Chapter 6: The Black List, the Grey Spirit and the Enemies of All Life
-= Inbetween Worlds. Akashi Library. Main Hall =-.
The two six-foot metal flaps swung open, and a man in a cloak entered the hall with quick strides. He wore a hood on his head that completely hid his face. Two hexagrams glowed purple in the shadow of the hood.
- LIBRARIAN! - The man shouted angrily. - LIBRARIAN! WHAT. YOU. HAVE YOU?!
A golden silhouette materialized in front of the man, a hundred eyes now staring at the incoming man with interest.
- Well hello Zeref, why are you so angry? - The Librarian's hundreds of eyes began to change into mouths. - And what have I 'done' so far?
- Don't play dumb! You know exactly what I'm talking about! - Zeref almost growled. - You took into our ranks a soul from the BLACK LIST!
- It wasn't me. - The Librarian replied, hundreds of mouths beginning to turn into grins.
- What? Are you saying that..." Zeref continued.
- Yes. I took him into our ranks. - A cold voice interrupted the man.
A girl with a slender build appeared next to the Librarian. She looked to be about eighteen years old, her head adorned with snow-white hair and a similar crown of flashes of light. Her features were sharp, and a soft pale light was emitted from her pupilless white eyes. She was dressed in a loose black dress, with four books tied to a chain at her waist, which floated beside the girl.
- Akasha... It can't be... You honour the laws more than anyone else! - The man exclaimed in a huff. - You know very well what you are blacklisted for...
- He was gray. - the girl replied simply.
- What are you talking about, he couldn't have been grey! This last millennium has clearly not been good for you..." replied Zeref wearily. - Now you've put all your guards at risk...
- HE. WAS. GRAY. - answered Akasha in an icy voice. - And the Curse of Tragic Destiny and the Curse of Tragic Death had also been put on him.
- Librarian, is that... is that true? - In disbelief Zeref asked.
- Yes, keep the memories. - Librarian grinned even harder.
- So it is true... What madmen... For every one of these curses you are dissolved by the Universe itself! And that of the High Gods... Madmen..." Zeref called for a chair and sat down tiredly in it. - How... How old is his soul?
- He is... He is Ancient..." Akasha answered quietly.
- Unthinkable... How long has he been tormented? He is also Grey... Has done good and bad deeds in equal numbers... Why is his soul still not black?.. How could he do good deeds with such curses? - Zeref muttered quietly. - The more good you do with the Curse of Tragic Destiny the more bad things will come out of it... And the Curse of Tragic Death? It prevents you from dying an ordinary death! All deaths are unusually painful and black...
- Zeref! Zeref! - Akasha called out to him.
- А? Yes? You were calling my name, I'm sorry, I just can't wrap my head around what I just heard. - With a sigh Zeref answered.
- I had joined our souls together. - Akasha replied and looked into Zeref's eyes.
Zeref choked on the air, then grabbed his head with his hands and started mooing softly.
- Why! Why did you do it, now you're cursed too! Akasha, tell me for...
- He was able to break the curse. - Akasha interrupted him.
Zeref stared at her with unblinking eyes and said in an orderly tone:
- Tell me.
- I purposely started creating situations for him to test his psyche. Of course, I couldn't influence the world or Artorias. Only through the system could I create these situations. - Akasha began her story. - You know what I was trying to do, don't you?
- You wanted to strengthen his soul..." Zeref began to reason. - ...And the stronger your soul, the stronger the curse will resist... Especially since your souls are joined, which means that the curse will take effect sooner... The tragic death curse will seek an adversary who will destroy your most precious possessions and then kill you too... But the adversary cannot be more than fifty times stronger... How old was he when the curse was activated?
- Five. - Akasha answered with a sad smile.
- Five years... Let me guess - you nullified the curse of tragic fate by placing his soul in a good and strong family and... And the curse just didn't have time to take effect. - concluded Zeref. - Librarian, do you have any memories of his battle?
- Of course I do. Here. - The Librarian gestured with his hand.
Zeref looked at the memories and asked Akasha earnestly:
- Sister, I have two questions: why did you decide to help him and what was the likelihood of success?
