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Breathe Chapter 62: Night and Day
🕑 Added 2025-05-26 04:38:31 +0000 UTCAfter a short trip through the forest that was spent contemplating what to say, Blake finally decided on what she’d tell the others concerning her history with the White Fang that Weiss was now privy to. The short answer… Everything.
Well, not everything. She did hold back on a few things, but she did also go into detail with her time in the White Fang, her mentorship under Adam Taurus and the reason why she left…
“… When I saw that he was going to kill the passengers, I just… Left,” Blake exhaled. “I couldn’t keep deluding myself anymore. The White Fang was originally created to fight for the rights of all Faunus, but… In the end, they became what they hated. So instead I chose to become a Huntress in an effort to aspire to be something more than I was and to try and make up for the part I played in the White Fang.”
Keeping her eyes glued to the floor, her ears shuddered anxiously as she waited for her friend’s reactions.
“So that’s why your bow twitched whenever we were in Oobleck’s class,” Yang hummed in a singsong tone. “Even with four ears, you weren’t able to keep up with him.”
“What?” Blake muttered looking up towards Yang who was grinning.
“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, Blake, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”
“Oh for the love of,” Weiss sighed. “Is that really all you can think to say? Poorly made cat puns?”
“No need to throw a hissy fit, Weiss,” Yang said, making Weiss slap her palm to her forehead. “I’m just trying to ease the tension a little.”
“I… You… Fine,” Weiss surrendered, drawing a smirk from said blonde and a small giggle from their team leader.
Things couldn’t actually be going this smoothly… Could they? She’d just admitted to being a former member of the White Fang, an organization that was reviled by both humans and Faunus alike… Well, most Faunus.
They should be disturbed… Angry… Upset that one of their teammates had been lying to them and yet… They were treating it like it was no big deal. Yang even managed to find humor in it.
“You doing alright there, Blake?” Yang asked. “You’ve kind of seemed a little out of it.”
“I just thought that this would seem like a bigger deal,” Blake murmured.
“I suppose I can see that,” Yang nodded. “But we have just already spent a semester together. If you’d told us this back when we just met, I probably would have had more to say, but, whether you’re a Faunus or a Human, you’re still Blake to us. Besides there are bigger things out there that make the White Fang seem kind of… Trivial.”
She could kind of see that. There was still that man… Hazel, who tried to set an Ancient Grimm loose on Mistral… And she had also learnt that Coal’s strength was teachable. Those two things alone outshone the White Fang.
“And you all feel this way?”
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have chased after you in that forest,” Weiss deadpanned.
“Well, yeah,” Ruby nodded. “We’re like a gang. Once you’re in, there's no getting out. Team RWBY for life.”
“…Maybe a little less ominous next time, sis,” Yang commented.
Blake smiled softly at that. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, we’re just awesome like that,” Yang grinned. “Now, you think you two could tell us where you were able to get such a fancy paint job out here in the middle of nowhere?” Her gaze set on Blake and Weiss’ weapons. “Momma needs a little colour in her life.”
…Breathe…
Standing on the lakes shoreline as the sun began to set, I stared into the murky water, waiting for something… Anything to happen. Sadly, unlike the Grimm I briefly faced in the Forest, whatever lurked beneath the still waters was completely uninterested in me.
From what Blake and Weiss told me about the Grimm, it seemed to prey on their fears and insecurities, even going as far as to take the forms of Adam and Willow.
Two people that the Grimm had no way of knowing without somehow reading their minds, something it would struggle to do with me thanks to the Iron Mind Status effect, making it all the harder to lure this thing out. If anything, I was going to have to be a little more direct with this Grimm.
Unfortunately, that was going to have to wait for tomorrow. There was an hour of light left at best and I’d rather not get into a drawn out fight in the dead of night with another Grimm skulking in the forest.
Feeling a pair of arms loop around me, Pyrrha’s smiling face popped over my shoulder. This was an… Interesting position.
“Still nothing?”
“No,” I sighed. “It seems that whatever’s down there doesn’t want me.”
“Oh… Well I wouldn’t take it too hard,” Pyrrha hummed happily. “Perhaps it’s a coincidence and you just missed it. If not, well, I’m certain it’ll come around once it gets to know you.”
