Chapter 75: Arms Race
In which Yang can't fix her problems with her fists, Penny's innocent question completely backfires, and a real monster rises from the ashes.
It was only when they'd lost sight of land that Yang had panickily asked her mom who would lead their bandit tribe. It wasn't a problem, though, as she'd apparently already thought of everything before they'd left. Some second-in-command was in charge, so that wasn't going to be an issue.
After propelling their little bandit-ed sailboat with her wind semblance for six solid hours, Mom was resting for a little bit below deck. The younger huntresses had initially thought that boat with a motor would be faster, but Raven had put that idea to rest. Yang was still just a student, though she hated to admit it, but Raven was a full grown huntress with years of experience beneath her belt. Her aura control was a sight to behold.
Now, Penny was taking a turn flying overhead and towing the boat by a cabled sword. Apparently, as long as the sun was as strong as it was right now, she could hover indefinitely without running out of power. At this rate, they'd make the entire voyage in less than a day. Of course, with their companions occupied, that meant that Weiss and Yang were finally alone at long last.
Bummer.
Weiss was looking up at the scattered clouds. Yang couldn't tell if she was watching Penny or just admiring the view of the sky. Or maybe Penny was the view she was admiring. Weiss sure had been spending a lot of time with her, and now that Blake was out of the picture…
Yang looked away and fiddled with her robotic arm to distract herself. Again, she wasn't being fair. It had hurt to see Weiss more than she thought it would, and she'd overreacted. Now, once again, she was the asshole.
Why do I always make such bad decisions? The prom, punching Weiss, pushing Ruby away when she needed me…am I just destined to alienate my friends?
That didn't matter now. Well, it did, but she couldn't go back and change any of it. The past was past, but Weiss was right in front of her. All she had to do was reach out and talk to her.
Yang hesitated. Every time she laid her eyes upon Weiss, all she could see was the one who took Blake away from her. Blake, her perfect, gorgeous–
Stop that. Just stop it.
The hardest part was knowing in her heart that Blake was probably guilty. Yang knew that Weiss was incapable of cold-blooded murder, but Blake was definitively not. She was someone who'd be willing do anything to fix the world, and Yang knew for a fact that she frequently had. Yang had thought back on all the little conversations she'd had with Blake, and Port's therapy session was the most damning. Blake had openly stated how much she hated hurting people. At the time, Yang thought it was proof that she was kindhearted, but looking back, it was obvious that such a confession meant that she had hurt people.
And Ruby wouldn't dare be wrong about something this important. If her little sister had even the slightest of doubts, she walked barefoot over broken glass before accusing a fellow Rainbow. To allege that Blake had blinded her was not something she'd say lightly.
But Yang hadn't been there for it. She'd been dozing off, drooling in her damned bed in Patch while her sister and their only surviving teammate had to deal with the pain and agony of a teammate stabbing them in the back. Yang only got a second hand account, and that made it so much harder to accept the truth.
And it was the truth. They didn't need to go to Menagerie to confirm it.
But, against all logic, Yang still desperately hoped that they'd find some crucial evidence that would exonerate Blake of all guilt and damn Weiss when they got there. It was irrational, but she wanted it nonetheless, because it would give her a target. She'd get to let loose and bash open Weiss' head and release all of the anger that had been churning around inside of her.
Remember what Mom said. Not everything is a battle.
Yang breathed out deeply and whispered to herself, "Blake Belladonna was a bitch, and I'm glad she'd dead. Weiss is my friend, and she saved my life."
Now that she had admitted it to herself out loud, it was time to start healing wounds instead of making them. She reached her robotic arm towards Weiss' shoulder.
Suddenly, she was bobbing up and down in the ocean. Yang struggled to stay afloat as Penny descended from the skies, her swords twirling behind her ominously.
"Friend Weiss. She attempted to attack you from behind."
Weiss, only now noticing that Yang was in the water, faltered. "W-What?"
"No, I swear, I trying to tap you on the shoulder!"
Penny did not look convinced. "With a jackhammer?"
Yang looked at Amphitere, realizing that she'd let it on the more dangerous setting when she'd been playing around with the features earlier. "N-No! That was an accident, I swear!"
"Good catch, Penny. Thanks for the save."
