A/N: Chapter 49 of REKT. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters and teams of my OCs: REKT, GTSY, KACE and DAZE.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 49: Destiny
Back in the dormitory...
There was an intermission since the arena had to be repaired so students loitered about, either talking to one another or grabbing some quick dinner. The sky was almost bleeding into dusk, so the professors could only hope that the arena would be repaired before the day ended; it was only a matter of time, but they assured the public that a notification would be sent out via Scroll. Pyrrha was nervous as she sat on her bed, hands in her lap. She witnessed both Yang's and Kairos' matches and the outcome of both matches just elevated her level of stress. Even Nora attempted to cheer her up the only way she knew how, by being herself.
"No more moping around!" She sounded like a drill sergeant, baring her teeth in a smile as Pyrrha slightly flinched. Hopping back a few feet the orange-haired huntress began to run through a bunch of push-ups, curl-ups and lunges. "We have to get your butt ready for the biggest fight of your life! It could be today! It could be tomorrow! One thing's for certain...you gotta be in tip top shape!"
"Um..."
"Despite her comedic routine, Nora's right." Ren walked through the door wearing the apron Nora gave him proudly over his normal attire. The words 'Please do nothing to the cook' almost forced a chuckle out through Pyrrha's mouth, but she quickly smothered it with a hand. "You can't let your concern for our friends hold you back. They did fight their matches to the end despite the outrageous outcome. You need to focus. You'll be representing Beacon Academy as well."
"Of course, I understand." The red-haired spartan replied.
"So here I am, here to present to you this blend of herbs of vegetables." He held out an almost full glass of green liquid. She didn't want to voice it but she swore there were a couple of bubbles rising from the inside. "It's filled with nutrients vital to your body's well being. You'll thank me later."
"Oh... that's-"
"No no, it's the least I could do." Ren smiled, obviously proud of himself for what he had created. "No need for thanks."
"Thank you?!" Nora spoke up, stink-eying the drink like it was some vile cretin. "Ugh, it looks like slime from a lake-bed! Look! What are those little particles still floating around in there?! It's unsanitary!"
"Algae contains numerous spectacular properties, I recommend it." Ren explained before holding the glass out towards her. "Here, see for yourself."
"Hurk!" After taking a decent size sip, Nora's face color changed to green and she darted to the nearby trash bin to retch the contents. Pyrrha, although she was sympathetic to her teammate's plight, couldn't help but smile at their silliness. Regaining her senses, Nora looked at Ren in an appalled manner. "What is wrong with you?!"
"Me? You're the one that wasted perfectly good juice." Ren said, offended by such a claim. He himself took a sip from the very same glass, unperturbed by the taste. "Do you know how long it took me to make such a thing?"
"We're supposed to help Pyrrha, not poison her!"
"There was absolutely nothing wrong with that."
"If it looks the same coming up as it does going down, then there's obviously something wrong!" Nora shot back, getting to her feet and glared at Ren playfully. Even though they tend to have their squabbles she knows deep down that the male was only doing what he felt was best based on his judgment. "You know I'm right this time! So there!"
"Hey guys, how about we all get some fresh air?" Jaune butted in, patting them both on the back. He had been standing near the door when the squabbling occurred and he could tell that Pyrrha was feeling uncomfortable about something. Catching her almost relief expression, he smiled in return.
"Hey there fire cracker." Meanwhile, Qrow dropped in to visit Yang with Zwei right on his heels. She was currently sitting on Blake's bed, gazing out the window to see Team JNPR strolling out to enjoy the town a bit. Ruby, Weiss and Blake hadn't returned but all three of them made sure to have their Scrolls on them at all times.
"Hey Qrow..." was the reply as Yang avoided his gaze. She barely acknowledged Zwei as the corgi laid by her feet, his nose bumping her leg.
"So...why'd you do it?"
