Chapter 18: Pleasant Greetings
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She tossed and turned on her bedroll –nothing more than a hand-woven leaf mat– her seventh nightmare this night. The nightmares all involved Jaune, sometimes being murdered in front of her by Cinder, sometimes Jaune murdering herself, sometimes Jaune doing worse things to her. This time, she found herself walking the halls of Beacon, seemingly alone. She turned the corner and found herself facing hordes of Grimm. They didn't see her, and she slowly backed away. Walking on, the hairs on the top of her neck bristled as she listened to her footsteps. It felt like she was being watched. She drew her sword, in case Grimm –or worse– came at her. She took a left turn, and –like it is in dreams– found herself in the secret underground chamber.
In the center was the machine, its glass coffins glimmering. Pyrrha cautiously walked over, unsure of what was going on. One of the chambers was occupied, and she walked over to the Fall Maiden inside. The girl seemed to be sleeping, at peace. Pyrrha looked deep into her face. Suddenly the girl's eyes opened, and Pyrrha leaped back. Amber seemed to just lie there, studying Pyrrha without a word with calm, curious eyes. After a moment, Pyrrha stepped forward, laying her hand on the glass. Amber reached up and pressed her hand to Pyrrha's. She opened her mouth and said in a fell voice, "you are not a Maiden."
A glass arrow pierced Amber, and she died. Pyrrha backed away in horror, turned around, and fled. She made two corners, and then went through a door and up a flight of stairs. A pair of elevator doors opened ahead of her, and she ran through them, finding herself in Professor Ozpin's office. A vague figure stood before her, and she reacted, her huntress training kicking in. She plunged Miló into his chest as she tackled him. Pyrrha looked down at her kill, a blond-haired boy she knew all too well.
He looked back up to her with surprise and shock. Their eyes met, and he gurgled, "P–Pyrrha why?" a stream of crimson blood flowed from his mouth. She gazed at him in horror. "Jaune, no!" the light faded from her eyes, and she screamed. "Nooooooo!" her voice fading into sobs, as she bent over him. She finally stood up, still weeping. A glimmer out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A mirror stood before her; but she saw two reflections: one was herself dressed in Cinder's outfit.
But the second had more impact. The reflection was dressed in mere rags, covered in filth, and blood varnished her hands. She felt her stomach squeeze, and she thought, that is truly what I am.
Pyrrha was startled by the rustle of clothes beside her. "Pyrrha?" she looked, and saw Ruby standing there. "Pyrrha, what's happening? Why?" before her very eyes, Pyrrha saw a line of red spread across Ruby's neck; her silver eyes widened in fear, and she tried to scream, but all that came out was a sickening gurgle. Her throat poured blood, staining her neck and darkening her black clothes. Pyrrha stood stock still as Ruby fell to her knees, clutching her throat. Her mouth kept working, and Pyrrha could discern what she was trying to say: "Why won't you save me? I don't wanna die alone. I'm so scared…" Finally, her eyes went vacant, and Ruby collapsed to the ground, dead.
Pyrrha let out a wail so powerful and deep, that it seemed to echo for miles around. Her nightmare faded, and she hoped she would wake up soon. But her dream wasn't over. At first she thought it was just another nightmare, but this was one felt all too real; even more real than real. She stood alone in her old dorm, everything looked untouched, even the bed's looked unslept in. she walked around the room, checking out everything. The papers were on the desk, only her uniform in the closet, but nothing of her teammates, except for their team picture. Suddenly, she felt another presence behind her. At first, Pyrrha stood stock still as the hairs at the back of her neck bristled again. Then she slowly turned around, and there, sitting on her bed, was a being dressed in white. He held her gaze for a moment, and then he spoke, "Daughter of Eve, you have been given a second chance."
"Hey Weiss, I've noticed something lately," Ruby said when the pair finally had a chance to talk alone. "Was this a new experience for you?" Weiss half-heartedly joked. Ruby huffed, "Weiss, c'mon!" and sat down on her allotted bunk. "Well, what's this about?" Weiss said after a moment. "Well, uh," Ruby started, getting nervous and poking her forefingers together, "we're close friends, right?" Weiss was taken aback for a moment, "I… suppose, why?" "Um, well, you've been acting strange lately Weiss," Ruby said, alarming her partner. "You seem kinda…faded."
