Chapter 2: I Am Thou…

Beyond the blinding blue light coming from his scroll, it felt as if the world around Farran and Ruby was falling apart and pulling itself back together. Just as suddenly as it had started, however, with one last deafening screech, all movement around them ceased and the light finally began to dim. It took a second for Farran to regain his sight after the light faded away, but as soon as he could take in his surroundings, he knew something was wrong. He and Ruby were no longer in the alleyway, instead they found themselves at the edge of campus, looking down at what appeared to be a horrific caricature of the city of Vale. It was as if in the few seconds they weren't able to see, Vale had become a war zone. All of the buildings were replaced with rundown shacks and ruined apartments, fires burning in the streets. Farran felt Ruby tugging at his sleeve, causing him to turn around to an even more disturbing sight. Despite clearly being where Beacon Academy had once stood, the school was gone. In its place sat an expansive factory, purple smog billowing from stacks on top and filling the sky. The only remains of the school they once knew was the CCT tower, which now rose fare beyond its previous height, the top no longer visible beyond the foreboding clouds of smog overhead.

"Farran…" Ruby's voice was filled with terror, "What on Remnant did your scroll just do? Did it do all this the other night?"

"Hell no…" Farran tried, but failed to keep his wits about him, panic filling his brain, "Where the hell are we?"

"It looks like Beacon, but there's no way it's…" Ruby shook her head, "Farran, we need to find the others. We have to make sure they're ok!"

"Yea… Help me up, and let's go."

She pulled him up, and the duo raced towards the tower. At least, they went as fast as they were able, with Ruby having to support Farran as they moved, the latter still suffering from the smack down Cardin gave him. Slowly but surely, they made their way to the base of the tower, the entrance to the factory growing nearer. Ruby threw the door open and helped Farran hobble inside, finding themselves in what appeared to be the lobby, which, despite not being as rundown as the town outside, was still completely abandoned. A phone sat ringing on the desk on the far wall, behind which sat the CCT Tower's elevator. Ruby steered them over to a line of chairs, setting Farran down to rest for a second.

"Ruby, do you have your scroll? Can't you give Yang a call or something, see if you can reach her?"

"Yea, I do!" She fumbled through her bag, pulling out her scroll and opening it, "Darn, no signal… But how can there be no signal? We're inside the CCT! What is going on…?"

"We should try the elevator. Ozpin's office is at the top of the tower, right? If anyone around here knows what the hell is going on, it's him."

Ruby nodded, helping him back to his feet and over to the elevator. He thumbed the call button, causing the display above it to demand authorization. He tried swiping his scroll over it, only to get an "Access Denied" message in return. Nevertheless, the display showed that the elevator started descending towards them. Moments later, the doors slid open, and a group of suited men stormed out, right towards them. Farran went to wave to them, but his hand immediately changed course to grab his blade once he got a good look at their faces. These "men" appeared to be entirely made of black smoke, sunken red eyes peering out from behind a masquerade mask. At the sight of the two, they pulled police clubs from a holster on their belts, standing menacingly.

"What are you two doing?" The one closest to Farran called out, "Elevator access to unauthorized personnel is strictly prohibited. Return to your posts at once, and do not leave until you've met your Diamond Dust quota."

Farran turned to Ruby and whispered, "Ruby, when I draw my sword, I want you to let me go and run. Find the others, find JNPR, hell find anyone and make sure you get away from wherever here is."

"Farran, I'm not leaving you here!" She protested.

"Hold! Why do you have that sword?" The lead figure took a threatening step towards them, "Unauthorized possession of weapons is strictly prohibited. You two are going to have to come with me!"

"Now, Ruby!" Farran roared, drawing his sword.

Farran charged the lead figure, catching him by surprise and running him through with his blade. The figure fell, vanishing as if Farran had pierced the seal keeping its smoke inside. He tried to use his momentum to slice through a second guard, only for his target to raise his club to block his attack. The club effortlessly stopped his blade, as if Farran had attempted to strike a brick wall. Ruby, who had no room to argue without Crescent Rose, turned to run, but was immediately stopped by another group of the shadowy figures appearing out of thin air behind them. Farran stepped back and turned to confirm her escape, only to find she was surrounded by this new wave of guards. He tried to charge at this new group of enemies, only for his previous target to smash him on the bad knee with his club before he could take more than a step, knocking him flat. His sword flew from his hands, skidding across the floor away from him. As he lay prone, he looked up to see one of the figures hoisting Ruby, kicking and screaming, over their shoulder. Farran spun around, trying to get back to his feet, only for the figure that attacked him to grab him by the throat. He tried to do anything he could to break free from their grasp, but could do little more than watch as the guard raised its club above its head, bringing it crashing down on his skull. Farran's sight flashed white and red, the smell of copper filling his nostrils, before finally his vision faded to black.

Lost in the sea of his unconsciousness, Farran once again felt like he was floating. He opened his eyes to find nothing but an endless blue mist in around him. Before he could process more than that, there was a bright flash of light, cutting through the mist. Once it ended, he found himself seated in a familiar wrought iron chair, in a familiar courtroom, with an eerie, long-nosed man grinning down at him from the judge's podium. Surprisingly, there was no golden haired girl sitting to his left this time, leaving Farran and Igor alone in the Velvet Room.

