//------------------------------// // Chapter 44. // Story: Embrace of Light and Dark // by Knight of Crows //------------------------------// Cassiel POV I was awoken by footsteps outside the room, Kali it sounded like, too light to be Ghira, and Blake was asleep in her bed. I don't remember going to sleep last night, I probably cried myself to sleep again, on her no less. I looked to my pillow and saw bloodstains on it. 'Should probably wash that sooner rather than later.' I thought. I looked back to Blake as I stood up, this is pretty cute. Oh God, I thought 'adorable' was out of character for me to think. Still, doesn't make it less true. I neared her bed, I slowly and gently rubbed the back of her ear, causing her to purr in her sleep. After a few more seconds though, she opened one of her eyes, so I stopped. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself." I apologized. "I didn't say stop." She said in a tired voice, closing her eye again. "In that case..." I continued what I was doing, she sat up and gestured me to sit on the bed, after I did so, she laid her head back down on my lap to give me better access. "Thank you for last night, I needed that more than I thought." "... Cassiel, I can't imagine how hard it's been for you, but please, don't shut us out. We want to see you get better, even if it's only a little." "I'll try, if only because one of you asked." To be honest, I don't think I'll want to leave this world. After a few more minutes, her alarm went off. She wasn't too happy about having to get out of bed just yet, but she didn't linger. I took the pain pills and stepped out with the stained pillow and Lionheart as Blake entered the bathroom with a towel. I wonder how she and her family would react if I told them I already saw everything when I was trying to figure out how the team got my measurements for the clothes they gave me for the dance? Not pulling the pin on the grenade... As I reached the bottom of the stairs, Kali nodded to me on her way to the kitchen (it's actually just a few steps away from the kitchen) and Ghira looked up at me from the scroll and raised his brow. "Why are you carrying a pillow with you?" He asked. I showed him the bloodstain. "My fault, can't exactly help that while I'm sleeping. Is there anything I can use to clean this?" I asked. Kali turned around again. "Don't worry about that, I was planning to do laundry today anyway. Besides, Blake already told me about your eyes while she was helping me set up your bed." She smiled lightly. 'She really does have a good family.' I thought as Ghira took on a serious look. "You were right to bring this to me... Adam Taurus was plotting to overthrow High Leader Khan and launch an attack on Haven Academy and it's CCT tower on the last full moon before the beginning of the fall semester, roughly two months from today. It would be Beacon all over again!" He said, disturbed. "Well that's actually a good thing then, we can use this." "If we can get in touch with Sienna that is, though without a CCT tower of our own, that could be a while still." "With Adam dead, these plans were most likely delayed at least, Sienna's life saved if only for a little longer, and I have more time to recover. If you can point to her location on a map, I can be there in less than a week. This is a good chance to salvage the situation with the White Fang and possibly get her on our side." "I hope you can manage, but I've known Sienna for years, it's unlikely she'll even let you in much less speak. And how would you even reach her anyway? The next ship from Menagerie to Anima is still a few days out at least." "Well to get her to at least meet with me, I do have Adam's weapons. If she were to learn of Adam's treachery, that would get her to hear me out. If that's not enough incentive, a letter of introduction should do it. As for how I can get there?" I summoned Nightfall and opened a portal. "This is connected to one of my teammates who by now is at least close to Haven." I closed it. "Besides, I'm sure Sienna would agree the Fall of Beacon did anything but benefit the White Fang and did nothing but severely damage human to Faunus relations." "*sigh* I'll see what I can get from the Albain brothers today, afterward I'll write that letter and lend you a map with the approximate location of Sienna and the Anima chapter of the White Fang. Just don't do anything reckless, Sienna is not to be trifled with." He warned. "She should be more worried about doing something stupid than me." A thought occurred. "Actually, we can use this in another way. Copy the important information and make a public announcement to the people of Menagerie. Aside from getting word of this out, it could help with the true White Fang while getting a reaction out of those who sided with Adam." "Yes... I already planned to spread word of this in hopes of uniting the people in defense of Haven, but if we could secure her help as well-" "As well as draw out the traitors, we could easily more than double- no, triple the forces, potentially remove the 'most wanted terrorist organization' status from them and improve relations between humans and Faunus. That, and the White Fang might be very helpful for what I have planned." Assuming Adam knew about Salem, he would have given her