Finally, a chapter title in this arc that isn't a Fall Out Boy song ref. Instead, it's a Tally Hall reference.
Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. Here's the Discord: /cgFmXz3qJ5
The Vanille Manor's walls cracked more and more, the stability of the illusory construct starting to come into question. Yang was still sobbing, Blake's arms tightly wrapped around her. There were so many things the feline Faunus could say to try and comfort her, but she knew that, right now, nothing would work. They'd just be empty reassurances. Instead, she just let Yang cry into her shoulder. She was doing her best to stay strong for Yang, but she couldn't hold back the tears welling up at the corners of her own eyes. She was so close to just breaking down too, but she needed to be strong for Yang's sake.
Weiss was on the verge of tears herself, her hands covering her mouth. How could this be happening? How? She should've acted sooner. She and the others knew as far back as their visit to the Garden, but they didn't act. She thought giving Ruby some space would make the topic more approachable, easier to talk about. But now they've missed their chance. Did Ruby...did Ruby pass with the idea that they all just saw her as nothing more as their personal therapist? What she said back at Swan Lake just echoed through the heiress's head.
"No! No! I have to deal with a bunch of grown ups! No time for me! Gotta get back home! Gotta help the people! Gotta find someone who isn't just going to screw everything up! STAY POSITIVE! Sort out our bullshit!" Ruby's voice screamed in Weiss' memory.
"Weiss..." Emerald ventured, about to put a hand on the heiresses' shoulder, but Weiss just turned and hugged her, crying into her chest. The thief was surprised by the sudden hug, but she understood. She sighed and just hugged the heiress.
Ruby...I'm sorry. I'm so, SO sorry... Weiss though in her sorrow filled mind.
And Neo? Neo just sat aside from the rest of them, legs pulled up to her chest, eyes red and watery with tears. This was...this was all her fault. Ruby was gone. Ben was gone. The Curious Cat had the most powerful device the Ever After had ever seen, and it was all because of HER. She doubted people would believe her if she explained everything, about how that twice-damned Cat wore Roman's face and played her. Usually, she was the one playing people with her Semblance. She was so focused on how much she fucked up that she didn't even notice Gwendolyn walk up to her and nuzzle her cheek. Neo looked up to the giant jackalope, seemingly questioning why anyone would try to comfort her here.
The Cat was right.
Why did she bother to try and change who she was?
She was the villain.
"You know," Max's voice suddenly reached her ears, "I might not know the whole story behind you-"
What's there to tell? I'm just a fucking crook. I...I ruined everything, all because the Cat wore the face of someone who saved my life. A life that doesn't even know who she is without someone else. I've always been part of a duo. First Roman, then Albedo, now that gods-damned body-stealing CAT. They should...you should -all- just leave me here. Let me Ascend or something. Maybe I'll come back as someone -nicer,- someone who won't fuck up anything. Maybe I won't even be a fighter in the next life. Maybe Neopolitan the ice cream girl would serve the world better.
"Neopolitan...was it?" Max asked, getting a slow nod from the multi-colored girl, "You said you've always been part of the duo. Why is that? What made those two people special?"
R-roman and Albedo? W-well...Roman got me out of a...bad situation. My parents weren't the best...and he managed to get me out of there. As for Albedo...I...I love him. Me trying to be a good guy? That was for him.
"Just for him?"
I mean...n-no. I saw what Salem's little circle was doing and I wanted out. So, despite the initial mistrust, it did feel good to...well, be good. Took a good thing and I just had to ruin it though.
"But if you hadn't properly changed...then would you care what Albedo thought?" Max asked.
What?
"Salem's agents...the ones I remember interacting with, anyway, would happily turn on someone they cared about if it meant getting ahead. There were a few exceptions as I recall, but still. Changing your ways isn't as easy as people make it out to be, even more difficult to keep those changes."
Neo looked down at her hands. I always...just thought listening to people would help me cruise through life.
"You said before that maybe 'Neopolitant the ice cream girl would serve the better.' I'd disagree," Max said, "You mentioned Albedo before, and that you love him."
He...probably thinks I'm dead. Everyone back home thinks we're -dead.- Maybe I should-!
"No. If he's a friend of Ben's, then when you get back, you'll be met with one of the most heartfelt reunions anyone's ever seen. He might think you're dead, but you're not. So...by that logic...he's just waiting for you to come back."
What if I don't deserve to go back?
Max took a moment. "Everyone deserves a chance to try again. Besides, would you feel comfortable knowing you left so much behind?"
