The day passed and everyone with Neo returned back to town. Though Neopolitan and Rias seemed concerned about something and both left to see the rest of Neo's lovers and friends as soon as they returned. Of course, Tearwyn seemed confident as always things would work out in Neo's favor and gave her words of encouragement. Meanwhile, Neo sat with Roman. Both of them seated in the Town's bar. She loved spending time with her lovers but knew she'd worry them with her situation, so she opted to simply relax and talk with someone she considered a best friend. Their conversation quickly becoming deep.
"So how about.. that blonde teacher?" Roman asked, taking a drink of his rum.
"Oh you know damn well she doms.. She has a fucking riding crop" Neo replied with a small smirk, using her tails to stack cups.
"Oh yeah.. Why on Remnant does she use a riding crop?" Roman asked, incredulously.
"I don't know? Ask our Ozpin. Maybe she pegs him after hours?" Neo retorted with a grin.
"Scandalous! How about Raven?" He asked again, finishing his drink.
Neo raised her brow back at him. "Mine, Grimm Raven or Sin Raven?"
"Sin. I heard her wife and the terrifying blue haired woman talk about getting her to take a break after she's done with the world she's in. 'Quality time' is what she called it" Roman added.
"I'm gonna say... switch. Yeah, she'd probably sub for Esdeath and Dom the hell out of Salem. Great image too.." Neo and Roman both nodded sagely.
"Not that this isn't fun. I like hanging with you, Foxy. But there's something bugging you, I can tell. So let's hear it. I'm not usually a psychiatrist but I'm open to more career paths and I do still owe you for taking care of my partner, saving my world and bailing me out of a shitty situation" Roman told her, ordering another drink.
Neo snorted in amusement and grunted. "Yeah but don't feel like you owe me anything. We're friends. Guess it's this whole 'balance' thing. I met two different sides of me. The Chris part and the Trivia part. Said I was out of balance" Neo said, going onto explain the meeting between her two selves as Roman listened quietly.
"Hecate huh.. Interesting. Well, the two being there.. there has to be a reason for that, right? Maybe you should really explore your memories. You could simply talk to Neopolitan too. Get her opinion on her side of you?" Roman suggested.
"She's probably talking with the others about me. She had that look of worry" Neo downed her drink and tapped the glass.
"Well there's that Grimm version of Neo, right? Maybe she might have some insight about all this. As for the other side of you? Can't really help there. Maybe try.. meditating?" Roman shrugged.
Neo tapped the table and nodded as her eyes slowly gained focus. A small grin etched its way on her face as she stood up.
"Well I did have a quest to help other Neo's. Might take a little bit but I can afford to skip school" Neo stated, hiding her Kitsune features and switching her clothes in a flash.
She quickly changed clothes to what Jaune's Mother had picked out for her. Tight but flexible black pants. Pink, white and black boots. A black dress-like shirt that shows her navel. And a pink and white varsity-looking jacket hanging by her arms. Though the black shirt was quite stretched over her breast size and the two buttons on the top were undone. She twirled and nodded to herself confidently.
"Alright! Lemme just send a message to the group chat" Roman shrugged in response, considering getting himself another jacket.
[Neo²: Yo! Just stepping out for a while to get milk. I will be back, of course. I'll grab souvenirs too] Neo typed in before pulling up the request she received a while back.
Accepting it, she walked into the opening rift and left Roman at the bar. He chuckled and set his empty glass aside. The bartender girl with a ponytail and tattoos stepped up with a large grin.
"So.. that'll be two hundred points" She smiled.
"Son of a bitch.. She played me... I'm so proud!" Roman cackled to himself.
Neo stepped through the rift before it closed. For extra flair, she pulled out a copy of Hush and twirled it as she made her entrance. To her surprise, she stepped into a bloody Bandit camp. Recently exterminated, too. She heard the rift close and hummed as she stepped over mutilated bodies and paid attention to the large tent in front of her. It was open, and she saw two Neo's already there. One Grimmified, one not.
