The Games We Play

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryugii. This has been pulled from his Spacebattle publishment. Anyway on with the show...errr read.

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As she drifted off to sleep, I stayed by my mother's side. It wasn't until I felt her fade into a peaceful sleep that I healed her, careful to make sure I didn't wake her in the process. With that done, I did what I could to make sure she was comfortable with my power and returned to my seat by her bed. I gave myself a moment of peace by her side, distracting myself with my awareness of the hospital as a whole and the many barriers therein. It felt, if nothing else, like the right thing to do.

But in time I felt Ozpin leave the premise, felt things fall quiet, and then duty called.

Taking a slow breath, I searched the room carefully with my Clairvoyance, scanning for anything that might be monitoring us even as I flipped off the lights. There were several things, of course, most of them set to monitor my mother's condition—but not all of them. I sensed several tiny cameras, though whether meant as another layer of security or an additional defense, I wasn't sure. Either way, I couldn't let them see me.

As I exhaled, I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling my power rise easily to the surface. It expanded through the air, weaving into it in a way that was hard to describe, and then took hold. It was something thin, fragile as a spider's web, but I could only hope it was enough for this.

I stood up from my chair, sliding into invisibility even as I left a copy of myself behind that I looked over critically, judging my work. It was surprisingly hard to make an illusion, at least the way I did so. The cost wasn't much of an issue any more, but it was an image in my mind given form. Imagine a person—not the idea of a person or their name, but everything about them; their eyes, their face, their whole body, all at once. Imagine holding every aspect of a person in your head at the same time and keeping it that way while trying to do something else, never letting it slip. It wasn't easy. I was kind of surprised it was even possible, but I suppose I had my new skill to thank for that.

Delusory (Passive) LV1 EXP: 7.27%

An ability born not from an understanding of lies but of truths. In grasping the nature of the world hidden behind the veil of perception, one has gained the power to manipulate that veil and craft illusions around oneself, transforming thoughts into light and light into ephemeral form. The energy required and difficult increases with the breadth of the illusion and decreases with skill level.

I'd only practiced with it lightly—enough to make sure that the illusions themselves had some kind physical presence. I wasn't certain if the mention of them being light given form was literal or metaphorical, but I'd confirmed that they'd appear in a mirrors reflection and that a scroll could take a picture of them. I could even make noise with them, with some additional effort, though it was a lot easier to just use Levant for that. Even so, while they had about as much solidity and mass as light, it wasn't hard to think of uses for being able to make people see things, first and foremost being making them not see things.

Well, in truth, invisibility was proving to be a tricky son of a bitch for the same reason as illusions—you couldn't just imagine there being nothing or you'd be a blank space; you had to make people see what would be on the other side of you, from every angle. Dust in the air, the reflection of and blockage of light, all of it had to be accounted for. I was still working on that, too. But for a bunch of tiny cameras in a dark room, it should be fine.

This shouldn't take long.

I turned back to my mother and looked her over carefully, searching for any sign that something more was wrong, using Observe and my Clairvoyance to be as sure as I could be that nothing was wrong. I didn't like it. I didn't enjoy it. But what I felt didn't really matter here, did it? With what I'd learned of the Riders, I had to know and I had to be sure—and I wouldn't put it past them to specifically target the people closest to me simply to cause me pain. Hell, I pretty much expected them to, honestly. I'd scanned her yesterday to make sure Conquest hadn't left anything behind, but I couldn't be sure that was enough anymore and ignoring the possibility would just put her in more danger. If I didn't know something was wrong, I wouldn't be able to fix it and where would that leave me? So I had to face the facts, as disconcerting as they might be.

If I was to consider Ozpin as a possible Rider, then the fact was that he was a security nightmare. The list of people he could have infected would have looked like a who's who of the four Kingdoms, including every Hunter in at least Vale, as well as all of the Councilmen—and through his allies in other countries, like Ironwood in Atlas, he could have systematically seized control of everyone and everything. It wouldn't even have been that hard, with no one knowing to even try to defend against him, and with the amount of time he'd had to work he could have done it a dozen times over.

That was a worst case scenario to the extreme, however, and one I had to assume wasn't really the case because if it was true, then we'd lost years ago and he was just playing with us. And while the Grimm seemed to enjoy playing with there were other things they were after, too, things they'd likely want to use Ozpin to obtain. Maybe they had, even, but the fact remained they hadn't gotten everything they wanted yet and we weren't working tirelessly to serve their goals. As such, it seemed logical to assume other factors were in place, though I didn't have the information I needed to say what. It might have been the time limit Conquest implied or something else; it was completely possible that the other Rider's didn't spread or infect like Conquest did, though there was nothing to confirm or deny that.

