Chapter 24: That Which You Seek (Seeks You)
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A man peered through the telephoto lens of his camera at two girls, standing together looking at an airship taking off. His intention was for the girl in white. But what piqued His curiosity was the girl in red and black. Well well miss Rose, he thought as he snapped a picture of them embracing, getting close to Miss Schnee now? He put his camera away and pulled out his scroll. He dialed a number and put it to his ear. A woman's voice answered on the other end, "Atlas Military Police, Investigative Division-"
"Hello Shale," he said, "What do you know about the Schnee Family?"
"... No more than anyone else does. Why are you asking me of all people?" The man peered through a pair of binoculars, "mm, how 'bout we talk over lunch?" the woman -Shale- paused, "I can't, I'm wrapping up a case, Paperwork."
"Well, how 'bout dinner then, my treat?" the man offered without skipping a beat. Shale took a moment, and then said, "Slate, what are you getting into now? You're just as bad -if not worse than- Tin, now why-"
"Dinner, my place... We'll talk." He said and hung up. He took one last look at the two girls, already heading off, and picked up his camera bag and violin case. He didn't notice the black bird flying overhead.
Yang tossed and turned in her bunk, suffering from another nightmare; they seemed to be getting worse. She clutched her pillow, sweating profusely. The sheets clung to her skin, smothering her body. Her breathing was quick and shallow from fear.
Nick rolled out from his bunk beneath hers and, standing on his bunk, looked on in worry. Trying to comfort her, he reached out and laid a hand on her bare shoulder. She sprang up, gasping, and threw a fist at the dark form beside her. Nick saw it coming, but he gazed into her terrified eyes, letting it fly. It connected with his jaw with a resounding crack. the shock sent him backward, falling onto the floor with a thud.
Yang scrambled back against the wall, her mind both awake and in her nightmare. Her breaths were still shallow and quick from terror. Blinking several times, she cleared her mind of dreaminess. Nick rustled on the floor, starting to get up. Yang flatted herself against the wall at the sound. He got up and stood, looking at her. Their eyes met, and she melted, leaping into him.
Nick tumbled beneath her, taking her in his arms. She clung to him, laying her head on his shoulder. Yang calmed down, snuggling close to him. For minutes they sat there on the floor together. Yang breathed him in, eyes closed, a slight smile on her lips. she heard his heartbeat, felt his rigid muscles.
Yang flinched when she felt something wet fall on her cheek. A tear? she looked up at Nick, seeing another rolling down his face. He smiled, reaching up and caressing her cheek, His eyes afire with tender love and curiosity.
What binds us together like this? What is it about me that you find so attractive, Sun Dragon?
Days and nights passed.
Yang walked along the landing deck, thinking about that night -about every night- when she ended up with Nick; driven to him by her nightmares. she smiled as she thought of his welcoming... comforting... caring embrace.
Stopping for a moment, she closed her eyes and pictured him in her mind. Me and him... in a garden... alone. A sigh escaped her lips, both in and out of her fantasy, as she soaked in his smile. she reached out and ran her fingers through his curly ashen-white hair, and he reached around and returned the favor. her hands moved down his neck and chest, kneading the taut muscles underneath his marred, light-olive skin. His gentle hands caressed down her body, sending shivers through her. She looked deep into his mesmerizing eyes, set in a handsomely rugged face. Emotion filled her. She pushed him back into the blooming flowers, his laugh flowing like a breeze. they kissed, and her soul seemed to reach new heights of bliss. When they parted, his words seemed to echo in her mind, "Baby, set me free..."
Yang snapped back to reality, her fantasy fading.
Two days ago, Yang and Nick were walking together through the ship, after they had finished the duties Winter assigned; this wasn't a pleasure cruise, after all. However, as they were passing the galley. they were met with a conspicuous sound.
Twang
Nick halted in his stride. Yang turned to the galley, puzzlement in her eyes.
Twang Twing
Inside, they saw Jaune, tuning a guitar. They walked in and listened to Jaune play. to her surprise, Nick gave Jaune several helpful tips on his playing. And to her greater surprise, Nick could play the guitar as well; as he demonstrated when Jaune offered his guitar. She sat next to Nick and stared transfixed at his fingers quickly moving along the fingerboard, making beautiful tones and melodies as they went.
Another thing I learned about him.
