RWBY is property of Roosterteeth! I only own my characters.
CHAPTER 39
With a heavy sigh, Ryland set the welding torch in his hand down with a thud. Using his right arm, he wiped away the drops of sweat that had beaded on his forehead. Idly, he stretched his prosthetic limb, an old habit, despite the arm no longer having any sort of muscle. The young engineer sat himself down in a seat that was bolted to the metal floor, one of many console stations on the Corvette's bridge.
It irked Ryland that even with his arm repaired and everyone they knew pitching in, that the repairs on the EDC spacecraft had taken almost two weeks. He had noticed the evident worry painted on the others' faces as well, concerned about what the Order could be doing with each passing day. Giving the enemy extra time to prepare wasn't exactly an appealing concept...
Ryland looked up as the large sliding door onto the bridge hissed open, one of many systems that had thankfully been fixed. The young soldier couldn't help but wonder if they stood a chance against the Order as the assault force destined for Mistral assembled on the bridge. With Winter, Arthur, and Emerald staying behind, their already small numbers had shrunk to only seventeen, plus Lex. Jerloh had been rather insistent that they bring the six-year-old along, since he planned on finding a way for the residents of Earth to get home after defeating the Order. Ryland wished he could share the Terror Inheritor's confidence.
"So, are we ready, Ry?" Yang asked as she leaned over his shoulder to stare at the screens in front of the engineer in confusion.
"Well, we're about to find out..." Ryland replied before turning to Alex. "Shall I do the honors, Bossman?"
"Be my guest," Alex nodded. Ryland took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his hand hovering over the necessary start-up panel.
"Moment of truth..." The engineer flipped a series of physical switches at the station he was seated at, causing a complex diagram of the ship's generator highlighted in red to appear on one of the screens in front of him. Sections of the image turned from crimson to a light green, slowly lighting up the entire diagram. "Initial start looks good... Alright... here we go..." Ryland pressed his finger against one of the screens, activating a rectangular button labeled "Engage". The bridge suddenly lit up to full brightness as the power fully kicked in. The other consoles' screens flashed blue as they started.
"We did it!" Ruby cheered.
"How are we looking, Ryland?" Dimitri asked.
"Generator core's spun up to full. There's something weird going on with the targeting computers, but that might be because they're still warming up," Ryland reported. "Other than that, I think we're ready to fly."
"Good," Alex nodded sharply, "then we'd better not waste any time shoving the necessary supplies on board and getting on our way."
"Luna and I are nearly finished packing the crates for rations and ammunition," Firo stated.
"And the medical supplies are already done," Luna finished. "You can start loading the ones we have filled, if you want."
"You two are the best," Alex smiled. "Alright... D, Jerloh, Alyia, and Ig- I mean, Ryan, can you four start on getting the supplies loaded?"
"Sure thing," Jerloh nodded cheerfully.
"Daddy! Can I help?" Lex said eagerly.
"I'm pretty sure most of those crates are bigger than you are, Lex," Jerloh chuckled. "Why don't you just hang out with some of the others for now?"
"'Kay!" the little girl replied happily.
"Cinder," Alex continued to parcel out orders, "You, Marcia, Pyrrha, and Peleus should find a place to move all of your tactical supplies and information."
"Got it," the black-haired woman affirmed.
"Eve, Elise, Blake, and Weiss..." Alex placed his hand underneath his chin idly, "I'd like you four to make sure the med-bay is fully stocked. We don't know how many wounded people we might have to deal with, so it's better to have those materials ready as opposed to having someone bleed to death while we're trying to pull something out of a crate." Ruby tugged on the soldier's sleeve as the four other girls acknowledged their assigned duty.
"And what about me, Yang, and Ryland, Major Greene?" Ruby said with a somewhat mocking grin and salute. Alex froze for a moment, flinched, then settled on a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, Ruby. Guess I was falling back into old habits there for a second," the blond soldier scratched the back of his head.
"Nah, it's not a big deal," Ruby shrugged. "Though, in all seriousness, what do you need us to do?"