- I... I noticed someone had entered the domain and decided to take a look at the stranger. What was my surprise when I saw him. The gray soul from the Blacklist... I decided to watch his memories, *sob*," Tears came from Akashi's eyes. - You should have seen how much pain and suffering he went through... Despite everything, he protected the people close to him and always helped if they needed help. And when they stabbed him in the back, *sob*... He accepted and forgave them. That's why he's white. But with his enemies he was extremely cruel. He always destroyed everything they loved or valued, if suddenly one of them raised his hand on what he considered his own, and his own he considered the people close to him. That is why he is black. So it lasted from rebirth to rebirth... That is why he is grey.
Zeref sighed heavily, and Akasha continued:
- I felt madly sorry for him, no soul deserves such a thing... So I decided to go for it. - Her voice was fading, and by the end of the speech it was almost inaudible. - The chance... The chance of success was less than one ten-thousandth, but I decided to take the risk...
Zeref rose from his chair and began to pace from side to side.
- You are as kind as you are mad. - Zeref stood opposite his sister and began to shake her shoulders. - Do you realize that if this didn't work out, you'd have to disembowel both yourself and him!
*(sobbing, sobbing)
- I'm-I'm sorry, Brother, I won't do it again! - Akasha replied, wiping away her tears.
- She will not do it anymore... And the fact that without you the whole System would collapse, is it ok? - Zeref asked her sternly. - Well, I can't judge you, you're a big girl, you're not the first millenium... And I found a mate for you... Artorias, right? Why are you looking at me like that?
- Fool! I'm not one millennium old, I'm an old...
- It's not his first millennium either! - Zeref interrupted her and laughed maniacally.
*MVA-HA-HA-HA
- Yeah, I haven't laughed like that in a long time... Okay, but think of him, only a madman like him would make a good match for you, I saw what he did to that monster. My kids have been conquering all kinds of plans for a long time now, and you're still walking around in old maids!
- Fool! - Akasha blushed and punched Zeref in the forehead.
- Ouch! And your hand is still as heavy as it was two hundred thousand years ago... Okay, enough fooling around, I want to see him and congratulate him. Is he here yet? - Rubbing his forehead Zeref returned to the previous theme. - Ah yes, the Librarian! Would you be so kind as to break the news to the guards about our new arrival and his exploit? He's the first man in the history of creation to have succeeded in breaking those curses... Let them all know a new legend has been born! So, Akasha, where is he, how long will it take to fly here?
- Long. He survived. - Smiling, Akasha replied.
Zeref choked on the air again.
-= World #52851-63326-98214. Planet Remnant. Edge of the Emerald Forest =-
Adam was on his way to visit his old acquaintances and talk to them about some serious business. But suddenly he heard a strange growl in the distance.
*GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
- Whatever it was, it was close to the community. Tz. We should check it out. - Adam muttered softly out loud and raced towards the growl.
If there was a human town here, Adam wouldn't lift a finger for it. He hated humans. He despised them with all his soul. Humans were deceitful creatures who would do anything in their power to harm those different from them.
Adam Taurus. A young faun dressed in a black overcoat, matching black stern trousers and black patent-leather shoes. His scarlet hair fluttered through the air, two black horns visible among his hair. His eyes were concealed by a blindfold, and he himself had long worn a mask. A mask of the "monster" he had created for himself.
For how many years he had dreamed that the human race would one day stoop to the level of his kin. His people. Adam dreamed of a coup d'état. A revolution...
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Adam knew. He knew that not all people were what he wanted them to be. That hatred would only make him hate them more. That there were good reasonable people out there. Intelligent ones who don't care about racial differences. Who will help you just because you're you. It's possible. It's only possible that Adam had one too. But he knew for sure there was no other way to change the world.
And also his hatred was too strong. So was his madness...
*GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Grimm. And he was killed. Adam felt an aura awakening. And also another aura. A fading one.
- How... How interesting. - Adam muttered aloud and picked up his speed.
Adam stepped out towards the thicket of the forest. He could already see the ruin from afar, and clouds of dust and debris swirled over the place. Adam stalked towards the aura he could feel.
Holding the hilt of his katana in its scabbard, he started cautiously making his way through the fallen trees and the devastation. Here and there he could see dents and claw marks as well as blood. Lots of blood.
Coming out into an open clearing, Adam saw a child. A girl. The child was sitting over something and quietly repeating, "No. No. No."
Cautiously going behind her, Adam sighed softly. He saw the child's body. A faun. It was painful to look at. From head to toe in blood, his left arm missing up to the elbow, and bones protruding in various places through the skin and muscles.
Five metres from the body lay the gradually disappearing corpse of Beowulf. A stump of an arm protruded from Grimm's mouth.
