A.N; Bit late on this one, kinda struggled to get into the rhythm of the chapter but I think it turned out okay. Anyways, enjoy!


Second Song

Chapter 15

Trust


Riot

'Your will is strong, but the mass concentration required to maintain Exodus will be your downfall. Only summon it right as you are about to strike and be sure to draw back your aura into your body, lest you waste it!' Salem warned me. I nodded, looking right at Terra. The shock on her face must've been from both Exodus and the damage inflicted onto her. 'Didn't think that an aura-construct would be able to directly counter her Stand ability. Good to know.' I filed the thought away and gripped the blade with two hands, widening my stance. "The real fight starts now, Terra!" I shouted, snapping her out of her daze. She stared at me for a moment before her face broke out into a massive smile. Not a grin, a genuinely happy smile. "Yeah… yeah, I guess it does!" She shouted back, back into her low stance. Her aura was like a loaded rifle pointed right between my eyes: it was exhilarating. My feet blasted off the floor as I threw myself at her, twisting my hips and swinging straight down. Exodus cut through the air and crashed into the ground, another *BOOM* blasting through the hall. Even though Terra dodged, I saw a small cut running down her cheek. Looking closer, Exodus was even able to slice clean through the mist in the air itself. I drew it back in and lashed out with a roundhouse kick, Terra ducking under and kicking my foot out from under me. I grunted as I crashed into the floor and quickly rolled away from her follow-up axe kick that cracked the stone right by my head. I had barely made it to my feet only to find both feet planted in my stomach, knocking the air out of me as I flipped back. I sensed danger in the air, all of it pointed directly at me. "Exodus!" I summoned it again, gripping it with two hands and whirling my body in a full three-sixty as fast as I could, chopping through the mist again and stopping the attack barrage.

The cut on Terra's face healed, but a new one on her stomach suddenly opened up, a bit deeper than the previous one. Neither of us could stop smiling though. Once more, we met in the center of the ring, slamming my knuckles into her own, sharp enough make my ears ring. I slipped by her right cross, aiming for a left to the liver. Quick footwork made me miss, but I always followed up, lashing out with a barrage of jabs. She weaved past all of them, leaping high and spinning rapidly. "Air Lance!" I was in a bad position to try and copy her redirection-technique, but it was a wide open moment to intercept. "Dragon Smash!" My fist crashed into her boot, another sharp shockwave shoving us away from each other. It didn't stay like that for long. She slammed her forehead into my nose, my eyes tearing up, but I didn't mind. My front-kick slipped past her Antanium coat and shot into her solar-plexus, stunning her. She didn't mind. We met each other in a hail of punches, kicks, elbows, knees, grapple-attempts, you name it. She wasn't fighting any less seriously, hell, she was fighting harder than I had ever seen her, my uppercut blasting her head skyward only for her blistering spinning hook-kick to crash into my temple. "Consecutive Dragon!" Right, left, hook-kick, all in an instant, but I only felt a single impact. Her face was inches from mine, another sharp elbow rattling my brain. 'She moved straight in! The second roundhouse was just a glancing blow, and my hook-kick missed entirely!'

I felt aura stream and spiral up her fist as she drew it back, and I knew what was coming. 'I don't have enough strength to defend against it!' I panicked.

'Who said you needed strength? Wouldn't that be proving her right?' Salem's words hit me like a bucket of cold water, and I felt calm. '…You're right.' I breathed out gently, ignoring the roar of the crowd, ignoring Terra's shout, ignoring the pain. There was only the fight. My head was empty, my eyes tingling slightly. "Weeping Dragon." My arms moved on their own, gently touching her forearms to redirect her strike. The moment she was off balance, her eyes wide in surprise, my hands gripped Exodus and my body just moved. In a single moment, I had stepped past her, Exodus held straight in front of me. And just like that, the moment of clarity vanished. The waves of pain and soreness hit me, and I gasped as my legs buckled. My hold over Exodus went slack and I immediately lost a good chunk of aura, just barely above the red. 'Fuck, that took way more out of me than I thought, I have to-!'

"Winner, Riot Rose!" A burst of cheers and applause reached me, my mind whirling and confused. "Wha…?" I turned to see Terra laying flat out on the floor. "T-Terra!" I called out, stumbling to her. Stopping for a moment, I quickly let the last bits of my aura flow throughout my body, rapidly healing any leftover damage before I rushed back to her. She was looking up to the ceiling, her aura completely shattered, laughing. "Wow… I actually lost."

