Chapter 37
The Forsworn Queens
(A/N: Apologies for any hiccups you may have had while trying to view this chapter, friends. I originally posted Chapter 37 last Thursday (November 5th) but due to the website experiencing technical difficulties, Chapter 37 took over five hours to update, during which time if you clicked on the chapter you either received a broken link or were redirected to Chapter 36. Unfortunately even after four days of being live, Chapter 37 received a small fraction of a new chapter's normal viewership, which tells me alerts and/or links still weren't working properly. While the website is still experiencing technical difficulties, the problems encountered last week appear to have been fixed, and so I went ahead and deleted Chapter 37 yesterday and reuploaded it today (November 10th) in hopes that alerts/links are now working. The reason I waited a day before reposting is because a chapter being deleted counts as an update and I didn't want to risk having anymore issues. My deepest apologies for any inconvenience but it's been out of my hands. Thank you for your patience, as well as all the love and support you've shared with me. I hope you enjoy Chapter 37. God bless)
Unnoticed by the Atlesian Knights patrolling the campus or the well-dressed huntsmen and huntresses returning from The Arcadia was an orphaned shadow abandoned by its owner. Not even the shattered moon shining brightly above could catch sight of who it belonged to, much less the strategically placed security cameras and their various methods of observation.
Like a cat the shadow scaled a large tree before leaping onto the tiny brick ledges of Beacon's guest dorm where students from both Haven and Shade Academy were currently being housed. Despite the ledges only being a few inches in width, the shadow traversed them almost as effortlessly as the sure-footed corgi now famous around the campus though hardly believed to actually be real.
The shadow passed by open windows unseen and undetected even by faunus, and seemed to be heading toward one room in particular that was allowing the cool autumn breeze to blow in. Even without the shadow's prior reconnaissance, the inhabitants wouldn't have been difficult to find due to them yelling at each other from across the room.
"Is this all really necessary?" asked a bored sounding young man near the window. "We've been at it for hours and the most interesting thing we've dug up is that she broke her arm as a kid and has a history of injuring her feet, and that she obviously cheated on her IQ test. Let's stick with the upperclassmen. I'd bet all of the money in your wallet on it being either Coco Adel or Velvet Scarlatina. Shades and Rabbit Ears as I like to call them."
"Very creative..." muttered a young woman further away from the window, sounding just as weary and possibly even sick. Unlike her counterpart who's accent was distinctly Mistralian, hers was Vacuoan just with a slight eastern cadence. "What about Pyrrha Nikos?"
"'The Not-So-Invincible Girl', you mean?" A moment of silence passed without a reply. "What? It's better than what everyone else calls her, and more accurate too."
"You're just mad that a freshman girl showed you up in front of her friends and classmates. In heels no less. Besides the seniors, aren't you supposed to have the highest combat rating in the school?"
Despite her mocking tone, the boy responded sounding just as uninterested as before. "Paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, and scissors beats paper," he said simply, not quite goaded into what the shadow recognized as her trying to start a fight out of boredom. An all too common occurrence in the shadow's everyday life.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that unless I wear tennis shoes that shoot plastic bullets I don't stand a chance against her." Although not necessarily upset the young man did sound as though he was growing impatient, and the shadow recognized what sounded like a recurring argument between partners. "Someone like me who fights hand to hand with metal boots would be better off with sticks and stones, but she's gonna have a real tough time beating someone who fights with aura based weapons like Rabbit Ears, who I personally like my odds against. It's gonna be her. I'm sure of it."
"You better hope that you're right..."
The young man snorted as though something struck him as humorous. "Wouldn't it be ironic if she turned out to be a White Fang sympathizer? She's originally from Menagerie, you know, and she nearly got kicked out of her combat school for taking liberties with the humans in her class. Maybe with all this business going on with the White Fang Ozpin will get cold feet. If I've learned anything the past few years it's that faunus have a habit of biting the hand that feeds them."
"Well aren't you just the optimist," she deadpanned.
"You've seen how the White Fang operate, and what kind of faunus they recruit," he countered. "I grew up as one of the only humans in a small village in Anima. I know the faunus better than you and probably even better than they know themselves. I just don't want to see someone with tiger stripes ruling the kingdoms, or someone with bull horns burning them down. Did you hear what that lunatic did to that huntress in Southern Vale? And you call me a butcher..."
*twitch*
"Huh?" Down below, voices carried on as though they might've had too much to drink, and a moment later another shadow passed by the window. A young man with silver hair poked his head out, looking all around as if searching for something just in front of him that he couldn't quite see.
"Hey, Emerald," he said in a quiet voice. "Tell me if you sense anyone out there."
The young woman groaned as she presumably got out of bed and made her way beside him. "I can barely sense you right now," she grumbled, elbowing him out of the way. Her red eyes lit up and she quickly began scanning the darkness, cautious but also wanting to just get it over with. "If you're paranoid just shut the window and close the curtains. It's freezing cold in here anyway. "
"Better than roasting in Vacuo or drowning in Mistral," he said, shoving her back.
"Please?" she asked, not even bothering to feign courtesy. "I'm running a fever and still have the chills."
After one last look outside the young man did as requested, and the shadow hiding underneath the ledge sighed before flitting to the next target on its list.
"I miss the days when the roles were reversed and you were the devil-may-care lackey, not me." Lying with her head propped up by several pillows, Emerald proceeded to get comfortable underneath a mountain of blankets, shivering at just the thought of crawling out from under them again.
"I'd rather be a lackey than someone's lapdog." After stomping across the room in his metallic boots, Mercury swung a leg over and plopped down onto his bed where various magazines lay. "And for the record I've always been the careful one. After the not-so-cunning stunt you pulled we can't afford anymore screw-ups."
Emerald glared at the bed almost perpendicular with her own, but just as she was about to fire back with a witty retort she sneezed so strongly that she was almost lifted off the bed. As she reached for a nearby tissue Mercury scowled, humored but also mildly concerned.
"If this keeps up much longer you're gonna have to see a doctor. What's it been now, four or five days since you stuck your head where it doesn't belong? And no, I'm not talking about your head being up your-"
A trumpet sounded as Emerald blew her nose, her toes curling underneath the blankets.
"-because your head's been up there since before we met..."
