Episode 3: Chapter 8: RequiemA Chapter by Miles W.Chapter 8 of Episode 3 of Order of SeasonsNatalie wasn’t sure how to react. Her first reaction was
that she fell down to her knees, then quickly got back up again and started running
towards Ember, wanting to hug her. “Whoa! Slow
down there kid!” Ember said raising her hand and stopping Natalie dead in her
tracks. And it wasn’t like she raised her hand and Natalie stopped on her own,
it was as if she was holding Natalie back with the force or something of that
nature. Ember then walked towards Natalie, and placed a bracelet on her left
wrist. “Okay, now hug time.” The two of them embraced, and Natalie was crying
uncontrollably. After a few minutes of this, they finally separated; Natalie
dried her tears, and got a good look around the cathedral. “So what is
this place? It looks like a giant church dedicated to my life or something like
that.” “Actually,
that’s pretty much what this place is. A giant final memorial to your life told
entirely by stain glass windows.” “Wait, so
that means…..” “Yeah.
Technically, you died.” There was an awkward silence for a few seconds. “So this is
the afterlife? And there’s no way I can go back?” “Hold your
horses for a few minutes champ. I did say you “technically” died, didn’t I?” “So you’re
saying I can go back if I really want to?” “Yes, but
I’m required by the laws of the afterlife to give you the tour and then let you
make the final choice.” “Okay. I
guess that makes sense.” “All right
then. Follow me.” Natalie had to take a second to let her eyes adjust to the
bright light, but once everything came into focus, she recognized that they
were standing in the middle of Aequo. It was exactly as she remembered it. The
rows of houses, the way the streets and sidewalks were paved, everything was as
it was back before it was all burned down. As the two of them continued to
walk, Natalie felt like something was off. “Where is
everybody?” “Well, as
of right now, they are going about their daily lives here in the afterlife.
Over there is the old Vevian restaurant, popping with business as usual, over
there’s the town square and down that way is the park where a lot of your old
friends are playing right now!” “Okay, but
why can’t I see any of that?” “It’s part
of the deal. If you ever come in contact with the dead outside of your guide
and select souls while here, it doesn’t matter if your body back in the real
world has any form of spark left in it, you would be forever bound to this
world. That’s why I stopped you from hugging me for a split second. If you had
touched me before I put on that bracelet, you would have remained dead forever.
But in turn, until you make your choice, you can’t see anybody around here
unless you decide to stay for good.” “Well
that’s annoying. Shouldn’t I get the full experience if I want to make a
decision about whether I stay here or go back?” “Normally,
yes. But the thing is, there are a few people who got here a few days ago who
want to speak to you directly.” “Who?” “You
already know one of them.” “It’s your
move Ozpin.” “I’m well
aware Salem.” As he picked up the piece, he then turned his attention to the
large gap in reality that was only twenty yards away from where they were
sitting. Ozpin sighed with an annoyed tone. “He’s using the power again.” With
a flick of his wrist, he sent a ray of energy that caused the crack to decrease
in magnitude a little bit. As he turned back to the game, he noticed Salem
giving him a look of contempt. “Why do you
waste what energy you have left Ozpin? Just let the power run wild! Then maybe
the world can reset and become better than before!” “You know I
won’t condemn the people of the living world to extinction.” “You owe
nothing to them! I swear, you are so delusional! The humans came for the power
that Father possessed just like I said they would, they killed you and me for
it, and you still want to protect them! Why?! Let this fool tear reality to shreds! Then
maybe you and I can get things back to the way they were supposed to be!” “We’re dead
Salem. Not much we can do if reality does tear itself asunder. Besides, the
fact that the tear can be found in this realm too means that if it breaks, it
won’t just be the living world that suffers, but this world as well.” “You’re so
pretentious Ozpin.” “Now you
are just simply throwing around words Salem. I don’t think pretentious pertains
to our discussion.” “You get
what I mean!” “Usually
you are far more composed. What’s bothering you Salem?” “We’re
dead! That doesn’t bother you?!” “Honestly,
I find it far more peaceful than father described it to us all those years
ago.” “Oh yeah, I
forgot he had that expedition to this realm before we were born. But that isn’t
the point! We have been killed by humans! The same humans I wanted to destroy
all those years ago! Why do you still stand with them?! Why is it that you care
about them more than me?!” “I think
our guest here can possibly shed some light on that reason.” Looking over
towards some of the collection of spirit villages, Salem noticed an older
Faunus leading a young girl dressed in blue towards their table. “Ozpin?” “Hello
Natalie. I’m sorry we have to meet again in such strange circumstances.” “Who is
this?” Natalie asked pointing at Salem. “This is my
sister, Salem.” “YOU HAVE A
SISTER?!” “Yes. Now
before you just completely bombard us with questions, take a seat and I will be
more than happy to explain everything to you.” With a flick of his wrist, Ozpin
created two chairs and drinks out of pure light for Natalie and Ember. They sat
down, and Ozpin began explaining everything. “So you
sealed her away because she wanted to destroy the human race and if she did
that would mean absolute extinction?” “That’s the
short version of it, yes.” “Yeesh.
