Soul
Mercury paced in a circle slowly, hands hanging loosely by his sides, a small smirk on his lips. Though his posture was relaxed, almost disarming, his eyes gleamed with a deadly steel. His partner, on the other hand, merely lurked in the background, a hand on her hip as she surveyed the scene with a calculated gaze.
It was a two-on-two fight, with him and Emerald up against Pyrrha and Jaune – a very unevenly matched fight in his opinion. His lips curled upwards with a sneer at the thought of the blond. At least Pyrrha would provide him with some entertainment. He'd been itching to fight her against ever since their first encounter. It was like he was addicted; he'd had a taste and he just couldn't get enough.
His eyes flickered over to the redhead.
She was calm and composed but nonetheless ready to strike should the opportunity present itself. She exuded a confident aura - which was understandable considering what a good fighter she was - but their last match had made her wary, he could see it in the slight moving of her feet as she adjusted her position to maintain a certain distance between her and Mercury, light on her toes as she shifted her weight about.
He stopped midstep and threw a glance over his shoulder. Emerald merely raised an eyebrow in response and Mercury grinned easily before turning back to face the redhead. Pyrrha may be seen by her peers as untouchable, but he knew that she was far from that, and the thought that he could crush the widely-believed but nonetheless false image of the famous Pyrrha Nikos sent shivers down his spine. He cracked his neck, the lazy smirk on his lips taunting his opponents to make a move first.
There was a lot of small movements in the background as Jaune shuffled around nervously, weighing his sword in his hand.
"Hm?"
Mercury could almost feel the tension radiating from the other male, and before Jaune could move, he had propelled himself over with a boost from his boots and sent Jaune flying out of the arena with a roundhouse kick from the side.
The clang of metal against metal echoed around as Emerald intercepted Pyrrha, blocking the now useless attempt to help her partner.
"Jaune Arc has been knocked out of the ring. He is now disqualified."
Concern was etched all over the redhead's face and Mercury shook his head.
"Well now, don't lose your focus," he murmured under his breath. "Let's see what you can do, princess."
Emerald locked the redhead's sword with her weapons but Pyrrha swept her legs out and brought up her sword once again only to find that Mercury had filled the void, one leg outstretched over his fallen partner.
He pushed Pyrrha backwards with a series of well-positioned kicks. Twisting and turning, he lashed out once more as Pyrrha ducked before ramming him with her shield. The metal bashed against his knee and Mercury leapt over the girl to allow Emerald to whip her scythe across.
Little by little, the two of them pushed Pyrrha back. Pyrrha danced and weaved between the two of them but any openings were covered by each other, making it near impossible to land a decent hit.
Emerald ducked once again, dodging Pyrrha's swipe just as Mercury unloaded a few rounds from afar. The bullets ricocheted off her shield and Emerald deflected the flying shells as she advanced, blades gleaming under the lights. Pyrrha twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the slash, and the two traded blows once again. A hit sent Emerald reeling backwards and Mercury slid into the fray, bringing his leg up to block Pyrrha's sword as his partner prowled the sidelines with her guns as cover fire.
The redhead's shield was nullifying most of their long range attacks and so Mercury needed to break past her defences at a close range. But Pyrrha was clearly aware of their strategy and was dashing around in zigzag patterns.
Sighing, Mercury leapt backwards and Emerald hopped onto his boot as he swung his leg back out, propelling her across the arena. Taking a deep breath, he sprang back into the midst of the action.
This was going to be a long fight.
The dark clouds rolled across the skies in waves as the wind swept through the area. Mercury balanced on the ledge of the window precariously, one leg drawn up, and he leaned back against the wall, looking out at the rumbling thunderstorm.
Most of the students had gone home by now but he wasn't in a hurry to return to his room, not when Cinder was going to give him an earful about today's fight.
Resting his head against the cool glass, the soothing rhythm of the rain soon lulled him into a more relaxed state.
It hadn't been an easy fight considering how he and Emerald had to hold back and avoid revealing too much of their skills, but he had enjoyed himself immensely. It was refreshing to fight someone strong for a change. His lips quirked up at the thought of her. Hopefully, he would be able to fight her at full strength soon, once Cinder's plans came to fruition.
"Hello again."
Mercury looked up in surprise at the sudden presence of the other person. "Pyrrha."
"I thought I'd wait out the storm before heading back to my room," she explained with a wave of her hand.
"Yeah, me too."
"It was a good fight today."
He chuckled. "Yes, it was."
Pyrrha moved closer to him. "You have amazing teamwork with your partner."
"That I do."
He mulled over her statement for a second before straightening up and approaching her.
"You have strong bonds with your weapons," Mercury said, noting the look on her face. "I can tell."
"Yes, I forged them with my very own hands," Pyrrha replied with a small smile, slightly taken aback as to the sudden change in subject.
With the exception of a few, every student forged their own weapons. The weapons would in turn contain a sliver of their Aura; that was what would connect the hunters and their weapons. But it took more than that alone for a strong bond to forge between hunter and weapon. It was only when the hunter learnt how to resonate with the Aura within their weapon that they could truly wield it.
Mercury activated his Aura subtly so that it remained undetectable by the naked eye. Slowly, he reached out with it. Yes, Pyrrha had a very strong Aura.
"You know what Aura is, right?"
Pyrrha looked surprised at the question. "Of course. Aura is the manifestation of the soul and it can be used for offensive and defensive purposes."
"And your weapons contain some of your Aura, thus the connection." Mercury explained. "That's what they teach you in your first year but in your third year, they'll tell you the connection is known as resonance. Specifically soul resonance."
