Illithid behind the Curtain: A moonlit walk (Patreon)

I make the announcement a few days after Ruby and Yang are gone. I fix any final problems, tidy up my tower and set up my defenses. As far as anyone now knows, Dr. Rincewind left due to an emergency and his assistant, Nurse Weatherwax was just dealing with the aftermath. It goes more or less as expected, as Weatherwax's smile and gentle features makes the blow softer, makes the town more pliable to my leaving. And then I see Taiyang, leaning on my fence and looking curious as I approach. His emotions are turbulent but to his credit, none of that shows as Einzbern waddles up for head scratches and he obliges, Zwei with him as he asks.

"So, you're also leaving then?" I pause and then nod, wondering what this was about. "Yes. The children are grown up and independent and with them gone, there is a pressing task I must do." Taiyang nods, once as he asks. "Can I ask what it is?"

"I'm looking to bring magic back to Remnant." That gets Taiyang's attention immediately, as he stares and I gesture. "Remnant was once a plane like any other and magic was as widespread as my own home. Here? It's strange... Deformed, and yet there's a beauty here not found on any plane." Taiyang looked interested and I elaborated, walking towards him as I produced a trail of sparks from my fingers.

"Magic from my world is more of a science. It is something anyone can either learn through study and practice, gain from the strength of an oath or patron relationship with a higher power, or inherited through the family line. To this day, I've seen none of these things save one. But in exchange, you've gained something more."

My hand splayed over his heart, my eyes intent as I continued. "What you call 'aura' and 'semblances' are unique. As if you are your own leyline, something I've only seen before in creatures such as dragons. A trade off that has made for an entire generation of incredibly durable, powerful hunters against the Grimm."

"Noted." Taiyang's voice was almost a squeak and I finally looked up at him, his expression flushed, and his eyes fixed on my hand. I blinked and pulled myself off, ignoring his emotional turmoil. I hadn't meant to mess with him, the subject was far too important for that.

"Sorry. But yes." I cleared my throat and added. "It's far too deliberate. So, I plan to investigate further, see if I can't fix the local Weave." And if I happened to be in a few places otherwise long ahead of my little Rose and Sun Dragon, well that was only a bonus now, wasn't it? Though some I'd leave alone-the Nucklevee for example, was not mine to kill. His head belonged to someone else, but I met Taiyang's face as I continued.

"I was going to say goodbye, but you came to my home first so that saves on time." Einzbern nudged my leg, and I glanced down before blinking.

Zwei, panting happily was sitting atop a worn backpack, one meant for long journeys and packed full as one eyebrow slowly raised on my face and I looked at Taiyang. Sheepishly, the hunter gave a little shrug as he spoke.

"You didn't think I'd let you go alone, did you?"

I'm stunned and honestly, a little touched at his loyalty. At the same time, I have no idea how this is going to change things and I ask. "Ruby and Yang-."

"Both gone. I left a key and a note to Ruby's scroll, letting her know where I went. And Yang is in school." I knew Ruby would be admitted to Beacon soon, so I couldn't say much at that as I continued, feeling much more odd now in ways I didn't want to dwell on.

"Your home-."

"Locked up, sealed and I was gonna take Zwei to the post office before I left."

"Your job?"

He gave me a deeply amused look. "I'm a Hunter. I'm meant to wander about."

He seemed to have an answer for everything, and I finally sighed out before speaking. "It may be dangerous... And slightly illegal." In response, Taiyang shrugs and smiles like his namesake.

"Hey, can't let Qrow have all the fun now, can I?"

I can't help the smile from my face now, small but there as I float up to eye level and cross my arms, letting my staff float beside me.

"Hope you can keep up then." Taiyang hoists his backpack on his shoulders and thumps his chest, grin splitting his features as he looks back.

"I can do this all day."

At the inadvertent reference, I laugh, and my task feels a lot lighter.

Maybe some company would be nice.

