Chapter XXVI: Fractured Fall; Mercury's Dilemma
Chapter XXVI: Fractured Fall; Mercury's Dilemma
Mercury's Dilemma - The Finals Match
The Hidden Vault
Deep beneath Beacon Academy, in a vault that few knew existed, Pyrrha Nikos stood surrounded by the weight of destiny and the burden of choice. Professor Ozpin, Glynda Goodwitch, General Ironwood, and Qrow Branwen had just revealed truths that shattered her understanding of the world, replacing fairy tales with reality and legend with responsibility.
The sight of Amber, the Fall Maiden, suspended in her comatose state on life support, served as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurked in the shadows. The tubes and monitoring equipment that kept her alive told the story of an attack that had changed everything, splitting power that was never meant to be divided.
"The choice is yours, Miss Nikos," Ozpin said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of guardianship. "But understand that once this path is taken, there is no returning to the life you knew."
Pyrrha's green eyes moved between the unconscious Maiden and the faces of those who had dedicated their lives to protecting the world from threats it didn't even know existed. "I understand," she replied, though her voice carried the uncertainty that came with making decisions that would affect more than just herself.
"Until the end of the Vytal Festival," Qrow reminded her, his tone gentler than usual. "Take the time you need. This isn't a choice that should be made lightly."
Amity Colosseum - The Finals Begin
The atmosphere in Amity Colosseum was electric with anticipation as the finals round of the Vytal Festival tournament was announced. The stands were packed with spectators from all four kingdoms, their cheers creating a wall of sound that vibrated through the floating arena.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Port's voice boomed across the stadium, "welcome to the finals of the Vytal Festival Tournament! Our eight finalists have proven themselves through skill, determination, and the bonds of teamwork!"
The competitors stood in a line on the arena floor: Yang Xiao Long, her golden hair catching the arena lights; Sun Wukong, tail swishing with nervous energy; Penny Polendina, her ever-present smile radiating confidence; Mercury Black, his expression carefully neutral; Pyrrha Nikos, still processing the revelations she had just received; and three other skilled fighters who had earned their place through combat excellence.
In the royal box, the Dark Elven delegation watched with interest, though some members showed more tension than others. Princess Sarai Albanar sat forward in her seat, her attention focused not on the general spectacle but on one particular competitor whose presence created conflicting emotions she was still trying to understand.
Mercury's Internal Struggle
Mercury Black stood among the finalists, his silver hair perfectly styled and his confident demeanor giving no hint of the turmoil churning beneath the surface. To the crowds, he appeared to be just another skilled fighter ready to prove himself on the biggest stage the tournament could offer.
The reality was far more complicated.
Hidden in the shadows of the stadium, Cinder Fall watched her operative with satisfaction. Everything was proceeding according to plan. Mercury's role in the coming chaos was crucial, his performance in the staged match with Yang Xiao Long designed to trigger exactly the kind of negative emotion that would attract Grimm and provide cover for their true objectives.
But Mercury's focus was divided in ways that Cinder couldn't have anticipated. Every time his eyes swept the arena, they inevitably found their way to the royal box where Princess Sarai sat with her family. The sight of her stirred memories that he had spent years trying to suppress, childhood recollections of a friendship that had meant everything to a boy who had little else in his life worth cherishing.
*Focus,* he told himself, forcing his attention back to the mission parameters. *You have a job to do. Cinder is counting on you.*
Yet even as he reinforced his commitment to the plan, another part of his mind whispered questions that grew harder to ignore. What would Sarai think when she saw what he was about to do? Would she understand that he had reasons, or would she see only betrayal of everything their friendship had once represented?
The First Match - Yang vs Mercury
"Our first match," Oobleck announced with academic enthusiasm, "will pit Yang Xiao Long of Beacon Academy against Mercury Black of Haven Academy!"
The arena configuration shifted, creating a varied terrain that would test both fighters' adaptability. Yang cracked her knuckles and rolled her shoulders, her purple eyes bright with competitive fire. Mercury assumed a more relaxed stance, his training allowing him to appear confident while his mind raced through the choreographed sequence he was about to perform.
In the spectator sections, Team RWBY cheered enthusiastically for their teammate, though Blake's enhanced senses detected something subtle in Mercury's posture that didn't quite match his confident expression.
"Something feels off," Blake murmured to Ruby and Weiss, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what was triggering her instincts.
"Yang's got this," Ruby declared with absolute confidence in her sister. "Mercury's good, but Yang's been training for this her whole life."
From the royal box, Sarai watched the pre-match preparations with growing unease. Her memories of Mercury as a child - curious, intelligent, loyal to their friendship despite the difficulties in his home life - seemed increasingly at odds with the calculating fighter she saw before her now.
The Choreographed Combat
"Begin!" Port announced, and the match commenced with explosive intensity.
Yang opened with her characteristic aggressive approach, her gauntlets firing rapidly as she closed distance with her opponent. Mercury's response was fluid and precise, his leg-based combat style allowing him to deflect and counter her attacks while gradually maneuvering toward his predetermined position.
The exchange of blows was spectacular from the audience's perspective, each fighter demonstrating exceptional skill and tactical awareness. Yang's raw power clashed against Mercury's technical precision, creating a display that had the crowd on their feet cheering.
But Mercury's performance was carefully calculated, every move designed to advance the larger plan while maintaining the illusion of genuine competition. When Yang's hits connected, he absorbed the impact and continued fighting, using his training and natural toughness to make the staged combat appear authentic.
