Chapter 12: Lost and Found
It killed him inside to hear his sunny little dragon scream out in her room, a mix of terror and pain… mostly pain. He knew he couldn't help her; even though his instinct was to rush up the stairs, Taiyang restrained himself, although his eyes moistened at the effort. Three minutes she screamed, then silence; the silence was much worse, and Taiyang bounded up the stairs. Qrow wasn't too far behind. Nick was sitting in a chair, near the foot of her bed. He looked up from a metal box as Taiyang and Qrow entered. "Is she okay?!" Taiyang demanded. Nick nodded, "A bit better than okay, she managed to stay awake for over three minutes; everything's going right, I'll wake her up in about ten minutes or so."
"So, no unforeseen complications?" Qrow asked. Nick leaned back in the chair. "Not yet, outside of her temper." Suddenly, the chair's leg gave way with a crack. Nick fell backwards with the chair, twisting so that his shoulder took the brunt of the fall. Unfortunately, his foot caught a cable connecting Yang to the box. His momentum popped off the electrode from her arm; but bent the jack in half. Nick landed with a thud. The machine started to beep, to the attention of Taiyang. Qrow knew what was going on, "I'm sorry Tai, I should've stayed downstairs," he said as he started to leave, trying to keep the effects of his semblance to a minimum.
"What's that?" Taiyang urgently asked, motioning to the box. Nick rolled to his feet, examining the cables, finding the one that he pulled. He examined the male jack, finding it broken; he set that cable aside, drawing out a plastic baggie with a spare cable inside. "Well, I guess we're a little lucky after all; no worry, Mr. Xiao Long, just gotta get this cable in place and she'll be fine." He stuck the electrode onto Yang's arm, right where the old one popped off, and plugged in the cable. Taiyang tool note that through all this, Nick kept his cool. The box stopped beeping, returning to its soft hum.
Taiyang breathed a sigh, a release of tension, "I think I should go back down, you've got it up here." Nick nodded, leaning against a wall.
Eight minutes in, and Nick kept one eye on his equipment, the other on Yang. Her arm was mostly formed now, almost to the wrist. The thing was, in spite of his training, Nick started to get… distracted. Memories of his childhood invaded his mind. All but lost times of happiness and adventure with his older brother and sister in their hometown near the foot of those huge, rocky, snow-capped mountains, long gone. A tear formed and rolled down a cheek as the images enveloped him.
The door creaked open, moving him out of his reverie. He looked up, expecting to see someone there; no one. Something touched his leg, and he looked down, seeing a black-and-white corgi looking back, ears perked. Nick knelt down and scratched between its ears. As He did, he peeked at its tags. Zwei, okay, he thought, I wonder where the first one is.
He heard footsteps coming up the stairs. With lightning-fast reflexes, he quickly turned to the door, shifting his jaw forward to amplify his hearing. He heard a second pair of footsteps; now both halfway up the stairs. By the time the two were in the hall, Nick could tell by the rustle of their clothes that one wore a cape –presumably red– and the other had a longer skirt, along with the tinkling of some jewelry. Ruby and Weiss stopped in front of the door, and Ruby peeked in.
"Um, how's it going?" she asked. Nick simply nodded in reply. She opened the door further, asking, "can I –uh, we come in?" He shrugged. Weiss stood there and glared at Nick. He glanced at the box, one more minute. Weiss looked down at the corgi at Nick's feet, and her expression softened, "aww, there's my cute little fur ball!" Ruby snickered, as Weiss rushed over and scooped up Zwei, squeezing him. Nick stepped out of her way, muttering, "Well, you must really like the dog. Anyway," he turned to Ruby, "She'll be waking up shortly, it might take a few minutes or so, but she'll be up." Ruby nearly burst from that, "ooh, thank you! Thank you so much for helping us!" The machine stopped humming.
Nick turned around and looked over Yang's arm. Elbow, wrist, palm, fingers, everything looks right –even though she has the scar; you know... she's got some pretty hands… He slightly shook his head, starting to take off the electrodes; where the hell did that come from?!
"Well, we just came up here looking for Zwei," Weiss stated, catching the look in his eye, "I think we'll leave you too your work." Ruby started to object, but Weiss grabbed her by the arm, holding Zwei in the other, and rushed out, whispering in her ear.
It had been about midday when Pyrrha arrived; and since then –it could've been her imagination– the sun never seemed to set, until now. She stood atop the rocks, gazing at the sunset. She held herself, her spear within easy reach, and she flinched at every tiny noise. That… thing that wore Jaune's face had come again, in her sleep. Her face and neck still held the fresh bruises and cuts from his –its ambush. It had deceived her in her own dreams; but then her dreams turned into reality. She shuddered at the all-too recent memory of it violating her; it made her sick.