It's still weird when I watch as Zwei wriggles into a narrow cardboard tube, followed by Einzbern who seems intent on joining the Xiao Long-Rose family guardian. Still, Zwei is worth his weight in iron and my Einzbern is a clever girl with power of her own. Between the two of them being sent to Beacon early, I get the feeling they'll be more than up to the task of protection and guardianship.

I do get worried, when I see Taiyang add a can opener and can upon can of dog food as he waves off my concern and cries out. "They'll be fiiiine."

The answering twin barks within the tube fail to reassure me.

====

We walk first. It's a beautiful day and Taiyang is very good company. There's contentment in his mental state, enough that it feels rather nice despite the fact I carried a resonance stone with me, to help against my Illithid physiology. It help's also that I've been spending more time as human, only reverting when I needed to eat and even that was scarce.

I do believe that between my resonance stones and my strict diet, I had finally begun the process of beating my physical nature. Animal brain's had been my only diet, and not once had I fallen off the wagon. My body was getting used to it, the cravings had begun to fall away and so long as it stayed that way, I felt as if my progress would be just fine.

Taiyang again, was an absolute help in that direction. He talked about mostly everything, from his time at Beacon to Summer Rose, the first time he laid the foundation for his house and much more. His steady chatter and subsequent sunny disposition helped distract me, gave me something to focus on as I shared stories of my own world.

It's almost enough to quell some of the guilt, as I think to what Yang and Ruby must be dealing with now. I had opted to leave it be, partly out of practicality. I had no idea where Cinder Fall or Roman Torchwick would be and to attack now would put both to ground if they escaped, and from there my future knowledge would be worthless. If I ever planned to intervene, it would have to be during the Vytal Festival and the attack on Beacon.

But the other reason was that of something else. Team RWBY had to exist, to survive in order for what was to come. Without the struggles and challenges, without the relation building and revelations, what I had known would be shattered, never to be. Not so much a problem for a quiet life, much less when the fate of the world was on their shoulders.

There was a reason why Elminster, Gandalf and Fizban never just used their power openly to end things. Like them, I also realized the truth-for true change to take place, it had to be in the hands of heroes that we placed our hopes. And all we could do was guide them, accompany them part of the way and hope for the best. Because absolute power was a drug for even the best of us, and I certainly didn't count as one.

I could still hear the screams from my dungeons. Minds shattering, as I broke them for information, for rooting out traitors in a kingdom where not even your thoughts are your own. I was always watching from the dark and though they feared the march of Jorgen's troops or the shadow of Fang's wing, it was my secret police they were terrified of most.

Perhaps something of my thoughts showed on my face, as I sat by the fire. Because Taiyang approached and draped a blanket over my shoulders, looking concerned as his emotional sense was worried, among other things I didn't care to examine closely.

"You look a million miles away."

I grip the blanket, nodding my thanks before I finally speak quietly. "... Just thinking about how I got here. Who I was before. Taiyang, if I told you I was a monster before, would it change anything?" Taiyang to his credit, thought very carefully before he sat next to me, poking the fire before he spoke.

"No, I don't think so. Because as far as I know, your past has just been that-in the past. You've never been a monster here and you don't think I'd have trusted Ruby and Yang to you if I thought that, didn't you?" It was a reassuring answer, but I felt compelled to speak on as I continued.

"... I have great power. Enough that if I put my mind to it, I could shatter each of the four kingdoms within four days. Few of my kind and my profession reach such a status and those that do, spend their power in various ways. I used mine for great evil and had it not been for an accident, we might had never been friends. I could had been just another enemy to you, a conqueror. And yet, here I am. I have power, I have knowledge but in abundance now, there is fear." I stared at my small hands, chosen deliberately before by the Hannibal before I was melded into his mind. He wanted something pretty and small, something to put people off guard and lure victims whenever he got hungry.

