Troy's Dust Shop, Argus
Nichole placed a huge crate on the floor and sighed. "That's the last of them."
Moving those crates was such a hassle. Thankfully, the shopkeeper was there to help her out.
After that whole fiasco at the WF club, Nichole was left with a huge sum of dust crystals. Anyone would've kept the crystals for themselves if needed, but she had no use for them. She wasn't much of a dust user anyway.
The Schnee Dust Company was the next natural place to send the crystals, but the office was closed for the holidays, which presented a challenge. The red huntress could've waited for them to open up again but that would interfere with her plans. Besides, she didn't want to risk the WF finding her and the crystals. It's best to hand them over to someone who can make sure they get them back to the company safely.
"I'd say you found yourself quite a load there, little lady," the shopkeeper whistled, scanning all the crates. "And they're legit too? We're going to make a huge profit after the holidays! Where did you say you got them from again?"
Nichole laughed at the shopkeeper's astonishment. "Found them on the side of the road. Sealed up and everything."
She found it annoying that she had to lie. If she told him that she had "obtained" the dust crystals from the White Fang, she wasn't sure how he would respond. The elderly man would most likely view her as an agent of the group or as a vigilante of some kind.
"I guess I was at the right place at the right time." she smirked, shrugging.
"Hmmm, probably."
Nichole sensed the doubtness in his voice and got a little scared.
The old guy, however, seemed to see things from his perspective as he nodded to himself, which eased her feelings.
"Alright, I'll make sure to deliver these to the SDC when it reopens." Troy spoke, dusting his hands off. "You have yourself a happy holiday, okay?"
Nichole saluted to him, smiling. "I will, and you do too."
As she walked out of his business, the shopkeeper gave her a little wave.
Nichole hopped into the pickup truck and opened up her scroll to check the time.
Perfect. Right on schedule. I'll be able to catch that boat ride to Vale if I keep it up.
It seems a bit unbelievable that she was already heading out of Argus. It felt like yesterday when she arrived in the snowy city. She isn't able to stay in one place for too long, though. How will the huntress spread her cheer and joy all around Remnant that way?
Excitement filled her as she returned to Eddie's store. When she arrived, her possessions were already there. Keijo was asleep in a spare room, tired from the "rescue mission" and Eddie was having a cup of tea.
"Leaving already? I thought you were going to wait for one more day?" the blacksmith asked, taking a sip from his tea.
"Yeah, I decided to leave at night to avoid being caught by the White Fang." Nichole replied, stuffing all of her belongings in a red bag. "If I leave later, I'll have a huge target on my back."
Her logic caused Eddie to tap his chin. "Wouldn't they be patrolling the streets right about now?"
"Not really, it will take them a whole night to figure out that someone stole their dust crystals. They wouldn't do a proper search until the morning after."
The blacksmith pondered the answer that was given. That does make a little sense for the WF to do that. However, the organization is also known for being unpredictable and not showing mercy for anyone who dares to defy, steal, or attack them.
He was a little worried when his friend revealed to him that the "rescue mission" was more of a "heist" within White Fang territory. It's nothing more than a miracle that they escaped without being caught. All thanks to Nichole's semblance, of course.
The blacksmith could only shake his head at her recklessness. It didn't seem like a big issue, but to Nichole, it must've meant something. Perhaps it was because Keijo was involved that the red huntress decided to act. Yet he gets a feeling that even without the green thief, she would've gotten involved. Job or not.
"I guess that makes sense." Eddie placed his cup down. "Hold on sec."
Nichole looked in confusion as her friend got up and walked to the back of the shop.
Not long after, Eddie came out of the room holding what seems to be a bow and arrow. Upon closer examination, the arrows were as white as ice and resembled icicles, and the bow had a hint of blue.
"Here you go, it's a little 'project' I was working on. Look at it as a parting gift." the old man said.
Nichole smiled warmly at the gift. "Thank you, Eddie. I wish I had something to give you, too."
"Nah, it's fine. You coming here was the best gift I could ever receive. If you know what I mean~"
When the red huntress realized what he meant, she swatted his back playfully. "Jeez, old man. You play too much."
Nichole looked at the weapon again and a rush of nostalgia washed over her. Several of the older people in her village, Iccruis, showed her the ropes. It's been a while since she used it but she'll get the hang of it with some practice.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye to the kid before you go?" Eddie asked, ceasing his laughter.
The red huntress glanced at the ajar door from across the hall and chuckled softly. "No."
The abrupt answer made the blacksmith frown a bit.
"He'll see me off. I'm sure of it." the huntress finished, returning a smile on his face.
She picked up the rest of her things and headed for the door. "I'll see you next year, Eddie. Watch over Keijo for me, okay?"
The older man waved. "Don't worry, I'll keep the little runt out of trouble. Stay safe now, you hear?"
"Will do."
The red huntress walked out of the building and into the street.
She turns to face the building and peers out of one of the windows before continuing on to her destination. Even though she could hardly see Keijo's face, she knew it was him. He was still asleep, dreaming about jewels or something else profitable.
Nichole gave one last smile to the boy before walking into the snowy night.
