Chance Meetings
The 'Valean Queen' didn't really live up to her name in Pyrrha's opinion. Well, maybe the first class cars did, but the public one she was riding in was less than pleasant.
No cushions on the seats. Glad I have my sleeping bag to sit on instead. I'm really hoping those red stains are rust. Televisions have cracks in them. She let her head fall back until it struck the window behind her. It looks more like a subway car they found in a junkyard than a proper train car.
Everything rattled as the train cruised through Vale's eastern forests. She'd made the mistake of reaching out with her semblance after a particularly sharp sway, and it had nearly made her start whimpering when she realized just how old and battered the car actually was. Felt just how thin the metal beneath her feet was, just how many bolts and screws were loose and rattling.
Pyrrha hardly thought of herself as being entitled and uptight like too many other wealthy people she'd met, but surely there had to be some safety standards!
She'd spent most of an hour using her semblance to silently repair what she could feel, hoping that it all stayed together long enough to get them to Vale. Hoping she wasn't actually making things worse in her nervous worry.
Thankfully no one else in the car had seemed to notice her, and her tightening of various bolts didn't seem to break anything. Everyone seemed more interested in the shows playing on the battered screens, or else sleeping through the trip as best they could. The redhead with her hat pulled low and oversize sunglasses didn't seem to merit much attention.
She had no idea how they managed to sleep. Especially since the freight cars behind them must have had some cargo loose because they'd begun banging and rattling even more loudly than their own not that long ago.
Maybe I was just being paranoid. No one else seemed worried...
Her stomach grumbled, breaking into her thoughts. Reminding her that she was eating far less than she was used to. She'd gotten some food on the ship yesterday, along with badly needed sleep and a shower, but she'd decided to save money by not buying anything at any of the train stations.
...I'm already worried about how much lien and food I have. Is that good or bad?
Pyrrha honestly didn't know, but another cramp in her belly told her that it was time to eat regardless. Carefully standing, she pulled her bag down from the overhead rack and settled it onto the seat beside hers. A bit of gentle rummaging let her hand find one of her trail mixes down near the bottom.
She was in them middle of trying to pull it out without spilling anything when a sudden blare of the intercom made her jump. Clothes, toiletries, ammo clips, and some of her food went flying as her bag fell to the dirty floor.
"Passengers of the Valean Queen, we have a small issue with our freight cars. We'll be slowing down a bit so that the crew can check them. Not to worry, probably just a faulty sensor or broken restraint. Should be pulling into Vale just a little behind schedule... we'll keep you updated."
Several groans came from the other passengers at the news, while Pyrrha merely sighed and pulled her sunglasses off so that she could see where everything had fallen. Thankfully most was right near her seat, and she began picking up her mess, starting with the bag itself. Carefully grabbing either end so that it wouldn't spill anything else, she heaved it back up onto where her sleeping bag was serving as a cushion...
...and her eyes met a pair of terrified amber ones on the other side of the window.
She had enough time to jump in surprise a second time before the person vanished, swinging away in a blur of motion.
They used the handholds on the outside. Must have timed their move past the other windows when no one was looking.
Instincts that Ray had drilled into her saw a hand fall onto Milo's hilt, her spilled things forgotten as she swung her head right to left.
Hijacker? Stowaway? Too many windows to the right, they went ahead. They must be strong to hold on and move so quickly. They'll be trying to come in-
"Excuse me?"
For the third time in as many minutes she twitched in surprise, jerking around to see a little girl staring solemnly up at her. She was wearing a worn pink dress, and had floppy canine ears in front of tiny pigtails.
"You dropped this, miss." Small hands held up her golden tiara. "It rolled to my seat."
"Oh." Pyrrha knelt at once, releasing her grip on Milo as old courtesies from visiting children's hospitals came flooding in. "Thank you very much, little one. I didn't even notice."
"You're welcome." The girl replied shyly. "Um... are you... are you her?"
Oh dear. "Am I who?"
A tiny hand rose to point over her shoulder. Turning her head to the side, she looked up to see a news article silently playing on one of the screens. Her face was front and center, the scrolling headline beneath reading 'Renowned Mistrali Fighter Pyrrha Nikos Missing, Presumed Kidnapped'.
Oh dear.
"You're her, aren't you?"
This is... rather unfortunate. I'd hoped to be in Vale before this happened.
"Yes." She replied absently.
"...wow!"
This was rather unfortunate. She'd just admitted the truth of her identity to the first person who'd asked. Fusia would be most upset with her if she found out. And she'd gotten utterly distracted and forgotten why she'd stood up in the first place; the person she'd seen could be anywhere by now. Ray would be similarly disappointed.
