Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-14138255-20170320024103/@comment-14138255-20170825185133

Chapter 13: Bonfire and Bedlam

 The attack on the village left it in tatters, but RNJR’s intervention prevented it from being completely leveled. They camped out by the church at the head of the hamlet, where scant hours before, Ruby managed to defeat a large portion of the Grimm, including a Beringel. But though the village was safe for now, especially with them staying to ward off any other threat, Ruby was restless, and she could not sleep. Sitting up she noticed Jaune standing up; his back turned away from the rest of the group. He seemed to be staring at the night sky, and the broken moon that hung above. “ Jaune? Is something there?”

Jaune abruptly turned around, startled at her being awake. “Oh, sorry, I was...standing guard. Decided to give Ren a break for awhile” Jaune said, cracking a tired smile.

Ruby smiled back where she was, but then looked down. Jaune and indeed the rest of the team had been in good spirits since they left Patch, but Ruby never shook off a lingering bug in the back of her mind, the elephant in the room. Pyrrha. They had talked so little of her under the circumstances. Ruby never truly stopped thinking about what would have happened if she was just a little faster or if she didn’t stop in places before she and Weiss got Jaune’s call. Pyrrha would have been alive, and she’d have come with them, and they’d find out what happened that night together.

But perhaps the worst feeling was wondering what Jaune and the others were thinking. As bad as it was for her, Pyrrha was their teammate, and she was such a supportive person, to Jaune most of all, and she knew they were close. The question ground against her mouth before she let it out. “ Were you…” she hesitated, “thinking of Pyrrha?” She asked, in part because she was.

Jaune looked slightly stunned, but quickly composed himself. “Um, uh no, no not really. I mean...I just was...thinking, that’s all” he pushed out.

The two looked and retreated from the conversation out of the awkwardness they shared, but Ruby remained awake, and Jaune remained vacant from his vigil. Eventually, Jaune said what was on his mind. “I just...hope she’s in a better place...wherever she is.”

She did too.

 She couldn’t breathe, and she couldn’t see without getting all sorts of gunk in her eye. Quickly she raised her head above the water, with her long hair mostly sticking to her face and armor. She turned around and was blasted again by a jet of water, pushing her back into the bog. Pyrrha got up and pushed the hair out of her eyes to see the creature attacking her: a giant, lumbering crab.

She looked at her Estus flask, which had been drained halfway in her fight with this thing. The crab became impatient and moved to sidestep toward her, readying its claw to slam down on her. Pyrrha charged ahead and raised her shield.

 Pyrrha came back to Firelink utterly exhausted, the Bonfire giving her a needed reprieve from her failed first trek into the swamp where she was told the Abyss Watchers were kept. Her hair was draped over her as would a cape, clinging to her back and armor. She lifted a long strand in her hand and sighed. “I think the hair has to go” She said to the Fire Keeper, who nodded behind her. She moved to the front of Pyrrha, holding a polished and reflective shield in front of her as a mirror as Pyrrha took the bulk of her hair in her hand and her sword in the other.

She took an opportunity to look at the reflection, however, having not seen it much when she came here. She seemed weathered, perhaps accentuated by her loose hair and most notably her armor, which had become chipped and her skirt rather torn and dirty. She reinforced her grip on the sword and the bulk of hair in her hand and carefully cut the hair off. Her hair now reached merely to her upper back and shoulders, much more manageable than before, while still having a familiar look. Even so, she couldn’t help but feel like she just removed a part of herself, a part of who she was. But if she was to survive in this world, to find any semblance of answers, she had to do anything. A haircut was a minuscule sacrifice. She took the locks and strands of hair still in her hand, and threw them into the bonfire, instantly causing a burst of gas and flame before dying back down.

The coils of hair still in the fire glowed and seemingly flowed a river of ember as they shriveled and crumbled. As she stared at it, she remembered the piercing pain, the burning in her chest, the numbing in her lower body, the air in her lungs burning and with no way to get more. The tears, both voluntary and involuntary.

Behind her, she heard a clanking of metal and went to look at the commotion. She went to the back and found a large sack of various junk and treasures alike as well as a man in a peculiar hood. “ Greirat?”

Greirat turned and piqued his head up at Pyrrha who was standing at the top of the stairs. “Ah, good to see you again Pyrrha. As promised, I’ve brought a fair amount of loot to sort through. Go ahead, take what you fancy.”

She looked through his wares and his items, looking for the right armor to don and replace her old set. She finally settled on a plate cuirass with short sleeves, steel gauntlets as well as steel greaves to replace her old ones. She decided to keep her old shorts and the tattered remains of her skirt, along with her belt.

