A Nascent Kaleidoscope - Chapter 420

Chapter 420








Chapter 420:

I felt like I was floating in an endless void. The only thing near me was a full-length mirror that held no reflection.

'Can you hear me yet?'

'...'

'I guess it's still not time....'

'I'll be waiting until you need me.'

'Soon.'

Once again, my eyes shot open as I thought I heard a voice whispering in my ear. It sounded foreign, yet so very familiar for some reason.

"Ddraig?" I called out, looking around the room.

[I'm here, what's wrong?]

"Did you hear anything?" I rubbed my tired eyes.

[Like anything happening around you while you slept or any noises?]

"No...I thought I heard a voice again, but when I try to think about it, it feels like a dream..." I wasn't an idiot, I could take a guess at the source. "Anything new with my spirit?"

[It settled down and hasn't moved since a while ago. You think it's trying to reach out?]

"Maybe." I let out a tired yawn.

Not much I could do to force the issue. It's probably best to let things unravel organically if that's the case.

I rolled out of bed, catching myself before I fell onto the ground and opened the curtain to let the morning twilight fill the room. While the outside light doesn't really change, there was the slightest difference it seemed, between night and day.

I made my way over towards the empty table on the other side of the room. And I stared blankly, tapping my fingers against the wood as I mentally searched through my personal space for some items.

"Let's see....Ebony is a must." I muttered, taking out a chunk about the size of a golf ball. "Moonstone? It would accent it well. And some Malachite would really make it pop." I stacked them next to the Ebony. Maybe some Rubies too? Nothing extravagant, but something with a tasteful elegance.

I mentally mulled it over and thought up a design and then plopped down my own Enchanting Table.

I stretched my fingers and yawned one more time, forcing myself to concentrate.

I woke up this early for a reason, let's get started.

[***]

"You are finally awake." Salem eyed me from behind the pages of her book as I entered the library.

"Sorry, I got lost in something and didn't see the time." I politely apologized, taking a seat near her. "Did you sleep well?"

"I had many things on my mind which made it difficult to sleep." She said without much emotion before the faintest smile broke through. "However, many of them were not unpleasant."

"Mmm, I haven't seen Cinder and the others. Are they around or out?"

"They are off doing something or another." Salem said rather dismissively. "I believe they are trying to chase down some man who was experimenting on Grimm and causing some concern for the Kingdoms."

"....Merlot?" I felt my eye twitch

"Yes, I believe that was the name. Is something the matter?"

"Just had to clean up a mess left behind by him. I think I'm going to have nightmares after dealing with so many Apathys..."

Salem giggled at my comment. "Did they scare you? I recall when I first created that breed of Grimm."

"My first reaction was to turn the area within a hundred miles into a smoking crater." I deadpanned. "Did you make the Chills too?"

"Those predated me." Salem shook her head. "Or rather, they came about before I mastered the Grimm Pools myself. I believe they spawned in one of the smaller pools located in the north."

"There are more Grimm Pools?" I tilted my head.

"Of course, how else do Grimm keep appearing on other Continents?" She said as if it was common sense. "It's not as if they all swim away from my domain."

"I guess I never gave it much thought."

"You are new to this world, so it is understandable."

"Wow, so they really wouldn't have a chance if you actually wanted to harm any of the Kingdoms. Just out of curiosity, how easy would it be for you to bring them down?" I said it to Ozpin before, and I was pretty confident that Salem could genuinely roll any Kingdom If she wanted, but I was a little curious about the specifics.

"Of course not." Salem scoffed, slamming her book shut. "If I desired to end those pathetic Kingdoms, I would have done so centuries ago. Ozma is foolish if he believes that he is 'holding me back' or some other nonsense. I would not even have to gather a tide of Grimm to wash over any. I could merely awaken one of the slumbering Titans and there is very little they could do to stop one of them."

"...Titans?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm? Yes, you would probably be unfamiliar with them as well. It's more of an old term, not one I coined. Beyond Normal Grimm are Alphas of some species. And Beyond Alphas are Ancient Grimm. And there are a handful that exist beyond those that have been called Titans, for good reason."

