Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rooster Teeth Productions
Edited by ToxicExotic
Right vs Wrong
Emerald got exactly what she wished for.
It had been almost an hour since she'd left the Whale and landed in Mantle, and in that hour, not a single soul had crossed her path. It was an odd sight for her. Though the buildings and layout were very similar to her home city, the lack of people milling around doing their shopping made Emerald feel uneasy. As hard as life had been there, she had, in fact, loved Argus, so to see what it could become left a heavy pit in her stomach.
The city itself was a mess. From smashed windows to holes in their walls, almost every building in sight bore marks of Grimm attacks. Deep valleys tore across the sides of them where Grimm had lashed out with sharp claws and tails, and brown smears darker than their bricks stained the walls. Those same smear were present on the streets, and along the many objects that littered them.
Bins and dumpsters had been overturned, their contents spilling out onto the road to mingle with the charred remains of fit pits. Street lights had been ripped from the ground, the wires still sparking, and surrounding benches and storefront chairs had been stripped of their wood to keep the fires going. But most disturbing of all were the suitcases and duffel bags that littered the streets and roads, some still dripping scarlet liquid into small puddles.
Most either torn or cracked open, each one represented a family driven from their home. Clothes and family pictures hung from them, dirty and sullied beyond repair. Broken toys and limbless teddy bears laid between them. Which bag any of them belonged to, she couldn't tell, but each one made her feel queasy knowing that she had subjected those people to her own upbringing.
But not only them; Beacon, Vale, Mistral, Haven; how many people's lives had she helped destroy? Was it even possible to count?
She didn't know. But she also didn't know why she cared.
They had all treated her like she was nothing. Cast her aside and left to either fend for herself or die. They'd never been kind, or shown any mercy; yet, as much as she tried to deny it, to squash that part of herself down, she still felt bad for what she had done to them. She wished she didn't. She wished she could be as callous as them, but no matter how much she told herself she didn't care, that she only did what had to be done to make a better world, it was becoming harder and harder to deny that she never wanted any of this.
All she wanted was a family. Friends. Just… Somebody. Someone who cared about her, and she thought that was Cinder. Maybe it still was. The woman had been angry, and Emerald knew that anger didn't always speak truths. But the things she's said…
"They all use others to get what they want, telling whatever lies they need to convince them," Hazel's voice repeated in her head.
Despite not wanting to believe it, Emerald could hardly deny that Hazel's words were accurate. Cinder had said it herself. She had told her to stay behind because she was getting in the way. Because she wasn't helpful.
But maybe Cinder was right. If she hadn't interfered, then maybe they could have gotten some information from the people Cinder was interrogating.
"You didn't want to hurt those people." Blake's voice countered.
"That's not a bad thing."
That voice was a new one, one that caught Emerald off guard. It was her own.
She hadn't heard it in a while. Or at least, hadn't listened. Whenever it had tried to raise its head, Cinder's reassurance was always quick to quiet it.
"Is that really how it's supposed to be?" She questioned herself, genuinely confused about the answer.
Wasn't the reassurance of the people you care about supposed to be a good thing? Something that was supposed to make you stronger and wipe away the doubt? At least, that's what she'd heard. But what about when somebody's reassurance pushed you towards something you could hardly consider good?
"Good is a matter of perspective," Cinder's voice rang in her ear, a memory from one of their first outings together. "Do you think those who rule got where they were by conforming to what their predecessors considered good?"
Emerald knew it was a valid point. Good and bad were not immutable. They were down to the individual to decide.
"But have you ever decided for yourself?" her own voice asked.
She wasn't sure. Letting out a frustrated groan at the thoughts raging in her, she kicked a can down the street. Before it could even come to a stop however, the hairs on the back of Emerald's neck bristled and she reached for her guns. Drawing them from their holsters, she raised them just in time to block a pole that swung around the corner. Releasing the hook blades along the shaft, she effortlessly spun the owner of the weapon around and into a wall, pressing the barrel of a gun into the base of her skull.
"Please, don't," the woman whimpered. "I'm so-sorry."
"Do it," Cinder's voice echoed in her head.
"Don't," Blake's countered.
Emerald finger shook as it rested alongside the trigger. She didn't know what to do.
"Drop the gun," a voice said from the corner the pinned woman had just emerged from. A woman with jet black hair stood with a pair of crossbows trained on her. "We don't want trouble."