another army, getting that army on my side will definitely help and as a plus, piss her off. "Helpful for what?" Blake asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs. That was a fast shower. "Something that will benefit everyone, and unlike Adam, I do mean everyone." I answered, don't want to get her involved if I can avoid it. "Breakfast is ready!" Kali said from the kitchen. "And Blake, I made your favorite!" She brought in the food. First off, both she and Blake are fast, second, why am I not surprised Blake got some tuna? Several hours passed before Ghira was finished searching through the scroll and putting together what he would say to the people in his announcement a few days from now. After he was done, we all went to meet with the Albains, the results were... Not exactly great. On a side note, I no longer need to lean on Lionheart. As for the confrontation? They lied, blamed Ilia, and said they were disappointed to know she sided with the still M(K)IA Adam. After we returned, Ghira practically stomped his way up to his office after asking me to come with him, handed me a map of Anima with the location of the White Fang, a compass if I needed it, sent copies of the files on the other scroll to mine, and a letter of introduction. To High Leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan At the time you are receiving this letter, you will be meeting with a young boy named Cassiel. I understand your distrust of humans, but I must ask you hear what this boy has to say, as well as look through the files on his scroll, files that we found on the scroll of a traitor who was spying on my household a short time ago. He is a survivor of Beacon, teammate, and close friend of my daughter, Blake. I can assure you he has no ill intent, he has only arrived on your doorstep to discuss the Fall of Beacon, the splinter group, and topics in the files. I can assure you his objective will only benefit the cause, potentially clear the name of the White Fang and it's involvement of Beacon. I ask you, as your predecessor, one who still considers you a friend, and hopes that feeling is mutual, to please at least hear him out. Chieftain of Menagerie, Ghira Belladonna That's a short letter, it should be enough. "I'll be heading out tonight. Better that it's sooner instead of later." "Be careful out there. Even if Sienna won't try anything, that doesn't mean those under her will follow her example." He warned. "I'll be on my guard." I retrieved Adand's weapons before going back down stairs and saw Blake and Kali sitting on the couch, neither looked very happy. I sat next to Blake before pulling her into a hug. "I'll be back soon. As stupid as it might be, I need to speak to the White Fang." "What??!!" She pulled herself away. "There's no way that's going to work!" She said, concerned. "Whether it works or not is irrelevant, fact of the matter is it would be in their best interest. We don't exactly need them, it will just make things easier." "How do you even know they'll speak to you? There's no way they'll even let you inside!" "I have Adam's weapons, that's more than enough reason." I reasoned. "They're more likely to attack you than hear you out, moreso with those." "I'll take my chances. Besides, I can easily escape if necessary." I reached up to her ears and lightly scratched behind them. "I keep my promises if the other person is important to me. I'll be back and this mess will be sorted out." I opened a portal and got off the couch. "I'll be back soon." "Just come back safe, alright?" She asked. I nodded in response before stepping through. Crossing to the otherside, I'm in a bedroom actually. I hear voices from downstairs, who is it? Let's see who I can hear, Ruby, Qrow, I think I hear Jaune, Ren, Nora, definitely Nora, and a new voice. One that sounds like it's two people at once every now and then. I'll leave them to it, I'll deal with the White Fang. They can deal with I'm assuming Maidens and whatever else they need to for now. I jumped out the window and took a look at the map and compass. If the directions Ghira gave were right, the White Fang should be somewhere south, southeast actually of a town called "Kuroyuri". I summoned Nightfall's wingblades and flew up to take a quick look around Mistral. The city definitely looks like something you'd see out of eastern mythology. Aside from Haven Academy, there's not really anything worth taking note of. Looking back down to the map and lining up the compass, I flew in the direction Ghira said I should be able to find the White Fang in. Even while flying, it would still be a while, but I should be there within the hour. Along the way, I encountered no Grimm, kind of strange considering their activity is supposed to be high right now. I saw nothing actually. I saw Kuroyuri and decided to take a detour to it, or what's left of it anyway. I doubt it was bandits, the place looks wrecked, not scorched. Grimm most likely, years ago if the condition of the more intact buildings are anything to go off of. Definitely Grimm, claw marks can be seen on quite a few of the buildings. Deciding I've seen enough, I continued my flight. It didn't take much longer to find the White Fang than it did to reach Kuroyuri. Some Grimm gave it away despite it being a little off course. The