A part of me wondered when I had grown so... sensitive.
The sky had changed over the past few days. Whereas before I had looked to it with indifferent contempt, now the vast expanse of stars took on a much brighter shine, and yet an underlying fear had etched it's way into my mind. Only after the recent realization that my plan would go ahead had I really stopped to think on how everything had changed.
Ever since I'd become comfortable at Beacon a small part of me found it increasingly difficult to let people go. Weiss and Sun were constant reminders to that, as they were present during the first major loss... Sienna. It was her passing that threw me for a loop, and brought me back to the old times where I would leave the world behind and lose my drive to do much of anything.
It was through the help of all of them that I removed myself from such a state. Kali; Blake; Weiss; Sun; along with several others they had managed to pull me from that destructive spiral and remind me of why I fought. However even they could not have caught onto what I had noticed only moments ago, when the same people I preached doom towards rose up and agreed to stand with me.
I feared for them.
Such a thing on it's own didn't hold much weight, and yet this was the first time I had honestly felt anything towards a group of people I not only had no relationship with, but had not even properly introduced myself to.
Many times I had saved others, and received aid in turn, however those moments I would often brush aside as I carried on with my business, with the thankful citizens soon to fade as a distant memory. I would feel a small amount of relief and happiness in their safety, but that was momentary and I would never come to think of them again. Every now and then I would be notified of the unfortunate loss of a town or family I had once protected, and I would feel nothing other than a small pity for the loss, but it was never personal.
Death was only natural, and yet now the very idea of losing these inconsequential innocents stung with a thorn of permanence; more than a temporary irritation.
Why can't I just let it go? These weren't friends I met and fought alongside, nor were they important figures of any stature. The citizens, while mundane and undeserving of suffering, should have just been an afterthought.
But they weren't.
I left other's to die before, I shoved them from my mind then, so why can't I do the same now?!
"Hey V, how are you holding up?" Weiss's voice wasn't as soft as previously, but it still held a sense of care and had been enough to pull me back into the world.
I felt fatigued as my hands stopped tearing at my skull and dropped back to the railing. "Tired."
"Yes, that is quite obvious, but I can tell there's more on your mind than just that." I heard her walk up and take a place next to me, and I turned to face her. The expression along her face told of the concern she felt, which was doubled as she spoke. "What's wrong."
A part of me wanted to clam up and tell her nothing, but I knew she wouldn't buy that and would keep pestering me anyways. I watched in silence as she waited for my response, looking at points irritated and jumpy behind her mask, and nevertheless she remained patient. After a solid minute I relented and allowed a small telling to escape into the nightly breeze.
"I'm just... conflicted on how I should feel." She seemed to understand somewhat as I caught a small glimmer of pity underneath the forced smile of patience. Still she remained quiet as I decided to carry on. "I've never really dealt with things like this, so I suppose it's all a little bit of a shock to me."
"Maybe, but I was under the impression you've made many decisions like this before, so what makes this one different?" Weiss asked, and I felt my gaze travel back to the door inside. I saw how Ghira and Kali seemed to speak with Mr. Quartz and the others, no doubt over a plan of action.
"I have." I couldn't hold back the small grimace as my mind wandered. "But back before I came here I was always able to push away any negative outcomes or ideas. I was able to witness others injured or even die without much impact, brushing it off as a necessity in the moment. I never really let myself harp over collateral damages so long as the plan succeeded, and even when it didn't I was still able to forget those who were hurt or lost with relative ease. Death was always so easy to ignore; a peaceful eventuality that everyone would be gifted with. But now... now it's different. I see the people with us now and it's just... I can't disregard the thought of them getting hurt. There's this swelling nausea in the back of my throat the more I think of it."
"Sounds to me like you're just worried about them bro." Sun's voice swelled from my other side, and I looked to him leaning back against the railing seemingly relaxed.
"And how long have you been here?" I asked as he crossed his arms behind his head, making the brands etched across his skin more prevalent in the moonlight.
"I came with Weiss, but she was the one to do the talking." I couldn't help but laugh at that. It seemed in my moment of weakness I had let my guard down. Sun smiled my way as he started up again. "That feeling in your gut by the way, that's fear my guy."
