While sprinting silently between the trees, Kris reached behind her back and drew her weapons. Holding them like tonfas, she extended the blades. She was angry. Even that may be an understatement. With narrowed eyes, her brow furrowed as she tracked down the faint sound of rustling that was moving away from her.
Slowly down a little, she thought to herself before slipping to the side and disappearing. Up ahead, she jumped out from a bush. A fire was blazing in her eyes. Spinning her weapons around, she brought the blades up and crossed them. The sharp edges centimeters from someone's neck.
"You have a lot to explain-!" Kris started with a snarl but quickly stopped herself. She slowly tilted her head while furrowing her brow at the person in front of her.
Trembling before her, a girl several years younger than her stared back with wide eyes. Her blonde hair was dirty, messy and knotted. "I-I... I'm sorry... I just... I just wanted to watch... y-you... all of you were smiling and happy... I just... I can't... I can't cotrol it..."
Breathing out, the young redhead took a few steps back while lowering her arms. "What?" She glanced around before locking eyes with the girl. "What!?" She raised her voise.
Flinching, the girl retracted while lowering her head. "I didn't... I didn't want..." She took a deep breath while looking up. "Did it... not affect you...?"
"I don't even know what just happened!!" Kris gritted her teeth. "Who the hell are you!? And what the hell did you do to my friends!?" Spinning the weapon in her right hand, she held it up and pointed the tip of the blade at her.
Sharply inhaling, the girl raised both her hands. "I-I... I'm Kit..." She swallowed hard. "K-Kitrinos Goldenrod... I-I-I didn't mean to hurt your friends... I can't... I can't control it... I just wanted my cat back... it was my fault... I just wanted him back..."
She stared at the dirty blonde for a moment. Her clothes were old and torn. And male. They weren't her's and were clearly from someone much older than her. Breathing in and out a few times, she slowly slid her weapons away. "Okay. Okay." Taking a deep breath, she took a step away from the little girl. "Explain what's going on. Please." She tried to stay as quiet as she could.
Sniffling, Kit reached up to rub her eyes a little. "I just wanted to watch you and your friends having fun..."
"Why?" Her brow furrowed as her head tilted. "Don't you have friends you can hang out with?"
"No..." She shook her head. "Mom and dad wouldn't let me. They were afraid I would hurt them too."
"Hurt them how?"
"Hurt them like I would mom and dad..." She trailed off.
Taking a deep breath, Kris closed her eyes. She hated kids. "What... what can't you control?"
"My semblance." She glanced up at her.
"What is it?" She bit the inside of her mouth while gesturing for her to continue.
"Um," Kit gulped. "I uh, I can make the dead come back. But not really. They watch and talk. They act like them. But they're mean. Mom and dad, they kept seeing people. It was making them really upset and sad. So we came here ro have a picnic..." She trailed off as her eyes began to swell with tears. "I didn't want to hurt anyone else. So I stayed. People walk by and bring food all the time. I just take some."
The young blonde took several uneven breaths as her hands began to shake. "I just wanted my cat back... it was my fault he got out the front door... he hated me when I talked to him with my semblance... it was all my fault..." With weak knees, she fell to the ground. "I didn't mean to hurt your friends too..."
Watching as the girl began to quietly sob, Kris stood frozen and speechless. This wasn't some jerk she could stab. This was a little girl who was broken and afraid. Taking a deep breath, she slowly knelt down. "Hey, hey, it's okay." She placed a hand on her shoulder and softly squeezed. "I know a Huntress who can help you control this. Well, once she's less angry." She half smiled.
Sniffling some more, Kit glanced up. "Why... why didn't I hurt you?"
"Well," The redhead shrugged while thinking over what she said about her semblance. "I don't have any regret or guilt for the people I couldn't save." Smiling, she stood up while helping the little girl stand. "I remember them and I use them to drive me forward, but I don't ever regret anything. Regret will only hold me back."
Smiling more, Kris patted her back. "Nooow, let's go find my friends. Before one of them murders the other."
Walking down the path of Grimm's Forest, Elise glanced over at her leader for a moment. Going to say something, she grew quiet and looked away. As she kept walking, she closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "So, back on the cliff I wanted to tell you something else. Um..." She kept her gaze down. Watching her feet, she bit her lip.
"I uh..." She struggled to continue. "Okay." Breathing in, she held her breath for a moment before exhaling out. "Kagami. We've been friends for a while and you know, you're probably one of my closest friends. I mean I didn't really have friends growing up." She began to ramble a bit.
"But!" She caught herself before going on too much. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands together and brought them in front of her face. "I think, no not I think, I know I like you. And not like, friendship like, like like like." She blinked a few times before facepalming. "Oum I must sound like an idiot."