When I got in trouble, my mom would send me flying into the wall with one of
her weapons. I got off easy by comparison!” “Well, you
didn’t try to destroy the world.” “True
enough. So how do you know Ember Professor Ozpin?” “When you
live as long as I have, you learn to make good friends from almost every walk
of life.” “Professor
Ozpin was one of the many secret donors to the Violet Troupe back in the day”
Ember said taking a sip of her drink. “He would even help supply transportation
and sometimes watch our performances whenever we were in town! He and I would
sometimes even discuss what could be done to help the Faunus rights movement in
Vale since it was considered a hot spot for early White Fang protests.” “Yes. Sad
to say Ember, while we have taken strides, many Faunus still live in fear of
the hatred that humans may have. One of my students wears a bow on her head in
order to hide her true nature.” “That’s a
shame. What type is she?” “She’s a
cat Faunus named Blake Belladonna.” “I remember
Blake. I met her once when I tried to convince her family to help with our
troupe financially. Sadly, her parents declined my invitation. How is Blake
doing?” “She’s
doing great!” Natalie said interrupting. “She’s also totally dating my
teammate, but neither of them will admit it!” She laughed as Ember smiled. “So what
type of Faunus is he? Another cat? Maybe a monkey?” “Actually,
he’s a human.” “Really?” “Yeah. His
name is Miles. And while he may be a bit of a crazy nut that’s kind of out of
touch with the world, he’s still a good guy! He really does care about Blake, I
know that much!” “I see. And
what about you and Nathan? You find somebody like that?” “Yeah
actually! Nathan found a girl who was practically made for him, and I met
a girl who actually enjoys some of the stuff I do!” Salem then slammed her
fist on the table and stood up. “Enough! What is the purpose of this? Inviting two old
dead associates of yours for what purpose Ozpin? Just to reminisce about old
times? To try and make me see what humans can do or become?” “Geez, who
stuffed an Ursa down your pants?” Salem was about to tell Natalie off for
saying that, but then stopped short taking a closer look at her. She then sat
back down, took a drink, then asked, “Tell me
child, why do you exist?” “What do
you mean?” “Why do you
feel the need to keep going? Or rather why did you? Why just live your life if
you knew it was only going to lead to pain?” “Well, it
wasn’t all bad. I mean, I got to know my family, I got to make some great
friends who helped me get out of a very rough place, I even managed to find
somebody I cared about back there! And plus, I can still go back if I want to!
Or that’s at least what Ember told me.” “You can go
back.” Ozpin said. “That much is true. But it is your choice.” “You make
it sound like I don’t want to go back. My friends need me!” The group fell
silent for a few minutes and then Ozpin stood up. “I had a
feeling you would say that. And with that knowledge, I propose a way for you to
defeat this new threat.” “You mean
the guy who killed me? When I fought him, he didn’t seem that tough. Just had
the aura of any other normal guy.” “That was
before he absorbed the power of our father, the Wizard.” “He can do
that?” “He did do
it, but the power is not stable. It’s kind of like a teacup. Say you crack it,
shatter it into several small pieces. You try to put it back together, but it
never is perfect. You can see the cracks, and if you drop it again, it will
break a lot easier that time around. It might not even hold together at all.
That is what is happening with the rift you see before you.” “Yeah, I
had been meaning to ask about that. What exactly is it?” “It is a
tear in reality. Before Salem and I were born, our father was the most powerful
being in the universe. You could say that he created it for the lack of a
better term. But his power became fragmented and became me and my sister, and
then later the Four Maidens. So by taking the aura of all of the different
pieces and cramming them back together to create the power of the Wizard once
again, it has made the universe unstable. That tear over there is what has been
created as a response to the forced re-creation of the Wizard.” “So what
does that mean? Kill him and then everything gets better?” “Not that
easy. One of the pieces of being the Wizard is absolute immortality. You could
get shot at by a million guns and all it would feel like is a gentle summer
breeze. Only individual vessels can be truly killed. So you need to first
reduce his aura to a single entity and then kill him.” “How is
that possible?” “That rift
over there is the key.” Ozpin said as he stood up walking towards the rift.