My first days of freedom and I'm already proving I can't handle it.
Swallowing, she turned back to the little faunus girl to find her staring back at her with a far too serious look on her face.
The follow up question nearly broke her mask entirely. "Are you ok?"
It was such an unexpected question that she nearly... she wasn't sure what she nearly did. Laugh? Cry? Heave?
"Y-yes." Pyrrha managed after a startled moment.
"Are you sure?" The little girl looked less than convinced. "My mommy is right over there. She's very smart and nice. She can help."
A glance up showed the woman in question watching the two of them intently, her hands clenched in her lap. Her own canine ears were low against her head in... fear? Why would she be afraid?
Because her little girl is talking to an armed woman on a train.
Right. First rule of dealing with children was to leave your weapons behind, and Milo was anything but concealed as it hung from her belt.
The mother's eyes flicking to the news display, then back down only seemed to make her more nervous.
Right. An armed woman who is apparently a missing celebrity from Mistral.
Swallowing nervously, she started speaking without really knowing what she was doing. "Can you keep a secret for me? It's a very important one to me. You have to promise, all right?"
The girl's eyes widened, and she nodded solemnly.
She finally managed to find her smiling mask, sliding it back on when she leaned in to whisper. "When a Nikos turns seventeen, we go on a secret adventure."
"Wow... like with, Grimm and bad guys? And treasure?"
"Yes." Pyrrha nodded, "And I hope that a great treasure will be waiting for me at the end. Can you do something else for me?"
Another tiny nod, then a gasp when Pyrrha gently pushed her tiara back into those little hands. This close to her she could see the old stains and worn holes in the dress. Even from a distance it was easy to tell that her mother's clothing wasn't in much better shape.
A huntress helps people, however she can.
"Hold on to this for me."
"But... it's..."
"It's my favorite one." She told her. "Go give it your mother, she'll love to see it. I'll come back when my adventure is done, and I'll tell you the whole story of what happened. I promise."
It was the promise that did it. The girl gave her an almost tearful smile, clutching the bit of metal to her chest. Then she scampered back to where her mother was sitting, clambering into her seat with a bit of effort.
Her mother wrapped an arm around her at once, only tearing her eyes away from Pyrrha when her little girl poked her with her prize. The sight of it made her mouth fall open, gaze jerking back up.
Pyrrha quickly lifted a finger to her lips, keeping her smile in place.
The faunus woman gave her an almost hesitant smile back, then seemed to remember they weren't alone in the car. A frantic look around proved the other occupants were still asleep or facing the wrong way, but it didn't stop her from quickly covering the gold with an old blanket.
I hope you can sell it for what it's worth... and that you don't tell anyone where it came from.
Swallowing one last time, she rose and looked at the screen. They'd gone on to local news, something about this years Vytal Festival. It didn't stop her from stretching an arm out to tap the power button. It winked off, hopefully buying her an undisturbed trip to the city. At a minimum she'd need to put her sunglasses back on and hope that they helped.
Undisturbed...
The stowaway!
Turning sharply on a heel, she strode for the door connecting their car to the one ahead. Her fingers were just reaching out to grasp the handle when it turned on the other side. Falling back at once, fingers slid around Milo's grip as she kept herself between the other passengers and whoever might be coming in. There was no one in the little window, they had to be purposefully keeping themselves hidden.
Be ready for anything.
Metal screeched in protest as the old door was shoved open to reveal...
...another faunus. This one closer to her age, pale skin covered liberally in grease and sweat. A similarly stained white coat was open to reveal a cute black and white outfit, along with the edge of a weapon on her left hip.
Pyrrha flicked her eyes up in time to meet a familiar golden pair, wide with fear, two feline ears already flattening against dark hair.
You're a huntress. Challenge her. "You want to tell me why you were climbing along the outside of the train?"
The girl's throat worked in a nervous swallow, but her voice was quietly defiant. "You want to tell me why Pyrrha Nikos is on a train in rural Vale?"
That... wasn't supposed to be what she said back. She was supposed to answer. That was what happened in books and stories that she knew. "...I'm... ah, going to Vale, of course. Yourself?"
From the oddly flat stare she hadn't made a good first impression. "I'm going to Vale too."
"Oh. Of course." She cleared her throat, feeling awkward. "Why were you outside?"
"Getting fresh air. It's stuffy in the cars." It was Pyrrha's turn to give her a flat look, one that made the other girl fidget in place. "Can we sit down at least? We're drawing attention."