"Now I'm morbidly curious. Tell me of your greatest monsters, oh great Grimm Queen."

"I have my Mastra sleeping in the depths of the ocean north from here. It is the largest Grimm I have, as it is essentially a whale, if you desire a picture."

"A big whale?"

"It's more of a mobile fortress than a meaningful combatant. It sleeps within an underwater Dust Mine primarily of Gravity. It has taken in the Gravity Dust over the years and possesses the ability to fly. Its other most notable feature is that it can spew a liquid similar to the Grimm Pools to produce lesser Grimm. Something common among the Titans."

Ignoring the horrifying implications of that for the people here... "That's kind of neat. Tell me more."

She smiled faintly and continued. "Off the coast of the Mistral Kingdom is another Titan – my Leviathan sleeps in the ocean's depths. It is a bipedal Aquatic Grimm that can make land fall. Under the sands of Vacuo my Ouroboros also slumbers. It is a snake without a tail but a head on each end. In the north ice sheets, my Jotun – a two headed and four-armed behemoth waits. And Vale had a run in with my Wyvern years ago and thought it vanquished, yet it only slumbers under a mountain near the city. Amusingly those Faunus settled down near my last Titan, meaning I have one near every major settlement. My hydra lays beneath the earth near Menagerie in the south east."

"That's a mix of terrifying and awesome at the same time." I loved giant monsters, granted, the purpose of them was not something I....agreed with, which probably should be the next thing we talked about. "Salem...."

"Hmm?"

"We were both a bit emotionally drained yesterday, so there's still plenty we need to talk about. You told me some things, some boundaries of yours. I want to add some of my own too."

"Very well." She said evenly. "Tell me what you wish to say."

"I don't claim to be a good person, Salem. I've killed many people. I've done illegal things, admittedly some for stupid reasons. But, I do have morals, Salem. My other girls too...other than Jinn, we all have blood on our hands, some more than others. I know you don't care about the people around you, that you don't even see them as people. But I can't be with someone who willfully slaughters and harms innocent people to achieve their goals."

I would be a hypocrite to deny Salem because of that outright. Even Artoria, someone I would respect as having the moral fortitude that I could only envy, had killed innocents and done other morally dubious acts in the past during her reign. None of us were without sin, but I like to think that everyone was trying to be better.

I didn't know what I would do if she didn't agree. But I know that a further relationship would be impossible.

If need be, I would kill every Grimm in the world and stop their continued creation.

And I know that she personally hadn't made a move in a long time, but I wanted a promise from her for the future.

"If that is your desire, I will oblige by it." Salem responded emotionlessly. "I will not pretend to care about those people you speak of, but I will not intentionally cause them any more harm nor will I have a hand in it."

"Thank you."

"There is no need to thank me." She gave one of her cute little huffs. "I have nothing to gain by doing so any longer regardless of your request."

"Um....I have something – " I fiddled around in my pockets until I found what I was looking for. "I have made a unique one for each of the others too..." I held out my hand to show her a bracelet storage space like what everyone else had.

Salem's eyes focused on it and she hesitantly accepted it from my hand. "It's beautiful." She said softly. "You made this for me?"

"Yeah, I woke up early so I could get it done in time. If you channel some Magical Energy into it, you can access the folded space attached to it to keep things inside."

"It's wonderful." Her expression was soft as she continued to stare at it. "I don't know how long it's been since I've received a gift like this...."

"I tried to make it match you. I know you said that your favorite color was black, so I used ebony as a base. And I added rubies because I thought they would match your beautiful eyes – "

Salem abruptly got up from her seat and walked a few steps over to mine and promptly sat right down into my lap and leaned against me. "Your gift is greatly appreciated." She whispered, giving me a light kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

I happily wrapped my arms around her as she fiddled with the bracelet, getting it around her wrist. The beautiful smile she had as she held it up to the light was breathtaking.

She was....somewhat stiff in my arms, obviously she was unused to this kind of thing, but she was obviously trying so I didn't say anything. I admit that the sudden bluntness to her trying to be affectionate had its own cute charm to it.

"Tell me about the others." She said, still enthralled by her bracelet. "I wish to know about the ones with whom I will be sharing your affection."

