his family, to the day she met the First Vao in person, after instructing Cinder to kidnap him. From the day of Summer's unplanned death, and to the end of the First Timeline.
He had come back, and he had destroyed it all. Even the world had been ruined. Did he regret his actions? Or did he regret losing?
"... You're almost there... Just a little farther now..."
Once again the ground was lifted, a hole punched into the ceiling, carrying them through the floors. With each floor they passed on the slow, gentle ascent, they could see the tormented and broken Failures being put to rest.
As Salem and Yin leaned on each other for support, the Celestial found herself growing lost in her thoughts. It still didn't make any sense. He had no reason to help them. She was certain of only one thing; he wanted to meet her again.
But that didn't require him helping her friends. He had nothing to gain from this.
... But he had nothing else to lose, either. He had only his Cult, who was safe and sound back at the headquarters. The only one he had been expected to help was Mono. But when the Celestial tried to read the Cult Leader's expression in the vain hope of an answer, she found nothing. Mono didn't know what was going on, either.
The stone came to a final stop at the top floor of the castle's wing, twin obsidian doors awaiting them.
"... Come on. Just through there... Let's meet..."
Together their hands pressed against the shiny black surface, their arms straining as they pushed them open, the warm sunlight spilling over them.
The wind howled over the steel cliffs as they stumbled into the field of scarlet flowers, their eyes widening ever so slightly in awe. The cherry blossom trees that dotted the garden shed their pink petals like a gentle shower, the crows singing their haunting song overhead. Salem looked down at the flowers, running her fingers over the thin and fragile petals.
"... Red... Spider lilies...?"
Red spider lilies. That was what surrounded them. They were an omen of ill-fortune, an omen of death. She looked around.
She couldn't see anyone. Only the friends she had journeyed with. But she did see something odd. The crows seemed to be circling over something, landing on the reddened frame of the iron wheel that dripped red. Slowly they stepped closer, squinting their eyes for a better look.
The sight made them feel very sick. His limbs had been twisted, his bones broken to curl and wrap around the spokes of the wheel, his face frozen in the expression he had died with as the crows feasted on his flesh.
"J... Jack...?" Yin breathed. "Th... That face..."
Jack had always been smiling. He had never stopped once. But the one who killed him had shown him fear. There was only one man capable of that.
Crik... CRACK.
Salem whirled around when her friends cried out in shock, her breath quickening. Dark tendrils had burst from the ground, locking them in a cage that burned their hands when they tried to escape. Mono had been the only one who wasn't trapped, the maid's face blank and pale.
Salem's hands gripped the bars of the prison, her magic protecting her from the burns as she tried to rattle them. But they wouldn't budge. They were stuck tight.
"S-Salem," Yin stammered quietly.
"J-just give me a moment," the Celestial croaked. "I'll... I'll get you out..."
But Yin shook his head. "No... Behind you..."
Salem felt a chill run down her spine, her body locked, frozen. A few of the crows flew from Jack's corpse to something behind her. Something the Heroes were staring at in silent fear.
Salem trembled, removing her hands from the cage as she slowly turned her head, following their gazes.
The crows landed on his thin body, one resting on the edge of his pale hand. Long black hair flowed in the breeze, a feminine face sticking out. A single scarlet eye shifted from the black bird to her, staring at her with a quiet, piercing stare. Not the glare she had grown so used to, but a silent stare. It felt like ages until finally the silence was broken by that raspy voice she had grown to be wary of.
"... You're here..."
Salem gulped, her throat feeling dry. She couldn't form words. The Lord of Grimmore sighed, holding up his hand and letting the crow return to the carcass of Jack the Ripper. He swung his feet over the edge of the stone he sat on, and stood to his feet.
"... It's been a while," the First Vao rasped. "A... Really... Long while..."
Salem still couldn't speak. The First Vao stared at her for a few moments before turning his attention to Mono. A flash of guilt spread across his face.
"... You didn't kill her..."
Salem only shook her head. The First Vao looked away, silence filling the air. It was another long moment before it was broken.
"... We both know wot happens next. But first... I just don't get it."
Salem clenched her fists, finally working up the nerve to speak. "... Get... What...?"
The First Vao slowly twirled a few strands of his hair around his finger, looking back up at her. "... You saved me," he rasped. "I... I told you to kill me, and you... I just don't get it. I know wot you are, so why..." He bit his lip, struggling to tell how he felt. Salem pondered replying before his voice finally broke the dreadful silence.
"W-why... Why are you... M-making me doubt myself...?"
Surprise rippled through her mind. She didn't expect him to say that. Mono stepped forward, speaking to him gently.
"Vao... If you have doubts, then surely there's no need for this, right?"
But the Lord of Grimmore shook his head. "No, I... I-I have to do this. I can't forget... I can't forgive... I... I c... C-can't..." He paused to take a deep, shaky breath before looking back up at his only friend. "... M-Mono... Come here..."
Salem watched as Mono bit her lip, her heart sinking as she left her side. "M-Mono... What are you doing...? We're... We're friends... Aren't we...?"
The Cult Leader paused to glance back at her, but she didn't stare for long before she averted her gaze.
"... I believe I made myself clear," she said quietly. "I do not see us as friends. We were temporary allies... My loyalties lie with Vao, and only Vao... But..."
She trailed off for a moment, turning away completely. It was a long moment before she spoke again.
"... But that does not mean I disliked travelling with you. That does not mean I have no regrets... Perhaps if we were not on opposing sides, a friendship might have been possible..."
She continued walking, abandoning the Heroes as she took her place by the First Vao's side, folding her hands neatly in front of her torn maid's apron. She wouldn't meet their eyes. She looked down at the First Vao, the murderer staring back, speaking in a quiet, shaky voice as he reached out for her.