"The pole that almost hit me says otherwise," Emerald scowled.
"I just saved her from a horde of Sabyrs," the woman explained. "The only one left from her family. She was on edge and panicked."
Turning back to look at the woman she had pinned, only to see that she was not a woman at all, but a girl. She was tall, but Emerald doubted she had even finished school.
"Why do you care?" Cinder's voice echoed as her arm began to shake.
"I don't… know."
"Because you don't want to hurt her," Blake answered.
"Are you okay, kid?"
"They don't deserve your mercy."
Emerald raised her free hand to her head. Everything was so loud, and she felt the tingling on her neck again. Something was behind her.
"Do it."
"Don't."
"Kid we need to g-"
"SHUT UP!" Emerald shouted.
Her head felt like it was about to split open from the noise, and the tingling on her neck felt like knives on her skin. Spinning away from the pinned girl she reached out with her semblance and found the culprits.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed.
The illusion came by instinct. Just like it had during the fight at Haven. Like a plant sprouting from the ground, Salem grew in front of her eyes as the world around her darkened to a mixture of black and rose. Her limbs writhed and twisted like they were made of rubber, and black tendrils rose ominously from her body. In only a second, the figure stood as tall as a building, and even though she was fake, her presence felt very real. Real enough that the five Beringal's that had been rushing towards them quickly hastened back down the street they had come from.
Unfortunately, just like it had at Haven, the pain tore through her almost immediately. The illusion faded, and white spots sparked to life in her eyes as the world spun before her. Barely able to breathe through it, she collapsed to her knees and clutched her head as the pain crested, and closed her eyes, fighting back the vomit that was rising to her throat.
"What the-" The woman's voice sounded distant as it struggled against Emerald's thumping eardrums. "Kid? Are you okay?"
A hand landed on her back, the light touch causing a jolt of pain that spurred Emerald into action. Fueled by nothing but adrenaline, she launched herself to her feet and pushed the woman away.
"I s-said leave me al-one," she choked.
She didn't even wait around long enough to see the concerned look on the woman's face. Taking off down a nearby alleyway, she barely managed a few feet before her aching legs gave out. Collapsing once again, she didn't bother trying to move. Instead, she merely curled up next to the dumpsters and let the tears flow as Cinder's voice sneered at her one last time.
"Useless."
Emerald didn't know how long it had been since she had collapsed in the alleyway. It could have been half an hour, or it could have been five. What she did know though was that night was quickly approaching. A familiar chill had begun to settle in her bones, one that she hadn't felt in almost two years, and though her jacket was heavily padded, it only protected her so much.
Laying on the ground in front of her were her guns, their blades dull and their chamber's empty. Due to her state, the intrusion of Grimm into her alleyway had been frequent , and with her head hurting too much to consider her semblance, she'd been forced to fight. It wasn't all bad though. They had at least provided a little cathartises, and as her raging thoughts had slowed down, so had the attacks. Unfortunately, though the thoughts had calmed some, the doubt had not.
What did she really mean to Cinder? Did she even mean anything at all? Was what they had done together right? And if not, could she even begin to make up for it?
She doubted it. She still didn't even know what she believed herself. Had the Grimm not arrived, would she have left those women alive? She wanted to believe she would, but she wasn't sure. Before she could think about it too hard, though, a small thud drew her attention and she let out a sigh as she reached out for her weapon. However, as she looked up at the source of the noise, she discovered that it was not a Grimm, but a girl.
At first, the dark hair and yellow eyes caused her body to tense, but as she took in the rest of the girl's appearance, she felt a part of her relax. Unlike the last time they had met, Blake made no attempt to hide herself. She looked more ragged than their previous encounter. Dark black marks circled her soft amber eyes, and her clothes were littered with scratches and tears.
"How did you find me?" She breathed, not having the energy to fight and dropping her weapon back to the ground.
Blake didn't reply immediately, seeming to consider her words. "The woman you saved told us she saw you," she answered after a couple of seconds.
Emerald stared intently at the woman. "I didn't save anyone," she muttered.
"That's not what they said," Blake shrugged and pointed to a nearby dumpster. "You mind if I sit?"
"Not like I own it," Emerald remarked.
With a silent nod, the girl hopped up onto the dumpster and sat down with her back against the wall. For almost a minute, Emerald avoided the girl's eyes, but as the silence stretched on and her confusion grew, she finally relented.
"What do you want?"
