Chapter 10

The voyage was a short one, one the captain had made many times before. Just head east until you reach the coast of Mistral, then ride the current north right to Windy Shoals. Sure, the rocks lurking just beneath the surface of the water a little closer to shore were a bit of a hazard, but he always kept a safe distance. His ship was fast and stable, a mariner's dream. By the next evening he'd be in port, back home.

It was such a short journey the crew did not even bother to sleep, not like the passengers below-decks. The captain did not mind taking them along for the extra money, and they kept to themselves anyway. The ship had already reached the coast of Mistral by nightfall, and now they sailed along in the dark. The captain remained at the helm. This was the trickiest part of the journey and he was not about to leave it to someone else. Soon the ship would have to shoot the gap between the rocky shallows on his starboard side and a small island to port. Inexperienced mariners did not take the risk, going around the island instead, but between the island and the mainland the currents were accelerated, and shooting the gap would shave an hour or two off the trip. For a skilled captain, it was worth it.

The captain scanned the bridge to ensure that his crew was alert. He spotted something unexpected. "Who is she?" He asked. Before he got an answer, and before they could sound the alarm, the crew was wiped out.

The group was quartered in a cramped and steamy room near the ship's engines. They tried to get some sleep but between the noise and the temperature it was impossible. Suddenly the ship cut hard to the right, violently enough to send furniture sliding across the floor. "That's not good." Blake said. The others were similarly alarmed.

"We should head up to the deck, just in case." Ren suggested.

"It might be nothing, but we should check it out." Ruby said.

The group headed topside to find the decks empty. Alarmingly, the ship was heading directly for the shallows. At this rate it would surely run aground. "Head for the bridge." Pyrrha said. "Maybe the captain can tell us something."

When the group arrived at the bridge they wished they had not. They found a scene of carnage. The crew had been bloodily murdered and the ship's controls smashed. "This has to be because of us." Yang said.

"Probably, but we can't dwell on it now." Weiss said. "We need to…" Just then then the ship lurched, accompanied by the screech of rending metal and the groaning of the ship's structure. "...get to the lifeboat."

The group rushed for the only lifeboat, only to see it hit the water just as they arrived. The covered boat motored away, heading for the mainland as the ship began to list. The roof on the lifeboat made it impossible to see its pilot. "And there goes our way off." Yang sighed. "Looks like we're going to get wet."

"Everybody grab a life vest and get ready to swim!" Ruby ordered. The group had left most of their supplies back in their cabin, taking only what they considered most important, but it was too risky to go and retrieve it. At least they had their weapons with them.

Damaged beyond saving, the ship now sailed in lazy circles, listing to starboard at an ever-increasing angle. The group waited until the ship's path took it a little closer to shore, then they leapt into the icy water. Seconds later the ship dipped beneath the waves and disappeared. The group swam for shore. Though it was in sight, it was farther than it looked. It took over an hour to get there and the sun was already rising when they reached the beach, cold, wet and exhausted.

"Somebody out there really hates us." Ruby sighed.

"We already knew that." Blake said. "So much for the element of surprise."

"At least we made it to Mistral." Pyrrha said. "We should set up camp nearby. Once the authorities realize the ship is missing they'll send a search party. They can take us the rest of the way."

"We need to be very careful." Ren advised. "If someone went to the trouble of sinking a ship to kill us, they won't give up so easily. We need to be ready for an attack."

The land rose quickly up from the sea near where the group had come ashore and a forest met the beach where the water-smoothed stones ended. A little ways up the coast the land leveled off enough to allow them to set up camp. From there they could see and be seen from the ocean. In addition, they hung their life vests in the nearby trees. When the searchers arrived they would be impossible to miss. A more immediate issue was food. Most of their supplies had gone down with the ship, as they had only been carrying their weapons and a few other things. Some hunting and foraging was in order. Pyrrha led a group consisting of Blake, Weiss and Ren to try to secure some food while the others remained at their camp. Yang had wanted to go, but needed to rest if her broken arm was going to heal anytime soon. Ruby was not good at the whole wilderness survival thing, and Nora tended to scare away any animals they might try to hunt.

Pyrrha's group returned after a few hours. They had managed to bag a deer and collect some wild fruit. It would be enough for dinner, but if they were going to be stuck there they would have to go out again to secure some breakfast. In the meantime Ruby and Nora had assembled some rudimentary shelters out of trees they had cut or bashed down. They were not perfect but would protect the group from the worst the weather would throw at them. Yang had set up a fire pit and had a nice blaze going by the time the group was reunited.

Ren was an excellent cook, and though he was limited in what he had to work with, he managed to produce a solid dinner from the deer. Pyrrha's expertise with Mistral's native plant life allowed her to prepare the accompanying dish of assorted fruits. It was not Taiyang's cooking but it was probably the best meal any of them had had since they had been on the road. Despite the setback of the sinking, things were looking up. In no time they would be in Haven, ready to save the world as they had set out to.

