"I'm surprised. You didn't tell Summer's child that you're still monitoring her aura, or of the various anomalies generated by Kirakishou during her enraged assault."
Ozpin gave a low, tired chuckle as the two walked out of the infirmary. Knowing the grief that would soon follow upon Taiyang's admission, the two headmasters had seen fit to make themselves scarce.
"...It was not the time for such things, James. You know that."
"Yes. I'm aware."
The news of Summer's resurrection and subsequent demise had been a great shock for many of those whom were privy to the information; himself especially. Summer Rose had been a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy during her time in Beacon Academy and her career as a huntress following her orientation had seen a great many criminals put to justice.
James had been curious, yet rather speculative, at her sudden appearance following over a decade of silence. Ozpin had never seen fit to release the documents surrounding her final mission despite his numerous requests over the years, but he'd been able to glean enough information to determine that there was no doubt in the Vale headmaster's mind that Summer Rose was indeed killed off in a mission against the grimm.
Considering her nature as a Silver-Eyed Warrior, it would have taken an immense amount of grimm to successfully defeat Summer.
Either that, or Salem herself had personally dealt with her. Two distinct possibilities, all leading to the same outcome in the end. He had hoped to utilise her sudden resurrection to determine what exactly had occurred to result in her demise, yet not only had James been prevented from interrogating the woman but it had been revealed that she had no knowledge of her final mission in the first place.
James had hoped that eventually the woman's forgotten memories would resurface following some quality time with her husband. Until, one day, the newly resurrected Summer Rose was presented to him in a body-bag by the very same man.
She wasn't even human.
A horrific scream tore itself down the hallway, startling a few of the nearby staff-members in the vicinity. Most of the lights in the area flickered and a few burst, spraying a great many sparks everywhere and startling more than a few nearby people. The nurse raced past him, not paying the two headmasters or the electrical anomaly any notice, likely believing the scream to be an urgent cry for help.
They both kept walking. They knew who was crying out. Poor girl.
"...I had hoped that Tai would at-least wait until Miss Rose had recovered before breaking the news to her." Ozpin muttered despondently, shaking his head. "No child should have to go through the death of a parent. Let alone twice. Even if the second time was merely an impostor with her face."
"She's a strong girl." Ironwood reassured his old friend. "She'll be able to soldier through it. You wouldn't have allowed her into Beacon Academy two years early if you didn't believe in her, after all."
Ozpin glanced at him, some surprise registering on the man's features behind the melancholy of the moment.
"You seem remarkably well versed."
Ironwood nodded curtly. Upon learning that Summer Rose had resurfaced, he had seen fit to research her daughter in the hopes of discovering if the girl possessed the same finesse as her prodigal mother. Learning that Ozpin had admitted the girl into Beacon Academy two years ahead of schedule cemented his musings that the aged headmaster was also interested in the girl and her lineage.
A shame that Ozpin had gotten to her first. Children like her with superior fortitude and mental acuity were prime candidates for the Atlesian Military Initiates Program.
"Yes. Indeed I am. She has become a remarkable trainee." he stated with pride. "Interfering with a dust robbery not once but on two separate occasions not in regards to any duty, but in order to protect the people. The young Miss Rose has been a student in your academy for mere months and has already begun to journey down her mother's footsteps in order to become a fine huntress."
"Which, no doubt, is why you share my concern in these fluctuations within her aura."
In a way, his fellow headmaster was correct in assuaging his worries. As Ozpin had mentioned to the girl herself mere moments ago; there were only a small amount of cases where such an event was noted and recorded. What he had failed to mention was what exactly had happened to the victims of such a case.
The current Fall Maiden, Amber, was the current only living case in recent memory. Whilst Ozpin may have possibly encountered a similar situation before in a past life, either the man likely hadn't found a cure or did not believe it would be effective in this case. Now it would appear as if Amber's condition was joined by Summer's own daughter and also by the prime suspect considered for the resurrection of the Summer lookalike- Kirakishou.
He knew that something was happening. They were missing something.
"...It is indeed troubling. Whilst we have some foreknowledge in regards to the events surrounding Amber's current condition in thanks to your operative-"
"-Qrow." Ozpin interjected.
"Yes, Qrow. In thanks to his timely intervention, we possess intelligence which suggests that She utilised a subordinate in a bid to gain access to Maiden powers." he summarised, ignoring the brief flicker of annoyance at the mention of Ozpin's drunken operative. "Utilising a unique grimm of some sort in order to harvest the power itself. When Qrow interrupted the attack and rescued Amber, she was left in her current state."