That just made it sound like I wanted to date it. Blinking, I turned towards Pyrrha who was smiling mischievously. Oh, she was messing with me.
“You know…” Slipping out of Pyrrha’s grip, I ducked behind her and picked her up. “The lake might have a Grimm, but that waterfall seems pretty safe. Maybe I should take a quick walk through it… See how cold the water is,” I threatened, taking a step towards it.
“I give,” Pyrrha laughed. “Although I would love to see them up close, I’m afraid we don’t have the time. Winter’s planning on locking down the Airship before it gets dark. I actually came to call you back.”
Oh… I suppose it couldn’t hurt to be a little more cautious. The Grimm had proven to be far more intelligent than normal… And they were aware of our presence now.
“I guess I should head back then.” Turning, I walked up the hill while Pyrrha snuggled into my chest, smiling contently.
Heading back to our room in order to look for Winter, I stepped through the door and immediately tripped, landing flat on the surprisingly soft floor with my face squished against Pyrrha’s toned stomach, getting her to let out a short squeak.
“Okay, what?” I asked, looking up.
“Oh, hey Coal,” Ruby greeted cheerfully. “Winter said that she wants us all to stay in the same room until we deal with the Grimm, so I guess we’re having a sleepover.”
Okay, I suppose that explained the mattresses on the floor… And three members of Team RWBY occupying the room, but where was Winter and Weiss?
“Um… Could you please get off me,” Weiss asked from beneath my body, her face burning a bright red.
“Ah, Coal, there you are,” Winter hummed, stepping into the room. “And I see you’ve found the rest of Team RWBY… Although, where is Weiss?”
“Never mind. Just kill me and get it over with,” Weiss murmured, her face clutched in her hands.
Yang began to laugh.
…Breathe…
A few hours passed and I found myself sitting on the pushed together mattresses with everyone, all of us having changed into our sleeping clothes. Nothing too out of the ordinary… Although, I was pretty sure that Weiss was using one of my hoodies.
“So,” Yang hummed, smirking mischievously. “How about we all play a little game?” She asked. “Might I suggest… Spin the bottle… Or perhaps a good old game of strip poke–“
“How about something else?!” Weiss burst out, her face flushed a little red.
“Yeah, you’re right. That does sound a little boring. I suppose we could always watch a movie,” Yang mused. “I do have the sequel to Monday the 12th… December the 32nd.”
“Or we could do something else,” Ruby suggested. “Maybe we could tell each other stories.” Looking around desperately, her eyes landed on me. “Do you have any more stories like that one you told about Pandora?”
Seeing everyone’s gaze turn towards me, I hummed softly. “I suppose I could tell you all another story… I do know more than a few. There’s always the ‘Birth of Evil’ or maybe the…” I trailed off, looking around, I spotted Pyrrha watching intensely. “Actually, I think the story of the Flame Hashira might be a good one for tonight.”
“Flame Hashira?” Pyrrha murmured softly.
“Hashira is the highest rank of the Demon Slayer Corps,” I explained. “Let me start from the beginning. This is the story of a man by the name of Kyojuro Rengoku and his impact on those around him…”
…Breathe…
“…Sustaining a fatal wound, he recalled a time when he was young and he talked to his mother. Her words echoing through his head. Lashing out with one final attack, his sword pierced through the demon's neck. His final effort to bring it down with him.”
“Yes,” Ruby whispered, pumping her fist.
Smiling at that, I continued. “The demon, noticing that the sun was coming up, attempted to flee, but he couldn’t pull his arm free from Rengoku’s chest. Struggling, the two fought to kill one another and then, in his final moments, the demon managed to break free, snapping the sword in his neck and tearing his own arm off. He fled into the woods, looking for a place where he could wait out the day.”
“No,” Ruby whined.
“Wait, that can’t be it,” Yang argued. “He fought so hard and even gave his life, just to lose. That’s so messed up.”
“I agree,” Blake murmured softly.
“The story’s not over though,” Weiss said. “Maybe it takes a better turn.”
Coughing lightly, I continued. “As the demon took off into the woods, Tanjiro rushed forward and threw his sword, stabbing him in the back. He taunted him, calling him a coward and stated that this was Rengoku’s victory. That he was the loser. Smiling, Rengoku asked Tanjiro to stop and sit with him one last time. If he pushed himself too hard, he would die and then Rengoku truly would be the loser.”
