Embrace of Light and Dark

by Knight of Crows

Chapter 27.

Cassiel POV

Where do I begin to describe the last few days? Well after I returned to the castle, it went something like this:

Day 1, after the incident. Celestia.

"Cassiel..." Celestia said in a strained tone. "Would you care to explain how you managed to get expelled and are having charges pressed against you for numerous crimes?"

"Holy shit, he ignored my warning? Well... That's the end of more than just a career." I thought out loud.

"I'm sorry, what's this about a warning?" She asked as she clenched the hand holding the paper.

"Long story short, a student named Swift Cast and his friends harrassed, threatened, and tried to attack me, but stopped when Shade came back from the restroom. Shade ignored my complaint/ warning regarding the other students and called me a liar. Fast forward to before 7th period and I bumped into Swift and his friends. After several minutes of being assaulted with no interference from the school, I finally defended myself. Swift threatened to kill me and shot me, judging by the state he was in when I reflected the shot, it's safe to assume he actually tried to kill me. Shade only saw the aftermath, and decided to send all the witnesses who could testify in my favor away from the scene. I warned Shade against expelling me for various reasons, but apparently reason is something that just goes over his head." I explained. Celestia let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'll look into this, I sincerely hope what you say is true, I'd hate to think I enrolled you only so you would get expelled within the day."

"It makes no difference to me. That just means 7 fewer ponies for me to focus on if there's ever a Heartless attack in or near the school."

"7?"

"Swift was basically flaunting his invincibility because his mother is a major donator to the school. Shade, Swift and his friends, and Platinum Crest make 7."

---

Same day. Luna.

"There will be Tartarus to pay! Who do they think they are??!!" Luna shouted.

"Stupid people exist for two reasons: Entertainment, and to make everyone else's lives harder. Though there is the rare specime that is good for society. They are unfortunately not those specimens." I said. Aaaanndd she's ignoring me.

"–tia would let me do as I did so long ago to the guilty in their dreams!"

"Luna, there's a saying where I'm from. 'It's only illegal if you get caught'." I told her. She paused for a moment, then smiled.

"I like it..." She said, calmly. Disturbingly calm.

"Tell me, can memories be viewed through dreams?" I asked, curiously.

"Yes, and I can see where you're going with this." She said with a knowing smile on her face.

---

Same day. Raven.

"When I said to-haha 'do what you do best', I didn't me-hahaha mean this!" Raven said between laughs.

"So changing topics, I think I'll continue my tour of the worlds when this whole thing blows over." I told her.

"That reminds me, I still need to adjust the Corridors, and I've been meaning to ask about that new keyblade of yours."

"I asked a blacksmith to make an identical weapon to Dawn and Nightfall in case I couldn't summon them for whatever reason."

"Always good to have something to fall back on if you don't use it as your first choice. It's easily one of the most well forged weapons I've ever seen, on a scale of 1-100 I'd give it a 97. The only thing holding it back is that I know of a stronger metal on this world, and that metal is as rare as it is difficult to work with. So moving away from the weapon, anything change while you were on the other world?"

"Aside from that curse, I now keep seeing a compass, magic bar, level, and group display everywhere I go. Apparently I have my own heads up display like everyone on that world." I held Dark Fira in my hand. "I also learned this along with a few other tier 2 spells."

"If you've progressed this much, then it looks like I'll need to squeeze in another lesson. You'll be learning a little more of how to use light, and I'd prefer you not rely on darkness until you have managed what previous keyblade masters called 'shotlocks' and 'airstepping'."

"I'm guessing we'll do that in the old castle?" I asked for confirmation.

"You guessed it!"

---

Day 2. At the school with Celestia who is listening from around a corner.

"What are you doing back here? I thought we established you were expelled?" Shade asked angrily.

"Really? I thought we established the many reasons why doing so would be a bad idea?" I said, wanting a reaction out of him.

"This is MY school, and I will NOT be disrespected like this! Especially not by some nopony degenerate who couldn't even last a day in school!" Better than I expected.

"I don't quite think you know the meaning of what you just said, much less how unprofessional such behavior is of someone in your profession. Now I'm going to give you 5 seconds to correct your many mistakes before I officially destroy everything you've worked so hard to maintain."

"Security!" He shouted.

"No need, headmaster Shade." Celestia said after coming from around the corner, Shade now looking like he's shitting bricks.

"P-p-princess Celestia??!! H-h-how are you today?" He stuttered.

"I'm doing quite well, thank you for asking. What was that shouting I heard?" Celestia asked as if she didn't know.

"Oh it was nothing. I was just reminding this one next to me that he's not supposed to be here is all." He explained, sweat noticeable on his face.

"Speaking of this student-" Celestia started.

"Um... I don't mean to interrupt, but former student, your majesty." Shade interrupted.

"Oh silly me. This student is why I'm here. You see, he told me his version of what happened in MY school, and I am shall we say, less than pleased about what is going on in MY school. Shall we take this to the office and discuss what happened yesterday? Perhaps ask other students their versions of what happened?" She asked. Shade's eyes shrunk to pinpricks.