"Once more, we find two girls whom are also displaying similar fluctuations." Ozpin finished his thoughts, "Whilst Miss Kira's appear far more extreme, Miss Rose's own fluctuations cannot be ignored considering her status. Yet, despite all medical knowledge pointing to a steady decline and eventual coma, both girls are the pinnacle of health. It is unnatural."
Ruby Rose awakening so early following complete aura exhaustion should have been medically impossible. Even factoring in other cases of those with far larger reserves and thus an incrementally faster regeneration, she shouldn't have been able to awaken from her slumber for at-least another period of twelve hours.
But awaken she had. With a fluctuating aura matching that of her deranged partner, no less. But that hadn't stopped her. No. Not the child of the esteemed Summer Rose.
The sheer strength of this girl astounded him. She possessed a certain strength of spirit typically found only within the most stalwart of individuals. A truly rare breed for this war-torn world.
...Perhaps? Hm. It was possible. He would have to discuss this with the headmaster when he had the chance. But if he could get the wizened old man to agree on it then-
"What have you discovered so far in regards to the Summer Rose impostor?" Ozpin requested, stirring him out of his thoughts.
Ah. Yes. That.
Following Taiyang arriving on a private transport with the impostor's body in tow, Ozpin had specifically chosen to hand over ownership of the body to him so that he could conduct a thorough autopsy on the corpse under the stipulation that he discuss any and all information uncovered. Were it not for Miss Rose's sudden awakening, James likely would still have been in the midst of writing down his notes for a proper report to present following by a well-deserved rest.
It would appear that Vale's Huntsmen Headmaster was far too impatient to follow standard proceedure. Although it went against his code of conduct, James could respect a man who trusted his subordinates enough to receive information by mere word-of-mouth alone.
"...Very well. If you must know, then I would be happy to oblige. Current revelations have been rather concerning as of late and I was hoping to compile the information in a proper report before presenting them properly."
"Concerning?" the headmaster repeated, curiosity lacing his tone.
"Yes. It is as if I'm attempting to perform an autopsy on a lifesize doll, Ozpin. Not unlike the Atlesian Mechs which patrol the academy in Atlas. However, for the life of me I cannot determine what gave it sentience. It is quite unlike anything I have ever seen before."
"..A doll?" Ozpin questioned, scrunching up his brow in confusion. "...An odd choice of words and yet a rather fitting descriptive regardless. She behaved much like one, did she not? A girl out of her time. Uncanny, yet graceful. We should have been more suspicious of her sudden arrival, rather than chalking it up to a miraculous appearance."
He nodded at the introspection, wholeheartedly agreeing with the words of the headmaster for what they were. Throughout his many years as both a military general and a headmaster, James had witnessed many things that the common folk would describe as an oddity beyond the realms of possibility.
The dead were meant to stay dead. To have hoped that Summer Rose was an exception to the rule was a fool's gambit.
"Her outer layer appears to be a polyurethane resin of some kind." Ironwood informed, "However, whilst the material appears similar to high-density resins used in moulding agriculture or military equipment, it is remarkably malleable and highly resistant to damage of any sort. Coupled with the ball-and-socket joints that compose her frame and she is, quite literally, a humanoid doll."
"...And what of her internal organs?"
"I have thus far been unable to penetrate the Summer doll's outer casing with the current available tools." James informed, shaking his head. "I have sent for more specialised pieces from Atlas in the meantime. However, scans revealed that she appears to possess a rudimentary skeleton, albeit one supported by thick strings of some kind. Both completely inorganic."
The headmaster of Vale gave a low chuckle, shaking his head. "...It almost sounds like something out of a child's storybook. A doll come to life. For said doll to be made in the likes of Summer Rose..." he trailed off momentarily, "...A dangerous ability indeed. The ability to animate perfect duplicates."
Perfect was not the correct choice of phrasing.
"...Imperfect, actually." he spoke up, drawing the fellow headmaster's attention. "The Summer doll appeared to present with further memory loss than previously stipulated in your initial interrogation of her."
James tried not to fume at the memory of being denied the chance to interrogate Summer Rose the moment that she had suddenly resurfaced. Were he the one in charge, he may have discovered the impostor before she had the chance to escape their clutches. Perhaps then, he wouldn't have encountered the beaten down and broken form of Taiyang Xiao Long for a second time in his life.