...no... Neo just pulled her legs closer to her chest. Leaving behind Albedo, even if she wouldn't remember it, that would always hurt in her heart.
"It's going to take a while for the others to accept your apology." Max sighed. "But keep your head high. You have someone waiting for you, after all."
...do you think they actually ever would? If I was any one of them...I don't think I would, Neo admitted, I killed her. I -killed- Ruby.
"I have my doubts about that." Max said. "I've seen Ascension..."
You...you have?
"A forced Ascension with tea leaves, while uncommon, leaves behind a patch of green grass." Max explained. "But there's no sign of it."
"What?"
Max turned to see Yang, standing behind the duo.
"It's a bit strange to hear the difference, I know. Usually, Ascension leaves nothing behind if it's a choice. But when the tea leaves get involved, they leave behind a patch of grass where the Afteran once stood," Max explained.
"And there's...there's nothing like that here," Yang realized.
And the mouse? Neo asked.
"That one I can't explain either." Max frowned. "Sometimes you need to bury a body, if it's a physical creature."
"So...there's a chance Ruby's still alive?" Yang asked, hopeful.
"Alive might not be the right way to explain. What the Cat said was meant to mess with your head. It'd be better to say there's a chance Ruby's still..."
"Herself. Wording doesn't matter though, because there's a chance."
"And I'm betting my bottom dollar that they're behind those nefarious voices in Ruby's and Ben's heads." Max frowned.
They tried…and succeeded in getting into my head, after all. Neo frowned.
"They did do something to the Herbalist, something to cause him to ascend?" Yang remembered. "Maybe they have some kind of slight mind control."
Can confirm. Neo raised her hand. Once I started to feel guilt about what I was doing, he shot something into my chest.
"Like what they did with the Red Prince," Blake remembered, "With him, they were just trying to convince him not to arrest us. But with you...they wanted complete control."
And they got it...
"Neo...you don't have to answer now, but why did they call you Trivia?" Emerald asked. The multi-colored mute closed her eyes and took a deep breath before giving the briefest explanation.
It's my real name. But it's not who I am...doubt I ever really was her… Neo replied.
Yang ran a hand across her face. "We don't have time for the backstory. Tell us later." Yang frowned. "We have a super powered cat running around the world."
Max made a face. "I'm...not too sure about that."
"What?" Weiss asked. "They have the Omnitrix on their stolen wrist! While they're in possession of Ben, they're nigh unstoppable."
"Okay, but answer me this." Max began. "How come they asked about how it needed to be activated?"
"Ben...Ben never told them. They never asked about it," Emerald recalled, "They asked about the aliens themselves at length but not once did they ask 'How do you turn it on?'"
"They're inexperienced...they might have the watch," Weiss began to realize.
"But they don't have any of Ben's skill with it and that might mean we can beat them," Blake finished.
"It's like a kid learning to drive. They think they can do it because they see their parents at the wheel, but the controls overwhelm them. Especially with what you need to keep an eye on." Max guessed.
"...then let's make sure they lose all nine of their lives in the crash," Yang threatened, slamming her fists together.
The Paper Pleasers were under attack, but they didn't have the faintest idea about what they were under attack from. It was too fast, moving like a blue blur from place to place. It tore through their houses, and then shredded them to pieces. To the naked eye, it was a nightmare.
"Run! Run!" one of the Pleasers shouted before the blur came by and picked up the little origami star by the arm. BenCat stopped running atop one of the paper houses, laughing madly.
"Now this...this is what I was hoping for! I don't have to worry about this thrice-damned cycle anymore! No more wandering, no more seeing the same things day in and day out, no more experiencing the same dull feelings anymore! Finally, I get something wholly and truly NEW! Oh do you have any idea how happy I am right now?!" BenCat asked their unwilling listener.
"U-um...a lot?" the Paper Pleaser guessed.
"I'm delighted! Ecstatic! Over the MOON!" BenCat corrected.
"W-well that's great! I'm happy to hear it! But um...could you let me go? Please?"
"Ohohoho, but why would I do that when I'm celebrating my shackles being thrown off? I'm having a party! And what's important at a party?"
"Um...cake? We can bake one for you!" the Pleaser suggested.
"Thank you but not what I was going for! A party needs confetti!" BenCat grinned.
"Uh oh."
Before the Cat could tear the poor pleaser to pieces, a foot slammed into his face. BenCat went flying backwards, losing his grip on the poor pleaser. The Cat skid across the ground, but quickly flipped himself back up, glaring at his attacker.
"Oh...you." The Cat sneered.