"Y-yes, of course!" He nearly shouted.

---

Fast forward an hour, many witnesses were found and testified in my favor.

"YOU IMBECILE!! TO THINK I MADE YOU HEADMASTER OF MY SCHOOL!!! HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU LET INCIDENTS LIKE THIS SLIDE??? HOW MANY LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LETTING THIS GO ON??? HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE WRONGFULLY PUNISHED BECAUSE OF YOUR GREED??? HOW MANY WERE THROWN UNDER THE CARRIAGE TO PRESERVE THIS SCHOOL'S REPUTATION???" Celestia shouted loud enough to be heard from the other side of the school, my ears are ringing loudly, Shade is practically pissing himself at this point. "YOU ARE HEADMASTER OF MY SCHOOL NO LONGER!!! LEAVE THIS ESTABLISHMENT IMMEDIATELY , OR YOU WILL BE FORCEFULLY REMOVED!!!" She looked at me calmly. "Cassiel, if he isn't out of this school within ten seconds, would you kindly assist him?"

"... WHAAAAT?"

---

Day 3, in the throne room.

"This is prepostrous your majesty! That... Thing nearly killed my son and you're allowing it to go free while my son is being expelled and charged with these crimes??!!" Platinum Crest fucked up badly just now.

"Correction, as stated by many witnesses, it was your son along with his friends who attacked first. Last I checked, I have the right of self defense. Second, he shot me with a spell with murderous intent, all I did was send that same spell back at him. In his attempt to kill me, he nearly killed himself. You should look at the bright side, he is very close, but not quite yet a murderer. That means he's not serving a life sentence." I said.

"It should be you where my son is! My sweet boy is going to the dungeon because of you!" She shouted.

"Because of me? The only thing I remember doing is exactly what he tried to do to me after several minutes of him and his friends beating on me, I don't remember committing several crimes and framing someone else for them. But whatever helps you sleep at night." I turned to Celestia. "I'm going to train with Nevermore, this failure of a parent, this bitch is yours to deal with." I said before leaving, ignoring Platinum's shouting. After entering a secluded part of the gardens, I tried opening a portal of light again, but it didn't work at first.

May your heart be your guiding key.

"Oh... Right..." After a few seconds, a portal opened a short distance in front of me.

---

"Good, you're here. Now we can begin." Raven greeted and summoned her keyblade. She shot several orbs of light into the air and they just stayed put.

"What's the purpose of those?" I asked.

"For starters, airstepping, then we'll move to shotlocks. Airstepping is done through creating a sort of 'tether' to the target. A ledge, a person, or other parts of the scenery. I guess you could say you 'extend your light' to the target, afterward you just jump and you'll see the results yourself." She looked up to the orbs and after a second or two, she glowed a light blue moved at insanely high speeds, to each of the orbs before landing.

"I'm sure you can figure it out. One last thing, during your descent, I want you to strike at me with your keyblades. I want to see how hard you can hit at your current level, curse and mask."

"Alright." After a minute or two of just staring, trying to 'extend my light', I think I've got it down. I'm seeing something that wasn't there when Raven did it, a line between me and the orbs, and a yellow boxes covering each orb, blue boxes repeatedly appearing on each orb. Thinking this is it, I jumped and in a second I reached the highest orb, at least 5 stories high. I looked down to Raven and prepared to strike as I fell. She blocked it with one arm and a small crater formed under her. She swung her keyblade to the side with me still above her and launched me a few meters away.

"Impressive. If this is you at 25%, then you are indeed a prodigy in more ways than one." She complimented. "Now, we move on to shotlocks. Each keyblade has one unique to it. Done the same way as airstepping, but you'll channel light or dark through your keyblade and strike. The form may also affect the result, same as how much light or dark is used. For example..." She summoned several Soldier Heartless, but they didn't move from their locations. She held the Keyblade of Hearts in a reverse grip and channelled darkness through it. "This is an example of a shotlock with a little light or darkness." She said before plunging her keyblade into the ground, phasing through it actually. Each Heartless was impaled from below at the same time by her keyblade, all where the heart would be, the end of her keyblade also grew upon reappearing below the Heartless.

"Well that's not fair, for the receiving end anyway." I said.

"Whoever said anything about battle having to be fair is a fool." Raven summoned more Heartless. "Now for a full charge..." She channelled more darkness through her keyblade than before and thrust it forward, the result was much more brutal compared to the original. Darkness shot out of her keyblade and held each Heartless in place before the hearts were all exposed and impaled several times each, the heart itself looked unaffected, but the Heartless suffered all the damage. Then each end of her keyblade just tore right through the hearts, the Heartless finally disappearing. "Shotlocks often can't be used more than twice in a short time, use them carefully. Now show me if you can do this too!" She summoned more Heartless.

