"You surprise me." Madam Merci rolled her wrist, and her smile never once fell; in fact, it appeared to stretch. "Not a peep." Setting down the instrument of pain and running her finger over it, she sighed. "Not even from my favorite toy~"
Ruby chose not to dignify her complaint with a cry, even as the blood dribbled and dried from freshly opened wounds. Believing she'd avoided the brunt of trouble by going along with them had been a mistake, she could see that now, but unlike what these bastards believed: Ruby had suffered worse tortures than a simple knife.
Even its serrated edge did nothing for her; not with its ripping, and certainly not with its rust.
"Such a strong will you have." The side-eye hung just a little too long on her to be brushed off, and Ruby knew she was in for more 'fun'. "I was right: you are just my type~" Swaying her hips as she walked, Ruby merely clenched her teeth as the side of her cheek was kissed: those kisses soon twirled into whispers and temptation. "You know, this can all be stifled if you just give me what I want."
Ruby's 'response' was to simply spit the very moment Merci leaned back. The glob landed just on the side of her cheek, and while the blind whore and the brigand behind just about leapt, Merci raised her hand, and once more a pleasant look befell her face. The expressive peace became gratitude, and Ruby found herself reviled as the woman's tongue lapped up the saliva, smearing it across her upper lip.
Both hands cupped her cheeks, and Ruby's head was tilted backwards.
"What a wonderful gift... perhaps you'd like one from me~"
Her lower jaw looked to almost disconnect as it stretched, and while her mouth was relatively low in position to her sight, Ruby could see the line of drool melt down agonizingly steady. That alone was gross, but when a violet tinge dripped from her fangs into the mix, marring it with a vein of what was almost certainly more toxin, Ruby found herself stressed. Had she not immediately been clapped with a collar upon her arrival into the chamber, she'd have used her semblance to escape. The damn thing was restricting her aura, and regrettably, it was here when Ruby realized she should have just fought back when she had the chance.
All thoughts were dulled as the tangy slime met her tongue.
Finding herself sickened, Ruby struggled and tried to pull away, but the iron-clad grip on her maw was absolute; not an inch of wiggle room was available, and so she was forced to accept the 'gift' given to her. It pooled in her mouth, and nearly began to leak down the corners of her lips...
Until she swallowed.
One of the first things done to her after being collared was the stab. It was a quaint little blade, a needle of sorts even, which pierced her upper neck along its side. Instantly her body felt heavy, but she never passed out: this was lax poison, meant only to restrain and weaken, not kill.
It seemed good at first... until she was laid up and strapped to the chair.
Now, one would expect her to be searched for anything useful, like say, a wallet or some notes; perhaps even other possessions. But no, she merely had her clothing partially stripped, just enough to leave her arms and legs bare, but still having the more sensitive bits covered. Apparently, Madam Merci was akin to her name, at least in that sense, but seeing the barbed knife lined with teeth being dipped into a somewhat golden liquid told Ruby exactly what was going on. Before that though, Merci picked up a strange looking bit of metal, and clipped it over her nose.
Leaving her mouth as the only airway left.
Drinking all the slime down was just as sickening as many would assume, but not in the way most people would assume. The mixture of venom and spit was... wrong, but it alone didn't cause that heaving many others would get when something awful met with their tongues. Unlike sour milk, or even rancid salsa: the gooey slosh puddling in her mouth was sweet. Ruby could make out raspberries mixed with cream, pungent in the aroma of musky salty sweat.
The fact its flavor was succulent, almost addicting even, was what set her on edge most of all.
Seeing as her mouth was the only breathable airway, however, had her gulping down the puddle of spit just to breathe again, and seeing her emptied cheeks appeared to have done something for Merci, who let go and backed away with a perverse grin.
"Good girl~ What a very good girl~" A series of giggles interrupted Ruby's sputtering and coughing. Try as she might, her body refused to let go of the 'reward' so graciously fed to it. "See: I knew you'd like it. Even as a woman of many years, your body still knows what it wants. Lucky you~"
"W-what *cough* what did you do?!"