"Are you okay!?" I asked, frantically checking her for any injuries. If Exodus was able to cut her through her Semblance, then a direct hit… nothing. The smaller gashes on her body were mostly healed up, but aside from that, I shuddered in relief when I realized that I didn't rip her in half. She sat up and tried to stand, but her feet buckled and I quickly caught her. "I'm fine, just need a moment to rest."

"Auntie-! I mean, Professor Yang, can I take her over to the infirmary?"

"Go right ahead Riot. You two fought well today, I'll just email a rundown of your performance later." I nodded a thanks and quickly, slung one of Terra's arms around my shoulder and helped her walk. When I finally noticed the cheers and congratulations sent my way, I felt my face heat up and something in my chest curl. This was… new to me. "Eyes up champ," Terra's chuckle cut through, "You won those cheers." Even then, it was a bit embarrassing… but nice. When we left the hall and were walking through Beacon to get to the Infirmary, something was still bothering me in the back of my mind. "H-hey, Terra…" I started.

"You haven't shattered my worldview or made me rethink my life," She laughed, reading my mind. "I still stand by what I said… but I have to admit…" She stared me right in the eye, and I suddenly realized how close her face was to mine. Her eyes were a bright, shining kind of blue. A sunlit sky in the middle of the day kind of blue. "You've validated your point. You beat me without using your raw power, and you've shown me how far your resolve will take you in crap situations. So consider myself both curious and impressed." I was silent for a bit. I wasn't really sure what to pick up from that. Terra noticed and chuckled again. "It means I'll give this self-mastery a try. I won't randomly try to beat people to near death for you guys." I sighed in relief, amusing her enough to laugh. She had a really nice laugh. "Oh wow, your aura's recovering really quickly!" Looking at my hand, I was surprised too. Aura was already spreading through me, relieving more of the aches and pains that still hung around. I guess that learning how to better control my aura allowed my recovery to increase even more. Good to know.

When we reached the infirmary, I felt Terra suddenly stumble and go slack in my arms. I damn near had a panic attack. "Terra!?"

"I-I'm fine, just…" She chuckled again, a hand going to massage her forehead, "Your punches still have my head spinning!" I quickly picked her up and gently placed her on one of the beds, placing a hand on her forehead and letting my aura flow softly to her. "Aaah… my hero," She said with a grin, looking a lot more relaxed. I struggled to fight down the raging blush on my face as she looked directly at me with that freaking smile of hers. "Y-you're welcome," I managed to force out, turning away and sitting on the chair next to the bed.

"So about that sword," She started after she was done laughing at me, "It's and aura-construct, isn't it? Not just any construct, that's an Auric Phantasm."

"How do you know about that?" I asked, shocked that she figured it out.

"Simple, my dad uses one. It's a Bo-Staff that he calls Yeoui, and it can expand, extend, shrink and even bend if he wants it to."

"That's what it is!?" I squealed, catching her off guard. "I wondered for years on what kind of weapon your dad has. I had guessed for a while that it was aura-based, but for it to be a Phantasm of all things is awesome!" She laughed when I realised that I was ranting again, my mouth shutting as my embarrassment set in. "Yeah. He lost his original weapon in the Second Great War, apparently he broke it on a Goliath's head. So he thought it would be cool to try make a staff from his own aura, and that's how Yeoui was born. He says it's supposed to represent his awesome power and flexibility or something like that, it sort of makes sense considering what he can do with it." She turned to me, a curious look in her eyes. "What does your Phantasm represent?" At that, I didn't need to think too hard. I closed my eyes and opened my hand, chanting, "Exodus Rose." The shape of the blade, the length, the aura required, sharpness, its purpose. A moment later, it was in my hand. It felt lighter than a feather, kinda surprising considering its size, but I knew that each swing carried its own very real weight. A small shock ran up my arm, like my nerves were being pinched.

"Well… when Wolfram makes his weapons, he knows every single part of it. He knows what it can do, what its purpose is. Even if the material is different, the concept is the same if you want to make a weapon. So, when I made Exodus, it was meant mean one thing. Freedom." The sword… my sword hummed lightly in my hands, growing warm to the touch. When her fingers brushed against the flat of the blade, there was a pleasant shiver than ran up my spine. "Freedom for who?" She asked softly. I was silent for a moment.

'You can speak Riot,' Salem said in my mind, equally as kind and soothing. 'Don't hide your feelings. Talk to her.'

"…I had thought about Exodus for a while, you know?" I said after a moment. "I thought that it was supposed to be my freedom, the signal of my rebellion against my father. But… now? My father isn't my father, and some asshole who started off the entire war because he had some issues with his evil ex-wife hijacked my dad's body."

'Said evil ex-wife is right here Riot.'

"O-oh, sorry Salem," I stuttered out, Terra snickering a bit.