Faded, the word echoed through Weiss' head, slicing her heart as it passed. …I know what you mean, dunce, she thought. "…yeah," she said, turning away at the uncomfortable subject, "my home isn't… very welcoming for me; unlike yours. You have the perfect family Ruby, your father cares for you dearly, and your sister loves you deeply." Ruby tilted her head, swinging her crossed legs and said, "Um yeah, aren't all families like that?" Weiss walked over to their window and looked out over Atlas. She closed her eyes at Ruby's naiveté. "No Ruby, not all families are as good as yours.
"My Father only married my mother for her –our name. My younger brother is as ambitious as his father. Mother doesn't even love anymore; she's too drowned in… her misery. The only person who has been anything like family to me was Winter… and she is not very warm."
"Oh Weiss," Ruby mumbled as she got what her partner was saying, Weiss wiped a tear from her eye, "I can only hope they don't know I'm here. If only my family was half as happy as yours; even if that meant having a sister like you." An idea sparked in Ruby's head. "Hey Weiss," Ruby said, "I can be your sister." "What are you talking about?" Weiss turned to her partner. "Uh," Ruby said, rubbing the back of her head, "us –er, we becoming sisters. I mean, like me and Yang are sisters, why not us two, too?"
Weiss' jaw dropped at Ruby's suggestion, and her eyes became a bit misty. But before she could reply, Yang suddenly barged into the room. "Hey," she started, but paused when she saw the two, "oh, sorry for interrupting, but do any of you have Nick's number?" A smirk curled on Weiss' lip as she said, "Why, do you want someone to… 'Snuggle'?" Yang's eyes flashed red. "Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed, "Don't anger Yang!" Yang turned away, closing her eyes, and growled, "I just wanna talk, and I can't find him anywhere." Ruby looked on with concern, "oh, he –uh– left." Yang slowly turned to her sister. "Ruby, do you know where he is?" she asked sternly. Ruby started to fidget under Yang's gaze, "I –uh– sorta know."
Ruby sighed and tried to explain, "After he walked me to our door," she gestured to said door, "he said he was staying in the mantle." Weiss reeled, "you dunce, you mean he's in Mantle?!" she looked out the window. "Mantle?" Yang said. Weiss pointed, and Yang followed her finger. "Why would he want to go to the slums?" Yang heard Weiss mutter. Yeah, she thought, why wouldn't he stay here?
Yang finally found the garage where Atlasian crews had kept Bumblebee. There it was, off to the side like some piece of junk. She rushed over and checked it over thoroughly. Good, she thought, they didn't hurt her. With a leather longcoat on and an orange scarf around her neck, Yang donned her sunglasses and revved her motorcycle. Strangely, her emotions were running full tilt; fear, anger …love. But even so, she screeched off into the night, into Mantle. I'll find you Nick, Alistair, whoever you are, she thought, and when I do, you'll have some explaining to do. She grit her teeth and accelerated. Why am I like this? She asked herself, it's like there's a war inside of me, and I feel like I'm starting to break… she shook it off and pressed on.
The buildings flashed by; businesses, apartments, shady nightclubs, it was all a blur. Her hair whipped in the wind as Yang desperately searched for… him. It seemed as if she turned on instinct, seemingly lead to him; hunting him, she thought, tears running down her cheeks at odd angles. Her burning crimson eyes were guided to an alley up ahead. The sound of a nearby nightclub throbbed in the air. She slowed down to just above a crawl, and entered cautiously. Bumblebee's headlights lit up the alley, the throb dulled to a mere background beat, and she looked from left to right, finally laying eyes on her prey.
"Hello Yang."
He was sitting on the ground, back against the alley wall. He's just sitting there, she thought, not even a turn of the head. She turned off Bumblebee and dismounted. "You're so in trouble," she said. No reaction. She slowly walked over, "You could at least look at me." "Why?" he said, his voice hollow. She stopped, "Don't you think me a looker?" she said, striking a pose. He finally looked at her, directly into her eyes. She stared back, the fight inside her veins now a torrent. "Why are you here?" he asked. She leaned against the opposite wall, crossing her arms. "I wanted to find you; I don't have your number, and I wanted to talk." He looked on.