"The last person I'd expect to break was you, Ben," Mercury said, cracking his neck a little in preparation for the fight ahead.
"In case you couldn't tell Wanderer, Ben's not exactly home," BenCat knocked his knuckles against the side of his head, "at the moment."
"Way to make this about you, you freaky feline. Ugh, great, alliteration set in..." the Wanderer sighed.
"What? Were you trying to talk to Ben? Oh that's cute! I never took you for the type to believe in that! But you're not with them are you? An outcast among Outcasts! Which makes you perfect for helping me out. If you agree to guide me around your little home in the cosmos, I'll take you to the Tree and we can leave!"
"Ya know, I think I've had enough of making deals with some self-proclaimed 'all powerful' pretentious prick for a lifetime. So how about instead, you just stand there...and let me kick your furry ass out of him?"
"Well...that's unfortunate," BenCat huffed before tossing the Paper Pleaser behind him, having lost all interest in them. In a blur, BenCat raced towards Mercury, leaping into a roundhouse kick that the Wanderer easily blocked with his arm, catching the possessed hero by surprise. He narrowed his feline eyes before raging into a barrage of speedy yet savage attacks, fighting more like an actual cat would instead of Fasttrack. Mercury was able to block most of the hits that came his way, ducking under one of the swipes before sweeping the alien's legs out from under him. He brought his knee up to slam into Fasttrack's back and knocked him into the air like a hacky-sack. The Cat hissed in annoyance before landing on their feet. Mercury still had his fists up and ready for the next round since, obviously, he scored the first real damage here. BenCat just smirked before racing off and bouncing off the houses that still stood, using them to launch a series of hit and run strikes against their opponent.
"What's the matter, Wanderer?! Can't keep up?!" BenCat jeered.
With a sudden shift in his stance, Mercury focused his energy into a concentrated Aura shield, creating a visible shimmer around his body. It was as if an invisible barrier extended just beyond his physical form, effectively expanding his hitbox.
"What's this?" The Cat laughed. "Some sort of new trick? Won't work...I'm very fast."
As BenCat came racing in for another hit-and-run strike, Mercury decided to put his training to the test. He could feel the Aura enveloping him, like a protective cocoon. With incredible speed and precision, he lunged forward, his leg extending in a powerful, lunging kick. BenCat scoffed, dodging it-
Or so he thought. Even though the attack didn't even come close to hitting him, SOMETHING still hit his chest.
The Cat let out a hiss of pain before being sent into one of the paper houses, tearing through walls and furniture alike.
"What...what just-?" BenCat rubbed their head as they rather shakily got back on their feet.
Mercury smirked. "What? Thought you were fast." Mercury joked. "Don't tell me you didn't see that."
See WHAT!? The Cat mentally snapped and hissed, before he rushed at Mercury again. With a swift motion, Mercury spun on his heel, generating a whirlwind of aura around him. The shimmering energy extended even further, creating a protective barrier that made it difficult for BenCat to land his hits.
"Oh, boo." The Cat frowned. "You've improved your Aura skills..."
"Yeah. Picked up some fun new techniques." Mercury grinned. "I had time, y'know..."
"A full decade if I recall," the Cat groaned, "Well. That's fine. Because this little watch has so much more for me to use!"
The now-clawed hand of Fasttrack went to his chest and adjusted the dial around the Omnitrix, trying to remember how Ben did it. He struggled for a bit before he got it to turn properly. With a grin, he slammed down on the Omnitrix and a flash of cyan mixed with purple flared out from where the possessed hero stood. Mercury brought up his hand to shield his eyes from the sudden glare, only to be met with a form that made things a little more skewed in the Cat's favor.
Shifting from one feline form to another, BenCat had now taken the form of Rath. The Appoplexian was considerably larger than Ben's normal form, easily twice the size of the norm. While still sporting the same orange and white color scheme of the species, the Cat's purple and cyan checkerboard pattern plastered itself on the giant feline brawler's forearms, claws, tail, and even some areas of the face.
"Let me tell you something, Wanderer. I haven't felt this strong in MILLENIA!" CatRath bellowed.
"How is it that your high-pitched voice coming out of that body is even more disturbing than you being Rath?" Mercury taunted.
CatRath let out an aggravated growl, his purple and cyan patterned arms flexing with frustration. "Rath is still Rath, no matter how it sounds!" he retorted with a hint of indignation.
"Yeah! And you're still a stupid pussycat!" Mercury mocked.
