Shifting Black

I, Silva Branwen, am a complete idiot. When I asked Jinn about all the ways for me to become stronger, she was extremely thorough. I don't know how long I was stuck listening to her, but it felt like an eternity. Thankfully, I didn't feel the need to eat, sleep, or go to the restroom as time being stopped. The practical methods were useful but somewhat obvious, like improving my Aura regeneration enough to spam Dark Wrath's energy blasts and almost endlessly cloak myself with it to boost my physical abilities further than simple Aura enhancement. Jinn then told me as she finished explaining the last theoretical means of strengthening myself.

" I have answered all the questions I can for this era and will not be able to answer anymore for a hundred years."

She stretches, then yawns as she says goodbye.

" I wish you well on your journey, youngster; good night."

Time moves forward again as Jinn returns to the lamp, and I organize my thoughts on the theoretical parts of how to strengthen myself. Some were extremely risky and could possibly kill me if I was not careful and made a single mistake in the process. However, if I could succeed in a few of them, I would definitely be more than a match for Salem. Unfortunately, all the methods I learned from Jinn take time and can't be done quickly, so I need to set my priorities on which methods to focus on. I looked at the Lamp of Knowledge I held in my paw and had a random idea.

" Jinn."

I grinned as time stopped again, and the lovely exotic blue skin woman reappeared. She looked at me with curiosity and said.

" I am unable to answer any more questions in this era, youngster."

" Please, call me Silva, Jinn."

" Very well then, Silva, but why have you summoned me when I cannot answer any more questions?"

I grinned at her and answered.

" Just testing to see you if respond regardless of having all the questions being used up."

She hummed in reply, then said.

" If that is all, I will take my leave, Silva."

" Pleasant dreams, Jinn."

She smiled as she returned to the Lamp, and I felt absolutely giddy at having a means of stopping time, but I better not annoy Jinn too much just in case she could ignore my summons. Oh, I am definitely going to use this trick to cheat in my training if I can and when I confront Salem. While I could use the Staff instead, I rather have Jinn appear than Ambrosius and accidentally have him make something by talking to him. While traveling with the Lamp might attract Grimm, the possibility of stopping time when it's convenient for me is too tempting to pass up.

I better make sure Neopolitan gets her hands on this and finds out because I know for a fact she would use this to prank the living daylights out of me and probably steal the world's supply of three-flavor ice cream. For now, I think I will just chill for a couple of days and then see who wants to come with me on my journey through Anima to Menagerie. I also better make a special case for the Lamp for me to lug around so it does not get recognized or stolen. It's good to be away from Atlas, finally.

***

Winter Schnee woke up to find Silva was truly gone; the following morning, he left. She felt a bit lonely as she had gotten used to his presence in her day-to-day life but suppressed the temptation of calling him as she knew that the snow leopard faunus would tease her insistently about missing him already. As the ice queen got ready to take a shower, she recalled the last secrets he revealed to her about the Aura-powered weapons, non-Dust based gunpowder, and his third Semblance that lets him go anywhere from what she had seen of it.

Winter thought about making a report to James Ironwood about it but ultimately decided she would pretend to be ignorant on the matter. Silva saved her family, and that means more to her than he knows. The ice queen smiled as her thoughts about the snow leopard faunus continued to show her that he did care about her. That realization made her wonder how to interact with him when they meet next time. Winter briefly considered inviting Silva to her family dinner as her mother has decided to make it a weekly event for the Schnee family.

***

Willow Schnee was having a meeting with Robyn Hill, and the vigilante asked.

" So what is your relationship with Silva exactly? I mean, isn't it a bit strange for him to have your number despite saving you and your family's lives?"

Robyn was curious about this the most as it was too easy to set up a meeting with Willow to hash out an alliance with her. The vigilante felt that this was a bit off, and the Schnee matriarch considered the questions for a few moments and recalled how Silva said he trusted her and decided to explain her relationship in detail.

" I had contact with Silva before the White Fang's attack, and in fact, he was the one that arranged Jacques's disappearance and then helped me regain control over my father's company."

Robyn looked at her wide-eyed at Willow's admittance, then considered the implications of what she had just learned. After a few moments, the vigilante smirked and stated.

" That sly guy. It makes sense now how you met so little interference in taking over every while your husband-."

" Ex-husband."

The Schnee matriarch interjected as she did not want to be associated with Jacques anymore in any capacity. Robyn shrugged, not minding her being corrected as she continued.

" Ex-husband being out of the picture. Silva provided all the necessary information to make the transition as smooth as possible."

" He did more than that. Silva provided the means of putting any assets of Jacques's under my name and putting anyone who would oppose me in line with enough blackmail material to bury them and have them visit a cell for an extended vacation."

Willow added more context to her partnership with Silva and told Robyn with a serious expression.

" I owe Silva more than I could ever repay him, and I am telling you this because he says he trusts you. He helped me get not only my life back but my children's as well from my ex-husband. So I will warn you only once, Robyn Hill cross Silva Branwen, and you cross the Schnee family. Do I make myself clear?"

Robyn looked unbothered by the threat as she could somewhat understand Willow's feelings and had zero intentions of harming Silva.

" Don't worry unless that sly guy goes off the deep end or does something unforgivable; I plan on sticking with him. He has the entirety of Atlas's information at his fingertips or, I guess, paw tips in his case. Or is it claws?"

The Schnee matriarch smiled at the vigilante's assurance and moved on to the main point of the meeting.

" How do you want to proceed in this alliance of ours?"

The two women hashed out the details of how they would work together. Unbeknownst to Silva, he started a chain of events that would greatly change Atlas in the future, but that's a story for another time.