"Did that ship come in yet?" Qrow asked. He had been hanging around the docks in Windy Shoals and made fast friends with the port's manager thanks to their common interest in libation. He handed the man his flask and he took a swig. It was already after dark and the ship was due hours earlier.

"Didn't you hear?" The manager asked. "It's gone missing. Presumed sunk."

"What?!" Qrow shouted.

"The authorities are assembling a search party." The manager continued. "We think it went down in The Narrows."

"I know people who were on that boat." Qrow said.

"I wouldn't worry too much." The manager said. "It's path would keep it close to shore so they probably got there alright. Lyme is a great captain, I hope this doesn't ruin his reputation."

"What do you know about Captain Lyme?" Qrow asked.

"Best captain on the route between Eastport and Windy Shoals." The manager replied. "I can't imagine this is his fault. It must have been a problem with the ship."

"Or sabotage." Qrow said.

"Who would sabotage an empty ship?" The manager asked. "It was just coming back here to pick up another shipment of grain for Eastport. I can't imagine there was more aboard than some small packages."

"It's not what was aboard." Qrow said. "It's who." The manager shot him a quizzical look. "Forget it. I have to go." He immediately ran off.

"Hey wait!" The manager called after him. "Don't you want your booze back?!" Qrow kept running. The manager followed, assuming Qrow had not heard him. Qrow turned a corner behind a building and the manager followed a few seconds later. When he got there, no sign of Qrow remained. The manager looked at the flask. "Did I just hallucinate all that?"

Given the recent string of alarming attacks, the group decided that two of them should guard the camp while the others slept. The midnight shift went to Pyrrha and Ruby. Ruby kept watch near the camp while Pyrrha ranged a little farther from their perimeter. With her injuries, Yang was exempt from guard duty for the time being, but she could not sleep. She would not admit it but her arm was still hurting and the discomfort made it just about impossible to get any good rest. That and she had a lot on her mind.

"I want to change." Yang said as she walked around the camp with Ruby. "I talked to Pyrrha about it. I'm too impulsive, too emotional. Then in the mountains I went ahead and charged straight at Adam again, right into a trap. I guess I really haven't made any progress."

"I don't think I've made much progress as a leader either." Ruby sighed. "I'm too impulsive too. I didn't think it through before I asked you guys to leave Patch with me. I didn't even consider how difficult and dangerous it would be. I just had my target and I was ready to blindly go for it. It's almost got us killed a few times already."

"You're not to blame for that." Yang assured her. "I don't think any of us really thought it through or had a solid plan. I'm really glad we did this though. I can't imagine we would have been happy just waiting around on Patch, and you gave us the motivation we needed to get moving. That's what makes you a great leader. Even if you don't have a solid plan, and even when the odds are stacked against you, you still have the motivation to keep moving forward, no matter what. That kind of attitude is contagious."

"I'm not sure that's a good thing." Ruby said. "Maybe if I was a little more careful you wouldn't have a broken arm and we wouldn't be shipwrecked in the middle of nowhere."

"What's done is done." Yang said. "There's no sense in dwelling on it. If you think you made a mistake, just learn from it I guess. I wish I was better at learning from my mistakes."

"Me too." Ruby said.

"I think this conversation has reached a death-spiral of depression." Yang observed. "Don't lose heart. You're great whether you believe it or not. If you start to doubt yourself, just remember that I believe in you."

Pyrrha walked through the forest quite a distance from the camp. She was still close enough to see the campfire at its center though. She wanted to be sure that the group would have ample warning of any threats. Pyrrha was still exhausted from the last few days exertions, but she was not about to let her concentration slip. The others were counting on her. She heard a rustling in the bushes a little deeper into the forest. Turning, she spotted a figure moving around. The silhouette was broken up by the trees and bushes, and it was hard to make out. It might just be an animal, but then again...she should probably check it out just to be safe.

Pyrrha pushed through the undergrowth, following the sounds of snapping twigs and rustling plants. Eventually she arrived at a clearing. She could not believe her eyes. Jaune stood in front of her looking even more confused than usual. There was a jagged scar on his neck, but there he was, alive and right in front of her. "Jaune...is that really you?" She asked.

Jaune opened his mouth to speak but no sound came. He clutched his throat for a moment before nodding. He looked just as surprised to see Pyrrha as she was to see him. He made some gestures as if to ask what Pyrrha was doing there.

"I came here to stop Cinder." Pyrrha explained. "And Qrow told me you might still be alive. I still blame myself for what happened."

Jaune made some gestures to indicate that he did not blame Pyrrha. It was his own choice.

"How did you get here?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune shrugged and shook his head. Apparently he did not have any idea.

"I'm just glad you're alive." Pyrrha said. She approached Jaune. "The guilt was crushing me." He reached out to hug her and she did the same.

Suddenly Yang came charging out of the forest. In a flash she knocked Pyrrha back. Jaune dissolved, replaced by Emerald. Yang caught Emerald's attack on her prosthetic and strained against her. It had all been an illusion. "Pyrrha, help me!" Yang shouted. With only one functioning arm she was in no condition to fight.

