(July 31, 2016)

Chapter 17. A Turbulent Mind

A plaza caught in flames. People crying in pain. Lifeless bodies scattered across the square. And a madman dead set on killing anyone whoever happened upon his path. Then image of his leader at the mercy of the devil…

"Bruin!" Zelony woke up shouting his friend's name.

He opened his eyes. He was in a place he didn't recognize. The last thing he remembered was fighting with his cousin with the help of his friends, desperately trying to protect his teammate.

"Mr. Zomp, you has startled us," came a voice of an adult woman.
"W-where am I!? Where are my friends!?"
"Please calm down," the woman said. Zelony looked at her, she seemed to be a nurse, judging by her attire. "You and your friends are here in Vale City General Hospital. You were brought here after the attack on Four Maidens' Plaza which happened eight days ago."
"Eight… days?"
"Yes, most of the victims woke as early as day five. With you now seven people have woken up."

Seven people… So one person hasn't woken up yet. Zelony hoped it wasn't the one person he cared about the most in his team.

"W-who is it?" he asked scared, voice broken with fear.
"Mr. Brown," the nurse was sad saying this. "His wounds are the greatest of you eight. He will wake up, but when we can't say."

The green-haired man that stood up. Well, he tried at least. He yelped in pain and quickly returned to lying position.

"I'm afraid you can't visit your friend in your current position. Especially with all that apparatus attached to your body. I'll go fetch the doctor to check on you." Then she started to head for the door, but quickly turned and looked at Zelony, "If it's any comfort your friend is being looked after a friend of his. She had arrived just few minutes ago so don't worry."
"A 'friend'? Who is it?"

Zelony was curious. Well, Bruin had a few friends outside their close group of friends, but who could be the mysterious woman? Among the somewhat close friends would be Team BLZE with two girls in it, but they weren't that close. The same went with stars of the year Teams RWBY and JNPR, but in neither of groups there was any girl Bruin got close. Oh, and there was this squirrel Faunus girl, but well… She was also out of the picture. Then it must be a friend from outside Beacon, but Bruin never mentioned anyone.

"A young girl with orange-red hair tied on a side, a really caring young soul," she said with a hint of a smile.
"Could you please... ask her to visit me?" Zelony asked.
"Certainly, Mr. Zomp," she smiled and left.

Zelony was lying, wondering who the girl was. He didn't exactly knew why he wanted to meet her, but maybe talking to her would ease his pain.

A girl with orange-red hair was sitting next to Bruin's bed, a look of worry on her face, but also of relief. She's been visiting Bruin for the past week since she heard the news. She also paid visits to other survivors of the attack, making sure they were resting and taking it easy.

However, she was most concerned about Bruin. Six people have woken so far, but he and his partner were still out cold. Doctors said that he's gonna make it, but the burn marks on his neck would remain for the rest of his life.

"Miss, Mr. Zomp would like to see you," came nurse. "He woke up just few minutes ago, but seems anxious to talk with you."
"Really? That's good to hear."

The girl smiled in relief. One less person to worry now. Only Bruin remained, but his awakening was a big unknown. Hopefully, it would be soon.

"Now if you don't mind me I'd like to change the bandages on Mr. Brown's neck. In the meantime, you could visit Mr. Zomp," the nurse suggested.
"Yes, thank you." The girl then stood up, and briefly held the boy's left hand in hers, "Get well soon, Bruin."

Few minutes later she found herself in front of the door to Zelony's room. She took a deep breath as she was a bit nervous about speaking with her friend's teammate for the first time.

She knocked a few times at the door and the person inside invited her in.

The girl entered the room, Zelony looking at her in surprise. Well, it was their first meeting so it was understandable to get such a reaction when they are just strangers.

"Are you… Bruin's friend?" the boy started.
"Yes, my name is Serah," the girl replied with a smile. "I hope I'm not intruding."
"N-no, not at all. Actually, I wanted to talk with you."
"I must admit I wanted to talk with you too."
"Y-yes?" the boy was surprised. "Oh, and my name's Zelony, 'Zel' for friends."
"So we're friends already?" she asked teasingly with a smile on her face.
"I guess, since you're Bruin's friend..."

Serah then sat on a chair next to Zelony's bed and measured him with her blue-green eyes. The boy looked at her confused, but didn't say anything.

"How do you know Bruin?" the boy started.
"We're good friends, we've known each other since we were little kids. He was always a very emotional boy and was bullied by other because of that."
"That sounds like him, alright." He paused for a bit and then asked her another question, "So how did you found about the attack?"
"It's been on the TV for the past nine days or so," she replied. "When I saw Bruin and his teammates on the battle footage I knew I had to come check up on you."
"Us? But we're strangers to you."
"I'm Bruin's friend and a Huntress-in-training. I couldn't live with myself if I cared only for him."
"That's very kind of you, not many people are compassionate so much as you."
"'Compassionate'? I would call it a normal reaction," the girl replied.
"The nurse and you said you visited the others… How are they?"
"Team PLTM and the two girls from your team are doing quite good actually. However Thistle is very worried for Bruin."
"That's understandable, considering what the two have gotten our two teams and one other into," Zelony chuckled.
"Really?" Serah asked surprised.
"Yeah, the two have actually organized quite an 'event' around All Hallows' Eve to bring together Team PLTM's then-fractured group."