Every feature had been calculated, every emotional response invoked, just as planned by him. To this face, people had confessed to crimes, to anything and the last thing they had seen was it splitting apart as he turned back and had a feast of his own. My thought's were spiraling, going out of control now as it began to loop and suddenly, there was warmth.

Taiyang gripped my hand, squeezing it and like before at the meeting, I focused on it. His hands were large in comparison, almost dwarfing the entire thing. Calloused, like all hunters and powerful, but it was power disciplined. It squeezed just enough and no more, as I breathed out and stared, concern radiating from Taiyang before I finally nodded.

He didn't let go, as he spoke. "There's a saying from Mistral. 'There are no accidents'. Whatever you might had been, you are no longer. And you came to this world, came to a point where you were in position to help, and you gave it. And you kept on giving it. And even now, you're still trying to do good with your power. You were meant to be here, and you'll see that soon enough."

My mouth is dry. For the first time, I feel at a loss to what to say and finally just laugh. It's a little hysterical, but it's freeing. I had no idea what stress I had been under with my knowledge, and I slump to the side, leaning on Taiyang as I spoke.

"I take it you were the negotiator of your team? Because your tongue is so silver, I could stake a werewolf with it." Taiyang snorts, embarrassed as he just shares, careful not to move. "Summer used to panic the same way. Before a test or when she was pregnant with Ruby, I used to do this to her too. Sometimes, all people need is the knowledge they're not alone. You know?"

I nod, eyes closing as I murmur.

"Wake me when it's my watch."

And feeling utterly relaxed, I take advantage of the warmth and stability as I drift off to sleep.

I wake up, hours later as Taiyang wakes me, and the distant screams echo in the air. I glance at the shattered moon, realize he let me sleep longer and while there will be words, the noise troubles me and I ask.

"Closest settlement?"

Taiyang would be arming himself, his emotional sense honed like a blade, ready to pierce and slice where most needed as he spoke rapidly.

"Night Vale. Faunus centric settlement, mostly farms and the like, with just enough general stores and such to resupply. It's not a place bandits would normally hit, they need supplies too."

Which meant we were dealing with Grimm and I put our fire out with a gesture, our things swiftly packed before we were rushing out. I flew out at this point, my mental abilities making me avoid most of the dangers of night world. Add in my darkvision and with the world rendered clear, in black and white I was making good time.

Taiyang on the other hand, was a freight train. A Hunter in his prime and anything in his way soon regretted it as he smashed through rocks and stumps, tanking it with sheer brute force. It made me frown, and a moment later I tapped his mind with the equivalent of a knock.

As he allowed me in, I began to focus. I opened my mind, let him saw what I saw. The world as I did, and while he stumbled more at first, he was soon used to it as he went faster, now avoiding obstacles as I kept pace.

And then all too soon, there was a shadow above us as the cry of a Nevermore screeched on the physical and psionic plane.

Rage.

Rage.

RagerageragerageRIPandTEARKILLKILLKILLKILLDESTROY!rAGE!

It was the first, concentrated mass of Grimm I had ever dealt with and even my resonance stone could only help me so far. It also illuminated a weakness with my current lifestyle. What I made up in arcane power, I utterly lacked in my natural abilities. I was weakened by my own hand, my psionic powers stunted in comparison a normal, healthier Illithid would be. Something like the Grimm would had been dismissed and ignored, their physiology and mindset in addition to the bulwark their minds were all adding to protections they would have done naturally. Not so for me.

And then Taiyang was back, our connection shoring me up, strengthening where I was weak. He felt like fire, invigorating and life-bringing, heat surging and roaring as my senses returned and I realized I was on the ground, Taiyang currently punching out a swarm of Grimm rushing, coming for us in my showed weakness.

That made me angry.

And when I was angry, I started to sing.

And really, there was only one sort of song appropriate for this point in time.

"They see you as small and helpless. They see you as just a child." In my mind, I could see my little Rose, surrounded by the Grimm in the snow as I twisted the head of my staff and brought forth sunlight in the dark. Bright light flashed; the Grimm blinded briefly, not forever but for a moment.

