Here we are. Just a reminder that due to my work next week, there won't be a chapter on the Thursday. Things will resume as normal from the week after.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Kegi Springfield
Chapter 69 (Giggity)
Emerald was not having a good day.
In fact, she'd had something of a bad week, or maybe a bad year – a bad life, one might even say. Most of that she could lay firmly at Cinder's feet, even if there was a part of her brain that still automatically cried out in defence of the woman she had genuinely loved and adored. Fat lot of good that did her now. Cinder had left, abandoned her, and with another woman no less (though Emerald doubted Pyrrha Nikos had followed Cinder by choice). The moment that happened and the attack went south, Emerald knew she needed a way out.
The White Fang wasn't an option, partly because they were faunus supremacists, but mostly because they were pretty much doomed to be captured, as inept as they were. Reaching Cinder in the Grimmlands wasn't going to happen and her little brother, Jaune, was nowhere to be seen. Mercury, she'd last seen fighting alongside his girlfriend at the entrance to Beacon and there was a chance he didn't even realise how screwed he was, physically and figuratively. She considered saving him and tossed the idea away just as quickly. He could be a useful distraction while she legged it.
As to where, well, there weren't many options and all of them were bad. The best bet for now was just to run and reach Vale, and from there she could consider flight to a different Kingdom or, if she could stomach it, prostrating herself in front of Roman.
He was a bastard for sure, but he had an amazing ability to survive and avoid capture, and her Semblance could at least be useful to him. With that in mind, Emerald had fled. There hadn't been any real aim or direction to it since she could loop around the Emerald Forest either way, but she'd decided to run in the opposite direction to the huge dragon killing pretty much everything in its path. Cinder had been capable of keeping the Grimm off them, but with her gone she would be open game once more. Best not to risk it.
Unfortunately, that had led to complications. Emerald's retreat had been cut off by a number of Bullheads landing on the edge of Beacon. They weren't commercial ones but clearly military and marked with the symbol of Atlas. Reinforcements from Amity no doubt, and likely because Atlas had finished securing and evacuating the civilians. Really, the White Fang couldn't do anything right.
Still, they could stop her – and they'd definitely find it suspicious if she tried to sneak past and retreat into the forests. Emerald pressed her back to a tree and wracked her mind for a solution. None came, which meant she'd default to what had always worked – her Semblance. She'd picked a weakness in the Atlas line, a Bullhead guarded by just two soldiers, and made her way towards it. As she did, she wrapped her Semblance around the two – fighting past the sudden pain in her skull – and weaved an illusion around her, portraying the one person she was absolutely certain they would not dare challenge.
"Miss Schnee," the two gasped. "Miss Schnee, are you alright? Your sister has been looking everywhere for you."
"I'm fine," Emerald said. Though her voice was her own, they heard one better fitting Weiss Schnee's tone and accent. Her head pounded from using her Semblance on two people at once, but she struggled through it. "I just need to make my way back to Vale. Can you take me?"
"Vale, ma'am? Whatever for?"
"One of my teammates is still there and is injured. I need to ensure her safety at the hospital." Considering what had happened, the hospital would be filled with people, which would make evading these two easy. Emerald tried for her bossiest tone. "I am personally demanding you transport me there. This is a matter of grave importance."
To her relief, they saluted. "That will be no problem, ma'am. We received instructions to look for you either way."
They had? How convenient! Emerald smiled and stepped into the Bullhead when one opened the door. Keeping her Semblance active for the flight would be taxing, especially on two people, but to her delight the Bullhead was a much fancier one than normal and the man that led her on brought her to her own room. "Please, Miss Schnee, rest here and recover. We will handle the transport and alert you when we reach our destination."
"I appreciate that. Please knock before entering, however." She could use a quick nap and it wouldn't do for anyone to walk in and find she wasn't who she was supposed to be.
"Of course, ma'am."
Emerald hid her smile and stepped in, locking the door behind her and sitting down on the soft bed. It looked like the Schnee name brought with it all sorts of benefits. Once she reached Vale, she could slip away and find Roman, and from there she'd be safe and sound.
"Heh," she whispered, laying down and closing her eyes. "That wasn't so hard."
Outside the door, the soldier brought out his communications device and signed on to a specific channel. "Specialist Schnee?"
"I hope this is important, soldier."
"We have recovered the target, ma'am. Your sister is safely in our care."
"Weiss is-?" The ice faded from the Specialist's tone, though only for a moment. "Excellent work, soldier. You have my gratitude. Is she injured?"
"No, ma'am, though she's requested transport to the Vale hospital to see to a teammate. What are your orders, ma'am?"
"Is Weiss there right now?"
"She is in a private bunk resting, ma'am. I felt she could use it after what has happened, though I will wake her if it is your desire."
"No. That won't be necessary. Soldier, I want you to ignore my sister's request, at least for now. Beacon is no longer safe and the headmaster, Ozpin, has fallen." She paused to allow the man to control his shock. "As such, it is of great importance that my sister be exfiltrated to Atlas. Am I understood?"
"Yes, ma'am." He saluted. "How should I inform Miss Schnee?"
