I know I said this would be the last chapter, but well... you'll understand when you get there.
10. Rose Petal
"Oh, and can you do something for me? I'm going to look for Penny in the clearing. If I'm not back within the hour, come too, in case she's in trouble."
Everyone in the room looked up at the noises coming from outside the pit. The commotion reached its peak as Yang descended the ladder with an excited scream, like it was the most fun she'd ever had. Her eyes quickly scanned the place, locating the fallen sister and the aggressor. After a fiery glare, the witch took a stumbling step back in shock, releasing Ruby's throat.
"Yang, you're early." Ruby greeted her sibling, who was helping her stand up. She was glad the brawler had paid such heed to her words.
"And you're complaining? Blake told me what Penny was up to, I came as soon as I could." They switched focus to the flawlessly white-dressed woman who was now recuperating from the surprise. "Who's the princess?"
"The village witch, it's a long story, she wants to kill us... and everyone else."
"Well, this has been a heartwarming reunion, but surely you don't think two commoner girls can defeat me, right?" Weiss Schnee spoke at last, sneering at their pointless exchange.
As if eavesdropping for the cue, a large black panther appeared from the hole in the roof, landing on her feet. It growled at the enemy, clued in on the situation by her enhanced animal hearing. Yang couldn't resist a well-timed remark.
"How about now? Can we defeat you?"
"Is that… How? I thought you killed it!" The ivory sorceress was cussing in frustration, blood boiling inside her.
"Turns out there were two of them, and Blake here is friendly. Well, not to you." There was a soft roar from the bright white fangs of the beast, to illustrate the point. The lycan was surprisingly in tune with the blonde's speech, almost like a trained animal.
"Fine, it still won't be enough to stop me!" The witch readied herself in combat stance. Head up, shoulders back and her right foot forward, slow breathing to prepare herself for the oncoming storm.
"We'll see about that."
Blake was the first to attack, leaping from her ground position to Weiss. The magic-wielder side stepped the assault, and simply waved her hand in the air. A glowing white glyph appeared, cutting the lycan's trajectory halfway through. The black furry body crashed on the magic circle, which seemed to be hard as stone, making her drop to the floor. She dispelled of the shock of the impact, then proceeded to fight once more.
Ruby rolled outwards and retrieved the bow from her back. Yang waited for an opening in the struggle between the creature and the magician, before jumping in as well. But to her astonishment, Penny took the lead in front of her, and started to roll a punch.
"Penny, what are you doing?" Yang ducked the hit, not trying to fight back.
"She's being controlled by the witch! Try not to hurt her, please." Ruby shouted from the back, offering some explanation to her sister. It was very inconvenient to have the former-statue against them, but the huntress wanted to avoid any damage, hoping the spell would be broken when they defeated the sorceress. If they defeated her.
"How about her hurting me?" The blonde let out between dodges, still pursued by the intense martial capabilities of the ginger.
"Try not to do that too."
Now completely aware of the limits, Yang led Penny slightly away from the rest, and the two engaged in a heated conflict. That left Ruby by herself, the only fighter lacking a sparring partner, conveniently so, as she thrived on distance rather than in proximity.
Pulling an arrow from the quiver, she pointed it at the woman in the white dress, who was distracted, evading the lycan and countering with glyphs both small and large. They seemed to work mostly with ice, some throwing shards against the enraged animal, others temporarily enveloping her if she struck them. It wasn't easy to point when there was a large black mass going berserk in the way of her shot, so Ruby breathed in and out to steady her hands. The last thing she would want was to hit her ally.
Blake was jumping up and down, forced to act defensively by the constant magical signs appearing underneath her feet. She was clearly at a disadvantage in the closed space of the laboratory, lacking places to move around, but her stamina was her greatest weapon. That much spellcasting would surely tire out the witch, and soon enough would come the moment to strike.
When their dance ceased for a moment, both fighters stopping to breathe, Ruby gave the enemy no quarter, unleashing the arrow she had trained against the string. It made a high pitch sound, cutting through the air between the archer and its target, but it never hit bullseye. Instead, the intended victim flicked her wrist at the last second, and the bolt shattered into countless icy fragments, scattering on the floor.
All other projectiles that followed took the same route, pointless efforts that did nothing to throw the magician off. In fact, the opponent seemed to be faring better, now that Blake also had to avoid stray shots. Nevertheless, it was bothersome and straining on her energy, so Weiss took action to stop it at once.
Stepping back, she waved both arms up above in a spherical motion, and a large glyph materialized between her and the lycan. Then she brought her hands down gracefully, and the grounded symbol erupted into a massive towering wall of ice, effectively cutting the panther off from everyone else. With the primary foe out of the picture, the spellcaster was now free to pick off the others one by one, and she began by pacing furiously towards the red-hooded huntress.