Yang sighed as she recalled that moment, and then walked on, entering the ship. the clean, fresh air followed her inside. Her thoughts flitted in her head, drifting from Nick, then to Blake, and then to Ruby. She stopped, however, as a new thought entered her mind. And this thought had a face.
Pyrrha. Pyrrha's dead, isn't she? Poor Jaune can't bring himself to face that fact. I don't think Winter cares, just following orders. I think Nick's just going along with things. Yeah, that's it. Pyrrha sacrificed herself at Beacon; and here we are, on a mission to find her! We're chasing a ghost! This whole thing is a pointless waste of time!
She huffed, moving on. But the train of thought was moving. People coming back to life? Impossible. then she remembered Nick's comment on the bridge, as if in reply, "Why not? It's happened before." she criticized herself, Pyrrha died. Someone doesn't come back from that. Anger simmered in her, She's dead. But another thought undermined her resolve.
But what if she's not?
She made her way through the forest, traveling safely through the moonlight. How long ago it was since she woke from her dream, Pyrrha couldn't tell. Day and night, it seemed, took a long time.
Gripping her spear, she forged on; the trees standing around her like silent sentinels. The only foliage around her feet was fern-like plants and tall grasses. Both capable of hiding surprises. A flash of movement out of the corner of her eye made her stop. She gripped her spear, wary of anything that might move.
The forest was still.
Pyrrha took a deep, shaky breath. "Nothing's there," she said to herself, "I better keep going." Moving on, she blazed through the forest. Suddenly, she heard a small growl... from the pit of her stomach. And she realized she might have to stop for a bit.
She looked around for a unique fern. Although she had been eating the grasses around her outcropping all this time -She had searched for anything else at first, but starvation eventually overcame her pride- Pyrrha recently discovered this kind of purple bulbous fern, not only edible but also agreeable to her belly.
Finally, she spotted the purple spiral fruit, not a few strides away. She drew a flint knife and cut off the fruit. She took a bite then and there, the sweet juices rolling down her chin, finishing it in seconds. She wiped her mouth and pressed on, into the woods.
However, Pyrrha knew she ought to find shelter. She was weary and getting tired. But, worse of all, she was losing hope.
As she pressed on, the forest around her gradually changed. The trees started to become gnarled and twisted, and moss patches were felt beneath her feet, growing into a carpet. She stopped at the trunk of one tree, looking into it's twisting and curling limbs. a hairy moss hung down some of its limbs in patches, like an old man's beard. she touched its papery bark, the same kind as all the other trees here.
She kept going, entering -judging by the change in flora- the rainforest of this place. This must be the deep of this forest, she thought, then marveled, It's so quiet... not a creature stirring, only myself.
But a thought drifted through her mind, one she thought before, People probably think I'm dead... if I get out, I'll have to change. I can't be Pyrrha Nikos, Huntress, athlete: no, I'll have to change my name... and my hair! she grasped a lock of red and looked at it. Will I ever get out of this place?!
The moonlight was fading. Pyrrha had to hurry. She moved on, searching for an ample shelter; among the roots, and up within the limbs. She started to hear the whispered, and she looked around, tense and alert like a hunted animal. I need shelter! Where is it?!
There, on her left, stood a great tree, spreading out big and tall like a titanic oak. She made for it, the whispers following her. At its foot, tucked beneath a root, she saw what appeared to be a Quonset hut made of sticks and mud. She halted, startled at the sight. "PYRRHA!?" the horrid voice called out from the darkness. It goaded her into the hut.
The interior wasn't too different from her own: rough, dirty, spartan. The back enshrouded in shadows. Strangely, Pyrrha instantly felt secure. she looked around the dimly lit hut, noting a hole in the roof, a fire pit laying beneath, the charred remains of a dead fire within. To one side, a pile of wood lay. She stepped over, grabbing a handful of twigs, and arrayed them over the charcoal skeleton of a fire. Taking a small chunk of flint -a leftover from her knife- she sparked the old fire back to life, adding some dry branches to fuel it further.
In the warm glow of the fire, Pyrrha took a good fresh look at the dwelling. There was a mat in the far corner, and some little cups next to it. She shuffled over and lay down, exhausted. She drew a deep breath, curling up on the woven frond mat, Different from mine. incidentally, her hand brushed across something tucked away next to the wall. She touched it with her fingers, it felt like rough paper and sounded like cardboard. She picked it up, recognizing the material. It was a roll of the papery bark from the trees. A primitive scroll.