"M... M-Mono," he rasped. "... I'm... I-I'm glad you're s-safe..."
Her fingers interlocked with hers as she leaned down, their lips brushing against each other.
"... You had me worried, Vao," she breathed. "... Must you really do this...?"
This First Vao's teeth nearly chattered. But to her surprise, he pulled away. He didn't kiss her like she had hoped.
"... Do not get involved," he rasped. "Even... Even if I die here. Th-that... That is an order..."
Mono's eye widened, her body going rigid. "V... Vao...? What are you saying...!?"
But he didn't answer. He turned his gaze to Salem, jerking his head to the open garden. "... Let's go."
Salem wasn't being given a choice. With one last look at her imprisoned friends, she slowly followed him through the red spider lilies, watching his every move. His fingers brushed against the flowers, his long black hair nearly brushing the ground. He moved silently - not even the sound of his boots against the grass and dirt could be heard. He was like a ghost; dead silent. He led her away from Mono and the others, taking a deep breath.
"... I talked... I talked to my family... Their Souls, inside me..."
Salem stood before him, looking at the ground. "... What did they say...?"
The First Vao sighed, giving a small shake of his head. "... They... Said you were innocent," he rasped. "But I... I can't believe it, even if Auntie herself said it... You took nearly everything from me. My life... My innocence... And I... I-I was scared... S-scared that, that... That you'd take Mono, t-too..."
Salem nodded, looking at the back of his head, a twinge of guilt rising in her chest. "... I don't blame you," she said quietly. "To me, I'm the monster, right...?"
The First Vao was silent for another long moment. The Celestial wondered if he was having another internal argument with himself. But when his answer came, it was the very last thing she would ever expect him to say.
"... No. The bad guy was me..."
In their cage, the Heroes had fallen very quiet. The First Vao's voice had cracked. The Lord of Grimmore's shoulders trembled, an almost inaudible hiccup escaping his lips.
"I... I-I wanted... R-revenge," he croaked. "A-and... A-and I p-paid the p-price... I h-had your grave planned, f-for years... But I forgot mine... W-when on the path of revenge... Dig two graves... Revenge... Destroys you..."
When embarking on the journey of revenge, dig two graves. It is an old saying said by a philosopher. In our world, he is known as Confucius.
What it means is that when someone is focused on revenge, they will inevitably destroy themselves to achieve it. Two graves are needed for revenge: one for the victim, and one vengeful.
The First Vao had sacrificed everything for his revenge after the First Timeline. With the image of his dream of a better future, with his hatred for Salem, he gave it all up. It even nearly cost him his life through the Blood that manipulated and tricked him. Only by Salem's hand had he survived - she had saved him from himself. And now she could see it.
In the very end, he was just a weapon. She had forged him to be the perfect human weapon in the First Timeline, and to this day he knew destruction the best.
The First Vao lifted his arm and wiped at his eye, taking another deep, shaky breath, his shoulders falling still.
"... I need to see it for myself," he rasped. He turned his head to her, the Aura in his eye socket beginning to blaze. "I need to see who you really are for myself... I can't forget who you were."
Clik-CLUNK!
The cursed axe that had ironically been named Grimm Demise unfolded into the First Vao's pale hand, the serrated dagger named Misery gleaming as it was withdrawn from its sheath. The First Vao turned to face her, his one eye returning to the cold glare of Vao Dusty Branwen.
"And if that means I have to fight... Well, that's all I'm good at... Innit, Salem?"
Salem drew her sword, facing off against her own creation. Their knees bent together before they charged, their weapons singing through the air.
CLANG!
Salem had braced herself for his magic, but to her complete shock the First Vao leapt back the moment their weapons had sparked together, taking a step back. He hadn't used his magic like she thought he would.
"Come on, Salem... Fight me," he hissed. "Only then can I... Can I figure you out..."
He wanted her to fight to prove her innocence to him. He couldn't believe it himself after everything he lived through. Salem gritted her teeth and readied her sword, lunging forward.
CLANG, CLANG CLANG!
The First Vao blocked and deflected each blow with perfect movement, his body functioning nearly entirely off of muscle memory. It was a song and dance he knew too well. Salem knew she wouldn't land a hit like this, not attacking from his front. She was only going to tire out her already exhausted body. But she wouldn't be able to get behind him either; he knew better than to expose his back to his enemy, especially without the Blood to watch over him. She'd just have to use magic.
The moment her sword flashed the First Vao's eye went wide, and without warning the ground shifted beneath her feet, unbalancing the Celestial as the Darkness disturbed the earth. The First Vao drove his knee into her gut and scooped Salem off the ground with Grimm Demise, bodying her into the dirt.
"Don't use your magic," he snarled. "Fight me man-to-man!"
He pushed away from her, taking another step back. He was waiting for her.
Salem stabbed her weapon into the ground, using it to stand back up before removing the blade from the earth, facing him down. They circled each other like sharks, the First Vao eyeing her every slightest movement, every slightest twitch carefully. He was analyzing her, she realized. He was predicting her next attack before she even made it.
But she didn't attack. Without warning he swung his axe with the force of an oncoming train, nearly throwing her off the edge of the cliff.
CLANG! CLANG, CLANG!
The Heroes cried out as Salem was driven back with each blow, the First Vao's assault just as relentless as before. He gave no breathing room, nearly no opportunity for a counterattack. If Salem hadn't experienced the things she had in the Timelines, if she had just been a regular person, he'd have killed her in the blink of an eye.