"More memory loss? How so?"
"From what Taiyang spoke of in his report, when 'Summer' arrived at their familial home she initially presented as severely distraught; breaking into tears as she surveyed the house. Upon questioning her, Taiyang discovered that she had forgotten several key events in her life and sat her down to reliably sort out what she did in fact remember. At the time, he had chalked it up to a form of traumatic memory loss and merely assumed her memories would resurface in due time once she felt safe and secure."
"...It seems that Taiyang is quite the note-taker." Ozpin idly observed. "It is quite the refreshing change from his previous disposition during his time as a trainee huntsmen."
Ironwood levelled a frown in the headmaster's direction. Of all the pieces of information to focus on and the man decides to reminisce about a previous student's personal growth. Whilst it was far more likely that Ozpin was simply biding his time in order to process the information he had delivered in a proper manner, there were other matters of import that were rather time sensitive.
Still. It would be rude not to reply.
"Yes, well, he is a teacher at Signal Academy, is he not? One would only hope that a man in his position would be able to reliably keep track of a large amount of data. Especially regarding those closest to him."
"Perhaps." Ozpin allowed.
With some measure of finality, the two headmasters exited from the infirmary halls and made the trek through the academy grounds in relatively comfortable silence. It was a useful moment to recollect their thoughts regarding the current situation.
"Tell me something James," the headmaster of Beacon spoke up after a moment, "if this Kirakishou is indeed the culprit behind the Summer doll's appearance, what was her purpose? To intervene in a fight against White Fang soldiers? With the sheer strength of her vines alone she could have stopped the fight single-handedly. I can see no other possible reasoning. Once the White Fang members were apprehended, all 'Summer' wished for was to return home to see her husband."
...That's the million lien question, isn't it?
Why?
Why in the world would a lone girl whom had mysteriously appeared one day, animate a doll in the form of Summer Rose? What possible motive could she have had?
"A mystery for the ages, I suppose. Considering her status as a stranger with an unknown past, we have no relatives or associates to question. She is completely alone, barring those that she has met in this academy so far which would likely be as unaware as we are." he mused with a yawn, staring up at the moonlit sky. "Would it not be best to question the doll's suspected creator? From what I have heard, you currently have her under a house arrest of some kind?"
"It may be for the best to interrogate her, yes." Ozpin answered, before sighing and slumping down onto a nearby bench. With some degree of caution, the general sat beside the man. "Yet, I find myself reluctant. What is there to possibly hope to gain in questioning the motive of a girl on the edge of sanity? A girl who almost broke the necks of two visiting students the moment her partner fell unconscious. A girl who speaks in riddles regarding flowers and beauty? Would you be able to trust the words of a girl so utterly unhinged?"
"If she is as mentally unstable as you suggest, then why keep her in the school? Why keep her around students if she's such a danger?"
"...What else am I to do? At this point, I would not be surprised if news of the girl's powers have spread across the various continents and inevitably found its way to Her. Releasing Kirakishou to the outside world would only see the girl captured and turned into a future adversary. Or killed."
He frowned at the revelation. It was a distinct possibility that the girl would indeed be captured the moment she set foot out of Beacon. Salem had agents everywhere. Whilst Kirakishou's dolls weren't flawless copies of the original, they possessed some memories and were clearly capable of holding their own against experienced fighters. If such a power found its way into Salem's clutches there was no doubt in his mind that the witch would use it to expand her network of spies.
"...I see."
Ozpin chuckled. It was a low, empty laugh devoid of humour. The laugh of a man who has been through the worst.
"Now you understand my conundrum."
Loathe as he would admit, he did. To be trapped with a dilemma in which all possible outcomes inevitably end in failure was a particular speciality of the Schnee Dust Company's current CEO- Jacques Schnee. It was how the man had managed to manoeuvre himself into such a precarious position and establish a monopoly on the world's dust mines in such a short period of time.
"...You may need to hire a guarded force to oversee her house arrest." Ironwood suggested, frowning thoughtfully. "It is highly unlikely that-"
"Don't bother." Ozpin interrupted, shaking his head. James frowned at the man, even as the silver-haired headmaster gave off a bitter chuckle. "...When I sent Glynda to apprehend Kirakishou, she cooperated without incident. From what Glynda reported, she seemed to find it to be an amusing prospect. I already have two guards outside her room. They will suffice for the meantime, provided Kirakishou continues to play nice."
