Act VI - Kingdom of Lies
Chapter 50 - Stars
[Erika's POV]
The sun rose before my eyes once again, I was alone, staring off at the new day with a content smile. I never knew why I liked seeing the sunrise, I guess there was something mystical about it, much like the sunset, it was an aura of gold stretching across the sky before my eyes, bringing night and day. I found it peaceful, even if I'm the last person to be peaceful in the slightest if last night was any reason. Also, who up a pissed on the moon? Like, I haven't gotten a clear answer this I arrived in Remant.
"I should probably repair the hole today..." I realized, putting a finger to my chin, humming, that is, until I felt someone poke my shoulder. "Huh?"
"Morning." Ruby greeted me as she moved to stand beside me, my arms still dangling over the railing of the cliff face, but I waved with a smile
"Mornin' Red, let me guess, couldn't sleep?" I asked her, but it was a stupid question, since her best friend and sister were with us now, which made Ruby's mood skyrocket, unlike the times she looked really down or did her best to hide the fact that since saving Beacon and her team ending up divided.
"Yeah... but how can I? Yang and Weiss are here, meaning Team RWBYS is closer than ever to being together again!" She squealed, a faint gust of wind breezing past us. Her smile never wavered. "All that's left is Blake, wherever she ran off to, and Sky - I swear, when I get my hands on him I'll handcuff the dummy to me!"
I smirked slyly. "Kinky." That automatically drew a red flush to her face, arms wailing
"Ni-No-No! Not like that - Why would you - Nope, not listening!" She sealed her ears with both hands to tune out my laughter, all before I used my semblance in only my fingers, prying hers away from one ear
"Ruby, level with me, ever since Kai left you've been hiding the fact that it's hurt you, but here you are, smiling anyway, why - If I'm honest I'm going to kick him in the nuts when I see him again?" My voice began with a soft tone, I guess it helped to be a morning person since I'm usually more mellow in the mornings. My eyes turned to her, seeing the thoughtful expression on her face
"...If I'm honest, I felt lost. When he swore to me he'd open up to me when he felt wrong, I could tell he meant it, and even though he kept secrets from us, when they were uncovered, no matter how paranoid he was, it didn't change who he was to me," Ruby broke with a soft smile. "No matter how bad a situation got, or how chaotic things happened at Beacon, he would always have something to say, making everyone forget their anger or upset moods, he cared... I liked that, it felt that I could lean on him when I was uncertain of my role, that in those moments I could think clearly." Ruby answered
"He even put himself in danger for me... like a hero from a fairy tale, even if it was painful to watch him endanger himself, I felt happy when he would save me." Ruby now had a faint blush on her cheeks, as I giggled
"Sounds like him before his split personality kicked in," I stated, and Ruby's smile faltered, twisting to confusion, eyebrows furrowed
"I don't get it. He left with only a vague message, and... after Blake, Yang, Weiss... we won but I felt so lost without them, and I was scared, scared that I won't see him again," She placed a fist against her heart. "I don't get it, why I've been feeling sick from time-to-time, and that always made me think of him when he was angry, confused, frightened, and untrusting."
"Kai used to be like the person you see now, purple eyes, and all. He was kind, charismatic, funny, and a little crazy, I love him so much, and... after the accident, I did everything I could to help him." It was tough, but I know it worked out in the end, seeing how happy Ruby was, but it was clear old habits die hard. "This isn't new, he would tend to isolate himself even from me, doing things without the aid of others, relying solely on Iota and Eric if they were in his mind at the time - That often scared me, the times he vanished for hours I felt ill, wondering if he... decided he had enough."
I then moved closer, wrapping my arm around her as we stared into the city below, her head resting on my side, spotting the two individuals standing behind us, observing.
"I miss him... so much."
"I know, give it time, I know he'll be back, and when he does, I know he'll make you smile like always." I offered her kindly, whilst I felt her nod. "And as I said, I'm kicking him in the nuts for leaving Me behind!"
