Chapter 14. Peeling the shadows
A man frantically raced through the alleyways of the warehouse district as he was instructed. Holding a strange rapier, he tried to escape. Yet for some unknown reason he was unable to remember what to do after obtaining the weapon. Taking a glance behind him he saw several white circular gliphs forming an a girl clad in white bounced off them rapidly closong their distance.
A sky blue gliph suddenly formed beneath him as ice rose from the ground trapping his legs. The girl elegantly glided in and connected the bottom of her foot to the back of his head smashing his face into the concrete. Knocking the weapon away she leapt and picked it up immediately.
Weiss relieved to have recovered her weapon pointed the tip at him and said. "Don't move or else I will."
"PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" the young man hysterically yells scaring and confusing Weiss. He raised his face showing a bloody nose and terrified eyes.
"What's going on here?" She strictly asks.
"I-I don't know. Some chick . .in a coat promised me money for taking weapons off a girl then escaping. ..." he trailed off all of a sudden.
"Escaping . . .and." Weiss prompted but the man didn't seem to find anything.
"I don't remember."
"What do you mean you don't remember?" Snapped Weiss in annoyance.
"I just can't remember. I swear just please don't hurt me. . ." The ice soon dispelled from his feet.
"This is a waste of time. Beat it." Rubbing her face while the guy hightailed away. "Cripes. We split up. This was just a quick set up to seperate us. To think she would utilise something so cheap against us. Is she undermining us that much or are we really that bad for falling for such a flimsy set up? Darn it."
As the sun disappeared the shattered moon became much more visible. Being in such dangerous territory at nighttime made her extremely worried for the safety of her friends and herself.
Meanwhile Blake was busy chasing her own thief through the other end of this labyrinth of roads and alleys. This one was however a faunas and with his added physical traits managed to keep a sizeable distance. But as he turned around a corner escaping Blake's line of sight a bright golden glow appeared.
Sounds of a quick beatdown sounded and threw the faunas back into a dumpster. Blake quickly approached but saw he was stunned and without her weapon.
"Does this belong to you?" A slick voice called her attention. Her gambol shroud wrapped in a yellow, hairy tail. Ignoring the stunned faunas the cat girl moved around the corner seeing Sun chilling on a street light with a banana.
"Sun! What are you doing here?" Asked Blake in confusion.
"Nothing. Just happened to catch you guys sneaking out while under restrictions and couldn't help myself. Monkey see monkey do." He said with his greasy grin.
"Please just don't tell anybody." Whispered Blake quietly.
"Only if you let me come with you." But this time Blake couldn't reply.
(Back to Yang)
"I'm getting answers out of you. One way or another." Breathed Yang taking her fighting stance.
"That was a cheapshot but you got your hit. You just earned your first question." Lily replied waving her weapons around. Blue sparks fizzling from the tips.
"What happened that night one month ago?" This made Lily turn off her weapons and sigh for a second before giving Yang a look of utter disdain. Even the raven watching their confrontation slapped its wing on its head. Yang realising her question backed up and tried again. "Yeah~ that was kinda dumb. Nevermind. Tell me. Is . ..Ruby . .innocent?"
Yang didn't realise how much weight that question carried till she spat those words out of her mouth. This was it. The month long torture and struggle all boils down to this whimsical girl's will. And the answer felt like an arrow being drawn on a bow. The tip could be a ball of fluff or covered in poison.
"Getting straight to the heart of the matter eh. That direct attitude is truely one of your strong points isn't it Yang."
"Everything I've done the past month rides on this question. Now answer it." Yang took a step forward but blue lightning started flickering on the tasers made her stop. Lily looked thoughtful. As if in an internal debate over disclosing such information. Whispering to herself. "Silver asked me not to tell anyone. But its pretty annoying bottling everything up for so long. Besides I have that up my sleeve. Still on the off chance she beats. . . . .You know what. Screw it. I'm going with my gut and trusting my skills. Losing to you is an outcome I'll never allow.
The answer is . . Y . .E . . S." Amidst all the gibberish it took a few seconds for the information to process through Yang's head. As soon as it clicked she felt something break inside her. Cracks forming over the stones in her heart. Like some hot liquid was poured all over it. Trembling slightly she couldn't stop the tears of relief flowing out of her eyes.
"Heh. Look at that smile. But . . . " The playful giggle was replaced by a scowl. Using that rapid movement closed the distance between them and blasted her head on with an electric pulse. " . . Ruby isn't comming back . . .yet." Yang's smile fell instantly. Distracted and disoriented Yang was left extremely vulnerable at the hands of a skilled fighter. A knee to the gut. An elbow to the chin following up with a sick uppercut. Spinning around to add angular momentum to each of the blows.
The shots immediately sent her falling backwards. Remembering the conditions of the fight and her desperation to find Ruby she put a hand behind before turning over trying to spin away without letting her back hit the ground.
Lily did not give her any openings as she backed away and fired a volley of blue bolts all over the yellow fighter. Getting back to her feet she ran an arc to avoid the bolts but the narrow space gave little help for her mobility. Which Lily utilised. Jumping at an angle she kicked off the walls to cut her off.
Being resourceful Yang fired two shots at her. Yet using those same nimble movements dodged the first shot by leaning left and ducking under the next. Flipping one of the tazer-chucks she stretched the wire tightly before throwing one end around Yang's neck and catching it on the other side. Snaring the neck Lily dropped to one knee pulling Yang backwards trapping her.
Wet choking sounds came as Yang struggled to break free. The more she tried to pull upwards the tighter the wires on her neck got. The wires had electricity running through them and rapidly burned through her aura. She needed to break free immediately. 'This is nonsense. She was not this strong in the academy. How much was she holding back during their sparring sessions? This feels like a whole new person.' Even so Yang was crafty herself.
Kicking her legs up she fired foreward. Using Lily's own strength and the recoil of the shot she pushed both of them down with Lily having to let go in order to protect her face from slamming into the hard ground. Yang managed to slip out in that opening. But not before landing a solid punch on her back.
As well as using the momentum of the bullet she fired along with the actual blow to carve some distance between them. "Sly fox. Were you always hiding this much power? You're nothing like how you fight in the school grounds."
Lily seemed to just ignore Yang and rub the warm spot with the back of her hand. "Strike two huh? I'm getting sloppy. I guess even a baby dragon has sharp fangs. I need take this a bit more seriously, then again its not like I'm trying to hide anything. Shoot your next question Yang." Muttering to herself she gave a very unhinged smile to Yang.