Shaking her head, she waved her hands around a bit. "I know you're not going to have the same feelings and that's okay." She reassured herself. "I just... I wanted to say it, ya know? I wear my heart on my sleeve and well..." She sighed and reached up to rub the back of her head. "Listen. You're just one of my best friends, okay? I would do anything for you. I lo-" Blinking, she stopped walking as she realized she was alone.
"Huuuuuh???" She quickly looked around with wide eyes. With the quiet forest around her, her shoulders dropped. "Huh?" She squeaked out. "Wha... huh? Kagami...?"
With the sound of footsteps clopping behind her, Elise turned around with raised eyebrows. Slowly, her eyes grew wide as her head tilted to the side. "Jelly... Bean..." She trailed off at the sight of her long gone golden horse.
Walking calmly through the trees, the large muscular animal looked around before its large marble-like eyes locked on Elise and peared straight into her soul.
"How... are you here?" The young farm girl asked in disbelief. "How did you get here? We're so far from home and..." She trailed off before taking a small step back. "You... shouldn't be here." She swallowed hard.
Still staring, Jelly Bean looked at her for several seconds before she began to slowly step towards her. With a loud huff, her nostrils flared as her footsteps grew heavier.
"Jelly Bean?" Elise's eyes grew wide as she took a small step away. "Hey, hey... hold on, baby girl." She held up her hands. "If I would have known I wouldn't have left you on the farm, I swear." She gritted her teeth. "You were my best friend back home. I would have... I would..." She trailed off. "But I couldn't... and you helped save ma and pa. I'm... I'm more grateful than I could ever say. You..."
Huffing louder, Jelly Bean stomped her foot a few times before she began sprinting ahead.
Sharply breathing in, the brunet gasped and stumbled back onto the ground. Watching her horse charge at her with its powerful jaw wide open, she braced herself while closing her eyes. "J-Jelly Bean...!" She whimpered out.
Feeling something touch her head, she shakily breathed before glancing up. Seeing Kagami kneeling in front of her, her head tilted to the side. Her eyes wide and pupils dilated.
"Hey, hey. Breathe." Her leader gently pushed her down to lay back on the ground. "It was some illusion. Just breathe and clear your mind. Give it a few minutes. I'll be back." She patted her shoulder before getting up and running off to find the rest of her friends.
Breathing heavily, Elise stared up at the towering trees above her. Slowly reaching up, she rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. With a heavy exhale, she let her arms fall onto the ground with a quiet thud. As her heart rate began to slow back down, she closed her eyes and breathed a little slower. "I love you, Jelly Bean." She mumbled quietly.
Walking with her hands behind her head, Aero glanced over. "I'm just saying, if those girls were willing to sell their socks-"
"No- I..." Taking a deep breath, Baren lowered her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Aero. No."
"Well this credit card they're using won't last forever." The bluette quietly huffed while crossing her arms and looking away. "They're going to need some way to make lien until they're official and have their licenses and can get paid." Awaiting another remark, she raised an eyebrow as none came. "Baren-Sama?" She looked over.
Noticing she was alone, the Huntress reached back with her left hand and quickly pulled out her paintbrush weapon. Spinning it around a few times, she narrowed her eyes. "Who's there?" She demanded while gripping her paintbrush tight.
"What? You don't recognize me?" A familiar female voice from long ago spoke.
"No..." Aero's shoulders dropped. She didn't want to believe the voice she was hearing. It couldn't be real. Slowly turning around, her brow furrowed as she came face to face with a young woman with long white hair and a kimono with pink blossoms. "Cherry...?" She weakly breathed out.
"I'm a little hurt. Of course it's me. Who else would it be?" She smiled innocently with a very quiet giggle. "I know it's been a while, but I haven't changed that much. Have I?" She gestured towards herself as she began to walk around with long strides.
"You haven't. That's the concerning part." The bluette took a deep breath and spun her weapon around. Moving her arm down, she let the brush swipe across the red on her paint palette. Raising her hand, she pointed it at her old teammate. "What kind of trickery is going on?" She demanded.
"Hmm. None." Cherry chimed as she spun around. Her outfit twisting around her body. "It's such a beautiful day. I decided to come back for a little while. You know," She waved her hand as she smiled. "No thanks to you."
Flinching, Aero clenched her jaw as she pulled away. "Listen, I don't know what's going on here but-"
"But what?" She whipped her head around. Her white hair wrapped around her shoulders. "Hmm? Do you have something to say about me? Something you helped cause."
"No... no, no, no." She gritted her teeth while reaching up to rub her face. "You're just in my head. I demand that you leave RIGHT now."
"You want me to leave?" Cherry let out a quiet giggle. "Really? You already sent me to my death once. And now you want to send me there again."
