GRYD Season 02 Chapter 3: The Paths We Take
Late at night, in the halls of Beacon Academy, a person carefully walked through in, they constantly turned around to make sure they weren't followed. Slowly they went down passageway after passageway, until finally they stopped by ducking into an entranceway. They again slowly poked their head out, but what they didn't see was the hand reaching for them from behind.
The hand grabbed the person by the shoulder, and a girl screamed a little before being muffled by another hand.
The body soon followed, and it was a Glyph, "It's me Elenor, calm down."
A wave of relief fell over Elenor's face, and Glyph slowly let go to allow her to speak, "You shouldn't have scared me like that."
"Sorry. You told me to be stealthy though."
"Right, I did say that, heh."
Silence fell between them, which made Glyph confused, "Elenor?"
"Oh! Right, sorry, come on, let's talk in the classroom."
She raced by him and opened a door, Glyph followed her in. Once inside, she turned on the lights, and for the first time Glyph got a good look at her. Elenor was in her regular attire, but he could see bruises and welts on her body, mainly along her arms and face.
"You alright?" he asked concerned
"I'm fine, the Grimm...were persistent. It took much longer than we thought to rout them all. DFND was great by the way, you were right, they protected us."
"And did you in return?"
"Me and Rita did. The others...well...you know."
"I do. What's this about Elenor? You were scared before the mission, and now you're basically terrified of something. What is it?"
"It's...about Primrose and Maggie."
This got his attention, and his face went from worry to anger, "What?"
"The other day, I heard them talking, Primrose...she's not happy, at all. She hates you Glyph, and Macro, and your teams by association. But mainly you two. She hates the attention and praise you get because of your missions, and she wants to get back at you, badly."
"And Maggie?"
"She promised to help her in any way she can."
"Rita?"
The mention of her name made Elenor smile, "She doesn't know about this. Ironically, Primrose doesn't know if she can trust her anymore. Because of how she treats me now, and treats you now."
"Treats me?" asked Glyph confused
"You haven't noticed? She doesn't mind talking with you now. Primrose apparently saw us three talking that one day. You know, about the food?"
"Oh yeah, we were exchanging recipes. Rita laughed when I recalled how I ruined some of my moms' cookware."
"Exactly. Primrose thinks she's warming up to you, and by extension, distancing herself from her and Maggie."
Glyph grunt and walked through the classroom a bit, he knew all too well the judgment of Primrose. It was because of her that the world thought he was a monster, lying about the incident at Signal and what really happened there. Just the thought of it made him boil.
He caught this though and took some deep breaths before turning back to Elenor, "I appreciate you telling me her state of mind, but, do I really have to fear? She's come after me before."
Elenor stepped towards him, fear more prevalent, "Not like this! You didn't see her in the mission Glyph! There were many times we could've stopped, could've retreated for better positioning, Primrose wouldn't have it! She...she...well...she acted like Reyson!"
"That's not good."
"In a way, if it was just about Grimm I might have let it go, but afterwards? She was just as agitated, she hated having no more Grimm to fight. It was if..."
"...as if she was challenging herself? Pushing herself? For a more worthy challenge?"
"Yeah. Maggie didn't say anything, but I could tell she's worried, and I'm just plain scared! If she has this determination to Grimm? I don't want to know what she has planned for you."
For the first time, Glyph went into deep thought, this news did trouble him. What could Primrose be up to? Was it going to be a public fight? Or something more personal? More sinister? He wasn't sure, and that worried him.
"Glyph?" said Elenor softly, getting his attention.
"Sorry, was thinking."
"It's ok. Look, I promise if I find anything else I'll tell you. I don't want anything to happen to you. You mean too much to me...I mean! I couldn't bear it if something happened to...umm..."
"Elenor, it's ok. I know you're gay."
The statement took her aback, but she then broke into a smile, "That obvious?"
He shook his head, "No, someone taught me how to read people, and see the subtle signs. Like...how you look at Rita."
This statement got her to blush, "Yeah...that makes sense."
"You have nothing to be ashamed of, and who knows, maybe Rita will like you in the same way, one day."
"You think?"
"She's gay, and you are changing her view on things, I think she appreciates that."
"Thanks Glyph. Anyway, what I was trying to say before was that I have appreciated your support of me. Especially in the early parts of my time here."
Glyph laughed and stepped up to her, then playfully rubbed her head, "I told my own partner that I see you like a little sister. I'm a single child, but if I did have a sibling, I would hope I would look out for them like I look out for you."
"Please, don't stop looking out for me. I don't want to die."
The two laughed, and it echoed throughout the classroom. Eventually they stopped and looked at the other in appreciation.
"We should head back," noted Glyph with a nod to the door
"Right. But I'm serious about one thing, please be careful Glyph. I don't trust Primrose, especially right now."
"And I'm grateful. I owe you one."
"No, I still owe you, for everything you've done, but, I'll consider this a start at repaying it."
"If you insist. Now come on, let's go."
With a smile and a nod Elenor exited, with Glyph close behind.
The next morning, Glyph and Macro went at it in a sparring match. Glyph only used one of his escrima, while Macro used the full might of his E-Tool.
During one clash of their weapons, Macro's expression shifted, "You think she's telling the truth?"
"Elenor has no reason to lie to me."
"That's true, she's always been grateful to you."
The two pushed off, then let loose a wave of strikes and flurries, each trying to outdo the other. After both missed multiple times, they circled, waiting for the moment to strike.
Glyph's expression shifted this time though, "You should've seen it Macro, she was terrified. She likened Primrose on their mission to Reyson."
