Taking some... Constructive criticism, I've tried to address some flaws in the story. Things will be answered of course, but I've pushed some stuff ahead a bit for clarity's sake.
And again, I'd like to thank people for their feedback, whether positive or otherwise, as every little bit helps!
Weiss awoke to a dull ring in her ears. Hot air filled her lungs and she lifted her head off the floor, gazing around the room. Gods, everything hurt. The gash on her side was now replaced by a dull throb, and every fiber of her being screamed painfully. She'd overdone the magic, and now she was beginning to feel the effects.
Though she was finished for the day, Yang and the robed man were not. The fighting around her was intense. The degree of power in every spell cast dwarfed anything she could conjure, and the frequency of casts was unsettling. The array of colors could almost be called beautiful if it wasn't so intimidating.
"Yang..." Weiss' voice came out in a dry rasp as she pushed against the floor. Her arms refused to support her weight and she sank back down. She could hear the man's voice shouting, though the words sounded muddled.
Flames flared up and threatened to consume everything in the room, her included. Digging in, she dragged herself away from the wall. "Yang… Stop." Magic drew Grimm, so why was she using it? "Yang, the Grimm…"
Her voice wouldn't carry, or it couldn't be heard over the fighting. Astonishingly, none of Yang's spells were connecting. There was something to be said for the versatility of runes. Rather than the one-sided affair Weiss would expect, it seemed much more akin to a duel.
A duel Yang was losing. Unable to penetrate defenses and matched blow for blow, Yang had come up against a veritable brick wall. For all her raw power she lacked the experience the man had, and certainly the variety of magics. A clash of spells created a concussive wave that nearly threw Weiss from the floor, knocking away everything on the tables.
The Dimuran had offense that was smothering in its intensity, and yet she couldn't get near the man. His defense was just as powerful as her attacks. And while no Grimm remained, having been utterly incinerated earlier, clearly the beasts hadn't been the main threat.
In what Weiss could only describe as a fit of frustration, Yang summoned forth another wall of flame, not unlike the one she'd used before. It towered over her opponent and raced across the room. Rather than engulf the figure however it was split down the middle and dispelled entirely.
"Impressive, Wildfire, but not good enough!" The man unleashed a barrage that Yang met in turn, their spells combining and exploding on contact.
Wildfire? Yang growled at the nickname and unleashed an errant blast. The flame was snuffed out by a sudden wind, and a second knocked her off her feet, sending her crashing into shelves.
"I'll commend you for finding me, but as I told Miss Schnee, I'm far from finished. I'm afraid we'll have to pick this up another time." Yang threw aside a ruined shelf and staggered to her feet. Open wounds clear, blood soaked her shirt and ran down her arm.
"You're not going anywhere, bastard!"
The air around the figure distorted and a black rift appeared at his back. Portal magic…? How? "Until next time, Wildfire. Do try to stay alive."
"Merlot!" The air crackled as Yang unleashed a torrent of flame. It reached the portal as the figure vanished into it, slamming against the wall and spraying over the room. Weiss had just managed to pull herself beneath a table to avoid being caught.
Merlot? Who was that? How did they know each other? As flame engulfed more of the room a thick smoke began to settle in, limiting Weiss' already labored breathing. She coughed weakly into her hand, desperately trying to lift herself again. At long last Yang seemed to remember she was there and came over to help.
Yang smiled as she knelt, pulling Weiss into her arms. "Geez… You really tried to hold your own there, huh? Nice work, Weissy."
Who are you? What are you? What's going on? Nothing but a hoarse whisper passed her lips, and Weiss felt her vision beginning to blur again. Consciousness slipping, she reached up and tried to grab hold of Yang's shirt. She needed to ask so much but her energy had long since left her. It took everything she had to remain lucid.
With speed befitting someone less injured Yang made a beeline for the door. Weiss just caught glimpse of the room as they left, watching as everything slowly caught fire behind them. The notes, the information, she needed that. They had to go back and get it. Ozpin needed to see this.
The air had begun to clear, though Weiss' head remained clouded. Her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton and gradually she began to lose consciousness once more. Yang had said something, but she hadn't the wherewithal or energy to respond.
