Chapter Text
Hello dear readers… Seeing as no one seems to be wanting to take this reading off Timeless's hands I figured I may as well just do it myself.
I'm gonna be posting this on Ao3 and FF so everyone on the FF site could you guys do me a favor? Keep an eye on a certain group and check to see if this ends up on their watch list. And warn me if it is.
Now normally I'd take this moment to ask you to join my Amity Arena Academy… But I just can't bring myself to defend this game anymore.
Ever since their latest update I've found my usually even win/loss ratio of (Roughly) 4/4 devolve into in a Win/Loss ratio of 1/7.
It ain't me I can tell you that. I've been pit against people who pay to win and people with far better skill than me… Forget unit balancing Hangame should have been focusing more on Player Balancing. Especially because this latest update seems to benefit people who spend real money on the game while casual players like myself are getting punished for being casual
I have tried, emphasis of tried, to enjoy this game, but if my single win comes after an hour of struggle and my only reward is a Scrap Crate I can't bring myself to enjoy this game anymore until the next update.
Now before you people start saying that I'm whining about the game cause I'm a sucky player I want you to know something. I can accept a loss… PROVIDED I actually managed to put up a struggle- When my loss comes either in the last minute or during the 1 minute Overtime, I can accept that, it was either my fault or the luck of the draw just didn't come through for me in the end.
But I draw the line when I've lost a turret within 20 second cause they pulled out things that just crushed me… Seriously have you met Nolan? Given his Stun on every attack and his high attack rate and even a Level 2 Nolan can kill a Level 2 Pyrrha if he gets the first draw. And at a cost of 1 Aura to Summon? I'm sorry but he needs the nerfs more than others.
Of course the top tier players that sandbagged just to take advantage of the Black Friday sale didn't help… So writing this right now is really hard because to cheer myself up I've got comedy going on in the background.
Anyway I've ranted enough, enjoy folks.
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"I still think Phoenix is insane." A young nekomata woman wearing a leopard print leotard said as she sat an unconscious Ruby down on a velvet blue couch next to her sister, a similarly unconscious Yang.
"Marie." A red haired and more voluptuous version of Cinder said, "With all the crap that Phoenix has been dealing with on Amity Arena, plus the wait for the actual show to let it's episodes air to those who don't want to pay, it's no wonder he's lost his mind."
"Flarea." Marie deadpanned, "He brought her into this… You know, her."
Flarea sighed, "Phoenix feels sorry for her." Flarea said, "She was a human who had just had her lover caught in a tug-of-war between life and death before getting cursed with immortality. Even the most mentally tough of individuals aren't meant for immortality. A mortal brain isn't hardwired for immortality like a god's mind is."
Marie opened her mouth, "Good point." Marie said, "Most immortals I've seen in media have either lost their sanity or have damn near shut down… Or are just really drunk."
[]
"Gah… Death has a hell of a Poker face." Phoenix muttered as he stood up, much to the shock of the one who had killed him moment's before.
"You're alive again? How?" Curiously asked the white skinned woman that had just impaled him with a nearby sword, as she couldn't call upon her usual powers.
"Blood of the Phoenix." Phoenix muttered, "Doesn't give me immortality, just revives me from an unnatural death. Now can we talk about this like civilized former human begins or do we need to carve each other into Jack 'O Lanterns first?"
The woman glared at Phoenix before relenting, "Fine, we'll talk." She said, "Where did you bring me?"
"Think of my home like a gap between dimensions." Phoenix said, "I brought you, and a few others, here to view an alternate world, one where even you might learn something Salem."
Salem simply scoffed at the notion, "As if you could teach me anything." Salem said.
"Maybe I can, maybe I can't." Phoenix said with a shrug, "But I consider myself something of a mad scientist. And one of the things I've learned that anyone who believes immortality is a blessing is a damned fool."
Salem raised an eyebrow, "Oh? I thought humans strove for immortality." Salem taunted.
"HA!" Phoenix laughed, "Please, immortality was never something a mortal mind was hardwired for… Any mortal that's become immortal will find themselves broken, whether it be mentally or emotionally… Like you."
Salem narrowed her eyes at Phoenix, "What?" She demanded.
"Come on, Ozma was the rope in a game of tug-o-war between life and death, then you got cursed with immortality, then hell knows how long you spent all alone with nothing but the animals and Grimm for company." Phoenix said, "If you came out with a similar mindset to what you went in with then you were meant to be immortal."
