The Bird and the Garden 2: Restart!

Chapter 45: Salem, Part One

Weiss had never felt so hopeless in her life. Unable to walk, with little strength in her arms, and having experienced the tormented, deranged mind of Vao, she couldn't take it. She felt worthless. She couldn't even stop Y/N from walking to Death itself. To her, life had lost its spark. The world was a dark and cruel place, a fact that had been masked by the fun she had with everyone. The fun times where Vao doing something stupid and borderline crazy and dragged everyone with him on an adventure, the fun times where Verde would desperately try to get his attention. The fun times where she and Y/N would tell jokes, and everyone would laugh, or when they'd pick on Vao together. Life had lost its meaning the moment she saw that incomprehensible demon - it was nothing like the abominations that tore apart Vale. It was far, far worse. Shakily, her hand reached for Y/N's katana, pressing the button. The weapon transformed, the rifle resting in Y/N's hands. His heart stopped beating, the color draining from his face when he realized Weiss's intention.

She wanted him to kill her. He shook his head, his voice breaking and falling to pieces.

"I-I c-can't... Don't... M-make me do this... P-please..." But Weiss only tugged on the gun, pulling the barrel to her forehead. The steel, warmed from the heat of battling Iris and his Beast, left a small indent on her forehead.

"P-plae... K-kuh..." Weiss's breath hitched in her throat, blood spurting from her lips. "M-meh..."

Killing her would be a mercy. Y/N knew that. He knew her condition would never heal. Her mind had been splintered into irreparable pieces, something no therapy could ever hope to rebuild. She couldn't even move right - if she survived, she'd be fed through a tube for the rest of her life. That was no way anyone would want to live. But Y/N couldn't. Killing Verde out of mercy had already traumatized him, something that still haunted his nightmares. But what made this moment more painful, more difficult, was that Weiss was asking him to do it. The woman he had fallen for was asking him to kill her.

He couldn't bring himself to put his finger anywhere near the trigger. He shook like a leaf in a fell wind, unable to think of anything but Weiss. Of ways he could get out of this situation, to find a peaceful way to end her pain, without killing her. He gritted his teeth until it hurt, glaring at her through his tears. "I-I won't..." He hissed hoarsely. "I... C-can't..."

Weiss's lip quivered, her hand reaching for his, the one that didn't hold the rifle. Slowly her fingers entwined with his, giving a gentle squeeze. "Plae... P-puh..." Her voice faltered and cracked like dead leaves, her hand pulling away from Y/N's and moving the one that held the rifle. Her fingers grazed over his, gently pushing it to the trigger. All that would be left is for Y/N to squeeze. He shook his head, no longer able to speak. He was begging her. But Weiss just stared up at him, her lips twitching into a faint smile. A fraction of her former self, just a piece of who Weiss used to be. Her hand moved away, once again curling around the barrel of the rifle. Her eyes closed, her breath soft and shallow. She was waiting. Y/N's finger trembled, rattling the trigger quietly. He didn't want this. Why did it have to be this way?

He remembered the promise they had all made at Vao's funeral. That they would all go back when Salem was dead. But Verde was dead. Blake was dead. And now Weiss wanted to die. Their promise was broken, it was a promise none of them could keep. Y/N knew that now. He closed his eyes, letting the tears fall down his cheeks, dripping off his chin.

An act of mercy.

An act of mercy.

An act of mercy.

No matter how many times he repeated the words inside his head, it never helped. It didn't help when he killed Verde; he should have known it wouldn't help now. He opened his eyes, finally finding his voice.