"The ship's up and running again thanks mostly to you three," Alex replied kindly. "I think you've earned a break for today."
"I'm still good," the cloaked girl stated.
"That targeting system's still acting up," Ryland answered. "I'm going to try to figure out what's going on."
"I'll take a look if you can point me in the right direction," Alex nodded.
"Don't worry about it, Alex," Yang waved her hand. "I can help Ry."
"Are you sure?" the soldier asked.
"Yeah, we've got it," Ruby's sister affirmed. Alex shrugged as the various groups departed to complete their tasks. He casually noted Lex chasing after Jerloh, despite being told to follow one of the others.
"So, what now?" Ruby inquired. "Anything else on the to-do list?"
"Nothing too pressing," Alex answered. "I'm probably going to go help Luna and Firo pack."
"Actually, wait," the short girl smacked a fist and palm together. "I have an idea. It's not too important... but I think we should do it."
"What do you mean?"
"Here, follow me first," Ruby grabbed Alex by the forearm, casually using her Semblance to drag the soldier through the Corvette. The pair ground to a halt just outside the ship, at the base of the boarding ramp.
"So, what's this idea of yours?" Alex asked, taking several extra steps to slow down as Ruby released his arm and disengaged her Semblance.
"I was thinking, how come the Corvette doesn't have a name?" Ruby replied.
"The EDC usually only assigns titles to ships with hyperspace engines. Corvettes don't have those, so they're all unnamed," Alex answered. "But, you're going to suggest we give it one."
"Right," Ruby nodded emphatically. "After everything the Corvette went through and everything we did to fix it... I dunno, I guess it feels like a physical representation of all of us... me, you, Yang, and everyone else..."
"In a way, the ship symbolizes our friendship," Alex finished with a nod.
"Yeah," Ruby replied, "I know it sounds sort of cheesy, but that's what it feels like."
"What name did you have in mind?" the blond soldier inquired.
"I was thinking of something along the lines of how the we're all tied to each other, but 'Bond' and 'Thread' don't feel right..." Ruby and Alex stared at the side of the ship together silently. The soldier could understand his friend's sentiments on this matter. Like all of the people Alex had come to Remnant with and the people they had met there, the battered EDC Corvette had been through a lot. It had survived a hopeless battle on Earth, it had endured the challenges Remnant had thrown at it, and even when the Order had done their best to destroy it, the craft had refused to simply give up and die.
"'Tether'," Alex said, not taking his eyes off the ship. "What do you think?"
"Yeah," Ruby smiled and nodded. "That's a good one. I like it."
Chess sat on an aging fallen tree, his head resting on his right hand. Gentle winds rustled the leaves of the surrounding forest, cloaked in the light of a sun just past its peak. A short distance away, the Bloodline could make out the voices of the Maidens, though he was not paying any attention to the words coming from their lips.
Their group of four had stopped for the day, Amber and Cherri taking time to show Melody the ropes of being a Maiden. The Fall Maiden was currently showing the silver-haired girl how to control her powers. The Bloodline of Chaos idly noted a tree encompassed in ice, Melody's handiwork.
Their group had long since passed beyond any sort of civilization. It had been two weeks since Chess and Melody had left Mountain Glenn, and in that time, they hadn't exchanged many words. The new Maiden of Winter had spent almost every waking moment of her time training, rapidly learning to gain full control over her abilities. Still, even if they didn't talk much, they still interacted with each other. Most days, Melody simply collapsed and fell asleep on the Bloodline's shoulder.
Amber and Cherri were... odd in Chess' eyes. Despite barely knowing anything about him, and from what Chess could tell, what they had heard wasn't good, they had been unusually friendly with the Bloodline. The pair of Maidens treated him... normally, which at first, Chess was unsure whether it unsettled him or made him happy. Over the days following their initial departure, the Bloodline had gradually settled on the latter choice. Cherri's incessant cheer and motherly worry helped keep their group on their feet, and Amber had the self-proclaimed demeanor of an older sister. Slowly, Chess felt himself warming to the two Maidens just as he had with Melody...