As the match progressed toward its climax, Mercury found his concentration wavering. Each time he caught a glimpse of Sarai in the royal box, his childhood memories intruded more forcefully into his focus.
*She used to laugh at my jokes,* he thought during a brief exchange of strikes with Yang. *She was the only person who ever made me feel like I was worth something.*
The distraction nearly cost him the timing of a crucial sequence, and he had to focus sharply to recover his position in the choreographed fight.
The Critical Moment
The match reached its predetermined turning point when Mercury's projectile barrage apparently knocked Yang down, only for her to emerge stronger and more determined. Her retaliatory assault was devastating, her enhanced strength and speed overwhelming Mercury's defenses in a display that satisfied the crowd's hunger for spectacular combat.
As Yang's final combination depleted his Aura and triggered the match-ending buzzer, Mercury found himself on the ground, looking up at the arena lights while the crowd cheered Yang's victory. This was the moment he had trained for, the crucial pivot point where everything would change.
According to the plan, he was supposed to get up and stage an attack that would provoke Yang into breaking his leg while under the influence of Emerald's illusion Semblance. The negative emotion generated by the apparent unprovoked assault would attract Grimm to Vale, providing the chaos and distraction that Cinder needed for the next phase of their operation.
But as Mercury lay on the arena floor, his eyes found Sarai in the royal box once more. She was watching him with an expression of concern that reminded him powerfully of their childhood friendship, when she had been the only person who seemed to genuinely care about his wellbeing.
*What am I doing?* The thought struck him with unexpected force. *She's right there, watching this. She'll see me betray everything she ever believed about who I could be.*
The Torn Loyalty
Time seemed to slow as Mercury faced the choice that would define not just the mission's success, but his own understanding of who he was and who he wanted to become. Cinder's training, Salem's larger plans, years of conditioning and manipulation - all of it pressed against the unexpected resurgence of feelings he thought he had buried.
In the royal box, Sarai leaned forward with worry as she watched Mercury remain motionless on the arena floor. Something in his stillness triggered memories of their childhood, times when he had withdrawn into himself when faced with difficult situations at home.
"Get up," she whispered, though she knew he couldn't hear her. "Please get up."
Yang had begun walking away, satisfied with her victory but not wanting to gloat over her defeated opponent. The crowd was already shifting its attention to the next match, the moment of Mercury's decision rapidly approaching.
*Cinder will kill me if I don't follow through,* Mercury thought desperately. *But Sarai... she'll never forgive me if I do this. And maybe... maybe I won't forgive myself either.*
The Choice Unmade
Mercury remained on the ground, his body trembling with the internal conflict that raged between duty to his handler and loyalty to memories he couldn't suppress. The plan called for him to act now, to trigger the sequence of events that would plunge Vale into chaos.
Instead, he found himself remembering a conversation from their childhood, when Sarai had told him that he was better than the circumstances of his birth, that he could choose to be someone worthy of respect and friendship.
*She believed in me,* he realized with crystalline clarity. *Even when I didn't believe in myself, she saw something worth saving.*
The arena fell silent as spectators began to notice Mercury's continued immobility. Medical personnel started moving toward the combat area, their concern for the fallen fighter overriding normal post-match protocols.
In the stands, Emerald watched with growing alarm as Mercury failed to execute his part of the plan. Her illusion Semblance was ready to activate, waiting for Mercury's staged attack to provide the trigger for Yang's seemingly unprovoked response.
*What is he doing?* Emerald thought frantically, her prepared illusion wavering as uncertainty crept into her concentration.
From her position in the shadows, Cinder Fall observed her operative's failure to act with cold fury. Years of training, careful planning, and strategic positioning were being threatened by Mercury's inexplicable hesitation.
The Moment of Truth
As medical personnel reached Mercury and began their assessment, he finally moved. But instead of springing up for a surprise attack, he accepted their help in getting to his feet, his expression showing genuine exhaustion from the hard-fought match.
"I'm fine," he told the medics, his voice carrying none of the false confidence that usually marked his interactions. "Just need a moment to catch my breath."
Yang, hearing the commotion, turned back with concern for her opponent. "Hey, you okay? That was a good fight."
Mercury looked at her, then up at the royal box where Sarai watched with obvious relief at seeing him conscious and moving. The choice crystallized in his mind with startling clarity.
"Yeah," he replied to Yang, his voice stronger now. "Good fight. You earned that win."
The crowd began to cheer again as it became clear that Mercury was uninjured, the match concluding with the kind of sportsmanlike conduct that the Vytal Festival was meant to celebrate.
But in the shadows, Cinder Fall's amber eyes blazed with fury as she realized that her carefully laid plans had just suffered a critical failure - not from external interference, but from the unexpected resurgence of emotions she thought she had successfully eliminated from her operative's psychology.
The game had changed, though not in the way anyone had anticipated. Mercury Black had chosen his childhood friend over his handler, and the consequences of that choice would ripple through events yet to come.
The Weight of Revelations
In the depths of Beacon Academy's hidden vault, Pyrrha Nikos stood motionless as the full weight of everything she had learned settled over her like a suffocating blanket. The revelation about the Maidens, about Salem, about the secret war that had raged in shadows for generations - all of it paled in comparison to the shock of discovering who else had been present in that room.
Qrow Branwen is married, she thought, her mind still reeling from the impossibility of it. The scruffy, perpetually drunk Huntsman she knew from Ruby's stories bore no resemblance to someone who would be wed to royalty. Yet there she had been - Lailah, the sister of Queen Hyatan of the Dark Elves, standing beside him with an ease that spoke of deep familiarity and shared burdens.