"Fear huh? I've been afraid plenty of times in my life before, but it was never quite like this." I said as Sun looked to me with a much more pleasant smile.
"Yeah, but it's not fear for something else like being afraid of the dark as a kid." Sun lowered his arms in a more relaxed manner at his sides. "It's more of an internal fear, a fear seated within... you know?" Sun's face took on more of a knowing edge as he turned to me fully with his arm lazily flopped over the edge of the railing he leaned against. "You said you've never really felt anything for others before, and now all of a sudden you care about what happens to people. That apparently random change scares you and you don't know what to make of it. If I had to guess I'd say a part of you feels conflicted on whether it's a bad thing or not, am I right?"
"Maybe..." It was kind of odd that Sun could predict such a thing, and yet he seemingly had the apparent topic already figured out. I wondered slightly if he had any prior experience.
Sun smirked and pulled away from the railing. "If you ask me I'd say it's a good thing. Sure it may help to press those feelings aside in dangerous situations, but those feelings of worry are what separate us from the Grimm and remind us that deep down we're still people."
I heard Weiss step away, and saw her stand next to Sun with a gentle smile. "He's right you know; only monsters have no feeling. Even if it hurts sometimes feelings of worry and sadness prove that we're still able to pull ourselves away from the world's darkness, no matter how much it may try to force us to change."
I looked at them as the light from inside illuminated their outline, as if they themselves were glowing, and a small smile found it's way to my lips followed by a chuckle. "I suppose I have you all to thank for my change in thought then huh?"
"Depends..." Sun wrapped an arm around Weiss's shoulder and pointed to her with his other hand. "But I think that honor belongs to a certain team of nosy gals."
Weiss simply rolled her eyes, and I found a small chuckle to tumble past my defences. "True. I guess you're all responsible for this all then."
"Personally..." Weiss stepped away from Sun, and the smiling man only shrugged. "I think it's a much better state of mind. I know all too well what it's like to stick yourself into a lonely world like that. It's a lifeless solitude."
"Sometimes that solitude is the only way to survive."
A dark pit opened up in my stomach as Sun looked to jump. I never recognised that voice, and turning to the side following it I caught sight of someone who shouldn't have been there; someone new. The woman turned, and I was able to fully witness the pale Grimm mask which obscured her features. Cloaked in a red and black garb who's hues looked to be fighting for dominance, her attire appeared as though it were nothing more than shredded scrap, and yet it held itself together in seemingly strained harmony.
"And just who are you?" Weiss remained calm, but a sour flow of venom scattered across her voice as her narrowed eyes looked to try and burn a hole through the mystery woman's mask, and in turn the figure chuckled.
"Who I am doesn't really matter girl." She set her focus on me. "No, what matters here is only one simple thing. Boy, I'll ask you just once; what is your name?"
My name? That was a tad heavy handed, it was as if she was trying to appear suspicious, however I felt a sense of apprehension either way. The fact that this woman wanted my name in particular was off-putting. For most such a demand while being creepy would be ultimately harmless, I however wasn't most people, and it showed that her question could only mean one thing.
She knew me, and by extent either Salem or Ozpin. Regardless of which and the dangers one outcome presented I played along either way.
"Vermillion Rose."
Although I didn't see her face the small flinch she gave spoke volumes. It felt as though she was smiling behind the mask, something that was exasperated as a few laughs slipped through.
"Yo hold up, Rose?" Sun's voice made clear his confusion, which was confirmed as I looked over to see both him and Weiss adorned in faces of mild - yet substantially minor - shock. "Like Ruby?" He squinted slightly. "V is there something you're not telling us?"
I didn't exactly understand what they were asking, only for Weiss to seemingly break said confusion. "It's common for people to share last names." She faced me. "You're not related to Ruby are you?"