"Holy crap," said Macro astonished, "she wasn't that possessed during our team fight!"
"I know! That's why I'm worried."
Opportunity arising, Glyph struck, Macro parried and managed to get in a blow, but Glyph rebounded super quickly, and managed to land a few strikes himself, the intensity of his strikes grew as he thought about the situation.
"I hate her, Primose. She's brought nothing but pain to us the moment we met her! And now she thinks we're trying to upstage her? We're trying to save lives! I don't have time for spotlight!"
Glyph got incensed, and Macro saw this and shifted his E-Tool into its gun form and pointed it right at Glyphs' face, making him stop instantly, "Calm. Down."
Though stunned at first, Glyph collected himself, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Macro lowered his gun, "Don't be, you have every reason to be incensed at her, the dumb brat has it coming."
Stopping the fight, Macro shifted his weapon back into shovel form, then flung it into the ground, making it stand upright. Glyph put his escrima away, "What do we do? Do we tell the teams?"
"Of course! Elenor said they're "guilty by association" in Primrose's eyes, can't risk them not knowing."
"Where did it all go wrong?" Glyph asked as he looked up at the sky
"What?" responded Macro, curious as to the intent of the message
"Sorry, something Night said to me once. He wondered how the world got so bad. This has me thinking about that."
Macro stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder, "The world is screwed up, no doubt, but people like us? We help make it better. Let her come, let her try and do something to us. There's eight of us, two of them. They're not stronger, smarter, or better than us. If for no other reason than we don't do things for selfish reasons...you know...except Reyson."
"And Diana."
"Yeah, her too...but the rest are cool!"
The two laughed and looked back at the school, Glyph soon looked back at his friend though, "Thanks Macro."
"No problem. Word of advice, the next time we get a break? Take it. We've been stressed out for too long, especially after that last mission. Relax, you earned it."
"Same to you."
"Oh, I've already got plans, trust me. You just make sure you have some."
"Well...I do have a da-"
A noise interrupted them, and they turned towards the nearest loudspeaker, "Attention all students, this is Headmaster Night. I request all students to meet in the amphitheater. I wish to discuss something with you. Please go now."
Curious, but knowing they needed to leave, they grabbed their stuff and went towards the school.
In the amphitheater, all the teams were together, including GRYD, MEAL, and PRME. Soon after, Night walked on stage, Squire at his side as usual.
Night raised a hand to quiet them all down, "Students! Students! ...thank you. The last few days...have been some of the hardest you'll face. And I won't lie, they have been the most stressful of my time as Headmaster."
The students murmured at this, it was interesting to hear him talk like this.
"You might be wondering, "how so"? Well, I have never had to send out students to a mission like this. Sure, there have been missions near Grimm infested areas, but never have I had to send them out to hunt them. That's not my job, nor my desire. But, the situation demanded it, so it happened. To my relief, and eternal joy, not only did all students make it back, but all missions were a complete success. Furthermore, I have gotten word from several competent sources that all Grimm activity in the kingdom of Vale has stalled. We are safe."
The amphitheater erupted into applause and screams as the students enjoyed their accomplishment. Night too smiled at this, and only after a while did he quiet them down.
"Yes, you deserve that jubilation. But, you must remember, this is not permanent, the Grimm will return, and regroup. But for now, enjoy this. To that end, given that the last few days have been stressful, to say the least, I have decided to...speed up your next trip to Vale. You can all go tomorrow, do the staff a favor and unwind, relax, and enjoy each others company. But don't slack off today! Your classes will still be on, and your teachers will hold you to a standard. So, do well in classes today, then relax tomorrow. Dismissed.
The students slowly dispersed, and the day began.
After classes were all said and done, the students retired to their rooms for the most part. In the room of Team GRYD, Diana, Yasmine, and Glyph were all working on things when a knock on the door came.
"I'll get it." said Diana with a spring in her step.
"Thanks." said Glyph and Yasmine in unison, which prompted a smile at the other
Diana opened the door to see Leilani looking at her, both were surprised to see the other, but both quickly regained their polite composure.
"Hello." said Diana as kindly as she could
"Hi Diana, is...Glyph here?"
"Oh, sorry, you just missed hi-"
She suddenly vanished, making Leilani jump back in shock. She jumped again when Glyph suddenly appeared in the doorway, "Hi Leilani, sorry about that."
Leilani breathed a sigh of relief at this, "Oh, thank goodness, I thought something bad happened to her."
"Not yet."
"Heh, oh...you're serious."
Glyph turned to look back into the room, and gave Diana with a glare, she glared right back, "It wasn't very nice what she did. In fact, let's talk in the hallway. Yasmine?"
"Yeah?" she replied curious
"Make sure she doesn't do anything."
"With pleasure."
Glyph nodded to her and left the room, Yasmine summoned her drones and pointed them all at Diana, who rolled her eyes at this, "I'm not going to do anything."
"I know. But I got an order from my leader, so I'll follow it to the letter. That's bad for you on multiple levels."
"No kidding."
In the hallway, Glyph and Leilani walked for a bit until they were away from most doors, "Sorry again about that Leilani."
"It's ok Glyph," she said slightly embarrassed
"No, it's not."
"Thank you for saying that."
"You're welcome. So, what's up?"
Leilani did her best to look at Glyph with confidence, "Well, we have the chance to go to Vale tomorrow. Would you...you know...like to get that ice cream?"
He smiled, "Nothing would make me happier right now."
"That's...that's very kind to say."
"It's true. And Headmaster Night said to enjoy each others' company. So, I want to enjoy yours."
Leilani blushed intensely, and lowered her face to hide it , "I...feel the same. Would you like to just meet in town?"