In truth, that was the biggest issue. I was fighting an enemy with completely unknown capabilities on every level, an enemy that I couldn't even be sure was there or not without triggering something. I couldn't even risk trying to be sure Ozpin, my closest ally, wasn't working or being used against me. And if I couldn't be sure of him, how could I be sure of anyone?

Simple—through logic. I'd dived into my father's soul and seen it. Though I didn't have enough experience to determine how it deviated from the norm—especially since I'd seen it in a situation that sure as hell deviated from the norm—I couldn't be sure of anything. But I hadn't spotted anything that I associated in hindsight with another Rider, even if I hadn't peered too deeply into my father's heart. For the moment, I could say that at least he probably wasn't infected a hypothetical soul Rider. That could have meant any number of things; that I was paranoid and there was no such threat, that the infection worked differently, or however many other things.

One thing it couldn't have meant, though, was nothing. If Ozpin was infected and he could infect others, then he could have taken my mother countless times before I was even born. When she was a student, whenever she came to get a mission, whenever she was weak or wounded—he must have had thousands of chances and there wouldn't have been much reason not to if he could of.

If she was safe, then that would have told me a lot about what I was facing, something I needed to know right now. Even if all it did was narrow my number of possible enemies down to an unknown number of just as unknown individuals with unknown powers who could be anywhere, well, it would have still be better than 'everyone.'

So I had to check. And if I had to check, who better to do so with then my mother? She had plenty of exposure to Ozpin, more than enough strength to be considered useful, and in her current condition, well, she wasn't much of a threat, either. Amongst all the possible candidates, she had the lowest chance of hurting people if something went wrong—and she was my mother. I had to know if she was okay.

And yet, I hesitated. Even though I was almost sure she wasn't infected, even though I had plenty of reasons to consider it the best option, even if the hospital was about as empty as any place I was going to find in Vale and I could easily layer barriers over it…I held back, because as unlikely as it was, as necessary as it could be, as important as the knowledge was, I couldn't ignore that I wasn't certain and that there was a chance she was truly infected.

There was a part of me that said that if that were true, it might be best to know now. It would confirm my worst fears and show me how horrible the situation was—but it wouldn't have been hopeless and terrifying as it might be, in knowing I might be able to do something about it. Perhaps there were those who were uninfected that I could find or who I could pull from the outskirts, perhaps I could use the White Fang to fight it. Perhaps in the other Kingdoms, I could find what I needed, a way to combat this threat and face it. So long as I knew what the problem was and didn't give up, I believed there would be hope. Even if it took me my whole life, even if what seemed like the whole world turned against me, I'd keep fighting to save it. I believed that, believed in the power of knowledge and hope, and it pushed me forward.

But one thing stopped me. The reality was that I had failed my father—not fully, perhaps; I'd save his mind, I'd saved his soul, I'd stood beside him and helped conquer Conquest. But I hadn't gotten everything I wanted, because I'd wanted it all. I'd tried my best to save him, done everything I could, put him before everything else and tried my absolute best to save him completely, and failed. I'd wanted it all, but I hadn't been able to get it. I hadn't had enough time, hadn't had enough knowledge, hadn't had the resources. I'd wanted it more than anything but I hadn't been able to get it.

That happens sometimes. What you wish for with all your heart and soul can still run headlong into cruel things like reality and gets crushed. Everyone in the world knows that you don't always get what you want and I knew it better than most.

But even so, I didn't want to fail again. I'd failed my father, but I wanted to save my mother, to protect the rest of my family, my friends, and everyone else. I wanted to save everyone and keep them safe from assholes like the Grimm and their godforsaken creator and I wanted to resolve things with the White Fang peacefully and I wanted…I wanted more then I'd ever be able to have. I knew that—and it didn't matter. The knowledge I couldn't save everyone one didn't change the value of saving as many as I could, nor did the knowledge I might fail her change the worth of trying.

But was it premature? Though this situation was ideal in many ways, was I prepared to see through here what I'd failed to do so against Conquest? Or would I just face the same thing again and lose my mother? Even if it was nothing but a remote possibility, could I take chances with something like this?

I drew up the profile for Usurpation and looked at it.

Usurpation (Active) LV1 EXP: 10.31%

The power of the White Rider, the Knight of Conquest. By using a form that is capable of invading the body or mind of another, one can link to the soul of the target and invade it for a number of purposes, including possession. Requires the status effect 'On A White Horse He Rides [MAX]' and a body capable of invading another.

This was the skill I'd used to battle Conquest, turning his own power against him. I could do it again now and perhaps turn it on his siblings, use the knowledge I'd gained from that first encounter to win this one—perhaps. But if I won, what if I just summoned their creator again? I didn't have any way to truly be sure of that, either, beyond putting it to the test, but did I dare to? I could transform now and try, but if there was even a chance that I'd lose, the cost…

I closed the window and looked down at her again, fingers on her shoulder. I hadn't picked up anything wrong with her body and Observed showed no status effects that might indicate infection. I really was all but certain she was clean and in no danger.