Feeling light headed she weakly tossed the tissue into the already full trash can beside the bed where it tumbled onto the floor where others already lay. "And yours is always in the gutter just like the one we found you in," she shot back. "It's just aura exhaustion, and maybe a mild cold. You know as well as I do that our auras boost our immune systems, and without it we're even more susceptible to getting sick than those doughy idiots who haven't even unlocked theirs. Once my aura comes back I'll be fine and my immune system will be strong enough to tolerate even you."
Mercury chuckled and retrieved a magazine with a pair of expensive-looking boots on the cover, several of the pages having already been earmarked. Across from him Emerald snarled, annoyed by his trademark smirk and carefree attitude. It was as though the entire world and its populous was there for his personal amusement, and that he knew a joke that nobody else did. Rolling her eyes she picked up her scroll again. "What about her sister, Yang Xiao Long?"
"It'd be a hell of a fight and probably come down to which of us can outlast the other or land the early knockout," he said, turning the page.
"For the last time I'm not talking about who'd win in a fight!" Emerald shouted. "I'm talking about who-" she quickly glanced at the window before lowering her voice- "who might be Ozpin's pick to inherit the other half of the Maiden powers."
"Not her I can tell you that," he said matter-of-factly. "She'd probably spontaneously combust just getting near that much power. And with all the fights and trouble she's been in I wouldn't be surprised if her family pulled some strings to get her enrolled at Beacon. Trouble for us in a fight maybe, but not a candidate."
Emerald grimaced and went to the next page on her scroll. "With that kind of power already you better be right. What about her partner, Blake Belladonna. She's ranked seventh in her class, and if Ozpin's looking to go down the diversity route again maybe she's hiding a pair of dog ears under that dorky bow of hers."
"Except I've seen her medical records and it has a picture of her without the bow and without an extra pair of ears. She's also not as light on her feet as a faunus."
"Maybe Ozpin meddled with her records and she's holding back in front of her classmates. You were only able to find a couple of her matches in the database. Maybe she's hiding a tail or something."
Mercury snorted. "In those pants? I don't think so. If she had a quarter in her back pocket and bent over you'd be able to tell what year it was minted. Being ranked seventh in your class means you're good but nothing special, and all she does is use her semblance to avoid her opponent until they tire out. She barely even knows how to hold a sword properly. Give it a month or two when the slackers start catching up and she'll drop ten or twenty places. I guarantee it."
"I still think she could be a faunus..." Emerald murmured, typing something into her scroll.
"Do you really think the Schnees would ever let their heiress be on the same team as a faunus?" he asked, annoyance seeping into his voice. "I'd bet even Rabbit Ears has been tempted to slit her throat. And before you ask, no. I don't think the princess is a candidate either. Ozpin would probably rather us get those powers than a Schnee, and I can't exactly blame him. When it comes to razing a kingdom and rebuilding it, we're amateurs compared to them."
"Better not let Cinder hear you talk like that..."
For the first time since sitting down Mercury regarded his partner, studying her as if unsure if she were being serious or not, and appalled when he received his answer. "The difference between her and Sienna is that Cinder actually respects what the Schnees are capable of," he said. "When the boss gets mad she kills a few wastes of space and calls it a day. No real loss, and a net gain if you ask me. When the Schnees get mad they wipe out entire bloodlines, bankrupt kingdoms, and send all remaining faunus back to Menagerie. Rinse and repeat a thousand years or so."
Emerald's hand tightened into a fist. "They'll get what's coming to them. Cinder will-"
She sneezed again, and again after that, and once more just for good measure. Mercury watched on amused as she filled several tissues and complained about her head swimming. "Maybe Ozpin wants someone who won't use the powers offensively," she thought aloud. "That'd fit the profile of the last Fall Maiden.
"What profile?" he scoffed, returning to his magazine. "All we had was a description of what she looked like and where she'd be, but yeah she wasn't exactly huntress material even if she did turn Vernal into a crispy critter. Did you see the look on her face when Cinder put her out of her misery?" He laughed again and earmarked the page.
Emerald shuddered and leaned over the side of the bed retching. "Please don't talk about that right now," she gagged. "Unlike you, Cinder and I actually liked Vernal, and she'd still be here if it wasn't for that witch's lightning."
"I seem to recall you hating her and being jealous whenever Cinder gave her the slightest bit of attention, and wasn't that lightning meant for you?"
From across the room Emerald barred her teeth and growled. "No, and I wasn't jealous..."
"Really? Could've fooled me, and it's probably a good thing that Neo's hardly ever around, or Lolita Gothic I should say." He stretched his limbs and stifled a yawn. "That's enough conspiracy theories for one night. Rabbit Ears fits your made-up profile, and from what I've seen she could already hold her own against a properly trained Maiden. For a minute or two anyway. Forget the idiot freshmen, focus on the upperclassmen and recent graduates. After what those twerps did to Torchwick I'm willing to cut them some slack, for now anyway. The only two things of interest about them are Tight Pants' pants and Blondie's, well, everything. And the fact that the gossip about them is better than the smut you read."
Covering her latest copy of 'Ninjas of Love' with blankets, Emerald narrowed her eyes at him. "For the last time it's not smut, and sorry to burst your male fantasy but I'm almost positive they're just partners. A little touchy-feely maybe, but partners nonetheless."
Mercury's expression suddenly soured. "What's the point of being partners if you're not also friends with benefits? You can't tell me they haven't at least shared a few guys or maybe the occasional shower together. Maybe I oughta investigate further."
Emerald rolled her eyes which only seemed to worsen her migraine. "You know what, not a day goes by that I wish Cinder and I hadn't found you begging on the streets. And yes, I find it hilarious that someone without legs was shining shoes for people's pocket change."
He shrugged, indifferent at the jab toward his former occupation. "It's honest work compared to stealing, and you don't get arrested for it. You're just mad that you're not Cinder's partner anymore."
As he continued chuckling to himself, Emerald's glowing red eyes burned holes into him. His laughter began to subside as his own eyes took on a reddish hue, but just as a familiar presence entered his mind Emerald cried out and cradled her head in agony, burying it underneath several layers of pillows and blankets.
"Well that was pretty stupid," he said, watching the writhing figure. "You said yourself you can't sense my mind right now. What were you trying to make me see anyway? More blood pouring out your eyes and ears?"
