[ON HIATUS] We're Not Dreaming (Mercury x OC)

Peace is a Fragile Thing

Blanche's POV

It had been about two months after the three had been caught, and they were now surprisingly well-integrated into the student body of Beacon Academy. Their fourth teammate had arrived from Atlas about a week ago, and was a very sweet girl by the name of Penny Polendina. Ruby and Penny had become good friends and were almost inseparable. Even though they didn't stay in our dorms anymore, Emerald had actually become good friends with Nora, even if she was still occasionally terrified of the orange-haired girl. Mercury had officially asked me to be his girlfriend the day after their initiation, but we hadn't made it public until two weeks ago. Cinder and Jaune had grown quite close as well, as Cinder taught Jaune how to fight and Jaune helped Cinder with the emotional and mental turmoil she holds inside ever since she had time to stop and think of what she had done. She had also gotten better at fighting with a weakened aura as well. Everything seemed to be going quite fine.

Third Person's POV

Adam was now a castaway in the White Fang. With Cinder captured and the warehouse of Dust and weapons inaccessible to the Fang (it was booby trapped and locked and only Cinder could disable it), he had been ridiculed by those under his command and overthrown from his position. Presently, he was stomping around the far edge of Forever Fall, eviscerating any Grimm that happened to cross his path.

Adam. He whipped his head around, sword held at the ready,"Who's there?" His lips were curled back in a snarl, ready to attack anything or anyone that came at him. A deathtly pale woman dressed in black appeared a few feet away from him, the mark of the Grimm on her face and skin. "I can help you achieve the goals you seek." "Who are you?" "Follow me, and you'll see," her voice floated in the air. Turning, she headed down the cliff side, seemingly floating down the vertical stretch of rock. Adam peered over the edge, only to see her disappear into the side of the mountain.

Apprehensive but at the same time curious, Adam leapt over the edge and slammed his sword into the ground, slowing his descent. He skidded to a stop right above the mouth of a cave, the entrance hidden to the naked eye with overgrown plants. The mouth was small enough that he had to bend over to slip in, but once he entered, his mouth dropped in shock and a chill ran down his back. The woman was seated on am outcropping of rock, a large Alpha Beowolf relaxing at her side. The Grimm had started growling when he first entered but she had calmed it with just a stroke on its head.

"Who the hell are you?" Adam's sword pointed at her. "Why, I am the Queen of Grimm my dear Adam. And I am here to reveal a secret that humanity has long kept from the Faunus." Adam's sword lowered a fraction,"Secret?" Her cold melodic laugh filled the cavern,"Did you know that the faunus could once control the Grimm? But humanity wanted to have full reign over your race, and they captured your ancestors and killed those who tried to use this ability. Over time, the Faunus forgot the power their ancestors once had. But I can give it back to you." "How is this possible," Adam growled lowly. The woman produced a crystal from her robes, black as night. The crystal itself seemed to radiate evil and negativity. "It likes you," she purred in delight. Against his better judgement, Adam stepped closer to the witch. "Would you like to have this ability Adam?" she gave him a sly look as she petted the Beowolf's head. "Yes," he breathed out.

She handed the crystal to him,"You must accept this gift with your heart, and have faith that all will be revealed in the end. Follow the guidance of the crystal, and you will have everything that you ever dreamed." "Faith huh," he whispered quietly before pressing the crystal against his chest. He screamed in pain as the crystal forced itself deeper into his chest, spreading out tendrils of darkness through his whole body and piercing his very soul. Moments later, he opened his eyes again, his irises now blood red.

Blanche's POV

It was just after dinner, and Merc and I were resting together on his bed. I was reading a book while he played games on my scroll. Cinder suddenly burst into the dorm room, her face sheet white. She held a scroll tightly in her palm, her other hand clenched in a tight fist. "I need to speak to Ozpin. Now." she shakily said as Jaune stumbled in after her, panting slightly. I sat up straight, looking at her in concern,"What happened?" She tossed her scroll to me and my blood ran cold as I read the message.

It's the beginning of the end. And I can't wait to watch all of you burn.

The message was from someone I knew very well. Adam Taurus. "Let's go," I handed Cinder back her scroll and raced off towards the headmaster's office, Cinder, Mercury, and Jaune right on my heels. A few minutes later, we were in the elevator going up to Ozpin, and Cinder was wrapped in Jaune's arms as he whispered comforting words to her. The doors dinged open, and the four of us walked out. "Hello you four. Is there something you need?" Ozpin took a sip out of his ever present mug. Cinder took a deep breath before striding forward to place her scroll on Ozpin's desk,"She got ahold of Adam Taurus. He's been infected with Black Dust." Ozpin's brows furrowed as he read the message on the scroll. "This is indeed very concerning. But Miss Fall, what prompted you to give me this information?" "It's been two months since you placed this belt on me. And in those two months, I've realized how foolish I was. I placed my own greed for power above the survival of my own race, and the fact I thought that the plan to take over Vale would succeed showed my own arrogance. You wanted me to reform and become a better person, and placing Jaune as my caretaker has helped quite a lot." At that, Ozpin smiled warmly at her and nodded, sinking more into his chair,"That is wonderful news Miss Fall. Now since you've showed me this message, we know that a storm is coming our way, and Salem is behind it all."

Cinder sighed before taking her scroll back,"I still have the warehouse full of weapons and Dust that had been stolen from the kingdoms in the past few months. I'm the only one who can access it." "Would you be willing to hand everything that is in there over to me?" Ozpin inquired. "It's not just Dust and weapons in there though," Cinder continued,"She had me put a box of Black Dust as well." "Uh if I can interrupt with a question," Jaune suddenly piped up,"What's Black Dust?" Ozpin sighed heavily and sank into his chair,"Black Dust isn't even technically Dust. It is the manifestation of pure evil, extremely dangerous and thankfully quite rare. What makes it dangerous is that those who become infected with it gain the ability to control the Grimm. One is being held at one of the Schnee Dust Company laboratories under quarantine and the second crystal was used by Salem who succumbed to her thirst for power. However it seems that she used the third one on Adam Taurus, which will have deadly effects going by what Miss Volpes has told me of him." The three people next to me gave me quizzical looks which I waved off. "Where would Salem be?" "She's deep in Grimm territory. I suspect that she has found more Black Dust than I had initially realized if she's willing to use it on other people and to just leave a handful in an empty warehouse." "So what do we do?" Jaune asked.

"At the moment, we cannot do anything except prepare for a war. No doubt Adam Taurus will attack with the Grimm soon, and we must make preparations with haste.  I will contact the Council to cancel the Vytal Festival this year. It would be an opportune time for an attack and I do not want more fatalities because the kingdoms wanted to get together and party. I will request General Ironwood to upgrade the defense systems of all the kingdoms as well as send more guards to patrol the borders," Ozpin began to click around on his desk, pulling up holograms of the kingdoms. 

Jaune suddenly gave Cinder a nudge,"What was that idea you told me? The one for Amber?" She released a breath shakily as Ozpin leveled a cold gaze at her,"Don't you think you've done enough damage towards Amber?" he spat out,"You left her in such a comatose state that even the best technology in Remnant couldn't revive her. That advanced technology is barely keeping her alive at the moment." All of us looked towards Cinder.

"I have an idea that could revive her," she whispered.