For a while, the two headmasters sat there in silence. One in soft contemplation, the other stewing in annoyance.
"There is also the added advantage in that Kirakishou appears rather enamoured with your potential Silver-Eyed Warrior." he eventually gained the will to speak up once more. "If the two are together and your allies, it would open up the possibility of using both of their powers in your favour."
"...It is an appealing possibility. But can it be done? Ruby is but a child. There is no knowing when, if at all, her silver eyes will activate. Kirakishou appears unstable at the best of times. Ruby is her sole supporter."
This was the moment. Ever since he had heard about Summer Rose's resurrection on the journey to Vale, James had been waiting for the precise moment in order to spring this idea upon the wizened old headmaster.
"There is another way." he begun, carefully. Ozpin's eyes darted to him, narrowing ever so slightly at the tone. "As you are aware, Amber's condition has begun to deteriorate over the past few weeks despite our best efforts. We will need to find a new Maiden soon, lest her powers seek the piece stolen by her assailant."
Ozpin stared at him. "...You're suggesting that Ruby be the one to receive her powers, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"...A Silver-Eyed Warrior has never naturally received the powers of a Maiden before. We have no way of knowing the possible outcomes were we to attempt such a complicated procedure. The transfer of aura could end up killing her and, in doing so, both deprive us of a possible Silver-Eyed Warrior and enrage a being of unknown power. It is too risky."
Frustration rapidly mounted within his mind, only mellowed by countless years of expertise in countering browbeating by now-former subordinates.
"I am aware." James allowed, being sure to keep his gaze on his fellow headmaster. "And yet, we find ourselves in a situation where She is changing the battlefield. For the first time in history, a maiden has been attacked by one of Her associates and their power successfully harvested, albeit partially. We cannot afford to remain complacent. Drastic measures must be taken."
The other headmaster was still for a long while after that, the only signs of movement being the rise and fall of his chest. James allowed the moment to stretch on, content to allow the man to take the time to think about his offer instead of demanding a conclusion.
A small morbid side of him wondered what was going through the man's head. To live for eons, watching as a single adversary constantly chipped away at everything he held close to his heart. To see friends and lovers pass on, endlessly. What kind of soul could hope to withstand such grief and still possess the will to fight?
It was a horrid thing to imagine. James could only hope that grief hadn't clouded his judgement in the more short-term actions.
Would a person in such a situation not wish for things to end once and for all, no matter the cost?
"...You're right." he answered, voice soft. "However, it is far too early to consider such drastic measures. For now, it would be in our best interests to allow Summer's daughter to grieve. We all know the dangers of an emotionally unstable Maiden. Meanwhile, we can continue to consider the proper actions to take in the future. Qrow is due for arrival soon enough and I suspect we will have much to discuss."
James possessed the intuition to understand a dismissal for what it was. The subject of the Maidens themselves had always been an intimate topic for Ozpin and the Silver-Eyed Warriors were of a similar page. However, with Amber's deteriorating condition there was now a time limit to such patient manoeuvres.
The only small concession revolved around the fact that Ozpin had not outright denied the possibility of utilising the girls in their vision for the future.
He would allow the young Miss Rose to grieve. When it was deemed suitable, he would represent the matter to Ironwood and get the ball rolling. With any luck, they would be able to bring the war to Salem and finally end this horrific stalemate.
Meanwhile, they had far greater issues to deal with.
Kirakishou lay deep within her N-Field, suspended by vines as she gazed up into the darkness that surrounded her viewing room. Ripples of space floated around her like stars in a grand night sky, depicting the various humans and faunus held within range of her field. Kirakishou's eye focused on a singular tear in the N-Field, displaying her Master's father and sister explaining the death of the 'fake' Summer Rose as Ruby lay there in shock as tears continued to trickle down her face.
She wished nothing more than to be there to clean her beloved Rose, to lap up her tears and hold the young huntress close to her artificial body.
My beautiful little Rose. I feel your grief, even from so very far away. Even here you reach me with your pain. Know that we shall never part.
Were it not for her actions, there would be a notable increase in grimm activity surrounding Beacon Academy during the time that Summer's death was revealed. Yet Kirakishou would not allow the disgusting beasts to experience the sensation of her beloved's pure emotions, even the emotions of which most would prefer to be without.
In the end, they were still the emotions of her beloved master. They were hers. By right of the Rozen Maiden contract.