"Oh, don't get so fussy: my juices only hurt if I want them to." Stepping back, Merci snapped her fingers, and the man of the trio pushed one of the nearby iron chairs behind her, and thus the woman sat; crossing one leg over the other as she reclined. "You offered me a present, and so I repaid that kindness with one of my own."
"What?" Her eyes were becoming heavy, and Ruby realized her voice tipped off at the end. She looked up at Mercy, despite her body wanting to collapse into herself, and saw the soft expression stitched into her face; even as her response slipped out; who, like the sight alone, became blurred from fatigue.
"Think of it like riding a horse: just scamper on up, and rescue my little boy for me. Fulfill my desire."
Everything evaporated after the final words fell.
.
.
"What do you want?"
I had no time, nor patience, for the thing before me.
"Anger: it's not apathy. So, with this in mind, I suppose my presence matters more to you than most, if you're willing to whistle up emotion that is."
"You've brought with you nothing but worrisome mysteries and spoiled memories; forgive me if I'm not so trusting of the entity speaking in riddles. Or, perhaps you're here to prove otherwise?"
"The apologies are mine, as unfortunate as it is to say." I watched as he took several slithering steps through the water, who against all odds, refused to splash. It ignored him, painting his presence as ghostly as himself, and at this point, I came to the understanding that I was hardly moved by my copy.
I didn't harden my defenses this time, as I had before, but instead took a moment to consider the meeting aloud.
"What's drawn your attention this time? I doubt this is something so mundane as a friendly visit."
"Correct, although I wouldn't mind having the chance to speak with you... personally~" I did nothing as he cupped my cheek, sliding the hand down my chin and throat, stopping just above my heart as he leaned in. A light giggle rang into my ears, and he pulled away with a sigh. "Disappointingly, I'm forbidden from such simple joys."
"Of course." Despite what my lifeless words presented, I took a miniscule amount of satisfaction in the knowledge he remained so predictable. At least now I knew he only showed himself when things were either bad, or about to be. "Then what is it?"
"You're stagnating again." He shook his head, tapping a single foot impatiently as if awaiting important news. "I'll be fair though, you were hung up on your recent evolution, but that is no excuse for refusing the journey's call."
Evolution?
Questioning him was more likely than not to lead me down a dead end, as opposed to the answers I sought, and so I chose to challenge his accusation instead.
"I'm closer to Salem now than I ever was."
"Yes, you are, and yet you've come to a stop."
"I can-"
"-Do no more until the general obtains information?" He chuckled, apparently amused with stealing the words from my mouth. "Partially true, and yet you suspect her followers are near."
Right again, although seeing as he drew on a scheming smirk, I refrained from action: letting him carry on with his speech.
"However, with that being the case, you must also know said followers carry information on her as well. And so, I beg the question: what keeps you from seeking them out, and ripping those answers from their bloodied, battered bodies?"
"I don't know where they are." It was true, and yet there was an inkling in the back of my mind. Annoyingly, he knew this as well, and like before, my copy called me out on it.
"But they're still here. And, to put it as bluntly as possible, they've shown themselves 'reactive' towards your presence and actions. Finding one of them would be child's play if you simply start up some drama, and what better drama can there be than presenting yourself to the public?"
His smile fell somewhat, tumbling down into a more desire-driven face. Licking his lower lip, he let the tongue hold near the end for a second longer than it needed to before picking back up.
"Atlas and Robyn may have kept your presence secret from the kingdom, but unlike in Mistral, where crooks control the streets and crime is a mere way of life: the people here are more sensitive to those who do wrong."
"It wasn't me." True enough, and yet I knew it was a flimsy excuse.
"Of course, of course... and yet, the people themselves don't know." His giggle plucked at my few remaining senses, drawing up a nostalgic anger towards the spirit. "Before, you were accompanied by those of high standing: Ruby and her little friends are recognised heroes, whereas we are mere monsters. Seeing us with them, then, is cause for wonder. They make up whatever explanations they need to avoid confrontation, and then go on with their day as if nothing happened. Without them around, though, you'll find no such hesitation."
