Nora's eyes slowly opened before being blinded by the bright infirmary lights. She wrenched them shut and waited for them to adjust. After a few seconds she sat up in her bed and stretched out. She looked down and saw that her clothes had been replaced with a blue hospital gown. She slowly placed her legs over the edge of her bed and moved them up and down. To her surprise her legs functioned like normal. She moved her arms and flexed her fingers. She hadn't lost any major motor functions. Confidently she got out of bed and stood up, only to fall face first onto the ground.
Nora sat up and rubbed her face. "Owww."
A look around the room told her that she was the only person in the room. She got to her feet and went to the door.
"Nora," a voice said to her.
Nora nearly jumped. She turned around and saw Ren sitting cross legged on the floor next to her bed. His eyes were closed like he was meditating.
Nora smiled at her friend. "Good morning to you too, Ren. How long was I out?"
Ren got up off the floor. "Two weeks. The doctors said that you suffered severe burns, your bicep muscles tore, and your internal organs were damaged." He gave Nora a stern look. "You pushed yourself too hard."
Nora looked down at the ground. "What's the big deal? It all worked out didn't it?"
Ren ground his teeth together and pulled the collar to Nora's gown to the side, exposing the two puncture wounds in her shoulder and the blackened skin surrounding them.
"Nora, I told you about this."
Nora slapped his hand away. "Well what was I supposed to do, just let you die?" she didn't know when she had started shouting, but now she couldn't stop. "You got hurt, and then you went down, and you were bleeding all over the place. I thought I was going to lose you. So yeah, I did something dangerous and reckless, but I did it to save your life!"
Ren raised his voice slightly. "And what if you had died trying to save me? Do you have any idea what it was like for me? Seeing you in a bed not knowing if you'd ever wake up? Watching you breathe through a machine? Do you have any idea what Jaune and Pyrrha were going through?"
Those words were like a knife in Nora's heart. Ren was a very reserved person. They had been traveling together for years but she could only recall three times he had ever expressed when something was bothering him. The first time was when they had met, the second the week before they decided to enroll in Beacon, and the third was just now.
Nora looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry, it's just that I panicked. You know, I heard people talking while I was asleep. They're saying that Ares isn't even the strongest demon out there. We're going to have to keep fighting, keep getting hurt. We might even die." She knew that Ren already knew what she really wanted to, but she needed to say it. If she didn't, she likely wouldn't get another chance.
"I'm scared, Ren."
Ren pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around her. "I know. I am too, but we can't allow that fear to consume us. Do you remember that night in my home village? We both made a vow that we would do everything we could to ensure that no one else goes through what we did. I know that things seem bleak, but we can't give in. if we fall, then everything is lost."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black dagger. "I want you to have this."
"What is it?" Nora asked.
"It belonged to my father," Ren said, like it was nothing at all.
Nora understood its significance immediately. "I can't take this."
Ren shook his head. "I want you to have it. I'll tell you what my father said to me when he gave it to me. Bravery is knowing you're afraid but acting anyway." He looked Nora in the eye. "As long as you're by my side I know I have nothing to fear."
Nora took the dagger and clutched it tight. "Thank you."
Ren had a slight smile on his face. "Come on, our friends are waiting for us."
XxX
Jaune and Pyrrha had returned from their joint mission with Team CVFY. They had managed to expel a group of demons from a nearby village while minimizing civilian casualties. Jaune was in considerably better spirits than when he left. Being able to chalk one up in the win column did wonders for his disposition.
Jaune was excitedly telling Ruby and her friends about what had happened on his journey.
"So, this demon gets the drop on me and tears a chunk out of me. I was bleeding all over the place, but it turns out it was just a flesh wound. I just had Pixie patch me up and I was right back in the fight."
Pixie stood on top of Jaune's head with a proud smile. "Of course, I'm the best Pixie in the world, and I've got the best master ever. There's no one alive that can stop us."
Jaune grabbed his demon and held her in his hand. "I've told you about coming out without my permission."
Pixie gave a sheepish grin. "Come on, a girl like me needs to stretch her wings every once in a while. Besides, what would you do without my smiling face?"
Jaune pressed a button on his scroll and returned Pixie to his roster.
"Anyway, Fox is fighting these demons and I swear there are twenty swords coming at him. He dodges all of them, takes out all the demons with his bare hands. Never seen anything like it."
Yang had a pensive look on her face. She lifted the side of Jaune's shirt. Just like he said there was a chunk of meat missing between his ribs and waist. There was a patch of freshly healed skin. Yang poked it and Jaune jumped out of his seat.
"Ow! Watch it, I'm still sore."
Pyrrha frowned at Jaune. "I don't think it's such a good idea to brag about getting injured. You were seriously hurt."
Jaune shrugged. "I'm not dead, that's all that matters. Besides, you took a hit too remember?"
The other girls looked at Pyrrha. Yang had a mischievous grin.
"Really? Someone managed to wound the Invincible Girl? Let me see your scar."
Pyrrha's face went red. "I don't have one."
Her swift denial just heightened everyone's suspicions.
Blake turned towards Jaune. "What happened?"
Pyrrha stared daggers at Jaune. "Don't you dare Jaune."
Coco strolled by the table on her way to her next class. "Pyrrha got stabbed in the ass."
There was a prolonged silence. Pyrrha's face went an even deeper shade of red. She buried her face in her hands as the table erupted with laughter.
