I Am Dust

Chapter 7

Yang Xiao Long

I almost watched my baby sister get killed. I was running as fast as I could to reach Ruby, but that Nevermore got in the way! All I could do was reach out at her as the row of giant feathers caged me off from Ruby.

That was right when I heard an angry voice call out. "HEY ASSWIPE!" It was distant, but I could definitely hear it.

I leaned past the Death Stalker and looked over at who yelled that. As the beast turned, there I could see that same face that I saved.

He stood there, wearing a black thin overcoat style jacket with red glowing designs resembling chains. I could've sworn those weren't there the last time I saw him... Anyways, it only buttons at the bottom part, just like my vest, showing a chain necklace. Along with that, he wore black pants and boots. He was like a punk style commander.

I knew he was going to need help, but when I saw his "weapon" I realized he was REALLY going to need help. It was just a wooden stick- no, branch, and a vine wrapped around it. He probably made it before he ran out here.

I was just about to run after him when the Death Stalker slammed its stinger down at him. The ground broke apart as it made contact, but luckily, he jumped out-of-the-way.

I ran to Ruby and broke the feather pinning her down with a quick punch. Now that would've been impossible without my lovely Ember Celica, my special gauntlets that fire off shotgun blasts with each time I strike. Comes helpful when I wanna bash someone's face in! Gives a nice little boom with it!

Just as I look back at Clyde, the Death Stalker was already slamming his stinger back down.

Clyde Lynx

Just as it went for another stab at me, I rolled to the side, popping back up on my feet as it turned to face me.

I knew if I tried to run it'll catch me in its pincers, so that's far from being an option. However, it looked like the stinger got stuck into the ground this time. I guess if I'm gonna run, now's my chance. I made a dead sprint right to the temple. As soon as it broke free, it started giving chase. I gripped that stick tight as I shouted at the other people standing and watching.

"Anytime you want to help!" I could feel that stinger coming down for another stab. I knew that they weren't going to stop it in time even if they tried.

Or so I thought. I felt a cool chill blow against my back and what sounded like ice cracking. I stopped a bit and turned to see the masterpiece: The stinger got stuck in a jagged wall of ice. The Death Stalker struggled to pull it back out, but it was stuck for good. It hissed and squealed but nothing it did was helping it. I could also see the Nevermore fly away from us, but I could tell it was going to turn back: Its wings were tilted at a bit of an angle, as if it was going to turn. Just something my mom shared with me.

"You could've just helped yourself...!" I heard a girl's voice ring in my ear. It had a bossy tone with a cold feel. I turned my head to see a girl in a white dress and a white jacket. She had long white hair in an off centered pony tail. Her blue eyes looked at me with disinterest as she walked past me, her arms crossed.

I raise my eyebrow at her. Who was she, a princess or something...!?

"Really not much I could do with a stick!" I waved it to her before I jogged past her, muttering to myself. "Except to club a bitch..."

I walked past the looks and walked into the temple, a ruined rotunda with pedestals running around it. Two of the pedestals have nothing on top, but the ones that do have the relics: large black and golden chess pieces. The two missing pieces were the black bishops.

"Almost died for a chess piece..." I then noticed that there were an odd number of the pieces. There should be four pairs of pawns, a pair of the bishops, a pair of knights, a pair of rooks, and a king with a queen.

But then I see this: It's an old gray king piece. It looked like it was made out of stone. It was cracked and dusty, as if it was pulled out of some old ruin. It's broken and cracked, ready to disappear into dust.

"Perfect..." I snatch the piece and stuff it away into my coat and start making my way out. The others just started regrouping and grabbing their pieces as I made my way up the hill. I can see the steeple not that far from here. There's a large stone bridge connecting a path between two cliffs. I couldn't see the bottom of the cliff as it was shrouded by a thick layer of fog. If I cross the path I can make it to the top of the cliff and get out of here as soon as I can. And then I can finally be alone to myself. Let's get this over with.

Yang Xiao Long

I looked at the golden knight piece with a grin on my face. Got the first part of the mission down, and all that's left is heading to the cliff. If we ran fast enough, we won't even have to bother with the Grimm anymore and it'll be smooth sailing!

I could hear Ren stating out the obvious, "It's time we left."

Just as I was about to move, I could see Clyde already making his way ahead. Without us. I don't know what his plan was, but if those Grimm were to catch up to him, he was going to be screwed big time. I don't get it; He doesn't fight, he doesn't seem to have any sort of defense, but the way he just stood that Death Stalker down, he had to have some sort of power. What was it and why wasn't he using it?

That's when I heard it again; The Nevermore was circling back already and it was heading straight to where Clyde was heading. I was going to try to warn him, but he was already gone. He was going to face that thing by himself.

I went straight into worry mode. "Guys, that Nevermore is going after Clyde! We got to move fast and catch him before it does!"

Of course, Weiss was the one who had a different idea. "If he was going to need our help, then he would've stayed back with us. He obviously didn't want our help, so just let him go."

"Then why did you help him, huh!?" I gave her that glare again.

"Because he was leading it right to the temple. If that thing destroyed our relics, then we'd fail. Simply put, if Clyde's going to be a hazard to us, then we best just try to stay away from him."

I grit my teeth, fighting back so many words I wanted to say. She just said this as if she had no soul. That guy was going to face a Nevermore and Lord knows what else with a stick. If I had to bet my money, I wouldn't place it on a guy with a tree branch over a monster with claws and projectile deadly feathers.

"If you're not going to help him, then I will!" With that, I carried the relic in my vest and made a break for it to the steeple. Just as I hoped, everyone else followed. I could hear the Ice Queen sigh as she reluctantly followed.

