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Hey guys, Suzie here. Finally got this chapter done, huzzah! Hope you enjoy it, and feel free to leave feedback, I'm welcome to all of it. I'm feeling much better now too, so we can get this show on the road a little more frequently! :J
Yours truly, Suzie.
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A stormy day had blown through the landscape as a lone house atop a hill stood proudly, and despite the coming rain and thunder, it did not even creak. Inside, a teenager resembling the little ice cream was playing with a small yoyo, allowing it to spin and dance with quite a bit of skill involved. After the next crack of thunder, she heard some arguing within the kitchen; a common occurrence ever since her mother had allowed the Faunus man to move into their home. He was Neo's step father, a somewhat wealthy entrepreneur who was trying to bolster Faunus influence within Vale, but was failing rather miserably for the time being. Suddenly, she heard the crash of a dish being smashed over something, and a sinister feeling crept over her entire form, the yoyo stopping and skating across the floor as the girl let go of the string.
"Antar! Please! Stop this!" Her mother cried, but the step-father didn't let up. The sound of the beating was horrible to the ears of the teenager, though she kept to her room, not wanting to be the victim of the man's violence. "Gosh, please! Think of E—" Not even allowing her to finish her sentence, Antar kicked the woman in the stomach, winding her for several moments before she gasped for breath, huddled up in a ball on the kitchen floor. Even though Neo wished to confront this man, she couldn't out of fear of his hands on her, and something far worse. She could already feel it, a nagging at the back of her head, which beckoned her to take the parasol blade out of its sheathe and cut the step-father down to size, for his atrocities on her mother. Her eyes at this time were a gentle shade of green, though they flickered between three colours; white, pink and brown. Each combination caused her to get closer to the edge, before she heard the wails of her darling mother from the kitchen.
This is when she snapped. Absolutely tearing the sword from her parasol, her eyes changing to a combination of pink and brown, before pushed her door with such force that it came off the hinges, the loud crash suddenly stopping the man and his violent ways. Today he had simply gone too far, and Neo wasn't going to allow him to do this any longer. She turned the corner, where she met face to face with Antar, whose eyes flowed with their Faunus light.
"Did you break that door yourself, angel?" The man had blood on his face, and some on his hands, which only made the tick in Neo's head to intensify. Her eyes were wide open, a stark expression of horror and torment plastered on her features, as she revealed the sword she was holding.
"Yeah, father," Her voice had warped somewhat, a more pronounced, deeper version of what it usually was. "I broke that door. I made sure it was broken. And now? I'm going to break you too." Antar was not ready for the swift thrust, the blade impaling his gut as he let out a cry of pain, pushing Neo away savagely before trying to reduce the bleeding her was so inevitably getting. The teenager hit her head against the wall behind her, groaning a little before she was picked up by the step-father, who was clearly enraged.
"You want to be next too, huh?! Is that it?! Can't stand the thought of your mother being a whore?! You stupid child!" His large hands around her neck were causing her to choke, as she was picked up off the floor and felt her throat begin to be crushed. She gagged, trying to break out of what seemed to be a vice grip, the corners of her vision fading away as her life began to escape. "You should have stayed in your room..." Neo's eyes widened as she spotted someone behind Antar, a woman with two swords, already upon the tall man. Slashing the backs of his knees, Neo was suddenly let go as the Faunus fell to the ground instantly, his legs buckling underneath him while the woman kicked the end of Neo's parasol blade out of his body, causing the blood to leak out at a much faster rate.
"Never thought I'd see an abusive Faunus father, but," the woman spoke gently, as though this situation was just normal enough to be casual. "I can't let you kill her." Neo was doubled over, coughing and trying to catch her breath, her neck had almost snapped; if that woman hadn't come where she did, she would surely be dead by now. Though, for some reason, she was still able to stand up, her now pink hues displaying her absolute anger and rage. She kicked Antar in the head several times, shouting violently as she did, though the noise produced was no where near the volume it used to be. After this, she picked up the heavily bloodied blade she had used to begin this mess, before going to puncture this bastard's eyes, when the woman stopped her.
"Let me kill him." Neo pleaded, her rosy orbs staring frantically at her saviour, voice hoarse and begging for relief. The woman shook her head, moving the shorter girl out of the bloodied hallway, and most definitely away from the kitchen, to the front hallway of the house.
"He's already dead, you don't need to worry. My blades are coated in poison, he won't even last ten minutes with what we have both done here," She smiled gently toward the teenager, who noticed that this woman was at a similar age to herself. "The pain and agony he is going through right now is your payback for what he did to your mother. Though, if you really wish to seal the deal, then we can burn the house down. All we need is a single dust crystal..." She smirked deviously, before rummaging her own pocket, pulling out such a thing.
"But... Mother..." Neo whispered, coughing after speaking, wheezing for the most part. The woman shook her head, walking them both out of the house before she tossed the crystal inside, forming her blades into a bow before shooting it with precision. The flames exploded, catching onto the wallpaper, and soon enough, the house itself was beginning to smoulder. Looking at her handiwork, she grinned a little, before looking to Neo who looked devastated. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders and holding her close, the saviour shielded the teenager from the sight of her home going up in flames.
