CHAPTER XII
Eine Lang Erwartete Wiedervereinigung
It was midday when Mistral was within sighting distance. Bedivere stood atop a rock, surveying the valley below. His blue cape caught a breeze and Weiss took the time to absorb the sight.
"You've been real quiet lately," Yang said to her. "And you keep staring at him."
"Hush!" Weiss said quietly. "He's been through a lot, okay? I just wanna give him a little room."
"That and you just love to think about how it must be to take off that armor piece by shiny piece, right? Hmm?"
She reddened. "Don't think of me in such vulgar terms."
"You're even starting to talk like him. Man. That proposal, though."
"That wasn't a proposal! And stop talking about it!"
"You know you liked it. Cuz I liked it. You lucky girl."
"Ugh!"
"We should make it to the city before nightfall," Bedivere said.
Weiss's guard dropped instantly at the sound of his voice. "Do you wish to rest somewhere along the way?"
"I shall be fine until we are within the city. Caliburn was once the sword of my king. Even now it grants me strength. Do you require rest, my lady?"
"No, I will be fine as well."
"If you so desire, I could carry you until we reach the city."
She reddened. Of course she wanted him to carry her, but she was never going to say that out loud. Besides, that would be way too desperate of her. "Your offer is greatly appreciated, but not necessary."
"Very well, then. Let us be off."
Weiss watched as he led the way. Yang stopped just beside her.
"You can't even be yourself around him anymore," she chuckled.
"Yang, I am going to cut your hair!" Weiss said, chasing after her friend.
Both girls lagged behind Bedivere as he led the way to Mistral. After everything they had gone through, the rest of the way seemed a little too quiet, too good to be true. Weiss caught a glimpse of his sword's exquisitely ornate hilt. The handle itself was wrapped in brown leather, finished with a thin golden cord that crossed a total of four times through the center of the grip. The pommel was circular, made of gold-washed steel and with detailed engravings. Embedded in one side of the pommel was an octagon-cut, deep red ruby about the size of a gold ounce. On the other side was a dark blue sapphire which matched the size and cut of the ruby.
The cross-guard was a whole inch in thickness all the way around, gradually sweeping upward in the direction of the blade. At either end of the guard, a dark green, trillion-cut emerald was embedded into the gold-coated steel. All along the cross-guard were tiny diamonds, each one a different cut from the other.
It was this sword that had washed them with a brilliant light that nullified all of the darkness that had threatened to swallow them whole. It was no wonder the Grimm weren't sensing them. Even now, the sword seemed to radiate an aura of its own, driving away every bit of negativity.
"So," Weiss began, trotting to catch up with her knight, "what's the deal with that sword?"
"Yeah," Yang said, running up to his right side and clinging to his arm. "Tell us a story."
"Hey!" Weiss went over and wedged herself between them, pushing Yang away. "Hands off!"
Yang couldn't help but laugh, which Bedivere joined in on.
"For some reason, it just reached out to me," he said, drawing Caliburn. "This is going to sound strange, but it calls itself Caliburn."
"Caliburn?" Weiss said.
"What do you mean 'calls itself'?" Yang said. "Like, you could hear it talking?"
"Even before we entered its chamber, it called out to me. It was when you were shouldering me, Weiss."
"That's why you went off," she said.
"Yes. It beckoned to me. And then as I stood before it, its voice entered my mind. 'Take me up'."
"Is that what that says?"
"Yes. It is the same language as the runes that appear when I use magic."
"How do you know?" Yang asked.
"It all flooded my mind when the sword made contact with me."
"Like an instant language download?"
"Perhaps."
"What's written on the other side?" Weiss asked.
He flipped the sword. "'Cast me away'"
"Take me up, cast me away. What does it mean?"
He shrugged. "All I know is that this sword is extremely magical in nature, perhaps even more so than my arm."
"Magic, huh?"
He turned to Weiss. "Do you believe in it now?"
She looked up into his hazel eyes, holding back her answer, which was a shrug. He let out a chuckle.
"After everything you've seen, you still doubt magic exists, hmm?"
"I believe in magic," Yang said, darting to his left side and clinging to his arm.
Weiss was immediately squeezing herself between them again. She folded her arms across her chest, glaring at Yang as they continued walking. The latter gave her a sinister grin.
"You'd better keep a close eye on your magical knight in shining armor," Yang said, placing a hand on her hip. "Cuz if you don't, I might steal him away one night and get him drunk."
"I dare you to try," Weiss said.
"Now, now," Bedivere said, moving between the two girls before wrapping either arm around their waists. "It pains me to have two good friends fighting over me like this."
"Ew," Yang said, pushing off of him.
"Get away from us!" Weiss said, freeing herself.
The two girls scurried ahead of the knight to the gates of Mistral, stepping in before their knight. The city itself was built directly into the walls of the valley, with the upper levels providing the most luxury and safety. The very bottom, through which the river flowed, constituted the seedier segments of society.
"Halt," a guard said, focusing specifically on Bedivere.
"Oh, he's with us," Weiss said.
"And you are?"
Both girls showed identification. "Weiss Schnee."
"Yang Xiao-Long," the blonde one said. "Mister handsome back there lost his ID so he's gonna need a new one printed out."
"That won't be a problem," the guard said. "We'll just need to process him. What's with his clothing, by the way?"