"Your biggest fear," a muffled voice hollered a few moments later. Once the world stopped spinning Emerald gradually came out of hiding, shielding her eyes from the light before checking for blood. "A world where you can't talk and nobody else can shut up." She grabbed the glass of water from her nightstand along with a half-empty bottle of aspirin, chugging both of them before setting them back down.
"Sounds like hell alright," he affirmed, returning to his reading material. "If I were Neo I would've killed me a long time ago, or died trying anyway. It's just too bad that every time you enter a person's mind it gets harder for you not to get caught. I know the very second you even try and can always tell your fantasies from reality, though I do appreciate your imagination being better than your books. By now the middle schooler probably isn't too far behind though. What was it the other day, the third or fourth time you've walked the empty halls colored in crayon? Pretty soon there's not gonna be any mind left, not that there was much of one to begin with."
Emerald winced as if remembering. "I dunno, fourth I think? The first was in the hospital after she walked in on Cinder while she was in the CCT. I wanted to make sure she didn't know anything but she was so hopped up on painkillers she probably thought I was a hallucination." She grimaced. "Fifth if you count me making sure she didn't notice you slipping her that stupid book..."
"The only one here who's stupid is you."
"The third time was in the courtyard to get a sense of what kind of person she is and get my foot in the door," she said, either ignoring him or unable to argue. "The fourth was because she deserved it. The fifth time though-" she shuddered and bundled up in her blankets. "I-it felt so real. It was like I was actually being torn apart by Beowolves screaming for my- uh, never mind..."
Mercury nodded but glanced back at his magazine. "The report said something about her village being attacked by Grimm when she was a kid, but I didn't see anything about it in her medical record. Sounds like she got off lucky but saw some family and friends get eaten. Welcome to Remnant, kiddo."
Although speaking bluntly in a nonchalant manner, Mercury's expression noticeably soured, as did Emerald's. She hated the girl. Hated everything about her, especially how happy she was, but having entered her mind so many times and experienced something so personal she couldn't help having the least bit of sympathy for her. The girl was doughy, dumb, and had gotten in Cinder's way far too many times for there not to be repercussions, but that didn't mean she deserved what she had gotten as a child. But then again neither had she, Mercury, or Cinder.
Right or wrong life was cruel and unforgiving. Only the strong survived, but that was what made Cinder so special. She was the strongest, and yet she aligned herself with the weak, the outcasts, and the broken. In Emerald's mind it didn't get any lower or more hamulating than a starving prisoner, crippled beggar, or a slave, and yet that was exactly who was going to inherit the Kingdom of Vale when it was all said and done.
"Or maybe her nightmare's actually a premonition," Mercury said thoughtfully, interrupting her own thoughts. "It might be just a drop or two but she does have some Lionheart blood in her. She was gonna become Grimm chow someday anyway. We're just speeding up the process."
Emerald grimaced and she felt bile rising again. Mercury was right of course, something that was annoyingly frequent. She didn't have what it took to be a real huntress and was going to die sooner or later anyway, painfully given their profession, but couldn't help feeling the least sorry for the girl imagining her being eaten alive by living nightmares, already able to hear her screams and dying breaths.
*knock, knock*
The pair stiffened and turned toward the front door of the apartment style dorm room, unable to see it from their cramped bedroom.
"Guess we'll find out if she changed her mind about roasting you," Mercury murmured. "If you're wearing a sexy maid costume come in!"
There was a moment of silence interrupted only by Emerald's heart pounding against her chest and her whimpering involuntarily, followed by the front door opening and a squeaky cart being wheeled in. Another moment of silence passed with Emerald's heart now skipping several beats at a time as a pair of heels stomped toward the bedroom.
Entering the doorway was a tall woman with dark hair tied in a bun and half-lidded amber colored eyes, wearing a uniform resembling that of an old fashioned Mistralian maid.
"Cinder!" Emerald called, throwing the blankets aside and rising to her knees.
"Someday-" the woman muttered, dragging her feet over toward the nearest bed, which just so happened to be hers- "someday I will find whoever it is that keeps spilling grape juice in the lounge and they will wish they had never been born..."
She collapsed backward atop the bed lifeless and ghostly pale, a sweat stain already beginning to form underneath her. Emerald hurried to her side and quickly reached up the woman's skirt and began pulling down her right legging.
"Let's get your aura inhibitor off," she said. "It always makes you feel better." With a loud snap she removed an electronic band from around the woman's thigh, and almost immediately she was surrounded by an orange aura that caused Emerald to lean in close and enjoy its warmth.
Ignoring her, Cinder propped herself up with an elbow but immediately cradled her head and shielded her eyes, muttering something reminiscent of a whimper. Seeing this Emerald wasted no time retrieving her water and aspirin from the nightstand, and after handing them over began undoing the woman's tight bun.
"Is it the voices again?" she asked quietly, running a hand through her ashen black hair.
Cinder's eyes flickered open causing her to wince and nearly drop the glass of water. "It's her voice," she hissed. "It's always her voice, and it's getting louder. She didn't take kindly to being riddled with arrows, set on fire, or having her soul sucked out her face, and even with the inhibitor on I can still hear her screaming. I should've just let her burn and taken my chances..."
Quickly apologizing Emerald sat her up and gestured toward the aspirin which Cinder took without hesitation. The glass was too heavy and her hand too unsteady however, and sensing this Emerald helped bring the glass to the woman's lips. Afterward Cinder sighed and regarded the pair, Emerald hovering over her while Mercury continued flipping through his magazine.
"So," she said, lazily wiping her mouth, "while I've been busy making an honest living, what have you two been doing? Not causing trouble I hope."
"S-still going through candidates," Emerald answered earnestly. "Just like you asked us too."
Ignoring her and her suddenly cheery disposition, Cinder turned her attention to Mercury who finally set aside his reading material and sat up. "We just got done arguing about it actually," he confirmed. "My money's on a third year faunus girl named Velvet Scarlatina. She has a camera that lets her create holographic projections which she can either augment with hard-light dust or through modified summoning glyphs. Her record doesn't say anything about her being able to use elemental glyphs or anything more sophisticated, but I'd wager she at least knows the fundamentals and is probably holding back in front of her classmates."
"Interesting," she said, sounding as though she might've fallen asleep halfway through his explanation. "Anything else?"