'No offense taken. Carry on.'

"Yeah… well… Ozpin is the one I have to surpass now. Exodus will be the sword that'll grant my father freedom from Ozpin, from this nightmare that the bastard put him through. In a way, it's just as selfish for me to want that." I felt Terra's hand gently place itself on top of my own. I could feel the callouses on her palms and fingers, the small grooves that felt like scars. "Riot, it's alright to be selfish sometimes. It's okay to want something, to yearn for a desire. For you to want to restore your family can be seen as selfish, but I know you Riot. You have every right to want something, especially comfort from an unbroken family. You might lack the strength to take Ozpin head on right now, but with that resolve of yours… I know that you'll get there." The small, genuine smile on her face made my heart flutter and my stomach flip. A stray thought entered my head.

'Oh… oh my,' Salem gasped, 'That is… quite personal. Are you sure about telling her that? I have no doubt that she'll more than accept that, but for you…'

'I trust her Salem, as a partner and friend.'

'It sounds like you want more than just that,' She replied cheekily, making me blush again.

"… My mom was the one who named me Riot. But that wasn't supposed to be my name, you know? Ozpin had taken over dad's body not long after I was born. You know what he named me?" Bile and rage bubbled in my throat, something that she didn't miss. "Mordred." Her eyes went wide, shock and anger quickly worming onto her face. And she was right to feel that way: the righteous King of Vale, Arthur Pendragon, ruled over a peaceful and prosperous kingdom. It all crumbled at the hands of the Knight of Treachery, a child who sought to wrench the throne from his father. In the end lies a country devastated by civil war, Arthur himself dying from his bastard-son's blade. "I… struggled with that since I turned thirteen, when I found out that he placed it as my middle name. Ever since then, I wanted my father to pay for that. I know it's not his fault now, but I'll be giving Ozpin hell."

"Riot, why are you telling me this?" She asked, her voice again soft.

"… Terra, I… trust you. That, and I want to let you know why I want to master myself. It won't be now, or probably for a long time, but… I want to be able to wear that name with pride, regardless of its meaning. Let the name that was meant to slate me become the banner of heroism." I chuckled at myself, letting Exodus dissipate back into my soul. "It's a silly dream, but one I want to reach nonetheless." I felt her hands on my cheek as she turned me around. "Te-?" My words died in my throat as her lips gently pressed onto my cheek, almost touching my lips. 'Soft…' When she back away, her cheeks were just a bit pink, and her smile was big, almost beaming as her eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Riot, that's a beautiful dream," she said softly, "And… thank you for trusting me with something that precious to you. That… that really means a lot to me." My mind was swimming and my mouth flopped open and closed like a dying fish. She laughed heartily at what was probably a hilarious looking expression on my face, finally getting me to clamp my mouth shut and attempt to form a response. "Y-y-yeah! I-I mean, l-like I said, I trust you, y-y'know?"

"I noticed," She snickered.

"F-fair enough," I muttered, trying to hide my face in my hands. I felt another quick peck on my forehead and I was sure that I would die (as the happiest guy in the world) there and then. "You're adorable Riot."

"And you're injured Miss Wukong," A voice sighed behind me. Professor Arc had just walked in, a lopsided grin on his face as he went up to Terra. "I swear, it's like I find one of you guys injured every week. Thank God it isn't too bad this time… seems like a concussion, blunt-force trauma. Muscle-cramping… in a really straight line across your abdomen. Did you get whacked with a, electric whip or something?"

"Try aura-construct," She replied, grinning and pointing to me. His eyebrows raised, I nodded and chanted in my head, letting Exodus form in my hand. "Oh wow, an Auric Phantasm! Well-shaped, strongly developed, and room for growth. Make sure to try practicing with it active whenever you can, alright?" I nodded, the idea already having been in my head when my sword was in its conceptual stage. "You go on now, lunch should be on in a few minutes. Terra will need to rest for till later, there are some things not even aura can fix, and I don't want to risk her aggravating her head-injury." Everything he said made complete sense but… Terra noticed me hesitating and smiled, the same bright and drop-dead gorgeous smile. "I'll be fine Riot, don't worry about me too much. I promise I'll meet up with you and the team as soon as I can, alright?"

"…Okay," I surrendered. "See you later then Terra."

"Same here. And Riot?" I paused as I got up. "You won today. Remember that." I nodded, a bit giddy at the smile on her face.

'Goodness boy, Asuka was right: you have it quite bad for her,' Salem chuckled in my head. It was embarrassing, but she definitely wasn't wrong.

"Hey hotshot!" Asuka's voice broke me out of my thoughts as both her and Wolfram walked up to me. "Good match! Is Terra gonna be alright though?"