The Grimm Neo looked quite like the one she had seen before. Though she had an aurora of colors emanating from her body. It gave off a feeling of invincibility. Though she didn't want to test it out. The other, non-Grimmified Neo looked like canon Neo. Like she had before she took the pills way back.
Neo raised her brows and grinned mischievously as she kicks some blood off her boot and waved at the two.
~Sisters? Or like me and my Neopolitan? I wonder if I'll know what they're thinking too?~ Tapping the tip of Hush on the floor, Neo stepped inside.
The Grimm Neo whipped her head around and watched her enter. The non-Grimm Neo noticed her sisters head snap to the entrance while her aura color changed to a light orange and turquoise, she let out a soundless gasp when she saw who had entered their tent. Grimm Neo's eyes were still coloured with madness and hatred, but were slowly regaining their clarity while filling with confusion and wonder.
The human Neo glanced at her sister, the later shaking her head while still looking on.
The human Neo then created words that floated in the air, "Who, and what, are you?"
Clearing her throat, Neo smiled and spread her arms. "Welcome to the Omniverse, Ladies. Nice to meet you. I'm Neo. Though I guess you knew that?"
Her voice sounded somewhat otherworldly yet distinctly theirs. Grimm Neo tilted her head cutely, fully returning to her normal sanity, while the words shifted and spelled out, "Omniverse... So you're us, but not us?"
"Bingo! Kind of figuring some of that out now but, yes. Every memory Trivia Vanille possessed before.. eh.. volume one, I have. Same for you? Though the powers and circumstances are different, clearly" Neo responded, pointing out her obvious grimmification and aurora of colors.
The words shifted again, "Volume One?"
The human Neo then looked at her sister for a few seconds before the words morphed again, "Ah, you're from the world my Sister suddenly remembered after she plunged into the Grimm Pool?"
"Oh so that's what it is.. Well, probably. Reincarnation, stuff like that. I guess Grimmification was the catalyst then. I can guess who gave you the option to be here too but I'll ask her later. I'm here, specifically, to help you. I can hazard a guess.. That you're struggling with control?" Neo asked, looking at the bodies nonchalantly.
At the mention of her failure to control herself, Grimm Neo's aura colour changed to blue with a deep purple mixed in. She looked down ashamed, while her sister rubbed her back gently and then hugging her.
To confirm her guess Human Neo shifted the words, "Yes, we're trying to get her used to being around others. But her Grimm Side is having none of it so far..."
Neo shook her head. "It's not your fault. You probably didn't ask to get Grimmified. So, I'll help you out. Grimm instincts balanced with Human intelligence. You'll be pretty formidable once you master it. Funny enough, Balance is a sort of.. power, I have. Anything I should know regarding the changing colors of your aura?"
She stepped forward and crouched down, looking at the color of her aura with intrigue.
Grimm Neo looked up at the new Neo while her Sister shuffled the letters around to say, "It corresponds to her mood. From the colours right now, she's feeling sadness and loathing from her actions."
Grimm Neo nodded her head, before looking back down and slumping into her sisters embrace.
"That's not your typical aura then eh? Come now, cheer up! Best girl's here to help you improve control. Soon enough you'll be strolling through Vale and beating up Yang on a train. It'll be fantastic~" Neo spoke cheerfully, trying to pat her shoulder.
A barrier lightly shimmered where her hand tried to pat her, while the Grimm Neo tilted her head in confusion.
At the same time, the words shuffled around and said, "So I guess even other versions of us can't touch her, only me..."
A smile bloomed on her face before the words changed again, "And who is Yang?"
"Huhm.. a barrier? Strong too. And Yang is.. a huntress-in-training. Rather punchy, too. Question! Can you touch yourself? And I don't just mean in the fun way" Neo asked before standing back up.
The sisters also stood up, and Grimm Neo nodded her head while demonstrating the simple question.
Human Neo shuffled her letters around to say, "From what we've seen the only thing that can get past her barrier is myself and any object I am currently holding."
Grimm Neo lifted her hand with her index finger standing up and a soft shimmer appeared near (Kitsune) Neo. The words and letters shifted to say, "She can also make a barrier of equal strength."