"You know…" Farran couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, "I am really getting sick and tired of getting knocked out at this point. What's that, three times in two days now?"

Igor chuckled as well, "Indeed. Perhaps, my dear guest, you should follow the age old idiom… Oh, what is it you humans say, 'keep your chin up'? Hmhmhm."

"I don't think that's what the phrase means, but I get your point." He leaned forward in his chair, "You know, Igor. I started thinking this was a one off dream after a bit. Wasn't expecting to actually make it back here."

"In that case, please allow me to welcome you back to the Velvet Room, my dear guest. After all, I did say in our last meeting that we would talk some more once you took your first steps on your journey."

"Wait…" Farran took a panicked look around, "Where's Ruby? Didn't she come here with me? I need to get back there before anything happens to her-"

Igor raised a hand to silence him, "Do not be alarmed. No harm will befall your friend while you are here in this room. I cannot guarantee her safety afterwards, however I sent Viola to make sure she will be fine when you return. We do have much to discuss. About your journey, about that world, and about the power you will ideally soon possess."

"That world… So I take it that app on my scroll was your doing then? The blue butterfly seems like it's related to this place."

"Correct on both accounts." Igor stuck out his palm, allowing a blue butterfly to land on it, "The butterfly is the symbol of my master, the one who created the Velvet Room. We use it as a sign for our guests, letting them know of our presence. The program on your scroll, while not originally my design, was something I adapted to aid you on your journey. It will be invaluable in your pursuit of justice."

"Justice…" Farran took a breath to calm down, "Ok. So, what exactly was that video? And what was that world for that matter?"

"One thing at a time, my dear guest. The application was designed to allow you a glimpse into the future. Without your interference, the events you saw are destined to happen, without fail. That poor girl will lose her freedom, enslaved by the vice that will be forced upon her. Meanwhile, her tormentor will be allowed to walk free, entirely able to force such a fate on more innocent victims."

"Wait, so you're saying all of that is going to happen?! But that doesn't make any sense! I mean, yeah, Velvet is pretty timid, from what little I've seen from her at least, but she doesn't seem like she'd just go along with all that!" It just seems way too simple and easy for Richards to have taken over her life like that…"

Igor blinked in confusion, then chuckled, "Ah, I see. My dear guest, while your fears are completely understandable, you needn't worry. Your world is indeed a cruel place, where the events you saw will surely take place. However, it is not so cruel that someone could so easily accomplish such a feat. With the exception of the very start of the video, the rest of those events were condensed and dramatized for your convenience. In actuality, they will play out in a slow and subtle manner over quite some time. Months, possibly years. Essentially, it was a summarization of her ultimate fate, which would otherwise take days to gain an understanding of. Time neither you, nor I, have the luxury of, I'm afraid."

Farran's lips curled into a frown, "But you said I could stop it from happening, right? What do I have to do?"

"That is the purpose of the other world. It is what you may think of as the world of Humanity's subconscious. Needless to say, it is an entirely different world than the one you came from, just in case you were still worried. What you saw specifically was what's called a 'Palace', which is what happens when a human's desires start to run rampant, distorting how they view the real world. Inside, you will find the Shadow, or a human's desires taking physical form, of the one who will set that girl's fate. Defeat it, and his desires will leave him, causing his distorted view of the world to crumble. Ah, but perhaps I should use the term Humanoid instead? My apologies, however it has been some time since I have been to a world where more than one sentient race exists. The other beings, Faunus I believe you call them, contribute to this world as well."

"So, I defeat this Shadow thing, and he'll leave Velvet alone?"

"Correct. In fact, it may have further reaching consequences than that. It will be as if he's a whole new person. He will most likely confess to the crimes he's committed, leading to the justice I'm sure you seek."

"That would be nice…" Farran shook his head, "Hold on, how can I even beat it? Those guards, I think they're shadows too, they took me out without even trying. I mean, I know I've only been at this for two days, but I'm being trained to kill Grimm! Hell, Ruby's our team leader, and yea she didn't have her weapon, but they still took her down way too easily.

Igor nodded, "They were indeed Shadows as well, however they weren't those of any one person in particular. They were merely beings of the human subconscious corrupted by the distortions. Weapons from your world do little to most of them on their own, I'm afraid. When you return, you will have the choice to accept power that will allow you to fight them."

"So, I have to go back, accept this power, then fight that Shadow?"

"On the contrary, my dear guest, you do not have to do anything. You are my guest, not my servant. I am not able to force you to do anything you do not wish to do."

"No, I get that… Well, I mean, I kind of do have to do this, I'm not about to let all of that just happen when I have the ability to stop it. I just want to clarify that's what I need to do to change her fate."

"That is correct. I would like to advise caution, however. It is not as easy as you make it sound. In order to accept this power, you must first accept every part of yourself. Your fears, your inadequacies, everything you try to avoid thinking about. It is not something people can do easily. Beyond that, the Shadows you will face will be powerful, the Palace's Shadow even more so, and they will kill you if given the opportunity. Are you still sure you will try to change her fate?"

Farran sat silently in thought for a moment, then nodded, "Yea. No matter what, I'm not gonna let all that happen. Besides, I'm gonna need that power to get Ruby out of there safe."