"Enough!" With a shout, Aero gripped her face tight as she fell to her knees. Choking back tears, her shoulders trembled. "You're not really here. Get. Out. Of. My. Head." She swallowed. "Leave me."
"Now why would I leave you?" She giggled again as she began to step towards her. Her footsteps echoing. "Don't you want me by your side? That's all you've ever wanted."
"You don't always get what you want..." The Huntress shakily breathed in. "Now get out of my mind..." She winced a bit as the footsteps came closer. As she felt fingers touching the side of her head, she jumped. Illusions couldn't touch. Quickly looking up, she stared up at Kagami. Composing herself, she nodded.
Panting, the jadette smiled for a second before giving a small nod back. The glow from her arm fading away.
Carrying the stuff from their picnic, Cheyenne tightened the straps of her backpack. It was at least lighter than when they first hiked up here since all the food had been eaten. Thinking to herself, she tilted her head in thought. "You guys got really quiet." She mumbled while looking back over her shoulder. "That's not like-"
Not able to see her friends, her brow furrowed. Keeping quiet, she reached back and slowly pulled out her rifle. She held it close as she readied it with the Dust setting on red. Keeping quiet, she cautiosly stepped forward. She didn't know when she left the path but she now found herself walking on the forest floor. With narrowed eyes, she looked around the silent world of trees. Before it was peaceful, but now it felt far more eerie and alerting.
"Wow, can I just say..."
"...you've grown a lot."
Freezing in place, Cheyenne's eyes grew wide at the sound of two identical voices finishing each other's sentance. Twisting around, she didn't even hesitate as she took aim. "What's going on?" She demanded as her finger lightly tapped the trigger.
Fid and Fif, Prac's identical brothers, both glanced at each other and shrugged. They looked exactly the same as they did during the Fall of Beacon.
"I'll ask one more time." The deer Faunus clenched her jaw. "What is going on?"
Scoffing, Fid shook his head while placing his hands on his hips. "You really have grown..."
"...quite a lot. Stronger now and..." Fif continued while crossing his arms.
"...a whole lot bolder." His brother finished.
"I asked what's going on!" Cheyenne raised her voice while taking a step towards them.
"Oh, you wouldn't do that." Fid shook his head.
Chuckling a little, Fif agreed with a nod. "Especially after what happened to us was your fault." His expression hardened.
Sharply breathing, she took a small step back while lowering her rifle. "It... was an accident." She swallowed.
"Is that what you tell yourself..." The first brother tilted his head before he began to step towards her.
"...to help you sleep at night?" Fif approuched while moving behind her.
"Does is work?" Fid asked as he crossed his arms. Standing right in front of her, he glared down. "Does it?" He repeated with a snarl.
"Or does it still haunt you?" The second brother whispered in her ear from behind.
With uneven breathing, Cheyenne let both her arms fall to her side. Her rifle slipping out of her hand and falling to the ground with a quiet thud. "I... I... It was an accident. All of us knew something like this could happen when we signed up to be Huntsmen and Huntresses. I was still learning... I wanted to... I couldn't... I'm... I'm sorry." She lowered her head. Her hair wrapping around and shrouding her face.
"Pathetic." Fid scoffed.
"Weak." His brother added.
"I really thought you had changed..." He shook his head.
"...but we were both wrong." Fif breathed out.
"How do you even expect to be a Huntress..."
"...when you couldn't even save us?"
"You won't ever..."
"...be able to do anything."
"You won't..."
"...help anyone."
Gritting her teeth, Cheyenne balled her hands into tight fists. She dug her nails into the palms of her hands hard enough that without her aura she would have been making herself bleed. Feeling a hand holding her head, her breath hitched and she flinched. Jerking upright, her hand went towards her war club.
Seeing Kagami swaying slightly, her eyes widened and she quickly reached out. "Whoa, hey!" She held her hands out to help steady her. "What are you doing? What's going on?" She sniffled slightly. Her vision was only slightly blurry. Noticing the glow coming from her friend's left arm, she sighed a little. "You're overusing your semblance." She quietly mumbled.
"I... I'm fine." Kagami shook her head a little while out of breath. "I just need to find Baren. I'm fine. I swear..." She took a very deep breath. Patting her friend's hand, she slowly stood back up straight. "Are you okay? Someone's playing with us with illusions. Somehow..."
"I'm okay." The Faunus nodded quickly. "What about the others?"
"Kris didn't seem to be affected. She ran after someone. Aero is alright." The jadette pulled away slightly before pointing in a drection. "Elise needs someone. Whatever she saw, it hit her hard."
"Are... you okay?" Cheyenne's brow furrowed.
Pausing, Kagami bit her lip before nodding. "I got to find Baren." She smiled faintly before running off.