“Given my powers, I can look into the world of the living and see what is
happening. So once you find your friends and fight him again, I will enter the
rift and break all the pieces apart.” “And that
means?” Ember asked. “In short,
I will sacrifice my existence to break apart the union of aura so that you can
kill him and restore a sense of balance to the world.” “So, you
die again?” Natalie said tilting her head in confusion. “Where do you go after that? The
after-afterlife?” “I don’t
know. But what matters is stopping the enemy and saving humanity. So all you
have to do is fight him, wear him down a bit, and I’ll do the rest from this
end.” “All right
then.” Natalie then got up and gave Ozpin a hug. “I’ll get our group ready for
that.” Letting him go, she turned to Ember, and the two of them headed back
towards the cathedral where Natalie woke up. As they left, Salem walked over to
Natalie and tapped her on the shoulder. “Can I help
you?” Natalie asked as Salem looked directly at her. “I just
have one last question child. Why do you still side with the people who killed
your family? All those you care about?” “Um….I
don’t side with them.” “But humans
killed them!” “I’m a
human too. Just because something bad happens doesn’t exclusively mean it’s
because of a certain species. It depends on the individual people who decide
whether or not to do bad things.” “You really
think it’s that simple?” “I mean,
each person is different, so blaming a large group of people for something that
most of them didn’t do seems kind of stupid, doesn’t it?” Salem just simply
stood there and watched as Natalie walked away after that response. Ozpin
walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “She looks
just like Spring.” Salem said, completely surprised. “Her best friend is very similar as well.” Ozpin said. “That’s part of the reason why
I picked them to fight you and whatever you had planned. I had hoped that once
you launched your big attack, they would remind you of who you used to be and
you would return to the same person I knew all those years ago.” “Things
change Ozpin. Just like people. I was no different.” “We can
still fix things. Salem, when this is all over and you return to the mortal
world, I want you to see the school I started, to witness what humanity can do when brought together in the name of good.” “You
started a school?” “I started
it to mainly counter the army that you were raising in the dark realm. But I
also started it as a means of trying to establish a code of honor for those who
needed it most. Defenders of the world if you will.” “You still
haven’t lost your corniness I see.” “It keeps
things light.” “You’re
such a dork.” As they walked back into the cathedral, Natalie noticed that
the bracelet she was wearing had fallen off and disappeared into light
particles as it hit the ground. Ember then walked in with her and closed the
door. “You sure
you want to head back?” she asked as Natalie looked over the cathedral one last
time. “My friends
need me. If I can still help them, I think I should. But why was I the only one
given this choice? Why not others?” “Others
have been given the choice. Some of them have seen far more than you have and
are tired of the living world. Some of them don’t have anything to go back to.
You on the other hand, have a lot of life ahead of you and have friends who
need you now more than ever.” “Why now
more than ever?” “Well you
died, so that’s not going to help them emotionally. Plus, you are the team
leader, right?” “Well yeah,
I guess that plays a role.” “You’ve got
a long ways to go before you should stay here for good. I mean, most of these
windows haven’t been filled yet! I look forward to seeing what the final
product looks like!” “So, is
this goodbye for the time being?” “You knew
that to be true since you chose to go back.” “Fair
enough.” Natalie was about to give Ember one last hug, but then remembered her
warning about staying forever, so she refrained from that. “All right. How do I
get out of here?” “Who knows?
I never had a chance to try.” As soon as she said this, Natalie was enveloped
in a beam of light and disappeared from the cathedral altogether. “Oh, and
tell your brother I said hi!” Natalie shot awake and the first thing she felt was a
painful aching in her entire body. Like all of her energy had been completely
drained away. She then collected herself, got up and looked around. All she
could see was nothing but dead and injured bodies. Both from her side and the
enemies. She then noticed that her weapon wasn’t anywhere nearby, so she
started circling the tower trying to find it. As she turned a corner, she found
the weapon lying next to the limp body of Beanie. Not sure if he was alive or
dead, she walked over to him and checked for a pulse. For a split second, it
seemed like he didn’t have one until she felt his aura kick in and start
healing him. He then woke up and started coughing up a little blood. “Hey! Don’t
move so much! I’ll get you out of here!” Natalie then picked him up and started
carrying him towards the docks, hoping to find any form of transport out of
Beacon. But as they reached the edge of the docks, an airship started flying
overhead and aimed a spotlight right at the two of them. Unable to tell who it
was, Natalie took out her weapon and prepared for the worst. “I’m not
going to die again anytime soon.” Blake and Weiss finished putting out the fire from last
night while Miles helped Evan with preparing the last of the supplies. “You ready
to go Miles?” Nathan asked walking forward. “We have to
be. It’s been almost two days since the big battle; we need supplies for the
injured. Plus, it seems as if most of the Order has pulled out of the city, so
now might be the safest time to get what we need.” “Lead the
way then.” Ruby said as she placed Crescent Rose in her holster. But before
anything else happened, an airship appeared and began landing right next to
their camp. Miles and Nathan stepped forward with weapons at the ready, not
sure who was going to walk out the door. Then, the ramp door opened, and there
was a bright light, they couldn’t tell who it was. “WHO ARE
YOU?!” Miles yelled as he tried to adjust his eyes.
“Someone
you apparently need in order to get things done around here.” As the light
dimmed, everybody in the general area looked up and recognized Natalie as she
walked down the ramp heading towards the group. “Hey guys. I’m back.” © 2022 Miles W.Author's Note
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1 Review Added on October 17, 2016 Last Updated on May 31, 2022 Tags: Adventure, Action, Anime, Fan Fiction, RWBY AuthorMiles W.Columbus, OHAboutI am a recent graduate with a degree in Film Production. My dream is to become a film director, creating my own stories. I love writing stories and fan fiction. Please check it out, share and revie.. more..Writing
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