The First Daughter (A RWBY Fanfic)

Epilogue

Days have passed since Beacon fell, Vale is quiet as airships hang over the city in defensive formation. Atlesian airships are docked at the harbor as Atlesian troops are boarding the ship home. In contrast, docked Mimaran transports are unloading troops fresh from Mimar and from General Veliona's 18th Legion. Some of the Atlesians glance at the Mimarans exiting their transports. Unlike the Mimarans they met initially when the JTF was formed, these troops are not hiding behind gas masks. Their faces are clearly seen, and they all show battle hardened soldiers, not untested soldiers like the Atlesians.

General Ironwood was standing at the harbor deck as he watched his soldiers get aboard their transports. He was thinking about everything that happened in these last few days, how he failed so miserably to defend Vale. How helpless he was against Salem's forces.

Elise: I hope you learned something from this, James.

Ironwood turns to see Elise walking up next to him to watch the troops. Ironwood returns his gaze to the sight.

Ironwood: I hope so too.

He sighs as a silence envelopes the two. After a couple minutes, Ironwood finally speaks again.

Ironwood: Qrow went out to look for Oz. The Atlas Council has been mostly replaced by those loyal to Clay, who's now wanting the position of Chancellor. And on top of that, Salem is now out in the open thanks to you.

Elise: Strange times we live in.

Ironwood smirks.

Ironwood: Yeah.... Elise....how do you think will this all end?

Elise glances at Ironwood before looking out as she contemplates the question.

Elise: I'm reminded of something a commander I knew once said during the Great War. "There is only one way this war will end...."

Ironwood looks at Elise as she also turns her gaze at him.

Elise: "Last man standing."

~Meanwhile~

Salem sits inside the throne room of Evernight Castle with a blank look on her face as she stares at the Relic of Will, which was still appearing as a Phoenix brooch. The immortal was trying to grasp how a fifth Relic existed without her knowing. Did Elise create it? Did the gods decide to mess with her further by creating the fifth Relic? Is it really a relic or just a cheap imitation?

Watts: Your grace, you've been staring at the Mimaran Relic for hours. What has you so perplexed?

Salem: She's truly my daughter, you know that?

Watts, who sat at the table next to a big but calm man known as Hazel Rainhart, raises an eyebrow.

Salem: Elise, she exposed our existence to the world despite the consequences it will bring. Reminds me of myself when I was younger....much younger. But unlike me when I opposed the gods, Elise knows exactly what she's getting herself into.

Hazel: Your daughter just became more dangerous to our plans now that she is acting in the open.

The three hear a maniacal chuckle from across the table from Watts and Hazel. A scorpion Faunus, Tyrian Callows sits near Mercury and Emerald, whom were both very quiet up so far until Tyrian started chuckling.

Tyrian: Perhaps we should teach her a lesson? A fatal one?

Salem scowls at the idea. In fact, she hates the very idea of killing her own daughter but she keeps a cool head as she waves off the idea.

Salem: No, Elise could kill everyone in this room except myself with relative ease. The only ones who could fight her and potentially win are myself, Cinder, and Methuselah.

Emerald silently raises her hand. Watts glanced at her and develops an amused smirk as it felt like she was raising her hand in class.

Salem: Speak, child.

Emerald: U-um, speaking of Cinder. Do any of you know where she is?

Watts: Yes, where is that brat? I thought she'd be back by now after Methuselah healed her of her injuries. Which he wasn't so forthcoming on what actually happened to her in the Beacon Vault.

Salem is silent for a moment before she hears something approach the door at the end of the room.

Salem: I think we're about to find out.

The doors open, revealing Methuselah with a smug look on his Grimm face.

Methuselah: Hello everyone, I hope I didn't miss much?

Salem: No. In fact, we were just talking about you.

Methuselah: Oh?

Emerald: Where is Cinder?

Hazel: We're going to need our new Fall Maiden if we are going to face the Mimarans.

Methuselah's existing smile becomes more wicked.

Methuselah: Very well, I suppose Cinder is up for some conversation.

Salem's faction hears someone start walking up to the open doors.

Methuselah: You know, I had a thought. Why give the power of a Maiden to an amateurish, hotheaded girl with a history of abuse? Seems like a dangerous risk in case Elise charmed her to her side. So I thought....

They all soon see Cinder, but different. She had a Grimm arm replace her left arm, and a Grimm eye that replaced the eye Methuselah damaged back in Vale. In fact, her body appeared like she had become a half Grimm hybrid! Cinder's human eye looked lifeless as she stares at Salem, who looked indifferent to her fate. Emerald, Mercury, Hazel, and Watts however, were all shocked to see what has become of Cinder.

Methuselah: Why not just cut out those negative qualities that makes her an annoying little brat? Make her more obedient, Hm?

Emerald: C-cinder??

Cinder creepily and ominously turns her head slowly to look at Emerald and Mercury. The two flinch as they are horrified. Methuselah keeps his ominous smile as he walks to the side of Cinder.

Methuselah: Now, why don't you say hello, Cinder.

Don't be shy.

~End Volume!~

So that's it for the First Daughter's opening volume!

I'm currently contemplating the focus of the next volume because this story is radically shifting away from the RWBY story. I have three focuses in mind, an Atlas centric volume as we see Weiss and Ironwood deal with the changing political situation in Atlas. A Menagerie side story as Mimar gets more involved in Menagerie's development (this would also focus on dealing with Adam and the White Fang). And another, though smaller, side story focusing on Yang and Ruby as Ruby doesn't leave for Mistral like she did in the show. I'm thinking of having the two of them eventually make their way to Raven, who actually is forced to be a mother to Yang because Elise nagged her to death. But it's all still on the drawing board so to speak, so we'll see where I take things.

Thanks for reading and hope to see you when I get to establishing the second volume! I'll be making a couple of side chapters, or intermissions to go over some minor things I want to play around with as a background detail to this universe. So I hope those will be enjoyable as I develop my ideas for the next volume.