No wonder he survived for so long. He wasn't just good at fighting - he was brutal. It wasn't like fighting Knights. Not even beasts, or even the abominations she had met compared. He kept his breath steady, in rhythm with the swings of his weapon, never underestimating her. Never underestimating anyone, no matter how young, how small, or how old. He didn't fight like this in Grimmore, when the Blood was taking over. In a sense, she hadn't been fighting him at all back then. But now she was fighting him for real. She was fighting against someone who knew exactly what he was doing.
Her feet skidded across the ground when she tried to push back against another blow, veins snaking their way up her neck under the immense strain of her muscles. She pushed the massive axe blade away and stepped forward, her sword gleaming as it went straight for his neck. The First Vao bent backwards and avoided it, leaping back. Grimm Demise transformed, the First Vao sighting in.
BOOM, BOOM!
Salem hit the ground and rolled through the flowers as rockets soared overhead, the heat of fire making her skin hot as dirt pelted her skin, her eyes searching wildly. But the First Vao had vanished. He wasn't behind her anymore.
She rolled into her back and brought her knees to her chest when he slammed down on her, her sword beginning to bend under Grimm Demise's weight. But with both hands holding her sword, she was left defenseless when his left hand, the one that wielded the serrated blade of Misery, lashed out.
He slashed at her hips, the razor sharp edge cutting through the leather with ease, chipping the chainmail underneath. Salem planted her feet into his waist and pushed as hard as she could, forcing him off her. And again her counterattack was blocked, and the next was parried entirely with Misery. The First Vao twisted his wrist and trapped the blade in the cross-guard of his dagger, spinning Grimm Demise into a reverse grip.
THWACK, THWACK!
The blunt end of the handle slammed into her chest, leaving dents in her chest plate, threatening to puncture the steel. Without thinking, she batted it away with her forearm. Almost immediately she felt her arm go numb after hitting it against steel like that, her good arm swinging her sword wildly, the Celestial growing desperate. The First Vao dodged, staying light on his feet, keeping his head moving. He scowled.
"... You trained me," he rasped. "You should know not to panic. Panicking gets you killed."
Salem faltered, shuffling back. He was right. She appreciated it, but why was he giving her advice? She shook the thought from her head, steadying her breathing, trying to recall the years she trained him.
But her memories were fuzzy. She had been filled with Blood, and she had a difficult time recalling what was reality and what was a hallucination.
With a thrust of her blade, the First Vao vanished into a cloud of ash, the beard of his axe hooking her ankles and yanking them from underneath her. It was everything she could do to roll out of the way before Grimm Demise beheaded her, and spring back to her feet. Immediately she was forced on the defensive when he closed the distance between them faster than the blink of an eye, Misery driving against the Relic of Destruction.
The moment she moved to counterattack, the First Vao backed off, sheathing the dagger and holding his axe with two hands, flourishing the weapon in a dexterous display of skill, challenging her to meet him head-on.
Salem scanned carefully for an opening, even the smallest. But she didn't find one; the First Vao's stance kept him from being knocked over, his right side guarded by Grimm Demise, his left capable of drawing Misery as quick as lightning, and his front by everything he had to offer. His blazing Aura flared in his eye socket as he attacked, swinging his massive axe and alternating between holding it with one hand and holding it with both hands, forcing her to block again and again.
Her feet skidded to the edge of the cliff, dirt falling off the sheer drop as she lost her balance, and began to fall.
The First Vao's hand shot out and grabbed her collar, the demigod throwing her back to safety. He paused to let her stand back up before he rushed her again.
Salem was beginning to realize why the First Vao was so dangerous. She was learning more about him in the heat of combat. It wasn't just his experience, nor the brutality that made him deadly. He knew how to keep the pressure, to keep his enemies too busy to do anything but defend. And again without any warning, he backed off.
"... I've waited for this day," he rasped. "I've waited for the day I can fight you to the death... So why do I feel..."
He dodged Salem's sword, drawing Misery again.
"... Why do I feel so... Empty? Is this... Not wot I want...?"
She didn't know who the question was for. It sounded like he was just thinking aloud. She stepped forward, feinting an attack. But the First Vao didn't fall for it. Instead of moving to block an attack she wasn't going to make, he just punched her in the mouth. The coppery taste of blood coated her tongue as the back of her lips split against her teeth, the Celestial staggering back with a cry.
SLAM, THWACK!
CLICK!
She stared down the dark barrel of Grimm Demise, her eyes going wide. She was about to be blown to pieces.
Fighting for survival she lifted her sword like a shield and backpedaled as fast as she could, the First Vao squeezing down the trigger. With a burst of flame the detonation threw her into the ground, sending her tumbling through the flowers. It had been like being hit by an eighteen wheeler. She had backed away far enough to survive the fatal dry-fire, but it felt like her bones had reached their limit. The First Vao launched a flurry of blows with his dagger, keeping her on the defensive again.
The same tricks weren't going to work on him, she realized. The First Vao having none of it. With an unexpected shove he pressed closer, keeping the tension high. His face grew inches from hers, the stench of corpses still on his breath.
"Isn't this just poetic?" He rasped.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!
"A master fighting her weapon... Just like a fairytale. Except this fairytale doesn't seem to have a happily ever after..."
Their weapons met again, Salem catching the handle of Grimm Demise on her cross-guard. With a grit of her teeth and a grunt through the pain, she forced her feet to move forward against his strength, their foreheads nearly slamming into each other.
"No," she hissed. "I don't think it does. It's just you and me in the end, right?"
"Seems so... Just a couple of bad apples."
She finally saw an opening. She lifted her leg, the First Vao moving Misery to defend his stomach. But instead of giving him the knee, Salem stomped down on his foot, catching him entirely off-guard. The sudden feeling of being hit caused the First Vao to falter for the briefest of seconds - a one-time chance for Salem to perform a counter.
SLAM!