She found a quiet place to change out of her battered armor and into the new one she got from Greirat. She kept staring at it, the assorted bits of armor, wrapped up in a sheet of cloth, the armor she’d worn for so long. “ Get rid of it.”

She spun around at the voice that came from behind her. Leaning against the wall she saw Hawkwood, who didn’t look her in the eye, instead staring straight ahead of him, a bitter countenance as he did. “ What did you say?” “ Get rid of it. That armor is poison.” “ What are you...you-you’re talking about this?” she asked him, pointing to the armor wrapped in cloth. “In what way would this armor be poison?” Pyrrha asked, somewhat indignant. “ You’ll stare at it. You’ll long for it. Or rather, you’ll long for the memories it carried. All that’ll do is just make you go hollow, as you go crazy, laughing madly while cradling a piece of threads that only holds dust. It’s dead weight, girl. If you don’t get rid of it, you’ll drown.”

Pyrrha frowned and walked away. She didn’t want to talk to Hawkwood, a pitiless man who spends his days stewing in Firelink, about the merits of keeping something of immense sentimental value.

 She walked outside with her head down looking at the armor, wondering what to do with it. She was considering covering it in stones to prevent people getting at it. But when she looked up and froze.

Ahead of her was a large tree, one that looked like a large giant creature kneeling down with branches growing from its back and arm stretched arms, with an oval where a face would be. The thing that alarmed her, however, was a figure standing before the tree, a glowing orb in hand. He was clad head to toe in steel armor, with a metal cuirass, gauntlets, and a green undercoat with fur lining the shoulders. Slung on his back was a large, green greatsword, glowing in a calming light. Most striking of all, for whatever reason, was his engraved, crested helmet with a T shaped visor, on which rested an impressive, pointed crown seemingly latched onto the helmet.

The orb of light in his hand petered out and the crowned knight glumly shook his head. He raised it and turned his head slowly to Pyrrha, staring straight into her eyes, which were likewise stuck. After staring her down for several minutes, the knight turned his head and slowly walked away past the tree.

Pyrrha then shook herself from her stuck expression and tried to follow the knight, but he was gone, seemingly vanishing into thin air. But up ahead, at the locked gate to the tower was a figure in white robes, clinging to the bars, knees on the ground. “ ...Irina? Irina!” Pyrrha then rapidly ran up to the tower. Irina’s head turned to Pyrrha’s direction. “ Oh, Pyrrha. Thank goodness you’re here, I wasn’t making any headway with this door,” Irina chuckled, sheepish and embarrassed. “ Irina, what in the name of Dust are you doing out here? You could have been attacked by the Hollows.” “ I can’t explain it but...I saw something here.” “ W...what? You said you were blind.” “ I am...very so...but there’s a light at the top of this tower. I moved my head and saw it glow above my head. It seemed burned into the void. So...I-I followed it.” “ A light… this gate is locked correct?”

Irina nodded her head. Pyrrha took Irina and guided her back from the gate and turned back to the gate. She stared at it and took a deep breath. She raised her hand and focused. And focused, and focused. She felt more control, but it took everything in her power and more to prevent from hurting herself. Finally, the lock of the gate began to groan and creak, slowly bending.

The lock then began to implode before snapping and sending a shard of metal forward, slamming into Pyrrha and causing her to crash to the ground. Irina jolted in shock and shivered. “Pyrrha? Are you alright?”

Pyrrha was lying a few feet from Irina. The wind was knocked out of her, and she felt blood in her mouth. Her shaking hand moved to her chest, and she sat up, fishing her Estus flask from her belt. The wound immediately left, but the hole it made in the armor remained for now. Had the armor not been there, it might have had enough power to punch right through her. “I’m alive,” Pyrrha said, somewhat shaken. She heard Irina sigh a breath of relief behind her and saw the gate to the tower creaked open, the lock having been blasted off.

The two began walking into the tower, which was dark and with two rectangular pits on the sides of a walkway to a lift. “ The light is coming from directly above us,” Irina said, her head craning up.

Pyrrha gently guided her to the lift and stepped on the pressure plate to activate it. As they sailed up, Irina’s head tilted down as they rose, following what she was seeing. At the end of the lift’s ride, they stepped off and climbed a few steps to find themselves at the top of the tower. Underneath the bell, the same one that had awakened her from the dead, was a swirling figment of white, silk-like energy. It lightly pulsed at their presence as they approached it. “ There it is…” Irina gasped. Pyrrha gently let go and cautiously approached it, the swirling energy pulsing more as she did. She gently picked it up. It stopped moving but it felt heavy and icy cold, almost painful to hold, but she couldn’t set it down. When she brought it up to her stomach’s level, the object violently contracted and exploded.