"You need not, soldier. I will take responsibility for this directly and deal with my sister. She may not forgive me, but I pray she will understand my reasons. Take off now, soldier. Do not wait."
"As you command, Specialist Schnee." The soldier ended the call and slipped away from the private bunk, toward the pilot. Weiss Schnee might not be pleased to find she'd been tricked, but orders were orders.
At least he wouldn't have to be the one to explain it to her.
That was over a day and a half ago and, as it turned out, was when Emerald's week had taken a turn for catastrophic into shit-hitting-the-fan territory, though she hadn't realised it until much later – when she'd woken up, found her door locked from the outside and discovered that the view outside her window really wasn't the Vale it was supposed to be.
Had she miscalculated?
There was a knock on the door. "Weiss. It's me, Winter. I believe we should have words."
Yep. She'd miscalculated.
Emerald barely had the time to throw her Semblance at the woman when the door opened – and there was a brief moment where Winter Schnee's eyes narrowed, a mere instance where she'd perceived darker skin and hair the wrong colour, before she shook her head and dispelled such thoughts, faced once more with her younger sister looking up at her guiltily.
Most people were willing to write off things like that. The brain was a wonderful organ that could do so much, but it could be deceived easily. Like many others who had seen something wrong for a moment, Winter dismissed it as a flicker of light, imagination or maybe a strange sense of déjà vu. Emerald breathed a sigh of relief, even if it was short lived. It had been bad enough when she'd been on the run in Vale, but now she was on the run in Atlas, masquerading as the heiress to the SDC, and probably surrounded by an army. Out of the frying pan and into the inferno. This was Mercury's fault, somehow.
Either way, she was in too deep now. She'd pretended to be Weiss to get on the Bullhead, and now she was in Atlas she couldn't very well stop pretending to be Weiss, at least not here. The first chance she got to flee she'd take, but that opportunity wasn't now, with Winter flipping Schnee, Specialist and all around dangerous huntress, in front of her.
Somehow, Emerald's complete panic had been mistaken for intentional silence by the very deadly woman.
"Weiss, I realise you must be angry at me," Winter began. "I just want to assure you this was not totally my idea. Were it my choice, I'd have allowed you more time in Vale, but your father." Winter paused. "Our father," she amended, "was en route, and I thought it better if I explained things, rather than he."
"O-Okay." Luckily for Emerald, Weiss may well have stuttered in the situation. Winter accepted it as shock, though naturally for Emerald it was the fact her heart was racing at a thousand beats per minute.
"Beacon has fallen and Vale has been attacked by the White Fang. The threat of that alone is too great to ignore, even before the potential risks. Although Beacon did nominally survive, it will be out of commission for some time. Father, in his infinite wisdom, does not want to see your education stall in such a way." Winter's face twisted, and Emerald had the feeling Jacques Schnee's concern was more for the SDC's reputation than Weiss' safety. "As such, he believes it best you returned to Atlas, at least for the time being."
Okay, so she wasn't being arrested and her cover was still good. That was fine. Sort of. What would Weiss say in this situation, though? Emerald had spent some time around the girl, but couldn't claim to know her that well.
"What of my team?"
"Your team is… I… I will strive to gather information on them, Weiss. Regrettably, I don't know enough at the moment."
"I see..."
Emerald's body trembled a little, though again she was fortunate in that Winter assumed it concern for her teammates. She had to calm down. She had to consider her options. No Cinder and no Mercury meant no help here, but being in Atlas wasn't necessarily a bust, as long as she could get away before anyone started to look for Emerald Sustrai, teammate of Cinder Fall – terrorist - and currently missing from Vale.
If Winter Schnee wanted to take her back to the Schnee mansion, or palace or whatever they lived in, then surely that was fine. She'd be surrounded by people loyal to the face and name she currently wore. She could use her Semblance on a servant and use them to escape. The problem, of course, was getting there in one piece, since putting her Semblance on more than one person was hard enough already, and if Emerald was hearing things right, there were quite a few people gathered outside.
Fortunately, Winter made the decision for her.
Unfortunately, it was by grabbing her wrist and dragging her out of the room. "We should leave, Weiss. We don't want to remain and allow the media to get a view of this. I have a car ready to take us home. Once there… well, we'll handle things as they come."
"W-Wait, Winter-" Emerald's eyes bulged out of her head as she was dragged out in front of three Atlas soldiers – two of which had been the ones to bring her here. Their mouths fell open as they saw her. They knew. She didn't have the control, power or time to use her Semblance on them. One raised a hand to accuse her, point out the obvious, or just ask what the hell was going on.
Winter fixed him with a fierce glare. "What is it, soldier?"
"U-Um, ma'am, that girl-"
"That girl is my sister, private. You would do well to remember that."
The man turned bodily to stare at Emerald. Emerald stared back, wincing and knowing it was not only too late to use her Semblance on him, but that with four people in the room she'd likely knock herself out and reveal the truth to Winter, too.
The soldier hesitated. "B-But that's not… we brought Miss Schnee on the Bullhead…"
"And you will be suitably rewarded in time," Winter sighed impatiently. "I will speak to your superior officer and compliment your service, but there is precious little I can do now." Winter stood a little taller and glared the man down. "Is that enough, private?"