"Is Silver still alive?" Asked Yang wiping the sweat off her nose.
"Yup. Alive and kicking like the badass he is." Said the lightning girl waving her hands over her head like a toddler fawning over her favourite superhero.
Which irked Yang even more. "So all of this really is a set up! What the hell is going on? Why are you doing this?" She shouted getting more and more unnerved.
"Tsk tsk. You forgot to say please." Childishly giggling she wagged a finger followed by tapping her face with her knuckles.
"How about . pretty please WITH MY FIST ON TOP!" Yelling loudly she rushes in.
(Prison)
"Umm. What's with this stand off-ish atmosphere I'm sensing?" Ruby nervously chuckled as she and Sis stared at Tristan holding a cuffed Lilac by the collar. Lilac herself looking worse for wear considering she spend two days in the pit. Hair discoloured in various places. Dirt smearing her pale skin and dirty clothes. Nonetheless she had a goofy grin on her face while waving a new aura band on her left wrist.
"You called." Said Sis addressing Tristan.
"The guard should've explained everything beforehand. So take this sack of meat off my hands and grind it up neatly." Replied the captain taking off the cuffs on the prisoner leaving her to rub away the tightness from her wrists.
"I get that. But can't you just take 'disciplinary action.'" Sis poking the idea at the captain.
"I could. But why bother when I got you two. If it were me I'd shoot her and be done with it." Ruby and Lilac froze up a bit at the idea but it seemed their tyrannical officer was only joking.
"Why bother at all?" Asked Ruby from the side.
"Cuz unchecked aura use is illegal here. Well I did my part. The ball's in your court. Adios." With a wave of her hand she turned and left.
"So~ what now?" Ruby chimed with a lazy purr.
"Now . . I need a change of clothes then a nice hot shower. Goddamn it nobody ever cleans the pit. Its so filthy in there." Lilac patted her hair and clothes and indeed lots of dust came trickling out. "Uh Remnant to Sis. You there . ." Seeing Sis's blank distant stare Lilac poked around.
Ruby getting bored began to walk away before suddenly . . A loud bone chilling smack came from behind her as Lilac was sent crashing in front of her.
"Holy shit! What was that for!?" Yelled hysterically the flame headed girl clutching her cheek that had a clear knuckle print on it. The voice had a mix of anger, surprise and a bit of amusement. Ruby knew she deserved that.
"That 'Flash fire' was for the drug bullshit. And now we are headed straight for the gym." With a murderous smile she punched her right fist into her left palm intimidatingly.
"Oh cut me some slack. I nearly lost a tooth in that blow. How much more punishment must I take before you are satisfied. Ya sadist bitch." Cussing aside Lilac playfully whinned on the ground like a child.
"No. The gym is where we test your aura. You pulled some crazy miracle you unlock aura like that. I want first dibs. Besides, the showers are closed. And if you change then those clothes are gonna end up sweaty too."
"You're never gonna let this slide are you?"
"No shit. Come on chop chop. You too Rubes." Before getting a chance Sis grabbed Lilac's collar and dragged her still whining body away.
"Wha? Why me?" Ruby said panicked that she might get dragged into another fight.
"Just because you are doing downtime doesn't mean you get to slack off. Watching is a part of training too. You can't get sloppy yet."
"Fine. Whatever . . mom." Grimacing Ruby followed along too. Immediately Ruby realised what she said and slapped her hands over her mouth while Sis's face turned red. Lilac openly burst into laughter in the meantime.
"Hahahahah. That was gold. You should've seen the look on your face Sis. Hahahah. Congratulations. You two finally made up." Her fit was stopped quickly with a smack to the back of the head. "Sheesh. Abusive much?"
"You have no idea."
But before going to the gym Ruby purchased a notebook, a few pencils and an eraser from the shops.
All eyes fell on the aura trio as they entered the gym. Ruby feeling her aura flow ignored the guard and dashed with a stream of petals to the side of the sparring mat. While Sis tossed Lilac onto the mat to start their training session Ruby got to work comming up with a design for her new outfit.
(Yang)
"How? How are you this strong?" Wheezed Yang as she was sitting on the ground after taking another beatdown.
"I can answer that without you needing to hit me. We're both cut from the same cloth Yang. The only difference being that I've been fighting Grimm way before your parents even explained what they were." That was over 12 years of battle experience. It immediately registered in Yang's head. The vast difference in their fighting capabilities was simply from the sheer number of years she had over her.
'No wonder I'm getting my butt kicked. Growing up outside of the walls made me a cut above the rest here. So what did she go through getting to this point. It doesn't matter. All I know is that, a half hearted attempt is only going to leave me broken. Maybe its time to bust out that new move I've been working on.' Taking a moment to catch her breath Yang looked at her hand for a moment.
"What's the matter sunshine? Your back didn't hit the dirt yet. Stand up or I'll just start making faunas mince meat from the meet."
"Yeah. Why don't you leave the bad puns to me?" Gingerly standing up Yang took a fighting pose and tried to fire. But nothing came out of her gauntlets. The round was empty and she had to reload. Yet to Lily's surprise Yang still lifted her fist.
"Idiot. Did I hit her head too hard? There is no way a punch from that distan . . .." a golden aura flowed into Yang's right arm followed by it discharging from her fist. Squashing the air before it then shooting like a cannon towards her. Crossing her arms to block, the force of the blow swept Lily off her feet and crashed her into the back wall. Using that opening Yang instantly reloaded.
"Was that . . . .air pressure?" Her question was answered by left hook to the face chained with an uppercut then a knee to the gut followed by a downward smash. Yang didn't let her fall. Using her hands to grab her by the collar she pinned the lightning girl against the wall.
"Impressive. Was that your semblance?" Hummed the girl looking impressed. Staring at the hands gripping her collar she noticed Yang's left hand was perfectly steady while the right was trembling painfully.
"Stop fooling around and talk. What was the set up? What was your plan? Why did that night had to happen?" Yang angrily ranted.
"Whoa! Slow down sunshine. One at a time. To start with, the primary objective was to remove Ruby from the shelter of the academy and put her in a dangerous environment. That night Silver and I timed our outing with one of the regular faunas meets. We lured in Ruby, beat her up, slaughtered all the faunas whipped up some evidence and left the rest of the puzzle pieces for the cops to figure out." Shocked at how openly she stated everything Yang began to lose her nerves.