“So he’s really going to die?” Ruby asked softly. “Isn’t there something that he could do?”
“Not exactly, his wounds are too severe,” I answered. “In his final moments, he talks with Tanjiro, giving him a message to give to his father and brother. He also goes on to say that he accepts Tanjiro’s sister as a member of the demon slayer corps. He tells them to hold their heads high with pride and to become the next Hashira. In his final moments, he notices a glimmer appear over Tanjiro’s shoulder… His mother had come to see him, smiling proudly at the man he had become.”
“…Damn,” Yang muttered, turning away. “You’re hitting me right in the feelings with this one.”
“Sorry about that,” I hummed. Maybe this wasn’t the best story to tell before bed. “To end the story, Rengoku dies with a childlike smile on his face. Full confidence in those he was entrusting the future to. His death lit a flame in the hearts of those whose lives he had touched. His final victory was that, throughout everything that had happened on the train, not a single person had died.”
“A good death,” Winter piped in. “He did his job well.”
“It is an unfortunate end for him though,” Weiss said. “I think I would have liked to see more of him.”
“Yeah,” Blake murmured.
With the story finished, the evening had come to an end and everyone began climbing into bed. Slipping under the blankets beside Pyrrha, Winter glanced at the four on the floor, before climbing under with me, cuddling into my side.
Yawning, Yang snuggled into her blanket. “I don’t think I’ll ever get to slee–“ She trailed off into a snore.
Ruby could only shake her head in amusement. “Goodnight everyone.”
Saying goodnight along with everyone, I pulled Pyrrha and Winter closer before closing my eyes. No matter what, no one here would ever have to go through anything like Rengoku. I would make sure of that.
...Breathe…
Hearing a soft beeping noise, I slowly opened my eyes to the darkness of the Room. Taking a moment to look around, I found Pyrrha’s head resting on my chest as she snored lightly while Winter was on my other side, using my arm as a makeshift pillow while she cuddled into my side.
“Gah, why can’t I remember that stupid code?! It’s only four digits.”
Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I noticed that, out of the four beds on the floor, only three of them were occupied. Sighing softly, I relaxed my body and slipped out of Pyrrha and Winter’s embrace, doing my best to not wake them.
Climbing out of bed, I carefully made my way over the mattresses before silently making my way towards the door.
“There was a seven in there somewhere… I think,” Ruby muttered softly, her figure lit up by the dim light of her Scroll. “But where exactly was it?”
“I got it,” I hummed, typing in the code, the door hissed open.
“Thanks, I was really struggling with… GA–“
Covering her mouth, I glanced towards the other occupants of the room and found that they were still asleep. Sighing, I turned towards Ruby once more. “Softly. We don’t want to wake anyone else up.”
“Sorry,” Ruby apologized, rubbing the back of her head. “I just got a bit of a fright. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No,” I lied. “So why were you trying to unlock the room?”
Blinking, her eyes widened. “Right, I needed to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
Watching as she took off down the corridor in a silent sprint, I sighed and followed after her. The door to the bedroom sealing shut behind us.
With the entire Airship locked down, all rooms had been sealed… Even the bathroom. It was a protocol that ensured that, should a Grimm manage to come aboard, it wouldn’t be able to move about the ship freely. It wasn’t perfect, but it would hold out for some time, giving enough prior warning should anything happen.
Rushing back, Ruby stopped in front of me. “Coal, I need your help!” She whispered harshly. “The doors won’t open and I really need to go!”
“I was trying to tell you that,” I replied. Heading to the bathroom, I punched in the code, unlocking the door. “Everything in this ship is automatically locked down and that lock–“
“I promise I’ll listen afterwards, but I really gotta go!” Ruby said, dashing into the room.
Right… I guess it really was urgent then. I was just going to say that, without the passcode, Ruby would have been locked out in the hallway until morning.
Waiting for a few moments by the bathroom door, ensuring that it didn’t lock itself, the door finally slid open with a far less urgent Ruby stepping out.
“Phew, I really needed that,” Ruby muttered. “Thanks for the help. Do me a favor though… Don’t mention this to Yang, alright?”
“My lips are sealed,” I hummed.
“Awesome. Thanks,” Ruby smiled. “So, I guess we should head back to bed. What time is it anyway?”