The soldier trembled. He looked like he wanted to say something so very badly, but his fellows were all looking away, mouths firmly shut, and a part of him realised that any chances of a promotion, reward or anything would fly out of the window if he said anything more. He looked to Emerald once more, saw a girl who was clearly not Weiss Schnee, and then to Winter, who had hold of the girl's arm and clearly seemed to see her as Weiss Schnee. The man slumped.
"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."
"Good. Then, if it's not too much hassle, Weiss and I shall be off." Winter stormed away, dragging Emerald behind her.
The three soldiers stood in the now empty Bullhead, not quite sure what to say or do and all still vaguely afraid Winter Schnee would come back and kill them, either for wasting her time or for bringing back someone that almost certainly wasn't the right person.
"I-I mean, should we do something?" one of them asked.
"Wouldn't that be as good as admitting we made a mistake?"
"The Specialist seemed happy enough with whom we brought back. That's a mission success, right? Technically, I mean." Even to him, the excuse felt weak. "Sort of." They stood still, beads of sweat running down their faces.
"Should we report this to General Ironwood; maybe suggest Specialist Schnee be booked in for a mental evaluation?"
"Sure, if you're brave enough to explain this to Ironwood."
No answer. In the distance they heard a car door shut and Winter drive whoever-the-hell-that-was away.
"So, we just pretend this never happened, right?"
"Now you're talking my language."
/-/
"Nora, no."
"Why not? It's a perfect disguise." Nora stomped one foot down, arms crossed and horribly fake dog ears on her head standing at attention. Go back a few months and that might have been a gross affront against her, but now Blake sighed and gently reached up to take the silly things off her partner's head.
Nora was just worried for Ren, and in that regard Blake couldn't fault her. If anything, it made her appreciate her partner more. Well, her concern, anyway, less so her constant effort to change their mind and join their party.
"I convinced the White Fang I was a faunus once," Nora complained. "I can do it again."
"The White Fang in Menagerie are nowhere near as useless as the ones here in Vale. Ren at least has a genuine advantage, both in his unique eye colour and his Semblance. If anyone got suspicious, he could calm them down immediately. You, on the other hand, stand out too much."
"But I want to help Ren…"
"I know." Blake took hold of Nora's hands and gripped them tight. "But trust in your partner a little, okay?" She smiled, showing more confidence than she had for a while. "I know Menagerie like the back of my hand. I won't let anything happen to him. And as for why you can't go with me…" Blake allowed her eyes to shift a little to the left, over Nora's shoulder and towards Ruby and Jaune, who stood a little to the side. "Someone really has to go with them."
"In case Jaune does something," Nora sighed. "I know, I know. Ruby wouldn't be able to stop him on her own and would be captured."
Trust didn't come so easily, not in so short a time and after so big a revelation. Jaune hadn't hurt them yet, and had shown a desire to help - and Blake wanted to trust him, she really did - but he was leading them to the Grimmlands. What was to say that wasn't a trap? Why would he act out when they were doing exactly what he wanted them to do? Blake would have liked to keep an eye on him herself, but she didn't have a choice. Ren needed her help.
Nora understood that. And as much as she wanted to go and assure Ren's safety, she wasn't callous enough to do so at the expense of Ruby's. Honestly, their argument now – if one could call it that – wasn't new. Ever since the teams had been decided, Nora had been trying to change them. Blake handled it with patience, explaining why it was best Nora stay with Jaune and Ruby, and promising time and time again that she'd see Ren safe.
Things really were better this way. Ruby needed someone to watch her back, and someone who was strong enough to hold her own. That was Nora for sure. Ren needed subtle assistance, and three faunus – one of which was still technically known as being in the White Fang – could provide that. Nora drew too much attention and would lose her cool the moment she thought Ren was in danger. Obviously, they couldn't leave Ruby with only Ilia or Sun to rely on, either. Sun would follow Blake wherever she went, and Ilia couldn't be trusted to stay loyal unless she was close. Simply put, it was either the three of them go rescue Ren, or Nora go alone.
The latter just wasn't an option. Nora understood that, Blake felt. She wasn't dumb. It was just that she wanted to be there to help her childhood friend. But even she knew when to give in.
"Alright," Nora said, pouting. "But this is a big thing, Blakey. You're my partner, but Ren is the father of my children." Blake blinked owlishly. "My future children."
"Ah."
"So you need to make sure he's safe and sound!" Nora went on. "And I don't want to hear about you seducing him, either. I'm trusting you with his body here."
Blake groaned. "Nora, I don't-"
"And I'm trusting you to seduce Blake," Nora said over her partner's shoulder. "Seduce her so that she won't have time to do so to Renny."
Blake groaned even harder.
"It will be a great sacrifice, but I shall do my best." Sun quipped.
"She was talking to me," Ilia snapped.
"No way. I'm her student in marital arts."
"You mean martial arts."
"I really don't."
"Was that entirely necessary?" Blake asked, fixing her partner with a deadpan gaze.
"Necessary? No. Fun? yes." Nora giggled and patted her shoulder. "Good luck, Blakey. I trust you."