I channelled light through Nightfall as I followed the steps for an airstep. After a few seconds, I swung Nightfall, sending multiple shards of light towards each one.

"Yes! That's it!" Raven said, excited. "Now remember that I don't want you using darkness much until you are familiar with light. Our lesson ends for now. Before you go, take this back." Lionheart and what's needed to draw it from my back appeared in her hands. I took it back and made sure everything was put on right. "Now continue your tour and prepare for your Mark of Mastery exam."

"I guess I'll be seeing you soon." I entered the SR and walked through a different Corridor than before.

---

It's night time in the streets of the city I've found myself in. I'm standing outside a building called "From Dawn Til Dust", either that's a misspelling for a very small hotel, or this is a drug store.

*crash**glass breaking*

And now someone's been thrown out the window, someone dressed up like little red riding hood on top of him. Eeyup... It's a drug store. I have many questions now, whatever that thing was on her lower back is now unfolding into... That's a big scythe... And is that a scope? What next? A bipod on a knife?

"Okayy..." A man dressed up like a crime boss said. "Get her!" The others charged at the girl with, less than decent results. Girl has some- did I just... That scythe is also a gun, and holy fuck does that thing have recoil! After dealing with the henchmen, the crime boss looked down at one of them. "You were worth every cent. Truly you were." He said sarcastically. He looked to the girl. "Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening," He dropped his cigar and stomped his cane on it. "and as much as I'd love to stick around..." He pointed his cane at her. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways." He shot a fucking rocket at her... Firework?... From his cane... And climbed halfway up a ladder of a 2 or 3 story tall building in less than five seconds.

What the fuck did I just witness? Fuck it! This looks interesting. I airstepped to the top of the building with Lionheart in hand and caught him off guard from the other side of the building.

"Mind if I join?" I airstepped to him with Aero on my weapon, nearly sending him flying off the building. The girl climbed up afterward and sent him flying past me. A helicopter or something like that appeared out of nowhere and picked him up.

"I think that's enough excitement for one night, farewell!" He tossed a red crystal at us and shot it with his cane. Not wanting to feel the explosion, I pulled the girl away, apparently that wasn't necessary as someone who looks like a teacher blocked the shot. Afterward she fired a volley of magic bolts at the aircraft. No... It's different... Is that magic? It feels different compared to what I've felt. She fired again above the aircraft, forming storm clouds that rained shards of ice. The man switched with the pilot I'm guessing, the previous pilot fired something at us, what I couldn't tell, though it did explode under the teacher's feet. As she used her ability to lift all the shards or whatever they were, I airstepped into the aircraft.

"Neat trick." I said as I took several swings at her, distracting this woman who had much better reaction time than I expected. She held me and the other one off at the same time. After a few seconds, she accidentally(?) managed to get a good hit on me, she was able to keep forming weapons made of molten glass it seemed like, sharp and quite durable. A shard was imbedded in my shoulder and I fell out. I airstepped back to the roof and quickly removed the shard. This hurts about as much as bullets. "Cura!" I love how effective this magic is, and the one woman doesn't look happy.

Author's Note:

Still not bothering with Luna's olde speech. Typing with a controller because no place seems to sell keyboard attachments is tedious enough.

These were the best ways I could think of to do airstepping and shotlocks. As I couldn't think of shotlocks for Dawn and Nightfall, I'm instead using the regular shotlocks of Oathkeeper and Oblivion. The other forms are modified versions of such.

A few lines in RWBY were changed, not enough to actually change anything.

Now serious time. I don't care if you just make a quick scetch, could I trouble someone to try to draw the scythe, shuriken, and twinblade varients of Dawn and Nightfall? If you choose to color it, you could do it with crayons for all I care. I'd just like a visualization of those three. I can never seem to draw what I want, doesn't help I don't have that patience.

Comments

[Acetureeye]

RWBY crossover? Nice.

[Fluffy-Boi]

So. Will the characters largely stay the same or be different? I don't mind either way. Also for some reason I like Cassiel to help train Jaune along side Pyrrha

[InfernoRage008]

And the one woman doesn't look happy.

Yeah, good luck with that.

[DarkKing2]

[Ryuu dragon]

Nicely done and I can’t wait to see what you do in the RWBY world.
Also I’m thinking that two things might happen
One the Grimm will be immediately drawn to him or
Two the Grimm won’t and think he’s like Salem and do what he says

[zachary12]

Nice work

[crazybee]

Were in the world of Remnant. Here we go!

[Knight of Crows]

I love how no one has called out the Battlefield Friends reference. Did that go unnoticed?

[Nosoni]

10058911
Reading your story I also noticed no one noticed the reference (but I sure as hell did!)

[DracoMan671]

And now someone's been thrown out the window, someone dressed up like little red riding hood on top of him. Eeyup... It's a drug store. I have many questions now, whatever that thing was on her lower back is now unfolding into... That's a big scythe... And is that a scope? What next? A bipod on a knife?

BAAAAAATLEFIIIIIELD!!!!!!! - The noob