With a deep roar, CatRath leapt into the air and brought down both of his massive fists down on Mercury. The former-assassin dodged out of the way mere seconds before impact, taking the chance to land some quick kicks to the towering brawler's side. To the monstrous feline, the kicks hurt about as much as a flick to the nose. They quickly spun around, striking Mercury with a backhand before moving to use the arm-blades that jutted out from Rath's wrists. The former agent of Salem kicked aside one of the strikes and tried to follow it up with a combo of kicks, but CatRath managed to grab his attacker's ankle. With a Cheshire grin, he picked Mercury off the ground and just began to slam him into everything, the ground, the trees, any nearby furniture. The only up-side was that it didn't hurt too much since it was all paper.
As CatRath prepared to slam him into another surface, Mercury inhaled deeply, gathering his energy and honing his focus. He extended his Aura to expand further, reinforcing the protective barrier to withstand more and heavier hits.
As CatRath tried to slam Mercury, the Aura cushioned the blow, absorbing the impact and dispersing the force. Mercury's body glowed with a dazzling energy shield, effortlessly deflecting every blow that came his way. As soon as the Cat released the vagrant, Mercury leapt into the air and unleashed a flurry of swift kicks.
Being the tankiest form they knew about, RathCat brought up and crossed their arms in front of their face, letting the kicks just bounce off the thick hide of the alien form.
Mercury kept his focus and kept attacking despite the fact that his first attempt had little effect. He quickly changed his strategy and began throwing punches towards RathCat's weak points, such as his joints and stomach. Mercury's Aura-enhanced fists swung wildly, searching for openings in his powerful opponent's defenses with each blow.
Tennyson would've been able to keep up with me. Mercury thought. Despite being on the backfoot back in the desert, he still outmaneuvered me.
The Cat growled and smirked, turning towards Mercury with his mouth open. Sparks and pixels charged up in their maw, catching Mercury by surprise, but not so much he couldn't react. He leapt over the giant feline alien as the lightning tore through another of the paper houses, igniting a fire that would no doubt continue to burn until the entire village was consumed for fuel.
"So what? You just get a taste of freedom," Mercury started, rushing back and landing a few kicks on the hulking feline's forearms, "and you decide 'fuck it, wreck the place?' Seriously?!"
"You've been here for a decade! You've seen how things are! You understand this world too quickly! I've been to every acre, seen EVERY culture! Nothing surprises me anymore! There aren't any curiosities left for me here! But Remnant? Your world?!" the Cat grinned before smacking Mercury down, pinning him with Rath's giant claws, "I've only heard stories!"
RathCat reared back his free hand, ready to impale Mercury.
"Once I leave I'll get to see new things! My curiosity will feed well in your broken little world! Because even broken things can be entertaining!" the Cat laughed madly.
Mercury found himself pinned beneath the immense weight of RathCat's claws, his precarious predicament compounded by the looming danger of an impalement that could prove fatal. Mercury's cool demeanor in the face of such daunting odds was strange...and it annoyed the Cat.
"What? What are you so smug about?" The Cat frowned.
"You have no idea what you're doing."
"What?"
"You might have the damn thing...but you're nowhere near Ben's level with it," Mercury smirked.
"Give me time. I'll learn."
"Maybe, yeah. Question is if you can earn fast enough to escape?"
"I do hope you don't expect me to answer. Why would I when you won't even remember what I say? For all I know, this claw here will knock you right into the roots. And then no. More. Wanderer," the Cat thrust his claw down at Mercury.
In a split second, Mercury fired off a duo of water and fire Dust rounds, creating a giant steam cloud that engulfed himself and the Cat. The sudden smokescreen threw the ferocious feline off balance just enough to give Mercury an opening. He shoved the feline's fist off of him and kicked the monster in the chin before landing a roundhouse to the behemoth's chest. He heard paper shred and collapse as the monster no doubt hit another house. The former-assassin rolled his shoulders and started walking over to where the Cat had landed, only to see another flash of purple and cyan.
He ran out of the steam cloud and oddly saw nothing. Keeping his guard up, he looked around for where his opponent had gone.
Ok...Tennyson's got plenty of aliens that can go invisible. The moth, the ghost- Mercury thought, before something whipped into his chest and knocked him off his feet. He skidded across the paper ground before quickly jumping back to his feet. The former-assassin stood at the ready, eyes darting around the village square to try and find even the tiniest hint of his attacker. Something flashed in the corner of Mercury's vision and he fired off an ice round towards that small shine. Instead of connecting to its target, the frosty explosion just seemed to chill the air. Despite the miss, he was sure he saw something. The air shimmered again in front of him and he quickly brought up his arms to block an incoming attack.