...I can only wonder how your own N-Field must be affected by this, Ruby… If I journeyed deep into your soul, would I still find the rain? Or would a great storm have been stirred deep within? Bound as tightly as you are to the N-Field at this stage, you must be able to sense it.
Rest assured that her tomb shall never be disturbed by outsiders, empty as it may be for now.
You needn't worry, my love. You needn't care for them. You have me. In the end, you'll always have me. They are nothing but dolls for us to play with when we feel like it. They can't hurt you. Nothing will hurt you. I won't let it.
Idly, she felt her connection to Yang Xiao Long snap under the weight of the girl's rage. The most likely cause being the girl's discovery that Kirakishou had been the one behind the resurrection of the Summer doll. Yet another reaction caused by the interference of the outsider. The adversary. He whom would seek to attack her beloved master, just to get close to Kirakishou herself.
Laplace no ma. Or, in the language of Remnant, 'Laplace's Demon'.
Unfortunate.
Even if the older sister of her beloved rose had managed to temporarily free herself from Kirakishou's manipulations, unknowingly or not, it was of little consequence to the plans of the pure Rozen Maiden. She had accomplished what she had set out to accomplish with the little blonde doll.
Ruby belonged to her now- there were a choice few whom could claim a degree of familiarity with the little reaper, barring herself. Now her beloved rose was forging her own connections to others with her own N-Field, including superseding Kirakishou's connection to Yang following her emotional breakdown. Under Kirakishou's watchful eye, Ruby would spread her influence far and wide as she ensnared as many little dolls as she desired.
Yes… Let me guide you, little rose. A budding seedling needs plenty of nurture…
Then, when the time came, Kirakishou would swoop in and ensure that they could both play with the dolls together.
Forever.
All that she needed to do was move the other pieces. Laplace-no-ma had affected a great many of her dolls, but she still had more to play with. Many souls were bound within Beacon Academy, whether they be sleeping peacefully or plotting its downfall- it mattered not. They were nearby and, thus, malleable to an extent.
Plus, Vale was right around the corner. From what she could understand by the whispers of anticipation held within the newest additions to her garden, the upcoming Vytal Festival would draw a great many outsiders to the city of Vale and, thus, her N-Field. Kirakishou wondered if there would be any particular dolls that would interest her beloved. If not, they would in the very least suffice as fertiliser for her garden. Or perhaps would become dreamers of her own.
"I love you, Ruby Rose." she whispered, giggling to herself. "Be mine, Ruby Rose. Stay with me. Play with me. Here. Let me show you. Let me show you everything..."
One day, Ruby would hear her words.
For the meantime Kirakishou slid her attention away from the ripple showing Ruby's hospital room, content in the knowledge that the girl's chosen dolls would be sufficient in nurturing the little reaper back to a degree of stability.
What is it that they say? Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Humans are strange creatures, but they do have some interesting proverbs. They must have some redeeming qualities to have created the likes of Ruby, after all. Oh, Ruby...
She would suffer without her beloved for a fleeting moment. For now, there was work to be done that required her absolute concentration.
The N-Field, whilst an invariably beneficial tool during the events of the Alice Game perpetuated by both Father and her beloved sisters, held uses outside of the accursed game itself. During the years immediately following her birth and subsequent entrapment inside of the odd little plane of unconsciousness, she had learnt that direct actions within the N-Field went largely unnoticed by the denizens of the waking world.
Following Kirakishou's initial quest to gain an artificial body through the alternate version of Jun Sakurada, she had made use of this peculiar facet to a great degree by wrapping her imperceptible vines around his physical form and directing him to craft a new body for her using the parts that she had gathered from playing with Souseiseki empty body.
When she had first discovered this quirk regarding her unique ability, Kirakishou had loathed the fact that none witnessed her actions. However, when she had first managed to break into the real world and meet with one of her sisters, Kirakishou had soon realised that there were times in which it was fruitful to remain unseen and unheard lest those with hostile intentions seek to damage her pure form.
...Thank you, my Black Rose Sister, for teaching me this fact. If I ever see you again, I will hold you so tightly within the petals of my rose that you will never be able to speak your mean words, let alone leave me.
She smiled, idly rubbing a nearby vine with a free hand. It was a calming motion that she would do when she was initially trapped within the N-Field without anybody to hold her. Now that she was temporarily without the bliss of Ruby's physical presence, the act would once again have to suffice.