Blake nodded back solemnly.
It was hard to watch them go. It was even harder to watch, knowing they were going to save Ren and know that she couldn't. Nora sighed, but was grateful for the hand that fell on her shoulder, even if it wasn't a member of her team.
"They'll rescue him," Ruby said.
"Yeah, I know. Blake is my partner. I trust her."
"You just want to be there, too." Ruby said. Nora nodded. "Well, I know how that feels. Half of my team has been kidnapped."
"I don't think it's a kidnapping if Weiss' father comes to collect her," Jaune pointed out awkwardly.
"She still went unwillingly," Ruby growled. "That's a kidnapping in my book. Well, I guess we'll just have to swing by Atlas after we save Ren and Pyrrha and rescue her too," she decided. "We're already breaking into Menagerie and the Grimmlands. How hard can the SDC be?"
"Weiss can look after herself," Jaune chuckled. "She's strong, Ruby. She won't let this hold her back."
"Then it'll be a race. We'll rescue her before she can rescue herself."
"But after Ren and Pyrrha," Nora said.
"Yeah, of course. We'll have to race Blake, then. We'll save Pyrrha before they can save Ren."
"And then we can be there to save both of them," Nora finished, grinning. "I can save both Pyrrha and my Renny, and be the true hero. Yeah!" Nora gave Ruby a high-five (high for Ruby, anyway) and threw an arm around both her and Jaune's shoulders. "What are we waiting for? Mistral, Grimmlands and then Menagerie." Nora dragged Jaune's face closer. "Ooh, ooh, can we fly to Menagerie on the back of a Grimm dragon?"
Ruby sighed. "Nora, I don't think that's how it works-"
"I'll have to ask mom, but I'm sure Kevin would be up for it."
"Yeah!"
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess this is it," she said. "Mistral, and then the Grimmlands. We're going to get our teammates back."
"Hell yeah," Nora cheered. "Team Nora is a go!"
Ruby and Jaune shared a look. "Team Nora?"
"Yeah, Team NJR." Nora faced their incredulous expressions with a grin. "It's a silent J."
"Oh, of course. I guess I should have known…"
"Well, we can call ourselves Team Hentai if you want-"
"No, no, no," Ruby assured, red-faced and eyes firmly not on Jaune. "Team Nora is nice. I like it."
/-/
Despite a full night's sleep, she didn't feel very calm.
Pyrrha felt she could be excused for that.
Maybe it had something to do with the cold, stone room she slept in, the purple sky outside, the Grimm-blasted landscape or the Nevermore which occasionally settled on the windowsill to glare at her. Or maybe it had something to do with the frankly giant Beowolf sat with its maw resting on her, pinning her to the tiles. Who could even say? The world had turned itself upside down already, so she felt she could be forgiven for fraying a little at the edges.
Or, you know, it could have something to do with the woman who had attacked Beacon and nearly killed her standing by the door, arms crossed as she leaned on the frame. "Mannie seems to like you," she said. "I suppose he smells his master on you."
"His – uf – master?" Pyrrha grunted as she moved the murderous beast's jaw, requiring both hands to do it. She refused to dignify the petulant whine it gave her once she freed herself. It wasn't cute. It just wasn't, and no amount of sorrowful looks, cuddling or whining would convince her otherwise. It whined again, face pressed flat to the tiles.
Pyrrha's eye twitched.
It rolled over, presenting its belly to the ceiling. Its tongue lolled out.
"Don't read into this," Pyrrha growled, scratching its stomach. The beast's hind leg kicked.
"Mannie belongs to Jaune," Cinder said, not at all confused to see one of the most ferocious creatures on Remnant acting like a house pet. "He's intelligent, at least for a Grimm, and can no doubt either smell or sense Jaune on you. You'd do well to keep him around, since not all Grimm will be so accommodating."
"What are you doing here?" Pyrrha asked, trying to glare and look like an actual threat, regardless of the Beowolf trying to drag her into a wrestling game. "Have you come to kill me? Have you come to finish off where you started?"
"No. I came for a much more pressing matter." Cinder stepped further into the room and revealed a bundle from behind her back. She tossed it at Pyrrha, hitting her in the face. Mannie seemed curious enough to give her a moment to inspect it, even if he didn't let her off her knees or out of his embrace.
It was a formal dress, blood-red in colour and split down the thigh. "I don't understand."
"You've been invited to dinner. Wear that."
"Invited-?" Pyrrha's eyes widened. "Will… will that thing from last night be there?"
"That thing would be your beloved's mother," Cinder drawled. "If I were you, I wouldn't speak so ill of that which I wished to call my future mother in law. She is also, if I may remind you, the only person currently keeping hordes of Grimm from killing you."
Pyrrha winced, conceding the point. To be fair, she'd only met the woman known as Salem briefly, but even that had been enough of an introduction to make an impression. The thing was, it wasn't quite the impression she'd expected.
Kidnapped and taken to the Grimmlands, check.
Dragged before the Queen of all evil, check.
Locked away in a room in a dark tower, check.
Monstrous beast set to guard and keep her in place, check. Well, sort of.
