"…so, once we get to Mantle… what's the plan?"
Sun looked to his left, where Ilia leaned up against the wall of the captain's enclosure. He quickly looked back out to sea, where the city of Atlas was finally visible as a small, floating island just over the horizon.
"Well… we've got a few things we need to take care of. The relic's our priority, but Corsac's potentially more of an immediate threat. I say we take him to the authorities, and then start worrying about the lamp and getting it up to Atlas," Sun suggested.
"…one thing," Weiss said hesitantly from her place against the wall on Sun's right. "All it would take to get us all thrown in jail is for Corsac to implicate Ilia as a member of the Fang… and a simple database search would likely incriminate her immediately. Remember, this is the police force of Atlas we'll be dealing with, and there's security footage of every raid the Fang has ever attempted against their forces. Are you in any of those recordings?"
"...probably, yeah," Ilia admitted as her facial scales faded in color. "In a mask, but… my hair, my skin, my weapon…"
"Then I'll turn in Corsac, along with Maria and Jaune. You take Yang and Ilia and use some of your clout as Team RWBY to get to the upper city," Sun replied.
"No need," Weiss countered with a wave of her hand. "We should still split as you suggested, but I can just call Winter. She'll be able to take us up top, and we'll contact you with a rendezvous point."
"Cool. Then I guess we've got a pretty solid idea of what to do next. You girls get enough sleep?" Sun asked as he looked back and forth between his companions.
"No," they said in tandem.
"And we know you didn't, either," Ilia added as she rolled the shoulder of her broken arm and shifted the sling. "We're all exhausted and miserable, and Weiss and I are injured. Jaune may be helpful, but he's not a magician. Are you still hurting?"
"…yes," Weiss admitted as she cast her eyes to the floor. "My shoulder is killing me, but I didn't want to say anything with so much else going on. Hopefully, once we arrive at Atlas Academy, we can bargain with General Ironwood for temporary room and board, and you and I can visit the infirmary."
"Bargain?" Sun asked incredulously as he gave Weiss a puzzled look. "With the amount of work we're doing in service of Remnant right now, we should be given a place to stay, as far as I'm concerned. We're transporting an apparently world-ending artifact, a White Fang prisoner, and just killed their High Leader. For free."
"Well, when you put it like that…" Weiss replied, her expression uncertain.
"I'm sorry you both had to… take care of him," Ilia said awkwardly. "After what he did to Sienna, and the Fang as a whole… I should have been responsible for putting him down, as penance for joining their organization. I still feel like I owe you, Sun… and all of the faunus. Maybe Corsac and I aren't so d-"
"Stop," Sun commanded, before gritting his teeth. "Don't even try to compare yourself to h-"
"And why not?" Ilia interrupted. "Sure, he hurt me, and you and I are close, but that isn't unforgivable on its own. Do you know whether or not he's actually killed anyone, personally? If he hasn't, what makes him so much worse than me? Maybe you should take me to prison, too. I hate him, and having him around is just making me feel worse about myself."
Sun kept his eyes ahead as Atlas grew larger on the horizon.
"…I think you two should go and relieve Yang and Jaune. It's been an hour."
"I am not sharing a room with him," Ilia spat. "Give me something else to do and I'll do it, but if you want Corsac to arrive in Mantle in one piece, don't make me guard him."
Sun sucked in a breath and fought back an urge to yell as he spoke in a voice of threatening calm.
"Ilia, this isn't about what any of us want to do, it's about what we have to d-"
"It's alright," Weiss cut in. "I can handle him on my own. He's unarmed and weak, I'm in a pretty volatile mood, and you're not far, if something goes wrong."
Sun heaved a sigh and let his shoulders slump as he shook his head.
"Alright, fine. Ilia… go make sure all of our stuff is packed and ready for transport," Sun commanded with a grumble.
"You got it," Ilia replied with a mock salute before turning.
"…and little sis?"
Ilia froze in her tracks as Weiss raised a brow.
"Once we put Corsac away and have some downtime at the Academy… you and I need to talk. Bro to sis," Sun said as gently as possible.