Pyrrha flinched, a hesitant glance back confirming that the mother and daughter were staring, and the noise from the door must have woken some of the others. At least three more sets of eyes were looking at them both in confusion and alarm.
"Of-of course." She stuttered, stepping back to let her come forwards. "I'm sorry. Just let me clean up my things."
The stowaway opened her mouth, closed it, blinked, then managed. "What?"
"You, um, startled me earlier." Pyrrha retreated further, scrambling to make her little space presentable. Stuffing her spare shirts back in, her little bag of toothpaste and soap, and the clip of dust ammunition that had ended up under her seat. "Please, sit."
Looking a little confused, the girl cautiously approached while Pyrrha pushed her bag over one spot so that they both had room to sit down.
A gentle pulse of her semblance when the girl settled let her get a feel for what she had on her. There was some form of weapon on her hip, just as she'd seen, but she couldn't really feel any other big pieces of metal. Maybe a scroll or knife in one pocket, and a few tiny tugs on her sense that felt like buttons or other bits within clothing.
"I'm sorry." Pyrrha said again. "I'm not very good at this part yet."
"...I'm not even sure what you mean by 'this part'." Came a dry reply.
"I..." She groaned miserably. "...I"m not either. I'm sorry."
Those amber eyes blinked slowly while her head shook. "You went from being ready to attack me, to apologizing profusely for no reason rather fast."
I'm sorry! Somehow she kept that one inside, leaving her to hang her head miserably instead. "I... I guess I thought you were some kind of hijacker or something. I just wanted to be a huntress, protect the people in here with me."
To actually be a huntress instead of a puppet in an arena.
"That's... admirable, but I'm not here to attack anyone. I wouldn't have come in through the door if I was."
That seemed like a logical point. "That makes sense. I'm just... I don't think I'm at my best right now."
The girl's already dry voice became drier if that was possible. "How about a deal. You don't ask me why I'm on this train, and I won't ask what you're doing alone in a faunus-only train car in Vale."
Faunus only?
Blinking a few times, she took a longer look at the other passengers. Now that it had been mentioned she could pick out the tails, horns, and ears. Some were half-hidden by seats or clothing, others were more obvious... but she was pretty sure she was the only Human in sight.
"Is that bad?" She asked hesitantly. "Am I intruding?"
"I think you're confusing everyone. Me and yourself included."
She's not wrong.
Pyrrha found her voice again. "I won't ask if you won't, and so long as you promise you're not here to hurt anyone."
"I'm not here to hurt any of the passengers." Came the quick assurance. "I just... needed a ride to Vale."
Good. That was good. She let herself relax, leaning back as much as she could in the stiff seat. Beside her the other girl folded her hands in her lap, apparently content to sit quietly for a while.
She's breathing hard but trying not to show it. The stupid part of her mind that always analyzed her competition started running without her input. Bruises on her left knuckle. The coat is too big for her, ideal for concealing more weapons. No, she has none. Hiding something else. She just came from a fight.
The sharp crackle of the intercom above their heads made them both twitch, though Pyrrha managed to avoid spilling anything that time.
"Passengers of the Valean Queen, we've found the issue with the freight cars and managed to resolve it. We're picking up speed and should be in Vale right on time. Thank you for your patience."
Oh good. She was worried...
...the girl beside her had hunched her shoulders in, looking nervous once again.
"Are you all right?" Pyrrha asked quietly.
"Hm? Yes, of course."
She wasn't the best at reading social cues, not compared to the flow of combat, but even she could pick that one out as a lie.
"Isn't arriving on time a good thing?" She asked. "People usually don't like being late to get somewhere on a train."
"You said you wouldn't ask why I'm on this train." Her words were sharp. "So stop asking."
Pyrrha winced. "I, um, didn't?"
The girl's mouth opened, then snapped shut. Pale cheeks turned red beneath the grease and oil covering them. "Oh."
"You... did something to the freight cars?" She guessed before blushing as well. "I'm sorry, I promised not to ask. It's not going to hurt anyone is it?"
"...no, of course not. There's..." The stowaway sucked in a breath, then let it out. "...I cut some of the cars, left them behind to keep everyone safe."
Meaning that there had been something, or someone, who hadn't wanted to keep the passengers safe on them. A hand fell back down to Milo, ready to draw it. "Should we be ready to fight? Maybe we can move to-"
"No!" Came a quick hiss. "Everyone's safe, I promise! It's... there might be people looking for once we get to Vale, that's all. I'll leave before we get to the station to make sure no one else is involved."