She drove the pommel of her sword against forehead as hard as she could, the First Vao staggering, trapped in place under her foot. The blade of the Relic sliced through his chest, drawing the scarlet fluid he had been missing for so many decades, his eye widening in shock. Her next attack hit ash, the First Vao teleporting away from her. He skipped forward, reeling his axe back.
Salem hit the ground when the monstrous weapon spun through the air, sticking into the ground behind her. She knew better than to try and pick it up. It was too heavy. The First Vao gingerly touched his wound, staring at his red-stained fingers.
"Blood... My blood..."
He turned a sharp glare back to her, twirling Misery around his knuckles and shifting his foot back in a defensive stance. If she tried to attack him now, he'd parry her in a heartbeat and deal a fatal blow.
But waiting wasn't an option either. When she stood still, the First Vao straightened his posture, holding Misery out in front of him.
... And sheathed it.
Salem blinked, staring at him quietly. The First Vao stared back, his face firm. Without a word he raised his left hand, grabbing his overcoat.
FWAP!
The black coat that had been permanently stained with the blood of the innocent fluttered as it flew through the air, dropping to the ground. The First Vao was wearing a skin-tight black long sleeve underneath, scarlet seeping from the tear Salem had made in it. He moved his hands to the hem, slowly pulling the shirt over his head. Salem felt her heart ache. She could see Mono look away from the corner of her eye. She could feel the silence of her friends as they saw his body for the first time.
When he wore his overcoat, it was hard to tell what he looked like underneath. Even his shirt was effective at hiding just what his thin frame was. Underneath the outfit he had worn throughout the Timelines was nothing but lean, powerful muscle. His veins ran thick down his thin arms, his chest and abs visibly defined, his shoulders as hard as stone, as his back rippling. The fruits of his inhuman, cruel training reflected in his bare body, forming the muscle he had needed to survive, to win. But then there was the damage it had left behind. There was the marks and blemishes he would bear forever, all from the nightmarish adventure they had shared.
There was barely any of the skin he had been born with left. Nearly every inch of his body had been lined with scars, some old and some new. The claws and teeth of Grimm, the straight wounds of weapons, puncture marks from where he had been shot, the wear and tear of spending weeks, sometimes months fending for himself in the wilderness. He had it all. But one scar stood out above all the rest.
The First Vao trailed his fingers over his eye socket, his lips tightening together before the parted, his teeth grinding against each other. He lifted his free hand, the black flames of Darkness sparking to life in his palm. He lowered the fire to where she had broken his damaged skin, squeezing his eye shut.
"N-nn... N-nnngh...! Ha, ha...! HRRRGH!"
They watched, frozen, paralyzed as he pressed the flame against himself, the sizzle of flesh reaching their ears as he cauterized the wound himself, closing it back up. The First Vao breathed hard as the flames disappeared, clutching his eye socket breathlessly. He turned his gaze back up to Salem, straightening himself out, raising his arms. The Celestial slowly lowered the Relic of Destruction, and following it were the remaining Relics as she took a stance, the memories flooding back. The days he had trained under her, she was beginning to remember. The First Vao stared at her hard, his voice breaking the silence.
"CQC... Hand-to-hand..."
Salem felt a tug at her heartstrings. He remembered it. She slowly nodded her head, balling her fists next to her face.
"... It's the basis... Of all combat..."
They stared each other down as the sun began to peek from behind the clouds, casting their shadows across the garden of red spider lilies. The First Vao's eye grew wet, his fury slowly beginning to dwindle.
"Salem... Don't you dare hold back," he rasped. "Fight me... Like a hero would... Fight me, like my Mistress would..."
Salem's fists tightened. "... Of course..."
"Snake Eater."
Slowly they circled each other, their memories beginning to resurface. In their vision the black halls of Evernight Castle flashed, the Souls of the dead watching over them.
Salem was the first to move, closing the distance between them. The First Vao pushed her fists away and shifted his foot behind hers, his hand grabbing her waist. With less than a single breath he threw her over his hip and into the ground, the Snake Eater taking a few steps back.
FLASH!
The towering buildings of ruined Vale loomed over her head, the image of the First Vao sitting next a campfire burning into her memory as he hunted the First Yin in his mission to save Cinder.
The Celestial climbed back to her feet, clutching the side of her head. The First Vao looked away, biting his lip before he stepped forward.
He threw his fist into her stomach, moving in for her face. Salem wrapped her arm around his and pulled him forward, driving her knee into his gut and giving him an elbow to the nose.
Again the image flashed through her mind. She saw the First Vao following the original Heroes silently, keeping his distance. She could hear his thoughts.
("Cinder... Don't hurt her...")
She blinked away the memory and charged the First Vao again, her blows swiftly deflected, but never countered. She pulled her hands away before he could grab her. Dropping her shoulder she checked into his chest, his rearmost foot sliding back. She took the advantage to strike him in the gut with her palm and seize his wrist, placing her ankle over his and twisting his arm.
The First Vao slammed against the ground and kicked her feet out from under her before she could make another move, rolling into a crouch before standing back up. Their eyes locked together, slowly strafing around each other.
FLASH!
("N-no! S-stop! G-GET OFF ME!")
It was a very brief, but horrifying vision. In a split second, Salem saw the First Vao struggling to fight Tyrian off of him, weakened from the early years of his rigorous, hellish training regimen.
The First Vao visibly flinched, his one eye twisting in rage. He stomped forward, taking Salem's hand in his own before driving his forehead into hers, knocking the Celestial back down. He looked torn between stomping the life out of her, but stayed where he was, watching her stand back up with a stagger.
FLASH!
In the middle of the desert the First Vao stood next to Cinder, the two watching over a grave. The murderer crouched next to the tombstone, running his fingers across the name engraved in the stone.