"Very well. As I have said before, I will be here to assist you on your path to justice. Hmhmhm" Igor's grin widened, "Now then, our time together is once again almost over. There is one more thing I wish to share with you before you leave. When you return to the real world, I would advise you to seek out and form bonds with the people around you. These friendships, so long as they are not frivolous, will strengthen the power of your own heart, allowing you to better pursue your justice. Just something to keep in mind."

Farran could hear Ruby's voice from far away, "Farran! Wake up! Please wake up…"

"It seems that is all the time we have for now. We shall speak more on this matter later, once you get a better understanding of your abilities. As for now, my dear guest, I must bid you farewell. Until we meet again."

Igor gave him one last wave farewell, and the Velvet Room started to disappear around him, enveloped in the same blue mist Farran had seen before. Soon, he was left floating alone again, drifting towards Ruby's voice.

Farran could hear Ruby just to his left, "Get up! Please Farran, we need to get out of here."

"Mm… Five more minutes, Ruby. Class isn't for another hour…" He rolled away from her.

"Get up, you dummy!" She kicked Farran as hard as she could on the back, knocking him off the bed he was lying on, "This is serious!"

Farran, rubbing his back where Ruby kicked him, looked up to see her on the bed he had just been on. The two of them were together in what looked like a prison cell meant for one person, the room not even wide enough for Farran to fully extend his arms to the side, and most of that room was taken up by the bed. The walls were sterile white and padded, with a small porthole covered by iron bars on what was probably the door. The only other thing of note was a small hole in the ground over in the far corner, a sign above it reading "Toilet". Pleasant… Farran looked back to Ruby, who was hugging her knees to her chest, her eyes filling with tears. He pulled himself up and plopped down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"You ok? They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"

She shook her head, "They knocked you out, then dragged the two of us up here. Farran… That creep Richards is in charge of all of them. I know it was him, but he was talking super weird. Cardin and his team too. Richards told the guards to throw us in here, and started talking about what he's gonna do to us… He said he's either going to kill you, or make you work in that factory making Diamond Dust. I guess that's some sort of drug. He's apparently been getting students like Cardin to sell it on campus… And me… he said… Oh Dust, I don't even want to think about it!" She finally broke down, crying into his shoulder.

"Hey now, easy Ruby. You don't need to worry about a thing. You and I are gonna get out of here and go home. Everything's gonna be ok."

"But Farran, where even is here?!" Her voice started to crack, "What if this really is Beacon somehow, how are we going to..?"

"Just trust me on this one. This is… really difficult to explain. Basically, where we are is a world inside Richards' heart. All of this here is how he views the world because his desires screwed up how he sees things. My scroll brought us here. Now, there should be someone here that's going to help us get out. Once we get out of the building, we hightail it out of here and go home."

Ruby rubbed her eyes, getting rid of her tears, "World in his heart..? I don't really get it, but I trust you. But how do you figure there's someone else that will help-"

She was interrupted by the cell door swinging open, a girl with golden hair and eyes wearing a floor length blue dress standing in the doorway, her arms crossed, "I never imagined that I'd have to bail our dear guest out of prison on his first trip to the Metaverse."

"Happy to see you too, Viola. Missed seeing you in the Velvet Room." He grinned, much to Viola's apparent chagrin, "What's the escape plan?"

"We're at the top of the tower. Only way down is the elevator, unless you can sprout wings and fly. I've found a secure route there, but we're going to have to move quickly. Last I saw, there was a group of Shadows headed this-" Before she could say anything more, Viola was grabbed and dragged out of the room.

"Well, it looks like we finally caught ourselves our Golden Goose. Sit tight, Blondie. I'm afraid there's no time for a jailbreak today. It's punishment time for your little friends here, and at least one of 'em is gonna be… tied up for a while, if you catch my drift." A familiar, yet heavily distorted voice came from around the corner as Cardin Winchester, dressed in a cheap mobster suit, walked into the cell. Farran noticed his sword and scabbard were secured to Cardin's belt, "Hello, Transfer. I'd say I'm surprised you're stupid enough to come here, but since you thought it was a good idea to stand up to me, I'm really not."

"Cardin? What are you doing here?" Farran rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing right after the blow to his head, "And why are you dressed like some two bit gangster from some old movie?"

"You like it? Standard uniform here, on orders of Boss Richards. Ah, and I see you brought your cute, little team leader too. Good, good, I'm sure she'll sell for a high price."

Ruby hid behind Farran, who glared back at Cardin, "You piece of shit. If you think I'm gonna let you lay a hand on her, you're GAH-"

Cardin cut him off by grabbing him by the throat, surprisingly with enough strength to lift Farran off the ground. Farran hanged there, choking and looking into his now yellow eyes. Cardin sneered, "You really are stupid, aren't you? Like I said before, I can do whatever I want, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. Guards!"

Two Shadow guards entered the cell, taking Farran from Cardin's grasp. They drug him outside, into a small room outside the cell, slamming him into the far wall, next to where two more guards were holding Viola. Moments later, Cardin dragged Ruby out of the cell, her arms bound behind her back, and threw her down in the center of the room. He stepped on her back, unsheathing Farran's blade, a look of sadistic glee painted on his face.