Adam sat quietly beside the girl and saw the hands she was using to stroke the boy's gray, blood-mixed hair emit golden flashes of aura.
- Hey. - He gently touched the girl's shoulder. - He's dead... Stop it, you'll only make it worse for yourself.
The girl looked at the stranger in surprise and said:
- No, he is alive. My little brother can't be dead.
Brother," Adam grasped the word, then sighed, stood up and leaned over the boy's body to check for a pulse. There was no pulse. With a cluck of his tongue, Adam pulled a small mirror from his inner coat pocket and held it close under the boy's nose. After waiting ten seconds, he glanced at it and... And then immediately jumped up, tossed the mirror on the ground and pulled out his scroll, beginning to type something.
- Call for an urgent envelope-plane on my signal and prepare an operating room for critically endangered individuals. - Adam began to issue commands in an icy voice. - Execute.
- Child, what is your name? - Adam asked the girl.
- Alice. Alice Blood. - answered the girl quietly.
- Whatever you do, go on, it's what keeps him alive. - The girl opened her eyes wide and looked at Adam in surprise. - Blood... Fate has its own sense of humor...
But the girl couldn't hear him anymore because she was concentrating as much as possible on her business. She would save him. She must save him. For he is...
A large flying machine appeared from behind the trees, descending noisily into the clearing, the wind dispersing dust and debris. The door swung abruptly to the side and two fauns with assault rifles jumped out of the jet. Checking the area, they yelled "Clear!" and three more fauns, two with stretchers and one with medical equipment, came running out of the door.
The fauns were horrified when they reached their chief and began to hastily place the apparatus and carefully move the body onto the stretcher.
- Alice, go next to the stretcher and keep pouring your aura into him. - Adam said, looking Alice in the eye. - I know this is hard for you, but if you want your brother to survive you have to be patient, right now only your Aura is holding him in this world.
Adam pointed his hand at the envelopeplane and continued:
- There is an operating room on this jet, my men must operate on the most dangerous wounds. It is your responsibility to stay close by and infuse his Aura during the operation. This is the only way to save him. When your brother is stable, we'll move him to a normal operating theatre. Do you understand?
The girl only nodded as she continued to pour the Aura into her brother, then as if she remembered something and asked:
- Ah... How should I address you?
- My name is... Beast. We'll talk after the surgery. Off you go. - Adam replied and watched the whole procession go off into the jet.
Then he took out a packet of cigarettes from his coat, pulled out a cigarette, lit it and took a deep drag. Then he exhaled the smoke and looked up at the sky.
- Winter. I hope my debt is cleared now...
-= A day later. Lighthouse Hunter Academy. Director Ozpin's office =-.
The large office was now crowded with many people. The noise was growing with each passing moment and promised to turn into a fight. Only one person was sitting and looking tiredly at the people.
Professor Ozpin. The director of the Beacon Academy.
He looked about thirty-five years old. He had silver hair and the tired look in his brown eyes was hidden by small tinted glasses. He was dressed in a light green jumper that covered his neck warmly. Over the jumper he wore a black jacket with the Beacon emblem on it. A small purple cross hung around his neck.
The professor took a cup of coffee from the table and sipped it. Then put it back and said quietly:
- Silence.
The office was immediately silent, two dozen eyes staring at Ozpin.
Ozpin took another sip of coffee and continued:
- One report at a time. Crowe, you go first. - Addressed Ozpin to the young man with the scarlet eyes.
A man of about twenty-five with black, slicked-back hair stepped forward. Under his grey shirt he could see the scarlet-stained bandages. There was no perpetual smirk on his face now, and his gaze blazed with anger.
- Oz, you fucked up. - The boy declared bluntly. - The assignment was "Fight back the outpost," not "Try to survive." How many of our men died today, do you know? MY SISTER STILL HASN'T COME BACK!
At this point the man standing to the right with yellow hair and swarthy skin lowered his eyes to the floor, and the girl next to him, whose appearance was concealed under a white cloak with an equally white hood, reassuringly took his hand.
- It was all right at first. A pair of Beowulfs, an Alpha, three Ursas and a Goliath. - Pulled himself together and continued the lad. - We dealt with them quickly, but then...
Crowe sighed heavily and shivered.