Ruby Rose... I had to admit the fact that we shared last names was odd, and in a sense worrying the more I thought about it. There was only one Rose clan back in my time, and as such that did in a way lead to the potential of Ruby being related to me, especially considering her silver eyes. However I was certain Weiss and Sun had a different belief on how we were related. However time itself could lead to many different outcomes, and there was a high possibility that the name could pop up in other parts of the world with no relation to myself. Ruby might merely have just shared a name with me, and nothing more, however a small part of my mind itched in the other direction regardless. Yet before I could speak I was interrupted.
"He might be, but not in the way you think." The woman said, drawing a new slue of questions to raise in my mind. The way she worded it only sought to drift my concerns even further as it implied she knew more than even I was comfortable with.
"So I assume you know quite a bit about me?" I asked as the woman chuckled.
"Somewhat... the stories have shifted over the years, but a few prominent aspects of it remain solid, and one of said aspects is the name." The woman leaned back against the railing. "Vermillion Rose... as a kid I didn't take any of the old tales all too seriously, but that all changed when I met Summer Rose, at which point the old legends came to mind."
"Summer Rose?" I asked as the woman leaned lazily.
"Ruby's mother. She got together with Tai when I left." Before I could question anything I heard Weiss cry out.
"You're Yang's mom!"
"I take it my daughter mentioned me?" The question was passed out effortlessly without a care in the world.
Weiss sounded almost furious as she continued on. "She's been looking for you ever since you left! She's thrown herself into danger and practically raised Ruby when their father mentally broke!" Her eyes scrunched as shards of toxin ribbed her words. "A break that you caused by the way."
"She's told you quite a lot I see." The woman sounded more amused than anything. "Interesting, but ultimately useless."
"What..." Weiss spoke through grit teeth rendering the word garishly low.
"She'll see me soon, assuming she's strong enough at least." The woman lost her lax stance and stood up away from the railing. "Unfortunately that meeting is fast approaching."
"How so?" Weiss questioned once more, only for the woman to take a few steps towards me. She stopped as my claws extended. I stared into her mask, making clear that while I was apparently unarmed I was still just as capable as ever. For some reason I felt as though that excited her, as her tone shifted to a lighter pitch.
"Turns out trouble is fast approaching, and believe it or not we'll need to work together to make it out of this one. Luckily for you I'm here to bring you all back to your little friends."
"Bring us back?" Sun asked as he crossed his arms. "News flash lady, but we're already set to leave pretty soon anyway, so tough luck but your trip here was kind of pointless if it was just to fetch us."
"You're trip will take you weeks, perhaps even months, but I can get you there instantly." She held a cocky attitude which ticked Sun off a little bit, but I brushed that away as I questioned her.
"What do you mean 'instantly'?"
"My semblance allows me to create portals to people, that's how I got here to watch this little soap opera you were putting on earlier." She leaned on her back leg and crossed her arms. I could practically feel the smirk beat violently behind the mask. "Much quicker than a simple boat trip."
That was faster, and it would cut out much of the trouble on our end without having to plan for a weeks worth of rations and routing. However I felt there may be a catch. Even if we accepted her offer there was something I needed to confirm first.
I faced her once again. "How many people can be moved at once?"
"Fifteen minutes." Sun mumbled something low, although the woman ignored him. She placed a hand on her hip and went lax on one side. "I can keep my portals open for up to fifteen minutes at a time. At that point my aura will be too low to retain it any longer."
I felt a small smirk tug at the corner of my face; fifteen minutes was plenty. However despite the potentially good news I couldn't shake the feeling of distrust which had settled in the front of my mind. This woman had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and offered us help, and while I wasn't exactly keen on it I knew it would be best to go along as there was one major aspect of the whole scenario.
She knew too much about me to be ignored.
"So, what will it be?" The woman asked, and I looked over to Weiss and Sun. The two didn't exactly look all that pleased, but it seemed like the offer was just too good for even them to pass up. Weiss in particular gave a nod my way, and I called our decision.
Blake would definitely have something to say to us afterwards.
"Alright, we accept."
Author's note
...
Not long this time, but at the moment some things are going on. On the other hand I'm planning to change the summary again; even if the story is cryptic I feel at least the summary could be relatively straight forward.
This is it for now, catch you later.