"Hang in there Weiss! You're gonna be ok!"
Her blue eyes cracked open as natural light met them, unfocused. Her lips barely moved and her hand grasped at Yang's top once more before her hand fell limp. She was tired. So damned tired. As they broke the threshold and reached the outdoors she had fallen back out of consciousness, leaving Yang stood above the town.
/+/+/+/+/+/
It took a few moments before Weiss' memory came back. With a startled gasp she bolted upright in bed and looked around, unfamiliar with where she was. The room was fashioned out of wood and a single window allowed light inside; raggedy curtains drawn back. A hand grabbed her arm and she turned, being laid back down by Yang with little resistance.
"Easy, Weiss. You're safe, town's safe, everything's all good. Relax"
Weiss was anything but relaxed. "The Grimm, Holbrook, that man -"
"Everyone's fine," Yang repeated, "The Grimm were wiped out and haven't shown up since. Town's still banged up, though it's nothing they can't fix. And… Merlot got away."
Hearing that did manage to put Weiss' racing mind at ease. Though the mention of Merlot prompted her to try and sit up again, frustrated when Yang eased her back down. She hadn't noticed at first, but a dull, persistent ache wracked her body.
It wasn't just spellcast sickness, she'd been beaten up fairly well. Though her injuries paled to Yang's who was now making her best impression of someone being embalmed. "You… You have a lot of explaining to do."
Yang nodded understandingly, a halfhearted smile offered. "Yeah, I know. I kinda yanked your chain and led you by the nose, didn't I? I'll explain it all, but uh… You gotta promise not to blow up on me, 'kay?"
As if she was in any state to do such a thing. The mere act of sitting hurt, so casting spells was out of the question. Just what had she gotten herself involved in? A chance encounter in the middle of nowhere had somehow led to a fight between Magi, with herself smack in the middle.
Exhausted and tense as she was, it came across as curious that Yang seemed more ill at ease. Whatever was going on here clearly wasn't something she'd hoped to share, which served to only pique Weiss' interest further. The Dimuran wasn't who she'd claimed to be, that much was apparent.
Yang began by recounting what had happened inside the mountain. How, after falling down, she'd wandered through several corridors with cells, each housing some manner of Grimm. She'd slain them all, naturally, which explained to some degree why she'd shown up in the state she had.
"When I started realizing what was going on and who was behind it, I guess I kinda… Lost my cool. Kinda went overboard with the magic back there." Yang smiled bashfully and itched at a bandage on her cheek. "That guy's a real piece of work, so seeing him there was a real shock, you know?"
"No, Yang, I don't know." Weiss knew nothing in that moment. Yang hadn't explained anything, and what she had offered was some dubious conspiracy on how the Church was duping the kingdoms. "You haven't told me anything this entire time. Why you're out here, who you are, nothing. Pardon me if I'm a bit lost."
"Right… Okay, no more lies, got it. I'll be totally straight with you from now on. Starting with… Well, I'm a Hunter."
The admission hadn't come as much of a shock as Weiss had thought. Though that might be because everything was a haze. "Or… I used to be a Hunter. Then I kinda learned that stuff and, well..."
"So, you're a rogue, then." Weiss sputtered. A dry cough wracked her chest and she covered her mouth quickly. Yang offered a glass of water which she accepted, but didn't drink. "That's a problem."
"Ehe… Well it's uh, it's not what you think! I'm not a rogue because I did something bad, honest! Well I mean it's bad, but only the Church thinks it's bad."
Weiss propped herself up with the pillow and frowned. "You learned the truth about magic." Yang nodded.
"Yeah. I learned what's really going on and started poking around. I guess someone found out and they labeled me a heretic, and here I am."
"There's more to it than that." Weiss accused, narrowing her eyes. "Stop withholding information. If you want me to trust you then you have to be honest."
Yang exhaled slowly then nodded. "I uh… When they found out what I'd learned, they sent someone after me to try and keep me quiet. And well… I'm here, he's not, so there's that. They turned it around on me though, said I murdered the guy, and branded me a rogue. All because I learned the stuff they're trying to hide."