The Supreme Commander of the Elven Royal Vanguard, Lailah. It wasn't until Ozpin had mentioned that Lailah was his wife- that Pyrrha had felt the pieces clicking into place with terrifying clarity.
Lailah is Seraphina's.. er rather Khanna's mother. The thought sent another wave of disbelief through her. And if Queen Hyatan is her sister, then Seraphina is...
"Miss Nikos?" Ozpin's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. "I understand this is overwhelming. The connections between our worlds run deeper than most realize."
Pyrrha looked up to find all eyes on her - Ozpin with his patient understanding, Goodwitch with her measured concern, Ironwood with his military practicality, and Qrow with something that might have been sympathy. But it was the the powerful elven woman by his side who commanded her attention now.
Lailah stepped forward, her bearing carrying the grace that came from royal lineage, though softened by genuine compassion. "Child, I know this is much to process. The revelation of our peoples' hidden alliance, of the true nature of the threats we face together - it challenges everything you thought you knew about the world."
"My daughter has spoken of you," she continued added, her voice carrying an otherworldly quality that reminded Pyrrha of wind through ancient trees. "Seraphina values your friendship greatly. She will be... affected by whatever choice you make regarding the Maiden's power."
"She doesn't know?" Pyrrha managed to ask, though her voice came out smaller than intended.
"Few do," Qrow replied, his usual casual demeanor replaced by something more serious. "The fewer who know about the Maidens, the safer they are. But if you accept this burden, some truths will have to be shared."
Pyrrha's mind raced through the implications. How would she explain suddenly possessing these incredible powers to her team? To Jaune? To Seraphina, who was apparently elven royalty and had never mentioned it?
How many secrets are there in this school? she wondered desperately.
In the Shadows of Deception
Several floors above, Mercury Black made his way through Beacon's corridors with careful, measured steps. To anyone watching, he appeared to be heading back to the temporary quarters assigned to visiting students, perhaps to rest after his match or prepare for whatever came next in the tournament.
The reality was far more complicated.
Every step he took was calculated to avoid the areas where he knew Cinder would be waiting. His failure to execute the plan in the arena had bought him time, but it had also put him in tremendous danger. Cinder Fall was not known for her patience with subordinates who failed to follow orders, especially when those failures threatened operations she had spent months orchestrating.
But beneath his carefully controlled exterior, Mercury's mind was alive with memories that grew stronger and more vivid with each passing moment. The sight of Sarai in the royal box had been the catalyst, but now that the floodgates had opened, childhood recollections poured through him in waves.
She used to sneak extra food from the palace kitchens, he remembered, pausing at a window that looked out over Vale's skyline. Said it was because I was "too skinny for someone who moved so fast." She never knew it was because my father barely fed me between training sessions.
The memories came with emotional weight he hadn't felt in years - warmth, belonging, the simple pleasure of having someone who cared whether he lived or died. Marcus Black had beaten those feelings out of him, or so Mercury had believed. Cinder had built upon that foundation, crafting him into a weapon without sentiment or doubt.
Yet here he was, risking everything because a princess from his past had smiled at him with genuine concern.
I have to be smarter about this, he told himself. Cinder can't know about the memories. Not yet. If I'm going to figure out a way through this that doesn't end with everyone I care about dead, I need her to believe I'm still her loyal attack dog.
The Dangerous Game
Mercury's scroll buzzed with an incoming message, and his heart rate spiked as he saw Cinder's name on the display.
"My room. Now. We need to discuss your... performance in the arena."
The words carried an unmistakable threat, and Mercury knew that his next conversation with Cinder would determine whether he lived to see another day. She had invested too much in him to discard him easily, but her patience with insubordination was notoriously limited.
As he made his way toward Cinder's quarters, Mercury began constructing the lie that might save his life. It would have to be convincing, accounting for his hesitation while reinforcing his value to the mission. Most importantly, it couldn't give any hint of the memories that had flooded back or the emotions they had awakened.
Physical exhaustion, he decided. Tell her the match took more out of me than expected. That Yang hit harder than anticipated and it took me longer to recover than planned.
It wasn't entirely untrue - Yang's strikes had been genuinely powerful, and any normal fighter would have needed significant recovery time after absorbing that level of punishment. The lie would be plausible enough to provide cover while he figured out his next move.
But even as he prepared his deception, another part of his mind was working on a different problem entirely. Somewhere in this school was Princess Sarai Albanar, the childhood friend who had believed in him when no one else would. If he was going to find a way out of this web of manipulation and violence, he needed to find her.
After I deal with Cinder, he promised himself. After I convince her I'm still her weapon, I'll find a way to reach Sarai. Maybe she'll have answers. Maybe she'll remember enough of who I used to be to help me figure out who I want to become.
The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly before him as he approached Cinder's door, each step taking him deeper into a dangerous game where the stakes were nothing less than his soul.
The Performance of Loyalty
Mercury knocked on Cinder's door with exactly the right amount of confidence - enough to show he wasn't cowering, but not so much as to suggest arrogance in the face of his failure. When her voice called for him to enter, he opened the door and stepped inside with the bearing of a soldier reporting to his commanding officer.
Cinder stood with her back to him, looking out the window at the city below. Emerald was there as well, positioned near the door with an expression that mixed concern for her partner with wariness about what Cinder might do to him.
"You hesitated," Cinder said without turning around, her voice carrying the kind of cold fury that preceded violence. "In all our training, through all our missions, you have never hesitated when given an order. Explain."