Mercury shrugged. "Just like you, already being a glyph practitioner would make learning how to use Maiden powers a breeze, and other than against her teammates she hasn't lost a match since her freshman year. She's a hell of a fighter, but she's soft and doughy just like the previous Maiden. Plus she's a faunus and the other girl was a native Vacuoan. Ozpin could be looking to play the diversity card again like he did with Lionheart, but Em's not so sure."
Emerald grabbed her scroll and quickly began opening various folders filled with photos of female students and recent graduates. "It's just that there's a few other candidates and I don't want to overlook any of them. There's her leader Coco Adel for starters, but there's also the freshman prodigy Pyrrha Nikos and Team RWBY who were all personally recruited by Ozpin himself and-"
"What was my one and only order?" Cinder asked quietly, Emerald flinching beside her as though she'd been struck. "I told you to not draw attention to yourselves. Why is that so difficult for you to understand?"
Tears filled Emerald's eyes and she bowed her head. "I-I'm sorry," she nearly sobbed.
"That's twice now you've disobeyed me and let your own pettiness rule over you instead of your queen."
"I'm sorry," she repeated. "A-after they ruined your plans I thought-"
"That seems to be the recurring problem, Emerald. You thought, and if it wasn't for Neo everything we've worked so hard for would've been ruined, and you wouldn't be here right now..."
"Y-yes, ma'am," she sniffled. "Neo, she-"
"Went along with your plan? Of course she did. Neo would've murdered half the school and its staff by now if I hadn't ordered her not to. I know she didn't talk you into it so don't even try pinning the blame on her again. I'm sure she causes all kinds of mischief that we don't know about, but unlike you she's never been caught and has never disobeyed me, or disappointed me for that matter."
As Emerald held back sobs a hand grabbed her by the chin, jostling her entire body. "Look at me, Emerald," she snarled.
Blinking away tears as best she could, Emerald stared into the fiery eyes of her queen, the room's temperature steadily rising. "I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I-I just wanted to make you happy..."
Gradually the fire in Cinder's eyes diminished and her expression softened. "I'm not angry, Emerald, nor have I ever been angry at you," she cooed. "Frustrated or disappointed? At times yes, but never angry."
Emerald smiled, her eyes twinkling up at the woman. "I won't disappoint you ever again," she promised.
"You better not," Cinder said evenly, the flames briefly returning. "As for those children 'ruining' the plan, you should pay better attention in your classes like Mercury. No plan ever survives contact with the enemy as the saying goes. I've already adjusted the plan accordingly as has Sienna and Adam. Ever since that fateful day in Forever Fall we've never truly had the element of surprise on our side, and Torchwick's role was to be nothing more than another distraction. Atlesian security around the city has more than doubled since the breach, which is exactly what we wanted. By divine right I am the queen of Vale, and what you're witnessing is more than just one woman's destiny, but a centuries-old prophecy manifesting for the entire world to witness and cower beneath."
Emerald's tears dried as her eyes began being filled with wonder and amazement, reflecting the flames of her queen, just as they'd been the first day of her discipleship. The hand pinching her chin opened and began caressing her cheek, which Emerald leaned into. Another began rubbing her bare shoulder, Cinder's aura warm and caring, and far too powerful to even imagine trying to resist, not that Emerald ever would. Almost involuntarily her body pressed against Cinder's, having missed her touch and very presence in her life and within her soul.
"It hasn't been entirely a waste of time," Mercury said, reminding the pair that they weren't alone, though Emerald certainly seemed to wish they were by the glare she gave him. "Team RWBY's middle school leader and her sister have an uncle that we've run into before. Does the name Qrow Branwen ring any bells?"
A violent shudder tore its way through Cinder's aura, causing Emerald to sit up straight and nervously glance around the room even if the news was old to her.
"Yep," he nodded grimly. "The huntsman from Forever Fall that probably would've killed us if we'd finished the job or stuck around any longer." A look of vindication briefly shown on Mercury's face but he quickly wiped it off seeing Cinder's expression. "Anyway, she uses a High Caliber Sniper Scythe just like him, and pretty well I might add, but I've seen better which is why I didn't connect the dots sooner."
Cinder cursed under her breath, but taking a deep breath tranquility returned once more to her face and aura. "For now he's Sienna's problem," she said, "but it's good to know that we have a pair of hostages if we need them."
"There's more..." Mercury glanced at Emerald who quickly looked away and began savoring her queen's benevolent aura while she still could. "Branwen's the head combat instructor at Signal Academy over on Patch. Only the older sister's related to him by blood, but their father is Taiyang Xiao Long. Another huntsman and teacher at Signal, and apparently he's related to the Lionhearts..."
Cinder's breath caught and her hand squeezed Emerald arm, threatening to break it in two or leave a brand. "And you only just found out this now!?"
The pair shared fearful and ashamed looks before nodding. "It's not in either of their reports but apparently it's common knowledge around the school," Mercury conceded. "Arslan was the one that told us actually. Looks like they're distant cousins, which makes sense now that I think about it."
"Then that settles it," Cinder said after a brief pause. "The Schnee girl was always off limits, but if the sisters are Lionhearts no matter how distantly then they're off limits as well. If we get Schnee blood on our hands then we're as good as dead, but if a pair of lion cubs kick the bucket then Leonardo, Hazel, or other members of the pride may start questioning where their loyalties lie. We also don't need any more huntsmen the caliber of Qrow Branwen back in Vale. Stop worrying about bottom feeders when there's still sharks in the water bigger than us. Time is no longer a luxury that I... that we have, and we might only have one more chance at getting what's rightfully ours. Which means we can't afford any more of your childish disobedience."
They both bowed their heads obediently. "I'm glad you see it my way. Now, you said something about the girls and their teammates possibly being on Ozpin's list?"
Emerald and Mercury shared another look, and a moment later he shook his head. "According to their combat instructor's latest report, they're all in the top ten of their class but besides the blonde none of them are all that special. For a Schnee and glyph practitioner, the princess has a small aura pool and has pretty much settled into being a support fighter, and since she's a Schnee I think it's safe to say she's disqualified from being on Ozpin's list. The bookworm with the bow is even more boring and forgettable, and about as average as they come. Their leader on the other hand has-"
"The runt from the CCT?" Cinder asked, snickering when Mercury nodded. "Well, she has spirit, I'll give her that, and a remarkable talent for getting in our way, but given recent events I don't think she's anything to worry about." She wrapped an arm around Emerald who immediately sighed and laid her head atop her shoulder, already feeling better.
