Chapter 9: In This No Matter What
[Team RWBYS Dorm Room]
[One Week Later...]
How do describe ones week in a nutshell. Turns out, one of my suppressed personalities is back in full swing, tried to kill the closest people I can call my friends without hesitation, and now I was avoiding them all like the plague. Sure, Ruby's chat with me aided in my comfort, but words can take a very long time to work, and something like this isn't so easily solved by them, especially with my trust issues.
I was at the door, all I needed to do was twist the brass nob, swing the door open to freedom, and escape before they could realize my venture. Nearly there, already have the nob twisted completely, hell, I felt sweat trickle down my head when it groaned.
"Stop." Crap. "Lately, you've been avoiding us, and not in a normal fashion. And its obvious Ruby and Blake know why, but refuse to say anything."
When I turned back, I noticed Ruby's ashamed expression, and Blake's poker face, alongside Weiss and Yang being the more concerned of the two, since they didn't look angry, more worried than I would have liked. Slowly, I inched my way to be at the edge of the door, awaiting my moment to leave.
"Sky, we're not mad, just...please, trust us, we want to help." Yang begged me softly, and I couldn't help but feel that empty emotion when Ruby had forced my mouth to move on its own that night
"I...just cant, its more...complicated than that." I worded slowly, but Weiss kept a stern look to my darting one
"While I'd like to leave it at that, its obvious that this is something more serious than a simple argument or problem." Weiss persisted. But Ruby moved off her bed to move beside Weiss
"Weiss, please, this isn't-" She wasn't given a moment to speak up
"Sis, I get it, you and Blake know what's up and Sky wanted you to keep it low, but if what happened at the docks did happen, that he somehow lost control of his weapon, than this is serious." Yang had hit the nail closer to home, and I was beginning to stress, my heart rate rising with each tense moment
"Y-yeah, but-" Ruby was cut off again
"Ruby, this isn't something you can just brush under the rug, you know this." Weiss added strictly. Meanwhile, I felt my eyes dilate at the cold chuckle to my left. When I looked, I saw my reflection, staring back with white eyes
"Isn't this trivial? They fight and fight, yet are completely blind and think they know how to 'fix' us." Iota butted in, rolling his eyes. "You know fine rightly they will never accept us, sure, Red was kind and honest, but what does that remind you of?"
"Stop it..." I whispered, but no one heard me, well, I did see Blake's bow twitch, her golden eyes looking from me to the mirror with a blank stare
"You know how she treated us?" Stop. "Kind. Honest. Innocent." Iota... "A - I - L - I - T - H."
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" I couldn't bare it anymore. The anxiety that had boiled in my heart, how it drummed in agony with each flash of pain my memories inflicted. I was cold, numb, my blood was dry by my sides, I couldn't even feel the ground under me, just...numbness, and he brought it all back. "I never asked for this! So sorry this screwed you plans over!"
"What's he-" Yang was silenced by Blake, who had covered her mouth with a hand, mouthing out of the corner of my eye, 'Just listen', I didn't care at this point, nothing else mattered
"You think you're soooo perfect, that I need protection from the world, that I can't prevent that from happening again! But 'you', YOU are nothing but a split personality of 'ME', not yourself, but of 'ME'." I felt it, tears reaching my eyes again. "I've never felt this content with my life in years...solitude, isolation...suicidal thoughts...that's all I had running through me."
I couldn't even stand, falling to my knees like a weakened child, defenseless against his own shadow.
"I'm...in control. You don't get to say who can and cannot make me happy...and if that's the case, I'd rather be a bashful, broken, useless person, than to ever hear you again..." I bitterly glared at my reflection, which looked unfazed by my words. "So piss off, Iota."
We stared at each other for a moment, yet, I felt my vision flash for a moment, my head turning to the looks of remorse, pain...tears, written on my team's faces, Blake being the most neutral, yet she bowed her head, Yang looked shocked, her hand over her mouth, Weiss had this look of familiarity to her, and Ruby...she looked like Yang, but with tears down her face. But I felt a scowl reach my face.
"I swear...this isn't over, Red, I'll get you for this..." Iota was gone. Just...gone, his weight on my body had lifted, but I couldn't think of him, he left me alone again
"Sky?" Ruby whispered, but I merely kept my gaze to the ground, a stern frown crossing my face
"Do you get now? Why I never wanted to say anything, and why I can't stay near any of you? Because the time he gets his hands on my mind, when his words coil and twist at me, then I'll lose the only people ive met that have treated me with pure kindness...I can't do that to all of you." Shaking my head, I stepped up, but something was standing in-front of me again
Yang, her arms were crossed, and her lilac eyes were unreadable to me, it was her mask to hide any intentions she had, and that scared me, I couldn't tell what she was thinking, but I'm glad I couldn't. She suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder, not firm, but it wasn't so weak as to let me go.
"Tell me something, and be honest, why can't you trust us more?" Yang's words were like a hot knife, and my ever growing pain that crawled up my back felt so rough and abrasive
"I...uhh...someone...did something bad, and I haven't trusted anyone since." She wasn't going to get anything more on that statement. "A part of me wants to trust all of you, but then there's my split personality, and my own built fears over experiences I have. I'm sorry."