So far, it had run down the list of stereotypical movie way to be killed fairly accurately. The only thing missing was torture and an evil monologue. When she'd been thrown before a woman she could only call a monster, with veins of molten lava across a white face and eyes the colour of blood, Pyrrha had prepared herself for death, and perhaps for worse.
It had been the worse. It had been so much worse.
And after a quick clean up and the donning of her dress, Pyrrha Nikos swallowed and walked back into the hall once more, giant Beowolf at her heel – and reaching up to her waist on all fours – and Cinder Fall beside her.
Salem, the dread queen of the Grimm, sat on a throne before her. She rose, took a step forward, and then – as Pyrrha clenched her eyes – continued the horrific assault from the previous night. It came in the form of a high-pitched squeal and bright, crimson eyes.
"Perfect!" Salem gushed. "It's perfect. Oh, the red brings out your hair – and your eyes, so bright and green, like little emeralds. And your skin." Salem's hand caressed her cheek. Pyrrha felt she should have shivered, but she swallowed instead, the blood rushing to her face and turning her cheeks a bright shade of pink. "So soft and smooth. She's perfect. Absolutely perfect. Where's Nicky? I need Nicky. Oh, I just have to send him a picture."
The most deadly being on Remnant gripped Pyrrha's shoulders before she could stop her and dragged her against her, the two stood side by side, Pyrrha nestled in the crook of Salem's arm. "Cinder, take a picture, and see it sent to my darling Nicky-poo."
Pyrrha flushed even further. "I-I, excuse me, but-"
A scroll flashed as the picture was taken.
"Excuse me," Pyrrha tried again valiantly. "Not to be rude, but-"
"Put the caption `Jaune's future wife` on the picture," Salem instructed. She paused and glanced to Pyrrha. "Oh sweetie, I ignored you, I'm sorry. Did you have something you wanted to say?"
Pyrrha didn't. Or, well, she did, but her face was currently bright red and the channel between her brain and her mouth didn't appear to be working properly. All that came out was a muffled "Bweh".
"Hm, perhaps you're hungry. You didn't eat much last night." She hadn't, perhaps somewhat understandable since she'd been terrified that she'd be killed at any moment. "Tyrian, Watts," Salem shouted. "Bring out some food for our guest."
Two men came out of a back room with some plates heaped with meat. Pyrrha's heart skipped a beat at the thought of what it might be, before her senses kicked back in and told her it was beef and lamb, included with steamed vegetables, mint sauce and pretty much the normal kind of food you'd find served in Atlas or Vale.
She didn't feel very safe eating it, or sitting at a table hewn from solid rock beside the Queen of the Grimm and next to Cinder Fall, terrorist and wanted criminal, and the fact she had a Beowolf wrapped around her feet up to her knees didn't help either, but she was hungry - starving, even – and couldn't quite resist heaping her plate with food.
"That's quite a lot, my dear." Salem's eyes sparkled. "Are you eating for two? Is it three?"
"E-Excuse me…?"
"Are you pregnant, dear?" Salem asked, far more bluntly, as if she thought Pyrrha had somehow misunderstood the suggestion. "Is there a bun in the oven? Are you `in the family way`? Is there-"
"N-No!" Pyrrha cried, cheeks aflame. "No, I'm not!"
"You and Jaune haven't…?" Salem made an odd motion with one finger, and when Pyrrha didn't grasp it, went on to push the finger repeatedly through a hole made between the finger and thumb of her other hand.
Pyrrha whined in abject mortification. It was probably answer enough.
"Oh dear, well, my son always has been a little slow with these things. No matter. I'm sure you'll be able to ensnare him when he comes by." Salem leaned forward conspirationally. "I'll even help."
"H-Help?"
"With advice, my dear," the monster before her quickly said. "He is my son. If you need help in those aspects, I'm sure Cinder would be willing to assist."
The dark-haired woman beside Pyrrha choked on her drink and nearly died right there.
"In fact, maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea. My son might be too much for a virgin. You can double-team him. It's more efficient that way anyway; two pregnancies at once and more grandbabies to go around."
Cinder Fall slammed a fist on the table, head bowed as she tried to regain control of her breathing. Pyrrha ignored her, and the odd, crazed-looked man sat opposite who seemed to be chanting "Go on, choke" over and over.
This… This had to be some kind of ruse. They were trying to break down her defences, make her relax, or maybe just to lure her in. Pyrrha took a deep breath and steadied herself. She cast out the images of herself, Cinder and Jaune entangled in white sheets, and then cast them out again when it didn't work the first time.
"I… I won't fall for it," she said firmly.
Salem regarded her softly. "Hm?"
"Whatever your plan is, whatever your scheme, I won't fall for it."
"Is that so, my dear?"
Pyrrha held her ground. She was a huntress, not a damsel in distress. "It is."
"Well, that certainly is a shame. And here I was going to take us through these." Salem hefted up a thick, green-covered book. A large man with a beard pushed a trolley up to the table, revealing it stacked up at least four levels high with similar ones, all labelled in exquisite detail.