Cardin cackled, "I told you you'd pay, Transfer. This is all because you stood up to me. I am gonna torture these two and make you watch. Then, when I'm finished and they're on their way to being auctioned off, I'm gonna kill you with your own sword. A fitting end for a loser like you."

"No! That-" Viola gasped, but was cut off by a guard forcing its hand over her mouth.

"I'll give you one chance to apologize to them, Transfer. Say you're sorry for ruining their lives like the piece of trash you are!" Cardin took a step towards Farran, a maniacal grin crossing his lips and his arms spread tauntingly.

Before he could move any further, Farran saw Cardin freeze mid-stride. In fact, as he looked around him, it seemed as if the entire room had frozen around him. Ruby and Viola were no longer struggling to get free, nor were the guards trying to prevent his escape. It looked, as far as he could tell, that time itself had completely stopped. Yet, despite everyone in the room being completely still, Farran could hear the sound of slow clapping coming from the cell. He could see something move by the door, until out walked something he never thought he would see. A boy strolled out of the cell, clad in a leather jacket, jeans, and a grey shirt. His thick, black hair hung all the way down to his lower back, bangs partially covering his yellow eyes. It was as if someone had made a near perfect replica of Farran the day he left the hospital.

"Well, well, well. Congratulations, Farran!" The boy talked in a voice that, despite being warped, sounded exactly like Farran's own, "It took you two days of your new life to once again find yourself about to die, and you decided to bring two of your friends along with you. So absolutely perfect…"

"Who the hell are you? What's going on here, and why is everything frozen?" Farran struggled, but the frozen guards held him still against the wall.

"What, don't you like it? I stopped time so you and I could have a little chat. It's amazing how distortions work in this cozy little world of ours, isn't it? As for me, well… I'm someone you should know very well. After all, I am you." The boy laughed, "At least, I'm what you fear most. I'm the 'you' you don't remember. The one before you fell. You lied when you said you weren't going to worry about me. I've been haunting your thoughts and dreams ever since you woke up. See, I'm not like most Shadows. When people accept their Shadows, they know exactly what part of themselves make up their Shadow. But not me. I could be absolutely anything, and you have to accept me without knowing who you were, cause you can't remember. It scares you to death, doesn't it?"

"I'm… I'm not scared of you…"

"Oh really? You're not scared of what you were before? Oh that's right, you're still trying to force me away with this whole tough guy act. Desperately trying to keep yourself sane with the idea that, maybe, you were really just some normal kid before all this happened. That one day, whenever you do get your memories back, you're going to have a perfectly normal life to look back on. And who knows, maybe even a home to go back to, and a family that'll be oh so proud that their son turned into a brave, strong Huntsman. Gods, you are so delusional."

"Shut up… You don't know anything about-"

"You are far from a normal person, and there's not going to be some normal life to go back to. Just stop and think for a second, Farran. It's not normal for someone to have another person decide to toss them off the top of an apartment building. It's not normal to wake up and find out that someone decided to erase every sign that you ever existed. It's not normal for the Headmaster of a Huntsmen academy to take the time to come down to a hospital, and ask somebody to come to their academy for their own protection!"

"Stop it…"

"There's no normal family waiting for you at the end of all this. If there was one, the police would have already found out about them. You'd know who you were already, cause they would have come to find you by now! You either have no family, or they are far from normal. Face it, Farran. It's entirely likely that the you in the past was just as bad as Cardin or Richards. Maybe even worse. And some day, that past life might just come back to haunt you. What happens then, huh? There's no way your team will keep someone like that around, right? You'll be all on your own again, just like when you first woke up in that hospital bed. And it does scare you to death, doesn't it?"

"Of course I'm scared!" Farran gritted his teeth, no longer able to keep himself calm, "Shit, who wouldn't be?! I know nothing about myself! I could wake up some day and have to deal with the consequences of something I never did, that some stranger that I apparently used to be did, and there's nothing I can do about it! What the hell do you want from me?!"

"If there's nothing you can do about it, then why worry?" Shadow Farran suddenly became completely calm.

"What… What are you talking about? Aren't you the one who just said-?"

"I know what I just said. You've spent almost two weeks freaking out over what your past may or may not have been like. But if you don't know what happened, and you can't do anything about it anyway, then what's the point! The only thing you can do now is move on. Besides, it's not like your teammates are the type to just toss you out because of your past."

"But I barely even know them! I met them yesterday, and I've done nothing but cause problems for them since! Even Ruby, as nice as she seems… I just don't can't help but think there's a point where they'll just want me gone, especially when they didn't want me in the first place.

"What was it that Ozpin said? Undying trust in your teammates is essential at Beacon. You have to trust them, man. I know it's only been a day, but they've supported you so far. And it's not like they're stupid either. I'm sure they, or at least Weiss, thought about all this before they ever agreed to take you in."

Farran took a deep breath to calm himself, then nodded, "You're right… But you're this suppressed side of me, right? Why grill me on all this, then switch to being supportive?"

"You just answered your own questions. All I want is for you to accept me, that's all. I needed you to fully understand just what I am. No interruptions, no interference. I needed to break you down enough that you could fully understand me. Now that you do, I can't run the risk of you rejecting me, or giving up. If you die here, that's the end of me too, now isn't it. And…" Shadow Farran gestured to Ruby, "If you die, she dies right alongside you. I can't let that happen. I am you after all. I want a lot of the same things you do, and letting someone innocent suffer after they took you in isn't something I can allow. Now, it's time to make your choice. Are you going to accept me? Are you willing to accept your past, even without any memory of it, as well as any consequences that might come because of it?"