Mercury had rehearsed this moment during his walk through the corridors, but facing the reality of Cinder's displeasure made his mouth go dry. Still, he forced confidence into his voice as he delivered his prepared explanation.
"Yang hits harder than our intelligence indicated," he said, allowing a note of grudging respect to color his words. "The combination that ended the match rattled me more than I expected. By the time my head cleared enough to execute the next phase, there were too many people around. Medical personnel, security, other competitors - attempting the staged attack would have been too obviously fake."
Cinder finally turned to face him, her amber eyes searching his expression for any sign of deception. Mercury met her gaze steadily, drawing on years of training in misdirection and manipulation.
"You're saying you made a tactical decision to abort?" she asked, her tone suggesting this explanation was barely acceptable.
"I'm saying I prioritized mission security over rigid adherence to timeline," Mercury replied, choosing his words carefully. "A failed deception would have been worse than a delayed one."
For a long moment, Cinder studied him in silence. Mercury could feel Emerald's tension from across the room, her concern for him warring with her absolute loyalty to their leader.
"Perhaps," Cinder said finally, "you're right. The plan can be adjusted. There will be other opportunities to create the chaos we need."
Mercury felt some of the tension leave his shoulders, though he was careful not to show too much relief. "What do you need from me?"
"For now, maintain your cover. Continue participating in the tournament as expected. When the time comes for our real objectives, I'll need you ready to act without hesitation."
"Understood," Mercury replied, though privately he wondered if he would be able to follow through when that moment came.
As he left Cinder's room, Mercury realized that he had bought himself time, but at the cost of deeper entanglement in plans that would bring suffering to people he was beginning to remember caring about. The game was far from over, and the stakes continued to rise with each passing hour.
I need to find Sarai, he thought as he made his way back through Beacon's corridors. Before it's too late to matter.
Mercury's Dilemma - The Meeting
Shadows and Secrets
The confrontation with Ruby Rose had been inevitable, Mercury realized as he assumed his fighting stance in the corridor beneath Amity Colosseum. The red-hooded girl's sharp eyes and protective instincts made her dangerous to their operation, but fighting her now would only accelerate the chaos that Cinder had planned.
This wasn't supposed to happen yet, he thought, his mind racing through contingencies. Ruby finding me here, discovering I'm not injured - it's too early in the sequence.
Above them, the announcer's voice boomed through the stadium speakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, our next match will be Penny Polendina of Atlas versus Pyrrha Nikos of Beacon!"
Mercury's eyes flickered toward the ceiling at the announcement. He knew what Cinder had planned for that match, the horror that was about to unfold when Pyrrha's polarity Semblance met Penny's mechanical nature. The guilt of his complicity in the coming tragedy warred with his ingrained loyalty to Cinder's mission.
But then another thought struck him - Sarai would be watching from the royal box. She would witness whatever happened next, and her opinion of him would be shaped by the choices he made in these crucial moments.
"You're working with them," Ruby said, her silver eyes blazing with realization. "Yang was right - you did attack her first!"
Mercury's training kicked in automatically, his body shifting into combat readiness even as his mind struggled with conflicting loyalties. "I don't know what you're talking about, Red. Maybe the stress is getting to you too."
The Dance of Deception
The fight that followed was swift and brutal, Mercury's experience and training overwhelming Ruby's raw talent. Without Crescent Rose, she was at a severe disadvantage against his leg-based combat style, and within moments he had her pinned against the wall, unconscious.
But even as he stood over Ruby's still form, Mercury felt the weight of what he had done. This girl was innocent, trying to protect her friends and uncover a conspiracy that would bring death to thousands. His childhood self - the boy Sarai had befriended - would have been horrified by his actions.
I'm sorry, he thought, looking down at Ruby's peaceful face. I wish things were different.
The sound of approaching footsteps made him straighten, and moments later Emerald appeared around the corner, her expression a mix of relief and concern.
"There you are," she said. "Cinder's been looking for you. The next phase is about to begin."
Mercury nodded, forcing his expression back into its usual mask of confident indifference. "Ruby Rose got suspicious. I had to neutralize her before she could interfere."
"Good," Emerald replied, though her eyes lingered on Ruby's unconscious form with something that might have been regret. "Come on. We need to get into position."
But as they walked away, leaving Ruby hidden in the shadows, Mercury made a decision that surprised even himself. Instead of following Emerald directly to their assigned position, he took a detour that would bring him past the entrance to the royal viewing area.
Five minutes, he told himself. Just five minutes to see her again, to remember who I used to be before it's too late.
A Childhood Rekindled
Princess Sarai Albanar stood alone on the balcony outside the royal box, her hands gripping the railing as she watched the preparations for the next match. The sight of Mercury's "injury" in his fight with Yang had troubled her more than she cared to admit, stirring memories of their childhood friendship that she had never quite been able to forget.
The sound of footsteps made her turn, and her breath caught as she saw Mercury approaching. He looked different somehow - less cocky, more vulnerable, as if some of the armor he wore around his emotions had cracked.
"Mercury?" she said softly, her voice carrying a mixture of surprise and concern. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting after your match?"
"I needed to see you," he replied, his usual swagger absent. For a moment, he looked exactly like the boy she had known years ago - uncertain, searching for approval, afraid of being rejected.
Sarai glanced around, noting they were alone on the balcony. "Are you all right? You looked hurt during the fight with Yang."
Mercury almost laughed at the irony. She was worried about fake injuries while real danger swirled around them both. "I'm fine. That's not why I'm here."