Despite herself, Pyrrha couldn't quite contain her curiosity and looked a little closer at one of the labels. Coral Arc, it read, age 6-8. Below that was another, "Sapphire Arc – age 1-3". Pyrrha's eyes shot to the one in Salem's hand. The name on the cover was familiar, as it ought to be.
"Is that…?"
"It is," Salem said, smiling. "But if you're not interested…"
"I-I didn't say that. I only said I wouldn't be a part of your plans." Pyrrha's ears went red as she tried to defend her frankly indefensible position. "B-But you can still tell me said plan. And show me what's in there."
"Well, I suppose I can…"
Cinder Fall sighed in disgust as the two leaned over one of the albums, no doubt filled to the brim with pictures of her little brother in varying ages. Salem and Nicholas kept their albums in meticulous detail, though one might have called it too much detail. By the time their children were sixteen, it was really too old to be forcing them for pictures every few weeks. Not so for Salem Arc, however.
The Fall Maiden's powers were still in the girl… or half of it at least. Cinder looked to Watts. "How long until you can find what machine Ozpin tried to use and replicate it?"
"It will take time. Atlas is keeping rather quiet about it. You'll just have to be patient."
It wasn't what she wanted to hear and Cinder cursed under her breath. Patience was not her strong suit, not here, when she was so close. If only the brat hadn't revealed her feelings for Jaune, they wouldn't be here. Pyrrha could be dying atop a tower and Cinder could be learning to use her new power. She glared balefully at the girl, throwing imaginary daggers into her back.
"Oh my," Pyrrha gasped.
"Oh, I know. Cinder was so adorable as a little girl."
Cinder's entire body twitched. "Erk!"
"She used to dress up as a Grimm and run around growling like a Beowolf. You should see the pictures where I used to bath her and Jaune together when they were both little. She used to make him call her the pirate queen. She was so adorable! They're in here somewhere. Let me find them." Pages began to turn rapidly.
"I-I must attend to some business," Cinder said, surging to her feet. She didn't want for a response from anyone, especially not from the sarcastically smiling Watts. It wasn't retreat if she planned to strike again later, and that was what she told herself as she hurried from the dining chamber.
"Oh, they're so sweet!" Pyrrha crooned.
Cinder's measured retreat turned into a full blown rout.
/-/
Despite a full night's sleep, she didn't feel very calm.
Yang felt she could be excused for that.
She also felt her throat could be excused for feeling a little hoarse as she screamed – and for her screaming louder when she heard her father's footsteps hammering towards her and saw the … the thing dart back into her own fucking skin! Yang stared at it a second longer, and then began to scream once more, louder and harder.
The door slammed open. Taiyang was armed with a skillet and looked ready to use it to deadly effect. His eyes scanned for threats. His teeth were bared. "Yang! Baby, what's wrong?"
Zwei barrelled into the room and onto her bed. He sniffed around her, smelled something but couldn't quite find it, and proceeded to run laps around her trying to locate the alien scent on his beloved master. His pace continued to increase before he tripped on her quilt, flipped off the bed and became entangled in it. The corgi started to growl furiously, trying to fight his way out.
Yang, meanwhile, continued to scream.
"Yang!" Taiyang yelled over it.
"D-Dad?" Yang's vision cleared. She thrust her severed arm forward with a gasp. "Cut it off! Cut it off!"
The skillet fell. "Yang, sweetie, I know. It's... it's something we'll work through together-"
"No, no, no. CUT. IT. OFF!"
"Yang, it's already been cut off."
He didn't understand. Why didn't he understand? Maybe she wasn't being obvious enough, though really, Yang wasn't sure how her father wasn't grasping what she felt were pretty fucking clear instructions. Her arm had been possessed by some red-eyed murder-insect. It had to go. Knife, saw or just pulling until it tore free. Yep, it had to go, preferably before the monster possessing her spread-
"I'm not actually in your arm anymore," the voice said, this time seeming to echo in her head once more.
"W-Where are you?" she hissed, looking around.
"Yang, I'm right here," Taiyang said. He gripped her cheeks and forced her eyes to meet his. "I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm here."
"I'm in your chest," the voice said.
Yang gripped her father's hand with her only good one and stared him in the eye. "Dad…"
"Yes, Firecracker?"
"Cut my tits off."
Her dad didn't, annoyingly. He was as flaky as ever and seemed to think she was the one who was insane. To her complete frustration, he'd tied her one good hand to the bed – so she couldn't hurt herself, apparently – and gone off to contact the doctor. He seemed to think the trauma of her lost arm had damaged her psyche or something. Personally, Yang felt her mind was working fairly well. It was her throat that was too hoarse to scream, which was a shame since the thing had once again revealed itself, this time poking out of her shoulder and leaning a claw on her cheek.
"I'm thinking we didn't get off on the right foot. Or claw, I guess."
"W-What the fuck are you?" Yang wheezed. Her throat was too hoarse to shout anymore, or scream, despite how much nightmare fuel the thing was providing. Oh Gods above, it had come right out of her freaking skin!
"I'm a part of you."
"I-I'm part Grimm…"
"What? No, no, no. I'm fully Grimm and you're fully human. I just live inside of you."