That was a good question, one that was answered easily enough by checking a Scroll or, by looking out the window.
Pulling back the metal blinds that further reinforced the window, I looked outside to see that it was still pretty dark. The shattered moon hung on one horizon while on the other, day was beginning to break. I guess it was later than I thought.
“Ooh, that looks really cool,” Ruby murmured, peeking through the window next to me. “I’m never really up this late… Or early… I don’t really see things like this is what I’m saying.”
“I get it,” I chuckled softly. “A lot of interesting things happen when people are asleep. Most people never really bother to watch the sunrise because it’s at an inconvenient time, but it is beautiful… Glowing brightly on the horizon, giving out light and warmth freely.”
Humming in agreement, Ruby turned her gaze towards the other end of the spectrum. “The moon’s really pretty too. From this angle, it almost looks whole… Unbroken even. I wonder what it would be like to see it on the horizon before it shattered.”
“Probably about the same it is now, just bigger,” I said, glancing towards her. “But its shattered appearance does have a certain charm to it. There’s an old art of repairing broken things using gold, the idea being that a broken thing can be even more beautiful than when it was whole. I think the moon could be a lot like that.”
“That sounds nice,” Ruby hummed. “But how would we even get up there to fix it?”
Letting out a snort of laughter at that, I grabbed her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go see if we can get a few more hours of sleep before getting up.”
“Sounds like a plan,” She said, yawning tiredly. “I just…”
I just?
Turning towards her, Ruby’s face had gone completely pale as she stared outside. Moving towards the window, she pulled the blinds open further and stared outside, her breathing beginning to pick up.
“Ruby, what’s… Shit!” Looking outside, I felt my heart drop. There, standing on the edge of the lake, stepping into the murky water was Yang, her back turned to us.
“YANG!”
Tearing my sword out of my Inventory, I was prepared to cut a hole straight through the side of my ship in order to save time, before pausing. This ship was still on lockdown and although Winter had given the codes needed in order to move around freely, she hadn’t given the ones that would allow a person to leave.
Yang couldn’t be outside.
“We have to help her!” Ruby said, panicked. “That thing, it’s probably got her in a trance or something!”
“We will, but first we need to check something,” I said.
“What, but–“
“Ruby, please trust me with this,” I hummed. “I promise that I’ll keep you all safe. Now come with me. We need to confirm that Yang really is outside.”
“But… But we saw her.”
Rushing back towards the room, I punched in the code and turned on the lights, revealing the room just as I’d left it. Weiss, Blake and Yang all slept soundly on their beds while Pyrrha and Winter, in my absence, had shifted closer and were spooning.
“I… Yang?” Ruby asked, staring down at her sister.
“Ruby?” Yang muttered, staring up hazily. “What time is it? Why’s the light on?”
Looking around, it seemed that Pyrrha was the only one still asleep.
Winter, now completely awake, sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Looking between Ruby who was still a bit shaken up and me, she raised an eyebrow. “What’s the situation?”
It was pretty impressive how quickly Winter was able to switch from asleep to lucid. “The lake Grimm’s outside,” I answered, pointing a thumb over my shoulder. “It took Yang’s form and tried to lure Ruby and myself out.”
“Wait, what?!” Sitting up, Yang was suddenly a lot more awake. “That thing tried to… Oh, it’s so dead,” She growled. Getting out of bed, she stormed towards the door, stopping only to unlock it. “Just give me a minute to get dressed and I’ll tear it a new asshole.”
Well, I guess we weren’t getting any more sleep this morning… We may as well kill a Grimm while we’re up. “You three should probably go get dressed,” I hummed. “We’re going to start a little earlier today.”
“I was kind of hoping to get a little more sleep,” Ruby said offhandedly. “But fighting some unknown Grimm in the morning does sound pretty cool.” Bounding towards the door, she paused. “Um. What was that code again?”
Sighing, Weiss rose groggily. “I’ll handle it. Are you coming, Blake?”
“Ugh… Fine,” Blake groaned. Rising, she tiredly followed her teammates to their original room, back where all their stuff was.
Now comes the hard part… Waking Pyrrha up. Turning to said slumbering redhead, my gaze was instead drawn towards Winter who was in the middle of getting changed. Her pajama shirt unbuttoned, hanging loosely on her frame while she held a bra in her hand.