Ilia's expression softened form one of indignation to appreciation, and she shook her head with a muted smile.
"…yeah, we will. Thanks, Sun. And… sorry, for being a bitch," Ilia said sheepishly.
"It's cool," Sun reassured while flashing her his trademarked wide grin. "I've been a little bit of a bitch, too."
Ilia merely rolled her eyes and walked off to the other side of the deck, where she began rifling through boxes and equipment.
"…even without being blood related, you two have the kind of relationship I've wanted all my life with my sister," Weiss said quietly as she approached Sun. "I envy it. Truthfully, I envy you, quite a bit. I don't know if you can see it, but a lot of people love you, Sun, and for good reason."
Sun raised a brow as he gave Weiss a confused look. "You and your sister aren't on good terms…?"
"It's not that," Weiss denied as she let her hand slip from Sun's shoulder. "Between being incredibly busy, and as of a few years ago, disowned by my father… we haven't had much of a chance to really talk and bond. She spent most of her childhood angry and alone, and to be honest… so did I."
"…maybe we should talk once we get to Altas, too," Sun offered. "I know what it's like to grow up feeling mostly alone, even when surrounded by other people. As for the rest… I'm starting to get the impression that I'm lucky to have you guys, yeah, and I think of you all as one big extended family. Let's make an effort to make your adulthood kick ass, to make up for your childhood."
Weiss sighed lightly and gave Sun a nod. "I like that idea. With any luck… maybe we'll find some stability at Atlas Academy, even if it's just for a little while."
"I mean, why not?" Sun questioned. "Cinder's dead, we've got the only relic actively in play, Salem has no idea we're taking it to Atlas, and nobody knows where the Winter Maiden's at, so once we get it secured at the school? We're home free, as far as I'm concerned. Then, it's just a matter of getting everyone back to us and holding down the city while we train."
"It'll be nice to have the entire party together again," Weiss confirmed. "Especially Blake."
Sun's mouth upturned into a sad smile immediately, and he nodded as he kept his eyes on the city ahead.
"…especially Blake."
"I'll see you soon," Weiss offered before patting Sun's shoulder and heading for the staircase. "Chin up- we've got a plan, and we're doing well."
Sun nodded silently in response and turned his eyes back to the open ocean and floating city ahead. All three of the teens missed the sight of a colossal red fin cresting the water just a few thousand feet from the starboard side of the boat.
"I am so glad that Ozpin intervened when we were out shopping for this trip," Nora said to break the minutes of silence as the group walked their way through a calm, darkened forest clearing. "Hiking boots were an awesome idea."
"I suggested we all invest in better footwear after we walked from Patch to Mistral," Ren reminded as he shook his head. "And I was promptly ignored the second we arrived in the city."
Ruby let out a nervous chuckle from her position at the front of the line.
"Well, we… were pretty busy, and tensions were high…"
"…we sat in a house for over a month," Ren said flatly. "And I brought it up several times."
"So! Sage, how's it goin'?" Ruby asked as she looked over her shoulder and craned her neck to avoid Ren, who was glowering at her from a distance of only a few feet. "This is all pretty crazy, right?"
"It's certainly something," the tall, dark man commented as he rolled his neck. "We're really walking all the way back to Patch?"
"Actually," Oscar said in a calm voice from his position at the back of the line, "I've been thinking. It may be wise to rent a vehicle once we reach the country roads of Anima, only to abandon it later. We do want to be visible and catch Salem's attention if at all possible, but ideally, we should do that as far from Sun's crew as possible, and only after finding Raven. The only reason for us to be walking right now is to hide the movements of all three groups for a time. Grimm are rare in this patch of forest, so we should be relatively unknown until we hit the open road."
"Professor?" Ruby questioned as she turned and began to walk backward. The boy nodded, and Ruby returned the gesture. "Alright, then. One problem… can any of us drive? I mean… any of us who don't look 14?"
The party slowed to a halt, and the members all looked between each other in a panic until Sage raised his unoccupied hand.