Keijo jolted awake in the meantime. He didn't have a nightmare but he felt like something was missing.
He hopped out of bed to get a glass of water. His footsteps alerted Eddie as he walked to the kitchen.
"Ah, so you're finally awake." he hummed.
Keijo filled the cup after turning on the tap. "Don't flatter yourself, I'm just getting some water."
He swilled down the contents of the glass, satisfying his thirst. The thief looked around the room in confusion. "Where's Nichole?"
"You just missed her. She went to catch a boat ride to Vale." Eddie responded, still looking at the tv.
Keijo paused. "She…went where?"
That's when the gears started to shift in his head. She did mention leaving "early," if he recalls correctly, but he didn't anticipate it would be this early. It's currently 9:30 pm for Pete's sake! He must have slept off when she departed. This made him uneasy. Keijo felt the need to thank her properly for rescuing him. The huntress would probably wave it off but it doesn't matter.
Keijo snatched up his jacket and slipped on his shoes. "Hey, uh, I'm going out for a minute. I'll be back."
"Okay, be careful out there." Eddie replied.
"I will."
When the door closed, the blacksmith let out a small sigh. "I guess you were right, Evergreen."
The green thief ran down the street as fast as he could. His legs are on fire but the main goal helped him push through the pain.
I'm on my way, Nichole.
The red huntress paid for her ticket and waited to board the boat. She already knew that there was going to be a lot of people. It's the holidays after all, and many civilians like to travel between the kingdoms to visit family or go on vacation. Seeing sights other than your hometown is usually beneficial.
A loud blaring noise echoed throughout the pier, signifying that the boat was coming to dock.
"About time." Nichole mumbled.
When the ferry docked, many people were saying their goodbyes to their loved ones while others were very eager to get on board. It was a very amusing and heartfelt sight that the huntress witnessed far too many times.
Speaking of goodbyes, it appears that Keijo still isn't there. She has a few more minutes to wait, but not too long or she'll risk missing her ride.
"Nichole!" Keijo shouted, catching her attention.
Looks like she didn't need to wait long after all.
"Oh, hey you." she grinned.
"Don't 'hey you' me! You were about to leave without saying goodbye!"
"Didn't want to wake you."
"I–ughh!" Keijo let out an irritated groan, not knowing what to say.
How could she act so nonchalant about this? This must be normal to her. Not being able to say goodbye to the people she loves.
Love? Is that the right word of choice? The green thief is so conflicted with feelings right now. To make things worse, he didn't know what the "feelings" were. Were they feelings of love? Happiness? Or something else.
"Ha ha. You're cute when you get flustered~" Nichole giggled.
"Sh-shut up!" Keijo snapped.
"Aw, didn't want me to go so soon?" the huntress cooed.
"Yes! I hope you have a horrible trip to Vale!" the boy gave a mischievous smirk.
The two exploded in laughter, startling a few patrons who were passing by.
"Don't jinx it, but if I do, I'm coming back here and punching you in the face!" the huntress threatened.
Keijo held up his hands in defeat. "You got me. I'll be good."
The two laughed for a few minutes before falling into silence.
"So, this is it huh?" the thief mumbled, looking at the ground.
"Yeah, so it seems," Nichole smiled softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't look down, I'll be back to visit."
"It's not that. It's just…" Keijo frowned, trying to find the right words. "I didn't get the chance to thank you for saving me from the White Fang."
"Oh, you don't have to thank me for that. I was just doing my job." the red huntress said.
"And…" Keijo sighed. "I enjoyed being around you for the past day or so. You're fun to talk with and I liked hearing about your wacky stories."
Nichole was taken aback by those sweet words. "Aw, thanks Keijo. I liked having you around too. Even if it wasn't long."
This caused the boy to get flustered and take one step away from her. "Well, I know you have a boat to catch so I'm not going to waste any more of your time."
Nichole chuckled again. He was obviously embarrassed so it's best to save him the trouble by getting on the boat. Besides, she only has a few minutes left to spare before being left behind.
"Alright, alright, I'll go. But not without giving you a word of advice," the huntress said. "You're a good kid Keijo, you shouldn't have to resort to theft and other petty crimes to get by."
The thief would've rolled his eyes if anyone else told him this. He's heard it so many times that he couldn't count it on his fingers and toes. However, he can tell that the huntress wasn't looking down on him or anything, just persuading him to do something good other than stealing.
"I know you have a great heart. Don't lose it." Nichole continued.
"I'm not going to. I promise." the thief answered.
"Good. Well, I better get going, it was nice meeting you Keijo. Good luck and stay safe."
"You too, Nichole. Have a nice trip to Vale."
The two embraced for a quick hug with Nichole breaking away and walking towards the door that leads to the boat.
The red huntress glanced back at Keijo one last time before making her way into the ship. As soon as she was gone, he took a deep breath.
You were great Nichole. Be safe.
As soon as Nichole made it on the boat, it left the pier. She watched as the shore slowly faded away from her view, as she sat down. Her mind was preoccupied with her next destination, that is until she remembered Keijo from the snowy town.
"Have a nice trip to Vale."
The huntress smirked softly. "I think I will."