Chp VI: Patch
Disclaimer: RWBY and RT are not owned by me...sadly.
"/Long ago, before we met/ I dreamed of you/" ~ 'All Our Days' by Jeff Williams
I said thanks to Dolphin. Neo did not. She tilted her head up and walked away. ...clearly she could hold a grudge. I followed Neo off the ship. We passed by only a few people, maybe four or seven. It seemed Patch wasn't a place many people go or lived on for that matter.
We stepped onto land. It was just a sandy coast with a few tiny docks. Ahead of us was a...forest.
Oh no.
But at least there was a cleared out trail?
I turned to Neo. "You wouldn't happen to know where Yang lives?"
Neo looked at me like I was stupid.
I took that as a no.
I refuse to comb through the entire island looking for the house of a teenager. ...actually, I don't even know what Yang's house looks like. Or who she lives with. I assume her parents? Ruby always did talk about her mother a lot.
Hm...parents, huh?
I paced in circles around Neo in frustration. Neo put on an illusion of a pink haired girl with green eyes. For what, I have no idea. It wasn't as if there were many people of Patch. In fact, we were the only people on the coast now.
Honestly, this will be like searching for a needle in a haystack. I take that back, I could simply use polarity to find the needle. ...barring any complication with my semblance.
It'll be like looking for a piece of blonde hair in a haystack.
I stopped in my tracks. This was Yang Xiao-Long I was thinking about. She was loud and I'm reasonably confident she was an outdoors person. So I would just have to look for a loud blonde.
Wait. Either way, Neo and I would be wandering through the island.
I couldn't even gather information because there was no one to gather information from!
I sighed. "Neo?"
'Yeah?'
"...how long do you think it'll take for us to search the island?"
'Shit.'
"Language!"
The Island turned out to be better than I expected. It actually felt weirdly familiar in a way. I knew we were wandering around, but it felt like we was going somewhere at least.
...and it would feel that way a lot more if the sun wasn't setting and Neo and I had still gotten absolutely nowhere in our search for Yang.
What we did find was Signal Academy though. I'd forgotten that the academy was located on Patch. I wanted to hit myself.
The academy was nowhere near as grand as Beacon. In fact, it was minuscule in comparison. Maybe I would give it the benefit of the doubt and say it was around six times smaller. The walls were pure white and one small tower jutted out from the ceiling.
If it was the weekends, there would still be plenty of activity. Then I assume it's summer break, seeing as it was, well, the summer and no one seemed to be in the building. If it was the weekends, there would still be plenty of activity
It's a better assumption then perhaps the Fall of Beacon had tremendous effects on all of Sanus.
But there should still be staff inside the building regardless of the time of year. Or even students doing summer school. And Yang lives on Patch. So she probably went to Signal. The staff might know her. It was worth a try.
I walked up to the main doors. Just as I was about to push the intercoms, a blue haired woman stepped out of the school with stacks of papers in hand. She wobbled unsteadily.
"Woaaah!" She tripped, papers flying everywhere.
I immediately grabbed some of the papers in the air.
"Neo!" I hissed.
She rolled her eyes but bent down to pick up papers anyway.
I walked to the woman and held out a hand. She gripped onto it. The woman pulled herself up.
"Thank-" Her eyes widened almost comically. Her grip on my hand tightened. "Summer?"
...who? "I...uh, no?" I stammered.
She looked at me more closely. "Oh, sorry! Too young! Green eyes too." The woman let go of my hand.
"That attire…" muttered the woman.
I blinked quizzically.
Neo held out the papers to the woman grumpily. ...I have a feeling she won't be happy with me later. Really, Neo had to work on being nice. Being nice is a virtue that one must constantly achieve.
The woman brushed dirt off her black skirt. She grabbed the sheets of paper from Neo. "Thank you, young lady."
Neo straightened proudly. It seems one way to gain her favor was calling her 'young lady' and not 'kid' or anything with the same meaning. Hm...maybe I could use that to gain her favor more?
"Oh and you too!" The woman smiled at me. A warm feeling welled up in my stomach. It was a genuine smile, not one for gaining favors like I was constantly used to.
"Anything I could do for you ladies?"
"Yes, actually," I said. Normally I would decline to take up on an offer such as this, but 'normal' wasn't me now. "Would you happen to know where Yang Xiao-Long lives?"
The woman looked at me in surprise. "Yang? You know her?"
"Yes, from Beacon." Speak the truth and only the truth, I had always preached.
"Wow, what an odd coincidence." The woman gave me a once over again. As if she would expect to see something completely different in place of me.
