RWBY Through Worlds

79: Frozen Proof

"Emerald is feeling more guilty because you haven't been vindictive," Shine translated for Pyrrha. "If that was unclear. She wants to know if you guys really forgive her, or if it's just an act."

Emerald wished Shine would stop reading her mind.

Pyrrha glanced at her like: "Is that right?"

When she didn't deny it, Pyrrha swallowed "I see...I suppose that would be confusing."

"It's all right to be honest." Shine leaned back on her own bed. "It's normal to have...feelings about it, Pyrrha. Don't sugarcoat it."

"I do tend to do that," Pyrrha admitted. "I never liked to admit if I had my feelings hurt by anyone. It was always hard for me to make friends. And no one ever thought I was afraid or vulnerable... Jaune used to worry about me. Until then, no one else ever thought I might have feelings."

"Perhaps we are often shallow about our idols," Shine said. "And foolish. I'm sorry. But there are rare exceptions to that. I'm glad you found one."

"But Jaune also taught me that other people can be like that, if someone just shows them that first," Pyrrha said. "Maybe I just had no idea how to act. Turns out I didn't get that pedestal treatment...but with anyone outside my group of friends, I still don't know what to expect. I'm...thankful that Emerald--uh, you, I mean (I shouldn't talk like you're not here)--have given some thought to what I might feel now."

Emerald thought that was a weird thing to be thankful for.

"But you're sorry now, right?" Pyrrha said.

"I mean...I'm not proud of it," was all Emerald could muster.

"And I'm not proud of many things I've done," Pyrrha said. "But no one has blamed me for them...except one person maybe, which maybe I deserve... I don't know why you did what you did, but I'm willing to consider that it's not always that clear cut. So, don't feel that you have to...feel ashamed around me. Is that what I needed to say?" She seemed confused.

Shine choked back a laugh at how awkward this was. She thought it might make it worse.

"You know, ladies, I'm not the most socially skilled person myself," she said, "but I can read people pretty well. If you don't mind the unconventional approach, maybe I can put this to rest."

"Please," Emerald said. "I hate dancing around stuff."

"Oh, anything to make this easier." Pyrrha put a hand to her forehead.

"I'm not sure my therapists would approve of my saying it," Shine said, "but screw that--it never worked that well anyway for me... I think it would be easier if you both just acknowledged that what Emerald did was abominable...but we all do things like that. Emerald, I'll be frank with you, you've not been a good person, but I'm under no illusion that I have been, or anyone else here has been. You might suck, but all of us do. The others are making you feel inferior to them, but like I told you, that's their problem. You have as much right to do the right thing as any other person in the world does. Do not ever let anyone tell you otherwise. And none of us know what's right when we start off, not even those of us who are taught right, because the Truth will always overturn our small, safe ideas of morality. Both of you can just leave your assumptions at the door. The worst thing you did was make Pyrrha do something that she'd never do. You did it for Cinder, blindly. The way all of them followed Ozpin blindly. I think, Pyrrha, you understand that, right?"

"I do," Pyrrha agreed readily. "I've thought so before."

"Then Pyrrha is honest enough to admit that we're all hypocrites," Shine said. "The fact is, neither Ozpin nor Salem are models of conduct here. Don't follow them. Both of you know that now, so thus far, to me, you're equal. You can try to make it different if you like, but it's your choice. There is no law in the universe that would actually compel you to be different."