Yang and Penny were still busy with their duel, standing mostly on equal ground. The blonde packed a lot more punch, now that the other was no longer made of marble, but the ginger was a master fighter, albeit still getting used to the new weight distribution of her body. They were entangled in a standstill, none grabbing the advantage apart from a few loose strikes, and their struggle blinding them to the action happening on the other side of the room.
As the witch gained ground, Ruby became increasingly defensive, her main weapon useless at close range. She rolled to the side, always trying to get as much distance between them as possible. A frozen shard whistled above her head, just barely missing. One and then other, two more blades of ice were thrown her way, flanking her position in an attempt to cut off her escape.
The silver-eyed girl cartwheeled to the left, trying to avoid them both, but before she landed back on the dirt floor, there was a loud crack. Forgetting the sorceress, she mentally checked every body part for any kind of pain. There was nothing, no evident damage. Only then did she notice what the source of the noise was.
Still in her left hand, her bow was snapped, the wooden shaft broken in two asymmetrical pieces, held together only by the string. Her tool of work, her weapon, one of her most prized possessions, second only to her cape, was now nothing more than worthless splinters. Reluctantly, and with a quiet cry of regret, she released its remains from her grasp.
Ruby had only one means of attack left, and while the hunting bow called for long range, her sharp knife was best used in the closest of quarters. Unclasping it from her belt, she lunged forward at the magic-wielder, who swiftly avoided the blade and struck her elbow with a fist, causing a dulled pain in the youngster. Her attacks were fast and relentless, using the weapon's size and weight to deliver an unwavering assault that would no doubt eventually hit. Weiss was now the one defending, although with not too much effort, as evidenced by her capability to speak while dodging.
"I always had a soft spot for you, Rose, ever since you first walked into my hut. The peasants always want money or success, yet there you were, a crying little girl at my doorstep, simply asking to get her father back." The ivory woman spoke as if she was much older, but it was hard to tell the age of someone with magical aptitude, as they could disguise their true appearance with herbs and ointments. She could be 30 or 14 for all they knew.
Ruby remembered that day very well, and her attack faltered momentarily at its mention. She had just lost her mother, the woman who had always been her world. It had been hard, and unspeakably painful, but she had managed to work through her grief. And then suddenly her father was gone too, on some far off land with the army. He was supposed to return, but he didn't, and the girls never found out what had become of him. Knowing the rumors of a very powerful witch in the village, she had run to the cliffside shack with one request: to have her father home again.
"You didn't ask for personal gain or glory, you just didn't want to be lonely and hurting anymore. I could relate so much to you, but I couldn't help you, he was out of my reach." There was a hint of sadness in the white-haired woman's tone, like she was voicing something buried inside her for so long. "And then you grew, a pariah of society, with no one to love you but your sister, yet you were always so full of life. I envied you, that you could be happy despite all the pain and hatred, a simple and kind soul amidst the darkness."
"You can still stop this! Just stand down and you can come home with us, I promise! We can be friends!" Ruby shouted through her ragged breaths, pleading the opponent for a peaceful solution. If she was so lonely, the huntress could help, there had to be a way out of the conflict.
"And then we'll paint our nails and talk about cute boys? Oh please, Ruby, even you can't be that innocent." It was the first time the witch addressed her by the first name. "It's too late, for you and me both. You have a family, love and friendship, and people willing to fight and die for you. And I? I have power, I guess we'll see which one's greater."
Dismissing her hopes as if they were nothing more than petals in the wind, the sorceress punctuated the answer with a blast of force that sent the silver eyed girl tumbling through the air. Her back slammed against the ice wall, cracking it right in the center, but the archer did not notice the convenient damage. Her vision blurred from the impact, and pain shot through her entire body. On top of that, the barrier was so cold the slightest contact drained her of heat, threatening to burn her skin through the clothing.
On all fours, Ruby tried to get up but her arms were numb, and any effort was rewarded only with falling flat on her face yet again. The continued struggle, and the many stabs she had taken at the opponent, had been quite different from the usual means of attack she had trained for, and it had put her endurance to the test. She wouldn't last long without assistance, not against a woman who had such might in her combat abilities.
Surprisingly, the magician wasn't even paying attention to the fallen girl, instead starting to walk over to Yang and her puppet, which would surely became very bad for the blonde in no time. She was the first to fall.
The brawler parried a punch with her arm and took the opportunity to strike back at Penny. Before her clenched fist could connect, a blasp of ice came in, nailing her wrist onto the closest wall. Feeling stuck, she used her other hand to try and yank the limb from its prison, but to no avail. The ginger took the opportunity to hit her in the stomach, provoking a bloodcurdling shriek that filled the room.
In response there was a panicked roar, and the enraged black panther crashed the crumbling frost barrier, trying desperately to come to her friend's rescue. But she wasn't fast enough.
Yang clawed frantically, like a trapped animal feeling its end near. Penny grabbed her hand, and with the free one pummeled once at her head, knocking the girl unconscious.