"And still, you come to me, asking me to 'move forward'." I got him; I finally got him. "All the while giving me validation to remain where I stand. Then, I ask, why should I compromise myself for the sake of speed? What reason do I have to rush ahead, instead of just awaiting a better chance?"
My oral victory drew from him a calm expression of sloth - something I had not expected.
"You've grown into a negotiator; good. Soon enough you'll be ready, although 'negotiation' won't be necessary by that point."I saw him slouch on one leg, his grin tauntingly stale. "Was that little speech you presented to Roman just a slice of practice, conceived to train the skills needed to try and pull the wool over my eyes?" He raised his hands, giving a short series of claps. "What an interesting thing it was too: an argument designed to imply evil's connection to Humanity... and yet, it somehow led to the concept being deemed evil itself. Quite the laugh there~"
Somehow, his praise-coated taunt did nothing for me; I never even felt any anger at it. The clapping tipped off, and he started speaking clearly again.
"It was certainly much better than the reassurance you offered Pyrrha, although it didn't need to be all that well executed now did it? Not back at Haven. Her awakening by our hands was enough to fry her mind to the point where she'd accept anything at all, regardless of truth or reasoning."
Right there, veiled under another insult was a topic presented to me, and I knew then I needed the answers.
"What do you mean by 'awakening'?"
He laughed once more, lightly, with an almost dismissive aura permeating around him.
"You've seen the changes, yes? The alterations brought on by her rescue... did you really think they were just the side effect of your attempt to salvage her life?" For a second, a split moment even and right before he answered, I spied his cheeky mask crack. "Had it only been so simple to resurrect the dead~ No, it was so much more than that. Ignoring the fact you slashed off one of the mother's tasks from the list: by saving Pyrrha's life, you'd inadvertently given her something else in return. You awakened her memories... before infecting her with ours."
"What?" I... honestly, I was more baffled than anything, and seeing as the bewilderment pulsed just as strong as my highest peaking rage, I considered that quite a large deal.
"You woke her up: Pyrrha can remember now, and not just her own memories either, but part of ours as well: before we were born. Memory is a peculiar thing, running deeper than mere flesh and bone: it is engraved within the core of our very souls, and a primal facet of the spirit itself. Giving her the ability to recall memories no longer relevant… that alone would have been too much for her mortal mind to comprehend, but seeing as you infected her with our essence to keep her alive, she also gained the ability to see something beyond just her own."
Given ample time, I was certain I'd decipher what he just explained, but that was time not yet spent. And, seeing as he seemed content now with his words, I decided to bring us back around to the main issue. Our memories; awakening; mother's tasks; I knew nothing of these, and yet I understood I would discover the answers in time.
"I see. However, despite this, you've yet to give me a reason for actively seeking trouble. Maybe I'll understand what you've said later on, but I still don't know why I should chase after Salem right now, when I know I'll face her eventually."
This caused him to lean sideways a little, clasping his hands in a brisk manner.
"Then perhaps all you need is a little motivation: say… a deal?"
This peaked my brown, and I called on it.
"What kind of deal?"
"It's fairly simple: the farther you travel along the path of our purpose, the more secrets I will divulge."
"I don't believe you." Not even for a second was I buying that. "You've spent the entirety of our time together dodging questions and spewing riddles. Why should I trust you to speak clearly now?"
"I need you to move, 'We' need to move. Stagnate, and we'll never meet our destiny. Remnant will die: again, and again, and again. I cannot say too much, otherwise I risk throwing us from the path, but I'll lay out the seeds, and you - being the curious little cat I know you are - will follow them. I promise it won't be a waste: you'll get your answers, and with it… true freedom."
The air itself shifted, somehow feeling a little less dense, and I saw probably the only genuine look of guilt my other had ever bore. It burned, more than I wanted to admit, and shadowed me in a storm of doubts.
