The small room hums and purrs as I waited.
Down, down, down I go towards where that man deliberately invited me to. I was sure he knew who I was rather than some unsuspecting student. He sent that message to the dummy scroll I used for infiltration.
"Come below, Miss Fall."
That was it including an annoyingly complex set of directions to the below. That below was apparently a secret basement below Beacon Tower.
I'm prepared for a fight. I'm prepared to win. Even with the hollow powers I have, I've planned again and again in the short time between then and now on how I would gain the upper hand on that man.
This shouldn't be happening so soon. All this should be happening during the Vytal Festival. I would take advantage of the chaos I would've wrought before coming down here...
Well. There's nothing wrong with being early. Bar some exceptions...
"Red is the color of a hero."
I narrowed my eyes to the ground. Why did that pesky memory have to come up now? I'm busy trying to destroy the very people that killed you.
How long has it been? Since I saw that smile of his? Years? Decades? I can't recall, but it feels like only yesterday I can see that small smile of his. We were so young. So innocent. We were so happy...
And then they took him away from me.
I remember the smell. I remember his face. I remember the blood. I remember everything.
Why did you jump in front of me? Why did you shield me? Why did you hold me tight? Why... were you smiling? You died. You're gone and...
I miss you...
I shook my head.
My fist had lost feeling when I came to my senses. Well. If you would include anger and contempt.
The doors open with a ring. They knew who they were opening for. I walked through.
Such a large room full of nothing. I carried myself forward with masked bravado. I wasn't afraid, merely cautious. I may be cruel, but I am not mindless.
My heels clacked with deep echoes throughout the catacombs. The dim lighting was just adding to the dreary atmosphere.
I was beginning to think this really was a trap. That is, until I saw a familiar figure in front of me.
"Ozpin." I grimaced, but softly with thin respect.
The silver haired man nodded. He just... nodded. His hands were behind his back as he stood there straight, unmoving and never flinching.
Curiosity tinged in me, but conviction drove my next words.
"Why did you call me here?" I accused him. "If you knew who I was, then why haven't you tried to capture me? You know exactly how dangerous I am." My arms crossed. My eyes glared at him. He still stands unabashed.
"There was no need." He answered.
... What?
I looked at him surprised. I was genuinely surprised. I have never heard such a idiotic answer come out of a even more idiotic mouth before. So I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
"Why?" I shook my head towards him. How condescending of him.
He said nothing but watched me. I eyed his arm moving behind his back. I steeled my nerves and braced for an attack.
I braced for a physical attack, but not psychological.
"Do you know what this is?" The fool asked of me, moving his hand forward. My eyes stayed on him steady, wary.
With no sense of danger, I humored him. My eyes wandered down to his reached out hand-
My vision darkened as my sight was suddenly fixated on what was in his hand. A vial of sorts. Oblique, plain and nondescript, but the burning hunger inside of me was telling me what it was despite all logical sense. The power radiating inside of it.
TAKE. FOOD. MAKE US WHOLE. EAT. BURN. STEAL. KILL. IT IS OURS. IT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS.
The power that was wrongly taken from me. The missing half. Autumn. There was no doubt in my mind that Autumn's remaining power was in there.
"Where did you get that?" I demanded with venom and absolute authority.
The man was still and silent, simply staring at me with cold, weary eyes. My temper boils with impatience.
My mouth opened, but in response, the man tossed the vial towards me with a serene calmness.
I reacted with no respite, blinking towards the spinning vial in the air. My senses sharpened for retaliation from the man in front of me. Obviously he's going to use this as a distraction of initiate a fight, using this vial as a constant annoyance for my deliberate attention to not break it. There's no telling what the vial does, but there is no doubt that that accursed man laid a sort of trap that will result in my capture with the vial as bait.
As I leaped to swipe the vial first, my sight went back to the man below-
He was not moving from his spot. He's just looking at me.
... What?
I landed with a clack of my heels and slid back away from the man in a second with the vial safely in my hand... I switched between it and the man in hesitation, but cold calculation.
"Are you quite done?" Ozpin dully questioned me. Me? Does he not know what I have in my hand? Unless... this is a fake.
No. No no no. My hunger is going into a frenzy! It IS what I've been looking for. I have it! I've won this battle..!
But was it really a battle?
"Take it if you want." Ozpin said, uncaring. "I simply do not care anymore."
... What? Is this man serious?
I eyed him with deliberate confusion, egging him to spill his thoughts. He took the cue and continued.
"Miss Fall, I invited you to Beacon's most secret vault to personally hand you the power you rightfully deserve. I understand your reasoning that a fight may occur, but twas' wasted thoughts." Ozpin explained.
He... couldn't possibly serious, is he? No, he has to be bluffing! He wouldn't just give away something like this to someone like me! This is a decisive decision that will lead to his loss! Humanity's loss!
"Do you take me for a fool?" I retorted with a grimace. "What would you have to gain from returning what is mine? Do you not realize what you've done or are you more of a fool than she says?" I spat by the end of it. I was simply appalled by this series of events.
"Everything." Ozpin says.
... My mind is... turning, turning, and turning! Is he being deliberately idiotic?! How stupid! How boorish! How dumb!
My frustration grew and grew at the man's apparent shortcomings. More and more, my sly facade shuddered and my palm pressed around the vial tighter and tighter.
Until it shattered.
And I felt my hunger fading.
And my power growing.
And growing.
And GROWING.
I've done it... I'm complete. The next stepping stone is complete.
I felt a chuckle. Then a giggle. Then a laugh.
