An hour passed as Yang explained to Blake just what was going on with Neo being here, and though the half-brunette was relatively silent, she was listening intently. Had she just caused tensions to flare between these two? We're they together already? The questions kept on coming, but Neo couldn't just bear to listen.
"... And so, I punched her during lunch break, and well, I couldn't just leave her there. She was injured too, like, she must have not slept for a few days or something." Yang looked to the shorter woman who had gotten down from the bed above. "Ah, hey Neo. You alright?"
"I'm okay." She muttered, nodding lightly and seating herself right next to the blonde, Blake seated on the opposite side, her eyes a little bit less murderous in appearance.
"Alright, well... I forgive you. But just as Weiss has said many times; don't keep stuff like this from the team, it doesn't do anyone any good, especially not /us/." The faunus definitely put emphasis on that, before she rested her weary head upon Yang's shoulder. "Neo, if that's your name... I want you to know that I'm sorry about what has happened to you, but don't think it means we're friends."
"It's fine." The half-brunette responded, looking across to see just how close the two women beside her were. No matter how she felt about Yang, she couldn't possibly break them up, right? However, a soft tingling took place in the back of her mind, a tempting one, to immediately shank the faunus with her own blade, which was resting against the bookcase right now. Though her eyes flashed between their colours, the other side didn't take hold, and in the silence filling the room, she felt nothing but a despairing regret. She had come so far just to get here, and now, it seems like her hopes were dashed before they could be realised for the first time, for better or for worse.
Yang and Blake chattered for a little while, speaking of their relationship and then their classes, before the little ice cream noticed a tick in her eye. Realising what this meant, she instinctively stood herself up, moving toward the door before the blonde noticed. "Hey, Neo, everything okay?" She asked, though when she didn't get an answer, she too stood up.
Blake remained seated, though her keen senses were locked onto the short woman. Inside that two-toned head, the battle waged again, a clash of swords and fire erupting all around the blank landscape. Neo was losing this time however, and this gave her enough reason to give up on it, at this time. As much as she didn't want to hurt Yang anymore, the other side thirsted and there was no stopping it. Eyes flickering into solid brown, she slowly turned her body, making sure the two women saw what had just happened.
"Yang... Get away from her." Blake warned, though even that didn't stop the purple eyed fighter, who simply gazed ahead, looking to see if there was going to be any sudden movements from Neo.
"No, Blake, I just have to be careful. Anger and fighting isn't the way, either is running away." The blonde had a knowing tone to her voice, and despite the jealousy flaring within the ravenette once more, she trusted Yang's judgment, just like she had on many occasions. "Neo, are you there? Neo?" Her question was met with silence, though the brown eyes had not changed, nor had the honestly disheveled looking woman moved an inch after making herself known. This other side was a tricky beast indeed, something out of the ordinary, well above the pay grade of a couple of in-training huntresses.
"Neo isn't here." The other side spoke, in both a different tone and a different volume to the Neo Yang and Blake had met on this day. She sounded older, more experienced, as though this was Neo's true self, despite the other extreme's pleading. "I am though."
"What have you done to her?" Yang bit her bottom lip, studying as best she could; she wasn't the type to assess people, but now seemed like a really good time to start practicing; although the thought of being completely outclassed by this 'other side' Neo spoke of was kind of scary. The blonde looked back to Blake, who already had her weapon within her hands, ready to act at any moment, even in such a small room. Her yellow gaze was burning with something beyond hatred, she knew what this 'thing' had done to the one she felt truly in love with.
"Nothing. She's just... Resting, for now. As you may or may not know, I'm a little more energetic than she is. She wouldn't have gotten so beat up if I took the reins, she knows this," The other side sighed, looking off to the side without a single blink. "But of course, she fears me. I'm sure you do too, I can... Feel it." With that statement, she turned her form toward Yang, before standing right in front of her.
"Are you saying, that you, a human, are able to do something the Grimm can? What?" Yang asked, though after the words left her mouth, she soon noticed that the other side was poised and ready to strike, her eyes already changed, smirk present. The blonde immediately moved back hurriedly as a kick whiffed by her chin, ultimately causing the fuming Blake to snap.
The faunus was on the little ice cream as fast as any huntress was onto her prey, a flurry of slashes and punches thrown at the tiny frame of the other side. Though as was evidenced in her fight with Yang, most of them were outright dodged, while the last few were redirected to push Blake into the door itself. The heterochromatic woman slammed her tight fist into the ravenette's head, though soon realised it was an illusion, and in turn got her fist stuck in the door. Knowing the power of even this woman's punches, Blake circled around quickly, going for a slash to the lower back, only to have it suddenly kicked away by a combat boot, a second kick aimed right at her head. Luckily, she managed to pull a phantom to take the hit, though she was staggered somewhat.