"Why are you here?" she asked, "and how the hell are you not frozen?" She looked at his simple flannel shirt, the one he always wore. The cold still bit through her leather coat, and she couldn't even see him shivering. He looked away, down at his hands. A new thought pervaded her mind, and she acted on it as he said, "Dealing with some thoughts." She walked over, unbuttoning her coat, and, sitting down next to him, wrapped him in a half, her arm around his broad shoulders. He was as rigid and cold as a statue in her hand. She looked over at him, seeing a tear roll down his cheek. "Care to share them?" she asked caringly, subduing her ferocious feelings. He drew a ragged sigh.
Yang's scroll chirped.
She rolled her eyes and grunted in disgust. She answered, trying to muster patience, "What is it Ruby?" "Oh, hey Yang –er– did you find nick yet?" Yang could tell by the tone of her voice that her sister was under stress. "Yeah, why?" She said, "Ruby are you okay?" Ruby grunted, like she was wrestling with something. Or someone, thought Yang. "I'm kinda having –arrgh– a problem. D-does he know where the bathroom is? Could you ask–" "Ruby, that's what you called about?" Yang stated. "None of the doors here are labeled 'restroom!' I'm about to burst!" Yang sighed, looked to Nick and said, "Would you talk with her?" He gave her a blank stare, and took the call, "Hello Potshot."
"Nick!" she said before a groan, "Um, do you know what they call a bathroom here?" he glanced over at Yang with an 'Oh really?' look, and then said, "Look for 'women's latrine.'" He handed the scroll back to Yang. They could hear huffing and puffing, and the pounding of running feet. "Ruby?" she asked, hearing the creak of a door. Another door slammed, and a lock clicked. Yang hung up then, putting her fingers of her free hand on her forehead, shaking her head in frustration and embarrassment. I've had enough of this. She stood up, leaving her coat; too hot with anger to care. She started to rub her arm, "tell me something," She turned and looked deep into his eyes, searching for any lie in them. Instead, deep within his eyes she saw something inside of him: sadness, anger, and…
Fear.
"How'd you, the four Wolves, get here?" she asked. Nick replied, "We fell down a hole." Yang finally noticed what Nick was tense about, me, why do I scare him? Doesn't he know that I love him– she suddenly checked herself, Oh hell, what am I thinking… He'll probably just leave even if we got involved. But then again, he's hot… and nice… she started to play with a lock of golden hair. Nick noticed. Yang cast her lavender eyes on him, striking a pose, saying, "You know, I could use a drink."
She started down the alley to the entrance. "The nightclub's nearby," she said, looking over her shoulder, "Maybe you could use one too." "Yang," he said, "I can't. I'm your guardian… that means I shouldn't get… involved." She stopped in her tracks. "You know, I never accepted you as my guardian." She turned to him, eyes crimson, "Don't bring up my mom's … plan for my life. I don't care." "
I only 'signed on' when you ran off, and I searched for you in Beacon… and I helped with the funeral, because I knew exactly what you were going through, what you were doing then; I did the same."
Yang walked up to him, "you care for me, taken care of me… and I mean it when I say I'm in your debt." She suddenly grabbed hold of his tee collar and his black handkerchief… and a chain necklace underneath. "And now something has happened to me, Alice," she said, hoisting him up to her level and pressing him against the wall. "This is wrong," Nick warned, trying to hold her back, starting to tremble, "this is wrong." "I know," she said, their faces getting closer, "I know."
They kissed. Yang noticed that he tasted like pine-and-orange-hinted mint. To Nick, Yang had the taste of honey… I'm really liking this girl.
A/N: You know, Ruby's right, you shouldn't get her sister Yangry. I couldn't fit a Yangry pun in, so...
...also, Pyrrha bashing. Happy National Donut *burp* Day, June 1st, 2018! say goodbye to your diets!
For the people who care...
Luckyshot8; way back in chapter two: well, by the time you read this (see above date) it might be winter, somewhere in the world... so to reply to your comment: that guy... yeah, I don't watch Pokémon, I only singled out his red baseball cap because that's the only coloured cap I don't have! even back then (over a year, gosh!)
And, any artists are welcome to draw, paint, whatever that nice little ending scene... however, at this moment I'm a bit broke so... (my art isn't that great, lust look at the cover art.)
see ya all next time!