The sun slipped below the horizon, and while twilight still lit her way, Pyrrha started to climb down. She saw the darkness coming like an invisible fogbank –a shadow not being cast, but still there– its shadows creeping around the rocks like animated tendrils of an obscene creature. Running for her life –or that's what she felt like– Pyrrha dodged and scrambled her way back to her dwelling. She saw her hut, merely a hundred feet away, and hope lit inside her. Then the darkness enveloped her, and it seemed like someone flipped a switch. She lifted her hand in front of her face; she couldn't see it.
The thing was, this darkness was so dark it felt like it pressed in on her. She crouched down and crawled on all fours toward the last place she saw her hut. After several feet, she keeled over from a growing pain, it was everywhere. She kept moving, starting to bite her tongue from the pain. Several more yards, and she wanted to cry out, chewing her tongue. Suddenly, she ran into the side of her hut, quickly feeling around for the entrance. As soon as she entered, she was blinded by the light inside. Her pain started to quickly recede as her eyes adjusted to the low light of the low fire. She collapsed in a tired heap, her skin covered in small sores.
She edged her way toward the fire. That darkness… I could feel it, she thought, and the pain… what kind of night is this?
What is it about him that's so fascinating? Yang asked herself as she looked at Nick. I've barely met him, and yet I feel like I've seen those eyes before. She stepped back to get a better look at him, saying, "Haven't I seen you before?" He looked into her eyes and shrugged. She slightly squinted, trying to place him, when something clicked. The deep countenance, the multi-colored eyes; his hair is white, not the blond I expected. It's him, the warrior Alistair. She crossed her arms and smirked, but there was something else there, something more, something about him, about his eyes that struck a personal chord within her. Wait, I've seen those eyes before… but where did I…?
He held a relative eye contact with her. "You know, I'm not just another pretty face," he joked, poking fun at her staring. She cracked a slight smile. "By the way, there are some friends of yours who'd like to see you." Her smile faded as quickly as it formed, her face turning stern. He moved to open the door, but she said, "Wait, there's something I want to tell you first." His hand left the handle.
She closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath, and then opened them again. "I'm really in your debt," she looked up at him –he was a couple inches taller than she– and continued, stepping closer, "I have a really hard time believing you won't accept payment." She stopped less than a foot from him, close enough to smell him, a nice, earthy, dirt-like smell with fresh pine laid in, "I'll find a way to earn my arm, by any means." She opened the door and walked out, Nick not too far behind. He had held his tongue, but his thoughts were unbridled. Go find someone else girl, someone who'd be a better fit than me. If you really knew what I am, monster in the flesh that the mind won't believe, you'd turn and run. Besides, I'm not interested, even though you're very bodacious. In fact, I've never been interested in anyone for all my life… and in this state too.
When they had reached the foot of the stairs, Nick looked out the window; it was snowing. As Yang entered the living room, Nick stayed back. Ruby was the first to say anything, literally charging and hugging her sister, "Yang! You're okay! I–" She broke down at that point, "I'm so sorry!" She said, shedding tears, "I didn't stay and help you, I was going to leave and find Cinder–" Yang hugged Ruby back, "I love you too." Ruby squeezed her in return, burying her head in Yang's side. Nick watched for a moment, but then slipped out the back door. Blake shied away when Yang looked at her, saying nothing. Weiss stepped up behind Ruby and said, "I'm really happy that you got your arm back, Yang!" Yang held out a hand to Weiss, and they embraced.
Yang looked back to Nick, but he wasn't there. She started to unconsciously rub her arm; especially where her scar was. Where did he go? I wanted to talk with him later; hmm, it don't matter. He better not have left. She sighed and turned around; and looked at Blake, who started to fidget. Yang sat down next to her. "Yang, I know what you're going to say, and–" Blake started, but Yang interrupted her. "After all we've been through together, you ran," she stated, her voice bitter, resentful, and hurt, "When we needed you the most: when Ruby was in a coma, and I was in the hospital, you ran out on us." Yang finally looked at Blake, into her eyes, and demanded, "Why?" Blake looked away, drawing a jagged breath. Ruby stepped up to her sister, "Yang? Please–" Yang turned on her, "No Ruby, I need to know." Everyone was taken aback at this; Yang turned back to Blake.
She closed her eyes and explained, "Before you charged into the cafeteria that night, Adam told me that he wouldn't stop until everyone I hold dear was dead, just to hurt because I betrayed him and left the White Fang." Yang sat there in silence as Blake continued, rubbing her belly, "He stabbed me, and cut off your arm to prove that. I ran because I would, and always have hurt the people close to me." Everyone was stunned from that. Yang said nothing, but simply nodded, trying to not succumb to a terror attack.