"Oh, but don't misunderstand: I'm not asking you to betray your allies. Quite the opposite in fact. I'm merely suggesting you 'steer' them in the right direction; they listen to your input, after all."
"You ask me to manipulate them?"
"That's quite a strong word: manipulate. Personally, I'd more or less call it… offering suggestions. Just sprinkle in whatever ideas or comments you know will get them going. Say, telling them you believe Cinder is plotting something nearby, and that you yourself wish to investigate."
"Call it whatever you will, but it's still the same." He just smiled, and I bit back a snarl. Easing off the little emotion I'd brought up, I let it fizzle out; the same as all other feelings did. "Fine. Go on now, indulge me with this 'secret' of yours."
"Very well."
Holding out his hands, he brought it up to his face, blowing lightly at nothing. He'd made it out as if he'd taken hold of something, before throwing his hands wide and letting them fall.
"Imagine now, for a moment, a child and their parents. Imagine that, through their guidance, the little one was growing strong. But, by some poor circumstance, the child upset their guardians, and thus, those elders left the little one alone: abandoning it. Through the miracle of perseverance, it stays alive, growing into a strong and stable adult, only then for the parents who left it alone to return. How would that child feel?"
"Where are you going with this?"
"They'd be fairly upset, yes, and rightfully so." He ignored me, although I guess it wasn't all that shocking: he wanted to speak, and so he would. "And, should the parents choose to present rules and guidance again, the newly grown adult would be most dismissive of it. Consider this the state of Remnant: an abandoned child rebelling against its parents. Their rules and wishes are not its rules and wishes. It alone dictates its being, not those who left it behind. And so, when they exert their power, it can choose either to allow it, or ignore it; tossing it aside."
I felt it again, that pulling of wake, and the slithering darkness crawling along my skin sought to cut our time short. My other was granted a few parting moments however, and as he fell back, merging with the water at our feet, he passed off his final statement.
"It will not relent, and its fundamentals cannot be changed by 'their will' alone. Vessels are needed"
.
.
"Pebble... Little one. Where did you go?"
He could hear them calling out for them, and being perfectly clear overall, he kind of felt a little bad for leaving them back at what he'd dubbed the 'game room'. In actuality, he'd abandoned the living quarters solely out of curiosity. While both of the pretty ladies were fun to play with, he grew a little bored of winning all the time.
Sighing to himself, he turned and continued his trek up the stairs.
It wasn't that he didn't want to play with them, but it was clear they were letting him win - that, and they wanted him to go to bed now, but he wasn't tired. While he may have been young, that didn't mean he wanted all his victories handed over like candy. He liked to think he had at least a little wit; it was just unfortunate both the women didn't give him the chance to demonstrate that earlier. And, while he liked the tingly feeling he got when looking at them, Pebble ultimately decided he'd explore the mansion for a more interesting form of entertainment, before they sent him to bed proper.
He'd return to them soon enough anyway; either that, or they'd find and probably scold him - if they could manage to stop with the coddling that was.
Elegant woodworks made up most of everything in sight, with fine velvet rugs accented in golds and emerald colors. There were a few ornaments depicting a symbol of a rose, but they were scarce, and clashed somewhat with the rest of the atmosphere depicted by the style of the home; even Pebble could tell they were added later on in its life.
Coming to the upper hallway, he found himself carrying on straight ahead, letting his head shift back and forth, drawn by each and every door that lined it. From what he'd figured so far, these rooms led to different bedrooms for the servants, who at the moment were supposedly out committing to the final nightly tasks. Pebble didn't know what these tasks were, and probably didn't want to know either, so with this in mind he made it to the back of the hall, and seeing a window so perfectly placed, gazed out at the open view.
The city looked kind of like mold from his position, creeping up a jagged wall of cliffsides. It was kind of funny how much of it blended together, despite most of the homes appearing to not once block a single tree or such. Apparently, the people here respected the trees, and the big one lording over everyone was especially important.
This was, in truth, irrelevant to Pebble, who grew bored after a few minutes of looking out at the city.