The lycan grew even more berserk at the sight, lunging forward at the perpetrator. In her bloodlust, she made the grave mistake of ignoring Weiss, and the witch made sure she paid dearly for it. Ruby's eyes widened, realizing the impending blow, and she mustered all her strength to yell out a warning.
"BLAKE, LOOK OUT!"
The raven beast looked just in time to see the white flash approaching, but could barely avoid it. Instead of striking her square in the head, the sudden motion made it connect with the jaw, enveloping her neck. The ice collar slowly pressured her throat, and she shuddered wildly, trying to fight back, but, alas, it was too much, and she passed out.
The sorceress waved her hand, melting away the frost necklace, the body falling to the floor with a loud thump. She then walked over to the archer, who had managed to recuperate, and was standing on one knee. Her eyes were clouded in tears, and she had lost all will to fight. Seeing her friends defeated with such ease had crushed her spirit.
"I won't kill them, don't worry. Call it my final gift to you, one you'll be repaying for the rest of your life. In the end, I couldn't bring myself to leave you all alone again, after all you've been through. I will, however, destroy the village and everyone in it. But that won't be the end of it, oh no. I still have plans in store for you, Ruby." Her voice was a whisper that only the huntress could hear, and the witch was cupping her face while she spoke. What would've been an affectionate gesture in any other situation, was causing nothing short of pure dread in her heart.
Then, there was a strike at the back of her head, and Ruby lost consciousness.
Penny couldn't handle how helpless she felt, how incredibly trapped she was inside her own body. It was threatening to shatter her mind, being forced to knock out Yang, and then watch as her puppeteer did the same to both Blake and Ruby. She would go insane if it kept going, she desperately needed an act that was hers, brought on by her own will. But the spell was too strong, and she had no option but to follow her commands. What she would've given to be of marble again, both a force to be reckoned with, and free from the strings. So, she resorted to the last option available, and asked.
"Is she…"
"Dead? No." The answer was short and cold. The woman dressed in white was returning to her books, not even remotely bothered by the possibility of the opponents regaining their senses.
"Can I…"
"Sure, why not? Go ahead, say your goodbyes."
The former-statue ignored the ominous nature of the words, reveling in the sensation of being the master of her own fate. She ran over to her friend and rolled her belly up, before pressing a palm on her chest. There was a heartbeat, even if weak. At least the witch hadn't lied, Ruby was still alive. Penny fought back the tears, not wanting to mourn the silver-eyed warrior while she still breathed.
While handling the lifeless body, she noticed a glimmer of metal. As she was grabbing it, the freezing voice was heard again.
"Are you done there? I could use your help here."
She stood up, holding the object behind her back. It was too obvious she was hiding something, but she didn't want the magician knowing of the memento taken from the huntress. As expected, the ivory woman noticed as soon as she turned.
"What do you have there?"
"Nothing."
"You should know better than lying to me, Penny. Give it to me."
And then, it clicked inside her head. She had to obey the order, and for once she wanted to. Her lips curled a smile, before she gestured her arm to the front.
"With pleasure."
A flash of silver flew between them, and Weiss didn't understand what it was until it was too late. She waved her arm to shatter it like she had done with the arrows, but there wasn't enough time. The small hunting knife lodged itself in the middle of her chest.
The blade broke into a thousand pieces, but the damage had been done. The witch felt life escape through the wound, and she desperately flicked and materialized glyphs all around her, but they all dissolved into pieces of white light.
"How…" She struggled to say, shocked by the betrayal of her own slave.
"Your wish is my command." Penny uttered scornfully, quite unlike herself. The misery she had seen and been coerced into causing put the words into her mouth. It was the end, she had won.
In one last faint attempt to survive, Weiss Schnee conjured a massive circle beneath her feet. The ginger girl didn't know what it was supposed to accomplish, but she instantly knew it had backfired.
The witch didn't scream in her last moments, but she sighed in defeat. She almost sounded disappointed that victory had eluded her. The magical glyph erupted into a colossal mass of ice, enveloping her in it.
And thus, where she had stood was now a thick frost obelisk, and the woman trapped inside it. Her eyes were closed, seemingly resting. The beautiful white figure was tainted only by a small drop of blood, frozen as well, a red rose petal sprouting from her chest.
Penny sunk to her knees, breathing heavily in relief. The fight had been long, but she had persevered. She was free. Her friends were safe. All was finally over.
Do you understand now? The conflict may be resolved, but there has been no closure. The chapter was already going long, so I decided to save the rest for an epilogue.
The conversation between Weiss and Ruby, about the possibility of friendship, was added from scratch after seeing the last chapter's reviews, and I think it absolutely worked wonders. This is why I love reading your opinions, sometimes beautiful things are born from it. Technically you asked for a fluffy turn of events, but oh well, you get the point.
Next time is really the end, I swear, and it'll come very soon because it's a short one.