"Well, you already met Scáthach. I assume she introduced herself a bit?"

"Yes, she explained her origins and what she is. I admit that some of the terms and explanations were unknown to me."

"I'll gladly fill you in on the details later. And you'll have all the access to anything you want. If you want to study any of the world's Magecraft that I have been too, you're free to do so."

She paused, turning to look at me. She leaned in and gave me another quick kiss on the lips. "Continue."

I guess she was happy about that. It's probably her way of expressing herself. As much as I wanted to tease her about it, I didn't think it was really a good idea at this particular point. I was happy she was making the effort as it was. "Artoria Pendragon would be the next. She's a Knight and a former king. She's not a Magus, but she has a phenomenal amount of Magical Energy due to a Dragon Core implanted inside her when she was young. She's very straightforward and a kind and honorable woman. She's also Like Scáthach, a Servant and she's the Servant of Rin Tohsaka, my Grandfather's student and a close friend of mine."

"I always found it strange in the past. The idea of Knight isn't foreign to me, nor are people who don't utilize their Magic. However, the combination of both never made sense to me. It was something even when I was a young girl."

"She has her own reservations about casting spells and what-not. But she does use it in a basic sense to make herself stronger and to do other things."

"It's not my place, so I won't speak ill. Merely voicing my confusion at the logic of such decisions."

I nodded and continued. "For Servants, next we have Minamoto-no-Raikou. Or just Raikou." I paused, realizing something obvious. I took out my Kaleidophone and messed with it until a picture of Artoria appeared. "This is Artoria."

"She is....shorter than I had imagined." Salem nudged my phone closer to her face. "She is very beautiful."

"Through certain circumstances, her physical aging was halted when she was alive." I didn't elaborate as that was more her story to tell, but this much should be okay. "And this is Raikou." I said, moving the picture along.

".....I see why you like her." Salem muttered, glancing down at her own chest for the briefest of moments.

"She's a swordswoman and a Demi-God. However, her Godly heritage manifested in the form of a type of 'demon' from my homeland. I won't divulge too much as it's personal, but she suffered a lot in her life and has a sort of warped mentality in some places. She refers to herself as my mom, and I won't ever correct her."

"I will not claim to understand it, but I will respect it nonetheless." Salem acknowledged. "And I do not believe I have the context available to quite understand everything else. Your Lover – Scáthach, said that these Servants were once famous individuals, I assume there are stories written down to accompany them that I can procure?"

"Of course. Whatever you want or need, I'll help you."

"A Demi-God....what a fantastical existence....."

"...Don't hold your breath quite yet."

Salem stared at me. "I assume you're going to tell me something that will make me question my own existence again. Proceed..." She let out a tired sigh. "I have already accepted that my life is different than it was merely a week ago."

"Alright, we'll get through the easy ones first."

"The Demi-God was one of the easy ones, is it?"

".....you want me to answer that?"

"Proceed." She sighed again.

"This is Yasaka." I changed pictures again.

"A faunus?" Salem looked at it curiously. "No she has multiple traits.."

"She's a Youkai. Which....is a hard term to explain without context. It's an umbrella term for a lot of different types of 'creatures' and beings from my homeland. It can include ghosts, demons, and other things. Specifically, Yasaka is a Nine-Tailed Fox, one of the strongest types of Youkai. She's also a Miko – a Priestess, for Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess from my home."

"She certainly has impressive proportions." Salem muttered.

"Oh, and a small detour – here's our Daughter, Kunou." I happily showed off my little fox. "She adopted me a while ago, and then Yasaka and I sort of got together."

"...cute." Salem said very quietly.

"And you apparently know Jinn – "

"Yes, the Spirit of the Relic of Knowledge who apparently is a deviant of the highest order." Salem huffed.

Well, that's not untrue.

"And here's Venelana Gremory." I changed the picture once more. "She's a full blooded Devil...."

"...and?" Venelana raised an eyebrow. "You stopped."

"....Don't judge me."

"Do you wish me to lie and say I won't?"

"She's my Grandmother."

"...that is not what I expected to come out of your mouth." Salem stared blankly for a moment. "And you care about her in this way?"