Directing her vision, she pushed with her power, actively seeking a specific tear within the waking world and within the confines of some of her other playthings. These particular little dolls had been quite mean to her recently and whilst she would desire nothing more than to either turn them to junk or add them to her garden and simply be done with it, they had a role to play in the upcoming events.
"Little Jade Doll. Little Empty Doll. It's time to play again." Kirakishou giggled to herself, threading vines through the ripple of reality. "This time, however, you both are so very far from my beloved. You cannot hurt her body now. It's time to pay me back for your disservice."
"...She knew my dad."
Cinder raised a delicate eyebrow at the small voice coming from the esteemed son of Marcus Black. She had been waiting some time for the boy to speak about the fight, in which she had heard that the assassin had been soundly defeated by an up-and-coming prodigy and some 'crazed flower girl' of some kind.
Having to resort to chatting with the locals of Beacon Academy had not been an entertaining prospect. It would seem that none would give her a straight answer regarding the fight. Whilst she waited for the auras of Emerald and Mercury to repair their damaged vocal cords, she had been forced to endure a seemingly endless tirade of half-truths and awed wonder from a bunch of hormone addled teenagers that were clearly too busy worrying about sucking face than their own studies.
It was fucking horrible.
"...Are you completely certain?" she pressed.
The idea of a young woman in the middle of Beacon Academy just so happening to be familiar with a prestigious assassin whilst the man's own killer and son was attending was nothing short of alarming to the half-maiden. It would explain why Mercury had came out so injured during what she had understood to be a simple observatory sparring match to gain admission into the Vytal Festival tournament.
Could the girl be seeking to avenge Marcus Black's death?
"She spoke the exact words that he did, moments before he bled to death." Mercury deadpanned from his position on the ground. He was attempting some flawed version of push-ups, though Cinder decided not to correct the boy on his movements in favour of the fucking bombshell he had just dropped in her lap.
Having been staked out and witnessing Mercury's fight with his father, she knew that there were only three living people in the world that had knowledge of the event that had lead to Marcus' defeat at the hands of his son. They were all sitting in this room.
Cinder Fall.
Emerald Sustrai.
And, of course, Mercury Black himself.
Only the latter had been in close enough proximity to hear spoken words. There had been no others to witness the event. Thus, provided that Mercury hadn't told the phrase to others, it implied that Mercury's opponent had somehow overheard the event and managed to elude them entirely.
Which meant that this completely random Beacon Student, whom hadn't even shown up on the list of students given to her by Lionheart and was thus a late addition to the roster, may be aware of their true intentions.
"...Shit."
Emerald looked at her with worried eyes, distinctly reminiscent of a timid little puppy, yet remained thankfully silent and obedient to a degree. It was rather sickening.
"Yup." Mercury muttered with a grunt, concluding his exercise and propping himself up against the bed frame. "Which probably means she somehow saw the fight with my dad, because I sure as fuck haven't said a damn word about that day since it happened. Dead old dad kept no journals for her to uncover, so that idea is out too. How in the hell she managed to hide in the middle of an empty field in broad daylight is anybody's guess."
She turned to Emerald, who noticeably perked up at the attention.
"...Did a similar event occur for you as well?"
The teal-haired girl shook her head. "N-No, ma'm. Although, that may be because she seemed to be specifically targeting Mercury at the time. Prior to the incident that set her off, it was simple banter. Nothing more."
"And what exactly was it that 'set her off' in your words?" she requested, narrowing her eyes.
Surprisingly, it was Mercury that responded. "...I was up against her teammate at the time, the little girl that stopped Torchwick's dust robbery the night before orientation. Ruby Rose. Blondie's vines were getting in the way, so I sent a homing round towards her, but the little girl jumped in the way of the shot and took the hit. Ended up completely exhausting her aura." he explained, frowning.
Cinder gave a wry smirk. Trust in a Beacon student to sacrifice themselves for a pointless endeavour and pay the price. What was the phrase again? No good dead goes unpunished?
"Pissed off blondie something fierce." Mercury continued. "Next thing I know it, everything goes to shit. Girl summons some little ball of light that rips a fucking hole in the air and generates this giant rose to protect the little girl's unconscious body. Right after that, she starts shrugging off volleys weapons-grade dust like it's going out of style. Turns out her semblance isn't limited to just vines like I'd thought at the time. Seems like a whole repertoire of abilities. Like a Schnee semblance, but dialled up to eleven."