A tail seemingly shimmered into existence and slammed into Mercury's forearms. From behind the blocking pose, Mercury caught a glimpse of the alien in question. He hadn't actually seen this alien before, but he could guess what its powers were. The alien possessed a long, slender body with a dominantly violet color scheme, the checkerboard pattern shifting from darker to lighter hues of purple. The three cyan eyes it sported all had those trademark feline slits looking right at him. Considering that the attacks all seemed to be physical though, it wouldn't be too much of a leap to assume that camouflage was this form's only power.
"So instead of brute strength, you go for the coward's method? Weak. And even then you can't hide as well as Ben could!" Mercury taunted.
"Do you have any other tricks to play? I get it. You're trying to flip the script and play mind games with me. It won't work you know!" Another shimmering tail strike whipped out from the air, but instead of putting force behind the attack, it wrapped around Mercury's ankles and pulled his legs out from under him. The shimmering CatChamalien grinned before he leapt on top of the Wanderer and began to beat on him. Chamalien was never the strongest alien, especially when compared to forms like Rath or Humungosaur, but punches were punches. Mercury's Aura rippled with the hits, the shield holding against the relentless assault.
Eventually though, the Cat just sighed and hopped off of Mercury.
"Welp. I'm bored now," CatChamalien sighed before reverting to human, so to speak. He stretched and chuckled, some cracking coming from his body.
"You're...bored?" Mercury repeated.
"Yes! Bored!" BenCat grinned.
"Bored because you can't do all the cool stuff Ben can, right?" Salem's now ex-agent smirked.
"Shut uuuuuup" BenCat practically sang, hiding their frown.
"I mean, the dude could do some goofy things. I think one time he fought that squid guy as a slime monster and did pretty good, all things considered." Mercury mentioned. "Sorry, is this grating to you?"
"Admittedly a little bit, but then I remembered what you really are in the grand schemes, what this whole fight was. A distraction. As entertaining as it was, I'm afraid we'll have to cut it short. I still have so many acres to visit, you know."
"Thought your goal was to leave. Why the hell do you wanna stay longer?" Mercury scoffed.
"Why should I even tell you? You're just a bit part in this story," the Cat hummed.
"Well, if I'm a bit part, then it should really matter too much if I know. Bit parts only last for about…a chapter or so right?"
"Hmmm…you make a good point. But my answer is still a staunch refusal."
"...that's fin actually. I think I just figured it out," Mercury smirked, "This is your test drive in the new car."
"What's a car again?" BenCat stopped and tilted his head in confusion, "Did I ask about that? I don't think I did."
"Should have figured. You haven't the foggiest clue what you're doing. Like a kid picking the coolest looking character in a game, but then realizes he has no fucking clue what to do." Mercury said, standing up. "You're desperately button mashing."
"You do know all of these comparisons are completely lost on me, right? See, this is why I offered the position of guide! But no you just had to have a sudden...crisis of conscience," BenCat growled at the words, "Just like someone else I know."
Mercury rolled his eyes. "You broke Ben. I give you points for that. But tell me..." He leapt up with a smug grin. "How long before you break?"
"I don't break, Wanderer. Time is just a non-issue really. I have plenty of it to figure out the ins-and-outs of this little doodad. Once I've mastered it, I'll be even better than Benny-boy ever was with this little thing!" BenCat laughed, "It's been fun, my strange human…acquaintance, but I really should be going. "
The Cat chuckled before starting to back away, "By the way you would have been easy to break…but I didn't think you were the right fit. The others were just better than you."
"Thanks, didn't ask, fuck you," Mercury deadpanned.
"Well if that's all then..." BenCat smirked, "I've got a Tree to get to."
Mercury watched the Cat transform again and dash off. This time, he paid closer attention to the movements. The speed was too much for the Cat, unable to direct himself easily, constantly veering off course.
Good luck, idiot, Mercury mentally scoffed.
Gwendolyn leapt out of the crumbling reconstructed Vanille Manor, her antlers actually breaking down one of the walls. Max had taken the reins while Neo was seated on the saddle behind him. Weiss, Blake, Emerald and Yang followed behind the Rusted Knight, all of them running as fast as they could, hopeful that they were following BenCat's trail.
"Think they could handle Fasttrack's speed?" Blake yelled.
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish they were XLR8! I doubt they could handle the rollerskates." Yang frowned.
"Speaking from experience, I would be laughing if they just started falling," Weiss admitted.
