"In The Face of Certain Death, We Rise."
Author's Note
This is basically just so people unfamiliar with Code Vein can learn enough about the world so the character and things in future chapters will be easier to understand. It's not exactly necessary. With that said though, SPOILERS!!!
If anyone has a problem with how "edgy" the MC looks, to be fair, this is Code Vein we're talking about. If you haven't played it, think Dark Souls meets vampires and God Eater (never played God Eater, but I have seen the anime). Also doesn't help that almost all the characters look like edge lords anyway.
Prologue: Vein
(Gaol of the Stagnant Blood)
In a large room filled with blood surrounding the path up to the throne lies a young man of silver hair and red eyes, dark cracks around his left eye wearing mostly black and red, and a Blood Veil to best enhance dark Gifts. This man has sacrificed more than anyone else in the short time he remembered. No, he was no man, but a Revenant, a human with a parasite attached to his heart, essentially making him nearly immortal and powerful at the cost of his memories and a thirst for human blood. He has no memory of his life as a human, only that he awoke as a Revenant in a warzone and was sent to the front lines during Operation Queenslayer. This Queen once went by the name of Cruz Silva, a victim of an attempt to create an enhanced version of Revenants with a reduced bloodthirst to combat the Horrors after the Great Collapse caused by massive spikes erupting from the ground, this failed procedure created a monster with only one objective; kill. While she helped greatly while she was sane, she was in the end, more dangerous than anything the world had yet to offer.
When Cruz frenzied, she layed waste to everything wherever she went in the already ruined city. In many cases such as the Miasma, turned Revenants into monsters so numerous that they were more of a threat than the Horrors they were created to fight. The Operation was an act of desperation, Revenants were being made from almost any available corpse to combat her. Lead by her father, Gregorio Silva, the Operation was a success. The Queen's death brought about by this Revenant using his Blood Veil as a last ditch effort to kill her, impaling her through the heart and draining her of her blood in doing so, prompting his comrades to kill him as the Queen's blood was causing him to frenzy. This man, unknown to him until later, became the first Successor, the Successor of Blood.
It had been found that simply destroying the Queen's heart wasn't enough, unlike every other Revenant. Instead, a piece of her was implanted in Revenants with a sufficient compatibility. Her Ribcage, Throat, Heart, Eyes, Breath, Claw, and Brain were all implanted in other Revenants to prevent her return. With the exceptions of the Eyes, Throat, and unknown to anyone until later, Blood, each Successor was sealed away in a Crypt and a Watcher stationed to each one, their duty was to kill the Sucessor if they came close to frenzy and await for the Relic to be transferred to a new host.
After the Operation, Gregorio Silva became the Successor of the Brain to put up the Gaol of the Mists to keep the city safe from the Horrors and to keep the problem with the frenzied Revenants contained while his organization, "Cerberus", maintains some order as a provisional government. This was until he was forced into a frenzied state himself by a mad Revenant named Juzo Mido and was put down by the same Revenant that killed the Queen. Without someone to keep the Mist up, this Revenant took up the responsibility after calming the Relics and becoming the only Successor left.
So now this Revenant sleeps, Cruz rests peacefully, the city is safe from the Horrors. Though this surely can't be the end of one who's willing to go so far as to sacrifice his freedom and even risk losing his sanity for a world beyond saving. Perhaps he will dream of a new life? Or perhaps he will simply sleep until he is stirred from his slumber?
"In The Face of Certain Death, We Rise."
Unnamed POV
This is strange. I'm supposed to be sleeping and maintaining the Mist in doing so, not even dreaming.
"-AAAAAHHHH!" Is that a baby? Why is there one here of all places??!!
"It's a pegasus colt, your highness!" A male voice said, sounding like he was congratulating someone. What's going on? Why do I feel like I'm the one being moved around? Am I the one crying?
"*panting* May I-." An exhausted, but somewhat soft voice spoke.
"He's your son!" I felt like I was being moved around again and grabbed the first thing in reach. I struggled to open my eyes, but when I was able to, I saw I was in what looked like a hospital room, but no one here was human or a Revenant. I looked up and felt myself calm down after seeing the magenta eyes of what looked like a white humanoid horse with a neon rainbow mane next to a black horse with blue slitted eyes and silver mane.
"He looks like his father." She said, smiling down at me and brushing her hand down the back of my head. Am I being born again? What about the Mist and the Horrors??!! What about the Relics??!!
"WWWAAAAHHHH!" And I'm crying again.
"He does look like me, doesn't he?" He asked as I was handed to him. "What are these lines around his left eye?" He asked, his tone changing to one of concern.
"Some newborn foals have bald spots on their bodies, some more oddly placed or shaped than others." He answered. "Uumm... Do you mind if we have him back for one moment?" The doctor asked, confusion and concern in his voice as he looked down at something in his hands.
"Is something wrong?" The white one asked, worried for me I'm assuming.