"You know why." Yang replied, turning her head from the window to glare at him. It wasn't hard to know when the news was all over the incident like a moth to a flame. Even word on the street spread like wild fire as students gossip from one to the other.
"All I know is that you attacked a helpless kid. So either you're lying, or you're crazy."
"I'm NOT lying." Yang all but asserted with confidence, narrowing her eyes for good measure.
"Hm, crazy. Got it." Qrow nodded his head and peeled himself off the wall, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Not the finest things I've dealt with but...I'll take what I can get."
"Who knows? Maybe I am."
"And here I thought your dark haired friend was the emo one." Qrow jostled her out of playfulness, pacing around the room to keep himself occupied. "Oh the new things you learn every single day."
"I saw my mom...physically and not mentally like I had in a dream." Yang folded her arms over her lap as the dark-haired huntsman paced the room. At the mere mention of Raven, Qrow paused and glanced at his niece in surprise. "I-I was in a lot of trouble. Took a pretty hard hit to the head."
"And your partner continued that fight didn't she? The one who got her leg taken in the match I mean, poor kid."
"Yeah...when I came to, the person who attacked us had fled...and my mom was there. She saved us both. My sight was a bit blurred but I know that I saw...her. Her sword was just like the one in you and dad's old picture. I'd recognize it anywhere."
"Tch, you're not crazy, Yang." Qrow sighed, taking in the information as calmly as he could. Anything related to his sister was a touchy subject, especially for the brawler. "That was your mom, all right. Let me wager a guess. She didn't say a word, did she?"
"No...Kairos can also confirm that, seeing as she was probably more awake with my mom than I was." Yang then looked at him with wonder, "Wait, how did you know she was there?"
"Well, I don't see my sister very often, but she does try to keep in touch. In her own weird ways and whenever it suits her." Qrow laughed, running a hand through his dark locks. "I always gotta play by her rules sometimes if I want something out of her."
"You talked to her? That was real?! When?"
"Yeah, she found me. Surprise wasn't it? Sure surprised me to say the least. Turns out she had a tip for my most recent assignment, and wanted me to give you a message."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Yang looked extremely hurt.
"I was trying to wait for the right time. And this sure ain't it, but knowing me, trouble happens whenever I'm around." was the reply as Qrow gazed outside the window. Taking a deep breath he turned back to Yang, "You deserve to know, I guess. She wanted me to tell you that she saved you once. But you shouldn't expect that kindness again."
"Oh..."
"She also wanted to give your friend a message too, but I guess that'll have to wait. Losing a limb is quite...traumatizing to someone as young as her. I'll pay her a visit when I'm able to."
"...sure looked like it was. I couldn't imagine the pain she went through...and I still have to repay her for saving me as well."
"I'm sure you'll figure out a way to do that, but back to our situation. Raven's got an interesting way of looking at the world, definitely not by the standards of any social norms or things we get out of textbooks. And it's certainly one that I don't particularly agree with." Qrow shook his head, offering her a somewhat sympathetic smile. "Heed my warning Yang when I say this. Your mother is dangerous...but you're a tough egg, kiddo. You shouldn't let this silly tournament get you down for too long."
"You...you really think so?"
"I do. You had a slip-up and sometimes bad things happen when you don't want them to. I say it's time you move on and put it behind you."
"Move on to what exactly?" Yang questioned as her uncle took a seat on Weiss' bed. "What's there to do?"
"Well, Raven let some info slip before she took off like she always does. If you ever wanna track her down, I think I might be able to help."
At the infirmary...
"What's her status, doctor?" I asked, moving to greet the person who handled my teammate's recovery. After handing Kairos off to the medic, I followed closely behind before getting shut out. I had been forced to wait outside in the waiting area, my hands clasped together and nibbled on my lower lip. Efram and Timber had been by my side, drilling imaginary holes into the floor with their eyes until they decided to get some fresh air; the stuffiness and my anxiety wasn't helping them one bit. "Is she okay now?"