He stepped back, and then turned his sights towards the rest of the hall. The window marked a curve in the path, a sudden redirection of trail to follow, and so he did, carrying on down another hall. The mansion was huge, much bigger than it needed to be if he were honest, and yet it stood as a testament to the owner's wealth... supposedly. Pebble never cared for any of that, and as far as he was concerned, there were two types of people in life: those who earned, and those who stole.
Before his meeting with Ruby, he was part of the latter, but since then he'd become more of the former: when taking into account his little journey in the snow. Seeing the world from a prospective outside of thieving to survive was exhilarating for the boy, and even now he sometimes wondered just what his life would be like now had he not escaped that trapping of destruction.
These considerations didn't get the chance to overstay their welcome however, as he came to a short stairway dipping into the left wall, and seeing a single door at the top isolated and all alone, he chose that as his point of interest.
Climbing up those stairs had been the easy part, but getting inside, now that was a challenge.
The door was, as he suspected the moment he saw it, locked, and being without the key meant he had no easy way inside... had he not been an excellent lockpicker in his own right. Even now, despite being with Ruby, he carried with him a pick at all times, and seeing the door as a challenge, he opted to tackle it as swiftly as possible; perhaps he'd break his record speed this time.
Unfortunately, he did not break his record, but he tied it, so that at least made him a little happy.
Stepping inside, he closed the door as easily as he could behind him: noise would alert potential searching parties below, and he wanted to enjoy his time here before being scolded for running off into mischief. What greeted him as he turned around to look was a fairly cozy little bedroom, with the largest things in it being both the bed, and the fireplace parallel to it. The color scheme remained the same, but there was a solid rug on the floor which looked to be a solid white.
It matched the woman sitting in the rocking chair, staring out the large window and into the night.
"Hmm? Who's there?" Her voice was frail, almost lost in how it tumbled against all the hardwood surfaces, ricocheting faintly in a desperate attempt to escape its source.
"S-sorry." Pebble nearly clapped his hands over his mouth; the response was automatic. Ever since joining with Ruby, she'd taken to teaching him a few manners, but unlike with Blossom, he'd been given more instances to actually use them.
"I don't recognise your voice..." She paused, breathing carefully, and then started up again. "Please, come over here: I wish to meet you."
Pebble wasn't sure if he should do it, but he was staying at her home; if this was who he thought she was. And so, carefully, he approached, until he passed by the chair and set his eyes upon her face. The woman did the same, but rather than showing any signs of irritation like he'd thought, she bore a more curious look.
"A child?" Her eyelids drooped a little, somewhat soft. "Please, would you offer me your name?"
"Pebble." It came out easily, far too easily even, but the boy considered it more of a reflex by now. She didn't look dangerous, and she hadn't yelled at him yet, so he felt a little more comfortable identifying himself.
"Pebble... yes." A tiny smile appeared to creep softly across her cheeks. "It is a fitting name. Pebble, may I ask what brought you here? I don't get many visitors of your kind."
"I'm sorry." He apologized again, still managing to keep his eyes intertwined with hers. "I was curious about what this room was. I didn't mean to get in the way."
She slightly shook her head.
"Worry not, you're hardly in the way. To tell you the truth, I quite enjoy this: it's a refreshing change of pace." She patted her lap: a spot just before the bump in her belly. "Would you like to sit with me?"
"I would, but..." He eyed the plump bulge below her chest. He wasn't an entirely ignorant kid: he knew full well that she had a baby in her, and that it could be hurt if the woman herself was hurt.
Apparently, the woman saw this, and gave her bulge a few rubs.
"My babe will be fine, I promise."
She once more beckoned him, and seeing this, Pebble surrendered: climbing up carefully and sitting as gently as he could. She placed her arms around him, looking out at the night sky. Something about the woman gave off an air of sadness, one that had Pebble a little worried. She had everything she could ever want, at least as far as he understood; a big mansion, a series of servants, and even a family.
So why did she feel so distant?
"The stars are nice tonight." Pebble tried his best to alleviate the dire mood, but it seemed he chose the wrong topic, as rather than perk up, her voice was smooth and regretful.