It made me uncomfortable. "So…"
"Oh right! Well, I don't know where she lives. But I do know her, she was a student of mine actually, real bright, a little too hot headed and rebellious but I mean teenagers right? Wait, I never introduced myself! Call me Ms. Storm, please. Oh my, I'm rambling again!"
Neo gave Ms. Storm an unimpressed look. I sweatdropped. Some people just like to give out information nonstop don't they? She would be an easy target for information gatherers. Though with that assumption I'd have to assume she has some valuable information first. I had a feeling Ms. Storm wasn't given too much secrets.
"Right! I do know who she lives with though," continued Ms. Storm. "Her father."
She laughed. "I mean who else? But all jokes aside-"
Neo gave me a look as if to say 'what joke?'. I sent her a look of my own that I hoped she my disapproving of her behavior.
"-his name is Taiyang Xiao Long. A colleague of mine. Such a nice gentleman. Handsome too. I can see how he landed two women." Ms. Storm put a hand to her mouth. "Oh I shouldn't have said that!"
No, I don't think you should've.
"It's okay! It's okay!" I waved my hands around frantically. "Uh...nice to know! Any place we can find this Taiyang?"
Ms. Storm frowned. "Well there is this place…I don't think it's a place two nice girls like you two should go though."
And just like that, Neo's respect of Ms. Storm disappeared into thin air. She glowered at the teacher.
"No, that's fine," I said to her, putting false confidence in my voice. "We're trained and fully armed."
"And I don't think it's a place anyone but a few should go." Ms. Storm focused on Neo and I. He voice was laced with reluctance.
I looked at her in what I hoped was a pleading expression. "Please. It's extremely important. If there's even a little chance…"
Ms. Storm's eyes softened. "Is this really that important to you?"
"Very." I needed to find my team. To see if they were alright. I needed to know. And nothing was going to stop me.
Ms. Storm turned to the left side of Signal. "See that forest?"
...how could I not? And I don't like where this conversation was going.
"If you go through it in that direction, there will be a hill, I believe. I've never been there myself. On that hill will be a...gravestone. Taiyang visits there every once in a while."
I shivered involuntarily. Of all things-a grave? The world certainly had poor taste.
I swallowed the bile rising up in my throat. "Right then…we'll, uh, be off. Sorry for bothering you, Ms. Storm."
"Oh one more thing! Beowulfs are very common on Patch, so be careful," warned Ms. Storm. She looked up at the sky. "And really, it's quite dark out now. Maybe go tomorrow?"
"No, that'll be okay," I said, feet already taking me to the forest. "They say the early bird gets the caterpillar!"
Neo stared at me.
"What?"
Ms. Storm sweatdropped. "I believe it's 'the early bird gets the worm'?"
I blushed. "Y-yeah. Neo, let's go!"
Neo unenthusiastically followed me, dragging her feet.
"Coincidence?" I heard Ms. Storm mutter.
Forests are dreadful things. They are often populated by grimm. Often have no place for rests. And often make haunted sounds. I, Pyrrha Nikos, am not a fan of forests.
I feel petty.
Ms. Storm was correct. There was in fact Beowulf.
Neo suddenly cut in front of me. She sliced apart a Beowulf into several tiny pieces.
I'm not sure how I feel about the unnecessary brutality, but there was no time to dwell upon that. I swerved and kicked at the feet of another Beowulf. It wobbled unsteadily. I stabbed through it with White Rose. Instincts flared. I turned, slicing through a Beowulf in mid-lunge. I kicked off the ground, slamming my feet into a third Beowulf. It crashed into a tree and turned to smoke.
Neo striked at the throat of another Beowulf. She blocked the claws of an attacking one, before jumping onto it. With a twirl, she decapitated it.
I seperated White Rose into swords. I threw one at a Beowulf. Then I slid to the ground, slicing at the waist of another. I rolled and grabbed the sword I threw. Holding it like a dagger, I jumped. I flipped in midair and stabbed into a Beowulf's back.
Neo rounded on a group of beowulf. She cut them all in two in one strike.
I decided that I wasn't in a risky situation at the moment. And I did need to work on my semblance. I threw White, the sword in my right hand, at an incoming row of Beowulf. It stabbed through all three and embedded itself into a tree. I reached out with my hand. White came flying back faster than anticipated. Before it reached me, I made it swerve. It hit two more Beowulf before getting lodged into the ground.
That was one way to negate my current predicament with polarity at least.
Neo hit a Beowulf with a flurry of slashed. Without even looking, she decapitated the last one.
'Oh look at the time. Guess we'll be spending the night here,' she commented.
I frowned. "The hill is probably only a few minutes away…"
Neo rolled her eyes. 'Sure, a few minutes filled with Grimm. I'm pooped. We're taking a break.'