"Yeah, Uncle Jaune's taking care of her, she'll be fine by this evening, thank goodness."

"That's a relief," Wolfram sighed before his eyes lit up in excitement. "How was Exodus? You looked perfectly suited to use it, and it didn't seem to show any signs of damage at all!"

"Yeah, it was perfect. Didn't even need to worry about any kind of excessive weight either, it feels like I'm flying around with it. Though, it has a drawback." He already had a small notebook in hand. "I need to be still for a moment to concentrate and create Exodus. Plus, I can't keep it up infinitely, it only lasts for one slash before I have to pull it back in."

"I'm guessing you'll try to erase that weakness by training with it?"

"You know me so well," I chuckled. "But yeah, I want to be able to have it active indefinitely rather than relying on it in bursts."

"As a sword should be," He agreed, snapping his book shut. "I'm glad that I was able to help you finalize the creation of your weapon, it certainly gives me several ideas for my own semblance."

"Yeah dude, thank you for going out of your way to help me. It's a debt that I'll repay whenever I can."

"I'm just doing my job as a leader and as your friend," He replied warmly, the formal tone in his voice slipping a bit. Asuka noticed and snickered, elbowing Wolfram in the side. "Hey now, don't get too chummy with Riot or he'll break your heart! He's got his eyes on someone else, ain't that right~?" I felt my face go red for the hundredth time this week as they both laughed teasingly. Even if it was a bit mortifying, I enjoyed it, I had to admit. "Soo, lunch is around the corner, and I don't know about you guys, but that red velvet cake looks freaking amazing. In other words, let's hurry our asses up!"

"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry come to think about it," I agreed as we started walking down the hall. A sudden tremor ran up my spine. '…Salem, what's up?' I asked, slowing down a bit.

'…' The silence was a bit unnerving, but it hit me why I could feel her nervousness as soon as we turned the corner, and we all froze on the spot. "M-MOM!?" A briefcase in her hands and wearing her combat outfit, mom looked like a mess, like she had just pulled on her clothes and cloak right after waking up. "RIOT!" She dropped her case and I was instantly tackled in a flurry of rose petals. "Oh god, I heard what happened! I'm so sorry that I wasn't there to stop him sooner, I never thought that he'd outright attack you. And to think it was Ozpin…"

"I'm alright mom," I hugged her back, embracing in the familiar warmth, "I'm…" That was shattered when I remembered who exactly was fidgeting around quietly in my brain, something that my mom didn't think to tell me about. She felt me stiffen in her arms, pulling back with worry in her eyes. "Riot, what's… wrong…?" I stared at her hard, gritting my teeth.

'Riot…' Salem called out gently.

'SHUT UP.' I felt my own wrath nearly crush her, that being the only thing forcing me to relent.

"Riot, talk to me," Mom said softly, "I know that your father…"

"This isn't just about him anymore mom. We… no, I need to chat with you. Now."

"A-aye Riot, calm down just a bit-!" Asuka started. I could barely restrain myself. When I say barely, I mean it. "Stay the hell out of this." For a split second, I let my control slip and I felt the Unlight crawl under my skin, begging me for release. It took a moment, but I grit my teeth so hard that they would've shattered without aura. "O-okay Riot," Mom agreed. "Let's talk."

A few minutes later…

Ozpin's office was something that I didn't like being in, normally. The atmosphere was oppressive, the man associated behind it having been ten times worse. Right now though? I couldn't care less. "Riot, what's wrong?" Mom asked softly, "Please, you know you can talk to me." I nearly lashed out at that.

"Oh, I can?" I spat, mom flinching at my aggression. "Come out, Salem." There was a small, sad sigh in my head before the black smog formed the world's greatest evil beside me. Mom's eyes went wide and her face turned paler, silver staring into blue. "Oh yeah, if I can talk to you, why did you fail to mention that I have the world's worst villain INSIDE OF MY GODDAMN SOUL!? No offense Salem."

"That's a compliment boy."

"You're welcome then. But WHY!?" I screamed back at mom, aura exploding from my body and blowing mom's hair and cloak back. "I get why Ozpin wants me dead. I get how much of I danger I am. I get that I have a lot to learn…" I ground my teeth harder, my throat and eyes stinging with tears. "But why didn't you tell me?"