"With her dad and uncle being huntsmen, I wonder if any family friends wound up in her feet," said Emerald sleepily. "It's a shame you didn't get to add either of their ashes to your pouch..."
"She's a fifteen-year-old prodigious non-factor," Mercury continued. "In another year or two she'd probably be a candidate and potential trouble for us, but right now her aura's still not fully developed, and between your glass and Emerald screwing with her head she's probably in bed sucking her thumb right now."
Emerald flinched but Cinder continued caressing her, her disobedience mercifully forgiven and forgotten, and all punishment pardoned.
"Her sister on the other hand could be a problem," he continued, "but she's not a candidate. She can barely control her powers as it is, and she'd probably blow herself up along with half the city if she ever got Maiden powers."
"That'd certainly save us the time and trouble," Cinder remarked. "Where do the problems lie?"
"Blondie's semi-fire proof and strong enough to power through most of the Schnee girl's glyphs, and I'm not sure if I could beat her in a fair fight. She has an aura pool larger than most third year students, and Emerald wouldn't be able to manipulate her mind unless she was low on aura. Even then her heightened emotions might shield her. The angrier she gets and more punishment she takes the stronger her aura, and once her semblance gets going it's like trying to stop a freight train."
"Sounds like you may be in love," Cinder teased.
"Just doing my job," he said coolly. "I don't know what the limit is because she's never been pushed far enough in class, but it sounds like she spontaneously combusts when she finally reaches it. Before that happens though she's almost unstoppable, and according to school gossip she killed an Alpha Deathstalker and King Taijitu both with a single punch during the breach, along with hundreds of other Grimm after spending two days in The Lost City chasing down the White Fang. Without her, her team falls apart. If she gets in the way my suggestion is to kill her before her semblance activates. Otherwise she's just gonna throw the same kind of power you throw back in your face, and probably waste a lot of your time. Plus there's always the chance of her going supernova if you kill her at her limit."
"A Lionheart through and through," she agreed, chuckling to herself. "Very interesting..."
"Wasted potential if you ask me, and actually she takes after her alcoholic uncle." Mercury said, turning his nose. "Arslan thinks she can take her in a tournament match, and she might, but what Blondie lacks in finesse and brains she makes up for with brawn and durability. Fifteen percent aura is as low as the schools will allow their students to fight at, or whatever percentage their aura shields break, but at fifteen percent her semblance is just getting warmed up."
"I'll be sure to keep her in mind if she gets in the way, but if we need hostages it'll be easier to just kill her and take her sister. Is she by chance the one Neo wants to scalp?"
The pair squirmed uncomfortably but nodded. "Among other things, yeah..." he murmured, turning to Emerald. "You oughta look into her head sometime and find out."
"No thank you," she blanched. "I looked into her mind once and I'll never do it again. You weren't there hiding in the shower with her. When I came to, she and the bimbo had just gotten done washing each other's backs when Neo decided to slit her throat and watch her bleed to death." She shuddered and lifted her feet off the ground as if afraid of getting illusionary blood on them again.
"We've all gotta have hobbies," Mercury chuckled. "If I had that kind of semblance I'd probably blow off steam the same way."
"The sad thing is I believe you..."
"They're all inconsequential," Cinder decided, causing the partners to forget about their petty squabble. "It's dumb luck that they've been able to interfere with our plans as much as they have, and can mostly be attributed to Roman and the White Fang's incompetence. Leave them be for now. If Neo wants them she can have them. Speaking of, I saw that the other bedroom was empty. I take it she's having dinner with Roman again?"
Mercury nodded. "Ironwood's holding some kind of shindig tonight so she decided to invite herself. If you hear about any Specialists or Ace Ops going missing you'll know who to talk to."
"Are we sure Torchwick won't talk?" Emerald asked worriedly. "Atlesians have ways of making people talk, and I don't trust either of them..."
"The mental block you and I created should keep him from remembering any important details," Cinder answered, running a hand through Emerald's hair. "Besides, Roman has nothing to gain and everything to lose by betraying us."
"Hopefully Neo remembers that," Mercury said, holding his breath.
"She's an illusionist," Emerald scoffed. "She can make illusions almost as convincing as the real thing, even more convincing that what I can plant in a person's head. I don't think she sees anyone but herself and Torchwick as being real. Not even us. It's all like some big game to her..."
"Game or no she's been useful," Cinder said, her tone putting an end to the conversation. "Far more useful than I ever thought she'd be, and she follows my orders without question and without backtalk."
She chuckled at her little joke before standing up, causing Emerald to cling to her arm and stare up at her with a gaping mouth.
"This was my last stop for the night," she said, nearly dragging her off the bed. "You two load up the cart with your uniforms, beddings, and trash. I'm going to soak in your therapeutic tub and try to forget about today, then I'll be on my way."
Mercury grumbled under his breath but tossed his magazines aside presumably to begin stripping his bed. Emerald meanwhile continued holding onto her Cinder, afraid to let go.
The woman grinned. "Do you really want to make it up to me, Emerald?" she cooed, brushing the matted hair out of her eyes.
"O-of course," she said. "More than anything."
"Good. Then follow my instructions and do as you're told." She began walking away and Emerald smartly released her, staring longingly after the soon-to-be queen of Vale. She exited the bedroom but as Emerald began gathering her scattered tissues Cinder poked her head back in with fire kindled in her eyes. "When you're finished you're welcome to come join me, Emerald. I'll even wash your back if you'd like me to..."
Sometime after midnight Ruby and Weiss wandered back to the room and were immediately greeted by Zwei running circles around their legs, with Ruby's only semi-functional and relying on Weiss' to remain upright. While the three danced together trying not to topple over, Blake lied atop the windowsill reading in her pajamas just as they had left her, and didn't glance up until after she was finished with the page she was on.
The mere thought of attending a state sponsored Atlesian dinner filled her with a deep sense of dread and nausea, but just as she was about to politely ask if the pair had enjoyed themselves, her nose twitched and she immediately began rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She watched attentively but impassively as Weiss deposited Ruby onto her bed before wandering over to the mini-fridge, Zwei already checking to make sure his fellow pup hadn't returned with more scrapes and bruises to clean.