("R... R-Ruby... I'm... I-I'm sorry...")
GRRRROOOOOWWLLL...
The First Vao clutched his stomach, his fingers moving for the dirt as he began to dig, Cinder turning her gaze away.
Salem ducked underneath the punch, her feet stumbling as she tried to back away. The First Vao reached his hand for his nose that she had elbowed before pushing it back into place with a loud pop, the Snake Eater rolling his neck.
They slammed against each other, trying to shove their opponent to the ground. The First Vao pushed her, Salem's feet sliding across the dirt. She pushed as hard as she could - and then yanked back. The sudden change in force sent him hurtling forward over her leg. He broke into a roll the moment his hands made contact with the ground, never staying still enough for her to follow up.
She could hear his steady breathing as he dodged her hands, almost immediately opening up her guard.
The Celestial gasped when she felt his arm shoot between her legs, her feet leaving the ground when the First Vao lifted her onto his shoulders, and jumped backwards in half of a flip. The weight of her own body combined with his own made her head spin as her guts slammed around inside her body, Salem choking on the air in her own lungs.
FLASH!
Again she saw the hallucinations - or was it his memories?
She saw the First Vao digging through the ruins of the Vytal Festival in the dead of night, not even a year after he had been kidnapped and brought into Salem's service. The ruins had yet to be excavated entirely, the shadows of construction equipment and police tape visible in the darkness, vaguely illuminated by the broken moon.
("Au... Auntie,") he whispered hoarsely. ("Au-Auntie... D-did they b-bury you yet...?")
His fingers reached underneath a boulder, the younger man struggling to lift it, using Grimm Demise as if it were a crowbar to roll it out of the way, his single eye beginning to tear up as he reached into the pitiful grave.
In his arms was Summer's maggot-ridden corpse. But her Soul wasn't present; the moment her body had been found, the Blood had stolen it.
Back then, the First Vao didn't know very much about Souls. He knew they existed, but his knowledge was next to nothing. Carefully and very gently he stood up, holding the rotting body close, her cloak noticeably absent - it had been separated from her, and found long ago.
("Au-Auntie... I'm... I-I'm sorry...")
He vanished into a cloud of ash, the memory coming to an end. The First Vao blinked, holding the sides of his head as the migraine began to form.
Salem felt sick. She never knew he had gone back to retrieve Summer's corpse - it explained why she was never found after the Vytal Festival Incident. But then again, he had her skeleton. Salem knew that.
The memory flashed before her mind again, the First Vao standing alone in his room, hunched over and naked as Tyrian laid in the bed with a content smile on his face. The Faunus shit him a dirty look.
("Hey, Beautiful. Quit staring at the dead bitch and get your ass over here. I'm ready for round two!")
The First Vao shivered, his fingers slipping into his mouth, his teeth beginning to gnaw on the tips.
Grrrrooooowwlll...
Tyrian raised an eyebrow, sitting up in bed. ("... Was that your stomach? Haven't you been pigging out at dinner lately?")
The First Vao let out a hoarse whimper, his voice having started to grow raspier, more like what it was today.
("It's... N-not enough,") he croaked. ("I'm... I-I'm s-starving...")
Tyrian scoffed, swinging his legs over the bed and standing up. ("I don't have time for your bullshit. Get in the bed. Or maybe I should break your fingers again?")
GRRRROOOOOWWLLL...
It was louder this time. Loud enough to catch even Tyrian off guard. The Faunus scowled, reaching for his pants. ("Fine then, I'll grab you something to eat. You owe me round three later,") he growled. But before the rapist could pull the door open, he stopped, his yellow eyes frozen on the First Vao. ("H... Hey. What are you up to?")
The First Vao was inching towards Summer's rotted body, his fingernails scratching at the floor. His mouth had begun to water, sharp and quick intakes of air slipping past his nostrils as he sniffed.
("Au-Auntie... You always s-smell...") He gulped, his hands grabbing at the rotting arms. ("S-so... So good...")
Tyrian winced. ("Yo. You lost your mind already? She smells like rotting meat.")
But even Tyrian had been startled that day when the First Vao opened his mouth, and bit down. He even threw up. The First Vao choked and spluttered with each bite, his eye wide with horror as he consumed Summer's remains, forcefully swallowing down every bite.
The hallucination vanished, finishing its twisted tale. Salem took a step back, locking eyes with the First Vao again.
His first meal, his first act of cannibalism. It hadn't been some random stranger like she had originally thought - she had never been too certain when he started eating his victims. But now she did.
The first person the First Vao had ever eaten was Summer. He had picked every scrap of meat off the bone, learning the only thing that curbed the unbearable emptiness in his stomach.
The First Vao let out a low growl, lifting his arms again. He was taking another stance, based on his knowledge of CQC. When Salem stepped close, too close, he lunged for her. They grappled violently, the Celestial struggling to manipulate his techniques to her advantage. He wouldn't budge; the force he was using was immovable. They were both brought to the ground, tumbling through the spider lilies in a struggle for domination over the other.
Mono's hands gripped each other tightly, the monoeye closing her eye. Yin leaned on the bars of his cage, his voice a low growl.
"Mono, do something!"
The Cult Leader shook her head. "... I cannot," she replied. "He gave me a direct order... I cannot disobey it."
"Bullshit," Yin snarled. "You said it yourself just how much you love him!"
When Mono snapped a glare at him, he knew he struck a nerve. "What... What is that supposed to mean?" She growled dangerously. Yin glared back, even when the rest of his friends shifted away uncomfortably. Yin was flirting with death. He had balls to insult Mono to her face.
"We're all seeing his memories," he hissed. "Are you just going to let him keep destroying himself? You heard what he said about two graves! He plans to dig his own! Were you lying when you said you'd be there-"
SLAM!