"It's okay now, I'll be your mother from now on. You don't need to be afraid of anything anymore, so you don't have to hide your weapon." Neo pulled away gently, surprised.
"You can notice that too?" She was genuinely shocked, thinking that she herself was crazy, though knowing that she wasn't, it filled her with a sense of joy. Her now white eyes gazed up fondly at the woman.
"Of course, mother sees, and knows, all," Placing a hand on the parasol, she looked down at Neo with a comforting smile. "Let us go now. Your new home awaits..."
"What's your name, mother..?" The shorter girl asked, as they began to walk along.
"Cinder."
As Neo looked back at her old home, her vision suddenly burned away as though a piece of paper being set alight, her head feeling an intense pain. Whatever these flashbacks were, or meant, she did not know for certain. They were just memories after all, and she could remember each and every one vividly in the first place.
"—I considered you a daughter, you fool!" Her fifth mission failed in a row, being told off by Cinder wasn't the best thing in the world.
"—Some mother you are." Being forced to take a brutal blow to the head, which could have been interfered with by Cinder, and yet, the fiery woman chose to do nothing as Neo got hit.
"—You need to get Aeon under the control, or else I will be forced to take action." Aeon had killed several people which were meant to be taken alive; the information lost was priceless, and that was what started the almost weekly beatings, which the other side took at the expense of Neo herself.
"—You know, you're alright kid. Probably the best partner I've worked with actually, though half of these dolts wouldn't know what a weapon was, let alone how to use them." Her first mission with Roman, which was within the last few years in fact, a memory she cherished so dearly.
Though, these too faded, a burning picture in the back of Neo's mind, while she felt herself finally shift back into her own body.
•—•
The burning shell that was the humble hut upon the hill brought about a severe mix of emotions from Yang, who acted upon them and channeled them into absolute rage. The man she had known for a long while now was likely dead, thanks to the Faunus who now charged at her, the intent obviously to kill. Her red eyes remained nonblinking while she let out a yell of passion, slamming her powered up fist into one of the approaching White Fang, sending them almost skyward while they began to gang up on her. Neo was soon to arrive, half hobbling, trying to be as quick as she could with her battered leg, and with the long pause she seemingly had due to her flashback. All of this walking wasn't doing her leg well and she knew it, but the carnage which was ensuing right now could not be condoned. Pressing onward, her determination evident, the short woman kept her pace up.
"Bastards!" She swore, taking on two of the Faunus at once, the different weapons somewhat causing her to hesitate with her movement and stance, though this was when Neo came into the fray; a woman possessed by her other side for the moment. Her sudden mobility caught the Fangs by surprise, and almost instantly they were cut down, bleeding from wounds which would down them for some time, as she protected Yang as best she could.
"If it's any consolation, I want to be the one to kill you." Aeon spoke in her distinct voice, glancing back at the blonde with a sinister gaze and an eerie grin. The remaining Faunus seemed reluctant to continue the fight, until a larger one appeared, allegedly the leader of this pack. With a long sword upon his back, the tall Faunus made his way over toward the two females, who grouped up once more, poised and ready to take on this new threat. The Faunus underlings spread out a little, hoping to catch Aeon and Yang by surprise, although with the way the other side saw the world, this was almost impossible to pull off.
Assuming a much more neutral stance, Yang didn't allow the enemy to surround them, instead ambushing them with her ferocious strength. The solid whacks which were heard only fuelled Aeon, as she cast her illusion, placing herself where she stood to make it like she was waiting for all of them. Then, as they came close, she took them out from behind, one by one until they had all been downed, the blood on her face only causing her frenzy to kick into gear. Yes, she remembered this feeling, a bloodlust when Antar had killed her mother so brutally. With anger swelling in her chest, Aeon looked back to Yang, who was taking on the hulking Faunus, her quick movements only overshadowed by his enormous strength.
Aeon used her impressive speed to jump and kick the Faunus in the face, Yang following up with a savage punch combo at his gut, before he swung his sword and forced the two to back away. Yang only got angry, as she slammed her fists into the male again, only to feel an intense pain in her hands as she noticed he had suddenly grown rather spiky armour. The layers and plates had been activated by the two's excessive trauma on his chest.
"Atlas technology, humans! You wouldn't know the workings of this at all!" He brought his sword down on Yang, who quickly rolled to one side while Aeon made her way behind the tall Faunus, looking for an opening to pierce with her blade. Her heterochromatic hues switched, before she saw a small gap between the ankle and foot, and went for it. Her sword dug in, though as she was about to pry the armour apart, the taller and much heavier Faunus kicked his foot out, sending Aeon flying for a few metres. Her sword remained stuck where it was, though Yang noticed this and tried to get the upper hand on him. Though blood dripped from small holes, the blonde had to make sure Aeon's attempt at bringing this man down wasn't in vain, and her hope was stirred as she heard the low whir of her weapon being flown in.
