Chapter 19: The Devil's claw

Scarlet sat in her room as she had placed her new eye into her socket as she blinked to get her new eye adjusted. She glanced over to the window and then glanced to the door making sure the new eye was perfectly adjusted.

There was a knock at the door as it opened up, Emerald stood there as she looked at Scarlet. "I...I know I haven't been in the brightest of moods since Haven." She glanced around a little before looking back at Scarlet. "But I want to help you."

Scarlet cocks an eyebrow up. "Ara, are you giving me your full loyalty? That's thoughtful." She stood up as she threw a knife at Emerald, she wanted to see if she'd catch it or if it would graze the side of her cheek.

Emerald caught the knife before it could get near her, she glared at Scarlet before throwing the knife down onto the floor. "What was that for?"

Scarlet smirked. "To see if you were paying attention or if you were still in a haze." She picked up the knife as she puts it onto the table. "If you want to help me Emerald. Then lets see how well you can hold your own against me, I know my mother has a empty room big enough for us to use." She cracked her neck and pops her knuckles. "I do need a little bit of practice myself, on using my Grimm form. I have yet to do so, if this little match helps. Then I will let you know if I accept your help or not."

Emerald gulps as she nods. "R-Right..."

Scarlet grabbed Black Rose from off the wall as she walked out of her room. "Come along Emerald, if you prove that you're worthy to my standards. I will see to it that we go look for your friend...what was her name again?"

"Neo?" Emerald asked. "Why her? She vanished without a trace. No one knows where she is, after Torchwick died she just poof."

"Really?" Scarlet asked as she turned her head. "Is that a fact? Or did you forget I could easily sniff her out. All I need is something she owned and track her."

Salem noticed them. "And where are you two going?"

"Emerald here said she wants to help me." Scarlet said looking at her. "Giving she wants to hand her loyalty over to me." She looked back at Emerald. "So I thought, if she is in fact worthy of being my right hand. I could achieve my inner Grimm, like you want me to."

"Interesting." Salem said. "You've grown so much Scarlet, from a little girl seeking mother's attention. To what you are now, a heiress to my bloodline. You impress me day after day on what you can accomplish." She walked over to Scarlet as she puts her hand on her shoulder. " Do as you must my child."

~~~

Scarlet dashed at Emerald and swings Black Rose at her, nicking her on the arm. She scoffed as she kicked her in the gut before jumping back. "Focus! Do you want to die in battle!"

Emerald grunted as she held her stomach. "N-No...I'll straighten up."

Scarlet growled. "Use your Thief's Respite." She gripped Black Rose as she was glared at her. "Attack me, use them in gun form or sickle form."

Emerald looked down at her Thief's Respite as they were still in their leather holders around her waist. "But." She noticed the glare coming from Scarlet as she gulps again before taking them out. "Right..."

Salem watched as she was seemingly not pleased with the way Emerald was doing things. Scarlet was right on one thing, if Emerald didn't get her act together and straighten up. She'd die in battle.

Scarlet taunted Emerald as she was trying to piss her off, it seemed to be doing something. Emerald gripped her Thief's Respite and had them turned into their sickle form as she ran at Scarlet swinging and slashing the blades at her.

"Stay still!" Emerald yelled as she used her semblance on Scarlet.

Scarlet smirked. "Ara ara, now we're getting spicy." She glanced around seeing what kind of illusion Emerald had made with her semblance, she saw the Wyvern standing before her as it roared and snarled. "Interesting...but." She spun around like a spinning blade as she cuts Emerald across the abdomen. "I could see right through your semblance."

Emerald stumbled back as she looked down. "I-I'm bleeding." She looks up at Scarlet. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

Scarlet licked the blade of Black Rose, licking Emerald's blood off of it. "Mm, your blood is sweet. And no, I'm not trying to kill you. I'm proving how my sense of smell can track anyone. For example, I can smell Tyrian over in the corner."

Emerald looked over seeing him. "How?"

Tyrian laughed as he claps. "Not bad." His tail swayed behind him as he was trilled. "Don't keep your eyes on me."

Emerald quickly turned as she blocked Scarlet's on coming attack. "Sneaky."

"Now you're learning." Scarlet said as she jumps back. "Use your semblance again, this time. Do more than just one Grimm, make them attack me."

"Oooh, this is getting interesting." Tyrian said with a small laugh.

Emerald used her semblance again, this time the whole room changed to a empty waste land filled with Grimm. Scarlet grinned widely as she watched the Grimm charge at her, her eyes glowed with greed as she started to laugh.

~~~

The room fell silent as Emerald's semblance was no longer being used. Scarlet stood in the center of the room, eyes still glowing as Emerald, Tyrian and Salem were also silent. A eerie feeling filled the air as it stretched out to the nearest kingdoms.

"She's done it." Salem finally spoke as she was clapping her hands.

"This...this is." Emerald said. "This is her true form.."

Scarlet stood there still as she had a wicked grin on her face as her Nevermore wings were drenched in her blood. This was only step one of her metamorphosis into her hybrid form, The Grimm outside of Evernight castle surrounded it sensing what had happened inside.

"So this is what was hidden away." Tyrian said as he laughs. "No one can stop us now!"

Scarlet's Nevermore wings flapped dry as Scarlet looked over her shoulders to look at her wings. "...Fascinating. And to think, this took me all of yesterday to try and achieve..but finally, I have."

Salem walked into the room as she seemed pleased with what she had seen. "Very good my child, you are indeed the nightmare to everyone's dreams. It also seems the Grimm will also follow you into battle." She walked over to the window looking out seeing the Grimm.

Scarlet glanced over to Emerald, she looked over to Salem as she walked over to the window where she was at. "Do you think if I were to rip my wings off. The wounds on my shoulder blades would heal up?"

Salem looked at her. "It's possible."

"Good." Scarlet said as she reached behind her and grabbed her wings and started to tug and pull at them. Eventually ripping them off as her blood ran down her back, the wounds where the wings were at slowly started to heal up.

"So, are we going to go look for Neo or?" Emerald asked looking at Scarlet.

Scarlet glanced over to Emerald. "I've changed my mind, we're not going to go look for Neo...she'll come looking for us."

"How do you know?" Emerald asked.

"Let's just say I have a gut feeling, Cinder's alive and well...why else would my mother want me to take Cinder's Maiden powers if she dead?" Scarlet asked with a eyebrow cocked up. "Do you think a fall from the Haven vault down to the abyss would kill her that easily?"

Emerald's eyes widen. "You mean, what Yang said was all a lie?"

"Of course." Scarlet said snickering. "Yang didn't think it through. She just went to the assumption Cinder's dead, when in reality...Cinder is very much alive." She licked her lips as she walked over to Emerald. "However, you're mine now Emerald. You can't change your mind on be loyal to me...I am a princess after all, isn't that right mother?"

Salem nodded. "Indeed, you're part of my bloodline." She looked over at her. "Until we know for sure where Cinder will pop up at with Neo, I have a job for you to do my child.."