Merry Christmas, to all who celebrate! This chapter is technically set in mid-June, but because they're in Atlas (and it's 90% fluff) it's fitting for the season. Song rec for this chapter- Always Forever, by Cults. Anyway, hope y'all enjoy. Can I get a review for Christmas maybe?
Though the first two rounds were more fun than a challenge, the singles' gauntlet was Lazula's home. No chance of a numbers advantage, none of the gimmicks the arena afforded in the team and doubles rounds. Just two huntsmen, their weapons, and the roar of the stadium. Each of her three opponents were skilled, to be sure, but none could come close to matching her.
The drone of disapproval as her semifinal opponent fell made the spectators' feelings clear. Didn't matter. They shouldn't be surprised only one fight remained between her and the Championship Title. In a handful of minutes, she'd know which of the two standing before thousands, under multicolored spotlights that strobed and bounced to the music rattling the stadium, would be the last obstacle before her victory. Sterling, who two hours earlier eliminated Midas. Or Noxis.
She still didn't care much for the faunus, though he had, apparently, begun to come around. But even a reformed terrorist was preferable to Sterling.
"Listen," Sterling goaded from across the arena. "You're the only one standing between me and Lazula. We both know I'm winning, so why don't you just make this quick and easy, hm?
"I'm impressed," Noxis grumbled. "If you win, you'll have me pulling for Lazula."
"When."
Noxis cracked his neck, and pulled Renegade from his back.
The match was over within a couple of minutes. It looked promising for Sentinel at first, as Noxis's semblance warded off Sterling's blades. But once Sterling closed in to seal his semblance, Renegade had little hope of keeping up with his onslaught.
"Noxis Ezokami from Sentinel is eliminated! It's official– we have a rematch of Sterling Platton and Lazula Skye!"
A camera hovered in front of Lazula, and her face appeared on every screen. The world watched her glaring down upon him.
As always, there was a single day of rest between the singles' round gauntlet and the championship match. Aside from a late-morning jog, Lazula took it easy– napping, stretching, exploring the Tournament's healthier food options. She knew she could beat Sterling. His trick worked once, but now she knew, she had no intention of letting him touch her. Even if he did, she'd beaten worse. She'd survived worse.
She discovered, also, the purpose behind the massive glass jellybean she saw from almost every angle of the tournament grounds. It hosted all manner of events and affairs, including the Vytal Tournament's Prom. To one side, the dance hall looked out upon Atlas, upon the sea reflecting the green haze shifting in the sky. A half-moon reflected blue and silver across the otherwise dim dance floor, as did thousands of tiny mirrors splayed out across the ceiling like a tapestry of stars. The marble walkway into the palace split into four, which snaked and swirled between gardens and ponds, converging again at the spiral staircase into the venue.
Lazula waited for Lilly at its base in an indigo suit, both out of preference and the fact a suit better fit her shoulders. She had only waited a few minutes before her date arrived. White, softly-curled bangs framed her face, and feathered hair was tied behind her. She wore a maroon sheath dress, cut low enough maintaining eye contact was a matter of sheer willpower.
"You look lovely," the faunus greeted.
"I was just about to say the same thing." And the two continued up the crystal stairs, into the grand glass dome.
Lilly offered her hand when they made it to the hall. "Shall we dance?"
Lazula took it, and moved a step closer. She sighed and glanced aside, because her cover was blown already. "Yes, but I'll be honest. I have no idea how."
Lilly giggled, and twirled her hand so their fingers interlocked. "Just hold my hand, like this," she instructed, and stepped so close they nearly touched. Her other hand guided Lazula's to a gap in the fabric at her hip. "Hold me, like this. Then we just move with the music."
Lazula followed Lilly's lead. Glanced at other pairs, glanced over Lilly's shoulder, then back at Lilly– for a second at a time, as her face was inches away and even to Lazula the tension was palpable. Would it be too soon to kiss her? Is there such thing as 'too soon,' if they had already loved each other for years? She thought about all she had become– a killer, a savior, a monster, to some. But in that moment, she was Lazula Skye. Where two weeks earlier her palms washed in blood, felt her blade scourging flesh, they now felt the softness and warmth of a beautiful girl's skin.