"And Silver? Everybody thinks he's dead?" Sweat began to pour down Yang's back.
"With today's technology how hard do you think it is to make up a fake corpse?" Every word she spoke almost seemed to be mocking Yang.
"What about Weiss? Why did you attack her?"
"Weiss? She's just collateral damage. Ruby was all we wanted but those two hung out freakin' all day. Like some kind of lesbian couple. So Silver got tired of it and dragged them both in before dealing with her. I wanted to put her away like the rest of the faunas. But Silver always keep telling me not to hurt those academy kids. So I just messed with her memo . . ." Yang pulled her closer before pushing her into the wall again enciting a grunt.
"And . .the cresent Rose? Why did you destroy her weapon?"
"Incentive. What better motivation to pick up a new weapon than to lose the former. Hahah." She giggled. "Though I never expected her to be that attached to it. That tantrum she threw was 'powerful'." This earned her another punch to the face as Yang threw her away.
"I've had enough." Keeping her head down and her eyes hidden Yang spoke. "Just tell me one last thing. What is it all for? What's the end game for you? Why are you hurting me and my sister for?"
Lily got on her knees while keeping her back to Yang. "Preperation." She vaguely replies.
"Preperation for what?"
"Calamity." The lightning fighter's voice suddenly dropped dead to a whimper.
"Stop being so vague." Yang barked.
"Stop being so stupid." Lily barked back. "You city folk make me sick. That blissful ignorance makes me want to barf. GRIMM! There I said it. Ruby needs to get stronger to fight the creatures of Grimm." Standing straight she turned and glared at Yang.
"That's it?" Yang raised her head with her mouth quivering. Her eyes constantly shifting colours. Both hands now beginning to tremble. "So all this pain. All this suffering you put us through. Those angry faunas. The assassination attempts. All of that . . . . .. .just to do something the academy has been teaching us all along! YOU PEOPLE ARE INSANE!"
Yang's shouts were not ignored this time. Finally opening up Lily saw red in a while. Bright electric blue eyes glowed fiercely and in a bright burst of electricity Lily moved. Killing the distance instantly she shoved the weapon up Yang's raging mouth and discharged hundreds of thousands of volts straight into Yang's body.
Her intense aura defended as much as it could but the electricity itself erupted into Yang's nervous system and sent it haywire. Pulling the tazer out Lily spun bending her body downwards and lifting her leg to strike with her heel into the blond's head. Twisting again once the foot touched the ground she got up immediately. With a vicious cry used her bare fists to smash Yang's back into the dirt.
Reacting in that split second Yang fired both gauntlets while falling into Lily's abdoment throwing herself away with the recoil. Escaping from the fist as it pierced straight into the concrete. Both girls stood up once again breathing heavily. Yang felt her jaw rattle as a strong tingling sensation passed all over her body.
"The academy is a joke now. Students there are all babies without a shred of skill. The Grimm I speak of make Ursa majors look like ants. Ever used that pea brain in your head to wonder why they were called 'the most fearsome creatures known to man'? ...heh. 'Course not, you're the adventurer type aren't you. You just live everyday as it comes. Without a care in the world." Every word she said oozed venom, hatred and most of all sadness.
"So what if I am? We are training. We are strong. We will protect people when we are adults." Yang protested but it only seemed to fuel the fire.
"No Yang. Comparitively you are a rat. I am a wolf and the enemy is a big ass dragon. And as much as I hate to admit it. Ruby is the only one capable of slaying that dragon."
"So you're using my sister as a tool. Why you. . .!"
"That's right. Ruby is a tool. A tool for building our future. A future where a strong and established man can hold his mother's hand in her deathbed as she passes." Tears started to pour out of those bright eyes. "Instead of watching her get ripped to shreds by a beast as a boy. A future where a little girl doesn't have to run from her ruined village spending nights lost in a forest fending for herself with a kitchen knife. The blood I shed and will make others shed will nurish the soil where a new world will be born. A world where children can grow up learning to play instead of learning to fight!
Do you know what makes me the saddest Yang. . . ." Sniffing after the shout out, she spoke softly.
"In every town and village I've heard stories and prayers. People living on the hope of a legend. A legend where a silver eyed hero would come to save them. Do you know what happens?"
". . . . ." Yang couldn't find an answer to such an outburst.
"They all die waiting for that legend. Mothers watcing their children get killed still hoping for a miracle that will never come. A father powerless to protect his home and family. The tragedies and horrors the people outside the kingdom walls face everyday make your troubles feel like bullshit. Southern Vale, outskirts of Mistral or even Mantle. Try living in those places for once. You're content sleeping inside your walls. Expecting your bastions and fortifications will protect you. Mark my words when I say they won't last forever. Darkness is comming Yang. Your happy little world will collapse right under your feet before you even notice. I guess it'll take you losing an arm before you realise that." Calming down Lily realised what she just said.
"Damn it Lily. Control your emotions." Scolded herself. Calming down she wiped her tears away looking clearly at Yang. "I've seen too much death and carnage for my own good Yang. But . .I don't hate this world. There is a warm and caring person at every corner. Their smiles are enough to keep on living for. And to protect those smiles I need to chop off the one root binding all this evil together. And Ruby is that tool. A warrior destined to fight and protect. Not some fancy scythe/gun totting huntress dork." Sighing heavily. "This fight is getting too painful to continue. I will erase it in just a moment."
Closing her eyes momentarily, some sparks on Lily's body began to flicker. Blue light raced across her skin as they took the shape of lightning bolts as electricity began to swirl around her.
Yang gasped in horror. 'No way. She infused dust into her body! But that's banned. Its too dangerous. Is she really enduring that much pain.' Yang thought.
"Branwen." She uttered a single word that completely shook Yang up. Taking a glance at the raven who was watching their battle in deathly silence. Why did she say that? Why on Remnant was her mother suddenly mentioned. The bird flew off to another end of the area. "I don't know if she left, out of love or hate. Or maybe she saw how pathetic you and Taiyang are and dumped you. Raven Branwen may be a talented fighter but damn she is a shitty mom. Then again with a daughter like you I can see her disappointment."