Blake's nostrils flared and she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh roses, a scent she hadn't smelled since before the incident atop the CCT. Her keen eyes now fully awake saw the faintest glow of an aura shield around Ruby's midsection, similar to the one Weiss had not-so-secretly created earlier that day, but instead of wisps of snowflakes occasionally dispersing they were replaced by white rose petals. There was also the scent of electricity in the air, not unlike that of Nora's aura but more akin to machinery and electronics, and vaguely recalled smelling something similar in her brief encounters with Penny, presumably due to her own aura being electrical in nature and carrying numerous high-tech, dust-fueled weapons.
She instinctively sighed with relief, but when it began to wear off she stole a glance at Weiss who quickly looked away and turned her attention to Ruby, joining her on the bed and handing her a much appreciated bottle of water.
'It's a long story', her eyes had said for however briefly. While the partners attempted to drown themselves, some of the water even spilling onto Weiss' once pristine bed, Zwei hopped from lap to lap in hopes that it would be beddy-bye-time soon. He had gotten rather accustomed to the pair sleeping in the same bed together, and had also been enjoying his fellow pup's extended bedrest.
None of them talked much while preparing for bed, which seemed to suit everyone just fine. According to Weiss she'd had an uneventful evening playing heiress, and had rendezvoused with Ruby not long after Ironwood had thanked his guests and bid them farewell, and after she had fulfilled the courtesies demanded of her. Ruby meanwhile had gone off to visit Penny, and after getting lost once or twice had spent the evening together talking about weapons and all of their favorite desserts. Why her hair and clothes looked like she had recently woken from a nap however remained a mystery.
Blake unsurprisingly seemed to have had the most eventful evening, catching up on reading while having a Mistralian standoff with Zwei.
'Liar...' they each privately thought to themselves.
It came as no surprise to anyone when the hours quietly passed and Yang still hadn't returned. Weiss tried excusing her for Ruby's sake but it turned out she had already seen Yang and Henry hanging off each other while wandering the halls, presumably in search of his bedroom. Blake had pressed for further details but this was difficult due to Weiss turning her nose at such talk and Ruby not being particularly interested in the subject, and not just because it involved her sister.
Both she and Weiss took turns showering, with Ruby needing her help getting undressed. While pretending to read Blake noted they had been in the bathroom for quite some time together and had assumed one had hopped in the shower while the other took the tub, only for Weiss to exit a little while later, paler than usual and lost in thought. Not even a plump corgi demanding his ears be scratched could fully get her attention.
Blake had previously tried listening through the door but one of them had smartly turned the water on while they talked. It was a habit she couldn't help, especially being as anxious as she was, and while Weiss sat on her bed absently petting Zwei, Blake finally asked the question she'd been agonizing over for weeks.
"Is Ruby alright?" she asked, terrified of the answer.
Weiss turned, her left eye twitching slightly, an occurrence that was becoming more frequent with every passing day. "Ruby's alright," she said finally, the words having a soothing effect on both her expression and aura. She repeated the words to herself several times before scooping Zwei up in her arms and kissing him atop the head.
"Everything's going to be alright, Puppy-tart. Ruby's not going anywhere..."
*sniff*
Blake didn't ask any more questions after that. She wasn't Ruby's partner, nor was she her sister. Her instincts told her something had obviously happened tonight, something that could make even Weiss Schnee smile and cry with joy, but what that exactly was Blake couldn't say, other than that Ruby was going to be alright after all. For now that was enough to relieve her guilty conscience.
She sighed with relief not realizing how badly she had needed to hear that. Her guilt for causing the accident during their sparring match was still wrapped tightly around her neck like a noose, but she also still blamed herself for the masked woman atop the CCT and everything that had happened in their pursuit of the White Fang. She even felt responsible for Ruby getting shot by Torchwick that night at the docks...
It was in her nature to blame herself, and while nobody else did it only seemed to make the voices in her head that much louder, including the one that ceaselessly looked for excuses or others to blame despite knowing deep down who was at fault. Perhaps that explained the lack of sleep lately and why she had fallen so far behind in her reading.
An hour later and the girls had all retreated to their respective bunks. Restlessness seemed to have settled in for the night however as they each had their lamps on and a book in front of them. Except for Zwei curled up in her lap, Ruby was alone in her bed for the first time in recent memory reading from a large book of fairy tales, the same copy her mother had read to her every night before bedtime.
Her vision was blurry but she could've recited every story verbatim with the same cadence her mother had used, and with her superspeed gradually returning, Ruby was able to read through both 'The Four Maidens' and 'The Transient Princess' multiple times before taking time to consider them and try separating truth from fiction.
Underneath her, Weiss read from a large white tome not unlike the ones lining the room's many bookshelves. Both Ruby and Blake had tried sneaking a peek at the glowing white runes but every time their eyes would begin to sting and the ancient letters rearrange themselves to the point they'd become dizzy. They gave up after only a few tries, with Ruby being particularly curious and stubborn, but neither dared ask what Weiss was studying for fear of an explanation that they wouldn't understand and force them to nod their heads for an hour pretending that they did. In Ruby's case she particularly feared the condescending tone Weiss took on whenever discussing glyphs or ancient runes, which interested her partner but was something she sometimes had difficulty grasping the concept of, for which Weiss had very little patience for.
Blake meanwhile read from one of her many romance novels, her eyes hardly ever moving and only turning the page out of habit or when she remembered to do so.
*twitch*
Half-asleep, the uncovered cat ears atop her head suddenly stood at attention, and Blake barely had enough time to hide her book when the door was kicked open by a young woman bathed in sunlight.
"Yang Xiao Long's back in business!"
With a terrified scream Weiss banged her head against the bed above her adding to her already impressive migraine, but Ruby merely shielded her eyes with her and Zwei's favorite blanket which she had dearly missed that evening.
"Looks like somebody had a good night," Blake said with a wry grin and pinkish cheeks. Once the pain in her vision subsided she began noting Yang's disheveled appearance, particularly her partially unbuttoned blouse and what she wasn't wearing underneath, as well as her hair which was as wild and vibrant as ever.
"The best," Yang replied, sparing a sultry look over at Weiss who froze in place. "Oh, and you were wrong by the way. The bottom bunk may be fun once in a while, but nothing beats being on top..."