"What is the truth, exactly? You mentioned before that magic attracts Grimm, and the Church uses it to frame attacks." Those hadn't been Yang's exact words but it was the gist of things. "You never did mention where magic supposedly comes from."
Yang smiled uneasily and nursed a wound on her arm. "See, that's kind of where I left off. I only know what it does, but not where it comes from. Though I do know the whole worship front is apparently total crap. That was the reason I was out here, looking for Merlot to get some answers. Guy's like me, though, like, way crazier."
Which made two rogue Magi she'd encountered. That explained some holes in Yang's story, though much remained unanswered. A sharp pain stabbed behind Weiss' eyes and she rubbed at her temples to try and ease the discomfort. Taking a sip of the water, she sighed, blue eyes holding Yang carefully.
"You sure are trying to paint yourself in a good light here. There's still a lot you need to explain. Such as, for starters, why you're such a hypocrite." Yang was confused and Weiss slapped her own forehead, only to wince as she aggravated the discomfort. "Ngh… You tell me not to use magic, then go and use it yourself. Why? What makes it okay if you do it?"
Yang opened her mouth to answer only to clamp it shut again as the bedroom door was opened. To Weiss' surprise, the carpenter entered with a tray of food in hand, followed closely by who Weiss could only assume was his wife.
"Ah… Are we interrupting something? We can come back…"
"No! Nah, we're just chatting, all good!" Yang beamed and rose from her seat. "We can finish this later, right Weissy?" The Ydran nodded and Yang ignored the silent glare sent her way. "Cool, then I'm gonna go for a walk."
The carpenter's wife stepped around and grabbed Yang's arm. "You aren't going anywhere! When we said you both need to rest, we meant both of you."
"I'm fine though! I've had worse, and I gotta make sure there's no Gri- "
Yang whined as her arm was pulled. "You're barely able to be on your feet, let alone be patrolling. We have people keeping an eye out, you two need rest. Now come on, let's get you back to your bed. Riole? Make sure she eats everything on that plate."
The carpenter, Riole, smiled and nodded. Yang was escorted out and the room settled into an awkward silence for a moment. His demeanor had done a complete 180 since yesterday, and Weiss had to wonder how much of that was at the insistence of his wife.
"I guess I owe you another apology, don't I? The girl told us how you two found a nest of Grimm in the mountain and cleared them out. She says you took down a few dozen on your own." Weiss tried not to gawk at such a blatant lie. "We knew Glenn was dangerous, but to think that many were right on our doorstep…"
"A-Anyway." Riole gestured to the tray and carefully laid out out over Weiss' lap. "The town's in your debt, Miss Schnee. We should have plenty of time to rebuild now, and better yet, maybe we can start trading again now that Grimm don't seem to be an issue."
"I-I'm sorry, what do you mean "not an issue"?" Weiss questioned, baffled. Grimm were still very much an issue.
"Ah, right. See, the Dimuran girl, she said you two cleared out the ones in the mountain. And so long as we don't go getting into a rut we should be free from 'em. No negativity, no Grimm. We sent word to other towns too. Which means we can start trading, since the roads'll be clear."
Was that true? How much of that had to do with Merlot leaving? It was unsettling to think a single man could be responsible for so much. "If you'd like, I could…" Weiss cut herself off and shook her head. No, she shouldn't have another Hunter sent out. If what Yang said was true and magic lured Grimm in then that would just reopen the wound.
"I'm happy for you and yours, really I am. I hope nothing but the best for you all."
Riole hung his head shamefully, dropping to his knees. "Forgive us, please. Forgive me. I was wrong to doubt the Church. We… We lost a good many people, aye, but we would have lost more without your help. We owe you our lives."
Prostrating was bad enough, but hearing Riole recite the Church's lies made it a hundred times worse. Lies she hadn't verified, yet, though that he still clung to the ideals after being so jaded. "Riole? Can you promise me something?"
"Of course! We owe you two much and more. If you need anything you only have to ask us, Miss Schnee."