And the flood gates were thrown open. Those words made Yang lose all the composure she had up until now. Eyes turned to red and even her hair began to glow in a flaming golden radiance. She energy she emitted tore up the broken walls around them damaged from their ruckus.
"Don't you dare . . . .TALK LIKE THAT ABOUT MY FAMILY!" Screaming she fired a volley of glowing red shots at her. Lily jumped up. Kicking off wall to wall climbing higher before firing her own round of blue electricity. Using the muscles she augmented by electricity she shot off the wall like a pinball coming in with her heel ready to crash it on Yang's head. Yang punched the oncoming heel to decrease its momentum, parrying the kick she slipped her arm through to strike Lily in gut only for it to be grabbed.
Bending backwards her shoulders hit the ground which she pivoted on. In a semi backflip she tossed Yang into the air. Without even standing up she pelted the blond's back with small shots of electricity.
Yet timing it perfectly Yang changed her direction by firing her gauntlets and retaliating with a bone crunching punch to the face. Blown backwards Yang advanced with murder in her eyes.
Easily regaining footing Lily dashed foreward herself. Moving in a zig zag pattern to confuse her advance she feigned a punch but moved her leg to hit Yang's side. Yang caught it and shot upwards using the recoil to hammer her elbow on the shin of her opponent. Jumping off the other foot she struck Yang in the head freeing the other leg.
But before she fell off she trapped the blond's head between her feet and rolled into a hurricanrana pulling her head and bashing it into the pavement. They put some distance between them as both a bright blue and a golden aura flashed on their bodies indicating their auras are at their limit. Angrily grunting Yang punched her fists together massing a huge amount of power that manifested in her hair and all around her in dazzling golden flames.
Lily overlapped the cables of the tazers and they began to morph. Changing into two double sided blades with lighting dancing all around it.
"Its over. I am sending you to the police and getting my sister back." Her hair almost seemed to go ablaze she moved for the final rush. Matching Lily's lightning speed momentarily she launched a flurry of punches. They were expertly handled by the twin lightning blades before Yang got badly slashed up.
When her semblance reached its limit she channeled every ounce of her power into her right arm. At this point blank range she was sure it would land. Yet with phenomenal manuverability. . .
"You're right Yang. It is over." Kicking her own leg she instantly dropped down and dodged the final blow by a hair. That blow carried foreward and struck a wall. Obliterating it instantly with broken pieces of rock and brick exploding everywhere. As the wall crumbled behind them Lily dropped her weapon coiled her fingers and shoved them under the blond's shirt. She unleashed a huge jolt of electricity straight into Yang's skin. Shattering her aura, scrambling up her spine and burning the skin outside. Internally fried, frozen from exhaustion and completely drained Yang fell flat on her back.
Lily fell on her bottom breathing painfully. Then shivered clutching her shoulders. The backlash from using Dust inside her body was finally taking its toll. Her lungs felt like steel as she struggled to breathe.
"Crap, that was overkill. Man that took a lot out of me than I thought. Damn you can be powerful when you feel like it. If that last attack landed I probably would've been the one on the dirt." Gasping for air as she stared at the destroyed wall nearby. "Pretty neat way of using your semblance. It was scary before I figured it out. You absorb kinetic energy from attacks and retaliate with double the power. Instead of your typical wild outbursts you compressed it into your arms and shot it like a gun. I got blown away just by the sheer wind pressure. But it takes a toll on your arms to channel that much energy through it. You lost stability in the final blow and screwed up."
Feeling her consciousness weaver Yang struggled to keep her eyes open. A dark sense of despair washed over her as she laid there unable to move. The electricity pulsating through her body left her with an erratic heartbeat and twitching muscles.
'It wasn't enough.' She felt it. Yang was able to feel the weight of the lightning girl's ideals. The burn she feels on her belly was more than just an attack. It was the raw willpower that tore through her own will.
"Hey . .. listen." Yang barely muttered. "This mission you . .are upto. How important is . . .Ruby's presence in it?" Lily stared at Yang as she endlessly shed tears over this defeat.
"This whole conflict will soon revolve around Ruby and that thing." Lily answered calmly.
"What makes my sister so special?"
Lily began to feel guilty as well as pity. "Ruby has a special power Yang. A power beyond aura. Its a light. A sacred light of limitless potential. Along with that incredible weapon she will become an unstoppable force. And I need her to be ready when the time comes." Yang could see a bright shining hope in those electric blue eyes as she spoke about Ruby.
"And that weapon . . Why give it to her?"
"Hmm. Lets just say it was something Ozpin really shouldn't've let out of his sight."
"What you said? . . .About making a better world. . .Can i help with that?" Those words shook Lily up suddenly. Seeing the mighty Yang in such shambles it brought previous flashbacks. It made her understand. Moving close to Yang she reached into her pockets. Pulling a tiny sky blue shard she crushed it between her hands, fingers interlacing together. A gentle frosty air poured out from between them. Carefully icing the burn she tore a large piece of her coat and carefully began to wrap it around Yang's torso.
"Why?" She barely wheezed. Seeing her wounds being treated.
"Our circumstances are different but just because I suffered doesn't mean others deserve to suffer too. I'm sorry for attacking so hard, its just that sometimes I completely lose my head when I get angry." That was something Yang felt relatable.
"I understand your pain but I want you to understand my pain too. Losing a loved one is very hard. The feeling of powerlessness, despair from being unable to protect the things that are dear to you. To watch them get ripped right out of your hands. Its never pretty. I've seem hundreds of people lose their dear friends and family to Grimm. They work blood, sweat and tears to protect what they have left. To stop something tragic like that happen ever again. While here you're throwing a hissy fit over your sister get thrown into prison." Finishing up she moved to pick up her weapon. "Let's get one thing straight. I despise the people living in these walls. More precisely their way of life. They keep squabbling amongst themselves blissfully unaware while thousands of people die everyday outside. But if I keep giving into my hatred then I'm no better than the rest of them. I just wanted to get a few things off my chest, I never meant to hurt you this badly. You may be wild but your love for your family is real. That love will make you strong so just keep on training."
"Who the hell are you?" Yang couldn't resist asking.
"That's a tough one. Honestly I'm not sure myself." Reaching her other pocket she pulled a small very old looking notebook. "I've lost my memories more times than I can count. Sometimes I'm not even sure which of my memories are real or fake. I'm just a nameless girl trying to save this world hoping its going to save me someday." Answering with a broken smile only a dying person could make.