Feeling bored? Mini's voice greeted out of the blue. The boy's ghostly avatar appeared beside the Bloodline on the log, taking a seat as he spoke.
I suppose that's one way to describe it, Chess replied, reflexively giving the apparition an acknowledging nod. I'm honestly not sure what I should be doing...
Well, that's not something I can really tell you, Mini shrugged.
That seems to be the case more often than not, Chess released a huff of air.
You misunderstood. I can't tell you what to do, because I don't know, the small pale boy replied with slight annoyance. I only know what you do. I can't see the future. To Mini's apparent surprise, Chess turned his head to look down at the ground with a sigh, as if something had been confirmed for him.
So you really are me, then... the Bloodline said suddenly. You're a splinter off of my soul... the part of me that bears all the pain... And my humanity as well, I would guess...
You're half-right, but it took you long enough to figure it out, Mini's face broke into a calm grin, happy to finally be able to speak freely. Yes, I am the part of you that broke away a long time ago, your innocence and your ability to feel for others... However, you shouldn't doubt yourself. You are innately Human, regardless of whatever power you wield. The potential for you to change from how you were was always there, you just needed to see it.
Melody... Chess said.
Exactly, Mini smiled. The part of your soul that I contain was locked away, sleeping, dormant in the deepest portions of your being. When Melody showed "Chaos" kindness, companionship, and... love... I was awakened and released from my imprisonment. Slowly, she has helped us become the person we were meant to be... not the twisted sadist we were turned into.
We can't exactly go back and change everything I did... And even a lifetime of atonement wouldn't remotely make up for all the blood on my hands... Chess sighed. He caught sight of Melody taking a break on a rotting stump near where she had been training.
We promised to protect her, Mini stated. That is our purpose now. We cannot undo the past, so we must move forward and seek to make a new life. "Lord Chaos" should become nothing more than a name used to frighten children. "Chess" is who you are now, and knowing that, you should know what to do.
You know... the Bloodline smiled softly at the dirt at his feet. I didn't appreciate it at that moment, but Melody giving me a name... I guess that was the moment that started changing everything... You're right... I know what to do now... Chess slowly rose to his feet and began to quietly walk away from the trio of Maidens. The darkness beneath the forest canopy thickened.
I recommend not using our Bloodline ability for the time being. Mother may break free if we push it too far, Mini warned, his ghostly form reappearing to walk beside Chess.
Then we'll train until we can defeat Shiro without it, the Bloodline replied. Chess stopped as the first set of glowing red eyes greeted him, the clearing with Melody and the other Maidens was a pinprick of light behind the ex-Lord. Another pair of eyes appeared, then a third, then many more. An Alpha Beowolf stepped out from the shadows into view, growling at the Bloodline's presence, but clearly hesitating.
"Guess you Grimm aren't completely mindless if you can sense danger," Chess stated flatly. The Alpha howled loudly and charged. "Mindless doesn't necessarily make you intelligent though." A dark spike rose out the ground, impaling itself through the Alpha's head with ease. The Grimm's body crumpled to the forest floor with a thud and began to disintegrate. The rest of the beast's pack let out angry roars at the death of their leader, rushing forward in a solid wall of fangs and claws.
Chess used his Secondary Ability to warp himself several feet into the air, sailing over the initial swipes of the furious Beowolves, causing befuddlement to pass through his attackers as they were unsure where he had gone. The Bloodline summoned his blades as he landed in the midst of the confused pack, spinning the shadowy extensions around him. It was as if the Grimm had been tossed into a giant, dark blender as Chess' ability cut them to ribbons. The Bloodline readied himself for his next move, but stopped short. The remaining Beowolves seemed to be searching for him, despite Chess being in plain sight.
"Chess! What are you doing!?" Melody's frantic voice shouted. The silver-haired girl's voice caused the Grimm to look around at their surroundings with what Chess could only assume were puzzled expressions. The young girl slammed into the Bloodline's chest, tightly wrapping her arms around him. "What were you thinking!? When I- we saw you were gone, we got worried!"