"Either the magic scanner isn't working right, or his magic is off the charts even by trained unicorn standards!" If by 'magic' they mean 'Gifts', then the Relics are still in me. I felt myself being moved again.
"Is that a bad thing? He'll be fine, won't he?" The other one asked.
"I'm sure he will, but it's still part of the procedure." He set the object down and grabbed another. "Same readings?"
"Is this going to be a problem?"
"If I'm being honest, I'm not too sure. It's rare for a unicorn to be born with an ingrown horn, they'll still be able to use magic to a lesser degree, but for a pegasus to have this much magic at birth? Either we need new scanners, your son will go farther than pegasi like Commander Hurricane, or today is a miracle and your son is an alicorn with an ingrown horn."
"My son might be an alicorn??!!" The white one asked.
"It's possible, but we'll need to run a few tests first. Before we get to that, have you thought of a name?"
"He looks just like his father, minus the feathered wings and eyes, I think Crimson Moon will do." She answered.
"Named after me? Fine by me!" He hugged her.
"Alright, because the other testing rooms are fully occupied right now, we won't be able to run the other tests at the moment. So for now, let's get the young prince cleaned up and back in your arms so both of you can rest." My eyes felt heavy and my vision began to darken.
"Thank you, for saving everyone." I thought I heard another female voice say before I think I fell asleep.
Crimson Moon POV, 4 years later.
"We're almost done for the day, Crimson." A navy blue mare with grey eyes and black mane said, my tutor, Ms. Quill.
I still remember that day like it was yesterday. Being born again and having to grow up again, I wish I could tell somepony, but they'd say it was all a horrible nightmare or something like that. I'm not happy about the implications of me being here instead of on my throne, but there's nothing I can do about that as I am. I can use my Gifts still, I've had no reason to use anything meant to hurt others, Gifts like Bridge to Glory are still available, but I'm having difficulty trying to imitate Blood Veils. By "difficulty", I mean there has been no progress. I shouldn't need to use them, but I'd still like to be prepared.
I'm rambling on. Thankfully, I'm not alone. Having all the Relics inside me and having calmed them enough that frenzy isn't a concern or whatever is actually going on now, Cruz is in my head and back to her old self, but I can only see her in my dreams. At least in my dreams, she's been teaching me how to better control the power from the Relics. If only because of old world paranoia, she's trying to teach me how to create Mistle and Bloodsprings. I don't feel the thirst, but as wrong as this might sound, I miss the taste of bloodbeads. Hospitals might also be able to use them if they're low on blood donations.
Things to deal with later I suppose, though I might not have many chances even after I learn to use the Relics because of me being the son of Princess Celestia. I won't complain though, I don't remember my life before Operation Queenslayer, so I'll take the second chance, and if I'm to be royalty for it, so be it. It does have some difficulties though, annoyances anyway because of my birth.
The crack-like skin commonly seen on Revenants who were close to frenzy at one point being very noticeable on my black fur aside, the nobility hates the idea of anyone not a noble, especially a non-unicorn being with my mother. Doesn't help how insulted many of them seem to look simply because of my existence, they sometimes forget I'm an alicorn, so many think I'm an abomination because of my magic power being so high. If only they knew I could lift things significantly heavier than me with only one arm. I think I'll wait a few more years before showing them how easily I can lift Revenant weapons.
"Crimson, it's time for dinner." My father said as he walked into my room. "How are your studies going?"
"I'm learning so much! My head is starting to hurt though." I answered, trying to play the part of a young child.
"His studies are going quite well, sir. It's almost like he already knows most of it!" Ms. Quill complimented me.
"Now that's my boy! I have good news, the chefs made your favorite!" He patted my shoulder.
"Celery soup and grilled cheese sandwiches?" I asked.
"That's it!" He answered. "Will it be a problem if I steal him from you?" He asked my tutor.
"Not at all, he's already ahead of his studies, so I don't see a problem with letting him go and finish this paper later." She answered as she began sorting and packing everything up.
"Then I guess we're off." My father said.
"To see the Wizard of Oz, for all the wonderful things he does!" Cruz referenced.
"You've been silent all day, something on your mind?" I asked her.
"No, I just didn't want to interrupt anything. Well, it is pretty boring in here when you're not sleeping or daydreaming." she responded.
"Sorry to hear that." I apologized.
"Don't be, it's better than being trapped in a body I can't control and destroying everything against my will."
"No one blames you. Especially Louis and Silva, it's not your fault what happened. Besides, with how I can calm the Relics it's safe to assume I was more compatible with the Project. Assuming I didn't volunteer, wouldn't it be my fault?" I asked her.
"Of course not!"
"Then don't blame yourself for trying to save everyone from the Collapse and the Horrors, you still helped a lot of people. Try to focus more on those you helped than the ones the Queen hurt, okay?"
She didn't respond to that.
Author's Note
Not a name you'd expect for a son of Celestia, but I wanted to try something different and have her be with a thestral. I'm surprised I haven't come across a Code Vein crossover yet, I guess it wasn't popular enough for one after a year or two.