"I've been possessed by a Grimm…"
"It's more accurate to say we share the same body. Really, I was practically born from you."
Yang's eyes widened. "I gave birth to a Grimm…"
"Look, Jaune put me inside of you."
"My boyfriend got me pregnant. With a Grimm."
"You're not pregnant!"
"My boyfriend and I had a Grimm baby. I- YOW!" Yang tried to rub her cheek but ended up batting her stump against it. "You bit me!"
"And you're not listening! Look, I'm here to help you. I'm on your side."
"How am I supposed to believe that?"
"Well, we kind of live together now. It would be pretty stupid for me to get you killed when I only live as a part of you. Here, let me help with that binding." There was an odd sensation in her severed arm and Yang's eyes widened as black mist seemed to seep from her skin, forming over the stump and slowly building. Yang yelped and tried to shimmy away to no avail. Before her eyes, an arm of purest black had formed.
She closed her eyes and waited for it to kill her.
"Um, a little help here?"
Her eyes cracked open. The arm, for what it was, hadn't really moved.
"I'm only an arm from the elbow down," the voice explained, the head of the creature now absent from her shoulder. "I can't actually reach above you unless you move your shoulder and upper arm for me."
Tentatively, Yang tried to move her arm – and while she found she couldn't control the forearm and hand that had sprouted from her, she could still move everything above it. If she kept the arm away from her, it wouldn't be able to bend backwards and actually reach her.
But then, how long could she do that?
"You said Jaune put you in me?"
"Yep. While you were unconscious."
"That son of a bitch." She was going to have words with him, boyfriend or not.
"Technically, he's my father."
"Grbl…"
"Can I call you-"
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Aw…"
Yang's sanity was already half shot but she figured she still trusted Jaune enough to give this a go, even if she wanted to punch him for doing something to her while she was out. She raised her arm up and over her head, cringing as the solid black limb came close to her throat and face. Rather than strike her, however, it reached beyond and touched the binding her father had strapped to her wrist. The hand's fingers seemed to morph together and become a single entity, not quite a blade but somewhat stronger. It tugged at the cloth until it snapped.
Free, Yang sat up and brought her good hand around, catching her new arm by the wrist and shaking it like one might the throat of someone. "Right, you," she growled. "I want answers."
"E-Erk, M-Mom, please…"
"I'm not your mother!" Yang shrieked. "A-And you're not a part of me. What are you? How did Jaune put you in me? Why did Jaune put you in me? What's going on, where am I and what happened to Beacon? Answer my questions!"
"W-Which one?" the arm gasped.
"ALL OF THEM!" She shook the hand for good measure, imagining it as the head of the creature. "I demand answers and-" Hurried footsteps from outside the room echoed through the hall. Someone was coming. Yang froze and stared down at her arm – black, covered in bone plates and generally something she really shouldn't have. "Hide," she hissed.
It shot back into her the second she released it, and in no time at all it was gone. There was a faint sense of nausea at knowing it was inside of her, but no pain, no discomfort and no discernible marks left behind. Oh yeah, she was going to get some answers from Jaune on this one.
The door slammed open. Qrow appeared. "Yang," he gasped, relieved. "What the hell, where's your old man? Where's Ruby?"
Yang's eyes narrowed. "Thanks for asking about my health."
"Shit." Qrow moved in and sat down on her bed. "Sorry, Firecracker. I lost myself for a moment there. Still, I know about your health. Who do you think carried you back here?" He winked at her and Yang's temper faded.
"Sorry," she mumbled. "Dad is… Dad is trying to find a psychiatrist."
Qrow raised an eyebrow.
"Don't ask. Ruby is… wait, why are you looking for Ruby?"
"No reason." Qrow's poker face was, as usual, terrible. "I just need to talk to her about some things. About what happened to Beacon, Ozpin, and how on an unrelated note, we tracked the person responsible for it all to Mistral. I need to talk to her about that. Where is she?"
"I don't-"
"She's gone to Mistral with Jaune and your team," the Grimm-thing helpfully provided. "I was awake at the time, so I heard it all."
Yang dutifully relayed the message, without the information on how she knew.
"W-What? But I didn't even mention-" Qrow shook his head. "Okay, well, I guess that's convenient. Sort of." He scratched his head. "I guess I'll go find and keep an eye on her. Don't want her to get in trouble."
"And you'll bring her back?"
"Yeah… sure…"
Yang's eyes narrowed. "Uncle Qrow…"
"You focus on getting better, Firecracker." He wrapped an arm around her, drew her close and kissed the top of her head affectionately. "You're a strong girl, so I doubt this'll keep you down. Just keep your eyes on the future and remember that everyone is here to help."
"Yeah, except you, Ruby and literally everyone else," Yang yelled sarcastically as Qrow fled.
It was just like them all to say one thing but then leave her on her own, stuck in her bedroom, missing an arm and with no one to rely on.
"I'm here…" the voice inside her said. The Grimm parasite, baby, thing, popped out of her shoulder and spread its claws hopefully. "Hug?"
Yang stared at it.
Yes. Jaune was going to need some very good answers for this.
/-/
Despite a full night's sleep, he… well, he did feel rather calm.