"Currently, Ms. Klein's life is in stable condition...and she regained consciousness although she's still a bit weak." The doctor spoke, flipping through the papers attached to the clipboard. "Unfortunately I'm unsure how to comprehend the...appendage that's currently created out of her Aura."
"What do you mean? What does her Aura have to do with anything?" I questioned, not following what he was saying.
"Follow me, your question shall be answered soon." He gestured and led me through a set of bolted corridors. The hallways felt like they stretched for miles but I noticed some kind of residue lingering within the rooms we pass by. When we got to the end, my skin prickled as a sudden heatwave came barreling out. After a few minutes it calmed down but I glanced over to see the doctor was adjusting what seemed to be a huge mitt over a hand.
"What's that for?"
"Well, after what happened to the other rooms I learned to not just reach out to grab the handle. Turns out she's not as weak as we first perceived." He knocked on the door, counted to ten before opening it up. There was semi-scorched marks on the floor and some of the marks even crawled up the wall like a tree's root. In the middle of the room Kairos stood erect and tall, her eyes staring at nothingness and fire flickered off her body. Her faunus ears were on alert and her tail twitched back and forth. That's when I noticed a huge solid clump of Aura forming in my mind where her left leg would be, it honestly looked as though she didn't lose the leg at all. "It seems like you're full of spirit."
"Doctor!" She whirled around and noticed that he was not alone. I could literally see the Aura threads going all over the place from within my mind. "R-Reina!" Immediately the flames extinguished themselves, she stumbled and fell to the ground. "Owww, that hurt!"
"Are you alright?!" I hurried to her side, helping her up. "You didn't hurt yourself too badly, did you?"
"Couldn't be better, although I should've been more careful." She replied as she held onto me. Pulling me in close she added with a shaky breath, "When I regained consciousness I panicked, thinking I was in some sort of enemy hideout. However, I had this reoccurring nightmare while I was in recovery...and within it I kept having more than just my leg removed."
Oh Kairos...I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly as she nuzzled her face against the crook of my neck and shoulder. Her body was trembling within my hold and nasty thoughts began to bubble within the depths of my mind. If only I had been faster...if only.
"Ingrid was there...she was there." She gripped my clothes tightly, tears appearing near the corner of her eyes. "She told me she'd take her time in the dismemberment, and she said you and the boys were next. She started on the right and ended on the left, slicing away to the point where I was barely conscious. But every time she stripped away a limb, it always grew back so it was a never ending cycle."
"I'm so sorry..."
"The only way I could get out...was forcing myself to wake up. To tell myself that it was all just a nightmare fueled by the fear nested within my subconsciousness. When I came through I found myself in a bed, surrounded by white-washed walls. At first the single thought I had was 'Was everyone else safe?' Knowing that Ingrid was out there has done nothing to quell this feeling of uneasiness."
"Forgive me for cutting this, but I believe the patient needs some more rest." The doctor spoke, alerting us to his still lingering presence. "While the level of Aura is still high, it does put physical strain on the host. Additional emotional strain is just as bad."
"Do you know what caused her to create something like that?" I turned to the doctor, keeping my arms around her waist to keep her calm. If I tried to let go she just held on tighter, afraid that the moment I left her side I would be attacked.
"If someone wants to do something with an ambitious desire...sometimes feelings transcends all logic." He explained, tucking the clipboard underneath his arm, gazing into the room with wonder. "Your partner's desire to stand and make use of herself burned her Aura to the point that it overflowed. Her leg is just the excessive amount oozing out. But don't worry, my guess is it'll continue to burn until she loses her life."
"Would it be better if we gave her a prosthetic limb instead of having her rely on her Aura" I questioned as I helped my teammate sit down on the bed. Taking what looked like a pen from his coat pocket, the doctor walked over and stuck just the tip into the red colored substance that outlined the taken limb. Immediately the tip glowed red and liquid metal dripped to the ground with a wet plop.