"I never knew her as a Grandmother. Which is a story I haven't really told yet. Suffice to say, I'm a bastard and was essentially tossed away at some point. I only recently met her and, well....I like her which led to things happening."

"It's not the strangest thing I've seen." Salem simply said. "And next?"

"Right, next." I cleared my throat. "This is Izzy." I changed the picture once more. "Her full name is Izanami."

"She seems pleasant."

"She's a Goddess of Death and Creation and one of two Gods responsible for the creation of my home country."

Salem opened her mouth briefly and closed it again.

"She's very sweet and I've been friends with her for awhile before we got together, which was rather recently."

"...I will take your word for it." Salem forced out. "I do not have any understanding of Gods beyond the Brothers, and I am hesitant to consort with any after what happened to me. Compared to the Brothers....how powerful is this Goddess of yours?"

"That's a difficult question to answer. She's never been a fighter and she isn't actively worshiped due to certain reasons you can figure out after reading the myths. But....your Brother Gods would probably be stronger; however, they would not want to tangle with her if they could help it."

"This will require time to come to terms with. When I think of Divine beings, only hate and anger remain instead of reverence."

"We can move at any pace you feel comfortable with." I reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Though, the next and last is a bit...."

"Another Goddess?" Salem asked.

"Sort of."

"I question how one can be only 'sort of' a Goddess." She gestured for me to continue.

I flicked the screen again, finally moving to the last on the list, but my first love. "This is Meridia Daedric Lord of Life and Light. The world she's from, that's basically the equivalent of being called a Goddess, however.....if we use the comparison of your Brother Gods again." I tapped my chin thinking about how to word this. "Meridia is to your Gods what your Gods are to Mortals."

"....could you please elaborate?"

"Meridia, if she brought her entire strength to bear, could destroy the Brother Gods with ease. She's the Universal concept of Light and Life that was created near the dawn of her Universe. She's older than Remnant by such a large number that counting it is pointless. She could crush this planet between her fingers if she chose to. However, she's mostly limited to her realm of existence, otherwise others of her kind would make a move on it and usurp her domain."

"....I see." Salem said evenly. "And how.....I wish to word this politely, but I don't know how to phrase it."

"Just say it, I won't take offense."

"Why is such a being with you?"

"Funny story actually...." I chuckled remembering it. "So I cleansed a temple of hers from a Necromancer – she absolutely despises things that overturn the natural order of life and death such as necromancy. I cleanse it, right, and she sends some tiny part of her attention my way, asking me what I wanted for a reward."

"Please tell me this isn't going where I think it is." Salem covered her face with her hand.

"....After some talking, and with a promise of a reward, I asked her to be my woman."

Mother_of_the_Devil: Welcome to our secret group chat!

Legs_For_Days: Welcome.

Legs_For_Days: Dammit Wilhelm.

Legs_For_Days has left the chat!

Lady_of_Light has joined the chat!

Lady_of_Light: There.

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Did Wilhelm change your username again?

Lady_of_Light: Of course, who else would do so? I foolishly believed him when he said he wished to 'update' my device.

Grimm_Queen: Thank you for the invitation. I admit, I am still surprised by the acceptance into this group. I did not think that a group of women vying for the attention of one man would be so welcoming.

Mother_of_The_Devil: For a lot of us, it's not strange for a powerful person to have a harem. Though I was the only one with previous experience and it wasn't nearly as open and welcoming as this one has been.

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: I just like having a big family!

Foxy_Momma: You're so adorable! Whoever is closest to her, give her a big hug for me.

Oni_A_Mother: Will do!

Grimm_Queen: I noticed you said 'person' when mentioning harems. Is that intentionally?

Mother_of_The_Devil: Oh yes. While most supernatural societies reflect human society in that they're male dominated, there are certainly predominant women with their own harems. If I wanted to, I could have my own without anyone even raising an eyebrow down in the underworld.

Loyal_Knight: Would it not be more difficult to have relations with a large group of men as opposed to the opposite?

Mother_of_The_Devil: Who said they all have to be men?

Loyal_Knight: How....lewd.

Spear_Witch: Little lass is blushing now.