Why couldn't they see how much of a danger I was? How much I've lied to them too? It wasn't fair to them to put so much trust in someone so shrouded in secrets and lies, I don't even trust myself.
"Well then, I guess we'll just have to work at it then." Huh? My gaze met the burning eyes of Yang once more, her free hand held out before us both, the palm facing the ground, whist she smirked. "What? If it takes you longer to trust us, then we'll just prove it to you, right?"
"I don't believe that's how it works, Yang, but..." Weiss approached us, her own hand placed atop Yang's too, and a small smile crossed her face. "...It wouldn't be right to let walk away like this, just that makes me feel awful...so...I'll do my best to help in anyway I can." I did see a small tint of red cross her cheeks, guess Weiss doesn't like stepping too far from her usual expression
And, to my relief, what little I had left, Ruby and Blake weren't waiting around, with Ruby placing her hand atop Weiss', and Blake stopped, looking to me with an even expression, she and I could see it easily, the way she looked at me, 'I know', that's all I guess was needed, and she placed her hand. All suspicion and mistrust was already clearing from my head, Iota's words meant little. Yet, I couldn't be too relieved, Iota isn't so easily moved by words, but Ruby, how she spoke that night, it moved something. Blake and Ruby...both trusted me, not a shred of doubt was written on them, now that included Yang and Weiss.
Was I honestly, truly deserving of their friendship like this?
Should I tell them?
"Aww this is nice." My eyes lit up suddenly, and all of them removed their hands after a moment of silence, all looking at me with worry, but I felt the opposite. "Guess who's baaaaaack~?"
"Hehehehahahaha~!" I couldn't keep my laughter in check, feeling my gaze and vision shift, taking a small back-seat when I saw in the mirror that my hazel eyes were merged with red now. "You got to be joking?"
Suddenly, I leapt onto a chair to my right, grinning.
"What? I haven't seen the light of day in years, I already played the hell of Borderlands 2, I got bored." All others were looking at me with a baffled tone, wondering how I went from depressed to joyful, but I wasn't in control. Suddenly, I froze on the chair, looking around the room, and to the four girls. "Wait...this isn't...what the fuck did I miss?"
Dashing over to the window, I stuck my head out to the sunlight, overlooking the school around me and beneath me. My eyes glowing with awe, well, I say 'I' but...
"Ok...so, Iota comes back in rambling about 'Red, I'll get her for this', then I get the opportunity to jump back into the reins, and now we're..." I trailed off, turning back to the girls, blinking, before sheepishly chuckling. "Hehehe, I...ahem, who are all of you?"
"I'm so confused?" You and me both, Ruby
"Oh, Ruby is...the red one?" Ugh...yes. Ruby is the red one, the one in yellow is Yang, the one in white is Weiss, and the one wearing black is Blake. "Huh, colour coordinated, I like it."
"So this is another personality? Great..." Weiss groaned, but Eric was already looking at the girls with interest, darting around them like a fly
"Nice semi-auto pistol with a short sword...sweet. Shotgun-gauntlets, hehehe, the fun I could have." Blake and Yang were both thrown into a spin by his speed, moving to overlook Weiss' weaponry with awe. "Ooooh, a multi-elemental emitter built as a rifle, but with the elegant design of a rapier, top class too."
"You seem far too happy about that?" Weiss added, slightly impressed by Eric's obsessive knowledge, and Eric nodded
"Of course, I know my weapons." Last on his list was Ruby, much to my own embarrassment, whist Ruby blushed at the close proximity Eric was to her face, as he overlooked Crescent Rose. "And a hand-crafted War scythe-Sniper Rifle, can double as a Naginata too."
"I - u-uhh...meep..." Ruby squeaked cutely, and Eric was forcibly pulled away by my own thoughts, and my eyes felt more like my own again, and now the image of red entity had made its home in the back of my head
"Aww, fine, but I plan on sticking around, I like this place alot more than Earth." Sure, just...please don't cause any trouble. "But its fun teasing you now that I got into your memories of Ruby..." I was caught off guard by that, blushing furiously at the mention. "Hehehehe..."
"I hate you, Eric."
"Love yooooou~!"
To Be Continued...
And thus, the final chapter of this year, since this month is going to be hell for me, so I thought I'd give you all a little taste of Sky's second personality, and more realization of his mental state. Some comedy and drama. And I'm so happy so many already like my story, I honestly didn't expect this, so thanks, and seeya in the next chapter!
Next Chapter: Sister of War
Among the darkness of the land once held by the dark claws of the God of Darkness, someone sits by as a meeting is held, but they have far more to say in the matter at hand.
Author's Notes: Sorry that I won't be posting this December, but work is far too taxing physically to properly balance my free-time to relax, but I promise to be back for the new year, who know's I could even post in the coming weeks! Thank you to all of you for tuning in to my story, and seeya next year! Kanpai~!