- ...Then all hell broke loose. Some kind of black wave came through, breaking all our equipment. Turrets stopped firing, scrolls stopped working, and the jet that had been raining fire on the Grimms fell out of the sky. - Looking into Ozpin's eyes, Crowe continued. - It only got worse from there. A rift opened in the ground, and out of it came the Grimms. More than a thousand fucking Grimms! We fought back. We lost half our men, but we fought back. Then... Then death came..." Crow drew a steel bottle from his belt, opened it, and drank from it.
- A creature appeared. It looked human, but... But at the same time it didn't. There was a black, tarry aura all around it. - Crowe swallowed and continued. - The creature... It just burst onto the battlefield and started slaughtering us like cattle. Methodically and without mercy. With its bare hands. I... I saw the things it did, and... And it was horrible...
Ozpin stood up from his chair, took his cane and glass from the table and walked to the window. Then he sipped his coffee and his gaze drifted to the forest. There was a tense silence in the study.
- Her name is Salem. And she is one of our greatest enemies. Enemies of all living things...
-= Five hours later Emerald Forest Border =-
- Kiera. Kira, calm down, they should be fine, our house is under surveillance, and if anything happened, hunters would be here immediately. You know that.
- But... But, Winter, I've got a bad feeling about this, why aren't they answering the scroll call? - At that Wynter only sighed. He had a bad feeling about this too, but he blamed it on Ozpin's words.
- We told them not to answer strange phone calls, you know that. - Kira nodded in agreement, but her gut said something else.
- Don't worry, our kids are smart, they can handle anything. - Winter put his arm around his wife in a reassuring hug, not straining her plastered arm too much.
- Yeah... Yeah, I guess you're right. I guess I'm just tired of everything going on. - Kira sighed heavily.
They walked towards their house, and their bad feeling only increased. Halfway home, Kira and Winter tensed-something was in the air. Something familiar.
- Kira, can you feel it too? - Winter asked tensely.
- Yes. That smell, that's... Blood! - Winter and Kira looked at each other and ran towards the house at top speed.
The closer they got, the stronger the smell of blood and decay became. Accelerating to maximum speed, they raced towards the house despite the wounds opening beneath the bandages.
Not far from their house was a jete, the door was open and a man with red hair was standing on the doorstep.
- ADAM! - Roared Wynter. - WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY CHILDREN?!
- Hello, Winter, calm down. - Kira and Winter only tensed more - They were attacked by a Grimm, they're alive, it's... It's a long story. Let's go to the Jet, I'll take you to them and explain everything on the way.
-= Twenty minutes later White Fang Headquarters =-
- ...There are about two hundred and six bones in the faun's body, your son has more than half of them broken. He miraculously didn't break his spine but only knocked out a couple of vertebrae, his ribs on his right side are crumpled and his right lung is punctured in three places. The bones of the right leg, namely the femur, tibia and fibula, are broken in eight places. The right clavicle, humerus and ulna are broken. The biggest injury was to the left arm, I had to amputate everything below the elbow. - The doctor took off his glasses and heavily massaged the bridge of his nose. - During the operation the patient's heart stopped three times, for a total of five minutes.
The doctor sighed and looked through the glass at the patient, to whom dozens of wires were connected.
- It is worth thanking your daughter and the Gods for saving your son. Your daughter's aura has somehow stimulated your son's life processes and kept his soul from leaving for rebirth. She now sleeps with a severe form of exhaustion, she infused her aura into Artorias for thirteen hours without interruption, in the process fainting, but your son was no longer in danger of death then. She woke up once and asked what was wrong with her brother and told me what had happened. - The doctor smiled something and turned back to the patient's parents. - It was the most difficult operation of my life, we were literally picking him up in pieces... And I'm happy that we were able to save this child.
- Doctor, when... *sob* When will he wake up? - Kira asked, tears watering from her eyes.
- ...No one knows. Right now his aura is speeding up his recovery, but when he wakes up..." the doctor paused for a moment and then continued. - Only time will tell. I have heard the story of what happened and I will tell you... It is a miracle that he did not die of painful shock but was able to get up, set himself up somehow and continue to fight. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other patients to check on. Come back this time tomorrow.
Adam stood leaning against the wall, looking through the glass at the boy. Kira froze with her hand against the glass and sobbed, while the air around Wynter shook and distorted space. Adam put his hand on Wynter's shoulder, squeezed, and walked towards the exit.
- Я. Kill. Ozpin. - Wynter growled and followed Adam in quick strides. - Adam, wait. Can you take me to the Lighthouse?