"As you can see, your partner doesn't like the idea and we even pitched it to her when she came around. And it was the only reason why a couple of rooms were eviscerated before we decided to transport her here." He quickly wiped up the mess and tossed the ruin pen in the trash. "We respect her wishes and decided to leave it at that. Should she decide to change her mind in the future, we'll be here for her."
"I see...thank you doctor for telling me." I thanked him and escorted him to the door. "May I stay here for a couple more minutes?"
"Take as long as you need, but I assume you have other things you wish to...deal with. Have a nice day, ladies." with that he left, the sound of his heels hitting the tiles soon disappeared down the hall. Taking a deep breath I turned on my heels and walked back to the bed, taking a seat on the sheets and reached out to place my hand over Kairos'. Her fingers laced through mine and squeezed gently, almost in appreciation for my presence.
"How's everything outside?" She asked me after a moment of comfortable silence, smiling a bit as I started drawing arbitrary circles on the back of her hand with my thumb. "Depending on how long I've been out, I can only assume that Pyrrha's match has either started or hasn't yet."
"They're still restoring the damaged arena, so technically there's an interlude. The ground fairs are going on to keep the students occupied, but after all that then Pyrrha will have her match. I'm kinda grateful for the interlude, gives off some kind of breathing room."
"I'm sure I don't need to tell you but..." Retracting her hand, she curled her fingers over the sheets with frustration. The damage she received from her fight had wedged a deep cut within her, something that isn't likely to heal anytime soon. "These mishaps...these unfortunate events that are happening within the tournament...they aren't mere coincidences. It's only a matter of time until the enemy makes their move."
"You think so too huh?" I replied, folding my hands over my lap. The thought was definitely an obnoxious itch within my mind, not to mention having a literal itch on my right shoulder. "Then what can we do...what is it that we can do? How do we stay steps ahead?"
"...I wish I could tell you...But, if only I was stronger..." The faunus sounded broken, reliving through her match and growing more unsure of herself. "If only I reacted fast enough...if only I was more aware of my surroundings, then I wouldn't have had to lose a part of myself."
"Don't berate yourself over something you had no control over. No one could have known that was going to happen...but there's one thing I know I'm grateful for." I leaned forward so our foreheads touched, a small smile on my face. "You're here and alive."
Outside the cafeteria...
Pyrrha leaned against the cool brick as she sat down, her eyes cast downwards at the cobble stones with an almost permanent frown on her face. Images of Amber in her unconscious state kept flashing in her mind. There was a rustling noise and she barely glanced at the maple leaf that fluttered to her feet. The vibrant autumn colors did nothing to cheer her mood; in fact it did the exact opposite and she just sighed with sadness.
"Hey." She looked up to see Jaune standing before her, a cotton candy in his hand. He extended it out for her to take like an offering, a sheepish smile on his face. "It's no green goop I can assure you, but I think it still might do some good."
"Um...right." She replied and took the food without enthusiasm. "Thank you, Jaune." Her frown didn't lessen up and his smile definitely started to fall. Turning his head he noticed Nora and Ren coming around the corner; the ginger-haired huntress had a skip in her step while the black-haired huntsman was slurping on his drink while carrying a large tub of popcorn.
"Um...come on, Ren! Let's go back to the fairgrounds!" Nora spoke once she caught the stressed look Jaune was giving her, catching her partner by the arm.
"Mmm?! A-Ah wait..!" Ren couldn't help but be dragged back by the overly rambunctious girl since his hands were quite full. "Nora! What's the rush?"
"I'll win you another stuffed animal! Your choice this time!"
"Okay, fine. But at least help me finish off the food first!" Soon their voices faded away and Jaune took a seat next to the spartan, keeping his eyes on her for a minute. Taking a breath he began speaking, keeping his tone light because he didn't want to frighten her.
"You know, you were the first person to ever believe in me. Even when I told my parents I was going to Beacon, they told me not to worry if I ended up having to move back home. How depressing is that?"