A moment was all I needed, as the sun blade carved through shadow and bone, music playing and cascading, everywhere as my voice followed with the magical aria of my Blade Song.

"Surprised, when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild!"

You've ever played a song in your head? Memorized its beats, could hear the percussions, the strings, everything about it? Didn't you sometimes wish you could let others hear what you made, what you thought up on the fly but for a lack of personal skill? As a Mind Flayer, as a psionic who could broadcast?

I could.

Hannibal used it for Operatic numbers in an attempt to be classy. I opted for something more homegrown, as the Grimm faded around me and Taiyang briefly looked back, astounded by the light and the music in his head, radiating around as I dashed and began to fight, striking back and slashing rapidly as I spun to the beat of my Blade Song, moving as the elves moved, as those who followed in their steps did.

"Prepare for your greatest moments! Prepare for your finest hour! The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly, about to flower!"

Taiyang rushed for me and through our connection and the beat, I knew what he wanted. My hand extended, he grabbed it and kicking off and adding my own mental abilities, I flung him into the sky. The lion dragon of team STQR smashing through the Nevermore chest in a bright blur, a ring of light below that slew all Grimm who dared to pass through its boundaries.

"We are lightning!" I punctuated this with a spell, chain lightning crackling from my fingers as they surged and fried a number of Grimm all at once, the beasts snarling, seeking to smash their way through as I let out a wicked, wild grin, singing defiance as the beat of my music played.

"STRAYING FROM THE THUNDER! MIRACLE OF ANCIENT WONDER!"

Around that point, Taiyang crashed down like Judgement from the heavens, impacting in a crater as I felt the emotions of survivors. Hope, cautious and growing as the Grimm were drawn to us, gave them a breathing space before the crack of gunfire echoed and they surged out, fighting back.

"THIS WILL BE THE DAY WE WAITED FOR! THIS WILL BE THE DAY WE OPENED UP THE DOOR! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR ABSOLUTION!"

I threw my sun blade, guided by my psionic power at Taiyang's back and without a beat missed, he did a roll in midair, grabbed the handle and slashed away at the Grimm attempting to flank him, tossing it overhand back as I used a psionic pulse, eyes glowing as I rose into the air and blasted the Grimm before me, stunning them as my hand raised and grabbed my sword, letting me dive and slay them before we went looking for more.

"I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR A REVOLUTION! WELCOME TO A WORLD OF NEW SOLUTIONS! WELCOME TO A WORLD OF BLOODY EVOLUTION, IN TIME. YOUR HEART WILL OPEN WIDE! A STORY WILL BE TOLD!"

The roar of a Berengil echoed, Taiyang and I pausing to look at it as it charged. Twice as big as an Umber Hulk, powerfully built. We move as one, Taiyang dashing in as he smashes his open palms on the thing's knees, crippling it and making it stumble, just in time as I dash in and spin, my sunblade a blur of bright light as it carves into its neck and throat, slicing bone and decapitating it entirely.

It doesn't even take a minute, as the final words of my blade song echo out.

"And victory is in a simple soul!"

The music ends. The Grimm are gone and despite that, I and Taiyang are both wary, crouched like fighters preparing for anything. But rather than despair and rage, there's only gratitude and applause. Faunus and human alike gather around us, clapping and applauding, some looking at my weapon as wave after wave buffets us.

But my thoughts aren't on there. Rather, it's for something else distant. A mind, a slippery mind full of smoke and shadow. One that I might had missed, were it not for recognition that I sensed the moment I drew my weapon.

Followed by hate, as I pull down my hood and reveal pointed ears, transformed with my Alter Self before it vanishes entirely. And though people surround me, thanking Taiyang and I and I smile, I have but one thought in my head.

Namely, what in the name of all that is holy and profane, is the Drow doing on Remnant?