"How does it feel, being back at the Vytal Tournament?" Lilly asked.
"The matches have been fun," Lazula replied. "Didn't miss anything else– besides this, I mean. I just enjoyed my time out of the stoplight– spot-slite– spite–" she cursed. "Spotlight."
Lilly's mischievous smirk somehow released even more butterflies into her chest. "Tongue-tied?"
"Apparently."
"I assure you, you have no reason to be nervous."
"I'm still surprised you aren't," Lazula replied. "You're one of the only people that doesn't see me as some monster."
"Of course I don't, Lazula. You're my best friend."
Lazula opened her mouth, closed it again, as she couldn't find words to describe how lucky she felt. She only held Lilly closer.
"Wait, that's Lazula Skye!"
"She's with a girl!"
"Dude, I so called it!"
It was nice while it lasted.
Eyes turned their way, then bodies, and cameras. The slow dance faded out, broke into a frenetic dance beat in time with the flash of a dozen Holobands. A moment from her dreams became a nightmare, a swirling hallucination of laughter, dirty looks, bodies closing in. One pair vying for their fifteen minutes of fame by coaxing up a reaction for the camera. Lazula had enough of the questions about Moka and souls, and turned to Lilly.
"I'm sorry, can we step outside?"
Lilly nodded, and Lazula held her hand so she wouldn't be lost to the crowd. The night air was crisp– welcoming after the stifled air inside. And the night sky above, so much deeper and truer than any likeness. They walked down the marble path. Lilly leaned into her as they stopped on a bridge over a koi pond, and they settled on a bench next to it, looking up at the sky. Lazula was comfortable in the silence. But she'd been meaning to say something for weeks. She'd never been all too sentimental, but found herself in the perfect place.
Her breath clouded before her face, and drifted away. "By the way," she started. "Back when you told me how you felt, and I said I wasn't ready for a relationship, I never meant to keep you in my back pocket, or string you along, or anything like that. I genuinely wasn't in a good place, but I'm doing so much better now." She lost all the confidence she fooled herself into. "So, I mean, if you're still interested…"
Lilly's hand rested on Lazula's thigh. "I am. Of course I am," she answered. The stars reflected in her eyes. "And I know, Lazula. Honestly, I should apologize for my horrific timing."
"It was pretty bad." Too harsh. "But it was nice to know. It gave me something else to work toward. I think I felt the same back then. Before that, even. I was just, you know, a mess." An odd, restless feeling crept into the back of her mind, as if someone had followed them. Her eyes flicked to a row of hedges. Nobody. No movement. Probably just her addled mind playing tricks on her. "But before we… get into anything, you should know what happened in there isn't a one-off thing. If we're together, I can't guarantee we'll have any privacy."
Lilly's smile persisted. "That seems like a small price to pay."
"I'm serious," Lazula insisted. "I get attention in public sometimes. And not all of it is good. You might end up harassed, and hated by people you've never met. You don't deserve it. You don't deserve any of it. But it might happen, and I need to know you understand."
"I do, Lazula. Thank you. But again, it's a small price to pay for you."
Lilly faced her, and the two were silent for a moment. Lazula turned to the reflection of stars on the pond, and felt Lilly's lips on her cheek. "O-Okay. Great," she stumbled. "So, do we go on dates now, or are we just…"
"I don't mind skipping the formalities, if you don't. I know I like you."
"...I know I like you too."
"Then I'm yours."
"And I'm yours."
Lilly leaned into her, and rested her head upon Lazula's shoulder. Her hair was an ethereal touch on her cheek, impossibly soft. She breathed in deep, and the rose of Lilly's perfume met her on the breeze.
"I don't mean to ruin the moment, but you seem a bit preoccupied," Lilly noted. "Is everything okay? Anything on your mind?"