"We could just ride together there. If you want."
"I do! I mean, yes, that would be fine. I'll...see you in the morning."
"Ok."
She looked up to see him smiling at her very kindly, she blushed again, smiled back, and went back towards her room. Glyph laughed, then sighed, then vanished.
Back in the room, Yasmine continued to watch Diana like a hawk with her drones. Glyph appeared and marched right towards Diana, "If you ever do that again I will teleport you so far..."
He stopped, and looked back to Reyson's bed, it was undisturbed, Glyph turned to Yasmine, "Where's Reyson?"
Yasmine thought about it, "I'm not sure. He wasn't at dinner come to think of it. Last time I saw him was at class...that's not good."
Outside, on the grounds of Beacon, high up where the cornerstones of the school converged, was Reyson. His phone was in front of him, and he was glaring intently at the screen. But it was his hand that was different, it was shaking.
On the screen, a message read, "I'm free to come to Vale tomorrow. You still want to see me?", but the message wasn't sent yet. Reyson was hesitating, his thumb hovered over the "Send" button. His face twitched, and his teeth bared themselves as he continued to hesitate.
Finally, out of possible desperation, or maybe even an accident, he hit send. His face became somewhat shocked, not sure how or why he did it, but all he could do then was wait.
Minutes passed, and he continued to stare at the screen until the phone pinged, and a message came back, "Of course, cousin. I'll meet you at the port tomorrow."
His hand again began to shake, and his breathing became very erratic. Reyson was scared, and he knew exactly why, and that terrified him even more.
The morning came, and the students slowly made their way out to the rides so that they could be taken to Vale. As Glyph approached the area, he saw Leilani, there waiting for him. To his surprise, she wasn't dressed in her usual attire. Instead, she had a bit more elegant clothing on. Nothing too fancy for a walk in the city, but something she definitely hadn't worn before.
Glyph soon reached her, and he gave her a small bow of the head, "Leilani."
"Glyph," she replied, though now seemingly sad
He noticed this, "What's wrong? Oh, was I supposed to dress up? I'm sorry."
"No! No, you did nothing wrong, I did. I shouldn't have gone all out like this, we're just getting ice cream, but I wanted to look nice for you, and I thought this would be a nice gesture but I didn't think-"
She froze as Glyph's hand cupped her face, her eyes slowly went to him, and he was smiling, "You look great Leilani."
Knowing she would calm down now, he lowered his hand, but continued to smile. She nodded in appreciation, but was too embarrassed to speak. Glyph picked up on this.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes! I mean...let's."
With that, the two went towards one of the carts and rode into town.
After being dropped off, the two walked on the sidewalk in town for a bit until they hit the main area. Glyph turned to Leilani, "Any particular ice cream you want?"
"I know a place that served some good stuff the last time we were here. Shall we go there?" she replied with a shrug
"Anywhere you want Leilani."
She blushed slightly, but took lead and began the walk to the parlor. Glyph smiled as she did so, but followed without hesitation.
As they progressed, Glyph continued to look at Leilani, but she didn't return the gesture. He knew what was going on, but didn't want to force the issue yet, so he did what he did best and remained silent. Eventually, they made it to the ice cream place that Leilani liked. This made her light up, and she rushed ahead to get her order, Glyph followed suit. There was a small line, but they happily waited for it to work itself out.
Sure enough, the line ended, and Leilani stepped up, "Hello, I would like one mint cup cone please, two scoops. And he'll have...uh..."
Seeing her get nervous Glyph stepped in, "Chocolate, also two scoops."
The man bowed to them and got them their cones. Once done, he handed it to them, and Glyph handed him the payment before turning to Leilani, "Shall we sit down and enjoy these?"
"Yeah...that'd be great..." she said softly
Still not wanting to press the issue yet, Glyph nodded and guided her to a nearby table. They sat down and started to eat their ice cream. But as a minute passed, then two, Glyph noticed that though Leilani was enjoying her ice cream, she was still very sad.
"Why are you sad, Leilani?"
"What? I'm not..."
She was stopped by Glyph's look, which read that he wasn't buying it, which shut her down, and made him shake his head, "Didn't you want to go out with me?"
"I did! I mean, I do...it's just...I've done everything wrong from the moment we met up."
He looked at her seriously, "You've done no such thing."
Leilani smiled at his reassurance, "Thanks, but I've barely considered you in any decision I've made. How I dressed up, whether you wanted to come to Vale or not, I don't even know if you like ice cream!"
"Clearly, I do."
"You're right, it's just...I guess I don't know you that well, and I'm sad that I asked you out before getting to know you better."
Glyph sighed, "Oh Leilani. Uh...I'm going to ask you a series of yes or no questions. Answer honestly, ok?"
Confused, but willing to play along, she nodded, "Ok."
"Am I reliable?"
"Of course! I mean, yes."
"Am I a good friend?"
"Yes."
"Am I a good person?"
"Yes."
"Do I help those in need?"
"Yes."
"Do I protect those I call friends?"
"Yes!"
"Am I handsome?"
"Yes...oh, well played." she said with a smile after catching herself.
He smiled as well, "Wanted to keep you are your toes. The point is. You do know me, you just don't know the little things. But that's not on you, that's on me. I was always a quiet kid, even before Macro knew me."
"So I hear."
"Good, then know you've done nothing wrong. I would like to think that you asked me out about because I'm a good person, or at least am trying to be, and you like being around me. Is that accurate?"
"Yes, very much so."
"Then, use this opportunity to try and get to know me better."