That was basically an order wasn't it? "But…"
Neo began gathering firewood.
Weren't we basically partners now? I believe partners make decisions together. Neo would never replace Jaune, of course but still.
...I didn't want to go on my own. I didn't like being alone.
I started gathering firewood too.
I blinked as I set down a stack of firewood. I just realized Neo had taken off her illusion sometime before. ...was it during the fighting with Grimm? Scary I didn't even notice.
"When did you take off your illusion?" I asked. It wasn't like there was anything stopping me from asking. And I was interested.
Neo had taken off her gloves and were shaking them with one hand. Wood splinters flew off.
Impressively, she could type one-handed. A task I find near impossible.
'First Grimm duh. Illusions are hard to keep up.'
"Huh." That would make sense. Illusions are Neo's semblance. Semblance take energy and aura. It would be incredibly taxing, not to mention illogical, to keep up anyone's semblance during strenuous activity.
I never liked cemeteries. I never liked gravestones. I tend to try to stay away from depressing places in general. They brought up too many memories.
Most buried in the past. But recent events have...changed things, for lack of better terminology.
Summer Rose
Thus Kindly I Scatter
It was a beautiful gravestone, I would give it that, at least. One that wasn't overly ceremonial, seemingly celebrating death, and one that wasn't devoid of anything, in an attempt to forget about man's mortality. A grey slab with a rose etched in and those words…
Thus Kindly I Scatter
I leaned on a tree.
A dull pang echoed throughout my head. I held my head.
'There's no chance he'll come,' Neo stated with her scroll. 'We could always try something else.'
"No. This is the best lead we have."
Neo shrugged. She sat down cross legged. An illusion appeared around her. This time of a freckled girl with spikey black hair and striking blue eyes.
'Take your time then. I've got all day.'
I focused on the gravestone, ignoring my throbbing head. Summer Rose. Yang's father visited this grave often. Ruby always talked about her mother.
The children of deceased parents often talk about their parents in the present tense.
I see.
With confidence, I could assume this Summer Rose is Yang and Ruby's deceased mother.
It rubbed me the wrong way.
Thus Kindly I Scatter. Why do I keep returning to that line?
Ashes scatter.
I wrenched.
Neo turned her head.
"...I'm fine," I said weakly. I pulled myself back together.
...ashes scatter. I'm scattered. I found it strangely hard to breath.
Inhale, exhale.
Inhale, exhale.
Inhale, exh-
"S-summer?"
I feel like I've heard those words before. Of course, Ms. Storm.
I turned.
There was a blonde man standing in shock. He wore a brown leather vest and brown cargo shorts. His mouth opened and closed.
I felt uncomfortable. I shifted nervously. .
Neo stood up. 'Taiyang Xiao Long, I presume?'
Leave it to Neo to get the job done.
"U-uh yeah."
He sounded more adult than I would've thought. Perhaps it was his appearance? He gave off a vibe of a not-so-serious type. Like Yang, actually.
'Pyrrha's been looking for you.'
I'm not sure if that was throwing me under the bus or not, Neo.
"Pyrrha. That's you?" Taiyang looked at me.
"Uh yes, sir."
He narrowed his eyes. "You have green eyes."
I blinked. "So I do?"
"So, what do you need me for?" Taiyang crossed his arms. He still looked thoroughly unnerved by something. Presumably me from all the context clues.
"Actually, Mr. Xiao Long, I'm looking for Yang. You're daughter."
"Yang? Why?"
"Uh...Beacon stuff."
"Beacon stuff," he repeated.
"Yes…?"
"And who are you again?
"Pyrrha?"
Taiyang was not impressed. "Pyrrha what? Pyrrha from where? Pyrrha who belongs to which team?
The moment of truth. Pyrrha Nikos or not Pyrrha Nikos. I looked at Taiyang and was met with considerable doubt I could lie to him without being caught.
Lying was never my strong suit. Conveniently 'forgetting' information, yes. Lying, no.
Any information broker's worst nightmare is meeting a client who asks for all the details, not what they want to hear.
I swallowed. "My name is Pyrrha Nikos. I come from Mistral. I belong to Team JNPR."
There was a few seconds of pure silence.
"...Kid, either you're the best liar in the world or what's coming out of your mouth is the actual truth," said Taiyang. "I'm leaning towards the former. Pyrrha Nikos is dead. It was all over the news, I've got multiple sources too."
I winced. Reminders were very much unnecessary, thank you. And all over the news? Oum.