"I see."
Pyrrha looked intrigued at the new bit of information but she wasn't quite sure why the exchange student was telling her such things; he didn't strike her as the intellectual type.
"You fought really well and it would have been a much tougher and more evenly matched fight if it had been one-on-one," Mercury gave Pyrrha a crooked grin, "but there was no way you could've beaten me and Emerald. Not when we share a resonance link whereas you and Jaune…" he trailed off, gesturing at nothing in particular but the message was clear.
Pyrrha would've leapt to Jaune's defence but Mercury's earlier statement had caught her attention.
"Resonance link?"
"It's a soul resonance but between hunters instead of between a hunter and his weapon."
A thoughtful expression crossed her face and a finger rested lightly against her lower lip.
"I've never heard of that before."
"Well," he shrugged, "they teach you that in your 3rd or 4th year."
"You're in your 3rd or 4th year?"
"I am." Mercury flashed her a smirk. Hesitating for a moment, he rubbed the back of his neck before speaking again. "You know, I could show you."
He took a step towards her and she drew a shaky breath, unsure of his intentions. Perhaps sensing her discomfort, Mercury opened his palms, movements slow and deliberate, almost as if asking for silent permission to approach.
"It's just as if I were to unlock your Aura, yeah?"
Pyrrha nodded after a moment's consideration.
Mercury gave her a soft grin and he focused, a soft silver hue settling like a cloak around him. He placed a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the flush burning up Pyrrha's face. He could feel the tension in her shoulders and he placed his other hand on her arm gently.
"Pyrrha, relax," he murmured, eyes fluttering shut in concentration.
The warmth spread through her body as he probed, seeking out her Aura. She watched, eyes wide, breath hitched in her throat.
He could see her Aura clearly, pulsing through her veins like liquid gold and he pushed harder, feeling the strength of her soul drawing him in, guiding him towards the heart; the core. With a gentle intake of breath, Mercury found himself lost in the silence that suddenly engulfed him. He stilled, allowing his consciousness to sink in deeper. It was a delicate procedure, one that was intrusive for it revealed one's soul to the instigator. He didn't want to make any sudden movements and disrupt the flow of Pyrrha's Aura.
The golden-bronze manifestation of her soul winked back at him and he couldn't help but smile as he scrutinised the soul in front of him.
Intelligent.
Strong.
Compassionate.
The transparent gold flames flickering around the bronze orb was an indication of a pure soul, so unlike his very own; a murky silver with blue flames, one that was arrogant and mysterious.
For a moment, he wondered if he could even resonate with her - they were so different in so many ways and resonance needed either a deep trust between the two parties or a lot of similarities.
"Mercury?"
Pyrrha started softly, almost afraid to disturb the man. Mercury didn't seem to hear her as he remained in the same position, eyes closed.
She called his name once more and he leaned forwards in his self-induced trance, a hand moving to the back of her head so that their foreheads were touching. His breaths were slow and steady and Pyrrha gave him a small pat on the shoulder in an attempt to snap him out of it.
But then something suddenly sparked into life in her chest and she understood. She could see his Aura, his soul. She could see and feel his soul's wavelength, feel their wavelengths intertwine into something that could only be described as an understanding of each other. And now she knew why Mercury was able to work so well with Emerald; his soul called out to hers, and hers responded in kind without thought.
His eyes roam her body, from her scarlet hair down to her swaying hips, as she brushes past him disinterestedly. He watches her almost in awe as she trains, uncaring as to his observance. She's simply incredible; the way she utilizes her weapon, changing forms effortlessly as she shifts stances, body moving so gracefully. He's mesmerized, completely taken in by the beauty of the female herself and the intricate dance she's currently performing.
Images flashed across her eyes out of the blue and she could see glimpses of Mercury and herself.
He smirks at the sight of a vaguely upset Pyrrha, relishing the way her eyes light up with a fire; the knowledge that he's the cause only serves to lift his spirits. There's a warm satisfaction swirling in his chest at the reaction he's elicited from her and he finds that he loves the way she stares at him with disapproval, fingers and foot tapping away unconsciously, eyebrows knitting together. She's too kind for her own good, but she's a fighter and he can't wait to break her in every way.
She didn't understand what they were. Were they…memories?
With a gasp, Mercury pulled back, eyes snapping open. Blinking, he frowned in confusion. It took him a moment to focus and he took a step back uncertainly.
He had dived in too deep, so much that his own Aura had spilled over momentarily into hers, allowing her to glimpse certain memories that he'd much rather keep private.
"What was that?"
He licked his lips, still breathless from what had just happened. "Soul resonance. You felt it, right?"
"Yes," she replied, almost in a daze.
"That resonance only lasted a moment, but in a battle you'd need to control your Aura to maintain the connection."
Mercury sat back down on the ledge of the window and looked up into Pyrrha's wide eyes, sparkling with surprised wonder and awe. He couldn't help but grin at her. A small stream of golden sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting a soft glow around him and he glanced over his shoulder to see that the rain had stopped and the clouds had parted.
"Maybe we could have another match another time," Pyrrha said softly.
He didn't turn around.
"Yeah, that'd be real nice."
Author's note:
So this is the 2nd birthday since I've known you and I hope this year's gonna be a great one for you, Ree! Happy birthday! Hope you liked this fic even though there's not that much plot. I tried to make this a Soul Eater SoMa RWBY AU but I didn't want to bring in the weapons so yeah.
Memories taken from the rp threads on tumblr between whatever-you-want-me (Dan) and mistrals-champion (Ree) with permission!