Zelony then proceeded to tell her in great detail about the whole 'operation': Rouge and Nicandra practicing fighting with an armed golem, recruiting Team AZRE's help to make the construct appear Grimm, yet fight like a person, and have a voice, and finally about getting Professor Ozpin's clear for the event. Then how the actual event went, all accompanied by Zelony and Serah's laughter.

They boy was actually thankful: if not for Bruin's friend he would probably be having dark thoughts ans severe panic attacks and the like. However, Serah's presence had somehow a calming effect on him and he was sure the others she talked with would share the same opinion.

"Say, Serah, you aren't from Beacon, are you?"
"No, I study in Vacuo actually, second year in Shade," Serah replied.
"No offense, but shouldn't you actually be at your Academy and not in Vale?" Zelony wondered. "From what I know Academies arrive around the semester break, and it's..." he stopped he's been in coma for the past eight days or so and was confused about the current date.
"It's second week of December," the girl provided. "I'm a representative of Shade on an archery contest. Think of it as a bit of a warm-up before the tournament."
"Not many archers in Beacon though as far as I can tell," the boy said. "I think Dezaryl from Team AZRE and Eva from Team BLZE are the few archers we have."
"Haven't met them. So far I've been practicing with a Professor of mine, the contest doesn't start until tomorrow."
"Then shouldn't you be practicing then? I hate to be someone who's holding others."
"Don't think like that. You're not holding back anyone."

Zelony looked at her with sad eyes. Serah was like an angel, that much was certain. He met many amiable people in his life, but the girl before him was an epitome of a blessing. He wondered if Bruin also thought that. And if it's the kind of girl he'd be into.

He shook his head, earning a questioning look from Serah, but he didn't pay attention to that. Then he sighed and thought for a bit.

Carmin was working with someone, otherwise that woman wouldn't come and save them. But who was his employer? And who was that woman? His cousin wasn't much of a "groupie", but this attack seemed almost planned, coordinated even.

"Serah, have you visited the others today yet?" he asked. He hoped she didn't.
"No," came reply. "I came to Bruin first, then the nurse came and told you wanted to talk."
"Good." A sigh of relief. "Can I ask you to relay a message to others?"
"Yes, I don't see a problem with that. What is it?"
"First, please tell the others 'hi' from me and that I'm good. Second, tell them that when we're out, I want to talk with them about the attack."
"If you know something about the attack shouldn't you tell the police though?" Serah wondered.
"It's a matter I'd rather discuss with my friends," Zelony answered. "And police wouldn't do much. You know how they are, aren't you?"
"I suppose that with the Festival, ever-looming threat of Grimm, and White Fang attacks they have a lot of things to do. Still, I think you should them."
"I don't expect you to understand. I am not willing to share this information with you." Zelony knew he sounded cold right now, but… "I barely know you. You might be Bruin's old friend, but through my life I learned that being too trusting is deadly for you."
"I understand," and as strange as it was she smiled. "I hope you'll get better in no time. If there's anything you need, please, don't hesitate to ask."

With that they bid farewells and Serah left Zelony to meet his friends.

Over the course of the few next days, his health got better, doctors said that his Semblance had a minor influence over it. Since he didn't still have much strength, other friends visited Zelony. While he tried to maintain a rather cheery disposition, he struggled keeping it, especially since others were trying to get any information from him.

The fact that Bruin hasn't still woken up was worrying. Even the carefree Rouge started to give in to vexation.

After two more days all of Team PLTM along with the girls from Team BRNZ were given a clearance to return to Beacon after they recovered. They were also prohibited from any fighting till the end of the year since both their bodies and Auras had to regenerate naturally.

Only Zelony and Bruin remained. With his physical health improving, he visited his leader along with Serah, talking to him about the variety of topics, like weather, the upcoming Festival, and such.

However his mind was occupied with dark thoughts. He couldn't protect his friend from the monster his cousin is, despite acknowledging the fact that he would have never guessed such situation could have happened. And Carmin's lust for death, for his 'purge', was even stronger since he saw him last. And there was also his cousin's mysterious woman associate. There must be something bigger going on.

Yet he continued on putting a mask of light-heartedness. Somehow he felt that Serah could see through this facade, but for whatever reason she didn't ask him. He was thankful for that. She was a real angel.

But a single angel can't help when a hoard of monsters hiding among themselves lurked.

The darkness in the hearts of humans and Faunus alike was an abyss filled with mysteries, never to see the light, never to be uncovered.

Author's Notes

So here another chapter in the story, just for the end of July 2016 (although it's already August at the time I post it).

You can see I have quite shamelessly based this new character quite heavily upon a certain video game character, but well... Her name fitted the color naming rule very well (sera is a plural for "evening" in Italian).

We are slowly approaching the end of Volume One in my story (it's a bit more extended than what is in canon, but the first Volume was rather short IMO).

As always I'm open to suggestions and constructive criticism.