As soon as the crate was visible, Yang made sure that it was aimed at her location, her heart pounding in her chest when she finally got her gauntlets on, a surge of courage and strength bolstering her confidence. Now that the tables had turned, she threw a blast at the Faunus, who promptly blocked it with their sword, despite being pushed back a decent way. The blonde wasn't so quick to give up on her assault, throwing two more blasts before dashing toward him, intent on throwing a few punches of her own against the armour he now possessed. The Faunus tried his best to evade or block these strikes, but in this state, Yang was only getting stronger and stronger, her crimson eyes showing a fury unseen within her. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Neo had confessed her feelings to her, or perhaps just being there for her was enough, but one thing was certain: Yang protected those she loved, no matter the cost. Her hands hurt, true, though her will to fight on was like a blazing inferno.
Meanwhile, it was Neo who woke up after being thrown several metres away, hearing the shotgun blasts and shells before seeing Yang fighting the tall Faunus alone. Not wanting that to remain the case, she got herself back up; the pain in her leg numbing to the point where she walked normally, though what this would do to her in the future she truly dreaded. Moving thoughts to the back of her mind, she charged at the male's leg, knowing her blade was still stuck in there, before she finally managed to jump on it and complete what she was trying to accomplish before; the metal was torn off, as Yang blocked the incoming long sword with her gauntlets, holding him in place while the little ice cream slashed his Achilles heel.
The Faunus screamed as he suddenly dropped to one knee, unable to take the sudden loss of strength in his foot, the entire leg just collapsing in the process. Seeing this as an opportunity, Neo let out a battle cry as she went to thrust her blade into the Faunus's helm, before she was knocked away by his gauntlet, the hit only causing her to get angry and throw a wild kick aimed at his head. Though, the tall male was anticipating it, holding his long sword up and half-sword it, simply allowing Neo's momentum to slam into its edge. Cleanly, the bottom half of her broken leg was cut off, which caused her to stumble backward, stunned for several long moments. Yang saw it all unfold, eyes widening as she rushed to the little ice cream's side, hearing the inevitable scream from her companion. The blonde knew that such a blow would kill her if it wasn't treated right away, but this dangerous opponent couldn't be left unattended. Turning around, she was only just fast enough to block a downward smash from the long sword, the gauntlets under great strain, a battle Yang seemed to be losing, in terms of strength. Granted, her aura was running low, and Neo wasn't much better.
This was when Neo snapped. Her eyes shot open from the initial shock, before they changed into a mix of the three colours they often switched between in combat; the swirling pattern causing the small woman to react. A bright light went off right before the Faunus's eyes, blinding him instantly, and luckily the sudden burst of power had given Neo enough time to shield Yang's eyes, curling her arm around her head to do so. The two fell backward somewhat, before the ice cream used her renewed arm strength to get up onto the singular foot she had left. For some reason, with these eyes active, the bleeding had completely stopped from her severed knee, as she stood there as powerful as she had ever been. Though the Faunus was blind, something else was happening to the world around him, a distinct cold feeling entering his brain; reminiscent of brain freeze. It hurt like hell, the constriction enough to knock him out completely. Whatever that light was, it was enough to make it so Neo could only remain in this advanced state for a mere five seconds, and afterward she immediately dropped to the ground with grey eyes once more.
Indeed, Yang saw all of this unfold, shocked and astonished by the sheer scale of what Neo used. That light must have been like a directional shockwave, as it had flung the Faunus back quite a way, and the flames of the burning hut were completely extinguished. Gulping gently, her attentions went from the fear of such a suddenly huge power, to the state of Neo, whose leg was now bleeding again; she couldn't let her die, not here, not like this.
"Oh gosh, Neo, don't fall asleep on me!" She pleaded, scooping her small frame into her arms, eyes wide open in both pain and fear. Immediately, she got her Scroll out, calling for an ambulance, which would be there in mere minutes thanks to today's technology, though she did not know if that was fast enough. The blonde couldn't stop trembling, the amount of aura and power she herself had used took its toll finally, though she pressed on to remain awake for Neo. She needed to be there by her side, to make sure that she was okay, else she would go quite mad with worry and guilt. "Please be okay, oh god, please be okay." Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but she didn't let them fall, trying to remain as strong as ever for the poor woman. Yang didn't know if she was going to sleep tonight, seeing someone that had beaten her so easily be beaten herself by a single tactic.
•—•
Neo's eyes opened partially, a certain numbness taking over her body, which even Aeon felt. There were internal cries as thoughts, the other side in pure agony, though it was likely due to the loss of her knee. In this limited time awake, she did manage to get a key piece of information on what was about to happen.
"The femur itself is already broken, and its swelling can lead to further complications," the doctor spoke to what Neo thought was Yang, though she could barely turn her head. "Unfortunately, we can't allow that to be the case. We have to save her life, so... We're going to have to amputate."