"Weiss. For starters, Weiss will do just fine. And do you suppose I could leave the names of a few Hunters with you? In the event you need help again and we're not around, I know a handful who are just as good, if not better."
The carpenter was only too happy to accept, and after fetching something to write on, he jotted down a short list of names. They were people whom she'd trained with, each and every one of them a capable Hunter. Well, most of them. But like her, they were open minded and, she hoped, would do what's best for the residents, regardless of convention.
"Now, if you don't mind… I'm feeling quite tired. Thank you for the food." Weiss eased the tray off her lap and set it on the nightstand. "But it will have to wait. Thank you for your help, Riole. I… I'm sure the Church will thank you too."
The carpenter's face lit up at that and he bowed his head before standing. "Please, it's the least we can do after how poorly we acted. If you need anything just shout, I'll be right outside working."
Weiss smiled politely and nodded, watching as Riole stepped away and closed the door behind him. Weiss exhaled and sank back into the bed again, eyes staring restlessly up at the ceiling.
Was the Church lying to them, or was Yang trying to deceive her? What about her perceived hypocrisy? What else could the Church have been lying about? Like a swarm of angry wasps her mind was abuzz with activity, and she thought sleep would never come. Yang had more answers to give, and Weiss needed to do some research of her own. But that could wait.
Eyelids growing heavy, Weiss allowed herself to settle down in bed. All the aches and pains in the world couldn't stave off the fatigue she felt, and within moments she was back asleep.
/+/+/+/+/+/
"There were forty, no, fifty Grimm! The whole mountain was teeming with them! Grimm as far as the eye could see! But were Weiss and I scared?" Yang scoffed, flexing her one arm not wrapped in bandages. "Please, we're professionals! Fifty Grimm, a hundred Grimm, they didn't stand a chance!"
Weiss had to give credit where credit was due; Yang could tell a good story. The children especially, and a few adults as well, were enraptured by the Dimuran's tall tale.
"It was like nothing you've ever seen! Weiss started casting all kinds of spells, wiping out bunches of Grimm all at once! And I was in their faces, smacking them around and sending them up in smoke!"
That was one way to explain away the billowing clouds that poured out of the tunnels. Weiss rolled her eyes and settled back into her chair, a small smile on her face. This was entertaining if nothing else.
"How'd you know there were Grimm inside?" one child asked.
Puffing up proudly, Yang grinned, a thumb at her chest. "Because I can smell them! Think dirty socks, only a hundred times worse, and that's Grimm! With Weiss' help we tracked them down and wiped them all out!"
"That's not at all how it happened…"
Weiss kept her discontent to herself, hardly heard over the cheers anyway. She could appreciate what Yang was doing even if she wasn't a fan of lying. It would be easy to fall into sorrow after losing people. Yet between the Grimm in the area being removed - temporarily, she ventured - and the town being saved, there was plenty to be happy about. And Yang was making them focus on the positive.
Unfortunately for the children story time had drawn to a close. Weiss wasn't sure how much more exaggeration she could stomach. A young girl no older than four approached and Weiss smiled from her seat, still unable to walk without help.
"You two are amazing, Miss Schnee!" Again with the name. People could be polite to a fault.
Weiss smiled politely. "Oh I don't know about that. We just did our best." Her best not to wring Yang's neck for lying to her, for one.
"Hey Miss Schnee? How come your ears are like that?" The question took her a minute to process, surprised a child had asked her. Or maybe she shouldn't be surprised - she didn't know any better. The girl's mother hurried over and began to reprimand her daughter.
"It's alright, I don't mind." Easing off the girl's mother, Weiss leaned forward in her chair, ignoring her sides discomfort. "I'm part-Ydran, that's why my ears are like that. And you're Muran, so yours are rounded, see?" She smiled when the girl giggled at her touch.
"I want ears like yours, Miss! Can I have ears like hers mommy?"
Weiss and the mother exchanged a glance, and when Weiss began to laugh the mother's tension disappeared. "I think your ears are cute just the way they are," the Schnee said, smiling and patting the girl's head. The child, delighted, giggled and ran to her mother's side.