Lazula bit her lip. In her mind's eye, blood soaked the front of Lilly's dress. Dyed its maroon black, soaked from chest to stomach. A scream that could've been her or a dying animal. One of the voices again. No– this felt different. She glanced again at the pond, saw a team of Organds pulling something from the water. Pale, and bloated. They zipped it in a bodybag.
Her eyes flicked back to the hedge.
"It's nothing."
"Are you sure? I hope you know you can tell me anything, Lazula."
Her breath clouded the air again. This time, it lingered. She wanted, desperately, to tell her. So someone besides herself would know who the "Golden Boy" really was. What Frontline really was. "Anything but this," she said. "I'm sorry, but it's not my secret to divulge."
"Okay. But if you ever do want to tell me, I'll listen."
They stayed outside for another few minutes, chatting, laughing, enjoying shared silence, until Lazula realized Lilly clutched arms covered in goosebumps. They made their way back down the path, and Lazula prepared herself for the crowded hall.
Midas blocked their path.
"Oh– hey you two!" he greeted. He wore his grinning mask, and his eyes pierced Lazula. "You made the right choice back there."
"...What?"
"I had to step out for air, too," he explained. Dark eyes flicked to Lilly. Back to Lazula. "Probably would have suffocated if I decided against it."
"Yeah. It's crowded," was all Lazula could manage. She didn't realize how hard she wrung her fist until Lilly's fingers brushed her white knuckles. She relaxed in Lilly's hand.
"We're going back in to brave it again," the faunus added. "Have a nice night!"
"You as well," Midas returned.
Lazula felt his eyes on them as they left.
The tournament grounds were all but abandoned for the night, settling into quiet tranquility beneath the night sky. The Northern Lights were out– not much more than a wisp of green halfway to the horizon. But Caspian hadn't seen them any other night, and stopped to admire between a gap in the trees. He saw them also in the glass jellybean looming over the grounds. Even at a distance, he heard the low reverb of bass from inside. And with it, felt a twinge of regret. He'd been sure he wanted to sit the dance out. But now, it looked as though they were all on a ship to the stars, and he had elected to stay behind. The girl he wanted to fly with was still in the hospital, anyway. He hadn't finished the thought about visiting her when her face appeared on his Holoscreen.
"Hello?"
"Hey! Did you end up going to the dance?"
"Nope. Didn't feel like it, so I'm just out on a walk. I was actually thinking about visiting you."
"No need– I just got discharged! Are you free to hang out?"
"That's great! And right now?"
"If you're not busy?" she inquired. "I'm just hanging out in the lobby."
"I'll be there in ten!"
Caspian passed closed-down vendors and an empty beer garden on his way to the cliff. A two-minute elevator ride, and he was on the campus of Atlas Academy, due for their hospital. He would have dressed a bit nicer if he knew he'd see her, as he only wore khakis and a charcoal sweater. But Moka wore leggings and a white hoodie from prep school, and according to her smile and hug she didn't care.
As they stepped outside together, Moka turned to the haze above the Northern horizon. "Ooh, so pretty," she noted. But Caspian sensed the hint of disappointment at their subtlety.
They continued on around the outer ring of Atlas Academy, closest to the cliff's edge. Along the way, Caspian would glance at the lights. He hoped he wasn't imagining how they grew brighter, ever so slightly. How purples and blues began to flick and waver at the fringe of the green glow. Eventually Moka stopped at the fence spanning between the business school and a study center. Pines framed a patch of grass. A stamped-down path led to a flat boulder, beyond which Atlas, the mountains and the ocean spanned beneath them.
She grabbed the top of the fence, and pulled herself up so she sat upon it. "Hey! I bet we'd have a nice view from here."
Caspian looked at the sign an inch below her shoe. A stick figure fell from a black cliff. "WARNING: FALLING DANGER. NONE PERMITTED BEYOND THIS POINT."
"We'll be fine! Look, the rock's like, ten feet from the cliff." She hopped down the other side. "Nobody will see us!"