He flinched when she drove her palm against the bars, glaring through the gaps.
"I'd watch yourself, Yin."
They argued, the First Vao and Salem still fighting. Salem was pinned to the ground, the First Vao laying on top of her, the pit of his elbow tightening around her neck in a blood choke. She had five to thirteen seconds before she lost consciousness.
She pushed her hands into the ground, struggling to get on her hands and knees. The First Vao shifted, gasping in shock when she fell backwards and flattened him, his arm moving just enough for her to breathe again. She whirled around when he was still getting back on his feet, driving her knuckles square into his nose in a devastating uppercut that made his nose break.
The First Vao let out a faint whimper, clutching his face. Salem took a step back, readying herself. But the First Vao didn't charge her again. He lowered his hand, scarlet trickling down past his lip.
"Th... This f-feeling," he rasped. "How long has it been... How long since I felt... Pain...?"
FLASH!
...
There was a new sight. The ruined halls of Beacon stood tall, and in the broken clockwork of Ozpin's old office, General Schnee stood with the Maidens and the surviving heroes, discussing the possibility of their whereabouts. They still had not yet named it the Graveyard.
Their investigation was halted when the elevator doors slid open, the First Yin stepping inside with a cigarette smoldering between his lips. The General breathed a sigh of relief. ("Xiao-Long, you're alive... We suspected you might've died fighting Salem.")
The First Yin shook his head, lowering his smoke. ("It's gonna take a lot to kill me,") he growled. ("Sorry I didn't come right away. I was talking someone into helping us - switching sides, so to speak.")
The First Verde looked up from her computer curiously. ("Switching sides...? Who?")
The First Yin turned back to the elevator, where someone was cowering in the blind spot. ("... Come on out.")
There was silence, the First Yin poking his head around the corner and giving the figure a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Gently he guided him into view, his one eye shifting warily between his old enemies.
The First Vao stood next to the Hero of Light, his hands clasped together to prevent fidgeting. And in an instant, there was panic.
("You... You brought HIM here!?") The First Sasha snapped. The First Yin held up his hand.
("Some real bad shit's happened between me and him,") he growled. ("I wouldn't bring him here unless I knew he wasn't going to do anything.")
("That isn't the point!") Velvet argued. ("You CAN'T trust him! He'll kill us all when we least expect it! He's a killer! A psychopath!")
("No he won't,") the First Yin snapped. ("I've cleaned him of his Blood. I saved him!")
("Th... Th-this sounds like a really, really bad idea, Yin... E-everyone else who trusted him,") the First Yang stammered. ("W-weren't you supposed to kill him?")
("And I'm not GOING to!")
Click.
Their eyes went wide when General Schnee cocked back the hammer of her revolver, aiming it straight between the First Vao's eye and eye socket, her finger resting on the trigger. ("If you don't have the heart to do it, then I'll carry out his execution. Step aside, Yin-!?")
The First Yin let out an angry cry, tackling the General and pushing her wrist away, his knuckles plowing through her teeth.
BANG!
Everyone dove for cover when the bullet was fired, ricocheting off the walls. The First Yin beat the shit out of the General of New Atlas, scrambling to his feet and grabbing the First Vao's wrist. From the corner of his eye he could see General Schnee reaching for her gun again. The Hero of Light pulled his older brother to his feet and began to sprint for the window, pulling him into a hug as they jumped.
SMASH!
The sound of Winter shooting at them echoed through the air as they plummeted off Beacon Tower, the First Yin protecting the First Vao from the fall as they crashed into the top of a military vehicle, the soldiers flinching in surprise.
General Schnee glared down from the tower, waving her gun through the air.
("Do not let them escape!") She barked down. ("The Hero of Light is trying to stop Branwen's execution! Arrest him, and gun that murderer down!")
The soldiers began to run for their weapons, the First Yin groaning before pulling his older brother to his feet, the duo running for the woods as the sound of gunfire began to ring through the air. The First Yin was nearly dragging the First Vao as the bullets cracked against the trees over their heads, the soldiers pursuing them. The smoker pulled his older brother's wrist harder, trying to get him to keep up.
("C'mon! Don't slow down!")
The First Vao looked up at him, his face filled with horror. ("W-wot are you doing, Yin!? Y-you're puttin' a target on your back!")
("And I ain't about to let them just shoot you!")
The First Yin transformed Crescent Rose and laid it on his shoulder, shooting behind him. They could hear the bullet snap through a soldier's leg, the man hitting the ground with a shrill scream.
Deeper into the dark forest, they twisted and turned through the trees, trying to put as much obstacles behind them as possible. The First Vao began to resist, pulling his wrist free, his eye wide with anger.
("A-and wot about your future!? Th-they have every right to want me dead! Look wot I did to everything!")
The First Yin growled under his breath, spinning around. ("That wasn't really you, was it!? We don't have time for this! We need to get the fuck outta here!")
("I'm not going to let you go and get an execution scheduled becoz of me!") The First Vao snapped. ("I... I-I can run on my own... I-I'm used to being alone, s-so I can take care of-")
("Do you really want to be alone again?") The First Yin hissed, stepping up to him. ("Is that what you really want? Nobody to talk to? Nobody to give a shit about you?")
("I-I...")
("Let's go,") the First Yin snarled. ("We're always going to be there for each other. That's what we promised when we were kids, right? And we've got quite a few years to catch up on.")
They could hear the sounds of hundreds of boots, the sound of helicopter blades chopping through the air. They were being followed, they were being watched by the helicopter's thermal vision. The First Yin and the First Vao stood out among the blues on the pilot's screen; the First Yin was warm, and the First Vao was freezing cold. In an instant the soldiers had them surrounded, the Hero of Light and Salem's Puppet standing back-to-back, drawing their weapons.