Farran sat for a moment, lost in thought, then looked at his Shadow with a cocky grin, "Of course I will. No matter what my past is, I'd rather deal with it later, than do nothing and let Cardin and Richards have their way. No matter what, I'm not going to let it control me!"

He blinked, and time started up again, Shadow Cardin smugly striding over to him. Farran looked around, but there was no longer any sign of his own Shadow anywhere. Cardin began talking again, but his words were drowned out by a booming voice in his head. Very well. I will grant you the power to pursue your goals. Now, let us forge a contract. I am thou… Thou art I… From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I will walk beside you as you make your path for your new life. Allow me, who shares with you the pain of an unjust death, to clear the way towards your own justice!

Shadow Cardin stopped, grinning at Farran, "Any last words? Anything you want to say to this poor girl before I have my fun?"

"Enough!" His voice was punctuated by a shockwave, eviscerating the Shadows holding him, and sending Shadow Cardin flying across the room. The two holding Viola let her go, running over to defend Shadow Cardin. Farran looked down to see his wrists bound by ethereal manacles, "I have had to stand here and listen to you talk about how you can do whatever you please. Not anymore. You, and all those like you who choose to take advantage of those who can't fight back… you will all fall by my hand. That is the justice I choose to follow with my new life! So I hope you're ready… because every bit of torment you have ever given… I'm about to punish you with tenfold! Clear my path! ABEL!"

Farran raised his arms above his head, before snapping them apart to his sides. The chains binding his wrists shattered, releasing another shockwave across the room. A blue light appeared in front of him, summoning forth a towering, spectral figure clad in silver plate armor, long black hair not unlike Shadow Farran's hanging down its back, and a spear of gold in hand. Farran motioned at the guard shadow to the left, and Abel immediately charged it, goring it through the middle and causing it to evaporate. Before the next shadow could make a move, a single word came to the forefront of his mind: Frei! No sooner than he had processed the word, Abel raised his spear above his head, causing an orb of blue energy to explode from the chest of the remaining guard. And then there was one...

Farran stepped towards Shadow Cardin, grinning and shrugging, "Well, looks like you're all alone, pal. Any last words before I have my fun?"

"How dare you?" Shadow Cardin staggered to his feet, "I am Cardin Winchester, the latest in a lineage of heroes and nobles. You have no right to look down on me… Everything I want is mine by birthright!" He reared back and howled, "I won't let you get in the way of my destiny!"

As he screamed, his body began to contort and disfigure, becoming enveloped in thick, inky shadows. Even his voice became significantly more warped, dropping low to the point that it resembled more of a roar of some disfigured beast. As the mass of shadows grew, Viola charged over to Ruby from where she had been standing, helping her to her feet and pulling her to the relative safety of the cell. Farran took a few steps back as the shadows expanded nearly to the ceiling, before falling to reveal Shadow Cardin's transfigured form. What had once been almost a copy of the real Cardin, was now a giant wooden marionette, garbed in royal looking clothes and crown, its face covered by a comedy mask. In his left hand, he held a giant version of Farran's sword, and in his right, a mace not unlike the one the real Cardin wielded. The marionette's crossbar was supported by the right of two floating, disembodied hands, making it move. After a few seconds, the left hand hit the right, taking control of the crossbar, and causing the whole figure to change appearance. The comedy mask switched to a tragedy mask, and the regal clothes became those of a court jester, with even the crown drooping to become a matching cap. The two hands continued to bicker for control of the crossbar, Shadow Cardin changing form every time they did so.

Royal Cardin raised Farran's sword above its head, "The Winchester's are one of Vale's most prestigious families! I will not let you dishonor my family's name!"

Jester Cardin drooped low, "Not that I don't do a good enough job of that on my own…"

"Farran, can you hear me?" He could hear Viola's voice, as if she were right next to him, "Ruby and I are safe, but you need to get ready for a fight."

"What am I looking at here, Viola?" Farran shook his head in disbelief, "This thing is… What the hell is it?"

"That is definitely that boy's Shadow. It's rare, but sometimes when a human has their desires affected or fueled by someone else whose Shadow has a Palace, theirs will take shelter in it. Now, whenever someone's Shadow becomes threatened, they'll transform into a much stronger form. Think of it as a defense mechanism to protect their desires. If we're going to get out of here, you need to take that thing down!"

"Heh, leave it to me!" He got in a stance, readying himself for combat, "Let's take him out, Abel!"

Before Farran could make a move, Shadow Cardin swung his mace down at him. Farran rolled out of the way, allowing the attack to smash a hole in the floor. The marionette busy pulling its weapon from the ground, he summoned Abel, and the giant warrior charging and striking the Shadow in the chest with his spear. While the attack struck its mark, Farran could tell it hardly damaged his foe. In retaliation, Shadow Cardin freed its mace, swinging it sideways and forcing Farran to dodge, before bringing the sword down at him. The blade landed next to him, but the force of the blow threw him off to the side. He summoned Abel again, launching a spell, nuclear energy exploding from Shadow Cardin's chest, but he ultimately shrugged it off. The Shadow reared back for another attack, but Farran ordered Abel to charge, once again striking it in the chest to little effect. He tried to unleash another nuclear blast, but Shadow Cardin was too fast, swinging its mace and knocking Farran across the room. He forced himself back to his feet, struggling to stay standing. His bad knee felt like it was on fire, and his lungs weren't doing much better.