"How?" she asked honestly
"Ask me something about myself," he said with a shrug, "I promise I won't lie to you."
"That's...a lot of leeway."
"I trust you. Now please trust me."
"I've trusted you since we first met." she said blushingly
"Then you should have no problems asking me about myself. Go ahead."
He leaned back and ate his ice cream, and waited for Leilani to ask her question.
Across town, near the docks of Vale, Reyson leaned against a building, he was antsy, he had his arms crossed, and his fingers danced on one of his arms. What's more, his breathing was intense, as if he was itching for something to happen, but it didn't, and it made him more agitated.
At one point, he became so agitated that he bared his teeth in rage, and then made to leave. As he did though, a sonic boom rang out, making him stop instantly. He turned to see a small silver and gold colored ship descend from the sky, and land right at the docks.
The ships arrival made everyone in the nearby facility turn their heads, it was clear they hadn't seen a ship like this before. For Reyson though, it just made him nervous.
Soon, the door to the ship lowered, and a single girl, with a male attendant on both sides of her, descended from it into Vale. The girl was short, but very pretty. Her golden hair went down to her shoulders, her eyes meanwhile were very clear, almost reflective in their purity. As for her garb, it was refined, yet very elegant, not unlike the outfit her mother wore when she came to Beacon, but this one was more suited for walking the streets, and wasn't meant for presentation.
Though her eyes focused on what was in front of her, she couldn't help but notice all of the people talking amongst themselves as she walked by. After reaching the main walk area she noticed Reyson, and changed her path to meet him. Reyson righted himself, but didn't move closer to her, making her come to him.
The two were soon standing across from each other, both with a look of scanning upon their family member, but for different reasons.
Reyson gave a small smile, "Hello Arianna, you always could turn heads."
"Hello Reyson, I'm glad you came, and that you contacted me." she said with a smile of her own
"I almost didn't."
"I'm sure. I'm glad your better instincts took over then."
"Don't push it. You asked for a chance, you're getting it."
"I'm grateful, but I wish you would stop looking at me like an enemy, I'm not like the rest of our family. You know that."
"Do I? Do I, Arianna? Because I remember you doing some things to me just so you could please your mother."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is!" he roared, making a few people turn to them before slowing moving on
Arianna got nervous from the attention, "Reyson, if we're going to argue, can we at least do it in private? I reserved us a suite in a nearby restaurant."
"Hmph, Heron influence at its finest. Ok, let's go."
"No."
This made him look at her in confusion, "You just said you wanted to do this in private."
"I do, but I want something from you first."
"And that would be?"
"I want a hug." she said simply, with purity in her expression
"Excuse me?"
"I want a hug, like we used to every day we saw each other. I want a hug from my cousin. A real one Reyson!"
He looked at her with contempt, but it melted when he saw the longing in her eyes, and the slow raising of her arms. Reyson sighed, then embraced his cousin with a genuine hug. After a few seconds they released, and Arianna smiled at him.
"See? Was that so hard?" she asked
"Can we just go? Please?"
"Of course, cousin."
She wrapped her arm around his and then walked with him down the street, the attendants following close behind.
Back at the ice cream parlor, Glyph looked at Leilani and shook his head, "Leilani?"
Leilani was focused on her ice cream, but then snapped out of it as she heard her name, "Yeah?"
"You haven't asked me a question yet."
"Oh, sorry...I'm just not sure what to ask."
"Well, how about I ask you a question first, maybe that'll break the ice and calm you down?"
"That'd be great."
"Ok, when did you first realize you wanted to do art? I know about the ceiling incident, but was that the real start?"
Leilani buried her face in her free hand, "Not that story! So embarrassing..."
Glyph laughed, "We all have embarrassing stories, Leilani."
"I bet you don't."
"I have plenty."
"Tell me one?"
At her question he smiled, and Leilani immediately got flustered, motioning with her hand to ignore the question, "Oh! I'm so sorry, that's too personal! You don't-"
Quick as a flash, Glyph grabbed Leilani's hand and pinned it to the table. Her eyes went from him, to the now interlocked hands on the table. She was stunned, and Glyph used that to his advantage.
"I was a troublemaker in my youth." he said simply
"You?" she replied in disbelief
"Yeah, I was."
"I...I don't believe it."
"Believe it. Though to be fair, it's not exactly what you think."
"What was it then?"
Glyph slowly released her hand and leaned back in his chair, staring at his ice cream as he recalled his memories, "My parents...well, they were ones who were patient, to a fault. They would...wait for things to happen, instead of trying to make them happen. This included...getting me to talk."
Leilani smiled, "You were a quiet kid? Shocker."
"You misunderstand, it wasn't that I was quiet, I just wouldn't talk. There was a time when my parents thought me a mute."
"Wow."
"Yeah. Anyway, I eventually spoke, but rarely. It just...didn't register that I should talk more. This meant I didn't get a lot of friends in my home village. I didn't mind actually. I probably wouldn't have been a good one."
"I don't believe that."
He laughed, "Time changes people Leilani, you and I are both proof of that. Don't base who I am, on who I was. I was very different back then. Especially when I met him."
"Him?" she asked intrigued
"They called him...Brick."
Glyph stared at his ice cream again, and the world melted around him as his memories filled him. In his memory, he was much young, he was playing with some mud, the same color as his ice cream. Glyph was much younger, only a handful of years old.
As he played in the mud, a noise caught his ears. He looked up to see a group of kids running in fear. When Glyph turned to see why, he saw a large boy chasing after him. Despite being a child, he was muscular, but what got Glyph's attention was his skin. It was rough, and covered in a reddish stone of sorts. He looked at the skin at curiosity, the boy not noticing Glyph was there.