"They are. Believe it or not, I've had others tell me they're tied to the people of the world: that, for each star in the sky, a baby is born."
"Really?" Rather than feel upset at failing to lighten the mood, the boy chose to instead carry her conversation, even if it was just responding to questions.
"Oh yes. And, from what they say, that star will follow the person throughout their whole life: always watching over them... until the day they pass, where they're guided into the life beyond by that very star." That particular final bit was paired with a scarce drop in restraint, as Pebble could nearly make out a sob that followed it. With this, it was easy for him to discern she'd lost someone dear to her. Pebble knew what that was like, and in a way, it made him feel somewhat close with her.
"Then, does that mean my mom made it there okay?"
This seemed to somewhat stagger the woman, who's breath hitched a bit.
"You've lost your mother?"
"Yeah." He had no trouble admitting it, even if it hurt. "It was a long time ago though, so it doesn't hurt as much to remember. I have another mom now… but, that doesn't mean I forgot my first mom. Sometimes I feel bad when I remember her, but I also know she'd want me to be happy too, so I try my best to be happy for her."
He wasn't sure why he admitted that, but he'd seen other adults in his life speak about things like that too, and they always looked a little happy afterwards. With any luck, the same rules would apply to the woman here, and apparently, luck indeed was on his side tonight, as she didn't sound so sad this time.
"That's nice. Many children would try to forget what makes them sad, but to me, it sounds like you choose to remember."
"Yeah." He had no issues admitting that either. "I have to remember her: I liked my first mom, and even though remembering she died makes me sad, I don't want to forget her either, because she means a lot to me."
It was here the boy felt something drip on his hand, and finally turning back to look her in the eye, he saw her crying face. It was weird really: she cried, and yet she was smiling. Feeling a small bit of panic shoot through him, Pebble searched his brain for a way to hopefully cheer her up; from his best guess, he'd slipped up badly, and now she was worse than ever.
Before she had a moment to speak, the idea he sought came into the light, and so the boy pulled from his wrist a small bracelet: the sibling to the one he gave Ruby.
"Here." He insisted, holding the small string of miniature feathers and bones towards her face. "Have this."
Wordlessly, she took it, and observed it. Pebble, wasting no time whatsoever, attempted once more to cheer her up.
"It's a good luck charm I made: it'll help you when you're going through something bad."
"I..." Letting the shock fade, she settled into a more peaceful expression. "Thank you." She slipped it onto her wrist, wrapping that one arm around her belly as the other continued to pull him in. "I'll treasure it."
Pebble released a breath of relief; he'd somehow managed to swing things around. He could always make another bracelet after, so it was no great loss: he was just glad she liked it.
"You're welcome, miss...um..."
"Veronica, my name is Veronica."
"Thanks. You're welcome, Veronica." Somehow, that drew forth a stronger smile.
No more conversation continued past that point, just the peaceful observation of the stars. At some point the little boy drifted off to sleep, and unknown to him, Veronica slowly stood, taking him with her, and tucking him into bed. And at that point, she joined him. With both having drifted off into dreamland, none of them noticed when the women from before entered the room, desperate in their search for the child, only to see him huddled up with the lady of the house.
A set of peaceful grins were shared, and they left: leaving the pair be.
Author's note
...
I always think this will be a short chapter, and then the last segment will stretch on.
This time, we get to see Ruby go through a torture session; although really, it's more disgusting that painful. Follow this up with V arguing - and losing, somewhat - to the source of his upgrades so far. Finally, we top it off with someone who hasn't shown himself for quite a bit.
Yes, Pebble is still relevant, and I know a few of you were itching for his inclusion again; thankfully, in a less traumatizing scenario.
Once more, I'll inform you the site is still broken on my end, so I have no idea how many of you have managed to stick with this tale. Again, thank you all who suffered the incompetent execution of its first half, and I hope you'll see it through to the end.
As always, feel free to let me know what you think: good or bad, all are welcome.
Until next time.