Ripping her hand out of the door, the other side turned herself around once more, running toward Blake and aiming a kick square at her head, though before it connected, Yang came into the fray. Rather than her usual style of fast, rapid punches, she threw her weight behind a shoulder charge, which ultimately caught the other side off guard. Knocked to the ground, her eyes flickered a little, a mixture of panic and confusion set upon her usually dead calm exterior. The other side knew a lot about Yang, but didn't know she was willing to try something new like that, especially since she knew more about the blonde than even she herself did. In any case, she got herself back up - graciously as least - before looking between the two fighters who were so poised to stop her while in this state. "You two are walking a thin line, you know. I may be the enemy, but even enemies have times where they feel especially out of place. If I don't get my parasol before Neo inevitably tries again to take over again, I think I'm going to have to kill one of you."
"Wait wait wait," Yang looked at the other side, surprised. "What happens if we give you your parasol?"
"Well, then I really get to have some fun with both of you." Knowing of the obviously evil intentions, the two members of team RWBY looked at each other and then nodded. The two joined their assaults, Yang going for another tackle while Blake leaped from the nearby bunk to strike from the air, all while the other side simply stood there. Her multicoloured eyes opened, and when the team effort finally connected, a wall of glass shattered.
"The name's Aeon, if you really need to know. Though, for now, I honestly don't feel like wasting my time with the two of you." Her gaze went from one to the other, standing right beside the bookcase now. It baffled Yang, how she could just be in one place and then in the next. Blake, however, was more than keen to keep this fight going. She charged at the smirking woman, who appeared to warp to the spot next to where Blake's strike landed, much of the bookcase being sliced apart in her rage. "I don't usually stand there, darling. Sorry about your bookcase, but I have a parasol to find." With that, the two were suddenly left alone, Aeon gone along with Neo on the inside, and they were both left confused. What was the purpose of her appearance now? Shaking her head with a sigh, Blake threw her weapon onto her bed, looking distressed.
"She was going to kill you Yang, why didn't you just do something before she turned into... Aeon?" The ravenette turned to the blonde, who promptly looked around for some kind of excuse. Yang didn't like to admit it, but being put on the spot for being in the wrong made her u comfortable at best.
"Look, I had just spent several hours with a person who wasn't Aeon, and they were actually kind of nice. I know I have an issue with anger and all of that, but damn, she gave me a real good reason to feel bad for knocking her out earlier today." Defending her case, the top heavy woman crossed her arms, looked away with her gaze showing her hurt.
"That doesn't change anything, and you know it. I trusted you, but... You were so easy to convince or something to make me go alone to that social hellhole. I know it isn't fair but for once in your life, can't you just focus on me for a little while?!" Blake's pent up emotions spilt like a glass of water, and she looked Yang in the eye, hoping for something to happen from this. With a drawn out sigh, the blonde approached, and without a word claimed the faunus's lips. The ravenette was quick to pull away, going to protest but stopped almost immediately by a second embrace. For reasons unknown to her, Yang knew that she had to cherish this time together, else she would regret it for the rest of her life.
The two shared a fond moment together, all while Aeon strode along the halls of Beacon Academy, looking around frantically for the parasol her other half had so stupidly let go of, somewhere. She was determined to find it, and her less than desirable traits only fuelled this hunger for the outdoor item. Had this been a manhunt, she would have surely tore up the entire place, resistance or not.
•—•
"Where, oh where, did you drop the damned parasol, you stupid little girl!" Speaking to herself wasn't the brightest idea, but it did give her a little peace of mind; talking to someone she agreed with was always calming. In the same vein, however, the recurring flashback plagued even this side of her, after being beaten senseless by Cinder. Perhaps it was just coping, but Aeon loved to be like the fiery woman, and this didn't bode well for anyone at all.
Inside, Neo was trying her hardest to get out, to make things right for herself and for others, but the moment Aeon found that parasol, she would be in for a spree of her own kind. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, Aeon had complete control of her body and she couldn't get away from it now. There was a sense of dread she had never felt before, which was so strong that it was felt by the other side, though she shook her head, simply focused on finding that damned parasol.
Finally, she found the item sitting right near a door, which definitely led to one of the lecture halls within the building. Aeon caressed the parasol as though it was her child, before she opened it and looked around, feeling on top of the world. However, when she heard some heels stepping around, she turned around, looking around with those crazed eyes.
Chatting amongst themselves, Weiss and Ruby were talking about how the party had gone, and naturally, Weiss's mind turned to the boys she wished she had the confidence to just ask out. Interrupting her thoughts was something that was punishable by death in most cases, though when Ruby tugged her arm and pointed toward the woman standing there with a blade out, Weiss made an immediate exception.
"I've seen her before." The white haired maiden stated, a frown taking her fair features. Opening the chic clutch she had while at the party, she grabbed what was a more portable version of her trusted rapier, the blade extending exactly to her preference. "Ruby, you sit this one out. She's dangerous, and only I can take her on." Before the leader of team RWBY could argue, Weiss had already dashed toward the multicoloured woman, who was eagerly awaiting the first attempt at a strike.