"Save the pettiness for when we actually find the bastard. They could be anywhere by now!" Emerald added.
"They said they wanted to tear this world apart, so where would they start?" Blake asked.
"If I had to guess, if they're petty, they're gonna go for-" Max's eyes widened. "GWENDOLYN! STEP ON IT!"
"They wouldn't," Yang growled.
What? Where are they going? Neo asked.
"Swan Lake!" Weiss answered.
Where the hell-?!
"You sent your army there and you're telling me you don't remember?!"
I don't remember ANYTHING after meeting Roman in a place made entirely of DESSERTS.
"Torchwick?! But he died to the Grimm during Beacon!" Blake yelled.
And no one ever told me?! Neo looked to the feline Faunus.
Gwendolyn galloped as fast as her legs could go, her strong strides covering huge distances in a few seconds. The scenery around them blurred. Yang didn't realize they were out of the forest until a little later. Her mind was just so muddy right now.
It had been a rough few days for Yang- no, not just for her, for everyone. And for some, it felt even longer. Atlas fell. They fell and ended up here. Ruby wasn't doing great. Ruby yelled at all of them and then ran. Ben followed-
She shouldn't be recapping. She lived those events, but they still felt so distant. Yang's mind kept going back to those times, and she kept thinking about how painful and frustrating they had been. She wanted to beat herself up for not doing more, but...what if her best wasn't enough?
Yang was slowing her pace, beginning to fal behind.
While most of the others didn't notice, their focus so locked in on what the Cat could do with Ben's body, the sheer havoc they could wreak with the Omnitrix, someone did take notice of Yang's speed slowing. Blake slowed to match the blonde's speed.
"...Yang?" Blake asked.
Yang grit her teeth. "S-sorry. Just...feeling tired."
"Talk to me. Please," Blake asked. She'd already let one teammate down lately, she'd be damned if she let down Yang too.
"I feel like a terrible sister." Yang frowned. "I don't know where Ruby is. I don't know if she's...gone off and become someone else, or is just crying her eyes out somewhere. I-I should be there, with her! Wherever she is!"
"Wherever she is, we will find her," Blake promised.
"But what happens if we find her and it's not her? What if...what if she doesn't remember us? Any of us? What if she's Ascended already, what if she's gone?"
"I don't think Ruby would be comfortable with leaving us behind." Blake admitted. "I always admired Ruby for her ability to stick to her guns, follow what she wanted, it's the type of attitude I wanted to have. Ruby didn't give up on Mantle nor did she give up on saving the Ben inside the Collector. Ruby has never given up on any of us. Ever. I refuse to believe she'd ever give up on herself like that."
"But...but what about when she thinks we've given up on her?" Yang asked, the tears starting to well up in her eyes again, "You...you heard what she said. She thinks we don't care."
"Do you really think she'd say that? Or do you think that was what the Cat was screaming at her?" Blake asked. "I've been gaslit way too many times to not see it, even if its only in hindsight. That stupid Cat knows that we're her family. They hate that one of their victims has something she can always rely on. It's why they subjected her to so much psychological warfare."
"Maybe I'm being gaslit too here, because I don't know if that was the Cat just messing with us or actually her. With everything that's happened, I just..." Yang put a hand over her eyes, the tears already starting to flow down her cheeks again.
"It's...okay to have these doubts. The Cat's a personification of discord, but you know the real Ruby Rose." Blake reassured, "Be honest with yourself. Do you think Ruby would throw everything away?"
"She...she wouldn't," Yang answered, trying to calm down to little success, "I'm sorry...I...just all of this-"
"You don't need to apologize, Yang," Blake comforted before wrapping her girlfriend in a tight and comforting hug.
Yang leaned into the embrace a little. "I...always thought I could let Ruby go off, and do her own thing. She didn't need her big sister constantly doting over her. But...now I just can't stop screaming at myself for not being there when she needed me the most. I've been through the lowest point in my life." She glanced down at her robotic arm. "I...I just wish I could take all that pain, and dish it back at that stupid Cat."
"When we find that that bastard, you'll get your chance," Blake promised.
"I'm sorry for what I have to do to Ben, but.." Yang opened her eyes to reveal their crimson hue. "I'm sure he'd want me to beat the shit out of that analytical asshole."
"And we will. For both of them, ok?" Blake asked, pressing her forehead to Yang's, one of her hand's gently pressing against the side of the blonde's face. Yang sighed and mirrored the gesture, placing her own hand on Blake's cheek.
"Ok...ok," Yang said softly, sniffling a little and using her free hand to wipe away some of her fresh tears.