"You may not wish to turn your back on Yang for the duration of the voyage, Friend Weiss."
Penny's words were hurtful, but what bothered Yang more was the one critical word she didn't use just before Yang's name.
The commotion drew Raven up from the lower decks just as Yang finished paddling herself to the edge of the boat. Yang held up her meat arm, and her mom fished her aboard. "Trouble in paradise?"
"You could call it that."
This apology was moments away from turning into an all-out melee. Weiss had drawn Schachmatt and was obviously tensed for a fight. Penny was staring at Yang with the eyes of a hawk. Raven didn't seem to fully understand what was happening here, but she reached a hand towards the dirk she kept hidden in her robes.
Yang sighed and raised her hands in surrender. Well, she raised her hand and her jackhammer.
"I wasn't trying to harm you, Weiss. I was actually hoping we could have a heart to heart." To prove it, Yang switched Amphitere back to arm mode.
"If you're going to try to get me to lower my defenses, you'll need to do better than that."
"This isn't a trick. Weiss, we're friends. We're Rainbows! That has to mean something!"
Weiss harrumphed. "A little tip, Xiao-Long. Don't waste your time trying to outwit your opponents; you aren't suited for it. Stick to punching things."
Yang's eyes flashed red. Here she was, finally ready to offer an olive branch, and Weiss was going to take a dump all over it? Fat chance. Yang wasn't going to give up on her without a fight.
"Weiss, about Blake…I've decided that I'm going to–"
Weiss threw her arms up in the air. "Oh, here we go again. You've reviewed all the evidence for an event that you weren't even conscious for, and you've decided to judge based on your vagina. I saved your life, Yang, and you're still hung up with this obsession with my partner! I fought Blake! Ruby fought Blake! But ohhhhhhhhh, Yang Xiao-Long's here and only she can deliver the verdict, because everyone else is blind and dumb!"
Weiss stepped closer to Yang and poked an unhappy finger right into Yang's chest.
"You never meant a damn to her, but she means more to you than my or Ruby's life–"
A metal fist to the face shut Weiss up.
Penny reacted instantly, her gravity defying swords carving through Amphitere like it was made of Styrofoam. Both of her black boots touched Yang's chest, and a rocket-enhanced kick knocked her overboard once more. Penny gracefully flipped backwards and landed in the air, hovering.
The seawater doused Yang's hair, which she hadn't even realized had been burning. Weiss had raised her aura, so the punch hadn't knocked her head clean off, but she was still nursing her jaw from the stinging impact of the blow. Yang tried to paddle back to the boat once again, but it was difficult with one arm.
Amphitere, now in three distinct pieces, was probably on its way to the bottom of the ocean right now. When Penny cut it, the power to the aura implants had been lost, and the robotic arm had detached completely.
Ruby had made it for her. Her sweet Rubaby had poured time and dedication into making a special gift to cheer up her big sister, and Yang had gone and lost it. All that care, all that love, lost forever.
Yang wanted to sink down and join it.
Penny made sure to maintain a visual and thermal imagery lock on all passengers aboard the S.S. Friendboat, but she doubted it was necessary. Friend Weiss was keeping a weather eye out for all backstabbing, shenanigans, and general tomfoolery from that point on, and her Glyphs would probably enough. With this much water surrounding the quartet of huntresses, the one who controlled the Ice Dust was queen.
Daylight ceased, and propulsion duty switched from Penny to Friend Raven. As she descended, Penny noticed a distant steamer, but its current trajectory would not place them on a collision course. Strangely enough, there appeared to only be two heat signatures on board, and one of the heat signatures seemed to cease below the knees as though it lacked legs. Both bodies were very close to one another and were rhythmically thrusting. Seamen sure are weird.
Yang and Friend Raven were female-bonding together while working on their motorcycle, though Yang seemed distracted. Every now and then, her mother would pat her on her should or say some words of encouragement, but it did not seem to break the former friend out of her stupor.