Pyrrha saw a field of white. It quickly changed to a series of horrifying visions: a girl in old and worn robes, and from her mouth, she was heaving up a stream of black fluid. She then saw another figure clad head to toe in bronze armor, which then collapsed, revealing nothing but the black fluid, molded to a humanoid shape. She saw a large, monstrous spider with the top half of a pale, naked woman who looked sickly and surrounding her was several eggs, which burst into more of the black fluid.

The white field erupted again but died down into a black void. But in the black void, a portion of it stood out, separated from the rest of the void by a white, vaguely person shaped outline, and within the piece itself was a pair of white dots that looked like eyes, which seemed to stare into Pyrrha’s soul.

The phantom then imploded on itself and shaped itself into a creature, a black furred monster with two large, tangled horns adorned with red lights and mismatched arms. The creature charged and roared at Pyrrha.

Pyrrha screamed and dropped the object she was holding, which Irina dove to catch. Pyrrha, however, was still shaking and hyperventilating, though she didn’t precisely know why. Putting her hands to her arms, she continued to breathe heavily at what she saw. “ It’s so warm”

Pyrrha looked at Irina with an odd look, like she just admitted to being from another planet. “I’m sorry?” “ It’s really warm, like a little heartbeat. I should have known, it’s a Fire Keeper’s soul. But…” she hesitated “it isn’t speaking to me I suppose,” she said, looking down crestfallen.

Pyrrha felt sorry for Irina, more than that she sympathized. She mentioned how she wished to be a Fire Keeper, but instead of receiving that, she lost her eyes. Her purpose, her destiny, was to be one thing but lead her down another. “ Perhaps we can bring it to the Fire Keeper. She might know what to do with it.”

Irina smiled and nodded her head, and they travelled down from the lift. But ahead of them the gate was shut, with several chains covering and threaded into the gate from the outside, connected to rings that were nailed into the stone. And behind the gate was a man with leather armor, a tower shield and spear...and a bald head sporting a smug smile. “ It’s you!” Pyrrha shouted at him.

All the man did was wave his hand, like one might gently wave away a hovering fly. “I’ve been told that before. But I’m doing you a favor, really, honest. Curiosity’s going to kill you two kittens, some places are better left alone you know?” “ Pyrrha what’s going on? Who is this man?” Irina said, clinging to the Fire Keeper soul. “ A thief,” Pyrrha said, still scowling at the bald man, who was unflappable in his superior position. “ No matter, I’ll still get those trinkets off your corpse. If it makes you feel better, you’ll be making a customer very happy. See you later bug eyes and….” the man trailed off and bent down to get a better look at Irina before pulling back repulsed, “and no eyes?” The man then shrugged, not particularly bothered and walked away.

Pyrrha gripped the bars of the gate and lightly jostled them before beginning to vigorously and viciously shake them in desperation, the chains being tight and secure in keeping the two in. “ Could you not open it like you did with the lock?” “ I don’t want to risk it again, especially not here where you might get hurt.” Pyrrha looked around and looked to the pits, which were dark, but had small ledges to land on. It would be close, but she failed to see any other way. “Irina, there’s a way, but it’s risky, do you want to try?”

Irina nodded her head in confirmation. Pyrrha gently guided her to the edge and explained. The two made a few thrusts with their legs to gain momentum before finally leaping onto the small platform, but it was too little for two people and without eyesight Irina lost her footing and began to fall. Pyrrha quickly caught her free hand, which left her dangling from the platform. The platform shook and rumbled, being unused to the strain, and a stone Pyrrha was putting weight on gave out, causing the two to tumble. Pyrrha arranged themselves so that Pyrrha could take the brunt of the impact.

But the landing was softer than what she expected, and they landed on an incline. As they recovered, Irina set her hand on the ground they were on before pulling away in disgust. “By the...Pyrrha, where are we?”

Pyrrha turned around and gasped. Irina was lying on several corpses, long dead and covered in ancient and decrepit hooded robes. They had markings and stains around their eyes. “ Pyrrha?”

Pyrrha looked up, into Irina’s absent eyes. Pyrrha froze. “...It’s not important” she said. She went and helped Irina out of the mound of corpses. They exited and opened a gate on that side, which lead to the front of Firelink Shrine.

 As Pyrrha and Irina walked back into Firelink, Pyrrha heard a clanking of metal. Instead of coming from the back of the building where Greirat was, this came from above them, up the stairs, near where she exited to the outside to the tree. She didn’t know what it was...but she had a pretty good idea. “ Give that to the Fire Keeper” Pyrrha cooly said before marching off to the stairs.