"Nameless? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing I'm just spouting nonsense." Slapping the notebook shut she shoved it back in with a tiny giggle.
"So . . What now? I couldn't stop you. The faunas will . . ."
"That was all bait like I said in the letter. I never intended to do anymore damage than necessary. Again I'm sorry for rushing this, now I'm gonna make that pain go away." Slowly stepping towards Yang she knelt beside her both hands glowing red.
"Wait, what is that?" Yang said a bit frightened.
"Oh didn't I mention. My semblance is memory manipulation. Ruby's failure to answer to the court. Weiss's double memory. How I made my plea at court genuine. The fake witnesses. They were all me." She held up a finger looking rather smug. Suddenly Yang struggled again. Turning her face away from the hands. She desperately willed her body to move. But here nerves just didn't seem to respond. Her fingers twitched, her toes wriggled but none onf those major muscles could move.
"Please stop. Don't take this away from me. I wont tell the police I swear." Begged Yang.
"Don't worry I'll leave in the important bits."
"No . .no . .no . . .please . . ." As the hands touched Yang's face a red glow enveloped her. Yang tried to shout out but it was to no avail. In the end she passed out. Lily began to see into things inside Yang's head. Pushing back to about an hour or so. Certain parts of their fight was removed, something new added in and a tiny message.
"You're not ready to walk this path of blood yet Yang. When you find the strength to protect your loved ones that's when you get to keep those memories. Don't worry sunshine I won't let Ruby rot in there forever. Give it a few years. I promise I will bring her back myself." She said as she gently rubbed Yang's forehead.
"Now then. Off to southern Vale. There are people waiting for me after all. Oh and before I forget. Here's something to remember our meeting. I got it in the academy but never really got attached to it. It was nice talking you Yang, violent emotional fighting aside. Hope to see you again soon. Bye." Dropping something she turned and left Yang lying there unconscious.
"Oww. Damn it. I can't believe I got so worked up like that! My head really is more busted than it looks. Calm down crazy girl, stick to the plan." She stated coughing up some blood.
(Prison)
"C'mon. If you keep dodging we're getting nowhere." Complained an agitated Sis as for the past 10 minutes Lilac had been doing nothing but dodge. Meanwhile Ruby managed to come up with a skeletal idea of what her new costume was going to be.
"I'm too damn tired to do this crap. Can't I just go back to my cell and get out of this three day old sweaty rags?" Cried Lilac back stepping away easily dodging the blow not even raising her arms to defend.
"Not until you grasp the bare bones of aura use. Tristan is kind of holding it against my neck here. So . .lets just get it over with and I'll leave you to your business." Said Sis dropping her stance.
"You really love beating people up don't you?"
"Only the ones that piss me off. Now focus!" Yelling like a drill sergent Sis crossed her arms as Lilac sighed in defeat. Closing her eyes slowly a fiery orange colour surrounded her before enveloping completely and disappearing. Leaving only a faint white glow. Looking down at her hands for a moment Lilac clenched them into fists before rushing. Not even bothering to take a stance she used the buffs given by her new found aura to attack with a complicated series of punches at always seemed to bypass Sis's guard. Landing several heavy blows.
Ruby on the side simply drank her sweet, strawberry milk as she worked hard on making the sketch. A big smile even appearing on her face as she got the general shape done. Using a circle for the head she drew down most of it. The top, skirt, pants, boots and most importantly the cape. Midway through however she realised she was sketching a scythe in it too. Putting down the pencil she shook her head before smacking her face with both hands.
Erasing the scythe she drew in her brand new weapon. All that doodling in professor Port's class was finally starting to show itself. Then she began to chew on the butt end of the pencil thinking of what details to add to it. Sis told her to keep it simple but it felt too bland to keep it that way.
While lost in thought she didn't notice someone sneak up behind her and grab her waist causing Ruby to flinch. Those hands slipped upwards running across Ruby's sides till they groped her breasts. "Check . . .those . . .curves!" The person exclaimed before being violently shaken off.
"Damn it Rex I was two seconds away from putting my fist through your skull." Compained Ruby closing up, rubbing her shoulders insecurely.
Rex however laughed it off. "Hahah. Didn't mean to startle ya kid. But your figure's sure been filling out the past couple days. Looks like the second stage of your puberty is about to start."
"Knock it off. Don't start getting creepy like the rest of them." Retorted Ruby with a blush. But deep down she was happy. Over the course of the month she put on a decent amount of muscle giving her body a more shapely form. She got taller, her hair was slightly longer. But best of all her chest felt bigger.
"No need to be coy, I can't help but notice how much more hotter you've become. As if you weren't cute enough." Said Rex with a suggestive wink at Ruby's chest.
"That's what a healthy diet and lots of exercise will do for you." Said Ruby relaxing again as she went back to work.
"So what'cha upto?" Rex sitting beside her asked.
"Costume design." Muttered ruby.
"Ooh. Cool, let me see." Taking an eager glance at the paper she wasn't that inpressed. "Kind of expected more."
"Its still in the works. I wanna make it cool but I can't since if it gets too specific Sis might not be able to get it. And I also don't want it to be bland."
"Hey. Hey I can help with that." Lilac chimed from the mat while also instinctively dodging Sis's punches.
"No. You focus. Now defend!" Sis barked before another rush. Lilac had a smug grin on her face as sidestepped the punch and countering with an elbow pushing Sis back. Taking the offensive she moved to the left. Sis reacted immediately but suddenly Lilac twisted her ankles and changed directions moving right. This forced Sis to change accordingly but overcorrecting caused her to lose her footing.
The seamlessly fluid motion caught Ruby's attention as Sis staggered and fell. Capitalising on the opening Lilac launched a solid kick to Sis's face blasting her backwards. A moment of silence passed as Lilac soaked in all the glory knocking back the top dog of this prison while the crowd cheered.
"Wow! What was that move you pulled back there? That was so cool." Bubbled Ruby.
Looking very full of herself she replied. "That was an ankle breaker sweetie. Its commonly used in sports but combat works too."
"Ankle breaker, huh?" Pondered Ruby for a moment.
"Yo jackass. That wasn't how things were supposed to play out." Said Sis rubbing her head angrily.
"Cut me some slack here babe. I'm a gunner. I'm not meant to fight close quarters. Its not a must for me to get all down and dirty." Protested Lilac raising her hands.