Loyal_Knight: Don't tell everyone that!

Foxy_Momma: Now I'm curious. How many of us here swing both ways?

Mother_of_The_Devil: Is this your subtle way of trying to confirm for yourself?

Foxy_Momma: Oh dear, if I was asking for myself, I would not be subtle~

Mother_of_The_Devil: Fair enough. As much as I enjoy a man in bed, a woman just scratches a different kind of ich."

Spear_Witch: I have laid with women in the past. I would not mind the occasional tryst as long as our shared interest is involved. However, I prefer a man inside of me over a woman."

I'm_not_Actually_Blue: I don't know! I've never had sex with a girl before!

Oni_A_Mother: I believe I am the same, preferring Master's touch only. But the idea to share on occasion is not repulsive.

Loyal_Knight: I have come to understand that I find both genders attractive, but prefer a relationship with a man.

Lady_of_Light: I have not given any consideration to anyone beyond Wilhelm for relations. However, if such a thing were to change in the future, I believe the ones present would be acceptable.

Foxy_Momma: If you ever want to experiment, feel free to let me know~ Wilhelm isn't the only one to admire those long legs of yours.

She_Who_Invites: Down, you horny fox.

Foxy_Momma: That invitation is extended to you too Lady Izanami. And everyone else for that matter. I think Wilhelm has excellent taste and I would absolutely love to get better acquainted.

She_Who_Invites: Noted. And I am the same as most of us, it seems. I don't mind either gender, but I prefer a man in most situations.

Grimm_Queen: This is not what I expected when I joined this group.

Foxy_Momma: What did you expect?

Grimm_Queen: The subtle backhanded insults, the attempts at subterfuge and trying to gain advantage over other members of the Harem. Perhaps vying and competing for Wilhelm's affection at every opportunity.

Mother_of_The_Devil: Take it from someone who did experience that for centuries. It's much too exhausting and this is much more fun.

Spear_Witch: I would not have accepted such a situation.

Foxy_Momma: Double for me. I would not have allowed Kunou to be raised around that kind of unhealthy environment. I don't know how you handled it, Venelana.

Mother_of_The_Devil: Oh, everyone learned very quickly that my children were not part of their games. Some had to learn the lesson the hard way.

Loyal_Knight: I believe I am of a similar sentiment. I would stepped away from this relationship if there was consistent infighting.

Lady_of_Light: I would have simply removed any volatile elements.

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: That sounds so sad. I like it better when we all get along and I don't mind sharing with everyone!

Grimm_Queen: I see....

Grimm_Queen: And what is the purpose of this 'chat' then?

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: To keep in touch!

Foxy_Momma: Or really talk about anything. An hour ago, we were talking about our favorite songs. And the other day it was about vacation spots this summer.

Loyal_Knight: It is also a good method to ask for assistance if required.

Foxy_Momma: But honestly, it was created for one original purpose in mind.

Grimm_Queen: And what would that be?

She_Who_Invites: Wilhelm.

Grimm_Queen: Yes? That is the reason we have gathered, is it not?

Loyal_Knight: No. She means it's to look after Wilhelm.

Spear_Witch: Our lover has a habit of finding trouble.

Lady_of_Light: Either by his hand or not.

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: If there's something happening, he's either the cause of it or involved in some way.

Mother_Of_The_Devil: Never a dull moment with my precious Grandson. Like the time he tracked down Jack the Ripper in another world just so he could have a climatic sword fight at night on the rooftops of London? It turned out that he was a demon in disguise.....

She_Who_Invites: I will still point out the time he facilitated multiple invasions of the local afterlife of another world he took me to.

Loyal_Knight: Or the time he found an alternate version of me participating in the Fourth Grail War and proceeded to get into a fist fight with Lancelot after removing his Mad Enhancement while proclaiming himself the Rightful Queen of Camelotand elaborating in detail by what that actually means. Explicit detail.

Oni_A_Mother: Master also found another Grail War that had a despicable Oni participating. He took me there for our anniversary. It did not end well, but it was a lovely date.

Spear_Witch: If I recall, was that the one where his Grandfather kicked him out of the world-line?