"And I'm pretty sure you don't look like Pyrrha Nikos or am I just growing old?" Taiyang raised an eyebrow. "So...why should I let you anywhere near my daughter?"
I racked my brain for any way to prove my identity to Taiyang. I barely knew him. He barely knew me.
Taiyang tapped his foot on the ground.
What did I know? He's a teacher in Signal. He's the father of Ruby and Yang. He's Summer's-
He's the father of Ruby and Yang. Who for some reason have different last names and basically had zero resemblance to each other.
"I can prove I know Yang, at least," I said. "She's Ruby's older sister."
Taiyang's eyes widened. "Alright Pyrrha. They don't really keep that a secret. How can I trust you?"
An idea came forth from the back of my brain. I had an unusual feeling it would work. Well, I had nothing to lose.
"The Maidens," I blurted.
Neo noticeably stiffened.
Taiyang looked around. "Now you've got my attention. But really, this isn't the kind of stuff you should just be throwing out."
"Right, my apologies."
"Your friend know?"
"Uh…Neo?" I looked at her. I seriously doubt she would. Oh dear, the Maidens are supposed to be a secret. I just messed-
Neo nodded.
Taiyang sighed. "Let's get going then."
I blinked, stupefied. I looked back at Neo. She was looking at me as if seeing me for the first time. Not knowing what else to do, I beckoned at her to come with. Neo's steps were deliberate as she followed behind us.
It seemed like the less I knew about Neo every day.
"So…" Taiyang said as we walked. "Mind telling me where you got your clothes?"
"Uh…" What could I say? I was miraculously revived wearing these clothes? And, really, what a strange question to ask.
"Let's just say I go out on a leg and say I believe your Pyrrha Nikos, changes anything?"
I frowned. I suppose if Taiyang knew about the Maidens than my situation wouldn't be much of a stretch?
But at the same time, I didn't particularly wanted to discuss my literal life story.
"I kind of just appeared with them?"
Taiyang looked at me in an indiscernible way. The way where you just know someone has many different thoughts and emotions in that look. It was stupidly hard to tell what a person was thinking when they're like this.
Though from Taiyang's expression, I could assume unease? Uncomfortableness? Both feelings I would rather not give a person.
There was a little mysticism too, as if something about me just didn't add up.
"Yeah, alright," he finally said.
I let out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding.
"You called me Summer," I said. "Why?"
Two people in as many days. Who was Summer? I didn't know anyone with tha-
Oh.
Summer Rose
Thus Kindly I Scatter
...it didn't make any sense.
Taiyang looked pained. Actually, he looked pained just looking at me.
"...maybe later, kid." He looked ahead. "Maybe later."
I already had a feeling and it wasn't one I liked.
I ignored it. Because, ha, there was no way, right? It was impossible. Pure and simple.
We found a trail. Or Taiyang took Neo and I to a trail. Well, it hardly mattered.
A few minutes later, we came across a clearing. Behind it was a large wooden house, two stories high would be my guess.
"Dad! Ready to star-uh..." A blonde girl ran up to Taiyang. She noticed Neo and I, halting to an abrupt stop.
"W-who...are they?"
It sounded like she was about to ask 'who is she?' with the 'she' directed to me.
She wore a grey jacket over an orange tank top and grey cargo pants. But there was something wrong and it made me sick to the stomach. Dizzy. Light-headed.
My throat went dry.
In place of what should be her normal, flesh right arm...was a white robotic arm.
"...Yang, w-what happened to you?"
Author's Notes: Joy! Another chapter! Hope I didn't disappoint with Taiyang and Yang's reactions because I know a lot of people were looking forward to that :) and we're already at 99 Follows, wow 0_o this is my best performing story ever!
Beta is bro.
Reviewer Responses
Inkless0: Of course it will! How could it not?
Lena 'Slipstream' Oxton: You're right...but I don't think Pyrrha had much choice in the matter so she had to ask for favors 0_o.
Salem236: I can't write that fasssst!
TheSetupMage: I read everything. And can I just say you're an amazing person? Because looking towards the future and changing for the better is something that's hard to do. But I think when you at least try or do than you're already way amazing. I look up to you, TheSetupMage. :)
Clementine Davidson: hope I didn't disappoint!
bayhon282004: here's the next Chp!
merendinoemilliano: Yup, you bring up a good point (;
Firestar001: Here's half of the answer to you're wondering!
Engineer1869: They're finally in Patch! Yeassssss! ...wait, I'm the one writing the story...
grifman275: Addiction is not very good for you...unless it's my story. Plz stay addicted. I will keep on dropping chps.
Always appreciate the Constructive Critisicm and Suggestions!
If you wish, Review, Favorite and/or Follow!