Let's just hope we aren't too late.

Clyde Lynx

Running for my life was never a stranger to me. And it isn't anything new now. Well, except that I'm running from a giant bird of destruction and hate.

I was running right at the steeple when I saw the shadow flash over me. I immediately took cover behind the pillars, back against it as I peered from the side and watched. The beast was soaring over above the chasm, looking around before perching itself on the remains of a tall temple.

My breathing was fast and my knuckles turned white clenching to that stick. Sweat was running down the side of my head. If I made a rush, would I make it? I looked around at the pathway stretching across the chasm. Maybe I could juke it out and... I don't know! Maybe I should pull a bum rush and see if I'll make it.

What else do I have to lose besides my life?

And with that in mind, I popped from the side of the pillar and ran. I could feel my muscles stretch and contract in my legs, my arms pumping as to give me a forward momentum. My feet were like springs kicking me forward with each step. As the oxygen burned in my muscles, I sucked in more and pushed out the waste as I breathed. My eyesight was clear as I made eye contact with the Nevermore. I felt my jacket pocket to be sure if I had the relic, and felt my hip to see if the stick was still there. It wouldn't do anything, but it was my only form of defense.

I was only halfway there when the Nevermore floated up and opened its wings. I knew what was going to happen next and I braced myself for it.

The beast flapped its wings down and fired its feathers. Far off target of me.

I stopped as I looked back behind me. There I could see the other students rushing around to the bridge. The Death Stalker was coming after them, but it was ways away from them.

I saw where the feathers were headed; they were aimed at a girl, who was running and jumping out-of-the-way. She had oranges short cut hair and wore a vest with a white sleeveless top and a pink skirt. In her hands was a gray grenade launcher.

She stopped as soon as the hail of feathers ended and started firing cartridges of grenades at the beast. Was she giggling when she was shooting at it...!? I watched the amazing display of pink fireworks blasting the Nevermore around. It cawed and screamed, trying to get away.

One grenade blasted it right in its face, and it flew back a bit, dazed and dizzy. Its eyes were shut as it turned and dived down. I couldn't believe my eyes at how she was smiling while it was dropping down... straight at me.

People were already making it to the bridge when it started falling, including the blonde haired girl. I knew exactly was going to happen and it was too late; as soon as it crashes through the bridge, it would take me with it.

I couldn't just stand there though. I actually couldn't care less about the others, but that girl... she was the one who helped me out. If I was going to go down, she better not be coming with me.

"Get back!" I screamed at them as loud as I could.

In shock they all stopped in their tracks. The blonde girl looked at me with wide fearful eyes. She wanted to help, but I stopped her just in time from hurting herself.

In all but a second, the Nevermore dove right into the bridge. Its beak made a shatter point as it cracked the stone flooring apart, the sheer force of its plummet being enough for it to drive through with little to no trouble. The part of the platform I was standing on tipped like a seesaw and it flung me forward. I hoped that maybe I could grab the ledge and save myself, but the launch just didn't have enough power to shoot me over such a huge gap. My arms flailed as I tried to steady myself and reach out for the edge. At that same time, the girl was making a dead sprint to me. Our hands nearly touched, but she was too far out of reach. My fingertips barely grazed her palm and the edge of the broken bridge.

And with that I started my fall. It was just like that fall from the forest, the bridge grew smaller and smaller. I heard her scream, "No!" but it was slowly fading from earshot. My hand was stretched out at her, but it was no use. She couldn't save me now

I never thought my death was going to be this slow. And I meant everything was slowed down in time. The sun flared in my eyes, but was soon eclipsed by the frame of the Death Stalker. The sky wasn't as blue and bright as it was before, the fog blocking the blue away from my eyes.

There was nothing peaceful about dying like this. At least for me it wasn't. I only just wondered and feared, anxious about when I was going to hit the ground. You know, I always wanted to die. At least I thought I did. But now all I wanted more than anything was to live. Isn't that funny? I already lost everything but for some crazy reason, I wanted to keep on going.

Was it for her? She was probably the nicest person I've met. I mean all she wanted to do was to protect me. She protected me from Cardin, so why not do it again? Maybe it was because she showed me the world is not as bad? That's probably far from the truth, but it just might be a possibility. Maybe if we had more people like her, then the world might not be so bad. But maybe there are people like her and I haven't met them. I want to see them for myself, but it's a bit too late for that now, isn't it. My one interaction with something nice was merely a tiny fraction of my entire three years, yet it was the best thing I've ever experienced in my entire three years.

Passion.

Now she has to face those two beasts while I plummeted to my death. Was it fair for her to have to deal with that? She was so close to reaching her goal and now she failed and has to deal with the demons. I understood that far too much. Is it really fair for anyone to deal with anything like that? I know I'm not the only person in the world to suffer, and some have to suffer by themselves like me. But are we really alone? We can understand our problems and we could... vent out to each other and be there to listen to others. Maybe it's just that I'm about to die that I'm talking about all this, but... Could we chain together to make a strong link through the world and be there to hold each other together?

I think so.

And with all of this in my mind, I reached out one more time in desperation. And with the will to live and the memories in my mind that were flashing before my eyes, I felt my hand tingle and rattle. A long link of a chain was extending from my palm and reaching up to the sky. I could somehow feel it shoot up and hit something. And instead of hitting the bottom like that fall in the forest, I rocketed straight up in the air and broke through the fog. The chain was retracting like an automated grappling hook. And before I knew it, I was flung up way above the stone bridge, looking down at the many people looking up at me, and started landing for the bridge.