Oni_A_Mother: No that was....another one.

Grimm_Queen: ...

Spear_Witch: Yes, and the time he brought me to see that 'Chaldea'. He mistook the local version of myself as his and proceeded to grope her without regard. It caused a large brawl in the kitchens that escalated to involve the majority of the Heroic Spirits summoned.

Foxy_Momma: Didn't that also end with both of you in his bed?

Spear_Witch: Yes it did.

Grimm_Queen: I am starting to understand the necessity.

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Oh, tell her about the Dragons!

Lady_Of_Light: I was asked by Akatosh that we not mention that anymore.

Grimm_Queen: And this Akatosh is....?

Lady_Of_Light: Similar to me, but his sphere is over the domain of Time and older than the concept itself. Also the creator of all Dragons as they are parts of his soul.

Grimm_Queen: What could possible cause such a being to make that request?

Foxy_Momma: I only heard bits and pieces, but something about forced Dragon fighting pits?

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: We learned that 47 Trolls can take down a dragon if it can't fly away.

Loyal_Knight: And the spiders.....Rin still has nightmares.

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Yeah, the spiders. That poor dragon. I think that's when everyone realized they went too far....

Grimm_Queen: I am genuinely horrified to even begin questing this and I make horrendous monsters for entertainment.

Lady_Of_Light: As I said, do not mention it anymore.

Grimm_Queen: What exactly did I sign up for?

Mother_Of_The_Devil: Unconditional love and affection with an unhealthy dose of madness and mayhem?

Foxy_Momma: Sounds about right.

Loyal_Knight: Very accurate.

Oni_A_Mother: Master is very mischievous.

Spear_Witch: It makes life interesting.

Lady_Of_Light Continuous Exasperation.

Grimm_Queen: And there are no regrets with how things turned out?

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Nope!

She_Who_Invites: No.

Foxy_Momma: Absolutely not.

Oni_A_Mother: I am happy beyond words.

Loyal_Knight: I have no complaints.

Spear_Witch: This Scáthach is content.

Lady_Of_Light: I would not have him any other way.

Grimm_Queen: It seems I have much to look forward to then.

Spear_Witch: Speaking of, where is my student now? He's due for some instance of trouble any day.

Lady_Of_Light: He visited some hours ago, but I know not where he went.

Foxy_Momma: Don't worry I got him here. He fell asleep with his head on my lap.

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Awww, send a picture.

Foxy_Momma: [Picture]

Oni_A_Mother: I'm saving that one.

Mother_Of_The_Devil: So cute~

Grimm_Queen: He has asked me for this before. Is it a common occurrence?

Spear_Witch: Yes, I let him lay his head upon my thigh as a reward.

Loyal_Knight: He also asks me often.

Oni_A_Mother: Master loves a lap pillow~

Grimm_Queen: I will make a note of it then. Is there anything else I should be aware of? What does he enjoy?

Foxy_Momma: This [Picture]

Loyal_Knight: Yasaka!

Spear_Witch: I suppose he is awake now.

She_Who_Invites: Is it another lewd picture?

I'm_not_Actually_Blue: lewd.

She_Who_Invites: Must you post these? I haven't done anything like that yet and now I already know what he looks like down there.

Oni_A_Mother: She's giving Master a 'hand'.

Lady_Of_Light: I have already learned not to view any pictures she sends without waiting for everyone else.

Mother_Of_The_Devil: I almost opened it up. I'm a charity function. That would have been an awkward conversation to have with those around me.

Foxy_Momma: Ufufufu

Grimm_Queen: ....should I assume this is normal behavior?

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Oh, I forgot about Salem. She only just joined, woops.

Foxy_Momma: I forgot we had someone new here. Sorry for not giving you a warning.

She_Who_Invites: And I don't get this supposed warning?

Foxy_Momma: You already know what I'm about.

She_Who_Invites: .....I'm annoyed that this is a valid answer.

Grimm_Queen: I'm not upset. It's not as if it's my first time seeing his member.

Loyal_Knight: Oh my...

I'm_Not_Actually_Blue: Damn Salem!

Spear_Witch: I believe you will fit in around here well.

[***]

A/N

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