Following my gaze, Winter looked down at her loosely hanging shirt and quirked an amused eyebrow.
“Sorry, got a little distracted,” I muttered, forcefully turning my attention towards Pyrrha.
…Breathe…
After a few minutes of getting dressed, I found myself standing by the lakeside along with Team RWBY, Winter and a now awake Pyrrha. The inky black surface of the lake reflecting the dim morning light revealing that the Grimm was nowhere to be seen.
That, however, didn’t mean that it wasn’t still here. There was still evidence of it being in the area. A black, oily like substance leading into the water, a stream of bubbles a little off shore releasing a rotting smell.
“So, how exactly are we going to do this?” Yang asked, cocking her gauntlets.
That was a good question. We couldn’t exactly kill the Grimm if it refused to show itself… Well, not without carpet bombing the lake and even then it wouldn’t guarantee its death... If anything, it might just send it into hiding.
Sighing, I shrugged my cloak off, before pulling my shirt over my head. I seriously hate underwater Grimm. They always made things that much more complicated.
“Coal?” Pyrrha said worriedly.
“It’s not going to come out unless one of us wanders into its trap,” I hummed, shoving my clothes in my Inventory. “And since I’d never ask for any of you to be bait, I’ll be the one drawing it out.”
“Woah now. I know it’s a little rich coming from me, but don’t you think you’re being a little reckless?” Yang asked. “There has to be a better way to draw it out.”
“None that guarantees its death,” I said, shaking my head.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I could always do what I’d done back in the Chill infested town and simply cut through the lake, but then I’d simply be handling the threat entirely on my own. Taking away a chance for the team to grow stronger.
Stepping into the water, I sighed as my pants were muddied by the lake water. If I’d known there would be a Grimm living in a lake, I would have brought a pair of shorts.
A few steps further and the water was above my waist. Stopping a few short feet from the bubbles, I felt something brush against my leg, before loosely wrapping around it.
…
Ping!
Iron Mind has resisted Gentle Probe
Iron Soul has resisted Aura Drain
…
Well, it wasn’t as bad as the thing that lived in the forest, but two effects were still pretty bad… Especially those last two, they seemed to be the most problematic.
“So that’s your deal,” I murmured. “You lure people to your lake, feed on their Aura. And then kill them Unfortunately for you, it won’t be that easy with me.”
Feeling a hand press against my chest, black frothy bubbles burst to the water’s surface, accompanied by a Grimm-like feminine figure that lacked any real features. Wrapping an arm around my neck, it pulled itself closer, seeming like it was planning on kissing me, despite lacking a mouth.
Cooing softly, it tried to pull me under the water.
“Yeah, not happening.” Lashing out, I gripped its neck, keeping it at a distance while examining its body. Looking beneath the water, I found myself staring at a long black appendage that was attached to the Grimm, disappearing into deeper waters. “I see now. This is just a small portion of your actual body… A limb.”
Flinging the figure over my back, I grabbed the tendril that was attached to it and stepped backwards, slowly dragging it towards the shore.
Reaching the shallows, I grunted and leaned back, my feet slipping a little as the Grimm actively fought against me, the feminine figure attached to the end of the tendril let out a loud shriek, thrashing in an attempt to free itself.
Struggling to get a proper footing, I slid a little forward, only to suddenly stop when a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back.
“Don’t think that you… Get to have… All the fun,” Yang grunted, struggling to keep a grip on me.
Seeing a black glyph form beneath my feet, I shot a glance back to see Weiss pointing her Rapier pointed in our direction.
The others didn’t stand idle either. Blake had managed to wrap her weapon around the feminine portion of the Grimm and was actively pulling it out with Ruby assisting her.
Winter, having summoned an entire pack of Beowolves, had them rush into the water and grab the tendril, forcefully dragging the Grimm out of the water.
Feeling my sword pull back, I caught Pyrrha’s eye as she helped drag everyone back with her Semblance.
Straining, I stepped back on dry land with Yang. Feeling the tendril grow slack, I was briefly worried that the Grimm severed the limb in an attempt to break free, only to see a wave of water rushing towards us… A pair of large, hateful red eyes glaring from the water.
Giving one final heave, I released the tendril and grabbed Yang before jumping backwards, putting some distance between us and the lake as the Grimm approached.
