So I've seen Volume 3. And holy hell, do I regret not seeing it earlier.
I'd heard that it was going to go dark, but I never expected it to be to that extent. Penny and Pyrrha dying, the reveal of the maidens... I feel like I took a freight train to the feels.
But enough of that. Onto the new chapter!
OH, WAIT!
This chapter deals with some heavy topics. Namely, the belief of life after death. It is in NO WAY a reference, shout-out, or parody of any religious views you may or may not possess. I simply wrote the sequence to fit into the story. Do not take this as my actual view on death and the afterlife.
Okay, NOW onto the next chapter...
Chapter 42: Paging Dr. Bombshell
I've always hated hospitals. Too clean, too sterile, and too… quiet.
But regardless, here I would wait, until news about Darrel's… condition… came through to me. Ruby was quietly snoring on my shoulder, while Weiss filed her nails and Blake read a book. I just couldn't stop thinking about what had happened this morning.
Torchwick had led the Grimm into the heart of Vale. But why would he do that? And after that… when Darrel turned into that monster… why did it happen?
"We've been waiting for hours, Yang! Can't we go home?" Ruby whined from my shoulder. Weiss stowed her nail file away, and stood up.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Ruby. Darrel will be here tomorrow. We can just head back to Beacon for now, can't we?" Weiss stated. I looked up.
"You go if you want. I'll stay here for as long as it takes." I answered.
"C'mon, sis, I hate not knowing, but waiting here isn't gonna speed it up. We should just go." Ruby pleaded, sitting up. I didn't look at her.
"I'm staying. No matter how long it takes, I'll stay." I repeated firmly. Weiss just sighed, and began to walk down the hallway back to the entrance. Ruby did the same, dashing away in a flurry of rose petals beside her. I watched them go.
"I know what this is about." Blake's voice rang out from behind me. I didn't turn to look at her.
"What's it about?" I asked bitterly. Blake audibly snapped her book shut, and put a soft hand on my shoulder.
"It's about what happened in the square. Isn't it?"
I whirled around, feeling hot anger beginning to bubble within.
"No, it's not that, Blake. This has nothing to do with Darrel and me." I snapped. Blake held up her hands defensively.
"That's not what I meant, and I never said that it was. What I meant is why it happened."
I breathed out, and looked at my gauntlets.
"He… he told me one of his weapons was crushed."
"Right. He went into battle with only one Iridescent Basilisk. So what happened to his other one?"
That made me think. Darrel still had one serviceable weapon. So why did this happen?
"You know, I've looked at some of Remnant's history in our time, and nothing like this has ever happened before. So why would it do so now?" Blake asked. I just sat there, twiddling my thumbs.
"Darrel came from Earth. But I don't think he came here for a sightseeing tour. First the White Fang turn violent, then we have a Grimm incursion, now this. Something is about to happen, Yang. Something bad. And we need to be ready for it." Blake finished, snapping her book shut and walking down the corridor. I just squirmed in my seat uncomfortably.
Uncle Qrow had always said that everything happened for a reason. And I'm beginning to wonder if it's true.
"Ms. Xiao Long?"
Dammit, I must have fallen asleep. I looked up to see a nurse with brown hair and a pair of lion ears atop her head holding my shoulder and shaking me awake. I rubbed my eyes, and looked up.
"Yeah? Is there any news about Darrel?" I asked, hope in my voice. The nurse looked at me forlornly.
"Yes, but not all of it is good. His injuries have managed to heal, and we've relocated his kneecap. But… we've run into some… complications." She said, crouching down in front of me.
"What do you mean, complications? Is he alive?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly.
"He's alive, but… we've found some anomalies in his body, and we thought you should know about them. First off, we found what appears to be a Dust crystal in his body. Dust usually dissipates when it's absorbed, but for some reason, it's intact in his ribcage, close to his heart."
"Well, can't you get it out?" I asked. The nurse sighed.
"If only it were that simple… the crystal appears to be bonded to him. We attempted to remove it, briefly succeeded even, but once we did so, his Aura began to drop. If his Aura dropped to zero, he would be at permanent risk of injury, something I can't allow." She answered. I swore under my breath. No way would I let Darrel die. I'd sooner lose an arm.
"Okay… and what was the second thing?" I asked. But to my surprise, the nurse's hair began to lengthen, and change colour, from a dark brown, to a light green, with a strip of red on each side. Her eyes brightened in colour, even though her mood didn't appear to change, settling on a yellowish hue.
"It's a matter we need to discuss… in private." The woman answered, pulling me to my feet and frogmarching me to a nearby empty room. Shoving me in, and locking the door behind her, she turned to me.