"I'm sorry for leaving without saying anything," Chess bowed his head apologetically. "I realized that I needed to stay in practice for when we eventually fight Shiro." Melody let out a deep sigh and leaned into him, her cheek pressed against the Bloodline's chestplate.
"Okay... I get it..." she sighed again. "Just... let me- us know that you're wandering off next time..."
"I'll be sure to do that," Chess nodded.
Melody sighed, sitting down roughly on the grass-covered ground and taking a moment to swat away a particularly bothersome insect. The sun had long-since set, leaving the forest shrouded in darkness with the exception of the small clearing the Maidens had decided to stop in for the day. Amber was a short distance from Melody, working on starting a fire. The Fall Maiden's power was nowhere near as powerful as it should be, but she was still far from powerless. Amber still had a high degree of control over her powers of wind and lightning, though their strength was apparently diminished compared to normal.
Melody laid down on her back as Amber lit the fire with a small spark of electricity, basking in the flames' warmth. The silver-haired girl stared at the night sky, but did not take any of it in as her exhaustion overwhelmed her. A delicious scent filled the air around her as Cherri used the small campfire to begin to cook a stew made from nearby edible plants. Melody had had her uncertainties about the Spring Maiden's recipe at first, but those worries had been quickly dashed when Cherri had continually produced mouth-watering results.
Idly, Melody turned her head to look for Chess. After apologizing, the snow-haired boy had disappeared once again to train against Grimm. For a while, the three Maidens could hear the sounds of battle in the distance, but Chess' path had slowly taken him farther and farther away from their camp.
"Amber, do you think you can go find Chess?" Cherri asked. "He's been gone a long time."
"Sure," the Fall Maiden nodded. "You two try not to burn down the forest while I'm gone." Amber picked up a decently sized tree branch and lit it in the campfire to create a makeshift torch. The grass and leaves on the forest floor made small, crisp noises as Amber vanished into the trees.
Melody's stomach growled, causing the girl to blush slightly. Cherri chuckled and assured her that they would eat once Amber returned with Chess. The young Winter Maiden's thoughts drifted to her male companion, causing a warm sensation to well up inside her chest. When they'd first met nearly four months prior, Melody had been more than a tad annoyed by the cold personality Chess had displayed. However, as he'd slowly begun to warm to her, Melody had seen a drastic change in the Bloodline. Now, he wasn't just some angry young boy she had come across, he was her Chess and- Wait, "her Chess"?
"Have you told him how you feel yet?" Cherri's voice snapped Melody out of her own thoughts. It was at this point the youngest Maiden realized she had a huge grin and blush plastered across her face. Melody promptly buried her head in her hands. "You can't dodge around it forever, you know."
"Is it really that obvious?" Melody squeaked in embarrassment, her cheeks grew an even deeper shade of red.
"Melody, you use Chess as a pillow at night," Cherri stated. "It's pretty easy to see you have feelings for him. I'm just sitting here wondering what you think is holding you back."
"I- It's because..." Melody sat up from the ground and shifted so her chin was resting on her knees. "Is how I feel about him... wrong? I've only known Chess for four months... Is that enough time to fall for somebody?"
"I fell in love with somebody in a short span of time too," Cherri said sadly. "So I'd say you've earned your right to feel however you want to about him."
"How did it turn out for you?" Melody asked worriedly.
"I never got to say anything," Cherri replied with a downtrodden smile. "I waited and rationalized my feelings long enough... that by the time I was getting close to being able to voice how I felt... my chance was already long gone... Maybe it wasn't meant to be."
"Then... what should I do?" Melody looked at her feet and hugged her legs close to her chest. The fire somehow seemed less warm all of a sudden.