"Huh?" Ruby blinked, looking at my now irate face, whilst I flicked my red hair back, stomping the ground
"I mean seriously!? 'Oh hey sis, I'm just going to leave with Eric, and Iota on my own, don't worry, I totally want you to come with me'! Stupid, self-centered son of a - grah!" I ranted, my eye twitching as I paced the ground, frisking my hair angrily
"Aaaaand we lost, Erika," Yang stated the obvious before I noticed Weiss sigh with the tray in her hand
"Honestly, it's like I'm staring at the female equivalent of Sky." Weiss commented, making me freeze in my tracks, before I quickly fell to the ground, clutching my face, I felt my pride as a woman going... going... aaaand it's gone
"Nooooo, I don't wanna be my stupid brother, noooooooo~!" My cries had most likely woke everyone up by now, good to see I had one trait of Kai in me
Later that day...
"A-ah..." I whined in pain, my right index finger and thumb somewhat swollen and bruised from concentrating power into just my fingers. I was attempting to perform an Air-Force strike by flicking my fingers, but so far my attacks worked with a backlash of focusing all my power into only a single point. I may have unlocked my semblance, but I needed to learn to harness and control its full potential. According to what Ren has been telling me, if I were to master it, I could unlock new forms my semblance can take or something like that. "This sucks..."
"Training one's semblance is like your weapon, its a part of you, your way of reaching farther, your new-found strength, all of this is contained within your soul, and it is through our understanding that it can achieve its true potential," Ren explained again, whilst I rubbed a cold cloth on my fingers, feeling the burn begin to numb under the cooling surface
"So, it's like martial arts?" I asked, adding my own way of thinking onto his, that made his eyes open, smiling
"Well, if that is how you view it, then yes." I nodded, drawing my left hand up and pressing my index against my thumb, allowing the energy to charge. I shut my eyes tight, but I could hear him moving around me. "See it as those fluid motions, how your mind predicts your next step, how seamless or sharp your strikes are. Use that to guide your body across the field before you."
"But here, drown out your thoughts, all doubts, your fears are what cloud that fluid step, but if you learn to give instinct control..." Ren trailed off, and I unleashed all my energy at once, but at the last possible second, like pulling a trigger. My eyes widened and the clouds high above broke away under the air force, my smile brighter than the sun itself
After that fight with the Nuckelavee, my body was covered in bruises and my muscles were strained, my mind had completely disregarded the pain until that point, it proved to me that I had more to learn and understand about my power, how dangerous it was, all the pain that could be done without control.
"I think I get now," I answered honestly, turning to look at Ren with a bright smile. "I have to learn to let go of my doubts, allowing my soul to reach its potential, whilst having a calm mind to guide its own movements across my body."
"I think I understand how you are Sky's sister now." Ren bowed, leaving me in a confused state as the energy burnt out. "You both strive to learn from your failures, I've seen him bounce back stronger, and you have also achieved that, that's why I can't doubt you since I never doubted his way of thinking before, though that line of thinking is reserved for the times he's acted upon good intentions..."
"Yeah, he's pretty dumb sometimes," I offered with a giggle, whilst Ren merely nodded, but I knew he was laughing on the inside
Later that night...
It felt like time was throwing me through a loop, what was once a sunny day, had turned to a crystal-clear night, that strange, shattered moon high above the horizon, my eyes meeting its distorted form, the sight was strange, but it felt so familiar as if I was looking at the same moon back in my world.
Sky was looking at this same moon too, I wondered what he was doing right now? Was he sleeping? Did he feel the same need to stare off at this sight? Was he ok? Did he meet new people? New enemies? What about us, did he think of Yang? Weiss? Nora? Ren? Jaune?
"What about me and Ruby? Do you think about us?" I whispered, almost asking for some illogical answer to arrive on the wind, if only a notion, a mere echo would have given me peace. I already tried using my scroll, but not a single bar came through
"A lovely night, isn't it?" At the new voice, I nearly jumped off the rail, since I was sitting on the edge, my legs hanging off the cliff, then I saw the familiar, farmer boy. "I apologize, Miss Amadeus, I had no intention on scare you."
"O-Oh, its... Professor Ozpin, right?" He nodded as I saw the emerald glow reflect off his eyes, making me relax a little. "It's fine, I was just thinking..."
"Of what?" Now the voice was different, it sounded timid, curious. That was good, it was Oscar in control this time. "I-If you don't mind me asking?"