She threw her head back and laughed as Weiss choked and shielded her eyes either from the light or indecency in front of her, and made her way over to Blake's bed to presumably take a seat and begin in the sacred tradition of late night girl talk when a foot pressed against her midsection.
"You know the rules," Blake said, her face brightening as Yang's aura leapt onto her like flames to kindling. She gestured toward Ruby who didn't seem particularly interested in her sister's antics or admittedly impressive entrance, and had already returned to her picture book. "I can smell him on you," she hissed. "And I can feel him in your aura. Cold shower. Now!"
With an impossibly wide grin Yang leaned forward, forcing Blake to raise another foot and brace herself against the wall to try and keep her partner from crawling into bed with her. "Yang, I'm being serious, I-"
Blake's vision went dark and without warning her shoulders were pinned to the bed and she was practically folded in half with her legs behind her head. She whined and moaned involuntarily from the sudden sensory overload in her body and soul but raised the volume so she could hear herself over her heart pounding in her ears.
Her body squirmed as soft hands found the right places to tease and torment, but nothing quite compared to the unfamiliar aura pouring into her. Their thoughts and emotions intertwined with her own making it difficult to discern whose pleasure was whose, or which of them was the one actually taking the lead for the matter.
Her heart couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to race or skip to the finish line, but found itself lodged in her throat when a pair of thumbs found themselves hooked around the waistband and openings of her underwear. With her rear pointed toward the ceiling and her knees slightly bent she was rewarded with an excellent view of her underwear slowly being pushed down her thighs toward her. A view she shared with the eager young man kneeling over her...
She grabbed fistfuls of the bedspread and shut her eyes as the sensations pouring in and out of her became too much, but gradually and against her will they began coming to a halt. Confused and beyond exasperated, she peeked out one eye to see what had gone wrong only to see another blond grinning down at her, this one much more familiar to her.
"Like what you see?" she purred, flaring her aura and causing Blake's body to involuntarily spasm again, and for another series of visions to fill her mind.
Sweating profusely and not trusting herself to speak, Blake kicked the succubus in the face as hard as possible but all it did was cause Yang to laugh and tease her further. After a few more vicious kicks from both her and her shadow, Yang reluctantly crawled off the bed, rubbing her bruises and chuckling. "I'll take that as a definite maybe..."
"You," Blake snarled, making sure her underwear hadn't been either misplaced or displaced. "Shower. Now."
"Well if you insist..." With a diabolical grin Yang grabbed hold of Blake's leg and began dragging her kicking and screaming toward the bathroom. "I'm not the only one who needs a cold shower!"
"ALONE! I MEANT ALONE!" Blake clawed at her bed sheets then the carpet to no avail, and fervently turned to Ruby and Weiss for assistance who both shook their heads and tried to not make any sudden movements that might get Yang's attention.
'Your partner, your problem,' Weiss' eyes seemed to say, paraphrasing one of the rules from their handbook that they often quoted to each other multiple times a day.
Seeing no other choice and in fear of her life, Blake reached for her thigh holster only to find both it and Gambol Shroud suspiciously missing, and realized it hadn't been her underwear that Yang had been interested in...
On the ground the pair wrestled with Yang's shirt nearly coming off and Blake's yukata being thrown across the room. Both she and her shadow fought desperately to free themselves and finally either due to sweat or fatigued muscles, Yang's grip loosened just enough that Blake was able to shadow jump across the room, threatening to leap out of the window in nothing more than a silky black tank top and matching underwear.
Keeping a close eye on her partner, she retrieved her pistol and Mistralian nightgown while Yang watched on with a lopsided grin. "Suit yourself, but I'll leave the door unlocked in case you change your mind..."
After blowing her a kiss and strolling into the bathroom already half-undressed, Blake dropped to her knees and took a much needed series of deep breaths. Her bright face and aura replaced the portable sun their lives all seemed to revolve around, and she desperately hoped the visions still lingering in her mind and the accompanying hormones weren't visible for Ruby and Weiss to see, or feel for that matter.
Yang's recent memories while powerful were thankfully becoming less vivid with each passing moment, but the basic play-by-play was still there and Blake's imagination was more than enough to fill in the gaps reluctantly or not.
For the next half hour Yang showered while singing every naughty song she knew, often fumbling through words or making them up when she had to. Blake meanwhile paced around the room muttering to herself, occasionally sitting down where she'd fidget uncomfortably before standing back up again. The only place where she seemed to get any semblance of peace was over by the window, but despite the fresh air and cool breeze she continued running a fever and was forced to untie her yukata or else risk overheating.
Ruby paid her little mind during this time but Weiss as a precaution dug out her rapier and scooted to the back of her bunk, burying herself underneath several thick blankets and her corgi pillow. While it was Blake's own fault for choosing Yang to be her partner and enabling her debauchery, she did helpfully activate a series of glyphs to try and blow out the humidity brought on by Yang's aura, as well as Blake's, but stopped after not liking how her aura was mingling with theirs and causing her to become the slightest bit feverish.
Finally when Yang exited the bathroom thoroughly refreshed and her aura no longer pulsating like a heartbeat, Blake leaped to her feet and shadow jumped into the bathroom screaming "OH THANK GOD!" before locking the door and barricading it behind her.
"What was that all about?" Yang asked, pointing back the way she came unable to contain her pride or amusement. With a laugh she launched herself atop her bunk and propped herself up with an elbow. "So, how was y'all's night? Betcha it can't top mine, or Blake's now for that matter..."
Peeking out from the bottom bunk Weiss regarded her partner but kept her good eye on Yang, a vial of white dust already chambered and her finger on Myrtenaster's trigger. "I'm sorry you had to see your sister in such a deprived state, Ruby. I had been hoping to spare you from such a scene."
Ruby shrugged, not particularly bothered. It wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, but she also knew the difference between her sister coming home after a night of indulgence and her just wanting to put on a show.
It was just another lie, just like all the others Ruby had grown up with. For years she had accepted that her family occasionally lied to her, or at least didn't tell the entire truth. She'd always believed they must've had good reason, and even guessed it might've been for her own protection, but that didn't make it hurt any less. If anything it hurt more now that she knew the truth, and contributed to the growing frustration she had felt ever since her Uncle Qrow left on his mission and Yang received her acceptance letter into Beacon, but only recently reignited.