"I can't make you a promise in how things will turn out between you and Chess," Cherri answered, "but I know you shouldn't let your chance to tell him pass you by. I'll talk to Amber about giving you two some privacy to talk after dinner, okay? And it doesn't even have to be tonight. If you can't work up the courage today, just let me know, and I'll make sure we can give the two of you some space once you're ready."
"Cherri..." Melody looked up with a gratitude-filled smile. "Thank you." Before Cherri could reply, a loud snapping twig alerted the two Maidens to Amber's return. The Fall Maiden tossed the torch in her hand into the fire as she and Chess walked over to the others.
"Welcome back," Cherri greeted. "Food's ready, so you two can just sit down."
"Thanks, Cherri," Chess replied idly, sitting next to Melody on the grass-covered ground. He became acutely aware of the stares all three Maidens were giving him. "What?"
"You really must be warming up to us," Amber noted with a hint of humor. "You wouldn't even call us by name the first day out, and now you're thanking us. To be honest, I'm genuinely surprised and proud that you're attitude towards Cherri and I changed so quickly."
"You've proven to be trustworthy and kind people," Chess answered. "That's all there is to it." The trio of Maidens shared a series of looks with each other at the boy's statement. Cherri shrugged and began to dole out helpings of stew to the hungry group. As they all devoured their food ravenously, the Spring Maiden caught Melody throwing nervous, furtive glances at Chess. When an opportunity arose, Cherri whispered the plan she had proposed to Melody to Amber. The Fall Maiden only nodded her agreement, being too preoccupied with her rapidly cooling bowl.
After the meal was finished, Cherri supplied Chess and Melody with the best reason she could come up with for herself and Amber to sleep elsewhere for the night. Thankfully, the Bloodline seemed not to question that he should watch over Melody while the other two Maidens traveled to a nearby stream to bathe and rest while their clothes dried. They would be close enough to come running in an emergency, but would be far enough away to not hear or see Melody or Chess speak. Cherri wondered whether the boy suspected something, or whether he was just tired, he had come back covered in small scrapes and scratches, after all. A third distinct possibility suddenly came into the Spring Maiden's mind as she and Amber set their bags down along the edge of the long stream, the fading light of the campfire a small orange speck in between the trees.
Maybe... Chess really did trust them like he had said...
"Final preparations are done, Bossman," Ryland reported, coming to a stop on the edge of a large group that had gathered outside the Corvette. The friends that were staying behind had come to see them off as the strike force headed for Mistral readied to depart aboard the newly-named Tether. Ruby and Alex had recruited a couple extra pairs of hands to paint the name across the ship's hull, with Ruby adding stylistic touches to the otherwise standard military block-letters. The most prominent feature was the twisting crimson and green rose bushes that snaked themselves around each of the large, white letters as if they were trellises.
"I assume this means the time for your departure has arrived," Ozpin said calmly from where he stood among the gathered people. His coffee mug, ever filled and warm, steamed in his hand. "I wish you all the best of luck, and I look forward to your return."
"If we don't make it back, Sir," Dimitri turned to the headmaster, "I'd like to say it was an honor to work at the academy."
"Mr. Averin," Ozpin replied, a small smile gracing the man's face, "if by some stroke of colossal misfortune, you and Mr. Greene are unable to return to Beacon, the school will have lost two of the finest employees we have ever had."
"I'm sorry we aren't going with you," Arthur bowed his head. Emerald was holding the blond Guardian's hand tightly, looking similarly apologetic. Alex placed a hand on both their shoulders.
"Trust me, we understand," the soldier said kindly. "This just means you guys had better defend Vale until we get back."
"Right," Emerald smiled. "We'll make sure the city stays in one piece while you're gone."
"I suppose this might be the last time we see each other," Firo spoke to Winter. "So, as a Faunus, I should thank you, Winter. I know it can't have been easy for you, but you have done your best to keep the promise you made." Firo's single rabbit ear bobbed as she held out her hand to the elder Schnee sibling. "I'm proud to consider you a friend." Firo flinched in surprise as Winter suddenly gave her a soft hug.
"Thank you, Firo," Winter's voice wavered. "Thank you..."