Ren was fairly sure Yang would have called him an idiot for that, seeing as how his situation was about as dire as could be. He stood on the sidewalk of a street in Menagerie, under the baking sun and wondering what he was supposed to do, how he was supposed to do it and just how he'd managed to convince those faunus earlier that he was, in fact, a sloth faunus.
His Semblance had helped, oddly enough. They seemed to think his ability to stay calm was a manifested faunus trait, and that the `calmness even in the face of obvious danger` was just him taking being a lazy sloth to an extreme. Ren wasn't sure if he should feel insulted about that or not, but he'd made up an excuse about visiting his family and they'd bought it, effectively letting him go without so much as a question.
And why not? Menagerie is firmly under the control of the White Fang. It was obvious in the way faunus walked about with their masks on display, but hanging from their necks instead of being worn normally. Ren had his, or rather the one he'd stolen from the chameleon girl, and he kept hold of it, hoping to use it as a means to ward off suspicion. Even if someone thought him oddly lacking in faunus features, they might see the mask and be convinced.
"Hiding in plain sight. I doubt they had this in mind when the saying was conceived." Ren sighed and moved down a rather empty street, taking in what information he could. Menagerie was more developed than he'd been led to believe, though nowhere near the level of one of the major cities. The architecture was not dissimilar to Mistral, though somewhat more haphazard, rushed, one might say, as if the city had been built suddenly and with no regard to intricate planning. Considering Menagerie's founding, that may well have been the case.
Ren supposed he should find a means to boost a signal through to Vale and contact his team, if only to assure them he was safe. From there, he could decide how to escape Menagerie, which judging from the relative freedom he had, would be as simple as climbing on a boat and riding off.
"I'll need some lien for that, and to find out where the shipping lanes go. It wouldn't do to end up in Vacuo. Atlas might not be bad, if I can get enough lien for an intercontinental flight back to Vale. Either way, the first order of business is contacting them." He checked his scroll, and while it was still in service he wasn't surprised to see no messages. With Beacon having been attacked, it made sense the CCT would be offline. He scanned the horizon for one in Menagerie and frowned when he saw nothing. It didn't mean there wasn't one, but the buildings were too tall around him to see very far. He'd need to get a lay of the land, and possibly somewhere to spend the night.
I can work in an inn if needs be. I can cook, wash dishes or clean. Hm, this is all going to be a delay, but if I can assure Nora I'm fine I'll have all the time in the world to get out of here. Ren continued to plan as he made his way down the path. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice someone step out from the next street until they were nothing more than a shadow filling his vision.
They collided. The figure fell first, easily, hinting at little to no training. Ren's instincts kicked in and he reached out to catch her, even if the food was a loss, a bag splitting open on the dirt path and spilling fruit everywhere.
"I apologise," he said hurriedly. "I wasn't aware of my surroundings. Please, let me help you."
"Oh no, it's fine," the woman replied, stepping out of his grip with a tinkling laugh. "It's a hot day and I barged out onto the street without a care in the world." She knelt to pick up some of her food and Ren did the same, collecting it in his hands. The woman chuckled again. "My, what a gentleman you are. I should have you know I'm a happily married woman."
Ren chuckled himself, recognising a teasing tone when he heard it. Hard not to when Yang was your partner. Gods, he wondered how she was doing. It was a shock to realise how much the lack of an answer as to her safety bothered him. Just another thing he needed the CCT for. Perhaps he could ask this woman for directions.
"I really am sorry for bumping into you. Here." He helped to stack the food in the bag, which she held tightly so that it wouldn't split once more. For the first time he looked up into her eyes. "I hope everything is-"
Amber eyes, black hair and feline ears. The face, the jawline, the nose. It was all the same.
"Blake?"
But no, it wasn't. The moment the name of his teammate slipped past his lips he recognised his mistake. The similarities were there, but there were differences, too. Minute, but there. It was like seeing Blake from a distance and then realising it was someone else once you were close. Ren bowed his head and stepped back.
"My apologies. I mistook you for someone else. I'll just-"
The fruit hit the floor again. The woman didn't seem to care. Her eyes had lit up and her lips had spread into a wide smile. Her hand had caught the sleeve of his left arm, her other had his hand in hers entirely. She looked excited, thrilled, or perhaps just relieved.
"You said Blake," the woman whispered. "You called me Blake, didn't you?"
Ren had felt calm, but a tickling sensation in the back of his head told him he wasn't feeling quite so calm now. It might have had something to do with the deceptively tight grip on his hand, or the hungry look in the woman's eyes.
Either way, he had a feeling he might have been safer sticking with the White Fang.
Oh my.
So, Emerald's fate revealed – and it's just as unfortunate as Pyrrha's. Mercury's will be next chapter, and I've not forgotten Roman and Neo, but I'm spreading them out. Meanwhile, Yang deals with the joy of motherhood and Ren has found a mother of his own, sort of. I'm sure there's no way Menagerie can go badly for Blake here. No way at all.
And yes, I am trying to recapture some of the more cracky humour of early White Sheep, back before it took a dive into the overly serious dance arc.
Next Chapter: 14th June (Two Weeks)
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur