Eclipse - Act 4 - Cycle's End

Chapter 15 - Sinister Deeds

"Not give into it?" Eryka suggested.

"You make it sound so easy..." He scoffed.

"No, it isn't. I've been fighting my demons for decades, so I know how hard it is. But Dutch has been there for you, helping you fight them and heal. You should have gone to him about this the second you started getting those thoughts again." Eryka explained. "Instead, now you've started something that will not be easy to turn back the clock on."

The Deacon lowered his head, sighing with guilt but also anger, clenching his fists as he trembled. Neo walked up behind Eryka, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed.

"We think you've said enough, Maiden." Neo's pink and brown illusion warned, then Neo drew her dagger from her sheath, but Eryka just glared at the real Neo, her eyes burning with blue flames.

"Just try it." She challenged, but Neo was not stupid enough to take on a Fully Realised Winter Maiden. As Neo backed off, she turned her attention back to the Deacon. "I'm done with all this. If you go anywhere near Jaune or Pyrrha ever again, I will stop you."

"Do you suddenly not care about finding out what happened to your dear brother?" Roman asked as he appeared behind her. She did not even entertain Neo's illusions by looking at it. She just stared down at the Deacon.

"My brother is dead. Whoever you are, you are not even close to being any of the people you used to be. Just a shell, an insult to who they were. And if... by some chance... you are my brother? Then my point still stands. My brother is gone... and I'm done mourning a ghost." Eryka stated, turning and walking away, barging past Neo and pushing the door open, walking away inside of the Legion's Headquarters to find Dutch.

Leaving the Deacon silent.

Ruby

Pyrrha was sitting with Oriana and Misty sat close to her, both of them afraid for their safety, considering the damage done to the home. Oscar was helping Winter in putting out the flames left behind from the battle, and whilst Oriana was rattled from seeing her first ever Grimm, she was constantly worrying about her father, just as Pyrrha was.

But Ruby was focusing on the shard of Permafrost that was broken off from the Hound's flesh. She rotated it around, seeing her reflection shimmering in the light blue crystal. The edges of sharp ice twinkled with glittery dots of light. Penny was sat down beside her, listening to what Ruby was pondering aloud. "You know what this means, Penny..." Ruby said as she stared at the crystal, feeling how cold it was in her hands, setting it down on the floor when the cold became too uncomfortable to handle.

"This Hound came from the Atlesian Wildlands..." Penny spoke Ruby's thoughts as if they were her own. This revelation shook them both. "But... that shouldn't be possible. No Grimm has ever left the Atlesian Wildlands. The storms always froze them and even then they always remained inside of the storm. They didn't even obey Salem's commands. We're still trying to ascertain why." Penny explained, tapping her fingers against her knees.

"Well, whatever the reason, there's no explaining this one away. Nowhere on Remnant is cold enough to form permafrost so cold that it stays frozen no matter where it is. I mean, you'd have to throw that thing in a furnace to make it melt." Ruby explained, looking over at the Nikos family. "But... I can't leave them like this, Penny. The Deacon may attack again, and I can't risk their safety... especially not with Neo working with him." Ruby explained.

Penny was clearly apprehensive about this. "Ruby, Neo isn't after them... you know that, right? You saw the way she stared at you."

"I know."

"She still blames you for his death, even though you didn't murder him." Penny explained. "Neo will attack again and she will try to kill you."

"I fought Salem... I can handle Neo." Ruby promised, but Penny shook her head.