The man who left the two for dead was rummaging through his pile of junk, vaguely “organizing” them for stock before pulling out his latest find: a worn hard leather cuirass/corset with bronze greaves wrapped in a white cloth that he found near the Giant tree. He greedily fawned over it before setting it down. As he did, he ended up hearing footsteps in increasing tempo. “ Oy Hell…”

He tried to stand up and defend himself, but was too late and was grabbed by the throat and thrown into the wall behind him, crashing into his pile of loot. Before he could get up, he saw a sword up against his throat. Pyrrha stood over him as he raised his hands meekly in the air with a nervous smile on his countenance. “Well now...seems you’re alright after all.” “ This has been twice you have tried to kill me and you nearly killed my friends. To what end? Why, of all times?” “ Oh, please do forgive me. I don’t want to do it, really I don’t, but sometimes I get these...urges, what with the business and all. I can’t help myself.”

Pyrrha slightly lowered her sword in disbelief at how transparent his excuses were. “W-Are you...what?”

The man nervously shifted his position and began pathetically prostrating to Pyrrha. “Please, please I beg of you, give me a chance! I won’t do any of that again, I swear it, honest! I’m at your mercy here!”

Pyrrha craned his head at the over dramatic display and sighed. “What’s your name?” “ Patches, lass. Trusty, unbreakable, Patches” Patches told her, earnestly trying to stay his execution. “ Hmm. Fine, I’ll let you go.” Patches smiled, but shrunk back when Pyrrha continued, “but, you have to do two things. First, don’t try to kill anyone.” “ Well, sure.” “ Second, give me back my armor” she then looked at the loot pile, which contained a set of onion shaped armor, “and Siegward’s armor” she said pointing at the set. “ Both, bu- ah alright alright, just enough of the sword already!”

Pyrrha took the armor from a muttering Patches and left down stairs. Irina and the Fire Keeper were nowhere to be found, being somewhere else in the shrine. But as she wandered the bonfire area, she stopped and turned around, seeing Yuria, the black lady. “ Welcome home Ms. Nikos.”

Pyrrha seemed unnerved, though she didn’t know why. “Umm, hello. What there something you needed?” “ Oh, it’s no trouble. Yoel wished to see you, he said it was important.”

With only a pause, Pyrrha immediately ran to Yoel’s alcove. Yoel was hunched over his walking stick as normal, but he seemed like he was ill, well, more ill than usual. He was shaking. Yuria walked behind Pyrrha, having caught up to her. “ Yoel, are you alright?” “ Oh, Champion of Ash, it is good to see you came. I have but one Dark Sigil left to give you, do you wish to do so now?”

Pyrrha hesitated. “Yoel, I don’t know. Ever since I took these, I started feeling...cold and uncomfortable. Is it connected? If so...I don’t know what I should do.” “ I understand your concern, but if you are to survive, nay, thrive in this world, it would be beneficial to take it.” Pyrrha was still thinking and Yoel set a hand on her shoulder. “I want you to know, it is my deepest desire to do what is best for you, my champion. If you do not wish to take it, do not, but know I only wished to help you.”

Pyrrha heard Yuria shuffling behind her and closed her eyes. “Alright.”

Yoel gently placed his hand on her head. Pyrrha shuddered as power surged through her, as well as a chill. “Ah, excellent. This is good, just as I thought.” Yoel removed his hand and returned it to her shoulder. “All will be clear soon my lady. You simply must wait for it to become so.”

Pyrrha nodded her head and left for the bonfire. Yuria, however, stayed. “ You took a big risk, leaving the choice for her. It is good she chose to go through with it Yoel.”

Yoel didn’t move and shook his head. “I almost feel sorry for her, what she will endure in the future, but I know, in my heart it is for the best, she will be our hope.” “ Do you still wish for my assistance?” “ Yes. My time has come.”

Yuria raised her left hand in the air. It began to darken and take a red hue before glowing bright and radiant. “ Kaathe...I have done my duty well.”

Yuria gently laid her hand on to his head.

 '''Author’s Notes: I’m back, sorry it took so long. By the way, for clarification, the “sneak preview” is probably more of a teaser, since it won’t appear in a chapter proper since it is a mini-chapter by itself.

It has come to my attention that things might not be completely clear in the story, since some know of RWBY, some know of Dark Souls, some know of Dark Souls III, and some know of both, so if you ever have questions, just PM me and I can explain (without spoiling).

Some things I wanted to point out. First, Patches’ comment on Pyrrha’s eyes (as well as Greirat’s in an earlier chapter) is kind of an in-joke, since Pyrrha comes from an anime-esque universe and has bigger eyes as opposed to the people Dark Souls. It isn’t important plot-wise, but I thought it’d be funny.

Also, some of you may have picked up on the description of the crowned knight. I will tell you right now, at the risk of reduced surprise, that is the Bearer of the Curse. And he will come back.

As always, stay tuned. Updates will resume to their Friday schedule.'''