Salem closed her eyes and nodded, "I can accept that." She admitted.
"Plus accidentally murdering your own children…" Phoenix said, causing Salem to glare at Phoenix once again, "That snap… With that snap alone even you could find that you were no longer the woman you once were."
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you here and now until your mind breaks?" Salem seethed as she gripped the sword tighter.
"I'll give you two." Phoenix said, "For one, I've died enough that I'm having poker games with Death. And two… I may just be able to heal you." With that he gestured for Salem to follow him as he left the room.
"Heal me?" Salem asked as the stone wall just on the other side of the door shifted into another doorway. "How?"
"Your immortality is magic based… Divine class specifically." Phoenix said as he walked through what appeared to be a science lab, "You simply need Divine power to counter it, I've already got a counter to your appearance, though illusion generators are simply a temporary measure until I've got a more permanent solution." As he finished Phoenix stopped in front of a series of human sized pods, "As for your past… Take a look for yourself."
Salem eyed Phoenix closely as she stepped past him before looking into the glass window of the first pod and froze, one of her hands instinctively grasping the edge of the window. "Y-You… I... " Salem closed her eyes and looked to Phoenix, "Why is my eldest daughter in there? What are you-"
"Reviving her." Phoenix said, "Her body may be cloned, but her soul had to be retrieved manually, thankfully I've more than my fair share of favors Death owes me."
Salem raised her eyebrow, "How can Death owe you favors?" Salem asked genuinely curious.
"Well we gotta bet something during those poker games." Phoenix said with a shrug, "Anyway all four of your little girls are in those pods. And if you want them to come out and only remember you killing them as just a nightmare then you're gonna go in with the people I've brought and not mutilate them, understand!?" Phoenix shouted as the feathers on his armor caught ablaze.
Salem was surprised at the ferocity of the man before her, but she found herself more surprised at her own reaction. She found herself afraid.
Not at the man, but her fear was that of a mothers. The last thing she wanted was her own children to fear her, she didn't intend to kill them, but she didn't expect the sheer ferocity of her rage toward Ozma to fuel her power so much.
She wanted her daughters back more than anything, but she didn't want them back if them fearing her was the price… Just the thought of it terrified her, something she hadn't thought she would feel again.
"Fine." Salem said, "But I withhold the right to punish anyone who annoys me."
"You can slug the adults, but ease up on the kids." Phoenix said shrugging, "Now let's get going, I'm gonna slap the illusion generator on your back and then lead you to the room you'll be spending a lot of time in, then while I'm here I'm gonna have my wife research Divine Powers that could break that curse on you."
[]
Ruby stretched her arms as she woke up, not bothering to open her eyes as they have a bad habit of leaving the curtains open and she didn't want to be blinded.
She froze and slowly opened her eyes as she felt she was waking up on a couch… A velvet blue couch.
"Guys…" Ruby said slowly as she shook her sister looking around the room, taking note that their weapons were displayed proudly on a wall.
"Five more minutes sis." Yang muttered as her arm swing out and pulled Ruby into a cuddle.
"Yang…" Ruby groaned, a womans light chuckle hitting her ears, though she ignored it for the moment, then Ruby grinned with an idea. She and Yang had ways to wake up each other should one of them not want to get up in the morning, "Yang… Someone's trying to cut your hair."
Throwing Ruby off her, Yang shot off the couch, her eyes filled with fury as her hair caught ablaze, "WHOEVER'S TRYING IT I'M GONNA KILL THEM!" Yang roared, causing the other occupants of the room to awaken.
Blake shot off the couch and found herself perching atop a velvet blue bookshelf.
Weiss jumped out of bed and immediately patted her nightgown down, combed her hair with her fingers and took a weak fighting stance.
"Pancakes!" Nora shouted as she sat up, causing Ren to be thrown off of her.
"Oh god." Jaune cried out as he shot up and flipped over the couch, dragging Pyrrha with him.
"Wasn't me!" Qrow shouted as he righted himself on his seat, though the beer bottle that fell of him as he did would prompt questions.
Ozpin jolted up and began looking around, he froze when he saw Salem, her skin a now human shade and lacking the dark veins on her face that were growing, and her eyes were back to their normal color.