"That's right, run! That'll teach you to mess-" the boy shouted before noticing Glyph, "What are you looking at punk?"
Glyph didn't respond, he just continued to look at him. The boy stomped over, and towered over Glyph, but again, Glyph didn't respond.
This only made the boy more furious, "I said, what are you looking at?"
"You." Glyph said softly, face emotionless.
The boy reared a fist and thrust it at Glyph's face, stopping it just inches before hitting him. But Glyph didn't flinch, at all. At this, the boy looked at Glyph in curiosity, then smiled, "What's your name?"
"Glyph."
"They call me Brick. For obvious reasons. You want to hang out?"
"And do what?"
"Hmph, good question. I'm sure we'll find something."
Brick again smiled, and his skin slowly began to change, until he looked much more human. He extended a hand to Glyph, "What do you say?"
Glyph looked at the hand, but then shook it. Brick laughed and wrapped an arm around Glyph, and walked him down a path, "Glyph, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Back in the present, Leilani was surprised by what she was hearing, "Wait, you accepted?"
"Why would I not?" asked Glyph with a smile.
"Cause he was a bully!"
"How would I know that?"
"Because your parents would've...oh..."
Glyph nodded, then frowned, "Exactly. Because of my parents 'patience', I didn't learn things at an early age. They wanted me to 'express myself' before I could learn the finer things of this world. So when I met Brick, I didn't know he was a bully. I didn't know that what he did was wrong. So when he offered to hang out with me, I had no reason to say no."
Leilani became saddened by this, "I'm so sorry Glyph."
"Don't be, nothing you could've done. Ironically, it wasn't as bad as you're probably thinking."
"Oh?"
The memory returned to Glyph, and Brick was talking at length with the younger Glyph, who was listening intently.
"You see, looking back, it's easy to think that Brick was using me for something. But honestly, he wasn't. He saw in me someone who didn't look at him with bias. Someone who would never judge him. And he was grateful. But...he also saw a blank slate, something he could mold...and he did."
"He taught you to be a bully?" asked Leilani
"Not so much. He was the muscle, and he loved that. He taught me...he taught me how to screw with people."
"I'm sorry?"
"Mentally, how to screw with them mentally. Brick had a reputation for violence, but for a kid, he was very adept at reading people. He taught that to me. He taught me...the detailed ways of life. How to read body language and facial emotions, he learned that by watching his parents. He taught me how to tell a truth while also concealing a lie, and vice versa. And, though I didn't need help in this, he taught me how to use my words wisely. More concisely. Or in other words..."
"How to use five words instead of ten?"
"Exactly. I picked up on all of those quickly. So we moved onto my next lesson."
"Which was?"
"Tightening the screws...as he would say. I was good at the mental parts, but the physical elements I still lacked. I wasn't the fighter I am now, so he used my then lanky frame in another way."
"How?"
"He...uh..."
"What?"
"Brick taught me...how to dance around my opponents."
Leilani burst into laughter, pulling Glyph out of his memory, a sour expression growing on his face. She tried to compose her, but was failing, "Wait, you were a dancer?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes. I was." he noted still sour
"Does Diana know about this?"
"No, and I'm asking you not to tell her."
"I won't. Promise."
"Thank you."
"...how good were you?" she teased, failing to contain a smile still.
"I'm not like Diana if that's what you're asking. She's elegant in her moves. Every single move is part of a routine that is...well, beautiful. What Brick taught me was...well, more improvised. Moving from moment to moment. I would juke, slide, twist, but put personality into it. What little I had anyway. It would throw them off balance, and I would capitalize on that."
"Is it sad that I want to see that?"
"Yes, so don't ask. It's not something I'm proud of."
"Ok, so, what happened next?"
Glyph sighed, and closed his eyes, and the memories began to play once more, this time overlapping one another in a sequence that spanned a long time.
"I was with Brick for two years. We did...a lot of things. A lot of bad and embarrassing things. But again, I didn't know better. The other parents and elders tried to talk to my parents, but, they didn't listen. They would say, 'he'll grow out of it.' But I never did, cause I didn't know better. In a way, Brick taught me more than my parents ever did, even to this day."
"That's...I'm sorry."
"Again, nothing you could've done."
"Well, I'm going to guess you grew wise or something, because you're here now."
"Close. I did grow wise, but not until Brick left."
"He left?"
"Moved away. His dad got a position in another town. I didn't understand it at first. I thought he was coming back. When I realized he wasn't, I tried to make friends with the other kids, to try and get back what I lost. That's when it hit me."
"What you had done?"
"Yeah."
Young Glyph sits in his room alone, tears in his eyes, but his expression still blank.
"I had hurt them, I understood that at last. it was...painful. I went to my parents the next day, and my 'rebirth' began.
Still at the cafe, Glyph had finished his ice cream, Leilani had as well, but she still watched Glyph with curious eyes, "I recall on one mission you said you became a Huntsman because of desire. Was your desire...?"
"To be a better person? Yeah." he said softly, "It was my mother who suggested it actually. I didn't know what I wanted to be. She felt I could do good at it, so I tried."
"Do you regret your time with Brick?"
"No."
This took her aback, "Really?"
He nodded, "Really, I told you, he taught me a lot, and despite what we used it for, I still use a lot of it today. My skills are good, and Macro even helped me enhance them more. I can read people a block away, tell you how they feel, know the meaning of their words. It's very hard to lie to me, or to pull a fast one on me. Primrose can tell you that. Also, it helps me keep a certain partner of mine in line..."
