[Dragon Ball Super OST – The Earth's Fate]
残り:四の影/ Remnant's Four Shadows
End of Remnant, Episode 8: The Clock is Tickin'
[Vale] |Day 3| [31 Hours Remains]
Yuki felt lighter than air after the side effects of the wine faded. He stood on the roof of Beacon letting the morning wind blow past him. Adam was among the last to get a bottle of the wine. Adam was up on the roof with him in clear pain but standing to hold conversation with Yuki. At least when they broke the silence of just standing around.
"You know if something told that I'd meet an alternate of my worst enemy with Silver Eyes, I would throw that person through a window." Yuki remarked.
"I don't blame you." Adam remarked.
"I'm used to it. You're not to blame, besides from you had mentioned about your world…you got put through the freaking wringer. How's things with Lazuli?"
"She confessed her feelings to me." Adam said as Yuki had an awkward cough. "I already knew she had feelings, but you can't do that to your crown princess without getting…"
"Not like she's royalty anymore given her kingdom and her whole world is gone." Yuki remarked.
"I know…and she's insisted she joins the fight. Drank a bottle of that wine and she's in the container downstairs." Adam said concerned. "Look, you sure can trust Noire?"
"He and I want the same thing. We both want Griseo and his temporal bitch dead." Yuki said. "Noire is hyper-focused on me…being his ultimate challenge. I can only hope to give him exactly what he asks for."
"Damn it, I escaped one hell to end up in another." Adam remarked.
He was not the only one feeling the pressure. Raven was as well, but she felt more and more isolated. Summer stuck around Taiyang like glue while she and Vernal refused to talk to Raven, subtly edging her out. Despite her strength going to new heights thanks to the Wellness Wine, but she never felt more alone.
Raven was able to talk to Yang, but Yang was more focused on spending time with Summer. At the moment, she was in Beacon's empty amphitheater.
"All alone?"
Raven noticed Glynda walking up to her.
"I figured you'd be with your team." Glynda remarked.
"They don't want me around. Summer hates my guts and Taiyang and my brother simp for her so hard that they don't even bother with me. I fucked up…" Raven said feeling depressed. "I got no one now. My tribe is mostly dead, Vernal cut ties, and Yang more focused on the mother who raised her. My brother long cut ties with me…"
Glynda sat next to her.
"I suppose I should be happy. Taiyang's got that spark back…and his grin does make my heart flutter, but…I don't really know what to do now. After…we somehow survive this war, I don't have anything to look forward to." Raven vented.
"I don't know what to advise you…frankly, Summer is clearly unwilling to forgive you and is shoving you out. While I understand she's upset at you…that's not exactly the right thing to do. You were clearly hurting from Summer's death as much as the others. For all your mistakes, at least you left Yang with a parent instead of taking her with you." Glynda said gently. "But maybe it's all a sign you should move on to greener pastures. Try to start over…find your place in the world after it's all over. When we do win, how about I take you out for drinks? On me."
"I'd like that." Raven said.
"I know how it feels. I don't think Peach will ever fully forgive me for what I did. And if Haku were alive, she'd break my arm." Glynda said wistfully.
"How it is the men seem more forgiving than the women?" Raven asked sarcastically.
"We're more vindictive." Glynda said jokingly. "Even then, I think Yuki does resent me but keeps it under wraps. He's been trying to be the leader Noire insists he should be…and I feel like shit I did little to better prepare him."
"It's either we win, or we all die. Hell of a motivator." Raven said bluntly.
[-]
[Pine Valley]
"You're really going to take part in the fight?" Oscar said as Ilia cracked her knuckles.
"Yes, I have to. I practically owe Yuki for letting us escape our bad timeline." Ilia said as Niko was working on some explosives.
"Ilia, after this over…maybe we should settle down. I've been meaning to ask this in general…because of how things are right down. We have to get that wedding by the beach I always wanted." Niko said gently.
"Sounds lovely." Ilia remarked.
"I'd come with you two…" Oscar said only for Ilia to pull him into a gentle hug.
"Well, aren't you brave? But don't do that, you got your family to look over and that girl of yours." Ilia said before breaking it off. "We'll be fine, I promise!"
[-]
[Emerald Forest]
Cael was watching Fria deal with small fry Grimm with ease, but he was still worrying about her.
"Cale, you don't need to be worrying about me. There's no side effect and I feel in top form." Fria said before slapping a Beowolf. "Or is something else troubling you?"
"We've been dragged into a disaster making deals with the King of the Grimm to fight a madman wanting to be a god. Of course, I'm troubled, but then there's what comes after. What I'll do…" Cael said looking up at the sky. "And even then, there's a matter of Noire himself. He wants Yuki for something, I don't know what, but it reminds me of my past. I just have this foreboding feeling."
She hugged him to calm him down.
"Remember, you have your team, you have me. We'll have your back." Fria said to assuring him. "Always."
[-]
Across Remnant, people were making final preparations having their last drinks or rolls in the hay with a partner. Ozpin and Salem were having a bit of pillow talk.
"What are we going to do once it's over?" Salem asked.
"That's a good question. Maybe we can give the family thing a second shot." Ozpin said as Salem looked pensive.
Salem hauntedly sat up on the bed bringing her knees to her face trying not to break down into tears. Despite everything, she lived with plenty of regrets.
(A/N: The next chapter starts the end of an era. I wanted to settle a few things before I started and with this in mind to show a spurt of the potential aftermath.)