Caspian looked both ways to make sure she was right, and followed her over. And in the time it took to climb, and dust the dirt from his pants when he stumbled down the other side, the Northern Lights grew from the horizon until they bathed all of Atlas in their glow. From where they sat, the whole kingdom lay beneath them– even the ship to the stars reflecting wondrous light.
"Oh, wow..." Moka whispered.
They let the air hang silent, not daring to let any words disturb the perfect, glassy surface of the moment. Reflecting the stars, reflecting the neon haze that twirled and flicked between them.
"Welp. That's my bucket list. Guess I can die now."
Caspian's chuckle was loud with surprise. He heard it echo down the cliff. "Please don't. You've worried me enough already." He grimaced, cast his gaze down on the city. "For an hour or so, I thought I heard you die."
"I did," Moka blurted. The words came without ceremony, evacuated her before she had a chance to filter them. "For a second, then I came back. Lilly brought me back."
Caspian fell back into silence. He couldn't manage much more than a whisper. "I'm so glad you're still here."
"I am too. Life is… pretty beautiful. Despite everything, there's a lot to appreciate. I wouldn't trade it for the world." She looked down from the lights, to their aura across his face. "Thanks for looking out for me."
"What do you mean?"
"You helped me transfer to Atlas because you know how much I've wanted to see this," she answered. "Plus, I haven't been kicked out of school yet, thanks to you. I was above average on two of my finals. That's like, never happened before!"
"You're the one who earned those grades," Caspian contended. "Plus. It's the least I can do for you. If you hadn't helped me train, the Grimm probably would have torn me apart by now. I definitely wouldn't have beaten Mazin. Well, I-I guess I didn't beat him, but Noxis and I–"
"You don't have to be so humble! I watched you stop a hurricane– with a semblance you barely knew how to use!" Her tone softened. "And it's not just studying. It's not always easy to stay positive, and stay motivated. You've helped me a lot more than I think you realize. So…" He felt her arm behind his back and she pulled him in, nudging him with her head. "Thank you."
"Uh– of course." It felt too formal, yet not enough. But he didn't know what else to say.
"And, sitting in that hospital bed gave me some time to think. I think I figured out what I wanna do with my life– like, where I want to go after we graduate. I'm gonna try the PHL. But afterward, I want to be a physical therapist, or a personal trainer for women who have survived cancer."
"Wow, that's… really admirable. And I think you'll do great." He pushed his glasses further up his nose. "I'll be there to help, if you ever need it."
Their conversation began with just under a foot to separate them. But during it she inched closer, subtly enough Caspian didn't notice until the length of their thighs touched. And when he moved his leg aside, thinking it may have been some accident on one of their parts, hers followed and they remained touching. Rowan's locker room talk returned to him. Was this a signal? Would there be any clearer signal? If life– especially their life as huntsmen– could be snuffed out so quickly, what was the point in waiting on certainty? He raised his hand, and slowly, subtly, began to stretch an arm across Moka's back.
Her tail flicked when he brushed it. He pulled his hand back.
He thought he saw the faunus glance at him out of the corner of his eye. Thought he saw her smile. But he faced forward and faced up, pretending the lights were what transfixed him. The charade kept up for a minute or two, and after the third time she turned to him, he did the same. They shared a smile.
He didn't know who moved first. Only that her head tilted up to his, his head tilted down to hers, and they moved closer, closer still, until their lips met. He only hoped she couldn't feel his heart pounding in his throat.
Every last stubborn doubt dissolved as she held their kiss, pushed back against him, and pulled away with a smile. Their eyes opened in unison– inches apart, but connected. She moved forward again, and he felt her smile on his lips.
But when she pulled away, his elation faded, because she suddenly looked as if she'd been caught doing something terrible.
"I'm sorry– was that too much?"
"No, that… that was good. Really good."
"Cool. Cool-cool. Cool."
He was bold enough to put his arm around her now. That was about the clearest signal she could have asked for. He did, and she leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that, silent and feeling each others' warmth in a cold breeze, for several minutes. Then a voice spoke from behind them.
"Excuse me, you two. For your own safety, please come back behind the fence."
They silently agreed on one more kiss, and followed the android's order.