"Damn it…" He cursed through gritted teeth, "Viola, what am I not getting here? I'm hitting the damn thing with everything I have, but it's not doing anything!"

"Hold on…" He could see a light shine around the Shadow for a second before Viola spoke again, "Shoot. It looks like this one's only week to fire… Your Persona only has nuclear attacks, right?

"As far as I can tell… If only that bastard didn't have my sword, I could hit it with fire dust. Wait…" He looked up, and felt a spark of inspiration, "Hey Viola. My sword is being affected by his distortions, yea? What would happen if he dropped it?"

"Dropped it? Well, it would go back to normal once it was away from the distortions. But how..?" She followed his eyes, up to the Puppet's crossbar, "Oh, I get it! He can't keep hold of it without those hands controlling him! And from what I can tell… Yes, they're weak to nuclear! Take those hands out and you'll be able to win this!"

Farran nodded, readying himself again. The Shadow charged, looking to put an end to its foe, but Farran was ready for it. Just as it got into striking distance, he summoned Abel, the Persona bringing his spear up and piercing the hand on the crossbar. The Shadow jerked back in pain and surprise, but Abel didn't let up, landing three more strikes on the hand before it was finally destroyed. The other hand rushed to catch the bar before the marionette could fall, only for another of Farran's spells to explode from its side. Abel swung his spear, slamming it into the hand, and launching it across the room, where it slammed into the wall and dissolved. The marionette plunged, crashing to the floor. The force of its landing knocked Farran's sword from its hand, the blade spinning across the floor while the Shadow's distortion was dispelled, returning it to normal. Farran rushed to it, grabbing it by the hilt and switching it to its crossbow mode. He looked up at the puppet, but with the hands no longer holding it up, it just sat there uselessly in Jester form. He spun the dust chamber, and aimed at the Shadow's face. A ball of fire launched from the crossbow, crashing into its face and exploding, setting it alight. As the Shadow burned, it fell back, releasing a piercing scream. Farran looked down at it, summoning Abel one last time, the Persona bringing its spear down through the Puppet's chest. The marionette's form melted away around the spear, leaving behind Shadow Cardin's true form, laying in front of Farran.

Shadow Cardin pulled himself up to his knees and pleaded with Farran, "Please man, stop! I give, I give! Just don't kill me!"

Farran stepped up to him, raising his blade, but Viola ran over and grabbed his arm to stop him, "No, Farran, stop! You can't destroy his Shadow. If you do, the real one will die!"

He lowered his sword, and tilted his head, "Die? What do you mean? Igor told me I had to kill these things and-"

"My Master said to defeat them, not kill them! Their stronger forms are a defense mechanism, the last and strongest hold the distortions hold over a person's desires. Once you defeat it, you dispel the distortions, and that person is able to see clearly again. But if you destroy their Shadow, you will effectively get rid of their desires completely! Without desires, a human won't feel the need to eat or drink or do anything. They'll become a husk of themselves. Without proper care, they'll most likely die."

"Alright, I see your point…"

Shadow Cardin grabbed his hand, "Oh, thank you, man! Thank you!"

"Yea, whatever. Let go of me." Farran pulled his hand away, glaring at the Shadow, "I'm not a murderer, but don't think that makes us cool. You're still an asshole, you still bullied a girl that wouldn't stand up for herself, and you still smashed my face in for stopping you."

"Well, what do you want me to do?! That's the only way I know how to act…" He looked down, dejected, "Everyone in my family's been Huntsmen or military going back to the Great War. When I was a kid, my older brothers would always beat me up. I'd complain to my parents, but they only ever told me to stand up for myself. Hell, my old man even told me once, 'If you're not strong enough to protect yourself, you don't deserve the Winchester name.' All of my brothers were at least five years older than me, so you can imagine how that went. I just learned from them that in this world, the strong abuse the weak, and that's all there is to it. Having Richards there to cover for me only made it worse, cause now I'm strong, and nobody could get in my way without him dealing with them. Thing is, I know Velvet's strong. Way stronger than me. But she's so freaking timid that she won't do anything. Giving her hell was an easy way to feel better, especially after we lost to you guys in class. Then when you stood up to me… it just threw everything out the window. Here's this kid that can't even fight in combat practice, and he still manages to knock me on my ass. You know what happened after that. So, yea. I know I'm a jackass, but that's all I know how to be…"

"I see…" Farran sighed, "Alright, this is what you're going to do. You are going to go back to the real you. You're gonna make sure he stops with all this shit. You're going to make him apologize to Velvet. You're going to make damn sure he leaves her, me, and everyone else that he's been picking on alone. And you're going to make sure he gets away from Richards and this Diamond Dust crap. Understand?"

"Yea, man. I understand. Thanks." Shadow Cardin's body started to glow with a warm light.