While this was happening, her aura colour gently shifted to grey with a tint of grass green.
Nodding, Neo pondered for a few moments before she raised her brow. "Damn, that's strong. Well, let's not stick around here. Won't do any good for your future improvement"
Neo then snapped and a bright flash of red bathed the camp. In the next second, the bodies all disappeared. Seeming to turn into ashes that quickly scatter to the winds.
The sisters looked around in amazement while human Neo asked, "Is that your Semblance? Very powerful if it can work on the living!"
Neo chuckled before looking over her shoulder at the Human Neo. "Nope. Same semblance as you. Overactive Imagination. I'm what you could call a magician? Yeah, we'll go with that!"
The words shuffled and said, "Magic huh. Well, stronger than the maidens at the minimum."
She looked at her sister for a few moments before asking, "What is your plan to help my sister? This was the 5th bandit camp, and we're not any closer it feels like."
Grimm Neo's aura slightly shifted to a light blue while she sighed and looked down. Her sister gave her a shoulder hug before turning her attention back to (Kitsune) Neo.
"Oh you have no idea.." Neo muttered.
"Getting to that. But first, do you have a place to stay? A hideout? Roman Torchwick secret base? A good place with not many people inside?" Neo asked, noting how despondent Grimm Neo looked.
Human Neo nodded her head as the words shifted to say, "We're using one of our old abandoned bases. It's a few hours via a bullhead to the west."
"Eh we'll just teleport over.." Neo said before cutting open a rift and gesturing them inside.
Human Neo grabbed her sisters hand and nodded to her. They then walked towards the rift while words floated above them "Portal magic! Much stronger than the maidens indeed!"
~I know right?~ Neo thought proudly.
However, a few seconds later a panicking Grimm Neo "walked back out" of the rift without her sister. Her aura glowing a solid turquoise and green.
"Uh.. I'm going out on a limb here and saying you can't go through..?" Neo asked with a twitching brow.
Still panicking she nodded her head. Neo rubbed the bridge of her nose. ~That's really fucking inconvenient..~
However, a few seconds later the human Neo appears from the portal and quickly hugs the Grimm Neo tightly from behind. Instantly she calmed down and her aura changed too a light yellow and green.
As Grimm Neo closed her eyes and enjoyed the embrace, words floated slightly above them, "Mildly surprising, but at the same kind of expected. Our bullhead is only a ten minute walk from here."
Neo rubbed her chin. "I wonder if I could pick you up though.. And if so.. I bet it could withstand Light Speed, right?" She muttered before looking at the two and shrugging.
The words above them shifted, "Sis says she's up for that if you give her a few moments to collect herself and close her eyes. I'll just take the portal though..."
"Oh yeah! The fun way! Well, go right ahead. I'll be over with her as soon as she collects herself" Neo smirked with her elongated canines showing.
The twins nodded their head, as the human Neo gave her one last squeeze before letting go and walking back through the rift.
~Absolutely adorable. I guess Trivia having a sister and friend like this since early childhood's really helped her mental health~ Neo hummed appreciatively.
Grimm Neo took in a large breath and slowly breathed out a few times before nodding her head to Neo. Her colour glowing a solid yellow with a light orange. A hint of grass green could also be seen mixed in there somewhere. Neo nodded with a small smile.
"Close your eyes then, I'll be gentle" She added with a wink.
Her tails all came out and wrapped around her body, all touching the barrier ever-present around Grimm Neo. It made for a snug and comfortable cocoon of safety. Grimm Neo's eyes widened at the additional appendages, but did nothing else and let herself be lifted. Soon enough, she felt a weightlessness overcome her, as if she were in space. The outside view a blur of colors and the only thing she could hear was the splattering of Grimm unfortunate enough to be in front of Neo. They were already at the abandoned base's entrance by the next millisecond.
When Grimm Neo attempted to pet one of the tails however, she lightly frowned and sighed. Her aura gained a tiny amount of a deep blue mixed with a light red.
"And we're here! Bullet trains ain't got shit on me" Neo stated, not realizing she had tried to pet her fluff as she safely set Grimm Neo down.