"Yeah. I can take care of that. Got a license and everythin'," he reassured while he shifted his sword as it rested against his shoulder. "If that's the plan, then let's get through this forest quickly, and find ourselves a rental."
"As much as I hate to be the voice of dissent," Ren began as he shifted his grip on the straps of his backpack, "I am… honestly rather exhausted after nearly a week of constant walking with little sleep in between, and I doubt that I am the only one."
"Oh, thank the gods," Nora said with a heavy sigh as she unceremoniously dropped her oversized backpack to the forest floor. "This is a big clearing, the moon is out, and I'm tired of forcing a smile so I don't have to be the first one to say I've just about had it. Count me as vote number two for bedding down for the night."
"Three," Sage offered with a shrug. "Walkin' a good distance in short order's good. Bein' too tired to fight off grimm isn't."
"If you're all tired, then I think we should call it a day," Ruby agreed as she looked to Oscar. The boy's eyes flashed green, before he slumped forward and rubbed at his forehead.
"Yeah," the boy replied with a far less composed and confident voice. "Me, too."
"Right," Ruby said rather loudly, with a sudden infusion of pep in her voice. "Okay! Ren and Sage- tent duty, as usual. Oscar!"
"Start a fire, and get cooking," the boy filled in with a nod. "On it, Miss Rose."
Ruby gave the boy a quizzical look, before shaking her head and unslinging Crescent Rose from her side and transforming it into scythe mode.
"Nora! You and me, border patrol!"
"You got it," Nora said with a nod as she whipped out Magnhild with a confident grin. "We'll see you boys in a bit!"
The three males all offered some form of grunt, nod, wave, or combination of the three as Ruby and Nora set out into the tree line, walking silently. Ruby waited until they were out of earshot before speaking in a hushed voice, her eyes on the darkened shadows of the maples and oaks ahead.
"…you know… sometimes, I get tired of smiling, too."
It was Nora's turn to raise a brow as she and Ruby passed a tree on either side.
"Uh, you okay there, Ruby?" the redhead asked.
"…kinda," Ruby admitted as she stepped over a fallen tree and continued forward. "It's just… really getting to be a lot, lately. Even when we've 'slowed down' and 'rested' right after Beacon, and in Mistral, things have been tense and high stakes. More and more people are getting involved on both sides, and I can't help but feeling like it's all building to something horrible. Something we won't see coming."
Nora furrowed her brows as she leapt over the same log and followed Ruby's movements.
"At this point, I think it's just going to boil down to a matter of supporting each other, and maintaining trust," Nora offered. "I trust you. We all do, I think. We can trust Ironwood. We can trust Qrow. We can trust Sun. We can trust Oz. Those are all givens."
"Yeah, you're right,' Ruby admitted with a sigh. "Maybe it's just the lack of sleep talking. After all- Cinder's gone, and that's one huge threat off the board. I guess right now, I should just focus on what to say to Raven. I have no idea how to convince her, but Professor Ozpin said he can contribute."
"Then maybe that should be your takeaway," Nora pointed out. "Start letting us share the burden and take the lead once in a while. Sure, we might trust you, but you're not superhuman. None of us are. If you want, I'll take the lead tomorrow and take charge of the map and stuff."
"Would you?" Ruby asked as she came to a stop and leaned against a tree. "It would be nice not to have to think, for once."
"You'll do nothing but think if you don't have something to take your mind off your mind," Nora protested with a grimace. "That's the other thing- you've gotta stop living in your own head. Start sharing the burden, and your feelings with us, Ruby. You keep stuff bottled up, and it's eventually going to explode. I'm always here, whenever you need me. So is Ren."
"Yeah," Ruby agreed as she began to walk once again. "I'll try. Thanks, Nora. Let's head back and settle down."
"Sounds good to me," Nora replied. "After all… things are getting easier, if you think about it. What's the worst that could happen?"
Author's Note:
Sorry for the delay- it's been a rough two weeks. Aiming for Chapter 70 this weekend.
-RD