But just in case, I was going to make damn sure I could save her if she was.

I leaned over the bed and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, Mom," I whispered, killing the sounds the moment the left my lips. "So just leave all of this to me—it's not even worth worrying about. You just get some rest."

With that said, even though neither she nor anyone else would ever hear it, I took a deep breath, taking a seat again for a moment before dismissing both illusions mere moments after making them. Rising, I padded out of the room silently and closed the door behind me.

Then I slipped into Naraka with a thought and tore through the wall across the hall because it was quicker than taking the door. Landing in the street outside, I felt pavement shatter around me and dismissed it. As one, my Elementals appeared, rising out of the earth, forming out of the air, and crafting bodies for themselves from the power that leapt from my fingers. Five of them stood around me, with Crocea Mors resting at my side, and I looked at them one by one.

For us, words weren't needed.

I said them anyway.

"Two days rest is enough," I said. "I need to get stronger."

They said nothing, but the earth rumbled beneath my feet and the clouds began to churn in the skies above. Here in Naraka, there was no one to get in the way or get hurt—and so there was no reason to hold anything back.

"Let's start by working on my healing," I continued as if they'd agreed—which they had, in a way. "So. Hit me with your best shots."

Feb 2, 2015

Shalist, DtPrince, RedKing96 and 376 others like this.

Asunder

Asunder

Family is Complicated

"I know why you're afraid."

I didn't look them in the eyes instead scratching Gou's ears idly.

It was mainly because even with Bai Hu looking seven people in the eye was beyond even my skills but also because I didn't need to.

Instead my tired eyes looked at Gou's literal puppy dog eyes and felt the similar emotions that they all emanated to some degree.

"...I can't say i know how exactly you all feel. My training was different not just because I was older when it started but it was in almost every way incomparable to what you went through. Hell I made my choice to be a hunter and went for months with nothing more than a line of advice from Mom. I know you tried to stop me from even having that because you didn't want me to go through what you all went through, not just the training but that other kinds of pain that come with it. I know the pain, especially now."

The one of the twins almost started crying but calm down when the other held her hand. Biana had tears at the lining at her eyes but wiped them away before looking at me.

"You wished that at least one of us could make a life away from this, away from the...arc-roma lineage all destined to be great hunters."

Now there was an underlying anger. But it felt old, they were probably remembering the immense pressure that made a virtual mockery of their choice to become hunters.

"I wish that you hadn't tried to take that choice from me. It meant that I barely knew what Aura was before I stumbled onto a book in the library. But that's unimportant, because I'm not the reason that you're afraid of going."

The room stilled and I almost hesitated giving voice to what my mind had already worked out.

"It isn't because She decided to train me. It isn't because you haven't visited in years and instead stayed with the one person who I know mom fears. It...was because you trusted her."

Bianca's face turned into a blank poker-face but that couldn't hide the turmoil in her mind, none of them could hide the sudden wave of emotions from me.

"Because Hunter families are rarely happy but it's even rarer that they're whole. I had seven amazing sisters that went out to become protectors and I still have seven amazing sisters. Most hunters die young but Dad got to see all of his children become...incredible people. He..he lived long enough to know that we would exceed him. Because against all odds the council propaganda seemed to be real...at least for us...Until it wasn't."

Muffled sobs became audible and not just to my senses but I couldn't stop now.

"Even if it wasn't a good or right or fair choice, you all made it and you stuck by it because you believe in her. You believed that every drop of sweat and pain that she caused was worth something. That it made you better and that's why you survived and now..now you're wondering if it wasn't good enough. Then you start to think that if you walk in there and see her, see her broken then that it means that you aren't safe. That you can lose. That our little lineage and all your training meant nothing."

I didn't mean from that last part to sound harsh...or maybe I did and just couldn't admit it.

"But that doesn't matter. I'm sorry but it doesn't. Because our mother is in a hospital maimed, weak and alone and she needs help. Which is something that she would never deny you, no matter her condition. I'm not say that you have to pretend everything is alright, but please just help her, because I can't do it alone. I'm trying but I'm not strong enough yet...I need you, she needs you."

I was so caught up in what i was saying that i didn't even notice when arms began holding me tightly. I almost started but they wouldn't let go and soon i just relaxed and rested my head on Bianca's shoulder.

"Jaune you can rest. We're sorry for letting you care for mom...sorry for lacking courage to see her. Some hunters huh? Heh when did the little boy I taught to dance get so smart."

I just smiled and closed my tired eyes as someone, i think it was Violet, ran their hand in my hair.

"It's a long story sis."