"Take care of Winter, alright, Anise?" Weiss ordered. "I know she's older than you, but you need to make sure she takes care of herself, even if I-"
"You'll come back. You promised, right?" Anise cut her off.
"Right..." Weiss knelt down to embrace Anise warmly. The various friends that had come to see them off continued to wish the small force the best of luck. When the send-off had finally concluded, Alex and the others boarded the Tether. The sound of his boots against the ramp seemed to echo in the blond soldier's ears. As he sat down in a seat on the bridge, Alex wondered why this particular departure felt so different. Back on Earth, he'd marched off towards his potential doom more than once. It suddenly struck him. On Earth, the people he had cared about had always been right at his side, now, for the first time since leaving his brother behind, Alex had people waiting for him to come home.
He closed his eyes, silently promising that he would make sure they all returned.
Chess and Melody lay with each other on the grassy forest floor, watching the dying embers of the campfire slowly wink out of existence. The young Maiden found it difficult to control the rapid pounding of her heart as she edged closer to the boy she had such strong feelings for. Her head was laid across his shoulder.
"H-hey...Chess?" Melody stammered. She immediately kicked herself mentally for stuttering.
"Yeah?" the Bloodline turned to look her in the eye. For a moment, Melody found herself concentrating on the crimson orbs behind Chess' long white bangs. "What? Is there something stuck to my face?"
"O-oh... No, I- it's just..." Melody paused to take a deep breath, trying to collect herself. "I... wanted... to talk to you about something..."
"Sure," Chess nodded. "What is it?"
"For a good while... I... think I've..." Melody trailed off. She suddenly placed her hands over her face, making a sound of frustration. "Why is this so hard?" She suddenly felt a familiar warm sensation flow through her body as Chess did his best to gently hold her in his arms. "Thanks..."
"What's wrong, Melody?" Chess asked. "You look like something's bothering you."
"I- I'm-" Melody closed her eyes and grit her teeth, trying to find the right words and the courage to say them. "I'm trying to tell you that I've fallen in love with you, Chess!" The sentence tumbled from her mouth a tad louder and shriller than Melody had expected, causing an owl to depart from a nearby tree. Chess froze and stared at the young Maiden, whose face was alight with a red color visible even in the dim light. "W-well? Say something, please!" Melody said frantically.
"Melody... I..." Chess' expression was filled with pain and disappointment, but not towards her. "I know I want to return your feelings... but... I'm not sure if I even have a clue how to 'love' another person." The Bloodline looked like he was disgusted with himself. "Damn it... I'm so sorry..."
"I don't exactly know all that much about love either," Melody said, readjusting her position so her head sat in the middle of Chess' chest. "All I do know for sure is how I feel about you... Every waking moment, I want to be with you... It hurts when you're not there..."
"Is that what it feels like?" Chess asked softly.
"I- I think so..." Melody nodded, hugging Chess close to her.
"Then... Melody... I think I'm in love with you as well..." In that moment, Melody leaped forward to tightly wrap her arms around the Bloodline's neck, planting her lips across his. She broke away from Chess with a smile, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. It took her a moment to realize that she had wound up sitting across the boy's chest somewhere along the way. "I'm still unsure how any of this works though..." Chess rubbed the back on his head, a noticeable amount of color seeping into his pale features. Melody leaned forward to kiss him again.
"I guess it'll be a learning experience for both of us."
A/N:The assault team is off on their way, and Chaos/Chess finally has some things going his way for once in his life. I think this one turned out pretty well, all things considered. As usual, I'm worried about anything I write containing romantic themes.
Reviews, Follows, and Favorites are always appreciated! Let me know what you think! Got a question for me? Go ahead and leave one in a review, or if you don't want to share the answer, send me a PM. I will answer as quickly as I am able.
REVIEW REPLIES
Guest: I'd say I like Alex, Ryland, Chess/Chaos, and Firo the most. I can't really pin just one of them down.
Skaana: Yup. Prepare for more fluff than a wool factory.