The soldiers kept their distance, their guns pointed straight for their heads. The crowd only parted when their General stepped forward, her eye swollen from where the First Yin had beaten her.
("Xiao-Long,") she seethed. ("I will give you only one warning. Step away from Branwen. This is no time to play a hero; he's killed far too many people! You knew we were going to execute him!")
The First Yin grit his teeth, pointing the barrel of the sniper rifle at her. But he didn't pull the trigger.
("You didn't see the fucked up shit I saw in his Reality,") he growled. ("You didn't see what happened to him. And I was too angry to think about it.")
Winter glared at him, pulling the hammer of her revolver back with an audible click as the cylinder chambered a round. ("... Don't make me shoot you too, Xiao-Long. You're reasonable. So stand aside.")
The First Yin spit out his cigarette and flipped her off. ("How about you go fuck yourself, you stuck-up bitchy dipshit? If you're gonna put a bullet in him, then you're gonna have to put three in me.")
Winter narrowed her eyes, shifting the gun away from him, and straight for the First Vao. Her finger slid perfectly over the trigger, and squeezed.
BANG!
The First Vao flinched when he felt something strike him, waiting for the pain. But it never came. Trembling, he opened his eye, his jaw dropping open slightly.
("Y... Y-Y... Y-Yin...?")
What had struck him was the First Yin jumping in the way, the Hero of Light clutching his wounded shoulder, breathing heavily. The Hero of Light let out a shaky, if pained grin, glaring up at him.
("J... Just go,") he hissed through clenched teeth. ("They do anything to me... Because I'm the only one who stands a chance against you... So just... Just f-fuckin' run, you j... Jackass...")
The First Vao caught him when he stumbled, the dust in the bullet scorching the wound. Winter sighed, shaking her head.
("I don't know what happened between the two of you. And quite frankly, I don't care,") she growled. She moved the barrel to the First Vao, the First Yin unable to protect him this time. ("The only thing I care about, is seeing you die, Branwen. You didn't stop at a few people. You didn't stop at all. You didn't kill ten, a hundred, not even a thousand. You killed millions. Millions are dead by your own hand. You've taken out friends, you've taken our families, our children. You don't deserve a 'second chance'. You don't deserve any chances. Here and now, I'll put a stop to this insanity. I'm going to shoot you in the face until I can't tell what it was anymore. A fitting death for a real monster.")
The First Vao's arms trembled, staring down at the First Yin. The blonde sighed, shaking his head. ("Vao... Please,") he almost begged. ("J... Just run, man... I c... Can't watch them kill you...")
It was the first time in a long while they had heard the First Yin's voice crack, break. The soldiers hesitated, Winter's finger beginning to pull the trigger, ready to paint the forest black with the First Vao's Blood. The murderer clenched his teeth, his Aura beginning to smolder.
("Y... Yin,") he rasped.
Grrrrooooowwlll...
Winter's eyes widened, her finger freezing just short of discharging her weapon. The First Yin stared up at his older brother, his face pale.
("V... Vao...? But I... I killed it...!")
The First Vao dropped him on the ground, clutching the sides of his head, the apparition only he ever saw stretching from his back and clinging to his shoulders, her voice whispering into his left ear.
(("Vao... You're about to die,")) Summer whispered. (("They shot someone willing to take a bullet to save you... How does that make you feel?"))
The First Vao turned his eye up, locking it with Winter.
("Y... Y-you sh... Shot Yin,") he rasped. His stomach growled again, Grimm Demise unfurling into his hand, Misery gleaming in the moonlight. ("I'm... I-I'm gonna...")
The stench of Blood filled the forest, the world falling to his Darkness.
("I'm going to drive you to extinction.")
He stepped over the First Yin, his axe trailing behind him. The soldiers began to shiver and back away, a freezing sweat breaking out on Winter's neck as the air became like a freezer, the revolver rattling in her hand.
("Sh... Sh-shit! Open fire!")
The soldiers screamed as their fully-automatic rifles lit the air, the helicopter above firing its machine gun as the First Vao's Darkness knocked the thermal vision offline, the murderer's weapons flashing like the reaper's scythe as the metallic scent of red blood filled the forest.
The First Vao had snapped again, Winter sprinting through the trees, chasing after him. He was circling the area, ensuring he didn't abandon the First Yin. But that didn't mean catching him was any easier. She watched as he kept just barely within sight, his weapons ripping through the soldiers as he killed them by the dozen. Winter picked up one of the corpses' rifles, pulling the night vision goggles away from his half-eaten face and throwing them on.
She was by no means a terrible shot, being good enough to qualify for the position of New Atlas's General. But she wasn't the first one to fire a gun at the First Vao, and he was willing to show her why she'd never be the last.
He dodged the bullets and raced towards her, his axe splitting her rifle in two and cracking through her shoulder blade. Before Winter could cry out from the agonizing pain, Misery plunged into her gut, the First Vao throwing her against the trees. She grabbed her scroll and pressed the emergency signal button, sending a beacon back to the Academy. In a matter of minutes, the First Vao would have the entire military on his ass, seconds given how much the soldiers trained for this. She braced herself to dodge his attacks, to buy enough time for her soldiers to arrive and put him down. But the First Vao didn't close in on her.
He glanced up at the helicopter above, ash beginning to spill from his skin. Winter's eyes widened when he vanished in a cloud, grabbing her radio.
("A-Air Unit Sixteen! He's in your chopper!")