Grimm Neo just nodded her head with a soundless giggle, before motioning her to follow her into the underground base. She walked over to a hidden entrance and pulled aside the brushed lightly to open the hatch. With a gesture of her hand, she waved Neo to go into the base first.
"Oooh.. neat hideout" Neo complimented as she entered.
Grimm Neo nodded her head a few times before following a closing the hatch while trying to arrange the bush again. After going down a steel latter for a few stories, they entered a dark hallway. The only light coming from Grimm Neo's aura, its colour shifting to a solid orange and yellow the closer they got to an open doorway that was emitting light.
As they entered the room words were already floating over the Human Neo, "Sadly, it's rather small with only the bar necessities. So I am sorry I can not give you some fancy tea~."
Grimm Neo quickly stepped over to her sister and glomped onto her arm while facing (Kitsune) Neo.
(Kitsune) Neo put her tails away and shrugged. "I'll be fine. I technically don't need food or sleep. Though I would like to start on helping soon. Tell me, do you feel an instinctual desire to destroy me coming from your Grimm side? My 'Balance' is made up of two forces. Light and Dark. Grimm being of the Dark, I have to wonder if you have any instinctual desire to kill me as you'd kill any other people" Neo asked, taking a seat on the nearby counter.
Grimm Neo stared at Kitsune Neo for several long moments before glancing at her sister and shaking her head. With a nod, Human Neo put up the words, "She doesn't know. But if that is because of your balance thing or because you are another version of us she has no idea."
Looking at her sister again for several moments, she turned back to Neo and the words shifted, "She can't feel any emotions coming from you however. Only thing she can feel from you is your absurdly strong soul."
Neo nodded. Then released her transformation again. The ears on her head and tails appearing once more. "That's probably the Goddess-hood. Actually, want me to heal your voice or is speaking something you choose not to do?"
Human Neo's eyes widened as the words shifted, "Huh, you really do have tails and ears.... not that I didn't believe my sister. Wait, you can heal our voices!?"
The words shifted again, "And Goddess-hood???"
"Hers? No. The barrier would likely block it. And yes. I'm a Goddess. For simplicity sake.. so we don't ALL go by 'Neo' just call me.. Hecate" Neo responded with a slight grin.
Human Neo looked upset as the words shifted once again, "First time I hate that barrier..."
But before she could do anything else, Grimm Neo was already behind her sister and pushing her forward slightly while holding her shoulders. She leaned to look at Hecate while nodding her head wildly while her aura was a radiant orange and deep yellow.
Hecate smiled and held out a glowing white hand. Pulling from the 'Light' side of her balance and adding 'Healing' and 'Regenerating' aspects to her spell.
"Take my hand" Hecate said simply, nodding at Grimm Neo.
Without any hesitation, Human Neo reached out and grasped her hand tightly. A light glow enveloped her being and seeped into her aura as the magic worked its way into her body, repairing and restoring all damage suffered before the glow ceased and Hecate released her hand with a smile.
"Try talking. You should be able to now" Hecate urged.
With a slight hesitation she softly spoke, "T-test.. hello?"
Grimm Neo's aura exploded in brightness and colour as it shown a brilliant Yellow, in all its shades. Hecate chuckled in response to the blatant happiness Grimm Neo showed.
She snuggled into her sisters back as Human Neo said, "Well, not to sound TOO much like a narcissist... but I sound sexy~."
"Oh you two are simply adorable.. Also, yes.. We really do" Hecate rubbed both of their heads, though only touched Grimm Neo's barrier.
Grimm Neo has her mask melt back and smiled at Hecate with a nod.
With a sigh human Neo said, "Really a shame we can't restore my sisters voice... But, let's move on. What is your idea of helping her balance her minds? Ah, speaking of... heh... I should actually tell you fully about that."
With a sigh Human Neo said, "So the short of it is that Neo was horribly wounded, and fell into one of Salem's large Grimm Pools. As you can see, she is now a Humanoid Grimm. The change however, was damaging to her mind, shattering nearly all of her memories."
She gently moved her sister to her arm and gave her head some pats and then continued, "She also remembered sparce information of a previous life on another world. She also gained that barrier, and the ability to make barriers."