"Good afternoon, sir," Bedivere said as he joined the two girls. "I am Sir Bedivere of Kameloth, Knight of—"
"Knight of Atlas!" Weiss finished his sentence. "He's a Knight of Atlas."
"Wait, the Atlas military came up with a new class?" the guard said.
"Well, it's sort of a special class. He's a specialist."
"Oh, like Winter Schnee. Must be recent."
"Yup. It's a new class after all."
"All right, you guys can go on ahead."
"Haven Academy is up that way, right?"
"Yes, ma'am. Follow the road up to the right and there are signs that'll point you to the campus."
"Thank you very much."
The trio proceeded up the road to their destination.
"May I pose a question, Weiss?" Bedivere said.
"What's up?"
"Why did you correct me?"
"Well, it's just...I mean, people are gonna ask a lot of questions if you go around saying you're a 'Knight of Weiss Schnee' every time somebody asks."
"Lady Weiss Schnee."
Yang chuckled.
"Yeah, something tells me that wouldn't help," Weiss said.
"Does it embarrass you?" Bedivere asked.
Weiss reddened. "Of course not!"
He walked ahead, turning around to walk backwards in pace with them. "Not even a little bit?"
She shook her head. "Nope!"
"Are you certain, my lady?"
The redness intensified. "Bedivere?"
"Yes, my lady?"
She felt a shiver crawl up her back. "Please."
"Anything for you, my lady."
There was another shiver. "Dammit." She looked into his face, about to rebuke him for teasing her so much, but his smile made her nearly go weak in the knees. "It's just, starting to get excessive."
"Which she totally likes," Yang said.
"Yang!"
"Yes, Lady Weiss?"
"Wha?"
Yang caught up with Bedivere and gave him a high five.
"You two," Weiss began, bringing up Myrtenaster, "are so dead."
"Run!"
Weiss chased after both of them all the way up until the gates that led to the academy grounds. She switched over to fire Dust and pointed her weapon at them for a strike. Sensing danger, Bedivere leapt to the side to dodge while Yang, surprised by the sudden opening of the gates, dove to the ground.
"Huh?" Weiss said, too late to stop her fiery attack.
The fireball hit Ruby square in the face, blackening her skin and singeing her hair. She coughed twice before opening her eyes.
"Uhh, was that really necessary?" she said, fanning away the smoke with her hand.
"Ruby!" Yang cried out before running to her sister.
"Yang?"
The elder grabbed the younger by the hands and swung her around before giving her the tightest hug she could give without breaking her in half.
"Yang!" Ruby cried out, hugging her sister back. "It's so good to see you!" She noticed Yang's silence and the extended embrace. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you crying?"
"Heh," Yang said with a sob. "It's nothing. I'm just...happy to see you, that's all. I'm glad you're safe, Ruby."
"Hey, why are you getting all serious?" She tried freeing herself. "Lemme go! I can't breathe!"
"No!" Yang said, squeezing harder and making her flail about. "I'm never gonna let my baby sister go! Never, ever!"
"Are you all right?" Bedivere asked, jogging up to them alongside Weiss. "That fireball hit you square in the head."
Yang let her sister go, dropping her to the ground. In an instant, Ruby was upright again, immediately in Weiss's face.
"What was that for?" she yelled.
"That was for when we first met!" Weiss said.
"Ooooh! I'm gonna sneeze on you again!"
"I dare you!"
They growled at each other before Bedivere stepped between them.
"Now, now," he said. "You've only just reunited."
"Whoa," Ruby said, knocking on his armor and making a clanging sound. "Who is this guy?"
"Oh, that's Weiss's knight," Yang said. "His name is Sir Bedivere of Kameloth, Knight of Lady Weiss Schnee." She spoke his entire title with a faux British accent.
"I'm Ruby!" she said as she extended her hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Ruby," Bedivere said as he took her hand and kissed it.
She gasped, quickly withdrawing her hand and hiding behind her sister. "Yang? Why am I feeling weird?"
"Probably cuz a stranger just kissed your hand," she said. "Don't worry, though. He kissed my hand, too."
"Dang it! I thought I was special."
"But you are special," Bedivere said before pulling out a red rose and holding it out for her.
Ruby quickly dashed from around her sister, snatched the rose, and retreated back behind Yang.
"What the?" Weiss said. "Where the heck did you get that?"
"Over there," Bedivere said, pointing to a rose bush off to the side.
"Oh, so you go around pilfering people's gardens, too?"
"Well, he didpilfer your heart, ey, Weiss?" Yang said, to which Ruby grinned sinisterly.
Weiss's face was an instant tomato and she stomped past everybody, forcing her way between the sisters. "I am going to take a cold shower. And then I am going to cut your hair, Yang. And steal your scythe, Ruby."
"What about me?" Bedivere asked.
She didn't answer him.
"Man," Yang said. "Ice cold. You're not even worth a haircut. Or theft."
Bedivere chuckled with the two sisters. "What now?"
"I need a friggin' bath myself," Yang said. "And from your condition earlier, you'd better take one."
"Of course."
"Ooh! Ooh!' Ruby exclaimed. "You could go join Weiss!"
Bedivere's face was also an instant tomato. "On second thought, I think I will go to the marketplace."
The sisters watched as he headed back down the road to the city. The turned to each other and laughed out loud.
"C'mon, sis," Yang said. "We've gotta talk about all the crap we've been through."
"Yay! Let's get some ice cream!"