"Do you remember me?" She asked, her facial features changing ever so slightly, until it finally morphed into a face that I had seen once, but wouldn't soon forget.
Kimba, Darrel's… handler? Mentor? Who could say?
"Yang, you need to listen. You know that Darrel's from Earth? Well, that's not entirely true." She began.
"What?"
"His body is from Remnant, but his soul is from Earth, or as my colleagues and I know it, Terra. He thinks that he…"
"Wait, you couldn't bring his body and soul to Remnant?" I asked. Kimba paused for a moment, before finally answering.
"No, that requires something with far more power than I possess. In rare cases, like when you and Darrel traversed between our worlds to Terra, only the soul can survive the journey. But when a body is left without a soul… it ceases to function. It remains a husk, not quite living, but not quite dying."
I thought about this. A body without a soul… it sounded horrible. If the soul was gone, then the body… would it still feel? See? Sense? Live?
"Then where is his Ea— his Terran body?"
"Darrel thinks that his body is with him. But the truth is… his Terran body is dead. Once Darrel's soul was sent to Remnant, then his body was left behind in the ocean. Without a means of escape, his body drowned. To Terra, Darrel Conway is dead."
Darrel was… dead to his home planet? But what was that note Kimba had left him, when we had returned from Earth? The note that had said that Kimba had told his pop, and brother about where he was?
"You… murdered him?"
"I took no pleasure in such an act, but it had to be done. Had I a way to bring both his body and soul, then I would do it. But—"
"Then… his family?" I asked. Kimba didn't respond, only looked away. She clenched her fists, and looked back to me, tears beginning to drip from her golden eyes.
"They think he's dead. But if either party knew the truth… then it would cause problems."
I felt angry at this woman. She'd brought an innocent man to a world he didn't know anything about. All so he could fight in battles that she couldn't.
"You think that would cause problems?! You tore a family apart to satisfy your own selfish goals! You're no better than whoever you're fighting against!" I yelled. Kimba just looked at me harshly.
"Darrel's safety is my priority, Yang. I'm trying to protect him!"
"And look where he is now! In a coma, with some kind of explosive battery in his chest!"
"The Fragment of Arcadia is a container for trillions of souls! It's a power that cannot hope to be controlled! Darrel must certainly have known the risks involved in absorbing it!"
"His weapons were broken! He didn't have a choice!"
"There is always a choice!"
"Like you gave him a choice to come here?! To a world that would kill him in a heartbeat?!"
I expected Kimba to raise a fist and strike me hard. Punish me for speaking out against her. But instead, Kimba sighed.
"Yang… all our choices have impacts on the fabric of reality. There isn't a day that goes by when I think if it was right to give Darrel the Fragment. But after the events of today… I just don't know anymore. You're right, I did rip apart an already broken family to satisfy my needs. And every day I think back to that, I wonder if it was right."
Kimba looked over her shoulder, clearly thinking about Darrel. I just rubbed my arm uncomfortably, trying to think about how Kimba must be feeling. But at that moment, a thought occurred to me.
"Wait… Darrel's soul is Terran, I get that. But why did you say his body was Remnant-borne?"
Kimba looked up in surprise, clearly startled at my question, before looking away.
"Darrel's body is a vessel, much like yours or mine. However, it was born without any soul tied to it upon its creation. Everything about the body—the Semblance, the physical abilities—everything about it was created to perfectly bond to a Terran soul. But I had a hand in the body's creation. The body is not my progeny, but… I still see it as such."
"The body's been implemented with a variety of safety measures. Reinforced bone density. Accelerated healing attributes. A microchip in the brain, which I can willfully access to communicate with Darrel via his thoughts. Along with a myriad of other enhancements that are either illegal, immoral, or impossible. Some even a combination of all three." She listed. Thinking back to all the injuries Darrel had sustained, it suddenly began to make sense. Professor Ozpin did say that most of the injuries Darrel had sustained against the giant Nevermore during our initiation were superficial, and he had managed to heal very quickly, able to fight a Boarbatusk the next day. There'd also been times when Darrel had spaced out, like he was deep in thought. When I'd offered him a relic during initiation. When Ruby charged at the Deathstalker. When we were trying to find out his Semblance. Along with a heap of other times…
It was starting to make sense.
"So you've had him on a leash the whole time?" I asked bitterly. Kimba shook her head.
"Darrel is a teenage human in an unfamiliar land, not my personal attack dog. I've let him live out the life he craved, ever since he had first seen your world."
"But why Darrel? Why not someone more capable? Terra has to have some kind of warriors like Huntsman and Huntresses, so-"
Kimba held up a hand.