Though she thought she connected, the fact of the matter was that Aeon had appeared beside her, a brutal kick rocking her form as she slid across the floor. Unlike Yang, who Aeon had to truly be careful with, a fragile little princess was short work. All attacks were ineffectual if they could not land, and the other side definitely used this to her advantage. Weiss attempted another attack, mostly out of anger than précision, and it whiffed badly; playing right into Aeon's hands, who used this moment to slash the woman across the face.
Meanwhile, Ruby clenched her teeth, half in anger, and half in confusion; she couldn't believe her eyes, the little ice cream had moved from one space to another in the blink of an eye, and for someone who was so focused on speed, this was scary. In any case, the little red huffed and tensed herself, activating her semblance and charging toward Aeon without holding back. She needed to take revenge for her teammate, just like any decent leader would; she thought of Qrow as she slammed into something, hopefully, a certain half-brunette. Opening her eyes afterward, she noticed a body several metres away, and in knowing that, she hurriedly went back to Weiss's side, who was clutching her face, red stains upon the floor, her hands and her clothes.
"That... That bitch! I'm going to kill her!" Weiss announced, shrugging Ruby off her shoulders and furiously she begin making her way over to the woman who was knocked over, rapier in a vice grip while the bottom half of her face was coloured crimson. "No one does that to me, no one! You hear me?! No one!" Her icy blue eyes opened in a rage, as Neo raised her arms, hoping not to be dead in a few seconds. Luckily for her, Ruby was on hand.
"Weiss, no!" The little red charged for her team mate, stopping her before the inevitable happened. "No, no no no! You can't just give in to your anger like that!" Ruby pleaded in desperation, hoping that it would bring the fired up ice queen under control, or at least to a less murderous state. The Schnee glared at her leader, before huffing and shaking her head, as the younger woman took off her hood and let Weiss use it as a temporary bandage. "I know that you want to just take her out, but violence isn't always the answer! I might have knocked sense into whoever she is, but... you need to make sure you know all of the facts. That's what Qrow would do!" Then, the little red turned her attention to Neo, who still had that op horrified look on her face, and her arms were still raised; it must get tiring, Ruby thought to herself. While Weiss went off by herself toward the medical facility, the leader of team RWBY knelt down beside Neo. "Hey, I don't know you, but I need you to come with me. It's okay, I won't hurt you, I just... Want to ask you some questions." Seeing the kindness brimming from the top of Ruby's heart, the little ice cream stood herself up, immediately showing pain as she stepped on her still rather badly hurt leg.
The two wandered along the hallways of Beacon, Ruby supporting Neo and her leg, while they spoke with each other. The half-brunette couldn't stop apologising for the things her other side had done, and even in her head, Aeon spoke about taking over once again, to hurt everyone Neo had ever known or loved. The thought was chilling, but she simply had to try and block it out as best she could.
"So, you were the one who almost took my sister's life on that train, huh?" Ruby asked so calmly, as though it was a usual question to bring up. Though, naturally, Neo answered honestly.
"Well... It was my body, but it wasn't me, Neo. You can tell who is in control by the colour of the eyes. I'm, unfortunately, the sad looking one. Aeon is the colourful one." Ruby looked intrigued by this, though she gulped and placed her free hand on the other's free shoulder.
"I'm sorry, it's just an important question to bring up. Unlike some of my teammates, I like... Knowing what's going on, y'know? So, how likely is it that you'll suddenly be thrown out of control? For this Aeon?" Again, Neo couldn't help but be herself here.
"It's likely, more likely than I first thought. I haven't been in control for a very long time, and... Staying here is the hard part. So is retaking control, but I think I'm getting stronger. I believe one of your friends has had a similar experience, thought to be useless, but turning out to be okay in the end." Neo nodded some, before Ruby smiled gently. There was such a knowing look in those silver eyes which made the remarkably shorter woman wonder.
"Alrighty then. Well, I guess, we'll get you to the medical bay as well, and get that leg looked at. What happened?" Ruby turned a corner, before Neo suddenly stopped.
"I... I don't want to talk about it. Sorry." The only thing she could do right now was hold her tongue, lest her anger spike and force her own person out of her body, allowing Aeon the reins once more. The more Neo thought about it, the more afraid she became, though upon seeing the hesitation and sadness upon her features, Ruby gave Neo a light hug.
"Don't worry about it. I've got your back, Neo."
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Author's note time! About time too.
Hey there readers, followers, and everyone else under the sun! I'd just like to say that this chapter took a while to write, and I'd appreciate it if you could give me some feedback! Be it my portrayal of the characters, the general plot (that you can see so far :D) and any other details you feel may be worth addressing, I'm open for criticism!
I'd like to say thanks for reading, and I'll be working on the next chapter while this one becomes live. ^^
Yours truly, Suzie.