"Then why?" Sarai asked, stepping closer. "Mercury, you've been different lately. Distant. I know we were children when we knew each other, but I remember you being... kinder. What happened to you?"
The simple question hit Mercury like a physical blow. What happened to him? His father's training, his father's death, Cinder's recruitment, years of missions and manipulation and murder. How could he possibly explain the path that had led him from the boy who had laughed with her in palace gardens to the weapon he had become?
"Life happened," he said quietly. "My father... after you and your family left, things got worse. Much worse. When he died, I thought I was free, but I just traded one master for another."
Sarai's expression softened with understanding and pain. "Mercury, I'm so sorry. I never knew-"
"How could you?" he interrupted. "You were a princess with a kingdom to inherit. I was just a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who happened to amuse you for a summer."
"That's not true," Sarai said firmly, her eyes flashing with something between hurt and anger. "You were my friend. You were important to me. When we left, I begged my parents to bring you with us, but they said it was impossible."
Mercury stared at her, feeling something crack open inside his chest. "You... what?"
"I never forgot you," she continued, her voice growing softer. "When I heard you were competing in the tournament, I hoped... I don't know what I hoped. That maybe we could reconnect. That you'd remember our friendship meant something."
"It meant everything," Mercury whispered, the words escaping before he could stop them. "You were the only person who ever made me feel like I was worth something."
The Weight of Truth
For a long moment, they stood in silence, the noise of the tournament crowd a distant murmur beyond the balcony. Mercury felt the full weight of his situation pressing down on him - Cinder's plans, the mission he was supposed to be completing, the innocent people who would suffer if he continued down this path.
"Sarai," he said finally, his voice heavy with desperation. "There's something I need to tell you. Something important. But first... do you still believe people can change? That someone who's done terrible things can choose to be better?"
Sarai searched his face, seeing the pain and conflict written there. "Of course I do. Why would you ask that?"
"Because I'm about to make a choice that will either save a lot of people or get us both killed," Mercury replied. "And I need to know that if I choose to be the person you believed I could be, you'll help me figure out how."
Before Sarai could respond, the sound of cheers from the arena indicated that the match between Penny and Pyrrha was beginning. Mercury's face went pale as he realized how much time had passed.
"I have to go," he said urgently. "But Sarai, whatever happens in the next few minutes, whatever you see or hear about me, remember this conversation. Remember that I'm trying to find my way back to being someone worthy of your friendship."
"Mercury, wait-" Sarai reached for him, but he was already moving, his expression hardening back into the mask he wore for the world.
"Stay safe, Princess," he called over his shoulder. "And if things go bad... run."
The Point of No Return
Mercury raced through the corridors of Amity Colosseum, his mind churning with the implications of what he had just done. By revealing his conflict to Sarai, he had taken the first step toward betraying Cinder's trust. There would be no going back now.
She asked if people could change, he thought as he ran. Time to find out.
As he approached the designated position where Emerald waited with her illusion Semblance ready, Mercury made his final choice. Instead of taking his assigned place to help orchestrate Penny's destruction, he changed direction, heading toward the arena floor itself.
If he was going to save Penny Polendina and prevent the chaos that Cinder had planned, he would have to act fast. The match was already underway, and Pyrrha's polarity Semblance was beginning to affect Penny's mechanical systems in exactly the way Cinder had predicted.
I'm coming, Penny, Mercury thought grimly. I just hope I'm not too late.
Behind him, in the royal box, Princess Sarai watched the arena with growing concern, Mercury's warning echoing in her mind. Something was about to happen - something terrible - and the boy she had once known was trying to prevent it.
Be careful, Mercury, she whispered to herself. Please be careful.
The Fall of Beacon Begins
The Arena of Tragedy
Mercury Black raced through the corridors beneath Amity Colosseum, his heart pounding with the weight of his decision. Above him, the match between Penny Polendina and Pyrrha Nikos was already underway, and he could hear the crowd's cheers echoing through the structure. Every second that passed brought them closer to the disaster Cinder had orchestrated.
I have to reach the arena floor, he thought desperately. I have to warn them somehow.
But as he rounded a corner, he nearly collided with Ruby Rose, who was stumbling toward the main arena entrance. Her silver eyes were wide with shock and determination, and Mercury realized with a sinking heart that she had escaped from where he had left her unconscious.
"You!" Ruby gasped, pointing at him accusingly. "You're working with them! You have to stop this!"
Mercury felt the familiar weight of his training pulling him toward violence, toward silencing the threat she represented to Cinder's plans. But Sarai's words echoed in his mind - her belief that people could change, that he could choose to be better than what his circumstances had made him.
"Ruby, listen to me," he said urgently, abandoning his usual cocky demeanor. "Something terrible is about to happen up there. Penny's in danger, and your friend Pyrrha doesn't know she's walking into a trap."
Ruby's expression shifted from anger to confusion. "What are you talking about? Why should I trust you?"
"Because I'm trying to make a different choice," Mercury replied, the words feeling strange in his mouth. "My partner Emerald - she's using her Semblance to create illusions during the match. She's going to make Pyrrha see things that aren't there, force her to use too much power-"
Above them, the sound of the crowd suddenly changed, cheers shifting to gasps of horror. Both Mercury and Ruby looked up instinctively, dread filling their hearts as they realized they might already be too late.