"Much as I wish I could give a coherent answer to this, but… even I don't know. But I sense something… powerful… in his spirit. Like he has… lived beyond this existence."
"What do you mean?" I asked, but before Kimba could answer, I heard a voice calling out for a nurse. Before I could say anything, Kimba had restored her nurse's disguise, and looked to me.
"Yang, as much as this world needs Darrel… he needs you. Go to him." She whispered, before opening the door and walking down the hallway. I peeked out the door, watching her go, until she blended into the crowd at the end of the hallway, vanishing from sight. I sighed, and exited the room, walking down to where Darrel was resting, making a promise to myself as I made my way to the room.
Darrel wouldn't wake up with an empty chair behind him. For as long as it took, I would stay by his side.
Cool grass.
Birds chirping.
The rustling of leaves.
Slowly opening my eyes, I soon saw myself on a hill, with a gigantic tree looming over me. Quite a far cry from the ravaged town square I had seen before I had passed out. Pulling myself into a sitting position, the hill was the only feature on a grassy plain that stretched beyond the horizon. It reminded me of the moon's interior from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
Most of my clothes had been ripped to shreds, only leaving me in tattered pants. I looked over my body for any lasting injuries I'd taken, but somehow, my body was intact. Even the dislocated kneecap was in place, and there was no pain. It was as if, save for my clothing, I'd never even been in a life-threatening fight.
Getting to my feet, I saw a shimmering light in the distance. I tried to make out a shape to the disturbance, but nothing appeared to be familiar. Out of sheer curiosity, I ran over to the light, not caring about whether whatever was causing this shimmering to be friend or foe. As I drew closer, I finally saw what the light was emitting from.
From the light, a being stepped out. A female, with glowing skin, and brunette hair flowing to her shoulders.
"Darrel…"
I stopped dead. Who was this woman? How did she know my name? Both questions still went unanswered, as the woman glided closer and closer to me.
"You've fought so well. Suffered so much. But now, here, you stand in the realm of peace."
The woman circled around me, admiring my body and getting a good look at it. I eyed her warily, still not seeing a reason to trust her.
"I'm sure you have many questions for me. So ask, and I will do my best to answer." She finished, standing in front of me.
"Who are you? What is this place?"
The woman chuckled.
"I suppose I should expect these questions. After all, they would be my first as well. My name is Eve, and you stand in Arcadia. This place is where souls of the weary go when their journey is complete."
Eve? Arcadia? Could these two have any ties to the Fragment?
"So… is this place the afterlife?" I asked, looking around absently.
"In a way, yes. This is the place where the souls of the dead live on, but we share no concepts with heaven or hell. Anybody who passes on appears underneath that tree on the hill on the hill. I guide them on their way to eternal happiness. Any dream they desire, any want they wish, is granted unto them. We live happily, without fear, hunger, strife, or war." She explained.
"But what about evil people? Criminals? Killers? Historical figures like… Vlad the Impaler?" I asked. Eve held up a hand.
"You misunderstand the concept. Evil and good is a measure of the body. The soul is deeper, more personal than that. Whatever the soul desperately desires, whether the body knows it or not, will become their reality. Vlad the Impaler, for instance, was content with continuing his actions as he had done in life, but his soul's desire was to be known as a guardian to his possessions. Ever since, his realm has been one of chasing away plunderers and warding off looters." She answered.
"But… aren't they still a threat?" I asked. Eve shook her head.
"No. When a soul is, for lack of a better word, 'catalogued', their realm is closed off from any interference. They are sealed in their world. No way in. No way out. I am allowed to see within these pockets of isolation, but beyond that, they are sealed."
"But if you're still existing, then why haven't you gone to your dream realm?" I asked. She looked away, tears sparkling in her eyes.
"Because what I dream of cannot be accomplished: my love and I, free from conflict, happy and content in each other's arms." She whispered, her voice catching in her throat. Her love… why did that sound familiar?
"He died soon after I gave birth to our children. When my time came, I expected him to be here. But he has never appeared to me. Not before my arrival, and never since." She continued, wiping her eyes. I felt so sorry for this woman. To not be able to move on, anchored to Arcadia until her love returned to her… it would be a harrowing experience. It was a wonder that Eve had managed to-
Wait… Eve…
"You'll have to excuse me if I'm wrong, but your lover's name wouldn't happen to be Adam, would it?" I asked. Eve looked up, and gave me a bittersweet smile.
"You are correct. My partner in life, during the time of the Founders. He was such a good man. The heart of a lion, and the eyes of a hawk. He was a destined warrior, loyal and brave." Eve sighed, her eyes sparkling as she described her lover.