She caught her sister's gaze and found that she was being studied closely, much too closely for someone pretending to have had one too many drinks at Ironwood's party. As usual her big sister was instinctively aware something was up but too clever to ask directly. Activating her semblance as stealthily as she could, Ruby stretched her arms over her head so that her tank top revealed her midriff, something previously impossible in the baggy sweatshirts she had grown accustomed to wearing and being seen in lately.
Along with her seldom seen midriff however were paper thin scars all across her belly, as well as white aura that upon viewing caused Yang's eyes to immediately brighten and begin twinkling. A warm smile spread across her face, but upon realizing that her little sister was studying her in return, she coughed and quickly looked away. Weiss glanced between them having only briefly caught the exchange, and turned to her partner for an explanation after having felt her aura flare, presumably to slow down the progression of time so she didn't miss a single one of her sister's usually hard to read facial expressions.
Sensing what she was doing as if reading her mind, Weiss turned to Yang who was preparing her pillow for bed, suddenly too tired to even brag about her eventful night.
Ruby shook her head when it looked as though Weiss was going to start the conversation that was both inevitable and a long time coming. Her sister continuing the charade for just a little while longer suited Ruby just fine, at least for now. She was too exhausted for an extensive, possibly even physical interrogation tonight, and although she had many questions on her mind she didn't know exactly what questions to ask, or how to ask them for that matter.
Her big sis was just as sensitive to her mom's death as herself, if not more so, and it was obvious that Yang wanted nothing to do with the conversation of her baby sister having died, or the means thereof. Ruby understood, far too well in fact, and rubbing her eyes she gave Zwei a kiss atop the head and Weiss on the cheek.
"I love you, Rubes," Yang's voice cracked, her expression making it clear they were the most important words she had ever said aloud.
Ruby smiled back at her. "Love you too, sis..."
With a sniffle Yang rolled over to face the wall, and within moments was pretending to already be asleep. Frowning, Weiss regarded her partner once more, her expression softening when she saw how tired she was, as well how she struggled not to cry.
"Goodnight, Ruby," she said, losing her courtly Atlesian accent and courteous manners mid-speech, unable to completely stop playing heiress after doing so all night.
"Night-night, Weiss. Thanks for everything. I-I really mean it..."
Unsure what to say, Weiss gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek before retreating to the bottom bunk, though not before trying to temp Zwei to come with her, for which she received many kisses on the face and a promise to come snuggle with her later, which seemed to satisfy her for the moment.
Turning off her lamp and setting her book of fairy tales aside, Ruby took a deep breath. She had never done well with uncertainties in her life, especially when they involved other people and confronting them, but one thing was for certain. She was going to get the truth out of her sister even if she had to try beating it out of her...
Also for certain and possibly even more frightening was Blake's reaction when she learned there was to be no further girl talk or discussion of Yang's most recent conquest until morning...
(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Don't worry, in regards to Ruby's wounds healing you didn't miss out on anybody's reactions or thoughts this chapter. After Ruby's soul dives with both Weiss and Penny, I just couldn't envision a conversation between Ruby and Weiss that could do the situation justice without also feeling like a replay of recent events. I try not to have chapters dedicated to character reactions, and I thought it best to leave the conversation back to the dorm and in the bathroom up to the reader's imagination, though obviously we will be getting snippets soon. Blake is a bit out of the loop but she knows that Ruby is alright, which is good enough for her at least for the moment. As for Yang, that's a conversation that deserves it's own chapter, and I think Ruby has a few things to get off her chest beforehand.
The purpose of this chapter (besides to follow up on Team RWBY's stories) was to create breathing room before the final story arc, as well as flesh out the villains and better tie them to Team RWBY. Hearing what they have to say about Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang was something I was really interested in, and it's something that has been lacking both in canon and this story in my personal opinion (in my defense this is a more character driven narrative and began as a pseudo-novelization). It made sense to me that Cinder would want to avoid any hostilities with the Schnees and/or Lionhearts, and while Ruby has gotten in her way several times she's admittedly more annoying than an actually threat from her perspective. Yang on the other hand is impressive in her own right, and I think Mercury would easily be able to see that. I sorta headcanon him as being Cinder's go-to when it comes to evaluating the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, and I think there's a lot on the surface that would make him cautious about a fight between her and Cinder. Even though he's not aware of the previous Fall Maiden being Yang's former training partner, being semi-fire proof and being able to take an insane amount of punishment and dish it back likely would get his attention.
Also, Cinder's line about washing Emerald's back is a callback to Chapter 29 when Neo asked Emerald the same question in the shower after just having slit "Yang's" throat after having just washed each other's. Both were meant as a threat, but in Cinder's case she also reminds me a lot of Lust from "Fullmetal Alchemist". While Emerald manipulates people's minds, Cinder manipulates their emotions, and that's a dynamic I wanted to highlight as I think it's rather unique. To what degree Cinder is using Emerald and/or Mercury is up for you to decide, but while I think Mercury is content with their arrangement (something personal but learning more toward professional), I think Emerald is totally and unconditionally devoted to Cinder and her cause. I think Cinder enjoys the power she has over Emerald, and I think she's always looking for new ways to assert herself. "Seduction" is Cinder's go-to, both the seduction of power and lust. The exact relationship between Cinder and Emerald is up to you to decide, but I just wanted to make clear that Cinder is meant to come across as manipulative and abusive here. She is evil after all, and Mercury and Emerald aren't exactly innocent either.
I may or may not headcanon Blake and Emerald having the same taste in books, partially because when I first started writing "The Petals Scatter Now" I headcanoned them as having similar semblances and backstories. In Chapter 1 Emerald used her semblance to manipulate Tukson's mind into conversing a decoy but originally it was a body double similar to Blake's only "real", and I kinda got lucky with her powers actually being based around hallucinations (I added certain mind manipulation bits). I really enjoy writing for Emerald and Mercury, and I purposefully wrote them as having a similar relationship to members of Team RWBY and there being certain parallels between characters. I wanted them to come across as friends and huntsmen partners, and also "likeable" to a certain degree despite being villains.
In Chapter 38 we'll see more of Team RWBY's reactions to recent events, and we'll also see what Ruby means by trying to beat the truth out of Yang. Emphasis on "try"...
All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and with all of you wonderful readers. God bless)