Glyph smiled, and Leilani laughed, "Yeah, Diana is a handful."
"In EVERY way. But my skills keep me aware of what she does, like what she did yesterday to you. I heard how her voice got forced when she greeted you, I knew it was you there without her saying your name."
"Wow."
"So yeah, I learned under bad circumstances. But, I use it to my advantage now. I do better now. I try to anyway."
Though hesitating at first, Leilani grabbed his hand and looked at him with kindness, "You do."
"Thanks Leilani."
"I do have a question though, what was the embarrassing part again?"
"The dancing, it just took a while to get to that part."
The two looked at each other, then burst out laughing.
Elsewhere in Vale, Reyson and Arianna sat in a very elegant suite in a restaurant. As Reyson looked around he could see all the elegance and art that would make this a haven for the elite in the world, he scoffed at it. Arianna meanwhile seemed quite comfortable, and happily looked at the menu in front of her at the table they sat at.
"I've wanted to come to this restaurant for some time, I hear they have quite a selection," she noted as she observed the menu.
"Let's hope, I would hate to think you spent good money on bad food," Reyson said bluntly.
"Oh Reyson, please drop your anger, I just want to have a meal with you."
Reyson made to speak, but a look of sadness from Arianna disarmed him, and he quickly grabbed a meal and put it up to block her eyes. He continued to look at the meal, but his frustration grew back up, "Seriously? So many options and nothing good to eat?"
"Is the cafeteria at Beacon so much better?"
"Yes. It's free first off, and they try and have a good variety of edible foods because they know they have to accommodate a lot of students. This? This is for...umm..."
"Upper class snobs?" suggested Arianna.
Reyson lowered his menu to look at her, she was smiling at him in a knowing way, making him smirk before he put the menu back up, "You said, I didn't."
"Indeed."
Silence enveloped the two as they continued to read the menus, but Arianna got more and more antsy with each passing minute. Soon, she put down her menu and looked right at him, "Are you really not going to ask about the family?"
"Why would I?"
"Not even about your mother?"
With sudden quickness Reyson slammed down his menu on the table, and glared intensely at his cousin, who adapted a stone expression, as if to deflect the anger being sent her way.
Reyson breathed heavily for a while, before his anger melted away, and becoming very sad, "How is she?"
Arianna mirrored his sad expression, "She's...reclusive...ever since you left for Beacon. She honestly spends most of her time in the library."
"Mom always did like reading."
"I recall a time when you liked it too."
Reyson's smirk returned, "Ha! You didn't remember the finer details then, I read only certain books. History mainly, the tales of battles and wars. I enjoyed them...until they too were taken away from me for my "re-education"."
Anger returning, Reyson picked up his menu to hide his face. But he soon noticed his hands were shaking, and he again slammed his menu on the table and looked at his cousin, "Why are we here Arianna? The truth!"
She didn't respond at first, choosing instead to study her cousin for a bit. Soon though, she sighed, and looked at him with honest eyes, "I'm trying to understand."
"Understand what?"
"What they did to you!" she shouted back in reply
Arianna's outburst stunned Reyson, he wasn't expecting this. She was stunned too by her anger and quickly composed herself.
"You've noted for years now that you are different from the rest of the family, but I never understood it. And when you said you were being "re-educated" and other colorful terms you used I thought you were just mad at the idea of being taught more. I thought you were being stubborn. But recently, I started to remember things differently. Or maybe more accurately, I started to remember more about things in the last five years or so."
"And you don't understand these new details?" asked Reyson knowing the answer.
"No. I don't. At first, I asked mother, in a roundabout way of course. She's very...displeased about your last encounter with her."
"Glad I did something right."
She chuckled, "Oh Reyson. Anyway, I tried to understand her point of view, but it just didn't line up with what I remembered. So, I decided to go to the source."
"Color me intrigued, cousin. What do you want to know?"
"How far...how far did they push you? To...be like a Heron?"
"Very far."
"Please...tell me how far."
Reyson sighed angrily, and turned his head so his anger wouldn't be directed at her, after a bit, he grunted and smirked, "Let me ask you a question first. How old do you think I was when I noticed something different about me?"
The question took her aback, and she was forced to think about it for a while, "I remember a distinct change around your 13th birthday. You were...angrier after that. I remember mother thinking it was a bad case of puberty.
"Ha! If it only was that simple."
"Indeed. Well, if it wasn't that, then when?"
"When I was around...8 years old."
"What happened then?"
"I asked a question."
"What question?"
"...why not?"
"Exactly, why not tell me?"
"No, that was the question, "why not?""
Arianna tried to grasp what he meant, but only got more confused, "I...I don't understand."
"It was during one of our lessons. You, me, and Rafael were hearing another of your mothers lessons about peace in the world...I'll never forget it."
Reyson stares at an empty glass near him, he starts to fade back into his memories.
Nearly a decade in the past, Reyson and Arianna, along with another boy, this one silver-haired, were sitting in front of Swann, who was reading out of a book to them.
"Our ancestor notes that only through peace can truly joy be obtained. For life can only be freed and enjoyed through peace, never through violence."
As she stopped and smiled at the children, an odd look came upon Reyson's face. He seemed to struggle to find the right words, but then looked up at Swann and said, "Why not?"
Swann wasn't paying attention when he posed the question, but righted the act by addressing him, "I'm sorry, what did you ask Reyson?"
"Why not?"
"Why not what?"
"Why can't violence be the answer? I mean, you say that we must have peace, but you've also admitted that between the humans, Faunus, and Grimm that there's a lot of hate in the world. You even said the Grimm are monsters, and must be taken seriously. So...why not use violence against them? Wouldn't we be saving lives by killing them?"