"I'm sure...they didn't mean-" Pyrrha let out a gasp, dropping the cotton candy when she felt a warm seeping up her right arm. Glancing down she noticed that Jaune had placed his hand over hers, fingers almost laced together but for now they were just touching. Eyes widening in surprise she looked at him in wonder, too shocked to find words.
"I guess I'm just trying to say that...you've always been there for me. Even when I didn't deserve it. And I can tell there's something weighing on your mind, ever since you came back from Ozpin's office, so...I dunno...how can I help you?" He looked at her, her mouth was still hanging from surprise. "How can I help alleviate some of the burden?"
"You've already done it." Pyrrha genuinely smiled for once, leaning her head against his shoulders and grateful for his company. Jaune smiled when he saw her smile and the two of them enjoyed the silence together. Another leaf fluttered down, lying over the first one to mimic them. After awhile, Pyrrha's brows furrowed and the frown began to set in. "Jaune?"
"Yeah?" He asked, watching her with concern as she lifted her head. He also noticed that she also removed her hand from his. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know what to do." She answered him, wrapping her arms around herself as if for self-reassurance. "I really don't..."
"W-What do you mean?"
"Do you believe in destiny?" She asked him after glancing at the sky.
"Um...I dunno." He said after mulling over the question. He's never been asked something like that before, so he was caught off guard. "I guess that depends on how you view it. How would you answer that question?"
"When I think of destiny...I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather...some sort of final goal. Something you work towards your entire life." Pyrrha paused, watching as a little gust of wind picked up, taking the leaves with it.
"Okay, uh...yeah. I can see that, sure."
"Well...what would you do if something came along that you never expected? Something that had the potential to stand between you and your destiny? Or what if you could suddenly fulfill your destiny in an instant, but at the cost of who you were?" There was so much passion and grief in Pyrrha's voice that Jaune couldn't help but stare at her. He knew she was troubled but he had no idea just how deep that trouble was.
"Pyrrha, please...you're not making any sense." Reaching out to comfort her, she instead stood up, turning her back to him.
"None of it makes sense! This isn't how things were supposed to turn out to be!"
"I'm sorry! For whatever it is that's upsetting you!" Jaune rose too, apologizing as if she was unhappy because he wasn't giving her the right answer. Maybe that was the case, he just didn't know any better. "Please, I-I'm just trying to understand what's going on."
"I've always felt as though I was destined to become a huntress. To protect the world from Grimm." Pyrrha said slowly, still keeping her back to him. She took a deep breath, sighed, and continued, "And it's become increasingly clear to me that my feelings were right. But...I don't know if I can do it."
"Of course you can." Jaune said firmly, watching as she turned to face him with the same sad expression on her face. He had never felt so confident, but he had to be for her. The only who believed him and helped him unlock his Aura. The very same one who helped improve his fighting skills one-on-one. "The Pyrrha Nikos I know would never back down from a challenge. And if you really believe it's your destiny to save the world, you can't let anything stand in your way." Unfortunately his answer only made the huntress cry and he did a double take, asking her if she was okay.
"Stop..." She spoke when he attempted to approach her, her hands covering her face. "Don't come any closer..."
"Did I say something wrong?" Jaune, not heeding her warning, reached out an arm. The moment he touched her, Pyrrha used her Semblance and sent him crashing into the wall with a loud smack. He tried to wiggle out but she had a pretty strong grip on his armor.
"Jaune!" Mortified by what she had done, she let him go, watching as he fell to the ground. "I'm..."
"P-P-Pyrrha..." He groaned, rising to his hands and knees and looking at her with an almost hurtful expression.
"I'm s-sorry!"
"Pyrrha!" Jaune called after her as she tearfully ran off, not looking over her shoulder. "Pyrrha wait!" When she was out of sight, he just hung his head in confusion. "What did I say? What did I do wrong?"
At the landing dock...