He didn't dare move when Salem leaned in, "I'm not going to attack, so relax." Salem whispered.
Next to Qrow, Glynda shot up and quickly adjusted her glasses as she looked around the room.
Ozpin looked at Salem and narrowed his eyes, "If you dare-" Ozpin started.
"Don't bother." Salem whispered, "The owner of this place has his own immortality, if I attack anyone here with lethal intent I gain nothing and lose a lot."
"Where the hell are we?" Qrow muttered as he kick his beer under his seat.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby cheered as she zipped up to him and latched onto his arm, just before she pulled out a jar, a few coins shaking in it.
"Really Ruby?" Qrow asked surprised.
"Hey Uncle Qrow." Yang said, "What did you do?"
"Me?" Qrow asked as he rummaged through his pocket with his free arm looking for a coin.
"Calm down everyone." Glynda said as she stood up, "Qrow isn't the one at fault here… At least not this time."
"Told ya I didn't do it." Qrow said.
"So… Who did this?" Jaune asked as he stood up, holding Pyrrha bridal style, causing the red head to blush fiercely... As well as hold tighter to Jaune.
Salem, knowing who was behind it, stood silently, only looking toward Jaune as he failed to notice how Pyrrha was reacting, 'What an oblivious idiot.' Salem thought.
"That would be me." Phoenix said as he stepped into the room, now donning a blue version of his normal armor, "It's a pleasure to meet you all, my name is Phoenix."
Weiss was the first to react, pushing her way past Qrow to jab a finger at Phoenix, "You kidnapped us and brought us here? What do you want? Whatever it is you're not getting it."
"Well there are several things I want out of you all." Phoenix said, a smirk hidden under his helmet, "First I'd like for Blake to come down from the bookshelf. You're a Faunus miss, not a real cat."
Every head turned to Blake to see she was still sitting atop the bookshelf, the hidden Faunus blushed as she climbed down from the shelf.
"Second… I brought you here to read the events of an alternate version of Remnant." Phoenix said pushing past Weiss and to the bookshelf Blake had climbed down from.
"An alternate Remnant?" Salem asked raising an eyebrow, this was something she was not expecting.
"Correct." Phoenix said as he pulled a book from the shelf, a remote sat atop it, "One that concerns a bit of the past, a similar future, and perhaps… One that can change hearts... Specifically yours Miss Branwen."
This caused everyone to look in confusion, only for a voice to clear her throat, causing everyone to look at the doorway to see Raven Branwen standing there, though a blue field of light surrounded her.
"What the hell is this?" Raven asked.
"I put you in a different room Raven because of two reasons." Phoenix said pushing a button on his remote, causing a T.V. to slide down in the back of the room. "One was so your daughter wouldn't attempt to kill you on sight."
"The fact I can't seem to move my legs isn't making the idea come to life." Yang growled as she looked to see her legs encased in blue light.
"And the second was more for the benefit of the males in the room." Phoenix continued, "After all it's rather surprising to learn you choose to sleep in the nude."
Everyone save for Qrow blinked in surprise at the statement and turned to Raven.
"Seriously?" Yang asked genuinely surprised, "How did that work at Beacon?"
"I had to deal with a lot of uncomfortable nights." Raven admitted blushing slightly, "Tai was the reason it was hard."
"And Uncle Qrow wasn't?" Ruby asked as she finally let go of Qrow.
Raven looked down at Ruby, "Well Qrow was used to it, we used to sleep in the same tent." Raven.
"Doesn't mean I liked seeing my sister climb into bed in her birthday suit." Qrow grumbled and he reached for his flask.
Phoenix just chuckled as he took a seat, "Now then, aside from you Miss Branwen, you people need to eat breakfast and shower. Then we will begin."
"Wait, who's she?" Pyrrha asked as Jaune put her down, much to her ire, hiking a thumb to Salem.
"My name is Salem." Salem said crossing her arms, "That's all you need to know."
Qrow, Glynda, and Raven froze as Salem said that, nervous as to why the woman was there.
[[]]
Well that took two days to write… I blame the stress caused by Amity Arena.
I'd like to thank Timeless Dreamer Neo for beta-ing and editing this chapter and all my normal chapters of Phantom Thieves.
Now then, gonna go give Amity Arena another shot, most likely rage, then go blow shit up on Fallout.