- Winter, do you think that's a good idea? - Adam asked. - You can't hurt him, that old monster is unkillable. You know that very well, don't you. Don't do anything stupid.
- Adam, I know. - Still growling at Winter. - But he... He. He broke it. A promise. And he's gonna answer.
- Winter... Okay, I'll take you. Let's go.
-= Thirty minutes later Lighthouse Hunter Academy =-
The man walked at a brisk pace, radiating a physically palpable thirst for murder, all the people in his path parted in horror. The guards tried to stop him, but quickly went to the opposite wall to rest.
A young girl, dressed in a white shirt with long sleeves and a wide neckline, came out towards Wynter. Her legs were covered by a tight black skirt that fell below her knees. Her golden hair was braided into a ponytail and her green eyes were covered by sheer glasses. In her hands she held a pointer.
The girl watched Winter tensely and then, after waiting for him to come closer, asked him, looking him sternly in the eye:
- Winter, can you explain why you knocked out the guards?
- Glinda. Go away. С. Of the road. Or I'll move you myself. - Wynter warned her. - I'm going after Ozpin.
- I don't want to fight you, but I'm asking you, Winter, to explain yourself. - Glinda looked into Wynter's eyes again.
- You..." Winter breathed heavily and exhaled. - Ozpin broke his promise. He promised that while we were gone, nothing would happen to our children. Look. - Winter tossed the scroll to Glinda, and she began to read the information with increasingly widening eyes.
Wynter, without waiting for an answer, moved on, climbing the stairs to the next floor.
Glinda came to her senses and followed him, catching up with him near the entrance to Ozpin's office.
The faun knocked down the door with a directed burst of aura and stepped into the office. Glinda, without saying anything, followed him in.
- Oz! You promised you'd protect my children. And what do I see when I get home? - Growled Faun. - And what I see is that my children are gone and my old friend says they are in hospital!
- Winter. Calm down, you know very well that they have been monitored. - Ozpin replied quietly as he sipped his coffee from his glass.
Glinda walked over to Ozpin's desk and handed the professor a scroll.
Ozpin accepted the scroll and began to read it. After a couple of minutes, the cup of coffee he was holding in his hand exploded. Not a single drop of coffee hit Ozpin, and a silver haze began to thicken around the professor.
- I... It's my fault, Winter. Do you remember that we chose people together to look after your children? Winter, I may be Vail's strongest hunter, but I'm not all-powerful. I promise you that whoever's responsible will be court-martialed.
- I DON'T NEED YOUR PROMISES NOW THAT MY SON IS AN INVALID! YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE?! - Wynter exploded. The floor beneath his feet began to crack, and the force of the aura began to crackle space.
A silver aura began to swirl around Ozpin, the table as well as the chair began to crack and crumble with dust. He stood up, picked up his cane and tapped it once on the ground.
All sounds fell silent, the table, the chair and the floor began to recover.
- Winter. I. Never. Don't joke. Children. - The Professor spoke in an icy voice.
Yes, Winter knew that Ozpin valued the younger generation above all else. He knew that Ozpin would lay down his life for his academy and the teenagers who studied there. He knew, but he didn't accept. What was he to others when his children were suffering...
- YOU'RE NOT KIDDING?! Yes, you're not kidding... But you also understand me, my children are the most precious thing I have. And there is nothing I can do to help my child. - Angry tears ran from his eyes.
- Winter. I will help. You know our mutual friend, the headmaster of Atlas Academy, don't you? - Ozpin answered in his normal voice again.
- General Ironwood? Yes. But..." began Winter.
- You probably haven't heard, but there was an accident a couple of years ago while testing the new missiles. James was fatally injured but survived and was put back on his feet. In doing so, he didn't lose any personal strength, on the contrary, he added to it. - Ozpin walked over to Winter and put his hand on his shoulder. - Atlas is the leader among the kingdoms in technological advancement. The entire right side of James' body has been replaced with metal. Yes, he's what's called a Cyborg. They have "living metal" technology - intelligent metal that enters into symbiosis with its host. Ironwood is the first tester of this technology.
The Professor stepped back from Winter and sat down in a reclaimed chair.
- Wynter, I'll ask James to help - he won't refuse. Now off you go, I'll call you tomorrow.
Wynter bowed slightly and headed for the exit. There was hope in his heart again.
- Hello, James, there's a child who needs your help. Listen, uh...
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