Ruby, tempting to clear her mind by taking a stroll, ended up seeing students and other past competitors loitering about having conversations to themselves. But what really caught her attention were the sound of a camera going off. Looking over she noticed Velvet taking pictures of Sun who walked in the opposite direction, his weapon in hand. Thinking that the bunny faunus would be a bit kinder to strike up a conversation with, she approached with caution.
"Ruby, how you doing?" Velvet asked when she sensed someone standing behind her, holding onto her camera with both hands. "Surprised to see you about and around."
"Hi Velvet!" The young leader chirped in response, glad to see a friendly face for once. "What are you up to? I see you have your camera out and all."
"Oh, you know- just working on my photography. It's such a nice hobby and profession to have!" Velvet replied, before holding it out for her. "Do you wanna see?"
"That's...better." Ruby commented as the recent photo of Sun popped up, however it was mainly focused on the weapon rather than the owner.
"I'm sorry to hear about your sister. Is she doing okay?" Velvet asked with concern, knowing that the topic can be very tender subject. "It must've been quite awful."
"Yeah, she's fine...thanks for asking about her."
"I also heard about the recent one too, can't say I was thrilled about it. The gore of it all was so realistic." Velvet shook her head, making a clicking noise with her tongue as she put the camera away. "Not only that, I've heard some nasty things people are saying about Yang. Makes me sick and I can't help it when I eavesdrop. She is really a nice person once you get to know her, people are just so quick to judge."
"Well I'm glad someone thinks so. About Yang I mean." Ruby rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, making a mental note to herself to message Yang about Velvet's kind words. "For Kairos...well, it's hard to say. They never did retrieve the limb after the culprit fled, and she...did kind of destroyed the arena in her fight. Some students didn't leave unscathed..."
"Mmmm, she's probably still recovering, though I wouldn't be surprised if she isn't the same person as before. There's been some talk about lack of security, however the comments weren't that vicious. You know, most people don't know what it's like on the battlefield. Experience fighters can get scared, start seeing things, even lose a limb if they aren't careful." Velvet sighed before adding, "If it happened to Coco, it can happen to anyone."
"We're trying to do our best and support those who had been attacked the best we can." Ruby agreed before tilting her head to the side. "Wait...Coco?"
"Yeah. She swore she saw Yatsu with her in the forest during her match up with Mercury and Emerald, but he never made it out of the geyser fields. Stress-induced hallucinations, apparently." Velvet explained.
"It couldn't be that...Ironwood said the same thing after he diagnosed Yang...so it adds up..." Ruby mumbled out loud, her eyes narrowed with concentration. Seeing the questioning look on Velvet's face she said, "Please to say this to anyone else but, Reina...said Emerald's behind all the illusion tricks, but she wasn't there to see Coco's fight."
"Reina saw what happened? No jokes? No lies?"
"She wouldn't lie about such things; she even traced the Aura back to the creator."
"Huh...that's quite a feat to do. Aura is normally suppressed unless the fighter wants its presence to be known during a fight...but to see a non-fighting participant using it in action when no one else can, I'm honestly speechless. That is a handy ability to have." Velvet drummed her fingers against her chin in thought. "And she hasn't said a thing to the higher ups or professors?"
"She tried but it was a no go. Glynda tossed her out when she walked into Ozpin's office to make a statement."
"Quite unfortunate, but it's hard to fight a fight against millions when you're only one person." Taking notice that Ruby was looking elsewhere, Velvet whipped out her camera and took a quick picture. The blinding flash shocked the huntress into rigidness, her shoulders stiff and her eyes round. The faunus laughed apologetically, putting the object away. "You looked adorable that I couldn't help but snag a picture."
"O-Oh, well as long as it turned out great I don't mind."
"It looks like they fixed the arena so, the next match should be something." Velvet said after she received a notice on her Scroll. In fact, all students received a notification and made their way back to grab seats. Clapping Ruby on the shoulder, the faunus bid her farewell and walked off with her arms behind her back.