"You ever need to talk more-"
"I know, Blake," Yang smiled, "Thanks. We should...we should catch up with the others."
"We should," Blake agreed, turning to catch up with the rest of the Outcasts, but not before taking Yang's hand in her own. The blonde allowed herself a small smile in this tumultuous time, breaking the sorrow that was surrounding her so completely here. She had to hope that Ruby that was still...was still Ruby. If not, she dreaded to think of how she'd react, despite Blake's words.
Please Ruby...please be ok, Yang thought as the Bumblebee duo ran across the bridge from the Broken Marshes back to the Origami Orchards. Of course, from there, it was pretty easy to follow the Cat's trail of destruction. Fasttrack must've gotten claws while the Cat was using him if all of the felled trees were any indication. Fallen paper trees and claw marks slashed into the paper ground led the Outcasts to the Paper Pleaser village Ben had passed on the way over. While the conflict had passed for the Pleasers themselves, they still had such a mess to clean up after BenCat had swept in like a hurricane. The little walking origami stars were doing their best to repair the damages, but it wasn't the quickest job.
But seeing it was enough to really solidify the stakes that this possessed Ben brought to the table. If the Cat got back to their world, there'd be no telling what they could do. Ignoring the power of the Omnitrix itself, there were the Cat's natural talents, their silver tongue and their persuasive powers, bordering outright mind control. Could that kind of control work on Salem?
Neo lowered her gaze at seeing the chaos, her mind immediately making the connection that this was, in no small part, her fault. The Cat might've been the one to orchestrate things, but she was the weapon that finally broke Ruby.
How could I be so stupid... Neo wondered. Max jumped off the saddle and held a hand up to the conflicted former criminal. She accepted the offer and let Max help her off the saddle. The group walked down into the paper village, just seeing the true depths of the Cat's now unleashed fury, pent up over god knows how long.
"Oh! Hello there, travelers!" a blue paper star greeted, "We are the Paper Pleasers. We would offer to serve you, but our village is...not in the best shape it's ever been. We do apologize for the inconvenience."
"Inconven-we're not inconvenienced at all. We're just trying to find the guy who did this. You don't need to serve us," Emerald said.
"It's their purpose," a familiarly gruff voice spoke up, "They wanna make this place beautiful and serve those who visit, even if they are a bit, um, fragile."
Emerald looked to see Mercury helping one of the Paper Pleasers readjust an origami column for one of their houses.
"Merc," Emerald allowed herself a little grin.
"Yeah, yeah, don't get all mushy on-" the Wanderer was interrupted by Blake and Yang both pointing their weapons at him, "-me. Not here to fight. Here to help for...maybe the first genuine time in my life."
"And how could you possibly help us, Black?" Blake hissed, her anger still as fresh as the day that the assassin knocked Yang into the void of the Central Location.
"You're after Curious aren't you? Because they're wearing Ben," Mercury answered, "They showed up here shouting about how they were having a 'going away party' or some shit, tried to turn one of the Pleasers into confetti. Ended up fighting them and lemme tell you...they're not that good at the whole 'alien' thing."
"They're not?" Weiss asked.
"Nope. Invisibility wasn't permanent, kept flickering in and out of it, and they couldn't brake very well either. Like a-"
"-kid trying out their new car for the first time," Emerald finished.
"Yyyyyeah..." Mercury hummed.
"Just like we thought," Max said.
"Where'd they head off to?" Yang asked, a new determination lighting up in her eyes.
"They said they wanted to leave...but considering I don't know how you're supposed to get to the fu-I mean cursed Tree, I doubt that's gonna be their next stop," Mercury stopped himself from dropping an f-bomb, seemingly for the Paper Pleasers' sakes. That actually got a wry chuckle out of Emerald.
They want to enjoy this... Neo guessed.
"More demented than I thought. But if you delayed them here, then we might still have time to catch up," Max said.
"Do you need any help here?" Emerald asked.
"Nah...I think we got it," Mercury looked around to the Paper Pleasers, "They might be a little slow on the uptake but, once you get to know them...these guys aren't half bad."
"They're not?" the Once-Jaded Thief smirked, crossing her arms.
"You keep doing that and I'm going to stop trying."
"Alright, alright...point proven," Emerald smirked, "When we figure out how to get to the tree, we'll come back. Let you know."
"Might come back with you all...might not," the Wanderer shrugged.
"Might not?" Emerald asked before turning to the others, "I know the way back. Could you guys...?"