In the Royal Box
Princess Sarai Albanar gripped the railing of the royal box as she watched the match unfold below. Something felt wrong - Penny's movements seemed erratic, and Pyrrha's responses appeared increasingly desperate. The memory of Mercury's warning echoed in her mind: Whatever happens in the next few minutes, whatever you see or hear about me, remember this conversation.
Beside her, her cousin Seraphina - who went by Khanna in her role as Supreme Commander - watched with tactical interest, though her attention kept drifting to where Cardin Winchester sat in the student section. Their relationship had been complicated by her royal duties and his human heritage, but recent events had brought them closer together.
"Something's not right," Seraphina murmured, her enhanced elven senses detecting subtle wrongness in the arena's atmosphere. "The energy patterns down there... they're being manipulated somehow."
Queen Hyatan, seated with the other dignitaries, nodded grimly. "I sense it too, daughter. Dark magic is at work here."
Their conversation was cut short by a massive pulse of magnetic energy from the arena floor. Pyrrha's polarity Semblance had erupted with devastating force, and the horrible sound of metal cutting through metal filled the air. When the dust settled, Penny Polendina lay motionless on the arena floor, her mechanical nature revealed to the world in the most tragic way possible.
The silence that followed was deafening. Then the screaming began.
In Team RWBY's Dorm
Eleryc, the half-Saiyan with elven blood, had been sitting quietly beside Yang Xiao Long's bed when the sound of horror erupted from the arena broadcasts throughout Beacon. His unique heritage gave him senses beyond those of normal humans, and he could feel the massive surge of negative emotion that suddenly flooded the area.
Yang, who had been resting after her disqualification, sat up sharply as the sounds of panic began to filter through the walls. "What's happening out there?"
"I don't know," Eleryc replied, his voice tight with concern. "But something's very wrong. The emotional energy in the air - it's like nothing I've ever felt."
Through the window, they could see students and faculty running across Beacon's courtyards, their faces etched with terror. In the distance, the sky above Vale was darkening with more than just clouds - shapes moved within the darkness, vast and terrible.
"We need to get to the others," Yang said, swinging her legs out of bed despite her exhaustion. "If something's happening at the tournament-"
"Blake, Ruby, and Weiss are all at the Colosseum," Eleryc realized with growing dread. "Yang, I think we're under attack."
As if summoned by his words, the emergency alarms throughout Beacon Academy began to wail, their piercing sound mixing with the distant roars of creatures that should not exist in a world of peace and learning.
The Broadcast of Lies
Throughout the kingdoms, in homes and gathering places where families had come together to watch the Vytal Festival, television screens flickered as control shifted from the tournament organizers to something far more sinister. Cinder Fall's face appeared, beautiful and terrible, her amber eyes holding the kind of cold certainty that came with absolute conviction.
"Hello," she began, her voice carrying across the airwaves to millions of viewers. "I have a message for the people of Remnant."
In the hidden vault beneath Beacon, Ozpin watched the hijacked broadcast with growing horror. Beside him, Lailah - Qrow's elven wife and Queen Hyatan's sister - placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"She's going to blame us," Ozpin said quietly. "Everything we've worked to build, all the trust between the kingdoms - she's going to tear it down with words alone."
"The Grimm will come," Khanna - Seraphina - added, her voice heavy with the weight of prophecy. "So much fear, so much anger... they'll be drawn like moths to flame."
And indeed, as Cinder's words painted the academies as corrupt institutions hiding dangerous secrets, as she twisted Penny's nature into something sinister and Pyrrha's accident into callous murder, the creatures of darkness began to move. In the forests around Vale, in the depths of abandoned places where sunlight never reached, ancient hungers stirred in response to the negative emotions flooding the airwaves.
Mercury's Desperate Choice
In the corridors beneath Amity Colosseum, Mercury and Ruby raced toward the arena floor as chaos erupted around them. The sound of breaking glass and screaming crowds filled the air, punctuated by the distinctive roars of Grimm.
"The negative emotions," Ruby gasped as they ran. "All that fear and horror from what happened to Penny - it's drawing them here!"
"That was the plan," Mercury admitted, his voice heavy with guilt. "Create a tragedy, broadcast it to the world, let the resulting panic attract every Grimm in the area. Vale's defenses weren't prepared for an assault from within."
They burst through an emergency exit onto one of the Colosseum's external platforms just as a massive shadow passed overhead. A Giant Nevermore, its wingspan blocking out the sun, descended toward the arena with predatory grace.
"We have to find the others," Ruby said, extending her hand to Mercury despite everything that had happened between them. "Can you fight alongside us instead of against us?"
Mercury looked at her outstretched hand - an offer of trust from someone he had wronged, a chance at redemption he had never expected to receive. The memory of Sarai's faith in his capacity for change filled his mind, along with the growing certainty that this path, however dangerous, was the right one.
"Yeah," he said, taking her hand. "I can do that."
The Fall Begins
Across Vale, the carefully maintained peace of the Vytal Festival crumbled in a matter of minutes. Grimm poured through breaches in the city's defenses, drawn by the massive wave of negative emotion that Cinder's broadcast had generated. Goliaths smashed through barriers that had stood for decades, while packs of Beowolves hunted terrified civilians through streets that had never known such terror.
At Beacon Academy, Adam Taurus led his White Fang soldiers in a coordinated assault on the school itself. The irony was bitter - an institution dedicated to training Huntsmen and Huntresses to protect humanity was now under siege from both the creatures of Grimm and those humans who had chosen darkness over light.
In her office, Professor Goodwitch coordinated the defense even as she prepared to join the battle herself. "All available Huntsmen to the city," she announced over the emergency channels. "Students are to remain in secure areas unless directly engaged by hostile forces."