"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Blake replied as if it was the easiest answer in the world. "Jet said you were upset."
"Why do you care?" She muttered, scowling at the girl who was supposed to be her enemy.
"I told you. I know what it's like to be where you are."
Emerald shifted uncomfortably. Though she had denied it the last time Blake had said it, the doubts that had seeped into her mind by Cinder's actions made it harder to argue back.
"I also know what it's like to not have anyone to help you," Blake continued. "To feel stuck, and have nowhere to turn. Nobody should feel like that."
"Even after everything I've done?"
Blake paused, and Emerald snuck a glance to see the girl looking down at her own lap.
"Did you want to do them?"
The question caused Emerald to blink. She couldn't remember the last time anybody had asked her what she wanted. Maybe that was why she didn't have an answer.
"I don't know," she shrugged, not even knowing why she was engaging with the faunus. "I just… I wanted to help Cinder."
"She's done a lot for you?"
Emerald didn't hear any skepticism in Blake's voice, but she knew the girl's thoughts on that matter. But no matter what doubts were in her mind, or what Blake thought, one fact remained certain.
"Cinder saved me," Emerald replied. "Without her, I'd still be alone on the streets of Argus."
"That doesn't sound much different to where you are now."
"This is just… Cinder was angry, is all."
She didn't know why she was defending the woman, but as much as Cinder's words had hurt, she knew it was just a bad moment. Everyone had them, but bad moments weren't all there were. To her surprise, however, Blake only let out a soft hum.
"I used to tell myself that whenever Adam was angry too," Blake nodded.
Emerald watched the girl with interest at Adam's name. From what she remembered, the man was a monster. Every meeting with him had left her on edge, and even Mercury had made an offhand mention a few times about the man being like his dad. She also remembered that he had taken a special interest in Beacon after being briefed on one of Cinder's failed plans. He'd cared nothing for the small army of his own people that had perished, only the people who had stopped it. And now Emerald knew why.
"I accepted it for a long time. Told myself it was just a mistake, that everybody made them and that most of the time we were happy. I'd tell myself that it was my fault, and that I should have left him alone instead of trying to make him talk to me."
The words resonated with her. She had done those things herself multiple times in just the last few hours, but looking back, she knew she had done them before. But why was it bad to remember the good times?
"And every time, I'd end up going back to him. He'd always be sweet, apologizing for what he had done and promising it wouldn't happen again. He'd tell me that he needed me, and that without me he was nothing. And I would always believe it."
The faunus took a shuddering breath. "It took me a long time to realize that wasn't how things were supposed to be. And, from the looks of it, you're right where I was when I really started to understand that."
"Just because Adam was a monster, doesn't mean Cinder is," Emerald countered defiantly.
"Maybe not," Blake nodded. "But I know someone who cares about you doesn't force you to do something you don't want to do. Especially when it comes to hurting people. They don't lash out at them for something that wasn't their fault, either."
"How do you know it wasn't?"
"Was it?"
Emerald didn't answer. She knew how her answer would sound. But maybe it really was her fault. She knew that Cinder could be temperamental when angry, yet she had still got in her way. She had ratted her out to Salem. Was it really rationalizing if it was true?
"You're trying to convince yourself it was, right?" Blake asked after a few seconds of silence.
Emerald looked away from her. The fact that the girl was seemingly able to read her mind was a little annoying.
"If you have to convince yourself, then it's usually not your fault."
"But I keep holding her back," Emerald replied.
"From killing people?"
"From doing what we need to do."
"You mean what she wants to do?" Blake countered. "It's pretty obvious that murder isn't something you want."
"You just… Don't get it," Emerald sighed, leaning back against the wall. "The world can't always be changed by playing nice."
"I know that very well," Blake replied indignantly. "I'm a faunus, remember. And technically a former terrorist."
That one caused Emerald a little interest. Though she had spied on Blake and her team at Cinder's request as they prepared to attack Beacon, Blake had always been a tough one to understand. She was always the most secretive, and Emerald had barely learned anything about her except that she was a faunus. With a little digging, she had managed to learn about her connection to the Menagerie's chieftain, but the trail had ended there.
"You were in the White Fang?" The girl nodded. At least that explained how she'd met Adam. "So you should know that doing the right thing doesn't change anything."
Blake cocked an eyebrow at her.