"You hurt us, you hurt me more than anyone else has, or ever could," Yang said as she got up, eyes crimson, "I wouldn't expect forgiveness if I were you."
Qrow knew he had to tell her, but he was hesitant to bring up anything about Raven. Yang had developed an obsession with her when she was a kid, that night he rescued her and little Ruby from those Grimm was proof. But now his deal with his sister, and the choice in the deal, really made things complicated; with Winter nearly hounding him, and Yang's arm healed, and the fact that Nick never answered him about this. Qrow took a deep breath and walked to the living room.
He caught Yang leaving the living room. "Hey Firecracker," he called, she turned her head, "I've got somthin' I need to tell you." She looked at him with mild interest and he added, "You might wanna sit down, this involves your mom." They moved to the kitchen and sat, Qrow in a chair, Yang on the counter. He sighed, "It also involves Nick… and especially you. About a couple weeks ago, while I was tracking down Nick to get you a new arm, your mom and I met at a bar. She never said it, but she commissioned me to find a guardian for you. I thought, since he was on my mind at the time I guess, that a good choice would've been Nick. She reluctantly agreed, with an exception: 'I want him to help her, train her to survive, and to be loyal to her.' That's what she said, those words, in that order." "What gives her the right to do that?!" Yang said, very cross, "She never was around, she left me… and dad, but she wants you to hire a guardian to, what, protect me?!" Qrow sighed, taking out his flask. Yang calmed herself and said, "so, you chose Nick, the warrior Alistair?" Qrow looked up in surprise. "I figured out he was Alistair upstairs: 'A blond, multicolored-eyed man with arms of steel and a deep countenance on his face;' describes Nick to a T," she said, paused, then asked, "Do you know why he changed his name?" Qrow took another swig and replied, "no, I don't know; apparently, there are some things in Nick's past that he doesn't share." He rose and stated, "If you want answers, talk to him."
Yang looked on as Qrow left, and then turned to the back door. Nick was outside, sitting in the snow… with nothing more than what he had on before, a dusting of snow covering him. She slid open the door and stepped up to him. He turned to her, "Yang," he said, acknowledging her. "Alistair," she said, expecting him to react to his old name. He did. "So you've read about me," he said. "Yeah, I've read about you," Yang said, "and I'd like you to answer a question." She squatted in the snow next to him. "Why did you change your name? Only people who are running from something –or someone– change their name; people who hide." He looked at her, thinking, oh, you've got things a little backwards Yang. She looked back at him. "The Alistair I read about wasn't a coward, so what made you change your name? Alistair–" she said, starting to reach for him. He just sat there, shifting his jaw, mulling over her questions and his response. That's curious, why would you want to open up my past, when there's no need? Her hand gripped his shoulder, and she felt his muscles tighten, strong as steel, at her touch; the same reaction she'd given her dad.
He coughed, and said, "I changed my name to Nick for a reason: because it's as real a name as I have, more real than Alistair." "W-what are you talking about? Are you saying that Alistair isn't your name?" He nodded, "that's my alias, Alistair Fiddle." He tried to rise and walk to the door, but she held him fast. "Just answer one more question, and tell me the truth I'm looking for. What did you do before you were at Shanot?" he sighed and said, "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. I've come to find the truth is much stranger than what it seems. All I'll tell you is that the Legend you know –of the Four Wolves– is only half the story. For right now, your hunt for explanations and answers you need ends there." He shook off her arm, stood up, and said with a mischievous smirk on his face, "you better come in; you'll catch a cold down there." She stood up and muttered, mostly to herself, "pretty soon, I'll get back in shape, get my strength back; then I'll make you sorry." Nick heard her and said under his breath, "Curiouser and curiouser, Sun Dragon."
A/N: Happy holidays everyone! Boy, I don't know about you, But I sure would dream for a white Christmas, or any white at all (where'd the snow go?)! I hope you all have a very good year too!
now with the holiday part said, and with nothing more to do...
THE REVIEWS!
GamehunterMC: Hmm, yeah, I guess it does in a way; but I had to play it over and over to see it.
Tondori: Ok, first watch your language! There's a time and place for it, and the reviews ain't one.
now, I'm absolutely glad you like the updates, and the Pyrrha thing... you'll have to wait and see. there are lots of ways to mess things up, you'll have to wait though, I'm not giving freebies.
so... outside of me bearing through bouts of writers block and depression, I'm having a good time.
see ya guys later in the next update!