With a conflicted look she added, "It is obviously not all sunshine and rainbows though. She also gains all of the instincts of the Grimm. And of the two of us, she was always the more level headed and less violent of us. So you can imagine how the sudden urge to murder everyone but me is on her..."
Taking it all in, Hecate thought for a few moments. Grimm Neo's aura gradually lost its shine and yellow colour before becoming a somber blue.
"Mn. Okay. I understand the situation now. I have some ideas. One, we'll try first without trying anything too invasive or triggering. See, older Grimm don't wantonly kill like the newborns. They're wise and learned they'll die if they did. It may be that you're an immature Grimm and thus attack out of instinct. The newborns tend to mature quickly around Elder Grimm. Elder Grimm have a stronger dark signature so let's try something real quick.." Hecate stood up and looked at Grimm Neo.
"I'm going to try to take that 'Elder Grimm' role and see what reaction you take. If it's hostile, we'll move onto another suggestion. Are you ready?" Hecate asked.
Grimm Neo, still leaning on her sister, nodded her head. Her eyes shining with determination.
Seeing that, Hecate drew on the 'Dark' part of Balance and unleashed it. It felt like standing in front of Salem but infinitely darker. It wasn't violent or unruly though. It bent to Hecate's will and submerged the area for miles in its presence. She watched Grimm Neo and Human Neo's reactions carefully while not drawing any harmful or malicious intent into the aura.
Human Neo shivered at the shift in feeling that Hecate gave off, before shaking it off and looking at her sister and asking, "Well?"
Her sister meanwhile just tilted her head in confusion. Which got a raised eyebrow out of her sister as she answered the seemingly unasked question, "No, she is releasing the aura thing she was talking abo- don't tell me your barrier prevents even that?"
With a sigh Human Neo looked back to Hecate and said, "Well, I am sure you heard. She felt no change."
The aura dismissed and Hecate cupped her chin. "Well that's problematic.. We'll have to approach this from within then.. As I don't think anyone but Lilith and her counterpart can even do anything to you physically. Unless Neo over there gets similar powers. I guess guidance and meditation will have to do eh?"
With a sigh Neo said, "It would seem so..."
A chirp was suddenly heard coming from Human Neo's pants, and with a frown she pulled out her scroll. Her sister peered over her shoulder and took at peek at what was written, causing her to frown.
With an annoyed sigh Neo said, "Well, not unexpected but still annoying."
Closing her scroll and pocketing it, she looked to Hecate and said, "That scorpion fanatic of Salem has been poking around looking for us. He thinks he's subtle, but really, nothing escapes Roman's solid network these days."
"Want me to fuck him up, Shortstacc? I have a minute" Hecate asked.
A vicious grin grew on both the twins faces as Neo said, "You know what? Go for it. He's a damn freak anyway."
Grimm Neo nodded her head in agreeance with her sister while making a disgusted face soon after.
Hecate's grin became equally as vicious. "Good! I'll shove his stinger down his throat for ya. But I'd like you to start meditating, Grimm Neo. Start focusing within. Don't 'fight' Darkness but try to accept it and balance it out with the love you feel for your sister. Love is incredibly powerful, use it. I'll be back in like.. ten? Yeah, ten minutes. Hell, I'll even join you when I return"
The sisters nodded their heads as the grabbed each others hands and walked into a different room.
"Hopefully it goes better than last time.. Ended up scarring Qrow, Kouta, Freed, Medusa and Shizuka for a while.." Hecate muttered.
"Ah fuck it, I'm sure it'll be fine.." Hecate then walked out, unsheathing Hush with malicious intent.
[Say thanks to Lilith Zenon for Co-Authoring this! Crossed over into her Fic 'That one time I took an Eldritch Survey' on Scribblehub! Go read it, it's about Neo and Grimm Neo and it's pretty freaking awesome. Also lemme know if you want the omakes back where you ask Neo stuff and gimme stones cuz I'm greedy and I like to see it get over 100. Hope you enjoyed the long chap and have a nice Friday]