RWBY Through Worlds

149: No Time For Rest

"Sometimes they just can't, Raven. There's always other things involved than just someone's willpower." Qrow sounded like he was tired of having this argument.

"Whatever," Raven said, dismissively. "You can lie to yourself about this, Qrow, but I don't buy it. Just don't let it cloud your judgment, all right? There's a time to know when something is a bad idea. If the Grimm had eaten you also, we'd have none of the other really experienced fighters."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that sounded like concern," Qrow said.

"And why shouldn't I be concerned? I've been watching your back for years," Raven shot back.

"But you never help, do you?" Qrow said.

"I tip you off. You're supposed to know what to do with that information. Not my fault you never do," Raven said tightly. "And speaking of watching, did something else happen out there? I noticed that Black and Sustrai were acting off when they came in."

"It's nothing," Qrow said.

"Sure, nothing." Raven didn't believe him. "Don't tell me, then. When Likstar gets back, though, she'll have the next phase of the plan. And we both know, if they got the Relic then the only thing left to talk about is if we get the others back from Salem or not. We have nowhere else to go from here. Are you ready to take her on?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead," Qrow said.

"Clearly," Raven said. "I can't imagine where we'd go now. Can't just run forever--well, we could, but they don't seem like the type to choose that option. I just wonder how they got Fall to cooperate...unless she didn't."

"Well, Yang said that she just left," Qrow said.

"I don't buy that," Raven said. "And Watts, no one said anything about him."

"This is all stuff we'll find out tomorrow," Qrow said. "Can we stop thinking about it for one night?"

"If you can, go ahead," Raven said. "But I feel, personally, that this is far from over and far from getting any easier. If the curse is getting stronger, then we're all in trouble. Don't you feel it? Like something else is trying to control your actions?"

"Raven, don't make more of it than it is," Qrow said. "It's acting up, but it's...not like we can do anything about it. We're still ourselves. It's not like Oscar."

"Or is it?" Raven was so cheerful. "I'm starting to wonder--why I did what I did. It makes no sense... It really is almost like it takes over."

"That sounds like a way to excuse your actions," Qrow said.

"Well, you excuse yours with your Semblance, and that's less powerful than this," Raven shot back. "It's a valid concern."

"I'm not talking about this anymore."

Winter hurried up the stair.

She really shouldn't be eavesdropping that long...but their concerns were all ones she had also.

She sat in her designated room--not just hers, but none of the kids were in bed yet--and stared at the window.

What was she even doing? She had magic powers...and an inherited curse with them.

If she'd known it would be like this, would she ever have made that choice?

Would any of them?

But how could they refuse?

She really had no choice but to hope that the DJs' path was truly the one out of this, because...the rest of her life being plagued by these problems didn't sound like much of a life. Even if it was her duty to see it through.