guards tried to stop me, but they backed off once I showed them Adam's weapons and told them I'm here to speak with High Leader Khan. One of them mistook me for Adam somehow, that same one opened the door for me and led me to Sienna. I did not think it would be this easy, new guy who only ever saw him once I'm guessing. Still, he was taller, didn't have a keyblade, and wore a different mask. Whatever. He took me to Sienna who upon seeing me was probably more pissed than before. A tiger Faunus then? Or are the stripes all tattoos? "This isn't Adam you fool! Whoever you are, get out of my sight!" She demanded. "Actually, I have business with you, High Leader Sienna Khan." I turned to the idiot. "Give this to her." I handed him the letter. He looked between me and Sienna, not sure of what to do. "Bring it to me." She calmed down quickly. He gave her the letter, she became more noticeably calm immediately after she started reading. I'm guessing she recognized Ghira's handwriting. Before she was done reading, she looked pissed again. "Your name is Cassiel, yes? If it weren't for Ghira vouching for you, I would have had my guards kill you on the spot!" She slammed her fist onto the throne. "Haha! Trust me, you're not the only one who values the life of the cockroach more than the human. And that's coming from a human! But I'm not here to discuss who hates humanity more nor who has suffered more because of humans. No, I'll cut right to the chase. I've come to ask for your help." She looked at me like I was insane. "Why would the White Fang help a human?" She asked like she thought I wasn't paying attention to what came out of my mouth. I unwrapped Adam's weapons and threw them to her. She didn't look happy, but not angry either. "Better reasons than when Adam worked with Roman Torchwick, Cinder Fall, and her master in the days leading up to and during the Fall of Beacon. And unlike the Fall, what I have planned will actually help the Faunus. I don't see it ending with the White Fang dying like him when he thought it was a good idea to release Grimm into the school, nearly kill me, stab Blake Belladonna, and dismember a teammate." I explained. She was shocked for a split second when I mentioned Blake, like she wanted to ask, but chose not to. "You had my mercy with Ghira's letter... Now you have my attention. You killed Adam?" She asked in disbelief. "There's nothing left to bury, unless you want a coffin for his weapons that is." I answered. She shifted on her throne. "He was a symbol among the White Fang, I may not pass judgment on you given the circumstances of his death, but that doesn't mean others won't." She warned. "At first when Blake told me about him a few weeks after classes started, I believed he would become the martyr, the hero that almost single handedly saves the Faunus. Now? I can no longer find it in my heart to show mercy to anyone supporting him, to anyone that might try to avenge him." Her eyes narrowed a little. "You have something you would like me to see, yes?" "Collected from the scroll of a chameleon Faunus named Ilia and copied to mine by Ghira. You'll find the contents quite interesting." She sent one of her guards to retrieve my scroll. "I believe I know who you're referring to." She said as the guard approached me. "Would you believe me if I told you that I had never even seen, much less heard of a Faunus until a few months ago?" Technically true. She looked at me curiously. "Hating my own race, I had hope in the Faunus when I first met one." The guard retrieved my scroll and started walking back to her. "I sympathized with the White Fang. When they worked with Torchwick-" The guard handed her my scroll. I don't know if she was paying attention or not as I continued. "to rob a Schnee Dust shipment, I tried talking them into walking away. When I infiltrated a recruitment rally, I asked them why they wear the masks of monsters as I tried to get them to back out of the White Fang. Any number of those Faunus were killed or arrested when they led Grimm into Vale, any number of them might still be alive and free had they chosen not to allow the masks to replace their faces." She looked between me and my scroll in alarm before anger found it's way back on her face. "He was planning to..." I didn't hear the rest, not that I heard her very well anyway. "Faunus never hurt me until the Fall, they had been nothing but good to me. I saw their actions before as desperate and foolish or simply vengeful which is why I had nothing against Faunus or the White Fang." She handed back my scroll to the guard and ordered him to return it. "As I said to the Albain brothers in Menagerie; if the White Fang wasn't already a terrorist organization, it's certainly the most wanted now because of Adam." My scroll was returned to me. "Neither of us may care for the human lives lost, we can both agree that the Faunus lives lost were tragic, and we can also agree that the Fall did anything but benefit your cause, it did nothing but paint a target on the backs of Faunus everywhere, or the White Fang at least." She raised her hand and lowered it. "I heard everything you said as I took a quick look through the files on your scroll. Why did you come here again?" She asked. "To ask for your help and truly benefit both of us." I