But even as the words left her mouth, she knew they were inadequate. This wasn't a normal Grimm incursion or even a typical terrorist attack. This was the opening move in a war that had been brewing in the shadows for generations, and everyone at Beacon - student and teacher alike - was about to be tested in ways they had never imagined.
Bonds Under Fire
In the chaos of the initial assault, relationships that had been building throughout the term were suddenly put to the ultimate test. Seraphina found herself torn between her duties as Supreme Commander of the Elven Royal Vanguard and her growing feelings for Cardin Winchester, who was somewhere in the academy defending his fellow students.
Sarai, watching from the relative safety of the royal box as her diplomatic security detail prepared for evacuation, could only think of Mercury and the choice he had said he was going to make. Was he safe? Had he found the courage to break free from whatever dark influence had shaped his recent actions?
Yang and Eleryc, making their way through Beacon's corridors toward the main battle, moved with the fluid coordination that came from understanding and trust. His unique heritage allowed him to sense Grimm movements before they became visible, while her determination and power provided the force needed to clear their path.
"We'll find them," Eleryc assured her as they fought their way toward the Colosseum. "Blake, Ruby, Weiss - we'll find them and we'll all get through this together."
But even as he spoke the words, both of them could feel the magnitude of what they faced. This wasn't just a battle for Beacon Academy or even for Vale itself. This was the beginning of something much larger, a conflict that would test every bond they had formed and every belief they held dear.
The Fall of Beacon had begun, and nothing would ever be the same.
The Unexpected Counter
Cinder's Moment of Triumph
From her hidden position overlooking Amity Colosseum, Cinder Fall watched the chaos unfold with cold satisfaction. The plan was proceeding perfectly - Penny's destruction had provided the emotional catalyst, her broadcast had sown doubt and fear across the kingdoms, and now Grimm poured into Vale like a black tide of destruction.
Everything Salem promised, she thought, her amber eyes reflecting the fires beginning to spread through the city below. The kingdoms will tear themselves apart in fear and mistrust, and from the ashes, we will build something stronger.
The screams of fleeing civilians mixed with the roars of Grimm created a symphony of terror that filled Cinder with dark pleasure. This was what she had worked toward for years - the moment when the illusion of peace would shatter and reveal the weakness at the heart of human civilization.
Emerald stood beside her, her face pale but determined. "The White Fang forces are in position at Beacon," she reported. "Adam's assault is proceeding as planned."
"And the Atlas fleet?" Cinder asked, though she already knew the answer. Roman's theft of one of Ironwood's airships was another carefully orchestrated element of the chaos.
"Compromised. Roman is turning their own weapons against them."
Cinder smiled, a expression devoid of warmth or humanity. "Perfect. By morning, Vale will be in ruins, and the other kingdoms will-"
Her words died as something unexpected began to happen in the arena below.
The Voice of Kings
The massive video screens that had been broadcasting Cinder's message throughout the kingdoms suddenly flickered, the feed shifting to show a figure that commanded immediate attention. High King Berethon Erebus of the Dark Elves stood in the royal box of Amity Colosseum, his presence radiating the kind of ancient authority that came from millennia of leadership.
His voice, when he spoke, carried across not just the arena but through every broadcast receiver in the kingdoms, cutting through panic with the clarity of absolute conviction.
"People of Remnant," he began, his words resonating with power that seemed to calm the very air around him. "You have witnessed tragedy this day. You have seen the face of those who would use your fear against you, who would turn brother against sister and kingdom against kingdom in service of their dark masters."
In the crowds below, the terrified faces of civilians began to turn upward, drawn by something in the High King's voice that spoke to their deepest need for hope and leadership.
"But I say to you now - we will not be divided. We will not allow terror to triumph over unity. The Elven Kingdom stands with Vale, stands with all the kingdoms of Remnant, and we will face this darkness together!"
As if summoned by his words, figures began to emerge throughout the arena and the academy grounds - elves who had been hidden among students and staff, their true nature revealed by the crisis. They moved with fluid grace and deadly purpose, weapons appearing in their hands as they took positions to defend the innocent.
The Breaking of Ancient Seals
The moment High King Berethon's words rang across the kingdoms, something unprecedented happened throughout Remnant. Ancient magical seals that had bound elven power for centuries suddenly shattered like glass, releasing energies that had been carefully contained and hidden since the early days of human-elven cooperation.
At Beacon Academy, pillars of golden light erupted skyward from every location where elves had been concealing their true nature. The ground shook as magical power that had been compressed and restrained for generations exploded outward in waves of purifying energy.
Seraphina felt the change like a dam bursting within her soul. The careful controls she had maintained over her abilities since childhood vanished, and her magical aura blazed around her like a corona of liquid gold. Her teammates in KABFL staggered backward as power radiated from her in waves that made the very air sing with harmonics.
"The seals!" she gasped, her voice carrying new resonances of authority and ancient power. "Father has broken the seals!"
"You heard the High King," Seraphina said, her voice carrying the authority of her position as Supreme Commander. "We protect the innocent. We stand against the darkness."
Nearby, Hailfire felt the transformation as her own magical reserves exploded beyond anything she had ever experienced. The careful restraints that had limited her power throughout her time at Beacon crumbled, and golden fire erupted around her in patterns that spoke of royal bloodlines and ancient nobility. The ground beneath her feet cracked as raw magical energy poured through her into the earth itself.