Ruby nearly fell out of her seat from laughing so hard. "you got stabbed in the butt? are you kidding me?"
Yang put an arm around Pyrrha's shoulder. "you have to show me that scar later."
"how did that even happen?" Blake asked.
Pyrrha groaned. "I don't know. I thought this demon was dead, so I started walking away. Next thing I know I'm bleeding."
Jaune had joined in on the laughter as well. "You should have seen her on the flight back. She took every spare cushion she could get her hands on."
Nora walked up to the table and sat down next to Jaune. "Man, sounds like I missed something fun."
In the next instant Jaune had grabbed Nora out of her seat and wrapped her up in a crushing hug. Nora realized at that moment that Jaune was far stronger than he was at the beginning of the year.
"You're okay!" Jaune said, overjoyed.
Nora had a feeling that that would change in a few moments. "Ren, help!"
Ren ignored her pleas and began eating his lunch. At that moment Pyrrha had joined in the hug as well. The two superhumans threatened to crush Nora in their affection.
Nora tried to break free, but the combined strength of her two teammates had her firmly locked in place. In the end she chose to accept her fate. After what seemed like several minutes they let her down. She rubbed a sore spot on her back. An old saying she had read in a book suddenly popped into her head.
A huntsman's love is just as deadly as their wrath.
Nora sighed and smiled at her friends. Their love was something she held dear. Knowing that she had people who cared for her made all of the hardships she had endured in life worth it in the end.
XxX
In a tent in a forest in the middle of nowhere, a very important conversation was taking place. Neither of the participants knew at the time, but this would be the precursor to events that would shake the whole of Remnant.
"You are coming along nicely I hear."
"Nothing has changed on my end, although I wonder if this plan of yours is even worth continuing."
"Don't you worry about my plans. The demons were an unexpected variable, but nothing that can't be planned around. I will still need to make use of your men, so don't go too far."
"I understand."
Adam hung up his scroll. He hated talking to that woman. It was bad enough his goals ended up getting derailed due to her interference, but now he was nothing more than her lapdog; existing to fight and die at her command. That day in the tunnels was a stark reminder of how far he had fallen. He sacrificed his men on that woman's orders, and he had absolutely nothing to show for it. He was supposed to be their leader. They put their trust in him, and he betrayed them.
Adam threw his scroll into the ground. He sat back in his chair grinding his teeth together. There was a vein pounding in his temple. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so angry.
He heard someone walk in.
"Brother Adam?"
It was a woman about his age, with short brown hair and a pair of antlers on her head. She went by Deery. No one knew her real name; Deery was a nickname she was given during her initiation and she didn't bother to correct anyone. She had quickly proven herself a valuable member of the White Fang. Although she never received any formal training she quickly acquired a taste for combat. Perhaps it was a testament to her abilities that she was one of the only people to leave the tunnels alive.
Adam rose from his seat. "What is it, Deery?"
Deery blushed slightly. "I wanted to see how you were doing."
Adam brushed her aside. "my well being is none of your concern."
"I must disagree. You are our leader. Without you we are nothing."
Adam's eyes went to the empty sleeve where her left arm used to be. He felt a sharp pang of guilt. Even after tossing her into the jaws of death this girl still thought of him as her leader. They all did.
Adam sighed. "I'm not fit to call myself leader."
Deery placed her remaining hand on Adam's shoulder. "Don't talk like that. I made the choice to go down there, we all did. We joined the White Fang knowing that we might have to lay down our lives. I told you the day I joined that I would do anything to make your dream a reality. I meant it, and I still do."
Adam looked at the woman. Even through her mask he could see the bright sincerity in her eyes. He turned and left the tent and walked into the woods.
With every step he took his anger rose. He truly was unfit to lead. Those people placed their faith in him, and he had reduced them to pawns in someone else's game. How could he have fallen so far?
The answer hit him immediately. It was all because of that woman. Everything started to go wrong the day he met her. But he had no hope of escaping her grasp. She was far more powerful than he was. He needed power, power to defeat her, power to change the world, and the power to build a future for his people.
"I see the way your soul burns. Your passion, your rage, how exquisite it is."
The voice was like a weight inside of his brain. There was no one in the forest but him. He took another step but fell into a hole in the ground. When he landed he found himself in the center of a giant stadium. Dark sand blew in every direction. The sky was blood red. He could hear the cheers of the audience, but they weren't people. The stands were filled with skeletons. He had no idea where he was, but he knew he was in danger.
He heard that same voice again.
"Welcome to my arena. I brought you here so that we might do battle."
There was another skeleton in the arena with him, but this one wasn't like the ones in the audience. It was dressed like a bullfighter, with gold accented clothes. In one hand it held a staff with a red cape attached, in the other a curved sword.
Adam felt a chill. This was an incredibly powerful demon.
"Why do you want to fight me?" he asked the demon.
The demon laughed. "You carry a sword at your hip and you ask that of me? It is destiny for the strong to meet in battle. You have honed your strength by slaying countless enemies, and now I stand before you. "
The demon pointed its sword at Adam. "I challenge you to a duel. I hunger for battle, and the audience cries for blood. I cannot betray their expectations."
Adam's face broke out into a smile. He couldn't help it. He drew his sword and got into a fighting stance.
"Very well. I accept your challenge. Let us have a true fight to the death."
The audience erupted with applause that shook the arena.
The demon unleashed its power. A massive pillar of dark green energy surrounded it. "I swear upon my Capote, I will again seize victory."