As distressing as it was to admit, Yang was no longer a Friend. The only member of Penny's circle of Friends to receive that dishonor before was Blake, though that had been by edict of Salem herself. Had Penny known what Blake was planning against Friend Weiss, though, she would've deleted the friendship file of her own volition, but the fact remained that she hadn't had to make that choice. Deciding to terminate a friendship was an unpleasantness that Penny never wished to experience again, but Friend Weiss was the Friend Prime, and all other Friends were ancillary. Yang's unprovoked assault on Friend Weiss had been excused the first time, but she would not tolerate repetitive behavior, especially when the robotic arm she'd used could be classified as a lethal weapon.
The deadline was getting closer, and Penny still had no plan. Just two nights from now, Friend Ruby was going to be taken to the Vault of the Spring Maiden, and the relic of knowledge would be revealed for the first time in centuries. Salem had ordered Penny to attend, aid in securing Friend Ruby, and bring her before the queen. The power of the Spring maiden was not something that the queen could allow to freely move about, especially when it was held by the niece of Ozma's loyal swordsman, Friend Qrow. Salem would resolve that, personally.
Penny had decided that she needed Friend Weiss with her in Haven. She wouldn't be able to complete her task alone. Friend Weiss had to be there.
That said, Penny had no idea how to convince her.
This trip to Menagerie was a waste of time. Salem had ordered Penny to stop Blake's plot against Friend Team Rainbow, but that plot had died with the last of the White Fang holdouts in the Schnee manor. Nothing of note awaited them in Menagerie.
Perhaps, Penny could forge some evidence of a White Fang attack on Haven Academy, spurring Friend Weiss into action? The idea had some merit, but Penny could not count on it. Friend Weiss had an eye for detail, and even the smallest inconsistency would tip her off and ruin everything. Furthermore, Penny had lied to Friend Weiss enough.
Friend Weiss was sitting at the bow of the S.S. Friendboat, dangling her legs over the edge. Penny sat down and scooched next to her.
"Friend Weiss, where are we doing after Menagerie?"
"I haven't really thought about it…Haven, I guess? That's where we were planning to go, but now that I think about it, it was only ever to meet up with Ruby and Dove. She's probably on her way back to Beacon by now, and it not, she will be by the time Yang gets her head out of her ass. Maybe we should head home to Vale instead, instead? Team Rhapsody's kind of a goner, but maybe we can find a fourth member elsewhere. Do you know any candidates?"
"Are we to simply return to Vale, after coming all this way?"
Weiss regarded her curiously. "What do you mean?"
"It simply seems a waste to come out all this way, and then immediately return home. Mistral is normally so far away, and we have the rare opportunity to explore it – maybe we don't have to return right away. Perhaps we could go sightseeing together?"
"Sightseeing?"
"Just the two of us. It would not be advisable to bring Yang or Friend Raven with us. And I've heard that Haven Academy is wonderful this time of year."
"Haven? Even if Ruby's not there?"
"It's just…a nice place for the two of us to spend some time together. Alone. No other reason."
Weiss contemplated in silence for a minute.
"P-Penny, I…we're friends. Best friends. I'd do anything for you. But I'm not sure…and it's not because of Blake, I'm over her, I just…there's so much going on right now! My family was ripped apart, half of my team wants/wanted me dead, and I've been in more life threatening situations in the past year than most people do in their entire lives. I dragged you into this. I bring so much baggage with me. I feel like I'm about to reach the breaking point every day, and I don't know if I'd be stable enough for you to count on if we got into a relationship. You're a wonderful girl, but you deserve better."
Oh.
Penny grabbed Weiss' hands and pulled her closer. Green eyes met blue.
"Friend Weiss," Penny said with conviction. "That is not what I was asking."
"It's not–?"
"But know this. You are my Friend. Not a friend, but my Friend. You mean more to me than anyone else on Remnant, and that will never change. I apologize for my misconstrued request, but fortunately it has exposed a critical error in the way you perceive my attachment to you. Friend Weiss, I do not care if danger comes our way as long as we are together. I do not care if I must face threats both known and unknown because of our companionship. I do not deserve someone more stable or better. You, Weiss Schnee, are my first and greatest Friend, and you are all that I want."
Friend Weiss look in Penny's eyes for a few seconds. Then, her head moved forward and met Penny's robotic lips.
"Get a deck, you two," called Friend Raven. On a completely unrelated note, Penny's sword array malfunctioned, and a stray sword knocked her overboard completely on accident.
"P-Penny, I…I…I…"
Penny tilted her head to the side and waited for Friend Weiss to finish.