Pyrrha overcame the initial shock and was about to charge into battle when she was struck from the side by a powerful blast. Two more glowing bolts fired out of the trees and she deflected them with Aegis. She recognized them, Mercury. "Yang, just hold on." Pyrrha said. She had to deal with Mercury first. He remained out of sight, firing at Pyrrha from the darkness of the forest. She used her shield to block his shots without much difficulty, but she could not track him down. Meanwhile Yang was battling Emerald in close quarters, giving all she had just to block Emerald's attacks. Pyrrha needed to deal with Mercury fast.

The nearby gunshots woke up the camp. They had slept with their weapons at their sides and in seconds they were up and ready to join the fight. Weiss, Blake, Ren and Nora rushed toward the sounds of combat with Ruby trailing. She took one last look around and spotted a figure in the forest to the right. It had to be another attacker. She could not allow the group to be sneak-attacked from the rear. "There's someone over here!" Ruby shouted as she rushed off to confront the unknown individual, hoping the others would hear her. With their focus elsewhere, they did not.

In the darkness Ruby had great difficulty identifying the figure. There was something familiar about the silhouette, but it was not quite right. As she closed in a small flame lit in front of the figure's face and all became clear. Having just lit up the sort of cigar Roman would have smoked, it was Neo. She wore his hat and was carrying his cane. Ruby slid to a stop in front of her. Neo's expression, usually so calm even in the midst of battle, contorted into a look of unbridled rage at the very sight of Ruby. Neo accusingly pointed Roman's cane at Ruby.

"I didn't kill him." Ruby said. "It was the Grimm." Neo seemed unmoved. "We don't have to be enemies."

Neo's look of rage faded but her stance oozed aggression. Ruby may not have killed Roman directly, but if not for her he would have been safe inside the ship. Ruby was to blame and was going to pay. Neo would have her revenge. A smirk spread across her face. She flipped Roman's cane around and fired, blasting the ground where Ruby had been standing as she leapt out of the way. Neo rushed forward, firing at Ruby with the cane while blocking Ruby's strikes with her parasol. Every time Ruby tried to get some distance Neo immediately close up, unrelenting in her assault. Ruby unleashed a spinning slash but Neo easily avoided it by leaping back. She coolly raised the cane and blasted Ruby straight in the chest. Ruby was knocked off her feet and lost her grip on Crescent Rose before slamming down on her back. Neo stomped over and began bashing Ruby in the face with the cane. Ruby tried to block but Neo kept swinging. Ruby's aura shimmered and failed. With one final strike to the side of the head, Ruby's world went dark.

Pyrrha spotted a muzzle flash. It had to be Mercury. She fired a series of shots from Ruber Mors at the spot and heard Mercury grunt in pain. That would take care of him for a few seconds. Pyrrha turned to Yang and Emerald. They were locked together, one of Emerald's scythed daggers hooked on Yang's prosthetic while Yang somehow held onto Emerald's other wrist with her broken arm. Pyrrha activated her semblance, targeting Emerald's weapons. With a swipe of her hand she used all her power to pull them away. There was a scream. But it was all wrong.

It was Yang's scream. The illusion broke and there stood Yang, her prosthetic torn off leaving bits of metal and wire hanging from the bloody and mangled stump. Emerald stood a few steps away with a satisfied grin on her face. Pyrrha had fallen for it again, and now Yang was in agony. Pyrrha screamed with rage and threw her javelin at Emerald. Emerald easily dodged it and backed toward the forest. Weiss, Blake, Ren and Nora arrived and Emerald fled. They could hear Mercury running away through the forest as well.

"Yang I'm so sorry!" Pyrrha cried. She rushed to Yang's side. Yang was staring at the carnage that was what remained of her right arm. "I'm sorry...I just...I…"

"It's not your fault." Yang said with a calm she should not have possessed given the circumstances. "I'm just glad I got here in time to save you."

"What happened?" Weiss asked.

"Emerald and Mercury were here." Pyrrha said. "Emerald...tricked me...again. She used an image of Jaune…"

"And then she tricked Pyrrha into ripping my prosthetic off." Yang said matter-of-factly. She looked around. "Where's Ruby?"

"She was right behind us." Nora said. But Ruby was nowhere to be seen.

The sound of .50 cal shots and explosions echoed through the forest. "Ruby!" Yang shouted. She immediately charged off in the direction of the noise, not caring about what she would do when she got there.

"Yang, wait!" Ren called after her. Now there was no way Yang could fight. The group chased after her.

Yang burst out of the trees and into a clearing. At its center Ruby lay on her back motionless. Neo stood over her, ready to dispatch the helpless Ruby with her blade. Neo looked up and spotted Yang who was clearly in no condition to do anything. She smirked, looking Yang in the eyes as she aimed her blade for Ruby's heart.