"It's not that simple Reyson. Violence begets violence. It's easy to do, but hard to stop once you've begun. That's why we practice the acts of peace here in the Heron household, so that we may show a better way."
"But the Grimm can't understand us, right?"
"Well, yes, technically that's true. But-"
"Then if they can't understand peace, why would we practice it on them?"
Swann smiled at this, "We wouldn't. We instead will focus on trying to spread peace to both humans and Faunus, for if we can stop the hatred in their hearts, the Grimm will not be attracted to them. Do you understand?"
Reyson thought it over, and nodded, "Yeah, that makes sense."
"I'm glad. Now, let's move-"
"But, didn't our ancestor also say that the deepest of hatreds are the hardest to stop? So by that reasoning, isn't it almost impossible to try and create peace when it's clear it won't last? For there will always be humans who hate Faunus, and vice versa? To that end, wouldn't trying to make them give up violence be a death sentence to them all?"
His flurry of questions rattled Swann, who had to fight to keep a blank expression, "All very good questions. If you will Reyson, I will answer them, but not right now. I wish to continue the lesson. Ok?"
Sad, but understanding, he nodded, "Yes, Aunt Swann."
Still a bit rattled, but content Reyson wouldn't object again, she continued the lesson. But, Reyson's expression remained the same, for though the lesson continued, his questions continued to haunt his thoughts.
Back in the present, the older Reyson now held up the glass he was looking at, and held it in front of his eye, as if to try and prove something to Arianna, "She never answered my questions for the record. Not to any degree of justification. But, that was the start."
"Of your re-education?" asked Arianna with a sad expression
"Yeah. It didn't start immediately. Apparently, some of our other family members had thoughts like this before. But, unlike them, mine didn't stop. Every lesson seemed to bring new questions, new holes in their logic, it just mounted. You were right about one thing, after puberty hit I changed. That's when the bloodlust started. It turned my curiosity into anger, and rage. That's when things really got out of hand. Their tactics cut deeper, their "desire" to see me become them became more intense. By the time I got the chance to register for Beacon? Heh, you were all lucky I left peacefully."
Now bitter, Reyson put the glass down hard on the table, his eyes flaring with anger and rage, Arianna cycled through emotions of her own, trying to think of which one to use on her cousin, "I'm so sorry Reyson, I didn't know. I know you're opposed to it, but you really should come home. Your mother and father are-"
"HE...is not...my father. Don't tow the line, Arianna, you know he's not."
"Your mother then, do it for her. Tell them what you told me, but not like you did in that argument before you left. Do it like this."
"Heh, like a Heron?"
"Yes, even if only for a few minutes. Contain it, just long enough to show that you are still our blood, and that they should take you seriously. Like I am now. I want to help you cousin."
She reached out and put her hand on his, and smiled with compassion, Reyson returned the gestures as best he could, "I appreciate that Arianna, and I'm glad someone is trying to understand me. But you still don't see the big picture."
"What's that mean?"
"That argument the family had with me, it wasn't just about me leaving for Beacon, it was about me being out their reach. They wanted me to go to the school of their choice, your school in fact, because they knew they could keep a closer eye on me. I overheard them. They noted that if I didn't fall in line at the school they would...they would "arrange" for me to be brought back. Permanently. I heard this and raced to that computer to send a message to Night, and he gave me an answer within an hour. And I made sure after that, that I would be away from them so they couldn't try anything. It's not that I don't want to go home Arianna, it's that I can't. Cause if I do? They won't let me leave. Ever."
Silence engulfed the two, each one lost in their own thoughts. Reyson didn't talk again, instead he picked up the menu and focused on it. Arianna soon did the same.
Some time later, and back on the streets of Vale, Glyph and Leilani happily walked a path through the town. Leilani was much more relaxed, and was talking with Glyph more freely, and her happiness showed through her expression, as did Glyph's.
Leilani laughed as they continued down the path, "So after the mural I asked my parents for some coloring utensils, then...well, Yasmine told you the rest."
"Yep. Colorful ceiling."
"She loves rubbing that story in my face."
"That's what sisters do, so I'm told anyway."
"True."
They looked at each other and again laughed. Silence crept between them, but this time it was ok. Leilani eyed Glyph for a bit, then slowly reached out and interlocked her hand with his. She smiled purely at him, and he returned the gesture.
Suddenly though, Glyph's expression changed, to one of anger, but he quickly changed it back before Leilani saw and said, "So, where to next?"
She thought about it, "Let's just walk around town, enjoy the weather a little more. That ok?"
"That sounds wonderful."
With another smile to the other, they walked down the path some more. After a bit though they came upon a restaurant, and a look at it made Leilani stop, "Isn't that Reyson?"
Glyph stopped and turned, sure enough, Reyson and Arianna were exciting the restaurant, arm in arm like before, this floored both Glyph and Leilani.
"Yeah, yeah that is," he said perplexed.
"Who's the girl? Wait, is that another Heron?"
"Looks like it."
"I thought Reyson hated his family."
"He does."
"So...why is he with her and not raging? They seem...close."
He eyed the two suspiciously for a while, trying to get a read on them, but the angle didn't allow him to see much, "I don't know, something is off though."
Leilani looked at him worried, "Are you going to talk to him about it?"
"I'll think about it. With his family, I have to be careful."
"Agreed. Come on, let's walk in the opposite direction of them."
"...good idea."
Still curious, but not wanting to dwell, Glyph and Leilani left.
At the docks, Reyson escorted Arianna to her ship, the attendants were preparing the ship for takeoff.