Blake's amber eyes were still locked onto Mercury. If looks could kill, whatever law enforcement this acre had, if any, would already be arriving to clean up the crime scene. The sentiment was shared by Yang and Weiss, especially since they all connected Mercury with the fall. But Max? Max took one look at Emerald and just nodded.
"I'd say take your time but..." Max admitted.
"I know. It...should be quick. I hope. Just go on ahead," Emerald suggested. The Rusted Knight gave a simple nod and activated his helmet, the metal plating covering his head once again. He knew that, whenever they reached Swan Lake, they'd be heading into chaos.
"Come on then," Max said, hopping back into Gwendolyn's saddle and taking the reins in his gauntleted hand. Neo jumped back into the saddle as well after taking one last look at Mercury. It felt like the Ever After was telling her to stay. Was that the right choice for her? Unlike WBY and Emerald, all of whom had been through something to reaffirm who they were, Neo hadn't really been reassured. Kind words from Max were a start...but it didn't feel like enough.
Blake was still looking at Mercury with murderous intent. The Wanderer just rolled his eyes at that. Honestly the hostility was expected, but at the same time there was some progress. She didn't shoot him on the spot.
"...just keep your eyes on him," Blake conceded before turning to walk away. Weiss quickly summoned up a trail of Glyphs to boost the speed of those not on the jackalope mount. With a quick flick of the reins, Gwendolyn was off, bounding towards the bridge that connected the Orchards and the Lake, with WBY following suit behind her, practically skating across the Glyphs.
"So...mind explaining what you mean by 'might not?'" Emerald asked.
"Just that. Might not go back yet. Others might think that I'm saying just to avoid prison, god knows I'd probably get life for all the shit I've done. And...thinking back on it, yeah, not undeserved," Mercury shrugged.
"What and you think I'm not gonna be thrown in a cell when the war's over? And if you say that same shit as before-"
"Well...one part of it was true. You are redeemable. Because, even if it was late in the game, you still made a choice to turn away from Salem. I got forced away. You got...most things figured out. Being here...yeah, I know I was being stand-offish about it earlier but I'm not stupid. Had a decade to think it over. Seeing you again after ten years opened old wounds which lead to the fight and...well, you know the rest."
"But-"
"No buts. Nothing left for me up there." Mercury said. "No family. No friends. Not even a hint of progress. All I am is a weapon. A tool. Here...I just feel free."
Emerald looked over the former-assassin's face, trying to read his expression. Usually, he was so hard to read, the prevailing emotions that just hid everything were overwhelming smugness and confidence. But here, he let that mask drop. This was an earnest explanation.
"Would you come back at all? Or are you just gonna...live here now?" Emerald asked.
"Haven't decided yet."
Emerald closed her eyes. "Then...if anyone asks, I'll just say that you didn't survive the fall. Okay?"
"Make my 'death' seem cooler. Say I did something like fight a dragon." Mercury added. "Death by falling is so lame."
"Ok, then I'll give Blake credit for the kill," Emerald smirked.
"...oh, you suck." Mercury frowned.
"What? I'll embellish it! Make it a grand last stand for you. Fight to the death between dimensions but her Berserker Semblance was too much for you, and in her blind fury, she landed a mortal blow."
"Ok see that sounds better."
"Yeah, yeah. If...this really is goodbye, I just wanna say." Emerald began. "you weren't half bad."
"Neither were you," the Wanderer said with a small smirk, "And...sorry about bringing up Hope earlier. But if I was a betting man, I'd say you could win her back."
"Probably. But...still." Emerald said. "Long road ahead."
"Hey, why do you think I called myself the Wanderer? No straight paths in a world like this." Mercury said.
"Punderstorms should be evidence of that," Emerald joked a bit, trying to lighten the mood, but it didn't really work, "If this really is goodbye, at least for now...good luck out there, Wanderer."
"You too, Jaded Thief," Mercury smirked, "Oh, and one more thing. When you see the Cat again? Annoy them. Tell them how much they suck at being Ben. They're gonna get sloppy."
"Will do," Emerald smirked.
Mercury turned away, and began to stroll off. Emerald watched him leave, unsure of really how to feel. Sure, they had an emotional moment, but...it still felt so weird.
Weird and yet satisfying. She felt...something warm in her chest, right where the hole would be when she was made of pure jade. She couldn't exactly say what it was, but it felt a little good. If anything, it might be a good warm up for her reunion with Hope.
With that, she turned and raced after the other Outcasts.
Saying goodbye was so easy for Emerald. She honestly thought she'd have a harder time with Mercury.
She was happy to say otherwise.