"Good. Cause if he doesn't," Farran gave him a cocky grin, "I'm gonna have to come back here and kick your ass again!"

"Ha! Good luck. I'm not so easy to beat. Whether it be in here, or in class, I'm gonna win that rematch." He was enveloped in the light, and in a flash, he disappeared.

Farran smiled, then collapsed to his knees in pain, "Oh Gods, my everything."

Viola, who had rushed over to him with Ruby, helped him back to his feet, "Not bad, for a beginner. We'll make an acceptable Wild Card user out of you yet. Of course we need to get out of here first."

"Acceptable? Did you miss the part where I took that thing down on my own?" He stumbled a few steps forward before he almost toppled over, Ruby and Viola racing over and sliding under his arms to support him, "By the way, not that I didn't appreciate the support, but can't you fight? Igor said he sent you here to protect Ruby."

She looked down, "No… Elizabeth and Margaret and… Well, the other Velvet Room attendees I should say, since you haven't met them, they can all use the Compendium to summon Personas like you just did. I've never been able to use it so far…"

"So then why exactly did he send you out here?!"

"Hey, I might not be able to fight, but I'm not useless. As you saw, I can scan Shadows for weaknesses. Plus, I have a Semblance. I can create mirages! When I got here, I made it look like the surrounding hallways weren't there, sending the guards down a maze to nowhere." She sounded smug, but then shook her head, "Besides, we're not talking about me! That false bravado is going to get you killed. That thing was nothing compared to the ruler of this Palace. If you take it on without getting any stronger, you're done for. But that's for another day, I guess. Ruby, can you manage on his other side?"

She nodded, and together the three of them traversed the winding, empty corridors of the Palace. When Viola had mentioned that she turned the place into a maze, she was completely serious. Farran noticed that even without the walls that she had conjured up, if it hadn't been for her navigating them, there was no way he would have found where he was going alone. Each hallway was connected to countless others, all leading deeper into the labyrinth. Every so often, they would pass doors which opened to stairwells, all of which unfortunately led to upper floors, and, as far as Viola had told them at least, this was the highest floor the elevator they needed to escape went to.

As they walked, Viola decided to fill in the other two as to exactly what this world was, and what was going on since Ruby, who had been left in the dark for the most part, was completely lost, and Farran, who had received a small amount of information from Igor, was not much better off. She explained that the world they were in right now was called the Metaverse. Essentially, it was a world existing aside Remnant inside the hearts of people, which was controlled by the thoughts and feelings of all human and Faunus-kind. The guards they had been fighting against were called Shadows, which were the parts of the people's minds that they try to keep hidden. Anything from fears to weaknesses to feelings they deemed unacceptable would take physical forms in this world. In the case of Cardin's Shadow, and the Shadow of Richards that ruled this palace, they were created as their hidden desires had warped how they saw the world. Since Cardin's desire for power had been enabled by Richards, his Shadow took refuge in Shadow Richards' Palace.

Conversely, the being that Farran had summoned to fight Shadow Cardin was called a Persona. Personas were considered equal, yet opposite, beings to Shadows, in that they were what people feel they can show to those around them. When a person enters this cognitive world, they will often come face to face with their Shadows. By accepting their Shadow, it means that they accept whatever part of themselves they had chosen to hide. Therefore, instead of allowing their Shadow to control them, they instead are able to control their Shadow as a Persona.

"Wow, Farran! You went up against something like that?" Ruby looked up at him with stars in her eyes, "That's so cool! I wonder if I can get a Persona."

He looked away, bashfully, "It's not all that impressive. Just means not knowing my past was affecting me more than I wanted to admit. And no offense, Ruby, I know I haven't known you all that long, but you don't strike me as the type of person that can even have a Shadow. You seem like you're pretty open about everything."

"That's not true! There's plenty of stuff I don't tell people about…" She pouted.

"What, that you really don't love cookies after all?"

Viola elbowed him in the stomach, "It's no laughing matter, you know. Even the happiest person has things they're ashamed of, and once you cross over to this world, they get all the more serious. Now, the elevator should be just down this way…"

Viola continued guiding them through the Palace, until their way became blocked at the end of a particularly long hallway. A thick, sliding steel door stood in their way, containing a small porthole that allowed them to look into the room beyond it. The room branched off into two other corridors taking up the wall to the right, and the wall opposite of them. The leftmost wall was curved, entirely made of windows overlooking the purple smog from the factory below. While the door presented its own problems, even if they could manage to get it open, the room was teeming with guard Shadows, all blocking their path. With no real way forward, the group resolved to double back and try to find another way to the elevator. However, before they were able to take more than a few steps, a number of Shadows materialized in front of them. To make matters worse, the door that had blocked them in opened up, and the Shadows that had occupied the room came through, circling them. Farran freed himself from Viola and Ruby's support and drew his sword, barely able to stand on his own. He spun around the best he could, watching for the first Shadow that would make an attack, but none came. Instead, the group that had just entered from the room stepped to the side, allowing passage to a portly man in a fancy suit, golden sunglasses resting on his frog-like face. Shadow Richards stood there, grinning maliciously, as he pulled off his glasses to reveal his bright yellow eyes.