"Riot…" Mom walked towards me, "How would you have reacted if I told you-?"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT SHIT!" I roared, the floor beneath me cracking, both Salem and Mom taking a step back. "Salem already brought that up, and I've had more than enough time to think about that! Did you really think me so weak that I'd just give up because of that? Were all those years of lies and secrecy the result of fucking PITY!?" I sobbed, hunching over and unable to look my mother in the eye. "Didn't I work my ass to death, time and time again? Haven't I proven myself - proven to you that I'm no longer a child? Why… why didn't you trust me?" My body felt weaker than ever before, my legs bucking under me as I fell to my knees. Maybe resolve and self-mastery was bullshit after all. It hadn't been enough to properly beat Ozpin, it hadn't been enough to make me the strongest, and it hadn't been enough to convince my own mother that I was ready to take on my responsibilities. Maybe power was just as, if not even more important than what Terra said. A slight breeze brushed against me, and I stiffened as I felt mom embrace me tightly. I was going to push her away until I felt a sudden wet drop hit my shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Another drop, followed by two more. "I'm so sorry Riot." The dam seemed to burst for the both of us, and I hugged her back as we both cried. What felt like an eternity of tears was probably only around five minutes. "I-I'm… sorry for getting angry at you," I sniffed, looking down in shame.

"Don't be Riot. It was my duty to tell you about this, but I failed to because I let my feelings get in the way. You deserved to at least know." Mom wiped her eyes, her hands on my cheeks. "So don't think that I didn't trust you, or that you haven't earned your strength." She sighed standing and helping me up before she turned to face Salem. "Though… I know about Salem's power being inherited by you. This is new."

"Indeed. I apologize for the hardship which my actions have brought upon your family," Salem bowed, shocking mom. "You were the intended recipient… though I do not regret the passing of my power to Riot." Mom calmed down and her eyes hardened like steel.

"Why?"

"I told you as I was dying Ruby Rose. If my methods to unite humanity fail, then I entrust the future to you and the following generations. However, humanity must be united for what is to come, and it will come. You will need all the help you can get, including from myself."

"What's to come…?" Mom's eyes went wide. "…Y-you're bluffing."

"And since when do I ever bluff about such a thing?" The silence was as deafening as my confusion. This is the second time she mentioned that threat which I still had no clue about. Even the mention of it made my head suddenly ache. Strangely enough, mom seemed to feel it as well, her own hand going to head in surprise. "O-ow…?"

"Another curse placed upon me by them, an Info-hazard curse: should I attempt to warn anyone about what the threat is exactly, then I risk the death and/or destruction of both myself and the recipient of the information, at least until they or their kind return to Remnant. This might not have been an issue with an immortal body, but with the remnant of my soul now bound to your son…"

"You risk killing him as well," Mom finished, a horrified look on her face.

"A loophole or two, however: I did not tell you what the threat was, yet you know what I was trying to imply. You may feel free to tell others about it, including your son if you wished, without any further risk to anyone else. The only other reason why I was able to tell you as you defeated me was thanks to my already dying and destroyed body. Dead men tell no tales, and they are foolish for putting such a flimsy and gimmicky curse upon me." Mom sighed in relief, almost fainting to the floor. Salem turned to me, an eyebrow raised and a small frown on her face. "I… don't think it would be wise for you to know just yet, despite my earlier thoughts."

"Why the hell not?" I asked, a bit irritated.

"You are simply not strong enough." The words were like a physical blow, but… I understood. I wasn't ready to face any kind of world-ending threat. "Not yet," She agreed, the frown turning to a small smile, "And I have no doubt that you will reach that level eventually. You hold equal, if not greater potential than your mother. That is why I believe you are the perfect vessel." I smiled a bit and nodded. That was always the plan anyway. A faint bell went off, and my stomach growled. "Ah, I pulled you away from lunch, I'm so sorry honey!" Mom panicked. I laughed and pulled her into a hug.

"Not your fault mom, I kinda… lost my temper," I muttered. She smiled and hugged me back, going up on her toes and kissing me lightly on the forehead. "It's alright Riot, I don't blame you. I love you, okay?"

"I love you too mom," I hugged her one more time as Salem vanished with a whispering laugh. "See you soon. And good luck on running Beacon!"

"Thanks, I'll need it," She laughed nervously. Mom was still mom after all. After a wave goodbye and a quick button-press, I sighed and leaned on the wall of the elevator. 'Are you alright?' Salem asked, 'I imagine that was quite stressful for you.'

'Yeah… I'm fine. I just needed to get that doubt out of my system.'

'A wise choice,' She hummed, 'Now, make sure you eat properly, your body requires proper sustenance to maintain your growth.'

'I know Salem,' I chuckled, 'I know.'

To be continued...


Not too much happening this chapter, but I feel like I'm getting a better grasp on character interaction. If not, then don't be afraid to tell me otherwise. Hope isolation is going well for everyone out there, and aside from that, peace out!