"…I can't. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think I want to."
"I understand, Friend Weiss."
"No, no you don't! You're wonderful and you're amazing and you've always been there for me and I care about you so much, but…a relationship with you wouldn't end well. During that kiss, I just didn't feel that spark, that little tingling in your heart where you just know…"
"Faulty circuitry?" asked Penny.
"Love?" asked Friend Raven, still wading in the ocean.
"I do love you. But it's the love I feel for my brother, or for Ruby. I'm so, so sorry, but I'm just not interested in you romantically. Can we still be friends?"
"No."
Weiss face fell like Mantle did on Atlas in V8. "Oh…"
"We are Friends."
Friend Weiss couldn't hear the capitalization, but Penny was fairly certain she understood the message. Penny was being honest here; she hadn't actually meant to ask Friend Weiss for a romantic relationship, nor had she desired one. Had Friend Weiss wanted one, Penny would have gone along with it for Weiss' sake, but if she was to be truthful, friendship was actually preferable.
"Uh, guys," muttered Yang.
"Xiao-Long, I swear that if one more word passes your lips on this entire trip, I'll–"
"Well, then it's a good thing that this trip is over. Land ho."
Penny turned to see the island of Menagerie in the distance.
Melion was a failure.
Morrighan was a failure.
They brought shame to the noble title of horseman. Their weakness tainted her memories.
Taniwha would not be a failure like her mother or her grandfather.
Taniwha would bring the humans to their knees, all in the name of Queen Salem.
A lower Grimm dared to pollute Taniwha's form with its existence. Taniwha devoured it whole. It did not matter that it was Taniwha's sister. It was no horseman of knowledge, and there was no room on their body for weakness.
The light had been weakness. Taniwha was a creature of borne of the pure, unspent dark.
The Queen wanted Taniwha in Haven, and that was where she went. None were more devout than her. Slithering into the oceans, she crept closer and closer to her goal. Inky tears spread through the harsh waters as she moved.
Spring was needed alive, but her majesty not specified what fate was to befall the other faithless. Taniwha would feast upon them!
A Leviathan swam near her, but it recognized the apex predator and retreated. As it should. As all should.
She knew the three others, and she knew why they would fail.
Azeban. A small, undeserving whelp with delusions of wit. His usefulness ended when the time for sneakily skulking ceased and a real battle began.
Thrace. An aged simpleton unfit for anything but the plainest of her majesty's commands. His days of glory had long passed, and he was now the husk of a once great horseman.
Kraken. The most powerful of Salem's horseman, and the most cowardly. While warriors were hardened by combat, he had grown fat and indolent, hidden away from the world while guarding the relic of destruction.
No, it was their destiny to fail, and hers to succeed. Only Taniwha was a true horseman, fresh with the Queen's fury and ready to butcher those who stood against her. Her fangs were sharp, and she was ready to kill.
Next Chapter: Bird of the Hour – In which the sun rises, and a dove flies.
Omake
Yang: Damn it, I never got to brand any cattle!
Omake 2
Friend Weiss: I thought you were dating Sun Wukong.
Penny: Boyfriend Sun was demoted to Friend Sun after his fly was permanently zipped up in Chapter 52 and he ceased to emanate BDE.
Friend Weiss: BDE?
Penny: Boyfriend Deciding Energy.
Omake 3
Ex-Friend Yang: Land ho.
Penny: Do not call Friend Weiss a ho.
Author's Notes
From Chapter 73's author's notes…
6) Will Penny **** Weiss in her tight little *** with her fat ***** and then **** all over Weiss' ******?
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6) Will Penny kiss Weiss in her tight little lip with her fat mouth and then rain all over Weiss' parade?
So, that was a thing.
Yeah, no, because of Penny's outlook on Weiss and her willingness to sacrifice her agency at Weiss' behest, I don't think a relationship would be good for either of them at this stage. Penny herself would just be doing whatever Weiss asked of her. Also, they're playing for opposite teams. Wait, that's not what I - eh, you understand.
A new horseman has entered the fray. Since it takes time for them to respawn, this is the replacement for Morrighan (only legends even remember that character because she died like a hundred chapters ago).
Happy rats, and don't do crime!