Oh. Pyrrha had been about to ask if the girl needed to talk to the police, to report something, but it sounded more like that was something she wanted to avoid. That was... probably bad. Was she sitting next to some kind of criminal? If she was, the girl didn't seem to be a very good one.
She said she cut them to keep everyone else safe. Maybe the others wanted to hurt them, and she didn't?
Pyrrha was about to try and politely ask when a long, pained grumble came from her stomach.
The girl's head jerked around to stare at her, which made her already red cheeks flush harder.
"I'm sorry! I haven't been eating much and was just about to when-"
An answering groan seemed to come from right beside her, and the stowaway's oil stained face went nearly as red as her own.
"I..." The girl tried to say something, but couldn't seem to find the words.
Pyrrha just stared at her for several seconds... then felt her mask crack as a genuine snicker burst out. She had no idea why, it really wasn't funny. But this entire situation was just so ridiculous, had been so ridiculous for so long, that she just couldn't keep it in.
"It's not... not that..!"
She cracked up entirely, covering her mouth with one hand as she laughed. The stowaway tried to scowl at her, but a tiny snort burst out a moment later. Within seconds she was shaking with suppressed laughter of her own.
After a few minutes she managed to get her hiccups and giggles under control enough to offer, "I've... I've got some snacks. It's not much, but it's something."
"Thank you." The stowaway replied politely. "Um, my name is Blake. I'm sorry for not offering it earlier."
"It's nice to meet you, Blake."
"...it's nice to meet you too."
Rifling through her bag once more, she pulled out her last two bags of trail mix and offered one. Blake took it, tearing it open nearly as eagerly as Pyrrha did as the pair of them settled in to eat. The various nuts weren't quite salted enough, there were too few bits of chocolate, and the raisins weren't particularly good... but it all tasted perfect on her empty stomach.
Within a few minutes she'd finished hers off, Blake having already done the same beside her.
"I'm sorry, I already ate everything else I brought with." She was still hungry, "Maybe we could get something when we get to Vale."
Blake seemed to freeze for a second before she carefully balled up the plastic bag in her hands. "I... have to go to Beacon as soon as possible when we arrive."
"Oh! So do I." She quickly assured her. "I, um, I was accepted but I kind of... need a place to stay in Vale. I was hoping to talk to the Headmaster about somewhere where I might not be, um, recognized."
"...you're a celebrity, don't you have a hotel or something? Or are you not Pyrrha Nikos?"
"No, I am! I am!" It was Pyrrha's turn to squirm uncomfortably. "I just... I didn't bring much lien with me."
Or any of the family credit cards. Or my scroll, since I threw it overboard on the ship.
Part of her regretted that impulse decision, but she'd started to panic after the twenty-second missed call. It had been throw the thing into the ocean, or break down and pick up.
If I'd picked up I'd have fallen apart.
"And I'd really rather not have to deal with many people when we arrive."
Blake's voice once again became dry. "You're kind of being looked for by a lot of police right now. I saw you on half of the news casts in the other cars."
Oh dear.
"I... would really, really rather not deal with people." She murmured. "I just want to get to Beacon quietly. Maybe, um... are you going to jump off the train before we stop? Could I do that too?"
Blake stared at her blankly for several long seconds before saying, "I'm starting to regret promising to not ask what you're doing here. You do know what the police would say if they found you with a faunus, right?"
She squirmed some more. She'd seen and heard enough of the abuse hurled at her faunus opponents to have a pretty good idea. Even if the police didn't think that Blake kidnapped her, the public wouldn't care.
It would be ugly.
But... but she knew wasn't ready to face the police. Face the media. Face her parents. She had... she had to get to Beacon, had to ask Ozpin for a place to lay low for a while. Until she was ready.
"I... please? I think... I'm pretty sure I need help, and you're the only person I know."
"We've known each other for ten minutes." Blake muttered, actually reaching up to rub her face with one hand. When she spoke again her words were so quiet Pyrrha almost missed it. "What a day. First Adam, now this."
"I'm sorry?"
Blake shook her head and raised her voice. "If I can get you to Beacon unnoticed, will you help me apply for the next semester? Speak for me to the Headmaster?"
"Of course! I promise!"
The faunus girl closed her eyes, sighed, and then nodded. "I really hope I don't regret this. Let's get you in a proper disguise."
"Thank you!"
Please read and review, criticism is welcome, flames not so much, as usual. Reviews are my lifeblood as a writer.. every-time my email goes off with a review it makes me want to write more, so please take the time to leave one. Guests can leave them as well, and it only takes a minute, so please. Even if it's as simple as "I enjoyed it, please continue."
Thanks, Kat