"Its not about practucal use. Its about you getting the general idea of things. Come on, I'm over my anger issues. Help me out here flamehead. The sooner we do this the sooner you can go." Sis's expression softened and just downright requested. Something that pulled on the redhead's heartstrings.
"Hmm .. .fine. Just tell me the basics."
Ruby continued her scribbling while sneaking glances at the sparring match. "Funny, the kind of talents you don't expect to see suddenly pop up." Muttered Rex.
"I knew she was well rounded but this is . .. ."
"'Flash fire' is a weird one. An elite marksman for sure but compared to the fancy dresses and posh speech there is a real fighter underneath. Though most of her hand to hand fighting techniques are based off sports. Its just stupid how moody the damn creature is."
"Everybody has their quirks." Ruby mumbled taking another sip of her strawberry milk.
The match continued in a clash of purple and orange but overall the orange could barely stand. Another punch and it shattered. "Damn it. That hurts. I don't like it." Cried Lilac rubbing her aching arm after blocking several hits. Light brusises peppering her arms.
"Well duh. If you can't even maintain your aura its bound to hurt."
"But I activated it and everything."
"That's why it keeps breaking. You need to keep supplying the aura all over your body."
"Hold up. I thought aura was a passive ability. You turn it on and poof, you're invincible till you run out right?"
"No, you have to constantly maintain it . .. consciously." Putting large emphasis on the last word.
"This feels like a stupid retcon in a story or something." Grumbled the fire user. "Is this true, Blood rose?"
"Hmm? Mmm-hmmm." Straw in mouth Ruby nodded. Finishing her gulp. "Sounds hard but you get used to it."
"That's right. In time you should be able to do it subconsciously." Sis explained now relaxing.
"Eugh. Sounds tedious. So, considering I put any effort into this. How long can it take?"
"Well that varies alot from person to person. Could be a couple months to a couple years on average." This made Lilac's jaw drop in dismay.
"You gotta be kidding me."
"Not exactly. It only took me about two weeks to get it down." Said Ruby looking up at them.
Sis was the only one shocked by this. "Y-you're serious?"
The fact that Ruby nodded with a straight face was convincing enough but not comforting. "My uncle unlocked my aura and in two weeks of training it was second nature. I can turn aura on and off like a switch now. What about you? How long it take you?" The innocent way she worded it maded it even more sharper.
"T-th-thr . .thr . .three." Stuttering badly and amusing all three of them Sis's face turned red.
"Three what?" Rex asked. Lilac had a sleazy look to her face as she poked Sis in the sides causing her to yelp out.
"You struggled didn't you. How long did it take? Three days? Three weeks? Or even three whole years? Huh, huh, huh?" Pissed off at Lilac's teasing she seized her by the throat and pushed her back.
"THREE MONTHS! There! I've said it! Three months! It took me three whole goddamn months for to get it down! Alright I suck compared to your champion huntress Ruby Rose." She ranted with a blushing face that made everyone laugh. Including Ruby who felt incredible during the moment as it was the first time since she came here she openly laughed out.
"Chill Sis. Its nothing to be embarrased about. Nobody here besides flamehead even unlocked their aura. But speaking of unlocked how the bloody hell did this dweeb of all people unlock aura?" Rex waved her hand as Lilac came closer to Ruby checking out her design.
"That's easy. Aura unlocks other aura." Sis smacked her lips shut as she heard the collective gasps behind her.
"Are you serious? You mean to tell me all this time while everybody was getting grinded into human pulp we could've used a temporary invincibility shield just by touching . . ." As someone from the crowd ranted.
"Derail that train of thought asap. If it were that simple parents and kid's all over the world would all have their aura unlocked. Its not that easy. To activate aura externally you need to be filled to the brim with it. As in it needs controlled focus to disperse it well. It was pure dumb luck her aura kicked in. Those silver eye powers may also play a part in that." Sis still absentmindedly grabbing onto Lilac's neck.
"Another question." From that same snared position the redhead said. "How do semblances work? And how long does that take?"
"That's a whole other ball park. Semblances are special superpowers based off the person's inner self. It can be today to you never achieving it in your life."
"Shit. That's worse. Seems like a real rocky road ahead of me. Just for reference tho' how long did it take you to get your semblance."
With some hesitation she said " . . A year and a month. My semblance is pretty complicated. I figured it out on my second year of highschool and mastered it on my final year." The pair turn to Ruby expecting some answers as well.
"Not to twist the knife or anything but it kicked in during training just on the third week." Sheepishly turning away Ruby blushed at how much better she was at this. Turning back she waved her hands rapidly. "Well it wasn't that easy I tell you! At first I kept running into trees all the time and my sister would always laugh at me. It took months before I got the speed and movement nailed down . . ." Nervously laughing she spoke fast.
". .. You really are an exceptional little turd aren't you" Said Sis dejectedly. Ruby just sucked on the straw harder and finished the milk and caused the carton to deform.
"Before your ego breaks let go before my neck snaps" Coughed Lilac in that iron grip. Sis slowly let go and she slipped away. "Whew. I need a break. I think I've got the hang of it. I just need to get a better handle on it." Collapsing on the mat she landed right above Ruby's drawing book. Staring at those white bouncy cheeks with those mystical silver coloured eyes she couldn't resist pinching them.
"That face is sho cuuu~te!" She exclaimed squeaking like a kid. Ruby after a second or two smacked it off. This caused Lilac to pout a little.
"Don't play with my face like that. I am not your dog."
"You could be."
"Yeah, no thanks."
Turning over she looked at the design Ruby made. Sis also edged a little closer to peek in close. "That's a neat base form. Mind if I take a crack."
Ruby knew the flamehead's obsession for clothing and style ran just as deep as her obsession for weapons so took no harm and pushed it towards her. "Go ahead."
"Alright let's . . .. " The enthusiasm was abruptly halted. Looking rather crestfallen. "Stand up." Getting up herself she prompted Ruby to do so as well. Initially hesitant Ruby had faith in her powers to handle any situation. "Stand straight. Okay good." Using the pencil and her thumb Lilac began scaling Ruby's body shape and measurements. Constantly leaving marks on a new page of the notebook.
Afterwards she plopped back down and started sketching. Joing the marks and making a far better outline of the body than Ruby did but omitted the cape. "What was that just now?" Asked Ruby.