"By the ancient trees," she whispered in the old elven tongue, her voice carrying power that made nearby Grimm recoil in instinctive terror. "I had forgotten what it felt like to be truly free."
The human students who had fought beside these elves watched in stunned amazement as their classmates and teachers revealed power that dwarfed anything they had imagined possible. The golden light that poured from every elven warrior didn't just illuminate the battlefield - it seemed to burn away the very essence of the Grimm's corruption.
In another part of the academy, Odyn's elven magic suddenly exploded in intensity as the ancient seals that had concealed elven power throughout the kingdoms shattered simultaneously. Weiss, who had known of her husband's dark elf heritage but had never seen his true magical potential, staggered backward as golden light erupted from his form like a pillar reaching toward the heavens.
The ground beneath their feet trembled as similar eruptions of power burst forth from every elven warrior across Beacon and Vale. What had once been carefully controlled abilities, hidden and restrained to blend in among humans, now blazed with the full fury of ancient magic unleashed.
"Odyn!" Weiss gasped, her eyes wide with shock and awe as she watched her husband transform before her. His familiar features remained the same, but now raw magical energy coursed around him in waves of golden fire that made the air itself shimmer with power.
"The seals are broken," he said, his voice resonating with harmonics that hadn't been there moments before. "For the first time in centuries, we fight with our true strength revealed."
His brother Roy stood beside him, his own magical aura blazing like a second sun. Together, their combined power created protective barriers that didn't just repel Grimm - they seemed to purify the very air around them, washing away the corruption that the creatures of darkness brought with their presence.
"I knew you were elven," Weiss said, still processing the magnitude of what she was witnessing, "but this... this is beyond anything I imagined."
The Instructor's True Identity
In Beacon's combat training areas, Professor Saibyrh felt the seals break like chains falling from her spirit. The magical power that erupted from her form was so intense that the very stones of the academy began to resonate with harmonic frequencies. Golden light poured from her in torrents, and her true nature as one of the most ancient and powerful elven vanguard was finally revealed.
"All students, take cover from the magical discharge!" she commanded, her voice now carrying the full authority of her centuries of experience. "The unsealing process will stabilize in moments!"
The Grimm that had been pressing their attack suddenly found themselves facing not just skilled warriors, but beings whose magical power could literally dissolve their essence upon contact. Where before they had faced resistance, now they encountered annihilation.
The Rally of Hope
The revelation of the elven presence throughout Beacon and Vale had an immediate and dramatic effect on the battle's momentum. What had seemed like an unstoppable tide of darkness suddenly met organized resistance from warriors whose skills and knowledge spanned millennia.
Human Huntsmen and Huntresses, initially stunned by the scope of the attack, found their courage renewed by the sight of these ancient allies fighting beside them. The tactical coordination that Seraphina provided to the defense effort turned chaotic retreat into organized resistance.
"They've been protecting us all along," Ruby Rose breathed as she watched elven warriors form defensive lines around civilian evacuation routes. "Hidden in plain sight."
Mercury, fighting beside her against a pack of Ursai, found himself oddly moved by the sight. "Guess there are more secrets in this world than even Cinder knew about," he said, his usual cynicism replaced by something approaching wonder.
In the royal box, Princess Sarai watched the battlefield with fierce pride as she saw the courage her people displayed. The sight of Mercury choosing to fight alongside the defenders rather than contribute to the chaos filled her heart with hope - perhaps he truly could become the person she had always believed him to be.
Cinder's Horror
From her vantage point, Cinder Fall watched in growing horror as pillars of golden light erupted across Vale like beacons of hope piercing the darkness. The magical energy was so intense that it created visible distortions in the air, and the very presence of such power seemed to weaken the Grimm's connection to the realm of shadows.
"This is impossible," she snarled, her amber eyes reflecting the golden fires that now blazed throughout the battlefield. "Salem said nothing about elven magic of this magnitude! The intelligence reports mentioned hidden populations, not... this!"
The ground beneath her feet trembled as wave after wave of purifying energy swept across the city. Her carefully orchestrated chaos was being systematically dismantled by forces she had never imagined could exist in the modern world.
"The seals," Emerald whispered, her face pale with shock. "They've broken ancient seals that have been in place for centuries. How is that even possible?"
"Salem will want answers," Cinder replied through gritted teeth, though privately she wondered if even Salem had fully understood the scope of elven magical potential when it was finally unleashed.
The Bonds of Alliance
Throughout the battlefield, the revelation of elven presence strengthened existing relationships and forged new ones. Students who had trained alongside elves without knowing their true nature found their trust deepened rather than shaken - these beings had chosen to hide among them, to protect them from the shadows.
Team RWBY, reunited in the chaos of battle, fought with renewed purpose as they saw the scope of the alliance that supported them. Blake's ears twitched as she picked up the subtle harmonies in the elven battle cries, while Yang's determination burned brighter as she realized how many had been willing to sacrifice their secrecy to protect innocent lives.
Weiss, though still processing Odyn's revelation, found her movements perfectly synchronized with his as they fought side by side. Their marriage had been built on love and trust, and the revelation of his heritage only added another layer to the bond between them.
"We'll have words about this later," she told him as they carved through a group of Creeps together.
"I look forward to it," Odyn replied with a smile that held both relief and anticipation.
The battle for Beacon - and for the future of Remnant - had taken an unexpected turn. What had begun as Cinder's moment of triumph was becoming something far different, as the hidden strength of ancient alliances revealed itself in the face of darkness.
To be continued in Chapter 27: Battle of Beacon; The Elves Counter Attack!