The pilot and the co-pilot stared at each other in horror, the sound of the soldiers behind them being murdered and tossed from the helicopter bouncing off the cockpit's walls. The co-pilot grabbed his gun and raced for the door, throwing it open and squeezing the trigger.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
The First Vao parried the bullets with Misery, his Aura flaming as he plunged the dagger into the man's waist and pulled up, spilling his guts on the metal floor. The pilot let out a shrill shriek when the murderer smashed through the door, ripping her out of the pilot's seat and smashing the windshield with the back of his hand, clicking on the autopilot before climbing through the hole he had made.
The pilot struggled to tear his hand away from her throat, the First Vao staring up at the rotating blades above them. The pilot choked and screamed as he lifted her higher, higher...
SPLAT!
Scarlet speckled his face when her head popped like a grotesque watermelon the moment the blades struck her face, the murderer climbing back inside the helicopter and sitting down in the seat, the Blood guiding his actions in the hijacking.
Armored trucks raced through the old trails and abandoned roads of the Emerald Forest, racing for their General's distress signal. Missiles blew them to pieces, burning the occupants alive. The machine guns shot down the jets and helicopters, fired by the First Vao's Darkness that aimed and squeezed the triggers, the Forest beginning to catch alight.
Winter limped through the trees, clutching her useless shoulder in an attempt to stop the bleeding as the First Vao massacred everything in sight. He really was going to kill them all. And now that was certain, with him stealing their helicopter. She grabbed her scroll and shouted into the receiver.
("A-all hands, do not leave the Academy! Retreat!") She screamed. ("If he heads for Beacon now, it'll be unprotected!")
Her radio buzzed, the General picking it up. To her despair, the First Vao's voice rasped at her from the other end.
[("Go ahead and retreat with your tail between your legs,")] he hissed. [("Get out of here, coward. Before you're next on my bloody plate.")]
If Winter died here, there would be no one left to lead New Atlas. She gritted her teeth, clicking her radio. ("This isn't over, Branwen,") she snarled. ("You'll get away this time, but never again. I'll never stop hunting you, until I'm shitting on your headless corpse!")
[("Nyahaha! You think that's the first time anyone's said that to me? I've heard worse.")]
Winter didn't grace him with the joy of her anger, the General fleeing the burning forest that had been stained red with over a thousand corpses. The First Vao stood up from the pilot's seat and moved to the open hatch, taking a deep breath.
Without hesitation he jumped, spreading his arms and legs as he skydived through the air, his Darkness crackling, protecting him as he slammed back into the ground. The murderer shambled through the forest, finally returning to the First Yin, his mouth watering.
("Y... Yin,") he rasped.
The Hero of Light stared up at him, a glimpse of fear in his eyes as his brother drew closer, his grip tightening on his weapon.
("The... The Blood,") the First Yin breathed. He could feel a hard lump growing in his throat.
He couldn't save the First Vao, after all. Somehow, his Blood had survived. In a horrible twist, he realized that he didn't have the power to save him.
As the tears began to fall, the First Vao paused. Summer gripped his shoulders, pursing her gaunt lips. (("... No. His time hasn't come yet... At least not until that man arrives,")) she cooed.
Slowly, the Blood's influence began to retreat, the First Vao's Aura dimming to the red speck it was. His weapons fell from his lifeless hands, landing on the blood-soaked ground with a heavy thud, his fingers twitching in the winds cast by the flames around them.
It was written, burned into his face, in that one-eyed gaze. A true loss of hope; the empty, barren feeling of knowing the ugly truth about life. That sometimes things never got better. That they only grew worse, and nothing that could be done would ever stop it. The First Vao trembled, tears sliding down his cold cheeks as his knees trembled, and finally gave out, the murderer collapsing to the grass.
("I... I-I... I-I was... S-supposed to be...")
He tripped on his own words, his raspy voice tiny and quivering. The First Yin breathed hard, slowly climbing to his knees, inching closer to the murderer. The First Vao looked up at him, his eye betraying the devastation and inner turmoil he was facing.
("Y... Y-Yin,") he choked out. ("M-my B... B-Blood, I-I'm-")
He was silenced when the First Yin wrapped his arms around him, giving the human weapon a gentle, but firm squeeze.
("J... Just... Let's go,") the Hero of Light croaked. ("B-before... B-before they come back...")
The First Vao's fingernails pressed into his brother's back, his voice shaking, breaking with each word.
("I-I... I-I'm g-going to k-kill you...")
The First Yin tightened his grip, feeling the First Vao's ribs poke his chest.
("... S... S-so what?")
The First Vao opened his mouth to speak, to tell Yin to just leave him be. But the Hero of Light - with great effort - pulled Grimm Demise and Misery back to them, watching the murderer slowly return them to his belt.
("I'm not... L-leaving you again,") the First Yin growled hoarsely. ("I'm... I'm going to... T-to be there for you. I'll... I'll find a way... A-a way to s-save you... I'll p-protect you... J-just like... Just like we p-promised all those years ago... S-so... Let's go...")
The First Vao shook like a leaf in the wind as he finally broke, allowing the First Yin to guide him away from the destruction, away from Beacon and New Atlas.
But we know how that turned out. In twenty-two years, Jack Gulden would make his appearance in the Graveyard, and give the First Vao more Blood without his knowledge, infecting the people he eventually ate before he reached them. And the First Yin wasn't enough to snap the First Vao out of the Blood's control. Because the First Vao saw it that day they went into hiding together.
He saw that like everyone else, the First Yin was afraid of him.
...
The flash ended, Salem shivering in front of the First Vao. The Lord of Grimmore stood tall, dragging his finger over his heart.
"A promise," he rasped. "A promise I never kept..."
Salem readied herself, the First Vao lowering his hands, staring at her quietly.
"... I don't feel pain very often," he hissed. "But you made me feel it... I've forgotten wot the thrill of a fight feels like. It makes me feel alive. Salem..."
"Make me feel pain so I know I'm still alive."