"I certainly remember what it's like to think that way," Blake admitted. "Like many in the White Fang, I grew tired of how slow our progress was. So, despite my dad's warning, I sided with Sienna when she took over. For a while, it felt like we were doing the right thing, that progress was being made, but then people turned on us."
"At first it was the media, as always, but then it was the people, and then our own people. I thought they were ungrateful at the time. At least, that's what Adam would say, but in hindsight, we were so… naive. Really, we were just making things worse. People will never accept change that is forced upon them."
Blake pointed to the end of the alleyway and shook her head.
"You've been out there. Do you really think people will accept the change that comes from this? Would you?"
Emerald glanced over towards the entrance Blake was pointing at. Even from her seated position, she could see the edge of a broken suitcase peeking out from behind the building. She had almost forgotten just how queasy the sight made her.
She knew Blake was right though. She wouldn't have accepted change being forced on her. Even as a child she hadn't. Whenever Earl Grey and his thugs had tried to take her stuff so that she would work for him, she had always fought back. But Cinder had shown her compassion.
"Or did she just use you?" The voice awoke in her head again.
"The truth is," Blake continued, straightening her jacket as she slipped off the dumpster, "It's not about following rules, or even doing the morally right thing, it's about doing what's right by the people. You do that, and they will stand by your side and make real change possible."
"Yeah, well," Emerald motioned toward the same entrance. "Pretty sure I've already screwed that up."
"It is a pretty big mess, that's for sure, but that doesn't mean you have to continue doing it. It's never too late to try a different path."
"You mean your path," Emerald scoffed, not believing the girl would accept her so easily. "With your friends?"
"It doesn't have to be with us," Blake shrugged. "But it could be, if you wanted."
"Yeah, right. Like your lot would accept me after what I've done."
"They accepted me, despite everything I did," Blake hummed. Looking up, Emerald saw the girl standing casually with her hands in her pockets. "But like I said, it's your choice."
Pushing herself to her still unsteady feet, Emerald observed the girl before her as a memory flashed before her eyes. A memory of an alleyway and a girl offering hope for something better. But she still didn't know who was right. Despite some troubled times, Cinder had done so much for her, but it was hard to deny that Blake seemed genuine.
"Why do you care?" She asked skeptically. "After everything I did to your friends, why are you still doing this?"
Blake's amber eyes found hers, warmth filling them as a soft smile pulled at her lips.
"Because I don't think who you're pretending to be is who you really are," Blake replied, her voice steady. "I think what you really want is to help people, like you helped Jet and how you tried to help the people in that bar. You've just been led astray; like I was."
Emerald's head fell slightly at those words. She didn't believe them. The only person she had ever helped was herself and Cinder. Whatever had happened with that Jet woman, she had only done it to scare the Grimm away so that she could be alone. As for the people at the bar, she didn't know what happened there, but regardless, Blake was wrong about her. She knew that much.
"Or maybe she sees something you don't," the voice chimed in again.
"But you're going to go back to her, aren't you?"
Emerald already knew the answer to that. No matter what Blake said or the doubts she had about Cinder, the woman had still done so much for her. Leaving her didn't feel right.
"I need to," she nodded.
"I figured as much when I came here," Blake hummed. "But can I at least warn you of something?"
Emerald gave her a curious look.
"When you get back, she's going to be kind to you, maybe even affectionate. She'll tell you that she was just angry, and that you know how she gets when she's pushed. But just remember, it's all lies and gaslighting. It's happened before, and it will happen again," Blake took a deep breath and offered her a smile. "And now that you see it, you don't have to let it continue. You don't have to join us, but do the right thing by yourself and get away from her, Emerald. Before she kills you."
With those words, the girl walked away and out of the alleyway, leaving Emerald alone with her thoughts. Before Blake had fully disappeared from sight, their volume had begun to rise, once again causing her head to throb. What she was going to do, she had no idea, but if she was going to start sorting out her doubts about Cinder, she at least needed to return to the Whale.
So, taking a deep breath to steel herself, she set off on a slow walk back to where she'd parked the ship, making sure to keep Blake's warning in mind; but hoping it was unneeded.
A/N
SORRY. I'M LATE AGAIN. I really need to start setting alarms.
I don't want to delay this upload too much, so all I will say is that this chapter was a struggle. I wanted this conversation to feel a little random as it's a struggle to sort out these kinds of thoughts, but I worried it would be a little too all over the place. Please let me know what you think.
Anyway, that's it from me. I hope you enjoyed it.