"I'm sorry we couldn't spend more time together Reyson, I would've liked to meet your team," said Arianna calmly
"...maybe next time," replied Reyson with no emotion.
"I hear this Glyph is quite a fighter. Rumors say he's as good as you, if not better."
"Ha! He's better. Stop trying to butter me up, Arianna."
"I'm sorry, just trying to make more conversation before we leave."
"Yeah, right."
He looked away from her, conflict in his eyes. Arianna tried to gain his gaze, but he wouldn't allow it, and so she sighed. Before she could make another attempt, an attendant approached. "My lady, the ship is ready for takeoff."
"Thank you," she said with a small bow, "prepare for launch, I'll be in shortly."
With a bow of his own, the attendant left, leaving the two alone. Arianna reached out and used her hand to turn Reyson's head, forcing him to look at her.
"I know you didn't like it, but I am glad we talked, and I do hope we can do this again."
Reyson fought back several urges, but managed to remain calm and say, "It wasn't as bad as I feared it would be."
"What were you expecting? An armed guard?"
"Yes."
"Oh cousin. Well, I'm glad I defied your expectations at least, it's a start."
She gave Reyson a graceful curtsie, and he responded with an elegant bow, which made her smile brightly. With that, she entered the ship.
Before she got to far though, Reyson called out, "Arianna?"
"Yes?" she asked curiously
"Tell my mother...I miss her."
"Why don't you tell her yourself? You have a phone, right?"
"You know why I can't call her. Just do this for me, please?"
"Oh course, dear cousin, you have my word I will do it."
Pleased, Reyson smiled and bowed his head to her, and she did likewise. With that, the ship closed up, and then slowly took off into the air. Once it was gone though, Reyson's smile faded, and he shook his head sadly, "I was right.'
Later that night, at Beacon, Diana stood alone in GRYD's room. She looked longingly out the window. Eventually though, she closed her eyes and lowered her head with a smile, "How was your date?"
Behind her, Glyph appeared, and he was not happy, "I should ask you your opinion on that. After all, you were there."
"I thought I had been caught, couldn't be sure though."
"I sensed you twice, but when me and Leilani held hands on the street you moved into my view, bad move. I would've considered my first two senses paranoia, but not that."
She turned to face him, her own expression one of disapproval to match his, "What do you want me to say?"
"There's nothing you can say, Diana. But plenty that I can say." he spat out with venom
"By all means."
"I am tired of these games Diana. I told you before what you needed to do to earn my affections, and I thought that when I admitted that I cared about you that we were past these petty games, apparently not!"
Diana tried to speak up, but a motion from Glyph shut her down.
"I don't know why you like me. Truly. I don't. Is it my looks, my skills, my personality, I don't know. But what I've always known, is that you view me as a prize. And that ticks me off. I've tried to be your partner, you take it too far. I try and be your friend, you misinterpret what I do as something more. I scold you repeatedly for this crap, and you don't listen!"
"I'm sorry."
Glyph laughs at this, "I want to believe that, but I can't. You've said sorry before, and have not lived up to what that word means. Actions, Diana, they speak louder than words, always! I've lived my life that way in many aspects. I am tired of having these talks. This is the last one. I am happy with Leilani, and she is happy with me. I don't where it'll go. It might end soon, it might not. But if you do anything to her, or try to do something to us to break us up? You. Will. Regret it. Am I clear?"
"Yes," Diana answered without emotion.
He scoffed, "I want to believe that too."
Before Diana could respond to that, he teleported away, leaving her alone again. She again turns to the window, but this time looks out angrily and punches the wall, leaving a small crack in it. Diana looks at her hand and grows a frown.
Far away, in a chapel like home, Swann Heron is playing a harp in her room. Her bedroom is very elegant, just like her. Everything has a place, but everything also has an elegance to it. A knock on her door gets her attention. She stops playing and turns to it, "Come in."
The door opens, and Arianna appears, Swann becomes alight with joy and goes to hug her daughter, who happily reciprocates, "Welcome home, my child."
"Blessing to you, mother." Arianna says with a smile
"How was your time with Reyson?"
"As expected, though with a few surprises."
"Oh, like what?" Swann asks curiously
"He knows that Ashen isn't his father, and apparently, the reason he went to Beacon wasn't just to break tradition, he heard a conversation about you confining him here if he got out of line at my school." Arianna replied
"Ah, that makes sense. We often wondered if he heard that conversation, but we could never prove it. As for his father, that was natural, I would've been surprised if he hadn't figured it out."
"You should've seen his anger when I brought him up."
"I can imagine, to live your life thinking your family is your family, only to find out that only half of that is true. I do weep for him, though he'll never believe that."
Swann turned away sadly, a look curiosity grew on Arianna's face though, "Mother? Did you know Reyson's real father?"
"Hmm? Oh, no I did not. Your grandfather did though, offhandedly mind you, it was him who made sure that man didn't come home with my sister. Oh, Poppy, why did you do it?"
"Mother?"
"Sorry, darling, just dreading what's coming. Which brings me to, will Reyson ever come home?"
"No. As long as he feels he'll be a prisoner here, he'll never come back. Not even for his mother."
A touch of anger formed on Swann's face, but she quickly banished it away, "In a way, this might serve us better. His influence won't be visible, or audible, which will allow us to continue our noble goal."
"Peace to all of Remnant." said Arianna with pride
"That's right my beautiful daughter. I thank you for doing this deed for the family."
"Not a problem mother, I do care for my cousin, I wish I could've helped him grow into the Heron he's meant to be."
"One day, he will. One day."
*credits*