"Kirakishou went after me first. That's her name, by the way." Emerald supplied at her inquisitive look, the thief idly rubbing her bruised neck. "In an instant she was on me, wrapping her hands around my neck. I could feel my aura creaking from the strain. I couldn't move. Couldn't scream at the fucking proctor that I wanted to forfeit. There wasn't anything I could do to stop her. I felt completely and utterly helpless in her hands."
Cinder raised a brow. It wasn't like Emerald to simply give up, even if she had been drawn into an impromptu couples match.
The woman blushed under her scrutiny. "I tried to get out of it. Got her a few good times with my blade, but it didn't even scratch her aura. Before I knew it, my own aura had snapped and I'd passed out. I thought I was going to die. I… don't know what happened after that." she bowed her head in submission, looking ashamed.
Mercury snorted, wincing slightly from the pain of the action on his healing throat. "She threw you aside like a damn ragdoll is what happened." he admitted, not affected in the slightest under the girl's embarrassed red-eyed glare. "What? I'm not lying. Get over yourself, Emmie. She wasn't that interested in you. She was pissed at me for hurting her little girlfriend, that's all. Not like she'd ruin the match by actually offing you. You had nothing to fear."
"You tell yourself that when a psycho blonde is choking you unconscious in front of a hundred witnesses with a smile on her face." Emerald shot back. "Oh, right." she winced under Cinder's demanding gaze. "The girl's apparently known for being a bit crazy. Least that's what the rumours say about her. Most of the people who know her keep a fair distance away. Likes to rave about flowers and dolls, or just act plain creepy."
Cinder briefly regarded the teal-haired girl with a queer look. Half the staff and a fair amount of the students could be considered mentally unhinged. That was nothing out of the ordinary in this messed up academy for gun-crazed lunatics.
"And what happened once Emerald was knocked unconscious?" she inquired.
The assassin gave a lighthearted shrug. "Not much to say. 'Bout the same thing happened to me as well. Tried to fight her. Got caught. Got choked. Game over. Though in my case Goodwitch arrived in time before she could finish the job. Managed to stay conscious long enough to see the girl tell her little ball of light thingy to buzz off, before she stormed out of the hall. Didn't even spare a glance at her teammate."
"Rather curious behaviour." Cinder noted.
Coupled with the information she had managed to squeeze out of the rumours, Mercury and Emerald's retelling of the fight implied a great many things about their main adversary in the fight; this 'Kirakishou' girl. Unusually high aura reserves for a student, deranged behaviour and a notable lack of the pretentious pride common in most high-class prestigious students created a profile that wouldn't have been accepted into Beacon Academy without some manner of intervention on the headmaster's part. Likely due to the properties of her unique semblance.
It was the only logical explanation for the presence of such a character within Beacon Academy.
Her comment to Mercury regarding the boy's dead father implied a knowledge of their activities to some degree, yet she hadn't attempted to interfere with their plans in any notable manner. Instead, she had lashed out solely after her partner was injured in a common sparring match. Only then did Kirakishou decide to personally step in and reveal her knowledge.
But why? A bargaining chip? Injure my partner and I reveal your secrets? It made no sense. Even if she did follow through with such a threat, it wouldn't matter. Nobody trusted her. All it would take would be one scroll call to Lionheart and the matter would be resolved.
Was it for sheer sadistic glee? Enrage Mercury into a mistake? If so, then why wait so long to reveal it? From what Cinder understood of the strength of the girl's aura, there was no point in enraging an opponent that could be easily defeated regardless?
Quite the conundrum. However, when boiled down to its most basic properties the girl's reasoning behind her verbal assault did not matter.
She knows about Mercury's past and, possibly, our involvement. She has to go.
"...What should we do, ma'm?" Emerald inquired gently, peering at her with those big round eyes as if Cinder would break apart without her soft words. Were it not for the usefulness of keeping the red-eyed girl docile, she would have stamped out such behaviour years ago.
"Contact Torchwick. We will be needing some of the dust he's gathered."
A/N:
FFN has been a bit funky recently, so I was forced to reupload this chapter. Hopefully it works this time.
I was about halfway through a chapter before changing my mind and redoing it from scratch. It was... rough. But in the end it's all done and I get to post another chapter. So, happy days. Feel free to leave a review and tell me what you all thought! I've been waiting to be able to write Qrow for the longest time. Can't wait!