As the wave hit Winter’s summoned Grimm, an almost spider-like body burst forth, impaling them on its gnarled horns as it rushed towards the surface, six limbs carrying it forward.
“What the heck is that thing?!” Yang muttered.
“One of the Grimm that we were sent here to kill,” I answered.
“You don’t say,” Yang deadpanned.
Smirking, I turned my sight towards the Grimm as it lumbered out of the water, the tendril that we’d all been pulling appearing to be its tail. Whipping it backwards, it managed to free itself from Blake’s weapon, but not before cutting itself.
Letting out a frustrated hiss, its gaze washed over us as it decided what to do. Turning towards Blake who tugged on the ribbon attached to her weapon, it charged forward, moving far faster than it had in the water.
Taking a breath, I launched myself forward, knocking the Grimm off course as I collided with its side. Seeing its tail whip towards me, I grabbed my blade, ready to cut through it, only for Yang to intercept it, holding the end at bay with her gauntlets.
Grunting under the Grimm’s weight, Yang clenched her fists tightly. Letting out a roar, her hair briefly lit up and she pushed the Grimm backwards, cutting deep gouges in its flesh with a trio of blades that emerged from her gauntlets.
Blatantly staring at the claw like blades on Yang’s gauntlets, I blinked when I felt the Grimm begin to tremble beneath me. Right, we still had to deal with it.
I jumped down just as the Grimm let out a pained shriek. Grabbing Yang, I took off towards her team. Pyrrha and Winter stood in the distance, forming a small perimeter with a small army of summoned Grimm.
“Oh, hey guys,” Yang said as we stopped in front of her team. “Lovely morning we’ve been having.”
Weiss simply palmed her face at that while Blake let out an exasperated sigh. As for her sister, she appeared to be stuck between amused and annoyed.
Shaking her head, Ruby turned her sights towards the Grimm as it thrashed around in pain, its tail slowly regenerating. “That thing must be pretty sensitive if it’s acting like that after being cut,” She noted. “I bet that if we sever it, it’ll make the Grimm a lot easier to deal with… What do you think?” Ruby asked, turning towards me.
“It could work,” I hummed, rubbing my chin. “But what’s your plan for the main body?”
“The same thing with that Mutant Deathstalker,” She shrugged. “Take out its limbs and land a killing blow.”
It was a fairly simple plan, but that just meant there were less things that could go wrong with it. “That could work,” I nodded. “I’ll be following your lead on this, so… How do you want to do this?”
If any of them were in actual danger of dying, I’d kill it, but as for now, I was happy to let them figure out how they’d handle the Grimm.
Narrowing her eyes, Ruby hummed softly. “Weiss, I need you to restrain it with your Glyphs. Blake, Coal, take out the legs. Yang and I will take care of the tail.”
Nodding, Weiss summoned a black Glyph just below the Grimm, keeping it from being able to leave… And right on time too as it seemed to finally get a hold of itself.
Grunting, Weiss took a knee. “Hurry, I can’t hold it for long.”
Not needing to be told twice, I took off with the three others. Yang and Ruby split off, circling around to handle the Grimm’s tail while Blake and I took a more direct path.
Turning my attention to said Faunus, I noticed that her movements had become smoother and more focused. It seemed that she’d gotten the basics of using Mist Breathing down.
Passing by the Grimm, I took a breath and cut through one of its legs. Keeping pace with Blake, I passed around it, before moving in for the next cut, hacking through the next leg.
“YANG!”
Turning my attention towards Yang and Ruby, I found Ruby standing on her own staring up, Yang having been flung high into the air by the whip-like tail.
Before we could make a third and final pass, Weiss’ Glyph finally broke, freeing the Grimm. Falling to the ground, the Grimm backtracked with its last two legs. Forcing itself to stand, it let out a hiss, its tail circling around itself protectively, ready to lash out at the next person that got near it.
With an angry yell, Ruby rushed forward, her Scythe held behind her as she rushed forward. Nearing the Grimm, she burst into a volley of rose petals, avoiding its tail. Bringing her Scythe down with the intent of slicing the tail in two, it suddenly took on Yang’s form, forcing her to stop.