"So it seems you managed to take out Winchester. Congratulations boy, that is surely no small feat." He pocketed his glasses before scowling, "But don't get too full of yourself yet. I sent my weakest guards to get you earlier, thinking they could handle a weakling like you. That's not a mistake I'll be making again."

"You're not gonna get the chance to." Farran sneered back at him, "We're getting out of here, and I'm gonna stop you, even if I have to go right to Ozpin to do it."

"Hmph. Ozpin? Kid, you're either really naïve or really stupid if you think Ozpin has a damn say about what goes on at that school. I run Beacon, I have ever since the last Security Chief left. See, Ozpin never wanted me to take over, even tried to fire me once. The fool didn't realize just how well connected I am. I'm with the Vale branch of the Atlesian Mafia, you see. I have connections all over the place. Turns out, Ozpin has secrets, world changing ones at that. All it took was one word, and I've been running the place since."

"The Mafia?" Farran couldn't believe what he was hearing, "The hell do a bunch of gangsters want with Beacon?"

Shadow Richards laughed, "Who do you think our top customers are? Everyone has a vice, kid. Something they need to get 'em through a shit day. Drugs, gambling, sex, you name it, we got it. For a price, of course. You Huntsmen are gone on missions for long periods of time, you gotta have something to unwind. Hell, how often do you think you guys work injured? Especially you, kid, running around with cracked ribs and a bum knee. Yea, I saw your injury report. How do you think Winchester knew to target your ribs? Just a tiny pinch of Diamond Dust, and all that pain just goes right away. You feel like you're on top of the world! As for Beacon, you start 'em young enough, by the time they hit the field, they can't stand going a day without our services. Plus, with all these idiot kids from rich families running around, they do all the work for me, while I sit back and profit, never having to touch the product. Can't go making evidence against me, after all. All I gotta do is let them bend the rule as they please, and their parents are even kind enough to throw some 'donations' my way for the trouble."

"What about Velvet?!" Ruby looked at him alarmed, "You have what you want, so why are you going to torture her to work for you?!"

"Ha! I don't know how you found out about that, kid. You're right. I do have plans for that timid, little Beast. I don't know what people see in those animals, but people are far more comfortable buying from a cute Faunus girl than some gangster. Besides, do you know how rare it is to find someone who is so timid, they'll do practically whatever you tell them to for little to no pay? Once I threaten her with expulsion for possession of the drugs I'll plant in her locker, a dimwit beast like that will be begging for me to look the other way. All I gotta do is convince her to make a few runs for me so I don't report her, and the rest will take care of itself. She's gonna make a fine mule for us for a few years, and when she breaks, we'll cut her loose."

"You piece of shit!" Farran spat at him, "You're the animal here! How can you talk about some innocent girl like that?!"

"Whatever kid." Shadow Richards looked at him, annoyed, "Rich humans are the only ones that matter. The rest of you are all Grimm fodder. Meat shields to keep them away from the elite like me. Except for you, Park. You're going to be target practice for my guards until you die here like the failure you are!"

"There is no way in hell I'm gonna die to the likes of you… Come to me, Persona!"

As Farran summoned Abel, the guards around them started to shift and transform. The Shadows that had appeared in front of them all changed into floating jack-o'-lanterns in capes, each holding their own oil lanterns. On their other side, the guards transformed into sentient piles of green slime. Rather, all save for one, who turned into a knight in steel armor wielding a trident, its horse a blood red. While the guards were transforming, Shadow Richards stepped back into the room, a sadistic grin on his face. Abel charged, slicing through one of the Slimes, but it was far from enough. No sooner than the strike landed, the Shadows started to launch attacks in unison. Orbs of fire and dark energy peppered him from all sides, as Viola grabbed Ruby and dragged her over to the wall to avoid the crossfire. Farran did his best to fight back, slowly thinning the crowd of Shadows, but the sheer numbers proved to be too much. He tried to summon Abel one more time, but found he didn't have the strength to do so. He staggered, trying to stay on his feet, his mind slowly fading.

Author's Note:

Five guesses as to what Richards said to Ozpin, and the first four don't count.

Hey guys,

Just wanted to say a few things now that this chapter is up. First and foremost, I just wanted to thank all of you that have followed and favorited the story so far! We're sitting at 18 followers and 11 favorites as I'm writing this. Not sure how that compares to the usual first time story on here, but it's 18 and 11 more than I ever thought I'd get! So really, thank you all for reading, it means a lot to me.

Special shout out to Mad Thought. After they left a review on the story, we had a little bit of a dialogue that helped me solidify some ideas. While not major plot points, I still feel they're important, and Mad Thought had plenty of great ideas. So thank you very much.

I'm not sure how you guys like Viola in the Navigation role, but I'm putting her in that role temporarily, kind of like Teddie and Mitsuru. Depending on your thoughts, I'll either keep her there, or I have another idea for someone for that role that won't really cause any problems. So please let me know!

Lastly, this chapter and the next are my first time writing any kind of combat scene in any kind of fiction, so I don't know how well it went. If you guys have any comments or suggestions, please let me know. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm far from an established writer, and I'm using this fic as a learning experience. Whether you love the story, hate it, or anywhere in between, by all means, please leave any comments, concerns, constructive criticisms, or suggestions if you have the time. I want to make sure you guys are having as much of a blast reading this story as I am writing it!

Thanks guys,

Inferno :D