"Adam was the first to rebel against the Founders. He hated them with a passion. Humankind was their progeny, yet they saw fit to abuse us. He wanted humanity to have control over their own future, a future free from those monsters."
I nodded.
"I know. I've seen his diary." I cut in. Eve looked at me.
"So his journal still exists. Good. I am glad it found its way into your possession. Better it be in a Terran's hands than somebody else's." She smiled. I looked around absently, still trying to understand this place, this… Arcadia.
"Eve… why was it cast with a blood seal? Whenever I've shown it to anybody else, they can't see the writing." I asked. Eve put a hand on my shoulder, and looked at me gently.
"Adam began to write that diary shortly before he met me. As we communed in secret, I taught him the ways of the word, being the servant of a Founder scribe. Those days… they were amongst the happiest of my memory."
"But when war between human and Founder erupted, it became less of a diary, and more of a journal. Before every battle, after every fight, he would write in it, detailing every strategy and secret of battle. He cursed it with a blood seal to prevent anybody, other than himself from reading it. Only those of his bloodline have a chance of perusing the words written within." She explained.
"So, because I can read it… does that make me…?" I asked. Eve nodded.
"Of course. If you can read his journal, then you must be descended from us. It's only logical." She smiled.
"But… that makes no sense! Why would he curse it when any of his bloodline wouldn't be there to read it?" I asked. Eve looked away.
"Much as I wish I could give a coherent answer to this, but… even I don't know." She answered. I swore under my breath. So much for that answer. But before I had the chance to ask any other questions, a dull buzzing and a rhythmic beeping tingled in the back of my mind. I looked around, to see the grassy landscape fade away into whiteness.
"Hmm… it seems like your time isn't due yet, Darrel. Your body is calling to you."
I looked back to Eve, who was beginning to fade away.
"No! I still have so many questions!" I yelled. Eve just smiled, even as her body slowly faded away.
"You'll be fine, Darrel. I know you'll make all of humanity proud." She whispered, before disappearing entirely, taking the last of the landscape with her. I was left floating in the void of white, alone, afraid, and confused. The buzzing and beeping grew louder, until they were almost deafening.
So much white noise…
Weeks had passed since the Breach. The Vytal Festival was in full swing, but I wasn't about to leave just yet. Not when I had a vigil to maintain.
I had refused to leave this whole time. Nothing would move me. Not the threats of doctors, not the pleas of Ruby, Weiss or Blake. For as long as it took, this would end in two ways. Either Darrel would wake up with me beside him… or he'd be pronounced dead. No other alternatives.
"Still keeping watch?"
Ruby's voice sounded from the entryway, as the door slid open. I didn't turn to look at her. She just walked over, and waved a corn dog in my face.
"I got you some food!" She said. I just brushed it away nonchalantly, not even bothering to look at it.
"I'm not hungry."
"Sis, it's been weeks now. Darrel's still going to be here when we're done. Just take a-"
"No. I'm not going anywhere." I retorted. Ruby just put a hand on my shoulder.
"Yang, c'mon. People are wondering where you are. You haven't eaten in days. Just come and have some fun." She soothed. I just scoffed.
"Ruby…" I began, before being silenced with a finger on my lips.
"Ah-bup-bup-bup! No excuses. As team leader, I'm ordering you to come and have fun with us!" She exclaimed. I just looked at her, before rolling my eyes.
"Fine. But don't blame me when my mood ruins the day." I drawled. Ruby smiled, before grabbing my wrist and starting to drag me away.
"…hrrn…"
Wait… was that-? Wrenching my arm free from Ruby's grip, I dashed back to Darrel's side, and listened closely. Did I imagine it?
"…hrr…yang…"
No. He was moving. He slowly opened his eyes, and looked at me wearily.
"Yang?"
I wanted to speak. Truly, I did. But my voice caught in my throat, and I found myself crying uncontrollably, pulling Darrel into a tight hug. He weakly patted my back, and began to whisper in my ear that it was okay.
"Oh, um… I just remembered… I, uh, need to go and, uh… do this… important thing…" Ruby babbled, before speeding away. I didn't look to see her go.
All that mattered was that Darrel had come back to me. And no matter what happened, I would never let him go again.
Well, there you have it. My rendition of Volume 2. And what a ride it's been.
Of course, in case you're wondering how strictly I'll be following Volume 3's line of events... I only have this to say:
"Darrel's very presence can change everything, or nothing."
"It all depends on the power he possesses."
I'll let you figure that one out. Anyway, hoo-roo!