"We can't thank you enough for what you've done for us. All of us." Weiss shook her head. She didn't do it for the thanks, even if recognition was nice. Seeing the people smiling and, most importantly, alive, was worthwhile enough.
"I hope you're able to rebuild. And…" Weiss trailed off noticing the girl staring at her. She seemed uneasy about something. Leaning forward, she smiled and put her hand on the girl's arm. "What's the matter?"
"Did daddy help, Miss Schnee? Was he a hero?"
Oh no… Weiss glanced up at the mother who was smiling tearfully, doing her best not to break down. Had this girl's father been among the guard? Feeling tears threaten, she nodded and smiled.
"The town is safe because of your daddy. People like him help me save people like you." Tears came now, from Weiss and the mother both. The girl too, though she smiled through them, hands rubbing at her eyes.
"Th-that's good… I'm glad he… He…" The poor thing must have been trying to hold it back, but a sob broke free and so too did her facade. The girl clung desperately to her mother's leg, lifted up and held. "I miss daddy!"
Weiss tried to utter a quick apology only to have it deflected by the mother. "He knew the risks, but he wanted to keep us safe. And now because of him, we are."
Nothing she could say was going to make this okay. Holbrook itself was saved, but buildings could be rebuilt, belongings replaced. A life lost was gone forever. The mother uttered some hushed thanks before hurrying off to console her child. Thank goodness, most people had left and didn't have to see that.
Just because they were finished here didn't mean everything would be okay. Once Hunters moved on people still lived their lives, dealing with whatever aftermath the Grimm brought about. They could keep their homes, though Weiss suspected they might feel a slight bit colder for a while.
It was tragic, but a reaffirmation for Weiss. Maybe Hunters did bring about Grimm. Maybe the Church was using them. Those daunting revelations aside, there were two indelible truths that still held firm.
The Grimm, regardless of master, were an enemy to mankind. And Hunters stood before them as the sole means of protecting humanity. Was it a perfect system? If Yang was to be believed then no, far from it, but it did mean people could live to see another day. Weiss dried her tears on her sleeve and smiled at Yang, shaking her head when asked what was wrong.
"Yang? Do you regret being a Hunter?" The Dimuran didn't answer for a moment.
"I mean… Certain parts really suck. Like being responsible for this mess in the first place, but…" Yang smiled and looked away. Weiss did too, noticing the faces of those still here. Some were sad, others elated, and most importantly, they were all alive.
"We saved this town, Weiss, and the others near it too. Glenn shouldn't be as big a problem now that Merlot is gone."
That's right, that madman had fled, hadn't he? "Yang? You still owe me answers…" Weiss smiled and reclined in her chair, the wood creaking faintly as she did. "But I think it can wait. Though there is something I wanted to say, before I forget."
"Oh? What's up Weissy? Gonna sing my praises?" Yang yelped as she was kicked in she shin, grabbing her leg and pouting.
'That's for jinxing it, you dolt. From now on, don't even mention Grimm."
The Dimuran snickered, her lips pulling back as she flashed a wide grin. "Geez, that's a bit harsh, don't you think? No reason to be so grim, Weiss!"
"I hate you." Weiss hated herself more for laughing. Pain aside it felt good to be able to laugh, especially after her last conversation. She sniffled, wiping away lingering tears.
"What are you planning after this?" She continued. "Are you going after Merlot?"
Yang shook her head. "Nah. Until I get a lead again he's impossible to find. Besides, there's a little Schneester who could use my help I think. 'Course I'll have to keep to the shadows, otherwise I'm liable to get killed. Being a rogue and all."
"For a rogue, you're not as bad as I thought you'd be." Weiss commented with a snicker.
"And for a Schnee," the Dimuran countered, "You're only half as stuck up as I thought you'd be!"
"Hey!"
Working with a rogue, huh? Until she got some answers Weiss supposed she had little choice. She could keep an eye on Yang, make sure she wasn't doing anything malicious. Though, the worst thing the Dimuran had done thus far was make mediocre puns far too often.
Little quick chapter with some answers thrown in, though by no means all of them!
Next entry... Sometime!