And laugh and laugh I did.
My voice echoed through the catacombs.
My laughter was not from my victory. Oh no.
It was from that man's sheer stupidity of just HANDING ME OVER THE POWER TO BURN EVERYTHING. For nothing!
"You're a fool, Ozpin! You've just doomed your whole-"
Gone.
He was gone.
I looked around. Sensed for him. Darting my eyes left and right. Illuminating the room with my newly gained spoils.
Gone.
Hmph. No matter.
I have what I needed.
He is no match for me any longer.
With a thought, I was lifted to the air.
And drifted towards the elevator shaft. I tore through the doors and through the elevator. Who has a need for elevators when you can fly?
I felt giddy I will admit. All this power. Mine. All mine.
Up, up, and up I flew in the tall, dark elevator shaft. My mind was filled with endless schemes and possibilities now that I have the powers I deserve. I've won. All there is now is to take care of the spoils.
And what better way to bask in the victory than to gaze at the entirety of Beacon before I burn it all to ash.
What? I'm a slave to theatrics. What's the point of plans now when you could just burn it all?
I see a ceiling and then a door. There wasn't a door anymore.
I stepped down with a tap and looked around. Ah. Ozpin's office. I always thought he would have a big room. He was always overcompensating. Oh look at that chair of his. That certainly cements the fact. The gears above me ticked and tocked. Ozpin and his clocks. How droll.
No one was here. Not even that man. Odd. I would expect he would come straight here for his final rites. Oh well. Now that I think of it, wasn't the security lately sort of... lax? Bah. Useless trivia. Anyone's argument becomes invalid whenever wildfire's involved. My eyes wandered to the vast windows.
The night sky was outside, covering the glow of Beacon with starlight and darkness. I walked up to a nearby window, and looked. Beacon looks so peaceful in the dead of night. Everyone is asleep. How nice. Now they'll burn before they even notice.
How silly of me. My mind is so diluted with excitement that I've been thinking with such poor vocabulary. It doesn't matter then. If anyone wants to say something, I'll just burn them.
I placed a hand on the window, smudging it out of pettiness. My glowing eyes reflected on the glass back to me and my devious smirk. I felt happy. I am happy. Just as much as...
As...
Oh...
My shoulders sagged. My eyes looked down solemnly. The feeling on my hand on the window waned. I blinked to the nightlights of Beacon. How far below it was. How far away it was from me...
I breathed in.
And out.
It was a sigh.
Now that I have this power... now what? Revenge? All this planning I've done . All that killing I did. All those pacts I've promised... They're all meaningless now that I have the Maiden's power...
But why... am I still hollow?
*drip*
Huh? Oh. A tear. I never had a need for tears. They only gotten in the way, but what are they in the way of now?
My memories. They seem so clear now. They all came rushing to me. A sense of nostalgia.
His face. His smile. His eyes. His hair. His scarf. How he'd let me talk and talk. How he would just listen to me when no one did. How we would walk together. How we shared everything. How we ate together. How he took me everywhere. How we would share the same scarf around our necks and shoulders. How he kept me company. How he smiled at me. How he was always there when I was alone. How he always knew when I needed him the most. How he held my hand through it all. How he promised to stay with me forever. How he promised to never lie to me...
I clenched my hand. I tensed. And...
They won't stop. I was shuddering. I was sobbing... like a child.
I was alone. Truly alone.
Liar... You liar.
I... I...
I shook my head. What's the point anymore? I was chasing after someone who wasn't here anymore.
I just closed my eyes. I hanged my head down. I shook it in denial.
I sobbed. I cried. I just let it all out. After so many years, I was finally trying to let go...
But I don't want to let go.
Please don't leave me.
You promised.
I did all of this for you.
I never got to tell you...
I love you.
The room echoed with my soft cries. I didn't bother to track how much time I spent sobbing in front of this window. I just wanted it all out...
I didn't care if it never ran out.
I just cried and cried and cried.
And... I felt a sensation.
It was familiar. It was warm. I remembered. I stopped my sniffling and looked up in shock. Who was it that took my hand? Please. Please, let it be him.
I saw a familiar smile. No. No no.
Then a familiar face. No no no.
And then the familiar scarf. That's not possible.
"Jaune?" I faltered. The tears in my eyes blinded me, but I would know that smile anywhere.
He nodded. He brought up both our hands and intertwined our fingers.
"I..." I didn't know what to say.
He shushed me. He leaned in. I let him.
His breath was warm.
I felt like I could burst from shock.
This couldn't be happening. He can't be here.
"You're dead." I tried my feeble attempt to deny him as he pulled away. I have to. This couldn't be real.
He only shook his head and pulled me close. His warm embrace reassured me that everything is okay now.
I...
But was it..?
...
Even if this wasn't real, I clung tight to him.
And then... I felt it. He was fading away.
No! No no no!
Stay with me! Please! You promised!
I felt his embrace on me grow stronger and stronger.
Don't you ever leave me again! I don't want anything but you!
I breathed in.
And out.
I felt... weaker.
But... I still felt his embrace.
I looked up.
His smile. He's smiling. At me.
"I'm here." He said, in his weak voice.
I swallowed my grief and breathed. "I..."
He shushed me calm. Then he took his scarf and wrapped it around my neck. Just like he used to.
It was warm.
He kept me close. We both didn't want to let go.
He was smiling. I was smiling.
"I love you." He said.
"And I you." I said.
We watched the stars. It felt like eternity.
I was fine with that.
The glass reflected something familiar.
Two young children. Happy and together.
As if they never parted.