"You clearly are the romantic type aren't you?" Replied the fire user without looking up.
"What makes you say that?" Tilting her head in confusion.
"You are prioritising looks over suits."
"Huh? But you do that too."
"Not in hell, half pint. Sexy or not my battle outfits all are first and foremost practical and effective. I will never sacrifice style for mobility. If any accessory hampers . .. "
"We get it. Shut up and get to the point . .. " Sis boredly yawned.
"Right. Nobody gives a shit here." Shaking her head Lilac looked at Ruby. "Alright start with what you actually need. Then everything else can be added one by one."
"Okay. To start with . .my cannon. The recoil is just too strong. Everytime I fire it, I either get sent flying or have my lungs crushed."
"So bracers for the arms and I guess for someone lile you tough soled shoes to give you some ground grip." Drawing some arrows she already started scribbling notes. Ruby started feeling a little bummed out that there was no cape on the design yet.
"Metal?"
"Yeah. Next."
"Belt. A strong sturdy belt. I really don't want my pants comming off out in the field." This immediately garnered lecherous looks from all three of them. "See. This is exactly why." Giggling it off Lilac drew in a belt marking it out.
"Anything else?"
As tempted as she was to ask for the cape she needed to fet the more important stuff out of the way first. "Some light armour will do. My sword drains a stupidly high amount of aura so its a bit scary when it breaks. "
"Whoo. Now we can get to the juicy stuff." Snapping all of her fingers Lilac started again. This new artwork completely put her's to shame. But there was still no cape.
"That's enough. Let's finish this sparring session already."
"NO!" Ruby and Lilac both squealed at the same time. Both got too ingrossed into their current work that didn't want to stop yet.
Opening her mouth to speak she was interrupted by someone at the door of the gym. "Yo Sis! What are you doing slacking off here. The supply delivery was today. Its your turn to distribute and organise them this month. Get your ass over there." An older prisoner said loudly.
"Seriously? Can I just skip today? I'm kind of. . . ."
"No can do. I heard about your training session but Tristan said to leave everything to blood rose."
"Alright fine. For my sake Ruby please get it done without getting too distracted by the costumes."
"Consider it done." Replied Ruby absentmindedly as Sis left. "Hey Lilac. Your drawings are great but where is my cape."
"Huh? I thought you were a speed fighter."
"Yeah so?"
"So a cape is completely useless to you. It creates drag. It stands out like a sore thumb and totally impractical. Why would you want something like that?"
" . . .. . . Because its cool."
"Listen kid. I know you got a fetish for that goth/vampire theme but let's be reasonable here. I got just the perfect girly outfit for you. You don't need a shitty, unnecessary piece of cloth just because you think its cool." The bloodlust in the air abruptly skyrocketed. Lilac found hands on the collar of her shirt and jerked up. Instantly yanked to eye level of a standing Ruby who glared at her threateningly. Silver eyes swirling with energy waiting to be unleashed.
"Don't . . . .dis . . .the . . .cape. Now put it in." Ruby would not be denied the chance to regain her theme. It pissed her off to no end at the thought of losing that. Feeling intimidated at the power Lilac still refused to falter.
"Somebody sure has a lot of sand in their vagina." She mocked. "What are you gonna do about it?"
"I'll hurt you." She spoke in low feral grows. It sounded so malicious that even Rex backed up slightly.
"Hah. As if your pacifist ass can do that willingly to a person." Lilac however didn't seem to care. Or at least didn't show it.
"You got it all wrong. I slaughtered over a hundred faunas just for destroying my old weapon. To be honest I've been holding back all this time but if I remember right. You're the one who told me to act like I'm guilty right?" Lilac had sweat forming on her brows as the hot silver aura poured out of Ruby.
"Don't screw with me. I've seen enough of you to know the bubbly you is the real you." Lilac was both enjoying and fearing this experience.
"Just put it in before you get yourself maimed jackass." Rex quietly whispered.
"Then you've also seen the pissed off me. I can mess up that beautiful face anytime I want. Or somebody might just find strands of red hair in the fallout of a stray cannon fire." Now Lilac just gulped. That demonic stare coupled with that hot chunky aura finally drilled through.
"So what colour do you want it to be?" With an innocent smile she replied as she began sketching the cape. Ruby let her go and sighed. "Jeez. What has Sis been feeding you?"
"Nothing. I'm just practucing my intimidation skills." Ruby cheerily replied.
"Well it was chilling. Thats for sure." Lilac said scoffing. "I'm guessing you want the cape red?"
"Of course."
"Red as in the same bright blood red colour."
"On second thought. Let's make it white. It can't hurt to try something fresh."
"Now you're talking." Finishing the design all that was left were a few final touches.
"What's that?" Ruby pointed out.
"Huh? Those are just padded gloves. Kinda like gauntlets. Unlike your dream scythe swordsmanship always have hands on the hilt so it's stressful on the hands. Don't worry the finished product will look way better. Anyways. Now that we're done. Lets get back to training." Flipping the book shut she pushed it towards Ruby.
"You want to continue?"
"Sis entrusted me to you. Can't let her down now can you?"
"Right. Let's go. I can use a little sparring practice."
(Yang)
Waking up with a throbbing pain in her head Yang regained her senses. Moving to a sitting position she looked left and right. It seemed nobody passed by here. Her mind felt blank as she raised her hands and stared at her palms. One was calm while the other was shaking like a leaf. Using both hands to rub her face she tried to recall what happened.
But her mind only drew a blank. Unable to think she shifted gingerly almost tripping over to get to her feet. She felt something uncomfortable under her shirt. Feeling the thick layers she saw a strip of cloth tied around it. Quickly ripping it off she noticed a slight burn mark underneath. Throwing it away she reached for her scroll but stubbed her foot on something sharp.
"Ow!" Checking underneath she saw an emblem with a blue lightning bolt in it. Suddenly it all came rushing back.
"No, no, no, no, no, no NO NO!" Clutching her head she tried to recall as much as she could. She remembered Lily confessing to Ruby's innocence. Something that gave her solace. "Damn it. Think Yang think." She saw glimpses of their battle. Her muscle memory could attest to that but all the words were silent. She couldn't collect what other words they exchanged. But that enraged face was fresh on her mind. "No what else did she say?!" She screamed to her own mind.
'Preparation.'
'Preparation for what?'
'Calamity.'
