The Grimm Huntress

Make the Right Choice

Eclipse woke up back in the void. Well woke up isn't exactly the correct term she supposed she was still asleep but that didn't matter. Semantics could be dismissed for now.

"Child," Erebus said in lieu of greeting and she sat on the floor in front of him. "I've been told it would be polite to warn you of something. Personally I don't quite care about politeness but I'm sure you can understand me not wanting my vessel to go into this underprepared."

"You're being a lot more pissy than last time," she said plainly. "What changed?"

"You're getting a bit too close to the end for pleasantries. There are only two ways this will end, and you can only win in one of them. My brother and I will only return once Salem has been destroyed, I've told you this before."

"That's impossible," Eclipse grumbled. He did not interrupt her dream for this. "We can defeat her but we can't kill her. Oz already asked Jinn."

"Are you doubting a god?" he asked harshly.

"Are you doubting a woman?" she returned.

"I forgot how irritating you were. Salem can't be killed but there is a way to get rid of her." He paused. "As long as you're willing to sacrifice something important in the end. Make the right choice Persephone."

With that she was brought back into the waking world and was stuck with those final words. The hell did he mean by sacrifice?

Everyone else was still asleep besides of course Weiss who was scrounging around the makeshift kitchen for something. She caught sight of Eclipse as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and smiled.

"Morning," Weiss said softly.

Eclipse joined her in the kitchen and kissed her forehead. "Morning, Angel. Looking for coffee?"

"You know me too well. Is there even anything consumable up here?"

"Probably not." She shrugged. "I'd send Quetz downstairs but I don't need Laura killing him."

"So you'd sooner let your girlfriend starve than let the wyvern you can bring back to life at any point in time die?" Weiss said flatly. "I see where I stand."

"Come on hermosa, you know I'd never let anything happen to you."

She rolled her eyes but put on the jacket Eclipse gave her back at Brunswick Farms and began to head towards the stairs. "I'm getting food. You stay up here."

"Why am I on babysitting duty?"

"In case you forgot Ms. Laura wants you dead." Weiss crossed her arms. "Stay here I'll get everyone breakfast. And don't worry, I know how you like your coffee."

"Love you."

"I know."

It was always a nice reminder that her girlfriend had a slight ego. Eclipse chose to find it endearing.

The morning passed mostly without incident but a feeling of dread slowly creeped up on her. At first she brushed it off as vacuo getting to her but it was different than that. It wasn't until she felt a wave of Grimm anger so intense that it nearly knocked her over that she understood what it was.

She stumbled against the table and her eyes flashed red as she felt something close. It was more powerful than a Grimm but not as powerful as Erebus.

"Salem," she murmured.

It was so clear but so confusing. She had never been in the presence of Salem before nor had she felt this Aura before but it came to her easily. She had fed off of negative emotions for years and she could sense the Aura people carried and the difference between the Aura of Faunus and humans but this was different. It wasn't quite an Aura but the same feeling she got when Erebus had first come to her.

"You can feel her too," Emerald said, looking horrified.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"Salem," Eclipse said. "We're not that far from her. But how did you know?"

"Because she can feel you. The first time I saw it she was furious." Emerald frowned. "As long as she has a Grimm under her control near you, she'll feel your presence through that. I think she's afraid of you, and she can't stand that."

They stewed in silence for a moment before Yang scoffed.

"And you're only choosing to bring this up now because!?" she nearly yelled.

"I didn't know if it would still happen or not! And I know you guys can handle yourselves so I thought it would be fine."

But Eclipse was too preoccupied to keep the peace. "Why couldn't I sense the Grimm she used..."

Hypothetically it should've been the same as telling a wild Grimm from her tamed ones, but maybe it was because all of the Grimm were of Salem's design.

"We're running out of time," she finally said.

"We don't even have a plan," Blake said. "This isn't the same as Torchwick, we can't afford to go in there and play it by ear."

Eclipse tapped her hand against her thigh as she thought about their options. Erebus said there were only two outcomes and only one good one and Jinn told them that to defeat Salem they'd have to strip the darkness from her soul.

"Emerald, how many people are there?" she asked.

"Without Cinder and excluding Salem then seven. Why?"

Seven highly powerful and skilled fighters who always aimed to kill and then a vengeful woman who was probably on par with a god.

"I don't have a plan on how to do this... but I think I know who does what."

They sat together and talked through everything for hours possibly for the last time.

In the end it would be team RWBEY against Salem. In the end it would be Ruby and Eclipse.

Please be the right choice.
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We're almost done ladies and gents. I might finish this week tbh I've got time

There's a reason why it's Ruby and Eclipse I swear it's not just main character syndrome 🙏🏾