answered. "Aside from Ilia and after seeing your face upon seeing the files, it's basically confirmed that the Albains are also traitors. If Adam's followers carry as much of his will and plans as I'm hoping they don't, a lot of people might be in danger. After he nearly killed me at Beacon, I heard him say to Blake that he would destroy everything she loved. It's safe to assume Ghira and Kali are on that list. You might still be in danger as well, same goes for Haven." "How do I know for certain what's on your scroll is true? You could have easily made those yourself." Still doesn't trust my intentions. I summoned Nightfall to open a portal. "This is connected to Blake, and can take us both to Menagerie. Ghira and Kali can vouch for me on the authenticity of those files considering I was gone for not even three minutes, that's not enough time to get a second scroll in the middle of the night that doesn't look new and make up those files." I closed the portal and desummoned Nightfall. "You don't trust me, but you trust the Belladonnas, right?" I asked. "*sigh* As soft as they are, I've always admired them." I'll take that as a yes. "Look at it this way. If those files are true, that means I saved your life, pointed out the splinter group the Albains said you were suspicious of, and revealed the plans to attack Haven, something I'm sure you wouldn't have approved of." "..." She placed a hand over her face. "I've come to ask for your help in protecting the Belladonnas and to protect Haven, to hopefully prove that Adam's attack against Beacon was his and his alone! Best case scenario, they try to attack both and are stopped by the true White Fang which hopefully gets you removed from the most wanted lists across the globe. Worst case scenario, they try nothing, and all I did was waste your time. There is one other matter I would like to speak of." Now is when I try to turn the White Fang against Salem I thought as the doors slammed open again. A dark haired man wearing mostly green and black walked in. "What is this?!" Sienna stood up, her guards pointed their weapons at him. "Apologies, I don't aim to cause any trouble." He tried to talk them down. Sienna looked at me. "Did you bring another human here?" She asked, almost accusingly. I pointed Lionheart at him. "I don't know who he is, but I don't trust him anymore than you do." I answered. The man looked at me as I backed away so he couldn't lunge at me. "You don't want to do this, boy." He warned before turning to Sienna. "Nobody needs to die today." He kneeled. "I'm just asking for a moment of your time." "Like the boy here? He has my consideration. You on the other hand just walked in here unannounced and are seeking an audience with me?" "I'm here because Adam arranged the meeting." I shot his arm, but his aura was active. "So you were working with him then? You're a little too late in your arrival. Sorry to say, but I killed him." I resummoned Nightfall. "I didn't think I'd run into another one of Cinder's, maybe even Salem's pets so soon, but I'm so glad I did!" "You killed Adam?" He asked as he stood back up. "His weapon's at the High Leader's feet." He looked between me and Nightfall after he saw Adam's weapons. "As I said, nobody needs to die today. Back off now before it's too late, you don't know what you're getting into." He warned again. "You're here to do the exact opposite of what I came to do, and you're not denying your affiliation with Her or Cinder who most likely wants me dead anyway after Beacon. I'll have to go with no!" He cracked his neck. "I'm assuming your name is Cassiel?" He asked as he reached into some pouches on his belt. "Let me guess, she does want me dead, or does Salem have business with me?" I answered with a question of my own. "Tyrian was supposed to capture you, though She won't mind if I do instead." He pulled yellow Dust crystals out of the pouches. Sienna looked between the two of us in confusion before looking like she made a decision and drew a bladed whip from her side. "I don't know who this 'Salem' is, but so far I have no reason to believe your master's desires align with what the I or the White Fang want. Leave this place, or you'll be executed on the spot!" She gave him an ultimatum. "I can't do that, ma'am." He gripped the Dust tightly. "He's too dangerous to let live anyway! He would see the Fall happen to Haven, and that's not even the start! If we kill him here, we can continue our business, then I'll answer every question you have until I return to Menagerie and I'll explain everything I know regarding his partners and his master." I offered Sienna. She gripped her weapon and let the rest fall to the ground. "I'll be holding you to that." She dismissed her guards. "*sigh* She won't be happy about this..." He inhaled deeply before stabbing the Dust into his arms and screaming. Lightning coursing through his arms, that's a berserker if I've ever seen one. Yang? You might have nothing on him. Actually, that's a fight I'd like to see if it didn't mean she could die. The girl who gets stronger the more damage she takes versus the guy who from the looks of it is either insane and pain is an old friend, or he embodies pain being "weakness leaving the body". On second thought, does he ignore pain? I'll have to test that.