Grinding her teeth together her mind trailed off at one last thing. 'You're not ready to walk this path of blood yet Yang. Ruby will return soon. But till then stay out of our way. Otherwise you'll share the same fate as those stupid white fang animals."
Banging her head against the wall she suppressed her tears. "I can't wait. Ruby needs to come back now. Remember damn it. A location, a place. Anywhere!" But sadly those were all erased. "This encounter was useless. I-I-I can't I. . ." Furiously pounding the wall next to her.
"Fool. Stop dwelling on the past and figure out what you can do from here?" A mysterious voice whispered to her sounding angry or irritated Yang couldn't tell.
"Who's there?" Snapped out of her turmoil she immediately ran towards the voice. Turning around the corner all she saw was a handful of black feathers gently gliding down while a black bird quickly flew away. "Everytime." Grumbled Yang.
Lost and confused she shoved her hand into her pocket and grabbed her scroll that was strongly flashing. Pulling it open she saw 33 missed calls-26 from Weiss and 7 from Blake.- clearly they were worried about her. Checking the time it was only 6:34 pm. What felt like hours passing was just a matter of minutes. Feeling guilty for taking this on her own instead of stalling for time or calling them here she called Weiss immediately. The call was picked up almost instantaneously
"Weiss." Yang softly spoke.
"YANG! WHERE WERE YOU?! WHY DIDN'T YOU ANSWER OUR CALLS?!" Hysterically demanding Weiss yelled into the scroll that forced Yang to hold it slightly away from her ears. "What happened and where are you?" Now calming down.
"I found Lily. And she was just like you described her."
"Are you okay?" Sounding a bit more concerned.
Putting a hand on the burn on her abdomen she said. "Yeah kind of."
"So did you catch her, or beat her or did she get away?"
" . . .I got my ass kicked." After some silence Yang very quietly replied.
"Sorry I didn't catch that. Can you say it again?"
"She's way more powerful than we ever expected. I was thoroughly beaten." Sounding very defeated and exhausted.
"Did she do anything to you? Like you get any information out of her?"
"I'm not sure. Can we meet up? I want to talk to you in person. You understand what I'm saying right?."
"Okay. But there is a problem." Weiss understanding what Yang said didn't press for more. But had her own predicament.
"What?"
"I have absolutely no clue where I am."
"I'm still at the Vale docks. See if you can make it here. What about Blake?"
"I called Blake a few times. She said she was fine. Sun was with her."
"Him!? But this is . . "
"I know. He said he won't rat us out as long as we let him tag along."
"Talk about a pain. Well whatever. Look for the docks and I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks and be careful."
"You too. We need to get out of here fast."
(Prison)
"Duck this blow. Roll to the side, a kick to the back of the knee and an upward SMASH!" Describing her series of movements Ruby swiftly manuvered around Lilac as she rained heavy blows down on her. The smash was a solid left hook to the face that knocked her off balance. In that opening charging her fist full of crimson aura the muscles in her arm expanded as she finished her off with a devastating right punch to the chest.
The orange aura shattered and she was sent flying causing Ruby to yelp -scared that she over did it- "Excuse me officer!" Yelling a prior warning she used her semblance to get to the wall before Lilac and stopped her from crashing into it. The small swirl of rose petals vanished as quickly as they appeared as Lilac fell on all fours coughing painfully while clutching her chest. "You really . .need to learn how to hold back kid. . " she said painfully.
Ruby scratching her head apologetically beaming said. "Sorry. I guess I don't know my own strength. Can you stand?" Then extended a hand.
"Give me a moment. I don't feel so good." Continuing to pant Lilac took Ruby's hand and stood up. "Let's call it a day shall we."
"Yeah sure. You got the gist of it pretty good. So the guards shouldn't have anymore trouble now." Before Lilac could say anything the redhead held her mouth for a second before spitting up some blood and falling back to her knees. "Hey are you okay?" Worried Ruby asked.
"Shit that's internal damage. Get her to the infirmary asap." Rex pointed out.
"On it." Helping the flame girl up by the shoulder Ruby began to help her walk out of the gym and towards the infirmary.
"I swear kid if anything happens to me. . ."
"Shut up. I barely used half my power in that fight. Don't try to guilt trip me into owing you a favor. Try using your aura to heal yourself. Its pretty fun." Ruby replied.
"You are really getting used to this place aren't you."
"I did kill an ancient Nevermore. It was definitely a confidence boost. You were pretty awesome in that battle too. With that fire tornado and everything."
"Thanks. I'm grateful for you hauling my ass to the infirmary even though you were the one who broke it. You're a sweet girl Ruby. I feel great to call you my friend." Those soft fluffy words almost forced Ruby to smile.
"What's your angle?" But she held her feelings back.
"Way to kill the mood, little blood Rose." Lilac said dejectedly.
"I knew it. You were upto something." Ruby sputtered.
Lilac sighed and just confessed. "Ever since you and Sis became chums there is this feeling that's nagging in the back of my mind. I feel like an extra in a horror story who's probably gonna die and nobody is gonna give a shit. I hate hard labour but if it means surviving this little piece of hell I'll give it my all. I really . .really don't wanna die here. I don't wanna die here." That voice sounded scared, Ruby couldn't grasp what was going through her mind but gripped her tighter.
"Don't worry. We'll make it through. Somehow." Ruby tried to make as much of a reassuring face as she could.
"That sweetness is gonna give me diabetes." Ruby just giggled as they reach the door to the infirmary. Just upon entry Ruby felt a disgustingly dark vibe washing over her. It felt nauseating. Like hundreds of worms crawling all over her body. A scene of blood, guts and bone breaking flashed in Ruby'ss mind. That extremely evil presence only lasted for a second but Ruby immediately felt like throwing up.
Stumbling a little Lilac grabbed her. "Hey. You okay? I'm the victim here. Don't start passing out all of a sudden. You look like you've just seen a ghost." Lilac said oblivious to the evil Ruby just felt.
"Right sorry."
"You need more iron in your diet. Milk and cookies ain't gonna cover that."
"Hee hee. Sorry." On the outside she laughed it off but she couldn't shake the feeling of unease here. Its as if a premonition or an ill omen.
Internally she felt as if she just witnessed some kind of horrible murder.
'That was weird.'
Ruby didn't realise she sensed the forbidng intent to kill.
T. B. C.