Perhaps the diary of the person who was here? Pyrrha thought, unrolling it, Or a letter to a loved one, or to anyone who finds... Her eyes opened wide and her brow knit as she read the contents, confused and thunderstruck at it's saying. She read it again, and a third time. Rolling it up, she lay there marveling at what she read. She sat up, tucking it behind her loose chestplate, and stoked the fire. I don't understand. What does it mean? she pondered, I feel like someone has ripped the floor out from under me... but...
She laid back down, and sleep overcame her.
Jaune suddenly woke up in a daze. He looked around his cabin, trying to piece together what was happening. Something's different, he thought, as he got out of his bunk, I just can't put my finger on it. Getting dressed, he stepped into the corridor. Yeah, something's different here too. he walked down, up, and back to the bridge. Ok, this is getting weird, are we landing?
"Ah, Mr. Arc," Winter said right when he entered as if she had been watching him, "I'm glad you answered your fifth summons." What the heck? Does she have cameras all over the ship or something? How did she know I was- "Hey, Vomit boy," Yang jibed off to his right, and motioned him over. "We're here, wherever here is."
"What do you mean?" Then he saw it, an island, getting bigger by the second. "Oh... here."
The sounds of Winter giving orders to land faded out from his hearing. Yang said something, but he didn't catch that either. We're here... Suddenly, a different thought hit him as if from his blind side, and things got fuzzy. There was yelling, and a rumble beneath his feet. He found himself back at Beacon that night, the same replay: Him and Pyrrha running to help, She suddenly kissing him, and then shoving him in the locker. Oh no, I'm gonna hurl!
Jaune blinked a few times, eyes hot and face wet from tears, and found he was on Yang's shoulder. He gave a yelp and jumped back. His stomach no longer queasy but in knots of a different kind. "Oh jeez, I'm sorry!" he sputtered. "Hey, it's alright... lover boy," She said with a smirk.
Jaune stared at her for a moment, then started to turn red. What the heck have I done!? He turned away in embarrassment, seeing Nick walk onto the bridge.
"Mr. Arc," Winter intoned, an ever-so-slight shade of pink, "It would be wise for you to take a note from your teammate, and keep things to yourself."
Nick looked from Jaune and Winter, then finally alighted on Yang. She drew a heavy sigh as her eyes met his, leaning on the glass next to Jaune, who didn't connect the dots. He stood next to her, watching wide-eyed at her behavior. Things suddenly got quiet.
Awkward, Jaune thought.
"uh," Yang started, breaking the silence, "so, what's the big deal about this island?" Nick looked expectantly at Winter, who was frozen in her chair, "well?"
"It used to be," she said stiffly, "an old independent seaport. However, it was abandoned after... a catastrophe." They looked down at the island, With an almost oval shape, a large bay with a deep cove cutting into it, and a coral sea barrier off the bay's mouth, it was an ideal port. they saw the city, starting from the docks and climbing up the mountains. The fort on the larger of the bay's arms guarded the port, and crowned the tower-topped stone wall encircling the whole port and around to the smaller arm. Beyond the city walls lay the mysterious jungle. Jaune and Yang looked on in wonder.
Yang looked back at Winter and narrowed her eyes. I get the feeling that she's hiding something... There wasn't just a 'catastrophe'... She glanced at Nick, who was looking at the island. His set jaw and stern face stunned her. I know that face, She thought, I've seen that look in the mirror; resentment, anger... His eyes flicked over to Yang and met hers. Time, for a moment, seemed to slow. Then he turned away, head bowed in sorrow.
A/N: sorry I'm late, my old computer died and I'm borrowing one until later.
Replys:
KnightSpark: Not yet. Basically, it's the same Blake and Sun boat trip to menagerie as in the series, boring stuff I'd rather not pull out of my butt as filler right now.
merendinoemiliano: What's interesting? Nick? Yang? Ruby? Weiss? Jaune?
Phalanx30: Man, you inspire me. Recently I got irked about vol. 6's reveal of Atlas/Mantle (no highway for a chase scene... or Yang's bike for that matter. also, they killed off Adam... oh, I have Plans for you, Adam!) But you have a lot of very good points.
I won't say more because Spoilers.
And in other news, I have started writing the next chapter(so two or three months wait at this point *heaves sigh*)So on that bombshell...