“You wouldn’t hurt me, would you Ruby?” The image of a severely wounded Yang asked. “No, you wouldn’t do it again. You’re not going to fail us, right?”
“Yang, I…”
“GET AWAY FROM HER!” Yang snarled, her claws slicing through her false self before taking a crouched stance. “You alright there, sis?”
“I’m fine,” Ruby muttered, rubbing her face. “Stupid thing just got in my head.”
“Then let’s get in its head,” Yang said, her Gauntlets gleaming in the morning light. “The old fashioned way if you catch my drift.”
“Yeah.”
Taking a breath, the siblings disappeared in a blur of speed, both heading for the Grimm. Going low, Ruby spun her Scythe in her hands, cleaving through the Grimms lower body.
Yang, going high, passed by its head. Lashing out with her claws, she sliced through it before landing behind it, beside her sister.
Wobbling a little as its wounds began to crumble, the Grimm fell forward, its body beginning to evaporate.
Watching all of this from a distance, I noticed that their weapons began to change colour.
…
Ping!
…
Yeah, I really didn’t need my Semblance to tell me what their Breathing Styles were. Ruby’s Scythe began to turn a light purple as crescent shapes grew across it, not dissimilar from a crescent moon.
As for Yang’s Gauntlets, extremely familiar black flame marks stretched across them, similar to my very own sword.
“Who would have thought that another pair of siblings would be wielding Sun and Moon Breathing again,” I muttered softly.
Turning my gaze towards the Grimm, I watched it as the thing finished breaking down. One Grimm down. One more left to go.
Comments
SkulduggeryHaven
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, their Breathing Styles are going to be interesting to write, especially how they interact with one another. Although Rengoku wasn't with us for long, he definitely had a lasting effect on everyone he interacted with. Both on the characters and those watching the show.
Radiant Tiefling
Thank you for the chapter. Yang’s Sun techniques will need to be modified but it will be interesting to see. The Moon style for Ruby will sure be interesting to watch. The story of our beloved Flame Hashira was sure touching, rest in peace.
HunterWithPatience
Just wanna make this known, this took me like an hour and a half to research and write. I don't know if that's considered fast or not. All I know is that I put 150% of my effort into this. (And after re reading it, I realized I forgot it's physical description (fuuuuuuuiuuuuck))
HunterWithPatience
Grimm name: Lurymara. This grimm is extremely dangerous, the Lurymara is able to probe its preys memories and then use use those memories to lure it's prey or use them to directly mentally attack them by useing them in nightmarish or depressing ways to cause their prey to break down mentally, or they can use them against its prey by causing panic attacks by uses memories that scare their prey. This grimm, similar to another grimm only has been documented once in history, but unlike the other grimm that shares this level of number of documentations, the single documented appearance of this grimm is highly detailed. A man of unknown origin and a similar unknown name, many of years before the great war, he found this species of grimm in a lake in the continent of Anima, for reasons unknown, he became obsessed with this grimm, while also being immune to its mind reading effects, the man then built a small hut with about the same amount of room as a modern day personal transport bullhead, he then watched the lake day and night watching and writing about this grimm constantly, it has been recorded that this man watched this grimm take 37 lives over the 20 years he watched this grimm, and wrote down every detail on how every person was lured, scared, and devoured. (Lury: deprived from the word lure (obviously) and Mara: derived from Scandinavian and Baltic folklore, in Norse mythology, Mara is a female entity or spirit believed to cause nightmares. And in Baltic folklore "Mara" or similar entities are also linked to night spirits or demons that bring fear and trouble during sleep.
SkulduggeryHaven
That's definitely what I'm going for with Ruby. Moon Breathing is all about attack and defense, often focused on a crescent arc and I think that suits her scythe almost perfectly. As for Yang, I did think about giving her another Breathing Style, maybe something like Sound, Flame or Love, but Sun seems to suit her character pretty well... It also gives her a stronger connection to Coal. It also helps that in her song, Armed and Ready, she's described as the golden one 'Who burns just like the sun.'
Phanthom Fox 12
Ahhh the story of the Flame Hashira, a classic and wow, Sun and Moon, I was surprised that's what you went with, Ruby's style of fighting might be enhanced if she can incorporate the silver eye energy into the blade of her scythe, while Yang's body is probably strong enough to take the strain of Sun Breathing but in order to use it correctly... Yikes