"..." I didn't say anything, it was rude, but I couldn't quite figure the words that would sound right, it was hard thinking on the spot
"I know that, give me a break." My brow raised to Oscar, he smiled warily, rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, someone was being annoying!"
"Heh... bet it sucks having another voice in your head, huh?" I giggled lightly, seeing him relax
"You sound like you know what it's like, having a voice constantly telling you 'this' and 'that', its annoying sometimes." Oscar sighed, clearly exasperated
I pursed my lips for a moment. "Actually, it's like the moon." I offered, seeing his hazel gaze meet my red for a moment, making something in me click, though I didn't know what
"How so?" He asked, and I happily pointed at the shards missing from the moon's surface
"That voice, Ozpin, is just like a fragment of the moon, and all his other reincarnations swimming about in your soul, it was once whole, but now drifts with the moon, trying to make that connection it once had long ago, it may take time, but that piece will soon be apart of the moon again, making it bigger, stronger, and far more than just mere fragments of its former self," I explained before I then held a hand close to my heart
"It's like my brother, he has Iota and Eric, two parts of himself, both looking for a way to become stronger, even if they are connected again, it will take time for them to fully reach a new state of equilibrium, but when they do, they'll be even stronger!" I added confidence lulled Oscar into a state of deep thought
Bashfully I scratched my head. "Sorry, I get caught up in my reading, so stupid explanations tend to be my answer for everything, I honestly don't know what I was saying-"
"No-No, it makes sense, honestly, ever since Ozpin's soul merged with mine, I've been scared if I would become someone else, and if I would never be able to be myself again..." His eyes lingered on the Moon, then traced themselves back to me, smiling. "But it's nice to hear a different perspective, so thank you for saying that, Erika."
"O-oh, no problem!" I felt my cheeks burn a little, finding his smile kind-of cute - okay, stop that, stupid thoughts, stupid thoughts. I quickly turned, leaping off the railing as I steadily walked back towards the house. "G-goodnight!"
[No POV]
After Erika's abrupt departure, Oscar blinked in confusion, waving somewhat weakly at how quickly she left. Maybe it was something he said? Even so, his eyes returned to the moon, remembering what she said about how Ozpin was fragment that would make them both stronger as one, in a way, it put his mind at ease.
"I'm truly sorry you had to be burdened with this, perhaps when my memories join yours you'll.. understand, but I'm glad you can find comfort in knowing you are not alone in this, Oscar, I swear to you on that," Ozpin replied after a short pause
"Thanks for that, Oz." He smiled for more than one reason, forcing a small clear of the throat from the reincarnated Headmaster. "What is it?"
"I see... well do warn me when you all your mind to wander." At that, Oscar's face flushed, hearing Ozpin chuckle at what he implied by 'wander', and who that implication directed itself to. This line of thinking only made it worse
"I hate you..." Oscar grumbled, head smacking against the railing
Somewhere...
Darkness was all that remained under the glare of Remnant's moon above the ruins of a kingdom long forgotten by the world. Left untouched, littered with armor and rusted weapons that had been preserved by some miraculous force of nature. The air which would normally be filled with the scent of the woodlands below and the sound of wildlife is now thick with the stench of ashes, sickening darkness, and death.
Standing alone on the edge of a ruined balcony, facing the shattered giant was a dark figure. Its cloak ragged and burnt, holes revealed only small, white spikes, broken and jagged at uneven angles. The wind swept the cover back, a feathered arm crushing a chunk of hardened basalt between white, hooked claws.
"DeAd ThInG... mEtAl MuRdErEr... BlAcK kNiGhT... aLl KiLlErS! i ReTuRn ThE fAvOr..."
To Be Continued...
Let the sixth act begin! And with both touching moments with the rest of the team, and a very familiar threat looming on the horizon, it looks like SKy's team can't catch a break. I'll do my best to get updates for this out as soon as possible. Seriously, over 200 Followers and nearly 200 Favorites, I quite surprised given this story's gradual improvement on my part, so thank you. I hope you enjoyed, seeya in the next chapter!
Next Chapter: To the Ends of the Earth
If your spirit shatters then harden it again, bear it, protect it, even if it means your life.